Toy dealers from Hanover complain about delivery bottlenecks
The wish for Christmas should be written especially early this year. The reason: Hanover’s toy retailers complain of delivery bottlenecks for many goods. “I advise all parents and other donors to start shopping for their children as early as possible so that there are no disappointments at the party,” says Karin Schindler-Abbes, General Manager of the Hanover Trade Association. Especially with toys that contain electronics, but also with plastic items and wooden toys, there is a risk that they may not lie under the Christmas tree as desired.
Local problems, global causes
The problems that are noticeable among heavy retailers, but also in online trading, have global causes. Many toys are made in Asia, explains Schindler-Abbes. There are still production bottlenecks there due to the pandemic; In addition, goods jams in the overseas freight ports delayed deliveries as a result of Corona. “Computer chips, for example, are currently missing in the entire industry – and also in toy production.” At the same time, the trend towards electronically controlled toys is increasing. The spectrum ranges from the classic car racetrack to dolls that respond to speech to the Playstation.
Problems with dolls and wooden toys
Daniela Schwenger from the toy store “Fridolin’s” on Lister Meile doesn’t know how to meet the demand for “Tonieboxen”. “They’re the big hit with us,” says the expert about the mini recorders that play radio plays or music when you place a pawn on them. There have been no more supplies for two months. The few remaining copies that Schwenger hats still on the shelves were nowhere near enough for the Christmas business. Deliveries of dolls were also delayed. “Otherwise they’ll be there in a week, now it takes up to six weeks.” Wooden toys are also not available as usual. “And I can’t tell customers when that WILL change again.”
Lego can only deliver to a limited extent
Games are not available as usual
Volker Schäfer from also creates “massive problems” with the deliveries To create “Idea + Play” in the Calenberg Esplanade. In the shop, which specializes in board and card games as well as puzzles, the shelves are well stocked. But not all of the games customers want can be delivered in the usual time. The new game “Witchstone”, which was extremely successful at the Essen game fair in October, for example, cannot be delivered until March 2022, according to the manufacturer. “That is absolutely unusual,” explains Schäfer. If the top games at the fair would have been produced specifically for the Christmas business. Here, too, he suspects problems with the supply chains in the Far East.
By Juliane Kaune