Texas Kid Co. plays up state ties: Retailer values regional vendors

Beaumont, Texas— State pride and tradition are huge in this neck of the country, and Laura Caldwell has made sure to incorporate that heritage into her independent juvenile specialty store here.

Caldwell opened Texas Kid Co. in June 2004 in this southeastern Texas city of about 200,000 people. But her involvement in the juvenile business goes back before that. Caldwell opened a skin-care clinic in Beaumont in May 2000, and soon added juvenile products from manufacturers such as Swankie Blankie and 3 Marthas, and then categories such as diaper bags and bedding. As that part of the business soared, Caldwell decided to hold an open house.

"The response was unbelievable," Caldwell said. "Our phone rang off the wall. I could see that day that (this business) would be huge."

The success of that open house propelled Caldwell to close and sell her clinic in May 2004 and dive into the juvenile retail business full time.

Texas Kid is 6,000 square feet and has a second-floor loft that covers about half that space. The store carries a variety of product, including infant and youth furniture, bedding, accessories, gear and apparel. A 500-square-foot section in the back is dedicated to toys. "I offer everything from the rug to the chandelier," Caldwell said.

Since the store's opening, one of Caldwell's goals has been to remain very "Texas-centric," as the name implies. Many of her suppliers, including Swankie Blankie, 3 Marthas and KidKraft, are based in the Lone Star state. "We cater to our state vendors," she said. "I'm just so proud of the people in the state and what they can do. It makes sense to buy as domestic as possible.

"We try to keep our money in Texas," she continued. "We get a lot of art from local artists."

Caldwell calls some of those local vendors "mommy friends," and says they contribute just as much as many of her major vendors. Those local vendors include Pea Pod Printing, which does shower invitations and birth announcements for the store. Caldwell is also renting space in her store to Beyond the Basics, a company run by an interior designer who personalizes furniture and helps customers put together their children's rooms.

Another example of local ties is Texas Kid's custom bedding business. The retailer works with manufacturers such as Maddie Boo and Pine Creek, but in recent months Caldwell has added a local seamstress. Another partner runs a fabric store and provides fabric swatches to Texas Kid. Store customers can choose the fabric they like and the local seamstress will produce the bedding. "It's a nice circle that works for us," Caldwell said of the arrangement.

The store is laid out in vignettes with cribs retailing between $200 and $900, and most selling for about $500. Twin beds retail between $200 and $1,000, with $500 once again the most popular price point.

Caldwell noted that twin-over-full bunks are popular. She also said that black is the hot finish right now. "People are buying black for girl, boy, baby and tween," she said. The best-selling crib she floors is Baby's Dream's Generation Next crib in black. Also popular is Bonavita's Sheffield, which features a rustic look that Caldwell says plays well in southeastern Texas.

In fact, Caldwell is very aware of what her consumers want, and decorates the store accordingly. For example, cowboy themes, not surprisingly, are very popular with little boys (and some girls) and their parents. But even more popular than cowboy designs are camouflage looks. Caldwell said that anything camo — bedding, frames, blankets, clothing — will fly out the door.

Texas Kid has tended to cater to the mid to upper end of the market, but Caldwell says she is trying to change that. "We're expanding the realm of bedding and accessories into more affordable areas," she said.

Caldwell noted that the store received a favorable response when it added Kolcraft's licensed Jeep strollers to the gear product lineup. At $80 and $100 retail, they are an alternative to the more expensive Peg Perego and Britax brands also carried.

Texas Kid's local competitors include mass merchants such as Target and Walmart. Caldwell said that before she opened her store, many residents traveled to Houston — a two-hour drive — to buy juvenile furniture and bedding. "I didn't expect the volume of customers. People have stopped wanting to drive to Houston," she said. "They want to get it in Beaumont."

The store advertises through newspapers, radio spots and local school auctions. Texas Kid also offers several promotions such as a once-a-year sale and monthly drawings for an in-store gift certificate worth $25. And the store also keeps in touch with existing customers and calls them when items they want are in stock.

That type of customer service is important, Caldwell said. Texas Kid has four full-time employees who are trained in all product categories at the store. "They are able to educate the customer," Caldwell said. "We make sure everyone is up on everything."

Texas Kid's hands-on service goes beyond the store walls. Caldwell and her husband, Scott, deliver and set up the product themselves, which Caldwell said is a great opportunity for customers to ask any questions they might have once the merchandise is in their homes.

Caldwell is interested in adding a second store in the area, although Hurricane Rita, which swept through at the end of September has slowed those plans (see sidebar, page 34).

Caldwell does her buying at the Dallas gift market, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Assn. show and the ABC Expo. She said she is always on the hunt for exciting product from her current suppliers as well as new vendors.

"We dig to find the special things that people look for," Caldwell said. "We make sure we are up on the hip stuff that makes my store stand out."

Camouflage is a popular theme at Texas Kid Co. This vignette incorporates it into a hunting scheme.

Pastel-painted furniture is combined with assorted accessories to create a vignette perfect for babies and little girls.

Trendy pink and green circles liven up this play tepee and crib bedding set.

Photos by Beryl Striewski/Beryl Striewski Photograph

Texas Kid works with local and state vendors, who supply products such as bedding, accessories and kid-size furniture.

Cowboy themes are especially hot at the southeastern Texas juvenile store.

Photos by Beryl Striewski/Beryl Striewski Photography