Many years ago my husband and I owned a baby shop called “Bundle of Joy”.
We sold prams, buggies, bottles, cots, baby clothes, blankets and a million other goodies that a baby needs.
As I was a crocheter I started to create baby blankets to sell in the store.
They did well.
I made crochet baby blankies in white, pink and blue. But never pink and blue together in one blanket.
I made granny squared ones and row on row ones. it was a perfect time of running a business and crocheting at the same time.
I then tried baby yellow and baby green blankets. But they never sold. I could only sell pink or blue blankets.
Our shop attracted customers who were grannies, aunts and mothers of new babies. Over time we got to know the clientele and they would pop in to say “hello” when the went for their groceries at the supermarket in the mall.
During our time at the baby store we were lucky enough to welcome our own bundle of joy and our daughter was born.
So we had a real live baby prop in the store and this too attracted customers.
They would come into our shop and ask, “Do you only have pink or blue blankets?”
To which I responded, “How about this lovely baby mint green or pale lemon?”
Everyone then said, “Oh, I’ll take the pink for my new daughter,” or, “I’ll take the blue because my baby is a boy.”
So even though we could offer a selection of colors, the customers only ever bought the two traditional colours of baby pink and baby blue blankets.
Moms want to clearly define the sex of their baby. If anyone sees a pink or blue blanket in a buggy or pram it is immediately clear that the child is a boy or girl.
In the three years we had the shops we never sold a yellow or a green blanket but, by having them as a selection to offer our customers, the awkward colored yellow and green blankets helped us sell the pink and blue ones, by them being offered as a choice to our customers.
You can read more on the meaning of colours, selecting colours for your crochet work and soft furnishings.