Promoting Excellence in Small Business: Jan’s Boutique

One of the eleven winners of the Chamber's 27th annual Excellence Awards Honoring Small Businesses is featured in this issue: Family Business of the Year, Jan’s Boutique. The Family Business of the Year award is sponsored by Firstrust. Be sure to look for additional winners in upcoming issues.

Family Business of the Year, Jan’s Boutique

(left to right) Tom Waller, Firstrust; Paul Virilli; Peter Virilli; Jessica Straghan, Firstrust
Photo by Top Guns Corp. Photography

Jan’s Boutique, one of South Jersey’s finest women’s specialty apparel stores, is a fashion oasis for women seeking the "wow" factor. For over 35 years, the company’s core customers, numbering in the thousands, have faithfully shopped at this unique and innovative store for four reasons: carefully selected name-brand designers, the largest inventory selection in the region, affordable to moderate prices, and stellar customer service.

Founder Janice M. Davis started her business in Burlington, NJ, with a $10,000 loan from the bank and a $5,000 loan from her father. She and her two young boys lived above the shop until moving to expanded space in Rancocas Woods in the ’80s and Marlton in the ’90s. Three years ago, they landed in a 6,000 sq. ft. store with 20 lavish dressing rooms in Cherry Hill, and are planning to double the space by next summer to become the largest of its kind on the east coast.

With in-store and online selections offering thousands of options in styles, sizes and colors, they sell more evening and sportswear than any other independent family-run boutique in the Delaware Valley. The business was built on one-on-one service to the mother-of-the-bride, broadening its appeal over the years to a wider market: prom girl to plus-size woman.

Their 10 full-time staff balloons to 30+ full- and part-time employees starting each winter for the traditional wedding/prom season. With 4,000 gowns and special occasion dresses in sizes 0 thru 28, their customers travel from as far as Virginia, Connecticut and upstate New York for a sophisticated look and shopping experience, haute couture designer wear, and prices ranging from $250 to $5,000.

After graduating college in the mid-1990s, sons Paul and Peter Virilli found their own niche in the business they grew up around. Paul is the merchandizing/
marketing engine and Peter manages the finances, while Jan still keeps a keen eye on the buying and is always highly visible on the sales floor to personally take care of all her customers.

Incorporated: 1974 | Cherry Hill, NJ | jansboutique.com