by Madison Evans
On Aug. 3 Mackenzie’s Boutique, a women’s clothing store located at 1091 Second St. S. in Sartell, celebrated 15 years of business. To commemorate that achievement, the store hosted an anniversary party.
At the event, new and loyal customers were able to take advantage of hot sale prices while snacking on complimentary cupcakes and cookies. Endless August, a pop-up permanent jewelry company, joined the celebration with a table just outside Mackenzie’s front door. Customers were warmly greeted by the owner, Carolyn Bous of Sartell. She and her four staff members were on site smiling and pointing customers to their new arrivals and booming sales.
Kindness and a passion for retail are the foundation of this successful business. But the enthusiasm for store ownership began years ago when Bous was just a toddler. She would play shop at her childhood home’s farmhouse, making money out of notebook paper and using loose objects from around the house for invisible customers to buy.
After 17 years of being a stay-at-home mom, Bous wanted to start living her dream so she landed a job at Mackenzie’s shortly after it opened 15 years ago. At that time, the store sold mainly purses and was owned by Bob and Linda Feuling, who named it Mackenzie’s after their granddaughter.
Bous worked for nearly a decade before starting to consider ownership. According to Bous, the Feulings said they would sell it to her due to her hard work and dedication, but the notion was daunting.
By 2020, Bous was still fence-sitting about taking over the store. She was working six days a week and helped the store’s product line grow from purses to a robust line of clothes and a stylish selection of jewelry. Then, a health scare made her re-evaluate life. With encouragement from her children, Hannah and Myles, she decided to take the leap and sought to take over Mackenzie’s in 2021.
Since then, she continues to expand offerings and focuses on a broad target market catering to all ages while keeping the prices affordable. Some of the most popular items are vibrant tank tops, dresses, jeans and soft leggings. Bous hasn’t lost sight of the store’s history which is evident by a cork board found at the front of the shop. Pictures of colorful crewnecks, big belts and other styles pay homage to the trends of the past 15 years.
One of the unique aspects about Mackenzie’s is the connection it develops with its patrons, who seem more like long-time friends than customers. Cindy Homan traveled from Beardsley to celebrate her birthday at Mackenzie’s anniversary event. Each member of the staff took time to wish her a happy birthday and thanked her for her business.
In the future, Bous plans to maintain her customer-centric business model with low prices and friendly staff. She has hopes to drive new business with a potential remodel that will create an even more welcoming environment.
Mackenzie’s Boutique staff members are (left to right) Colleen Zoffka of Sauk Rapids; Hannah Bous, Carolyn Bous and Lauren Thole, all of Sartell; and Kali Enstad of St. Joseph. On Aug. 3, they hosted a 15-year anniversary party at the boutique, located at 1091 Second St. S, Sartell.
Carolyn Bous, owner of Mackenzie’s Boutique, and her daughter Hannah Bous prepare the store for their 15-year anniversary celebration.
