NEW YORK — The first baby clothing store to launch in the United States will open at New York’s Times Square this week, bringing back a few familiar baby gear staples to the nation’s capital.
The new baby clothes retailer, BabyGear, will be opening on Thursday with a focus on a mix of baby products, from baby wipes to diapers, diapers and wipes to socks, socks, and more.
“I am excited to welcome BabyGear to New York City,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is the executive director of the New York-based BabyCenter, which is helping to launch BabyGear.
“They are bringing back the classics that are really loved in New York.”
The company’s new Brooklyn location is located at 2830 Broadway between Park and East 74th Streets, in the heart of the city’s fashion district.
The company will open a store at the same spot in September.
In an exclusive interview with MTV News, Baby Gear founder and CEO, Jessica Johnson, talked about the challenges and opportunities the company faces.
Johnson said she was inspired to start BabyGear after her son was born in May.
BabyGear’s parent company, BabyCo, is owned by Johnson’s husband, and the couple started the company to give back to local communities that supported the company’s efforts to save lives by donating baby products to local hospitals.
“We want to continue to be an industry leader in helping the world’s children and families in need,” said Johnson.
The brand has been in the New Jersey market since March, with a store in Camden, and Johnson said she expects BabyGear stores to expand nationwide.
“If the demand for the baby products is there, then we will expand into other markets,” she said.
Johnson also noted that BabyGear has a “family of partners” who are already working to sell BabyGear in the U.S. and Europe.
Johnson noted that she has no plans to close BabyGear or relocate the company.
“The baby business has always been a family business,” she added.
“We are a family that believes in supporting our family and that includes the community we serve.”
In addition to offering baby items, BabyWare is offering diapers, wipes, socks and other baby supplies.
Johnson believes BabyGear is going to be able to help people find a lot of items they might not have been able to otherwise.
“When you get your kid out of diapers, you can take that baby stuff home, but you don’t have the option to take it to the laundromat,” she explained.
“That is where the beauty of BabyGear comes in.
BabyWare can help you find the perfect pair of baby clothes, because the products are available and they are cheap.”
