Retail Interview - with Cynthia Compton, owner of 4 Kids Books & Toys in the US state of Indiana

‘It's a pretty great gig’

Cynthia Compton, owner of 4 Kids Books & Toys in Indiana, shares her experience of the Stateside toy retail scene

Iown 4 Kids Books & Toys, a 2,800sq ft independent brick-and-mortar children's store in Zionsville, located just outside Indianapolis: that's in the middle of Indiana, about 180 miles southwest of Chicago.

The name references my four children who, when I opened in 2003, were aged one, five, seven and nine. I previously had a corporate job that required lots of travel, and after the birth of my youngest daughter, I began to look for a business that I could open and run while my kids were in school.

As a lifelong book lover, I thought a children's bookstore would be perfect. As I developed my business plan and began attending trade shows and touring shops around the country, I determined that what was more practical, profitable, and needed in our community was a book and specialty toy store - and so 4 Kids was created.

Our shop employs nine staff. We maintain a website, sell on social media platforms and also do quite a bit of business with local schools and childcare centres, offering book fairs, author events, Christmas bazaars and fundraisers, and a growing gift basket business.

I’ve always been fortunate to learn from industry colleagues through trade association involvement. I’ve served on the board of directors of ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association), and currently serve on the board of ABA (American Booksellers Association).

Along the way, we've been privileged to receive the Pannell National Award for Best Children's Bookstore, local awards for ‘best Top 5 Best Sellers ■ Simpl Dimpl from

Fat Brain Toys

■ FinGears from Blue

Orange Games

■ Super Mario

Adventures with Luigi Starter Course from LEGO

■ Story Time Chess

board game from Story Time Chess

■ Sensory Bin -

Dinosaur Dig from Faber-Castell

I can hardly “ believe that I get to do this every single day ”

toy store’ and ‘best bookstore’ and have presented on retail topics at events including Toy Fair and ASTRA Marketplace.

Learning curve

The pandemic presented a huge learning curve and a growth opportunity, and we’ve been on an explosive growth track since the first shutdown.

Fortunately, our doors were only closed for about three weeks, during which time we took orders over the phone, via text, social media and website, and provided free local delivery. Then we were able to offer curbside pickup and, after about six weeks, we reopened with plastic shields in place at the checkout, masks required for everyone, and limiting store occupancy.

We cut our hours slightly to allow for more cleaning time and to accommodate all the deliveries, but after a few months were back to our regular seven days per week schedule, although we do close one hour earlier now (at 6pm) and open an hour later (at 10am) to provide time and space for receiving deliveries. All the services we put in place during Covid stayed and will be part of our business operations for a long time, I think.

‘Imagination-based’ play

So, let's talk a bit about product mix. It’s exactly half books (for babies through to teens, with a small adult section) and toys. We focus on ‘imagination-based play’ for kids and teens: open-ended toys, kits, crafts, games, puzzles, dolls, building sets, trains, vehicles, outdoor and active play and, right now, fidgets.

Our key brands are HABA, Hape, Brio, LEGO, Playmobil, Thames & Kosmos, Creativity for Kids (Faber-Castell), Floss and Rock, Epoch, Spin Master, Madam Alexander, Djeco, Fat Brain, Mindware, Klutz, Ravensburger, and a zillion or two game companies. We also stock about 10,000 book titles and yes, it's a bit crowded in here!

Before the pandemic, we had a dedicated room for birthday parties and daily storytime/art class/music events. When events weren’t possible because of Covid, we reworked that area and made it part of the retail space, allowing us to increase section sizes and spread out a bit for safety. As much as it hurts my heart not to welcome 30 to 40 preschoolers and their moms into my shop every morning for an event, I simply can't imagine when we can safely return to that level of programming.

What's ahead? I wish I knew. Most weeks, it feels like we are just barely paddling fast enough to keep our heads above water. Business is up, supply chain issues are terrifying, and I’m much more concerned about getting enough toys than I am about finding customers to sell them to.

Even with all the challenges of the past year and a half or so (time is irrelevant now, isn't it?) I can't imagine a better job. The ability to be part of so many childhoods, to directly influence and impact parents' choices for their children, and to bring new and exciting items to the local market, are constant motivators.

The hours are long, but the days and seasons are incredibly short, and as we celebrated the beginning of our 19th year last October, I can hardly believe that I get to do this every single day. Better still are the passionate, smart, playful people who work in our industry, who are some of my best friends in the world. It's a pretty great gig. Even with a mask on. toysnplaythings.media