Toys n Playthings 2023

COMING SOON

TEAM UP, SPOT THE MATCH, ALIGN THE CARDS!

Fun, fast-paced and frantic: Dobble Connect is ultimate reflex game. The fastest team to connect 4 cards in your colour, in a row, wins!

Assistant Editor Naomi MacKay naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Also by Lema Publishing

LEADER

In a past life I’ve written plenty about films and TV, from preschool right through to outré horror and video nasties, and still do for that matter.

I’m a regular cinema attendee, going a good few times a month, both as a punter and also to media screenings in the West End of London.

And with two kids, albeit one just out of his teens and another midway through, I’ve seen plenty of animated and family features over the years. Some resonate, others don’t, and as they’ve got older, they’ve got fussier. So it was with some trepidation I went along to see Super Mario Bros on the day it opened at one of my local north London Picturehouse cinemas.

I took my 15-year-old; it was one of the few current blockbusters he wanted to see. Things didn’t bode too well in a screen with only a handful of others in there; this was its opening day after all.

A deliciously short 92 minutes later and we were both left satisfied, not least at its lean running time, a delight compared to overblown holiday fare, which made the film all the more enjoyable. And its subsequent storming of the box office in the UK and beyond has been marvellous, not least for toy and video game to film adaptations.

Anyone who remembers the last Mario feature, the ill-fated pop promo-styled live action outing with Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper (for the record: I liked it), will know how hard it is to get video-game- or toy-tofilm properties right. The video game world has been blighted with them, some decent, some acceptable, a lot barely watchable.

But Mario, like the Sonic the Hedgehog before it (it was retooled after initial sceptical responses to the first trailer and ended up winning over audiences, including my youngest), has shown the potential.

The Transformers franchise has soldiered on despite poor reviews from the more

Tim Murray

upmarket critics and still proves to be financially viable, but toy properties haven’t always fared well (apart from the blindingly obvious Toy Story series), certainly not when it comes to acclaim and welcome from reviewers and adults.

Again, this could all change in 2023 – the Barbie movie is ideally placed to subvert the norms of toy-to-film franchises, thanks to its knowing wink to grown-ups as evinced by the first trailer for the film and images released thus far. Early word on the film from those in the know is very good, and it is certainly tracking well.

The same is true, I would suggest based on its first trailer and, again, early word from those who’ve seen more, for the latest iteration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Seth Rogen, the talent driving much of this new animated take on the classic, will add the right kind of stare-to-camera nod and a wink, the odd Easter egg or in-joke to older fans of the franchise, and the right level of self-deprecation and mockery to the proceedings.

It appears as if, in 2023, Barbie and the Turtles will, like Mario and Sonic, get the blend right between pleasing young fans and their parents, elder siblings or older family members.

It’s a fine balancing act to pull off but one that could reap dividends for retailers with toy and game product coming through the line.

As Disney’s box office and animation output is hampered by its efforts on Disney+ – its strategy to release product quickly to the streaming service is beneficial for some retailers, giving a longer tail to product at retail, while the lesser box office for some of its recent fare (and Star Wars and Marvel, you could argue) gives an impression that it’s not performing at a top level – it’s good to see others winning through. Universal is, thanks to Illumination and DreamWorks Animation product, a bona fide animation powerhouse and it’s well worth keeping an eye on its output. Even Disney’s forthcoming Marvel blockbuster, Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3, should offer up a genuine return to form and a critical and audience hit for the most part.

These developments are, it must be noted good for retail as much as they are for cinemas. If Hollywood can continue to show it inherently knows how to translate toys and games to the big screen, everyone’s a winner.

At the heart of retail

It appears as if, in 2023, Barbie and the Turtles will, like Mario and Sonic, get the blend right between pleasing young fans and their parents, elder siblings or older family members

Four

The number of key elements that designers of Ravensburger’s forthcoming big trading card game launch Disney Lorcana wanted to include in the game. Co-designer Ryan Miller said: “My co-designer Steve Warner and I kept four factors in mind when designing the game: approachability, fun, strategy, and whimsy. We created streamlined rules that we believe will engage new players, while also developing enough strategy in the game to engage experienced players.

“We also wanted to make sure Lorcana feels like a Disney game, which is shown through the art, flavour text, and design. For example, there are ‘song’ cards in the game based on songs from Disney films. While you’re not required to sing them when you play, we highly encourage it.” Miller was talking as Ravensburger unveiled rules for the game, due in specialist stores on August 18 and everywhere on September 1. It will preview at the UK Games Expo early in June.

The month in numbers

Some of the past month’s news highlights as offered up by the Toys n Playthings newsflash and more. To sign up for daily bulletins, go to www.toysnplaythings.media

377 million

The amount, in dollars, earned worldwide in the opening weekend of the Super Mario Bros movie. It more than doubled the haul of Sonic the Hedgehog’s first feature-length film outing in the US, as well as becoming the biggest ever animated AND video game openings ever. Its box office receipts in the opening weekend in the UK totalled more than £15 million. Analysts expect its figure to grow substantially, aided by a short 92-minute running time and a lack of competition until the May arrival of the third Guardians Of The Galaxy film.

15.8 million

The number of subscribers that gamer Youtuber Aphmau (real name Jessica Bravura) has on the platform. Her popularity now stretches into toys, as Character Options launched a range licensed from Bonkers Toys in the US. The collectables and plush are, the company said, selling brilliiantly, alongside the equally successful range form YouTubers Lankybox, aka Adam and Justin.

“Both Aphmau and LankyBox have an extremely loyal and passionate fanbase that has driven red hot toy sales in both the US and now here in the UK; they are craving more collectables so keeping the line fresh, delivering newness regularly is key to ensuring the trend continues at this pace.”

Mark Hunt, Character Options’ marketing director

The number of Scrabble tiles used to help make a replica of the St Edward’s Crown that will be used in the coronation of King Charles II. The crown was made by Scrabble and parent Mattel to not only mark the royal occasion but also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the word game. It was due to go on display in The Entertainer’s store in Westfield White City and garnered press coverage around both events.

10,000

The number of LEGO bricks won by St Hild’s Primary School in Durham after impressing the judges in the latest thrust of LEGO’s Build the Change initiative. The programme, aimed at encouraging learning, notably about sustainability, through play-based activity, as well as giving kids the chance to “express their hopes and dreams for the future”, asked schoolchildren aged between seven and 11 to make a short film about an issue in their local community. More than 1,500 schools took part.

Wall walkers raise charity cash

The first-ever Fence Club Wall Members’ fundraising initiative was completed on Saturday April 1.

Andrew Laughton, Kevin Jones, Graham Canning and Michael Angel joined Keith Elmer in finishing the Windsor 25km’s Ultra Challenge –amazingly without one spot of rain falling. Miraculous given the preceding few days of very wet weather.

The counter registered 37,300 steps and the 25km walked was achieved in a time of five hours.

There were 2,000 walkers, runners and joggers also taking part on that

day for their own charities, but only five wore the bright red Fence Club tee shirts.

The final total raised will not be known for a while, as money is still coming in, but it is gratifying to know that every single penny raised will go to helping disadvantaged and disabled children.

It’s not too late to support this initiative via the following link:www.justgiving.com/fenceclub

Hopefully, this will spur on these mostly retired Fence Club Wall Members to do it again next year.

Chilly reception at Toy Industry Day

The Toy Industry Day is heading to chillier climes this year with a keynote speaker talking about polar exploration – all from the safety of Egham, Surrey.

Arctic explorer Ann Daniels will be appearing at this year’s event due to take place on Wednesday June 28 at the Great Fosters Hotel.

Daniels is one of the few people in the world to have trekked to both North and South Poles, and was the first woman in history, alongside companion Caroline Hamilton, to reach both as members of all-women teams.

The event takes place from 10.15am after the BTHA AGM,which kicks off proceedings at 9.30am.

Also presenting on the day will be KPMG retail expert Amanda Myatt discussing the current retail landscape, with a hot buffet lunch and networking opportunities.

The full schedule is available www.btha.co.uk/ industry-day, with tickets costing £51 + VAT, with subsequent tickets £25.75 + VAT. There is limited capacity at the venue so make sure to register early. Further information can be gleaned by emailing Rebecca@btha.co.uk.

May Mayhem approaches

The Toy Trust’s annual fundraiser is nearly upon us and to help anyone wanting to take part in this year’s event, dubbed May Mayhem for 2023, the organisation has put together a page of ideas to inspire charity activity.

May Mayhem takes place throughout the late spring month, with the Trust aiming to get a record number of companies involved, inviting (and urging) the industry to get involved in activities either as individuals or as part of a team.

As the organisation noted: “From physical sporting challenges to bake sales, raffles or quizzes, we are encouraging as many people as possible to get involved in whatever way they wish.”

The main beneficiary this year is mobility charity Whizz-Kidz.

More information from www.toytrust.co.uk/maymayhem or by emailing Matt@btha.co.uk.

A’Doorable Easter

Just Play celebrated Easter by sending out a string of its Disney Doorables to influencers and social media types to organise their own treasure hunts for the collectables.

The packs featured characters from Series 9 of the Disney Doorables, which features 50 different Disney and Pixar characters from the classics, including limited edition pearlised translucent, metallic figures from Mulan.

As the release statement noted: “Once the treasure hunt has started, the fun doesn’t stop as Disney Doorables allow the magic of finding your treasure to continue with a surprise in store behind every door. Starting off small, families were encouraged to find the Disney Doorables Mini Peeks ,which when found and unboxed reveal two or three figures hidden inside. The big prize at the end of the hunt is the Disney Doorables Multi Peek offering an exciting five, six or seven Disney figurines behind each door.”

Fans see new Star Wars goodies

Star Wars fans descended on east London’s hangar-sized ExCel centre over the Easter weekend for Star Wars Celebration Europe, and toy companies were among those exhibiting and showing their wares at the mega-event.

As well as plenty of toys on show, fans also saw presentations and talent arriving from key shows and films from the SW universe, with forthcoming content airing and Q&As aplenty, with further celebrations for the 40th anniversary of one of the Empire’s key plans, Return of the Jedi.

LEGO unveiled a raft of new products, including the Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter Building Set retailing at more than £200, alongside Star Wars Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama Building Set and Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase Diorama Building Set.

Jazwares was also in attendance, while Rubies showed off a new battle-damaged Mandalorian helmet, and Diamond Toys highlighted a wealth of figures, statues and busts.

Hasbro was there with everything from lightsabers to helmets by way of Return of the Jedi Monopoly, with a raft of Lucasfilm-related goodies ahead of Dial Of Destiny. Funko was also in attendance, with `Random House, while Jazwares hosted a panel to talk about its Micro Galaxy figures, under the banner of Star Wars: Galaxy-Sized Collecting in a Micro World, and Asmodee also presented with its own panel. A statement noted: “Rounding off a busy day, Asmodee’s panel event, From Screen to Tabletop, included a discussion of its forthcoming new Shatterpoint range of toys, and took fans on an exploration of the process behind making miniatures games for fans across the galaxy. The panel team made up of director of licensing, Simone Elliott and Will Shick, director of product development, also opened the vault and delved into the creative process, giving behind-the-scenes peeks at concepting work, rules philosophy, art selection and more.”

Back on board

It’s back. Following a Covid-enforced lay-off since the pandemic hit, grown-up games night Board Game Club is set to return to the capital in May.

The event has secured a monthly residency at exclusive members’ venue the Century Club in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue. starting on Tuesday May 2 and then every first Tuesday of the month.

Century Club curator Suzette Field said: “We loved hosting Board Game Club in the past and are really excited about opening our doors to the sociable tabletop community again, and also bringing this fantastic night to our own members.”

Playtime PR’s Lesley Singleton added: “Board Game Club’s eagerly anticipated resurrection is finally here and we couldn’t be happier with the residency at Century. It’s an excellent home for our Club and we’re looking forward to making everyone’s lives more playful with some great sociable games from the likes of Exploding Kittens and Funko Games. Plus, for our brain-teaser-loving guests, we’ll even have a new head-scratching corner dedicated to a mind-twisting selection from The Happy Puzzle Company.”

Tickets are available from www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/board-game-club-relaunchnight-at-century-club-tickets-609407523307; to get on the mailing list head to www.boardgameclub.net.

THE TWEEN TAKEOVER

Last month the Toy Association in the US outlined its key trends for 2023. This month the organisation’s Maddi Michalik takes a closer look at one of those hot topics, the tween and kidult boom…

Once upon a time, toys were considered solely for children, but today, the toy industry is seeing a significant shift in its consumer base. More and more adults are indulging in the nostalgia of their childhood and embracing play as a way to destress and add fun to their daily lives. However, while the rise of kidults has been well documented (Circana reported that kidults ages 12 and up are currently the biggest driver of growth in the toy industry), this year the U.S. Toy Association’s trends team predicts that one of the hottest trends of 2023 will be the “tween takeover’’.

Social media is playing a significant role in driving this trend, with tweens and teens eager to showcase their collections of toys, customised creations, and fidget/sensory. In many ways, this new trend is a natural evolution of the kidult trend, with tweens and teens now following in the footsteps of the adults who have been leading the charge in embracing play as a means of selfcare and entertainment.

Here is a sampling of the toys and playthings based on this trend to look out for in 2023:

Tweens and teens can get creative with new Art with Edge titles from Crayola, which were intentionally designed for the aged-up consumer. These premium colouring pages are more sophisticated, have a cool factor to them, and vary with different styles, including Sugar Skulls, Zombie Daze, Graffiti, Batman, Marvel, Star Wars, and more.

Kids can collect a fleet of battleships from a galaxy far, far away with Jazwares’ Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron Speeder Mystery Boxes. Each blind box comes with a vehicle, a display stand, and a 2.5cm articulated micro figure that is compatible with any Micro Galaxy Squadron vehicle. There are eight authentically scaled, incredibly detailed vehicles to collect.

Teeturtle’s Plushie Tote Bags are adorable plush with a functional twist: Each plush has a secret tote bag inside. Kids can open the storage pouch at the bottom of the plush to reveal a matching printed bag, then fold it back into the plushie when they’re done. There are nine plush in the collection, including bunny, dragon, and cat styles.

There are 50 characters from Disney and Pixar films for kids to collect with Disney Doorables Squish’Alots from Just Play. These 1in-tall collectables are irresistibly cute and have a squishy feel, giving this toy an extra fun fidget factor.

Want to know what else will be trending in toys and play in 2023 and beyond? Be sure to mark your calendar this fall as the biggest North American toy show returns to New York City. Taking place September 30 to October 3, Toy Fair will showcase hundreds of thousands of innovative and never-beforeseen toys and games and bring thousands in the global play community back together for business

A Flash collection

Warner Bros Discovery is heading into cinemas with its next big DC film, The Flash, due to speed in on June 16 worldwide, and its global consumer products arm is planning a similarly speedy entrance into stores with merchandise. Global partners include familiar names such as Mattel, Funko, Spin Master, McFarlane Toys and Rubies.

“DC’s The Flash starring in his first-ever feature film calls for a robust collection that celebrates a oncein-a-lifetime event: The Flash, Batman and Supergirl

appearing in the same live-action film,” said Pam Lifford, president, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Brands and Experiences.

The toys and collectables selection is headed up by Supergirl Barbie Doll.

Warner’s announcement added: “Signed toy partners include Spin Master who launch a line-up of action figures, vehicles and roleplay toys with key retail accounts including Smyths Toys in the UK and Ireland and Amazon UK and France.’’

Posh Paws brings the sunshine

Posh Paws and its parent Whitehouse Leisure are working together with charity Rays Of Sunshine on a drive aimed at raising £10,000 for the wish-granting organisation.

The plush supplier is raising the cash through sales of its newly-launched Cure Eco Baby Animal range. The charity aims to improve the lives of seriously ill children between the ages of three and 18 by granting them wishes as well as giving them ongoing support in hospitals around the UK.

Phil Setter, MD of Posh Paws and Whitehouse Leisure, said: “We see the smiles that our products bring to children every day and to help raise money for Rays of Sunshine through the sales of our Cute Eco Earth plush toys is something we are extremely excited to be a part of.”

For every Cute Eco Earth Baby Animal plush toy sold, 50p of the sale is being donated to Rays of Sunshine.

Cheryl Tissot, interim CEO at Rays of Sunshine, said: “The Cute Eco Earth plush fundraiser is such a fun initiative that will have a big impact for seriously ill children across the UK.’’

Indie awards open

Entries are now open for this year’s instalment of the Independent Toy Awards.

Winners of the 16th iteration of the Toy Shop event will be unveiled on August 17, with entries closing two weeks ahead of the announcement.

Suppliers are being invited to submit their entries for hero products across any of the 20 categories.

As the awards organisers note in their announcement of details for this year’s gongs: “The awards are unique within the industry because they are the only ones voted for by the nation’s independent toy retailers who list themselves for free on the popular online directory. Companies can submit unlimited products to as many categories as they like. Each entry costs £150 with discounts available for multiple entries.”

The announcement continued: “Gold, silver and bronze digital medal logos will be awarded to the three most popular toys in each category for unlimited use on packaging, catalogues, websites, trade stands, press releases and more. Runners up who obtain at least 10% of any category’s votes will be awarded a ‘commendation’ logo.”

Tonies raises autism cash

Tonies partnered with the National Autistic Society (NAS) for an initiative held during World Autism Acceptance Week held at the end of March and beginning of April.

The deal saw the audio platform donating £10 from the sale of every Toniebox Starter Set and Toniebox bundle to customers using a special code, which also gave them 10% off.

Pinky Laing, tonies partnerships and PR manager, said:“We have received so much positive feedback from our customers over the years, about how the Toniebox has helped their autistic children, so this is a partnership especially close to our hearts.

‘‘We are truly looking forward to working closely with NAS to help build greater

acceptance and understanding of our autistic communities in the UK, while exploring how our product ranges can further benefit neurodiverse children.”

Gaby Richardson, corporate partnerships manager at NAS, added: “Autistic children may have delayed language development but the Toniebox is an amazing way to listen to stories without the use of screen time. Tonies has been fantastic to work with and they have given parents a tool that could be beneficial to their child.”

Mother of an autistic child, Sarah Lopes, outlined how helpful Tonies had been to her child, saying: ““Spencer was diagnosed with autism and severe speech delay officially at age three. We found that Spencer learns his language through chunks and scripts and a lot of repeating what he hears, commonly known asecholalia. The Toniebox has helped Spencer’s speech and language so much! He can use the copied language in his day-to-day life, and it’s helped him to read the books that go along with the Tonie characters. His speech is super clear now.’’

Smoby gets celebrity help

Simba Smoby has ramped up its marketing ahead of the key spring and summer outdoor toy months by enlisting the help of high-profile personalities to plug its wares.

It has forged a new partnership with Ashley Louise James, with the presenter acting as an ambassador from the end of March to promote key lines from the Smoby and Aquaplay ranges.

It has also gifted product to big names such as influencers Alfie Deyes and Zoe Sugg, with the pair highlighting the Smoby Garden Playhouse given to their daughter Ottilie across Instagram and YouTube. A video of them building the playhouse on the latter platform garnered more than 222,000 views.

The company has promised more partnerships alongside experiential events such as a sponsorship of a play area at the Gloworm Family Fetival.

