9 minute read
Trade Talk - suppliers reveal their expectations for Christmas trading
TRADE OPINION Trade talk
As we move into the second half, we quiz suppliers on their expectations for Christmas trading and ask them to share some advice for retailers ordering stock for the golden quarter
Calling all suppliers and distributors! We’d love to hear your views. Get in touch with Clare@lemapublishing.co.uk to have your say!
LAURA CRUMBLEY
Account manager Big Potato Games
Have you noticed any interesting trends in orders?
Because most people seem to be going down the staycation route for holidays in the UK, the trend really does seem to be travel games such as OK Play and P For Pizza - the perfect size (and price point!) to pop in your bag. Even though lockdown is slowly coming to an end, sales of jigsaw puzzles are still rapidly on the rise. We are super excited about our first jigsaw puzzles (complete with an extra game), which are coming out very soon… watch this space.
What are your current best sellers?
At the moment we’re selling a lot of OK Play (perfect for playing in the park) and Muffin Time (great for large groups). And our best-selling Herd Mentality has just arrived back in stock!
What are your expectations for festive trading?
This year will be a big one with families and friends reuniting over the Christmas period. Party games for more than four players will be popular. Our brand new social deduction game Snakesss (which comes out this summer) will be a great one to play around the Christmas dinner table.
What’s your advice to retailers ordering Christmas stock?
Get your pre-orders in early. We’ve already seen some pre-orders coming in - scary! We also completely sold out of our best seller Herd Mentality towards the end of last year, so: get your orders in quick!
Which toy do you wish you kept from your childhood?
My Fisher-Price record player. I absolutely LOVED it and wish I could have passed it on to my boys.
MICHELLE LILLEY
Head of marketing Little Tikes UK
Have you noticed any interesting trends in orders?
In the first half of the year we noticed that consumers were buying summer toys much earlier, with a focus on garden toys and outdoor role play. Additionally, customers have been investing in classic outdoor toys such as water tables, the Turtle Sandbox and Cozy Coupe, which are all items that can be used season after season.
What are your current best sellers?
Our iconic toys have been great sellers as people are buying outdoor toys ahead of a warm summer. In particular, we are experiencing good sales with the First Slide, our water tables such as the Fountain Factory Water Table and the Turtle Sandbox. As well as our classics, new launches from Little Tikes like Growing Garden and First Washer Dryer are proving popular as children move towards roleplay toys.
What are your expectations for festive trading?
We expect Christmas trading to be strong this year and we are looking to build on the successes of spring and summer into the autumn and winter seasons by expanding our current categories and building our collections. We have a great line of new launches for autumn, which are sure to be at the top of children’s Christmas lists. With families being back together and enjoying Christmas shopping trips, we are hopeful that Christmas will be better than ever, with children picking out their favourite toys on the high streets.
What’s your advice to retailers ordering Christmas stock?
In the early months of 2021 we saw consumers researching and buying toys for summer much earlier, so we expect Christmas to follow a similar pattern, with a lot more preparation for presents so they aren’t disappointed. We think in-store experiences will be vital to retail success and, with our refreshed packaging, our products will be eye-catching for consumers in the run-up to Christmas. Other advice to retailers would be to inspire Christmas choices earlier rather than later.
Which toy do you wish you kept from your childhood?
Where do I start? I definitely went through many childhood crazes from Pogs and Care Bears, to making the Blue Peter Tracy Island playset. A toy that I wish I still had, to pass onto my children, would be my toy Post Office. I loved roleplay very much as a child.
LINDSAY HARDY
Marketing director Trends UK
What are your current best sellers?
Demand is very healthy for science equipment, especially outdoorsy things, despite rotten weather for most of April and May. Science kits are selling well too – they’re not just a Christmas purchase.
What are your expectations for festive trading?
I’d rather not make any predictions; I think we’re all a bit exhausted after the roller-coaster of the last 16 months. ‘Normal’ would be lovely - whatever that is!
What’s your advice to retailers ordering Christmas stock?
