Exclusive lines spell success at Magic Moon
Staff -- Kids Today, 9/1/2006
Cary and Jenny Brabham opened Magic Moon in 1996. Today they have two stores in the Dallas metro area and two in Houston and their average annual sales are about $2.5 million. Each store is about 2,200 square feet and carries high-end furniture, lighting, bedding and accessories for kids and babies.
What sets this retailer apart is its product.
"We carry Magic Moon furniture, an exclusive line manufactured in the U.S.," Cary Brabham said. "Our lighting is also exclusive and it's from Jubilee. We own both manufacturing companies as well as the retail stores."
While the furniture is only available in his stores, Brabham does wholesale Jubilee lighting to other retailers and exhibits with Jubilee at the ABC Expo. Having such control and resources allows Brabham to offer his customers truly unique product and also nearly endless options for customization.
"Our customers can chose from 35 colors to make their furniture unique, from stripes to checks; whatever they want," he said. "We also offer custom bedding and fabrics."
Product is arranged in themed vignettes and both crib and twin beds, ranging from $900 to $1,000, are on display. There's an area in the store where employees work with clients on their custom options and fabric selections and design services are offered.
Brabham has advertised in local and national magazines, but because his stores are so different he doesn't have to rely heavily on marketing.
"The mere fact that we carry Magic Moon Furniture and we are the only place to get it brings in a lot of customers, not just from our area but also from around the country," Brabham said.
The top selling categories are cribs, changing tables and chandeliers, but the store is filled with everything from wall décor and rugs to plush, picture frames, gifts and more.
Brabham said he's noticed a change in trends over the last year. For example, black was the hot color the last two years but it's being replaced by brown and pink and brown and green combinations in everything from furniture finishes to bedding.
He considers the fact that they manufacture their own line of furniture, create their own bedding and purchased Jubilee to give them their own lighting, as one of his best business ideas, but managing three companies also is his biggest day-to-day challenge.
Exclusivity is the key to Magic Moon's success and Brabham advises retailers to find at least one product or line to keep exclusive. He follows through with this philosophy on the wholesale side of things by giving exclusives to Jubilee retailers.
"This way they're loyal to us and we will always be loyal to them," he said.
Shoppers can customize everything from bedding and lighting to furniture. Magic Moon offers about 35 different finishes and a plethora of color combinations on its beds, cribs and dressers.
TOP:Plush and rugs are just some of the accessories found at Magic Moon. RIGHT: The retailer carries its own private-label furniture, like this sweet crib shown at right.
