The Times They Are A-Changin'

It's hard to believe, but it's been just about a year since GROVE STREET kids moved from old "Grove Street" to our new location at 1385 Shattuck Avenue.

My how the time does fly! Some days, it feels like this has been our home the whole time, others feel like we just moved in... And as we reflect back on the last 12 months, we've discovered that some of our methods and procedures that served us well in the old location haven't felt quite right in the new... and so we've had to change some things to "fit" into the new space....

The first and most obvious was to become computerized with our inventory and sales procedures. Welcome to the 21st Century! But with that some complications presented themselves of how to manage store-owned inventory versus items on consignment. So to streamline the process and, in the long run, make things easier for everyone, we have changed our purchasing policy to **consignment-based ** for children's clothing and shoes, as well as maternity and baby gear.

We still offer the same percentages to our customers for cash and trade for their items, however that part comes only after the items haves sold. For all the specifics on how this works, please check our website which always includes information on what we are looking for at the shop.

One of the advantages to consigning our inventory, vs. buying straight out, is that we can take a bit more risk in what we offer to our customers, including bigger sizes! And last, but certainly not least, your frequent buyer discount is now combinable with your store credit. How's that for a change?

On a final note, as is tradition for GROVE STREET kids we will be closing briefly in July for maintenance & updates (and maybe a wee bit of relaxation?) starting with the 4th of July holiday until the 13th. We will reopen repaired and refreshed in time for our 1 year anniversary in our new location and our 6 year anniversary of being in business!

In recognition of our anniversary, visit us any time between July16-31, mention you read our blog and get 40% off any non-sale or already discounted item. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Want up to the moment information on promotions, discounts and items available in the shop? Like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest and Instagram!

Every Day is Earth Day!

Kermit the Frog may not have liked having to spend each day the color of the leaves, thinking it could be nicer being red, or yellow, or gold or something much more colorful like that, but here at GROVE STREET kids, we are very happy to be green! And we are happy to have been Re-Certified as a Green Business here in our new location at 1385 Shattuck Avenue.

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!

So for GROVE STREET kids, every day is Earth Day. And, in gratitude for supporting our green business by shopping and recycling with us, we'd like to offer our customers a special coupon! Come on down to the shop any day this week for 40% off any one non-discounted item! No need to print out the coupon(save a tree!) just let us know when you come into the shop this week that you got our email, and we will apply the discount on the spot!

Spring is in the Air!

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- An end to winter's bitter cold will come soon, according to Pennsylvania's famous groundhog. Following a recent stretch of weather that's included temperatures well below freezing as well as record warmth, tornadoes in the South and Midwest and torrential rains in the mid-Atlantic, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his lair Saturday in front of thousands but didn't see his shadow.

Legend has it that if the furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2 on Gobbler's Knob in west-central Pennsylvania, winter will last six more weeks. But if he doesn't see his shadow, spring will come early.

The prediction is made during a ceremony overseen by a group called the Inner Circle. Members don top hats and tuxedos for the ceremony on Groundhog Day each year.

Bill Deeley, president of the Inner Circle, says that after "consulting" with Phil, he makes the call in deciphering what the world's Punxsutawney Phil has to say about the weather.

Phil is known as the "seer of seers" and "sage of sages." Organizers predicted about 20,000 people this weekend, a larger-than-normal crowd because Groundhog Day falls on a weekend this year.*

Personally, I am a huge fan of warm weather, especially after some of the unseasonably cold nights we've had here in the Bay Area. But I am also a huge fan of winter sports, ie. skiing, as are our customers. So what does this mean for GROVE STREET kids? It means that we are transitioning into Spring Merchandise, based on the inquiries of our customers (ie. do you have any bathing suits?) yet we still have plenty of cold weather clothing to choose from, and given that it is only the beginning of February, and Ski Week is almost upon us, please stop by to see what remains in our collection of snow gear!

*Credit Huffington Post

B.Y.O.B.!

