OPINION How to help your independent toy retailer
Why should suppliers care about local toy stores? Co-founder of Busy Bee Toy Shop Rachel Muter says the answer isn’t just about sustaining business, but helping children develop too
NO DOUBT you’ve heard it all before. ‘Save the independents’. ‘What do you want the High Street to look like?’ ‘Shop local’. Well, call me old fashioned and quaint but I want to be able to walk to my local shops, recognise who is serving me and to have some level of relationship with them. It is a crucial part of being in a community.
Is that the same for kids?
I’d say yes. Interaction with different people on different levels is an important learning experience. Certainly economically everyone wins if you shop at independents. Contrary to
misconception they are competitively priced and,
as Andrew Simms from the New Economics Foundation claims in Tescopoly, more of the pound that is spent in a local shop stays in the local community than money spent in one of the big supermarkets.
So what of the local toy
shop? Is it a thing of the past and should we care? According to 120 local people in Chorlton, South Manchester, it’s not. They were so keen to have a local, convenient,
responsive, friendly alternative that they invested over £250 each to transform a local shop about to close into Britain’s first toy shop community co-operative: Busy Bee Toy Shop. The toy industry needs
to give small independents a helping hand. And by that I mean things like: having as standard from all companies 30 day payments; keeping the value of orders lower on carriage paid so we can order less more often; discounting prompt payment. They are simple, economic measures that help small independents whose cash flow is the lifeblood of their business. Don’t get me wrong, some suppliers are a
pleasure to work with; organisations you feel are on your side in creating a magical experience for the young consumer, and that don’t favour the big players. Will children of today talk
fondly with the children of tomorrow about the magic of supermarket shopping? I fear not. Not only is the local toy shop a safe environment for children to explore, create, and use their imagination, they develop all-important skills in budgeting (who hasn’t saved up their pocket money for that all essential toy that will change your whole life?). Do our children deserve
more than just bigger and ‘supposedly’ better things? Are we prepared to save our communities?
Rachel Muter is one of the founding members of the Busy Bee Toy Shop co-operative. You can contact the store on 0161 881 5838, visit the website at
www.busybeetoyshop.co.uk or its Twitter page @BusyBeeToyshop.
Is your business playing the field?
Daniel Todaro, MD of tech field marketing agency Gekko, explains how field marketing can boost toy sales
ALMOST a quarter of shoppers say they would be very unlikely to purchase tech-led products, like kids’ tablets, without having some kind of in-store interaction or demonstration beforehand, according to Gekko research. What’s more, 44 per cent
of respondents say they would like more interaction with brands in store, and the same number say this would tempt them to spend more on related accessories and products. In such a tumultuous economic environment, brands would be foolish to ignore such obvious cries for attention from consumers.
Properly trained, dynamic
brand ambassadors, who can give detailed demonstrations and showcase the toys’ key
As is the case with most industries right now, toy manufacturers are feeling the pinch as consumers tighten their belts and look
44 per cent of respondents say they would like more interaction with brands in store, and the same number say this would tempt them to spend more on related accessories and products. Daniel Todaro, Gekko
features, are vital when the consumer reaches that point where they decide either to buy the product or to walk away.
for the best deals in the January sales. Hasbro recently
announced a 40 per cent increase in TV, social and
online advertising budgets, due to a 12 per cent drop in boys’ toys sales. The company is putting this down to a lack of screen time promotion, with no film or TV tie-ups to boost merchandise sales. However, brands should not be so quick to assume the reasons why sales may have dropped, or indeed that the solution is to increase investment in above-the-line and online channels.
An additional investment in field marketing activity can be hugely impactful for toy brands, and if done correctly, it can reap massive rewards without putting a big dent in marketing budgets.
Gekko is an award winning field marketing agency. Contact Daniel Todaro on 01635 271530 or visit
www.gekko-uk.com www.toynews-online.biz February 25
There is no doubt that other marketing channels had a huge role to play over the festive period, and it comes as no surprise to see that Hasbro is investing money in TV, social and online. However, the sales can
be hugely boosted by well- trained, knowledgeable brand representatives, who can make a connection with parents and leave them with a memorable impression of both the brand and the product itself. After all, an impressed and engaged parent means a purchase is more likely, which will lead to a happy child and ultimately, a successful brand.
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