Bliss Boutique stores in Salinas and Monterey closing after 25 years.

After 25 years in business, Bliss Boutique, a women’s clothing and lifestyle store, is closing its brick-and-mortar locations in Monterey and Salinas in August.

Owner Mia Cruz shares in an email how the pandemic in 2020 didn't just create a temporary crisis—it permanently changed consumer behavior and accelerated trends that made it increasingly difficult for independent retailers to survive.

“We truly believe Bliss is representative of so many small businesses. Our commitment to human experience and our attention to detail has kept us afloat longer than others,” she says. “Diligence, hard work and countless hours of conversations on the psychology of consumerism, along with (very wavering) faith have carried us down this long road. Only now, with pure exhaustion, will we raise the white surrender flag.”

Bliss Boutique has repeatedly been voted Best Women's Clothing Boutique in the Monterey County Weekly’s Readers’ Poll.

Cruz describes the relationships with customers as a sisterhood. As she shared on social media, “this journey has been exciting, rewarding, and deeply fulfilling. Along the way, we’ve built lifelong friendships with our amazing customers and have shared many special and touching moments.”

For her, Bliss Boutique was never about the clothes, but rather a place where women “could slow down, feel seen, build confidence, and indulge in themselves,” she says.

All clothes are currently 10-percent off at both locations, located at 300 South Main St. in Salinas and 380 Alvarado St. in Monterey.