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Universal Toys and Gifts Store is located at 8106 Olive Blvd., in University City, Missouri (Approximately 3/4 Mile East of I-170 on Olive Blvd.).
By Douglas Wagganer
The Christmas Holiday Shopping Season comes and goes so fast each year. Sale Advertisements to Shop at this Store or at some other place fill every possible media outlet we encounter. Big Shopping Malls are always crowded with rude people, who are in a state of panic over what to buy next. Department and Discount Stores always seem to have Sale Clerks who are often short tempered and rude by nature. The other Shoppers are no better and are just as inconsiderate. As a Customer we all should expect more from a Merchant. I realize profits are important, but they should never compromise the service given to consumers or the quality of the merchandise being purchased. Shopping should be a pleasure not a dreaded event.
Recently my wife and I took our daughter shopping at several large Shopping Malls, along with a couple of different Wal-Mart and Target Stores. As I said earlier, we were treated rudely, ran into or stepped on be obnoxious fellow shoppers. At all those Stores we visited, we seldom received a smile or a warm greeting. Assistance from most Sales Clerks was minimal at best. My 2-year old daughter and my wife were not given any courtesy or respect as they tried to complete their shopping at those large name brand stores or New Super-Mall Complexes.
On the Saturday before Christmas, We were at one such Mall looking for some Lucky Bamboo to give as a Christmas Gift. My wife was picking over some really poor Bamboo samples, when the clerk told her that was all merchandise the store had left. She was about to settle for the extremely over priced pieces of bamboo, when I remembered a small Chinese-America Owned Shop along Olive Street that sold Bamboo Plants. A short drive later our family was shopping in the Universal Toys and Gifts Store. The small store is located at 8106 Olive Street Road in University City, Missouri 63130 (Approximately 3/4 Mile East of I-170 on Olive Street Road).
As we entered the Store we were greeted with smiles from both the Owner and the Sale Clerks working at the Store. The Owner ("Lan Hoang") was very helpful and kind. She went out of her way to assist us and to make us feel welcome in her store. Her customer service abilities were outstanding. She was attentive to our needs and treated us with warm respect and a sincere desire to give us shopping satisfaction. We enjoyed the atmosphere so much we ended up making several more purchases than had been originally planned for. Everything in the Store is moderately priced or even below most retail costs of the big chain stores. Merchandise quality at Universal was extremely nice, with a nice in store selection of most items. The Owner, Lan Hoang even gave us a nice discount on each item we bought, which was a pleasant and totally unexpected surprise. By her simple smile, good people skills, and dedication to customer satisfaction the Owner of the Universal Toy and Gift Store was able to make her customers feel good about their shopping experiences in her store.
After leaving the Universal Toy and Gift Store, our family visited several other Chinese Owned Stores and Business along Olive Street Road. At each store we were warmly greeted and left each time feeling very good about shopping in those Stores. I will certainly recommend this entire small business community to my friends. I plan to return to the area for more future shopping needs. With Chinese New Year quickly approaching, our family will need a few items to help my adopted daughter celebrate the holiday, so in a few weeks will return to the Olive Street Area for Further Patronage.
The only question I have is "Why don't more St. Louis Shoppers use the Chinese-American Business Stores along Olive Street?" They offer Quality Merchandise, Pleasant Shopping Atmosphere, and Great Customer Service. This little Community should certainly be checked out the next time your in that area. The smiles and friendliness are worth the trip alone.
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