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Available Autumn / Winter 2016

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CONTENTS Regular

P20

5 Leader — with Mirella Anstey 6 News — hot off the press

16 ary 20 Febru No.5 5 Vol. 3

TEAM TnP Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

9 Quick Coffee Break — with Nikki Samuels, Licensing Director, Sambro 10 Exhibition News — the latest on global fairs and shows 12 People News — checking in on the movers and shakers 14 Movie News — the latest from the box ofﬁce

P24

16 Media News — the multimedia rundown

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

Writer Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

Media Solutions Manager Bradley Mason bradley@lemapublishing.co.uk

17 Media Charts — the latest kids’ TV viewing ﬁgures and toy TV advertising spend 20 What’s New — new products that you need to get your hands on 22 Toy Talk — the retailers have their say 64 Trade Talk — we give suppliers a chance to talk business 57 Don’t Miss — unmissable products for all buyers and retailers 72 Licensing News — the hottest news from the toy licensing industry 75 Step Back In Time — a slice of toy history from the industry’s longest running magazine

Features Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design and Production Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

At the heart of retail A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,123

34 Science and Nature — learning is made even more fun

P34

50 Dolls and Accessories — this all-time favourite category is examined 58 London Toy Fair — we review Toy Fair 2016 68 Nuremberg — after six days in Germany, we ﬁnd out how exhibitors got on 70 Spring Fair — Birmingham’s NEC was the place to be

Special Report 19 Cover story — Simba introduce us to their Bob the Builder range

P50

24 Retail Interview — Wyevale Garden Centre has upped the ante on its toy offering, we ﬁnd out more

Columnists 18 Media Whisperer — Clive Crouch looks UK broadcasting

P72

32 High Street Highs —The Entertainer’s MD Gary Grant gives us his take on toy fairs 28 The Independent and Secret Supplier — 2015 was a good year for our retailer 30 Shop Talk — John Ryan asks if toy shop owners should do things differently 48 TnP Ambassadors — our ambassadors test the toys you stock on your shelves 74 Licensing Opinion — Kelvyn Gardner asks what makes a toy?

1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

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Helping everyone sell more

LEADER

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,123 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

PUBLISHING

At the heart of retail Also published by Lema Publishing

licensing T O D A Y

W O R L D W I D E

magazine

ell, what a fabulous start to 2016 everyone e is enjoying! The surprising and, let’s be frank here, unwelcome change to the Toy Fair dates was not something anyone in the trade was relishing. However, the feared Sunday start was a real success. The comments we received were strongly positive – not that anyone really wants the Sunday start to be reintroduced sometime in the future – but business was booming and the day ended on a real high. That strong finish on day one set the tone for a super Toy Fair for the duration. The year started well for us too, coming off the back of an intense end to 2015 which saw TnP publish the biggest Toy Fair issue of the season – a mammoth 328-page magazine no less – and some of us hot-footed it alongside so many of you to HK for the annual pilgrimage to the land of the bright, shiny and new. It is fair to say the showrooms were bustling, business was brisk and the products are going to knock your socks off! The Toy Industry Awards were also a fun affair with Spin Master winning the big prize! I was delighted to enjoy a celebratory glass of bubbly with GM Headley Barnes and Commercial Director of Marketing Phil Hooper. The team at Spin Master had a phenomenal year in 2015 following slightly testing times, but huge congratulations to all winners and nominees. Let’s face it, this is a tough business; anticipating what children will love and when is no easy task. Going into London Toy Fair is a busy time for us all – working out which hich stands to head to first is no mean feat – but for us it meant working on our beloved ed Daily News, the only official London Toy oy Fair daily paper. We are all newspaper people here on Team TnP so getting g back to our Fleet Street roots is something omething we are always eager to do.

TableWare

Mirella Anstey

Rushing around R interviewing and i photographing buyers and p exhibitors is what we do best and e we want to thank you all for your w wonderful comments about how w much you enjoyed the three daily m papers, all produced live at the show pa – ssometimes well into the wee small hours – but also for contributing to the hou 64 pages each and every day. It really is your paper so, without you telling us what products you love and ttellin which stands you’ve enjoyed visiting, whic w the Daily News would be nothing, so th he D thank th hank you all! IIf all that were not enough, we also lmed more than 30 interviews with top film toy industry figures about their latest to lines and ranges for our brilliant TnP TV lin (catch it at www.toysnplaythings.co.uk) (c so there is plenty more to see from us on that front this year and we will keep o you posted! y The fairs did not end for us there, oh no! After London we headed to o Nuremberg, then to Birmingham and, N as we go to press, we have a contingent in NYC – we are a dedicated crew here and love to tell you all about the newest toys! With new toys being what we are all here for, it is our pleasure to bring you the latest line of toys from Simba Smoby. Pre-schoolers are thrilled and excited by the latest incarnation of everyone’s favourite (and reliable) Bob the Builder. Simba unveil their new line of tools and work benches which are very fun and really in-keeping with the brand values. Take a look at our exclusive cover feature to see what’s new and fresh with Bob and Simba Smoby. In other hot news, turn to our story following and Leapfrog merger where the VTech a we have ssome great insight from insiders but also from financial toy insid experts. And elsewhere we hear experts retailers up and down the from re country that Ty’s Teeny Ty are going gangbusters. Well done to the guys gangb and we love a good news story at Ty a – keep them coming! Enjoy the issue and keep an eye our daily email newsflash (sign out for ou website) to hear the latest up at our w and greatest news from the toy industry.

INTERNATIONAL

PICTURE BUSINESS

Featuring FRAMING BUSINESS

LEGO’s Angie Tutt with Mirella

If you would like to subscribe to any of our other market leading titles please call Robert Thomas on 01442 289930 or email your request to robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Flair’s Kirsty McKenzie appeared on TnP TV

NEWS

High five for toys The best performance in five years saw the UK toy industry stry reach a whopping £3.2 billion in sales in 2015,, retaining its position as the largest toy market in Europe. rope. NPD’s Frederqiue Tutt announced the industry’s performance at Toy Fair, where she also revealed that the market had grown 5.9 per cent - a year-on-year increase of £150m. The bumper year was partly driven by blockbuster movie licenses, with Minions, Jurassic World, Marvel’s Avengers and Star Wars all making an impact, particularly in December, which saw 26 per cent of all toy sales up 9 per cent on 2014. But it was also a good year for the traditional sector. “What is interesting about the 2015 performance is the lasting endurance of traditional toys such as building sets and action figures,” Frederique said. “It’s also great to see the variety in the toy industry where a fun game like Pie Face went viral on the internet, alongside the increasing popularity of traditional collectables.” Frederique also pointed to the strong line-up of collectables in 2015 as a major driver of bricks and mortar footfall. Although the amount of toys bought online did increase again last year, representing 37 per cent of all toy sales, growth is rapidly slowing. Looking to the year ahead, BTHA Chairman Phil Ratcliffe underlined “the three Cs” - crafts, colletables and creativity - as major categories to watch, alongside the continuing influence of big budget movies, activity play and increased focus on innovation in STEAM play.

NPD: Top 10 best sellers 2015 in sterling LEGO - LEGO Miniﬁgures Flair - Shopkins 2 Pack LEGO - Disney Frozen Elsa Sparkling Ice Castle Hasbro - Pie Face Game Mookie Toys - Smart Trike 4 in 1 Trike asst Jakks Paciﬁc - Disney Frozen Sing Along with Elsa Flair Preziosi - Shopkins Pack of 12 Hasbro - Nerf N Strike Elite Modulus Blaster Mattel - Hot Wheels Basic Car asst LEGO - Star Wars Millenium Falcon

VTech acquires LeapFrog VTech has agreed to buy US-based kids’ tablet and electronic toy specialist LeapFrog for about $72million (£49.6m). A statement speci released to confirm the deal said the two companies entered into the releas merger agreement on 5 February 2016. merg Reacting to the news, Stuart Grant, Buying Director at The Rea Entertainer said it was a “very smart move” for Hong Kong-based Enter VTech, giving them “strength in the reading category where LeapFrog VTech very strong.” He added that it would also give VTech more shelf are ve space, but he added: “From an industry perspective, we will have to space wait tto see what impact there will be on retailers and consumers.” Industry expert, John Harper, said: “The LeapFrog brand name Ind has been grown and nurtured for many years by a dedicated team. Hopefully VTech will continue to build this brand and not let it fade away, because the toy industry needs strong brands like LeapFrog.” Speaking exclusively to TnP, Stephanie Wissink, Senior Research Analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co., who follows LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. in the US, said the move was a “surprise”. Casting more light on the deal, she said that ultimately both companies could benefit from a more stabilised capital structure, and with the backing of “a much stronger capital engine” — VTech also has a significant communications technology arm — the toy business could flourish. “The way the report reads, and how I understand it, VTech is reversing into LeapFrog and will be bringing the capital. The voting control will ultimately be with VTech, but the LeapFrog moniker will remain. It is unclear at this point whether the two brands will coexist or whether there will be a major restructure. This merger could look to leverage that consumer trust, but Stephanie said until it is made clear what kind of merger this is, it is impossible say what impact it will have on a consumer-facing level.

Top choice for dads The Dad’s Choice Awards 2016 are now open for entries. With a newly launched website and some fantastic PR in national press, online, and women’s lifestyle magazines for the 2015 awards, the Dad’s Choice team are looking forward to more success this year. Founder, David Ross said: “We are delighted with the ongoing success of the Dad’s Choice Awards. Last year saw more entries than ever before, and these unique awards were a hit with our testers like Chris Elt and his four-year-old twins Elliot and Erin. Our team of testers just love getting their hands on the must-have products and putting them through their paces with their children.” Entries close in September, so visit www.dadschoiceawards.co.uk for more information on how to get involved in these unique and special awards.

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Learning Resources’ Nuremberg party went down a storm

Party in New-remberg

Barbie is for every body Mattel has unveiled a brand new look for Barbie, with the addition of three new body types – tall, curvy and petite – to expand its Fashionistas line, plus a variety of skin tones, hair styles and outfits. “For more than 55 years, Barbie has remained a global, cultural icon and a source of inspiration and imagination to millions of girls around the world,” said Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mattel. “Barbie has reflected the world girls see around them. Her ability to evolve and grow with the times, while remaining true to her spirit, is central to why Barbie has remained the number one fashion doll in world.”The new 2016 Barbie Fashionistas doll line includes four body types, seven skin tones, 22 eye colours, 24 hairstyles and countless on-trend fashions and accessories. Evelyn Mazzocco, Senior Vice President and Global General Manager Barbie added: “We are excited to literally be changing the face of the brand.”

Learning Resources’ theme of New! for its annual customer appreciation reception in Nuremberg was paired with a very apt change of venue this year. The famous reception moved from its 10year home at The Meridien Grand Hotel to the Neues Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art close to the historic city wall, a move that MD Dennis Blackmore said reﬂected the company’s fresh new look. “We wanted a dramatic backdrop to celebrate our new branding, our new packaging and our new stand in our new hall at Nuremberg,” said Dennis. “We knew it was a risk to move the reception and the day on which it was held, but we were overwhelmed and delighted by the support our customers showed in coming out to support us. It was a great success.” Guests were treated to an evening ﬁlled with quality refreshments, good company and entertainment featuring a theatrical aerial performance.

New year, new members

Clubs at the ready Toy retailers who want to test their mettle on the fairway with the industry’s ﬁnest should get their entries in soon for Orchard Toys’ annual Golf Day. Held at Burghley Park Golf Club in Stamford on 27 April, Orchard’s Sales Director Simon Prest is extending the invitation to the wider toy industry. Email simon.prest@orchardtoys.com for more details and join the fun!

FEBRUARY 2016

It’s been a busy start to 2016 for Toymaster, with a number of ownership changes for its members. Funtastic Toys has changed hands, with Taranjit Singh taking over the Wokingham, Berkshire toyshop. Devon Toymaster member The Tree House has also come under new ownership, with Su Hallsworth buying the location from former owners Eddie and Lorraine Willis, who have retired. The buying group has also swelled its ranks, welcoming Puffs Toys in Wymonham, Norfolk into the fold. Richard Harding heads up the team there, and you can contact him on 01953 605678 or email richard.harding@hotmail.co.uk

NEWS

Giving the Gift of Play The Toy Trust has chosen Giving the Gift of Play as its theme to underpin all fundraising activity for 2016. The industry’s charity will organise a number of events and initiatives this year, including the Big Cambridge Challenge, which takes place 2 July, 2016. The theme has been chosen because the toy industry, through it’s varied products and enterprises, already contributes so much to the positive play experiences of children all over the world. The BTHA’s Make Time 2 Play campaign highlights the many benefits of play for children and the Toy Trust theme for 2016 aims to make those benefits and positive play experiences a reality for many children who would otherwise not have access to this basic right of a child. East African Playgrounds (EAP), based in Uganda, has been chosen as the Toy Trust’s main overseas beneficiary charity in 2016. The Toy Trust has pledged £60,000 which will go on to fund 13 new playgrounds in refugee camps, local early childhood development and nursery centres and government schools in Uganda. As well as the overseas support, the Toy Trust has made a strategic decision to provide specialist play equipment through UK children’s hospices.This equipment will provide crucial play experiences for children with life limiting illnesses and their siblings. Details of the chosen hospices to be supported will be announced very shortly. Visit the Toy Trust website or email the BTHA’s Matt Jones on matt@btha.co.uk for more information.

Green Board Games’ founder Gary Wyatt and CEO Keith Grafham pictured with Flights of Fancy founders Deryck and Sarah Henley

Green Board Games acquires Flights of Fancy Green Board Games has acquired nature-themed gift company Flights of Fancy from founders Deryck and Sarah Henley, who are retiring. The purchase is a natural move for Green Board Games. Deryck and Sarah wanted to ensure their company would continue to be run true to the ethos it was built upon before they settled down, the same principles that Gary Wyatt, GBG founder and friend to the pair for 25 years, shares. Keith Graham, CEO of Green Board Games said: “We are all very excited by the acquisition and look forward to meeting new customers and building on a great heritage brand.” Flight of Fancy customers will continue to receive great service and quality products from GBG, as well as beneﬁtting from the BrainBox games maker’s extended range. Green Board will also look to expand the reach and range of Flight of Fancy products, while maintaining the elements of fun and learning that are core to both brands.

DKL’s Farel Williams at London Toy Fair

Order, order! DKL reported great success at this year’s London Toy Fair, with high order volumes and great feedback to new ranges signalling an exciting year ahead. On display were best sellers and new products from DKL’s top brands, including Hama Beads, Scentco Scented Stationery, PlayMais Craft, and much more. “Toy Fair was a great show for us, there were plenty of orders, lots of happy customers, and also great new business opportunities,” said Farel Williams, DKL. “Judging by the feedback at the show, 2016 is set to be a brilliant year!”

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Remembering James Batchelor Toymaster co-founder James Batchelor passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on 13 December 2015. Jim, as he was known to many in the trade, got his start in toys as a sales rep at Lines Bros Ltd in 1956, where he was later appointed Division Sales and Marketing Manager. He held positions at both D C M International and Flair Toys Ltd in the seventies, until he was approached in 1978 to form a new company with a view to co-ordinating the marketing activities of nine independent companies, as well as the development of own brand products. That company was initially called Unigroup Ltd, but in 1979 Jim changed the name to Toymaster Ltd, and the rest, as they say, is history. He retired on medical advice in January 1985 and enjoyed a happy retirement with his wife Joan, settling in the seaside town of Looe in Cornwall. Team TnP’s thoughts are with his family.

RIP Peter Powell Many of our readers will remember Peter Powell for his fantastic stunt kites. Sadly, he passed away last month at the age of 83. His kites were so popular that in the midseventies he won the Toy of the Year award and also helped quite a number of kite makers to sell their products to the toy trade. At their height, they were manufacturing up to 75,000 kites per week. Peter created the steerable stunt kite and while he got his love of ﬂying from his time spent in the RAF, it wasn’t until a friend approached him to repair a broken kite that he found his true calling. He was a one-off and proved that if you have the entrepreneurial skill, you can enter the toy trade from virtually nowhere and reach the heights of toy trade fame.

Remembering Rich Thompson Rich Thompson, who for many years was Vice President and Senior Vice president International for Milton Bradley, Hasbro and later The Ertl Company, sadly passed away on 30 November 2015. Rich was born in Des Moines, Iowa on 30 October 1931. He served for two years in the USAF and earned an MBA from Indiana University. Rich was well known throughout the UK toy industry and lived in the UK for some time with his wife of 61 years, Nancy. He is survived by Nancy, three children and their families. He will be sadly missed by his many friends in the UK and European toy industries.

Alan Caswell of Toys Am We of Dudley remembers two industry stalwarts: “Graham Cox and John Wickstead, both formerly of Palitoy as agents on the Midlands patch, have passed away. Both remained in the toy industry for many years. John ﬁnished and retired to Tenerife, while Graham moved to Character Options until his retirement. They were two super toy trade guys that I know myself and many readers of TnP will miss.”

FEBRUARY 2016

COFFEE BREAK Fresh from news that they have been acquired by Elysian Capital and with an increasingly large roster of licenses and products, Sambro are on a roll. Nikki Samuels, Licensing Director, SAMBRO takes some time out to catch up with TnP Nikki, we’re fresh out of all of the toy fairs – what was retailer reaction to your range like? We moved up to the Gallery at Toy Fair to a bigger and better stand which allowed us to showcase a wider range of products and licenses. While existing customers understand the breadth of our ranges, it was great to be able to show the trade just how many licenses we have in our portfolio. All three fairs were really busy with a high calibre of visitors and we will of course be back at every show in 2017. Does Sambro have a hero product that you are particularly excited about for 2016? The ranges are really huge so its hard to pick out just one but personally I really love our new Minions and Tsum Tsum 3D Erasers created by our brilliant design team. And what about your licenses – what do you think will be a big hitter in 2016? Tsum Tsum is a fantastic licensed property and our new range of arts, crafts, games and stationery are a fantastic complement to the products already out there. We are also launching brand new lines including Trolls, Finding Dory and Blaze to name just a few. There was quite a big announcement recently. Can you talk us through it please – what does this mean for the company? Yes our recent acquisition by Elysian Capital was huge for us. As you know we have grown quite rapidly over the past few years and this was always the next step for us as we want to continue with our ambitious growth plans. This deal will enable us to realise these goals with further investment into all aspects of the company. And will it have any effect on the way Sambro do business with retailers? It’s business as usual here at SAMBRO. The management team and indeed all our employees will continue to work hard to grow the business. Retailers won’t see any difference and will continue to deal with our existing team.

