For today’s installment in our local holiday shopping series, we spoke to Sophia Patterson of the New Canaan Toy Store at 94 Park St. (great parking at the lot almost directly opposite at the corner of Park and Pine).
Purchased by new owners six years ago, the Toy Store underwent an extensive renovation during the pandemic and has received high praise for how many great items it’s able to pack inside the shop while still feeling open and well-organized. “This is a really fun time of year for us,” owner Annie Hedrick said. “We spend months preparing and stocking up for Christmas and we love to see families enjoying shopping and discovering new toys together.”
Here’s a transcription of our conversation with Patterson.
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Lego McLaren Formula 1 Team “Speed Champions” for 9-and-up ($29.99 at New Canaan Toy Store). “Super popular Christmas gift, mid-price-range,” Sophia Patterson said. “Lots of middle school boys love these.” Credit: Michael Dinan
New Canaanite: How has the holiday shopping season been going here at the store?
Sophia Patterson: It’s going well, we’ve been really busy. This is my fourth year here and it’s definitely more busy this year than past years, I would say.
What are some of the best sellers this season?
Fashion Angels brand “Ice Pop Bead Shop” beading & charm set ($21.99 at New Canaan Toy Store). “Lots of arts and crafts, bracelet-making are great for girls aged four-up,” Sophia Patterson said. Credit: Michael Dinan
Lots of squishy toys and slime. Lots of the small fidget stuff people like.
What do you tell people about the store who haven’t been in?
It’s like a very friendly neighborhood toy store. We love to wrap everyone’s gifts. We love to help people pick out items—a lot of grandparents will come in with the ages of their grandkids and we’ll go around the store with them showing them things and wrap it all up for them.
So a person who doesn’t necessarily have a good idea already of what to get for a loved one or a child, they have a lot of help here?
Bruder brand UPS truck ($135.99 at the New Canaan Toy Store. “We have lots of Bruder trucks ranging in different prices, they’re very popular for all ages,” Sophia Patterson said. “Boys love them.” Credit: Michael Dinan
Yes, we’re very good at helping people pick out gifts
What’s the feeling generally this time of year, in the downtown is they put the lights up, and they have the garlands, and they have the Holiday Stroll. What’s it like being part of that Christmas holiday shopping experience?
Very small town, close interactions, friends and faces, vibes around here.
Caffeine & Carburetors has partnered with the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce to encourage local holiday shopping by increasing the purchase power of the New Canaan E-Gift Card program by 40%. The gift card can be used at over 45 different retailers in town. More information is available here.