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 :)

Things to Be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
What a wonderful busy week!
Here at ri-VYOO, we have been working hard on improvements to our laundry area and facilities and our foyer. As you may already know, all of our inventory is freshly laundered before it is catalogued and stored. The great thing about this is that all of our items are clean and ready to use when they are purchased! The bad thing about this is that it wore out the old washer and dryer!!
As the finishing touches are completed, we are very thankful to have all of the work of creating a more efficient area over with and also to have had the opportunity to need to make these improvements because of all of our wonderful ri-VYOO customers. ri-VYOO's focus as always been to be as environmentally friendly as possible, with recycled products and packaging, and biodegradable detergents. We are excited to now be able to use less energy and water in this process, as well.

At the foundation of any business is it's customers. Without these customers, no business can stay standing. We are very thankful for our customers....people who are willing to shop "outside of the store" and support local independant retailers. Karen recently shared her experience of shopping ri-VYOO. Here is what Karen had to say:
"I picked up from ri-VYOO and was greeted with a smile, while my products were packaged neatly in tissue paper and packaged in a pretty bag - a very pleasant shopping experience."
Thank you so much for sharing Karen! We are happy to share a $15 Gift Certificate with you.
Enjoy the day everyone! We all have so much to celebrate on this wonderful holiday!

Meet Maryann!

For those of you who haven't shopped ri-VYOO yet may find today's post reassuring. Although there is more than one person behind ri-VYOO, almost all of the customer interaction is done by me, Maryann.
Buying online, as mentioned in a previous blog, can seem a little bit intimidating, but the more you know and understand what to expect, the more comfortable the whole process is. :)
I am a mom of 3 children under 7 years old and am 100% passionate about customer service and bringing value into our customers' ri-VYOO experiences. I bring over 20 years of retail and business experience to ri-VYOO and am focused on finding ways for both our family and others to save money.
I love ri-VYOO personally for 2 reasons:
1) I love shopping online rather than driving around going from store to store to find what I am looking for and
2) With 3 children to dress ri-VYOO makes a lot of financial sense for us, both for buying and for recycling outgrown items.
My background is in fashion and I love to dress both myself and my children stylishly and find satisfaction in receiving compliments on how my kids are always dressed so great.....especially since I know that their great wardrobes didn't compromise their future university savings! LOL!

Trick or Treat?

Hallowe'en is just around the corner and no doubt has your house filled with planning and excitement for all concerned. What to be for Hallowe'en is such a big decision for children. Around our house it's starts with the debate on whether scary/not scary is the look for the year and then moves on too who is being what so no duplications happen.

Once this absolutely perfect costume has been chosen, then comes the task of actually finding it!!! Sometimes, this is impossible....Other times, the price tag is the scariest part of the costume!

Of course ri-VYOO can help with this! :) A quick browse online to have a peek and see if we have what you are looking for, and then the not-so-scary price of only $10.00 per costume! Our selection changes daily, as things come and go, so check back often....or have your little one join in on the browsing to help with inspiration for the big day or maybe even find exactly what they were looking for!

Easy Shopping. Easy Returns.

Shopping online is great....with one huge exception.....

do you ever really know what you are buying until it is in your hands?

Pictures can be very deceiving and. let's face it, the description of the article is really just the seller's best choice of words to try and get you to buy it. Of course, buying ends up being a huge gamble, and not a very great way to save money!

Shopping ri-VYOO is different.

We stand behind all of our items 100% and our customers' satisfaction is one of our primary focuses. No sale is ever final.

We touch base with all of our customers to ensure that the items that they have purchased have worked out well for them and offer a refund if the items were not suitable in any way.

There is also never any pressure to purchase!

We welcome any customer to come by and see their chosen item in person. If the item isn't what they had expected they are absolutely not expected to make the purchase.

At ri-VYOO we know that the Retailer/Customer relationship is very volatile and always do what we can to ensure that we will see our customers again! :)

A good deal or a gamble? Never a question when you shop at ri-VYOO!

Monday's ri-VYOO Outift

Little boys....now there is a bad investment for your clothing dollars!

Who knew a wardrobe could go through so many disasters, both natural and otherwise!?

On our home front, our little guy has done damage with everything from permanent marker and scissors, to the more expected fight with spaghetti sauce and the visit across the sidewalk via jean covered knees. Regardless, these things happen and parents have to hope that by the end of the season there are at least a few items in the drawer that are incident -free!

Or....you could shop at ri-VYOO!

Although you may still be upset that a favorite T-shirt is now destined for rags, you can take comfort in the fact that the cost was only $3.00. Now that is the kind of price that most don't mind taking a gamble on!

Monday's ri-VYOO Outfit

Long Sleeve T-Shirt - $3.00

Jeans - $8.00
Hat - $2.00
Total outfit cost - $13.00

Friday's ri-VYOO Outfit

Yippee!

It's Friday!

The most aniticpated day of the week!

There is no more appropriate day for a funky outfit, just to put the icing on the cake for the arrival of the end of the work and school week!

It's always great to put those funky seperates into something with a little more edge! :) That's just what we did for Friday's outfit.

Friday's ri-VYOO Outfit:

Cropped Sweater - $5.00

Long Sleeve T - $3.00

Skinny Jeans - $8.00

Total cost for today's outfit: $16.00

Thursday's ri-VYOO Outfit

Dressing girls can be a bit trickier than dressing boys. Maybe it's just the sample set that I have to work with, but there just seems to be so much, well.....choice! With boys it's pick a shirt (dressy or casual) and pick some pants (dress or casual) and that's it. Girls are a whole other ballgame!!!! Our ri-VYOO outfit today focuses on a school-girl formal look. Sooooooo cute :) It's also great how many ways the individual pieces can be worn. More about versatility another time......

Thursday's ri-VYOO Outfit:

Blazer - $6.00

Blouse - $4.00

Shirt - $6.00

Total cost $16.00