ToyNews Issue 116 April 2011

Issue 117

May 2011

The toy industry’s highest circulation trade title Exclusive media partner

Revolutionary touch screen pad style Learning System, for 4-9 year olds.

INSIDE…

This next generation learning system is packed full of fun functionality.

TOYMASTER SPECIAL What to expect from this month’s indie get-together.

MINOR MIRACLES What’s going to be big for little ones this year.

WARNER STORMING Why WBCP feels it has its strongest toy line-up yet.

Motion Games

Photo Viewer

Notebook Video Player

MONSTER SMASH How Moshi will help Vivid to double digit growth in 2011.

Includes gravity sensor for fun motion gaming and interactive screen auto adjustment.

Calender

E-Book Reader +much more!

Learning System cartridges + Downloadable games and book titles.

Contents REGULARS 4

News

6

Exclusive NPD analysis

8

Media Tracker

10

TV ratings

12

Appointments

Samantha Loveday Editor Samantha.loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

Katie Roberts Deputy Editor Katie.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

Lewis Tyler Staff Writer Lewis.Tyler@intentmedia.co.uk

Emily Briggs Sales Manager Emily.Briggs@intentmedia.co.uk

14

Campaign of the Month

LICENSING 18

News

20

Warner’s 2011 toy line-up

Suzanne Powles Production Manager Suzanne.Powles@intentmedia.co.uk

Dan Bennett Design Dan.Bennett@intentmedia.co.uk

FEATURES

Jon Salisbury Contributor jon@wotkidzwant.com

23

Ian Edmunds interview

24

What indies mean to us

27

Toymaster show guide

41

Vivid’s strong growth

45

Pre-school

65

Action Vehicles

71

Large dolls

Stuart Dinsey Publisher Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

RETAIL 77

News

78

Counter Insurgent

78

Price Check

79

Retail Charts

80

New Products

81

Hero Product

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 6,043 July 1st 2009 to June 30th 2010. www.toynews-online.biz ■ ToyNews circulation is 15.9% higher than its closest competitor.

■ ToyNews requested or paid for circulation is 23.4% higher than its closest competitor.

■ ToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.

COMMENT STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

WHATEVER INDUSTRY I’ve worked in over the years, the independent retail sector has always been respected and revered.

Back in my video games days, indie retail trade body NASCR did a sterling job of representing the interests of specialist computer retailers, while in the PC trade, Brigantia fights their corner.

However much major chains and grocers such as Toys R Us, Argos, Tesco and Asda are courted by the toy industry, suppliers also know they ignore the independent sector at their peril. Which is why the annual Toymaster Show is always so well attended and supported.

Operations director Ian Edmunds explained to me this month that the reason why it sells out

Suppliers ignore the indie sector at their peril - it’s why Toymaster is so well supported. earlier each year, is that suppliers are so keen to book up extra stand space.

It’s admirable that Toymaster remains steadfastly committed to the Majestic, too. After last year’s 11th hour switch to the Harrogate International Centre, the group felt that a lot of the networking opportunities for members had been lost in the larger venue. One of the major benefits of being involved with a group such as Toymaster is being able to pick the brains of others who may be in similar situations, ask advice and pick up tips. The show is one of the few opportunities they get to do this.

This year will be my first visit – the prom dress is ready – and I hope to meet a good number of our readers there.

Samantha Loveday Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

4

NEWS

Mega Bloks Builds in pre-school Ambitious firm lines up TV ad blitz for core range after it sees growth of 64 per cent in the category in 2010...

by Katie Roberts and Samantha Loveday MEGA BLOKS has kicked off a major marketing drive supporting its core pre-school range – which will include its first ever TV campaign – on the back of its record growth in the category.

Using the strapline Time to Build, the 60-second interactive TV ads run for a year across Cartoonito and will challenge pre-schoolers to build themed items such as animals, buildings and vehicles with the firm’s iconic large blocks, as well as driving them to a dedicated microsite.

“Our core pre-school range has always been our number one priority and this is no different for 2011,” Peter Fuller, UK marketing manager at Mega Bloks explained to ToyNews.

“Our Time to Build campaign is all

about connecting with both children and parents in a really exciting way.

The TV advert is a fun and fantastically engaging appointment to view and supporting it with a dedicated microsite combined with PR, online, social, print and trade activity is vitally important to create additional buy in and support of parents.

“Time to Build is the culmination of many months of hard work and is the result of the direction the company is going.”

Mega Bloks growth in the pre-school sector in 2010 was up 64 per cent and Fuller believes that 2011 will be another strong year.

“Mega Bloks is a good place to be at the moment,” he commented.

“With new products and a very

FULLER: “Mega Bloks is a good place to be”

exciting marketing plan, we are always striving for more success, more growth and greater awareness to take the Mega Bloks brand to new heights.”

Mega Brands: 01844 350033

Corinthian calls in administrators In My Pocket distribution moves to Flair ● RSM Tenon Recovery looking to sell remaining brands...

by Katie Roberts A LARGE number of cancelled orders due to last December’s snow is being partly blamed for the cash flow problems which led to Corinthian calling in the administrators last month.

Trading since that time had been tough, said the firm, although the board continued working with lenders with the objective of maximising the company’s value and keeping it as a going concern. It vigorously explored all available strategic options including refinancing the company’s borrowings, alongside an injection of funds from shareholders and a sale of all or part of the business.

Until very recently, the board was hopeful that it would be successful in this aim.

However, given the extent of the challenges facing the company it wasn’t possible to reach an MAY 2011

agreement with its lenders and other creditors and therefore the board concluded that it was necessary to file for administration.

The agreement for the In My Pocket Brand was terminated following the news and brand owner MEG has since signed a deal with Flair to take over the UK and Ireland distribution.

Joe Morrison, CEO of MEG, commented: “We are delighted to be

working with Flair, a company with a proven track record in this sector.

“Corinthian Marketing did a great job for us and put the brand on the map in the region and we feel that Flair is now the right partner to help us to build on that success.”

Meanwhile, the remaining brands and product lines – principally consisting of Microstars, Prostars, Sunggle Pets, Slingers and Color Me Mine – are available for sale.

The administrators have retained a core staff to assist them in their efforts to sell the company’s remaining business and assets on a going concern basis.

For further information, please contact Gareth Roberts (gareth.roberts@rsmtenon.com) or David Taylor (david.r.taylor@rsmtenon.com) of RSM Tenon Recovery on 0118 953 0374.

NEWS

www.toynews-online.biz

5

Industry backs Toymaster Suppliers hail independent retail as integral to business ● Sector is growing customer base for most firms...

by Katie Roberts TOYMASTER’S MAY show in Harrogate has been given the thumbs up by the toy industry.

The exhibition, which takes place from May 17th to 19th at the Majestic Hotel in the town, has been affirmed as a key date in the toy calendar by many of this year’s exhibitors.

Vivid chairman, Nick Austin told ToyNews: “It is a great place for doing business with members of Toymaster. We always come away with a good level of new orders for the forthcoming Christmas season.”

Peter Burcham, national sales manager, Hasbro, agreed: “We consider it the biggest and most prepared independent trade show in the UK. The independent sector is incredibly important to us.”

(FROM LEFT) GEDDES: “We have seen significant growth within this sector”; TAYLOR-FOO: “The sector doubled for us last year”; AUSTIN: “Toymaster is a great place for doing business”; BURCHAM: “It is the most prepared independent trade show in the UK”

The trade also applauded the independent retail trade, saying it was a core part of their business.

Clive Wooster, European MD, Learning Curve explained: “The independent sector represents a significant portion of our sales in UK.” Most suppliers also expect the sector to continue to grow, despite a current difficult trading environment for many.

Dominic Geddes, Mattel’s sales director, commented: “The independent retail sector is a key area of focus for us. It has shown great resilience over the last few years. We have seen significant growth within this sector and this is a trend we expect to continue.

“We are continually looking to improve our processes to benefit the indie retail sector.”

Jacqueline Taylor-Foo, sales director, Spin Master, said the sector was one that “we doubled last year and are expecting anything from 3050 per cent growth again this year.”

Our full Toymaster coverage includes an interview with operations director, Ian Edmunds and commentary from the trade, as well as a comprehensive preview of the show. Turn to page 23 for the lowdown.

Hot Wheels stunt to light up Indy 500

Have you downloaded the ToyNews App?

The stunt is aiming to bring to life the Hot Wheels V-Drop track set. It is just part of a major campaign which Mattel has put together for the brand, which also encompasses a partnership with the British Racing Drivers Club at Silverstone, plus TV, social and digital media and PR. “This epic stunt is just one of a number of ways that we are bringing the brand to life, engaging fans with a jaw dropping moment in a way that only Hot Wheels can,” commented Jonathan Kirkley, boys marketing manager at Mattel.

Mattel: 01628 500000

DON’T FORGET you can now get all the latest toy trade news delivered straight to your iPhone with our free application.

Hundreds of industry execs have already downloaded the app – sponsored

by Littlest Pet Shop – from iTunes.

They now receive up to the minute news – such as the Tomy/RC2 acquisition going through, Corinthian falling into administration and details of Hasbro and Mattel’s Q1 results, all reported first by us in the last month.

Make sure you’re not missing out by heading to the iTunes App Store and downloading it now.

MATTEL AND its Hot Wheels brand could find itself in the record books later this month as it attempts a major stunt at the famous Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A driver from the Team Hot Wheels crew will be aiming to break the current world record distance jump of 302-feet in a four-wheel vehicle on May 29th. Dubbed Hot Wheels: Fearless at the 500, the driver will speed down a near vertical 90ft ramp, suspended on a ten story high, 100ft modelling of a bedroom door, before soaring across the infield of the Indianapolis speedway.

Raise

your profile Toy campaigns run on our channels experience an average sales uplift of 17%.

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ut Find aon boost c e t how w rand a your b dia

e rnerm om u t . w .c ww ations innov hell or em o a inno @turne il vati rmed ons .com ia

6

NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties

New brands benefit from half-term holiday boost TOY SALES in February continued to grow, up seven per cent in value for the month – a slightly slower rate than for January (up eight per cent). The final week of February drove most of the month’s growth with sales up 25 per cent on last year, helped by the half-term holiday that week. Prices continued to grow with the average selling price now £5.70. Both building sets and plush sectors continue to drive the market, but overall seven out of the 11 super categories are showing growth year to date.

The second largest super category (behind infant and pre-school) so far in 2011 is arts and crafts, with sales up 14 per cent on 2010. The fastest growing areas are clay and dough, with Play-Doh now the number two property within the category, behind the perennial favourite Crayola. The brand has had a strong start to the year, with sales up 16 per cent and the number one item being Super Tips 12 Pack.

Hello Kitty is the top licence within the category, with Flair’s Hello Kitty Cool Cardz the seventh best selling item year to date.

Overall, in February there were also a number of newly launched brands making strong in-roads into the toy market. The top selling new property was Lego’s Ninjago, with the combination of spinners and play-sets proving popular.

Disney Princess Rapunzel has also seen sales rise in the last month with the release of the Tangled film.

The Disney Featuring Rapunzel doll was the number five top seller across total toys in February.

A range of new play-set themed dolls have also been selling well throughout February, with Vivid’s Moshi Monsters Moshlings, Spin Master’s Zoobles and Character Options’ Squinkies all featuring in the top selling new properties year to date list.

Sales

Average Price

UK toy sales (value, year to date)

2010

Source: NPD

MAY 2011

2011

7%

Top 5 properties February 2011 1. TOY STORY 2. STAR WARS 3. LEGO CITY 4. ZHUZHU PETS 5. BEN 10

Best property progression February 2011

ZOOBLES The Spin Master collectable range moved up from 118 to 40 in February…

New properties are the life blood of the industry, keeping the market dynamic. There are new girls properties that look like they could impact purchasing this year, while new films this year look set to reinvigorate boys properties.

Feb 10:

£5.52

“New properties are the life blood of the toy industry, keeping the market energetic and dynamic,” said Jez Fraser-Hook, director of NPD Group’s toy business, UK. “There are a number of new girls properties that look like they could impact purchasing this year, while the new films out later this year look set to reinvigorate popular boys properties such as Cars and Transformers.”

Feb 11:

£5.70

Best Item Progression February 2011

Moshi Monsters Moshling Figures (Vivid Imaginations) The Moshling Figures sped up the charts from position 457 in January to 29 in February…

NPD RESEARCH

www.toynews-online.biz

Retail Sales Trends UK FEBRUARY 2011 (£ SALES - VALUE)

UK FEBRUARY 2011 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1

MINIFIGURES

LEGO

1

MINIFIGURES

2

SPINNER WAVE 1

LEGO

2

MATCH ATTAX 2010/2011 PACKETS

3

STAR WARS 2011 TROOPER BATTLEPACK

LEGO

3

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

4

BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT

BANDAI

4

MATCH ATTAX STARTER PACK

5

DISNEY FEATURING RAPUNZEL

MATTEL

5

MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TRADING CARD GAME

6

KIDIZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA

VTECH

6

BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT

7

BEYBLADES BATTLE TOP ASSORTMENT

8

BAKUGAN STARTER PACK

9

NERF BARRICADE MREV-10

10

ZHUZHU HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT

LEGO TOPPS MATTEL TOPPS TOPPS BANDAI

HASBRO

7

CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT

MATTEL

SPIN MASTER

8

HALO WARS HERO ASSORTMENT

MEGA BRANDS

HASBRO

9

PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

10

SPINNER WAVE 1

CHARACTER

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES - VALUE)

HASBRO LEGO

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1

MINIFIGURES

LEGO

1

MATCH ATTAX 2010/2011 PACKETS

2

SPINNER WAVE 1

LEGO

2

MINIFIGURES

3

KIDIZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA

4

BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT

5

ZHUZHU HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT

6

STAR WARS 2011 TROOPER BATTLEPACK

7

BEYBLADES BATTLE TOP ASSORTMENT

8

BAKUGAN STARTER PACK

9 10

VTECH

3

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

BANDAI

4

MATCH ATTAX STARTER PACK

CHARACTER

5

MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TRADING CARD GAME

LEGO

6

BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT

HASBRO

7

PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

SPIN MASTER

8

HALO WARS HERO ASSORTMENT

DISNEY FEATURING RAPUNZEL

MATTEL

9

CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT

BAKUGAN TRAP ASSORTMENT

SPIN MASTER

10

BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK

TOPPS LEGO MATTEL TOPPS TOPPS BANDAI HASBRO MEGA BRANDS MATTEL SPIN MASTER

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, Argos, Asda, Boots, ELC, Firebox, Freemans, Grattan, Hamleys, HMV, Halfords Littlewoods, Mailorderexpress, Modelzone, Mothercare, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, Toymaster, The Entertainer and WHSmith. The approximate coverage is of 60%

NPD Eurotoys is the Number 1 information provider for Market Research to the Toy Industry in Europe Contact: NPD Eurotoys UK, Rosemount House, Rosemount Avenue West Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 6LB. _ 01 932 355 580

7

8

STATS

Media tracker MARKET VALUE YEAR TO DATE (FEBRUARY)

Behind THE SCREEN

By Clive Crouch WHAT CAN you buy these days for around £700m? Well quite a lot is the obvious answer. Rupert Murdoch bought his daughter’s independent TV production company, Shine Group for that figure. Shine was responsible for hit shows such as MasterChef and Ashes to Ashes. We know what these two top shows (and there are many more within the group) look like, but it’s difficult to have the same vision of what that kind of money looks like.

Okay, let’s try harder. In August 2007 Disney paid New Horizon $700m for Club Penguin – a virtual world for children. An identical figure, but a completely different currency. News Corp bought physical broadcast material entertainment; Disney bought virtual play and imagination.

Disney acquired a great business and has arguably taken the lead in the children’s virtual world sector.

There are now 52 virtual worlds aimed at children under the age of seven. The development and arrival of these sites has enabled kids to fulfil their play values in a very different way. The opportunity to play, learn and stretch the imagination of these young minds now has a new application for their creativity.

They also have developed their own currency in Moshis and Puffins.

Barbie Girls reached three million users within 60 days of launch and Moshi Monsters boasts 28 million subscribers three years after launch and is now in 150 countries. That is an amazing achievement. The revenue models are sound, the play values are high and child safety and protection are top of

MAY 2011

the list with the providers of virtual worlds. This is to ensure that parents are given reassurance when subscribing their children to a virtual world site. Despite its size in terms of volume of sites and the huge volume of users, this whole sector is almost invisible within a children’s market, without a physical representation commensurate with its size and value.

Meanwhile, 12 months into another market, another question. What can you buy for just £28m? The answer to that question really does lie behind the screen. Recently Peter McHugh in The Guardian devoted a page to that question, the £28m purchase of GMTV, after ITV bought out Disney. A report in Broadcast (by Stephen Price) headlined ‘BBC has ITV for Breakfast’, triggered a wave of editorial comment. It stated that BBC Breakfast averaged 1.6 million/36 per cent across the 6am to 9.25am timeslot, while ITV1’s breakfast slot gathered 867,000/19 per cent.

GMTV Kid’s shows previously occupied the Top Ten BARB Children’s programmes with at least three or four entries in most weeks of the year. This table is now totally dominated by the BBC, with Peppa Pig and Disney occasionally making an appearance, a situation McHugh sadly lamented.

Maybe the next move in children’s programmes will be made in an entirely new currency made up of Moshis and Puffins? www.clivecrouch.com info@clivecrouch.com 07831 670453

2010

2011

£100M

£66.6M

£33.3M

£93.7M

£0M

£87.3M

SOURCE: NPD

TOP LICENSED TOYS YTD FEB 2011 (RANKED BY VALUE) 1

MATCH ATTAX 2010/2011 PACKETS

2

MINIFIGURES

3

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

4

MATCH ATTAX STARTER PACK

TOPPS

5

MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TCG

TOPPS

6

BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10 CM ASSORTMENT

7

PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

8

HALO WARS HERO ASSORTMENT

MEGA BRANDS

9

CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT

MATTEL

10

BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK

SOURCE:NPD

TOPPS LEGO MATTEL

BANDAI HASBRO

SPIN MASTER

STATS

www.toynews-online.biz

9

TV insight from former GMTV veteran, Clive Crouch; toy market value; top licensed toys and comparative market data on all manner of entertainment products….

AVERAGE SELLING BY SUPERCATEGORY (FULL YEAR 2010)

Commentary: While the average selling price across the toys market is £6.68, this varies massively by super category with youth electronics the highest priced category, driven by such big selling items as Vtech Kidizoom Camera and Video Recorder and Vivid Imaginations’ Deluxe Buzz Lightyear. The lowest priced category is all other toys, which is impacted by the number of collectables in the category such as GoGo’s Crazy Bones as well as collectable trading cards and stickers.

SOURCE: NPD EPOS PANEL, FULL YEAR 2010

UK BOX OFFICE RETURNS (WEEKEND APRIL 1ST 2011)

TOP 10 GAMES (WEEK ENDING APRIL 9TH 2011)

1

HOP

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

1

ZUMBA FITNESS

2

SOURCE CODE

STUDIO CANAL

2

CRYSIS 2

3

LIMITLESS

RELATIVITY MEDIA

3

LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS

4

SUCKER PUNCH

WARNER BROS PICTURES

4

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 12: THE MASTERS

EA

5

THE EAGLE

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

5

SHIFT 2: UNLEASHED

EA

6

A TURTLE’S TALE: SAMMY’S ADVENTURES

OPTIMUM RELEASING

6

HOMEFRONT

THQ

7

RANGO

NICKELODEON MOVIES

7

WWE ALL STARS

THQ

8

UNKNOWN

WARNER BROS PICTURES

8

POKÉMON BLACK VERSION

NINTENDO

9

ANUVAHOOD

REVOLVER ENTERTAINMENT

9

POKÉMON WHITE VERSION

NINTENDO

10

THE LINCOLN LAWYER

10

DYNASTY WARRIORS

SOURCE: IMDB.COM

LIONSGATE

505 GAMES EA LUCASARTS

TECMO KOEI EUROPE

SOURCE: GFK CHART TRACK

MAY 2011

10

AIRTIME STATISTICS

Top programmes The top-performing children’s TV shows on terrestrial and multi-channel....

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES MARCH 11

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD MARCH 11

CHANNEL

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

TVR

OOOs

AIRINGS

CHANNEL

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

1

CBBC

THE SLAMMER

2.20

14

189

4

1

DIS CH.

SUITE LIFE ON DECK: BREAK UP IN PARIS 3.70

2

CBBC

TRACY BEAKER RETURNS

2.20

3

CBBC

THE SPARTICLE MYSTERY

2.20

14

187

9

183

25

2

CBBC

COP SCHOOL

4

3

CBBC

4

CBBC

THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER

2.20

13

183

48

4

CBBC

THE SPARTICLE MYSTERY

5

CBBC

DANI’S HOUSE

2.10

11

181

1

5

CBBC

6

CBBC

COP SCHOOL

2.10

10

179

4

6

7

CITV/ITV HORRID HENRY

2.00

17

172

4

8

CBBC

THE SCOOBY DOO SHOW

2.00

15

167

9

CBBC

DEADLY ART

1.90

14

161

1.80

10

156

36

10 CBEEBIES GARTH AND BEV

10 CBEEBIES GRANDPA IN MY POCKET

%

OOOs

AIRINGS

15

313

3

2.50

11

215

8

TRACY BEAKER’S THE MOVIE OF ME 2.50

16

211

1

2.30

9

194

13

TRACY BEAKER RETURNS

2.20

13

184

84

CBBC

SCHOOL OF SILENCE

2.20

11

184

8

7

CBBC

NEWSROUND SPECIAL

2.10

9

174

1

22

8

CBBC

THE SCOOBY DOO SHOW

2.10

14

174

46

20

9

CBBC

TRADE YOUR WAY TO THE USA

2.00

11

166

10

1.90

9

162

2

COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) MARCH 11 CHANNEL

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

TVR

%

TVR

%

COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD MARCH 11

OOOs

AIRINGS

CHANNEL

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

TVR

SUITE LIFE ON DECK: BREAK UP IN PARIS 3.70

%

OOOs

AIRINGS

15

313

3

1

CITV/ITV HORRID HENRY

2.00

17

172

4

1

DIS CH.

2

CITV/ITV HANNAH MONTANA

1.80

10

152

4

2

CITV/ITV HANNAH MONTANA

1.70

11

140

12

3

CITV/ITV SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

1.40

12

120

4

3

CITV/ITV SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

1.40

12

123

11

4

ITV1/BFAST HORRID HENRY

1.10

9

94

4

4

DIS CH.

1.50

9

123

2

5

CITV/ITV BEYBLADE METAL FUSION

1.00

11

89

6

5

CITV/ITV HORRID HENRY

1.30

14

110

19

6

CITV BFAST POKÉMON: DIAMOND & PEARL

0.90

6

80

20

6

ITV1/BFAST HANNAH MONTANA

1.00

6

83

12

7

DIS CH.

0.90

5

79

65

7

DIS CH.

GOOD LUCK CHARLIE

0.90

4

76

193

8

ITV1/BFAST HANNAH MONTANA

0.90

5

78

4

8

CITV

HORRID HENRY

0.90

6

74

387

9

ITV1/BFAST SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

0.90

8

75

4

9

DISC CH. SHAKE IT UP

0.90

5

74

139

0.90

5

74

4

10 CITV BFAST POKÉMON: DIAMOND & PEARL

0.90

6

72

32

10 CITV

GOOD LUCK CHARLIE

HANNAH MONTANA

SOURCE: INFOSYS/BARB.

MAY 2011

SUITE LIFE ON DECK: LOST AT SEA

NOTE: THESE CHARTS ARE BASED ON AVERAGE PERFORMANCE

12

APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVES Turner Media adds to its new EMEA advertising team, Toys R Us hires a new president to handle its Stateside operations, MGA Entertainment picks up two new recruits and an industry veteran bids farewell to John Crane...

FROM LEFT: Alex Ratchford, Simon Field, Nicole Jones and Keith Elmer.

Keith Elmer has announced he will leave John Crane this month following four years of service.

As sales director, Elmer’s role has included assisting with the sale of the business to new owners in 2007, supporting with the roles left following Anthony King’s retirement and managing the company’s independent internet account base.

Elmer wishes to take the opportunity to wish customers and staff continued success in the future.

He does not currently have another role lined up.

John Crane will soon be in a position to announce the name of a new account handler, who will spend a little time with Elmer before his departure in May. Simon Field arrives at Turner Media Innovations in the newly created position of account director of ad sales, strategy and planning for the EMEA territory.

In his new role, Field will report to Turner Media VP Simon Cox, who heads up the EMEA team.

Last year the pan-EMEA division was created to aid advertisers

requiring multi-regional campaigns and is expanding to meet the increasing demand for such projects.

Field comes from The Walt Disney Company in Australia, where he was advertising sales and promotions director, building Disney’s media sales business both on-air and online.

Prior to his time at Disney, Field was associate director of sponsorship and promotions at Turner Broadcasting’s Asia Pacific office in Hong Kong. He relocated to Hong Kong from Turner’s UK ad sales division, after rising through the ranks in the UK team. He began his career in advertising at ITV. On his appointment, he said: “As the only kids’ broadcaster to have an in-house advertising and consultancy team, Turner Media Innovations occupies a unique place in the media landscape, providing a wealth of opportunities for clients. The panEMEA approach is a great example of this, and I look forward to continuing to grow revenue streams across the region.”

Simon Cox said: “He has forged a

very successful career in kids’ media, and his working knowledge of a diverse range of markets makes him an invaluable asset to the team.”

Toys R Us has hired Neil Friedman to oversee the company’s Stateside activity.

The US retail giant describes the former Mattel man as a “highly respected industry executive” and an “industry icon”.

Friedman will report to chairman and CEO, Gerry Storch, and his jobs include the handling of all merchandising, marketing, store operations, merchandise presentation, global sourcing and product development, as well as merchandise planning and allocation for the company’s 866 stores and online business in the United States.

Speaking about his appointment, Friedman said: “Toys R Us is one of the most beloved retail brands in the world, and I am excited by this opportunity to build on its unique strengths. I can’t wait to get started with the Toys R Us team.”

Added Storch said: “We could not be more pleased that Neil is joining

our leadership team. Neil has extensive knowledge of, and has made significant contributions to, the toy and juvenile product businesses throughout his career.”

Alex Ratchford joins MGA as general sales manager and Nicole Jones as marketing co-ordinator.

With over 20 years industry experience, including many years in a variety of roles with the Superjouet, Berchet and Smoby group, Ratchford joins following a five-year stint at Worlds Apart as general sales manager.

Jones joins MGA having previously worked for Yamaha Music Europe and Volkswagen Racing. In her new role, she will be responsible for supporting the marketing team with the key brands under the MGA and Zapf Creation portfolios.

Ratchford commented: “MGA has a fantastic brands and product portfolio and I am very excited to be joining the team.”

Jones added: “MGA is a fast paced organisation with creative marketing plans and I can’t wait to hit the ground running.”

14

CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

Thomas & Friends Fisher-Price Everyone’s favourite tank engine is set for more sales-success this year, with Fisher-Price planning to push Thomas further than ever.

We get the inside track on the Thomas & Friends campaign...

FISHER-PRICE will broaden its Thomas & Friends campaign this autumn, introducing new advertising techniques across a variety of media.

With decades of experience and expertise in pre-school play, Fisher-Price has a full presence across Trackmaster and Take-n-Play collections, as well as more additions to its own Thomas & Friends line-up.

A major marketing campaign targeting both mums and pre-school children will go full steam ahead as the festive season approaches, with four TV drivers for the Take-n-Play, Trackmaster and Pre-school collections running from September through to December.

A full-year partnership with Thomas & Friends Magazine will ensure presence in every issue with prominent display ads, advertorials, page sponsorships and production competitions.

Over 250,000 collectors’ posters will be distributed via the magazine, as well as at leading events and retail.

Extensive online support, including a Thomas micro-site, will continue to show consumers the extensive Fisher-Price range while also driving home the collectability factor.

The campaign will also receive significant PR support throughout the autumn, as well as an extensive activation programme at retail.

A versatile new range Fisher-Price's pre-school line-up will be reinforced by new additions specially designed for the youngest Thomas fans.

Suitable for 18 months and up, the Discover Junction collection includes push-along engines and play-sets at a variety of price points.

The key play-set is Thomas at Tidmouth Sheds, which features sounds and character phrases as well as chunky Harold and Fat Controller figures.

The Trackmaster version of the Tidmouth Sheds play-set brings to life one of the most popular locations for fans. Featuring train bays to store Trackmaster engines, a motorised Thomas MAY 2011

engine and a motorise turntable, which is powered by the character's wheels, it includes a complete track layout.

Also new for pre-school, Follow Me Thomas enables youngsters to guide the way for Thomas using a light guided lantern. It has interactive phrases and sound effects, and when any of the three buttons on the lantern are pressed, Thomas will do one of three programmed moves: a figure of eight, circles and zig zags.

A major marketing campaign targeting both mums and pre-school children will go full steam ahead as the festive season approaches.

Take-n-Play continues to expand its collectability with new engines joining the small, medium and large assortments for autumn. The second half of the year also benefits from a further two new play-sets, the Engine Wash and Diesel Works – both tying in to the release of the Day of the Diesels DVD from Hit Entertainment.

For take along play, both sets easily fold up and come with a carry handle for Thomas & Friends adventures on the move.

The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

The big pictures How Warner Bros Consumer Products is planning to transform some of this year’s hottest movies into must-have toy properties...

