Circus Tricks - Blackpool Trade Your Way to the USA

CBBC is again on the hunt to find Britain's best young traders.

We've scoured the country to find

the next generation of budding entrepreneurs.

They need to know how to buy, how to sell and how to close that deal.

Everything must go!

From more than 1,500 applicants,

just 14 teams have made it to the heats.

Now the battle begins in Trade Your Way To The USA.

They'll each be given £75 cash and a tough trading challenge.

-They must decide what to buy...

-Which trick draws the biggest crowd?

-This one.

-..negotiate the lowest price...

What would you say at 20p a nose?

I'd say absolutely no.

..and then sell, sell, sell!

-Come on, boys.

-£2! £2 for these!

Roll up! SHRIEKING

-The team that makes the most money wins the challenge...

-60, 70... £70.

..and a place on our all-important leaderboard.

Only the top four teams go through to the semifinals,

and only one of them will be crowned

Britain's best young traders... in Trade Your Way To The USA.

Please buy!

Trade Your Way To The USA is back and is tougher than ever.

Today, some of Britain's best young traders will be tested to the max.

Let's meet the two teams who dared take our challenge.

It's Bargain Buckets versus the Three Riskateers.

Three Riskateers from Bristol are all best friends.

James, Ethan and Dylan already have a wealth of trading experience,

raising a tasty amount of money for charity.

We raised over £500 at a BBQ selling burgers and sausages at £3 a time.

Now, THAT is a meaty profit.

Drummer Dylan is the team's creative manager.

When it comes to competition, I definitely won't get beaten.

Top cricketer Ethan means business on and off the field.

In sport, you have to be confident, determined

and an excellent team player. I have all of these attributes

and because of that, we have every chance to win.

And last but not least, it's team leader James.

Nothing will stand in my way. If I mean business, I mean business!

ALL: We are the Three Riskateers, cos no matter how big the risk,

we'll always be top of the list.

THEY GIGGLE

We're the Bargain Buckets and we're going to trade our way to the USA!

Whoo!

-This girl group of Nell...

-Hello!

-..Ffion...

-Anyone there?

-..and Bethany...

-Hello!

-..come from Mid Wales

and already run their own selling sideline.

This card cost us 3p to buy, and with a bit of glitter and glue,

it turned into this card, which will be sold for 30p,

which is 1,000% profit. That's not bad, eh?

ALL: Voila!

Team negotiator Bethany packs a big punch.

I won't stop fighting till I've given knockout blows

-in the competition.

-Nell has the creative brains.

We are going to win.

Finally, it's team leader Ffion.

It'll be checkmate and victory for Bargain Buckets.

ALL: We're the Bargain Buckets, and we're the Welsh wizards,

and we're going to trade our way to the USA. Whoo!

It's Three Riskateers versus Bargain Buckets, but only one can win,

and that's the team that makes the most money,

and only they stand a chance of trading their way to the USA.

Today's trading titans have arrived in Blackpool.

They've no idea what the challenge will be,

but they know they need to win

if they want to be in with a chance of competing in our USA grand final.

Welcome to Blackpool.

Tomorrow, the spectacular all-singing,

all-dancing Shazam circus festival will kick off.

25,000 people will spend tens of thousands of pounds

in the next few days.

Your challenge is to sell to them a selection of circus novelties -

juggling balls, spinning plates, clown noses, face paints.

You'll get to choose which products to buy,

negotiate the lowest prices and then sell, sell, sell.

Remember, the team that makes the most money wins the challenge.

Here are your trading funds.

The Three Riskateers, Bargain Buckets,

I've given you each £75 to trade with. Are you ready?

-ALL: Yeah!

-Let's buy.

The teams have £75 to buy their circus goods.

What they choose will be vital to their victory.

The competition is on.

The first rule of buying is to really understand the product

that you're selling. I've brought you to Butterfingers,

which is the largest circus wholesaler in the country.

Now, in my business experience,

I've learned that learning a new skill is invaluable,

and my top tip to you is this -

don't be scared to have a go at something new.

Really get stuck in.

Demonstrating your products will be key. So, here are your books.

Remember to ask the right questions,

because that will help you to identify which products to sell

and hopefully win the task.

-Are you ready?

-ALL: Yes!

No clowning around - let's go!

Stef Metcalfe's family has run this business for almost 30 years,

so from balancing peacock feathers to spinning diabolos,

she knows the tricks of the trade.

The teams have just 15 minutes to learn all they can from her

about turning circus stash into serious cash,

so every question counts.

What's your best seller?

Spinning plates, and diabolos are a really popular item.

That's a fantastic opening question. What's your best seller?

You can't get better than that.

If you could pick three items to sell, what would you choose?

I would take, again, spinning plates...probably clown noses.

The one thing I would definitely take with me is the diabolo,

which is our best seller.

