From Buffalo Rising: https://www.buffalorising.com/2020/04/let-the-buffalo-games-begin/
What would you say if I told you that the largest jigsaw puzzle manufacturer in North America was located right here in Buffalo? Buffalo Games currently makes 500 different jigsaw puzzles and 75 other types of party games. To demonstrate just how big the company is, over the last five years, the jigsaw puzzle industry has grown by 25%. According to the company’s president, Nagendra Raina, retail sales at Buffalo Games account for 80% of that market growth.
I caught up with Raina, to see how the COVID-19 virus was impacting Buffalo Games, and what he had to say was both enlightening and sobering. At this point in time, the company has transitioned its paper jigsaw manufacturing to Asia, because the local production operation in temporarily shuttered. I asked Raina how he was able to shift manufacturing so quickly to Asia, to keep inventory flowing, and he said that they normally outsource their plastic and wooden game manufacturing overseas, so it made perfect sense until everything is once again operational back in Buffalo.
Although Raina had a backup plan, he says that the transition has still been painful, and that the company has been dealing with major challenges due to production headaches, which has led to some empty warehouse shelves.
Interestingly, the problem has been solely on the manufacturing side, not the sales side. In fact, sales of these types of puzzle games is very strong, and Raina has witnessed competitors vying for shelf space during the pandemic. This new competition is coming from game manufacturers in other states that are still operating “business as usual” during the crisis, says Raina.