18

LICENSINGNEWS

IN BRIEF LIMA’S ESSENTIALS COURSE TAKES SHAPE Trade body LIMA UK is set to hold its popular Licensing Essentials Course and Spring Fling on May 12th. Being held at the Hotel Verta in Battersea, London, the event is aimed at newcomers to the industry, with the all-day course focusing on both the basics, as well as giving delegates exclusive insights into the latest trends and best practice. Confirmed speakers include Bettina Koeckler from Chorion, Helen Webster from Blueprint and Kids Industries’ Gary Pope among others. The traditional Spring Fling networking event will take place in the evening.

LIMA UK: 01908 802863

DOCTOR WHO MONSTERS PARTWORK LAUNCHES BBC Magazines is to launch Doctor Who: Monster Invasion, a new fortnightly partwork, in May. Part one will contain a magazine featuring an episode guide, an A-Z of monsters, an alien slamdown fold-out poster, two packs of collectable cards and the first section of a three-part giant poster. www.bbcmagazines.com

WBCP INKS NEW DC PUBLISHING DEAL Warner Bros Consumer Products is now the sole licensor for DC Entertainment’s publishing business.

The deal will see WBCP licence storybooks, novelisations, chapter books, readers, colouring, activity and sticker books, how-to-draw books and educational books. DC will continue to handle worldwide subsidiary rights for its bestselling comic books and graphic novels.

WBCP: 020 7 984 6100

DISNEYMEDIA+ UNVEILED The Walt Disney Company has revealed a new fully integrated ad sales and promotions operation in the UK and Ireland. Disneymedia+ has been structured to provide marketing partners with a single point of contact for multi-platform, multi-property and multi-target promotional and advertising opportunities across the company.

Disney: 020 8222 1000

JOHN LEWIS LAUNCHES ANGELINA LINE Hit Entertainment and Mattel have teamed up with John Lewis for the launch of the new Angelina Ballerina toy line, complementing the CGI programming. Master toy partner Mattel has created figures, play-sets, dolls and plush. Shoppers will also be treated to in-store appearances from the character.

Hit Entertainment: 020 7554 2566

MAY 2011

TMI debuts pan-Euro Spin Master ad campaign Seven-figure marketing drive to push Bakugan Battle Brawlers toy line ● Campaign is biggest multi-territory push devised by firm since EMEA division was founded...

by Samantha Loveday TURNER MEDIA Innovations has teamed with Spin Master to launch a pan-European advertising campaign for the firm’s new Bakugan Battle Brawlers toy range.

The seven-figure campaign is running in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey and the Nordics. It will be focused on the Bakugan Battle Gear line.

It is the biggest multi-territory campaign devised by TMI since its EMEA division was founded. It is also the first synchronised multiterritory campaign by Spin Master across Europe.

The campaign will broadcast on Cartoon Network and Boomerang, and will include a 40-second TV spot driving viewers to a specially created website in each territory.

“We’ve worked on a number of great campaigns with Spin Master in the past, and this deal is a natural

extension of a fantastic partnership,” commented Simon Cox, VP of TMI. “Pan-European campaigns are a great way to achieve scale in a streamlined way, particularly at a time when campaign budgets have to work harder than ever.”

James Martin, VP of international marketing at Spin Master, added: “TMI have been great partners with

us in growing Bakugan in every market we’ve entered. We’ve had amazing success so far and this campaign is just another innovative way to drive further growth.”

The accompanying online activity will include games and challenges, designed to showcase a selection of Bakugan products. www.turnermediainnovations.com

WWE gets a rebrand, as Mattel boosts toy line WORLD WRESTLING Entertainment has formally rebranded as WWE as part of a new business model for future growth.

The firm will actively pursue acquisitions of entertainment content companies and the outsourcing of its core competencies – TV and film production, live event production and licensing. WWE will also focus on developing new TV projects including scripted, non-scripted and animated programmes, as well as the launch of a new WWE network in the next 12 to 18 months.

“The new business model of the company better reflects what WWE is all about, being a global entertainment company,” said Vince McMahon, chairman and CEO. “The future of WWE will be the addition of new

entertainment content opportunities beyond the ring.”

Meanwhile, toy partner Mattel is planning a number of new additions to its core WWE range of action figures, rings and belts. In the FlexForce line-up, the WWE FlexForce Colossal Crash Down Arena features an elevated 18-inch superstructure, while the WWE Rumblers collection welcomes the new Transforming Rumble Rig, which changes from a big rig into an entire WWE arena with accessories.

Key WWE toy product will be supported by TV ad campaigns throughout the year, with a special focus

around important sales periods, such as school holidays and the UK live tours which ran in April and will return in November.

WWE: 020 7349 1740

LICENSINGNEWS

www.licensing.biz

UK trade readies for Vegas trip

IN BRIEF

Licensing International in June looking likely to be the largest yet, says Advanstar...

4KIDS ENT FILES FOR CHAPTER 11

by Samantha Loveday NEXT MONTH’S Licensing International expo in Las Vegas is now boasting close to 400 exhibitors, meaning it’s going to be one of the largest yet for organiser Advanstar.

International participation in the event is also shaping up to be stronger than ever, according to the show’s director Liz Crawford.

“We are experiencing tremendous growth from last year’s event,” she told ToyNews.

“The show floor looks like the ‘who’s who’ of brands, with close to 400 exhibitors from all categories including toy companies. Hasbro, Mattel, Cepia (ZhuZhu Pets) and

Ugly Doll are just a few of the toy brands and manufacturers on the showfloor. We are also seeing a large increase in international exhibitors.”

Crawford continued: “Pavilions from China, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Korea and others are showing a vast array of unique brands.”

Licensing International runs from June 14th to 16th at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. ToyNews’ sister publication, Licensing.biz, will be running a full preview of the event online during May. For further information on the show, head to www.licensingexpo.com

Vivid puts weight behind Everything’s Rosie VIVID IS shooting for a top three position in the girls licensed preschool brands sector by the end of 2011 with Everything’s Rosie.

The firm is planning a full product range to complement the hit V&S Entertainment show.

TV lines will include Twooter, Ring O’Rosie and Sweet Dream Rosie and Raggles, while Rock n’Rosie games, Playtime Friend soft toys and My Best Friend Rosie feature plush will also be available.

Vivid is planning to support the line with a fully integrated TV campaign from August, targeting housewives with children, supported

by PR with a focus on the ‘Mummy Bloggers’ network. It will also be working closely with V&S to drive

events and promotions in-store leading into October half-term through to Christmas. Retail reaction, says marketing and licensing

director Emma Weber, has been “fantastic” and there are listings across the board.

“We know that there is already a growing fan base out there as the show has been on air for 15 months,” Weber told ToyNews. “Requests from mums have been flowing through V&S, asking when the toys will be launching, so there is a level of pent up demand which stands Everything’s Rosie ahead of other new shows launching later this year.

“We’d hope to achieve a top three position in girls licensed pre-school brands [by the end of 2011]. We are already planning to broaden the range and product offering for s/s 12 into outdoor toys, arts and crafts.”

Vivid: 01483 449944

19

4Kids Entertainment has filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11. The filing in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York also covers all of the domestic wholly-owned 4Kids subsidiaries. However, the London office is not part of the bankruptcy filing. The filing automatically stays the lawsuit filed by the licensors of the Yu-Gi-Oh property, Asatsu-DK and TV Tokyo, which was made against 4Kids on March 24th.

4Kids: 020 7297 5992

TITAN LAUNCHES HOT WHEELS MAGAZINE Titan Publishing is partnering with Mattel on four Totally Hot Wheels magazines. The titles will include features, an all-new Battle Force 5 comic strip story and sneak peeks at the new Team Hot Wheels website. There are also four competitions to enter, including the chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to see the Indy 500 in the US. www.titanmagazines.com

HIT ADDS PUBLISHING TO MIKE THE KNIGHT Simon & Schuster has sealed a fiveyear deal with Hit Entertainment to handle the publishing category for new property, Mike the Knight. The firm will produce books in all categories, apart from annuals. The deal marks the first time that Hit has worked with Simon & Schuster.

Simon & Schuster: 020 7316 1900

JUMBO GRABS RAA RAA Jumbo is extending its pre-school portfolio, signing a games and puzzles licence with Chapman Entertainment for Raa Raa the Noisy Lion. All products will be priced from £5.99, with the firm looking to develop the line throughout 2012.

The new property joins Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, Fireman Sam and Guess with Jess in Jumbo’s stable.

Jumbo: 01707 289289

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20

LICENSING WARNER’S TOY PLANS

Warner storming 2011 is looking likely to be another strong year for Warner Bros Consumer Products in the toy category. Samantha Loveday finds out why it believes it has one of its strongest ever line-ups of toy licensees to date...

OTHER LICENSORS could be forgiven for feeling a touch envious of Warner Bros Consumer Products’ portfolio over the next 12 to 18 months. Not only does it have the evergreens Scooby-Doo and Harry Potter, it will also introduce Green Lantern – which has the potential to become another major franchise – a sequel to the super cute Happy Feet, a live experience for the Batman brand and a re-imagining of the 1980’s TV classic, ThunderCats.

All of these properties are also likely to have a major impact on the toy sector, with WBCP confident it has its strongest ever line-up of licensees.

And, when you factor in that the firm is not only working with such respected master toy licensees as Mattel, Tomy, Vivid, Bandai and Character Options, but also companies such as Lego, VTech, Sambro, Inspiration Works and MV Sports, it certainly seems that Warner has hit a sweet spot.

First stop is the launch of Green Lantern, which hits cinemas in June.

The DC hero film starring Ryan Reynolds is being treated as a new franchise for Warner. Its master toy partner is Mattel, which will roll out action figures, play-sets, vehicles and other transforming items. It will be supported by micro scooters and skateboards from MV Sports and dress up sets from Rubie’s.

BUFTON: High hopes for 2011 line-up

MAY 2011

“Up until about two years ago only core DC fans would have known who the Green Lantern was,” Paul Bufton, general manager for WBCP UK

Potter and the Deathly Hallows is all set to be one of the key talking points.

“Last year we had such a phenomenal result and we’d put so

The response so far to ThunderCats has been incredible. Everyone you present it to is just so excited. It’s going to deliver as a TV show on its broadcast platform and it’s just going to be absolutely massive.

Paul Bufton, General Manager, WBCP explains to ToyNews. “But then the character was featured quite heavily in Batman: Brave and the Bold, so younger viewers are also now familiar with him. The theatrical launch and supporting licensing programme is an ambitious project to say the least because there are so many characters in it, of all shapes and sizes. Plus, it’s in 3D, it’s set in space and we also have to be sure to satisfy its original core audience.”

Animation is due to follow the theatrical release next year, a formula which worked really well for WBCP on Batman, which saw Brave and the Bold picking up the younger fans who weren’t quite old enough to buy into The Dark Knight, but who were caught up in the noise around the Batman brand. Back to this summer though, and the final part of Harry

much effort into managing the property,” continues Bufton. “We really went all out because we felt that there was no reason why Harry Potter should not succeed as a toy proposition at retail in the UK. “We struck gold with Tomy. We had a shared vision and spent a long time deliberating over what the line should be. It’s clear there are very different audiences within the property and that’s why it’s so successful.”

The success of Tomy’s Monster Book of Monsters also showed the audience was willing to buy into the Harry Potter ‘universe’. “This made us change the way we looked at the toys; the range now is much more role play focused, catering for the more grown up audience. Likewise, Lego has achieved amazing results delivering a range that caters for

young children and older fans alike.

Harry Potter has been both a number one best selling video game and toy line for Lego, this created a huge buzz and generated significant sales for the broader range and has also lead to cross licensing success in apparel.”

Meanwhile, Bandai has also been working closely with WBCP to develop the ThunderCats line. And, if the early reaction at Toy Fair is anything to go by, it’s not going to disappoint. “The response so far to ThunderCats has been incredible,” Bufton says. “Everyone you present it to is just so excited. It’s going to deliver as a TV show on its broadcast platform and it’s just going to be absolutely massive. Bandai, again, are just an absolute pleasure to work with; they are completely committed to the property.”

Bufton is also confident that the Vivid-distributed Thinkway toy range for Happy Feet 2 is going to be one of the most wanted properties for autumn/winter – “the first ever tap dancing plush is really quite staggering” – while Character continues to invest heavily in ScoobyDoo – “Character has been our licensee for more than ten years on Scooby and they’re saying that 2011 is going to be their biggest year ever.”

A statement likely to bring out the green-eyed monster in anyone.

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23

Master planners Back at its ‘spiritual’ home of the Majestic, this month’s Toymaster show has been sold out since early February, underlining its importance to the industry. Samantha Loveday talks to operations director Ian Edmunds to find out more...

“THE MAIN aim this year is not to have a repeat of 2010’s last minute nerves, shall we say,” Toymaster’s operations director, Ian Edmunds explains to ToyNews ahead of the buying group’s annual three-day show in Harrogate.

A fire at the Majestic Hotel last year, less than two weeks before the show was due to be held, meant Toymaster had to shift venues to the Harrogate International Centre. But, while both its members and the industry were elated that the show went ahead at all, the buying group felt that some of the more ‘Toymaster’ elements were lost.

This year, all public areas of the Majestic are open once again and Toymaster returns to what it affectionately calls its ‘spiritual’ home.

“It’s a very different animal running the show in a conference centre, as opposed to running it in a hotel,” explains Edmunds. “I think suppliers would have been happy if we’d stayed in the conference centre, but as far as we’re concerned, we lost a lot of the

‘Toymaster’ bits that we wanted to get across. Things like members networking, talking and sharing experiences. At the end of the day, if we were going to run a show in a conference hall, Toymaster wouldn’t run it. That’s not what we do; it’s not Toymaster, if that makes any sense.”

This is a very, very important show for our members.

It’s an ordering show.

Ian Edmunds, Toymaster However, Edmunds confirms that the show’s future lies with the Majestic – indeed, it’s booked up to run there until 2020.

All exhibition space for this year was sold out back in early February and a good proportion of suppliers on the showfloor will have some kind of deal on offer for visitors.

“For members this is a very, very important show,” states Edmunds.

“This is not a Toy Fair. Toy Fair is a ‘looking at’ show. This is very much an ordering show.”

The networking element, too, is a vital component. “One of the best things about being in the group is sharing experiences with likeminded people. Finding out from other people what they’ve done in the last year, what worked, what didn’t and generally picking up on things.”

For non-Toymaster members, too, the event is becoming an important fixture in the calendar. “We think it’s a good showcase for what we do, so why not let other independents come and look around. They’re welcome to come and find out more about the group, or just to look around, there’s no pressure. We get around 150 of our accounts and probably another 100 independent non-members.”

Levels of business in the independent sector are still considerably above what they

were in 2008. After the collapse of Woolworths in 2009, the sector had a fantastic year, although Edmunds admits that 2010 wasn’t so good. It’s not all doom and gloom though, with trading in the first two months of 2011 actually being better than expected.

“In truth, we thought the first two or three months [of the year] would be down, but for most of our members the first two months have been alright, because the suppliers have come through with some good product.”

Edmunds is under no illusions, however, that 2011 is going to be a tricky year, although come November hopefully lost trade will be put back on. But what’s his ultimate aim for this year?

“I’d like to think that in a year’s time, we’ve still got all our members, they come out of Christmas with less stock than they came out of it last year and we’ve achieved our mission statement, which is very simply to help our members trade more profitably. That’s all it is.”

MAY 2011

SPECIAL

24

Indies rock With the annual Toymaster event upon us, Katie Roberts spoke to some of the exhibitors about the role independent retail plays in their business. This is followed with a comprehensive guide to what will be on show this year…

A SELECTION of suppliers took some time out from show preparation to talk to us about the importance of the independent retail sector.

Also in discussion were the reasons for attending the show, how firms support the indies, how the retail landscape for toys is changing and whether grocers and online retailers are posing a threat.

“Toymaster is a really important show for both us and the members and a great chance to update everyone after Toy Fair. The independents are a valuable sector to Spin Master, usually the most loyal of retailers with a passion for product and willing to give most things a go.

“We doubled our independent retail business last year and are expecting anything from 30-50 per cent growth again this year.

“We offer strong promotions to independents during key periods (London Toy Fair for spring deals and May show for autumn deals) which gives them both margin and various options for competing in the market.“

Jacqueline Taylor-Foo, sales director, Spin Master “We exhibit at Toymaster because it is a great place for doing business with members. We always come away with a good level of new orders for the forthcoming Christmas season from members in the UK and Ireland.

‘The independent retail sector is growing again in the post-Woolies era. Toymaster is a very strong top ten customer for Vivid.

“Vivid supports the independent retailers with good promotions, good service, catalogue support and ensuring members get a fair share of hot products like Moshi Monsters.

“The growth in toy offerings at grocers and online is affecting independents, but Toymaster offers great customer service and range, which is why they are still growing despite the current challenging market conditions.”

Nick Austin, chairman, Vivid

“We have been regular supporters of the Toymaster show for many years now. The independent sector represents a significant portion of our UK sales. Our independent sales grew by over ten per cent in 2010.

“We have a dedicated sales manager and a nationwide sales team that service the sector. We run indie-only promotions, sector exclusives and ensure the service they receive from us is excellent. This strategy is probably not unconnected with the growth shown last year.

“The question of how we view grocers and online vs the independent sector is always a balancing act. We value the major’s volumes but need the coverage and range breadth that the independent sector gives us as well. As we’ve grown both sectors alongside each other in the past five years I can only trust we’ve got the balance something like right.”

Clive Wooster, European managing director, Learning Curve “Independent retail is vital to our business. This is the one sector that distributes our full portfolio of products and is a showcase for our consumers.

“The independent sector is key to the success of many brands. In particular since the Woolworths downfall, they provide a High Street presence, which could have been lost and makes toys a destination within many city centres.

“We support independent retailers through tailored promotions, in-store theatre, regular purchasing opportunities and support through a field-based sales team.“

Tim Ives, general sales manager, Tomy

“The independent retail sector is a key area of focus for us. We are committed to continuing to develop and improve the way we look after all our retailers.

“The sector has shown great resilience over the last few years. We have seen significant growth within this sector and this is a trend we expect to continue.

“The retail environment is always challenging but the independent retailer definitely has a place in the mix. The High Street is a part of British culture and Toymaster retailers are perfectly placed to maximise this predilection by providing consumers with a shopping experience that they wouldn’t get within the grocers.

“We are continually looking to work smarter and improve our processes to benefit the independent retail sector. This includes investing in an additional salaried-salesman to help maximise and deliver growth opportunities, plus the launch of a new monthly newsletter that will keep the independents up-to-date on new product launches, marketing campaigns and our extensive TV advertising programme.”

Dominic Geddes, sales director, Mattel “Toymaster gives us an opportunity to meet with customers from the north of England. It’s the only trade show we do north of Birmingham. It’s a good chance to catch up with other supplier/competitors in order to get a feel how the year’s progressing for the industry.

“Allowing all independentsin, not just Toymaster members, gives us an opportunity to invite customers who we would have to otherwise visit.

“The independent retail sector is vital for providing depth.

Independent retailers tend to stock lots of different products within our range rather than just one or two lines. They also are more adventurous in their selections and willing to take a chance.

“To support the sector, we find giving a free sample of a new line works particularly well. We also offer demo days.”

Roger Martin, MD, Coiledspring Games MAY 2011

“For us, it [Toymaster] is one of the must-do events of the calendar year. The independent sector is of huge importance to Esdevium. Independent retail forms the bedrock of our business.

“Independent retail is a growing sector for our company. What we can offer the toy trade has expanded dramatically in recent years. Five or six years ago we were seen as a specialist distributor, but now we feel we have lots to offer the toy trade.

“We look to support independents and look after them as best we can.

We try to provide a great service and this includes next day delivery; fast stock turnaround; a low minimum order; knowledgeable and friendly staff and weekly new release sheets.”

Steve Buckmaster, sales director, Esdevium Games “We are new suppliers to Toymaster and wanted to showcase our ranges – we have a really exciting portfolio with lots of new ranges for 2011, all of which are ideally suited to Toymaster retailers.

“The sector is hugely important; 80 per cent of our business is from independents. We have fantastic relationships with our existing retailers and are keen to meet new faces at the show. We really focus on independents and are constantly looking at ways to further support our retailers.”

Thierry Bourret, director, Asobi “We consider Toymaster the biggest and most prepared independent trade show in the UK. The independent sector is incredibly important to us and it makes an important contribution to Hasbro’s business.

“Our Orders Direct team will also be using this as an opportunity to be there opening accounts, presenting products, talking through promotions, facilitating main season orders and taking top-up orders.

“We have a comprehensive business plan and support package that is bespoke to the independent channel, delivering what they need.”

Peter Burcham, national sales manager, Hasbro

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MATTEL, 01628 500000 Mattel’s stand in the French restaurant area of the Majestic will see the firm unveil several launches, marketing communication plans and retailer opportunities.

Fashion doll Barbie will push boundaries bringing new innovation and technology to its extensive range with developments for hair and beauty play.

Barbie Hairtastic Printables allow girls to print their own hair extensions.

The new Barbie Family segment is also growing with pet-based water-play items including Barbie Doggie Park, building on the success of last year’s Puppy Swim School. Barbie Entertainment will also release Princess Charm School this autumn which will be brought to life with transformation dolls, play-sets and accessories.

Hot Wheels continues to tap into boys’ play patterns with new product lines and marketing initiatives. Standout products include the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks, which introduces a new way to play Hot Wheels – by building stunt installations on bedroom walls. New Hot Wheels Rev Ups will speed off in any direction, even upside down.

The new series of animated TV show Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 will be represented by a range of die-cast cars and over-sized battle-ready vehicles.

Fisher-Price launches new product driven by multi-faceted brand campaigns including the evolvement of FisherPrice’s high-impact milestone campaign.

Autumn will also see the introduction of a raft of character licences, which add to the brand’s substantial core portfolio.

Fresh from a launch on Cbeebies, the ocean adventures of Octonauts will be brought to life by a new collection of play-sets, figures and vehicles. Key product the Octopod Play-set, comes with two Octonaut figures and sea creatures to rescue.

US Toy Of The Year Sing-a-Ma-Jigs will see new additions to the range. The new Sing-a-Ma-Jigs Duets sing, chatter and harmonise with their friends.

Mattel will also capitalise on some of the summer movies including Cars 2 and Green Lantern along with WWE. Scrabble will also welcome a new edition to its stable plus there’s news from Pictionary and Uno. Other products on show include Monster High, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Thomas And Friends, Toy Story and Matchbox.

HASBRO, 020 8569 1234 Toymaster will see Hasbro showcasing some of its most innovative products yet – from new partnerships in the preschool sector to licensed lines supporting some of this year’s big movie releases in the boys portfolio.

With Nerf blasters ranging from the NStrike Stampede to the new N-Strike Barricade RV-10 blaster, Hasbro’s Nerf NStrike line continues to deliver intense power and performance.

The autumn/winter launch of the Vortex range will see Nerf take blaster play to a new level. Elsewhere in the boys category, the Transformers portfolio continues to grow with the introduction of its new Mech Tech and Cyberverse ranges to coincide with Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The Force also remains strong with the introduction of a new lightsaber in the Star Wars range.

offer, as well as the chance to order the new fashion sets for the autumn, including the Bridal Collection. Following the creative theme, Bandai’s badge making machine Badge It will be on show as it makes a return for 2011. Both the Noddy and Tinga Tinga Tales preschool plush and play-set ranges will also be available.

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established itself as a proven evergreen product line with six consecutive years of double digit growth. The 2011 launch of the new police, space and harbour themes continue with this winning formula.

The show will also feature Lego Duplo Brick Boxes and themed role-play sets including My First Zoo and Fire Truck.

SPIN MASTER, 01628 535000 LEGO, 01753 495000

Cookie My Playful Pup is the newest dog to join the FurReal Friends family.

Featuring voice recognition technology, the pup will respond when spoken to by moving its head, blinking and barking.

Hasbro’s girls category will also see the introduction of Blythe pet-sitter dolls to the Littlest Pet Shop range.

Hasbro’s Playskool brand kicks off its partnership with Sesame Workshop with a line of new toys. One of the highlights is Count ‘n Crunch Cookie Monster, where kids get to feed cookies while he counts out loud. The Poppin’ Park range is also a highlight of the pre-school category, including the Pound ‘n’ Pop Carnival, the Roll ‘n’ Pop Express and the hero Elefun Busy Ball Popper play-set.

Hasbro continues to expand its games portfolio in an effort to bring families together for entertaining nights. As a follow-up to Bop-It, the active, think-fast on-your-feet game is back with Bop-It XT, featuring six commands including new Shake it. Classics Connect 4: Launchers, Game of Life: Adventures Editions and Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition have been updated, too.

BANDAI, 01489 790944 Power Rangers Samurai will be one of the major highlights on Bandai’s stand as the latest range of action figures, vehicles and role-play is offered with a show launch deal. There will also be an opportunity to boost stocks of the core Ben 10 Ultimate Alien lines and to get a preview of the new items for Christmas, including the new Revolution Ultimatrix.

The new Pokémon Black and White range will also be presented, as well as a sneak preview of Thundercats.

The girls’ brand portfolio will be headlined by Harumika with an FSDU

Following the success of Atlantis in 2010, Lego Pharaoh’s Quest is another new independent play theme for 2011, fusing a mythical Egyptian theme with fantasy creatures, Gods, icons and sets. The range launches with six sets.

Lego Star Wars has grown into an evergreen brand and is currently the number one Star Wars property in the UK. 2011 sees an expansion of the universe, introducing novelties designed to support demand from an existing collector base while recruiting new fans to drive sales and increase collectability.

Following a successful model building and sponsorship campaign, 2010 saw a strong performance from Lego Technic.

2011 will bring more realistic models, lifelike functions and challenging builds.

Kids will be able to re-create the adventures of Lightning McQueen, Sally and Mater with toys inspired by the Disney-Pixar Cars franchise. Lego Cars 2themed construction sets will be available in both Lego and Lego Duplo, for children ages two to eight.

Ninjago explores a dual-platform concept consisting of a collectable range of duelling Minifigure spinners and cards, followed by the release of constructable battle play-sets. There are various sets and spinners/cards to collect. Lego Ninjago will be supported by a consumer marketing programme that will capture the imagination of boys aged six and over.

Following the arrival of Lego Minifigures in May 2010, the brand became the number one toy in the UK market within six weeks of its launch.

Each Minifigure comes in a sealed mystery bag, to drive frequency, repurchase and the desire to collect them all.

Two years since its venture into the board games arena, Lego UK is celebrating findings highlighting Lego Games as a new category in itself. The products use the unique Lego experience to ‘make the game’ and the brand has seen Lego become the second largest manufacturer of children’s games in the UK. Players can change the format of the game, using the Lego pieces and the build-able dice to create a new challenge. With realistic vehicles and play-sets, everyday heroes and a unique building experience, Lego City has

Spin Master is attending the Toymaster show again where the full range of products will be exhibited.

Moon Dough enjoyed a strong year in 2010 and reached number three in the modelling compound market. Aimed at kids aged two to four years, there are a number of new play-sets across the range for the autumn which offer interactive play at differing price points.

The lower priced Breakfast and Ocean Animals starter sets and the theme of shopping in the Supermarket play-set, all come with a crank handled moulding machine, lots of hand moulds and dough.

The Zoobles range will be extended with the introduction of Mamas & Zooblings and the accompanying Nursery Play-set, Triplets and Chatteroos. More characters from three new Zooble worlds will also be introduced and will bring the total of collectable characters to over 250 in year one.

Two developments in the Arts & Crafts sector are Bizu and Fab Effex. Bizu, the 2-in-1 jewellery kit, is suitable for girls aged six to nine years. The easy to thread beading system enables girls to change their bracelet over and over again with ease and then create an animal character to play with. There are thousands of beading combinations. Fab Effex, meanwhile, is magical moulding material and kids can use the guides and moulds provided in the kits to create different characters or use them freestyle to decorate clothes, shoes and soft furnishings without any mess.

LEARNING CURVE, 01392 281900 Learning Curve will unveil its exclusive to the specialist toy sector, remote control Chuggington product.

Trainee high speed locomotive – Koko – is brought to life with the introduction of a remote control version.

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Measuring nine-inches long and fiveinches high, RC Koko is almost eight times the size of its Chuggington Interactive counter part. The chunky, sturdy version includes a handheld remote control pad to manoeuvre Koko forward and round, which works at a distance of up to 20-feet. Suitable for indoor and outdoor play, Remote Control Koko can be paired with Remote Control Wilson for double the fun.

Learning Curve will also be showcasing more than 50 SKUs in its Chuggington Die-cast and Interactive collections.

Britains will reveal the new Farm Building & Accessories Set. The farmyard is at the heart of farm play, and the ideal place to start building a farmyard is with the Farm Building & Accessories Set from the Britains Farm Toys range.

The spacious Dual Purpose Building is the hub of the set and has plenty of room to store the important farm tools, vehicles and livestock. The set also includes Farm Gate and Fencing to keep the Friesian Cattle in, plus additional Fencing pieces to increase the size of the enclosure. Big Square Bales, Round Bales and a Cattle Feeder Set are included with the Farming Family, along with a One Tonne Seed/Fertilizer bags.

learning handheld in a touch screen tablet format combines games, activities and an interactive e-reading system. The gadget not only boasts a state of the art G sensor control to support motionbased games, but also a built-in auto picture rotation, microphone, stylus pen, adaptor jack, SD card slot and USB port.

