In today’s ever-expanding world of online shopping, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many small retail businesses to succeed and grow, and increasingly difficult to take a child to a bona fide toy store or go Christmas shopping at one.
Yearning to defy the odds, Berkley resident Aric Klar dropped out of Eastern Michigan University to pursue his dream of owning a toy store. He co-founded Toyology in 2011 with his mother and brother, opening up shop in a space that was once a toy store in West Bloomfield’s Orchard Mall.
“I had a crazy vision: I wanted to be the next Toys 'R' Us,” said Klar, 29.
He's had to modify his model: Toys "R" Us went bankrupt earlier this year, closing its stores.
But Toyology has grown rapidly, opening additional stores in Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Hills and Royal Oak.
“You can have the craziest vision in the world, but if you don’t have the right people with you carrying the direction of that vision, then it's meaningless,” Klar said.
Read More: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2018/12/20/toyology-locations-toy-store-oakland/2333034002/