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  • Gregory R. Norfleet/Register-News

    Designer Kids
October 7, 2006

Designer Location: New spot increases store's traffic

By GREGORY R. NORFLEET

gregory.norfleet@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Since opening at its new location a month ago, Designer Kids has seen a lot more customers.

Owner Holly Hutton thinks location is the key.

“It’s more visible, so there’s more traffic,” she said. “Everybody really loves the store and what they did with it.”

“They” is Swanson Property Management, which originally fixed up the location with the idea of turning it into a pool hall.

“I fell in love with the outside of the store,” Hutton said.

Hutton’s consignment shop moved from North Ninth Street to the corner of South Ninth Street and Jordan Avenue, only a couple of blocks away but close to the 9th Street Grill, a relatively new yet hot lunch spot in downtown Mt. Vernon.

She bought the business back in June. Hutton had been a frequent customer and learned the owner was selling it. The business mostly sells babies and children’s clothing and toys, cribs and women’s and juniors’ causal clothing.

But Hutton won’t sell just anything in her 2,000 square feet. She will only accept quality items in nearly new condition.

“I’ll take things that are too good to be thrown away or sold in a rummage sale,” she said, an idea she got from high-end consignment stores in the St. Louis area. “That’s what we’re going for.”

After moving the business, she added a play area to keep younger children busy while moms shop.

Hutton is the only full-time employee, but her husband, Mike Ogle, pitches in when he can and Hutton occasionally brings in part-time help. Her husband is a graphics designer by trade and designed the store’s logo, she said.

Hutton had been an accountant for years before spending six years at home as a full-time mom. She said that when she and her husband moved to the area to be closer to family, she considered opening a used book shop.

“I wanted a business here in town,” she said.

She found herself stepping into the consignment shop business instead, but is dedicating some extra shelf space to realize part of that bookstore dream. An entire wall will hold romance novels and mainstream women’s fiction.

“Sometimes things just click,” she said.

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