We’re so grateful for our local retailers, they provide a spot where you can walk into a store and get individualized support to help you choose the best baby carrier for you. Family-oriented and full of heart, Baby & Kids 1st provide hands-on help for expecting parents. Look for one near you and be sure to pay them a visit. Join their community here.
How do you choose items for your store?
At Baby’s & Kid’s 1st, not only are we a family owned business but we like to think of our staff as well as our customers as our extended family. Seeing our customers on a regular basis and getting to know them and their families helps us when we are deciding what products to add to our stores. We build relationships with the people we are surrounded by on a daily basis and their opinions are not only valued, but are important.
What was the inspiration to begin your business and open your store?
Two years ago, our very own family grew when baby Eleanor was born – the 1st girl in our family in 35 years! She just turned 2, and it is so much fun to find, explore and use new products that she enjoys and/or that make mom & dad’s life a little easier. We’ve always felt that not only selling products, but using them ourselves is what makes our business stand out from the rest. For example, before we chose to add Ergobaby to our store, we wanted our staff to try the product at home with their own children. Then, when baby Eleanor was born, we became our own customers and tried it with her at home, at the grocery store, around town and whenever else we felt we needed two free hands or whenever she felt the need to be held or close to us.
That is what is great about Ergobaby. They say it’s heart to heart and it truly is. As a newborn, babies desire to be close to you, they desire to feel your skin and hear your heartbeat and Ergobaby allows for that. As your child gets a little older and maybe wants to explore a little, the Ergobaby carriers give you the option of facing your child outward, or wearing baby on your hip or even on your back. The Ergobaby carrier is so versatile and offers so many different options, it’s impossible for your baby not to find a position that they enjoy as well as continually keeping close to you. With all the colors and designs to choose from, you’ll want all of them. Ergobaby is one of our top registry items. It ranks right up there with the infamous Sophie the Giraffe. Although, Ergobaby just recently released a limited edition carrier that combines both! It’s a Sophie Giraffe carrier that has a small embellished Sophie on the carrier as well as an attached “leash” to help keep Sophie close to the baby without the chances of getting dropped or lost.
What is the most challenging part of owning a retail store? And the most rewarding?
We truly can’t imagine not being in the baby business. It’s been our passion for 29 years now and the feeling we get when newly expectant first-time parents walk in the door is still pure joy! We not only feel proud that they chose us to shop with, but also lucky that they are sharing this exciting time in their lives with us! These are the customers who walk in the store feeling so overwhelmed and by the time they leave, they are feeling a little more educated and a little less stressed. We hope to achieve these goals by sharing with them our experiences, helping to guide them to the products we feel are the most helpful, and just simply answering any questions they may have. Again, we’re building relationships with our customers and value the time we spend with them. We hope we can continue to grow our business form many years to come , and use Baby’s 1st as a platform to grow and build life-long friendships.
Christina is a mama, conservationist, DIY’er, vintage fanatic, dog lover and the Ergobaby director of community.
She is passionate about babies, babywearing, birth, yoga, natural living, and healthy eats. When not online reading and writing about all of the above, she can be found spending time with her daughter, creating their family story in Los Angeles.
