ASTRA January 2013

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E A M E R I C A N S P E C I A LT Y T O Y R E TA I L I N G A S S O C I AT I O N • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3

A Joyous Celebration on

Neighborhood Toy Store Day

PioMu Toy Store in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, celebrates Neighborhood Toy Store Day.

Four Open Board Positions for 2013 to 2016 he Nominating Committee announces four open ASTRA Board positions with three-year terms beginning June 2013. The committee is seeking volunteers to fill two retail member positions, one manufacturer member position and one sales representative member position. Interested members are asked to contact Kathleen McHugh by email at kmchugh@astratoy.org or by calling 312-222-0984. Applications will be accepted through March 1.

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Commitment

Expenses

Board members are required to attend all regular meetings of the board. Meetings take place in February at Toy Fair, in June at ASTRA’s annual convention and the first weekend after Labor Day at a location to be determined. Board members may be required to take part in phone calls and email discussions as necessary. Members are typically assigned the role of board liaison to committees requiring participation in phone calls of the committee throughout their assignment.

Board members are reimbursed for travel and hotel expenses to the annual fall meeting. In addition, one night accommodation is paid for by the association for meetings at Toy Fair and the annual convention.

Qualifications Candidates for the Board of Directors must be ASTRA members for a minimum of two years. Candidates must be fully employed within the toy industry, preferably with a minimum of two years of experience.

It is desirable for candidates to have experience as active volunteers in ASTRA or other constituency-based organizations, or similar experience elsewhere.

To review ASTRA’s Bylaws, please visit the ASTRA website at www.astratoy.org.

ASTRA

Celebrating Community on Neighborhood Toy Store Day!

“Children’s World had free entertainment with The Amazing Kenny making the most amazing balloon creatures, lots of free giveaways, contests, games and more. There were Marines present to help kick of the local Toys for Tots drive, and in addition to the items customers purchased to put in the collection box, Children’s World donated 20 percent of the day to ensure kids have a great holiday who might not otherwise have one.”

–Tim Holliday from Children’s World and Children’s World Uniform Supply, Inc. in Sarasota, Florida

“Our community really wants to support locally-owned businesses, so Neighborhood Toy Store Day was the perfect event to highlight Launching Success Learning Store. The store was packed! We had ASTRA’s Top Toys for 2012 out for play, and Mrs. Claus came to help the children write their Santa letters. We also had helicopter demonstrations, special prizes for everyone who made a purchase, and the kids made a Wikki Stix mural for our community space. Thank you, ASTRA, for helping us make this a wonderful day for everyone!”

“Neighborhood Toy Store Day at Le Jouet featured cake, face painting, balloon making, and arts and crafts!”

–Le Jouet in Metairie, Louisiana

“At PioMu, we had kids prepare their letters to Santa, and when he came in, there was a huge line to talk to him and have their pictures taken.

During the afternoon, we had a 45-minute show inside the store with two super-famous local characters: The Frog and The Lizard from ‘Atención Atención,’ which kids absolutely loved. All ASTRA Best Toys for kids were 10 percent off all day. It was an amazing day at PioMu!” –Glorimar Ripoll Balet from PioMu in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

–Jen Zimmermann, store manager at Launching Success Learning Store in Bellingham, Washington

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January 3

Message From the Chair

What Keeps You Awake at Night?

by Linda Hays

ver since its inception, ASTRA has posed this question to the membership: “How can we better serve you?” It occurs to me that, perhaps, the best way to ask that question is, “What keeps you awake at night?”

Whether you are a manufacturer, rep or retailer, it is the things that really worry you that the ASTRA board needs to hear about. If we can get a clear picture of what those are and where they are consistent in the various legs of membership, we can better answer the question of how to best serve the membership.

When I asked myself that question, I found, without having to think very hard, that my biggest long-term concern is online competition – my inability as an individual retailer to compete with the business models currently arising on the World Wide Web. I have always felt capable of competing with the big boxes, even when they began to carry more of the same lines that I carry. I feel confident that the experience, expertise and service that I offer can tip the scale in my favor with my customer.

I don’t feel so confident in my ability to compete with online retailers. My customers are often tech-savvy mothers. They research what they want to buy. They used to do this by talking with other mothers, but today they often do it by researching online. I offer a great experience, but they have to pack their diaper bags to come get it. The online seller delivers direct to their door, so if they know what they want and can wait a couple of days for the delivery, it often makes sense to them to do so.

Mothers still get stir-crazy, and we still see plenty of them in to play for a couple of hours on an afternoon. Everyone still comes by in a rush on their way to the birthday party, but I would be a fool to believe I am

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not losing a fair chunk of business to the convenience and “everything in one place” aspect of online shopping.

Even among the customers who make it into the store, “showrooming” has become common. Customers feel it is their right as consumers to come in and try an item that they want to buy, and only prudent to source it from the least expensive place possible. Really well-intentioned people are overheard telling other customers, “You can get it cheaper online.” These people are not self-centered, uncaring or intentionally community-gutting. They just don’t get it. They haven’t connected the dots. When you are given the opportunity to explain it to them, it is easy to see the moment they realize their actions have been shortsighted, or, at the very least, that what they are doing is disrespectful toward the investment of time, money and effort of business owners who are there for them and their community. (See the article on showrooming on page 44.)

Showrooming isn’t the only Internetdriven issue we are seeing in our stores.

Customers are scanning barcodes and coming to the counter to request price matching. They are taking items home, looking them up online, finding them cheaper, and bringing them back to the stores for refund – often without explanation. They are coming to our stores to look for specific things. And if we don’t have what they want, where they used to say, “Yes, let’s order it,” or be willing to accept an alternative or a substitute, they now seem too eager to just order it online.

Holiday sales come later in the season, the bulk of them after cyber Monday has come and gone. Loyal, communityminded, would-never-shop-at-Walmart

customers have Amazon Prime accounts.

They don’t even feel conflicted about it! I feel optimistic about our ability to maintain relevance in a changing market, but I also feel that if we try to smile through the pain, we risk becoming frogs in the boiling pot.

I have spoken with many of you about the different, positive methods you are using to counter these trends in your own businesses. I have spoken with other board members about what we can do as an association to help our retail members compete in an online marketplace.

ASTRA’s consumer website, YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org, lays the groundwork for brand awareness that can be leveraged for all of us.

We are facing huge challenges that present exciting possibilities. There is much keeping each of us awake at night. I ask you to take a moment and consider what your biggest concern is. Post it on the discussion boards, or send it in an email to the ASTRA office or to a board member. Finding a common ground will give us great insight into what solutions we should be seeking to better serve our membership.

Linda Hays hopscotch toys 103 SE Baker St. McMinnville, OR 97128 (503) 472-3702 linda@hopscotchtoys.com astratoy.org

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January 5

Board of Directors

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January 2013 • astratoy.org

F E A T U R E S 3 3

Four Open Board Positions for 2013 to 2016 Celebrating Community on Neighborhood Toy Store Day!

Toy 10 10 16 24

Using it to promote your store

26 28

Woohoo! Content Calendar Guide Celebrating Local Toy Stores 365 Days a Year

Treasurer Dana Barnes ng Spot Katie’s Nesti

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2013 Success Package 30 Make the Most of 2013 30 Five Priorities Toy Retailers Should Embrace for a Successful 2013 32 Cash Flow 32 Pay Attention 34 10 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Business 36 Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate 38 44

Message from the Chair President’s Report Ready, Set, PLAY … for Children with Disabilities

50 ASTRA Welcomes Its Newest Manufacturer Members 52 New Members

On the cover: PioMu Toy Store in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, celebrates Neighborhood Toy Store Day.

We are always looking for good articles and input for the newsletter. Letters to the editor are welcome. Please forward letters, comments, ideas, etc., to the ASTRA office – fax 312-222-0986, email kmchugh@astratoy.org.

astratoy.org

Editor Mary Sisson Assistant Editors Alyssa LaFaro Tina Manzer Graphic Artist Lindsey Williamson

ASTRA Staff President Kathleen McHugh

Meeting and Exhibit Manager Amanda Zawad

Our mission is to act as a channel of communication for the general membership of ASTRA and to provide information about current happenings and future goals as decided upon by the board of directors, various committees, and ASTRA staff. We strive to provide useful and timely information and support for and about ASTRA members in accordance with the ASTRA mission statement.

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Newsletter

Technology and Membership Services Manager Daniel Elacqua

ASTRA Newsletter Mission Statement

6 January 2013

Directors Steven Aarons Bob Breneman Lea Culliton Lillian Davis Ann Kienzle Mike Klein John MacDougall Dean May Ted McGuire Robin McLane

Membership and Communications Coordinator Caryn Giznik

Trade Show Tips from the Pros Seven Ways Businesses and Communities Can Fight “Showrooming”

D E P A R T M E N T S 5 7 8

Chair-Elect Michael Levins Past Chair Michael Ziegenhagen

Fair 2013 Toy Fair 2013 Specials for Members Only ASTRA at Toy Fair 2013 Schedule of Events Toy Fair 2013 Specials for All Attendees The Message Behind the Woohoo! Factor

Chair Linda Hays

Membership and Meeting Coordinator Natalie Hinman The ASTRA Newsletter is published by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, 432 N Clark St., Suite 401, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-2220984, fax 312-222-0986, email info@astratoy.org.

Website: www.astratoy.org. Copyright © 2013 American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. All rights reserved.

Advertisements are accepted. For more information, contact Rick Kauder, Fahy-Williams Publishing, 800-344-0559; email rkauder@fwpi.com.

All articles for the ASTRA Newsletter are supplied

by ASTRA and its members, with Fahy-Williams assembling and editing the newsletter, and managing the advertising sales function. ASTRA reserves the right to accept, reject, or alter all editorial and advertising material submitted for publication. Advertising in ASTRA does not imply endorsement of products and services. Opinions expressed in articles contained herein are those of the authors, not necessarily of ASTRA or its individual members. The information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

President’s Report

The Movement – Raising Our Voice

by Kathleen McHugh

long with organizations like Independent We Stand, the 3/50 Project, Small Business Saturday, and the growing list of local independent business alliances, ASTRA lent its voice to a growing shop-local movement in 2012. It is a grassroots movement making its way into the hearts and minds of consumers all over the country.

