Robin Lafreniere poses for a photo at her new store Melon Boutique, Friday, March 18, 2022.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

A colourful new business will be opening its doors on the Kamloops North Shore in a few days.

Owner of Melon Hair Lounge, Robin Lafreniere, is excited to be opening her second business, Melon Boutique, on the same site at 4-860 8 Street.

The clothing boutique is carrying business casual pieces that are, bright, feminine and floral for the spring season. The pieces are sourced from lines in Vancouver and Los Angeles. The owner is excited to help grow the North Shore small business scene.

“I am proudly providing for all shapes and sizes,” Lafreniere said. “I love making women look beautiful, it’s my passion in life. I like people to feel good about themselves, look good on the outside and feel better on the inside.”

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The idea came to Lafreniere easily when she was forced to reduce her hairdressing staff due to pandemic restrictions. Suddenly there was a lot of extra space and adding a clothing boutique went hand-in-hand with the hair salon.

“This is already a social place and now women can come in and get their hair done and leave with a new shirt as well,” Lafreniere said. “It is really starting to look colourful and bright in the boutique and we are getting excited to share it with everyone.”

Already having experience in running a business, Lafreniere said the process of opening the boutique has run smoothly from start to finish. She does have a lot to learn about the clothing business but is looking forward to the challenges ahead.

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Lafreniere has been a business owner on the North Shore for almost a decade.

“I have seen businesses growing and expanding here and I’m really excited to be a part of it,” she said. “I’m getting nervous about opening day. The feedback I’m getting from the community has been phenomenal. I sure hope I bought enough clothes.”

Opening day is March 23.

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