Shop small, shop kind: that’s the message behind a new name for the Vancouver vintage shop formerly known as Kinder + Kodomo.

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The clothing store, which sells vintage and pre-loved goodies for children and babies both on Instagram and on its website, debuted its new brand, Small & Kind, and a fresh visual identity on Jan. 7.

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Shop owner Georgia Nichols launched Kinder + Kodomo in 2019, pulling the German and Japanese words for “child” into the name. As she started setting up in-person at local markets, however, she noticed that brand recall wasn’t where she hoped it would be.

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In her search for a shorter, punchier name, Nichols did a deep dive into her brand’s evolution over the past two years, took stock of her ethos and reflected on what she wanted her company to represent going forward as she continues to grow.

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“I tried to design something simple, and kept the idea of those retro corner-store shopping bags in mind,” says Nichols in an email to The Vintage Seeker. “The old look was very neutral, but I wanted something a bit more fun this time.”

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Enter Small & Kind, which Nichols says is a meaningful name on multiple levels. “Small” references the fact that it’s a store selling clothes for little ones, and because it’s a small business that provides a platform for other small businesses.

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“Kind” covers four areas that are important to Nichols: the environment, local creators, charitable organizations and her customers. “I believe strongly that buying preloved clothing for ourselves and our children is the best way to shop, and one of the easiest ways that we can help the planet,” Nichols says in a statement on her website.

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In addition to vintage and pre-loved clothing, Nichols offers a collection of new items by makers and artisans such as Farmstand Critters, Shop Emmylou, Lemon Butter Babies and Little Human Expression.

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She investigates each brand, whether local or international, to ensure they align with her company’s purpose by offering fair wages, good working conditions and social justice advocacy.

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Nichols donates a portion of the proceeds from Small & Kind’s sales to local charities including BabyGoRound, Aunt Leah’s Place and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

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And in an effort to ensure her customers can continue to shop with her, Nichols aims to keep prices for her mostly ’80s and ’90s vintage and pre-loved goods as low as possible, and accepts certain brands on consignment.

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She sometimes hosts “curated pre-loved” collections, inviting local mom influencers such as Riannon Mairi and Random Acts of Pastel to sell a capsule collection of their used kids’ clothes through the Small & Kind website. “It’s a great way to get exposure for the shop [and] get new people interested in shopping pre-loved,” Nichols says.

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Nichols runs Small & Kind part-time on the side of being a full-time mom: she thrifts during the two hours a day her kids are in care, handles Small & Kind’s social media sales while her kids are having downtime, and fulfills orders after her kids go to sleep.

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“It’s busy,” she says, but notes that strengthening her ties in the online vintage community has been a boon for her business, especially as the resale market continues to heat up. When she first started as a seller, there were only a handful of other kids’ vintage clothing shops out there.  

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“I’m sure many sellers know the feeling of showing up at the thrift store and there’s someone already there with a full cart of the good stuff. It can be maddening,” she says.

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But rather than get caught up in the idea of competition, Nichols says she’s put her energy into turning that into an opportunity for the community, which harkens back to her new brand.

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“I made an effort to make friends and share knowledge, especially with other local sellers,” she says. “Some of us even have a chat where we share where we’ve been thrifting, so that we can all hit different ones and have better luck. You’re going to have a better time in any industry if you’re nice to people.”

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