Paige Fitzgerald of The Lilypad in Rehoboth Beach, DE

The Fitzgerald family and The Lilypad children’s boutique go way back. Known as Susy K when it opened in 1984, the kids’ store has been a Delaware staple for families in search of the coolest duds for little guys and gals—which is why Paige Fitzgerald and her mother, Gayle, often stopped by the shop. And several years later, Gayle made her way into the store, which carries brands like Angel Dear, Eliane et Lena and Lemon Loves Line, as a part-time employee. Three years ago, when the then-owner was ready to unload the business, Gayle and Paige decided to team up and buy. And the mother-daughter dynamic is “awesome,” Paige says. “I love it,” she continues. “She has a whole different skill set than I do. She fills in the gaps. It’s nice to have the eye of both a grandmother and a young mother.”

—Samantha Sciarrotta

What are your bestselling brands for baby?
We sell Kissy Kissy striped playsuits in every color and size, as well as a lot of Le Top Baby.

What are your bestselling styles and brands for boys’ and girls’ apparel?
Appaman, Billabong, Quiksilver and Le Top.

How about toys?
We sell a lot of Kid O’s Magnatabs, Melissa & Doug sticker sets and Cubebots.

What has been the best new brand added to your store’s mix in the past year?
Appaman has been doing well in boys and girls.

What is your store’s go-to brand and why?
We do a lot with Tea. For customers looking for a good price and good mix and match pieces, we can always count on Tea.

What are you bestselling accessories?
Since we’re by the beach we sell a lot of sea-themed Charm It! charms. We can’t keep Bling2.0 goggles or Gamago’s Starbucks-themed sippy cups in the store. Chewbeads sell well, as well as Bows Art and Lily & Momo.

How have spring sales fared so far?
So far this year, numbers are good. It seems like we have fewer people, but they are spending more money per person, so the numbers are lining up and we’re happy with that. With babies and kids, people seem to be willing to spend more money on good gifts or a solid winter coat.

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?
The Internet. A lot of people come in, take pictures of a product and then go home to find it online. We try to work with brands who have stuff you can’t get online, and we’re doing pretty well.

What’s the best part of your job?
I always love seeing the smile on a kid’s face when they try things on. I feel so happy.