Toymaster

The Master Plan

While the Toymaster team has been hard at work behind the scenes for months, in preparation for the Toymaster May Show, managing director Yogi Parmar still made time to host Toy World’s John Baulch and Rachael Simpson-Jones at the buying group’s revamped HQ, where they discussed Toymaster’s enhanced focus on retailer-supplier relationships, the challenges and opportunities ahead for indies, and what its new office space offers members and suppliers.

The Toymaster head office, located in Northampton, has changed a little since we last visited. Previously, the 17-strong Toymaster team (along with all its computers) was located on the ground floor, meaning the windows had to be barred for insurance purposes. Now, after the independent buying group was given the green light to invest money into the impressive red-brick building, the bars are gone, brand-new energy efficient windows have been installed, the team has been moved upstairs and downstairs has been transformed into a mostly open-plan, multi-purpose space with a raft of uses. A U-shaped formation of tables faces a widescreen TV, ideal for board and selection meetings, and behind it, banks of shelving display the latest FOB and catalogue lines from suppliers including Zuru, Curious Universe, Simba Smoby and more. On the other side of the room, there’s an area dedicated to showcasing each month’s window programme as well as a special vlogging setup, where suppliers – ably assisted by commercial director/ influencer Paul Reader – can film videos of themselves and their products for dissemination to the group’s 137 members. Just days before our visit, DKB Toys & Distribution’s Edel Siddle and Grace Burton-Rees paid a visit to vlog about the company’s range of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty and new distribution agreement with Wow! Stuff.

“We’re so proud of this building and we’re delighted with how the refit and upgrade has turned out,” enthuses Yogi Parmar, Toymaster’s managing director. “It’s so much brighter and has a more spacious feel, and it means our members and suppliers can now use it for their own needs too. As a mutuality, having an office our members can utilise for their own training needs is important to us as well as reflecting the group’s ethos. If a member wants to hold a supplier meeting here, for example, they need only ask. And suppliers can use the space for meetings with their national sales team.”

Despite the challenges of 2023, the group actually slightly outperformed the industry, with Sales up +2.57% versus 2022 even though Purchases were down -4%.

Unsurprisingly to anyone familiar with how indies operate, aggressive pricing activity during Q4 was a major challenge, leaving those on the Toymaster team scratching their heads: after all, as Yogi muses, the price of flowers and chocolates don’t get reduced in the run up to Valentine’s Day – so why do retailers insist on slashing the price of toys and games, right when demand is at its highest? It’s a good question, and one he feels the industry really needs to be asking itself in 2024.

Over the past couple of years, Toymaster has placed an increased emphasis on supporting not only its members but its suppliers too. With more than 160+ on the books, including all the major brands through to smaller, innovative start-ups, this requires plenty of work from the team. But as Yogi sees it, Toymaster is a valuable partner to toy companies. By working with Toymaster, companies can gain access to the group’s full suite of members, be guaranteed payments both on time and in full, and the support and service of a trusted, respected group dedicated to selling only suppliers’ brands –Toymaster doesn’t have an own-label programme that companies must compete against for shelf space in its members shops, which is one of the group’s major perks.

“Our 137 Toymaster members own a total of 280 stores (including two in Malta and one in Gibraltar),” points out Yogi. “These retailers are so passionate about what they do, and they do it brilliantly. I’m sure most will be aware of how skilled indies are at social media marketing and community engagement, but you also need to remember that most Toymaster members focus 100% of their efforts on toys and games, which sets them apart from multiples and online platforms. And we’re very proud to say that 46 of our members, over a third, have been with us for 25 years or more.”

Yogi adds: “I think toy companies are really starting to recognise and reward the unique set of skills our indies bring to the table. For example, Ravensburger’s indie-first approach to the launch of Disney Lorcana was a huge boon for our members and proved that giving independent retailers first-to-market launches – or even shared launches with the majors – hurts no one, and that approach can tangibly boost brand awareness and sales.”

The newest additions to the Toymaster member roster demonstrate the variety inherent in the indie toy retail scene. Nutley Newsagents is based in Merrion Shopping Centre, Dublin; Fitzgerald’s Homevalue is on Main Street, Dingle and Mermaid Gift Shop is located on The Strand, Saundersfoot, overlooking the beautiful Pembrokeshire beach and coastline. From young owners to more seasoned ones, husband and wife teams to sibling-run businesses, single store ‘mom & pops’ to multi-store franchises, Toymaster members are a diverse group of people from all walks of life.

