SAN MATEO (KCBS Radio) — Talbot's Toyland, a fixture in downtown San Mateo for 66 years, is going out of business.
The toy store was once a retail destination for families on the Peninsula, but shifting behavior by consumers has eroded the store's ability to thrive, Talbot's general manager said.
The rise of online shopping hasn't helped Talbot's, but the shop has faltered due to a complex set of factors, Keith Schumacker, the general manager, said.
"The Internet has definitely been an issue, but this type of business model just doesn't work anymore," he said. "The housing around here is so expensive that both mom and dad are working. So by the time they get off work and do dinner and homework, or whatever, we're closed."
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The store is a big place stuffed full of treasures, according to Schumacker It's the kind of toy store that makes kids' eyes light up every time they visit.
There's about 15,000 square feet of retail space that contained 45,000 different toys, he said.
Schumacker himself has been a fixture at Talbot's. He got a job there as a teenager and never left.
"The store's been here for 66 years, and I've personally been here since I was 15, so 27 years now. This was a summer job that never ended," he said.
One customer who's been shopping at Talbot's for 10 years since his son was a baby wasn't surprised to hear about the closure. "I'm not sure how people can keep up with all the online shopping that's happening," he told KCBS Radio.
The store is set to shut its doors for good in early 2020.
