Andrew Laughton, svp at MGA UK, shares how the toy company has been affected by COVID-19 restrictions and which products have been in demand.
Firstly, how has the past few months been for the company?
Like all global businesses, we’ve, of course, been affected by this crisis, particularly due to the changes in retail. However, by working together and continuing to offer innovative and in-demand products, we’ve managed to retain a strong market share across our brands. We know that there’s a huge demand to entertain and educate children – and it’s important we’re able to continue to offer products that do this.
We’ve worked extremely closely with our retailers to ensure any opportunities, such as online orders and click and collect, are maximised. We’ll also ensure we work with them to deliver what they and their customers need when they reopen next month.
Which products have been selling well? How have you continued to engage with customers and consumers?
With the incredible weather and families wanting to make the most of their time in the garden, our Little Tikes brand has been doing extremely well – there’s huge demand for some of our iconic sandpits, water tables and other outdoor products. As we have our own retail site for this brand, we’ve been able to meet customer demand, whilst ensuring our team are all working safely in the current conditions.
As sales have grown, we’ve invested further in customer service and digital communications to ensure our customers feel supported and are kept up-to-date on any developments during this time. More than ever, strong customer communication is vital to our industry – consumers want to know how, as a company, we are responding to the crisis, looking after our staff and delivering on orders. They want to feel connected and supported.
What is the single biggest positive take-away from all of this for you, both personally and on a business level?
I think the biggest positive has been seeing how, despite the difficulties, the team in the UK and globally have worked together so well. There has been a real feeling of being ‘all in this’ together which has kept morale high despite the challenges.
Equally, being able to do something positive – as a business – to help those on the frontline of this crisis has been extremely rewarding. In the UK, our Operation Pac-man has delivered over 35,000 pieces of PPE, including masks and googles, and over £150,000 worth of toys to UK hospitals – and in the US, our team are developing full-face masks for doctors and ventilator masks for patients.
