Talking Shop Reunited and it feels so good Toy World catches up with indies to hear how the first days of trading after lockdown went. In a week when the sun came out, so did the customers; we hear what items were top of their wish lists and how retailers have found the general mood in store.
Paul Carpenter - Totally Toys, Bristol or multiple toys, you’d expect them to grimace a bit, but there’s been none of that. It’s been incredible; they’re so happy to spend with us. It’s been better than Christmas!
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Schleich has been selling really strongly, as have books from our large book department. We’ve been selling a lot of Lego; it’s our No. 1 supplier, but recent sales have easily surpassed what we would usually see. Ty and other plush have also been popular. What we’re seeing is that our top performers are very much what the kids themselves are choosing, with parents happy to stand back and let them just enjoy the experience.
he Monday we opened back up, we didn’t want to go home at the end of the day – it was so exciting to have customers in the store. We’re open from 9.30-5pm each day, and we’ve been extremely busy. On the 12th we had customers queuing outside the door to get in, and that kept up all day. The average spend has been really high and there is a lot more cash around too. Cash payments had all but disappeared off the face of the earth for us, but since we reopened, we’ve certainly seen plenty of it. The atmosphere has been so warm and friendly, with customers thanking us for opening back up. We’re the ones that should be thanking them for remembering we’re still here.
Gloucester Road, where we’re located, is allegedly the longest independent high street in Europe, and it opened very nervously after the first major lockdown. A lot of shops didn’t reopen immediately, none of the charity shops opened back up, and those shops that did open did so mostly only three days a week. This time, we’ve all embraced the sense of normality. Of course, we’re still using face masks, sanitiser and limiting numbers that can come into the shop. Controlling numbers means we’re never swamped at the till, which works really well for us when we’re so busy. We’ve also noticed that people are shopping with purpose, rather than just coming in and browsing.
making the very best of things. Our ethos is to work hard when you can take the money, not when you can’t. People want to spend, so we’ll be putting on extra hours to cater for that demand. We’re really optimistic about the weeks ahead.
The customers, kids and parents alike, have just been so excited to visit us. Normally, when someone has to part with £70 of hard-earned money for a toy
We’ve accepted everything that’s been thrown at us in terms of restrictions, and we’ve all been in it together, but now we’re out of lockdown it’s a case of
Finally, we just want to say that we are thinking of our friends and colleagues in areas still under restrictions. Stay positive – good times are coming.
Maggie Tibbenham - Imagine Toy Shop, Holmfirth
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hings have been amazing since the 12th, really amazing. As you can imagine, it has been a worrying time for small shops. We spent a large amount of our government business grant on stock. I ordered so much; it was a gamble, but I wanted to be well prepared for reopening by making sure I had everything my customers could possibly want - every
corner refreshed, every shelf packed. Then the worry set in; would customers actually turn up to buy all these toys? But at 9am on Monday 12th, people were queuing outside the door. Some people had bought me flowers and chocolates to welcome me back. I wanted to hug everyone, but I didn’t! Honestly, it was just unbelievable.
plenty of money for them to spend too; I had a couple of kids visit the other day, maybe three or four years old, and they had little money pouches with £40 in each, saved up for months. For such young children to have that kind of money is quite remarkable. It won’t last forever, of course, but I expect the coming weeks to follow a similar pattern.
I bought my shop from the previous owner two and a half years ago and I have changed the whole thing. My approach is to view my customers as my friends. They come here for a chat and a good browse round. I never push them towards making a purchase if they don’t want to, and they really appreciate that. My customers visit for the amazing atmosphere, bring their children and have a good time. That boosts future business, as customers know they can return time and again without being hassled to part with their money.
Big Lego sets seem to be what most kids are craving getting their hands on, as well as trend items like HGL’s Pushpoppers. In terms of the toys making up most baskets, it’s often a combination of those two brands, as well as large Ty plush. I sell a range of joke items, little pranks and things, and they’re always popular. The kids visiting my shop are treating themselves to one or two big-box toys, and then an assortment of smaller treats.
Holmfirth is a little village, and customer number are therefore at a level where keeping everything wiped down and sanitised is easy. This means parents are more than happy to bring their kids in, and the kids are so excited to be back. To be able to walk into a shop is a novelty for them now. There’s
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In Holmfirth, there’s been a special campaign in preparation for the shops reopening to encourage people to shop local, called “It’s blooming marvellous to welcome you back”. The village is filled with flowers and bunting, and everything looks so beautiful. Customers find it so inviting, and I’m delighted to be taking part. After all the worry and uncertainty, I’m buzzing right now.
