PLAY METER 64 FEBRUARY 2012

terms of small, medium, and largeitems, plus the unusual such as licensedMonopoly games, battery-operatedtoys, crazy hats, hand puppets, youname it.

Play Meter spoke with Mike Lynch,Vice President of Sureshot Redemp-tion, to find out more about the compa-ny’s products, services, and staff, andtoday’s market demands.

Sureshot has been serving theamusement industry for 15 years.

meets marketdemands

Building lasting relationships withcustomers is a core precept at The

Foland Group, the parent company ofSureshot Redemption.

The Ontario, Calif.-based companyhas four divisions: Charm Company(rocking and ride-on toys), DennisFoland Inc. (souvenir and custom logomerchandise), Prize Proz (prize incen-tive programs for fundraising), andSureshot (serving the redemption mer-chandise industry).

Sureshot came on the scene in1997 to answer the demand for quali-ty prize merchandise as more enter-tainment venues began to offer a largerpercentage of redemption games thatgave players tangible rewards for theiraccomplishments.

Any stop at the Sureshot booth at atrade show reveals the vast array ofmerchandise available, from birthdayparty items to remote control cars. Thecompany can supply all the basics in

COVERSTORY

Quality items, exceptional service, and knowledgeablestaff are hallmarks of this merchandise supply company.

The Sureshot Redemption team,front row, (l-r): Aaron Graves,Bryn Netz, and Dennis Sidler;

middle row, (l-r): Mile Lynch,Rorie Keller, Sondra Doyle,

Meg Bonnichsen, andHasha Zangana; back

row, (l-r): Jim Waldsmith,Jennifer Young, and

Richard Mays.

How has the market changed sincethen, and how has Sureshot adjust-ed to new market demands?

The market for redemption prizeshas constantly been evolving, particu-larly as there is an increase in redemp-tion games in family entertainmentcenters (FECs) . Along with thisgrowth of redemption games comes anincrease of sophisticated playersdemanding bigger and better redemp-tion prizes.

These players have become savers,demanding more sophisticated andpricier prizes. The staple redemptionitems are still necessary—and the bestsel lers—with an ever- increasingdemand for variety.

What are some of your mostpopular “standard” items in stockand what are some of the mostpopular “new” items?

Staple items have remained the

same for many years: yo-yo’s, erasers,finger puppets, pencil toppers, fingertraps, and of course, any kind of boun-cy ball. We always offer new styles ofthese staple items each year.

Other popular items include PVCanimals such as a whale, dinosaurs,and snakes; Marvel and Princessbanks; and five-inch knobby balls. OurGID Blaster is probably one of ourhottest items, and the jumbo pumprocket. Another popular item is the BigBite Gummy Bear. New are the float-ing shark and clown fish, which will bea hit, and new Monopoly games.

Sureshot displayed a variety ofthemed Monopoly games at therecent IAAPA Expo 2011. How arecustomers responding to theseunique games? What are the latestones?

Sureshot Redemption is the exclu-sive distributor of Monopoly games byUSAopoly to the amusement industry.

Our customers absolutely lovethe themed Monopoly boardgames and their guests lovethem, too. Some of the mostpopular versions include Hello

Kitty, The Beatles, Family Guy, Ninten-do, and The Nightmare Before Christ-mas. New for this year is Metallica.

Approximately how many itemsare featured in your new 2012 cat-alog? While it’s not possible toname them all, what are some ofthe newest items?

The Foland Group has over 6,500items in stock. Over 2,500 items willbe featured in the 2012 catalog. Weare very excited about our new mer-chandise for 2012. We will continuewith our popular USAopoly line oflicensed games.

In addition, we will carry popular2012 movie licenses including TheAmazing Spider-Man, The Avengers,Battleship, Madagascar, Ice Age, andThe Dark Knight Rises (Batmanmovie), to name a few. We will contin-ue to carry the most popular licensesincluding Disney, DreamWorks, andWarner Brothers.

Are you seeing an increase innew FECs or the remodeling ofexisting ones? How important is theredemption center to their opera-tion?

The new FECs seem to be the largebox type with multiple venues, includ-ing bowling, restaurants, and bars withupscale lounge areas. We have hadgood fortune in finding new customersthat are building from the ground up.

Many existing FECs that offer a fullrange of entertainment options includ-ing redemption, dining, soft modularplay areas, miniature golf, bumperboats, and go-karts are remodeling and

Licensed Monopolygames include Hello

Kitty, Family Guy, andThe Beatles.

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Colorful newFiesta plush.

PLAY METER 66 FEBRUARY 2012

adding additional attractions. The goalis to offer something for everyone inthe family to get them to stay longer.

