From the Classics to What’s Current Trends in Games and Puzzles at Pharmacies and Hardware and Toy Stores

By Sara Karnish

Games and puzzles are standard fixtures on toy store shelves, but they are also available in some non-traditional niche retailers—namely, hardware stores and pharmacies. In interviews for this article, these merchants said stocking items like games, puzzles, and other toys are part of meeting customers’ needs—although they come in for the core service, patrons are often pleasantly surprised at the other items they find in the store.

Diversifying is the key to long-term success. “Most of the time, even if you are ‘just’ a hardware store, you have to bring people in for something else,” said Wendy Morgan , CFO of two Coast Hardware stores in Willits and Fort Bragg, Calif., and a third store that exclusively sells hardware. “To me, retail is a very difficult business to be in these days, especially those with brick-and-mortar locations. In small towns, you have to have something to keep people’s interest. We have other hardware stores in the area—Fort Bragg alone has four. If you don’t figure out another reason to bring people into your store, someone will be out of business. There’s not enough room for just a hardware store. I’m always looking for new things to feature.”

Isabel Danielak , manager/buyer at Silverton Pharmacy and Gift Shop in Toms River, N.J., said games and puzzles have been part of the store’s inventory throughout its long history. “We sell a lot of Masterpiece and Springbox puzzles. In games our big sellers are the classics—Monopoly, Clue, Perfection, Trouble. Games have always been good sellers for us, but we’ve noticed an increase in the last few years. With fewer big box stores around us, there are fewer places to get them, so [customers] come here. People are spending more time with family. Even when they are going somewhere with family, they’re taking a game with them,” she explained.

Games and puzzles continue to bring in strong sales at full-service toy stores, as well. At Island Treasure Toys, with its flagship store in Freeport,