4 | Apricot Lane Boutique and third store and began plans to franchise the concept. It was at this time that Scott Jacobs joined the partnership. In 2007, Apricot Lane Boutique was introduced by supporting franchise company Country Visions as the first franchised women’s fashion and gift boutique. “As we looked at the fashion industry, we saw there was a big void. There was nobody franchising in the fashion industry. You had the fashion boutique operators and the really big national companies, but nobody in the middle,” CEO Ken Petersen says. WINNING COMBINATION What sets Apricot Lane apart from the competition is the merchandising flexibility that allows each store to cater to their customer demographics. They have the ability to be different because they’re fast to react and respond to new fashion trends. They’ve got new products arriving weekly and their customers know to act quickly if they want to stay on the cutting edge. “If they like it, they better buy it because it won’t be there tomorrow,” Petersen says. The brand has 15 corporate staff, in-
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