SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 14, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baby Clothing Network, an online trading service for children's clothing, introduces a novel new way for parents to save on recurring clothing costs – value swapping.
Value swapping is similar to traditional swapping (the exchanging of goods in person or online) but with a unique twist. Clothing items on Baby Clothing Network (BCN) are given individual dollar values. When a package of clothing is traded, the owner receives shopping credits equal to the retail value of the items traded. Baby Clothing Network awards credits through BCN Tags in $25 increments. If a mother trades $60 of clothing, she earns a $50-$75 BCN Tag.
Services that provide savings in kids clothing make an impact on family budgeting. According to BabyCenter.com, the average mom spends $59 on clothing each month, totaling just over $700 a year per child. Compare those numbers to the fees of BCN - $18 for shipping and transaction and an average bundle of at least 15 items - and the significant savings is apparent. If a family ordered one bundle a month from BCN they'd acquire 180 different pieces of clothing for about $200 year – that saves $500 a year on just one child.
Moms are taking notice. "Even at a thrift store I would pay probably $4 to $5 an item," says BCN Network member Mary Miller. "My first bundle I ordered on BCN had 12 items. It would have cost me $60. I paid $18 for shipping and saved around $40."
Used children's clothing is a $1 billion dollar market. Surprisingly, few of the existing business models in the used baby clothing industry offered moms a comprehensive cost savings solution. Founder Patrick Knauer built BCN to fill that gap.
"Used children's clothing is both a blessing a curse to mothers," says BCN Founder Patrick Knauer. "It's a little exasperating for moms to look at a pile of kids clothes that are too small and decide how to capitalize on the actual dollar value. They simply take a hit and lose about $20-$40 per batch. When they join BCN they see a complete picture: value for what they own, an outlet to get the old clothes out of the house, and a source for new clothes they need. It works on all levels."
Baby Clothing Network is catching on. The business launched in January 2011 along with a Facebook campaign that sparked a chord among the many moms who use Facebook daily. Word of mouth spread and helped Baby Clothing Network reach 1,000 swapping moms and an active community of 6,000 fans in just three months.
"The concept really catches on," says Knauer. "You can just see a light go on in people's eyes when you describe it and see how excited they become. Based on our quick start, clearly people see the value in value swapping."