EXHIBITION

NEWS

Secure your visit to AIS today!

Normal service resumed Toy Fair will return to its normal date pattern for 2017, taking place from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 January

”

Toy Fair will return to its normal date pattern for 2017, taking place from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 January, and building and opening times will also be back to usual. The dates for Nuremberg Toy Fair have been conﬁrmed as 1-6 February, 2017 on the show’s website, meaning there will be no overlap between the two toy industry events. Registration for stand space at London Toy Fair 2017 is now open to both new and returning exhibitors. For more information on that, you can get in touch with the organisers on 020 7701 7271.

Open more hours Following extensive consultation with exhibitors and visitors, the organisers of Brand Licensing Europe will extend opening hours for this year’s event to work around Yom Kippur. Exhibitors were asked to comment and review the situation, and following feedback the 2016 show will extend opening hours on the opening and closing days of the show. On Tuesday 11 October, the show will open to visitors one hour earlier, and the doors will close one hour later on Thursday 13 October. The show will keep normal hours on the Wednesday. “We have investigated all options to work around this unfortunate date clash, and extended opening hours are the best solution to allow colleagues celebrating Yom Kippur to fully participate in the 2016 event,” explained BLE Event Director Darren Brechin. “Once again, we would like to apologise to all of our colleagues and friends affected and thank them for their understanding.”

The AIS Independent Toy and Gift Show returns this April, and independent retailers will want to register sharpish as it’s shaping up to be the biggest and best year to date. With exhibition space selling out in less than two weeks, the fair at Cranmore Business Park in Solihull has gone from strength to strength to become a must-attend event in just four years. This year will see more exhibitors than ever, with 90 stands packed with the hottest toys and kids’ gifts from returning and brand new exhibitors. Independent retailers looking to secure their entrance to the show from 12 to 13 April can head over to www.independenttoyandgift.co.uk to register and see the full exhibitor list for themselves.

It’s a sell-out! Toymaster’s May show is fully booked All exhibition space for the hugely popular Toymaster May Show has now sold out. With its mix of great new product discovery, special show deals, and social events, the Toymaster event is an annual highlight, so it’s no surprise that toy distributors and suppliers have already booked their space for the show that runs 17-19 May in Harrogate’s Majestic Hotel. Toymaster MD, Ian Edmund said: “Toymaster would like to take this opportunity to thank those attending for their support and we look forward to seeing you in May.” Visitor registration for this year’s event is open now to all independent retailers, regardless of whether they’re a member of the buying group or not. Visit www.toymaster.co.uk for more information.

It’s no surprise that toy distributors and suppliers have already booked their space for the show

”

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l al toy to nt rs n e le pe end tai O p re de gift n i &

&gift Independent Toy & Gift Show Tuesday 12th & Wednesday 13th April 2016 Cranmore Park, Solihull, B90 4LF Register for FREE at: FREE PARKING â&#x20AC;˘ FREE ADMISSION â&#x20AC;˘ FREE REFRESHMENTS

PEOPLE

NEWS New People(s) for Bladez Keiran Peoples has joined Bladez Toyz and taken responsibility for the company’s National Accounts and will be overseeing the UK sales team. He brings a huge amount of experience to the role after working with HTI for 15 years. “Keiran is well known in the toy trade and we are extremely excited to be working with him,” said Iain Morgan, Bladez Toyz CEO. “Personally, I am looking forward to working with Keiran on our UK sales strategy and helping to continue the growth Bladez has seen over the past 18 months.”

Jazwares welcomes Sam Ferguson Sam Ferguson has joined Jazwares as its Senior Director of Licensing and Retail. Sam brings his experience as an instrumental and driving force in the success of Moshi Monsters licensed consumer products. In his new expanded role, Sam will build Jazwares’ outbound licensing department as well as work with entertainment companies to expand the company’s product offerings. Laura Zebersky, CCO of Jazwares said the company was “delighted” to welcome Sam, adding that “his understanding of brand building coupled with his experience in identifying great properties will help us achieve our goals”.

Bradley’s back at Bigjigs After ﬁve months away from the toy trade, industry veteran Bradley Dodds is back in sales at Bigjigs Toys. He returns to the industry as South East Area Manager for the toy company, beginning his new role at the start of January. “I’ve missed you all,” Bradley said. “It will be great to catch up again.”

DHX grows global team DHX Brands is expanding its team with three key hires across its LA and London ofﬁces. Kaisa Nieminen has been appointed Senior Brand Manager for North America; Dave Tovey (pictured) joins from Moshi Monsters maker Mind Candy in the newly created role of Business Development Manager, EMEA; and Danielle Tanton starts in the new role of Live Events and Attractions Manager, Global. “These appointments underpin the rapid global expansion of DHX Brands since inception,” said Peter Byrne, EVP, DHX Brands. “Kaisa, Dave and Danielle bring immense experience in their disciplines and will provide invaluable extra ﬁrepower as we continue to expand our brands worldwide.” 12

Magic three for Marvin Marvin’s Magic is continuing to invest in people with the appointment of three new additions to its sales and marketing team. Sales Director Rakesh Kakaya (second left) welcomed new recruits (left to right): Travis Cattermoul, International Business Manager, Thierry Bourret, International Sales Manager, and Andrew Reynolds, Senior National Account Manager, who all bring a wealth of experience with them. Approaching 30 years in business in 2017, Marvin’s Magic continues to run successful magic shops in some of the world’s most respected stores, as well as having great high street presence and expansion internationally.

Trio for KidKraft KidKraft has appointed three new executives to its leadership team to support the company’s global growth initiatives. Lawrence Writer joins as Chief Financial Ofﬁcer, and George Benz joins as Senior Vice President, Marketing & eCommerce, both based at the company’s global HQ in Dallas. Martijn de Bruijn will join the company’s European team in Holland next month as European Commercial Director.Steven Lampert, KidKraft’s CEO said: “We are fortunate to have this incredible depth and breadth of talent join our already very strong executive team.”

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MOVIE

NEWS

Chop of the box DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3 hit a winning streak at the box ofﬁce earlier this month, ﬁnishing at number one for two consecutive weeks against heavy hitters The Revenant and Star Wars. The weekend ending Sunday 7 February saw the Jack Black-voiced panda Po pick up $44m in ticket sales worldwide.

Picking sides Captain America or Iron Man — whose side are you on? That’s what Marvel asked American Football fans in its Super Bowl trailer for Captian America: Civil War, one of many big-budget advertising spots that ran during the US’ biggest TV event of the year. The trailer showed fresh footage from the forthcoming

ﬁlm that sees Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans reprise their superhero roles, and asked viewers to pick between #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan. The ﬁlm will continue the story from Captain America: Winter Soldier, which saw the two heroes battling against one another. It hits cinemas on 29 April in the UK.

The Force Awakens at the top of the flicks Expectations were high for Star Wars: The Force Awakens last year, but that anticipation wasn’t misplaced as it has now become the UK and Ireland’s biggest cinematic release, overtaking Skyfall’s £103m in just 20 days. It is only the second movie in history to reach £100m in receipts in the UK. The Force Awakens broke a number of other records on release, including the biggest ever UK opening weekend, the biggest ever opening worldwide, and the first film

to reach £50m within a week. Excitement for the next instalment in the new trilogy is already high, but fans will have to wait a little longer after Disney conﬁrmed the ﬁlm has been pushed back for release until 15 December 2017 from its originally slated May 2017 premiere.

Inside the Oscars! Animated at the Oscars Disney’s Inside Out and Aardman Animations’ Shaun the Sheep Movie are set to go head-to-head for the title of Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars this month. The two movies are joined on the shortlist by Anomalisa, Boy and the World, and When Marnie was there. Inside Out is also in the running in the Writing — Original Screenplay category, for its depiction of 11-year-old Riley and her conﬂict of emotions as she struggles to adapt to a new life after moving across the country. The winners will be announced later this month.

Thomas makes tracks to China The latest CGI feature length Thomas & Friends special will soon be pulling into cinemas in China, making it the ﬁrst time a Mattel-owned brand has been released in theatres in the country. Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure, will debut in 5,000 cinemas across China this month, and will be the ﬁrst nonnative children’s movie of the Chinese New Year to be released in cinemas. “This is a in the development of the Thomas & Friends franchise in China,” said Peter Broegger, MD of Mattel APAC said the release was a “historic and unprecedented moment” in the development of the property in China. “The reach and scale of this theatrical release means we can engage with families and children in a whole new way by bringing Thomas to the big screen across the country,” he said.

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MEDIA

NEWS

Big return to the small screen Schleich is stepping up its presence on TV screens for 2016 as they tackle brand awareness. After a strong 2015, the company is embarking on extensive marketing and PR campaigns to ramp up brand awareness and TV will play a central part in these plans. Schleich’s UK Country Manager, Jeremy Robinson, said: “After having a great year in 2015, it is our intention to grow further and in order to do that we are delighted to be bringing TV advertising back into the Schleich marketing mix. It is however just a small part of our plans for 2016 as we have a huge amount of new activity to announce soon all of which will support our retail partners.” A 24-week sponsorship package with Boomerang, delivering in excess of 1,000 TVRs, starts the week before Easter. The eight separate idents will continue right through summer and feature all non-licensed sectors of the Schleich portfolio including Farm and Wild Life, Horses, and Dinosaurs. Further marketing and PR will take place across the entire Schleich range including kids press and outreach to digital mums.

Disney take it backstage DHX Media has licensed its new original performing arts drama, Backstage to Disney Channel in the US, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Nordics, Benelux, Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Backstage was created and developed by Fresh TV in association with DHX Television. The series was filmed in Toronto and is scheduled to air on Family Channel in Canada in spring 2016, and Disney Channel in the UK and US in spring 2016, with international roll out in 2016. Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution, DHX Media, said: “There has been significant international interest in Backstage. With Disney and Family Channel on board, we’re building strong international foundations for this new live action series. We are confident that teens all over the globe will find the characters and storylines compelling viewing.”

KD teams with Kidoz Kids content discovery platform Kidoz has teamed with Kurio kids tablet maker KD Group to provide users with the safest and most advanced content discovery experience. The Kidoz app store now comes preloaded on Kurio Tab 2 (pictured) for Android tablets in Europe and Kurio Xtreme 2 in the US. The Kidoz content discovery platform is the only app store accessible directly through a child proﬁle on these Kurio devices. It creates a unique and dynamic experience that increases engagement and user satisfaction for kids using their Kurio tablets. Users can browse through thousands of hours of kid-friendly content, including videos and online games. Parents can purchase coins for the app store, or let kids manage their own budgets, free of worry about surprises such as inappropriate ads and in-app purchases. Kids can also discover great fresh content through daily picks recommended by Kidoz.

It’s about to kick off! Football fans will be in their element as Nickelodeon has just launched a new live-action football programme on Nicktoons. The broadcaster has partnered up with The Football League to produce Nick Kicks, a live-action programme covering all 72 clubs of the football league. The 22-minute show launched at 8am on Saturday, 6 February and will run for 18 episodes, ending on 4 June. In addition to covering the remainder of the 2015/16 season, the series will air across the entirety of the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons. In total, Nickelodeon UK & Ireland has committed to producing over 100 episodes of the series across the three seasons. Produced in association with the Football League Trust, each week Nick Kicks will feature highlights across Championship, League 1 and League 2 matches.

Bear-y nice news Animaccord, the producers of the hit TV series Masha and the Bear, were celebrating recently after an episode of the show hit one billion views on YouTube. Although Masha is broadcast in English here, it is a Russian-animated show and the episode — called Recipe for Disaster — was the ﬁrst Russian-language video to reach the billion views milestone on YouTube.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

CHARTS

6000 5000

On the up W

elcome to the December media report, we are reporting on Boys and Girls 4-9 years and Housewives with Children. Looking at the Boys’ viewing levels we can see straight away that Nickelodeon Junior and Pop are miles ahead of the other stations. Tinypop and CiTV are doing well as is Channel 5 and Kix. Overall the viewing levels for this target market is 1.1 per cent up on December 2014. When we look at the trafﬁc for some of the social media sites for this target market we can see they are dramatically up. The chart shows that for Girls 4-9 years Nickelodeon Junior is way ahead — as is Tinypop, and Disney Junior is doing well. Total viewing for this group is up by 8.4 per cent when compared to December 2014. Again our social media research shows massive increases in web trafﬁc to the various websites that this target market visits on a regular basis. The Housewife with Children viewing levels are showing massive increases for Nickelodeon Junior and Tinypop, it’s also reassuring to see ITVBE is showing a small increase, better up than down. I think it’s fair to say that ITVBE programme schedules and their station presenters are working well. We can see there has been a massive increase in reported toy expenditure for December 2015; this market is up by 41.2 per cent, as mentioned in previous reports we saw massive increases for 2015 generally. The overall TV revenue is up by 6.5 per cent, although SkyMedia is up by 17.9 per cent. Looking at the brand count, this is the number of products advertised. December 2014 was 270 and December 2015 was 298, just over a 10 per cent increase. Social media is an area that is becoming a more important part of any media campaign, in the next issue we will look at which web sites the kids are logging onto and why.

4000 3000 2000 1000 0

Dec-14

Housewives & Kids TVRs December 14 vs December 15

Dec-15

8000 7000 6000 0 5000 0 4000 0 3000 0 2000 0 1000 0

Boys 4-9 TVRs December 14 vs December 15

D Dec-14 14

D Dec-15 15

9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0

Girls 4-9 TVRs December 14 vs December 15

Dec-14

Dec-15

Dec 2014 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Dec 2015 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Hasbro (UK) Ltd LEGO UK Ltd Mattel UK Ltd Epoch UK Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Playmobil UK Ltd Character Options Ltd Spin Master Toys Ltd Innovation First Labs Inc Fisher Price Toys Ltd

£2,348,329 £989,823 £920,190 £693,035 £659,956 £579,945 £506,324 £499,297 £486,391 £369,683

Hasbro (UK) Ltd Mattel UK Ltd Epoch UK Playmobil UK Ltd John Adams Leisure Ltd Spin Master Toys Ltd University Games UK Ltd MGA Ent Ravenburger Toys Ltd Megableu

£4,335,859 £2,314,554 £1,182,788 £1,135,424 £1,022,586 £901,742 £728,071 £718,247 £688,993 £628,900

For more information on viewing levels please contact Mike Penfold. mike@globalmedia.me.uk Tel: 01494 763178. All graphs and information supplied by Global Media Services

SEPTEMBER SE S EPTEM PTEMB PT EM E MB BE ER 2013 20 2 013 13

MEDIA

OPINION

At a crossroads As viewing patterns continue to change, Clive Crouch looks at how we can support children’s TV

ast month I wrote this column on the Ofcom International Communications Market Report 2015. This month less figures, more lifestyle market trends addressing children’s viewing and some perspective on the decline of the DVD player. For consistency and clarity, any UK references are made against 17 comparator countries within Europe, together with Australia, USA, Japan, Brazil, Russia, China, South Korea, India and Nigeria with credit to the abovementioned Ofcom International Report. Forecasting is a difficult business. The rise and fall of Blockbuster Video Entertainment is an example of such. At its peak in 2004, Blockbuster had more than 9,000 stores — six years later in September 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy. On early evening Fridays and Saturdays, Blockbuster’s ever expanding network of stores were full of people renting film on DVD, the market was supported by independent video shops. DVD played a big role in children’s TV shows and children’s films through both rental and retail purchase. There is a good reason why DVD and Blu-ray discs are in decline — 32 per cent of individuals in the UK claim to have viewed less in 2014 and a small proportion, eight per cent, viewed more. These changes in viewing habits are driven by an increase in the take up of portable connected devices. More than half (54 per cent) of UK adults now own a tablet, and two-thirds (67 per cent) own a smartphone. In addition to the above mobile devices, the UK is a lead country with owners of connected TVs. Forty two per cent of UK homes access the internet on their connected TV. As such, seven of every ten homes with a connected TV are watching content online, while more than half (54 per cent) are watching content via a subscription service such as Netflix or Amazon Video Prime. The good news is that although six out of every ten UK households (59 per cent) who had a pay TV service at the end of 2014, 51 per cent are still viewing the five major Free to Air public service channels. So how will this ever-changing media landscape effect children’s viewing? Fortunately, two organisations have your best interests on their agenda. The Children’s Media Foundation (CMF) is one. In September last year the CMF hosted an event to discuss the future of public service broadcasting for children and you can sign up and support the CMF campaign called ‘A Better Deal for British Kids; Supporting More Media Choice for UK Kids’. Meanwhile, on 5 May this year, The Westminster Media Forum (WMF) will host a conference

on ‘The future of children’s content — marketed competition, PSB investment and advertising regulation’. Having previously supported a number of WMF initiatives (most notably in advertising regulation) the organisation is worthy of further expression. As the BBC work through to Charter Review for 2017 the lobby from interested parties is crucial to the debate and the WMF conference opens with Alice Webb, Director, BBC Children’s. Now back to the CMF. They have Forecasting is a published a sevendifficult business. The rise point statement on their campaign saying: and fall of Blockbuster ● We support the Video Entertainment is an continued existence of the BBC licence fee. example of such ● We ask the government to stick to its promise to increase the Licence Fee in line with inflation for the next Charter period (10 years from 2017). ● We support the BBC plan to develop the iPlay service and create more content for children over 10, while maintaining support for CBeebies and CBBC. ● We propose that to achieve this, the BBC commits to increasing budgets for children’s and youth programming every year for the next Charter period. ● Due to clear market failure, we support the development of a Children’s Alternative Fund to stimulate broadcasters and other platforms to commission and carry UK-focussed children’s content. ● We do not support topslicing of the licence fee to pay for this fund. ● We call upon the Government to commission the necessary research to investigate the viability and scope of an alternative fund, and to launch the fund as a matter of urgency, to provide healthy competition for the BBC and to extend the range of British content available to UK kids. This is a clear and concise narrative from the organisation. The change in UK broadcasting since Digital Switch Over has been immense. The BBC, lead by Lord Hall, will work to shape the best possible digital media business, despite the issues surrounding funding from Number 11. To estimate the impact and change on children’s programmes in terms of delivery, consumption and measurement is very difficult. The WMF and CMF are working to protect the future of this genre across the broadcast spectrum. Whenever broadcasting reaches the crossroads sign posted ‘The Future Of’ there is a tendency to overestimate the short term impact and underestimate the long term. I mentioned the decline of DVD and Blu-ray, and yes Connected TV has impacted on this sector. However, in the same sentence, figures can give a very different perspective. The much talked about Netflix currently accounts for just over three per cent of all viewing, only just ahead of DVD and Blu-ray that account for 2.8 per cent of all viewing. I could leave it with you to work out the way forward at those crossroads or you could pass go with the WMF and the CMF.

