Surely The home Of The Christmas Elves! (Early Learning Centre)

Member Name: Rhiana

Product:	Early Learning Centre
Date:	10/10/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: excellent quality, huge range, great store and online shop.

Disadvantages: Can be pricey.

I've just visited this store today for the millionth time with my daughter, and looking around realised how much money I must have actually spent in here over the last five years on my little princess. It seems that since her conception, ELC has been part of my life and we both really do love it.

~ About The Early Learning Centre ~

Early learning Centre (or ELC) is a Uk toyshop catering for children aged from Birth to around eight years old. They sell a wide range of both their own and brand name toys in stores, which can be found in most cities and towns, and online.

The toys are split up into several categories: Baby and Toddler, Outdoor, Dolls and Doll's Houses, Dressing Up and Role Play, Action Figures and Play sets, Cars/Trains and construction, learning and Books, Art and creativity and finally Music, Puzzles and games.

I can't remember shopping here much for my son, who is now 13, although I do remember looking at car seats in one shop, way back when he needed such a thing. When I was expecting my daughter over 5 years ago I realised they no longer stock baby equipment, however I fell in love with their toys and have bought many a thing in there since. They are more expensive than other manufacturers, however I firmly believe in ELC you get the quality you pay for and not only does your child get a great toy with lots of learning potential, but you also get a toy that will last long beyond necessary.

~ The Shops ~

As mentioned above the shops can now be found in most towns and cities and vary in size. I usually shop in the Carlisle or Metro centre stores which are both a good size and seem to stock a full range (although some large outdoor toys can only be ordered from stores for delivery).

The shops are bright and colourful, although can be a little over filled at times, I remember once knocking down a stack of happy land toys that had been displayed in the middle of the floor by ramming my buggy into it (accidently!). The store does get very busy and crowded at Christmas too and can be a nightmare, full of stressed parents and over excited kids.

It's easy to distinguish between the different sections and find age appropriate toys, and most toys have a display model set up so you can see what the toy is actually like. This has plus's and negatives however! On the plus side you can examine the toy and there are no nasty surprises or disappointments when it's home and removed from the box. The negative of course is that taking children in here can be horrendous as they fight over the display toys and refuse to leave!

I have always found the staff in the ELC stores I have visited to be friendly and helpful. On one occasion I bought play sand and then realised it was too heavy to carry. The sales assistant very helpfully offered to keep it behind for me until I got a car round to pick it up; it wasn't a problem at all. I have also had to return an item and again it was done without any problem at all. My only criticism would be that at peak times there often isn't enough staff and they are busy on the till with no one available on the floor to offer assistance. There also is only one pay point which can have huge queue again at Christmas and maybe a temporary pay point would be a good idea then to keep the customers moving quickly.

~ Online ~

I like going into an ELC shop as you can really look at the products on offer. My daughter also loves going in and it can be a good way of passing a half hour if we miss the bus. However I now prefer making most purchases online, for several reasons.

Firstly, and most importantly, the site is easy and stress free to use. Much like the store itself the toys are sectioned well and it is easy to find what you are looking for. It has good clear product photographs and descriptions, and there are some useful customer reviews to consider too. I can do my shopping at anytime of day without the histrionics a trip to the store can result in from my daughter and it's delivered straight to my door, so no bulky boxes to cart home.

Another good reason to shop online is that more often than not you can find discount codes for use in the online store, usually for 20%. At Christmas this can be a huge saving when I have been making large purchases.

Lastly, it can be the case that the store has sold out of the most popular toys and you are more likely to be able to buy these online. A couple of years ago I could not get hold of the Bluebell Boot my daughter had asked for, in the store itself but easily picked it up online AND got a 20% discount.

Standard delivery costs £4.95 with orders over £100 free. Occasionally ELC run a promotion with free delivery on over £60 etc. You can opt for express delivery in 2 days for £7.95, and standard takes 4 working days. I actually received my standard delivery within 2 days so was very impressed with this, however I think that free delivery should be offered on orders over £50 and not just through occasional promotions.

~ The products ~

While ELC products can be, or rather ARE on the high side, I truly believe they are worth it for the quality and longevity of them. I have bought most of my daughter's toys from ELC over the last few years and there is only one occasion when I wasn't happy with the item. I was offered a refund immediately and since haven't had any other reason to complain.

I think that ELC have a very good range of both entertaining AND educational toys. They are bright and colourful, sturdy and attractive to children. I have mainly shopped in the girl's section and there is always a fantastic choice.

ELC have a fantastic range of educational/getting ready for school games, puzzles and toys. My daughter has started reception class recently and is being taught using the Jolly Phonics range, which is not only stocked in ELC but also have joined with ELC to produce other games and puzzles to enhance the series. I have been in today and bought a few items from this range and my initial impression is that they are very good.

I do have one complaint however, and that is how quite often, despite the high price tag, the toy won't come with all the items necessary and they have to be bought separately. The dolls house is one such example, costing a hefty £100 without any furniture. For this reason there are some items I have avoided as I think they are too expensive. ELC is also not a good pocket money shop, with very little priced under £5 so is also one to avoid if your little one has a few pennies they would like to spend as they are unlikely to find anything here.

On the plus side, the toys really do last a long time and can easily be passed on to younger siblings or other family meaning the toy holds a lot of enjoyment! They also hold their re-sale value very well and it is easy to get 2/3 of your initial expense back when selling them on Ebay.

I do find that the age range given on a toy can be a little on the high side. I allowed my daughter some 3+ toys at age 2 and couldn't really figure out why they were advised for older children. I also think it's unlikely that the toys will appeal to it's upper age range and think that babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers will enjoy the toys here the most.

ELC do stock some branded toys, although I would recommend shopping around for these, as I believe you could get them cheaper elsewhere.

~ Conclusion ~

For me, ELC cannot be beaten for quality and range. As my daughter reaches 5 she is asking for things like Barbie's and a DS for Christmas and I'm sad that it's probably not long before I say farewell to ELC.

While I can think of a couple of very small negatives, on the whole shopping at ELC both online and in store has been a very positive experience. It's a big thumbs up and a huge recommendation from me.

www.elc.co.uk

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