By VAL OLIVAS, Four Points News
Millie & Mox Children’s Boutique has expanded its business to include school uniforms.
Owner, Angela Hession-Weaver was approached by the International School of Texas’ headmistress, Grainne O’Reilly with a request to provide school families a convenient avenue to obtain required school uniforms.
Weaver expanded the boutique to include a Millie & Mox Schoolhouse retail space dedicated to uniforms. The schoolhouse is adjoined to the boutique.
Two months ago, Weaver hosted over 200 International School families with a back-to-school uniform event with hot dogs, coffee and juice.
“Working with Millie & Mox has been an extraordinary experience. This company truly understands the needs of a school and its families. Their staff have responded promptly, practically and creatively to every single idea that I have had or to any suggestions that have come from parents,” O’Reilly said.
While uniform sales currently account for approximately 20 percent of her business, Weaver doesn’t wish to expand the schoolhouse to the point where it’s so large she cannot maintain a high level of customer service.
“If we begin to grow at too rapid a rate, we risk overcrowding the schoolhouse with a rush of customers, resulting in a ‘take-a-number’ feel to our intimate boutique,” she says.
Weaver says she’s been asked to further expand her uniform inventory by other local private school leaders and will likely accommodate them as long as she can manage the business with superior customer service.
“The schoolhouse is convenient for parents because many parents typically order (uniforms) from catalogs. Then they may need to return or an exchange an item which can be (burdensome,)” she said.
At Millie & Mox Schoolhouse, most items and sizes are in stock. The few that are not, can be ordered.
Weaver also plans to launch an online store this fall.
The online store will include everything available at the Quinlan Crossing shops, including uniforms, but will then be the only means by which to purchase boys’ clothing for ages 7 through 12 years.
Weaver hopes to expand the Millie & Mox Children’s Boutique model to another large Texas market within the next two years. Dallas and San Antonio are being considered, but Houston is likely the next city in which Weaver will open a second location. She does not anticipate offering a schoolhouse uniform business segment for the new location.
Millie & Mox Children’s Boutique offers clothing up to age 12 for girls and age 6 for boys, toys and books from around the world—with emphasis on American, European and Australian brands. Backpacks, swimwear, shoes, games and gifts are all part of the vast selection.
Millie & Mox hosts special events for children around Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July. Tiny Tails to You—a traveling petting zoo — will resume visiting their shop every first Saturday of the month beginning in January 2015. Event updates are posted regularly on Facebook.