Right on queue…

As we write this, we have just had the latest Pokémon TCG launch, and we must say, we do love Pokémon! After handling countless such queues, we are well drilled now, with our regular customers all waiting in line for us to open up on launch day. The queueing was all very civilized, and we still had stock of some lines going into the following weekend, which led to us having a very strong weekend for the time of year.

Trade has been very positive over the last few weeks. The second half of September saw a slight slowdown, but it was still a strong month overall, and October looks like it will end up well. Other than Pokémon, the Lego Gameboy line has been very popular, and the Lego Into the Spiderverse Minifigures continue to be in high demand. We’ve enjoyed the fact that so many new items have been hitting our bestseller lists during September and October: we’ve been delighted with the reception for Baby Three from Kandy Toys, and we’re looking forward to Kimmon launching from Character.

Another new brand which has been very popular is Brainrot; suppliers have jumped on this craze quickly with plush, trading cards and blind bags from PMS all selling well. We’re being asked repeatedly for anything from K-Pop Demon Hunters and have brought in posters and mugs from Pyramid. These two new licences are very hot at the moment. The F1 category is also going from strength to strength, with the new Hot Wheels F1 range from Mattel proving extremely popular.

We had withdrawn a bit from Halloween in previous years but have decided to move back into it more this year. As it was nicely timed for a Friday, this means stronger sales, and there does seem to be an appetite for anything spooky or creepy at the moment. We have kept our range tight, but brought in themed face paints, masks and some plush lines. Halloween lines used to be everywhere, so it was difficult to compete, but we find the market is not so saturated now, so there are definitely sales to go after.

Outdoor toys is a successful category for us all year round, even through the winter months., and our bestsellers in this category by both value and quantity are footballs. We keep ball stands out in our stores all year round, and buy in our footballs deflated, to save on price and maintain a healthy margin. We purchased an electric pump and use that to inflate them, to ensure we keep the stands fully stocked. It’s a bit of extra work but a profitable area that sets us apart from other stores. Alongside the footballs themselves, we’ve also expanded our range of football-related products, as that sells all year round too. The Kickmaster range from MV Sports has been a hit, and the same can be said for Premier League team licensed products from Reydon Sports.

Like most other toy shops, we are finding that the Kidult market is a massive growth area for us and really helping to drive footfall and new customers into stores. The key for this category is to keep on top of what customers want, what new lines are coming out and being really quick to react when they do. We have significantly increased our Funko range across more licences to cater to demand. As we mentioned earlier, the Hot Wheels Collector ranges sell just as well for us as the toy car ranges now, especially the F1 lines. Burago’s ranges (which also include F1) are also really popular. Even the Disney Cars Diecast are collectible now, and popular with adults. MGA’s Miniverse and Zuru Mini Brands appeal just as much to adults as kids. There has never been more to keep on top of, but that’s a good thing. As an independent, we can be more nimble and react quicker than our larger competitors. It keeps us on our toes, but it is well worth it!