Beloved by locals and tourists alike, Asheville, NC’s premier children’s store is going into its 10th year of business. Brenda Youngblood opened William & Grace at the suggestion of her daughter, who saw a void in the children’s market when she returned home after living in Atlanta. Named after Brenda’s grandchildren, the store has prospered […]
Beloved by locals and tourists alike, Asheville, NC’s premier children’s store is going into its 10th year of business. Brenda Youngblood opened William & Grace at the suggestion of her daughter, who saw a void in the children’s market when she returned home after living in Atlanta. Named after Brenda’s grandchildren, the store has prospered over the last decade and Earnshaw’s had the opportunity to discuss what makes the cash register ring at William & Grace.–Lauren Fusilier
Q: Who is your typical customer? A: Grandmothers! We love grandmothers because they’re the ones who have the money to spend on their grandkids. We have a broad client base, but grandmothers are our best customers.
They love us because we are very traditional, we have classic traditional clothing and they’re very happy to see that it’s still available. We sell smocking, wool coats with velvet collars and brother and sister matching outfits. And we monogram everything.
Q: How has business been so far this year? A: Business is very good this year. We’re one of those stores that every year is better than the last year. We are always up 5 to 8 percent each year–business just gets better and better.
Q: What are your hottest sellers? A: My biggest seller is a line called Kaloo–they do bunnies and bears and that is my number one selling baby gift. Part of the reason it’s so big is because we monogram the ear and they come in a hatbox.
My smocking is really big, too. I have quite a few customers in New York or on the West Coast who can’t find the kind of smocking we carry so they call here and we ship it to them.
Q: What are your highest selling brands? A: Bailey Boys is huge, Anavini, Claire & Charlie–all of the smocked lines. I typically buy only hand-smocked clothing because it just looks better.
Q: What do you think it is that keeps your customers coming back? A: The service–we offer really good service. We ship anywhere. We gift wrap. We personalize lots of items. And people just love the quality of what we offer. People visit the town and stop in and find things they can’t get anywhere else, and then will call looking for things after they’ve left. We do sales over the phone all of the time and we ship several packages every week.
Q: What’s the best part of your job? A: Selling to the customer. It’s fun. It’s a fun job. I love being with the public. And going to market is second–it’s fun to pick out clothes that you think will be big in the coming season.
Leave a Comment: