First LittleBits Toys shut its doors in Wellesley this fall, and now Magic Beans, which has locations in Linden Square, Cambridge and elsewhere, has raised doubts about its future by notifying customers that the business has hit a serious slowdown this fall.
Owner Eli Gurock wrote in part
“This is a hard email for me to write. As a parent and a small business owner, optimism is my calling card. But watching the ‘Going Out of Business’ signs go up in the windows of City Sports this week really hit home. I thought a lot about whether to share this with you, but I think it’s better to ask for help before it’s too late.
We survived the snow last winter, and we had a good summer. But so far, this fall has been quieter than usual. We look around and see wonderful, committed and knowledgeable people working in our stores. Our shelves are stocked with new, innovative and fun products. Our team is working harder than ever to make Magic Beans a special place to shop…”
He then went on to urge patrons to visit the store or shop online to support Magic Beans during the holiday shopping season.
Gurock’s message triggered dozens of comments and shares on Facebook, so we’ll see if a holiday miracle is in the making.
How can a SMB compete against Amazon or any large big box retailer? I see no niche at Magic Beans, and I can get any toy online for a fraction of the price
Sure is getting tougher, especially with Amazon delivering things faster than ever now.