PreschoolNews.net catches up with a number of outdoor toy suppliers which have been benefitting from the run of glorious weather during lockdown.
It was fortuitous that when lockdown hit at the end of March, the weather gods chose to smile on us, blessing the UK with some gloriously sunny days to help lift the nation’s mood.
It was also a boon for the outdoor toy sector – suddenly, our homes became the centre of everything and those lucky enough to have outside space rushed to make the most of it.
“There is usually some ‘winners’ in most situations and certainly if you sell activity/outdoor toys like BERG, then referring to revenue, it has been a win-win this year so far, particularly through lockdown,” Peter Shaw, UK sales manager at BERG, explains. “We are experiencing historic best ever sales months; really incredible.”
This has, inevitably, lead to some stock issues, however. “We have faced and still continue to have many challenges throughout the company,” continues Peter. “Because of increased demand, we see stock production and availability issues, so we have increased labour force and shift hours. Back office support teams have been flat out with more order processing and queries. Lack of personal face to face account management with customers has also been challenging, so additional software for individual/group chats has been implemented. Home offices/IT have been set up throughout lockdown workforce.”
To read more from Peter, plus to also find out the views and experiences of Hippychick, Funrise, Microskaters, Plum Products and MV Sports, simply click on this link.
