On Passyunk Ave., a children's-wear star was born in 1989
The sisters who run A Star is Born chalk up its longevity to unique clothing and customer service.
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SISTERS Mary Fioravant of South Philly and RoseRita DePiano of Queen Village own A Star is Born, a children's fashion boutique on Passyunk Avenue near Moore Street in South Philly. The store, which opened in 1989, features a variety of clothing but is known for holiday and specialty wear. I spoke with DePiano.
Q: How did you and Mary come up with the idea?
A: We were always looking for clothes for us and [Mary's] daughter, and often the children's departments of stores here didn't have what we were looking for. We visited some nice boutiques in New York and decided to open our own store here. We began in a smaller store on Passyunk and have been at the present location for 20 years.
Q: Startup money?
A: We ordered a small amount of clothing when we opened, but were lucky and got business from the start. We had $25,000 in personal savings, didn't take any pay and kept reinvesting in the business.
Q: The biz model?
A: About 90 percent of the sales are in-store. Websites are complicated and expensive, but people shop online, and it's something we have to work on.
Q: Your inventory?
A: We get stuff primarily at the trade shows in New York. A lot of the companies have sales reps in New York, so if we do find a new line we like, we visit the reps. We have some imports, but most clothing is American-made.
Q: Your most popular items? What do they cost?
A: We have Holy Communion dresses from $100 to $1,000. Last year, we sold about 100 of them. Infant wear for newborns to 2-year-old boys is also popular. The knits are two-piece with a hat, depending on the style, and are $60 to $75. Take-me-home outfits from the hospital are also popular and retail from $43 to $70.
Q: Your customers?
A: I've shipped [Communion dresses] to Boca Raton and a coat to Alaska. We have people who travel from Delaware and Maryland just to come onto the [East Passyunk] Avenue. We have a lot of new repeat customers - the children of the parents are coming now. The original customers were the grandparents. These are people mostly from South Philly, about 75 percent.
Q: What differentiates you from other children's stores?
A: Well, we've been here the longest. Customer service is our top priority. We'll spend just as much time with you whether you buy a $150 Communion dress or a $1,000 couture dress.
Q: How big a biz is this?
A: We did about $150,000 in revenue last year.
Q: Biggest challenge?
A: In the past, there was no Target or A Children's Place. We have to be price-conscious. The challenge is finding nice things that you can't get in Target - at affordable prices.
Online: ph.ly/YourBusiness