About Us
Greenwood, SC's sweet boutique carrying your favorite (fun & colorful!) lines such as Karlie, Buddy Love, Crosby, Southern Tide, Queen of Sparkles, Joy Joy, Jade and more.
We believe in pink. We believe fashion should be FUN. We believe the right outfit can completely change your mood and give you the confidence to take on the world. We believe each day is a new day. One day you may want to channel your inner Janis Joplin. One day you may wake up feeling like Audrey Hepburn. We believe you need options. Versatility. Comfortable, cute clothes at affordable prices. Hang out with us and we'll encourage you to eat the cake. Pop the fancy champagne on a Wednesday. Buy all the bold prints and bright colors that you want and girlfriend, LIVE LIFE abundantly and have no regrets. After all, life is too short to do anything else!
Sugar first opened it's doors along the quaint brick street known as Waller Avenue in April 2008. In 2015 we moved to a larger space just across Uptown located within the historic Textile Building at 334 Main Street. Speaking of Uptown, did you know that Uptown Greenwood was recently named 1 of 15 Great Places in America by the America Planning Association? If you're ever in the area, we'd love for you to visit!
The boutique’s name is inspired by Southern women, who are both chic and sweet. Also we believe fashion is a little bit like candy, right? You want it. You may even crave it constantly. Once you splurge, it's the ultimate satisfaction.
So get ready to sprinkle your closet with a little Sugar. We promise one visit will leave you craving more!.
Yep, that's me! Sandi with an "I", not a "y". My mom wanted my name to be a little different and while at first I hated not being able to find my name on a coffee mug, now I absolutely love it. I've always dreamt of owning my own boutique since I was a little girl playing in my grandmother's flower shop. She was an entrepreneur, then my dad and well, I suppose I just wanted to follow suit!
Born in Greenwood, SC and raised in the small town of Abbeville, SC , I graduated from The University of South Carolina (GO GAMECOCKS!!!) in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in Advertising with a minor in Retail. I began selling advertising for The Little Black Book Every Busy Woman, then a wedding magazine and later online advertising for The Anderson Independent newspaper. After walking into so many amazing boutiques in other towns, I quickly realized I wanted to sell something I loved so much: fashion!
The Saturday after Thanksgiving, 2007, my fiancé and I were faced with an unthinkable tragedy. Chad's first cousin, whom he was so close to and adored (he was set to be a groomsman in our wedding), was killed by a drunk driver in a tragic car accident with his family just a mile from their home. Chad's uncle was in a coma for nearly six months. Our lives were turned upside down and quickly put into perspective. I remembered how Drew attended App State, then moved to Colorado Springs to pursue his dream of snowboarding. He lived life to the absolute fullest, never taking a second for granted and every time you asked what he had been up to, he would reply "man, just livin' the dream".
Life is short. Today is a gift. We should ALL keep "livin' the dream" (a sentiment that was later printed on t-shirts and worn under all of our groomsmen's tuxes). I immediately felt a tug at my heart to follow my dream in honor of Drew and take a chance on the crazy little idea I had. So in the midst of wedding planning, I whipped up a business plan...(and somehow convinced the fine folks over at our local CountyBank to give me a business loan. I'll forever sing their praises!) ... secured a location...and made that dream a reality in April 2008.
My vision was always to provide a gorgeous, inviting setting for customers, just as if they were walking into a welcoming Southern home. Combine that with beautiful clothing, sweet service + treats and you’ve got Sugar, "the fashion you crave".
Unfortunately our story doesn't end there. Three months after opening Sugar (during the mild recession of 2008 which was an uphill climb itself), my father passed from a sudden heart attack. As a daddy's girl, there were seriously no words to explain that grief. Our wedding was just one month later and let me tell you, it was a whirlwind of a year. Every dime I made at Sugar, I invested right back into the business. We lived entirely off of my husband's income (he's been a rural carrier for The United States Postal Service for 15 years now) that first year (errrr, maybe the second too...). We always joked that if we could survive that very first year of business and marriage, we could survive anything!
After several years of determination and perseverance, I was honored as SC's Small Business Associations Young Entrepeneur of the Year in 2012 as well as the 8 region Young Entrepeneur award recipient. Over the past fifteen years, Sugar has grown to more than 50k+ Facebook fans, 16k+ Instagram followers, and serves up nearly 10k sweet orders (in store & online) each year!
While the journey has been bittersweet, God has blessed us immensely. Fifteen years later we still have Phil 4:13 printed at the bottom of our receipts as a reminder that when times are hard, it is HE who gives me strength.
If you want to find me outside of Sugar, just visit us in the neighboring town of Due West (home of Erskine College) where I reside with my husband, Chad and our two handsome boys, Cade (11) and Charlie (8).
THANK YOU for stopping by and welcome to the family!
Favorite candy: Cookie Dough Bites
Favorite beauty secret: Obagi Nu Derm Set. The best!
What gets me going on Monday mornings: Aroma's Cinnamon Roll Latte + cranking up 90s music. (A crisp CFA Diet Coke later, of course!)
Always splurge on: concerts & travel. always.
Favorite place to vacation: Isle of Palms or anywhere in the Bahamas...
Date night of choice: Mexican + a movie
Favorite fashionista: Rachel Zoe
Life motto: Work hard, be kind, and love BIG! I've kept the faith and relied on the Lord throughout every step/decision made in this business. I'll forever give all glory back to HIM!
Christmas 2016
