RETAIL INTERVIEW
HOWLEYS TOYMASTER
Moving with
the times Clare Turner chats to John Bentley, operations manager of Howleys Toymaster, finalist of the Independent Toy Retailer of the Year (multi store)
How did you feel when you heard the news that you were a finalist? Delighted obviously, and so pleased for our staff that we’ve been recognised. Last year was incredibly hard and challenging, but to be honoured like this in the 2021 Toy Retailer of the Year Awards was a great way to end it.
Tell us a bit about Howleys Toymaster. There are four stores: Weymouth, Bridport and Paignton, which each measure in excess of 2,000sq ft, and Dorchester, which is smaller at just under 1,000sq ft. I oversee the four Toymasters (each has a manager) and I’m based at Weymouth, which is our flagship. The business has been going for 36 years. The Weymouth store was bought by Philip Moore in 1986. In recent years he has taken a back seat and his son Ian has taken over. Philip was a great buyer and
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a great retailer, but I think Ian has now taken the business to another level through innovation, epos, internet and expansion. So gradually, between the father and the son, the company has been built up to how it is today. And it’s moved with the times.
What are your key product categories? We cover every aspect really, as space allows, including LEGO, preschool, arts & crafts, vehicles, jigsaws and games everything you’d expect in a top high street toy store. There’s a general consistency in all four stores but at the same time, we try to shape our ranges to suit the local communities, whether that’s holidaymakers or locals of a certain age or certain generation. For example, Paignton and Weymouth are coastal locations so you will see more beach or outdoor products in those stores. Once upon a time, buckets and spades and swimming rings were the extent of our range but now
we do paddle boards (we buy them in container loads!) and inflatable Lay-Z-Spas. And Weymouth, being the flagship, has historically got more categories because it’s developed over the years, so you’ll find a strong model railway department there. Bridport and Dorchester are market towns, so while we still run the same hot products and the same quality play, value-oriented toys within them, the shops have a more traditional feel.
What do you think sets you apart from other toy retailers? Our history. Bridport has been going for as long as Weymouth, and Dorchester has been there for at least 20 years. Paignton opened in 2020, so that’s our latest store. And with history comes experience, of course. When you’re dealing with customers who you once served as children and now you’re serving them
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