Small Biz Profile: ​Cloud Nine Toys in Sudbury, Selling Fun for Generations

SUDBURY, MA — With a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and a SDME from Boston University, Laura and Charles Brauer, say that its the synergy of their talents that guides them in selecting the best products for their business.

The toys sold Cloud Nine Toys, located at 337 Boston Post Road in Sudbury, are chosen for product safety, play value, and customer satisfaction.

"We love to help our customers pick just the right products," said Laura.

When did you open/launch? We opened our first retail store in 1980 at Pickering Wharf, Salem; Sudbury followed in 1985. We are the original neighborhood toy store in Sudbury. Our online store was launched in 1998.

What made you decide to open this type of business? And why this location? We started out selling kites and flying toys at our Pickering Wharf location. Based on consumer demand we expanded our store to be the full service and complete toy store that it is today.

What do you like best about it? Our customer base spans generations. We love when parents come in and tell us they shopped in our store when they were kids.

Biggest struggle? Our challenge is to expand consumer mindset beyond the smart phone paradox. Everyone loves the technology but as a consequence linkage to the physical world has waned. Social and hands on skills are becoming elusive. Fortunately, toys and games are disguised as tools that inspire imagination and exercise social and developmental skills.

What do you see for the future? Toys, games, and puzzles have so much to offer. Whether it’s family fun night or personal development, we are excited about how toys and games can enrich lives.

Politics and small business: how does government affect your business? Government regulations and the required safety certifications have put many smaller toy vendors out of business. The industry is dominated by a few big players that place corporate profits over innovation. On the positive side toy safety has a very high standard.

Name another local business you’d send customers to: Bearly Read Books for a professionally curated book buying experience.

Do you have or know of a small business profile that deserves to be in the spotlight? Tell us about it at charlene.arsenault@patch.com.

Photos courtesy Laura Brauer