It’s that time again. The time when we show our thanks and gratitude to another fantastic Store of the Month winner! Give it up for October’s Store of the Month, Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co. in Rehoboth, Delaware. Our sales manager Yann nominated Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co. because of how well they demonstrate Dr. Eureka, Ring It!, and Gobblet Gobblers to their customers.

In my conversation with co-founder Rachel Webster, I learned that she opened Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co. on the boardwalk in 1993 with her business partner Bee Linzey. After four years of successful business, Rachel and Bee opened a year-round location downtown where they display the majority of their toys and games while continuing to show off their beautiful kites on the boardwalk during the summer months. Since the beginning, Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co. has dedicated itself to becoming a show-and-tell, hands-on business. They have won both the Retailer of the Year from the Kite Association and Small Business of the Year from the Small Business Association.

“Don’t touch” are two words never spoken in the Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co., but you can always expect to hear a “catch this” or “play with this” as the staff invites you to play with their many toys and games. Rachel mentioned how many stores typically discourage children from touching their product for fear of accidentally breaking an item. She wanted to break away from this trend and encourage her customers to use the toys and games as they’re meant to be used. Rachel also loves her interactions with customers and sees herself as a “total big kid”. She enjoys staying in character while in the store and feels it’s important for a business to “really reach out” to its customers. Some of her favorite Blue Orange games to play with her customers are Dr. Eureka and Gobblet Gobblers because they are so easy to demonstrate to younger children.

Unlike many other stores, many of Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co.’s management challenges come from the weather conditions of the area. Rachel’s business booms during the summer season when tourists and locals walk around along the pier and downtown to catch a glimpse of her stores. During this time, they keep their boardwalk location open and put on kite shows for the public. However, the boardwalk store closes on the first day of fall, leaving only their downtown location open. Even during the summer season, hours can get complicated when weather reports warn of a hurricane or heavy rains. Rachel has to anticipate a drop in customers for those days even if the predictions don’t hold up.

Despite its unique challenges with Mother Nature, you can expect to see Rachel standing in front of her store on the boardwalk ready to show off her beautiful kites on the first day of summer. Locals and visitors alike are only too thrilled to stop by Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co. to try out the kites and games they have to offer. Check Rehoboth Toy & Kite Co. at either of their two locations on 70 Rehoboth Ave. or 1 Virginia Ave. in Rehoboth Beach. We are so proud to name them Store of the Month for October. We wish many good things for their business and hope they continue to flourish. Keep your kites flying!