The touch screen encourages children to explore various games and features such as art studio, piano, MP3 player, video player and strategy games. What’s more it can be easily expanded with additional cartridges. The product also connects to the Kidizoom range of cameras so children can view their videos and photos.

VTech, the first to the market with electronic learning bath toys, will be showcasing the latest additions to the range as well as some popular classics.

New Splash and Learn Duck for children aged six months and over encourages play through phrases, sounds, sing-along songs and music, all of which help to teach baby’s first words.

Equipped with a water sensor, the duck reacts accordingly with swimming phrases when in and out of the water.

Also at the show will be the animated storyteller for children, Storio Interactive E-Reading System, suitable for children aged three to seven, which is now also available in pink. The improved system brings stories and characters into animation in a sleek easy-to-use format.

New MobiGo Portable Learning System for children aged four to seven years, the latest handheld educational gaming system, is also now available in pink. With a modern touch-sensitive screen, MobiGo is interactive, encouraging children to tap, flick, drag and spin.

VTECH, 01235 555545 New to VTech Baby is the Toot-Toot Drivers (12+ months) range, a large series of collectable vehicles including an ambulance, car, truck, police car, van and fire engine. Each of the six vehicles features tunes, phrases and vehicle noises, available for purchase individually or in sets. Also in the range is the new Toot-Toot Driver Garage, which provides a home and play setting for the vehicles and features three areas with LED displays to introduce garage features and magic sensors that recognise each vehicle, giving individual interactive responses. The garage comes with car wash, petrol station, lift turning disk and heliport and a Tow Truck electronic vehicle.

VTech is expanding the Kidizoom brand with the launch of new Kidi products. Kidiminiz, for children aged three and over, is a range of six interactive pets which include two bunnies, two kittens and two puppies.

Each pet comes in an assortment of colours with moving ears and legs. They interact with each other via singing and talking and have 27 different combinations of eyes, nose and mouths for fully customisable faces.

VTech is introducing a touch screen pad style learning system suitable for four to eight year-olds (name to be confirmed). The kids multi-media

MAY 2011

FLAIR, 020 8643 0320 The Sylvanian Families range will be expanded with the launch of Highfields Farm this autumn, a traditional farmhouse with thatched roof and wooden beams. Also launching is the new Carry Cottage, designed to allow girls to take their Sylvanian Families along wherever they go. The cottage includes a roof space for storing small pieces and the house snaps shut to keep everything secure.

For boys, the new Lazer Stunt Chasers – tipped by CNN Money as one of the hottest launches of 2011 – takes remote control cars to another level with digital laser guided technology. The stunt cars speed along and loop the loop faster than the laser light.

Also, Geomag introduces a new glow in the dark feature adding a fresh play element to the magnetic construction toy. In addition, and tipped to be the

next playground craze for boys, Morbs are ping pong style balls that when thrown, rolled or blasted from one of the Morb play-sets, instantly transform into a big-headed, small-bodied Morb character.

Disney fans will be catered for with actions figures and the Queen Anne’s Revenge Ship from Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, plus for pre-schoolers some Jungle Junction vehicles and play-sets.

Flair Create introduces some new kits for both boys and girls. Boys can now create their own edible gummy bugs with Gummi-X, using kitchen cupboard ingredients.

Within the feature pens category, Blendypens will expand creativity with new themed sets such as the Big Stars and Stage Show, which allows kids to colour, build and create a theatrical setting. The Sprayza Blasta Garage has all the mechanics to customise the vehicle cut-outs provided.

In addition, girls can paint and decorate their own reusable stickers with Gelarti, create 3D pictures with 3D Magic, or design googly eyed-creatures with the re-usable Fuzzoodles.

HTI, 01253 778888 HTI will be making a major statement at this year’s Toymaster show, with more space, bigger brands and better deals.

One offer will comprise a selection of top selling toys across generic and licensed ranges, featuring selected Silver Cross and Mamas & Papas prams, iconic girls brand Hello Kitty with roleplay and wheeled toys, the new JCB Multi Construct range, Teamsterz Garages and Track sets, plus Postman Pat, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder assorted vehicles.

HTI will be showing an extensive selection of Mega Brands’ construction ranges including Mega Bloks, Halo Wars, Thomas the Tank Engine, Marvel and Dragons, plus new brands Need for Speed, Hello Kitty, Smurfs and Chuggington.

HTI’s Iball3 has been voted Number One Toy of the Year 2011 by The Gadget Show. From the makers of the world's hardest puzzle, Iball3 is an interactive memory game that you won’t be able to put down and Toymaster members will be given the chance to try it out.

A new opportunity for HTI sees the introduction of fashion and design brands Monster High, Barbie and Hot Wheels, manufactured by US firm Fashion Angels. New introductions also include Disney 3D Puzzles, Barbie hair play items and Lego storage for tidy away play. The Grosvenor and Kokomo collection offers licensed bath items

including Toy Story, Doctor Who, Cars, Peppa Pig and My First JCB, while Tonka light and sound vehicles from Funrise offer competitive price points.

The biggest news from HTI is the massive growth in its Hello Kitty range of figures and play-sets, arts and crafts and infant ranges. The property is now the biggest category in HTI’s portfolio of distribution brands.

TOMY, 020 8722 7300 Tomy’s flagship pre-school learning range, Play to Learn, has expanded, with newly launched products including the updated version of a pre-school classic – the Big Auto Loader. The new Big Auto Loader is a large, brightly coloured, construction-themed play-set. Tomy will also be showcasing Mr Colour Maker, an electronic colour mixing toy and the recently launched Puzzle Bug and Wacky Racers, as well as introducing autumn/winter lines including R/C Whistle n Go Puppy and Happy Hammer.

After its launch in 2010, Tomy will once again be taking Tomica on the road.

As well as new play-sets such as the Metro City Set, there are new vehicles, with two new larger Hyper City Rescue vehicles launched this year - the Hyper City Rescue Helicopter and Hyper City Rescue Hovercraft, both of which feature containers to transport the smaller Hyper City Rescue vehicles.

For girls, Tomy’s newly acquired Pinypon range is set to launch for autumn/winter. Featuring a full range of collectable mini dolls with interchangeable hairstyles and accessories, Pinypon also includes flower-themed scented dolls, a car, travel pack, caravan, apartment and more. The play-sets are chunky with competitive price points and will enable girls to build a whole Pinypon world.

LEAPFROG, 01895 202840 Visitors to LeapFrog’s stand will experience an interactive audio visual tour of the developed line of educational toys and games, showcasing the successes of 2010 and some of the new products for the upcoming year.

Visitors will be guided through a series of videos and interactive displays, with products showcased including the Leapster Explorer, Tag and My Pal Scout.

Toymaster visitors will have the chance to see the brand’s teaser campaign for its new learning device,

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LeapPad Explorer, due to launch in the summer. The future of gaming is captured in this one-of-a-kind device, delivering the most powerful gameplay LeapFrog has ever offered. The brand will be showcasing the new range of Explorer games and product extensions, including the click-in camera and video accessory.

As well as demonstrating the latest selection of learning toys, including the Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket and Count and Scan Shopper, LeapFrog will be showcasing its new editions to the Scout range due to launch later this year.

The refreshed version of My Pal Scout has a whole new set of features.

JUMBO, 01707 289289 Jumbo Games will be showcasing its extensive range of children’s and adult puzzles, including a first look at the new Falcon range. A series of nostalgic puzzles have been specially commissioned for both children and adults, including a new Teddy Bears picnic puzzle and The Best of British, depicting iconic British images such as fish and chips and red telephone boxes.

Jumbo will also be showcasing two puzzles for Christmas as part of the nostalgia range including the Christmas Wishes 2 x 1,000-piece puzzle and The Night Before Christmas 1,000-piece puzzle with bright, colourful imagery from Tracey Hall.

Jumbo will showcase Smart Games, the brain training range of single player games offering 15 diverse products aimed at both sexes and ages two to adult. The Smart Games are available in wood or plastic and cover a range of topics, difficulty levels and game mechanics to suit the varied age range.

Key titles include Camelot and Day and Night as part of the wooden range and in the plastic range, games such as Anti Virus and Monsters.

The Wasgij range will also be on display with new products such as the Carry On Wasgij Mystery and Wasgij Original Family Puzzle. The Carry On puzzle extends the licensed offering and features a montage of scenes from the films, while the Wasgij Family puzzle is a new concept featuring three different sized pieces so family members of any age or experience can puzzle together.

Jumbo will also be showcasing children’s licences including Everything’s Rosie, as well as Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, Fireman Sam and Horrid Henry. Jumbo will also display its range of games and puzzles for Disney Princess, including the TV advertised electronic Disney Princess Magic Wand Game, as well as Cars puzzles to tie in with the film release of the sequel.

The My 1st Talking JCB range has a new member to the team, Dan Dozer.

Dan is the youngest recruit and has his own phrases and movements. There are also new additions to the My 1st JCB range. Doug Dumptruck is transformed into a remote control vehicle and the My 1st JCB Talkie sees the characters move with the new Talking Vision technology.

Also on display will be Driver Dan’s Story Train. The range comprises of various plush and plastic products.

VIVID, 01483 449944 New for Crayola in the autumn will be three big box TV lines including Beginnings 4 in 1 Art Desk, Disney Princess/Cars 2 Story Studio and Catwalk Creations. Perennial successes Doodle Daisy and Spinaroo coupled with last year’s top performers Doodle Penguin, Magic Light Brush and Glow Dome will also be TV supported.

In two years, Vivid says Animagic has become the fastest growing feature plush brand in the UK/Ireland. Hero products from last year included Fluffy, Newborns and Hoppers are joined this year on TV by several new launches including Sunny My Pick-Me-Up Puppy, Benji My Best Friend and Cassy Goes Catwalk.

Moshi Monsters will see TV-advertised autumn additions to the line in the form of Mosh n Chat interactive plush and Moshlings Treehouse Play-set. Action Games and Collector Sets will also be introduced. Role-play is a strong category for girls aged three to seven and Darcey Bussell’s Magic Ballerina dance and DVD role-play set will launch in August.

Sell-out dolls of pop sensations JLS were the surprise hit of last Christmas and this year are joined by new Justin Bieber dolls and collectables.

Vivid’s Furrblings will be added in autumn. The critters will be supported with TV, PR and social media campaigns.

Happy Feet 2 is released later this year, with the toy line hitting shelves in October supported by a Warner Bros marketing campaign. Vivid will support the line with TV advertising from October half-term. Cars 2 also hits screens this summer and Vivid will promote a new range of Klip Kitz with price points from £6.99 to £24.99.

Everything’s Rosie has been a CBeebies ratings success and Vivid is offering a range of pre-school toys, puzzles and games. Chapman’s Little Charley Bear has also launched successfully on CBeebies and a range of toys, puzzles and games will roll out in August.

GOLDEN BEAR, 01952 608308 New products being added to the Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom range, include Holly’s Magic Wand, the Magic Phone and the Magic Draw.

MECCANO, 01869 324956 First up for Meccano is the new Space Chaos range, consisting of a variety of collectable space vehicles, each with their own powers. Children from seven years old are invited to build their own space ships and take part in a galactic battle between the baddies, Dark Pirates and the goodies, Silver Force.

Highlight for autumn/winter is the Silver Force Fighter, which builds into two different fighters with lights. Keeping up the fight for good is the Silver Force Destroyer with integral missile launcher and light and sound effects. Battling against good is the two model Dark Pirates Fighter, complete with sound effects and the two model Dark Pirate Commander with lights and sound.

Another new addition is Turbo, a selection of racing cars, which are packed in a storage case, part of which forms the vehicle’s chassis. The sixstrong collection offers two smaller kits which each build one model and two larger kits each building two models.

Turbo’s RC Pro Car is the hero item in the collection. The set builds two RC racing vehicles (one at a time) with a fully functional RC handset.

New sets hit Meccano’s Build and Play range, too. The latest items adopt a new, easier construction mechanism of clipping screws in addition to traditional nuts and bolts system. Build and Play Dinos is a new collection under the five+ years Build and Play umbrella. It offers a selection of three traditional dinosaurs built using flexible parts. Collect them all to build a bonus model.

Other new additions to the range include the Mini Build and Play Plastic Case. Each of the sets builds two vehicles and comes in its own carry case.

There’s also the new Build and Play Bulldozer, Side Car and Buggy sets.

Meccano’s Construction range will also see the New Motorised Tool Box previewed at Toy Fair. The kit builds ten vehicles, all of which you’d expect to find on a construction site. The flexible plastic parts and 6V motor bring movement and life to the models. The set comes in a bold yellow toolbox for easy storage and is suitable for children from five years.

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RAVENSBURGER, 01869 363800 Highlights of the company’s children’s range include the refreshed Thomas & Friends jigsaws. Also on show will be jigsaws, games, craft and Puzzleball based on Disney Cars 2.

Other additions to the Disney range are puzzles based on Phineas & Ferb and the new Winnie the Pooh movie.

Gift-based character Tatty Teddy continues to be popular and the range has been extended to include a four in a box set of puzzles, designed to sit alongside the 200-piece jigsaw.

Ravensburger will also introduce products based on collectable characters My Blue Nose Friends, including a 100-piece puzzle, card game and memory game, plus continuing to push Dora the Explorer and Doctor Who. Ravensburger’s adult puzzles offer a broad range of designs and piece counts.

Among the new titles for autumn/winter are the third in the Me to You series, a range of illustrations by British artists, international favourites and the Limited Edition Christmas puzzle.

Puzzleball undergoes a major refresh for autumn/winter. Ravensburger scooped another Toy Fair Best New Toy Award this year for its 180-piece Children’s World Map Puzzleball and this item will be on show alongside new designs including Disney Cars 2, Me to You, and two London designs. The firm will back Puzzleball with a TV campaign in October, November and December.

JOHN ADAMS, 01480 414361 John Adams will be showcasing some of its key products at the show.

From its range of puzzles and games, hero items include Caption It, Doggie Doo, Mr Creepy Magic and The Cube.

Having secured the Rubik’s licence for 2011, John Adams will be presenting new products under the banner. The Classic cube now features environmentallyfriendly packaging and fresh new graphics which will feature in this year’s TV advertising campaigns.

In addition, this year also sees the introduction of a two-player game, Rubik’s Race, a fast-paced, head-to-head challenge and Rubik’s 360, an extension to the puzzle range. All Rubik’s products will be supported by approximately 2,000 TVRs, plus an integrated PR and marketing campaign.

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The original crying and wetting Classic Tiny Tears will be available with accessories such as potty, bottle, nappy and hair brush. Meanwhile, the company’s craft range will highlight hero products such as the Golden Coin Maker, Disney Princess and Disney Pixar Cars 2 3D Projectors. Following last year’s success with the Disney Princess Snow Globe Maker, the partnership with Disney continues with the 3D Projector which allows children to project, trace and colour in clothing and decorations for the included character models.

Finally the company will be exhibiting key product from the Action Science range. This includes the Metal Detector and a 20-in-1 Electronics Lab.

DRUMOND PARK, 01506 855577 With eight products in the NPD UK Top 50 Games chart for 2010, Drumond Park continues to expand its portfolio.

Dino-Bite is suitable for ages four and over and features a dinosaur under attack by up to six players armed with a set of special tweezers. Players have to steal the dinosaur’s eggs from out of the nest, while it growls and roars.

Oginov, for ages eight and over, is a tumbling pyramids puzzle that provides challenge after challenge. Its colourful three-dimensional globe and pyramid set-up is angled to provide four different mind and dexterity teasers - to test spatial, colour recognition and maths/numerical skills as well as visual awareness.

Rapidough has received an update and is now for age eight and over, with hundreds of new words, covering a host of easier-to-sculpt everyday objects.

A new twin sister for Articulate is aptly called Articulate (Your Life). For age 12 plus, it features an electronic timer and six new of-the-minute lifestyle categories. A new adult game also in the pipeline for the coming year is His and Hers for ages 16 and over, which follows the same picture and recognition formula as Drumond Park’s board game, Logo. This time it’s a celebration of the differences between male and female.

Family board game, Best of British is for ages 12 and over and the licensed portfolio includes TV show games The Million Pound Drop and Eggheads.

Drumond Park has signed up children’s TV magician and Britain’s Got More Talent presenter Stephen Mulhern, to produce the Stephen Mulhern Magic Set for ages eight and over, which is a collection of his cleverest tricks and quite a few new ones. Also in the magic offering is Box Of Shocks, also for age eight and over, including a collection of pranks and tricks.

MAY 2011

MV SPORTS, 0121 748 8000 MV’s Hedstrom range of outdoor play equipment is the ideal for any garden. As the UK’s top range for swings, slides and multi-plays, the majority of the range has modular packaging designed to fit on any retail fixture.

In the Kickmaster range, look out for Kickmaster Boot It, the interactive indoor football experience designed to improve skill development and knowledge. Boot It has an in-built speaker system giving live commentary and Manager Commands and will be supported by a TV campaign.

The Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom wheeled range includes the Magical Light and Sound Tri-Scooter featuring a magic wand which activates the scooter, turning on lights and playing music from the show. The bespoke Gaston Ladybird sit and ride is also available.

MV’s Tinga Tinga Tales range aims to bring the property to life, while the Thomas & Friends classic range has been refreshed with new CGI graphics.

The introduction of several new featuredriven sit and rides including the new 3D Engine Ride-on and the return of the Battery Operated Train & Track Set is set to continue its growth.

Fireman Sam is going from strength to strength and is led by the Firehose Scooter and Jupiter Ride-on. Bob the Builder Toolbox Trike comes with a removable toolbox and six-piece tool set.

The new Ben 10 Ultimate Alien range will ensure the property remains one of the strongest wheeled toy licences around. Star Wars will be lighting up the aisles with the new Lightsaber Scooter with a light-up stem in the style of a Lightsaber. The scooter is accompanied by a range of new bikes and skateboards. New wheeled toys for Doctor Who and Transformers: Dark of the Moon are also planned.

The Moxie Girlz range includes an ultra chic 16-inch bike with graphics and strong colour ways. A skateboard and safety accessories complete the range.

RAINBOW DESIGNS, 01329 227300 The Wibbly Pig Mix and Match card game features Wibbly in a variety of outfits,

including a spaceman, a dancer and a robot. Also ideal for little hands is the Wibbly Pig Wooden Shapes Puzzle.

The Wibbly Pig Backpack features the pig’s soft face and wiggly ears and plush toys include Wibbly Pig with Comfort Blanket and Wibbly Pig Bean Toys – three soft toys wearing different outfits including a tutu and bow tie.

Also new is The Gruffalo collection of wooden toys and games. The Gruffalo Catcher is a bug and butterfly catcher with a wooden handle. The Gruffalo Magnifier with its practical green neck strap is ideal for examining creepy crawlies close up. The Gruffalo Woodland Creature Cabin is a wooden carry case with a peek-through plexiglass swing door, while the Plant Press is ideal for preserving leaves and petals for use in craft activities. Other new toys include the 28-piece illustrated Dominoes and Peg Puzzle.

New to The Very Hungry Caterpillar collection is a Backpack with expanding caterpillar face. Wooden toys include the Wooden Pull-along, the Wooden Peg Puzzle and Wooden Dominoes.

Developmental toys include the Large Activity Caterpillar, the Developmental Caterpillar and the Teether Rattle and soft toys include the Hand Puppet, Bean Toy, Large and Giant Very Hungry Caterpillar toys.

New Stripy Horse arrivals include the three-piece plate, bowl and cup Melamine Set, Wooden Peg Puzzle and the soft, tactile and colourful Comfort Blanket. Finally, new to the Elmer range is the Wooden Pull-along toy and the Backpack featuring PVC ears and colourful detailing.

MGA ENTERTAINMENT, 0845 0533 333 Further expanding on its Lalaloopsy large doll range, MGA will be unveiling several new characters at the show, with over 20 dolls joining the range this year, including Sunny Side Up and Berry Jars ‘n’ Jam. New for autumn will be Silly Hair Lalaloopsy doll with hair that bends to allow the child to curl, twist and straighten it.

Also arriving this autumn in the Mini Lalaloopsy range are two new play-sets, Bea’s School Bus with exclusive doll, and a Mini Lalaloopsy Treehouse featuring two exclusive dolls, elevator, bridge, swing slides and two hammocks.

MGA will be introducing several new Bratz lines including Bratz Platinum Shimmer dolls and Bratz Masquerade.

Bratz On The Mic features an auto-tune microphone, with special effects and a speaker. Also available in the range is the Bratz On the Mic Tour Bus. Bratz All Glammed Up will continue into autumn.

The Moxie Girlz line will have several new segments added including Moxie Girlz Dazzle Dance dolls, in party dresses and including a light-up tiara with sound.

Moxie Girlz Magic Hair Colour Streak Studio dolls are also new and include a hair tool that allows the child to mix hair colours to create a new colour, rainbow stripes or sparkled streaks.

A new Moxie Girlz equestrian range will be available later this year, Moxie Girlz Horse Riding Club. The doll is dressed for riding with a walking horse that has sound effects. Also available is a stable play-set.

Moxie Girlz Ready to Shine includes a lip gloss for the girl to use and several doll-sized plastic cosmetics and accessories to use on the doll. Moxie Girlz Art-titude 3D will continue into autumn.

MGA will be offering an early buy deal at the Toymaster Show.

INNOVATION FIRST, 01925 454093 Micro-robotic toy brand Hexbug will be presenting its new 2011 products alongside its existing range.

The collectible range of micro-robotic creatures uses the physics of vibration to propel forward. Each Hexbug type behaves in a different way.

Star of the collection is the small Hexbug Nano, an ingenious insect determined to navigate any complex maze in its path. The range also includes a selection of Hexbug Nano Habitats, which are customisable, providing Nanos with a variety of different mazes and obstacles to negotiate. These include the Nano Habitat Set, which will be featured in the Toymaster autumn/winter catalogue and materials to build a habitat plus two rare Nano mutations.

The Hexbug family includes other creatures, which each come in a variety of colours including Hexbug Ant, Crab, Original and Inchworm.

WORLDS APART, 0800 389 8591 Worlds Apart’s new Winnie the Pooh range includes the plush Winnie the Pooh Talk To Me Friend, which interacts with children, allowing them to share key moments throughout the day and

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encouraging them to maintain principal routines with Pooh. Also in the range is the Winnie the Pooh Go Glow Light, the ergonomically designed Go Glow Clock Bedtime Trainer, Three Bin Storage set, Storytime Chair and My First ReadyBed. Two new Go Glow Pals – Hello Kitty and Me To You – will be on display, joining the Alien Go GlowPal. The 2-in-1 plush products can be played with, while also gently glowing during the night, giving children comfort and security.

Worlds Apart will also be presenting a Cars 2 range including the Cars 2 Go Glow Light and Go Glow Clock Bedtime Trainer, the Cosy Chair, Flip Out Sofa and Lightning McQueen Feature Tent.

Another highlight will be a range of nursery toys for little girls, themed with the Hello Kitty character. Designed to guide little ones through their first year and encourage movement from sitting to crawling and standing to toddling, the range features the Activity Play Gym, Sensory Pop Up Play Den and My First Pop Up Combo.

The company will also be showing the new Lego Go Glow Projector featuring Lego’s Minifigures. The 3-in-1 product consists of a rechargeable night light, torch and colour change projector with interchangeable Minifigure.

THE IN THING, 0845 365 3030 With the Gelli Baff Summer Fun pack being featured in this year’s Toymaster spring/summer catalogue, the new Smelli Gelli Baff comes in four fragrances – Cola, Candy Floss, Popcorn and Bubble Gum and new vibrant pack designs. With a show offer price of £1.99 and a £4.99 retail price, it gives a 52 per cent margin. The four-foot, two ring paddling pool with two packs of Gelli Baff retails at £14.99.

The In Thing offers a good selection of toys based around virtual worlds including Moshi Monster and Club Penguin products. The firm also has a show offer on both Webkinz and Lil Kinz.

Retailing at £3.99, the 15cm Lil Kinz collection can be ordered at the show at just 99p per unit – offering a 70 per cent+ margin as well as access to the Webkinz World.

The larger 20cm Webkinz have a retail price of £5.99 and can be ordered at the show at a discounted price of £2.50.

Both are supported by The In Thing’s largest TV and marketing campaign of the year, which will run until at least July.

The range can also be bought on SOR. Finally, the Dracco Spin Tops have 12 styles to collect, interchangeable parts give a 50 per cent margin at the show offer price of £9.95 for a 12cnt CDU.

MAPS TOYS, 01483 776 006 Maps Toys will launch an array of new ranges at the Toymaster show. Having signed recent distribution deals with US firms Be Amazing and Marshmallow Fun Factory, retailers can see the full UK offering on the stand.

Be Amazing is dedicated to making science fun and the UK products will reflect this mission. A range of different kits will be introduced, aimed at teaching children new things and different skills. The initial Be Amazing collection will feature Insta Sno and Great Geysers plus new Lab in a Bag and Big Jar of Science kits.

The Classic Marshmallow Blaster and the Bow and Mallow from the Marshmallow Fun Factory are toy shooters which fire fresh marshmallows up to 40-feet.

In addition, Maps will be showcasing two new products for the first time at Toymaster. Both products will be launched as a result of a new collaboration with American toy company Aeromax Toys.

The Firepower Super Soaking Fire Hose with Backpack is a pump action hose with two settings so wannabe firefighters can shoot water over 30-feet.

The Light Up Alien Invasion Flying Saucer from Aeromax is a flying toy – just pull the cord and watch the lights flash as the saucer soars through the air.

DKL, 01604 678780 DKL is the exclusive UK distributor of the bead manufacturer, Hama Beads, Corolle Dolls, Wonderworld wooden toys and mic.o.mic construction toys. DKL is also launching a new range of toys from the Velcro brand.

Hama offers a large range of bead kits including generic and licensed offerings.

New products for 2011 include Disney Cars and Winnie the Pooh box sets. The range of kits also includes themes such as Ballerina and Pirates, with new additions to the activity boxes, including Hair Clips, and new gift boxes such as Airport and Pets. mic.o.mic is a range of coloured abs construction toys, created using a clip and pin system. Once made, the strong, durable models offer hours of play and the boats can float on water. New for DKL, the range includes planes, trains, boats, cars, trucks and motorcycles.

There are a number of new Wonderworld products set to launch in 2011, including a range of children’s furniture with animal designs along with additions to the role-play products such as the Sweeping Brush and Hoover. The Mini Vehicles range also features new items, including the Mini Helicopter and Racing Car. Corolle offers a range of dolls for babies through to pre-teens and come with an array of fashions and accessories. For 2011, Corolle has expanded its collection with new dolls for every age range, including new entry price point dolls.

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It involves two to six players staking points from the cards in their hand on the outcome of general knowledge questions or on dice rolls. There are over 1,000 questions from 70 wide ranging categories where most questions offer multiple choices.

Players are also allowed whether to choose whether to play, to pass (to an opponent) or to make challenges.

Whatever the ‘in-player’ decides to do, they always decide on the stakes.

Fiendish Numbers and Fiendish Letters were launched at Toy Fair 2010.

Each pack features five games ranging from beginner level all the way through to increasingly challenging levels.

Granbob’s Britain and Nature Games are to be launched this summer. They are matching images games, which each feature 48 watercolour pictures of things most British and of animals, birds, flowers, fish and bugs.

THE PUPPET COMPANY, 01462 446040 The Puppet Company will be launching over 30 new products including Wilberry Wood, a collection of wooden Castles in two sizes, each of which include a set of wooden play figures. The sets are flat packed ready for self assembly.

Wilberry Wood Puppet Theatres come in two sizes, one for table top use and the other floor standing. The Cardboard Puppet Theatres are now also in stock and selling strongly.

Also new to the Wilberry Soft Toy range is a collection of assorted animals including cats, dogs and sheep.

This year the firm is launching another Dragon to its collection in three colours.

Available in red, green and black, the material is bright with scales that shine.

Each puppet is about the length of your arm with a moving mouth.

The Puppet Company is also launching a range of Puppies and Kittens which are similar in size to the European Wildlife collection. These are full-bodied puppets in realistic materials with a unique hand action.

Finally the firm hopes to have samples of its new marionettes, which have been in development for over a year. Based on the Time for Story collection, the puppets come in a presentation box, with easy to untangle strings.

GREAT GIZMOS, 01293 543221 Great Gizmos’ stand at Toymaster will display a selection of new craft and activity kits, plus new nursery toys.

The 4M craft and science kits have several collections to choose from, each with its own USPs. All aspects of creativity can be explored, whether its arts and crafts, ecological and energy saving projects or scientific experiments.

In addition, Great Gizmos’ latest preschool collection Tumblekins will be on display in its entirety. New modelling kits will also be unveiled for the Zoob range.

This year Great Gizmos has some Toymaster catalogue lines and is offering a number of show deals.

BRAINSTORM, 01200 445113

SEAGER GAMES, 08707 440822 In 18 months, Seager Games has expanded its range from one board game to six games. Don’t Get Mad is the company’s latest addition.

This year, Brainstorm launched the new educational toy brand Eureka, designed to inspire children to learn more about their environment.

Featuring the 2-in-1 Globe – earth by day, space by night – the 22.8cm daytime globe shows political boundaries and natural features, such as lakes and rivers. A light-sensor automatically turns on the LED illumination whenever the room darkens, magically transforming it into a captivating map of stars and constellations.

