Mother and daughter Kim and Kennedy Williams
Mother and daughter Kim and Kennedy Williams describe the early months of their women’s fashion business, Serendipity RVA, as a roller coaster. They originally opened the store on Jan. 3 at 102 W. Broad St. in Jackson Ward, but were forced to shut the doors temporarily and pivot to online sales when the pandemic arose in March. The duo reopened the store on July 10.
In the spring, they were concerned that customers would not find their online store, so in April, Kennedy created a TikTok video about the business and what it offers. “Right when everything started happening, I was like, ‘Alright, may as well try it,’ ” Kennedy says. “It ended up actually going pretty well, and we got a lot of online sales and ended up building our online sales from that, and that’s what kind of has kept us going.” As of early August, the video has more than 345,000 views.
This may be their first business venture, but Bernard Williams, Kim’s husband and Kennedy’s father, is a small-business owner, too, and has been essential in helping behind the scenes to establish Serendipity RVA. Also a handyman, he built the store’s shelves and fixtures. At about 750 square feet, including a back room and bathroom, the store is compact but filled with styles that cater to high school and college-aged women. “I try to keep the clothes not too trendy, but very up to date,” Kennedy says.
A video on social media enhanced name recognition and online sales for Serendipity RVA even as its physical store was shut during the pandemic.
Kennedy manages social media and is the buyer for the store. A model with fashion styling experience, she’s attending Virginia Commonwealth University and plans to study fashion merchandising. She aims for well-made pieces that cost $25 to $55; some jewelry is priced higher. Kim says, “If it’s a young professional, they don’t necessarily have the money to spend on expensive stuff.”
Although the mother and daughter team operate the business, they haven’t ruled out hiring help. Kim says, “We were kind of looking into it before this all hit because we were getting busier, but now it feels like we’re kind of starting over again.”
