Retailer Spotlight | Tadpole

As soon as you walk into Storey and Dave's store, Tadpole, you immediately know you are walking into a friendly, well-curated baby store.  Just the type of store you want in your neighborhood.  Take a look below and see what motivated this couple to start their Boston store.

Tadpole

58 Clarendon Street

Boston, MA 02116

617-778-1788

What year was your store established? 2006

What motivated you to start your baby store? Storey launched a successful women’s clothing boutique, Turtle, also in the South End, starting in 2003. A couple of years in she noticed many of her customers getting pregnant and starting families. At that time there were no children’s store in our neighborhood and very few in Boston at all. Dave was working as a journalist at a national newspaper and took a few weeks off to help build out the space. With a few days remaining before he was due back at his job, the reality of having to run two stores started to set in for Storey. How was she going to manage, buy for, and do bookkeeping for two very different businesses? At that point Dave, looking for a professional change, agreed to run Tadpole while Storey ran Turtle. He called his boss and told him he wouldn’t be coming back and has been running the day-to-day operations at Tadpole ever since.

Inspiration behind the name of your store? Since we already owned Turtle, we wanted a name that sounded related -- like a cousin -- but that conveyed the childlikeness of a kids’ store.

What best describes your store's personality? Modern yet warm and welcoming. We want everyone who comes in, regardless of their race, their lifestyle, or their station in life, to feel at home.

The best part of your job? The sense of contributing something of value to our community (we live in the same neighborhood as our business), and also the challenge of thriving as the little guy in a growing world of the big, faceless, impersonal, commoditized world that retail has become.

What is the one thing you wish you knew prior to opening your store? Pretty much everything. Neither of us had worked in retail prior to 2003, Dave hadn’t worked in retail prior to 2006, neither had ever worked with children’s products (we didn’t have any at the time!), we hadn’t managed staff, built a website -- the et ceteras go on and on. It’s been an 8 year Masters course in business.

What is your favorite ZoLi product? Buzz B

What's your favorite song? Dave: Lego House by Ed Sheeran. Storey: Team by Lorde.

I think they've succeeded in creating a welcoming neighborhood store!!  If you are ever in Boston, you definitely have to stop by and say hello to this amazing team.

Retailer Spotlight | Momease Baby Boutique

Momease Baby Boutique is a relatively new store north of us but already has established a strong community presence.  After speaking with Lyra, you can understand why.  Her enthusiasm coupled with impeccable research make her and her store a valuable resource for parents in the community.  If you ever find yourself in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello.

Momease Baby Boutique
#121-5325 Cordova Bay Rd.
Victoria, BC
 
What year was your store established?

We are still a "toddler" in terms of a baby store. We opened Momease Baby Boutique doors for the first time in May 2013, but definitely hit the ground running right from the start!

What motivated you to start your baby store?

My two children. During my first pregnancy I began doing a ton of research into new & innovative parenting products and I wanted to make these great products more accessible in our area & online.

Inspiration behind the name of your store?

I really feel that all of the innovative baby products that we carry in the store help to make parenting young children just a little bit easier - hence the name "Momease Baby Boutique."

What best describes your store's personality?

Fresh, fun, modern & welcoming! With so many great "regulars" coming into the store on a weekly basis, I really feel like heading to work is an opportunity to visit & catch up with friends! We also LOVE the "shop local" initiative & work to help promote & support other local small or home-based businesses in our community by featuring their products in our store.

The best part of your job?

Meeting so many wonderful people in our community. I love connecting with new or expectant parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles & working to help find the perfect parenting products to complement their needs & lifestyle.

What is the one thing you wish you knew prior to opening your store?

How quickly I could fill a small boutique with amazing products! There as so many ingenious options out there for today's parents that it's really hard to narrow it down to a select few. All the more reason that we're currently working hard to launch our website at momease.ca later this year & expand our boutique online!

What is your favorite ZoLi product?

The ZoLi BOT is a major favorite in our house! The weighted straw makes this sippy cup absolutely ideal for your toddler's first few unassisted sips. We also love the the ZoLi Matties silicone place mats for pairing with our portable high chair & as a craft surface to protect our table from stray crayon marks & felts!

What's your favorite song?

Ha, ha - that's an unexpected but great question! My throw-back favorite would have to be The Police "Every Breath You Take" as it's such a classic! For a current fave, my boys & I regularly enjoy a good dance-off to "Happy" by Pharrell Williams.

Momease will be launching their website soon so you can check out all her goodies online at momease.ca.

