Dallas' poshest baby boutique makes way for chic new addition

Time to order the birth announcements because The Tot, Dallas' premiere boutique for all things baby, is expecting a new arrival. The brand's first baby registry and gear showroom will open in Dallas in April.

Technically, it's not so much of an addition as an evolution. The Tot will transform its existing Lovers Lane retail location, known as the Playhouse, to an appointment-only dedicated baby registry showroom, which will feature hundreds of baby registry items and gear. Its retail location in Highland Park Village will remain the same, offering products for parents, baby, toddler, and big kids.

The change comes as customers increasingly expressed a desire for a physical location to build their baby registries. The company wanted to provide a physical space, in addition to their online registry-concierge services, for expecting parents to test and review products first-hand. It all adds a glamorous personal touch to their services.

"It allows consumers to feel and touch clothing, gear (strollers, carriers, etc.), furniture, and more as they build their registries with the help of an in-person registry consultant," a spokeswoman explains.

In other words, this is not a shoot-the-scanner-around-the-store-and-go experience.

The showroom will feature “Tot Tested” products and brands, including nursery furniture, gear, and basic baby apparel from trusted brands such as Stokke, Oeuf, and Cybex.

"Creating a baby registry can often feel overwhelming for expecting parents and new moms," says Nasiba Adilova, co-founder of The Tot, in a release. "After seeing the initial incredible response and feedback to the personal touch and guidance that we already offer from a digital perspective and phone consultations, we knew we needed to create a VIP experience and focus on that key moment of a new parent's journey."

Every client will get expert guidance from a consultant as they design a registry. They'll move from room to room throughout the showroom to make their selections and will leave with a complete registry on TheTot.com, ready to share with family and friends anywhere in the world.

Launched in 2016 as an e-commerce site, The Tot has quickly expanded, opening its first retail location in Highland Park Village in November 2016. In the last year, the brand saw its registry business increase sixfold, they say.

Adilova started the business after struggling to find a central resource where each product featured had been thoroughly tested for health, safety, innovation, and style. Just a few years later, The Tot reaches parents globally through online and through pop-up retail experiences in New York City, East Hampton, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, and Aspen.

"Where possible, all products featured on The Tot are free from pesticides, toxic chemicals, dyes, or anything that may be harmful to you or your baby," the company says in the release. "Style is important to us, and we try and choose materials that are as natural and organic as possible. The Tot gathers expert contributors such as journalists, doctors, and nutritionists to write about everything from fertility to sleeping, feeding, nutrition, style, gear, and wellbeing. It aims to inform, educate, and amuse its audience."

The new registry and showroom are meant to increase The Tot's retail footprint as a leading one-stop-shop for safe and innovative products and unbiased information and advice, the company says.

The new registry and gear showroom is at 4607 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas. To schedule a baby-registry consultation beginning April 1, email registry@thetot.com or call 1-855-934-3928.