Byline: Michele Conklin Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
Some parents pen poems or paint pictures after having a baby.
Lauren Goldberg sewed baby clothes.
That spurt of creativity has since grown into a $2 million children's clothing manufacturing and retailing business. Fittingly, the Louisville-based company is named after the child who inspired the venture - Ava Kids.
``With my other children, I learned how to sew for kids but not enough to do designs,'' Goldberg said. ``With Ava, I knew immediately what to do and I started making her clothes. My friends wanted to know where I got them and it snowballed.''
The snowball rolled quickly. This weekend, Ava Kids - which recently decided to sell its clothing only at its own stores - will open its fourth Denver-area store at 2510 S. Colorado Blvd. The company is close to signing a deal to open its fifth local store this fall in the new Park Meadows mall.
Ava's clothing popularity stems largely from its fabrics and styling. All of the clothes are 100% cotton - a feature that was unique when the company started in 1986. The fabrics typically sport prints that are more common to junior clothing.
Prices are moderate (a jumper sells for $16.95) and the pieces mix and match within groupings. Most importantly, the pieces are functional. A baby jumper, for instance, features a zipper down the inside seams to allow for easy diaper changing.
``A priority for me is that the clothing work well,'' said Goldberg, the creator of the clothing, who leaves the business side of the company to her husband and business partner, Hershel.
``It has to fit the baby or the child comfortably because that makes them happier. And it has to be practical. Then I have fun making it cute. I try to have a sense of humor while achieving the other goals.''
Ava Kids stopped selling to other stores after its fall line. Wholesaling was getting too cumbersome and it put too much distance between the company and its customers, the Goldbergs said.
``Wholesale is a very tough game,'' said Hershel Goldberg. ``We realized we knew what the retailers wanted and what the reps wanted, but we didn't know what our customers wanted anymore. Our strength is getting goods into the hands of moms.''
An increasing number of children's clothing manufacturers are opening their own stores, said Jim Girone, editor of Earnshaw's, a trade publication that covers the apparel industry.
Children's clothing ranks third in sales behind women's and men's apparel, so retailers often don't give enough attention to this segment to please manufacturers. As retailers consolidate, manufacturers are finding fewer places to sell their products.
``Venues for wholesellers to sell goods are thinner because of consolidation,'' Girone said. ``As retail consolidates, it's forcing manufacturers to rethink the way they're doing business.''
Children's clothing rings up about $23 billion a year in sales in the United States. Like all apparel, it has slumped in recent years, barely keeping pace with inflation.
National manufacturers and retailers - such as Osh Kosh, GapKids and Gymboree - along with discount retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Target, dominate the industry. But the market is always ready to support a new idea, Girone said.
Ava Kids competes with stores such as GapKids, but the Goldbergs also see their products as complementary. Parents who buy Gap Kids and Gymboree clothing will most likely buy Ava Kids as well, they say.
``We're all different but compete for the same shopper,'' said Hershel Goldberg. ``Gymboree specializes in primary colors. Gap is basics and denim. Our niche is sophisticated fabrics mixed in fun ways.''
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Lauren Goldberg intends for her Ava Kids clothes to be comfortable, practical and cute.
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