RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD Christmas stocking
With the Christmas countdown well and truly underway, Robert Hutchins asks the panel what they’re looking forward to this season and the pressures on the buyer’s role
Annalise Quest, Director of Harrods Home
“My buying team have
done a fantastic job of putting together a great proposition to drive trade this Christmas, from high end collectables from Steiff to the must have products from Furby, Bling Girls, Marvin’s Magic and many more.
“Christmas at Harrods launches with our Christmas parade and the unveiling of our Christmas windows. The parade is held this year on November 3rd. Customers young and old appear on the streets surrounding Harrods to watch the Parade spectacle unfold and inevitably visit the store to commence their Christmas shopping. In addition, the toy department has a full roster of retail theatre throughout the festive period aimed at surprising and delighting our customers, as well as driving sales.”
Ian
Edmunds, Operations Director, Toymaster “The big issue
causing a
lack of sales across the toy business year to date is the absence of a new ‘must have’ product. There has been little to make consumers want to buy toys. I am sure we all hope this situation is reversed in the main season and see must have toys hitting retail soon. “Having spent 15 years in a buying role, I am aware of all the buyers’ excuses [when directors blame mediocre buying teams for lost profits]. In defence of the buyers, managers within any business do
60 November
need a clear, consistent framework to operate within, not one that changes weekly, monthly or quarterly with the short- term fortunes of the company. Directors have to look at their own actions and the culture they impose upon a business before blaming others. “Now [with the closure of ModelZone] there is absolutely [a gap in the market to fill]. We already have members looking again at the opportunity the closure presents them with, and the fact that Christmas shopping is getting later is actually an opportunity for indies. Last minute shoppers tend to shop locally and when all your stock is in the shop, you don’t have the issue of waiting for stock to come from a central warehouse.”
Brian
Simpson, Manager, ToyTown “If you work in the toy trade and
aren’t excited about Christmas, you are in the wrong trade. I am delighted with the number of new releases this year. The fact that there has been less gives me a less confusing offering for my customers. All the brands we run are doing really well, and there have been some great developments this year. The best example for me is Power Rangers Mega Force. “However, Christmas shopping is getting later and later, and a major problem here can be stock levels and closing stock values, but if you stay on top of your numbers it can
be done to maximise sales in that crucial period. The trick is to get the customers out of the house and into the store, not to sit and order online. We do as much as we can to drive our footfall at key times of the year. “But the buyer has an
extremely difficult job. A close friend once said: ‘The buyer is always wrong. If a line sells, they have bought too little, if it doesn’t they have bought too much.’ “We work very hard to
keep on top of everything in order to have what the customer wants.”
Helen Gourley, Owner, ToyHub “There is an awful lot of TV
advertising going on, and parents already know what to get because kids have seen it advertised. “So far Pillow Pets Dream Lites have taken us by storm, we’ve had to re-order them a couple of times. But it’s kind of weird this year, a lot of people are sticking to a budget. In Scotland, schools go back in August and people start Christmas shopping then, but we are always busiest in November. We actually co-ordinate a big shopping event on our High Street, with a Santa Claus and live reindeer. “Availability at this time
of year is very important, getting the buying right affects a company’s profitability dramatically. If you’re not getting the buying right, you’re losing through not selling or having to reduce lines.”
Marc Dean, Toy Buyer, Morrisons “Our
Christmas toy offer launched
at the beginning of September and sales have been extremely encouraging. There has also been some great new lines from the likes of Nerf and Monsters University this year, so there is plenty to get excited about. “As a grocer, peak trade
always comes in Christmas week and we see this flow through into our toy sales performance.”
RETAILIL ADVISO
SORY BO
BOARD
Turn to page 59 to find out who’s part of our Retail Advisory Board. If you’re a toy retailer who’s interested in joining, please email
dominic.sacco@
intentmedia.co.uk
www.toynews-online.biz
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