Because she lives in Geneva — a regional hub for fashion apparel — and has already made inroads into the editorial world, Nicole Leinbach-Reyhle believes now is the right time to launch a nationally distributed trade magazine for the boutique industry.
Her magazine, Retail Minded hit the press last week and should be delivered to people’s homes and businesses across the country early next month.
The debut issue of the quarterly publication features Geneva’s boutique industry. Leinbach-Reyhle said each issue will feature a different city.
But featuring Geneva in the first issue made sense to Leinbach-Reyhle. The city has more than 400 retailers and is ranked 10th in apparel and accessories sales in the Chicago area, according to a report by Melaniphy & Associates Inc., which compares Geneva to several communities, including Naperville and Chicago.
Two other Geneva residents are on the magazine’s masthead. Julie Johnson Hillery is the managing director and her husband, Robert Hillery, is the creative director.
Leinbach-Reyhle and Johnson Hillery met at Columbia College Chicago where they teach in the fashion department.
“The balance of all our expertise blended perfectly (for the magazine),” Leinbach-Reyhle said.
The magazine idea began and started evolving in 2007, when Leinbach-Reyhle founded a consulting firm for boutique businesses. She also maintained a blog and wrote a weekly column for Crain’s Chicago Business online and wrote several articles for other trade publications, such as Floral Management and Dance Retailer News.
But Leinbach-Reyhle believes she’s found her niche in the boutique industry.
“I’ve contributed to at least 20 retail trade magazines,” she said. “And they’re all very sector-specific, like in floral. There’s nothing for the boutique business.”
Retail Minded magazine will provide tips and news for people in the boutique industry and is designed to incorporate a shop owner’s entire lifestyle.
“When people are passionate about their business, it becomes their life,” Johnson Hillery said.
For example, Leinbach-Reyhle said the magazine will offer suggestions on how to manage money, and there’s even an article on how to relax and deal with stress featuring Bikram Yoga in St. Charles.
Beyond the Tri-Cities, Leinbach-Rehyle said she’s developed a network of sources in the industry nationwide and knows writers in several different cities who will write about the industry in their towns.
She said the magazine is meant to be archived for future reference by readers, not just read once and thrown away.
With an extensive background in the retail industry — she first worked as a wholesale professional for companies such as Adidas and Sears — Leinbach-Reyhle believes the magazine is the ideal next step in her career.
“It’s in my blood,” she said.
More online For more information about Retail Minded magazine or to subscribe, visit retailminded.com/magazine
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