THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MARKETPLACE

Only in Dallas you can source over 750 top baby and children’s lines across a complete lifestyle marketplace. Explore trending children’s products in a variety of categories: apparel, accessories, footwear, gift, toys, décor, and more.

JUNE 21-27, 2023

AUGUST 22-25, 2023 www.dallasmarketcenter.com

@dallasmarket

This small but mighty 40-year-old East Coast shop sells a mix of perfectly curated American and global brands along with a thoughtful selection of accessories and gifts.

SUSAN DEGHETT HAS been the sole owner of Over the Moon, a destination for expectant parents, grandparents and gift givers in Montclair, NJ. This urban-suburban town has experienced an uptick in families from New York City since the pandemic.

DeGett’s attention to detail is evident in her carefully merchandised boutique, which carries sizes 0 to 14 for girls and 0 to 10 for boys. In a rare in-person meeting, DeGett spoke about the shift in what customers are wanting.

“There are now two camps, and I saw it start to happen two years ago. We have a lot of more traditional customers who still want light blue and light pink, but we also have many others who want non-gender specific colors or something more funky. Many young mothers are looking for oatmeal and shades of tan and ivory. Grandmothers come in and the daughter doesn’t want anything pink. So, I carry both.

“For the traditional customer, Petit Bateau is still a favorite. Oh Baby is a great brand for us – the fabric is so soft and the designs are so fun. For footies,

Angel Dear is a big seller. We barely have any left because it sells so well! Pink Chicken and Mayoral also sell well in baby and bigger sizes.

“For trendier choices, I carry Hux Baby from Australia–their stuff is more funky, cool. Antonella Kids is a line from Peru and I only have two pieces left until fall.

“I just bought Louise Misha from France for the first time, and we pretty much sold out. We reordered and that sold out, too. For hair and jewelry accessories, I carry Rockahula from London, Sparkle Sisters and Barrie Lynn, and knit dolls and rattles from Blah Blah of Peru. Some of the rattles have coordinating books, which make great gifts. We also carry the ballerina dolls from Mon Ami. For dressy clothing, we carry Luna Luna and Tutu du Monde. I picked up a new line for fall, My Little Cozmo from Barcelona.

“The lines that I still buy from when I opened the store, are the ones that really shifted with the changing times and trends.”

Firmly planted in the Windy City with the right amount of funky town, this full-service baby gear and apparel retailer makes its business a family affair.

RACHEL GLASSON DIDN’T plan on having her husband work alongside her, but that’s just what happened when he chose to quit his job in corporate America and joined her retail business. Then his mother-in-law wanted in, and the two Glasson teenagers didn’t want to be left out—and it was an opportunity to earn money and getting an early education in working hard. The 2,200 Chicago store, which is “packed but shopable,” sells everything from furniture and high chairs to bedding and books, with hip, au courant clothing lines. The Highland Park store is more of a gift destination. When we spoke, Glasson had just gotten back from personally delivering an order to a customer, a practice she began when she first opened and continues to this day.

“Where we are located, once we start getting spring/summer collections, they start selling immediately—even if it’s snowy and cold outside. People want to think about things that make them happy. So, that means bubbles, fun dresses, rompers, swimsuits. I sell footies all year round from brands Angel Dear, Peregrine, Mish Mish, and PaigeLauren (see her Designer Chat in this issue on page 31).

“I carry apparel in three directions: neutral colors from brands Rylee + Cru, Quincy Mae and Nora Lee, super funky looks from from Miki Miette, Rowdy Sprout and Tiny Whales; and then the middle ground can go sweet or more funky like Angel Dear. I’m more of a funkier dresser myself, but I appreciate that some of our clientele want neutral colors, so I go outside of my own vision and I’m always trying new things. Part of my strategy has always been to pay attention to my store and my customers and not worry about any other store.

“For baby items, we sell matching blankets and footies from Sara Nonee and the coordinating blankets, hats and bibs from Copper Pearl. We sell a ton of crib sheets, changing pads and blankets through Sugar + Maple because they also do custom, personalized items. Anything Chicago-themed sells like crazy for us—we really like to represent the city. We have a lot of people Google the store and they come from different towns and areas on the weekends. Someone once came from Mexico City and his wife had circled what she wanted online. Hotels on Michigan Avenue recommend the store to their guests, and I don’t even know how that happened!” hello@birdandbeanshop.com continued from page 15 licensed fashion kids’ shoes. Roccamo brings a vast knowledge of the kids’ fashion business and strong brand/licensing experience.

Earnshaw’s spoke to Roccamo about the strategic building of the leadership, the licensing journey for each brand, how each executive has leveraged their experience, and the ways in which the company has tackled market challenges.

Earnshaw’s: What’s the history of the company?

Roccamo: Esquire Brands started out as a company that was producing women’s private label. Around 2013, Isaac started to transition the company into a kids’ character business. He signed licenses for many popular characters, including Build a Bear, which was one of his biggest brands. But Isaac always had