Special Feature - Toymaster

Majestic moments

The Toymaster May Show returned to the beautiful DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa from 21st-23rd May, hosting more than 100 leading toy suppliers and a raft of independent retailers for three days of networking, ordering and fun. Toy World reports back from this year’s successful event.

The Toymaster May Show has long been a favourite of Team Toy World for its relaxed atmosphere, lovely location and welcoming, friendly vibes. This show falls at a time when sales tend to be steadily ticking over for the indie sector, although in the weeks leading up to it, trading was arguably more challenging than it has been in many years. Indeed, one retailer told us it was the worst period he’s seen in the past 30 years - leading us to ponder whether the event would be a little subdued, a reflection of the mood out there in the sector. Happily, this simply wasn’t the case. Arriving early on the first day of the show, we were immediately struck by the buzz that’s created when experienced, no-nonsense toy retail specialists get together with the UK’s leading toy suppliers.

The beloved May Show follows the same format, year in, year out. That meant that once again, the hotel and marquees were filled with over 100 companies, ranging from small start-ups and first-time exhibitors to industry behemoths such as Mattel, MGA Entertainment, Hasbro, Spin Master, Character Options, Lego, Tomy and Epoch. Even early in the morning of day one, before visitors could possibly have had time to look round the whole show, suppliers were reporting that healthy-sized orders were rolling in - one had even opened two new accounts by 11am - which is exactly what the show is all about.

Indie retailers have told us for years that while London Toy Fair is where they do their initial ‘window shopping’, the Toymaster May Show is where they place their main autumn winter orders, turning up armed with spreadsheets and checklists of where to go and what to buy. Reasons for this vary: some say they prefer to wait until the Harrogate show because by then, launch dates and RRPs

are firmer than in January, while others say they much prefer to place orders at the event because of its more laidback atmosphere, with its wide open stands, transparent product displays and genial atmosphere – not to mention the tempting deals on offer from suppliers.

Of course, there’s plenty to be said for also remaining open minded to new launches spotted around the show that weren’t at Toy Fair, or perhaps were missed at a show of that scale – many we spoke to reported that they’d uncovered some hidden gems.

The first day of the Toymaster May Show wrapped up with an evening of food, music, dancing and drinks, as suppliers and retailers alike celebrated a successful opening day. John Adam’s Bruno Gallone, who retired shortly after the show, took home a Special Recognition Award during the evening. Toymaster managing director Yogi Parmar, who presented the award, praised Bruno for his warm approach, caring ways and Italian charm, adding: “Bruno has always been a great supporter of both indies and of Toymaster, and always finds the time to help. Bruno, thank you for being you and for all your hard work.”

Bruno then took the crowd by storm with his band Toy Division, which is made up of some very familiar toy trade faces: independent retailer Jon Starling (Starlings Toymaster) on bass guitar, Matt Martin (agent) on drums, John Mallabar (Orchard Toys) on guitar and vocals, Matthew Parlett (John Adams) on guitar, and Paul Reader (Toymaster’s commercial director) on backup vocals (and interpretive dance).

The fans weren’t needed in the marquees this year: day two was possibly one of the wettest Toymaster May Show days on record, with torrential downpours lasting the majority of the day. Ever organised, the fabulous Toymaster team broke out boxes of huge green golf-style brollies which quickly became the most sought-after product of the day.

Here, special thanks must go to James Barratt of Peers Hardy for his much appreciated ‘white knight’ moment. After spotting Toy World’s Rachael and Caroline huddling in the entrance of the lobby, discussing how to get over to the marquee without becoming drenched after their umbrellas were ‘borrowed’ from their hiding place, he swiftly nipped back to his stand and returned with two fabulous Disney Stitch umbrellas. He apologised for the slight delay, explaining that he had been stopped by a retailer who’d spotted him with the umbrellas and immediately wanted to place an order. That’s Toy World for you – always helping companies bag a sale (even if inadvertently). And let me tell you, those brollies were guarded ferociously for the rest of the trip.

