New law expands options for succession planning. As a wave of aging baby-boomer storeowners look to exit their businesses, it’s not always easy to find a buyer, so many businesses simply close, with the jobs they created lost. Passing your store on to employees who know and love your business is a solution. It can … More »
Undeniably, fashion dancewear (with its frequent refresh) and pointe shoes will capture the most excitement and attention in a dancewear store and probably be the price leaders. Basics—dress-code leotards, tights and slippers, the foundation of dance merchandise that customers buy repeatedly—can easily be taken for granted. Yet basics, while less glamorous, and perhaps less of … More »
Moving a store is not easy, even when it is a smart business decision. From selecting the perfect location and designing your new space to packing your shop and informing your customer base, the details of relocating all need careful attention. Here, retailers who relocated talk about how their experiences in their previous space shaped … More »
For dancers (who are often shopping on a budget), capsule wardrobes are the perfect answer for buying smart yet looking professional. Susie Faux’s original idea of the capsule wardrobe—a few high-quality items that you will wear often—helped launch Donna Karan’s Seven Easy Pieces collection, in which women could mix and match outfits out of seven … More »
If managing inventory for back-to-school and holidays isn’t enough to keep dance retailers busy, competition season requires its own special attention. Costumes, shoes, tights, bags—these items and more are what ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap and contemporary dancers need once competitions roll around. Typically, checklists from local studios are the starting point. Retailers can then do … More »
Bloch Inc. 800-942-5624 www.blochworld.com These weightless shorts make covering up look—and feel—cool and comfortable. Shorts, style M6040L MATERIAL: nylon COLORS: black, dove gray
Body Wrappers/Angelo Luzio 800-323-0786 www.bodywrappers.com This girls’ leo has a front bodice with lace overlay and a lace-covered, single-strap open back. Long-sleeve lace leotard, style 2065 MATERIALS: nylon, spandex COLORS: black, mauve, navy
Sugar and Bruno 800-875-8559 www.sugarandbruno.com This cozy, punny dress, which is available in both youth and adult sizes, is a fun way to bring Halloween into the dance studio. BooYah swing dress, style D8934/D8935 MATERIALS: cotton, poly, spandex COLOR: canyon rose
Pillows for Pointes made their Extra Long Lambs Curl Toe Pillow (style LCTPX) for—you guessed it!— ballerinas with longer toes. Info: 800-269-3844; www.pillowsforpointes.com
Só Dança: The Toshie pointe shoe (style SD40V), named after the late ballet mistress Toshie Kobayashi, is a beautiful shoe for dancers with longer toes and/or a high instep. Materials: satin ribbon, mesh elastic, leather Color: pink Info: 800-269-5033; www.sodanca.com
