Apparel and Accessories

Best Bets for Babies (From page 43) classic children’s clothing, such as dresses with Peter Pan collars and smocking. In accessories, she said, “Jeffries socks are popular because they have different styles. Also Condor socks, which are knee socks with a bow. They sell well because they’re different— kind of dressy, and not too many people carry them. They’re a European brand.” In jackets and sweaters, Perry said, “Our best-seller is the Claber brand. They have different styles for holidays—shamrocks, a nice winter sweater for Christmas with an applique. In coats, it’s probably Hatley, which has nice rain gear, and in a dress coat, it would be Widgeon, which goes up to a size 6. Widgeon is a great coat—it’s a fleece coat with Velcro tabs. They’ve been around a long time, and customers still love them.”

Comfort and softness are still in high demand for apparel of all kinds. “We’re seeing a huge trend toward bamboo sleepers and apparel,” Brosmer said. “Our customers love all of the great qualities bamboo offers. We carry six, seven different companies that offer bamboo and order from one or more most every week! We also have a lot of moms who look for organic cottons.” At Snapdragon, consumers fall into two categories: “There’s a certain market that wants more earthy, textured fabric. Others want more embellished or ‘poufy’. There are strong trends for both,” Montague said. “And we’re definitely still selling a lot of classics. There’s still a demand for that look where we are.” One style trend with Sweet Tea and Caviar’s customers are retro band T-shirts for infants and toddlers. “We have a line called Rowdy Sprouts, which has a selection of older band T-shirts that’s pretty popular. We have Jimi Hendrix, TLC, Nirvana, Pink Floyd. I’m not sure if it’s just because our clients like those bands, or because they’re nostalgic. The T-shirts are for ages 6 months to 12 years old,” Buffalomeat explains.

Looks change, but excellent customer service is one trend which will never go out of style. “[Our top tip] is to help the customer as best we can,” Buffalomeat said. “We are a small business and will try to accommodate a wide variety of requests, especially for first-time customers. We will go out of our way to help with sizing so customers don’t have to exchange sizes later.” Perry said her best tip is to simply be courteous and kind. She also offers free gift wrapping so busy shoppers can purchase and package items all at once. Brosmer has free gift wrapping available, as well. “Cus-

What Are the Top Baby Apparel Colors? “S

oft” or “muted” could best describe the popular color palette for baby apparel this season.

Owner Allison Montague of Snapdragon Boutique in East Grand Rapids, Mich., said neutral colors are “in for sure,” as fewer parents are finding out the baby’s gender in advance. She also says, “Yellow is super ‘in,’ whether mustard or even [a] brighter [shade]. Also dusty pink or a rosy pink— that’s true even for boys.”

Owner Ann Brosmer of EJ and Dot’s Children’s Boutique in Jasper, Ind., said, “New moms seem to be going toward soft, neutral earthy tones. Grandparents still love all of the pastels.”

Manager Sami Buffalomeat of Sweet Tea and Caviar in Lawrence, Kan., said, “Looking at our fall colors, it was definitely more neutral. Rust and charcoal—you can pretty much pair them with any kind of neutral, or really with anything. We’re just now getting into spring with the brighter colors and brighter patterns. I’m seeing more fruit designs and vibrant colors for spring.”

Enchanted Elephant Boutique

Owner Mary Rose Perry said she is seeing “tan or brown—either color right now is on trend. We also do have a lot of pastels.” ❖ tomers always love and appreciate that! Greet your customers with a smile, and we always try to know and remember our repeat customers and greet them by name…It makes people feel important and welcomed when you take the time to get to know them,” she explained. Montague said her top tip is “listening to the customer. Be responsive, and give them what they want. That’s the feedback I get—I know my merchandise, I know what they like, and I can match those two things together.”

Merchandising is an essential aspect of any apparel retailer. For shoppers who are also busy moms, or grandmas looking for the perfect gift but may be unsure where to start, it’s even more crucial. “Merchandising and knowing your products and how they work, or benefits of them—for instance, knowing and relaying to a customer the benefits bamboo offers will often sell that garment—is very important to a small business,” Brosmer said. “Many customers who shop small are doing so in order to see and feel an item before purchasing and also get questions answered about using the item. Plus, if merchandised properly, they can see cute add-ons that go with the product. Social media is also very important for our small business. Hardly a day passes that we don’t have a customer coming in and asking for something they had seen posted recently.”

At Sweet Tea and Caviar, they maximize limited space. “We have a small storefront. We try to arrange a collage of every brand we have, in each style of color. We have little mannequins we’ll dress up, and put different sizes on them, and we put it in front so it’s all right there,” Buffalomeat said. “This way customers don’t have to look all over the store for a size.”

Perry relies on grouping like items in many of her displays: “I try to keep the baby items in one section. We also have a lot of brother-sister stuff, so we keep that together. If it’s matching, we’ll keep that together.”

Montague’s merchandising philosophy is to keep it simple and make it easy for customers. “Change it up. Keep it fresh. Anytime you can show people how things go together or how it should work, it makes everyone’s life easier. Pairing things together that makes sense takes the guesswork out of it for people.” ❖