Tucked away in an industrial building on Covington Way is Urban Kids, a place for parents on a budget, which is most moms and dads, to pick up much needed items for their youngsters.

Doug Reynolds, owner of the store, knows this business well as he owned and operated The Little People Store in downtown Kent from 1999-2004.

He and his wife sold the business and moved to Houston, Texas, after living in Southeast King County their whole lives.

“We had bought a house when the market was really good down in Houston,” Reynolds said. “She wanted to live somewhere warmer, so, we thought we’d give it a shot.”

Then Hurricane Rita came through and with most of their family in this area, Reynolds explained, they decided to move back.

Reynolds said his wife went back to work for Safeway, a company she’s been with for 21 years, and he “just tried to find a good location for a second store.”

He enjoyed running The Little People Store so much it made sense to get back into it.

“I watched a lot of kids grow up with our other store,” he said. “When we came back from Houston I’d run into people at Target or Fred Meyer and they’d say, ‘Doug, you’re back! When are you going to open another store?’”

The desire and the demand seemed to be there, Reynolds said, so the work began.

“In trying to find something that would fit in the budget for a new business to grow and a prime location, we ran across this location and we thought it would be great, close to Costco, a lot of foot traffic,” he said. “We wanted something to separate us. We wanted something that’s just a little different.”

Head south on Covington Way from Kent Kangley Road and on the west side is an industrial plaza.

That’s where you can find Urban Kids located in the former home of a heating and ventilation company a few stores down from Napa Auto Parts.

The building inspired the name, Reynolds said, with it having a bit more of an urban and industrial feel, Urban Kids made sense and captured the feel of the location.

There is 1,460 square feet of space on the main floor, which has items for sale ranging from strollers to bouncer seats to car seats to clothes, stuffed animals, toys, furniture, gifts and more.

There is a loft level which used to be offices. That is now storage space for larger items such as hand made cedar furniture, sand boxes, water tables, slides, outdoor playhouses and so on.

Reynolds explained that with his previous store they had become known in the area for having reasonably priced but gently used larger outdoor items that smaller, boutique style children’s shops don’t sell. He has continued doing that at Urban Kids.

“We do a real mix,” Reynolds said. “We do kids furniture, clothing, gently used toys. We do bicycles, all outdoor equipment, slides, climbers, wagons, anything kids need to be active during the summer months.”

Over the weekend, Reynolds said, a dad-to-be came in looking for items for twin boys he and his wife were expecting. He was preparing for the trip home for the hospital with his sons.

Reynolds explained the man had done a Google search and found Urban Kids and he seemed to find what he was looking for to bring his boys home from the hospital.

In addition to search engines, customers are finding Urban Kids through online classified site Craigslist, and through targeted local advertising.

“I like the relationships you build with families,” Reynolds said. “We’ve had a lot of people who have been customers in the past … tell their families who are having little ones about us.”

Reynolds will buy items from customers in cash, consign items or give store credit in trade. He said he will give about 25 percent more in store credit than buying outright.

He puts a premium on good customer service, knowledge of the products he buys and sells, as well as being honest with customers about what their items are worth.

Those are the keys to success in this business, Reynolds explained.

Offering parents a good buy also helps because moms and dads are usually looking for a bargain whether the economy is good, bad or ugly.

And that’s something Reynolds understands as a father with four kids, all of whom have worked at the store.

“With the cost of kid gear going up and up, you certainly want to get something that meets your needs and your budget,” he said. “Our kids have grown up in our stores. My older kids have learned valuable skills sets coming in and helping out, coming in on weekends and after school.”

But, Reynolds said, Urban Kids does offer more than just items for children.

“We also resale and consign household furniture and beds,” he said. “We’ve got the space, so I think you have to have a little more thought than just selling children’s things. What we’ve figured out doing this for so long, as much as we love children’s items, we want to encompass a broader scope of items (to draw in a larger clientele). I like to say it’s Urban Kids and more.”