Edplay SepOct 2019

For People Who Sell Toys

September/October 2019

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wordPlay Close Encounters

by Kevin Fahy

Over the past few years, I have often remarked that there could be an asteroid headed toward Earth and the news media would not cover the story because it was so obsessed with politics. That’s an exaggeration, of course. I actually believe that the press would report the news, but nobody would pay any attention.

On Memorial Day this year, there was an article in The New York Times entitled, “Navy Pilots Report Unexplained Flying Objects,” by Helene Cooper, Ralph Blumenthal and Leslie Kean. It was based on interviews with five fighter pilots who had been stationed on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in 2014 and 2015.

From the summer of one year until the spring of the next, the ship and its aircraft conducted training exercises off the southeast coast of the United States, from Virginia to Florida. Throughout that time, the pilots all report that there were frequent, prolonged sightings of what the military calls “unexplained aerial phenomena,” and the rest of us call UFOs.

Sometimes these crafts would be around the area where the Navy pilots were training all day, at high altitudes and low, moving at hypersonic speeds or coming to a complete stop. They showed no evidence of exhaust from an engine, and executed sudden turns and acceleration that no known vehicle would be able to accomplish.

At first, the pilots and their

superior officers assumed that the UFOs were some sort of highly advanced drones developed by U.S. intelligence agencies or the Defense Department. They recorded the interlopers on radar, infra-red sensors and video cameras, and marveled at their capabilities.

Then something happened in late 2014 that changed the Roosevelt pilots’ point of view regarding the UFOs. Two F/A-18 Super Hornets were flying in formation, only 100 feet apart, when one of the mystery vehicles flew between them, right past the cockpit of one fighter.

The pilot was badly shaken by the near collision with the UFO, which he described as a sphere encasing a cube. He filed a safety report on the incident.

Following that scare, the pilots were angry about the reckless behavior of the UFO, and worried about a potential catastrophe. They no longer believed that the vehicles were operated by the U.S. government, because it would not put carrier pilots at risk.

In March of 2015, the Roosevelt was deployed to the Persian Gulf, where it carried out bombing missions over Iraq and Syria. At that point the UFO incidents “tapered off.”

Well, that’s a relief. We wouldn’t want UFOs getting in the way of our combat operations.

After reading the article in the Times, I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t understand why cable news wasn’t (continued on page 5) September/October 2019 • • • • • edplay.com 3

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For People Who Sell Toys

September/October 2019 Volume 26, No. 5

16

3 8 14

8

Wordplay

Close Encounters by Kevin Fahy

You Had to Feel It to Believe It

20

Making the Work of Retail FUN

30

Hot Dates

Upcoming industry events offer a snapshot of product diversity.

42 retailers recommend Fabulous Products

The Secret Sauce

Sandy Ruben constructs a recipe for store success based on insight from retailers and reps.

Seven Ways to Measure and Improve Your Customer Service Phil Wrzesinski teaches retailers how to “measure” customer satisfaction by examining UPT, repeat and referral business numbers, and Smile Stories.

46 endcap

Holiday Hustle

Get ready for the holiday selling season with these tips from positive-company-culture expert Shawn Burcham.

Vidlers: Shopping Fun For Everyone

Exhibitors reflect the energy and excitement of ASTRA’s Marketplace this summer.

16

26

14

How toy stores can sell more with a point-of-sale, by Alix Fraser from Lightspeed POS

32

Industry News

36

For Your Business Information

38

New & True

45

Index of Advertisers

In 1980, for Vidler’s 50th anniversary, renowned Buffalo artist and poet Sally Cook depicted the store conducting business during the East Aurora Street Festival & Sidewalk Sale. The painting honors Vidler family members young and old by placing them at key locations. The artist herself is there – can you find her?

The line, “A legend, a landmark, a shop for all seasons” (followed by, “It’s got what you’re seeking whatever your reasons!”) is from a 2016 ad for Vidler’s created by media agency RPA for Intuit Quickbooks.

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(continued from page 3) all over the story, and I kept telling everyone, “You have to read this article in the Times. You won’t believe this!” Most of them looked at me like I had grown another head, and said something about the importance of getting enough rest.

Over the following weeks, I did hear a couple of radio segments devoted to the UFO reports, and one television interview with a science correspondent. They were all careful to emphasize the point that nobody was claiming that these crafts were extraterrestrial in origin.

“If that were the case,” one radio commentator remarked, “we wouldn’t call them UFOs, we’d call them alien spaceships.”

There have been UFO sightings for at least as long as there has been

recorded history, but they increased dramatically in the 20th century with the invention of airplanes and radar.

During World War II they were so common that Allied pilots had a name for them. They called them “Foo Fighters.”

Following the war there were frequent sightings, possibly related to the proliferation of commercial aircraft, weather balloons, satellites, missiles, military vehicles and experimental aircraft. I think there may have been a darker reason as well.

People all over the world had been exposed to large-scale death and destruction from the sky. Entire cities had been reduced to rubble or incinerated, and near the end the escalation of weapons technology had

been terrifying, from V-2 rockets to jet planes to atomic bombs. Science had gone from mankind’s great hope to its great fear.

At any rate, events took a turn on June 24, 1947, when a private pilot named Kenneth Arnold reported a formation of nine shiny metallic objects flying past Mount Rainier at supersonic speed. Arnold, who was considered entirely credible by the news media and everyone else, described the objects as saucershaped, which gave birth to the modern UFO narrative.

Over the next decade or so, flying saucers seemed to be everywhere, and reports were so commonplace that only the most spectacular made the papers. One front-page story was (continued on page 7)

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DID YOU KNOW? edplay launched in September 1994 as a 16-page insert in Educational Dealer magazine, a 10-year old trade magazine for “teacher stores” published by FahyWilliams.

Its first standalone issue debuted a few months later, prior to Toy Fair. It is the oldest magazine focused on specialty toy retail.

At its booth in the Javits Center, edplay’s round wooden promotional pieces were a surprise hit thanks to the pogs craze.

“Pogs” redirects to “milk caps (game)” on Wikipedia. The page explains that the game began in Hawaii where kids collected bottle caps from juice made with passion fruit, orange, and guava (POG).

Also in 1995, Ty’s two-year old Beanie Babies brand became the first internet sensation.

ASTRA’s Third Annual Convention was held in St. Louis in May. There were educational sessions, networking opportunities, lots of play, but no exhibit hall.

In addition to retailer trade magazines edplay and Educational Dealer, Fahy-Williams also publishes Art Materials Retailer, for stores that sell fine art supplies.

For the past 18 years, Fahy-Williams has produced Toy Times magazine for ASTRA. It also publishes Gradient magazine for the Association For Craft and Creative Industries, ROBEX magazine for the Rochester ( New York) Builders Exchange, Around the Table magazine for the Game Manufacturers’ Association (see story on page 31), local lifestyle magazine Life in the Finger Lakes, and directories of all sizes and shapes for trade associations and shows. Clearly, people still love printed publications.

A BRAND OF FAHY-WILLIAMS PUBLISHING INC. PUBLISHER J. Kevin Fahy kfahy@fwpi.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Tina Manzer tmanzer@fwpi.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tim Braden tbraden@fwpi.com ________ ART Mark Stash, Production Manager mstash@fwpi.com Christopher Cornet, Designer christopher@fwpi.com Maia VanOrman, Designer maia@fwpi.com _______ ADVERTISING SALES Todd Crayton, Ad Rep todd@fwpi.com Rick Kauder, Enewsletter & Online Advertising rkauder@fwpi.com _______ MARKETING DIRECTOR Amy Colburn amy@fwpi.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Yesenia Rangel accounts@fwpi.com

Copyright © 2019 EDITORIAL OFFICES PO Box 1080 171 Reed St Geneva, NY 14456 800-344-0559, 315-789-0458 FAX: 315-789-4263

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(continued from page 5) a series of sightings in Washington, D.C., over a two-and-a-half-week period in the summer of 1952.

Much like the USS Theodore Roosevelt UFOs, these objects were witnessed by a variety of pilots, air traffic controllers and military radar operators, and were seen to perform astonishing high-speed maneuvers.

Sometimes they flew in formation, and were visible for up to 15 minutes at a time.

