Talking Shop

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

We’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 onand 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’

ranges. Currently there seems to be plenty for girls, especially at cheaper price points, and I’m looking to redress the balance.

Paul Carpenter - Totally Toys, Bristol

2023 was a rocky, bumpy road – one day good and the next bad, but overall we managed to improve on sales from 2019. In November, the Christmas rush began which was great. Kids will always be looked after at Christmas, and toys are one of the last things to be affected when money is tight. People were looking for classic toys and things that would last, often going for trusted brands such as Lego and Meccano.

We saw terrific sales from Ty plush, in particular the new Squish A Boos. We do great business with Ty and the team is a pleasure to deal with – when we place an order, it arrives two days later. Eugy from Brainstorm is also a top range for us. We stock the entire collection; not only are they a perfect arts & crafts activity, which is a sector that always does well for us, but the range doubles up as a collectible which keeps people coming back for more. Other arts & crafts lines that stand out include Tomy’s Hey Clay and DKB’s Air Clay.

Board games seem to have been rediscovered. The traditional big box ranges that cost more have declined in sales but £10 games – things like travel games and card games - are making up a lot of the lost ground. Asmodee’s Dobble has been in high demand, and quirky games like Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza from Big Potato have also been popular. I’m not sure the £30-£40 board games which are only played on Christmas and Boxing Day are something people are prepared to invest in anymore. Nowadays, they just want something fun to play with the family all year round. The simpler the better, and if it can be played on the go or easily taken to a friend’s house, that’s a plus.

Since the pandemic, we’ve been having absolutely incredible Christmases. We’ve been comparing each year with 2019 as that was a pretty uneventful year (other than the small matter of Brexit). After the Covid lockdowns, customers have been so excited and enthusiastic that sales rose dramatically. Even taking inflation into account, Christmas sales have been higher.

The average spend throughout 2023 was 5-8% down from the previous year, and people were spending more on toys for events and celebrations rather than impulse

buys. We expect things to be much slower this month and could really do with a new craze right about now. Thank goodness for Lego – there’s always something new and always something that people want. It’s nice to have new stock post-Christmas and Lego always has plenty to offer. I’m looking forward to the year ahead. Independents aren’t going anywhere; if there’s one thing we’ve learnt, it’s that we’re really good at adapting and reinventing ourselves, even during times of adversity. We can get products on our shelves quickly when we find something new that customers want. Bring on 2024!

Tim Evans - Toys & Games of Worcester

We had a bumper Christmas, and I think this was because of our strong 2023 line-up. Disney Lorcana has been extremely successful since its release, and the huge demand for it at Christmas meant we had to secure as much stock as we could. In fact all of our trading card games like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! were very successful last year too. We secured an exclusive Worcester version of Monopoly which had fantastic pre-orders in November and gave sales a great lift for Christmas.

A new range for us last year was Cobi, which really boosted sales. We’ve stocked all sorts of Lego for years but that doesn’t touch the military category. Airfix military planes are hugely popular, so Cobi’s military construction products seemed like the perfect brand to bring in. The range sits nicely between the two and has performed really well. It’s nice to introduce a brand-new range that doesn’t cannibalise sales elsewhere.

We had a really strong year overall, but the Christmas rush seems to be coming later and later. The week before Christmas and the two weeks after represent the most important period to be on top form and fully focused. It’s not until the kids go back to school that things quieten down. Late December and early January is our golden period.

Sales have been strong in every area of the shop, which we’re really pleased about. Often, there are one or two quiet categories but last year, there wasn’t an area which wasn’t working. Hot Wheels sales have been strong all year, and another ‘low-profile’ line we’ve been really pleased with was Smart Games’ fidget-type box puzzles such as IQ Puzzler. Those have been selling well as they’re low cost, take up no space, work the brain and get people off their phones.

We had quite major disruption to footfall last year when a nearby building collapsed and had to be covered with scaffolding. But once that was taken down in May, sales picked up again and remained encouraging for the rest of the year. We’ve focused on keeping our social media presence strong, to help us connect with customers and stimulate sales. Overall, we’re pleased with how things are going.

Katie Eckley - The Old Railway Line Garden Centre, Brecon

Toy sales were up 6-7% last year compared to 2022, which is really positive. Some of our top suppliers including Lego and Sylvanian Families were offering promotions in the lead up to Christmas, which was great for catching customers’ attention.

