NEWS
Y DA
DAILY
3
The Toy Fair’s ONLY official daily paper
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Justin’s Golden Bear hug IDnsoidne’:t Miss CBeebies star makes himself at home at Toy Fair 2016
• Flair rev • Toym eal hot new co as • Retail ter MD talks li llectables line s ers’ be cences st tips
High five for toys The best performance in five years saw the UK toy industry reach a whopping £3.2billion in sales in 2015, retaining its position as the largest toy market in Europe. NPD’s Frederique Tutt announced the industry’s performance at the annual press briefing yesterday morning, where she also revealed that the market had grown 5.9 per cent — a year-on-year increase of £150m. The bumper year was partly driven by blockbuster film licences, with Minions, Jurassic World, Marvel’s Avengers and Star Wars.
Golden Bear and Justin Fletcher have shared something of a special partnership over the past few years, and that relationship has been strengthened in a new deal with BBC Worldwide. After striking success with a toy range based on Justin’s alter ego Mr. Tumble and his Something Special series, Golden Bear as been appointed master toy partner for hilarious CBeebies show Justin’s House. The star of the shows himself was on the Golden Bear stand yesterday to announce
the new deal with Golden Bear’s Vice Chair and Director, Christine Nicholls, who told the Daily News: “Kids love engaging with the characters in the show. Our toy is the house itself, and has lots of fun, high energy play value, so children can recreate their own Justin’s House experience at home. Retailers have been very impressed with that authenticity, and how true to the show it is. “The toys will launch AW16, and we have a full TV and online marketing plan, which will roll out in July.”
Chinese whispers! Hopes that British manufacturing will be kick-started by the current economic turbulence in China are behind many of the responses to an online Daily News survey. Half of the respondents believe that the manufacture of toys in China will be notably impacted in the long term, with 30 per cent saying it will happen more quickly.
I’m a celebrity... keep me in here! Having one quarter of something doesn’t sound like a lot — but when it’s a fourth of one of the biggest boy bands around in the shape of Union J’s George Shelley that’s actually pretty good! The 22-year-old caused a media scrum and set a few hearts a-fluttering with his personal appearance at Toy Fair yesterday.