Successful Tuscaloosa Business Leader Brings “Bougie” To Alabama

West Alabamians wholeheartedly love their furry friends.

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They become a huge part of our families and lives.

The industry associated with "companion animals" is a rather large one.

In America, estimates show 86.9 million households have at least one pet. In 2023, over $147 billion was spent on the pets we love.

Tuscaloosa business owner Heather Fikes is counting on that extreme passion to help make her newest venture successful.

Fikes, and her husband and business partner Steven, have already succeeded in West Alabama with their local job service "Elite Recruiting". A recruiter that helps both businesses and individuals that need workers or a new career path. They don't charge a fee to someone needing their services and include a multitude of ways they offer anyone that could use better job hunting skills.

Elite Recruiting already has a large database approaching 10,000 local, vetted job candidates.

Now, Heather's brand-new creation "The Bougie Pet Boutique" has already opened an online store at thebougiepetboutique.com. However, the dream could include a local brick-and-mortar outlet in the future.

Items like leopard-print sweaters, windproof raincoats, and "chewy vuiton" plush bag toys are garnering buzz and orders.

Why pets?

Fikes said "As a lover of fashion, design, and making everything 'bougie', I decided to incorporate this passion into an opportunity for our fur babies! I have sewn clothing for children, made bedding, reupholstered furniture, and embroidered for years"!

As a busy wife and mom of teenagers who have plenty of extracurricular activities on the daily schedule Heather Fikes believes passion projects keep you inspired to get up and get through another day.

The Tuscaloosa area is very important to Fikes and that's why she wanted to launch this project from the City of Champions. She feels that even in a crowded pet market there is a need in our community.

Fikes commented, "I’m excited to bring The Bougie Pet Boutique to Tuscaloosa and around the world. Tuscaloosa has a wealth of people who love their fur babies, unfortunately, there aren’t any shops that offer what The Bougie Pet Boutique sells"!

Fikes continued, "We bring an upscale product to consumers at an affordable price. This part is the most important part! We talk about Shop Local, but without a local shop for this niche, it can’t happen"!

Now, it can.