With the help of a committed network of bloggers, Neighborhood Toy Store Day 2012 reaped 90 million impressions. Like a specialty store where product buzz starts at the local level and spreads across the country, word-of-mouth from bloggers to consumers is spreading about the value of their local shops and businesses. Some, like Debbie Bookstaber, Babble.com contributor and past ASTRA speaker, took an exceptional stand on the issue of “showrooming” with her readers.

In her November 9 post on Babble.com, Debbie said: “Isn’t it time for moms to put as much thought into our choices about ‘where’ we buy products as we do on ‘what’ we buy? You’ll note that I said, ‘where we buy,’ rather than ‘where we shop.’ As moms, we look to save where we can by clipping coupons and shopping sales. I understand how important it is to get the best price, but treating local businesses like showrooms, and then buying online to avoid paying sales tax is wrong. There … I said it. It is wrong, and it is not harmless behavior.” (Read the full article here: http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2012/11/09/where-you-buy-is-asimportant-as-what-you-buy/) She went on to point out the connection local businesses have to dwindling school budgets, and how the choices we

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make every day affect our communities. It was a bold stand to make, considering how it might have offended many readers, but Babble.com supported her position because it’s an important distinction, and the consequences are not easily understood by the average consumer. As any marketing expert will tell you, this kind of support for a cause is priceless – it’s grassroots and it’s effective. And, we will continue this work through YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org throughout the New Year.

In response to a quick survey after Neighborhood Toy Store Day, retailers reported a 5 to 30 percent increase in sales for the day. Many also reported that their primary marketing strategy for the day included Facebook, Twitter and email.

Many took advantage and were happy with the ready-to-use marketing pieces like press releases, posters, ad slicks, stickers and postcards. And, many reported they were grateful to manufacturers who offered special play day packages and free product for in-store giveaways.

We also asked: If not November, when should Neighborhood Toy Store Day be? Surprisingly, there is strong support for the November day, second only, perhaps, to a change to October. The ASTRA Board will review the complete survey results at its February meeting to determine if the membership wants a change for future Neighborhood Toy Store Days. The good news is any changes will be seamless with ASTRA’s new website, Discover the Woohoo! Factor.

The Woohoo! Factor website made its debut in September, but its reach is growing every day. To keep up momentum and to attract consumers to the site, two addi-

tional consumer promotions were added.

In December, the site promoted a campaign called “Woohoo Them This Holiday Season.” In February 2013, another consumer promotion – “Love Your Toy Store” – is planned. Both promotions include blogger campaigns to spread the word to your customers. If you haven’t “liked” us yet, please visit YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org to find out more about these campaigns. Better yet, contact Caryn Giznik at cgiznik@astratoy.org to find out how you can get involved.

It’s true, a national campaign like American Express’ Small Business Saturday has a great impact in spreading the word about our small businesses, but our contribution is spreading it locally, one person at a time. When we join our voice with this growing movement, we all benefit.

Thank you to everyone who participated in Neighborhood Toy Store Day in 2012. With your continued support, our commitment to you is to make it even better in 2013.

My warmest wishes to you for a healthy, happy New Year,

Kathleen McHugh President astratoy.org

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January 7

R e a d y, S e t , P L AY. . . f o r C h i l d r e n W i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s

by Ellen Metrick

What’s New and What’s Next hen I think about the reasons retailers attend Toy Fair, I come up with several. The top one is to hear what toy manufacturers have to offer your customers so you can make the best possible product selection on their behalf. There is another valuable opportunity lurking in the aisles, buried between the boxes and price points. I believe it is equally valuable for manufacturers to listen to what you believe your customers want, need or might respond to in the future.

Like any successful relationship, it needs to be two-way. Toy Fair is about what’s new. But those same contacts, who are sharing with you the benefits of their products, should have another question in the back of their heads: What’s next? This is your opportunity to share with them.

This is important because as retailers – especially specialty retailers – you are the closest connection to the consumers. For many of you, this event is the only chance to have a conversation with manufacturers about what you see, what you believe and what you experience on the front line of toy merchandising. It is also an opportunity to ask for what you need. Many of you are searching for new ways to relate to evolving consumer needs, and we’re hearing from some of you who are connecting successfully with the special needs market.

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Ask these questions: Are you aware of any products in your line that you have identified as encouraging a specific skill, working on specific developmental milestones, or working well for children with special needs? If so, what information do you have available for me to share with customers?

One of the areas we believe is expanding is consumer awareness of the developmental benefits of toys. Some manufacturers are ahead of the pack, preparing materials and advancing their marketing to children with special needs. To name a few, Learning Resources has had a focus on this market for a while now, as well as Wee Blossom and PlayAbility Toys. Also, Melissa and Doug just launched a big initiative in this direction.

The National Lekotek Center has been asked to present at the ASTRA conference in June, and we would love to hear from any of you as to your interest and experience in the children with special needs market. So when you are packing your winter boots for a New York winter at Toy Fair, think about bringing along your input as well. Share with manufacturers what you think should be coming on the market, and offer suggestions on what you might want to see new next year.

ASTRA

Membership has its privileges! ASTRA Manufacturers’

Toy Fair 2013 Specials Only ASTRA members receive these money-saving discounts from vendors at Toy Fair. Be sure to visit these ASTRA manufacturers to learn more about the offers below.

New York Toy Fair 2013 (Members Only Specials) Adlib Toys LLC Booth 4113 $250 = FFA, 5% discount $500 = FFA, net 30, 7% discount $750+ = FFA, net 30, 10% discount ADORA - by Charisma Booth 1151 FFA; 60 days dating; 2.5% discount $250 - $500 – choose 1 discount from above list $750 - $1000 – choose 2 discounts from above list $1200 + – choose 3 discounts from above list

Briarpatch Inc. Booth 2007 $300 = FFA, net 30, 5% discount $500 = FFA, net 45, 7% discount $750 = FFA, net 45, 10% discount Must ship by 3/15/13, FFA contiguous USA only Bruder Toys America Inc Booth 2479 $800 = 1/2 FFA $800 credit card orders = FFA $1500 = FFA Flagship program application – $100 FFA reorders! (continued on page 12)

ASTRA at Toy Fair 2013 Schedule of Events February 10-13, 2012 Javits Center, New York City Stop by the ASTRA booth #6239 to receive your passport of Toy Fair specials, along with $20 off your Marketplace & Academy registration in Nashville, Tennessee, and the chance to win an iPad! Visit us at the ASTRA booth, enjoy food and drink at our Night in New York Party, or kick back and relax in the member lounge.

Visit us at booth #6239 Stop by the ASTRA booth to pick up your member ribbon and passport.

Manufacturers – don’t forget about your member plaque to display in your booth.

Register and win an iPad! If you register for Marketplace & Academy, you’ll not only save $20 on your registration, but you will be entered to win an iPad! Woohoo! What’s new at Toy Fair 2013 Stop by the ASTRA booth #6239 to learn all about the Woohoo! Factor, and how you can win BIG by using the hashtag #woohootoys during Toy Fair. Let your customers know about the hot new products that could be on your store’s shelves in 2013! Please come see what the Woohoo! is all about!

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Sunday, February 10 ASTRA Member Lounge Open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Room 1C03 The ASTRA member lounge is back by popular demand! Here you can kick back, hang up your coat, and meet with other ASTRA members. We all know it’s hard to find a place to sit in the Javits for lunch, so take advantage of this “members only” benefit.

Night in New York 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Bryant Park Grill 25 West 40th St. Join us for ASTRA’s signature party at the Bryant Park Grill from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., where the specialty toy industry gathers for food, drinks, music and the opportunity to meet new and old friends! Space is limited, so reserve your spot today.

Register online at www.astratoy.org.

Monday, February 11 Share the Fair (Retailers Only) 6 to 7:30 p.m.

ASTRA Member Lounge, 1C03 Gather with your fellow retail members to discuss the hot products you saw in the aisles of Toy Fair. This list will help you sort through the products your peers think are must-haves on your shelves for 2013.

Buses will be available to take you to central hotels on the Toy Fair bus route.

Tuesday, February 12 Share the Fair lists available at noon. See what made the list of the possible musthave toys for 2013. This retail expert-chosen list makes navigating Toy Fair easy.

Pick up at the ASTRA booth #6239.

Wednesday, February 13 Member Lounge closes at 4 p.m.

For Members Only

Toy Fair 2013 Specials

(“Toy Fair 2013 Specials” continued from page 10)

Constructive Eating Inc. Booth 1975 Come see the new items at Constructive Eating!

Mention that you’re an ASTRA member and receive $100 = FFA Do-A-Dot Art! Booth 2632 $750 – net 90, free shipping $500 – net 60, 5% discount, freight offset eeBoo Booth 6211 5% off orders of $350 or more!

Endless Games Inc. Booth 2521 $500 = FFA, net 30, 3% discount Free demo games available Family Games America Inc. Booth 1133 $500 = net 60 $750 = net 90 $1,000 = net 60, 5% freight allowance $1,500 = net 90, 10% freight allowance Fun Q Games Booth 6052 $100 = FFA, 5% discount, net 30 $250 = FFA, 10% discount, net 60 $500 = FFA, 15% discount, net 60 Heartland Consumer Products LLC Booth 6158 Free freight on opening orders for new customers!

High IntenCity Booth 6317 CHARM IT!® orders of $750+ receive free freight CHARM IT!® orders of $1000+ receive free freight and 40 free CHARM IT! Pouches Valid on single order placed at NY Toy Fair 2013 Imagination Brands Booth 6270 FFA on all New Doodle Roll and 2013 Blingkers Versions for orders over $250 Plus an added 5% discount on orders over $500

Infinitoy Booth 1760 $500 = FFA (instead of $750) $750 = ASTRA only – 6 free units Softimals Super Safari Set ($150 retail value) $1,000 = 5% discount Innovention Toys Booth 6151 Buy one case (6 games) get 3 free Beamsplitters ($36 retail value!)

Buy two cases (12 games) get $1 off wholesale Standard – $19.95 Two case special – $18.95 Just Jump It Booth 6323 Free floor display on orders over $400 12 Free 8’ jump ropes with purchase of 60 items Net 60 terms on approved credit Proudly made in the USA Lay-n-Go LLC Booth 6342 Free shipping on orders over $250 for ASTRA members Leading Edge Novelty Booth 1969 $500 = FFA, net 30 Magicforest LTD Booth 5202 $400 = free gift, a $40 retail value $700 = FFA and net 30 $1,000 = FFA and net 60 $3,500 = FFA and June dating My Funky Planet Corp.

