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Contact: Gabby at gumdropswap @ gmail.com
Press Release for Grand Opening Event 5/22/2010, 12-4pm
Story Suggestions:
Eco-Friendly/Green
GumdropSwap is a unique spin on children's consignment. It is the first online children's clothing swap club, based in Bridgeport, CT. Gabby F. was appalled to discover how many people throw away clothes in great condition and pollute our landfills, especially when so many families are struggling financially. As a new mom, she knew how fast children grow and the strain to keep up with the demand. She devised a way for parents to get rid of the things their kids had outgrown and be able to get "new" clothes with little cost. Consignment and resell shops often only accept certain brands, turning away quality clothing and sending away unsatisfied customers. When parents take clothes to a consignment shop or donate them, they have to spend money to replace those items. GumdropSwap has a minimal membership fee which allows parents to SWAP their unwanted items for credits (called "gumdrops") which they use as currency to shop. If an item shows signs of wear or slight damage, the customer is awarded one credit instead of that item's full value and that item is donated to charity. If an item is not charity-worthy, it is used as scrap fabric to make new apparel, accessories, and quilts. GumdropSwap Couture is a collection of "repurposed" merchandise from salvaged fabric. We choose office supplies made of recycled materials, whenever available and reuse shipping materials to reduce waste.
Saving Money
GumdropSwap is a unique spin on children's consignment. It is the first online children's clothing swap club, based in Bridgeport, CT. especially when so many families are struggling financially. As a new mom, Gabby F. knew how fast children grow and the strain to keep up with the demand. She wanted to find out a way for parents to get rid of the things their kids had outgrown and be able to get "new" clothes with little cost. Consignment and resell shops often only accept certain brands, turning away quality clothing and sending away unsatisfied customers. When someone takes their clothes to a consignment shop, their items are there until they are sold or sometimes until a time limit has been reached. Parents are left with few options. Until GumdropSwap, parents had to spend more money each time their child outgrew a size. GumdropSwap has a minimal membership fee which allows parents to SWAP their unwanted items for credits (called "gumdrops") which they use as currency to shop from an ever-changing inventory of new and like new merchandise. If families have items to swap, they won't spend more money after paying the membership subscription. The membership can also be used as a discount club. Clothing prices range from only $1-$15. Swapping isn't necessary to gain access to these low prices. The online store allows parents to purchase what they need and pay at the end of their transaction like other online retailers, but without the retail prices.
In the Press
April 25, 2010
Quote taken from full article in CT Post: "GumDrop Swap owner Gabby said when she saw the Arcade, "I fell in love with it and I said this is where I want to be."
At GumDrop Swap customers drop off their children's clothing, collect points known as "gumdrops" for each item and use those to acquire clothing of a different size. To swap, customers must pay a low monthly fee.
Years ago, the Bridgeport resident was one of the first tenants of the Read's Artspace building. "It was my first home when I moved to Connecticut," Gabby said. "I know it's safe to live and work here."
February 2010
Pick up your free monthly issue of Natural Awakenings Fairfield County. GumdropSwap is featured in February's issue on page 23 (Fairfield Green section). Here is a link to a digital version of the magazine article.
January 20, 2010
"One whose philosophy asserts that life is sweeter and the planet is healthier when we keep it simple, waste nothing and reinvent just about everything," Jodi Olson, the woman behind the Frugalitarian movement. Gabby F. was a guest on her weekly live web radio show on http://www.toginet.com that she does every Wednesday (4pm EST). Jodi and her co-host give many tips on simple ways to save money. Download the MP3 podcast here (Frugalitarian 1-20-2010) http://toginet.com/podcasts
http://blog.ctnews.com/zahn/
January 5, 2010 at 1:20 pm by David Zahn
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention and that the thought is father to the deed, but those words have never been truer than when applied to parents striving to provide their children with the essentials in this economy. Faced with children that quickly outgrow clothing well before the garments usefulness has been reached, wanting to be socially responsible and not contribute to further waste and pollution, and being mindful of the need to stretch the family budget as far as possible, many parents struggle to succeed on all counts.
