Interviewing the trendy kid boutique: ShopHaven talks to Red Chair Kids

Oct 21, 2010 by Nelly

When you become a parent, your social circle expands to include fellow moms and dads – both new and seasoned. At some point, the topics of conversation move from life experiences and impressions to necessary products and places.

Over the past year or so, the name “Red Chair Kids” has been repeated frequently in the baby-shopping circles around Ottawa. If you’re asking about gift ideas for a baby shower on twitter, someone will undoubtedly write back and say “Go to Red Chair in Westboro”. As soon as you step through the store’s door, you find yourself in the baby and parent equivalent of a giant chic candy store! Expectant ladies circle around to collectively oooh and ahhh over modern cribs, strollers and whatsits. Children poke at the new and shiny toys, while parents read up on the hidden benefits of these products and mentally build together the lives of their kids. Watching this mini child-oriented universe unfold is as much fun to observe as it is to partake in.

After a few shopping trips, both for our personal use and as gifts for our expectant friends , we decided to stop by and chat with the people behind Red Chair Kids. So one Thursday evening, we walked into the store and were greeted by a fun and charming lady who introduced herself – in an evidently British accent – as Sarah Kelly (pictured on the right), one of the two co-owners of Red Chair Kids. Here is our interview.

SH: Who are Red Chair Kids?
Sarah Kelly (SK): Monica (co-owner Monica Gallivan) and I have been friends for ten years. We met on our children’s first day of kindergarten and both of us have husbands that travel for work, so we have a lot in common. We also have four part time staff that help us with the store.

SH: How did the idea come to you?
SK: When our children were younger, we noticed a shortage in Ottawa when it came to unique and interesting baby products. Monica used to get her child’s things from Toronto and I got mine from England. We realized that the lack of a baby boutique shopping experience was an opportunity for us to come in and start something special for parents looking to have modern and chic products for their children. Both of us live in Westboro, so opening a store in our own communities meant that we could reflect ourselves in our stores and the needs of our neighbourhood too.

SH: Why “Red Chair?”
Monica Gallivan (MG): The chair is a little red chair that my sisters and I all played with as kids. The year I turned 40 and opened the store, my sisters very generously gave me the chair as a birthday gift (we are all terribly sentimental so it meant so much to each of us). I used a picture of the chair for our logo and the rest is history! We use it in the store for display every day.

SH: What would you say sets you apart from other baby stores?
SK: The store started with the idea of helping people, so it would definitely be customer service. We take the extra step to make sure our clients are happy and satisfied. They come back and shop again, and that’s when we know we’ve done a good job. Quality and variety set us apart too. We like to support local artisans, Canadian manufacturers and items that are well-made and different.

Monica and I also enjoy creating our own front window displays. We put a lot of our personalities into pulling them together, and sometimes we receive emails from people telling us whether they love a particular display. That’s our artistic contribution to the community.

SH: How do you pick the merchandise you choose to sell in the store?
SK: Like any business, we have suppliers that send us merchandise to look at, so we pick the items that we both agree upon. We also like to support our community by selling the products of local artists; sometimes we get walk-ins that show us their work and if we both fall in love with it we carry the product. For instance, one day Romy Belcher – an artist and a customer – came in and said “I have some art pieces, would you like to look at them?” And now we’re selling them in the store.

SH: What do you think is the next hot thing in children products?
SK: Organic items will continue to be popular as many parents are reading up on the benefits and coming in asking for these products. Our clients are usually educated parents that choose to have children a little later in their lives, so they do lots of research and look for organic and locally- made products for their children.
MG: I agree. The future of baby and kid products is in “organic”. I feel that over time the price will become more affordable and less of a luxury item, as parents will demand and expect only the safest products for their children.

SH: What are your future plans? Do you plan on opening more stores?
SK: We certainly have public demand with people asking us to open a Red Chair Kids in other locations. So yes, we’ll be looking to expand while maintaining focus on integrity and quality.

SH: What is your most favourite item in the store?
SK: I can’t pick just one! I love the Grace Nursery Designs Chair (made in Toronto). It’s comfortable, well-made and looks great. After you’re done with the chair in the nursery, you can add it to your living room and it will fit right in.
I also like the Bla Bla Dolls, and they’re made by a women’s cooperative in Peru.
I love Petunia Picklebottom bags; they don’t look like typical diaper bags and they have a fold out change pad at the bottom.

Finally, I like the Uppababy stroller. It has both the bassinet and stroller pieces, and is cost effective for new parents.

SH: What’s the best advice you can give new parents or those buying gifts for expecting parents?
SK: I honestly say first buy a couple of key items. For new parents, I recommend a good stroller and an organic mattress. Everything else you can live with after the baby is born. If an organic mattress is too expensive, get the organic pad. And use common sense when purchasing. Listen to yourself and what your child needs, sometimes it’s as simple as sitting with them and reading a book. Enjoy your baby.

SH: Finally, if you were an animal, what would you be?
SK: A dog, because I love them!
MG: I would have to choose a cheetah; they protect their young and are so fast and graceful!

SH: Thank you for taking the time to meet with us!

The next time you go looking for a gift or an item for your own child, we suggest you give Red Chair Kids a try. We all know Westboro boutiques are usually associated with expensive merchandise, and the beautiful facade of Red Chair Kids only helps reinforce that perception. But once you start looking around the store, you’ll note that there are many products offered at a wide range of prices to give customers as many choices as possible. We also noticed that some of the items carried by Chapters and Toys R us are available at the same price at Red Chair Kids, which tells us they follow recommended pricing as set by the manufacturer.

However, the really great thing about Red Chair Kids is the consistently strong customer service. During our numerous shopping trips, we received excellent and informed advice on products and noticed how attentive and caring the staff were; looking after every shopper’s need and taking into account the little things that matter like opening and holding the door for parents with strollers. Plus, they have parking at the back of the building, which in Westboro is a rare luxury!

ShopHaven Tip: If you’re expecting a child, Red Chair offers a registry as well as gift certificates (a little detail Natasha would have loved to know about before she had Baby H).

Red Chair Kids is located at:
1318 Wellington Street West (parking available behind the building)
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 3B7
(613) 798-5437
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10-5:30 Sunday 12-5

For the record, if Nelly was an animal she would be a giraffe. If Natasha had to choose, she would go with “monkey”.