The Swank Company has become a mainstay in the CSRA over the last seven years for local fashionistas and shows no sign of stopping.
Rafy Bassali and his wife Hannah purchased the original Surrey Center store in 2014 and have since added locations in SRP Park in North Augusta and in Martinez, next to the Publix Supermarket on Furys Ferry in Martinez.
What was once a small gift shop at Surrey Center on Highland Avenue is now a sister store to Posh Tots Children’s Boutique and lifestyle adventure retailer Escape Outdoors, the latter of which is also on Furys Ferry, having moved its flagship location there in September. Much like he did with Escape Outdoors, Bassali launched an expansion to au couture apparel to make the Swank Company what it is today.
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Bassali attributes Swank Company’s incessant trendiness to his wife.
“She picks out all the clothes,” said Bassali. “She and the staff keep up with what women and girls are wearing.”
Peyton Rabun, who has worked as a sales associate at Swank’s Furys Ferry location since April, says she has shopped at the store since she was a child, and that both then and now Swank has made it convenient for buyers of all ages to find something that complemented their flair.
“I’ve always felt like it was on trend,” said Rabun. “They never had anything that I felt didn’t go along with anybody’s fashion.”
Over Thanksgiving Swank Company stayed on track with sales during Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. The latter anticipates the store’s upcoming focus amidst its growth, says Bassali.
“We’re pretty good with the number of locations,” said Bassali. “Right now we’re focusing more on our online presence.”
While The Swank Company may be heading toward emphasizing online shopping, further expansion or another move may be on the table in Columbia County as Bassali awaits judgment on a major planned unit development division he requested for a property on 1000 Westlake Dr., for the purpose of development. Both The Swank Company and Posh Tots locations are part of the proposed development. The Board of Commissioners is scheduled to address his request on Dec. 21.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
