Carrie’s Prom & Tux reopened Jan. 2 for this year’s prom shopping season. The space is revamped, with new dresses and tuxedos to choose from.
The store is open seasonally from January to May, and this year’s season marks the third year it will be selling prom items only.
Co-owner Lexi Johnson, whose mother-in-law started the business, said she is looking forward to this year’s prom season and using the redesigned space to connect with the community.
“We’re really excited (about) continuing to help grow the downtown area … and just trying to continue to connect with other business owners that are down here too,” she said.
This year, Carrie’s features a revamped store with a more open floor plan, as well as a new viewing space for those trying on dresses.
“It’s much more open; it functions so much better for us,” Lexi Johnson said. “Now that this is our viewing area … they’re able to come out here and kind of get that a-ha moment.”
This year, Johnson said the store is also offering private appointments for customers to come shop during times the store would otherwise be closed.
Carrie’s opened in downtown St. Cloud in 2021, though Johnson’s mother-in-law started the business 22 years ago, focusing on bridal dresses. This year is the shop’s 20th anniversary of selling prom outfits, Johnson said, and the third year she and her husband have been part-owners.
The shift away from bridal outfits to only prom helped transition owner Carrie Johnson into retirement, Johnson said, while allowing the business to stay in the family.
“My husband and I decided to kind of jump on into the family business and allow her to retire while we still have her for a couple of years to keep building our own knowledge,” she said.
The shop sells more than 1,000 dress options with sizes from triple zero to 26. It can also occasionally place special orders for customers looking for a specific dress.
Johnson said Carrie’s has already seen a rush of shoppers, with the long weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day typically one of the busiest times of the season. As a result, she recommends getting an early start on prom shopping, especially for tuxedos that may need measurements and alterations.
“As being one of the owners, I have to get my own head into, ‘yeah, this is normal to be shopping this early,’ because it’s crazy,” she said.
Carrie’s Prom & Tux is open 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at 713 W. St. Germain St. in St. Cloud.
Teagan King covers business and development for the St. Cloud Times. She can be reached at teking@gannett.com.