Karen Thompson

With over 20 retail shops spanning three states, Karen Thompson is an entrepreneurial powerhouse. During peak tourist season, she can be found at any of her Cape May shops. Whether assisting customers, receiving shipments, or unassumingly tending to the day’s most mundane tasks, Karen is a hands-on businesswoman in all respects whose hard work and high standards continue to give joy and satisfaction to visitors and locals alike. 

Tell me about the origins of your success and how it blossomed in Cape May.

I’ve always been in retail from a young age. In the late 1970s I began working at Macy’s and worked my way up to their buying offices. I was in the men’s department as an assistant buyer. The assistants and I would travel all around to the other 26 stores in our region. I learned a lot through that. I thought so many times that I would love to own a dress store.

When and how did you take that knowledge and use it to build what you have now? 

I applied that on a smaller scale to a small business in Bucks County. It was a women’s and fine lingerie store. 

Was that the original Lace Silhouettes? 

Yes, it was the first Lace
Silhouettes, in 1988. 

How many shops do you currently have? 

Of the intimate apparel lingerie stores, there are four of those and they are all in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. But under the corporate name of Lace Silhouettes, I trade under another 16 retail locations which include men’s clothing and fashion accessories.

Of all those businesses, how many of them are in Cape May? 

Five clothing and accessories stores in addition to carrying on other businesses legacies. 

What do you mean by carrying on other legacies? 

Like buying The Original Fudge Kitchen. 

How and why did you come to include an established chain of candy stores with clothing stores? 

Joe Bogle and his brother Paul founded it and had it for over 50 years. They had an incredible work ethic. Joe and his brother always had the door open to their stores because, let’s face it, they are selling candy. On one of the days when no one was buying clothes, they had a line of people at their shop buying candy. Jokingly, I said to Joe, “I think I should be in the fudge business!” He said to me, “Maybe we should talk.” Well, I took it seriously and went home to my husband who said, “Maybe they would consider you to carry on the business.” That’s how it started.

So you went back to him to negotiate a sale? 

Yes, I went back to Joe, and he spoke to his brother, and I ended up with five Original Fudge Kitchen shops. 

Oh, I didn’t know that you bought all their locations. 

Yes, I bought all their locations and their original fudge recipe. The recipe was his mother’s and goes back many years! 

Let’s get back to the original question and list the stores you have just here in Cape May. 

Okay, so I have Lace Silhouettes Lingerie, Cotton Company, Sunflowers, Henry & Harry’s Jewelry, Dellas, and of course the two Cape May locations of The Original Fudge Kitchen. 

What is your earliest memory that seemed to call you toward being a business owner?

When I was a child, my father had a trash removal company. It would be 3:30 in the morning and I would wake and look out the window and all these men would be outside the house all laughing and talking. Back in those days my father would pump all the gas into the trucks, and it was very noisy. I used to wonder why they got to have all this fun, and we had to stay home. That’s when I had the first thoughts of wanting to get out and do things myself. I had entrepreneurial parents, so being exposed to that was a huge factor in the direction I chose to take in my life. 

Can we talk about what seems to be the limited selection of men’s clothing in Cape May as opposed to the endless shops offering women’s clothing? I remember years ago when Barry Clothes was on Washington Street. They sold everything a guy could want. 

There is a men’s market in Cape May. You can indeed buy men’s clothing at about six locations in town as opposed to the one location of Barry Clothes years ago. Barry’s did sell just about everything from dress pants, suit coats, shirts, ties and so on. They definitely had it all. Our Cotton Company and our Sunflowers store carry the top men’s brands that sell today. Keep in mind, Barry’s was very traditional, but that was during an era when Cape May’s commerce was insurance companies and banking, not to mention a time when the norm was to dress more traditionally and formally. Now there is such an increase in the tourism flow on the Washington Street Mall that the trend leans toward avenues of what I call “entertainment shopping” for men and women together.

So, the days of the traditional haberdashery are over? 

It is for the current demographic in Cape May. As for my shops, I will still bring in some men’s ties or coats but they’re just not items that are the fastest sellers nowadays. It’s interesting we’re talking about this because it fascinates me how the men’s industry has changed over the years. 

Can you give me an example? 

Well, if a man is not into the shopping experience, he can buy anything online, it comes to his door and he’s happy with that. But I have witnessed something very interesting with men shoppers and some women too. There are times when I see a shopper react to the clothing as if they are seeing and feeling fabric for the first time. Because of online shopping, many men don’t get to stores. But in Cape May, they are on vacation and maybe for the first time are involved in selecting clothing that is actually in their reach. 

Shoplifting on the Washington Street Mall has seemed to increase in recent years. Cape May has installed facial recognition cameras through town which have helped the police catch many of the offenders. But shoplifting still continues. How do you deal with this problem at your shops? 

We try to be proactive about it. Employees are asked to be greeters to each person who walks in. We make every attempt to be aware of what’s going on in our shops, but unfortunately not even those efforts can always deter shoplifting. 

Have you had any success with the facial recognition cameras the police use? 

Yes, it’s amazing and it’s great that merchants can use their security systems with what the police have. That can definitely curb the problem. Even if someone takes something that is only worth twenty dollars, we are going to prosecute. 

Good. I know most Cape May merchants are seeing to it that shoplifters are prosecuted. 

Exactly, if they get away with it once, they’ll just continue. And I have to say that the Cape May Police Department is always there on the mall. They are wonderful and are the best deterrent. Chief Fashaw is always eager to help. If I have to speak to him, he always takes my call. His officers are so helpful and kind. 

Tell me about your involvement with Cape May MAC [Museum Arts Culture]?

I try to help them as much as possible. They fuel tourism in a very gentle way. Whatever they do is very good for all the retailers. 

How have you helped MAC? 

I’ll put on an event, and they will sell the tickets. One event I’ve been doing for a few years now is a bingo event in which I put on a fashion show between rounds of bingo. All the proceeds go to MAC. Our last one was at the Inn of Cape May. We do one of those about every month. 

Are there other philanthropic pursuits of yours? 

I support Branches here in the county, also many children’s and women’s groups. I do fundraise for a breast cancer group in Bucks County too. 

Are there other non-retail related projects you are involved with? 

Cape May has such a rich history. At Cape May Trading Post I’ve started a video series to preserve many of Cape May’s stories. My son has been in marketing and suggested that we start filming and documenting some of the people who have so many stories about old Cape May. We started the series on YouTube and have filmed about 15 people so far. Each episode lasts about an hour and has them telling us their stories. 

For the readers of this interview, under what title would they find these YouTube videos? 

Cape May Trading Post at Dellas. We are releasing about one video per week.

With all you are involved in, what is the end goal you are working toward?

I want to keep Cape May simple. I want to be instrumental in keeping Cape May going for the next hundred years. I wouldn’t be very good retired, so I want to keep giving back to my community and to also be a good employer in town.

How many people do you employ through your Cape May businesses? 

About 150 people. And I have to give a shout to my business leaders, who are great. They really help me put on a great retail show for the customers. 

So, it sounds like you’ll keep going for as long as you can.

I’ve never been happy behind a desk and love to be with people. I also love what I do and am very appreciative of the opportunity to be in such a beautiful town!