Sunday, June 07, 2009
Life, In this Issue..., Style, Q&A, Atlanta

Counter Intelligence: Melissa Murdock, Sandpiper

Melissa Murdock’s eye for colorful feminine silhouettes and dedication to her Southern roots make Sandpiper a fashionable favorite.

By Alison Abbey

What she sells: A stylista’s sartorial dream come true, Sandpiper has a trend-savvy inventory that includes labels like Rebecca Taylor, Tibi, Milly, Nanette Lepore, Alice & Olivia and Ella Moss. Local designers are also represented by way of Clint Zeagler’s Pecan Pie Couture and Atlanta jewelry designers Mark Edge and Isobel.

Trend-setting and trend-stopping: Just because it’s trendy doesn’t mean it’s cute, so Murdock is careful not to fill her racks with of-the-moment pieces that aren’t practical. “We love clothes that are trendy and fresh but wearable,” she says. “We skipped the whole scary harem pant trend this season. Let’s face it, M.C. Hammer didn’t look good in them, why would we?”

Why she opened the shop: Sandpiper opened in October of 1987 as an outlet for Murdock’s passion for fashion. “Why not? I love clothes. Owning a boutique has got to be easy, right?”

Her biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge has been to keep the store exciting and viable,” says Murdock. “We need to give our customers a reason to shop with us when they have a zillion other choices. We have definitely evolved since 1987. And even though technology has made so many things easier—inventory, payroll, etc.—it has also added a whole new list of things to do. We now send weekly emails, update our Web site every two weeks, and then there’s Facebook and Twitter. My much younger staff handles [those] updates for me. I am very grateful.”

What’s next: “My daughter heads off to college this year. I need to personally take a few deep breaths and then I will see what’s next. Right now … who knows?”

The daily dramas of running a boutique: “I could write a book or a Lifetime movie on what I have seen over the last 22 years,” says Murdock. “It would be non-fiction, but I promise everybody would think I was making it up. 'As the Sandpiper Turns … .'” SP

Sandpiper has two locations: Vinings Jubilee, 4300 Paces Ferry Road, 770-433-2989 or City Walk, 227 Sandy Springs Place, 404-255-7878. www.shopsandpiper.com.