Connecting with shoppers between visits

Boost sales, retain customers and build a following using your social following

The best retail experience today goes well beyond the product on the shelf. Dianne Vavra , owner of VAVRA New York , a boutique blending vintage accessories with niche beauty brands, has built a loyal following by treating her store as a destination for education, discovery and community as much as shopping.

Through Instagram Lives, monthly master classes and a deep focus on storytelling, she has built the kind of loyal customer base most retailers spend years chasing. Here she shares what's working and why it translates to any independent store.

—Interview by Marcy Medina, edited by Bianca Prieto

Why does the combination of physical retail and social (media) selling work for you, and what advice would you give other retailers who are exploring different formats and channels?

The physical store gives the business legitimacy, but Instagram allows me to bring the personality, education, and storytelling to a much larger audience. People may discover us through a live sale or a reel, but knowing there is a real destination behind it makes them feel more confident making a purchase—especially with vintage, where trust and expertise matter so much.

My advice to other retailers would be to think of every platform as serving a different purpose. The store creates experience and credibility, while social media creates connection and reach. When those two things work together, it becomes incredibly powerful.

In your opinion, what are the best stores doing right today?

I think the best stores today are creating an experience that goes far beyond simply selling a product. Customers want to feel inspired, entertained and included in a conversation. For me, education is a huge part of that. People love learning something unexpected—whether it’s the history behind a vintage piece, how something was made, or why a designer mattered culturally.

When customers leave feeling like they’ve discovered something they can share with friends, they feel connected to the experience in a deeper way.

I also think the strongest retailers are focusing on unique, one-of-a-kind products rather than items that are available everywhere. People are craving individuality again.

But just as important is creating a sense of fun and passion around the business. I think customers can immediately feel when someone genuinely loves what they do. That energy comes through in my Instagram lives, my master classes and in the store itself.

Even if someone walks out without making a purchase, I want them to leave feeling inspired, energized or like they discovered something special. That emotional connection is what keeps people coming back.

What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you first started your store and one mistake that you learned from?

One thing I wish I had known when I first opened the store is how much retail has evolved beyond the traditional idea of waiting for customers to walk through the door. Today, a store also has to function as a content studio, a storytelling platform and a community space. Some of my biggest growth has come not just from the physical shop itself, but from the connections and audience built through Instagram lives, education and conversation.

One mistake I made early on was assuming that simply having beautiful inventory and a beautiful store would be enough. I learned very quickly that people also need a reason to engage consistently. That’s what led me to lean more into storytelling, teaching and creating experiences around the products. Once I started sharing the history, craftsmanship and personality behind the pieces, the business became much stronger and much more connected to customers.

What’s one thing a retailer can do in the next seven days and another in seven weeks to increase customer engagement?

In the next seven days: Instead of simply posting products, post one item every day with a story, styling lesson, history fact, or collector insight.

For a boutique like mine—where storytelling, personality and expertise are the real differentiators—the fastest wins come from creating reasons to return consistently, not just reasons to shop once.

In the next seven weeks: At VAVRA New York, this already includes initiatives like “Friday Flash,” featuring a special designer vintage piece offered at an exclusive one-day price, as well as the monthly master class held on the first Monday of each month for collectors and lovers of vintage jewelry. These types of recurring events help build anticipation, customer loyalty, and a stronger sense of community around the brand.

The SKUpe's Take

The retailers building the most loyal customer bases right now aren't the ones with the best inventory. They're the ones giving customers a reason to keep paying attention between purchases. A weekly story post, a recurring live sale, a monthly class—none of it requires a big budget, but it will keep your customers engaged between visits.