Former Wal-Mart executive is starting a new toy chain
One thing the toy industry needs, and needs badly is a new retailer to come in and upset some of the toy retailing paradigms that have been in place since the mid-20th century. That may be happening.
The name of the company is Wonder, LLC and the CEO is former Wal-Mart executive, Bill Colaianni. It is a store for children up to seven years old and that means they will, in their 135,000 square feet, carry everything from diapers to baby products to clothes to (yes) toys. The store will also provide a playground, a restaurant and more.
Crain's Chicago compares the store to the incredibly successful outdoor retailer, Cabellas, which has made its mark by providing its consumers with a broad array of products and an experience (think archery ranges). Wonder's goal is to have 20 stores in five years.
They are still in the capital raising process but the concept sounds great and the strategy seems strong as well. As Crain's puts it, "One key part of the firm's strategy is to capitalize on the ailing retail real estate market by getting low-cost leases at vacant big-box stores..."
Toy retailing concepts that were new and exciting fifty years ago are outdated for a new century and a new generation. Good luck Wonder, I hope you make it.
Jimbo commented:
All of these articles have saved me a lot of hedacahes.
Mike commented:
Wal-Mart is the problem with the toy business, they stripped all value out of play. Can someone from Wal-Mart turn it 180 degrees? Not when their first inclination is to hang WAREHOUSE on the end of their name.
Snickelfritz Toys commented:
Why???? Hasn't Wal Mart philosophy done enough to damage to this country and all the small business owners?
Snickelfritz Toys commented:
Why???? Hasn't Wal Mart philosophy done enough to damage to this country and all the small business owners?
Ben commented:
They own wonderwarehouse.com. Long name and not their name. That is like adding store to the end of a name. Or a store named Tickle and using ticklewarehouse. Everyone will go to wonder.com.
Wonder Bread commented:
So they went public with their name a while back before securing the domain name wonder.com. It will truly be a wonder if they make it 5 years. that price just jumped from a few hundred thousand to well over a million. lucky they are saving on rent. wonder is their name, wonder.com they must have. great start for management. Too funny, they are off to a bad start already before getting money to even get started :-)