Lego sales were significantly up last year; towards Christmas, the most popular were Lego Harry Potter Dobby and the Lego Piranha Plant which we couldn’t keep in stock – maybe we have the John Lewis Christmas ad to thank for that. Orchard Toys’ educational games and puzzles also sold fantastically well. Tonies Tonies went very well all autumn/winter. We had to do several top ups and the special offers worked really well in store and online. We have extended our selection of Keel Eco plush which has been popular, and we’ll continue to build on the range. Keel’s Eco ocean range, snakes and Christmas collection have also been the stand out lines. Advent calendars from the likes of Mattel, with Barbie, and Lego were a great success pre-Christmas too.

Other than a few special gifts, items under £30 were getting the most orders. Educational and science-focused toys were particularly popular – a lot more than we have been used to. We work with Kayes of Cardiff to bring in stock from companies such as Britains, Tomy and Mattel.

We’ve noticed an increase in sales of die-cast vehicles like Hot Wheels and Dickie Toys cars. Cheaper plastic cars are no longer what people want – they’re looking for affordable but good value items. We also saw a rise in sales of game and puzzle sales and interactive products, things that can be used time and time again, offering better value.

In January, we’re reflooring which will mean that some sections of the garden centre will be closed, creating some disruption. The month of January has been getting busier over the last few years, but this one will certainly be a challenge. We plan to refresh the toy section to try and keep customer flow coming. Toys used to be just an ad-on to a visit to the garden centre, but we’re trying to make our toy department more of a destination. We decorate it with themes - last year we had a fun animal theme that proved popular – so the kids want to come and have a look.

We will be attending Spring Fair, and this year are particularly interested in how companies are developing the eco side of things. We would like all the companies we work with to make long-lasting products and have more eco-friendly packaging, so that we’re known as good value for money and stepping in the right direction for sustainability.

Dan Lovett - The Toy Box, Beccles, Suffolk

The bulk of Christmas shopping came last minute because of Christmas Eve being on a Sunday and pay day for many being the Friday before. I think sales were slow to pick up in November because people were waiting for Black Friday first to see if prices would drop. Customers were coming in just to take a picture of items to look up online to see if they could find them cheaper. We do price match where we can, though, for people who ask.

We had a cracking year last year, but it took a lot of effort and it’s not been easy. The average price point dropped and now we’re selling a lot more under-£20 products, but it’s important they are still value for money and are going to last.

Our best-sellers were Pokémon, Lorcana, Squishmallows and Hot Wheels. Lego also sold solidly but didn’t quite reach the numbers from previous years because of the price points. For Christmas, classics like Sylvanian Families and Playmobil still performed well. And as we’re in a farming area, Britains tractors are always popular.

We haven’t had a craze in a very long time so it would be great to see an innovative craze this year. Word on the street is that Scoobies will make a comeback.

January is usually quiet, but we have some instore events planned, including a Pokémon day and a Games day to help attract customers – and hopefully sales.

Andy Tipping - Bagatelle Toys, Henley

Christmas footfall increased after Black Friday and right up to the week before Christmas when people were receiving their final pay before Christmas. Late night shopping events in Henley and Marlow, where we have another store, along with the switching on of the Christmas lights, the Christmas market and all the bright Christmas windows, really helped locals get into the spirit of things and feel like it was time to buy all their gifts.

Spin Master’s Bitzee sold very, very well in both all our stores, greatly exceeding our forecasts so we had to order more for Christmas because they were selling out. It’s the interactive element that children love – it takes them away from social media and phones but they’re still getting interaction.

Squishmallows was also very strong. The selection of price points and the fact that that the characters appeal to a wide age range made it a go-to purchase for all kinds of different budgets. We’ve also been seeing Spin Master’s Tech Deck doing really well. Pokémon has always been a steady range and Ravensburger’s Disney Lorcana was absolutely full-on in all our stores. Christmas is of course the time of year that we sell the most games, as families want something they can all play together.

We brought in a great range of stocking fillers from various sources including One for Fun, which has a fantastic selection. Any fun and jokey pocket-money items - things like stretchy aliens, light up items and squishy carrots - have all gone down well. Fidget toys were very popular for stocking fillers, in fact fidget toys continued to be the top items all year for pocket-money purchases.

The average price that customers wanted to pay dropped last year, so we reviewed our ranges to see how we could accommodate that. In our Lego range, for example, we made sure we were offering options between £9.99 and £30, which is where people were looking. For their children’s friends’ birthdays, parents seem to want £9.99 lines.

People generally come to spend their Christmas money or vouchers in the New Year. January is traditionally the month to do stock taking after Christmas and make plans for the year ahead, but last year it surprised me quite how busy we were, so let’s see how it goes this month.

Katharine Butcher - Wigwam Toys, Brighton

I took over Wigwam Toys with my family in November after the shop had been shut for months. I have experience in retail but I’m new to the world of toys, so it’s all been a learning curve.

