Talking Shop
How was it for you? Marianna Casal speaks to indie retailers to find out how the last few weeks before Christmas ended up – and how they are making plans for the year ahead. Lynda Bartlett - W & J Walker Toymaster, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
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e’re located within a department store and Christmas 2023 went really well for us. We ran a Christmas Club and customers were already popping in around August to find out what the best-sellers were. Once the kids were back to school in September, the Christmas Club purchases began. Bitzee was the standout seller among Christmas Club users. At the Toymaster show last May, we were told that Bitzee would be big, and they were right. Kids who come into the store already know all about it, so it seems as though Spin Master did a good job with its marketing and really got the product into children’s minds. Tonie boxes were another best-seller for Christmas Club. Although Tonies have been around for a while, they seemed to really pick up last year, and now we’re getting repeat purchases of the different, individual Tonies. We are based in a farming community, so our toy tractors are popular. Models can be discontinued quite quickly when new ranges come out so customers grab them when they can. We stock the Tomy’s Britains range and Bruder. Other best-sellers which don’t get put onto Christmas Club because they are a little cheaper are Polly Pocket and Squishmallows. Usually, there’s a top Christmas toy at quite a high price point, but this year Bitzee was a more affordable £34.99, which I’m sure has helped account for its popularity. It seems as though parents welcomed cheaper products - but they were still spending, buying more items overall. We achieved slightly more sales than last year which was very positive. Since Covid, sales have been good and steady, and we have also able to reach more people via Facebook. I’m sure a lot of local people didn’t know we existed inside the department store. We reopened after Boxing Day and had the kids coming in to spend their Christmas money. For the rest of January we tend to have a lull. We will have deals on and take the opportunity to do some rearranging before
business picks up again in March. In 2024, we’re looking forward to the Toymaster show in Harrogate, and I am hoping to source more boys’
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ranges. Currently there seems to be plenty for girls, especially at cheaper price points, and I’m looking to redress the balance.
