Children's World Uniform Supply 4525 Bee Ridge Rd     Sarasota, Florida M-F 9am-5:45pm    Sat. 9am - 5pm (941) 955-6999 Map and Directions!

Claim Your Independents!

Shop Locally for a Better Deal on Safe, High Quality Toys

Get a birthday present for that red-headed boy in your daughter’s preschool class.   Surprise your grandson with a new bedtime story book when he spends next weekend with you.   Find just the right holiday gifts for your kids so they will remember this Christmas their whole lives.

When items like these appear on your to-do list, it’s time to get to the store and do some serious shopping for kids’ toys and books.  So you pile in the car and head to the nearest discount store, right?

Rethinking your shopping habits?  Time for some independents in your shopping.

Not so fast, suggests Cynthia Holliday, owner of Children’s World in Sarasota, Florida.   “Since we’re all talking about the economy these days, I’d like to talk with moms and dads and grandparents and aunts and uncles about one way the economy works right here in Sarasota” says Cynthia.  “If you’re one of the millions of Americans who are re-thinking your whole shopping attitude and moving away from so-called rampant consumerism, let’s also be thoughtful about where you choose to shop.  I’d like to introduce you to the many benefits of shopping at stores owned and operated by your neighbors—people like me—who know this community, who hire people from this community, who pay taxes that stay in this community, and who are invested for the long term in this community.”

When it comes to toys, small, locally-owned stores such as Children’s World are known in the industry as “independent” toy stores or “specialty” toy stores.  Many are members of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA).  Shoppers who want to find one in their area can do so at www.astratoy.org.  

So what difference does it make where you shop?  It boils down to this:  each of us has some say about whether the money we spend stays in our local economies—re-circulating to help create jobs and prosperity in the communities where we live—or whether those dollars leave town immediately, headed to corporate headquarters somewhere distant, as soon as you walk out the door of the big box chain store.

The specialty toy difference, available at independent toy stores

And that’s not all.  If you embrace shopping independents, the good news is that you can expect an entirely different retail experience.  For example: 

• Commitment to customers.  Most owners of specialty stores also operate those stores and are regularly in the store.  This means your business will be valued and you can expect good service.  “As an owner-operator, I am highly motivated to make sure that anyone walking through my door leaves as a satisfied customer,” says Cynthia.  “That kind of hands-on involvement and commitment to customers is just plain tough to duplicate in large chains.”
• Reliable products.  Toy buying is about your kids.  Nothing matters more than knowing what you put in their hands is completely safe and will hold up no matter how your child uses it.  Generally, products carried in specialty toy stores are carefully selected by the owner, and are more innovative and better made than those in big chain discount stores.  “Parents should know that Children’s World is committed to products made by manufacturers who have met or exceeded all safety standards,” points out Cynthia.  “Check it out for yourself—over 70 manufacturers who make products for specialty stores like mine have posted their safety practices and test results at www.astratoy.org.” 
• Great service. It is through the natural activity of play that children explore, build social skills, learn to solve problems, and develop in a myriad of other ways.  Some of this can happen without toys or with makeshift playthings like a cardboard box or a good, old-fashioned mud puddle.  But sooner or later, most parents will buy toys—and many may not know what type of toy is best for their child’s developmental level.  “One thing we’re known for is our understanding of how to match toys to where kids are developmentally,” promises Cynthia.  “It’s one reason you’ll walk out with a toy your child will play with over and over and over.”
• Top value for your dollar.  If the toys are better at independent stores, don’t they cost more?  “If you do the arithmetic, it may surprise you”, says Cynthia.  “Let’s say a $10 dinosaur at a big chain store is a great birthday present for that little boy in your daughter’s class.  So you buy the toy plus gift wrap plus ribbon plus a bow plus a card.  When you add it all up, that birthday present has just cost you $15.  For the same $15 at most independent toy stores, you can buy a better dinosaur toy and you get free gift wrapping.  And if you comparison shop, you’ll see that we usually look good on price even before you run through this kind of math.”

So if today’s nonstop newsfest about what makes the economy tick has gotten you thinking about your shopping habits, maybe this is a great time to claim your independents, so to speak, and try shopping at a store that knows about and cares about your community.  Why send your hard-earned dollars to some distant corporate headquarters of a chain store when they can do so much good right here in Sarasota?  Try shopping local, and experience the difference.