Edplay MarApr 2019

For People Who Sell Toys

March/April 2019

Off to a

Flying Start

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From cool to sweet, we’ve got it all!

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w!

wordPlay

Truckin’

by Kevin Fahy

A

s long as I have been around the toy industry, there has been a discussion, sometimes heated, about the role that gender plays in children’s toy preferences. Do kids actually choose toys that are traditionally considered to be male- or female-specific, and if so, why? It’s a classic question of heredity versus environment.

Virtually every study that I have read over the years agreed that children do tend to prefer toys that are “typed” to their own gender, but it is very difficult to screen out societal and parental pressure, approval, encouragement, affirmation, etc.

Young people cannot be studied in the way that lab rats are, where there are strict control groups, and exposure to any given factor can be extended or withheld.

That being the case, facts can’t be established with absolute certainty, and we are left to make observations and arrive at informed opinions. The problem is that we aren’t lab rats either, and our opinions are inevitably affected by our own biases and life experiences.

In looking through the literature, though, I did come across some interesting points that favor the nature explanation

LLC

over the nurture. Consider the following, as Rod Serling would say, “submitted for your approval.”

The duality of toy design is not a Western cultural phenomenon. In every human society, including those that are isolated or preindustrial, there are different sets of toys for boys and girls, and they correspond in nature to our own.

According to the American Psychological Association, the tendency to choose gendertyped toys exists among children who are “pre-socialization,” or too young to be influenced by culture. By definition, their behavior is driven by biological factors.

Finally, it’s worth noting that we are not the only primates who play with toys. Rhesus monkeys, for example, are partial to playthings and choose them according to gender. It’s hard to imagine that those choices are based upon societal pressures.

Leaving science aside for a moment, most of us also have a wealth of personal experience on this topic. I’m aware of the fact that anecdotal evidence can be misleading, but I also know that we form most of our opinions from our own observations, and (continued on page 5) March/April 2019 • • • • • edplay.com 3

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For People Who Sell Toys

March/April 2019 Volume 26, No. 2

14

8

3

Wordplay

8

At the Center of Success

Truckin’ by Kevin Fahy

Jim and Retha Davis, two of this year’s WTHRA Hall of Famers, have operated their toy store in Tucson for 30 years.

12 retailers recommend

17 Resplendent!

Sandy Ruben and his team of retailers count down today’s most popular toy themes

20 Change Your

Perspective to Change Your Business

32 Industry News 35 For Your Business Information

38 Index of Advertisers

It’s time to look at your store from a new customer’s point of view

Fabulous Products

22 New & True

Eight pages of newly launched products and perennial favorites

14 Bigger & Better

Toy Fair 2019 was the largest in the show’s 116-year history.

4 edplay.com • • • • • March/April 2019

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(continued from page 3) that it makes perfect sense to do so.

I grew up with two older sisters. As far as I know, neither of them ever took the slightest interest in any of the toys I played with, and I have no recollection of them ever playing with anything I would call a toy.

I do remember a large dollhouse which had been passed down from a previous generation, and one of my sisters collects dolls now, so I assume she liked dolls back then.

My toys could be neatly divided into three categories, one of which was baseball cards. I can’t tell you what was so magical about them to me and my friends, but we were all hooked. Maybe it was the surprise package experience of acquiring them, or the mysterious data on the back, or just the lure of collecting.

Another was what we called “little men,” which were basically the same sort of toy soldiers that had been a staple of toy making for centuries. Fortunately for me, manufacturers had by then made the transition from lead to plastic.

By far the largest category, though, was my stable of toy motor vehicles. It included everything from the original Matchbox miniatures up to largescale models that took weeks to assemble, including cars, ships, airplanes, tanks, you name it.

Of all that rolling stock, the trucks were the best. Whether it was a double tractor-trailer, a troop transport, a dump truck, an ambulance, a delivery van or whatever, it somehow lent itself to the whole idea of play.

Perhaps it was the implicit

storylines that those vehicles carried with them. A truck exists not to be something but to do something.

At any rate, my sisters and I seem to have conformed pretty closely to cultural stereotypes.

They played with dolls and I played with trucks. Although I haven’t always had the opportunity to observe children at play over the intervening decades, my house has become a popular play venue for little kids in recent years.

In my family room, there is a big plastic tow truck. I don’t know how it got there, but I know that little boys can’t walk past the thing without touching it, while little girls don’t seem to notice it. Sometimes I’m tempted to take it for a spin myself.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s little doubt that gender affects toy selection. I don’t know to what extent those preferences are governed by genetics, and I’m not sure that I really care one way or the other.

They are what they are.

I’m more interested in how childhood choices affect the ones we make as adults, and how both may be changing over time. In other words, how do dolls and trucks carry over into life?

I have only once owned a pickup truck, and it was about 40 years ago when I was a first-time homeowner. The place needed a great deal of work, and back then I had little choice but to do most of it myself. These days I drive an SUV for the same reason I once drove a truck, that it fits the jobs I need to get done.

The majority of my male friends, however, drive trucks. (continued on page 7) March/April 2019 • • • • • edplay.com 5

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A brand of Fahy-Williams Publishing Inc.

PUBLISHER J. Kevin Fahy kfahy@fwpi.com

MARKETING DIRECTOR Amy Colburn amy@fwpi.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tim Braden tbraden@fwpi.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Tina Manzer tmanzer@fwpi.com

ADVERTISING SALES Todd Crayton todd@fwpi.com

ART Mark Stash Production Manager mstash@fwpi.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Yesenia Rangel accounts@fwpi.com E-NEWLETTER & ONLINE ADVERTISING Rick Kauder rkauder@fwpi.com

Copyright © 2018

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Fahy-Williams also publishes Toy Times

the magazine of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association

Educational Dealer

educationaldealermagazine.com

Life in the Finger Lakes lifeinthefingerlakes.com

ROBEX

for the Rochester Builders Exchange

Gradient

the magazine of the Association For Creative Industries craftandhobby.org

Art Materials Retailer artmaterialsretailer.com

Flashback

Lessons from ASTRA at Toy Fair, 1995

T

wenty-four years ago, ASTRA hosted a panel discussion at Toy Fair that drew an audience of more than 200 of the association’s retail members. The topic? “Ways to Increase Market Share.” The classic theme resonates just as loudly with stores today as it did back then, when the specialty toy industry accounted for about 5 percent of the overall toy market.

At the time, ASTRA was just two years old.

The presentation was moderated by specialty toy retailer and association president Jeff Franklin.

Panelists included Don Panec from OddzOn Products, Tamara Hauck from Brio, Stephanie Azzaroni from Child’s Play Communications, and Tonya Bredehoeft from Retail Resources Inc.

“In response to specific questions, the panel offered retailers thought-provoking answers plus practical solutions and tips,” we reported. Here are a few of them.

Be proactive with your community with the goal of garnering attention. “Retailers need to let people know that their store offers ‘good’ toys that are high quality, developmentally sound, and that have high play value, and that staff members are toy experts who can make good recommendations to parents,” said the panel. They suggested retailers partner with pediatricians, speak to community groups, and make themselves available to consumers year-round with in-store events.

Specialty toy retailers also need to be available to reporters at local newspapers, and TV and radio stations to establish themselves as the local toy experts. They need to get to work generating press releases and establishing contacts. ASTRA can play a role at the national level. (continued on page 38)

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(continued from page 5) We live in a rural area and a number of them have outdoor hobbies like fishing, some do their own house and lawn work, and a few probably just think that trucks are cool.

I have no close female friends or relatives who drive trucks. From that bit of anecdotal evidence I had always drawn the inference that women don’t drive trucks, and up until quite recently that was pretty accurate. It no longer is.

