Your Move
3PL fulfilment for toys and games
The UK toy market is worth £3.3bn and has remained buoyant and resistant in what has been a difficult trading year for many industries. In fact, new data shows overall sales in this market grew in value by 5%, which makes the UK the largest toy market in Europe and the 4th largest globally.
As would be expected the biggest increase in sales came from the first pandemic lockdown of 2020 showing a whopping increase of 22%. This was boosted by the closure of leisure and tourism venues and external events, where families looked elsewhere for ways to entertain and stimulate themselves and their children.
Sales of games and puzzles grew by 19% (the highest category growth), but split down, puzzles which can be enjoyed by all ages increased by 38%. Other categories such as building sets and outdoor toys, learning and exploration toys enjoyed an increase in sales.
Interestingly, the average sales price of the overall toys category has increased, and it is believed this is due to a new buying audience entering the market – the adult and teen category – known as ‘kidults’ has more buying power and recently has had more time on their hands. This group now accounts for more than 25% of toy sales.
Online retailers should ride the wave of this buoyant market.
Industry forecasters predict that this upward trend will continue as people rediscover the joys and benefits of spending quality family time playing games, solving puzzles, and learning new skills. This quality family time hasn’t all been about playing games indoors, but about reconnecting with nature and has thus increased consciousness and concern for our environment. Environmental issues have never been a hotter topic, and many manufacturers are reducing the amount of packaging used and incorporating environmentally friendly materials into products wherever possible.
As an online retailer, you have no control of the products themselves – although it may be worth researching and sourcing environmentally friendly toys and games to give you a point of differentiation – but you can make a choice in the type of packaging you use to send items to customers. Talk to your fulfilment partner about how you can reduce the amount of packaging used, or whether an eco-friendly option is available. A good fulfilment company will be totally up to date with what’s new in the eco-packaging world and can help you add value to your sales.
Check out our dedicated toys and games fulfilment service www.adstralfulfilment.co.uk/toys-and-games-fulfilment/
3PL fulfilment – is yours up to scratch?
Sometimes it’s the last link in the sales chain that is the weakest. In e-commerce, websites are usually doing their job of attracting and encouraging sales, the shopping cart and payment method makes it easy for consumers to purchase, and the ‘thank you’ and order confirmation process is slick. The last link is the chain is fulfilment processing and ‘how’ and ‘when’ a customer receives their order has an important role to play in the overall satisfaction of your service.
How often have we received a small item packed in an oversize box? How often have we received items that are badly packaged, or worse had damaged goods due to inadequate or inappropriate packaging?
Whether you fulfil your customer orders with your own in-house team, or work with an outsourced fulfilment provider, it’s worth a robust review to ensure that the service is meeting your standards and customer expectations.
Why choose Adstral?
Our clients choose us because our all-encompassing aim to provide them with first-class service. From the moment an order is received to the speed of picking, care and use of optimum packaging materials, same-day despatch, stock control and reporting and handling of returns. Our specialist fulfilment team is, effectively, your own fulfilment team and so our process is efficient and seamless.
- Seamless integration with your e-commerce platform and NO set up fees.
- No monthly management fees.
- Easy-to-use Portal available 24/7.
- Dynamic pricing.
- 100% Pick and Pack Accuracy.
- Smart use of Packaging.
- Same-day Despatch for order received by 5pm.
- Hassle-free Returns.
- Clean, flexible warehousing facilities.
We handle a wide range of products, from beauty & cosmetics and healthcare products, fashion jewellery, toys & games, luxury footwear, small giftware and homeware items, small electronic & electrical items and subscription orders.
Our service performs at its best with small, fast-moving, items and order volumes exceeding 300 per month (no maximum). This is our sweet spot and where our clients derive the best value from us.
Fulfilment is our business and we like to help our clients optimise their business, gain more customers and generate more sales. Dive into our Knowledge Base and discover some useful articles at www.adstralfulfilment.co.uk/knowledge-base/ or check out our services www.adstralfulfilment.co.uk/fulfilment-services/
Please complete our enquiry form for a quotation www.adstralfulfilment.co.uk/contact-us/ or telephone for further information 01793 725043.
Of course, we always welcome visitors, so if you would like to arrange a visit and see us in action, use our enquiry form or telephone us.
