Richard Gottlieb

Rethinking the toy department

Don’t you think its time that mass market retailers and toy stores take a step back and rethink the way they look at the toy department?  Toy departments and for the most part toy stores are and have always been targeted exclusively at children.  That worked pretty well when the only people who played with toys were kids.  Now, however, everyone plays with toys. 

We need toy departments and toy stores that are a destination for anyone who wants a toy.  I therefore propose that retailers rethink and reframe toy departments and toy stores as a place that has toys for everyone.  Once done, they  can be broken out into four sub-departments:

• Children’s Toys
• Grown up Toys*
• Teen Toys
• Grandparent Toys

Grown up toys can, for example, include collectables like the many iterations of Monopoly or die cast cars.  This would free the children’s game and die cast sections up for more variety and generate more interest and therefore more sales. 

Teen toys might include anything from stickers to figures with licenses like Southpark, Family Guy and the Simpsons.  This would free the children’s department to carry more children’s oriented licenses and not give parents the uncomfortable feeling of wondering why a sticker of foul mouthed Peter Griffin (The Family Guy) is sitting next to Dora the Explorer.

Grandparents' toys can include either products that are oriented to their needs or that they remember fondly.  For example, a growing senior population is going to want games that have large print rules and oversized pieces.  They may also want traditional games like chess, mahjong, and bridge that they can play with their friends and grandchildren.

The toy industry is defined by the way the toy departments and toy stores are oriented.  By changing that orientation, we can make them a destination for everyone and generate greater revenue for the entire industry. 

 *A note about the use of “Adult Toys.”  The problem with the term “Adult Toys” is that it conjures up sex toys.  I am, of course, absolutely not talking about that.  I am talking about toys and games that interest adults.  It seems to me that we need to establish an industry wide term for this class of product so that it does not have that stigma; something like “Grown up Toys.  Maybe you have another.

Posted by Richard Gottlieb on February 28, 2008 | Comments (3)