Initially, I used the stock which remained in the store from the previous owners and have tried to rebuild

relationships with the suppliers. There are many items that are different to those found in larger retailers, and we stock a lot of craft products from small or non-mainstream companies. We can’t compete with the likes of Argos and Asda.

For Christmas, we brought in some colour-in tablecloths

from Eggnogg which are excellent quality and a great mindfulness activity for both kids and adults. There are lots of different themed cloths such as world maps, unicorns, dinosaurs and Christmas. We also have a lovely range from Clockwork Soldier which does paper crafts. Made from FSC paper and card, with an included template, the kits produce a 3D product like a T-Rex head, animals, a solar system, fire engine or a map. They are low cost, very stylish and mess-free so they make a great gift for any age.

We stock Sylvanian Families, many types of fidget toys, plush and a wonderful selection of wooden toys such as pull-along trains and puzzles. Our wide range of puppets has been popular from the first week of opening. There’s a variety of price points to accommodate different financial circumstances and occasions but they are all really visually appealing.

We are situated in a very popular area of Brighton and the store has been here for over 20 years. I used to shop here for my kids so when they opportunity came to reopen it, I took it. Thanks to local papers, primary schools and parent groups in the area, plus social media, it wasn’t long before everyone knew we were back up and running. Our Christmas window when we opened caught people’s attention, and they seem glad that the toy shop is back.

To engage the local community, we have run events such as a games night in conjunction with a local game store, giving out cupcakes, letting people colour in a dinosaur tablecloth and scribble challenges. We’ve been visited by Mary Poppins as well as a mermaid, and we ran a raffle. A Christmas market just outside our store also meant we could network with other independents in the area.

Julia Wingate - The Trading Post, Kingsbridge

Christmas will always happen for toy shops as parents will always make sure their children have a good Christmas. Sales last year were similar to 2022, so it was great to see that despite changes in spending, toys are still thriving. People were being cautious though, planning more and sticking to a budget. Customers have become a lot more thoughtful about what they’re spending their money on, looking for the right toy at the right price, which I think is a good thing. Bigger box items were affected with parents focusing more on £30 and under price points. We adapted and made sure our stock mix catered to this trend. Lego is always one of our better sellers, and Harry

Potter Lego Dobby was particularly popular at Christmas. Other popular Christmas gifts were VTech Toot-Toot Drivers; Barbie, which rose in sales thanks to the movie and Aquabeads from Epoch. Throughout the year, Airfix and Revell kits were great sellers – people have carried on the hobbies they took up in lockdown.

The New Year is a great time to sell games for all ages – from family games to teenage to adult titles. These get played at get togethers while the weather is cold. Everyone has enjoyed playing games at Christmas and wants to carry on the fun. Footfall does get quieter in January, but business is still steady – the kids have spending money and people still have birthdays.

Brian Buckby - Blewetts of Hayle, Cornwall

After three years of being affected by Covid, things pretty much returned to prepandemic levels in 2023, which meant that Christmas was more positive.

In our Christmas Club which people have been adding to since the end of summer, the top product was Sylvanian Families for which Epoch offered a great deal. We do good business with Epoch, and its products always sell well.

Other best-sellers were Squishmallows from Jazwares, Brainstorm’s Eugy creatures, Craft Buddy’s Crystal Art and Lego, which is a classic. Top Trumps is always a steady seller too, so we made sure to bring in plenty of stock from Winning Moves for Christmas. Following the film this summer, Barbie became even more popular. So did Transformers, and demand really picked up – even

for the older, non-movie related figures. Moose’s Little Live Pets range has been a great success, and so were Bluey and Octonauts licensed products. Keel’s Keeleco plush has been popular, so this year we hope to expand our offering. We’re also looking forward to seeing any new Craft Buddy releases.

Once the cold weather started in earnest and people began staying in more, our jigsaw collection sales rose and remained high right up until Christmas - for both adults and kids. We had some lovely, cosy winter Christmas scenes which are always a best-seller.

We expect sales to continue to be strong this month until the kids go back to school. Things usually quieten down for a while, and then there will be a bit of a surge for February half-term. We do our stock-taking on 1st March so we can still be productive during the quiet period.

Usman Ahmed - Toys4You, Sutton Coldfield

Alot of customers left Christmas shopping until the last minute because of the cost-of-living crisis. Another change we saw in the lead up to Christmas was parents buying gifts for their kids to play with straight away, rather than opening them at Christmas, but still classing it as a Christmas present.

