ToyNews August 2014 by Biz Media Ltd

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No. 153 z August 2014

Retail z Licensing z Pre-School z Marketing 19 PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM We talk to Sambro about how 2014 has so far been full of hit new licences and products

21 BUILDING AN ICON Leslie Scott, the inventor of Jenga, shares her path to success in the toy aisles

42 MYSTERY SHOPPER How did the retailers of Kent perform when our secret shopper came calling this month?

ESDEVIUM COMPETITION Your chance to win £250 worth of Hotel Tycoon games for your shop

New kid on the block million 4 5 r e v ed o tforms It’s shift a l p l l a s cros copies a orld of video in the w inecraft M w o n nd games, a a similar spell g is castin stry. u d n i y o t over the why t a k o o l a We take ig business re b blocks a

WELCOME

CONTENTS

COMMENT

Regulars

Band aids

06 10 10 11 12 14 36 45 66

Issue: 153 August 2014

MEET THE TEAM Samantha Loveday Editor samantha.loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

Billy Langsworthy Deputy Editor billy.langsworthy@intentmedia.co.uk

Robert Hutchins Staff Writer robert.hutchins@intentmedia.co.uk

Jodie Holdway Sales Manager jodie.holdway@intentmedia.co.uk

Florence Beaumont Production Executive ﬂorence.beaumont@intentmedia.co.uk

Tom Carpenter Designer tom.carpenter@intentmedia.co.uk

Lisa Carter Publisher lisa.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 www.toynews-online.biz

News Campaign of the Month Playtime NPD Analysis Industry Movers Industry Opinion Toy Shop UK Good Toy Guide Jon Salisbury

Features 08 News Analysis: How would Scottish independence affect the toy business? 16 Brand Focus: Minecraft 19 The Big Interview: Sambro 21 The Big Interview: Jenga Licensing.biz 23 News Pre-school (sponsored by VTech Baby) 27 News 28 A Parent Blogger’s View

How can you extend the life of a simple Loom Band? The answer is the same as for any other toy – innovation.

Retail 31 News 32 Indie Proﬁle: Fergus & Fogg’s 39 Autumn Fair Preview 42 Mystery Shopper: Kent 47 Sector Guide: Dolls, Jewellery, Crafts & More 57 Sector Guide: Plush 63 Sector Guide: Musical Toys

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 6,106 July 2012 to June 2013. ToyNews circulation is 17.5% higher than its closest competitor. ToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Stuart Grant, The Entertainer

Fiona Murray-Young, Toys R Us

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Linzi Walker, Argos

BACK IN January when NPD was making its predictions for the year, it talked about low cost but high volume items – such as stickers for the 2014 World Cup – being key in giving the market a boost through the summer. It was bang on the money, of course. Indeed, 25 million World Cup-related toys had been sold by the end of July, most of which were stickers. However, the other breakaway craze of the year so far – Loom Bands – had yet to make its presence felt. But, boy, it certainly has now. Latest NPD figures at time of press reveal that a record £1 million worth of Loom Bands were sold in the first week of July. £9 million in total have been sold since the beginning of 2014. I’m not surprised – like many others I’ve witnessed how this simple product can transfix children (and some adults). The real question is how much longer can the craze last? The answer is the same as if you were looking at extending the life of any ‘normal’ toy – that is, innovation. How? Well, take a walk around any Entertainer store over the next couple of months and you will have a pretty damn near perfect demonstration. Ahead of the curve as always, Stuart Grant and his team have come up with some fantastic ideas and translated them into product which should fly off the shelves. Find out more in our next issue. Also, by the time you read this, we will have crowned our first ever ToyNews Woman of the Year – Gerbie Quilter, sales director at Vivid Toy Group. A hugely popular and deserving winner, Quilter epitomises everything we were trying to highlight when we launched the event. She is a true role model in the toy business – enormously admired by her colleagues and peers (male and female). In terms of entertainment industries, the toy business has perhaps been a little behind in recognising its female leaders. The end goal is obviously a level playing field among the genders, but right now we don’t have that. So why shouldn’t we celebrate the role models we do have? After all, even all three of the toy trade media now have female editors... times they are a changing... Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are:

Brian Simpson, Toytown

Clare Barton, Sainsbury’s

Neil Mitchell, Shop Direct

Annalise Quest, Harrods

Steph Strike, Asda

Ben Redhead, Firebox

Steven Bradley, Boots

Helen Gourley, Toy Hub

Miles Penhallow, Play-Room

Karla Mitchell, XBite

August 05

NEWS

Social media hints at biggest Independent Retailer Month yet

Dame Judi Dench pens foreword for Bananagrams book By Billy Langsworthy OSCAR WINNING actress Dame Judi Dench has written the foreword for The Collins Little Book of Bananagrams. The book has been written by the brand’s creative consultant Deej Johnson and word-game champion Mark Nyman, and contains ‘curious words and fascinating facts’. “We have known for some time that Dame Judi Dench is a fan of Bananagrams, a game she discovered when her daughter introduced her to it a few years ago,” said Bananagrams founder Rena Nathanson. “When putting the book together, we approached her about writing the

2014 is likely to have been a milestone year as awareness of Independent Retailer Month grows By Billy Langsworthy BASED ON content seen on social media and Google alerts, July’s Independent Retailer Month was the biggest in the campaign’s history. Despite not having the budget to track all information regarding the campaign, organisers said that social media has indicated that it has been a milestone year. “We have an interesting dilemma this year,” Clare Rayner, the Retail Champion and founder of Independent Retailer Month, told ToyNews. “From what we can tell from press coverage, Google alerts and Twitter that we have the biggest take-up yet, we’ve also ‘trained’ the retailers that the campaign provides them with the tools for them to just create local engagement. “Whilst we encourage them to promote via www. independentretailermonth. 06 August

co.uk/events, we have realised many haven’t told us all the great things they are doing. “Our other dilemma is that as an unfunded

now greater awareness of Independent Retailer Month than ever before. “We’ve been working together with different businesses to do a loyalty

From what we can tell from press coverage, Google alerts and Twitter, we have had the biggest uptake yet. Clare Rayner, campaign founder campaign we don’t have resources available to capture all the information and keep relevant records, but I’m hoping we’ll get something useful back from the recent newsletter. “To cut a long story short, this year seems much bigger than prior ones but this is only based on the level of content on social media and mentions on Google alerts.” One toy retailer to have fully embraced this year’s campaign is Toy Hub in Dunblane, and owner Helen Gourley believes there is

card scheme around the town,” Gourley explained to ToyNews. “When people spent £10 at the different businesses taking part, they got a sticker and once they got nine stickers they had a chance to win a cash prize. “The campaign has been very popular this year. There’s been an increased awareness of it this year because in previous years, a lot was to get the message out that it even existed whereas now people know it’s here and are even expecting it.”

foreword and I was absolutely thrilled when she said yes. “For me, it’s the icing on the cake and we’re all really excited that she’s agreed to be part ofThe Collins Little Book of Bananagrams.” The book will be available globally from October 2nd. Collins: 020 8307 477

Pants on Fire to launch brace of Marmite games By Billy Langsworthy PANTS ON Fire has teamed up with Unilever UK to launch two new games based on the iconic divisive spread, Marmite. Using Marmite’s famous tagline, Pants on Fire’s Marmite Love It or Hate It game (£15) challenges players to explore how much they really know about each other. Elsewhere, Who Put the Marmite in the Fridge? (£6) is a game of pairs that sees players match the

grocery items, pop them in the fridge but they have to avoid being the one left holding the jar of Marmite. Both games hit the shelves of Waterstones, WHSmith and HMV at the end of August. “Both games have been designed to fit with Marmite’s cheeky and unique brand image and we’re confident they’ll be sure-fire hits with lovers, and haters, of the tasty spread.” said Richard McLuckie, director at Pants on Fire Games. Pants on Fire: stuart@ pantsonfiregames.co.uk

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NEWS

Safety amendment causes reverb among music toy ﬁrms By September 30th, new toy safety requirements for all music toys will come into effect By Robert Hutchins AN AMENDMENT to the EU toy safety standard is causing reverb among toy suppliers as a new scope of testing sets out to scrutinise all musical products. From drums to whistles, all toys that are intended to make a noise will now be subjected to testing to ensure they meet the new acoustic requirements outlined in the EU toy standard, EN71-1. From September 30th 2014, any new toy emitting sounds that does not meet the standard, will be deemed unsafe. Close-to-the-ear toys, tabletop or ﬂoor toys, hand-held toys, any toy using headphones

or earphones, pull or push toys, wind and cap ﬁring toys will also all be subjected to the testing. For stock that is already in the country by September 30th, a grace period will be offered to retailers, enabling them to legally sell the product until it has gone. “We don’t want to set alarm bells ringing and have retailers thinking ‘it’s September 30th, I have to take these drums off my shelves,’ because there is a period of grace,” said Judith Stark, MD of Halilit. ‘Some people have ordered well ahead in order to have stock that covers them up to spring. But no one is going to fall foul of these new regulations.” As the UK supplier of a vast collection of

acoustic and musical toys for toddlers and children, Halilit is among those to feel the strain of the September 30th deadline. “The new standard affects us because it hits our pockets,” Stark told ToyNews. “Halilit have been supplying musical products to the UK for over 30 years now and we are very proud of our impeccable safety record. “Some of the instruments that are affected [by the amendment] are some of our most popular lines. We quite simply will not be able to sell them in their present form.” Since its announcement last September, Halilit has been working with toy safety experts and the BTHA in order to ensure all new toys meet the

new safety standards. However, despite their assurances, the ﬁrm is still perturbed as to how the new requirements have come about. Stark added: “The fact that kids can make much louder noises banging on the table, or screaming at each other, it just seems like a nanny state gone crazy.” Halilit: 01254 872454

Animin details £300k marketing push November launch backed by TV, online, print and social media blitz kicking off this month By Billy Langsworthy THE TEAM behind Animin, a digital pet that uses the latest augmented reality technology, has a marketing spend of around £300,000 to ensure it becomes “the must-have digital toy this Christmas.” The toy will be available in all major UK games, toy and supermarket retail outlets this November and the ﬁrm is pulling out all the stops to get Animin on

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kids’ Christmas lists later this year. “We have a £300k marketing spend to help establish Animin as the

digital toy for Christmas 2014,” Ben Paterson, creative producer on Animin, told ToyNews. “The November launch will be

backed by a widespread integrated TV, online, print and social media marketing campaign, running from August this year through to Easter 2015. Away from the marketing campaign, major retailers have already responded well to the concept, and Paterson wants indies to get on board with Animin too. Paterson added: “The response has been way beyond anything we had hoped for. Every single

toy and game store buyer, supermarket representative and distributor that we have presented and demonstrated Animin to has loved it. “We want as many indie retailers stocking our product as we can get. This way, kids and parents can go into any of their local or favourite toy and games retailers this Christmas to pick up their Animin packs, which will retail at a highly competitive £4.99.” Animin: Ben@Animin.co.uk

August 07

NEWS ANALYSIS

Great Scot? This September, Scotland will vote on whether to leave the UK or not. But amidst all the uncertainties, what, if anything, will it mean for the toy industry? Robert Hutchins investigates BY THE end of this summer, a question will be asked of Scotland with the potential to change the UK as it is known today. Over recent weeks, you may have noticed an inﬂux of words like ‘blether’, ‘rammy’ and ‘feartie’ peppering your morning newspapers, as politicians and campaigners dust off their best Scottish in the battle for column inches. And as the day of the Scottish referendum draws ever nearer, Westminster’s officials go head to head with their Scottish peers to ramp up the rhetoric in the

attempt at securing those crucial votes. But despite the headline grabbing spats, the celebrity fuelled Twitter debates and most recently Tony Benn’s posthumous anti-independence outage, the Scottish independence

An expensive transition will hit our business, the families around us and their spending. Helen Gourley, ToyHub debate seems only to have left the most basic questions still unanswered.

MSP Fergus Ewing believes small businesses will prosper in an independent Scotland

08 August

What will the real cost of an independent Scotland equate to? How will independence affect the average resident and their disposable income? And just what is going to happen to the Scottish currency?

For the country’s population of small dealings – accounting for 98 per cent of Scottish business and employing 42 per cent of those in the private sector – the answers could have a ‘potentially massive affect.’ And as independent retailers go, few are better positioned to witness the generational knock-on affects of an “expensive transitional period” than the toy sellers. “There are serious concerns about how an expensive transitional period will hit not only the business directly, but also the families around us and their spending

power,” explains Helen Gourley, owner of Dunblane toyshop, ToyHub. “So, we aren’t confident that an independent Scotland would benefit us, but then we aren’t confident that it wouldn’t.” A quick glance at the latest headlines offer an indication of the kind of costs Scotland is facing should the nation vote Yes, with the country’s start-up figures ranging anywhere between £600 million and £1.5 billion. Despite the enormity of the projected costs, the ‘Yes’ campaigners and Scottish Government are adamant that it won’t leave retailers out of pocket and be paid for through an increased VAT. “The process of independence itself will not change the tax rates we pay,” Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s minister for energy, enterprise and tourism tells ToyNews. “As Scotland’s public finances are healthier than those of the UK, there will be no requirement to raise the general rate of taxation to fund existing levels of spending after Scotland votes independence.”

But it’s a conﬁdence that isn’t shared by the toy retailers themselves, and Duncan Conner, managing director of the Largs-based toy and gaming shop Bus Stop Toy Shop is sceptical over exactly who will be left footing the bill. “It’s easy for either side to produce numbers to back up their arguments, but there is no doubt that there would be a hugely expensive transitional period and the money has to come from somewhere,” he explains. “It doesn’t matter where that somewhere is, it will have an impact on small businesses.” Conner will be voting ‘No’ this September 18th, and among a list of personal reasons for doing so, tells ToyNews that it is the idea of orders being shipped ‘internationally’ from his England-based suppliers that presents him with his biggest nightmare. And despite MSP Ewing’s reaffirmation that it is the intention “that postal charges to the rest of the UK will not be any more expensive than those within Scotland,” Conner is still not convinced. www.toynews-online.biz

NEWS ANALYSIS “However much they tried to smooth things out, it would involve a whole new layer of administration and it’s not something I would want,” he says. “I’d rather spend my time selling toys and games.” Of course, it’s not all been negative response, and ToyHub’s Gourley believes that with plans to scrap airline tax and the chance to escape the cog-works of the London-centric economy, an independent Scotland is an attractive prospect. As a member of the Toymaster buying group,

And armed with such experience, the buying group is now preparing itself for an increase of Scottish members, should the country vote for its independence. “Toymaster has several members in Scotland and I would expect to see this grow if Scotland voted for independence,” Ian Edmunds, Toymaster’s marketing and operations director, explains. “Especially if they left the Sterling, which would make paying Sterling based suppliers more time consuming and expensive.”

Scotland’s ﬁnances are healthier than the UK. There’s no need to raise taxation. MSP Fergus Ewing Gourley is conﬁdent that any issue surrounding international suppliers will be resolved by the team, well versed in dual currency and overseas shipping, through its network of Irish and Channel Island toy retailers.

While the Scottish Government sets out to champion the independent retailer with its offers of small business bonuses and a collaboration with small businesses to develop its town centre regeneration

ToyHub owner Helen Gourley believes more information is needed

strategy, is it enough to ensure the survival of some of its independent shops? Two years ago, Bus Stop Toy Shop’s Conner told The Guardian that he had avoided joining buying groups like Toymaster, because he ‘didn’t want to limit what he had to offer his customers, or have to order high minimum numbers.’ However, faced with the hypothetical changes, Conner is keeping his options open. “I have always been ﬁercely proud of being a truly independent store,” he says. “I’d like to stay that way, but now would never rule anything out. With the

potential for Scotland to leave the Sterling, joining one is a possibility.” Martin Grossman, managing director of the Glasgow-based toy supplier, H. Grossmans however, believes his ﬁrm would see “very little change” in a post-yes vote Scotland. “We deal with lots of retailers in Southern Ireland with no extra work at all, so there will be very little change for us,” he explains. But despite reporting no issues or concerns from any of his customers in the lead up to voting day, Grossman does admit that an

independent currency would present major challenges to overcome. “Trade will go on and not cause retailers issues unless we do get our own currency,” he says. “It will be a sad day. Taking in a bottle of whiskey for a chicken or exchanging sheep for a haircut.” Perhaps Grossman’s tongue in cheek answer reveals a greater truth of the issues facing Scotland’s toy industry. “We think that at the moment, everyone is a wee bit in denial,” explains ToyHub’s Gourley. “But what concerns us more is the lack of tangible information from either side to allow us to make an more informed decision.” So, would trading conditions in an independent Scotland be better? Perhaps in the midst of all the political gun slinging from both sides, the only reasoning we can conclude for now is that of one of Glasgow’s favourite exports, Kenny Dalglish: Mibbes Aye and Mibbes Naw.

CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH / PLAYTIME

My Friend Cayla This Wi-Fi ready, interactive doll has already been the star of many a Christmas Top Ten list. Now with a fully integrated launch campaign, Vivid is aiming to secure it as this year’s must-have doll CONTACT Vivid: 01483 449 944 www.myfriendcayla.co.uk the ﬁrst doll of its kind to enable children to access controlled information from the internet aided by speechto-text facilities at four levels of protection.

INTRODUCED at the London Toy Fair in January, My Friend Cayla represents a new step in traditional doll design and interaction. Coming to life via a free downloadable App, Cayla is

Standing at 18 inches high, Cayla has a database of background information to enable kids to play games, read stories and experience the world of Cayla online or offline.

A TOP TOY FOR CHRISTMAS My Friend Cayla has already featured in several retailer’s top picks for Christmas 2014. She has featured in lists by Hamleys,The Entertainer, Debenhams and Shop Direct. MEET THE PUBLIC Further PR activity around Cayla’s pre-launch includes a blogger Tea Party in Hamleys, experiential partner events with key retailers and road testing samples being made available for key media.

IN THE LIMELIGHT Press interest in Cayla has been high from the start, with initial demos to press at the London Toy Fair resulting in features across national and tech press. Cayla was also awarded Top Gadget of Toy Fair 2014 by The Gadget Show Live team.

TV APPEARANCES The launch of My Friend Cayla is supported by a heavyweight TV campaign, running this summer and autumn. Vivid is employing four different 20-second versions of the TV advert to keep girls engaged.

MEDIA LIFESTYLE Initial interest has been built on with demo events for selected consumer tech titles during Distoy and ﬁlming in a local school, where children were introduced to Cayla. Inclusion in a raft of retailer Christmas press shows has encouraged media hype, while the Mi-Christmas Open House showcased Cayla to bloggers and consumer media. Cayla has also been ﬁlmed for inclusion on the Toyology XiJ press kit.

Playtime 7.0%

What commercials are kids watching if not toys and games? Generation Media ﬁnds out FINANCE 13% OTHERS 28%

6.0% Toys & Games Kids Eq. TVRs as a % of all TV Advertising

ONLINE APPEAL 30-second versions of the TV advert will run before content on ‘girls’ sites during the autumn, delivering 275,000 impressions. A further 3.5 million impressions will be generated through an advertising network.

FOOD 11%

5.0% 1st-26th June ‘14 Kids Eq. TVRs by Category

4.0%

COSMETICS & PERSONAL CARE 8%

6.2%

3.0% 5.0%

DRINK 4%

2.0% 1.0% 0.0%

1st-26th June 2013 Toys and Games % share of All Advertising 2014 Toys and Games % share of All Advertising

THIS MONTH we examine children’s exposure to toys and games TV advertising as a proportion of all TV advertising that they potentially see. Analysing total Kids Eq. TVRs by market allows us to pinpoint what types of commercials kids are seeing if not toys and games.

During the period of the June 1st to 26th 2014, just over six per cent of all adverts that kids saw were in the toys and games category. Four other categories delivered more Kids Eq. TVRs than toys and games with the ﬁnance sector holding the largest share.

TRAVEL & TRANSPORT 5% TELECOMS HOUSEHOLD FMCG 9% 5% TOYS & GAMES ENTERTAINMENT & 6% LEISURE LEISURE EQUIPMENT 4% 7% The largest advertiser

within the ﬁnance sector during June 1st to 26th was Go Compare delivering 580 Kids Eq. TVRs. While airing spots on adult stations, the campaign also featured within kids channels such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Pop Girl, Cartoon Network and Tiny Pop.

The Go Compare campaign delivered more Eq. TVRs than the top toys and games advertiser Build a Bear Workshop with 216 Kids Eq. TVRs.

This no doubt is an effect of lower demand in the market from toys and games advertisers, and other categories taking advantage of the low cost impacts being delivered against adults and mums audiences that are watching. Source: BARB 2014

Toy News PlayTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 255 4650 | www.generationmedia.co.uk 10 August

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NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties

Warm weather and sports casts spell over the market

June 2014

JUNE WAS another strong month for the UK toy market, with value growing nine per cent on June 2013 and volume up an impressive 50 per cent. While the FIFA World Cup Stickers helped drive sales for the month, sales started falling as soon as England headed home and the last week of June saw value sales half of what they were at the beginning of the month. However, the warm weather and glimpses of sun in June helped deliver positive sales within the outdoor and sports toys category, up ﬁve per cent. Properties aiding growth include Little Tikes, which is now the number one property across Total Toys year-to-date, up 19 per cent in value in June, as well as Swingball which was up 22 per cent. The dolls area also had a strong June with the category up ﬁve per cent in value and nine per cent in volume. Fashion dolls and accessories contributed largely to this increase with the availability of Disney Frozen dolls on the market.

However, My Little Pony and Disney Princess both saw double digit growth for the month. Disney Princess is in a very strong position at present and the number four UK toy property YTD with both Character Options Palace Pets range and LEGO Disney Princess contributing to increased sales. The girls market is currently very robust with these properties all growing, as well as the continued loom craze. Indeed, half of the top ten Craft Kits items sold in June are loom related. “Girls licences and brands have beneﬁtted from category expansion and fresh, new ideas in the last three years,” says Jez FraserHook, practice director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. “This has seen a strong revival in girls items in the top sellers and has been a contributor to the market performance so far in 2014. “Encouragingly, there are many new innovations coming up that could equally drive both boys and girls sales, just in time for the Christmas season.”

Best item progression Transformers: Age of Extinction Flip N Change Assortment The arrival of the ﬁlm in cinemas helped the Hasbro product climb from number 254 in May to number 18 in June.

Sales UK toy sales (value, year-to-date)

YTD 2013

YTD 2014

Source: NPD

Average toy price June ’13: £7.58

June ’14: £5.51

UK RETAIL SALES TRENDS June 2014 (£ sales – value)

June 2014 (Unit sales – volume)

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Official Stickers

Panini

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Official Stickers

Panini

LEGO MINIFIGURES

LEGO

LEGO MINIFIGURES

CHILL FACTOR SQUEEZE CUP SLUSHY MAKER CHARACTER OPTIONS

MATCH ATTAX ENGLAND 2014 TRADING CARDS

CRA-Z-LOOM BRACELET MAKER CHARACTER OPTIONS

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

ALL SURFACE SWINGBALL

WCS BRAZIL TRADING CARDS

PANINI

MATCH ATTAX ENGLAND 2014 TRADING CARDS

TOPPS

DISNEY FROZEN STICKER COLLECTION

PANINI

LEAPPAD EXPLORER

LEAPFROG

MOSHI MONSTERS BLIND BAG ASSORTMENT

VIVID

LSW GR. VEHICLES 2014

LEGO

LEGO MIXELS

LEGO

DISNEY FROZEN SPARKLE DOLL ELSA/KRISTOFF MATTEL

ENGLAND 2014 STICKERS

10. LSW MF 2014

MOOKIE TOYS

LEGO

10. PLAY-DOH CLASSIC 4 PACK

LEGO TOPPS MATTEL

TOPPS HASBRO

Notes: All participating NPD retail data suppliers provide weekly data via epos systems. NPD ﬁgures are not projected to represent non-participating retailers but provide 100 per cent of the sales from participating stores. Epos sample includes the following retailers: Amazon.co.uk, Argos, Asda, Boots, Debenhams, ELC, Firebox, Freemans, Grattan, Halfords, Hamleys, HMV, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, Next, Play.com, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, The Entertainer, Toys R Us, Toymaster, WHSmith, Wilkinsons. NPD estimates that the epos now accounts for 78% of the total toy market.

01932 355 580 www.toynews-online.biz

August 11

APPOINTMENTS

Industry moves This month, Carte Blanche appoints a new head of UK licensing, Tomy undergoes a triple hiring and Andrew Welch joins this issue’s Team of the Month, Creative Toys TEAM OF THE MONTH Who’s in the team? The Creative Toys team is Mark Stinchcombe as head of toys, Hugh Evans and Colin Cupid are general managers of the toy division, Conor Pullen is development co-ordinator, Andrew Welch is head of marketing, Dominic Hanley is marketing executive and features editor. Then we have Glenn Barnard as trading director, Justin Taylor is UK and export senior sales executive and Lee Murfet is key accounts manager UK and overseas. What have been your biggest successes in the last year? Our biggest success was getting SoccerStarz World

Carte Blanche After two years with Hasbro, SARAH QUIGLEY has returned to the ﬁrm as its new head of UK licensing. In her new role, Quigley’s remit is to further develop the long-term licensing strategies for the company’s Me to You, Tatty Teddy & My Blue Nose Friends and Tiny Tatty Teddy brands. Having spent the past two years at Hasbro as senior category manager, SCHLEICH The collectables and ﬁgurine manufacturer has appointed JEREMY ROBINSON as its new UK country manager Robinson takes over from GARY WILMOT and has previously held senior sales positions at Tomy and Bluw. This latest appointment

12 August

Cup edition to market on time. If there had been any delays, England would have been out of the World Cup before we got our product on shelf. But we hit deadline and as a result saw a strong sales uplift for SoccerStarz with our national team ﬁgure releases, supported by increased retail listings. Luckily we had licences for Germany, Brazil, France and several others. With the euphoria surrounding the World Cup tournament, we also saw a sales uplift in our club kit ﬁgures, which was great to see. What are you guys working on at the moment? We are busy working on our

Quigley will work to grow Carte Blanche’s ranking in the licensing arena, while also focusing on the growth of the ﬁrm’s presence in new categories. follows Schleich’s recent acquisition by private investment company Ardian and the new management has set ‘ambitious goals for international sales growth.’ SÖREN HIJORTH, VP sales at Schleich, has welcomed Robinson to the team. TOMY JOANNE GRAY has stepped into the role of UK

CREATIVE TOYS new autumn/winter range of SoccerStarz ﬁgures. As well as new player signings and transfers, we’re building on our European Club team line-up. We will be raising further brand awareness through a new look website and a strong marketing strategy for this coming season. What’s the toughest part of the job? Not enough hours in the day. Especially with club transfers and players adopting a new haircut, sometimes there needs to be a change during the last stages of product development. We are a small hardworking, dedicated team that are determined to make SoccerStarz a true success.

sales director at Tomy as part of a management restructure. Gray (pictured) will take on the role alongside her existing responsibilities as EMEA marketing director. The pre-school specialist has also strengthened its staff count with the appointment of three new recruits. Joining the team is LIBBY WYBROW as senior brand manager in the mother, infant and toddler team. She will be responsible for all marketing and communications for the ﬁrm’s nursery lines. LAUREN BYRNE has arrived from Hasbro to head up brand management for boys toys and train play while PAIGE WILLIS will now work alongside the new recruits as marketing assistant. Willis will provide support across the whole boys’ toys portfolio.

What’s the best part of the job? Seeing SoccerStarz grow in popularity with all ages across the corners of the world. We have seen great celebrity endorsements. It was great to see Felipe Massa use his lucky Neymar SoccerStarz ﬁgure to get his ﬁrst pole position of this F1 season. We have also had Brazilian and Chelsea player Willian, complete an

TRENDS UK The science and creative kits specialist has welcomed LINDSAY HARDY as its new marketing director. Hardy joins the company from GP Flair where she held the position of marketing services director. She will be responsible for all aspects of the marketing strategy and range planning, including above and below the line activities such as TV advertising, PR and exhibitions. Trends UK’s commercial director, GRAHAM SPARK has welcomed Hardy to her new role, while SIMON HEDGE, MD of GP Flair has thanked her for her many years of loyal support with the ﬁrm. CREATIVE TOYS The collectables company and

interview about SoccerStarz. There are some exciting future plans for SoccerStarz, so stay tuned. Who is the team joker? We all take it in turns really. Out in front for pranks at the moment though is probably Hugh. Who makes the best cuppa? It’s between Lee and Conor. Not only do they make a good cuppa, they make sure that cuppas are regular.

team behind SoccerStarz has bolstered its marketing team with the appointment of ANDREW WELCH (pictured). The former VTech and Bandai man boasts over ten years experience in the toy industry, having most recently looked after VTech’s InnoTab, Kidizoom and pre-school brands. Prior to this, Welch was senior brand manager at Bandai, where he looked after the marketing activity for Power Rangers and Ben 10. BANDAI TESS PARSONS has been appointed as the ﬁrm’s new product manager for Power Rangers. Joining from Mattel, Parsons boasts experience on boys brand management teams on lines including Hot Wheels, Disney Cars and Scrabble.

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OPINION

Gender speciﬁc toys ain’t over yet Steve Reece takes a look into the hot topic of gendered toys and asks, what is really being changed? MUCH HAS been made of late of the ‘innate evil’ of the toy industry in terms of gender bias and toys. Opportunist commentators have jumped on this bandwagon to blow their own trumpets, and to presumably advance their own ends. However, we see something closer to the real picture on a daily basis – based on hundreds of focus groups conducted with boys, girls and parents, we see a gender reality which has not fundamentally changed versus ten to 15 years ago. What is clear is that our industry will always attract the vocal minority, the opportunist agenda-

ites and the political correctness crowd for as long as the toy labels ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ remain. The issue with that is that while society as a whole has moved far away from allowing generalisations that are generally true to prevail versus avoiding offending any minority group of any type, we as commercial toy folks still need to take account of the fact that boys, girls and parents overwhelmingly still think in terms of boys and girls toys, regardless of what descriptor is hanging above the aisle. There is undoubtedly more acceptance in this day and age that girls in particular can choose to

like action brands, even if the majority of their gender do not to the same extent as the majority of males. Recent developments including the Nerf Rebelle

tell us in focus groups that ‘girls, and girls stuff like dolls and pink ﬂuffy toys are rubbish’, and perhaps more critically, parents still see toys in gender speciﬁc terms.

Our industry will always attract the political correctness crowd for as long as the toy labels ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ remain. direction, and less recent developments such as female Power Rangers show that the kids entertainment industry in general and the toy industry in particular will always supply proﬁtable niches which buck the prevailing wind. But let’s not get carried away with this – boys still

While the movie studios appear to be increasingly willing to push the boundaries in terms of challenging the gender status quo, and while this could awaken the action hero within many girls who otherwise felt they had to repress it, the vast

majority of boys are not going to be dressing up as princesses and collecting pink ponies at any time in the foreseeable future – either of their own or their parents volition. Moreover, parents who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s were raised with 1980s and 1990s gender values. When the kids of today become parents, the softening of gender lines may become more entrenched, but until then, regardless of what should or shouldn’t be, back in the real world away from the hyperbole and controversy nothing much is changing apart from the label above the aisle or on the page.

