The Goose opens in Greenport, selling toys and clothes for kids
Bridget Elkin, with daughters Elliot and Remy at The Goose children’s boutique in Greenport Village. Credit: Madison Fender
The kids boutique The Goose opened in July in Greenport Village, its name inspired by an affectionate nickname and its mission to teach the owner’s young daughters about entrepreneurship.
"My mom used to call me and my siblings ‘Goose’ when we were little," says Bridget Elkin, who lives near the shop with her husband, Eric, and their girls, Remy, 7, and Elliot, 5. "It’s a term of endearment."
And now it’s her year-round retail enterprise specializing in kids clothes, toys and arts and crafts. "We needed a children’s store in town," she says. The Elkins, both 40, are real estate agents with Compass.
Around the cheery shop decorated in warm, muted tones, clothes sizes newborn to 12 — T-shirts, shorts, leggings, tutus and more — fill racks and shelves alongside a menagerie of stuffed bunnies, turtles and dinosaurs.
The Elkins previously used the space as a satellite office for their real estate careers. In the shop’s first months, newborn clothes have become top sellers. "Almost everyone has a baby in their lives they need a gift for," says Elkin, adding that she has "two price points" for apparel to give shoppers options.
Onesies sell for $19 or $32, while bathing suits, another summer bestseller, are priced at $30 and $55. Toys lean toward education and imagination. Brain Quest trivia cards ($13.50) are another popular store item. A shop website is in the works.
Elkin’s merchandise is a mix of U.S.- and Europe-based brands. "I would put anything in the store that I would purchase myself as a gift for my girls," she says. "That’s my rule of thumb."
Two employees run the store day to day. Elkin’s plan is to have her daughters get more involved in the business as they get older — if they choose to do so. "They’re already learning about the value of time," she says.
Growing up in Manhasset, Elkin’s first job was a runner at a restaurant. "I was 14," she says. "I remember because I had to be 16 in order to carry the beers and I couldn’t do that."
"Work teaches valuable lessons," she adds. "About yourself and about other people."
The Goose, 211 E. Front St., Greenport; Instagram: @shopthegoose
