Serendipity
It all began when Elise, a Wallingford mom of two boys (Isaac, 3, and Cooper, 8 months), missed her consignment appointment. “I called to reschedule and they refused, stating they were closing. I think it was the day they had decided to shut the door,” shared Elise over coffee recently. “I thought to myself, we can’t lose this for the neighborhood.”
Elise contacted the owner, Susan, with interest in buying the business. However, Susan had just declined a low offer and was hesitant to discuss. They started the conversation over phone and email and eventually met to arrange for a deal that would enable Susan to be compensated for the business and turn over the consignment credit.
Technology Injection
While Elise is currently a part-time marketing director at Formidable (a software development house in Fremont), she has a broad background in start-ups, nonprofit and technology. She not only knows how to code but has managed developers and worked inside one of the world’s largest online retailers. Recently, Elise transitioned out of managing Ada Developers Academy, a small nonprofit, which she co-founded, that focuses on teaching coding skills to women.
It’s no surprise that Elise plans to use her experience to build upon the success of Kids on 45th. While she does not foresee changing prices or altering the consignment model, she is clearly excited about the possibilities technology can bring to the business.
“The great thing about being technologists is that we can build it ourselves. We don’t have to rely on the high capital investment that big retail requires.” The “we” here is Elise’s husband, Bookis, who is also a developer and co-founder of LUNA Sandals, which manufactures in Seattle. His technical and wholesale expertise will no doubt be an important part of this family affair.
At the top of the list is to bring the store online – both the consignment database and all of the inventory. “All of it?” I asked. “There might be a minimum price, but yes – all of it.” This will mean moving the processing of consignment out of store, which opens up flexibility in the retail space for shoppers and inventory. Elise envisions a time when customers will not only be able to shop online, but receive free local deliveries. “We need to respond to how people really live if we are going to empower a small business to compete with Amazon and Target. We have to be creative and scrappy!”
While these are big ideas, Elise is taking a start-up approach. “We’ll try one thing out at a time to see what works.” She is also committed to the foundation Susan built at Kids on 45th – making it easier for families raising young children. This means keeping prices affordable and making consignment a valuable activity for a family to take part in. She cites online consignment stores that are focused only on maximizing profits, paying pennies on the dollar to consigners. “I want this to be sustainable for our community. This is about making money but also about doing good.”
Farewell and Welcome
As for Susan? She is excited to be moving on to her next adventure. “It’s time,” she said to me recently, with a big smile. She plans to take the summer off before embarking on any projects. She’ll be in and out through June 1st, so don’t miss saying goodbye!
You are also invited to greet Elise at a Kids on 45th Open House, Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Enjoy cookies and goodie bags for kiddos! You can reply to the Facebook invitation here.
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Congratulations to Susan and Elise! Kids on 45th has been my go-to kids store for years and I’m excited that I’ll be able to shop and consign there in the future.
Thank you, Kristin. Looking forward to meeting you!
I hope the new owner is more respectful of pedestrians and does not clutter the narrow sidewalk in front of the store with merchandise. Doing so, by the way, violates city ordinance; sidewalks are public passage ways, not private display areas.
Buzz kill.
Did you speak to the owner about your concerns? What was her response?
Thanks for voicing your concern! Though the sidewalk displays are permitted, ensuring our sidewalks are accessible and walkable is essential to a great Wallingford downtown. We’ll keep an extra eye on limiting outdoor displays.
We were longtime customers, I need to go donate our remaining balance to familyworks. Glad to see the store continuing.
My only thought is that it would be great if you went into Wallingford center along with lil klippers and bootyland and the cupcake place and preschool and such. The upstairs of the Wallingford Center is an awesome escape for parents on rainy days- the more kid focused businesses that move in there, the more it can become a magnet parents go to. You could also focus more on toys that way and spill into the hallways like the two toy stores that used to be there.
Sidewalk displays are partially meant to slow down foot traffic so pedestrians can notice the shop and merchandise. Restaurant A-frame signs are doing the same thing. Hallway display in Wallingford Center isn’t quite the same, since people mostly go in there already have a much stronger intention to check out the stores. There are no general pedestrians that just walk by Wallingford Center upstairs shops.
Not sure for this business what’s the right balance.
Thanks for the idea! We also love the Wallingford Center, especially on rainy days! We have a new lease at the current location, so won’t be moving in the near term, but will certainly keep it in mind for the future.
Just continuing with the current business model is risky I think, even if you do move online. The business model is grounded in the idea that people are cost sensitive and don’t want to buy new, so they just trade up through the years. In the new, wealthy Wallingford there will be more rich parents moving in, and they’ll be into buying all their stuff new off of Amazon and then dumping it at goodwill when they’re done. Kids on 45th relies on having some parents that are price conscious, and that’s a dwindling supply. How do you deal with that trend?
On the flip side, as Wallingford gets more dense there’s going to be more and more need for parents to have a place to go escape, especially with toddlers, and the Wallingford Center just makes sense as that place. Imagine the upstairs as a “commons” for parents and nannys with train tables, an indoor active play space, a coffee shop. It’s a business opportunity just aching to be filled.
I think Kids on 45th is great as is! Thanks, Elise!
I agree with Marlena. Kids on 45th is great as is and where it is. There have been many business in the Wallingford Center (including one former kids consignment store) that have not thrived. And, there is already a kids store at the Center, Bootyland. I am not a Wallingford mom and while I do know locals go to Wallingford Center to hang out, there just isn’t the same traffic (literally) as driving past a brick and mortar store.
As far as parents who continue to shop consignment…there are a lot of us! I drive over from Capitol Hill/Central District because Kids on 45th had (and hopefully continues to have) items that many other kids consignment stores do not carry (games, food serving supplies, carriers, bikes, etc.). I do sometimes shop at larger thrift stores but I personally enjoy the smaller consignment store atmosphere and (in general) better quality of items consigned.
And while I can’t speak for the “new generation” of Amazon employees and their families, my husband has worked at Amazon for nearly two decades and we buy most of our kids clothes and toys used. I buy most of my own clothes via consignment as well. Even if I have enough money to buy new, I’d rather save my funds for other things. Plus kids go through/grow through stuff so fast, it doesn’t make sense to me to buy new and spend a crazy amount of money on a new shirt I can buy for a third of the cost at consignment.
Granted, this is my opinion and my personal lifestyle and I understand my outlook isn’t for everyone, but I also know there are still plenty of Seattlites who agree. I will miss the former owners who were always so welcoming but look forward to getting to know the new owners. My daughter and I spent plenty of rainy afternoons poking around the old store, sometimes for more than an hour. My one suggestion for the new store would be to try to squeeze in a small kids play corner (maybe a table, chair or two and play kitchen). I know a couple consignment stores that have this and it seems to work out nicely.