“

”

Clive Crouch www.clivecrouch.com, info@clivecrouch.com, mobile: 07831 670 453

toysnplaythings.co.uk

COVER FEATURE SIMBA SMOBY

Can we build it? Yes, we can! As Simba Smoby prepare to launch its Bob the Builder range, the company’s Head of Marketing & Licensing Alex Kovacevic talks © 2016 HIT Entertainment Limited and Keith Chapman TnP through the line

s one of the most iconic pre-school properties, Mattelowned Bob the Builder has legions of fans across the globe and with new-look content being broadcast daily in the UK, Bob is most certainly back. The property is all about role-play and Smoby’s range encourages this. The new series focuses on Bob, his business partner Wendy and popular talking vehicles digger Scoop, digger/dumper Muck and mobile crane Lofty take on projects – none too big or too small. It also introduces new faces such as apprentice builder Leo, Mayor Maria Madison and new machines: heavy-lifting low-loader truck Two-Tonne and a tower crane named Tiny.

Smoby’s Bob the Builder workbench

products,” Alex reveals. And aside from the TV advertising, there is a whole range of promotional activations and events that will support the Smoby range and the brand in general. “It really has been great working with Mattel on this project and their brand teams have put together an exceptional campaign to support Bob the Builder in 2016,” adds Alex.

Play value Smoby is producing the role-play items for the new Bob the Builder product range with products due on shelves from July. The collection features basic tools, a full set of power tools including a drill, chainsaw, jigsaw and 3 in 1 multi tool, a dress-up set, tool belt and tool bag as well as larger workbenches, and all this will really enable kids to enact all the activities they see Bob do on screen. “All the tools have completely new molding and look exactly like Bob’s tools on the TV show,” Alex explains. As you would expect from Smoby, there is plenty of play-value in the range, as Alex tell us: “Bob the Builder is a real everyday hero and kids who love Bob the Builder will naturally want to emulate him and engage with the brand in real life as well. The Smoby range allows kids to safely role-play as Bob the Builder with all of his equipment – just like they see on TV. The power tools and tool sets are a great way to start role-playing Bob the Builder, while the big workbenches have loads of accessories, a vehicle from the show to build and will keep kids’ imaginations going for hours.”

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The Smoby range allows kids to safely role-play as Bob the Builder with Retail reaction all of his As you would expect with such an equipment iconic property, retail reaction to the – just like range has been very positive. “Retailers have been massively they see on supportive of the new range, and these TV Smoby role play items will be very well

”

represented by all retailers this year,” says Alex. “I think most retailers remember what an enormous success Bob the Builder was last time around and with the new show looking better than ever and getting great ratings on Milkshake, the enthusiasm from retail for this core category has been fantastic.”

TV advertised Smoby’s While Smoby’s range of Bob the Bob the Builder workbenches are undoubtedly Builder range impressive, the entire line works encourages cohesively to immerse kids into the role-play world of Bob the Builder and naturally, it is being TV advertised. “In keeping with the concept of a cohesive range that builds a world of Bob the Builder role-play, the TV Get in touch with Simba Smoby Toys UK spot will explore the entire collection by emailing sales@simbasmoby.com or call and the complete Bob the Builder 01274765030 to ﬁnd out more about the Bob the role-play experience that can be Builder range. achieved through the Smoby

FEBRUARY 2016

WHAT’S Brand spanking new launches from top toy companies to help you sell more!

Scarily good fun MAGIC BOX INT 01420 593593 www.esdeviumgames.com Collectable specialists Magic Box Int Toys has begun 2016 on a massive high with brand new collectable craze Star Monsters! Star Monsters are wonderfully bright, colourful, tactile and, above all, collectable. Each character has been formed from a star that has fallen to earth, transforming into a Star Monster in the process and taking shapes and characteristics from the environment it lands in. Series 1 Star Monsters features 72 characters — including rare silver and gold editions and special Evolution Star Monsters — combining collectability and play. Each ﬁgure can be collected in four different colour variations, including a white edition which is known as the Essential colour. An equal appeal to both boys and girls adds to the reasons why Star Series 1 Star Monsters Monsters is a must-have collectable for 2016. features 72 characters The base of each Star Monsters ﬁgure displays the - including rare silver characters’ origins, powers and rarity, and collectors will be eagerly checking for high value and and gold editions and rare characters to boost their special Evolution Star collections. They will also be Monsters combining using the bases to help play a collectability and play range of Star Monsters games, all of which are explained in the Star Monsters Album.

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Fly high AUTEL ROBOTICS +86-755-86722460 www.autelrobotics.com Autel came to this world with a desire to explore. This desire fuels their motivation to create innovative tools that help them reach our goal. At Autel Robotics, they explore the world of science and technology with a goal to find simple, reliable and creative solutions for people around the globe. After years of perseverance, hard work and research, they have successfully designed and built the X-Star, a quadcopter with a powerful flight control system that is unbelievably easy to fly while realising professional aerial photography. The X-Star is a combination of complex algorithms and advanced engineering delivered in one simple package, allowing for anyone do what was once only imagined — to explore and capture our beautiful world in the air. Indeed, stunning scenery will no longer be seen only from the ground, but smoothly captured from high above in ultra HD videos that you care share and appreciate with your friends. Autel Robotics believe that their innovations are truly meaningful only if they make people’s lives better in any way possible. This is why they see no limit in innovation.

The X-Star is a combination of complex algorithms and advanced engineering

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

NEW Spy Squad MATTEL 01628 500000 www.mattel.com This year Barbie celebrates girls’ imagination, empowering them to dream big and believe in their dreams. Barbie will remind girls, mums and society that Barbie is the only brand that allows girls to imagine themselves as a mermaid to a movie star, a fairy to a fashionista and a princess to a president. Building on the Be Super campaign Barbie will take a bold approach in 2016, You Can Be Anything talking directly to girls, it will inspire girls by unlocking their imaginations. This will be followed by another bold and disruptive entertainment theme that continues to deliver a message of empowerment with You Can Be a Secret Agent’ showing girls that they can be anything they want to be! In the all-new exciting, action-packed DVD adventure Barbie Spy Squad, Barbie and her best friends Teresa and Renee transform from hardworking gymnasts to undercover secret agents. The release is supported by a fantastic toy line, including the Secret Agent Lead doll. An extensive marketing and retail programme including a TV campaign, PR activation, national cinema partnership and eye-catching in-store display will make this a major release for spring.

Build it! CLEMENTONI UK LTD 020 320 613 www.clementoni.com For all technology fans, there is a brand-new scientiﬁc kit not to be missed. Clementoni has a fantastic robot to be assembled, equipped with a Bluetooth module and four play modes! Download the free app on tablet and smartphone, Download the free and program the robot’s app on tablet and movements, lighting and smartphone, and sound effects! You will be able programme the to display simulation of the programmed command as it is robot’s movements, being executed on your device lighting and sound and you will also be able to effects control the robot in real time, as if using a remote control! To make it even more fun to play with, the robots route can be set manually through an electronic card with buttons. The scientiﬁc manual provides a wealth of information on robotics and electronics.

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Jump in PLUM PRODUCTS LTD 0344 880 5302 www.plumplay.co.uk Plum has re-engineered the traditional trampoline to launch the latest addition to its strongest category. The Latitude Trampoline has curved enclosure uprights, a contemporary black and white design and a unique, easy to assemble construction. With its thickest grade steel, longest springs, Springsafe enclosure and zipless entry door, the Latitude Trampoline is Plum’s best trampoline yet! Also new for 2016 is the Plum Wooden Growing Swing, which can be extended from baby height to a full height frame and back again, simply by adding or removing the leg extensions. It includes a 3-in-1 animal themed swing seat that can be adapted as children grow. Plum’s Metal Climbing Dome is an exciting addition to its existing range of metal play equipment, featuring a climbing rope, rungs, play platform and more. As part of its recent marketing and brand development, Plum can now offer retailers updated, higher quality cut-out photography, stunning lifestyle photography and new product video.

FEBRUARY 2016

RETAIL

OPINION

Toy Fair talk

TnP loves to hear your views. If you would like to share your opinions on the industry, please get in touch with us.

TnP spoke with lots of visitors over the course of London Toy Fair 2016. Here, they tell us what companies are a must-visit for them and give us a snapshot of their thoughts on the industry... ADRIAN AND JANE EVANS Hereford Model Centr, Hereford, Hertfordshire What stands have you visited at the show? LEGO, Playmobil, Amerang. What product has stood out for you, and what products are you looking for? LEGO has wowed us, and we’re looking at everything from a one-ﬁfth gas car to a doll’s house. Railway engines, and traditional items — honestly, a bit of everything. Have you noticed any trends this year? There seems to be a trend away from radio control I think. I think traditionally making things is coming back.

CLARE TWOMEY, HOLLY BENNETT AND HELEN OLLEY Kennedy Publishing, Bath

CRAIG SHARMAN AND ALICE POVEY Michael Page, Addlestone, Surrey Who have you seen at the show? Bandai, Tomy, LEGO and a few others. What’s caught your eye? The erasers on Iwako’s stand., they’re really interesting. Also a few line-ups of Disney products in Bandai and Tomy. Have you noticed any trends at the fair this year? Lots of Star Wars. It’s a real key one. It’s a licence that has certainly taken well to market.

What stands have you seen so far? We’ve seen LEGO, Bandai, Tomy, Golden Bear, and Flair. What products are you looking for at Toy Fair? Pre-school and pre-teens, so anything Star Wars and licensed products. Anything related to ﬁlms either out or new releases such as The BFG. In pre-teens, Scaletrix. Have you noticed any trends? Licensed products, massively. Star Wars.

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TOM LEGG AND ED DOWN Brooklands Museum, Surrey What do you look for when you come to Toy Fair? Generally speaking we have our regular suppliers, which we come back to and touch base with but we’re always on the lookout for new products that are appropriate to what we have at the museum — be it motoring or aviation or of the 20s and 30s era. Have you noticed a trend toward retro products? Yes, I think so, we’ve certainly seen more wooden toys. We’ve been coming here for decades as juniors and now managers and it’s so worth coming to. I’d hate to think that we would miss it and not see a product that would ﬁt right in with us.

RICHARD HUNT One 32, Salisbury, Wiltshire What do you look for at Toy Fair? I’m looking to see if there are any new outstanding products, but mostly all our suppliers have show offers so it works out cost-effective to come here and they get more orders from us. We’ve still got a lot of things to look at. We’re a little bit left ﬁeld, we don’t carry the big stuff, or what you’d see on the High Street.

Have you seen any products so far that have caught your eye? We’re very keen on bespoke products and we’ve got a lot of images in our archive of motor vehicles and aircraft that were built on our site before the museum. We’re looking at jigsaws and bespoke cards and playing cards, so we’ve spoken to Cartamundi, for example, about working together and manufacturing these. We’ve also worked with Winning Moves on Top Trumps — we’d also like to work on Monopoly in the future. We’re looking for companies that can help us towards the creation of our product vision.

ALISON AND ROB REDSHAW WG Retro, Bridlington, Yorkshire What stands have you visited at Toy Fair? Wow Toys, Toymaster, Flair. LEGO. Have you seen any standout products and have you noticed any particular trends at the fair? Anything that we think will sell really. Retro products interest us. There’s also a resurgence in wooden toys, and we’ve seen Subbuteo as well which triggers childhood memories. Standout product though has to be Pie Face — when I saw it I thought, ‘so that’s where it is’ as it was such a struggle to get hold of before Christmas with everybody wanting it.

FEBRUARY 2016

RETAIL INTERVIEW

WYEVALE GARDEN CENTRE

New roots Toys are a relatively new departure for Wyevale Garden Centre. Buyer Steve Pearson tells TnP how the company looks at this blooming category. Toys are a bit of a change from the plants and garden ornaments that Wyevale is known for. When did you ﬁrst begin adding toys to the product mix?

STEVE SAYS… “We have only been serious about toys within the last 18 months, so we have learned a lot about what sells well and what our customers like to buy from our centres.” 24

Wyevale Garden Centres has always ranged a small selection of toys within our centres. However, we really seriously expanded the space and range from Christmas 2014.

How much space is dedicated to toys — presumably it differs between locations? How do you merchandise toys in-store? Our toy departments differ in size dependent upon the space and footfall of the centre. Our garden centres vary in scale from large destination centres, to smaller more

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garden-centric establishments.

Our toy We try to inspire and excite all departments our customers with colourful differ in size and vibrant toy displays. Great visual merchandising techniques dependent are really important to our kids’ upon the departments. space and footfall of And what do you look for the centre when sourcing new toys for

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Wyevale customers? We source and range a variety of toys and kids’ products for all ages that resonate with all our customers. Our ranges have to offer great value for money while providing superb play value. Educational, safe and environmentally-friendly toys are important to our customers while getting the kids enjoying and having fun with toys outside in the garden or park ﬁts perfectly with our product offering.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Animal puzzle train

Did you know... • Wyevale are the largest garden centre group in the UK with 152 centres • Wyevale started expanding their toy space in 2014 • Wyevale offer year-round family friendly events to attract customers to their stores

Alphabet puzzle caterpillar

Garden centres have been moving into a family destination over the past few years, with restaurants, events, gifts departments and the like. How do toys slot into this vision at Wyevale? We are working really hard to attract more families to our garden centres using our Little Diggers initiatives. This includes offering children’s parties and inviting families to interesting events throughout the year. We are doing this through offering regular kids’ events over school holiday periods in many of our centres and restaurants. A great example would be our Little Diggers’ Wildlife Week coming to many of our centres this half term. We offer great value kids’ meals in all our restaurants, and many of our garden centres offer soft play areas to keep the kids entertained while you enjoy your coffee. Some of our larger destination garden centres offer adventure golf and Christmas ice rinks. Our centres are great places to visit at Christmas with the kids to perhaps choose the Christmas tree, have tea or breakfast with Father Christmas or visit Santa’s Grotto. Plus, our range of products has developed in our centres to

FEBRUARY 2016

offer something for all the family in our stores or many different concession partners.

Does bringing elements of play to the retail environment with things like kids’ parties and face painting boost your toy sales? Our family-friendly events are an important part of our business. We offer a huge array of events throughout the year in many of our centres, because we want all our customers to enjoy their visits to our garden centres and have a great shopping experience. Interesting and compelling events for 2016 include story telling, Bee Week and Kids’ Nature Workshops and these help to increase footfall and maximise our sales in all areas of the centre including toys.

Do you think independent toy retailers could do something similar to get more feet through the door? Wyevale Garden Centres offers events for all the family throughout the year to offer our loyal customers a reason to visit our centres, and attract new customers to our stores. Many independent Elmer wooden pull-along

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We source and range a variety of toys and kids’ products for all ages that resonate with all our customers. Our ranges have to offer great value for money while providing superb play value

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book and toy retailers already offer exciting free events in order to reach new customers and create theatre in their shops to improve footfall, and this should be encouraged.

What toy categories do you currently offer, and what’s working particularly well with your customers? We offer a broad range of toys and kids’ products in our garden centres. We have been working cooperatively with many new toy suppliers over the last 18 months to introduce new ranges to our stores. We have done particularly well with pocket money toys, wooden toys, and arts and crafts. We are really excited to be launching our new transactional website later this year which will include a select toy range. We are aiming to launch the best garden and horticulture website in the UK.

How did toys perform over Christmas? Do you ﬁnd there are other seasonal

RETAIL INTERVIEW JUST WILLIAMS

peaks in toy sales outside of the festive period? Wyevale Garden Centres has had a couple of years of fantastic growth within the toy department and the Christmas period was certainly no exception. We have many customers visit our centres over the Christmas period, but we are also really busy in the spring when our customers start to get back into their gardens following the winter period.

How important is licensed product to your offering? Roughly how much of your total toys do they represent, and what licences in particular work well for you? We offer a small and select range of licensed toys in most stores with our larger centres offering a broader range. We have a very speciﬁc amount of space dedicated to toys dependent upon the grade of store. So we have to ensure that we can maximise our sales and proﬁt within the space, by selecting licensed products that will deliver these expectations. 26

Do you think it’s important to maintain a distinct balance between licensed and non-licensed toys? It is really important to Wyevale Garden Centres to offer a great selection of toys for all ages groups, genres and prices, which include licensed and nonlicensed toys.

Do you have any suppliers that you work particularly closely with, bringing their products to a new retail market? We work very closely with many toy and gift suppliers, many of whom are new. We are the largest garden centre group in the UK with 152 centres and continue to grow our store base. It’s an exciting time to work at Wyevale Garden Centres, and many of our suppliers are enjoying the fruits of our rapid expansion. Unsurprisingly, we work with our suppliers on joint business plans to maximise opportunities which include new and exclusive products, great promotions and selling exciting toys to our customers.

