Stork Land knows its customers

Wichita Falls, Texas— With more than 25 years in the juvenile industry, Doug and Joellen Tritton run three Stork Land stores totaling more than 35,000 square feet in Texas and Oklahoma. The Trittons attribute faith, family and staff to their success — but creating partnerships with loyal manufacturers, knowing the nuances of each market and a true passion for the industry have all contributed as well.

Stork Land got its start in the late 1970s when Joellen was pregnant with the couple's second daughter and wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Doug, who had worked in hospital administration for eight years, decided he wanted to make a career change, and after several "not-so-successful" business ventures, the first Stork Land opened in Wichita Falls in 1979 with just 4,000 square feet.

After having children of their own and talking to other area parents, the Trittons realized there was a niche waiting to be filled, and merchandised their store with fashion-forward furniture, bedding, accessories and clothing.

"There was a choice of brown or white when it came to cribs," said Doug. "The concept in our market was very open."

Stork Land truly is a family operation. Doug's father, who had taken medical retirement, got out of his sick bed and helped Doug do the demolition and finish out the store. When his father could no longer work in the warehouse, said Doug, he sat up front, demonstrating a glider while greeting customers, who fondly called him Grandpa Stork.

Today, Doug and Joellen's oldest daughter, Laurie, does the store's accounting through her husband's CPA firm, and Anne, the youngest (and the catalyst for the store's genesis) works in the Wichita Falls store. As a young mother, she is in tune with what today's moms are looking for, and Doug and Joellen rely on her to do most of the soft goods and accessory buying.

Business was good for Stork Land from the start, growing from the time the first store opened. The Trittons soon bought an existing maternity shop and incorporated that into the business, then added bigger clothing sizes. Soon, they were adding more space as it became available in the shopping center.

In 1998, the Trittons expanded with a new store in Tyler, Texas, about four hours away. In 2002, they opened the Oklahoma City store when they realized customers were driving two hours to shop at the Wichita Falls store.

The Trittons are in tune with each of their different marketplaces, and report that while the stores are similar, they do different buying for Oklahoma City than for Wichita Falls, and still different for Tyler.

The Texas stores, for instance, which are in smaller marketplaces, have more of an opportunity to be all things to all people. Those stores carry not only juvenile furniture and accessories, but also gifts, toys, maternity departments and clothes up to size 16 for girls. The Wichita Falls store even boasts a Stride Rite shoe store as part of the mix. The Oklahoma City store, on the other hand, focuses on juvenile furniture and accessories, and carries only layette size in clothing.

Knowing who their customers are in each market also helps the Trittons when it comes to trends. For instance, with an air base in Wichita Falls, airplane-themed nurseries are incredibly popular; in Tyler, Joellen reports, customers like "a little more fluff"; and in Oklahoma City, cowboy themes are a hit.

Doug also credits his staff in the stores' success. "From the best store managers in the industry to our warehouse people, each of them strive to be as informed as possible on all products in their stores," he said. "They are motivated to satisfy customers and see sales grow. There is no way we could operate the stores without their dedication."

Long-term employees really know the business in and out, and the customers really appreciate that, said Doug. Stork Land has three employees who have been with the store more than 15 years, and employees tend to "team sell," with everybody talking to customers to see how they're doing.

To make shopping easy for the customer, the store is organized by manufacturer and by color of finish. Vignettes, separated by hanging valances or accessories rather than walls, give customers a good picture of how a complete nursery will look, including bedding and accessories. When a customer comes in requesting a certain manufacturer, which they often do, said Doug, a salesperson can show them right to that area.

"Young people are doing research before they come in," said Joellen, "whether it's asking friends or looking on the Internet." Despite having done their own research, Doug said there are very few customers who aren't interested in what store employees have to say about a particular line.

Joellen said customers tend to buy a complete nursery through a manufacturer, adding armoires and dressers to match. The Trittons' philosophy is to promote buying a bedroom suite for an infant that will grow through to toddler and teen, and, as such, 90% of the cribs they sell are convertible.

"It just makes so much more sense, especially to fathers," said Joellen.

