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2017 April 4 No.77 Vol. 3 6
Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,125
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
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CONTENTS Regular 2017 April No. 7 6 3 Vol.
TEAM TnP Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk
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Leader - with Mirella Anstey
6
News - hot off the press
9
Quick Coffee Break – with Liza Abrams, VP of Global Licensing and Marketing, Sakar
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10 Movie News – the latest from the box office 11
Media News – the multimedia rundown
12 Media Charts – the latest kids’ TV viewing figures and toy TV advertising spend 14 Retail News – the latest from across the retail landscape 22 Toy Talk –retailers let us know what is selling well 26 What’s New – new products that you need to get your hands on
Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk
Writer Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk
Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk
Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk
Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk
Design and Production Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk
50 Spotlight on… Little Tikes – one new product, all the USPs explained 68 Watch Out For… – a round up of toys you really don’t want to be without 82 Trade Talk – we give suppliers a chance to talk business 84 Licensing News – the hottest news from the world of licensing 86 Step Back in Time – a slice of toy history from the industry’s longest running magazine 87 Don’t Miss – unmissable products for all buyers and retailers
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Features 28 Pre-school – the latest and greatest playthings for little ones 52 AIS Show Preview – your guide to this year’s Independent Toy & Gift Show 63 Sand, Water and Bubbles – splashing, building and bubbleblowing at its best 70 STEM toys – science, technology, engineering and maths have never been so fun 76 Action Figures – a big year for movies means a big year for this ever-popular category
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Special Report 16 Retail Interview – we catch up with Toymaster MD Ian Edmunds
Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk
Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk
20 Toy Trust – an update from the industry’s charity 21 Cover story – It’s all about Peppa Pig for Character Options 62 In focus - World’s Apart is far more than just a toy company, with complementary products to help you sell more 80 Toy tech trends - Trend hunter and consultant Reyne Rice reports back from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show
Columnists Lema Publishing Ltd
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At the heart of retail A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,125
13 NEW Media Analysis - Generation Media’s Alex Taylor-Smith assesses the shift in kids’ viewing habits 19 Retail Opinion – John Ryan focuses his lens on the ‘store of the future’ 24 The Independent and Secret Supplier – our columnists clash over social media 51 Media Whisperer – Clive Crouch looks at the tough but reading process of creating kids’ TV 60 TnP Ambassadors – our ambassadors test the toys you stock on your shelves 83 Licensing Opinion – Kelvyn Gardner looks at the power of nostalgia
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
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Mirella revenues in its 85 year he past month has seen the industry history — profit rose inundated with big news virtually every Anstey 1.7 per cent to 12.2 billion kroner (£1.4 day — as if we needed further reminding billion) last year — yikes! Marina certainly has her of what an evolving and exciting trade work cut out for her to sustain and grow we work in! The news of Vivid’s this business further, but TnP is sure that acquisition by Privet — a private she and the team at LEGO can keep on equity firm which specialises making the magic happen. in operational turnarounds — This month we shine a spotlight on came early this month, and Action Figures, the forthcoming AIS there are plans in place already show as well as the Pre-school and for expansion overseas. This STEM categories. As a parent to very is welcome news indeed as littles ones myself, I have to say these Vivid is truly a UK toy industry success story in a noisy and competitive world, and is a much-respected toy company on a global scale. To see it continue to grow and increase its overseas presence is certainly good for the toy industry at large. Still keeping You’ll find STEM in the Vivid vein, on page 70 former MD Neil Bandtock has just Pre-school are two categories that I buy been announced is unquestionably into an awful lot — and is the as the new MD the most subject of much chatter at the of Epoch making competitive pre-school and playground gates. toys Ltd UK — the category in this Neil Bandtock is Pre-school is unquestionably the makers of top industry with so Epoch’s new MD most competitive category in this selling Sylvanian much new on a industry with so much new on Families and regular basis a regular basis — which is why Aquabeads too. which is why it so it’s so exciting. I think also, most Since Graham Brennan’s departure last exciting parents buying into this category year the Japan-based company has been and quite happy to spend big looking for the right leader who can push and often because at this age this beautiful evergreen brand on to bigger you really go the extra mile to give in to virtually and better than its already fantastic history. In fact, every whim! just this month the UK’s leading tabloid newspaper And while STEM is certainly not as pivotal The Sun reported that Epoch’s Sylvanian Families in terms of retail spend as pre-school, it really are fast becoming collectors’ items among fans is in high growth. Parents and grandparents of the cute characters, with many taking to online increasingly want to spend money on learning auction sites to secure classic figures and playsets. through play aids and the toy industry is working The redtop reports that one playset, the fourhard to deliver great fun with the added benefit of storey Applewood Department store which comes teaching and developing kids further. Keep on top with over 200 accessories, was snapped up for a of what’s new in this category by turning to pages whopping £206. So Neil is the custodian of the 28 and 70 to learn more. brand’s history as much as he is the architect of its The team and I are hard at work on the May issue future. Neil is an experienced, trusted and warm of the magazine — the double whammy of top member of this industry and I’m looking forward trade shows, Toymaster and to working with him very closely in the coming Licensing Expo Vegas — no months. doubt we will see so many Another company with a new face at the top Find pre-school of you there! is LEGO — Pepsico’s Marina Edwards takes over on page 28 from Fiona Wright. She says: “I admire the values the company has been true to since 1932 — to develop and inspire children through creative play and learning” that, of course, is at the core of LEGO’s business and at the heart of its success and longevity in my view. Let’s not forget that the company posted just a few weeks ago the highest
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news
LEGO welcomes new UK & Ireland head Marina Edwards has joined the LEGO Group as Vice President & General Manager of BU UK/Ireland. Based at LEGO UK in Slough, Marina takes over from Fiona Wright, who has covered the role on an interim basis since 2016 in parallel with running the Nordic/ Benelux/Baltic business. Marina’s solid commercial and leadership experience, combined with her affinity with the unique LEGO values and culture, makes her a strong addition to the UK/ Ireland business and the EMEA Leadership Team. “I feel extremely privileged to be joining the LEGO team,” said Marina. “The LEGO Group is an incredible company which appeals to people of all ages around the globe. I admire the values the company has been true to since 1932 — to develop and inspire children through creative play and learning. “My team and I will work with our partners to continue the momentum the company has seen over the past years. Our ambition is to drive the growth in the toy market and remain the industry leader while consistently practising the ethos that ‘only the best is good enough’.” Marina joins from Pepsico.
On the ball Football and netball teams can now secure their place in this year’s Toy Trust 7-a-side Football and Netball Tournament. The annual sporting event, organised by Hasbro, is a popular way companies can get involved in fundraising for the industry’s charity — and settle some friendly rivalries! This year’s tournament will take place on Friday 7 July at Brunel University, with further details to be announced closer to the time. The entry fee per team is £250 and includes hot food and cold drinks for every participant. For more info email football.tournament@hasbro.com. Closing date for entries is 1 July.
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LeapFrog returns to Toy Fair LeapFrog has announced it will return to London Toy Fair in 2018 with a distinct and unique new display space after a short hiatus from the show. Clive Richardson, Marketing Director, said: “The LeapFrog brand has a unique positioning with education in its DNA and it’s important for customers to be able see the fabulous new toys that are being developed for the UK right here in London.” A new location situated next to the VTech stand is being created to bring a record number of new LeapFrog products to the show floor. The VTech stand will be increased by over 30 per cent to make room for both brands to be presented to UK customers. Majen Immink, Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales said: “We are extremely pleased to once again be welcoming VTech to Toy Fair next year. As a longstanding exhibitor, the decision to invest further and grow their presence at the show to incorporate both brands is testament to their continued support of the event. We wish them every success.”
30%
the amount VTech is expanding its Toy Fair stand in 2018
New tokens pass Go The thimble, boot and wheelbarrow tokens have passed Go for the final time after a Hasbro fan vote saw them replaced by T-Rex, Rubber Ducky and Penguin playing pieces. The Monopoly Token Madness Vote drew more than 4.3 million votes from fans in 100 countries. “The Monopoly Token Madness Vote was our biggest fan-powered
programme to date and the global Monopoly community has spoken,” said Craig Wilkins, Marketing Director, Hasbro UK & Ireland. “The next generation of tokens clearly represents the interests of our fans around the world and we’re proud to have our iconic game impacted by the people that feel most passionate about it.”
HAMLEyS TEAMS WITH MERLIN Hamleys has teamed up with Merlin Entertainment this month to offer consumers a series of giveaways for three leading theme parks throughout the summer. Running until September, customers will receive free children’s entry to Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventure Resort or LEGOLAND with any purchase made in store. When spending over £50, kids also stay free at the Alton Towers Resort Hotel. Mark Drummond, Head of Marketing at Hamleys, says: “Merlin is a fantastic brand offering first class family experiences.”
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Neil Bandtock named MD of Epoch Toys Neil Bandtock has been appointed Managing Director of Epoch Toys. He brings more than 25 years’ senior toy industry experience to the role, with time spent at Matchbox, MGA and Vivid Imaginations in Commercial Director and Managing Director roles. He also brings a wealth of retail know-how as the former Global Retail Director at Merlin Entertainment Group. Neil says: “I am delighted to be joining the Epoch team at this time. The UK business is growing by nearly 50 per cent year on year and there are some very exciting product and brand developments to be announced shortly. I look forward to helping the UK team to continue our growth, throughout the UK and Ireland retail sector.” Koji Otsuka, Executive Head of International at Epoch, adds: “We are very excited to have someone with Neil’s experience and track record on board to help take the Epoch business forward in the UK and Ireland.”
Safety first
Toy Fair filling up! Less than two months after the close of Toy Fair 2017, the show has already welcomed 142 exhibitor applications for next year’s event. Those applications represent 63 per cent of the number of exhibitors that showcased their products at Olympia in January. Majen Immink, Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales says: “It’s really pleasing to see such a high number of bookings at this early stage of the year.” Toy Fair will once again follow a three-day Tuesday to Thursday format, taking place at London’s Kensington Olympia from 23-25 January 2018. Majen adds: “We look forward to speaking further to returning companies and prospective new exhibitors over the coming months with a view to creating the best possible platform for the industry to do business over a busy three days. “The strong returnee rate reflects the fantastic continued support given to the show and cements the importance of Toy Fair in the industry’s calendar. We very much look forward to welcoming the industry back in 2018.” Companies that are keen to exhibit at the 2018 fair are encouraged to submit their online applications via www.toyfair.co.uk as soon as possible.
April 2017
Playmobil and the London Fire Brigade marked the brigade’s 150th year with an extra special fire safety campaign engaging almost 400,000 children. The launch of a singa-long stop-motion video featuring Playmobil figures kicked off the year-long partnership. The video was shown in schools across the capital during visits from the brigade’s education team to teach pupils who to call in an emergency. It was also hosted on YouTube. “We’ve loved working with the London Fire Brigade,” says Jamie Dickinson, Playmobil Marketing Manager. “It’s been a pleasure to help bring fire safety lessons to life for children. Our Fire Brigade sets have been a firm favourite for many years now, so it’s great to expand on that and encourage educational play across London and beyond.” Limited-edition London Fire Brigade versions of popular Playmobil Fire Brigade sets were created and sold at the events and online at Kerrison Toys, with the toy brand donating £2,300 of profits to the brigade’s charities of choice.
Jazwares to distribute Jada Jazwares has been granted master distribution rights for Jada Toys’ product line in the UK and Europe. Under the terms of the deal, Jazwares will distribute Jada’s entire offering of licensed die-cast and radio controlled vehicles, including the new Metals Die-Cast range of stylised, licensed die-cast figures. Jada’s anticipated Nano Steel die-cast figures range will also launch this autumn. “Our goal for 2017 is to continue our growth outside the US,” says Bill Simons, CMO of Jada Toys. “Partnering with Jazwares provides turn-key distribution of our entire line across Europe, a key step in achieving our international objectives and we couldn’t be more excited.” New retailers interested in ordering Jada merchandise through Jazwares can call 0203 598 0272.
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news Vivid acquired by Privet Capital With “Privet as well as strengthen further the company's excellent long-standing customer relationships with the world's leading toy and games retailers." Privet says future growth opportunities have been identified across Vivid’s in-house brand portfolio, strategic alliances with content owners, capturing additional distributor products, targeting high growth areas in various sub-sectors and building market share in new and existing markets. The equity firm’s Senior Partner, Vardhan Rajkumar, said: "We
Capital’s backing, we are well supported to accelerate Vivid’s growth path including some exciting new initiatives
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Vivid Toy Group has been acquired by London-based private equity investor Privet Capital for an undisclosed amount. Eric Rossi, Chief Executive of Vivid Toy Group said: “With Privet Capital's backing, we are well supported to accelerate Vivid's growth path including some exciting new initiatives. This investment, as well as ongoing operational support from the Privet team, will enable us to continue developing Vivid's strong product portfolio — particularly within the collectables segment and certain licences,
are extremely pleased to have acquired Vivid which we believe has significant growth potential. Vivid is an exciting business with an impressive track record of 'end-to-end' excellence in each of its core functions, from procurement and product design through to marketing and sales via its unrivalled distribution network and retail relationships worldwide. Privet's investment and operational guidance will support the enhancement of Vivid's in-house developed brand portfolio and expansion overseas."
Hy-Pro scores Premier League deal Hy-Pro has secured a four-match advertising campaign with the Premier League, kicking off this May. Dynamic perimeter banners will promote HyPro’s Zinc brand, as well as the company’s HyPro Sports and JAXJOX brands later in the year. The company says this is a great opportunity to promote the Zinc brand, not only to a UK audience, but to the 200-plus global territories that the Premier League reaches. Each match will feature multiple 10-second animated banners for the Zinc brand, featuring the brand new Smart A power board. This will launch the brand and product to the thousands of attendees at the match, and the 730 million homes around the world that tune in to Premier League matches. The Smart A power board is at the core of Zinc’s new Smart range of lithium-powered products, which includes two further power boards and five new lithium scooters.
Record year at Nuremberg A record 2,871 exhibitors showcased their latest and greatest at Nuremberg Toy Fair this year, according to the organiser’s post-show report. The vast majority of those exhibitors (83 per cent) said they were very pleased with their participation in the show, and 90 per cent are already planning to return in 2018. The United Kingdom was the third-best represented country at the 68th edition of the international toy fair, with 184 companies taking a stand, while 327 firms made the trip from China. Germany was unsurprisingly the best represented with 747 domestic suppliers and distribuors on the show floor. A two per cent increase in visitor numbers saw more than 73,000 buyers, retailers, licensing executives and more walking the aisles, with 44,032 of those flying in from overseas — a two per cent increase on 2016. The UK accounted for 2,130 of those decision-making visitors, the most from outside continental Europe.
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Paramount comes to London by 2022 Movie studio Paramount is bringing a £3.5 billion theme park to Dartford, Kent, which is set to open its doors by 2022. The London Paramount park will feature more than 50 attractions, including rides and a 2000-seat theatre, and is expected to draw crowds of 40,000 visitors on a typical day. Alongside licenses and characters from Paramount’s movies, BBC Worldwide and Aardman Animations have also partnered to bring attractions to the park, meaning fans of Doctor Who and Shaun the Sheep may also find ways to experience their favourite shows. “We will make sure that this experience is for the whole family. It’s going to be a very amazing and exciting thing for them,” says Humphrey Percy, Group CEO of the park’s parent company Kuwaiti European Holdings. ‘We’re working with world class theme park design companies to make sure that we have a real attraction.” The park will also reportedly include zones such as Starlet Command, Cartoon Circus and Land of Legends.
Strong year A strong year of growth for Spin Master in 2016 was topped off by a lucrative Christmas sales period which saw Q4 global revenue increase 31 per cent on 2015. Spurred by the sell-out success of new launch Hatchimals and the on going popularity of PAW Patrol, revenue hit $338.4million in the final three months of the year, up from $258.4m in the same period in 2015. Anton Rabie, Chairman and CoChief Executive Officer of Spin Master, says the performance “wrapped up another year of very strong growth for Spin Master”. He adds that the company is set to continue the momentum into 2017, with fresh credit agreements giving the company a pot of $510million to borrow from. “We have significantly enhanced our financing capacity and flexibility,” he says, “which together with our internally generated free cash flow is expected to continue to support our growth.” For the full year ended 31 December 2016, Spin Master generated revenue of $1.155 billion, an
increase of 31.3 per cent compared to $879.4 million in 2015. Ronnen Harary, Spin Master’s Co-CEO, says: “We are very pleased with our performance in 2016. The successful launch of Hatchimals
$1.155 billion Spin Master’s FY 2016 global revenue
April 2017
was a testament to our ability to innovate and highlighted the integration of our internal global R&D network with our external inventors… Together with Cardinal and our recent acquisitions of Swimways and Toca Boca, we have strong momentum building across our business going into 2017.”
There is a lot happening at sakar with hot-to-trot licenses bolstering their epic product range. Liza Abrams, Vice president of Global licensing and Marketing tells Tnp how they stay on top Liza, tell us a little about what is new for Sakar in 2017? We always have fun new youth electronics and this year is no exception. We’re super excited about our line of VR goggles under license from Discovery Kids. Additionally, we’ve got an adorable line-up of ‘sing-along’ karaoke machines and role-play kid-safe headphones for the younger kids. These fully functional electronics add a bit of fun and play value at great price points. Sakar are partnering with some hot new licenses. Tell us about some of the standouts please? Sakar is so fortunate to be working with amazing brands. This year we’ve added Num Noms, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, LEGO Ninjago and Hatchimals to our repertoire – talk about a great line-up! And in terms of products — there’s some good innovation coming through from Sakar. Give us some of your hot tips! While I can’t divulge all of our trade secrets, I will say integrating Bluetooth and other hot technologies into more of our lines keeps us relevant and on-trend with what’s happening in the larger tech and fashion space. How does Sakar help retailers sell more? The fact that we have a great range of brands and wide-reaching categories offers retailers ‘one-stop’ shopping. Additionally, we ensure that our product is affordable and attractive to the mass consumer, and support where we can with advertising and marketing – whether in-store, catalogue, or social media. And lastly, what sets Sakar apart from your competitors? We try to stay ahead of the curve in terms of fashion and technology. Being a consumer electronics company first gives us a window into what’s new on the adult side. We’re then able to apply that to our youth electronics in a timely manner. We are also a very nimble company, with little red tape. That enables us to move quicker and respond to market changes in a fastpaced environment.
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MOVIE
NEWS
Beauty the box office beast Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast has set a string of new box office records after releasing in cinemas in March to become the biggest ever PG movie opening, both internationally With Emma Watson in the starring role and in its domestic US as Belle, Beauty market. The movie made a and the Beast whopping $170 million at the made history as the US box office, and $180m biggest opener for a globally, to take the crown female lead. from Disney-Pixar’s Finding Dory. It also set a new bar for movies opening in March. As Disney’s live-action retellings continue to draw huge crowds, and Beauty and the Beast took up the trend as its biggest yet, topping Alice in Wonderland’s $116.1 million debut. It was the overall biggest opening since last year’s Disney and Marvel Studios hit Captain America: Civil War.
Did you know...
First look at Last Jedi With less than 10 months to go until Star Wars: The Last Jedi lands in cinemas, Disney shareholders have finally has the chance to see the blockbuster in action. Shareholders were treated to a screening of the movie last month, with Los Angeles Times reporter Daniel Miller in attendance to share some of what he saw with fans. Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker and Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, were reportedly shown in the footage, along with longtime fan-favourites Chewbacca, and Princess Leia, played by the late Carrie Fisher. The Force Awakens newcomer Finn, played by John Boyega, was also spotted alongside the series’ iconic X-wing space ships.
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Call it a Knight A director has been found for the first Transformers live-action spin-off. Travis Knight will take the helm and make his live-action debut after success directing Oscar-nominated stop-motion-animated flick Kubo and the Two Strings. The Transformers spin-off will centre on the Autobot character Bumblebee, and is the first time Paramount Pictures will look to broaden the franchise beyond core entries. Michael Bay, who has so far directed every entry in the series since it began in 2007, will bring his signature, explosive style to the feature as executive producer.
Guardians trailer lands Fans were treated to a new trailer of Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in March. The video gave comic book movie lovers a first glimpse at new villain Ayesha, plus a surprise appearance from Kurt Russell, who plays the long-lost father of protagonist Peter Quill, played by Chris Pratt. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits cinemas this May.
Jurassic peek Director J. A. Bayona has shared a sneak peek at his upcoming film, Jurassic World 2. A picture tweeted by the director in March gave fans their first glimpse of the Universal feature film, showing a shot of the inside of a museum filled with dinosaur skeletons and a girl, partly shrouded in long shadows. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard will reprise their starring roles, and Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow will executive produce Jurassic World 2, which is set to hit cinemas in June 2018.
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MEDIA
news Good Toy Guide makes TV debut Fundamentally Children’s Good Toy Guide is making its TV debut in a new advert developed with Great Coat Films. Companies with products in the Good Toy Guide — an online resource for parents that reviews toys and provides insight into their play patterns and developmental benefits — will feature in the spot. With the message that there’s a Good Toy for every child, the cute, humorous advert will feature around five toys from the guide.
Cover cars Hot Wheels has raced onto the cover of the latest issue of Showcase magazine from Egmont Publishing. Mattle’s hit boys’ brand has taken over the issue, with activities, puzzles, car tech specs, mini posters, a comic strip and much more. The issue comes complete with a cover-mounted die-cast Hot Wheels vehicle for added value, and to give fans an extra special addition to their collection.
Miffy taps into apps Dick Bruna’s iconic white bunny Miffy is the star of a new app for smart devices, offering a safe and fun way for parents with young children to share the delights of the classic storybook character. The Miffy’s World app launched on Apple’s iOS in March and will be available from Google Play soon. Based on the popular TV series Miffy’s Adventures: Big and Small, fans of the show will be able to immerse themselves in Miffy’s World and play along with their favourite bunny in everyday fun activities. From sharing moments in Miffy’s day to helping her pick fruit from a tree or doing a spot of gardening, the app allows children to learn while having fun. Designed to build early cognitive development, the app also aims to encourage creativity and to cultivate an interest in nature and outdoor activities. Miffy’s World is suitable for children under the age of five and is available in five languages.
APRIL 2017
HarperCollins goes digital HarperCollins Children’s Books is bringing a selection of its best-loved children’s books to educational app Hopster. The newly launched Book Boat section of the app will let families enjoy a range of critically acclaimed kids’ picture books. Highlights include Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and Paddington by Michael Bond. “At HarperCollins we are committed to bringing our author’s stories to as many children as we can,” said AnnJanine Murtagh, Executive Publisher for HarperCollins Children’s Books.
New home for Bob and Sam The latest adventures of Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam will be coming to homes in the UK in a deal between Abbey Home Media and DHX Media. Abbey will release four DVD titles this year under the deal, including two episodic releases, which will be the first titles released and hit retail in April. “We are delighted that DHX Media have appointed Abbey Home Media,” said Emma Evans, Acquisitions Director of Abbey Home Media.
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8000
MEDIA
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CHARTS
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The big drop
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elcome to the media report for February 2017. This month we are reporting on viewing levels for all Boys 4-9 years, Girls 4-9 years and Housewives with Children Pre-School. For the boys we see that Pop is market leader, followed by Nick Junior and the Cartoon Network. I think it’s fair to say that most stations are down on February 2016. Total viewing market for the boys is down by over 30 per cent. CiTVB is holding its own, and the biggest drop is from Cartoon Network. It is a similar picture for the girls, most of the stations are down on February 2016. Nick Junior is market leader followed by Pop and Disney Junior. The biggest drop is Tiny Pop, again CiTVB is the same as February 2016. I feel the days of stations delivering 8,000 S I TVRs per month for boys and Y R A FEBRU IOD OF girls are now behind us, the T PER A QUIE AR SO LET’S overall market appears to be between 5,000-6,000 TVRs THE YE E SEE per month on a good day. W E E P V HO IMPRO Overall viewing is down by S G N I TH some 30 per cent. Looking at the Housewives with Children Pre-School, although this market is down, it’s not such a dramatic decrease. We see that Nick Junior is the clear market leader followed by Disney Junior and Pop. Apart from these stations, the others are struggling, with the biggest drop from Tiny Pop. Let’s hope we see a better picture for March. The top ten spenders for February are showing a decrease in reported expenditure by 41 per cent compared to February 2016. The biggest drop is Hasbro — last year they spent £3m, which has dropped to £1.1m for this year. The total market is down by 34.5 per cent, but we know that February is a quiet period of the year so let’s hope we see things improve as we move through the year. The TV market continues to show decreases in revenue. Next month we will continue to look at Girls and Boys 4-9 years and Housewives with Children Pre-School.
