Creative Playthings, the Virginia-based playground company, has closed its Rockville Pike store after six months in the old Harry & David space at Congressional Plaza. The shopping center location marked a new strategy for Creative Playthings, which previously operated from a Gaithersburg warehouse district — and store manager Martin Barrera says walk-in traffic proved better than he’d even hoped. “Being next to The Fresh Market, a baby store and a toy store was absolutely awesome, since people found us just by walking around,” he says. “We actually experienced some emotional purchases right on the spot. Sadly, though, our lease was temporary and we could not afford to keep that location open year-round.” Look for Creative Playthings to surface elsewhere in Rockville next spring.