Steve Reece runs a leading consultancy delivering consumer research and other services to kids entertainment brands & toy companies. Contact him via: www.KidsBrandInsight.com

Play different Stui’s Yoav Dori shines a spotlight on the importance of keeping traditional play in mind when developing digitally enhanced toys HERE’S A question for you when was the last time your kids begged you to play a board game? Or with a construction set, a play-set, or any other traditional toy? Now, when was the last time your kids begged you for ﬁve minutes with an iPad, smartphone or any other mobile device? Whether we like it or not, these new devices are capturing children’s interest and motivation to play, which accordingly takes up somewhat of the traditional play time. This is the new world. Most children love traditional toys as well, it’s just easier to tap a button. There’s a widespread debate about the new tech

toys - whether kids are having too much screen time or if it’s detrimental to their development. Each household deals with this differently, and while almost no one will stop their kids from playing with traditional toys, there’s a second thought when handing over an iPad. Balancing play and making sure kids get a healthy ‘diet’ of both traditional and tech toys is extremely important. However, I want to raise another option - how about we give our kids new experiences that capture the best of both worlds. Take dexterity and add interactive puzzles, enjoy engaging games while still

moving real toys around. Today’s technological advancements open up so many possibilities to create innovative experiences. Of course, I’m not the only one who’s thought of this, but I believe that the real problem today is that too many toy makers that have decided to take the plunge into making digitally

enhanced toys, don’t really look to enhance the existing traditional gameplay. A lot use the mobile device to just replace an existing feature in the card or board game for example, which could have been played exactly the same without the device. Even more disturbing are examples of toys and

games that not only don’t add to the traditional fun experience, but push more digital content that is consumed during gameplay - ‘tech bait’ if you will. I believe that the way kids play is ever evolving, and the world around us is moving forward. Our task is to make sure that it’s evolving the right way. For toy makers, it’s to create meaningful interactions, and not rely on the inherently fun and easy features of the new devices. For parents, it’s to make sure they get the best toys for their kids, whether they’re digitally enhanced or just some good old fun.

Yoav Doris is the CEO and co-founder of Stui, a toy ﬁrm committed to creating innovative experiences that combine the physical and digital worlds. Contact him at Hello@stui.co.

14 August

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OPINION

Other people’s toys David Smith explores the eternal yearning for what other people have, especially when it comes to a Man From U.N.C.L.E. Briefcase A DANNY DeVito character once stated in a 1991 comedy that the only thing he loved more than money, was other people’s money. There’s something undeniably alluring about what other people have got, and it holds true for toys as well. You can have a whole room full of toys, and still, when you get the chance to root through some other kid’s stuff for the ﬁrst time, you’ll be struck by all the great things they have. There’s something peculiarly different about other people’s toys. Your own collection is so familiar - you recognise all the products, all the scratches and scuffs

on your toy cars, all the missing pieces. Then you look at someone else’s toys and you’re not just captivated by the different items, you are also surprised at how different the things you have got look in someone else’s room. It’s like stepping into a parallel dimension, a dimension where your UFO Interceptor hasn’t lost its torpedo (your own Interceptor lost its torpedo so long ago you’d actually forgotten what it looked like). Your friend might have the same British Eighth Army soldiers as you, but his have been painted. Properly. Strangely, this doesn’t make you want these

superior toys. You love your Interceptor more because it’s lost its torpedo and has a great big scrape in its shiny green paint. It is familiar and comforting. But those other toys, the ones you haven’t got, they really do call out. My clearest recollection of this is seeing a Man From U.N.C.L.E. Briefcase at a friend’s house. It had a gun and holster, walkie-talkies and a mini camera, as well as an U.N.C.L.E. badge. There was something so

enticingly grown-up about this set that I wanted it immediately. It seems that I’m often talking wistfully about toys I didn’t get, but I don’t think I’m an unusual case in this instance, because my two boys display exactly the same sort of symptoms when they come back from a play at a friend’s house.

While it is increasingly a case of them enjoying a go on a new video game or console, there is still room for a bit of traditional toy envy every now and then – and while I try to discourage endless requests for new stuff, in these cases I tend to just smile to myself. Because I know exactly how they feel.

David Smith runs the consumer-focused toy news site ToyTalk (www.toytalk.co.uk) and is the author of the book, 100 Classic Toys.

Christmas stuffing Toyology’s Peter Jenkinson contemplates putting the plethora of Christmas in July events right at the top of his very own naughty list THERE CAN be very few professions where the complaint of one too many mince pies is shared amongst peers before the school summer holidays have even kicked off, but with a plethora of Christmas in July events that have just passed, those elastic pants were indeed in danger of being liberated from the Boxing Day box in the garage. Originating almost a decade ago by some bright young thing in the toy trade, these events quickly became blanket, and in a couple of seasons each and every brand/retailer/ corner shop collective had an event to show their Christmas fare to the press.

This, of course, aims at longer lead and thus ensuring their must have item had every chance to make it into those biblical gift guides of the fat magazines. Today it just isn’t relevant, or necessary, for everyone to try and tempt us over to their hired space, decorated with varying amounts of tinsel, offering all manner of refreshments from the simple snack to the quite elaborate ﬁve-course meal and far too much seasonal imbibement than should be made available to a scribe midday on a school day. For the FMCGs I get it. They can gather editorial from tech and consumer to food and lifestyle, kids and parenting press,

national news and features journalists who just happen to be around at the time. In fact, with every aspect of Xmas on offer, these elaborate mini-Christmases are must visits. There are many highlights to attendance. I’ll usually see perhaps a toy or two I’ve not encountered from earlier on in the year which usually makes me squeal inappropriately with excitement, much to the consternation of a food journo from a high brow title who has no idea what I do. Randomly bumping into folk you’ve not seen since the last unseasonal seasonal gathering is always great.

Comparing goodie bags, complaining of distances between these events, seeing others you don’t know walking the opposite way in central London and eyeing each others gotten gains and, at the end of a multiple event day, looking back at what you’ve seen and how much content you have for the coming months: most satisfying indeed. It is, however, pointless to attempt anything less than the multiples can lay on. Times, they are a changing, so to get under my nose you’ll need to try to be a part of a major retailer’s event by offering something stand out for them to add value to their offering and outshine their competition, or do

something different. And that is really tough. We put together a digital Xmas event this year (#digitalxij) and delivered our showcase video to 50 journalists whom a few we know were pleased to receive free stuff at their desk and get content delivered. Our Bermuda shorted Santa certainly stood out but then again so did a Xmas in July offering that made our target audience feel like they’d attended a ﬁve star stand-out dinner with all the trimmings rather than attended a few events and left with that Yuletide feeling of being dragged around a few relatives houses which you couldn’t wait to leave.

Toyologist Pete Jenkinson regularly writes about toys in national newspapers like The Sun and The Mail. This super-dad has an unmatched passion and dedication for trying and testing the latest, coolest and most interesting offerings from the world of toys.

www.toynews-online.biz

August 15

BRAND FOCUS: MINECRAFT

Block party Having sold nearly 54m copies across all platforms in the world of video games, Minecraft is now making pixelated waves in our industry. Billy Langsworthy looks at how the brand is building itself into a toy titan MOJANG’S MINECRAFT is a video game titan. The game has remained, give or take the odd week, unbudged at the top of the Xbox Downloads chart for over two years, dominated the number one position in the PSN charts since launching on the platform last December and, in June, sales of the console editions of Minecraft past the life to date total of its original PC platform. Mojang has revealed that, when taking into account mobile platforms, Minecraft has sold nearly 54m copies across all platforms. The game will debut on even more platforms, Xbox One, PS4 and Vita, later this month. There’s also a movie in the works and The Simpsons has even dedicated a couch gag to the hit brand. And just as Minecraft has been making seismic waves in the world of video games, the licensed lines spanning action figures, craft, plush, LEGO, posters, books and more, have been making a splash in our industry. Mojang welcomed player’s input back when the game was still in its infancy, and Chris Dring, editor of video games trade magazine MCV, believes this is one reason as to why the loyal fanbase has helped the toy lines become a success. Dring tells ToyNews: “Minecraft was one of the first PC games to let people play the game before it was even finished, allowing them to get involved in actually making the game. It has meant

16 August

the millions of Minecraft owners have developed a special attachment to the brand and they want to touch it away from the computer or the console or the mobile. “It is why it has proven such a lucrative licence across toys, books and clothes. Minecraft books alone generated £2.58m in the UK last year, that’s more than every video game guide put together. And that number is expected to be bigger this year. “The game’s appeal is young. The ability to construct and build anything you like and the freedom of the title has really appealed to the younger teenage audience, and this has spread via the internet. It’s a true product of the YouTube generation. “It’s a massive video game brand and one that is likely to endure longer than the likes of Angry Birds and Moshi Monsters.”

One firm that has witnessed the success of Minecraft away from the screen first hand is Character Options. The company’s range of action figures and plush quickly established themselves as one of Character Options’ best performing lines. “It’s multi-platform and it’s grabbed the imagination of both kids and adults,” says Character’s marketing manager Mark Hunt. “It gives players a creative freedom to go on epic building sprees. Our product range allows players to do the same but with a physical toy or piece craft kit, it’s traditional play but keeping the essence of the game so this is why they complement each other. “Minecraft is one of our best performing ranges. The entire range collection has become a phenomenon and keeping it on shelf is a continuous challenge. “There is a huge demand for the three-inch action figures, however we have seen very strong sales on paper craft and plush.”

Elsewhere, GB Eye produces a range of Minecraft posters that has rivaled the ﬁrm’s line of One Direction products in terms of success. But why is the lust for product that overwhelms so many ‘Directioners’ ﬁnding its way into the

play for years, so there will always be a certain level of demand. “Amazingly there are still some buyers out there that do not know what it is and the current craze will be extended by those people when they ﬁnally start ordering product.”

Minecraft is a future classic that people will play for years, so there will always be a certain level of demand. Nicola Hallam, GB Eye veins of those who like to build worlds out of heavily pixelated cubes? “Minecraft owes its success to the ability it offers players to create absolutely anything online and to communicate and collaborate with others while doing so,” Nicola Hallam, product and marketing manager at GB Eye, tells ToyNews. “Kids aren’t encouraged to play outside as much as they once were so Minecraft is something of a substitute. “Instead of digging in the dirt in the local ﬁelds, they can do so virtually and be masters of their own universes, controlling it and creating whatever they can imagine.” “Minecraft is a future classic that people will

Spin Master has seen the appeal for Minecraft even stretch into the dress-up category, with its line of Box Heads proving just as popular as its plush and sixinch ﬁgure offering. “Spin Master has been delighted to partner with Jinx to distribute Minecraft toys in the UK,” states Emma Eden, marketing manager at Spin Master. “The player numbers are staggering and growing every day so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the toy line is performing incredibly well for us. “In a relatively short space of time we’ve expanded from six-inch Vinyls to adding a whole range of larger plush and the infamous Box Heads as tweeted about by Dick and Dom. “Minecraft is one of Spin Master’s best performing brands and we see no signs of Minecraft slowing up.” While the brand is showing no signs of slowing down, the demand for Minecraft product was www.toynews-online.biz

BRAND FOCUS: MINECRAFT just as immediate before the brand dipped a toe into licensing. Rather than a property like Despicable Me’s Minions, which took two movies for the toy demand to ﬁnd its voice, the thirst for Minecraft toys from the brand’s massive fanbase was powerful right from the off. “It’s been pretty incredible,” The Entertainer’s buying director Stuart Grant tells ToyNews. “The second we got product on the shelf it went through the roof and it’s continued. “Every time they launch a new character we see a huge surge in that new character, and because the toys are so akin to what the kids are seeing in the game, the ﬁt is perfect. “It’s been one of our top boy’s brands this year. What’s made it so successful for us is that we’re picking up two kinds of customers: the older age collectors and

kids. The age span for the brand is huge. “The other thing is that Mojang haven’t overlicensed the brand yet. The people that are really interested in the brand are ﬁnding there is very little product to buy, so that has polarized the spend to a handful of products as opposed to traditional licensing portfolios that span every category you can think of.” So while the brand is enjoying a great 2014 in the toy space, does Minecraft have the potential and staying power to continue to grow in this sector? Character’s Hunt adds: “The game is soon to be released on the PS4 so expect a whole new generation of gamers embracing the craze. “As for toys, our expectations are great. Any new lines seem to sell out instantly. “We aim to introduce new characters to the action

The brand has moved into the toy space with great success, boasting ranges spanning action ﬁgures, LEGO, craft, dress-up, posters, books and more

ﬁgure range throughout the year; this will drive volume and collectability. “We also have some pretty cool box sets that feature exclusive characters such as Animal Mobs six pack, Steve with Horse and the Spider Jockey pack.”

Others, like The Entertainer’s Grant, are a little more wary. “I don’t know if Minecraft will run and run,” says Grant. “It will be a solid brand. The only thing that potentially holds it back is the variety of characters that they can make.

“That’s all down to whether they can add more characters to the game. But Mojang isn’t gearing everything around the licensing programme. Mojang gears up everything around the game and licensing is a nice thing on the side.”

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Fisher-Price innovates with Smart Stages By Billy Langsworthy FISHER-PRICE has welcomed Smart Stages technology to a line of its infant toys. The content of Smart Stages toys adjust to suit babies’ different levels of development. Smart Stages technology features three modes of play that change as baby grows and learns at their own natural pace. Working like an app, parents can input their baby’s age for content updates, giving them the ability to personally select the stage they feel is best for their child. Level one, ‘Explore’, is suitable for six months and above and focuses on

ﬁrst words with sounds designed to spark a baby’s curiosity. Level two, ‘Encourage’, is for babies aged 12 months and above, with toys that prompt a baby through questions and simple directions. The third and ﬁnal level, ‘Pretend’, is designed for infants aged 18 months and above and promotes imaginative fun and early role-play. All levels and age groups are dependent upon each individual product within the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages range. Combining this technology with the existing Laugh & Learn

range of toys, the Smart Stages offering includes the Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car, Smart Stages Chair and Puppy’s Smart Train.

New technology sees toys adjust to suit three different levels of development, ‘Explore’, ‘Encourage’ and ‘Pretend’

Puppy’s Smart Train features over 50 songs for babies to enjoy, the Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car includes over 75 sung songs, tunes and phrases, while the Laugh & Learn

Smart Stages Chair boasts a light-up remote with shape and number buttons, a story book, a magic ABC seat and a liftup seat cushion. Mattel: 01628 500 000

Wonderblox to answer parental ‘tensions’ New offering is both ‘fun and educational’, and blends tech of an iPad with traditional wooden blocks By Billy Langsworthy APP AND children’s toy developer Stui believes its ﬁrst toy, Wonderblox, can help ease parent’s tensions around balancing fun with education when it comes to pre-school toys. Wonderblox is an app and a set of wooden blocks that uses an iPad screen as the play area. The play-set uses an embedded mirror to direct the iPad’s front-facing camera to the play area, allowing children to position the blocks on the iPad screen to spell out words. The toy then detects the play pieces in real-time, www.toynews-online.biz

while the app’s spelling and letter recognition mechanism recognises patterns, geometric shapes and letters from every existing language. “We think playing with physical stuff is

really important for kids’ development, and enhancing their motor skills and co-ordination,” Stui CEO Yoav Dori told ToyNews. “Digital technology isn’t going away, so we thought how can we take the best

of both worlds and create something totally new with these two mediums. “Kids aged three, four, ﬁve year olds love the iPad so I think Wonderblox is an interesting way for them to play with stuff that they wouldn’t have played with. “Parents know that toys are fun but I think there is a tension there between getting something that their kids love but also getting something that has a beneﬁt to them. We try to answer that tension.” Dori believes now is the right time to launch a toy like Wonderblox into the

market, with parents more open to digital toys than a few years back. “The ﬁrst wave of tech toys hit the market two or three years ago and the market wasn’t ready,” added Dori. “Right now, we’re seeing the second wave and it might be this wave that will catch on because people are much more open to it. Next for the ﬁrm is to see the results of the Wonderblox Kickstarter campaign, but whether successful or not, Stui will be bringing the toy to market in the UK next year. Stui: Hello@stui.co August 27

NEWS

Comment A PARENT BLOGGER’S VIEW Parent blogger are an inﬂuential part of the pre-school landscape. Each month, we ask a mummy or daddy blogger to write a special blog post for ToyNews, giving their views on the toy market.

