Cheryl Glanse has always had an interest in fashion. Her uncle was well-known in the fashion business with Holt Renfrew, and as a teenager she was able to work with him. After her uncle passed away she opened two stores, one with regular sizes and the other with plus sizes. Eventually she merged them into one store that carries sizes six through twenty-four, and Ritsi Plus was born.
The store carries a variety of brands. One of the most popular is Eileen Fisher, a casual but classic American brand that you can mix and match easily. Another popular brand is Lafayette 148, but this one is more corporate.
Ritsi Plus is unique because of the hands on and personal service that Cheryl provides. She said that she even ‘personal shops’ for some of her clients. It is really important to her that she keeps in contact with her clients, calling them every once in while. Another big key to her success is the fact that the store is on street level in Montreal. This enables her and her team to do great windows.
Her success is also due in part to impeccable timing. When Ritsi Plus first opened, it was covered in a Montreal newspaper at exactly the right time. She said that “women know what they want but need guidance to put it all together.”
When searching for new pieces, Cheryl is very picky, even if she isn’t shopping for a particular client. She wants to make sure that women will feel good wearing the pieces she’s picked. That is why the store doesn’t have many dressy items, she feels that “designers are totally out of touch in this department.
The biggest problem in plus-sized fashion is that there aren’t enough choices. Cheryl said that “some people find an item they like and buy two of it” because there is such a small selection.
Ritsi Plus has done some online sales, but not a lot. Cheryl likes to be hands on with her clients, so she probably won’t venture back into online sales. Nevertheless, you can still check out the amazing clothes Ritsi Plus has to offer at http://www.ritsiplus.com/en/.