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Pamela DiCapo of Lauren Alexandra in Kansas City, MO

With a brand new website just launched and her first-ever online registry waiting in the wings, Pamela DiCapo, owner of Lauren Alexandra boutique, is feeling pretty good about this year. What’s more, the store celebrates its 20th anniversary in October. It all started with DiCapo’s desire to find a hand-painted children’s table back in 1994. […]

With a brand new website just launched and her first-ever online registry waiting in the wings, Pamela DiCapo, owner of Lauren Alexandra boutique, is feeling pretty good about this year. What’s more, the store celebrates its 20th anniversary in October. It all started with DiCapo’s desire to find a hand-painted children’s table back in 1994. That evolved into Lauren Alexandra, named after her two daughters, who were 7 and 4 at the time. “In our first week, we had this beautiful window with a white and gold crib,” she remembers. “Nobody around here had every seen anything like that before.” Now, the shop offers a wide selection of furniture, as well as blankets, clothing, accessories, shoes, toys, gifts and even an interior decorating service, which DiCapo notes is being expanded upon as part of the anniversary re-launch. —Samantha Sciarrotta

What are some of your bestselling brands?
RuffleButts and EyeCandy do great. Mayoral is a huge line that I cherry pick, and Persnickety is another line that people can’t get enough of.

Do you sell baby gear? Why or why not?
We sell a lot of furniture from Newport Cottages in several different looks. It’s a really beautiful, clean collection. My natural tendency is to go with anything white and cream. I also love mixing something like an iron crib with a rustic changing table and a big fluffy rug. There are just a million different ways to do it all.

What kind of toys do you offer?
There is a toy store right on our street, so not much, but we do sell Hape’s beautiful kitchen setups.

What’s been the best brand you’ve added in the last year?
Tiny Universe, a European line that is so stinkin’ cute. We carry a lot of the European brands. Emma Levine has been great, too, as well as Catimini.

Do you have a go-to brand?
In any of the European lines, the colors are divine and the details are juicy. We also do a ton of layette, and KicKee Pants is my favorite. Magnificent Baby, Purebaby and Angel Dear are so great, too.

What kind of accessories do you offer?
I’m an accessories fiend. Sugarboo Designs has delightful wooden prints. We’re carrying Old Soles shoes for fall. They’re soft, delicate and simple with amazing quality. I also love hair accessories. We sell a lot of handmade, local items, but we also do the typical Wee Ones, Baby Bling and Tutu Du Monde, which I absolutely love. Of course, Aden + Anais swaddling blanket and Little Giraffe luxe blankets fly out the door.

How have sales fared so far this year?
I would say that we’re pretty steady. There hasn’t been any great increase. I think that’s because we didn’t have a website and an online registry presence. Now that friends and relatives can see the registry online, I think we’re definitely going to see a boost in sales.

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