Referred to by the press as the “Invasion of Washington,” those events became something of a watershed moment, after which the whole subject of UFOs was taken seriously by the general public. It also prompted both the Air Force and the CIA to create systems for investigating aerial phenomena.

The effect of all this on popular culture was dramatic, in a quite literal sense. There were dozens of science fiction movies in the ’50s that exploited, and contributed to, our fascination with flying saucers. Many of them are pretty awful, but there are a few, such as the 1951 classic, “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” which have stood the test of time.

It is a thinly veiled retelling of the Christ story, in which a pacifist comes to Earth to save us from ourselves. His message, regarding our nuclear weapons and general belligerence, remains valid and unheeded almost 70 years later.

Just like today, movies and toys were very closely related in the 1950s.

“The Day the Earth Stood Still” included the three devices that were

®

essential in every UFO movie: the saucer itself, a ray gun (more or less), and a robot.

I grew up in the ’50s, and I can verify that all three of those things were important elements of our makebelieve repertoire. Even the iconic Frisbee was originally marketed to us as a “Pluto Platter,” which we simply called a flying saucer.

So I’m wondering. If UFOs are coming back, can toys be far behind?

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

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g n i F p u p n o h S for Ever yone

VIDLER’S

by Claire Sykes

I

t’s billed as the largest square feet, the two-story, independent variety business-district landmark store in the world. From occupies four connected candles and kitchenware storefronts on Main Street. to candy and kitsch, tens of It has kept its original wood thousands of items jam the flooring, stairs, counters and, in racks, shelves and counters the basement, hand-hewn beams of Vidler’s 5 & 10 in East Aurora, and tree-trunk posts.

New York, near Buffalo.

Chaotic and charismatic,

Since it first opened in 1930, Vidler’s historic and nostalgic, Vidler’s has occupied the same building, has appeared in several made-forconstructed in 1870. Robert S. TV Christmas movies, and served The Iconic Vidler, Sr., rented the 900-squarecustomers that included Katherine Mechanical Pony foot space, all set to sign on as a Hepburn and Renee Russo.

For decades, no trip to Ben Franklin five-and-dime. At the Regional bus tours include it as a Vidler’s has been 11th hour, the corporation gave the must-see stop. complete without a spirited franchise to another retailer down Edward Vidler’s son, Don, the 10-cent ride and a T-shirt to the street. This only emboldened store’s president/treasurer and coprove it. Fact: a local farrier Vidler to open his own store The owner; and his cousin Cliff DeFlyer, services Sandy’s original Fair 5 to $1.00 Store. vice president/secretary, talked leather saddle and reins to edplay recently about Vidler’s

In 1945, he bought the so kids can always enjoy a diversity, history and longevity. They building and widened it, and within smooth and safe ride. told us what the holiday season a few years his sons, Robert, Jr., and Edward had joined him. Six means to the third-generation of years later, the store was renamed Vidler’s 5 & business owners, and about the people who 10, $1.00 and Up Inc. Today, at about 20,000 matter most.

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edplay: Can you give us an idea of the scope of your operation?

Don and Cliff: We have about 16,000 square feet of selling space for more than 75,000 different SKUs and 11 checkout counters. We don’t use a warehouse or distribution center. We have some basement storage, but most of the merchandise comes in the freight door and gets put out right away.

Currently, there are 27 employees – 20 of them fulltime and the others part-time high-school and college kids.

We usually add several fourth-quarter helpers.

Cliff and I are at the store almost every day. We’re open seven days a week, closed only New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

How big is your toy category in relation to other categories at Vidler’s?

Toys are big, about 15 to 20 percent of our total sales.

We try to stay current with the hot toys, like when Beanie Babies were huge, fidget spinners, and now Pokémon, Halo and Minecraft cards.

But most people think of us more for classic and retro toys – Hula Hoops, coonskin caps, Silly Putty, board games, Slinky, yo-yos, etc. We don’t sell big-ticket toys, and only a few handheld electronic games. At

Christmas, we’re well known as “stocking-stuffer central.” Toys “R” Us went under, but we weren’t greatly affected, but we brought in a few more toys.

How do you get the word out about Vidler’s and the kinds of products it offers?

Up until the early ’60s, it was just a local five-and-dime; one of three in the same block. To get our name out there more, we started with newspaper ads.

In 1970, a nationally known graphic-designer friend of my dad’s and a native East Auroran advised us to play up the traditional five-and-dime image. We made our signature red-andwhite-striped awnings and gold-leaf lettering more prominent, and promoted the store as a nostalgic, historic destination. That’s when the bus tours started arriving, first locally then from Rochester, about an hour away.

Next, in the ’80s, came TV commercials featuring the “Vidler boys” and the larger-than-life resin replica of my father on the roof, the “Vidler on the Roof.” That attracted regional tourists.

The Vidler on the Roof Fashioned as a likeness of second-generation store owner Ed Vidler, Vidler on the Roof features prominently in the store’s social media marketing. To get some fun and creative marketing ideas, visit www.facebook.com/vidlers5and10, and www.instagram.comvidlers_5and10

Wow. Impressive! What about social media and online sales?

We have more than 20,000 fans on Facebook and I regularly post there and on Instagram. For the past five years, we’ve worked with an independent videographer and our digital ad agency to create 50-plus “Vidler’s TV” YouTube videos that promote our products in a fun, silly way. (continued on page 10)

In summer 2015, Intuit ran a national contest to win a free, 30second Superbowl spot. The store came in second, out of 15,000 original entrants, which got us national attention.

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Online selling hasn’t worked for us. We do a lot of mail order, though.

Email or call us and we’ll ship it right out – with a hand-written note, too.

What’s your holiday selling season like?

Most of our Christmas merchandise is shipped to us by the end of July through August. Vacationers and tourists are already asking for it by then, and we filter it onto the floor gradually. Seasonal help starts by mid-to-late October. We extend our hours starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except Sunday, which remains 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Winter weather can be a big issue for us! While we stay open through

most weather, we don’t want to endanger our employees. Some of them drive a fair distance to work.

In November 2014 we had the infamous “Snow-vember” storm. It dropped almost 6 feet of snow over three days the week before Thanksgiving.

It closed us for nearly five days, and our bottom line really took a hit. We couldn’t recover those lost sales.

Do you have a specific sales goal in mind when you head into the holiday season?

Not really. Just to beat last yearto-date, last month-to-date, last dayto-date. With just one store and using the same store’s sales metric, it’s pretty easy for us to measure.

How do you decorate for the holidays?

The staff and I do all the decorating. Throughout the store we have tabletop trees with ornaments and décor specific to the individual departments: gifts, candles, garden, crafts, etc.

Garlands we’ve had for 50 years hang on our main floor, what we call Vidler’s “original” five-and-dime. Our main windows showcase merchandise in Christmas-themed displays. They also include some very old, retro figures of carolers, elves and Santa. We string lights on the building exterior and the “Vidler on the Roof” wears a Santa hat.

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Contact your sales rep or call (888) 724-1872 10 edplay.com • • • • • September/October 2019

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How do you create Christmas magic at Vidler’s?

Hmm, “Christmas magic?” Just being in Vidler’s! It’s very colorful and there’s a lot of activity. The local Santa comes in every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and hands out candy canes and popcorn to the kids. Our employees wear Santa hats or dress up as elves.

The town’s Village Singers come in singing Christmas carols. And we’re the main sponsor of East Aurora’s annual Carolcade, now in its 47th year. Last year, it drew 3,000 people, many in Victorian costumes and horse-drawn sleighs. It’s very Currier and Ives.

Sugar High Employees Ayden Vergien and Sam Berchtold have a sweet job weighing bulk candy. They recently revealed that Vidler’s carries more than 550 varieties of sweetness, including Mighty Mouse Blue Cream, Moxie, and Nehi soda pops, plus Zombie Mints and Hairball Bubble Gum.

Who are your holiday shoppers and what are they looking for?

Everyone shops here, and they’re looking for everything, not just toys! We have a large and popular housewares department with every kitchen gadget you need, and more that you didn’t know you needed.

