Wael Sinno, a child's soul

Toys are his passion as well as his career. He still remembers his Playmobils and locomotives he would spend hours assembling. He opens up about his career and the strategic orientation of his brand. For Wael Sinno, the toy is a matter to be taken seriously. Interview.

Let's go back to when it all began; what's the history of JouéClub?

JouéClub was born in France in the 50s. It's the product of a co-op of toy stores that are eager to combine their forces and make joint purchases in order to reduce costs but mostly to deal with the labels that monopolized the market. The brand now has 310 stores in France and 47 abroad: Morocco, Belgium, Lebanon, Italy, and we are pleased to announce the opening of JouéClub in Qatar through our network.

What's the importance of the Lebanese market for JouéClub?

Lebanon has always had a special relationship with France and our cultures are easily intertwined. We were somehow anchored in their culture before even opening our first branch in Lebanon. For the first time, the toy market is transparent, with fixed and highly competitive prices, a dedicated team and an all-youth executive. Lebanese people are informed consumers who know what they want and sometimes know the product even before it's available on our shelves and we are very aware of it.

What are your future projects?

We will soon offer an entire space for children's birthdays. The concept already exists of course, but we noticed that health issues are not taken seriously and most of these places experience a boom and then lose popularity in a matter of years. What we are going to propose is a more suitable version of the requirements of Lebanese parents who are concerned about the well-being of their children. Furthermore, we have expansion plans in Africa and particularly a surprise in Lebanon which I prefer to keep secret for now, but you'll know before the end of the year. Stayed tuned!

For the rest of the interview, consult our September 2016 issue.