Earnshaw's Small World  Magazine-

October 2007 Edition Pages 40 & 41 “SMALL WORLD, BIG IDEA – CLASS ACT” 

“As the Nordstrom of the baby industry, Great Beginnings of Gaithersburg, MD offers everything for new arrivals, from strollers and high chairs to bedding.  Though measuring an impressive 80,000 square feet, the mammoth store is still a mom-and-pop shop at heart, according to general manager Brian Green.  That close knit feeling is due in large part to the services it offers, a list that includes classes and demonstrations. Read more....

The store has an ongoing partnership with the local fire and police departments, which trains volunteers and gives customers free car seat inspections several times a month.  Green estimates about 22,000 car seats were installed last year alone.  ‘We’re very proactive with car seat safety and with the liability of our own staff,’ he said.

In addition, Great Beginnings employees work in conjunction with the nearby Holy Cross Hospital to host infant CPR, baby massage and breastfeeding classes.  Nurses and doctors from the hospital run the sessions a few nights a week and on the weekend. ‘It didn’t really start off as a sales technique,’ Green explained.  ‘We’re a local store and we know a lot of people.  Our goal was always to establish a relationship with our customers first and then to sell.’

While in-store classes benefit patrons and their kids, retailers agree they often translate into greater foot traffic, increased name recognition and sales.  ‘They’re bringing customers into the store,’ Green explained.  ‘It gets your name out there, makes you visible to the community and helps you giveback.’  But furthermore, Green contends his store’s car seat inspection service and breastfeeding classes are responsible for creating big sales in those departments.  ‘During the breaks, customers walk around the store and impulse buy-they’re getting lotions, outfits and bottles,’ he noted.”