Deseri Kelly opened a store in an upscale shopping mall just a few years after founding the company.
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Just about two years after launching her luxury handbag company, Deseri Kelly is preparing to open her first physical store.
The Deseri LLC pop-up store is scheduled to open at Galleria Dallas on May 3.
It will be the first designer handbag store in the mall's 42-year history to be owned by a Black woman, according to a mall spokesperson. Her Deseri, which is currently only sold online, will occupy the former Barefruit Jewelry space on the mall's ground floor.
Kelly launched her company in 2022. She always wanted to open her own brick-and-mortar store. This is an important step for many small businesses, especially consumer-facing businesses that need to increase general brand awareness. But the opportunity came sooner than she expected.
“From the beginning, we had a goal to open a brick-and-mortar store, and that was a long-term goal.” [plan]”I say to my colleagues…you never know when that goal will be achieved, so always be prepared,” Kelly said.
Kelly said it was sometimes difficult for the young company to shut down its locations. After all, North Texas is packed with high-end stores. She originally approached Galleria Dallas in 2023. In March, Shopping Her Center's leasing agent contacted her via Instagram and presented Kelly with a pop-up opportunity.
The pop-up could last three to six months, she said.
“They said we can talk about it later,” Kelly said. “They wanted to see what the pop-up would be like first.”
Kelly hopes to make at least $100,000 a month from the pop-up.
Deseri sells luxury handbags and wallets ranging in price from $375 to $915. This bag is made in Ubrique, Spain, where luxury goods such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel are manufactured.
“I want to bring the same quality and the same craftsmanship to everyday women,” Kelly said.
For mall owners, pop-ups are a convenient way to gauge interest in a product before committing to a long-term store. When evaluating stores with the potential for long-term success, Galleria Dallas general manager Angie Fried looks for stores with high sales, foot traffic and growing recognition.
Fried said customer feedback, trending brands and products, and whether the business is local will also be considered.
