Are you preparing for an interview at Shoptiques? As an ecommerce marketplace connecting independent boutiques and shoppers, Shoptiques aims to make the interview process engaging and conversational. In this article, we’ll explore common Shoptiques interview questions, tips for nailing your interview, and insights into the company culture. Read on to learn strategies to land your dream role at this fast-growing fashion startup!
Overview of Shoptiques
Shoptiques is an online marketplace for boutique shopping, allowing independent retailers to sell their products to a wider audience. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in New York City, though much of the team is distributed remotely across the US
Shoptiques partners with over 5000 boutiques curating trendy apparel, accessories, home goods, and gifts for their ecommerce platform. Their mission is to support small businesses by connecting them with new customers. The company culture values diversity, transparency, initiative, and empathy. Employees praise Shoptiques for its welcoming environment, stellar perks, and growth opportunities.
Now that you have context on the company, let’s look at specific questions that often come up in Shoptiques interviews and how to master them.
Common Shoptiques Interview Questions and Answers
Here are some of the most frequently asked interview questions at Shoptiques, with tips on how to prepare strong responses:
Tell me about yourself.
This open-ended question is common to almost every interview. It’s a chance for interviewers to get to know you.
- Keep it concise – limit to 3 key points or achievements
- Highlight relevant experience, skills, and interests
- Share something personal to connect on a human level
Example Answer: “I’ve worked in fashion and retail for five years and am now an account manager at Nordstrom.” I’m good at building relationships, and last year I topped my sales goals in my job. Fashion has always been a passion of mine. I love going to Barre classes and checking out new shops in my Soho neighborhood when I’m not at work. “.
Why do you want to work at Shoptiques?
With this question, interviewers want to assess your passion for the company and role.
- Research Shoptiques thoroughly before the interview
- Share specific details on what excites you about their mission, culture, and values
- Explain why the role is an ideal fit with your strengths and interests
When I learned about Shoptiques, I was really impressed by your goal to help small businesses and improve boutique shopping. I’m drawn to ecommerce and how technology can enhance shopping. I’d love to see how my love of fashion and my skills as an account manager can work together in this job. Promoting unique boutiques nationwide and helping them thrive sounds like an amazing opportunity. “.
What experience do you have with ecommerce?
For roles focused on technology, marketing, operations, etc., this question will likely come up.
- Highlight any experience using ecommerce platforms, digital marketing tools, or data analytics
- Share examples of campaigns or initiatives you managed
- Demonstrate eagerness to learn – describe how you stay up-to-date on industry trends
Sample Answer: “As part of the marketing team at Nordstrom, I helped build and optimize landing pages using tools like ConvertKit and Google Analytics. For our annual anniversary sale, I created social media content and digital ads that increased our online traffic by 30%. I don’t have direct merchandising experience yet, but I read industry publications to stay knowledgeable on the latest strategies. I’d welcome any opportunity to deepen my ecommerce skills with Shoptiques.”
How would you promote boutiques on social media?
Expect situational and behavioral questions tailored to your specialty.
- Outline a strategic, multi-channel approach to social media
- Suggest content ideas – images, stories, spotlights on products or owners
- Emphasize boutique partnerships and leveraging influencers
- Share examples of successful campaigns you’ve managed
Sample Answer: “To effectively promote boutiques on social media, I would develop unique content highlighting the boutiques’ stories, products, and personalities. This could include behind-the-scenes images, interviews with owners, user-generated content, and curated product spotlights. I would focus on Instagram and Pinterest and leverage influencer partnerships to expand our reach. At Nordstrom, I grew our Instagram following by 70% in one year through contests, visual content, and consistent posting.”
Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a colleague. How did you handle it?
Situational and behavioral questions allow you to demonstrate soft skills.
- Share a real example if possible
- Focus on resolution – how did you overcome the conflict?
- Emphasize teamwork, empathy, communication
- Position the conflict as a learning experience
Sample Answer: “When I worked at Madewell, I was on a team project with a colleague who had a different vision for our social strategy. We had some tense exchanges during meetings and couldn’t agree. Rather than continue arguing, I suggested we grab coffee outside the office and discuss our perspectives openly. This one-on-one allowed us to find common ground. I practiced active listening and compromise. Ultimately, we blended our ideas into a campaign that incorporated both our visions. It taught me how much resolving conflict relies on mutual understanding.”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
When asked about your 5-year plan, interviewers want to understand your career ambitions and interest in growing with the company long-term.
