Should we stay or should we go?

Some of you may already know that GROVE STREET kids was considering a move to a busier (not necessarily better) location. Due to the state of the economy, we had become aware that rents were coming down, and we could afford to be in a location that would provide more foot traffic and more visibility to us. We were very close to signing a new lease but, after negotiations with our current landlord, amongst other things, we have decided to stay where we are. Our landlords are actually really great (which is worth a lot we have found), we have a new neighbor coming in at the former games store location (a hair salon) and we expect our little business district on"Grove Street" to be bustling. We are very excited!

In other news, we must say "à bientôt" to our beloved Emmanuelle, who will be leaving us for the summer holiday in Switzlerland! Nous sommes si triste de la voir aller! But she is welcome back upon her return bien sûr.

Meanwhile, you will see some new faces, welcome aboard Lizette! And hopefully you will see our soon-to-be graduated daughter, Bailey, spending some time at the store before she starts school in the fall.

We do expect to close temporarily in July for a week or so to give the store some revitalization in anticipation of our 2 year Anniversary. So stay tuned for details and upcoming promotion of our "Grand Reopening."

What does it mean to be Green?

I wish I had made this post yesterday, as it would have been apropos of Earth Day, but better late I suppose. We are very excited, regardless, about our Green Business Certification.

So what does it mean to be Green? Well, after submitting the application and filling out extensive questionnaires about our business practices, it ultimately means that we meet or exceed all the stringent guidelines proposed by the County of Alameda for waste management and recycling, that we comply with all environmental regulations, and take steps to conserve natural resources, prevent pollution and reduce waste.

We had inspections by PG&E, EBMUD and the City of Berkeley. Some of our practices include using environmentally-friendly cleaning products, use energy-efficient lighting and use practices (ie.timers), and use supply vendors that reduce waste in their packaging whenever possible, to name a few. We passed all of our inspections with flying colors!

Goodness, it feels good to be Green!

'Tis the Season...

....for stomach flu. And for some reason, I think the flu shot that I get faithfully every fall doesn't apply. And if you have small children in the house forget about it. My younger daughter, Olivia, came down with a cold, not last weekend but the weekend before. Trooper that she is, she went about her days doing what she normally does, with a roll of TP in tow for her incessantly running nose. She seemed fine, otherwise. Three days later, it hit me. It was bad enough that I had to close the store for half a day last Friday. By Monday, all was well. Or so I thought. In the middle of that night (now Tuesday, 3 am) Olivia woke up screaming and crying, having vomited all over her bed. Enter, stomach flu. She stayed at home that day, as did I with her. I called the advice nurse at her doctor's... not knowing exactly how to treat Olivia, because she's never been ill with anything the vomiting was the only symptom... no fever, no cough. She told me, "Oh yes, we are seeing a lot of this - it's definitely going around." And then, "there's nothing you can really do but let it run it's course." "Have her drink small amounts of clear liquids, stay away from milk products, if she's hungry, let her have crackers, chicken soup, etc." Ok, I said, ready to hang up, just before she added, "Be careful, it's terribly contagious."

Great.

So with that I went back to work on Wednesday, feeling fine and that I had escaped it. But alas, Wednesday night I found myself in the same position or positions, if you will, as my daughter was 2 days before me. I was panicked about it as well as, being diabetic, my immune system is already compromised. And when I get any illness involving regurgitation, I inevitably end up in the hospital.

This time, I am happy to report, that I seemed to have avoided it, the hospital that is, and will hopefully be back to work tomorrow, Saturday. I just wanted to let our customers know what was happening so they would understand why the store was seemingly open one day, and then not the next. I do have some help at the store, but unfortunately, the wonderful Emmanuelle has sick children of her own to contend with. As I said, 'Tis the season!

But we do sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to our customers, and greatly appreciate their patronage!

Self Stimulation

I don't have time to read much anymore, what with running a business, taking care of my family, and washing 12-18 loads of laundry each week. Not to mention that, with the internet, I don't have to pick up a newspaper to get the latest news, classifieds or movie reviews. I do, however, like to peruse the East Bay Monthly magazine/newspaper that gets delivered to GROVE STREET kids, especially since the editor (at that time) is a customer at our store, and did us the lovely favor of sending one of her staff writers over to do a little article about us in their Shop Talk section. (10/07)

This month's issue has a letter from the publisher, Karen Klaber, on the back. It's entitled "Buy Local • Stay Local • Be East Bay" and is all about the benefits of shopping locally. Now, I don't think I've ever claimed to be particularly savvy when it comes to running and/or owning a business. My background is in Design, after all. When I opened GROVE STREET kids, I didn't have a business plan with lots of data or figures to tell me why it would be a good business venture. I couldn't begin to tell you what percentage of my gross (or is it my net?) profit should be reinvested in the infrastructure. Nor did I compare the quarterly forecasts for the children's retail industry to determine the net (or is it the gross?) profit and loss statements... what the??? I, basically, just believed in my gut that it was a good move to make. Just like in my mind, I just know it's a good idea to support and patronize our local community's small businesses. And today, in Ms. Klaber's letter, I read some facts and figures as to why it's such a good idea.

