Showcase, however, is all about listening to consumers and only giving them what they want. He explained that Brookstone and Sharper Image were not interested in what people wanted so much as creating new and different products with which to surprise them. I asked Samir why the difference in outcomes. The difference is that Brookstone and Sharper Image are gone or almost gone while Showcase has thrived. The store concept, size, and locations sound like Brookstone and Sharper Image. The 1500 square foot stores are mall-based and carry approximately 500 toy SKUs. Today the company has 109 Canadian locations and 10 US locations. He told me the company has been around since 1994, providing consumers with only the hottest and newest products. I wanted to learn more, so I spoke with Showcase C.E.O. toy industry and America’s consumers, both children, and adults. Showcase’s toy vendors and licensor partners include Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, KellyToy, Zuru, Pokemon, Just Toys, Spinmaster, Jazwares, MGA, and more. locations this summer, primarily in the Northeast and Great Lakes areas. That retailer is Showcase, opening 27 U.S.

market and taking advantage of those toy deserts that have existed since the demise of Toys R Us. Samir holds an MBA from Yale University and lives near Toronto.įinally, a retailer is entering the U.S. Samir also serves on the Board of Directors of the Retail Council of Canada. Magazine as “the man who turned trend hunting into retail gold”, Samir appears regularly in the media to discuss Showcase, its products, and the trend retailing industry – ranging from CBC to CTV, Global News, Retail Insider, Voice of Retail podcast, and more. Showcase’s unique model has been recognized by Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies 20, YPO Top 10 Global Innovators, and the ERA’s Omnichannel Retail Excellence Award in 2022. Showcase’s combination of i) proprietary trend identification technology, ii) nimble supply chain, and iii) interactive store environment has propelled it to retail leadership of the greatest emerging trends in health, beauty, home, and toys over 25 years. Samir Kulkarni is CEO and owner of Showcase, a national retailer and “Home of the Hottest Trends” with 119 stores in top malls across Canada and the USA.

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