Booth 3255 $500 = FFA, net 60, 6% discount Order must ship by March 1, 2013 Credit references required for new customers Neat-Oh! International LLC Booth 5727 FFA for orders of $500+ Play the Basketball Backpack Challenge!

Make 1 basket = 1% off; make 2 baskets = 2% off Make all 3 baskets = 3% off your order!

NumbersAlive!

Booth 5842 Free freight on orders over $200 Net 30 terms available Net 60 on orders greater than $1,000 Credit cards accepted on all orders

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astratoy.org

NEW for 2013 Flowers TOOBS®

Over 100 New 2013 Introductions at the American Intl. Toy Fair Jacob Javits Conv. Ctr. New York, NY | Booth 1637

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FREE FIXTURE PROGRAMS NOW AVAILABLE!

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Order online at at safariltd.com or call 800.554.5414 for a free color catalog.

Consisting of: Rose, Daffodil, Sunflower, Bird of Paradise, Orchid, Lotus, Hibiscus, Tulip

Backyard Birds TOOBS® Consisting of: Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting, Robin, Oriole, Warbler, Cardinal, Blue Jay Figures range in size from 1.5” to 3”

For Members Only

Toy Fair 2013 Specials

The Original Toy Company Booth 959 $500 = FFA, net 30, 3% discount/no rockers $1,000 = FFA, net 60, 5% discount P’kolino Booth 5636 Orders $500-$999 net 30 FFA Orders $1000-$2999 net 60 FFA Orders $3000 or more net 90 FFA Pueri Elemental LLC Booth 5759 FFA with opening order of $350+ RoosterFin Inc. Booth 6222 $200 = FFA Free demo copy included with each case Saturnian 1 Inc. Booth 2825 $150 = 5%, net 30 $500 = 6%, net 30 $1,200 = 7%, net 60 Small World Toys Booth 2066 $500 = net 60 & free freight $1,200 = net 90, FFA + 12 free Gertie Balls $3,000 = net 120, FFA, less 5% Ask your sales rep for terms at higher levels Spring Swings LLC Booth 2450 10% for ASTRA members at show only

System Enterprises LLC (RingStix) Booth 5155 RingStix & Lite available for $7.50 MOQ 12 games $250+ = 50% off shipping net 30 $500+ = FFA net 30 or free display with LCD 8” $750+ = FFA net 30 and free display with LCD 8” Toymarketing International Inc. Booth 927 $700 = net 30/FFA $1,000 = net 60/FFA $1,500 = net 90/FFA $2,000 = September 1/FFA

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TWC of America LLC/tweber/ento Booth 4110 Disc. Frt. rates: $150+13%, $251+10%, $501+ just 8% 5% discount on all orders $150+ placed Feb 3-13 show attendance not required made in USA since 1986 Warm Fuzzy Toys Booth 5873 $500 gets free freight!

(Excluding #452, the 46” Bozo Bop Bag) 46” Bozo can count towards the $500 total XONEX Booth 2303 orders of 250 or more 5% discount orders of 500 or more 10% discount orders of 1000 or more 15% discount

New York Toy Fair 2013 (All Attendee Specials) Aha! Concepts Booth 4873T Free store sample on all orders Credit card payments accepted for all orders Net 45 terms available The Alphabeasts Booth 1667 Free freight Free display on opening orders Asmodee Editions Booth 6033 5% discount on all prepaid orders over $500 10% discount on all prepaid orders over $1000 Free shipping The Aquastone Group Booth 6157 $350 = net 60 $500 = FFA + net 60 + Free Wooky Girl $750 = FFA + net 90 Be Amazing! Toys Booth 2779 Orders of $1000 must be placed before 3/31/2013 FFA/net 60 on the first order of $1000 FFA/net 30 on all successive orders over $250 for remainder of calendar year

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See us at New York Toy Fair, February 10-13, 2013, #1163

For All Attendees

Toy Fair 2013 Specials

Blue Box Toys Inc. Booth 2478 Additional 10% off on non-discounted items FFA on $500 or more Free rack display with soft goods purchase CollectA Booth 4106 Orders of $500 receive FFA & net 60 Curious Chef Booth 6457 Receive free freight with $500 purchase or more Cannot be used with any other promo Shipping within continental US only Promo code 2013ToyFair

Edushape Ltd. Booth 2161 Edushape will have freight and order discount specials.

Toy Fair attendees will also premiere wonderful new products, with a keen focus on educational and developmental qualities.

Elenco Booth 3103 With $800 net order: Net 60, FFA, 5% discount Elf Magic Booth 1059 Free with minimum order at show: 1 pkg. Peppermint Pajamas & Slippers 1 pkg. of Sweet Dreams Nightgown & Slippers

DARON Worldwide Trading Inc. Booth 5318 Less 5% on all orders placed at show

The Elf on the Shelf Booth 1251 Half off freight on one order per location

Daughters of History Ltd. t/a A Girl for All Time Booth 1344 Net 90 on all orders placed at the show Bundle offers available $500-$999 = 3% and 30 days

Everest Booth 5959 Order $500 or more of in-stock product and receive free freight Continental US only Orders cannot be split

FFA on $600

Dbox Puzzle LLC Booth 5315 Free display with each order of 3 dozen+ Credit card payments accepted for all orders Exercise your brain! Think outside Dbox!

Discover with Dr. Cool Booth 6345 $500 = FFA Visit our booth and crack open a free geode!

The Fiammetta Toy Co. Inc. (Stork Babies) Booth 1260 Free display with order Free brochures that come with display!

Credit card payments accepted for all orders $1,200 = 10% discount Folkmanis Booth 2837 $500 FFA

DuneCraft Booth 2673 $350 or more = free freight $650 or more = free freight and 5% $1,200 or more = free freight and 10% Many great in-booth specials; stop in to find out!

FS-USA Booth 5227 $250 = net 30, 10% discount $450 = net 30, free freight OR 15% discount $750 = net 60, free freight OR 15% discount

Education Outdoors Inc. Booth 6116 $550+ = FFA, net 30 and free POP display $1,000+ = FFA, net 30, free POP and 10% discount Buy 2 cases of product, get a free demo!

Terms are net 30. Visa and MasterCard accepted

Geotoys LLC Booth 6406 New inflatable globes, Earth Marbles and more All orders: net 90, 25% freight discount Over $500 = 50% freight discount Over $1000 = net 120, FFA

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For All Attendees

Toy Fair 2013 Specials

Grandpa Beck’s Games Booth 6065 Free shipping with CC orders placed at TF 10% off when 12 of each product ordered Free demo copy with initial 12-unit product order Check product videos at www.grandpabecksgames.com

Kid Constructions Inc. Booth 5643 10% discount on orders of 6 cases + Cannot be used with any other promo Shipping within continental US only Display discounts also available

Greenpoint Brands LLC Booth 5737

Kid O Products Booth 6217 $500 = FFA $1000 = FFA, 5%

$300 = FFA, net 30 $500 = FFA, net 30, 5% discount Harrisville Designs Inc. Booth 1230 Introducing something new and different... potholderPRO Makes 2 professional sized potholders Bigger & better! Same great quality! USA made!

Buy 6 get 1 free!

The Haywire Group Booth 6111 $300 = FFA, net 30 $200 = 1/2 freight, net 30 Improv Electronics Booth 4317 5% discount and free shipping on 24 units or more INI, LLC Booth 6063 $150 = 5% discount $300 = 10% discount $500 = free freight Offer expires 2/17/2013 International Arrivals Booth 5769 5% at $250 10% at $500 Jesse James Games Booth 6055 Wangle Card Game – $13.95 per game, 12/case Kathe Kruse Booth 1259 $400 = FFA; net 30 or 3% discount (credit card payment) $750 = FFA; net 60 or 3.5% discount (credit card payment) Buy 22 Towel Dolls & get extra 2 for free Buy 20 Nicki/Rainbow Baby & get extra 2 for free Kenson Kids Inc. Booth 6368 10% off all orders placed at the show!

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Kids Preferred LLC Booth 2167 $500 = FFA, net 90 or $500 = FFA, 3% discount for credit card payment. Must be placed at Toy Fair Legendary Games Booth 5933 $250 = 5% discount $500 = 5% discount and 1/2 off freight $750 = 10% discount and net 60 Lion Rampant Distribution Booth 6059 $500 = FFA, net 30 $1,000 = FFA, net 60 Little Adventures Booth 5319 Free shipping on any order $350 = net 60 Magnote Corporation Booth 4947 Free shipping on orders over $500 Show special starter kits with display Credit card payments accepted for all orders Mary Meyer Corp.

Booth 2531 $500 = free freight Mungi Bands Booth 6269 Free shipping on all orders My Princess Academy Booth 5969 $500 = FFA, net 30 $1000 = FFA, net 60 $1500 = FFA, net 90, per location by 3/1 Visit the booth for more show specials

DOUGLAS Wildlife

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Toy Fair Booth 639, Javits Center www.DouglasToys.com 1-800-992-9002

For All Attendees

Toy Fair 2013 Specials The Orb Factory Booth 5919 $500 = FFA, net 60 $1500 = 5%, FFA, net 60 $2500 = 5%, FFA, net 90 Out Of The Box Publishing Inc. Booth 3010 Free freight and a free demo copy of our newest game, Snake Oil, with any order!

Outset Media Corporation Booth 5232 $450 = 5% freight cap net 30 $750 = FFA net 60 $650 FFA net 60 for ASTRA members only Pepperell Crafts dba Holgate Toys & Brain Noodles Booth 1304 10% off all parachute cord, accessories 10% off all Brain Noodle orders 100 Brain Noodle with purchase on $300+ Playaway Toy Company Inc. Booth 5088 25-199 units = 3% discount 200+ units = 5% discount Credit card payments accepted for all orders Half down on all orders, net 30 for remainder

Shainsware Booth 6362 Free freight for orders of $250 or more Free in-store event kit with orders of $350 or more Free gift when you visit the booth New product special – learn more at the booth!

