Get Ready For the Holidays - Now!

6 holiday ordering strategies and 14 tips to get you through the season

By Justina Huddleston
March 2012

With additional reporting by Chris Lundy, Alison Marek, and Brenda Ruggiero

At Toy Fair, manufacturers showcase their latest, hottest products, many of which won't be released until Fall, just in time for the holidays. But when do retailers really start ordering? TDmonthly Magazine interviewed 14 specialty toy store owners to get their advice on when to start preparing for the busiest time of the year.

Start Early

How to Staff Up for the Holidays

Here are some tips to make Christmas staffing easier:

Hire some of your customers to work the last few weekends before the holidays. They know your store and may enjoy being part of the holiday experience.
Hire your employees’ teenage children.
Bring your own kids or relatives on board.
Ask staff to put in extra hours, and set the example yourself.
Raid a local college or high school for part-time workers.
Hire holiday staff in the summer, so you’ll have time to iron out the creases or find a replacement before the rush.
Assign new hires simple tasks such as stocking product or manning the free gift-wrap station.
Have new hires clean the entire store, pick up each toy and look at it so they'll know what it is, where it is, what it does and how it works, suggested Owner Terri Bracken of Earth Explorers Toys in Zionsville, Ind.
Pay more than minimum wage so they'll last out the holidays.

“I start thinking about Christmas of next year before this Christmas even happens," Pam Byrd, manager and buyer for The Little Cottage Toy Shop in Franklin, Tenn., told TDmonthly.

Greg Bonner, owner of Heights Toy Center Inc in Little Rock, Ar., told TDmonthly that they start buying right after Toy Fair. "Being in the toy biz, you think 4th quarter year-round. That's the pay off in the toy industry: those last 6 weeks.” He advises monitoring trends all year - while keeping in mind your target clientele.

Barbara Fineblum, owner of Barston's Childs Play in Baltimore, Md., agrees. "We start buying now, but don't pay til December," she said. "At Toy Fair, we give orders up until Christmas...It doesn't all have to come in at the same time. We don't care about the dating as much as the free freight and discounts. The more you save, the better off you are," she said.

“I'm buying Christmas now. Christmas doesn't stop when you're in retail," Meghan Porter, owner of Charleston Child in Charleston, S.C., reiterated.

Summer Time and the Buyin's Easy
Dean Smith, owner of JaZams in Princeton, N.J., has a different strategy. "Generally, we start talking about it and buying in early August. Buy as much as you can early on so you don't have to deal with it or think about it when you should be on the floor selling it," he told TDmonthly.

Mike Snyder, owner and manager of Cville's Hobbies, Games and Toys in Charlottesville, Va., agrees. “We try to get stock levels up at July and August. You have to not be afraid to say 'I know this is going to work.' You have to have confidence. If your employees aren't confident, customers can tell," he advised.

Watch and Wait
Some stores are on the look out all year, then order as the holidays draw closer.

"We think about the 'big wow' items around Toy Fair, and try to anticipate which toys will sell out. The rest we line up in September, and begin ordering in October," Mary Porter Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly.

Elmer Carranza, manager of Doodlehopper 4 Kids in Springfield, Va., waits to see what trends appear throughout the year, then starts ordering in early November. His advice? "Know what is popular make sure you have enough of the items to sell through out the holidays!"

Stay Stocked

Holding Happenin' Holiday Events

Here’s what 65 specialty retailers told TDmonthly Magazine about holding successful events for the holidays:

Don’t Stop at One. “We do tons of events: ornament making, cooking, baking, game playing,” Molly McMullin, manager of Twirl in Ranchos de Taos, N.M., told TDmonthly.
Offer Themed Products. “We try to have a limited edition, unique item that’s particular to the event we’re hosting,” said Colette Shockley, owner of The Littlest Princess doll shop in Norcross, Ga.
Cater to Adults. Kaleidoscope Toys in Falmouth, Mass., hosts a special theme night for ladies and raffles off prizes every 15 minutes. "In the two hours we do it, we do more business than any other day,” said Owner Michelle Deutschmann.

Catch a Falling Star in Lexington, Mass., serves food and drinks during its six-hour Midnight Madness sale on various nights following Black Friday, according to Owner Deran Muckjian. And Boing JP’s Toy Shop in Jamaica Plain, Mass., couples a holiday event with fundraising, offering wine and other beverages at an evening party for members of a parent-teacher organization.
Create Creative Sales. “We do a Stocking Stuffer sale. Kids can bring in their stocking and whatever fits in is 20 percent off,” said Jane Burbank, owner of Teacher’s Corner/Kid’s Mart in Gillette, Wyo.
Welcome Santa. “Our first Thursday of December, [we] do cookies and cocoa … and free pictures with Santa,” Greg Bonner, owner of Heights Toy Center in Little Rock, Ark., told TDmonthly. Customers come back to pick up photos on Saturday.

“Never have just one of something, because people never want to buy just one. If you have five of something, or 20, they fly out of here,” Porter or Charleston Child said. Something alone on the shelf looks unpopular, she explained to TDmonthly.

Joe Berardoni Jr., Co-owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr, Penn., also stressed the importance of staying stocked. "My best advice is order through January of the following year…you do not want a completely empty store on Dec. 26th."

Tempt...and Withhold
But what if you do run out of a popular toy? Have "back-ups" ready just in case, retailers suggest. You can also offer substitutes for customers seeking a toy that's only found in mass-market. Train your staff, too, to think of alternatives to popular toys.

"Intentionally carry something different, creative and unique from other stores," advised Daniel Butler, vice president of merchandising for the National Retail Federation. "Contact local artists to personalize items."

Even toys that have been around awhile might be a unique find to customers in your area. Search through TDmonthly to find new and innovative companies with products your clients have never seen before.

Open the Doors
After you've decorated the store, ordered plenty of seasonal gift wrap, stocked your shelves with toys you hope will be the year's hits, hired and trained new staff, formed partnerships with neighboring stores, treated your best customers to your best deals and advertised with coupons, radio, TV and movie-screen promos, what else can you do to guarantee you'll be successful during the holidays?

"I pray," summed up Amy Barrett, owner of Lasso the Moon Wonderful Toys in Helena, Mont., who referred to the season as the make-or-break time of year. "You always feel like you've planned a great big party and you forgot to put RSVP on the back, and you don't know if anyone is coming or not. But you're ready. And they do show up. They always show up."