Don’t hang about! If you think you need it, then put your orders in early. The diffi culties with containers/shipping/freight will cause disruption to everyone.
Which toy do you wish you kept from your childhood?
I’m very fortunate that I seem to have quite a few, which I discovered when we cleared the old family home, and couldn’t bring myself to throw them out.
JULIA
LOESER
Science Kit sales, marketing & PR manager Thames & Kosmos
Have you noticed any trends in orders?
Our medium price point ranges such as the Feak range continue to be popular, particularly our Ultralight Airplanes, Solar Powered Rovers and Rubber Band Racers which can be played with indoors and outdoors. Additionally, games that can be taken out and about have recently seen a surge in sales. A new arrival in June, Lost Cities – Roll and Write, has proved hugely popular as it’s compact enough to take along with you on a day out. We’ve also had fi rst conversations with our retail customers about high-ticket ranges and what to stock for the busy A/W period.
What are your current best sellers?
Anything space- and outdoor-related continues to sell very well for us such as our new arrival, the Orbiting Solar System. This kit lets children from the age of eight build a mechanical model of the solar system including the sun and eight planets (also known as an orrery). Wind it up, and watch the planets revolve around the sun.
Keeping with the space theme, our My Discovery Telescope is also very popular due to its top quality and versatility. Little explorers from the age of six can gaze at the stars, discover wildlife, or become the next Jack Sparrow!
What are your expectations for festive trading?
We are already receiving enquiries from our retail customers for our high-ticket ranges and new arrivals due to be released later this year, especially the hotly anticipated EXIT: Advent Calendar. So we are preparing for another bumper Christmas. We are also hoping to go to some trade shows so we can meet up with high street retailers and bricks-andmortar shops to fi nd ways to support them as best we can.
What’s your advice to retailers ordering Christmas stock?
My strongest advice would be to contact us sooner rather than later, giving details of any ranges you are looking to stock for the busy Christmas period. We’ve built in contingencies to combat transport and customs delays experienced across the retail sector since the start of the year. We are still in a position to place orders for stock 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 securing stock without any issues there may be a rarity. A large proportion of our board games and science kits are manufactured in Germany which, looking at recent issues experienced in south-east Asia, is enabling us to have a reliable source of stock for the Christmas period.
Senior vice president, brand strategy, Jazwares
Have you noticed any interesting trends in orders?
The popularity of Squishmallows continues to skyrocket. We saw a huge uptick in sales during the pandemic that was driven to a frenzy by the passionate online community and our Gen Z fans who have turned the brand into a social media sensation. This in turn has led to increased demand from retailers, as they work to keep Squishmallows on shelves to meet the insatiable fan demand.
What are your current best sellers?
Squishmallows, Pokémon, and CoComelon are on fi re and continue to fl y off the shelves at retail. These brands are resonating with fans in exciting ways, and we are working closely with retailers to help them keep product in stock to meet the tremendous fan demand.
What are your expectations for Christmas trading?
We are gearing up for a great year for retail. As an industry, we are still dealing with challenges that began as a result of the pandemic, but demand for toys hasn’t slowed down at all.
As we head into the holiday season and the world continues to open back up, we are going to see people seeking out in-person shopping experiences again and getting back to brick-and-mortar. Online will still be hugely popular, but I suspect the toy aisle will be seeing more foot traffi c than it has in a while!
Which toy do you wish you kept from your childhood?
LEGO! I always loved building and rebuilding new things. It inspired me to be creative and push my imagination to new limits.
SARAH DAYUS
Sales director Great Gizmos
What are your current best sellers?
We are doing really well with our KidzRobitix and Mould & Paint ranges at the moment. There is a real trend towards STEM products, and these fi t the bill perfectly.
What are your expectations for Christmas trading?
It’s just so refreshing to see shops open and performing strongly again! We had a really busy fi rst half and early indications are good for this to continue through the second half of the year. We already have a very healthy order book.
What’s your advice to retailers ordering Christmas stock?
Get it done early! With shipping being more challenging this year, there will be fewer opportunities to bring in more stock if needed later in the year.
