Kids, Please Touch the Merchandise

The Bombay Co. (Fort Worth, Texas), operator of 420 mostly mall-based home furnishings stores, has opened its first Bombay KIDS store, in Dallas. It will feature children's furniture and bedding collections.

The store, characterized by the company as a “big, happy store,” includes such amenities and targeted design touches as a family bathroom stocked with free emergency diapers and a children's entertainment area with age-appropriate video games and music videos. Children are encouraged to touch the merchandise and try items out for size and comfort.

“Children's furniture and accessories is one of the most rapidly growing segments in the home furnishings industry,” said chairwoman, president and ceo Carmie Mehrlander. “Bombay KIDS is a natural extension of what we do best: source and design our own original furniture, accessories and textiles. This helps us capture younger customers. We want a Bombay bed to be their first bed.”

The company said it intends to test the KIDS concept in several more stores during 2002, and rapidly roll it out if the business develops as it expects it to.