small
world Retailers share
BIG IdEA how hosting regular
events proves to be
class
a valuable resource,
builds a sense of
Holy Cross hospital to host infant CPR,
community and baby massage and breastfeeding classes.
prompts shoppers to Nurses and doctors from the hospital run
linger and spend. By the sessions a few nights a week and on
acT
the weekend. “It didn’t really start off as a
Bahar Takhtehchian
sales technique,” Green explained. “We’re
a local store, and we know a lot of people.
Our goal has always been to establish a
relationship with our customers first and
then to sell.”
The breastfeeding and babywear classes
offered at Mothers’ Milk in Scottsdale,
Ariz., also evolved naturally as owner
Krysten Paynter recognized her customers’
needs. “We’re a niche store that has become
a baby boutique,” she said of her busi-
ness, which sells bras, breast pumps and
infant apparel. Paynter, a certified lacta-
tion educator, often teaches the classes and
charges $30 a session—unless participants
buy or rent breast pumps, in which case
the class is free. She also offers a class called
Babywearing 101, which helps moms
pick the slings that best suit their needs.
“We were pretty much giving our custom-
ers a lesson every time we sold a sling, so
instead, we decided to just offer a class,”
Paynter explained. “It’s very popular.”
In addition, local members from
Scottsdale’s La Leche League—a global
organization that offers breastfeeding sup-
Crafty Kids port and education—hold monthly meet-
in action.
ings and seminars at Mothers’ Milk. “The
program works out nicely,” Paynter said.
uilding a loyal cus- Though measuring an impressive 80,000 “If I have a customer who’s having prob-
tomer base that returns square feet, the mammoth store is still a lems breastfeeding, I tell them to come to
often and feels at home mom-and-pop shop at heart, according to the meetings and they pick up important
within their four walls is general manager Brian Green. That close- tips free of charge.”
a challenge for all retail- knit feeling is due in large part to the ser-
ers. Some have found that vices it offers, a list that includes classes Just for Fun
success lies in expanding and demonstrations. The classes at Crafty Kids in San Francisco
their charters beyond The store has an ongoing partner- serve a dual purpose: They keep kids dis-
retail to encompass events ship with the local county fire and police tracted and allow moms to shop in peace.
to keep shoppers coming departments, which trains volunteers and Every week, kids can sit in on a half-
back. Proprietors have gives customers free car seat inspections hour storytelling session run by one of
found that although they are time-consum- and installations several times a month. Levy’s employees. Additionally, kids can
ing and a space-hog, hosting classes and Green estimated about 22,000 car seats participate in arts-and-crafts activities like
activities pays off in more ways than one. were installed last year alone.“We’re very making jewelry, decorating hats or doo-
As “the Nordstrom of the baby indus- proactive with car seat safety and with the dling with art supplies. If parents spend
try,” Great Beginnings of Gaithersburg, liability of our own staff,” he said. $50 or more at the store, their kids can
Md., offers everything for new arrivals, In addition, Great Beginnings’ employ- participate in up to two activities for free.
from strollers and highchairs to bedding. ees work in conjunction with the nearby Otherwise, kids can take part in two 15- to
40 October 2007 earnshaws.com
Wee Scotty
fosters
future
designers.
store from all over the awareness to our store,” he said. “It really
world, and they all say helps with the marketing side of things.”
they want a store just
like it in their neighbor- It Takes a Village
hood,” she added. For retailers like Baltz, the impetus for offer-
ing classes was rooted in a desire to have
Impulsive a presence in the community. “We pride
Behavior ourselves on having a store near where we
20-minute sessions for $14.99. While in-store classes benefit patrons live, and we wanted to be plugged into the
Levy said that 80 percent of the store’s and their kids, retailers agree they often community that way,” Baltz said. Today,
business comes from retail purchases, but translate into greater foot traffic, increased Dragonfly DuLou is frequented by familiar
the arts and crafts keep people coming in. name recognition and sales. “They’re (and grateful) faces who know the owners
And while she’s thrilled with customers’ bringing customers into the store,” Green by name and come back for nearly every
happy reactions, she admitted offering them explained. “It gets your name out there, special occasion.
at a retail store is a challenge. “It can be very makes you visible to the community and Levy of Crafty Kids had a desire for a store
messy [to offer crafts classes], and you run helps you give back.” But furthermore, that would give moms a safe, relaxing envi-
the risk of clothes getting dirty,” she said. Green contends his store’s car seat inspec- ronment to shop. “We’re known as that ‘fun’
“In addition to that, it’s something that tion service and breastfeeding classes are store,” she said. “The neighborhood moms
requires a lot of space and liability—the responsible for creating big sales in those sometimes don’t want to trek miles away to
store needs to be properly staffed.” departments. “During the breaks, custom- the public library in search of entertainment.”
Kirk Baltz, who co-owns Dragonfly ers walk around the store and impulse For Paynter, much of the joy of work-
DuLou in Los Angeles with his wife Lana, buy—they’re getting lotions, outfits and ing in retail comes from being able to help
said they mix fun and education through in- bottles,” he noted. customers. “If I have a customer in the store
store workshops. One popular class is Music “Every mom [with an interest in our who is having problems, I tell them to come
Together, which gives parents and their kids classes] is our target customer, and peo- to the meetings. It’s a service to my custom-
a chance to sing songs and make music. ple who come to the classes just shop the ers, but I also get new customers,” she said.
The class is run by outside educators and whole time afterwards,” echoed Paynter of And while Baltz agreed that offering class-
costs from $195 to $210. “We just added Mothers’ Milk, noting that bottles, nipples es and in-store events is not always easy, he
Saturday classes [because] we had so many and breast pumps fly off her shelves. thinks more stores will dabble in classes and
requests from parents who work during the At Dragonfly DuLou, Baltz said music events once retailers recognize the demand
week,” Baltz said. classes typically translate into CD sales, for such services. “It’s somewhat of a new
Another favorite is Habla Blah Blah, a and cars and toys that are on display trend,” he said. “It’s a very timely sort of
music class that integrates Spanish language (with the intention of letting kids test thing because, in general, parents are start-
into games and songs. According to Baltz, them out) also make great sales. “The ing to care more about how they spend their
it’s designed to expose kids up to age 5 to a classes bring a lot more foot traffic and time and their time with their kids.” l
second language.
Dragonfly DuLou
For a slightly older crowd, Lynne encourages fun
Gallagher, owner of Wee Scotty in San and learning.
Francisco, offers sewing classes to kids ages 7
and up and charges anywhere from $125 to
$250. The hands-on classes, which are run
by either Gallagher or college-age fashion
students, children kids a chance to design
and sew special pieces that are displayed at
an end-of-semester fashion show.
Classes take place at her boutique inside
an area Gallagher refers to as Fashion School.
“[They] give girls a chance to express them-
selves and see what it really takes to pro-
duce a high-quality outfit firsthand,” said
Gallagher, explaining that the classes also
attract new customers. “People visit our
earnshaws.com October 2007 41