Le D Bug Boutique — Local services in Tualatin

Le D Bug Boutique is cute, that’s for sure. I’m about to be a first-time, young grandma at 46 : ) I was shopping with my daughter who is about to become a first-time Auntie 💕 We stopped by this cute little store and found a couple of cute things on the sale rack at the entrance. Further into the store, it felt exceptionally small and cramped for some reason. Perhaps because there were 4 or 5 people working in a pretty small space 2 women were working on inventory (possibly the owner or managers) and then there were 2 or 3 employees as well. None of them were friendly or welcoming. That’s fine. We were there for a gift, not to make friends. Unpleasant, un-inviting and uncomfortable is how I’d describe the vibe.

We continued shopping for the soon-to-arrive human. I came across an adorable little pajama set and found newborn size. I picked it up without looking at the price and kept looking around. I thought to glance at the price of the pajama shirt and it was $84. I didn’t even look at the price of the bottoms assuming they were probably $70. Suddenly, my brain started doing the math on this gift. I asked if they offered gift boxes, No, they do not. It seemed strange as I’ve known gift boxes to be a part of boutique shopping. That’s how we justify boutique prices; by the exceptional services, right?

It took me less than thirty seconds to decide not to spend $200 on tiny clothes and instead buy my son that 12 piece stainless steel All Clad cookware set he wanted for $1000. I mean why not? That’s equivalent to 6 pajama sets from Le D Bug.

The idea of spending $150 on a teeny tiny pajama set that might be worn once or twice didn’t sit well with me. I plan on spoiling my granddaughter completely, there’s no doubt. But I’m pretty smart with my money so it’s a hard pass for me on this cute little boutique.

It’s a shame the vibe was so off. From a business perspective, it’s important to establish long-term relationships with customers. Customer loyalty is everything. When people are shopping for newborn clothes, there exists a perfect opportunity to build some kind of rapport for a long term experience.

If I had to write a title for this review it would be “Boutique Prices, Fred Meyer Service”.

The two stars are for esthetic. Because it was, cute.

Edit: based on the owners response to my response. I think I know why the vibe was so off that day. I think the owner thought it was a flex that she goes back and listens to recordings of customers and employees conversations while in the store. I find this horrifying. We will never go back to that store. There is literally no reason to. Removing another star for complete lack of privacy. I’m sure she has all of the surveillance and voice recording set up to avoid people ripping her off. But I’ve always believed that people see in others what they see...

So I wanted to check out this cute looking boutique shop while showing my boyfriend around the city. He’s never been to the area before & told me he’d like to take me into the store to buy things for my niece. We weren’t going go to but we decided that would be our last stop before taking our flight back to New York. We weren’t offered help until we were headed to the register at no point were we told about the return policy especially since everything is over priced. We were taken aback by the total but cashed out anyway as it was a gift for my new little niece. Even after coming back for a gift receipt there was no mention of a return policy. We returned not even two seconds later because we decided to return a $112 cardigan made in a sweatshop and were then told it would only be store credit on a gift card. It’s not about the money but the principle, if you’re not posting the return policy where customer can see it then they should be made aware when buying over priced clothes mass produced in other countries. Thankfully we found more locally made gifts and friendlier shops early...

I adore this business and the family who owns it! One of my first solo outings with my daughter was to this boutique. I remember struggling with the door to get my stroller inside (first time mama problems 😆) and the husband of one of the owners and son of the other owner) came rushing to help! We are now pregnant with baby number two and every time we come in the owners remember my daughter and I still feel like family! Also, I bought something that I realized we already had and realized their receipts say no returns. I went in and did not expect them to take it but when the gal working saw that I had just purchased it the day before, she happily returned it as a favor! While these ethically sourced items may cost a bit more, I am happy to buy them because they last!! I don’t know how but my daughter can usually wear them long past their sizing (maybe because they are quality so they don’t shrink as much)! Plus, I love that I get to support a locally...