ToyNews September 2014 by Biz Media Ltd

www.toynews-online.biz

No. 154 z September 2014

Retail z Licensing z Pre-School z Marketing 17 WOMEN OF THE YEAR We speak to Vivid’s Gerbie Quilter, the winner of ToyNews Woman of the Year 2014

20 STOCKING FILLERS The Entertainer’s Stuart Grant talks us through the trends to watch out for in Q4

22 INVENTION TEST Everything you need to know about this month’s Toy & Games Inventors Workshop

67 POCKET PICKS We round up the sub£10 lines currently doing brisk business on the High Street

Nifty shades of play The games and puzzles sector was worth £194 million in 2013 and it’s on track to better that in 2014. Find out why the category is booming in our 11-page special

WELCOME

CONTENTS

COMMENT

Regulars

Board members

06 08 08 11 12 14 32 39 70

Issue: 154 September 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

Elizabeth Parker Production Executive elizabeth.parker@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

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.

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

Features 17 ToyNews Women of the Year 2014 Review 20 Stocking Fillers: The trends to watch in Q4 22 Preview: Toy & Game Inventors Workshop Licensing.biz 25 News Pre-school (sponsored by VTech Baby) 63 News 64 A Parent Blogger’s View Retail 29 News 30 Anatomy of a Blockbuster Toy: Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag 34 Indie Proﬁle: The Big Shop 41 Sector Guide Special: Games & Puzzles 67 Sector Guide: Pocket Money

Board games are no longer something just rolled out at Christmas – they are yearround sellers. Ultimately, board games are cool.

THE TOYNEWS team are huge fans of board games, card games, trivia games, ‘badult’ games ... you name it, we’ve played it. We’ve even converted a number of our sister magazines, too. Over the past couple of months, we’ve stormed our way through both versions of Linkee in record time, discovered we can’t do Eygptian accents thanks to Accentuate, cringed at Cards Against Humanity and puzzled over Shout! We’re currently improving our general knowledge with Trivial Pursuit: Master Edition. We’ve been big supporters of Board Game Club right from the beginning, and it is gratifying to hear that the next event will be the biggest yet. If it seems like we’re slightly obsessed, we’re not the only ones. According to NPD, the games and puzzles sector is in rude health, worth £194 million in 2013, and is currently tracking ahead of this so far in 2014. Notably, the family games sector is currently up nine per cent on last year. The growth which started back when the recession hit and families were looking for cheaper activities they could take part in together, is now a full blown lovein. Board games and card games are no longer something which are rolled out just at Christmas either - they are year-round sellers. Ultimately, board games are cool. Find out just some of the reasons why in our 11-page special, kicking off on page 41. Something else which scores pretty high on the cool scale, of course, are dinosaurs – and I’m lucky enough to be one this month, thanks to Spin Master. The ﬁrm is backing the expansion of its Zoomer family of interactive pets with a heavyweight marketing campaign (read more on page eight). TVRs alone will total 2,500, with Zoomer, Zoomer Zuppies and Zoomer Dino all getting their own ad slots. You can see all the characters on the left hand side of this page, as all the team have been given the makeover treatment. I hope you enjoy the issue ... we think that it’s ‘roarsome’ (sorry). Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

September 05

NEWS

Dragons’ Den result to help Pants on Fire to biggest year yet Firm became the first board game company to secure an investment in the Den in the history of the hit BBC2 show by Billy Langsworthy PANTS ON Fire made history when it became the first board game firm to receive investment on Dragons’ Den, and the company is now expecting its best year yet as a result. The firm - with games including Liar Liar, Marmite: Love it or Hate it and Who Put the Marmite in the Fridge? - left the Den with £50,000 backing from Dragons Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones. It believes the publicity, as well as the

investment, will help them achieve a bumper Q4. “I’d say that half the people that go on there don’t need the funding, they just need the publicity,” director Richard McLuckie (pictured below left), told ToyNews. “We needed the money as well because we have got huge plans for this year. For 2014 we’re looking at probably ﬁve times the turnover we got last year. This Christmas is going to be manic for us and that can only be a good thing.

“The investment is allowing us to do some PR. You can have the greatest game in the world, but if no one knows about it, you won’t sell any into shops. Dragons’ Den has got us over that hurdle.” As well as getting the games out to wider audience, McLuckie has also seen buyers take note as a result of getting on the show. “When we were talking about going on Dragons’ Den there wasn’t much interest,” added McLuckie. “When we said we are going on, they said ‘this is interesting, come and see us once you’ve been on.’ The fact we got investment and guaranteed time on TV, suddenly all the buyers are interested. WH Smith took around ten times the number of games that they took last year.” Pants on Fire: stuart@ pantsonﬁregames.co.uk

Famosa outlines Q4 TV ad plans Pinypon and Nenuco key focuses heading into important period by Samantha Loveday FAMOSA IS planning to unleash a heavyweight TV advertising schedule to further boost its Pinypon and Nenuco brands throughout this year’s key fourth quarter. Both brands launched in January, and Famosa has been thrilled with the success achieved to date. Sales out across the full Pinypon range, 06 September

for example, indicate that around 20,000 units of dolls and accessories are in consumers’ hands already. The Campervan and Pinypon Hotel play-sets are the focus on TV, with 1,000 TVRs across key satellite and terrestrial channels including Nickelodeon, Boomerang, Milkshake and CITV. Four to six year old girls will be targeted in two bursts – from September 1st to 22nd and then

again from October 6th to November 10th. Meanwhile, Nenuco Happy Hiccups will beneﬁt from 1,500 TVRs across satellite and terrestrial. There will be three slots: September 1st to 22nd, October 13th to November 10th and November 24th to December 8th. “With marketing investment four times larger than any previous investment, Pinypon and

Vivid eyes next playground craze with Disney Wikkeez launch Full-scale marketing and blockbuster films will fuel demand for the range by Robert Hutchins VIVID HAS revealed its marketing plans to help its new range of Disney Wikkeez become the next playground craze. The firm has partnered with SuperAwesome for a sampling campaign, delivering the new collection to over 12,000 children through its Box of Awesome and Box of OMG initiatives this summer. In line with the back to school season, the firm has also teamed with various popular kids’ magazines, including Toxic and Go Girl in a sampling campaign reaching over 160,000 young fans. “We have very high expectations for Disney Wikkeez,” Kira Mutimer, assistant brand manager at Vivid, told ToyNews. “We have secured excellent distribution for the brand and we will also be running a commercial in the back to school season to make sure that Wikkeez is making a noise during this key period. “We are hoping that the back to school season will help to fuel a Wikkeez craze and become a new playground must have.”

Aimed at kids aged ﬁve to nine, Disney Wikkeez features a mix of popular Disney characters. The ﬁrm aims to drive the collectability of the range with new additions tying in with the latest Disney blockbusters, as well as a host of new faces to feature in its upcoming Series Two launch. “The key for a successful collectable is to keep bringing appealing characters into the mix,” continued Mutimer. “We are thrilled to be working on a future series and will be launching new collections in both spring/ summer and autumn/ winter 2015.” Vivid: 01483 449944

Nenuco are sure to be front of mind to fans everywhere this Christmas,” said Nikki Jeffrey, UK marketing manager at Famosa (right). As well as TV spots, Famosa will be supporting the brands with print advertising and PR activity. This will include a full supplement magazine for Pinypon and cross promotion with parenting press for Nenuco. Famosa UK: 01623 237433 www.toynews-online.biz

NEWS

Countdown begins to Dream Toys 2014 The 12 days of Christmas will be the theme for this year’s event, taking place on November 5th By Samantha Loveday THE TEAM behind Dream Toys is aiming to make this year’s event the best yet, with a new theme and more categories than before. The annual pre-Christmas industry showcase will take place on Wednesday, November 5th at St Mary’s church in Marylebone, London. This year’s theme will be the 12 days of Christmas. There will be more categories than in 2013, but like last year, these will be PR-led rather than the traditional toy categories. The top 12 – rather than ten – has also been mooted to make a comeback. “We’ve taken on board more comments this year from the manufacturers having discussed the theme with them,” Dean Barrett from the Dream Toys press office told ToyNews.

“Dream Toys is a collaborative event, which I think gives it the edge over the other preview events. We’re not working to any agendas, just retailers and

manufacturers working together to create a list and an event that accurately reﬂects the market. “The team behind Dream Toys work really hard to

make each year better than the last one – our goal is to be the best every time. At the end of the day, the toys are the stars of the show,” Barrett continued.

Gary Grant, chair of the Dream Toys committee, added: “Why Dream Toys? Well, we are independent, not sponsored by batteries or any other special interest group. You can’t buy your way into Dream Toys. “It’s all about both sides of the industry working together to achieve a common goal which is to positively promote toys in the run up to the peak season, and where we attempt to capture some of that magic that makes Christmas so special. “We achieve this together in a way that we cannot achieve separately, and it’s the collaborative nature of Dream Toys that makes it worthwhile and something rather special,” Grant added. Dream Toys Press Office: 020 7269 7900

Usborne targets toy sector with latest incentive Publisher has created bespoke FSDU for its new Slot-Together Castle kit

By Samantha Loveday USBORNE PUBLISHING is looking to target toy retailers with its latest launch – the Slot-Together Castle kit. An all-in-one, ‘no extras required’ kit, children simply remove the sturdy foam board pieces from the box and follow the instructions to build their own model castle, complete with two armies of knights. A book about life in a castle is also included,

featuring suggestions of games that can be played with the castle. As a further incentive, Usborne is offering a bespoke free standing display unit which holds 15 copies/kits at £25 each, free with a stock order of 15 copies or more. The ﬁrm said that it expects retailers to restock several times over during the Christmas season. It offers discounts starting at 40 per cent, however it

can offer 50 per cent for any retailer who quotes ‘ToyNews’ to their rep when ordering. “We are interested in working with all toy retailers,” said Anna Howorth, marketing and publicity manager at Usborne Publishing. “We are a preferred supplier to Toymaster and we already deal with a lot of independents. “The Slot-Together Castle is a traditional

toy that will delight and amaze customers. We are expecting these to ﬂy off the shelves this Christmas. “This is the perfect addition to any toy shop who wants to create the wonder and magic of a traditional Christmas with traditional toys, that will provide hours of entertainment and education with no batteries, screens or sound effects.” Usborne Publishing: 020 8636 3734

Let it Go! Frozen Cards Available Now view our complete range at

www.cartamundi.com Units 8 - 17 Sandhurst, Kings Road, Charﬂeets Industrial Estate, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 0QY. Tel: 01268 511522, Fax: 01268 513109 or e-mail retail@cartamundi.co.uk become a fan at www.facebook.com/CartamundiUK

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September 07

CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH / PLAYTIME

Zoomer

The Zoomer family of interactive pets is growing with the introduction of Boomer the Zoomer Dino and Zoomer Zuppies, and Spin Master has put together a heavyweight campaign encompassing TV, online, PR and in-store activity CONTACT Spin Master: 01628 535000 www.zoomerpup.com/www.zoomerdino.com THIS YEAR sees Spin Master introduce the next generation of interactive pets. Boomer the Zoomer Dino and Zoomer Zuppies join Zoomer to offer an expanded range of innovative tech toys. Coming to life through movement, sensor technology and voice command, the Zoomer family represents a new era in robotic pets. Boomer can chase, chomp, guard and roar, and

balances on two wheels using True Balance Technology. The robotic dino can be operated by the control pod or can be left to roam freely to express his curious nature. It also has the ability to sense objects ahead of him and react accordingly, and can be trained by hand gestures to sit, speak and whip his tail. Boomer has six eye colour changes which he uses to express his moods.