This month: Jacqui Paterson I’M THE proud mum of two bright, funny, feisty girls who are just about to turn four and six. My job as a journalist, then a professional blogger, has put us in the lucky position of being able to see, try and review many new toys as they hit the market. And I’ve noticed something that worries me. My sister and I grew up in New Zealand in the 1970s. We climbed trees, and zoomed Matchbox cars around the brown and orange carpet (hey, I said it was the Seventies). We played with Barbie dolls too, but I don’t remember ever making my toy choice on the fact I was a girl. The toys came in regular, realistic colours and the boxes often showed boys and girls playing together. As a toddler, my eldest daughter idolised Roary the Racing Car. But after joining a playgroup I saw a change. “I don’t want to play with cars anymore,” she told me. “They’re for boys.” “There’s no such thing as boys’ toys,” I replied. “You can play with whatever you like.” And that’s when I really began to notice it – this dividing line being drawn between the sexes. When I walked into a toy store there was a wall of candy pink tea sets and doll strollers to one side, and a sea of blue and grey swords, cars and boats

to the other. It was one, or the other; there was literally no in between. I get that girls and boys aren’t the same; that, very generally, they enjoy different things. What I don’t understand is why the modern toy industry seems set on driving a further wedge between the sexes. By only giving our children the ‘girl’ option or ‘boy’ option, we’re removing that element of choice and cementing these stereotypes in their minds. I asked my nearly four year old what her favourite colour was. “Pink,” she replied. “Why?” I countered. “Because all my toys are pink,” she said (toys bought from friends and family – I avoid pink wherever possible, on principle). Which might not seem a big deal when they’re choosing a teddy bear, but what about later in life, when the ingrained idea of this impenetrable gender gap impacts on other decisions they make. Like what career they move into (because they can’t possibly try out for a boy’s job). It’s 2014 - we should be smashing down gender barriers, not making them stronger, and the ﬁrst step is now, while our children’s minds are open, and impressions are being made that may last a lifetime. Let’s ensure they’re the right ones.

Check out more from Jacqui Paterson online: www.mummyslittlemonkey.com and on Twitter @Jax200.

28 August

Bigjigs Toys unveils new doll ranges Traditional plush products come with accompanying accessories to extend play By Samantha Loveday BIGJIGS TOYS has launched a number of new cuddly dolls in a variety of different sizes, including 28cm, 35cm and 38cm. Each of the dolls comes complete with a decorative outﬁt which can be easily removed and swapped for another. Bigjigs Toys has introduced six new dolls for 2014 – including Pippa and Arthur, who are dressed for bed in their stripy pyjamas. In addition, Hayley, Sarah, Ellie and Christine also join the range, each sporting a carefully stitched outﬁt made from texture-rich material.

Prices for the dolls start at £9.99. To complement the plush range, the company has also introduce its own range of furniture, allowing little ones to take role-play with their dolls to the next level. The Daisy Doll High Chair, Daisy Doll Cradle and Daisy Doll Pram are all made from high quality wood, and each is ﬁnished with child friendly paints and lacquers. Bigjigs Toys: 01303 250400

Utterly Horses gallops in with pre-school offering My Stable giftset comes with a range of different horses, riders, tack, feed and straw bales By Samantha Loveday UTTERLY HORSES has rolled out a new My Stable giftset aimed at the preschool market. Priced at £56.95, the giftset is targeted at ages three and up and includes three horses, rider, stablehand and groom, plus a wheelbarrow and three feedsacks, hay and two straw bales. The stable itself is pink and decorated with roses and requires no batteries – this is imaginative play at its best, says the ﬁrm. In addition, the ﬁrm also has the My Travel Stable giftset (£49.95), aimed at

children aged ﬁve and above. It includes ﬁve horses, riders and groom, plus a halter and rug set, a wooden fence, haybales and ladder. The wooden set has robust handles to ensure wherever the child goes, the stable can be easily carried along, too. Simply pack the horses back into

the stable and it’s good to go. Utterly Horses is known as the ‘Home of the Model Horse’. From tiny mini horses to full scale model horse replicas, the ﬁrm offers a wide collection of everything relating to model horses. Utterly Horses: 01376 329274

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News

Retail Only

Data Opinion

Dedicated monthly retail coverage

Flexibility is key to a successful Christmas this year, says retail ToyNews’ Retail Advisory Board discusses the best strategy for tackling early Christmas promotions By Robert Hutchins FROZEN and Loom Bands may be topping the Christmas predictions lists this year, but flexibility is the real key to a successful festive period, says our Retail Advisory Board. While it’s no surprise that planning for the festive season commences in January, retailers admit that “keeping things fluid” through the Christmas countdown is the best way to adapt to any changes in the market. “We start planning our Christmas promotions and activities in January,” Stuart Grant, buying director at The Entertainer told ToyNews. “But the reality is, we are planning right up until December as the market changes and moves.” So while the family-run toy giant has already set its sights on what it believes will be making the wish lists of kids across the UK this year, Grant suggests it is the firm’s adaptability that keeps it on top of changing trends. “Our plans won’t really change until midSeptember now, but after that, they are fluid and will alter as opportunities or changes in the market come up,” he continued.

“There are things that we are predicting right now to be strong for Christmas that may not perform to expectations, so we can change things tomorrow if we choose. “It’s about remaining ﬂexible, and that’s what makes us successful.” However, not all retailers are able to enjoy this level of adaptability. When faced with a growing pressure from suppliers, coupled with the frustration of product shortage, many ﬁnd themselves making their Christmas commitments as early as May.

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Stuart Grant, The Entertainer

Fiona Murray-Young, Toys R Us

www.toynews-online.biz

Linzi Walker, Argos

“With suppliers being increasingly careful about the amount of stock they commit to, it puts more pressure on the retailer to place their orders as early as possible to try to guarantee the stock they want,” explained ToyTown manager, Brian Simpson. “This isn’t something that I enjoy having to do, especially as we are now calling our stock commitments as early as May.” But despite the frustration, Simpson is able to see the positives in making those earlier calls.

“It places an emphasis on how much detail we go into in our sales to try and catch trends, which is a positive aspect of the current situation,” he said. “Plus, I wouldn’t be doing anything different if I was in [the supplier’s] shoes, so I can’t complain.” Meanwhile, the online retailers believe they are in one of the better positions to react quickly to changing trends. “We start planning our Christmas strategy at the beginning of the year,” said Neil Mitchell, toy buyer at Shop Direct.

“We then look at speciﬁc promotions and activity all the way up to Christmas itself. That’s the beauty of being online. It allows us to very quickly react to what’s going on in the market.” But while promotional activity is kept ﬂuid through the year, the online retailer likes to gauge the products likely to be big Christmas sellers by launching autumn and winter ranges as early as July. “This gives us great insight and allows us and our suppliers to react and make sure we have as much stock available for Christmas as possible,” said Mitchell. So what will retailers be ensuring is sitting on their toy shelves in time for the Christmas frenzy this year? Results are certainly unanimous that the current craze for both Frozen and Loom Bands is likely to carry through to the festive season. “This year, more than most we have seen some big trends coming in, such as Frozen,” Linzi Walker, Argos’ trading manager for toys and nursery told ToyNews. “Anything Frozen related and I think we are on to something. That and Loom Bands, they are a huge craze.”

ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are:

Brian Simpson, Toytown

Clare Barton, Sainsbury’s

Neil Mitchell, Shop Direct

Annalise Quest, Harrods

Steph Strike, Asda

Ben Redhead, Firebox

Steven Bradley, Boots

Helen Gourley, Toy Hub

Miles Penhallow, Play-Room

Karla Mitchell, XBite

August 31

INDIE RETAILER FOCUS

Fergus & Fogg’s Toy Emporium Having travelled the world with his canine pals Fergus and Fogg, Adam Allton-Nee returned home to open his dream toy shop. Robert Hutchins discusses nostalgia, expansion plans and ‘free-popcorn Saturdays’ Tell us about your store. Ours is a very new independent toy emporium opened in Tamworth, Staffordshire only three months ago. The idea had been there for a few years, and a move back to the UK finally let that dream happen. Fergus & Fogg’s Toy Emporium is named after our two dogs, Fergus and Fogg. We bought them as puppies and they travelled the world with us. I was reading Around the World in 80 Days at the time and named Fogg after Phileas. That book matches our store theme: toys from around the world with an air of tradition, excitement and nostalgia. What actually got you into selling toys? I am originally a Design and Technology teacher. I loved making things by hand and I love mechanical and wind up toys. I think that’s how it all started. We stock traditional, vintage and retro toys, as well as new versions of the classics. We have no toys that contain batteries or any that are electronic and repetitive. As a parent of two boys of eight and three, I am constantly on the look out for toys that don’t drive me crazy. I just want customers to find toys that they played with as a child and pass this on to their children. We try and deliver the whole experience to the customer as they walk in. So, what is the ‘whole experience’? We offer free popcorn on Saturdays from a vintage style popcorn machine and blast out classic musicals that everyone remembers. We stock theatre puppets, finger puppet theatres, spinning tops, Jack in the boxes, rocking horses, rock n hoppers, wooden balance bikes… the list goes on. Anything retro 32 August

or traditional sells really well. People are looking for nostalgia, a sense of comfort and reminiscing about better times and we aim to provide that. What’s selling well for you guys and what do you look for in product? We try to stock more handmade or fair trade and wooden toys as possible. Our soft range of knitted dolls from Pebble in Bangladesh does extremely well. I think people like to know they are giving back when buying the product. We have a pocket money section selling ﬂick books, kaleidoscopes, yoyos, etc. all for under £5. These do really well with people looking for quick but well made gifts. What has local response been like? We are in a lovely market town in the Midlands, which at present is lacking a variety of stores. Our only competition is Toys R Us, which stocks completely different product to us. The response so far has been outstanding. We have many customers come in just to thank us for opening a beautiful store in a town, which really needs regeneration.

How do you engage with your local community? We are linking with local charities and trust funds to raise money. We have organised a Teddy Bear’s tea party and all proceeds will go to The Caitlin Rose Trust Fund. We also had a competition with all local schools where they had to design a mascot for us. What current industry trend is having the most impact on your business? Of all things, it’s Loom bands. I really don’t want to sell them in my store, as they don’t match what we are trying to achieve. But, the good thing about this is that we have made a killing selling Traditional Knitting Dolls. We also brought in wooden looms and bracelet kits and these have ﬂown out. We have tried to sell a traditional version of a modern toy and this works. What’s coming up in the next 12 months? We are trying to open a second store within a 20 mile radius of our current shop. We are looking at premises and hope to open in the next six months. I’d like Fergus & Fogg’s to be a chain, but stick to the morals and traditions at the core of the business. www.toynews-online.biz

INDEPENDENT SURVEY

Do retailer’s ‘top toys for Christmas’ predictions matter? With the likes of Hamleys and The Entertainer announcing their predictions for this Christmas’ top toys, ToyShop UK asks its listers, do you actually care? IT’S THAT time of year again when retailers lay their cards on the table as to what will be the hottest toys this Christmas. Among the cries of ‘but it’s only July’, will be the raft of retailers browsing the different lists to see which products they should ensure grace their shelves come Q4. Or will they? According to this month’s survey by ToyShop UK, only three per cent of those asked take the lists seriously, while 47 per cent ignore them completely with 50 per cent claiming to only take a passing interest. Several of the independents asked stated that they couldn’t compete on the price of some of the products mentioned on the lists, which included Flair Xeno and Vivid’s My Friend Cayla, and therefore ignored them. “As a small independent we cannot compete with the supermarkets and so on so we steer clear of these toys,” stated The Cheshire Cat’s Mimi Gordon. Others speculated that stocking products that were

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36 August

not on every list helped them to stand out. “We try and offer products that the mainstream stores don’t stock,” said The Hare and The Broom’s Sally Brooming. “We cannot compete with them on price but can on uniqueness and quality of products and service.” Some also felt that regardless of how retailers respond to them, the lists heap unnecessary pressure onto parents who feel they have to buy the children those ‘top toys’. “I think parents feel pressured by these lists,” said Janis Phillimore from ImagiDo!. “The toys often don’t become that ‘must have toy’ until it’s been advertised on children’s channels anyway. The children didn’t know they ‘needed’ it until they were told they did. “I won’t even be looking to see what the ‘top toys’ are as I am a new business trying to build a reputation for selling unusual, traditional or educational toys. I very much doubt there will be anything on the lists that will interest me.”

Paul David Mr Toy Box “Anything that sells really well is sold with a heavy discount to the likes of Amazon and just aren’t worth going for.” Shirley Wardle Jack and Jills Wooden Toys “I never see them, and never think to actively look for them.” Janis Phillimore ImagiDo! “I think parents feel pressured by these lists. The toys often don’t

become that ‘must have toy’ until it’s been advertised on children’s channels anyway. The children didn’t know they ‘needed’ it until they were told they did. I won’t even be looking to see what the ‘top toys’ are as I am a new business trying to build a reputation for selling unusual, traditional or educational toys. I very much doubt there will be anything on the lists that will interest me. I would rather maintain the reputation I am gaining for quality

toys that encourage children to use their imagination than to make a ‘fast buck’ on things that may be forgotten by Boxing Day.” Caroline Anstey Imagine…! “I tend to feel that these products in the lists will be lines with a TV promotional budget attached.” Luan Hall Fairies n Frogs “I do not stock branded toys and my customers come to me for this fact

that there is something different on the shelf than they can buy everywhere else.” John Norton Star to Star Toys “It is nice to see if they really are close to what the public are thinking, but most of the time they choose the known best sellers and get the rest wrong.” Helen Gourley Toy Hub “It’s all about who has paid the most to be on www.toynews-online.biz

INDEPENDENT SURVEY

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Toy Shop UK is a consumerled, online directory that helps toy suppliers, retailers and licence holders promote their businesses to an audience of up to 10,000 unique visitors per day.

Popular weekly giveaways, the esteemed Independent Toy Awards and special supplier listings are just three of the ways that Toy Shop UK can help you increase your online presence and complement your other marketing

activities this year. Contact Michael Hawkins (michael@toyshopuk.co.uk or 07786 295756) for more information. www.toyshopuk.co.uk

How much attention do you pay to ‘top Christmas toy’ lists from household name retailers?

3% – We take them seriously 50% – We take a passing interest 47% – We ignore them

Mimi Gorman The Cheshire Cat “As a small independent we cannot compete with the supermarkets and so on so we steer clear of these toys.” Tim Broad Lighthouse Toys “Our customers want products that can’t be found in Argos, Tesco, etc. www.toynews-online.biz

Plus we can’t compete with the prices.” Sue Needham Cots n Togs “We cannot compete with these places so we need to be individual. It’s the reason people come to us.” Andrew Lord Dress-A-Doll “We don’t take too much notice of the top Christmas toys lists as they are normally the big manufacturers with large advertising budgets that will be in the top ten.

For us smaller guys, it is a lot harder to get noticed in the market.” Tracie Peacock-Quinney Ella’s Toy Shop “We only take a ﬂeeting interest in the lists as we don’t sell LEGO, Sylvanian Families or any licensed products - which are normally the key items appearing in the lists. It would be more interesting to see individual suppliers ranking their own products in a top ten best seller list. Like most independent retailers, we know our

customers and their preferences so we will be playing to the strengths of the products we know and that suits our customers to encourage further sales.” Sally Brooming The Hare and the Broom “We try and offer products that the mainstream stores don’t stock. We cannot compete with them on price but can on uniqueness and quality of products and service.”

“

their list. It’s nothing to do with which your children will actually want to play with. We always take them with a pinch of salt.”

August 37

AUTUMN FAIR

“This really is Autumn Fair’s time”

No longer in the shadow of its larger cousin, Spring Fair, the autumn trip up to Birmingham for Autumn Fair is once again firmly on the radar of toy firms. Samantha Loveday speaks to toy account manager Bhavika Pattni to find out why, before asking what some key firms will be showing at the NEC networking show taking place at this time of year so people who don’t attend the show are missing out on a potentially very valuable opportunity.

