House in tune with today's mom

Santa Monica, Calif.— In 2004, Annette Tatum, owner of textile manufacturer house, decided to open her own store here to better understand her retail customers. Almost two years later, the 800-square-foot store has taught Tatum much not only about the retail environment, but also about design, marketing and customer service.

While the store currently includes both baby and adult home furnishings, next month, the adult line is moving into its own store and all 800 square feet will be devoted to infant products in what will be called little house boutique.

"Baby is just booming," said Tatum.

With an eye toward whimsical design, Tatum focuses on creating a unique environment for mothers-to-be in this upscale Los Angeles suburb. She has blended her own house linens and accessories with Taylor Scott rockers, Bask towels, The Gifted Pail accessories and gifts, Charn lighting, toys from HABA, accessory pieces from Barn Dandy, rugs from The Rug Market and apparel from Cach Cach, along with her own house brand.

House also has its own brand of detergents and linen sprays, and Tatum is working on a full line of baby care items that will debut this summer.

Tatum also uses Jenny Lind cribs from Million Dollar Baby that she's embellished with lifestyle finishes like a gold wash, and she's been known to fix up an old flea market dresser for a one-of-a-kind display.

"It's more whimsical than your average baby store," said Tatum, who described little house boutique as eclectic, fashion-forward and creative.

For instance, part of the display features birds nests hung over cribs rather than standard mobiles. While Tatum admits it's unlikely many mothers would duplicate the look in their own nurseries, at the retail level, she said it creates excitement.

"Display is a huge thing that can set your store apart," she said. "....Moms want something magical. There's a lot of utilitarian stuff going on with a baby — doctor's appointments, strollers...this other thing should be more natural — a refreshing experience, a soothing environment. It's probably the most creative part of having a baby."

Part of that environment is the sales staff, and Tatum said she focuses on hiring employees who can really connect with customers.

A big part of little house's business is built on registries and custom orders, and sales associates spend a lot of time with customers on both.

For the bedding lines, moms work with employees to build a crib worksheet with swatches for each section of the ensemble, so they walk away with something at the end of the day. Tatum said that when employees sit down with customers, they're able to make much bigger sales by adding on extras like drapes and accessories.

And when customers register, house gives a packet of cards to send with their shower invitations. Tatum also makes it a point to send a gift to mothers who have registries at her store after their babies are born.

It's small touches like that that have helped build little house's business. Tatum is a big believer in grass-roots marketing, and while she advertises a bit in local newspapers, she feels it's things like donating items to school auctions that have really helped build a customer base.

House has also hosted some creative events with the aim of building good will in the community, including things like private parties for charity after the store is ordinarily closed. A hostess picks her favorite charity, and Tatum gives 20% of the proceeds of that night's sales to that charity.

"It's not about making a killing that night — there are more creative ways to sell yourself," explained Tatum.

She's also hosted cookie-decorating parties for kids, with a table set up outside the store on the sidewalk.

"The parents loved it," she said. "They didn't even step foot in the store, but they know about house now...it builds a friendship — it's not so aggressive."

Tatum is using what she's learned in operating house boutique to help other retailers.

"We don't want to compete with our other retailers," she said. "...We're trying to have a delicate balance. This is a way to say, 'Look what you can do with house.' I don't really want to roll out stores without the help of the people who built this company."

Tatum is working on ideas to get her customers from the Web to a brick-and-mortar store — hers or one of her retail customers. She's developing a Web site component where a customer can design her own bedding ensemble by dragging swatches to different areas, then print it out and bring it to a store location.

"This is bedding," said Tatum. "It's tactile — you've got to touch it."

And while customers can and do go online to get ideas for their room décor, Tatum said it's important to create something in the store that customers can't buy online — an environment that they love being in.

"We're all tapping into our childhood when we walk in a baby store," she said.

ABOVE: House's own bedding brand is a big part of its business, and the store utilizes space to showcase the many fabric options.

LEFT: The store uses unique displays to capture customers' attention.

Owner Annette Tatum makes full use of color at house, combining fresh hues of pink and red with a bold chartreuse chair in this display.

Gifts are big business at house, and items like frames and blankets are hot sellers for baby showers.

Everything from apparel to Moses baskets to unique soft toys finds a home in house's boutique.

"Display is a huge thing that can set your store apart," says Tatum. "Moms want something magical."

Baby bath and lotion items complete the merchandise mix, and Tatum plans to launch her own house brand of baby care items this summer.