In Talking Shop this month, Sam Giltrow spoke to a selection of indies as they gear up for the all-important festive trading season.
Linda Robinson of Grovers Toymaster in Northallerton; Gavin Rosenquest from Toys ‘N’ Stuff, Hull and Sarah Borastero of Kids Stuff, Wells all kindly shared their experiences with us this month.
When Toy World caught up them in preparation for this article, our retailers were finding that this year’s Christmas rush was already well underway, much earlier than usual.
We asked how the toy shops were coping with the inevitable supply chain issues. Linda said: “I’m assuming that with all the shipping problems, stock is just stuck in containers, and will arrive eventually. All we can do is keep putting in orders and see what turns up.”
Sarah told us she has been careful to plan ahead: “We have known about the supply chain problems for months, so I started ordering more than I normally would, which has built up stock on key lines.”
Gavin and his wife Julie are enjoying the first few months in business as a new toy shop, and Gavin explained why he chose to open up this year: “I suppose you could consider it a brave move in the current climate, but I wanted to capitalise on the fact that people were pleased to get back into shops following the lockdown,” he said.
Looking ahead to 2022, everyone is excited to see the latest new lines coming up. Linda is particularly looking forward to the new Schleich launches, while Gavin told us he is working with reps about expanding Toys ‘N’ Stuff’s offering. “We have another part of the shop which will open up after Christmas and will double the size of the shop floor,” he revealed.
Sarah is pleased that the ‘shop local’ message that started during the pandemic is still resonating. “Many customers now tell us that they don’t want to buy their toys online, as they would rather support local businesses where they can.”
To read more, and find out what is selling and which suppliers are supporting the indie sector well right now, see the full article, which appeared in the November edition of Toy World here.
