M*b*tweens relocation offers opportunity for change

New products, a customer incentive program and a revamped Web site are all in the works to provide customers with what owner Mandy Britton, 28, calls “an experience” rather than just shopping.

The store’s Web site at www.mbtweens.com is undergoing a redesign, with the possibility of e-commerce features being added.

Britton is in the process of adding to the store’s inventory, with items for birthday gifts, bedroom décor and possibly bedding.

“It’s almost like a new store and we have a new image as far as we’ve dropped some of the other lines that we used to carry and picked up some new ones,” she said.

Details of the customer incentive program have not yet been finalized, but Britton is considering ways to expand on the previous incentive program.

“In the past we have done m*b*tweens shopper cards where when you spend so much money you get a discount in the end. This time we want to make it a loyalty program,” she said. “We want to offer them things other than just discounts.”

Possibilities include VIP nights with sneak peeks of the new season’s fashions, special promotions and free gifts.

“Our grand opening is set for the week of Sept. 27 through Oct. 1, so we’re going to have to have it nailed down by then,” Britton said.

Expanding her customer database is another priority.

The current system keeps track of customer contact information and purchase history.

“We want to take it a step further and build a customer file based on the child. …We want the girls to come in and fill out a card that talks all about them – the sports they enjoy, the clothing they like, the styles they like, … the colors they like that they’ve decorated their bedroom in.” Relatives and friends would then be able to make purchases based on the child’s profile.

“We want (customers) to be able to give them a gift that says, ‘This is a personal gift. This is all about you. You’re going to love it and I know it because these girls that work at m*b*tweens know you, they know your style and they know what you like,’” Britton said.

Britton’s original location was in French Quarter next door to Jellybeans, a shop offering clothing and furniture for babies and children, owned by her two aunts, Patsy Powell and Nancy Wade. Both stores made the move to Battlefield Marketplace, with m*b*tweens opening Sept. 1.

“Our lease was up, for one thing, and we had seen this center and just feel like there’s going to be a lot more traffic in this area,” Britton said.

A desire for more visibility with the move from two-lane Republic Road to four-lane Battlefield was another reason for the move.

“We’ve had people come in and say, ‘We had no idea you were here.’ There are still people in town that don’t know about us and we want them to know about us,” she said.

Since the new store’s debut, Britton said sales have increased by 22 percent compared to the same time last year.

The new store increases m*b*tweens’ size by 50 square feet to a total of 1,750 square feet. Britton declined to share previous or current rent rates, but said that the rent increased by about $2.50 per square foot compared to the previous location.