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Get Involved to Get Noticed oy Fair is upon us once again, and the hunt is on to find the top new toys for 2015. As the economy is on the rise (even a little bump is welcome!), consumers are finding a little more pocket money for discretionary spending, and it seems that toys are not being forgotten. Toy industry sales saw a little nudge in the fourth quarter, and the trend looks to continue this year. This spells good news for independent and specialty toy retailers. Now is the time to remind your customers and your neighborhood that you’ve got a lot of great new toys on your shelves. As a mom of two young kids, I am your target audience. Moms in my neighborhood (myself included) are always looking for fun things to do with their kids on the weekends. Events that sound like fun for kids of various ages, and a place where adults can hang out and chat, are best. If you can arrange play dates, perhaps one Saturday a month, it would go a long way toward driving interest in new products with potential customers. Examples might include craft activities, game days, or themed parties. Be sure to have a full stock of whichever products kids will play with so that parents can make a purchase and continue the fun at home. Be sure to engage the parents. Perhaps offer coffee, ask them about
their kids’ interests, and then tell them a little about your store and make a suggestion about a new toy that fits their kids’ interests. Join—or help start—a local loyalty program with other independent retailers in your neighborhood that encourages consumers to shop local. Jackie Breyer, Long Island recently introduced Long Island Loyeditor-in-chief alty, a program that independent retailers can join. Members receive a credit to their card equal to 10 percent of their purchase at any store that is part of the program. They can then spend that credit at any retailer in the program. Word is spreading rapidly, and it seems to be spurring sales and interest at participating retailers. ●
ON THE COVER: THE WHIMSICAL SEA SERPENT PUPPET, FROM FOLKMANIS, FEATURES SCALY-LOOKING, MIDNIGHT BLUE SKIN WITH A FEATHERY, THREE-HUMPED SPINE HIGHLIGHTED WITH BRIGHT BLUE ACCENTS ON ITS MOVABLE HEAD AND TAIL. MORE NEW PRODUCTS FROM FOLKMANIS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE S10.
NEWS Madame Alexander and NASCAR Join Forces
The Madame Alexander Doll Co. has partnered with NASCAR Team Properties to design and develop new NASCAR play doll collections, including dolls featuring superstar Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The first of the new collections will be introduced this fall. The product will be distributed through Madame Alexander’s distribution channels across all retail tiers and e-commerce merchants, including madamealexander.com.
ASTRA ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS FOR MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) announced that networking guru Sarah Michel and retailer Bob Negen will headline ASTRA’s 2015 Marketplace & Academy. This year’s event will take place June 7 to 10 in Charlotte, N. C. Michel will open the Marketplace & Academy with an interactive keynote, Where Community and Connections Intersect, which will show the ASTRA community how to connect effectively during Marketplace & Academy and beyond, so members can do business better, faster, and easier. Participants will learn how to communicate their value to anyone, anywhere, at anytime—and therefore increase their access and influence in their communities. Negen’s closing keynote, Retail Success: How to Create a Store that People Love, Runs Like a Dream, and Makes Lots of Money, will show retailers how their stories can boost business and why an “attitude of gratitude” is critical as a toy retailer. Participants will also learn how to stress less and have more fun in their businesses. Visit www.astramarketplace.org for the complete ASTRA Marketplace & Academy program.
FEBRUARY 2015
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John Deere Signs Kettler
Kettler USA has signed on to produce a John Deere line, which will be available at retail this spring. The new licensed line features three- and four-wheel children’s pedal tractors modeled after the classic John Deere equipment. Toys in the collection will be available for kids ages 2 to 10. All items include a high-impact molded resin body, oversized resin tires with tread, and adjustable seats. The realistic tractors come in seven different models, all including working accessories such as removable hauling trailers, front loaders, and front-lifting hoods. John Deere Rolly Trac Lader Tractor
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS