T
hinker Toys is a family-
owned small business
that reimagines the tra-
ditional toy store as a
creative space where
people of all ages can
unleash their creativity and sense of play.
Thinker Toys was co-founded by its President
and co-owner, John Horner, in 1969 and has
stores in Morgan Hill, Carmel and Monterey.
The company’s Vice President, Holly
Horner, is a savvy retailer who makes it her
business to know toy industry vendors, mer-
chandise and trends. She looks for toys that
are enriching, safe, and made with environ-
mental sustainability in mind. Working with
over 200 vendors, she aims to delight her
customers with choices they won’t find in big
box stores.
“We have science kits, kites, fun sunglasses,
maker toys, books, an entire zoo of plush ani-
mals, kids’ gardening tools, puzzles, and the
list goes on,” Holly said. “Whatever the inter-
est, we try to have something to offer.”
Morgan Hill Store Manager Sarah Murillo
works with Holly to organize, stock and run
the store in a way that ensures a helpful,
inclusive and safe atmosphere for customers
and employees.
Holly pointed out the store’s unique “staff
picks” display. Staff members each get a shelf
on which to display a themed collection of
toys that strike their fancy.
“It’s a big draw,” Holly said. “We’ve done
hundreds of them and we promote them on
Instagram. Customers look online or come in
just to see what our staff is promoting.”
Sara and Holly also enjoy working together
to make Thinker Toys a fun community space
for parents and kids.
“Last year we had in-store party with game
demonstrations, story time and free face paint-
ing. We have an interactive play space so kids
and their parents can touch and experience
toys.”
Holly and Sara agreed that finding the right
employees is key to success at Thinker Toys.
“Our team reflects lots of different back-
grounds,” Sara said. “All kinds of skills come
in handy when it comes to running a small
business. They help us make store displays,
boost our social media following, run the
register, and make sure our customers have a
good experience.”
“We won’t tell employees to stand in place
and run the register every day,” Holly said.
“Honestly that’s so soul crushing! When we
say, ‘Enjoy yourselves and share your ideas
with us,’ you can just feel their energy level
go up. That’s why they tend to stay with us
for a long time. We are also proud to welcome
LGBTQ youth to work with us.”
Being community-minded, Thinker Toys
donates regularly to local nonprofits. According
to Holly, “If someone comes in with a request
letter for a worthy cause, we might create a
themed gift basket for them. Sara’s become
famous for it.”
“It’s fun,” Sara said. “For example, we’ve
donated gift baskets and face painting to the
Morgan Hill Historical Society for their annual
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. You can get really
creative with an Alice in Wonderland theme.”
Holly noted that the store carries educa-
tional toys, and local teachers are frequent
customers. Thinker Toys offers a 25 percent
discount to educators in recognition of the
value they bring to the community.
“If you’re a teacher, school counselor, Home
and School Club member or anyone serving
local kids’ education, your work benefits the
entire community and this is our way of say-
ing thank you,” Holly said.
When Chamber of Commerce members
strolled into Thinker Toys early on a weekday
morning to bestow the Small Business of the
Year award, Sara and Holly were all smiles.
“I was just opening the store and it was a
total surprise,” Sara said. “They came in and
just showered us with accolades and flowers.
Morgan Hill is in a sweet spot nestled in our
tight-knit community on the edge of Silicon
Valley. We want people to know about us
and know they have an alternative to big box
stores. This recognition is so important to us.”
“We offer something unique in South
County,” Holly agreed. “We get customers
from San Jose, Gilroy and Hollister who like
to stop in town, grab a cup of coffee or lunch,
and shop for toys and gifts with their kids.”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SPRING 2020
gmhtoday.com
“This year is the tenth
anniversary of our
Morgan Hill store.
You can bet we’ll be
doing something special
to celebrate, so be sure
to stop by and follow
us online!”
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