Bridgehampton - It was supposed to be a sample sale. Then it turned into a department store that opened in June called Fashionhead, located on Montauk Highway in the historic Bull's Head Inn built in 1840 in Bridgehampton.

The staff at work as Calli Nicoletti and Craig Grigg share a joke on the job where the witty repartee continues all day much to the delight of the staff and the customers who keep coming back.

"It just snowballed," Karen Bennett said as she recalled the whirlwind establishment of the discount high-fashion store she opened last month, along with her partners Craig Grigg, Jerry Smith and Carlos Cabrera. "At first we were going to have a sample sale out here on the weekend, just one weekend, then we started looking at retail space, then we opened up here. At first we laughed, now here we are."

The store is a welcome addition to a busy corner on Montauk Highway. "We have a lot of people coming in to look at the building," Bennett said of the old Inn that has been vacant for years and briefly played home to Target, before the giant retailer closed its door after one season in 2004. An antiques store followed then the building was empty again as developers considered plans to create a resort complex on the property.

"They are a few years away from that," Grigg said as he gave a tour of the stately building - much of which remains intact and seems a fitting showcase for the sumptuous clothes, jewelry and handbags. "We are selling everything at deep discounts," Grigg said, noting prices on designer goods are marked down 45 percent to 75 percent below retail.

The stylishly turned out mannequins turn heads from the perch on the front porch.

Merchandise ranges in price from $5 to over $500 for a spiffy handbag. Everything is selling much to the shopkeepers delight. Customers can pick up a beach cover-up or an evening gown at Fashionhead without breaking the bank. "Everyone loves a bargain," Grigg said. "People feel like they are getting the most for the money when they shop here," Bennett chimed in.

New merchandise arrives every week and is just too good to pass up as lookers drawn into the building out of curiosity turn into customers. "We give people a lot of service and let them shop in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere," Smith, a long-time East Hampton resident said of his new venture. Smith wanted to put some dignity back into the concept of a "sample sale."

"People think they are going to be rummaging through boxes when you say you are selling samples," Smith said. Instead, shoppers at Fashionhead are greeted with a unique shopping experience when they enter the store where merchandise is neatly organized on garment racks, and displayed according to manufacturer making it easy to shop a label if you are looking for one.

The foursome is concentrating on introducing designer brands that do not already have a presence in the Hamptons.

Style dominates at the shop where designer duds can be had for discount prices as shoppers enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and high-touch service at Fashionhead.

The time is right for a store like this evidenced by the steady stream of customers who have been finding their way into the store. Customers stop in on their way to and from the beach or when they come into town to get coffee in the morning. "The afternoon is quiet while everyone is at the beach, then we get busy again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.," Bennett said. The shop is open Friday through Monday to coincide with customer traffic.

Early birds can take advantage of the extended hours on Saturday and Sunday when Fashionhead opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Friday. The schedule gives customers enough time to buy it today and wear it tonight if they have to go to a party. You can also buy it today, and buy something else tomorrow at these prices, especially if you believe that you can never have too many clothes when you are in the Hamptons.

"We have it down to a science," Karen Carroll said as she took a break from the cash register during a lull in the sales activity on a recent Saturday afternoon. Carroll made her way into the shop where she clearly enjoys working with the four partners in June when the doors opened. Carroll's job, like nearly everything connected with this serendipitous business, just fell into place. She knew two of the partners, both customers at an East Hampton nursery where she also works.

"I didn't give that job up to work here," Carroll, a Sag Harbor native who works four jobs said. Carroll, like most women of a certain age, won't reveal it. "I am old enough to know better but still young enough to learn," she said. Carroll returned to Sag Harbor 18 years ago and is now a full-time resident once again. Her mother used to work at the Bull's Head Inn in its heyday.

Colorful mannequins on the front porch at Fashionhead are bringing new life to a long dormant corner in Bridgehampton.

The store has already built up a steady base of repeat customers within the last six weeks. "We are on a list of things to do when people come out," Bennett said. The store is the talk of the town. "We are cocktail party and beach conversation," Carroll said with the voice of an experienced retailer. "Word of mouth is the best advertising. All are welcome, please come in."

Grigg thinks the store is an idea whose time has come in the Hamptons. "I think it would do well anytime, but there is no doubt that the current economic climate gives us an added impetus," he said as more customers pulled into the parking lot. One shopper grabbed her beach cover-up as she got out of the car before she reached for her handbag then headed for the door. "We are trying to keep fashion alive," Grigg said with a smile.

"We have a wonderful time here," Carroll said, "except when Jerry gets wound up then we all have to hide." The entire sales force laughed. That's retail in a nutshell.

"We have a great atmosphere here," Bennett said. The partners agreed. Fashionhead is more than a business - it is a labor of love that has revived a dormant corner in Bridgehampton the old-fashioned way by bringing value and service with a smile back to town.