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We are working really hard to attract more families to our garden centres using our Little Diggers initiatives

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You were at London Toy Fair this year. Were you looking to add new categories to your offering? If so, what and why? We have only been serious about toys within the last 18 months, so we have learned a lot about what sells well and what our customers like to buy from our centres. The only constraint to adding further categories to our offering is space in our centres. We often trial new products or ranges in our larger centres before making any decisions.

Safari animal rescue lorry

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Blade® Zeyrok™ Drone RTF w/Camera (BLH7360) RTF (BLH7300) BNF (BLH7380)

The Blade Zeyrok drone is a versatile quadcopter the beginner pilot can’t beat. Designed with a lightweight unibody airframe and an internal motor-drive system that’s practically maintenance-free, taking a beating is actually one of its remarkable abilities. But the expertly tuned SAFE™ technology and flight modes engineered into the flight controller make flying this drone so easy, you’ll have no trouble keeping it together. And with three versions to choose from—RTF, BNF and RTF with a removable HD camera—it’s easy to find the one that’s right for you.

Available with removable remote controlled 720p/1.3MP camera with landing skids.

Blade products are available from all good model shops. For details of your nearest dealer look on our website horizonhobby.co.uk, contact us by telephone: 44(0)1279 641097, or by email: sales@horizonhobby.co.uk. ©2015 Horizon Hobby, LLC. Blade, Inductrix, SAFE, the SAFE logo, Serious Fun and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, LLC. All other trademarks, service marks and logos are property of their respective owners. Actual product may vary slightly from photos shown. 52010

THE INDEPENDENT

OPINION

It’s a sales game The numbers have been crunched and 2015 was a good year for our indie retailer — but he’s not planning on being anyone’s fool for 2016

ight now, I love my job. My early numbers have been counted and re-checked, giving me a rough indication of how 2015’s hard work has paid off and it looks as if it will be pretty good. I also feel incredibly positive about this year, and it may be far too early to know how things will go but there is a sense that the approach I took to my buying, merchandising and overall retail experience took a massive leap forward last year. I am certain that these modiﬁcations will have a lasting impact on my business and help to keep me in the black for another few years to come. I would love to tell you all about the approach I took to my business in 2015, but there would be too many suppliers who would know exactly who I am. However, I am happy to discuss a few aspects of what I’ve changed to give a positive impact to my business instead of just going through the motions. Firstly, in my experience, the product range you have in store is of the upmost

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importance — mainly because the people walking into your shop must be satisfied with your toy offering, otherwise, they will go elsewhere. After this comes pricing, people are far too savvy to be spending more on items they can buy online at a cheaper price and have the goods delivered to their door for free. After this, having the cash in place to pay your bills when they are due is vital; this keeps my suppliers happy to provide me with the product I order. This is all fairly simple stuff, but I am amazed when I speak to some retailers just how difficult this can be for them. So a quick recap is that I need to be aware of what I offer, what price it is going to sell for, and then how much money I make from each sale to ensure there is enough cash generated to allow me to pay for what I have bought. For me, that sums up retailing, in a very general way, and allows me to be as efficient as possible with the products I buy. I had a chat with someone once —who will remain anonymous to save their embarrassment — about their turnover and profit margin, and they blatantly told me without hesitation that they would rather sell £10,000 and break even than £100 and make a profit. No need to read that again, you got it right the first time. Now to explain, I made myself clear and discussed that this was a net figure, so no big rebates to come off the figures, just a simple sales-to-profit conversion. And people say I’m stupid?! I explained to this person that their

thought process was madness, and the only people that beneﬁtted out of this were the suppliers and his customers. It was at this point that I saw a blank look in his face, so I decided to pay for the coffee as he might not be in a position to. Seriously though, retailing is extremely complex, but it is only as complex as we, the retailers, make it. I have extremely strong relationships with my suppliers, but I will not purchase products from them simply for favours. My shelf space is under so much pressure just trying to display my current toy stock that I can’t afford to have space being taken up by dead stock. I have also been put under pressure by suppliers recently to take stock that I don’t like, with them expecting me to support because we work well together. I am sorry to burst your bubble, but I would expect our working relationship not to crumble simple because of a minor disagreement on stocking certain ranges. At the end of the day it is me on the line with every decision that is made, and I do feel that I make the very best effort to support heavily with all of my major and smaller suppliers. This has been made easier over the last few years by increasing cost prices, and I have taken the approach not to simply range a product just because there will be a demand for it. Suppliers know the margin they offer with their costs and RRPs, and need to rethink this quickly before retailers ﬁgure this out and start to not range products because they can’t make money on them.

THE SECRET SUPPLIER The winning formula We need to work together to make a success of things, says The Secret Supplier

eaders of TnP will be delighted to learn that The Independent enjoyed a good year. Indeed, it would appear that the industry as a whole saw growth of ﬁve to six per cent on a like for like basis, which is good news for retailers and suppliers alike. The good news continues as he feels conﬁdent about the coming year and he clearly has developed a winning formula for making money in what is evidently a very challenging retail environment His optimism is based on his ability to successfully select product ranges that will appeal to his discerning consumers, and his ability to meet their pricing expectations and at the same time to manage his cash. That is a really challenging balancing act and it requires energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial skill to achieve a winning formula. London Toy Fair, despite its change of dates for this year, exposed a vast array of new products from which The Independent needs to make his careful selection and it takes real skill and experience

to navigate towards the products that will live up to suppliers’ and retailers’ expectations. Relationships with suppliers are also a vital part of getting the formula right. Good suppliers will deliver a bond of trust to committed retailers and while the best made plans don’t always deliver, it is in suppliers’ interests to ﬁnd the best retail solution that they can. This is such a small industry that suppliers who let their retail customers down will feel the consequences in the following year. The argument for a closer relationship and better understanding between retailer and supplier is made even more demanding when it is apparent that more than 50 per cent of retail sales will happen in just 10 weeks before Christmas. This presents huge logistical issues for everyone and it takes a joint effort to ﬁnd the best solutions. As The Independent has demonstrated that you can — just — make money from this industry but it takes experience, wisdom and a huge amount of energy and intelligence to deliver the desired result.

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RETAIL

OPINION

Want to be better? Take a look at Pets At Home New Year’s resolutions may have been broken, but this is still the time to do things differently, says John Ryan

“

Ask yourself whether

hen was the last time appear that the pet supplies you have been thinking that you tried doing retailer has taken a leaf out of the something just a little bit big grocers’ handbook on format out of the dog basket in non-standard? Here’s an example of management. the manner in which Pets what’s possible. Noting the success of both the At Home has? Pets At Home has opened a new edge-of-town hypermarkets (which store format called Whiskers ’n’ Paws. also happen to have competent, Why would it do that — when it has a lot of perfectly albeit limited, toy offers) and the high street success of good big stores in edge-of-town locations catering the same retailers’ convenience stores, it has taken the for almost every kind of pet and the things that said Whiskers ’n’ Paws plunge. animals might require? But would a convenience-style toy shop work? The answer is because its stores are big and on the Unfortunately, very possibly not and there’s the rub. edge of town. It’s all very well having branches that you Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to will probably have to drive to get to, but what about the head out and take a look at retail in its broadest sense everyday needs of Fido or Felix? The answer is to open then decide which of the myriad ways of selling items a pet convenience store, which is what Pets At Home there are out there might viably be applied to your has done — who’d have seen this one coming? business. It is actually a pretty good instance of looking at This could mean anything from new POS or perhaps something that is almost totally unrelated to what using chalk blackboards that change on a daily basis you do in your workaday business and using your to deciding maybe you should convert one half of your observations to effect change. selling space into a forge metal toy factory — which Now you can take a long, hard look at yourself, it may sound far-fetched, but there are worse ideas!. is still relatively close to the start of the year, and ask At the risk, therefore, of upsetting those who have yourself whether you have been thinking out of the dog perfectly acceptable toy emporia, which do what they basket in the manner in which Pets At Home has? do perfectly well, isn’t there a deal of complacency The chances are you haven’t, but what might be done about being as good as your peers? You may have to nudge you along the road that will reveal new ways spent years getting things to look the way they do, but of doing things? For starters, go and see what those in when was the last time you indulged in a little hyperyour competitive backyard are doing. Are you doing critical self-examination? the same? You probably will be and, if this is the case, New Year’s Day and the inevitable resolutions that are then it might be time to consider whether passing by now almost entirely forgotten or breached or both, shoppers have any particular reason to head into may seem like a long time ago, but there is nothing your store rather than those of your rivals. wrong with creating a new list for February. Or perhaps In these days of international sourcing (well, you might mark St Valentine’s Day 2016 as the moment that’s what the biggest operators do, at any to fall in love with retail once more. rate), having the right toys in the right place This is also the quiet time of year when you probably at more or less the right time is almost a have a little, or more possibly a lot, of time on your given. With decent suppliers, almost any toy hands, so why not use this to shake things up a little? shop owner can get things about 80-90 per By this stage you may well be thinking that being cent right. So what will make the difference a pundit and writing this kind of thing is far more about your shop or the way you do things straightforward than being a practising retailer. True, when compared to others? but the one advantage that writing about retailing for Sadly, it is no longer sufﬁcient to be among a living does confer is that you get to see a lot of shops the better toy shops in your area in terms of and some of them really are worth a second glance. offer and, probably, visual merchandising. Humour your columnist therefore and take stock — Others will have the same and the visual not of your stock (you’ll do that anyway), but of the merchandising will be similar because the traditions that have grown up around your toy shop. point-of-sale material provided by the big Tradition, in some areas of life, is deemed a good thing, brands will be consistent across the great but in retail it’s nothing short of being moribund. majority of outlets. You’re supposed to be presenting kids and those who So, doing the same and doing it well is pay for their toys with new ideas. not enough. But, what next? The answer At least ﬂatter them by working out what might is to do what Pets At Home appears to readily be disposed of and what you might try as have done which is that it does rather alternative to your current customs.

”

John Ryan is Stores Editor at Retail Week. He has worked for the magazine for more than ten years covering store design, visual merchandising and what makes things sell in-store. In a previous life, he was a buyer. 2

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HIGH STREET

HIGHS

Future prooﬁng Now that the din of preview season has died down, there is only one thing playing on every retailer’s mind – have we made the right buying decisions? The Entertainer’s Buying Director Stuart Grant gives us his take on what he thinks are the winners

uying product is not an exact science. After all, you just can’t account for taste and nobody knows a ﬁve-yearold’s mind better than they do themselves. So predicting what will sell and what won’t comes down to a series of well-rehearsed processes and a dose of gut feeling. Buying product successfully for 118 stores is no mean feat but The Entertainer’s Buying Director Stuart Grant and his team have a fair idea of what will sell well and what won’t. So what appealed to him this year? “I think two of the best manufacturer’s ranges, or certainly the ones that excited me, are Hasbro and Spin Master. “Hasbro’s relaunch of Disney Princess looks absolutely fantastic. We’re actually getting stock in this week so are looking forward to that. The way they have modeled the dolls is impressive and they have just brought the range completely up-to-date. The Frozen range is good too, they’ve breathed new life into it, and then from the games perspective Pie Face is continuing to sell well too.” Moving onto Spin Master, Stuart says the Paw Patroller is still doing great business for them. “It is incredible really, for a toy coming in at a £60 price point to still be selling so well, we’ve never really known it.” Stuart adds that he was impressed by Spin Master’s Angry Birds range, The Secret Life of Pets, Kinetic Sand to name a few. “For me, Hasbro and Spin Master are the two clear winners in terms of breadth of range,” Stuart conﬁrms.

“

Having a good feeling for which licenses will be a hit makes a huge difference to buying stock. Stuart says The Entertainer feel Paw Patrol will continue its stellar rise while Blaze is coming into its own too. Turtles will also continue to perform boosted by the halo effect from the upcoming movie while Teletubbies also looks set to have a good year. In terms of movies, Angry Birds is one to watch, “there is really good brand awareness out there,” says Stuart, while The Secret Life of Pets is also looking very strong, “we really like this, it could be a real winner,” he adds. Finding Dory is another movie for which the product ranges are strong while Stuart says that The Lion Guard has potential too, boosted by real Disney heritage. Before we leave Stuart we have to ask what his favourite licensed product is right now. “Well, I love Hasbro’s Star Wars AT-AT, it is really fantastic!” he says.

We’re having an incredible time with Ty. Beanie Boos just continuess to grow, kids are really chasing after the new nd d characters and e Teeny Tys are on ﬁre too

Category strengths The Entertainer is predicting the pre-school category is looking strong for 2016. “You’ve got Paw Patrol, Blaze, Bing, Teletubbies, it is really looking like pre-school will be one of the biggest winners this year.” But that is not all – The Entertainer are keeping a close eye on collectables too. “This is a category where there are clear winners and clear losers,” says Stuart. “Shopkins will remain strong and we think MGA’s Num Noms look strong. I think Magic Box’s Star S Monsters look really good and so does Flair’s Gr Grossery Gang. Tsum Tsum is ﬂying for us and Vivid’s Fungus Amungus is one to watch too.” Stuart also h highlights Ty’s plush range as good “We’re having an incredible time with performers. “W Ty. Beanie Boos just continues to grow, kids are really c chasing after the new characters and Teeny Tys are on ﬁre too.”

32 32

Hedge your bets on licenses

”

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For the sake of science

Science and nature nat re prod products cts are a perennial fa favourite o rite b butt with ith h increasing focus foc s on STEM products, these ranges are even more in focus. TnP takes a closer look...

hether your buzz word du jour is STEM or STEAM – the end result is still the same. They both put a focus on educational learning and with science, nature and technology having a real moment, it is worth examining the category in more detail. There is a wealth of products on the retail scene which fit the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics bill and now with the addition of Art & Design, the category has opened up even further. This is all good news for suppliers as more products fit the bill. And equally, it is good news for retailers – you’ve got more products to fly under the all-important educational flag.

Full steam ahead Luckily for retailers, suppliers are very in tune with these latest developments. “Science4you’s range of toys is already very aligned with the STEM concept, since the Science, Tech and

the Maths topics are present in the experiments that we offer to children,” says Miguel Pina Martins, CEO and Founder of Science4you. In fact, Miguel says Science4you are looking to make the alliance even more visible. “We’re studying the possibility of putting some kind of STEM stamp in the packaging,” he adds. Great Gizmos are also very much on board. “All of our science and nature kits are STEAM approved and we do our best to highlight this,” says Sarah Dayus, Brand and Marketing Manager. “We aim to translate the beneﬁts of our products from buyers to consumer at all levels.” When asked about how they are harnessing awareness of STEM products at consumer level, Chris Beardmore, UK Trade Retail Sales Manager with Learning Resources told TnP: “We have just launched a new range of STEM activity sets that encourage children to conduct hands-on investigations and record data to ﬁnd the optimum situation for each activity. The sets are unique

“

We think science and nature is a missed opportunity at retail. This isn’t a dry and dusty subject there’s so much exciting news and interest in space and science right now

”

Lindsay Hardy, Trends UK

in that they are designed for ages five plus offering STEM learning in line with the key stage 1 and 2 curriculum.” Green Board Games are also fully on board with the benefits of branding products STEM friendly, as Marketing Executive David Harms explains: “Since the birth of Green Board Education four years ago, we’ve always connected our products with STEM and specifically designed games for certain subjects. Social media, monthly newsletters, advertising in magazines such as Nat Geo Kids and bringing our Young Games Inventor competition into its fourth year helps increase awareness around our products that support STEM subjects. We are using these tools to our advantage so that we gain a wider reach and engage with the consumer.” Interplay are renowned for their nature ranges and MD Ross Ainsworth says that regardless of what word is trending at the moment “consumers who take an active interest in their children’s education will always buy into good

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Did you know… Learning Resources has just launched a new range of STEM activity sets that encourage children to conduct hands-on investigations and record data to ﬁnd the optimum situation for each activity..

Did you know… Green Board Games' two new BrainBox Mega Packs for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 both include cards from our ‘My First Science’ and ‘Science BrainBox’.

Did you know… Trends Globe Planetarium Cybersky disk lets you view colourful, detailed maps of the sky as seen from any location on the Earth at any moment from 15,000 BC to 15,000 AD! That’s quite a few evenings worth of stargazing!

Did you know… My Living World – Ant World was Interplay’s ﬁrst product and 20 years on it is still a best seller.

quality science, nature and educational toys no matter what the current buzz word happens to be”. Setting STEM aside, science and nature kits are always Describing Interplay’s nature kits, Ross tells us they are developed to be fun and fascinating. “We don’t necessarily set out to educate children; that’s for the education sector. Our aim is to engage kids with interesting and engaging topics, allowing them to discover the wonder of nature for themselves.” Ross adds that Interplay’s kits harness the power of nature and they let that do the talking.

Fighting for shelf space Known for its wide-ranging science and technology range, Trends UK has a corking line-up of products with Marketing Director Lindsay Hardy telling TnP that reaction to the company’s new Discovery Kids branding and direction has been fantastic. We asked Lindsay if she felt Science and Nature was getting enough shelf space. “We think it’s a missed

FEBRUARY 2015

opportunity at retail. This isn’t a dry and dusty subject – there’s so much exciting news and interest in space and science right now.” Interplay’s Ross agrees: “Science and nature is a small sector compared to the super categories and therefore shelf space will always be limited. Science kits, however, can provide strong and steady year round sales. To maximise ROI, I would recommend stocking quality science and nature lines from suppliers who have expertise in that sector.” Thames & Kosmos’ Joanna Drage picks up on that point: “I think retailers are really beginning to realise the opportunities with STEM products. Retailers will act on what sells well, so it’s important that manufacturers are developing the right products.”

