Oct 8, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Owner Kennedy Nine Sammons poses for a photo at Forevermore Boutique on Belair Road. Forevermore Boutique has gained a large following on TikTok with 11,300 followers. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale - Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK

Kennedy Nine Sammons didn't set out to have her women's boutique in Martinez, Georgia become known for its nod to music superstar Taylor Swift when she opened two years ago.

A Swiftie herself, she said she picked the name Forevermore Boutique for the shop partly because she's a fan of Swift's hit song "Evermore," but more because she liked the name. At the time, she carried a few Swift-inspired T-shirts and bracelets.

Shortly after the boutique opened, the film of Swift's Eras Tour was released, and Sammons decided to host a small Eras-themed party at the store in a small shopping center on Belair Road.

She posted the event on the social media platform TikTok, and to her surprise, about 100 people showed up.

"Everything exploded after that," she said.

After the event, she added a few more Swift-related items, such as notepads, gift items, and T-shirts. And, she kept posting on TikTok.

That showed her the power of TikTok. She beefed up her presence on the site with regular posts, and her following grew. Now the store has more than 11,300 followers.

"TikTok is such a strong tool to advertise your brick and mortar," she said. "It's the No. 1 way people are finding this store. If you're not using TikTok, you should be."

Six months later her site went viral, meaning it had more than 100,000 views. She coaches other small business owners on using the platform to grow their businesses.

Her foot traffic in the store has increased. She also posts on Facebook and Instagram.

Forevermore isn't focused on Swift items. Most of the inventory consists of comfortable, casual clothing.

Sammons, 31, describes the clothing style as laid-back casual, wearable clothes that women can feel comfortable in with a touch of bohemian and unique items. She handpicks every item in the store. "If I wouldn't wear it, I don't put it in the store."

There are timeless and trendy items, and accessories like colorful bags and classic jewelry. Most items in the store are around $40, she said. There's a sale rack in the back where everything is marked down to $25.

Being located in a small shopping center helps her keep her prices down, she said.

Sammons attended nearby Evans High School and worked in retail while in college at Augusta University. After graduating, she worked in real estate and in public service for a nonprofit.

But becoming an entrepreneur had been a lifelong dream of hers. "It was always the goal."

"It was time," she said of establishing her boutique. "It was the scariest thing I've ever done."

Jennifer Miller covers food and business for The Augusta Chronicle. She can be reached at jmiller@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: TikTok marketing and Taylor Swift fandom has proved a boon for this boutique owner

Reporting by Jennifer Miller, Augusta Chronicle / Augusta Chronicle

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