Games, Playthings and Plush

Plush and Toys (From page 105)

To increase sales, Legacy Toys works on keeping as many displays as possible at kid eye level and by continuing to rotate the selection often. “Week to week, we try to keep it fresh and in people’s faces. It’s interesting how customers will notice things they didn’t when they were in just last week and all we did was move it.” Legacy Toys’ customer service philosophy is to be a problem solver in any scenario. A crying child? Parents or grandparents in need of a birthday present? “We try and solve the problem with some fun and hopefully have them come out looking like a hero in the end,” Cpin concluded.

At Myriads Toys & Games in Dagsboro, Del., plush sales tend to be quite seasonal, according to Ryan Stuckey who co-owns the business with his wife Ksenia Litvinova. Bunnies and chicks from Molang, a South Korean toy line were popular this Easter and at Christmas time, Elf on the Shelf barely stays there. Since their 900-square-foot store is close to the beach, mermaid plush does well and there’s a fair amount of interest in timeless classics like Peter Rabbit, Raggedy Ann and Andy as well as plush tied to movie releases.

In the toy department, Myriads Toys & Games has witnessed parents wanting to go back to the basics with items such as dollhouses – and kids clamoring for those kinds of toys too. “And when I say basics, I mean 1980s stuff,” says Stuckey. “I just assumed that growing up with all the latest gadgets that kids would find enough entertainment from smartphone games and the like, but the lesson is people crave stimulation and novelty. If you only grew up with smartphones, going back to an older, more analog type of toy becomes new and interesting.”

Knowing your market is key to selling more toys and plush, according to Stuckey. “And really being an advocate for the product. Something I like to keep in mind when making suggestions to people is there are lots of cool experiences and toys out there that may resonate with a lot of different people but they just don’t know it yet. It’s my job to help people find fun experiences and who knows where it will take them?”