Skullduggery Inc. Booth 5232 Come see our new MaxTraxxx & Marble Racer items $500 free freight $1000 free freight & net 60 Smart Play LLC Booth 5939 $300 = FFA, net 30 $500 = FFA, net 30, 3% discount $1,000 = FFA, net 60, 5% discount Solo Time Ltd. Booth 2816 Purchase 72 pc. watches #1000 FFA (not including display)

Plushland Booth 5217 Free freight on all show orders

Speed Stacks Inc. Booth 5251 $500 = FFA, net 30 Free demo kit for all new stores New point of sale display

Pressman Toy Corporation Booth 1703 Free freight with orders of $750!

Safari Ltd. Booth 1637 $350 = FFA, net 30 $750 = FFA, net 60, 5% discount

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School-Rite Booth 2533 Free freight on minimum order of $350 net Terms of net 30 to qualify for free freight No dating allowed for on promotion

Playroom Entertainment Booth 6005 $300 Orders = 3% off, net 30 $500 Orders = 5% off, net 30 $1000 Orders = FFA, 5% off, net 45 $1500 Orders = FFA, 8% off, net 60

Popular Playthings Booth 5607 $400 = FFA $750 = FFA, net 60 Prepay = 10% discount

20 January 2013

School Zone Publishing Booth 5827 $250 net = free freight $500 net = free freight and 60 days Free displays with initial fill of product

astratoy.org

Squishable.com Booth 4957 Free freight at $350 on all show orders for immediate shipment to addresses in the lower 48 US states.

Free POP display at $500 (one per store) The Storymatic Booth 6177 Free shipping on orders placed & paid for at show

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Using it to promote your store

By Susan Oliver, Tropomedia

The Woohoo! Factor message The Divine Miss Mommy gets it.

“One of the great things about buying locally,” writes this popular blogger and mother of three from Atlanta, “is supporting your local community, discovering new toys that might not be in the larger chain stores, and helping small businesses.”

That sums up the Woohoo! Factor message that ASTRA wants moms, dads, grandparents and other toy buyers across the nation to hear. It is that message that drives ASTRA’s outreach to consumers through the Best Toys for Kids award program, the annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day celebration and the newly-launched Discover the Woohoo! Factor campaign.

Making the connection ASTRA’s efforts are focused on helping consumers see the big picture: the hearts-and-minds connection between where today’s young parents spend their toy dollars, and how that choice supports other lifestyle values about which they are passionate. Those values include a commitment to community, living locally, healthy products for children, and good environmental stewardship, to name a few.

Baked into the message is a good dose of fun, which is expressed in the Woohoo!

Factor theme.

ASTRA is always looking for creative ways to help independent retailers deliver the message that their store’s values are a good match with those of civic-minded consumers. “It would be wonderful if we could do a big nationwide public relations campaign to educate families about the specialty toy difference, but that takes millions of dollars,” says Kathleen McHugh, 24 January 2013

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ASTRA president. “Since we don’t have that kind of budget, we look for the most efficient and effective ways to reach the specialty toy target market. Social media is central to our campaign. We are finding that connecting with mommy bloggers is a great way to amplify our voice.”

Role of mommy bloggers Bloggers are especially effective because they have high credibility with their readers – they speak directly to their followers with no company or corporate interest in the middle – and they reach consumers with shared interests and values. Here are examples of posts by mommy bloggers during the fall 2012 Neighborhood Toy Store Day campaign.

Take notice: the total readership of these posts exceeded a whopping 5 million targeted consumers. Also note: not only is the shop local message delivered and supported with strong reasoning, but these bloggers are anchoring their comments in a larger context of values and lifestyle choices.

• Katie’s Nesting Spot: “Shopping in our own neighborhood is important to me because I like knowing our money stays in our own community, supporting the local economy and keeping neighbors employed. Plus, I find that small businesses really take the time to get to know their customers.”

• Musings of a Housewife: “While the convenience of the online retailers is hard to beat, there is nothing like shopping local for superior customer service and fostering community. Small, independently-owned toy stores typically

have more variety and a better selection of unique products than big chain stores, and they often offer special services such as gift wrapping and fun diversions for the kids while you shop.

Plus, having someone knowledgeable on hand to advise you on your purchases, especially when choosing gifts, is invaluable.”

• Momfluential: “I’m fortunate to live near an excellent independent neighborhood toy store. The owner takes pride in finding the coolest products to share with his customers, and knows who they are and what they like. When there is a birthday party or special event, he helps track who got what. He wraps gifts beautifully. He runs fundraisers and workshops and community events. I think the local toy store, more than almost any shop in my town, is what has made this place feel like a real community.”

• Mamanista: “As you do your holiday shopping, please remember that your purchases can make a difference in your local community. I own a small business myself, so I understand how hard small business owners work. As a small business owner, I create jobs and know how stressful it is to have other people depending on me for their income.”

• SheKnows Real Moms Guide: “Saturday, November 10, is national Neighborhood Toy Store Day – a chance for you to shop at your favorite local toy stores, give back to your community, and participate in fun in-store events while shopping.”

Using ASTRA resources to position your store

Katie’s Nesting Spot

Musings of a Housewife

How can you, as a specialty toy retailer, use ASTRA resources to tell toy buyers that your store not only has products they want, but also shares their values?

ASTRA’s new consumer website, YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org, offers retailers a place to share expertise about toys, healthy play and child development, and related topics. If you provide a brief article on a seasonal topic or parenting issue, posting it on this website provides you with instant third-party validation and credibility. You can then tweet to your customers about your post, and link to it on your store’s website and Facebook page. This positions you as an expert, and provides useful information and news to share with your customers.

YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org also provides a wealth of information for retailers to draw from as you work to position yourself as the top expert about toys and play in your community. It’s

packed with expert advice, including the most up-to-date information on creative and educational play, toy trends and news, and where to find the best merchandise on the market. This content is available to retailers for linking and posting.

Help your customers discover the Woohoo! Factor So much about the specialty toy message ties into the quality of life that today’s parents seek for their families. It’s about fun and toys and the joy of play, and also about building community and supporting local businesses that create jobs and keep their dollars circulating locally. All that adds up to the Woohoo!

Factor – a platform the specialty toy industry is uniquely positioned to deliver.

Take a few minutes to check out ASTRA’s resources, and see how your store can use this message to stake out a special place in the hearts and wallets of toy buyers in your neighborhood.

ASTRA

The Magazine For People Who Sell Toys Momfluential

Mamanista

You Deserve a

FREE

Subscription Sign up today at edplay.com

SheKnows Real Moms Guide

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January 25

Woohoo! Content Calendar Guide Follow YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org, or simply use this calendar to guide your own Facebook posts, tweets, blogs and events.

WEEK 17: January 7 to 11

WEEK 20: January 28 to February 1

Jan. 8, Bubble Bath Day; 11, International Thank You Day; 13, Make Your Dream Come True Article 1: Rid Yourself of Clutter: Where to Donate – Play Together Article 2: New Year’s Resolutions for Play – Play Experts

Jan. 28, National Kazoo Day; 29, Puzzle Day Article 1: Unraveling the Hidden Benefits of Puzzles – Play & Learn Article 2: Brighten the Dark Days of Winter – Play Creatively ASTRA Retailer Spotlight: What are you looking for when you go to Toy Fair? – Play Experts

WEEK 18: January 14 to 18 Organize Your Home; Jan. 15, National Hat Day; 17, Kid Inventors Day Article 1: Feature on Winners – Play Experts Article 2: What It’s Like to Be a Child Inventor – Play & Learn ASTRA Retailer Spotlight: Selecting New Toys from Inventors – Play Experts ASTRA Manufacturer Spotlight: Inventor

WEEK 19: January 21 to 25 Jan. 21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; 23, National Handwriting Day; 24, Belly Laugh Day Article 1: How to Explain Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to Children – Play & Learn Article 2: Take Time to Be Silly for Belly Laugh Day – Play Together

26 January 2013

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Celebrate the New Year by sharing your Woohoo! Factor. Add your store’s events for 2013 to YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org.

Here’s how: 1. Log in to your member profile at www.astratoy.org (you must be logged in as the primary contact) 2. Go to “My Profile” under “Your Account” 3. Click on the “Events Tab” 4. Click “New Event” 5. Add event information

If you have suggestions for upcoming articles, or if you would like to contribute to YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org, email Caryn at cgiznik@astratoy.org.

ASTRA

Here’s to 50 more years of making kids smile

Celebrating Local Toy Stores 365 Days a Year ASTRA

is kicking the Woohoo!

Factor up a notch with two new direct-to-consumer campaigns. A giant push for Neighborhood Toy Store Day kicked off YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org, and now it’s time to extend the message of Neighborhood Toy Store Day 365 days a year. Each of these campaigns is being marketed to consumers with the help of social media via local mommy bloggers throughout the country.

In December 2012, ASTRA launched the first ever holiday campaign called “Woohoo Them This Holiday Season.”

Consumers who tweeted “Woohoo them this holiday season with ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids. See the full list at YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org! #woohootoys” were entered to win a $100 gift card to their local toy store.

February isn’t just about chocolates and flowers. ASTRA will

be asking consumers to show their love by sharing pictures of their favorite local toy stores via Twitter and Facebook. Those who share pictures of their favorite local toy stores using a specified hashtag will be entered to win a gift card to an ASTRA store near them. ASTRA will also provide materials for retailers to promote this campaign just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Get involved Share campaign posts and tweets from the Woohoo! Factor with your customers, one of them may just be the lucky winner!

Check weekly e-bulletins and Woohoo! Factor updates for more information on these campaigns and how you can get involved.

Like us at www.facebook.com/TheWoohooFactor Follow us at www.twitter.com/TheWoohooFactor ASTRA

Please visit us @ Toy Fair booth # 2914 Toy Fair Special: FFA with purchase of 72pc children’s quartz watches #1000 (718)853-7180 28 January 2013

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solonewyork@aol.com

2013 Success Package

Make the Most of 2013 Bob Negen

ill the New Year be lucky 2013?

That’s up to you!

We asked recent speakers at ASTRA conventions how retailers should approach the coming year. What should be their priorities? What should they embrace, and what should they ignore?

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Bob Negen of Whiz Bang Training got straight to the point. “In 2013, spend time planning, but keep the focus on creating an amazing customer experience,” he said.

“This means creating policies, procedures and training systems that support the delivery of an amazing experience.”

Negen and others offer a host of help in blogs, through Facebook and Twitter, and in one-on-one counseling with retailers. Manufacturers and reps can find gold here, too. So take this collection of tips as a personal counseling session, and make this year your lucky 2013.

