Cynthia Cheng

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sharon (5’0″), Bonita (5’1″)and Cheryl-Anne (5’3″), three sisters who run Naturally Petite, a store in Richmond Hill, Ontario which specializes in the petite woman 5’4″ or shorter and between a size 0 and 18.  The sisters actually do not come from a fashion background – prior to opening the store, they were all working in the corporate world.  All three decided that they wanted to be closer to their families, rather than taking the long commute downtown.  In addition, as petite women, they have always had trouble finding clothing.  They felt that this was a niche area which they could find success in.  Petite clothing was already difficult to find, and stylish petite clothing was even harder to find. The purpose of starting Naturally Petite was so that women like the sisters could find beautiful, stylish clothes which would not require much altering, if at all.  It also wants to start educating people about the needs of petites – many do not understand the concept that petite means 5’4″ or shorter, regardless of size, not someone who is smaller than a size 4.

Naturally Petite on the brands they carry and why:

In terms of denim, we have petite lines from Joe’s (the Provocateur) and Paige’s.  We also carry Buffalo Jeans.  They aren’t petite, meaning that they’ll require alterations, but fit petite figures very well.  In addition, we carry brands such as Layfayette 148 (their petite line only) as well as Canadian brands like Soie & Kyo (for outerwear – while this isn’t specifically a petite brand, they are amazing for the petite figure.  Their sleeves, unlike many other coats and jackets do not need to be shortened for most petites.), X:S and T by Tension.  In fact, X:S produces a special petite cut in their dresses for Naturally Petite.  We also have our own line of work/dress pants, which is a petite fit (sized to fit a proportionate 5’4″ woman) with an inseam that is approximately 30-31″.

On the difference between them and other petite stores:

We market ourselves as the store for the “savvy petite” which crosses generations – women and girls ranging from teens to seniors are able to find something at Naturally Petite.  In addition, our styles are younger, colourful and fresh.

On starting a business during a recession:

Established businesses are worried about losing customers.  Since we’re brand new and starting from nothing, we don’t have to worry about actually losing anyone – anyone who walks in is a customer gained.  In addition, we’re a market which isn’t super-saturated.  Petite women are always looking for styles which fit them well, and the market for them isn’t that big. 

On other challenges faced when starting Naturally Petite:

Construction on the store took longer than originally thought – the permit took a while to come.  In addition, everything in our store is custom-made, which was also reason for the additional time.  We had wanted to do our official opening in May, but we weren’t able until the end of 2008.  In fact, we had two grand openings.  Our “soft” opening happened in September, while our official grand opening was at the beginning of December.

(L-R: Sharon Luck, Cheryl-Anne Luck, Julia Suppa and Bonita Luck LaMarche)

On the “official” Naturally Petite opening party:

The event was a huge success.  We had a fashion show, appetizers and gift bags.  In addition, Julia Suppa from the local cable channel came to cover the event.  Guests responded to the event immensely – the party was slated to last from 6 pm to 7:30, but many people stayed until 9.

On marketing Naturally Petite:

Much of our marketing has been word-of-mouth and local.  We have had write-ups in community papers, and of course, Rogers came to cover our event.  In addition, our name, Naturally Petite, says it all.  Petite women who come to the plaza see our sign and know right away that the clothes will fit.  Beyond local marketing, we have been blogged about on websites and of course, we have our own site.  We are actually in the process of redeveloping our online marketing to include a more interactive website. 

On where Naturally Petite is going to be in five years:

Our first step is our website, of course.  In addition to making the site more interactive, we’re working at adding e-commerce, meaning that we’ll be able to reach people who might not be able to make it out to the store.  We are also looking at expanding the store.

On tips for people who  want to start a business:

You must be able to take risks, have passion and stay true to what they are.  There is no “right time” to start a business, you just “do it.”

Naturally Petite is located at the Shoppes of Heritage Hollow, 1285 Elgin Mills Road East, Unit 19 in Richmond Hill, Ontario.  They are open Tuesday to Thursday from 10:30-6 pm; Fridays from 10:30 to 7 pm and Saturday from 10:30 to 5 pm.  They are closed Sundays and Mondays.