retailercorner

Daily Candy Miami - "Moon over Miami"

2009-09-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

We love this review about our new Mooncakes Baby & Gifts boutique! Oh happy day. Thanks Daily Candy! Also, we donate 5% of all sales to South Miami Hospital NICU! Help local babies and shop for a cause, and help me stay in business :)

http://www.dailycandy.com/kids/miami/article/75486/Mooncakes-Baby-Gifts-Boutique

New for Spring 2010!

2009-08-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

We are excited to introduce Japanese Doll, Sugar Dot and Retro 66 layette for Spring 2010! Order By October 1, please. See more at http://www.moon-cakes.com/ catalog page.

Love these baby & toddler shoes!

2009-07-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

We opened our Mooncakes Baby & Gift retail shop last week! It has been amazing to browse and buy other brands and meet new friends. We highly recommend Riley Roos shoes! These shoes are excellent quality, and truly made for babies and toddlers to offer support and comfort (the soles are different). The packaging is great. Fast shipping, nice folks. This is our favorite shoe - the Quinn loafer in walnut - retails for $30. Darling and preppy! Contact http://www.rileyroos.com/ to learn more!

Mooncakes opens retail location!

2009-06-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce our new retail adventure "Mooncakes Baby & Gifts" at 5790 Bird Road, South Miami, Florida. Opening in July! We are offering baby gifts - sibling/birthday gifts - and mom/friend gifts like bath, candles, picture frames, etc. The best brands for baby & gift. Retailers & friends - suggestions please! email: mary@moon-cakes.com.

Photography by: http://www.eydienelsonphotography.com/

Model: Jackson Henry from MN - 10 days old!

Our new favorite photographer!

2009-05-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

We are in AWE of our newfound friend's photography: Eydie Nelson, a children's photographer based in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Visit her website at http://www.eydienelsonphotography.com. Eydie's work with babies and children is breathtaking!

Children's Modeling & Photography!

2009-05-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

If you are a manufacturer or retail store that needs children modeling clothing please visit: http://www.goomagirls.com/! All you do is send samples or outfits, Gretchen arranges everything else... it's easy and fun! You can also sign your child up to be a "gooma girl" model too!

Here is Baby Caitlin from Louisiana modeling Mooncakes - what a precious darling (her mom is the talented photographer!)

Tips for opening a children's boutique by Candy!

2009-04-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Candy Thibeau, owner of of le petit bebe chic in Canton, Georgia

http://www.lepetitbebechic.com/ celebrated her grand opening in March. We asked Candy to share her tips: "Research Research Research!

1. Know who your target market is and make sure the clothing you purchase will appeal to them.

2. Set a budget and stick to it. Get quotes - lots of them. When I started researching the "look and feel" I was going for in my boutique, I found beautiful fixtures but they were out of my budget. It didn't mean I couldn't get them - I had a friend who is a fantastic carpenter and showed him a few photos and asked him if he could duplicate it and although it was not exact, I got the look I was going for at a fraction of the cost!

3. Decide what size range you will carry up to. Personally you can't go wrong stocking up in the infant and toddler range for both baby boys and girls. Depending on what region you are in, will help to determine what size you may want to carry up to. Here in the south, little girls will wear smock dresses well into the size 10 range. But in other parts of the region, such as the North East, they may only wear them up to a size 6x.

4. Don't forget about the little boys. How many times do you hear or have said yourself, "Why is all the cute stuff for the girls?!" Don't just cater to little girls - cater to little boys too. Mom's love to buy and will spend on adorable baby clothing for their little boys as much as they would little girls! Trust me on this - I am a mother of 3 boys and jump at the chance to purchase something special for them every chance I get!

5. Location Location Location. Decide if you are going to be a stand alone store front or in a shopping plaza. There are pros and cons to both. In a shopping plaza, you will get more traffic. However, you may pay more in rent and overhead costs and you may be legally bound to a longer term contract and specific days and hours you must abide by. Stand alones are wonderful if you can find them in your target zone. Try to be at least 20 miles from your nearest competitor. If not, understand that you may not be able to sell a certain designer you were hoping to. Designers want you to do well to so many set up zones and believe me, they stick to them.