Zoomer, meanwhile, is an interactive pup that can be taught over 60 tricks including speak, sit, lay down, rollover, shake a paw and more. He responds to touch and has lifelike expressions and voice activated commands. Finally, Zoomer Zuppies are interactive portable pups with lights, sounds and sensors. They need to be nurtured to discover and unlock their individual secret tricks.

ONLINE To complement the TV activity, the Zoomer family will be brought to life through a detailed and immersive digital campaign on Nickelodeon and Disney websites, which will deliver over one million impressions. This will feature targeted pre-roll, homepage takeovers, MPU advertising and interactive features. Activity will also appear across a breadth of social media platforms. DEDICATED WEBSITES Zoomerpup.com will be the online home to both Zoomer and Zoomer Zuppies, while Zoomer Dino will have his own dedicated website at Zoomerdino.com. A range of interactive content and information will be available to educate both the child and the parent. New tricks and teaser videos will also be released throughout the year. RETAIL & PR Spin Master will ensure that the Zoomer family achieves stand out in-store, while Zoomer Dino will be brought to life at demonstrations in-store throughout the UK. To complement the launch campaign, standout PR activity is planned to include key toy awards, TV appearances and inﬂuential gadget press, with more secrets to be revealed through the year.

TV Zoomer, Zoomer Zuppies and Zoomer Dino will each star in their own high impact TV campaigns, delivering over 2,500 TVRs in total. Running from the beginning of September through to Christmas, each campaign will highlight the individual characters, features and personalities.

Playtime

Generation Media shines a spotlight on the peaks and troughs of ad pressure in the toys and games market for this year compared to 2013

‘RISE AND FALL’: AD PRESSURE IN THE TOYS & GAMES MARKET YoY % Change in CH Eq. TVRs

15.9 9.0

Source: BARB 2014

8.5 5.8

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

YTD -6.5

-10 -11.4 -20

-20.2

-30 -31.0 -40

The above chart illustrates ad pressure in the toys and games market in 2014 vs 2013. The market as always is benchmarked against 30” TVRs.

Ad pressure in the toys and games market was down 6.5 per cent from January to July 2014 vs 2013. The largest growth year on year so far has been in

June. This can potentially be attributed to licence support for the latest instalment of the Transformers franchise by Hasbro.

The total year-on-year decline is, in part, due to advertisers such as Hasbro (overall) and LEGO decreasing their TV ad support year-on-year.

However, the number of products in 2014 has increased since the same period in 2013 (303 vs 268). This suggests that although there are more products on air, their support behind each has been reduced. For example, the second largest campaign for January to July 2014 was LEGO Friends delivering 843 CH Eq. TVRs. This campaign is 15 per cent less than their advertising support in 2013 (995 CH Eq. TVRs). This was also the case for LEGO Chima (40 per cent down and LEGO City (14 per cent down).

Toy News PlayTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 255 4650 | www.generationmedia.co.uk 08 September

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NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties

Loom boom bolsters market throughout July

July 2014

THE UK toy market continued growing in July with ten out of 11 super categories in growth, driving total value up six per cent and volume 20 per cent compared to July 2013. Action figures saw growth with both value and volume increasing, with the Transformers: Age of Extinction film release and related toy sales contributing significantly. How To Train Your Dragon 2 also helped add to sales for July. Arts and crafts, however, was the strongest growing area with an impressive 69 per cent value increase for the month, driven by the phenomenal success of the Loom Band craze. Four out of the top five best selling items in arts and crafts were loom related items across a number of different brands. The low price point of the Loom Band refills has helped tap into the pocket money purchase. Year to date the under £3 price point is the fastest growing price segment with sales up 25 per cent with LEGO Minifigures, FIFA World Cup Stickers and LEGO Mixels all top selling items with relatively low price points.

Best item progression Loom Twisters Friendship Loom Bands Set (Large) The H Grossman product enjoyed a storming month, climbing from number 665 in June to number seven in July.

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

Other price points also in growth include £10 to £15, which is the next fastest growing price point with sales up £10.2m on the same period of 2013. This includes some of the Loom Band starter kits as well as LEGO sets, Chill Factor Slushy Maker and pre-school tablet software. “Playground crazes and fads have always been a key driver of volume in the UK toy market,” said Jez Fraser-Hook, practice director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. “This year has seen a strong mix of items at a pocket money price

point that appeal to all age ranges and genders – from stickers to Loom Bands to collectable ranges. In the past, the long summer holidays can disrupt sales of these crazes as children are away from their usual peer group. “It will be interesting to see which crazes continue to appeal after the school holidays are over and school starts again. “Hopefully, there will continue to be demand for these fast selling, high volume items or the next playground craze will arrive to continue to drive sales for this year.”

YTD 2013

YTD 2014

+6%

Source: NPD

Average toy price July ’13: £7.32

July ’14: £6.46

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

July 2014 (Unit sales – volume)

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Official Stickers

Panini

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION FLIP N CHANGE

ALL SURFACE SWINGBALL

THE SIMPSONS MINIFIGURES

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Official Stickers

Panini

HASBRO

MATCH ATTAX ENGLAND 2014 TRADING CARDS

MOOKIE TOYS

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

LEGO

THE SIMPSONS MINIFIGURES

CRA-Z-LOOM BRACELET MAKER CHARACTER OPTIONS

DISNEY FROZEN STICKER COLLECTION

DISNEY FROZEN SPARKLE DOLL ELSA/KRISTOFF MATTEL

LEGO MIXELS

LOOM TWISTERS FRIENDSHIP LOOM BANDS SET (LARGE) H GROSSMAN

DESIGNER LOOM BAND PACK 300 PIECES

TRANSFORMERS ONE STEP MAGIC

HASBRO

PLAY-DOH CLASSIC 4 PACK

COZY COUPE 30TH ANNIVERSARY MGA ENTERTAINMENT

MOSHI MONSTERS BLIND BAG ASSORTMENT

10. LEAPPAD EXPLORER

LEAPFROG

10. WCS BRAZIL TRADING CARDS

TOPPS MATTEL LEGO PANINI LEGO HTI HASBRO VIVID PANINI

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

September 11

APPOINTMENTS

Industry moves This month, DKL Marketing welcomes brace, Professor Puzzle bolsters its team, Mookie conﬁrms new sales hires, HTI UK MD resigns, Clark promoted at Re:creation and Panini stars as ToyNews’ Team of the Month TEAM OF THE MONTH Who’s in the team? Our Panini UK team consists of Mike Riddell, our marketing director; Alan O’Keefe, managing editor; Jessica Tadmor, head of marketing; Paul Dobson, CFO; Rebecca Smith, head of circulation; and Mark Irvine, head of production. Around 30 additional full time staff in accounts, marketing, design and editorial all work to produce a publishing schedule across magazines, comics and more. What have been your biggest successes in the last year? It has to be our FIFA World

Cup sticker collection. It’s the biggest selling collectable in the UK this last decade. It took the UK by storm and captured the imaginations and hearts of young and old. We should also mention the success of our Disney Frozen sticker collection and our recent launches of Doc McStuffins and Soﬁa the First Magazine. What are you working on at the moment? We have just launched our third One Direction sticker collection and we are gearing up for Disney Planes Fire and Rescue and Disney Princess sticker collection launches.

HTI UK managing director MARK WALLS has resigned from his position at the ﬁrm. Walls (pictured left) has worked for HTI for a number of years and has overseen signiﬁcant changes to the company. He has left to pursue interests outside of the toy industry. “Mark has been a real asset to the business and during my short time

DKL MARKETING The ﬁrm has bolstered its sales and marketing team with two new hires. SIAN KELLY (left) has joined as sales executive to manage current customers, as well as growing the ﬁrm’s business across all ranges it distributes.

12 September

Meanwhile, FAREL WILLIAMS has joined as marketing and social media assistant, to control the world of social media at all levels and grow the consumer and trade PR. MGA The company has bolstered its business across EMEA with the appointment of a new brand development manager.

PANINI October sees the launch of our UEFA Champions League sticker collection and trading cards, too. Hardest part of working in the toy industry? The toy industry is fast paced and ever changing. Luckily in publishing we’re geared up to react quite quickly to new trends and hot licences, but it means we need to constantly keep our eyes on the ball. And what’s the best? It’s fun and people genuinely have a passion for the industry. We are all big kids at heart, working to deliver products that put a smile on a child’s face.

working with him, he has impressed me with his passion and dedication to the business,” commented CHRIS SPALDING, CEO of HTI Group. “Mark has decided that the time is right for him to pursue other business opportunities and we wish him every success for the future.” HTI is now actively seeking a replacement for the role. ALEXANDRA BARLTROP will manage the marketing support service for MGA’s distributors and EMEA direct sales teams. She will also advise on strategic development for the ﬁrm’s brands. Barltrop has worked for a host of well-known brands, including Avon, Travis Perkins and Extensis. EMEA MD, ANDREW LAUGHTON believes Barltrop brings a wealth of valuable strategic knowledge to MGA.

Who’s the team joker? ‘Team joker’ needs to become ‘team jokers’ and this accolade goes to our design and editorial teams. They have a penchant for wrapping desks and computers in foil and slapping Panini stickers onto unsuspecting colleagues. RE:CREATION REBECCA CLARK has been promoted to the role of brand manager. Having joined the ﬁrm in 2011, Clark will continue to work with brands including Zip Stix, LEGO Lights and Fun Loom. Her role will now expand to include the ﬁrm’s recently acquired range of Magic Choc products. IMC TOYS In line with the company’s current ambitious expansion plans, IMC Toys has appointed KIRSTEN HENRIKSEN as its new marketing manager. This is a newly created position and demonstrates a pivotal appointment for the firm, with desire to grow the business over the next few years.

Finally, who on the Panini UK team makes the best cup of tea? We are surrounded by pantone books and it’s a constant competition as to who can achieve optimum perfection. No one has done so yet, so that award is still open for the taking. CARTE BLANCHE GROUP The group has welcomed CHRIS RAINBOW as head of independent sales. Rainbow spent 19 years at The Wrigley Company, in a number of senior positions. PROFESSOR PUZZLE Former Coiledspring Games executive STEPHEN WOODMAN has joined the UK puzzle specialists. Woodman spent nearly three years with the firm, heading up its sales department. There he grew the existing client relationships through service experience, as well as developing new client relationships. MOOKIE A trio of new hires has significantly expanded the firm’s sales team. CLAIRE LYNSKEY has joined as international account manager, while JESSICA MOUNT and RAY HUGHES have both come on board as national account managers.

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OPINION

Paying the price Steve Reece shines a spotlight at the cost of the everyday decisions which have the power to shape a company, including taking on licences, testing products or taking a risk THE LONGER you spend in this industry, the more you hear the same old grumbles. Our industry has a ﬁxed cycle, with many features of doing business that are challenging on an ongoing, timeless basis. Sometimes it appears that the casual moan about the day-to-day grind (magniﬁed during toy fair season) can become a failure to appreciate what the building blocks of success are. In short, there is usually a price to pay for any initiative, product launch, licence, acquisition, etc that a company undertakes. There is also a price to pay from an individual perspective also.

If you want to work in a fun industry with great people, and products which make your friends and family jealous on an

The reality is there is a price to pay for every decision we make – whether it’s a decision to accept the status quo

If you want the quick sales boost which successful licences can give your business, part of the price you have to pay is upfront guaranteed payments and less proﬁt. ongoing basis, the rough comes with the smooth. Sometimes the boss is an idiot (no names mentioned), sometimes the company you work for goes through hard times, cutbacks or fails, to promote your needs above its own.

and stay where you are despite its imperfections, or a decision to take a risk and move on somewhere new. A couple of practical examples of paying the price: if you want the quick sales boost which

successful licences can give your business, part of the price you have to pay is upfront guaranteed payments and less proﬁt, plus draining guarantee shortfalls. You will also have to spend time, resources and often money satisfying the third party brand owner you licence from. On the ﬂip side, if you choose not to pay the price of being a licence-driven business in order to build a business based on your own brand IP or on a generic offering, then you avoid jumping through hoops for licensors, but the price you pay is a harder sell to retail. If you don’t test your products before shipping

– either QA testing or consumer research, you take a big chance. Over the course of time are likely to end up paying a heavier price by way of failed certiﬁcation, missed shipments, product recalls, product launch failures and obsolete inventory costs. So beware – for every decision you take, you need to be aware of the price that needs to be paid for the direction you head in.