Over the past five years, the shift in new vehicle sales from cars to SUVs in the U.S. has been dramatic. In 2014 there were about 8 million cars sold versus 6 million SUVs, but by 2018 the numbers had reversed. The change is so profound that Ford has said that it will stop building passenger cars in this country, and GM may not be far behind.

That shift has tended to overshadow another one, which I find to be more interesting. Over the past decade, the number of women driving pickup trucks has doubled, and they now buy more than half a million of the new trucks sold each year, or around 20 percent of the total.

Here is my question for you.

Will the increasing popularity of trucks among women have an effect on little girls, and the toys they choose?

I’m guessing that it will.

The original B2B magazine for the specialty toy industry, edplay is devoted to locally owned and independent stores.

You can e-mail Kevin at kfahy@fwpi.com.

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At the

CENTER

of Success

by Claire Sykes

I

n the late 1970s, Jim Davis was a kitchen contractor and his future wife Retha was a food editor for a book publisher.

While building cabinets and correcting grammar seem worlds apart, their cooking-related professions were common ground. The knot they tied in 1980 tightened a decade later when they opened a toy store together, Kid’s Center in Tucson, Arizona.

At ToyFest West this year, after 30 years of selling toys, their careers were honored with their induction into WTHRA’s Hall of Fame. Here, Retha talks about the gratification of building a business from the ground up, and describes how the business has remained current in the changing world of retail. edplay: Tell us how you became “toy people.”

Retha: Jim was an accountant at an accounting firm before running his father’s cabinet-building business, Davis Kitchens. I did computer work for the company.

Then 10 years after we married, the business closed and the building was bulldozed to make way for a new road. By then we had two small boys and a big decision to make.

Jim’s thought was to open a travel agency – we both love to travel. When I travelled for the

WTHRA Hall of Famers Retha and Jim Davis with longtime employees Gudrun Godare, Kaira Coulter, and Marge Eldeen.

publishing company, I always visited stores looking for quality books and toys for our sons.

Tucson had a high number of travel agencies per capita, but there were only a couple of children’s book and toy stores.

It seemed logical to provide to others what we felt was important for our own family.

When we bought our building – it’s 3,200 square feet, freestanding, single story – we gutted it down to the studs and remodeled it. The retail space is 2,000 square feet. Kid’s Center is the only business in the building.

It’s truly a destination store.

It’s located on a major artery

in midtown Tucson between downtown and the east side.

Downtown is mostly government buildings, attorneys’ offices, restaurants and arts venues, but no real retail presence.

What are some of the factors that made it work right from the start?

Jim and I entered into the business as a partnership with our own separate responsibilities.

Jim has always handled the bookkeeping, bills, payroll and advertising, and I am the one who talks with sales reps and places orders. We both go to trade shows.

Kaira enjoys demonstrating a game to a young customer.

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What’s in your product mix?

We tend toward more traditional – but not outdated – toys that involve children’s participation, and oftentimes the parents’, too. We have no screen or computer toys.

We carry merchandise for ages 0 to 100, but our target is up to age 12. Our biggest categories are books, arts and crafts, games, puzzles, science and construction. We always keep Klutz books in stock; the basic plush dogs, cats and Teddy bears; and desert animals.

Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty is an amazing seller. Brio train products are strong, and we still do very well with LEGO. One of our favorite product lines is Folkmanis puppets.

We’re always looking for toys that are trendy and hot, and we bring new products in throughout the year; more heavily for fourth quarter. We look to our

MARKETING • PRINT • DIGITAL • SOCIAL MEDIA Personalized Print and Digital Catalogs Outstanding Toy Selection and Trend Research Social Media Intelligence and Programs Impactful Buying Programs Expert Design, Marketing and Business Strategies Zip-Code Protected Advertising Zone

© 2018 The Good Toy Group®

Owning a store has given us a lot of flexibility.

We could still raise a family and travel. While the boys were in school, I could work at the store. I picked them up after school and went home to fix dinner. After they were asleep, I studied catalogs and prepared orders.

Our custom wrapping paper, monthly punch card and full-color holiday catalog helped us build a mailing list of 10,000 customers. From the beginning, they told us how much their children and grandchildren enjoyed what they purchased. Today, the recipients of those toys during our early years are coming in to buy toys for their own children.

ROCK YOUR MARKETING! COME SEE US AT ASTRA!

ASTRA Marketplace Booth #1019 Heather Smith Heather@TheGoodToyGroup.net 401-284-0610 GoodToyGroup.com

March/April 2019 • • • • • edplay.com 9

Kaira makes the Sky Dragon Puppet from Folkmanis come alive.

birthday, which brings people back in.

Customers appreciate our staff, all of whom are sincere, patient and understanding. Most have been with us for several years and really know our merchandise and age appropriateness. Our quality products are not the cheapest or the most expensive.

sales reps for ideas and sometimes trade magazines.

We attend Toy Fair, ASTRA and, sometimes ToyFest West. We network and share ideas on Facebook, and by emailing with other independent toy retailers.

When we travel, we check out the local stores for new and different products. Our customers sometimes tell us about toys they saw at a birthday party or a store across the country. If they like it, others might, too, and we’ll see what could work in our merchandise mix. Not everything will sell, so it’s a gamble.

Being a 20-year member of The Good Toy Group has also introduced us to a wide range of new products and ideas.

Who are your typical customers?

Millennials often prefer to shop with their iPads, but grandparents and great-grandparents come into the store. They want to squeeze that stuffed animal, check the color of that princess costume, get great suggestions for a gift from our employees, and have their purchases gift-wrapped or shipped. Not all our customers are local. Because we’re on a street that’s on the way to a couple of resorts we get tourists, too.

Our longevity can be attributed, in part, to the many ways we meet our customers’ needs. In addition to gift wrapping and shipping, we also special-order products and deliver them for free if it’s local. Though more so in the past, we host author and book-character visits, dress-up and craft makeand-take play days, and ones for Brio train products, too. We still do the occasional community event, like setting up an activities table at the zoo or doing game night at a local school.

When kids sign up for our Birthday Club, they receive a $5 gift card every year in the month of their

Your website has a shopping cart. Does it keep you busy?

Online sales account for less than three percent of our business. That’s because it is not attached to our inventory database, so our biggest challenge is the daily one of maintaining inventory. If we upgraded to a newer POS system, we could track what we physically have in the store, but we’d have to input 15,000 book titles, plus merchandise SKUs. That’s not going to happen.

We got our website up and running about 12 years ago as more and more consumers were learning about online shopping. At the very least, it advertises that we are here.

Customers can come in asking for an item they liked on our website. If we’re out of stock, I can get it quickly for them. They can sign up to receive our regular email blasts announcing current sales and product themes. Those emails, and Facebook and Instagram, drive traffic.

How has selling toys in Tucson, and retail in general, changed for you since Kid’s Center first opened?

Retailing, especially competing with online sellers, has become more challenging – we’re very cognizant of the stores that have gone out of business because of e-commerce. For us, there’s no longer a strong educational market since schools don’t have the resources anymore.

We’ll keep the store going as we always have, but we’re starting to look toward retirement. Our children won’t be continuing the business, so we may sell the store. Otherwise, we’ll just wind down and lock the door someday.

We’re so glad we didn’t buy a franchise or existing business. We started from the ground up, did the research, visited toy stores, and trusted our judgment with business and buying decisions. We pretty much got it right on. It’s very satisfying that we were able to do this for 30 years, and we’re still going. We’ve made a lot of birthdays, Christmases and hospital stays happy ones.

