UK: Will there be toys under the Christmas tree?
Audio 02:33
An employee in a toy store in London, October 14, 2021 (Illustrative image) © JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
By: Marie Boëda
3 min
After empty petrol stations and supermarket shelves, it's the UK toy industry's turn to worry.
Vendors do not know if they will be adequately supplied before the holiday season.
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From our correspondent in London,
A man dressed as a captain hook and a woman as a witch gesture on the sidewalk.
Children watch them from their strollers.
We are in front of the entrance to Hamleys, a legendary sign on Regent Street, one of the busiest streets in London.
Victoria watches the show with her 17 month old daughter, Nelly.
She has already started her Christmas shopping.
“My parents are in the store buying toys for my daughter.
They told me they were worried about the coming shortages.
Last year, with the Covid, we did not buy the gifts on time, ”says Victoria.
And, addressing her daughter: "
Nelly, are you looking forward to Christmas?"
Are we going to have toys under the tree at Christmas this year instead of having them a few days later?
We hope so!
"
Charlie comes out of the store, a soft toy under his arms for his son.
For the moment, the shelves are full.
She first wants to find the spirit of the end of the year holidays that was so missed last year.
“
We haven't done the Christmas shopping yet.
But if we start to see that toys are missing, we will hurry to buy everything
”.
Never seen
A red T-shirt, like all sellers, Bruno checks the condition of the shelves. He's been working here for several years, he's never seen that. For him, Brexit and the lack of truck drivers reduce the company's capacities. “
We expect shortages. We are making reservations. But customers are encouraged to shop now for Christmas, he
says.
It mainly affects toys that come from Europe, like this Steiff teddy bear that comes from Germany. We don't have many more. Paw Patrol is in high demand too. He might run out.
"
With 170 stores, The Entertainer is the UK's largest toy seller. Her boss Gary Grant warns that there may not be enough Barbies for all the kids this year. On Skynews, he tries to reassure: “
There is no shortage of toys at the moment, but we must warn you: do not wait until the last minute to buy Christmas toys. If you go to a toy store in December, there will be plenty of toys, but not all of the toys we should have around this time.
"
Shortages more linked to Covid according to a professor at Bayes Business School, which will eventually be absorbed.
Too many requests compared to the supply, explains ManMohan Sodhi.
“
There is not enough manpower to unload ships, drive trucks to retail stores and containers are also stuck in ports, resulting in delays in deliveries.
"
Christmas decorations are already dressing a few streets in the capital.
Parties without Barbie, perhaps, but with the family this time, exclaim a brother and a sister at Hamleys.
A year ago, health restrictions separated them.
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