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Stories Have Happy Endings

Maria Weiskott -- Gifts and Dec, 7/25/2011 11:03:18 PM

The 4,500 sq. ft. Fruit Heights store has three floors. The ground floor and upstairs consists of retail space; the finished basement is used for arts and crafts classes as well as store events, like birthday parties."TIMING," AS THE SAYING GOES, "IS EVERYTHING." But opening a new business during the Great Recession is not likely the type of timing the axiom's originator had in mind. Doug Clift and his family, however, put more stock in a different adage - "there's no time like the present." So the family opened their toy store Three Little Monkeys, Fruit Heights, UT, in June 2008, even as the worst recession in generations was gathering force.
     In the middle of the Great Recession Doug Clift took a chance and opened Three Little Monkeys - a risk that proved to be fruitful.
     Fortunately, there were positive forces in play as well, thanks to some prudent foresight; and perhaps a bit of fortuitous timing too.
     For one, the Clifts had already purchased a piece of property to build the store on and had even been approved for a construction loan; this just as the economy was taking the deep dive south. The family members had also spent two-and-a-half years creating a business plan they thought was solid, believing there was only one direction for them: forward.
ALEX ALEX     As for the other force, it was the "putting the cart before the horse" strategy, to coin another axiom.
     Three Little Monkeys had actually developed a fairly strong brand even before the first shovel of dirt was lifted at the construction site.
     To gauge community interest in their venture, they launched story hours in the park, Clift said. The story hours drew many kids and parents, and continued at a variety of venues, indoors and out, for a full year before the store opened.

Pent Up Demand
"At the same time, we were building the Three Little Monkeys website. We also produced and distributed a catalog of products we expected to sell," Clift said. In addition, the Clifts began promotion and registration for a series of arts and crafts classes to be held during the store's opening weeks. The classes were booked up in a matter of days.
All of this these efforts, said Clift, created pent up demand. "We had momentum. Our classes were full before we opened our door! And we were inundated with phone calls about the store's opening," he added.

SMART LAB	FIND IT!
MELISSA & D0UG	PUMPANATOR

     When the doors did open, the Clifts felt confident Three Little Monkeys would be successful, recession or no recession.
     In addition to its array of books, arts and crafts, educational products and events schedule, a big draw for the store is its location within a suburban neighborhood. "We're unique because we are smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood," said Clift, adding that the store is just a few houses away from his own residence. "Parents can send their children over by themselves without any fear. We are part of the neighborhood and the neighborhood kids feel comfortable coming in to browse."
    While the Fruit Heights location is clearly a destination store, a second Three Little Monkeys store - yes, a second undertaking in a sinking economy - has a different dimension. Opened in late 2009 in Bountiful, UT, the store is located in a strip mall. This store draws foot traffic from the other businesses in the strip, especially from a neighboring bakery. In addition to selling baked goods, the bakery does a brisk breakfast and lunch trade, which often brings business into the toy store.
     The original location of Three Little Monkeys, however, - its website - can boast of being both a destination and of being highly trafficked as well. The brand also has a Facebook page, which is updated every business day, a Twitter account and a weekly enewsletter. "I'm a big believer in using electronic communication. I want to interact more with our customers and having these digital tools gives us an additional opportunity to do so. The Internet allows us to have a dialogue with our customers. Every opportunity to be in front of my customers is important," adds Clift.

Starting From Scratch
Both stores are divided according to category, rather than by gender. In addition to books, categories include arts and crafts, baby, building, games and outdoor play, among others.     While the Clifts were in the toy business, figuratively speaking, long before their first store was even built, no one in the family had any experience with toys; other than playing with them, that is. Doug Clift, who primarily runs the business with help from his mom, had a career in broadcasting production.
     So when it came to filling the shelves, Clift initially relied on reps and most heavily on the Good Toy Group. At the outset, the focus was on books, based on Doug Clift's love of reading and the virtual store's story hours. "The Group gave us a good start. Now we source by going to ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association)," he says.
     "After three years, we know what our customers are looking for. The biggest thing is price points and the $20 range is the new price point for birthday gifts. It's all about finding the fun thing for $20," Clift says. He adds that customers will pay a little more for their own kids if the product has additional play value.
     While the Great Recession may or may not be over, the Clift's carefully plotted business plan is proving to be a model for success in either case. "You can't focus on the negative news," advises Clift. "You've got to remember that you are in a fun business. Have fun. And help your customers have fun too!"
      Maria Weiskott is the former editor in chief of Playthings and Gifts & Decorative Accessories magazines. She can be contacted at maria.weiskott@ weiskott.com.

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