Company: Ray Willis Toys & Bicycles
Owner: John Willis
Location: 53 Railroad Avenue, Westerly
Type of business: Bicycle sales and service, toy and gift sales
Year founded: 1949
Annual Revenues: WND
ADVICE FOR A CUSTOMER from John Willis in his shop.
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The chilly winds of winter are slowly changing into the soft breezes of spring, and for John Willis it means many of the customers he has come to know over the generations will soon return.
Spring fever is in the air at Ray Willis Toys & Bicycles.
The shop, which has been a part of the Westerly community for more than 50 years is gearing up for its busy season as warm weather and sunny skies breathe new life into its Railroad Avenue location.
”From April to August we are the busiest,” store owner Willis said. “It’s a real labor-intensive time for us, but we love it. January and February are the slowest for us, so when spring comes we are itching to really get back to work. It’s exciting for us and for our customers. We all seem to come alive.”
It was John’s father Ray Willis’ love for trains that began the family business in 1949. Then a machinist at a local printing press factory, Ray decided to sell electric trains on the shelves at the local grocery store, which was owned by his father-in-law.
”My father had a tremendous love for trains,” Willis said. “Soon business began picking up. He made our front porch into a little store selling games, toys, trains, and bicycles. ”
The success of the business continued and the store space, which was only supposed to encompass the porch, began to creep into the family’s Railroad Avenue home, Willis said.
”Eventually the store began taking over our living space and my parents and the five kids moved into an apartment above the store,” Willis said. “My parents lived in the same apartment until my dad retired.”
Willis said living above the store allowed everyone in the family to take part in the day-to-day activities, but he didn’t expect that his father’s dream would become his life calling.
”I definitely didn’t expect to do this,” he said. “But when I came back from the service in 1972 I started working here again and fell in love with it.”
Willis said what he fell in love with the most were the customers.
”In my early 20s customers would come in that my father had sold their first bicycle, and now they were buying a first bike for their children,” he said. “Now I am starting to see those children come in with their children. I have watched generations of people come through these doors. It’s kind of a neat cycle, no pun intended.”
His other favorite part of the job is the children. Because the store carries an unusual combination of toys, candy and games, Willis said many kids will come in to spend their allowance money, and are amazed how far $1 can go. Last week, Willis sold a bicycle to one young man who had saved the money he made on his paper route.
”He would come in every week and give us a little more money,” Willis said. “He was ecstatic last week when he had paid it off.”
Still, Willis said, it hasn’t always been easy to run the business. The onslaught of larger chain stores like Wal-Mart, has put pressure on him, and on his business.
”It gets more difficult each year with the proliferation of the bigger chain stores,” he said. “You really have to find your niche. We cater to the family, to the good report card purchase and that has helped us survive.”
Willis also credits the store’s same location over the past 50 years to the success of the business. Located right on the Westerly/ Stonington border with Connecticut, Willis said more than 40 percent of the store’s clientele comes from the neighboring state.
”We have very loyal customers,” he said. “My father was a people person, very at ease with people, and I think our customers appreciated that. Without our customers we would be nothing.”
Open six days week, Willis said the shop is closed Sundays because it was always considered family day.
”Everyone here has a family and they work very hard,” he said. “We are blessed to have the people working for me that I do. In this time of low unemployment I am lucky to have such loyal people working for me.”
Willis said he learned a lot of valuable lessons about running the business from his parents.
”There were no nonsense kind of business people,” he said. “My mother was way ahead of her time from the business point of view, and my father had an energy level and values that everyone wishes to have. I am very proud of this place, and very proud of what my mother and father did.”
Willis isn’t sure what the future holds for him. Though retirement is a thought in the back of his mind, he doubts that he could ever completely leave the shop.
”I don’t think I could ever fully retire,” he said. “I think I would always be involved.”
