15 minute read
Talking Shop
Talking Shop Spring is in the air
There’s a sense of revival in the air, as indie retailers refresh their offerings after the post-Christmas period, with a little help from a trip to Toy Fair of course. We also hear what they have planned for their customers over the coming months.
Jean and Heather Hodgins - Hopkins Toymaster, Wicklow Town, Co Wicklow
Toy Fair is a very busy and important opportunity for us, catching up with our contacts and meeting with potential new suppliers. It gives us a good foundation for the year ahead and for what is to come. We take great care in selecting the products and ranges we choose to stock, so seeing all the products and being able to handle and appreciate the quality of them is invaluable. We attended the show on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and planned our days down to the minute to maximise our time and increase efficiency to ensure we didn't miss anything.
We saw a great range of pocket money toys at One For Fun and placed orders for the Pick & Pop bracelets. We were very excited to see the online trend of Picky Pads making their way into the market; the added twist of using the beads to make a bracelet is a lovely idea. We met the team at Connetix and are looking forward to welcoming the products in-store this month. We love the open-ended play from magnetic tiles, and we think the roads and ball run sets are a great line to invest in as they are suitable for all. We also caught up with LeMieux, whose products we have been stocking since last January when we discovered them at Toy Fair. They have now added dolls to go along with their range of ponies, and more accessories for the horses and hobby horses too.
There are always plenty of new products to see at Toy Fair, however, these days, it is very hard to be 'wowed'. Often, we’ve already seen similar products from the US market on TikTok, which are now coming to the European market. There were a few new 'hero' products on show, but having signed NDAs, we can't divulge.
Our goal for Toy Fair was to identify new ranges and suppliers and continue to ensure we have a unique product selection that caters to all our customers. We have engaged with a number of new accounts and look forward to introducing different lines to our customers, expanding our offering of collectibles and products that cater to our adult/ kidult customers. Among the new ranges we have brough in, Cobi construction sets have been a standout new account, complementing our range of Lego with a variety of army sets.
We like to be the first to stock new products and ranges, so Toy Fair is a great opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the new offerings, changes in ranges and any mergers of suppliers. The show is certainly worthwhile as it does give you a head start on what is to come, especially when customers are so knowledgeable nowadays. We are still hopeful that a craze will come along; without that, we expect business to be challenging.
We have analysed our offering and made decisions on lines we are dropping and are now working to refresh our shelves, re-merchandising and making space for the new products arriving. While it is quieter, we have taken the time to re-organise our stock rooms and carry out general maintenance. We are cautiously optimistic for 2025 and think the key is being prepared to adapt to current market demands.
At Hopkins Toymaster, we hold events and demonstrations in store throughout the year and we are planning these now. We are also starting to plan for our 200th year in business which is coming up in 2027 and we hope with the support of our suppliers and customers, we can make it a year to remember.
Usman Ahmed - Toys4You, Sutton Coldfield
Attending Toy Fair provided a valuable opportunity to network with fellow industry professionals, discover new products and gain insight into emerging trends. We spoke to many suppliers, which was useful in finding out more about the current market and consumer trends. Toy Fair once again proved to be an essential trip; it’s always inspiring and we will use what we learnt there to help our business growth.
Collectible items continue to be popular, and companies are now designing them to appeal to both children and adults. Micro collectibles, in particular, were everywhere, and their affordability and space-saving appeal is just what customers are looking for right now. It was good to see the new Funko Bitty Pops and Squishmallows. There were also lots of blind box collectibles; it seems the thrill of surprise and the influence of social media unboxing are still widespread trends, and we’ll be extending this area even more in store.
Nostalgia played a significant role in this year’s fair, with many companies reintroducing beloved toys from the past that are still just as relevant and loved today. Classics from the 1980s and 1990s, such as Care Bears, Stretch Armstrong, Tamagotchi and Sylvanian Families, have made a strong comeback, and will appeal to both nostalgic parents and a new generation of children.
With the trends from Toy Fair 2025 in mind, I’ll be focusing on collectibles, retro toy revivals and seasonal exclusives to keep things fresh and exciting.
In board games, we were impressed by Ravensburger’s new additions to its Disney Villainous series, which includes Disney Villainous Unstoppable! – with villains like Hades, Ursula, Scar and Maleficent, we’re sure this will be in demand. Products based on the Skibidi Toilet series captured our attention. It’s something different and funny, and kids will love it.
