LEADER Clare Turner
A At the heart of retail Also by Lema Publishing
s I write this, it is exactly two years ago to the day that Prime Minister Boris Johnson first addressed the nation about coronavirus, describing it as the biggest threat this country had faced for decades and advising us to stay at home during the pandemic. Fast forward 24 months, and while Covid (as we now call it) is still with us, the government has relaxed domestic restrictions in England. While the laws have loosened, the pandemic has not gone yet, and it’s certainly not forgotten. ‘Let’s keep life moving’ is the rallying cry - and the toy industry has certainly listened. Since January, we’ve all welcomed the return of trade shows, from London Toy Fair and Spring Fair to Top Drawer, and there’s more to come with the INDX Toys & Nursery Show (formerly The Independent Toy & Gift Show) next month and The Toymaster show in May. The relief at getting back to ‘physical’ business was palpable at the exhibitions I’ve visited so far. Everyone I spoke to agreed that meeting face-to-face and seeing the hottest toys and games for 2022 in the flesh is an experience that just can’t be replicated in the virtual world, and there was a real sense of optimism for the months ahead. And as TnP went to press, more positive news was announced by Springboard. Following the severe impact of Storms Dudley and Eunice, the retail expert reported a strong bounce back in footfall of 11.1% across all UK retail destinations in the week beginning February 21 compared with the week before when it dropped by -3.8%.
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Toy retailers have undoubtedly faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years. In the words of John Bentley, operations manager of Howleys Toymaster, which operates four stores across Dorset and Devon and is a finalist in the Independent Toy Retailer of the Year (multi store) category of the 2021 Toy Retailer of the Year Awards (organised by the Toy Retailers Association): “It’s been tough – no one has ever experienced in their lifetime the lockdowns we’ve had. The worst possible scenario for any shop owner is to have his doors closed; you don’t want to stop people coming in your door. But at the same time, challenges bring out the best in us. We were already successful, but we had to think outside the box.” Similarly, fellow finalist Bhav Patel, who is the managing director of the fivestrong south-eastern specialist chain Toy Galaxy, recalls that the period was “somewhat of a rollercoaster” but now “customer confidence is definitely there and improving, so we are hoping there are no further variants that can halt or hamper the slowly growing momentum’’. You can read more of John and Bhav’s views in my Retailer Interviews with them in this edition. Looking back, Bhav says a key challenge he faced was the inability to see products upfront. “Having to deal with previews and orders electronically does place strain on the process; I feel it’s harder to grasp the key attributes of a product when making a buying decision,” he told me. Which brings us back to the trade show scene… But for those of you who can’t wait to see more new-season product in person, check out our features on games & puzzles and pocket money toys & collectables in this issue.
Let’s keep life moving’ is the rallying cry - and the toy industry has certainly listened
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