Last Christmas we had about 400 different cookie cutters and sold a huge number of them. (continued on page 12)

Good, clean fun with a touch of monkey business Walls are lined with classic board games and puzzles, in addition to modern favorites. For those who feel the need to scrub up before heading into a game of Operation or Dr. Eureka, they can do so with fun, mini, superhero bar soaps.

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When do you start buying for the fourth quarter?

I go to the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market in early January to buy most of our Christmas merchandise for that year. In alternating years, Cliff goes to the International Home + Housewares Show and Toy Fair in New York. We’re always looking for what’s new and different, and rely a lot on what our sales reps tell us. We buy online and still have about 15 to 20 reps that call on us regularly.

We also stock just a few Hanukkah cards, decorative menorahs and dreidels during the fourth quarter since we don’t have a large Jewish community in our area.

Do you have any predictions for this year’s holiday-shopping season?

If I did and they were accurate, I wouldn’t be working six days a week during December!

tomer service, which further separates us from Walmart and Amazon. We are very much selling the total Vidler’s experience – the history, atmosphere and nostalgia of our buildings and merchandise – and also that we’re a successful, third-generation business with the family still running the place on a daily basis.

How do you feel about the future of bricks-and-mortar retail and Vidler’s place in it?

Is there a fourth generation for Vidler’s waiting in the wings?

Cautiously optimistic. I’m not naïve. Online sales, meaning Amazon, continue to affect us, but we’ll never be able to compete on price alone with them or the big-box chains. Nor do we want to. We think our prices are fair, but we’re not a discounter and we don’t offer percentage-off coupons or frequent-buyer cards. Still, we generally get very high marks on Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc., also for our cus-

Not right now. Cliff and I both have grown children, all of whom have worked at the store at some point in their lives. But none have expressed a desire – yet! – to be involved. The door is always open, though, as it was for us. But hey, we figure my dad and uncle worked here a combined 120 years, and Cliff and I only have about 50 between us. We have a ways to go. And besides, most longtime customers still refer to us as “the kids.”

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t o B e li e

It

Positive energy was palpable in Pittsburgh as 1,390 specialty toy buyers converged on ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy in June.

On hand to WOW them were more than 460 exhibiting companies and a host of creative products that ranged from a smoke-spouting dragon to hula-success-promising hoops.

ve

You H

ChulaHoop

It

o Fe e t d l a

Don’t miss ASTRA’s 2020 event in Orlando, June 7 through 10!

Fun In Motion Toys

Djeco President Julie Wells, left, Marena Drake and Emily Nocton

Ann Kursten and Stephen Wiggill, Nimuno 14 edplay.com • • • • • September/October 2019

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Ken Liu, Lazy Dog & Co. Julie Heitman, I Gotta Go With. . .

Lakisha Utz and Shannon Carter, HearthSong

Steve Mark and Kevin Carrol Carma Games

Happy 20th Birthday, The Good Toy Group Eric Winston, Boneyard Pets

Eric von Stein and Sabre Mrkva, Bright Stripes September/October 2019 • • • • • edplay.com 15

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The Secret Sauce

A recipe for store success . . . with insight from retailers and reps

by Sandy Ruben

H

ow are toy stores doing in your area?” Dee Farrell, past president of ASTRA, asked me recently.

“Some closed, some have a small increase, and some are doing fantastic,” I replied.

“What makes some of them thrive while others fail?” Dee pressed. “What’s the secret sauce?”

Thinking it was something we’d all like to know, I did my best to come up with answers. Recently I talked to 20 reps and retailers to find the key ingredients of a successful store. Here’s what they told me.

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Success starts at the top “The owner, and his attitude and energy toward the store, is a big factor in a store’s success,” was a theme repeated frequently.

“Owners must have a vision of what they want to do with the store,” said one retailer. “Success comes from having a vision of what your store should be and sticking to it,” said another.

“The storeowner needs to be happy,” someone added. “It trickles down to the employees. They work much better when they are happy.”

I heard that the owner also needs to be present in the store, especially when customers are shopping and the team is working.

“It makes a big difference,”

commented a rep. “Owners often say that sales go down when they aren’t there.”

I call on many successful businesses whose owners work offsite, so success must come from more than just being there. “The key to a thriving toy store is the owner’s absolute love for the business,” a retailer told me.

“A successful owner has both the drive to succeed and a willingness to be silly,” said another.

I love that, because it illustrates that success isn’t based on hard work alone. Our industry is all about play, so if toy-store owners aren’t adding joy and silliness to their retail environment, no wonder they’re not successful – they’re in the wrong profession. Not every working hour is fun, but the merchandise is all about

it. A successful store presents fun to customers and staff.

A happy, hardworking staff is essential Here’s something not fun, but effective: “Being able to fire employees who are not working out has been one of the many building blocks in the success of my business,” a storeowner told me.

Another said, “The key to my success is creating a happy environment. I had to fire a manager who was pulling everyone down.

Since then, everyone is happier and working harder.”

And this one: “You must have a great staff. They need to be friendly and helpful.”

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Putting the onus squarely on the storeowner was this comment: “Owners who care about their employees will, in turn, have staff who care about their customers.” I’ve seen that one firsthand. I’ve also seen this: “Owners of successful stores really listen to their team members.

It makes friendliness, helpfulness and caring become part of the store’s culture.”

Add warmth One toy store owner I know sends shoppers to other stores if he doesn’t carry what they’re looking for. Sounds crazy, but his focus is not on the sale, it’s on the customer.

Why? So the shopper will remember how helpful he was and walk through his door again.

“I work really hard to remember each of my customers’ names so I can address them directly when they walk in,” a retailer told me, highlighting the connection between personal interaction and retail success.

“When customers walk in, they are greeted with a smile. They are offered assistance. They are asked about the last gift they bought, and how the recipient liked it,” said a storeowner, which leads me to this: “Employees who smile” was named a successful store factor more often than employees’ product knowledge.

It may be a game changer in terms of hiring. Could smiling be the number-one trait we look for in a candidate, followed by “happy,” “warm,” and “outgoing”?

Freshness counts “Store appearance” had the fourth-highest number of comments. “It needs to be clean and visually appealing. Items need to be easy to find.”

There’s more. “Stores that thrive

. . . on the side Additional Best Practices

While some considered them “extras” others said they were “must-haves.”

• A birthday registry and large bins filled with toys – all the ones each birthday child has “registered” for

• Playing music in the store. “It’s awkward being in a store with no music,” I’m told.

• Discounts for frequent shoppers • A presence on social media. In our industry, where stores run the gamut from no social media participation at all to posting frequently on a variety of platforms, we wonder which ones are most successful.

Well, consider this comment from a rep: “I know some may roll their eyes at this, but accounts that are active on Facebook and Instagram seem to be my largest accounts. Posting new products, news about the store, and simply having fun with the products keeps them in front of their customers at all times.”

• Involvement in your community.

• Staying open longer in the evening, say to 7 p.m., and staying open on Sundays year-round.

• Allowing friendly, leashed dogs in your store.

not only look great, they constantly change up their merchandise to make it all look new and different.”

While many folks mentioned cleanliness, neatness, and organization, one owner picked up on something I think is critical: “Items need to demoed and products need to be open and available for customers to play with.”

Remember the mantra “location, location, location”? It was only mentioned once. From a practical standpoint, where a store is located is less important than who owns the building. Very few stores have closed when the owners have owned their own building.

Thinking about the secret sauce for success has been a journey for me. Based on my thoughts and what

I heard from the group, this insight from one of the reps sums it all up.

“Stores thrive when they have a real business plan, and when they know where they want to be in the future.

They plan everything out and focus on staying on course. They have a structure to their business, their employees, and their merchandising.”

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.

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A Classic Swing

AdventurePARKS.com

A Classic S wAi n g Classic Swing EPY_05_SepOct_2019.indd 19

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Seven Ways to Measure and Improve Your Customer Service

by Phil Wrzesinski

M

y favorite Smile Story was told to me by a customer, not my staff.

Dawn had three grandchildren coming to visit her for five days. She wanted to have a different gift to give each child each day they were there. Fifteen gifts in all.

“I’m on it,” said store employee Lakisha, and she led Dawn all around the store.

A few weeks later Dawn called me.

“Phil, I have to tell you: that gal of yours was fabulous.

