Toy story: Gravenhurst store to close doors by month’s end

Jeff Weersink, who co-owns the store along with other locations in Huntsville, Bracebridge, Midland and Collingwood with his wife Janet, said the decision to close the Gravenhurst location was a difficult, but necessary one.

“It’s with mixed emotions, really. I mean, it’s probably been a little more work than it’s been worth to kind of keep it going. The store is just not quite big enough. So instead of getting big orders there, a lot of times we end up just bringing stuff from some of the other stores there in the first place and so it’s probably more work than what it’s kind of been worth.

“In one way I’m glad we’re getting older, (and) want to sort of slow down a little bit. But on the other hand, nobody ever wants to have a decrease in sales … I honestly feel bad for the town. I think it was a nice-looking store to have at the corner of a fairly busy intersection.”

According to the company’s website, Minds Alive! — which sells educational, fun and inspiring toys — was created in 1997 and the first store opened in Midland in 2004. A second location opened in Collingwood just six years later.

In 2017, the couple was approached by the owners of Applause Toy Stores in Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Huntsville and a deal was struck to purchase the three Muskoka stores.

“The store has always kind of been on the edge. Honestly, it’s just not that big of a population base for a, a specialty toy store like us, and, you know, costs have just gone up a lot in the last two years, especially everything from insurance especially, utilities, wages. It’s kind of got to the point where it really wasn’t breaking even anymore,” he said.

Weersink said the other stores will remain open and two of the three part-time staffers at the Gravenhurst store will be moving to work at the Bracebridge store. The third employee is retiring.

The inventory remaining after the store’s closing will be distributed among the other four locations over time, he said, adding the remaining stores are still doing well.

“Things are going OK. You know costs have increased, but we got to watch what we’re spending and make sure we aren’t spending too much on inventory or watching where we’re advertising. I think, like everybody in retail now, you just got to take it a little bit easier.”