What does the city of St. Louis, Missouri have in common with Vancouver? Well, for starters, both cities are located next to a state border. They're also home to a very unique retail store called Cotton Babies.
With two stores in St. Louis and a brand new location in Vancouver's Grand Central shopping center, Cotton Babies has specialized in the manufacturing and sale of cloth diapers since 2002. In addition, the company sells a variety of other environmentally-friendly products such as natural and organic fiber clothing, strollers, battery-free toys and more.
Store Manager Cari Wolverton helped open the Vancouver Cotton Babies late last year, through an existing relationship with the owner of the company, Jennifer Labit.
“She [Labit] was looking to expand and I was looking to open a new store,” said Wolverton. “The market here was definitely ripe for what we wanted to do.”
Wolverton said she's confident Cotton Babies will find success in Southwest Washington, in part, because consumers here understand the value of making a “green” purchase.
“People out here tend to think a little bit more before they buy,” said Wolverton. “They consider the environmental impact and where they’re purchasing from. That ties in very nicely with the way our company is run and the kinds of products we sell, so I think it was naturally a very good fit.”
According to Wolverton, the primary focus at Cotton Babies is cloth diapers, which the company manufactures in the United States and Egypt. She said cloth diapers are becoming a much more mainstream, visible and viable option for parents in this day and age, especially when every penny counts.
“You can get set up with cloth diapers for your baby's whole range for anywhere from $100 to $300,” said Wolverton. “With disposable diapers, the average cost can range anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000, depending on the brand. If you factor in the fact that you can use those cloth diapers again on the next child… you can't make an argument that it doesn’t make good financial sense.”
In addition to drawing customers into her store with a unique range of products, Wolverton said Cotton Babies strives to provide customers with something extra – education through a variety of events and classes. “Cloth 101,” one of the store's most popular classes, teaches parents about the basics of using and washing cloth diapers. Wolverton said it also provides an opportunity for customers to make connections with people who are in the same stage of pregnancy.
“We want to provide more than just a shopping experience for our customers,” she said. “It's about making a connection and helping them get the resources they need to be able to parent in a more educated way making well-informed decisions. It's about listening to what your customers want to see and what would be helpful for them.”
Speaking of helpful, Wolverton said her customers enjoy the fact that they don't have to leave the city to find cloth diapers.
“Previously, to get these products you had to make the drive into Portland,” she said. “People really take pride in the fact that we have our own diaper store in Vancouver, and we're grateful to be here.”
