TORONTO — In a nook of Toronto's Union Station, one of the country's most beloved toy shops is working to send customers a message: "We're open and we're here to stay."
It was just a year ago that Mastermind Toys filed for creditor protection on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Black Friday. The 40-year-old retailer known for educational toys blamed the move on increasing competition, COVID-19 disruptions and a deteriorating economy that had customers tightening their belts.
The brand closed 18 of its then-66 stores before Unity Acquisitions, a private equity firm co-owned by Club Monaco co-founder and Joe Fresh visionary Joe Mimran, swooped in to rescue Mastermind in January.
While much of the time since has been dedicated to giving the brand a fresh look and changing what fills store shelves, vice-president of operations Marcello Piane admits ensuring Canadians know the retailer still exists has also been a priority.
"There's still so many customers that come in and are like, 'I thought you guys closed,'" he said in an interview.
"We've come up with a wish book for the holidays and another book for our 40th birthday and even my neighbours that got a copy were like, 'Oh my gosh, you guys are still open.'"
The Union Station store he's standing in is step one in addressing those reactions. The 688 square-foot space is a pop-up that will be gone shortly after Christmas, but it will be seen by 300,000 daily commuters traversing the bustling transit hub during Mastermind's busiest season.
The first thing they'll notice is the new, contemporary look. The brand's signature circles still speckle Mastermind stores but now they're paired with more muted, modern tones.
Then, there are the changes to merchandise.
The science experiment kits, puzzles and craft sets that founders and brothers Jon and Andy Levy built Mastermind on remain, but there are new additions like Tokidoki collectible figures, psychedelic-looking NeeDoh squeeze toys and Crazy Aaron's putty, slime-like toys that are fluffy, fruity or filled with sprinkles.
Henrietta Poon, Mastermind's head of marketing, points to the putty sitting on a table labelled "trending."
"Our young audience doesn't just get one. They collect across the board (because) they aren't happy with two cans," she said, adding it taps into the realm of products kids encounter online and then put on wish lists.
Steps away are tables devoted to Coco Village — a Quebec-based maker of wooden lemonade sets, dollhouse pieces and doctor kits — and Melissa & Doug, the biggest name in wooden toys and a brand bought by Toronto toy giant Spin Master earlier in the year.
Mastermind's previous owner, Birch Hill Equity Partners Management Inc., stopped selling Melissa & Doug. Piane and Poon aren't sure why.
"When the team joined at Unity, they were like, 'This is what (kids) are asking for. Let's get it' and they brought Melissa & Doug back into the store," Poon said.
While kids of all ages play with toys from the brand, Mastermind sees Melissa & Doug, along with Coco Village, as a way to draw in infants and preschoolers.
"Mastermind Toys in itself does a really good job with ages six to eight. That is our sweet spot with kids," Poon said. "But when we think about development through all the kids ages, baby and preschool is so essential, which is why we've turned our attention there."
One of the signs of this focus came earlier this year, when Mastermind started selling baby and toddler clothing from Mimran's brand Rise Little Earthling, but this holiday season, it will add apparel made with Ms. Rachel, the YouTube sensation whose products are topping most-wanted lists.
The focus on the youngest customers is smart, said Lisa Hutcheson, a retail strategist with J.C. Williams Group. Parents buying for the youngest of children tend to be the most excited about making purchases in-person and might get drawn into the brand only to realize how handy it will be and keep it in mind as their kid grows.
"As the kids get a little bit older, they're migrating to being able to shop online and ... then all of a sudden there's a lot more competition," Hutcheson said, naming stores from Walmart and Amazon to grocery stores as Mastermind rivals.
Mastermind is also trying to lure in "kidults" — adults with kid-like interests such as Lego, puzzles, collectibles, model cars and Squishmallow plushies.
Under Unity, which also owns fashion brands Kit + Ace and Casca Footwear, Mastermind has expanded its events from make-and-take Lego sessions for kids.
Now, there are ticketed evenings marketed for date night or gatherings among friends. Attendees race to be the fastest puzzle assembler or put together intricate flower arrangements or Formula 1 car Lego sets, while enjoying mocktails and food.
Each event has sold out, Poon said.
Hutcheson thinks adult events are "an interesting tactic" but said ensuring everyone knows about them must be challenging for Mastermind.
"If you don't have children, you wouldn't follow them on social media or anything like that," she said.
The events, however, accomplish something Grant Packard said should be a goal for Mastermind: getting customers into stores beyond Christmas time.
"You need to get folks in there the other three quarters of the year and make it a regular destination for birthday parties," said the associate professor of marketing at York University, who has advised Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and Indigo Books & Music Inc.
"So something like, for example, a gift registry for kids for birthday parties would be a business builder."
But before Mastermind can think about such ideas, it has to deal with the immediate holiday season's challenges.
First, Vancouver and Montreal port strikes threatened the flow of merchandise to retailers. Then, job action at Canada Post halted mail deliveries.
Mastermind was able to get its wish book out before mail delivery stopped but has now had to rely on alternative carriers to deliver orders that started rushing in as soon as Black Friday neared.
Amid the frenzy, the federal government decided to waive for two months the GST charged on some junk food, diapers, books and most importantly for Mastermind, toys.
Preparing for when the tax relief kicks in on Dec. 14 didn't take much, but Piane admits the season so far has been something to behold.
"Our seatbelts are buckled," he said. "We have both hands on the wheel because ... it's going to be pretty chaotic in our stores. In a good way."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024.
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
