Brixton at Vanilla. Photo by Hannah Marona.
Vanilla first opened its doors seventeen years ago in Bend, Oregon at the Old Mill District. Owner April Lawyer defines the shop as a “surf-inspired lifestyle boutique,” which might seem an unexpected identity for this landlocked location, but the surf, skate, snow vibe is strong in Bend.
The Deschutes River flows right past the store, which is just upriver of the standing surf wave. The snowy windlips loved by Bend-based legendary big wave surfer Gerry Lopez are visible in the distance at Mt. Bachelor, the sixth biggest ski resort in North America.
We spoke with Lawyer about the shop’s new location, her approach to buying for both men and women, what’s selling and plans for the future.
Business is Good
Bend is growing and this new influx of residents, many coming from city-centers in Washington and California, are good for business. So good that Lawyer recently upgraded the store location from the single-level peripheral location in the outdoor Old Mill District to a new 3,500 square-foot, two-level central location. She was ready for a change, not just in location but in the brand, “Obviously, after 17 years anything gets stale, I had to get rid of the old Vanilla Urban Threads name and upgrade the logo.”
Lawyer shares that 2022 was a great year for the shop, “We had a really strong year, one of our best years ever actually. We bounced back from COVID, most of the shipping challenges have evaporated, and we had a ton of tourism here in Bend.”
Lawyer reopened in the new space at the end of February 2023 and so far, the move has been great for business. “We’ve only been in this space for such a small amount of time, but we’re crushing it, our numbers have been really strong. So, that’s awesome.”
Women’s and Juniors – Billabong a Star
The main floor of the new store is dominated by women’s clothing grouped by colors rather than by brand.
Inside Vanilla in Bend, Oregon. Photo by Hannah Marona.
“I go more for color stories, and I tend to buy that way, too,” Lawyer said.
Billabong is a brand that Vanilla has carried since the beginning, they’re also one brand that has maintained exclusivity with the shop in Bend. “Billabong has always been one of our stronger brands, something that definitely just season after season performs really well for us,” said Lawyer.
“Z Supply, Rhythm, Volcom and Free People are more of our bigger brands,” Lawyer said, “and we’ve really started seeing a lot of traction with Brixton’s new women’s line, too.”
Z supply at Vanilla boutique. Photo by Hannah Marona.
“Jung Maven is a brand we’ve had for a few years that’s starting to gain momentum. It’s all organic and has such a good story behind it.” Lawyer adds, “We’re really trying to bring in as many sustainable brands as possible because I think our customer is wanting that.”
Denim – Volcom is King
The entryway is currently a bright display of all styles of jean shorts, which Lawyer said are in high demand ahead of the looming spring break.
“We do really well with denim,” said Lawyer, “Volcom’s denim package has been awesome for both men and women. Pistola is a brand that we’ve had for quite a while and it always does great for us.”
“Good American is great because it fits a lot of different bodies; it’s super inclusive, we have everything from size zero up into plus sizes,” she said.
Lawyer is also focused on stocking a variety of price points in denim. “Anybody could walk in here and get a very modest price point denim and they also could get a very expensive premium denim. We’re able to thread the needle with all of those price points,” said Lawyer.
Men’s – Industry Brands Resonate
With the new location Lawyer opted to try something new, dedicating the upper level to the guys. She sees this new men’s section as a glow up from the old location.
Lawyer shops for a very specific guy for this section, “We have a core following of guys that really love Vanilla and love supporting us. Those guys are also the average guy, like my husband [former pro mountain biker Chris Sheppard] who grew up with these brands and they feel a strong connection to and a comfort level with them.”
Dark Seas in the men’s section at Vanilla. Photo by Hannah Marona.
Volcom men’s jeans are a big draw, “Everybody loves Volcom jeans. Those are our strongest.”
Other standout brands include Rhythm, Vissla, Brixton and Banks Journal, Lawyer adds, “Dark Seas also does really well and has a unique, underground feel.”
Shoes – The Importance of Vans
“Footwear is definitely really important for us,” said Lawyer. “If you took the number of shoes that we have on that wall and spread them out, we could honestly be a shoe store, it’s just very condensed.” One of the highlights of the new location is more backend space for shoe boxes.
Strong performers include Reef and Vans. “Vans have been part of the shipping challenges, but when we have Vans, they do amazing,” said Lawyer. The sandal category has grown into a strong seller in the past few years, led by Reef.
Other top performing brands include Dolce Vita, Seychelles and Matisse.
Eyewear – Raen Speaks to Fashion Customers
Lawyer said the store isn’t super focused on eyewear, “We used to have a lot more brands but it’s hard with space.” She also gestures to the nearby Sunglass Hut, “We try not to really compete with them,” she said. But she does have a curated selection.
Footwear at Vanilla. Photo by Hannah Marona.
“Raen is our bread-and-butter brand. The fashion side of Raen really speaks to our customer,” said Lawyer. “We also brought in a brand called I-SEA, which is big in the surf world and it’s a good price point—you can get polarized sunglasses for under $40, which is awesome.”
Z Supply rounds out the offerings, “Again, polarized at a really modest price point,” said Lawyer.
Swim Sells Year Round
“We have swimsuits year-round because people in Bend like to travel, it’s a big category for us,” Lawyer said. “We do well with all the surf brands—again Billabong is big, Volcom, Roxy and Rhythm,” said Lawyer. She also points to Maaji and Beach Riot as other top sellers as well as a new local swimwear line called Saturday Swimwear, which is handmade in Bend.
Men’s surf trunks are another great year-round category, with Vissla, Rhythm, Dark Seas and Rip Curl leading the pack.
Accessories – Brixton Rules in Hats
Vanilla carries both women’s and men’s goods. Photo by Hannah Marona.
Lawyer focuses on stocking local brands throughout the store and this is reflected in the accessories on offer. She stocks local jewelry from Lux Reve, Canaan, and Mitch Jewelry, as well as High ’N’ Dry leather purses, wallets and crossbody bags. She’s also recently added Trek Light Gear towels with fun prints that stand out.
Fedora type hats continue to be a big category with Brixton and Lack Of Color both big sellers. The front window display features a large inventory of wool-felt hats in stock. Lawyer said, “The fedora-style hats used to be a fall holiday style, but we’re definitely selling them year-round now.” She has a large order of straw hats on the way that she expects to do well.
Looking Ahead
Lawyer is looking forward to settling into the new location. She’s planning a grand opening party this spring. She’s also looking forward to building out the back patio space, which faces the river, to host small gatherings, especially once the concert season kicks off at the nearby outside amphitheater.
She’s also entertaining other Vanilla-esque opportunities. She has been approached about private shopping events for groups of friends and bachelorette parties (a big business in Bend), which she’s excited about— “I really like that idea. I think that sounds cool and it sounds very Vanilla.”
