Retailers Devoted to the Cause
GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 12/1/2011 2:00:00 AM
Christine Wallerstein, founder of specialty toy e-tailer PlayWorks. net, uses function as criteria for her product selection. "[Child-development] professionals - the majority of our customers - and most parents know what types of toys are most useful for their children," she says. "Personal preference is the key to choosing a toy that elicits a positive response."
To support its customers, PlayWorks.net offers special promotions for professional groups using their products and contributes to auctions, drawings and raffles at related conferences and fundraisers. "We consider our site an educational resource on play and diverse needs," says Wallerstein. "We also participate with selected organizations to raise money to further their missions."
On the brick-and-mortar side of the toy business is the unparalleled dedication of Christine Osbourne. The occupational therapist-turned-specialty-retailer operates Wonder Works, a Charleston, SC toy store, where roughly one in three customers shops for a child with special needs. With 22 years in the business, Osbourne has witnessed an upward shift in this growing population. "It's amazing that those numbers were more like 1 in 15 20 years ago when autism was rare," she says. "The norm in the U.S. does not exist as we know it; every family has challenges."
To better serve her customers, Osbourne encourages her staff to ask shoppers the age of the child they are shopping for and what their passion is. "That's when folks may say the child is 5, but plays on a 2-year-old level," she says. "We find out what things parents are working on with their child, and then direct them toward something appropriate."
Osbourne also makes a point of keeping as many toys out on the floor, so customers may experience them for themselves. One such product that's a hit with staff and shoppers alike is Kid-O's Bilibo. "It's a great opportunity to tell parents that kids need to swing, spin around and jump, which are all necessary for sensory integration," she notes.
"Mainstreaming of special needs is happening," shares Osbourne. "So when stores keep products out, kids feel more normal and parents feel at ease."
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