Upscale baby clothes key to East Brainerd shop

photo Staff Photo by Ellis Smith/Chattanooga Times Free Press Breanne Callais, owner of Little Presch on East Brainerd Road, sells upscale clothes for children. The store also carries a selection of popular gifts, including bows and bibs.

* Name: Little Presch

* Location: 7550 East Brainerd Road, in the Concorde Center

* Products/services: Proprietor Breanne Callais sells clothing that fits children from when they're newly born up through size six in both boys and girls. She also carries designer gifts such as bags, blankets, bows, bibs and burp cloths. The clothing, which is designed for situations from everyday wear to special occasions, runs from about $10 to $70.

* Age: Opened in June 2010

* Startup investment: Getting the store fully-stocked and opening the doors cost about $40,000.

* Annual sales: Callais expects revenue of about $100,000 for her first year in business.

* Target market: "Grandmas, because they like to spoil the kids and spend a bit more on nicer stuff," she said.

* Biggest hurdle: The recession has resulted in the proliferation of low-cost alternatives, making it more difficult to market her somewhat upscale baby paraphernalia.

* Biggest reward: Her favorite part of operating the store has been getting to know customers one-on-one, she said. Customers will often come in and ask if she has any of the types of products they like, and they'll often buy it on the spot when she shows them.

* Challenges in the future: She still needs to work on figuring out what price points and brands are best for the East Brainerd area as she continues to adjust her inventory mix to fit demand.

* Lesson learned: She previously operated a store in Louisiana and learned from that experience that she needed to avoid overstocking the store in order to remain profitable. Keeping only the most popular items in stock avoids heavy discounting, on which she makes no money, she said.

* Five-year goal: To expand her existing customer base while retaining current customers

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