On A Roll

Just looking inside one of the two Between Scene boutiques will instantly give you an idea of who the stores target. Brightly colored walls, skate- and surf-inspired décor, ongoing Xbox competitions and runway photos projected onto flatscreen TVs prove irresistible lures for tween shoppers. This youthful, exciting vibe is exactly what owner Mary

Kubera had in mind when she launched the Baton Rouge, La., store five years ago, and she has carried the same energy and enthusiasm over to Dallas, where she opened a second location 18 months ago.

“My vision was to make a tween store they could relate to that was fun and vibrant,” Kubera said. To tap into what kids want, she enlisted the help of her son, who was 8 at the time. He suggested video games as a way to entice would-be shoppers who spied the graphics through the windows, and he continues to advise on which brands and styles are hitting with his peers.

In general, Kubera has found success whenever she consults the youngsters in her store. She spends lots of time on the sales floor interacting with her young customers, chatting them up about what they like and why. She’s even instituted a Fashion Board, a group of girls that meets twice a month to share their opinions on what’s hot and what’s not. In return, they walk away with a goodie bag and discounts on clothing, as well as a sense of store ownership.

With help from these budding style mavens, Kubera stocks top sellers like Splendid, Ella Moss, Flowers by Zoe and J Brand. Generally speaking, her customers shy away from fussy styles in favor of simpler looks, but because they love labels, she tries to stock as many name brands as possible. Kubera also wants the store to be inclusive. “We sell True Religion but we also sell Tractor,” she said. “We try to offer a variety of price points to make it a place where almost any tween can shop.”

Since tween girls have “very busy social lives,” Kubera noted the dresswear category is very important at Between Scene. She stocks up on special occasion apparel suitable for cotillions, bat mitzvahs and birthday parties from lines like Un Deux Trios, Blush and Sister Sam. Kubera said she would like to see even more age-appropriate special occasion wear. Given the market she serves, she feels as if she’s always walking a tightrope between offering looks that girls won’t find babyish and winning moms’ approval.

For fall, Kubera is returning to her original strategy of stocking sizes 7 to 14 for girls and 8 to 20 for boys. For the past two years, she had brought in girls’ 4 to 6X due to customer demand. However, “We’re so strong in tween that people didn’t know we carried the smaller sizes,” she reported. Kubera would like to see more lines—both casual and dressy—continue their run through size 16. “We have girls who are 10 or 11 who have already outgrown our store,” she said. “It’s tough for moms who have nowhere else to go.”

Though Kubera has downsized her boys’ department over the years, she said she has found some success with dresswear. “Customers might go somewhere else for casual wear, but they will spend more on a nice blazer, slacks or shirt,” she said, adding that Ike Behar is her go-to label, while Quiksilver, Volcom and Element rule the casual selection.

Today, Between Scene stores make for a kid’s one-stop shop, a place where tweens will find everything from underwear to shoes. But Kubera admitted that she had initially underpurchased one important area: gifts. Over time, “I added more accessories because the kids come in looking for birthday gifts,” she said, noting their target price point is about $20 to $25. Jewelry and scarves are the hot items right now, and bright necklaces, Silly Bandz bracelets and customizable Popochos watches are also flying off the shelves.

Between Scene recently instituted another way to capture birthday excitement. The stores now host Fashion and Friends parties for the birthday girl and nine of her friends, at which they can participate in a fashion show, sing karaoke, nibble on snacks and receive party favors. The store also compiles wish lists so friends and family can find a perfect gift for every occasion.

“I love the age we’re working with because they’re so impressionable. It’s our job to make sure it’s fun,” Kubera said. “I love dressing these kids and seeing their happy faces and having them feel beautiful or handsome and confident.”

Kubera knows some people thought it was a little crazy to open a second location at the end of 2008 when the economy had bottomed out, but she was sure her formula for attracting a tween crowd would be embraced in Dallas. “I’m very aware of the economy, but when I shop for my customers, I have to think about what they would want,” she said. “If they like it, the moms are willing to buy it as long as the quality is there and it meets a need. Price is secondary.” —Caletha Crawford