Toy Fair New York 2022 - Kimberly Carcone at the U.S. Toy Association discusses what’s planned for the Big Apple show

Always looking ahead

TnP talks to British Garden Centres group toy buyer Kate Hateley about her thoughts on sourcing, selecting, and showing products on the shopfloor

What’s your background?

I’ve been in retail buying for over 20 years now and most of that has been within the garden centre industry. I started working on the shop floor in the gift department at Webbs of Wychbold when I was 19, progressing onto buying for that category. I then moved onto Blooms of Bressingham, Associated Independent Stores (AIS), Hillview Garden Centres and have been with the British Garden Centres team for two years.

Tell us a bit about British Garden Centres.

British Garden Centres is the second-largest garden centre group in the UK, with 58 centres across the country. Our largest is our flagship Brigg Garden Centre in Lincolnshire with 267,600sq ft retail space. Our smallest is Coventry Garden Centre with 40,000sq ft retail space. A total of 36 centres stock toys and games.

In September 2021 our buying team won the ‘Overall Multiple Garden Retailer Buying Team of the Year - six stores or more’ category of the Buyers Power List Awards, organised by garden and outdoor living trade show Glee.

Trade shows are “ imperative and London Toy Fair is key for toy retailers ”

How would you describe your range?

It’s a great range of all the top brands and key categories to cater for our wide customer base. It’s important that we keep on top of what the ‘next big thing’ is in the toy world - but also remember that we are garden centres and have a more traditional customer, buying for their children and grandchildren. What are your key categories?

Preschool, traditional, craft, educational, and pocket money toys. We also stock an extensive range of jigsaws and games for all ages.

How many suppliers do you deal with?

We work with around 35 to 40 suppliers including Mattel, LEGO, Playmobil, Spin Master, Golden Bear Toys, Character Options, WOW Toys, TY and Orchard, and we stock about 20 brands including Barbie, Thomas, and Paw Patrol, to name a few.

How do you find products?

It's vital to build credible relationships with suppliers and uphold the values of the organisation and the British Garden Centres brand across the industry.

Trade shows are imperative and include London Toy Fair - which is key for toy retailers - Spring Fair and AIS shows, as well as showroom visits to the main suppliers for seasonal ranging.

We are a member of Toymaster [a buying group that supports independent toy retailers in the UK and Ireland], and they are invaluable in providing information and early indicators from suppliers on what’s going to be a key focus, as well as offering advice on range selection.

They also host trade shows and regional meetings throughout the year with top suppliers. Toymaster is a platform to access NPD data, which is collected nationally, providing toy retailers with industry data and analytics. We then determine what ranges and products will sit where, based on demographics and department footprint.

What’s proving popular?

Patrol. Games saw a massive increase in demand during lockdown and that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. It highlights that family time is more important than ever.

What are your best sellers?

Hot Wheels cars are always one of the best sellers each year. Then there’s TY Mini Boos, which are very collectable; Hurricane Bubbles from Teleview Marketing; and Paw Patrol True Metal vehicles.

What lines have you started stocking recently?

CoComelon, and retro toys including Tamagotchi, Pound Puppies and My Little Pony. Fireman Sam is a relatively new line for us, which is going very well, along with new releases from the top brands like Barbie.

Are you expanding into new categories?

We are looking at putting a range together for early 2022 for more ethical toys to cater for an increasing demand for sustainable toys including recycled plastics and eco wood, which will tie in with the company’s corporate social responsibility.

What’s next?

We are always looking ahead. We recently announced that we are refurbishing Tarporley Garden Centre in Cheshire, which is an exciting project.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

The whole process, from seeing exciting new launches to then it selling on the shop floor. The teams work hard to merchandise the different categories and create a toy shop feel within the garden centres. It makes all the planning and ordering in-between worthwhile.