, this growth isn’t about scale for scale’s sake – it’s about deepening relationships with a community that has grown alongside her.  From thoughtful design details and intentional materials to personalised services such as engraving, ear curation and private styling consultations, every touchpoint is designed to transform shopping into a soulful experience. The brand’s latest expansion across Victoria, one of its fastest-growing markets, underscores this balance of intuition and strategy. Blakeney shared with Inside Retail how By Charlotte is redefining the power of retail intimacy, maintaining authenticity through rapid growth and ensuring that every new space continues to embody the heart that first inspired the brand’s beginnings. Inside Retail: The brand has grown from one boutique in Paddington to 13 locations nationally by Christmas – what inspired the decision to accelerate physical retail growth now? Charlotte Blakeney: Our decision to grow our retail footprint was driven by the incredible love and demand from our community. Over the past 13 years, we’ve built a loyal community of customers who connect deeply with the meaning behind our pieces and the brand.  They trust us to celebrate their most personal moments alongside them. Expanding our boutiques allows us to meet our customers where they are, creating more opportunities to connect face-to-face, hear their stories and bring the By Charlotte experience to life in a more personal, meaningful way. IR: How has By Charlotte’s retail presence helped deepen the emotional connection you’ve built with your community since launching your first Lotus Necklace in 2012? CB: The Lotus Necklace was the first piece I designed when starting By Charlotte and all these years later, it’s still one of our most loved and in-demand pieces. I think that speaks to how deeply our community resonates with the story and message behind the lotus, its symbolism of transformation and new beginnings has always reflected their own journeys.  That same energy flows through every store we open. Our boutiques are sanctuaries where our community can pause, connect with their own story and experience the magic of the brand through all the senses. They also allow us to truly connect with our customers in person, build genuine relationships, and understand what they love about our pieces and what they want more of. Every interaction is an opportunity to create a personalised experience and deepen that sense of connection. IR: What role does Victoria, particularly Melbourne, play in your national expansion strategy, and what made it the next logical step for the brand? CB: Victoria has always been one of our strongest online markets, it’s the second largest and fastest growing state for our e-commerce channel. We’ve also felt incredible love and support through our Melbourne community events and on socials. Opening four boutiques Melbourne felt like a natural progression, giving our VIC customers the opportunity to experience the brand in person. IR: The Emporium Melbourne flagship is described as a new chapter for By Charlotte. What differentiates this boutique from your other stores? CB: The Emporium Melbourne flagship feels like such a milestone for By Charlotte. We worked closely with the incredible team at We Are Tribe to design a space that feels deeply intentional, a beautiful sanctuary for our customers and our jewels. The brand has evolved so much over the years, and I wanted this boutique to reflect that growth while still feeling calm and thoughtful.  Every detail has been considered with so much love from the beautiful natural textures and lighting to the soft pink tones and inspiring mantras on the walls. We’ve designed every touchpoint to feel deeply personal, from engraving and locket printing to ear curation and one-on-one styling consultations.  IR: The inclusion of a private styling suite signals a shift toward a more personalised experience. How did the idea for that space come about, and what do you hope guests take away from it? CB: The intention behind the styling suite was to give our customers a truly personalised shopping experience, a space for us to connect on a deeper level, understand their unique journey, and help them find pieces that feel personal and meaningful. Jewellery is such an emotional and deeply personal purchase; it often marks a moment in time or tells a story that stays with you forever. We wanted to create a space that honours those moments and that the experience feels as meaningful as the jewellery itself. IR: By Charlotte’s success has been driven by personal storytelling. How are you translating that sense of meaning and connection into in-store experiences? CB: We are storytellers at heart so every detail within our boutiques is crafted with intention: inspiring mantras, sensory experiences and visual storytelling that invites reflection and connection. Beyond the space itself, our team brings this vision to life through genuine, heartfelt interactions with our customers – sharing the stories behind our jewels while inviting them to share their own. IR: You’ve spoken about your community trusting By Charlotte to honour their most personal milestones. How does your brand maintain that intimacy while it scales so quickly? CB: While reaching more people is important, what matters most is connecting with them in a meaningful way. Each new boutique is an opportunity to deepen those connections and honour the beautiful stories our customers invite us to be part of. Our team is deeply connected to our community, constantly listening and learning. As we continue to grow, we’re investing in our people, culture, and training so that every touchpoint reflects the same care and intention that defines our brand.  IR: With your growing omnichannel approach, how do your stores complement the online shopping experience rather than compete with it? CB: We’ve created a seamless journey where our digital and physical worlds complement each other. Many customers first discover us online, then visit a boutique to see, feel, and experience our brand and jewels in pieces. We offer exclusive in-store services such as the Petal Bracelet Bar, jewellery cleaning and piercing, alongside complimentary omnichannel experiences such as endless aisle floor-to-door, same-day delivery, and click & collect. Customers can also book piercings online or bring online purchases in for engraving, creating a truly connected experience. IR: Each By Charlotte piece is created with deep symbolic meaning and crafted to last. How do these design principles influence your approach to retail environments and visual merchandising? CB: Our retail environments are extensions of our storytelling and every design element is thoughtfully curated to reflect this. Our visual merchandising is deeply intentional; the way we display and style each piece, the words and imagery we use, all serve to tell the stories behind our jewels. Within our cabinets, you’ll find sketches and illustrations from our original designs, a glimpse into the creative journey that brings each piece to life. Each boutique design features high-quality finishes and warm, complementary lighting that enhances the beauty of our jewels. Our retail teams complete the experience and are trained in every aspect of our brand and jewels, from styling and care to the meaning and materials behind each design. We know our customers are making a meaningful investment when they choose a By Charlotte piece, so we invest just as deeply in creating an exceptional, heartfelt experience at every touchpoint. IR: As you continue your expansion into 2026, what does the next phase of By Charlotte’s retail journey look like – and how will you maintain the sense of sanctuary and authenticity that defines your brand?CB: Our vision is to continue growing with intention, opening more doors across Australia and creating beautiful spaces and experiences that inspire reflection, connection and self-discovery. Our customers will always be at the heart of everything we do, and staying true to them keeps us grounded in our purpose and values, ensuring we never lose the magic that defines who we are.