Entrepreneur and Mom
Gabby F., a former Design Production Manager for a furniture retailer confronted that problem when her employer was less than thrilled with her starting a family and she believes took the opportunity to use the difficult economy as a reason to sever her ties with her employment. With skills in administration, design, organizational and problem solving skills in her portfolio; she recognized the opportunity to drastically depart from the corporate lifestyle she had been pursuing and create her own business that served the needs of mothers, children, and helped the environment while also meeting the important criteria of helping people save money.
Seeing the business potential in expanding on the consignment store concept and taking it online, she launched, www.gumdropswap.com, in Bridgeport, CT as an internet site that allowed people to trade their children’s clothing in for points that can then be applied to future purchases of clothing in a larger size to accommodate the needs of a growing child. The idea strikes a chord with any parent who has had to part with an article of clothing that still is in good condition, but no longer fits the child. In essence, she had hit upon a business trifecta:
1. Provided a way for parents to clothe their children by leveraging their trade-in clothing that no longer fits, but was still in good condition
2. Allowed parents to reduce the overall expense of clothing their children by redistributing quality clothing at a reduced price from what retail stores would charge for comparable garments
3. Allowed participating families to feel good about not further contributing to pollution or filling landfills by discarding clothing that could still be worn.
Success Has Many Fathers
While the idea seemed like a good one when she considered it, Gabby also realized that it was quite a different challenge to run her own business and to migrate from a brick and mortar retailing environment to one that is reliant on internet transactions. While she was exhilarated at the potential the business could provide, she also knew that the risks were hers alone and if she should fail, she would have to accept all of the accountability. After all, she was investing her own savings into the venture, so she had to be careful about the choices she was to make. To confirm that her decision was a good one, and to prove to herself that she was not in error about the potential for the business; she did a very wise thing; she asked others for their opinions and guidance. Among the things she did to solidify her business idea, was:
• Interviewed acquaintances that previously owned or currently own their own businesses to seek their counsel on what worked and what to avoid.
• Relied on her own basic knowledge of web design for the tasks she could handle, but then sought professional web design support that was both knowledgeable and experienced, as well as affordable
• Spoke with other mothers and fathers – her prospective customer base to assess how they would use the service and what they sought in a business that could help them provide clothing for their families.
By being certain to get as many opinions, experts, and experiences included in her upfront research; Ms. Fludd was able to crystallize her vision and take the steps to increase the likelihood of success. Had she worked alone on her idea, she would have missed some important insights that only were provided because she trial tested the idea with important constituents. A key learning she derived from the experience was the importance of having a well designed website that was easy to navigate, allowed for transactions to be completed simply, and provided product descriptions with sufficient detail so shoppers could make informed choices. Ms. Fludd concedes, “The website was key and I had to find someone I could communicate and collaborate with. The designer proved to be a great asset and even suggested features I never thought were possible.”
Marketing Insights
While opening up a store on the web and selling merchandise is relatively straightforward, what is not nearly as easy to achieve is to build awareness of the site and to drive traffic to the website. Gabby recognized that early on and noted, “it was very important to me to create a business that sold itself because I needed word-of-mouth marketing to build my customer base.” To help create the impetus for people to talk to friends and family about the site, Ms. Fludd purposely kept the subscription price low to make it accessible to everyone. In fact, the question she is asked most often when people see how inexpensive it is to join is, “How do you make money?” By recognizing that she is marketing to people suffering in a recession with unemployment rates soaring, she has offered many families with a reason to share her website address and to speak favorably of their experience in her effort to get them to become advocates for her and to generate excitement for her business.
Recognizing that her own marketing budget would have to be used judiciously, Gabby relied on the use of social networking sites to take advantage of her existing social circles. Her use of those sites led to her finding a supportive online community of fellow “momtrepreneurs” and other small business owners where she was able to share ideas and get some additional direction and insight. Additionally, she has petitioned local child care centers and churches to have them inform parents that the service exists. By building her customer base through this way, she has had controlled growth, but has begun to take on a viral life its of its own.