Ben Hogg, head of marketing, Simba Smoby Toys UK, commented: “Ashley and her son Alf are already fans of Smoby after purchasing the Garden Playhouse last year and working with us on an AquaPlay project. This was therefore a natural partnership for us when picking our

Ambassador and we can’t wait to see her content. Add to this the organic support from Alfie and Zoe and we are well under way to solidifying Smoby as a lifestyle choice for every UK garden this summer.”

LEGO goes carbon neutral

LEGO is investing more than $1 billion in a US carbon neutral factory in Chesterfield County, Richmond, Virginia.

The factory will be completed within two years, with the final 340-acre site –the equivalent of 260 American football pitches – generating enough energy to power 10,000 homes. It will have rooftop and ground solar panels and an on-site solar plant.

It ties in with the brick giant’s sustainability plan, which aims to reduce global carbon emissions by 37% by 2022.

Stretch keeps on going

Long-time favourite Stretch Armstrong is quite literally stretching into new areas as partners Character Options and Hasbro continue to dream up new licences and brand extensions for both this year and into 2024.

The brand is now more than half a century old, originally launching in the early 1970s, before being relaunched in the 1990s and returning to market in 2016. The latest iteration is available in more than 12 territories worldwide and has shifted more than 1.5 million units.

The stretchy character has also entered the internet era by becoming a viral sensation, generating more than 600 million views on YouTube.

Licensed versions, such as Transformers and Star Wars version, have helped the brand spread further across the world and notably the US.

“We’re thrilled to expand on our successful

partnership with Character Options to help bring the Stretch Armstrong brand to new heights,” said Jess Richardson, vice president, global toys & games, licensed consumer products at Hasbro. “Fittingly, we’re stretching this brand from both ends to reach fans and engage consumers in new and exciting ways. This deal is a prime example of our Blueprint 2.0 in action by collaborating with strategic out-licensing partners to reignite the excitement of our beloved brands.”

Jon Diver, joint managing director at The Character Group, said: “It’s an exciting time for the Stretch brand, with partnerships in licensing and distribution taking it to the next level for many years to come. Our 2024 collection, which will include further new licences, will be showcased in LA in April.”

The factory’s landscape was inspired by children, while it will also be donating $1 million to children’s programmes in the local area.

Carsten Rasmussen, chief operations officer of the LEGO Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to mark the beginning of construction here in Virginia. We are grateful for the fruitful collaboration we have had with all partners across the Commonwealth of Virginia who share and support our ambition to build this factory.

“We are working hard to reduce emissions at the LEGO Group and are really excited about our plans to build this solar plant as we push towards a better world for our children to inherit.

“Our new site will allow us to inspire millions of children across the Americas through play and we can’t wait to get started.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by LEGO Group chief operations officer, and Carsten Rasmussen; LEGO group regional president, Americas, Skip Kodak; along with top Virginia state officials and key partners.

More new faces at Kids Industries

Family marketing agency Kids Industries has announced two new appointments at the BAFTA awardwinning company.

Amy Macaulay has joined from BBC Children’s after a 10 year stint with the corporation. She was responsible for digital content production at the Beeb, managing digital marketing and launch strategies for both CBBC and CBeebies product. She worked on, among other things, “web game and app launches, audience acquisition, community

Cartey is with Us

Online retailer Toys “R” Us ANZ Limited has appointed Simon Cartey to the role of commercial director for its UK arm.

The move sees the experienced industry stalwart coming “full circle” – he boasts more than 35 years of global store design and operations experience with the Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us empires, having worked across the UK, US and other international territories.

He will report to the Australian parent’s group CEO Louis Mittoni, in a role that will further grow the expanding e-commerce, direct-to-consumer business and its planned move into physical retail in the UK.

He will, the announcement noted, “retain his responsibilities as VP Store Design and Innovation at WHP Global, which owns the global Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us brands”.

Mittoni said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to the Toys“R”Us UK team. Having witnessed firsthand his extensive experience with store design and deep knowledge of the toy industry, we know he

Downey steps up at Paladone

Consumer products company Paladone Group Holdings Limited has appointed Jim Downey as chief executive officer.

Downey has been at the company for a year, progressing to the CEO role from first chief financial officer and then chief operations officer.

will play a critical role in helping us drive growth and profitability for the UK business. We are confident that Simon’s leadership will be instrumental in our success as we continue to expand our digital footprint and look to open physical stores in the coming months.”

Cartey added: “I’m thrilled to join the Toys“R”Us UK team and come full circle, returning home to where I started my career with Toys“R”Us in 1985. This is an exciting time for Toys“R”Us as we start a new chapter and bring the magic of this beloved brand back to families across the UK.”

Toys “R” Us returned to the UK with the launch of its digital-first e-commerce sites in the autumn of 2022 and is planning to open bricks and mortar outlets in the UK. The brand has already returned to physical outlets in the US, where the rollout of shops with Macy’s department stores across the country coincided with the UK launch.

Dinham heads to Sambro

Sambro International has bolstered its sales team with the arrival of Richard Dinham as business development director.

management, performance analysis and content creation - including BAFTA nominated digital content”. Macaulay joins the expanding company as a content producer, where she will be, the company said, responsible for “campaigns, activations, digital projects, content, live shows and more”.

At the same time, Marina Maurer has joined Kids Industries as a junior designer. She has an MA in Digital Media Design as well as boasting experience at the likes of toucanBox, Loop and Forge. The announcement said: “Her work at KI will involve designing exciting and innovative artwork and products – websites, apps, branding and games for clients and collaborating with the research, strategy and production team.’’

He has more than 25 years’ experience in senior executive roles, most of which has been in international positions, overseeing companies’ expansion and guiding them to greater growth anf through mergers and acquisitions.

The company paid tribute to former CEO Graeme Carr, who announced plans to retire in December 2022 after an 18-year stint as CEO. The announcement noted: “He transformed the business from a small domestic gift company into what is today, a fast-growing consumers products company with sales in over 70 countries. Graeme will step down as CEO effective as of 24 March 2023 and will remain with Paladone until 30 June 2023 in an advisory role to support a smooth transition.”

George Jones, chairman, said: “I am delighted that Jim is taking the position as our new chief executive officer. The Board believes Jim is a great fit for Paladone, with the combination of skills and experience to lead the business through its next strategic phase. On behalf of the Board, I thank Graeme for his many years of service to the company and wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Dinham, who boasts more than 15 years’ worth of experience in the industry, joins the company from Character Options and will be not only leading the UK sales team, but also supporting the company’s plans to grow sales across Europe. He will report to chief commercial officer Eric Markus. He said he was keen to help further sales and opportunities both with existing clients and new ones too.

Dinham said: “Sambro is an exceptional company, with some amazing licenses and category within the toy sector. I’m delighted to be joining the company at such an exciting time and look forward to working with the wider team. My immediate focus will be on developing strategic client relationships for the business here in the UK. I’m also looking forward to working with the UK licensor retail teams too!”

Sambro CCO Eric Markus added: “With Richard’s vast range of experience, proven track record of building strong client relationships and passion for driving new business expansion, he is a valuable addition to our senior management team here at Sambro.

“Now is such an exciting time to join team Sambro, and we are delighted to welcome Richard to the team, knowing that Sambro will benefit from his considerable knowledge of the UK toy market, key customer and licensor relationships.”

Bing-go! Acamar appoints new licensing chief

Bing’s parent Acamar Films, the company behind the production and distribution of the hit series, has appointed Katie Rollings as chief licensing officer.

The industry stalwart, who had stints at eOne, Fremantle and HIT Entertainment, was most recently senior director, global strategy & new business development at Hasbro. The number of licences she has worked with reads like a Who’s Who of preschool brands, taking in Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Chuggington and Teletubbies.

She will be responsible for licensing and experiential revenues for Bing worldwide, and will aim to grow revenues in existing Bing-friendly territories such as UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland and countries the series has recently landed in such as France and Croatia. The announcement added that she would “advise on the strategic direction of Acamar Films, identifying new prospects for Bing and leading on licensing negotiations across all territories”.

She will be leading a team that includes executive director of sales, Natalie Harvey, and director of promotions and partnerships, Kirsty Southgate, and expand on activity such as a recent activation at Chester Zoo and a promotion with pancake restaurants in the Netherlands.

“Katie is such a brilliant addition to the Acamar team. She brings extensive experience in building global licensing and experiential programmes. As Bing continues to grow in established markets and we launch in new territories, Katie will play a crucial role in identifying new opportunities for Bing and delivering on our targets for growth,” said Mikael Shields, CEO Acamar Films.

“Bing is such a powerful and positive property which has won the hearts of thousands of young children and led many successful and award-winning product launches,” said Katie Rollings, chief licensing officer. “I love the way it supports fundamental early-years development with stories which work so well across so many countries and cultures. Bing has such a huge potential for growth I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to lead this talented team”.

Obituary: Antony Michael, Redgate Nunn 1953 – 2023

Antony was the fourth generation of the family to be involved in the toy industry. Previous generations ran the well-known Redgates store, established in 1857 in Sheffield. Redgates reached its zenith in the 1960s when it became known in the trade as one of the best toy shops outside of London, often referred to as the ‘Hamleys of the North.’

Antony’s journey into the toy trade began in 1971 when aged 18 he moved to London to work for Cowan de Groot, a large toyimporting business. Two years later, armed with these experiences, Antony returned to his roots in the North and joined the family retail business of Redgates.

During this time Antony oversaw Redgates’ wholesale division, Wilson Gumpert. Redgates and Wilson Gumpert was instrumental in the founding of the buying group Toymaster. Michael Nunn, his father, was chairman of White Rose Toys, a buying group that was a cornerstone to the existing Toymaster, which continues strongly today.

Antony met his wife Silke in 1977, the daughter of Franz and Marianne Goetz, founders of the prestigious children’s play doll manufacturer Goetz Dolls based in Rödental, Germany. A match made in heaven! After the

Miraculous appointment

With its flagship brand Miraculous – Tales Of Ladybug and Cat Noir growing rapidly and its Ghostforce earning strong ratings across Europe, Zag has moved swiftly to appoint a senior video president for global consumer products.

Company founder and CEO Jeremy Zag announced the newlycreated post will be filled by experienced executive Mark Kingston.

Kingston will report to Julian Jacob Zag, EVP, global operations and head of consumer products, who has overseen the rapid expansion of the company’s consumer products arm. Zag has recently opened new offices in Paris, Frankfurt, London, Montreal, Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, Dubai, and Shenzhen, earning retail sales of more than $1 billion for Miraculous.

The announcement noted: “In his new role, Kingston, who will be based in London, will spearhead the ongoing growth of Zag’s consumer products business that includes licensing and merchandising, promotions, gaming, and location-based experiences, for all the intellectual properties in Zag’s portfolio, including the animated feature Melody, starring singer, songwriter, and actor Katy Perry, which is currently in production.”

Kingston has spent more than a decade at Paramount Global, most recently as SVP for international consumer products overseeing some 18 different territories. Prior to that he worked at both Disney and BBC Worldwide.

Founder Jeremy Zag said: “Mark is an entrepreneurial, accomplished, and results-oriented executive with broad international experience who can spearhead ZAG’s licensing and merchandising activities around the globe.’’

sad closing of Redgates and Wilson Gumpert in 1988, AM international was co-founded with Mark Eckersley to primarily distribute dolls, children’s toys, nursery goods and even a few garden gnomes! In 1998, after 10 years of successful trading, Antony went on to forge his own path and Antony Nunn Agencies was established. Antony’s son Patrick joined the business in 2009, bringing with him youth, energy and new products. A.N.A. will proudly continue under Patrick’s leadership as the fifth generation of the family to work within the toy trade. Antony will be remembered in the industry for his good humour, fair and honest business practices, and his lifelong dedication to a trade that he was proud to be part of. Besides Antony’s working life, he was an active sportsman, running several marathons and numerous half marathons. Alongside running, he was a proficient golfer and an avid squash player, in his later years reverting to racketball, which is known to be much easier! And Antony would never miss an opportunity to support his beloved Blades from the stands.

Antony sadly passed away unexpectedly on February 5 aged 69. Antony will be sorely missed by all those who knew him. He leaves behind his wife Silke, daughter Charlie, son Patrick and his grandson Walter, who he adored.

Zigazoo ups Mady

Children’s social network Zigazoo, which has a portfolio that includes both the Zigazoo app and the Zigazoo Kids app, has appointed Ashley Mady as president for Zigazoo Kids.

She is promoted from head of president of consumer products into the newly-created role. She will work across different departments to meet all revenue goals, business objectives, user growth plans and engagement targets, and is ultimately responsible for the success of the Zigazoo Kids platform.

Zigazoo Kids has consistently been in the top 10 apps for nine to 11-year-olds, boasting 100% growth rate this year and earning 3 million-plus installs.

As the company’s announcement noted: “The platform, launched during the pandemic, struck an immediate chord and has since seen major celebrities like Dolly Parton, to entertainment and sports brands like Nickelodeon, WWE, and the NBA, as well as iconic brands like Amazon launch a presence.”

Mady has impressed at the company for her work with brands and partners such as Save the Children, Amazon, The Mattel Children’s Foundation and Crazy Aaron’s. The company added: “She also drove the development of Zigazoo’s Holiday Rewards Program, allowing kids to win real toys on Zigazoo.”

Smashing onto TV

Toikido’s Pinata Smashlings are heading to TV in their bid for global domination as part of a deal signed between the company and children’s animated and live action production and distribution powerhouse Nelvana.

The deal sees the game franchise, due to launch on Roblox in June ahead of toy, plush, apparel, publishing, homewares and more launching in its wake, being developed for TV by the Corus Entertainment-owned Nelvana.

Pam Westman, president of Nelvana, said: “Toikido is an innovative new company that has quickly achieved success turning popular gaming properties into toys and apparel for a global audience. Their first in-house IP, Piñata Smashlings, has already garnered massive hype ahead of its launch this summer and we can’t wait for fans of the brand to see the new character-driven series that will expand the amusing Piñataverse world and showcase its characters like they’ve never seen them before.”

Toikido founder and CEO Darren Garnham

Bing can only get better

Preschool animated favourite Bing has used the character’s YouTube channel and Facebook page as well as other digital and social media platforms to support the launch of Golden Bear’s new Rainybow toy.

The activity, from animation powerhouse Acamar, also included a filter on Facebook that allowed users to create videos and selfies with young Bingsters with the character’s ears and a rainbow background. The YouTube page featured a Rainybow show, among other elements, while Tonies featured the Rainybow Song, which the soft toy plays as one of 12 sounds, on its mytonies portal.

“Rainbows always seem to be a favourite with young children and Talking Rainybow Bing is a fantastic toy that not only will delight those children who are captivated by rainbows but also Bingsters, for whom the Rainybow Song is a favourite,” said Natalie Harvey, executive director, sales, Acamar Films.

added: “Building on the momentum of our achievements bringing successful gaming properties into toys and apparel, we developed Piñata Smashlings in-house as a truly immersive IP, and are pleased to add an animated series to our plans.

“Nelvana is known for its top-quality development, production and distribution of premium kids’ content, and we couldn’t be more pleased to partner with them on the development of a playful new series that will further engage fans as they experience the evergrowing Piñataverse.”

The wizard is back

Harry Potter is set to return in a move that could bolster toy and licensed product sales and introduce the character and his world to a whole new generation.

Warner Bros Discovery is putting together a new TV series of the classic books. The series promises to be a “faithful adaptation” of the seven books, featuring much of the material excised from the following eight films.

The series will air on Warner-owned US streaming network Max and on other services globally, although it is not yet clear if it will be via existing Warner relationships (HBO product airs through Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK, for example), or as part of a new deal.

Dollhouse on the big screen

Preschool favourite Gabby’s Dollhouse has returned to Netflix for another series, and the launch of the new outing was celebrated at a special London screening.

The pink carpet was rolled out for the event at the Curzon cinema in London’s West End, with influencer families, celebrity parents, tastemakers and more at the event.

Reality TV star Sam Faiers headed the famous folk at the event, alongside the likes of Abbie Quinnen, Kimberly Wyatt, JB Gill, Tinchey Stryder and Ria Hebden.

The screening kicked off a marketing campaign due to run for the rest of 2023.

Paddington heads back to Peru

Everyone’s favourite bear is set to return as Studiocanal has confirmed that the third Paddington movie will start filming this summer. Paddington In Peru will see the migrant bear heading back to his country of birth for more adventures. The director of the first two blockbuster Brit film hits, Paul King, will not be returning; although still involved, he’s handing over the reins to first-time director Dougal Wilson.

Many of the key production team and stars are likely to be back on both sides of the camera.

The first two earned introduced Paddington to a whole new generation, and paving the way for a toy and licensing programme.

Toikido is an innovative new company that has quickly achieved success turning popular gaming properties into toys and apparel for a global audience

“ ”

Smashlings smash into clothing

Toikido continues to add deals for its flagship Pinata Smashlings brand as the company has inked a new deal with clothing company Cooneen by Design.

The deal will see the IP appearing on nightwear, underwear and swimwear. The garments will be made from “natural and sustainable materials, including organic cotton and recycled polyester fibres”.

Darran Garnham, founder and CEO of Toikido, said: “Pinata Smashlings is an exciting and immersive IP that will provide children with the opportunity to truly connect the online digital with the offline physical by simultaneously launching a new Roblox game with a physical toy, entertainment, and clothing range.

“We are delighted to have partnered with such a credible garment manufacturer as Cooneen and look forward to seeing the new Pinata Smashlings range on the shelves alongside household names from summer 2024.”

Ellie Griffiths, head of licensing at Cooneen, added: “We are thrilled to have joined forces with Toikido on their new IP, Pinata Smashlings, a magical immersive game full of colour and cuteness.’’

New deals for Beeb’s Bluey, Duggee…

The BBC has inked more deals for its two “juggernaut” properties Bluey and Hey Duggee to add new products for their army of fans.

The deals are with OTL Technologies, Blueprint Collections and Aligator Products.

The OTL deal takes in headphones, walkie talkies and microphones featuring both preschool properties, with products due to launch AW2023, while Bluprint’s covers social stationery for both and is also due to launch in the autumn. Alligator is already a partner for some products and now adds paper arts and crafts for Bluey.

Academy awards

Spin Master continues to ramp up to the big autumn launch of its new property Unicorn Academy with news it has appointed The Point.1888 as its UK brand licensing agent for the franchise.

The book series is being brought to the screen with a Netflix animated series due to air in November 2023, followed by an onslaught of Spin Master toys due n 2024, alongside consumer products and a digital game.

The Point.1888 will align with Spin Master to, the announcement said, ‘‘create a range of products that captures the spirit and magic of Unicorn Academy for fans both old and new”.

The company boasts experience working with brands such as L.O.L. Surprise, CoComelon, Blippi, Moomin, and Tom Gates. It’s already working on product development and strategy, looking for partners “across apparel, accessories, stationery, footwear, FMCG and more”.

Bethan Garton, chief commercial officer at The Point.1888, said, “We are so proud to be working with Spin Master to help bring Unicorn Academy to life. Admid the wealth of content available to children, Unicorn Academy brings something unique - allowing them to explore a world with sparkle, magic and adventure. For that reason, the possibilities for product development, consumer engagement and retail activation are endless and we’re honoured to be involved.”

Atari powers up again

Legendary video gaming brand Atari is returning to stores after apparel licenseePoetic Brands inked a deal covering clothing accessories and homeware.

