Retail Profile: Midco

A smart move for Midco Toys

Toymaster member Midco Toys recently announced that it would be moving its Burton-Upon-Trent store to the popular Octagon Shopping Centre. Enjoying a fabulous position right in the very middle of the retail destination, the new store is bigger than its predecessor and, despite a recent bereavement, owner Dave Middleton and his team (including some special guests) have worked exceptionally hard to ensure every inch of shelving was full to bursting, ready for 12th April. John Baulch and Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to Dave shortly before the shop opened, to find out the reasons behind the move, and what the new store offers.

Dave Middleton

Burton’s Midco Toys had previously been situated on the high street, a location that served it well for several years, until investment into the area resulted in disruption that would have caused real headaches for the ongoing running of the business. The road outside the shop is being dug up and relaid - a process that won’t be completed until July at the earliest - and, once that’s done, numberplate recognition cameras will be installed that will limit delivery hours to between 4pm-10am. Anyone delivering outside those hours risks a fine. As both the Derby and Burton stores were being serviced via Burton, vans and trucks needed to be able to arrive to drop off goods at any time of the day, so the curtailed hours resulting from the high street revitalisation project left little flexibility. For Dave, this situation was the final nudge he needed to start looking for a new location.

“There’s a lot of empty units in Burton, in good spots, and I knew there was a deal to be done,” he tells us. “I’d enquired about The Octagon a few years ago, but the numbers they came back with were unreasonable, in my eyes, so we put it on the back burner. Fast forward to a few months ago and I was walking through The Octagon one day, in a bad mood about the road outside our shop being dug up, when I passed our new unit, number 29, standing empty. I called the number on the sign, and by the time I’d made it to the other side of the centre the deal was practically done.”

As you can see from the images accompanying this article, and the many pictures and videos Dave and his team have shared on social media in recent weeks, the new store sits on the corner of the main thoroughfare, near the lifts, and boasts a large wraparound window now filled with displays for Lego Vidiyo, Sylvanian Families, Pokémon, WWE and Playmobil. Interestingly, the new unit is also just a stone’s throw away from The Entertainer. For Dave, being so close to a leading toy store is no bad thing whatsoever. Each store’s proposition is different enough that overlap is low, and together they’ve turned their section of the shopping centre into a hub for toys, which families enjoying a day out will love. As Dave notes, anyone in Burton wanting to go toy shopping will surely be heading straight to The Octagon first, where the combination of Midco and The Entertainer will offer them probably the widest range of toys available anywhere in their area.

Dave adds: “I haven’t come to this unit worried about it being so close; it’s an opportunity. We tailor our lines to offer things that are a bit weird or different, toys and games you wouldn’t necessarily find in a traditional toy store, so being practically side-by-side is great for consumers. On top of that, we also see the opportunities in events. If we want to hold a WWE Meet & Greet, for example, we can team up with The Entertainer, which could benefit us both. Any licensor considering events is far more likely to go for it if there are two successful toy shops interested.”

Dave’s outlook when it comes to this sort of opportunity is testament to his knowledge and experience of running a toy store, and his confidence in Midco’s reputation and performance. The Burton Midco has always had competitors on its doorstep – at one point, he tells us, there was a Toys R Us, two B&Ms, The Entertainer, Home Bargains and Argos situated in the town – but his business has continued to go from strength to strength. Dave is always on the lookout for something new, which he refers to as the ‘thrill of the chase’, and this approach has clearly paid off.

As well an improved location, the new store is bigger than its predecessor, coming in at around 2,200 square feet, and is more modern too. The extra space has given Midco the room to flesh out core lines to give them greater prominence compared to the high street store, with Lego now enjoying a huge, dedicated branded section, complete with floor stickers courtesy of the supplier. Dave estimates that 90% of the entire Lego range is now available at the new Burton store, including an enhanced selection of Architecture and licensed best-sellers including Harry Potter, Star Wars and Marvel. Other big brands that went into the new store first include Sylvanian Families, Playmobil and Ravensburger, with everything else worked in around these Midco mainstays. The Arts & Crafts section has been expanded, and a dazzling new American candy bay has also gone in, adding that little something extra to the toy shopping experience for those with a sweet tooth. And with demand for puzzles remaining as high as ever, Dave has also increased both the size of this section in-store, as well as the assortment on offer, from modern licences to traditional scenes.

