Posts Tagged ‘ASTRA’
« Older Entries |This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ASTRA Reveals 2012 Marketplace & Academy Theme
Friday, October 14th, 2011
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) announced that the theme of its 2012 Marketplace & Academy will be “Get more from your store: Build your business at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy.” The event will take place in Baltimore June 10-13.
“Independent retailers are always looking for creative new ways to increase revenue and contain costs. Never has it been more important for store owners to get the most out of every dollar they spend and every business decision they make,” said Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA. “Our theme reflects what retailers will find at Marketplace & Academy: unique quality toys that fit their stores, huge show-only discounts, and business tips from the best retailers in the industry.”
As more information becomes available about speakers and special events at Marketplace & Academy, it will be posted at www.astramarketplace.org.
Tags: American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, ASTRA, Kathleen McHugh, Marketplace & Academy
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This post was written by Erika Graham
Credit Collective Meets With Members During ASTRA
Monday, June 27th, 2011
Last week, nearly 50 toy and game companies gathered at ASTRA‘s Marketplace & Academy in Anaheim, Calif. for the second annual Credit Collective member’s meeting. Inside the meeting, important issues affecting toy and game companies were discussed, including the increasing effects of internet discounters on brick-and-mortar stores, as well as how to find alternative distribution outlets, how to avoid customers who pay bills late, and the need for universal credit sheets.
The Credit Collective members also voiced a need for a system to help police their Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policies. Ron Solomon, president and founder of The Credit Collective, revealed that the organization is working on such a system, and agreed to speed up the process in hopes it will be ready for member use by this October.
Another issue discussed was the increasing amount of fraud cases that companies are dealing with due to unscrupulous retailers trying to purchase toys and games. Certain companies—that are no longer able to receive credit due to poor payment history—create fake stores and get terms through pseudonyms. After they receive goods, the companies close their fake businesses before the bill arrives and move.
By cross-referencing information in its database and sharing information with its trade association partners, The Credit Collective aims to help keep both members and non-members safe. The organization is currently developing a fraud-linking service to create a much tighter web.
Tags: "MAP" Policies, ASTRA, Ron Solomon, The Credit Collective
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ASTRA Addresses Internet Sales Issues
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Research commissioned by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) on the implications of Internet retailing for the specialty toy industry was presented at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy. Stacy Mitchell, senior researcher for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, conducted the study.
Key findings showed that online toy sales have grown by 22 percent over the past year, making toys one of the fastest growing categories in online shopping, which grew 13 percent overall during the same period. It also found that shoppers are increasingly using smartphones to compare prices and check product availability while shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. It also showed that state and federal policies tilt the competitive playing field in favor of online retailers by exempting remote sellers from collecting the sales taxes that brick-and-mortar stores are required to collect.
All-in-all, the research showed that Internet retailers present a significant competitive challenge for independent brick-and-mortar stores—in many respects, a challenge that is more severe than that of big-box and other chain retailers.
ASTRA members can find a complete copy of the Internet sales white paper on ASTRA’s newly updated website at www.astratoy.org.
Tags: ASTRA, ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy Biggest Yet
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, currently in progress in Anaheim, Calif., has posted a record number of attendees, according to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. While final counts will not be available until Marketplace & Academy is over, early indications are that this year’s crowd was 20 percent to 30 percent bigger than last year.
“Once again, independent toy retailers are showing that they are committed to learning, investing in new products, and finding the best deals in the industry,” says Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA. “Even in the midst of an extended economic downturn, ASTRA members continue to tend to the basics of their businesses. They work hard and they work smart, and taking full advantage of ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy is part of that equation.”
Next year’s ASTRA Marketplace & Academy—its 20th—will be held during June in
Baltimore. Dates will be announced.
Tags: American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, ASTRA, ASTRA Marketplace & Academy
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This post was written by Justin McCraw
November 13th Named Neighborhood Toy Store Day
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
The American Specialty Retailers Association (ASTRA) has announced plans to make the second Saturday in November an annual and nationwide celebration of local toy stores. During this year’s Neighborhood Toy Store Day (NTSD), ASTRA will announce the winners of its 2010 Best Toys for Kids awards. ASTRA is also providing its member retailers with ready-to-go press releases and a step-by-step retailer guidebook filled with tips on how to use the event to attract new customers. For more information on NTSD, visit ASTRA’s website.
Tags: American Specialty Retailers Association, ASTRA, Best Toys for Kids award, Neighborhood Toy Store Day, NTSD
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This post was written by Christina Edwards
Phyllis Brody Receives ASTRA Lifetime Achievement Award
Monday, June 21st, 2010
Phyllis Brody, co-founder of Creativity for Kids, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association
(ASTRA). The award recognizes a person who has demonstrated a career of service to the toy industry and who has made a significant contribution to ASTRA’s mission of expanding and improving the specialty toy industry.
Brody co-founded Creativity for Kids more than 30 years ago with a mission to stimulate and encourage childhood creativity. Brody also helped to develop initiatives and programs for specialty toy retailers as a founding board member of ASTRA.
Tags: ASTRA, Creativity for Kids
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ASTRA Expects Record-Breaking Numbers for its 2010 Marketplace & Academy
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Although the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is still making its final counts, the organization expects to announce that its 2010 Marketplace & Academy had a record-breaking crowd. Early indications, says ASTRA, signal that this year’s crowd was 25 to 30 percent larger than last year.
The event, held June 13-16 in Providence, R.I., is the year’s largest gathering of the specialty toy industry. Next year’s ASTRA Marketplace & Academy will be held in June in Anaheim, Calif. Specific dates will be announced later.
Tags: 2010 Marketplace, Anaheim, ASTRA, Marketplace & Academy, Providence
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy Exhibit Space Sells Out
Monday, March 8th, 2010
According to Kathleen McHugh, president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), all available exhibit space for ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy has sold out. “Every square inch of exhibit space is spoken for, and that means all the regular booths, all the half-booths we feature to help small start-ups bring their creative new specialty product to market, and all the table-top exhibits in our unique inventor incubator,” says McHugh.
ASTRA recommends that independent toy retailers register for the event as soon as possible to avoid missing out on any of the limited-registration events.
The 2010 Marketplace & Academy will be held in Providence, R.I. from June 13 to 16. For more information or to register, visit www.astratoy.org or call ASTRA at 1-800-591-0490.
Tags: ASTRA, Marketplace & Academy
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ASTRA Offers Free Webinar
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is awarding retailers who register for the 2010 ASTRA Marketplace & Academy by February 28, a free webinar (valued at $49) on optimizing your retail store advertising on a shoe-string budget. Rick Segel will host the webinar on April 28 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. CST.
ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy will be held in Providence, R.I. from June 13 to 16. Early bird registration prices for the event will also be available until February 28. For more information, or to register, visit www.astratoy.org or call ASTRA at 1-800-591-0490.
Tags: ASTRA, Marketplace
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
The Toy Book’s Toy Report 12/14/09
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Catch up on last week’s news! Read The Toy Book Toy Report for 12/14/09.
To view click here.
Tags: 2010 Marketplace, A&A Global, ASTRA, ATV Network, Bell Sports, Big Tent, Books Bears and Bonnets, Bratz, Coca-Cola, Domo, Doug Fleener, Evenflo, Hot Wheels, It's a Wonderful Life, Mattel, MGA, Ming the Minibus, Nancy Sales Company, Neat-Oh!, Paramount, Penguin United, Rick Segel, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop, StinkyKids, The NPD Group, Toys R Us, ZipBin
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