My grandkids loved the gifts. My grandson, he’s 7, turned to me and said, ‘Grandma, these gifts are better than if we had picked them out ourselves!’

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And thank Lakisha, too!”

That’s the phone call every storeowner and manager dreams of getting.

If you’re regularly getting that call, you’re doing the right things with your staff and with your customer service. If you’re not getting that call at all and would be totally shocked if you ever did, read on.

Yes, you can measure it

Many people say great customer service is not quantifiable; therefore, it cannot be measured.

I disagree. There are numbers you can run to see whether you and your sales staff are doing right by your customers.

The first number to measure is Units Per Transaction, or UPT. While several factors can influence this number (including your merchandising skill for impulse items and whether the items you’re selling have more or fewer accessories this year than last year), your sales force exerts the most influence.

Are they taking care of the customer properly?

Are they completing the sale? Are they making the customer feel welcome, comfortable, and happy?

Are they building trust?

The calculation for UPT is simple. Take the total units sold during the year and divide that by the number of transactions. For example,75,000 units sold / 22,000 transactions = 3.4 Units Per Transaction.

If that number is going up year after year, your team is doing their job.

The second number to measure is slightly harder to quantify, but equally effective in telling the tale of your customer service.

It’s “Repeat and Referral Business.” (continued on page 22)

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Repeat Business is a sign of good customer service. Referral Business is a sign of WOW customer service – service that was so good that the customer had to bring her friends back with her.

If you’re tracking transactions by name in your POS, you’ll know your Repeat Business. You can also ask, “How did you hear about us?” when you enter someone new into your POS. If he says, “From a friend,” mark him as “referral.”

The ideal business has a majority of repeat and referral customers. The raw number of repeat and referral customers should,

hopefully, be growing, and should be a larger percentage of your traffic – the larger the better.

Those two numbers aren’t perfect, though.

Sometimes your Referral Business is due to a product you sell that is hard to find. Sometimes it’s because of some over-the-top design element in your store – your current customers are telling their friends that they have to see it. I knew a jeweler who had a $30,000 diamond ring in her store. It was way out of the league for most people in that sleepy summer tourist town.

She had tons of traffic right up until the day that ring finally sold. Once the ring was gone, her Referral Business dried up.

Sometimes your UPT grew because the hot item that year had several accessories or attachments.

The following year the hot item included accessories and attachments so your UPT fell. I would still start there and see what you learn.

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Other places to look If I were to come to your store to do a customer service diagnosis, here are the items I would measure to get a handle on your levels of customer service.

Team member handbook Do you have one? What does it cover?

If you don’t have a handbook, you should make one. Write out all your policies. Write out all your philosophies. Write out how you will measure their employment. Have an HR professional and an HR lawyer proof it to make sure it’s legal, then give a copy to everyone and use it as your guide. It puts everyone on the same page and helps eliminate confusion from different team members who say, “That’s not how I was taught to do it.”

Training videos Do you have them? If not, how do you handle new employee training?

3

Training videos are another way to make your staff training consistent and thorough. The videos don’t have to be fancy or even perfect. You can shoot them fast and simple on your phone, post them privately to YouTube, and provide the links to your new hires.

If you don’t offer training videos, how else can you ensure that training is consistent and thorough? One way is to have the same person do all the trainings. Another is to include a checklist of everything to be covered. No matter which method you use, there must be a final check; one person who will verify what the new hire has learned and send him back for further training if necessary. (continued on page 24)

Kullerbü – Taking Track Play

To The Next “Level”!

HABA USA · info@HABAusa.com · www.HABAusa.com

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Continued training How often does the staff meet for training purposes? What are you covering? How do you measure results?

Continued training is a must. Back in third grade I may have learned how to golf, but I’m still a fewmillion-hit golf balls shy of going pro. An amateur practices until he can do it right. A professional practices until he cannot do it wrong (source unknown).

One way we measured the results of our continued staff training was through Smile Stories. Every staff meeting began with my team sharing the different ways they made customers smile.

Those stories not only reinforced the culture and the goal of the store – “We’re here to make you smile!” – but also encouraged the team to actively seek out opportunities to make customers smile.

Your Store Policies Are they customer-centric or businesscentric? Whom do they protect?

Store policies should be customer-centric, meaning they are in place to protect and help the customer. Liberal return policies, easy layaway plans, and helpful services that make less work and less thinking for the customer are the hallmarks of customer-centric policies. If you limit the forms of payment you’ll accept or the amount someone has to spend to use a credit card, you’re telling the customer that your nickels and dimes are more important than them. Once your product is no longer exclusive or hardto-find, they will leave to find a store that treats them better.

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Your new-hire process I want to see your “help wanted” ads, job descriptions, and interview questions. How do you find new employees?

Last, but certainly not least, is this: you need to evaluate your process for finding and hiring new staff.

Have you identified the character traits needed by the new person you’re looking to hire? Have you written help-wanted ads designed to attract people with these traits? Have you crafted interview questions that help you identify which individuals have these traits? The potter knows if she doesn’t start with the right raw ingredients, the end result will be flawed. Do you know the right raw ingredients and how to find them?

Retail marketing guru Rick Segal once stood in front of a crowd of baby-store owners and asked,

“How many of you give lousy customer service?”

Not a single hand went up. Every store thinks they offer great customer service, but not every store does. Now, at least, you have the tools to measure and adjust it.

The national sales manager for HABA USA, Phil Wrzesinski is a former retailer who spent 24 years running one of the most successful independent toy stores in America.

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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Making the Work Retailof Retail Making theofWork

s a leader, I want to provide an environment conducive to having fun,” says Shawn Burcham, author of the Keeping Score with GRITT: Straight Talk Strategies for Success.

Good thinking, Shawn. Full-time employees spend more hours per day working than doing anything else, so the time they spend at it should be enjoyable – not “drudgery.” Joke cracking, employee contests, and celebrating birthdays and holidays helps, but when employees feel that the actual work they do is fun; magic happens. Teamwork improves, productivity is enhanced, employee retention increases, trusting relationships are built, and customers are well served.

“Studies reveal that making a workplace fun is an inexpensive, profitable mechanism of engagement that correlates directly with increasing employee job satisfaction, cultivating morale, and improving quality of customer service,” says the website of IT company AIM Corporate Solutions. “When we say ‘fun,’ we talk about it as an outgrowth of a positive workplace culture and environment.”

Coach them up

All employees must be willing to learn at a pace consistent with the growth of a business, Burcham says.

“But when we have employees who are challenged to ‘make the leap’ with us, we work with them to find a role here where they can excel. We want to provide them with every opportunity and tool we can to help them adapt.”

Good ideas for creating fun • Allow flextime.

• Schedule exercise breaks.

• Surprise everyone by bringing in coffee and pastries.

• Laugh a lot and urge your team to do the same.

• Acknowledge anniversaries.

• Post pictures of team members, thank-you notes from clients and customers, and clippings about your store’s success.

• Step out occasionally for a group lunch or offsite meeting.

• Designate a “humor corner” in your break room for posting cartoons and funny quotes or illustrations.

• Find the humor in negative situations.

When your team can laugh in the midst of an impending deadline, make fun of themselves after making a mistake, or share the story of a horrendous (but humorous) customer experience, it defuses tension and stress. It also helps them work on those situations with greater enthusiasm and clarity.

From AllBusiness.com, an online resource that provides tools and resources to start, grow, and manage small businesses.

(continued on page 28)

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Here are some tips for effective coaching from TheBalanceCareers.com, a site that provides job searching, resume writing, salary negotiations, and other career planning topics.

1. Show confidence in the employee’s ability and willingness to improve.

2. Focus on the behavior or skill that needs improvement, not on the person.

3. Ask for the employee’s point of view. Does he or she see the same problem or opportunity that you do?

4. Determine if issues exist that limit the employee’s improvement – like time, training, tools, and temperament – and look for ways to remove those barriers. Does the employee need your help to remove them?

5. Identify core goals that the employee should reach to achieve the appropriate level of performance.

6. Agree on a written action plan that lists what you, the manager or business owner, and the employee will do to improve the situation. Set a date and time for follow-up.