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Housewives Children February 16 vs February 17
Feb-16
Feb-17
8000
8000 7000 7000 6000 6000
5000 5000 4000 4000 3000 3000 2000 2000 1000
1000
0
0
Boys TVRs February 16 vs February 17
Feb-16 Feb-17 Feb-16 Jan-17
8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0
Girls TVRs February 16 vs February 17 Feb-16
Feb-17
Feb 2016 Toy Company TV Expenditure
Feb 2017 Toy Company TV Expenditure
Company Name
TV Expenditure
Company Name
TV Expenditure
MGA Ent Zuru Toys (USA) Brainstorm Ltd Magic Box Internet Mattel UK Ltd Vivid Imaginations Ltd LEGO UK Ltd Character Options Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Hasbro UK Ltd
221,665 293,298 319,419 386,684 491,345 657,653 676,561 696,653 1,193,175 3,000,622
Magic Box Internet Pokémon Co Intl Epoch UK Spin Master Toys Ltd LEGO UK Ltd Vivid Imaginations Ltd Character Options Ltd Mattel UK Ltd Hasbro UK Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd
213,557 292,604 306,238 422,084 389,638 459,289 595,186 544,562 1,162,952 1,280,225
For more information on viewing levels please contact Mike Penfold. mike@globalmedia.me.uk Tel: 01494 763178. All graphs and information supplied by Global Media Services
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ANALYSIS
Is TV’s time up? D
What is clear however, as espite a number discussed from the outset, of reports to the is that children are chasing contrary, TV still content across multiple provides the most devices. The introduction of cost effective way of reaching kids content apps, some of a mass kids audience. When which provided by the TV reviewing Kids viewing to broadcasters themselves Kids commercial channels (Sky Kids App, Disney as a percentage of all their Life), provide an attractive viewing it has increased from and convenient alternative approximately 21 per cent in to the main TV set. With 2011 to 39 per cent in 2016. So greater access to tablets we know the statement that and mobiles, at younger ‘Kids are not watching TV ‘is and younger ages, it is untrue. However it is undeniable little wonder viewers are that children’s audiences are migrating to different finding new ways to consume platforms. content, across multiple So if we know our devices, and this is impacting key audiences are upon linear TV viewing. to be found across For example, 82 per cent of both TV and children aged 7-10 use YouTube VOD platforms, on a regular basis (based on TGI the question is, research) – a far greater reach how do we split than many of the children’s marketing budgets commercial channels achieve. What is to best reach them? The effects of this were felt clear however, as Despite all the across the A/W 2016 trading changes to the market, period, however since the discussed from the TV still provides the largest start of this year, the decline outset, is that children reach for the lowest price, with no in commercial impacts on are chasing content single VOD channel able to the key channels has been in across multiple devices compare to linear TV. sharp decline. Generation Media’s When looking at the core proprietary planning trading audience of children tool, The Media 4-15, it is clear to see that this Aggregator, answers this key decline isn’t isolated to a limited number of channels. question. First outlining when Just two channels demonstrated year-on-year growth, VOD investment should be with both of these (Kix and CITV Breakfast), being made, and secondly how available free-to-air. much this should be. It is While 2016 was a leap year, providing an additional vital these questions are day’s viewing compared to 2017, this factor alone understood fully in order cannot account for the drop off. Even when analysing to make sense of the a directly comparable period of time, such as the industry’s media budgets February half term, the decline is evident. So what are in a rapidly changing the drivers? media landscape. Factors such as the weather and investment in children’s content will undeniably have an impact, but Sources: BARD, MediaOcean, the effect of such factors can be difficult to quantify. Youth TGI, March 2017
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Generation Media is an independent media buyer of toys and games advertising. Visit generationmedia.co.uk or call 0207 307 7900.
APRIL 2017
Alex TaylorSmith of Generation Media, the UK and Ireland’s leading planners and buyers of children’s media, assesses the changes in the kids viewing habits and the impact this has had on the commercial children’s channels
Retail
news
Direct to Teletubbies
Rates capped in Budget
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amount of volume” of the new Teletubbies licensed lines. The digital retailer has increased its Teletubbies offering to include bedding and blankets from Character World and the Teletubbies Crayola range.
Toby’s 25! Toymaster is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its puppy mascot Toby with a special giveaway to coincide with the launch of its Spring Summer Catalogue. To be in with a chance of winning a free Toby toy, all kids need to do is pick up a copy of this season’s catalogue from a participating store, fill out the entry slip on page 15, and return it to their local Toymaster member. The closing date is 1 May.
Nice Lidl earner Discount grocers are chipping away at the Big Four’s hold on the grocery market. Aldi and Lidl have taken a record 12 per cent share of the market between them, pocketing £1 in every £8 spent on groceries in the UK. Data specialist Nielsen found the pair had significantly outstripped the market’s overall 2.2 per cent growth in the three months ending 25 February, with Lidl’s sales climbing 9.1 per cent year on year in the 12-week period, and Aldi’s soaring 12 per cent across its 700 UK stores. Morrisons was the biggest winner among the Big Four, enjoying stronger growth than Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.
toysnplaythings.co.uk
Picture of Philip Hammond courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
The Chancellor Philip Hammond addressed growing concerns over business rates in his recent Budget speech, announcing a cap for small businesses. High street independent retailers will be among the small businesses in England that stand to benefit from a cap on business rates, limiting the rising costs to a maximum of £50 a month. Those businesses may also be able to take advantage of a £300 million discretionary relief fund that local authorities can allocate in response to regional “circumstances”. The Chancellor said the measures are “targeted at those small businesses facing the biggest increases”. But critics said the moves were not sufficient. “Some city centres are saying their business rates are rising by around 50 per cent while e-tailers such as Amazon may even see their rates fall on out of town distribution centres,” warned David Jinks MILT, Head of Consumer Research at parcel broker ParcelHero. Phil Mullis, Head of Retail and Wholesale and Partner at accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy agreed, calling the lack of government action on the issue “disappointing”, while Frank Woods, Retail Sector Specialist at insurer NFU Mutual, added the announced £1,000 discount to pubs should be extended to “all hardpressed businesses including retailers”.
Shop Direct has enlisted the Teletubbies for its Baby and Toddler event, which is currently ongoing until 17 April. DHX Brands’ instantly recognisable pre-school brand is the lead sponsor for the event, with Tinky Winky, Dipsy, LaLa and Po featuring prominently across all platforms for Littlewoods and Very, where it is the fourth biggest pre-school license. The colourful characters will also appear across email marketing, digital activity, and partnered third-party sites like BBC Good Food throughout the promotion. Emma Carden, Buyer - Pre-school and Outdoor Toys at Shop Direct expects the Teletubbies sponsorship to “drive a significant
Mothercare shuffles senior team Global Brand and Marketing Director, Gary Kibble is to leave Mothercare for Sainbury’s Argos, where he will take up a post as Marketing Director. He will remain with the baby and toddler retailer until June, temporarily taking on the duties of Chief Commercial Officer while Mothercare interviews for a permanent hire. As part of a senior team restructure, Mothercare UK MD Matt Stringer will step into the newly created role of Global Product Officer. Monsoon Accessorize’s Kevin Rusling, Kirsty Homer from John Lewis, and Keith Basnett of courier company Yodel will also be joining the leadership team in various roles.
Picture of Philip Hammond courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Asda’s on the up Asda’s struggling sales took a turn for the better during the fourth quarter of 2016, as losses slowed to a trickle. Sales dropped 2.9 per cent in the final three months of last year, a marked improvement on the 5.8 per cent slide in the third quarter and 7.5 per cent drop in the three months prior to that. An “encouraged” Sean Clarke, Asda’s chief executive, said: “We are putting customers first and have sharpened our prices, improved our ranges and availability, all with friendly service.” Doug McMillon, chief executive of the supermarket’s US owner Walmart, added: “In the UK, we faced some challenges this past year… I’m glad store sales improved during the fourth quarter, but we have a lot of work to do.”
APRIL 2017
On track John Lewis is implementing new product tracking through the Virtualstock IT platform to make the consumer experience smoother across its retail channels. The software will help the partnership manage and consolidate around a million consumer orders through roughly 350 suppliers. Streamlining the supply and delivery system will allow the retailer to expand and strengthen its supplier direct
business “while continuing to provide a best-in-class experience for our customers,” according to Edward Osborne, Head of Customer Delivery model at John Lewis. The platform will also allow John Lewis to rapidly grow its supplier base and product offering, as well as letting consumers precisely track their orders regardless of which link in the retailer’s supply chain it comes from.
Speed shopping Tesco is making same-day click and collect even more accessible for its customers, allowing them to order as many groceries as they wish before 9am and fetch them in-store after noon that same day. Shoppers can choose a two-hour slot in which to collect their purchases from more than 300 locations around the UK. A surge in the number of click and collect orders has prompted the investment. The supermarket giant says 20 per cent more of its customers have used the service in the last year, with 10 per cent of those opting for same-day collection. “More customers than ever are choosing to use our grocery Click and Collect service which is why we’ve decided to introduce a new same day collection slot,” said Adrian Letts, MD of Online at Tesco. The new collection slot is in addition to Tesco’s existing 1-4pm window. “We offer a range of ways to shop with Tesco and Click and Collect means customers can choose to pick up their shopping at a time and location that suits them, without having to hit the aisles themselves,” Adrian added.
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toymaster
Master plan Toymaster MD Ian Edmunds is a busy man between the spring/summer catalogue launch, regional annual members’ meetings and the May Show next month. He took time from his schedule to speak with TnP about the importance of building relationships, top licenses and what makes the May Show unmissable... Ian, you’re always speaking to your members — how are they finding trading so far this year? We’re currently in Ireland for the start of our regional meetings, and the general feeling is that it’s alright, not a record breaker, but the vast majority are more or less doing well. It’s all about expectations: if you’ve set your targets at plus 20 per cent, then that’s probably not realistic, but if you’re honest about what you know you can achieve, chances are you’re bang on the mark.
Does Easter give retailers something to focus on at this time of year? Absolutely, yes. There’s a bit of a quiet period up until then, but Easter is increasingly becoming an occasion for toy shops. Lots of parents are buying toys instead of chocolate and sweets, and cash gifts are quite common now, so there’s extra money and extra opportunity there. Rather than focus on the day, though, you have to take into consideration March and April as a whole. Our members are wise to that, and driving your business to a target and budget for Easter, which floats about the calendar anyway, doesn’t give you the full picture.
How are you helping your members to trade more competitively on the high street this year?
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Toymaster MD Ian Edmunds
Our members are buying with their own money. They aren’t spending a corporate budget, but investing their own profit
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giveaways or brand assets for use on social media, it all gives our members a step up.
Was that the reason you visited Licensing Expo last year? Yes, absolutely, our team had a very worthwhile visit to Las Vegas last year, and they will be returning this year. We had a lot
It’s the little bits and pieces that make a difference. We’re working Four million Toymaster catalogues are more closely distributed each year than ever with brand managers, licensors and marketeers to give our members, of interesting meetings, and it was for want of a better phrase, more a great opportunity to work more help. So whether that’s point of directly with the right people. sale material, stock for consumer
Fact!
toysnplaythings.co.uk
We asked…
Hottest licenses Toymaster members’ current must-have licenses are: PJ Masks Beauty and the Beast Power Rnagers
How important is social media important to Toymaster?
We have our own presence on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram through our mascot Toby. But our members’ social media presence is far more powerful and wider reaching than ours. You can do a lot with a little creativity.
retailers — individual stores that want to buy what they want to buy. If we were to bring in an own label range, you need a mechanism to push them into all big hit with our members and Is working more closely stores, or as many as their customers. Again, it’s with licensors a focus for possible, and that’s not We try to the little things which make a Toymaster? we want to do. difference in the long run. ensure that everyone what Toymaster is a group Definitely — it’s something we’ve at the May Show has of individual retailers been putting a lot of our efforts So what about own label into, and it’s beginning to bear everything they need working together to product? Certainly you sell other company’s fruit. Developing relationships to do real business have the shelf space brands. Retailers takes time, as we all know, but between your members — need that choice and we will continue to meet and so why is it not the right flexibility to order what speak with brand managers and they know will sell for them. Even licensors for the benefit of all. If for Toymaster? a small chain that has two shops you look at a recent example, the Toymaster is a buying group made five miles apart will have different PJ Masks mask giveaways were a up of around 150 independent stock in each. Own label products have been tried before in the past. When Toymaster was originally formed in the The Toymaster team visit both BLE in London and Licensing Expo in 80s, the warehouses of Las Vegas, and is focused on working with more licensors to give its each of the seven buying members a competitive edge corpuses that came together to form Toymaster needed clearing out. You can guess what product they were full of!
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Did you know…
There’s a real sense of succeeding through community among Toymaster members. How do you build that community and help that along?
Talking shop at The Majestic
APRIL 2017
Building relationships is the important thing. Everything we do is joined up. So if a supplier wants to take advantage of our window display scheme, they also get a takeover online and on our social media. It gives suppliers and brands a big platform to get out to the consumers, and all our members can benefit from that and use their own social media to build on that.
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toymaster
our members, they order it and arrange the deliveries. Kids love to flick through it and circle what they want, and we always make sure the pictures are nice and big so kids, mums and dads see the toys at their best.
Bandai are a Toymaster top tip this year
The May show is a highlight Toymaster Toymaster members That’s right, and when you do, is here for the and many more often than not it’s through suppliers retirement. The great thing is even long term say its one those that are retiring will sell to another Toymaster member, which of their best allows them to branch out. It’s far shows. What easier to grow in this way and open makes the new locations where a proven toy event special shop has been — and more often do you think?
And you rarely hear of a Toymaster member shutting up shop.
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than not it’s good, smooth business because of the continuity.
Which licenses are doing big business for your members? The big one recently is Beauty and the Beast. I hear it’s an excellent film, and even before the cinema release a lot of our retailers were getting plenty of requests for products. That should continue to do well, and Power Rangers is just on the horizon too. So far, it seems the classic Power Rangers toys are selling really well, and everyone is expecting the movie lines from Bandai to really take off when the film is out. PJ Masks is another big one, and we’ve been getting behind that with some promotional activity.
Tell us about the catalogue this year - does that remain one of the best ways to reach consumers? The catalogue is still our biggest marketing initiative, with 4 million going out every year. The spring/ summer catalogue will be launching soon and the autumn/winter edition will follow later in the year. And you have to remember that we don’t just send the catalogues out to
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Business and pleasure mix at the May show
Bandai's Megazord
Fact!
We try to ensure that LEGO, K’Nex, Geomag, Engino and everyone at the Magformers are just some of the companies May Show has everything they exhibiting in 2017 need to do real they have something worthwhile. business. Our members know what Our members are buying with their we have coming throughout the year, own money. They aren’t spending a our planned third and fourth-quarter corporate budget, but investing their promotional plans, and own profit. all of these things And the business isn’t just done help with decision between nine and five, there’s plenty making - and of time to have frank and open ordering. The May discussion for the benefit of both Show has always sides. been a show for orders, and from a supplier’s point What can we expect from the of view, this is social side of things this year? business and money The usual chaos! The social side of counts. the May Show is very important and But it’s more than that. we cater for all. We have a good old The independent retailers fashioned knees-up on the Tuesday, that come each year know and on Wednesday night we have a their stuff and they aren’t black tie masquerade ball. It’s a great afraid to speak their mind. time, and although everyone lets You can get some very their hair down you’d be surprised by honest feedback, and if how many people connect and go on a retailer knows they can to do business. get a comparable product elsewhere for a better price or What’s next for Toymaster and margin, they’ll say so.
its members?
This must make the May Show the ideal place to launch or trial new product? It is, and they will be vocal on packaging and price points — important things. If a supplier takes orders at the show then they know
Toymaster is here for the long term. To ensure the future success of our members we will continue to build on our relationships with suppliers. This will be an on-going thing for us: if you’re going to do something you have to commit and do it - not get set back and call it a day.
RETAIL
OPINION
Feeling futuristic? S
o what do we mean by store of the future, and is Mr Gates et al, but otherwise things might look closer to there such a thing in toy land? today than might be imagined. Toy retailers tend towards the traditional, but listen In a few years from now, toy shoppers will be looking for to those who set themselves up as experts in such things more than the opportunity to take photos of yourself in a and you might be forgiven for imagining that in future toy store and send them to your friends with an invitation to shops may bear a passing resemblance to an Apple store. comment - that will be as old as dial-up connection on the Walk a child past an Apple store and it is hard to escape internet and anyway, the craze for selfies seems to be on the sense that this is a toy store, of a kind, to them. wane. Most likely, shelves will tell store staff when they are A toy, in this context, is usually a computer game and in need of refilling, and it seems probable that many toy while there are many who might turn their noses up at shops will have a management screen somewhere in the this kind of thing, it is an uncomfortable fact that for most store that will relate which areas are prime selling spots. children this form of play has taken the place of more Follow this line of thinking and technology will mostly be traditional pastimes. about helping store staff and management to understand So if this is the case, will top shops of the space they sell from, rather than the future just consist of a few tables trying to harness the power of tech and a lot of means of accessing the as a shopper engagement device. Imagine that money internet? And if the portents prove But here’s the rub. All of this is no object and you could correct, you may not even see that sounds like quite an expensive create a toy shop that many staff hanging around. future and one that will involve would be future proofed Amazon Go!, the latest innovation extra sales in order to generate a and which would be from the Seattle-based online decent return on investment. And retail giant, posits a future in which it is a fact that, irrespective of the engaging for young and somebody will reach into your wallet, retail sector, when a store of the old alike via your smartphone, every time you future is unveiled, more often than exit a store having taken something off not most of the in-store details the shelf (and retained it). On this reckoning, not only will a which mark it out as something different have a tendency toy shop be a place filled with tech, but the shopper won’t to disappear. The store of the future will not need to wear even have to talk to anybody. its tech heart on its sleeve. Toy shops are places where kids experience things not Technology will be a given and instead of screens there encountered in everyday life and computing, of the type will be better toy displays and demonstrations. found in every office everywhere, is a commonplace from And that’s rather the point. The best stores do not seek birth. A toy shop of the future should be rather more than to become an adjunct to the home or office, they are this, but which way to turn? something different. Instead, we head to shops to Imagine money is no object and you could create a be stimulated, to have people show us things that toy shop that would be future proofed and which would can’t be done via a screen and which will involve be engaging for young and old alike. A store of this kind us physically. would look, perhaps reassuringly, like a toy shop. The store of the future is a much-abused Granted, staff can become mobile till points thanks to term and sometimes it doesn’t mean very much at all. That said, a little thought about the direction of travel will help you remain ahead of the pack and may actually save you some money thanks to not rushing headlong into an overpriced piece of in-store tech. Back to the future is not such a bad phrase. With in-store tech rapidly becoming a level playing field, toy shop owners can concentrate with the business of keeping toy shops looking like toy shops.
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Will toy shops adopt the futuristic look and feel of Apple stores?
Don’t expect tomorrow’s toy shop to be about screens and tech wizardry. It will be, in part, but you probably won’t be aware of it, says John Ryan
John Ryan is Stores Editor at Retail Week. He has worked for the magazine for more than a decade covering store design, visual merchandising and what makes things sell in-store. In a previous life he was a buyer.
APRIL 2017
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£230 ,000 Did you know…
ToyTrust
news
Last year £230,000 was donated to 23 hospices with every corner of the UK and Ireland being involved
Big goals for Cotswold Challenge In the coming weeks, entrants to this year’s Big Cotswold Challenge will be training to run, cycle and take on the Tough Mudder London West obstacle course. But did you know that thanks to them, around £200,000 will be donated to children’s hospitals nationwide this summer as part of the Toy Trust’s overriding cause, Giving the Gift of Play? A grant of up to £10,000 has been offered to 19 dedicated children’s hospitals in the UK to buy much-needed play and sensory equipment and services, and bring a little joy into the lives of their patients. This means that a hospital near you will be benefitting from a nationwide effort to make a difference. Each hospital has named a different purpose for its donation and among the list of things for the fundraising are: refurbishment of an outdoor play area, multi-sensory equipment, product for a therapeutic
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This is great news and we are truly thankful for the generosity shown by the committee and the industry as a whole
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As the Big Cotswold Challenge creeps closer, the Toy Trust is hoping to raise £200,000 for charity. TnP learns more about this great cause…
Glasgow Children’s Hospital
and specialised play services department, and an interactive system for children with severe disabilities. Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity gladly accepted the grant, saying: “This is great news and we are truly thankful for the generosity shown by the committee and the industry as a whole.” The team at Southampton Hospital Charity were also delighted with the donation saying: “The piece of play equipment will make a huge difference for the healthcare play specialist team.”
The children’s hospitals include… Alder Hey --- Birmingham --- Bristol --- Derbyshire ---Evelina, London --- Great North, Newcastle --- John Radcliffe, Oxford --- Leeds --- Nottingham --- Queen Mary’s, South West London --- Royal Alexandra, Brighton --- Royal Manchester --- Sheffield --- Southampton --- Royal Belfast --- Royal Aberdeen --- Royal Edinburgh --- Wales --- Royal Glasgow s tion enta ude: s e r l p r inc que Che last yea e mad
Ty Hafan: Lynne Carter, General Fundraising Manager with Stuart Trimby, Hasbro
Naomi House: Emma Owen, LEGO with Paul Morgan, Head of Fundraising
Want to be involved? Acorns: Helen Dowdeswell, Major Gifts Manager with Phil Ratcliffe, MV Sports
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Julia’s House: Martin Edwards, CE with Anna Chapman, Disney
It’s not too late to enter the Big Cotswold Challenge! There are spaces in the one, four or eight mile walk and 50/80 mile cycle rides still available. Contact Matt@btha.co.uk to learn more
toysnplaythings.co.uk
COVER FEATURE CHARACTER OPTIONS
Perfectly Peppa
ABC Singing Peppa
As one of the best known pre-school brands in the UK, Peppa Pig is a familiar face in homes up and down the country. Master toy partner Character Options introduce us to its latest Peppa Pig ranges and they are sure-fire winners
P
eppa Pig’s broad appeal knows no bounds when it comes to pre-schoolers and their parents. Character Options’ impressive range of Peppa Pig toys continues to be the top choice when it comes to Peppa and its range will be strengthened even more in 2017. New Classic lines and School Days themed product, supported by the crosscategory Playdays brand theme, which includes a fun, educational ABC Singing Peppa, add to the mix. The classic Peppa Pig collection captures the essence of Peppa Pig with its authentic styling and Character will build upon this success even further for autumn. With its familiar playsets, figures, and accessories based on iconic scenes from the show, Character has the winning formula for licensed pre-school toys. The hero of this year’s Classic collection will be Peppa’s Family Home Playset,
Did you know… Character’s marketing plans for the Peppa Pig portfolio are extensive and they have six different commercials in the making.
featuring six rooms across three stories and an articulated Peppa Pig. Pre-schoolers will have hours of imaginative play with this true-to-the-show styled playset. When Peppa is not at home, one of the places pre-schoolers will now be able to find her is at her playgroup. In keeping with the licensor-supported Playdays theme, new school days products will add to the Peppa portfolio. There’s a free-wheeling School Bus with a Miss Rabbit figure which plays the Bing Bong tune, phrases and sounds! There’s also the Classroom playset that will inspire little ones with its fun learning theme. The range wouldn’t be complete without a much-loved Peppa Pig plush toy, with this year’s hero being ABC Singing Peppa. When little ones hold her hands, she is ready to sing one of two familiar songs: the Bing Bong song from the show or a cheerful rendition of the ABC alphabet song for more learning fun.
