Interview With GumDrop Lane's - Erin Ruane

Tell us about Gum Drop Lane;
Gumdrop Lane is a mommy-owned and operated online boutique featuring new and used apparel, accessories and gifts for girls up to size 6 and boys up to size 4T. We have been in business for two-and-a-half years. We carry new merchandise from names such as Tralala, Knuckleheads, Baby Nay, Kissy Kissy and Punkster and used merchandise from upscale brands as well as mall brands. You can find terrific deals on items starting at $1! We are based in Virginia Beach, Va.

What made you start this unique web site?
I knew there were other parents and grandparents who, like me, enjoyed shopping for both new and used items for the kids in their lives. I had always shopped consignment stores yet I had no problem paying retail for a really unique piece that I knew would be a standout on my daughter. So, I thought the offerings on the web at the time offering either new OR used weren’t offering the kind of one-stop convenience shoppers like me would appreciate. I launched GumdropLane.com as the first online boutique offering both new AND used in one store to better serve this customer base.

Love the name; any significance behind it?
Candy Land was always my favorite game as a kid so I thought it would sort of invoke fun images of childhood and be a natural fit from a marketing standpoint. It’s given me lots of inspiration in terms of the look and feel of both the logo and the site itself.

How do you find the items you sell on the site?
I travel to market several times a year and buy directly from the manufacturers in order to stock the new department. For the used department, I buy directly from parents who are interested in selling their little ones’ clothing and accessories to me. We all have those things that were the wrong size or the wrong season or are still in great condition even though they were worn a few times. Many of the used items on Gumdrop Lane still have the tags on them.

Is it just clothes?
GumdropLane.com sells clothes, accessories such as hair bows and gift items such as blankets and bibs.

Do you ship all over the world?
GumdropLane.com currently ships to the U.S. and Canada.

Any plans for the future of Gum Drop Lane that you can share with us?
Lots of fun things in store, but you’ll have to stay tuned for all the great details.

I noticed you won an award...tell us about that.
We were thrilled when one of our customers nominated us for a “Best Baby Website” and we won!

Anything else you would like to add?

We offer free shipping for orders over $99. We have two BIG sales each year with a minimum of 60% off every item in the store. Our Winter Sale begins this week! We are active on Facebook and Twitter, which are two great places to go for special announcements and coupon codes from GumdropLane.com and you can follow all the latest at our blog; http://GumdropLane.com/blog. Check out GumDrop Lane at; http://www.gumdroplane.com/