Bambola Toys

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Situated on Jersey Island, Bambola Toymaster - the second generation family run independent toy shop - has been supplying the channel island’s locals with the latest toys and trends for some 60 years. ToyNews catches up with owner, John Testori, to talk about the shop’s past, present, and future

It’s without irony that John Testori, the second generation owner of Jersey’s popular Bambola Toymaster, tells us that his father was working as a barman in a cocktail bar, when he first struck upon the idea of opening a toy shop. What sparked the idea has been lost to memory. But then again, it was 60 years and we dare say a fair few Manhattans ago.

That was in 1961. Right now, in 2021, and it is John Testori, the son of the man known to local customers and staff simply as Mr

T, who fronts the Jersey toy shop. Popular as ever, the store has seen it all over those 60 years; the ups and downs of the toy industry and retail landscape, watched the UK both enter and leave the EU, and navigated a global pandemic that turned retail on its head, and yet it still lives to tell the tale.

Its generation-spanning history certainly proves one thing; toy folk are a resilient stock, indeed.

“I joined the business in 1978 as an interim job while looking for my ‘proper job’, recalls Testori. “43 years on and I am still trying to get my first job interview.”

Testori - with his wife Sharon - took on the toy shop in 1992, when Mr T finally retired and sold the business on to his already industry-initiated son. In the hands of its next generation, Bambola Toy Shop has continued to play an integral part in the success and vibrancy of its local high street.

“The Parade Store has been in the same location for all of our 60 years,” explains Testori. Its name draws on the family’s own Italian roots. Bambola means ‘doll’ in Italian and in its earliest years, sourced much of its stock from the southern European country. Testori notes that it was this that helped the store standout in the early days, billing its collection of large display dolls and electric ride-on vehicles - toys that might seem commonplace today - as ‘very avant-garde’ for the time.

“We have always tried to stay ahead of new trends and introduce new ranges in store, which has set us apart from competitors,” says Testori.

It’s a modus operandi that Bambola carries with it today, whether with its historic Parade store, or its sister shop - one which has moved locations a couple of times now over the course of its stay, before settling on its Don Street spot for the past 16 years. And it will no doubt continue to be the way in which Bambola operates when the toy shop makes a rather major move in the coming weeks.

“We have now purchased the Don Street premises,” says Testori. “So long term it will be our main location and when we consolidate the shops, it will become 50 per cent larger at that location.”

From making his first solo buying trip for the family toy shop at the age of just 17 (John recalls having to make the journey to the January Harrogate Toy Fair following an

accident involving his father and horse), to the shop’s latest plans today, Bambola has stood the test of time.

“I think our strength in surviving would be from having a great team,” says Testori. “They are all enthusiastic, knowledgeable, even knowing regular customers by their names. Our team of seven, including myself, have worked 106 years in the industry between us.

“Our customers trust our advice and opinions when it comes to their toy choices and we have great customer loyalty. We have benefitted from having the size limitations of the island, but feel we provide a good choice, range, value and experience for our customers. We also adapt to our customer’s interests as quickly as we can.”

And there’s no prizes for guessing where those customer interests have landed in the most recent of times. In fact, Testori cites the introduction and success of online trading as the single most influential change across the toy industry over the last 60 years. It’s not only affected the way in which customers shop today, but their expectations when they walk into a store. Especially when it comes to pricing.

“When I started, the products that customers were looking for were classic, Tamiya RC, model kits, LEGO, and then over the years it changed into electronics, the original eight-bit Nintendo Entertainment System and Gameboys,” recalls Testori.

“Now, trends are moving back around to classic items. We are doing well again with Tamiya RC, LEGO, and model kits for both adults and children.”

No, not even the English Channel could keep the creeping rise of the kidult market away from Jersey shores, as Testori notes that in recent months and years, the toy shop has seen “lots of adults returning to

previous hobbies and interests” or “starting new ones.” The pandemic, of course, has played a major role in all of this.

“Our LEGO market has grown a lot during the pandemic with people keeping the interest going,” says Testori. “We also sold a lot of puzzles in months where we wouldn’t usually see these sales.

“We have noticed since the stores reopened there was definitely a desire for customers to visit a traditional toy shop and have a shopping experience. We have received great comments from holiday makers, as well as locals, on our stores. I think consumers have also appreciated our high street more since the pandemic and the ability to have a shopping experience.”

Bambola Toymaster also didn’t escape the restrictions of the pandemic, having found itself forced to step up its online operations at the on-set of nation-wide lockdowns early last year. It was a move that Testori admits he would never have made were it not for the pandemic.

“Deliveres were completed by the team on the same day,” he recalls. “We split the island up into areas and took a section each for deliveries. We received great customer support and they were so appreciative of our service as well as showing genuine concern for the future of the business.”

Bambola has subsequently kept the website going for its click and collect service, while customers regularly let the team know that it is how many of them keep their eyes on desirable stock.

“Luckily being a small business, we were able to adapt quickly to all restrictions and we were always ahead in implementing screens and signage, as well as other protective measures in store once we reopened.”

Testori made headlines across the trade press only recently, when it was announced that the toy shop owner was to be appointed to the Board of Directors of Toymaster, as a non-executive director. The move is the culmination of 32 years of Toymaster membership.

“Bambola has benefited from being a Toymaster member since 1989, and we have had great support from them over the years, so it will be nice to be involved in making a difference to other members,” said Testori. “I hope to provide a fresh set of eyes to future suggestions and assist the very capable team we already have at Toymaster.”

As eyes begin to turn to the all important fourth quarter and its golden Christmas shopping season, it’s a role that Testori takes on with Toymaster that could see him fielding more frequently the kind of questions on everybody’s lips right now. What about the shipping chaos? It’s the rhetorical question of the year, and one that is plaguing industries reliant on imports, across the board.

“I don’t think we have experienced anything specific to Jersey with regards to shipping costs, but we have noticed price increases across the board as a result of their increases,” explains Testori. “We have been forced to pass these on to consumers, like many others. I struggle to remember a time where suppliers had mid-year price increases.

“We have noticed deliveries taking longer, but as a result we have brought our Christmas deliveries forward and we have been filling the warehouse considerably earlier than normal.

“I think there could be short term shortages of some items, and it might affect initial ranges of choices, but there will still be lots to choose from. Shelf space always needs to be filled so there could be instances where sections are taken up by other categories, but they will return.”

As for Bambola and its own plans for securing its success for the next 60 years and beyond, the answer lies in adaptation and quick reactions.

“We will continue to adapt to customer trends and economic changes and encourage the team’s knowledge in store,” says Testori. “We pride ourselves on offering good customer service and I think that is the secret to the high street shopping experience.

“I am fortunate to have a great team with people who can continue the business and I would love to see it continue for many more years to come. I would be here working for another 60 years if I could.

“The pandemic has made people revisit old hobbies and try new ones, as well as highlight the importance of supporting our high street. The great thing about our industry is that toys are a tactile product. Children and adults alike will always enjoy visitig a toy shop or department.”