Talking Shop

Debbie MaloneyAustins Department Store, Devon

WWe started as a haberdashery store on the 1st March 1924 with an aim to give value, variety and a friendly, knowledgeable, efficient service to all customers; we’ve kept this goal throughout the years. The business began with the owner and three shop assistants and has now grown to employ 83 staff –not including concession counters – across four stores situated around Newton Abbot’s historic clock tower. The main store covers 61,000 square feet, 6,200 of which is toys.

The start of the year was challenging for the Toy Store, but we are now trading +1% up on last year. We saw a rise in sales of outdoor toys during the Easter holidays and we are optimistic that sales will continue to improve as the weather does.

Our current bestsellers are Lego, specifically Star Wars, Speed Champions and Ninjago; Squishmallows; Pokémon Cards; Tonies; Sylvanian Families and pocket money toys. We also have an amazing selection of puzzles which sells extremely well.

Our major suppliers are Lego, Hasbro and Mattel. We conduct a fair amount of business by using B2B online ordering, which has proved incredibly useful as we can get up to date information on stock availability. We find that the best service comes from companies that still have representatives or agents who visit us, such as VTech, Jazwares, Schleich, Depesche, Winning Moves and Galt.

We will have competitions and special offers running in store over the summer period; customers enjoy our colouring competitions, trails and activities.

We have been AIS members since 1966. For the Toy department, being a PlayRoom member gives us the benefits of discounts and special offers, along with promotional material and access to FOB products.

Like all retailers, we are facing some challenges this year, reflecting economic issues in the country. In the face of the rising cost of living, along with the wage increases, we are trying to be more efficient with time and resources. Our customer demographic has been affected by high rents, mortgages and childcare costs, so we make every effort to be price competitive and cater to all budgets. We also offer a Toy Club all year round to help families budget for all occasions, and we have taken steps this year to have more toys suitable for gifting as part of our selection.

While online shopping continues to grow, we at Austins strongly believe that