Steve Reece runs a leading consultancy delivering consumer research and manufacturing sourcing services to toy & game companies. Contact him via: www.KidsBrandInsight.com

In defence of Christmas in July miPR’s Kirsty Barr responds to Peter Jenkinson’s assessment of the festive event from the last issue, and answers David Smith’s piece opposite, with her very own festive top ten 1. WE HAD a record turnout this year to our miChristmas Open House event, including national media, lifestyle media, broadcast and bloggers. We didn’t have one complaint from any journalists who attended. That speaks for itself. 2. We have already secured coverage in the November issue of Good Housekeeping for one client from their in-house writer who attended our event. We also got exposure on MSN. com for The Entertainer, which was seen by three million people. That’s not to be sniffed at either. 3. Yes we tied in a retailer, our client The Entertainer,

but that wasn’t the be-alland-end-all for the media who came to our house. They saw a variety of products across multiple categories (not just toys) and left with a multitude of media angles that could span the editorial calendar between now and December 25th. Our job is to help them create their stories and we believe we achieved that. 4. If we didn’t get the results for our clients (and non-clients) we wouldn’t ﬂog a dead horse. The formula works for us and the media at large wouldn’t turn up if it didn’t serve a purpose for them.

5. Doing something different each year is key. In 2013 we held a second day of the event speciﬁcally targeting families with children. This year we secured a large venue in the middle of Central London which was one minute walk away from a mainline station and three tube lines. We’re already planning 2015 which will be different once again. 6. Quality and variety counts for everything. A quality event with a variety of brands. A half-hearted attempt with little on show doesn’t make for media satisfaction. 7. And if you link it back to the client, not charging

them the earth but delivering an event which is affordable and slick is paramount. 8. Based on this year’s event, we already have two conﬁrmed attendees for 2015, one of whom came to ‘vet’ this year’s house. They obviously liked what they saw. And, since you mentioned it in your piece Peter, we did away with mince pies and posh nosh two years ago. In came fresh nibbles to munch on for those in a hurry, and this year speciﬁcally when the sun came out and gave us the hottest day of the year to date, we upped our quantities of thirstquenching drinks.

9. We believe there is a place for independent media Christmas events. The media who came to our event planned their day amongst others also being held. I didn’t hear of any grumbles from them, or you, when you dropped in late that afternoon, especially considering the heat. 10. We will be back in 2015 and have every expectation that the good reputation our event has garnered since we ﬁrst introduced it in 2012 means it will yet again achieve a strong lineup of (happy) exhibitors and an even larger line-up of (happy) media attendees. Merry Christmas!

Kirsty Barr is managing director of miPR. She can be contacted on: Kirsty.Barr@mi-pr.co.uk

14 September

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OPINION

Evolution event is much missed David Smith laments the demise of Evolution PR’s Christmas in July and, having missed out on January’s Toy Fair, explains why he’s felt detached from the industry this year FOR THE ﬁrst time since I launched ToyTalk, there has been no Christmas in July to get excited about. I am well aware that there have been other events staged this year, all very useful in their own right, but I’m talking about the event staged by Evolution PR, which acted as a kind of mini toy fair in the middle of the year and helped us all to get geared up for the big push to Christmas. I was always a huge fan of this. Just as the year started to lose momentum, you would get a welcome boost, with a good selection of companies showcasing new products due to launch in the autumn.

It was a great way of keeping in touch with familiar faces, meeting a few new ones and having a chat with other journalists in the ﬁeld. The ﬁrst few times I attended Christmas in July, it was held at the Hellenic Centre, and I clearly remember some of the highlights. Having a go at the new Rubik’s 360, trying out the Hive game from Tantrix and marvelling at the Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Car from Spin Master. The event moved to the Camden Centre for the last few years, where soaring temperatures made the huge fans the best place to hang-out between visits to the various stands.

It was always a little incongruous to see Christmas decorations and munch on a mince pie while wrestling with the

It was always buzzing with visitors when I attended, and from a journalist’s viewpoint it served a very useful

It was a great way of keeping in touch with familiar faces, meeting a few new ones and having a chat with other journalists in the ﬁeld. summertime heat, but if the Aussies can manage it, then so can we, and there was a rather charming air of British eccentricity about the whole thing. All of this meant I was very disappointed to hear that Evolution was shelving the event this year.

Evolution has said there are plans for a new event, and I’ll await news on that with interest, but my big wish would be for them to ﬁnd a way to make their July showcase work again. This is one industry where Christmas shouldn’t come just once a year.

purpose (and you got a very impressive goody bag at the end of the day as well). Add this to the fact that I was unable to attend the Toy Fair in January and I’ve felt strangely detached from the industry all year.

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

We’re big fans of animal testing Big Potato’s Tristan Hyatt-Williams explains why he’s all for ‘animal testing’ when it comes to creating games, but don’t worry, he doesn’t mean forcing a chimp to play Linkee OKAY, BEFORE you steam round to my house and firebomb it for being totally evil, let me explain myself. By testing, I mean game testing, and by animals, I mean willing human guinea pigs. There’s no better way to iron out any flabby bits and make sure you’ve got a great game on your hands. Before we launched our first game, Linkee, we tested it on hundreds of people before we were happy with the gameplay and convinced it was good enough. But then we had years to tweak and dabble because we didn’t have a deadline to hit. We were just doing it for fun back then. Now we make games for a living (our parents still

have trouble getting their heads around this) we don’t have the luxury of time, and we can’t afford to get it wrong. To ensure our new games are good enough we went in search of guinea pigs. Luckily, we didn’t have to go as far as South America to ﬁnd them because there are loads of enthusiastic ones here in London who were only too willing to come over and let us experiment on them. The promise of a few beers, some carrot sticks and a bit of cash was all we needed to get them over and playing. Since putting out those initial feelers, we have now assembled a crack team of

over a hundred guinea pigs who we can call on at a moments notice to give our games a proper mauling.

These testing sessions have proven to be invaluable. At every one our games

get a little better, tighter, more simpliﬁed. The guinea pigs are not just great sounding boards,

they come up with excellent solutions too. And we don’t just test the games on them, we canvas their opinion on the game design, name, strapline, target audience, rules, box and so on.

All games on the market must have been tested to a certain degree but playing a few new ones recently, you do wonder how much was really done. Many have too many pieces, are too complicated and could sell themselves better. It’s always a nervewracking experience having strangers play your game for the ﬁrst time in case they hate it. But to make sure it’s in tip-top shape before it goes to market, my advice is: get yourself some guinea pigs. We did and our games are far better for it. In fact we might even write on the box: thoroughly tested on animals. And they enjoyed every moment of it. Mostly.

Tristan Hyatt-Williams spent 15 years working undercover as a copywriter in a number of London agencies before he made his ninja-like move in 2014 into the games world, jumping ship with his long-suffering art director Ben and fellow ad man, Dean. Their ﬁrst title was Linkee. They have three more titles coming out this year.

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September 15

“Everything is possible” ‘Work hard, be passionate and learn your trade’. That’s the advice of Gerbie Quilter, sales director of Vivid’s toy division, to women just starting their career in the industry. Samantha Loveday gets an audience with the 2014 ToyNews Woman of the Year Can you run through your career history in toys? I began my career in 1991 with Ideal Toys in sales where Ken Stroud and Jag Singh gave me my ﬁrst opportunity. In 1996 I moved to Playmates Toys, managing the sales and operations teams, where I had one of the best toy sales teams. In October 1999 I joined MV Sports and managed the sales admin team and a number of national accounts including Argos and Woolworths. In October 2003 my journey started at Vivid Imaginations as business development manager. I was over the moon, I had arrived at the Premier League! This was a very exciting time at Vivid as we had just acquired licensing rights to Bratz Dolls in the UK; we already had a strong market share in the boys sector with Spiderman and WWE. In 2004 I progressed through to general sales manager of the gift division. I have been very fortunate to have had the pleasure to experience a number of craze products like the Crazy Frog and latterly Bratz and Moshi Monsters. Three years later, I was promoted to

be fully recognised was very rewarding. This is a position I take very seriously, I am a big believer in people and strong leadership.

colleagues, entrepreneurs and peers, and get insights to their issues and successes experienced from day to day and across their careers.

What are your main dayto-day responsibilities at Vivid? How large is the team that you manage? In the toy division I am responsible for achieving divisional sales and proﬁt goals in line with the company targets and providing top-level management information. I manage a sales team of four: a sales controller and three national account managers. As well as managing the sales team, I’m there to help and guide them on achieving their individual goals and targets. I’m also responsible for managing the Tesco account, which I really enjoy; it’s great fun especially when you work together with a team of good buyers. We are currently presenting SS15 lines but have our eyes ﬁrmly on AW14 which has just launched; we have a large portfolio of brands across girls, boys, pre-school and outdoor. One of the most exciting items this year is

Why is it so important for women to promote their achievements? It’s great for women to be recognised in business. It’s inspirational to have the spotlight on women across all levels, to share in their trials and tribulations gives you a sense of what can be achieved.

Being promoted to sales director of the toy division was a real highlight of my career. Gerbie Quilter, Vivid general sales manager of the Vivid Toy Division. In 2010 we restructured the UK senior sales team and I was promoted to sales director of the toy division which was a real highlight of my career. Finally all the sheer hard work, commitment and dedication paid off and to www.toynews-online.biz

My Friend Cayla, she has been designed to be a girl’s best friend – she acts and responds like a real person. We also have a very cool item called Sparkup, the magical book reader; it’s a revolutionary device that clips directly onto any picture book and reads it aloud in your voice, it has

In an industry which is traditionally seen as male dominated, do you think that women are under represented? I think there are lots of great successful women in the toy industry, but I don’t believe their success is highlighted. Again, this is changing thanks to some of the great initiatives.

sounds effects and special touches that will ignite a child’s imagination. What has been your biggest challenge over the past 12 months? One of the biggest challenges in today’s demanding market place is this year’s selection process which has generally taken longer than in previous years. This has given us extra pressure on the FE factories, with lead-times, forecasting and general planning, making it harder to meet our customer’s needs.

