In association with...
Alan Caswell owner, The Arcade Toyshop,
James Colclough owner, Melton Toys, Melton
Dudley Business was good up until the snow, then it was all shovels and sledges. As a toy specialist, products that are selling well for us are across the board, due to the variety of ranges we stock. I’ll be attending Toymaster, looking for new Christmas products and deals that are to be had!
I think that collectables now are
universal, with products like Bin Weevils and Moshi – but My Little Pony, Monster High and Lego are still high on girls’ wish lists. Lego Friends started the girl construction craze, and I can only see more similar developments; just look at Hasbro’s Nerf range for girls. My pet hate at the minute is companies that offer website purchases; everyone does it and I could understand it if it was for perusal only but no, they offer deals as well! I believe that’s naughty; come on, come clean with us when selling it in to us.
Bhav Patel
Mowbray I launched Melton Toys in 2009 following a redundancy and having identified that Melton Mowbray was missing a toy shop, since both Woolworths and a great family owned shop had closed a few years before. Before starting up I spoke to a number of existing toy shop owners and others in the industry to ensure I was being realistic in my plans, considering the economic climate and I’m glad I did. Business is good. We have seen growth
each year since launch and this has exceeded our budgeted plan. As in most towns, the recent weather has affected footfall but we have a loyal customer base and sales haven’t been affected as much as we expected. We are doing very well with pre-school but
perhaps that’s the current mix in our town. Our key ranges still include Lego, Playmobil and Sylvanian Families, but some of the first half launches from these brands haven’t had the same consumer impact as in previous years, so it’s good to see lines like Minnie Mouse, Barbie and Orchard Toys doing particularly well. I was encouraged to speak to Toymaster
during my research for the business and I don’t think I would be trading as I am if it wasn’t for them. Aside from great supplier support, I have the ability to pick
up the phone to another member or a Toymaster director and bounce ideas around. The May Show is vital to planning the second half of the year and like us, many members do a significant amount of ordering there. I don’t think this is totally down to the deals, as the relaxed environment allows considered decisions to be made and intake planned properly. The social scene is not to be missed but I couldn’t possibly comment – see you there! This year we have increased our range of dolls and have seen success with Barbie, Monster High, Lalaloopsy and Moxie. Collectables are a bit more tricky as although some are more gender generic, we find the girls still have a more limited choice. We do well with Littlest Pet Shop, Playmobil pink packets and Moshi, but a quick count of our collectables shows that out of the nineteen (yes, that many!) collectable ranges in store – only five I would say are specifically girls lines. I think the category is growing but retailers are still looking for more in the girls’ collectable arena. It’s one thing to diversify your product into a blind bag but I think real strength comes from innovation and new concepts. Let’s see what’s at the show!
managing director, Toy Galaxy Business is okay at the moment, it is going at a slightly slower pace but overall it is steady. Since the turn of the New Year it has been challenging, especially when considering the extended cold spell we are experiencing into Easter, so sales have not been easy to compare against previous years. However, we have introduced a greater number of in-store activities and along with further emphasis on promotions and value added purchases; this has helped ensure customers are still able to spend. Currently, the ranges that are selling well for us include Lego Chima, due to it still being fairly new into the market and, with a great launch and new releases adding to the range, it is proving very popular with customers. Moshi Monsters is still selling quite well, even though it isn’t experiencing the type of levels we have been used to.
24 Toyworld
Trading cards have increased in popularity in our stores recently; this could be down to the price points, and also the fact that children are being forced to play indoors due to the weather. Other ranges selling well include Playmobil and Lego City; this is primarily down to the placement of the new releases into the right price bracket for this time of the year. The Toymaster show is now one of the most important buying events in the toy calendar for me, so I will definitely be there. As always, the show proves to be great for selecting key lines for the second half of the year. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the forthcoming Lego range for 2013, as well as Mattel’s Disney Planes range and the new merchandise Hasbro will be releasing for a number of new film releases this year. The marketplace seems to be flooded with collectables of any form at the moment, but it is fairly easy to select just a handful that
do really well. In the past year, there has definitely been an increase in girls’
collectables, and it won’t be too long before they reach the same level. Collectables have predominantly been focused towards boys, but with a large girl market with little product offering, a lot of companies are adapting, building or creating ranges which can allow them to enter products into the collectables market. The girls collectables ranges that sell well for us in particular are Playmobil figures range, Littlest Pet Shop and My Little Pony, as well as the Lego Friends range.
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