Our guess is that, by now, most have you have started getting into the habit of shopping with your own reusable bags, now that Alameda County has placed a ban on the use of plastic bags in grocery stores or other retail establishments that handle food (ie. Target, CVS).

As a Certified Green Business, it has always been GROVE STREET kids' policy to only use recycled bags, be them paper or plastic, but mostly plastic as the sheer quantity has been more readily available to us. For some time, however, our customers, who are naturally inclined toward recycling and protecting the environment, have rarely taken bags from us if they didn't already have their own.

That said, when it rains, or the amount of items a customer purchases requires it, those bags have come in awful handy. But now that the grocery stores are no longer providing the plastic bags, and paper ones are costing customers 10¢ apiece, when GROVE STREET kids runs out of our own supply, we will be requesting that our customers B.Y.O.B.... Bring Your Own Bag!

Happy New Year

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

We could not have said it better ourselves! 2012 brought about a lot of change for us at GROVE STREET kids – new location, new hours, new systems. But some of those changes won't stay, as we figure out what worked best for us and where we still need to make improvements to better serve our customers in 2013!

When we moved to Shattuck Avenue, we extended our business hours on Wednesday and Thursday to coincide with Off The Grid and the North Berkeley Farmers' Market, respectively. The city of Berkeley decided not to renew their contract with the Off The Grid powers that be and will be our neighbor no more. So with that, when we reopen on the 8th, we will go back to closing at 6 pm on Wednesdays, (and possibly Thursdays, at least during the winter).

One of our biggest changes for 2013 will be converting our entire inventory to a computerized system. This has been and, continues to be, a daunting task but we hope that you will find it makes our system more streamlined between our resale, consignment and vendor inventory, not to mention keeping track of everyone's trade balances and purchases! But it is a process, and we are still learning as well, so we hope you will bear with us through this change and opportunity to get it right!

For more updates or just to be reminded of what's happening over at the shop, be sure to visit our website, "like us" on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

So, with that, we hoped you enjoyed your holidays, and appreciate your patience while we were closed to do the aforementioned inventory and to spend time with our families. GROVE STREET kids looks forward to seeing you in 2013!

Like... Totally Awesome!

Red Tricycle's 2012 Totally Awesome Awards... that is!

We are so excited to announce that GROVE STREET kids is a finalist in the Most Sensational Resale Stores category in Red Tricycle's 2012 Totally Awesome Awards again. Woo Hoo! The voting runs through the end of November, and we hope you will take a moment to show your support (again!) for us.

Winners will be announced on December 7th...

So, if you love GROVE STREET kids, we need your votes! To thank you in advance for your support, we would like to offer a giveaway to one lucky voter, a $25 Gift Certificate!

Here’s how to enter, it’s simple! Click here to go to the voting page. Vote for GROVE STREET kids and then send us an email at info@grovestreetkids.com letting us know that you voted! Enter to win with as many email addresses as you have! We will randomly choose the winner and email you back on Tuesday, December 3rd! The winner will also be announced on our Facebook page - so don't forget to "like" us if you haven't already!

And be sure to tell your friends! Good luck and thanks for voting!

Sunday Streets is Coming to Town!

There's been a lot of talk about something called "Sunday Streets" coming to our city of Berkeley. Read about the build-up here. The North Shattuck Association used to have an annual event called the Spice of Life Festival but, this year, the success of Sunday Streets around the country, in particular, in our neighboring city of San Francisco, has given our own reason to pause, and invest, in a different kind of festival.

With no outside vendors, Sunday Streets Berkeley will be a celebration of local businesses and organizations, along the 20-block route. Storefronts will be unobstructed, and business owners will be encouraged to promote commerce and visibility by setting out tables and chairs, hosting activities, and otherwise inviting interest and community.

While not normally open for business on Sundays, how could we not support this fantastic celebration of community? It's sure to be an amazing event. So with that GROVE STREET kids will open it's doors at 11am as well, so we hope you will stop by and say "hello."