Ones to watch With the popularity of these products on the rise, what should retailers be looking out for in 2016? For Green Board Games is it their two new BrainBox Mega Packs for

“

Science kits can provide strong and steady year round sales. To maximise ROI, I would recommend stocking quality science and nature lines from suppliers who have expertise in that sector

”

Ross Ainsworth, Interplay

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 that both include cards from the My First Science and Science BrainBox. Ross tells us that retailers should take note of Interplay's Worm World, Triop World and Bug Safari which are perennial top-selling lines, “but my favourite of all is Ant World,” he adds. Meanwhile, Great Gizmos say retailers should keep an eye out for the brand new Junk Yard Drummer as it won Best New Toy at London Toy Fair. Thames & Kosmos’ 3D animal anatomy puzzles went down a treat at Toy Fair. “I was amazed at how well they’ve been received, both at Toy Fair and with my three boys at home,” says Joanna. From Trends' perspective their Discovery Kids range is a winner with Learning Resources telling us Geosafari Jr’s My First Telescope is just one of many ranges to look out for, while Science4you’s Miguel says: “In a couple of months we will have some products that will include fun and educational components in the same toy, as well as ecological awareness.”

FEATURE

SCIENCE & NATURE

Sweet taste of success Science4You 020 8223 7364 www.science4youtoys.co.uk

Loads of learning Learning Resources 07872 337 322 www.learning-resources.co.uk Learning Resources’ popular Primary Science range has three new additions including Outdoor Science, WOW Science and the Shining Stars Projector. This range supports hands-on exploration and discovery while activity guides and cards provide clear guidance. The Outdoor Science set contains everything little ones need to explore the great outdoors and carry out naturally fun experiments. This set includes a sprouting jar with two lids, watering can, three plant pots, three plant markers, Big View Bug Jar, Handy Scooper and activity guide. The WOW Science Set includes experiments for mixing colours, exploring the power of magnets and even creating a bubble solution. This set includes a bubble wand and dish, two test tubes in a stand, horseshoe magnet, Twisty Dropper, Colour Mixing Glasses and a guide. Perfect for young astronomers, the new Shining Stars Projector beams images from space on to any surface. The compact, lightweight design means it can be take out and about on the go using the carry handle or at home using the stand for projector mode. Three discs of eight images can be interchanged and rotated, and then stored in the base after use.

Science4You bets there’s a chocoholic in almost everybody — chocolate is universal and puts a smile on every single face. Science4you has launched the latest Chocolate Factory to cater for all chocoholics while blending entertainment, joy and scientific knowledge not only for the kids but also for older ones. The Chocolate Factory sweet novelty offers more than 30 diverse scientific experiments — delicious chocolate lollipops, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate yogurt, brownies, crunchy chocolates and instant chocolate ice-cream are a few of the delights that children can experiment with using this kit. Children from ages eight and above can learn the science behind making appetising candies and chocolate at the same time. The kit comprises an educational book that explains all the steps, methods and scientific phenomenon — learning science has never been this sweet! Scientific studies demonstrate that if learning is triggered by a positive experience, it stimulates the brain to develop assorted capacities. As a result, the awardwinning Sweet Factory explores this dimension in a simple manner. Named the UK Toy Verdict

Awards 2015 winner and given a silver medal in the UK Independent Toy Awards 2015, this kit contains two educational books that clarify the procedures and scientific phenomenon behind all of its 40 experiments. It’s very hard for anyone aged eight and above to resist this sweet empire of the Sweet Factory, which teaches how to create tasty and colourful sweets such as jelly sweets, lollipops, yogurt treats, marshmallow teacakes and homemade soft drinks while helping little ones’ imagination to flow. The Sweet Factory is an educational scientific toy that merges knowledge and leisure in a unique way. While kids have fun trying to make their own sweets, they will be simultaneously developing their knowledge of science and procedures. What’s the special ingredient? Science! Meanwhile, Explosive Science is a kit developed for little scientists from the age of eight. This kit is more than a toy as it has a scientific learning component. Explosive Science comprises all the required material and a colour booklet providing detailed instructions and scientific information with 28 different experiments such as building an incredible rocket with a chemical reaction, making an effervescent bomb, piercing a balloon without popping it and many others. The sky is the limit! This kit mingles entertainment and education in an engaging way giving children the chance to blow away dullness and monotony with Explosive Science. It is a great way to spend family time, with plenty of enjoyment to be found for all ages.

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FEATURE

SCIENCE & NATURE

Playing with science Clementoni 020 320 613 www.clementoni.com

Unlocking the code Thames and Kosmos 01580 212000 www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk Thames and Kosmos’ exciting range of Science Kits has just got better. Covering one of the hottest STEM topics at the moment, Code Gamer is already a big hit with parents. The kit encourages children to learn coding through play, with a gamepad they construct themselves and a simple app. Level by level, kids learn the basics of the Arduino programming language before using their newfound coding knowledge to unleash some creativity and programme their own game. Having just won the coveted ToyAward 2016 (Teenager and Family category) at Nuremberg Toy Fair, Code Gamer is proving to be an exciting product for 2016. Other brand new products for 2016 include additions to the Geek & Co Science range, with Hot Ice Crystals and Flying Ornithopters, while in the Nature Discovery range there is a whole new selection of 3D puzzles and Animal Anatomy kits for budding zoologists and animal lovers. For younger scientists there’s the Kids First Robot Engineer, ideal for children ages three to ﬁve. If engineering and cars are more their thing then kids can expect to be thrilled with the Remote Control Machines Custom Cars kit. There are 10 different models to build, complete with experiments with gear ratios and fun facts about the various components of real cars such as engines, suspension and the physics of speed.

Science has always been strong for Clementoni and 2016 sees impressive product launches with Cyber Robot the Mechanical Laboratory and Giant Triops. The programmable Cyber Robot is directly controlled via an app on smart phones and tablets with Bluetooth connection so it registers and executes all demands in real time, can be used ofﬂine in a manual programme mode, and comes with sound effects and lights. Children can also take photos and videos while the £29.99 Cyber Robot is in action and included within the four-play modes is Self Learn where the toy will register all commands and reproduce the saved paths. The Mechanical Laboratory is a modular construction system with varying levels of difﬁculty offering strong play value. The kit comes with more than 250 pieces making almost 50 constructions possible including a helicopter, car and crane. Hours of fun guaranteed and a great product for developing early engineering skills and encouraging family time. Finally, following the success of the Triops kit — an aquarium which brings fascinating sea creatures to life — 2016 will see the launch of the Giant Triops with a bigger observation tank complete with periscope, accessories, Triop eggs and food. Kids can get closer to nature and the animal kingdom and learn how to look after living creatures that grow up to 5cm.

Colour me fun Education Harbour 0800 756 9788 www.sciencemeetsmagic.com Education Harbour has launched its Science Meets Magic range with Newton’s Colour Wheel. The set features a turbo action spinner and seven cool discs that make different effects when placed on the spinner and set to action with a simple ﬂick between your ﬁnger and thumb. Though it is a science toy, it will not only delight young (5-11 year old) fans as they witness colours turn to white on one disc while another mixes colours instantly when spun — once the spinning stops, the colours deconstruct back to the separate hues. The spiral discs and spin-the-bottle discs included will bring smiles to faces young and old(er). 38

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FEATURE

SCIENCE & NATURE

Music and skeletons Great Gizmos 01293 543 221 www.greatgizmos.co.uk The everyday has become extraordinary with the 4M Science and Education range for 2016, allowing young scientists and creative minds to experiment using ecofriendly materials. Green Science Junk Yard Drummer allows kids to turn used drinks cans, cartons and more into a drum set for this unique robotic drummer. Programme it with your favourite beats and rhythms and improvise percussion on any surface. Eco Engineering Solar Robot 3-in-1 is compact yet multifunctional. It climbs along clotheslines, walks under sunlight and can be transformed into a cool solar vehicle. Kids can learn all about the human body with new 4M Kidzlabs kits. Learn about

the body while having fun with the Human Organs kit and making interesting models and toys based on human organs to study each of their unique functions. Human Skeleton allows children to mould a full human skeleton and learn how it supports the body. The kit includes magic X-ray ﬁlms that let you see through the human body. Youngsters can also be a junior surgeon with Human Torso. Study the specially designed human torso that comes in a compact carrying case, which can be transformed into an operating table.

Have hours of fun examining the squishy organs. Kidzlabs Volcano and Crystal Mining will keep kids entertained for hours. Build a solid volcano and use it to produce stunning volcanic eruptions on your tabletop. Excavate to unearth beautiful crystals that were formed following the volcanic eruptions long ago. Explore different ways to create energy with Kidzlabs Green Energy kit. Build a generator powered by the wind, a torch operated by turning a crank and a clock that runs on spuds!

Learning with ease Green Board Games 01494 538 999 www.greenboardgames.com Where there is a natural interest and passion for a subject matter, it is easier to learn and retain information about it. Green Board Games’ approach to learning cleverly addresses this by providing games and activities that develop the enthusiasm for those with a natural curiosity in a speciﬁc genre and ﬁnds enthusing approaches to encourage interest from those who don’t. The world of science is no stranger to the GBG team and, not surprisingly, there are a number of fun products that make learning science fun and enthralling — with an underlying competitive edge, of course. BrainBox Science, Space, and Inventions all utilise the classic BrainBox style 10-second memory game play, provide an enjoyable, pacey way to gain facts, enhance knowledge and spark fascination for subjects that may otherwise have remained dormant. BrainBox game play is loved for its simplicity whether one player or six, 10 minutes or an hour the “play together, learn together” Green Board Games’ philosophy is exercised and maintained. Further supporting the BrainBox phenomenon are other engaging products such as Brain Links where one can gain a more in-depth knowledge of the Solar System, Digestion, Rock Cycle, Chemical Reactions along with Great Inventions, plus the Dinosaurs Playing Cards conceptualised for the Science and Natural History museums that identify facts, dates and details ingeniously while in the main are a basic deck of cards. As they strive to support the education sector in line with the National Curriculum, GBG has launched Science Education Multi Packs, superb teaching tool kits for Key Stage 1 and 2, in order to bring fun and context to science learning. Encouraging interest through enjoyable experience is at the heart of each pack and has been developed with teachers for teachers and home learning alike. GBG continues to grow its book and wooden ranges for this area through Colour and Learn, Build and Learn offerings.

Fairy fun Interplay 01628 488 944 www.interplayuk.com Interplay’s Lilypad Gardens, a Grow & Play-themed playset, has been awarded the Best New Toy Award 2015 in the Creative Category by the BTHA. Lilypad Gardens is a part of the new My Fairy Garden range which, with Fairy Flowerpot, Secret Fairy Door and Woodland Fairy Door., are designed to encourage children to learn more about nature. All these playsets include interchangeable and collectable pieces such as fairies, animal friends, fairy houses and accessories and are delightful playsets full of magic and imagination. The My Fairy Garden brand promotes a positive and healthy lifestyle of getting outdoors and respecting the environment, promoting interaction with nature, either by creating a garden or by learning about seasons and life cycles in nature. Interplay’s evergreen My Living World is also aimed at nature lovers. Packed full of supplies and equipment, plus highly informative guides written by TV nature specialist and wildlife authority Nick Baker, these kits show children how to investigate this secret miniature world just like the experts. Following its successful relaunch in 2013, the latest addition is Instant Flower Press, the Creative Play Award 2015 gold winner, where children can learn how to press beautiful ﬂowers in seconds, rather than months with traditional ﬂower presses.

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FEATURE

SCIENCE & NATURE

Shine a light John Adams 01480 414 361 www.johnadams.co.uk Stand: G100 As the UK’s number one manufacturer of Scientiﬁc Toys (NPD Data, FY2015), John Adams Leisure leads the way within the science category. Boasting the top three best-selling science products of 2015, the company’s brand mission aims to encourage boys and girls of six years upwards to explore the world around them whilst making science fun. Following on from the success of Sparkle Science, John Adams is expanding its collection with Neon Science, which launches in June 2016. Featuring three ultra-bright science experiments, Neon Science is a cool neoncoloured science set which enables kids to make wearable, sparkly, neon nails; create a crystal winged fairy in her own light-up fairy door garden and make a glow in the dark, sparkly neon-nightlight jar. The Neon Science kit also includes a UV light so kids can show off their ﬁnished products to the max. The new introduction will join the company’s successful science portfolio, sitting alongside popular existing sets such as Hot Wires, Gross Science, Glow in the Dark Science and Booms, Bangs, Fizzes. Neon Science will be TV advertised and will have PR support.

A spring in the tail Character Options 01616 339 800 www.character-online.com When it comes to going back to nature then creepy crawlies always spring to mind, and they don’t get creepier than Character Options’ Wild Pets. Launched in summer 2015 Wild Pets made their mark in the boys’ interactive pet market with the hugely successful launch of four furry limbed spiders and habitats. Moving and feeling just like real wild spiders, these eight-limbed mini-beasts are controlled with touch sensors. Pet them to activate them, then watch them creep, explore and attack. 42

Spring 2016 sees new Wild Pets let loose in the marketplace, in the form of four fearsome scorpions that glow in the dark and, using the touch sensor on the back, you can control the scorpion and make it your pet. Leave it alone and the scorpion will enter Cage Mode and move around quietly and calmly on its own. But beware — one touch will put it in attack mode once more. There are four new Wild Pets Scorpions to choose from; Clawpion, Firestruck, Stingback and Thorn that will be TV advertised alongside the existing Wild Pets collection.

Things going bump in the night Trends UK 01295 768 078 www.trendsuk.co.uk For more than 14 years Trends UK has been a leading supplier of proper science toys in the UK and this year promises to be an exciting year with the refreshed Discovery Kids branding for the Discovery Channel science toys range, and the launch of the fun new Fright Factory. Stargazing is a very popular pastime and, using the new 40mm Astronomical Telescope with 2550x magnification, Tripod and adjustable eyepiece, children can view the Moon, other planets and the stars and it comes. Also great for space enthusiasts, the light-up Globe Planetarium projects the star constellations on to the walls and ceiling. The electronic base rotates the globe and a light pointer enables specific constellations to be pointed out and it includes a disc packed with details about the night sky. New for indoor/outdoor play in Discovery Kids products is the sophisticated Digital Walkie Talkies. With an outdoors range of up to three km, exploring while keeping in touch is even more exciting. Also new are the Digital Metal Detector and Night Vision Goggles with new features. The Fright Factory Creature Creator enables kids to create frightening, gross and yucky 3D creations. EwGoo gel is injected into creepy moulds that kids zap with UV light in the Fright Factory chamber. The creations harden in minutes to become glow-in-thedark creepy insects, reptiles, skeletons, bats and more. Available from the summer with TV advertising and PR support, the Fright Factory Creature Creator comes with a selection of eerie moulds and coloured gels. Gel Refill packs and creature expansion sets will also be available. With the Trends UK Science Mad range, budding scientists can mix ingredients to watch awesome chemical reactions, grow crystals to find out how nature’s building materials work for real and much more. The Trends Science Crystal Growing Kit with 14 different crystals to create and the Trends Science Chemistry Lab with 100 fun and safe experiments are each available at £19.99 RRP.

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FEATURE

SCIENCE & NATURE

Crash, bang, wallop! DKL 01604 678 780 www.dkl.co.uk DKL Marketing offer a brilliant variety of Science & Nature products for retailers. The SmartLab range of fun-ﬁlled science kits keeps children entertained and engaged for hours, and all come complete with activity books for extra educational play value. New from SmartLab is the unique Crash Test Lab that includes the only crash test dummy which can measure the force of the crash. Teaching key lessons in physics, the Crash Test Lab is as educational as it is fun. Not to be missed is the Squishy Human Body which comes complete with squishy organs, bones and muscles, and a 24-page activity book which guides them as they dissect and pull the model apart. Also included is the Organ-izer poster which helps children get to grips with all the different parts which make up a human body. Children can collect other kits from the Squishy range which also includes The Inhuman Squishy Zombie, the Squishy T-Rex, and the Squishy Brain. Miniland Educational’s bestselling Electrokit now has a fantastic 198 experiments for children to test out. The electronic science set is packed with value and also competitively priced. Another great option from Miniland is the Discover Science CDU, a fun collection of foldable, magnetic games which are ideal for learning on the go. Themes include Evolution, Check Up Scanner, Sea Mystery and Space Trip. DKL support SmartLab and Miniland with full marketing campaigns which include dedicated planograms, bespoke visual merchandising, and extensive social media activity.

Double science fun Galt Toys 01614 289 111 www.galttoys.com Based on the best-selling books by Nick Arnold, Horrible Science kits are all about discovery, in loads of horribly fantastic ways — with these kits learning is fun. Children can make and blow mega bubbles with the Bonkers Bubbles kit. They get to make their own bubble solution and construct 3D bubble shapes plus discover why bubbles are round, what kind of bubble can sink a ship and other foul facts. Suitable from six years onwards, Bonkers Bubbles retails at £5.99. The Savage Storms kit will show kids how to make their own real thunder sounds, hold a tornado in their hand and how to grow their own snow and icicles. They can also learn why ﬂooding is made worse by humans, the effect of global warming and other weird weather facts. Suitable from eight years onwards, Savage Storms retails at £10.99. 44

Out of this world Flair 020 8643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk Kids can go wild with science or make a logical link between our world and that of the Jedis in 2016 with two key collections from GP Flair. The Uncle Milton Star Wars Science collection brings together the galaxy far, far away and our own world, with innovative products that have real science learning behind them. At the heart of the collection is a range of Light Saber Room Lights which includes the awesome Kylo Ren 3 blade version. Learning about LED Lights and crystals is easy with these wall-mounted devices, as the child must build each themselves. Continuing the galactic theme, the science of alpha and beta waves is there to be controlled with the Star Wars Force Trainer II. Putting your Jedi skills to the test is the objective of this holographic device. Simply download the hologram experience app and Yoda will guide you around the numerous challenges. There will be a brand-new look for the Wild Science! collection this autumn with an extensive packaging and contents makeover. Two new kits for girls will also be added to favourites Bath Bomb and Perfume Laboratories. With the new Lava Lamp and Glitter Tube Lab girls can make their own light-up bubbling lava lamp and shimmering glitter tube; creating dazzling optical effects by reflecting light from glitter and bubbling water. Doing so explores fizzy chemical reactions that produce bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, creating spectacular effects that look just like an underwater volcano. They can also make beautiful cupcake-shaped soaps with the brand-new Cake Soap Lab. The soap in this kit can be melted and moulded to make almost any solid shape — macarons, fluffy meringues, jellies, cake decorations and even buttercream icing. Whipping the soap creates a stable foam that can be piped on to your cake soap creations. Who would have thought there was so much science in soap? Learn about solids and liquids, melting and freezing, aeration, dissolving, stable foam, reflection plus much more. Wild Science! and Uncle Milton Star Wars will all be supported with PR and TV advertising.