The deal was the first European deal signed through Atari’s global licensing agent Tinderbox and is a multi-year deal including territories such as the UK, Ireland and Germany.

The deal will see adult daywear, nightwear, loungewear and swimwear, as well as bags and accessories, and a homeware range including mugs and LED neon-style lighting all coming to stores.

Atari, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, was the iconic gaming developer, arcade and console system. Its legendary games included the likes of Pong, Asteroids, Centipede and Missile Comman.

Hip hop don’t stop

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the year hip hop was birthed in New York, and Rocket Licensing will manage licensing for product as part of a campaign to mark the golden jubilee.

It is overseeing UK and European licensing and will use the strands of hip hop –MCing, DJing, graffiti art and breakdancing – to convey a message of peace, love and unity. Potential product includes apparel, footwear, headwear, sunglasses, records, stationery, tech accessories, gifts, games, toys and novelty items.

It has already announced a first licensee in the shape of Bioworld.

Tubbies clothing arrives

Fresh from celebrating the 25th anniversary of the noted preschool show, Teletubbies are appearing on a range from fashion designer Christian Cowan.

The deal, brokered by Wildbrain, sees the characters appearing on “everyday elevated essentials, including hoodies, t-shirts and denim” as well as a special pair of boots. Cowan, who grew up watching the show, had previously featured Teletubbies in his 2021 collection. This range is inspired by the billboards used to launch Tinky-Winky and co in 1997 on billboards.

Christian Cowan said: “I grew up watching the Teletubbies, so being able to combine that nostalgia with my passion for fashion is a dream come true. The characters’ fun, playful personalities match my own design aesthetic, so I’m excited to launch this new collection to show the Teletubbies in a new light and celebrate them as the stars that they are.”

Jim Fielding, chief marketing and brands officer at WildBrain, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Christian on this new Teletubbies fashion line. Christian’s vision as a designer is unparalleled, and his playful, creative sensibilities are an ideal match for the Teletubbies. At WildBrain, we want to ensure all Teletubbies fans have the opportunity to celebrate their love for the brand, both on and off screen. Christian has created an innovative and stylish line that adult fans are sure to love, while younger fans now have plenty of new opportunities to engage with Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po through our new content on Netflix and YouTube.”

Getting branded

Creative licensing agencies Poetic Brands and Brand Collective are joining forces to collaborate. The former, a specialist licensee of adult, child and baby licensed apparel, and the latter, a tech and lifestyle licensed product company, are both part of PDS Multinational Group and the coming together of the pair will, the parent said, “see these two dynamic sister businesses making the most of each other’s skills and experience”.

Elliott Matthews, MD of Poetic Brands, commented: “As like-minded businesses we are aiming to plug the gaps not already covered by our own individual reach. Together we can add categories to our already established reputations.”

Charlie Rudge, MD of Brand Collective, said: “Together we intend to work on different products and licenses to give a full-360-degree approach for our clients.’’

Right up your Street

Bulldog Licensing has announced more new deals for Sesame Street, which see a range of wellness and homeware products joining existing toy deals.

New deals with Supreme Imports covering a range of multivitamins featuring the lovable characters and GHS Studios taking in kids’ beanbag sofas and chairs, homeware and onesies will see product coming to market now and later this year respectively.

Bulldog oversees the licensing for the long-running children’s show in the UK for non-profit organisation Sesame Workshop. Toys featuring the characters are already available on shelves in the UK courtesy of Just Play.

Bulldog Licensing Group MD Rob Corney said: “The strength of Sesame Street both at retail and on TV is a testament to its continuing relevance and enduring appeal across multiple generations. As more youngsters discover this wonderful brand, we expect to see an even stronger retail presence in the UK for Sesame Street in the coming years.”

Paws for thought

Animation studio Zag has signed on the dotted line for the first pet licence based on its animated series Miraculous.

The deal with manufacturer ZippyPaws will see a range of dog toys and accessories being launched featuring the show’s characters Ladybug and Cat Noir. It takes in plush, squeaky toys, a tugging toy and a patterned bone, and initially covers the US.

Zag founder and CEO Jeremy Zag said: “So many families have pets who are, quite simply, part of the family, and as Miraculous has broad appeal to families, our move into pet licensing is a natural extension for the brand.”

Zippy Paws director of marketing and communications Ashley Newman said: “We’re so excited to partner with ZAG as the first pet license for Miraculous. This collection takes characters from such a beloved property and really gave us an opportunity to put a fresh new spin on classic ZippyPaws products.’’

The Retail Barometer

A regular column in which retailers and more tell us about the positive – and negative – things happening in stores around the country. All comments are provided anonymously, but verified and checked by us at TnP…

To have your contributions potentially included, email tim@lemapublishing.co.uk with what’s doing well and what’s doing not so well in stores, what’s making you happy, confident and optimistic for the future – and what’s giving you cause for concern…

Pokémon – flying off the shelves in all its forms. “If you dpn’t sell Pokémon, you must be struggling,” one noted.

Squishmallows – Another ever-growing range that earns constant plaudits from retailers.

Squishmallows Pokémon – What happens when you put together the above two strong brands together? Well, duh, obviously, a big hit. “I got all my order - and have sold about 70 since February half-term.”

Pocket money toys – Another winner during the cost-of-living crisis, with toys over £30 struggling a touch more...

Outdoor – It’s beginning to pick up as the weather improves, with one of our correspondents noting that skateboards were doing particularly well. Supply chain – Most believe it has improved, but there are some issues. “”We are hearing that distributors are streamlining the number of lines they carry. The amount of times I’ve been told: ‘Oh, sorry that has been discontinued.’” Most are being told, at worst, restocks or product will be in “next week”. As one retailer said: “No one’s saying you’ve got a fourweek wait.”

Battling the online giants – The only worries I have about my business,” one retailer noted, “is my constant one of being lost amongst the online giants (ie Amazon). As a small online business it’s hard to be seen. Social media algorithms constantly change so it’s hit and miss.”

Transatlantic lag – It’s not just the time that’s different in America. With so many trends being driven by influencers, unboxers and the likes, the difference between US and UK release is starting to tell, especially when it comes to hot items. “Social media has such an influence on kids, which YouTuber is unboxing what and so on. The problem is things like Squishmallows are six months behind in the UK. I follow them on Instagram – they’ve put up all the new Pokémon Squishmallows that are out in America but we won’t get them for another six months. Hot Wheels is the same – America is probably four or five months ahead. People come in asking, kids get impatient - they nag the parents who pay five times what it’s worth on Amazon to get it early. I ask them why have you paid 30 quid for a car that’s £2. The adult collectors come in and I explain that it won’t be out here for a few months - they understand, but kids don’t.”

Energy costs – alongside all the other inflationary pressures, these have, as one noted (and others agreed with) gone up in a “colossal way”.

Egg-citing activity

There were eggs-cellent puns aplenty as Easter saw retailers putting together instore activity to woo shoppers away from their chocolate, with major promotions at two of the biggest toy sellers.

The Entertainer hosted a grand LEGO event across its 75-strong estate, with a Make and Take theme, as families were invited along to create their own Easter eggs or Robot Rabbit and then take it home with them.

Craig Lowe, events coordinator at The Entertainer, commented: “LEGO is renowned for promoting make-believe play and creative adventures for children around the world, so we’re delighted to be giving LEGO fans the chance to take part in this egg-citing event in 75 of our stores this Easter!”

Meanwhile, Hamleys’ flagship Regent Street store in the West End of London was the location for the Grand Hamleys Easter Egg Hunt, with Bunny Bear and crew, with a chocolatey surprise waiting for those who managed to find the hidden eggs. There was also origami, an egg and spoon race and plenty more activity.

Paramount opens online store

Film and TV studio Paramount Global has flung open the doors of its first-ever global direct to consumer e-commerce site, Paramount Shop.

The product on offer spans the studio’s TV, streaming and film brands, taking in everything from classic properties to new franchises.

It takes in more than 125 brands, 7,000 items and more than 50,000 unique products.

It features an enviable cast list taking in (deep breath) Baby Shark, Beavis and Butt-Head, Billions, Blue’s Clues, Clueless, Coming to America, CSI, Daria, Dexter, Drunk History, Grease, iCarly, Jersey Shore, Mean Girls, PAW Patrol, Scream, Soul Train,

SpongeBob SquarePants, South Park, Star Trek, Survivor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Godfather, Top Gun, Twin Peaks, Wolf Pack, Workaholics, Yellowjackets, and Yellowstone, among many more.

“Paramount Shop plays a key role in Paramount’s multi-platform ecosystem as a new touchpoint for consumers to discover products reflecting the company’s popular content and culture-defining brands,” said Pam Kaufman, president and CEO international markets, global consumer products & experiences, Paramount. “It is so exciting to have a site that provides a seamless and engaging consumer experience that allows fans to shop across our portfolio of brands.”

The site ships worldwide but will also offer localised experiences for the UK and other key territories.

The launch announcement further noted: “Paramount Shop provides an easy and thoughtful customer interface, while offering an elevated and dynamic shopping experience with cinematic photography and a sleek design.’’

High Street Heroes nominated

A clutch of High Street Heroes – eight independent stores around the UK – have been shortlisted for the Small Awards to find the best local indie businesses.

The nominees include Northern Card Gaming, a Northern Ireland hobby and games store that is known for hosting local community events, alongside Sussex gift stores Maybugs.

The winners will be chosen on May 18.

“These shortlisted businesses are all heroes as they go above and beyond for their local towns, cities and communities,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business Britain.

“Independent businesses like these are vital to help keep the nation’s high streets alive, and they play such an important role in bringing people together. We are so excited to announce the winner of the High Street Hero award at this year’s Small Awards in May.”

Adeel Hyder, business banking director at TSB, added:

“It’s fantastic to see such an impressive group of businesses that have been shortlisted for the High Street Hero award. Times have been tough recently for independent businesses and it is so encouraging to see such optimism shine through despite the challenges they’ve faced. A huge congratulations to all the finalists.”

Staff support

The Entertainer has joined forces with the Retail Trust to help boost the health and wellbeing of its workforce.

The partnership will see the retailers’ 2,000-strong workforce – and their families – being given access to the Trust’s personalised resources. These include the likes of, “access to a virtual GP, digital support, financial aid, counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, support following a critical incident, discounts, rewards, and the Retail Trust’s 24-hour wellbeing helpline”.

Vikki Congiu, store manager at The Entertainer Derby, said: “I recently used Retail Trust’s virtual GP and was very impressed with how easy the service is to use. The service supported my daughter with securing treatment quickly for inflamed skin around the eyes through an online video call with a GP, where she was diagnosed and received a prescription. It’s a benefit of working at The Entertainer that I really appreciate and will use again.”

Michelle Akerman Wilkes, HR & systems advisor at The Entertainer, said: “At The Entertainer, our people are our business so we’re very excited to be supporting them with resources.’’

Happy days for ELC

With the coronation of King Charles looming, the Early Learning Centre has got the regal bug by stocking an exclusive carriage.

The Happyland King And Queen Coronation Carriage Set is available exclusively at its stores, arriving on May 5, ahead of the big day. It can be pre-ordered now. It joins the Happyland range at the retailer.

Titans of the scene

The Titanosaur has landed at the Natural History Museum’s shop with a range of toys and other goodies featuring the giant creature currently starring in its own exhibition at the site.

The outlet has helped create its own character to tie in with the exhibition, Titanosaur: Life As The Biggest Dinosaur.

Titan the Titanosaur celebrates one of the biggest creatures to ever walk the earth on kids’ keyrings and clothing, with two different plush offerings featuring the giant prehistoric animal.

Fugglers escape to Entertainer

The latest Fugglers release is set to land in The Entertainer stores on April 20 with the retailer praising its “impressive” fanbase and sales.

The new Laboratory Misfit Edition features 10 of the characters, all with the trademark wacky colours, weird markings and unique character traits and personalities.

Each of the 10 will retail at £15 and they are set to continue the success of the brand, which has been on shelves for more than a decade.

Andrew Turner, head of marketing at The Entertainer, commented:

“The Fuggler brand has grown an impressive fan base since they were first released in 2010, and we are expecting the Laboratory Misfit Edition to be incredibly popular!

“As such a fun, unique toy, we’re thrilled to be adding 10 new, perfectly imperfect faces to our existing collections and hope Fuggler fans, big and small, will enjoy the all-new range.”

From flagship to mall. What needs to be done, even if you’re Hamleys?

Howdoyoutakea brandwitha massiveflagship andopenamuch smallerstorethat willoffersomeof thesparkleofthe mother-shop,so thatitwillbea successforall concerned?John Ryanassesseshow totakea renownedbrand andplaceitmiles fromhome…

Anybody who has been through London’s St Pancras in the past decade will probably have noticed that ‘the world’s oldest toy store’, aka Hamleys, has been serving those passing through the terminus with games, stuffed toys, models and suchlike as part of the upscale offer in London’s most beautiful station.

It has a much smaller and more targeted offer than the Regent Street behemoth but that doesn’t matter a jot. The store is in that part of the station where those en route to Paris, Brussels or perhaps Amsterdam pass its doors, and what better than to grab a Paddington Bear doll (other than to buy the same in Paddington station perhaps) to remember a London visit by, or to give to an expectant recipient back home?

All good, but not everywhere is St Pancras. Very recently, after just a couple of years of trading, the Hamleys outpost in Meadowhall, the large out-of-town shopping centre just to the north-east of Sheffield and with outstanding views of the nearby M1, closed. The question that has to be asked is why? Meadowhall is a very well patronised mall serving a large, mostly metropolitan, area, and any view of its car park from the motorway will be enough to understand its popularity. At the weekend it is rarely less than full.

Yet this is South Yorkshire and it’s a world away from central London. Like St Pancras, the Hamleys store had only a fraction of what could be enjoyed on Regent Street. There’s also the matter of razzamatazz. Walk south from Oxford Circus and some distance before you are in front of the Hamleys flagship you will be made aware of its presence by the appearance on the pavement of elves, bears and toy soldiers, among others.

These are, naturally, actors employed by the retailer to don costumes and then jig around in front of the store to piped music. It can be a little embarrassing, but for most passers-by it’s part of the Hamleys experience. Now cross the threshold and across the many floors there are demonstrators gathering crowds as they indulge in a spot of field marketing, showing the joy that a particular toy can bring.

Back to Yorkshire then, and the shoppers with a bit of time on their hands. A Meadowhall visit is about a morning, or even a day out. It’s time to shop, have a bite to eat and feel that life is generally pretty good. As such, the time that can be devoted to a specific emporium is not as

limited as might be the case on a standard high street where there are other distractions and stuff that needs doing.

This means that for a store to work it has to have both a good offer and a reason to stand out from the attractions of others. For toyshop proprietors this means being affordable and entertaining in equal measure. It’s well-documented that shoppers will go large when it comes to buying toys, providing that they see the inherent value in an item and that the magic of owning it will outweigh the price. This is what Hamleys in Regent Street is all about, and when it comes to St Pancras, well, time is short and it can be a matter of a last-minute graband-go before boarding the Eurostar.

It would make sense therefore to have the occasional dancing bear in somewhere like Meadowhall and to show off some of the products in an engaging manner. In truth, this didn’t happen much and the opinion of some was that it was not as good as it might have been.

Thus far, Hamleys has been singled out for ignominy, but in truth this is a retailer that really knows its central London stuff (it has been a feature of Regent Street since 1881) and there are reasons why millions of shoppers pass through its doors annually. The tough part for any retailer with a flagship of this kind is how do you take the essence of what it is about and translate it so that the same appeal to the shopper can be understood in a location where it has not previously been a fixture?

Back in the day (before all went wrong) Topshop was a case in point. It had a multi-floor store on Oxford Circus and yet it managed to take this pizzazz to the provinces where it was lapped up and the tills rang out. The offer was tailored, but the excitement remained, and it flourished over a long period. This is where many have fallen.

Understanding a locale and responding to its needs while retaining the sense of what you are about is what a retail expansion policy should be about. There is a lot more to success away from a flagship than simply occupying a unit, sticking a logo over the door and hoping for the best. It is fair to comment that Hamleys in Meadowhall is the exception and with multiple franchised operations across the globe, this is a brand that has resonated with shoppers everywhere. The South Yorks outpost, however, does go to show that even a giant with a huge following can occasionally come unstuck.

Consider who you are, realise what you represent and then, and only then, think about opening a new store.

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.

It’s all about the data

In a column outlining its new impetus and plans going forward, the Insights Family’s Nick Richardson talks about the journey it’s been on and its new data for toy companies…

It’s five years now since we started the business and, you know, they say time flies when you’re having fun and it really does.

Having worked at Mattel on a placement year in 2002/03 – its fair to say that I had some experience of the toy industry, and then as I was looking to launch a new business in 2017, I could see that while kids’ and parents’ attitudes, behaviour and consumption had transformed beyond belief –the industry as a whole was struggling to adapt.

So with an understanding of the issue, and with my experience in using market intelligence to inform advertising & media, brand management, content, licensing, marketing, product development and sales & category management decisions – Kids Insights was sketched out and created.

Its fair to say that the idea and concept of the real-time data and a portal that would enable clients to easily discover the insights that were relevant specifically to their audience, brands and products, really landed far better than I could have imagined. And only a few months after the launch of Kids Insights UK, we were being asked to launch in lots of other countries; we quickly launched into America. Since then, the opportunity and the demand for customers has continued to grow and

grow and grow, and fast forward up until last year, we are now in 22 countries.

I think anyone who sets up a new business and survives five years has achieved a lot, but I think what we (and I include everyone who has worked for us and with us during that time) have done while we have relatively bootstrapped the business has been quite incredible.

That said, we are now preparing for the next part of our journey, and our own expectations of what good looks like has changed, while also recognising that good is no longer good enough – we want to be excellent and to be widely perceived as being business critical.

To achieve that, we needed a more

solid foundation and that included experienced leaders to bring their wisdom. We needed to experience a culture of best practice in all aspects of our business, to enable us to delight our clients and to grow in a way which is sustainable and in a way which is far more globally minded. We needed to use our data science capabilities to give decision makers the right intel at the right times, not just in real time, but also in a predictive way.

What we’ve managed to do is very cleverly put some very smart people around us with a technology background; they’ve been able to take what was in my head and build a tech platform that does all of this stuff and more. Technology has allowed us to do things that, quite frankly, would have been a pipe dream at the beginning but are now very real. This is our next part of our journey. We’re the only company in the world

Sometimes they’retoobusy. What we’re now lookingtodois almosttoprovide our clients with curatedinsights, todotheheavy liftingforthem

to provide real-time data on parents and kids - and the real-time element is fantastic. And the fact that clients have access to historical information too is really valuable. However, when you’re working in advertising and media and the kids’ space, you’re normally working six months in advance because in quarter two you’re finalising your Q3 and Q4 media spend.

Likewise, if you work in licensing, you’re fully working two years ahead of time, and if you’re in product development, you’re probably working as many as three years ahead - from an idea to a concept into a first pre-production sample and then to getting products into people’s hands. What we’re now doing with this technology is building predictive tools. We could tell you what’s happened yesterday and what’s happening today. We can apply that intelligence to our clients to help them with those decisions. By June we will have a product that will allow our clients to log in and look at our data, which will tell them where kids are going be spending their time in Q3 and Q4 from the media perspective. Likewise, probably by the back end of this year, we’ll have the same in place from a product development or from a licensing perspective, which will give a two-year view and a three-

How it works...