There's a lot of talk these days of an "economic stimulus." As the Buy Local Berkeley campaign explains, where you spend your money determines just how stimulating it is. For every $100 you spend, $68 of it stays in our local community. That means 58% more of your money gets spent again right here in our region. Now you are helping your friends and neighbors keep their jobs. You're helping the environment by conserving fuel. You are conserving tax dollars because local sales taxes are reinvested into the community. You are a walking, talking stimulus package! You are self-stimulating.

For more detailed information on how to"self-stimulate" and why it's good for you and our local community, visit www.buylocalberkeley.com.

U-S-C-P-S-C Spells Relief...

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission declared yesterday that resellers and consignment store owners are not required to certify that used products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards. That IS good news, in that we will not be committing a felony if we continue to operate GROVE STREET kids.

Now having written that statement, which sounds a bit disheartening - as if we don't care about the safety of children's products - we want to assure our customers that we absolutely care and all the toys and gifts that we purchase directly from manufacturers have been tested and certified. Used clothing and shoes, of course, are a different story, and we cannot absolutely guarantee that all textiles and components of these items are 100% lead-free. From a business standpoint it just doesn't make sense to be required to test used garments - the cost of testing and certification far exceeds the cost of the garment itself! Which is why there was such a concern that resale and consignment stores across the nation would be forced to close their doors. Not to mention the loss of revenue from children's items sold at bigger companies like Salvation Army or The Good Will.

I think we have set a good precedent for the quality of merchandise we will accept for resale here at GROVE STREET kids. But, rest assured, we are conscious of the new law taking effect in February and would never want to sell anything, be it clothing, shoes or toys that would put any child at risk or in danger.

Out with the Old, Out with it All?

On January 1st, I had started a post entitled..."Out with Old, In with the New-to-You!" excited at the prospect of a New Year in Resale Children's clothing. Then, last night, I received an email from a good friend simply stating... "Is this for real?? What are you going to do?" She had sent me a link to a blog that basically states that due to a new law, the Consumer Product Safety Act, the possibility is very real that consignment and resale shops, like GROVE STREET kids could be forced to shut their doors.

This law, while well-intentioned, is fatally flawed. This law requires that all products (including clothing) sold for children ages 12 and under, be tested for lead and other toxic chemicals. Anything that hasn't been tested will be considered hazardous (even if they don't contain the chemicals) and cannot be sold. Not on eBay, not in a garage sale, not at GROVE STREET kids.

In addition, this law requires expensive testing and certification for every handmade item for children. Small crafters, handmade items (even made out of certified organic materials) will have to be tested in order to be sold legally. The phthalates testing is only required on products manufactured after the act goes into effect on February 10, 2009, but the lead testing is required on all children's products already made, and therefore would force us to throw out our entire inventory, because as resale store owners, it's certainly not worth the cost of testing each garment or product we sell.

That's not all. This law will require testing on EVERYTHING that comes into contact with your child that is 12 years or under. This includes clothing, of course, shoes, bedding, backpacks, sippy cups, car seats. I don't think I need to go on with the list, for you to understand the impact of such a poorly written piece of legislature.

So what can be done? We need to get the word out to our Legislators. There are two links you can go to to petition this law.
The first is Change.org where you can vote to petition this law. The second is the American Apparel and Footwear Association where you can write directly to your Representative, Congressperson or Senator.

On a final note, I have no plans to shut my doors on February 10th. I think something must change regarding this legislation if for no other reason than it goes against every platform President-Elect Obama stands on. So, until I'm told differently, at GROVE STREET kids, it's out with the old, and in with the new-to-you!

Reduce, Reuse, Resale!

A couple of days ago, I had the opportunity to stop into the newest addition to the Resale/Consignment Community in Berkeley. Urbanity Style Sharing at the top of Solano Avenue in North Berkeley is a fabulous new place for women to buy new and gently used clothing at very reasonable prices. Not unlike GROVE STREET kids (I've been told), Urbanity has a unique presentation that gives the impression of a more expensive, higher end boutique. The attention to detail, the organization and the aesthetic all lend themselves to one thinking, upon first glance, "Should I go in there? It looks really expensive..."

Well, the sale rack in front seems to answer that question. "Everything $15." While perusing the goods on the outside, from the inside Angela, the owner waved to me. So friendly. I like this place. Once inside, I got to take a really good look. Not unlike GSK, they use wooden hangers to display their garments, and clothing is arranged by color in each size group. (And the prices are extremely reasonable.) It's these subtleties that really make the difference in a presentation. In a review I read somewhere, the author wrote that Urbanity reminded them of an upscale New York Boutique. I would agree, it is urban, but what is missing from this place is the pretentious attitude that usually comes with the boutiques in NYC (after living there for 5 years myself, I have had a few experiences with this). Angela and, the manager, Rebecca are both warm, welcoming, lovely women.

If you read the reviews about this store, and one of my other favorite women's consignment stores, Sola Lucy, those that don't like them (and there aren't many) usually refer to these stores as catering to an older clientele. My guess is that these reviewers, whom usually have a couple hundred reviews under their profile, are young ladies that neither have children or families and have not yet learned the value of time and precious resources. I like to think that both places cater to a mature customer (of any age really) that appreciates women's style, needs, and a good deal.

I have a limited amount of time to shop for myself these days and, with that I know I'm going to go to places like Urbanity and Sola Lucy that appreciate the kind of customer I am.