Alma Wolverton, owner of Pum Bum Society, poses in the former Yoshino Japanese Restaurant location at River Park where she plans to move her boutique later this year. Photo contributed

The former home of Yoshino Japanese Restaurant in River Park will soon have a new tenant, with women’s contemporary clothing boutique Pum Bum Society relocating from its current location later this year.

Pum Bum will occupy 1,400 of the 2,500 square-foot Yoshino space, which has sat vacant for nearly three years since the Japanese restaurant’s lease ended in May 2020. The future tenant hopes the move will generate more customers and visibility for the clothing store as well as the personal styling service started by owner and founder Alma Wolverton.

Wolverton said the unique name of the store was born when she was searching for a catchy, non-trademarked name for the business.

“The ‘bum’ really represents our bum — our behind — and we embrace that, so it kind of stuck,” Wolverton said. “It’s actually our No. 1 question: ‘What does Pum Bum mean?’ Something a little bit different, something fun and our bum.”

 

Wolverton, who opened the boutique ten years ago on Champlain and Perrin avenues prior to moving to her current location diagonal to Yoshino at River Park seven years ago, said that management at River Park presents a valuable and comfortable “family atmosphere.” That was one of the main reasons behind the decision to not only remain at the shopping center, but to move into one of the center’s more prominent spaces.

“Right now I feel like our space might be a little tired, so this is a really good opportunity for us to refresh a little bit,” she said.

The new location will be larger than their current space, making room for more inventory. The store will be move-in ready when the time comes and will not close during the transition, Wolverton said.

Wolverton added the move should be complete by late spring or early summer this year.

In addition to more space on the sales floor, Pum Bum will also add a feature that Wolverton started as an in-home service: a personal styling center.

“For those who don’t know about it, I go out to people’s homes. We purge people’s closets and bring the clothing to them,” she said.

Despite larger stores offering similar services in the area, Wolverton said the luxury service was the first of its kind in Fresno.

“You can enjoy that service with a glass of wine and I do all the shopping for you,” she said. “You tell me you have an event and you want all black, I will go and get every black item there is and we’ll mix and match and put pieces together.”

 

The in-home service comes with an additional charge. However, the service will be available by appointment at the store’s new location free of charge, and will still include light refreshments, champagne or spritzers.

Currently the boutique is exclusively in-person. Wolverton said she plans to provide an online option again soon, as it did during the pandemic.

“At some point we do want to add online options to people,” she said. “I still believe there’s a beauty in shopping small, being able to touch things and being able to go in and have someone know your name and have a conversation.”

Wolverton encourages customers to follow the store’s Instagram page @shoppumbum and her stylist page @almawolvertonstylist for more information on the store’s official opening date as well as a launch party featuring influencers, music, refreshments, appetizers and more.