Local Business Boost Program 2023 Grant Recipient: Devinto Design

Devinto is a made to order sustainable fashion brand with a studio inside the Love Live Local retail store. The brand was founded in 2015 by designer Aiste Zitnikaite. She mostly sells her clothing online on Etsy and her own ecommerce site. Aiste carries out most of the production – from concept to creation – herself, with one sewist assisting her on occasion.

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Post Date
Thu, Feb 2
Local Business Boost Program

LOCAL BUSINESS BOOST PROGRAM NARRATIVE CASE STUDY

Devinto
539 South Street, Hyannis
devinto.net

As Aiste does almost all the production herself, she has very little time to dedicate to sales, advertising social media and web presence and accounting - all the back end sides of her business. She expressed needing some help on the production side to get her ready for the summer season in order to free her up for more sales and clerical work. She also expressed the need for assistance with her social media and ecommerce strategy.

Additionally, her boutique is located inside of another retail store and next to her studio workspace, which is somewhat confusing to the customer that they can purchase clothing from her there. She wanted to transform the space to feel more shoppable and customer facing.

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"The priorities that were addressed by the Local Business Boost program were items I had I my list for a long time, I was just never able to implement them. Each one has enabled me to grow my business both online and in the physical store. The increased inventory also gave me the opportunity to stock a pop-up shop, where I was able to grow my customer base."

Aiste Zitnikaite, owner Devinto Design


IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES:

  1. Engage with someone to do her digital marketing for her, as well as a website audit to make sure it is functioning to the best of its capabilities.
  2. Hire someone to help increase spring/summer production, so she can then focus on getting her collection in stores and participating in more pop-up events, and free up time for clerical work.
  3. Implement infrastructure changes in studio space to be more accessible to customers.

COMPLETED PRIORITIES:

  1. Engaged with Two Crows Creative to undergo an ecommerce site audit.
    1. referred to the Digital Empower program. Aiste was awarded the grant and therefore able to also engage with Two Crows on social media consulting for six months time.
  2. Hired Mira Crosby for three months to increase production before the busy summer season. Aiste was able to have her store and another popup location stocked for July and August while spending her time cultivating other aspects of her business.
  3. The grant enabled Aiste the redesign her studio space to look more shoppable by adding more racks, shelving and curtains, increasing the amount of foot traffic she received from the adjacent retail store.
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The Local Business Boost Program started in 2022 and is currently a partnership between Love Live Local and the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District. Additional funding is being sought to take the program to other local businesses across Cape Cod.

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