Lots to shout about! Character has an impressive marketing plan behind the range. Six TVCs will air for 2017, including dedicated adverts for Peppa’s Family Home, the Peppa Pig School Bus and ABC Singing Peppa, among others. Along with social media, kids and parental press is also in the mix, complemented by fully immersive peer-to-peer PR with influential mums.
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The new ABC Singing Peppa is a delightful new addition to the plush collection. It’s sure to be a favourite this year, especially with the added educational element Jerry Healy, Marketing Director, Character Options
Peppa Pig School Bus with Miss Rabbit figure
APRIL 2017
Peppa’s Family Home Playset
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Contact Character! Contact Character Options by calling 0161 633 9800 or logging onto www.character-online.com.
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RETAIL
OPINION
Toy talk Retailers are important to us here at TnP. We love chatting to them each month to get industry insights into what is selling well and we ask some key questions... NICHOLAS CARLTON
AMANDA HARROP
Bagatelle Toys, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Gosling Toymaster, Marple, Cheshire
A local hotspot for high-quality birthday gifts, the team at Bagatelle Toys have been serving the locals for more than 30 years and pride themselves on helping customers find exactly what they want.
Family-owned Gosling Toymaster has been offering excellent customer service to the locals of Marple village for 33 years.
What’s currently selling particularly well for you? Pokémon is charging out the doors like you wouldn’t believe, and LEGO is very big for us. Schleich is another brand that’s very popular with our customers. How are you gearing up for Easter and summer retail? Our summer stock is just beginning to peek out now, with fishing nets, hopscotch mats, croquet, and of course Mookie’s classic Swingball. Easter isn’t terribly big for us, but World Book Day is increasingly a very big deal. So far the year’s hottest licenses seem to be Miraculous, Power Rangers, PJ Masks and DC Super Hero Girls/ Superfriends - do you sell any of these and if so how are they performing for you? I would say we do a smattering of licensed product and it’s usually tied to a movie release. The LEGO Batman Movie has been the big license so far in 2017, and we have some Transformers and Star Wars which always does well.
LAURIE SMITH Jake’s Toys, Petersfield, Hampshire Good old-fashioned personal service and a great selection of toys are what sets Jake’s Toys above the local competition What’s currently selling particularly well for you? In terms of new lines, the new Glimmies from Flair have been hit - they’re fresh and exciting and Flair really hit the right price point. LEGO continues to turn over at a steady rate, particularly The LEGO Batman Movie lines which were obviously helped along by the movie release. How are you gearing up for Easter and summer retail? Most of our customers now buy a toy instead 22
TnP loves to hear your views. This month we chat with retailers around the country to see what is selling, and what movies they think will make an impact this year
What’s currently selling particularly well for you? Ty immediately springs to mind, with Beeny Boos and Teeny Boos selling well. The new L.O.L Surprise Dolls from MGA have been a hit straight off the bat, and we’ve sold lots and lots of jigsaws — I think because of the miserable weather! How are you gearing up for Easter and summer retail? We’ve tried to move things into summer mode, but everytime we do the weather kicks in again. We have our Easter bits on display and we are slowly bringing our smaller summer lines out. So far the year’s hottest licenses seem to be Miraculous, Power Rangers, PJ Masks and DC Super Hero Girls/ Superfriends - do you sell any of these and if so how are they performing for you? PJ Masks has been very popular already. We do have Power Rangers stock ordered and with the new movie launching very soon we’re sure fans will be visiting to seek it out. PAW Patrol is another license that continues to be strong.
of chocolate eggs, so Easter is getting bigger for us. We normally wait until just before the Easter bank holiday to bring out the main summer lines, but we’ve already sold a fair amount of water blasters. Summer is very important to us: if it’s hot then we sell paddling pools and outdoor games, and if its drizzling we sell plenty of games and puzzles. So far the year’s hottest licenses seem to be Miraculous, Power Rangers, PJ Masks and DC Super Hero Girls/ Superfriends - do you sell any of these and if so how are they performing for you? We recently had our first PJ Masks lines in and they’ve already sold incredibly well — great to see from a new brand. LEGO Marvel and DC sets are always a hit, as are Hasbro’s 12-inch Marvel action figures. Character Options’ Mash’ems are great too, with a decent price point and licenses like Spider-Man and Batman making them great value.
toysnplaythings.co.uk
RICHARD HARDING Puff’s Toyshop, Wymondham, Norfolk What’s currently selling particularly well for you? This is the first year we have stocked Playmobil, and it has been selling very well. There’s been a big run on Brio and Bigjigs wooden train sets recently, too. I’m not sure why — but they’ve been very popular. Pokémon cards, Orchard Toys and LEGO all remain consistent sellers.
Tweet Talk Share your thoughts with us and keep up to date with all things TnP on Twitter @toysnplaythings
How are you gearing up for Easter and summer retail? Easter is a great time of year for us. We have a great A-frame shelving unit in the window to maximises our space their, and we’ve packed it with Playmobil’s eggs, soft toy bunnies, Sylvanian Families Freya bunnies, and the dinosaur eggs you grow in water — they’ve always been popular since we opened. So far the year’s hottest licenses seem to be Miraculous, Power Rangers, PJ Masks and DC Super Hero Girls/ Superfriends - do you sell any of these and if so how are they performing for you? Generally we don’t stock licensed ranges, but we have had a few resounding successes recently. The LEGO Batman Movie minifigures sold out, and we also ordered some of Ty’s My Little Pony licensed lines. Boy, oh boy, did they sell — we’re definitely ordering again.
JOEL MEYER NICHOLAS Toyville, Bristol Husband and wife team Joel and Lindsay opened Toyville in October 2016 and are excited for their first full year in business What’s currently selling particularly well for you? Rather predictably, Pokémon cards are a huge seller for us. Green Toys is a consistently good seller, as is Magformers. Card games also do really well, particularly Dobble from Esdevium and anything by Gamewright. How are you gearing up for Easter and summer retail? We will be changing our window in the coming days to showcase our new seasonal arrivals, with a touch of the floral to celebrate the coming of spring. So far the year’s hottest licenses seem to be Miraculous, Power Rangers, PJ Masks and DC Super Hero Girls/ Superfriends — do you sell any of these and if so how are they performing for you? We sell very little in the way of licensed products, but Pokémon remains our biggest. How has trading been for you in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year? This is our first spring, having only opened in October last year. However, sales are going to plan — possibly even a little better!
APRIL 2017
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THE INDEPENDENT
OPINION
Media savvy Social media — what impact is it having on our youth?, asks The Independent
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writing out invoices that never get paid — these are all on my list of “I’m quite handy at this”, when it comes to computers. I certainly feel like a tech wizard compared to people who struggle to do simple tasks on a computer, but when I’m surrounded by people of my own age I’m starting to feel increasingly lacking in many areas (no jokes, please!). I also get laughed at regularly for still liking to read a book, instead of reading on a screen on a tablet or iPad. If I was set a task of spending VOLUME: as much 1) LEGO Batman Minifigures – LEGO time online 2) Pokémon Sun & Moon Boosters – Esdevium as possible 3) LOL Surprise Dolls – MGA before I VALUE: became 1) LOL Surprise Dolls – MGA bored and 2) LEGO Batman Minifigures – LEGO needed 3) Pokémon Sun & Moon Boosters - Esdevium a break, I reckon I
s I write this I am sitting in my living room, across the room from my loving wife who is merrily tapping away on her phone. My wife never reads these articles, and this might be a good thing considering what I am about to say… This whole social media world is starting get on top of me. I am not an avid user of technology, but I know my way around a computer. Spreadsheets, PowerPoint, emails, buying stuff online,
Best sellers:
THE SECRET SUPPLIER
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I understand and appreciate that social media is here to stay… just look Pie Face
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would make it to about an hour before it would start to annoy me. That would include skimming the news, having a look at YouTube, maybe doing some shopping and checking the weather for the days ahead. I have, unknowingly to her, timed my wife recently on three separate occasions to see just how long she can keep herself entertained on
The new face-to-face time Technology is here to stay, and it is our responsibility to stay on top of the trends, says our Secret Supplier
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second nature The to the younger Independent suggests generation. The new technology is Independent resulting in fewer suggests new conversations. I would technology argue the exact is resulting opposite… in fewer conversations. I would argue the exact opposite, even if the medium of the message is different. Young people have text conversations all the time, and FaceTime enables
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hen I first read The Independent’s column this month, two thoughts went through my mind. Firstly, his description of his wife reflected exactly how I would describe my wife! Secondly, the word Luddite sprung to mind. It seems The Independent is having a hard time accepting the endless march of technology that is such a vital part of everyday living. What The Independent does perfectly, is illustrate the fact that older men find it hard to accept that technology is
us older parents to keep in touch constantly and immediately. In the past, it would have been too much hassle to write and post a letter but now, in a matter of seconds, we can write and send an email to anyone in the world, at any time. Indeed, most employees suffer from email overload as everybody is merely a click away. Of course, if you don’t engage in the process you are in danger of being on the outside looking in, rather than being part of it.
toysnplaythings.co.uk
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We are on a road to no one being able to hold a conversation unless it is via a device
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her phone, and it ended up being me that lost the battle I got so fed up waiting! For the life of me I can’t understand why this is the case, but I also feel a need within me to fight against this in every way I can. I have always said my main priority is to keep toys simple,
For suppliers and retailers it really is important to be fully engaged, because our consumers are the heaviest users of this technology. The speed of development is awesome and only recently we learned US intelligence agencies are able to access communications from all our mobile devices. They can even enable switchedoff TVs to listen in to private conversations! Where this will end up no one knows, but The Independent has to accept that this technology will replace traditional toy media communication to children in the not too distant future.
APRIL 2017
and to encourage imaginative play for children. I feel this is best for their development, but I also feel like there is a tidal wave coming towards me and all I have is a broken umbrella. The reason I am having a bit of a rant about this is firstly because that is one of the few things I am good at, but secondly I feel it is having a massive impact on our society. Until we realise what is going on, we are on a road to no one being able to hold a conversation unless it is via a device. I am certain most of you are aware of this so there is no point in me even giving examples. Teenagers will say anything via text, but never dream of saying it to someone’s face. Interview standards are dropping because people are so nervous of speaking directly to someone and thinking on their feet when asked a tricky question. My heart breaks when I see teenagers dragged into my stores with their parents and younger siblings, and if anything is said to them they won’t even lift their head before a mere grunt comes from their lips, showing absolutely no respect to anyone around them.
I remember seeing a guy walking (too quickly if you ask me) down the street in London on his phone and he walked right into a lamppost. I laughed out loud and he glared at me before deciding to taking me on wasn’t worth his time as I was quite a bit bigger than him. This is the comical side of things, but I am around teenagers and young adults a lot and when I try to hold a conversation with most of them it’s pretty hard. I understand and appreciate that social media is here to stay, and that there is a huge amount of power in its use. Just look at Pie Face which, from memory, was discounted in retailers due to lack of sales the year before a video featuring people playing it went viral. This is a huge strength in social media, never mind pointing out other examples like the Chewbacca Mask with the woman who became known as Chewbacca Mom. But I can’t get behind it at all. I have been writing this for just over 45 minutes now, and my wife is yet to acknowledge anything other than what is on the screen in front of her. I wonder if I walked passed her with a glass of wine would she suddenly break out of the trance?! I think that might be the only thing that would work. Actually, I might just have one, too!
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For suppliers and retailers it really is important to be fully engaged, because our consumers are the heaviest users of this technology
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WHAT’S N Brand spanking new launches from top toy companies to help you sell more!
Build and play TOY STATE
Did you know… the CAT Machine Maker™ Junior Operator Multi Machines™ is designed for pre-schoolers aged three and up.
020 8440 5060 www.toystate.com CAT Machine Maker™ Junior Operator Multi Machines™ is designed for preschoolers aged three and up, and comes fully loaded with all the parts to build a dump truck, wheel loader or bulldozer. Ideal for kids who love to use their imagination, they can mix and match the pieces to make their own fantasy CAT machine. Parents will love the reusable carry case and each set includes a machine operator figure and a chunky screwdriver.
Best MAN BRUDER
01491 412415 (The Sales Partnership) www.bruder.de
Fact! Kids can turn the truck mixer drum using the hand crank installed on the water tank.
The new Bruder model of the 1:16 scale MAN TGS truck mixer is a combination of the MAN cab and the redeveloped truck mixer body. The two-tone cab features doors that can be opened to provide a Bruder figure with a modern place of work. The cab is equipped with an interface to install the optional Light & Sound - Module. Kids can turn the truck mixer drum using the hand crank installed on the water tank. The drum features one spiral conveyor and mixer and, just like the original, the drum is emptied by reversing its direction of rotation, delivering the load to the chute at the rear of the vehicle.
Pulsating fun Fact!
REVELL 0845 459 0747 www.revell.de/en
An included highcapacity LiPo battery pack and USB charger will typically give 10 minutes flight time per charge with a range of 70-100 metres in all directions.
Revell’s Pulse FPV is a 720P HD camera drone with the ability to stream live video to its controller’s LCD screen, instantly letting you see what Pulse FPV sees. Getting into the perfect position to take stills or video at the press of a button couldn’t be simpler! Additionally, data (speed, distance, altitude, battery level, etc.) is constantly sent from drone to screen to show you model status. A sensor allows Pulse FPV to maintain a fixed altitude and global positioning (GPS) enables Pulse FPV to lock onto multiple satellites to fix its position in the sky, so increasing its stability! The Return-ToHome feature automatically brings Pulse FPV back to its original take off point when required. Activate ‘Follow Me’ and you become the star of the show as Pulse FPV locks onto the user and maintains a fixed distance to enable pictures or video to be shot as you move with the transmitter. Pulse FPV’s super-bright LEDs make it easier to see the drone in low light and at distance. ‘Headless’ technology assists beginners with steering control and two speed/skill settings are available for more seasoned pilots.
toysnplaythings.co.uk
NEW Colour me beautiful! JOHN ADAMS
01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk
Fact! In stock and available to order now, the BLOPENS Spray Magic set includes six duo pens, colour change Spray Magic pen, five picture stencils, one pattern stencil and six sheets of paper.
The latest addition to the successful BLOPENS range, Spray Magic allows kids to create amazing airbrush effect pictures, which magically change colour in front of their eyes! The set includes special duo BLOPENS which can be used to spray airbrush effects in one colour, before using the magic pen to change each colour to another. With Spray Magic there are five great picture stencils which enable kids to create wonderfully colourful designs. To get started, lay a stencil on a sheet of paper, blow the special duo pen and see your shape appear. Next, place the small detailed pattern stencil over your picture and blow again with the magic pen, or you can choose to draw your own designs. Then watch as the patterns magically change colour.
Perfect plush CHELFORD 0161 7371881 www.iplushtoy.co.uk
Did you know… When it’s time to store the iPlush away you can simply deflate it and fold it up for another day.
Chelford’s iPlush is holding its own in a crowded plush toy market, and with good reason. Since the launch of iPlush in the UK in January 2017, there has been immense interest in the inflatable plush toys. The impressive range varies in size and animals. Consumers are realising the fantastic benefits of these toys which include; how to easily store away, carry and clean the small, large and extra-large plush animals. This is done using a high-tech custom interior balloon, shaped like the character, with an outer plush jacket. Simply fill it up with air using the air pump and discreet hidden air valve (included with every iPlush). When it’s time to store away, deflate and fold it up for another day. The jackets are made with super soft plush fur, making them instant cuddly friends. To complement this, these fur jackets are machine washable, hypoallergenic, very lightweight and easily portable.
Dolly good! HTI 01253 775544 www.htigroup.co.uk HTI launch a beautiful new range of Baby Annabell and BABY born dolls prams and pushchairs. The Baby Annabell Carriage Pram is a vintage style pram of sizable proportions that is a perfect fit for the Baby Annabell doll. It features a pretty soft pink and pale blue colourway with rose floral patterned fabric and the key stylistic lamb iconography unique to the brand. With a sprung chassis, adjustable hood, removable apron and matching bedding included, this carriage offers dolls the ultimate in luxury transportation.
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FEATURE
PRE-SCHOOL
Pre-school paradise With so much happening in the pre-school category, it is no surprise to hear it gets stronger and stronger. TnP looks into what helps make it tick for retailers
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f ever there was a category made for toys, it’s preschool. You can’t play down the hugely important space pre-school toys fill in the industry. They are a key driver for many companies, not least VTech which tells us it sees it as crucial to develop toys which “entertain and teach at just the right level”. Brand Manager Charlotte Drake explains: “Each product is specifically developed to teach basic curriculum and age appropriate concepts such as phonics, counting, objects, shapes and colour.” This attention to detail, teamed with the all-important entertainment factor is what makes the pre-school toy category so attractive to parents. Mattel’s Director of Brand Activation, Wendy Hill, highlights this very point, saying the company maintains its strong presence in the market “by continually striving for innovation and listening to what both consumers and retailers want”. The category is performing strongly for Mattel at the moment with “superb performances” from Thomas & Friends, Imaginext, and Blaze and the Monster Machines, which all recorded double digit growth year on year. That’s all good news
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Each product is specifically developed to teach basic curriculum and age appropriate concepts such as phonics, counting, objects, shapes and colour
Charlotte Drake, VTech
and music to the ears of retailers who want to stock brands that are performing. Skip Hop’s UK Country Manager Jon Tilley tells us in recent years there’s been a major shift in “consumers veering towards products that have a modern contemporary feel about them”. Jon says: “Consumers are looking for products that complement their home. Additionally, more than ever, consumers are searching for products that have a developmental edge about them. “Parents want to feel reassured that the products they are purchasing will not only provide entertainment and vital play for their child, but also feel assured that they will aid their child’s
Toy State
Top 5 items in pre-school FY 2016 value PAW Patrol Vehicle and Pup - Spin Master (Corp) PAW Patrol Paw Patroller - Spin Master (Corp) PAW Patrol Lookout HQ Playset - Spin Master (Corp) PAW Patrol Air Patroller - Spin Master (Corp) LeapPad Platinum Kids Learning Tablet Asst - VTech (Corp)
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Character Options
growth and carry them through to that next important developmental milestone.” Another company well-known for having a diverse pre-school portfolio is Character Options and
Did you know… Play-Doh benefitted from its fifth straight year of growth in 2016 – Hasbro’s largest ever for the brand. the company works, Marketing Manager Mark Hunt says, to “develop brands into classic toy propositions”. “Peppa Pig continues to grow. The relaunch of the classic collection in 2016 was a huge success, revitalising the Peppa brand within a very competitive market. Teletubbies 8-inch talking plush have seen incredible sales and is one our best volume pre-school lines.” Now step forward Hasbro whose pre-school offering includes the perennially popular
toysnplaythings.co.uk
Corner talk “Plush has always been the perfect play pattern for pre-schoolers and this range certainly brings something new and fresh to shelves for Mickey, Minnie and their pals.” Lauren Shipman, Group Brand Manager at Posh Paws on the Mickey and the Roadster Racers launch
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Parents want preschool toys that will help them with their child’s development during the first five years of life
From Mattel’s perspective, Wendy says: “Parents want pre-school toys that will help them with their child’s development during Skip Hop the first five years of life which are the most formative years emotionally, physically and cognitively. Our aim is to help parents on this journey.” Wendy Hill, Mattel When it comes to figuring out what parents want, VTech are really on top of things, as Charlotte tells us: “VTech have worked with a developmental psychologist for more than 10 years and continually research the market to ensure all our products appeal to parents, while making Character Options liaise proactively with the learning fun for retailers and the licensors to ensure children.” comprehensive and well planned strategy As you would throughout the year, offering; TV, point of sale, expect, Hasbro PR and marketing support. knows a thing or What do parents two about what want? parents want too. Every supplier and but fun is key,” says Craig. “Children will be “Parents want toys that retailer probably asks more engaged and eager to learn if the learning combine fun and themselves what parents is enjoyable, which is why we’ve further learning, want numerous times integrated educational components to creative, when making their hands-on playtime.” selections. So what are Character tells us that from their perspective, mums and dads telling the buying power is shifting over time .“Now suppliers they want from both parents, plus grandparents are part of the pre-school toys? buying decision, heavily backed up by pre“We believe products schooler pester power!,” says Mark. should simplify life while With the category continuing to maintain its also enabling child prevalence within the industry, and suppliers development, driving continuing to develop and innovate their independence and fostering VTech products, retailers have plenty of choice to help imagination,” says Skip them sell more. Hop’s Jon. Play-Doh and Playskool brands. In fact, Play-Doh benefitted from its fifth straight year of growth in 2016 — Hasbro’s largest ever for the brand. The company likes to stay ahead of emerging trends in the pre-school toy category, says Marketing Director Craig Wilkins. “Whether it’s encouraging integral early learning through hands-on play with the Play-Doh brand’s Shape and Learn line, or creating storytelling opportunities with the Playskool Heroes line, Hasbro creates toys that align with parents’ ongoing needs, and offers new, innovative ways to make playtime fun and meaningful.”
Did you know…
The pre-school galaxy Bhav Patel, MD of Toy Galaxy tells us what is selling well for him in pre-school at the moment What is selling well for you in the pre-school category at the moment? Currently in the pre-school category we are seeing good sales coming through on PJ Masks which has had a great uptake since it’s launch. PAW Patrol is continuing its great sell through as we experienced last year, and sales have been strong for the Jungle Rescue range. We have also seen good sales on educational games with ranges such as Orchard Toys picking up in the first few months of the year. Art and crafts such as Play-Doh, Aquabeads
APRIL2017
and Kinetic Sand have also been notably good.
What is it that parents look for when they are buying a pre-school toy? I think overall parents look for products that have added value. With that I mean not just as a focus on price but the educational benefits of a particular toy. Licenses such as those mentioned earlier are strong on their own and plentiful in choice across a number of different categories, but those products which offer added benefits to the playing experience definitely assist in the decision making process. Examples of this are the PAW Patrol, the Kinetic Sand range, Peppa Pig Dough range or the Orchard Toys range.
“PJ Masks has shown good signs of being pretty big this year, Are any licenses doing so that is definitely particularly well? one to single out. PJ Masks has shown good signs Along with that PAW of being pretty big this year, so Patrol as a license that is definitely one to single seems to grow year out. Along with that PAW Patrol on year” as a license seems to grow year on year. A license not often mentioned enough, which after almost 13 years on the market is still pretty strong is Peppa Pig. For us it has become one of the strongest licenses in the pre-school category of past years.
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FEATURE
PRE-SCHOOL
Puppy love SPIN MASTER 01628 535000 www.spinmaster.com
Trucking ahead
With the incredible success of pre-school phenomenon PAW Patrol, which is broadcast in over 160 countries and territories, kids love bringing the fun and adventures of Ryder and his heroic pups to life. Kids will be in for action packed fun and adventure with the new toys based on the show. PAW Patrol fans can enjoy new adventures in 2017 including a Jungle Rescue theme with new pup Tracker who lives in the Jungle with Carlos the monkey! Voted Best New Toy in the pre-school Characters category at this year’s London Toy Fair, the PAW Terrain Vehicle is designed to help Ryder and the pups on jungle missions. Its off-road, six-wheel drive can conquer any terrain including crossing rivers. The vehicle carries everything the team needs, including a tent that stores on the back of the vehicle, two animals, a rescue carrier, and a crane to rescue animals and pull vehicles from murky mudslides. Don’t miss the PAW Patrol Basic Vehicle assortment including Tracker’s Jungle Cruiser. Each of the vehicles has been transformed to endure the rugged terrains of the jungle with bigger wheels to ride through muddy grounds, brush guards to shield, and camouflage deco on the side. Plus with character plush assortments as well as new Action Pack Pup and Badge sets, there’s something to suit all price points.
