BMS Brands began its journey as a modest wholesaler in Australia, specializing in the sale of promotional and remainder books as well as toys. However, the company experienced a significant transformation over time, shifting its focus towards the development and distribution of various product lines, including toys, crafts, stationery, science kits, and puzzles.
This strategic shift was driven by BMS Brands’ commitment to meeting the evolving needs and preferences of its customers. With the unwavering support of our valued retailers, BMS Brands expanded its operations and now serves customers worldwide. To facilitate this global reach, the company has established office locations in Australia, the United Kingdom, China and recently in the US.
BMS Brands is dedicated to creating high-quality products that are not only affordable but also bring joy and educational value to children across the globe. The company strives to strike a balance between entertainment and learning, recognizing the importance of providing engaging and enriching experiences for young minds.
Our primary objective is to provide children with the means to engage actively with the world around them through the power of creative play. We firmly believe that play is an essential aspect of childhood development. It is through play that children develop their imagination, problem-solving skills, and social interactions. Our goal is to design and produce high-quality products that captivate children’s interests and inspire them to create, build, and play. By offering a wide range of engaging and innovative products, we aim to fuel their imagination and empower their natural curiosity.
Central to our mission is the development of product brands that not only entertain but also foster creative thinking. We want children to view the world as a place of limitless potential and endless opportunities. Through our carefully curated selection of toys, crafts, stationery, science kits, and puzzles, we aim to stimulate their minds, encourage experimentation, and promote out-of-the-box thinking.
Stuart Smith launched BMS Brands in 2009 with an initial commitment to books. Fast forward to today, David Smith and Josh Bonello have a vision to build a company that is innovative and progressive and one that they are proud of. Their first strategic entry in to the toy market was with a brand called ‘Construct it’ and so began a journey which continues to evolve and grow today.
David manages the product development and Josh is the face of sales. It has turned out to be a solid combination. Understanding the market and the consumer has been key to their growth. A focus on research and data analysis has enabled them to source and develop product that is connecting with the market.
Passion and commitment have seen them build business relationships with retailers such as City Beach, Bunnings and Office Works and there are others in the works.
As we approach the 2025 Australian Toy and Licensing show we sat down with both David and Josh to seek an update on their business and plans for the coming year.
Feature Interview
Questions to David:
David, we know you spend allot of time looking at sales data and trends etc. How has this helped your business to date?
Spending time analysing sales data and trends has been a game-changer for our business. It allows us to better understand customer behaviour, identify top-performing products, and spot opportunities for growth. By staying on top of trends, we’ve been able to adapt quickly, optimize inventory, and fine-tune our marketing strategies. It’s all about making data-driven decisions to stay ahead and deliver what our customers want!”
We see that you have stepped things up and moved into a new warehouse facility. What was your motivation for this?
Moving into a new warehouse facility was a strategic decision driven by growth and efficiency. As our business expanded, we needed more space to streamline operations, manage inventory effectively, and improve order fulfilment times. Our motivation was to ensure we could meet increasing demand while maintaining the high level of service our customers expect. This move positions us for even greater scalability and smoother operations as we continue to grow!
It’s clear that quality and presentation are important to you. The connection between product and packaging is key. What is the BMS process to achieve excellence?
Quality and presentation are absolutely core to everything we do. Ensuring that each product aligns perfectly with its brand identity is a crucial part of our process. Every one of our brands has a distinct personality, and we go above and beyond to tailor both our product offerings and marketing strategies to match. For example, Magic Sensory is all about early learning, creativity, and developmental play, so we focus on creating high-quality products that are both engaging and educational for young minds. On the other hand, Kazaang is our high-energy, action-packed brand for older kids, featuring products like our AquaZ Electric Water Guns, designed to deliver excitement and fun with every use.
Our commitment to quality extends to every detail, including packaging and presentation. We believe the unboxing experience is just as important as the product itself, so we meticulously design our packaging to reflect the value and thought behind each item. By maintaining this focus on quality and presentation, we’re able to create an emotional connection with our customers, ensuring that every interaction with our products and brands leaves a lasting impression.
Success is often driven by a combination of passion and determination. You don’t need to be the biggest to make an impression. What’s your take on this?
Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more! Success isn’t about being the biggest; it’s about having a clear vision, passion for what you do, and the determination to see it through. At BMS Brands, we’ve always believed that making an impact comes down to understanding our customers, staying true to our values, and delivering quality that speaks for itself. It’s the small, intentional details—whether in product design, packaging, or customer service—that leave a lasting impression. For us, it’s about creating something meaningful and memorable rather than just chasing scale. With passion and determination driving us, we focus on innovation, staying connected to our audience, and continuously improving—because when you pour your heart into your work, people notice.
Product development is an important component of a products path to market. We believe this is your passion. How do you see the manufacturing process? Is it something that you must learn to make it work for you?
Product development is a huge passion of ours—it’s where creativity meets strategy to bring ideas to life. The manufacturing process is a critical part of this journey, and we see it as more than just production; it’s about collaboration, problem-solving, and learning at every step. To make it work for us, we’ve embraced the idea that understanding the manufacturing process is essential. It’s not just about knowing how products are made but about building strong relationships with our manufacturers, understanding the nuances of materials, and ensuring that quality standards are consistently met.