The main thing was that people were looking for was cheaper ways to do Christmas - budget gift ideas or any deals on offer. Everybody was looking for something a bit different - still exciting but at a lower cost.

We are located in a shopping centre, and unfortunately the centre isn’t exactly thriving right now. Because of this, the management has been making some changes to try and attract customers, rather than them going to a retail park. Christmas events included a live reindeer, Santa’s grotto, a booth to take Christmas photos and a giant snow globe. Thankfully these measures did increase footfall, which was helpful for us.

We sell online but have more deals instore, because we can’t make the same margins online. Customers have started to realise this and have been keener to come instore, which is good. We also sell sweets, so even if kids don’t leave with a toy, they don’t leave empty handed and there’s more reason to visit. We have been building our social media presence which has paid off. On our TikTok and Instagram accounts, we showcase our latest products - and we’ve had millions of views on some videos. TikTok is a new thing for a lot of retailers, but it’s a great place to build your brand.

Squishmallows was the top seller at Christmas along with Pokémon, Lego, Spin Master’s Bitzee and Ninja Turtles figures. We’ve also seen huge sales from impulse buys and arts & crafts or DIY interactive toys which keep kids busy; things like cars with changing wheels and Eugy from Brainstorm, which has been a great seller. Once kids get a taste for this sort of thing, they will come back for more.

January is always a very positive month because kids have Christmas money to spend, and we hope to have strong sales again this year. At New York Toy Fair last year, I saw new trends in Funko Pop! Figures as well as several toys which incorporate AI, such as interactive robots and pets. We haven’t really focused too much on hot licences or trends so far, sticking to more traditional lines, but I have my eye on products from YouTubers such as LankyBox and Ninja Kidz, as well as popular Netflix shows such as Gabby’s Dollhouse. I’m looking forward to the year ahead.

Indie Viewpoint

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes

Down to the wire

There are just 11 sleeps to go to Christmas as we write this article – where has the time gone?! Sales up to now have been a bit behind last year, but not too disappointing, given we had an extremely strong Christmas in 2022. In the penultimate week, it feels like things are delicately poised; but we have an extra full weekend before Christmas to come, which we are hoping will be very busy. Customers have been spending less, with average spend down about 5% year on year. At the end of last month, Black Friday was definitely affected by the fact that it fell earlier than most people’s payday.

Reviewing our bestsellers for Christmas, one stand-out has been Bitzee from Spin Master, which has sold through well, probably because it’s something new and different at an attractive price point. The second wave of Lorcana gave us a good boost when it came out, and Squishmallows is still performing well. Bluey continues to be strong, especially the plush. As last-minute stocking fillers, the Hot Wheels single cars and 5-packs sold really well, and there’s a Stretchy Grinch that has been a great, low-priced pick-up line. A late new line that arrived just prior to Christmas was Furblets, mini Furby electronic toys from Hasbro. At £9.99, they are a great buy and have sold really well. Our clearance lines have also been very successful, and that is reflective of the current market conditions.

The last two weeks always see massive sales on pocket money and our till impulse sales. In the final few days, the uplift on this section is massive as people look for last minute stocking fillers. It’s a category that the nationals struggle to keep on top of - especially when it is so busy – and it’s one which offers fantastic margin as well. The good old Whoopee Cushion remains our bestseller in this area.

We put a lot of planning into the last two weeks before Christmas, before closing on Boxing Day to give our staff a break over Christmas. We re-open on 27th December, and those days up until New Years Day are big business, the equivalent of a good Saturday for each day. We keep our focus on this period and take some time off in the New Year once the kids have gone back to school.

After the buzz of Christmas, it is always nice to look forward to Toy Fair in the New Year. We have been planning our appointments, and our first one was booked with one of our favourite stands – Character Options for lunch. We are keen to see what new ranges and innovations are coming through, and to see how 2024 will pan out. We’re looking forward to catching up with people in the trade we haven’t seen for a few months, and feeling the excitement start to build as we find out what’s coming in the year ahead.

After the buzz of Christmas, it is always nice to look forward to Toy Fair in the New Year. We have been planning our appointments, and our first one was booked with one of our favourite stands – Character Options for lunch. We are keen to see what new ranges and innovations are coming through, and to see how 2024 will pan out. We’re looking forward to catching up with people in the trade we haven’t seen for a few months, and feeling the excitement start to build as we find out what’s coming in the year ahead.

We are realistic in our expectations for the first quarter of the year and expect business to be challenging until we get to Easter. We will of course be on the lookout for new items at Toy Fair, but will take a relatively conservative approach, trying small quantities rather than committing big straight from the off. However, we do need to keep new stock coming in to keep the store fresh and appealing to customers.