HUNTINGTON HAS TASTE June 8th, 2010 visit link: http://huntington.patch.com/articles/huntington-has-taste#c to read more about how fabulous the event was!

Dressing kids is her lifelong dream

Jacqui Maggio always knew she wanted to run her own store.
Maggio’s family owned Homemade Kids – a former baby clothing store in downtown Northport. Regularly going to work with her mother in the mornings, the future became obvious for Maggio, 27.
“I always wanted to have my store. This was something I really wanted to do,” she said.
Her dream became a reality this sum- mer when Sophi Blu opened its doors.
Sophi Blu is home to “medium to high- end casual ware” for children up to age 6. T-shirts, jeans and dresses from brands like Misha Lulu, Baby Lulu, Appaman, Pink Chicken and Charlie Rocket line the walls.
“I consider it to be pretty fashion-for- ward. I have little accessories, hats, stockings, picture frames, blankets [and] jewelry. It’s a gift store,” Maggio said. “It’s a little bit of a younger clientele. The younger moms love my store.”
The baby clothing boutique opened
unceremoniously for the first time on Aug. 8, 2009. Maggio elected to use a soft opening to begin generating cash flow.
The store was an unknown early on, but Main Street shoppers began poking their heads in and word of mouth spread as the summer wore on. The store even did a good amount of business for the holiday season.
“Now it’s slow. January and February are slow for retail, but I’ve gotten really good feedback,” Maggio said.
Sophi Blu’s location may also account for some of its early success. The shop is one of few non-chain businesses that
sells children’s clothes and offers easy access to residents, merchants and other community members in Northport.
“We are a little bit away from Jericho Turnpike. We are a little bit further away from the Expressway. On a rainy, cold day [when] they want an outfit, I’m local and it’s easy for them to get something cute,” Maggio said.
The creation of the store was almost as quick as the business’ progress in the community. Maggio called Australia home for more than two years before returning to Northport in April. Ready to join the working world, she sat down
with her parents and talked over some ideas. Ultimately, they decided it was the right time for the 27-year-old to realize her dreams.
“By July 1 was buying clothes,” Maggio said.
Sophi Blu is open six days a week, closed on Mondays, and the owner works the cash register, helps customers and changes the light bulbs.
“It’s pretty awesome to be my own boss. It’s a lot of work, but I knew it would be. I’ve managed boutiques before. I used to manage Saks Fifth Avenue,” she said.

Long Islander News – Northport woman accomplishes goal with children’s casual ware store