By Amanda Cregan, correspondent
If there's one thing moms know, it's that kids will outgrow clothes at a rapid pace.
Bucks County mom Lisa Batra loved dressing her son Vinay, 5, and daughter Lila, 3, in adorable, upscale clothing, but hated paying top dollar for outfits that were quickly outgrown.
“It’s really expensive for parents to keep their kids in high-quality clothing,” said Batra. “To buy brand new with a tag, you’re going to pay a premium price knowing your child is going to only be getting a couple wears out of it."
So she founded the designer consignment boutique My Kid's Threads for moms to buy and sell high-quality, brand-name children’s clothes at an affordable price.
“I’m a passionate entrepreneur,” said Batra, 37. “For me, it was all about, ‘if you can dream it you can do it.’”
Armed with an MBA and building on her experience running large scale e-commerce businesses for Fortune 500 companies such as QVC, Bath & Body Works, Lowe’s and Charming Shoppes, Batra built her own online retail business that is tailored to busy, fashion-conscious moms who want to sell and shop hassle-free.
Launched in spring 2014, My Kid's Threads features newborn to size 14 like-new clothing from brands such as Burberry, Catimini, Jottum and Ralph Lauren at up to 80 percent off retail prices.
After years at an executive-level job, Batra is working from her home office in Newtown and enjoys both running her own business and being close to her kids.
Batra has about 5,000 clothing items stored in a 1,600-square-foot section of her home that was converted into a home office.
“We are growing by leaps and bounds in terms of traffic. In terms of revenue, we have had lots of opportunities to expand,” said Batra, referring to strategic partnerships with mom bloggers, online toy retailers and mom-focused deal websites.
As business continues to grow, she will soon expand to include maternity and men’s and women’s clothing.
Moms often employ various budget-friendly methods for shopping for kids clothes. However, seasonal consignment sale events, mom-to-mom sales pages on Facebook and websites like eBay can be risky, said Batra.
“It’s really time-consuming,” she said. “The items aren’t described very well, and often they can’t be returned.”
My Kid's Threads accepts only items that are less than 5 years old with no stains, no wash wear and no imperfections. At least 30 percent of the items are new with tags.
Sellers get a free mailer bag with a prepaid shipping label that fits 30 to 50 items. Batra will photograph and market the clothes on her website and sellers can earn 50 percent of the price in My Kid's Thread bucks, which is the same as credit, to buy items at the online store. Sellers will be reimbursed 40 percent by check or PayPal. Also, they can choose to donate their earnings to a charity of their choice.
“We are trying to be super fair and encourage giving back,” Batra said.
Being an entrepreneur is rewarding, but, like all working moms, it's a job that can’t be done without support. There are days she works 10 to 12 hours, and that means help from family.
Batra’s husband commutes daily to New York City for his job, and she does her best to structure her own work day around her children’s preschool schedules.
“It definitely takes a lot of help,” she said.
She hopes My Kid's Threads provides a little extra help for other busy moms.
“We’re just trying to make it easier for mom.”
