HANAMA‘ULU — Do not be fooled by the smattering of clearance sale signs strewn across the ooh, baby! storefront in Hanama‘ulu. It’s true, the clothing boutique for babies is clearing out inventory, but rather than closing their doors as has
HANAMA‘ULU — Do not be fooled by the smattering of clearance sale signs strewn across the ooh, baby! storefront in Hanama‘ulu.
It’s true, the clothing boutique for babies is clearing out inventory, but rather than closing their doors as has been rumored, the store is getting a “green” make-over and shifting gears toward resale and consignment.
“Changing with the times” to something more economically and environmentally friendly, owner Amy Turenhout said, was a response to business being slow, but the shop has “never been in danger of closing.”
Instead, she chose to listen to what customers were saying.
“Over the course of the year that we’ve been open, we’ve really modified our business plan to listen to what our customers have to say and figured out what people want to see when they come in,” Turenhout said.
Apparently, what people have been looking for lately are “recycled” items, thus prompting the name change, to ooh, baby! recycled.
Doug Mello, of Kane‘ohe, was one of the many shoppers Friday afternoon, scouting sales racks, with his four-month-old grandson in tow, excited to find out about the store’s upcoming evolution.
“This is a beautiful store,” he said. “Compared to other baby stores, even department stores, this place has a lot more to offer,” he said, adding that he’s also a fan of garage sales and could not wait to return after the transition.
He’s not the only one who prefers to exchange clothing, as Turenhout said she is also a recycled clothes enthusiast, especially when it comes to buying for her two-year-old son.
“Everyone loves a good bargain,” she said.
Is preference of consignment items a sign of the economic times, or are people just becoming more eco-conscious?
Either way, Turenhout said, there is no doubt, “it puts money back in people’s hands.”
For instance, party dresses, which she will introduce when the store re-opens, typically sell brand new for as much as $60 to $70.
“How many people really have that kind of money to spend on a dress that, realistically, their daughter is only going to wear once? I mean, she’s going to look beautiful and you’re going to have some great photos, but the money’s gone.”
ooh, baby! recycled will allow individuals the chance to purchase party dresses for a fraction of the original price, as well as clothing, sizes 0 to 5 for boys and girls, at a cost much less than original mark-up prices and will also give people the opportunity to re-sell their own items.
“We always talk about reduce, reuse, recycle, and, everything we will buy from local families is less of a carbon footprint for our store because we don’t have to ship anything in by boats or barges,” Turenhout said.
The store will still offer some new items, including eco-friendly bamboo and organic wear, as well as Hawai‘i-made aloha wear and clothing made by mothers on the island, but will primarily focus on resale and consignment.
When asked how her first year in business has been with the current inventory, Turenhout said, though it has been a “tough year,” she believes that because their “price points are affordable” and because of their location, customers have continued to flow through the doors.
“We could definitely hope to be busier, but our customers keep coming back and we get such positive remarks about our store,” she said.
She admits her prices are even comparable to those found at Wal-Mart and K-Mart, which might be one reason she does not harbor resentment for her big box competition.
“People will always go to those stores, they offer things at price points that you really can’t get anywhere else, and in a tough economy everyone needs a good deal,” Turnhout said.
Corporations may offer great deals, but there is no doubt ooh, baby! is a hot spot for residents and visitors alike, as customers poured into the store Friday afternoon, so much so, that Turnehout had to quickly get back to business.
“Response to the sale has been great and I’m so excited to turn it over to consignment.”
Clearance sales for current inventory items are expected to continue until the end of the month. Turenhout said she is planning for ooh, baby! recycled to open by July 1.
For more information visit www.oohbabyhawaii.com.
