Trends in Toys and Gifts at Baby Stores

Question: What could be more fun than the joy small children, babies, and parents experience from toys and gifts? Answer: Selling more of these terrific items. Store owners and staff discuss the trends they are currently seeing in toys and gifts, the ways in which they encourage shoppers to add a toy or gift to another purchase, and the changes stores have made due to the pandemic.

At Cookie Pot Children’s Boutique, in Gladstone, Ore., Owner Liz Banta described her top sellers in these categories currently as “fun Easter baskets that have toys in them like bath bombs, or Tattoo pens, and dinosaurs, wind-up toys, and things like that. We typically have smaller items that are great for stocking stuffers during the holidays, quick birthday gifts, all kinds of very affordable items,” she related. “They do well for us because of price-point generally, and right now people are also trying to support local shops when they buy gift items.” According to Banta, while Jellycat stuffed animals, books and puzzles also do well, these small giftable items are her top sellers.

To get shoppers who may have stopped in for an apparel item interesting in adding a toy or gift to their purchase, Banta again focused on price point. “With so many affordable toy items, people can come in for clothing and easily pick up a fun toy for under $10. Then, everyone, parents and kids both, leave happy.” She also boosts interest in toys by promoting on Instagram and Facebook, which Banta cited as her main source of advertising.

The 800-square-foot shop, which focuses on a mix of new and primarily consignment clothing, offers only brand-new toys and books, and has made changes due to the pandemic. “We were not huge on social media prior to the pandemic, but we use it a lot more now. We transitioned to posting online in Instagram and Facebook and made it much easier for people to use electronic purchasing from home,” Banta explained. “We also offered at-home Santa and Easter Bunny visits, where the characters brought gifts. And shoppers could purchase items for delivery, and we offered a general package for an Easter basket last year.” She said the store did well with its unique character visits. “We did about 35 Santa and 30-50 Easter Bunny visits,” she noted. “We also began to offer curb-side pick-up. November and December were the best months we have had so far, and our business has been amazing actually.”

The big gift and toy trend at Lil’ Chic Baby Bug Boutique in Tucson, Ariz., is a pacifier with plush attachments. Owner Darrial Hellpap said, “That kind

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