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>40mm Astronomical Telescope

Scientiﬁc exploration inspired by

>Planetarium

Gross 3D creations!

>360 HD Microscope

>Creature Creator For media enquiries, please contact Ane Olesen: ane@wirepr.eu

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r u o h t i w ic g a M s t e e M e c n e ! i l c e S e h W ur o l o C s ’ n Newto Y Y Y Y Y Y

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We have been suppliers to the schools and school wholesale market since 2008 and are now ready to offer retailers the same great service with a brand, new, fun educational line in attractive retail packaging. Newton’s Colour Wheel by Education Harbour Ltd is the ﬁrst of a range of science meets magic products that we will be introducing.

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FEATURE

SCIENCE & NATURE

Winning ways Orchard Toys 01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com Orchard Toys has just launched the brandnew animal lotto game Where Do I Live?, which won a Best New Toy Award at Toy Fair. From the game, children will learn about animal habitats around the world by matching the animal cards to their correct habitat. The double-sided boards feature fun and interesting animal facts, perfect for educational activity and discussion once the game is complete.

Animal farm Schleich 01279 870000 www.schleich-s.co.uk

Nature in colour Trefl SA 07850 779797 www.trefl.com Trefoil SA’s Nature Limited Edition jigsaw is a unique collection that’s bound to fascinate not only puzzle lovers but photography and nature amateurs, too. The specially-selected artworks attract with high resolution and colour depth, and premium quality is achieved by using appropriate thick cardboard, a special non-reflective layer and puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. 46

Schleich’s Farm and Wild Life collections provide an early introduction to the world of nature by engaging children’s curiosity about the animals and the places they come from. For 2016, there are many new animals and playsets to enhance each range. These affordable and highly collectable ﬁgures from Schleich need no introduction and no instruction. Children just pick them up and play, having fun while learning about animals from near and far. What’s more, the Schleich quality and attention to detail is renowned ensuring robust play is never an issue and anatomical accuracy is always part of the deal. Each Schleich animal, whether new or part of the existing line-up, can be collected one by one until an entire play world is created. Couple this with the ready-to-play sets and accessories and the scenario is complete. This year sees new animals added to both the Farm and Wild Life collections with larger playsets to follow later in the year. For the farm, there is an impressive new Farm Building and for the Wild Life collection, the new Big Adventure at the Watering Hole playset will provide the perfect hang out for all wild animals. This is just a snapshot of what’s available for 2016. Schleich toys offer play at its purest for little imaginations and are therefore a staple both in the toy box and also the toy shop. With support of retailer promotions and substantial PR campaigns, it will ensure this quality brand has great awareness with the consumer.

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TNP

AMBASSADORS

Tom says… “I really liked that it was fast!”

Taking to the slopes! This month our TnP Ambassadors are Scott and Tom. Dad Mark took his two boys Scott (13) and Tom (14) out into the hilly slopes of their nearest park to try out the Axiski — but just how did they get on? hen the boys spotted the Axiski they both asked the same thing: “When can we use them?”, quickly followed by: “What are they exactly?” The second question is really very simple — it is a multi-terrain sledge which you can stand up on, sit on, lie down on and you can use it with two people. Unlike a typical sledge, Axiski doesn’t need snow to slide, which was a blessing given that we’ve not seen sufficient quantities of the white stuff in the Home Counties for a long time. It works on frosty grass, sand and of course, it works on snow. At the first sight of frost, my two lads were out like a shot to try their boards out in the nearest park. They are the ideal age to use Axiski and caught the knack of it pretty quickly. After a few false starts, the boys found using Axiski pretty simple. Scott was the first to stand on it and flew down the hill at a nice steady speed while Tom quickly realised you could steer using the cord attached to the board. Once they had mastered that,

“

Unlike a typical sledge, Axiski doesn’t need snow to slide, which was a blessing given that we’ve not seen sufﬁcient quantities of the white stuff in the Home Counties for a very long time.

”

the boys spent about two hours trying out all the different positions on the Axiski. They stood on it, sat down, lay down and even gave it a go in tandem — though not as successfully as they had hoped. Initially, we were a bit concerned about how fast the board might go and whether the boys would be able to control it but we didn’t have to worry. The manufacturers point out that, “Axiski is designed and manufactured in the UK to exacting standards using the very best quality materials. It also complies with all the necessary European safety standards” — so that was a relief to us parents. The boys were pretty excited to learn that the boards are available in ﬁve colours, black, blue, green, pink and orange. After a morning on the boards, the boys took them out the next week with their pals and had a riot — Tom told me at least three of his school mates want one. All in all, this was a hit. It’s not something I even considered existed but now I know, I reckon we’ll be using this a lot.

Scott says… “This is really good fun. My favourite part was going down the hill standing on the board.”

Axiski 07519 659960 www.axiski.com toysnplaythings.co.uk

KidKraft's Disney Frozen Castle Dollhouse

Did you know… ● The best-selling Barbie doll ever was 1992 Totally Hair doll, with hair from the top of her head to her toes! ● If all the dolls' houses Le Toy Van sold in 2015 were stacked up they would measure 70 times the height of Big Ben! VTech

Having a doll A doll d ll that th t rocketed k t d off ff tto th the IInternational t ti l Space S Station St ti last l t year is i emblematic bl ti of this traditional category’s expansion into new themes and play patterns. TnP takes a close look at the reinvigorated and growing category

hey’ve been a constant favourite in toy shops for centuries, and in 2016, dolls are taking the traditional play values that made them so popular to the next level. Innovation across both of the major sub-categories — large dolls and fashion dolls — is building on the nurture and role-play patterns most associated with these toys, and it sees them branching out into STEM, and even space, in 2016.

The broadening of this category has seen growth for many dolls suppliers. Arklu, a relatively new name best known for its popular Lottie Dolls, has seen its numbers triple in the UK and Ireland over the past 12 months, thanks to increased focus and spend on marketing. MD Ian Harkin says this is just the beginning. “In 2015 we extended our distribution of Lottie Dolls from 16 countries to 30, North America grew by 49%, and UK and Ireland grew by over 300%,” he explains. “We are looking to increase our turnover dramatically in 2016, and we believe we have reached a tipping point in awareness having been on the market now for three years.”

VTech entered the dolls market for the ﬁrst time in 2014, and the tech-toy specialist has experienced “great success” with its Little Love range. The company is adding new lines for 2016, the Little Love Get Better Soon, which has sensors for interactive nurture play, and transforming carrier-rocker, the Little Love 4-in-1 Carrier. Rebecca Lazarus, Senior Brand Manager at VTech tells TnP that the new launches will be “heavily supported on TV in peak season. We plan to continue to expand and develop the Little Love range, introducing exciting new products and accessories so customers can continue to add to their collection.”

Property market It’s a similar story for Le Toy Van, which is hugely successful with its beautiful range of doll’s houses and accessories. In 2015, the company saw growth of 19 per cent for its dolls' houses, and Marketing Manager, Marie Bureau says the outlook is “very positive” for 2016.

“

Parents now let more and more boys play with doll’s houses, rather than just girls, which is a good thing

”

Marie Bureau, Le Toy Van Le Toy Van

This year Le Toy Van will be focusing its efforts on bringing more gender neutral products to this traditionally girls’ category. “Parents now let more and more boys play with doll’s houses, rather than just girls, which is a good thing,” Marie says. “We are becoming more open and equal as a society.” The company will be reﬂecting this cultural shift in its marketing materials, and Marie says we can expect greater representation for boys in its dolls' houses promotional imagery. Marketing is something Le Toy Van invests heavily in, and a crucial component in driving the popularity and sales of its traditional products. “These are classic toys made in a traditional material, but there is more and more competition and options for consumers, with licensed product, plastic ranges and ever-evolving trends,” Marie explains. “But the dolls' house trend is still very much there, it just needs to be

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stimulated, as all wooden items do, to keep the trend and nostalgia going.” One company that excels in marketing and content creation is Mattel, particularly supporting the ever-evolving fashion doll brand Barbie with a strong mix of video and online content. Wendy Hill, Mattel’s Brand Activation Director, says content is a hugely important part of the marketing mix “whether is entertainment based for girls which we do very successfully with our DVD release to online content where we talk to mum.” “This ongoing initiative is designed to remind today’s parents that through the power of imagination, Barbie allows girls to explore their limitless potential,” Wendy explains. “The video has had over 20 million YouTube views and was voted one of the best ads of 2015.” Arklu is stepping up its own marketing and content efforts, which Ian says, is vital to this category’s continued vibrancy. “Creating, maintaining and growing a loyal and engaged community is key to this sector,” he says. “Parents spend more time now than ever before considering and researching their

purchases online.” The company offers supplementary material for parents to tie in with the dolls’ themes, and one of the most unique aspects of the Lottie brand has been engaging directly with fans to bring their dream designs to life. “We have created viral videos telling the story of our real-girl designers, and we will continue to launch crowd sourced competitions on 2016 to grow our following in new territories, but also to reward and interact with our current following,” Ian says. “They provide us with great feedback which we build into our development and campaigns.”

“

Creating, maintaining and growing a loyal and engaged community is key to this sector

”

Ian Harkin, Arklu Arklu's Lottie range

Branksea Island.” For Mattel’s Barbie, the recent announcement of brand new body shape, skin tones and hair styles and outfits will see the popular doll embraced by even more children. “girls everywhere will have infinitely more ways to play out their stories and spark their imaginations through Barbie,” says Wendy. And Marie hints that Le Toy Van has some “very exciting projects” up its sleeve. The company is staying tight-lipped for now, but keep your eyes on TnP to find out more later this year.

What's next So what’s next for the dolls' category? For Arklu it’s all about world building. “As a start-up we began by developing our dolls and accessories, building on Lottie’s world, value system, characters and brand values, and then creating awareness,” says Ian. “With the larger play pattern items and books coming later this year we are looking to extend the story telling and introducing Lottie’s world on

NEW NEW

furniture sold separately

ME039 Deluxe Furniture Set

NEW LOOK H111 Anna’s Little House

info@letoyvan.com

FEBRUARY 2015

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0208 979 2036

FEATURE DOLLS

Your very own castle KidKraft

Whole Lottie love Arklu 020 3773 2726 www.arklu.com Arklu’s Gold STEM Collection Stargazer Lottie doll — designed by Abigail, 6, from Canada — has travelled to the International Space Station with astronaut Tim Peake. The special edition doll is a collaboration with the European Space Agency, and comes with a telescope and tripod as well as a set of special solar system collector cards and a sheet featuring notable women in astronomy. Joining the Gold Collection is Fossil Hunter Lottie, a collaboration with TrowelBlazers — an international team of female archaeologists, palaeontologists and geologists. The original idea for the doll came from 7-yearold Olivia of Cheshire, whose outﬁt design inspired this version. Fossil Hunter Lottie comes with magnifying glass, trowel, geology hammer and ammonite fossils. A rucksack holds Lottie’s fossils plus her tools. She comes in a gift box featuring illustrations including the Ichthyosaur — discovered by Mary Anning when she was only 10. When it’s raining, Muddy Puddles Lottie is prepared with her yellow hooded raincoat and rain boots. Dressed in vintage-style varsity jacket, tutu skirt and sneakers, Rockabilly Lottie loves live music. A cute bow hairband and a pair of retro-style cat’s eye glasses complete the look. Pony Club Lottie learns about caring for a horse. Dressed in a traditional-style formal tweed jacket and jodphurs, Lottie studies for achievement badges, makes friends and comes with Seren the Welsh mountain pony in the box, with stable-inspired packaging.

It’s a doll’s world Peterkin UK 0116 254 3645 www.peterkin.co.uk Last year was another great year for Peterkin’s dolls world brand, with further growth and gains in market share, both in the UK and internationally. This growth demonstrates that dolls world is widely regarded as one of the leading nurturing dolls brands and a must-have for many toy shops. The next stage of the development comes in the form of a complete packaging revamp,

020 305 8842 www.kidkraft.com Kidkraft’s Disney Frozen Castle Doll House is perfect for any little lady who wants to be transported into the wonderful world of Anna, Elsa, Olaf and the rest of the gang. If you love Frozen, you’re sure to love this doll house that accommodates fashion dolls up to 30cm tall, 11 pieces of furniture including an ice throne and moulded plastic chandelier. A moulded plastic staircase connects the ground floor to the first floor’s four rooms of open space with a bonus play area at the top with a balcony. There’s fun Frozen-themed artwork on every panel with blue plexiglass windows on the second and third levels. It’s a smart, sturdy construction made of composite wooden materials and moulded plastic, it comes with detailed, step-by-step assembly instructions.

Living the dream Le Toy Van 020 8979 2036 www.letoyvan.com My First Dreamhouse is a refreshed, beautiful wooden pink doll’s house from Le Toy Van, complete with a 30-piece starter furniture set. This fully painted and decorated wooden doll’s house has hearts, flowers and stars motifs, and features opening and closing shutters, windows and door. You can even reveal the attic space by lifting the roof panel over to rest on the opposite panel. The doll’s house is easy to assemble, with no screws required. Anna’s Little House is a pretty little painted wooden cottage, fully decorated inside and out. The shutters, window and door all open and close for extended play, and there’s a special feature with the detailed floral window boxes. You can also flip the roof panel back to reveal the attic play space. There are also a number of accessory packs to enhance and extend play. The Tea-Time Doll’s House Kitchen Accessory Pack is a 15-piece pack that includes mini-replicas of the Honeybake Café Drinks Machine and Blender. The Make and Bake Doll’s House Kitchen Accessory Pack includes 14 pieces, and features mini-replicas of the Honeybake Mixer, Cake Stand, Pizza and Scales. Both are scaled to fit all of Le Toy Van’s Daisylane Dolls House Collection. The Doll Family of four is a wooden poseable doll family, which comes dressed in hand-finished, pretty outfits. showcased at the January 2016 fairs. The new concept brings a vibrant, fresh, contemporary feel, which sits perfectly with the brand’s position and profile. In addition, 2016 also sees the introduction of some exciting new dolls, including two new talking dolls, Tammy and Little Sweetie, which are 15” and 12” soft-bodied dolls, each with 21 realistic, cute baby sounds and are presented in try me acetate window-box packaging. Another highlight is Megan, a new Styling Head that comes complete with accessories. Peterkin has also commissioned an exclusive new fabric for its range of buggies, strollers and accessories.

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FEATURE DOLLS

Fun in the sun GP Flair 020 8643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk GP Flair has a full portfolio of dolls, accessories and playsets for 2016 with Cicciobello Sunny, Shopkins Shoppies, U Hugs and Betty Spaghetty. Cicciobello Sunny has hair, moving eyes and is fully articulated but, uniquely, he has the ability to tan. Take Cicciobello outside and, as he is exposed to light his skin colour will take on a golden tone, but always teaches little ones important safety lessons about applying sun screen. Opening up a whole new world for Shopkins are the all-new Shopkins Shoppies Dolls, mini fashion dolls, each with their own personality, outfit and accessories, who just love to shop. The three cute characters - popcornthemed Popette, cupcake-crazy Jessicake, and sweet Bubbleisha - come with two exclusive Shopkins, handbag and brush for real hair play, plus VIP codes in all packs allow fans to download special features from the Shopkins app. Donutina’s Donut Delights playset, with exclusive doll, Shopkins characters and playset completes the Shoppies world for spring, with plenty more to come. The U Hugs range of girls’ fashion dolls has heaps of personality. Allowing girls to show off their own style, each of the six current dolls - Sassy Fashion, Sweety Rock, Screamy Queen, Scratchy DJ, Scary Baby and Starry Fairy - is made from soft plastic with holes around the body for pins and personalisation, plus 12 pins to start each transformation. Autumn will see six new characters to collect, plus separate Pin Packs, and limited availability deluxe sets. Autumn also sees the welcome return of another fashion icon, Betty Spaghetty, combining construction, creativity and fashion, with plenty of accessories and outfits.

Stargazer Lottie is the First Doll in Space!

www.lottie.com lottiedolls lottie_dolls lottiedolls lottie_dolls

Fit for a princess Chicco 020 8953 6627 www.chicco.co.uk This year promises to be another magical one for leading toy and nursery brand Chicco, with the launch of three new Disney Princess licensed products. Two new Cinderella and Snow White stroller dolls are also being added to the growing range. The dolls clip easily to strollers and prams and feature key themes from the classic fairytales. The Cinderella stroller doll beneﬁts from a textured glittery clock and pumpkin ring with sliding mice, while the Snow White doll has a textured apple and mirror. The Disney Princess range also signals a move into the plush sector for Chicco with the launch of three iconic electronic soft textile princess dolls. Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel all feature real fabric princess dresses for sensory stimulation and each doll has three different melodies and sound effects.

In collaboration with

Talk to us about stocking Lottie in your store today! Contact us at: sales@arklu.com Phone: +44 203 773 27 26

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Family matters VTech 01235 555545 www.vtech.co.uk VTech entered the doll market in 2014 with the introduction of Little Love Baby Talk which received a great response following its launch, and 2015 saw the range increase with two new additions — Little Love Baby Peek-a-Boo and Little Love Learn to Walk — further enhancing the company’s presence in the category. Now, two years on, VTech unveiled its new arrivals to the Little Love family at Toy Fair, with the launch of Little Love Cuddle and Care and the Little Love 4-in-1 Carrier. Little Love Get Better Soon comes complete with six medical accessories and various sensors on the doll, allowing children to develop nurturing skills through pretend play and encourage essential motor skill development while learning through roleplay. Caring for baby also fosters imaginative play and problemsolving. Parents are also able to connect to the Learning Lodge via their smartphone to programme in the child’s name, doll’s name, health tips and important events such as a birthday or holiday. Little Love 4-in-1 Carrier has four fun ways to play, allowing children to transform the interactive carrier into a rocker, a ﬂoor seat to cradle, as well as including a detachable rattle and electronic panel. All Little Love Baby dolls and most other baby dolls up to 36cm ﬁt perfectly within the carrier which encourages motor skills, language development, role and imaginative play.

