I suppose there is no need to tell anyone how bad business has been this year, more than once I have considered getting away from all the doom and gloom and selling pizza, hot dogs or maybe doing a Laundromat, something mindless and profitable. Just when I thought the last 30 years have amounted to nothing, along came Debbie. Debbie is one of those disappearing breed of retailers who actually understands that one really has to work to succeed. She is an old school retailer, no attitude, no pretense, she even does her own window, her mission is to be the best, my kind of shopkeep. The only client this year who has not blamed anything on the economy. Debbie owns a children’s wear store, which is in my opinion is the hardest category in retail world next to the supreme pain, BRIDAL! and M.O.B. for those of you not in the business its “mother of the bride” watch for that post I have a whopper.
I have paid my dues as far as kidswear is concerned, back in the Reagan years one of my accounts was a kid’s store. Working with all the little outfits was fun and the window themes are endless. I tend to build kids theme around adult activities which can be very entertaining, little dinner parties, little cooking classes, little lawn maintenance, little bands of thugs and maybe a Tom Thumb wedding. Getting back to Debbie, she is the only kids act on Philadelphia's lower Mainline, the seat of suburban wealth and Olympic style competitive child dressing. Absolutely nothing is denied the all the Adams, Westleys, Zoeys and Melissas, after all a trophy wife must be accompanied by 24 karat trophy children..
This new crop of rug rats is demanding, they know what they want as long as it is what all the rest of them are wearing. It’s frightening how the media has twisted their little absorbent minds. Debbie called one day after tracking me down thru other clients. She related a story about her previous designer, she was not happy, in fact she removed all the adult outriggers he installed which are now rusting in her basement. If there is one thing I know about kids stores it’s about slatwall and binning….endless folded merchandise and face-out display…all those cute little outfits staring out from the walls just begging to be bought by a helpless bubba. The other problem with kids wear is the size runs from newborn to infant to toddler to 2,3,4,5,6 then the 8,9,10. Its goes on and on and on. The amount of product is daunting, and don’t forget, sleep wear, outer wear, toys socks and hair accessories. Lest I forget the latest version of the infamous Beenie Baby...every year someone tries to recreate that fraud of "perceived value" as a collectible item but no one has done it yet.
Debbie had a problem. I’ve seen some pretty awful stores in my day but Debbie’s won the prize. A nightmare of merchandise disorganization, stuff everywhere ,the floor, the counters all brimming with products totally out of control. She felt overwhelmed and distressed. The store was simply getting harder to handle and was in need of a new floor plan.
I am always amazed that considering I make my living in beautiful retail spaces [that often do very little business] that a store like Debbie’s was packed with customers dispite its condition, 3 sales people plus debbie,a herd of children and happy moms waiting gladly to give her their money. Debbie has what they want, and honestly that’s what counts…the rest is window dressing, [I cant believe I said that.] Debbie works real hard to make sure she has the goods. She bends over backward to satisfy customer’s needs, kisses babies, asks how their fathers operation went and gives free gift wrap. That’s why she is busy. Her customer could easily hit the baby gap, but they don’t because Debbie really cares.
I have paid my dues as far as kidswear is concerned, back in the Reagan years one of my accounts was a kid’s store. Working with all the little outfits was fun and the window themes are endless. I tend to build kids theme around adult activities which can be very entertaining, little dinner parties, little cooking classes, little lawn maintenance, little bands of thugs and maybe a Tom Thumb wedding. Getting back to Debbie, she is the only kids act on Philadelphia's lower Mainline, the seat of suburban wealth and Olympic style competitive child dressing. Absolutely nothing is denied the all the Adams, Westleys, Zoeys and Melissas, after all a trophy wife must be accompanied by 24 karat trophy children..
This new crop of rug rats is demanding, they know what they want as long as it is what all the rest of them are wearing. It’s frightening how the media has twisted their little absorbent minds. Debbie called one day after tracking me down thru other clients. She related a story about her previous designer, she was not happy, in fact she removed all the adult outriggers he installed which are now rusting in her basement. If there is one thing I know about kids stores it’s about slatwall and binning….endless folded merchandise and face-out display…all those cute little outfits staring out from the walls just begging to be bought by a helpless bubba. The other problem with kids wear is the size runs from newborn to infant to toddler to 2,3,4,5,6 then the 8,9,10. Its goes on and on and on. The amount of product is daunting, and don’t forget, sleep wear, outer wear, toys socks and hair accessories. Lest I forget the latest version of the infamous Beenie Baby...every year someone tries to recreate that fraud of "perceived value" as a collectible item but no one has done it yet.
Debbie had a problem. I’ve seen some pretty awful stores in my day but Debbie’s won the prize. A nightmare of merchandise disorganization, stuff everywhere ,the floor, the counters all brimming with products totally out of control. She felt overwhelmed and distressed. The store was simply getting harder to handle and was in need of a new floor plan.
I am always amazed that considering I make my living in beautiful retail spaces [that often do very little business] that a store like Debbie’s was packed with customers dispite its condition, 3 sales people plus debbie,a herd of children and happy moms waiting gladly to give her their money. Debbie has what they want, and honestly that’s what counts…the rest is window dressing, [I cant believe I said that.] Debbie works real hard to make sure she has the goods. She bends over backward to satisfy customer’s needs, kisses babies, asks how their fathers operation went and gives free gift wrap. That’s why she is busy. Her customer could easily hit the baby gap, but they don’t because Debbie really cares.
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