The bookworm in the toy store

By Sibylle Dorndorf

Our bookworm’s name is Klaus Müller – part of Franconia’s Schweiger toy dynasty and the owner of the long-standing Nuremberg store founded almost 130 years ago that he runs with his wife, Marion. He is the fourth generation of his family to lead the business. That sounds like a success story, but Müller admits it hasn’t always been plain sailing. 

He took over his first store when he was only in his mid-twenties. From the very outset, he forged his own path at Spielwaren Virnich in Nuremberg city centre. While Adam Müller, his father, specialised in model railways and accessories, Klaus focused on toys, games and trending products at Virnich. When the major crisis in the model railway segment took hold, he was on safe ground with this range. And remains so to this day – thanks to his entrepreneurial vision and his wife Marion’s knack for uncovering new brands that are still relatively unknown and exquisitely beautiful, sustainable products. Hidden champions with the power to surprise and delight customers are a regular find at Spielwaren Schweiger. 

The pull of books 

When it comes to the book side of the business, Klaus Müller himself has always been the driving force. Still to this day, the self-confessed avid reader devours every book that is added to the range. Removing the book section that had already been a staple of the Spielwaren Virnich range in the eighties was a decision he made with a heavy heart in the nineties. Competition in the city had become too intense due to the presence of big players such as Thalia, Hugendubel and Buchhaus Campe (subsequently acquired by Thalia). He had no choice but to rethink his range. 

When Spielwaren Schweiger moved to Eslarner Strasse on the outskirts of the city in 2003, the Müllers began to think about having a book section again. The impetus to act came from a prominent Nuremberg insurance company that wanted to gift its customers books for Christmas. The publisher wouldn’t supply the insurance company directly, so they turned to Klaus and Marion Müller for assistance. 

At the time, Spielwaren Schweiger did offer a few books such as “Die 3 ???” from Kosmos and “Was Ist Was” from Tessloff – both must-haves in the toy trade. It also carried the popular “Das magische Baumhaus” (Magic Tree House) children’s series from publisher Loewe. 

However, the major order from the insurance company truly rekindled the Müllers’ old passion for books. Arena and Carlsen were added to their roster of established publishers, followed sometime later by a genre with appeal for adults also: crossover literature. 

Reading is a year-round pastime

“We grew the section relatively quickly, adding to it bit by bit, because it proved such a hit in this location”, recalls Klaus Müller. “There was great demand for books. Over time we expanded even further into school supplies, stationery and backpacks. Toys remained our core offering, but we began to try new things with complementary ranges.” The Müllers’ willingness to take risks paid off, and books are now a popular year-round seller for them. “The great thing about books is that they sell in every season. You have your holiday reads in the summer, in the autumn people want to curl up at home with a good book and then there are the beautiful Christmas books in Advent that get us in the mood for the festivities”, says Marion Müller. The right book displays also make it hard for customers to resist: “If you showcase books in themed sections together with complementary games or plush toys, customers will linger and pick up a book even though they hadn’t planned on buying one.” According to Marion, special books and beautiful multi-volume series such as “Die Duftapotheke” (The Fragrance Pharmacy) by Anna Ruhe also generate interest. “We’re already preparing for when the fourth instalment of ‘Die Schule der magischen Tiere’ (The School of Magical Animals) hits the cinemas. But even without the additional hype generated by the films, the books in this successful series by Margit Auer from the publisher Carlsen get snapped up almost as quickly as we put them on display.” 

Good advice sells

Spielwaren Schweiger is also the place to come to for advice – from knowledgeable, trained staff, many of whom have been with the business for years. The book section, too, is looked after by a full-time staff member. Just like in a bookshop, recommended reads are displayed on book tables and customers can get guidance on the right holiday titles for them. The team regularly brainstorm and come up with ideas for imaginative, multi-category displays – the secret to ensuring a winning combination of books and toys and a dialogue between both segments. Spielwaren Schweiger approaches this in different ways depending on the specific situation, such as pairing the book with the game for “Die 3 ???” from Kosmos or the plush figure with the book for Paw Patrol or Bobo Siebenschläfer. Disney and Harry Potter books – surrounded by related licensed products – tend to fly off the shelves. 