How does it feel to be ToyNews’ ﬁrst Woman of the Year? Once I got over the initial surprise (it took quite a while), it was absolutely amazing and I feel really honoured to receive the very ﬁrst award. I would have loved to have shared it with my mum, who would have been very proud. What did you think of the event itself? I thoroughly enjoyed the day and it’s a great forum for peer to peer networking. It’s valuable taking time out of a busy schedule to talk to

What changes have you seen when it comes to the roles women are taking in the toy business? When I started there were lots of women in the toy business – they tend to be the backbone of a company, sales support, marketing, customer services, which are key vital roles. At the time there were a handful of female directors. Over the last ten years we have made great strides; there are many women in top jobs and we are better represented throughout the industry which is inspiring to see where we have come and how much we can still achieve. What advice would you give to ladies just starting out on their career? Work hard, be passionate, learn your trade and everything is possible. September 17

The inaugural Women of the Year networking lunch took place at BAFTA in July. A celebration of the female role models in our industry, Samantha Loveday reviews the event and explains why it will become a key part of the UK calendar “I JUST can’t believe this is me!” The words of Gerbie Quilter, sales director at Vivid Imaginations, when she discovered she was the ﬁrst ever recipient of the ToyNews Woman of the Year award. Over 100 execs from the industry – both male and female – headed to BAFTA on Thursday, July 24th to see Quilter crowned; and judging by the reaction in the room, the right woman won. When we launched our search for the Top 100 women in the UK toy business back in January,

we were overwhelmed by the reaction we received. We originally set out to ﬁnd 50, but – as the nominations kept rolling in – it soon became clear we wouldn’t be able to stop there. Of course, we recognise, too, that there are many more who didn’t feature in our list. In fact, even if we’d dedicated the entire magazine to it, we still wouldn’t have been able to include them all. What was particularly encouraging is that the majority of the nominations we received for our Top

100 were from women suggesting other women. It was clear from the swell of support for the piece that women still need and want to see other women role models. I certainly had one when I started my career in journalism, in the form of Lisa Carter, who is still my publisher (and role model) today. Why does there need to be a standalone women’s awards? Well, leaving aside the gender equality arguments, why shouldn’t we recognise our female role models? Seeing other high achieving

women in the business – whether that’s in sales, marketing, PR, logistics, manufacturing or retail – can only inspire those just starting out on their careers in the industry. For her part, Vivid’s Quilter received the largest number of nominations by far. Words such as ‘vibrant’, ‘driven’, ‘inspirational’, ‘dedication and commitment’, ‘passion’ and ‘energy’ all cropped up frequently. Her CEO, Paul Weston, told us: “There really is no one else quite like her in the entire industry.

“We’re very lucky and extremely proud to have her on our team.” In short, Quilter epitomises everything that we were trying to highlight when we launched the event. To all of you who came along to BAFTA, thank you so much, we really do appreciate your support as we look to grow Women of the Year even further. For those who couldn’t make it along, we hope to see you next time, and take a look at the images on these pages to see just what you missed.

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS ToyNews Women of the Year was held in association with Women in Toys. We would also like to thank our sponsors: Gameplan Europe, SuperAwesome, Fundamentally Children and Norton & Co. IN ASSOCIATION WITH

18 September

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Dedicated monthly retail coverage

Wearable tech to run away with it this Christmas Our Retail Advisory Board is conﬁdent the sector will take off this Q4, but some retailers remain wary By Robert Hutchins WEARABLE TECH is destined for a phenomenal Christmas this year, but won’t be overshadowing tablets just yet, according to the ToyNews Retail Advisory Board. While it’s not a trend to have taken the adult world by storm thus far, LeapFrog and VTech are leading the children’s wearable tech sector, with smartwatches featuring in retailers’ top toy lists for Christmas across the country. “I think the products from LeapFrog and VTech will sell well on the back of being really great toys,” The Entertainer’s Stuart Grant told ToyNews. “At between £30 and £40, the price points are really strong, and with their level of play value, we expect them to be phenomenal sellers this year.” But despite the early praises for the sector, retailers won’t be clearing their shelves of tablets just yet. “Tablets have certainly had their peak and life has moved on slightly,” added Grant. “But I don’t think tablets are going away.” Argos’ trading manager of toys and nursery, Linzi

Walker, echoes Grant, believing tablets still have an important role to play this coming festive season. “We haven’t got a tablet on the range this year, but I think they will still be very important for this Christmas,” she explained. “The big brands are still bringing out the latest technology, and there are some new tablets coming out from them this Christmas.” Argos is also certainly championing the children’s wearable tech movement this year, with both LeapFrog’s LeapBand and VTech’s KidiZoom Smart

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Stuart Grant, The Entertainer

Fiona Murray-Young, Toys R Us

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Linzi Walker, Argos

Watch making its Christmas predictions list. However, not all are convinced about the longevity of the wearable tech sector, as some retailers believe it will eventually succumb to the price slashing that the tablet market has suffered in recent years. “I am a big fan of the VTech and LeapFrog offerings. I believe their toys help kids learn and progress,” said Brian Simpson, manager of ToyTown. “However, when I got my ﬁrst glimpse of the watches and bands, I did

think it had been taken a step too far. I do believe these items will sell well, but I can directly relate them to tablets. “Tablets were a great piece of innovation that our trade managed to ruin with price wars. My fear is that this would be the case for these bands and watches, too.” And Simpson isn’t alone in his fears, as indie retailer, Helen Gourley, owner of Scottish toy store ToyHub, believes the larger companies will always dominate the market. “In our personal experience we leave these

kind of items to the larger companies,” she explained. “Inevitably they will be marked down in price or discounted in some way. So while early signs suggest that the sector is in for a successful Christmas, opinions are mixed as to whether wearable tech has the staying power to really last the distance. “I can’t help but have a gut feeling that says wearable tech is a passing fad,” continued Simpson. “We sell the same quantities of Monopoly, Action Figures, etc each year. These are the staples of the toy industry. “Items billed as ‘the next big thing’ are often wiped out by the next one that comes along.” That said, retailers looking towards Q4 are cheered by the prospects of a successful Christmas, spurred by an exciting lineup of tech. “The industry has got a phenomenal line-up of products this Christmas, with some really innovative and clever toys,” added The Entertainer’s Grant. “I think most people will have a pretty good end to the year, thanks to the product coming out.”

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

September 29

ANATOMY OF A BLOCKBUSTER TOY

Anatomy of a blockbuster toy: Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag Mega Brands’ European marketing manager Peter Fuller tells Billy Langsworthy why its bag of building blocks has been the UK’s number one best selling line in Junior Construction every year since 2008 MEGA BLOKS enjoyed a great start to the year when it was crowned the number one Junior Construction Brand in the UK. The toy company also held on to its titles as number one Junior Construction Manufacturer and number one Junior Construction Item in the form of its First Builders Big Building Bag. Upon launching in Canada back in 1983, the ﬁrst Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag laid the foundations of what would fast become

30 September

a huge hit within the construction sector. A top seller at retail globally, the First Builders Big Building Bag has been the number one bestselling line in Junior Construction in the UK each year since 2008, and its success shows no sign of slowing down. “The Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag is part of the very ﬁrst building toy system for toddlers and pre-schoolers that opens up into a wonderful and engaging journey of creativity, learning and imagination,” Peter Fuller, European marketing manager at Mega Brands UK, tells ToyNews. The First Builders Big Building Bag continues to carve a name for itself in the

annual bestselling toy lists, and 2013 was no exception. Fuller continues: “Last year, the bag sold 165,000 units at retail in the UK alone (NPD UK Dec 13 YTD), making our Bag that year one of the top 50 bestselling lines across the total market. “Furthermore, it’s appeared in UK market wide top 50 best sellers for no less than 15 months since the start of 2012. “In total, in the last ten years, we have sold more than 14.5 million bags globally to the world’s best retailers.” So for such a simple concept, how has the product established itself as such a hit with children and parents alike?

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ANATOMY OF A BLOCKBUSTER TOY “Children need to perfect their motor skills and coordination in order to effectively beneﬁt from using technology for educational purposes,” says Fuller. “I think parents recognise the need for developmental improvement in dexterity and hand-eye coordination. That’s something a traditional toy can deliver over technology. “It has big colourful bricks for dexterity and developing motor skills, and its colours are appealing and eye catching to young children,” adds Fuller. “Its USP is its size - there’s nothing else like it on the market.” Emphasising endless building possibilities, learning and achievement, the First Builders Big Building Bag has been designed to inspire creative and imaginative play. Fuller also believes its price point offers parents value for money, another key reason behind the success of the First Builders Big Building Bag. “The Bag is a success because parents recognise the toy as something which is going to last their child and give their child hours of play through the various developmental stages over a number of years, thus it

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“It appeals to kids because it’s fun, while the learning element appeals to parents.” Having spent over ﬁve years as the UK’s number one best selling line in Junior Construction, what’s next for the product? Fuller adds: “The branding is focused on storytelling and the Big Building Bag packaging is refreshed on a regular basis

in line with the Mega Bloks First Builders range. “A new packaging style this autumn/winter will see a fresh new look focusing on the size of the brick, which is a key point of difference for our range. “It is also key product in our 365 degree marketing plans for the brand, including everyday TV coverage on the number one pre-school channel, Disney Junior.”

represents great value for money,” adds Fuller. “It also teaches key skills, and has handy storage built in to keep the house tidy when play time is over. There is an emphasis on free building, which develops imagination. The design of the First Builders Big Building Bag gives children a look at what’s inside through a clear window, a factor which allows parents to see exactly what they’ll be buying, whilst simultaneously allowing children a glimpse at what they could soon be building and creating with. The First Builders Big Building Bag is as traditional a toy as they come, but with tech toys dominating several ‘top toys for Christmas lists’ this year, has Mega Bloks been tempted to introduce technology to its bestselling Bag?

September 31

INDEPENDENT SURVEY

How does trading compare to the same time last year? ToyShop UK asks its lists how business is going this year compared to back in 2013

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Debra Scanlon Lootybag “We’re doing better than last year because of a number of factors: Better website, better SEO and therefore hits to results ratio. This year we’ve had more repeat custom and more product choice.” Samantha Heywood-Cox All 5 Senses “Online business is not going the way I had hoped and I had opted to take less stalls to promote this.” Duncan Conner Bus Stop Toy Shop “We’re about 25 per cent up this year. It’s all down to diversifying the business though; toys are running about steady on last year.” Rodney Mills Cobblers Collectables “We’re down due to recession and increased internet trading.”

32 September

Tracie Peacock-Quinney Ella’s Toy Shop “Now we have been open a few years we have had more conﬁdence in expanding our outdoor toy range, something in the past we have been hesitant to do and kept to a minimum. The expansion into outdoor toys has proved popular and has increased our sales dramatically. As we opened our second shop in Stow on the Wold, we have found there is a change in customer needs and have had to adapt our product range to suit this new market. Having the two shops means we can move stock freely, giving us more freedom to buy stock and this prevents stock being sat around for too long. With both shops people seem to be spending more than in past years and we have seen an upturn in spend per head.

Hopefully this represents the changing ﬁnancial climate as well as the products we stock.” Luan Hall Faries ‘N’ Frogs “I think the Loom Band craze has had a huge part to play in my increase in sales over the last quarter. Long may it last.” Julian Shelford Final Frontier “The weather has been fantastic in the West Country, which is great for the beach but not so great for the cities/towns. To be honest the summer has been fairly good for us so far. As a business we have all year round trade so it is only fair that the resorts have their time and the sun takes people to the beach. This month should pick up nicely with the new releases of the movies. If we sold buckets and spades and Loom

Bands, I think we would be skipping to the bank.” Amanda Alexander Giddy Goat Toys “We have been about 20 per cent up every month this year compared against the same months last year. I’m not going to get complacent but do feel a sense of relief that sales are up and cash ﬂow is not the nightmare it was.” Shirley Wardle Jack & Jill’s Wooden Toys “It’s been better as we’ve moved into our own premises and a better location on the High Street since last year.” Charlotte Croser Jollys “Jollys is 50 per cent up on last year’s sales. We moved into our second year of trading in May, so bare in mind that we are a young company gaining new customers every week. www.toynews-online.biz

INDEPENDENT SURVEY 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.

WE’RE NOW way past the half way point in 2014, so it’s time to check in with ToyShop UK’s listers to see how they are doing compared to last year. The good news is that 58 per cent of those asked said that business is better now than at the same point last year. Several indies had expanded and could thank a second shop for the brighter outlook this year, while others had taken risks with different ranges that had paid off. “Now we have been open a few years we have had more conﬁdence in expanding our outdoor toy range, something in the past we have been hesitant to do and kept to a minimum,” said Tracie Peacock-Quinney of Ella’s Toy Shop.

