Toymaster
Toymaster is a UK-based mutual buying group founded in 1989, serving 250+ independent bricks & mortar toy retailers across the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar, and Malta via its TIMS invoicing platform and centralized supplier negotiations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersNorthampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Toymaster does
Toymaster is a UK-based mutual buying group founded in 1989 that supports more than 250 independent toy retailers across the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar, and Malta. The organization operates as a non-profit wholly owned by its members, with each new member becoming a shareholder by definition. Its core platform is the Toymaster Information Management System (TIMS), a secure online portal that consolidates invoicing, credits, and payments from approximately 190 suppliers into a single monthly transaction for each member, providing 24/7 access to transactional information and monthly cash flow reports. Supporting services include the annual Christmas Catalogue, customizable digital flyers, window features and POS materials, a Member forum, regional meetings, and the May Show trade event (the largest independent toy and hobby trade show in the UK and Ireland). Revenue is generated through membership fees of £2,500 per annum plus 1.5% of the previous year's purchases invoiced through the group, billed monthly with an early payment discount available. The central office in Northampton employs 16 staff and the business is led by Managing Director Yogi Parmar. The organization explicitly excludes internet-only retailers from membership, focusing exclusively on bricks & mortar independent toy shops.
Toymaster firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Toymaster
- Legal name
- Toymaster Ltd
- Website
- https://toymaster.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Toymaster is a UK-based mutual buying group founded in 1989, serving 250+ independent bricks & mortar toy retailers across the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar, and Malta via its TIMS invoicing platform and centralized supplier negotiations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Toymaster industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Toy Retail Buying Group Services
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423920)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Toy Stores (CRALAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Traditional Toys Distribution (CRAOAMAA)
Keywords
Where Toymaster is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Toymaster business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to independent toy retailers who join the buying group. Fee structure includes a base annual fee plus a percentage of previous year's purchases invoiced through the group.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Membership - £2,500 per annum plus 1.5% of previous year's purchases |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Toymaster product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Toymaster operates a buying group for independent bricks-and-mortar toy retailers in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar, and Malta. Members pay an annual fee plus a percentage of purchases to access collective buying power across approximately 190 suppliers, centralized invoice processing via the TIMS online portal, shared marketing assets, and trade events such as the May Show.
Product overview
Toymaster is a buying group for independent toy retailers offering a unified platform of services. The core product is the Toymaster Information Management System (TIMS), a secure online portal that centralises invoice processing, credits, and payments between suppliers and Members. Supporting the TIMS platform are marketing products including the annual Christmas Catalogue, customisable digital flyers, and Window Features/POS materials that help Members promote leading toy brands. The company also organises trade events including the May Show (the largest independent toy trade show in the UK and Ireland) and Regional Meetings. Additional services include the Product Hub for supplier information and a Media Centre for promotional assets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TIMS (Toymaster Information Management System): Secure online portal that processes invoices and credits from Suppliers, provides access to transactional information 24/7, central invoicing with one single monthly payment to Toymaster, and Toymaster pays all Suppliers on the Member's behalf.
Products and services
- Toymaster Information Management System (TIMS) Secure online portal that processes invoices and credits from Suppliers, provides 24/7 access to transactional information, handles central invoicing with one single monthly payment to Toymaster, and Toymaster pays all Suppliers on the Member's behalf.
- Membership Buying Group Services Core membership offering for independent toy retailers, providing collective buying power across approximately 190 suppliers, year-end rebates for group turnover targets, and centralized trading terms negotiation.
- May Show Trade Event Annual trade show with over 100 suppliers exhibiting, the biggest trade show in the UK and Ireland for independent toy and hobby retailers.
- Christmas Catalogue Annual Christmas catalogue distributed to members, serving as a marketing tool that places Toymaster store names and contact details into local communities.
- Customisable Digital Flyers Customisable digital flyers members can use to highlight promotions and new product launches in their individual stores.
- Product Hub Central digital location for supplier order forms, catalogues, and product information updates for Members.