- Express your desire to develop your skills and take on more responsibility over time
- Share aspirations that show commitment, but are realistic
- Talk about growing into leadership roles
- Know it’s okay to say you’re focused on the learning opportunity this role provides now
Sample Answer: “In the next 5 years, I hope to grow from an account manager to leading a sales team. With experience at Shoptiques, I could see myself managing boutique partnerships or overseeing a category like home goods. I’m excited by the startup environment and opportunity to build processes. I know I have a lot to learn first, so I’m focused on adding value in this position. But long-term, I’d love to take on more leadership here.”
Excelling in Your Shoptiques Interview: Key Tips
To maximize your chances of interview success at Shoptiques, here are some final strategies to keep in mind:
- Practice your answers out loud to polish your responses
- Prepare examples from your own experience that demonstrate key abilities
- Make sure your portfolio or work samples showcase your talents
- Have thoughtful questions ready to ask about the company and position
- Dress professionally – business formal or business casual are safe options
- Arrive 10-15 minutes early to get settled and review your notes
- Maintain eye contact to connect with your interviewers
- Ask about next steps in the hiring process so you know what to expect post-interview
With preparation and a genuine enthusiasm for Shoptiques, you’ll be ready to have a standout interview. Show them how your background makes you the perfect culture add and asset to their growing team. Good luck – you’ve got this!
An Interview With Olga Vidisheva, Founder and CEO of Shoptiques
We all know the feeling—the pure joy that comes from nabbing that killer one-of-a kind piece from an ubber chic boutique. Whether from the streets of New York, the hills of LA or (if you’re really lucky) directly from a stylish European hole-in-the-wall, this type of niche shopping is an activity coveted by most, but often enjoyed by few. Happily, where once boutique buying was restricted to those able to travel or live in exclusive neighborhoods, e-commerce website Shoptiques.com and its founder and CEO, Olga Vidisheva, have managed to change the game entirely—all by bringing the exclusive market of boutique wares to the convenience of an online platform.
It all started with a pair of shoes in the fashion capital of the world—Paris. When Olga, 28, bought “the most perfect pair of designer shoes” in a French shop and fell in love with its unique charm, she started to wonder why you couldn’t find similar unique items online in the 21st century. Inspired and excited about a new interest, Olga came up with a plan that led to the start of Shoptiques.
Thanks to Olga, shoppers from all over the world can now look through and buy hard-to-find items without having to go to stores in person, which can be time-consuming and expensive. Anyone can access the lively, always-changing global fashion market through the site. As a child growing up in the USSR, Olga could only dream of this. It all boils down to a vision, throwing nerves out the window and never once doubting success.
Many people find the transition between college and “real life” a bit daunting. Can you tell us about your journey between the two? What was your first job post-college?.
For me, college always had an element of “real life. “I moved here when I was 17 and started working to support myself while I went to school. I paid for college by modeling.” So I could do well in school at Wellesley and my modeling jobs, I had to keep my life pretty organized. I remember going to a lot of fashion shows while getting my hair done and studying for math tests. It prepared me really well to be able to balance many aspects of the “real world” upon graduation.
This was my first job after college. I worked as an investment banker in the Technology, Media, and Telecom group at Goldman Sachs. This was my second internship there, this time between junior and senior year. I knew what I was getting myself into. I loved the experience working at Goldman Sachs. Even though the job required a lot of hours, I was motivated by the chance to learn a lot and the responsibility that someone fresh out of college could have. It did wake me up, though, to go from college, where I had a lot of free time and set my own hours, to working long hours and not having time for my personal life. Since I worked almost 24 hours a day, I learned how easy and nice it is to shop online. I was buying everything online—suits for work, bath essentials and even food. I did a lot of shopping online and was always annoyed that I couldn’t find unique boutique clothes online. Hence, the creation of Shoptiques. com!.
Why did you become interested in retail and shopping in the first place? What were your first steps toward becoming an expert?
Clothing has always been a source of hope for me. It’s a way to express myself and a way to get ahead financially. As a young girl in the USSR, I was drawn to fashion s abroad. This was in stark contrast to women who were forced to wear uniform-like clothes in Soviet Union.
I’ve been cutting and sewing old clothes into new outfits since I was a little girl. I did this because I wanted to one day show who I was through a more unique style. In the boys’ room, there were posters of sports stars like Michael Jordan and Vladislav Tretyak. In my room, there were small, faded pictures of fashion designers like Coco Chanel and Vyacheslav Zaitsev. Thereafter, while I was in college, I had the chance to become a model, which was an amazing experience that taught me a lot about the business.