1. When Fortnite launched in 2017, we saw that very early and we saw that as a trend that was very much here to stay. Now, if you were a brand looking at licensing potentials, looking at new IP, then you could have really got on the bandwagon a lot earlier on Fortnite if you’d subscribed.

2. Obviously gaming IP is very much on trend (something we have been saying since 2017) but you look at how the Sonic films have completely transformed the Sonic IP. Sonic as a favourite character with kids in the UK was nowhere really. It was like a character well outside of the top 20. But before the first film came out, it was the most-anticipated film that we had in our data. Since then, Sonic has now firmly established itself as a top five character in the UK data with certain age and demographic groups

3. Another great example is Prime energy drink. It’s now everywhere, a huge phenomenon since its launch. And we have just produced a free report on the power of how our intelligence can transform a client’s performance. If you would like to download this report visit go.theinsightsfamily/prime

year view respectively.

These examples are in our data all of the time. You know, the fact that you know gaming and football are the two favourite hobbies with younger children. But actually when you look at kids who like Barbie, they are more likely to say they like dancing and swimming. Well, you take those two pieces of intel, and that creates a Dancing Barbie or a Mermaid Barbie campaign, licensing collaboration, product range or retail promotion. These are the incredible nuggets of intelligence that can inform and shape strategies across your business.

With our platform, you can literally log on, apply a couple of filters and all of that information is there, it’s really easy – even my Mum can use it!

But we are also increasingly aware of just how busy our clients are. We’ve seen that there’s been some significant restructures across the industry, which generally puts more and more pressure on individuals. So, they all recognise that intelligence is key for them. Sometimes they’re too busy. What we’re now looking to do is almost to provide our clients with curated insights, to do the heavy lifting for them.

There are some really interesting and somewhat conflicting trends –the growth of global phenomenon such as Roblox and Minecraft but also seeing how local brands and content are resonating more with kids and parents.

And as media consumption becomes more fragmented, niche is increasingly becoming a competitor for the traditional mainstream. As kids who really love something niche are going to find an influencer or a media platform through which they can consume that content, and as this content is available on a global basis – the numbers begin to become significant enough to challenge the traditional mainstream – as that becomes more diluted.

Whenyou look at kids who likeBarbie,they aremorelikelyto saytheylike dancingand swimming.Well, youtakethose twopiecesof intel, and that createsaDancing Barbie or a Mermaid Barbie

Brands line up for retail event

With the next Brands & Retail conference event looming, organiser and founder Ryan Beaird runs us through attendees and adds more detail to plans…

The line-up for the next Brands & Retail conference, where key licensing companies and suppliers get to present to the cream of UK retailers as well as take part in assorted panels and events, is now firming up.

And one of the media partners, your very own Toys ‘n’ Playthings, will be hosting one of three panels, as TnP editor Tim Murray has been announced as moderator for one focusing on the toy side of business for the summer event due to take place early in July.

And, as founder and organiser Ryan Beaird explained, the event is taking shape in its new home outside of London, and will also be hosting a major dinner and networking event.

Beaird said: “Now well into its second year, Brands & Retail conference has truly cemented itself in the licensing, retail and toy industry calendar.

“We spoke with our audience, which consists of VIP retailers and manufacturers, and found most are based in the Midlands and the North, so decided Birmingham would be a great place to hold our Summer 23 conference.

“It is nice to get out of London and help promote regional growth as well.

“Millennium Point conference centre in the centre of Birmingham has a 30-metre

screen and capacity for 300 people – it is an incredible venue so we can’t wait to see the brands’ presentations in 4k and are sure the audience will be blown away.

“In addition, we knew the conference needed a great networking event so have introduced our new Summer gala dinner, which will take place on the evening of day one (July 4) from 6pm onwards. This will take place in the Grand Hotel, Birmingham, which is a beautiful five-star venue.

“Brands will be hosting our audience on their very own tables, and tickets for the dinner will go on sale to our audience very shortly.

“We also have a great line-up of panels – and are grateful that TnP editor Tim Murray will be moderating the toy panel ,with Jazwares and MGA Entertainment so far confirmed.

“MGA Entertainment, Jazwares, Warner Bros. Discovery, Mattel, The Good Play Guide and Magic Light Pictures are confirmed for the private screenings so far, and we are securing more brands as we speak.

“If you are a toy retailer, toy licensee/master toy partner do come along. It is a free ticket for our toy industry friends (gala dinner ticket price tbc very shortly).

“Also if you are a toy brand yourself and looking to pitch your brand to potential licensees and retailers for business, we have slots for you and they are very reasonable.’’

Brands & Retail

has announced a further three panels to the line-up for its summer event due to take place on July 4 and 5.

There will be three additional educational panels involving key industry executives spread over the two days.

The first covers CEOs and MDs with Michael Gottlieb of Sunnyside Up Consulting who will be moderating. It’s made up of Gurdev Mattu (FashionUK), Mike Coles (Blues Group), Danny Schweiger (Character World Brands) and Jeremy Goldsmith (Event Merchandising) who will take to the stage to share their thoughts on being a business owner and CEO in the UK.

The second panel includes Cristina Angelucci editor of Licensing Magazine as moderator with Julie Jones (Redan Publishing), Jeremy Orriss (Difuzed), Daryl Newlands (Finsbury Foods) and Tom Rossi (Erve) who will share opinions on manufacturing.

Lastly, Dr Amanda Gummer from Good Play Guide will be moderating a women in licensing panel, which includes Karen Addison (Karen Addison Associates), Susan Bolsover (Lightbulb Licensing), Liesa Dornan (Retail Monster) and Lisa Shand (Blueprint Collections).

Event director Ryan Beaird said:

“We have less than 11 weeks to go until the event, with some unreserved 15-minute brand presentation slots still available, and with a great new location in Birmingham and a Gala Dinner it should be on your radar.”

event takes place in Birmingham spanning July 4 and 5.

Disney preschool: outperforming the market

Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar AND Disney itself puts Disney in a powerful position across not just preschool but the entire market. And last year, its preschool arm grew faster than the market. But the company still has ambitions to grow further. As the Mouse House celebrates its centenary, it outlines its thinking on the state of play, and where the market is going…

With its enormous roster spanning Disney’s own classics and characters, its Pixar powerhouse as well as the not inconsiderable might of both Marvel and Star Wars, Disney is better placed than many to exploit its own content.

The addition of its own streaming service has added further muscle to the empire, with subscription services seen to be the go-to way for parents to let their preschoolers view content and engage with it. Throw in its retail outlets and Disney has further data and information about consumer habits.

All of this has helped the company outstrip the market – it grew faster than the overall figures in 2022 – but the major is not prepared to rest on its laurels in 2023, as VP hardlines EMEA at Disney, Gillian Archer, notes while outlining its plans.

“Over the next 12 months, our priorities are to expand the presence of our

Content informs a lot of our thinking around preschool toys, as we know that it’s the main touchpoint among preschool children for engaging with their favourite characters and stories

Gillian Archer, VP Hardlines EMEA at Disney

preschool product offering in retail stores, as well continue to grow the appeal of our various shows geared towards this demographic,” she says.

“Disney preschool went from strength to strength in calendar year 2022, with double-digit growth that significantly outperformed the broader infant and preschool toys market. This was predominantly driven by the success of Spidey and His Amazing Friends. These results demonstrate that our multi-plex strategy is bearing fruit. And there’s more to come, with Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures which will premiere on Disney+ and Disney Junior on May 4 2023.

And, she adds: “We will build on this success by continuing to create incredible content for preschoolers through multi-year series that are rooted in play patterns and pursuing our multi-plex strategy to ensure as many kids and families as possible have access to our content.”

Preschool is key for Disney, especially when it comes to toys. The Walt Disney Company has, Archer explains, identified it as one of its “key strategic piorities”. Much of its activity is driven by the content itself.

Archer says: “Content informs a lot of our thinking around preschool toys, as we know that it’s the main touchpoint among preschool children for engaging with their favourite characters and

stories. This is evident in the consumer engagement we’re seeing with our content across our streaming channels and YouTube, where we’re achieving phenomenal reach with our best-in-class content production across Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.

“Our ultimate aim is to develop bestin-class products that offer more ways for parents and children to play together, and we can only achieve this by working with the very best toy makers and preschool product experts, as well as having a successful retail strategy.”

The process begins for the company with “insights gathering”. “We conduct extensive research into the top play patterns and themes, as well as consumers’ favourite characters and our most successful IP,” she says. “For example, by researching play patterns, we can understand whether playing superheroes, vehicles or emergency services rank highest for four- to six-yearold boys. This then gives us actionable insights, which inform our strategy for developing products and content.

“The reach of our preschool content means we can also be confident in which aspects of our IP have strong consumer appeal and resonate with parents as well as children. This is crucial given how parents inform their kids’ interactions with characters and franchises - for instance, we know that parents make the majority of ultimate purchasing decisions and dads engage with their children on their own passion points whether that’s a hobby or a favourite franchise, or character.

“Based on these insights, we’re then able to create specific preschool content and play patterns that kids love. We’re also able to build on pre-existing parent fandom that helps strengthen connections between families and specific characters or brands.”

It’s a case of getting the balance right – not only knowing those play patterns and habits, but also looking

at the data, as Archer outlines.

“We combine our knowledge of preschool children’s play habits with data on which content and franchises are performing well for that demographic, to build a clear picture of where the focus of our hardlines strategy should be and what is likely to work. We also work closely with our licensees to understand what products are performing well at retail, and apply these learnings to our forward-looking approach for the category.

So what’s currently working for Disney?

“Products that promote a play theme inspired by our most wellknown characters work especially well when designing products for this age group,” says Archer. Our collections with Just Play - including Minnie’s Bow-Tel Hotel and Mickey’s Fire Station and Alice’s Wonderland Bakery - are great examples of how we’ve brought on-screen moments into the real world and allowed children to recreate their favourite characters’ adventures. Similarly, Hasbro’s roleplay range allows kids to put themselves in the shoes of Spidey, Miles and Ghost Spider, and live the stories they love on screen.

“Products that allow children to engage with characters and build worlds around them are particularly important. That’s a need we’re addressing through our latest Mattel Disney Princess and Disney Frozen range, which features animal friends and sidekicks, castles, houses and vehicles that nurture imaginations.

“In addition, our Just Play 6in Disney Junior Mickey and Minnie dolls continue to be hugely popular, as children can easily accessorise and interact with them. Other categories, such as vehicles, are also performing well. As a result, we’re hoping to strengthen our vehicle offer with the launch of Firebuds in collaboration with Spin Master.”

And Disney is also keeping an eye on the wider trends in the business as it continues to develop, although this is just part of the strategy.

“While we keep a close eye on trends in the sector, our strategy is mostly influenced by multi-season play patterns and behaviours,” says Archer. “For example, we know that playing families and princesses remain among the top play patterns for preschool girls, while for boys it is a fairly even split between playing with vehicles and superheroes.

We’ve already seen this reflected in the success of Spidey and His Amazing Friends across kids’ channels and as a leading preschool toy property.”

One trend she has noticed, however, is a return to retail, as customers have gone back into stores and are increasingly looking for experiential elements (see below). Disney’s in-store activity is part of a wider marketing approach. As Archer notes: “Disney continues to be recognised as a trusted, safe multi-generational brand, which is incredibly important in the preschool space as so many toys are bought by parents and gifted by extended family.

“All of our top shows have a dedicated media strategy comprising live streams, shorts, and compilations to maximise the reach of our content across free-toair, subscription and other platforms. It’s about making sure our content - and the characters and franchises it centres on - is accessible to families everywhere. We also recognise the value of our evergreen content, including the likes of Disney Princess and Pixar Cars.”

Activity in 2023 is further enhanced by Disney100, the centenary of the founding of the company. “This ranges from the LEGO Disney Celebration Train, to Jakks’ Disney100 Petites Heroines & Friends Gift Set and 3” Mini Dolls - with much more to come throughout the year.

“The benefits of imaginative play range from giving families time to spend bonding together, to building the necessary skills for children’s development. We want families and young children to reap the full benefits play offers, which is why we have launched our Wonder of Play campaign, renewing our commitment to help families make more time for play.’’

Return to retail

One trend Disney has noticed is a return to retail, as customers have gone back into stores and are increasingly looking for experiential elements. Disney is responding to this smartly. The company’s Gillian Archer says:

“We’re seeing the in-store shopping experience rebound in importance. Recently the team at Just Play took over Hamleys front window with enlarged versions of the Mickey and Minnie’s playsets and a huge Doorable! This experience strategy worked brilliantly and encouraged families to purchase our products.”

Products that promote a play theme inspired by our most wellknown characters work especially well when designing products for this age group

Gillian Archer, VP Hardlines EMEA at Disney

Small but mighty

Preschool is a key sector for the toy industry, as Gillian Archer, VP hardlines at Disney, points out:

“Our latest research forms part of our new Wonder of Play campaign, looking at the role of play in families’ everyday lives, and how parents approach it with their young children. It reinforces what we’ve always known: play is crucial to a child’s development and can help develop their social skills, confidence and resilience.’’

The fact that preschool play is recognised by parents as vital to the development of their young children adds a value that is more than just about play, she explains: “The findings* revealed that nearly half (46%) of parents across Europe believe that play’s role in children’s development can’t be ignored, and four in 10 (40%) encourage play to feed their children’s imaginations.

“Meanwhile, a third (34%) of parents agreed that tools help with playtime, while a similar proportion (33%), when asked how they plan to influence their child’s future, said that reading takes centre-stage.’’

Clare Stead, creator and founder of learning app Oliiki, says that at ages three and four ‘’words, letters and books are really fun, and children should be exploring books and words for themselves. Children learn best in an environment of play where they can explore, test, make mistakes and through this process they learn.’’

Gillian agrees: “We know that this is a formative time for preschoolers, who are rapidly acquiring new skills. Publishing as well as games and puzzles cater to preschoolers’ needs brilliantly, and we’re looking at building out consumer touchpoints in these areas, particularly for educational games and books that enhance engagement and make learning fun. One example of this is a new series of books we recently unveiled for children aged three to seven, which is based on the upcoming animated series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. LEGO DUPLO Disney products are also a consistent

favourite with families as they promote a range of crucial life skills.’’

Orchard Toys is another company that consistently pops up when we talk to retailers about the sector – and produces a wide range of educational games that combine learning with fun. Two new games for 2023 include matching and posting game Farmyard Families, which encourages matching and memory skills, and Hungry Little Penguins which introduces the concept of collaborative play and working together as a team.

The importance of TV and film characters is also growing within the preschool market, as Gillian explains:

“We find that according to parents, their preschool kids’ preferred way to watch content is via subscription video-on-demand services. Disney+ is therefore crucial in terms of reaching this demographic with our leading titles such as Spidey and His Amazing Friends. The multi-season commitments we’ve made to some of our most-viewed content has helped maintain momentum here.’’

The preschool sector is gaining ground, as parents continue to recognise the importance of learning through play for little ones…

Nearly half of parents across Europe believe that play’s role in children’s development can’t be ignored, and four in 10 encourage play to feed their children’s imaginations

Gillian Archer, VP hardlines, Disney

Orchard Toys

Ask the retailer

We asked what is selling well in the preschool sector…

“Our preschool bestsellers include Lanka Kade wooden figures, Bigjigs Toys rag dolls, Wow Toys, Smart Max and Magformers”.

Favourite characters appear in a number of the products featured on the following pages. For instance, Flair GP’s Pinocchio and Friends Master Toy collection is inspired by the popular CBeebies series. Based on Geppetto’s Shop of Wonders – the hive of adventure in the show - is the House of Wonder, a playset featuring a working light, movable bucket, and multiple accessories and stickers.

Character Options, meanwhile, is combining an old favourite – Weebles – with on-screen characters. Weebles are the classic figures that wibble and wobble but never fall down, and this year sees new ranges from Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends, DC Super Friends, and Hey Duggee – look out for Peppa Pig, Bluey, CoComelon, and My Little Pony, coming soon.

At Rainbow Designs, royal favourite Paddington appears in a range based on The Adventures of Paddington TV series. New this year is the awardwinning Adventures of Paddington Tea Set, all packaged in Paddington’s suitcase, and the Adventures of Paddington Dress Me Up Soft Toy.

The latter ties in nicely with what Clare Stead says is an important part of preschool development: “Games with dressing up are an excellent way to practise the skills needed in getting dressed and undressed independently, doing up buttons, zipping up zips - all skills that need to be learned and practiced. This is putting all that fine motor control groundwork in a real world setting.’’

At this age imagination is really developing. Children will love make-believe games

Clare Stead, founder and creator, Oliiki app

She adds that this is the age when ‘’imagination is really developing. Children will love make-believe games.’’

Fisher-Price manages to combine imaginative play, roleplay and well-known characters within two ranges – the Little People collection has introduced Disney Princess & Best Friends and Disney Princess 7 Figure pack, where kids can recreate their favourite movie moments, and imagine new adventures of their own – especially apt during 2023, Disney’s 100th anniversary year.

Thomas & Friends, meanwhile, introduces kids to the bigger world around them through the themes of friendship and teamwork. Kids can relive adventures from the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! TV series including Thomas’ exciting journey into Lookout Mountain with the new Crystal Caves Adventure Set. With Mattel even introducing its first-ever Barbie for the preschool age range, it looks like the opportunities within this sector will just keep on growing.

* Research conducted by One Poll is the study of 3,500 adults across the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland with children aged two to eight, in February 2023.

Lisa Clay, Armadillo Toys Chapel Allerton, Leeds. “We love the Toomies range for Tomy for Easter, so that is going well in store, along with Bigjigs trainsets.”

Julia Wingate, The Trading Post, Kingsbridge, Devon

“VTech, Bigjigs railway and Gabby’s Dollhouse are all selling well.”

Debra Maloney, Austins Toy Store, Newton Abbot, Devon

“We have a wide range of preschool toys, but Classic World is very popular.”

Jasmine Borastero, Kids Stuff Toymaster“ Wells, Somerset

“Preschool favourites include Wow Toys, Peter Rabbit, Djeco and Lanka Kade.”

Jade Oliver-Deacon, The Toy Shop, Okehampton , Devon

“People like sensorial, tactile things for very young children, so the Lamaze pram toys are popular. For older ones, the Vilac and Petit Monkey products sell well.”

Rachael Sankey, Harold’s Toy Store, Church Stretton, Shropshire UK

Mookie

Sustainable toys with a charitable twist

JURA TOYS sales@juratoys.co.uk www.janod.com

Janod’s WWF Collection is back for 2023 – inspiring the next generation to protect Planet Earth.

Iconic French toy brand Janod has announced that its iconic WWF collection will continue to be available into 2023… with firm favourites sticking around and some newness to unveil later in the year!

As part of its wider promise to help the planet, Janod continues its exclusive range of FSC-certified wooden toys in collaboration with the biggest environmental organisation in the world, The World Wide Fund for nature. The collection is bursting with stunning toys to inspire and engage the next generation of animal and nature lovers!

More than 30 fun-filled products make up this colourful and charming collection. From animal and nature-themed push

Poppin play for preschoolers

MATTEL

01628 500000 | www.mattel.com

Mattel continues to bring the fun to playtime with an expansive range with exciting new products being launched across the portfolio for toddlers, including lines from Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends, Barbie, Little People and Mega Bloks.

