Business of the Week: Yogi’s Paw, Mount Kisco
First-time shoppers to Yogi’s Paw in the heart of downtown Mount Kisco may be surprised to learn that this adorable store has nothing to do with pets. In fact, the Main Street shop, awash in an assortment of bright colors, has fast become the go-to destination for teen girls and young women.
Co-owned by the husband-and-wife team of Leslie Bijoux and Eric Sussman, the store has been a mainstay in the village since 2003. The couple was inspired to go into the retail business after visiting a gift store in a neighboring town. Bijoux and Sussman felt their business acumen, gained from Bijoux’s experience in the corporate world as a marketing professional and her talents as a freelance decorative painter and Sussman’s years as a self-employed courier, would help bring that vision to life.
Like other successful entrepreneurs, the couple, both Thornwood natives, chose a name that would stand out. In this case, they looked to their cat, Yogi, for inspiration, and because family pets are universally loved, the name has stuck, Bijoux said.
In the beginning, she explained that the concept for Yogi’s Paw was centered on the sale of arts and crafts, but that has changed over the years, based primarily on customer feedback.
“We pay very close attention to what people like and what they respond to and we have steadily built our business around that,” said Bijoux, adding that many customers have come to rely on the store as a “boutique without the boutique prices.”
Yogi’s Paw is all about making customers feel good.
“Many of our customers have said it’s like walking into paradise, an escape from reality or a little slice of heaven,” Sussman said.
The store’s interior is not only vibrant, but includes racks of colorful tops along one wall, party dresses at the front of the store and eye-catching chandeliers that hang from the ceiling.
Items are carefully chosen to captivate the interests of teen girls and young women in particular, said Sussman. The store includes a wide selection of jewelry, much of it sterling silver. There’s also an assortment of clothing, such as Sugarlips tanks made by a Los Angeles–based manufacturer of trendy, ready-to-wear fashion for young women, and dresses for all occasions, including Sweet Sixteen parties, bat and bar mitzvahs, school dances and graduations. There are scarves, watches, handbags and a cute selection of trinket boxes ideal for gift giving.
The arrangement of merchandise is credited to Bijoux, whose artistic flair has helped make it a fun place to shop, Sussman said. Both have an incredible passion for the business, always eager to improve and grow, even traveling the country to purchase unique items for their customers, sweeping up rare finds in Los Angeles and introducing them to customers on the East Coast.
The hard work has certainly paid off. Yogi’s Paw not only attracts local shoppers, it has a following throughout the tri-state area. To cater to the growing demand from shoppers in southern Westchester, the couple opened another, slightly larger, store last year in Mamaroneck.
Above all, Bijoux and Sussman love the retail industry, finding joy in helping customers select an item. But like most entrepreneurs, they know that to stay on top they must continue to evolve and stay relevant.
“When the store started to take off several years ago, we realized even then that we had to get it right or we would fade away,” Sussman said.
The couple also credits its part-time staff of six workers for helping them grow and prosper.
“They’ve really been key to the growth of our business,” Bijoux said. “We couldn’t do this without them.”
Yogi’s Paw is located at 141 Main St. in Mount Kisco and is open seven days a week. For more information, call 914-864-0386 or visit www.yogispaw.com.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.