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The Eureka Deep Space Planetarium and Projector has two domes and the planetarium projects rotating star or constellation patterns onto ceilings and walls. Rotate 180° and use the projector to view 24-colour NASA and Hubble Telescope photographs. And at bedtime, Deep Space transforms into a night light.

The Eureka RC Illuminated Moon scrolls through 12 illuminated lunar phases, operated by remote-control. The moonscape shines moonlight like the real moon.

Observe the eight rotating planets as they orbit the full, light up sun of the Eureka RC Illuminated Solar System.

Operated by remote control, the detailed, colour planets rotate on three different speeds around the sun.

The Eureka Space Explorer Room Projector, with 24-colour NASA and Hubble Telescope photographs, projects onto walls. Read information about the moon, planets and space in the enclosed educational booklet. The Eureka Nature Projector Torch has two domes to project different patterns onto bedroom walls in either Sea Creatures or Wildlife domes.

The Eureka Space Projector Torch has 24-colour NASA and Hubble Telescope photographs.

2011 sees Brainstorm adding more licences to complement the existing range of stickers and room decorations, including Toy Story 3 and SpongeBob, plus additions to Hello Kitty.

New to the Fact Finders range is Most Deadly. Featuring 40 of the most deadly animals in the world, such as the Great White Shark and Saltwater Crocodile, the wheel gives facts about each animal and top tips on how to avoid them.

Dinosaur Picture Viewer is a new addition to the Natural History Museum licence. The pocket sized viewers include three discs with 24 animal photographs.

PAUL LAMOND, 020 7254 0100 Paul Lamond Games will be showing over 50 new games and puzzles.

Highlights include the Q.I Board Game, Gruffalo’s Child and a new skill and action game, Meerkat Mayhem. Mr Men Puzzles and Card Game, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Board Game and Card Game and Humpty’s Wall Game also feature.

The Scooby-Doo range has been updated to include new board and card games, while the Glow in the Dark puzzles have been refreshed.

The Chimp and Zee pre-school educational range sees the addition of two new games in Dodge the Dino, and Who’s the Princess. Paul Lamond also launches a new pre-school craft range featuring Pretty Ponies, Makeover Friends and On Safari.

The company will be showing the usual established top sellers such as Yes/No Game, Charades for Kids, Don’t Say It, The Gruffalo games and puzzles, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Who’s in the Bag?, Perudo, Chairs and Hot Potato, to name a few.

In addition to the usual extended credit deal, Paul Lamond will be offering a free pack of Yes/No Game for all orders written at the show over £500 in value.

The firm will also offer a 15 per cent discount on all orders for the entire Chimp and Zee range or a ten per cent discount for orders of the new lines in this range.

INTERPLAY, 01628 488944 A new collection of craft kits called myStyle, plus a brand extension for the Wild Science for Girls range, will be the highlight of Interplay’s stand. myStyle is an assortment of creative kits inspired by the interests and hobbies of today’s pre-teen market. The collection includes the Deluxe Charm Jewellery kit, which enables girls aged eight to 12 to create jewellery and gifts.

Expanding on the Wild Science for Girls collection are cosmetic science kits.

The kits encourage girls to create products such as body lotions and mists, face masks and moisturisers, while learning about the secrets of the cosmetics industry.

Boy lines will also be on the stand with a variety of Wild Science for Boys, Technokits and My Living World sets.

ESDEVIUM GAMES, 01420 593500 For independent customers of Esdevium, a variety of services are issued as standard. These include next day delivery throughout the UK; dedicated personal account handler and field rep; weekly release sheets, solicitations and special offers; promotional items and POS materials to support sales.

At this year’s Toymaster Show, Esdevium will be offering deals for independent customers, including on its hot collectables: the bigger and better Pokémon Black & White Trading Card Game and the new erasers from Japan, Iwako. Other collectable brands include cards and plush for the Club Penguin series and Moshi Monsters.

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Esdevium also specialises in board games and can offer a full range of popular titles from the likes of Hasbro, Mattel and Drumond Park, as well as offering more specialist games either in bulk or in single units. Additionally, it is the exclusive distributor for many manufacturers in the UK, including Rocket Games.

Esdevium has a demonstration team, available on request, to assist in-store with sales, at no extra cost.

REVELL, 01442 890285

ZAPF CREATION, 0845 0533 333 Zapf will be unveiling several new products and brand updates including a refresh on Baby Annabell. The update will include new life-like functions as well as retaining core features, like laughing, babbling and crying.

Baby Annabell Care For Me will join the range. The bath-able doll is made from a material that feels like a real baby’s skin. Baby Annabell dolls are suitable for children aged three and over. My first Baby Annabell Time-toSleep doll will continue into autumn.

This year Baby Born reaches its 20th anniversary and to celebrate Zapf Creation will unveil a special edition Birthday Party doll, which will be available later this year, dressed in a pink party dress with party accessories.

Baby Born Magic Feeding Doll, suitable for ages three-plus, will be continuing into autumn.

Interactive Baby Born Clapping Hands doll will also arrive in the autumn, while Baby Born Adventure Quad, with remote control, joins the accessories range.

Also being showcased is the waterproof My Little Baby Born Doll with Jet-ski, which includes a doll sporting a life jacket and sun visor, alongside a battery operated jet-ski.

The Chou Chou dolls will have two new additions to the range this autumn.

Chou Chou Magic Pacifier doll, with interactive electronic features and Chou Chou Rock A Bye, which yawns and falls asleep when rocked.

New to Zapf Creation’s portfolio will be Dancing Danni which responds to music by dancing randomly. A new doll for pre-schoolers will be introduced; the Patchy Dolly allows children to alter its facial expressions, using the interchangeable mouth and eye pieces.

Also available is ballerina Jolina and the Annabell Tween Bling dolls.

The Disney Princess range includes 29cm soft bodied dolls with four princesses to collect – Belle, Snow White, Cinderella and Ariel. To coincide with Tangled, a Rapunzel Disney Princess doll has joined the range as a special edition soft-bodied doll.

Revell will be showcasing an array of new Model Kits, including a Premium Titanic Set and London’s classic Routemaster Bus. On the Model Kit front, Revell will bring the iconic red London Bus to its range with a new model. The Titanic model is equally as striking, with the famous ship now available in a special anniversary edition kit to mark 100 years since the Titanic sank.

Along with the new model kits, Revell also has additions to its RC range. The latest airborne range includes the Cardinal and Aquila Pro remote control helicopters and Gilder and Air Hopper planes. Boasting sleek designs and cutting edge technology, these impressive flying machines offer easy to operate controls suitable for newcomers or experienced pilots.

Revell will also release its Supermicros helicopters. The Supermicros are some of the smallest remote-controlled helicopters on the market, featuring the smallest three channel Gyro technology. Designed for indoor use, they come in three designs: the Tiger, the Pirate and the Sparky. Each of the models has electronic gyros to aid effortless flying without any experience.

HABA, 0161 304 9555 Haba brings a wealth of new collections to Toymaster this year.

Role-play is a major focus and its Toy Shop and accessories continue with new additions. Play foods in all shapes and sizes range from boxes of fish fingers, bowls of cereals, to fruits and vegetables, cakes and bakes. New playsets include the Grill Set Sizzle Expert with everything from chicken drumsticks and shish kebabs, to a grill with charcoal pieces and tongs.

The wooden construction toy range continues to grow. The combination of wheels and clamps with wooden blocks in the shape of Technics took construction play to a new level last year and now there is an additional optical element too. Construction Blocks Discovering Technics can be built into towers with rotating discs or vehicles with imaginative superstructures.

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There is also a film drum to help create and watch short animation cartoons.

Also, the range that scooped Haba an independent Toy Shop UK Award last year – baby clutching and rattling toys – welcomes numerous new shapes and characters. For example, the Clutching Toy Otti is a caterpillar which comes in its own presentation box, plus some new wooden figures which have colourful beech wood parts threaded onto cord, including Dotty Beetle, Speedy Horse and Sheep in a Cloud.

Finally, there are lots of new soft toys for younger children and Haba’s Pure Nature collection made from organically farmed cotton. Three new clutching figures are being introduced – Bob Burrow, Freddie Frog and Lisa Long-ears.

There are also two new Pure Nature Musical companions, Benji Bunny and Pudgie Puppy.

IMC, 01904 720908 IMC is offering a Monster High collection that includes pieces such as the Soft Secret Diary, a special pillow with a lot of uses. Girls can write and save secrets on fabric pages, with washable pens and also save their things inside, while listening to the song from the show.

Also on offer is the Hair Studio, which allows girls to create braids and hairstyles. The set includes accessories and coloured streaks to create the same looks as the Monster High characters.

The Pyjama Party Set includes lots of accessories and games, such as a torch, a roulette and more.

IMC Toys has a wide range of products based on Mickey Mouse Club House. The Workbench allows children to build lots of different vehicles and some original figures from the show.

Minnie is the new Mickey Mouse Club House licence extension for girls. Among the exclusive lines, under the category of role-play, is the Minnie Kitchen, with oven, fridge, blender and ceramic hob, taps and shelves. Overall, the kitchen has 17 accessories and three modes: cooking, dining and washing.

Cars 2 will have a licensed range from IMC Toys including a steering wheel from Lightning McQueen with movement sensor features. If you want to drive fast, pull the steering wheel down, to brake, pull up. Turn the wheel right and left to hear real car sounds. It also includes lights, a horn and more.

Fufris are plush animals that laugh and pass wind when their hands are squeezed. There is a Monkey, a Rabbit and a Pig to choose from.

IMC’s I-motion R/C cars feature new technology that makes you feel as though you are driving a real car.

MAY 2011

They turn when you rotate the steering wheel, along with other manoeuvres. There are two models to choose from - red or blue.

Finally, the Pipi Max dog walks, barks, drinks water and cocks its leg to wee. It also includes a bowl for drinking water.

GROSSMAN, 0141 613 2525 The Tardis will be landing at the Toymaster show as Grossman showcases its Doctor Who portfolio.

The Doctor Who pocket money range includes water wrigglers, high bounce balls, fizz pods, among other items. The outdoor range includes sleeping bags, chairs and the hero product, the unique Tardis with a twist. Other hero products will be the large Daleks and Cybermen.

There is also a strong emphasis on the existing licences, which include Hello Kitty, Star Wars, Ben 10 Ultimate Alien, Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, ZhuZhu Pets and My little Pony to name a few.

The patented Ozbozz range has been revamped to include new My First Scooters, Cosmic Light Scooters and Lightning Strike Scooters.

Grossman’s ad campaign started in April and is running through the early summer featuring Alien Cosmolights, Cosmic Light Scooter, My First Scooter, Dino Magic and Mermaid Magic, across the Cartoon Network, Disney, CiTV, Nick Junior, Nick Ireland and Cartoonito.

The Raskullz collection of cycle helmets for kids has created quite a media stir, and features styles suitable for both boys and girls. The range includes Shark, Bug, Mohican, Unicorn, Cat and Rabbit.

Finally, the new Scorpion collection of outdoor products will also be on display.

The line extends the age range to target an older age group.

MD Steve Vargerson comments: “These are fantastic and unique products which we have designed ourselves and are having manufactured by a local company in Leicester. Even the crayons included in the sets are Britishmade. We are tremendously excited about them, and expect the puzzles to be extremely popular.”

To ensure there is a price to suit every pocket, the range has been produced in two sizes – a large set with six puzzles and a smaller set with three puzzles.

Both sets come with a user guide and 12 Chublet crayons.

Each set is themed and the range comprises at present Pets, Farm Animals, Safari Animals and Mini-Beasts.

All Dantoy products are still moulded in Denmark and are durable.

There are comprehensive ranges of role-play products, vehicles, sit and rides, outdoor games, sand and water play and sledges. Offers are available to all visitors at the show.

Established for over 12 years and providing service via a dedicated customer service team based in Cambridgeshire, the firm supplies a wide customer base including leading independent stores, department stores, online retailers and buying groups throughout the UK & Ireland.

The range includes flying, throwing and pocket money toys, water pistols, yo-yos, juggling equipment, unicycles, kites and more.

Wind Designs has exclusive distribution rights for many active products such as Zing Air, Oz West, Air Hunterz, Djubi and Eolo Sport. The firm is also an authorised distributor for Hasbro.

Zing Air now has new additions including the Super Zomp Rocket, Double Shotz and Benda Blaster (shortlisted top five Gadget Show top new toys).

The Zing ZX Crossfire – a high-tech launcher, which fires soft foam Zartz Rocketz and the stick anywhere foam Zartz Dartz up to 55ft in the air will be available to try out.

Also on display will be the Oz West impulse products including the Pop Ballz and Pop Shotz. The new Nerf 2011 Super Soaker range is in stock and will also be on hand.

SCHLEICH, 01279 870000 Schleich is launching a boys’ and girls’ attack that will see the introduction of new Historical Heroes, more heroes for the fantasy Tribe of Arelan and a Bayala wedding theme for the magical World of Elves. In union with these launches, retailers can obtain more information about the new ‘Who’s your Hero?’ Shop Window Decoration Campaign, which will take place later on in the year.

There are also many additions to Schleich’s other play worlds, including new figures and play-sets in the Wild Life and Farm Life collections and a new retailer opportunity with the introduction of six Scenery Packs.

In addition, to coincide with the summer movie release of The Smurfs in 3D, there will be new figures depicting the six main characters of the film.

Housed in a presentation box, the sixpiece collectors’ set will be a must-have for Smurf fans.

WOW TOYS, 020 7471 0980 With over 60 products now in its range, Wow is this year launching 11 new toys over three seasons.

The firm will have a new range of products on display at the show and featuring in the Toymaster catalogue, which are all linked with promotions designed to support the independents. These are coupled with point of sale material and shop fit opportunities.

The core range covers specific price points targeting impulse, gifting, birthdays and Christmas. The toys are all part of ranges such as Construction, Fantasy, Emergency, Racing, Holiday and Adventure, Safari, Farm and others.

AGENTA MARKETING, 01536 401128 Agenta Marketing, through its division Earlybird Toys, will be presenting its new range of Colour Your Own Puzzles, alongside autumn/winter products from Danish plastic toys company Dantoy.

Colour Your Own Puzzles are made in the UK at a very competitive cost.

WIND DESIGNS, 0844 257 1180 Wind Designs specialises in sourcing, marketing and distributing active products and has 1,000+ SKUs, including licensed properties such as Toy Story, Cars and Ben 10.

COILEDSPRING GAMES, 0870 4461515 The With jigsaw range brings something new to the puzzle market and will solve the problem of finding a birthday gift that’s both fun and educational.

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There are four different lines in the range – Playmobil, John Deere, Me & Sue and Revell Aircraft. Each line has four different designs containing a varying number of pieces, from 40 to 280, making them suitable for all age ranges.

Each jigsaw in the line comes with a different toy encouraging children to collect each one across the range.

Coiledspring Games has joined forces with the second largest jigsaw supplier in Germany, Schmidt Spiele to bring the unique puzzle to the UK games and puzzle market. The firm will also offer the full Schmidt range of jigsaws, including Anne Geddes, Renato Casaro and Joh Naito.

In addition, visitors to the Toymaster show can experience Rory’s Story Cubes, a pocket-sized creative storytelling game and Forbidden Island – an adventure game with teamwork at its heart.

UKIC, 0161 828 5070 UK Import Corporation was established in 1997 as part of the Dickens Group of companies, sourcing and importing plush under its own Cuddles Time Brand.

The firm has worked with a range of retailers including Littlewoods, Boots, Morrisons and JD Williams.

UKIC is launching new ranges across a number of categories including outdoor toys, pre-school toys, creative play, roleplay, wheeled toys and nursery toys.

TY UK, 01329 829828 Following the release of the Ty Beanie Boo range in 2009, Ty is introducing ten new families to the range – all with the well-known large eyes. Each family is available in the three different sizes of Buddies, Beanies and Keyclips. The new ranges include designs such as Rainbow the Unicorn, Spike the Hedgehog, ZigZag the Zebra, Nibbles the Guinea Pig and Nacho the Chihuahua among others.

The Beanie Boos are approximately sixinches in size and hit key price points.

Ty has also seen additions to its portfolio of licensed properties, which includes Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty, Ben 10, Teletubbies, Spongebob, Peanuts and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Hello Kitty sees new designs being introduced and for 2011, there is a new larger 15-inch size, available in three different designs,

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as well as Cupcake, Ballerina, Beanie and Pluffie styles.

In addition, Ty will introduce IWAKO Beanie Eraserz. The Japanese puzzle erasers come in 14 designs with more launching in the second half of the year.

Another new edition is Ty Beanie Ballz, round plush animals which will always land on their feet.

CASDON, 01253 766411 Casdon will be showing its new packaging designs. The firm believes this investment will help drive retail sales and enable its products to stand out on shelf. Casdon is introducing sub brands such as Little Helper, Little Shopper and Little Driver, giving the range a more parent and child friendly appearance.

The packaging includes information on the benefits of the products in respect to their educational properties, visual stimulation, hand-to-eye coordination, problem solving and improving motor skills.

The firm is hoping to encourage new and existing customers to take more of the range. Top selling lines include the Dyson Replica Vacuums, Henry and Hetty Replica Vacuums, Henry and Hetty Cleaning Trolleys, Hotpoint replica Washers and Cookers and Pick n Mix Sweet Shop and Post office Sets.

The most notable new line is an alternative Dyson Toy Vacuum, the Dyson Ball. This version has suction from the foot of the vacuum, while it also twists and turns like the real thing.

Another addition is the Electronic SelfService Checkout till. The product features a light sensor and scanning sound. It also uses various voice commands and lights. Also included is a simulated credit card and chip & pin/cash payment device and it is supplied with various accessories; a paper receipt roll, play notes and coins and play food tins and cartons.

GIBSONS GAMES, 020 8661 8866 Gibsons is presenting two new Christmas lines, from the Toymaster catalogue; Pass the Pud and the Christmas Limited Edition puzzle.

Gibsons has developed family game, Pass the Pud, a beat-the-burp team game for four or more players. With a jingling Christmas pudding, players nerves are tested as they answer questions from five categories, passing the pud back and forth to avoid the burp. Players must think on their feet by answering quick fire questions and avoid getting caught with the pudding, collect the most sixpences and see the opposition get stuffed.

Gibsons’ Limited Edition Christmas puzzle makes the ideal collectable item.

Each year, artist Marcello Corti creates a Christmas scene and the puzzles come with a serial numbered certificate. As with all Gibsons puzzles, the pieces are made from high quality, thick board.

2011 marks the 11th in the series and Corti has created a village scene alive with festive activity.

Gibsons is also UK distributor for Piatnik Playing Cards. With over 250 puzzle images in the range, other highlights for 2011 include the Hornby and Airfix puzzles, as well as the National Trust Treasures Within puzzle detailing the interior of a stately home including above and below stairs.

PEERS HARDY, 0121 524 1439 Peers Hardy has an array of new products to showcase. Members will be able to take full advantage of show offers.

The Maze Racer is an electronic ball bearing game where you can race against others to finish the puzzle.

Chatimals are a range of plush animals that will repeat back what you’ve said in either a high or lowpitched voice at random. Hamsters and Meerkats are available now, with brand new characters available from July including a Parrot and Bear.

The Blobimals are new for 2011 and are available in three colours. Create the maddest, craziest monsters you can imagine by stretching the putty and adding the accessories.

The London Zoo Range has been designed around the most popular animals at the zoo and includes Animals in a Box, which has a soft toy, poster and a free ticket to the zoo and Animal Coin Banks, which act as a moneybox, as well as featuring movement and sound.

The National Trust range includes various Educational Kits. There are many kits in the range including Bug Hunting, Natural Paints and a Flower Pressing Kit. The Time Trial is a lap-timing gate, compatible with most RC Cars. The set includes cones and tyres so you can set up a course then race against others.

The Time Trial will record your times down to the last split second.

The Time Trial Plus will be available later in the year and will include an RC Car. Peers Hardy also offers an array of Desktop Games including Desktop Football, Pool, Hockey and Table Tennis.

SPEARMARK, 01480 213633 Spearmark will be focusing on the Tech 4 Kids range of products that uses brands such as Beyblade, Toy Story, Bakugan and Ben 10, on a line of novelty lighting products for kids. Spearmark distributes Tech4Kids products from the Spot Lite and Lite Force ranges, which include LullaLights, MicroLights and Projection Lights, as well as the MorphLite – a transforming flashlight that comes with a carabiner clip, ideal for hooking on to bags – and the Grab n Glow, which is a 2in-1 motion activated nightlight/flashlight. Spearmark will also be presenting two of its own lighting products in the shape of glitter lamps and LED desk lights.

A wide range of back to school lunchbags and drinkware will also be part of the Spearmark line-up, which features brands from across its portfolio of licences, including Disney Princess, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Ben 10, Cars 2 and Peppa Pig. “We are very much looking forward to attending Toymaster 2011 and meeting up with both existing and potential partners,” says Martin Withers, commercial director at Spearmark International.

GREEN BOARD GAMES, 01494 538999 The official countdown clock has started at Trafalgar Square for the start of the Olympics and Toymaster members will be the first to see the finished version of Green Board Games’ BrainBox Olympian Sports game. Each card represents a past summer or winter Olympic Games. The sportsmen and women who starred at each Games are featured as well as facts about equipment used on and off the track.

Other new BrainBox titles showing for the first time will be BrainBox World History, an additional 20 cards for the BrainBox World and the new Travel BrainBox.

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As with all BrainBox games, players get ten seconds to look at a card and then roll a die to answer a question on the back of the card.

The Toymaster show will also debut new games from Mindware, including the logic game Chase the Cheese as well as new additions to the snap range including Sound Snap and Where in the World Snap.

DACTA, 01978 667777

WEST DESIGN PRODUCTS, 01303 297888 West Design Products is increasing its range of art and craft products for children, through the acquisition of a UKbased manufacturing company last year.

The firm can now offer craft and activity packs such as a Princess and a Pirate Kit, reward charts and height charts.

The Creativity for Kids brand has kits available in newsagents, department stores and independent chains.

West Design Products will be showing all of the above ranges. Brand new products on the stand will include 16 new Creativity for Kids kits, including Creativity for Kids Bitty Blossom Bobble Dolls for age six and over. With paint, markers and a few Asian style embellishments, kids can create a trio of bobble dolls. Add personality to your dolls with dimensional accessories including: paper flowers, bows, a fan, pompoms and an umbrella.

The Creativity for Kids Finger Puppet Theatre is for age four plus. Embellish six puppets with adhesive back felt, wiggly eyes and accessories. The tabletop cardboard puppet stage is sturdy and easy to assemble and features stickers to decorate it.

The firm will have a number of offers available over the course of the show.

Tolo Toys has launched the First Friends Dinosaur range, allowing children to build a dinosaur world. The introduction of the new Dinosaur World, with First Friends Cave Boy and Cave Girl, Mountains, Trees and Flowers, is completed with six colourful Dinosaurs including all the favourites of Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Pterodactyl and Triceratops.

The Tolo Toys collection features plastic and plush and includes an assortment of rattles, teethers and activity toys, developmental toys including musical instruments, bath toys and First Friends collectable characters and vehicles for children up to five years.

Tolo is also introducing a new range of lightweight and easy to manage garden tools. The tools come with all the practicality and durability of high quality adult gardening tools.

Switchbotz are robotic styled characters, which transform into different designs, for eight to 12 year olds. Each set has a main character with design instructions on how to build it and then switch it into two different characters. The toys are created by the founders of Wegits building blocks.

ImagAbility has partnered with Educational distributor Dacta, part of the RM Group, for educational programme development and educational distribution throughout Europe.

Dacta was founded in 2004 as a specialist education distributor for Lego education products across Europe. The firm also holds the worldwide distribution rights for Tolo Education products and has created a range of educational materials that enable these products to be used to support teaching and learning in schools.

In the pre-school category, Mookie’s Peppa Pig wheeled range continues to grow with refreshed playballs and rideon. Other sit ‘n’ ride products include the Fisher Price pre-school ride-ons and the new Racing ride-on from Ecoiffier.

Urban X is a range of children’s bikes, carts and cars, which will be in the market for s/s 2011, as well as a new scooter range.

Street Cruz scooters are available in new Mini starter scooter and the new Retro for beginners. Lightning has lights, Classic is a folding scooter and Extreme is a pro scooter suitable for eight yearsold and over. Mookie is also introducing the Thunderbolt, a new low deck scooter.

The new Mookie R/C range can be used indoors and outdoors. All Titan copters come with gyroscope control and are available in three sizes: Titan Nano, Titan Mid and Titan Grand.

The Modular Construction Toys range takes a new approach to construction toys and play, allowing 3D modular construction of race tracks, highways and districts. All Modular kits are compatible and include construction pieces, metal cars, connectors, decorative stickers and accessories.

The Modular Construction Toys line allows building parts to be stacked vertically without limit. The toys are suitable for age five and over. Multiple variations are in development and a large range will be available in the second half of the year.

The all in one Createaway Easel folds up making it easy to assemble and store.

Createaway’s Travel Pod fits on a child’s lap enabling them to draw and store accessories inside while on the move.

Tailball is designed as a progression to shuttlecock play. Each item features the Tailball streamer, which slows and stabilises flight. Tailball is available in two sizes; light and extreme. New to the range is Pro Tailball with a three-metre wide net and larger base for stability.

The game is for up to four players and contains a heavier ball for faster action and ease of play.

Swingball is also introducing the new Pro Swingball, which is stronger and harder to play, ideal for adult games. The set has a larger base for stability, thicker tubing and is now 1.75m high to give a harder to hit higher swing and a larger coil head for a longer game.

For 2011 Mookie will also launch new Swingball and Tailball websites.

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On each table will be boxes of PlayMais, all you have to do is create your own model, drop it off at the Top Banana stand the next day and the best model will win a case of 12 bottles of champagne.

This year PlayMais launches new lines and revamped packaging and branding.

The craft toy uses 100 per cent natural ingredients. Sweetcorn and plant dyes are moulded into colourful building material, which, using a dab of water, stick to each other. Children can create a range of models and sculptures either freestyle or using one of the many themed packs available. The range includes the One Packs which create a princess, a lion, giraffe, cow or fish.

PlayMais is available in a variety of sizes and themes. Generic boxes come in sizes small, medium and large and there are also Basics buckets containing 500 and 1,000 pieces. The larger Worldthemed packs include Farm, Jungle, Deco, Safari, Princess and Sea. Each of the themed sets contain instructions and templates to create the theme on the box. Also new is the Colourline collection, which allows parents to buy the PlayMais blocks in one colour – choose from pink, orange, green, blue, red or yellow.

TCE DESIGN, 01904 489 057 TCE Design will be showing more new Hello Kitty toys for 2011. Designed and manufactured by Toho Toys of Japan, the line includes the Hello Kitty Camper Van, the Hello Kitty talkback plush and the Hello Kitty Princess House, which is a replica of the original Hello Kitty house from 1976.

ARK DIY, +353 (0)91 521857 ASOBI, 01628 200077

MOOKIE, 01525 722722

Asobi will be showcasing its ever growing range of toys and gifts at the Toymaster show this year, including iconic retro metal pedal cars from French designers, Baghera.

Alongside this, the firm will be showcasing Boikido wooden toys, Calafant recycled cardboard kits including the award winning Calafant robot and Crafty Kids puppet kits.

Mookie has a range of nursery products including the Ben Bat range of Travel Friends; seat belt pals and neck supports, Go Vinci Trolley and Backpack; Quicksmart; High chair, Buggy, Changing Matt, Port-a-cot, Scuttlebug and Scramblebugs, YBike including the new Extreme version & Pewi; and from the Smart Trike range, the Recliner and the All In One.

TOP BANANA TOYS, 01371 873141 Everyone will get the chance to play with PlayMais at this year’s show – the company is running a challenge at the Tuesday party night.

Red Toolbox is a new concept, offering sets of carpentry tools complemented by a selection of original and real wooden carpentry kits. The tools are specially designed to suit a child’s grip.

The philosophy behind the company is based on creating opportunities for parents and kids to work together and the step-by-step level system is ideal for helping kids develop and gain skills as they go. Each level increases in difficulty while improving hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

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SPECIAL

The carpentry kits enable children to make play items such as a Soccer Table, Billiard Table, Go Cart and other useful items such as a Birdhouse, CD rack, Deco-shelf etc. Kits are available individually or as part of a combo set which includes the tools required for the job. The tools are also sold in sets so your child can build a collection of tools and kits. Red Toolbox also offers an adjustable workbench with convenient storage space for tools and a tool belt to use while working.

Red Toolbox is launching the Red Toolbox Junior Range for the five and over age group this summer. In this range, children will be able to make items such as a wooden truck, racing car, mini safe and a candy maze.

New board game, Pointless, is based on the BBC TV quiz show hosted by Alexander Armstrong. 5 Second Rule, was awarded Best New Game for 2011 at Toy Fair. The game requires players to think on their feet and launches in July.

Smart Ass is the family game that allows you to yell out the answer even when it’s not your turn.

In the pre-school sector, the launch of the activity-based game, Gruffalo Magnetic Adventures sits perfectly with the other Gruffalo lines – The Gruffalo Felt Play Board and The Gruffalo Word Rhyming Game. The felt board and the magnetic activities both encourage creative play with the characters from the classic book.

The brand-new Very Hungry Caterpillar Match and Munch game will also be on show. University Games will be offering incentives to show visitors who place volume orders on the Travel Tin games, the Glow range and Puzzles.