Retailer Spotlight | Lullaby Baby

We are thrilled to kick off our Retailer Spotlight for 2014 with one of our favorite stores in Brooklyn - Lullaby Baby.  Lullaby Baby is located in Park Slope and fully stocked with all the cool baby essentials you'll need.  Over the years, we have gotten to know Kayla and love her impeccable style and uncanny ability to spot trends.  We can't wait to share this dynamo mom's story with our readers - not only is she a founder of an amazing baby store; she is also a mom to three active boys 6, 3, 1 with a fourth on the way!!

How long has Lullaby Baby been around?
Lullaby Baby just celebrated its 2nd anniversary.
 
What motivated you to start your baby store?
As a first-time mom shopping for my little one I was overwhelmed by the options of baby gear available. In stores I found limited product selection and even less product knowledge. Reading product reviews online only complicated matters - what I needed was a real person who would really listen and direct me to the products that best suited my needs.

When I bought my first carriage, I overpaid for something that did not do what I needed it to do. Buying a carriage is subjective to the exact needs of the parents. And so goes for all baby gear.

I knew that I wanted to provide new parents with a customer-centered experience with information that would help them make the best choices for their needs and lifestyle.

Based on the positive customer feedback we have received from our customers, I'm gratified to know that we've achieved this shopping experience at Lullaby Baby.

In our warm and welcoming atmosphere, parents can easily find the baby gear they need.  We've carefully researched the options to offer best and the safest selection in a variety of price points and we always have one out of the package they can feel & try.  And, believe it or not, even with this being in Brooklyn, there's enough room to cruise around our store in a double stroller.

What's the one thing you wish you knew prior to opening your store?
Just how colossal the baby & juvenile goods industry is! Researching and testing all the available products to find the items best suited for our customers and their kiddies is no small feat.

What best describes your store's personality?
Friendly, Dynamic & Honest.  And that we really know our buggies and baby stuff!!

The best part of your job?
Trend spotting and testing out new products is the most exciting part of my job. The most enjoyable aspect is talking with customers and their little cuties.  And, what's most fulfilling to me is getting great feedback on products I’ve recommended.

What is your favorite ZoLi product?
My favorite Zoli product is the Gummy Stick!   I can't tell you how many times I've been around a fussy 3-4 month old baby trying to jam their fingers in their mouth. I quickly introduce them to a Gummy Stick and they are soon calm & hooked. Its ergonomic shape enables them to get a good grip on it.  For many babies, it is their first toy! I have also recommended Gummy Sticks to therapists looking for orally stimulating sensory toys, and have received great response.

What's your favorite kids movie?
Dr. Suess’s “The Lorax” was one of my favorite childhood stories.   So not surprising, I loved the movie as well.  The movie was so fun to watch and has phenomenal lessons about selfishness, the impact we have on our environment, and the power we have to initiate change. I love watching it with my kids.


If you find yourself in the Park Slope neighborhood, please pop in and say "hi" to Kayla or check out their online store - lullabybaby.com for your baby needs.

Retailer Spotlight | Sprout SF

New York Store

This week's spotlight is on Sprout San Francisco.  We recently spoke to Suzanne Price and Rachel Styne - the brains behind Sprout SF.  Suzanne and Rachel successfully executed their vision for creating a go-to space for parents with carefully curated items of all things baby that were natural and safe.  They started with one store in SF on Union Street and in just a few short years, added two more locations - New York and most recently Chicago.  Below is their story:

Q:  How long has your store been around?
A:  We opened in SF a little over 3 years ago, in NYC last September, and in Chicago in April.

Q:  What was your background before starting your baby store?
A:  I was an Equity Research Analyst at an investment bank, focused on the Healthy Living Consumer. I became extremely interested in organic products at the same time as I started thinking about having a family. I knew that I would want a go to place with educated sales staff where I could be all the natural products I needed for my baby. When I couldn't find one, I decided to create it. My business partner Rachel Styne had just moved from NY where she was pursuing a musical theater career. With a dad who is a pediatric endocrinologist, Rachel had grown up with focus on healthy living, and as a soon to be new mom, she was focused on creating the same environment for her family as well.

Q: What inspired the name of your store?
A:  I must admit that a friend of mine who is both a journalist and a doctor came up with the name. We had been throwing out lots of names that we didn't like. I wanted something that evoked kids and natural at the same time. My friend said "Sprout" and that was it. We added the San Francisco part to show our connection to this city where people are so conscious of what their environment and the products they are using. This great city was the first to ban phthalates in plastic toys and is about to mandate a charge to consumers for shopping bags. We are proud to be associated with it.

