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Toy Shop UK is a consumer- led, online directory that helps toy suppliers, retailers and licence holders promote their businesses to an audience of up to 10,000 unique visitors per day.
Popular weekly
giveaways, the esteemed Independent Toy Awards and special supplier listings are just three of the ways that Toy Shop UK can help you increase your online presence and complement
INDEPENDENT SURVEY
your other marketing activities this year.
Contact Michael Hawkins (
michael@toyshopuk.co.uk or 07786 295756) for more information.
www.toyshopuk.co.uk
THAT’S IT… toy fair season is over for another year, with many members of the trade, having taken in the sights of Hong Kong, London, Nuremberg, Birmingham and New York, are now slowly catching up with their inboxes and order books. But how does the annual
round of trade fairs rate with independent retailers? Do they find them
worthwhile or a bit of a waste of time? Encouragingly, 69 per cent of ToyShopUK listers found Toy Fair and Spring Fair useful, with 19 per cent going as far as to say they thought they were unmissable. Lisa Clay from Armadillo
Toys was one such indie, stating: “In the tough economic times we are in, you would be a fool not to go to both fairs. “We need to be at the top of our games at the moment, product selection is crucial and you can take advantage of show deals, too.”
offer something a little bit different. Gifts and greetings are an important part of our business too, and that offering is limited at Toy Fair.”
James Marshman Just For You Toys “The London Toy Fair is always a must for toy retailers. This year I felt it was even more welcoming then ever and it is such a great way to source products being able to speak face to face with the suppliers which makes life a lot easier than endless emails or phone calls. Looking forward to next year.”
Vicky Brown Just Williams Toys “Great for networking,
www.toynews-online.biz
James Marshman from
Just For You Toys agreed: “The London Toy Fair is always a must for toy retailers. It is such as great way to source products, being able to speak face to face with suppliers which makes life a lot easier than endless emails or phone calls.”
secret for the biggest retailers - makes me want to stock less of their product every year.” And Rachel Fairhurst
from Rachel’s Toy Shop had this to say: “I found some suppliers quite rude and standoffish, I don’t understand why you would pay that much for a
As a small indie, it’s a great way of
maintaining a sense of being connected to the toy industry.
Amanda Alexander, Giddy Goat Toys However, 12 per cent of
respondents found the shows useless, although no one chose to leave any comments as to why. A couple of indies did,
however, point out they found some of the closed stands unwelcoming, such as Matt Booker from Automattic Comics and Toys: “Yet again the big boys don’t want to show most retailers their wares though, just kept super
increasing product knowledge and seeing new and exciting products for the year ahead.”
Sam Haggett Moving Pictures “We feel both the Toy Fair and Spring Fair are unmissable as it gives you the chance to see the products for real as images via email or in a catalogue are sometimes deceiving. Our customers love to come into our shop and look, see and feel our products and ask questions, and surely as a retailer everyone should be wanting to do that themselves with products they are going to sell and invest money into? I guess there is a bit of competition between the
stand and then have that attitude.” Ultimately though, the
vibe from respondents was positive and many couldn’t wait to return in 2015. Cate O’Neill from
Petalina concludes: “There was tangible excitement as I walked in [to Toy Fair] which was very uplifting. What was most useful was being able to spend time chatting with existing suppliers.”
suppliers about who has the biggest and best stand, but surely that is just pride in what you are doing. We will continue to visit the fairs each year as it is important and also in January and February, it gives you a bit of a boost of enthusiasm for the year ahead.”
Allison Ilsley Osborn & William “I find them moderately useful but it wouldn't be the end of the world if I missed it.”
Cate O’Neill Petalina
“I didn't attend Spring Fair this year as last year it just was not worth it for me. There were so few toys and certainly nothing
19% - UNMISSABLE 69% - USEFUL 12% - USELESS
WITH THE TOY TRADE SEASON OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR, HOW USEFUL DID YOU FIND TOY FAIR AND SPRING FAIR?
new. The Toy Fair this year was very good. There was a tangible excitement as I walked in which was very uplifting. There were a few new brands for Petalina to see, but what was most useful was being able to spend time chatting with existing suppliers.”
Rachel Fairhurst Rachel’s Toy Shop “I met two potential suppliers and it was good to see my existing account managers, and the new products they had. But I found some suppliers quite rude and standoffish - I don't understand why you would pay that much for a stand and then have that attitude.”
March 21
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