Maintain a positive attitude

One way to cultivate an upbeat workplace is to strive to hire “A” players, or people who want to be the best at their jobs, says Burcham. “But anyone can be or become an A player. It revolves around having both a positive attitude and a desire to learn and constantly improve.”

Show appreciation

Employees want to know that their boss and their coworkers are grateful for what they do, so find ways to show them. As an example, Burcham notes that new hires at his company are welcomed by emails from team members before they arrive for the first day of work.

When they start, employees gather to greet them with a high five. “For our team, it’s all about gratitude,” Burcham says. “It’s not, ‘I have to go to work today.’

It’s, ‘I get to go to work today.’”

“I think the real key is to hire people who are already motivated and put them in an environment where they can excel. Engaged employees are fun to work with. And they go the extra mile for their customers, in addition to their peers.

Shawn Burcham is the founder & CEO of PFSbrands, a company he and his wife started out of their home in 1998. Today, the company has more than 1,500 branded foodservice locations across 40 states. For more information, visit: shawnburcham.com.

They’re Healthy, Contagious and Great for the Bottom Line!

S

miling is invigorating Jaime Pfeffer, a success coach and meditation instructor in Florida, recommends smiling to all her clients, particularly when they’re dealing with long days or tedious work. “One of my clients told me smiling for 30 seconds at a time a few times per day helps him stay upbeat when doing sales calls. He said the task can get old after a while, but the smiling helps him avoid burnout and stay energized.”

It’s also relaxing “Even forcing a smile can legitimately reduce stress and lower your heart rate,” says Dr. Sivan Finkel, a cosmetic dentist in New York City. In an interview with NBC News, he cited a study of people who could not frown due to Botox injections. They were happier, on average, than those who could frown.

A smile makes our customers smile It fires our mirror neurons, reports NBC News, so smiling is literally contagious. Those neurons enable us to copy or reflect the behavior we observe in others, and have been linked to the capacity for empathy.

Smiling makes us happy But being happy makes us smile. How can the converse be true? “When we smile, dopamine, endorphins and serotonin flood our bodies,” says Doug Depew, an orthodontist in Kennesaw, Georgia. “Dopamine increases our feelings of happiness, and serotonin reduces stress.”

Even fake smiling boosts our resistance to disease Experts agree that it’s crazy, but just the physical act of smiling can make a difference in building your immunity.

“When you smile, the brain sees the muscle activity and assumes that humor is happening,” ENT-otolaryngologist Murray Grossman told NBC.

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Hot Dates Toy Fair Dallas Defines Trends of the Future

Toy Fair Dallas, formerly known as the Fall Toy Preview, will be held Wednesday, October 2 through Friday, October 4 at the Dallas Market Center. The tradeshow for specialty, long-lead, and mass market stores including Walmart, Target, Amazon, CVS Health, Dollar Tree, Office Depot and more, is produced by The Toy Association.

Innovative toy lines, creative takes on classics, and unique trends for Q4 2020 will be unveiled by hundreds of exhibiting companies, says the association. The event draws nearly 3,000 industry professionals from more than a dozen countries.

New this year is the FutureCast Gallery, an experiential initiative designed to help retail buyers discover innovative toys and games for their stores.

“Buyers have been asking us for this kind of experience,” says Marian Bossard, The Toy Association’s executive vice president of global market events.

“It’s all about retail discovery,” says toy trend expert Steve Starobinsky, the gallery’s guest curator, who will select the toys that best exemplify the future of the industry across these 10 categories.

• Animal of the Year

• The Olympic Effect

• Radical Sustainability

• Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Creative

• Beauty Videos & Makeup

• Grandparent-friendly

• The Spirit of Collaboration

• STEM

• Preschool Magic

• Innovation on Wheels

Starobinsky says, “The gallery will serve as a platform for companies and idea makers to connect and collaborate with buyers, licensors, inventors, influencers

and anyone else who has a vested interest in the toy and play industries.”

To participate, Toy Fair Dallas exhibitors completed an application and submitted a 90-second pitch video along with photos of their product (or CAD and/or “paper napkin” drawings). Only products that exemplified the list of future trends were considered. The fee to participate was $1,000.

The show kicks off on Tuesday evening, October 1, with a networking event called Cocktails & Connections.

It caps off Women in Toys (WIT) Empowerment Day, and is open to WIT members, non-members, and exhibitors and guests.

For more information, visit toyassociation.org.

At ABC Kids, New Exhibit Hall Destinations Attract a Wider Range of Exhibitors

The ABC Kids Expo will be held October 23 through 25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Now in its 17th year, the juvenile products tradeshow features more than 1,000 booths in nearly 500,000 square feet that showcase infant gear in a variety of categories, plus apparel, toys, layette items and more.

The expo is ranked 65th in Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 Trade Shows, and 76th in Trade Show News Network’s Top 250 Trade Shows.

This year, the trade show floor has been re-engineered to help drive traffic to targeted destinations. “It’s tailored to encompass a broader range of exhibitors focused on contemporary market segments,” says the association. “Some of the areas include opportunities for hands-on product demonstrations or mini education sessions.”

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New Magna-Tiles® Metropolis The ultimate Magna-Tiles® set with new windows, spinners, and quarter-circles in bold new colors.

Magna-Tiles® Metropolis allows children to make a castle one day and a space station the next!

U

Among the new destinations are “Solutions Center,” dedicated to the latest tools, technologies and resources to enhance retail business and ROI; “Home Furnishing,” which highlights products that breathe energy into playrooms and nurseries; and “Tech Connect,” which connects buyers to educational apps or games, robotics, toys, virtual reality entertainment and more.

To register for this year’s event, visit theabcshow.com.

GAMA Launches Around the Table Magazine

The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has contracted with Fahy-Williams Publishing Inc. to launch a new quarterly membership magazine, Around the Table.

The publication serves as an advertising solution for game manufacturers with editorial that appeals to all GAMA members, including owners of game cafés, comic/game hybrid stores, toy stores and traditional hobby gaming stores.

“In this publication, we will be highlighting outstanding members, adapting our educational seminars to a written format, sharing industry news, and giving AROUND THE opportunities to our members to promote their latest programs,” says Dani Loe, GAMA communications manager and editor of the publication. “We fully support our mission statement of, ‘A game on every table, a table for every gamer.’”

The first issue is scheduled to publish in October.

The 42-year-old association was formed to protect the interests of the Origins Game Fair, an annual gaming convention that originated in 1975. It is held every June in Columbus, Ohio. GAMA incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1982, and since then has expanded to become the premier trade association for the hobby games industry. It hosts the GAMA Trade Show each year in March.

“GAMA fosters networking, sharing of best practices and innovations, and the pooling of resources toward common goals,” says Executive Director John Stacy. “We envision a world where hobby games are a broadly pursued pastime, and where all engaged in the business of selling them can do so profitably and comfortably.”

In addition to publishing edplay and other magazines for independent retailers, Fahy-Williams produces membership magazines and directories for associations, including ASTRA, and the lifestyle publication, Life in the Finger Lakes.The 35-year-old publishing firm is based in Geneva, New York.

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NOVEMBER 9 Is Neighborhood Toy Store Day The national ASTRA-sponsored program kicks off the

holiday season by shining a spotlight on independent toy stores. The event delivers focused messaging to consumers on the value of local businesses and their role in keeping communities unique and vital. ASTRA retailers who have participated report increases in their sales and visibility. For more information, visit astratoy.org.

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industry news

After 37 years, the Creative Kidstuff chain closed its doors this summer in the Twin Cities.

Liquidation of the six stores began soon after President and CEO Roberta Bonoff announced the closings on April 6. “We thank all of the families who have given us countless opportunities to watch you grow, learn and play,” she said. “Thank you for the wonder and imagination over these many years.”

Bonoff told a local TV station that “cultural and business trends” largely led to the decision to close.

Today’s children are more likely to play games on electronic devices

than engage with the physical toys that Creative Kidstuff sells, she told KSTP-TV. Bonoff also cited the shift to online and big-box retailers such as Amazon and Target, respectively; and the impact to the company’s bottom line by government minimum-wage requirements and rising health care costs.

Creative Kidstuff was founded

by Cynthia Gerdes in 1982, years before a group of independent retailers dreamed up a specialty toy store association called ASTRA. Gerdes was a mom studying for her MBA and was writing a paper on starting a small business; a toy store. Her research failed to uncover a store that sold the kinds of toys she wanted her child to play with.

Instead of completing her MBA, she opened Creative Kidstuff in the Linden Hills neighborhood of South Minneapolis.

“The walkable, tree-lined neighborhood continues to attract

Matthew Kirby, creator of the iconic game Apples to Apples, has been appointed chief operating officer of MoxieBox Art Inc. MoxieBox is a family-run subscription box service for children in grades K-12. Each box contains a lesson plan and the materials needed to successfully create a masterpiece, says the company.

well-educated, down-to-earth folks who supported ‘locally owned’ businesses decades before most people even understood its critical importance,” she told a local newspaper.

By the early 1990s, Creative Kidstuff had expanded to six stores throughout the metro area, and Roberta Bonoff had joined the company. She took the helm in 1998 and remained the stores’ constant under two subsequent owners. Myron Kunin, the Minneapolis entrepreneur who founded Regis Corp, the largest hair salon chain in the world, bought Creative Kidstuff in 2006. When he died in 2013, it was purchased by Seattle-based charity company Greater Good, owned by Kunin’s son, Tim.

Cynthia Gerdes went on to co-found Hell’s Kitchen, an award-winning restaurant in Minneapolis. She still runs it today.

Ben Kaufman, chief marketing officer of BuzzFeed, will leave that job in January 2020 to focus on growing the experiential family retail store Camp.

Kaufman is also the CEO and co-founder of the 10,000-squarefoot toy store that opened in Manhattan last December. BuzzFeed owns a minority stake in Camp, and runs media and activation sales for the store. Reports say that Kaufman will remain actively connected to BuzzFeed.

“I am excited to join MoxieBox in its quest to enable the creative spirit in each and every child,” said Kirby, who will focus on product development and knowledge sharing. “I cannot think of a more worthy cause.”

For more information, visit moxieboxart.com. (continued on page 34) 32 edplay.com • • • • • September/October 2019

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industry news On June 10, ASTRA revealed its 17-item Best Toys for Kids list for 2019. The only product list of its kind, the Best Toys awards were designed to heighten consumer awareness of the value of creative, open-ended play – and the role locally-owned, independent toy stores play in providing quality playthings that promote happy, healthy, and productive childhoods.

Each year, ASTRA members are invited to participate in the nomination process. Nominated products are reviewed by the Best Toys for Kids Committee, a group of ASTRA retailer members, who choose the finalists. Winners are then selected by a vote from ASTRA’s retailer membership, and the final award list is circulated to local and national media.

ARTS & CRAFTS: UNDER 7 SloFlo Motion Magic Play Visions

ARTS & CRAFTS: 7+ Y’Art Craft Kit Puppy Kahootz Toys

GAMES: UNDER 7 Yeti or Not! Fat Brain Toy

GAMES: FAMILY MORPHY Fat Brain Toy

CLASSIC Lite Bright Schylling

CONSTRUCTION Magna-Tiles® House 28-Piece Set Valtech

PRESCHOOL Hape Sunny Valley Adventure Dome Hape International

INFANT & TODDLER RollAgain Sorter Fat Brain Toy

OUTDOOR & ACTIVE PLAY: RIDE-ON PRIMO Ambosstoys

OUTDOOR & ACTIVE PLAY Pop & Pass Hog Wild

GAMES: 7+ Planet Blue Orange Games

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PRETEND PLAY: IMAGINARY Timber Tots Tree House Fat Brain Toy

PUZZLES Shashibo The Shape Shifting Box Fun in Motion Toys

PRETEND PLAY: ROLE Reversible Rainbow Cape Creative Education of Canada

SCIENCE & DISCOVERY My Robotic Pet Tumbling Hedgehog Thames & Kosmos

PUZZLES: JIGSAW Escape Puzzles - Space Observatory Ravensburger

PRETEND PLAY: VEHICLES Playviator Fat Brain Toy

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for your business information Read like Bill Gates “He that loves reading has everything within

his reach,” said British political philosopher and novelist William Godwin. Bill Gates, the billionaire cofounder of Microsoft and chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, reads a book a week, he says, or about 50 books each year. On his blog, Gates Notes, the software entrepreneur shares his favorites (mostly biographies, some fiction, and books about random things that make you think), and creates a list of summer reading recommendations each year. Here are just a few from the past five years, compiled by Business Insider this May.

The Grid

by Gretchen Bakke

“This book, about our aging electrical grid, fits in one of my favorite genres: ‘Books About Mundane Stuff That Are Actually Fascinating,’” Gates wrote. “Even if you have never given a moment’s thought to how electricity reaches your outlets, I think this book would convince you that the electrical grid is one of the greatest engineering wonders of the modern world. I think you would also come to see why modernizing the grid is so complex and so critical for building our clean-energy future.”

The Myth of the Strong Leader

by Archie Brown

About one of his 2016 recommendations, Gates wrote, “This year’s fierce election battle prompted me to pick up this 2014 book, by an Oxford University scholar who has studied political leadership – good, bad, and ugly – for more than 50 years. Brown shows that the leaders who make the biggest contributions to history and humanity generally are not the ones we perceive to be ‘strong leaders.’

Instead, they tend to be the ones who collaborate, delegate, and negotiate – and recognize that no one person can or should have all the answers.

Enlightenment Now

by Stephen Pinker

As Business Insider points out, psychologist and writer Stephen Pinker is one of Gates’ favorite authors. On his blog, Gates wrote that Enlightenment Now is his favorite book of all time. Pinker, after analyzing 15 indicators that include literacy, quality of life, and safety, concludes that we are living in the most peaceful era humans have ever enjoyed. “The result is a holistic picture of how and why the world is getting better,” Gates said.

Ridiculous? Or Relevant?

In August, the W Hotel in Washington, D.C. began offering Sip & Slurp: a room service package that allows guests to take part in the mukbang phenomenon. Mukbang, which originated in South Korea in 2010, is a live, online, audiovisual broadcast in which a host eats large amounts of food while interacting with his or her audience.

Sip & Slurp guests at the W received a lobster tail, filet mignon, cherry pie and the hotel’s Big Belly burger, along with a lapel microphone and cell phone stand, according to market research firm TrendWatching.

“You might find it ridiculous,” says TrendWatching. “But Mukbang helps people feel less alone. It helps them connect. There are eater-streamers raking in millions!

For a hospitality brand like W Hotels, mukbang offers a great opportunity to reach a new audience. Of course the experience won’t appeal to everyone but, quite frankly, who cares?

“Don’t simply dismiss the latest social media fad,” the article concludes. “Fads capture people’s attention for a reason. Dig into why. If they work for your brand, celebrate them!”

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Pop Culture Convention Cures ’80s Fever On September 28 and 29, the Anaheim Convention Center will host the first-ever NostalgiaCon, a popculture convention focused on the 1980s. The two-day event is billed as “the destination for hit film and TV-show cast reunions, box office megastars, unforgettable live concerts, exclusive panel sessions, cosplay competitions, memorabilia, collectibles, and more.”

On hand for meet and greets will be Cary Elwes from “Stranger Things” and “The Princess Bride,” Matt Frewer from “Max Headroom” and “Honey, I

Shrunk the Kids,” and Val Kilmer, who earned global recognition in films like “Top Gun,” “Willow” and “Batman.”

Christopher Lloyd, star of the “Back to the Future” films, will discuss the 30th anniversary of “Back to the Future 2.”

Nostalgiacon also boasts the largest

1980s cosplay ever, plus breakdancing and retro gaming competitions. A Retro Marketplace will feature toys, clothing, posters, art and other collectibles with top creative brands serving as sponsors.

The first platform to fully scale

and monetize the decades through conventions, concerts, events, privately licensed entertainment, social media, and more, NostalgiaCon is a global fan-conventions company based in Miami. For more information, visit nostalgiacon80s.com and follow it on social media.

Not One or Two but All Five Too few retailers are effectively using the power of multisensory experiences at retail, believes Darren Coleman, founder of Wavelength Marketing and author of Building Brand Experiences: A Practical Guide to Retaining Brand Relevance. “I have racked my brain to think of a retailer that has managed to orchestrate all of the senses in a truly unique and personalized way,” he said recently on the blog of luxury brand marketing guru Pam Danziger. “Not one retail brand has cracked it.

