Talking Shop

Brace your elves

Sam Giltrow spoke to indie retailers as they reach the business end of the year, having navigated the ups and downs of 2021 and adapted to the unpredictability of stock availability this year.

Simon Steel - Toy City, Wood Green, London

We had a great Halloween and fireworks period, following the disappointment of last year, selling every item of stock we had, which is unusual for us. People also realised over October and November that it would be to their advantage to come in earlier to do their shopping, rather than later. I’ve seen customers’ basket spend increase dramatically, some even buying everything for Christmas in one go rather than spreading it out over several weeks.

What our customers read in the press can have a massive effect. For instance, one big newspaper published a list of top 10 toys for Christmas, including the CoComelon Deluxe JJ Interactive Doll from Bandai. We ordered that back in May but only received four pieces, which have all sold. Some of my fellow independent retailers who own maybe three or four shops received a similar level of stock. It was a popular line anyway, but a bit of press attention increased demand.

Pokémon is selling extremely well across both the trading cards and toys, due to its 25th anniversary and lots of new releases coming out. Other character licensed products which are popular include Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario. Spider-Man also continues to sell well and with the new movie, Spider- Man: No Way Home, being released at the end of this year, I think this will only make the toys even more popular. We are looking forward to all the new movies which will be released next year after being put on hold during the pandemic, such as Minions and Jurassic World. Dinosaurs always sell well for us and even though we have had to wait for the new Jurassic World movie, the Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous series on Netflix has meant that the great range of dinosaurs from Mattel has performed very strongly. It’s an excellent line as there is a good range of sizes at different price points.

Goo Jit Zu sales are also still strong, and our Schleich range has been as in demand as ever. Dolls are also performing well, particularly Barbie, with sales right across the range. As the advertising campaigns started to kick in, customers’ requests become more specific, and one item that many have been asking for is the Instaglam On the Glo Make-Up Trolley from Character Options. The new Lego Marvel sets and Lego Friends sets are also highly sought after, which I will hopefully get in stock soon.

Games has been a mixed bag for us and over the past few years, sales have dropped off quite a bit. The air hockey table, table football and snooker table from Wilton Bradley remain strong sellers but demand for traditional games and board games can be quite temperamental. I think we are possibly still suffering the effects of the pandemic; many games benefit from being demonstrated and people haven’t been able to attend in-store demos to experience the different games for themselves.

We have noticed an increase in footfall with many people shopping more locally this year. We are located in a mall, and even weekdays seem much busier than usual. I am hearing that the West End of London is still quite quiet, so I think people must prefer to stick closer to home. I’m just relieved they came back after the pandemic because that was a major concern for us.

I am looking forward to a fresh start in 2022 and will be visiting the toy fairs so I can see contacts and make new connections. It’s also so important to be able to physically see new product. I normally go to the fairs with my father, Martin, who started the business, and we come back and brief the staff on what we have seen. They are then knowledgeable when the reps visit our shop.

Overall, I am feeling positive about next year, when hopefully we won’t have any more closures and can just get on with doing what we do best - serving our customers. We have had some difficult times this year, but I’m sure better times are on the way.

Steve Kerrison - Kerrison Toys, Norwich

In the run up to Christmas, we have found that customers like being able to come into the shop, have a chat and actually see toys in the flesh. I’m sure that when the shops were shut during lockdown, many people bought something online that wasn’t quite what they were expecting. We can offer advice to customers on what to buy, and you just don’t get that interaction online. The pandemic has made people realise that they need to keep shopping locally and supporting the High Street.

Like many other retailers, we have had some stock issues; though there were quite a few gaps, more deliveries started to arrive in early November. As everyone was in the same boat, it didn’t hurt us too much. In September and early October, we were scrabbling round trying to get what we could, but the situation improved after that.

We need to keep tracking prices to keep on top of price increases. Although some deliveries are still all over the place, there are other companies where the service levels have been fantastic, and you have to doff your hat to them. It’s difficult to list them all but Gibsons and Orchard Toys are just two examples. It’s in their interests, of course; if they are getting their product onto our shelves, we are selling it.

