What were some early challenges in dealing with retail customers?
RM: We had to acknowledge that each woman who comes into our store is a different person with a potentially different stylistic point of view. Before she got pregnant she may have shopped at Talbots (TLB) or Bloomingdales – she may have been more style-conscious, or she may have been more conservative. We had to deal with getting this huge assortment of clothing styles into this tiny space. The stores have no back rooms; every square inch is used for display. The way we solved the puzzle was through a rapid inventory replenishment system: When a store sells an item, the next day a new one gets shipped back. The items are shipped from a big warehouse, which is cheaper to rent than store space. FSB: Eventually you acquired your two biggest competitors, A Pea in the Pod and Motherhood Maternity. How did you deal with owning and running brands that competed against each other? RM: In the early 1990s we were battling it out – all three stores would be located in the same mall right down the