TOY STATE 020 8440 5060 www.toystate.com Toy State is well known for its highly stylised lights and sound vehicles and affordable yet fun RC lines, and has secured a four-year licensing extension with CAT®. With this exciting news, Toy State can continue to bring creative, quality products to customers including new spring lines. CAT Machine Maker™ Junior Operator Multi Machines™ is designed for pre-schoolers aged three and up, and comes fully loaded with all the parts to build a dump truck, wheel loader or bulldozer. Ideal for kids who love to use their imagination, they can mix and match the pieces to make their own fantasy CAT machine. Parents will love the reusable carry case and each set includes a machine operator figure and a chunky screwdriver. The CAT Buildin’ Crew Take-A-Part Buddies™ and E-Z Machines™ R/C is robust enough
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to cope with tough pre-school play. Each one is a unique character with cartoon-like faces that kids will want to collect. Take-A-Part Buddies come with a chunky screwdriver to help them fix their vehicles and improve hand co-ordination. The E-Z Machines are a great introduction to RC and allow children to drive their vehicles using the simple controls. CAT Trailer Team™ – Mini Worker Dump pulling Water Sprayer for kids aged two-plus is perfect for outdoor play and role play. Kids can set up their imaginary worksite and use the CAT dump truck hauling a water sprayer to clean down the worksite with real water, just like real construction crews. The detachable trailer means kids can play with the dump truck and water sprayer separately, allowing for indoor and outdoor play - a quick clean-up for parents and double the fun for kids!
toysnplaythings.co.uk
Toot-Toot Drivers are back on TV! Movable helipad
Electronic gate
On TV Now!
Interactive lifts
9 SmartPoint locations
Tow Truck included
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FEATURE
PRE-SCHOOL
Lightning strikes VTECH
01235 555 545 www.vtech.co.uk The Ready to Race Lightning McQueen is a cool pit stop-style toy that includes 15 interactive activities, four cool racing accessories and three exciting modes of play. Cool animations, sound effects and a driving panel add to the fun. In Racer Mode kids can meet the racer characters and complete puzzles, while Pit Stop Mode introduces beginning letters, counting, logic and memory skills and lets kids pick a racer to race in one of five races as Lightning McQueen. Fun car accessories can help in the races, and it also includes character dial, steering wheel and control panel buttons that trigger sounds or
boost the speed in racing games. With the Kidizoom® Lightning McQueen Camera Watch from VTech, kids can wear Lightning McQueen’s number 95 on their sleeve and keep track of the time with over 30 custom digital and analogue Cars 3 clock faces. Never miss any action using the built-in camera to take photos and capture unforgettable moments with the builtin video recorder, before adding fun Cars 3 effects, frames and filters. Three fast-paced mini games with Lightning McQueen and friends add to the fun. It also includes colour LCD screen, alarm, stopwatch, timer, voice recorder, rechargeable battery and more! The Lightning McQueen Digital Camera stores over 600 photos. Kids can have fun editing their photos and videos by adding Cars 3-themed frames, stamps and effects, including colour filters and face distortion! The camera features easyto-use controls, flash, voice recorder, a 1.8”colour LCD screen, 4-times digital zoom, built-in photo editor and 128 MB memory, expandable with an SD card. Kids can also attach the camera to a PC to upload images to their computer. Three fun-packed mini games, Crazy 8 Race, Sliding Fun and Crazy Parts Pick, complete the package.
Refreshed for 2017 TOMY 01392 281928 www.tomy.com Tomy’s pre-school category is bringing a bold new identity to its toddler and bath range collection in 2017, relaunching as Tomy Toomies. Tomy Toomies leverages Tomy’s reputation, innovation, and 90 years’ experience in the toddler and bath sector with a range of quirky toys that create simple, hands-on fun. Tomy Toomies will continue to further its success with three new feature-rich toys, including Bubble Blast Train, Spin & Splash Jelly Fish and Sandy the Sea Lion. Tomy Toomies will also expand its playtime collection with Shake & Sort Cupcakes, Sort n Pop Spinning UFO, Mr Shopbot as well as a refreshed look for the popular Pic n Pop. Tomy Toomies will be supported with a 360-degree marketing campaign across digital, social media, TV and online video. Tomy will also host key partner in-store events supporting the re-brand and new impactful POS.
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Aquadoodle will continue to lead water-based creativity with the introduction of hot new licenses in autumn/winter. The brand will also expand its core range down to 12 months-plus with the launch of Aquadoodle – Little Puppy to capture the 1st Birthday market. Looking to licenses Tomy will launch its hot new license with Millimages’ Molang in July. The collection is targeted towards girls aged three years plus, as well as tweens, and consists of basic and feature plush toys that encourage role-play activity and emotional connections to Molang. Molang will be transformed into a premium super soft plush made from elastic Softboa, making him the perfect cuddle buddy. Children can also relive episodes from the show with core figures and play sets and collectable plush. To support the range Tomy will roll out a integrated marketing and communications plan featuring key partner PR events, FSDU and in-store merchandising solutions, social media campaigns and digital support furthering Molang’s reputation
as it shifts into retail. In A/W Tomy will be launching its master toy license for Kazoops with a two-tier product line of plush and figures and play sets that relate to core attributes and storylines from the animated TV series airing currently on CBeebies. The range will be supported with a strategic multi-channel marketing plan, including retail, PR, press, digital, TV and social media support. The brands in-store presence will be enhanced with merchandising initiatives, key partner PR events and online retail downloadable content.
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TnP Cruise Ship Ad 2017.indd 1
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Feature
pre-school
Good thinking, Batman! Golden Bear 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com
Pup star GP Flair
020 8643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk From the best of pre-school licenses to a new range of cuddly friends, GP Flair has something exciting for every little one. The Doc McStuffins Toy Hospital range continues to be the go-to-place for fans of Doc and friends. Since launch last autumn, the collection has been offering action packed and fun-filled role-play toys, such as the Magical Toysponder and the Big Book of Boo Boos. New for spring is the Doc’s Accessory Set which includes five different accessories for imaginative play. The Toy Hospital Care Cart also makes a brilliant option for pre-schoolers with its interactive light and sound X-Ray machine. The quirky kid-powered Peppy Pups range launched last year with phenomenal success, and this year pre-schoolers can add even more of the pets to their kennels. A trendy Pug has joined the range, while autumn will see a French Bulldog and a Unicorn join the line-up. Also under the Snuggle Pets umbrella is the cuddly character sleeping bag available as a Bunny. Flair’s heritage Stickle Bricks brand makes for an ideal pre-school option. For toddlers from just 18 months, Stickle Bricks promote dexterity and imagination with their easy-to-hold bricks that lock together any way they like! From autumn, the Farm Set will be capturing tots’ imaginations with special farm-themed pieces for endless play opportunities. The range also includes the Big Red Bucket, filled with lots of assorted bricks and doubling as a handy storage container. Alternatively, the Stickle Bricks Beginner’s Box is the ideal start of a toddler’s collection.
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Golden Bear is bolstering its preschool line up for 2017 with exciting new range launches as well as new developments to further strengthen its existing product lines. A brand new introduction for 2017 is the DC Super Friends toy range aimed at younger DC fans and led by the super cool Interactive Power Punch Batman. Complete with poseable arms and dressed in iconic Batman costume, Batman’s fist makes cool punching sounds on impact! Iconic Batman phrases can be heard when his chest is pressed and his eyes light up as he speaks. With over-sized fists, flowing cape, mask and utility belt, this soft toy is ready for action! Based around the Hello, Hello song performed by Mr. Tumble at the beginning of each episode of Something Special, the interactive Sing Along with Mr. Tumble features fun music and movement encouraging pre-schoolers to sing along and join in – just like in the TV show. For added fun and interactivity, Mr. Tumble’s nose lights up as he sings! New for Twirlywoos fans, the Musical Statues Great BigHoo is designed to encourage role play and movement in pre-schoolers. Press one hand and he dances to the iconic Twirlywoos music, and when the other hand is pressed its time to join in with a fun game of musical statues. Golden Bear is introducing a strong new line up of In the Night Garden pre-school toys for AW17 in a year which sees the brand celebrating its 10th anniversary. Led by Twinkling Lullaby Igglepiggle, an adorable plush that features a soft glowing star and plays the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star lullaby when his hand is pressed, the plush collection will also include a Peeking Igglepiggle, My Friend Upsy Daisy and a Walking Makka Pakka. The Pull-along Ninky Nonk Wobble Train is also a great new addition to the range. The Thomas & Friends range will also see new introductions with a focus on the Harold character, and the My First JCB line will get a refresh which will highlight the range’s indoor and outdoor play value.
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MISTER RING The traditional ring toy with a new, modern look
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Street food revolution – role play
For more information, please contact our Head Office on 02089536627 or visit www.chicco.co.uk
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Pre-school heroes
pre-school
Mess-free creativity Vivid Imaginations 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk
Character Options 0161 633 9800
Kids can explore the magic of colour without the mess with Crayola Color Wonder. Ink from the Color Wonder markers, developed by Crayola scientists, only appears on special paper and won’t colour on skin, furniture or fabric. The range is supported in 2017 with a brand new Mess Free marketing campaign focusing on TV, in-store communication and more. Launching in autumn is the Color Wonder Mess Free Light-Up Stamper for magical mess-free stamping. The ink is clear but the stamper magically knows what colour kids are using. New to My First Crayola, comes Colour Pops! Colour and Erase Mat, kids can roll out this huge drawing surface for hours of worry-free creativity. It offers colouring-in fun for toddlers and worry-free creativity for mum, as any doodle can be magically wiped away using just water.
www.character-online.com Character Options’ fantastic pre-school line-up continues to grow. The Peppa Pig Classic range is growing with the launch of must-have hero line Peppa’s Family Home Playset. The new licensor-supported theme centred around play days and learning will also run throughout the Peppa Pig franchise during AW 2017. The learning theme continues right through to plush with the launch of the new ABC Singing Peppa. The Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom range continues to provide fans of the show with the most authentic toys. Nanny Plum and Princess Holly make an entrance this autumn in the new Royal Limousine! The new iconic Deluxe Thistle Castle Playset is a hero playset not to be missed. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Teletubbies, and to celebrate it’s party time for the autumn Teletubbies collection. The fun new collection of 8-inch talking Party plush include all four Teletubbies characters, each donning fun party accessories from balloons to colourful party hats. Later in the year fans can also add Tiddlytubby toys to their toy collection. The Weebles range will grow even more in autumn as the assorted Disney characters come to market. Disney stars such as Mickey and Minnie, Stitch and Buzz Lightyear will all be available in wibbly wobbily form!
What the Doc ordered
Licensing legends
Clementoni
HTI
020 3206 1101 www.clementoni.com
01253 775544 www.htigroup.co.uk
New to Clementoni’s pre-school portfolio is the exciting Doc, the educational robot from the infant range. This new smart educational robot is programmed to teach children their first experience of using animatronics, featuring a board game with bright colours and noises. This robot game comes with an easy and more difficult level of play, encouraging children to develop their problem solving skills. In addition to the Baby Clementoni range is the Interactive Football Table, which is a twoin-one, talking, educational toy that teaches children letters, numbers, shapes and colours. This interactive football table comes equipped with nursery rhymes and sound effects.
HTI provides an extensive range for Paw Patrol, the number one preschool brand in the UK, including musical, role-play, battery operated bubble toys, walkie talkies and new character cases. Featuring popular characters Chase, Marshall and Skye, each uniquely tooled carry case contains fun musical instrument toys. HTI’s range for evergreen license Peppa Pig includes role-play toys, music and dolls prams, as well as pocket money toys and bubbles. From a variety of character shaped themed cases, each containing fun play accessories, to kitchens, cash registers and tea sets, HTI offers little Peppa Pig fans a world of imaginative play. The beautiful new Peppa Pig Kitchen features recycle bins, a mechanical blender and host of accessories for hours of creative role-play fun. Also new for AW17 is
the Peppa Pig House Tea Pot Set, modelled directly from the house in the TV series. For Teletubbies. HTI offers roleplay, musical instrument and bubbles toys. With unique character tooling, fun sounds and light effects, lines include a My First Kitchen, Tea Set, Electronic Guitar, Xylophone, Keyboard and Musical Band Sets. From the enchanting CG animated Nickelodeon TV series for girls following Genie twin sisters, HTI’s Shimmer and Shine range offers pre-schoolers a choice of magical wheeled toys including 3 Wheel Scooters, a Balance Bike, 10” Bike as well as Helmet and Protection Gear.
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01553 819 380 Sales@learning-resources.co.uk LearningResources.co.uk
02/03/2017 09:41
FEATURE
PRE-SCHOOL
Start with art
LEARN THE EASY WAY
SAMBRO
01295 768078 www.trendsuk.co.uk
0845 8739380 www.sambro.co.uk Sambro has exciting new pre-school ranges launching in 2017 and will introduce brand new lines. The Sesame Street range will launch in Q4 2017 and includes plush toys and animated feature plush toys of the characters, including Cookie Monster and Elmo. The Sambro Play-Doh collection appeals to mums as much as children with Deluxe Tables, Activity Cases and Activity Bags. Included is every pre-schooler’s favourite compound, Play-Doh, and tools in a handy carry case. This year Sambro extends the brand into an arts and crafts property with a new line of Arts and Activity items that explore the wider category with paints, colouring pencils and markers. In addition, Sambro’s PAW Patrol collection continues to grow and this year will see the launch of a range of new bags and arts and crafts products dedicated to Skye and Everest. The popular new Nick Junior animation Shimmer and Shine also gets the Sambro treatment, with a stunning collection of new backpacks that feature design details to delight fans of the loveable genies.
TRENDS UK
Designed to help pre-schoolers develop early learning skills while having oodles of fun, the Peppa Pig and Thomas ELAs include activities for understanding colours, communication, phonetics and numeracy through interactive play features. Trends UK ELAs will be supported with PR and marketing support in key online, social and lifestyle media. For spring, Peppa Pig fans can join in with Peppa Pig Laugh & Learn Alphaphonics. For autumn, the new Peppa Pig Play Mat will entertain fans with fun graphics and activities. Young Thomas fans will love the fun new toys with lots of exciting movements and sounds to explore. The range launches with the Thomas Flip & Learn Phone and Thomas Learn & Play Alphaphonics.
Taking off ALPHA ANIMATION 01293 804599 www.auldeytoys.us
Tubby-tastic! BLADEZ TOYZ 02392 658259 www.bladeztoyz.co.uk As Teletubbies celebrates its 20th anniversary, Bladez is growing its range with the introduction of the Teletubbies Track Playset. The popular radio control inflatable characters, inflatable boppers and the Tubby Time playmat are all still available, along with the adorable Po and Dipsy night lights. The bedtime theme is continued in the Peppa Pig range with the inflatable Sleep Trainer.It features sounds, night-light and programmable wake up time, and has been officially
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endorsed by Fundamentally Children for encouraging good sleeping patterns. Bladez also now has stock of radio control inflatable George, so kids can now race him alongside the popular radio control Peppa Pig. The Muddy Puddle playmat is another winning line which can be used indoors for jumping fun. For the older child who loves jumping, they can bounce around on the new Peppa Pig Jump and Squeak Pogo. Bladez is once again all aboard for Thomas & Friends, with everyone’s favourite red engine James joining the radio control inflatable family later this year. A new playset will be arriving in the autumn.
Alpha Animation is excited to introduce a new range based on its animated pre-school series Super Wings. The product launch will consist over 10 different product lines featuring star hero Jett and his friends across transforming vehicles, RC toys, feature playsets, electronic toys, Ride-ons and more. Blind bag collector packs have over 20 characters to collect. Transform-a-bots are Super Wings figures that transform from a plane to a robot in just three easy steps for young hands. The key products in the range are the Transforming Planes, these have excellent play value with over 10 articulations andwill be supported with TV advertising. The hero World Airport playset it set to be a big hit with fans of the show. The large 35-inch scale set includes electronic sounds and lights, mini-transforming Jett and Donnie characters, and lots of play features. The range will also include Jett and Dizzy as a Remote-control Dance ‘n’ Transform vehicles, which dance, spin and transform from bot to jet with a simple remote control.
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FEATURE
PRE-SCHOOL
Cook up a treat HASBRO
020 8569 1234 www.hasbro.com As part of Hasbro’s pre-school range, Play-Doh Kitchen Creations inspires culinary creativity, with a range of exciting new playsets for children to squish and mould into all sorts of tempting creations. The Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Sizzlin’ Stovetop makes real sizzling sounds as junior chefs pretend to rustle up creative masterpieces in the kitchen. The noise starts up as soon as the pans are placed on the stove and intensify when a PlayDoh creation is added. The set comes with four stampers so children can artistically mark entrees including silly steak, imaginary eggs, crazy burgers and fun fish. Kids can also make side dishes using the half-moulds, including Play-Doh broccoli, pretend carrots - or anything else the imagination cooks up! The Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Sizzlin’ Stovetop comes complete with all the right tools that a young masterchef could need, including five Play-Doh colours
to conjure up their own creative culinary masterpieces. Play-Doh Creations can be flipped with the spatula, picked up with the tongs and displayed proudly on the included plates to create the perfect Play-Doh imaginary dinner party.
Perfect fit CHICCO
020 8953 6627 www.chicco.co.uk Mr. Ring, new to the ever-popular Fit ‘N Fun range, is a modern and fun take on the classic hoopla game. An adorable hedgehog on a rotating base, the aim of the game is for the child to hook as many plastic rings onto the hedgehog’s multi-coloured spikes as they can. A modern version of the classic children’s game hopscotch, the Jump ‘N Fit is an electronic mat with lights and sounds that activate as the child plays. It features two game modes: toss the coin to play hopscotch or throw the dice to play in fitness mode. Helping children to develop their motor skills and precision, the fitness mode instructs them to complete a certain exercise depending on which side the dice lands on, while hopscotch mode allows them to enjoy a timeless classic. RoboChicco is the first transformable R/C car in the preschool range. The slick and stylish toy converts from a car into a futuristic-looking robot in three simple steps, by pulling down the arms, the head and then the body, giving little ones hours of fast and furious fun. RoboChicco is suitable for children aged two to six years. Chicco’s innovative Rodeo can be used as a rocking horse, sit and ride toy or interactive activity centre to provide
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hours of fun. The fun character comes to life thanks to interactive sensors, which activate moving eyes and neighing sounds. When little ones feed Rodeo his tasty carrot, his jaw will move up and down to create the illusion of chewing. The latest member of the supercharged Turbo Team is Bobby Buggy RC, a red buggy-style remote-controlled car for kids with a need for speed. With a detachable steering wheel that serves as the remote control, big wheels to conquer all terrains and front headlights for a realistic touch, Bobby Buggy provides hours of fun.
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Feature
pre-school
Star attractions Playmobil www.playmobil.co.uk 01268 548111 Playmobil’s star attractions this year are Ghostbusters, How To Train Your Dragon, Romans and Egyptians, Police and City Airport ranges, as well as the Princess Castle and Pony Farm. The Playmobil Romans and Egyptians range is set to go down a storm! Retailers and buyers will like the Pharaoh’s Pyramid’s five chambers, each containing individual puzzles and traps to keep any budding historian entertained for hours. The Roman Warrior’s Ship also has its own fire arrow artillery and powerful ram bow for little ones to do battle, and the boat is able to be upgraded with the Underwater Motor for even more fun at bath time. Playmobil is also very excited about the Ghostbusters and How To Train Your Dragon ranges, the company’s first entertainment licenses for this year. For Ghostbusters, kids can get their hands on much-loved characters, locations and sets from the iconic film. The toy line will be available in May and features the famous Firehouse and Ecto-1 vehicle, plus a
towering Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. For How To Train Your Dragon, families worldwide are bound to love the tale of a young Viking named Hiccup and his unlikely friendship with a dragon! Available in toy form for little ones to play along at home, this range will be released ahead of 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon film. Playmobil’s new Police range is set to be a sure fire hit with budding little heroes, almost 40 years after the first Police sets launched in 1978. The new Police Headquarters with Prison has a fingerprint scanner, command centre and telephone system and secret breakthrough wall, through which criminals can escape. The Princess range, including the Princess Castle and Royal Residence, are set to dazzle, alongside the Pony Farm from the Country range.
Best buddies Skip Hop 01582 434250 www.skiphop.com The Skip Hop Bandana Buddies plush toy collection is full of textures, patterns and sounds ensuring little hands stay active as baby explores, rattles, crinkles and more! The colourful character’s soft bandana teether detaches for mum and dad to wear around the wrist for quick access. Perfect for multi-sensory play, this cute companion is ideal for fun at home or on the go. Simply attach to stroller, car seat or infant carrier and let baby play till their heart’s content. Available in fox, monkey, lion, racoon, kitty, elephant and puppy – there’s a Bandana Buddie to suit all tastes! This cute collection recently won Gold for Best Plush Toy in the Made for Mums Toy Awards. The Explore & More collection at Skip Hop is designed to step baby through different developmental milestones by encouraging dexterity and multi-sensory play. The Baby’s View 3 Stage Activity Centre is the newest addition to the collection. With toys that can be positioned anywhere for baby, it features a 360-degree rotating seat that turns and stretches for bouncing. The unique Discovery Window lets baby see their feet while they play to learn cause and effect. As baby grows, the activity centre converts for easy cruising—ultimately becoming a clean, sturdy table for colouring, playing and more.
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16/03/2017 11:20
Feature
pre-school
License to play Simba Smoby 01274 765030 www.simba-dickie.com Ahead of the Cars 3 film release in July, Simba Smoby’s new Cars range is coming to market with a wide variety of toys. Look out for the radio control collection which includes cars in scale 1:32, 1:24 and 1:16. Role-play also plays a big part with the The Workshop Trolley while dress-up accessories are also available with Tool Belt and Tool Bag. For a higher ticket playset purchase there’s the Cars 3 Workbench which stands at 90cm tall with a DIY McQueen vehicle, and tool accessories. The ride-on V8 driver lets boys play out their racing dreams with a screen rolling racing game built into the steering wheel. One of the most exciting properties in the portfolio is Masha and the Bear, and the master toy range of plush, dolls and playsets makes for the perfect pre-school offering. The iconic bear from the TV series is brought to life by the feature plush Dancing Bear, or alternatively there’s the 50cm Bear or the CDU of 25cm Bears for quick impulse buys. The 20cm Masha Doll is perfectly styled like the character from the show. Autumn will see the introduction of two new Bob the Builder work benches, including Bob’s Ready to Go Work Case that features a set of tools and detached fixture legs. Another master toy license not to be missed is Wissper. For autumn, all new larger playsets will be introduced that include multiple play mechanics. A new 15” feature doll will also be available.
Piece of the action
Play on GP Flair (Just Play) 020 8643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk The pre-school ranges from Flair’s Just Play division bring popular TV shows to life with toy lines for PJ Masks, Lion Guard, Mickey and Minnie and Shimmer and Shine, along with a whole host of other popular licenses. For autumn, further figure assortments will be added to the already extensive PJ Masks range. Also look out for the Transforming Figure Playset. The hero of the range will be the PJ Masks HQ playset, which comes complete with a Catboy figure and the Cat-Car too! For spring 2017 The Lion Guard saw new plush and playsets added to the collection and for autumn, fans can enjoy collecting new waves of blind bag figures which add 24 more characters. Also new for autumn is The Rise of Scar Playset which comes complete with lights, sounds and exclusive articulated Kion figure. This playset is set to be the hero line and will be TV promoted. Just Play’s new Mickey and the Roadster Racers collection contains role play items for fans of the new TV series. Star of the range is sure to be the mega Pit Crew Workbench with lights, sounds and moving features. For Minnie lovers the Minnie Happy Helpers collection includes popular play patterns such as tea party sets, a pastry kitchen playset and dress up accessories that all mirror what’s seen in the new series.