Lego, as usual, has new sets that will sell well. Some of the new designs were fantastic – we have already placed our orders for the year ahead and are looking forward to getting them in stock. Some exciting new ranges from Spin Master and DKB (which are under embargo) caught our eye, which we have also ordered for later in the year.
The spring/Easter period is always a busy time for us, and preparation is key to making the most of it. We have planned for Easter by bringing in pastel-coloured plush toys, Easter-themed crafts, outdoor play sets and egg hunt kits to create an engaging seasonal section. We’ll offer gift bundles and promotions in store; our pre-made Easter baskets filled with small toys, books and treats make gift-giving easier for parents and grandparents and always go down well. We plan on hosting a small egg-painting station, treasure hunts and a Sylvanian Families Meet Freya the Rabbit event to attract families and create a fun shopping experience.
We use social media to offer exclusive online promotions and use email marketing to remind customers about Easter gift ideas. Easter is a fantastic opportunity for toy sales, as families are often looking for alternatives to chocolate.
With all the negativity resulting from the rising cost of living and business rates increases, there are still positive things that retailers can focus on. It will be a tough year ahead but there are some key events and opportunities coming up for Toys4you. In the fourth quarter, we will be launching our own range of innovative products. This launch will demonstrate how retailers can embrace innovation by connecting with the end users. We feel very optimistic, and Toy Fair has made us excited for the year ahead.
Alan Marquis - The Wharf Toy Shop and Post Office, St Ives, Cornwall
AAttending the London Toy Fair proved to be highly beneficial. Although we were a bit out of it on the first day after arriving early Tuesday morning from Singapore, the visit proved productive, and we saw some excellent product lines that we believe will be hugely successful.
Our highlights include visiting Wind Designs to see all the new products from Hasbro, as we can no longer deal with them directly. Another range that caught our attention on the stand was the Dreameez Dolls collection (from Funville) which offers high-quality dolls at competitive prices that we believe will appeal to our clientele. Since we are located by the seaside and attract plenty of tourists looking for affordable toys to entertain their children during their holiday, adding these dolls to our portfolio will help us offer a wider variety of price points to satisfy all types of budget.
As we walked around the fair, we noticed that many companies are increasingly incorporating Japanese-inspired and Kawaii toy ranges, particularly collectibles, into their ranges. This trend seems to be very hot at the moment and is something we noticed while we were in Singapore. We believe that it will continue to take over the Western world and we are looking to increase this type of products at our shop.
We visited Blokees’ stand and loved the licensed Transformers collectibles that should do very well this year, especially during the release of Transformers 8: Rise of Unicron, which is highly anticipated by fans of the franchise. We think this brand offers consumers something truly unique and fresh, as they can build their own action figurines that can then be displayed. The prices are also attractive and, as Transformers is an evergreen licence which performs well all year round anyway, we’re looking forward to adding this range to our portfolio.
First-time exhibitor, Small World Toys, also had some craft kits that caught our attention, and we thought would fit really well on our shelves. We think this range, especially the Toys for Holiday Traveling, would be ideal for parents looking for activities to keep their children amused during a trip, or when the weather is bad. We’re aware that Small World Toys’ products are incredibly popular in Europe and I’m hoping to place an order once the brand launches in the UK. Additionally, John Adams’ Puffy Pouches range looked like a nice pick-up line.
Our store doesn’t need a craze to succeed. We prefer to stock products which sell at a consistent level, and we achieve better profit margins that way. With crazes, everyone stocks them which results a price war as each retailer tries to clear their stock, creating a race to the bottom. While you might sell a large quantity of these items, the profit margins can be minimal.
Nevertheless, Pocket Money and Collectibles is a huge category in our store. As we mainly cater to tourists, we try to keep price points as sensible as possible, and pocket-money toys always sell well. Trading Card Games is another of our strong areas, and Pokémon Prismatic has got the year off to a great start, with fans from London and other parts of the country making a special trip to purchase over £500 worth of packs. This is a line that we will definitely continue to stock. We also see great sales from surprise capsules such as MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Collectibles; especially the Harry Potter licensed line.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, one of the things we’re looking forward to is the launch of Lego F1 which we are sure will be extremely successful; we’ve got our orders in and are looking forward to seeing how that’s going to perform. We’re also getting ready for Easter and summer and are placing particular focus on finding the right products for this season, as the next six to seven months are crucial for us. Reydon Sports is one of our top suppliers for outdoor toys, and we’ll be bringing in a wide selection of its products for the summer season.
