Ditsy Daisy moves into larger space in former KFC building

Since opening in December 2011, Chelsea women’s boutique Ditsy Daisy has been drawing in customers across Alabama and shipping items to online customers as far away as Rhode Island.

Now, the mother-daughter team behind Ditsy Daisy is preparing for bigger and better things and has moved to a former KFC building near their current location at 16618 U.S. 280 in Chelsea. Cindy Parnell, who owns the store with her daughter, Michelle Butts, said they opened in the new location in mid-May.

 “Our customers are thrilled,” Parnell said. “It will give them more room to move around in the store and give us more space for merchandise. Plus, it will give us back room space for an office that we don’t have now.”

The former KFC building, located across from a Walgreens pharmacy adjacent to the current Ditsy Daisy space, is also much larger. The free-standing building is 2,500 square feet compared to the current 1,000 square feet they lease in a small retail center. And it has its own parking, enabling the store to service more customers, Parnell said.

Parnell and her daughter had been searching for a bigger location on U.S. 280 in Chelsea for more than a year when they happened to think of the former KFC that had closed about 18 months ago. The building owner had taken it off the market before Parnell approached him.

 “We are so excited about the move,” Parnell said.

Ditsy Daisy is a women’s boutique specializing in women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. The store was the brainchild of Butts, who wanted to do something different after studying computer science at Auburn University.

 “I had previously owned a boutique in Sylacauga, and Michelle came to me saying, ‘Mom, why don’t we open a boutique in Chelsea?” Parnell said.

They came up with the name Ditsy Daisy to capture the fun and colorful atmosphere of their store, right down to daisy-shaped price tags. 

“I tell people I am the Ditsy, and Michelle is the Daisy,” Parnell said with a laugh.

Sales were strong from the beginning, the owners said. Besides Parnell and Butts, Parnell’s youngest daughter, Lindsey Parnell, a freshman at Auburn University, is also a part of the team. Lindsey models their clothing on the Ditsy Daisy Facebook page. She also runs the store when her mom and sister are at buyers’ events and gives input on the kind of items teens and young adults like.

The boutique offers contemporary clothing for women of all ages, from middle school to moms and even grandmothers. Each piece of their PRITI jewelry line is uniquely handcrafted. They also sell women’s scarves, frames, candles and other jewelry, plus seasonal items.

Parnell said Ditsy Daisy has grown thanks to word-of-mouth from repeat customers and promotions on its Facebook page, allowing customers to call to reserve merchandise they like.