Needless to say we are thrilled with our growth. We have worked hard to refine our offering and spread the Jollys word, and will continue to do so.” Megan Boyce Megan’s Jigsaws “We are up 30 per cent year-on-year turn over. This is mainly down to Facebook campaigns.” Sam Haggett Moving Pictures “We are doing much better than last year but we have moved location and have a lot more footfall on a daily basis, which has definitely helped. Also, we are hosting more themed days with special offers and other activities going on which really helps to give sales a boost. This is definitely a way to get people through the door and spending money with you rather than looking elsewhere.” www.toynews-online.biz

“The expansion into outdoor toys has proved popular and has increased our sales dramatically.” Others believe the strength of crazes such as Loom Bands and the ongoing enthusiasm for all things Frozen is helping make 2014 a year for the indie to remember. Luan Hall of Faries ‘N’ Frogs added: “I think the Loom Band craze has had a huge part to play in my increase in sales over the last quarter. And long may it last.” Helen Gourley, owner of Dunblane-based Toy Hub, has enjoyed a boost this year thanks to the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow. “The Commonwealth Games has had a major impact on our town with more tourists than ever.

Colin Tindall Rainbow Gifts “For the year, we so far have continued to see steady growth, albeit we have seen a dip over the last four weeks. We are hoping for a promising change in August as people come off their annual holiday and begin their shopping for Christmas. Last year we saw this as the turning point and had a fantastic run all the way to the end of the year. For our small independent shop this is when we make our proﬁts to carry us for a full year.” John Wallin Spotty Green Frog “Since we took over the business in 2012 our sales have doubled every year. In 2012 our sales doubled from 2011 levels. In 2013 they doubled again. So far sales for 2014 are up 58 per cent. I put this down to several things.

“This has resulted in an upturn in business even with us operating reduced hours in comparison to last year,” explained Gourley. Elsewhere, 27 per cent of those asked said trading is about the same as last year, while 15 per cent felt trading has been worse this year. Those retailers listed stated online competition as a key factor in worse trading this year, while others felt they couldn’t compete with the larger ﬁrms slashing prices. Samantha Heywood-Cox of All 5 Senses admits that business is not going the way she had hoped, while Mike at ToyZone247 notes the rollercoaster nature of online trading. “The larger online stores are price cutting and we can’t compete,” he said.

Firstly we have traditionally always been a supplier to schools and nurseries. We have hired more sales reps and we have started attending their trade shows more often to increase their awareness of our products. In the last 12 months we have made several presentations at NHS hospitals up and down the country and have started receiving several orders for educational toys and wooden toys for their paediatrics wards. We have also tripled the amount of products that we sell to over 3,000 items. While the public sector still accounts for over 80 per cent of our business, our consumer business has increased from virtually zero to just under 20 per cent. We put this down to parents seeing our products in schools and hospital as well as our growing Internet presence.”

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 does trading compare to the same time last year?

58% – Better 27% – About the same 15% – Worse

Helen Gourley Toy Hub “The Commonwealth Games has had a major impact on our town with more tourists than ever. This has resulted in an upturn in business even with us operating reduced hours in comparison to last year. The Frozen and Loom Band crazes have also helped to drive traffic into the store, which has resulted in higher than average purchases. Frozen products have been so hard to come by that people have started shopping for Christmas already grabbing whatever stock they can when they see it.” Mike ToyZone247 “It’s up and down at the moment. The larger online stores are cutting prices all over the place and we just can’t compete.”

“

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

September 33

INDIE RETAILER FOCUS

The Big Shop At over 60,000 square feet of retail space and interactive displays, The Big Shop (formerly Snetterton Park Models) has been in operation for 15 years. Robert Hutchins talks success with MD Trevor Warner Can you tell us a bit about your store? We are one of East Anglia’s best kept secrets. Born out of The Model and Toy Expo, The Big Shop is exciting and unusual, largely due to its size. We have over 60,000 square feet of floor space, divided into seven halls filled with thousands of toys and loads of displays, including the LEGO Dinosaurs, train layouts, various dioramas, arts, crafts, play areas as well as the World’s Largest Handmade Ship by Bravo Delta. What got you into selling toys? The Big Shop has been developed from the initial idea to build a radiocontrolled racetrack. Over the years, we have added more brands, all of the well known names and we are building more of the lesser known ones, too. I believe that the expansion of general merchandise ranges by the major supermarket chains has had a detrimental effect on the High Street, as well as the small indie shopkeeper. I see The Big Shop as a chance for the indie to fight back with a retail offer and service second to none. 34 September

What kind of toys do you stock and what is your in-store strategy? Our range of stock is arguably among the best in the country. We have the majority of our items on display, out of their boxes and in the many glassfronted cabinets we have in the shop. I am a great believer in letting customers see the products before they buy. We believe that a visit to The Big Shop can very much be a family day out. There is so much to see and do. We are open seven days a week and the shop is often crowded with visitors and shoppers. We get lots of compliments for our store. We had one visitor recently who told us that visiting our shop was like going back to the old days, which was great. Tell us about the local area. We are based in Snetterton, in Norfolk, next to the famous race circuit. The Big Shop is essentially the rebranding of Snetterton Park Models Shop, which has operated from the site for 15 years. Our core business has always been revolved around making shopping a family attraction.

How do you promote to your local community? We are planning a manufacturers’ show for the public to be held in 2015. The site is over 60 acres, so we have plenty of space. The full details are still being worked out, but the event is very likely to begin with a Christmas Toy experience this year. We have begun an advertising campaign on Heart radio which has started to pay dividends in attracting customers who appreciate the opportunity to visit and shop at such a unique shopping destination. Then we have the restaurant, named after Lady Moe a donkey mascot who became famous for completing a ﬂying mission over Germany in the war. What online operations do you guys have? We have a website and sell on Amazon, but our core has always been in bricks and mortar. In the last few months, we have noticed a drop off in online shopping, with customers wanting to see and feel the goods before making a purchase. Being a multi-channel retailer, we were able to adapt and quickly react to this shopping trend. www.toynews-online.biz

GOOD TOY GUIDE

Fun house

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The Good Toy Guide has found itself a new home, designed to be the ‘destination for all things play.’ Robert Hutchins talks to Dr. Amanda Gummer about her new Fundamentally Children banner IT’S TAKEN ten years of hard research, consultancy, development, and of course, playing with a heck of a lot of toys. But the Good Toy Guide and its technological counterpart, the Good App Guide, are finally ready to reveal their new dwelling. As the ‘one stop destination for toy firms, app firms, parents and carers,’ the aptly named Fundamentally Children has now set out to become the independent authoritative expert on play, child development, children’s tech and all things related to promoting a healthy childhood. Ready to go live on September 1st, Fundamentally Children will offer visitors a host of new features including its Fun4All campaign and Play Advice, alongside its plethora of long-established and familiar branches. “Fundamentally Children has come about largely due to the success of the Good Toy Guide,” child psychologist and CEO, Dr. Amanda Gummer tells ToyNews. “This success resulted in us launching the Good App Guide, and with the extra work, it was becoming increasingly blurred.” To solve this issue, Gummer and the Good Toy team decided to pull its many arms together to form one unified brand. “It’s basically pulling together a decade of my research and consultancy under the one Fundamentally Children umbrella,” she explains. “A lot of the features were available on the Good Toy Guide, but people didn’t know they could go there for advice, for example on helping their dyslexic child learn to read.”

And this advice is just one of the many assets that Fundamentally Children offers its visitors, through its new dedicated Fun4All initiative. “The Fun4All Twitter campaign highlights the need for children with special needs to be able to access play,” says Gummer. “My analogy is that when a child in a wheelchair is playing Monopoly with their friends, for half an hour they are just another child, able to enjoy the social interaction, banter and friendship. “Play is really good at leveling the playing field for children facing challenges. Fun4All is there to offer play ideas and advice on inclusive games and a host of activities. “These are things we need more of, instead of labeling children as needing special equipment.” Alongside campaigning, letters to parliament and trying to influence policy in the field, Fundamentally Children will also continue to run a range seminars on child development, aimed at supporting family friendly companies. Gummer adds: “We go in and talk to their parents’ networks about the powers of play, or how to choose childcare for their kids.”

Under its new banner, the organisation will also begin branching out into the travel and leisure sector, and Fundamentally Children is now currently working on offering training and seminars to the likes of Butlins and Centreparcs. Despite the increasingly busy calendar, Gummer staunchly insists that Fundamentally Children will not lose sight of its

origins, and has plenty of developments for the Good Toy Guide and the Good App Guide to offer, too. “We are really keen to protect the legacy of the Good Toy Guide,” adds Gummer. “We are very busy with the day to day business, and are currently working with the Mumsnet website, as well as talking to John Lewis and Harrods about working with them on a retailer front. “We have big plans for supporting the independent shops.” Meanwhile, the Good App Guide aims to help both companies and parents alike traverse the 21st Century’s technological landscape. “Kids are using apps more and more and at a younger and younger age. Parents are crying out for some authoritative

advice on whether they are any good and what they are doing for their kids’ development,” Gummer tells ToyNews. “A lot of toy manufacturers are developing apps today, and an awful lot of them are doing it really badly. And it’s amazing how a bad app can affect toy sales. “We also have a lot of advice on the site on e-safety, screen time and managing a healthy play diet,” she adds. And that seems to be the overriding message for the new Fundamentally Children umbrella. Gummer concludes: “We are not about demonising technology, but are keen to continue our ethical social responsibility, and help parents and companies alike balance that play diet.”

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

September 39

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL:

State of play Games and puzzles are back in fashion. As board game clubs, ‘badult games’ and revamped versions of classics hit retail, Billy Langsworthy asks toy ﬁrms why they believe the space is in rude health

GAMES AND puzzles, more so than any other sector in the toy space, is truly multi-generational. Pre-schoolers can get gaming or puzzling with a wide range of simple educational offerings while grandparents, parents and children can take each other on in one of hundreds of popular family games. Likewise, many have rediscovered a love for gaming through the recent ‘badults’ craze spearheaded by Cards Against Humanity. A raft of party games have suddenly embraced the www.toynews-online.biz

true experience of ‘party’: they’re raucous, awkward, embarrassing, controversial, and someone at some stage is going to get offended. But consumers love it. The games market was worth £194 million in 2013, according to NPD data. As of July 2014, the games sector is up one per cent on last year, driven by the strategic card games category which is up 29 per cent year to date. NPD data also reveals that while other games collectively were ﬂat, family games is currently up nine per cent on last year.

The stats are echoed by the manufacturers, who have told ToyNews the world of games and puzzles is in great shape. “I feel the games sector continues to go from strength to strength,” says Bananagrams CEO Rena Nathanson. “Quality family time is becoming more and more of a priority and games are a great way to integrate all generations, whether it’s a traditional family, or the “framily” of current times. The action of sitting around a table and actually communicating

with others in the ‘real’ sense is becoming more valuable and is a refreshing change from insular online activities.” Maps Toys MD Dirk Kiefer agrees, adding: “Games consistently perform well and I think their ability to cross over lots of mediums helps to maintain their popularity,” while Paul Lamond’s sales director Richard Wells, states: “We are very happy with our listings and are expecting a strong sell through.” Others have also enjoyed a good year in the sector, in spite of a wave of

newcomers adding further competition to the space. “The current state of the games sector is very buoyant at the moment and gearing up nicely for a good last quarter,” Tactic Games sales manager Greg Burns tells ToyNews. “New players seem to be entering the market all the time and it must make buying decisions in the games area very difficult, along with the continual ﬁght for space in-store. To me the importance of the games market is summed up by some of the positive September 41

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: quotes coming out of Vivid following their tie-up with Drumond Park.” And how do these new players, like Accentuate, view the state of their new home in the games and puzzles sector. Accentuate CEO Graeme Fraser-Bell states (in his own accent): “We see the games market sustaining itself at current levels, but with some

believe the larger games companies need to take more risks when it comes to creating games. “I think the mainstream is too conservative,” McLuckie tells ToyNews. “The huge corporations are risk averse, be it the large toy companies or the multiple retailers. There is an over reliance on brands and advertising.