We’re currently working on developing our own website and will continue to make good use of our social media platforms, as we believe this is an incredibly effective way to encourage customers to shop with us and keep them up to date with any new launches and stock. We’re also looking forward to attending the Toymaster May Show, as that gives us a good opportunity to see even more newness coming out this year in the flesh - and place more orders.
Dan Lovett - Toys4You, Sutton Coldfield
TThis year’s London Toy Fair felt a lot more positive than it has in recent years. The vibe was great, with happy and smiling people, and I came away feeling positive and energised for the year ahead. I saw lots of cool stuff and made plenty of notes while I was at the show, but I did also get far too excited about getting onto the Lego stand (not before being patted down and having my phone confiscated, of course) and seeing its second-half launches. I’m still a big kid at heart.
Walking the halls, I saw a lot of brands being relaunched or returning to the market after drifting away for a few years, while beloved household names such as Sylvanian Families and Pokémon are celebrating major anniversaries, being 40 and 30 this year respectively. We’ve not had a decent craze since before covid; we need another fidget-spinner type frenzy, but I haven’t seen anything yet that offers much promise on that front.
Back here at the shop, my customers are also pretty positive. Takings are up year-on-year and Pokémon, Lego and Hot Wheels continue to sell well; all evergreen brands that always perform well for us. I was really impressed with what I saw from Lego in January, so I’m looking forward to getting some of those new launches into the shop and onto the shelves.
At the moment I’m planning a special in-store event for the Easter holidays, probably one of our popular Pokémon swap days, and I’m also in conversation with Lego about a Build & Take day. We used to run these before the pandemic and they were always well attended, which meant plenty of additional footfall for the store and a chance for our customers to see everything else we have on offer. It’s looking likely that we can bring these back, which would be great; running events for the local community is so important to us.
It's early days yet, but I’m actually feeling really optimistic about 2025. I’m holding on to that Toy Fair feeling as long as possible (and trying not to watch the news too much) so all being well, it should be a good year. I’ve got lots of ideas up my sleeve.
indie viewpoint
Tasty treats
As we write this, entering the February half term, our feet haven’t touched the ground after London Toy Fair and Spring Fair at the NEC. Together with our year end, it has been a manic start to the year. Trade began really well; for the first half of January, sales were very strong, helped by the quality of this year’s new Lego releases. Takings were boosted by a lot of kids getting vouchers and cash for Christmas, due to there being no standout toy and their relatives not being sure what to buy. Despite slowing down in the second half of the month, overall, January has been an excellent start to the year.
As well as Lego, sales were helped by Pokémon Prismatic Evolutions, which has been staggering - and led to us selling everything we have in terms of Pokémon TCG. We have also seen fantastic sales of the Transformers Blokees from Leftfield, which is a great collectible. Pocket money lines continue to be popular, especially anything tactile, squishy or fidgety. We have carried out our year end stocktake and were pleased to find we have come out very clean with little stock hangover.
It was great to be back at London Toy Fair, although we do look forward to them finally finishing the redevelopment of Olympia. We can’t wait to book the top floor at the new hotel there, and be even closer to the show, whilst still being able to pop out to some of the new eateries; we find the current catering options rather limited – and, as readers will know by now, we do like our food!
Another stand out was Spin Master. There was a really good range for all ages, and the licences for new films, How to Train your Dragon and Superman, are both looking very strong. Spin Master’s Ms Rachel toys have already started to sell well. We were also pleased to find John Leisure, a new supplier for us, which has a brilliant range of licensed outdoor lines at very appealing prices.
Not long after, we headed up to Spring Fair at the NEC. Now the show has been rationalized, and all the toy companies are in the same hall, we find it a lot easier to navigate. We were there for the Sunday, and the mood was upbeat. We see this show as a chance to pick up suppliers who are not at Olympia, along with other toy/gift companies. It was good to see HTI Toys back there, and we were impressed with its ranges across pocket money and general everyday toys. Kandy Toys had some great new lines at attractive prices, including some trends for later this year, and we also liked what Padgett Bros had to offer. As we are focusing on margin this year, these companies offer ranges that really help with that. It was a productive show for us, and well worth the trip; all topped off with a great meal at Miller and Carter.
One of the things we enjoy most about the trade shows is catching up with everyone and just having a good old chat. As well as swapping tips on what we’ve seen, it’s just nice to meet like-minded people and socialise a bit. However, at both events, we received comments that we had not mentioned food much lately in our column, so we wanted to make up for that this month.
