Retail Opinion John Ryan considers the benefit of shows such as Spielwarenmesse for

Reasons to be cheerful

The New Year brings with it the promise of the trade show. But is it really worth going? Our retail columnist looks at it from a store’s perspective…

It’s showtime. Or more exactly it’s that time of the year when the toyland faithful head off to Bavaria to drink some beer, perhaps sample some bratwurst and enjoy staying in one of the most complete German medieval cities there is. Yes, the Nuremberg toy fair kicks off at the beginning of next month, that point in the toy retail calendar when fortunes for the rest of the year are frequently set and, equally, when errors of judgement may be made. But what should be done in the way of prep and will you miss out if you don’t go? The answer to the latter question is definitely, maybe. This is a very big trade fair, albeit with a distinctly Teutonic slant, and much of what’s on show will appear across the globe later in 2023. There is also the matter of FOMO. If you don’t go, you don’t know and when others make reference to something that struck them when visiting, it will be hard not to wonder if you should have been there, while outwardly pretending that you don’t need to attend to get the gist of what’s happening. Trade shows are strange beasts. It’s very easy to turn up one year and find that it really wasn’t worth the air fare and the ambitiously priced hotel that goes with staying over rather than just making it a daytrip.

Conversely, in other years it might seem that there’s almost nothing that you shouldn’t have in your store and the difficult bit will be deciding what to take a punt on. But how should you treat shows of this kind and is it a matter of putting your money where mouth is, or should it be treated as a judicious exercise in information gathering? Anybody who has ever faced somebody trying to sell you something will be aware that everybody is incredibly nice to you and that the hardest word you will ever have to utter is ‘no’, even when accompanied by a polite thank you. A trade show - and the Nuremberg Toy Fair is no exception - is an assault course filled with smiling obstacles, many of which may threaten your financial wellbeing. Imagine, however, a world without events of this kind. Where would you get your market intelligence from? Doubtless you pride yourself on your canny awareness of what will appeal to your shoppers and you act accordingly. But if you have to visit multiple suppliers/manufacturers or spend hour upon hour sifting through the web to find the ‘right’ thing, will your customers recognise your efforts? The big advantage of Nuremberg is that everything is under one roof, and comparing and contrasting becomes straightforward as does observing that other thing, a trend. Wandering the huge aisles, frequently filled with groups of animatronic figures, what quickly becomes apparent is that there will be similarities between one stand and another in a good number of instances. There will also be areas where groups of like-minded toy purveyors are to be found and, even if you place no orders, gaining a sense of what matters is relatively straightforward.

All of this is hard work, of course. Spending a day or two at a trade fair will be among the most intense periods that you are likely to experience in any given commercial year. Sore feet, heads (the beer has nothing to do this…!) and the need to focus are all part of the deal, but it’s worth it.

The other point is that this is an opportunity to see many of your existing suppliers in one place. This may sound like a statement of the obvious, but it’s quite easy to overlook the value of getting a series of visits to those who make your store what it is under your belt. Relationships are cemented once more and you get to know where each manufacturer is headed in the forthcoming year.

And don’t overlook novelty. In any given year, there will always be those who have not appeared at the Toy Fair previously, and in terms of expanding your network this is another reason for boarding a plane. Smart operators will look at new suppliers as much as existing ones, and trials are what being a good retailer is about.

This may all sound as if your humble correspondent is on a retainer from the Nuremberg Toy Fair’s marketing department. This is not, in fact, the case, it’s just that as somebody who has gone through a considerable amount of shoe leather walking around these affairs, reaching conclusions about their value is not too difficult.

On a related note, this is the beginning of the year, a fresh start, new beginnings and suchlike (although quite why things are that different from November or December is always a little difficult to fathom). Everything always seems potentially better, even while shoppers are still busy counting the cost of Christmas.

Dark days lie ahead. With the February blues still to come, you may be able rationalise a familiar trade pattern and avoid wondering if shoppers will ever be in the mood to part with cash again. They will come back, and in spite of what the financial forecasters are saying, the year will still see people buying toys for specific holidays and high days. Get over to Nuremberg therefore. What’s the worst that can happen - you get to understand that this year may be a repeat in some ways of 2022. But at least you’ll know.