Baby Town goes beyond infant items

Reseda, Calif.— Baby Town carries a wide selection of infant products, but don't be fooled by the name. This independent specialty store also has a large selection of product for older kids and teens.

Harvey and Renee Lippman, along with their daughter Heather and son-in-law Darren Shack, run the 23,000-square-foot store, which they bought about six and a half years ago. The store has high ceilings and an airy feel, and there is plenty of merchandise to choose from. Baby Town carries strollers, carseats, feeding products, bath products, accessories, bassinets and bedding in addition to infant and youth furniture. There is also a play area near the front of the store to keep kids occupied while mom and dad shop.

Renee Lippman said the store's size and merchandise mix is a major key to its success. "We're larger," she said. "We have a good potpourri of everything."

The store has about 65 cribs displayed on the floor from a variety of manufacturers, including Million Dollar Baby, Munire, Ragazzi, Young America, Bonavita, Legacy, Baby's Dream, Sorelle and All Things Creative. Baby Town also has a prominent Pali gallery with its own walls and signage. Cribs retail from $100 to $1,000, with most selling between $400 and $500.

Bedding manufacturers include Brandee Danielle, CoCaLo, Kids Line, Babydoll, Lambs & Ivy and Picci. Lippman said Baby Town also works with two custom houses that will make special orders — the customer just needs to pick the fabric.

Youth products make up about 40% of Baby Town's business, Shack said. To that end, the store has created 33 true-to-size rooms showcasing youth furniture. The open-front vignettes have walls that create the feeling the customer is stepping into a child's room. Most of the rooms are fully decorated with accessories selected by Lippman. Youth furniture manufacturers include Young America, Rumble Tuff, Raymond Oak, Palliser and Vermont Precision.

Baby Town also has a large selection of strollers and carseats from manufacturers such as Graco, Combi, Peg Perego, Inglesina and Britax. Shack said he has two certified carseat experts on hand to show customers the correct way to install the seats. He said he also planned to hold a carseat safety program at a local hospital to help new parents.

Lippman and Shack shop for product at the All Baby and Child Expo, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Assn. show and the San Francisco market. They are able to stock a lot of what they buy, especially bedding, in both an attached warehouse and a 9,000-square-foot warehouse down the street.

Customers learn about Baby Town through newspaper ads, the Yellow Pages, magazines and the store's Web site, which includes coupons to use in the store. The site also links to a gift registry, where friends and family can make online purchases. Credit and layaway programs are offered.

Lippman and Shack said Baby Town's customer base runs the gamut and includes some celebrities. First-time parents, however, make up the core of customers. Shack said the staff's expertise is one reason people come through the doors. "We're giving the customer the knowledge of what to buy and what not to buy," he said.

A Babies "R" Us is in the area, but Lippman said she didn't think they were competitive on price. She said Baby Town is known for its customer service, and being a family-owned business also is a draw, she said. "Everyone knows our names and asks for us."

Baby Town floors bassinets from the likes of Kolcraft and Graco.

Young America's Harbor Town crib is shown with Kimberly Grant bedding by CoCaLo. Baby Town has about 65 cribs on its floor.