Named for an Irish lullaby, Tula Ru children’s resale boutique’s present owner is looking for someone to sell to, who wishes to continue the beachfront retail shop’s legacy.
“I would like to find someone who has the same vision as I have, which is to be a place where moms can gather in the community, meet each other, support each other, learn about parenting and have fun with their kids,” said owner Joan Patton, who has run Tula Ru at 5005 Cass St. in Pacific Beach for six years.
The family-owned small business buys, sells and trades high-quality, gently used infant, toddler and children’s clothing, shoes, books, toys and baby gear. Patton said Tula Ru benefits customers.
“Kids grow out of their things quickly before they’re worn out,” she noted. “So their moms and dads can bring their stuff here and sell it on consignment. It’s a win-win all the way around. They can save money. “They bring in all the clothing their kids have outgrown and they can either get cash, or store credit. They get rid of old stuff and they get new stuff. And their kids are happy. The kids come in and play — and they never want to leave.”
Patton said items in Tula Ru can be marked down as much as 50 percent from the cost of buying them new.
Case in point: Patton picked a Ralph Lauren girl’s dress off a rack of items she acquired for consignment that day.
“This lady was moving and she didn’t want to pack up all the stuff that her child had outgrown,” said Patton. “I pay 20 percent cash for what I can sell it for. This dress, which I can probably sell for $11 or $12, I paid $2.50 for. New it would cost maybe $28. Customers save money. I’m making money. It’s a win-win.”
Tula Ru is divided into two halves. The lower half is the children’s resale boutique. Half the upper level is a kids play area, while the other half is being converted as future classroom space.
“We’re going to have parenting and music classes, yoga or whatever,” Patton said.
A former special education schoolteacher who raised her own children in Pacific Beach, Patton noted the Tula Ru space hasn’t changed much over the years.
“This corner has always been a children’s resale store — Sunset Kids, Forget Me Not — as long as I can remember,” Patton said, noting she chose Tula Ru as her store name because “my daughter-in-law’s dad used to sing that lullaby for her, and we just wanted something that was catchy, cute, child-oriented: something people could remember.”
Most of Patton’s clients come from PB or La Jolla. She added moms today “are savvy” knowing how — and where — to shop for bargains.
Though she wants to sell her business, Patton is in no particular hurry.
“I want to find a young person that wants to do this,” she said. “I’m really picky about who I want to take it over.”
Patton believes the demographics of her north PB locale are changing in a positive way.
“This is really an up-and-coming area,” she said. “There’s lots of two-income families with young children who can afford to live here now.”
Tula Ru’s clients are as varied as the resale shop’s merchandise.
“There are working moms, stay-at-home moms, moms working form home — even nannies,” she said.
For more information, call (858) 272-5622, visit www.tula-ru.com or email [email protected].
