20 minute read
Talking Shop
Talking Shop Fair play
This month Toy World asked indie retailers about their experiences at Toy Fair this year - what they saw, what they enjoyed and what they’ll be ordering.
Maurice Doyle - Banba Toymaster, Dublin
It was an interesting Toy Fair. We go for the full three days, from the crack of dawn on Tuesday to close on Thursday. It’s a great time to regroup after Christmas and meet with reps and agents, as well as seeing how the previous year went. I go in wanting to know if the items and characters that suppliers thought were going to be big for the year actually performed as expected, what’s being continued on and what’s new for 2024. It’s good to hear the inside info about these things.
My visit was very productive. I liked Hasbro’s new Nerf lines, with new Nerf darts that are more accurate and even faster. We’re looking forward to stocking those in the future. Playmobil is celebrating its 50th birthday and we discussed working together on holding a celebration in our shop. We also talked to other suppliers about hosting in-store events and demos to drum up a bit of interest and business, and ways we can support trade via our online platforms.
As well as stock for our own store, we were also looking for items that might be suitable for the Toymaster Catalogue; Banba Toymaster is on the selection committee.
We deal with most of our suppliers via Toymaster but, as our online side of the business has really taken off since Covid (we’re up 85% on the previous year and are shipping all over Europe). Things like TMNT that aren’t available in all European countries are popular and a significant chunk of our business now comes from these overseas orders, so we’re looking to add to that with items that aren’t too price sensitive.
We are quite tight on time when we visit Toy Fair. We’re booked into appointments across the entire three days, and we don’t normally get the chance to just walk around and ‘freelance’, so I would love it if the organisers could bring back an extra day. A fourth day to be able to make extra appointments would make such a difference.
Carol Glennan - Fagan Toys, Mullingar
WWe attended Toy Fair on the Tuesday and Wednesday and found it a lot busier than the last couple of years. There was a lot more hype compared to just after Covid when the atmosphere was a bit subdued. This year, the buzz was back.
We attended the Toy Industry Awards where we were delighted to end up winning the Independent Toy Retailer of the Year. We were thrilled just to be nominated; we’d never been nominated before and to attend the ceremony was a big deal in and of itself. But we weren’t expecting to actually win it at all. Fagan Toys is a family run business, and although I’m not a part of the family, it was a great moment for everyone and feels like recognition for all the years of hard work. That was obviously the highlight of our trip.
When we go to Toy Fair, we like to look out for something new and exciting that’s going to create a bit of a buzz. We’ve started to use our social media a lot more, and so we look for lines that will work well on there. Last year, we made a couple
of Tik Toks that were extremely effective, one for Soccer Bot from Golden Bear and one for Biggies, the inflatable plush from Eolo (Click UK). Those lines had four and a half million views and over two million views respectively. The hype that they created was fantastic, translating into increased footfall and sales.
Lego was one of our favourite stands; there was a lot of new Lego this year and I think it’s going to appeal to all ages, with a bit of nostalgia involved. Just Play had a fantastic new interactive range for later in the year that I loved. There were a couple of new games from Golden Bear that the whole family could get involved with. I also thought Hasbro’s new version of the classic Monopoly was a great idea. It’s a different take, and a quicker version. There were plenty of lines that had a lot of potential, a lot of interactive and techy things.
Toy Fair will continue to be our primary source for new ideas and freshness. We’re always on the hunt for something different that will captivate all ages and all audiences.
Thomas Wohl - Argosy Toys, Westcliffe on Sea
S
o far in 2024, business is going well for Argosy Toys. Toy Fair was excellent this year, our team enjoyed it a lot, and it felt much busier than last year. I enjoyed the Lego stand which looked great, they seem to have developed it much more than in previous years. The Hasbro tour was also very impressive. As always, it was fun to see all the costume characters walking around. We found a lot of Hello Kitty product, so that looks like it’s going to be a strong licence this year.
I miss the train companies like Hornby and Bachmann, but they haven’t been there for a couple of years now. It’s a shame when we can’t easily see companies like that, or the likes of Mattel which doesn’t go anymore either.
We do a lot of networking at Toy Fair; this is one of the most important aspects of the show and one we take full advantage of. We get to say hello in person to a lot of people that we work with on a regular basis, which makes a change from just emailing them. I wish I’d gone for the full three days, rather than just two, as my time quickly filled up with appointments with existing suppliers and I didn’t get to see anyone else.