We’re seeing more and more families realising the benefits and fun of playing board games. Rachael Wyatt, Coiledspring notable differences in the various segments. “In particular, we see a resurgence of games directed towards the 16 and above range, with new games in this adult segment picking up traction where they would have struggled in the past.” And when it comes to the biggest firms in the toy space, games remain a vital part of the business. Kay Green, UK marketing director at Hasbro tells ToyNews: “The gaming sector continues to be an important part of the Hasbro business. This Christmas season Hasbro have a number of exciting new games launching, in particular, My Monopoly, allowing fans of the game to personalise their own boards “We believe that bringing new experiences to annual favourites will mean games continue to remain as relevant to today’s families as they always have.” One firm putting new spins on family favorites is Cartamundi, which has pulled several iconic Hasbro titles into the digital age with its Shuffle range. “The sector is very strong,” states Cartamundi’s head of marketing and licensing, Trudi Bishop. “Firstly choice is greater, with many games available across real or virtual formats; in fact our own Shuffle product offers both in one package. The drive to innovate is undiminished. And the continuing growth of home entertainment may be having a knock-on effect.” Some, like Pants on Fire director Richard McLuckie, www.toynews-online.biz

“However, the sector is growing and this in part is due to a vibrant ‘indie’ sector. The emergence and growing popularity of board game pubs and clubs is evidence of this. Board games have become ‘cool’ and it is this grass roots support that will continue to drive the popularity of board games.” Coiledspring has also noticed the popularity of board games is on the rise, through the enthusiasm for the sector witnessed at this year’s UK Games Expo. “We’re seeing more and more families realising the beneﬁts and fun of playing board games,” says Rachael Wyatt, marketing manager at Coiledspring. “The visitor numbers at UK Games Expo this year show that it’s certainly becoming far more mainstream.” Elsewhere, Amanda Murphy, sales and marketing manager and Gibson Games, sees the market as being heavily weighed to the last two months of the year. “For many decades the Friday night board game gathering was a staple in many families’ lives,” says Murphy. “Nowadays the board game market is heavily skewed towards the last eight weeks of the year, making accurate forecasting and planning more crucial than ever. “Christmas is the time when everyone can get together, whether it’s family, friends or the odd acquaintance. Once the catching up is over, presents are opened, and the turkey has been devoured, the best way to pass the time is to play a good oldfashioned board game.” September 43

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL:

Club scene The UK’s board gaming culture is more popular than ever, with clubs and cafés opening across the country. Robert Hutchins explores how the mainstream has embraced this particular strand of geek culture

A REVOLUTION is at hand. From the hipster colonies of the cities, to the High Streets of sleepy towns, geeks and gamers are celebrating the rise of the UK board gaming scene. Already boasting a thriving underground culture, tabletop gaming is ﬁnally breaking the mainstream, building a social presence with dedicated clubs and cafés springing up across the country. And board game manufacturers are already seeing the positives. Spin Master has only been in the games market for three years, and in that time it has seen an increased demand each year. “The UK games market grew ﬁve per cent in 2013,”

44 September

Spin Master’s marketing manager, Emma Eden tells ToyNews. “With the biggest growth coming from family games, followed by kids’.” While everyone loves a game of Buckaroo, it isn’t just the family friendly titles taking the limelight, with wider audiences gaining greater access to some of the most obscure and specialist titles. A charged game of Cards Against Humanity can ﬁnd itself more at home in the local boozer than Oliver Reed. “Board game culture is deﬁnitely growing,” Ben Hogg marketing manager at Esdevium Games explains. “It is seen as a more acceptable and enjoyable past time for adults and families.

“Specialist games have grown from a very niche industry to a wonderful hotbed of creativity with wider appeal, and it’s been a driving force for much of our growth.” Holly Ringsell, owner of Chelmsford’s Dark Side Comics, specialises in tabletop games and ‘geek culture’, and believes this wider appeal marks a serious shift in attitude. “Geek culture is deﬁnitely more accepted these days,” she explains.“There is no longer such a negative stigma attached, and board gamers are getting younger, too.” The tabletop scene is also growing its café and bar presence. This September, London will welcome a new board game café in the form of Draughts, boasting over 500 titles, spanning eveything from Guess Who? to an eight-hour tactic game. Draughts co-founder Toby Hamand believes that now is the perfect time to be opening a board game café. “This is deﬁnitely reaction to growing demand,” he tells ToyNews. “Oxford got [a board game cafe] last

year, and London has an even bigger gaming scene. And it’s growing every year.” Hamand is not alone. Six months ago, Lesley Singleton launched Board Game Club, a nomadic style event that moves from bar to bar each month.

creating this sense of community that really champion board game culture,” he says. “I expect to see stores increasing their accessibility in a similar way to the cafés. I don’t mean they should become

Stores that focus on creating a sense of community really champion board game culture. Henry Jasper, Grublin Games “We learned quickly that fast-paced, open-and-play, sociable games, trumped the more intense strategy games every time,” Singleton explains. “Our guests don’t want to sit for hours, playing a Tolkeinchallenging game, when they can have more intensive fun with varied titles.” Despite the surge in popularity of the board game café culture, Grublin Games’ founder Henry Jasper believes that traditional stores remain at the heart of the movement. “You play games with other people, and it is the stores that focus on

cafés, but more could be done to making our game stores as welcoming and approachable as possible.” Esdevium’s Hogg adds: “We’d love to see more toy shops embrace board games in this way. Whatever the level of expertise or interest, we can provide recommendations as well as tools and advice to help create a community. “We would love to see more [in-store board games clubs] start-up. The word of mouth generated is so important. They increase the reach of the games and give positive reactions which leads to greater demand.” www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL:

Game changers Games and puzzles are a perennial winner with families, kids and adults, and this appeal has helped it remain one of the industry’s brightest sectors. Billy Langsworthy looks at some of this year’s new lines HASBRO This Christmas season, Hasbro has a number of new games launching, each giving a fresh spin on some of the company’s most iconic creations. Fans of Monopoly can customise their own version of the classic board game with the new My Monopoly. Players can download the My Monopoly app or visit www.mymonopoly. com to set up an account, print out your photos on the My Monopoly game sticker sheets and add them to tiles, tokens, and Chance and Community Chest cards. Users can move their personalised tiles to different places on the board in order to create a different game board each time they play. Hasbro is also giving a modern take on the classic recall challenger Simon game with Simon Swipe. Simon Swipe challenges gamers to tap when they see one light, swipe when there are two or swipe and

My favourite game… Kay Green, UK Marketing Director, Hasbro

“It’s a split between Twister, because I was a ﬁdget as a child, and Connect 4 for the challenge, even though nine times out of ten, my brother always beats me.”

reverse when the lights move clockwise and then go back. The game boasts 16 levels and four games to choose from. Elsewhere, Bop It is welcoming the likes of Nicki Minaj and Avicii with new game, Bop It Beats. The game is similar to classic Bop It, however this

time it features music from some of the biggest artists in the charts today including Pound the Alarm by Nicki Minaj and Levels by Avicii. Players have to match commands including Can You Spin It clockwise,

FLAIR Flair’s portfolio this year includes the likes of Freaky Franky, Tumblin’ Monkeys and Ali Baba. New for the autumn is Tumblin’ Monkeys, a game that sees two players take it in turns to pull out sticks

46 September

Scratch It with the turntable, or Reverse and Spin the turntable clockwise across ﬁve game modes: Classic, Classic Party, DJ, DJ Party or Remix. In the Classic and DJ games, the difficulty level increases as the game progresses while at higher levels in the DJ game;

the commands are presented in lights. For younger game enthusiasts, Hasbro has blended Elefun and Friends characters with its classic Mousetrap game. The aim of Elefun and Friends Mousetrap is to land on the boot space to hit the bucket and set the trap in motion in order to catch their opponent’s mouse and win. 020 8569 1234

SAMBRO one by one and watch as the monkeys start to fall. The player with the least monkeys at the end will be the winner. Elsewhere, Ali Baba forces players to be careful around a camel – the aim

of the game is to add 15 playing pieces to the camel’s saddle without the creature getting the hump and sending the pieces flying. Flair is also welcoming Freaky Franky to its games and puzzles portfolio. Solo players can punch Franky’s head to watch his eyes and brain pop out, while two friends can get involved with the ghoulish fun by pulling Franky’s arms to see who is the strongest. Finally, the Tom and Jerry Tom Bomb Game is a tension fuelled creation that sees players place the keys one by one, hoping not to be the one to launch Tom into space. 020 8633 0320

Sambro is expanding its games and puzzles portfolio with a range of products featuring licences spanning Mickey and Minne Mouse and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The new Spin Off Mickey Mouse and Spin Off Minnie Mouse games see players hang items like watches, umbrellas and lollipops on the iconic couple as they spin. Whoever hangs the most items before the timer runs out wins. For spookier fun, Sambro’s Zed the Zombie Unrest in Pieces game challenges players to put Zed’s body parts and accessories back together before the timer runs out. If the timer does run out, Zed’s zombie parts will ﬂy.

With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie hitting the UK in October, Sambro has the tie-in Catapult Pizza Game and the Pizza Spin game. On top of this, the company also has a wide collection of high-quality licensed wooden pre-school puzzles available. 0845 873 9380 www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: SPIN MASTER Spin Master is marking its third year in the games category with a range of new titles which are designed to keep the whole family entertained over the Christmas period. Facial hair fanatics can rejoice, as Spin Master has a game that ﬁnally respects the ‘tache. Moustache Smash sees players race to ‘smash their tache’ onto a matching card as it gets turned onto the pile in order to win as many cards as possible. However, to make things tricky, the ‘taches get swapped and a wrong ‘tache-smash results in two cards being lost. Meanwhile, just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Spin Master goes ahead and launches Shark Mania. The new action game focuses on a grounded pirate ship and players need to collect gold coins and transfer them to safety while being chased by a hungry shark.

Pirate players have to wind up the shark by its pull cord and race along the boardwalk with the gold to the safe haven of the island – and all without getting eaten alive. The winner will be the pirate

who successfully transfers the most gold coins without becoming shark bait. The company’s best selling range of Hedbanz will continue through the autumn, with the addition of a new member of the

RAVENSBURGER Ravensburger is bringing its 3D puzzle and children’s strategy game ranges to TV this autumn. The ﬁrm’s Night Edition 3D Puzzle Empire State Building was launched in June, and uses LED technology to create ﬁve different colour-changing lighting effects.

Hedbanz family in the form of Hedbanz Act Up. Instead of guessing the clue attached to the players head, this time players have to act out the word for the wearer to guess, all without talking.

Each of Spin Master’s new games will have their own heavyweight TV campaigns, as well as support from dedicated a PR and marketing campaign in the build up to Christmas. 01628 535000

BANANAGRAMS When complete, the building glows with automatically changing warm red, yellow, green, blue or pink lights. Two children’s strategy games, Labyrinth and the relaunched Scotland Yard, will also be TV advertised. Adult puzzles remain a focus for Ravensburger,

with new lines this autumn including The Christmas Farm Limited Edition, three What If? designs and a 1,000-piece Strictly Come Dancing puzzle. There are also 20 more new designs for puzzles fans to choose from, on top of the 45 plus designs that launched earlier this year. 01869 363800

Bananagrams is the anagram game that sees players race all at once to complete word grids. The game has sold over six million units in more than 30 different countries, and now the Bananagrams team is lifting the lid on secret hints, tips and winning ways in The Collins Little Book of Bananagrams. Written by the brand’s creative consultant, Deej Johnson, along with wordgame champion, Mark Nyman, the book boasts

curious words, fascinating facts and a foreword by famous fan of the game, Dame Judi Dench. The book also details 135 proper nouns that you can play in any word game, abbreviations you are allowed to use in word games and a tip that buys time whenever a player calls ‘peel’. 020 7298 9500 (Winning Moves)

My favourite game… Rena Nathanson, CEO, Bananagrams

“My favourite game is not a board game (not counting Bananagrams, of course...). It’s Charades. I love making a fool of myself and it only gets worse as I get older.”

