Talking Shop
Fair play Emma Dadswell Toys N Tuck, Southend
I
t was surreal but lovely to be back at Toy Fair. It was so nice to see people in person again - I had some reps that I’d never even met, so it was great to be able to meet them face to face. It was also so much better to see all the product in the flesh; it gives you a totally different perspective, as sometimes when you look at a picture you can’t properly see the size of the product. I think Toy Fair was very well organised and I felt safe being there. Knowing there were precautions in place, such as checking people’s Covid status on entry, made me feel comfortable attending. The toy trade is like family in a way, so you just trust they are all being sensible and doing the right thing. It was a shame that some of the bigger names were not present though. I understand why the decision was made not to attend, but on the plus side, it gave me more time to spend with smaller suppliers that we don’t traditionally do as much business with. This meant I saw things I may have otherwise missed. Casdon was my favourite stand; it looked fantastic with all the new product and the rebrand. I think the way they have updated themselves is great and I loved the new product ranges including the replica Joseph Joseph houseware range; it’s all so much more modern
This month, our indies are reflecting on their return to Toy Fair and tell Sam Giltrow how the year has started off and what products they are excited about for 2022. and offers items that children see in their homes. We picked up a few new ranges at the show including the B-Kind Dolls from Simba Smoby. I love the eco-conscious aspect of these dolls, as I know it’s something more of our customers are looking for and it’s becoming more at the forefront of people’s minds when purchasing. We have also extended our range with Great Gizmos and are generally switching up some of our ranges across the store. It’s been a busy start to the year, and everything is going well. Our January takings were definitely up on previous years. Spin Master’s Tech Decks have been performing very strongly – we are selling between 50 and 100 every week. They always sell well but they seem to pick up as a craze in schools every so often. We are also still seeing impressive demand for Squishmallows from Jazwares.
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Educational toys are becoming more popular, especially for younger children when it’s the parent making the decision about what to buy. They are always impressed when there’s an element of learning, whether it’s a game or science kit or construction set. Great Gizmos has some lovely science kits, including the KidzLabs range, and the Brainstorm items are always popular, particularly the Projector Torches and the 2-in-1 Globe. Since the start of the year, we have placed a lot of orders for new stock and it’s now starting to turn up. I’ll keep the ranges as they are for now, just restocking as required until we hit the Toymaster show in May when I’ll look at more range refresh options. I’m looking forward to returning to Harrogate; I really love the Toymaster show – it’s such a great event and I get a lot done while I’m there. I’m feeling very positive about the year ahead. It really is so good to be able to see product and people again.
