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Children's Day: there was little advance purchase and toy stores ask to be open all weekend

2020-08-14T10:34:31.570Z


Due to the quarantine, in the City, these places can only attend from Monday to Friday. Traders say that if there is no exception, they will lose two key sales days to their survival.


Martin Grosz

08/13/2020 - 16:37

  • Clarín.com
  • Society

Corridors crowded with parents, uncles and grandparents, hand in hand with boys who shout "I love" at them. Vendors running through the crowd. Employees wrapping packages at full speed. That used to be seen in all Buenos Aires toy stores in the days leading up to Children's Day. But this year, in the midst of the economic crisis and the coronavirus quarantine, the image is very different.

What does appear are some lines -for now not very long- in the sidewalks of customers waiting to enter,  without  possible child company , to places that in many cases can only receive 2, 3 or 4 people at a time. Businesses with owners who are concerned not only because they have sold little, but because they will soon  have to close , just when everything begins to gain some pace.

It happens that these premises, as well as other "non-essential" ones, in this isolation phase are only allowed to operate from Monday to Friday, from 11am to 9pm , with no more than one client every 15 m2 and only admitting those who are have DNIs ending in an odd or even number. On weekends, not even that.

The result is that on Children's Day itself and on the eve, two days of high demand for typical rush purchases, toy stores could not serve. For this reason, a desperate request from merchants to the Buenos Aires government for an exception to be admitted has gained strength in the last hours .

"We have been requesting that, until Children's Day, they let us attend with extended hours and also on the weekend, since 70% of purchases are always made in the final four days. And lose two of those key days sales  would be a hard blow for us, in addition to generating long lines this Friday unnecessarily, "said Darío Mermelstein, president of the Argentine Association of Toy and Related Companies (AADEJA).

Among the stars of this season are board games. Photo Fernando of the Order

"The sector depends on the sales of the Children's Day, which, together with Christmas, generate a substantial part of the annual turnover. For this reason, the non-opening will probably trigger definitive closures of premises ", warned, for its part, the Argentine Chamber of Comercio (CAC), in a letter sent Monday to the Buenos Aires head of government, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, in which he demanded "the opening of all Buenos Aires toy stores" at least until Sunday .

Anticipating this situation, the sector had initiated a campaign for people to advance the purchase. But, according to Mermelstein, " those who anticipated were few ." Even with a strong advance in online demand, until the middle of this week, billing had not  even reached 15% of what was expected , according to the data it handles.

"We come this year with a 70% drop in sales . What we are asking is not to earn money, but to mitigate the drop somewhat and be able to shoot until Christmas. More than 20% of the toy stores have already closed permanently, and now we are concerned about the rest. We need understanding and common sense , "said the businessman, owner of the Carrousel chain.

The traders argue that they respect hygiene measures and that, since there are not many toy stores together, the requested exception would not cause crowds. They also say that it would avoid an unfair advantage for super and hypermarkets, which could sell toys all weekend.

But, as of Thursday night, they still had no answers. Buenos Aires government sources say that the request was heard, but that the issue is still being evaluated and that only this Friday will they make a determination, although in principle the authorizations for the weekend have recreational outings as a priority.

Jump in prices and many fees

According to toy makers, this year people are spending between $ 500 and $ 600 per product on average , on purchases that usually include two units. And with prices that have made very noticeable jumps.

The Argentine Chamber of the Toy Industry estimated that manufacturers increased their prices by 20% so far this year and by 40% since last Children's Day . The consumer, however, may find major differences in the gondolas. The basket of 21 toys surveyed by the NGO Consumidores Libres this time had an average increase of 46.8% year-on-year in toy stores and supermarkets in the City.

Notices and promotions, last Saturday in a toy store on Av. De Mayo and 9 Julio. Photo Fernando of the Order

Faced with this, what is being observed in local and virtual stores is a marked effort by families to take advantage of card promotions , and also a greater propensity to pay in various installments.

For domestic toys and board games, this time buyers can request 3, 6, 12 and 18 payments of the official Now 12 plan , which in many cases are offered "without interest" (and in others, with a subsidized rate). But the main banks also launched proposals for Children's Day that combine discounts of 30% and fees without surcharge (from 3 to 12) in toy stores.

A prize for endurance

Funding has become key for many families who, after exhausting months of quarantine and deprivation, want to take the opportunity to reward the youngest with a more expensive gift than usual.

"Many have asked for 6 or 12 installments, others have preferred to use a significant discount from their bank on 3 interest-free payments. People take advantage of all possible promotions, discounts and installments to be able to make an important gift, somehow offsetting everything that They have not spent this year on other things , such as parties and outings, " Laura Weisvein, director of the Giro Didáctico and Compañía de Juguetes chains , told Clarín .

When choosing, according to Weisvein, the star gifts of this Quarantined Children's Day have been all those that the boys have been using in recreational outings: walkers, tricycles, skateboards, monoclets, skateboards and skates , among others. And also all kinds  of board games for family entertainment.

Instead, according to Mermelstein, classic options such as radio-controlled cars, dolls with mechanisms, gas stations, costumes and trucks have had "very low sales." He attributed it to the fact that their purchase is usually decided on the premises, in contact with them, and so far the businesses have been very little walked on.

Promos that are still valid

Many of the banking promotions for Children's Day, especially those aimed at online shopping, were scheduled for last week or the beginning of the current one. But some are still in force and can be used, online or locally, in the stretch that remains until Sunday.

Some of them can be used with cards of:

City Bank . Until this Thursday, 30% discount and 3 installments without interest in some 140 participating toy stores and their digital stores. In addition, 6 installments without surcharge on its Tienda Ciudad platform.

Nation Bank . Until Saturday, 30% savings in one payment or 15% discount in 12 installments without interest, in participating toy stores.

Province Bank . Until Saturday, 30% discount and 3 installments without interest in participating toy stores, without a refund limit. 

Santander Bank . Until this Thursday, 30% discount and 3 installments without interest in City Kids, Cachavacha, Planeta BB, Grisino, Broer and others.

Macro Bank . Until this Saturday, 20% savings and up to 3 installments without interest in affiliated businesses such as toy stores and shopping malls in the interior of the country.

Galicia Bank . Until this Friday, 20% discount and 3 installments without interest, without a refund limit, in selected toy stores in the interior of the country. In addition, 30% savings in PlayStation Store with MasterCard cards from that entity.

Itaú Bank . Every day 35% and 3 interest-free installments at selected bike shops. In addition, through Rappi, 30% in toys on Saturday and 35% in restaurants attached to that app.

HSBC Bank . Until Sunday, 25% discount and 3 interest-free installments in Educando, City Kids, Kinderland, Planeta BB, Osito Azul and other adhered brands, with no refund limit.

Carrefour card . It offers 6 installments without interest. In addition, in stores of that chain, until Monday, there is a 70% discount on the second unit for all toy products. 

MG

Source: clarin

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