48 September

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SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: VIVID/DRUMOND PARK

Vivid’s marketing director Mary Wood tells Billy Langsworthy how Vivid and Drumond Park came to join forces and what it means for both firms How did this merger come about? Vivid is always looking for new brand opportunities to strengthen its position, not only in the UK but on an international scale. We like to work across all sectors in order to obtain a balanced portfolio and be able to offer our customers strong brands in all these sectors. Our experience with Crayola demonstrates that not only can we manage the high profile licences, but we also know how to take a brand with heritage and build it into a longterm profitable proposition. We identified we wanted to add another more stable, core business to our portfolio to help balance some of the more fashion influenced brands. When the opportunity to work with Drumond Park came up, we knew that it fitted the bill.

What has changed logistically? Vivid has taken over all the day to day management of the Drumond Park business. All customers have now had their accounts reestablished with Vivid and we are already delivering stock. From a customer perspective, their sales contacts remain the same – with Ross McDonald and Dave Howard continuing to front the national account business and

Can you talk through your portfolio? Vivid has a range set to get fans of One Direction and Union J foaming at the mouth. The One Direction Game (£19.99) sees Directioners test their knowledge of the band by either performing an action, carrying out a dare or answering a trivia question. The ﬁrst person to complete their game card and get the backstage pass wins.

the independent trade still supported by the previous Drumond Park agent team. Behind the scenes, the Vivid customer service team is dealing with all order processing and management, and here at Vivid we have set up the Drumond Park showroom and recruited a new member into the marketing team – James Ratcliffe – to further support the brand. In order to maintain continuity, and proceed with the great work being done on the PR side, we have retained the services of Ray Hodges from Langshot Communications.

Union J fans can also claim to know the most about the band by taking on the Union J Game (£9.99) or piece together the chiselled features of the group with the Union J Puzzle (£7.99). Vivid also has a range of Peter Rabbit games and puzzles including oversized Game Cards (£3.99), a Vegetable Patch Dash game (£9.99) and a box of three Jigsaws (£4.99) containing puzzles of 12, 16 and 24 pieces and each shows the three starts of the show – Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and Lily Bobtail. Drumond Park is launching two new board games during the 2014

What beneﬁts does this merger bring Vivid? Drumond Park brings a really solid core business to Vivid and allows us to be a lead player in this sector. Drumond Park is a brand that has real heritage with games that run across Adult, Family and Children’s titles so it offers a whole portfolio in a variety of price points. What does it bring Drumond Park? Claire McCool and Sandy Duncan have worked tirelessly since the inception of Drumond Park. What they love more than anything is developing new products and working on the creative side of the business. When you also have to work on the day-to-day operation of the business, it can detract from doing what is in your heart to do and this is one of the main reasons why the merger took place. Claire, Sandy and their team at Drumond Development will continue to do what they love most – i.e. develop products – while Vivid can focus on building the Drumond Park brand.

MATTEL Joining Mattel’s top selling game brands like Scrabble, Pictionary and Uno this year is the ﬁrm’s new launch, Bounce Off. Bounce Off, supported with TV advertising, sees players turn over a challenge card to determine a pattern. They then race to recreate the pattern by bouncing balls into the grid. The ﬁrst to complete the pattern wins the card and www.toynews-online.biz

pre-Christmas season in the form of Shout and LOGO Grab. Both will have their own TV ad campaigns, and each title beneﬁts from a press, broadcast and online/ social media PR, promotional and sampling programme. Shout is a new team game that sees players shouting out answers to range of general knowledge questions, picture puzzles, word searches and acronyms. The centrepiece of the game is the specially created multi-use 60-second timer stand which displays the Challenge Cards to the ‘answerers’ and allows the ‘askers’ to see the answers and keep score. The latest game in the LOGO series, LOGO Grab, (£14.99) twists the classic LOGO gameplay as once each round’s nine card grid has been laid out, and four of the eight ‘letter dice’ provided have been rolled, everyone tries to match a dice letter with a LOGO card, but it’s the dice they lunge for, not the cards. Two of the dice have bells inside, and if the dice rings when it is shaken, the player loses a card. Finally, the Articulate For Kids board game (£19.99) has had a makeover in content and presentation. 01483 44 9944

My favourite game… Mary Wood, Marketing Director, Vivid “Monopoly was a favourite at home but it would inevitably end in a fight as my brother would always cheat. But the first game I can remember specifically asking for as a Christmas present was one called Treasure of the Pharaohs which I saw on TV and had to have. I think that could have been the start of my career in marketing and the lure of advertising.”

GREEN BOARD GAMES the ﬁrst to earn three cards wins the game. 01628 500 000

Green Board Game’s best selling ten-second memory game BrainBox has been developed into a board game. The BrainBox Board Game features 160 cards across eight different categories – including entertainment, sports and pot luck – and as players move around the

board, the aim is to collect one card from each category and return to the centre. There are also squares where gamers can try and get more than one card, steal them from others and challenge a player. 01494 538999 September 51

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: JUMBO Jumbo’s Playlab collection features a world full of cute characters and fun challenges. It includes a collection of games and puzzles which are designed for children aged from two to six years. Playlab focuses on developing reading, writing and counting skills. However, it also comes with the additional beneﬁt of encouraging shared and independent play. The Playlab puzzles have been designed to develop a child’s spatial recognition, ﬁne motor skills and handeye coordination. The iLearn games range helps develop reading, writing and counting skills to encourage children to practice independently. Meanwhile, the Playlab Christmas puzzle range aims to keep youngsters entertained during the festive period. Elsewhere, Jumbo’s Goula brand boasts a high quality range of wooden jigsaw

puzzles, construction toys and educational games for children aged from two years and up. Goula’s extensive range of educational and eye-catching puzzles are designed to introduce youngsters to puzzles for the first time. The selection of wooden peg themes spans farm, jungle, countryside, pet and sea animal. The new Goula 3-Levels puzzles allow children to discover how chickens, frogs and butterflies are ‘born’ by removing puzzle pieces in three stages and then reassembling the puzzle step by step. Also new is the Goula Calendar Clock. It is a simple wooden clock and calendar all-inone that helps children to learn the different months and seasons in the year, as well as weather conditions, days in a week and times of day. 01707 289289

MAPS TOYS This year Maps Toys is introducing the awardwinning puzzle Cool Circuits, a brain-teasing game designed to challenge players of all ages. Cool Circuits features a chunky white circuit board and eight ﬂuorescent 3D puzzle pieces. Players must solve the 40 different challenges included, starting off with simple tasks before moving on to the ‘practically impossible’ ones. Gamers choose a puzzle card and have to create the circuit loop shown. If the board ﬂashes and illuminates with lights and music, the circuit has been completed correctly. The game aids abstract thinking and spatial reasoning and Maps Toys ‘defies you not to get hooked’. Also new for Q4 is Hover Shot, a game which tests players’ shooting skills with pinpoint accuracy. Each gun can hold three foam darts. The Hover Shot includes a battery-operated base, 52 September

MARBEL which features five stands holding balls. Once the airflow is turned on, the balls bob up and down in the air ready for players to fire at. Gamers can also turn the lights out and switch the game to night mode to play with glowing balls. 01483 776 006

My favourite game… Dirk Kiefer, MD, Maps Toys

“My whole family loved to play Cluedo. It used to get quite heated with us all trying to guess ‘whodunit’. I also love unusual games such as Settlers of Catan which add a whole new dimension to board games.”

Wooden toy brand Hape boasts a large range of children’s games and puzzles. For younger children, there are colourful wooden stackers, building blocks, ﬁrst pounders and shape sorting activities and puzzles. Older children can get involved with a range of small maze puzzles right through to larger table top mazes that require more concentration to complete. On the educational side, a selection of Hape puzzles like the alphabet and numbers matching puzzles have been created to help develop memory, counting and spelling skills. Hape also has a bamboo range of games and puzzles including the Pallina multi-player game. Pallina is a bamboo cage that gets ﬁlled with colour coded sticks, with balls

placed on top. Children must then take it in turns to remove their sticks without the balls falling through. Marble fans are also catered for by Hape’s Quadrilla: a range of marble runs in varying sizes which can be built and rebuilt into different designs. The range even encompasses musical tracks that play a tune as the marbles hit various pieces of the run as they fall through. 0845 6000 286 www.toynews-online.bi

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: My favourite game…

ESDEVIUM GAMES Esdevium Games has an extensive range of new and existing popular games ready for retail this Christmas season. The ﬁrm’s Dobble card game (£12.99) has been its most consistently selling product throughout both 2013 and 2014 – and the ﬁrm is understandably expecting big things for it in the lead up to Christmas. Brand new from Esdevium is Hotel Tycoon, the family board game of ‘high stakes for budding real-estate magnates’. The updated version of the 1970s game Hotel sees players jet around the board looking to invest in different hotels, all with the aim to bankrupt opponents. There are 28 3D Hotel buildings involved and Esdevium will be backing the launch of Hotel Tycoon with its biggest ever marketing campaign, spanning TV, online and cinema. With the passion for all things Frozen showing no

signs of slowing down, Esdevium’s Frozen 6-in1 game is the officially licensed board game of the movie phenomenon. The ﬁrm has deemed it ‘the new front-runner of Esdevium’s popular range of Disney titles’. The Frozen game adds to the company’s portfolio of licensed games which includes Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins and Disney Princess. Esdevium has also added two new titles to its TV licensed collection, with the official Countdown and 8 out of 10 Cats games. The new titles join a range that already includes Would I Lie to You? and The Big Bang Theory Party Game,

as well as more specialist titles on Star Wars X-Wing and Game of Thrones. 01420 593593

The game is jam-packed with clips from classic BBC comedies including Last of the Summer Wine, Hi-De-Hi and Dad’s Army. Telly addicts will also ﬁnd much fun to be had with

Gogglebox, a TV trivia game based on the BAFTA winning documentary series. The game features some of the most popular Goggleboxers from the

PAUL LAMOND Stars of the small screen are the focus of Paul Lamond’s games and puzzle offering this autumn. Everything from Channel 4’s Gogglebox to Mrs Brown’s Boys has been given the board game treatment, joining the ﬁrm’s new Classic British Comedies DVD board game. For fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys, Paul Lamond’s Mrs Brown’s Boys – The Ultimate Party game will be right up their fecking street. The comical board game sees players drawing, acting and trying to guess ‘What am I?’ before Mrs Brown speaks in order to progress around the board to get from the start space round to Party Night. Fans of British comedy can also test themselves on the greats of the genre with the Classic British Comedies DVD board game. 54 September

Ben Hogg, Marketing Manager, Esdevium Games

“There isn’t a standout title from my childhood, although I remember loving Loopin’ Louie when I was quite young and had many good games of Scrabble with my grandma. Most of my favourite games I have discovered as an adult.”