Q: What best describes your stores personality?
A:  Nostalgic. That's the word we have used for every architect or website designer we have worked with from the beginning. We believe that the wooden toys our parents played with when they were little can continue to entertain our own kids as well. We want people to walk in and feel a sense of going back to a simpler time, without the light up, noisy, plastics that fill so many playrooms today.

Q:  What's your favorite ZoLi product?
A:  They are all great, but I would have been lost without the On the Go Formula dispenser. It has been a lifesaver when trying to quickly and neatly make a bottle with a crying baby on my lamp on many plane flights. Other moms always look on and say, "that is such a great idea!"

Q: What's your favorite song?
A: Rachel's the musical one so she should really answer.  [Rachel] said Goodnight Sweetheart by The Overtones is their favorite song to sing to their son Cooper.

Q:  What's your favorite activity to do with your family / kids?
A:  A quick hike with the two kids in backpacks and our dog Cody. It's great how easy it is to get to some beautiful places outside San Francisco for a quick trip.

If you get a chance, visit any one of the three Sprout SF stores if you are in the neighborhood:

SF STORE
1828 Union Street

San Francisco, CA 94123

NY STORE

1375 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10075

CHICAGO STORE

1943 W. Division
Chicago, IL 60622

Retailer Spotlight | Tottini

When we first launched in 2008, we met two amazing women - Melissa M and Melissa V at the ABC Kids Expo.  When they came to our booth, we knew right away their store would be the type of store that we would love to be in - they had the pulse of the moms and the discerning eye for up and coming brands.  Needless to say, I was beyond thrilled, when they placed an order with us - our very first order!!

We love tottini so we're super excited that we get to share their story with you this week -

Q:  How long has your store been around?
A:  Tottini opened in August 2006 and e-commerce site launched in early 2007.

Q:  What motivated you to start your baby store?
A:  There were no stores in Seattle that had the type of modern baby products that we wanted for our own homes.  Both Melissa and I had kids under the age of two and were ready for career changes.  We wanted to offer a retail environment that not only had modern, sustainable products; but also equally important was to provide a shopping environment that was family friendly and offered exceptional customer service.

Q:  What inspired the name of your store?
A:  We are ALWAYS asked this question!  There's not a lot to it, we wanted a fun and playful name that embodied modern, kids and family.  We tried out many names from family, friends, and nameless others, and finally decided on tottini.  Melissa's sister-in-law, Constance Van Flandern, actually came up with the name and logo.  She sent it over exactly as it looks now, and we loved it!

Q:  What best describes your store's personality?
A:  We like to think of tottini as unique, fun, bright, and modern.  That pretty much covers it.

Q:  What's your favorite ZoLi product?
A:  We love all the ZoLi products!!  If we have to choose, we've always loved the original Zoli on-the-go.  It has so many uses.  It can be used for formula, snacks, and even an older child's school lunch- we love products that are versatile.


Q:  What's your favorite song?
A:  Let's just say we've listened to a lot of Coldplay and Moby over the last five and half years...

We like the same music!!  I knew there had to be another reason why we love you guys : )

If you are ever in Seattle, you'll have to stop by tottini and say that ZoLi sent you.

tottini
259 Yale Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109

Retailer Spotlight | Eco Bambino

EcoBambino - 863 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, CA

One of the things I love about what I do is the inspired people I meet and the stores that result because of their passion and vision.  I want to share with you some of their stores, so we are starting a new series on our blog spotlighting these retailers and what inspired them.

This month, Ariana Spaulding from Eco Bambino in San Luis Obispo, CA shares with us what inspired her to create her amazing store.

Q:  How long has your store been around?
A:  We first started online in 2008 and did not open our retail location until we found the perfect spot on Monterey Street in 2010.

Q:  What motivated you to start your baby store?
A:  The inspiration came after I had my kids and was frustrated by the lack of local stores that sold eco-friendly products.  It just seemed that there should be a store that sold eco-friendly baby products in the community where we lived.

Q:  What inspired the name of your store?
A:  Eco Bambino is truly a representation of the natural baby and child products that we look for to sell in our store.

Q:  What is your favorite family activity?
A:  Between the store and managing day-to-day with my family, I cherish the moments I get to spend with my family.   Our favorite activities are baking and playing board games.


Go check out Eco Bambino when you get a chance.