I understand that some 100 companies will be exhibiting in the Children’s Gifts, Toys & Gadgets hall (including 22 newcomers) – is this the most ever? This is the most Children’s Gift, Toys & Gadgets suppliers who’ve exhibited at Autumn Fair International in quite a while and at the time of writing over the summer we are up by ten per cent so far on our ﬁnal show position last year. Can you run through some of the major companies who will be on the show ﬂoor? We have loads of great companies with us this year, too many to mention individually, but many retailers will recognise names such as Le Toy Van, Grossman, Keel Toys, Professor Puzzle and much more.

The downside to selling so much exhibition stand space is we don’t have room for a Toy Demo area this year, but it’s something we might look into doing again in future years if it becomes a viable option again.

We have over 60,000 exciting new launches ready to be showcased. Bhavika Pattni, Autumn Fair Other big stands have been taken out by Scootaheadz, Be My Bear and Wowzer. Are there any particular ones you would highlight as ‘must visits’? We’re particularly excited about Axiski, an innovative and exciting company that’s come up with a new type of sledge that works on all kinds of snow– they’re very cool. Are there any new features being introduced to the hall? Is the toy demo area still running? www.toynews-online.biz

Why should toy retailers make the trip to Autumn Fair this year? Autumn Fair is the prime retail trade event taking place in the second half of the year and the very best opportunity for shops to stock up on the latest must-have products ahead of Christmas. All of our research indicates that buying patterns have evolved considerably over the past few years and retailers are now spreading out their budgets throughout the year in order to minimise risk and

buy products that are on trend. Christmas is such a key season for toy sellers and many independents leave their buying until autumn. Autumn Fair is renowned for being an excellent order-taking event because retailers know our exhibitors have thousands of new products that are in stock and ready for delivery. What beneﬁts will they get that they won’t from attending other shows? One of the most brilliant things about Autumn Fair is we have several different product sectors represented, meaning there are fantastic cross-over buying opportunities. This means that toy retailers and other shops can also stock up on greeting cards, gift wrap, party items, children’s gifts, general gifts … you name it, we have 60,000 exciting new launches ready to be showcased. Along with some of the biggest suppliers in the industry visitors will see some really unique products and

unusual items that they won’t be able to find at any other show in the UK. Why should other toy firms who are not exhibiting make the trip to the show? People who haven’t visited Autumn Fair for a few years will be surprised by how much it has flourished and what an exciting event it is, meeting the most current requirements of British retailing and also offering a wide programme of educational seminars covering everything from eCommerce and social media to future trend forecasts from global experts. It is also the prime

What would you say to convince them to exhibit next year? Just look at the range of companies we have here at the show, everyone from industry giants to sole traders launching their brand new creations for the ﬁrst time. It’s pretty well known in the industry that if you really want to be seen you should attend the Autumn Fair, especially if you want to ride the wave of these changing retail buying patterns, which show every sign of continuing in the same direction for the foreseeable future. This really is Autumn Fair’s time. Do you see the toy presence at Autumn Fair continue to grow? Without a doubt. This is a growing sector with more new exhibitors than we’ve seen joining for a number of years. There’s huge potential for the future and we hope to welcome many more companies to Autumn Fair in 2015.

August 39

AUTUMN FAIR Will you be running any special show offers? For our online trade customers we offer free delivery on orders that are over £150.

What will your company be showcasing this year? We’ll have on show our exciting new Warmies range which are six new fully heatable characters

we’ve created in colourful patchwork fabrics. We’ve extended our popular Hootys and Cozy Plush portfolio to include new characters such as a Cozy Plush fox and our new Tawny Hooty which are selling very well since launch in July 2014 and is well received by retailers. Our Cozy Boots and Slippers range has seen the addition of a new lilac colour and we’ve enhanced the heatable footwear with a more sturdy sole.

What will Wow Toys be showcasing this year? Wow will have some great Christmas themed products including the all-new Advent Calendars suitable for children from one to ﬁve years. There are two different themes

to choose from and each calendar contains 24 toys including classic Wow ﬁgures and vehicles. At £19.99 they are simply amazing. They come supplied in an eye catching, Christmas themed FSDU. We will also be showcasing

much more including fantastic stocking ﬁllers.

Darren Ingram, Sales Director, Intelex

Yann Le Boudec, Commercial Director, Paladone What will Paladone be showcasing at this year? Our new product development department

What will Coiledspring be showcasing at Autumn Fair this year? We’ve got plenty of new lines – new Sorgenfresser character, Flamm, Robot Turtles from ThinkFun and the New Schmidt jigsaws for AW 2014 – and the Game of Thrones 4D puzzle – it sold out in under a week when we took the ﬁrst delivery and we’re anticipating it being a bit hit with the gift buyers as well as 40 August

Why is Autumn Fair important to the toy industry calendar? It’s one of the biggest trade shows on the industry calendar and it’s a great chance to meet some of our existing and new retailers who may miss Harrogate or Spring Fair.

Why is Autumn Fair important to for you? It is great to be in front of your customers at this key point. After all, Christmas is very much about toys and half the business is done in the last quarter. Times are tough, but people spend. Christmas is vital for suppliers, getting it right or wrong is the difference between success and failure.

Will you be running any special show offers? Yes, we will have various offers on and will announce these closer to the time.

Why is Autumn Fair such an important event? It’s your ﬁnal chance to add in any must-have items into your customer offering. Consumers are always looking for new items; there is nothing worse than going into a gift or toy shop to look for a Christmas present and see the same things you saw last time. Retailers need to keep their ﬁngers on the pulse. Autumn Fair is a good show case for what’s new and what’s the must have.

the toy buyers. We’ve also got a new offering from The Creativity Hub – of Rory’s Story Cubes fame.

out more of our range. We’ll also be reducing carriage paid to £150 for the UK and £450 to Ireland.

Will you be running any special show offers? We’re changing minimum order quantities on some individual lines so that retailers can try

Why is Autumn Fair such an important event in the toy industry calendar? It’s the last major buying opportunity we attend before Christmas so we have to be there to showcase the new ranges.

has been working hard over the past 12 months. We will be showing over 34 ranges at Autumn Fair and showcasing over 200 new products. We have so much new product that we have had to extend our stand space in Hall 5 as well as taking on a larger stand in Hall 6.

What is your main reason for attending the show? It’s catching up with our

What is your main reason for attending the show? It’s a chance to meet with our customers and hear their feedback about our product. We get to showcase our entire product portfolio along with our new ranges. It’s important for retailers to see the product in action. Retailers also get to visit those key suppliers. What would you most like to have achieved by the end of it?

What is your main reason for attending the show? We want to communicate directly with our customers the new products for Christmas and meet new potential customers. What would you like to achieved by the end of it? Meeting customers is the most important thing. We are not interested in the plethora of ‘eBayers’ who work from their home and sell toys at the end of the year at cut price. We want

Full order books, customers who are delighted with our innovative new ranges and to have strengthened relationships with existing customers and built new contacts across the industry as well. Hall/Stand 5J16-K17

this show to be successful order-wise. Hall/Stand 5D70

Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, Managing Director, Wow Toys

make sure they have everything they need for the busy season ahead. We also look forward to meeting and working with new customers.

What is your main reason for attending the show? To touch base with our existing customers and

retail partners to show them the new lines, but it’s also a good opportunity to meet new buyers in the gift arena – especially as we have products that sit equally well in a toy shop or a gift shop such as the Wrebbit 3D, 4D cityscapes and the Sorgenfresser Worry Eaters. What would you most like to have achieved by the end of it? We’ll be running a contest on the stand – who can

What would you most like to have achieved by the end of it? We simply want the opportunity to spend some time with our customers to show them what great products Paladone have to offer. Hall/Stand 5B60-C61

demo the most games – I’m in it to win it. Hall/Stand 5A48-B49

Roger Martin, Managing Director, Coiledspring Games www.toynews-online.biz

AUTUMN FAIR ESDEVIUM Esdevium will once again showcase the latest hot collectables and best selling games at this year’s Autumn Fair. New for 2014 will be the highly anticipated Hotel Tycoon family board game. In Hotel, players take on the role of real-estate magnates looking to build a fortune investing in Hotel’s around the world… and to bankrupt their opponents. Hotel Tycoon is based on the 1970s game of Hotels. The new edition brings the game into the

21st Century with an astonishing array of components, including 28 3D hotel buildings. The release of Hotel Tycoon will be supported by Esdevium’s biggestever TV advertising and PR campaign. Also on show will be Esdevium’s Frozen 6-in-1 game. The new game is already Esdevium’s smash hit from its range of Disney-licensed titles, with a record number of pre-orders taken. The Frozen 6-in-1 game has a retail price of just £14.99, making it the ideal impulse purchase for fans of the franchise. Other Disney games available are titles from Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Soﬁa the First, Doc McStuffins and a number of Disney Princess games. In addition, Esdevium will have a wide number of their most successful games on show including their best-selling Dobble card game, the relaunch of Timeline and new licensed titles for Countdown and 8 out of 10 Cats. Gift shop favourites, the Fisher-Price Classics range and the Nostalgia wooden games ranges will also be on show. Hall/Stand 5B30

TOBAR Tobar is once again delighted to be exhibiting at the Autumn Fair with some major new lines which are bound to be great for sales. The ﬁrm will be distributing My Magical Mermaid from Zuru, the brains behind Robo Fish. Place the mermaid in water and her tail will swish from side to side, allowing her to swim exactly like magical mermaids as seen in popular fantasy ﬁlms. There are three different My Magical Mermaids available – Pearl, Shelly and Cassie – each one sporting a different hair colour and tail design. For additional sales the new My Magical Mermaid Play-set provides an enchanting underwater environment for them to dip, dive and perform within. The set consists of a clear plastic tank mounted on a base with imitation rocks and coral placed around the bottom. It also features a blue LED light that illuminates the play-set with an

underwater oasis effect. Just fill the tank with water and it’s ready to use. In addition, Tobar has added 162 new lines to its own brand collection including RC Drift Bike, Walking Plush Dinosaur and classic Lay and Play Dominoes. There’s also a range of pocket money and stocking filler toys on display, as well as all the classics usually expected from the firm. The team also has a range of POS solutions including a Christmas tree which is ideal for fast moving, impulse items, plus a range of RoboFish FSDUs to help drive sales in peak season. Hall/Stand 5D10-E11

MYSTERY SHOPPER

Kent

This month, Mystery Shopper heads to the Kentish coast in search of a family friendly board game

STAR STORE

KIDS KORNER

THE GROOVY FROG Despite what its name suggests, The Groovy Frog was not ﬁlled with Parisian artisans knocking back bottles of absinthe and lopping off their own ears. But what this comic book, collectables and board game shop lacked in continental eccentricity, it more than made up for with its own brand of quirkiness. Entering the store, I was greeted by a cardboard cutout of Penny from The Big Bang Theory. She was stood next to a wall dedicated to board and card games for all ages, from young children right up to the most resolute adult gamers. Meanwhile, notes inviting

46 High Street, Ramsgate me to join the store’s regular board game club or partake in some leisurely gaming in its café upstairs were dotted all around the shop. Picking up a selection of titles, including King of Tokyo and Munchkin, I approached the counter and asked the store manager what he might suggest for a family of board gamers. “As fate would have it, the games you have here are perfect for family gaming,” he told me with a smile. “Munchkin is all about team work, I play it with my kids all the time. And once they’ve gone to bed, we play it with the adult rules for a bit more excitement.”

He went on to explain that Munchkin has a number of expansion packs, including Munchkin Spy, Space and more. “It’s a great little game to get kids into board gaming.” And at £20, it wasn’t over budget either. He talked me through the entire collection of board games, including numerous Zombie themed games. “Not all of them are suitable for young kids, but they’re exciting games to get involved in at a later age. And we have clubs they can come and join, too.” This guy had an infectious passion for gaming, and my wallet was suddenly in very dangerous territory.

Verdict: The Groovy Frog had a welcoming and friendly atmosphere that despite targeting a niche market of gamers and collectors was very accommodating to a relative novice. The customer service was impeccable, with excellent product knowledge and an infectious passion for board games. 42 August

5/5

Like a carnival fun house looming over the Herne Bay High Street, this towering toy and fancy dress shop casts an impressive shadow. And with eyes bulging almost as much as the shop’s window displays, I entered to explore what it kept within. Downstairs, a mountain of Loom Bands stood on the counter while the young shopkeeper chatted away with her customers. Three rooms of toys, playsets, arts and crafts, puzzles and collectables stretched out before me. A short trip upstairs revealed a collection of costumes and accessories that would put even Lady Gaga to shame. A room of ﬂoor to ceiling shelves was stacked with outdoor toys, LEGO, Playmobil and board games. It was an impressive bounty, ranging from Star Wars Monopoly to tabletop football games and the numerous family board

98 Mortimer Street, Herne Bay games in between. As I hovered along the aisle, the store manager conversed with his sales rep. Adopting the tactic of appearing to need help, I grabbed the nearest game and frowned at it, hard. Five fruitless minutes later and my brow was starting to ache. I caved in to common sense, placed the Trivial Pursuit back on the shelf and headed downstairs. I asked the young woman at the counter what board game she could suggest for a family with two kids. “Have you seen the Trivial Pursuit Family Edition?” she suggested. “It rings a bell…” I replied. “It’s just like the classic Trivial Pursuit but it has two lots of questions, some for adults and some for kids. You’ll ﬁnd it about halfway down the aisle, at about knee height.” She was right, that was exactly were I had left it.

Verdict: Kids Korner is an impressive store ﬁlled to the brim with toys and fancy dress. The service was friendly with an impressive knowledge, but ‘going the extra mile’ would have earned this store top points.

4/5

www.toynews-online.biz

MYSTERY SHOPPER

SMYTHS SUPERSTORE The board game selection stretched almost the length of the store, with games for young children, such as Hungry Hungry Hippos and Mousetrap to older titles like Cluedo, Pictionary and much more. I explained to the girl at the desk what I was after. “I’ll just call someone to help you.” Her walkie-talkie crackled. “What?” said the

South Aylesford Retail Park

male voice on the other end. She explained my situation as her radio ﬁzzled. “Yea, in a sec,” he replied. A moment of silence passed. “Let me check the computer instead,” she said. “How about looking at a game like Beat the Parents?. “It’s a fun game,” she added. “If not, there‘s always Trivial Pursuit.”

Verdict: Smyths Toy Superstores has a lot to offer with a great mix of product and fun and exciting displays. The customer service showed as many strengths as it did weaknesses and there seemed a real desire to accommodate my request, despite the shortcomings. I did eventually discover the owner of the voice on the other end of the radio.

3/5

NASONS - TOYTOWN A Niki Minaj Bop-It, encouraging me to either “Hit It” or “Spin It” announced my presence to the almost silent room. The shop boasted four large rooms, bursting with product, stacked ﬂoor to ceiling. “Need a hand there?”

47 High Street, Canterbury asked the friendly and perceptive store manager. I explained that I was looking for a game for a family with two kids aged seven and ten. “Beat the Parents is a brilliant way to get the kids and the parents playing

together.” She explained that with a set of easier questions, the children could always play it on their own to get the practice in, and then challenge the parents. It was a solid idea and suited my needs perfectly.

Verdict: A welcome sight in yet another High Street department store, ToyTown had a lot to offer, spanning all ages and tastes. The service was very personable, especially considering it was approaching closing time. I felt a few more questions could have been asked to deliver a bespoke service.

4/5

SUMMARY

FENWICK’S - TOYMASTER Situated on the lower ﬂoor of Fenwick’s is a toy zone that knows how to brighten up any trip to the department store. Stepping off of the escalator, I was greeted by the roaring jaws of a Grossmans’ animatronic T-Rex and the light sabre of an imposing seven foot LEGO Luke Skywalker. Shelves were brimming with the latest releases from Hasbro, LEGO, Playmobil and

much more. A far wall was dedicated entirely to model railways, while a collection of plush animals populated a section ﬂuffy enough to dive head ﬁrst in to. However, spotting the wall boasting titles such as Logo Billionaire, Battleship and Monopoly, I set off on my mission for the ideal board game. “Need any help there, mate?” asked a friendly gentleman, taking time out

St. Georges Street, Canterbury from his shelf ﬁlling duties. I explained my task of ﬁnding a game for the whole family. “I’ll tell you what’s a great game, if we have it,” he replied excitedly. “Linkee.” A great suggestion. “Only problem is,” he continued, “the questions may be a bit too hard for a seven year old. But there is talk of a younger version coming shortly.” We fell silent, only momentarily disheartened.

