Is this the year of the little guy?

March 30, 2009

Good times favor the big toy retailers and manufacturers. Why, because the risk is lower and therefore they feel comfortable making big bets, a year or more in advance, on what products are going to be successful.

Rough economic times, however, create greater risk and when risk is in the air, no one, whether a retailer or a manufacturer wants to make big bets. According to a March 29, 2009 Associated Press article: “Major toy sellers and upscale merchants — who must order Christmas stock earlier than most retailers — are exercising extreme caution as they plan for the rest of the year. They’re ordering at lower prices, they’re keeping orders small and they’re planning to buy more only if consumer demand picks up….”

So, is there a winner in tough times? Smaller manufacturers may actually have an opportunity this year due to their greater flexibility. For starters, specialty toy retailers make their picks later in the year and therefore closer to Christmas. They are therefore getting several months more sales data on which to determine what kind of a Christmas selling season it is going to be. Smaller manufacturers also benefit because their currently risk averse large competitors are backing away from innovation. Therefore, retailers looking for something different suddenly see the smaller and previously overlooked manufacturer as a source of goods.

There are some major opportunities this year for those who have the money, the will and the courage. If you are a smaller toy manufacturer or retailer, tell us how this year is shaping up for you.

Posted by Richard Gottlieb on March 30, 2009 | Comments (5)

April 1, 2009

In response to: Is this the year of the little guy?
chdiecast commented:

It sure is! Die-cast and R/C toy manufacturer Maisto today announced their purchase of the HUMMER brand from General Motors. See the Maisto "Daily Dose" blog at maisto.wordpress.com for details.

April 1, 2009

In response to: Is this the year of the little guy?
Mary Kay Russell commented:

I agree that the opportunity for small manufacturers definitely exists. For a small manufacturer like me, whose pockets are not so deep, I'm focusing my efforts on utilizing social networking sites like Twitter. It's an incredibly effective way to make my brand known. And the best part is I can directly connect to my target market -- MOMS -- as well as a multitude of media outlets.

April 1, 2009

In response to: Is this the year of the little guy?
Mary Kay Russell commented:

April 1, 2009

In response to: Is this the year of the little guy?
Greg Panos -KidzBiz Marketing commented:

Good point.Small manufacturers and specialty retailers do have the advantages you describe. The conundrum lies in the fact that during a bad economy, consumers tend to gravitate to big-box retailers perceived as discounters...The specialty toy retailers may have the more innovative products, but without making the consumers aware of this fact, it's all for naught. Their size can be an advantage in their marketing efforts as well. Smaller companies are better equipped to take advantage of all the new social marketing tools available (facebook, twitter, blogs, etc) to build their brand and relationships. By getting started now, those relationships will be very strong by the 4th quarter.

April 1, 2009

In response to: Is this the year of the little guy?
Greg Panos -KidzBiz Marketing commented: