What Do You Want to See in Stores?

Hi J.,

I have a hard time finding cloths that fit my 2 year old. He is wearing 4T and is right for his weight and height. But the cloths they make for kids. I know he is not too big for his age. Can they make 2T to 5T Husky even if I know he is right for his size. The size fits right for my son however the length of the cloths are too long in the long sleeves and the pants. At a decent price. :)

I would like to see different color combinations. I love pink & brown and pink & green, but I don't want everything my daughter wears to be in these three colors.

afforable prices...
friendly sales people who know what they are talking about....
an easy return policy that gets respected by management..

stuff that fits skinny kids...adjustable waistbands.

stuff without lots of logos and other advertising...keep it simple.

sippy cups and other basics that actually work. boys dress-up is hard to find. toys that are good for older kids but also safe for a household with little kids. smart toys.

Hi J.,

I have managed a few high end children's store and what is ALWAYS lacking is boys. In every aspect from color, style and especially quantity. Girls is always bread and butter because gift givers find buying girls clothes fun same for grandparents. But boys since it is usually boring is usually bought by the moms and even though they'll buy 20 dresses for their little girls they only want to buy a few "sturdy" items for the boys because they'll ruin them anyway. Which isn't true. The year I had my son it was 3 boys to 1 girl ratio. Were the boys walking around naked? I scour boutiqes, 2nd hand, internet, big stores to get color on my son and to get variety. Would be nice to have one stop shopping. Also gift sets in layette are a great thing to offer. Lots of people want it thought out for them and if you offer a variety of price points they can make a desicion easily and be on their way to the shower or the hospital. Outside of family EVERYONE shops last minute. Also you should , if you are doing infant, offer a baby registry. Make it easy for the moms- to- be and have a brochure of recommended quantities, colors and what sizes you would recommend. We usually scaled up the sizes so the moms would have something to look forward to in a few months. Good luck. A. B.

I agree with the former response... and would like to add...stuff that looks like kids should be wearing it(not really short teenagers). I absolutely hate the nasty tees about parents/schools/siblings...funny kidisms are okay, but for the most part I like simple patterns and solid colors(I have 5 boys, if I had a girl...I'd want florals too)...great color combinations and it would be nice to walk into a store and be able to see a bunch of clothes that all cordinate w/o being the exact same item in different colors(gymboree is good about this although their clothes are a lil too young for the older boys)...I definetly prefer to try clothes on and not pay shipping, but I think I'm a lil old school...Goodluck in your adventure!

I would like things tht don't fall apart! I can't tell you how many of the things I buy fall apart before my daughter has even worn them! Buttons, seams, you name it. It doesn't even seem to matter what the item cost - they just aren't made well. Even blankets! For some reason this season I also can't seem to find basic black shoes. Everyone is only doing the brown/pink thing, which I'm luke-warm with at best.

My Mother-in-law shops the boutiques, I usually hit Target or Mother Goose (the local consignment store for kids).

Good luck!

pants with adjustable waisbands.

Hair accessories for kids under 3 with no small cutsie parts. I can't tell you how hard it is to find these. Everything has a flower or butterfly attached to it and I am afraid it would come off and my daughter will swallow it. Toddler hair scrunchies would be awesome.

Sandals that come in 1/2 sizes (now that we are coming up on fall it won't matter as much right now). I couldn't find any for my daughter this year.

Well made cotton clothes that are nice looking but durable and easy to get stains out of.

I do most shopping at the larger chain stores or on line after a lot of research. Small boutiques tend to be pricey. Who wants to pay $40 for a pair of toddler jeans when they grow so quickly?

OH STAIN RESISTANT PLEASE
i avoid childrens place, old navy, landsend etc because i cannot get the stain out. gymboree and gap are better in this area. also i wish stores carried more selection and less quantity. meaning i spend so much money on my twins and then i see other kids wearing the same outfits. so i do my shopping for the year when i am overseas, esp. benetton and geox because they're easily accessible when we're there and i get to dress my kids in unique outfits. not all the time of course, although that is my wish.

My husband HATES Shopping and so when I was pregnant he refused to go to the baby stores with me and it was not possible for me to carry all the baby stuff home so i relied solely on the internet to purchase all the baby items
And i actually found very good deals online with free shipping to boot!
I guess in a real store convenience and price is important for me.
I want to be able to find everything i need one store if possible
I do ALOT of internet research online before i purchase anything cos there are so many baby products out there and many of whom are untouched/unused
I must have purchased 4 slings and only used 1. Four strollers and only used one...
So i guess i would like a baby store to stock only the best useful items which have been well tested by moms.

J.,
I, too, and in Real Estate and opened an on-line store.
Anyway, I believe Green is the way to go when you can so:
Green Birthday gifts at $20 or less.
Orthopeaedic backpacks (looking for those today acutally!)
I will think of more but wanted to get these ideas to you.
Good Luck!

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see in many stores a play area. It's so hard to shop with kids (and every mother knows that). The store would have to be laid back also. I shop in a high end store in Spring Lake, NJ and the owner can get nasty with the kids. I understand you have to "live up to the standards", but if you want me to keep spending money in your store, talk a little nicer to my kids. I think for kids, shopping in a store is safer/better because you can try on and there's no shipping cost.

What ever you decide to do, go for it all, have a blast doing it and I wish you the BEST luck getting there!!!

I go to chain stores to get basics because they are most affordable.
I prefer to get gifts at local stores - but they need to have things that are unique - not just more of the same at the chain stores. I would not buy big items - like stoller/crib/sheet sets, etc. I would buy toys, books, music, dishes/cups, blankets, clothes, bags - in that order. I like to see wood toys, locally made or handmade items, eco-friendly items.
I agree with the person who said the staff must be knowledgeable and helpful. I also agree with the comment about birthday gifts that could be under $20.
Best of luck on your endeavor!

I here G-diapers are pretty popular.

I'm an attachment parenting, cloth diapering, natural birthing mama, and there's not a whole lot of sutff available in mainstream stores for my family--I have to go to the internet for all of it. I wish I had available in mainstream stores cloth diapers (the modern ones such as Fuzzi Bunz and Blueberry, not the crappy ones they sell in Babies R Us with the yucky rubber pants circa the '50s), a better variety of baby carriers/slings, co-sleeping supplies, cloth breast pads that ACTUALLY WORK, etc. Hope that helps!

J.,

I don't know where you are in location.

Waldorf materials and toys would be very welcome.

Good luck!
M.

PS: any decisions yet?