Summertime is stocking season for this toy store owner

Retail sales were up 1.6% year-over-year in May 2023, happy news for large retailers and small businesses alike. For Irene Kesselman, owner of Ali Cat Toys in Carrboro, North Carolina, sales of everything from pool toys to puzzles have been steady. 

But the height of summer is also a time of transition for Kesselman, who’s already been stocking — and selling — back-to-school products since not long after the bells for the end of this school year rang. 

She’s also thinking even further into the store’s future, with trips to merchandise shows that will have Ali Cat Toys stocked for at least the next six months. Kesselman and her staff will be ordering holiday wrapping paper and making bows by the end of the summer in anticipation of the busy end-of-year season. 

“In some cases, we’re even starting to buy for Easter and Valentine’s Day of next year,” Kesselman says. “Because that is how it goes in the life of a toy store buyer.” 

To listen to Kesselman’s story, use the media player above.