GoodToyGroup_web

options, more opportunities, more people look- ing to go direct to the manufacturer; China is easier to work with. There are many more op- tions than there were 17 years ago. BVM: Will your members have to make any ad- ditional investments to make the strategy work? Smith: They won’t have to make more of an investment. Outside of the very first capital investment that any new member had to make, which was only $500, we have not required any new capital investment.We’ve been profitable, we stay profitable, and all these new initiatives are being funded by our own internal growth. BVM: What does the landscape look like for the specialty toy industry over the next several years, and what challenges will you face? Smith: What will be different for our stores is that many Main Streets, where many of our stores are located, are struggling to find their way in a world where people don’t want to shop– they want an Amazon robot to drop things on their doorstep within an hour of be- ing ordered; they’re on their phones and they’re much less attached to their communities. And Amazon has convinced everybody that its pol- icy of not collecting sales tax is good for their business and not detrimental to the consum- er. Our challenge is to find ways to make our THE GOOD TOY GROUP stores more financially viable and more successful. Whether it’s trends, whether it’s bringing in new products, whether it’s digitally reaching out to cus- tomers on Facebook and Instagram, and whatever the next iteration might be, to find ways to speak to consumers and let them know the service that we offer, the knowledge that we offer, the excep- tional, curated selection that we offer. Our chal- lenge is how we will get that customer to interact with us, whether it’s online or in the store. That’s our challenge – that’s everybody’s challenge. BVM: What are some important points that you would like our readers to know about your compa- ny and its members? Smith: First of all, our people are independent retailers because they’re independent. But the good thing about being very independent is that all of our owners are right where they want to be, interacting with children. They usually have an ed- ucational background or some kind of background that has children as part of it. And they are relent- less at finding the best toys for kids and making the best suggestions. In our stores, you’ll find that somebody will greet you; there’ll be a play table or a place to play; they’ll be somebody who knows, if your child is seven, what they’d really like to do –whether they’re into games, or puzzles, or con- struction, or art, or craft, and they’ll ask you ques- tions about your child. And one of the best things about all of our stores is the passion everybody brings to making sure that your child gets the very best tools and toys for them to play with, spend time with, and use. They care about children. . . and what else is more important?