Custom orders big business at The Kids Room

Las Vegas— On the heavily commercial Rainbow Boulevard, The Kids Room is going after consumers who want lots of choices.

Owned by Tim and Julie Howald since April (but in business for 20 years), the store is 4,500 square feet of kid-friendly color focusing primarily on the youth bedroom category with an emphasis on options, family service and more options.

About 80% of the business is special order, and most of it through two key bedroom lines — Camelot and D.L. Mayra. Everything in the sturdy D.L. Mayra lineup is available in nine paint colors and seven wood trims, while Camelot offers even more — nine base wood and 23 trim color options.

That color selection "is one of the things that draws people to our store," Tim Howald said, noting the variety also makes it easy for the store to match or come close to matching consumers' existing furniture finishes.

Delivery of the custom goods takes about six weeks. Howald said consumers shopping the store typically fall into two camps: those who need it right now (steered to The Kids Room's in-stock offering) and the greater group of those who don't mind the wait.

"Homebuilding and the influx of people into this market are unbelievable," Howald said, adding that many of his customers are two months away from moving in anyway.

Twin beds range from $129 to $700, with The Kids Room doing most of its business between $250 and $450. Lofts run from $459 to $2,700, with most sales falling between $700 and $1,200.

In addition to Camelot and D.L. Mayra, The Kids Room also carries Flexa, Raymond Oak, Vaughan, Coaster, Lea and a racecar bed from Little Tykes, among others.

Some of the most popular textiles are from California Kids (which the Howalds say they love), S&D Fabrics, Beach Bettyz and Fireside Comforts. Key accent sources include Sassafras, Lipper for novelty tables and toy boxes, KidKraft for tables, doll houses and other goods and Elite bean bags and foam furniture.

The store has a minimal infant business through a small area near the front of the store dedicated to cribs from Million Dollar Baby.

All told, Howald projected the store will do about $1.5 million this year.

A good deal of The Kids Room's youth offering is geared toward making the most out of small spaces — a feature Howald said is in great demand in Las Vegas, where the housing market may be booming, but secondary bedrooms run on the small side as builders pile more resources into larger master bedrooms and kitchens.

That's one of the reasons The Kids Room has had success with Flexa furniture, shown in the store in four configurations in clear pine and white-wash finishes. Loft beds like those in the Flexa lineup, with room for desks, bookcases and other storage options underneath, are popular here.

Trundle bed options are another popular feature with Flexa and all of its lines, and important in a market such as Las Vegas, where visits from out-of-town friends and family are frequent.

"When I lived in Des Moines, Iowa, no one would come and visit me," Howald said. "Now people want to visit me all the time."

The Kids Room's main marketing push has been in the Saturday special advertising section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a local newspaper. It includes a section-front mention and inside ad that The Kids Room changes every few weeks. Eventually, the company will supplement this with more targeted marketing via direct mail, Howald said.

Outside of the choices and space efficiency demands The Kids Room aims to meet, the store is also building a service reputation that the Howalds say also is a competitive advantage.

"Julie and I are the owners, and one of us is here almost everyday," Howald said. "If a customer has a problem, we can figure out right away how to make it right."

In additions, salespeople aren't commissioned and don't pounce when consumers walk through the door. Tim Howald said 95% of the consumers coming in are moms with children, who already have enough pressures in their lives.

"She doesn't need a salesperson in her face."

A white Camelot canopy bed with lilac trim and textiles from Beach Bettyz is a strong seller.

This Noah's Ark table and chairs from KidKraft adds color and fun to the floor.

This wall unit for $1,500 from D.L. Mayra is a colorful eye-catcher at The Kids Room.