6. Take a peek into other boutiques and see what makes them special. Determine how you will differ from them to make people want to frequent your store too! I did this and made an effort to order different designs whenever possible if I was using the same designer as that store.

7. Decide what your top price point will be for each category you are selling. This will help you stick to your budget. For example, you may not want to spend (cost) more than $15 per piece if you need x amount of pieces to fill your store!

8. Become friends with other stores in your area. You will be surprised at all the helpful hints they are willing to share with you on their successes and missteps along the way.

9. Go to market prepared to overspend! It is overwhelming but if you research your designers beforehand and set up specific appointments with the reps you should be able to stay on budget. However, if you go and don't have any appointments set up - you will be overwhelmed with everything out there. Don't be afraid to order more styles from a vendor. I found it makes more of an impact to have a few styles from one designer visually than just one or two from that designer.

10. Most importantly - if you don't LOVE it - don't buy it because you won't be able to sell it. The best sales person you have is yourself. Know the designers, build relationships with them and order what you love. My first purchase was with Mooncakes because my own children wore their clothing and I loved it. I knew the quality, style and comfort of them. It is an easy sell for me because people can see how passionate I am about that product line. They can relate to it more because of my relationship with it.

11. Advertise - nobody knows your in business except for you if you don't advertise. If your store is located near a community with a news letter that is distributed amongst the residents of that community - you may find that you are able to put an advertisement in that newsletter at a fraction of the cost it would be to advertise in your local paper. Ask other local businesses where you target market may frequent if you can put a few flyers announcing your grand opening to be displayed in their business. Nail Salons, Hair Salons, Dry Cleaners, Grocery Stores, Dance Schools etc.

12. Timing is everything - It is also sometimes better to secure your location and take your time setting up if your budget allows so you can open during a peak season such as Spring or Early Fall back to school or Holiday Season. People are looking for reasons to buy during those time frames.

13. Promote your business. Word of mouth goes a long way. Give out discount cards prior to your grand opening and put an experation date on it soon after the grand opening. That way you are sure customers will come close to the time you open and will spread the word. Don't be afraid of a discount - customers appreciate it and will be willing to come back sooner than later.

14. Get to know your customers. People shop in boutiques for the clothing and the experience. Learn their names first hand - talk to them and find out about them. Take notes on them - send them an email to thank them for coming in and make it personable - they will be surprised that you remembered them and appreciate it . It will give you the one up on that other place down the road!

15. Don't be afraid to jump into business in this economy! Be realistic in your projections and if you must, work the store yourself before hiring a part time or full time employee to see if you can afford it. A part time employee making $10 an hour for 20 hours a week is $800 a month! Think of all the merchandise you can purchase with that! You may want to see how busy you are during weekdays and weekends and then decide when and if you need to hire an employee.

16. Don't be afraid to ask your vendors where they get certain supplies from. Mooncakes sent us a big box of hangers they didn't need - at no cost which saved me on one of my set-up costs!

17. Keep in touch with your sales reps and vendors. Let them know where you are in your process and ask them for advice on how to effectively display their merchandise. They will be more than willing to help you make the most of your displays! Talk to them and let them know what is selling and what isn't. They in turn can take that feedback back to the designers and the designers will be able to better serve the market wants.

18. Have a private gathering at your store after your grand opening for your friends and family to see your new store and also to make v.i.p. purchases. You may want to keep your doors open to the public as well - they will see a lot of activity in your store and will probably stop in to check it out and also make a purchase!

19. Listen to your customers. You will find out quickly what you will need to purchase for the following season. You may need to change up your business plan a little if you decided to stop at a size 6x - but your Customers are asking if you have any larger sizes. Let them dictate what sizes you carry.