The renaissance of classic children’s books

Classics, which Klaus Müller says are currently experiencing a renaissance, also like to be “in good company”. It’s not just self-confessed kidults who are eagerly snapping up their favourite books from their childhood along with Pumuckl or Pippi Longstocking figures. Readers new to these well-established titles are also interested in them. “Seacrow Island”, a bestseller from Astrid Lindgren first released in the sixties, is in big demand. “The novel ‘Emil und die Detektive’ (Emil and the Detectives) from Erich Kästner is selling almost like a new release at the moment”, says Klaus Müller. “It’s the same story for all Enid Blyton books. And Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a real hit with a cult following.” 

Back to children. What are little ones interested in, or the big folk who buy for them? 

“Definitely beautiful picture books, and people are prepared to spend that bit more on them too. Read-aloud books for spending quality time as a family and also early reader books are in demand, because parents simply want to help their children thrive”, says Marion Müller. And she adds, “Everything with a sound element sells like hot cakes anyway. Children just like it when a book communicates with them, in whatever way.”

Is a noticeable shift back towards books underway? “I wouldn’t go quite that far at this time, it depends to some degree on the home environment”, says Marion Müller. “But even parents who aren’t particularly into books seem happy to pick one up as an alternative to children’s daily screen time.” 

Full marks for the school range

When parents and children start gearing up for the new school year, it’s all systems go at Eslarner Strasse. The shop carries school bags and backpacks from ten different manufacturers and has 1,500 bags on stock. Customers would have to go a long way to find a better offering or advice. And anyone who buys a backpack for a child starting school for the first time tends to pick up a few additional bits and bobs for them as well: “When school is about to start, people come in for educational books, but also for activity books and puzzle pads to put in the school cone instead of sweets. As their children get older, they then want workbooks from Hauschka and the like. These are the typical gifts from parents and grandparents that children also really enjoy receiving because they’re so ingeniously designed”, says Klaus Müller. Full marks for this successful product mix!

You can never have too many books 

As well as perfectly complementing each other in how they divide up the work in their business, Klaus and Marion Müller also pull together when it comes to expanding and integrating new areas. Sometimes they even surprise themselves with their willingness to experiment. Before they knew it, the book section they had reintegrated a few years earlier now covered 50 square metres and had become a reliable sales driver. Today, they are working on doubling that to 100 square metres. Renovations are underway. “Our regular staff and customers are used to this by now”, laughs Marion Müller. “We always have something going on.” She is also the creative mind behind the look of the store. “The new book section will be designed like a book zone or a kind of shop-in-shop. This will demonstrate the competence that we’ve built up over the years. We spotlight new releases near the tills. There’s also a themed table there with the latest bestsellers – at the moment we’ve got ‘Erebos 3’, the new novel from Ursula Poznanski. But not for long – we’re constantly replenishing.” 

What goes, stays and is added

Surely the shop can’t keep growing? “No, it can’t”, smiles Klaus Müller. “As a retail entrepreneur, you have to constantly assess your range and decide what goes, stays and is added. For us at the moment, that means removing sports offerings and cars as well as bulky items.” So it’s farewell to slides, swings, tractors and trampolines? “Yes. We do have ample parking directly in front of the store, but people now purchase these items online. It’s too awkward for customers to transport them. They order them at the click of a button and get them delivered to their home for free. We’ve been watching for some time to see if this segment would pick up again, but there’s been a permanent shift in the shopper journey here. So this has not been a difficult decision for us to make. These items take up a lot of space and simply don’t sell fast enough.” 

Exploring the market for new finds 

Where do the Müllers learn about interesting new releases or small publishers that may not be on everyone’s radar? And where do they order the books for their store? Klaus Müller: “We generally buy directly from the publishers. This allows us to put together our own individual book offering. And we’re lucky that we often get suggestions from our regular book customers.” 

Of course, the Frankfurt Book Fair is a huge source of inspiration as well, so that takes them to Frankfurt. From 15 to 19 October this year, the Buchmesse will be the place to be for booksellers and retailers who dare to think outside the box – like Klaus and Marion Müller. 

About the author 

Sibylle Dorndorf has been covering the toy industry for almost 30 years. Most recently, the journalist was editor-in-chief of the TOYS family of magazines at publisher Göller Verlag in Baden-Baden, Germany. Her passion: companies that reinvent themselves, brands that credibly position themselves, people who have something to say and products with a future.