X-Treme Stomp Rocket. HearthSong Teepee. eeBoo Round Puzzle. Pinch Me Therapy Dough. Fly Bar Sway Swing. Scoot & Ride Higwaykick 3. And we are just getting started!

The list of dynamic, interactive, sustainable, and mind-stretching toys, games, activities, crafts, and apparel is long and diverse at The Wild Child Toys Shops in the North Shore of Chicago. Gretchen Miller and her husband, Matt, have built a loyal following at their stores in Glencoe and Wilmette with a high-quality, beautifully curated selection.

“Our stores are kind of old school. We carry a lot of classics that you would have seen in the 70s or 80s,” said Gretchen while pridefully looking at her Glencoe store, which was the first of two locations opened by the Millers. “We kind of have this concierge concept where we are full service with the customer, whether it’s online or in person. Helping the customer to find the best product for you.”

“We’re really focused on getting kids unplugged, away from electronics and using their imaginations and their minds,” added Matt who conveyed an anecdote about the origin of the name of their store.

“Gretchen called me one day and she said, ‘I have the perfect name. Wild Child.’ And I said, ‘Why?’ “And she said with a lighthearted laugh, ‘I’m kind of the wild child.’”

“She’s OUR wild child. And we’re proud of her,” laughed Matt who conceded that Gretchen now has a nickname in their community as ‘wild child’.

Planning to have fun

Their retail concept was the brainchild of Gretchen, who was shaped by life experiences in retail and her deep desire to create a brick-and-mortar of her own.

“I did retail when I was younger. My parents had a family-owned business, and my mom happened to be the president, so it was kind of cool,” said Gretchen.

Gretchen, who had years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, had never owned a brick-and-mortar herself until she was inspired by her husband, who encouraged her to pursue her passion in retail by first working at a toy store. She took his advice to heart.

“Matt was like ‘If you want to start a business, you should work in what you want to do,” recalled Gretchen, who despite being a busy, stay-at-home mom, could not the resist the lure of opening her own toy shop.

“I realized how much I loved doing this and wanted to have a place my kids could come to work with me and have this fun place where all ages could kind of interact, I could use my sales chops and kids are coming in,” said Gretchen with a big smile. “I really loved the idea of having my own imprint on the store. I could bring fun. Old school, new school.

“I didn’t want to leave my kids with somebody. I wanted them to be able to be with me.” explained Gretchen. “There was a little playroom in the back for them. So, that was number one for me. To have a place that my kids felt comfortable coming to. I also just enjoy being around children and people of all ages and getting back into the sales game.”

In 2015, Gretchen turned her vision into reality with the opening a Wild Child Toy Store in the heart of downtown Glencoe on Vernon Avenue. Four years later, a “perfect location” became available in Wilmette, and Gretchen and Matt decided to expand.

“It is sort of a similar community to Glencoe and a couple schools are down the street, which makes for a great location for a toy store. I felt like the community would rally just like they did in Glencoe,” Gretchen said.

Time to play

For Gretchen, the magic of The Wild Child Toy Shops has always been in the little moments such as watching a child dump their piggy bank savings onto the counter, eyes wide with excitement, as they purchased a toy.

“We’re teaching them how to make solid choices,” explained Gretchen. “Kids are on their phones or devices too much. So, Matt and I just decided that it was really important to have play-based games.”

“There’s a lot of the products that Gretchen carries here inspiring a child’s creativity on a different level and maybe a level that this generation really hasn’t tapped into the way that I feel like our generation did,” Matt recalled about how he played as a child. “We always teased ourselves that we could spend an entire day away from the house. Give us two sticks, a rock and we had a game. There are great products out there that sort of touch on that same foundation of imaginative play.”

The Millers work hard at their brick-and-mortar on the basics, always making sure there is friendly service and hands-on discovery of the toys lining their shelves.

“I think one of the key elements is customer service. I think that’s a big reason people come to us,” said Matt. “Gretchen and the staff here are mostly moms, who are raising or have raised children and understand what kids want and what moms and dads are looking for as well. We’re able to offer recommendations. What she builds is trust.”

Matt added that they provide intangibles at their store, such free gift wrapping, which make a big difference for busy families.

“You forgot about the birthday party or didn’t have time this week? We’re a place where you can come pick something out,” explained Matt. “It’s wrapped. You’re finished. You’re on your way to the party. That convenience? That’s customer service.”

“When customers walk in the door, we’re greeting them,” explained Gretchen with a smile. “We’re asking what they need and what age we’re directing them towards. We make it easy.”

And it’s not just the parents. The staff appears to make an extra effort to communicate with their younger customers.

“I notice Gretchen and the team also talk to the kids, and are asking them, ‘What are you into? What do you want to see here that may not be here?’ I just don’t go anywhere anymore where that exists.

“At the end of the day, retail is something that you have to be willing to wrap your whole life around,” continued Matt. “I don’t know how you could do this halfway and do it right. We always say that she’s the heart. I’m the head, but she’s the head and the heart of all of this.”

Finding success

Opening a successful retail store takes more than passion. It requires preparation. Gretchen’s advice to aspiring shop owners is straightforward.

“You need to research and really make sure that whatever retail store you’re trying to open, be sure that’s what you love, and you can sell it,” noted Gretchen. “Talk with your heart. You have to be kind.”

Matt echoed his wife’s sentiment and emphasized the importance of strategy.

“Don’t leap, until you’ve really thought through every aspect of it what it is your merchandizing, who your customer base is, where you want to be located, why that location?” advised Matt. “There’s so much that goes into this.

“I think the best chance to success with anything is a solid foundation. My parents used to say to me, ‘If you want to build a pyramid and you want that pyramid to be the tallest it could be, it has to be the widest at its base or it’s going to topple over.’ Which means that research, knowledge, and instinct are the foundation of everything you want to build so that it’s sustainable and going to stand the test of time.”

It’s all about the fun

Gretchen and Matt view The Wild Child Toy Shops with a holistic lens. On a micro level, they know they are delivering smiles to children with the toys they sell. But on a macro level, they acknowledge that the impact of their stores is far deeper.

“Retail supports a community. It lifts all the boats in the harbor up. When we work together, we know our fellow retailers. We try to do things that complement one another,” reflected Matt about what the business means to him. “I love retail as a reflection of humankind. Our customers are our family. I love that. That personal touch and that sort of community affection I think is sorely needed more in the world.”

“You see them here in the store go from little to big, from infant to 9 or 10 years old now, and some that are in college. And they all come back, and it’s so awesome and important to have those local places you remember going to when you’re young,” said Gretchen with emotion in her voice. “People will come in and say, ‘Oh, I remember when I bought this here; I used to come here when I was little.’ Now they’re asking for jobs. So, it’s a full circle, and I love that.”

Gretchen’s wish is simple. She wants her customers to always be happy.

“I give them a good experience. At the end of the day, that’s all I want. Then they keep coming back and word of mouth and all that other stuff, and hopefully we can kind of turn the tide where brick-and-mortar is cool again.”