The Story Behind Madsen + Ales | Retail By Design
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Inspired by the deep connection and history between Carrie (Ales-Ummel) and her mother Patricia (Madsen-Ales), Madsen + Ales; retail by design pays special honor and legacy to this passionate mother-daughter relationship. Creating the most enjoyable and memorable shopping experiences possible for their guests started with Patricia back in 1978 on a rural Iowa farm and re-launched with Carrie in 2014 at a luxury Five-Diamond destination resort in Scottsdale, AZ.
RETAIL BY DESIGN IS BORN
These days we all love a good story. It has the power to take something ordinary and make it extra special. A good story creates an emotional connection.
Our story begins on a rural farm in Iowa back in 1978. Patricia passionately turned the old “caretaker’s home” on their family property near Wild Cat Den State Park into a specialty women’s boutique. The Little House: Fine Fashion for Women carried unique, luxury fashion apparel for women and eventually Carrie’s Corner was offered in “the corner” with dresses for little girls. At The Little House, shopping was an event. It was an experience, and it was special. The seed had been planted and Carrie’s love for all things fashion and “retail by design” officially began.
Patricia Madsen-Ales, owner of The Little House with daughter Carrie Lyn in 1978.
Years later, Carrie learned the art of personal styling, ward-robing, teamwork, and furthered her understanding of relationship selling while working at The Buckle. “I loved the challenge of finding the perfect jean, outfit, and wardrobe for the guest who was “just looking," said Carrie. And I loved seeing my name at the top of that “Heavy Hitters” list each month!”
Fast forward to 2014, while visiting an iconic Five-Diamond Scottsdale resort, Carrie saw an opportunity to re-design the shopping experience to match the fantastic re-model of the resort -- and she did just that! She gave their guests reasons to stay and play on property by creating the most enjoyable and memorable shopping experiences at the resort and spa boutiques. They even added a new shop to the mix!
A LEGACY CONTINUES
With the continuation of Madsen + Ales, we have the opportunity to carry on the legacy of “retail by design” by combining our knowledge, passion and creativity for resort and spa retail with effective storytelling and relationship selling. At Madsen + Ales we want our clients to have peace of mind knowing that their guest’s resort shopping experience will always be our top priority. Retail is what “wags the dog” for us! We look forward to working with you and your team.We can’t wait to embrace and tell your story by creating YOUR most enjoyable and memorable shopping experiences.
With gratitude,
Carrie Lyn
Live life ... styled.
