the Cento

Just a little way down the road from Centre College’s campus, the Derby Shoppe continues its long legacy of success. Located on 124 N. Third St., the business and its companion store, Raggs (located right next door) embody the ideal setting for a women’s apparel store.

The small business atmosphere includes a wide selection of items and a great deal of personalized service. This is a combination that has clearly worked, as the Derby Shoppe has flourished for 35 years, while Raggs has been in business for 25. The stores are managed by Martha Caywood and her staff, whose tenacity and colorful personalities have kept customers returning for decades, while also attracting new interest year after year. “We get older, but our customers get younger,” Caywood said.

The store did not start out as a ladies’ apparel store, but had its foundations in menswear. Caywood’s husband had started the store with male apparel in mind and later wanted to add a female section as well. Caywood had to get involved, she said, because, “He didn’t know anything about ladies’ clothing!” In an interview with the Advocate-Messenger, Caywood made a point of stating that men shop very differently from women. “Men buy about five nice outfits and they’re done,” Caywood said. “They don’t want new clothes, most of them, just for clothes sake."

Gradually, women’s clothing took hold in a corner of the store, and as men stopped wearing dressy outfits to work the lady’s section began to expand. Eventually it overtook the whole store. “We still do tuxedo rentals, but our main focus is women’s clothing now,” Caywood said.

Part of the Derby Shoppe’s appeal and a main reason for its success is its adaptability. Caywood claims that one of her best business strategies is being in touch with what styles are “in” and what items are in the highest demand. “It’s a matter of keeping up with what’s new and what our customers want,” Caywood said. The inventory never stagnates, because Caywood and her employees are always hunting down the latest trends, keeping up with the ever-changing culture of fashion.

“We go to market, we buy three, maybe four pieces of an item,” Caywood told the Advocate-Messenger. “We don’t want our customers running into their outfits all over town.” Instead, Caywood said, “We offer everything a woman needs to wear.”

Caywood’s shop has a lot to offer. The inventory entails a myriad of clothing options, accessories, coats, dresses for the younger crowd, as well as jewelry and cosmetics specially selected to accommodate a variety of age ranges. Shoes were added several years back and became an instant sensation. Now all several types of shoes are sold, including brand names like Dansko and Clarks.

Caywood never dreamed that she would be in charge of such a long-lived establishment. “Of course, you hope it does well and grows,” she said. She wasn’t planning on running a business, but, when her husband asked her for her “eye” in selecting an inventory compatible with women’s tastes, she found she had a talent and enjoyed the job. Over the next several decades, she began developing a clientele, and by listening to what the customers wanted, she expanded her business beyond that initial corner of the shop.

This type of customer service is a vital part of the Derby Shoppe’s tradition. Caywood and the employees go out of their way to make customers want to come back. They use mailing lists to keep customers up-to-date on sales and special events and a website to better facilitate the spread of information. They even send thank you notes to their customers.

This relationship with the customers is a cycle: the more they get to know who is buying from them, the better they become at selecting inventory for whatever suits their customers’ needs and the more their customers want to return. These small acts of kindness have buttressed the business and kept the momentum going which will, hopefully, continue to fuel the store.

The Derby Shoppe is open Mon. through Fri. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sat. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.