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10 edplay.com • • • • • March/April 2019

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A Classic Swing

AdventurePARKS.com

A Classic S wAi n g Classic Swing EPY_02_MarchApril_2019.indd 11

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retailers recommend

2 softnslosquishies.com

Fabulous Products

by Tina Manzer

3 puttyworld.com

1 mvpplush.com

Christine Osborne from Wonder Works in Charleston, South Carolina

“We’re loving the new plush and book set (1) from MVP Plush, a local Charleston company. These pals are super soft and snuggly. Each one features a star on its heart to remind kids, ‘You are a star!’

“Each of the Soft’n Slo Squishie Designerz Search & Squish (2) from ORB has six hidden images for kids to find.

“The new SCENTsory Putty line (3) from Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty is great for strengthening fine motor skills and developing tactile perception. Each one has a unique scent and texture.

“Plus-Plus, one of our favorite building brands, is back with Super Tubes (4), a plus-sized version of their classic tubes. They hold more

4 plus-plus.us

5 plus-plus.us

than 500 pieces! With the new Plus-Plus Saturn V Rocket Set (5), kids can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. NASA developed the original rocket to support human exploration of the Moon.

“Everyone knows that ‘Baby Shark’ is HOT right now, and there’s no better way to capitalize on that trend than with matching plush. When you squeeze the Pinkfong Baby Shark Plush (6) from California Creations, the mommy, daddy and baby shark sing the popular song.

They’re irresistible!”

californiacreations.net

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toysmith.com

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gund.com

wildrepublic.com

9 winning-moves.com

7 wildrepublic.com

Lisa LeStrange from Lucky Duck Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

“The Rubber Ducks from Wild Republic are so much fun for kids and adults! There are many different characters in addition to the T-Rex (7) and Triceratops (8) – from a pirate to a unicorn and even a zombie!

They remain mold-free because they don’t have a hole in the bottom.

“We like Kozo (9) from Winning Moves because it’s versatile. The Asian-inspired stacking game can be played alone, with two or more people, or with teams. It’s a great family game for all ages.

“We made a video of Toysmith’s Wobbocados (10) one snowy day when the store was slow. We had a bunch wobbling and wiggling on Facebook. I don’t know why, but people just love it. The same with Cha-Cha the Prancing Puppy (11) from Fashion Angels and Gund’s bunny Flora (12) who sings ‘Do Your Ears Hang Low.’ We’re planning a video right now that stars both of them.”

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BIGGER & BETTER

by Tina Manzer

N

ew York’s Toy Fair 2019 in February was the largest in the show’s 116-year history.

The annual event at the Javits Center filled 447,000 square feet – a total sellout of exhibit space equivalent to eight football fields – and hosted 26,000 toy professionals and media from 98 countries. Nearly 200 first-time exhibitors were in the Launch Pad (Hall 1E), a favorite haunt of specialty toy retailers hunting for unique, never-seenbefore products.

Trends Briefing offers few surprises Echoing “Sensational!” Sandy Ruben’s toytheme spotlight in edplay’s January/February issue, The Toy Association listed slime, kinetic sand, dough and putty in a trending theme called “Compound

Above: colorful displays from MindWare, Schylling and Big Blue Bubble. Opposite: Meteor Monsters from Relevant Play and the Make & Bake Unicorn Cookie Set from Hapinest.

Crazy” at its annual Toy Trends Briefing.

Sandy’s article highlighted compounds as part of a larger theme – tactile and sensory products. He asked a team of retailers to vote on their favorites, and Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, Mad Mattr, Play Foam, Floof, and Pay Dirt topped their list.

The Toy Association has its own trend team. By the time their briefing occurs at Toy Fair each year, they have already met with hundreds of global toy companies to develop a short list of trends (six for 2019). Then at the show, they scour the exhibits for good examples to present.

“Activities that are compound-based are a good way to get kids to tap into their creative side, allowing them to familiarize themselves with different textures and styles of design and

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construction,” they said.

“Creative and reusable compounds are popular not only on their own, but also within the ‘Unboxing’ trend. Compounds are another layer kids have to ‘dig through’ to get to the prize – adding even more suspense to the toy.”

Kids have always loved the surprise element of unwrapping a toy, as well as the hunt for rare or limited-edition versions of it. But in 2019, “Unboxing 2.0” goes to a whole new level, says the Toy Association. “Added play patterns and features extend the elements of surprise by encouraging new ways to play with the toy,” they said. “Features such as a secret decoder or unique packaging that transforms into storage or playsets help to make this trend more than just unwrapping and collecting.

Instead, unboxing play becomes ‘part of the story.’”

The “Throwback Toy” trend, including low-tech playthings like the classic Duncan yo-yo, will ignite a wave of nostalgia among parents and grandparents.

They want to share the toys and characters that played a big part of their childhoods with today’s children.

Whether they’re from farmers’ markets or food trucks, food and drink items have made their way into the toy aisle in many creative ways. According to the Toy Association team, the “FoodieFun” trend is a reflection of health conscious millennial parents who place a strong priority on where their food is sourced. “Both girls and boys are equally interested in toys and games that reflect the foodie culture,” the Toy Association team noted.

“Foodie Fun” also encompasses scented toys, which have become must-haves for kids. “From fruity to spicy and even off-putting or gross-out smells, kids find it fun to pick a scent that appeals to them, and to collect characters, toys, backpack charms, and other playthings that feature that favorite smell.

Toys, games, and activities that can help prepare and inspire kids for the future represent a trend

The Original Spin Doctor 2019 marks milestone anniversaries for some of the toy industry’s most beloved characters, toys, games, and brands. The Little Mermaid turns 30, Space Invaders turns 40, Sesame Street is 50, Barbie is 60, Batman is 80, and Duncan yo-yos are 90. Even edplay magazine celebrates a significant 25th birthday.

Duncan’s yo-yos were first demonstrated in California in 1929 by a team of Filipinos who carved them out of wood. In 1945, the company moved to Luck, Wisconsin, where its factory could produce

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3,600 wooden yo-yos per hour.

Duncan’s first plastic yo-yos appeared in 1968, and the company was acquired by Flambeau Inc. soon after. It owns the company to this day.

In 1979, Duncan moved to its current location in Middlefield, Ohio.

There have been many “ups and downs” in the yo-yo business over the last nine decades, but Duncan’s classic Imperial and Butterfly yo-yos have become household names. Over the years,

its product lines have expanded to include an entire range of skill and activity-based toys, from boomerangs, balls and brain games to USB-charged fighter planes and basketball sets.

To celebrate its anniversary this year, the company plans monthly launches of limited-edition yo-yo models. What’s more, the largest gathering of competitive yoyo players and fans on Earth – The World Yo-Yo Contest – will be held in Cleveland this summer; practically in Duncan’s backyard.

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toward “Inspirational and Aspirational Play.” This theme encompasses playthings that use innovative technology, nurture a child’s natural curiosity, and motivate them to explore skills and interests. According to The Toy Association’s “Decoding STEM/STEAM” report, toys play a crucial role in teaching STEAM concepts and developing the necessary skills and competencies through play. In addition, toys can motivate kids to get excited about new areas, make mistakes without fear, and help facilitate collaboration among peers.

“In 2019, the entertainment industry has a number of family-

Wikki_EdPlay_Sally_Best_PRNT.pdf

1

2/12/19

The Disney Frozen Ready-to-Play Train Set from Lionel is designed for kids age 4 and up.

friendly movies sure to delight the kid in all of us,” noted the Toy Association, describing the “Explosive Entertainment” trend. “From live-action remakes such as “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” to “Toy Story 4” and the next Star Wars and Avengers installments, it should be a busy year for licensed toys and games.

