Merchant wheels out double-decker lure to haul sorority sisters to boutiques

By THERESA HOGUE

Gazette-Times reporter

There are few icons more profoundly British than a red double-decker bus. Which is why, when one was spotted bouncing up and down Corvallis streets last week, it got more than its share of stares. It was as if Queen Elizabeth herself had been spotted having tea on the steps of the Benton County Courthouse.

Melissa Walton laughs when she sees heads turn and passersby do a double take. A native of England, she has good reason to be passionately fond of London icons, but it amuses her that Americans are equally excited by such things.

As owner of the Oregon boutique chain Urban Minx, Walton sells fashions from the United Kingdom and recently decided that a London double-decker bus could boost the profile of her four boutiques, including one in downtown Corvallis.

For three days last week, the bus picked up groups of sorority members, whirled them around town on a short tour, and then dropped them off downtown for shopping at local boutiques, including Urban Minx, Kaari K, Zoey's and Miss Meers.

Attracting Oregon State University students downtown is a continuing challenge for local businesses, and different boutiques find different ways to appeal to the college crowd.

The bus definitely delivered college-age shoppers last week, said Kaari Sommer, owner of Karri K, which is just down the street from Urban Minx.

Sommer said she saw a lot of new faces in her shop because of the fashion tour. She said she hopes the tour will make a good impression on students who may never have considered downtown Corvallis as a shopping spot.

Sommer has found that coupons are a great way to target students. Along with Urban Minx and GK1, Kaari K participates in a coupon book that is handed out to students at the OSU Bookstore. She also tries to participate in Mom's Weekend events on campus, including the fashion show this year.

"Mom's Weekend is huge for us," she said, and is one of the most profitable weekends of the year for the store.

But smaller events, like the bus tour, also help boost sales. Wednesday night, there was champagne for the over-21s, coupons and free lotion samples, and lots of snacks to help the celebratory mood.

Members of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority piled into the double-decker, clutching their free gift bags and glasses of champagne, and giggled excitedly as they experienced a little taste of London here in Corvallis. After about 15 minutes touring the city, they disembarked across from Urban Minx on Third Street and then hurried inside.

Sophomore Tricia Sheridan said she got to ride on the top level of the bus, and enjoyed being the center of attention as the bus rolled down Monroe.

Seeing everyone's reaction was the best part of the ride, she said.

Freshman Lily Shorey was still buzzing from the trip as she flipped through clothing on the racks.

"It was dope!" she said.

Laura Jannsen said she was excited at the chance to ride the bus and go downtown for a little shopping with her sorority sisters.

"I don't really come downtown to shop," she said. "We normally go to Portland or Eugene," so the trip exposed her to some local stores she's not familiar with.

The atmosphere on the restored double-decker added to the fun.

"A lot of the girls put on British accents," she laughed.

That kind of enthusiasm is exactly what Urban Minx owner Walton is hoping for.

After joking with a colleague that she needed a double-decker bus, she said, she began to seriously investigate whether any of the old-fashioned buses had made their way to the United States. Internet research revealed that there were three abandoned double-deckers parked in a San Diego field.

Before she really had time to think about what she was doing, Walton had purchased the buses and transported them to Gold Hill in southern Oregon, where she lives, to bring them back to life.

"They pulled at my heart strings," she said. "I felt compelled to rescue them."

She named the buses "Doris," "Burt" and "Daisy." It was Doris, the first one to be completely refurbished, that was making its way around Corvallis last week.

The work has been mostly cosmetic, and any spare parts she needs she has shipped over from the U.K. The buses are solid, with a chassis made from solid English oak. The buses date back to World War II, and after doing some research, she found the original routes each bus she purchased had taken while in service, and discovered that Doris had actually been the bus her grandmother used to take when she went to do her grocery shopping in London.

"It's very weird, like the 'Twilight Zone,'" she said, to discover she'd bought the bus her grandmother used to ride. "It's been an amazing experience."

In addition to using them to promote her business, Walton rents them out for events ranging from weddings to business promotions, and she has also arranged fashion trips like the ones that took place last week in Corvallis. She's also planning on bringing the bus back up for Mom's Weekend, to provide shuttle service from campus to downtown.

Walton said she's enjoying learning more about Corvallis that she likes the city's revitalized downtown character and the infusion of student energy.

"We're having fun with that college town vibe," she said.