After thirteen years as proprietor of Spoken Boutique, and nearly forty years in retail, Pam Worth announces her semi-retirement. “My husband retired two years ago. I have a son who lives in Utah. I have a daughter who lives in town. I have elderly parents. I just thought, if I could knowingly pass the torch to someone who would totally take care of my third baby, I would feel comfortable just stepping back a little.”
Pam says retirement wasn’t on her radar until she bumped into Tina Powell at a coffee shop about a year ago. The women know each other from years of working retail in downtown Saratoga. Tina, who had left merchandising to stay home with her young family for a few years, expressed a desire to step back into a retail career. Pam invited her to consider joining the close-knit team at Spoken. Once Tina started helping Pam with the buying and merchandising and assisting customers, she was hooked.
“It’s like a serendipity story. It wasn’t planned. I never thought I’d get back into retail,” says Tina. “It kind of rolled into something. Tina was a perfect fit for us. She’s so knowledgeable. She’s a true Saratoga girl. She has an amazing retail background of over twenty years in downtown Saratoga… she instantly knew what this picture has always been painted as,” said Pam.
Spoken has been voted Best Boutique in Saratoga Today year after year. Pam says the store is just as popular with tourists as it is with locals.
“When I am buying for the first quarter, I am aware of the financial landscape for our customers. They are coming off the holidays and are watching their dollar. However, they also deserve the same quality and customer service they have been accustomed to. Those customers that come in those freezing months should still have great choices, just like our summer customers. It’s called “retail.” We are ever changing...but the same. On every level the customer service, the displays, the merchandising, the feelings and the warmth and of course the laughter are evident year round. We have so much fun, it’s almost illegal. We really have a great time.”
When Covid hit and she was forced to close her doors, Pam realigned her business strategy.
She established a more prominent online and social media presence, creating the now-popular Pammy’s Picks. Customers either came in to pick up what they’d bought online or Pam would drive all over the area to deliver purchases to her customers.
“Any retailer that came out of Covid will tell you, you really felt the love of your customers. I know I did. There were nights I would lie in bed thinking, ‘Thank you for these customers, because they kept us afloat.’”
Though the official transfer of ownership happened September 2nd, it is important to Pam that those customers hear the news from her first, before it hit the media.
“The continuity of the store is going to remain the same. The staff is here. I’m here. We just wanted our customers to feel like it was seamless… I don’t want them to feel a ripple, I want them to feel a flow.”
Pam plans to continue Pammy’s Picks, along with merchandising, buying and serving customers. While she plans to take more time traveling and enjoying family, she promises she and Tina will continue to work side-by-side. While there isn’t a grand re-opening planned, Spoken customers can expect a special experience on Black Friday, a celebration of thanks from both Tina and Pam.
