Toys are flying off the shelves at Wigglish Toys Games in Heber City, but not for the reason the owner, Amy Schultess, hoped.  After over 13 years of operation, her world of wonder is going out of business. Schultess joked that maybe she should’ve tried marking down her prices earlier. Ev er since she announced the impending closure — and going-out-of-business deals, including 20% off all items — it’s been like the holiday season has come eight months early. December is Wigglish’s make-it-or-break-it month, bringing in about 80% of annual sales.  “I often am either extremely late or miss my own Christmas parties,” Schulthess said. “I’m here, being an elf.” The influx of holiday shoppers typically keeps the store afloat through the upcoming year, she explained, but last Christmas didn’t fare as well as previous years. Then, there was the final nail in the coffin: Schulthess’ landlord announced last month her rent would double in May 2027. “At the end of each (five-year) lease, it’s doubled, and now, it’s high enough that doubling means we really can’t survive,” Schulthess explained. Credit: Park Record file photo by Michael Ritucci Credit: Park Record file photo by Michael Ritucci December is Wigglish Toys Games’ make-it-or-break-it month, but the last holiday season didn’t go as well as previous years. Here is Wigglish’s final Christmas display last December. Schulthess decided she’d be better off announcing Wigglish’s closure and selling whatever inventory she could before shuttering early. Whatever doesn’t sell will be donated to local toy drives or taken home. She’s already stocked up for the next five years for gifts for her grandchildren. “I cry about it every night. It’s been such a labor of love, and I’ve had so many great experiences here, that having it close is almost like a death in the family,” Schulthess said. “I know that sounds extreme, but my own kids grew up here.” Schulthess was a single mother when she opened Wigglish in 2012. The culture she created with her handful of employees meant that they were really more like friends or family than co-workers. They were always watching each other’s kids, both in and out of the store, which, Schulthess said, allowed her to be involved and present in her own children’s lives. Schulthess was first inspired to open Wigglish while exploring European toy stores with her children and first husband.  “The toys were just so fabulous, and so well-curated, and not what you experience here when you go to a big chain store,” she recalled. When Schulthess eventually moved to Heber City, she realized she wasn’t the only parent who wanted to buy quality, durable toys that were educational and original.  Thus, Wigglish was born in 2012. Its unofficial motto: “If Walmart has it, we don’t want it.”  Wigglish Toys Games’ location on the side of U.S. 40 meant foot traffic was infrequent. Credit: Park Record file photo by Michael Ritucci Schulthess thought employee expertise and free gift-wrapping would more than make up for slightly higher prices. “Reading reviews on Amazon is not the same as me telling someone, ‘I bought this toy 17 years ago for my kids, and now my grandkids are still playing with it,’” she said. Despite the superior shopping experience Wigglish aimed to offer, big-box stores and online retailers remained one of the toy store’s greatest threats over the past decade.  “We have a lot of people who will price check and will walk through the store with their phone in hand. I’ll explain to them why a toy is great, and then they immediately, in front of me, buy it online,” Schulthess said. “I can’t even believe the audacity. At least go to the parking lot and buy it.” Advertising was Wigglish’s Achilles’ heel. Schulthess’ sister, who is a graphic designer, made some digital ads and a website, but Wigglish didn’t have much of an online presence beyond that. Schulthess said she made just three sales through the digital storefront in the past year. “I didn’t understand how important social media would be in reaching the community members and people who live in Duchesne and Park City and Morgan. It would have made a tremendous difference,” she added. Wigglish’s location, on the side of U.S. 40 at the southern edge of Heber City, was far from ideal for in-person shoppers. It was a “destination store,” as Schulthess put it, with none of the foot traffic that may have saved Wigglish if it were situated on Main Street.  Schulthess spent the past five years searching Wasatch County for a new location and even considered purchasing a house to sell toys out of. Every location was pricey or impractical. Credit: Park Record file photo by Michael Ritucci Credit: Park Record file photo by Michael Ritucci Wigglish Toys Games offers goodies ranging from stuffed animals to LEGO. “There are really specific things we have to consider, like, is there parking? Is it safe parking for a mom to get out of her van with four children? Is it accessible to everybody who comes? And toys are very big. We’ll have toys that are half the size of my car, big tents or big inflatable toys that we have on display, and that doesn’t work with a small spot,” Schulthess said. “If we wanted to (move), we would have to seriously downsize, and I don’t want to do that, because we would have such a narrow selection that it wouldn’t be Wigglish anymore.” Schulthess believes Wigglish’s closure will leave a hole in the community. “I really feel like people are going to miss out on being members of a community instead of just a faceless buyer,” she said.  Schulthess isn’t sure where she’s going next. She’s been self-employed since she was 20, and anticipated running Wigglish until she retired.  While closing the store has been a devastating experience for Schulthess, she’s been touched by the number of people who have reached out to tell her Wigglish will be missed. Schulthess hopes her store is fondly remembered — the same way one of her repeat customers, a woman in her 80s, gets nostalgic about the toy store her father managed downtown, Forsey’s Variety Store, every time she steps into Wigglish. Sometimes, Schulthess gifts her pink toys — the woman’s favorite color.  “She gets just as excited as she did, probably, when she was 7. Knowing that I can recreate that for her, even at 80-plus, is something that I have absolutely loved doing,” Schulthess said. “We want people to have good memories of us.” The post Wigglish Toys Games is closing after 13 years appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less