Hey Ferne Fam, Thanks so much for being here! You probably saw our update on social media, but if you didn't, I wanted to share it here, too.
We'll be closing the Ferne Bay City store on May 30, 2026 and will no longer have weekly retail hours open to the public. The store is going to be solely used as our shipping and fulfillment space for ferneboutique.com, as it has grown immensely over the past 2 years. We have needed more space for inventory and shipping, as well as a place we can create content and continue managing our website. It doesn't make sense for us to rent a third space, so we are very grateful to be able to stay in the same location in Bay City and operate in this new way.
We will still have a curated selection at Ferne that will be available to shop by appointment only. We are also continuing to offer our private shopping experiences and personal styling sessions by appointment. If you have one scheduled with us already, don't worry! We're still planning to host you for your scheduled party date. That is our focus going forward, to offer an option for you to make an appointment to come in to shop by yourself or with a group of friends. We'll have an online form for booking
There is no change to the Ann Arbor store at all, that will remain the same.
We're very much looking forward to this new chapter at Ferne, and the best part is that our entire team is staying on to continue this growth with us. I never thought we would be selling game day apparel, let alone be Collegiate licensed for so many universities! We have truly pivoted so hard over the last few years, and it has helped us to stay on track and has grown our business. It is very hard to own and operate a small business, let alone a retail store. I feel insanely grateful to be able to do this for a job every single day. It is not a "job" to me, it is truly something I love doing. You really can't even make me stop working when I am supposed to be "off duty" haha my brain is always going, thinking and building.
In 2015, I quit my corporate sales job because I was truly so unhappy. I felt like I was just really meant for something more in my life. More purpose, passion, doing something that actually meant something to other people and also fulfilled me personally. I truly took the biggest leap of faith that I ever have in my entire life. I remember saying "I don't want to regret not taking the risk" and that is what drove me forward. It has always been my first "baby" since day 1, when I knew nothing about retail, business or running a store. Hell, I am 100% still learning and having fun every single day.
There are been so many ups and downs since we opened in 2015, but it is the story of Ferne and the journey we have been on throughout the last 10.5 years makes the store what it is today. I wouldn't change anything for the world! So many beautiful moments, hard and scary times in retail, but I have always believed that it will work out the way it is supposed to.
Ferne has never been about clothes, it has been about us being a resource to you for whatever occasions you need help getting dressed for. We've watched you grow up, have kids, brought in your dogs, families, tagged us in your milestone photos, countless life events that we have gotten the luxury and gratitude to be part of. I could go on and on about the community and how much you show up for us. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Every interaction, share, purchase, social media follow, compliment, etc. has meant the absolute world!
xoxo Laura