A longtime staple of the downtown Amherst community, Zanna has been providing high-quality women’s clothing and shoes and exceptional customer service for more than 50 years.
“Zanna is known for its service and building friendships with customers,” said Amy Benson, owner of Zanna. “We want to help our customers look and feel their best for any occasion. We know our customers' names, and what is happening in their lives. We genuinely care.”
Amy says nothing pleases her and her staff more than helping a customer develop the perfect wardrobe for that trip to Italy or a special occasion, then having that customer return, with pictures, telling them about how the trip or the event went.
“We want our customers to come back and share,” says Amy. “I take such joy in helping someone find just the right outfit and pulling it all together.”
In addition to exceptional customer service, the store is well-known for the quality of its products. The store’s clothes, shoes and accessories match with a wide range of tastes and styles, from modern and contemporary to more traditional and special occasion designs.
“We strive to have the best clothing and shoe selection in the Valley, with brands that our customers know and love,” says Amy.
Zanna is a destination shopping experience. Many will take a day trip to shop for a new wardrobe or special outfit.
“When customers come into Zanna, they’re greeted with a smile and we are ready to help right away,” says Amy. “Many of our customers do not like to shop at all and we are here to make that an easy process that is fun and enjoyable. We’re genuinely happy to help. We love what we do. We’re excited to do it.”
Making the selections personal and tailored to the customer’s style is one of the most important goals of the staff at Zanna. Amy says that the staff wants to help customers find that unique piece that no one else would have.
“We have clothes and shoes that are unique,” says Amy, “everyday, wearable clothes with styles that are interesting and updated that can mix well with our customer’s current wardrobe.”
Amy makes the effort to source most of her supply from the United States and to have styles that fit trends but are also timeless. This spring and summer she’s seeing that natural fabrics are important as well as the emerging trend of wide-leg pants which are perfect for increasingly hot New England summers. Cargo pockets, dresses with interesting prints, layered looks, sneakers, platform sandals and lots of fun colors are all trending for this spring and summer.
“We strive to have the coolest trends that you see in the fashion magazines and make sure those trends are represented in the most wearable way for our customers,” says Amy. “May is one of the best times to shop because we have everything for spring and summer. The season’s looking so great and wearable.”
Zanna officially began in 1971, when Mina Lussier, Amy’s mentor, opened The Shoe Bin. Minna opened a store for clothes and then brought them together as Zanna in the mid-1980s.
“If you haven’t visited us yet, give Zanna a try,” says Amy. “Not only is it great to support a small, local and woman-owned business, but we’re all about quality, comfort and style. We don’t want anyone to miss out on this experience.”
Zanna is located at 187 N. Pleasant St. in downtown Amherst. Free parking is behind the store. Shoppers can join the shopping club when they make a purchase, which will keep them updated on any sales or fun events that the store offers. For more information, call 413-253-2563.
“We strive to have the best clothing and shoe selection in the Valley, with brands that our customers know and love."
Amy Benson, Owner