Reste-pus i stalden: let the children play

With an emphasis on children and playfulness, this independent retailer puts customer service and high-quality products at the very centre of their business – and they make sure that everyone involved has fun in the process.

Based in Engesvang in central Jutland, Margit and Peter Emil Sørensen sell children’s clothes and shoes with a firm focus on their main customers. They want each child to experience that they can have fun when trying on clothes and shoes, and that they can be a part of the shopping experience.

Each item has been handpicked by Margit, who cares deeply about her customers – parents as well as children. “It’s really important for us that we level with the children when they come to buy clothes or shoes from us,” she explains. “We need to get down to their actual physical level and engage with them, make eye contact.”

Margit’s husband, Peter Emil, whom she lovingly describes as “part-time break-time clown”, is particularly adept at making those perhaps slightly more shy children they encounter feel at ease. “Often, customers will send me photos of their children wearing our clothes, and that is a wonderful feeling,” Margit says.

A focus on children and an honest, personal touch are at the heart of this business, where customer satisfaction is all-important. A large proportion of their sales now, in a post-Covid world, is via their web shop, but meeting customers remains hugely important to them. Margit and Peter Emil are often found at trade fairs to maintain the face-to-face contact with younger as well as older customers.

While fun is crucial to the identity of Reste-pus i stalden, there is no compromising on the excellence of the products they carry. They prioritise high-quality merchandise, and one of their most popular brands is the Danish company Mikk-Line. They continue to carry the most popular collection but regularly add new ones to keep things fresh and fun, for their customers as well as for themselves.

Margit and Peter Emil both have other jobs alongside running Reste-pus i stalden, so this is very much a labour of love, which they both continue to enjoy. “It is so important for all of us to have fun,” Margit explains in earnest. And perhaps that’s exactly why Reste-pus is so successful; they have a genuine understanding of children and their need for playtime and playfulness – and they still understand how to have fun themselves.

Left: Rainwear SS2022. Right: Wool wear.

Web: reste-pus.dk
Facebook: Reste-pus i stalden
Instagram: @restepusistalden