Dynamic duo: toys, gifts
Italian sister stores Città del Sole and Natura e... draw in children and parents alike
By Maria Weiskott -- Playthings, 1/1/2005
Whether they are side-by-side or share a building, the two shops—Città del Sole and Natura e...—are a destination for shoppers of all ages. The only requisite for this particular model of Italian ingenuity is a discriminating consumer looking for the unique, whether plaything, gift, or both.
The integration of the two shops, explains Graziano Grazzini, managing director of Città del Sole, is definitely a draw for parents—especially if they have both younger and older kids. Or if their shopping needs encompass both toys and fine gifts.
While the merchandise in the toy shop emphasizes the phases of child development, the merchandise in Natura e... is equally compelling, although skewed to adults and older children, emphasizing the wonders associated with nature. And the selection of gifts is, indeed, as diverse as is nature, running the gamut from compasses, to rainbow makers, to fossils, to natural oils, to complete environments, and more.
The parent company's name, Selegiochi, explains the dual concept: “sele” meaning selection and “giochi” meaning toys.
The specialty toy shop dynamic was originated first in 1972 by Carlo Basso in Milan. Today, almost the entire operation is franchised, with locations throughout Italy.
The founder's vision for Città del Sole was based on five principals inherent in childhood, one of the most endearing, perhaps, is that “playing is a serious matter since it is a meeting point between children and the world.”
Each store is a genderless environment where playthings are grouped according to developmental stages. “Biological differences don't need pink or blue layettes or specifically male or female toys to express themselves,” the founder states.
Many of the items found in the toy shop cannot be found elsewhere, Grazzini tells Playthings. And don't look for any licensed product either. Toys featured in the store are based solely on play value rather than on the value of advertisements.
The selection of gifts at Natura e... is rooted in that world children grow to know and to which Basso referred in his founding philosophy. It is quite a likely progression for children to move from the toys found in Città del Sole to the discoveries waiting in Natura e...
Importantly, it is a convenient progression for their parents, too; they're the ones with the wallets.
