The front doors of Pink Poppy Boutique, 103 W. Washington St., Shelbyville. Toodleydoo Toys now occupies a space within the store.
Submitted photo
Toodleydoo Toys has been a staple toy store in Johnson County since it opened in 2014. Now, the popular Franklin toy store has opened up a space in Shelbyville.
The Pink Poppy Boutique offered Toodleydoo space in their Shelby County store to set up a miniature version of the toy store for their community. Pink Poppy Boutique is a women’s clothing store at 103 W. Washington St., Shelbyville.
Although Toodleydoo Toys owner Debi Pierson has contemplated expansion for a while, this endeavor arose quite suddenly.
“It came about very quickly,” Pierson said. “About a year ago, one of my customers, a gal I have known for a long time, worked at Franklin College years ago. She moved to Shelbyville and she has a position with Shelbyville’s Main Street organization. She came in to pick up a gift and asked if I had ever thought of expanding.”
Pierson originally considered expanding to somewhere in Greenwood or closer to Marion County, but never really thought of Shelby County. However, she declined the notion at that time because she did not think that the available locations or the timing was appropriate.
Shelbyville Main Street proved to be persistent and eventually reached out to Pierson once again.
“Earlier this year, she reached out again and proposed the same thing, except she had a couple of specific places she wanted to show me,” she said. “At the end of the day, I would still be paying rent and staffing. I couldn’t do that. I just didn’t think it was a good idea.”
The representative recently returned a third time, this time proposing a different idea.
Pink Poppy Boutique had a room in the back of their store that was not being used. The space was formerly incorporated as a dance studio.
Owner Nicole Miller, who established the boutique in 2015, said that they were willing to do a consignment with Toodleydoo Toys, an offer Pierson was happy to discuss.
“I met Nicole, who was the owner of the Pink Poppy, and she made me an offer I could not refuse,” Pierson said. “The room is about the size of the boutique room that is attached to our current boutique room in Franklin. I will be working at the Shelbyville location and her boutique on Mondays as kind of trade on her consignment, then her employees will take care of it the rest of the week.
“It is going to stay as long as it makes sense for both of us. I don’t know what it will grow into, but for now it is a really good fit.”
Pierson said that they speedily organized the space and are already in operation. The room opened a little over a week before Christmas and features some of Toodleydoo Toys’ most popular merchandise, she said.
Miller credits Toodleydoo Toys with broadening their boutique’s reach in Shelby County and said they are eager to see where the partnership leads.
“It is broadening our reach in Shelby County,” Miller said. “It is exciting to be able to offer new things in Shelby County that aren’t necessarily there already, while giving people the opportunity to shop local which is my main goal. This was a perfect opportunity because we have a lot of moms and grandmas that shop. To be able to offer them one more aspect that might make their lives a little easier is awesome.”
The move comes just before Toodleydoo Toys’ 10th anniversary. Pierson said the reason Franklin’s store has been successful is because the business has established a relationship with the community.
Establishing a personal relationship with the Shelbyville community is one of Pierson’s highest priorities when it comes to this expansion, she said.
