Bermuda Parent Bermuda Parent Winter 2013 | Page 33

which I’m happy to report we have in stock for this Christmas season.” Napier said while there are trendy items, classic toys such as Barbies and Die Cast cars remain popular every year along with scooters and ride on toys. Asked about shopping in a recession, Napier said: “It depends on how you look at it. Some people are still spending, totally not affected by the recession and others are more conscience of their spending habits. “It just takes planning as to where and what you may splurge on. There will be deals and steals at the Annex this season, making it an exciting time to shop, Napier said. Asked for advice she would give parents, Napier said: “Think about your child’s needs and wants. We have some of the hottest to the most classic toys for every price point.” are now more concerned with value for money than they were in the past. In previous years parents would have to have whatever was on TV. Now, they appear to be far more discerning and aware of the importance of play value. People are willing to spend their avail- able funds on arts and crafts, educa- tional items and games continue to be a strong category for us.” As far as deals go, Richardson said People’s Pharmacy is in its 30th year of business so there where be a lot of deals and promotions available by liking the company’s Facebook page. Asked what advice she would give parents, Richardson said to start early. “I can’t tell you how many years we have had to scramble to get a ‘must have’ item into the store, often at a greater cost, for a customer who waited until the last minute. We do our first round of Christmas shopping in Early September and try to have our goods on the floor by mid-October. This gives us a very small window to reorder any item that we deem a hot-seller, of course we risk that our suppliers will be out of stock the closer we get to Christmas. We un- derstand completely the need to budget and offer lay-away for the Christmas season. We suggest that parents email us at [email protected] if they have any questions about specific items on their child’s wish list.” Over at the annex, Napier went over the biggest toy trends for this year. “For boys and girls in the ages from infant to young toddler it’s all about educational fun toys to help develop their motor skills. From toddler to tween years we’re seeing that toys are now reflecting society’s recognition of equality. For example Lego Friends for girls and other tool and building toys in colors like pink and purple. The same goes for boys. We’re see- ing cooking sets and the like in primary colors instead of just pink. I think it’s quite refreshing.” She continued: “Tech is a huge toy trend once again this year in attracting kids of all ages. With playing games that will connect to your smart phone to Leapfrog and V Tech continuing to ride this wave as well with their new tablets IMAGE provided by Annex Toys www.bermudaparentmagazine.com 31