CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A popular store in the Charlotte area celebrated its Grand Re-Opening.
Juicy Body Goddess, a plus size-only boutique in the Northlake Mall, is expanding after a year of success mixed with national recognition.
The traction around Juicy Body Goddess all started on TikTok. The owner, Summer Lucille, gained 1.4 million followers, and after a year at her current spot, she had to go to a new one because of how many customers the store saw.
For Lucille, it's all about dreaming big.
"This is my purpose, this is where I’m supposed to be," Lucille said. "We started off years ago in the back of a trunk.”
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Now, a few years later, the TikTok sensation and nationally-acclaimed plus size-only store in Charlotte, has to grow.
“I never dreamed I’d be here, opening up a bigger space in this economy," Lucille said.
On Saturday, people funneled in from all over for the store's re-opening. Customers were lined up outside the mall waiting for it to open. Some of them told WCNC Charlotte they drove several hours just for this.
“I am from Atlanta, Georgia," Wendy Alexander said. "I was in New Mexico Friday, landed, and drove up from Atlanta this morning."
Lucille's brand is all about empowering women who wear plus-size clothing. Her message has rang true for millions and there's a big discrepancy.
“75% of American women wear over a size 12, but only 10% of the main chains carry over a size 12," Lucille said. “I had to just bust the door down and create it myself.”
She broke the status quo while the odds were stacked against her. Many people have turned away from shopping malls due to the rise of online shopping. Plus, Lucille said, small businesses have a low success rate in the United States.
“A lot of companies and businesses don’t make it," Lucille said.
While Lucille isn't left at a loss for words often anymore, that changed on her Grand Re-opening. A county commissioner from the Atlanta area drove up and gave Lucille her very own proclamation.
“I went to my colleagues, and I told them about you," Fulton County Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman said. “I do hereby proclaim September 16 as Summer Lucille Day.”
"I’m speechless, I just worked so hard for so long for so many years," Lucille said.
While dreaming big got her here today, her dream is now a reality.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.