Ballerinas and Bruisers, a unique boutique featuring children’s apparel and pet items, will be acquiring another Zionsville, Indiana business – Choosy Pet, a dog boutique and bakery. Choosy Pet owner Phillip Henry officially announced his retirement last month, and Ballerinas and Bruisers owner Steve Schwatz saw an opportunity to expand his business.
Owning a business is not for the faint of heart, but with hard work and dedication many small businesses have thriving success stories. Opening a unique business makes it even more difficult because it isn’t something that consumers are expecting and it may take them some time to warm up to the establishment. That’s not how it worked for Steve Schwartz. His unique shop is not only doing extremely well, but now he is acquiring a new brand as well.
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Raised in Denver, Schwartz realized he had a passion for fashion at a young age. That path has taken him onto a very successful career in the retail industry, and now he’s finally acquired his dream job. His career began at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, which led to a job assisting with the wardrobe on shows like Dynasty, Dallas, and Knots Landing. You’d think that would be exciting enough, but not for Schwartz.
He continued to expand his retail experience at other shops that specialized in home furnishings, gifts, and personal shopping for the elite. No matter what job he had, Schwartz always lived by his motto, “it’s first class or nothing!” Schwartz’s longtime partner is originally from Indiana, and on one fateful visit to see his family Steve realized that his dream job would be to open a unique store in the area. Today he continues to pride himself on offering the most unique and incredible retail experience, and I think he’s mastered the task.
Ballerinas and Bruisers sells children’s clothing, toys, books, gifts, and pet items. Now with the addition of Choosy Pet, the pet section will greatly expand. I don’t know about you, but most of my retail purchases are for my pets and my son. If I could go to one store to find unique items for both of them, I certainly would! Children’s items and pet products are not two things that you traditionally here about in the same boutique, but Schwartz’s business continues to increase, so he must have filled a niche in the Zionsville area.
Choosy Pet will be open until the 25th of this month and they also offer a unique shopping experience, however theirs is catered strictly to pet parents. They offer lots of Indiana made pet food and treats, as well as apparel, pet carriers, grooming products, toys, and beds. Henry even special ordered items for his customers if he didn’t have what they were looking for in stock. It’s that kind of individual customer service that makes small businesses stand out from the big box stores.
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Choosy Pet cat and dog food will be available at Ballerinas and Bruisers within the next couple of weeks. Schwartz says it’s a win-win situation. He says that the company is excited to expand their products and services for pet parents and they hope to build relationships with Choosy Pet customers in hopes of earning their trust. Choosy Pet has been offering the pet food for the last six years, so this acquisition will greatly benefit pet owners that are loyal to the brand.
Henry said that although his family is excited to move on with their next adventure, they are also sad to say goodbye to their devoted customers. He said they are confident that they will get the same high-quality products and friendly service from Ballerinas and Bruisers, and he feels good about leaving them in Schwartz’s capable hands.