Papo. The firm regularly increases its ranges, releasing more than 80 new items this year. All the themes will benefit from new figurines along with new environments like the Pirates ship to offer a complete play concept.

BIGJIGS, 01303 250400

BLUW, 020 7627 1268 EggBods launched the first eight characters in March. These include the pirate Captain Hard Boiled, Eggalina Ballerina and Tinkershell the fairy.

Easter was a key period as Bluw partnered with The Sun to run a special promotion where every reader could get a free EggBod with a redeemable coupon at any Toymaster store in the UK. There will be three major ranges of licensed EggBods in the summer, as well as a second wave of eight characters for the autumn/winter period.

The AirHedz range, made up of eight outfits that include a giant piece of inflatable headgear and an accessory, also have major licensed products set to be released in the summer.

BROOKITE, 01837 53315 The new Once Upon a Time kites have been favourably received and the Windthings range has gone from strength to strength with the introduction of the Union Jack Hot Air Balloon and Windsock. Also added to the range are the Clown Fish and Starfish windsocks.

The two new Play Parachutesare available in two sizes: 2.4-metre and 3.5-metre. Made in nylon with bright rainbow panels, they both feature reinforced grip straps.

Venom Skateboards continue to sell well. With three retail price points all the skateboards have ABEC 9 bearings and Chinese or Canadian maple decks. The range has also now been complemented

by Sport and Power kites featuring a skull design and echoing colours used in the skateboards. As a special offer, any customer ordering four skateboards during the show will receive four finger boards free of charge.

Brookite are also stocking a range of Nerf products, new Aerobies and some extra items in the Funtrix range.

CHEATWELL GAMES, 02392 524098 New lines include Plop Trumps, selected

by The Daily Telegraph as one of its Top Ten Toys For 2011 at Toy Fair.

Also presented will be new editions to the Build-Your-Own 3D Puzzles, detailed and true to life representations of famous worldwide landmarks. Coming in April are Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.

For something more cutting edge, watch out for App-Player, the board game that harnesses the power of a smart phone. Finally there is the Pig Popper, a fun-filled popping-porker.

KITFIX SWALLOW GROUP, 01760 721390 Additions to the Sequin Art range will be on UK display for the first time at the show. New products include two sets of Pop Art with three pictures in each set and My Name Sequin Art. Stardust Sequin Art is also a new range with four designs. It combines the Stardust range with the Sequin Art products. Last year KSG launched a decorate-your-own Russian nesting doll kit called Baboushka. For 2011, two new Matryoshka nesting doll kits, a penguin and a parrot, have been added to the range. More products being launched include Jazzy Jewellery, Scented Soap and Cool Candles kits.

ARTSTRAWS, 01792 796151

UNIVERSITY GAMES, 01359 243900 University Games will place a focus on its key family games, Smart Ass, 5 Second Rule and Pointless. Smart Ass and 5 Second Rule will again be supported by TV advertising in autumn.

MAY 2011

Artstraws says it can offer over £1,000 of product at retail, displayed on little more than a quarter of a square metre of floor space, giving its customers a 50 per cent profit on return. At the Toymaster Show the firm will be able to increase customers’ initial margin to 56 per cent.

Supplied by Artstraws, the Creation Station range is an art and crafts product for kids.

There are also introductory deals available from Artstraws on the new Play & Discover range.

PAPO, 01564 784969 Knights, Tales & Legends, Fantasy, Pirates & Corsairs, Historical Characters, Wild & Farm Animals, Horses, Sea Life and Prehistoric ranges are available from

Bigjigs Toys will have six new collections at Toymaster. The Road range launches with 19 lines including three roadway sets. The special Link items also allow Bigjigs Road to be linked with the Bigjigs Rail to create a whole new world.

Bigjigs has the exclusive UK and Ireland distribution rights for Twigz, a range of colourful gardening equipment designed in Australia.

Two new ranges – Ambi Toys and Gowi Toys – mark a move into plastic toys.

The new Bigjigs Dolls, at 280mm high, are the softer side to the Bigjigs line.

PLAYMOBIL, 01268 548111 Playmobil will be focusing on its outdoor collection, as well as five hero ranges.

Included in the offering is a series of ultra-light, aerodynamic gliders.

Complete with pilot at the helm, the vehicles are light and strong and each one comes with a pilot badge. There’s also a beach racer, which will skim across the sand.

The new racing pick-up comes with a quad on the back and is compatible with Playmobil R/C modules.

Another addition to Playmobil’s ranges is the Skip Lorry. The toy has many features, including a full tipping action for loading and unloading the two skips. Playmobil will also be showcasing its new 2011 hero range of toys at the show, with the introduction of new ranges, including the Zoo, Knights range and a new addition, Secret Agents.

HALILIT, 01254 872454 Halilit is adding to its Children’s Musical Instrument range with a new Baby Drum, a Puppy Slide Flute and new rattles in pastel colours for very young babies.

There are four new sets in the Interstar range, including Animals, a Wheels Set for building extreme vehicles, a Bricks set, which includes a smiling character and a Geometric set for building with basic shapes. All Interstar products are compatible and the new products will link with the Interstar Rings.

The new Water Whirly, Cup O’ Fun and Activity Fun Tubs are being added to the current Halilit Water Play Range.

There are 14 additions to the TAF Developmental Toy range including a Baby MP3 Cot Mobile and 12 items in the new Kooky range. The Kooky line features everything from rattles to a new vibrantly coloured, thickly padded Kooky Gym, designed especially for newborns.

The Brik-A-Blok construction system is a new concept, which is designed to enable children from five years old to build giant tunnels, forts and playhouses. Brik-A-Blok is for indoor or outdoor use and each of the two sets (26 and 46-piece) packs down into a small zip bag for easy storage.

SUPPLIER FOCUS VIVID

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41

Property development There’s an infectious, positive vibe coming from Vivid Imaginations at the moment. Its Moshi Monsters line is generating positive headlines for the industry, expansion overseas is continuing apace and it has ambitious plans to boost in-house product development even further. Samantha Loveday finds out more…

“WITHOUT INNOVATION, toy companies stagnate and decline,” Neil Bandtock, Vivid Imaginations’ MD, simply states.

“Having a powerful R&D machine driving new product development is vital for growth.”

This is certainly something the team at Vivid knows a lot about. In the past 18 months, the company has more than doubled its investment in in-house product development.

“In the same space of time, Vivid has made successful in-roads into other territories, with over 33 per cent of sales now coming from nonUK markets. “[The new model] reduces risk in our business and allows us much more control over our long-term destiny,” Bandtock explains.

“With a more stable business model we can continue to increase investments in new product development, plus advertising and promotion of our brands.”

A prime example of this is Vivid’s Animagic, a brand which started out three years ago as just one animatronic pony and is now a full product range, with retail

Moshi Monsters is performing strongly for Vivid in the UK and US

Our goal is to become a top ten player in France and Germany at some stage in the near future, but we will be prudent and patient and earn the respect of the local retailers and the hearts and minds of local consumers. price points ranging from £6.99 for the Newborn Pets up to £79.99 for Benji My Best Friend Puppy.

Animagic is proving a major hit at retail, doubling its market share in 2010.

“Our biggest selling item for the past three years has been Fluffy Go Walkies, which is joined by cute kitten Cassie Goes Catwalk this year,” Bandtock continues. “We will have five different Animagic product lines on television this year, which shows just how fast

we have grown and just how big our investment is on Animagic.”

On top of this, investment is also being poured into Moshi Monsters and Furrblings, plus Little Charley Bear from Chapman, Everything’s Rosie from V&S Entertainment and Disney-Pixar’s Cars 2.

Indeed, Moshi is currently the best selling girls toy in the UK, with Vivid expecting the brand to be grown even more from May onwards, when stock is less scarce.

“Around 45 per cent of our range is licensed and this segment is growing strongly,” admits Bandtock.

Outside of the UK, meanwhile, Vivid also operates subsidiaries in France and Germany, with a strategy to set up more bases in other key

markets in the long-term. “We set them up to maximise sales in these big markets and so far we’re enjoying spectacular success in difficult retail conditions. Retailers in these markets appreciate the innovation and brand investment we bring. Our goal is to become a top ten player in France and Germany at some stage in the near future, but we will be prudent and patient and understand that we have to earn the respect of the local retailers and the hearts and minds of local consumers.”

Meanwhile, Vivid is also notching up success in North America with Animagic, Moshi Monsters, Roary the Racing Car and Timmy Time.

“The toy industry is probably in better shape than many other consumer goods industries as we tend to be relatively recession proof,” Bandtock explains.

“However, there is no doubt that in virtually all developed Western economies, there is the spectre of double-dip recession still hanging over us all and that undoubtedly means consumers are very careful with discretionary spending and are very value conscious.”

Despite the note of caution, Vivid is quietly confident about its aims for 2011: “Double digit growth in the UK, France and Germany, and tripling our business in North America, which looks very likely on current performance.”

BANDTOCK: Quietly confident about 2011

MAY 2011

SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

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Tot idols The largest sector of the toy market last year, pre-school notched up £366 million in sales in 2010, driven by some strong licences and innovative new products. Over the next few pages, we take a look at what some of the key firms have coming up, as well as offering the latest NPD data...

FOR THE full year 2010, pre-school was the largest category within the toy market, making over £366 million in sales and growing by four per cent (source: NPD Consumer Panel). With 22 per cent of all toys purchased for ages two to three years – the largest age group and growing – pre-school toys remains an important offering within the toys category.

The largest area within pre-school toys is vehicles, accounting for 21 per cent of value sales (source: NPD EPoS Panel) where Thomas & Friends remains the top property and accounts for a quarter of all sales.

There has been some growth from Fireman Sam, with the vehicles and accessories the top selling items across pre-school toys for 2010.

Chuggington is also adding to sales and is the third largest property. The second largest category is figures and play-sets, with Playmobil remaining the top property and continuing to

grow. Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and Handy Manny have both also grown in the sector.

Pre-school electronic learning has also experienced strong growth with sales up 17 per cent on 2009. This has been driven by a number of new innovations, with both LeapFrog and VTech launching new products in the second half of 2010.

The largest area within pre-school toys is vehicles, where Thomas & Friends remains the top property.

PRE-SCHOOL TOYS VALUE % YTD 2010 Vs YTD 2011 TOTAL PRESCHOOL VEHICLES FIGURES & PLAY-SETS KITCHEN & FOOD ELECTRONIC LEARNING ALL OTHER PRE-SCHOOL TOYS ALL OTHER ROLE PLAY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BATH TOYS LEARNING TOYS TALKING & SOUND PUSH & PULL

(source: NPD) 2010 100.0% 20.7% 21.8% 11.3% 10.4% 8.9% 10.5% 3.5% 4.7% 4.6% 2.4% 1.3%

2011 100.0% 21.3% 18.8% 11.9% 11.0% 10.5% 10.1% 4.6% 4.2% 3.9% 2.2% 1.4%

The Explorer has helped drive overall Leapster property sales into 74 per cent growth, while the Tag Reading System continues to grow.

VTech’s new launches – Storio and Mobigo – both performed strongly with the Storio Reading System the ninth best selling item within preschool toys for 2010.

Licences remain important to the category and account for 30 per cent of all pre-school toys sales. However, competition is fierce. The top two are Thomas & Friends and Peppa Pig, both of which have very strong established fan bases. Toy Story has also had an impact, especially within the ‘all other pre-school toys’ area where Mr Potato Head and Slinky Dog sit.

While the sector remains highly competitive and reliant on successful TV shows, there is a wide variety of products which both entertain and educate pre-schoolers, making this a crucial area of the toy market.

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SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

MATTEL

The UK’s number one infant and preschool manufacturer, Fisher-Price will be launching fresh new product driven by multi-faceted brand campaigns this year.

Incorporating high profile mum communication, press partnerships and print, sponsorship and PR, all communication will continue to evolve from Fisher-Price’s milestone campaign.

Wendy Hill, senior marketing manager, Fisher-Price, comments: “Exciting initiatives throughout the year will help to convey Fisher-Price’s breadth of expertise in product development and how mum can help her baby to grow through the joy of play.”

The programme will lead the way into autumn 2011 with an array of fresh products joining established collections, as well as hotly tipped new licences.

Laugh & Learn is a major focus for autumn with new items bringing learning with giggles to playtime. Joining the popular Puppy, Tea Set and Cookie Sorter, the new Alphabet Train introduces letters with fun phrases and songs.

MAY 2011

01628 500000

New to the infant line-up, Topzy Tumblers team-up tumbling action and musical incentives with action packed fun. Key play set in the collection, the Twirlin’ Whirlin’ Fun Park comes with tunes, a ferris wheel and magical staircase. Topsy Tumblers receive significant marketing support at launch including PR and TV from mid September onwards.

Designed specially to keep growing tots on the move, the Poppity Pop Dino joins the popular Go, Baby, Go collection. As baby drops one of the six brightly coloured balls onto the dinosaur friend, the popping action and musical rewards encourage infants to reach, grab and crawl.

New launch from 2010, Roll ‘n’ Racers remains a focus for autumn with its innovative take on vehicle play. Designed for small hands, the chunky collectable car assortments join key item in the line, Roll ‘n’ Racers Spinning Speedway.

The World of Little People are set for a new introduction for autumn.

Featuring clever innovation, Zoo Talkers introduce pre-schoolers to their favourite animals in a whole new way with fresh technology. This set incorporates four habitats including Grasslands, Arctic, Jungle and Water with fun activities for play on both sides.

The Little People are still on the move this autumn with the Wheelies collection.

New for the second half of the year, Zig the Big Rig brings the collection to life like never before with fun sounds, lights and animated reactions. This animated buddy includes over 40 unique sounds and phrases for hours of fun.

Little People are supported throughout the year with heavyweight marketing including significant TV support in the run up to Christmas, substantial PR activity and a year long press partnership with a leading parenting title.

Supported by a substantial marketing campaign including PR, sponsorship and extensive TV through to Christmas, Imaginext introduces new Dino Tech themed items for autumn to

its already strong world of adventure.

The line-up features dino friends at varying price points and is driven by the Mega T-Rex. With motorised action, sounds effects, removable armour and two projectile launchers, boys control the action with activation disks on TRex’s back. Character themed play-sets add further strength to the range including Toy Story 3 offerings and a DC Superfriends line-up featuring a Batcave and Batmobile.

Mattel’s Sing-a-Ma-Jigs have landed in the UK with a mission to get the nation in tune. Voted Toy of the Year following its success in the US, the collection burst onto the UK High Street at the beginning of the year, with an underground launch, including a substantial viral campaign.

The collection continues with new additions to the range. Launching in autumn, the new Duets will sing, chatter and harmonise with their partners.

The line will recieve PR and marketing support throughout the year.

SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

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Fisher-Price’s character portfolio goes from strength to strength for 2011 with new property Octonauts. Favourite preschool friends including Thomas & Friends, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Dora, Waybuloo and Handy Manny continue to be a focus for the Fisher-Price line-up and will receive heavyweight marketing and PR support throughout the year.

Following its launch on CBeebies last October, Chorion property Octonauts brings new additions to Fisher-Price’s character portfolio for autumn. With major TV support for the pre-school show including premier slots on CBeebies and a presence on CBeebies website and CBeebies Magazine, excitement is building for Fisher-Price’s collection of play-sets, figures and vehicles for autumn. Helping to bring to life the ocean adventures of the crew of animals, key play-set in the range, the Octopod Play-set, comes with two Octonaut figures and sea creatures to rescue. Pre-schoolers can help their heroes to explore the undersea world

with an Octopod slide and rescue tools to save the day. Octonauts is supported by a full marketing campaign including PR, press and TV. Fisher-Price is set to power leading pre-school property Thomas & Friends to a whole new platform this autumn with a break-frame 360-degree campaign.

Bringing decades of knowledge and a wealth of expertise in play to the brand, Fisher-Price has full presence across Trackmaster and Take-n-Play collections, as well as additions to its new line-up specially designed for pre-schoolers.

Fisher-Price’s pre-school line-up goes from strength to strength with further additions to the range, specially designed for the youngest of Thomas fans. Suitable from 18mths+, the Discover Junction collection includes sturdy push-along engines and play-sets at varying price points. Key play-set in the line-up, Thomas at Tidmouth Sheds, features chunky Harold and Fat Controller figure as well as sounds and character phrases.

Also new for pre-school, Follow Me

Thomas enables youngsters to guide the way for Thomas. The blue engine goes wherever they do with interactive phrases and sound effects. New for Trackmaster, the Tidmouth Sheds Play-set brings to life one of the most popular locations for Thomas fans.

Featuring train bays to store Trackmaster engines, a motorised Thomas engine and a motorised turntable, which is powered by Thomas’s wheels, it includes a complete track layout. Take-’n’-Play continues to expand its collectability with new engines joining the small, medium and large assortments for autumn. The second half of the year also benefits from a further two new playsets, the Engine Wash and Diesel Works; tying in to the Day of the Diesels DVD release from Hit Entertainment.

Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse continues to grow and a Stateside star is set to get the toy shelves bopping this autumn as Dance Star Mickey hits the UK. Set to be moonwalking out of toy stores everywhere, Dance Star

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Mickey walks, talks and dances to four different songs as it comes to life in front of your eyes. This interactive star will receive the VIP treatment with a full marketing campaign including TV, PR and a high profile media launch event.

Evergreen Winnie the Pooh continues to have a big year as the toy collection celebrates the first movie from Disney animation in more than 35 years.

Autumn will see Love to Walk Pooh join the Fisher-Price collection.

Playhouse Disney hit, Handy Manny, remains a focus and benefits from four new play-sets and vehicles for autumn including the Construction Site Play-set.

Featuring figures, a Dump Truck and Crane, the site can be constructed and re-constructed so pre-schoolers can build just like Manny.

Finally, Fisher-Price’s toy collection showcasing the characters from CBeebies’ show, Waybuloo continues to be a priority for the brand, with PR and marketing supporting the range throughout the year.

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SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

HASBRO

The Playskool brand kicks off its partnership with Sesame Workshop with a line of new toys. One of the highlights is Count ‘n’ Crunch Cookie Monster. Kids feed it cookies as it counts. Kids can also tickle its foot to make it giggle.

The In the Night Garden range returns with the Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy Dance and Sleep Assortment. Kids hold their hand and spin them around to hear songs from the show and the dolls can be rocked to sleep to hear a lullaby.

The Goodnight Friends line continues with the Upsy Daisy plush, which comes with a light, storybook and nightdress and slippers. The Ninky Nonk Train is made of five carriages.

Other new pre-school lines include Play-Doh and Poppin’ Park. Play-sets include the Twirl ‘n’ Top Pizza, the Flip ‘n’

ZAPF CREATION 0845 0533 333

The My First Baby Annabell receives a refresh this year, with the my first Baby Annabell Time-to-Sleep doll, which boasts new mechanical features to help provide a more enhanced play pattern for pre-schoolers.

When the doll is tired, it stirs and makes baby sounds before falling asleep. Suitable for children aged one and upwards.

Also adding to the Baby Born range is the My Little Baby Born Doll with Jetski. The set includes a doll sporting a life jacket and sun visor, alongside a battery operated pink jet-ski. Priced around £29.99, the doll works indoors and out and is suitable for girls aged three and up.

A new doll for pre-schoolers will be introduced in autumn. The Patchy Dolly allows children to alter its facial expressions using interchangeable mouth and eyepieces. Prices will start at around £24.99.

MAY 2011

020 8569 1234

Serve breakfast play-set and the Story Time Castle.

The Cars 2 play-sets include the Grand Prix Race Mats with scenes from the movie, three character moulds and five double-sided accessory moulds. There are also sets featuring Sesame Street characters, including the electronic Colour Mixer.

The Poppin’ Park range gets kids active through ball play. The Busy Ball Popper sees Elefun joining in on the unpredictable ball popping fun where kids drop balls into its ears before they pop out the trunk or roll into the belly.

Other play-sets include the Pound ‘n’ Pop Carnival with lights and music, the Bounce ‘n’ Ride with sound effects and the Roll ‘n Pop Express which pops out three balls as it is pushed along.

BANDAI

Heading up Bandai’s summer preschool range are new Noddy in Toyland figures, plush, vehicles and play-sets.

The Noddy Takes to the Air range includes an airport play-set featuring Noddy, a helicopter and a plane, complete with runway and a light up control tower. A plush pilot Noddy completes the aviation themed range.

Also available is Noddy’s Fix n Go Monster Truck with lights and sounds and the Toyland fold-out playmat with two cards.

LEGO

01753 495000

Lego’s Duplo brand introduces three new police sets, with the Police Bike, Police Truck and Police Station strengthening the emergency product offering within the Legoville range.

January also saw the launch of three new Lego Duplo Bricks & More SKUs, designed to encourage creative building and suitable for ages 18 months plus.

Containing all the letters of the alphabet plus play starters including the Lego Duplo child figure and cat, the set is an addition to Duplo Play for the

01489 790944

The hero product in Bandai’s licensed Tinga Tinga Tales range is the Shake n Walk Elephant – when accompanying mango shaped maracas are shaken, they control the direction in which the elephant walks. By switching modes, they can also make him dance.

The Monkey which sits on top of Elephant’s back moves in time with the music effects too.

Other new lines being introduced include a bath play-set and two plush characters – Tortoise and Tickbird.

older children in the Duplo target group and targets parents who want to give children a head start in learning letters.

My first Duplo set and Creative Learning provide an introduction to the world of building, while Play with Letters adds a learning dimension to the range.

Meanwhile, the new Winnie the Pooh range includes three sets featuring Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore, along with an array of bricks to enable toddlers to create their own Pooh stories.

DKL 01604 678780

All of the Wonderworld Wooden Toys are expertly made with safe, non-toxic paints and lacquers and are suitable both the home and nurseries.

The Neo Kitchen range focuses on role-play. It has realistic appliances, including a washing machine, cooker and microwave, ideal for role-play.

Suitable for three years and up is the Wonderworld dollhouse range.

The Modern House is a complete home, housing a family, furniture and an opening front and roof, allowing children access to every room.

Alternatively, the Eco House teaches children about the environment, using recycling bins, a wind turbine, solar panels and an electric motorbike. The Eco House is completed with a family and accessories.

All Wonderworld toys are made from environmentally friendly materials and decorated using non-toxic paints and are packaged in boxes made from over 70 per cent recycled paper.

THE HOME OF NO.1 TOYS Š2011 Mattel, All rights reserved.

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SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

LITTLE TIKES

Little Tikes’ Discover Sounds collection is continually expanding with colourful, interactive products that provide roleplay, as well as key learning opportunities. The products allow preschoolers to play ‘grown-ups’ with their own set of gadgets and tools.

A key item in the range is the Discover Sounds Kitchen with lights, sounds, songs, colourful food shapes to sort, springy play toast and other activities to explore.

Future DIY enthusiasts will be enjoy the Discover Sounds Workshop – new to the range is a Paintbrush with soft, thick bristles, which change colour and prompt sounds when its used to paint.

The Remote was made to aid children’s co-ordination and memory skills,

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563

With its Push Along range, Fiesta Crafts has re-imagined the classic toddler toy.

The animal themed toys are carved from wood and finished with glossy paint and fabric. Available are a hedgehog, sheep, monkey, penguin, a pink mouse and more.

Push Alongs have multi-coloured balls inside the wheels, so when the toy is pushed along it makes an intriguing clacking sound.

Suitable from 18-months, the pushalongs are designed to encourage small children to get up and walk.

A specially designed wooden floor display is free with first orders.

MAY 2011

01908 268480

pressing the buttons to learn numbers, arrow directions and phrases.

Also available is the Discover Sounds Hammer and the new Phone and Alarm Clock, which counts the hours.

For outdoor, active play, preschoolers need look no further than Little Tikes’ vast range of ride-ons.

Look out for the new sleek-looking Sports Coupe which is ideal for a first ‘foot to floor’ ride-on for mini car lovers.

Also available, the 2-in-1 Play n Scoot Pirate Ship ride-on doubles as a playset with figures, cannon, anchor, pirate flag and storage under the deck hatch.

For those who prefer ‘driving’ a cab, Little Tikes’ new Cozy Cab features black and yellow styling in the classic Cozy Coupe design.

TOMY

Tomy brings the developmental learning range Play to Learn and the nomess pre-school arts and crafts brand Aquadoodle. Both are ideal for boys and girls, with a variety of toys at different price points.

New to the Play To Learn range this year is an updated version of the Big Auto Loader, a colourful construction themed play-set for boys aged three and over.

It has a unique play pattern, wherein a motorised chassis automatically swaps between loader, dump truck and digger. Boys can take control of the action, pressing switches to control the vehicles and their cargo of rocks. Like every toy in the Play to Learn range, the Big Auto Loader was designed with children’s cognitive and motor development in mind, allowing children to play either passively or actively.

The range also includes new toys including the Puzzle Bug and Wacky Racers, with the R/C Whistle n Go

VTECH

01235 555545

VTech is introducing a touch screen pad style learning system (name TBC). The tablet is a handheld device with educational games, activities and an ereading system. The tablet is equipped with a microphone, stylus pen, an SD slot and a USB port. Inside there is G sensor technology to support motion based games and auto picture rotation.

Kidizoom cameras can be connected to view videos and photos. Additional licensed games are available.

New to VTech Baby, Toot-Toot Drivers are interactive vehicles, which speak, play tunes and make noises. The TootToot Drive Garage comes with car wash, petrol station, heliport and a Tow Truck electronic vehicle. There are three areas with light up LED displays and in-built sensors recognise the vehicle.

The new Kidizoom Twist has a rotating self-portrait. Kids can view pictures and footage on the LCD screen. The two

020 8722 7300

Puppy and Happy Hammer due to launch in autumn/winter.

Aquadoodle, Tomy’s pre-school arts and crafts range, offers mess-free creativity. The mats are made so they can be taken on holiday or on a journey.

Children use water to doodle on the mats and as the water dries, the pictures disappear ready for the mat to be used again. Available models are The Classic Aquadoodle, Rainbow Aquadoodle and Animal Magic Sounds Aquadoodle – the first mat to feature electronic sounds.

There is a variety of large mats and mini mats available, with a mixture of licensed and non-licensed products.

Licensed Aquadoodle large mats include Peppa Pig and Disney Cars with a Chuggington large mat to launch later in 2011. Licensed Aquadoodle Mini Mats include Disney Princess, Cars, In the Night Garden, Toy Story 3 and Peppa Pig, Chuggington, Rapunzel and Timmy Time.

megapixel device has a 4x digital zoom, games and stamps and effects.

Also new is the Kidizoom 3D. The dual lens camera with two megapixel camera allows pictures to be seen in 3D and has a 4x optical zoom, games and 3D clipart.

The Storio Interactive E-Reading System has a new selection of storybook cartridges and is now available in pink.

The MobiGo Portable Learning System is a touch sensitive handheld gaming system with a focus on learning. It has a range of software cartridges.

To celebrate Cars 2, VTech has a range based on Lightning McQueen. There is a Lightning McQueen Digital Camera, Learn & Go, Learning Laptop, Atlas and a Team Lightning McQueen Laptop.

New to the Disney Princess range is the Princess Fantasy Notebook, a laptop featuring an LCD screen, qwerty keyboard, mouse, cursor pad, 20 activities and four learning categories.

HABA 0161 304 9555

Haba has a variety of pre-school toys for this summer, including the flagship Habaland collection.

There are multiple Habaland playsets available. A 25-piece Play Block set provides the best starting point, offering a foundation, which can be expanded on with other themed sets.

Themed sets include Fire Brigade Habaland, with removable driver and Lilo and Tom in Habaland – a rabbit and cat with flower and tree pieces.

The sets and characters encourage kids to role-play, while the blocks develop building and piling skills.

Also in the pre-school range are new dressing-up sets including Knights, Dragons and Bavarian Maid.

The Henry Haba-Strong set has armour, helmet, shield and weapons.

NO.1 TOYS THE HOME THE OF HOME NO.1 OF TOYS

©2011 Mattel, All rights reserved.

52

SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

CESAR UK 01733 397400

Extending its pre-school collection for 2011, Cesar has costumes in both the licensed and generic varieties.

The Marvel range still includes superheroes such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America and Wolverine, suitable for ages three and over. The range has been expanded to include squad characters aimed at younger fans.

There are also cartoon-stylised costumes for younger kids between one and three years old. These hero costumes include a one-piece character suit and hat.

For babies Cesar has Marvel baby sleeping bags with hero prints complete with beanie style caps.

Generic costumes include one-piece plush animal costumes including an elephant, a kangaroo, koala, monkey, penguin and bumblebee. Suitable for children aged between one and three. To complete the collection there are Lil Lady Bug and Lil Honey Bee dresses for girls.

FLAIR 0208 643 0320

This year Flair introduces Disney’s Jungle Junction to its pre-school range, along with a line of creatively focused toys.

The collectable play-sets range from the small Beetle Bugs through to Ellyyan, the big delivery truck. The Hippobus and Beetle Bugs Play-set is a school bus with sounds and comes with Beetle Bugs and stop and go signs for crossing the road. The Jungle Play-set recreates the Jungle Junction world with Ellyyan and Zooter figures and their houses, Miss Jolly’s School, the clock tower and an elevator.

The new Remarkables Design & Dress Rosie Ragdoll Set allows girls to customise Rosie’s outfit with washable marker pens.

The Remarkables Travel and Draw Mat can be carried in the re-usable storage bag or rolled up.

Rolobox is back and allows the cardboard box to be transformed into a rolling vehicle using wheels, axles, chunky nuts and bolts. Designed to inspire creativity in kids.