Five Priorities Toy Retailers Should Embrace for a Successful 2013

by Doug Fleener, international retail and customer experience expert

1. Be relentless about increasing frequency of customer visits. Most retailers market their store and advertise their products, but don’t necessarily focus on driving store visits. Imagine what can happen to a store’s sales if every customer visits just once or twice more over the course of a year! How do you increase visits?

Consider launching (or improving) a birthday club, offering considerably more in-store events, and working more closely with schools and community groups.

2. Improve staff engagement and selling skills.

Not only do you want more traffic in 2013, you want to increase the amount of sales you get from each customer. In most stores, this can be done by investing more time and energy in teaching and coaching the staff how to better engage and sell. It is up to the staff to create excitement around the products, keep customers in the store longer and maximize every opportunity. As good as your staff may be 30 January 2013

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today, you can help them become even better.

3. Focus on your own growth and development. I see a direct correlation between an owner or manager’s personal growth and the staff’s performance. Identify two or three areas in which you can grow and develop that will have a direct impact on your sales and/or profits. Take a class.

Hire a coach, or ask someone to be a mentor. Attend as many trade show educational events you can. Even one or two nuggets you bring back and apply can make a big difference in your business.

4. Keep evolving your stores. Not only toy stores but every industry is struggling to evolve with a changing landscape.

Products are being commoditized, and customers use smartphones to comparison shop even as they’re standing in your store. Try to fight that, and all you’ll do is lose customers. Keep searching for differ-

ent and unique products. Be as competitive on hot sellers as possible. Embrace the informed shopper. At the very least, you know they are people who want to make a purchase.

5. Last, and most important, deliver an amazing customer experience. Independent and specialty toy retailers can thrive in 2013 and beyond, but it is going to be by going beyond customer service. It’s going to happen when you differentiate your store by creating a very special and memorable customer experience, one where people leave after every visit and say, “WOW. They’re amazing.”

What/who should retailers ignore? Anyone who says it is hopeless.

Anyone who blames others for their struggles. There will always be a place for a special toy store. There isn’t a market for a mediocre store that happens to sell toys.

(“Success Package” continued on page 32)

Smart Toys and Games 2822 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone (800) 542-6375 Fax (415) 931-6375 Sales@SmartToysandGames.com

www.SmartToysandGamesDealer.com

2013 Success Package

Cash Flow

by Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor

hough most retailers have been making quarterly estimated payments, it is now time to completely pay your tax bill. Penalties are significant and should be avoided at all costs. In a similar vein, any S-corporation owners should use current cash flow to fund their retirement plans to minimize their tax exposure.

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What should the priorities be?

It is certainly tempting to “take the money and run” as they say, but January is a fresh start for every business. As such, it is the right time to take a critical look at the infrastructure of your location. Are there any looming maintenance or cosmetic issues that should be addressed? Do it now.

Most retailers have triple-net leases on their location. They are responsible for their share of any increased property taxes, maintenance costs for common areas, and building insurance. It is a rare year when these costs do not increase.

Most landlords, also looking to ease their own cash flow issues, will mail these assessments and bills at this time of year.

What to embrace, what to ignore Do a physical inventory. Check my blog to see how to do it on a shoestring budget: www.retaildoc.com/blog/takingthe-hassle-out-of-physical-inventory-andwhy-its-worth-it/.

Review all of your employees from your latest part-time seasonal staff to your

experienced manager. You always want to improve your workforce, not settle for what you have. Here’s why and how: www.retaildoc.com/blog/why-andhow-to-do-an-employee-review/.

Ignore spending a lot of time bemoaning the fate of toys, commiserating on chat boards, or sharing defeats.

People shop with happy people.

Employees work for happy people. Happy employees sell better. You get nowhere feeling a victim or being stuck in a rut.

Pay Attention

by Cathy Wagner, Retail Mavens

he most important thing that retailers can do to increase their success in Q1 of 2013 is to pay attention. They need to pay attention to their numbers, their results and their thoughts. If they pay attention to these things, they will be paying themselves more.

Pay attention to your numbers. Review your financials. Identify what numbers you want to be different. Decide on three specific steps you will take to do so. I am happy to help you with that.

yourself. (Sometimes we work for a boss that is much too nice!) For example, retailers will be unhappy with the money they are bringing home from their store.

They will say that they don’t understand or that their numbers are too confusing. In any other job, your boss would tell you to find out – ask an expert and get answers.

Or your other option might be to get a different job! I know this is harsh, but stop just getting by year after year. I want you to be very profitable, and live the life you desire.

Pay attention to your results. If you didn’t get the results you wanted, decide to make a change. Don’t take any excuses from

Pay attention to your thoughts. Listen to what you are telling yourself. You are so talented and passionate. The more suc-

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cessful you are, the more people you get to share your passion with. And that impacts their lives! Only listen to the thoughts you have that get you closer to those results – more success, more impact, more customers and raving fans, more profit. Anything else is crazy talk and has to be shut down in your head right away.

Negative thoughts are easiest to stomp out when they first creep up.

If you have questions for Cathy, visit retailmavens.com/blog/contact to leave a message for her, or call 847-622-8382.

(“Success Package” continued on page 34)

2013 Success Package

10 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Business!

by Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender, Kizer & Bender Speaking!

e wanted to begin with a catchy phrase, like “You’re gonna be rich in 2006!” but there’s not a whole lot you can do with 2013. “Things will be keen in 2013” just didn’t cut it, so we opted to drop the cutesy and jump feet first into reality. 2013 is going to be an interesting retail year: You have to be ready, willing and able to take on whatever your customers decide to throw at you. Some will want your undivided attention; others want to be left alone. Some love a good sale; others want what they want in stock.

Some want ideas; others think they know it all. This list could go on and on …

STOP! Let’s focus on 10 things you can do right now to ensure your store stays ahead of the competition.

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1. Look at 2012’s performance through objective eyes Begin with some soul searching combined with a reality check. Where was your business at this time last year, and where is it now? Have you committed to grow your business in 2013? What worked for you in 2012? What didn’t?

Which things will you keep, tweak or eliminate to make your business better this year? Make a “Strategic Plan of Action” list of things to do, and refer to it all year long. Update it as necessary.

2. Set measurable standards Standards are your measurement of operation. Every successful retailer we know has written standards of operation.

Customer service, training, dress code and customer policies are just a few of the areas that require written standards.

Standards add consistency to already successful businesses, and success to those seeking it.

3. Make every customer feel welcome We know it’s hard to believe, but not 34 January 2013

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every customer feels right at home in your store. Break the ice with a greeting that makes them feel important. Forget “May I help you?” because that greeting almost always invites a “No-thanks-I’m-just-looking” response from the customer. (It’s okay to ask that question only when you sense the customer is in a hurry.) Instead, smile, say hello and talk about anything but the store – you can talk about product after you’ve made the customer feel welcome.

And adopt our “7-Tile Rule”: Whenever anyone in the store – from stock person to store owner – comes within seven floor tiles (that’s 7 feet) of a customer, they must personally acknowledge that customer. Engage her in conversation or look her in the eye, smile and nod – whatever makes sense at the time, as long as every single customer is acknowledged.

4. Can we talk? Build an ongoing customer dialog Customers like to be part of your success, so ask them what they think. Ask, “What one thing could we do to _______?” Fill in the blank with whatever is important to you at that time: “improve our customer service in 2013” or “make it more convenient to shop here” or “what event would you like us to hold in our store?” If several repeat a variation on the same theme, that’s a good thing! If it’s positive, you have one more thing to brag about, and if it’s negative, you know just what to fix.

5. Create a continuous training program You probably have a training program for new hires, but do you have one for your seasoned associates? It’s easy to assume someone who has been with you forever knows all there is to know about what you sell, but that assumption can only hurt your business. Regardless of skill level, everyone in your store benefits from ongoing training.

Devote every other store meeting to training. (If you don’t currently have store meetings at least monthly, now is a good time to start.) In between, have books, vendor catalogs, DVDs and CDs available so associates can study on their own. If they accompany you to trade shows, let them take classes as well as walk the show floor. They can share with other associates when they return to the store.

6. Never stop learning!

While you’re at it, train yourself!

Take a course at your local community college. Go to business seminars offered by your Chamber of Commerce or Downtown Association. Make time to attend classes at the trade shows you attend. Pick a topic that interests you, and listen to CDs while in your car – we do.

We like to say we hold doctorate degrees from “Auto University.”

7. Keep one eye on your competition This year, commit to identifying your competition and learning everything about them. Competition can be found in unexpected places, like the gift shop that suddenly decides to carry toys. Visit their stores as a retailer and as a customer.

Phone them and ask the same questions customers ask you. Dig deeper by becoming a stealth competitor: Get a free Gmail account, visit their websites, and sign up for their email blasts and newsletters.

Register for Google Alerts, adding each competitor’s name (add yours, too) – you’ll be sent a link via email each time they are mentioned anywhere online.

Register at SocialMention.com, and you’ll get an email when they are mentioned on blogs and social media sites.

The goal is to find out what it feels like to be your competition’s customer. How do their stores/websites/blogs/Facebook pages rate when compared to yours? Find out (continued on page 36)

is a domestic, 3rd party independent testing laboratory specializing in CPSIA, ASTM F963, Canadian CCPSA Toys Regulations, and California Proposition 65 compliance testing. ToyTestingLab is accredited by A2LA and is accepted by the CPSC as an accredited laboratory.

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ASTM TEST METHODS: ASTM F963-11 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety

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2013 Success Package (“10 Ideas to Jump Start Your Business!” continued from page 34)

what their typical customer experience is and then do it better.

8. Out with the old, in with the new How old is the product you have on your sales floor? Can you instantly determine the date each item was received?

Can you easily identify slow sellers or items that are dead on the shelves? You need to regularly mark down the prior season’s merchandise and items that are past their prime.

Add a code to labels and/or bin tickets that tell you the age of each piece of merchandise. We know, your POS system tells you how old your stock is, but when was the last time you took one of those computer reports to the sales floor to find all that old stuff? This year, make it a priority.

9. Embrace cross-merchandising Why just sell one product when you can sell two or more? Opportunities to cross-merchandise are all over your store,

plus accessories like clip strips and Jhooks make it easy to cross-merchandise on any fixture. Mix related impulse items and high profit product. Think about what you can cross-merchandise with each new item before you give it a home on the sales floor.

