Apricot Lane • Round Rock

Apricot Lane • Round Rock

Written by Amy Stansbury Friday, 01 August 2008

Locally owned retailer at Round Rock Premium Outlets sells gifts for women and babies, lotions and clothing

Apricot Lane is the only locally owned retailer at the Round Rock Premium Outlets, according to Assistant General Manager Jana Griswold. Laura Michaelsen and Tammy Grad, a mother/daughter team, opened the store when the outlets opened Aug. 4, 2006.

Michaelsen said she and Grad began discussing opening a store more than 10 years ago when they lived in California. They had already worked together at a few different companies in which Michaelsen was a human resources director and Grad was a programs manager. Four years ago, Grad moved to Texas, and Michaelsen followed just six months later.

“We knew we worked well together, and we finally had the opportunity to open a store together,” Michaelsen said. “We really like clothes, fashion and home décor, and we wanted a really fun place for women to come and just gather and have a really good time. So, we said, ‘Let’s think about mixing something that has gifts and clothing.’”

The pair researched franchise opportunities and found a store in Napa Valley where they had shopped before. Country Clutter was in the process of evolving from a casual, country store that carried home décor into what is now Apricot Lane, a boutique that sells fashion accessories, clothes, purses and gifts.

“We flew into Vacaville, [Calif.,] and met with the president of Apricot Lane and presented our ideas,” Michaelsen said. “We said we really want it to be premium. We want a wood floor. We want this color paint, which is that granite red and gold-flecked paint in our store. And these are the different lines that we’re interested in carrying. The president said he totally agreed with us. He said, ‘This is a great idea, and we’ll back you 100 percent.’ And he said, ‘This is a slam dunk — there is no way you won’t be a success.’”

Michaelsen took out a mortgage loan on her paid-off home to finance the opening of the store. She has since cashed out all of her 401(k) and individual retirement account, or IRA, to stay in business. She and Grad considered multiple locations before deciding on space at the Round Rock Premium Outlets. They said they chose the outlet mall because of the traffic projections, although the volume has not been as high as what was expected.

“We based our decision to come in here on six to seven million customers a year,” Michaelsen said. “It was supposed to be more traffic than the Prime Outlets in San Marcos. They said we would have 2.5 people per car come here to shop, but that has not been true. The traffic counter has shown 1.2 million in traffic a year.”

The business partners said they hope traffic will increase soon. In the meantime, they are getting good feedback from customers.

“We’re really unique,” Grad said. “No other store here carries what we do. People come in here and say, ‘You are so different. The music is soothing, and the smells take away all the stress of the mall.’”

Even though Michaelsen said the outlet mall is marketed as a tourist attraction, most of Apricot Lane’s customers are local residents.

“Our locals are really the ones who shop here,” Michaelsen said. “They are really the ones who come in and say, ‘I came to the mall just to come here. You’re our local gift store.’”

Apricot Lane sells a baby line called Cloud B, which includes organic cotton wraps and swaddlers, and stuffed turtles and ladybug night lights that project the constellations on the ceiling. The shop also carries lotions, designer blue jeans at a discount, “designer-inspired handbags,” keychains, cards, stationery as well as housewarming and hostess gifts.

Easy in, easy out

• Turn off the IH 35 north frontage road into the main entrance of the Round Rock Premium Outlets.
• Turn right and follow the drive around to the back of the mall.
• Park in lot 19.

• Walk into the mall between GUESS and Ann Taylor, near the food court.
• Turn left.
• Apricot Lane is Ste. 820 on the right.

Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Owners and mother/daughter Laura Michaelsen and Tammy Grad