Business Shout Out - Velveteen Rabbit
The Velveteen Rabbit is a children’s clothing store that sells premium, high quality goods that ranges from furniture, children’s books, clothing, and more! Diana Wand, the owner, has been in Business over 30 years at various locations, and we are happy that they have found their current residence at Bridgeport!
Check out a snippet of our interview with her here; you can read the rest on the Bridgeport Website through the link in our bio!
What inspired you to start Velveteen Rabbit and what was your initial vision?
When I was growing up, there was a little children’s shop that had the most beautiful clothes. My mom would take me in, I’d try it on, and it just made you feel so special. That’s the feeling I wanted to give people when I opened the store!
Can you share the story behind how you came up with the name/logo for your business?
Velveteen Rabbit was my son’s favorite book. He just dearly loved it, and I thought it would be perfect for the store!
What are the biggest challenges you faced in the early days, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge that I had was back when I first opened the store in 1992, when we sold new and gently worn clothes. Consignment stores just weren’t around then!
How has your business evolved since its inception, and what are some of the key milestones you’re proud of?
When I first opened the store it was strictly clothing. We’ve now brought in furniture! Our furniture is high quality, forever furniture that you can hand down for generations, just like everything else that we sell. It’s good for the environment to sell items that will last.
What’s your favorite product/service, and why?
(Robin Cooper, store manager) “Baby clothes! Everything that we sell has to feel good. Our clothes are made of the most high quality fabric, with finished seams so that nothing itchy is ever next to the baby. We carry the best cottons from Peru, Pima Cotton. There’s nothing that compares!
(Diana Wand) Furniture furniture furniture! I’m from High Point North Carolina, so a passion for furniture and design has always been a big part of my life.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects about running your business?
You’re only as good as your customer service. That’s why we only carry the highest quality brands, and why we offer complimentary gift wrapping for all purchases!
We see people come in, and we’ve been able to dress their children, grand-children, even great grandchildren! We’ve made lifelong friends with our customers. We’ll have people who move out of town, and who will still come back. The economy has not always been so great, and we always try to weather that, but the people who we meet and connect with make it worth it.