Make Shopping at Your Indoor Playground as Easy as Amazon This Holiday Season

Every December, one topic resurfaces in every indoor playground Facebook group, in my DMs, and inside Play Maker Society: the hope that customers will “shop small” and choose your play café over Amazon during the holiday rush.

And while I love this sentiment—and I’ve built my entire business around supporting small brick-and-mortar owners—we also need to be brutally realistic. Parents don’t default to Amazon out of loyalty. They default to Amazon because it is easy.

Parents shop while waiting in the school pickup line. One-handed while burping a baby. At 11 p.m. in bed. When they remembered at the last second that their child needs a birthday gift tomorrow. Amazon has trained today’s parents to expect seamless, friction-free purchasing—one tap, no lines, no wallets, no effort.

So if you want to capture more retail dollars this season, you aren’t competing against Amazon’s pricing or its endless catalog—you’re competing against its convenience. And that’s the good news, because with a few strategic changes, your indoor playground can dramatically close that convenience gap.

1. Remove In-Person Checkout Friction

Start with the question: How fast can someone buy something from you in person?

• Can a purchase happen in under 60 seconds?

• Do you accept tap-to-pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay?

• Can staff ring customers up from anywhere in the space using a mobile POS?

• Is your team trained to process sales quickly and confidently?

Parents are constantly making micro-decisions based on how much friction something requires. If checking out feels slow or clunky, they think, I’ll just grab it on Amazon later, and your sale evaporates.

2. Optimize Your Website for Mobile—Not Desktop

Most indoor playground owners build their websites on a laptop… yet most customers shop on their phones. Your website must be mobile-first, not just mobile-tolerant.

Pull out your phone and check:

• Is the “Shop” tab easy to find?

• Do your product photos load fast and look clear?

• Is your “Add to Cart” button prominent?

• Can customers check out without creating an account?

• Is autofill enabled?

• Are multiple payment methods available?

This is the moment when customers either stay—or silently disappear back to Amazon.

3. Offer Convenience-Focused Fulfillment Options

You’ll never compete with two-hour shipping, but you can compete with flexibility.

• Same-day in-store pickup for parents already coming for open play or classes

• Free local delivery above a reasonable order minimum

• Free shipping thresholds—$40 or $50—encourage customers to add “just one more thing” to unlock the perk

These small shifts dramatically increase conversion rates and average order values.

4. Showcase What Amazon Can’t Offer

Once you’ve reduced friction, you get to highlight your real advantage: you are a real human running a real community space.

Amazon cannot replicate:

• Personalized recommendations

• Beautiful gift-wrapping

• Curated bundles by age or developmental stage

• A staff member who knows a child and can suggest the perfect gift

• Same-day pickup for last-minute shoppers

• The joy of supporting a local business

But customers can only experience these perks after they choose to shop with you—convenience is the gateway.

Add shortcuts to your shop pages such as:

• “Top Gifts by Age”

• “Stocking Stuffers Under $15”

• A banner reading “Order Online, Pick Up Today”

• Gift-wrap add-ons

• Gift card options

• “Last-Minute Gifts You Can Grab Today”

These mimic the speed and clarity customers are used to, but with your unique curated touch.

5. Train Your Team to Reduce Friction, Not Add It

Even the best systems fail if the team behind them isn’t trained.

Make sure your staff:

• Knows your top sellers by age

• Keeps displays stocked and tidy

• Understands how meaningful December retail sales are

• Can confidently upsell bundles, gift wrap, or add-on items

A confident staff creates a confident buying experience.

6. Use Bundles, Upsells, and Strategic Ads

Don't shy away from promoting your shop.

• Create bundles that simplify buying decisions.

• Use small upsells at checkout—both in-person and online.

• Run retargeting ads reminding your customers of your pickup and delivery options, your gift bundles, or your curated collections.

Ads don’t have to compete with Amazon—they just need to remind parents that an easier, more personal option exists right in their community.

Parents aren’t choosing Amazon over you. They’re choosing convenience over friction.

If you make buying from you fast, simple, and flexible, you instantly become the easier choice. And when your convenience meets your personalization, your expertise, and your community-centered approach, you create a shopping experience no big-box retailer can touch.

As you head into the busiest shopping season, audit your checkout process, test your site on mobile, streamline your online store, simplify pickup and delivery, and empower your team.

Parents want to support your small business.
Your job is to make supporting you the easiest choice in the moment.