NAICS Code 448

Location 5 East Main Street, Troy, OH 45373

Nearby Businesses The Caroline (restaurant), The Illiad (gifts and florist), Brower Stationers, Cabinet Supply, Giacomo’s Salon & Spa, Inc., Rustic Creations, and many others. A complete list of downtown Troy businesses can be found at http://www.troymainstreet.org

Owner/Manager Stacy Rueckhaus (owner) and Julie Steenrod (manager)

Special Store Activities A lounge and classroom at the back of the store hosts classes about music, infant massage, nutrition, and provides a place for local moms to connect with one another.

Year Opened 3

Website http://www.pinkyscout.com

Phone 1-800-319-1439

E-mail info@pinkyscout.com

Community Profile Troy, Ohio (population 21,999) is located in Miami County, Ohio. Major points of interest in the city are Hobart Arena, the annual Strawberry Festival in early June, and the Troy Aquatic Park. Ohio Magazine also chose Troy as one of its Best Hometowns for 2009, an honor only awarded to five cities in the state. The city”s motto is “Civic Pride is City Wide.”

Products Sold & Niche Developed

Pinky Scout (formerly Duck Duck Goose Boutique) sells children”s clothing (infant to children”s size 12), furniture, shoes, toys, and accessories. When the store opened in 2005, there was no children”s boutique in the downtown area, so the store opened to fill that market gap. Pinky Scout offers unique brands, including many European designers that you can”t find at big box stores or at the mall.

Market Segments Served

Pinky Scout targets young mothers, grandmothers, and other customers looking for unique children”s clothing and accessories at moderate prices. The lounge in back and classroom space also helps create a community of mothers and friends in the neighborhood. Owner Stacy Rueckhaus said the store”s philosophy is to celebrate motherhood and friends — “A community of friends, offering the best for kids.”

Contributions to the Business Community

After Troy”s children”s boutique store closed eight years ago, there was no store in the downtown for children”s merchandise. After Rueckhaus moved back to Troy, she used her previous children”s retail experience to open Duck Duck Goose Boutique with her sisters in the same building where the previous children”s store once was. Rueckhaus said they never considered opening Duck Duck Goose in a strip mall or plaza. “It just takes away from the uniqueness and the boutique-ness of the shop,” she explained.

After just a couple years open, Rueckhaus realized the store needed to expand. Duck Duck Goose moved to a new building, expanded their clothing selection for older children, and decided to change the store name to Pinky Scout because they felt they had outgrown their old name. The expansion and name change was unveiled in August 2008, and the new website went live in November 2008.

Pinky Scout also uses their 800 square feet of lounge and classroom space to host classes and events for customers and that help bring people to downtown. Events like cookies and story time with Mrs. Claus, fashion shows, and music classes all help create community through the store. Customer appreciation is also a high priority. In July 2007 the store held a customer appreciation event at a local pool in Troy. Invitations were sent out to the store”s entire mailing list, and more than 160 people came to the event that took over the entire pool area. “We want to appreciate customers because without customers we”re nothing,” Rueckhaus said.