Boston-Juvenile retailers get creative in Bean Town
By Jane Kitchen -- Kids Today, 9/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
Jordan’s
Mulberry Road
Baby Furniture Warehouse
Bernie & Phyl’s
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Boston - It isn’t just academics that keep Bean Town competitive - in this Northeast metropolis, retailers compete for consumer dollars with a wide variety of styles and gimmicks. From small boutiques to mega stores with a full line of entertainment, Boston has it all.
In this, our third Metro Report in the series, we take a look at this Northeast city and the youth marketplace here. With a population of 4.45 million in 2004, the Boston metro population is projected to grow to 4.54 million by 2009.
Although white households will continue to make up the majority of Boston area households, they will only grow 2% between 2004 and 2009. Black households will grow 9% between 2004 and 2009, while Asian households will grow 18% and Hispanic households will grow 17%.
The big change in the youth population will be in the teen years, with the number of children from 12 to 17 expected to grow 3.8% between 2004 and 2009, while children from 6 to 11 will decline 5.8% and those younger than 5 will remain close to the same, with a decline of .4%.
Despite these numbers, spending on infant and nursery furniture is expected to grow at the same rate as youth and teen bedroom furniture - a growth of 19% for both categories by 2009. Part of that may be due to the fact that the median household income in Boston is also expected to grow, from $58,791 in 2004 - well above the national average - to $71,044 in 2009.
Sales of infant equipment and infant accessories are expected to grow 6% and 8%, respectively, by 2009.
To look at where some of this growth might take place, we looked at four area stores with a focus on youth: Baby Furniture Warehouse Store in Braintree, Mass.; Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture in Braintree; Jordan’s Furniture in Reading, Mass.; and Mulberry Road in Boston.
Each of these stores takes a different approach to selling juvenile products. The next few pages will provide you with some insight - both written and visual - into what these different retailers are doing to capture the attention of Boston consumers.
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| The Jordan’s store in Reading features a separate 1,500-square-foot nursery area. |
Reading, Mass. — Jordan’s newest store here features all the excitement consumers have come to know and expect from this top 100 retailer — an Imax theater, trapeze school, a Bose store, Richardson’s Ice Cream and a Bean Town, which features an entire façade made of jelly beans. The store is more than just a furniture store, with many families making an entire day’s outing from the experience, and school groups heading to the Imax on field trips.
With such a family focus, it makes sense that Jordan’s would have an impressive youth department, and the fun and themes carry over into the 5,000-square-foot area that features vignettes with furniture from Young America, A.P. Inds., Lea, Oak Designs, Vermont Tubbs, Legacy Classic, Broyhill, Palliser, Barn Door, Vaughan and University Loft.
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| A safari-themed mural helps set the background for pieces from Barn Door. |
The store is set up with a hallway that winds through different areas, giving it a mall or Main Street feel. Ticklers featuring basketballs and soccer balls hang from the ceiling outside the youth department to catch customers’ attention and lure them in.
As customers work their way through the youth department, they find that a wide array of manufacturers means a wide variety of looks and price points. Jordan’s focuses on selection, price points and quality, said sales manager Kevin Perry. “If they can’t find it here, they can’t find it anywhere,” he said.
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| The infant area in Jordan’s features nursery-rhyme-themed murals, soft lighting and lullaby music. |
The youth department uses murals to create mood, and a wall with a safari theme helps set off a room that features lofts and bunks from Barn Door, which Perry said not only sells well for youth bedrooms, but for customers shopping for ski lodges as well.
All of the top-of-bed is from Pine Cone Hill, which has its own store-within-a-store at Jordan’s and creates enough unique looks to fit the many different themes. Natural add-ons like Foof chairs also complete the mix.
Perry said that Jordan’s is always thinking about the needs of the customer and keeps in mind that for many people shopping for youth furniture, it’s a new experience.
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| The infant area in Jordan’s features nursery-rhyme-themed murals, soft lighting and lullaby music. |
“We never oversell the customer — we explain what they’re getting in each category,” said Perry. “Customers appreciate that.”
The Jordan’s store here also features 1,500 square feet dedicated to nursery furniture, with a separate entrance from the main hallway. The infant side features cribs and case goods from Young America, A.P. Inds. and My Room, along with accessories from Green Frog Art, mattresses from Simmons and Sealy and Pine Cone Hills layette.
Each department at Jordan’s has its own music to set the tone, and the infant department is no exception, playing soothing lullabies. White track lights also help give the area a soft feel. “We go after all the senses,” said Perry. “It sets the tone, puts them in the right psychological state.”
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| This feminine vignette uses shades of pink and purple for true girl appeal. |
While the store doesn’t offer assembly for their cribs, it does offer most items in stock from their 800,000-square-foot distribution center in Taunton, including cribs — a big plus for parents who have waited till the last minute to order nursery furniture. Jordan’s has mostly relied on word of mouth to promote the nursery area so far, and with so many parents walking through, it hasn’t taken long.
Even first thing on a weekday morning, there were several mothers-to-be shopping the nursery area. But on weekends, said Perry, “It’s wall-to-wall people. It’s an event to come to Jordan’s.”
