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@toyworldmag Costco launches
costco.co.uk
Costco has launched its United Kingdom eCommerce website, open to members and non-members. The homepage featured high ticket items which had UK bloggers chattering such as an £89,999.89 Full Size Formula 1 High End Racing Car Simulator and diamond jewellery, alongside the bulk home goods and quality food which Costco is known for, all with delivery included. The new website offers a wide variety of products in more categories than
are available in the bricks and mortar locations. It features branded products and Costco’s own Kirkland Signature label, and expands the selection of high- ticket items such as one-of-a-kind jewellery and high-end electronics. Garth Morris,
costco.co.uk’s ecommerce director, said: “We’re very excited to launch
costco.co.uk and hope to give to our members an expanded selection of new items, adding further value to their membership. We aim to be complementary to the warehouses, a welcome addition, and whilst published prices are for members only, non-members can now join the treasure hunt by paying an additional 5% surcharge plus VAT at checkout.”
Newsanalysis:
Seizing the opportunities Jag Singh, global brand director at Paroh, talks to Toy World about the company’s expansion into India, and how the industry has responded.
How is the
Spielwarenmesse eG organises Kids India
Spielwarenmesse eG is to organise its own fair in India for the first time in the coming year. Kids India will take place in the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre in Mumbai from 24–26 October 2013. Spielwarenmesse eG is supported by the Indo German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) in the organisation of Kids India. The new fair is intended as a platform
for Indian and international exhibitors to present products such as toys, baby articles, licensed products, sport articles, leisure and hobby articles. In addition, Spielwarenmesse eG will organise a World of Toys Pavilion so that small and medium enterprises can also offer their products at Kids India. The pavilion will make it easier for companies from all over the world to enter the Indian market. Ernst Kick, chief executive officer, Spielwarenmesse eG, said: “The Indian
market is ready for a fair with an international impact. More than 800 toy manufacturers, exporters and suppliers ensure that the Indian market grows constantly. IGCC has enormous expertise. It regularly organises international fairs in India and as our representative for the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg knows the Indian toy market very well.”
Poundland appoints Click Distribution UK
expansion into India going? We have been extremely fortunate in that Paroh, a well-established UK company, part of a family- owned £50m group, is already established in India. Paroh has an extensive sales and marketing team together with a showroom and warehouse. Also, we have strong relations with the organised multiple retail sector and access to the massive unorganised retail sector. Since the article was featured on Toy World’s newsflash, we have been able to hit the ground running responding to and setting up meetings with some leading global players; these are in addition to the parties we were already talking to prior to the article. We will be fully functional by March 2013, and our goal is to secure a wide portfolio of leading global brands and companies with product offerings that extends from Pre-School to the Tween demographic.
How did you come up with the idea to expand into India? The idea goes back to the late 1990s when I wrote an article on the potential in India. This was published in World Toy News and the response then was overwhelming, with the world’s leading toy brands making contact. This was even before Mattel and Hasbro had entered the market via joint ventures. But, India was not quite ready at that time. Very recently, India’s Parliament has passed laws that now make India a very attractive proposition. These liberalised policies have allowed the fastest growing middle class in the world to gain local access to some of the world’s leading brands. This is possible by a number of initiatives: one of them is the lifting of restrictions for imports, the other is the entry of global multiple retailers, such as Walmart and Tesco. The local Indian organised multiple retail sector is also growing at an unprecedented rate, so the opportunities are massive. This is what encouraged me to resurrect this project (together with guidance from a very senior toy industry stalwart – he knows who he is) and the association with Paroh has come at a very timely and opportune time.
Click Distribution UK has been appointed as the preferred supplier of branded Trading Cards to Poundland with effect from 1 November 2012. Speaking of the appointment, Click Distribution UK’s managing director Mark Hillier said: “This is an extremely exciting development for our company and for Poundland. The product range is a perfect fit for Poundland and we have been working hard with suppliers to develop exclusive £1 packs of the best- selling lines for their stores. Poundland has over 4 million customers per week visiting its stores and we believe with the commitment they have shown and with our knowledge and expertise we can further grow the trading cards category to the benefit of all involved.” David Coxon, trading director at Poundland, added: “We started working with Click Distribution following a trial with the Euro 2012 Panini sticker collection and were impressed with their professionalism. There was no question but to appoint Click Distribution as one of our preferred suppliers.”
What kind of response have you had to this venture? The response has been fantastic! We are attracting some real heavy hitters already well established outside of India. The distribution arrangement with these partners extends way beyond buy and sell, but in joint marketing initiatives that will secure the right presence and ambience in-store to really drive volume sales. We are committed to further enhancing consumer awareness and off-take by instigating our own marketing programmes, which will include TV advertising, PR and in-store specific activity. We will very shortly be in a position to announce the details of our partners, but, suffice to say, all of these partners are leading global players. Initial discussions with some leading multiple retailers in India has reinforced our view that the middle class consumer in India is ready to part with their cash to emulate Western purchasing patterns.
Any other developments you’d like to tell us about? We have further strengthened our proposition and almost completed our additional recruitment drive in India, which will be headed up by a senior country manager (Ex CEO, Proctor and Gamble, India). He has been instrumental in putting together the team on the ground in India via his network, and also has strong relations with all of the organised multiple retail sector.
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