I don’t think the public took the ‘shop early’ message seriously until they actually saw empty shelves of everyday items such as crisps, but they are starting to realise there are shortages out there now. However, after all that’s happened in the last two years, I believe people are re-evaluating their priorities, such as whether they should be running around to get that must-have toy. There doesn’t seem to be the usual panic or even excitement this year. However, an exception has been the Pokémon 25th anniversary releases, which customers can’t get enough of. Hats off to Asmodee and how they have handled it because everybody got a good crack at the whip.

Sales in the run-up to Christmas seem to be spread across the board. As expected, the evergreens are doing well such as Lego, Sylvanian Families and Barbie, and L.O.L Surprise! is picking up now we have more stock.

Board games are still enjoying fantastic sales; so many people got back into them during the last 18 months and the trend seems to have kept going. Jigsaw puzzles are also still selling, although not at the same level as last year. Gibsons, Ravensburger and Jumbo are the favourites but there doesn’t seem to be as much brand loyalty with jigsaw puzzles - if it’s a nice picture they go for it. Kidicraft has just released some nostalgic puzzles with an artist who used to be a very popular one with Gibsons, and we have sold quite a few of them.

I am looking forward to next year and being able to go back to the toy fairs to see people, and also to see product because we need to see it ‘in the flesh’ to make a proper buying decision. During the pandemic, there have been a few occasions where we have ordered stock and been disappointed with it because of the size or value for money. However, we have also had product that has been a nice surprise.

We haven’t really heard much yet about what is coming out next year. We hear of new licences, but it’s hard to decide which to back. Movie licences in particular are all over the place as there is still quite a backlog of movies that should have come out last year or this year, and release dates keep being rescheduled.

The start of 2022 will all be about new product, which is needed to get customers in after Christmas. New launches are always a big draw in January and February; everyone is always keen to see the latest from companies like Lego.

In the new year, I am hopeful that we can get back to holding in-store events and will be able to put play tables out again. I think the customers have missed them, especially for things like Playmobil. Sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate how good something is if you only see the box and can’t see the contents or how it will look made up.

Next year, I am hoping we will have more of a return to normality, the supply chain issues will be better and we can focus on our relationships with suppliers. I think we all need Toy Fair this year to reignite our enthusiasm. We’ve had such a hard slog for two years. It will be great to see product and it will be great to see people, and that’s what we are looking forward to.

Justine Elliott - area manager, Thorntons Toymaster, Chippenham

We are getting very busy now in the run up to Christmas and fortunately have been receiving sufficient levels of stock so far. Some of the items we order don’t come in, but we have been able to source alternatives, so the shop is well stocked and there is plenty for customers to look at. With a healthy range of options for people to consider, we have by no means got empty shelves.

Although there are a few companies that we are struggling to get stock from, for many, supply has not been an issue at all. Our Lego display is very full, and other high turnover fixtures like Playmobil and Sylvanian Families all have plenty of stock.

In the run up to Christmas, Lego and Playmobil have been selling well, and our Orchard Toys range is always a popular choice. Currently, there’s been a really good mix of sales across all of our ranges; there doesn’t seem to be a particular stand-out item this year. For once, customers aren’t all wanting one specific board game or anything like that. Pokémon remains in high demand due to its 25th anniversary, the whole range is selling like hot cakes. We stock games and figurines, and a lot of the big collectors’ tins of Pokémon trading cards.

After the last 18 months of having to educate their children at home, families just want to have fun with them, and it seems there are a lot more fun toys being purchased than educational ones this Christmas. Games are still doing well, particularly classics such as Cluedo, Monopoly and Battleships, but we are selling more up to date titles like Exploding Kittens and games for older players too.

I think a lot more people are shopping locally this year, and fewer people are shopping online. After being forced to rely on internet shopping last year, I think customers like the fact that they can go into a physical shop and see things again – they really seem to enjoy it. I also think many are worried about deliveries not turning up because of driver issues.

