Cracking the Code

Shari Aussant of Mermaids of Cape Cod

Shari Aussant, owner of Mermaids on Cape Cod, a popular boutique on Route 28 in West Dennis, is another smart cookie that understands the value of being on the move. Aussant, whose infectious smile illuminates everything she does, has taken her business on the road for years with her iconic turquoise blue modified school bus that was literally a pre-COVID version of a mobile boutique. However, due to state regulations to keep shoppers safe, the bus that had previously been a fixture at every event across the Cape now was unable to welcome enthusiastic shoppers looking for beachside flair. “My customers have come to expect to see me and laugh and have fun, all while shopping. And I need them as well,“ Aussant shares. “So I made a concerted effort to put my energy into all of my social media. People keep telling me that they can’t turn on a screen without seeing a new post from me.” Leveraging the increased screen time people were logging, Aussant started to connect in a way that had a profound impact on her audience. “People ask me what I do for work and my response has become, ‘I sell happiness,’” she explains. “I love making fashion or gift recommendations in the boutique to my customers, but really, if I can touch their lives with laughter and grins and just an overall positive experience, then I’ve done my job.” And what are the tangible results of sharing her infectious smile, giddy laughter and iconic Cape Cod backdrops with her posts? Aussant says that even after the boutique reopened, virtual sales are keeping her busier than she ever imagined.