Jumbo Games 01707 289289 www.jumbo.eu Jumbo will be expanding its Peppa Pig games range this autumn with the 2in1 Flip ‘n’ Find Matching Memory Game. Launching this June, children can enjoy playing Bingo and Memo Games, which include brightly coloured memo cards featuring favourite characters and recognisable objects from the show. Then launching in September is the Giant Muddy Puddles Floor Game that features an over-sized game mat, four large playing counters and foam dice. Jumbo’s brand new Thomas & Friends Foam Puzzles have already received positive feedback. The range includes a 19-piece large Foam Floor Puzzle and Foam 4in1 Bath Puzzles Set that are both ideal for inside and outside play due to the water-resistant and durable foam. Having introduced the new Bob the Builder Puzzle & Colour in January, Jumbo is also launching a Foam Floor Puzzle and Foam 4in1 Shaped Puzzles this month. With the launch of the new Disney Junior Mickey and the Roadster Racers and Minnie’s Happy Helpers TV shows, Jumbo has a range of pre-school favourites. The new puzzle includes a Puzzle & Colour Box Set, two 4in1 Puzzle Box Sets and a 4in1 Shaped Puzzle of Mickey and his racing pals. Also look out for the new Disney Winnie the Pooh My First Puzzles that include a collection of 2-piece puzzles, specially designed for toddlers and early pre-schoolers. Jumbo already added over 100 new products to their growing Goula range of traditional toys, puzzles and games this year. New additions include the brightly coloured Butterfly and Rabbit Peg Puzzles, Magnetic Character and Animal Puzzles. Other highlights include the Geometric Shape Sorting Farm, Stacking Forest Cubes, Tiki Musical 3in1 and the new Pull-Along Caterpillar toy.
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Here’s the scoop LeapFrog 01895 202 840 www.leapfrog.co.uk Last year LeapFrog launched the LeapStart interactive learning device, designed for children aged two-plus, which teaches over 50 skills to help children prepare for starting school. For 2017, the LeapStart platform will be expanded with an growing library of 22 books and an updated device. LeapFrog’s beloved LeapPad tablet series will also see an exciting upgrade for the pre-school audience with the LeapPad Ultimate. This helps children to build core skills in mathematics, reading and science as well as using logic, creativity and problem solving. Three new game cartridges will be launched featuring this year’s hottest licences, PJ Masks, Paw Patrol and Trolls, all designed by LeapFrog’s team of in-house learning experts. Role play continues to be an important focus for LeapFrog with the launch this year of the Scoop & Learn Ice Cream cart, for children aged two and above. This toy cart features a range of buttons, lights, sound effects, music and fun phrases.
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SUPER FRIENDS and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics. WB SHIELD: ™ & © WBEI. (s17)
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09/03/2017 14:03
Feature
pre-school
Drumming up business Learning Resources 01553 818062 www.learningresources.co.uk
All aboard!
Kids will enjoy learning fun with new musical toys from Learning Resources. Two new activity sets support children in developing key early skills while building hand-eye coordination. Learning Drums supports shape, colour and number recognition and includes five drums and two chunky drumsticks. Each drum features its own colour, shape, number and sound. Drumsticks provide imaginative play opportunities and strengthen gross motor skills. The Learning Xylophone features two drumsticks and four interlocking pieces that can be mixed and matched in a clever puzzle-like formation. Transforming a traditional instrument into a fun, hands-on learning tool, each piece features two numbers from one to eight, and two musical plates that each make a different sound when struck. Young learners can piece the xylophone together in different ways to experiment with sounds or line them up in the correct order to create the perfect pitch.
Marbel
Designed to develop Little Tikes 0845 0533 333 www.littletikes.co.uk
0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk It’s time to take train play to a whole new level with the Mighty Mountain Mine from Hape. A stand out addition to an ever growing rail collection, the colourful and creative rail sets offer children the perfect starting point for years of railway fun. Adored by both parents and children, this set captures the energy and life behind a real life working mine, offering multilevel play. It’s jam packed with a huge array of interactive experiences, including waterfalls, tunnels, cranes, conveyor belts, repair stations and obstacle bridges. There are so many elements and infinite possibilities for creative play. Suitable for ages three years plus. Recognised for its innovative and creative design, The Mighty Mountain Mine was awarded the Pre School ToyAward at Nuremberg Toy Fair this year, and a Wooden Toys Best New Toy Award at London Toy Fair. Creating toys for children that grow along with them, Hape transforms traditional toys to help inspire play, learning and exploration of the world we live in, using only the finest natural materials and water based paints.
Little Tikes’ line of newborn toys is “designed to develop” by addressing baby’s developmental needs through every coo, giggle, and stretch. The range includes the Good Vibration Deluxe Baby Gym, packed with lots of fun elements to support baby through their developmental stages, including a gentle vibration to soothe baby, nine musical sounds, and a unique travelling toucan which moves across the gym bar. The exciting and innovative pre-school Light ‘n Go range lights the way to active play. This line uses lights to inspire babies from six to 36 months to walk, cruise and bust a move. The cute characters each have their own fun interactive play elements. In this range is the Activity Garden Treehouse, which is full of interactive features and grows with little ones. There are over 80 activities that will keep little ones busy for hours. Little Tikes Wheelz is an original range of fast and fun vehicles. This exciting line includes the Tyre Twister RC, the biggest, baddest, wildest tyre ever, all powered by an RC car! Suitable for children aged four-plus, and easy to use and perfect for a first RC car, there is endless amount of fun to be had with the Tyre Twister. Watch it go back and forth, spinning 360 degrees and even doing back flips. My First Flyer is the only helicopter for preschoolers that flies, turns and lands with one-touch control, making it simple to use and the ideal first helicopter for the youngest fliers. All of these lines will be underpinned by media and television investment through spring 2017, plus major PR and social media activities.
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Whole kit and caboodle Revell
0845 459 0747 www.revell.de/en Kids will be thrilled by the new range of vehicles from Revell Junior Kit and Revell Control Junior. To mark this summer’s blockbuster family film release, the award-winning Revell Junior Kit range is extended with the Cars 3 license. These newlytooled, easy-to-assemble construction toys for ages four-plus bring favourite characters from the movie to life with light and sound, the option to change the car‘s expression, moveable bonnet and realistic race and sound bites. Large parts are simply connected by plastic screws and child-friendly tools. Once completed, each model kit transforms into a durable, fully functioning toy. Revell Control Junior has extended its pre-school brand with some fun new RC models, including a Dump Truck, Concrete Mixer, Towing Service and Police Car!
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$0
FEATURE
PRE-SCHOOL
Bear hug
Let’s dance!
PAUL LAMOND GAMES
RAINBOW DESIGNS
020 7254 0100 www.paul-lamond.com Paul Lamond has introduced some fantastic new additions to its extensive licensed pre-school range of games and puzzles this year. Available this spring are two new lines for the renowned Tiger Who Came to Tea brand: a Memory Card Game and 4-in-1 Games Cube. These new lines will join the Tiger Who Came to Tea 4-in-1 Puzzle Set and 24-piece Jumbo Floor puzzle. For children’s classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Paul Lamond has launched a brand new range of games and puzzles featuring stunning artwork. The new lines are available now and include: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt 4-in-1 Games Cube, a Memory Card Game and a Jumbo Floor Puzzle. These
01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk
fabulous additions join Paul Lamond’s wide-ranging portfolio of pre-school games and puzzles that features some of the most famous infant brands including: Dear Zoo, Noddy, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dinosaur Roar, Boj and Room on a Broom. Paul Lamond also has lovely range of craft products available specifically for pre-schoolers. The Let’s Get Boj-ing all-inclusive craft sets, based on the highly successful CBeebies pre-school programme, include Plate Craft, Box Craft and Tube Craft.
First-time flyer MOOKIE 01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk This year is is shaping up to be very exciting for Mookie Toys, as its new partnership with Silverlit brings the company’s remote-control brand to the UK and Ireland on a domestic basis for the first time. Silverlit is renowned for its innovative and revolutionary remote control cars, helicopters and drones, offering some of the highest quality toys with amazing play features. For 2017, Silverlit has adapted this pioneering product design for the pre-school market with the introduction of My First Drone. My First Drone allows for children as young as four to take to the sky, safely and successfully piloting their own drone. The market is dominated by drones aimed at a higher age group, but there is a definite gap in the market for a drone specifically designed for pre-schoolers. My First Drone is designed to be extremely simple to use and can be operated with just four buttons. Press the takeoff button and My First Drone will take to the skies. Once air born an auto-hover feature ensures that the drone remains steady in the air avoiding obstacles. One button is used to rotate the drone, making it easy to steer in any direction. Once ready to land, press the land button and he drone will safely return to the ground. The controller comes complete with speakers and sound effects which help bring it to life. My First Drone will be launched in July with a heavyweight TV campaign throughout AW17.
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Rainbow Designs sports an impressive portfolio of feature plush toys specifically designed for pre-schoolers. Children will love dancing along to the calypso rhythm with the new Dancing Paddington! And the adventurous little bear is now off on his bike too. The new Cycling Paddington will see Paddington having plenty of fun and adventures as he cycles around randomly on his red bicycle to a catchy tune. These two new characters will join the everpopular My Name is Paddington feature plush toy, which was launched in 2016, in a new range commercial on air in AW17 with 500-plus TVRs.
Fun for little ones MATTEL 01628 500000 www.mattel.com The innovative Fisher-Price range helps children think independently. BeatBo Buggies and Bright Beats Juniors are new for the infant range, featuring playful melodies and bright lights. While the Monsters range develops gross motor skills with Hungry Monster Maze, Press n’ Go Monster Vehicles and Fun Feelings Monster. The new Servin’ Up Food Truck introduces kitchen and vehicle role play. Pre-school learning sees the launch of Smart Scan Colour Chameleon and Teach n’ Tag Movi, an interactive learning buddy, while Little People introduces the Sensory Farm. The exciting collaboration with designer and Fisher-Price’s creative director, Jonathan Adler, includes the Monkey Mirror, Activity Alligator, Activity Elephant and Signature Style Rattles and Teethers. The Laugh & Learn Puppy’s Activity Jumperoo and Puppy ‘n Pals Learning Gym join the Baby Gear range along with the new
Adjustable Rock n Play Soother, featuring an adjustable incline and soothing vibrations. Imaginext expands its range with DC Super Friends Arkham Asylum and The Joker & Harley Quinn Battle Vehicle plus the new Power Rangers Morphin Megazord. The new Shimmer & Shine range includes the Float ‘n Sing Palace Friends, Talk & Sing Shimmer and Shine Dolls, Magic Flyin’ Carpet and Floating Genie Palace. While Blaze and the Monster Machines introduces RC Blaze, Hyper Loop Playset and Wild Wheels Stunts and Jumps Jungle Playset. Go Jetters expands with Kyan & G.O Roll, Souvenir Selfie Camera and Jet Pad Headquarters, while Octonauts launches Gup-A-Great Adventure and Bing introduces Toilet Train Bing.
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Bladez.indd 1
10/03/2017 09:31
Spotlight on LITTLE TIKES The Fountain Factory from Little Tikes is the perfect way to entertain children for hours as we enter the warmer spring and summer months. Check out its key features! plash Build, s A fun, ! and play e way to iv interact e STEM introducning lear
Contact Little Tikes Tel: 0845 0533 333 Web: www.littletikes.co.uk
Use the pump to send water up the tower!
Loaded with ipes interchangeable p and ďŹ ttings and accessories
As seen on TV!
Channel the water through three different ďŹ ttings
MEDIA
OPINION
One for the kids
Zig and Zag were children’s favourites
T
he term children’s television still serves to LEGO, The ABC and Gogglesprogs, Channel 4 is appealing maintain the status and prominence of its to an audience of both adults and kids, beyond the core genre, even though the category is very target audience of 10-14 year olds. much a part of digital media. Critics suggest these programmes are not made Kids in the UK have a BBC which across its channels specifically about the 10-12 and 12-14 year olds, and Channel — CBeebies and CBBC, together with its digital iPlayer 4 should be commissioning factual, drama and current platform — maintains its brand leader position. Others affairs to appeal to the age group. such as CITV, Milkshake and Channel 5 almost The 8-9pm slot on terrestrial TV is a very competitive complete the deck of terrestrials. hour across channels with some long-term programme Meanwhile, pay TV provides subscription services properties commanding the major share of from Sky and Virgin that sit alongside independents viewing. Channel 4 have chosen to spend money to reach like Azoomee, Hopster, Netflix, Amazon and children aged 10-14 outside of the traditional blocks of YouTube Kids. dedicated children’s shows. The 8pm time slot could raise To complete the listing I should, of course, mention the profile and awareness of Channel 4 with 10-14 year olds Channel 4. After escaping two Ofcom PSB reviews and it appears to be working with the audience. Without on children’s broadcast quotas, it is perhaps no the terrestrial heritage of children’s productions over coincidence that Channel 4 has spent money and are many years, and without the cable operators who brought commissioning new content for Children 10-14. Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon to the UK, children’s Outside of the BBC, all of the aforementioned programming would not be the rich vein of education broadcasters are not funded by a licence fee, they and entertainment it is today. Meanwhile, how children view need to generate advertising and sponsorship to programmes in the digital world is changing. Viewing of fund programmes. The parent/ linear TV by children has fallen a reported children advertising market 24 per cent over the past five years. has two key audience groups, The impact of digital platforms and its In a scheduling Housewives with Children 0-3 proliferation of viewing in turn impacts move not seen on (HWWCH 0-3) and Children 4-9. on the traditional commercial funding Channel 4 since the The British Audience Research formulas. Bureau (BARB) measures The industry is fortunate that original showing of The children’s viewing for these Save Kids TV was created Snowman, the channel demographics, and can also in 2006. Ten years on, recently broadcast We’re split the age bands viewing by Save Kids TV is still gender. In a scheduling move supporting the same Going On A Bear Hunt not seen on Channel 4 since message. When UK the original showing of The drama can range Snowman, the channel recently broadcast We’re from £90k an hour for In the Club Going On A Bear Hunt. The 30-minute animated to £2 million per hour for The Night Christmas Eve adaptation of Michael Rosen and Helen Manager, children’s productions, even Oxenbury’s classic children’s book achieved more at a fraction of these costs, have to than eight million consolidated viewers over two seek funding to ensure the production transmissions on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. industry can continue to produce This was preceded by a massive press and marketing original UK content for children. push. In August last year Channel 4 announced that it Given time to grow and develop more was increasing its spend on programmes that appeal content then perhaps Channel 4 to older children, from £3 million to £5 million a year, will produce programming that focused firmly on an 8pm slot. appeals directly to the The proposed slate of new Channel 4 children’s respective age breaks productions are unlikely to be available at a within 10-14 year olds. Of competitive price for the toys and games category course, Channel 4 have been which last year spent £194 million on television in successful in this genre before, 2016 (source Nielsen). In addition, the 8pm slot is not remember Zig and Zag stars without its detractors. By commissioning Masters of of The Big Breakfast?!
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Clive Crouch www.clivecrouch.com, info@clivecrouch.com, mobile: 07831 670453
APRIL 2017
Producing television for children is no easy feat, but it can be rewarding, says Clive Crouch
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Show stopper! the Independent toy & Gift Show is taking place in april and along with attracting top toy exhibitors, there is a cross-category of top quality buyers too…
Did you know…
What: Independent Toy & Gift Show When: 4 – 5 April 2017 Where: Cranmore Park, Solihull Visit independenttoyandgift.co.uk for more details.
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Miles Penhallow with members of the AIS team
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very opportunity to sell is a good one, Independent and every retailers are opportunity to sell hugely important at a show that puts the independent buyer first is for our business even better. as they allow us The two-day Independent to get our Toy & Gift Show is back for products in front 2017 in Cranmore Park, of consumers all Solihull which will be transformed into a toy Mecca across the country from Tuesday 4 to Wednesday Graham Canning, 5 April. With exhibitors like Hasbro, VTech VTech, LeapFrog, Character, Playmobil, Tomy, and Mattel – this is one show that retailers can’t afford to miss. Graham Canning, Sales Director of VTech, which recently acquired LeapFrog agrees, saying the show is “unmissable”. “It’s a great opportunity for LeapFrog to get in front of key independent retailers,” he tells TnP. “These independent retailers are hugely important for our
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We asked exhibitors if the mix of toy, garden and gift retailers who visit the show is a big draw for them? “Yes, definitely! The mix of different retailers at the show is a great fit for us as we have an offering of quality, educational toys and games that perform very well in a range of independent settings.” Chris Beardmore, Learning Resources “Of course, it’s a big focus at Vivid to reach out to new retail sectors. AIS plaY-room’s growing member base gives us that opportunity especially within garden and gifting.” Alan Ingham, Vivid
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business as they allow us to get AIS members’ invoiced business our products in grew by 5.5 per cent in 2016 front of consumers all across the registration, parking and country. Consumers refreshments all free and the show is have so much trust attracting more and more exhibitors. in these “Our intention has always been to independent stores because they help make up part of their communities, so it’s great to be able to supply products to these types of businesses, with the help of AIS, and the Independent Toy & Gift Show.” Vivid is no different, with Sales Manager Alan Ingham saying the “great feedback” Interplay they get from retailers makes it a must-attend for them. Alan even highlighted the show’s blend in children’s lifestyle suppliers “friendly and welcoming with our existing toy suppliers and as atmosphere, along with its relaxing a result we have had to add more environment” as a key point of stands,” he told TnP recently. “We difference. But more importantly, look forward to welcoming Funko it’s about selling toys and UK, Bertoy and Steiff, among others, connecting with indie retailers. as first time attendees. A full
See it all Learning Resources’ UK Trade Retail Sales Manager Chris Beardmore is another fan of the show claiming it is a great opportunity to meet “all of the independents and let them see our new products. Our brand is a great fit for independents, department stores and garden centres. Our ranges span across science, creative play, STEM, family games and much more, all offering good margins for retailers.” Alan says Vivid will be using the show to “give retailers a new chance to view and discuss the 2017 ranges to make sure all bases are covered”. Similarly, Graham says LeapFrog and VTech will be “showing some very exciting products so retailers will have the chance to get hands-on with them”.
Only the best Miles Penhallow from show organiser AIS tells us they strive to make people’s visit to the exhibiton as pleasant as possible with
exhibitor list is available on our website.” He adds that the aim of the show is always quality and not quantity. The same can be said for the exhibitors who also want to make the show as successful as possible. Graham Canning tells us: “We hope that we will be able to see as many retailers as possible, and really showcase our fantastic range. We feel that our products have a place in every toy retailer, so our goal is to convey this to as many retailers as possible, showing them the versatility of the brand.” Meanwhile Vivid’s Alan says that along with selling, he is looking for feedback from customers. “I want to get as much feedback as possible from retailers on how the ranges work for them. It seems an obvious thing to do, but I don’t think it’s always done.” So with an incredible line-up of exhibitors, top quality retailers and a free lunch to boot, TnP will see you in Solihull!
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The full range Interplay 01628 488 944 www.interplayuk.com Following Interplay’s strongest ever year with the independent retailers in 2016, the company will be showcasing a host of great new products at this year’s AIS Independent Toy and Gift show. Interplay’s My Fairy Garden range has some very exciting new additions, such as Unicorn Garden, Fairy Watering Can, Fairies and Friends figurine pack and Magic Bean Pots. My Fairy Garden playsets include interchangeable and collectable pieces and are designed to encourage a love of nature through play. My Fairy Garden is being TV advertised on all major kids TV channels all year round to maximise brand awareness. The brand sponsored Disney Junior’s Fairy Tale time in 2016 and Interplay is in the process of scheduling another huge sponsorship deal with a leading kids TV channel this year, which will be announced soon. The My Fairy Garden range has been a best-seller with many independent retailers as well as large retail chains since its launch in
January 2016. In its third year, the young and innovative children’s cosmetic brand FabLab is enjoying its huge success. FabLab products have become favourite activities in the UK and abroad among girls aged eight-plus. Following the amazing sell through of the Glitter Tattoos in 2016, Interplay will be showcasing the brand new Glitter Tattoos and Sparkly Nails Mega Pack at the AIS show this month. FabLab will be promoted with a TV campaign this A/W on all major TV channels that appeal to the eight-plus market, as well as their parents. Just like the previous years, the brand will also be promoted on the PopFun website and on mobile platforms with super engaging content including videos, competitions and games.
Interplay will also be presenting the brand new and utterly beautiful My Mermaid Lagoon range at the show, which will also be heavily supported with TV advertised this A/W. My Mermaid Lagoon products are collectable figurines and playsets that also include some creative elements such as moulding and sculpting the glittery magic sand. Following the soft launch in 2016, the Fuzzikins Craft range has now secured its place on many shop shelves. The feedback and sales data have shown that the range particularly worked well in the independent market. The cute and fuzzi creatures of the Fuzzikins Craft world will appear on TV and other platforms from this A/W period.
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AIS preview
Love to learn Learning Resources Science range. Big View Bug Jars are perfect for collecting specimens and learning on the go. Jumbo Magnifiers encourage observation on a grand scale. The chunky design is perfect for little hands to hold and the build-in stand allows for hands-free viewing at 4.5x magnification. Big View Bug Jars and Jumbo Magnifiers are available as a set of 12 point of sale display or a set of six refill pack.
Something for everyone Posh Paws
01268 567 317 www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk At the Independent Toy & Gift show Posh Paws will be showcasing some exciting new movie plush, bestselling collectable ranges and some awesome new backpack designs. Highlights for show visitors will include the all-new Despicable Me 3 plush and backpack collection. Lightning McQueen will also be racing his way back onto shelves this July in Cars 3. The all-new Cars 3 plush range from Posh Paws features Lightning McQueen and his closest pals, as well as a new generation of racers. The Tsum Tsum collectable craze continues and at the show Posh Paws will be revealing its all-new Disney Tsum Tsum characters ranges that will be launching at retail over the coming months.
Jungle fever Tobar 01603 397 105 www.tobar.co.uk TOBAR has an exciting range of products being showcased at AIS. Take a chomp on the wild side with Bush Grub, packs of edible bugs. They’re real insects that have been dried out and prepared for your palatable pleasure. Just like “I’m A Celeb!”. Whack on a pair of Silly Socks, designed to look like a pairs of coloured sneakers, stylish shoes, zombies and more! And get your hands on a Plasma Lamp Speaker, a retro style plasma lamp with a built-in speaker. Activate the tube lamp and the plasma inside will illuminate.
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West Design 01303 297888 www.westdesignproducts.co.uk
01553 818062 www.learningresources.co.uk The AIS Independent Toy and Gift show will see a display of all that’s new and exciting from Learning Resources. The company will be exhibiting their popular Playfoam range, the squishysquashy sculpting material that never dries out! Two new Shape & Learn sets support children to learn letter and number formation and the Playfoam Go! set provides on-the-go shaping fun. Best-selling pocket money lines will also be at the show including the company’s Primary
Get crafty West Design will be showcasing irresistible deals from Creativity for Kids on its new ranges, Craftivity and Grow. The whole Grow range is available to retailers for 53 per cent off, and includes four Grow Lights and six of each Grow kits, a total of 58 products, plus a free FSDU. Craftivity introduces a distinctive brand of craft experiences for aspirational tweens and teens, ages 12 to 16. Presenting eight stimulating and trendy products that incorporate techniques including dip dying, macramé, decoupage and paper crafting activities. Retailers can get the whole net range for 55 per cent off, including six of each kits, a total of 48 products, plus a free FSDU.
Retro revival Winning Moves 0207 298 9515 www.winningmoves.co.uk Winning Moves is reviving six Retro Top Trumps titles, including Fantasy, Sports Cars, Horror and Today’s Strikers. The classic packs have all the original artwork from the seventies, eighties and nineties and showcase a newly designed clear case that looks and opens like a cassette tape. Presented in a Retro CDU, each pack will feature its original production date – making it the perfect gift for someone special born in the same year. Following the success of Top Trumps Quiz – Winning Moves will be showcasing the new Disney Classics and WWE Top Trumps Quiz. With TV support for Star Wars Top Trumps Quiz, this instant knockout battle game with a twist achieved 4.6 customer rating on Amazon in 2016. The story continues with Top Trumps Match, the Crazy Cube Game. A range of licensed products will be released later this year, including Shopkins, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Super Mario, Emotis, Despicable Me 3 and DC Comics. With great buyer and customer feedback, along with TV support for both Disney Princess and Marvel Avengers Top Trumps Match, this exciting, snap-close strategy game is fun for all ages. A range of Travel Games will also be on display at the AIS show, including Pass The Pigs, Bananagrams, Zip It and Top Trumps. Each game packed in its own unique portable case, making it the perfect game for on the go. Opening the playroom door 50 per cent POR offer on Top Travel games including Bananagrams. AS an exclusive show offer, buyers will receive five per cent off a £500 order or 10 per cent off a £1000 order.
