NewCanaanite.com (https://newcanaanite.com/tag/new-canaan-toy-store)
In this installment of our local holiday shopping series, we spotlight the New Canaan Toy Store on Park Street (free parking in the CVS lot off of Cherry Street). Purchased by new owners five years ago, the Toy Store underwent an extensive renovation during the pandemic. We talked to sales associate Axl Long. Here’s a transcript of our conversation. How has the renovation worked out?
Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. Nobody comes to the leafy Connecticut suburbs for our heart-shaped hot tubs. Not only is their resale value questionable, but surely P&Z has a longstanding regulation against Atlantic City chic. All the same, New Canaan can be the perfect spot for a dreamy date, even when your date is the person with whom you’ve been filing taxes jointly for decades. You can find romance here in a cozy, candlelit meal, a meandering drive down a country road, or playing footsie while you read the parking ticket appeals.
For today’s Q&A with a local business during this holiday shopping season, we hear from Annie Hedrick of New Canaan Toy Store on Park Street.
Here’s our exchange. New Canaanite: You were able to complete a major renovation at New Canaan Toy Store in September. What’s the response been like from customers? Annie Hedrick: The response has been fantastic! We get compliments all day long—even from kids—who tell us how amazing it looks and how much easier it is to shop.
The New Canaan Toy Store is set to reopen soon following a major renovation that will see the popular Park Street shop brighter and easier to navigate, its owners say. Closed since the end of July, the Toy Store will reopen within the next week, according to Annie Hedrick, who co-owns the business with her brother, Nathan Shapiro. “We can’t wait to see everybody, we can’t wait to welcome everybody back,” Hedrick told NewCanaanite.com. “All the familiar faces will be there, Suzie and Maria, and it will be better than ever. You’ll be able to see the toys and move around better, and we made more space by getting rid of an office area to make more room for books and toys.
For today’s Q&A with a local business owner navigating the COVID-19 public health emergency and related restrictions, we hear from Nathan Shapiro of the New Canaan Toy Store. Here’s our exchange. New Canaanite: What are New Canaan Toy Store’s hours of operation and services you are offering at this point in terms of ordering/delivery? Nathan Shapiro: We are open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are offering curbside service and free same day home delivery. My sister Annie, our store manager, and I are staffing the store ourselves. We are helping customers over the phone during store hours, texting photos and even FaceTiming to get as close to an in-store experience as possible.