We were looking for some classic games, such as chess or backgammon, with nice wooden boards and packaging. I’m sure that they’re out there and I’d have found them if I’d had more time. Next year I plan to visit on all three days, to give myself one extra day to wander around and see more new products.
Julia Wingate - The Trading Post, Kingsbridge
Toy Fair can be a bit overwhelming, but it was great to see a lot of companies all in one place and turned out to be a very informative trip. I particularly liked the new Sylvanian Families and new Lego ranges as well as Brainstorm’s new Eugys and the new games from Big Potato. I always attend Toy Fair with an open mind as to new products and new suppliers but this year we mostly engaged with our current suppliers to get an overview of their new lines for this year. However, a stand which surprised me was Connetix. I thought their spiral ball run was very eye-catching.
This year has been quite positive so far at our store. January and February are usually a little quiet, but sales have been strong compared to other years and I’m feeling very optimistic about the year ahead.
Pocket-money lines were our best-sellers over the past year; things like fidget toys and the small Lego botanicals boxes sold fantastically well. Hopefully the new Lego ranges this year will continue to be successful for us. I also have a feeling there will be a strong trend in axolotlthemed toys this year – they seemed to be everywhere at Toy Fair!
Dan Lovett - The Toy Box, Beccles
As a retailer who regularly attends the London Toy Fair, I find it frustrating that some stands are closed and require an appointment to enter - you can’t even look around to see the new products for this year, even though you are selling the products in your shop. I find it frustrating not knowing which stands will welcome me to drop in and which insist on an appointment.
Pokémon, Squishmallows and Lego are currently the top three ranges that sell consistently – you’ve just got to stock them. Lego is always a highlight whenever attending Toy Fair, we have quite a good relationship. I thought Lego City was strong, Technic was strong and Speed Champions is always one of my favourite ranges. I was a little bit disappointed that everything wasn’t on show, and I had to look at some of it on a laptop.
Squishmallows on the Jazwares stand was another highlight. There are several strong licences this year with Beetlejuice, Harry Potter and Stitch. As well as the Squishmallows Stitch lines, the Simba plushies have sold very well. With the new live-action film coming out in June, we plan to stock up on Stitch products for the summer.
There were some companies that I saw at Toy Fair that I’d particularly like to work with in the future. Canal Toys had some noteworthy products, which I’ll certainly be looking into for this year, especially in the run-up to Q4. The company is doing some interesting social media products where users can use their smartphones to create podcasts and Instagram and TikTok videos, such as the Studio Creator Video Maker Kits.
In outdoor toys, Toynamics’ Hape outdoor range is a strong one. We particularly like the magnifying glass and little compass sets, as well as bug finding toys. Trends UK also had some impressive products like telescopes. There was lots to see at Toy Fair and it’s given me plenty of ideas for the year ahead.
Jon Scrivens - Hamlins Toymaster, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
I really enjoyed Toy Fair. The 2024 product ranges seemed a bit less adventurous than previous years. Rather than taking a big risk introducing a brand-new product to the market, companies were building upon ranges that have been proven to work.
For example, Little Live Pets: Mama Surprise from Moose Toys has been a huge bestseller and Moose has built on that success by introducing more characters, knowing that customers would be keen to expand on their Little Live Pets worlds at home. The brand is still in demand.
I went to Toy Fair to seek out new ranges in order to build upon the categories we already have in our store, as well as fill in the gaps. I think the Connetix collection of magnetic tile sets is a wonderful range that will offer something new and different to our customers, as well as looking great on shelf.
We have always seen strong sales from wooden toys at Hamlins, and carry an extensive range, but I still feel we can develop this category further. I particularly loved the Hape section on the Toynamics stand, especially the fantastic gardening toys. There’s such a variety of lines to choose from, and I love that Hape products are so interactive and tactile – you can’t help but want to pick them up, and I’m sure my customers will feel the same. The Toynamics stand was really inviting, and I was impressed by the attention to detail that goes into making even the smallest items like the mini characters – you can tell Hape is a good quality range.
It was great to go around Toy Fair and see all the new introductions. It makes such a difference to see the toys in person. Even the packaging can make or break it for me, so Toy Fair is the perfect opportunity to visualise pproperly how products would look in store.
