For 75 years, people have counted on The Lingerie Shoppe in Mountain Brook for the best quality merchandise and the highest level of customer service for the best price.
The business started in 1946 and offers intimate apparel and sleepwear for women, young girls and even men. When asked what keeps customers coming back after all these years, store owner Brenda Meadows said it’s because of The Lingerie Shoppe’s unique product offering.
“In the beginning, there were department stores that would carry some of the same things,” she said. “But now we offer brands and lines you can’t find elsewhere.”
Brenda goes to markets and searches for the best priced and best quality items. She said she wants people to know that just because the shop is in Mountain Brook doesn’t mean the prices are inflated.
“I always stay within the suggested retail price,” she said. “And if it’s not good, or if something is flawed, I replace it at no charge. We work very hard to accommodate any complaints or anything. Fortunately, that’s never been much of an issue.”
It’s a full service lingerie shop with knowledgeable employees and has services such as expert fittings. In addition to a great selection of products, Brenda said customer service is The Lingerie Shoppe’s number one goal.
“The ladies who work here are very personable and interested in helping you,” she said. “They’re all very friendly. We have to be careful about chatting people up, because sometimes we get lost in conversation and the customer might forget why they came in!” she said, laughing.
“We feel we have established friendships with folks who come into the store, and that’s really important to us. We offer a service to women when they are at their most vulnerable: when they’re buying intimate apparel. They want something that fits them correctly, or maybe they’ve had a mastectomy and need us to make them feel comfortable. We take that very seriously. They’ve given us their trust, and we’re very careful to honor that.”
Brenda has owned the shop since 1988, when her close friend Betty McMahon heard the shop was for sale. Together they became the shop’s fifth set of owners, and Betty retired after 10 years in 1998. Brenda has been at the helm since then.
“I’m starting my 34th year,” she said. “I guess I've been here forever, but I don’t feel like I have. It's been a wonderful experience. I’ve had generations of customers, which has been so meaningful.”
When the shop had to close during the pandemic, Brenda still came into the shop every day to answer phone calls and emails and to ship orders to local customers and across the country.
“Having customer support during that time was very meaningful to keeping the business going,” she said. “Now we’re really staying very busy. I'm very grateful for loyal customers and all of our new customers, too.”In a time when not all businesses survived the COVID-19 pandemic, Brenda said she is feeling especially grateful to celebrate The Lingerie Shoppe’s longevity and 75 years in business.