10. Set non-negotiable budgets for every area of the store Go through your list of expenditures and review how much you spent on each category in 2012. Now, using your good judgment, choose an arbitrary figure to use as your 2013 budget. Let everyone involved in purchasing know that this dollar amount is all the money there is to spend. Period. We adopted this system a few years ago. We always come in at, or under, our budget.

And while you’re at it, stop buying things you don’t really need. In fact, look at every dollar spent as unnecessary. Walk through your store with an accountant’s

eye – Do you have piles of unused supplies in your office? Are there boxes of overstock stacked in your bathroom? Maybe you have an associate who just isn’t working out. When you cut down on all nonprofit-producing costs, you’ll have more money for the things you really need.

Okay, we lied about the 10 ideas – there are really 11 …

11. Do it now Procrastination is not your friend, so don’t let it or poor time management hurt your store. Some things can wait. Your path to success, however, cannot. Start at the top of the list or with the items that will help you the most. If necessary, you can break them down into smaller, more manageable steps. And if you feel overwhelmed, remember this old African proverb: “How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.”

Copyright Kizer and Bender. All rights reserved.

Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate

by Phil Wrzesinski, Phil’s Forum for Independent Retail Success

riorities for first quarter for me are always evaluations. I evaluate everything from sales to expenses to advertising to staff. More specifically …

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market share helps with this) for the following year. I look at where I need to make cuts, or where I can save a little more so that I can spend a little more elsewhere.

I look at overall sales and how they trended monthly. I break it down by category, too, to see if there are any trends there worth noting, such as rises or declines in certain categories. I also look at our population.

Is it growing or shrinking? Getting older or younger? I calculate market share every year because it helps me understand whether I am doing well or worse than top line sales or profits tell me.

I look at advertising. What did I do? When did I do it? How much do I feel it helped?

What can I do differently? Advertising is designed to bring in new customers and/or bring people in for events. I look at both separately. Which did I attempt, and how successful was it? I make a budget and a general plan for advertising for the upcoming year.

I look at expenses and compare them to the previous year. I plan a budget based on expectant sales and revenue (calculating

I look at staffing. Do I have the right people to accomplish my goals for the upcoming year? Do they have enough training?

36 January 2013

What do I hope to accomplish in training this year? Then I map out a training schedule. We do monthly meetings/trainings, but I plan in quarterly segments so that I can also address timely topics in these meetings. I set a goal for each quarter, such as product knowledge, relationship building, teamwork, etc.

The last thing I look at is new products, and only because Toy Fair makes me. Other than new outdoor toys, we focus most of our first quarter buys on products that sold extremely well last year. Then and only then do we really jump into the new. Or at least, that is our theory. Reality sometimes forces us to buy the new now (such as LEGO). We don’t make it a priority unless we have no choice.

ASTRA

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Trade Show Tips from the Pros

by Mary Sisson

Wear comfortable shoes.

Ask any retailer the first rule of working a trade show, and that’s likely to come up.

But when we asked six speakers from recent ASTRA conventions for their top trade show tips, only Bob and Susan Negen said anything about staying comfortable. And they didn’t mention shoes.

If being comfortable means returning from the show having made decisions that will build your business – not burden it – all six offered much wisdom that goes well beyond footwear.

Here is what Bob Phibbs, the Negens, Doug Fleener, Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender, Cathy Wagner and Phil Wrzesinski offered to help you make the most of Toy Fair, ASTRA Marketplace and other shows.

Run and review reports Fleener: Use your pointof-sale system’s ability to print specialized reports. This gives you the information you need to analyze the current performance of each of your vendors.

Evaluate what is selling, and what percent of the merchandise was sold at regular price versus marked down price.

Note the gross margin by vendor, and also compare this year’s (or season’s) sales with previous seasons to get a better picture of each manufacturer’s profitability for your business. Additionally, compile a list of open orders.

Phibbs: Prepare – know your numbers. Not your macro numbers, like how we did for the month, but the micro numbers. What are your top five categories in gross sales, and, if you can access it, in terms

of profitability? Look at all of your categories, and find your top five to seven. Then find your bottom five to 10.

Wrzesinski: If you don’t evaluate sales by category, you have less idea of what new companies you need to find. That evaluation of last year’s sales is critical to being prepared for this year’s trade shows.

Do your show homework Kizer & Bender: Review all the show-related advertisements in trade publications.

Note new items, plus vendors you want to be sure and visit, as well as their booth numbers.

Review all pre-show materials sent by the association and by vendors.

Hold a store meeting to discuss trends, hot items, new categories and other things you found in your pre-show

research. Ask your store associates and key customers for ideas as well. They will offer a fresh perspective on what to look for at the show.

Don’t go without a budget Negen: Decide how much you are going to spend at the show and do not spend more than you have allocated. You can always buy once you get back to your store, when the stars have cleared from your eyes.

Fleener: Armed with reports, it’s time to create a buying plan. Going to market with dollars designated by product category will help you make sound buying decisions.

The more specific you are now, the easier the task when you finally sit down to write orders.

Phibbs: Analyze your reports. Many independent business owners are chronic (continued on page 40)

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January 39

(“Trade Show Tips from the Pros” continued from page 38)

over-buyers. It’s so much fun to go to New York or Chicago and buy things! But if you bring something new in, that means something has to go. You can’t just keep putting more merch in your store. If sales were down 5 percent last year then your inventory level should be down 5 percent as well.

Go to the show looking only to add to your most profitable, best-selling categories.

Be liberal. With your best categories, go ahead, try new things, unproven things, things you have a hunch on. Even if you buy a stinker, you will be able to move it out quicker because there is more demand in the category.

Be conservative. With your bottom categories, STOP. Don’t buy more because those categories aren’t contributing enough to your bottom line.

Use an open-to-buy. In its most basic form it means you can’t buy unless something else has sold. This helps keep you from overbuying for your store.

Time to get moving!

Negen: Get a map of the show floor plan and find all the vendors you want to spend extra time with. Decide how much of the show you need to see each day, and work accordingly – don’t get stuck having to see half the show in the last three hours!

Kizer & Bender: Before you visit your first vendor, make a quick pass through the entire floor, scanning each booth, noting which ones to come back and visit later.

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Inside tip: The first day of the show, and during the opening hours each day, the booths at the front of the show are generally mobbed. If you begin at the back of the show floor, where traffic is generally lighter, you’ll enjoy more quality time with the vendors you need to see.

Fleener: Walk the halls of the entire show. Why look at product categories you’re not buying? It’s a great way to get a sense of universal trends you can then look for in your specific niche. Visit all of your vendors before you write any orders – this way, you can evaluate everything fairly.

Wrzesinski: Know whom you need to see and whom you don’t need to see. For Toy Fair, we make lists of every vendor we buy from who is attending.

Then we pare back the list based on a number of factors.

Do they have their catalog out (and do we have one)? Do they have a good rep for our area?

Do we have questions about anything new in the catalog?

The more businesses we can cross off the list, the more time we have to look at new companies.

Grow vendor partnerships Kizer & Bender: Look at the show as an opportunity to meet new people who can help you grow your business. A partnership relationship with your vendors can reap big rewards. Trade shows are more than just a place to buy product. They provide the perfect opportunity to meet the very

people who can help ensure your lasting success. Attend all the cocktail parties, open houses and gala events. When you meet your vendors socially, you strengthen your relationship, creating a win-win situation for you both.

Ask questions. (See page 42) Work discounts to your advantage Wrzesinski: Ask for discounts when you go to the trade shows. Just don’t stretch your order to get them. More often than not you’ll lose all the discounts by buying stuff you don’t want or can’t sell. Better yet, ask for smaller minimums so you can make more small purchases throughout the year instead of just waiting for the next trade show.

Your store will actually have more cash, more flexibility and more profit if you made six or more smaller orders at full price, rather than two big ones at minimal discounts.

First, you would have more flexibility to always be in stock if one item starts selling fast.

Second, you would have fewer dogs to mark down. Third, you would have the cash in hand to pay for the order before the terms came due.

Negen: Ask for discounts, and I don’t mean just a trade show special. This is the perfect time, face to face with your best vendors, to ask for better prices on their products – permanently. Many small and mid-sized retailers think they don’t carry enough clout with their vendors to get preferred pricing like the big

boys. Not necessarily true! You just have to ask. The very worst that can happen is your price stays the same, and, at best, you may improve your margins by a couple of points.

Take pictures Fleener: If allowed, take pictures of items you might be interested in purchasing. There are two main benefits to this.

When you write your orders, a picture will remind you of exactly what you are buying.

After you buy, create a photo album to show your staff and customers what will be available at your store in the coming months. Post photos on Facebook to get customers excited.

Finally, buy Fleener: Once you’ve scoured the market and taken detailed notes and pictures, you are ready to create your stock assortments. I found this task easiest when I took one classification at a time. Since my buying plan provided a dollar amount by category, I knew how much money I could spend and still have my inventory balanced.

Network, network, network Kizer & Bender: Set a goal to meet at least five new retailers each day. You’ll find this network of non-competing retailers will become an outstanding resource to you throughout the year.

Introduce yourself to the people at the trade publication booths. They are an invaluable (continued on page 42)

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20

(“Trade Show Tips from the Pros” continued from page 40)

source of industry information, and they want to help you succeed.

Share with your customers Wagner: You come home from a show with golden nuggets. There is gold in all the knowledge and feelings that you accumulated at that trade show. The gold is in the stories about what inspired a product, or how the company’s founders got started, or the feelings you got when you first laid eyes on a certain toy.

Those pieces of gold can turn your customers into rav-

ing fans. It is all about connecting with your customers and developing relationships.

Stories, feelings and bits of knowledge allow you to share your trade show experience.

Information like this makes it all come to life – the vendor, the item and your store!

Customers become invested in your store and become raving fans who tell others about a new product you discussed with them – and then anxiously await its arrival.

While traveling home, write down 10 topics you want to share with your customers.

Pack the essentials Negen: Take a bottle of water, small snacks like granola bars, breath mints, lots of business cards, a mini stapler, highlighters, pens, a tablet for notes and a backpack to carry all the catalogs.

