I spent all yesterday at Spielwarenmesse, the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, a specialised toy and related products trade fair. Across the twelve massive halls (I walked 15km) the fair hosts 2,800 toy, game, hobby, plush, collectible and related exhibitors, around a third of whom do not do any other trade show.
Brands represented in Australia through local offices or distributors have on show at this fair a bigger range. This is vital if you want to go deeper than is currently available in Australia.
I know of several local distributors who like retailer feedback for when they are planning what they may or may not take from suppliers at this fair in Nuremberg.
The most valuable outcome from being at the fair for me, however, is spotting the trends in several key categories strongly represented at the fair. It is at Nuremberg that you can see what will be hot through Christmas 2017. Having this information now, in February, can be a competitive advantage and that is why I want to be in Germany at this time of the year.
I saw several break out products that I am sure will be the bestsellers through Christmas. Australian distributors won’t launch them for another month or two by which time production for the second half of the year will be locked away.
Time is everything in today’s marketplace. Having knowledge ahead of others has a value. This is why I invest to be at events like this one in Nuremberg today and Paperworld in Frankfurt earlier in the week.
I appreciate I am not being specific in my comments here. That is deliberate. However, I will say this: toys are a growing category in retail and especially in newsagencies. In 2017, the term toys means something quite different to what it referred to just a few years ago.
Through toys we can attract new shoppers. Most of that will happen from suppliers who are not natural newsagency suppliers, suppliers who are probably not calling on newsagents today.
The best part about toys in my opinion is the brands that offer deep engagement. Do it well and consistently and the value of the customer reaches way beyond the first sale. This is where the retailer needs to be more than a shopkeeper, they need to share the passion and enable to long-term relationship with the brand. This is what specialty retail is all about.