Neil Montgomery, UK commercial director at Juratoys, talks adapting to the changing retail landscape, enjoying your work and wanting a sustainable level of business across all channels.
How long have you been at Juratoys?
I have been at Juratoys for five years.
What is your greatest achievement at the company?
Despite facing some major challenges within the business, since I joined the company we have managed to deliver significant growth year on year, every year. My greatest achievement has been to build a great team of people that are committed to the business and collectively have allowed us to achieve this growth.
Favourite part of your job?
I love meeting with our customers and talking about life in toys, so trade shows are something I love to attend. We are very fortunate that we launch over 200 new products each year and there is nothing better than presenting them to our customers and seeing their reaction. It’s also true that I enjoy socialising and trade shows also provide the perfect opportunity to work hard and have a bit of fun at the same time.
Who is the unsung hero in your company?
Everyone in the team that isn’t me. We are very lucky to work in a really nice industry with very nice customers, but there will always be issues that crop up for different reasons and the team around me do a great job of dealing with these. Whether it is the customer service team who are working hard to resolve an issue or the sales team who are managing to find an urgent solution for a customer, all their hard work turns potentially difficult situations into really positive outcomes.
What is the biggest change within the preschool industry that you have seen since you have worked in it?
I think the rise in online sales has been significant, especially in 2020 where the global pandemic meant many customers had to find new ways of trading when the physical stores were closed. We have all seen the retail landscape changing and its important that we adjust the way we work to meet these ever changing demands.
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?
To make sure that you enjoy your work and the minute you stop enjoying it, it’s time to move on. It’s very true that most of us work long hours and spend more time with our work colleagues than we do our own families, so work has to be something that you enjoy and you have fun.
Biggest lesson you took away from 2020?
That your health is the most important thing.
If you could change one thing about the preschool business, what would it be and why?
The industry has lost too many good retailers in recent years, a mixture of large chains and smaller independents all offering something unique. I would like there to be a sustainable level of business across all channels to ensure that we reduce the number of good retailers that go out of business.
This feature originally appeared in the November/December 2021 edition of Progressive Preschool. To read the full publication, click on this link.