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tel: +44 (0) 1628 488944 email: sales@interplayuk.com 16/03/2017 11:44
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AIS preview
Have a giggle
Power brands
John Adams
Bandai
01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk
0208 324 6160 www.bandai.co.uk Bandai will be showcasing its exciting range of brands at this year’s AIS show, including the new range of Miraculous Ladybug toys. All-new products include the Ladybug Scooter, the Butterfly Compact with sounds and Ribbon Baton, which features the show’s theme tune. In addition to this, the Power Rangers Movie product line will be on display, supported with a DVD show deal and the brand new toy range for Ninja Steel will be a highlight at the show. The new collection of action figures, role-play toys and Zords will be available from July 2017. The display of adorable Monchhichi dolls, which have been a household name for three generations, will include new models for 2017: Mini Easter Friends, Macaroon Bib Pink, Flower Print Girl and Tartan Cape. Lastly, the new doll collections distributed on behalf of Famosa, Pinypon and Nenuco will also be showcased on the Bandai stand, and a show stopper deal will be available on one of the key lines.
John Adams Leisure will be showcasing a selection of its key ranges at Independent Toy & Gift Show. Within its creative play range, the 2017 collection boasts over 20 new and refreshed product lines. For budding artists there’s Pixelo, Spiralite, and GlowPad. There are new lines being added to the eZee Beads range, including new 3D themes and a special licensed PAW Patrol set. The BLOPENS range will see new introductions in the form of a My Little Pony Creative Case. There’s also a colour changing Spray Magic set and a Glitter Studio. Meanwhile, Chocolate Sprinkle Stix joins the company’s growing food craft collection. John Adams continues to lead the way in the action science category, with the launch of Super Science – due for release AW17. Following the huge success of Soggy Doggy and Silly Sausage, John Adams’ range of Ideal branded games is also set to grow. New for 2017 is Mr Bucket while Giggle Wiggle is sure to be a family favourite too, as is Don’t be a Donkey.
Show stoppers HTI
01253 775 544 www.htigroup.co.uk HTI’s stand at AIS will offer a selection of domestically stocked lines across key licenses and own in-house brands. HTI will be showcasing new PAW Patrol character cases – featuring popular characters Chase, Marshall and Skye. In addition, there is PAW Patrol musical, roleplay and battery-operated bubble toys, as well as walkie talkies. HTI will be displaying a selection of lines from their extensive range of Peppa Pig role-play toys, music and dolls prams as well as pocket money toys and bubbles. The HTI stand will also feature Baby Annabell and BABY born dolls, prams and pushchairs. Teamsterz, HTI’s own extensive range of collectable die-cast vehicles, garages and playsets, light & sound vehicles and track sets, will also be available. JCB continues to be supported through a range of JCB vehicle and roleplay toys. HTI will also be displaying selected lines from its Spider-Man range of bikes, scooters, skates and protection gear. The firm also offers it’s EVO range of non-licensed wheeled toys.
The full line-up Golden Bear 01952 608 308 www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear is set to showcase key items from its expanding portfolio at the Independent Toy and Gift show. Leading the new introductions is Bush Baby World; a brand new cute and collectable concept for children aged five to nine years. Turning the world of paint upside down is PaintSation, the new range taking the company into the arts and crafts arena in 2017. A strong new line up of In the Night Garden pre-school toys includes a new Pullalong Ninky Nonk Wobble Train, while In the Night Garden Baby is a beautiful collection of nursery toys.
Mini winners Orchard Toys 01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com Orchard Toys is showcasing six brand new additions to its travel-size mini game range at the AIS show, as well as Magic Maths, an exciting maths game for older children. AIS visitors can take advantage of Orchard Toy’s fantastic show offer, which you can learn more about on the stand.
Premium puzzles Jumbo Games 01707 289289 www.jumbo.eu Jumbo Games will be showcasing its full range of adult and children’s puzzles and games at this year’s AIS show. Look out for a large range of new puzzles, focusing largely on their Wasgij and Falcon de luxe brands, among others. Having released the latest Wasgij Destiny 17, Mystery 13 and Imagine…? 3, you can check out the commemorative Wasgij Retro Original, Destiny and Mystery puzzles. Wasgij Original 2, Christmas 13 and Back to…? 3 puzzles will also be shown and you can even get the first sneak peek at the unveiling of the Special Edition 20th Anniversary Wasgij Original 27 puzzle. Jumbo will also be showcasing plenty of new additions to their licensed children’s portfolio.
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Interplay UK Limited Unit D, Meter House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1LW, UK
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tel: +44 (0) 1628 488944 email: sales@interplayuk.com 16/03/2017 11:57
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AIS Preview
Leaps and bounds
Play on…
LeapFrog
Flair’s Just Play division has an extensive portfolio of quality licensed toys for independent toy stores and will showcase their new PJ Masks master toy collection along with new lines for The Lion Guard and Disney Princess Styling ranges at this year’s AIS show. The PJ Masks range includes action figures of each of the main characters, vehicle and figure sets, along with roleplay and plush items too. For autumn, further figure assortments join the line along with and four new playsets, including a Transforming Figure Set, HQ Training Room and the ultimate set for fans, the PJ Masks HQ Playset. For spring 2017 The Lion Guard sees new plush and playsets added to the collection, including the Hyena Hide Out Playset and new Talking Plush. For autumn fans can enjoy collecting wave 7 and 8 blind bag figures. Also popular is the Disney Styling Heads collection.
01895 202 840 www.leapfrog.co.uk LeapFrog will be showcasing an exciting range of new lines, available from autumn 2017 at AIS. The new range of preschool toys from LeapFrog include a refresh of the hugely popular LeapStart interactive learning device. In addition, LeapFrog will be also showcasing its new role-play range, including the new Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart. LeapFrog’s beloved LeapPad tablet will also see a refresh for 2017 with the arrival of the LeapPad Ultimate.
Tally-ho! Schleich 01279 870000 www.schleich-s.co.uk Schleich will showcase new lines for Horse Club and Dinosaurs as well as pre-school ranges Farm World and Wild Life at this year’s AIS show. The pre-school offering for Farm World and Wild Life will expand for 2017. Key will be brand new Starter Sets. Alternatively, the Tractor with Trailer and Hay Conveyor will also be added to the Farm World range. The Horse Club collection now offers even more play value as further horses and playsets are added. Finally, the Dinosaur collection will see feathered pre-historic creatures added.
New toys galore!
Just Play (Flair) 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk
Iconic toys Marbel
0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk The Marbel stand will be packed with its latest must-have toys, including the award winning Mountain Mine range that brings train play to life. With fun around every corner, interactive play awaits as kids enjoy multi-level fun, complete with tunnels, cranes, bridges, waterfalls and much more. There is also the chance to see the all new bath toys from the Little Splashers range. There’s also the Push & Pull range, as Hape welcomes the VW Walker, encouraging little ones to take on their first road trip in style.
Mookie Toys 01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk Mookie Toys will be presenting exciting new 2017 lines as well as their already successful existing brands at this years AIS show. With nine new brands being showcased and a range of amazing show offers, Mookie Toys is a must-visit stand. All of Mookie’s new launches will be supported with TV advertising at key points throughout the year, with additional PR and online activity working with key influencers and vloggers. For 2017, Mookie will be launching Spray Art, Fluffables, Plush Craft and Dream Stones. Mookie has become the official UK partner for Silverlit. New for 2017 will be the launch of the fast-paced adrenaline-fuelled Hyper Drone Racing and the innovative My First Drone, offering preschoolers the opportunity to pilot their own drone. Within the collectable market, Mookie is launching Twist & Twirls, the amazing hair and jewellery accessory. Smart Trike has launched the T-Scooter range for 2017. Equipped with the revolutionary T-Lock, the scooter grows with children as it switches from practise mode to freestyle mode. The range is designed for children from 15 months to three years-plus.
Something for everyone Vivid Imaginations 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk There is plenty to see on the Vivid stand. With cute Disney plastic toys and adorable character plush, Disney Emoji is sure to be on trend. New to Animagic are Surprizamals, with each mini-plush character hidden inside a surpiza-ball. Genie Girls continues into AW17 with the wave two collection. Ooshies are super squishy pencil toppers of your favourite characters while FlipZee Girls flip their bonnet and swaddle to transform from baby to girl. The 35th anniversary of Care Bears, brings a brand new Rainbow Heart Bear and Hug and Giggle Bear with a contagious giggle! Arakno has 50 different features, lights and sounds.
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S R O D A S S A B AM
Horseplay Sisters Orlaith and Sorcha from North London put Worlds Apart’s Headphone Hats through its paces. Mum Martina takes up the story My daughters Orlaith and Sorcha love listening to music, watching movies or funny YouTube clips on the iPad but as all parents know that sometimes interferes with what’s playing from the TV, or any music playing in the house. And as you can imagine, that causes a rift or two in our normally calm household! And yes, I know that I can buy headphones, (I have!), and this would solve the problem. But my youngest, Sorcha is only four years old and most headphones fall off her head! However, it looks like problem might
be solved thanks to Worlds Apart. I know Worlds Apart because of their excellent SelfieMic (I bought several last year not just for my own girls but for friends too) so when I found about these Headphone Hats I thought they would definitely look pretty and be of a good quality. So how did they do and did my girls like them? In short, yes! The girls both love MY LITTLE PONY so that was an instant hit, but also the Headphone Hats look fun and cool too — and from my perspective very, very cute! In terms of the technical side — they have a limit on how loud they can be
Melodic play Mum Jessica tried out LeapFrog’s Melody the Musical Turtle with her two-year-old daughter Elsie We’ve come on leaps and bounds with mastering our colours and numbers recently, so I was excited to try out LeapFrog’s Melody the Musical Turtle with Elsie. Given that she absolutely adores, and I mean adores, singing and music — this toy seemed to have our names written all over it! Elsie was super excited to learn she was getting to play with a turtle toy too — there is a surprising lack of turtles on the toy scene (other than the obvious, of course, which aren’t really in our age range just yet!) Melody comes with several games incorporating
Melody comes with several games incorporating both lights and sounds and Elsie was desperate to engage with it
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both lights and sounds and Elsie was desperate to engage with it. I noticed she really concentrated on the instructions and tried her very best to master the games, sometimes she won, sometimes she didn’t! I even gave one of the games a go myself and was quite proud of how well I did until Melody eventually got the better of me! All in all, this is something I see us picking up and playing several times a week — not for hours mind you, but certainly for healthy lengths of time. I like that it encourages Elsie to look, repeat and learn, and as she gets older, these are skills that definitely need to be developed.
Consumer Corner Online Tesco customer babyd83 was delighted with her LeapFrog purchase: “We bought this for our little girl for Christmas. Best money I've spent - she hasn't left it alone!”
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What World’s Apart says… Award winning and perfect for kids, these soft, safe and fun characterised headphones are volume limited to max 85 DB ensuring little ears are protected, while the soft, cosy fabric beanie means children stay cool and comfortable when they transform into their favourite characters.
therefore protecting little eardrums — a necessity in my view — and it was good to have that health and safety reassurance, actually. In terms of the Headphone Hats fitting and not slipping off they were really perfect - a really good fit. The quality of the design and the textile used is really something else. So close to the toys and the TV show and so super soft, almost like a plush toy rather than a hat. The girls really genuinely loved it — and they are at an age where it is sometimes tricky to please them!
The girls both love MY LITTLE PONY so that was an instant hit, but also the Headphone Hats look fun and cool to - and from my perspective very, very cute!
Consumer corner Toni was singing Worlds Apart’s praises on Amazon after buying a Headphone Hat for her daughter. She wrote: “These headphones are amazing. Daughter loves using her tablet wearing them. They seem comfortable and feel very soft to touch. Great that it has a limit for the volume so as not to damage their ears and machine washable too.”
Driving forward
Consumer Corner Amazon shopper PW gave the Bruder JCB 5CX five stars: “Well worth the price. Amazing detail and working parts. A great addition to my son’s growing Bruder collection.”
Beau and Rafferty got their lucky hands on the Bruder JCB 5CX, mum Louise tells us how they got on My two sons aged four and six were very excited to open and explore the Bruder JCB 5CX toy. They love playing with vehicles and the more realistic looking the better! This JCB does not disappoint — it is packed with features and looks great. It is very realistic and has excellent attention to detail. The boy’s were
APRIL 2017
particularly impressed with the driver’s swivel seat (that allowed them to sit small figures in), the four-wheel steering and especially the additional steering extension which allowed them to steer the JCB through the sunroof opening. The boy’s liked that the JCB did not look “babyish” and was a more grown up looking model. This is the first and only Bruder toy we own, however after our experience with this brand it will not be our last.
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IN FOCUS
WORLDS APART
Thinking outside the toy box Worlds Apart really has proven to be an innovator in its field. The company is not just about its core toy range, oh no!. There’s a lot more to talk about. TnP finds out more…
Emily on licences… “We have a really strong licence portfolio, with everything from hot new movie licences to evergreen pre-school properties, across the majority of our brands. We have proven product performance with Cars and Spider-Man across all our brands, so we are expecting great things when the movies launch. Sales have been very strong on our My Little Pony GoGlow Magic night light, which we expect to continue as the license grows and with the movie launch in Q4. Pre-school properties are also really important to our product range, with PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig and Thomas and Friends all pivotal to our brands’ success. We are also in the process of signing contracts for two new properties which we are very excited about and can announce in the coming weeks.”
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hen a company has brands such as SelfieMic, Headphone Hats and Spin to Sing under its belt, you may be forgiven for thinking toys are its mainstay. Not so with the Worlds Apart team — they like to think outside the toy box. Next to its hugely innovative toy range, Worlds Apart has neatly incorporated a range of products which comfortably sit side by side with the core toy offering. Think lights, bedding, storage and furniture — often licensed and always bang on point. “We have always prided ourselves on having a range of products that are inherently toyetic and full of child appeal,” says Marketing Director Emily Maclennan. “Brands such as ReadyBed and GoGlow have shown how lifestyle products like airbeds and night lights can have huge child appeal and sit comfortably in the toy aisle.” Emily points out that these brands “complement the master toy ranges, driving supplementary purchases”. Take the ReadyRoom range of room accessories. These licensed lifestyle products retail at under £20, and are packed with gifting potential. Then there is GoGlow: “When it comes to GoGlow, we have seen that our Magic Night Lights have, in certain retailers, significantly outsold master toy ranges, while our Readybeds provide consistent year-round revenue for our customers,” Emily adds. Not to mention the HelloHome brand which
brings movies and characters to life in a child’s bedroom with everything from a life-size Lightning McQueen bed to colourful toy box. With brands such as ReadyBed and GoGlow, Worlds Apart has managed to carve out a specific area of the market. We asked Emily if there any other areas that are providing growth potential? “Definitely!,” she tells us. “With GoGlow in particular, we transformed what was traditionally a functional lighting product into a fun, characterised toy. We’ve started to apply this logic to consumer electronics with the launch of our headphone brand – Headphone Hats. The children’s headphones market has remained relatively unchanged, and we saw an opportunity to make them more toyetic by adding characterisation.” With all of this fantastic product offering, Worlds Apart really is proving to be… well, worlds apart.
Drop Worlds Apart an email at tradeenquiries@worldsapart.com to find out more.
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FEATURE
SAND, WATER AND BUBBLES
Bubbling up The sand, water and bubbles sector is growing at retail and is now a year round joy rather than a seasonal product. We explore this side of the market a little further
T
he idea of bringing the outside in and the inside out is a big trend in the toy industry at present. Just a quick scout about various booths at London Toy Fair and Nuremberg’s Spielwarenmesse highlighted this — look at Plum’s Mud Pie Kitchen which harnesses the concept of playing at home and bringing it to the outdoors. Similarly countless companies such as John Adams and Spin Master have enjoyed high sales success with indoor sand products (which cleverly and much to the relief of parents around the world does not get
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There is always a great demand in this category from parents which retailers can really benefit from Matt Griggs, Mookie
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ABGee
FUNRISE’S DAVE SAYS… “It’s true, at Funrise we create fun! Across all our brands we are always looking for new ways to bring out the most colourful, bright and original products for kids of all ages. The Gazillion brand is a great example of how Funrise can continuously update a range that will be sell out year in year out.”
APRIL 2017
ground into the carpet and cause loads of mess). Another big trend in toys is the two for one toy, or toys with added benefits — think Mookie’s TP Wooden Lid Sandpit. The company’s Matt Griggs says: “At TP Toys we strive to create innovative designs which offer amazing play value. This can be seen with our Wooden Lid Sandpit, when not in use the wood lid ensures the sand remains clean and tidy, offer the best however once parents.” children come to play simply flip the lid back and create two integrated wooden benches. And as with all our TP sandpits, the wood is pressure treated, meaning that there is no need for parents to treat or stain the wood to maintain the high quality.” But it’s not just about consumers ‘buying in’ to the sector - the buyers and retailers need to get behind too. And what are the benefits for retailers? Funrise MD Dave Martin says: “We like to think that here at Funrise we do bubbles best! Our eye catching, new Gazillion branding and unique, stand out bubble machines and blasters are sure to steal the interest of consumers when seen on shelf. Not to mention that this year we are running a high profile marketing campaign for Gazillion that includes TV, Digital and parental outreach that will drum up awareness for the brand.” For Mookie’s Matt the appeal is more obvious and about an emotional
connection: “Children have always loved playing with sand and water products, they offer unique outdoor summer play while also helping to keep them active. Because of this there is always a great demand in this category from parents which retailers can really
MOOKIE’S MATT SAYS… “The sand and water category has always been popular with parents, and we are seeing a lot of new creative designs entering the market as manufactures look to play value for children and
benefit from.” But the killer questions — is there growth in this category and can there really be money to be made? For Funrise’s Dave Martin, the answer is unequivocal. “2016 was a sell-out year for Gazillion with a 208% uplift in sales for the brand. As a whole I think bubbles are being seen less as just a summer product and more of an all year round purchase.” He continues: “Once a child starts blowing bubbles they won’t want to stop, which is probably why our Solution refill bottles are stand out sellers year round.” Indoor or outdoor, whatever the season it looks as though this sector has real potential to help everyone sell more. P&C
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Buckets of fun! A.B.Gee of Ripley 01773 570444 www.abgee.co.uk For 2017, A.B.Gee of Ripley has a fantastic new range of Sand and Water tables with sturdy designs, which are sure to be popular with children of all ages. Offering hours of year-round indoor and outdoor playtime fun, each table is great value for money and comes complete with a full range of play accessories. A.B.Gee has a comprehensive range of outdoor, sand and water product lines, with favourites like Nerf Super Soakers from Hasbro, Buckets and Spades, Sand Moulds, Rakes, Balls, Water Pistols, Kites, Paddling Pools, Inflatables and many more. The company carries a superb range of Buckets and Spades, for example, all available in a wide range of colours, sizes and designs from the traditional red, green and yellow to beautiful marble effects. Look out for the eye-catching, bold and colourful Frog and Pirate outdoor designs, sure to inspire children’s imaginations and role play. A.B.Gee also offers bespoke designed FSDUs, available free of charge with orders of £250 or more of outdoor stock from the comprehensive 60page outdoor catalogue. Retailers can choose from two fantastic bespoke FSDU designs, both standing 1.4m tall. They are perfect for any retailer looking for a striking, cost effective point of sale display.
Take it eZee John Adams 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk John Adams Leisure’s Sands Alive sees a fun Farm Yard added to the range. Suitable for children aged 3+, it has an anti-bacterial, non-toxic formula which will never dry out. Part of the company’s Creative Play offering, eZee Beads is an easy way for children aged 5+ to get crafty and create colourful models using just water and beads.
Rock on! Spin Master
01628 535000 www.spinmaster.com Part of Spin Master’s exciting activities offering is the new Kinetic Rock compound from the Kinetic range. Kinetic Rock is made from real natural rock that magically sticks together. It never dries out, so kids can use it again and again. The one and only Kinetic Rock gives kids real rock for real construction play. With the Kinetic Rock: Rock Crusher Playset kids can make boulders and load them into the dump truck, use the real working rock crusher to turn moulded boulders into rock and flatten out the rock to make smooth roads with the tamper tool. The Playset also includes a poseable construction figure and the package doubles as a play space!
One in a Gazillion Funrise 01908 555640 www.funrise.com When it comes to bubbles look no further than Funrise’s leading bubble range Gazillion Bubbles. This year sees the launch of an even bigger bubble bonanza with a new Giant Gazillion collection that’s perfect for outdoor play during the milder months.
Back of the net! GP Flair
Grand sand Character Options 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.com Character Options is building upon the major success of the Cra-Z-Sand brand with a new underwater element in the form of Sqand, plus the addition of fun Cra-Z-Sand licenses launching this autumn. The new Sqand sub-brand takes sand play to a new level. The underwater sculpting sand is reusable and never gets wet! The Ocean Fun Playset and Adventure Playset both come with a cool underwater scene for maximum creativity. Peppa Pig will make an exciting addition to the Cra-Z-Sand range this year. Alternatively the new Fireman Sam Sand Playset will bering a fire-fighting mission to sand play.
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020 8643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk Kids can train just like their favourite footballing hero, Lionel Messi thanks to Footbubbles — and it is on top of every football fan’s wish list this summer. At the heart of this already successful brand is the Footbubbles Starter Pack Socks. Designed to look like Messi’s latest boots, the special fabric allows the wearer to play keepy-uppy with the unique bubble solution supplied. Refill bubble solution is also available while the jumbo socks with shin pads will create more control and opportunity for freestyle tricks. Add to this an Automatic Bubble Blower machine that delivers perfectly timed football-sized bubbles and the soccer training experience will be complete! The Footbubbles brand is part of a larger Messi collection.
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Hong Kong Office:
P&C International Development LTD. P&C.indd 1
Unit 2401, Million Fortune Industrial Centre, 34-36 Chai Wan Kok Street, Tsuen Wan, N.T., Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2498 8168 Mobile: (852) 9067 4260 E-mail: kevin@pnctoys.com
06/03/2017 10:03
FEATURE
SAND, WATER AND BUBBLES
Infinite fun
Having a bubble
KD UK
01727 827194 www.kdplanet.com/uk KD UK expands its pre-school offering with the launch of Infinifun, a new brand dedicated to the Passion of Learning & Play. Infinifun themes include Bath Time Fun, Role Play Musical Fun, Animal Activity and Tech like Grown-ups, which help to create those irreplaceable magical moments. The new Infinifun Wild Water Island can float in the bath tub or paddling pool, and has a variety of engaging features to help introduce children to early STEM concepts like water power and cause and effect. Children can fill
P&C TOYS +852 9067 4260 www.pnctoys.com.hk
the trunk of the palm tree with water and magically watch the boats move around. Once the trunk is overfilled, it spills over and makes the spinners on the palm tree turn. It also includes a super-cute cloud water-squirter and two race boats for hours of fun.
Sand and deliver MOOKIE TOYS 01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk TP Toys introduces the new Early Fun Play Centre. The Play Centre comes complete with a comfy all fabric foldaway baby swing seat, fun lime slide and table sandpit with an all wood cover to ensure the sand remains clean. The Early Fun Play Centre is just one of many original TP designs which incorporate a sand pit as part of traditional play. The TP Picnic Table Sandpit has always been one of the brand’s most popular lines, designed with two robust play bowls located in the recess of the table, it is perfect for both sand and water play. A wooden tabletop can then be used to convert the sandpit into a play table perfect for painting and other art activities. TP Toys will back on TV this year, with a campaign over the Easter holidays and build up to summer.
Making a splash MARBEL 0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk Look no further than Hape’s Little Splashes range for fun and learning in the tub. Providing hours of entertainment, the Teddy and Duck Bath Mitt Set is sure to provoke such fun and laughter, bath time will fly by without a tear in sight. There’s also Teddy and Friends Bath Squirts, the Pop-up Teddy Shower Buddy, Swimmer Teddy Wind-up Toy, Happy Buckets Sets, Rainy Day Fun Set and Umbrella Stackers, which is the perfect way to promote understanding colours, shapes and balance in the tub.
