Impressions from the Toy Fair Nuremberg

Why personal encounters matter more than new products

Our visit to the Nuremberg Toy Fair had a clear focus this year. The personal exchange with two of our existing manufacturers was at the centre.

This was a deliberate decision. Not because there were no new suppliers or products, but because something else was more important to us. Nurturing relationships, getting to know each other better, and looking ahead together. Speaking face to face, sharing experiences, and openly discussing possible paths creates a depth that is hardly reached digitally.

Especially when it comes to offering our customers the best possible service, manufacturers rely on honest feedback and transparency. This dialogue works much better in direct conversation. Insights and advantages arise that are hardly gained when you are just an email address.

In a time when processes are increasingly digitalised, it became clear to us once again that the interpersonal does not lose importance. On the contrary, it becomes more important. Technology connects systems, trust connects people.

Deliberately no focus on new suppliers

This year, we only exchanged with new partners very selectively. In the party supplies sector, we already work with suppliers whose quality and reliability we are convinced of. The situation is even clearer in the fireworks sector.

Many international manufacturers cannot meet the requirements of the Swiss market. This is rarely due to the product itself, but to the framework conditions. Storage capacities must be sufficiently large, regulatory requirements must be understood and complied with, and experience with permits, logistics, and safety regulations is absolutely necessary. If one of these elements is missing, an import realistically falls away.

All the more exciting was to see what exists internationally and how differently fireworks and pyrotechnics are conceived, presented, and positioned.

Time for the tour and new perspectives

This year, we deliberately took time to experience the fair as a whole. We spent about seven to eight hours moving through halls, themed worlds, and concepts.

It was striking that many of the large manufacturers appeared very shielded. Stands with entry control, sometimes only by appointment, without insight from outside. This shows how strategically and selectively certain market participants position themselves and how competitive some areas have become.

At the same time, there was an incredible amount to discover. Thoughtful products, clever mechanisms, strong designs, and above all, palpable dedication. It is always impressive to see what ideas people come up with and with what commitment they implement them.

There was much that we would have liked to buy or sell ourselves purely from a feeling. But here a central question arises. Where lies the sensible connection.

Why should a fireworks shop sell classic toys? Where does sensible cross-selling begin and where does it end as a risk of being stuck with products that do not fit one’s own identity?

Strategically, there are certainly approaches for this. In practice, however, it takes courage, good timing, and above all a very clear understanding of one’s own customers. Not everything that is good also fits one’s own path.

What remains

We do not take a single novelty from Nuremberg, but something more valuable. Strengthened relationships, honest talks, new viewpoints, and confirmed decisions.

And the good feeling that personal exchange is still the best soil for quality today.

Or in other words. Progress arises not only through new products but through better talks.