Kids' clothing maker takes setbacks in her stride

Barbara McCamish. Photo / Brett Phibbs

When Farmers cancelled a large garment order - with a retail value of close to $1 million - from children's clothing label YmamaY before Christmas 2009, its owner didn't give up.

Barbara McCamish, who started YmamaY nine years ago, turned to retailing through temporary "pop up" sites to sell the unwanted stock.

Then a flagship store was established in Broadway, Newmarket, late last year. These days YmamaY is supplying its clothing to 10 other New Zealand retailers and exporting to a number of markets including the Middle East, Australia and Asia, as well as selling online.

But another challenge faces the firm, with the Auckland Council looking to demolish YmamaY's Broadway store to improve access to Newmarket's station square.

Businesses in the square have suffered from low patronage and many of the area's retail sites lie vacant.

Christopher Dempsey, of the Waitemata Local Board, which has jurisdiction over Newmarket, told the Business Herald this month that $700,000 had been allocated to improve access to the area. He hoped the work would be done this financial year.

McCamish said losing the site had always been a possibility. YmamaY had the store until next January, then might need to shift elsewhere.

"We'll look for another [site] in Newmarket," she said. "You've got it all here. You've got the chain stores like you get at malls, but as well as that you've got all the independent retailers - all the high-end stores."

She bears no grudge against Farmers for refusing to accept most of the 20,000-garment order in 2009 after it got stuck in China, where it was manufactured.

"I had a couple of good seasons with [Farmers] ... which was great because you were getting great volume," she said. "They were right to cancel it, but it was really tough at the time, really tough."

McCamish, who designs the whole YmamaY clothing line despite having no formal training, said it was important the brand had a "concept store".

"Then people can see the brand how it's supposed to be shown rather than when you're wholesaling it to different stores - you've got total control."

Despite a tough domestic retail market, YmamaY was turning a profit, she said, and she would like to have a chain of stores in New Zealand.

The brand occupied a niche, she said: good quality yet more affordable than some high-end children's labels.