FAO Schwarz; This Is Like Toy Heaven…

Welcome to FAO Schwarz

When you are going to visit a friend do you feel the excitement and anticipation of seeing them? ….

You then see them standing on the sidewalk to greet you and the fun begins. The toy soldier who greets you outside the FAO Schwarz on Fifth Ave, NYC is that friend, welcoming you as a foretaste of things to come!

 As soon as we walked into the store our senses went into overdrive from the moment we laid eyes upon the biggest stuffed animals I had ever seen. (My 15 year old daughter wanted to have an extra large stuffed dog shipped home for fun to shock her father).

We then came the FAO Schweetz department where you could pick any lolly you wanted it would be put in a special bag or container to go!!!

Every toy story had a little or large area dedicated to them. Throughout the store there was an experience created for the customer to imagine themselves with the product in their home.

The staff at FAO Schwarz mingled with customers and created interactive experience with products, showing us how to use the nail polish pencil to many other toys that you wouldn’t know how they worked.

You can even create your own doll or pick one from the nursery. There is every toy a boy or girl could dream of. What child could resist the bear department which used marketing messages like love me, choose me, take me home, and many more.

They cater to every child’s dream and aspiration and they do it well. It’s about creating an experience for the whole family where the old become young again and they succumb to their child’s wishes. Why? It’s because they remember what it was like to be young and whimsical….

Back to the big stuffed dog, it didn’t get sent home though if we did want him we could have him shipped to us. I got out of their lightly! The only thing we did leave with was a bag of mixed lollies from the FAO Schweetz department.

window displays FAO Schwarz

Where to next?

FAO Schwarz branded products.

Bigger is better.

Take me home I make a great souvenir…

Even the little ones are catered for.

FAO Schweetz department

For those who love Reeces chocolates.

Large Gummy Bears.

Love the distinctive packaging

There are so many lollies to choose from…

Up to the second floor being welcomed by more stuffed animals.

Action figures on the second floor.

The Diva taking a photo of the Diva’s.

Which one will you take home?

View from the second floor.

Anyone thirsty?

Why not experience the product?

Can we take him home?

Its party time, you can even have a party here.

There is even Wonka.

Story written by Penny Votzourakis and photos by Penny Votzourakis after visiting New York May 2014.