Up Close & Personal: Karen Thompson Shares the Journey of Her Local Family Business

Lace Silhouettes Lingerie in Peddler's Village, Karen Thompson's flagship store.

It all started in 1988 when Karen Thompson opened her first store in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Today, she has grown her business to 20 stores, collectively known as LSL Brands, across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland in some of the biggest shopping destinations in the Northeast. Her unique mix of stores include lingerie, clothing, accessories and even fudge, brought to life in brick-and-mortar settings with notable names like Lace Silhouettes Lingerie, Cotton Company, Sunflowers, Village Outfitters and Fox & Holly. In a special Q & A, Thompson opens up about her journey building a local family business.

Can you share the story of how this family business started?

My first store was Lace Silhouettes Lingerie in Fountainville, Pennsylvania. At the time, my store specialized in bridal trousseau. 36 years later and we are still known for the best bridal trousseau collections. I dreamt of running my own business since I was a little girl. My supportive husband and his parents helped to bring my dream to life. His parents loaned me the money to open my first store. I kept my store in Fountainville for a year and a half, until I was ready to grow my business. I decided to move my store to Peddler’s Village where it remains today along with four of my other retail stores.

How long has the business been operating, and how has it evolved over the years?

Three years after moving to Peddler’s Village I began to expand into women’s clothing and opened Cotton Company. Over time I started to branch out into surrounding vacation spots. My third store was in Cape may, NJ and from there I continued to grow opening more lingerie and clothing stores. In addition to 20 stores, we also have a corporate buying office. I love getting to run a fashion company right in the heart of Bucks County.

Some of my fondest memories have been growing the business with my family and team members that have been with me for decades. Over the years we have grown and evolved but have always stayed true to my philosophy: one guest at a time.

Are there any community initiatives or partnerships that the business participates in?

In every town I expand to it is always important to me and my team to become a part of the community. We get involved in as many philanthropic initiatives and town events as possible. I always try to be a role model and mentor for my staff and other fellow business owners. It’s simple things like ideas on how we can partner together. I strive to be an innovator, a visionary and a maverick not only for my stores but for all the communities we are in: Peddler’s Village, PA, Cape May, NJ, Princeton, NJ, and most recently Smithville, NJ, Greenville, DE and Annapolis, MD.

Looking back, what is one key lesson you've learned from running a family business?

The one takeaway I have from running a family business is that everything becomes connected: My family is a big key to the success of the business, and the business is a true part of our family. Over the years I have actually used a lot of the furniture from my first house as fixtures in our stores. Certain pieces I take with me to every new store opening because they have a lot of meaning to my family and the business. We strive to repurpose everything. I have heritage pieces that have been with the company for 3 decades and counting!

Do you have any plans for the future?

The future looks different for all of us and at this point in my life I really have no intention of retiring but to continue this journey. I have so many ideas and dreams that I'd like to accomplish especially in the towns that I am currently in. I'd love to expand down the East Coast and enjoy that expansion with my staff and my team. We have a running list of spots we like to vacation in, and those are the towns I like to expand to.

I look forward to continuing to mentor the next generation of my team including family members and my staff. My growing team comes with a lot of dedication and loyalty and for that I will always be blessed and grateful. This is an exciting time for brick-and-mortar – it is our theater. I am finding in today's climate that not everyone wants to be in the retail business. But for the Thompson family, hospitality in a retail brick-and-mortar setting is what we love to do – and the more the merrier! This 36-year business journey has been one of the greatest rides of my life and I look forward to all that the future holds. The company is like a blank canvas that still gets to be painted every day…