Nicola Winn - Toymaster at T&G Allan, Morpeth
WIe had a really good time at Toy Fair. This was my second time attending. Before we arrived, we compiled a list of all the major suppliers that we work with, like Lego, Playmobil and Orchard Toys, and we went to each stand to see what was new.
I thought Orchard Toys’ Peter Rabbit line was brilliant. With lovely spring decorations, it was really eye catching, yet traditional; Peter Rabbit hasn’t changed from the original design. It’s inspired us to place orders for the range and to do a window display with it, which will be perfect for Easter and spring.
It’s interesting to catch up with suppliers and find out how, for example, sales differ in different areas of the country and where we need to look at price points. We were impressed by Ty, which is reducing the cost price of its small and medium-sized Beanie Babies. With the cost of living getting more expensive, and customers having to spend more on food, electric and gas, attractive prices are going to be key this year.
Toy Fair had a great atmosphere this year. All the characters and mascots walking around bring such joy to everyone. We could only visit for a limited time span due to commitments back at the shop and it was a challenge to book timed slots with everybody that we needed to see. But a lot of suppliers were very understanding and told me to pop along when I could.
I appreciated those companies that have arranged for reps to visit us in Northumberland. It’ll be a huge help to get that personal level of service – and be able to show them their sections within the store. A representative from Playmobil visited recently and they’re going to supply a wonderful play table, with toys to demo. I firmly believe toys are meant to be played with, so that’s great – I want our store to be a place for children to explore their imagination and have a fun time.
Simon Steel - Toy City, London
had three days of appointments at this year’s Toy Fair, which allowed me to see some of my regular suppliers and many of the new lines coming out. I liked the Pati-school range on the Epoch stand, a new activity range involving food decoration. Following MGA’s Miniverse Make it Mini Food collectibles last year, I think it’s smart of Epoch to join the social media food trend. Toy Fair was a busy three days for me. As well as seeing existing accounts, it gives me the opportunity to open new ones; if they have a great range at decent price points and margin, and will do an early buy deal on a lowish order to try, I’m in.
Last year, there was a significant amount of price cutting, which has put me off committing to too many forward orders in the early part of the year. On the Ty stand though, they had some very competitive price points, which will help us maintain sales without having to compete with constant undercutting. Ty also had some very appealing new ideas.
Spin Master had some exciting new stuff too, like the Monster Jam range, which always sells well, and I thought Character Options’ Flying Heroes had a niche design. Jazwares’ Squishmallows had some new additions to the Pokémon collection which I’m sure will sell well.
I stock Trading Card Games including Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball Z. Lorcana has not performed as well as expected so far, and it’s encouraging to hear that Ravensburger will be bringing out new gateway packs to introduce players to the game this year.
I’m looking forward to Book Week though, which is always popular. Much of my stock is ordered from Rubies, who I’ve been dealing with for years, and that will be our first big event of the year in store.
Pat Murphy - Murphy’s Toymaster, Dungarvan
Toy Fair was positive, I met a lot of my suppliers such as Flair, University Games, Lego, VTech, Golden Bear and MV Sports, who all had new ranges on display. Golden Bear had some great looking games coming out later in the year, such as Fart Yoga. Last year’s Soccer Bot has been incredibly successful, so I’m hoping they will come up with another must-have. I’m excited about the Baby Republic range of 3D air-dry clay, Okto Clay, and AB Gee had some great new lines in role-play. I was also very impressed with Craft Buddy’s Crystal Art Buddies and Halilit had a science and craft range that looked interesting.
Finding new products is always the goal at Toy Fair. It’s important to explore the hall because there’s always a new supplier or a new product to discover.
I’m hoping for a good Easter and summer trading. I don’t think there’s going to be a big growth in sales or market this year, but I’ll continue to bring in new products that will excite my customers.
Andrew Olley - City Cycle Centre, Ely
This year, I thought Toy Fair was really good fun. It seemed busy compared to recent years, with lots to look at across the stands. Looking back at my walkthroughs, it was good to see the full Lego range and I enjoyed visiting Asmodee and seeing all its new games for 2024. I also thought the Jazwares’ stand was very impressive with tons of new products. I came away thinking that each of these collections were really inspiring.
Games has been a strong category for us at Cycle City Centre, and, as well as Asmodee, I was interested to see lots of new games across many different stands at the show.