Another insight that evolved as the business was forming was the recognition that her local customers preferred to visit a physical location and complete purchases on the spot and not have to wait for product to be delivered via the mail. While the immediacy of the purchase is favorable, it presented an issue that she is now addressing; the need for larger space for walk-in customers. What had been originally conceived as an internet business was now evolving into both a web-based business and a seven days a week, by appointment boutique for those within easy reach of the location. As she assesses the potential for the boutique side of the business, she is considering securing retail space and has been talking to the developers that restored the historic Arcade Mall in downtown Bridgeport.
When asked what suggestions she would have for others looking to start their own business, she emphatically replied, “ask for the opinions of potential customers and keep an open mind! Your original idea will likely have to be tweaked a few times, even after you open your business. Its important to have an elevator pitch (2 minute speech) ready when people ask what you do. You may not have time to fully explain a complicated ideas.” Gabby now reflects back on her launching of her business and comments, “I’ve been training for this job my whole life!”
Startup lets parents exchange kids' clothes
Feature in CT Post 12/14/09 http://www.connpost.com/ci_13996370
By Michael C. Juliano
STAFF WRITER
Updated: 12/14/2009 08:26:35 PM EST
As far as Gabby F. is concerned, it's better to swap than it is to buy. That's why the Bridgeport resident recently started Gumdrop Swap, a business where parents can swap their children's clothing for other kids' used clothes. She said she was inspired after hunting for used clothes for her newborn daughter and her relatives' kids.
"For a little while, I was a hub for friends and family," said Gabby, who was laid off a few months ago from her graphic design job at a local furniture company. "I wondered how to make a business out of this."
The business, which began in July with a Web site and a small warehouse full of clothing bought at wholesale, works by assigning points for used clothing brought in by parents. The points are put toward used clothing in Gumdrop Swap's inventory. The business charges a monthly fee of $4.99 to customers who swap clothes through the Web site and mail, and $14.99 a month for one child, plus $3 per additional child for parents who swap iat the hip boutique in downtown Bridgeport, CT.
Parents can save a lot of money on children's clothing through Gumdrop Swap. "They're swapping up for bigger sizes," she said, adding that the business helps keep clothes out of landfills. Gumdrop Swap, which has about 20 online customers and 40 patrons who swap by appointment, carries an ever-evolving inventory of clothes for children ranging from newborn to size 16, Fludd said.
"It's constantly changing," she said. "A lot of children's consignment shops don't accept newborn clothing because they think people won't take them, but I have expectant mothers who will need that stuff." Gabby said she plans to move the business, which carries styles ranging from play clothes to special-occasion items, to a retail space in Bridgeport where the public will be invited to shop.
For now, she said she has been running the business by herself, but her husband, has been offering helpful tips. He's giving me a lot of advice on marketing and not giving up," she said.
Gabby's new business sounds like a great idea, said Paul Timpanelli, chief executive officer of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. "One of the things that makes our economy tick is entrepreneurial inventiveness," he said, adding that the city's retail environment has seen better days but is holding steady. "It's gotten no worse punishment than any other area."
Economic downturns typically give rise to the number of startup companies as laid-off workers still need to support themselves, said Ed Deak, an economics professor at Fairfield University. "It's not unusual to see this," he said, adding that Fludd's business should attract parents in any economy because of the savings potential it offers. "I suspect she'll do well."
Blog Reviews
This Mama Works It Blog 7/25/10 http://thismamaworksit.com/2010/07/25/gumdrop-swap-review-and-giveaway/
Sticky Feet Blog 01/05/10 http://www.stickyfeetreviews.com/2010/01/gumdrop-swap.html
Madame Deals Blog 11/16/09 http://madamedeals.com/2009/11/16/gum-drop-swap-online-childrens-clothes-swap/
Musing Mainiac Blog 11/09/09 http://musingmainiac.blogspot.com/2009/11/gumdrop-swap.html
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