Toymaster’s first round of 2024 Regional Meetings, which happen twice annually (one to aid with spring/ summer buying and the other for autumn/winter) recently brought many of the members together in either Harrogate, Swindon or Dublin alongside some 20+ suppliers. As well as allowing members to chat with suppliers and check out their newest toy ranges, the meetings are also popular for the networking opportunities they offer among likeminded retail peers. For 2025, there’s a possibility that the Swindon and Harrogate locations will be dropped in favour of a single event in Birmingham, which is arguably a more convenient location for a UK membership based largely in the south. When put to members, the idea seemed to go down well, so watch this space.

Of course, Harrogate remains firmly on the calendar for Toymaster’s biggest event of the year – the May Show. Taking place from 21st – 23rd May at the beautiful Majestic Hotel, the event was sold out within just weeks of the exhibitor registration opening. Over 100 suppliers are set to showcase their ranges at the event, which – demonstrating the generosity and altruism of the group - is open to Toymaster members as well as nonmembers. With the stands booked and floorplan set (the show takes place across the usual rooms of the hotel: the Carriage Suite, Harrogate Suite, Regency Suite, Drawing Room, Reading Room, Billiard Room, Upper Marquee and Lower Marquee), the team is now working with suppliers on the raft of special show deals for visitors to take advantage of. There will be member-specific deals as well as carefully curated deals designed with the indie retailer in mind, and closeout deals are also being strongly encouraged, which would give indies a bite of the clearance cherry. Information on some of these deals is included within this supplement.

While at the show, visitors will also be able to enjoy Toymaster’s popular Party and (slightly more) Formal nights, taking place at the hotel on the first and second evenings of the show respectively. There will be no theme for Party Night this year (just put your glad rags on), while the dress code for the Formal Night is smart/ casual attire. Several 25 Year Membership awards will be presented during the show as well as a Golden Teddy, so do try and attend both evening events if you can.

Those attending the Toymaster May Show will also be able to chat with the team about the myriad perks that membership offers. The group’s in-house design duo, Georgia Sheehan and Matt Lee, produces a strong assortment of marketing and POS materials which members can use as they wish, from shelf-strips and wobblers to floor and staircase signage that guides consumers to a store’s toy department and the rotating window displays, which are installed in an average of 160 stores a month. These talented designers are also responsible for creating the Toymaster catalogue, which members can choose to have branded for their individual stores, as well as the new monthly Retail News digital magazine. Sent out to all members, the magazine covers current best-selling ranges, speaks to individual members about their big bets for the year, rounds up the latest news and highlights which brands the group thinks members should be stocking.

Headed up by a Board of eight directors - led by Chairman Chris Blatcher, who has been instrumental in developing Toymaster’s forward-looking strategy - Toymaster also has two committees: a Member Committee and an Island of Ireland Committee. Yogi says: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank those members on the Committees for all their help, time and hard work, which has contributed enormously to the group’s progress.”

The group also recently appointed a new head of Finance, Darren Robinson, whose remit is to assist members with financial support, cash flow, help managing investments, applying for local grants and establishing apprenticeships. Having been in place for some 30 years, Toymaster’s accounting system is also about to benefit from a much-needed upgrade, with a new one being installed in July.

What’s clear from spending time with Yogi is that Toymaster is investing not only in its members and suppliers, but also the future of the group and of independent toy retail as a whole. Underpinned by this year’s take home message of ‘Buy Better’, Toymaster continues to strengthen its existing offering for members: its superb access to big name brands and suppliers, the Toymaster Information Management System (TIMS) - which saves individual retailers around £20,000 a year – its new online Product Hub, where users can find SKU information, order forms, range presentations and more, its marketing support. The group has also improved the collection of EPOS data, meaning it now obtains enough from its UK members to represent 40% of the toy sales coming via Toymaster member stores, and 37% of stores in Ireland, giving its committees valuable insight into what consumers are buying.

“Our entire ethos is that ‘We Are Here to Help’, and we’ve worked hard to ensure we can do so in a future proof way,” finishes Yogi. “The investment we’ve made in our Northampton office and systems demonstrates our commitment to supporting our members and suppliers. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming everyone to The Majestic later this month for the May Show: as always, we’d be delighted to discuss the many benefits Toymaster membership offers to independent retailers, and to find out first-hand from our existing members how we can better support them in the months and years to come.”