By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Derrick Noble, owner of NobleToyz, is no stranger to the ups and downs of running a small business.

He has owned and operated NobleToyz for the past nine years and said that over the past few years, small businesses have been struggling, himself included.

When Noble heard that Forster's was closing, he felt for them.

“We were pretty saddened to hear because they've been in the community for over 20 years, and they're one of those landmark stores you don't want to lose,” said Noble.

Noble shared he wanted to keep the name alive, so he talked to Donna Forster, owner of Forster's Book Garden, and shared his idea of bringing in her books on a consignment basis.

Noble coined one of his spinning racks, “Forster's Mini Book Garden,” accompanied by a “Thank you Donna” sign.

He shared that although they had just brought it into the store, the community feedback had already been very positive.

“We want to keep small businesses alive,” shared Noble.

His store is also facing the hardships of being a small business, leaving Noble with some difficult decisions.

“I've expanded the store a few times in our nine-year history, and we'll see how things go over the next few months to decide if we're going to either downsize or move,” said Noble.  “I prefer to keep everything the same because I think people really love what we have to offer, and I think it's a good thing for the Bolton community.”

Noble shared that their store was a little shoebox when they first began, and now it's grown to over 3,000 square feet.

As they've grown, the community has supported them, and Noble shared that's one of the best things about being a small business: your customers become your friends.