20. Diversify - In today's economy, people are not just purchasing clothing. Offer novelty items such as photo frames, bibs, accessories that will bring people into your boutique and then up sell them on other purchases such as that cute little outfit you just got in! Don't put all of your merchandise out all at once. I know you are dying to show it all off - but hold back on a few items. That way - if you are unable to afford to purchase more for that season, you can make it look like you are still getting items in every week. Put the new items up front. Rearrange the store as well - sometimes the first time someone walks in they don't get to really see everything. If you switch it up a bit each week - you trick the eye into thinking they are seeing something new!"

- Wonderful advice, thank you Candy for sharing!

Mooncakes newest treasure!

2009-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Introducing Caitlin from Louisiana!

Mooncakes newest model, she is special - a true Southern sweetie!More pictures coming soon of Caitlin.

Thank you to her mom for the beautiful photography shoot!

Tips for a slow economy!

2009-03-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is the year to just keep doors open... here are our "jump start sales" tips:

1) Baby Baby! This is the strongest area in most stores, sales drop off significantly after age 2. Baby showers, baby registries, new babies people go ga ga over! Put most of your dollars into "baby" 0-18 months. Order from layette brands like Mooncakes where you can reorder, with smaller orders more often. Also invest in brands where your customer can put 2-3 items together for a "wow" baby shower gift that has a friendly price point and excellent quality. Who wants to spend $200 on a cashmere blanket that can't be washed. Buy for practicality, fun, fashion and price.

2) Children's Birthday Gifts: Create a cozy section in your store for birthday party gifts - puzzles, stuffed animals, games - offer fabulous gift wrapping (colored tissue topped off with clear cellophane and fun stickers - from the sticker rolls on the wall customers/kids can choose from) so party-goers can grab a gift en route to birthday party #228. This section also doubles well for "sibling gifts" when everyone is shopping for the new baby (customers need to be educated on how important "sibling gifts" are - so the older brother/sister doesn't feel left out).

3) Mommy, Grandma & Hostess Gifts: Candles, bath products, picture frames, trinkets - these are good impulse purchases! Attend the New York International Gift Fair in January or August, it's a blast and you'll find all the gift goodies you could possibly dream of, visit http://www.nyigf.com/. For gifts galore we like Two's Company, http://www.twoscompany.com/.

4) If you can offer champagne happy hour 1 afternoon a week 4-6 pm, it's social and fun. I guarantee it will increase sales!

If you have any tips please let us know, we will add it to this post!

Consulting - Attn: New children's designers

2009-03-16T15:12:00.001-07:00

Mooncakes offers consulting to new manufacturers or designers interested in joining the children's wholesale industry. I can advise on: how to start and build a brand (logo and concept is very important), trade shows, design & ideas, sales reps & showrooms, marketing, catalogs & websites, garment production (what goes on that care label and hangtag), local vs. overseas manufacturing & importing logistics, CPSIA & safety regulations, accounting, retail orders, shipping, & collections, and much more. If you are new - give me a ring! Do the homework and be inspired! Call or email Mary Morrison mary@moon-cakes.com for more information.

E-commerce ideas for retailers!

2009-01-17T15:40:00.000-08:00

We know the economy is challenging right now for many retailers. If you are looking to add an e-commerce site to your existing brick and mortar store (a good idea!), these are our tips to get started:

1. Secure your domain name at http://www.godaddy.com/ (about $10 a year), try to get a .com address - it's easier for people to remember.

2. You need a website with e-commerce capabilities, a "shopping cart" can be very expensive. We highly recommend http://www.volusion.com/ - you can launch a website with e-commerce quickly and at a great price (you manage/edit it yourself - very important!). Try a free template with the 14 day free trial, all the bells and whistles are amazing. And if you want to upgrade to a premium site template for $400+ this is much cheaper than $3,000 and up which many website companies are quoting these days. The monthly fee (per products) includes: hosting, SEO, quickbooks integraton, inventory management, merchant services, shipping integration, marketing tools, etc. And it's month to month, no contracts. Give the 14 day free trial a test drive.

