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Oh Lord, here we go again. A private equity company is seeking to buy Kohl’s by piling on debt. Does this sound familiar? It certain does to The Wall Street Journal which led with this headline: Kohl’s Suitor Wants to Buy the Chain by Selling Kohl’s PropertiesFranchise Group seeks to finance its $8 billion bid using a strategy that failed for Toys ‘R’ Us and others“Kohl’s … [Read more...] about A Private Equity Firm Wants to Buy Kohls – It’s Toys R Us All Over Again

President Biden on June 9, 2022 posted on Twitter a call for Congress to crackdown on ocean freight carriers over the cost of shipping. Here is his Tweet: The Tweet was accompanied by a video in which the President stated: “We’ve got to change this. I asked the Congress to pass a piece of legislation to remedy this. Democrats and Republicans voted for it, it’s over in the … [Read more...] about President Biden Calls for Crackdown on Ocean Carriers

Hot-potato games have graced store shelves since the 1950s. In 1966, Ohio Art joined the craze with Spudsie, the Hot Potato Game. Spudsie was a red plastic hand-held “potato” with a painted-on face and clownish smile. It stood about 7-inches tall and was light enough to be easily tossed around by children. A knob in the toy’s back offered five different time settings, from 1 … [Read more...] about You Say Potayto, I say Potahto: Spudsie from Ohio Art

The Spielwarenmesse takes place in the historic city of Nuremberg. There is much to see, eat and drink in the city. There are some outstanding museums (even a toy museum), Gothic architecture, lots of beer and sausage, and they are all surrounded by a medieval wall. However, before you enjoy Nuremberg and the Spielwarenmesse, you have to get there. That means traveling by … [Read more...] about The Spielwarenmesse #5 – Taking the Plane and Train to Nuremberg

96% of Jobs Lost During Pandemic Are Back According to Axios, “America’s New Labor Market,” 96% of jobs lost during the pandemic have been recaptured. However a look at the numbers shows that the recovery has not been equal across all platforms. Not surprisingly, Transportation and Warehousing are way up. Retail employment is up too, but, interestingly, wholesale is down. … [Read more...] about Disruption Report #56 – 96% of Jobs Are Back, Apocalyptic Inventory Levels at Walmart, and 30% of Japan’s Population Is Over 65

Click here to listen to this episode Richard and Chris talk with Chad Gharring of Boley about the dramatic rise of the company as a private label, brand building company and as an innovator in sustainability–and increasingly hot and important topic in the toy industry. They also talk about the advantages of being a Chinese/American hybrid company. You’ll want to know more … [Read more...] about Private Label and Exciting New Materials: A Conversation with Chad Gharring of Boley

Edge by Ascential has released an intriguing yet worrying report that predicts what retail will look like in 2026. Entitled “Ecommerce Shakes up the Top Five Retailers in the US,” I find it intriguing because some of their predictions are surprising. I find it worrying because of the anticipated retail consolidation. I have read the report and provided you with a six-point … [Read more...] about Looking Ahead – A Worrying Retail Landscape in 2026

Remco (a portmanteau of “remote” and “control”) has remained a favourite brand among collectors. A vast catalog of remote-controlled vehicles and licensed toys from the 1960s―including pop-culture favorites like Star Trek, Lost in Space, the Beatles, and the Munsters―set Remco collectibles apart. In 1961, the company deviated from its standard offerings and released a line … [Read more...] about Science in a Can: Remembering the Remco Science Kits

It’s not every day that a toy company makes it to its 25th year, so congratulations to Sambro. Headquartered in Manchester, England, Sambro generates more than $88 million in annual revenues. Running Sambro is CEO Paul Blackaby, with whom I had the fortune to spend some time talking about Sambro and the toy industry. Paul is relatively new to toys (2020), having cut his teeth … [Read more...] about Sambro Turns 25 Years Young; my conversation with C.E.O., Paul Blackaby

Here’s the good news. China’s Generation Z is loaded with cash and willing to spend. There’s 270 million of them, born since the mid-1990s, and they are top buyers of everything from cosmetics to tourism services. Less inclined to have kids or buy property, which are both becoming increasingly unaffordable, they spend on themselves.Bloomberg Amazon opened its first … [Read more...] about Quotes With Your Coffee #4