Business & Tech

New Boutique Opens in Time for Reading's Shop the Block

BoLea Boutique is among the newest businesses in town.

Reading’s annual Shop the Block event is scheduled for Thursday night. And this year, there will be a new business welcoming customers as they do their holiday shopping around Reading Center.

Claire Bolger and Carol Leahy opened BoLea Boutqiue two weeks ago just in time for the holiday season. On Thursday night from 5-9 p.m., they will be among the downtown businesses open as the town hosts Shop the Block.

The new shop will offer skincare products, make up, perfume, a line of items for babies and men and more, according to Bolger, who was a Reading resident until about a year ago. Leahy is a longtime Reading resident herself.

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“We like to go to these little shops, but there was nothing like this in Reading,” said Bolger, whose shop is located at 85 Haven Street. “That’s how this came to be.”

Having never owned a shop before, the duo attended classes in the area on business and cosmetics to help them prepare for opening day.

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Finding the perfect spot in Reading was difficult, but Bolger said that when they located the opening on Haven Street they knew it was an ideal fit. An area with a high amount of foot traffic was important, and having high visibility for the shop was as well.

Though introducing the boutique to the community in the middle of the holiday season has made for a busy few weeks, Bolger said she and Leahy are both excited to be open for business.

 “It’s been a learning experience,” said Bolger. “We’ve learned to be prepared for just about anything.”


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