Industry News

In July, Playmobil launched its first sustainable product range called Wiltopia. More than 80 percent of the material used to make Wiltopia’s sets and accessories is sustainable – a combination of PCR plastic (plastic that has already been used by consumers and then fed back into the recycling loop), and bio plastics.

The line includes 12 baby animal sets and 15 medium-sized and large adult animal sets from all continents around the world. In addition to the flexible animal figures, each set contains accessories and a collectible animal card with exciting facts about the species depicted. The QR code on the collectible card leads to even more content.

Katie (Marso) Cooley, the former membership and programs coordinator at ASTRA, has returned as ASTRA’s parttime education coordinator. MAPP Trap has launched an automated system called InteliTips that assists in online channel management. Machine-learning algorithms and MAPP Trap’s expert knowledge base drive the system.

The InteliTip bot evaluates the torrent of market data that brands see every day. It compares it against the brand’s objectives to provide proven best practices in simple language that the brand can use to improve its conditions.

InteliTips subscribers receive weekly emails that address changes to their ecommerce conditions and show progress on their brand protection efforts. Whether a brand is experiencing challenges with online pricing, too many unknown and undesired sellers, or intellectual property infringements, MAPP Trap’s machine-learning bot knows and provides best practices and suggestions.

The InteliTips system is just one small aspect of the services and guidance MAPP Trap provides to its clients. Specifically, MAPP Trap tracks products on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Target, Google Shopping and thousands of other e-commerce merchants to find MAP and MRP policy infractions, intellectual property violations, unauthorized sellers and more. The system is currently in use by manufacturers in a variety of industries spanning pet, outdoor, nutrition, toys and more. For more information, visit mapptrap.com.

Recording a three-year revenue growth of almost 2,000 percent, Fun In Motion Toys – creators of three-time TOTY Award finalist Shashibo – was ranked No. 281 on the Inc. annual 5000 list. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the U.S. economy’s most dynamic segment – its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

Companies on the 2022 list have demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years.

In addition to the puzzle-cube fidget-toy Shashibo, Fun In Motion’s award-winning toy lines include Spinballs, Mozi, Glozi, Wandini and Karmagami.

Inc.’s top 500 companies for 2022 are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/inc5000.

As schleich enters its 87th year, the company is redefining its mission and branding to better align with its history and connection to childhood joy. An immediate change is a simple, new, bold and modern logo that evokes feelings of playfulness. Emulating the shape of a thought cloud, the design is a nod to the spirit of, “What if?” at the heart of the brand. The brand’s new tagline, “Where stories begin,” is a short but memorable expression of the new brand’s essence.

According to a company statement, refreshed brand elements will include new packaging and a re-design of the iconic schleich tag attached to the foot of its animal

characters. New calls-to-action embedded throughout brand elements will invite fans to share their own stories using #wherestoriesbegin. schleich is one of Germany’s largest toy manufacturers and a leading international provider of realistic animal figurines. Its play figures and play sets are sold in more than 60 countries. In fact, schleich generates more than half of its sales outside of its core market in Germany. The company is majority owned by Partners Group, a global private markets investment manager.

Jos Huxley has joined The Toy Association as senior vice president of technical affairs. In that role, Jos will lead the continuing development of technical policies and strategies relating to toy safety, environmental sustainability, supply chain issues, factory processes, and more, serving as a guide for member companies.

Jos joins The Toy Association after more than 28 years at Hasbro, most recently as the company’s principal QA engineer and regulatory specialist.

“Jos’s strong technical knowledge of the U.S. and international toy safety standards, his expertise in best practices for toy safety, and his ability to lead, encourage, and guide open discussions and productive decisionmaking within multi-stakeholder working groups ensure that he is the best candidate for this position,” said Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association.

Over the next six to nine months, Jos will work alongside Alan Kaufman, who recently transitioned to the role of senior advisor of technical affairs. Alan will then fully retire after more than 11 years with The Toy Association and more than 40 years in the toy industry.

Neighborhood Toy Store Day, an annual event organized by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has become Neighborhood Toy Store Month. During each Saturday in November participating specialty toy stores can celebrate a different theme supported by in-store activities, parent education materials, PR kits and vendor specials.

The four themes for 2022 include STEM-sational Saturday, Family Game Night, All About Art Day, and Make Way For Play Day.

Now in its 12th year, the event was designed to showcase the important role specialty toy retailers play in their communities.

About the switch from “Day” to “Month,” association President Sue Warfield said, “Trying to fit events, sales, promotions and demonstrations into one day was just too stressful, and it spread manufacturers and reps too thin. For manufacturers who wish to show their support, Neighborhood Toy Store Month sponsorships are available.

“Our goal is to highlight the power of play our retailers deliver to their communities,” she added. “In addition, we want to drive traffic to their stores during the holidays. To get the specialty toy industry and its neighborhood stores the press coverage they deserve, we are hiring a PR firm to work their magic.”

For more information, contact Jenna Stirling at jstirling@astratoy.org.

MONTH

This summer at Gen Con, the largest annual event dedicated to tabletop gaming and culture in North America, FoxMind unveiled Match Madness Duo, a follow-up to the best-selling Match Madness.

“It’s in the FoxMind DNA for our games to help its players develop critical life skills while having fun,” says David Capon, FoxMind CEO. “The concept for Match Madness Duo is exactly that – it appeals to younger kids and older players. It helps them develop pattern recognition skills, frustration tolerance, and problemsolving abilities.”