Ingo Kretzschmar, CEO of the book retailer Thalia, is planning a significant expansion into the toy industry. According to Kretzschmar, Thalia sees potential for approximately 150 toy stores in this sector. This expansion could contribute around 18 percent to Thalia’s overall revenue, representing a sales potential of nearly 400 million euros.
Thalia has already taken over 40 toy stores, most of which currently operate under the names Krömer and Toysino. Kretzschmar stated that, in the medium term, all these locations will be branded under “Spielzeit”. He noted that the children’s department store Mukk in Münster is an exception, as it maintains a very established brand identity. The Thalia boss said that the company is currently investigating whether other cities could support such a large-scale children’s department store, estimating that while it wouldn’t be implemented in a hundred locations, ten to fifteen might be feasible.
Kretzschmar described the initial experiences in this new field as positive. He reported that the initial test locations have achieved significantly higher sales figures than previously expected. To achieve this growth, Thalia has also increased its staffing levels and emphasized consulting and expert advice. According to the CEO, achieving success in this market requires making preliminary investments, stressing that “people want to be advised, want to try things out, and want to exchange ideas-especially when it comes to toys”.