MORE THAN SHE IMAGINED

Winnetka’s Peyton Merrill grew up in the fashion world. Having worked her way up the ladder of a national retailer to running its 10,000-squarefoot store on Michigan Avenue and managing its 40 employees—she dreamed that one day she might have her own store.

That time finally came in February 2020.

“Can you believe my timing?” Merrill says with a quick laugh. But even a pandemic couldn’t stop her.

“My store manager and I used social media creatively and did our best to stay connected to our customers even when our store was closed,” she says. “So, when COVID was over—really over— our business exploded. I felt like we just outgrew our original space at 555 Chestnut.”

When a retail neighbor, two doors down, decided to close, the timing was in Merrill’s favor.

“The store space was just an amazing shell,” Merrill says. “With a little decorating, we were able to open in three months.”

But Merrill’s desire to expand still wasn’t satisfied.

“Once we opened, I realized how much I wanted the storefront in the middle,” she says. “Having the two stores separated by another tenant wasn’t easy. It was hard for our customers—and hard on our staff—to go back and forth between the two. I was finally able to negotiate with the neighboring owner and now Bunny & Babe is as I always hoped it would be.”

Today, Bunny & Babe can dress young women from the seventh grade into their seventies and beyond. They also offer beautiful home accessories and gifts.

“We really are known for our dresses,” Merrill explains. “Everything from casual day dresses to cocktail and wedding attire. We try to visit New York six times a year on buying trips, in addition to Dallas and Atlanta. The root of who we are is very classic, but we keep our finger on the pulse of new, feminine lady-like brands that are just emerging so that we can offer them before anyone else.”

The expansion has lent itself to Bunny & Babe unveiling its newest concept for its younger customers—Violet.

“Violet is a focused collection for our high school to college- aged girls,” Merrill explains. “We think the name Violet fits so nicely with our signature colors of lavender and light blue.”

Merrill and her team work tirelessly on their merchandise displays. “I think one of the reasons the store does so well is because we pay careful attention to aesthetics,” she notes. “We try to keep things fresh because we know the details matter.”

Merrill also believes the extra space will support the level of customer service her team strives to provide.

“We do our best to welcome each customer into our store and find out how we can be of assistance,” she shares. “If a customer just wants to come in, look around, and not be bothered—that’s fine with us. But most people who walk into our store are looking for something. Our goal is to be helpful. I think this makes such a difference to our customers, and this is a huge priority for us. We don’t like a customer to leave without feeling completely satisfied.”

While Merrill knows that many women want an in-store shopping experience, some value the convenience of an e-commerce site.

“We’ve completely revamped the website for our store and have a dedicated e-commerce team,” Merrill explains. “Customers can literally buy just about anything we have in our store from the website. Instagram is the main feeder for our e-com business. Everything is always linked as we try to make it easy for our customers to shop. We’re happy to make free local deliveries and are so excited to see our business grow nationally. This is such a great opportunity for us.”

The next logical question for Merrill is, what’s next?

“You know what? I’m excited to slow down a bit and hone in on the details that we haven’t even had time to think about yet,” she says. “It’s time for the fun stuff—improving the flow of the store, hosting more pop-ups, perfecting our space—focusing on all of the little things that will make shopping at Bunny & Babe special. I can’t wait.”

For more information, visit bunnyandbabe.com or follow their Instagram @bunnyandbabewinnetka. Bunny & Babe is located at 555 Chestnut in Winnetka.