First Radio Flyer Storefront In Company's 106-Year History Landing Outside Chicago

Radio Flyer, maker of the iconic Original Little Red Wagon, will open its first brick-and-mortar store in the Chicago suburbs.

The 106-year-old manufacturer of wagons, bikes, scooters, strollers and other goods on wheels will open a 15K SF location at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Crain’s Chicago Business reported. Though the Chicago-based company has long sold its products in stores like Walmart and Target as well as online, this marks its first standalone location.

"We feel like we have the breadth of product line to support it," Radio Flyer Chief Wagon Officer Robert Pasin told Crain’s. "Our products are so physical, people want to touch and feel them."

In addition to its famous wagons and trikes, the store will carry newer Radio Flyer merchandise such as e-bikes and a child-sized Tesla. The store will offer a service center, customization options, a test track for children and opportunities for adults to test drive e-bikes.

“When my grandpa built the first Radio Flyer wagon 106 years ago in his Chicago garage, he always dreamed of creating a space for families to experience the joy of the Radio Flyer brand,” Pasin said in a release. “I am overjoyed to open our first store and let our customers experience all that we have to offer, whether it’s a kid looking for their first tricycle or a kid at heart looking for their first electric bike.”

The move into permanent stores was spurred by the 2021 introduction of the e-bike line, Pasin told Crain’s. The bikes are designed for adults and offer ergonomic design and an attachable cargo/kid carrier.

Pasin, whose grandfather Antonio Pasin started Radio Flyer in 1917, said the company could roll out additional locations nationally depending on the success of the Schaumburg store, which is set to open in November.