I was accepted to intern at Chanel in both their Fragrance and Fashion departments after finishing my first year at Harvard Business School. I was still very interested in a career in retail. This gave me 12 weeks to learn everything about the business, from marketing to strategy to running it. When my internship at Chanel ended that summer, I went to Harvard Business School for a year to look for opportunities for Shoptiques and study the market.
You interned at Chanel before starting Shoptiques.com! We’re dying to know—What was it like to work at Chanel?
I loved working with the people I did; they were all very smart and nice. Everyone loves the brand and works there because they are so driven to make the company bigger and better. That created a wonderful culture to be a part of.
How did your college education prepare you for your current work? Do you think people who want to start their own business should take a simple approach or look into more options?
I knew Wellesley was the right school for me the moment I stepped foot on the grounds. I know that sounds trite. Everyone was supportive, encouraging and empowering. You have to believe in yourself and your skills at Wellesley if you want to be the best mom, CEO, or philanthropist.
So that belief in myself and my ability to shape an industry is what helped me found Shoptiques. com. There was a personal reason why I started Shoptiques: I was surprised that I couldn’t shop at the same Parisian store online after going there and getting the coolest pair of shoes.
I believe it is very important to finish college because it gives you a broad view of the world, basic knowledge, and the analytical skills you’ll need not only as an entrepreneur but also in many other situations. This doesn’t mean that you can’t work on a great idea while you’re in college or take a semester off. I don’t think there are rules anymore in what path you need to take to get anywhere. Sheryl Sandberg said it best: “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder. ”.
When did you first spark the idea for Shoptiques. com? How long did it take to make your vision a reality? What role did your education play?.
It all started with a shoe in Paris…
When you walk down the streets of Paris, you can’t help but be amazed by the fashion, architecture, style, and shops! That was my first experience, at a small shop with the nicest, coolest owner. It was years ago, but I remember finding it like it was yesterday. When the owner showed me a pair of Phoebe Cham Pour Schu shoes, I knew I had to buy them. They were the perfect souvenir from Paris, sitting in their beautiful box with a handcrafted bow.
Upon my return, all of my friends wanted these shoes. Unfortunately, the store owner wouldn’t do business over the phone, so my friends had to fly to Paris to get the shoes. My friends couldn’t get shoes from Paris through long-distance shopping in the 21st century? That shocked me. I knew I needed to change that!.
My friends and I would drive to New York almost every weekend while we were in Harvard Business School to go boutique shopping in Soho or the Lower East Side. Once more, I couldn’t believe we had to drive four hours to find these things and not just buy them online.
This is how the idea for Shoptiques. com came about: how could we give women instant access to the coolest shops and give them the same personalized service and carefully chosen items online?
How did you start your business? How did you handle things like production, marketing, and public relations at first? Have those things changed since you started the business?
There was a lot of fear in the process because you were starting from scratch and had to make something. But it was fun! It was after writing my HBS business plan that I knew where to begin and what I wanted to achieve. Before launch, I made a strict list of what I wanted to do every day, week, and month, and I held myself responsible.
When you are the only worker at your new business, you need to make sure you can handle everything. To get supplies, I had to get the first 25 boutiques to join Shoptiques Private beta. I went from store to store in New York City to tell boutique owners about my plans for the company. When we launched the beta site, it had 25 great stores that took a chance on us. I’m so grateful to them.
I also had to secure demand—to me that meant press. A few months before the launch, I met a great reporter from Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) who loved the idea. At the same time, I had to get a website built, so I hired a team from abroad to do that.
Things have changed for the better because I now have a great team working with me to make Shoptiques the best place for local boutiques to shop.
It must have been nerve-wracking to draw up that first business plan. What were the biggest challenges when you first started out?.
Definitely nerve-wracking! During my second year of business school, I was able to write down and think through my ideas. This gave me time to do a lot of research, think about the idea, and work with advisors who were very helpful. Thank you so much for giving me that time. The research I did that year by talking to over 800 stores is what made Shoptiques successful.
How did you approach looking for boutiques to partner with your site?
By going from door to door and telling them about my idea. I didn’t even have a website to show them, so it was all about getting the boutiques excited and helping them picture what it would be like.
Although everyone has heard the job title CEO, only a few know exactly what the position entails. Could you give us a brief overview?.
I am sure many people define this differently, but here is what the position means to me. I usually break it down into three separate, yet very much connected, baskets:
1. Big Vision: CEO sets the vision and the overall strategy of the business. The CEO is in charge of telling the rest of the company about the vision and creating the right culture to carry it out. CEO often communicates that vision to investors (public or private) and outside press. CEO is responsible for achieving the plan set by the vision.