Creating quality wooden toys for girls and boys!

Cutie wonderland Great Gizmos 01293 543221 www.greatgizmos.co.uk Great Gizmos has a fantastic range of dolls and accessories from the luxury plush Nici Wonderland range. All are made from the softest of material and with unique identities, plus all Nici dolls are machine washable and suitable from birth. All clothing is interchangeable between the various Nici dolls. Cute Minilucas and Minisophie are the best of friends down on their farm. They love to look after their animal friends, especially chicks and piglets. The 30cm plush dolls have matching accessories, including a super soft cushion and miniature farm animals for added role play. Minilina the Vet is a wonderfully soft dolly who loves to care for her animals. Wearing a vet’s tabard, and carrying her pink bag with her medical instruments and collar to stop animals from licking their wounds, she is ready for any animal emergency. Blonde Miniclara comes with a pink tutu, ballet pumps, ﬂoral headband and cute kitten while Ballerina Miniclara loves to twirl and dance. Miniclara is joined in NICI Wonderland by Minilotta and Minilara, dolls that are the perfect companion for any little girl. Minilotta can venture underwater, and redhead Minilara is a keen gardener who loves tending her plants.

FEBRUARY 2016

FEATURE DOLLS

Just like mum HTI 01253 775544 www.htigroup.co.uk HTI’s offering includes the premium Silver Cross and Mamas & Papas Junior collections while the company has recently strengthened its portfolio with the addition of the internationally-renowned Chicco brand for autumn 2016. Inspired by the models available in the real life nursery ranges, and featuring up-to-the-minute stylish fabric designs, HTI’s dolls prams provide little girls with the ultimate doll accessory — their own set of wheels. HTI’s Chicco dolls’ prams and pushchairs offer a range of designs across price points with features and styling inspired by Chicco’s nursery models. The Chicco 3-in1 offers front- and rear-facing pram and pushchair options. With a detachable pram body, it features swivel wheels, an adjustable hood, soft grip height-adjustable handle, under seat shopping basket and a matching changing shoulder bag for fantastic role-play. The Chicco range launches late 2016. The stylish collection of Mamas & Papas dolls prams and pushchairs goes from strength to strength for HTI, bolstered by M&P Armadillo dolls pushchair. The design dolls pram is inspired by the real-life nursery model with a Lemon Drop yellow colour and matching bag.

Zip it! Vivid 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Zippeeez are micro-scale collectable creatures that come to life on their playsets with magic miniature movement. They are sound reactive, so the more they hear the more active they will be, and each playset includes cute animal sounds. Across the range of price points there are different combinations of magic movement and kid-powered features.

Each playset comes with at least one Zippeee, plus there is a Quintuplet pack to build up a character collection. Zippeeez will be TV advertised from launch and supported by a cross-platform PR campaign. 56

Cheers for Tears John Adams 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk Following on from the Tiny Tears 50th Anniversary Doll last year, John Adams is giving this recognisable doll a makeover for 2016. First launched in the 1960s, Tiny Tears was the first fully-functioning feeding, crying and wetting herself doll. With closing eyes, moveable arms, legs and head, it has been loved by children for generations. Classic Tiny Tears can be fed from her water bottle and then placed on her potty to wee. She will also close her eyes when laid down for a nap offering children the opportunity for nurturing role play. This year, the refreshed Classic Tiny Tears doll models a new outfit, featuring a specially-designed patterned fabric that is completely unique to Tiny Tears, and comes complete with her essential accessories, including bottle, potty, dummy and hairbrush. Also new for 2016 is the Teeny Tiny Tears soft-bodied doll, which has duel function packaging that can be turned into a cute cot — the perfect introduction to the Tiny Tears brand. Both dolls will be available from May and the range will supported by a heavyweight TV campaign as well as benefiting from PR support.

Super girls for 2016 Mattel 01628 500 000 www.mattel.com This is the Year of the Girls, as Barbie celebrates girls’ imagination, empowering them to dream and believe in their dreams. It will remind society that “Barbie is the only brand that allows girls to imagine themselves as a mermaid to a movie star, a fairy to a fashionista and a princess to a president”. Barbie will create a connection with mums by demonstrating and showcasing the beneﬁts of open-ended play. Through captivating content, Barbie will inspire girls of all ages along their journey of self-discovery letting them know that You Can be Anything. The year starts when Barbie turns spy in an actionpacked new ﬁlm Barbie: Spy Squad where she and best friends Teresa and Renee change from hardworking gymnasts into undercover secret agents. The release is supported by a fantastic toy line including the Secret Agent Lead doll. An extensive marketing and retail programme including TV, PR activation, national cinema partnership and-eye catching in-store display materials will make this a major release for spring. Barbie launches an exciting fantasy range to appeal to younger girls with the magical world of Barbie Dreamtopia, supported with an exciting toy range including a new hair segment featuring Barbie Snap N Style Princess, Barbie Endless Hair Kingdom Unicorn and Barbie Long Hair Chelsea dolls, plus Barbie Rainbow Lights Mermaid. Supported by rich visual content, girls can immerse themselves in Dreamtopia across a variety of digital platforms including Barbie.com and the Barbie Life app. Barbie Made to Move dolls can mimic realistic action and have 22 joints for an incredible range of movement. Barbie Fashionista continues to evolve remaining committed to its focus on diversity and up-to-date trends. Monster High launches its empowering new brand campaign How Do You Boo?, encouraging girls to embrace their unique selves and show us how they boo. Spring sees the new underwater adventure DVD Great Scarrier Reef. July will see the introduction of the ground-breaking action dolls DC Super Hero Girls High offering a diverse array of strong female characters in a fun and action-packed universe, and Ever After High continues to excite in the fairytale and fantasy segment with new long-form content and webisodes.

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DON’T MISS… We bring to the fore a selection of the hottest and newest products that will help you sell more. Buyers and retailers, get in touch with your sales contacts!

Product: Shufﬂe Subbuteo Company: Cartamundi Tel: 01268 511522 Web: www.cartamundi.com

Product: Magformers Princess Set Company: Magformers Tel: 01582 545330 Web: www.magformers.co.uk

P d t B Product: Batman t vS Superman Figures Fi Company: Schleich Tel: 01279 873746 Web: www.schleich-s.com/en/GB

FEBRUARY 2016

Product: Bamboo Company: Flair PLC Tel: 020 8643 0320 Web: www.ﬂairplc.co.uk

Product: Scentco Backpack Buddies Company: DKL Marketing Tel: 01604 678 780 Web: www.dkltoys.co.uk

Product: Micronoids from Meccano Company: Spin Master Tel: 01628 535 000 Web: www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Product: Jumbo Animals - Mommas and Babies - Farm Company: Learning Resources Tel: 01553 819 386 Web: www.learningresources.co.uk

Product: Big Robots Company: Mookie Toys Tel: 01525 722722 Web: www.mookie.co.uk

Product: Peek-a-Boo Company: Ty UK Ltd Tel: 01329 829 828 Web: www.ty.com

REVIEW

LONDON TOY FAIR

Game, set and match Toy Fair 2016 has come and gone in a blaze of glory. TnP catches up with a few exhibitors to ﬁnd out how the show was for them

oy Fair 2016 is over. Each year the build-up to the UK’s largest toy fair is immense and this year was no different. The fair’s much-publicised Sunday start proved to be no real issue to exhibitors with a steady ﬂow of retailers and buyers through the doors of Kensington’s Olympia. Organisers have revealed that Toy Fair 2016 was very well-attended and initial concerns about the clash with Nuremberg went unfounded.

Simply the best In fact, some exhibitors went so far as to claim 2016 was one of their best years at the show. Among those was Jumbo with Steven Russell telling TnP: “London Toy Fair was a great success and one of our best yet!” Steven explained that Jumbo showcased its full range of adult jigsaw puzzles including Wasgij and Falcon de luxe. He added: “Our popular licensed puzzles generated a lot of positivity for the year ahead. We also had the opportunity to present our brand new DINO 3D

Puzzle range and new Peppa Pig Party Time Race game for the ﬁrst time to retail and the feedback was very exciting!” Another exhibitor reporting good feedback was Learning Resources with Marketing, Communications and Event Coordinator Hannah Gargan saying 2016 was “the best ever Toy Fair for Learning Resources” — surely music to the ears of organisers. Learning Resources was previewing 2016 lines while showcasing its new corporate branding and updated packaging to retailers. “We received very positive feedback across the board, particularly on our new STEM ranges with Colby our coding mouse making his debut on Toy Fair TV,” revealed Hannah. When exhibitors were not taking orders or showcasing new ranges, they were looking for leads to follow-up, which is precisely what Amscan did. “Toy Fair was a great opportunity for us to showcase our latest ranges to new customers and markets,” said Chris Smalley, Business Unit Director.

“

Toy Fair was a great opportunity for us to showcase our latest ranges to new customers and markets

”

Chris Smalley, Amscan

“We now have some strong leads to follow up with from the event.”

Unveiling the new Unveiling new products obviously takes centre stage but one ﬁrm celebrated a double whammy. Toy Fair marked Bananagrams’ tenth anniversary at the fair and they also launched two new games. “London Toy Fair was very special for us this year as we celebrated the 10th Bananaversary of our game, Bananagrams! We unveiled two brand new games — Bananagrams Party and My First Bananagrams — both of which were incredibly well-received by retailers and the press. The Bananagrams Lounge proved to be a popular meeting place and we had a great crowd turn out for our champagne birthday celebration on the stand on press day. All in all a fantastic show for the brand,” enthused Rena Nathanson, Top Banana, Bananagrams, Inc. From Flying Gadgets point of view, Toy Fair was deemed a success with Josh Farleigh telling TnP that

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Majen Immink, Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales, says… “A huge thank you to all our exhibitors and their contractors as well as our wider team for all their efforts in creating another fantastic looking fair. We had many reports from visitors of how good the show looked once again. “The logistical difﬁculties we faced upon having to change the dates weren’t ideal and it meant that everyone really had to pull out all the stops, though we trust that the efforts were worth the rewards. Feedback thus far from exhibitors seems to suggest this and has, on the whole, been very positive with reports that they saw the people they were hoping to see and thus had a successful show. “We look forward to returning to the usual Tuesday to Thursday format next year from 24 to 26 January 2017. Online applications are already coming through thick and fast, which is very encouraging.”

Union J's George Shelley was at Toy Fair 2016

Spice Girl Mel C was spotted at Toy Fair

Children's chef Annabel Karmel was on the Casdon stand

the company picked up lots of new accounts with a strong media interest in the X-Water as well as their new drone range Flycker. Josh added that Nuremberg did not have an impact with their stand busy until early afternoon on the ﬁnal day. This sentiment was echoed by The Sales Partnership’s James Triptree who said for them Monday was a key day. “The turnout seemed good and the show had a buzz. Tuesday had been written off by most, but we were surprised because even at closing time there were enthusiastic souls still walking the aisles. All in all, the show delivered and we managed to get our new Bruder and KD lines seen by a good spread of buyers.”

Awards night Along with celebrities on Press Day including Union J’s George Shelley, former Spice Girl Mel C, chef Annabel Karmel and pre-school star Justin Fletcher, there was also plenty of excitement on Sunday night at the annual Toy Industry Awards. Hasbro’s Pie Face was crowned Toy of the Year, Retailer of the Year went to Smyths and Toy Licence went to Disney Frozen.

FEBRUARY 2015

“

The show delivered... we managed to get our new Bruder and KD lines seen by a good spread of buyers

”

James Triptree, The Sales Partnership

Dates conﬁrmed for Toy Fair 2017

Toy and Supplier of the Year Awards:

Visitors to Toy Fair were, no doubt, delighted to learn that dates for the 2017 show have been conﬁrmed. The fair will return to its normal schedule running from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 January while Nuremberg runs from 1 February to 6 February.

Collectable Range of the Year Shopkins, Flair

Toy Retailer of the Year winner:

Interactive Toy of the Year Little Live Pets Bird and Cage, Character Options

Independent Toy Retailer of the Year Aladdin’s Cave, Guernsey Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to ﬁve stores) Toytown (Seaford) Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to thirty stores) Toy Barnhaus Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (more than thirty stores) Smyths Toys Online Toy Retailer of the Year Shop Direct General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year Argos Department Store Toy Retailer of the Year W J Daniel & Co, Windsor Toy Retailer of the Year Smyths Toys

Construction Range of the Year Star Wars, LEGO Action Toy of the Year Nerf Modulus, Hasbro Doll of the Year Disney Frozen Sing-Along-Elsa, Jakks Paciﬁc

Creative Toy of the Year Wacky-tivities Kinetic Sand, Spin Master Pre-School Toy of the Year Paw Patrol Paw Patroller, Spin Master Innovative Toy of the Year IDo3D Deluxe 3D Design Studio, Flair Feature Plush Toy of the Year Puppy Surprise, Trends Toy Licence of the Year Frozen, Disney Supplier of the Year LEGO Special Recognition Award EPOCH making toys Personality of The Year Paul Dean, Mattel Toy of the Year Pie Face, Hasbro

FEATURE

TOY FAIR REVIEW

New reigns supreme Casdon 01253 608248 www.casdon.co.uk Casdon, celebrating its 70th birthday this year, unveiled new items from its 2016 portfolio at this year’s London Toy Fair. Visitors were able to see and witness ﬁrst-hand, its brand new Dyson Cordless Vacuum. Another addition to the Little Helpers collection of role-play toys is the Hetty and Henry Household Cleaning Sets. New to the Little Cooks range is the Birthday Cake Set which allows little ones to treat friends and family without the added calories! Visitors were given the chance to meet bestselling international author, Annabel Karmel, who came to the stand to show off the Annabel Karmel branded cookery collection.

Keeping it fresh GP Flair 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk There was plenty to see from GP Flair at Toy Fair this year with award-winning ranges and new collections across its Girls, Boys, Pre-School and Creative Play portfolios that had retailers lining up to see what was new. Winner of the Best Collectable Range of the Year Award, Shopkins has moved from Series 3 to Series 4, bringing even more cool and colourful shopping inspired characters to collect. On display were the new Garden and Party Time theme sets, plus the Shopkins Pet Shop aisle that introduced new Petkins collectables. Big news for Shopkins fans was the introduction of the Shoppies Dolls. The Shoppies are fabulously fashionable dolls, each with their own personality, outfit and accessories. Toy Fair also saw Flair’s new girls’ fashion doll, U Hugs on display. The initial launch introduces six dolls to collect, all of which have quirky traits of their own. Aiming to retain the top spot in the action figure market, Flair continues to grow its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection with new waves of exciting action figures from the animation series. From spring, fans can swell their ranks of Ninjas with new waves of figures including notable friends and foes from the series.

Creative Character Character Options 0161 6339800 www.character-online.com Characters Options’ 2016 Toy Fair was full of big brands and new launches including the ﬁrst trade fair outing for Teletubbies, the industry launch of new craft sensation Pom Pom Wow!, a special screening room for Storytime Theatre, and media frenzy around the return of Stretch Armstrong. The ﬁrm’s World of Teletubbies was on full display and featured collectable plush, talking soft toys and a host of interactive playsets and novelty toys. There was a special visit from the Teletubbies themselves and an exclusive appearance of the Sun Baby.

Smell you later DKL Marketing 01604 678 780 www.dkl.co.uk DKL Marketing returned to Toy Fair with even more brilliant products from across eight leading brands. With more than 100 new products launching, the DKL stand was buzzing with excitement! The new launches and bestsellers were all well received by visitors, and buyers were excited by DKL’s variety of quality product offering good margin. Highlights were the Retro Tin Toys from Scratch, Finding Dory scented stationery, the Scratch Darts FSDU, Squishy SmartLab lines, Miniland EmotiBlocks, Hama Diamond Animals, Breyer Decorate Your Horse, and PlayMais Trendy Mosaic.

Mat-attack Eduk8 Worldwide 01434 672 336 www.eduk8worldwide.com Eduk8 say they were delighted with the reaction they received to its new ranges from buyers at London Toy Fair. A highlight was winning a Best New Toys Award for its range of large ﬂoor mat games. Available as Snakes and Ladders or Ludo – both with unique dice domes to ensure you never lose dice again. Plus, the Crocodile Hop and Large Numbers Games were big hits, each being supplied with large jumbo inﬂatable dice. All mats are water and heat resistant with UV protection, so perfect for outdoor play. Suitable for 2-4 players aged 3 and above. Great, all -year round family fun!

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FEATURE

TOY FAIR REVIEW

Where fun begins Funrise 01908 555640 www.funrise.com Funrise unveiled new collections across its portfolio at Toy Fair this year which had eager customers lining up to see what’s new for 2016 (as well as play with the bubbles!) Unleashed at Toy Fair were new bubble blowing devices from Gazillion Bubbles, the bubble blowing brand of choice for kids. This year will see new Gazillion Bubble gadgets unveiled, including the “Bump N Go” Robot that moves across the floor propelling bubbles as he goes. Also available will be blasters such as the Handheld Hurricane which will add to the mega bubble blowers such as the Gazillion Tornado and Monsoon. This year Gazillion will benefit from TV advertising and a full marketing plan of digital and kids press, ensuring brand awareness is at its height as the warmer months approach. Tonka has once again firmly established itself in Funrise’s portfolio and, with new added lines, there was much to keep retailers happy. Tonka Climb Overs is high on the agenda for the Funrise team and these 4x4 motorised vehicles will climb over almost anything! There’s a number of playsets to choose from, all of which interconnect using a Click N’ Climb track system to configure countless obstacles! Take the vehicles for an off-road outdoor adventure and watch as they manoeuvre around almost anything in their way! TV advertised, the new Climb-over series has many fun sets for tough kids to get to grips with, such as the Snake Pit Pass and Ripsaw Summit.

