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A New Adventure
The Emerald Isle opened for business in October 1981. The original owners, sisters Jeanette Smith and Louise Burchell felt that opening a business together was a dream come true
Even though we originally opened as a Lingerie Shop, we didn’t want to pick a “cutesie” name for the Store. Somehow, we had the forethought to think that we might evolve into something different. As Jeanette and Louise were driving to Santa Fe, they were determined to pick a name for the store on that trip. Driving on I-25, they noticed the lush green foliage that followed the path of the Rio Grande River and were struck by the beautiful EMERALD color. Then and there, they decided that they wanted to incorporate that word into the name. Emerald is not only a rich and lush color, but the Emerald Gemstone is the rarest gemstone in the world. Finally, they settled on ISLE to complete the name. The EMERALD ISLE signifies that our store is an “oasis of rare gems in the desert.” Not once did the girls think about the Emerald Isle also referring to Ireland! But soon became aware because of customers coming in looking for Irish imports or an Irish pub. All in all, we are happy to have that name as it has served us well!
The Emerald Isle Evolution
The Emerald Isle in 1981 was quite different than the store today. The original Emerald Isle, located on Lohman Avenue, sold exquisite Lingerie, loungewear for women and men and antiques. As time passed, many of the store's customers requested that the store offer dresses. After the initial dresses were ordered and subsequently sold successfully, the partners realized that the sales volume of the business could be increased greatly by offering ready-to-wear clothing.
Today, The Emerald Isle is a full service boutique offering sportswear, dresses, separates, and a complete line of accessories. Since the move to The Mercado in 2001, Emerald Isle has also expanded to include an art gallery. The store is beautifully decorated with original art and stained glass created by local artists.
As we begin our 25th year, many things are changing at The Emerald Isle. Even though Jeanette Smith has retired, another family member is at the helm with Louise Burchell. Kelli Burchell, daughter of Louise, has worked in the store since the age of 15. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University and was promoted to Store Manager in 2001. As of September of 2005, Kelli invested in the business and is now a co-owner. Our customers are not only assured of having a fresh, young influence in the merchandise, but can look forward to longevity for The Emerald Isle. The staff also includes long-time employees and friends, Hetty Smith and Lupe Saiz.
Our Philosophy
The initial goal of the partner's was to treat every customer as they would want to be treated. Whenever a policy decision had to be made regarding returns, credit, etc, the owners put themselves into the customer's shoes. For this reason, The Emerald Isle has been able to maintain an outstanding reputation in the community and many customers are also friends.
The store is poised and ready to continue into the future. The Emerald Isle credo is " We are passionate about what we do and we hope it shows!"
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