5 Questions with Dan Kaye

The man who makes sure your local toy shop has the good stuff, and plenty of it.

1. Kayes has been doing this since 1985. What's the secret to four decades in the toy business?

Knowing your place in the chain, and owning it completely. We exist to solve a very specific problem: the big brands have minimum order quantities that would sink a small independent retailer before they'd even opened the box. We break those barriers down, literally and commercially, so the little shops can stock the best names without betting the house on it.

2. You're the exclusive independent sector distribution partner for brands like Orchard Toys. How does an exclusive relationship like that actually work in practice?

It means independent retailers come to us, full stop. If you run a toy shop and you want Orchard Toys on your shelves, we're the ones who make that happen. That kind of partnership takes years to build, and it's what sets our catalogue apart from anyone just shifting stock.

3. Mattel, Ravensburger, Schleich, Brio, Tomy, the brand list reads like a toy shop's dream. How do you decide what to carry?

We go where the demand is, and we stay ahead of the characters kids are actually obsessed with. Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Bluey, Thomas — these aren't trends we chase, they're constants we commit to. The catalogue has to earn its place on every buyer's desk.

4. You serve independent retailers across the whole of the UK. What do those shops need from a distributor that the big trade wholesalers simply can't give them?

Flexibility, above everything else. A seaside gift shop in Northumberland needs beach goods in manageable quantities, not a pallet-load that arrives in February. We break bulk so they can buy smart, stock confidently and actually turn a profit on pocket money lines.

5. If an independent retailer has never ordered from Kayes before, where do they start?

Download the catalogue from kayes.co.uk and have a proper look at what we carry, it's extensive. Then ring the sales hotline or drop us an email. We're based in Cardiff but we supply shops the length and breadth of the country, so wherever you are, we're already working with shops near you.