Jane Davies
owner, Fun Junction Business is still very slow in the retail shop. It picked up a little for Easter, and then slowed again last week; there are still people looking, but less convert to actually buying. Our internet business is up on last year though, and selling well. Playmobil is still a strong seller and Lego and ELC Happyland stock is going well. We are also doing well on crafty products due to weather, as more people are staying indoors. We have offers on Orchard and Wow products, so they are selling quite well. I don’t go for the whole three days of
Toymaster, but I’ll be there. I’m hoping there are some good deals to help kick start the retail side; I’m looking forward to seeing products as I didn’t go to Toy Fair. The shows are a good opportunity to touch and feel the products and hopefully fire up my enthusiasm. I’m really looking forward to talking to other members to compare notes and get a feel of the market, as well as to get any helpful tips to use in my business. We have struggled with Sylvanian this year – maybe it is too highly priced now. We do well with the Peterkin Dolls World Range – some comes from the Toymaster FOB programme, so there are good margins on it. Barbie is still going strong, while Lego Friends is not as strong as it was. However, our best ranges with girls are still craft products rather than collectables.
The independent voice...
viewpoint Indie
H The merry month of May
ope you all had a cracking Easter. As usual, the temperature plummeted, and Easter came very late with the sales uplift coming from the Thursday. More than usual, the lack of Easter eggs in the market at the big multiples benefi ted us a lot, with kids getting either a toy or £5 to spend. With the school holidays falling in the two weeks after Easter, overall sales have been good. And in the second week of half term, with
temperatures reaching the tropical heights of 10 degrees, we are fi nally starting to see some outdoor products moving! Certainly one area that has done particularly well during the Easter holidays is girls collectables and
dolls. Moshi series 6 has started very well, and goes from strength to strength. The re-launch of Littlest Pet Shop, which is exclusive to Toymaster members currently, has been very successful across the whole range. The new permanent fi xture is a very effective way to merchandise it (a great idea from Hasbro). On the dolls side, the Monster High Scaris range has re-energised an already very strong brand, and it is fl ying off the shelves. A category which has emerged over the last year or so is app toys. We are not sure how everyone else has found them out there, but we have tried a couple of ranges last year, and we encountered two problems. There was the issue of where to put them in the store, and also, how to communicate to the customer what they are, and how they work. I am sure this will improve with time, as judging by the number of iPads out there, apps are here to stay. However, although app toys have yet to break through, toys from apps are proving very popular. Angry Birds is a very popular licence currently, with the plush proving strong, and the new Cut the Rope range from Vivid has started well. A range that is popular with both of us is remote control cars, as we’re petrol heads. It does seem that our range is biased towards Porsches and Ferraris! Outside of peak season, it is very price sensitive, with our range all being under £20. RC helicopters are another key area, but we keep it simple with a small range all sitting under £30. Also on vehicles, die cast is an evergreen category, with sales all year round. Probably our best-selling line currently is the Disney Cars die cast, with the new assortment proving very popular with the collectors. A range which was re-launched last year was the Corgi range from Hornby, and has been a good seller. Finally, our basic range of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars are still so popular, with there being many adult collectors who come into our stores for them. And if someone can get hold of a Hot Wheels A-Team van, please, please let us know. With the holiday season now approaching us, mums and dads are trying to fi nd that toy to keep their son and daughter occupied on that long journey. The travel games from Hasbro are an ideal start, and the activity books range from Galt are a very cheap way of keeping the kids occupied. As you read this, the Toymaster show is only a week away. Our rooms were booked in early January, and most importantly, our meals have been organised for the full duration. That’s the important bits! Seriously though, our diary is fully booked for the three days, and it is so convenient all under one roof. It is the start of our main Christmas buying, and we are looking forward to fi nding some great deals. There is also the chance to catch up with our friends in the trade, and having one or two (or maybe three) drinks. See you there!
If you would like to get involved with next
month’s Talking Shop, please get in touch with Kayleigh: 01442 840 306, @KayleighConners,
kayleigh@toyworldmag.co.uk
Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes, Toy Barnhaus Toyworld 25
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