Driving Our Economy Forward: Learning Express Toys and Gifts

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Christmas is less than a week away!

Learning Express Toys and Gifts has plenty of presents to choose from, so your child can have fun, and learn something new.

Let’s see how they’re driving our economy forward.

“Learning Express is a specialty toy store,” said Patrick Holland, Owner/Buyer. “We have all the fun things you’d think of a toy store, plus educational, developmental toys. We try to hit something for all different ages, even kidults.”

“We’re filling all the voids, whether it’s the popular hot products you have or more specialty localized products as well,” Holland said. “We work with a local company that makes a huge wooden dinosaur that we sell only here. If it’s out there, we’re going to find it and have it here right for you. Local. This season, there’s a little item called Bitsy, if you remember a Tamagotchi from the ’80s, like a little digital pet. It’s like 15 of those in one. So kids can nurture, take care of them, feed them, play with a little digital pet, unlock other animals. It’s been super popular as a local toy store. We want to be more than just your neighborhood toy store being a toy store in your neighborhood. We want to be part of the community. We want to give back. So we work with our schools, we work with local nonprofits that work with children. And of course, our customers, whatever their needs might be, we want to be here to serve them because they can be very specific and very localized as well.”

“So I like to be able to see things in person,” said Kendall Gordon, shopper. “Actually brought my kids in here with me last week to pick out toys for other people to see what they would like.

“And then now I came back by myself to get the things that they liked,” Holland said. “We have gift registries in our store just for nonprofits. So if our customers want to come in, give back during the holiday season, they can pick something out of a registry and we give it right to that nonprofit. We want to give back. Like, we are so thankful that people want to shop local and help us. We want to help those in the community that might be a little more hidden or tucked away to raise their awareness and also get them things that they need.”

“We belong to an organization called ASTRA. It’s the American Specialty Toy Retail Association. I’m actually on the board,” Holland said. “We are connected to so many toy manufacturers all across the country. I can pick up a phone and say, I’ve got a customer who has this kind of strange request. Do you guys make something like this or can you source that for me? And they always come through. It is days before Christmas. We know you’re rushed. We know you’re looking for those last minute stocking stuffers. We know like, oh, I don’t have even amount of gifts for all the kids. We are here for you. We are here every day through Christmas Eve. We have got things you’ve never seen before. Sometimes when I hear shop local, I kind of feel like, is that like a guilt trip to our customers? That’s why it’s so important for us to be giving back to local as well. So you feel like when you’re supporting your local toy store, you’re supporting an organization that’s trying to support your local sports teams, your schools, your nonprofits. It’s a give and take. We just want to be part of that community. We want to be giving back to the community that’s helping us stay in business and thrive. We really appreciate that there’s no better place than Chattanooga, and we’re so thankful to be part of your neighborhood toy store.”