I'm always going on about asking the right questions,

and Bethany has demonstrated that.

She's been very specific - what are your top three selling products?

From that, she should now know which products to buy.

-How much are the noses?

-50p... 60p, sorry.

-And how much do you sell those for?

-About £1.50.

James is focused on price, and he's asking

the difference between a wholesale price and a retail price.

That means he's working out the profit margins. Savvy!

-What are the prices of peacock feathers?

-50p.

OK, teams, your time is up. No more questions.

Stef, thank you very much for your help.

Now it's time for you to choose which products to buy. Follow me.

Right, chaps, what are we going to buy?

I think we should do a bundle - one pair of sticks, one diabolo

and a book about diabolos.

If we're selling diabolos, we need sticks.

This challenge requires expertise and precision,

and if I were choosing the products,

I'd only choose the ones I was confident in demonstrating.

OK, Bargain Buckets, you've got lots of products to choose from.

What are your ideas so far?

-To get some sticks...

-And diabolos.

-So, Bethany, can you show me how to use a diabolo?

-Sure.

You're an expert, are you? Ooh, look at that!

Ooh, look at that! I'm really impressed, Bethany.

-Did you know she could do this?

-No.

-That's a skill, isn't it?

Fantastic!

What is your core strategy for buying these products?

-Charm.

-Charm?

So, you're going to wink at her and say, "Give us a discount,"

and that will work, will it?

The boys have also decided on diabolos,

but they're planning to sell them as beginner kits

-with the sticks and books.

-It's a starter set.

If someone starts and just have a diabolo and stick, they think,

"I can't really do it."

But if you include a book, you could get more for the price.

Clever. The starter sets are a great potential money-maker.

Who's going to be doing a lot of the talking in this negotiation?

-That'll be James and Ethan.

-James and Ethan. Feeling confident?

-Very.

-Yes.

I'll see you in the negotiation. See you later.

The Three Riskateers are going to buy individual products

and sell them as beginner bundles to help them bring in the cash.

Bargain Buckets will make their money buying products

they can really show off with, but who can juggle the prices

and negotiate the lowest deals?

This is the most important negotiation they've ever faced.

To win the challenge,

they must get the best prices now with their £75 trading fund.

First up are the girls.

They're relying on their cheeky Welsh charm to win over Stef.

So, ladies, what would you like to buy today?

We'd like to buy ten clown noses, please.

What's your best offer on that?

These girls are negotiating in the wrong way.

They shouldn't be asking Stef for her best offer.

They should be giving Stef THEIR best offer.

Ten clown noses? That would be £6.

£4?

-No.

-We're sweet little girls.

No.

£4.50?

I would go to £5.10.

£5?

OK.

Thank you.

Bethany's charm gets the girls a £1 discount on those clown noses.

-We would then like to buy the medium-sized tabl...

-Diabolos.

-Diabolos.

-Five of them.

Great choice, girls.

It's Stef's bestseller, and one Bethany can demonstrate really well.

How about...

THEY WHISPER

..£2.50 each?

No.

I like your shop, by the way!

£4.

I'll meet you at £4.25.

Go on!

-OK. £4.10. That makes it £20.50 for five of them.

-Thank you.

That's another great discount - almost a third off the five diabolos.

And we want to buy 20 peacock...balancing...

That would be £10.

£5?

No.

£6?

-For 20 of those...

-Mm-hm.

OK.

The girls have negotiated nearly 50% off the peacock feathers,

and I think they could do really well with that buy.

-Thank you.

-Thank YOU!

The girls' charm offensive paid off, with some great deals.

Next up, Three Riskateers.

Team leader James is heading up their negotiation.

-Right, guys, what would you like to buy today?

-How much are the plates?

-They're £1.

-Would you do us that and the stick for £1.10?

A plate and a stick for £1.10? Yes, I would.

Well done, boys. That's a great example of link-buying.

You can't use one product without the other,

so you negotiated a great deal for the pair.

Good stuff.

We were looking at getting ten of your red noses. Your clown noses.

-How much do they cost?

-Clown noses are 60p each.

They're 60p each? OK.

What sort of price would you be happy to go down to?

Our list price is 60p.

Well, that 's not great.

What would you say at 20p a nose? They are just pieces of foam.

There's a real fine line between being assertive and being rude.

I'd say absolutely no.

Could you do them for 55p, please?

Yeah, I could do them for 55.

Ethan's gentle manner and diplomacy has got them

a 5p discount on the red clown noses.

Can we get three diabolos and three...

-Juggling.

-..juggling, please?

Yup. They're 70p each.

-James, how much...?

-I don't know. You work it out!

Have you been doing the whole thing...?

A problem with the calculator means the boys

haven't kept track of what they're spending.

I don't know how much we've got!

Squabbling and bickering in front of your supplier is not professional.

A golden rule of business is to stay calm no matter what you feel inside.

