Nursery retailers will find that diversifying into this sector, especially pre-Christmas is the ideal opportunity to entice buyers into their store. Price is always a factor though, and gift buyers are expected to spend a little less this Christmas meaning that an upper price limit is often set. Rrps of £15 to £30 are predicted to be the most popular this season, offering good margin for profit without risk of holding a lot of expensive stock after the buying season is over at 5pm on Christmas Eve.

Equally, if a product offers additional attributes, or multiple functions without affecting price it will have more chance of being chosen over others making them a safer bet for the retailer. 

Eco friendly is always an added bonus and a new range from Russimco is a fine example. This company's Ecotronic Toy collection offers all the attributes of an electronic toy but with one important quality - no batteries! Each toy is powered by a dynamo which enhances the play value as the child has to do something more than push a button to make it work. The Eco - Phone is aimed at children 6 months+ and has all the lights, sounds and features of similar battery operated models but requires winding up to make it work. The Eco - Phone is just one part of a whole collection, each of which has unique Gekopak packaging, like a standard egg box , so its completely bio degradable and no nasty wires.

Keeping to the eco theme, John Crane's Pintoys are made from eco-friendly rubberwood, so are excellent for the environmentally conscious gift buyer. The Creative Blocks (age 18 months+) have 52 pieces in the set, each sporting vibrant colours.  More traditional shapes, such as the cylinders and cuboids, are joined by a delightful array of quirky pieces that help to make everything from a zigzag body of an alligator to the wattle of a crazy turkey!  The set even includes animal head shaped wooden blocks, so children can recreate animals that they have seen at the zoo - or just come up with crazy combinations of their own!

Traditional gifts are always a hit with nursery retailers who often have grandparents looking for a special gift whilst stocking a range that is reminiscent of yesteryear but with a modern twist is always a safe bet all year round.

Spottiswoode Trading has successfully created its own distinctive brand of timeless  designs.  The stunning Fishing Set (aged 3+) contains an abundance of colourful creatures of the sea, a cotton creel basket and fishing rod. Quite simply the rod is used to catch the fish and place them in the basket - an activity which will provide buckets of fun. The whole collection is superbly made of fabric with a soft filling and incorporates all the British safety standards.

Best Years' range of knitted toys has been designed and manufactured to be suitable for babies and very young children. The tactile nature of the fabric appeals to the children and the fact that the knitted fabric is machine washable is a definite plus for their parents!

Along with the knitted fabric the major strength of the range is its retro design and feel which is very much on trend. These gifts are perfect for the retailer to stock, attracting both toy and gift buyer. Even the price is retro as the toys retail from just £9.99. The current range comprises of bunny and bear rattles in pastel, elephant and monkey in bright stripes and the wonderful T Rex and Stegosaurus.

Fiesta Crafts also offers traditional soft toys but with an educational twist, always an important factor when buying for infants or toddlers. CrocoSmile is suitable from birth and has a squeaking hand puppet head and a soft fabric body consisting of six different pieces, designed for tots to easily pull apart and put together again. Each piece features a different colour, texture, number and noise. Like all of Fiesta Crafts' nursery activity toys, CrocoSmile is carefully designed to encourage child development and learning through play and is part of a complete range.

Licensed toys are always a favourite especially amongst the tots. Clever use of a licence adds a new dimension to a toy as with The Peppa Pig Electronic Spaceship (3+) from Character Options. This colourful spaceship comes complete with all the characters in their space suits! Imaginative pre-schoolers can act out adventures with Peppa and her pals in their spaceship, countdown "5,4,3,2,1" and blast her off in to space. The many features allow for lots  of interaction  between the child, the figures and the Spaceship. It represents great value at only £19.99 and is produced to the highest quality through audited factories.

Peppa Pig also features on the new creative play sets from Flair; a collection designed for children age 3+. Other licences include In the Night Garden in a range that includes a Mega Doodle Fun, Stampers and a Fold and Go Easel. Prices range from £4.99 to £18.99 and represent the ideal opportunity for a small store to stock an entire collection, making an eye-catching display in store. Plus, the concept of creative play ensures the gift buyer is confident they are providing a toy that has many educational qualities.

Finally, there are some toys that every child has to have such as a ride on. Combining traditional ride on with a rocking horse is Famosa's Pony Feber with its realistic neigh and gallop sounds. Remove the rocking base and youngsters can safely ride along as it has wide wheels for extra stability. 

The Pony Feber is available in blue and pink and retails at £34.99. In this climate consumers consider value for money along with quality and play value and this 3 in 1 toy offers a great proposition. As well as being high quality, it has a wide age range, which extends the life of the product. It also has great play value as it grows with the child - starting as a rocker, then a fun pull along for role play and finally to a foot to floor ride on.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend