When you buy locally, you are making an investment in yourself and your community. Learn more about these unique shops doing business close to home.
Today we are meeting Brainstorm. A local family-owned toy and educational store located in Lindenhurst.
Local Shop Profile: Brainstorm
Brainstorm is a unique educational retail store located in Lindenhurst that is owned and operated by the Wilson family. Brainstorm has a unique product selection of toys and gifts to educate, create and inspire. While many people may think of Brainstorm as a teacher store due to its vast supply of classroom and educational material, there is plenty to make this a must-visit toy store. Brainstorm has a wonderful selection of educational toys and games, science kits, and art & craft projects. On top of that, they also have a fabulous gift room with gifts for all ages (men and women included)! There is a vast selection of baby gifts, teen gifts, pet parent gifts, and religious gifts. Brainstorm offers free gift wrapping year round!
The “brains” behind Brainstorm are Margaret Wilson and her husband, Chad. Margaret and Chad opened their business 11 years ago while raising their four amazing kids, Sam, Liz, Ali, and Braeden. Margaret’s two oldest children are currently in college for law and veterinary studies, while her two younger kids are students at Grayslake North High School. Margaret enjoys living in Lake County and loves her kids’ schools! Margaret and Chad are both former teachers; Margaret opened Brainstorm after teaching in the Glenview school district for 17 years as a reading specialist, teaching kids with special needs, and getting her school administration certification. Margaret also worked for Marshall Fields for several years and loved working in a retail setting. Margaret found it challenging after she became a Mom to find materials to use in her classroom and educational toys & games to use at home with her children. Brainstorm was born… a fantastic concept for Margaret to combine her love of education and retail!
Not only does Margaret bring her extensive educational background to her business but her staff has educational backgrounds as well! As Margaret told me,
“Several of our staff members are local teachers or work with children in school settings. Their education and experience provide a wealth of knowledge to our customers. Many of our staff are parents. They have first-hand knowledge of how children interact with our products at home. A couple of students work at the store on breaks from college. They provide a different perspective as they build off their own experiences in classrooms. Our staff makes it a point to learn as much as we can about our products so we can offer better assistance to our customers.”
The staff is very knowledgeable in their products and works hard to help customers explain the merchandise, give ideas, and answer any questions.
Brainstorm
625 Bridgeport Terrace, Lindenhurst| (847) 265-0610
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Disclosure: Brainstorm is a paid advertising partner of Little Lake County, all thoughts and opinions are the writer’s own. If you are interested in having your business featured please contact us.
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