With Halloween past, the time has come to throw away our jack-o-lanterns and hang up our costumes. However before we prepare the house for our Thanksgiving banquet, we must announce November’s Store of the Month! Congratulations to Figpickels Toy Emporium in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! Our sales rep Jean chose Figpickels for their cute store and outstanding reputation in the city. I had the pleasure of discussing Figpickels’ success with the store owners Susan and Brett Sommer.
Coeur d’Alene resides right next to an alpine lake that bears the same name. With the fantastic scenery, Coeur d’Alene has become one of the fastest growing tourist locations and has earned a spot in 1000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. When I asked Brett about the city, he said its moderate climate and the fantastic ski spots during the winters are just a couple of the many factors that make this place an absolute marvel. These are also a few of the many qualities that drew Susan and Brett to settle here on their travels.
The Sommer family was living in New York City during the devastating 9/11 Terrorist Attack in 2001. After the attack, the family made the difficult decision to quit their jobs, pack up, and leave New York to travel the US. They came across Coeur d’Alene and purchased a historic building, which they renovated and leased out. The building, however, was never rented. Brett and Susan noticed there was no toy store in Coeur d’Alene, and they recalled how excited they had been to find a toy store in the towns they visited. They decided to take the building for themselves and make their own toy store out of it.
When I asked Susan and Brett about their favorite part in running the store, they said they loved the community and the people they meet. They said it’s “always a party in there” for them and they love to meet people from around the world. The Sommer’s once met a teacher from Portland, Oregon that worked with autistic students, and with help from their son, she was able to find a toy that could help her in the classroom. The business also takes pride in working with educators in their area, and learning more about how toys can engage in developmental therapy.
Speaking of education, Susan and Brett find that Blue Orange Games hold a lot of educational and cognitive benefits. Brett is personally excited to learn how Dr. Eureka may help those with autism and ADHD. Their son, Devin Sommer, even took some Blue Orange Games games with him to Turkey in his study abroad program to help teach English to the people there. He partners with the Institute of International Education and has recently won the Generation Study Abroad Video Challenge.
Beyond the exciting location and educational games, Susan and Brett know their games are a blast to play. How do they know this? Because they were tested by the Board of Directors, a group of twelve children who won the Figpickels essay contest.
“Figpickels Toy Emporium’s twelve Board of Directors winners were selected from over 350 entrants encompassing the entire region through an essay contest designed to encourage students to creatively and effectively communicate.” Figpickels Toy Emporium’s Board of Directors for 2013
In 2013 the Board of Directors tested over 500 games to compile a holiday list for the Figpickels store. Xavier, one of our Sales Manager, also came on the scene to show the kids how to play the Blue Orange games. Susan and Brett were thrilled to work with the manufacturers that provided the games and toys. During our conversation, they also expressed that their esteemed Board of Directors would always end up picking Blue Orange games for the holiday list.
It is no wonder that Figpickels Toy Emporium won November’s Store of the Month. We are so proud of our friends at Figpickels. Check out for yourself why Figpickels Toy Emporium is November’s Store of the Month at 210 E. Sherman Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID or visit their site here! Congratulations again! We hope your store continues to succeed and your community prospers.