Our extensive network of well-sea-soned sales representatives help ourexisting customers with re-merchandis-ing their redemption display on a regu-lar basis to keep them fresh and prof-itable. A well-run redemption counteris vital to an FEC’s success. It’s a prizecenter and also a profit center. Wehave seen FECs open with moreredemption games than video games.

What’s your best advice to cus-tomers looking to stock theirredemption center? What range ofprize merchandise should they con-sider?

Keep an even balance between girlsand boys. The type of merchandisedepends on the targeted market. Con-sider a heavy concentration on smallto medium prizes and a good selectionof high-end merchandise that yourcustomers will want to save up for.

Light-up products such as disco lightsand glitter lamps are great to flash onthe redemption wall.

What tips do you offer for howto display prizes at redemptioncounters?

Prizes must be seen in order to bewon, so don’t be shy about displayingredemption prizes. Your redemptioncenter should be full of good prizesand have adequate lighting to attractyour customers. It should be main-tained and restocked to always lookfull and inviting to your guests.

Display proper signage from yourgame room directing your customerswhere to go to redeem their tickets.The selection of prizes should regular-ly be updated with new or differentredemption items. The more popularitems you offer your guests, the morethey will come back and play.

We l ike to use the acronymN.I.C.E.®:

N Neat and organizedI Informative (ticket values on

everything)C Consistent and cleanE Enthusiastic employees

What are the advantages ofusing your Electronic Packing List(EPL)?

EPLs are a great tool when usedcorrectly to accurately track merchan-dise usage and monitor inventory. Wehave also gone one step further withseveral customers in regard to receiv-ing Digital Purchase Orders. The EPLalso sets the standard ticket value forthe location, to help the employeescheck in and display the products.

What led to building a newshowroom and a new distribution

COVERSTORY

A wall of prizes in the new showroom.

Customers can have a field day in thenew showroom.

PLAY METER 67 FEBRUARY 2012

center, and how are they benefi-cial?

Our facility is over 250,000 squarefeet with the showroom being 3,500square feet. We outgrew our old show-room, which led us to the decision tomove it to a larger area to accommo-date our current inventory. Just like ina retail store, our customers like tocome in and see, touch, and feel all ofour new items as well as to take noteof how items are packed.

How much of your merchandiseis made especially for retail andhow much for games/cranes/redemption centers?

We have a fairly good and evenlydistributed mix of redemption andretail items. Fifty percent of our mer-chandise is redemption items and theother 50 percent is retail items. Manyof our retail items make great redemp-tion prizes.

How big is the sales force today?Our current sales force is com-

prised of 15 sales representatives withextensive redemption experience. Thisincludes in-house sales as well as those

out in the field. Having sales represen-tatives located across the country ben-efits us in assisting our customers byresponding to their needs quickly andefficiently.

Are customers who visit yourbooth at trade shows looking forcertain types of items these days?Are they more price-conscious ormore quality-conscious?

Quality has become more impor-tant as customers want to give theirguests more value for their money. Intoday’s economy, the public is lookingfor value for their dollar.

At trade shows, customers usuallywant to see what’s new. It is also justlike a miniature version of our show-room so we are able to point out tipsand techniques for displaying mer-chandise.

At the Amusement Expo, ourfavorite show, we get to showcase ournew products from our new annualcatalog. We strive to give our cus-tomers a balance of both savings andvalue along with quality merchandise.

Customers are also looking to us for

new ideas and advice to help theirfacility grow. They want to knowwhat’s working for other redemptioncenters.

What are some of the greateststrengths of Sureshot?

Sureshot is the pioneer in providingcomplete merchandise service includ-ing store planning, assortment plan-ning, setup, and re-merchandising tothe amusement business. The FolandGroup has offered in-store setup andmerchandising since 1979. Our goal isto help our customers improve theirbusiness. In short, we will do whatevernecessary to help our customers suc-ceed.

In addition, we offer inventorymanagement programs and we arecompliant with all POS systems as wellas EDI. Our in-house art departmentcan develop a complete logo programwith our customer’s existing artwork,or we can help create a logo to meettheir requirements.

How is Sureshot helping cus-tomers in today’s difficult econo-my?

In today’s economy, we know thateveryone is price-conscious as well asquality-conscious. We offer promotionsto our customers on great qualityproducts.

One of our current and popularpromotions is our Top 10 WeeklyDeals. Customers receive weekly e-mails of new deals of the week. TheTop 10 Weekly Deals can be accessedthrough our eOrder site. If an FEC isnot a current customer, they can setup an account and instantly accessthese great deals.

At Sureshot Redemption we prideourselves on our commitment to turnaround customer’s orders within 24hours. Sureshot will continue to pro-vide the best quality assortment at thebest price with exceptional service.

For more information, cal l(888)887-8738; e-mail (sales@sureshot-redemption.com); Web(www.sureshot-redemption.com). ▲

Inside the expansive warehouse.