“But never mind,” he continued, rediscovering his mojo, “we’ve got plenty else to choose from.” He talked me through the lot, from Marble Run to Bop It, admittedly not board games, but still a lot of fun. “Ah, here we go, this is perfect for kids and adults,” he beamed triumphantly. It didn’t surprise me when he handed me Trivial Pursuit Family Edition, I was beginning to think it was all they played in Kent.

Verdict: This Toymaster toy shop was a hidden gem in an otherwise ‘penny-a-dozen’ town centre department store. The shop delivered excitement with fun products and in-store theatre. The service was enthusiastic and very friendly. There was a good selection of games to choose from, but in the end I felt I was offered the safe bet. www.toynews-online.biz

4/5

Kent delivered another very high scoring collection of shops for the Mystery Shopper this month. Full credit has to go to The Groovy Frog for striking the right balance of quirkiness and welcoming service. The café was a nice touch too. While it did carry various mainstream board games, the comic book shop highlighted the merits of the lesserknown titles, offering a wide variety of product. Meanwhile, Kids Korner certainly held its own, with over 4,000 toys and fancy dress lines covering two ﬂoors. The service was friendly but just fell short of going that ‘extra mile.’ ToyTown and Fenwick’s drew level, bringing excitement to the High Street with their hidden gems. While the service was excellent, a few more questions asked would have helped deliver a unique experience. And full credit has to go to Smyths, who despite seeming a bit short on staff endeavored to perform highly. August 43

GOOD TOY GUIDE

Bear hugs

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

This month Dr. Amanda Gummer cuddles up with the world of plush to explain why your favourite teddy is an integral part of a healthy play diet while its face gives it a personality, so unlike a comfort blanket, children are able to transfer or project feelings on to them. This can then act as a substitute for a person when they have worries they want to work through. Not that plush toys can ever replace a caring adult,

WITH INCREASING reports of anti-social behaviour and children with mental health issues, we here at the Good Toy Guide believe the time is now to highlight the importance of plush toys and put them ﬁrmly back into the centre of a healthy play diet. The soft feel of a plush toy makes it huggable,

but late at night when the child is supposed to be going to sleep, cuddly toys can help a child relax and get a good nights sleep. Children are often afraid that their worries are silly and that adults won’t understand. The very fact that pets and cuddly toys don’t answer back makes

them great listeners and children are often able to work through their problems simply by saying them out loud. This is the basis for most listening therapies that are so popular today. Smell is very strongly linked to emotional memory and teddies that

have been cuddled and slept with develop a very personal aroma which children ﬁnd comforting. So, with all the high-tech toys currently available this year, why not spare a thought for a cuddly toy and help children develop in0to happy, emotionally healthy adults.

Pillow Pet A soft toy in various animal shapes that can be ﬂattened out to be a pillow or folded back up with a Velcro tab to make a cuddly toy.

Fun Rating:

&&&

Educational Rating:

z Encourages imaginative role play z Support emotional development and attachment, especially when travelling

z Promotes both caring and nurturing

The Good Toy Guide is moving to a new home, Fundamentally Children. A comprehensive resource for independent advice on all things play-related, Fundamentally Children will house the Good Toy Guide and its sister site, the Good App Guide as well as offer consumers advice on providing a balanced play diet, child development and topical issues. The site – currently in testing phase – will be launched to the public this September with an aggressive PR campaign.

CONTACT THE GOOD TOY GUIDE: Twitter: @goodtoyguide z Facebook: GoodToyGuide z Email: admin@goodtoyguide.com z www.goodtoyguide.com www.toynews-online.biz

August 45

SECTOR GUIDE: DOLLS, JEWELLERY, CRAFTS & MORE

Dainty delights While the ‘girls market’ as we know it may have been busted wide open in the past 18 months or so, there are still plenty of products out there to appeal to children’s softer sides. Billy Langsworthy finds out more HASBRO My Little Pony Equestria Girls are taking centre stage in Hasbro’s new range of Dolls that Rock. With bending elbows and knees, children can pose the Equestria with their microphones or musical instruments, with each doll donning a different stage style and instrument unique to them. Each doll sings her hit song when they are given a high five and the group can take to their very own stage with the Mane Event Stage play-set. When all the My Little Pony Equestria figures are together on the Mane Event Stage, they form a band and

sing in unison to compete in their very own battle of the bands.

Spotlights hang above the stage, while six doll stands line the stage ﬂoor.

DEPESCHE Over 20 years since Depesche launched its ﬁrst plush toy, Diddl the mouse, the ﬁrm is introducing a new family of plush collectables and accessories in the form of Ylvi (pronounced Il-vee) and the Minimoomis. The fairy-themed range spans small cuddly creatures, creative books, stationery, bags and hair accessories and focuses on a magical fairy and her four companions, the Minimoomis. Each Minimoomi has its own clear character and colour. Loola has pink wings; Pooby is green with a long rainbow tail, Mooli is lilac with tufty hair and Coccoo boasts a crystal blue colour. The plush, each with sound, is complemented by smaller accessories such as bracelets, keyrings and pencils, plus Ylvi creative books, stationery and bags. “Many retailers will know Depesche from our leading www.toynews-online.biz

The stage can also be prepared for a ‘rock showdown’ with the included

Pinkie Pie doll, standing along with the rest of the band. 020 8569 1234

MARBEL

TOPModel range, but in fact the company produced its ﬁrst plush toy over 22 years ago with Diddl the mouse – so it has a

very strong pedigree in the sector,” says David Kelly, UK sales manager at the company. 01832 273156

Marbel distributes the Pink Poppy dress-up and accessory brand which boasts a range of different dress-up costumes aimed at three to nine year olds. All the range is designed to be ‘fun and girlie’ with pale pink and other soft colours and themes spanning princesses, butterﬂies and fairies. With each costume, there are corresponding accessories such as wands, wings, tiaras, bunny ears and luxury hand bags. Away from the dressup, Pink Poppy has a line of hair accessories and jewellery pieces including diamantes and little gems, all at affordable price points. Marbel also distributes Arklu’s Lottie doll range, made up of dolls designed to enjoy childlike activities such as horse riding, looking after their pets and karate. The ethos behind the range is that girls should enjoy their childhood, and

the dolls don’t wear makeup to champion the idea that kids shouldn’t grow up too quickly. New to the Lottie dolls range this year are the Kawaii Karate doll, Pandora Box doll, Butterﬂy Protector doll, Lighthouse Keeper doll, Pirate Queen doll and Robot Girl doll. 0845 6000 286

August 47

SECTOR GUIDE: DOLLS, JEWELLERY, CRAFTS & MORE RE:CREATION It’s the toy craze of the year and Re:creation’s Fun Loom line looks to satisfy a child’s thirst for Loom bands. Re:creation’s Fun Loom, priced at £9.99, features a unique four-row loom that allows kids to create a range of different detailed designs for rings, bracelets and bobbles. The Fun Loom silicone bands are specially designed so they won’t fade, snap or pull on skin. The product will receive marketing support throughout the autumn. Re:creation will also be pushing its LEGO Lights collection throughout autumn with some new introductions to the range. Depicting the five core characters from the LEGO Friends collection, the new range includes the five different Character Key Lights (£6.99) as minidoll figures. Each keylight features a LEGO Friends character as a mini-figure

MATTEL with poseable arms and a yellow light. Fans of LEGO Friends range can also enjoy the Charm keylight (£6.99), Booklight (£9.99) and Bricklight (£9.99). Another new launch from Re:creation is the Bright Light Pillow.

The soft, cuddly cushion gently illuminates to give tired children their very own light show. The ﬁrm believes the Bright Light Pillow is perfect

JUMBO GAMES Launching this summer is Jumbo’s Peppa Pig Hide & Seek Game. The electronic ﬁgurine can be placed for children to listen for her voice, or they can use the picture cards for clues to ﬁnd her. The game also includes four gameplay modes that can be adapted to suit the age of the child. Elsewhere in Jumbo’s Peppa Pig line is the Peppa Pig Bath Time Puzzle.

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backed with a heavyweight TV campaign by the company and PR support throughout autumn and in the run-up to Christmas. 0118 973 6222

Mattel is celebrating Barbie’s power to ‘inspire and engage with girls of all ages’ with the launch of a new Barbie Style Doll collection this autumn. The Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse toy line welcomes some new additions to the family and pet product range including the Barbie Malibu House. September 1st sees the release of a new animated feature ﬁlm, Barbie and the Secret Door. Mattel is supporting the DVD and toy line with an extensive marketing programme. This autumn will also see two new Barbie hairplay and fashion products hit retail in the form of the Barbie Endless Curls and Barbie Sparkle Studio. Mattel is launching a new Monster High title, Freaky Fusion, backed by ‘freaktacular’ new range of characters as well as a supporting toy line.

In the autumn, Mattel and Ever After High will be celebrating Thronecoming. Finally, Mattel’s Frozen line sees the Frozen Ice Skating assortment of Princesses Anna and Elsa build on popular existing Disney Princess products. 01628 500 000

FAMOSA

Jumbo’s new EVA giant foam floor puzzles include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffins. Finally, the firm has a range of puzzles based on Sofia the First and Frozen. 01707 289289

WOW TOYS Wow’s line-up of toys for pre-schoolers continues to grow and now features new ranges starting from 12 months plus. Girls Day Out is a tenpiece set combining two vehicles, a trailer, a stable

for ‘sleepovers, bedrooms, travelling, or for those who need some reassurance in the dark’. The pillow comes in two shapes, the colour changing White Starlight Square and softly pulsing Pink Beating Heart. The Bright Light Pillow (£19.99) will be

and six people and animal ﬁgures. The Girl’s Adventure eight-piece set boasts a motorised racing car, a motorised plane with rotating propellers, a push along off-road buggy, a pet cat, cat basket and three removable girl ﬁgures. Elsewhere, Flora’s Fairy Garden is a magical waterfall garden set designed to bring fairy tale stories to life. 020 7471 90980

Famosa’s Nenuco doll and play-set brand is welcoming new additions this autumn/ winter following the successful launch of its Sleep with Me Cradle sets earlier this year. Each Nenuco doll comes with unique accessories designed to enable young girls to have the closest experience to playing a ‘real mum’. The key line for

autumn/winter will be Nenuco Happy Hiccups, a baby doll boasting different sounds and random hiccups. Children can give the doll a gentle shock to make the hiccups disappear, or blow onto his face to close his eyes. Nenuco Happy Hiccups (£34.99) will be supported with a strong 1,500 TVR TV campaign.

Famosa also has a range of Nenuco products falling under the £15 price range, including the Mummy Bag changing set, Coloured Nappies, Basic Clothing and a Nenuco Highchair. Elsewhere, Famosa has seen Pinypon, its range of cute mini dolls and playsets, make a comeback. The dolls feature removable hair, heads, bodies and accessories, as well as double sided faces. Pinypon launched the ﬁrst of several play-sets in January with the Pinypon Campervan. The roof is a pedal boat with slide and the set also features a swimming pool with working shower, a fridge, kitchen accessories and a table with one deck chair. The Campervan is one of two play-sets that are the focus for Q3 and Q4. The other is the Pinypon Hotel (£34.99). A heavyweight TV campaign is planned, with 1,000 TVRs and tactical promotions will also be put in place to encourage collectability. 01623 237433 August 49

SECTOR GUIDE: DOLLS, JEWELLERY, CRAFTS & MORE FLAIR This summer Flair has introduced a brand new girls’ collectable, from the makers of The Trash Pack, called Shopkins. These are cute, small characters that live in a big shopping world and are available to buy in both ‘shopping baskets’ and collectable packs. Kids can buy different interactive play-sets such as the Spin Mix Bakery Stand, Easy Squeezy Fruit & Vegetable stand and a Small Mart Supermarket. Each has moveable interactive features and each play-set can connect to each other to create one super Shopping Mall. Elsewhere, Flair’s Soﬁa the First micro doll is 2.5cm and

other micro dolls are available in a range of characters from the hit TV show. Each micro doll character is detailed and can bend, sit and bow. The Jewel play-sets offer collectable price points ranging from £6.99 up to £39.99. A centre piece of the Jewel themed micro

play-sets is the Magical Amulet which, when opened up, reveals a multi-layered micro world featuring areas of Enchancia’s Castle. Moving on, and Flair has also introduced a new ‘mini’ format for its Doc

JOHN ADAMS This year sees John Adam’s Tiny Tears brand get a makeover with the launch of the Classic Tiny Tears interactive doll. Children aged three years and over can press her belly to hear the doll laugh, cry or say ‘mama’. The doll can also be fed with her drinking bottle and makes drinking sounds. When the doll has ﬁnished feeding, children can take the bottle away to hear the doll exert a satisﬁed burp. Winner of a Best New Toy Awards in the doll category at London

50 August

and exclusive mini Doc and Lambie dolls. Also available are a range of ten mini Doc ﬁgures to collect, each coming with a little accessory for fans to build their own Doc world. 0208 643 0320

DKL Toy Fair, plus a Right Start Best Toy award, Classic Tiny Tears Interactive is in stock

GOLDEN BEAR This year sees Golden Bear introduce a new plush range to its portfolio in the form of Peepos. The collectable Peepos have super soft fabrics and big loving eyes that Golden Bear believes ‘girls will fall in love with’.

McStuffins range, perfect for ‘on the go’ fun. The Doc and Friends Clinic Play-set features a mini doctor’s case containing a thermometer, a syringe, two casts for Lambie, a hidden book of boo boos

now and will supported by an all-new TV campaign. Elsewhere, the Girls World Styling Head leads the John Adams’ girls’ portfolio. Featuring growing hair tresses, the Styling Head allows girls own individual hair styles using the different accessories included. The Girls World range also includes Gabriella, the Girls World Style and Fashion Doll. Gabriella has long and soft blonde hair and comes with accessories, including comb, clips, braids, slides and colour extensions. 01480 414361

DKL is the exclusive UK distributor of Corolle dolls. The Mademoiselle Corolle collection features dolls ranging in size from eight, 14 and 17 inches tall, while there is a pocket sized alternative in the form of the Mini Corollines line. Corolle Les Cheries are modern fashion dolls that are styled according to the latest fashion trends. New for this year is the Camille Soiree Theatre doll dressed in a gold jacket and a deep purple skirt and matching shoes. Also new is the beach ready Clara Sunny Days.

There is also a Corolle hair care set. Finally, the Corolle interactive dolls enhance the role-play experience. The Emma and Paul drink and wet dolls come with three accessories, while the Corolle Lia doll offers 16 different functions. 01604 678786

CHARACTER OPTIONS Each of the Peepo plush has their own individual name and personality such as Cheeky Monkey, Georgie Giraffe, Snowy Tiger and many more. 01952 608308

Character Options girls’ portfolio features popular brands including The Zelfs and Disney Princess Palace Pets. The Zelfs are getting a sensory upgrade with the new scented Medium Zelfs series. These Zelfs – including Berry Buttershy, Frostette, Cupcake, Strawberry Vampula, Bubblee Bubblegum, Chocolaa Chocolate and Mint Spellinda – whiff of the likes of

chocolate, mint and strawberry. A new campaign called Find Snowphie’s Hidden Message will launch in October. This will give children the chance to redeem an Ultra Rare Zelf. Character’s Disney Princess Palace Pets

collection launched in the spring and features a range of play-sets, plush and ﬁgures for kids to swap and play with. The Furry Tail Friends and Primp and Pamper Ponies were introduced in spring and each come with their very own accessories and brush to keep their ﬂuffy tails soft. Girls can also enjoy collecting the brand new Fashion Tails which features Aurora’s Kitty and Beauty and Belle’s Puppy, Teacup. Each pet comes with three interchangeable tails and accessories. 0161 633 9800 www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE: DOLLS, JEWELLERY, CRAFTS & MORE SAMBRO Sambro has an array of licensed products set to appeal to girls of all ages – from pre-school through to teens. The firm’s Disney collection spans arts and crafts, stationery, bags and puzzles across licences including Minnie Mouse, Disney Princesses and Doc McStuffins. This summer, Sambro has launched a brand new Frozen range of arts and crafts products. The collection includes a Travel Art Easel which contains five themed colouring sheets for children to colour in their favourite characters from the hit movie. The set also comes with eight crayons, eight chalks, four markers and a sponge. There is also a Frozen Colouring Table featuring a five metre colouring roll and eight coloured crayons. The Frozen range also includes Magnetic

ASOBI

Scribblers in small, medium and large sizes, as well as complete art cases, pencil tins, colour your own bags and a colouring wheel. Sambro’s Frozen Sparkle Station boasts a cushioned desk with light, along with arts and crafts essentials. Meanwhile, the Frozen Filled Backpack will see fans of the ﬁlm return to school complete with themed notebook, pens and a pencil case in tow. Moving on, and also new to the Sambro portfolio is My Enchanted Mirror.

