While some national retailers have been closing department stores, downtown Bend has seen about a 30 percent increase in boutiques during the last three years.

The downtown core is home to about 20 clothing boutiques, along with a number of specialty apparel stores.

“They’re all pretty unique and have a certain segment of the market that they’re going after,” said Downtown Bend Business Association Executive Director Chuck Arnold, who provided the growth figure. “It’s that diversity and specialty that makes them succeed.”

Veteran retailers like Hot Box Betty, Local Joe and Lulu’s Boutique that have been in business around a decade or more have been joined by a plethora of new price-point-focused clothing boutiques and consignment shops.

But while some boutique owners embrace the growth in clothing stores, others say it may be impacting business.

“It’s been really slow down here,” said Kristine Johnson, who bought Honey Threads on Northwest Minnesota Avenue last month.

Johnson knows the business has been successful over the past three years. However, she said, business has been “can-barely-pay-the-rent bad” lately.

“There’s a lot of new stores down here, which might be why it’s not as busy,” she said.

Johnson plans to expand Honey Threads to the second floor and offer workout wear.

She hopes improved weather and the summer vacation season will bring a flood of customers through her doors.

Arnold said one of the biggest changes in the downtown retail front is the addition of new consignment shops, some of which sell second-hand clothing.

“It accesses the consumer that might not have purchased at a high-end boutique,” he said. “It expands the market.”

Theresa Skarsten, owner of The Frugal Boutique, said customers have started examining their impulse buying, realizing that by shopping around, they can find things that are nice and affordable.

Skarsten, 37, said the goal is for a customer to come in with $20 and purchase four pieces of clothing.

The Frugal Boutique, along with several others, also sells second-hand clothing on consignment.

“It’s a two-way street,” Skarsten said. “I’m helping people make money off the nice things they bring in and helping them shop local.”

People can bring in an item to sell instead of just donating it to Goodwill, she said. If they can let go of what they’ve had hanging in their closets for years, she said, they can probably make some money on it.

The boutique, on Northwest Oregon Avenue, has about 200 regular customers — the majority in their 30s to 60s, she said. But recently, she said she’s noticed an increase in bargain hunting teenagers coming through her door.

To set themselves apart, several boutiques have exclusive rights to sell certain clothing lines.

Hot Box Betty, located on Northwest Wall Street for nearly nine years, carries hard-to-find lines on the cutting edge of fashion that nobody else downtown carries, said Shelley Singer, the boutique’s manager.

The boutique sells Citizens of Humanity jeans, AG Adriano Goldschmied denim and Mother denim, along with Maison Scotch — a clothing line Singer said is exclusively carried by Hot Box Betty in Central Oregon.

What is pivotal at Hot Box Betty, Singer said, is the relationship built with the customers that keeps them coming back.

“When we go to market, we look at all these beautiful clothing lines and we say out loud, ‘Amy might like that or Carolyn might like that,’” she said. “We’re always thinking of our customer inside and outside the store.”

Arnold said the downtown stores in business for more than three years have figured out the key to success — quality customer service.

“The stores that have a good attitude, make you feel welcome and work with you in a partnership to find the right item are the ones that succeed,” he said. “Some people want to support local, but the bigger issue is they’re not only going to a place where they’re buying goods, but a place where they feel a kinship to.”

Some of the boutiques, Arnold said, cater to specific age groups.

“Lulu’s (Boutique) and Hot Box (Betty) are targeting a very trendy upper-age demographic, with their top priority for their customer (being) style and fashion,” he said. “The top priority for some of the younger-demographic targeting stores is style and fashion, as well as price point.”

Jennifer Steigman, owner of Faveur Eclectic Unique Boutique on Northwest Franklin Avenue, said providing more affordable clothing was a key reason for opening her shop, whichcelebrated its one-year anniversary June 18.

“I’ve always loved shopping downtown, but felt priced out because I have a family to raise,” she said. “I wanted to bring something that more people could afford, but still have the downtown experience and a unique shop.”

Steigman, 37, said she has romantic, Bohemian-style apparel that appeals to women of all ages who like more of a vintage feel.

“I have teenage girls up to grandmas shopping in my store every day,” she said.

Steigman said Faveurhas a steady flow of local customers throughout the week and an influx of tourists on weekends and during the summer months.

“I anticipated that the customer base would be mostly tourists,” she said. “But, there’s definitely a good base of local people who shop downtown.”

As a new store owner downtown, she said she was warned that spring can be a challenging season. However, she said her sales continued to rise and equaled her best summer month.

“Every month just got better and better,” she said. “As more people find me, they keep coming in.”

While Steigman agrees that there are a number of boutiques, she said she doesn’t feel like she’s in competition with the others.

“People will come in with multiple bags from different shops,” she said. “I’m confident that all the buyers downtown have their own taste.”

If a customer can’t find the dress they’re looking for in her store, she said, she’ll send them to Gypsy Soul around the corner. If they’re looking for a pair of jeans, she said, she’ll refer them to Local Joe.

“I feel like we’re in it together,” she said. “We need to not feel threatened by other shops downtown.”