Our indies tell Marianna Casal how 2023 is going for them so far and what they’re looking forward to this summer.
For Steve Kerrison, of Kerrison Toys in Norwich, a strong start to the year has been tempered by the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis. That said, Lego and Pokémon have apparently been ‘flying’, alongside other top brands such as Squishmallows, MGA’s Miniverse and Playmobil.
He adds: “New movies this year have stimulated a lot of sales and there are more summer launches to look forward to that we expect to push particular brands. Following the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts premiere, we saw our action figures and collectibles perform really well for a couple of weeks. Hasbro’s Spider-Man action figures sales have also surged after the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
Steve also has high hopes for licensed merchandise that ties into the upcoming Barbie Movie, as well as Bitzee, Spin Master’s interactive digital pet. He’s not the only Steve excited about this toy – Steve Weston, from JJ Toys in Gerrards Cross, says Bitzee was a standout at the recent Toymaster show. He adds: “The popularity of digital toys seems to be growing and, although right now people are buying toys to use outside in the sunshine, we are preparing for when the weather begins to cool down and considering more digital products to bring in.”
Steve Weston says sales are up on the same period last year, and believes he is in for a good Q3 & Q4.
“We’re starting to do some email campaigns this summer. This will improve our communication with the community, letting them know about new products coming to the store. We began experimenting with Instagram last year and it has been absolutely superb,” he explains. “We have always offered click and collect but will now also have a delivery option. We hope this will give customers an alternative to shopping with the big guys.”
John Bentley of Howleys Toymaster, Weymouth, says his focus is very much on the summer months, although he has started to place orders for later in the year, including for anime product from Bandai and pocket money items from One For Fun. John is also looking forward to some healthy months ahead, supported by a loyal customer following in each of his stores and a strong product range.
“Despite the expected difficulties this year for any retailer, we’ve got the experience and heritage to rise to any challenge,” he tells Toy World. “We continue our success by keeping an eye on our overheads as well as waste and margins. If we can deliver an increase on sales, we will get through the year with no problems.”
To find out what else our retailers had to say, including which other licenses are performing well, why margins remain vital and what consumers are most willing to spend their money on, read the full Talking Shop feature published in the July issue by clicking here.