MAY 2011

VIVID Vivid will be supporting all of its preschool ranges with extensive TV, press and PR campaigns in collaboration with the respective licensors.

After the successful launch of Little Charley Bear on CBeebies, Vivid has a new range ready for autumn/winter.

First up, puzzles come in 4 in a Box and 10 in a Box varieties. There is also a musical TV. In the plush category, there is the Soft Toy, the Fun Sounds Charley Bear and the Good Night Charley Bear.

The figures and play-sets range includes a posable Charley, his toy box and his toys in the Bedroom Play-set.

Up, Up & Away Charley Bear has a plush Pilot Charley in the cockpit of his bright red aeroplane. Depending on the flight path taken, different sounds will play. Interactive toy Let’s Pretend Charley Bear plays a guessing game with children.

Vivid’s new pre-school licence Everything’s Rosie is set to launch in July. There are jigsaws in 4 in a Box and 10 in a Box varieties plus a Musical TV. The collectable Playtime friends are also on offer and in plush there is My Best Friend Rosie and bedtime toy Sweet Dreams Rosie and Raggles.

There is also Ring ‘o’ Rosie, which plays the theme from the show when children hold her hands in a circle. The vehicles range includes the Twooter – place the posable Rosie and Raggles

RAINBOW DESIGNS Rainbow Designs’ 2011 pre-school offering features licensed characters from classic literary favourites to stars of children’s TV series.

The Gruffalo is loved the world over and Rainbow’s collection of wooden toys and games have seen the publishing brand take centre stage in the preschool sector.

New wooden toys include the Gruffalo Catcher, a bug and butterfly net with a wooden handle. The Gruffalo Magnifier is ideal for spotting creepy crawlies close up and the Gruffalo Woodland Creature Cabin is a wooden carry case with a peek-through plexi-glass swing door – allowing pre-schoolers to create their own natural habitat for bugs and insects. The Gruffalo Plant Press is ideal for preserving leaves and petals for use in craft activities.

The new Gruffalo Wooden Toys include the 28-piece Dominoes in bright colours and a Peg Puzzle featuring

01483 449944

and push them along to hear sounds from the show.

In Picnic Timmy, children feed Timmy sandwiches and drinks and he will be able to tell them which is which.

Vivid’s pre-school portfolio also includes the ZingZillas toy line. In addition, Roary races into autumn/winter with a targeted toy line with price points starting from £2.99.

New for Crayola Beginnings in autumn/winter 2011 is the TV advertised My First Art Desk. This double sided, multi-functional art station, offers a variety of ways to play and create.

The Art Desk can be adapted to floor or table top play via adjustable feet and all left-over crayons can be stored within the built-in compartment. My First Art Desk will be supported with an extensive TV campaign.

01329 227300 animal characters from the book.

Wibbly Pig, star of the new animated adventure series on CBeebies and BBC2, has now entered the preschool toy sector thanks to Rainbow’s new toys and games.

Cuddly toys include the plush Wibbly Pig with Comfort Blanket and the Wibbly Pig Bean Toys – three plush, with each one wearing different outfits including a tutu and bow tie.

Wibbly Pig games include the Wibbly Pig Mix and Match card game and the Wibbly Pig Wooden Shapes Puzzle, both ideal for little hands. The fun yet functional Wibbly Pig Backpack has Wibbly’s soft face and wiggly ears.

Retailers can complete licensed character pre-school displays with the Very Hungry Caterpillar collection of wooden toys, developmental toys and soft toys and the My First Paddington range featuring wooden toys and the new Hand Puppet.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221 Offering a new take on the traditional push-along toy, are Tumblekins from Great Gizmos.

Each of the Tumblekins vehicles has a space for quirky characters to fit in – when pushed along the round figures will tumble and roll around.

There are seven vehicles to chose from – the police car, jeep and convertible are the smallest, with a school bus and a fire engine providing larger options. Bigger still is the tractor – while the farmer drives a Tumblekins pig rolls around a hay bale in the trailer.

All the toys are crafted from wood and are painted in bright colours to help improve hand-eye coordination.

The fire engine is also available in the fire station play-set. The Tumblekins fire chief rolls down the ramp, into his seat and is ready to go.

Other pre-school toys can be found in Great Gizmo’s Traditional Wooden Toys collection, which includes alphabet blocks, a sorting box, a shapes stacker and more.

GIBSONS GAMES 020 8661 8866

Developed for children aged above 18 months, My World puzzles from Gibsons Games help with hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, imagination, speech, listening, reading, numeracy, observation and concentration skills.

Joining range are two new games for 2011; My Lotto and My Dominoes. My Lotto is a multi-cultural game full of facts about other countries and cultures.

My Dominoes features jungle animals to help kids develop counting, colour and matching skills. Each has an education pattern help expand vocabulary and improve recognition of shapes and patterns.

Both have hints and tips for parents for extending play. As with all My World products, they are planet friendly and produced in the UK on recycled board.

Gibsons has also produced a My World video which can be uploaded free to customers’ websites.

NO.1 TOYS THE HOME THE OF HOME NO.1 OF TOYS

©2011 Mattel, All rights reserved.

OCTONAUTS™ © 2011 CRL

SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

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JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

New this year from GoGo is the What’s in the Garden Game. All held safely under Perspex, the mini-beast shaped playing pieces are lifted and placed with the aid of a magnetic stylus. The puzzle teaches shape recognition and hand-eye coordination plus new vocabulary.

For younger children, the Sort ‘n’ Shape is a collection of holed shapes that fit on top of familiar imagery.

Designed to encourage number learning, shape recognition and colour matching.

Memory is a matching game with cards that slide into the playing board, then bright green buttons are lifted in turn. Memory was made to help with reading and early counting skills.

Two action vehicles for budding drivers aged nine months and above are the Liz Car and Jack Car. Both made from plush fabric, they feature pull-back technology, allowing them to accelerate into the distance.

Each car has its own removable driver, plus, there are no sharp edges ensuring playtime is safe.

Also available for pre-schoolers is the Lilliputiens premium plush collection.

ASOBI 01628 200077

Asobi stocks environmentally responsible toys designed with the learning and development of preschool children in mind.

Boikido brings together an eye catching collection of classic play patterns with a modern twist. Suitable for children between one and three years-old, the Boikido range includes a wooden shapes train, providing building and stacking play, colourful and stimulating wooden walkers and ride-ons, wooden puzzle blocks, wooden animals and activity tables.

In addition to being solid wood products, paints are water-based and packaging is recycled paper with soy bean ink printing. Prices start at around £6.

LEARNING CURVE

This year Learning Curve will expand its die-cast Chuggington range with a number of new vehicles, play-sets and interactive features.

The toys use ‘smart talk’ wireless technology to enable the engines to recognise, greet and interact with other engines and destinations around the train tracks.

The Wilson and Dunbar Set includes two character engines and ten track pieces for £19.99.

The expandable Wash and Fuel Set with Brewster has interactive engines and training stops with 33 pieces, 175 lights, sounds and phrases, which play alongside other interactive Chuggington sets.

The Hero product is the Steam Around Old Town Set with Puffer Pete.

For around £59.99, the Puffer Pete

LEAPFROG

Available now, the Leapfrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket is an interactive play-set which allows children to share a picnic with their friends.

The basket has over 30 audio responses and kids can sing along to a collection of provided songs.

The picnic basket contains 14 individual picnic necessities, including sandwiches, fruit and colourful cups – the entire set is brightly coloured and designed to help children build their motor skills as they sort, match, stack, empty and fill.

Suitable for children of six months and above, the Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket retails at around £19.99.

Parents can log on to Leapfrog’s

01392 281900

character produces real steam using ionised water.

The Thomas Wooden Railway range also sees new introductions including Arthur, Toad, Scruff, Duncan, Fergus, Skarloey and Devious Diesel, for around £10 each, alongside three new feature twin-pack sets: Box Cars, Sodor Dairy Cars and the Light-Up Aquarium Cars for £15.00.

New sets include the introductory Thomas & James Starter Set (£25.00) and the 28-piece Battery Powered Figure Eight Set with Sir Topham Hatt (£50). The newest edition to the Battery Operated product line the Battery Operated Charlie Engine (£20) will also be available in Q3.

New for Early Engineers are the Hiro, Victor and Spencer character engines, each available from July.

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Learning Path portal, which offers a range of ideas for expanding their child’s development.

The Count and Scan Shopper is designed to help toddlers discover food, by shopping and scanning pretend groceries.

As children scan the shopping list or individual food items. numbers, colours and shapes are revealed.

It encourages the development of key learning skills through a series of educational games, sing-along-songs and word association activities.

Suitable from 24-months the Count and Scan Shopper is available now for around £19.99.

55

ESDEVIUM 01420 593593

This year, Esdevium welcomes FisherPrice Classics back into its portfolio.

Five years ago Esdevium launched the Classics collection and will use the same vintage look for the new set of toys. The range is updated with an improved version of the design to bring them into the 21st century.

Aimed at children 12 months and above, the toys are built to last with durability being a focal design point.

Two of the range, the Chatter Telephone and the Two-Tune Television have qualified for the finals of the Junior Design awards.

The Fisher-Price Two Tune Music Box TV has two classic melodies which play while pictures scroll across the screen. It recreates classic rhymes like Row, Row, Row, Your boat.

Introduced in 1961 as the Talk Back Phone, the Chatter Telephone is ready for a new generation. The Record Player plays five plastic records.

The new 2011 Fisher-Price Classics range is an exclusive property to Esdevium Games.

PAUL LAMOND 020 7254 0100

Throughout 2010 Paul Lamond reported that sales of its Chimp and Zee preschool range increased by 60 per cent year-on-year, with the firm expecting further growth.

The educational games range has two new additions to its roster. Dodge the Dino is an action game where each player races to collect dinosaur eggs while trying to avoid the tail of the revolving dinosaur, which can knock all of the eggs away.

In Who’s the Princess?, players must collect a ball gown, a tiara, a pair of shoes and an invitation to the ball. Once all of those items have been collected, the player places them in their coach to get to the ball first but must beware of the wicked queen along the way.

Paul Lamond says both of these titles will help teach pre-schoolers about colour movement and objects.

There are also three educational craft and activity sets joining the Chimp and Zee range: On Safari, Pretty Ponies and Make-over Friends.

MAY 2011

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SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

GOLDEN BEAR 01952 671338

Driver Dan’s Story Time line has plush and plastic products featuring characters from the series. Dan tells stories aboard the Story Train, which has three books.

The Little Kingdom line includes Holly’s Magic Wand. Holly helps kids create drawings on the Magic Draw. Also included is the Magic Phone.

The My 1st JCB team has a new recruit – Dan Dozer. Dan joins the Talking range and has five phrases, flashing light and moving scoop.

Doug Dumptruck is also transformed into an R/C vehicle. Doug zooms around when buttons are pressed on the steering wheel-shaped remote control.

The Chuggington arts and crafts range continues. The Light and Sound Chalk Board has phrases and lights, activated when kids sketch on the board and follow Wilson’s instructions to create artwork on the Magic Draw.

New to the Peppa Pig range are Dough Sets, Dominoes and the Magic Draw with Talking Vision technology.

JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361

Part of the John Adams My First Craft range, Colour-in Creatures includes three animals to decorate and colour.

Existing titles include Fishy Danglers decorative wall hangings; Looney Fruits cards; Funny Bean Bags can be decorated and turned into four characters; and Animated Animals.

My First Craft encourages creativity, interaction, co-ordination and refine motor skills in pre-schoolers.

John Adams’ Ideal range of games has been created with the preschooler in mind. Litter Bugs develops a tactical approach where kids must lift the lid and dump their rubbish before the buzzing bugs escape.

New to the portfolio, Doggie Doo is not as unpleasant as the name suggests – players throw the dice to determine how often they squeeze the dachshund’s lead and wait for the ‘prize’ to appear, then scoop the poop.

Doggie Doo is suitable for ages four and up and is available from June.

MAY 2011

HTI HTI has a new range of Winnie the Pooh roleplay toys targeted at kids aged 18 months to four years.

The Hunny Pot Picnic Set plays Pooh sounds when the lid opens and comes with picnic party accessories including stackable sandwiches.

With the Winnie the Pooh push-along Activity Mower, kids can pretend to mow the grass in the Hundred Acre wood and the Market Stall has activities and interactive features to promote pre-school learning, hand-eye coordination and imaginative play.

HTI has a range of Peppa Pig roleplay, musical and outdoor toys. The Peppa Pig dolls prams and pushchairs have been given a refresh with new fabric for autumn/winter 2011 and a new Peppa & George Twin Stroller is also introduced.

HTI will also launch a new range of Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom role-play

IMC This year, IMC will again offer the Mickey Mouse Club House toys.

Keyboards and a Guitar have been added to the range of pocket money lines, such as a spy glass, Toodles shape matching game and a pretend Camera with lights and sounds.

The activity packed Work Bench can be combined with Mickey’s electric screwdriver to create lots of projects.

In the Mickey Mouse Animated Storyteller, Mickey Mouse dances his way through eight songs and eight stories featuring other Disney characters. The Mickey Mouse Remote Controlled Car is also available.

Last year’s Minnie Mouse Cash Register and Minnie Mouse Shopping Trolley have been joined by new products, which include Minnie Mouse food sets and a tea set, which has pots, cups and everything else a child needs to host a Minnie Tea Party.

The Minnie hero product is

01253 778888 toys and dolls prams and pushchairs. The role-play range features the uniquely tooled Magic Kitchen, packed with ‘magic’ features and sounds to cook up a magical treat.

Also featured is a Dressing Table, Breakfast Set with Gong and a Tea Pot Tea Set. Heading up the Chuggington wheeled toys, the Wilson Ride-On is designed with close attention to brand and character relevance and features a specially tooled character moulded face There is also the Chuggington Three Wheel Scooter, featuring a honking horn as seen on each of the main train characters in the show.

The bike also features a Handy Manny character front plaque, EVA tyres, mudguards and stabilisers. Other products in the range include a Handy Manny Trike, featuring a removable handle for parents to push along, chunky wheels and easy grip handles.

01904 720908 the Minnie Mouse Kitchen, which has three activities; preparation, cooking and dining. It has the essential pots and pans with many accessories including a food mixer.

IMC’s Winnie the Pooh range will be released alongside the new film. Firstly, there is an electric keyboard with a follow me mode and a microphone.

The Winnie Story Teller performs like his Mickey counterpart described above.

New for 2011 is a stories and songs Tigger Puppet.

LE TOY VAN 020 8979 2036

Single pack additions to the Budkins range include a Royal Guard, Henry VIII and Alice in Wonderland. They join the selection of 90+ individual characters, which are supported by a wide selection of painted wooden Le Toy Van play sets.

Budkins is supported by a number of free merchandising options, including wooden floor and countertop stands, while it also has a dedicated website.

All of Le Toy Van’s painted wooden toys are designed in the UK and ethically manufactured in Indonesia using responsibly sourced materials.

The Wedding Day triple pack is sold as a triple pack that includes a groom, a bride and bridesmaid. Features include real fabric outfits and detailed bridal bouquets. Retailing at around £13.99 for the set, it joins other new triple packs like the Pirate, Crusader and Fairy sets.

MAPS TOYS 01483 776 006

Licensed Bob the Builder toy, Build it with Bob, lets kids make buildings out of clay bricks and mortar.

Once the cement is mixed with water, kids can lay the bricks and build using the easy-to-follow instructions, which describe how to build structures like Bob’s house or a clock tower. Soaking in water dissolves the cement and the bricks can be used again.

Sets come in three varieties with 30, 50 or 70 mini clay brick versions to choose from. Included are the bricks, cement powder, a trowel, building board, mixing bowl, building plans, a wipe clean play mat and a poseable Bob figure.

Additional packs of Dizzy’s cement powder and Scoop’s bricks are available.

Also available is Squashblox – a soft construction toy. The sturdy construction panels attach together to build anything a child can imagine. The panels can also be used as a playmat for babies, a tumble floor mat and a storyboard that can hold felt figures. Squashblox can also be stacked and stored away easily.

Realistic sounds

Flashing lights

Fun phrases

First 6 individual Toot-Toot Drivers available June 2011.

O Also available in 2 ‘3 packs’.

O Toot-Toot Drivers Garage comes with Tow Truck.

O

New interactive range of garage and mini cars that include realistic vehicle sound effects, flashing lights and fun phrases.

Sungsongs

58

SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

JUMBO

Jumbo Games is bringing new products and puzzle concepts to its pre-school licences, which include Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, Fireman Sam and Disney Cars.

Jumbo also launched two new preschool licences at Toy Fair – Everything’s Rosie and Poppy Cat. Everything’s Rosie games and puzzles will be in stores for autumn/winter including a 35-piece assortment, Lotto Game and 15-piece Floor Puzzle, with Poppy Cat due to arrive in 2012.

Jumbo has updated its Fireman Sam range with new offerings in games and puzzles. In the Fireman Sam Rescue Game, players must spin Fireman Sam and try collecting all four rescue cards, along to the theme tune and sound effects from the show. Other products include the Nine in One Bumper Pack, the 24-piece Puzzle and Colour and Fireman Sam Dominoes.

To celebrate the release of Disney Cars 2, Jumbo will launch a new

01707 289289

collection of puzzles including the Disney Car Puzzle and Colour – a giant 24-piece double-sided floor puzzle which doubles up as a colouring activity. Once the puzzle is completed children can turn it over and colour in the black and white image on the back.

Other new jigsaws being added to the collection include a Giant 2 in 1 Activity Floor Puzzle and a 100-piece puzzle in a deluxe tin with a free Disney Cars fridge magnet.

The Peppa Pig range has been refreshed with the introduction of new images and themes from the latest TV episodes. New products include the Peppa Pig Puzzle and Colour and Nine in One Bumper Pack.

Key pre-school property Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, will also see the addition of a nine-piece Wooden Cubic Puzzle, which allows children to create four different scenes from the series, along with a collectable puzzle in a tin and giant Snakes and Ladders game for this year.

MARBEL Brio has introduced over 25 new road and rail products for 2011. The new products have been designed with great detail, focusing on adding play value through engines, wagons and trains.

The new urban Metro Railway Set consists of a metro train and carriages with working head lights and sound, a Metro station with sliding doors, seating and figures and an underground section.

At the Brio warehouse; the worker is loading the goods off the trains and into the warehouse using the magnetic crane. Children can control the cranes and get the goods into the warehouse.

Drive the road vehicles up to the collection point at the back of the warehouse and continue the journey.

The Brio Toddler line will be expanded, adding ten products in 2011.

The new push-along airplane propeller spins with and the wheels allow for easy take-off and landing.

Children’s educational development is the core focus of Brio’s design team and this year they have revamped a classic. A new Bead Maze features two interwoven bead paths to help children to develop visual tracking, hand-eye coordination and colour recognition. Brio has been working closely with the Nordic Ecolabel, Svanen. The environmental certification has strict environmental, safety and quality criteria. Brio is the first wooden toy company to be awarded with the certification and has developed four special celebratory products for autumn.

MAY 2011

UNIVERSITY GAMES 01359 243900

Crayola’s Doodle Match and Colour Mixa-Roo are designed to help colour recognition and enhance memory skills, with no mess and no batteries required.

University Games will also launch its exclusive Play ‘n’ Learn System this year.

There are 11 titles in the range, including Alphabet Game, Adventures in Fairyland and Jungle Adventure. All the games involve counting, maths, observation and social skills.

Launching into the activity category, The Gruffalo Magnetic Adventures will sit alongside the other games for the property, The Gruffalo Felt Play Board and The Gruffalo Word Rhyming Game.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Match and Munch game allows pre-schoolers to develop their matching and counting skills as they collect and match food from the Eric Carle story.

01208 873123 The Marbel catalogue includes a wide range of pre-school products from ten different worldwide brands.

The Plan Toys pre-school range continues to expand and in 2011 Marbel will be releasing ten new pre-school products. The Plan Toys are developed to improve dexterity, motor skills, spatial perception and hand-eye co-ordination.

Using preservative-free, replenishable rubber wood and painted with non-toxic lacquers and finishes.

When pushed, the new Stegosaurus push toy encourages a child’s first steps.

The scales on its back bounce up and down and the body wiggles.

Two new products have also been added to the Plan Toys musical range; the Melody Xylophone featuring music sheets and the Clatter that clicks and clacks to help children develop their dexterity.

Makedo has emerged from a group which seeks to

inspire social change through creativity.

Makedo’s aim is to encourage use of imagination and to see the creative possibilities in everyday materials.

Makedo is about creativity, sustainability, imagination, community and play. It is a collection of reusable parts; pins, clips and lock-hinges, each set also includes a safe-saw.

Five products make up the Find and Make collection, which come with materials to create a pre-defined construction – a car, doll house, play house, robot or a bunch of flowers.

SPIN MASTER 01628 535000

Moon Dough is a new moulding compound, which is soft and fuzzy to touch. Launched last autumn, the compound is marshmallow-like in texture and cleans up easily. Crucially, it never dries out and can be used over and over.

An accompanying play-set, Life in the Zoo, has three moulds including a gorilla and a penguin. The Moon Dough moulds onto stand which brings the creatures to life with a wind-up walking motion.

HALILIT 01254 872454 With over 25 years of experience supplying pre-school toys, Halilit is continuously launching new products and has recently extended its Musical Instrument range, Taf Toys and the Waterplay line.

Designed to encourage a love of music from an early age, the Children’s Musical Instruments include jingle bells, drums, xylophones, tambourines, maracas, rainmakers, harmonicas and recorders. The new baby drum is made with a professional grade drumskin for a strong sound. The range includes many gift sets that provide an introduction to music making for toddlers from around £9.99.

Known for developmental infant toys including play mats and gyms, in-car and pushchair toys, Taf Toys’ pre-school range uses characters and quirky illustrations to appeal to children and parents. The versatile four-in-one Developmental Walker can be used as a classic walker, a ‘lockable’ toy box, a ride-on and a truck. New for 2011, the Kooky Stacker and Stacker Truck features a plush mouse driver and colourful stacking rings that rotate as the truck rolls along.

Water Whirly is a new, stackable water play toy from Edushape. There are bath games, squirters, fishing sets, sorters, themed ‘wet and stick’ foam shapes, bath crayons and floating foam building sets to encourage creativity.

Little Tikes has outdoor play for Kids all wrapped up!

New 620744 Cozy Truck 620300 Spirallin’ Seas Waterpark

620294 Turtle Sandbox

New

170942 Richmond Treehouse Play system

170966

Milano Swing Set

For more informationon on Little Tikes wide range: www.littletikes.co.uk MGA entertainment (UK) Ltd, Regent Business park, 50 Presley Way, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0ES. Tel: 01908 268480

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SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

WORLDS APART 0800 389 8591

After achieving record sales with Go Glow in 2010, Worlds Apart is confident it can take the brand even further this year.

The company is set to launch several new additions to the collection, including the Go Glow Clock Bedtime Trainer.

Stepping forward the Go Glow Time model, the new Go Glow Clock Bedtime Trainer continues to provide parents with an important tool for establishing and maintaining a practical bedtime routine, allowing little ones to have fun learning during the process.

Ergonomically designed, the Bedtime Trainer allows children to play, while perfecting their bedtime and morning routines. The 2-in-1 product uses two changing images to encourage children to stay in bed until morning and also doubles as a night light which glows softly throughout the night.

MEGA BRANDS Junior construction brand Mega Bloks has a number of new core pre-school products for autumn/winter 2011.

They are designed to offer innovative play patterns while providing great value and endless build opportunities for preschoolers, as well as providing storage solution for mums.

The three-tiered Maxi, Mini & Micro building system grows with the child from its first year, with the 3-in-1 Build n Go Walker, Build ‘n Go Wagon and Maxi Tub Collection included in the range. The Build n Go Walker has three functions as a wagon, walker and building platform.

Aimed at boys and girls over three, new pre-school brand Blok Town further develops Mega’s buildable ‘Mini Bloks’ range, featuring everyday classic themed play-sets including a farm, airport, zoo and garage and many special parts, offering children the possibility to create their own town.

New products in Mega Bloks’ Thomas & Friends range include The Logging Camp, The Great Waterton and Working Hard at the Sodor Steamworks, priced at under £20. Autumn/winter will see new buildable characters, small buildable

MAY 2011

MECCANO

01844 278888

This year Dinosaurs, a Formula 1 racing car and a collection of simple to build mini models will join Meccano’s award winning Build & Play range.

The flexible plastic pieces are put together using the easy build system, designed to enable children aged five and over to build models by themselves. The latest items adopt a new mechanism of clipping screws, in addition to Meccano’s traditional nuts and bolts system.

The new Mini Build & Play collection provides all the pieces in a handy storage case with a top that doubles as the base of the model. Simply take off the top and start clipping the pieces onto the fixed base, the finished model can be decorated with an included set of stickers.

The Mini Build & Play Plastic Case range features three cases which each build two different

01844 350033 buckets and larger buildable play-sets including All Aboard at Knapford Station, Tidmouth Sheds & Day at the Dieselworks. The collection will feature improved packaging for enhanced shelf presence.

Expanding its girls’ portfolio Mega Bloks has launched Hello Kitty characters and play-sets, so girls aged four and up can build, personalise and collect their own Hello Kitty world. The range includes the hero product, The Dream House, which continues to receive strong support from retailers.

In time for the worldwide launch of the anticipated box office hit in the summer, Mega Brands has unveiled its new Smurfs portfolio of products including buildable small and large play-sets.

Further developing Mega’s pre-school licensed portfolio, there are new Chuggington characters and play-set for children aged four and up. Children will be able to build, rebuild and collect key characters from the CBeebies show. Also available is construction set Chuggington Coaster, the Round-House Race set and Old Puffer Pete’s Garage.

cars one at a time. Available now, they are priced at £9.99.

Another new addition this spring are the Build & Play Dinos. Made of 20 to 40 parts, this selection of three dinosaurs can be collected and connected together to create one large model dinosaur from the parts. Full instructions and tools included with each model priced at £7.99.

The Formula 1 Racing Car also uses the simple construction system and comes with 130 parts, offering five model variants to build – upping both the challenge and the play value for the budding constructor – for around £24.99.

Also look out for a new Bulldozer (£12.99), New Side Car (£14.99) and Buggy (£17.99) joining the Build & Play family this year.

Sue Barratt, country manager, Meccano Toys UK, said: “We’re very proud of our Build and Play range and are delighted that its quality and innovation has been commended by parents and media alike.

“The collection remains true to the core values of Meccano and offers high quality components and inventive construction sets that challenge young children to create something for themselves,” she added.

RAVENSBURGER Ravensburger’s Discover and Develop range won a collection of awards in 2010, including Gold and Silver Practical Pre-school awards for Tip the Ship and Ring a Roses Game and Bronze and Highly Commended Right Start awards for Dodge a Dinosaur and Fun on the Farm. The games were praised for helping children with the Early Years Foundation Stage of learning and this aim is key to the Discover and Develop range.

Several new products have been launched for 2011, including a redesigned version of the classic Snail’s Pace Race. An ideal first game, the simple play mechanic revolves around children guessing which of the colourful wooden snail playing pieces will reach the end of the track first. The use of the snails and the colour spot dice helps to develop colour recognition and social interaction skills, and is a good way to introduce the concept of taking turns.

Another classic favourite brought back by popular demand is the redesigned Rivers, Roads and Rails. The game uses illustrated cards to build a continuous network of rivers, roads and

SCHLEICH 01279 870000

Farm Life is a range of familiar animals, which can be collected one figure at a time and combined with accessories and large farm buildings to recreate a farm life scene. Each year, new animals and breeds are added and 2011 brings a hutch full of rabbits in different poses.

The existing farmyard cats will see some new arrivals too, with a stretching tom and a mother cat with a litter of kittens. The poultry family will be extended with grey geese – there are three to choose from; a gander ready for flight, a mother posed with open beak and a clutch of four fluffy goslings tucked together.

Taking the farm experience further, Schleich has introduced human figures to introduce kids to key roles on the farm. New farm machines include a tractor with driver and trailer.

As with all of Schleich’s nature collections, the animals, humans and accessories can be played with as single pieces or collected to build a play world.

01869 363800 rails, and develops matching, visual discrimination and sequencing skills.

Other new introductions are three sets of colourful flashcards, each containing 50 double-sided cards, designed to help develop different skills. My First Flashcards feature bright pictures and clear text to illustrate first words and can be used to help develop object identification, reading and spelling skills.

My First Number flashcards clearly illustrate written numbers and numerals, and cover numbers one to 20 in a colourful way.

The set also includes cards showing mathematical symbols so can be used to do simple sums, in addition to developing number recognition and basic counting skills.

My First Word Flashcards contain 100 different words on the 50-double sided cards and help youngsters to develop their reading, spelling and writing skills as they learn how to recognise letters and words.

All the flashcard games come with tips for parents on how to use the cards with their own youngsters.

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SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

WOW TOYS 020 747 0980

In Wow’s Fantasy range is the George’s Dragon Tale, a push-along chariot with a working catapult. The set includes the removable knight figure, Sir George and Smokey, his removable ride-on dragon.

Also new to the line is Fire Buggy Bertie is a push-along fire buggy which rocks from side-to-side as it moves along. Berti comes with a removable fireman called Kurt and his fire-dog Dalmatian friend, Russell.

Wow toys are exclusively designed for children aged 18-months to five-years and require no batteries.

All the toys come in vibrant colours and are displayed in bright and attractive window box packaging.