“The hugely popular “Frozen” is finally getting a sequel in 2019!” they added, 7:19 AM

explaining that licensing continues to be a huge part of the toy business, representing about 30 percent of all U.S. toy sales.

“Popular licensed properties continue to infuse all types of unique products from plush to playsets to tech toys.

In 2020, the Toy Fair will be held later in February, from Saturday, February 22 through Tuesday, February 25, at the Javits Center.

e

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Resplendent! fabercastell.com

by Sandy Ruben

A

s a rep, I see a lot of toys with a lot of themes throughout the year. Every other month or so, I use those themes to do a little market research. I send a list of them to more than 30 specialty toy retailers across the country who then vote for the ones that are selling in their stores. Based on their votes, I come up with a list of the 10 most popular themes.

Not surprisingly during the first quarter toy-show/product-launch season, there were a whopping 32 different themes on that survey!

Among the results from our most recent survey was this: get ready for the flamboyant flamingo. (No kidding – a group of flamingoes is called a flamboyance!) We have been following the trajectory of this theme, which is now appearing among our top 15 for the first time.

While flamingos aren’t “hot,” they are definitely trending and should be in your store. A great seller is Squishable’s Mini Fluffy Flamingo, and Crazy Aaron’s has just released a new putty called Flamingo Feathers, which is sure to be a hit.

Before I list the top themes, here are the low ones

Swans as a theme received no votes at all. The next two – ramen at 31st and crystals at 30th – were obviously bad ideas on my part.

Also, I had heard that there was growing interest in woodland creatures, but the votes certainly didn’t bear that out.

They came in 29th. Also a big surprise was the lack of enthusiasm for the yeti theme. It landed at #28.

Two of our favorite zoo gund.com

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animals – giraffes and monkeys – landed in 27th and 26th place, respectively.

And my how the fairies have flown away – all the way to 25th! I also thought ice cream was trending but it came in 24th. Love/hearts was 23rd.

Elephants occupy #22, but I suspect they would have been even lower if it weren’t for University of Alabama fans. Galaxy stars came in 21st, and horses – new to our survey – were #20.

What we saw in Atlanta

Let me pause from the retailer survey for a moment to reflect upon the Atlanta Gift Show in January. I compiled a list of the top 75 new items that we sold in our showroom and then broke it down by theme. At the top was dinosaur. Selling extremely well are the Dino Utensils from Constructive Eating, Dinosaur Playground Balls from Crocodile Creek, the T. Rex Lamp from Dr. Cool, the T. Rex Floor Puzzle

ARTICLE KEY LOW, says the survey From our SHOWROOM IN ATLANTA HOT, says the survey

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thetoynetwork.com

wrebbit3d.com

from Heebie Jeebies, the Giganotosaurus from Schleich, and My First Dinosaurs from Smart Toys.

Unicorn items came in second.

Puppies were #3, in a bit of a surprise.

Astronaut/outer space items came in fourth for us. Watch for a plethora of these kinds of products rolling out throughout 2019.

Rounding out the top 10 based on our Atlanta showroom were mermaids, llamas, dragons, flamingoes, sloths, and narwhals.

How do those results compare to the retail survey?

I’d like to report a new #1, but I can’t. It’s still unicorns. They have occupied the top spot for 18 straight months now. You’re tired of them, I’m tired of them, but the consumer is not. Keep selling them.

Sequined items, as you know, are very trendy right now. They are #2. Creativity for Kids

nly 1-87

7-77

has done a great job in this category with their Sequin Pets Craft Kits.

Dinosaurs have been the #3 theme for the past six months and continue to hold steady. There’s little change in the standings for llamas, in fourth. The sloth theme dropped slightly based on the most recent survey results, but they are holding strong at #5.

Avocados have settled in at #6 – pretty much where they’ve been all year. “Girl Empowerment” is seventh, Harry Potter eighth, and retro video games are ninth.

Mermaids just barely made 10th on our list.

In general, the popularity of the big three themes

7-46

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From the age of 4 Awarded STEM toy High quality product made in Germany 100% compatible with bricks from other manufacturers Exclusively distributed by HABA USA

www.HABAusa.com

info@HABAusa.com

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folkmanis.com

Special thanks to the retailers who participated in this survey.

of 2017 – mermaids, fairies and princesses – has sharply declined.

For the next survey, our great group of retailers has suggested a vote on the following: baby shark, flossing, mice, octopus, ’80’s nostalgia, and jellyfish. Who knows what will happen?

Sandy Ruben is the owner of Sandy Ruben and Associates, a rep group in the Southeast.

If you, or someone you know, would like to participate in his bi-monthly survey, email sandyrubeninfo@gmail.com, or call 843-696-4464.

Michelle Smith, Piccolo Mondo Toys (Oregon) | Paige Watson, Learning Express Lexington (South Carolina) | Molly Fitzpatrick, Learning Express Ann Arbor (Michigan) | Sarah Evers, Dancing Bear Toys (North Carolina) | Jennifer Wyatt, Totally Thomas (California) | Kai Rady, Shenanigan’s Toys (Virginia) | Sherry Stone, Toys and Co. (the Carolinas) | Melanie Clark, Big City Toys (Alabama) | Ann Kienzle, *Play (Illinois) | Thea Brown, World of Mirth (Virginia) | Sabine Hack-Roberts, Nana’s A Children’s Shop (Florida) | Patrick Holland, Learning Express Chattanooga (Tennessee) | Christine Osborne, Wonder Works (South Carolina) | Stephanie Sala, 5 Little Monkeys (California) | Wes Dunlap, Timeless Toys (Virginia) | Rick Derr, Learning Express Lake Zurich (Illinois)

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Change Your to Change Your Business

by Phil Wrzesinski

W

anna change your business for the better overnight? Put on a hat and go outside.

(P.S. Don’t want to go outside? Just ask.

You’ll be surprised what your customers say when you ask for their opinion. It is always good to get a fresh perspective of your store.)

The hat I want you to wear is that of a new customer, one who is visiting your store for the very first time. Look at your business through her eyes.

Right now, she’s not as valuable to your business as the loyal customer who named her third child after you and brings you Christmas cookies on Black Friday. But one day she is going to replace that customer as your MVC (most valuable customer) – at least until the grandkids arrive.

Every industry has its pros and cons. One of the cons of selling toys is that our market outgrows us quickly. We must constantly groom new customers.

Think of it as a continuous job interview – you are the applicant and that new mom is the interviewer.

Good first impression

So you’re standing outside with a customer hat on. Even though you’ve looked at your front door a thousand times, you don’t see the worn-out window

decal, the faded sign, or the out-of-date vendor sticker. The paint has faded so gradually you didn’t even realize the color of your store has changed.

Take a high-resolution photo of your front door and then print it as large as you can. Scrutinize the details in that picture with your staff. You’ll be amazed at what has blended into the landscape for you, but is front and center for your customer.

Take an especially close look at your signage.

Is the word “No” prominent (as in No food, No pets, No backpacks, No more than two kids at a time)?

The more often you say “No,” the more often your customer perceives your store to be all about the store and not about the customer.

Rather than saying what you won’t allow, try saying what you will. “Thank you for stopping by with your pet. While we allow all service animals in our store, we have a special place for other pets at the end of the bench, including a water dish that we clean daily.”

You can even make this a team exercise for your sales staff. Have them go to several points inside and outside your store, stop, and ask three questions.