My favourite game… Richard Wells, Sales Director, Paul Lamond

“It has to be Subbuteo and I’m sure it was a favourite with most boys of my era. It sparked my imagination, I organised tournaments and it was a game I could get down and physically play with my mates. So a few years on, I am delighted that Subbuteo is now one of our licences and that we were able to bring a new enhanced version back to the market in 2012.”

show with questions spanning everything from ‘who called the Queen a ‘top bird’? to ‘name the island where Father Ted is set.’ On the puzzle front, Paul Lamond is welcoming a new line in the form of the Pintoo range of 3D puzzle vases. The collection features four classic

Asian designs and each 160-piece puzzle includes a stand and a water cup for use with fresh ﬂowers. Also new will be QI XL, Shop Till You Drop, OMG and Quibbles, all joining seasoned favourite, Perudo. Following a summer of successful qualiﬁers across the UK, November will see the 25th Anniversary Perudo World Championships kick off in London. 020 7254 0100 www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: CARTAMUNDI Cartamundi has a blend of traditional and digital card games in its portfolio, spanning everything from Happy Families to Shuffle. Its traditional offering is represented by the Royal Flush range as well as classic favourites like Happy Families boasting wellknown brands like Disney Cars and Disney Princess. The ﬁrm also has a range of games designed to mirror the appeal of major brands including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, FIFA, Angry Birds and Planes: Fire and Rescue. 2014 has also seen Cartamundi embrace the

BIGJIGS

My favourite game… digital world with Shuffle, a range of popular card games boasting optional support from tablets and smartphones. Cartamundi has partnered with Hasbro to bring iconic brands like Monopoly and Cluedo to the new line. Players can use the Shuffle app, along with the cards, to bring Chance cards to life in Monopoly Deal, face a sudden countdown with Nerf, beat the inspector in Cluedo Suspect or get creative with Play-Doh. 01268 511522

Trudi Bishop, Head of Marketing and Licensing, Cartamundi Group “Trouble (also known as Frustration in the UK). It’s a famous game from our Shuffle partner Hasbro. Like all great games it’s easy to play (you just have to move pegs round a board), very exciting (who will reach the ﬁnishing post ﬁrst?) and highly competitive. And like all great games, there’s the opportunity for just a touch of vindictiveness (you can send an opponent’s peg back to the start).”

The Bigjigs Toys collection features classic traditional games including wooden dominoes, chess, solitaire and ludo. Making a debut this year for the ﬁrm is the colourful Marble Run, offering young ones the chance to build a range of wooden courses. 2014 has also seen Bigjigs give Snakes & Ladders a redesign with a whale, castle and even planets joining the traditional snakes and ladders in the game. 01303 250400

GOLDEN BEAR Golden Bear has a host of games and puzzles to offer, all featuring kids’ favourite characters from the world of CBeebies. Games based on the CBeebies popular yellow icons – Bugbies – include the Matching Bugbies Game and a Toppling Bugbies Game. Meanwhile, on the puzzle front, Golden Bear offers Mr Tumble’s Sound Puzzle, the In the Night Garden Pick ‘n’ Place Wooden Puzzle and the Wooden Dress Up Peppa Pig puzzle. 01952 608308

ACCENTUATE Described as ‘embarrassing’ and ‘awkward’, Accentuate is the latest entry into the rapidly growing ‘games for badults’ sector. Created by Merseyside siblings, Graeme and Fiona Fraser-Bell, the game aims to ‘mortify players into ﬁts of giggles at home, in the pub, on holiday and at parties’. Accentuate is an adult party game that sees players read a given quotation aloud in a randomly selected accent and see if teammates can guess what it is. The game includes 90 Accent Cards featuring 30 different accents from around the globe (each repeated three times). UK players can have no excuses for poor attempts 56 September

as a third of the accents in the game are British dialects such as Cockney, Mancunian and Glaswegian. Overseas accents span all continents and includes German, Indian and Chinese.

There are also 90 different Quotation Cards, which players pick from at random to read aloud, ﬁrst in their own accent, then in the one on the chosen Accent Cards.

My favourite game… Graeme Fraser-Bell, Co-inventor and CEO, Accentuate Games

“For me it has to be Pictionary. Such a simple concept, no board but predicated on the basis that most of us are awful artists. As much as we can see the image we need to depict, the frustration, embarrassment and hilarity of how far removed the actual image created is from what it’s meant to be was so much fun, and is, in many ways, emulated by Accentuate with accents.”

To pile on the pressure a little further, players are against the clock, with only 30 seconds to read the quotation in their randomly chosen accent.

Accentuate will have a presence at an array of Christmas gift fairs and exhibitions this year, as well as at key toy and game trade fairs. 07748 184 525 www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: My favourite game…

TACTIC GAMES

Greg Burns,

Fans of Matt Hatter, the Sales Manager, Tactic Games Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and SpongeBob SquarePants are in luck with Tactic’s portfolio of games this year. The classic Kimble game is getting a new shell in the form of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kimble Game. Boasting unique game pieces and a TMNT design, Tactic believes this Kimble version is ‘ready to conquer the world and its sewers’. Elsewhere, the ﬁrm has The Ninja Turtles aren’t two Matt Hatter 3D puzzles, the only ones to embrace each made up of 200 pieces. Kimble this year, as brand Puzzle fans can don the new from September special 3D glasses supplied will be the SpongeBob in the box to see the 3D SquarePants version. Again, designs as intended. The it features special game two different images are pieces and a design inspired also available in the 500 by the world and characters piece versions. of Bikini Bottom.

Tactic Games believes the social and educational beneﬁts of games and puzzles has helped the sector sustain its popularity with consumers of all ages. “Traditional games and board games continue to be popular with the consumer because, as well as being fun and sometimes educational, they promote social adhesion and conversation, whilst still bringing out the competitive nature of individuals or teams,” Tactic Games’ sales manager Greg Burns tells ToyNews. “They can also nurture the social skills of the younger players. There will still be a

“My favourite board game growing up was Battle of the Little Bighorn from Waddingtons.”

PARRAGON New from Parragon is Professor Murphy’s Emporium of Entertainment, a range of games which are designed to ‘motivate the soul’ alongside puzzles set to ‘stimulate idle minds’. Professor Murphy’s Marble Mania box set gets players ﬂicking, bowling and knuckling down through 15 classic marble games. The set also comes with a Marble Mania game book and 25 colourful glass marbles.

suppliers are looking at ways to combine the elements together.” 01483 332070

JOHN ADAMS Murphy collection also Consumers can also features Magic Show, become a card game Optical Illusions and connoisseur with the help Practical joke sets. of Professor Murphy’s Card The Magic Show set Games box set. features over 125 easy-toThe set features two learn tricks, the Illusionist packs of playing cards, set teaches consumers a score pad, pencil and a 60 different mind boggling 32-page instruction book tricks, while pranksters can teaching gamers how to get to grips with whoopee shuffle, deal and win cushions, squirting pens over 25 classic card games and snappy gum with the and tricks. Joke set. Away from the 01225 478 888 traditional games sector, the Professor My favourite game… Darren Witherall, UK Managing Director, Parragon

“It would have to be Cluedo. The library was my favourite place to hide – but I would say that given that I work for a publisher!”

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place for tech and app toys, but not to the exclusion of games and it is interesting that more and more game

John Adams continues to expand its games and puzzles portfolio, welcoming a raft of new additions including Pug Goes Pop and Rummikub, a game that has sold an estimated 50 million units in the last 50 years. Classic Rummikub, available since August, will be followed with the rest of the range later in the year. Another new addition is Pig Goes Pop, a title the ﬁrm claims is ‘one of the most successful kids’ action games in the world’. It will be available later this year boasting a new and improved popping feature alongside family favourite Doh-nutters. Elsewhere in the action games category is Pig Out, where players must roll ‘Pig

Out’ on the dice and strap on their pig noses to try and secure the most food in their snout. John Adams’ Think Words was chosen as one of the Best New Toys at Toy Fair 2014 in the games and puzzle category and is based around the concept of word association. The company has also given Linkee a refresh, complete with redesigned packaging and new questions, some written by celebrity trivia fans. Finally, the Rubik’s brand has been expanded with the addition of Rubik’s Void. Without the core, the classic puzzle gets harder, while the slick mechanics of the Cube allow players to corner cut much easier. 01480 414361

September 59

SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: GIBSONS GAMES

My favourite game… Amanda Murphy, Sales & Marketing Manager, Gibsons Games

Gibsons Games believes it has a game to end the Christmas argument of ‘what can we play that everyone will enjoy?’. The company believes that its Pass the Bomb and Pass the Bomb Junior will solve the issue of games that are either too childish for the adults, too difficult for the little ones, or too confusing for the OAPs. Suitable for anyone between the ages of five to 105, the game sees players construct words which include letters or fit with the scene on the cards

“Guess Who!” before the bomb blasts. Once the bomb is activated, gamers have anything from ten seconds to a minute to create an

COILEDSPRING GAMES Coiledspring Games is My adding a range of new products to its line-up at this month’s Autumn Fair. Robot Turtles from Thinkfun is scheduled to launch this month and big things are expected. In the US, 35,000 units were sold in just six weeks. Elsewhere, Sushi Go, a fast paced game from Gamewright, is flying off the plates in the UK. The game has also impressed early, as the first shipment sold within a week. Ghost Blitz is a shape and colour recognition game featuring quality wooden pieces, while Pints of Blood is a co-op game that sees players team up to keep zombies out of a pub. Coiledspring notes Pints of Blood ‘will appeal to retailers who have had success with Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert’. The firm also has two new games from Hutter in the form of Super Farmer

60 September

answer before it ‘explodes’, and players must fling, chuck, toss or throw the little black ball to the next player to avoid losing the game. Both Pass the Bomb and Pass the Bomb Junior will be hitting the small screen as part of a TV campaign set to air this autumn on mainstream terrestrial channels. Elsewhere in Gibsons’ Christmas family games range is the redesigned detective game, 221B Baker Street.

221B Baker Street gives players the chance to step into the shoes of Sherlock Holmes to travel through

the streets and alleys of London to solve 70 different cases. 020 8661 8866

PANTS ON FIRE

favourite game… Rachael Wyatt, Marketing Manager, Coiledspring

“We used to play a lot of card games. I’m still a demon at Sevens. My favourite board games were Risk and Sorry! (I think I might be showing my age there.)”

and CV. In Super Farmer, players must increase their herd of every animal while avoiding the hungry wolf and the fox. In CV, gamers lead a character through the journey of life, choosing friends, relations, jobs and activities. Finally, the new Schmidt Jigsaw Puzzle autumn/ winter collection will be previewed at Autumn Fair and boasts new images from Mark Gray, Renato Casaro and Ciro Marchetti. 020 3301 1160

Pants on Fire Games is an independent board game company with a range of nine ‘cheeky’ games designed to delight the whole family. The brilliantly titled You Cannae Push Yer Granny off the Bus (£15) is a slapstick game of tactics and strategy, which sees players step into their loafers to play as grannies battling it out to stay on the bus. Gamers must resort to forcing grannies off the bus with the likes of hatpins, pension books and ankle-biting lapdogs, all while defending their place on the bus with things like shopping trolleys and woolly tights. Fibbers can get to show off their porky powers with Liar Liar (£20). The game challenges gamers to fabricate their way to victory by teasing opponents with truth and lies as they travel around the board to victory. Wing It (£20), featuring official RSPB illustrations with input from RSPB wardens, sees bird enthusiasts race around the British countryside in a bid to spot unusual birds. Elsewhere, Pants on Fire is responsible for bringing Marmite into the world of board games. Marmite Love It or Hate It (£15) challenges players to explore how much they really know about each other across categories covering everything from

TV shows through to vegetables. Who Put the Marmite in the Fridge? (£6) is a classic game of pairs with one odd card. Players must match the grocery items, pop them in the fridge and avoid being the one left holding the jar of Marmite because ‘we all know Marmite should never go in the fridge’. stuart@pantsonﬁre games.co.uk

My favourite game… Richard McLuckie, Director, Pants on Fire

“Risk. I’m a boy. I’m competitive. I like killing, destruction and domination. And I’ve never been beaten at it.”

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