The Days Are Getting Shorter

Come on Winter Solstice!  Am I the only one who can't get half of what I need to do done lately?  I realize that the "shorter days" are shorter only because of the amount of daylight, but it seems like someone has snuck out a couple of hours too!

With that said, please excuse this very short Blog...the first in quite a few days!

Let's talk Christmas outfits!  Here are just a few that we currently have in stock:

This is just a sample of some of the great holiday items we have in stock.  Everything pictured is between $3.00 and $12.00, saving you lots of money!!!

Don't forget about our mini-sale!  All size 2 to 6 are 25% off....but only until Friday! 

Yippee!!!

We did it!
You, more correctly, YOU did it! 
Thank you to all of our wonderful fans in getting us up to 276 fans (at last check) on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barrie-ON/ri-VYOO/102136757527. 
We haven't been working very hard on the marketing end of things at ri-VYOO so far.  Most of our customers have come from referrals.  I'm sure you all know our strong feelings on word of mouth advertising. :)  So, although most businesses put marketing at the fore front of their launch, we haven't.  We have focused on building a diverse inventory, streamlining our processes and working on achieving our mission statement and intended image. 
After months and months of working on these things it is really wonderful to get out there and make some in roads with meeting so many new customers!  It is so amazing when a new customer takes that chance to reach out and contact us.  Many times, they really have little understanding of how we do things around here.  Trying out any new store is always like that.  Have you ever just wanted to go into some cute little store, but find that you are a bit nervous about it?  If you do go inside and it's only you and the shopkeeper in the store that can be even more awkward!  All I can say is "Been there, done that!"  (actually, I am very guilty of trying to avoid that situation).  Since we understanding this feeling, it's so important to make every ri-VYOO customer feel completely comfortable when they call, email or come by.  So take the chance!  Have a question?  Go ahead and ask it!!! 
Are you skimming through to find out the winner's of our contest?  Should I blab on a bit more?
ri-VYOO would like to thank all of all of you for putting the word out about us. 
We would also like to congratulate James for referring Tiffanie to us. 
We are so happy to give them each a $25 Gift Certificate!

Let's do this again....
$10.00 Gift Certificates to fans 280 and 290....oh and to the person that refers them!

What the heck is ri-VYOO and how the heck do you say it!?!

ri-VYOO.....what a weird name!

We have had countless people ask us how the name of our business is pronounced and where we came up with it. Once we fill them in, the next question is "Why the heck did we spell it so strangely?" 

For those of you who are puzzled by the same questions, this blog's for you!

You may or may not have seen the mini-contest that we held yesterday.  We thought that it would be fun to see if the desired message that our name is meant to send is reaching our customers.  We got some fabulous responses....ones that truly made us smile!

Here they are:

• It's pronounced review :) Reviewsic [ri-vyoo-zik] - I googled it! LOL
• I second that.... Pronounced like review, meaning to give it another look!
• pronounced "review" means to take a 2nd look.
• it's pronounced exactly as it's spelled ... to me, it means a super convenient, highly affordable and great quality source for kids clothes ... I regularly "take a 2nd look" at the albums ... and a 3rd ... 4th ... ;)
• a formal or official examination  REVIEW :)
• Review...the way to dress your children so they look fantastic and your hubby doesn't cringe at the receipt! :)

Talk about being bang on! 

Our name ri-VYOO is based on the phonetic spelling of the word, being written how you pronounce it. "Review" is such a blah, unexciting word that we thought that we needed something a little more memorable!!  The idea behind the name "review" is twofold.  Firstly, it is based on the idea that our inventory is getting "reviewed" a second time.  We thought that it was really just a little nicer than saying recycled or used.  The second is our "invitation" to shop at your leisure and come back as often as you would like to "review" our ever changing inventory.  It was really awesome to see that you guys had it figured out!!!

So.....now onto choosing a winner.....

We wrote down everyone's name,

put them all into a hat (a fedora, 'cuz ri-VYOO customers are so cool!),

had a little help from a little person,

drew the winner name,

And all that's left to do is congratulate Chantal!

That was lots of fun! 

Thank you to everyone who participated and to all of our customers and fans!

What a Great Week!!!

This week has been incredible! 

As ri-VYOO continues to grow and pick up momentum, we have the fortune of meeting many new people.  We have added many new fans this week, so a big "Welcome" to you, and I have had the chance to introduce myself personally to the many new buyers and sellers who have been by.  I always take a little something away from each conversation.  It's so interesting to find out how these people found out about us and what encouraged them to come by to buy or sell.  Many of our customers are by referral, something that we are so grateful for, while others have just been searching for alternative options to buy or sell recycled clothing. 

