As the owner of an educational supplies store, Rosa McGrath likes to check out the competition during back-to-school time.
“I try to do my own market research and go to the competitors because they have great stuff that I like to see and promotions that I like to be aware of,” said McGrath, owner of Educational Tools & Toys on Main Street in New Rochelle. “Three or four years ago, stores like Staples and Target had these huge back-to-school promotions. You would walk into these stores and there would be a lot of merchandise focused on back-to-school in these huge bins. They had ads all over the place and there was a lot of product. Last year, the amount of product dwindled a lot, and when I went back this year, there was hardly any product. So the availability of product has decreased substantially because these huge stores are responding to the fact that there”™s a recession and they know they”™re not going to sell as much.”
McGrath”™s industry is predominantly a back-to-school business, and from the end of July through Labor Day she has been busy helping customers, ordering products and making sales.
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“We call ourselves Educational Tools & Toys but a lot of the teachers call us the ”˜teacher store,”™” McGrath said. “It”™s a destination store. Our focus is really on education, students and teachers. You can”™t go to other stores and find certain types of products that are related to the school industry.”
Such products include hard-to-find bulletin board paper and a variety of trims, she added.
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“Back to school is an important part of the year for us,” said Easton King, whose parents founded Educational Warehouse, a teacher resource store with five locations in the tri-state area including White Plains, 30 years ago.
The stores sell developmental and educational toys for children. King estimated that back-to-school sales account for 50 percent of annual revenue.
The recession has impacted sales, but customers are still shopping.
“We saw a slight increase in the number of people shopping, but it does seem that everybody was spending a little bit less this year,” King said. “We generally have all the latest and greatest things that are out for teachers. That”™s what they”™re looking for ”“ hot new items, and teachers are limited in choosing from the limited selection at mass merchandisers.”
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King said that throughout the year, the stores offer sales and coupons for loyal customers.
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“We cater to teachers all year long; it”™s not a flash in the pan for back-to-school as a way for us to grab some quick sales,” King said. “This year for back-to-school due to the current economic climate we featured one deeply discounted sale item every day.”
King said because the stores are locally owned and operated, “we know what the local teachers need.”
“We”™re not stocking our stores at a national level, so it”™s easier to have the things that the local teachers are looking for,” King said. “We”™re happy to say that parents can have their children choose any item in the store, and anything the child picks out will be something the parents are happy to take home. I think certainly in today”™s day and age we have to remind people how important it is to support your local businesses; if people don”™t start supporting them today they won”™t be here tomorrow.”