The list price would be £4.20. I could do them for £4.

Stop fretting. It's all under control.

HE THUMPS THE CALCULATOR

OK, that's fine. So how much were the scarves for a pack?

-They are £2 a pack.

-Could you do us three packs for £4?

I could do them for £4.25, would be my best price.

Could you do £4.20?

OK. Yes.

Thank you.

James's softer approach secured them

almost a third off the price of the juggling scarves.

Although both teams have followed Stef's advice and gone

for the bestselling diabolos and spinning plates, Three Riskateers

have a USP - unique selling point - a starter set for the diabolos

with sticks and books, which they think will rake in the cash.

Bargain Buckets relied on Bethany's charm to get them

discounts for their goods, including clown noses, bestselling diabolos

and spinning plates, which they got for half of what the boys paid.

Despite both teams having very different strategies,

they've ended up with a wide range of similar products,

so now it's down to personality.

Which selling style will the customers prefer -

assertive and upfront or cheeky and charming?

Today, Bargain Buckets take on Three Riskateers.

Both are desperate to win, because a win today keeps them

in with a chance of competing in the Trade Your Way To The USA

grand final, and becoming Britain's best young traders.

Good morning, the Three Riskateers.

Good morning, Bargain Buckets.

In a couple of hours, a spectacular circus show will be kicking off.

2,000 people are expected here today.

You have two hours to sell them your games and goodies.

Remember, the team that makes the most money wins the challenge,

and only they stand a chance of trading their way to the USA.

Are you ready to set up your stalls?

-ALL: Yes!

-Let's go!

Come on, let's set up.

The teams need to get ready for when the customers roll up.

-Don't snap the ends.

-Every sale will get them closer to the States.

Tell me how much you are going to sell each product for.

-The spinning plates - £4.

-Right.

-The diabolos, big ones - £8.

And the juggling balls - three for £5.

How are you going to attract customers to your stall?

The competition isn't far away. What are you going to do?

As there's three of us, we'd get two of us

to begin to play at the front of the stall, so children would be drawn.

-Are you happy with your stall?

-ALL: Yes.

-Are you feeling confident?

-ALL: Yes.

-Good luck. I'll see you later.

The girls are clear on their plan. How are the boys doing?

Our stall is better than the girls'.

We've got better products, layout and prices.

Fighting talk from Dylan, but I spy a problem.

Work as a team, OK?

No, you're not! This is going in the trading thing.

The boys bickered in their negotiation yesterday,

and now they're at it again.

-OK, guys?

-Yeah.

One thing about business which is really key is sometimes

you need to take a step back and calm down.

If your customers see you bickering and arguing,

they won't come to your stall.

They'll have to work as a team if they want to win.

Yes, guys. Well done. Let's go. Get selling, yeah?

With 2,000 customers heading their way,

it's time for the battle of the big top to begin.

-Teams, are you ready?

-ALL: Yes!

Three, two, one - start selling!

KLAXON

Demonstrating their circus tricks is essential to getting sales.

Bethany wastes no time in getting out front

and showing off the diabolos...

Spin the plates! £3!

..whilst James heads into the crowds to try and shift the plates.

Come and get your circus novelty! These are exotic, so these are £3.

I'll come back with your change.

I really like Bethany's selling style.

She's gentle and sweet and lots of fun,

and it's winning the customers over. Brilliant.

I made £4 for that.

Hopefully that'll go towards winning.

Well done, Bethany.

Her demonstrations have earned a £3 profit for the spinning plate.

How are the boys?

Basically, it's an easier way to juggle.

That is absolutely brilliant. Well done.

-Can I interest you in them today?

-No.

-Please.

-We really need to beat the opposition.

-Sorry.

-Uhh...

Despite James's hard work...

Can I interest you in a spinning plate?

..Three Riskateers are struggling to seal those deals.

Sales is just a numbers game.

If a customer says no, don't take it personally,

just move on to the next one.

That's exactly what Bethany's doing a few feet away.

-She's on a selling roll.

-Juggling balls, spinning plates.

Which is more than I can say for her team-mates.

Ffion and Nell really need to get involved with the selling.

It can't just be up to Bethany.

-OK, so, ladies, half an hour in, how are we doing?

-Badly.

-Not very well.

Not very well.

-Ffion, you're doing badly? Why?

-We can't get anyone to go.

Girls, girls, you're not doing very well

because you're not demonstrating.

-Who can change that?

-Bethany.

Uh, right. So it's all up to Bethany(?) Can I give you a top tip?

You've got a wide variety of products here,

and you need to get confident

and you need to really get in there with the customers.

-OK.

-Are you going to change?

-Yes.

-Are you going to go out and see the customers?

-Yes!

-See you later.

If the girls want to get on that plane to the USA,

all three need to get out and sell.

Come and get your peacock feathers!