TOBAR Following on from the success of 2013’s Robo Fish, the toy innovators at Zuru have taken the tech under the sea with the new My Magical Mermaid. Children can place the mermaid in water and her tail will swish from side to side, allowing her to swim. The Mermaids can swim in two different positions thanks to the weighted metal band included with the set. Kids can wrap it around her tail to make her swim vertically or place it on her head as a tiara to make her swim horizontally. There are three different My Magical Mermaids available – Pearl, Shelly and Cassie – each one sporting a different hair colour and tail design. The new My Magical Mermaid Play-set gives the mermaids a perfect environment to dip, dive and perform. The set consists of a clear plastic tank mounted on a base with imitation rocks and coral placed around the bottom. It also features a blue LED light 52 August

Distributed exclusively in the UK for Zanzoon, My Enchanted Mirror plays four magical games. Children can ask the Mirror questions and the Mirror will understand and respond to them. For example, ask the Mirror a question like ‘so I look pretty today?’ and she will reply ‘you are gorgeous, you look like a real princess.’ Girls can also ask the Mirror to reveal what type of princess they are by answering ten questions. 0845 873 9380

Asobi is ‘delighted’ to be the UK distributor of The Orb Factory, the multi award winning Canadian craft brand. Kits from The Orb Factory include its bestselling line, Sticky Mosaics, which allows kids to peel and stick foam and jewel tiles to create mosaic masterpieces featuring Disney princesses and mermaids. There is also PlushCraft pillows which allows young crafters to create a plush pillow by matching coloured fabric to numbers. The kit aims to introduce children to fabric crafts without the difficulty which is often associated with traditional sewing kits. For older girls, The Orb Factory offers Imaginista kits like

the Imaginista Twist & Loop Jewellery set. By attaching the ‘O’ rings with elastic cord, jump rings and earring hooks, crafters can create their own unique earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces and more. 01628 200077

SIMBA SMOBY

that illuminates the playset with an underwater oasis effect. Elsewhere, Tobar has Edible Sweet Art for kids aspiring to be bakers to perfect their craft. The kits include coloured blocks of sugar dough and all the equipment to make a range of creations including popsicles, animals, sweets, cupcakes and donuts. For dog lovers, Tobar’s Walking Westie walks, interacts and wags its tail just like a real dog. It also comes with a black necktie, for those special occasions. 01603 397139

August is a key month for Simba’s portfolio as the new look Steffi Love hits shelves and arrives on TV for the ﬁrst time in the brand’s 25year history. Some may already have seen the promo spots advertising the launch of Steffi’s ﬁrst single: Real Good Time. The full two-minute music video goes live across kids TV on August 2nd and will reach more than three quarters of all four to six year old girls by the end of September. The single itself, along with four others that will be released online every month up until Christmas, have been written by Ray Hedges - who has had seven UK number ones and over 60 top 20 hits. The distribution will be handled by Absolute, who has worked with artists such as George Michael, The Backstreet Boys

and Deep Purple. All ﬁve songs will be available to download through iTunes and to stream on Spotify. Steffi will be promoting the songs and the brand on a nationwide tour taking place over the summer and into the autumn.

This will be backed by numerous features and appearances in kids’ magazines and websites. Simba has launched a brand new Steffi Love website where children and fans can play games, watch videos, as well as learn more about Steffi. The website will also be a portal for all of Steffi’s social media and will keep fans up to date on where and when they can see Steffi live in person. By purchasing a Steffi Love doll, kids get access to the VIP club where they can record their own version of Steffi’s music video and see behind the scenes footage of Steffi’s glamorous life. Combining TV, events, online, social and print media in cohesive coverage around the birth of ‘Superstar Steffi’ – and with four new exclusive TV advertised Superstar doll lines – Simba believes that ‘no retailer can afford to be without a Steffi selection this autumn’. 01274 765030 www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE: DOLLS, JEWELLERY, CRAFTS & MORE VIVID Vivid’s My Friend Cayla (£59.99) launched in July with a fresh TV campaign and website – and it has already graced several top toys for Christmas 2014 prediction lists. Girls can talk to Cayla like a real friend as she uses special software to understand speech. She can have conversations with children as well as play games, tell stories and talk about photos in her albums through a free app. Budding jewellery artists can create their own charms Vivid’s Crayola Creations Beadola Charm Maker (£19.99). The TV advertised item allows users to create up to 120 personalised and unique charms in a range of different designs, colours and effects. Crayola Creations Hot Heels (£19.99) is also getting a summer makeover, with an all-new Metallic Collection arriving this autumn/winter. Create your own shoe designs with metallic detailing and gems.

Based in the world of Bear Valley Hills Club Chic are the fashion-concious Club Chic bears. Priced at £16.99, there are ﬁve different trendy dolls collect, each with its own unique personality and handbag. 01483 449944

The 17-strong range is supported by TV advertising, online social media and a high proﬁle advertorial campaign across teen magazines throughout the summer. Festival Jewellery gives children the chance to ‘create the festival look’ and nine festival-themed 54 August

Spin Master’s Flutterbye range will be welcoming the new Deluxe Light-Up Fairy this autumn. The Fairy gently follows the child’s palm and glides up and down without touching. Also new to the line is Magically Flying Tink, allowing Peter Pan fans to ﬂy Tinkerbell in her familiar green pixie dress. The Ocean Breeze Flying Fairy completes the Flying Fairy offering.

The Deluxe Light-Up Fairy will be the focus of the heavyweight TV campaign this autumn, while the complete Flutterbye range will be supported with a robust marketing and PR campaign. Also from Spin Master is the Sew Cool Sewing Studio. This is a threadless sewing machine that is described as perfect for a ﬁrst time sewing experience and is safe and

easy to use for children from the age of six. 01628 535000

RUBIE’S Appearing in Rubie’s 2014 Additions Catalogue is the ﬁrm’s new Frozen lines. These include light-up Elsa and Anna costumes which also play musical sound clips from the movie. Rubie’s has also produced a costume of the muchloved Olaf character to help fans faithfully belt out ‘Do you want to build a snowman?’ at parties. 01491 826500

ZEON

INTERPLAY The myStyle craft and jewellery collection continues to follow fashion trends with the addition of new Festival Jewellery, Shrink Design Jewellery and Super Loop Bands.

SPIN MASTER

pieces of jewellery can be fashioned by simply following the 16-page step by step activity guide. Earlier this year Interplay launched a new range for younger girls in GoldieBlox. This combines a book featuring Goldie the Girl Inventor with a variety of fun construction sets. The range is designed to inspire young girls to follow in creator Debbie Sterling’s footsteps into the engineering world. Each of the sets includes an illustrated story book along with a sizable, easy-to-follow construction project which is built as the story develops. Priced between £19.99 and £24.99, the launch series has three GoldieBlox sets to choose from: Spinning Machine, Parade Float and Dunk Tank. 01628 488944

Disney’s smash hit movie Frozen takes centre stage for Zeon’s girls offering. Zeon’s collection based on Frozen – which is the biggest Disney feature animation of all time – centres around watches and clocks featuring characters and graphics from the ﬁlm. A time-teaching clock features ‘minutes’ and ‘past and to’ time teaching discs that are interchangeable, while the clock face itself features characters from the ﬁlm including Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Sven. Moving on, and a range of watches in pink, purple and white feature the movie’s Anna and Elsa, while details

including a diamante-set case, snow ﬂake print patterns and quotes from the blockbuster movie highlight themes of sisterhood and adventure. The company also has a ‘wonderfully wintery’ wall clock, while a frosty freestanding mini twin bell clock

expands the Zeon collection even further. With the craze for all things Frozen looking to run well into Christmas, Zeon’s Frozen watches and clocks will be available for autumn/ winter 2014. 0208 208 1833

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SECTOR GUIDE: PLUSH

The Fur Tops The trusty plush sector continues to be a popular choice in key categories, in particular in pre-school. Several may now boast interactive elements, but there is no doubt still a place for traditional soft toys, too. Samantha Loveday takes a look at the latest super furries GOLDEN BEAR Golden Bear is expanding its Henry Hugglemonster range this autumn with the addition of Henry Roar Back. The super soft Henry plush will copy every word said; simply squeeze his hand to start the Roar Back feature, then little ones can listen to Henry repeat what they say in his voice. Meanwhile, the CBeebies Bugbies range is based on the little yellow bugs from the channel. The soft plush line includes Chatty Bugbies (with eight different styles to collect), plus the Fun Sounds Party Squidge, Arty Flippity and the Sweet Dreams with Squidge, an interactive plush that softly glows while playing the bedtime tune as featured on the channel. Prices range from £3.99 to £19.99. Sooty, Sweep and Soo Hand Puppets are also available so that children can recreate their very own Sooty shows. Finally, Golden Bear has introduced new plush to

HASBRO its pre-existing licences such as In the Night Garden Glowing Bedtime Makka Pakka, which plays soft lullaby music while his tummy gently glows different colours. The Read Along with Woolly is another new addition – the storybook has symbols that are also printed on Woolly’s feet and

children can press these to hear the corresponding sound or phrase. In the Something Special line, the Mr Tumble Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes toy helps children learn through the popular game. 01952 608308

Hasbro has added to the popular Furreal range with the Get Up and GoGo My Walkin’ Pup. Children can take her for a walk on the leash, pet her head and she’ll sit for them. Talk to her and the toy will bark back with ‘ruffs’ and other puppy sounds. Her tail wags and her head also tilts to help show off her personality. Children can also download the Furreal Friends app to discover more ways to play. 020 8569 1234

SPIN MASTER The popularity of Minecraft continues to sweep the country and Spin Master is growing its range with new characters and sizes of plush. The Medium Plush is available in Zombie, Enderman, Creeper or Skeleton; all come in a

gift box. Meanwhile, the new Large Plush Spider and Ghast accompany the already popular Creeper Plush with sound. The range is manufactured from premium plush and features detailed embroidery. 01628 535000

CARTE BLANCHE GROUP Carte Blanche Group partnered with Mind Candy earlier this year, with The Moshlings Collection launching in the spring. The new range arrived with 12 monsteriﬁc characters and will welcome a further eight new characters before the end of the year. Meanwhile, Carte Blanche has designed and developed over 100 My Blue Nose Friends, each with their own unique personality and instantly recognisable blue nose and patches. 16 new characters will be hitting the shelves throughout 2014 so super fans can add to their collections. Both The Moshlings Collection and My Blue Nose Friends lines boast pocket www.toynews-online.biz

money price points and have a huge following of collectors. The Moshlings range in particular is very collectable as the characters include digital codes that allow fans to unlock often rare and new characters at moshimonsters.com. Carte Blanche offers great POS solutions to indie retailers for all of its plush ranges – an element which has helped in the success of The Moshlings Collection. The Moshling Tree FSDU has been nominated for a POPAI

(Point of Purchase Advertising International) award, with judges recognising not

only the unit’s design and minimal footprint but also its strength of in-store

presence and shopability in a crowded environment. 01243 792600

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SECTOR GUIDE: PLUSH COILEDSPRING GAMES Hot on the heels of the launch of the Sorgenfresser keyring range, a new character is joining the worry eating team in the autumn. Just like the rest of the crew, Flamm (£20) is an expert in eating worries, nightmares and upsetting thoughts. With the launch of the keyrings earlier in the year, there is now a Sorgenfresser for every size of worry. “The keyrings offer a great opportunity for our retail partners; they’re a great price point, there’s a collectable element to them and if your customers have the Classic or Junior Sorgenfresser then what better than a Sorgenfresser keyring for

when you’re out and about?” says Roger Martin, MD of Coiledspring Games. The keyrings are available in either a 36 or 72-piece CDU and feature six of the characters: Ernst, Bill, Frula, Saggo, Om and Enno, priced at £6 each. To help retailers pull in the crowds, Coiledspring Games is offering the XXL Sorgenfresser to UK bricks and mortar partners on a ‘free rental’ basis. Marketing manager Rachael Wyatt says: “We’ve found XXL Saggo to be a real draw, either placed in the window surrounded by friends or sitting at the side of the FSDU with a mouth full of leaﬂets.”

Retail partners which stock Sorgenfresser and are interested in offering ‘Super Saggo’ a change of scenery should get in touch on the number below. 020 3301 1160

INTELEX Northamptonshire-based Intelex is set for another bumper year, with a further 25 new products being added to its portfolio. According to the ﬁrm, the heatable plush category is growing strongly year on year. Founder Philip Gannon says: “Innovation plays an important role in keeping the sector relevant, but the growth in heatable toys is also due to their versatility offering a fun alternative to traditional hot water bottles.” The ﬁrm’s new Warmies collection launches this

RE:CREATION month with six original characters, retailing at £14.95 each. The toys are ﬁlled with treated millet and scented French lavender. Further additions to Intelex’s range include the Cozy Plush animal characters: Badger, Turtle, Giraffe, Owl and Fox designs. The heatable Hooty

owls will also expand with new characters like Tawny owl and a furry fox. 01933 679777

and “getting warmer”. A soft pocket money alternative is the Talking Plush assortment – the seven-inch plush toys come in either Ben or Holly character assortments and each say ﬁve different popular phrases. Showbiz Pat is one of the hero lines in the Postman Pat collection and comes dressed in a sparkly outﬁt and accessories with microphone and sunglasses. There are also Fireman Sam and Postman Pat eight-inch soft toy collectables.

Finally, for the slightly older audience, the seveninch Animal and Hostile plush from the Minecraft universe include characters such as Baby Pig, Baby Mooshroom, Ocelot, Creeper and Enderman. 0161 633 9800

CHARACTER OPTIONS Taking plush to a new level is the Ani Mei Chatterbox Peppa. Watch as Peppa’s mouth lights up in four different expressions in time to her phrases. Her eyes, heart and cheeks also light up. Staying with Peppa, the Jump In Muddy Puddles Peppa has cute muddy puddle styling and yellow wellies, as well as authentic Peppa phrases. The Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom range has also expanded with Hide and Seek Holly – children can use Holly’s Magic Remote to ﬁnd Holly with clues like “you’re too cold” 58 August

Re:creation has two new launches in the plush category, the ﬁrst of which are Stretchkins. Billed as the ‘ultimate cuddly companion’, they ﬁx to children’s hands and feet and then stretch and move with them as they skip, bop, bounce and dance. Stretchkins (£19.99) are available in four different character designs including frog, puppy, unicorn and elephant, and will be supported with a heavyweight TV campaign and PR in the run up to Christmas. Moving on, and Bright Light Pillow (£19.99) is a soft, cuddly cushion which gently illuminates to create a light show. It comes in two shapes – the colour changing White Starlight Square and softly

pulsing Pink Beating Heart. Both will be supported with TV from July and PR throughout autumn and the run up to Christmas. 0118 973 6222

LEAPFROG Read With Me Scout and Violet (£29.99) are cuddly interactive learning puppies that encourage reading in two to ﬁve year olds. Both come with ﬁve colourfully illustrated books which teach children a variety of educational skills. As Scout and Violet complete each page, they will also face one of over 70 different engagement and comprehension questions. The toys also feature

ﬁve interactive spots and respond to every pet, pat, hug and kiss, while they can also be switched to Sleepy Time mode. Also in the LeapFrog portfolio is My Pal Scout and My Pal Violet (£19.99) which are aimed at six months to three year olds. Both can be customised with a child’s name, favourite foods, animals and colours. 01895 202840 www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE: PLUSH ANIMAZOMBS Halloween will see the official launch of the Animazombs, with nine animal-zombie characters from the world being brought to life in large plush format to help establish the new character brand. The series one characters span three different ranges – Animazombs of the Savannah, Deep and Home. Each of the designs contain unique features associated with the animal, such as detachable lucky charm keyrings or pull-out body parts. With varying degrees of ‘zombiﬁcation’ across the

ranges, the Animazombs have wide appeal and the delivery is endearing rather than macabre. With the products available, the ﬁrm’s focus for Animazombs is now on marketing and PR to create a greater brand awareness and boost retailer traffic. An official launch is planned with The London Bridge Experience (which stocks the product), with Animazombs teaming up its three mascot costumes with the Experience as the cuddly zombies take over the venue.

