Six Sisters Boutique in NuLu moved to consignment clothing after tariffs under President Donald Trump disrupted its supply chain, while Mary’s Market avoided those challenges by focusing on American-made products.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Six Sisters Boutique in NuLu transitioned to consignment sales after tariffs introduced under President Donald Trump pushed the business in that direction.
Meanwhile, Mary’s Market on Main in Glendale sidestepped those issues by already stocking goods made in the United States.
“Sometimes, somebody will try something on and I’m like, ‘oh, that was my mom’s,’” Katie Meinhart said.
Meinhart founded Six Sisters Boutique with her five sisters in 2017, initially selling only new clothing.
“We weren’t getting stuff from Temu or Amazon. Our stuff is high end, coming from the UK, made in Canada, not made in China,” Meinhart said.
But after tariffs took effect in February 2025, half of the Derby fascinator materials she had ordered the year before never arrived, forcing her to adjust. She began selling fascinators from her own past Derby collections.
“A lot of our vendors were pulling out of the U.S. completely or cutting down their stock because they didn’t know what to do,” Meinhart said.
The boutique has since shifted primarily to second-hand consignment clothing. Customer Sarah Cooke, visiting from South Carolina, purchased a floral dress that still had its original tag.
“It’s sustainable, I think it’s a great cause,” Cooke said.
For businesses like Mary’s Market, which already focused on American-made products, the past 18 months have been much smoother.
“When I began to hear about the tariff drama, I kind of smiled, because I thought, ‘this won’t affect me at all,’ and it hasn’t,” owner Mary Spak said.
Her store features items such as snacks from Mayfield, Kentucky, pancake mix from Colorado, reusable paper towels from Maryland, and perfume made in St. Louis.
“I actually picked up an order from three small businesses while driving through Missouri, just to save on shipping. So it was nice to meet them,” Spak said.
The shop also offers second-hand puzzles, books, and CDs.
“Your money stays in America; it’s not going to another country. We should intentionally be doing that,” Spak said.
Meinhart said she also appreciates the shift to consignment.
“You feel a little bit better about it. And you’re doing it locally, that money’s staying in this economy,” she said.
However, she noted that even U.S.-based suppliers, including those in Los Angeles, have struggled with rising costs for imported materials like zippers and buttons.
“Everything got so expensive importing the materials needed to make products that even some L.A. manufacturers started to close down. It became really tough,” Meinhart said.
Despite the challenges, she has adapted. Her other NuLu store, Paxton’s, now also offers consignment clothing for men.
Mary’s Market will also participate in Glendale’s Springfest on May 16, where more than 200 vendors are expected in the historic town.
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