Alleta Tate. Courtesy of Meghan McSweeney.
A new retailer that caters to a niche audience is setting up where two West End dessert shops left off.
Clara b. is set to open Aug. 27 at 5716 Patterson Ave. Alletta Tate, a first-time shop owner, is behind the new business. She has a three-year lease on the 1,100-square-foot space that was formerly home to A Peach in a Pear Tree and Shyndigz.
Clara b. will sell clothes that target middle school girls. The shop will have casual and more formal clothes and accessories. Brands carried at Clara b. will include Sally Miller, PPLA, Ella Moss and Splendid.
“It’s casual to cotillion,” Tate said. “We’ll have some denim, some casual school clothes and we’ll have the cotillion dresses.”
Tate, a 46-year-old mother of three, said she got the idea to open a retail store for middle school-aged girls, also referred to as “tweens,” because she doesn’t think there are enough options on the market.
“I hear lots of moms saying the same thing,” she said. “I think the tween girls will be excited to come here.”
The store is named after Tate’s daughter, Clara Belin. In addition to raising her children, Tate has an interior design degree from VCU and has worked in retail.
“I just jumped in – that’s sort of the way I am,” Tate said of her plans for Clara b. “I knew what lines I liked for my daughter.”
Clara b’s future storefront.
In March, Tate went to an industry market in New York to look at clothing lines. Tate is leaning on word of mouth and social media to get the word out about the new store. She would not say how much it is costing to open Clara b.
Near Clara b. is another new shop that sells girl’s clothing: 1Z 2Z 3Z opened last year at 5720 Patterson Ave. and sells apparel and toys for babies and toddlers up to 4 years old.
The Patterson Avenue space became available after Peach in a Pear Tree vacated and Shyndigz left for East Cary Street. Peach in a Pear Tree says on its Facebook page it is looking to relocate.
Tate said her plan is to get the Patterson Avenue store open and eventually add online sales.
“I am going to focus on the single store right now,” she said. “I really want to make sure I get this one going.”
Alleta Tate. Courtesy of Meghan McSweeney.
A new retailer that caters to a niche audience is setting up where two West End dessert shops left off.
Clara b. is set to open Aug. 27 at 5716 Patterson Ave. Alletta Tate, a first-time shop owner, is behind the new business. She has a three-year lease on the 1,100-square-foot space that was formerly home to A Peach in a Pear Tree and Shyndigz.
Clara b. will sell clothes that target middle school girls. The shop will have casual and more formal clothes and accessories. Brands carried at Clara b. will include Sally Miller, PPLA, Ella Moss and Splendid.
“It’s casual to cotillion,” Tate said. “We’ll have some denim, some casual school clothes and we’ll have the cotillion dresses.”
Tate, a 46-year-old mother of three, said she got the idea to open a retail store for middle school-aged girls, also referred to as “tweens,” because she doesn’t think there are enough options on the market.
“I hear lots of moms saying the same thing,” she said. “I think the tween girls will be excited to come here.”
The store is named after Tate’s daughter, Clara Belin. In addition to raising her children, Tate has an interior design degree from VCU and has worked in retail.
“I just jumped in – that’s sort of the way I am,” Tate said of her plans for Clara b. “I knew what lines I liked for my daughter.”
Clara b’s future storefront.
In March, Tate went to an industry market in New York to look at clothing lines. Tate is leaning on word of mouth and social media to get the word out about the new store. She would not say how much it is costing to open Clara b.
Near Clara b. is another new shop that sells girl’s clothing: 1Z 2Z 3Z opened last year at 5720 Patterson Ave. and sells apparel and toys for babies and toddlers up to 4 years old.
The Patterson Avenue space became available after Peach in a Pear Tree vacated and Shyndigz left for East Cary Street. Peach in a Pear Tree says on its Facebook page it is looking to relocate.
Tate said her plan is to get the Patterson Avenue store open and eventually add online sales.
“I am going to focus on the single store right now,” she said. “I really want to make sure I get this one going.”