San Bruno’s maternity store Lovely Bump is closing

What started as a garage thrift-and-swap shop turned into a fixture for moms and babies. The encouragement of her patrons empowered Buck to expand her business. For 19 years, Buck had been the helping hand that expecting mothers and new parents called upon to prepare their nests and offer the necessities to fit the needs of growing infants. Apart from local customers, the power of word of mouth was the catalyst that lured people from the Peninsula to trek the long stretches of El Camino Real, Highway 101 and Interstate 280 to find this fabled shop.

But like all adventures, this one, too, will come to an end. After nearly two decades of racking maternity clothes for mothers, solving parental woes with car seats and safety, and guiding grandparents, aunts and uncles with age-appropriate baby and toddler gifts, Buck decided to close her store.

The post-pandemic ripple effect on small businesses affected her revenue and strained her ability to sustain payments at a higher rent price. According to Buck, she opted for a monthly lease agreement instead of a yearly contract, in hopes of gaining a better understanding of her business situation. Months later, however, the real estate company Wilbur Properties, based in Palo Alto, announced that they had placed her space on the market to attract a new tenant.

Not long after representatives bore the bad news, Buck’s family faced another adversity: her son’s diagnosis of lymphoma. Buck’s determination compelled her to dust off her teaching credentials and take classes as a substitute teacher to supplement their income and operation costs.

However, the “final nail in the coffin” was the abduction of her pet parrot. As the store’s mascot, customers offered their shoulders for his geniality, and his spiritedness made the store lively, with everyone wanting a chance to snap a picture with him. A busy Saturday occupied Buck and her interns, and it was too late for them to notice that her parrot no longer perched in the clothing racks or on the railings.

The shop’s closure was the result of a perfect storm — a trifecta of rising rent, an unwanted family crisis and an appalling bird theft. With a heavy heart, she negotiated her closing date to June 7, giving her enough time to celebrate the store’s 19th anniversary last month before calling it quits.

“I went through major challenges, and I just kind of kept fighting along,” Buck said. “I think the longevity of [Lovely Bump] was probably my biggest accomplishment.”

In addition to Buck’s initiative to find another source of income to keep her business afloat, the community also raised donations to help alleviate some of the financial strain. In the days leading up to her store’s closure, fellow San Bruno business owners, residents and regulars urged families and acquaintances to visit her store to help clear out clothes, trinkets and baby essentials before her last day.

Ann Suma from Pacifica frequently visited the store to support Buck and to purchase new toys for her kids. Her and her family’s love for downtown San Bruno’s Indian restaurants turned out to be a stroke of kismet, which led her to discover Lovely Bump. She said her heart broke upon learning that the store, which had supported her needs during pregnancy and postpartum, would be closing. 

In addition to her store being a niche targeted at parents and children, others stand by Buck for her store’s hospitality. Be Brianna of San Bruno found friendship with Buck after she phoned them about their lost key, which a customer found while sifting through the clothing racks. In another anecdote, one of Buck’s interns helped Be inside the store, offering not only refreshment and a place to rest, but also ordered them a ride home since their phone was dead. Their positive experience proved to be a seed that germinated into a genuine connection in no time, blossoming into a friendship and a patronage.

“Sadly, they will no longer be here, but I hope she opens up somewhere else,” Brianna said. “Wherever it is, the community would be blessed to have her.”

Her entrepreneurial journey comes to an end, but Buck reignites her passion for education and foresees a bright future for herself as she pivots toward getting a nursing degree. She admits that running the store 24/7 had taken her away from her family, and now she wants more time to care for them and her son.

As a San Bruno resident, her heart still beats for her fellow business owners, and she is committed to supporting them in any way she can.

“When I start making a paycheck again, I’m going to shop down here a lot,” Buck said.