1. What do the customers see from here?

2. What impression do they get from what they see?

3. Is that the impression I want them to have?

Customer-first policies

Do you offer special services such as layaway, gift wrapping, special orders? If not, what services do your customers ask for the most? Those are the services they think you would be offering. (Maybe you should add them.)

Look at your return policy. Is it designed to

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protect the customer or protect the store? The more restrictive your policy, the less customer-friendly it becomes. Just because no one has complained to you about it doesn’t mean that they don’t perceive your store to be more about you and less about them.

Whether you have a strict or liberal return policy, there will always be one person trying to game the system. Don’t build a policy to try to thwart him; build a policy to delight as many other people as possible.

We allowed returns for up to one year.

Customers just liked the “idea” of not being restricted by a policy. Occasionally an item came back used and not resellable, but we almost always found use for it as a demo or donation. Those cases were few and far between.

Exceeding her expectations

Ask yourself this: “What does a new customer expect when she visits my store?”

Customer service is more than just policies, programs, and special services. It’s about how you interact with each customer at every touch point along her journey through your store.

She has expectations. If you don’t meet them, she won’t be back. Even if you do meet them, she still won’t be sold on you completely. You have to do more than she expects if you want to win her (and her friends) back. “Surprise is the foundation of delight. If a customer expects something to happen and it does, there is no delight,” says Roy H. Williams, bestselling author and marketing consultant. When you can figure out what your customer expects of you at every turn, you can train your staff to surprise and delight her.

• Does she expect you to gift-wrap her packages?

How about free gift tags so she can label them before she forgets what’s inside?

• Does she expect to have a hard time finding parking? How about a front door valet service for the busiest shopping days?

• Does she expect to have to wear her coat because you don’t have shopping carts? How about a coat check on colder days?

The only hard part about doing the unexpected is that soon it becomes expected. After we had given away a few thousand free helium balloons, I brought in an artist to teach my staff how to draw doodle animals on them to make them more surprising and delightful.

Perspective changes pricing

Wearing your new customer hat can instantly make you more money. If you were sitting in the audience for my first presentation of “Pricing for Profit” at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, or have downloaded the free eBook on Pricing from my website, you know there is a lot of money to be made when you look at pricing through your customer’s eyes.

Too often we look at it only through the price list: if you paid $14 for an item, you’re likely to price it at $27.99. To your customer, however, there is no real difference between $27.99 and $29.99.

In her mind, they are both a $30 item. Yet, without looking at pricing from her perspective, you’re leaving two extra dollars on the table with every item you sell.

Anything you have at $8.99, $18.99, or $28.99 is simply a dollar you are giving away. Same goes for $3.99, $13.99 and $23.99. In fact, the price points that best maximize her perspective are always going to be the $x4.99 and $x9.99 price points (after $54.99, you can effectively raise all your prices to the $x9.99 price point without losing a sale).

Have you ever known a lady going shopping for an $83 dress?

The same goes with your pricing in general.

If you use whole dollar amounts such as $20, she perceives you as a “full-priced boutique store,” but if you use $19.99 she perceives you as a “valuepriced store.” Knowing her perspective helps you choose your pricing strategy accordingly.

Your potential new customer has a perception of your store whether you’ve viewed the store through her eyes or not. When you wear her hat, however, you’ll see what you need to change to control her reality.

Phil Wrzesinski is a former retailer who spent 24 years running one of the most successful independent toy stores in America. Phil is now the national sales manager for HABA USA. In his spare time Phil uses the lessons he’s learned in a lifetime of retail to help others find their success. You can learn more about Phil at PhilsForum.com.

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New True I AM LiL’ Shark is the newest addition to the Madd Capp JR. puzzle line!

Big and beautiful, these 100-piece jigsaw puzzles are poster-sized and animal-shaped. Choose from 13 LiL’ animals, including Rooster, Shark, and Llama – coming this spring! Each includes an educational Fun Facts sheet.

For kids ages 5-plus.

855-246-623, orderinfo@maddcappgames.com

Knuckle-Headz from Skullduggery simulates medieval jousting. Define the battlefield, aim at your opponent, pull back for maximum momentum, and let them zoom toward each other. A direct hit pops the loser’s head off about 12 inches. Reset your character’s head and face off again. Six new characters to chose from for ages 3 plus.

714-777-6425, skorders@skullduggery.com

TooT!, an award-winning game for two to six players ages 7-plus, requires some unconventional thinking, but once you get it ... you got it! Other games from Missing Piece Press include Blam!, DICE Blam, Word Nerd, Whew!, Frazzle & Shanjari. Check out their “Thinklers” books filled with puzzles, riddles, palindromes, commonyms, trivia and more!

520-447-7479, questions@missingpiecepress.com missingpiecepress.com

Imagine by Rubie’s offers licensed and nonlicensed dress-up costumes and accessories for children ages 3 to 6. They are sold as separates in gift-boxed sets. The Miles Morales Deluxe Costume from “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse” includes a fabric mask and a black and red top with muscle padding in the chest and arms.

516-577-9400, info@imaginebyrubies.com Baby Says Sneakers and Moccasins from Cortex Toys have a patent-pending chalkboard on the bottom so that parents and other loved ones can write messages or draw pictures. The chalk marker easily erases for reuse. Shoes come in a variety of colors and four sizes: 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 months.

706-936-8291, john@cortextoys.com

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3C4G’s Jumbo 24-inch Beach Balls with 3-D characters and glitter confetti inside are available in many awesome designs.

888-333-2260 info@3c4g.com

The Air Pogo from Adventure Parks is “the most-awarded swing ever!” With a 2-1/2-foot bounce, it swings, twists, twirls, flies, floats, jumps, and springs above the rest! adventureparks.com

GeoSmart Flip Bot from SMART Toys and Games is a 30-piece geomagnetic construction set. Its new turbo motors with internal, rechargeable batteries help the remotecontrolled vehicle zoom, spin, and flip over!

The Flip Bot features bright colors, strong magnetic pieces, and a patented double-safety system. Three AAA batteries, sold separately, are required for the remote control. geosmartusa.com

MasterPieces is introducing CAT Builder-Opoly Junior, where players collect the authentic Caterpillar Inc. equipment they’ll need to get the job done! Players learn awesome facts about each vehicle, from dump trucks to dozers and more. Other new, licensed CAT-brand products include CAT Checkers, the CAT Matching Game, and CAT wooden craft painting kits.

520-741-1315, robert.feltes@masterpiecesinc.com

The Winterfell 910-piece puzzle is the second of two Game of Thrones 3D puzzle models to be launched

by Wrebbit in early 2019, just in time for the eighth and final Season of HBO’s acclaimed series. It’s the perfect gift for Game of Thrones fans 14 and up.

855-787-8842, sales@wrebbit3d.com

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New True Kids can build Playmonster’s new Automoblox BR100 Hercules as a car hauler or a dump truck. They can switch and rebuild over and over!

The dump truck can dump its contents thanks to a working lever, and the hauler’s ramp reaches both levels. BR100 Hercules comes with two mini vehicles and can hold up to five.

800-524-4263

With this creative kit from SentoSphere, kids can create their own bath bombs! A subtle mixture of cosmetic products enriched with almond oil and glycerin can be compressed into different mold shapes. Once it has hardened, the creations can be used for a delicately colored, scented and sparkling bubble bath! sentosphereusa@comcast.net

Trapp Ball from Saturnian 1 is the newest way to play catch! It comes with two flexible sport trick nets with cushioned hand grips. Players can toss the water ball, the rubber ball, and the Fun Gripper bean ball up to 100 feet. It’s three games in one! For ages 7 and up.