3. For under $100 or less (excluding hosting @ $15 per month) we recommmend http://www.shoppepro.com/ - so many talented designers with already made website "templates" that are cool and hip, and custom websites are available too. This is a good option for new businesses on a budget.

If you have questions let us know, we are happy to help! Email: mary@moon-cakes.com
Visit www.moon-cakes.com

NEW CHILDREN'S SAFETY LAWS, don't panic.

2009-01-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed in August 2008. Basically, any children's products for ages 12 and under needs to confirm compliancy to safety regulations now in USA. Be assured Mooncakes is following this closely and already has tested our products for lead and flammability, and we are in compliance.

What do these new laws mean for the retailer? If you have any product concerns or just want peace of mind, ask your vendors to confirm compliancy regarding the products you want to carry on your shelves. Especially in toys.

Please visit http://www.cpsc.gov/ for more information. The CPSIA is ever evolving and we hope will be ammended as it will bankrupt many small businesses and home crafters ... please consider this petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/reform-cpsia-hr4040/signatures.html

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act details:

1) Conformity Certifications should accompany all shipments of regulated products made after Nov. 12, 2008; and the surface coatings of children's products should be tested by an accredited third party laboratory for lead paint.

The following summarizes other upcoming deadlines:

JAN. 20: Third-party testing for cribs and pacifiers. Products manufactured on or after this date must be accompanied by a certificate based on third-party testing by an accredited lab.

FEB. 10: New lead content retroactive ban. Starting on this date all children's products imported, distributed or otherwise sold in the U.S. must conform to a standard of 600 ppm for total lead content. This standard applies to material substrates, as opposed to surface coatings exclusively.

FEB. 10: New phthalate ban. Beginning on this date all children's products must conform to the new phthalate ban for children's toys and child care articles. These items may not contain more than 0.1 % of the specified phthalate chemicals.

FEB. 15: Third party testing required for small parts in children's products manufactured on or after this date.

Excerpt taken from Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. newsletter: http://www.strtrade.com/
Visit: www.moon-cakes.com

Season's Greetings!

2008-12-22T13:55:00.001-08:00

We want to wish you a magical holiday, sprinkled with good fortune and happiness! It has been a wonderful year, we are blessed to have such great friends and retailers.

The Chinese New Year of the cow/ox begins January 26 - if you want to read your 2009 fortune click here: http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/

Cheers! Mary, Justin, Jack (5) and Teddy (1)

Mooncakes founder & support staff :)

Factory visit - the baby garment process!

2008-12-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

We had the joy of visiting our factory in early November, it's located 2 hours north of Hong Kong in Shenzhen, China. I want to share the manufacturing process of a baby outfit, so many steps!

1. Make designs here in Florida, send samples back and forth (can take up to 6-12 months to get it right), samples are approved.

2. The patterns are created on a computer, the fabric is ordered - either dyed or screen printed (takes 30-60 days for this part). When fabric arrives it's checked with a flat roll machine, any problem parts are removed.

3. The fabric goes to the cutting room with hand cutting machines (see picture on near right), with patterns the fabric is cut for an outfit: the body, then legs, arms, etc... here the men do the cutting.

4. After the cutting room the fabric pieces get embroidered or appliqued one by one, then move to the sewing room and all the pieces are sewn together by hand. Care labels and woven labels are sewn on last. The women do most of the sewing: ages 25-50.

5. After sewing, garments are inspected by a few women to cut off extra strings, and checked again.

6. Then the garments move to the pressing room (they get wrinkled in the sewing stage), here the men do the pressing with irons.

7. After the garments are pressed they are inspected once again for a final quality control sign off - and folded so neatly, hangtags are attached, and put in clear polybags (see picture on top).

8. The garments are organized by style and size; and packed in cartons.

9. A driver takes the many cartons to the big Hong Kong port, where the cartons go to a freight forwarding warehouse and get placed in a container on a huge ship - and 30 days later arrive in Miami ready for our US customs broker to clear the shipment. It's truly an amazing process (and stressful at times getting all the puzzle pieces to match up).

