About Us

How did The Plaid Giraffe come to be? Here's the story...

The Plaid Giraffe was created in July of 2008, by owner Christy Ronca in her "new hometown" of Guntersville, Alabama. Christy had moved to Alabama from the suburb of Roswell, GA in June of 2007. 

Christy's love of seeking out the sweetest baby gifts came about from all the baby showers of close friends she was attending at that time in her life. In Atlanta she would search out little boutiques and ended up not only falling in love with the special gifts she would find, but also with the displays within the boutiques. Her love of display, presentation, and an overall "magical space" is what created the pure JOY and excitement when she would find a new gift. 

Fast forward to 2008, a local shop owner was retiring from her gift shop and new owners didn't have interest to keep the baby section going. Christy saw the need for a baby section, knew it was a niche not being filled in the town, and thus this tiny "section" became the first Plaid Giraffe! 

That section stayed within a gift shop for the next three years, it gradually grew and grew and The Plaid Giraffe had to "grow up" into their own brick and mortar shop! 

The brick and mortar shop on Gunter Avenue in Guntersville opened in September of 2012 and was the most exciting moment in Christy's retail career so far. To be able to put her ideas for display, along with all the favorite things she loved in baby and children's gift, was a dream come true. 

Just over a year later, as Christy's son was about to begin Kindergarten, Christy made the decision to close the shop to focus on her family- it was bittersweet. In the years closed, Christy put family first, and continued to dabble in retail helping out in a showroom at the Atlanta Market she used to shop in for her own shop. 

For those of you who have ever been in retail and loved it...they say you'll never get the "retail out" of you. Well, it's the truth. During her time working in the showroom Christy kept thinking about all her friends and where they were shopping for their babies..and so many were shopping outside their hometown, and even out of state. 

The need was to still there. The need for a baby and children's shop, and a magical space for families and their little ones to come!

Fast Forward - October of 2016 ...Christy brings back The Plaid Giraffe, and in liking to her first "section", back in 2008,  opens within another retail shop in the neighboring town of Albertville, AL. 

Since re-opening in February of 2017, The Plaid Giraffe has been welcomed back with open arms. Many of her customers from the very first location, have found her, and continued shopping with her in this new location! 

Christy's love for personal connection with her customers, as well as, providing a space where customers can SEE and FEEL all the precious goods, remain top priority and guarantee that there will always be a brick-and-mortar Plaid Giraffe in town. 

Come along with us now, as we continue to grow with an online presence! 

xoxo