P&C Toys’ Make Kids Smile! Bubble Fun series of creatively designed toys and playsets offer great family fun. From the traditional bubble wands and dip dish playsets to the outdoor party bubble machines, P&C’s range of colourful and attractive designs set children’s imaginations and bodies in motion. For 2017, P&C Toys has the fantastic Make Kids Smile Bubble Fun Bubble Space Friends. This battery-operated, handheld bubble maker comes with a soap bubble solution dip dish for outdoor bubble-making fun. The assortment comes with a Space Bubble Gun and a retro looking Robot Buddy.
Let battle commence! VIVID IMAGINATIONS 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Splash and soak over and over with the amazing Water Wubble. These unique, reusable water balloons are pop resistant and can be refilled quickly via easy-fill nozzles with three different filling options. Water Wubbles are self-sealing, meaning no fiddly tying for lots of instant water-battling fun!
Slime time! ZIMPLI KIDS
08454 591 818 www.zimplikids.com Zimpli Kids designs and manufactures the perfect solution to a safe DIY Slime. Slime Play product easily allows children to turn water into a thick gooey slime with super slime powder that is 100 per cent safe, non toxic and environmentally friendly. Slime Play is very similar to Zimpli Kids’ extremely popular Slime Baff, which in the last year has become a YouTube sensation with over 1.8 billion views.
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WATCH OUT FORâ&#x20AC;Ś The monthly focus on products that are hot right now and can help you sell more
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FeatUre
InteraCtIVe stem
STEAMing ahead more and more people are cottoning onto the fact that toys can be more than just playthings, they are actually real educational and life learning aids. the increasing popularity of stem and steam products is evidence of this. tnP takes a closer look at the category…
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Did you know…
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Learning Resources’ MD Dennis he fact of the that offer above-the-norm Blackmore tells us STEM is “more matter remains educational value and stimulus. this; toys that With strong ties to the than just an amalgamation of four Our view is offer more than national curriculum, this is a areas of learning; it’s about how that this will just play value are category which children learn”. become an incredibly appealing to a manufacturers and suppliers evergreen category certain category of buyer. are seeing as an evergreen. Learning Resources is currently You are appealing to the “STEM/STEAM products will always for the toy industry riding high with its Code & Go Robot parents who want to be a core offering as it is a part of the Mouse and are even finding it a Gail Fisher, encourage their young national curriculum, we very much challenge to keep it on shop shelves. leapFrog protégée, the teacher who see it as an Expanding on the ideals behind sees merit in alternative evergreen STEM, Dennis explains: “It is more educational stimuli, the category,” than just an amalgamation of four grandparent who wants to DKL’s Sales areas of learning; it’s about how boast about how clever and children learn. Real STEM products young Tina is because she must engage the user in the can do her times tables faster than engineering process which is: spin master anyone else. And naturally, you’ll define the problem, plan appeal to the kids who can actually solutions, make a model, test do their times tables faster than the model, reflect and reanyone else. design. It’s this problem Of course, the buzz word these definition and problem solving days is no longer just STEM (science, Marketing process where the value of STEM STEM products technology, engineering and Director David learning can be found.” must engage the user in mathematics), it’s been upgraded to Allan told TnP. With such a huge drive behind the the engineering process: STEAM (the A representing art) or “The way we see category, and links to the national even STREAM (the R representing it is STEM/STEAM define the problem, plan curriculum, this is undoubtedly a robotics). toys offer an extra solutions, make a model, growth area for retailers too. But when we really boil it down, perceived value.” test the model, reflect In fact LeapFrog’s Gail tells us: what we are talking about are toys And he is not and re-design. “We’re starting to see retailers wrong because it responding to the trend — many now is this very aspect have dedicated STEM pages on their dKl that appeals to websites. Thanks to the growing consumers. popularity and demand for STEM “The demand for toys and home toys, parents want to be able to see learning devices which teach STEM is all the options that are available to rising exponentially,” LeapFrog’s them clearly laid out in once place. Content and Licensing Manager Gail We make sure that we are a part of Fisher tells us. “The category is these dedicated pages in order to becoming increasingly competitive as showcase LeapFrog’s growing range demand rises.” of STEM toys.” And encouragingly, Gail adds: “Our And DKL’s David Allan adds: view is that this will become an “Having products out on display evergreen category for the toy really is a game changer and is industry. With such heavy focus something we encourage. To support placed upon STEM subjects by the this, we offer in-store videos and POS national curriculum and the media to grab the attention of customers. alike, plus government initiatives to We also offer staff training to ensure fill the skills gap, it’s unlikely STEM is staff have a high level of product going away any time soon.” knowledge.” This sentiment is echoed by Delve into the following pages to Learning Resources’ MD Dennis get an idea of some of the STEM/ Blackmore who proclaims “education STEAM/STREAM products on offer. is in our company’s DNA!”.
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FaCt!
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Lab fab
Brain training
Galt Toys 0161 428 9111 www.galttoys.com Especially for young scientists, Galt Toys has introduced its exciting new Explore and Discover range, featuring five great Lab Kits â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Science Lab, Rainbow Lab, Glow Lab, Magnetic Lab and Slime Lab. For children aged from five to eight years, these kits encourage early STEM learning and scientific thinking while having lots of fun! Children are encouraged to explore the wonders of science and discover more about the world around us. All the kits are compatible with the national curriculum and include a full-colour lab book with fun experiments.
Green Board Games 01494 538999 www.greenboardgames.com At Green Board Games, STEMfocused games and packs have been developed specifically in line with the national curriculum for both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, accommodating mixed ability learning across all disciplines. BrainBox Science, Space, Maths and Inventions all use the classic BrainBox style 10-second memory game play, provide an enjoyable, speedy way to gain facts, enhance knowledge and spark fascination for subjects. BrainBox game play is loved for its simplicity. Whether one player or six, 10 minutes or an hour, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;play together, learn togetherâ&#x20AC;? philosophy is exercised and maintained. Within the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive range, GBG also provides additional scientific material, such as Brain Links Cards: Solar System, Digestion, Rock Cycle and Chemical Reactions. Plus thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Great Inventions and Dinosaurs Playing Cards, originally conceptualised for the Science and Natural History museums, identifying facts, dates and details within each main deck of cards. These with a whole variety of STEM driven Snap & Pairs cards underpin yet another angle to support the learning and enhancement of the developing mind.
>Galaxy Tracker 60mm Smart Telescope
New
Scientific exploration inspired by
>360 HD Microscope
>Planetarium
> Chemistry Lab
To place an order please contact:
+44 (0)1295 768078
salesadmin@trendsuk.co.uk www.trendsuk.co.uk 7UHQGV 6FLHQFH DG 713 KDOI S [ $35,/ LQGG
April 2017
Copyright Š2017 Discovery Communications, LLC.
For media enquiries, please contact Ane Olesen: ane@wirepr.eu
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Magic numbers
Body language
Orchard Toys
DKL Marketing
01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com
01604 678780 www.dkl.co.uk
Orchard Toys has taken the fun magical elements of its Magic Cauldron Game and made them even better to create Magic Maths! With a name change, updated gameplay, fun new wizard characters and a broader range of simple and challenging sums, this spellbinding game is bound to be a favourite among conscientious parents and budding wizards! Players take turns to solve the
sums and fill their boards with yucky spell ingredients, from worm-infested cupcakes to brains and bogies! Once players have worked out the answer to the sum, the magic begins by turning over their card and rubbing the heat sensitive patch to reveal if their answer is correct. Designed specifically for children aged five to seven in collaboration with teachers, Magic Maths incorporates a broad range of sums including addition, subtraction and multiplication, offering a more challenging game to that of Magic Cauldron. Knowing the popularity of wizards and the previous success of Magic Cauldron, Orchard Toys predicts this revamped game will be a successful addition to the range.
Discovering STEM
Kids can go wild with science or explore the world around them with fantastic science kits from SmartLab! Each value-packed kit features a kidfriendly learning guide filled with solid science. The concepts presented are based on established scientific principles and fact-checked by experts. At the heart of the range is the best-selling Squishy Human Body. The body comes complete with squishy organs, bones and muscles, and a 24-page activity book which guides kids as they dissect and pull the model apart. Children can collect other kits from the squishy range, including the Squishy Zombie, Squishy T-Rex, and Squishy Brain. Due to the fantastic success of the Demolition Lab Triple Blast Warehouse, SmartLab has introduced the unique Demolition Lab Wrecking Ball. Kids can build an abandoned building and then strategically place the wrecking ball to knock it down. Young scientists get handson experience experimenting with potential and kinetic energy, momentum, and other principles of physics. Not to be missed is the bestselling Star Dome Planetarium, as it transforms a room into the night sky! Set the LEDpowered planetarium on the impressive three-foot stand for an uninterrupted 360-degree view. Glow-inthe-dark star maps allow young astronomers to track 28 constellations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres!
Trends UK 01295 768078 www.trendsuk.co.uk Inspired by authentic Discovery Channel content, the Discovery brand encourages curiosity about the real world. The Trends UK range consists of different science toys that inspire exploration and adventure. The Discovery 30mm Telescope, Discovery Bug Barn and Discovery Digital Walkie Talkies are just some of the items that are perfect for exploring nature in spring and summer. Offering real working features and educational benefits relating to the STEM curriculum, the Discovery range will be extended in 2017 with the new hi-tech Discovery Galaxy Tracker Smart Telescope, available for spring. It includes a smartphone adaptor and aluminium tripod. Attach a phone and start using the app to access an intelligent star tracking system. The Star Walk 2 App identifies the constellations being viewed and has won an Apple design award. Be Amazing’s Insta-Snow is the market leader of instant play snow. Insta-Snow is reusable - just add a few drops of water and the powder expands instantly for snow that looks and feels real to touch. Supported with PR campaigns promoting the range, Insta-Snow is available in tubes or on blister cards.
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Skill builder Engino
Chart toppers Fiesta Crafts
07481 155075 www.engino.com
020 8804 0563 www.fiestacrafts.co.uk
Engino is a pioneer in the development of STEM products and has created three ranges of product which allow children to develop their cognitive, educational, motor and social skills. The new Qboidz system combines the award-winning snapfit connectivity of Engino system with the effortless building feature of stackable blocks. The system encourages pre-school children to develop their cognitive, social and motor skills through fun and creative play. The Qboidz development is based on the latest pedagogical principles of STEM, aiming to provide both girls and boys with the necessary experiences, skills and knowledge to cope with the technological advancements of the future. The parts are suitable even for two year olds but due to the complexity of some models, age three to six is recommended. The new STEM Heroes series introduces children into the world of STEM disciplines through a completely new and playful approach! Boys and girls can construct one exciting model from each of the small sets, while also learning interesting facts about each theme through the included leaflet and the free app. Themes include Aviation, Space Exploration, Animal Kingdom and Speedster Vehicles, and each consists of three starter sets that can be combined to create a larger model. These can be combined even further to construct amazing mega-builds. The Discovering STEM series was
Fiesta Crafts’ impressive range of Magnetic Charts cover several important mathematical tools, all while adding elements of fun, engagement, and entertainment! Children will be able to improve their understanding of the world of numbers with magnetic charts on a daily basis, using any of the mathematical versions. This includes: First Maths, which covers basic addition and subtraction; Times Tables, which helps children to learn multiplication; Fractions, which will help consolidate knowledge of how fractions, decimals and percentages work together; and Magnetic Money, which helps children work on their addition and subtraction skills in a more indepth manner. All the Magnetic charts provide a colourful visual aid that encourages children to be more involved with their own learning. Not only that, but after each learning session the board can be wiped clean so that it is completely fresh and ready for the next time! Children can also develop their understanding of engineering with the three different Build Your Own toys: a Firing Catapult, a Firing Cannon, and a Rolling Tank. Using the step by step instructions children can start learning how the different pieces fit together to make actual working toys.
developed by qualified teachers and academics, and deals with the core subjects of STEM. Each package includes a comprehensive activity booklet, covering a broad area of subjects: Mechanics and Simple Machines, Structures, Newton’s Laws, Renewable Energy and even Programmable Robotics. The booklets feature the History, Theory, Practical Application, Experiments and Quizzes as well as multiple build options. The combined packages of Simple Machines and Physics Resource Master Set include five and eight activity booklets respectively. The Discovering STEM Clementoni series offers a practical 020 3206 1101 solution for all modern www.clementoni.com educational issues, Clementoni broadens its STEM aiding the teacher to toys offering in 2017 with exciting engage students in additions, such as the Evolution STEM disciplines. Robot, which was positively received at London Toy Fair earlier this year. This programmable robot can be directly controlled with a Character Options downloadable app on smart 0161 633 9800 phones and tablets with Bluetooth connection, or used manually. The www.character-online.com intelligent robot registers and executes all demands and comes Character Options is offering an exciting new construction complete with sound effects, facial expressions and many different play pattern for the STEM sector with the launch of two new modes of play, including dance mode. It can also perform complex magnetic brands, Magtastix commands, such as picking up and transporting objects in it’s claws, and MagCreator. Magtastix thanks to its moving arms, torso and crawler tracks. is all about imagination, with Also, adding to Clementoni’s existing portfolio is the Interactive magnetic rods and balls which Globe, which allows kids to explore the world using the optical kids can build endlessly with. reader pen. Children can learn about continents, countries, capital The range includes a 20-piece, cities, surface areas, populations, currencies, languages, territories, 40-piece and 70-piece set for elevations, time differences and many more interesting facts. With fun filled magnetic building fun! more than 300 questions divided into different difficulty levels, Alternatively, MagCreator children can test their knowledge. An accompanying app can be features brightly-coloured downloaded and used interactively with the globe to heighten the geometric shapes that attach play and learning experience. together with magnets to create awesome structures and designs.
Do the robot!
Mag-nificent!
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Become a superhero John Adams 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk As the UK’s number one manufacturer in the science category*, John Adams Leisure’s primary aim is to encourage kids aged six-plus to explore the world around them while making science fun. This method of learning aids the development of STEM skills and is key to the company’s Action Science portfolio. New for 2017 is the Super Science range, which will join the company’s science portfolio for A/W. With two science sets to choose from – Heroes and Villains – the range is designed to let children use science to create their own superpowers and explore what it would be like to be a real superhero or villain! Children can create night vision glasses, a water web shooter, launch a rocket man into the sky, and much more with the Hero set. The Villain set allows children to create a virtual reality headset, build a rubber band shooter, fire an energy bolt across the room, and more! The new introductions will sit alongside the company’s existing science sets, which include Hot Wires, Gross Science, Sparkle Science, Neon Science and Booms, Bangs, Fizzes. With 43 quintillion combinations and its unique turning and twisting action, the Rubik’s Cube is still the ultimate when it comes to perplexing puzzles. Learning to solve the Rubik’s Cube can aid the understanding of algorithms and patterns with a basis in mathematics. All key lines will be supported by strong TV / Digital and PR campaigns from launch.*NPD FY16
Inspiring engineers Spin Master 01628 535000 www.spinmaster.com
Go wild for science GP Flair 020 8643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk GP Flair’s classic Wild! Science Bath Bomb Factory and Perfume Factory continue to be favourites, while two recent sets offer even more scientific fun. With the Wild Science Lava Lamp and Glitter Tube Lab, girls can make their own light-up bubbling lava lamp and shimmering glitter tube. Alternatively girls can make beautiful cupcake shaped soaps with the Cake Soap Factory. The soap in this kit can be melted and moulded to make almost any solid shape, from macaroons, fluffy meringues and jellies, to cake decorations and even buttercream icing! Wild Science! is supported with extensive PR. In 2017, the Wild Science Global Science Challenge is taking place, inviting fans to buy one of the science kits, design their own and enter the competition to win a once in a lifetime trip to the USA.
Engineered for learning Learning Resources 01553 818062 www.learningresources.co.uk Learning Resources’ new Engineering & Design Building Set complements the company’s bestselling STEM range. The activities encourage hands-on problem solving and includes 10 activity cards and over 100 playground pieces! 1-2-3 Build It! provides STEM challenges for children as young as two. Encouraging early exploration of physics and technology, 15 colourful pieces are mixed and matched to build a car, plane or boat. Perfect
Spin Master’s STEM-based toys teach and motivate as they inspire the next generation of engineers. Spin Master acquired Meccano in 2013 and has since given the brand a refreshed and relevant look. In addition to the building sets, which have captivated children for more than a century, Meccano is set to launch two new exciting Robotic items later in the year M.A.X. and MeccaSpider. The range has products to suit engineering and robotics enthusiasts from ages five-plus, right the way through to adult. Key new spring introductions include The Sports Car Assortment, featuring replicas of the Ferrari 488 Spider, Chevrolet Corvette and Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, each boasting full steering, rubber tyres and custom wheels. Also new to the range is the 5 Model Set (Motorcycle) and the 10 Model Set (Trophy Truck). Finally for the first time ever the Meccano brand will be supported with a TV campaign in spring – this is a real step change for the brand which has traditionally run TV in autumn. The Meccano commercial will focus on its key multi-model sets and also include the new 5 and 10 Model sets too!
april 2017
for imaginative play, children can connect the chunky pieces together using their hands or the character screwdriver. Young learners get an up-close view of the world around them with Zoomy 2.0, the all-in-one handheld digital microscope. Taking scientific study a whole new perspective, it provides up to 54-times magnification and can be used with a computer or laptop. It features 640 x 480 pixels, VGA CMOS sensor, four LED lights, head adapters for hands-free learning and is available in blue, green or purple.
Fount of knowledge Little Tikes 0845 0533 333 www.littletikes.co.uk Adding to Little Tikes’ active outdoor play portfolio in spring 2017, the new Fountain Factory Water Table, with interchangeable pipes and fittings, makes learning fun and hands-on. Water can be channelled through pipes and into three water fountains.
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ACTION FIGURES
Lights, camera, action Kids love to own a toy version of their favourite characters, and when it comes to the bright and bold world of superheroes and animated action - action figures pack the perfect punch at the perfect price point
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o tentpole movie release or hit TV series is complete without its very own line of action figures. Kids love to own a piece of their favourite content and fictional worlds, and action figures fit that bill perfectly. For the ever popular superhero franchises in particular, action figures give kids the chance to recreate their favourite moments and interact with their onscreen heroes and with plenty of big a small screen action lined up for 2017, now is the time to order big. One such property currently storming the charts is Power Rangers, back on the big screen for the first time in 20 years. The Power Rangers movie is expected to make a huge splash at the box office, and of course master toy licensee Bandai is on hand to bring a plethora of new moviethemed lines
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NPD Top 5 items by value in Action Figures Supercategory FY 2016 • Avengers Titan Hero Series Figure 20 cm Asst - Hasbro • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Basic Figure Asst - Flair Preziosi Group • WWE Basic Figure Asst Series 1 - Mattel •PAW Patrol Mashems - Character Options •Transformers Rid Hyperchange Heroes - Hasbro
Boys will always have an affinity with action figure toys of their favourite superheroes
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Tess ParsonsBroome, Bandai
Bandai
according to Tess, who says that boys in particular “will always have an affinity with action figure toys of their favourite superheroes”. But although action figures are often seen as a boys option, the tide is turning. “Throughout its history, Power Rangers is one of the only brands within its category to promote strong female leads and these characters have always been present within the toy range and will continue to be,” says Tess. “That’s not all, January saw the trade-wide launch of Bandai’s toy line for girl superhero property Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, which includes a
“I think the real upswing in to market action figures is down to the to capitalise fact that there’s something on the excitement. for every consumer, from kids Tess Parsonsto collectors. We’ve seen big Broome, Marketing growth in the adult collector Manager at Bandai market — some of whom go UK tells TnP that for vinyl mini figure replicas like Pop! Vinyls the Power or TITANS, others who pick up extra-detailed Rangers are Hot Toys replicas.” Omar Khan, Licensing and already have a Special Projects Manager, Forbidden Planet sterling start to the year following a phenomenal 2016, with sales up by a massive 84 range of action figures. The ratings per cent according to NPD’s on POP are extremely promising… February figures. “There’s been no We are excited to see this success slowing down in 2017,” Tess says. translate to sales this year.” “In fact, sales have gone from So what about retailers who are yet strength to to add action figures to their strength.” offering? Tess says 2017 is the year to
CONSUMER CORNER
“The boys take their action figures everywhere with them: to school, to bed and even the bath! At the minute they are obsessed with Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Girl power Action figures offer retailers a “safe bet”,
make the leap: “Power Rangers in particular has continued to perform year in, year out for the past 23 years and is a true evergeen - I would suggest to all retailers to order big or stock for the first time if they aren’t already!”
Aoife, mum to Tadhg and Cian
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3516 713 DGYHUW LQGG Bandai.indd 1
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Feature
action figures
Mighty good! Bandai 0208 324 6160 www.bandai.co.uk
The Power Rangers arrived at the cinema in March for their first big screen outing since 1997, and Bandai has released a full range of movie-based toys this Spring, including the Power Morpher. Kids can simply activate the lever and insert one of five legendary Power Coins to Morph into their favourite Ranger as well as
triggering lights and sounds! Once a Power Ranger, kids can battle with the Red Ranger’s Power Sword, featuring a blue Morphin Grid energy blade as well as lights and sound. This unstoppable weapon has two modes: Battle and Training, so kids can perfect their Ranger skills. Behold the T-Rex Battle Zord, Red Ranger’s all-terrain, titanic assault vehicle with mini figure that features missilefiring action and explosive sounds. Kids can click and connect with the other four Zords to form the 60cm towering Megazord! Finally, kids can summon the TV advertised 43cm Interactive Megazord with expandable wings, battle and flight sounds, dynamic LED effects, wristmounted weapons and more. It comes with all five 5cm Rangers for full cockpit play. This range also includes three sizes of action figures and the Red Ranger Mask with sound. September sees the launch of the allnew TV series Power Rangers Ninja Steel on Freeview channel POP. The new toy
Pyjama party! GP Flair (Just Play) 020 8643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk New this spring to Flair’s Just Play portfolio is the highly anticipated PJ Masks master toy range. With a phenomenal launch already under its belt in the US, and the first UK lines rolling out in February, this new Entertainment One property has been making its mark on UK consumers and is a must-have for retailers. The PJ Masks Collectible Figures 5 pack includes seven-plus cm figures of Catboy, Owlette, Gekko, Luna Girl and Romeo. Kids can also relive the show with the articulated seven-plus cm figures that are included with the Vehicle and Figure playsets, as well as the Light Up Figure and
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Wristband assortment. There is one of each hero available. In autumn, a whole host of brand new collectable action figures will be added to the PJ Masks range. First up is the Light-Up Figure 2 Pack Assortment. Each hero and villain duo comes in three variations, and each has an accessory. If it’s larger scale action adventure kids are after, then the Deluxe 15cm Talking Figures are a great addition to any PJ Masks collection. There
range, available from July, covers a range of action figures, role-play toys and Megazords, including the incredible Lion Fire Fortress. It’s the biggest Megazord playset of all time at over 75cm tall and comes with over 20 accessories and battle features, including awesome lights and sounds. It’s three epic Megazords in one: Fortress mode, Megazord mode and Lion Fire Ninja Ultrazord mode. Kids can even combine with the Deluxe Ninja Steel Megazord. The 12.5cm Action Figures asst is ready for Ninja action with all-new posable Rangers and Villains. Also available are the collectable Ninja Power Stars and Launchers, which include a launcher and two Stars that unlock features in the role-play items, including the TV-advertised Deluxe Ninja Steel Morpher. This ninja star shaped morpher is three battle gear toys in one and features over 25 unique sounds. Finally, kids can be just like a real Power Ranger with the TV-advertised Deluxe Ninja Steel Blade, which has an extendable blade light and sound effects! Both toy collections are supported with their own dedicated 360-degree marketing campaign including TV and cinema advertising, PR and press and heavyweight digital activity.
will be six characters to collect, each with familiar catchphrases from the TV show. For ultimate action seekers the PJ Masks Deluxe Figure Set comes with 16 figures and accessories. These figures are scaled to play with all of the PJ Masks playsets including the upcoming Transforming Figure Playsets. Each Transforming Playset comes with two action figures, one of the character as their daytime persona and another of their PJ Masks alter ego! Place the daytime figure in to the playset, push the button on the top, and in true superhero style, they will transform into their PJ Masks costumes. Each playset comes complete with lights and catchphrases and the three sets can be stacked to form the heroes headquarters. New for autumn is the must-have, multi-level HQ Playset. This large set comes with lights, sounds and a whole host of interactive features. This super playset comes complete with a Catboy figure and the Cat-Car too!