The Fisher-Price infant portfolio sees expansion with the new Poppin Triceratops. This interactive dinosaur ball popper pull-toy has lights and 40-plus songs, sounds and phrases. Little dino lovers can push or pull the triceratops along for exciting ball-popping action, plus motion-activated lights and sounds and three Smart Stages learning levels, which teach the alphabet, counting, colours and shapes.

The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn range helps develop fine motor skills and encourages roleplay for infants and toddlers. New to the range is the Twist & Learn Gamer, where toddlers can control the fun with 10-plus buttons to press for multi-coloured lights, music and sounds, including 65-plus songs, sounds and phrases, which teach counting 1-10, shapes, and colours. Also new to the range is the Puppy’s Activity Cube, a retro-inspired fine motor activity toy including music, lights, and lots of hands-on fun with 25-plus songs, sounds and phrases that teach the alphabet, counting 1-10, colours and shapes. Fisher-Price also introduces an interactive 2-in-1 Slide to Learn Smartphone toy to the range, with fun lights, and 75-plus learning songs, sounds and phrases that teach numbers, and counting, shapes, colours, feelings and weather.

Fisher-Price continues to expand its Linkimals range with the 123 Activity Llama and Counting & Colour Peacock; these interactive toys include fun hands-on activities, multi-coloured lights, songs, sounds and phrases. Both can interact with other Linkimal toys for even more fun.

along toys, to playful balancing games, each has been created using sustainable materials.

The whole collection is aimed at educating children aged one to seven-plus, on the importance of looking after the planet we live in. Not only that, but Janod has committed to donating a percentage of the proceeds from every WWF product sold to support the actions of the remarkable NGO – it’s a partnership the brand is extremely proud of.

Did you know?

This year has seen the introduction of My First Barbie, the first-ever Barbie doll specifically designed for preschool-aged children

Little People introduces Disney Princess & Best Friends and Disney Princess 7 Figure pack, where kids can recreate their favourite movie moments, and imagine new adventures of their own, with these Little People figure sets featuring Disney Characters.

Thomas & Friends introduces kids to the bigger world around them through the themes of friendship and teamwork. Dynamic products help kids relive adventures from the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! TV series including Thomas’ exciting journey into Lookout Mountain with the new Crystal Caves Adventure Set. Featuring nine pieces of track, a super-cool tipping bridge, and fun Crystal Caves details and cargo, this action-packed train set lets children send Thomas racing into the caves to deliver his special cargo again and again.

This year, Barbie has introduced My First Barbie to their range, which is the first-ever Barbie doll specifically designed for preschool-aged children. The My First Barbie doll features the same look and feel that Barbie fans know and love but is updated with large accessories, easy-to-dress fashions and a larger, softer doll body made for smaller hands.

Blink and you’ll miss it

Snap up your chance to add the fastest battery-train to your assor tment of BRIO World railway toys. The 36003 Turbo Train is the latest innovation in BRIO’s successful line of rolling stock and o ers one clear USP – speed. Press the turbo button and this futuristic engine will speed o for a ve second boost, running at double the speed

Contact

Keeping it active

MOOKIE TOYS

01525 722722 | www.mookie.co.uk

Active-Tots by TP Toys has had an extremely successful start since its launch in early 2022. Bringing the magic of TP Toys indoors with a preschool wooden range that encourages active play while helping them to develop their gross motor skills.

The Active-Tots range is made up of a variety of wooden indoor toys, including the three-item modular range – complete with Pikler Style Climbing Triangle, Wooden Climbing Bridge & Slide, and Climbing Cube. These three items can be connected in many different variations, offering endless fun for little ones. Also included in the Active-Tots range is a Folding Slide, Balance Board, and Climbing Frame with Swing. The entire range is also made from FSC-certified wood.

Backed by an exciting media plan, the range responded fantastically to paid social and influencer activity – something that will be continued for SS23 and AW23.

The Climbing Cube & Slide has won Best Toddler Toy in the Mother & Baby Awards, the Wooden Climb & Swing was awarded Gold in the Baby & Preschool Awards, and the Pikler

Build with Bildo

FLAIR GP

0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk www.flairgp.co.uk

From licensed toys to heritage favourites, the Flair GP portfolio is a one-stop-shop for preschool buyers.

Big news for 2023 is Flair’s exclusive distribution deal with Bildo toys. This agreement will see a wide selection of Bildo’s renowned building block, dough, and roleplay licensed toy ranges added to the portfolio for Autumn/Winter.

Unmissable in the line-up is Bildo’s all-new Play-Doh Blocks, which combine the much-loved dough compound with hybrid building blocks, offering kids a creative and sensory play experience. The launch collection will comprise eight SKUs, spanning entry-point starter sets to larger playsets such as the School Play ‘n Learn Blocks Playset.

Flair will support this range with an impactful marketing campaign that will ensure strong awareness and demand. The vibrant and engaging branding will also ensure the collection really stands out on shelf. And there’s more to come from Bildo; Flair GP is bringing the My Little Pony, L.O.L. Surprise! and Little Tikes roleplay ranges to the UK and Ireland.

Did you know?

Among the many awards it has picked up, the Active-Tots range has been recommended by the Good Toy Guide, praised for “promoting physical development, allowing confidencebuilding, and encouraging imagination”

Style Climbing Triangle bagged the Silver Award for Best Toy for Active Play in the Made for Mums Awards.

In 2023 the range will be expanding continuing to aid the development and skills of babies and toddlers in a fun and exciting way. TP Toys will be continuing the social outreach of the range, including working with new and exciting influencers to promote the products to a wider audience.

As we move into 2023 The Bugs range has had a refreshing rebrand and continues to be a go-to purchase for parents as the number one option for their child’s first ride-on. Scuttlebug is consistently featured in NPD top toys year after year; it really is the bee’s knees!

Mess-free creations

SINCO CREATIONS

07793 121 778 | daniel@sincocreations.com

Sinco Creations is offering preschoolers lots of magical, mess-free creative play this year, with its all-new Aqua Sounds range.

The patent-pending preschool collection Aqua Sounds presents little ones with an exciting selection of licensed and non-licensed interactive play mats to get creative with. Each mat has hidden characters, which preschoolers can reveal using a water doodle pen and Sound Stampers. And there’s an extra special feature to discover, too. The mats come with unique interactive sounds, which bring the characters to life every time they’re doodled over.

No doubt little ones will love the Paw Patrolthemed Aqua Sounds Magic Aqua Mats, with all their favourite characters and familiar phrases from the show, such as ‘Chase is on the case’ and ‘This pup’s gotta fly!’. There is also a Fireman Sam mat, as well as non-licensed ones, based on Dinosaur Adventure and Jungle Adventure themes.

Roarsome fun

JURA TOYS

sales@juratoys.co.uk | www.janod.com

Wooden toy experts, Janod, invite you to step back in time as they introduce their most exciting collection yet.

Bursting with the cutest prehistoric characters, Janod’s new Dino range includes more than 15 engaging and truly stunning toys, games, and puzzles, and is destined to be a roaring hit!

The collection features a roarsome gang of 6 push along wooden dinosaurs, a set of three wooden Dino Surprise Eggs, a Portosaurus Ride On Dinosaur, a Diplodocus themed wooden Dino garage and Dino Activity Table - just to name a few!

inspiring kids’ imaginations for 50 years

Paddington Chef Paddington Rainy Day Paddington

Character building

RAINBOW DESIGNS

01329 227300

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Rainbow Designs’ catalogue is overflowing with beautifully created, contemporary and playful collections of soft and wooden toys, coupled with much-loved characters, such as Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit, Spot, Elmer and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, offering highquality inspirational and educational toys for preschoolers.

Rainbow’s best-selling preschool toy range, based on The Adventures of Paddington TV series, is perfect to help spark imaginations and encourage preschoolers to create their own adventures with Paddington. Joining the range this year, which already includes the Talking Paddington Soft Toy, Multi Figure and Football Play Sets, is the award-winning Adventures of Paddington Tea Set. All packaged in Paddington’s suitcase, which features the familiar P.B. initials and fun stickers so little ones can personalise, is a cuddly Paddington Bear Soft Toy and 10-piece Tea Set that includes colourful cups, saucers and a teapot.

A further inspiring addition is the new Adventures of Paddington Dress Me Up Soft Toy. This new line includes four changeable outfits, so youngsters can enjoy imaginative playtime as they dress up the super soft Paddington toy as a doctor, a baker or as a magician to entertain with some wonderful magic tricks! Of course, Paddington also comes with his famous blue duffle coat and red bush hat. In addition, joining the Adventures of Paddington Bus and Campervan Play Sets will be a further mode of transport - a Bike and Sidecar Play Set.

The Peter Rabbit TV range is still very much a firm favourite with preschoolers. Based on the characters from the hit TV series, which follows Peter as he embarks on a series of exciting adventures with his best friends Benjamin and Lily, Rainbow’s soft cuddly character collection includes the fun-packed Talking Peter Rabbit and Lily Bobtail toys, now at a new bigger size, with adorable phrases such as ‘Let’s hop to it!’ and ‘all rabbits need a little help from their friends’.

Rainbow’s extensive range of wooden toys come recommended by The Good Play Guide. Created to deliver fun and evolving play patterns that grow and develop with children in the early years, they include Wooden Pull Along toys, Building Blocks, Shape Puzzles, Balance Toys and Domino Sets, that are available in the Peter Rabbit, Guess How Much I Love You, Elmer, Spot, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Very Hungry Caterpillar ranges.

Did you know?

The Hape My Baking Oven with Magic Cookies features six cookies, which change colour as they ‘cook’ (no heat is involved)

Cooking up roleplay fun

TOYNAMICS

0116 478 5230 | sales@toynamics.co.uk | www.toynamics.com

Toynamics UK & Ireland offers retailers and consumers a wide choice in preschool products across multiple categories.

New for 2023 in eco toys is the Korko Little Skittles Bowling Set. Great fun to play with, the skittles are made from sustainable cork, which has lots of benefits – the skittles are soft, lightweight, non-slip, durable, plus cork is an antibacterial material and recyclable. An ideal toy for encouraging a child’s hand-eye coordination. Also new is the Hape My Baking Oven with Magic Cookies. This magic oven comes with one tray and six colour-changing cookies. Once the oven is turned on, little ones can place their ‘uncooked’ cookies inside, the timer will start and UV lights will change the colour of the cookies as they cook (no heat is involved). The oven pings when the time is up and the cookies have browned and are ready. Once away from the UV lights the cookie colour will return to its original state.

Bestsellers in the preschool category include the Hape Toddler Kitchen, suitable from 18 months. This popular roleplay toy comes with a wooden stove with clicking, turning knobs and storage spaces behind the hob, perfect for keeping the kitchen tidy. It also comes with accessories - pot with lid, frying pan, spoon and spatula. Hape Doctor On Call is a brilliantly equipped doctor’s kit, with endless roleplay opportunities, so children can pretend to keep dolls, family and friends happy and healthy. The set comes with carry case, toy stethoscope, thermometer, needle and notebook, so children can have great fun playing at being a doctor.

Let’s Pretendable

TOMY

01271 336155 | uk.tomy.com

Tomy continues to expand its preschool and development ranges with a number of new additions to its Toomies brand, as well as the launch of a new wooden, sustainable playset brand – Pretendables.

Toomies will see a number of new additions to its ever-growing portfolio in 2023, including an exciting new product launch within its licensed toy category following the recent global partnership with BBC Studios for the rights to multi-award-winning children’s TV property, Bluey.

The animated Blue Heeler pup will feature on a new range of bath toys, with the first addition – Swimming Bluey - launching this summer, and a further EMEA rollout planned in 2024. This new launch follows the popular sing and swim format, with a large-scale Bluey figure that actually swims in the bath.

Another new addition to the preschool and development category is the launch of Tomy’s Pretendables range. Offering a fully immersive baking experience for kids, this new product range will launch later this year and will include the exciting Pretendables Pizza Set. The pizza-baking set is perfect for inspiring imaginative play and encouraging fine motor skills and role play.

Learning through play

TRENDS UK

01295 768078

www.trendsuk.co.uk

Trends UK is expanding its award-winning range of ELAs based on the phenomenally successful Baftawinning Numberblocks and Alphablocks educational programmes with three exciting new launches.

Numberblocks Clip & Learn (AW 23) introduces a new way to play with four clip-on sheets featuring 12 different fun-filled activities, taking maths skills to the next level. Guided by voice and sound effects, children can explore odds & evens, Number Magic Addition and much more with Meet the Numberblocks 1-10 and 11-20.

The new Numberblocks Mini Tablet (AW23) is a smaller portable item, ideal for learning on the go.

The new Alphablocks Clip & Learn Phonics Fun (AW23) helps preschoolers master the alphabet, learn phonic letter sounds and make words.

The newest Hey Duggee Game Show follows a popular TV episode where the child answers questions to win five different topics of Squirrel badges; get them all right to earn your ‘Gameshow badge’.

Fact!

The Weebles collection has been extended to include even more lovable characters from TV, including Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends, DC Super Friends, and Hey Duggee

Wibbly, wobbly fun with Weebles CHARACTER OPTIONS

0161 633 9800

sales@charactergroup.plc.uk

Brio celebrates 65years

Ravensburger

01869 363800

www.ravensburger.co.uk

The much-loved Brio brand celebrates 65 years in 2023 and is supported with marketing and PR plans that will champion the original wooden track as well as today’s new products and Smart Tech Sound technology. Brio continues to be a family favourite with both parents and toddlers, inspiring them to begin with building the simplest of tracks and learning through repeat play patterns, and developing onto more complex tracks using the wide variety of play sets and accessories. New products will launch throughout the year, including the Turbo train, Brio’s fastest battery-operated train to date, as well as an anniversary track set.

The Weebles range is wobblier than ever in 2023, with loads of new characters for little ones to collect, from the hottest preschool properties.

Weebles are the classic figures that wibble and wobble but never fall down. And this year, the brilliant Weebles collection has been extended to include even more lovable characters from TV. New to the range are Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends, DC Super Friends, and Hey Duggee, which bring to life the on-screen magic of these popular kids’ shows, in a fun and unpredictably wobbly way. Plus, be

sure to keep an eye out for even more exciting new additions to follow for AW23. These new licences join the existing favourites: Peppa Pig, Bluey, CoComelon, and My Little Pony.

Serving to introduce little ones aged 18-months-plus to the joys of collecting, as kids grow their collection of favourite friends, these chunky moulded figures are perfectly sized for small hands. Cute and compact in size, children can play at home or take them out and about, for fun on-the-go. An added bonus is that they’re great for encouraging early play patterns to develop.

Little Tikes launch

CREATIVE KIDS

07827 880159‬ | grant@creativekids.com

www.creativekids.com

Creative Kids is launching its new Little Tikes wooden collection for Autumn/Winter. Having extended the partnership with MGA Entertainment at the end of 2022, the company launched its initial range of 15 Little Tikes preschool FSC certified wooden toys at Toy Fair. The competitively-priced range will include Gear Puzzle Toys, Music Play Sets, Lacing Toys, Activity Boards and Montessori-style Toy Sets.

Each of the wooden toys will feature iconic Little Tikes characters including the hero Little Tikes Music Table. The giraffe-shaped music table encourages children to exercise their motor skills through musical play. Complete with mini xylophone and mallets, egg shakers, and mini drum, the Little Tikes Music Table is an ideal first introduction to musical instruments.

The Little Tikes Gears Turtle allows toddler hands to twist and turn colour-coordinated pieces with colourful blocks and gears to explore. The great-value FSC certified wooden toy features more than 13 pieces for hours of developmental play. The iconic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe features on the Little Tikes Count & Stack Toy. With chunky wooden pieces, preschoolers can count each piece and assemble in the right spot on the numbered board.

Creative Kids also introduces the Sense & Grow range, featuring the Sensory Tissue Box, which has already been certified by the Good Play Guide. The soft, squishy tissue box is ideal for babies and toddlers aged five months-plus, who can pull brightly coloured, textured scarves out of the plush tissue box and discover exciting colours, textures and crinkle sounds. The Sense & Grow Tissue Box is a unique way to develop a child’s coordination, exploration and colour recognition as well as improving handeye coordination and dexterity. It includes 15 different tissues to activate a child’s senses as they explore sheer, tulle, cotton and felt and enjoy the fun sounds of the corduroy crinkly scarf.

The Sense & Grow range also includes the Sense & Grow Sensory Fidget Maze, which will occupy young minds as they navigate through a course on this sensory fidget fabric maze.

Children can also experience a world of sensory possibilities with the Sense & Grow Sensory Light Tray, which gives them the tools needed to promote an exploration of light, touch, and learning. The seven-piece set includes a light table and three colours of sand. Trace, mix, and swirl the sand along with included rake, mini dustpan, and broom to encourage colour recognition, shape identification, and sensory perception.

Fact!

We need a hero!

From heroic, licensed roleplay lines to much-loved playhouses and adorable accessories for doll play, the trusted Smoby portfolio continues to offer preschoolers everything they could need to develop, learn and play.

Big news for Smoby is that the hugely popular licence Spidey and His Amazing Friends has spun its web in the roleplay portfolio bringing together two beloved preschool brands. A hero line will be the Spidey and His Amazing Friends Bricolo Workbench that allows kids to build their own Spidey Crawler vehicle. Once complete, it’s ready to launch and chase after baddies! And the Spidey and His Amazing Friends Buggy Box is perfect for fun on the go; all included tools and Spidey Crawler components can be easily stored within the carry case.

Little ones and their baby dolls can continue the roleplay fun with the Maxi-Cosi and Quinny range from Smoby, which is designed in partnership with the stylish and modern pushchair brand. The Smoby Maxi-Cosi and Quinny Pram is a lightweight, stylish stroller that’s sure to turn heads at the park with its sleek and ergonomic design. It has room for a child’s favourite doll and features a removable seat, plastic shell and convenient foldaway hood for easy storage.

The Maxi-Cosi and Quinny Baby Car Seat is a gorgeous light pink car seat that will keep a much-loved baby doll safe and secure when travelling. Similar to an actual car seat, this pretend play seat has a harness seatbelt and an adjustable handle; children can strap and lift their dolls out with ease. It’s an essential accessory for ‘mini parents’ who love to take their dolls out and about. And the light pink Maxi-Cosi and Quinny Twin Pushchair is the ultimate accessory for kids who love playing the role of parent. This adjustable, lightweight double stroller has room for two dolls – for double the fun!

The Smoby portfolio also includes an exciting range of playhouses, including the much-loved Nature House with Kitchen. Its bright, cheery design and cute features, include shuttered windows, small barn door and sliding panel. And the Smoby Garden Playhouse is a must-have for families that love the great outdoors. This brilliant play space brings the natural real world into the roleplay world for lots of green-fingered fun.

A hero line is the Spidey and His Amazing Friends Bricolo Workbench, which lets kids build their own Spidey Crawler vehicle

It’s a car fest!

ONE FOR FUN

sales@oneforfun.com

www.oneforfun.com

BB Junior takes to the road this year with some new additions to this exciting design-led preschool range. My First Remote control Bugatti will have them zooming from the start line; a remote control cute Bugatti with cartoonlike features, exaggerated curves and eyes on the windscreen. Its freerolling wheels and chunky build are perfect for little hands.

This is joined by My First Lamborghini and My First Bugatti. All with the same characteristics and available in a number of colourways.