We view manufacturing as an opportunity to innovate, whether it’s finding more efficient production methods, using sustainable materials, or refining details to elevate the final product. The more we learn and engage in the process, the more it works for us—and ultimately for our customers. It’s this hands-on approach that ensures we can create products that are not only high-quality but also align perfectly with our vision and values.
BMS Brands has already won a couple of consumer-based awards – Kids Choice and from K Zone. This must give you a solid boost to stick to your processes.
Winning awards like Kids Choice and the K Zone Award is an incredible Honor for us at BMS Brands and a testament to the hard work and passion we pour into our products. It’s not just a boost—it’s validation that our commitment to quality, innovation, and understanding our audience is making a real impact.
These awards motivate us to stick to the processes that got us here, from meticulous product development and thoughtful branding to ensuring a fantastic customer experience. They’re also a reminder to keep pushing forward, refining our approach, and delivering products that resonate with kids and families. It’s moments like these that reaffirm our belief in staying true to our vision while continuing to grow and evolve.
Questions to Josh:
BMS Brands have successfully built the foundations for a strong business. From a professional salesperson’s standpoint, what are your most important principles in this space?
I have always followed a basic philosophy in sales, build your relationships, and the sales will come. People in sales almost always overlook this because they have a pre-conceived idea, or a set of targets they are trying to achieve. Of course, we all want to grow our business and increase our revenue through sales, but it doesn’t come by forcing more products down a buyer’s throat, it comes from engaging with the buyer, understanding their business first, what their objectives are, who they are essentially. From there you can curate your offering. Only when you have built trust in your customer can your present products on the fly for their consideration.
As one of the smaller players, BMS has had great success forging new partnerships with non-traditional toy retailers, what’s your secret?
There is no secret, Tony. Our success in these areas has come down to simplifying how we operate. For many years some of these non-traditional retailers were on our radar because we saw the value in the sheer size of their footprint as retailers. Our thought was “just a fraction of this market will do”. So, through a lot of collaboration with these retailers, we have been able to trade with them because we have listened to them and understood their needs in these areas.
As we make our way into 2025 what are your key priorities for growth?
The key priority which I have been vocal about in our meetings this year has been “grow or die”. We have had a good 2024 calendar year; in fact, we have exceeded our initial target which we have been so excited about. So, the priority this year, is to continue to simplify where we want the growth to come from – we will be more focused on the key growth areas of 2024, and we are paying more attention to our retail partners that have only just embarked on our journey with our key brands Kazaang, and Magic Sensory.
We see that you will be exhibiting at the New York TF once again this year. What are your key priorities for this show?
We are still in our infancy in the US, so the Toy Fair agenda is more of a team building exercise as well as a heavy focus on prospecting. I haven’t set any expectations for our US team other than to build their list of prospects and for me personally to get to know all our sales team better and of course, get to know the retailers better.
How do you see the LA previews in April and September evolving over the next couple of years?
I have observed an increase in the number of ex-pats who attend both previews in Los Angeles over the past two years. I have also seen an increase in the number of Australian retailers and vendors attend Hong Kong fair in January too. I think the evolution of this will be, other than, the significance of people visiting to understand the latest trends in the toy industry, but also from vendors who want a presence in the US like what we have embarked on with our dear friends at Connetix and the Toys Down Under group. The LA previews have proven to be a great meeting place for Australian vendors and retailers alike. I think this will continue to become more prevalent as the years progress.
What will be the dominant trends in toys for the coming year?
From our perspective, we have a few aces up our sleeves for 2025, which pretty much all our key retail partners have been incredibly supportive of. I would LOVE to share more but I must keep these gems close to my heart until the products are on the shelves! From an overall industry perspective and particularly in Australia, value offering will be the biggest trend. We have seen this become one of the key factors of the industry in 2024, retailers need to provide value to the consumer and that largely comes from price. So as vendors, we believe that price will be a dominant trend for 2024. From a product perspective, I have seen growth in the infant and preschool category which was later confirmed when I read the November 2024 Circana report.
One other point to note is that the success of the Barbie movie drove the sales for Barbie dolls through the roof for key retailers in Australia, but according to the November 2024 Circana report, the Barbie asset has since seen a decline in sales. So, I think based off this data, the next dominant trend will likely come off the back of a movie or television show release that is coupled with licenced merchandise. Of course, our strategy is more aligned with long term growth rather than just finding the next big win so seeing the infant and preschool space continue to grow will be what dominates from our perspective.
What are BMS’s key goals for the Melbourne Toy Fair in March?
Our goal this year is to have the best year yet. We have been so fortunate with our success over the last two years with the toy fair. I think a lot of this has been based on our growing relationships with retailers in Australia. We have a lot of new concepts we are bringing to Melbourne this year, which we are looking forward to showcasing at the fair. Of course we would be absolutely delighted with another award! Other than that, we are simply looking forward another great year at Toy Fair with continued support from our retail partners and peers.
This article originally appeared in Edition 14 of The Toy Universe Magazine