As ri-VYOO has grown in service time (we are over 1 year old already!) it is also amazing to see the relationships that we are building with our customers.  Customers who originally made a very small purchase to get a feel for what we were about are now coming by regularly and are very confident in knowing what quality of clothing and service they can expect from ri-VYOO.  There really no better feeling than that as a retailer!  These customers have also been patient when mistakes have been made (last week was a very bad week for mistakes!) and know that we are more than happy to right the wrong.

I would like to share an email that I received yesterday:

Hi Maryann,

Not sure if you're still looking for pictures of kids in your clothes, but thought I would forward these of my little poser wearing some of her new digs :) She loves everything and so do I - thanks again (see you soon!)

Here are the wonderful pictures of a beautiful little ri-VYOO model...

 She was so sweet when she was here.  She fell in love with the sweater and wouldn't take it off!  It was just one of the many high points of this week.....so far!

One of the best marketing tools that any business owner has is word of mouth.  Word of mouth is a strong tool because it gives a potential customer tangible information about a product or service.  We are all much more likely to try something that we have heard from friends or family about how great it is, rather than just seeing or hearing an advertisement about it.  News travels fast when people find something new that they have liked and can't wait to tell a friend about it.  Social Networking is built on this.  It is great to be able to join a group and share your experiences with others.  Those who haven't tried it can also benefit from finding out the true hard facts about whether they should give it a go too.

A business has the opportunity with every interaction with a customer to strengthen this word of mouth promotion.  Every great transaction, great sale price or amazing new product that a customer has experience with is a chance for growth.  Have you ever been to a store and found the greatest buys?  Chances are you couldn't wait to get the chance to tell someone about it!  And so it goes on, just like the 80's shampoo commercial with friends telling friends telling friends.

At ri-VYOO, we take this very seriously.  So much of our business comes from referrals.  This is awesome, especially since we are unconventional retailers.  We know how unusual it is to come to a residence to pick up your online shopping, but we also know our strengths and the things that make ri-VYOO a good alternative to shopping some better known street-front retailers.

So THANK YOU!!!!!!! to everyone who has given ri-VYOO a try and has taken the time to tell someone about us.  It is word of mouth from our customers like you that help us continue to grow.

Get 'em While You Can!!!!!

We are putting all Hallowe'en costumes on sale! 
All costumes now $8.50!!!!! 
With a price like that you really can't go wrong!!!
Here are some of the costumes still available:

Want to see more?

Click here to see the whole collection:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=209834&id=102136757527

Don't forget that any item marked with a "***" is a clearance item and is only $1.00!

Happy Shopping!!!!!

Saving Not Just the Environment

Yesterday's Blog touched on the importance of living "green".  How it benefits everyone at some level.  It can make you feel good morally and help in your pocketbook.  But many of these resources that "environmentally-friendly" focus on are limited resources.  Resources that we need to manage our use of as to not deplete them.

As families grow from 1 to many children, and the calendar fills up with all the activies that everyone in the family is part of, it becomes very apparent that there is a resource that is stretched even more so than a dollar. 

Time is a non-renewable resource.  With the many things that we Canadians choose to cram into a day, many of us are looking to find ways to maximize our measly 24 hours each day.  Shopping online has helped this, especially in an area like Barrie, where everything is so spread out geographically.  With the children's clothing stores spread all over town, looking for that special item can easily absorb your morning while you go from store to store.  It is a huge time saver when you can look online to see  if we have what you need, comment on it. A quick stop on your way to complete your other errands and the rest of the morning is yours. 
We have had many customers tell us that they appreciate how easy shopping online with us is.  Adriana was kind to share her ri-VYOO shopping experience with us to post on our Blog.  Here is what she had to say:

I have had the pleasure of experiencing ri-vyoo as both a customer and through selling my children's previously enjoyed clothing. I must say that both experiences have been quick, easy and enjoyable! With two children of different genders, there is no opportunity for re-using clothing within this household so much of my son's clothing ends up stored in bins with no future use in sight! As well, purchasing an entire wardrobe for my new daughter, although a lot of fun, can get to be expensive! My first experience with ri-vyoo was when I jumped onto facebook one day and a beautiful white coat called out to me! It was so sweet I just had to have it! Then looking at the price, I just couldn't believe my eyes...there was really no reason not to buy right then and there. Having had limited on-line shopping experience, this process was somewhat foreign to me but I found it to be so easy and satisfying! Upon receiving my first package I noticed that it looked pretty, just as it would after having lugged kids to a specialty shop but without the hassle, and the coat was in perfect condition. I would never have know that it had been previously enjoyed by another sweet little girl :) I was hooked. Then, going through my son's closet, came across the opportunity to re-use some of his previous costumes which, of course, had only been worn once! The sales experience was also quick and efficient. I ended up feeling really good about not having to store bulky costumes, knowing that another child could be just as excited to wear them as my son had been, and to make a little cash as well! Overall, I would definitely shop with ri-vyoo again and would recommend them to anyone with children.

Adriana :)