From Stay-At-Home Mom To Store Owner: How A Summit Customer Took A Chance On A Local Favorite

SUMMIT, NJ — For years, Liz Branchflower walked into A to Zoom like many other Summit parents — looking for a birthday gift, a party favor or something unique for her children.

She never expected that one day she would become the person running the store.

But after longtime owner Andrea “Andy” Goldman announced earlier this year that she was retiring and the store was set to close, Branchflower saw an opportunity to preserve a place that had already become part of her family’s life.

The Summit resident purchased A to Zoom and reopened the longtime local store on March 21, beginning a new chapter for the business.

“A to Zoom was still such a great store,” Branchflower said. “There was still such a great demand for it. It was a great location. It just needed a little refresh, and it could still be such a great business.”

For Branchflower, the decision represented a major personal and professional change.

The mother of three had spent seven years as a stay-at-home mom and was looking for an opportunity to return to work while building something of her own.

Branchflower, who has lived in Summit for 10 years, said A to Zoom was already a meaningful part of her family’s routine.

“It was like my go-to spot for last-minute birthday gifts,” Branchflower said. “I came here for every birthday party. They wrapped on the spot. They always had a great selection, and I kind of got to know Andy through the years.”

Branchflower said she saw the store as an opportunity because of the connection it had built with local families over the years.

The transition happened quickly. Branchflower purchased the existing inventory and fixtures, signed a new lease and kept the A to Zoom name as she prepared to reopen the store.

Before reopening, she spent about a month and a half updating the space with new flooring, fresh paint and a redesigned layout to create a more open shopping experience.

“Looking back at old pictures now, I’m like, wow, this is amazing,” Branchflower said. “We really looked at how we could make the space feel better and create a place where people would enjoy coming in and shopping.”

Although Branchflower had never owned a retail business before, she said Goldman helped guide her through the transition.

“Andy was incredibly supportive in the beginning,” Branchflower said. “She introduced me to all of the toy vendors. She took me to Toy Fair in New York City at the Javits Center in February. She and I sat down at my dining room table for like a week straight, and she basically walked me through all my initial first orders.”

Branchflower said one of her goals is to maintain what longtime customers have loved about A to Zoom while adding her own ideas.

The store offers products for a range of ages, including baby toys, tween accessories, clothing, makeup and Lego sets. Branchflower said many of the products come from small businesses that sell through independent retailers.

“I think people still really appreciate being able to walk into a toy store and actually see the toys, get to play with them, get to touch them and get to see how they work,” Branchflower said.

Branchflower has also added a new event space in the back of the store after discovering additional room that could be used for gatherings.

The space has already hosted craft-style birthday parties and private shopping experiences, including an end-of-school-year event where children completed a craft, ate pizza and had a private shopping experience.

She said expanding the event space will be one of the areas she focuses on moving forward.

“The event space in the back is kind of like the second source of revenue that we’re really going to be leaning into,” Branchflower said.

While the reopening has been welcomed by many longtime customers, Branchflower said one challenge has been making sure people know the store is open again.

Because the previous closure was widely shared, some online listings still show A to Zoom as permanently closed.

“There’s some people who walk in and they don’t even realize that we were closed,” Branchflower said. “I want people to know it was an established, beloved business for 30 years that is still here, just refreshed in a refreshed space with newer inventory, but still the same concept and same demographic.”

Branchflower said the support from Summit residents has helped make the transition easier.

“The Summit community has been incredible,” Branchflower said. “It’s such a welcoming and supportive town, and we feel really fortunate to be a part of it.”

For Branchflower, becoming a business owner after years as a stay-at-home mom required taking a risk and believing she could make the transition work.

“I think so much of it is just having confidence, being a hardworking person and believing in yourself,” Branchflower said. “I saw it as an opportunity, and I just went for it. And I’m happy I did. I’m proud of myself.”

As A to Zoom moves forward under new ownership, Branchflower said she hopes the store continues to be a place where Summit families can find something special while creating new memories.