By Harvey Dulku, Retail Director – Fantasy World Toys

As a Kuwaiti-based specialty toy store, Fantasy World has always strived to push the boundaries in both design and lifestyle. However, brick and mortar retailers in general have been suffering with lower footfall and lower conversion rates. Consumers are a lot more sophisticated in how they shop in this complicated Third Millennium, and as a business we strive to feed their needs constantly. A key strategy we have employed in this new and changing retail climate is focusing on what we call “placemaking.”

Placemaking focuses on making customers feel comfortable, looking for entertainment opportunities in the store, and becoming a place where people shop longer and more frequently. We feel that Fantasy World has more opportunities to do this than the bigger players in our space. They cannot personalize, adjust areas of interest or their merchandise mix as quickly as we can because of their size. For instance, our parents have always been looking for something to keep themselves occupied while their children play and browse in-store. We listened to their requests and found a way to fill this need.

Edgy Approach

Over a year ago, we added a new category for adults, which consists of tech gadgets and gifting. This category is not typically associated with a toy store, but it has generated great results, and complements our core toy business surprisingly well. We were apprehensive initially, but the results have proven that in our age, convenience is a key driver, even within a toy store. If you could pick up a charger for your mobile, or a gift item such as a VR headset or a drone, it’s well worth doing, even while your kids are looking for the latest toys.

  

We call this department “The Edge.” The Zone features elegant specialty fixtures, handmade Corian endcaps for specialized collector doll ranges and illuminated tech walls that highlight everyday tech necessities and gifts. This is coupled together with convenient seating areas, which allow our adult customers to rest and relax when required. We carved out an area where an adult can feel comfortable in a child-like space.

Convenience in today’s retail environment is also technology-focused. That is an element which is vital & cannot be ignored. We are constantly looking to improve and invest in the technology used in our stores. These initiatives have really supported us in making our stores into destinations, and have definitely helped make our stores more compelling and relevant in this new era of retail.

Design as a Differentiator

Another key component of our placemaking strategy is combining the convenience aspects of the concept with an elegant presentation. Over the years, our business has been changing its look and feel, and encouraging people to spend more time while browsing. The category as a whole can be a complicated proposition as there is a lot of competition with high-street, malls, convenience stores and hypermarkets all offering some basic ranges of toys. We have to constantly look to give customers reasons to visit us instead of these other outlets. A key area in which we differentiate ourselves from our competition is by focusing strongly on our store design.

 

Community Spirit

The third element where we have added value to our brand is by creating activities and fundraising for our local communities. We constantly look for ways to support our local areas via corporate social responsibility initiatives. We have made this a key deliverable over our 20 years in business, from supporting underprivileged children, to sponsoring sanctuaries for animals and encouraging children to be supportive within the community.

 

 

These efforts help our community feel right at home with us.  Specific events have created awareness for the Kuwait Society for Human Rights fighting against domestic violence, encouragement for patients at the Children’s Cancer Hospital, creating a “toy matching” donation program to support under-privileged children, and the Harmony Beach Clean-Up.

This is all part of “placemaking” for Fantasy World, helping us grow and support our customers and our community. It would be a great privilege for us to have you visit us next time you might be visiting Kuwait, and let us know what you think. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Harvey Dulku is the Retail Director for Fantasy World Toys based in Kuwait, which was founded over 20 years ago. Harvey manages the day-to-day operational side of the business which includes Sales, Buying, Merchandising, HR & Marketing. Previously , Harvey worked in various senior operational roles both in Kuwait & the UK.  To learn more, email Harvey at info@fantasyworldtoys.com or visit www.fantasyworldtoys.com.