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Tucked in a shopping center behind McDonald’s for six years, Knowledge Bound wasn’t the easiest place to find for the out-of-town traveler. That’s since changed due to its new location. After relocating in April 2011, store owner Ginger Hazel said the move has been a positive on all fronts.
The other store had two rooms. This one, located at 1290 Main St. in the former Showtime Video store, has one large space with more storage and inventory for Hazel.
“We have about three times the amount of inventory from the day we opened (in 2005),” said Hazel, 41, who added that there is one-third more inventory at the new location than at the previous one. “This is so much better. The biggest thing is we’re all in one room. It’s easier to have a nice looking store instead of being broken into different sections. It’s brighter. It’s easier to find things.”
Since Knowledge Bound is the only store of its kind outside of Denver, it draws teachers, parents, grandparents, kids, preschool and day care providers from throughout northern Colorado, southern Wyoming and western Nebraska.
“We’re literally right on Main Street now so people can find us,” said Hazel, a former elementary school teacher in the Poudre School District.
The strip mall at the Main Street Plaza is full of tenants, which is a benefit to Knowledge Bound. Hazel, a Windsor resident, laughs at how husbands shop at Bear Arms gun store in the strip mall while their wives and kids shop at Knowledge Bound. “We definitely have increased walk-in traffic just because of our neighbor businesses,” Hazel said. “This was our best Christmas season ever, and I would definitely attribute that to the location. People can see us now, know we’re here and don’t forget about us as when we were tucked around the corner. Even with the economy being very unstable for the last four years, we’ve stayed pretty steady through all of this. Parents want their kids to be smart. They want them to excel. They’re going to come look for things to keep them going in that direction.”
From something as simple as a work book, flash cards and games that teaches specific skills, Knowledge Bound is filled with learning resources.
“Everybody who works here — I have 10 years teaching experience and we have three retired teachers — has some sort of a teaching background,” Hazel said. “You can get advice along with the things to help them. It’s not just a store for teachers. It’s a store for parents who are wanting to help their kids take that next step or help them get to where they need to be because they’re struggling. It doesn’t have to just be through a work book. We have games to teach like every concept under the sun, and we can order additional things at our Web site.”
A larger toy inventory has also been a plus to Knowledge Bound, which also has added a new, colorful logo since the move.
“This last year, we’ve added a deeper toy selection for preschool through the age of 6 or 7. This year, my goal will be to add more things that are considered toy-like for that 8- to 12-year-old group, but they still have some sort of educational component and focus to it and they need to be unique,” Hazel said. “I’m not going to have a Barbie. I don’t carry Monopoly. I’m looking for things that you’re not going to necessarily find at a big-box store. We try to find things that are a little more unique and unusual. The neatest thing is when a kid walks in and says, ‘I love this place.’ ”
The other store had two rooms. This one, located at 1290 Main St. in the former Showtime Video store, has one large space with more storage and inventory for Hazel.
“We have about three times the amount of inventory from the day we opened (in 2005),” said Hazel, 41, who added that there is one-third more inventory at the new location than at the previous one. “This is so much better. The biggest thing is we’re all in one room. It’s easier to have a nice looking store instead of being broken into different sections. It’s brighter. It’s easier to find things.”
Since Knowledge Bound is the only store of its kind outside of Denver, it draws teachers, parents, grandparents, kids, preschool and day care providers from throughout northern Colorado, southern Wyoming and western Nebraska.
“We’re literally right on Main Street now so people can find us,” said Hazel, a former elementary school teacher in the Poudre School District.
The strip mall at the Main Street Plaza is full of tenants, which is a benefit to Knowledge Bound. Hazel, a Windsor resident, laughs at how husbands shop at Bear Arms gun store in the strip mall while their wives and kids shop at Knowledge Bound. “We definitely have increased walk-in traffic just because of our neighbor businesses,” Hazel said. “This was our best Christmas season ever, and I would definitely attribute that to the location. People can see us now, know we’re here and don’t forget about us as when we were tucked around the corner. Even with the economy being very unstable for the last four years, we’ve stayed pretty steady through all of this. Parents want their kids to be smart. They want them to excel. They’re going to come look for things to keep them going in that direction.”
From something as simple as a work book, flash cards and games that teaches specific skills, Knowledge Bound is filled with learning resources.
“Everybody who works here — I have 10 years teaching experience and we have three retired teachers — has some sort of a teaching background,” Hazel said. “You can get advice along with the things to help them. It’s not just a store for teachers. It’s a store for parents who are wanting to help their kids take that next step or help them get to where they need to be because they’re struggling. It doesn’t have to just be through a work book. We have games to teach like every concept under the sun, and we can order additional things at our Web site.”
A larger toy inventory has also been a plus to Knowledge Bound, which also has added a new, colorful logo since the move.
“This last year, we’ve added a deeper toy selection for preschool through the age of 6 or 7. This year, my goal will be to add more things that are considered toy-like for that 8- to 12-year-old group, but they still have some sort of educational component and focus to it and they need to be unique,” Hazel said. “I’m not going to have a Barbie. I don’t carry Monopoly. I’m looking for things that you’re not going to necessarily find at a big-box store. We try to find things that are a little more unique and unusual. The neatest thing is when a kid walks in and says, ‘I love this place.’ ”
What: Knowledge Bound teaching tools & toys
Where: 1290 Main St., Windsor Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday; extended hours in August Phone: (970) 674-2997 Web site: www.knowledgebound.net |