The rain didn’t stop play though, and it was another very busy day for all attendees. Generally speaking, the feeling among suppliers was that while the indies may have been a little more cautious than in previous years, respectable figures were still going down on the order forms. Amy Saunders, sales director at Just Play, told the team: “Even though things are quite challenging at the moment, the indies we’re seeing here are still buying, which is great. At the end of the day, when you’re dealing with indies you have to bear in mind that it’s their own money they’re spending with you. They’re not buying on behalf of a huge online retailer or supermarket chain – this is personal to them, and they feel every penny that goes out, as well as comes in. When an indie places an order with you it’s a genuine vote of confidence in you and your products and is why we work so hard to support these guys and make sure that faith is not misplaced.”

Mandy McGough, field sales manager at Rainbow Designs, also spoke about the importance of supporting the company’s indie retail partners, proudly showing us the Paddington FSDUs and bunting on display in the Upper Marquee (just round the corner from the Paddington bench, which many a visitor couldn’t resist posing on for a photo). “Retailers can take advantage of all the extra support we offer, like these POS solutions, in-store demo and play days, giveaways, window programmes and more,”

she explained. “We also offer really attractive margins – our toys are available at gift prices, and that really helps.” Indeed, we heard a lot about margins throughout the show, with a lot of retailers actively seeking out the most attractive offers and gifting margins of 50% or more. Toymaster May Show exhibitors have long laid on special show deals for attendees but reports back from this year’s event suggest that many companies really went above and beyond, with some absolutely cracking offers that will make those that opted to miss the show this year – and there were a few, unfortunately – kick themselves. It seems like most suppliers really do recognise the challenges indies are facing and genuinely want to help, and that was noticed by the retailers who made the trip.

As we saw at London Toy Fair and Spielwarenmesse, a number of suppliers have also reduced the pricing on some best-selling ranges and major new launches: VTech had a raft of products on show with an RRP of sub-£20 – a figure that appears to be something of a sweet spot for the indies right now – while MGA Entertainment’s Rainbow High and L.O.L. Surprise! ranges have seen their RRPs slashed too.

An end to the downpours saw guests gather for the second night of entertainment at the Toymaster May Show, with the Awards Dinner well attended by those keen to mark the achievements of people from across the industry. Opening the awards presentations, Toymaster managing director Yogi Parmar praised the ‘Toymaster family’, took the opportunity to thank the dedicated and hard-working staff of The Majestic hotel, and also highlighted the amazing job the Toymaster team had done behind the scenes in organising the show.

Then it was time for the awards themselves. The immensely popular Nick Saunders of Brainstorm was honoured with a Friends of Toymaster award. Paul Reader, presenting the award, described Nick as “everyone’s dad, captain and leader”, adding: “Nick is a true gentleman, a credit to his business, a massive advocate of independents and someone who fully appreciates the marketing opportunities Toymaster presents its suppliers. He’s a supporter of everything we do, understands the importance of building relationships from grassroots level, especially with independents, and values the contribution of everyone in his team. Nick always finds the best ways to improve Brainstorm’s service to Toymaster and its members.”

Speaking to Toy World after the event, Nick said: “Receiving the award was a massive surprise. I was lost for words, but I feel chuffed to bits. In reality, the award is for the whole Brainstorm family, past and present, which works so hard for our customers. This Toymaster May Show marks my 21st year with Brainstorm and the industry. I love returning to Harrogate every year and watching our Toymaster business continue to grow. The members are great to work with and we support them as much as we can with display solutions and in-store theatre ideas. The Toymaster team at ‘Northampton Towers’ has been extremely kind to Brainstorm with all its help and advice, guiding us through the group’s marketing options and helping us to be the best supplier we possibly can be for members.”

