At Small Frys, Preemies Come First

When Carol Yenne’s grandson was born prematurely, weighing only 2 lbs 11 oz, this San Francisco granny realized it was time to make hard-to-find preemie outfits readily available for other families. At her store, Small Frys, she now offers a variety of sweet clothing collections, designed for babies weighing 2 pounds and up. The preemie collections are from Coccoli, Kissy Kissy Preemie, Petite Bateau and Le Top. At Small Frys, they know that when babies come early, having comforting little outfits can make a big difference.

How did you get started in children’s retail?

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I came to San Francisco in 1970 from Montana (via a year in New York City) and went to work for Levi Strauss & Co. I had a wonderful career of 20 years in operations, merchandising and consumer affairs that even included working on the 1984 Olympics. In 1991 the baby store in my neighborhorhood of San Francisco was up for sale and I decided that it would be a good time in my life to have a business close to my home and family and decided to give it a try. The President of Levi Strauss advised me to try and buy my building, which I was able to do a year later.

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What was your background prior to this business?

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Working for an international garment company which gave me the understanding of the chain of wholesale and retail as well as a basic understanding of fabrics, styles and turn which is essential for stores.

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What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting up?

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The biggest challenge was not appreciating the time and energy running a small business takes. It is truly a 7-day-a-week job.

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What is one thing you would have done differently?

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I don’t think I would have done anything differently. I made some mistakes, like overbuying product in the first years, but felt like I learned from those mistakes and do a better job now.

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What do you feel are the three biggest keys to your success?

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I think the biggest keys to my success are:
1. The support of my husband, who pitched in during the long days from October through December.
2. I had some financial resources from my previous job to invest, so I didn’t have to borrow money to start up
3. I lived in the neighborhood where my store is so I understand the demographics and needs of my customers.

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How do you evaluate and choose new product lines to pick up?

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I continue to go back to the sales reps and showrooms that I have used for 18 years because I trust and value their opinions. I try and go to one out of town show per year, either Las Vegas, New York or Los Angeles so I can get a broad perspective of trends and styles and new products.

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What types of marketing are most effective for your business?

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Word of mouth is always the most important thing, but also local advertising and niche advertising.

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Do “green” or eco-friendly concerns weigh into your business decisions?

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We have seen a big demand for organic clothing and other items, particularly for newborns.

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What is one trend you’re currently seeing with customers?

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Customers are more conscience of where the products come from and what they are made of. They are looking for style and fabrication and function but also more globally concerned.

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How does your business make use of the Internet?

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We have a Web page that has helped us. We don’t take orders on the site but do use it to advertise national brand items or top sellers for people who search on the Internet.

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What is one change/addition that’s had a positive impact for your business?

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My daughter came to work with me about 8 years ago and that has given me a partner in the business. She is now the manager and a true partner in buying and running the store. My other daughter just started working with us this year so I feel like it really is a family-owned business and hope some day to step back and watch the business continue to help support our family.

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If you had one piece of advice for someone entering children’s retail today, what would it be?

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Be prepared for hard work and happiness you don’t find working for someone else.

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About Small Frys

Small Frys is a baby and children’s store in the urban village neighborhood of Noe Valley in San Francisco. The store has served the community since 1984 with functional, hip and fun clothing and accesories and baby items. Customers know that they will get good customer service and experienced help if they shop at the store. Whether looking for the latest items or oldest and most respected clothing brands and accessories, customers are likely to find them at Small Frys.

In additoin to the specialty collections for preemies, they carry California-brands in larger sizes for babies and toddlers, including Tea and Le Top, cachcach and City Threads, as well as European lines, including Catimini and Petite Bateau. Canadian brands include Krickets, Petite Lem and Kushies, organic lines including Sage Creek, I play, Under the Nile, and Kate Quinn. Accessories include organic tights from Country Kids and Babysoy socks.

They also carry locally designed recycled Green Toys and Sprig Toys, hip rock star one-pieces and T-shirts from Zion Roots , hip socks from Me In Mind and Trumpette and trendy clothes from Knuckleheads and Hula Mula.

For new moms, Small Frys stocks nursing bras from Bravado and Bella Bands. Other essentials include items from Angel Dear, and Zutano.

Open 7 days a week, www.smallfrys.com

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