2. Problem-Solver/Doer: To me, a CEO is a doer. CEO needs to be the change he/she wants to see in the organization. It is important that the CEO isn’t removed from the day to day. I often respond to customer calls, speak to our boutiques and work on merchandising the site. Because I’ve done it myself before, I know how to hire for every job in the company.
3. Set Culture & Hire Leaders: CEO cannot do it all himself/herself. If he/she tells you the opposite, don’t join that company. One of the CEO’s jobs is to find and motivate leaders who will want to build the company. Shoptiques wouldn’t exist without our incredible team. The right culture will attract the right team.
From what did you learn how to run an e-commerce website? What makes running a website different from running a physical store?
All through questioning the status quo. Every day, the world changes, and two years ago, running an e-commerce site was very different from how it is now. The best way to deal with change is to pay attention to what your customers want and give it to them. I’m also very fortunate to have mentors who have worked in this field before and are always there to help and give advice.
Running a brick and mortar store is such a different business. The products that sell best online might be different than the ones in store. You can find a lot of information online that you need to use correctly, which you can’t get in a physical store. There are big differences between the two companies, which is why Shoptiques is so important: it helps small stores go online!
How do you stay organized? What tools/resources do you utilize (ie. iPhone, apps, etc. )? What skills are essential to do your job well?.
I divide my week into days when I meet with my team, days when I just work, and days when I only talk to or meet with people outside of work. Those days are painful because they are back to back from 7:00 or 8:00 a. m. until 7:00 or 8:00 p. m. But this gives me days when I can work without interruptions and get things done. I can also plan ahead to work on bigger projects.
I also love getting meeting requests and making sure my calendar is always full of things I need to do. I love making lists, and I use apps like Notability and good old-fashioned paper and pen to keep my thoughts and to-dos in order.
Finally, I spend two to three hours every night making sure that my mailbox is full of important messages.
If we had the chance to peek at your schedule, what would an average day look like?
What a crazy life! Every day is different and never dull! I’m either meeting or calling potential stores, press, vendors, investors, or job candidates, or I’m talking with my team about new features, the editorial calendar for the next month, and new boutiques we’d like to invite to Shoptiques. I can also be just thinking—I always try to schedule time to think.
What are your strategies for remaining calm and focused in what can be a high-pressure position?
Staying focused is easy. Shoptiques is such an incredible company. Many of our amazing retailers say they would have closed down without us, and the fact that we help women look and feel beautiful keeps us focused. Shoptiques also has the most interesting and wonderful people working together to make our vision come true. I look forward to going to work every day, even on the weekends, to spend time with these amazing people!
I also work out at least once a week with Barry’s Bootcamp, which is a very intense workout. I make sure to give myself time to think and relax.
Staying fresh and innovative in today’s fast-paced world can be a challenge. How do you stay creative and where do you look for inspiration?.
My grandmother is definitely my inspiration. She always has been my hero in life and career. She lived through WWII and has taken care of her whole family since she was 13. She ran the huge bus company in the USSR’s finances and accounting and then moved to the U.S. when she was 70 years old. S. and learned English. She is one of the strongest people I know, and even though things are hard, she is still the most positive and helpful person I know. She makes me believe everything is possible through hard work!.
Shoptiquers like me stay creative by always questioning the way things are done! Don’t think that just because something is done a certain way, it has to stay that way. Question, wonder and create!.
There has been a big increase in online boutique sites recently. How do you deal with comparisons and competition? What unique industry niche does Shoptiques. com fill?.
It’s hard for me to get excited about a field where I’m not making a difference or seeing things change. Shoptiques is innovative in its concept and execution. At the end of the day, we help small businesses reach customers all over the world and sell their unique goods online.
One great example of a company like ours that does similar work is OpenTable, which lets customers search for tables at restaurants, or SeamlessWeb, which lets you place orders at thousands of restaurants. Shoptiques lets people buy one-of-a-kind items from hundreds of small stores around the world. Before, you had to buy a plane ticket and fly to that city to buy something. Now, you can buy it online and have it shipped straight from that Parisian boutique to your house.
Translating passion into a career is tough. What advice would you give to women trying to figure this out?.
Dreaming takes discipline and hard work. You are the only one that can prioritize your dreams for yourself. Create your own path, be realistic about the path to get to your dream and go for it. You only have one life—what are you waiting for?.
And finally, what do you wake up looking forward to? What’s next for your career?
I wake up every single day excited to go to work and be with my incredible team. These people push me to do better, teach me to be smarter, and love Shoptiques as much as I do. What’s next? Bringing Shoptiques to millions of individuals all over the world!.
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