Franklin’s Toys To Celebrate Fifth Anniversary On August 23

There’s hardly a child - or parent or grandparent – in Severna Park who has not taken wondrous, wide-eyed delight in exploring the sales floor of Franklin’s Toys. In five years, the Park Plaza shop has captured the imaginations of countless shoppers, and on Saturday, August 23, loyal patrons as well as new ones are invited to come and mark the anniversary at a special daylong celebration. From 10:00am to 6:00pm, owner Jeff Franklin and his dedicated team will welcome Severna Park’s young and young-at-heart for discounts, drawings, giveaways, toy demonstrations and much more. “We want to celebrate the milestones by having fun together,” Franklin said.

Families are sure to have a great time on the day of the festivities as they come discover or rediscover all that Franklin’s Toys offers. Whether they seek stuffed animals, plastic figurines, board games, craft materials, storybooks or something surprising and unusual, they will be able to find it among the store’s shelves with the help of the caring, enthusiastic employees.

Franklin even plans to bring back his “customer participation” discount, which he has offered at previous anniversary celebrations. At select times throughout the day, the store’s team will count the number of customers in the store and offer a discount of 1 percent for each person there (at least 15 percent off and up to 25 percent off).

Although Franklin’s Toys was established five years ago, Franklin himself has been a mainstay of Severna Park business culture for much longer. Franklin’s previous store, BeBeep, had long operated where Franklin’s Toys is today. Franklin sold the business but returned a few years later, in 2006, to continue inspiring joy and providing excellent customer service.

“You feel like a point of continuity in a world that changes very fast,” Franklin reflected, observing that he now serves a second generation of children whose moms and dads grew up buying toys at his shop. “Parents feel a connection to the store, and children feel that same connection.”

Coming back to rebuild his business in the midst of a recession – a business climate different from the one in which he previously worked – was a challenge, but Franklin has appreciated the loyalty of his longstanding customers. Additionally, the popularity of online shopping has increased in recent years, but patrons have continued to visit the brick-and-mortar shop – a true testament to the quality of Franklin’s business.

“I want to thank customers for allowing us to get to our fifth anniversary,” Franklin expressed gratefully. “I really enjoy our customers and I really enjoy our staff; it’s wonderful to have a work family like this.” He recalled that Franklin’s Toys has won several awards for its outstanding business practices, but the distinction that means the most to him is that his store has continued to thrive. “Survival is the best award any business could ask for,” he said.

Franklin’s Toys is located at 558A Ritchie Highway in Park Plaza shopping center of Severna Park. The store is open 10:00am-6:00pm Monday and Tuesday, 10:00am-9:00pm Wednesday through Friday, 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday and 11:00am-5:00pm Sunday. For more information, call 410-544-1844 or visit www.franklinstoystore.com.