Special Feature
The future is
bright for indies It’s been a challenging year for toy retailers, but, true to form, the British indie sector has enjoyed another strong trading period – in part due to the help and support offered by the hardworking team at Toymaster. In this piece, the buying group outlines what membership offers independent retailers, from access to its branded and themed window programme to its standout central invoicing system.
“
The past year has been a challenging one for Toymaster members,” notes Brian McLaughlin, Toymaster development manager. “It started off with a lockdown which affected the majority of stores and lasted until April, or May for those in Ireland, but despite this, our members found ways to keep trading. This ensured that their customers knew they were still there, ready for when they reopened, and those customers have continued to shop with them since.” An adaptable, passionate and dedicated bunch, Toymaster’s members have worked incredibly hard over the past couple of years to both retain existing customers and attract new ones, and the buying group says many of its indies are now seeing their efforts pay off. Despite the supply chain and cost challenges all retailers (and suppliers) have been facing, Toymaster stores
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have still had plenty of stock filling the shelves and sales in the second half of the year were strong. Brian adds: “Like its members, Toymaster worked hard throughout 2021, ensuring its retailers had the support they needed to trade well. At the heart of our support is communication: talking to our members gave us the understanding of what their needs and priorities were as the retail environment was rapidly evolving. We provide a range of services to help our members and are always looking for new ways we can support them.” Below, Brian outlines what Toymaster membership offers independent retailers and what he feels lies ahead in 2022.
Central invoicing - TIMS I consider TIMS - which stands for Toymaster