“It’s all about Squishmallows at the minute though, they’re on fire!” raves Dave. “We’ve got a pretty decent assortment near the front of the store in a range of sizes, and I expect them to fly when we reopen. Zuru’s 5 Surprise Mini Brands has been another big seller, while Pokémon has been phenomenal. I’ve never known anything like it during lockdown. I put together a video on the Shining Fates expansion, to let consumers know that they could order it by phone on the Friday it launched. The phone did not stop ringing from the minute the shop opened until 7pm that evening; as soon as I put it down, it rang again. We limited sales to one of each SKU per customer, so they just bought one of everything which added up to around £240. Honestly, it was staggering. And with 2021 being Pokémon’s 25th anniversary year, we expect the craze to carry on right through the year. Asmodee really looks after us, making sure we get the stock we need, and we’re grateful.”

Many of these sales, Dave tells us, appeared to be from Kidult collectors that have been driving various toy categories over the past year or so. Where once collectors were passionate about Hornby or Star Wars (and arguably still are), the current Kidult generation is seeking toys and collectibles from the 90s – Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and the like – and are doing so in substantial numbers. With demand for present day trading cards at fever pitch, the price of originals has also gone through roof, as Dave explains. “An original box of Base 1 Pokémon cards goes for £20,000. When I first became a toy retailer, I was offered a load by a clearance specialist for 15p a packet, and I told them Pokémon was dead…. If I’d have spent £5,000 then, I’d be a bloody millionaire now.”

As many other retailers have found, the lack of trade shows has presented challenges when it comes to stocking up ready for reopening. Had the past 14 months been pandemic-free, Dave and his team would have attended the Toymaster previews for spring/summer and autumn/winter ranges, followed by a trip to Hong Kong, then London Toy Fair, and then New York, meaning that by February he’d have had a solid idea of which lines he was going for, and exactly what was coming through. Without the shows, it’s been a very different kettle of fish, despite the best efforts of suppliers to bridge the gap with digital presentations. Brexit has also caused disruption, with stock from European suppliers in France and Germany particularly impacted. Despite all this, Dave has managed to inject tangible newness into the store, alongside familiar favourites, to create a selection that offers something for all. When we spoke to Dave on the Friday before reopening, even Toymaster’s very own Paul Reader (marketing manager) and Brian McLaughlin (retail manager) were onsite, flattening cardboard boxes and moving shelves, testament to the buying group’s helpfulness, not to mention versatility as shop fitters.

If the engagement from consumers on social media before the opening of the new store was anything to go by, shoppers will have been heading to Midco in their (socially distanced) droves for a couple of weeks now. In fact, Dave tells us that the security guards at The Octagon had gone so far as to put up crowd barriers ready for the reopening, which although self-confessed pessimist Dave found bemusing, was nonetheless suggestive of the anticipated demand from shoppers. Midco’s online performance over the past year has been very strong, but Dave was clearly looking forward to welcoming real-life customers through the doors of his shiny new store on Monday 12th – and what a treat they were in for.

As some readers may be aware, Dave’s beloved mum, Carol Middleton, sadly and unexpectedly passed away the same day he picked up the keys to the new Burton store. This was obviously a massive blow to Dave, who reminisced with us about the sort of person Carol was, and her huge influence on his success as a toy retailer.

“I really can’t mention anything about this shop without mentioning my mum,” says Dave. “I’ve been putting a brave face on while getting this place ready, but it’s been hard. My mum had a way of motivating me to do stuff like no one else could, and although she could be quite tough, it was always tough love - she was willing to do anything to help anyone. My mum was actually the one who found my first Burton shop, and behind the scenes she was constantly helping me to do more and work harder. Without her, I genuinely wouldn’t be where I am now. My mum and dad also instilled in me my love of toys, always making sure I had the latest collectible to go with whatever I was collecting at the time. I owe them both a lot. I know my mum was proud of everything I’ve done and achieved, and I think she’d really love this new Midco Toys shop.”

Since reopening, Dave says the performance of both the new Burton store and his other store in Derby have been beyond all expectations, with huge levels of demand at both and customers forming queues to get in. Sales of Pokémon aren’t slowing down, Squishmallows are selling like hot cakes, and Pushpoppers are too. Feedback on the new store, Dave tells us, has been overwhelmingly positive, and there’s a tangible buzz from shoppers about being able to return to the physical shopping experience.

“After all that hard work, stress and heartache, it’s just great to be open and cracking on with things,” says Dave. “It couldn’t be going better. I’m chuffed.”