Retailer Spotlight: Zertz of Frederickburg

November 21, 2022

One of our great joys at Dot & Dash Design are the partnerships we share with so many talented boutique owners across our nation. This month, we visited with Danita Jarreau, the owner of Zertz, one of the Texas Hill Country's favorite shopping destinations. Danita opened Zertz in 2003 on the main street of Fredericksburg. The history of this amazing town and this beautiful shop are both notable.

Surrounded by historical and natural attractions -- and over 50 wineries and tasting rooms -- Fredericksburg has been a long-standing favorite for Hill Country day trips and long weekends. Whether you’re in Fredericksburg for the wine, a majestic granite hike at Enchanted Rock, or country music in nearby Luckenbach, everyone takes in the award-winning restaurants and shopping experiences downtown. And in the center of all of that sits Zertz, now beginning its 20th year, as a crowd favorite on Main Street.

The store’s unique and memorable brand name was creatively inspired by Danita’s son, as the nickname for his favorite parts of any meal ... "desserts."  Danita named her shop "Zertz" to honor this phrase as it shared one of the primary goals for her boutique. She wants her shoppers to feel there is something lovely for everyone, every time. From affordable items hand-selected for little shoppers ... to thoughtful and exceptional items … Danita wants each customer to experience a fun, inspiring, and delicious shopping experience.

  
Danita started Zertz with a focus on small furniture and accessories and has continued to grow and adapt it to the outstanding store it is today. Danita's background includes a variety of outstanding achievements and endeavors, including a law degree. She also holds a fashion merchandising degree and originally began her career working with Foley's and Sanger Harris in furniture and apparel. For many years Danita practiced law while owning and directing Zertz, but she now exclusively spends her time running the store – and it’s more than a full-time job.

When asked what she loves about her days, she commented, "I love being my own boss. I love the day-to-day work with our staff, and I love finding and carrying the best brands that resonate with our clients. Over the years, I learned to buy lines that our community loves. I was the first store in the area to carry brands like Crocs, Pandora, Life is Good, and more. Our clients are loyal and amazing - and I have loved that Zertz is a vital part of the community of Fredericksburg."

Danita noted, "I added the Dot & Dash Design line about four years ago. I am continually amazed by the variety of designs that sell best in our area. There are so many words and designs that resonate with our customers, we carry more than 100 messages for them to choose from. We initially thought 'Rose All Day,' or 'Wine Down,' might be our top sellers as our area has such a wine country visitor base. However, we consistently see a variety Dot & Dash top-producers.  Currently, our top sales are from the Family collection with words like ‘Boy Mama,’ ‘Gigi,’ ‘Mimi,’ and ‘Sister’.

Festivals are a big draw for shopping in our area. Along with December Holiday Shopping, the July 4th and Octoberfest events in town help create big months for us. During these key shopping months, our sales of Dot & Dash necklaces and bracelets are always strong. And during the pandemic, our sales were actually some of the highest in our history. Our entire area worked together during 2020 - and, as soon as possible, the wineries opened back up as did the restaurants and the shops. Over the past two years, the draw of Fredericksburg and main street shopping continues to be high."

"Dot & Dash has been one of the primary lines in the center of our store - and shoppers love selecting a personal word for themselves or someone they love. Dot & Dash sells consistently well ... along with our other top-producing lines like Birkenstock, Pura Vida, and Kendra Scott. I love that one of the Dot & Dash designs we carry is 'Favorite Daughter' -- this was a fun idea I shared with Dot & Dash, and they created it. Now it’s a favorite for our clients," added Danita.

When a shopper visits Zertz, Danita and her team hope each person finds something that they can't wait to take home. They want everyone to enjoy their time shopping and taking in the beauty of Zertz. Danita mentioned that she loves offering t-shirts, jewelry, apparel, and other home accessories. She pays attention to clients of all ages ... she even focuses on offering beautiful items at eye-level for her favorite little girl shoppers! 

If you haven’t been to Fredericksburg yet, you need to plan a trip to this centerpiece of the Texas Hill County. And be sure to visit Danita and her team at Zertz for a “daringly different” shopping experience. You can also see their great fashion merchandising in action on their Instagram feed and at shopzertz.com.

photocredit: shopzertz.com

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