The ‘shop early’ message really seems to have got across to consumers this year. Even before we installed our Toymaster Christmas window, in mid-November, people were coming in for Christmas presents – it rarely starts to get busy before we unveil the Christmas window. They started off buying a lot of smaller items and stocking fillers rather than main presents, possibly waiting to see what the children would ask for. However, basket spend has gradually increased, customers obviously want to get things when they see them.

I am feeling optimistic for 2022, and I think it will be a much better year. I am really looking forward to visiting London Toy Fair, along with all the managers from our different branches. It’s the only time of the year that we all get to meet in one place, and we haven’t done that for two years now. We have nine shops in the company – Andover, Bicester, Berkhamsted, Chippenham, Devizes, Fleet, Frome, Marlow and Thame. It will be wonderful to see everyone.

I am excited to see what is coming out for next year; we missed that this year. When Hatchimals came out years ago, we had been shown the prototype in a private room at Toy Fair, so when it came in the shops six months later, we knew what it was about. With no trade shows this year, we hadn’t been able to preview much at all and sometimes it felt like we were in the dark. We can’t wait to see all the new product, as well as meeting colleagues. We will actually see many of our reps face to face for the first time in ages too. There seem to be a lot of big films coming out next year, such as Jurassic World and I’m looking forward to seeing what will be on offer for these. We carry a wide range of licensed product, which is always popular.

I am very hopeful that we will have a much better year next year. The main thing is we are still here, and all still trading.

indie viewpoint

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes - Toy Barnhaus

Countdown to Christmas

As we write this, it is hard to believe there are just over five weeks left until Christmas. Time seems to have flown by faster than ever in this strangest of years. We have to keep reminding ourselves that this time last year, all our stores were closed and (thankfully) we were blissfully unaware that we would only be open for about another three weeks in the following five months. That would have been enough to give us a few panics. But this year, trade has been very positive so far, with October ahead of last year, and the first half of November proving strong. The best comparison we have now is from 2019, and our figures compare favourably with two years ago. It’s hard to tell whether trade being is brought forward from December, but we’re happy to take the money whilst it’s there.

We are starting to get some visibility of the bestsellers, although it has been more difficult this year due to lines arriving late and the well documented shipping issues. Whereas we would normally start to get Autumn/Winter lines in between August and September, a lot arrived in October, and some in only the last couple of weeks. Usually, we keep an eye on lines in September to see what is moving and then re-order for November. Now, we are having to keep a very close eye on how stock sells in the first few days and then decide whether to order more before the supplier sells out. It keeps us on our toes; we are forced to be more reactive than ever before.

Popular new lines so far include the Bluey range from Moose, Little Live Pets My Pet Piggly and the giant Sleeping Pokémon Plush, both from Character. In games, it has mainly been the evergreen bestsellers, although the early signs on Ghost Castle from John Adams are good. Otherwise, Mini Brands from Zuru is still proving very popular, and the new L.O.L Surprise Movie range is in high demand.

Looking back on 2021, it has been another turbulent year overall, and certainly a very challenging first quarter. However, since then, trade has bounced back well, and we are on course for a strong end to the year. The early lockdown gave us the opportunity to develop our online operation further, which helped us survive the long closure. Now, in the run up to Christmas, as well as our shops we have a thriving online channel. It’s still going strong and is an important extension to the business. Without the lockdowns it’s unlikely we would have mastered the whole operation fully and developed it to the extent we did. However, we are hoping we end the year with our stores open too this Christmas.

We have taken the decision to close on Boxing Day for the first time ever, to give our colleagues more time to spend with their families over the festive period. It has been a very tough time for everyone, so we wanted to give them all the chance to be able to relax after our busy peak trading time.

Looking into 2022, we are most looking forward to getting back to trade shows and seeing products properly again. The biggest challenge we see going forward is pricing. With most suppliers having had mid-year price increases, we are already seeing more for the first half of next year. We understand the reasons for this but do wonder how much customers will be able to take, given the squeeze on family finances lately. Toys has performed very well as a sector in the last 18 months, but we’re not expecting 2022 to be plain sailing by any means.

However, before we reach that, we hope everyone has a great Christmas - and happy trading to you all.