Of course no car collection would be complete without the BB Junior Lamborghini

My 1st Carry Along Garage. Create a dream garage with this carry-along garage vehicle storage and play set that comes supplied with a My 1st Lamborghini toy vehicle. With sides that open to reveal a working garage, the Lamborghini vehicle can be stored inside and then placed on the ramp and fuel bay for additional fun. BB Junior Push n Glow range has new additions too – keeping with the racing theme take a look at the Push and Glow FI car. This F1 toy car comes with a push-button mechanism that causes the transparent body to glow and play cool sound effects.

For bathtime, BB Junior adds the Splash and Play Musical Tugboat, which keeps youngsters entertained with splash-along music. The Splash and Play Light Up Sailboat is an interactive water-proof sailboat, which will light up its sail with nine different colours when the button is pressed. The light-up sail also features fun underwater sea characters.

Tobar’s Animigos range of animated animals continues to be popular with great family favourites like the Westie, Cockapoo, Scotty and others. The Animigos World of Nature range has even more exotic beasts join the family along with some more familiar friends. The Okapi, Arctic Fox, Malayan Tapir, Snow Leopard and Capybara are some of the more unusual additions while a Pointer puppy, grey fluffy cat, seal pup, dolphin, hamster and a bat are more well known and loved. One for Fun have re-priced all the WALKING Animigos lines to pre-pandemic prices.

Smart thinking

SMART TOYS

01903 885669 | uk@smart.be

There’s great excitement at Smart Toys & Games, as the team starts to roll out their highly anticipated Spring 2023 launches.

SmartGames is excited to unveil the new game for preschoolers. SmartGames Safari Park Jr, suitable for ages three-plus. In Safari Park Jr, the safari animals love to model for the camera - 3, 2, 1 and pose! The game challenges littles ones to move the animals into the picture-perfect position for the photo, but players must not forget that the lion doesn’t like water, the elephant can’t climb over the rocks and the giraffes are too tall to fit underneath the trees. It’s a two-in-one learning game for toddlers; puzzle or play. The fun factor is guaranteed as little ones can safely play with the figurines for added play value, and use the game board as a shape sorter/path finder to let their imaginations run wild. Learn about shapes and concepts such as left, right, on top, in front, and behind. Like all games from SmartGames, Safari Park Jr has been created to be passed down through the generations as children will develop a number of cognitive skills including planning, problem solving, visual perception, language and hand-eye coordination.

Game on!

ORCHARD TOYS

01953 859539 | sales@orchardtoys.com

orders@kayes.co.uk www.orchardtoys.com

Preschool games from Orchard Toys include Orchard Toys Dress

Up Nelly, an ideal fun first colourmatching game for two-to-five-yearolds. A great interactive game, a Mother & Baby Gold Award winner, it encourages children to match Nelly’s outfits and comes with 30 wipe-clean chunky cards.

Did you know?

New for 2023 is Orchard Toys Farmyard Families - this first matching and posting game is a great introduction to turn taking

Orchard Toys Dotty Dinosaurs has a fresh new look for 2023. A shape and colour matching game featuring beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations of friendly dinosaurs, where players help dinosaurs find their spots. With three ways to play, and plenty of different colours and shapes, there’s lots for children to learn about. Suitable for ages three to six.

New for 2023 is Orchard Toys Farmyard Families - this first matching and posting game is a great introduction to turn taking. It features 30 chunky cards, perfect for little hands, and helps preschoolers develop their matching and memory skills, as they match the friendly farm animals to their babies and post them into the 3D barn posting box. Players are also encouraged to make the noise of the animals!

Orchard Toys Mucky Trucks is new for 2023 and was a hit at Toy Fair. In this fun first colour board game young players race to clean their six mucky trucks. Roll the dice and move the elephant piece around the board, land on a colour and turn over the truck of the matching colour to make it nice and clean - but watch out for the mud-splat that will make the truck dirty!

Orchard Toys Hungry Little Penguins is also new for 2023. There are two ways to play this fun board game. Game one is all about collaborative play and working together as a team to collect all the colourful fish and beat the seal before it gets to the middle of the big iceberg board! In game two players are against each other in this individual lotto game.

Finally, Orchard Toys Old MacDonald Lotto is a bestseller in the Orchard Toys range. This award-winning fun farmyard lotto game is perfect for very young players aged two to six, with sturdy cards that are easy for little ones to handle.

All dolled up

Dolls and collectables continue to sell steadily, with big names such as L.O.L Surprise! and Barbie keeping a steady course in the top of the sales charts. So what’s selling well and what’s new for retailers to fill up their shelves?

Dolls and collectables continue to make a valuable contribution to the toy industry, with brands that straddle the two categories making a real impact.

MGA’s L.O.L Surprise! continues to dominate the charts – taking the top slot in Total UK Playset Dolls and Collectibles in value sales [NPD], and making number one fashion doll in the US for 2022 and numbered in the top 10 of toy properties overall.

Isaac Larian, CEO and founder of MGA Entertainment, said when the figures were announced earlier this year: “In less than seven years, L.O.L. Surprise! has become a global phenomenon that continues to surprise children and their parents, and the retail sales results in 2022 show the brand’s strength.’’

MGA also nabbed top gaining property in the sector with Rainbow High dolls.

John Briggs, commercial director, Epoch Making Toys, points out that its own Sylvanian Families are also bucking the trend for this category: “Given the current YTD decline of the dolls supercategory and sub category, playsets (NPD WK14), Sylvanian Families continues to track upwards YoY YTD across our business and retail partners. It’s a very fluid category but the strength of our brand is our heritage and the roleplay the characters and core themes offers children.’’

You can’t talk about dolls without mentioning the global phenomenon that is Barbie.

Ask the expert

Claire Stead is creator and founder of the Oliiki app, which helps babies and children learn life skills. She says: “Playing with dolls, teddies or toys and letting children explore and experience independent play lets them learn about cause and effect through their play. They learn the relationships between an action and its outcome, which is important as they learn to control the environment around them’’

We are always thinking outside the box to understand where a heritage brand like ours can sit, outside of ‘traditional’ toy shops, and this has proved a successful part of our YoY growth

John Briggs, commercial director, Epoch Making Toys

Although she was knocked off her perch as top global toy property by Pokémon collectables, she is still set for great things this year, with the release of the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as golden couple Ken and Barbie, in July. The brand continues to release new dolls, more than 200 of them encouraging girls to embrace careers - the latest being the Marine Biologist Barbie doll. Diversity and inclusivity are trends that feature highly in this category – for instance Mattel introduced a Chelsea doll with Scoliosis,

sporting a removable back brace, and last year’s campaign led by deaf EastEnders actress and Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, saw the launch in the UK of a Barbie doll with a hearing aid, a Barbie doll in a wheelchair, a Ken doll with vitiligo, and a doll with a prosthetic leg.

When it comes to trends for Sylvanian Families, John Briggs at Epoch says: “Trends within Sylvanian are purposely limited as the focus of our brand is Sylvanian Village and the core, easily-recognisable Red Roof Houses that drive the collectability of additional families, characters and buildings. We focus on something new every year to add to the Village and this year we maintain our focus on the Amusement Theme with new Mermaid Castle and additional rides. Maybe some traditional dolls consumers have swapped into other lines such as Squishmallows with the growth of the brand now ahead of Barbie and L.O.L Surprise YTD. Things to look out for would be the Barbie movie.‘’

And talking of movies, this month sees the launch of the first film featuring Barbie’s younger sister Skipper in Barbie Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure, which

Ask the retailers

We asked what is selling well in this sector…

“We are very well known in Leeds for our huge range of animals, dinosaurs and fantasy figures, selling Schleich, Papo and CollectA mostly. Of course, the Schleich Eldrador range is very dominant in this area.”

Lisa Clay, Armadillo Toys, Chapel Allerton, Leeds

“Our top five bestsellers are: Pokémon plushies and figures, Funko Pop, Hot Wheels, He Man, and WWE.”

Rachael Sankey, Harold’s Toy Store, Church Stretton, Shropshire

“Our doll bestsellers are: Rainbow High dolls, Our Generation dolls and Lottie dolls. For collectables it’s Pokémon cards, L.O.L., and Eugy.”

Jade Oliver-Deacon, The Toy Shop, Okehampton, Devon

“We only sell Dolls World dolls - they are at a great price point.”

Jasmine Borastero, Kids Stuff Toymaster, Wells, Somerset

“Our bestsellers in dolls and collectables are: Sylvanian families, Squishmallows, L.O.L., Lankybox and Alphmau.”

Debra Maloney, Austins Toy Store, Newton Abbot, Devon

debuted on POP. With the release of the first Barbie targeting the preschool sector, it looks like Mattel has its sights set on introducing Barbie to a younger age group.

Simba Smoby, meanwhile, adds variety to its popular Steffi Love and Evi Love by introducing new themes, such as beauty, animals, sport and vehicles. This Autumn/Winter will see Steffi Love Pet Doctor and Steffi Love Helicopter, while the Steffi Love Hula Hoop Doll sees a sporty Steffi doing the hula, thanks to her mechanical function. Evi Love, Steffi’s younger sister, sets off on a wildlife safari with Evi Love Safari.

The collectable toy category has made a huge impact on the UK toy industry for several years now - one in five toys now sold are a collectable, and they account for 13% of all toy sales according to NPD figures (POS UK panel, full year 2022). MGA points out that: “Most recently there has been a huge increase in the popularity of miniature collectables amongst adults and children alike, which has seen

significant growth in the UK over the last few years and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace.’’

The kidult arena is also a focus for Epoch, says John Briggs: “Epoch continues to move positively within the market as the Sylvanian brand continues to grow. We are always thinking outside the box to understand where a heritage brand like ours can sit, outside of ‘traditional’ toy shops, and this has proved a successful part of our YoY growth. Our marketing executions have changed dramatically to keep up with market trends and consumer behaviours, ensuring the brand is in front of more eyes relative to our main catchment audience. The kidult marketplace is also another focus to ensure we are ahead of the trend - again a sizeable ‘pot’ for our brand to aim for.’’

MGA is also targeting the kidult trend with its Miniverse ranges. Its two food-themed ranges: MGA’s Miniverse Make it Mini Food Diner Edition and Make it Mini Food Café Edition – add to the evergrowing mini collectable trend, fuelled by social media.

Character Options has

Diversity and inclusivity are trends that feature highly in this category

Zapf

also tapped into the social media world, with the launch of MeeMeows, inspired by the number-one femaleled YouTube channel – Aphmau. Jessica Bravura is the name behind the streamer and is well known for her love of cats so these mini versions of her animated feline friends are likely to be sought after by her 15 million followers.

WOW! Stuff, meanwhile, has come up with a clever way to both sell and display collectables. Nano Pods and Pods 4D offer a way to display muchloved Disney characters in a new way. This surprise-reveal collectable range takes the characters and houses them within nano-sized hexagonal pods, which slot together.

Big names from Mattel

MATTEL

01628 500000 | www.mattel.com

Mattel presents an impressive range of dolls and collectable toys in 2023 from its portfolio, including Barbie, Disney Princess & Disney Frozen, Polly Pocket and Monster High.

Did you know?

The Marine Biologist has been added to Barbie’s careers range

This year, Barbie has introduced My First Barbie to the range, which is the first-ever Barbie doll specifically designed for preschool-aged children; the range includes core dolls, fashion packs and playsets. There’s even more cute unboxing fun with new Barbie Cutie Reveal Jungle Series, which includes an elephant, monkey, tiger and four surprise bags in each package. Barbie expands the Color Reveal range with the new Sweet Fruits Series. Barbie continues to encourage children to imagine their futures and play out new and familiar careers with their careers segment, and this year they have added the Marine Biologist Doll to the range, and adding magic to the fairytale range is the Twinkle Lights Feature Ballerina.

Mattel introduces the Disney Princess and Disney Frozen range to the portfolio this year, with exciting new lines including core doll assortments, small doll assortments and exciting reveal assortments.

The launch collection features 12 characters from the Disney Kingdom, as well as others from the Marvel Universe, DC and the Wizarding World.

So what is on the cards for this market? John Briggs says: “We have possibly yet another difficult trading year generally in the market as inflation keeps a tight hold and the cost-of-living crisis doesn’t abate, meaning consumers continue to be wary of impulse purchases that we have enjoyed previously. Positively, the FOB supply channel continues to grow with the declining costs of freight, that will offer improved consumer options but maybe the peak will arrive late again in 2023 as consumers wait for the expected promotional activity in retail. 2023 has maybe a flat projected YoY trading result, however there’s a long way to go!’’

But positively, he adds: “The destination specialist and mixed Specialist retail channels are in growth! We continue to support this growing channel with Sylvanian Families, ensuring our operations internally allow stock to be where it needs to be to maximise this growth. Support these channels and they will support you!’’

The Disney Princess and Disney Frozen Core dolls include a poseable fashion doll who is shown in her signature look. The Small doll assortments include doll houses fit for adventure, in a charming small scale. Fans can collect and stack them all. The Disney Princess Royal Color Reveal dolls and Disney Frozen Snow Color Reveal dolls, offer an exciting unboxing experience inspired by the beloved characters, with six magical surprises in each package. Kids start the fun by opening the tube and pulling out a mystery doll covered in Color Reveal coating, plus three bags with hidden surprises.

For your amusement…

EPOCH MAKING TOYS

0208 049 1377

sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Sylvanian Families is extending its popular Amusement Land collection in 2023, with the launch of three new playsets.

Guess what…

July will see the Baby Mermaid Castle making a splash, with 12 fun ocean-themed play areas including a jellyfish swing and a marine merry-go-round

Available now is the Royal Princess Set, with five cute baby figures each in a unique princess outfit, and the Floating Cloud Rainbow Train featuring a smoke cloud, which can be used as seats and bounces up and down as the train moves along, as well as new figure, the Fennec Fox Baby. These will be followed in July by the launch of the Baby Mermaid Castle packed with 12 fun ocean-themed play areas including a jellyfish swing and a marine merry-go-round for plenty of interactive play. It can easily be combined with the Baby Amusement Park for double the fun.

Four new families also join the line-up in 2023. Available now is the Fennec Fox Family featuring sweet fluffy tails and striking ears, and from July, the updated Milk Rabbit Family; the Penguin Family complete with mini-ice cream cart and ice creams which they can hold; and the Reindeer Family wearing festive outfits - perfect for Christmas. Complementing the new families, several new baby sets will also be available as the brand further enhances its offering of popular baby characters.

Other new sets include the Sunny Picnic Set with Fennec Fox Girl and Baby (available now), and Village Doctor Starter Set (available in July). The latter includes Dr Dawn, the Persian Cat Mother who has everything a doctor could need to transform the Red Roof Country Home into a surgery or the Family Picnic Van into an ambulance.

Finally, January saw Sylvanian Families launch the 10th series of its popular Baby Collectibles Series - Baby Fairy Tales. Based on classic fairytale themes, there are seven limited edition, super sweet characters each with a unique outfit and accessory to collect plus a secret figure! Available in a blind bag, they can be easily combined with the Baby Amusement Park range including the three new sets.

Dolls that kids will Love

SIMBA SMOBY

01620 674 778

sales@simbasmoby.com

Simba Smoby Toys UK will continue to offer great value for a great price in the dolls category, with Steffi and Evi Love.

Expect a host of new additions based on relatable themes and proven play patterns in the AW23 lineup. Beauty, animals, sport and vehicles can be seen across the range, with fun new lines to include the new for Autumn/Winter Steffi Love Pet Doctor and Steffi Love Helicopter. Steffi Love Helicopter will have kids aspiring to become rescue personnel; Steffi wears a rescue outfit, and her helicopter features dramatic light and sound effects. Further innovation comes in the form of the Steffi Love Hula Hoop Doll, which sees a sporty Steffi doing the hula, thanks to her mechanical function.

And there’s more of the same from Evi Love, Steffi’s younger sister, with animal play and vehicles at the heart of the new line-up. Kids can set off on a wildlife safari with Evi Love Safari. Evi comes wearing her sweet safari outfit and drives a super-cute, freewheeling, lilac jeep. Keep an eye out for the lion and monkey figures that come included!

And there’s a whole lot of horseplay to come with Evi Love Carriage Tour. This adorable set sees Evi pull up in her equestrian outfit and includes a horse figurine, pink carriage and accessories.

Trot on over…

FLAIR GP

208 643 0320

sales@flairplc.co.uk

Get ready for some globetrotting fun with the Trotties: four girl pals who love travelling! Kids can follow all their magical adventures in the animated Trotties series, which launches this month on Pop channels, including Tiny Pop, as well as on YouTube and social media. They can also go travelling with their new friends in the interactive Trotties App. Then, come autumn, Trotties fans can get their hands on an extensive line-up of dolls, playsets and accessories that will bring their favourite characters into the home to create and re-enact some globe-trotting playtime memories.

All four core characters will be available as articulated 25cm dolls. Available in the single doll assortment is Lucy from London, Mia from Tokyo and Sophie from Paris. Emma from New York comes exclusively with the deluxe Trotties Limo and Doll Set.

Unique Eyes will see some new additions to the range, too. The Light Up and Go Dolls are four characters; each comes with a freewheeling skateboard or scooter that lights up as they go. Each adorable 25cm tall fashion doll has big beautiful eyes that magically follow the gaze of anyone observing them.

A purr-fect new world

CHARACTER OPTIONS

0161 633 9800

sales@charactergroup.plc.uk.

Character Options is delving into the immensely popular world of game streaming, with a super-cute collectable range inspired by the biggest female gamer.

Kids can now collect their favourite cats from the numberone female-led YouTube channel - Aphmau - with this sweet collection! Jessica Bravura (better known as her online alias Aphmau) is a game streamer known for her love of cats. Her fast-growing, engaged following currently stands at 15 million, creating huge demand for mini versions of her animated feline friends. And now her fans can get their hands on some adorable collectable MeeMeows.

The Aphmau Mystery MeeMeow Figures are irresistibly collectible and small, yet mighty! Kids can crack open these Aphmau surprise figures to add new surprise pocket companions to their family. This frequently refreshed line-up offers fans eight figures to collect in each series, with a mix of food and fantastical themed cat creatures to discover.

Meanwhile, the Collectable Mystery Plush are super squeezable! These plush toys make the perfect

Did you know?

MeeMeows ae inspired by the number-one female-led YouTube channel – Aphmau. Jessica Bravura is a game streamer, known for her love of cats. Her fast-growing, engaged following currently stands at 15 million

Caring collectables

BASIC FUN! UK

0118 925 3270

Tim.Ives@basicfun.com / Lynne.Swatton-Reed@ basicfun.com

www.basicfun.com

Did you know?

MeganPlays is a plush collectable range inspired by the hugely popular game streamer who attracts more than 71million monthly viewers

Basic Fun! UK will continue to appeal to kid and kidult collectors this AW23, with a dreamy new Cutetitos theme, a range inspired by one of the most popular female gamers, and two huge developments for the newstalgic Care Bears brand.

The magic of sharing and caring will be seen like never before, this Autumn/Winter with the new Care Bears Lil’ Besties. These super-cute, collectable mini Care Bears will open-up a new Lil’ play world. With their adorable expressions and fun action poses, these Lil’ Besties are sure to win hearts and take over playgrounds. There are more than 50 Care Bears Lil’ Besties to collect across the launch collection.

