Giddy about Toys

 
M&D talks to Amanda Alexander, the owner of Giddy Goat Toys.

Q:   You’ve managed to survive what, we hope, was the worst part of lockdown for the local shops like yours. What did you do to get through it?
A:   Here at Giddy Goat Toys we’ve been fortunate to be one of those retailers that has weathered the storm due to people wanting to buy toys, arts & craft basics, and games, but we’re also very aware that we owe our ongoing success to being part of supportive communities. Firstly, our local community of customers around Didsbury and south Manchester which continued to support our shop during lockdown, placing online orders which were hand delivered and which helped keep us in business. Secondly, the local traders community within Didsbury village provided advice and support, and a feeling of belonging in what was a strange and lonely time, working alone in a closed shop.

Q:   I understand that these local communities were not the only ones you relied on.
A:   We are also part of the Down Your High Street community – which is a website comprised of independent retailers, including clothing, homeware, sweets and, of course, toys. This brought us lots of online orders, particularly after we got a mention by Mark Heyes on his feature on GMTV’s This Morning with Lorraine show! But again, the sense of being part of a community and of being able to speak to other retailers was fantastic. For those of you keen to support independent retailers you can find over 700 different online shops to browse on www.downyourhighstreet.com, which represents small shops up and down the UK – it’s the perfect place to start your Christmas shopping with lots of lovely and interesting products.

Q:   So community seems to be the word – whether it be on your doorsteps or online?
A:   Definitely. We’ve also benefitted from being part of another community, an amazing industry sector. We work with over 30 different toy distributors, cherry picking our favourite items to sell in our shop: things we feel our customers will love and that offer value for money and great play value. Our suppliers have been amazing, from checking in with retailers to make sure they are managing ok, to offering the option of placing smaller orders whilst all the time facing their own issues of ensuring social distancing in their warehouses.

Q:   Giddy Goat Toys was one of the first shops to come back to life in the mid-June. How are you adjusting to the ‘new normal’?
A:   Now that our shop has re-opened and we’ve been able to welcome customers back inside, albeit in limited numbers and with the play equipment that was so popular with local children temporarily in storage, we’re again finding how important our communities are as people negotiate the outside world again. We’re so grateful to find our regular customers returning; children eager to spend the pocket money they have accumulated and to enjoy choosing treats, and parents keen to reward their children for their resilience in accepting home schooling and not moaning about all the things they have missed.
    We have hand sanitiser in the shop for customers to use and we’re asking people to limit their time in the shop to 15 minutes at the most to reduce the risk of catching or transmitting the virus between customers and staff. As well as selling online via Down Your High Street and our own website www.giddygoattoys.co.uk and sending orders out via courier, we also offer a click and collect service for locals who want to shop with us and not come into the shop or wait in for the courier, and we offer the option of payment via Clearpay so you can pay in four interest-free instalments.
    These are strange times indeed, but we’re trying to provide the same friendly helpful advice and service as always, and a safe and pleasant environment in which to shop.

Q:   Is there anything that you’d like to say to all the communities you’ve been part of during this difficult time – be they local, professional or virtual?
A:   More than ever I am grateful to be part of such warm and supportive communities – of customers, local shops, other independent retailers, and suppliers, and I’m grateful that in these unusual times we can all support each other through it and hopefully get out the other side with our community spirit stronger than ever before.
    Thank you to everyone who has supported us during this year and if you haven’t visited our shop do check us out – you can visit our actual shop which is in Didsbury Village or have a look at our online shop – www.giddygoattoys.co.uk – we have a great range of toys, books and games for kids of all ages, including the latest Lego and LOL dolls, Playmobil, puzzles and games, plus science kits and some lovely arts and crafts sets, Lottie dolls, Sylvanian Families and toys for babies and toddlers – not to mention some fun pocket money treats and a lovely selection of cards and gift wrap. Most of all, we offer friendly, helpful service, and we really do value our community of customers – both instore and online, and we’ll bend over backwards to help you find the perfect toy!

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