We spoke to Audrey Lasry of Pampered Tot the on line boutique for everything baby related (except clothing) with the best customer service experience.
What inspired you to start your shop?
Having our first child, we spend so much time, money, and energy trying to find the best products for the best prices. The Internet was the obvious place, but items proved difficult to find, customer service was lacking, and delivery times were long. With these frustrations, we set out to create a store that offered the best products, with the highest quality, in every category. We packaged this together with same day order fulfillment and responsive 24-hour customer service.
How long have you been in business?
Pampered Tot has been operating since 2004.
How did you come up with your store’s name?
Who doesn’t have one? The name just seemed right.
Do you have a physical store as well?
Pampered Tot is available only on line. We have a physical space, which serves as a showroom by appointment only.
What categories do you cover?
We carry everything from bottles to Bugaboos! We have over 450 products on our website. The only category that we chose not to cover is clothing. Without standardized clothing sizes, “buying before trying” leads mostly to unhappy customers and a flurry of returns.
Sum up your store’s style and sensibility in one sentence.
Pampered Tot is a one-stop shop for the best baby stuff from around the world, in every major category.
Who is your ideal customer? What age range do you cater to?
We cater to parents and those who are expecting soon! We are not main stream, but prefer to call ourselves up “upscale internet boutique”.
What are the hot trends this season you’re excited about? Which trends are a hit with your customers? Tell us about your favorite pieces this season.
The hot trend these days is, generally, “spending on baby stuff”. It seems that fashion and status has hit our market, as parents are lining up to spend $1,000 on a stroller, and over $400 for bedding. We are among the top Bugaboo Stroller retailers in the nation. So, I would have to say that Bugaboo is our hottest brand right now. Dwell Baby bedding and Kushies toys are a close second and third, respectively.
Pick 3 of your favorite brands you carry – How did you decide to offer these 3 brands?
We carry over 49 brands. They are all our favorites. We don’t carry anything that we wouldn’t or haven’t used ourselves. We have a long list of criteria that we ask of our vendors before we represent any particular brand. We don’t only concentrate on what’s popular. Quality, vendor customer service, timely delivery and product availability also top the list.
What are your top selling brands and products?
Bugaboo: Cameleon, Frog Strollers, Dwell Baby Crib Sets, Kushies, all toys.
What’s next for your store?
We have been fortunate enough to grow at a rate of 25% per month. While in this hyper growth stage, our focus is on servicing our customers. There is an enormous amount of competition out there, none of which seem to care about the customer after their credit card number has been entered. With exceptional customer service, we are giving people what they are currently lacking; a personalized shopping experience on the internet.
What is the average order total?
$325.
What products do you carry that celebrity babies and parents have/use?
The list is long, so I will limit mine to the top five. Bugaboo Strollers, Baby Jar Blankets, Bibs, and Burpies Dwell Baby Crib Sets, Selecta Toys, Ergo Baby Carriers.
Can you tell us about any celebrity clients and what they have ordered?
We have many celebrity clients, being a Santa Monica based company. We prefer not to mention names.
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