BUSINESS NOTES
Timeless
TOYS By Alecia Humphreys
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ince its founding in 1985, Imagination Toys has been a pillar for play in the metro area, and that lovely legacy in Ladue will live on under new owners: Sally Kriegel and Lisa Adorjan. “I was a frequent customer at the store – [I] came in all the time, knew Diane, who is one of our excellent staff members here, and I’m on their mailing list,” Kriegel says. “After Christmas, we got an email saying that the store was closing or being sold because [former owner] Polly [Lett] was retiring. I’ve always had this little pipe dream about owning the store – this little shop around the corner, very close to my house. I mentioned it to my husband, and he was like, ‘You should email them.’” Kriegel recalls that as she was telling Adorjan about the potential purchase, Adorjan also was elated. “When this came up, it seemed like a dream come true,” Adorjan says. “A now-or-never kind of deal. We thought that this would be a great opportunity for both of us to try something fun and new.” The duo says they plan to keep Imagination Toys’ impeccable customer care at its core.
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APRIL 1, 2022 | LadueNews.com
“We want to keep the tradition alive of that high customer service and attention to detail, [by] making each person who walks in the store feel like they have someone there who is focused on what they need,” Adorjan says, “whether that’s a toy for a birthday party or something new for their kids.” Kriegel says she sincerely hopes to bring new and exciting toys into the store. “Toys that not everyone has seen, that really help kids have creative play,” Kriegel adds. “We like
the idea of kids playing outside, wondering about the world and experiencing play. So we’re always looking for toys that promote that.” Imagination Toys will celebrate its new era on Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the Imagination Celebration. “We are going to have a few activities within the store – there’s going to be balloon artists walking around and ice cream,” Adorjan says. “There might also be some special guests that come and visit, like the Easter bunny. It’s going to be a very fun, festive atmosphere.” The new owners hope this celebration also celebrates the shop’s loyal customers. “We are very thankful for the loyal group of customers that have patronized the store for the past 37 years,” Kriegel says. “We appreciate that, and we’ll be working hard to foster and earn that loyalty in the future. It is a great community that we have around us, and we really do appreciate that and want to make sure that we continue all those little things that have brought people in.”
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Imagination Toys, 9737 Clayton Road, St. Louis, 314-993-6288, imagination-toys.com