A Special Recognition Award, meanwhile, was presented to Philip Kaye of Kayes of Cardiff. Yogi described Philip as a “real gentleman who’s made a tangible difference to a lot of people over the years”, with his unfailing determination and hard work making him a great supporter of Toymaster and its members.

“Philip will always find the time to help someone and is immensely respected not only by us at Toymaster, but by the entire trade,” Yogi added. “It takes a certain personality to work that hard for so long. Thank you for being you and for all your dedication to Toymaster over the years.”

Philip told Toy World: “I was overwhelmed and very humbled on hearing my name called out as the recipient of the prestigious Special Recognition award. After nearly 40 years in the Wholesale and Distribution sector, servicing mainly independent retailers and enjoying every day in work, I was - for once in my life - lost for words. I am particularly grateful to my team in the office, warehouse and in the field for their support and loyalty over many years. Business is a partnership, and without successful partnerships with suppliers and customers you don’t have a business. Kayes is very fortunate to have a great pool of supplier partners in addition to a large number of independent customers, many of whom are not only customers but good friends too. My special thanks go to the team at Toymaster for their ongoing support in helping us to serve their members so professionally.”

Supplier of the Year, meanwhile, went to Character Options, a company which Paul said: “embodies the very spirit of hard work (and hard play) and works tirelessly to meet the needs of members thanks to its ability to see the value of face-to-face relationships.” Rounding out the evening’s awards, the British Toy & Hobby Association presented Epoch’s Jon Ward with a prestigious Golden Teddy. BTHA chairman Simon Pilkington, who presented Jon with his teddy, detailed how he had served the industry for over 30 years and is an honest, hardworking and kind man who derives great satisfaction from helping others.

The sun was back out for Day 3, which turned out to be a quieter day for many – some retailers had already headed home by that point, feeling that their trip was complete.

Predictably, there were a few grumbles about this among exhibitors, but such is the nature of trade shows: most are quiet on the last day. It’s also worth bearing in mind that indies may not benefit from the support of a large team capable of holding the fort while they’re away. Some may simply have been needed back behind the till ASAP, once the ordering was done.

As it was, there were still plenty of retailers walking the show, mopping up those last little bits. Tempting though it was at times to down tools and relax in the bar, the Toy World team instead started interviewing a host of retailers about their experiences of the show and their outlook for the year ahead. We were struck by the huge variety of retailers at the event. From garden centres and seaside gifts shops to multi-store franchises and high-street icons, all the great and good the UK and Ireland’s indie scene has to offer seemed to be in Harrogate. We also spoke to a couple still in the process of sounding out and setting up their new store, a husband and wife whose toy store had sadly burned down just a few weeks prior but had made the trip regardless, and a couple of online-only specialists keen to catch up with suppliers.

All were effusive in their praise for the overall event and the quality of the deals on offer, and we came away with a sense that the event had once again proved what a supportive, friendly and optimistic group the indies are, despite the challenges they all face. To see what they had to say, turn to page 33.

“It’s been a great show,” enthused Toymaster’s development manager Brian McLaughlin, as the Majestic’s lobby began to fill with retailers preparing to hit the road. “It’s been well attended, and we’ve benefited from a huge amount of supplier support across the three days. We’ve also welcomed a raft of new suppliers, which has been superb for our members and presented some great opportunities to discover new products. The feedback we’ve had from retailers has really highlighted the quality of the deals which suppliers have laid on, while suppliers have once again reaffirmed how much they enjoy working with the indie trade. There’s a great partnership there. Apart from the weather, everything has gone incredibly well, and we’re really pleased.”

When asked whether he felt that the show will have gone some way towards reenergising the indie community at what has undoubtedly been a tough time, Brian notes that most attend the Toymaster May Show with an intention to place orders and appraise what’s coming for the months ahead. He adds: “This is a forward-looking event, and our members are a forward-looking group. Whatever comes, we know they’re ready for it, and we’re proud to be able to play a part in their preparations.”

The Toymaster May Show will return in 2025 from 20th22nd May. See you all there!