How Shop Lyss + Lin in Commack uses Instagram to attract millennial, Gen Z shoppers
Lindsay Navas, left, and Alyssa DeMonte at Shop Lyss + Lin, their clothing and gift boutique in Commack. Credit: Shop Lyss + Lin
At Shop Lyss + Lin, a clothing and gift boutique in Commack, local business-savvy sisters have discovered that if you Instagram it, shoppers will come.
Lindsay Navas, 26, and Alyssa DeMonte, 34, opened the store in October 2021. For these women with a deep passion for fashion, the business is “a shared dream come true,” says Navas, who has an MBA from Stony Brook University.
Posts to the shop’s 10,800 followers are more than informational (as in, here’s what we’ve got), but inspirational (as in, think how great you’ll look in this). Navas models merchandise in daily posts. “People say to us all the time, ‘Keep posting, because as soon as I see it on you guys, I run in,’ ” says DeMonte.
The cozy retail space features trendy and timeless wardrobe pieces for everyday and special events, plus accessories, small gifts and jewelry.
“All of our pieces are things that we would wear,” says DeMonte, a mom of three who studied psychology at Stony Brook. “We look for items that are unique and different. Everything is a reflection of us, and I think that that’s what people like to see.”
In addition to seasonal sales and occasional giveaways, the pair has used social media to attract and expand their audience, especially millennial and Gen Z customers.
Instagram is their “main source of advertising to grow the business. It keeps things fresh and the store top of mind,” says Navas. “It has gotten us recognition in the local area, and in other states. People drive in from out east and even New Jersey.”
Bestselling wardrobe store staples include tank tops and bodysuits ($20-$35) and comfy jeans ($55-$70). Popular accessories include hats ($20) and candles ($20-$30). Bubble letter necklaces ($39) are popular jewelry picks.
Currently online sales are available through Instagram and shoppers can direct message the shop to make purchases. Navas and DeMonte are focused on building a website to expand this option in the coming months.
Navas and DeMonte have two other sisters, and they treasure their family. Neither could come up with a downside to working together, but they agreed on what’s best about it. “Trust,” says DeMonte. “It’s complete.”
Shop Lyss + Lin, 1139 Jericho Tpke., Commack, 631-456-6695, Instagram: @shoplyssandlin.