The mascot costumes will also be made available to retailers for in-store promotions and launches, as well as being used on Halloween events such as

TRENDS UK Doodle Bear is a classic love at ﬁrst sight ‘best friend’ toy, according to Trends UK. Children adore drawing on the soft bear, creating fashion looks, doodling and signing their names. Two dualtipped washable markers are

FAMOSA Famosa has expanded its pre-school offering with a plush version of Mr Potato Head and My Little Pony. Standing at 25cm, Mr Potato Head has moveable facial features and a range of accessories. Phase one of the launch will see three designs – Fireman, Policeman and Chef – to encourage collectability and creativity across all the range. Meanwhile, the My Little Pony line includes four characters: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle and Apple Jack. They are available in 8cm key chain size, plus 17cm and 25cm cuddly plush versions. Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle are also available in 40cm versions. 01623 237433 60 August

zombie walks to generate further interest in the brand. Themed POS units have also been designed to create eye-catching displays for each range including a

shipping crate, industrial water tank and classic pet carrier, all capable of containing the three characters in each. 01234 346638

VIVID IMAGINATIONS included, each with a drawing nib and stamper for hours of doodling, drawing and decorating. The Doodle Bear – which is available in two styles, the Original 16-inch and the 16-inch Glow Doodle – is machine washable and dryer safe,

meaning children can keep on doodling again and again. As well as being fun, Doodle Bear offers developmental beneﬁts too. Little ones will take pride in creating a personalised character they have decorated themselves, boosting their conﬁdence and self-esteem. Their skills will also develop as they grasp the pen while doodling and stamping, while activities such as drawing will also strengthen their hand/ eye coordination. 01295 768078

New to the AniMagic plush portfolio for autumn/winter is Tickle Tum Tilly (£29.99) – tickle her tummy to see her front paws move while she barks happily. For kitten fans, Sparkle My Glowing Kitty (£19.99) is a white ﬂuffy kitten with a light-up bow. This changes colour while she purrs and meows when her back is pressed. Both products will be TV promoted from launch with two TV ads featuring a new creative approach for the brand. Benjamin Bunny also joins the Peter Rabbit Small Plush assortment (£6.99). New for Q4 is an assortment of Giant Plush Peter Rabbit and Lily Bobtail (£19.99), as well as the TV advertised Talking Plush Assortment (£14.99).

Finally, Flying Friends (£19.99) are a range of famous superheroes that come with motionactivated sounds. Available to collect are Spider-Man, Batman, Buzz Lightyear, Superman and Dusty. 01483 449944

MARBEL The ﬁrm’s WWF soft toy range includes snow leopards to pandas, orangutans and tigers, while there is also a small range of hand puppets. In addition, Marbel also distributes the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home plush range of toys, which all have their own name and story behind them. The range includes Rocky the Rottweiler, Cherry the Fox Terrier, Daisy the Border Collie, Jazz the black and white cat, Oscar the ginger cat, Cosmo the tortoise

shell and, last but not least, Angel the white cat. 0845 6000 286

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SECTOR GUIDE: MUSICAL TOYS

Hitting the right notes Whether its headlining Glasto or belting out I Will Survive down the Karaoke bar, the path to musical accomplishment starts early. Robert Hutchins looks at the toys setting those mini Mozarts on their journey to stardom this season HALILIT Musical toys are always a ﬁrm favourite with kids, and Halilit’s children’s musical instruments are designed and manufactured to be musically accurate and tuned. Aimed at encouraging a love of music from an early age, Halilit’s instrument gift sets are the right size for little hands to inspire babies and toddlers to create their own music. Baby’s First Birthday Band features a Mini Wave Drum, Baby Maraca, Bell Shaker,

Clip Clap, Rainbowshaker and a Music CD to play along with. Other gift sets in the range include the Little Hands Music Band, Mini Orchestra and Toddler Music Orchestra. Following the major change to the acoustic requirements coming into force this September, Halilit has submitted every one its range of musical toys for testing to ensure they comply with the upcoming new standard. 01254 872454

TOMY New to the Disney Baby range from Tomy this season is Jiggle with Me Pooh, featuring two different songs for parent and babies to dance along to. Kids can simply tap Pooh on the head and watch as he moves from side to side in time to the music. Retailing at £32.99, Jiggle with Me Pooh is suitable for toddlers aged nine months and up. Sing to Learn Bunny Bus is a star line in the making, according to the ﬁrm. Featuring three bunny characters, themed to help kids learn about numbers,

Judith Stark, Halilit MD “Halilit has been supplying musical products to the UK for over 30 years and we are very proud of our impeccable safety record. We often receive ﬁve star reviews and as a responsible supplier, we would like to reassure our retailers that all of the items we supply to them will meet all of the new acoustic requirements.”

CHARACTER OPTIONS letters and colours, children can push the bus along while listening to engaging songs. Suitable for kids aged 18 months upwards, the Sing to Learn Bunny Bus is priced at £19.99 and is available this autumn/winter. Marley the Musical Accordion leads Tomy’s infant and toddler line. Shaped like a sausage dog, kids can pull Marley along or play him as an accordion. At £14.99, Marley the Musical Accordion is suitable for kids aged 18 months upwards. 0208 722 7300

Postman Pat is singing and dancing his way into Character’s summer portfolio this year with a new doll inspired by the pre-school movie release, Postman Pat: The Movie. Showbiz Pat – retailing at £29.99 – comes dressed in a sparkly outﬁt and features

accessories including a microphone and sunglasses. The hero product in Character Options’ growing portfolio of Postman Pat products, Showbiz Pat will dance along to three different musical tunes, with the press of a button. 0161 633 9800

FLAIR Musical toys are an integral part of Flair’s collection, and this month the ﬁrm is showcasing its licensed lines from its Doc McStuffins range. As seen in the new TV episodes, the Get Better Talking Mobile Clinic features a motion-activated siren that lights up and plays the Doc Mobile song.

they watch the 30cm doll walk and pull her mobile clinic along, all while singing the show’s theme tune. With the Hearts Glow Assortment, kids can join in with Lambie and Stuffy as they talk, move and dance along to the I Feel Better song, while the Doc McStuffins Time for Your Check Up Interactive Doll sings the checkup song in

full with the press of her hand. Finally, the Doc McStuffins Microphone forms part of the roleplay sing-along collection, allowing kids to sing with the Disney heroine with the press of a button. 0208 643 0320

Fans will also discover a collection of accessories, including the light and sound heart monitor, otoscope and thermometer. Meanwhile, the new Walk N Talk Doc Doll allows kids to sing along with Doc as www.toynews-online.biz

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SECTOR GUIDE: MUSICAL TOYS JHS Working in partnership with DC Thomson Consumer Products, JHS has developed a series of real musical instruments for children aged ﬁve and upwards featuring favourite characters from The Beano. Inspired by Dennis the Menace’s very own band, Dennis and the Dinmakers, the collection features Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie the Minx. The range comprises of three individual wooden Ukeleles, The Beano Junior Guitar and The Beano Junior Drum Kit, with more to be announced in the near future. The Junior Guitar Outﬁt, retailing at £49.99, is a half sized, nylonstrung guitar, featuring rendered graphics and

GOLDEN BEAR With new additions to the In the Night Garden and Something Special lines, Golden Bear is bringing music to the ears of toddlers across the UK this season. At 80cm long, the Ninky Nonk Pull Along Musical Train offers four toys in one with an array of features including a shape sorter, stacking blocks, pop-ups and opening doors. The set also features various sounds and lights. With the Musical Pullalong Engine, kids can play each character’s theme

LEAPFROG tune or listen to the Ninky Nonk music, while calming bedtime music and soothing lights can be activated by pressing the star. Joining the In the Night Garden musical collection is the Lullaby Igglepiggle and the new Glowing Bedtime Makka Pakka. Meanwhile, the Something Special collection features the Mr Tumble Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, encouraging kids to guide Mr Tumble

through the actions of the song. Other items in the range include: Something Special Microphone and Mr Tumble’s Musical Playmat, the Woolly and Tig Counting Kisses Woolly and the Sweet Dreams with Squidge. 01952 608 308

instruments, including a drum, xylophone and musical shakers. These are all wooden and boast the quality that has come to be the standard with the Brio portfolio.

Meanwhile, Hape showcases a large range of musical instruments this month, including the grand piano in pink or black, a guitar in red or blue, a happy harp, a mini band and a rock and rhythm band. For the younger children, Hape also has a collection featuring the early melodies pound and tap bench, a tambourine, a little drummer, xylophone and other rattles and noisemakers. 0845 6000 286

MARBEL As Marbel continues to distribute popular brands across the UK market, the ﬁrm boasts two ranges in the musical instrument category this season. Spring/summer saw the launch of Brio’s new line of musical

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geared machine heads for accurate tuning. The outﬁt includes a carry bag, guitar strap, pitch pipes, plectrum and a spare set of strings. Meanwhile, the Ukeleles – retailing at £29.99 each – feature either Dennis the Menace, Gnasher or Minnie the Minx and include a carry bag, pitch pipes and plectrum. Finally, The Beano threepiece Junior Drumkit is a real drum kit with wooden shells, adorned with graphics featuring Dennis himself. Priced at £159, the kit comes with a bass drum, mounted tom and cymbal. The snare drum comes with a fully adjustable stand and a drum kick pedal, stool and drumsticks are all included. 01132 865 381

This month sees LeapFrog join the musical market with its Learn and Groove Musical Table (£29.99) and Musical Rainbow Tea Party (£19.99). Previously a top 20 infant line, the Learn and Groove Musical Table not only features lights and sounds, but also boasts over 55 tunes and musical activities to help teach letters, numbers and colours, but also helps children learn English and French. The table includes ﬂashing lights and elements to encourage kids to push, pull, slide, spin, open and close. It also features colourful piano keys with lights that ﬂash in sequence along with every activity.

Meanwhile, LeapFrog’s Musical Rainbow Tea Party aims to teach important skills in a roleplay environment, while engaging kids with bright colours and clear sounds. Suitable for kids aged two to ﬁve, the set teaches colours and matching, manners, greetings and counting and includes over 50 songs. With two tea cups, six cake slices, a cake plate and a teapot that gurgles when tipped, the set is designed to develop motor and social skills. The set also helps teach kids the concept of sharing with verbal phrases and tea party sound effects. 01895 202 840

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SECTOR GUIDE: MUSICAL TOYS BIGJIGS Bigjigs’ range of musical instruments allows youngsters to discover the fun and learning to be had through musical play. A collection of xylophones, drums, maracas, traditional tin toys and a Musical Chime Push all take centre stage this month. ‘Musical toys are known to be a great introduction to sound and

rhythm while also encouraging creativity, development of dexterity and coordination,’ says the ﬁrm. While Bigjigs’ range of maracas, harmonicas, bell sticks and tambourines provide musical mischief as a group, BigJigs’ Animal Castanets, Animal Clacker Sticks and Snazzy Flutes each target the party bag or stocking ﬁller markets. The BigJigs Music Set, featuring a colourful xylophone, wooden castanets and handbells, allows youngsters aged three months and upwards the chance to create their own music bands and discover how sounds can work together. The set retails at £14.99. 01303 250 400

ASOBI Asobi’s popular French band, Vilac has a collection of musical toys ranging from guitars to pianos and drum kits. With a host of brightly coloured instruments, the brand hopes to cater for all budding musical artists. One of the most popular in the collection is the colourful guitar, aimed at any child with an interest in playing. Vilac has been manufacturing wooden toys for over 100 years, making it one of the oldest toymakers in Europe. 01628 200 077

GALT TOYS This month, Galt Toys is showcasing a collection of pre-school toys designed to get toddlers moving to music. Leading the line-up is the Ambi One Man Band, a cheery musician with drumsticks in one hand, a double-ended whistle in the other

and a tummy drum ﬁlled with beads. Suitable for kids aged 12 months and retailing at £14.99, the One Man Band fuses learning through sound with hand-eye coordination, colours, shapes and dexterity. The Stacking Puppy joins the line-up with soft rings to stack and textures and sounds to explore. With a squeaky head and crinkly paws along with a rattle, jungle and furry rings, the Stacking Puppy retails at £14.99. Finally, the Ambi trumpet is a colourful instrument with two independent tones. Suitable for children nought and upwards, the Ambi trumpet retails at £4.99. 0161 428 9111

OBSERVATIONS 0F A TOY INDUSTRY SURVIVOR

Jon Salisbury WHEN IS a toy not a toy? Given how children’s playing options have changed in recent years, you might as well ask how long is a piece of string? It’s always been a running joke in toy circles that kids play more with the boxes that their toys come in than they do with the actual toys. Today, children are besieged with play options. Three-dimensional play competes with the rich tapestry that is the digital playground and, so as not to miss a trick, the likes of Minecraft and Skylanders

times continues? If only evolution could progress as rapidly. I remember an episode of The Twilight Zone that always makes me chuckle. A scientist, played by David McCallum, develops a time machine that makes him evolve rapidly. First, he grows a sixth digit, then his head swells to house his growing brain. Finally, he evolves beyond the need for physical form and he becomes pure thought. For now, physical toys are still very much in demand. I remember when I sold this magazine to Intent

The one thing that no one can accuse the toy industry of is not chancing its arm with innovation. bring together the best of both worlds. It must be great to be a child in 2014, although I don’t envy parents Keeping up with kids has always been tough but today’s parents don’t just need eyes in the back of their head but a completely different skill set to fully understand the modern play world. Take tablets and smartphones, just two of today’s play environments. Most houses have one or the other - or both - and I pity those parents whose kids own them. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Can you imagine how much portable technology is coming our way if the trend of recent

Media, the new owners initially struggled to come to terms with an industry that seemed so old fashioned compared to the very modern world of video games from whence they came. As time went by it became clear that the toy business could also teach its new owners a few new tricks. The world of character licensing had been second nature to the toy industry for some time but video game makers were only just ﬁnding their feet with licensing. Now, both industries operate in the world of licensing in equal measure and share competition for their livelihoods with the same array of entertainment entities.

Follow me on Twitter @jonsalisbury

News of our Toy & Game Inventors Workshop has our columnist looking at the ever growing list of play options facing children, and parents, today

It is also fair to say that the toy industry has transformed itself radically as it has incorporated technology into its products. The one thing that no one can accuse the toy industry of is not chancing its arm with innovation. The ToyNews Toy & Game Inventors Workshop will prove the point and provide an invaluable insight not only to some of the inventions that might be coming our way, but also offer networking opportunities among the product development community. The toy industry is a people business. As a tributary of the entertainment industry, it’s often who you know as much as what you know that matters.

Jon Salisbury has written about the toy business since 1985, editing magazines and running toy media events in New York and London. He can be contacted at jonsalisbury@icloud.com or @JonSalisbury

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CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS AUDITED CIRCULATION Average Net Circulation: 6,106 July 2012 to June 2013.

ToyNews is published 11 times a year by Intent Media ~ Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648 © Intent Media 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. ISSN: 1740-3308

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