We have the good fortune of a reliable factory and wonderful people to do business with!

Strings - bibs, sacs, drawstrings, bumbers beware!

2008-10-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

As a baby clothing manufacturer I cringe to see bibs and baby gowns/sacs with tie strings in a store, or other items babies wear with STRINGS or TIES! Like drawstring hoods and pants - absolutely not safe for infants to age 12 per CPSC see here: http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/208.pdf. Also, when buying product for your store make sure the cute "embellishments" can't come off and become a choking hazard.

Bumpers for the crib - these are stylish and make the crib look comfy, but your pumpkin can shift position in the night and get too close to these soft hazards! It's just not worth it. The only item that should go in the crib is the baby, until at least 1 years old.

Please visit U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website (http://www.cpsc.gov/) for recalls and safety news, check it often! It's a great resource.

"Made in China" -- why?

2008-09-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile we get negative "Made in China" comments, why not support USA? Here is the answer: We love our factory near Hong Kong, the Chinese people are wonderful (no it's not child labor I've been there). I speak Chinese so I get a first hand account. The Chinese labor laws are in place which has salaries and benefits to protect the workers. Many factory workers also get free room/board, and food. Many come from very rural areas where there are no work opportunities other than farming in the fields, so they travel to urban areas to make a better living and send money home (this is the reason the entire country closes for 2-3 weeks at Chinese New Year - vacation!). We looked at some factories in USA and the sewing and quality was not up to our standards. We went with the best factory, and very nice people. We are happy with being "Made in China" - our next trip to the factory is in early November, I can't wait!

Guest Speaker: Snapdragonsbaby.com!

2008-08-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce our new "Guest Speaker Advice Column!" Mooncakes welcomes our first guest speaker Kimberly from http://www.snapdragonsbaby.com/ a successful online boutique. We asked Kimberly:

How long have you been in business? I have been in business for 5 1/2 years now. It will be 6 this October. I can't believe that it has been that long.

Biggest start-up challenge? At first, the world of retail can be overwhelming. I had no idea what I was doing when I went to my first show to buy clothing. Luckily, I meet a few great reps who helped me learn the ropes. Being on-line only was a challenge at first as I had to prove myself to both the manufacturers reps and the clothing lines that I was a "real" store and that I wasn't intending to sell their lines at a discount on an auction site. The other big challenge is that it takes a while for your website to be listed in the search engines, like google and yahoo. It can take several months before you are really getting good traffic. That can be difficult at first.

Biggest challenge now? The biggest challenge for me now is adapting to the ever changing retail climate. Just because something sells well this season doesn't mean customers will like it next season. You have to anticipate what is going to sell months in advance to help guide your buying. Currenlty, I also have to adapt to very real economic changes which affect the way customers buy clothing. These are my biggest challenges right now.

Best marketing tips? I love google ad-words. This is where I spent the bulk of my advertising money.

Favorite part of business? I love so much of it -- I love the buying, opening the boxes when the new shipments come in, getting new things up on my site, sending out the packages. The biggest part of my business is new babies and I love helping new moms, new grandmas, and friends put together layettes for their new babies. I have always enjoyed children's clothing, so I think I am definitely in the right field!

Least favorite part of business? 99% of my customers are wonderful, awesome people to deal with -- but there are always those occasional ones who just seem to drag you down by their rudeness --that is my least favorite part of the business.

Favorite trade show? I tend to be a homebody in this regard. I only attend my nearest show, in Charlotte NC, which is two hours away. I have yet to visit any of the larger ones. I find that I can get most of my "shopping" done at the local show and then I have several lines which I buy via the web.

Tech suggestions for new websites? Put a lot of effort to the decision of who hosts your on-line store. Make sure that their tech support is accessible to you when you need it and also make sure that they have room for your store to grow. We just changed servers earlier this year -- which is not a fun thing to do. I wish I had asked more questions before going with the first company -- then I would have realize their customer service was lacking and would have gone with someone else!