So the good news is there’s an opportunity there.

But I don’t know of anyone that has found the right cocktail.”

Danziger, founder of Unity Marketing, agrees. “With a Ph.D. in branding and as a guest lecturer in corporate brand management at the University of Warwick, Coleman comes bearing plenty of footnotes to back up his opinions,” she writes. “Rather than hitting on all five-sensory

cylinders, retailers have tended to focus on one, like the visual; or two, adding scent or music, while ignoring the potential of telling a cohesive brand story with all five senses.”

But instead of jumping in head first with multisensory marketing – by introducing music or scents, for instance, without considering how they are relevant to the brand – retailers need to take a step back, assess what their brand means and think about how it can be communicated consistently across all five senses. Otherwise, the result will be disjointed and the experience inconsistent.

It becomes difficult for customers to connect with, says Coleman.

Done right, multisensory messaging can cement the brand in customers’ memories.

“The key is to build multisensory experiences in retail that trigger an emotional response before the conscious, cognitive and rational parts of the brain kick in,” Coleman concludes.

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New True

Stay on top of the most popular trends with these familiar Jumbo Squish Shark Pups from The Toy Network. The slow-rising foam squishies are more than 10 inches in length and come in a variety of bright colors.

1-877-777-4661, thetoynetwork.com/ toys/squish

STEM into STEAM! Dinosaurs can be fun and colorful with Wikki Stix. Younger kids will love learning about dinosaurs while envisioning them in all kinds of ways – maybe even polka dots!

800-859-4554, info@ wikkistix.com

Stock up on the award-winning guitar that gets kids learning and having fun from day one. Call your Loog rep today!

NEW to the collection from Valtech is this 85-Piece Set, the ultimate magnetic building set for creative kids! Creativity and imagination are fostered when children have no limitations on what they can build. Included is Stack It, a simple and exciting game suitable for all ages.

708-246-7209 magnatiles.com

Have even more Thinking Putty fun with the Ultimate Putty Challenge! It includes 25 fast-paced games with head-to-head challenges, creative competitions, and skill-based activities. Plus, it includes four exclusive Thinking Putty tins not available anywhere else! Stretch, sculpt, and bounce to victory to become the Ultimate Putty Champion.

866-578-2845, orders@puttyworld.com, puttyworld.com sales@loogguitars.com

Watchitude Slap Watches add a whole new element of fun to telling time. Kids wear their attitude with more than 150 waterproof designs to choose from. Thanks to unique custom packaging, Watchitude Slap Watches make perfect gifts. Slap yourself silly!

732-745-2626, dan_hakim@watchitude.com

The new Loog Mini Electric is a three-string electric guitar with onboard amp and speaker. Like all Loog guitars, it comes with flashcards and an educational app that makes learning music as fun as playing a game, and gets kids playing songs on day one. LOOG Guitars – an award-winning line played

by The Rolling Stones, John Mayer and others. sales@loogguitars.com

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The 246-piece Hubelino pi Marble Run Set XL combines daring speed through a magnetic cannon with sophisticated design fun. The experience of constructing tricky racetracks is only topped by the action-packed stunts of the steel marble. Made in Germany, Hubelino pi is compatible with building blocks, figures, and theme worlds from other manufacturers. info@habausa.com, habausa.com

TracerBot from MukikiM is an amazing smart robot that follows your marker line like magic. The optical sensor helps the TracerBot detect and navigate the trail you design. Collect all three robots individually, or purchase the set – it includes two tracerbots, trail map, dry-erase pad and activities booklet.

414-357-3997, info@mukikim.com,

The customizable and reusable Peaceable Kingdom Be Kind Advent Calendar from MW Wholesale includes 35 tokens with prompts for acts of kindness. Kids select 25 kind acts for the month and add them to the calendar.

The extra tokens allow their month of kindness to be unique year after year. info@mwwholesale.biz, mwwholesale.biz

The colorful light-up icons of Playmonster’s Mirari myStorymaker help children age 12-monthsplus create their own stories. Press one button from each section – hero, adventure, and happy endings – to make more than 100 different stories.

Each one features fun sounds and expressive voices. The narrator can announce the name of the author using a recording of the child’s name.

800-524-4263, orders@playmonster.com’

The Splash and Play Mermaid from Madame Alexander is ready for the bath, beach, anywhere!

Dressed in a mermaid swim set with a hooded towel “tail,” the adorable 12-inch doll features a soft, fully-submersible fabric body and molded head, arms and legs. Bottle and fish toy included; offered in window box. For children age 2 and up. 1-833-Madame A (833-623-2632), sales@madamealexander.com

With its new 25- by 20-inch format, artists who have tried the Aquarellum technique will now be able to create giant masterpieces! The set from SentoSphere comes with two brushes in two different sizes plus 12 inks to create infinite colors.

561-400-8729, sentosphereusa.com

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New True Lightspeed Retail is a smart, scalable, dependable point-of-sale that centralizes everything merchants need to start, market, manage and grow their business.

Create frictionless shopping experiences that keep customers coming back again and again – all from your iPad. 1-866-932-1801, info@lightspeedhq. com, lightspeedhq.com/retail

Learn to play the ukulele! Known for high-quality and value, Kala’s Makala Shark uke is the best way to learn. (Pictured in Mako Blue; also available in seven other fun aquatic colors). Each of our ukes comes with free online lessons and our free app – with more than 1,700 songs and a built-in tuner. kalabrand.com

Gravity is a child’s favorite play toy, and the HABA USA Kullerbu Parking Garage elevates gravity play to a higher level. What goes up must come down. When you add in vehicles, children will play for hours, and they’ll never know how much they’re learning. Your customers will love this toy instantly.

800-468-6873, habausa.com info@habausa.com

Fractiles-7 is an awardwinning magnetic tile toy made in the USA. Its magical geometric art fascinates kids and adults alike. Fractiles-7 is a great alternative to electronicdevice “screen time,” and is a popular STEM toy for home, school, vacations and road trips. The diamond-shaped tiles come in three different-sized sets. Two contain an activity board. For ages 6 to 106.

303-541-0930

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 36 Intersection Tiles, Stop Sign Spinner, and a Yellow Traffic Cop Vest. For ages 5 and up.

732-414-2213 bturtle@endlessgames.com

Introducing the TICO Blind Box Sea & Zoo Series from The Lazy Dog & Co. Build your own adventure with TICO Mini Bricks, the world’s tiniest building blocks. Each blind box contains one of several zoo or sea creatures. Which wild animal will you end up with? Collect them all!

201-771-0039, thelazydog.com

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retailers recommend

Fabulous Products

1wowwee.com

2

relevantplay.com

Christine Osborne from Wonder Works Toy Stores, in Charleston, South Carolina “Lucky Fortune (1) from WowWee is really popular right now with girls of all ages. It’s a blind pack that comes in the form of a fortune cookie. Break it open to get a paper fortune and lucky charm bracelet. There are more than 100 bracelets to collect.

“Unicorns are still trending, and Mad Mattr Unicorn Sparkle (2) from Relevant Play is the most fabulous Mad Mattr yet! The set includes blue, pink, and white Mad Mattr, along with glitter and a special unicorn mold.

3

funinmotiontoys.com

“Shashibo (3) from Fun in Motion is a magnetic puzzle that transforms into more than 70 dimensional shapes. It’s equal parts origami, magnetism, geometry, creativity and shape shifting. Each Shashibo is powered by 36 rare earth magnets.

“This year’s coolest new drone is the XForce Quadcopter (4) from Island Genius. You fly it with a wave of your hand. Tilt to the left, right, up or down and the drone will respond, thanks to the motion-controlled remote. It does tricks, like a 360-degree flip! It’s lightweight with multiple speed settings and LED lights.

MukikiM’s TracerBot (5) is a cute little robot STEAM toy for early learners. It has an optical sensor, so it follows the marker line that kids draw like magic! Parents like it because it helps develop critical thinking and encourages creativity.

