The Toy Talker Explores Exclusive Product Development
You’ve seen the signs—“Available exclusively at…” “Only available at…” and all the rest. As a consumer, I find this type of marketing completely irresistible.
They say we always want what we can’t have, but when it comes to shopping, I think it’s just that we always want what we can’t have elsewhere.
Does that make sense? Is there something inside us (possibly related to that impulse buying trigger) that craves the exclusive, the unique, the special? Maybe that’s why price cuts are often called “specials.” That kind of verbiage gives us the warm and fuzzies, and we can’t walk out the door without giving the potential purchase due consideration.
Shopping psychology aside, exclusive products are one of the perks of specialty retail. At Learning Express, which now has over 150 stores nationwide, most of last year’s exclusive products made the top 20 in sales. I was curious about how these best-selling (and award-winning) products are developed and what makes them so successful. To find out, I sat down with Sandie Paradiso, one of the Learning Express buyers.
TOY TALKER: Learning Express has a long history with exclusive products. Can you tell me how it all came about?
SANDIE: The very first exclusive product that Learning Express carried was a Thomas the Tank Engine set in 1998. It included Thomas, a milk tanker, 17 pieces of wooden Clickity-Clack Track™, 2 bridges, a tunnel, and a special engine shed. I was still working at one of our local stores at that point, but was hired by corporate the following year.
TOY TALKER: What was the first exclusive that you helped develop?
SANDIE: Hmm. One of the very first ones was an exclusive Groovy Girl named Lexa. We worked with Manhattan Toy to create her. One of her accessories was a little pillow that had a pouch. The idea came from something I’ve always done with my kids. Whenever you have worries or wishes you write them down on a little note and tuck it inside the pillow.
TOY TALKER: What process is involved in the development of these products?
SANDIE: Typically we approach the vendor with an idea. Sometimes they will come to us, but most often it’s the other way around. The rest is a dialogue. We work very closely together with our manufacturers to come up with something that will be successful. None of this would be possible without the vendors’ support. They’ve really embraced the whole thing and I think that’s part of the reason why our exclusives have been so successful.
TOY TALKER: So how do you come up with the ideas?
SANDIE: We review the entire department and look at what’s doing well and what’s missing. Then you have to look at the current consumer trends in all industries, not just toys. From there you decide how to combine all those elements together and fill in the gaps. For example, retro was really back in style this year so we came up with the Groovy Scrapbook Kit, which has been doing incredibly well.
TOY TALKER: What’s your favorite of all the exclusive products you’ve helped develop?
SANDIE: My Giant Busy Box.
TOY TALKER: No hesitation there.
SANDIE: Nope. It came out in 2008, which was right when preschool arts and crafts were first starting to hit the market. It was a very new thing at the time because the arts and crafts department had previously focused almost entirely on older kids. But the research at the time showed that preschoolers were both interested and developmentally ready for activities like that. The problem was that it hadn’t really caught on with the parents yet.
TOY TALKER: So how did the product come about?
SANDIE: I worked with Alex and created what was basically a sampler pack from their newly launched Little Hands product line. My Giant Busy Box went on to win the Parents Magazine’s Best Toys of the Year and the Parents’ Choice Approved awards.
TOY TALKER: One last question.
SANDIE: Go for it.
TOY TALKER: What exclusive products are available this 2009 holiday season?
SANDIE: There are 13 this year, believe it or not. Two of them—Cap it Off Jewelry and the Groovy Scrapbook Kit—made our Top Ten Toys of 2009. They’re already selling well so get ‘em while they last.
TOY TALKER: Thanks for blogging with us Sandie.
SANDIE: My pleasure.
The complete list of 2009 Learning Express exclusive products is below. Here’s wishing you a very special (and exclusive) holiday season!
-Toy Talker
Cap it Off Jewelry
Groovy Scrapbook Kit
Head to Toe Spa Kit
Time to Change Watch Kit
Bitty Bobble Pet Shop
Double Dare Speedway Set
Foam Fetti Bonus Kit
Sprayza Kit with “Bonus Pack”
“Bling by Number” Peace Wall Art Kit
Project Runway Three-in-One Fashion Design Kit
Badge Bands Bracelet Set
Holiday Fancy Nancy Doll and Posh Puppy
Moon Chair
