As far as my customers are concerned, on December 26th when the tinsel, trees, and Santa are put away and the Christmas items all hit the clearance shelves, Christmas 2009 will officially be over. For hopscotch it also means that Christmas 2010 has officially begun.
The Christmas holiday season is always on the radar for Hopscotch. Planning for the following year begins in the quiet week following Christmas. The trials and triumphs of the previous season are still fresh in my mind. The numbers have all been collected, and are ready …

I used to have a difficult time deciding what to put at my cash wrap for add on or “impulse” items. It was helpful for me to realize that what I look for at the checkout is either a solution for some need I have, the last perfecting piece for a gift, or a treat for myself. Those are the qualifications I now have for items I place at my cash wrap.
Greeting cards are our most frequent add ons at the point of purchase, in no small part …

I inherited a “just have fun” gene from my father, so it’s good that I ended up in the toy business!
We want customers to have a pleasant experience at the store, so we really don’t put up with grouchy employees or customers. The casual attitude is probably the best and worst aspect of our store — it makes coming to work a joy, but it can put some customers off, especially the ones that want to have a bad experience. Hard to believe there are some of …