Kizer & Bender: Just before you leave for the show, take a fresh batch of store photos, both inside and out. These will come in handy during discussions with vendors, seminar leaders and other retailers.

mate the physical effort required to work a trade show really hard. Stay strong, comfortable and organized. Take time to eat breakfast and a decent lunch.

Above all, have fun!

Remember: This is what your friends think is the glamorous part of your job as a retail store owner! ________________________ Oh – and don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes.

Take care of yourself Negen: Don’t underesti-

Take Advantage of Your Vendors’ Wealth of Sales-Building Knowledge

by Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender

Companies spend millions of dollars each year designing ways to make their product fly off of your store shelves. Take advantage of this important research! Here are some questions to ask each vendor.

Do you have presentation and display tips for this product or product line?

What’s the best way to sell this product line? Alone or cross-merchandised with your – or another vendor’s – product?

Do you have signing or other point-ofpurchase materials available such as QR codes, project sheets or brochures?

Who else is selling this merchandise?

What are they doing to move it that’s important for me to know as well?

Do you have DVDs I can use for associate training and for in-store play?

Where should I display this product in my store?

Many vendors have a host of extras to help you display and sell their products.

Sometimes they are readily available, and sometimes you have to ask. Bring this list of questions with you to each booth you visit.

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Are there racks available to better show and inventory the product in my store?

Do you offer merchandise planograms?

Do you have people who can train my staff on how to best use your product?

Can you recommend an in-store event or other idea I can use to promote your product and build foot traffic in my store?

Do you have items I can have to use as giveaways and as door prizes during my special events?

Are there co-op dollars available to help pay for advertising to promote your product line?

Are there co-op dollars available to pay for part of my Yellow Pages ad if I list your product line in the ad copy or feature your logo?

Do you have articles or photographs I can use to promote your line in my email blasts, newsletter and website?

Do you have information, photographs and retailer-friendly links I can use to promote your line on my social media outlets?

ASTRA

Seven Ways Businesses and Communities Can

Fight “Showrooming”

by Casey Woods and Jeff Milchen

customer walks into your toy store, pulls out her phone and starts taking pictures or scanning UPC codes. A caller asks for extremely specific information about your services or products. A person stops by and starts writing down detailed information about an internal service. If you’ve seen these things happen your business has likely been “showroomed.”

Showrooming is the process of a consumer getting information on a product or service from a storefront business, tapping the expertise of its employees, and, perhaps, even trying out or trying on a product before purchasing it from a remote seller at a lower cost.

Fulfillment centers that lack storefronts can price products so cheaply in part because they avoid overhead costs that walk-in businesses must pay to serve customers. In the case of retailers, however, the remote seller also is exempted from sales tax collection duties that brick-and-mortar businesses are obliged to collect in 45 states.

A

(continued on page 46)

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(“Seven Ways Businesses and Communities Can Fight “Showrooming”” continued from page 44)

With the advent of smartphones, customers have become savvier consumers. Recognize some may use their phone to research the best product to purchase from your business. But others may merely be using your business as a showroom and testing facility. So what can businesses do to curb the problem?

1. Turn apples into oranges. Mass-produced items are easy to compare and are fodder for intense price competition, so try to carry more distinctive products tailored to your customer base, and offer personal services that aren’t as vulnerable to showrooming. Locally-made products help differentiate your business from your competition, too.

Try to bundle products or services, offer tiered “plans” or provide value-added services with purchases. Consider providing incentives to turn the first purchase into additional ones. When you can explain the difference in your business’ products versus those somewhere else in terms that are real and exciting to a customer, your product or service is less likely to be viewed as a mere commodity.

2. Develop cooperative partnerships with other nearby businesses to “bundle” products and/or services to make them unique and convenient from the consumer’s perspective. A real estate firm, for example, may partner with a home décor store, hardware store, insurance agent and moving company to create a “new home package.”

Bridal shops often form relationships with photographers, travel agencies, florists and caterers. A little creativity can help foster mutually beneficial partnerships that add convenience and value for customers, and distinguish you from the rest. That unique packages can’t effectively be showroomed is secondary to adding value.

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3. Engage customers. A 2012 Nielsen poll indicated 69 percent of respondents thought in-store purchases were “most reliable,” and 68 percent of them said that it was the “easiest” and “most convenient” way to shop. Your personal contact can reinforce those beliefs. Also, if you aren’t interacting with people, it’s much easier for the consumer to showroom your business guilt-free.

Make sure they experience the value of your staff and know your services. If your service is perceived as on-par with online shopping or remote ordering, most consumers won’t understand why they should be loyal to you (with good reason).

And people are less likely to showroom in businesses where they view the staff as “friends.”

4. Train your staff to handle potential “showrooming” scenarios. If you have a staff member who receives a phone call or email asking for very specific product or service information, how do you handle it? Do you train your staff on how to close sales and distinguish your products?

Businesses can’t stop showrooming, but proactive strategy and well-trained staff can diminish leakage and often turn it to your advantage. One key is to make sure you are training salespeople, not mere clerks. Give a potential customer a new insight or knowledge, and it’s much harder for them to walk out your door to order online. A well-timed anecdote about online customers facing problems with sizing, returning defective merchandise, etc. can also be effective toward diminishing resistance to a modest price differential.

Matching a no-service business’s price is rarely advisable, and nearly every customer will accept paying something for personal service, convenience and immediate gratification. Personal interaction will help you assess how much.

5. Educate your customers and your community about the benefits of doing business locally. Tell your story. Not just the events you hold or the products/services you provide, but the people behind your business and the role you play in your community. You are more than what sits on your shelves, but your audience may not know that.

In addition to communicating your own story, help educate customers about the importance of local business ownership

generally. This includes explaining the value your local entrepreneurs provide to customers, some hidden costs of buying online and important benefits to your community that accrue from buying locally (more jobs, increased wealth and increased support for charities, for example). This is best accomplished by joining with other business owners and citizens to build longterm public education campaigns.

The campaigns sustained by dedicated community organizations have built an

impressive track record of increasing sales for local independent businesses.

6. Seek suppliers that demonstrate their long-term interest in your business. Some manufacturers and distributors choose to sell only through full-service outlets or strictly through independents. Others will enforce a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) or clearly differentiate the products they distribute to independents from those at mass merchants. astratoy.org

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January 47

If your suppliers don’t care about pricing, discounters undoubtedly will latch onto them. Deal with suppliers that care about the future of physical stores where knowledgeable salespeople can explain the value of their products. Lisa Henline of Southwest Trading Company, a furniture merchant in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, takes this a step further. “I put short bios about the American companies we deal with beside groups of items for sale. I include the number of U.S. and local jobs that vendor supports. It really seems to hit home, especially since we have one of the highest unemployment rates in our state.”

Find us in the 1800/1900 aisle at Toy Fair

7. Embrace technology and turn the tables.

Make sure your employees have fast access to product information systems – and capable knowledge to use them – to answer customers’ questions. Emerging mobile technologies can arm your employees with access to up-to-the-moment inventory, your costs and other information to help customers and close sales.

If you know your price is competitive on an item, pull the item up from a popular online competitor right in front of the customer, and explain the greater value, convenience and peace of mind they’ll receive buying from you for just a few dollars more.

Trust your salespeople (or at least managers) to know the best price you’re willing to offer on key items or those for which you will price-match. Price-matching as a blanket policy is untenable for many businesses, but often should be done strategically, weighing the lifetime value of a customer against the margin on a particular transaction.

Community concerns While storefront businesses obviously have a stake in discouraging showrooming, it’s also a challenge communities and local governments should work to minimize.

Communities need local jobs, sales tax revenue, philanthropic donations and vibrant commercial districts – all of which are undermined by showrooming. For citizens, saving a few dollars may be more than offset by lost job opportunities, decreased property valuations, increased mill levies, lost public services and other adverse impacts. This is especially true where sales tax revenues fund essential public services. Many such cities and towns would do well to invest in a professional

public education campaign to raise awareness of these issues and other benefits of choosing local independent businesses.

Practice what you preach You can’t be a credible advocate for local shopping while getting the bulk of your supplies from a warehouse chain or online. And you certainly won’t gain an audience for your efforts against showrooming if you exploit other businesses in that way. The Golden Rule extends to businesses, too!

Whatever you choose to do, engage your staff and make a plan. Your staff’s customer experiences can help you develop your strategy, and involving them will likely invest them in the plan’s success.

While the challenge of showrooming is formidable, most businesses can implement plans to turn the tables and employ mobile technology to increase sales.

To read more, please visit www.amiba.net/news/showrooming#ixzz2 DUWhPvjD. ASTRA

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ASTRA Welcomes Its Newest Manufacturer Members Anton Publications/Chicago Toy and Gift Downers Grove, Illinois www.antonpublications.com www.ChicagoToyandGift.com At Chicago Toy and Gift some special things never go out of style, like Bingo, Dominoes, Charades and matching games.

What makes ours so special? We gear our games to popular children’s interests and hobbies. Our attractive line features highquality, amusing artwork and colorful packaging. Fun games that are American as apple pie and ice cream, and are easy to play.

AZ Books LLC New York, New York www.azbooksusa.com We are book publishers of innovative and interactive children’s books, many with pop-ups, sounds and a special emphasis on early learning development. Our books are particularly informative, educational, entertaining, playful and easy to grasp, with a reading age from newborn to 8 years old. We currently have more than 200 titles to choose from – something for everyone!

Daughters of History Ltd. t/a A Girl for All Time Wheaton, Illinois www.AGirlForAllTime.com A Girl for All Time is a new range of exquisite English dolls, thrilling novels and customizable keepsake books that celebrate intelligent, creative play for girls 6 and older. Winner of ToyTalk’s “Best Doll” award in 2011 and 2012, and the Oppenheim ToyPortfolio Platinum Award, A Girl for All Time is a beautiful modern day heirloom to keep and treasure forever.

corrugated pieces, Wearables offer construction play that transforms into roleplay as children create, construct and wear their creations. All the elements combine for creative, crafting, imaginative and active play that encourages fun, quality family time.

My Funky Planet Corp.

Port St. Lucie, Florida www.myfunkyplanet.com Funky Planet specializes in RC toy cars, trucks, helicopters and other remote control toys. We carry RC toy models from worldknown auto and helicopter manufacturers like Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Hummer, Toyota, Cadillac, Mini Cooper, General Motors, Sikorsky (makers of the Black Hawk Helicopters), Bell (makers of Huey and Cobra Helicopters) and more. Our main focus is in offering top quality toys and the best customer support in the RC toy category. Work with us and never worry again about defectives, replacement parts and figuring out how to work RC toys.

