Magic Beans Toy Store Opens In Prudential Center, Offers Steep Discounts Today And Saturday

Sheri and Eli Gurock were once a stay-at-home mother and the director of admissions at a private high school, but the toy and baby gear store they started, Magic Beans, has taken off. 

Last Thursday, November 17th, they opened their 5th store, and its Prudential Center location is a draw for both the owners and their Back Bay neighbors.  In an interview with Patch, Sheri explained why they came to the Back Bay. 

"Eli and I lived in the Back Bay when we were first married and have always loved that neighborhood. The Prudential Center is the best location in the city, because the weather is always good, there's an amazing assortment of shops and restaurants, and the marketing team is fabulous." 

The Back Bay store also brought its own unique challenges.  "It took a lot of planning to figure out how to translate our concept into 1700 square feet without losing too much of what makes us special," Sheri adds. 

However, that's not to say that the story is tiny, by any means, though it may feel that way on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.  As Sheri says, "We are doing a really fun deal for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday--if you come in and spend $75 or more, you can choose one toy valued at $20 or less for free." 

A Boston-based tech company, Aislebuyer, is also partnering with the store to give customers additional discounts.  As Aislebuyer's public relations team says, "Magic Beans is also offering a 20 percent discount on purchases of up to $200 when customers pay using AisleBuyer’s mobile self-checkout app on Black Friday weekend, and is extending a 10 percent discount until December 24."

Offering discounts and connecting with tech companies isn't the only draw of toy-store-ownership for the Gurocks. When asked what she liked most about running Magic Beans, Sheri said, "I love watching kids experience our stores and interact with our products. I love helping to make parents' lives just a little bit easier."

The empathetic approach isn't just key to her enjoyment, it's a key to her business.  As she says, "We're parents too, so we know what it's like to be strapped for time, juggling priorities and trying to find the time to research the important purchases. We train our staff extensively so they can really guide our customers and help them make the right decisions for their families." 

The biggest discounts are on this weekend, but Aislebuyer's 10% discount continues until Christmas day, and Magic Beans' website has discounts on specific products and offers free shipping on orders over $50.  The company can also be reached by calling 1-866-600-BEAN.