Extensive point of sale material is available to retailers.

BEST YEARS 01327 262189

The collection of crochet cotton Pebble toys available from Best Years includes a number of fairy tale favourites like dragons, princesses and Humpty Dumpty.

Best Years celebrates spring with Pebble’s flower and pixie rattles. For boys there is a knitted collection of rattle snakes, which come in a variety of bold colours.

The Pebble toys are suitable from birth and are fully machine washable.

The cotton crochet is robust with the knit providing a tactile surface for young hands to feel. Retail prices for the fair-trade, hand made toys start at £2.10 a piece.

All of the Pebble toys are ethically produced and hand made by a workers co-operative in Bangladesh.

The co-operative provides fair employment for women who live in rural locations.

MAY 2011

MOOKIE TOYS

New Mookie nursery lines include Ben Bat Travel Friends, with seat belt pals and neck supports, the Go Vinci Trolley and Backpack. The new portable range, Quicksmart, has a high chair, buggy, changing matt, and port-a-cot.

In pre-school, Mookie introduces new Peppa Pig playballs and a ride on.

Mookie will also stock Fisher-Price ride-ons using a variety of characters and a new racing ride-on from Ecoiffier.

The Street Cruz scooter range has models for different age groups. The Mini starter scooter, the Lightning model and the Classic.

Mookie recently signed as distributor of Modular Construction Toys. The toys use a new 3D, modular construction concept which is designed to improve perception and develop creativity and abstract thinking. Suitable for children

MV SPORTS

The star-product in MV Sports’ preschool girls range is Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, which includes bikes, trikes, scooters and sit ‘n’ rides. The Magical Light and Sound Tri-Scooter includes a magic wand to activate the scooter’s lights and play the theme tune. A collection of sit ‘n’ rides includes a basic model decorated with Ben and Holly graphics, and a Gaston Ladybird ride-on.

To promote the Ben and Holly line, MV Sports has a substantial TV campaign planned.

For boys, the Thomas & Friends range has been refreshed to reflect the CG animation style of the new TV series. There are several new, featuredriven sit ‘n’ rides including the new 3D Engine Ride-on, while MV expects the Battery Operated Train & Track Set to keep the range growing.

01525 722722

from five years and up, the Modular kits include metal cars, connectors, decorative stickers and other accessories. All sets can able link with each other using connectable pieces.

Unlike conventional construction sets, Modular Construction Toys allow the parts to be stacked vertically without limit, constructing complex bridges, interchanges and more.

An extensive Modular TV campaign is planned for autumn/winter.

The Createaway Easel folds up, making it easy to assemble and store and the Travel Pod is ideal for long car trips and plane journeys – it fits comfortably on a child’s lap enabling easy drawing and storing. The play-sets are suitable for kids over three and each comes with various accessories and features.

0121 748 8000

The Fireman Sam portfolio is led by the Firehose Scooter, which has a removable pump action, water filled, fire hose, which can be worn as a back pack. Also available as part of the range, the Jupiter Ride-on is adorned with colourful engine graphics.

For fans of Bob the Builder, the Toolbox Trike comes with a detachable six-piece toolbox.

Inspired by traditional African animal stories, Tinga Tinga Tales has a timeless animal theme which appeals to boys and girls in equal measure.

Licensed from a BBC TV show, the range stands out on-shelf with its trademark, colourful, eye-catching animal artwork.

Two more BBC properties, Waybuloo and In the Night Garden, are refreshed for 2011 and complete MV Sports’ preschool line-up.

ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525

To encourage young children to engage with its games and jigsaws, Orchard Toys makes sure its products are brightly coloured with appealing characters. This helps with basic skills, such as colour matching, counting and turn-taking.

Although the company’s range of products is suitable from 18 months through to 12 years, there is an emphasis on Foundation Years and Key Stage 1 areas of three to six years.

All six of Orchard’s recently launched products fall within this age group, apart from the Teddy Bears’ Picnic, which has been designed for two to fives – this is a 15-piece floor jigsaw puzzle, measuring approximately 42 by 61 centimetres.

Orchard Toys says Teddy Bears’ Picnic will encourage observation and fine motor skills; develop language and social communication and link with Early Learning Goals at a suggested retail price of £9.50.

MD Simon Newbery comments: “We work very hard at producing a UK product at a price that people can afford and delivering it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Reading the many testimonials received, and looking at the feedback from a recent end-user survey, it looks as though we are getting it right.”

BIGJIGS 01303 250400 Styled with modern graphics and a soft colour palette the Bigjigs Road range is intended to develop a child’s creativity, There are 19 lines, all of which are suitable for kids aged three and over.

Complete road sets are sold in a range of sizes, starting with My First Roadway, going up to the City Road and Railway Set with 108 pieces. Sets include people, buildings, road signs and cars. To teach road and rail safety, zebra and level crossing roadway pieces are available.

Using linking pieces the Road Range connects to the Rail Range. With a total of nine link items, there is always the option to expand the play.

Most of the Bigjigs Road lines have window-box packaging to attract attention on the shelves.

Š 2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

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65

Drive time Action vehicles is a staple sector for the boys market, with brands like Hot Wheels and Tomica sitting alongside generic lines. Continual technological developments help keep the offering fresh and appealing, while traditional vehicles also remain popular. ToyNews researches the latest products due to hit the shelves...

TOMY

Building on the Tomica range, Tomy is releasing a number of larger vehicles. In keeping with the Hyper City Rescue series, the HCR Helicopter Container and HCR Hovercraft Container are bigger than the standard Tomica die-cast vehicles and feature large containers to transport smaller vehicles.

The containers unclip and the Helicopter and Hovercraft can be attached together, which means vehicles can be stored inside and transported.

The vehicles also have some hidden features. By pulling the trigger of the Helicopter, the propellers on top spin and a jet-ski can be pulled from the front of the Hovercraft.

Coming later in the year is the Police Launcher, featuring lights and sirens.

BLADEZ TOYZ

Bladez’ latest creation is the Pump N Play range of inflatable remote control vehicles. The toys use a durable, inflatable body shell which is lightweight and won’t damage furniture.

The child-friendly handset manoeuvres the inflatable forward, back, left and right and allows the user to perform stunts and 360-degree spins on the spot, so it can be used in a small room. Available models include Monster Trucks, Racing Cars, Diggers and Robots.

Bladez expects the G-Bladez gyro helicopter range to continue to be popular in 2011.

020 8722 7300

The vehicle converts from four wheels to six and can fire standard police cars from under its bonnet.

Tomica also offers a range of smaller cars and hi-tech trains. There are three vehicle multipacks, the Honda set features four cars and for Hyper City Rescue kids can choose from the Police set with helicopter, van, motorbike and spider vehicle and the Fire set, with tank helicopter, fire engine and hovercraft.

Tomica also features an expandable rail network, with electronic trains. The CT1000 and CT2000 are the two City Trains, while the Hyper City Rescue range has its own trains complete with uniformed action figures. The HCR Fire Liner and the HCR Patrol Liner will retail at around £13.99.

02392 658255

It has auto stability and precision control for ease of flight in a robust package. The helicopters are made from toughened aluminum, collapsible blades and are fitted with a directional Gyroscope to give a level of performance which was once the preserve of expensive high tech gadgets.

Bladez will be launching an exclusive licensed range later in the year which will be previewed at Toymaster. The company will not be exhibiting in the main show, but will be holding private meetings in the St Georges Hotel showroom opposite the Majestic.

LEARNING CURVE 2011 brings new machines to the Britains Big Farm range for pre-schoolers aged three and over.

The Land Rover is a 1:16 scale model has chunky design and accurate detailing with lights and sounds.

The Polaris ATV has sturdy grip tyres to deal with any surface, handle bar detail and lights.

The John Deere Gator comes with a heavy duty bumper, headlamps and cabin top lamps. Also available is the John Deere Round Baler and the Cattle Trailer with cows.

The Bobcat E-35 Compact Excavator boasts a moveable arm, swinging cabin detail and caterpillar tracks.

The Big Farm range is designed to encourage discussion about farms, food, animals, machines and work.

On a smaller scale are the collectable Britains Farm Toys 1:32 models.

Additions to the 2011 portfolio include a new red Land Rover Defender 90, with detachable canopy.

Alongside the 4x4 is the JCB TM 310S and new style JCB 3CX.

HASBRO

With the new Transformers Speed Stars Stealth Force range, the Autobots and Decepticons do battle in vehicle mode and transform to reveal hidden weapons.

The vehicles have automatic or simple conversion from traditional vehicle mode to a vehicle battle mode, featuring popout weapons.

The Stealth Force Bumblebee features electronic lights and sounds, motorised conversions and firing projectiles.

01392 281900 A licence with Kane Trailers brings a 16-tonne Silage Trailer and a 16-tonne Grain Trailer, a Sheep Trailer, a General Purpose Trailer and an ATV Trailer.

More collectable models include the classic IH 956XL and Case 1056XL tractors, as well as the International 3588 2+2.

The articulated 4WD tractor consists of one two-wheel tractor combined with another and is known as the anteater, because of its long nose.

Moving to the present day there is the new Case IH 600 4WD Steiger in both wheeled and Quadtrac, along with smaller Case IH 350 4WD Steiger – all available in June.

The redesigned and upgraded New Holland T9000 tractor range is now available in 1:32 scale. Other New Holland models in the collection include the New Holland T9.670 and New Holland T9.390.

Coinciding with the launch of the real thing this year, Britains has introduced a model of the John Deere 8360R Tier IV Tractor, following the first European showing of the new John Deere 8R series last autumn.

020 8569 1234

The collections include a choice of Deluxe and Mini Changers.

For Star Wars fans, The Clone Wars Republic Attack Shuttle is styled on the signature vehicle from the popular animated series.

The product features two modes of play – an armoured attack base play-set and an attack ship. The shuttle features sounds, lights and an array of surprise action features.

MAY 2011

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SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

Lilliputiens from John Crane allow children to get in on the action. The two action vehicles for infants aged ninemonths and above are the Liz Car and Jack Car. Both are made from plush fabric and feature pull-back technology.

Each car includes a removable driver, plus, there are no sharp edges ensuring playtime is always safe.

MATTEL

This year Mattel introduces a number of additions to leading boys’ vehicle brand Hot Wheels as well as its range of licensed action vehicles, which will include Cars 2.

For Hot Wheels, a multi-platform brand will run throughout the year. This includes partnerships with the British Racing Drivers Club and the home of the British Grand Prix – Silverstone.

The Team Hot Wheels virtual racing championship is already underway at teamhotwheels.co.uk, where boys can have an impact on their team’s performance by playing games and downloading content to earn points.

The races, extreme stunts and famous racers will be streamed live on Cartoon Network and will feature on the refreshed Team Hot Wheels website and all the news will appear in Totally Hot Wheels magazine.

Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 will return to Cartoon Network this year. The action will be brought to life via a range

MAY 2011

CORGI

01843 233502

Corgi is offering two Subaru Impreza Turbo die-cast models. Driven by the Time Attack Championship winner, Olly Clark, the Subaru Impreza Turbo RCM is now available in 1:43 scale.

The limited edition model was built using new tooling techniques and is part of the new collection for the Vanguards range.

The next model is the Subaru Impreza Turbo Humberside Police mode. Also in 1:43 scale, the die-cast was made with ‘meticulous attention to

01628 500000

of new vehicles, figures and track sets.

These will include larger-scale fusion combat vehicles, which transform and weapons and fire projectiles.

Play-sets include the Rev Ups assortment of four-wheel drive vehicles, with a full 360 loop and swinging arm. Wall Tracks moves the track from the floor to the wall for a new perspective of play. There are new additions to the Colour Shifters range with more basic vehicles and stunts, as well as action and racing track sets.

Matchbox’s Skybusters die-cast planes and helicopters will receive increased support in 2011 with their first large-scale TV ad campaign.

The Disney-Pixar Cars toy collection will benefit from an injection of hype and a new Cars 2 product line.

Meanwhile, the Toy Story vehicle assortment compromises four vehicles.

Each has a ‘rev ‘em up and go’ mechanism and comes with an exclusive, two-inch Buddy figure.

detail’, recreating all the markings on the 1990s police car.

Martyn Weaver, Corgi’s marketing manager, comments: “The Subaru Impreza Turbo models have always been an exciting addition to the road, and now we are giving everyone a chance to own their own version.

“Whether it is the championships that fuelled your interest or the history of the car itself, this is a model everyone loves and we are excited to bring it to Impreza fans.”

LEGO

Exceeding growth expectations in 2011, Lego Technic is currently up 47 per cent YTD versus 2010. The growth was achieved without marketing support.

Product growth drivers for 2011 include the Lego Technic Rescue Helicopter, which is up 200 per cent versus its equivalent SKU in 2010 and the Lego Technic Supercar.

This year the range is again supported by the Technic Challenge building competition and in-store events, along with the first UK and Ireland TV campaign since 2001.

The Lego Technic build system challenges the mind with its complex demands. If builders show the determination to meet the standards demanded by Technic construction sets, they will be rewarded by exceptional post-build functionality and play value.

MARBEL 01208 873123

The eco-friendly Hape range is produced from the sustainable bamboo plant.

E-racer’s streamlined design and sporty looks are detailed with waterbased paint. The roll-bars and oversized wheels add to the design.

Two new vehicles will be arriving in May, an e-copter and e-moto. The Hape e-copter takes to the skies in style with its bamboo bodies and bright graphics.

The e-moto’s bamboo body is lightweight and durable, so it can handle fast rides and big jumps. It has a kick stand enabling it to be displayed and kept standing upright and stationery.

01753 495000

The Backhoe Loader is an example of the new lines. Once built, the mechanical digger transforms into a Log Handler.

For aerial rescue missions, the Lego Technic Rescue Helicopter has a working winch and retractable landing gear. The gear wheels can be turned to spin the main and tail rotors simultaneously.

The Mini Mobile Crane has many functions. After being steered into position, the boom can be raised, lowered, turned and extended to lift heavy loads. When extended, the outriggers will stop it tipping over and the crane can be re-built into a truck.

The Technic Off-Roader, with its authentic gear wheel steering and working front and rear suspension, can handle many different terrains. For extra off-road play, the vehicle can be re-built into a buggy.

SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

www.toynews-online.biz

SPIN MASTER 01628 535000

Thanks to the Vectron Wave, Spin Master’s Air Hogs property grew 102 per cent over the last year, according to NPD. The Vectron Wave hovers in the air using obstacle sensors to detect its proximity to the ground and the altitude is controlled by placing a hand underneath the helicopter.

Spin Master is looking forward to another year of record growth, with Vectron Wave back on TV and with three new lower price point SKUs. New product Wind Flyers fly high when charged. The Heli Blaster and the Triple Booster provide outdoor entertainment and easy flying for first timers, with no batteries required.

Autumn TV promotion focuses on the R/C Sharp Shooter, an indoor helicopter that fires real missiles and uses Steady Fly technology for a stable flight, enabling accurate shooting.

FLAIR

Following its airing earlier this year at the New York Toy Fair, US news channel CNN has tipped Flair’s Lazer Stunt Chasers for success.

The cars chase a projected light from an infra-red remote control handset, making the vehicle easy to use and giving the handler more control.

There are two initial models named Dragonfire and Flameout. The distinctive design of the chassis allows the vehicle to perform stunts, flips and tricks, but always lands on its wheels, which also light up.

FLYING TOYS

01702 295110

Flying Toys latest action vehicles include the Heli Blaster, which launches six lightweight plastic rockets independently before landing to reload.

The three-channel infra-red indoor helicopter incorporates twin coaxial main rotors to provide tight controls in a medium sized rooms. A prefabricated target allows handlers to practise their skills, launching the rockets by pressing the set top buttons.

The Heli Blaster has a flashing LED power indicator, plus a lighting effect when shooting. Steer the chopper by moving the transmitter joystick left or right, while operating the throttle to take off, hover or land. Made from impact resistant plastic.

Silverlit’s Sky Cam helicopter can take up to three minutes of video or photos while flying, on command from the remote control. It features a contra

020 8643 0320

As well as the Stunt Cars, there will be several corresponding play-sets to choose from – the Crash Zone with Flip Ramps, Cyclone Funnel Jump and the Loop the Loop track set which will extend stunt possibilities further.

Extra terrestrial action vehicles come from the Planet Z7, the home of Flair’s R/C Robot brand, Zibits. New to the range is the ZX34, a remote controlled Zibit-carrying tank.

The ZX34 carries its Zibit passengers and sucks up power orbs, firing them out of its chest.

rotating rotor design for stable hovering, combined with a sophisticated electronic heading lock gyro system for superb directional stability and clear picture taking.

The filmed footage is then downloaded to a computer using the supplied USB cable and the provided graphic software can be used to adjust the picture quality for the best possible reproduction. The helicopter was designed to be operated by youngsters and adults, offering a smooth and carefully controlled performance.

The Silverlit Power in Air includes a fully assembled helicopter supplied ready to fly, complete with a preinstalled three-channel proportional wide beam infra-red control system and a flight manual.

The Heli Blaster is available and the Spy Cam from July.

HTI

HTI’s own developed brand, Teamsterz offers a range of die-cast, radio control and special feature vehicles, along with track sets and garage play-sets for autumn/winter.

The four-level Big City Stacking Garage has a car wash, a helipad and a petrol station. The range of Stacking Garages is designed to be built up, so kids can collect them all and make them into one huge garage.

The Teamsterz Playmat set includes one die-cast car and has four different scenes – city, emergency rescue, raceway and rally. There is a new track set too. The Twin Turbo Racerz track features two launchers and two licensed die-cast cars.

HTI’s JCB Multi Construct range won Best New Toys in the vehicles category at Toy Fair 2011. The toys allow kids to build JCB construction machines from an array of vehicle pieces with the tools provided.

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PEERS HARDY 0121 524 1439

New for 2011 is the Time Trial, a lap timing gate for use with radio control cars. The Time Trial comes with cones and tyres, so a course can be set up inside or outside. Children can then race against one another.

The gate features sounds and when the start button is pressed, it will record times right down to the last split second.

Also available in autumn/winter, the Time Trial Plus includes a remote control car.

01253 778888

The range consists of four lines – the Backhoe Loader, the Dumptruck, the Low Loader & Backhoe and the Assembly Plant, which includes a Backhoe Loader and a battery operated drill for role-play activities.

Designed in conjunction with 20th Century Fox, The Simpsons range of action vehicles are suitable for all ages.

Fans can direct Bart or Homer Simpson forwards and backwards and they will turn and speed randomly.

The Simpsons Radio Control Skateboarding Bart has an articulated Bart figure that allows players to alter his position into different boarding poses. The radio control handset controls direction and speed as Bart skates around and performs spinning tricks. The Simpsons full function Radio Control Car is a replica of the family’s pink car and includes all of the Simpsons family members.

MAY 2011

68

SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

MECCANO

Meccano’s new Turbo racing car collection is styled with wide racing slicks, performance enhancing spoilers and track hugging skirts.

Meccano’s mechanics have been hard at work in the pit lanes to produce time-saving modifications to Turbo. The top of each model’s carry case can be converted into the car’s chassis.

The Turbo Small Assortment features over 70 parts which build into a racing car. Available in two different colours and suitable for children aged seven and up, the assortment will retail at around £12.99.

The Turbo Medium Assortment features two designs, which are built from a selection of over 90 parts. Once built, the super cars can be raced. The assortment retails at £16.99.

Meccano’s Turbo R/C Racing Car and RC Pro are buildable remote control cars, retailing at around £29.99 and £59.99 respectively.

IMC 01904 720908

Following a successful trial last year, IMC will add a new range of R/C I-motionCars. Available in two designs, Street Racer and Boogie, both cars are controlled by the I-motion system. The remote control design is based on an F1 steering wheel and boasts paddle controls to move forward and reverse. To steer the car you turn the steering wheel in the direction you wish it to travel.

As part of its new Spongebob Squarepants line, the Spongebob Crabby Patty Remote Control vehicle is shaped like the Crabby Patties from the series, with SpongeBob on top.

Soft Cars act as an introduction to R/C cars. There are three designs: the Police Car, Speedy the Racer and the Fire Engine. The cars feature lights and sounds. The remote control has two large, easy to use buttons and also a sound on and off switch.

MAY 2011

01844 278888

Also new is the Micro Kits Assortment from the Xtreme action vehicle range. The collection of off-road vehicles are made using a fusion of plastic and metal parts in day-glo colours with chrome effect metal.

There are three Xtreme Micro Kits to choose from, each with 40-plus parts to build a miniature super car. The product, which is ideal as a starter product, includes sound effects, pullback motors, power motors and remote control.

Sue Barratt, country manager, Meccano UK, comments: “Meccano’s new Turbo range takes all the traditional qualities associated with Meccano and builds realistic looking racing cars which incorporate a new clever storage system.

“The remote control vehicles due to be release this autumn winter promise to deliver great play value at a terrific price too.”

REVELL

Revell will add to its established airborne R/C range this year, adding the Cardinal and Aquila Pro remote control helicopters, as well as planes, the Gilder and the Air Hopper.

The outdoor toys all boast sleek design and improved technology, including infra-red, MHz and GHz. The flying machines offer easy to operate controls suitable for newcomers or experienced pilots.

REBEL TOYS

01482 887917

The Maisto-TECH radio control range covers many sectors and price points.

Specially designed for the hobby sector is the Baja Beast, while the Rock Crawler Junior caters more for the casual toy market.

The fastest Masisto-Tech R/C, BajaBeast has digital proportional steering control front and rear suspension and triband controller, which allows three people to play simultaneously. It is ready-to-run with a 7.2V rechargeable battery pack, with charger and Rebel says the £69.99 price tag is competitive for an R/C of this specification. BajaBeast is for kids aged eight and up.

The Rock Crawler range has been extended and now includes a Junior version for ages six and over.

The Rock Crawler Junior has front and rear motors for the climbing, 4X4 action experience. The toy is supplied ready-to-

020 7234 9150

Also available, the indoor Supermicros are some of the smallest remote control helicopters on the market. They feature the smallest three-channel Gyro technology. They come in three designs: the Tiger, the Pirate and the Sparky. Available now, Pocket Rockets retail at £34.99, and features electronic gyros to aid excellent and effortless flying without any experience.

run and carries a suggested retail price of £24.99.

Featured on The Gadget Show, the Big Daddy Rock Crawler has new colour options for this year and is ready straight out of the box.

The Ferrari 458 Italia and Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 will be available in 1:24th scale R/C from mid June.

Monster Drift Cars and Trucks with real drifting action are in stock now, in addition to the infra-red control R/C Junior collection, which features caricature vehicles including dump truck, fire, police and train. Suitable for three years old and up.

The Maisto die-cast collection also has a range of new model releases in both 1:18 and 1:24 scales, including the Porsche Panamera Turbo, Audi R8 GT, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, Audi R8 Spyder and Mercedes-Benz SLK.

BIGJIGS 01303 250400 Bigjigs recently won exclusive rights to distribute the Austrian made Gowi Toys. The range includes many action vehicles, from smaller push-along racing cars to giant trucks and a Rideon Digger.

The giant Ride-on Digger has a seat height of 300mm and an arm for moving loads. The Giant Truck acts as an accompaniment to the Ride-on Digger. With a capacity of 105kg, this truck can store whatever the digger operator wants to move.

A mixture of red, orange, blue and green panels make up the styling of the Adventure Cars range. The pushalong cars have storage space to transport items during play and each comes with a figure. As well as single cars, the firm offers two of the adventure cars with trailers – the Adventure Car with a Boat and the Adventure Car with a helicopter.

On a smaller scale, the range of tractors provide scooping and moving toys. The green and yellow tractors are 160mm tall and consist of a Push Along Tractor, a Tractor with Shovel and Tractor with Trailer.

For seaside play, sand loader vehicles include Push-Along Scoop and a Tipper Truck complete with an opening door.

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SECTOR GUIDE LARGE DOLLS

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71

Guys and dolls The large doll sector is one of the most traditional in the industry, but one that is still going strong. Constantly updated interactive features and a raft of new accessories keep the offering fresh. Katie Roberts finds out what the latest updates are from some of the key players…

JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361

MGA ENTERTAINMENT MGA Entertainment is further expanding its Lalaloopsy large doll range, with several new characters being unveiled throughout the year.

Lalaloopsy dolls are a modern twist on the traditional rag doll, with a whimsical

Tender Tiny Tears comes with an interactive baby monitor. Symbols tell children if the doll is happy, tearful, bored, hungry or tired. Suitable for ages three and over, it is TV advertised and available from June.

The original Classic Tiny Tears comes with accessories such as potty, bottle, nappy and hair brush offering children aged three and over role-play opportunities.

For children aged one and over, there’s a Teeny Tiny Tears version and then a Teeny Tiny Tears Deluxe Set for ages two and over, which is a 33cm soft bodied doll complete with magic feeding bottle, comfort blanket, sleeping bag, pyjama set and pacifier.

Accessories include outfits, plus changing bag, Baby Gym-Carry Bag, Electronic Feeding Set and Bath Set.

ZAPF CREATION This autumn will see a refresh on Baby Annabell. The update will include new life-like functions as well as retaining core features, such as laughing, babbling and crying.

Baby Annabell Care For Me will also join the range later in the year. The bathable doll is made from a unique material that feels like a real baby’s skin and when the doll is placed in tepid water it will be warm to touch.

Carrying through into 2011 is Zapf Creation’s Baby Born Magic Feeding doll. Baby Born Magic Feeding doll has a colour-change feature – feeding it with the ice cream cone results in a messy face. The dolls are aimed at girls aged three plus.

New to the range this autumn is the interactive Baby Born Clapping Hands doll, which sings pat-a-cake whilst clapping its hands. When the child assists it to clap its hands, the doll will sing faster or slower accordingly.

0845 0533 333 appearance and button eyes. The idea is that they magically came to life when the last stitch was sewn to complete them, taking on the personalities of the fabrics used to make them.

The 13-inch dolls have two new characters added to the range for spring, Tippy Tumblelina, which was made from pieces of a ballerina’s tutu and Blossom Flowerpot, which was made from scraps of a gardener’s glove. Each doll comes with a pet and a collectable poster.

Autumn will see further brand expansion with a number of new characters joining the range, including Sunny Side Up and Berry Jars ‘n’ Jam. In total, 20 new dolls will join the range.

Also new to the collection for the autumn will be a Lalaloopsy with wacky, silly hair that bends to allow the child to curl, twist and straighten it. The doll will come with styling tools and clips, while the pet has a matching bendable tail.

The impactful packaging of the dolls emphasises the individual characteristics of each doll and the marketing support programme includes TV, PR and social media.

Lalaloopsy dolls are suitable for children aged four-plus.

DKL 01604 678780

Corolle is a collection of traditional and contemporary French style dolls.

The Corolle Les Classiques line has an array of large dolls suitable for children aged two and over. The classical dolls range from 14 to 20inches tall, both with hair and without.

They come with accessories and outfits for role-play possibilities.

The range features a variety of interactive dolls including Lia, a 17inch doll which laughs, cries, eats, wets and can speak four languages.

Lia comes with eight accessories including potty, bib, dummy, bottle and plate and has 16 features.

Chouquette Blonde and Brunette are 14-inch dolls with shiny long hair, which is good for grooming and styling. With pyjamas and matching headbands, girls can style the hair using the pink brush included.

Also part of the Les Classiques range is Corolle’s Bébé Chéri doll. The doll is the size of a real three monthold baby girl and can be dressed in clothing for babies aged three months.

0845 0533 333 Baby Born reaches its 20th anniversary this year and to celebrate Zapf Creation has created a special edition Birthday Party doll. It is dressed in a sparkly pink party dress, with party accessories.

The Chou Chou dolls will have two new additions this autumn. Chou Chou Magic Pacifier doll, with interactive electronic features and Chou Chou Rock A Bye, which yawns and falls asleep when rocked. Meanwhile, Learn to Walk Chou Chou crawls on its own, cries and kicks its legs.

Moving on, Dancing Danni responds to music by dancing, moving its knees, waist and body randomly to the tunes. A new doll for pre-schoolers will be introduced this autumn. The 36cm Patchy Dolly allows children to alter its facial expressions using the interchangeable mouth and eye pieces.

Also available for girls aged three plus is the Jolina the ballerina and the Annabell Tween dolls.

MAY 2011

72

SECTOR GUIDE LARGE DOLLS

JOHN CRANE

Pintoy from John Crane features a range of doll accessories. New for this year, is the Doll’s Stroller.

Designed in pink, the Doll’s Stroller features a safety harness, plus an activity bar. The four-wheeled stroller is also fully collapsible.

The Doll’s Stroller joins the growing Pintoy selection of large dolls accessories which also includes a classic Doll’s High Chair, which features

HASBRO

Baby Alive Luv ‘n’ Snuggle features a plush, fleece body and tactile features including satin ribbons, soft hair and a rattle in its tummy, the Luv ‘n Snuggle doll is designed for little hands to grasp and hug. Baby Alive Luv ‘n Snuggle doll is machine washable and is suitable for children ages six months and over.

The Baby Alive Splash ‘n’ Giggle doll takes the classic Baby Alive care-giving play from playtime to bath time. The cuddly Baby Alive doll can be played with in the bathtub. The doll’s plush body is designed for water play.

MAY 2011

01604 774949

a pale pink seat and tray, complemented by pink, sturdy feet.

Natural wood legs add extra style.

The pink Doll’s Swing Crib and a Doll’s Buggy featuring rose pink and natural styling are also available.