The store is 90% baby products, although Doug said that's something they continually monitor. From time to time, they experiment with different manufacturers to expand the product mix. For now, most of the youth furniture that Stork Land does sell is by Ragazzi, also an important infant manufacturer for the store.

"We're very conscious of building a partnership with the manufacturers," said Doug. This means carrying their case pieces rather than buying cheaper ones that coordinate with the cribs, giving them the floor space that's needed to effectively show the lines, and training the employees about the value each brand offers. Joellen said it's also important to look at manufacturers that have a style that will work for older kids rooms as well as in a nursery, with pieces like hutches and double dressers that easily translate into older kids' rooms.

Cribs start at $199 at Stork Land and go up to around $850, with most selling in the $300 to $400 range. About 75% of the store's floor space is given to cribs and other furniture (with textiles dressing all the cribs). Apparel takes up about 22% of the selling space, and the rest goes to gear, accessories and textile storage.

Doug said that while gear isn't a huge part of his business, he hasn't given up on it, as many independents have.

"I don't try to be everything to everybody in the wheel and steel, but I concentrate on those manufacturers that make sense to me and have a viable program for independents," he said.

Graco and Britax are his two biggest brands, and Doug said that his Graco business is up 300% in the past year, after the company added an exclusive line for independents.

The Trittons are updating their store constantly to keep it looking fresh, and say that something changes each week, whether it's putting new bedding on a crib or moving a piece of furniture to a different location.

"The same bedding set can look completely different on one finish than another," explained Joellen.

In all three markets, Stork Land faces competition from boutiques and independent specialty stores, but the Oklahoma City area — by far the largest market — includes a Burlington Baby Depot, Pottery Barn Kids and Babies "R" Us within two miles of the store, heavy competition by anyone's standards.

But the Trittons approach it cheerfully, focusing on the store's reputation for helpful knowledge without high pressure as what sets them apart. "There's nothing in this store that can't be bought somewhere else. The only reason for them to buy here is because of atmosphere," said Doug.

After customers buy from Stork Land, the Trittons send out thank-you notes, often offering incentives for customers to come back for another purchase, such as $5 off a $20 purchase. Often, after a big purchase, customers are looking for smaller gift or accessory items, said Joellen.

Items such as Mustela products, educational toys, plush, Little Giraffe blankets, frames or layettes keep customers coming back. "A lot of times gifty items can save the day," said Doug.

Twice a year the store holds sales to clear away old merchandise, usually the fashion-related items that are more seasonal. Customers hear about Stork Land from radio advertisements, direct mail, newspaper and, in the smaller markets where it's more economical, television.

"As much as we spend on advertising, word of mouth is still the biggest way customers hear about us," said Doug.

And it's that word of mouth and reputation that has fueled Stork Land's success.

"It's a tough business," said Doug. "It has to be taken seriously.... You have to have a passion not only for retail, but for the juvenile business."

Stork Land is a member of the National Independent Nursery Furniture Retailers' Assn., where Doug serves as vice president.

The Trittons credit NINFRA as an important part of their business, not just for its group buying power, but for the networking opportunities it affords, particularly for retailers to trade ideas on what's worked and what hasn't.

"It's like having 80 buyers on your team," said Doug.

Doug said he's positive about the future — not just for Stork Land, but for the juvenile industry in general and independent specialty stores specifically.

"[Independents] have gone through some challenging times, and there are some challenging times ahead. But manufacturers are realizing that new products have to go through the specialty stores, where someone has a chance to explain them," he said.

As for Stork Land's future, "We're always keeping our eyes open," said Doug. "When you've got good people, it makes it easier to expand."

Still, he said, "One of the most important things we've learned is that we're not through learning."

Cowboy themes, illustrated here with bedding and accessories, are popular in the Oklahoma City Stork Land store.

This vignette showcases the recent trend of black nursery furniture mixed with sweet, sophisticated bedding.

The Oklahoma City store focuses on juvenile furniture and accessories, while the other two locations have more apparel, toys and gift items.

Stork Land carries a wide mix of product for infants, including cribs, bassinets and cradles.

Room vignettes are organized by manufacturer, which makes shopping easier, the Trittons say.