Share this on

Toys and Life Lessons

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 3/11/2011 6:42:22 AM

Caroline Kennedy Editor-in-Chief LIFE IS A LEARNING PROCESS THAT BEGINS WHEN WE ARE BORN AND CONTINUES EVERY DAY OF EVERY YEAR AS WE GROW OLDER. I have always believed that a good day is a day when I learn something new. Most days are good days, because I generally learn something. You can too, if you are open to it.
     When we are young, toys and the way we play with them are a major part of our learning process. Toys teach us about color, shape, spatial relationships, movement, texture and much more. Play teaches us about competition, strategic thinking, role playing and even working together for a common goal.
     This month, toy manufacturers, designers, inventors, licensors and retailers will descend on New York City for the annual American International Toy Fair, where the latest entries into the toy market will be unveiled. It is Santa come to town 10 months early.
     What they are all hoping for is to have the toys that parents will love and want to buy for their kids and that the kids will love, play with and learn from. Toy Fair is for the Peter Pan in all of us, although not all toys shown there are right for a gift retailers' merchandise mix, nor even for the independent toy retailer. But there is plenty to be seen, and to learn about toys for a new generation, toy trends, play value and more, that you will not find at a gift show.
     Speaking of a new generation, I had an experience recently at a gift show that brought out a potential problem in the area of inter-generational communication, especially when in a sales capacity. I am a Baby Boomer and encountered a 20-somethingyear- old showcasing a "nano watch band." Not seeing a watch of any sort anywhere in the display, I innocently asked, "Where's the watch?" to which she answered, "It's for a nano."
     I only knew the nano as the tiny music player with the "bullseye" control and was unaware that the newer versions have a touch screen with a built-in clock. So, I didn't understand her answer, nor did she "get" that I didn't know that a nano now had a clock. To her it was basic information that everyone should know. We went around and around, and I left frustrated.
     This can be a problem for vendors and retailers. If your salepeople aren't fully trained and there is a problem with interpreting a customer's question or needs, you could lose a sale and maybe even the customer herself.

Share this on

Talkback

We would love your feedback!

Direct from Market: ASTRA Marketplace

Jun 23, 2010

Making Dreams Come True

Feb 25, 2012

Rebuilding Momentum

Feb 1, 2010

Dolls for a Better Tomorrow

Jul 25, 2011

Also by this author

»MORE

Featured Company

Brandwise Inc.

Brandwise serves a model - not just an industry - by integrating, automating, and optimizing the entire sales channel, from wholesale Suppliers to their Reps and the Retailers they service. In short, our software helps Reps and Suppliers sell more and create... more