Still selling strong, 9 Months Later
New parents still drawn in
Gerri Hunt -- Kids Today, 8/30/2010 4:53:14 AM
9 Months Later has three to five vignettes displayed at any given time. Owners Conni Walker and her daughter, Erin Gray use sheer backdrops rather than positioning them against the walls.
Conni Walker and Erin Gray found the perfect avenue to prevent new moms and dads in their area from driving two hours just to shop in a specialty juvenile store. The mother-daughter duo turned to the Baby News organization, which helped them form the foundation of their own shop two years ago.
Gray had been researching products online for her first child after having trouble finding things locally, when Walker decided to leave her mortgage-lending career.
"Erin suggested that we open a baby store. I initially laughed off the idea, but upon further reflection we both realized how great a need there was for a juvenile products store in our market - the ‘Magic Valley' of Idaho," said Walker. "Twin Falls is the business and economic hub of a seven-county area with a population of approximately 250,000."
As they started making plans for their store, called 9 Months Later, they discovered Baby News. "They provided much invaluable information and mentoring, even assisting us in locating the best site for our store." The retailer relies on Baby News-Stanford Distributing, which carries 150 vendors, and the store carries more than 100 additional vendors, all geared for infants from birth to 24 months.
"First Impressions is a local company that creates art from the hands and feet casts of babies, toddlers, mothers and children. We also have a local stay-at-home mom who makes all our bows that are amazing sellers for us," said Walker.
The retailer has to work to overcome the impression that it is a small boutique with an expensive, limited selection of products. Local competitors are big-box stores, with the closest independent juvenile retailer more than two hours away.
"We want our store to be where people can come and get information and education. We know the challenges of moms ... and want to make the transition to parenthood easier," said Walker. "We strongly support breastfeeding and provide knowledge as well as products for moms who are struggling with the breastfeeding experience. If we can't solve their problem, we have several lactation consultants that we refer to."
This is one of her daughter's main priorities. "I know what it's like to be a new mom in a small town and you feel limited in your options and are very unaware of what our community has to offer," Gray said.
The idea spawned one of the retailer's popular programs, Mommy Mixers. Vendors, caregivers, pediatricians, alternative birthing experts, lactation consultants and local moms groups set up booths in the store and offer free info. "We feel that by bringing all of these providers to an event allows for much easier access to information than moms having to do research on a one-on-one basis."
The store also hosts baby showers, providing space and decor for the parties. Future plans include classes on subjects like infant CPR and child nutrition.
As the only competitors of 9 Months Later are big box stores, the staff prides itself on product knowledge.
"We explain to our customers how our products work and the differences between similar products produced by different manufacturers," said Walker.
The staff has bi-weekly meetings during which each sales associate "sells" a product to her coworkers after doing research on it, so everyone can become familiar with new products arriving at the store.
"We recognize that our actual product is our knowledgeable staff and the shopping experience that we provide," Walker said. "We take the time to get to know our customers' needs so that we can help them select the products that complement their lifestyle.
"We have a full in-store and online registry and offer bottled water while mother-to-be is registering. If desired we will get to know them so we can offer suggestions on which products to select for their registry."
"Also we are family-oriented, from being family-owned and operated to providing niceties like stroller frames for car seats to a toy-packed play area as well as a changing/ nursing station."
In addition to Walker and Gray, the staff also includes two part-timers and a store manager, Jessica Ramirez. "With Erin and I having no previous experience in retail, the 10 years of Jessica's retail expertise has been critical to our success, particularly since Erin gave birth to her second child two weeks after we opened our doors," Walker said.
The primary target customers of 9 Months Later are expectant parents. "They are usually people who are looking for value in their purchases as opposed to simply the cheapest price. They also tend to be trendier moms who are looking for something a little different from what they can find in the big box stores," Walker said. The store targets these customers by advertising on local cable stations they tend to watch. They do radio ads, give out "New Mommy" bags, and work closely with area doctors and other health care providers.
But 9 Months Later has hit a few bumps in the road to success.
"Our worst business move was ‘trying to be all things to all people,'" Walker said. "It was frustrating to us when a customer came in looking for a product that we didn't carry. We started to second-guess ourselves and began stocking products that were just too specific and didn't sell widely to our customers. We have overcome that challenge by recognizing which items sell and which items are not cost effective to sell."
The retailer also has to work on its perception by the locals. "Our biggest daily challenge is trying to overcome the impression in a large segment of our population that we are a boutique, which in our market is perceived as small, limited product selection and expensive," she said.
The store has an open layout, offering a full view of every section from any location. "Our store is separated into sections around the perimeter using slat wall, and our entire center is full of clothing racks, vignettes, strollers, high chairs, bassinets, etc.," said Walker. "We have 20-foottall ceilings with exposed metal framing giving a modern feel that is moderated by our playful colors and soft natural wood decor."
The retailer plans to build semi-permanent vignettes to showcase furniture lines.
"Also, we have learned that the vast majority of bedding that we sell is the couture lines, so instead of stocking lowend and generic bedding, we are developing a design center for nursery decor that we are going to call Project Nursery," said Walker. They will start a "one to show and one to go" philosophy for the bedding displayed on the cribs on the floor. "All other bedding will be by special order. This will enable us to open more lines with more vendors and provide much selection."
In the next decade, Walker said she and her daughter hope to enlarge their showroom and possibly expand to other cities in south central Idaho.
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