Munchkins Store for Kids' Clothes, Accessories, Now Open
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Published on Wednesday, 23 February 2011 16:15
The family orientation of Ave Maria is what drew Brooke Rowe to move to the town a year ago, and also what inspired her to open her kids' clothing shop called Munchkins in the town center.
Mrs. Rowe was living in LaBelle, FL, and began coming to Ave Maria so her children could take lessons at the Ave Maria Dance Academy. She said she immediately thought, "We've got to move here."
Then, soon after moving to Hampton Village about a year ago, she saw a need for a new type of store in the town center - one that catered to the many families in town primarily be selling children's clothes at reasonable prices.
"Seeing how many kids there are here, I told my husband, we've got to do this," she said.
Munchkins mainly sells clothing for boys and girls from newborn to age 14. About half the inventory is new, and the other is half what Mrs. Rowe calls "recycled" clothes that are sold on consignment. The shop also sells accessories like kids' jewelry and diaper bags as well as some toys. Trying to make the store comfortable for everyone, Munchkins has a seating area for adults and a play area for kids as well as changing rooms. Ribht, Marie Campbell tries on a pair of rain boots. Left, Marie and her sister, Rory (left foreground) in the play area with Mrs. Rowe's daughter, Sarah.
"The prices are competitive with Target and Wal-Mart," Mrs. Rowe said, "plus people don't have to spend time and money on gas to get to those stores."
The store opened for business Feb. 22 but will have its "official grand opening" March 5, when everything in the store will be discounted 10 percent.
Munchkins, which was Mrs. Rowe's nickname in high school -- "Because I'm small," she explained -- will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and, in season, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Right, Mrs. Rowe shows an item to Erin Campbell.
Mrs. Rowe and her husband, a farmer and agricultural researcher whose family goes back four generations in the Immokalee area - live in Hampton Village with their two children, Peyton, 3 ½, and Sarah, 2 ½.
Munchkins mainly sells clothing for boys and girls from newborn to age 14. About half the inventory is new, and the other is half what Mrs. Rowe calls "recycled" clothes that are sold on consignment. The shop also sells accessories like kids' jewelry and diaper bags as well as some toys. Trying to make the store comfortable for everyone, Munchkins has a seating area for adults and a play area for kids as well as changing rooms. Ribht, Marie Campbell tries on a pair of rain boots. Left, Marie and her sister, Rory (left foreground) in the play area with Mrs. Rowe's daughter, Sarah.
Munchkins, which was Mrs. Rowe's nickname in high school -- "Because I'm small," she explained -- will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and, in season, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Right, Mrs. Rowe shows an item to Erin Campbell.