Kimberly with 3 boys, how to do you keep it all together as a successful momprenuer? I think that having an on-line business is perfect for me -- I absolutely love the flexibility I have. It can be hard at times juggling everything, but knowing that I can be wherever I need to be for my kids makes it all worthwhile. And, I couldn't do what I do without the support of my wonderful husband. He has supported me and believed in me every step of the way and that is priceless.

Advice to new e-tailers and new stores? Try to find something that makes your store different and makes your store special so that customers will seek you out. I think on-line stores have a unique opportunity to really let their personality show in their store -- they don't have to cater to everyone who lives in a certain area -- you really have the world as your customer. I find that I am most successful when I go with brands and items that reflect what I like best. Customers who have similar styles are drawn to my store and then keep coming back.

Final Comments? I really feel blessed to live in a time where I can have an on-line store and be an at-home mom to my kids. I love how the internet has opened up so many possibilities for women who want the flexibility to be home with their children and also to have a career they love. - Thank you Kimberly for sharing your experience and tips! Visit http://www.snapdragonsbaby.com/.

Why are there minimums?

2008-04-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

We vendors have minimums for 2 reasons: 1) If the store only orders a few styles, the brand loses impact and does not move as well. Mooncakes, as all brands, merchandises best when it "tells a story" in your shop. 2) We have our own factory minimums, Mooncakes offers excellent quality at friendly price points - however - we have to order ALOT in each run to get this. We can't produce Spring & Fall collections without asking you to help with minimums (per style), very reasonable compared to other lines! Mooncakes has a 90% shipping rate we are proud of. Remember, we have to place the factory order several months before we see a dime from orders on Spring/Fall so it's all a little risky. Thanks for understanding :)

Welcome to Retailer Corner! Favorite Resources

2008-03-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

As Mooncakes founder many new retailers place orders with us and upon chatting it seems like new stores, and existing stores, need current information. As a vendor to the stores we at Mooncakes can offer tidbits, but you (the stores) can be the most helpful. Please blog with us!

Mooncakes favorite resources & tips:

Earnshaw's Magazine (for retailers) - free monthly subsription, the best trade magazine around! http://www.earnshaws.com/

James Girone Online Guide To The Children's Marketplace- the hot place to surf for new lines, see current industry news, find sales reps, see trade show calendars and reports, and much more. http://www.jamesgirone.com/

TRADE SHOWS: As a buyer what markets/shows should I attend? Kids Expo in Las Vegas http://www.kidsexpo.com/ (every year in September 800 juvenile brands!); and the Children's Club show in New York City (4 times a year, Jan-March-August-October). We pick March and October for Children's Club as they have the biggest line turnout - over 800 children's brands. You will need all 3 days to walk the show, http://enkshows.com/childrensclub/

The Market Centers in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago are the next hot spots for buying Children's apparel and gifts... where you visit showrooms with all brands under the sun. It may save you $$ to travel to nearby showrooms compared to the New York shows (and NYC hotels rates). See http://www.jamesgirone.com/ for many nice little local market shows near you.

SALES REPS: There are many wonderful sales reps, you can call for an appoinment and they will often times visit your store which saves you time. But keep in mind sometimes sales reps are great, and sometimes not so great. If you don't get a call back within a few days call the company direct for information.

BUYERS TIPS! Many lines do not deliver on time - make sure to put "Cancel dates" on all your orders so your shipments come when YOU want. As a new retailer you will often have to pay by credit card until credit is established. Please try to follow through with your orders, cancelled orders hurt manufacturers who work very hard to design and produce great products for you. Try to submit your orders in writing (versus phone orders), this way it's in writing if there are discrepancies in your order received. Also, make sure to write "no backorders" on your order, unless of course you want it regardless of when it is shipped.

That's it for now... please add your insight! Mary @ Mooncakes baby