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At a crossy roads Action packed! Flair 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk GP Flair’s portfolio is action-packed with a hotly anticipated licensed range from Playmates plus new figures from muchloved boys’ brands. New waves of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures have been released to support Series 5 of the TV programme Not to be missed is the new and innovative WWE Mash Up collection which takes two favourite boys’ franchises and combines them to make the ultimate action figures. In autumn, the new Turtles Micro Mutants will make their debut; a new sub-brand giving fans the chance to collect action figures in miniature form. Autumn will see Flair embark on a whole new adventure with the brand new Ben 10 master toy collection.
All action Schleich 01279 870000 www.schleich-s.com
Character Options 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.com
When it comes to action figures, look no further than Character Options’ portfolio that includes Minecraft, Stretch Armstrong and the unique new Disney Crossy Roads. A full roll-out of new action figures will arrive from the world of Minecraft in May. Six highly detailed and fully articulated 3-inch figures are available to collect. The Stretch Armstrong range has expanded even further with the launch of the 7-inch stretchable action figures. Villains are threatening to take over the boys’ aisle however, as Character Options have brought back the iconic Vac-Man and Stretch Monster. Vac-Man is the 12-inch scale fiend that turns into a mutated rigid beast when his air is siphoned out, while the Stretch Monster will horrify with his superhuman strength in a 7-inch scale. From the globally successful gaming app comes a huge array of popular Disney mini collectable figures in an on-trend 8-bit pixelated style. The Disney Crossy Roads range includes popular characters from Mickey & Friends, Toy Story, Big Hero 6 and The Lion King, and they will be available in single figure packs plus larger sets of four and seven figures. The Disney Crossy Road fun will be enhanced even more with plush lines and playsets.
Schleich has new launches in its DC Comics collection are sure to be a hit with superhero fans. May sees the release of two new figures from the upcoming Wonder Woman film. With the film airing in cinemas from 23 June, fans of the licence can rely on the new figures for quality, detail and realistic styling, all of which will drive collectability. In addition, the popular new Hawkman, Shazam! and Catwoman action figures which launched last month are also must-haves for any retailer’s action figure offering. The excitement doesn’t end there with four new superhero figures will launch in September. Based on characters from the upcoming feature-length film, Justice League, the new figures are not to be missed. The DC Comics collection is supported by a full marketing and PR campaign for 2017.
Virtual playtime Jazwares 0203 598 0272 www.jazwares.com Jazwares has launched a brand new Roblox toy line, an exciting new property that brings to life the immensely popular digital game. Users’ imagination is strongly reflected in the toy offerings, with a selection of playsets and characters based on the creations of some of the most popular community developers – including a range of collectable Blind Boxes, each containing one of 24 characters. Fans can take apart the toy characters and mix and match parts to create new characters just like they can in Roblox’s virtual world. There’s also a range of core figure packs, including: Mr Bling Bling, Matt Dusek, Lord Umberhallow, Circuit Breaker, Captain Rampage and Tim7775.
April 2017
Super star attraction Mattel 01628 500000 www.mattel.com Mattel presents an extensive portfolio of action figures in 2017 from popular brand WWE, plus some fantastic new launches from Justice League Action and Teen Titans Go! The Justice League Action range arrived in early 2017 with the impressive 12 inch Justice League Action Figure Assortment, which captures the unique power and style Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg and Green Arrow. The innovative Battle Wing Batman brings superhero sounds and lights to battle with this 12 inch figure and Justice League fans can recreate key themes from the content with the new Batmobile. Also new in SS17 is the launch of the Teen Titans Go! mini figures range, which each have swappable parts. The range offers single packs, three packs and multi packs to drive collectability. Wrestling favourite WWE’s portfolio broadens this year with new product to entice consumers ahead of Wrestlemania 2017. Fans can bring WWE Superstars to life with the WWE Tough Talkers 6-inch Figure Assortment. They can also go head to head in the new Tough Talkers Interactive Ring Playset.
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Trends CES Tech
Top of the trends Reyne Rice, trend hunter, international toy industry expert, and consultant attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas recently. She reports back on the top trends in kids’ technology
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he latest kids’ technology was on display at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas recently. Trickle-down technology trends that start with adult consumer products and make their way into the kids world has evolved faster in recent years. What used to take 18 months to two years to develop
now takes less than a year before being adopted into kids’ products. Mainstream technology companies either partner with toy and game experts in the kids’ space, or venture out on their own to compete with mainstream toy industry manufacturers for the lucrative kids and family entertainment, play, and educational markets.
Tech in the toy box Some prime examples of tech trends finding their way into the toy box were on display at CES. Mattel partnered with Nabi to create Aristotle, an Echo-like device designed to respond to kids and adults. The Mattel in-home digital voice assistant is designed to appeal to the parents, and to address kids’ insatiable curiosity and endless questions. Plus, it understands toddler-speak and preschool language cues that adult products would
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What used to take 18 months to two years to develop now takes less than a year before being adopted into kids’ products
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not be able to detect. This new device is expected to hit store shelves in June. Vivitar continues to develop product lines full of 360-degree and 4K cameras, drones, and other technology devices, and the company’s expertise in the adult marketplace has filtered into its kids’ offerings through the Sakar
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Reyne Rice is a trend hunter and international toy industry expert with more than 30 years of experience in marketing, researching, and analyzing the toy, game, entertainment, and kids’ technology industries. Her work has been published in more than 60 countries, and she is a frequent keynote speaker at industry conferences around the world. Reyne has owned her own consultancy, ToyTrends, since 2003, and can be reached at Reyne@ReyneRice.com.
Code, build, play STEM, STEAM, and STREAM products were prevalent in the Kids at Play and Family Tech Pavilions at CES, hosted by Living in Digital Times. They were also a key focus of the eighth annual Kids@Play Summit, held concurrently at the Sands Convention Center. Manufacturers unveiled new educational products and STEM-based systems, with developments in products for in-home use, and those designed for in-school curriculum-based programs. Companies are more focused than ever before on teaching coding, programming, and robotics to school-aged kids. The latest offerings help train creative kids to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers, which are key building blocks of the STEM curriculum. WowWee showcased CoderMiP, and introduced its latest coding toy, Elmoji, bringing Sesame Workshop’s characters and color, shape, and number learning to the original Coji emoji learning robots, providing a new option for preschoolers. LEGO unveiled its new LEGO Boost, a younger alternative to its Mindstorms robotics kit designed for older kids. The new system uses drag-and-drop, block-like coding with visual cues, and adds in elements designed to enhance kids’ emotional intelligence. Kids can programme robots, cats, and vehicles to respond to stimuli such as light, sound, and motion with emotional responses.
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sTeM, sTeAM, and sTreAM products were prevalent in the Kids at Play and Family Tech Pavilions at Ces
licensed product range. Sakar has a long-standing marketplace offering for kids’ tech products, and it continues to provide quality products for kids and families at affordable pricing. Other manufacturers are also working through alliance partnerships. Activision’s latest Skylanders Imaginators video game features select Nintendo characters, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Lego Dimensions game features characters, vehicles, and settings from more than 20 licensed properties across multiple entertainment studios. On the other hand, Polaroid bypassed partnering with toy manufacturers and created its own 3D filament pen, simply named 3D Pen, by Polaroid. It is designed for kids ages 14 and up. The Polaroid company spokespeople also indicated that they are developing a cool filament option designed for kids ages seven and up, which should be available by mid-year.
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vision. Cozmo has an attitude and personality that shines through as kids and adults play games and interact with its many modes of play. Pokémon Go jumpstarted AR mobile gaming experiences last summer, when millions of people took to the streets to catch their favorite Pokémon on-screen. It had a global impact on family and intergenerational gaming, and will continue to evolve this year. Niantic promised even more developments to continue to motivate and initiate active outdoor play with an AR payoff. Seedling, a New Zealand toy manufacturer, also provided an interactive DIY maker product, infusing a make-your-own-labyrinth maze kit with an AR experience. The Maze allows users to experience shrinking themselves down and walking through the maze paths, inserting their own pictures and selfies along the VR pathways. This experience is a fusion of AR and VR with unprecedented customization and personalization. Technology has certainly enhanced toys and gaming in the past few years, and the range of tech-enhanced playthings will only continue to expand. Staying abreast of these new developments and focusing on what works best in each retail channel will continue to be an evolving education for both retailers and consumers. As seen in The Toy Book.
A break in reality Toys and children’s products featuring augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies were also on display at CES. CogniToy’s Dino uses IBM Watson Technology to tell jokes and answer kids’ questions, and uses AI to remember kids’ favorite colors, books, and more. The mini Cozmo robot by Anki is powered by AI, with advanced robotics and computer
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Trade
opinion
Trade talk
TnP loves to hear your views. This month we speak to key wholesalers and suppliers to learn what’s on their minds. We explore the hottest topics.
This month, Team TnP catches up with some of the industry’s finest to discover how sensitive retail is currently and what their top tips are for summer 2017 Jim Young Marketing Manager, Amscan International How price sensitive is retail right now? Although consumers are looking for a bargain, driven by endless sales, discounters and internet retailers, there is still a market for value. Value doesn’t necessarily mean cheap but rather quality product in return for their spend. Is it now the norm to work with discount retailers to produce store-specific exclusive ranges - even for brands also available to other retailers. We are seeing this happening more frequently, with discounters and grocers cutting the supply chain and going straight to the manufacturer in the Far East. However, with 11,000 products available domestically from our warehouse in Milton Keynes, there is plenty of choice for retailers who want to create a varied offering for their customers.
Richard Wells Managing Director, Paul Lamond Games How price sensitive is retail right now? Retail is always price sensitive. Competition between retailers is always intense and right now is no exception. Naturally they are all striving to offer their customers the best deal. Is it now the norm to work with discount retailers to produce store-specific exclusive ranges - even for brands also available to other retailers. I cannot really comment on whether this is the norm, as on the whole we don’t tend to work with discount retailers in any significant way and so store-specific exclusives are not really a consideration for us. What are your top tips for summer 2017, in terms of licenses, products or trends? Top trend for the industry…the day I can predict this will be the day the industry grinds to a halt! Generally as a business, hot trends are not really our thing. We tend to produce strong evergreens such as our Yes/ No and Perudo games that have stood the test of time and are as popular today as the year they were launched. However, our new venture into the world of magic is proving very exciting. We’ve had an incredible response to the new Jamie Raven Magic Sets, even better than we could have imagined. These sets are now available in stores so this would certainly be one of our top tips for this summer!
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What are your top tips for summer 2017, in terms of licenses, products or trends? Unicorns remain a popular trend continuing from recent years and are loved by children and adults alike. Our unicorn-themed collection features a new tableware ensemble, coordinating balloons, wearable accessories and costumes to create a complete party setting. We are expecting Star Wars and PAW Patrol to be top choices this year.
Gavin Lawler Co-Founder, The Irish Fairy Door Company How price sensitive is retail right now? In a word, very. With the online marketplace both through dot-coms and other online retail giants such as Amazon and Ebay there seems to be a seismic shift in the purchasing behaviour of end users. We find stores are continually trying to adjust RRP to compete with the online space. A level of confusion, uncertainty and frustration is the feedback we get from our retail trade contacts, and understandably so in our view. Is it now the norm to work with discount retailers to produce store-specific exclusive ranges - even for brands also available to other retailers. I suppose all levels of the consumer market need to be catered for, as each retail outlet has a specific customer on the income tier. It seems to be getting more popular to develop store specific ranges and this allows product to reach a wider audience but also gives a level of protection to independent stores in terms of not competing with mass multiples on the same product. What are your top tips for summer 2017, in terms of licenses, products or trends? After travelling trade shows from Hong Kong to Nuremberg to New York Toy Fair, imaginative play is most definitely in trend for 2017. The Irish Fairy Door Company continues to innovate, this year we will release 20-plus SKUs to the marketplace. The one to watch is our interactive worry plaque.
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LICENSING OPINION KELVYN GARDNER
History sells I
’ve just finished a week in which nostalgia played a big part. Thinking about it, nostalgia plays a part of almost every week for many of us these days. Every generation has history, of course, but none before ours has had so much of that history recorded on film, video, CDs, vinyl and even cassette tapes, in colour and monochrome pictures. The past is accessible without a great struggle. You can even find many of the originals, as collectors of antiques become collectors of classic items from the 1940s onwards. The licensing business is steeped in nostalgia. Power Rangers are about to have their first Hollywood movie. Paddington Bear beat them to it in 2015, a bit slower to the party but all-British. Care Bears are back for the fourth time. Robot Wars is back on BBC and it’s hard to believe that we first saw it there almost twenty years ago. Classic toys, re-launched brands, updated versions of hits from the more recent past (look at Powerpuff Girls and Ben 10) - if you tried to keep away from it, you’d fail miserably. So, instead, wilfully embracing it, I caught up with a couple of classic moments before, this morning, being hit with one more, entirely by surprise. On Thursday I went to see the folks from Beano Studios. The Beano can righteously
claim to be the doyen of British comics. Born almost eighty years ago, at one point in the 1950s it sold almost two million copies per week. The good folks at Beano Studios are tasked with bringing the brand, with its incredibly rich list of characters, to a wider audience again. I say ‘wider’ because The Beano is still a strong comic brand with a sound range of licensed merchandise available. Clearly, it is not right now the powerhouse that it once was, but it’s potential is immense.
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The licensing business is steeped in nostalgia. Power Rangers are about to have their first Hollywood movie…
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We’ll be seeing a brand-new Dennis and Gnasher TV series soon, in CG format, with Freddie Fox (of the theatrical Fox family) just announced as the voice of Dennis the Menace. Wouldn’t it be something if The Beano’s characters could enjoy even half of the rise that US comic stars like those of Marvel and DC have had in recent years? Just to visit Beano Studios office is to wallow in nostalgia, generally, as their location at 185 Fleet Street is in the building housing the last
Robot Wars has made a comeback on BBC and is proving hugely popular
remaining newspaper publisher still located in what was once the home of all the UK press. Personally, too, as this part of London was one of the very first I got to know when I landed at nearby King’s College in The Strand as an undergraduate in 1973. So, speaking personally, is there a toy that I would like to see revived? Well, it was my favourite-ever Christmas present: a pre-painted set of around 100 American Civil War miniature figures made by the legendary toyco, Louis Marx. I still have just one: minus the head and one arm. I have not found one on sale anywhere (note to collectors: there are some Louis Marx Civil War miniatures on sale at various websites, just not the ones I had). If you find one at the back of an old store room next time you stock take, let me know! As I write this on Sunday afternoon, I’m affected by news of the death of a 90-year-old, Chuck Berry. The man who has the right to claim the title of the inventor of rock ‘n’ roll. The writer of dozens of classic songs. Chuck was in his pomp at the same time as The Beano was enjoying its greatest success. The 1950s brought us some great stuff. What a team, Dennis and Chuck would have made, though!
Licensing might be all about the new, but let’s not forget the old either, that’s hot property too, says LIMA UK MD Kelvyn Gardner
The Powerpuff Girls are back in action
LIMA the trade association for the licensing business www.licensing.org/uk email rbeaird@licensing.org
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Brought to you by
licensing T O D A Y
W O R L D W I D E
top licenses for Aquadoodle
IN BED WITH BATMAN Character World has launched a new LEGO Batman range. The range includes a duvet cover with matching pillow case, a cushion, poncho and fleece blanket. The new range will be available across the UK and Europe in retailers and online. Tim Kilby, Brand Director at Character World, said: “Previous LEGO movie ranges we have released include LEGO Star Wars and The LEGO Movie, which have both been extremely popular with our consumers and we expect the LEGO Batman range to follow suit. The fun and eye-catching designs will be a great addition to young LEGO and Batman fans’ bedrooms.”
Tomy has introduced some top licenses and product innovation to its 2017 Aquadoodle range with Disney Cars and My Little Pony joining the line-up. The brand will also grow its travel range with the introduction of the Mini Travel Range – Dinosaurs/Zoo Animals Assortment and fans of the popular actionadventure pre-school series PAW Patrol will love the new PAW Patrol doodle bag. Aquadoodle will be supported with a large marketing programme this year, including a TV campaign for the Super Colour Deluxe and licensed mats, which is set to build brand awareness amongst target consumers. The brand says it will also continue sales momentum with engaging POS and instore demonstrations.
Fans go crazy for Chip purse
Cycle to the light
Robot Wars seeks toy partner The search is on for a master toy partner for the hugely popular TV series Robot Wars. The news came after it emerged brand extension and strategy agency Licensing Link has partnered with Passion Distribution to develop a consumer products licensing programme for the hit TV show. A key target category for the first phase of the Robot Wars licensing programme will be a master toy licensee that will develop themed play-sets, including the Robot Wars arena, vehicles and figures. Publishing and apparel are also among the key categories in the campaign, which will be supported by a series of live events building on the success of the initiatives that supported the series’ relaunch in 2016.
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the licensing industry is embarking on a new cycle challenge to raise money for its industry charity, the Light Fund. the 325-mile four-day cycle tour from Bristol to Dublin will take place between 12-15 June, 2018. Places on the tour are limited to 120, with the Light Fund hoping to raise between £150,000-£200,000 for the various good causes it supports. in 2015, 44 licensing industry executives from the UK, netherlands and the Us cycled from London to Utrecht for the start of the tour de France raising record breaking sums.
A £4 purse from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast range for Primark has fast become the must-have accessory for fashionistas. The Chip purse is sold out in many Primark stores with desperate die-hard fashion fans willing to pay big bucks (relatively!) on eBay. The item is available on the auction site at nearly eight times its original value, with some sellers selling the purse on at £31. So if you can get your hands on one you’re in the money and terribly chic to boot!
Licensing
news
Force returns with Maped Helix Maped Helix is celebrating the 40-year anniversary of the first Star Wars film by reproducing a selection of products from its original range from 1977. Launching ahead of this year’s May The Fourth celebrations, MD Gray Richmond said: “This is a brilliant opportunity to be once again working with one of the greatest film franchises. Star
Wars is a big part of the history of Helix and we have some fantastic products in the pipeline.” The Maped Helix Star Wars collection will be launching throughout 2017, including maths sets, rulers, pencils, sharpeners and pencil cases, which will feature the 40th anniversary logo.
Moose meets Minions
Gemma gets the (lady)bug
Scalextric launches McLaren supercar slot car Scalextric will be the first manufacturer to produce a slot car version of the new McLaren 720S. The car was officially revealed to the public at the Geneva International Motor Show. The slot car model has been developed by British brand Scalextric under strict conditions for several months, allowing the slot version to be announced simultaneously with the McLaren supercar. Ricky Black, Head of Brand for Scalextric said: “Our relationship with McLaren dates back to the 1960s when Scalextric was first established, and we produced their first McLaren M4A as a slot car. As McLaren Automotive established, we have continued our license arrangement with them, first with the McLaren 12C and then the iconic McLaren P1. Scalextric is now extremely excited to be announcing the first slot car model of the McLaren 720S.” The Scalextric McLaren 720S was available to pre-order worldwide at www.scalextric.com from mid-March, or from Scalextric stockists, with delivery expected in late 2017.
Gemma International will launch a new range of licensed cards, gift packaging and partyware for Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, after striking a deal with Bulldog Licensing. The hit animation has attracted over 200 international licensees, with Bandai as master toy partner, and over 3,000 products are in development. Licensing Director Tim Rudd-Clarke says: “The brand has been growing at a great rate of knots, and gaining traction across multiple platforms, and it’s no wonder as she fills a huge gap in the market that has been vacant for quite some time: for a strong and empowered female superhero. “I would urge all those buyers who like to follow new trends, to take a look at this wonderful new brand!”
Get educated As Licensing Expo fast approaches, organiser UBM has released a full line-up for the popular Licensing University. The Vegas show takes place from 22 to 25 May in the Mandalay Bay. Kicking off Licensing University this year is Cole Gahagan, Chief Commercial Officer of Fanatics Inc., who will deliver the keynote address on Tuesday 23 May at 8am.
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TNP
LOOKS BACK
Step back in time A rather personal look back through time beginning with April 1987, 1997, 2007 and 2012 by TnP Founder and MD Malcolm Naish
April 2012 Volume 31 Number 7
For more information
+44 (0) 118 973 6222
sales@ recreationplc.com www.recreationplc.com
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April 2012
April 1997
• We conduct an interview with Simon Woolgrove of Achica who had set up in February 2010. Still going strong today, Simon remains Senior Buyer at Achica. • Our Editor-in-Chief Mirella tells us that quite a number of exhibitors at Olympia are asking for an extra day – this obviously didn’t happen and it remains a three-day show. • Mattel post first quarter sales of $928.4million, marginally down on the previous year, due mainly to their acquisition of Hit Licensing. • Argos announce that they will be selling advertising online and in-store. Generating 395 million hits annually this can only be good for Argos. • Our Toy Watcher columnist is advocating that the UK switches to the Hong Kong-style of taking income tax from all our hard-up employees. The suggestion is that simply take a flat rate of 17 per cent from all but the lowest paid workers. As Toy Watcher asks “why complicate things?”.
• The UK toy trade takes another body blow when Mattel announce they are closing their Peterlee factory which makes Fisher-Price and Spear’s Games ranges with the loss of 250 jobs. Production is shifted to Italy. Following hot on the heels of both Bluebird and Hasbro announcing UK closures, this is a bitter pill to swallow. • Ertl announce that they have bought the Britains-Petite company for £5.5 million. With UK sales of just under £14 million this seems good business for Ertl. • I report on my visit to the Dublin Toy Fair, what a fabulous few days! I was most impressed with the Riverside Centre located down by the docks. Not only did it have the exhibition centre, but also a pub where we could all go after the show closed each day. I have to say that Guinness – a drink I have never enjoyed, tasted lovely in Dublin. I gather it is the water from the River Liffey that makes it so special! With half of the exhibitors over the other side of Dublin at the Tara and Montrose, I spend a fortune of taxi fares going between the two venues. • With an election looming sales at retail are a bit sluggish, although I’m not quite sure why this should have anything to do with it?
April 2007 • Smoby Majorette – the second largest toy manufacturer in Europe announce a financial restructuring as part of their forthcoming purchase by MGA Entertainment Inc. • There is much talk of the problems to be faced next year when Toy Fair and Spring Fair have the same dates. For the smaller companies it will be particularly tough and I mention that at Spring Fair buyers do write orders, where this is not the case at Toy Fair. I suggest that toy buyers make a special effort to put pen to paper next year. • David Allan joins DKL where he resides today as Sales & Marketing Director. • I am sad to report the death of Jim Stephens — a doyen of the toy industry and a fellow director of the January Harrogate show. • Mothercare completes it £85 million acquisition of ELC. • Spider-man and Transformers products all appear to be selling really well at independent retailers. • Games company Upstarts go into administration. They blame an over-supply of DVD games as the reason. Such a shame as the company had supplied some great games over the years. • Irish retailer Smyths are about to launch their superstores in England — what a success story! • The third series of Doctor Who brings in eight million viewers — great news for all the licensees. •
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April 1987 • I highlight Woolie’s new Kidstore concept situated in Ealing Broadway. 42 per cent of product is ownbrand across bedlinen, nursery and pre-school. I report that it has a Next feel to it and find out that the design and shop fitting company hired had also created the Next look across their stores. • The North v South football match raises over £24,000 — what would that be worth in today’s currency? Sadly, on the down side Paul Weston, who back in 1987 worked for Toys R Us, suffers a broken leg. • On the retail front it seems very buoyant with Beatties acquiring 14 stores from NSS, Alan Baxter’s Jolly Giant announces a further three openings, bringing their number of stores to nine and Toys R Us planning more store openings in September. • I make the point that the future looks tough for the independents — how true, my crystal ball had been working overtime! • Kiddicraft appoint four new National Account Managers. Our pic shows Chris Isitt (bottom left) and of course Chris today runs the UK and Europe for Rubie’s.
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