She’s baaaack! Stella Myers, founder of Stellie Bellies Kiddie and Maternity Resale Boutique, is back in the stores. Ok, okay, truthfully she was never really gone; she has been in the background focusing her time on the big picture of expanding her business, by branching out into franchise locations. She, along her husband and partner Mike Myers, added their first franchise this February in Trinity, FL to the family of stores in St Petersburg and Palm Harbor. And now, just like the families her stores serve, she is delighted to walk through the front doors again to share time with store employees and customers.
Myers opened for business 14 years ago! At the time she was pregnant with her first child and noticed a problem in our community. It was nearly impossible to find maternity clothes and baby goods that were high quality without breaking the budget at department stores or spending hours hunting through thrift stores and garage sales. Myers felt there had to be an alternative to spending a lot of money for clothes and products that were only going to be used for a short period of time before both mom and baby outgrew the need for them. So she began her business of reselling gently used, high quality, maternity and baby clothes at affordable prices.
The business Myers began in her home was well received by the community and lead her to open her first boutique. Yes, I said “boutique”. According to Wikipedia, traditionally when we hear the word “boutique” we think of a small shop that specializes in elite and fashionable clothing that provides customer service as exquisite as it’s merchandise. Well, that is precisely the feel Myers aims for in her resale boutique. To provide exceptional service to customers looking for premium quality clothes and products specifically focused on moms-to-be and the babies they have without having to pay premium prices. Myers says, “Our customers deserve for us to pay attention to the details…after all they did choose to walk in to our store.”
Stellie Bellies customer Shireen Hameed, owner of Anytime Fitness in Downtown St. Pete, loves the idea of recycling clothes. Since her two sons are 21 months apart and she is a middle child herself, “[she] is not always keen on hand-me-downs from your older sibling.” Hameed says, “nothing is better than saving 50% or more on clothing costs by shopping at Stellie Bellies. This store is the best kids resale store in the area. It’s clean, has a great selection of name brand clothes, and a wonderful staff.”
Myla Iskander, mother of an 18 month old boy, reminds parents “when you let your little ones play in the store while you shop, they are bound to want to take some fun toy home!” Which she doesn’t mind because “shopping at Stellie Bellies is convenient and affordable.” Finding an offering of beautiful, well cared for, and fun items for the smallest additions to the family, including some for preschool age siblings, is an everyday occurrence at Stellie Bellies.
With Stella’s attention to details ranging from where items are placed for the customer’s convenience to her staff’s ability to select the items their customers value, it’s no wonder Stellie Bellies’ customer loyalty has lead to a staying power of 14 years in the community.
The dedication to quality Stella and her staff provide to the community of St Petersburg and surrounding areas is evident as soon as you walk in the store. With an enjoyable shopping experience that also gives families a great value for the dollar many customers enter just as customers then leave feeling like they are part of the Stellie Bellies family. It is for those reasons that I recommend Stellie Bellies to each of my birth clients. Knowing I have a place to send my clients that will treat them with the respect and warmth I give them leaves me feeling proud to live in St. Petersburg.
Thank you Stella, Mike, Devin, Morgan, Nikki and the rest of the Stellie Bellies team! Your work is appreciated by myself and the many families you serve.
Stella is a member of Entrepreneur Social Club which meets at NOVA 535 on Thursdays from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Join us for a meeting! If you have a business that caters to pregnant women and new mothers and would like to be to featured in a future blog email Jenna Haughbrook, Birth Coach and Doula at [email protected].