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| Irresistible layette items from companies like Kissy Kissy, Tea and Zutano make great gift items. |
Boston — After five years in business, this Beacon Hill boutique has a steady stream of customers shopping for unique gifts and baby products. Named “Best place for baby accessories” in Best of Boston, the store is definitely a gift shop, said owner Tracey Davidow, rather than a mom store. Still, Mulberry Road has its regular customers, and Davidow makes sure everyone feels welcome.
On a Thursday afternoon, the store was packed with customers “oohing” and “aahing” over the cute new additions to layette from Zutano, Tea and Kissy Kissy. One customer placed a special order for one of Davidow’s best-selling items, custom-screened baby t-shirts with vintage record album covers. This customer was looking for a Jimmy Buffett version for the star’s newest fan; with a retail price of $24, they’re not cheap, but boy, what a shower gift for the music-loving parents — and it’s something dads can get excited about too. (The best-selling of the best-selling line? A vintage print with Farah Fawcett on a skateboard.)
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| One of Mulberry Road’s hottest sellers is a series of custom-screened baby T-shirts featuring record album covers. |
Mulberry Road also stocks a selection of Moses baskets, as well as linens from companies like Amy Coe and dwellbaby, along with Little Castle rockers. Other products include accessories from Kerri Lee, 3 Marthas and eeBoo; toys from Mamas & Papas; plush from Russ Baby; and a nice selection of classic books such as “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends.”
Davidow said she has done very little advertising — the Best of Boston mention helps drive customers to her store, as does a Web site and the shop’s location in a heavy foot-traffic area. While not a full-line store by any means, customers can still register for special products, and Davidow provides free shipping.
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| A rocker from Little Castle is displayed, along with various fabric swatches. |
She finds items for her shop at the New York Gift Fair, which she attends several times a year, but Davidow is also looking at perhaps branching out to the All Baby and Child Expo in Las Vegas this September.
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| This crib not only showcases the linens, but also plush gift items and layette. A rocker from Mamas & Papas completes the look. |
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| Baby Furniture Warehouse offers both infant and youth furniture in a no-frills shopping environment that focuses on value, service and selection. |
Braintree, Mass. — With two locations in the greater Boston area — one here in Braintree, one in Reading — Baby Furniture Warehouse offers a no-frills approach to buying everything baby. Consumers can find merchandise from cribs to strollers and carseats to bedding, bibs, safety products, toys and even gift wrap at Baby Furniture Warehouse, and owner Dennis Gedzuin focuses on selection, pricing and service to set his store apart.
Baby Furniture Warehouse’s stores are 30,000 and 10,000 square feet, and are open Thursday to Monday — Gedzuin capitalizes on the busy weekend days and takes time off during the slower mid-week days.
Gedzuin has used the Internet to his advantage, both for heavily advertising his store and for selling merchandise. He finds many customers use the Web site to pre-shop, getting an idea of what they want and what he stocks, and for what price. But customers often want to see merchandise before they buy it, and when Gedzuin gets them in his store, he focuses on “service, service, service,” he said.
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| Baby Furniture Warehouse floors 180 cribs at the Reading store. Owner Dennis Gedzuin also believes in stocking a broad range of merchandise, including many accessories. |
“There are plenty of places they can spend their money, but in here, we take you by the hand and explain it,” he said.
Gedzuin’s philosophy is to “buy it all,” which means his Reading store floors 180 cribs — enough selection for most customers. Manufacturers include names such as Ragazzi, Baby’s Dream, Sorelle, Mother Hubbard, Rumble Tuff and Munire, along with a selection of gliders from Dutailier.
Buying it all also means he stocks many of the accessories that other independent specialty stores are getting out of because of increased competition.
“A lot of stores are getting out of accessories, and I think they’re foolish,” Gedzuin said. “You have captive customers (when they’re in your store). It doesn’t matter if it’s $1 cheaper down the street.”
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| This clean-lined girls’ group in white includes a traditional ballerina theme, and is accented by pink walls and feminine bedding. |
Braintree, Mass. — Top 100 retailer Bernie & Phyl’s operates five stores in the greater Boston metro area, including the newest 45,000-square-foot store here. The full-line store carries a wide range of merchandise on the adult side of things, from leather to traditional to country.
“We try to do a flavor of all things,” said visual merchandise manager Michael Guidicianne. “We want customers to look around every corner of the store.”
The Braintree store features an open layout, with furniture grouped together by room and style, and utilizes greenery to break up sections. “Visually you know how to get around,” Guidicianne said. “It’s organized chaos.”
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| This new Fenway Park photo mural helps give flavor to this boys’ vignette and gets both parents and kids excited about decorating. |
Bernie & Phyl’s’ youth department carries furniture from Bedtime, P.J. Kids, Thornwood, Lea, Vaughan and American Woodcrafters. Finishes in maple, toffee and natural are popular, as are bunks and captain’s beds, which help space-starved consumers fit a lot in a small footprint. On the other hand, full beds are also becoming more popular.
“We try to get popular price points and as many looks as we can in a limited amount of space,” Guidicianne said.
Although the store advertises heavily, the youth department isn’t promoted on its own. Still, said Guidicianne, Bernie & Phyl’s is “definitely doing a good business in youth.” With lots of young families in the area, he said, there are always lots of kids in the store.
One thing that gets both parents and kids excited is a new Fenway Park photo mural — part of a boys vignette in the youth department. Guidicianne is working with a local company that has licensed the photos for wall murals, and after all the excitement of the Red Sox winning the World Series, consumers are buying.
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