Learning Express Toys In Wayne Goes Out Of Business

WAYNE, NJ — Another Wayne retailer has shuttered its doors, permanently.

Learning Express Toys on Hamburg Turnpike posted a message on Facebook Tuesday night addressing the closing.

"We are grateful for the support over the past six years - allowing us to proudly serve our community, employ local talent, and help families bring smiles to young faces," the message said. "We gave it our all, and worked our best to serve. we come to the point where we must close our doors, turn down the lights and say, 'thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for your business, letting us help you find the perfect gift, allowing us to create special birthday party memories and most of all for your friendship."

Learning Express Toys' Wayne location opened in the Preakness Shopping Center in 2012.

A post on the store's website also mentioned the closing. The Facebook post said the retailer has faced a major shift in their business and market over the past few years.

"The face of retail has changed, with growing e-commerce options - shifting customer preferences away from the traditional model and services we offer," the business said.

The Learning Express' closing is among the more than a dozen prominent retailers to close in New Jersey this year, or ones that will close next year, including Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Sears, and Kmart. (See related: Retailers You Won't Be Seeing In New Jersey In 2019)

According to Coresight Research, U.S. retailers have announced 5,436 store closures in 2018, as of Dec. 19. Coresight's research shows that the number of store closures in 2018 is far lower than the closures in 2017. In 2017, there were 8,139 store closures and 4,231 openings, according to Coresight.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)