Today we’d like to introduce you to Belinda Carucci.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Belinda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was a Chicago Public School Teacher for yrs and spent a ton of money in my classroom because supplies were hard to come by in this fiscally broken District. I was buying learning posters, craft supplies, even chalk to make my classroom conducive to learning and teaching. I soon realized this was a common practice for many teachers. Basic office supplies and learning supplies to make classrooms vibrant, bright, and engaging for students to learn were generally not provided by the schools. Finding those specialty products for the classroom could be a challenge. Creating a shop centrally located in the city seemed like a great way to stay in education, help educators create amazing spaces to learn and provide resources for their classroom curriculum.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with any mom and pop shop, I worked and still work a lot of hours. My first couple of years without staff was almost 24/7. The ‘to-do’ list never ends for a shop owner never ends. But there was some luck in the beginning: the economy was good and there was clearly a need for my shop in the city.
In the last 5-6 years, the retail landscape has changed dramatically. adjusting to lower sales was difficult, but survivable. We definitely feel the effects of online giants. Even our own vendors offer promotions online that can sting. However, the teacher or parent who loves to come and shop in this little specialty store still exists. They like to touch and feel and see a new product for themselves.
One of the things we do better than online is provided staff that are teachers themselves.
They work after school, weekends, and vacations and are essential to providing incredible customer service. They can provide advice, support, ideas….sometimes a deflated teacher just wants to sit and dialogue with us at the counter
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Chicago Teacher Store story. Tell us more about the business.
We are considered a full-fledged Teacher Supply Store. We sell decor for bulletin boards, learning posters, manipulatives like flashcards and games, certificates, stickers, and workbooks, Our favorite section in the store is our craft area. it is filled with all kinds of sparkly stuff: googly eyes, paint, construction paper, glitter and all kinds of ‘do-dads’.
A little repeat, but our staff and customer service is key. It is so very helpful to assist customers (and parents) when we are teachers ourselves. We have everything from high school teachers to SPED teachers on staff and we love what we do. We spend a lot of time decorating the store to create ideas to bring back to the classroom. Bulletin boards and windows are constantly changing so they reflect new product and ideas.
We also laminate! Sounds silly, but we have 3. Teachers love to laminate posters and craft projects to make them last. It is considered an investment and makes their purchases last. I think I am most proud that we are still here and standing. When I opened in 1997, there were 5 ‘teacher stores’. Chicago Teacher is the only one left in the city.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Absolutely think luck played a part in my learning years. What to order, figuring out store hours, how to handle difficult customers, even weather are all things I did not consider when I opened.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1855 North Milwaukee Ave
- Website: www.chicagoteacherstore.net
- Phone: 773.252.8200
- Email: chicagoteacherstore@comcast.net
- Instagram: chicago teacher store
- Facebook: chicago teacher store
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