5 mukikim.com 4

islandgenius.com

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11 theop.games 10 winning-moves.com Heather Sinclair from Snap Dragon Specialty Toys in New Bern, North Carolina “I’m really excited about Air Forts (6). They’re new and different and I think they will be a strong Christmas item. The fort is big – 55 by 70 inches – and you use a box fan to blow it up. Kids duck inside and hang out and then, when they’re done, you can fold it up and stuff it away for the next time.

9 kidsagainstmaturity.com

7

stephenjosephgifts.com

“We stock Stephen Joseph small, quilted backpacks (7) all year long, but they’re especially popular during back-to-school for preschoolers. Moms like that they can be personalized. My store doesn’t offer custom embroidery, but there are local businesses that do.

“Stephen Joseph water bottle holders do very well here, especially the dinosaur and the unicorn (8).They’re cute and soft neoprene and summer tourists love them. It helps moms when kids can carry their own water bottle.

“Kids Against Maturity (9) is a family fill-in-the-blank game, and we’ve done very well with it. The appeal is its ageappropriate potty humor.

Our bestselling games right now, though, are anything “Clue,” especially Clue Master Detective (10) from Winning Moves and Clue: Harry Potter (11) from USAopoly.”

6 airfort.com

8 stephenjosephgifts.com

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endcap (continued from page 46) too, because it’s been keeping track of your stock. To make sure you’re not being held back by any inventory snags, look to your POS or analytics module to run the following reports.

Negative inventory: this is a particularly vital report to look for. Negative inventory levels mean something went wrong – you forgot to receive a PO, you over-transferred to another location or a mistake was made in a vendor return – but you were still able to complete sales. Find stock discrepancies fast during the holidays.

Dusty inventory: run this before the holiday shopping season starts to pinpoint any areas of your inventory that you might need to adjust. If dolls from a particular line have stopped selling, there is likely no point in stocking up on more as what’s popular shifts.

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Tel: 1-800-899-0711 Fax: 617-482-3423 www.KOPLOWGAMES.com

Optimize inventory classification How have you set up your inventory?

What classifications have you set? Are you using your subcategories? Specialty toy retailers carry many product variants; are you using product matrices to classify them easily?

Organizing your inventory makes the data your POS gathers more accurate and more actionable. Once you’re able to collect data on how different products and categories are performing, use A-B-C classification to sort your inventory by thirds according to their importance to your business.

The first category, “A” inventory, should consist of around 20 percent of the items in your inventory and make up 80 percent of your sales. The second, “B” inventory, should cover the 30 percent of your inventory that makes up 15 percent of your sales, while the “C” inventory covers the remaining 50 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Use these classifications to prioritize restocking during the holidays, as products from A will sell faster than products from C.

Leveraging the power of a POS for better sales What does holiday readiness with a POS look like in action?

Now that you’ve organized your inventory and armed yourself with data about your stock, you’re ready to craft some special holiday promotions.

Gift bundles help you upsell during the holidays, and now that you’ve identified your top sellers, you can start sorting them into tailored groups. Check your category reports and go from there!

Boys’ gifts and girls’ gifts are easy bundles, but they’re not descriptive.

If, for example, you’re selling science kits well, build a bundle based around the young learner. Include one or two top-selling products, and then examine your dusty inventory report. Are there any items that aren’t moving that could be bundled with the superstars? Keep your A-B-C classifications in mind to build balanced toy bundles that optimize value for you and your shoppers.

Repeat for each top-selling product, create the bundle as a grouped or boxed product in your POS, then display your gift bundles prominently and promote them in your holiday advertising.

You’ll move old inventory, inspire impulse purchases, help holiday shoppers and boost your sales – all with help from your point of sale.

Lightspeed is a cloud-based commerce platform powering small and medium-sized businesses. With smart, scalable, and dependable point-of-sale systems, the Montréal, Canada-based firm is an all-in-one solution that helps retailers sell across channels, manage operations, engage with consumers, accept payments, and grow their business. For more information, see the ad on inside back cover and visit lightspeedhq.com

44 edplay.com • • • • • September/October 2019

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RENEW YOUR

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edplay.com Renew your subscription for free on our website, edplay.com. We invite you to request multiple copies, for your entire staff.

The Original

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since 1994

SPREAD THE WORD! Tell our advertisers you saw their products in edplay magazine

Adventure Parks 19 Amahi Ukukeles 41 Crazy Aaron Enterprises Inc. 13 31 DeLano/EPI Printing Inc. Endless Games 33 Fat Brain Toy Co. Back Cover Fractiles 45 HABA/Habarmass Corp.

23 Hubelino GmbH 12 Iello 17 Kala Brand Music Co. 29 Koplow Games 44 Lightspeed POS Inc. 47 Loog Guitars 44 Madame Alexander Doll Company 7 MukikiM LLC 24 MW Wholesale 21 Playmonster 2 Scholastic Teachers Resources 10 Sentosphere USA 3 The Lazy Dog & Co. 5 The Toy Network 25 USAopoly Inc. 27 Valtech LLC 31 Watchitude LLC Cover Wrap Wikki Stix 35 Woodland 22

adventureparks.com amahiukuleles.com puttyworld.com delanoservice.com fatbraintoyco.com fractiles.com HABAusa.com HABAusa.com iellousa.com kalabrand.com koplowgames.com lightspeedhq.com/retail loogguitars.com madamealexander.com mukikim.com mwwholesale.biz playmonster.com sentosphereusa.com thelazydog.co thetoynetwork.com theOP.games magnatiles.com orbfactory.com wikkistix.com scenearama.com

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endcap

Holiday Hustle How toy stores can sell more with a point of sale

by Alix Fraser, Lightspeed POS Inc

The holidays are a critical time for retailers, and possibly none more so than toy stores. Along with clothes and gift cards, toys top the most-bought lists year after year. On paper, the festive period is an excellent time to be a toy retailer – but with a popular product comes competition.

You can run holiday promotions, host seasonal events and run the best marketing campaign in town. However, if your inventory is working against you instead of for you, your promotional efforts could be all for naught.

If you want to boost your holiday sales this year, optimizing your inventory can get you there – and to optimize your inventory, you need the right tools.

Holiday readiness with a POS When it comes to getting holiday-ready, consider what a point of sale can do. A modern POS does more than process transactions. Point of sale systems can monitor stock levels, collect data, manage customer profiles, ease ordering and much more, including the following.

Set inventory reorder points Your best sellers flying off the shelves seems like a good sign, but if you’re out of stock during the holiday-shopping period, you’ll lose out on revenue.

Keep an eye on upcoming toy trends going into the season (and run your own reports. More on that later).

A POS like Lightspeed Retail comes equipped with the power to set inventory reorder points. Once you’ve discovered your bestsellers and crowd pleasers, set the minimum level at which you need to purchase more stock. The system gathers this data in a low-stock report and lists out what needs to be replenished as items sell, so you have plenty of time to reorder hot holiday toys.

Ensuring you’re never low on valuable stock does more than keep you ready for a 46 edplay.com • • • • • September/October 2019

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steady stream of sales in-store. It also opens up the world of e-commerce for toy retailers who are worried about tracking and maintaining stock. As reorder points take all of your stock into account, a brick-and-mortar location and its online presence don’t have to compete for inventory if numbers get low – because they won’t.

Track your sales history A POS is already processing your transactions and inventory levels. Why not put that data to work as you get your toy store ready for the holidays? Whether it’s through built-in reporting capabilities or an advanced analytics module, there are many useful reports you could be running.

• Recently out of stock with sales: a handy way to see if you should expand your reorder point strategy. This kind of report should tell you what toys are off the shelves, ranked by quantity. You can use it to see if there have been any sudden increases in demand you should account for in your holiday readiness plan; and • Sales by category: this kind of report will tell you how your categories and subcategories are selling.

Specialty toy retailers will particularly benefit from this kind of report; your inventory is an investment, and there is no point in stocking niche products that aren’t resonating anymore.

Assess your stock Your bestsellers aren’t the only products you need to keep an eye on during the holidays. Dusty inventory – any toys that haven’t sold in a set time, typically 180 days – clutters the shelves.

Without a way to track old inventory, you can end up with deadweight holding your purchasing power back during the holidays. You could also become backordered without realizing it, which leads to delays that make or break the holidays.

Luckily, a POS can help here, (continued on page 44)

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