TRADE
OPINION
Trade talk
Calling all suppliers and distributors! We’d love to hear your views. Get in touch with Clare@lemapublishing.co.uk to have your say!
As we move into the atumn, we quiz suppliers on their preparations for Christmas trading and ask them to share some advice for retailers ordering stock for the golden quarter KERRIE CORRIGAN, General Manager Coiledspring Games What are you doing to prepare for the all-important final quarter?
We have new releases from suppliers that are sure to be a hit in the market. Here at Coiledspring we have a great team in place who have done a sterling job at keeping in contact with customers despite the challenges of lockdown. “We have As a result, our retailer partner links are as strong as ever and we’re procedurally looking forward to meeting again at updated how shows! How will you continue to ensure that you meet demand for your products?
We have procedurally updated how we monitor stock this year for efficiency and placed POs for Q4 much earlier than previous years, given the environment. We will continue to work closely with suppliers and shipping partners to meet the demands for products across the range. What plans have you got in place to support retailers with their Christmas orders?
we monitor stock this year for efficiency and placed POs for Q4 much earlier than previous years, given the environment”
We are already accepting orders for late Q3/early Q4 and feeding them into stock plans, so we can ensure we meet high demand around Christmas. Autumn Fair is the perfect time to place orders: we have some great trade show offers that will enable retail partners to achieve better margins after the tough trading period they’ve had. What do you anticipate will be your best seller this Christmas?
Jigsaw puzzles, Thomas Kinkade Range! This line of jigsaws includes brand new puzzles featuring stunning landscape images. Plus, the popular Disney magic continues with the classic, Winnie the Pooh. These puzzles are great for any tabletop, and even framed on the wall!
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JO DRAGE Sales Director Thames & Kosmos UK What are you doing to prepare for the allimportant final quarter? We have already started to receive enquiries from our retail customers for both our higher price point ranges and the new A/W21 arrivals due to be released at Autumn Fair, and we have put measures in place to ensure we can meet the increasing demand for this busy period. More than ever this year, we are focusing on ensuring our delivery dates are realistic, and that the warehouse is full! How will you continue to ensure that you meet demand for your products? We’ve built in contingencies to combat recent transport and customs delays experienced across the retail sector. We are still in a position to place orders for stock, if required, as a lot of our products are manufactured in Europe, which has not been as affected by the transportation price rises or delays. However, some of our lines do come from Asia, and I suspect that securing stock without any issues may be a rarity. So, my strong advice is to get in touch with us rather sooner than later, giving details of any ranges that you are looking to stock for the busy Christmas period. What plans have you got in place to support retailers with their Christmas orders?
“We’ve built in contingencies to combat recent transport and customs delays experienced across the retail sector”
As with most of the suppliers in the industry, we are experiencing delays and increased costs, which we are swallowing and not increasing our prices. We had a good year last year and are lucky enough to be able to honour our 2021 price list and offer our standard show discounts. What do you anticipate will be your best seller this Christmas? Within the board game range, our EXIT: Advent Calendar has had pre-orders flooding in with our first print run nearly selling out. This exciting new addition to our EXIT: The Game range adds a whole new dimension to the ‘Escape Room from home’ experience and will have board game enthusiasts and novices alike hooked.
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