At Toy Fair, I was looking to see many of the suppliers that we currently carry ranges for in the shop, and make sure I caught up with any that I hadn’t touched base with in a while, like Big Potato. I find it useful to see the full range of products from each supplier – and to see everything in the flesh. Seeing the actual product helps me visualise how it will look in store and how I think my customers will react.
Alan MarquisWharf Post Office, St Ives, Cornwall
We book as many appointments with suppliers as we can in advance, and this year had productive meetings with companies including Lego, Spin Master, Character Options and Ty. On the Epoch stand, Sylvanian Families had some lovely new lines, as it does every year and we enjoyed seeing Pokémon, Funko and Hasbro. We also spoke with a handful of agencies.
We book as many appointments with suppliers as we can in advance, and this year had productive meetings with companies including Lego, Spin Master, Character Options and Ty. On the Epoch stand, Sylvanian Families had some lovely new lines, as it does every year and we enjoyed seeing Pokémon, Funko and Hasbro. We also spoke with a handful of agencies.
When looking at the latest products, I am looking for newness and originality. I also feel quite strongly that there needs to be a separation between technology and toys for the younger age groups. For pre-schoolers, I like to stock traditional toy ranges, rather than anything that is connected to apps or social media.
I placed a few orders at the show, but our main ordering will take place at the Toymaster show in May. Toy Fair is worth the trip though, for us to see what’s new and coming up for the year ahead and start to plan.
Indie viewpoint
Everything’s coming up roses!
We write this month’s column six weeks into the year, and in the middle of the February half term. Trade has been mixed so far this year, with January starting well, but in the second half sales were down year on year. However, the good news is that February started a lot better, and the key week, half term, has been strong so far. Hopefully we should see some growth for the month overall (helped by an extra day as it’s a leap year!)
Looking at our bestsellers, it seems like we have turned into a florist, as our top seller this week (the week of Valentines Day) is a bouquet of roses – made of Lego. We have sold more of those than some florists will have sold real roses! The whole Lego Botanical collection has been hugely successful and has driven strong Lego sales for the first few weeks of the year. The new Pokémon Paldean Fates release has also been very popular. And I know we mentioned it last month, but the Sylvanian Baby Blind Bags have been phenomenal so far this year. In just six weeks, we have matched what we sold in six months last year – this is a line that’s it’s definitely worth getting behind.
January was a very busy and hectic month getting around all the trade fairs, but it has been fantastic to catch up with suppliers and see what is coming up. We had a successful visit to London Toy Fair, where we didn’t have any trouble getting on stands. One bugbear this year though was a lack of clear pricing. In the current cost of living crisis, price is one of the most important factors in choosing whether to stock a product, and the majority of stands did not have any pricing on at all - we spent so much time waiting for reps to search through a price list to give us a price. We understand that prices can change, but an SRP on a product saves so much time and helps us decide whether to stock it. We sat through one product demo which seemed quite innovative, but the very last thing to be mentioned was the price, and if we’d known that from the start, we wouldn’t have wasted our time (vastly overpriced, in our opinion). But credit to those suppliers that did have prices clearly marked, including Bandai; that made the process a whole lot easier.
We saw some interesting products at Toy Fair and plenty to go after. When we did get down to cost, we found many suppliers have looked at their price points and there were more lines hitting the key £9.99, £14.99 & £19.99 prices, and far less £10.99 and £20.99 lines.
We also had a trip to Spring Fair in Birmingham, along with a clearance show at a nearby hotel, and that was a worthwhile trip. We picked up some great offer lines, and there were some suppliers at Spring Fair that did not exhibit in London that it was worth seeing. We visited on Sunday, and it felt busy that day.
By the time you read this, hopefully the weather will have started to improve, and our heads will be turning to Outdoor Toys. This is a key category for us during the summer months, and we broaden out our ranges and move them towards the front of the store from around Easter. We carry a wide range of products including pools and associated inflatables; wheeled toys and a good selection of Dolu outdoor lines, including sand & water tables, slides and trikes. There’s also a variety of racquet sets, outdoor games and playballs (filling our ball stands is a neverending task over the summer). The smaller lines will be bought to be taken away on holiday and trips from Easter onwards, so it is good to get them out early. Bring on the sunshine!