800-653-2719 info@sat1sport.com

Just Add Egg is the fifth in the line of award-winning STEAM kits from Griddly Games. They come with everything you need except for the “just add” ingredient. By adding an egg, kids can create up to five different egg-speriments and seven art egg-tivities. For ages 5 and up.

604-249-5020 sales@griddlygames.com

These giant bubbles will blow your mind! Unbelievabubble swords from Uncle Bubble D are a customer favorite. Just push the trigger to open the wand and wave gently to make a long bubble or a giant bubble.

408-564-5450, sales@dnowinc.com

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Our Precious Planet from Celestial Buddies is a detailed 9-inch version of Earth that helps start conversations about climate change. Hang tags feature useful information, the causes and effect of Climate Change, and suggestions for helping the environment. It joins a line of 15 different plush educational toys.

203-415-0313, sales@celestialbuddies.com It’s Me, Norman, an 18-inch interactive doll, tells more than 50 hilarious knock-knock jokes. He launched last December on QVC and in some Chicagoland toy stores and was a hit. Norman, from Norman & Friends LLC, has been kid-tested in schools and is loved by teachers, parents, and grandparents.

630-777-6770, robert.mackey@itismenorman.com

The Kala Learn to Play Ukulele Starter Kit is a complete ukulele learning experience for everyone ages 3 to 103. It comes with a high-quality Kala Soprano Ukulele, free online lessons and tutorials, a free app with tuner and songs included, and a tote bag. The packaging is for in-store presentation. kalabrand.com/ltp-s

From Endless Games, makers of The Floor is Lava game, comes Traffic Cop. It’s a new version of the classic game where one player is the traffic cop and everyone else tries to cross the street safely. It features 24 Intersection Tiles, Stop Sign Spinner, and a Yellow Traffic Cop Vest. For ages 5 and up.

732-414-2213 bturtle@endlessgames.com

Fractiles is a perfect STEM activity for home, school or travel, and provides a creative break screen time on electronic devices! The Travel Edition includes 96 magnetic tiles and an 8- by 8-inch steel activity board. It’s a great game for family fun. Imagine the possibilities!

303-541-0930, fractiles.com

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New True Slimi Café from ORB pairs two trending toy themes, “slimi” and “squishy.” Kids use Slimi Café “toppings” – Jameez, Fluffiwhipz, Swirleez and Drizzlerz – to decorate layers of specially formulated, dessert-themed Soft’nSlo Squishies. When they’re done layering, decorating and squeezing, their creations are easy to pull apart. orbslimicafe.com

Stock up on these mini, functional gumball machines from The Toy Network. Choose from a selection of dispensers that measure from 7 inches to 18 inches tall, or go small with the Dubble Bubble dispenser keychains.

877-777-4661 thetoynetwork.com

DoodleDoo, new from Tactic Games, tests your drawing skills – drawing while blindfolded, that is. Take your pen through a maze. When it hits the wall, your journey ends until your next turn. Comes with four double-sided game boards with 8 tracks, a mask, markers, sponge, whoopee cushion and rules. tactic.net

IAmElemental, creators of the first female action figures for children, is adding You Are Courage to its line of board, picture, and workbooks. They reinforce the powerful, positive lessons of its 4- and 6.5-inch fully-articulated figures. Sales support United Through Reading, an organization that connects military families who are separated.

800-274-8282 iamelemental.com/retailers

The Carpool Karaoke Mic from Singing Machine is the first consumer product to hit the market in partnership with CBS and the hit TV segment “Carpool Karaoke.” Turn it on to wirelessly connect it to a cell phone and car stereo. singingmachine.com

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Elenco has unveiled Tobbie II, a robot kids can build, code and program. With six legs and a fully-rotational body, it features a motor, infrared sensors, buzzers and BBC Micro:bit. Part of the new TEACH TECH line, it joins Mech 5, a mission-based STEM coding robot with a mechanical coding wheel instead of a computer. elenco.com

Winning Moves Inc. introduced the charming children’s game Stink Bug. Inside the unique package is a deck of 76 high-quality, oversized leaf cards. With no reading required, kids can start playing right away. The player with the most pairs of matched leaves wins the game – but look out for the Stink Bug! winning-moves.com

Build marble-powered, mechanical computers! A 2019 TOTY Finalist, Turing Tumble teaches kids how computers work. Players “peek under the hood” of a computer as they play. Set includes a 60-puzzle comic book featuring space engineer Alia. Named “Best Overall STEM Toy” by Smithsonian Magazine and ASTRA “Best Toys for Kids.” turingtumble.com

A unique new ThinkFun logic puzzle features Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty. Each of the 60 beginner-to-expert level challenges put spatial reasoning skills to the test as players attempt to connect the dots on the Puzzle Grid with six putty colors. For ages 8 and up thinkfun.com The Moosh Moosh inflatable plush Strawberry Bear from MMG Brands is soft, yet sturdy – perfect as a footrest or seat. Five additional styles are available including Lady Bug, Shark, Deer, and Bee. The removable fabric cover has a child-safe zipper and is machine washable. moosh-moosh.com

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New True

With OWI’s 10 in 1 Renewable Energy Kit, children ages 8 and up can construct five different vehicles, three dinosaurs, and two windmills while they learn about hand-generated, solar, and wind power. It comes with an instruction manual and more than 115 pieces. Use indoors or out; no batteries required.

310-515-1900

Hape has introduced Flexistix, an all-new construction collection that combines high-tech silicone connectors with sustainable bamboo in eye-popping colors. The six easy-to-build sets are for kids age four and older. hape.com

On cold winter days, the Wikki Stix Fun Activity Book makes playtime a warm fuzzy experience! Screen-free, hands-on fun will entertain little ones for hours. More than 30 activities and 72 Wikki Stix. Fine motor skill and learning activities that little ones will enjoy! wikkistix.com

New from E-Blox is Lumen, a line of Story Blox mini figures that light up from within for at least 30 minutes – with no batteries! Meet palm-sized characters Seymour, Ruby, Robyn, Glen (woof), Devyn (meow) and Max the robot. With moveable parts and smiling faces, these collectible characters add glimmer to play time. myeblox.com

The Magical Ponycorn Wearable from Sharingland is a cardboard costume that comfortably hangs from a child’s shoulders. Each of the six styles – Explorer Spaceship, Fire Truck, Recycling Truck, Guardian Dragon and Coral Seahorse – for kids ages 2 and up comes pre-constructed and is easy to assemble. Stores flat in its own cardboard box. sharingland.com

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Fat Brain Toy and Vulli have partnered to distribute Timber Tots

by Klorofil – a line distributed in the ’70s called Tree Tots – in North America. The playsets, vehicles, and animal characters feature a surprising pop-and-play effect for children 18 months to 5 years. Leading the line is the iconic and instantly recognizable Magic Treehouse. fatbraintoyco.com

Chicken Shuffle Jr. from SmartGames is a unique sliding puzzle that challenges preschoolers to slide the chickens around until all the eggs are covered. Small and portable, it can be tucked in a backpack, suitcase or a car’s backseat pocket for hours of fun and puzzle play. smartgamesusa.com

Hubelino’s Basic Building Box is a mid-sized Marble Run Set with 123 pieces. It includes everything you need to get started. Made in Germany, it is 100-percent compatible with building blocks from other manufacturers. hubelino.com

Clockwork Dreams from The Lazy Dog & Co. is a new line of whimsical automaton kits featuring intricate moving parts. Designed by master artists, these mini-machines use cams, gears, ratchets and cranks to make the models come to life!

201-771-0039, thelazydog.co

LandESCAPES diorama kits are fun, fast and easy projects for kids and parents alike.

