This was in our local newspaper & gives you our story in a nutshell.
Connie’s Kids
Retailer to Retailer
by Ashley Trent
In an unassuming strip mall in Chesapeake, Va., lies Connie’s Kids, a mainstay in the Hampton Roads area for nearly 26 years. With classic clothing and a clientele spanning generations, this go-to boutique celebrates the innocence of childhood.
But owner Connie Todd was not always a retailer. Her success story begins in the ’80s when she was working as an X-ray technician at Chesapeake General Hospital. One day, she saw a sign announcing a shopping center opening across the street from the hospital. “I started thinking about how wonderful it would be if someone put a baby shop there, because the hospital was getting ready to open up a new birth center,” says Todd. “I realized I’d found a way to do something different but continue being involved with children and the hospital.”
Todd began honing her selling skills through at-home parties. “It worked out to be a great starting point, because I was able to establish inventory and develop a customer base right away,” she explains. Two years later, she purchased a 1,500-square-foot space in the mall and opened for business.
A strong believer that “children should be dressed like children,” Todd gravitates toward soft colors and handmade details. “We appreciate heirloom-quality pieces that never go out of style and that can be handed down,” she explains, adding that Connie’s Kids supplies basics, playwear and dresswear for newborns all the way to pre-teens. Todd attends the Atlanta Apparel Market to find “southern, traditional-looking” items from stalwarts such as Le Top, Petit Ami, Bonnie Jean and Feltman Brothers.
The continuity of tradition at Connie’s Kids is a comfort to shoppers. “I hear moms and grandmas come in every day who say, ‘This is the same dress I bought my own daughter when she was young!’, which speaks to our ability to stay relevant,” explains Todd. “People come in and thank us for keeping the classics alive; we’re a trusted source.”
A bulletin board proudly displays photos of satisfied customers. “The photo board really is part of our history,” says Todd. “When customers donate pictures of their children wearing something from Connie’s Kids, they get 20 percent off their purchase. It started as a fun promotion but turned into a way to show how we’ve stayed the same all these years.”
The sincere customer service at Connie’s Kids has helped the shop receive a Best of Hampton Roads honor every year since the awards began nearly 20 years ago. The store is also the only three-time consecutive winner of the Retail Alliance’s Retailer of the Year Award.
Although her methods have demonstrated success, Todd is tweaking her business to keep in tune with customers’ changing needs. “We’ve been partnering with young entrepreneurial women in the area to get some fresh ideas,” she says. Todd’s daughter, Lindsay, has helped solidify the Connie’s Kids brand and make cosmetic changes to the store and its Web site. “For more than two decades, I had been doing the same thing over and over,” says Todd. “Lindsay began noticing inconsistencies that I never even noticed, and she started giving me new ideas.”
Todd is eager to see how Connie’s Kids will improve with the enthusiasm of her daughter and local businesswomen. “They are so inspirational. I appreciate that they’re shaking me up and helping me try new things.”
The friendly staff at Connie’s Kids is always eager to help visitors find just the right gift. The result of this top-notch customer service, says owner Todd, is a loyal customer base.
Connie loves to use her customers as her models. She displays them in store, as well as uses them for ads and promotions.
Her shop has supplied traditional children’s clothing to the Chesapeake, Va. area for nearly 25 years.
Located in a shopping center across from a hospital, Connie’s Kids is a convenient stop for finding gifts, clothing and accessories for newborns. The store also boasts returning customers, as it offers classic items for babies, children and ‘tweens.
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