Then, get ready for another sharing and caring adventure with the Care Bears Peel & Reveal Surprise Figures. All the favourite Care Bears besties are mixing things up with an unboxing experience unlike any other. Unbox these new mystery friends, then peel away to find out which Care Bear has been collected.

From one heritage favourite to an evergreen brand, there’s Cutetitos. The evolutionito of Cutetitos continues into AW23, with Sleepitos. This dreamy theme takes the collection off to the land of nod. As kids unwrap Cutetitos Sleepitos they’ll find they’re just about ready for bedtime. Each character wears sweet jammies and the box packaging transforms into a bed with unique headboards that becomes part of the play.

The world of gaming is coming to the Basic Fun! portfolio, too, with MeganPlays: a plush collectable range inspired by the hugely popular game streamer. Megan’s fanbase can collect her favourite characters with this collectable, surprise-reveal Mystery Plush range.

Kookying up a storm!

MAGICBOX

01293 222500

sales@magicbox-toys.co.uk

KookyLoos - the most expressive collection of collectable minidolls - will continue to meet fans’ huge demand for more fun themes and kooky developments, with new characters to introduce this Autumn/Winter.

Guess what…

The Glitter Glam dolls come with cool outfits and accessories to be styled in – unwrap each piece from its miniature paper bag

Born again

ZAPF CREATION

01908 268480

www.zapfcreation.co.uk

The ‘mini world’ is predicted to be one of this year’s top trends, and as the collectables category is getting stronger, Zapf Creation is entering the space with a brand-new range.

BABY born Minis are set to hit shelves later this year, promising a range of new and playful choices for children to enjoy and develop with.

Get ready to discover the fabulous KookyLoos Glitter Glam Series, which will bring to the portfolio a generous sprinkling of sparkle and 12 new dolls. One doll, three unique faces – these characters have the same super-cool expression-changing feature that kids love about KookyLoos. Change each doll’s facial expression with a swipe of the finger. Presented in a new-shape box, the Glitter Glam dolls come with cool outfits and accessories to be styled in – unwrap each piece from its miniature paper bag.

Also making a splash in the second half of the year are Kooky Mermaids. There are four enchanting characters to meet; each comes hidden in a multicoloured shell with an iridescent finish, which doubles as a purse for play on-the-go. Open up the shell to reveal a magical playset, where the Kooky Mermaid lives. And don’t miss the hidden section, with more surprises in-store. These dolls come with accessories and two outfits.

The new series of BABY born collectables will see the BABY born world shrink with six Mini Babies and six Sister and Brother dolls, each with an array of interchangeable accessories and playsets – a mini world encouraging big imagination. Children can collect them, create adventures and have fun designing their own world of miniature play with the adorable Minis family.

Perfect for children to play with on the go, the adorable 6cm Mini Babies have an exciting colour change effect when children rub their bellies, and each come with their very own super sweet furry companion.

Surprise, surprise!

MGA

0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com

L.O.L. Surprise! remains central to MGA’s doll and collectable portfolio.

For the brand, 2023 is the year of the tot! Last year saw the launch of the ‘Let The Characters Out’ marketing campaign, encouraging consumers to celebrate the characters that live inside their child’s imagination – a theme that is continuing into 2023.

L.O.L. Surprise! maintains a focus on unboxing in all upcoming launches this year.

Earlier this year the brand launched the Sooo Mini! L.O.L. Surprise! dolls. The tots have just got a mega upgrade in mini size, featuring characters from fan-favourite series such as Glitter, Dance Dance Dance and All-Star Sports. New to this range are the Sooo Mini! L.O.L. Surprise! Lil Sisters, sure to give fans endless hours of fun with multiple surprises and even a colour change element.

The brand continues to make collectables lines a priority for fans as we navigate the current cost-of-living-crisis, constantly creating innovative outside the box toys whilst staying true to original values of collectability, unboxing and surprise, dolls start from just £5.99 and ensures that everyone has the possibility to experience the joy of L.O.L. Surprise!. The new Confetti Pop Birthday (RRP: £10.99) being no exception, the range features 12 characters to match each birthstone by month through a confetti surprise unboxing.

One of the hero ranges to come from the brand this year, L.O.L. Surprise! Sunshine Makeover, allows fans to explore all over colour change transformations powered by sunlight for the first time ever. The magic works no matter what the weather, simply take the new L.O.L. Surprise! Sunshine Makeover doll outside, or even indoors next to a

window to watch their truly amazing colour change come to life. Featuring fan-favourite characters in an all-new theme, each doll has their own unique style, hair and make-up which encompass key traits such as individuality, creativity, and confidence – all core to the brands messaging.

Available across three product lines, the range includes the classic L.O.L. Surprise! Sunshine Makeover dolls (RRP: £12.99) priced accessibly and featuring nine new characters; Royal Roars, PomPom, Checkered Chica, Sour Sweetie, Electric Waves, Snaps, Cherry Cherry, Blossom and Sea Angel. The L.O.L. Surprise! Sunshine Makeover O.M.G. Fashion dolls (RRP: £28.99) features three new characters; Bubblegum DJ, Sunrise and Switches, allowing fans to continue to expand their L.O.L. Surprise!T collections. For fans who want to mix and match with accessories, Stellar Gurl from the L.O.L. Surprise!T Sunshine Makeover Big Surprise (RRP: £52.99) gives fans multiple styling surprises, encouraging them to get creative with their dolls.

Collect, connect, display!

WOW! STUFF

mark.cooper@wowstuff.com | www.wowstuff.com

Toy innovation company Wow! Stuff has cute and connectable collectables aplenty! Nano Pods and Pods 4D are the unique, patentpending ranges that promise to take fandom to a whole new level.

First, get ready to discover and display all the best-loved Disney characters in a new way. Nano Pods is the ultimate surprise-reveal collectable range that takes iconic licensed characters and houses them within nano-sized hexagonal pods. Each super-cute blind mystery boxed Nano Pod has a super-satisfying to the touch slottogether system.

In the launch collection, there are 12 characters to collect from the Disney Kingdom, as well as others from the Marvel Universe, DC and the Wizarding World. Each pod connects easily with others, allowing fans to build any desired pattern or shape. Arrange them on a shelf or present them on a wall – Nano Pods will create striking displays in the most original way. This unmissable collection benefits from the support of an integrated marketing campaign and is available now.

There’s more collectable fun to be had with Pods 4D. These hexagonal pods feature a super-high-resolution 3D lenticular background that makes the characters appear as if they’re bursting right out of their world into ours! Each pod showcases a favourite character standing in front of an immersive background. And Disney fans will not be disappointed, with heaps of characters

Guess what…

Nano Pods is a-reveal collectable range that takes iconic licensed characters and houses them within nano-sized hexagonal pods

to find, from Disney Princesses to Disney Villains, Classic and Frozen franchise characters to the super-special Disney 100 Platinum range! Collect and connect them all to create a bespoke, impactful display.

Nano Pods and Pods 4D are compatible with one another, so fans can collect, connect and display all their favourite characters in a unique and individual way.

The fellowship of the ring

OurAmbassadors return with a new outdoor goodie from Spin Master to get their hands on. Our team of intrepid youngsters have been giving the Aerobie Pro Ring a good workout in their local fields and

''Feel like a pro'' Louie, age 12

Dad Scott: The Aerobie is great, no need for instructions as after a couple of wayward throws you’ll be getting great distance and feel like a pro.

Louie: The colour scheme made it not only look cool while gliding through the air but also made it stand out and a lot easier to catch and throw.

Dad Scott: Louie loved how quickly he picked up the technique and impressed himself by quite quickly throwing far further and accurately than me.

You’ll need to ensure you’ve plenty of open space when playing though or else you’ll be testing your neighbours’ patience!

We’ll definitely get a lot of use out the Aerobie as it’s a great way to get Louie along for a dog walk.

Cassie, 10

Adam: It’s very easy to throw and quite amazing just how far you can get it to fly!

We also invented several simple games while playing and a lot of fun together with a simple but very well-made toy.

Leo, age 12

even put it around your arm or neck if you are holding a child’s hand and walking a dog. Unlike conventional frisbees, this one travels really high and goes really far. For younger children, it’s harder to catch but easy for them to throw and carry. My son liked the blue, because it was vibrant and easy to recover once thrown, but he felt that the green made it

intrigued to see what it could do. It’s really aerodynamic and rises and falls with the air currents, meaning it can go really high in the wind.

Cassie: It went really far, and was soft to the touch.

Adam: Cassie loved seeing just how far it would go and it was very easy to throw, unlike some other similar flying toys we have tried out in the past.

Once out of the secure packaging, no set-up was needed. We loved the bright colour; we thought it would be hard to lose it in a field. The rubber was surprisingly grippy and easy to catch, too.

We will definitely play with this again and again. We often walk in the park and take a football, we will now take this along as well.

Leo:

It travels much furtherthan a normalfrisbee and it’s easier to catch.

It’s also durable and light

Louie: I really playingenjoyed with the Aerobie. It's simple and easy to use and it's lots of fun

Cassie: severalWeinvented gamessimple while playingwiththe Aerobie

RETAIL INTERVIEW AFTER ALICE

“Idon’tthinkanyone elsedoesitquitelikeus”

What’s your background?

I’m a psychology graduate and, before family life, I worked in the charity sector with children and young people. I stayed at home when my daughters were young. When they started primary school, I wanted to work again but needed something sympathetic to my family’s schedule. My old career was no longer suitable. I needed flexibility but also something that was quite straightforward and pleasurable, which didn’t keep me awake at night (my daughters did enough of that!).

Why online retailing?

The plan was born from a particularly frustrating run of internet browsing

Why are you called After Alice?

We liked the idea of a modern-day Alice - a girl today, with the natural curiosity of Lewis Carroll's character [in the author’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland children’s book]. Alice is brave and bold. She speaks her mind. In Wonderland, normal rules and expectations don't apply, and that freed Alice. We like that idea: that if girls are allowed to explore and be adventurous, they can achieve all kinds of exciting and maybe unexpected things. This seemed to fit in well with the ethos of our shop.

nights, when I was shopping for gifts for girls. It was a deadly phrase to type into a search engine - unless you were looking for pink plastic tat.

I wished there was a quality site where a like-minded parent had carefully curated a collection of great gifts for girls: ones that didn’t play to the lazy gender stereotypes or set a really low bar about the range of things that girls are interested in or good at. When I wasn’t able to find one, I realised I may have to create it.

We launched in 2015 and our modus operandi is still the same. We describe our site as ‘inspired by girls, to be enjoyed by all’. We are a family firm (my husband Steve is the other half). We have a local warehouse, and deal with fulfilment ourselves. We are an online business but we do take After Alice on the road too, usually in the run-up to Christmas when we do some local fairs.

What do you offer that other retailers don’t?

We come at the business from a family perspective. We are very informed by our experiences as parents to daughters. We don’t stock things that we wouldn’t have in our own toy cupboard.

We like timeless, innovative, quality toys and gifts that spark joy. We play with everything we stock, so we know the products well. Many lines we continue

to stock year after year, because they are so positively reviewed and really embody what we stand for. Because of how we run things, we are very well placed to advise customers if they are unsure about whether a particular toy will suit the child they have in mind.

The toy shop zeitgeist is very much gender neutral, and we heartily support that. But we are trying to do something a little different. We are not trying to be divisive by putting girls at the heart of what we do. We believe that any child - girl or boy - should have access to toys and pursuits that don’t restrict or suppress them, and After Alice has these in abundance. Many of our customers use our site for presents for both the boys and girls in their lives.

We take customer service very seriously and do everything in our power to ensure customers feel satisfied. We definitely go the extra mile if necessary. For example, we came to the rescue of an American parent who was desperately searching for a particular dragon from the Melissa & Doug range. It was her son’s favourite comfort toy, but the original had been lost and there were no more available in her country. The child was struggling to sleep without his companion. In the end he was a very well-travelled dragon, but he did reach his little human as fast as we could get him there.

TnP talks to Martine Lambourne , founder and owner of online toy and gift shop After Alice , which is ‘inspired by girls, to be enjoyed by all’

We like timeless, innovative, qualitytoys andgiftsthat sparkjoy ”

“

Describe your range. Eclectic! We have more than 1,000 lines and focus on ages from three up to teens. Our selection criteria is easy: would I buy it for my own child, or one of their friends?

We stock compasses, telescopes, arts & crafts, puzzles, construction toys, marble runs, action figures, cuddly toys and dressing up costumes. We love STEM toys. We champion ‘slow down’ toys: pursuits that bring families together and make a rainy afternoon fly by. And we are unashamedly unplugged (apart from the odd lamp).

I’m particularly proud of our Teen Alice collection. Teens and tweens can be hard to shop for and it’s easy to default to vouchers, clothing or technology. We would still encourage shoppers to choose thoughtful gifts for this age range, as arguably they need quality offline gifts and pursuits more than anyone.

How many suppliers do you deal with?

About 15, including Djeco, Bigjigs Toys, Abrams & Chronicle Books, Lottie, Coiledspring Games and Laurence King Publishing, followed by Uncle Goose, Thames & Kosmos, The Puppet Company, The Unemployed Philosophers Guild (UPG), Eatsleepdoodle, History Heroes, and Scrunch UK.

What’s selling well?

Eidos by UPG has been a big successthink Dobble for art-loving tweens and teens. Do they know their Girl with a Pearl Earring from their Keith Haring [artworks]? If they don’t at the start, they will at the end!

Best Sellers

■ Laurence King Publishing How to Be the Best Bubble Writer in the World Ever! activity book

■ Aleto Games

No Thanks! game

■ Abrams & Chronicle Books Cool Cats

Magnetic Bookmarks

■ Bigjigs Toys

Times Tables Cube

■ Coiledspring Games

Sleeping Queens card game

Marbles are always a great seller too. There’s no finer way to spend some hours than constructing your own marble run and letting fly exquisite orbs of joy. Some of the handmade marbles we stock are simply mini works of art.

But over the past 12 months, our most popular product has been the How to Be the Best Bubble Writer in the World Ever! activity book by Lynda Scott. It’s great value, good honest fun. We sell an Adventurer’s Headlight from our Outside Alice collection that is a close runner-up.

What are your latest new arrivals?

The wonderful Teen Breathe series of guides (such as Be Brave, Be Healthy, and Be Original) and some STEM kits that allow you to build your own robotic animals, including Robot Pet Shop and Robot Safari, both by Thames & Kosmos.

What’s next for your business?

Trading over the past 12 months has been good. We are getting to a stage where our previous quiet zones are becoming rarer. We noticed sales continued well over the summer, which certainly wasn’t the case in our earlier years.

We have just really kept on trucking. And we are always looking for new products. This year, we also have plans for some After Alice in-house printed merchandise. It’s time to get creative!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Offering something genuinely different to the toy market for the people looking for it. I don’t think anyone else does it quite like us. The huge hangar-style toy shops, where boxes are rarely open, and staff are strangely absent (apart

from on the till!) seem joyless to me. That’s not how I remember toy shops when I was a child. Give me a small independent any time. Although we are online, we are still trying to create that wonder, and provide that care and quality.

Finally, what’s your favourite toy or game?

You have to allow me a few! At the moment it’s Sounds Fishy: a terrific bluffing game from Big Potato Games. I love it because it means my daughters don’t want to leave the dinner table - they want to stay and play. And it makes them laugh a lot. Anything that encourages that connection is a great pursuit. A good game should bring families together.

Lottie dolls also have a big place in my heart from when my girls were younger. I remember seeing Fossil Hunter Lottie and Stargazer Lottie at Toy Fair in the very early days. They offered such a wonderful contrast to other dolls on the market, and I knew without doubt that they were exactly what I wanted to stock.

I still smile every time I see a female astronaut featured in playsets. When I first started the company, that was a real holy grail, despite having British astronaut Helen Sharman in our midst. My daughter loved space, so I was always on the lookout for girls in space.

Likewise, female pirates were very important to us; we read the Night Pirates book by Peter Harris on a loop when my eldest was young. So finding a wonderful Pirate Ship with an equal balance of feisty girl and boy pirates was amazing (thank you Tidlo!).

We are gettingtoa stagewhere ourprevious quietzonesare gettingrarer ”

“

Fun and laughter

Toys ’N’ Trends in Whitstable aims to be Kent’s most fun, exciting and interesting toy shop, as owner Helen Bellenie explains

I’ve always loved retail and enjoyed many years in the car industry as a saleswoman before moving to the beautiful seaside town of Whitstable in Kent 22 years ago, to have and bring up my son. My husband and I had spent many weekends here previously and knew it was the life for us!

After an eight-year break I was getting ready to go back to work, and pondering what to do - and whether the sometimes unsociable hours of retail would still work. Then, out of nowhere, a friend offered me a lease on a shop literally just a stone’s throw away in Tankerton, which is a suburb of Whitstable. So the adventure began.

What were we going to sell? What was missing on Tankerton High Street? Well, my son made it quite clear: it was toys! So, toys it was. The premises was a particularly small lock-up shop but we made the best of it.

We opened in December 2010 and stocked pocket money toys and the latest trends - which I clearly remember were Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin at the time. Our biggest hit was secondhand LEGO: make-your-own Minifigures and bricks, sold by weight.

We soon built up a reputation and

had a great local and visitor following. Three years on, we moved to a slightly larger shop right opposite, which gave us room to stock more products and hold children’s parties.

And after a successful four years, in March 2017, we were very excited to find an ideal shop measuring 95sq m just up the road on Whitstable High Street, with an amazing party room for bigger, creative, themed parties. More fun and more laughter - this is what business is about at Toys ‘N’ Trends.

Diversified range

Today, we stock a wonderful diversified range of licensed, gifting and sustainable toys for all ages, including LEGO, Ty, Squishmallows, Hot Wheels and Pokémon. Our key suppliers right now are LEGO, Character Options, Brainstorm, Simba Snoby, Orchard Toys, University Games, Jazwares,The Puppet Company, Tonies, Djeco and Mojo Fun.

Best-selling brands include LEGO, Squishmallows, Pokémon, Eugys, Ty and Hot Wheels. And we recently introduced Majorettes, which are proving very popular.

We are currently looking at expanding our range, having recently joined Toymaster [a buying group association

of independently owned toy stores]. It’s very exciting and opens up a whole new perspective for us: we are looking at Smart Games, VTech, Craft Buddy and much more.

Our favourite shows are London Toy Fair at Olympia and Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. I’m also hoping to attend the Toymaster Show in May.

We find inspiration for products from our little customers! They are always the first to know. We enjoy great relationships with our agents: face-to-face or Zoom meetings work well for us. We also belong to a fab WhatsApp group, which includes similar independent toy shops, who are so informative and supporting.

Trading

The past year has been great for uswe are slightly ahead of the previous year. Staying ahead is always a positive. We are supported well locally, and by visitors old and new. We try to give back as much as possible by supporting local charities, schools and other initiatives.

We engage with our customers by social media and newsletters, run colouring competitions, and offer free local delivery and gift wrapping. We also

We haven’t noticed a hugechange inspending patterns. However, in lightofthe cost-of-living crisis, we have ensured that we’re stocking good-quality productsat affordable prices ”

“

hope to reintroduce our Character Days. The last ones took place pre-Covid, so it’s time to bring them back!

