By Charlie Pogacar
Enterprise Staff Writer
For her entire professional career, Mary Candace “Candi” Roberts has been serving the Hillsborough community. Now, alongside her daughter, Morgan Copeland, and granddaughter, Ellie, that service of the community has become a family affair.
Candi Roberts and Morgan recently opened Mommy & Me Resales at 1406 Old NC-10, across from Chandler Concrete. The resale store offers a discounted selection of new and used children’s clothes and toys, as well as things like strollers, toddler beds, and carseats.
At first glance, the pivot into retail is a departure from the first 40 years of Candi’s professional life. From 1983 through 1999, Roberts worked at Tiny Tots—a business her mother-in-law, Carolyn Roberts, owned—and then opened and ran her own childcare business, The Kid’s Stop, Inc., for over 20 years.
Except Mommy & Me is actually not a departure from what she made a career out of, Roberts said. It is rather a new way to ensure the parents and children of Hillsborough are being taken care of.
“I feel so blessed to be able to start a new chapter—but really, it’s like I’m coming full circle,” Robert said, adding that prior to a career in childcare, she graduated from UNC-Greensboro with a degree in clothing and textiles. “Serving the community is an important thing. And we feel like we’re still doing that.”
The business opened on Dec. 10, and has already made inroads as a community staple. Parents and children alike enjoy the welcoming atmosphere at Mommy & Me Resales—customers are often greeted by Ellie, age 3, who does her best impression of her mother and grandmother: “boys are to the right, and girls are to the left,” she alerts incoming patrons.
“We are the type of place that’s extremely family friendly,” Roberts said. “Kids can come and push a cart around while parents shop. We’re pleased that we have little kids all the way up to senior citizens who come in to shop.”
All second-hand clothes are carefully washed and cleaned by Candi and Morgan, while things like car seats and strollers come in new condition—no parent has to wonder if a discounted car seat has been through an automobile accident. The shop has a high standard for what it offers, despite routinely selling items for less than half the price of what parents would find elsewhere.
The resale store has recently started running specials on certain days. For example, on Thursdays Mommy & Me Resales might offer an additional 10 percent off of its toys. Sales are promoted on social media—Morgan runs the store’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, which are updated almost every day. Communication like that helps tie the store to its surrounding community.
The business is becoming known for its philanthropy around town, too. It has donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Duke’s Children’s Hospital. It has donated clothes to refugees, and partnered with local law enforcement outfits to ensure children have things like stuffed animals when tragedy strikes their family. Mommy & Me Resales recently donated clothing and toys to local daycare centers.
“Lots of places need assistance,” Roberts said. “When we have an excess amount of toys or stuffed animals or things like that, we love to give back.”
The store also offers a rare service to its customers. If the store does not have something a patron is looking for at the moment, Candi and Morgan will create a wishlist for the customer and alert them when the item shows up. It’s just another way that Mommy & Me Resales is fast becoming a place that Orange and Durham County residents rely upon during uncertain economic times.
“I think what people love about our store is that you can find some really amazing deals on some really quality items,” Roberts said. “And every little bit you can save in this day and age is important. In today’s economic world, having the ability to get quality items at a great price is really important for every type of family.”
Pretty soon, Mommy & Me Resales will have an online shop. Parents will be able to make purchases via their phone, computer, or tablet, and come pick up the goods at their convenience. When they do arrive, they’ll be greeted by three generations of a family with deep roots in the town: Candi was born and raised in Hillsborough and graduated from Orange—same as her daughter, Morgan. Some day Ellie might be a Panther, too. But for now, she’s working on making a name for herself by welcoming customers to the only kid-centric consignment store in the entire community, Mommy & Me Resales.
“We feel truly blessed to be a family-run business right here in Hillsborough,” Roberts said. “With three generations of us here, we couldn’t think of a more appropriate name than Mommy & Me Resales.”
Mommy & Me Resales is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The store is closed Sundays and Mondays. Readers are encouraged to check out the business’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
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