They are full of materials to whisk them away to the land of dinosaurs or a deserted island. Each one comes with fully-illustrated instructions to ensure success and realism. scenearama.woodlandscenics.com

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New True VICTURY Sports’ Ollyball, designed for full-speed, full-force indoor play, weighs less than an ounce. It absorbs shock through its patented KrunchCOR construction and is re-inflatable. The outer shell features cartoon drawings that can be colored with crayons and most markers. It’s the 2019 Rookie of the Year TOTY Award winner. ollyball.com

Douglas Company recently released 10-inch Uni the Unicorn with Yarn Hair, one of three unique products based on the book written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barranger, and published by Random House. It’s an imaginative story of friendship and believing – Uni believes little girls are real! douglastoys.com

Companion picture books Great Job, Mom! and Great Job, Dad! by Holman Wang show the struggle, humor, and love of everyday parenting moments. The books’ rhyming couplets are paired with Wang’s signature needle-felted images. They feature intricate 1:6 scale details, including his children’s actual drawings and the real invitation to his wedding. penguinrandomhouse.com

Kangaroo Manufacturing has added the PopOhVer Ice Cream Shop Set to its line of creatively designed canvas chair covers and accessories. The set includes the PopOhVer – just slip it on a straight-backed chair to create an ice cream parlor – and plush popsickles, ice cream, toppings and more. popohver.com

Chasing Fireflies from Toysmith is a new take on hide and seek, sparking playtime from dusk through dark. Kids search for the gently flashing lights of chubby fireflies. Catch all five in a jar and watch them twinkle like stars at night. For outdoor or indoor play. toysmith.com

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MAKALA SHARKS

Don’t get caught wading the waters of Wellfleet Beach with these sharks lurking around! If you can’t resist the call of the ocean, and swimming with the sharks just isn’t your thing, then perhaps lounging lazily in the sun with your colorful Makala Shark Ukulele is. These Sharks aren’t just coastal! They can be found inland, by freshwater, and at your local toy store!

Featuring an iconic Shark Bridge contrasted on a solid-color background, there is a Shark Ukulele for everyone. Choose from shark-inspired colors like Great White, Mako Blue, Shark Fin Gray, or Blacktip or beach vibe colors like Coral Yellow, Surf Green, Red Sea, and Sea Urchin Purple.

KALABRAND.COM

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industry news

Corolle, the premium doll brand designed in France, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

“Through many trends and play patterns, the brand truly has withstood the test of time,” notes Muriel Joron, marketing manager of Corolle SAS. “We are very excited to bring today’s children updated versions of the dolls and accessories that generations before them have loved for 40 years.”

Headquartered in Langeais, France, in the Loire Valley, Corolle dolls are handed down from generation to generation throughout

Europe and around the world.

To mark its milestone birthday, Corolle is introducing two anniversary dolls this year: Calin Madeleine for children ages 18 months and up, and Léonie for children ages 3 and up. Longtime followers of the brand will recognize Léonie’s face – it’s Nouveau Né, one of Corolle’s first dolls. Both Léonie and Madeleine are dressed for a party, with a celebratory printed pattern that reflects Corolle’s French heritage.

This year’s collection also includes updated fashions, accessories and more.

The ABC Spring Conference & Trade Show for the juvenile products industry will be held April 30 to May 2 in Reno, Nevada. The annual event features an expo with exhibitor booths to help independent retailers gain hands-on knowledge of the products they sell. Educational sessions provide information about the industry issues that affect them.

During the Modern Parent

Panel Discussion, for instance, attendees will learn about the purchasing behavior of Millennials in order to better market to this key demographic.

Then, a group panel discussion between retailers and exhibitors will cover issues important to both groups with the goal of coming up with reasonable solutions.

For more information, visit allbabyandchildsec.com.

Brad Smith has joined Wikki Stix as creative director. Brad will oversee package and product design, marketing collateral, advertising and illustration.

He will also manage the art direction for the Annual National Unplugged Play Day sponsored

by Wikki Stix. This year’s event will be held on September 28.

Brad comes to the company with 32 years of experience in the graphic design and illustration industry. An ADDY Award winner, including one for Art Director of the Year, Brad earned his BFA from the University of Iowa.

Wendy McDonald has joined Wikki Stix as social media director – both for the company and for Annual National Unplugged Play Day.

Wendy joins Wikki Stix after serving as president of Creative Impressions Marketing.

Before that, she was marketing production manager at Marriott International: Hotels, Resorts and Suites, and was on the team that launched the Marriott Miles program.

The Wikki Stix Company, properly known as Omnicor Inc., has been manufacturing Wikki Stix in Phoenix for nearly 30 years. For more information, visit wikkistix.com.

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Their book section boasts more than 15,000 titles. They note that toy sales reps in the Mountain States area played an integral role in their success over the years.

(See the story on page 8.)

Jerry Pinsky started in the toy industry in 1974, in the warehouse of Importoys in Los Angeles. He soon moved to customer service, and in 1977 became the national sales manager. In 1991, Jerry partnered with Peter Trouw at R-Biz Associates.

Peter was hired by Jerry at Importoys in 1987. As he acquired more lines, he created R-Biz in 1989; Jerry joined him two years later. R-Biz has operated a showroom in Los Angeles for the past 20 years and a showroom in Las Vegas for the past five.

Five Little Monkeys opened its first store in Albany, California, in 2001. It was 800 square feet. Today, there are six locations. Owner Stephanie Sala’s love of toys and children comes from her father, a toy designer, and her mother, a children’s clothing designer and retailer. In high school, Stephanie worked at her store, Sweet Potatoes.

Five Little Monkeys was named ASTRA’s Retailer of the Year in 2016.

Standard & Polyhedral Dice 10

On March 10 at ToyFest West, the Western Toy & Hobby Representatives Association (WTHRA) inducted five people into its Hall of Fame: retailers Terry Asten Bennett of Cliff’s Variety in San Francisco, and Jim and Retha Davis of Kid’s Center in Tucson; and reps Jerry Pinsky and Peter Trouw of R-Biz Associates in Los Angeles. Five Little Monkeys, with stores in six areas of Northern California, was honored as Retailer of the Year.

Terry Asten Bennett’s grandfather started Cliff’s Variety in 1936. Located in the Castro District, the store offers a wide variety of products, from toys to housewares, and from small gardening tools to office supplies.

Her mother bought toys for the store at showrooms in Oakland and Washington in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Terry remembers. When Terry graduated from San Diego State in 1997, she joined the business.

She became the toy buyer in 2011, and has turned the small department (500 square feet) into a tightly merchandised destination toy store.

Jim and Retha Davis started Kid’s Center in 1989, after buying and remodeling a building in downtown Tucson. Since then, they have continued to add merchandise, especially books.

Terry Asten Bennett

17

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todd@fwpi.com | edplay.com March/April 2019 • • • • • edplay.com 33

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industry news HABA recently introduced three new children’s games: Snail Sprint for age 5 and up, Luxantis for age 6 and up, and Honga for age 8 and up.

HABA USA welcomes two additions to its team: Tiffany Caires, games channel manager; and Phil Wrzesinski, national sales manager.

HABA USA, the North American subsidiary of the Habermaass Gmbh in Germany, publishes awardwinning children’s and family games in addition to manufacturing wooden toys and playsets. “Games channel manager” is a newly-created position. “I am eager to be able to give the distributors and the hobby market more specialized attention,” explains Lea Culliton, president. “The game industry is vastly different from our toy space in the expectations of sales approach and marketing. I am confident that

Tiffany Caires’ pure focus on the sales and marketing of HABA USA games will provide the retailers what they need, when they need it.”