We hire help or dress up ourselves as popular children’s characters and invite kids along to meet-and-greets. We tried this with Spider-Man, Batman and Princess Belle, and it was a huge success. If I remember rightly, Ty has a fantastic Giant Coconut the monkey! Now that would be fun…

We haven’t noticed a huge change in spending patterns. However, in light of the cost-of-living crisis, we have ensured that we’re stocking good-quality products at affordable prices, which are particularly aimed to help with the many birthday parties that children are invited to.

We are not seeing an issue with stock shortages. Should a product cost rise considerably, where it is no longer value for money, we will replace it with a more suitable one. Profit retainability is key. It’s so important to get the mix right to stay on track and be able to afford keeping stock fresh.

What’s next?

There is lots to look forward to right now, with summer on the way (hopefully) and the outdoor toys flying through the door! My particular favourites are the Waboba and Aerobie ranges. We buy both from TKC Sales. Waboba has a fantastic range of hyper bouncing balls called Moon Balls, and its Flying Discs are a huge seller: they’re easy to fold up and put in your pocket.

Aerobie flying toys include highperformance Pro rings and aerodynamic

Best Sellers

■ LEGO Minecraft

■ 7.5in Squishmallowsany design goes!

■ Pokémon Trading Cards

■ Ty new Beanie Bellies

■ Hot Wheels Monster Jam Trucks

Our social media went off the scale!

Sonic Fin footballs, which are super fun.

Oh, and there’s some great cinema releases coming too: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (out now), The Little Mermaid, and Spider-Man. We are so lucky in the toy industry, with forever evolving changes.

I think the most rewarding aspect of my job is my amazing team, which keeps me going every day. Julia O’Shea and Julia Perry look after sales and seeing stock in, while Lauren Stokes looks after sales plus the EPOS system/ some buying and our Shopify platform. For me, buying and merchandising is my favourite role.

The most challenging aspect is being a jack-of-all-trades as a small business owner. But we are complimented daily on our store and the joy it brings, so it’s all worthwhile.

What’s your proudest business moment?

“Back in 2015, series 11 of [BBC One’s business reality game show] The Apprentice came to visit when we were in our previous shop in Tankerton. It ended up being quite an iconic programme, where the boys’ team bought a rubber dingy from us, winning against the girls’ team that day.”

In the episode, entitled ‘CrossChannel Discount Buying’, Lord Sugar’s apprentice candidates’ assignment was to find nine items and negotiate the best possible price on every item they bought. The team that spent the least amount of money won the task.

Half the team were sent to search along the Kent coast, while the other half were instructed to set sail for France to bag bargains there.

One of the items was a ‘boat’ and confusion threw everyone into disarray, as Helen explains: “It put them in a dilemma over what boat size they wanted. They went for the cheaper one because it was big enough.

“It was all really good fun but I’ve never been so nervous, with Claude Littner [Lord Sugar's long-time friend and business associate, who joined Karren Brady to judge the candidates in this series] just feet away.

“He came into the shop and I didn’t know it was him until the end. I couldn’t believe it, and was a bit shellshocked for a while and overwhelmed. But it was brilliant to see them in Tankerton - and our social media went off the scale!”

Talking retail

Lisa Clay Owner ArmadilloToys ChapelAllerton, Leeds

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

At the trade shows this year I did visit a number of new suppliers (for me anyway). We have always sold wooden, more traditional and timeless toys and leaned less towards licensed and plastic toys.

This time I deliberately sought out some of the bigger suppliers and was disappointed with a few that they didn't follow up on my visit. I am happy with the new ranges we have introduced and we've had a great response so far to Cry Babies and Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty. From our existing suppliers we are loving the new lines from Orange Tree Toys, Galt Toys, Orchard Toys and Lanka Kade.

We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

I’m very pleased with sales so far this year, I was concerned with the cost-of-living crisis and all the price increases, but for us sales have been good, even better than last year.

I have been developing a range of Ready to Go gifts for our customers. These are bags with the present wrapped inside and a card, all ready to pick up and go. These have been increasingly popular and we will be doing travel bags very soon, designed to keep children busy (off screens) while travelling and on holiday.

I have been developing a range of Ready to Go gifts for our customers. These are bags with the present wrapped inside and a card, all ready to pick up and go

Julia Lowe Owner

FarmToys Online.An online shop based in

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

We’re excited about expanding our range of eco-friendly soft toys. Nearly every young child has a plush toy that they do everything with and take everywhere. Our aim is to attract customers even earlier during the toy buying window by improving our range of must-have toys for younger children.

We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

January to March are our slowest months in terms of sales at Farm Toys Online. But we would have expected sales to pick up in April, sadly the extremely wet start to spring and squeeze on people’s finances have caused poor sales of our outdoor toys so far. Let's hope it is temporary!

Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

Our store sessions are slightly higher than in previous years, but converting those customers is becoming more of a challenge as people are shopping around more

We have a brilliant range of battery-powered ride-on toys from Peg Perego, which are set to be very popular. Our range includes entry-level electric ride-ons to more sophisticated twoseater off-road vehicles, so something to suit every budget and size.

Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

Looking ahead, we are still selling lots of fidget toys, and Pokémon cards are popular too.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

I do think lower cost points are very important, even if customers still spend the same total amount we are selling fewer big-ticket items.

Footfall is better than last year and average spend is roughly the same, perhaps a fraction more.

Our range at Armadillo Toys is quite classic and timeless so we are not dependent on the popularity of licences. Our bestselling ranges include Djeco, Janod, Galt Toys, Usborne Books, Top Model, Bigjigs Toys, Orchard Toys, Schleich, Lanka Kade, Ty and the Puppet Company.

My own range of Story Sacks and Ready to Go Gifts came in eighth in our total sales last year; not bad when we have approximately 80 suppliers.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

Our store sessions are slightly higher than in previous years, but converting those customers is becoming more of a challenge as people are shopping around more. Our average order value is where we expect it to be and in line with inflation.

What's selling especially well at the moment?

Our top five best-selling toys each week will almost always be from our core range of tractors. But smaller pocket money items, like the John Deere Simpl Dimpl Keyring, are selling very well.

you would like to take part in Toy Talk, we’d love to hear from you. Please email tim@lemapublishing.co.uk

This month we ask retailers about orders coming in from Toy Fair and if spending patterns have changed

South Somerset.

Peter Dobson

CEO, Geek Retreat 50 stores across the UK

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

We are particularly excited about the upcoming Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game (TCG) arriving in store. This new game offers a fresh and innovative approach to trading card games, combining the best elements of many Disney worlds. It allows fans to dive into a magical universe, featuring beloved Disney characters and engaging gameplay. We believe the Disney Lorcana TCG has the potential to be a hit among both casual fans and dedicated collectors alike, driving excitement and interest in our store. We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

As spring weather begins to emerge, we have indeed noticed a shift in shopping habits at Geek Retreat. The warmer temperatures and increased daylight tend to bring out more shoppers, leading to an uptick in sales during this season. People are more inclined to spend time outdoors and engage in leisure activities, which often

Debra Maloney Senior Manager AustinsToy Store Newton Abbot, Devon

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

The new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon range, new Squishmallows and the exciting ranges of Disney for the 100th anniversary.

We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

include visits to our store to discover the latest products and trends.

Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

Looking ahead to summer, we are confident that the Disney Lorcana TCG will be one of our best-selling items. As previously mentioned, the game's engaging gameplay and iconic Disney characters are sure to captivate fans of all ages. Additionally, the summer months are typically a period of increased leisure time for many people, providing ample opportunities for customers to explore and enjoy the Disney Lorcana TCG with friends and family.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

At the moment, footfall at Geek Retreat is somewhat lower compared to previous years around this time. This could be attributed to a variety of factors, including concerns related to the cost-of-living crisis. However, the average spend per basket has remained relatively stable, suggesting that our loyal customers continue to find value in the products and experiences we offer.

Julia Wingate Company Director The Trading Post, Kingsbridge, Devon

What's selling especially well at the moment?

Currently, one of our top-selling items is the newly released Pokémon TCG set, Scarlet and Violet. This latest addition to the Pokémon TCG universe has generated a great deal of enthusiasm among fans, thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics, stunning card art, and introduction of new Pokémon. The strong sales performance of Scarlet and Violet demonstrates the enduring popularity of the Pokémon franchise and its ability to captivate fans of all ages.

We are hoping that with a lot of people still taking staycations that we will do well with the outdoor toys and have expanded the range.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

Footfall is challenging at the present time, and our average spend is down on last year. Sales are down on last year, but as I write, we are now in Easter holidays and hoping for a good two weeks then some nice spring weather to lift spirits. We have activities and lots of offers to help sales.

What's selling especially well at the moment?

The items selling well are LEGO, Hot Wheels, Tech Deck and pocket money toys.

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

We love the new Wild Scenes Grow Playsets from Play Monster and all the new Sylvanians Easter Celebration sets.

We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

The sunnier days have brightened up the shoppers' outlook and we are now selling a few more balls, buckets and spades for entertaining the children outside. We also ran a 'bike week' to boost bicycle and bike accessory sales now the evenings are lighter. Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

We ran a 'bike week' to boost bicycle and bike accessory sales now the evenings are lighter

Our summer sales are typically similar year on year; people want beach toys and games, wetsuits and body boards. New colours, patterns and designs help move items along but nothing 'new' really.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment? Footfall is about the same as last year but spend is up a tiny bit.

What’s selling well?

LEGO new sets and Easter bunnies are selling well along with TY easter items.

We are hoping that with a lot of people still taking staycations that we will do well with the outdoor toys

Looking ahead to summer, we are confident that the Disney Lorcana TCG will be one of our best-selling items

Talking retail

Peter Allinson Director, Whirligig Toys Brighton, Canterbury, Chichester, TunbridgeWells

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

Most of our new stock has already arrived. We were delighted by the glittering and glow-in-the-dark viewing tablets from Commotion that let younger children have a real moment of wonder as they view the world through a different lens. Next, the LCD drawing tablets from Robert Frederick have been really well received and we are already reordering. They have excellent instructions and allow children to create on a simple tablet. The expanded range of miniature houses to build from the Robotime collection has been a great addition to our arts and crafts range and we also love our new family games from Chronicle.

We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

Rachael Sankey Director/Owner, Harold's Toy Store Church Stretton, Shropshire

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

We don’t have any orders from the shows but we have just started stocking Maileg, which we are very excited about.

We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

We’re seeing more people now the holidays have started - and since we are located in a popular tourist spot the weather definitely improves business for us. Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

I expect things like Pokémon, Nerf, Schleich, Inkari Alpaca and LEGO will continue to be some of our bestsellers. I’m also expecting our new lines from Maileg to be very popular.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

We have only been open one year and this week last year was our very first week so it would be foolish to compare this time… however we know more and more people are discovering us and finding more to buy since we have expanded our range quite a lot over the past year.

What's selling especially well at the moment?

Pokémon is always a popular one and so is LEGO - I think it would take something drastic for that to change.

Yes, with Easter holidays ahead of us and less rain in the air we have seen a great deal more customers wanting to come in and browse. This feels like the start of the year for us, when we move into being real shops again after Christmas and then winter.

Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

We think that the Eugy range is going to keep on selling through the summer. They really seem to have caught our customers’ imagination and are just the right small gift for someone who needs a bit of a sit down after enjoying time outside. Traditional summer toys and garden games are not really our forte, but we always see children spending time on arts and crafts projects over the summer when they have time to really get something right without the pressures of school.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

Not bad at all. Our customers always know that there are going to be new things to see every time they come in, so we get lots of frequent visitors. Also, as spring and summer arrive, our shops are very well placed for tourists who love to discover the smaller independent shops when they visit our towns. Not much different from previous years.

What's selling especially well at the moment?

We can’t get enough of the Smart Games range at the moment. They have increased the range with some excellent new titles and they are so good to demonstrate when children and parents come in. They really seem to attract children and present buyers can see the value in the games. All our team members know how to play the games so this makes a real difference. We are also selling the Djeco art range really well – such lovely designs and lots of new products to keep everyone happy.

This feels like the start of the year for us, when we move into being real shops again after Christmas and then winter

Pokémon is always a popular one and so is LEGO - I think it would take something drastic for that to change

Jasmine Borastero Manager

Kids StuffToymaster Wells, Somerset

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

We haven’t been to many shows over the past few years but we started going again this year - we like to see what’s new and meet up with friends/reps and other traders to see how they are doing.

We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

We are so looking forward to the better weather - as for shopping habits they haven’t changed much. Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

This year will be pretty much the same as last year; we are well known for our comprehensive LEGO stock as well as Playmobil. Pocket money and lower price points are very popular during the holiday seasons

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

Our footfall has been lower than expected due to the building work going on since Christmas; it will hopefully be finished by Easter. Basket spend has dropped very slightly

Jade Oliver-Deacon, Owner The Toy Shop Okehampton ,Devon

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair etc?

New board games from Big Potato Games and Asmodee, Djeco, Orchard Toys, and Eugy. We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

Our customers have started to venture out, after hibernating during the first quarter of this year. We are expecting the Easter holidays to be busy.

Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

Outdoor toys and take-and-play games.

What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

The town has noticed that footfall has dropped, but everyone is positive and hopeful that the Easter break will see lots of visitors down here. More than ever, we are seeing our customers looking for a great gift for between £10 and £15. The increased energy prices are having a huge impact on everyone, and people are being careful about how much they spend on a gift. We have seen our local customers buying a toy for their children, rather than a chocolate egg, because it is something that lasts.

£10

What's selling especially well at the moment?

The new Pok é mon cards are selling well, as are Djeco and LEGO.

Sally Wilde Owner Planet Sal, Honiton, Devon

”

Our top five bestsellers are: 1 Lego, 2 Pokémon, 3 Playmobil, 4 Play-Doh, 5 Pocket money range

What's selling especially well at the moment?

LEGO is still our biggest seller, followed by pocket money toys and Aaron’s Thinking Putty. Our top five bestsellers are: 1 LEGO, 2 Pokémon, 3 Playmobil, 4 Play-Doh, 5 Pocket money range.

What are you most excited about coming in store from your orders at Toy Fair/Spring Fair?

My favourite range was the Dinosaur section from Funtime. All their items go well and I liked the new additions. The dino craze still has some way to go, I think.

I also liked their Giant Sunflower Seeds.

Sink The Floater game from Boxer Gifts also looks fantastic, and a new company for me, Ginger Fox, had some great games, which I will order for the summer holidays. I especially liked their Taskmaster game.

It’s also great to see the Moomin range from Puckator, too. I sell SO much Moomin…. We've seen a few glimmers of spring weather - has that changed shopping habits?

Honiton is in a tourist area and I found that there were a lot more visitors this February and March than usual - I think some accommodation bargains were to be had. On the sunny days, it was noticeably busier.

Looking ahead to summer - what do you think will sell well this year?

I am selling a lot of Exit Escape-themed games, plus Escape Room books and general puzzle books. I think these will be perfect for older children on holiday.

Squishies are still a staple and I have a big selection from One For Fun already in. What is footfall and spend per basket like at the moment?

I would say that footfall is down, definitely, but spend per basket is higher, so it is mostly level with last year. Payday weekend is noticeably better, as I think customers splash out after being careful all month. Shopping locally definitely seems to be more of a priority this year, which is a big positive.

More than ever, we are seeing our customers looking for a great gift for between

and £15

WH AT’S

D.A.G.G.E.R.

Asmodee

01420 593593 | www.asmodee.co.uk

to my heart

Some of Marvel’s greatest superheroes line up for a new card game launch through Asmodee, with the impending arrival of Marvel D.A.G.G.E.R.

Between one and five players assume the identities of the comic book characters to take on nefarious enemies and save the world. The line-up aiming to defend the planet includes Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow and Daredevil among others, with 20 to choose from. The game, developed by Fantasy Flight Games, is due out in June.

Paws brings the sunshine

POSH PAWS

01268 567317 | sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Posh Paws and its parent Whitehouse Leisure are working together with charity Rays Of Sunshine on a drive aimed at raising £10,000 for the wish-granting organisation.

The plush supplier is raising the cash through sales of its newlylaunched Cure Eco Baby Animal range.

Phil Setter, MD of Posh Paws and Whitehouse Leisure said:

Star Trek returnsboldly

Heathside Trading Ltd

01254 445619 | sales@heathside.biz

www.heathside.biz

Heathside Trading has agreed a licensing deal with Paramount’s consumer products arm, which will see it becoming the authorised distributor of Eaglemoss’ Hero Collector series of diecast Star Trek ships.

The range is, Heathside said, one of the most “successful and beloved” licensed Trek products, with more than 400 designs available based on both movies and series form the franchise. Ranging between 1.5in and 12in in size, they have been unavailable aside from on secondary sites since Eaglemoss’ closure. They will be released at fortnightly intervals to fans via retail and Heathside’s own site.

Max Nelson from Heathside commented: ‘’We couldn’t be more thrilled to have secured the Star Trek agreement, and we want to ensure that collectors have the ability to access and find the ships they still need for their collections. We are strategically placing product in the market to ensure no disruption to the Trek fans around the world.”

“We are delighted to help raise invaluable donations for such a fantastic charity like Rays of Sunshine. We see the smiles that our products bring to children every day and to help raise money for Rays of Sunshine through the sales of our Cute Eco Earth plush toys is something we are extremely excited to be a part of.”

For every Cute Eco Earth Baby Animal plush toy sold, 50p of the sale is being donated to Rays of Sunshine.

Ferrari comes to play Playmobil

01268 490184 | | www.playmobil.de

In a first for the brand, Ferrari is joining the Playmobil world, with the launch of the classic SF90 Stradale.

The vehicle, in trademark Ferrari red, complete with the iconic logo at the front, comes with two Playmobil figures and accessories, including golf clubs. The launch comes as the car manufacturer celebrates the 125th anniversary of the birth of designer and founder Enzo Ferrari.

Rover returns

LEGO

080053465555 | www.lego.com

LEGO has added to its Icons range with the launch of the Classic Land Rover Defender 90 set, a mammoth 2,000-plus piece set based on the seminal tough-going, off-road specialist. Timed to coincide with the vehicle’s 75th anniversary, the launch was marked by the brick giant taking one of the vehicles complete with the sets to one of the remotest parts of the UK. This made it arguably the world’s hardest-to-reach store, although explorers Raha Moharrak, the first Saudi woman to scale Everest and the Seven Summits, and Scottish adventurer Aldo Kane managed to reach it as part of the promotional activity for the launch.

Posing a challenge

SmartGames

01903 885669 | uk@smart.be

Preschoolers and parents have to guide the animals around Safari Park Jr, getting the figurines together for a photo opportunity in this shape sorter-cum -puzzle game. It features 60 challenges for players as they have to move animal figurines around the board to match the challenges pictured.

Karen Clarke, UK brand director at Smart Toys and Games, said: “We are so excited about this new game. Safari Park Jr. is bursting with fun; it has the play factor, the learning element and is so cute and colourful - what’s not to love? We really hope this inspires young minds to take many a trip to the Safari Park.”

Going down again

Asmodee

01420 593593 | www.asmodee.co.uk

Tabletop board and card game specialist Fantasy Flight Games has finally announced an expansion for its Descent: Legends Of The Dark.

instalment is a natural evolution, introducing new mechanics and levelling up heroes for the next threat," said Philip D. Henry, lead designer of Descent: Legends of the Dark. "Descent Act II builds on the core mechanics of the original so players can easily transition from one to the other. So finish up those campaigns now, and be ready to face the Dragonlord Levirax!"

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