TO ALL OUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS AND FRIENDS,
IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT WE ANNOUNCE THE CLOSING OF TRY AND BUY TOY STORES, the MOTHER STORE OF THE 4 STORES WE ONCE WERE.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE AFTER 40 YEARS IN BUSINESS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO EDUCATE YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR LACK OF ABILITY TO SURVIVE:
.....We were thinking about retirement, so we offered to sell our store to
extremely experienced and qualified buyers and planned to help them for the first year. Unfortunately,
our landlord took more than 4 months to decide to offer
a maximum 2 year lease. As you know, our store at 5000 square feet requires a considerably large inventory investment which is certainly not worth doing with a 2 YEAR
commitment
.
The biggest investment of our life no longer has value because it is now unsaleable.
......Next comes the new credit cards with chips. As it turns out, our computers and our point of purchase software are way too ancient to accept the new chip technology. We would have to pay $40,000 to $50,000 from our retirement money in order to update it.This is an investment we would never get back.
......Our sales have dropped down to 2005 levels and yet our expenses are going to be at 2016 levels.We are at a point that we will lose money.
......In our expert opinion, toys are losing their importance in our society. Children and their parents are enthralled with technology and screens and choose that over traditional toys. The age with which children play with toys is continually decreasing.
......Internet sales.....Daily, we have people who come to the store, utilize the help of our staff, get to touch and feel the toys and then order them WHILE STANDING IN OUR STORE on Amazon.
.....Over the years, we lost our seasonal business to Amazon, CVS and even supermarkets. The birthday party business which took it's place and has sustained this store for many years. There is now a trend in which people are giving smaller gifts and donating money (not toys) to various charities. Another hit for Try and Buy and all the other small businesses IN THE TOWN that would have benefited from the need to buy gifts.
......As a result of all the combined aforementioned things and so MANY OTHER FACTORS, WE HAVE DECIDED, sadly, that it's now time to "pack it in!"
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