Sarah Jordan, CEO of Mastermind Toys, discusses the expansion of private label offerings, books, and more in this extended edition of The Toy Book’s 2023 State of the Industry Q&A roundtable. Want more insight from the all-stars of the toy industry? Click here to explore this year’s lineup!
The Toy Book: Last year, Mastermind Toys launched its namesake private-label brand. How will it expand in 2023?
Sarah Jordan: Mastermind Toys’ namesake brand is a culmination of almost 40 years of experience as a leader in play, curation, and customer-obsessed, specialty experiences. Our lineup of toys, puzzles, and games reflects the purpose the company has been built on: to inspire generations of lifelong learners through the power of play. We are passionate about designing great toys that are deeply rooted in child development, with quality and play value at the forefront of the process.
We’ve integrated our private brand into Mastermind Toys’ key programs and signature events — from our PERKS free birthday gift offering to our Play to Give community impact initiatives. The positive response from customers has been encouraging, with Made by Mastermind Toys making up almost half of our best-selling units from our Holiday Play Guide and some of our highest-reviewed and top-rated products online. Our private brand will continue to play a critical role in our guides; environmental, social, and governance journey; and signature programs, as we double our assortment in 2023.
TB: What were some of the big wins for Mastermind Toys last year? What stood out as big hits?
SJ: As a beloved specialty toy retailer that’s known as the educational toy store, we saw families gravitate toward the tried-and-true brands that are quintessential at Mastermind Toys, like Magna-Tiles, Snap Circuits, and GraviTrax.
TB: Mastermind Books debuted last fall as a new sub-brand in your stores. How are books complementing your toy assortment?
SJ: Books have always played a major role in our assortment as one of our best-performing categories historically. We declared our commitment to growing this key category by introducing Mastermind Books in 2022 and we’re excited to dedicate more spaces in our stores, play guides, and online hubs to helping our customer build baby’s first library.
An important pillar of our book assortment is our Diversity and Inclusion collection, with authors and stories by and about equity-deserving communities. For every book purchased from this collection, we donate a portion of the proceeds to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives at BGC Canada (formerly the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada). We’re proud to offer this collection that gives back to communities across the country, while serving as resources for parents and educators to engage kids in conversations about diversity and inclusion.
A version of this Q&A was originally published in the 2023 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
