Kiwi toys a quick click away

Julie Landry is exporting a bit of Kiwi childhood from her inner-city Auckland apartment this Christmas.

Her online business, The Great New Zealand Toy Store, specialises in selling homegrown toys.

The Kiwiana collection includes Milly Molly dolls, giant Moa "hobby horses", New Zealand Monopoly, All Black toddler outfits and New Zealand craft kits.

Also on offer are rimu push carts, cast aluminium Fun Ho! trucks, the kits4kids Tree House, Buzzy Bees, Mary Lou Dolls and children's books.

All the toys are designed or made in New Zealand.

With about 65 per cent of all orders generated overseas, Landry said the business seemed to be striking a chord with expats who wanted to pass on nostalgic childhood items.

The company's biggest export markets are the UK and US, followed by Australia.

The strong New Zealand sales connection has seen her focus a large part of the marketing on Kiwi expatriate websites and newsletters.

Canadian-born Landry, who moved here seven years ago, said she brought a fresh perspective to the toys.

Although she did not grow up with them, she is fascinated by their history.

Landry has a background in public relations and bought the business in May, reflecting the new priorities that came when her son, Max, who turned one this week, was born.

"I was looking for a new challenge and something that would accommodate my family," she said.

The store seemed a good fit as, with a young family, "I was going to be immersed in the children's market".

Previous owner Joanne Law, who started the business in 1998, spent a lot of time with Landry during the handover and still keeps in contact.

Landry, who wanted to know the business inside out, has since been busy doing everything from processing about 70 weekly orders, wrapping and posting off the toys, and dealing with suppliers.

Her husband, Kevin, an investment banker, does the books.

Despite the open-all-hours nature of online businesses, Landry said the job had given her a lot of flexibility.

She fits the work around her family, often getting up early to pack the parcels for the courier and works on the computer at night.

The internet allowed her to run the business during a recent trip back home to Canada.

The Christmas season is requiring her to work every hour possible, following on from the company's busiest November to date.

It can be hard to let it escape her thoughts. "It gets addictive."

Landry's not happy with the status quo and plans to keep driving the business forward.

She recently seized the chance to buy the toys.co.nz website address when it came available and said that this had opened up a lot of opportunities. "I believe we now have the best URL [for toys], so it's a matter of what we can do with it."