Skipper & Scout celebrates a decade of selling fun
Skipper and Scout/Courtesy photo
When Kerry Roach moved from Boston to Vail in 2007 with her husband and one small child and another one on the way, she realized that Vail didn’t have the “it” store for kids. Even though Roach had a finance background, her creative side was put in motion and she came up with an idea to create a store for kids that wasn’t just a store, it was an experience, and Skipper & Scout in Vail Village was born.
“As friends of mine started getting married and having kids, some of them left the corporate world and started creating products or clothing and I’d host trunk shows and we’d bring in all these brands and I love following the trends and it allowed me to showcase my creative side with my finance side,” Roach said.
Roach was in finance for 30 years before retiring last June. She credits those skills in helping her run the business.
“It was a juggling act and I was more behind the scenes. I was the orchestrator, the buyer and had the vision for the store since its inception,” she said. “But I always say, like in any good business, the numbers need to work. The location needs to work.”
Roach knew that Vail needed a store like this. Beaver Creek is known as being a family-oriented destination, and she loved the feel of Vail.
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“I was attracted to Vail because it reminded me of the city having an epicenter and a village and a vibe. And what I noticed was there was something for everybody else, but nothing really special for kids,” she said. “So I decided to create a hub for kids, a place that kids come in and put on something and feel special in that tulle dress or that sequined jacket or the first pair of cool jeans, they feel good about themselves.”
The name, logo and tagline were thoughtfully created by Roach. The shield on the logo contains a pine tree and an anchor, which goes along with the tagline: Outfitting kids from the sea to the mountains.
“We’re trying to outfit you for every kind of occasion and every adventure whether it’s back-to-school or going on that great vacation.
The name has a connection to Roach as well.
“Skip was my grandmother’s name. She was a very influential person who taught me to draw on the creative side of myself. And that’s what led me into designing and creating a lot of the brands and designs that I do for the store. So that was kind of special for me to honor her,” Roach said. “And then Scout was going to be our dog’s name, we have Remington Scout.”
Roach goes to market in New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles and even Europe and carries 350 brands in the store. Roach loves to follow the trends but not get anything that is too trendy. Quality matters more.
“My top six brands that I started with are still with us 10 years later, and that’s a testimony to the quality and craftsmanship,” Roach said. “Kids are hard on clothes. So, I try to find the products that are unique and special but they are going to withstand the rough and tough thing kids put them through.”
Roach said that a lot of stores carry 70% girls’ clothes and only 30% boys’ clothes. “I really try to do a 60/40 blend of girls to boys clothing because boys want to look cool, too.”
Roach has an internship program for youth where kids will work at the store during the summers or the ski season or if they are doing a gap year between high school and college. She also has the local kids and clients be models on her social media.
“It’s great to see their confidence build by talking to people and getting to know our clients and help create experiences for them,” Roach said. “Customer service is so understated at times but it should be paramount in a store. It’s such a compliment to hear someone say, ‘This is our favorite store. We can’t wait to come back here every year.’ To me, that’s a testimony to the team that I’ve built over the years that someone feels like they’re welcomed in.”
Skipper & Scout not only sells clothes, it sells fun. From face painting, balloon making, lemonade stands, crafts, Santa visits and more, Roach likes to create traditions that families can look forward to each visit.
“It’s been really nice to be a part of life events like first birthdays, back-to-school and the holidays,” Roach said. “What I love the most is building those connections and experiences that we can provide to everyone coming into the store. And I love the connection to community.”
Follow Skipper & Scout’s social media channels for fun events and information on its 10th anniversary celebration.