One hour in and everything still to play for!

Roll up! Come and get your spinning plates!

Roll up. Come and get your spinning plates!

Finally, Ffion sells a spinning plate for £2.

And Nell turns on that Welsh charm.

My husband said it was £1.50 and I just gave them £2 and told them

to keep the change.

All the girls are selling now, and nearby,

James's demonstrations are beginning to pay off for the boys.

That's how good I am! Only £3 - go on!

I've just sold my first diabolo with sticks and a book for £11.

Well done, James. That's a stash of cash for your starter set.

-Thank you so much.

-James is on fire.

He's interacting with the customers, he's demonstrating

and then he's going to the parents to say, "Your child wants this.

"Give me the money." Fantastic.

-He's not the only one.

-Circus goods!

Dylan is also pulling in the sales.

Yep, it's working. Definitely.

Roll up! Roll up! Get your great circus goods!

I'm excited and I'm pretty sure we'll win.

For that to happen, everyone needs to pitch in.

I'm not very happy with Ethan at the moment because he's not selling.

-He's just standing around.

-But team leader James is on the case.

Right, we need to shift these diabolos. Get out there.

-You have 30 minutes left.

-30 minutes? Right, go!

-Juggling balls!

The clock is ticking and the teams are in selling overdrive.

Remember, energy brings customers and customers bring cash.

Buy diabolos! £3! And if you're nice enough, £2.50.

Spinning plates! Come and get your spinning plates!

Cheaper than the boys!

Shouting to customers that you are cheaper

and better than the competition is not a bad tactic.

-We really, really, really want to win this competition.

-Circus goods!

-Get your circus goods!

-15 minutes left.

In business,

staying ahead of the competition is all about taking the initiative.

I just persuaded the person up there to let me go on stage

-and persuade customers to buy our products.

-Great work!

Targeting as many people as possible

is a great way to rack up those sales.

With his spinning plate of doom - Dylan, take a bow!

Thank you, Dylan. Thank you.

The question is, can he make the most of his opportunity?

He should now say, "Come and buy my spinning plates!"

No!

What a wasted opportunity!

-Every sale will get one team closer to the States.

-Thank you so much.

One minute left.

Would you like to buy all the feathers for 50p?

Thank you for helping us.

We're basically doing anything the girls are doing, cheaper.

I've just sold three spinning plates for six quid.

Thank you.

Everything must go! Please buy!

Ethan, can we have three spinning plates for that woman, please?

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one,

stop selling!

KLAXON

Girls, can I have your cash tin?

Team, can I have your cash box?

-Good luck.

-So, we've done our best, so...

-BETHANY SIGHS

-It's all we can do.

We really do hope that we've won.

They came, they sold,

but only one team has conquered.

Is it Three Riskateers or Bargain Buckets who've made the most cash

and are in with a chance of trading their way to the USA?

Now, over the last two days, I've kept my eye on you,

and I have to say I've been really impressed with your hard work.

Now remember, over 1,500 young traders applied

to be in your position, but only 14 teams made it through,

so well done.

Your challenge was to sell a selection of

circus novelties at the Shazam circus festival.

Bargain Buckets.

I was really impressed with your negotiation skills.

You were cheeky, but you were persistent,

and you got some really good deals. Well done.

The Three Riskateers.

I didn't realise you had demonstrating skills -

very impressive. And you really attracted the customers.

Excellent work.

But only one team can win, and it's the team who's made the most money.

And they still stand a chance of trading their way to the USA

and becoming Britain's best young traders.

So which team is it? The money has been counted.

Bargain Buckets,

you made...

..£67.79.

The Three Riskateers...

..you made...

..£107!

WHOOPING

Congratulations.

Three Riskateers have won today's challenge

and are in with a chance of competing in the USA.

We won! Yay!

We never thought we'd win. We were convinced that we'd lose.

I think this might be the first time in history that I'm a bit speechless.

It's just a really good experience. Once-in-a-lifetime.

You win some, you lose some. I wish them the best of luck.

Hopefully they'll be in the top four

and if they are, I hope they will get to the USA.

The Three Riskateers, with your takings you are today's winners

and you've earned a place on the leaderboard.

But will your £107 be enough to put you in the top four?

Because only those four teams will fight it out in the semifinals.

The Three Riskateers' £107 puts them fourth,

destroying Team Adder's hopes for the semifinal.

Only time will tell if they'll stay there.

The most successful people I have met in business

are those that have forged strong relationships with their colleagues,

suppliers and customers.

Respecting all the people that make your business work is essential.

Well worth remembering if you want to trade your way to the USA.

Next time on Trade Your Way To The USA, two more teams do battle.

Would you like to buy 100 cups?

We'll do it for a quid.

-A quid?

-Yeah.

If the customers don't come to you, take your product to the customers.

Two for £4, make my dream come true!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd