Baby’s Perfect Gift: PREMIER RETAILER Q&A

We are happy to announce the grand opening of “Baby’s Perfect Gift” children’s boutique in Montclair, New Jersey.  Marcia and Ilene, store owners/founders/mommy gurus, give us the scoop on hot local trends, local activities for families and the top essentials for any new mom (that you can find at their new store!). Read more and enjoy!

1.      Where did the name Baby’s Perfect Gift come from? What was the inspiration behind the name?
Marcia & Ilene: The most thoughtful shoppers are always looking for the “perfect gift” for special occasions. To us, a new baby seemed like the ultimate special occasion, thus the name Baby’s Perfect Gift!

2.      How did you pick the location of your new store? Describe the neighborhood where your store is located.
Marcia & Ilene: Montclair is a very diverse town, with three major shopping areas. The uptown area, where our store is located, is predominately young urban families and therefore, seemed like a perfect location for us.

3.      What would you suggest as the top 5 essentials a new mom should by in your store?
Marcia & Ilene:  Every new mom should have a “Miracle Blanket”, a “ lovie,” burp cloths, a practical (but fashionable) diaper bag, and of course, layette essentials from Le Top Baby.

Store owners Ilene (middle left) and Marcia (middle right)

4. What are the best 3 local family activities to do in Montclair, New Jersey?
Marcia & Ilene: There are numerous parks with awesome climbing equipment, kids programs at the Montclair Art Museum, and town sports activities.

5.      Tell us about the school lunches your mom or dad made for you when you were a kid? What would someone find inside your brown paper bag?
Marcia:  My mom hated making school lunches and it showed. I always made it a point to sit next to my friend whose parents owned a deli and always had delicious lunches. When I became “the mom,” I understood why she hated it so much, so I assigned the responsibility to my husband who is never tired of coming up with a variety of healthy and delicious lunches.

6.      What tip would you give to a parent dressing a child for fall and holiday? Any hot trends?
Marcia & Ilene: Always pick outerwear that children will like to wear, and are able to take on and off on their own. A good fit allows a child room to move around, and the ability to layer underneath is also essential. A hot trend for both girls and boys appears to be leg warmers for the legs and arms. Also tutus of every size and color seem to be very much in demand!

7.      Do you plan on doing anything special for Halloween at your store?
Marcia & Ilene: We do have a Halloween display in the store featuring baby’s “first Halloween” costumes bibs, etc., but unfortunately this year, Halloween falls on a day that the store is closed.

8.      What is your favorite memory of a costume you wore as a child?
Marcia: As a child, the memory of the accumulating Halloween treats rivals any memory of actual costumes.

9.      What’s next on your agenda since the store is now open?
Marcia & Ilene: We have a few! First, establishing ourselves as the “go to” store for the “perfect” gift or for all baby needs. Secondly, working to maintain an enticing inventory selection at various affordable price points. Lastly, to remain sensitive to our customers needs and purchase their shopping requests in order to continue to grow into a premier shopping location.

10.      What collection or piece from Le Top or Le Top Baby line or Rabbitmoon do you love from the Fall/Holiday 2010 collection?
Marcia & Ilene: We love the Le Top boys “Take Flight” collection and the girls rabbitmoon “Savanna” collection for fall. 

Featured are rabbitmoon's shirt and pants from the "jet" collection. Le Top's "Take Flight" aviator jacket and cap. As well as a body suit and bib canvas overalls from the Le Top "guitar" collection.

 

 

Baby’s Perfect Gift
195 Bellevue Avenue
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
973.744.6999
www.babysperfectgift.com

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Baby Bug & Me: PREMIER RETAILER Q&A

It’s a baby bug’s life! Read about our 6th premier retailer in our weekly “Store Spotlight” series where we feature one of Le Top’s best stores.  Judy Novinger, owner of Baby Bug & Me, gives us the fun facts of the state bug of Pennsylvania (where her store is located), her launch of a “shoetique,” what mommies buy in her store versus her online boutique, and what celebrity mommy she would love to meet!

1.      What made you decide to enter the children’s business and what did you do before?

Judy: Baby Bug & Me is a spin off of my previous retail gift shop named Lightning Bug, Inc. There was a major closing of many of the children’s boutiques in the greater Harrisburg, PA area a few years ago.  I opened Baby Bug & Me in September 2003 to fill this retail gap.

2.      The name of your store is very playful – where did the name come from?

Judy:   My original gift shop featured a whimsical little girl lightning bug as our logo.  Our baby boutique logo shows the little girl lightning bug all grown up and pushing a buggy with a baby bug.

Thus the name “Baby Bug & Me.”  Oh by the way, the “Lightening Bug” is also the state insect of Pennsylvania!

3.      What would people be surprised to learn about you and your store?

Judy: I was formerly a gift buyer for a large department store and decided to interview for the children’s clothing buyer position. I was told that I ‘didn’t have what it took to buy children’s fashions’ and did not get the job.   As time went on, I moved on to pursue other opportunities in sales and retail.  Ironically, had I been selected for that original position there probably would not be a Baby Bug & Me today.