- Media Centre Digital assets library providing Members with promotional materials to support social media and other marketing activities.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 250 independently owned toy shops benefit from Toymaster services
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Toymaster
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Toymaster technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Toymaster partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- IETP (International Electronic Toy Corporation) Ethical Toy ProgramcoreAs a member of the British Toy and Hobby Association, Toymaster requires its suppliers to use factories that are audited under the IETP Ethical Toy Program process or a similar scheme with the same or better standards. This partnership supports Toymaster's commitment to ethical supply chain practices and modern slavery prevention.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Toymaster competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SPAR International: Global symbol/buying group operating convenience and grocery affiliates worldwide. Comparable in model (voluntary retail affiliation with centralized purchasing and marketing) though serving food retail rather than toys.
- Bestway Wholesale: Large UK wholesale and symbol group operator (including Best-one and Costcutter post-acquisition). Comparable as a broader incumbent that operates the buying-group/symbol-group model at significantly larger scale across multiple retail verticals.
Direct peers
- The Toy Network: UK buying group for independent toy retailers, operating a similar aggregated purchasing and marketing model for indie toy shops. Most directly comparable peer given overlap in geography, member profile, and value proposition.
- Nisa Retail: UK buying group and wholesale distributor for independent convenience retailers. Highly analogous in structure - aggregated buying, central invoicing, marketing services for indie retailers - making it a strong cross-vertical model peer.
- Costcutter Supermarkets Group: UK symbol group / buying group for independent grocery retailers. Directly comparable in business model (member-owned, fee-based, aggregated purchasing, marketing support) though serving a different retail vertical.
Emerging players
- Flair Leisure Products: UK toy distributor and licensor representing major brands. Comparable as a peer because, like Character Options and other Toymaster suppliers, it competes for the same indie-retail shelf space and channel relationships that Toymaster mediates.
- Character Options: UK toy distributor and brand owner that is both a Toymaster supplier and a peer in toy distribution. Comparable because it sits on the supplier side of the same channel Toymaster aggregates, and shares exposure to indie-retail dynamics.
- HTI (Hornby Hobbies): UK-based toy and hobby product company (Hornby, Airfix, Scalextric). Comparable as a supplier-side peer whose products are stocked through Toymaster member stores and who depends on the same indie-retail channel.
Others
- British Toy & Hobby Association: UK industry association for the toy and hobby sector of which Toymaster is itself a member. Comparable as a peer because it represents the broader ecosystem and sets ethical sourcing standards (including IETP) that shape Toymaster's supplier requirements.
- The Entertainer (Toy Shop): UK national toy retail chain that competes with Toymaster member stores for end consumers. Comparable as a competitor in the same customer segment (UK toy shoppers) and a counterpoint to the indie-retail model Toymaster represents.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Toymaster social profiles
Digital presenceToymaster financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Toymaster leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Toymaster funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Toymaster M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Toymaster
What does Toymaster do?
Toymaster operates a buying group for independent bricks-and-mortar toy retailers in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar, and Malta. Members pay an annual fee plus a percentage of purchases to access collective buying power across approximately 190 suppliers, centralized invoice processing via the TIMS online portal, shared marketing assets, and trade events such as the May Show.
Is Toymaster a public or private company?
Toymaster is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Toymaster founded?
Toymaster was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Toymaster based?
Toymaster is headquartered in Northampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Toymaster make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Fees.
Who are Toymaster's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SPAR International and Bestway Wholesale. Direct peers are The Toy Network, Nisa Retail and Costcutter Supermarkets Group. Emerging players are Flair Leisure Products, Character Options and HTI (Hornby Hobbies). Others are British Toy & Hobby Association and The Entertainer (Toy Shop).
Does Toymaster have an API?
No public API is recorded for Toymaster.
What industry is Toymaster in?
Toymaster's product category is Toy Retail Buying Group Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAFAA, Traditional Toy Stores, with a secondary code of CRAOAMAA, Traditional Toys Distribution. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.