Finally, the Doll’s Rocking Cradle is made from natural wood with a pink cradle. There are also side bars and rockers beneath and white and pink bedding to match the cradle.

020 8569 1234

Baby Alive Splash ‘n Giggle is machine washable and has realistic baby sounds and is suitable for 18 months and over.

The My Baby Alive Doll can play, laugh and talk. The doll offers the most complete care-giving experience within the Baby Alive brand, speaking multiple phrases and featuring ‘rock-a-bye’ eyes, which can open and close.

When the doll is ready for bed, girls can ‘feed’ it with the bottle and mix the special food.

Children aged three and over can also change the doll’s nappy.

FLAIR

A leading feature doll in Italy for many years, Cicciobello Love ‘n’ Care was introduced to the UK in 2009.

Soft-bodied, the doll needs care and attention and requires interaction to make it happy. For example, if the doll cries and its cheeks glow red, girls have to discover what’s wrong. Cicciobello’s needs will be different every time.

The latest addition to the family – Cicciobello Crawl and Walk – sees the

MARBEL Brio offers two different doll prams, available in a variety of colours.

With a folding metal chassis, wide tyres, foot brake and shopping basket, the classic Doll Pram Gull ensures that children experience a realistic pram pushing experience.

The pram also features a fold-out hood and padded cover.

The Doll Pram Combi features a removable soft carrier with easy carryhandles. The seat, footrest and handle

0208 643 0320

baby boy growing up and learning to walk. Still the same doll, when kids place it in the crawling position and clap their hands it begins to crawl; or if they put it into standing position and clap their hands, it begins to walk.

The doll also makes gurgling sounds when it moves.

The Cicciobello line is supported by targeted TV advertising, PR and other marketing activities.

01208 873123 height can be adjusted to suit children of different ages and heights. A folding hood, folding frame, side pockets and spacious shopping basket complete the versatile pram.

All the products in the I’M Toy Dollie range are constructed from sustainable rubber wood finished in a pink with purple detail. The Dollie Cradle is still a strong seller and the cradle can be transformed into a rocking hammock, rocking bed or rocking cradle.

SECTOR GUIDE LARGE DOLLS

www.toynews-online.biz

HABA Haba is introducing a new series of large soft dolls – Little Scamps. Little Scamp Michael has a sprinkling of freckles, shorts, T-shirt and skater shoes and likes to get out and about on his skateboard.

Also new to this range is Elfe Elfine, dressed in a pink dress with wings and co-ordinating leg warmers. There are also lots of additional accessories available separately.

Haba’s family of large soft dolls continues to grow and introduces four new characters and a new doll size. In addition to its 38cm and 30cm dolls, there are now new medium-sized 34cm dolls, including two girls, Annie and Clara. Both dolls have happy faces and are dressed in bright clothes with coordinating hair bands.

To further enhance play, there are lots of dress sets to fit all sized dolls

0161 304 9555 including a Fun on the Beach set with swimming costume, towel and swimming ring; a ballerina set and football outfits. Accessories are also available including Dolls Carry Cots, Infant Seat and a Doll Tent Fayland.

Horse Paulina and Horse Sissi are each available as doll companions and can be used together with the Horse Show Set and new Horse Barn Lucky Horseshoe for role-play.

Haba dolls are made with soft bodies, cheerful faces and chenille hair, with distinctive, removable clothes.

Best Years’ handmade rag dolls are crafted by a workers’ co-operative in South Africa and stand at 30-inches tall.

The dolls are clothed in removable, colourful dresses, including a pink organza dress over a pink petticoat or green organza with gold trimmings. The dolls also have a button-up sash with ribbons and satin bows on their feet.

Each doll is signed by the lady from the fairtrade co-operative who created it.

The smiley faces are hand embroidered.

The dolls are created from 100 per cent cotton, while the stuffing and dresses are made from 100 per cent polyester.

The dolls are around 78cm high, 30cm wide and 16cm deep.

HTI As a market leader in the dolls prams and pushchairs market, HTI continues to grow its Silver Cross and Mamas & Papas Junior collections. Based on the contemporary models available in the real nursery ranges, HTI offers little girls their own prams for their dolls.

HTI’s Silver Cross dolls prams and pushchairs range has been refreshed with a new fabric of Poppy red with white Domino spots. New product launches for autumn/winter include the Surf Pram, which features the same modern styling and convertible feature.

A reversible body and tilt mechanism enables easy conversion from pram to pushchair for maximum play value. The range also includes the Ranger Junior Pram, 3D Pushchair and X4 Stroller, all of which feature the refreshed new look of poppy domino styling.

The last word in luxury transport for dolls, the classic Silver Cross Oberon Pram features a hand sprung chassis, spoke wheels, polished enamel handpainted body and waterproof hood and apron. Also supplied in the new Poppy Domino fabric for autumn/winter, the dolls carriage is suitable for girls aged five to 11 years.

Also new for the second half of the year is the Mamas & Papas main range featuring the replica nursery fabric of black and white Damask pattern with bold Orchid pink. The range includes new replica lines such as the Luna Mix Three Wheel Stroller, T2 Tandem Twin Stroller and the Rubix pram, as well as

BEST YEARS 01327 262189

74

BIGJIGS 01303 250400 Bigjigs Toys has added a softer side to its collection of wooden toys through the new Bigjigs Dolls Range. The dolls come in nine designs and each is 280mm tall.

There are two ballerinas including Lily, the traditional pink ballerina with blonde hair and a pink hairband to match its tutu and Violet, which wears a violet dress along with matching ballerina shoes.

Daisy has a bright yellow dress, trimmed with a pattern of strawberries and berries and blonde hair. Poppy has thick blonde bunches and a red, white and pink floral dress with a white lace trim and a pink knitted cardigan. Olive has a pastel green dress decorated with a fruit pattern and a dark green velvet waistcoat.

Rose has embroidered roses on a fitted pink dress, finished with a white lace trim. The doll has brown hair and pink shoes. Grace has brown bunches with a fringe and a pastel blue dress.

The doll wears a red pink and blue patterned blouse. Summer has light brown hair and rose blush cheeks. The doll wears a dusty pink corduroy dress, finished with a light pink floral trim and scalloped white edging.

The boy – Harry – wears a red and white stripped t-shirt and blue shorts and has short blonde hair.

01253 778888 an extended range of nurturing dolls accessories. The Mamas & Papas collection also includes the new Très Petite range. The line comprises My First prams, pushchairs and accessories including a moses basket, which is inspired by one of the brand’s own real life nursery collections.

The firm’s Peppa Pig range of dolls prams and pushchairs has also been given a refresh, with new fabric featuring all Peppa family character graphics and the introduction of a new Peppa & George Twin Stroller. To add to this, HTI also provides dolls prams and pushchairs ranges within the Hello Kitty and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom lines.

MAY 2011

May Show 17th - 19th May 2011 Toymaster would like to invite all Independent Toy and Model Retailers, both in the UK and Ireland, to attend the 2011 May Show.

Over 100 suppliers will be in attendance at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, on the 17th - 19th May and we hope you are able to join us in making the most of the opportunities offered.

For more details or to register, please contact Jo Skelton on Tel: +44 (0)1604 674477 Email jo.skelton@toymaster.co.uk

Dedicated monthly retail coverage

Retail Only News • Data • Opinion

Alworths falls into administration

Comment Page 78 Counter Insurgent tells us why we should still be charitable in these difficult times...

by Katie Roberts

Charts

LESS THAN 18 months after its first store opened, the Alworths chain has entered administration.

Neil Bennett and Michael Healy at Leonard Curtis are attempting to find a new owner for the retail chain in order to save the 235 jobs held across the 17 stores.

Alworths was set up by exWoolworths executive Andy Latham in November 2009, exactly a year after the original chain collapsed.

Questions began to be asked about the future of the business in April when Latham resigned as director as reported by Retail Week.

Administrators Leonard Curtis said that all shops remain open while a buyer is sought.

Partner Neil Bennett, said: “This is a business that operates in a very competitive market that has been badly affected by the recent downturn in consumer confidence

Page 79 Retail charts including John Lewis, Amazon, The Entertainer, Play.com, Mail Order Express and WH Smith...

New products Page 80 Jumbo, Seager Games, Lego Minifigures, Magmatic and Rollers...

experienced on the UK High Street.

We are currently continuing to trade whilst we look for a suitable buyer in an effort to secure the business and safeguard job security for its current employees.”

Latham originally envisaged having 50 Alworths shops, later

seeing potential for 200, concentrating on small market towns where Woolworths previously thrived. By sticking to these areas, he was confident Alworths would not fail in the same way that Woolworths did.

Leonard Curtis: 020 7535 7000

Ocado plans toy offering ONLINE GROCER Ocado has hired former Tesco executive, Simon Belsham as it looks to grow its nonfood portfolio.

Belsham, who was the multichannel development director at Tesco, will join Ocado in June to accelerate its expansion in non-food ranges including toys, baby products, health and beauty and kitchenware.

The new recruit is expected to build a team that is likely to bring new products to the website early next year.

Tim Steiner, chief executive, commented: “Ocado is entering the next exciting stage of its development and part of that involves expanding our range of products significantly in the coming years.

“Simon will lead the team to develop a compelling non-food offer for Ocado.”

Ocado already sells a small

number of non-grocery products, including small toys, tableware, magazines and gifts.

Ocado: 01707 227800

Hero Product Page 81 Bandai’s Power Rangers Samurai Megazord…

78

RETAIL ONLY

HIGHSTREET COUNTER INSURGENT Dispatches from the retail front line...

AS A SHOP OWNER when times are tough you look for things you can change to keep some money in your pocket, but recently I’ve noticed just how many more requests we’re getting for fundraising support.

We have always tried hard to help with prizes for raffles, tombolas and auctions. It might not be much – as we set ourselves a budget – but you always have people come into the store or phone up and it’s easy to lose track. We recently decided to only respond to letters and tried to support the local community, if possible for child-related causes like schools, playgroups and kids’ charities.

I had someone wander into the store struggling with some bags and ask at the till for a

raffle prize. As I was re-doing someone’s effort of a display nearby, I came over and asked for some more details.

She replied they were blitzing the area, asking local shops for support. In return we’d get a mention in the programme. But, when I asked what and where the event was, I was told it was a fete in a village 30 miles away and outside the county. I said that we normally try to help the local community as much as we can, but I could get them a little something. I asked for some proof of who she was and a letter of authorisation from the event’s organiser in order to do so.

She had neither, but she did point out that I wouldn’t have heard about the event as it was so far away. I told her that I couldn’t give her anything without any proof, to which she held the bags up and said lots of others had helped out

and then launched a mouthful of abuse that would have got Wayne Rooney a ban for six matches.

However, my favourite moment is still the time when a member of staff asked me to

I looked to see what he was given and it was a request that I remembered dealing with.

They wanted a bear for a ‘Name the Bear’ competition.

As this was a big £30 teddy bear I was a little surprised but

I know how hard it is for local schools and charities to get funding, and how much hard work goes into these events. come and see a ‘customer’ about a raffle prize. When I asked how I could help, I was told that the raffle prize we had given wasn’t good enough: he was expecting something better.

he wanted the bigger, £80 bear in the window.

I knew what I had agreed with the chair of the event, who is in fact a long standing customer, but this guy felt we should make an exception as it

was for a good cause. And I did make an exception, for once: I told him as it wasn’t good enough for him I would have it back and walked off...

When times are hard should we bother with supporting events? I know how hard it is for local organisations, schools and charities to get funding and how much hard work goes into these events, and most are very appreciative for even the smallest bit of help. If it was left up to the likes of Toys R Us these events wouldn’t have a chance of getting what they need. Oh, and for those of you who think I was a heartless bastard, they did get the bear: I called the chair to explain why she was ‘bearless’ and asked her to come in and collect it herself.

PRICE CHECK: MAY 2011

MAY 2011

Guess Who? Hasbro

Polly Pocket Doll's House Mattel

My First Baby Annabell Zapf Creation

Lego Ninjago: Ice Dragon Attack Lego

R2D2 Repair Game IMC

£13.99

£11.99

£14.990

£19.99

£13.99

£12.99

£16.99

£18.19

£20.99

£22.99

£13.99

N/A

£12.00

£19.99

N/A

N/A

£14.77

£12.96

£19.97

£19.97

£6.49

£16.99

£11.50

£19.36

£19.98

RETAIL ONLY

www.toynews-online.biz

79

RETAILCHARTS WHSmith.co.uk

CHART DATE 11/04/11

The Entertainer

CHART DATE 11/04/11

1

Star Wars Brickmaster

Lego

1

Lalaloopsy Doll

MGA

2

Large Brick Box

Lego

2

Moshi Monsters Talking Poppet Moshi Soft Toy

Vivid

3

Timmy Time Wooden Dominoes Set

Golden Bear

3

Hornby Toy Story 3 Electric Train Set

4

Sylvanian Families Sister at Home Set

Flair

4

VTech Kidizoom Plus - Digital Camera Blue

5

Pirate Plank Game

Lego

5

Plum Products Sand and Picnic Table

Plum

6

Atlantis Brickmaster

Lego

6

Toy Story Woody The Sheriff

Vivid

7

Toy Story 3 Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear

Mattel

7

Forest Growable Acorn Swing Set with QuadPod

TP Toys

8

Pirate Brickmaster

Lego

8

Genius SurroundSafe 10ft Trampoline

TP Toys

9

Science Museum Solar Airship

Great Gizmos

9

Hello Kitty Scooter

10 Lego Atlantis: The Menace from the Deep Activity Book

Amazon

Lego

CHART DATE 11/04/11

1

Bananagrams Game

2

Nerf N-Strike Clip System Dart Pack (36 Darts)

3

Union Jack Flag 12ft (11 Pack)

4

Nerf N-Strike Stampede ECS

5

William & Kate Commemorative Union Jack

6

Hornby VTech

HTI

10 Belling Foldaway Kitchen

HTI

Mail Order Express

CHART DATE 11/04/11

Winning Moves

1

Waybuloo Patio Set Patio Set

Yaffe

Hasbro

2

Thomas Desk and Stool

Yaffe

Partyrama

3

In The Night Garden Infant Sand & Water Play Centre

Yaffe

Hasbro

4

Thomas and Friends Two Seater Toy Box

Yaffe

PMS International

5

Fire Station

Mookie Classic Swingball

Mookie

6

Baby Annabell 2009

7

Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10

Hasbro

7

Academy Desk & Chair

8

Duplo Large Brick Box

Lego

8

Waybuloo Toy Box

9

Tomy Aquadoodle Classic Drawing Toy

Tomy

9

Nebulus Blue Scooter

10 Scrabble Original

John Lewis

Mattel

CHART DATE 11/04/11

Playmobil Zapf Dominoes Yaffe Ozbozz

10 Waybuloo Basic Desk & Stool

Play.com

Yaffe

CHART DATE 11/04/11

1

Genius SurroundSafe 10ft Trampoline

TP Toys

1

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Dotty Fleece Blanket Character World

2

Genius SurroundSafe 14ft Trampoline

TP Toys

2

Rubik’s Cube Classic

3

Lego Star Wars Trade Federation Troop Carrier

Lego

3

Nerf Dart Tag FuryFire 2 Pack Set

4

Mini Micro T-Bar Scooter, Green

Micro Scooters

4

Lego Minifigures Series 3

Lego

5

Meccano Build & Play Mini Assortment

Meccano

5

Hide N Squeak Eggs

Tomy

6

Gruffalo Dress Up Outfit

VMC Acessories

6

Connect 4: 5 Ways To Play

7

FurReal Friends Butterscotch Pony

Hasbro

7

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom: Holly & Her Fluttering Wings

8

Extreme Stretch Dinosaurs

TAOS

8

Me To You Daisy Fleece Blanket

Character World

9

Marbles Set

Rex International

9

Tangled: Rapunzel Fleece Blanket

Character World

10 Flying Glider

Rex International

10 Tyrannosaurus Rex Board Game

John Adams Hasbro

Hasbro Golden Bear

Paul Lamond

MAY 2011

80

RETAIL ONLY

PRODUCTNEWS

Jumbo plotting success for Disney Princess game EXPANDING ITS popular Disney range, Jumbo las launched a new flagship product – the Disney Princess Magic Wand Game.

Girls must work their way around the board by waving the magic wand and listening to the instructions, but landing on the Evil Stepmother means you miss a turn.

The first person to get to the front of the castle and successfully use the

magic wand to gain entry is named the winner.

Aimed at pre-schoolers, Jumbo expects the product to be a hit in the summer all the way through to Christmas. It will support the brand with puzzles and low price point games. The Disney Princess Magic Wand Game is expected to retail at around £14.99 Jumbo Games: 01707 289289

Seager picks up hand-painted card game SEAGER GAMES prides itself on producing games for children, teenagers and ‘big kids’.

Designed to be played by people of all ages and abilities, Granbob’s Britain Game and Granbob’s Nature Game are matching images games.

They have 48 and 56 original, circular cards which feature hand painted pictures by the 87 year-old

by Mrs Pat Comer.

The games feature those things considered ‘most British’ about Britan, for example, the nature

game includes animals, birds, flowers, fish. Luck, knowledge and strategy evenly combine so that

anyone can win from any position.

No player can ‘go out’ of a game at any time, until the game is over.

Games can take one hour or less to finish.

Each game pack comes in a compact travel size with an RRP of £10. Seager Games will offer up to 50 per cent trade discount even on modest orders.

Orders above £180, which can include any other SG products, are fully carriage paid.

Seager Games: 08707 440822

Toy Trunk provides staycation solution 4-IN-1 TRUNKI Travel ToyBox gets its name from its four different functions as a ride-on, a pushalong, a rocking cradle and multiple ToyBoxes that can link together to form a train.

Magmatic sees the toy as a solution to the ‘staycation’: ‘a storage solution was required not only to stash and stack essential toys, games and books while on the move, but to function as a toy in its own right. A travel toy box that can be used at home’.

Available in pink and blue, the ToyBox has wheels and is lightweight and durable, while the lid clips on to make sure contents are secure. A carry handle and a rubber tongue for connecting together completes the package. It is priced at £19.99 Magamatic: 0117 9542 781

New Minifigures Four Everyone US toy seeks worldwide roll out

SINCE THEIR launch in 2010, Lego Minifigures have become a playground hit and have topped the NPD charts on multiple occasions.

Now on the fourth collection, there are 16 new characters to collect in the latest Minifigures series. These include The Monster, Surfer Girl, Sailor, Kimono Girl, Punk Rocker, Soccer Player, Crazy Scientist and a Lawn Gnome.

MAY 2011

Each Lego person comes sealed in a ‘mystery bag’, so children will never know which one they’re going to get, until it’s opened.

Each one has its own special accessories, display plate and collector’s leaflet.

They are inspired by movies, sports, history and just everyday life.

Each minifigure is priced at £1.99.

Lego: 01753 495000

ROLLORS COMBINES the skill of bocce, horseshoes and bowling all in one game that is suitable for all ages.

The outdoor game is played by hand rolling small wooden disks towards a colour coded goal. Each game features crafted wood pieces and a carry case to protect the wood.

“I wanted to create a fun game that gets families out of the house and enjoying some quality time together in the sunshine,” said inventor Matt Butler. The American came up with the game while on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During the down time while serving in combat operations, he had time to sketch the pieces, devise the rules and brainstorm his own business selling the game.

Rollors has been picked up by big US retailers like Menards and Meijer, and sells for around $26.

If you’re interested in helping Butler roll out the product in other territories, contact him via his website, www.rollors.net Rollors: 478-501-2003

www.toynews-online.biz

HERO PRODUCT

81

Bandai Power Rangers Samurai – Samurai Megazord Power Rangers are back on our screens and Bandai is supporting the iconic brand with a new toy line…

POWER RANGERS Samurai features a new generation of Rangers who must master the Samurai Sword and the Mystical Symbols of Power, which give them control over the elements of Fire, Water, Sky, Forest and Earth.

Under the guidance of their all-knowing mentor, the Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Pink Power Rangers can summon their devoted animal Zords to aid them in battle.

In the TV series, the Power Rangers must fight the dark forces of the underworld and a mysterious Warrior bent on destruction.

The animal Zords are always ready to help against the forces of the Netherworld and when faced by larger foes, the Zords can combine together to create the ultimate Samurai Megazord complete with Super Samurai Sword.

The Megazord can also be combined with the Disc Cycles and the Animal Zords for extended play. All these items will be part of Bandai’s launch range hitting shelves in July.

Bandai’s marketing campaign will feature PR, online, sponsorship and extensive TV advertising, beginning in August and running throughout the year.

Release dates: July 2011 Bandai’s Power Rangers Samurai marketing will include an extensive TV campaign, kicking off in August

CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: 01489 790944 Email: sales@bandai.co.uk

MAY 2011

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CARTAMUNDI IS the largest global manufacturer of playing cards and cards for games.

The company was established in 1970 and since then it has continued to manufacture and supply quality playing cards to all of its customers, both large and small. Those customers include general public right through to casinos, private labels, cards for games and the premium and promotional markets.

A former Entrepreneur of the Year, the group achieved sales of €147,5 million in 2010, with a

workforce of 1,200 and factories and sales offices all over the world. With its experience and specialist knowledge, the company is able to continuously develop innovative playing cards.

Cartamundi has a strong new retail range for 2011, with licences and products being introduced throughout the year, including Disney Cars 2, Phineas and Ferb, The Beatles Yellow Submarine and a whole new Poker range, Diamond for the premium end of the market and Joker for the entry price point.

MAPS TOYS SUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER

01483 776006 MAPS TOYS has seen incredible growth in the last four years.

Divisional head Will Sharman attributes this to the company’s focus on working with ranges

that are a little different than its competitors.

“I think all of us working in the industry through challenging times are so obsessed with economics and logistics that we lose sight of it is really about – selling fun toys that children actually want to play with.”

Yummy Dough embodies this philosophy, based on the simple yet satisfying activities

of creating, baking, eating and giving, and the new tub’s packaging has proved attractive to both children and parents.

In addition to the cola powered rocket car and other creative products from Be Amazing Toys, Maps is very excited about the spring launch of the Marshmallow Fun Company’s Classic Mallow Blaster and Bow and Mallow, both of which follow the themes

of simplicity and fun.

Complementing the Mallow toys perfectly comes the 30-feet water shooting Fire Power back pack from Aeromax Toys.

Marshmallow and water fight anybody?

For further information: Tel: 01483 776006 will@mapsww.com www.mapstoys.com

There is also the Puzzler Family of card games, with more to be announced soon.

For further information: Tel: 01268 511 522 www.cartamundi.co.uk

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88

TOY TALK

TOY TALK

Spin Master gets baking for charity and we take a look at the latest technology from the Gadget Show Live…

DOMESTIC GODDESSES

Jon SALISBURY Observations from a toy industry survivor....

THERE ARE more pressing matters in the world at the moment than kids’ playthings, of course, but even the toy industry is feeling the fiscal fallout of global tragedy.

The horrors in Japan saw financial nerves frayed with investors less willing to take credit risk, particularly in leveraged loans.

About $10bn of loans were cancelled, including a $1.1bn refinancing for Toys R Us and potential oil shortages in light of the conflict in Libya could yet impact on raw material and transport costs.

Although there was no suggestion that the Japanese disaster would scupper the Tomy/RC2 deal, a number of law firms were apparently investigating potential claims on behalf of shareholders of RC2 concerning the proposed acquisition of the company by Tomy. However, the deal has now been given the green light to proceed.

The world has been truly stunned by events in Japan and you can’t help being amazed at how dignified their people have been in the face of such trauma. Playing its part, The Toys R Us Children’s Fund made a $500,000 donation to Save the Children to help provide relief to children and families impacted by the earthquake and tsunami, while the Toys R Us team in Japan is working with Save the Children to provide immediate deliveries of urgently needed baby products to impacted areas.

Despite such caring, well intentioned acts, the toy industry still does itself no favours in other areas and the latest product to take the biscuit for stupidity surely has to be Struts from Playmates, a sort of slutty cross between My Little Pony and Bratz with long haired fillies in dresses and high heels. Yeuch. Geared towards girls aged five to eight, are the long lashes and impossibly thin limbs of the Struts sending the wrong message to children? The sexualisation of children’s playthings is a sticky wicket for toys and the sexualisation of horses is just plain stupid, neigh, idiotic.

‘SWEET DELIGHTS’ took on a new meaning for Spin Master last month as staff in the UK office got cooking in the kitchen to produce some edible cakes and cookies for charity. The National Autistic Society is the chosen global charity of Spin Master for the year, and staff at the office in Bourne End were busy baking and buying (not to mention eating) lots of goodies to support the charity. It was the first of a few events the company will be holding throughout the year.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Paul Roberts, General Manager, Cartamundi UK What was your first job in the toy industry?

Manufacturing the game card sets that went into the original Trivial Pursuit.

What do you love most about working in the industry?

The diversity of the characters you meet and the friendliness of the people.

What would you do if you weren’t in your current role?

I could never imagine myself doing anything different, but if I had a choice a Formula 1 race car driver.

What does your average working day consist of?

Early to rise and late to bed.

MAY 2011

What’s the best bit about your role?

Strategising for success.

And the worst?

The clocks always go back to zero on January 1st.

Where do you hope your career will have taken you in five years time?

Hopefully three to four inches less on my waist size and still in the same job, doing what I have always loved.

Use three words to describe yourself.

Realistic, honest, hardworking.

Who would play you in Cartamundi: The Movie?

Johnny Vegas.

Tell us a funny story about a moment in your toy industry career: When Trivial Pursuit was first released, and we didn’t make it, one of the cards read: Q. Who is the president of the United States?

A. Mickey Mouse It was a good lesson in what not to do at the start of my career.

TOY TALK

89

GADGET SHOW HITS NEC A HOST of companies including LeapFrog, VTech and Re:creation made the trip to Birmingham to exhibit their technological toys.

Many exhibitors found the new ‘Professional’ trade day (supported by ToyNews) helpful – using the less busy day to strike deals with retailers and e-tailers from the UK and Europe.

Hexbug’s marketing manager, Heather Rowson, said: “It’s a really good opportunity to sell to consumers as well as trade, and it allows us to reach a bit of an older audience who are more interested in big boys toys.” The Flying Toys distributed AR.Drone was named in the Gadget Show Live’s top 50 gadgets, and the show’s ever-enthusiastic presenter Jason Bradbury said the flying helicopter was one of his favourite toys.

Dave Rawlins, director of Flying Toys, commented: “In our opinion The Gadget Show Live is the perfect exhibition to demonstrate this type of technical product.”

Despite being hard at work chatting to the toy trade, ToyNews’ Emily Briggs and Lewis Tyler found time to sit in Firebox.com’s officially licensed 1960s Batmobile, now selling for £120,000.

My Favourite Things Matthew Warneford, CTO, Dubit, producing virtual worlds and social games for brands.

Number one album: Carry On Up The Charts

by The Beautiful South.

-----------------------------------------------------------------Film: Elf, it’s not Christmas without Buddy the elf.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Website: Hacker News, the single best news site for computer geeks and entrepreneurs.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Hero: Pete Sampras makes the sporting hero top spot for six years as world number one. Steve Jobs for creating the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Number one single when you were born: Flashdance...

What A Feeling - Irene Cara.

-------------------------------------------Magazine: Wired.

-------------------------------------------Holiday: La Manga, Spain.

--------------------------------------------Pet: Cat. ---------------------------------------------Game/toy: Lego Technic.

---------------------------------------------Tipple: Gin martini, stirred, straight up, with a twist.

----------------------------------------------------------------Food: Prawns in hot garlic and chilli oil, followed by salt encrusted sea-bass and a creme brulee for desert.

-----------------------------------------------------------------Way to spend a weekend: Tennis in the morning, Martinis in the afternoon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Advice: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.”

MAY 2011

90

FEATURE PLANNER

JULY 2011 Electronic learning Creative play

Dress up

Apps and virtual worlds

Two firms are specialists in electronic learning, VTech and Leapfrog, but many more are now joining the fray in the continuously updated category.

Also in the July issue is a look at creative play, a category which is currently seeing a strong rise in sales, and a rundown of the latest costumes hitting the dress-up sector.

In a special feature, we will also take a look at the properties which have successfully moved out of the virtual space, into the physical toy space.

Editorial deadline: May 6th Advertising deadline: June 17th

FORTHCOMING EVENTS PLAYCON (FORMERLY TOYCON) May 4th - 6th Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort, Gainey Ranch, Scottsdal, Arizona www.toyassociation.org

TOY TRUST G.O.S.H. FUNDRAISER June 11th 2011 Rutland Water www.btha.co.uk/toytrust

TOYMASTER MAY SHOW May 17th - 19th Majestic hotel, Harrogate www.toymaster.co.uk

BTHA/AGM INDUSTRY DAY May 29th Great Fosters Hotel, Egham, Surrey www.BTHA.co.uk

TIA CALIFORNIA TOY DAY June 7th - 8th TBC, Sacramento, CA www.toyassociation.org

LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXPO June 14th - 16th Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, Las Vegas www.licensingexpo.com

AUTUMN FAIR September 4th - 7th NEC Birmingham www.autumnfair.com

THE LICENSING AWARDS September 13th Grosvenor House Hotel www.thelicensingawards.co.uk

Got any events you would like to see added to the calendar? Email samantha.loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

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

ToyNews is published 12 times a year by Intent Media ~ Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648 © Intent Media 2011 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.

ISSN: 1740-3308

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