4.      Who is your target customer?

Judy: The grandparents are my strongest supporters!  Being a grandmother of eight, I know the thrill of having the child of my child in my arms.  My customers share stories, pictures and what they want to buy for their families. The grandparent shopper is looking for the clothing that “keeps children looking like children”. That is why Le Top is our largest clothing retailer source.  They give quality and take cute to the limit!

5.      As a couple, you and your husband must have incredibly demanding schedules with the store. What’s the key to your successful marriage?

Judy: My husband Jim, whom I am married to for 40 years, is the man behind the scenes.  Even with having a full-time job, he still finds the time to support Baby Bug & Me.  From my visions, he builds my fixtures.  He supports my business computer needs, and he is the MUSCLE behind the heavy “grunt work.”

6.      What products do your clientele like the most?

Judy: Layette, playwear and shoes are our strongest categories.  We provide sizes preemie to 4 toddlers for boys, and girls’ sizes expand from preemie to 6x with a move to 10/12 in the fall. This fall we will have completed our expansion of “The Shoetique”.  This is our store within a store concept for shoes.  Fortunately, my customers are very forthcoming with what they want for their shopping needs.  They want good quality shoes to match the clothing they purchase.

7.      Any Celebrity customers over the years or do you have any celebs buying right now?

Judy: Most of my celebs are from our diverse local TV and radio personalities.  It’s fun meeting the person behind the voice on the radio.

8.      There are so many famous celebrity mommies that we see each week in the weeklies such as Us Weekly, InTouch, etc. – if you could meet one celeb mommy or daddy, who would it be and why?

Judy: I think I’d like to meet Sandra Bullock.  She seems like a good, caring working mother and an all around nice person.

9.      Between all of the social media outlets – Facebook, Twitter, and more – what do you think about social networking and how it allows moms and dads to come together as a parenting community?

Judy: I have learned that the computer savvy mother turns to the Internet for their children’s needs.  After hours, when moms are finally settled, she browses the Internet to shop and network with other parents.  We actually just hired a new associate for our store that set Baby Bug & Me up on Facebook.  Wow! What a network!  I also have learned to surf the net to find new and exciting product for the store – it helps me with the necessary planning to attend seasonal kids trade shows.

10. I heard the Lemoyne area in Pennsylvania is pretty cute; describe the neighborhood your store is in for us.

Judy: Lemoyne is located approximately 2 miles south of Harrisburg, PA, our capitol.  We are 1 of 14 upscale businesses located above the West Shore Farmers Market.  Picture a smaller scale Quincy Market type atmosphere as seen in Boston.

11. What do you feel are the three biggest keys to your success?

Judy: Customer Service, Fine Quality Merchandise, and Product Knowledge.  We always want our customer’s time in Baby Bug to be a good experience.  They deserve individual attention when buying for whatever the occasion.  We supply free gift wrapping for one stop shopping and a special play area to keep those little people occupied.  Customers want a unique look that screams quality.  We feel the customer deserves to know the origin, manufacturer and the proper care of all our products.

12. How do you select your products for the store? Do you find that there is a difference between your online boutique consumers for your brand versus your typical store consumer?

Judy: We have a three-part formula.  One third is what I feel the customer will like.  One third is what is trending i.e. organic.  One third is what the area demands, shoes, christening, seasonal, preemie, etc. We find our online customer wants to buy accessories and toys rather than clothing.  The store customer wants to touch the merchandise.  They like to see the colors, evaluate attributes and talk with us about proper sizing.  How frustrating it is to buy something on the web only to find it needs to be returned for one reason or another.  We do shipping for the continental US and military APO and FPO addresses for both online or store sales.

13. If you had one piece of advice for someone entering children’s retail today, what would it be?

Judy: Always begin with a financial business plan. It is not a matter of just going to the market place and buying pretty things. Do your homework to meet both the area’s needs and your financial plans.  Mentor with other business people.

14. What is your best or most memorable moment in your store?

Judy: I believe that most people, when asked this question, would probably respond with a happy story, and I have many of those. However, my most memorable moment was when I was able to personally assist a grieving grandfather in selecting the burial clothing for his deceased new grandchild. I felt so humbled in helping this family.

15. What collection or piece from Le Top and/or rabbit moon are you loving from the Spring/Summer 2010 collection?

Judy: I am wowed by the oranges and blues of Lots ‘o Fish, a true step away from the traditional blues and pinks. The style and fashion make this a fun group for either boy or girl.  I love the mixing of patterns and stripes and the use of the whimsical orange fish appliqués.

Baby Bug & Me
900 Market Street
Lemoyne, PA 17043
717.763.1780
http://www.babybugandme.com

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The Treehouse

Located in South Lake Tahoe and Truckee

I went to South Lake Tahoe with my family for the weekend to enjoy some fun in the snow before the arrival of our next baby. Before we left, I decided to go on Le Top’s store locator just to see if there was a le•top retailer in town. I was delighted to have found a children’s store called “The Treehouse.” I didn’t really know if I would be able to visit the store since I was there with three other families (yes, three), but I’m so glad I found time! While the kids were playing at the cabin with the dads watching over them, my sister-in-law and I were able to escape to do some shopping.

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