In keeping with today’s economy, Tom’s Toys in the Santa Maria Town Center is going discount.
Hoping for a sales boost—like his San Luis Obispo store experienced after a similar change in 2008—owner Ted Frankel is offering major markdowns on Barbies, Liv Dolls, board games, and Hot Wheels, to name a few popular items.
Frankel said he’s able to offer such discounts thanks to the buying power of his five stores and the relationships he’s built with toy factories over his 35-plus years in the business.
“A lot of times, they have a packaging change, and they have to discontinue the old package,” Frankel said. “It’s the same item in the new package, but I’m able to get it at maybe 50 percent off. Then, I pass that on to my customers.”
Frankel began working as a sales rep in 1973, picking up the toy trade from his father. On May 1, he’ll celebrate the 25th anniversary of buying his first store in San Luis Obispo from Tom Williams, the store’s original owner and his former boss. From SLO, Frankel expanded by two stores in 1996, and he added a Beverly Hills location in 1998. In 2009, Town Center mall owner Greg Kozack approached him and asked him to become his new tenant. Frankel couldn’t refuse.
The mall is evolving, and Tom’s Toys’ employee Gina Fergas said she’s already seeing an upsurge in sales since reducing prices.
“People are coming in the store, and they can see the value in the discounts,” she said. “I think Ted is going in a good direction with the economy. It’s definitely a plus for all of us, especially the people that shop here.”
Fergas and the other employees are busy prepping for Easter. Customers will be able to have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny until April 23, as well as find wind-up toys, kaleidoscopes, yo-yos, and other basket stuffers.
Holiday gifts aside, Tom’s Toys carries a little bit of everything you’d expect to find in an old-fashioned toy store. Classic brands like Lego, PlayMobil and Brio Thomas fill the shelves, along with trendier items such as electronic games and Silly Bandz. But what really sets the store apart from the big retail chains is its free gift-wrapping service on all purchases. As an added bonus, Frankel is even throwing in gift cards on sales of $10 or more.
“Most of the time you either get service and you pay a lot for it, or you don’t get service and you get good prices,” he said. “We’re trying to offer a combination of those two things, so people that normally wouldn’t shop at an independent toy store are now going to consider it.”
As to whether the discount model will bring staying power to the Town Center location, Frankel said only time would tell.
“If these changes go the way I expect, there will be a very bright future, but I can’t predict it,” he said. “It’s a bit of a guessing game.”
Highlights
• On-air radio personality and Executive Director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business (COLAB) Andy Caldwell will discuss issues facing local business and industry at the Manufacturers Association meeting on April 26.
The presentation will be held at the Santa Maria Fairpark’s Satellite Wagering Center, 937 S. Thornburg, at 7:30 a.m. The event is free to attend, and a continental breakfast will be included.
To RSVP, e-mail edc@santamaria.com or call 925-2403, Ext. 817.
• Cable provider Comcast is launching more than 100 new channels and faster Internet service in Northern Santa Barbara County on April 26.
As a result, customers who haven’t added digital adapters will have their channels blacked out starting April 20. The move affects expanded-basic cable subscribers who watch channels 35 to 82—including ESPN, USA Network, and Comedy Central—without a cable box. It won’t affect subscribers with limited basic service or those who already have digital set-top boxes connected to every TV set in the house.
At no charge, Comcast will provide expanded-basic subscribers with one full-featured digital set-top box and up to two smaller digital transport adaptors (DTAs) to serve up to three TV sets. Existing digital subscribers can receive two DTAs at no charge for ancillary TVs in the home. For users with more than three sets, each additional DTA will cost $2 a month.
To get the new boxes, call Comcast at 1-877-634-4434 or visit comcast.com. Customers can also pick up the equipment in person at 2323 Thompson Way in Santa Maria.
Biz Spotlight/Highlights are written and compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Send information to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Apr 14-21, 2011.