The first step for El Segundo school supply brand Yoobi was to make its products look so fun kids would get just as excited about shopping for school supplies as they would for toys.

After launching in Target stores last summer, the company took its second step, opening its own retail shop last month at Westfield Santa Anita mall in Arcadia.

Ido Leffler, Yoobi’s founder and a co-founder of San Francisco natural skin care brand Yes To Inc., said having a retail shop gives the company a chance to create a shopping experience as fun as its products.

“It’s a place that’s – not to take away from other office or school supply retailers – touchy-feely,” Leffler said. “It’s been merchandised to make you feel as though you’re in a treasure chest filled with goodies.”

The 800-square-foot store has an area where kids can draw with Yoobi products and an interactive area highlighting the company’s donation model – for every product purchased, the company donates a product to a school in need.

Shoppers can choose from more than 450 items, including neon-colored pens, pretzel-shaped erasers, backpacks and electronics. It will also carry more than 200 items exclusively sold at the new store. For example, it recently launched a line in collaboration with musician Usher featuring notebooks and pencil cases, which will later be available at Target stores.

Prior to opening its shop, Yoobi’s products were only sold on its website and in Target stores. Leffler said he’s never opened a retail location, but felt Yoobi would be an ideal concept for a brick-and-mortar space. The company is already negotiating leases to open up more stores in Los Angeles.

“Two premises for launching Yoobi was making school supplies for everybody and making it fun again,” Leffler said. “What better way to do that than in our own store?”

– Subrina Hudson