Mastermind Toys Announces First-Ever Loyalty Program, Expansion Plans, and Debut of Small Market Stores
Canada's Largest Specialty Toy Retailer Enhances Omni-Channel Experience
TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's largest specialty toy and children's books retailer today launched its first-ever customer loyalty program: Mastermind Toys Perks. Rolled out from coast to coast, the program is available at all 63 store locations and at mastermindtoys.com. The Perks program is a key component in the company's continued push to invest in new, customer-focused initiatives designed to elevate the shopping experience across channels.
MASTERMIND TOYS PERKS
The retailer's extensive research showed that 94 per cent of customers surveyed indicated a strong desire for a loyalty program. Communicating directly with its customers, Mastermind Toys identified the most valued benefits and ultimately teamed with Bond Brand Loyalty to create a program that recognizes and rewards loyal shoppers with exclusive and meaningful perks.
Today's loyalty landscape is a massive, noisy, and saturated space; with consumers enrolled in multiple programs. Mastermind Toys' customers said they wanted simplicity in a loyalty program and that is exactly what they are getting. Everything about the Perks program is simple: it's free and easy to join, with no points to track or card to carry, and the benefits are impressive. Members enjoy free gift-wrapping and loot-bag assembly in stores; they receive sneak previews and early alerts about new and tough-to-get items; they get access to members-only promotions and events; plus they get customized offers and personalized toy recommendations. Perks members will also receive surprise gifts and rewards throughout the year to mark milestones like birthdays and holidays.
"As the competitive Canadian retail landscape continues to transform at an extraordinary pace, finding new ways to connect with our customers is our top priority," said Jon Levy, CEO, Co-Founder, and Chief Merchant, Mastermind Toys. "Our customers asked us for a loyalty program and it's been in development for more than two years. We've carefully considered every facet in order to interact with our loyal customers in a more personal and relevant way. It's also our way of saying thank you, we recognize and truly value your ongoing business," added Mr. Levy.
RESERVE ONLINE, COLLECT IN-STORE
This past summer, Mastermind Toys also launched a new service that merges their online and bricks-and-mortar channels in the name of customer convenience. Shoppers on the Mastermind Toys website can reserve items to be picked up at their preferred store location. Within an hour of receiving the request, store staff set aside the selected items for the customer. This time-saving service was at the top of customers' wish-lists and the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. To date, 93 per cent of users said they were "satisfied/very satisfied" with the service, with the same percentage saying they are "likely/very likely" to use the service again.
"This service is so convenient and just makes sense for so many shoppers: customers that want a specific, special toy; that want to quickly come into a store, pay, get it gift-wrapped and roll out. For customers that prefer to pay cash, don't have time for shipping, or just need to handle an item before they commit, this is the ideal," said Humphrey Kadaner, President and COO, Mastermind Toys.
EXPANSION PLANS AND SMALL MARKET STORES
By mid-November, the company will have opened six new Mastermind Toys stores in 2018: in St. Albert (Edmonton), AB; Saskatoon, SK; Hamilton, ON; St. John's, NL; Sydney, NS; and Owen Sound, ON. With this round of expansion, the retailer will have 1,175 employees in 65 stores in eight provinces.
Coming off a solid third-quarter of very healthy double digit sales growth, and heading into the busiest shopping period of the year, Mastermind Toys is well-positioned to move ahead with ambitious expansion plans for 2019 and beyond. The company plans to open at least 30 additional stores across Canada over the next three years, with the potential to more than double their store count within the coming six years; 12 of those new store openings are planned for 2019.
As part of these expansion plans, the company has identified an opportunity to open stores in approximately 25 smaller markets. The first of these openings will take place this Fall in Sydney, NS, and in Owen Sound, ON, to be followed in the early part of 2019 with store openings in Prince George, BC and Medicine Hat, AB. Additional smaller market store locations will be announced at a later date.
"We believe there's a tremendous opportunity for Mastermind Toys to expand into smaller, untapped markets, providing consumers with convenient access to the quality, educational toys we offer," said Mr. Kadaner. "We look forward to introducing customers in these communities to our fun and engaging specialty toy shopping experience."
Founded by brothers Andy and Jon Levy, Mastermind Toys has offered shoppers a classic toy store experience for more than 30 years. Both in-store and online at mastermindtoys.com, Mastermind Toys boasts an expertly curated selection of more than 10,000 of the best specialty toys, games and books, including first-to-market and exclusive items at a variety of price points. Mastermind Toys' buying team travel the world to find inspiring, engaging and unusual merchandise: lifelike Hansa plush animals, fashion-forward Our Generation dolls, the Moonlite Storytime Projector, Bruder and Siku vehicles, Magformers building toys, and Creativity for Kids craft kits, as well as such top global brands as LEGO®, Melissa & Doug®, Hape®, Ravensburger®, PLAYMOBIL® and Meccano.
SOCIAL:
Facebook: Facebook.com/MastermindToys
Twitter: @MastermindToys #MastermindToys
YouTube: YouTube.com/MastermindToys
Instagram: instagram.com/mastermindtoys
ABOUT MASTERMIND TOYS
Brothers Andy and Jon Levy started Mastermind Toys in 1984. Their dream: to create a classic toy-store experience. Celebrating its 34th year in operation, Mastermind Toys is Canada's largest specialty toy and children's books retailer with 63 locations in Southern, Southwestern and Eastern Ontario; Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, and Lethbridge, Alberta; Langley, Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Tsawwassen and Victoria, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan; Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton, New Brunswick; Dartmouth and Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; and online at mastermindtoys.com.
SOURCE Mastermind Toys
Beth Merrick, ZAZOU Communications, (416) 654-9881, [email protected], @zazoupr
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