We are only a phone call away, and we are always happy to help.

Pomchies LLC Paradise Valley, Arizona www.pomchies.com Strips of fun-colored nylon/spandex swimwear fabric make these accessories look like a Pom Pom! Pomchie products are soft, fun and waterproof. Wear them in your hair, on your wrists or ankles, or use as luggage tags, key chains, pet collars and more!

Pomchies now also offers new braided headbands and bracelets.

Show your spirit, and have some fun!

Red Hen LLC Grand Rapids, Michigan www.redhenllc.com Red Hen LLC is a Michigan-based manufacturer/distributor of educational toys that foster Family Games America Inc. creativity and design thinking, including the Snowdon, Quebec award-winning Kaleidograph, Froebel USA, Spark Your www.familygamesamerica.com Imagination and EuclidKids brands.

We offer classic, open-ended Since 1987, Family Games America has protoys that are time-tested and made (often in the USA) from vided challenging games, mind-bending puzzles and delightful renewable resources. puzzle-based gifts to customers wanting to flex their mental capabilities. With the appropriate motto “Learning through Laughter,” Smart Play LLC these eco-responsible products sell in the educational, toy and Alpharetta, Georgia game, and gift markets. Prepare for a worthy challenge! www.smartplay.us Smart Play is an innovative educational toy company with a wide spectrum of products – from electronic toys to puzzles to flash cards. Our toys Kid Constructions Inc. are educational, affordable and designed for children 2 to 8 years Moonachie, New Jersey of age.

Many of our products also teach a second language, such www.kidconstructions.com as Spanish, French or Mandarin.

Wearables by Kid Constructions is the unique line of creative constructible toys that puts a new twist on a classic play pattern. Featuring multiple die-cut 50 January 2013

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SmartNoggin inc.

Bristol, Indiana www.smartnoggintoys.com SmartNoggin Toys is a newly launched developmental toy company that advocates for early education for children birth to age 3.

The NogginStik Developmental Rattle is the first toy released by SmartNoggin Toys.

More than just a baby rattle, this developmental milestone-maker taps into the abilities of babies from birth. It has been awarded the 2012 National Parenting Publication Awards Gold Winner, a 2012 Toy of the Year Award

by Creative Child Magazine, and was selected to receive a 2012 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center.

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Top 10 MAPP Violators LetsPlayGames - 8%

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ZLP Manufacturing Portland, Oregon www.zlpmanufacturing.com ZLP Manufacturing LLC carries a wide variety of zip line kits, parts and accessories for residential and commercial uses. We manufacture all our parts and accessories with local vendors, and use made-in-the-USA products whenever possible.

ASTRA

BFFshop - 12%

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January 51

Totally Kids fun furniture & toys Annie Seberson 7876 Portland Ave. South Bloomington, MN 55420 (952) 881-2425 Fax: (952) 881-6467 annie@shoptotallykids.com www.shoptotallykids.com YGM Group LLC Seth Grossman 5409 18th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11204 (718) 715-4208 Fax: (718) 331-8231 sgrossman@theygmgroup.com AFFILIATES Creative Teaching Press Chris Campau 15362 Graham St. Huntington Beach, CA 92649 (714) 895-5047136 Fax: (714) 895-6547 chris.campau@ creativeteaching.com www.creativeteaching.com Jacque’s Inc. Jacque Flagg 4301-B South Texas Ave. Bryan, TX 77802 (979) 846-8660 Fax: (979) 846-4307 jacquetoy@suddenlink.net www.jacquesstore.com MANUFACTURERS Automoblox Company LLC Susan Calello 54 Harrison Ave. Roseland, NJ 07068 (973) 442-9444 susan@automblox.com www.automoblox.com

AZ Books LLC Robert Tod 245 8th Ave. #180 New York, NY 10011 (888) 945-772310 Fax: (888) 945-7724 Robert@azbooksusa.com www.azbooksusa.com Dandy Innovations Wendy Lasater 249 Stonehurst Blvd.

Freehold, NJ 07728 (609) 651-3477 wlasater@dandyinnovations.com www.themonstereater.com Daughters of History Ltd. t/a A Girl for All Time Frances Cain 2123 Driving Park Rd. Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 682-8633 frances@AGirlForAllTime.com www.AGirlForAllTime.com The Fiammetta Toy Co Inc. (Stork Babies) Elizabeth Cross 4775 Bleneheim St. Vancouver, BC V6L 3A5 Canada (778) 871-7177 info@mystorkbabies.com www.mystorkbabies.com Grouchy Dog LLC Margaret L. Maciulla 6694 Tippetts Dr. Mercersburg, PA 17236 (703) 909-0277 grouchydogllc@yahoo.com Group Sales Inc. Dan Conwell 821 Melbourne St. Cincinnati, OH 45229 (513) 961-8697 Fax: (513) 961-0888 DConwell@groupsalesinc.com www.thegroupsalesinc.com

Grow Studio Alyson Beaton 2841 N. Whipple Chicago, IL 60618 (773) 319-7401 alyson@lille-huset.com www.lillehusetshop.com Kid Constructions Inc. Joe Casali 131 West Commercial Ave. Moonachie, NJ 7417 (201) 935-5300 joec@kidconstructions.com www.kidconstructions.com My Funky Planet Corp.

Sebastian Abondano 563 NW Mercantile Place Port St. Lucie, FL 34986 (772) 878-0790 Fax: (772) 402-4542 sabondano@myfunkyplanet.com www.myfunkyplanet.com Pomchies LLC Heather Logan 4900 E. Arroyo Verde Dr. Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 (602) 493-1745 heatherlogan@pomchies.com www.pomchies.com Promise Monsters Michael Bogan 8263 Indy Court Indianapolis, IN 46214 (317) 698-1545 michael@promisemonsters.com www.promisemonsters.com Red Hen LLC Scott Bultman O-78 Leonard St. NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534 (616) 791-8700 scott@redhenllc.com www.redhenllc.com

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January 53

Smart Play LLC Ilango Sankaralingam 920 Snowberry Trail Alpharetta, GA 30005 (888) 946-4364 Fax: (678) 668-7353 ilangos@smartplay.us www.smartplay.us SmartNoggin inc.

Marcia Haut 53291 Trenton Ln. Bristol, IN 46507 (574) 612-5292 mhaut@smartnoggintoys.com www.smartnoggintoys.com System Enterprises LLC Steven Mueller 319 Windward Island Clearwater, FL 33767 (727) 479-5450 Fax: (888) 604-0106 steven@system-enterprises.com www.ringstix.com ZLP Manufacturing Ryan Olszewski P.O. Box 68258 Portland, OR 97267 (503) 412-8893 Fax: (503) 908-0285 info@zlpmanufacturing.com www.zlpmanufacturing.com ZooMania Games Mark Rice 114 Rockingham Way Unit 5786 Ellijay, GA 30540 (706) 534-1843 mrice@games2remember.com www.zoomaniagames.com

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Family Games America Inc. Susan Hebblethnaite P.O. Box 97 Snowdon, QC H3X 3T3 Canada (514) 485-1834 Fax: (514) 485-2944 susan@familygamesamerica.com www.familygamesamerica.com NeuroSky Inc. Mark McCoy 125 S. Market St. San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 600-0129 mmccoy@neurosky.com www.neurosky.com

Regal Games LLC Michael Roberts 761 N. 17th St. Unit #24 St. Charles, IL 60174 (800) 621-9069 Fax: (630) 578-0349 mike@regalgamesllc.com www.finger-tipgames.com Y’all Ball John Sullivan 795 Susquehanna Ave. Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 (201) 425-8511 Fax: (201) 425-8513 john@jointmerchant.com www.jointmerchant.com Xonex Glory Graham 26055 Emery Rd. Unit A Cleveland, OH 44128 (216) 595-1100126 Fax: (216) 595-1101 glory@xonexintl.com www.xonexpens.com SALES REPRESENTATIVES Lisa Fultz Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation P.O. Box 631 Martinsville, VA 24114 (276) 403-5940 lfultz@yesmartinsville.com Ray Smalley Smalley Agencies Ltd. P.O. Box 3100 Stn. Main Beaumont, AB T4X 1K8 Canada (780) 929-2965 Fax: (780) 401-3203 smalleyagencies@shaw.ca www.smalleyagencies.ca Susan Ullman Stick Village Inc. P.O. Box 88011 Colorado Springs, CO 80908 (518) 421-390 susankennedy@datashield.us.com www.stickvillage.com

ASTRA

Visit us at Toy Fair Booth #5512

“Empowering America’s Retailers” POINT • • • • •

OF SALE Customer Loyalty and History Lookups High Speed Credit Card Authorization Elimination of End of Day and Month Processing Real-Time Data Transmission Gift Card/Store Credit Tracking

PURCHASING • • • •

Exceptional Open to Buy by Company or Store Forecasting and Allocation Seamless Special Order Processing Automatic Reordering

INVENTORY CONTROL

REAL-TIME RETAIL RELIABLE

FLEXIBLE

• • • • •

Automatic and Recommended Transfers Markdown Management Encyclopedic Audit Trail Real-Time On-Hand Inquiries Physicals without Business Interruption

INTUITIVE E-COMMERCE

PARTIAL CUSTOMER LISTING Barston’s Child’s Play The Children’s General Store Crackerjacks Creative Kidstuff Curious Kidstuff Doodlehopper 4 Kids Froggies 5 and 10 G Whillikers Green Caboose Growing Tree Toys Jackrabbit Toys

Kits ‘N Kaboodle Larson’s Toys & Games Once Upon a Time Pip Squeak and Wilfred Playfair Toys Smart Toys and Books ToySmart Timeless Toys Toy House Toys That Teach Wondrous Things Zoom

• • • •

Real-Time E-Business and Fulfillment Fed-Ex and UPS Interfaces Instant E-Mail Confirmations Comprehensive Fulfillment

ORDER ENTRY • • • •

Real-Time Allocation and Fulfillment Order Management Tools Pick Tickets, Packing Slips, Invoices Back Order Status Reports

REPORTS • • • • • •

Sales and Trend Analysis Color and Size Analysis Location Comparisons Daily/Weekly/Monthly Sales Gross Margin Return on Investment And Many More Throughout!

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