Prior to joining HABA USA, Tiffany worked as marketing director at Deep Water Games and as board game content creator for The OneTAR. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Colorado State University.

Phil Wrzesinki spent 24 years running his family’s business, Toy House, in Jackson, Michigan.

The 30,000-square-foot toy, baby and hobby store was named one of the 25 best independent stores in America by George Whalin in his book, Retail Superstars. When the store closed, Phil focused on helping other retailers grow and prosper through a series of books, magazine articles, workshops, coaching and his blog, philsforum.com. He is a regular contributor to edplay magazine.

For more information visit habausa.com.

Sales@Wrebbit3D.com 1 855 787-8842

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Official HBO Licensed Product © 2019 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. HBO and related trademarks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.

34 edplay.com • • • • • March/April 2019

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for your business information FAO Plans Store-Within-A-Store at Selfridges in London

On the heels of its successful return to New York City retail, FAO Schwarz has announced it will open its first-ever European flagship store this year on November 1. The store-withina-store will occupy more than 20,000 square feet of space within Selfridges’ quintessential Oxford Street location in London. Like the flagship store at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, the new Selfridges location will feature a unique menu of shopping experiences to accompany the full FAO Schwarz collection of toys.

“Selfridges is an iconic retail brand that delivers amazing experiences and theater to its customers,” says JanEric Kloth, COO at ThreeSixty Group, which owns and operates it.

Founded in California in 2001, it designs, sources, and distributes consumer products across diverse categories under a portfolio of owned and licensed brands including FAO Schwarz, Sharper Image, Wembley, and Discovery.

At its Selfridges location, FAO will feature the famous clock tower, the popular danceon piano, and FAO’s newest icon, the rocket ship. Plans also include in-store demos that instill the wonderment, theater, and “play” that FAO is known for, says Kloth. Among them is the “FAO Raceway,” first introduced at the New York location. Shoppers are invited to work alongside trained “mechanics” to build remotecontrol cars piece by piece, with the option to customize their

car’s body style, color, wheels, and designs.

An FAO Schwarz store in Beijing, China, is scheduled to open this spring.

The original store was founded by Frederick August Otto Schwarz in 1862.

Harry Gordon Selfridge, an American entrepreneur, opened Selfridges in 1909. It is widely regarded as the first and best example of a modern

department store. In 2010 it was named Best Department Store in the World by IGDS, the worldwide association for department stores. With four locations in London, Birmingham, and Trafford Centre and Exchange Square in Manchester, Selfridges also operates an international website that delivers within the UK and to more than 130 countries, trading in eight currencies.

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for your business information

A Perfect Fit

U.S. apparel brand Ministry of Supply is partnering with the Self-Assembly Lab at MIT to instantly tailor sweaters to a customer’s measurements, reports TrendWatching. The new in-store service uses a robotic heat gun to shrink sweaters made out of a special fabric while the customer waits in store.

“Robotic sweater shrinking: pretty neat. But what’s in it for you?” asks TrendWatching.

“The personalized past, present, and future,” it answers, and explains why that’s important. “Instead of being considered exceptional, totally bespoke offerings are now becoming expected. Services such as Spotify and Netflix serve the ‘segment of one’ as standard, delivering a unique experience to each one of hundreds of millions of users. Now, those expectations are transferring to IRL products and experiences, too.”

TrendWatching calls it the perfect marriage of high tech and providing a great customer experience. “If mass-produced fashion can’t ignore the segment of one, neither can you.

“Embracing new tech is great. But before you rush to put it into the hands of customers or to use it yourself, remember to ask: what is the core human need we’ll be serving via this technology? How are we delivering a great experience?”

TrendWatching concludes.

Target and the Baby Market

Spotting an opportunity to double down on its baby business, Target has expanded its in-house brand Cloud Island beyond crib sheets, stuffed animals and bath toys. In January it added about 30 new items -- essentials like diapers, wipes and toiletries. Most were priced under $10; 30- to 40-percent less expensive than comparable national premium brands.

Target joins Walmart, Amazon, and other stores in recognizing the needs of a market impacted by the closing of Babies “R” Us, reports CNBC.

“Target had already started to remodel the spaces in its stores where it was selling things like cribs and strollers, putting more of those bulkier items on display and rearranging them so that they were near kids’ clothing and other overlapping categories,” reports CNBC. “It started letting parents test out more items like car seats in stores before they buy them.

“Target says those revamps are leading to sales increases.”

Baby-product shoppers are not a new market for the chain. The core customer group shopped and spent more at Target annually than people without kids at home, even before Babies ‘R” Us started struggling.

In its January report on holiday sales, Target noted that the baby market was one of its strongest performers in November and December. According to CNBC, the number of people who signed up for Target’s baby registry grew by a double-digit percentage last year.

36 edplay.com • • • • • March/April 2019

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Like Adults’ Data, Kids’ Data is Worth Collecting

The latest cohort of internet-connected playthings could expose children to hackers and other cyberrisks that have proliferated along with the Internet of Things, say Data Security and Privacy Attorneys Steve Bunnell and Scott Pink from O’Melveny, a global law firm. “We aren’t here to tell parents not to buy toys that collect data on kids,” they wrote in a recent letter to members of the media covering Toy Fair. “After all, we buy Wi-Fi speakers that listen to our conversations, video screens that watch us, and refrigerators that monitor our diet better than we do.”

But they do note that kids’ data is of as much interest to companies as adults’ data. They encourage parents to read a toy’s fine print to find out what information it gathers and for what purpose.

A federal law known as COPPA requires parental permission before companies can collect children’s personal data. However, at the end of last year, an

FTC complaint alleged that some apps aimed at kids were enticing them to share information and make purchases. Pink, a special counsel at O’Melveny and former general counsel of a major media company, says regulators are intensifying their focus on children’s privacy. A new law in California, for example, requires Internet-connected toys to have certain cyber-defenses against hacking or illicit data transfer.

Bunnell, chair of O’Melveny’s Data Security & Privacy practice and formerly a general counsel with the Department of Homeland Security, notes that toymakers and other manufacturers aren’t entirely clear on what is expected of them regarding privacy – doubly when one considers how many items for sale in the U.S. are produced overseas. Bunnell suggests that insurance companies may have a significant role to play in persuading consumer products companies to offer more rigorous cyber-protections.

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Flashback

Tell our advertisers you saw their products in edplay magazine!

(continued from page 6)

To help ASTRA members reach this goal, the panelists asked the audience to determine answers to these questions.

1. What does it mean to be an “ASTRA store?”

2. How linked together do specialty toy retailers want to be as a group?

3. Does ASTRA need a handbook for its members to help them focus and define themselves?

Company

“What are the most successful stores doing?”

In response to Jeff Franklin’s question, the panel offered the following.

Successful retailers reach out into the community to gain recognition and to get people to come in and shop.

They are extensively training their employees about play. They discuss how important play is, what it does for a child’s development, and which toys encourage that development best. Don’t forget the fun!

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Up Next... edplay’s ASTRA Marketplace preview issue. Watch for it in May.

They don’t take the easy way out by just emphasizing the big sellers. They constantly investigate, evaluate, and promote good, unique toys.

They know their dollars. They know what their coupons did, what their last direct mail campaign did.

They’re not afraid of research.

Six opportunities each year to market directly to several thousand specialty toy retailers.

Good retailers know who their competitors are, and are always thinking what they can do that their competitors can’t.

The best retailers are still learning.

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The Original

Specialty Toy Magazine

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todd@fwpi.com | (315) 789-6431 | edplay.com 38 edplay.com • • • • • March/April 2019

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