Game on! Gibsons

Fair fun Green Board Games 01494 538 999 www.greenboardgames.com The GBG team say London Toy Fair 2016 was the most successful to date. With increased interest from new and existing customers, meetings were scheduled in months resulting in constant trafﬁc throughout the three days. The Green Board Games brand is now hugely recognised, substantiated by increasing demand for their evergrowing and evolving range. The team say they were thrilled with the number of retailers joining them for lengthy periods. In order to increase footfall GBG took advantage of having branded ﬂoor tiles positioned in prominent, carefully chosen places throughout the show; these helped draw increased awareness as to their location and presence. The overarching response to their product offering was consistent throughout all days of the show, emphasising that the quality at the core of all products an integral part of their offering.

020 8661 8866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk Toy Fair was a strong show for Gibsons and the team want to say a huge ‘thank you!’ to everyone to came along to visit their stand. This year the team introduced caricaturist George Williams to their stand, who transformed the staff and customers into amazingly uncanny cartoon versions of themselves! Visitors were also entertained by Gibsons Lucky Dip promotion, inviting customers who placed an order over £450 to rummage in the Lucky Dip bin and scoop some fabulous prizes. The team were also pleased to see a strong interest in their new lines. Highlights of the Gibsons range this year include the relaunch of the retro game Wembley, a classic which many consumers will remember from as far back as the 1970s. Wembley will be available from April 2016. The new Emma Ball range also impressed visitors at the Gibsons stand.

Living Toy Fair Orchard Toys 01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com Orchard Toys had a very successful London Toy Fair this year, seeing their existing customers and developing relationships with new contacts in the trade. They were thrilled to win a ‘Best New Toy’ award in the Games & Puzzles category for their ‘Where Do I Live?’ animal lotto game. The game was up against some amazing toys and games, with the company honoured to have been recognised as a Best New Toy for 2016.

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RETAIL

All aboard... plenty of room on top

OPINION TnP loves to hear your views. This month we speak to key wholesalers and suppliers to learn what’s on their minds. We explore this month’s hottest topics.

Trade talk In the wake of fair season, TnP catches up with some of the industry’s ﬁnest to discover what toys they’re excited about in Q1, and the licences to watch in a year jam-packed with blockbuster ﬁlms MARK AND NATALIE PHILLIPS Directors, Buddy Tag

“

We are trying to make people aware that there are these devices out there on the market that help with child safety

”

“

The Run-along Twirlywoos are a ﬁrm favourite across the whole Golden Bear team and they never fail to raise a smile when they set off

”

What excited you about being at Toy Fair? It’s our ﬁrst trade exhibition, we’re a new brand — it’s great to get out there and meet independent retailers as well as larger online stores and department stores. It’s great to meet people and get the brand out there. And how did you ﬁnd it in the Green House section? Really successful — great feedback, people are really interested and we’ve taken orders, which is the most important thing! What are you hoping to get out of Toy Fair? For us it’s just about bringing the brand to the UK as it’s an American company. It’s trying to make people aware that there are these devices out there on the market that help with child safety. They’re an extra pair of eyes for parents. They help in that moment, that split second where a child may go out of sight by providing an audible alarm and thereby preventing that moment of fear that I’m sure a lot of parents have had.

CHRISTINE NICHOLLS Vice-Chair and Product Development Director, Golden Bear What are your new product launches here? Being a master toy company for many licences, we continually introduce new and innovative products which keep our ranges fresh and exciting. We’re pleased to be launching newly-acquired licences such as Oddbods. This fun and quirky range includes blind bag collectables taking the company into a new arena. We’re also showcasing another brand-new licensed range, Messy Goes To Okido, and we have some brilliant new In The Night Garden feature plush and also an interactive playset based on the iconic Pinky Ponk. For speed and excitement, there’s the amazing new Go MINI Racetrack! What’s your favourite from the range and why? The Run-along Twirlywoos are a ﬁrm favourite across the whole Golden Bear team and never fail to raise a smile — our stand was a hive of activity with the Run-along Derby. And we have great expectations for the fabulous In The Night Garden Musical Pinky Ponk. What licences have got you going for 2016? We have some great licences within our own portfolio – In The Night Garden, Twirlywoos and Mr Tumble, to name but a few. A highlight is the new fun and crazy Oddbods. Equally, the Messy Goes To Okido licence with its science and arts themes.

IAN HAM National Accounts Manager, Kiddimoto Let’s begin with the recently-launched iconic London bus — what is it about? We had stock come in a bit early and communicated this out and the response was fantastic; we even got stock out before Christmas. We’d been wanting to do a sit-on for a while to access the younger age group — below two years — as all of our products are more toward ages two and up. We had some designs put together from tuk-tuks to tractors, but the one we kept going back to naturally was the bus — so we developed that further. I think another strength of the product’s design is evident when we’ve had children testing it — they instantly get it.

“

There’s just been no selling involved with the bus, people are just going for them once they see them

”

You must be thinking you can expand this to other transport-themed ride-ons? Exactly. It’s all very much in-house at the moment, but we should start to see things happening in development toward the end of this year. There’s just been no selling involved with the bus, people are just going for them once they see them, so we are looking to expand the range. How do you communicate across such a wide range of retailers from supermarkets to garden centres? As it stands our biggest reach out to customers is at shows like this. We do a lot of PR, we have a really good PR company. So it’s a mixture of our in-house marketing team and a digital manager — the majority of the time we speak to our retailers over the phone and draw them to our website to see our new products. Garden centres for us is quite a new market; we’re talking to some of the larger chains at the moment but it is part of a long process. The bus is ideal for it, as it’s an all-round product. How important is it to develop the designs in the UK? It’s something we’re really proud of. You get an instant recognition from retailers as it gives them peace of mind. If there is feedback we can react to it straight away. We keep getting retailers asking for a steam train version of the bus.

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MICHELE MARZILIANO

BENN BRAMWELL

UK Country Manager, Clementoni

Marketing Manager, Ravensburger

Tell us about the baby range. Baby Clementoni is really important. We launched this collection in the UK last year with a lot of advertising, a lot of press and a lot of investment. The results that we got are really impressive and this year we launch 10 additional items from low retail price (£9.99) up to higher product such as a ride-on. All the products we have are 100% educational. One of the key products for us is the tumbling car. Every time it tumbles it says something funny for the children, it’s a nice product. We also have a talking plush bear that comes with a free app download.

“

We have a new agreement with Oxford University. Clementoni is really linked to science products

In licensing, how have you found your Disney products? What is your top-selling licensed product? Disney — Mickey and Minnie — are classic evergreens that always do well, plush do the best. The talking books are classics, easy to understand and we have a wide distribution of this product. For us, licensing is important as we work a lot with educational products. Clementoni is proud to say that it has a lot of new licences such as Blaze and the Monster Machines, Finding Dory, Masha and the Bear and the Dreamworks collection like Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar. We have exclusivity of products as well.

”

You’ve recently taken on Brio — tell us more about that. We started distributing Brio in July 2015, so we didn’t show anything last year at Toy Fair. This year we had a big display showing the world of Brio and the different sections you can buy. We focussed on the My First Range with the trains and accessories that children and parents like to play with — we got a really good reception. Is quality the greatest appeal to the consumer? I think the biggest appeal is the quality — our jigsaws last — once they’re put away they can be taken out and played with again and the quality is still strong. Our puzzles are very UK-rooted, using UK designs to make them specific to our market. What is your personal hero product for 2016? Space Hawk — an app-related toy. It just does so much more, there’s different flight modes, there’s a whole world that you can enter — it’s good for kids as it draws them away from the apps that cost money to keep downloading. Once you’ve got Space Hawk that’s it. You unlock a galaxy of games. There are five game boards included in each pack, and it can be used as a stand alone toy or you can add your smartphone into it and each game has two to five hours of gameplay.

What would you say is your best-selling STEM product? We have a new agreement with Oxford University. Clementoni is really linked to science products. We are launching a technological branch of science products, all illustrated in the manual. There is a motor inside, so children can start to understand the ﬁrst basic elements of mechanical engineering. We’ve also got a classiclooking robot — MIO — and Cyber robot which is programmable via a tablet and smartphone. What do you love about Toy Fair that keeps you coming back? Ever year you can understand from the customers what has been happening in the previous year and what is working. You can understand how Christmas went, and what the expectation is for the year ahead. You can discuss industry issues and still have the time to launch your products.

DAVID KELLY MD, Magformers What was important for you for Toy Fair? This was the UK launch — the start of the company going forward. We’ve done a lot with the PR team, found a really good location, done newsletters and used social media to create a buzz. The demonstrations were incredible — I saw someone assemble a dome in seconds — you must be extremely satisﬁed? A big part of Magformers is to build from a 2D plane to make a geometric shape. For Toy Fair, we wanted to recreate that using live demos, so the team were ﬂown over from Korea who do the videos and they performed live demonstrations.

With the trend toward STEM products — how is Magformers capitalising on this? We have just launched a brand-new range called STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Architecture and Mathematics. The Super Steam that we’ve launched will cover motion and power blocks while still using the magnetic pieces to construct — using air pressure to bring movement to the different pieces. We’ve got a lot of educational sets as well with speciﬁc learning manuals. What are your top products for the year ahead? I would say our most popular line is the Wow set retailing at £29.99 with wheels and set cards, we’ve had loads of success with this. A good line will be the Sweethouse set where we’ve introduced accessories where children can make castles for example, including LEDs so this will be a hero line. Also My First Sets for 18 months and up. These are probably three of our bestselling lines for this year.

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REVIEW

NUREMBERG

Show fever The world’s biggest toy show is over for another year – TnP caught up with exhibitors to ﬁnd out just what happened at the German event

aving a successful Nuremberg, whether you are a retailer or an exhibitor, is pretty crucial. Buyers from across all international markets meet with exhibitors from an equally diverse range of industries over six days to showcase ranges, ﬁnalise orders and explore new business opportunities. The world’s largest toy fair ran from 27 January to 1 February this year with thousands of toy, nursery and party retailers from across the globe descending on the German city of Nuremberg. The show is a vital date in the diary of so many people within the industry, but what makes it so important to exhibitors? “As a global marketing company, Nuremberg provides a great opportunity to showcase all our brands and for buyers to ﬁnalise their range selections,” said Marian Davis, Marketing Manager for MGA and Zapf Creation. Speaking about this year’s show, Marian added: “I think there was a very positive vibe and

greater sense of excitement, plus we had small increase on visitors attending our stand compared to last year.”

Creating a buzz Cheatwell Games’ Creative Director Jon Church described the company’s Nuremberg team as barely having time to draw breath such was the level of visitors to its stand, adding “and the show is six days long!” “Our novel new Cheat collapsible dice shaker and set of Pod Games card dispensers created a particular buzz of excitement,” revealed Jon. “Similarly, the international launch of our new children’s games got an excellent reception: Get the Picture, Face Race, Kids’ Charades and Chattabox — with new graphics and added components — went down particularly well. Although he felt the show was slightly quieter than normal, HTI’s Vice-President of Global Sales, Anthony Grimaud explained that: “Nuremberg offers HTI the opportunity to see

“

We always have a great show at Nuremberg and this year was no exception. The major announcement on Barbie meant the stand was buzzing with excitement

”

Wendy Hill, Mattel

as many international distributors and customers as possible over the course of a few days. "In particular it enables us to see and make contact with those international customers that do not attend the Hong Kong previews in January and also provides an opportunity to meet customers from the local German market.”

Busy, busy, busy! One company that found themselves the talk of the fair was Mattel — and for all the right reasons! The company announced three new body shapes for Barbie during the fair with the iconic doll now representing tall, curvy and petite girls everywhere. Asked to describe the show, Brand Activation Director Wendy Hill told TnP it was: “Busy, busy, busy!” She admitted the announcement had an impact: “We always have a great show at Nuremberg and this year was no exception. The major announcement on Barbie meant the stand was buzzing

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State of toys with excitement.” Nuremberg remains one of the more important dates in Mattel’s show diary. “We see all our major customers at the show so it’s very important for us to be able to showcase our full range just before selections start,” explained Wendy. “For the UK team it is less about taking orders more about showing the ranges and discussing our marketing and retail activation plans. "Every show has their strengths but for us it allows us to see our buyers just before selections and share with them any new exciting launches.”

RETAIL COMMENT…

Michael Angel from Toy State’s UK ofﬁce gave TnP the lowdown on how Nuremberg went for them.

“

We were very happy with the meetings and now just have to work with the buyers to turn all those good meetings into good 2016 business

”

“The Nuremberg show was great and we were very happy with all of our customer meetings as they all appeared to be very positive about our 2016 ranges especially our new product ranges of vehicles featuring the TMNT, DC Super Friends, Hot Wheels and Barbie brands as well as our existing Nikko, CAT, James Bond and Road Ripper ranges. Also we had very positive feedback to our 2016 TV and marketing plans. All in all, we were very happy with the meetings and now just have to work with the buyers to turn all those good meetings into good 2016 business. Also we were very happy to learn that London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs dates do not clash in 2017!”

“Nuremberg was really good for us. A very tiring trip as we had to tie it in with London, but we got to see some suppliers that we work with on a DI basis that we were unable to see in London, so it gives us a compact way of seeing a different side to our business rather than domestic suppliers which are mainly seen in London. We only make Nuremberg a quick trip, but even at that we have three days rammed with important appointments.” Brian Simpson, SMF Toy Town

FEBRUARY 2015

REVIEW

SPRING FAIR

Spring in your step Bi i h ’ NEC was a one-stop-shop Birmingham’s t h ffor everything thi you can think of – party, gifts, greetings, homeware and of course — toys. TnP was on site to get a ﬂavour of the event

pring Fair comes at the tail end of fair season for toy exhibitors but it by no means suffers because of this. In fact, Spring Fair is a hugely important date in the diary because of the scope of visitors who attend. Not only is it brimming with toy buyers but you’ve got premium gift and homeware buyers on site too and the scope for cross-sell is immense. That’s why Hall 5 is an important place to be if you are looking to tackle a broad cross section of retailers. This year the fair ran from Sunday 7 to Thursday 11 February and this year the fair celebrated its 66th in operation — no mean feat! Prior to Spring Fair, Iain Morgan, CEO of Bladez Toyz, explained that one of the reasons they attend the show is because: “Spring Fair is a great central point in the UK for us to meet retailers face to face.” Iain credited Spring Fair with having a diverse mix of buyers which “opens doors for us into other sectors with the gift side of our business". “We have a diverse range of lines, from toys to gifts and pre-school,

so having such a selection of retailers visiting the show gives our new launches a great audience."

Orders a plenty Benefitting from a refreshed layout with express entrances, linking walkways and edited layouts which improved the flow of visitors to Spring Fair, visitors were able to get the most out of the crossover purchasing opportunities. Organisers i2i revealed that thousands of buyers from across the UK and further afield visit each year — 44 per cent of whom do not attend other trade events with 75 per cent of visitors placing orders with suppliers as a result of their attendance at Spring Fair. Great Gizmos returned to Spring Fair this year and Director and Co-Founder Ian Dayus told TnP: “Spring Fair has been very good, it is great to be back in Hall 5 and we’ve picked up some new accounts.” There was similar news from DKL, with Marketing Executive Farel Williams describing the show as being “great” for the company. “Not only did we get to see regular customers, we also opened

“

Spring Fair has been very good… we’ve picked up some new accounts

”

Ian Dayus, Great Gizmos

several new accounts and met a brilliant variety of different buyers.” Citing a “tremendous response” to their new lines, Tobar’s CEO David Mordecai told us: “Spring Fair yet again has proved an excellent chance for us to meet up with old and new faces in the industry. We’ve had tremendous response to our new lines including Schylling Star Wars BeBots, Thunderbirds Flexi Figures, Finding Dory Zuru playsets and Tobar’s pocket money collection. We’re delighted with the amount of new customers we’ve attracted over the last few days.” The news was equally as positive coming from the Thames & Kosmos camp with Emma Hanlon revealing it has been the company’s “best Spring Fair yet with plenty of orders and new customers". Lanka Kade were another company enjoying a successful show. "It has been really great," said Director Diane Soysa. "We've met a lot of new customers, which is fantastic." And with that, Spring Fair closes its door for another year.

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LICENSING

NEWS

Getting angry! Ravensburger and Sambro have been named as two licensees jumping on board the Angry Birds train. They are being joined by Poeticgem and Smith and Brooks, who together with Sambro and Ravensburger were named by Bulldog Licensing as four new licensing partners for the upcoming ﬂick. The Angry Birds Movie, released in May, is a major summer tent pole comedy produced by Rovio Entertainment and distributed globally by Sony Pictures International. Sambro will produce a range of bags, stationery and pocket money toys while Ravensburger have come on board for jigsaw puzzles. Meanwhile, Poeticgem will produce a range of adult apparel and Smith and Brooks for kids clothing.

Pokemon pik(achu) the Entertainer The Pokémon Company International teamed up with The Entertainer in February to deliver a retail promotion to mark 20 years of the brand. Beginning on 11 February, The Entertainer’s customers were able to pick up a special collector’s album free of charge in which they can showcase some of their cards from the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, XY— BREAKpoint. To help support the promotion, The Entertainer installed branded Pokémon window displays, and selected stores have additional point-of-sale materials, including photo-opportunity standees and hanging Pikachu characters. Master toy partner Tomy also got involved with a 25 per cent discount on its range of toys, and the TCG and toys will be merchandised together on an end-of-bay display in stores.

What’s Nexo? W

Cool forr Pre-school superstars stars Clangers have a new partner on board board. Rights owners Coolabi has teamed up with plush specialists Ty UK to create a range of gift plush for the BAFTA award-winning series which Ty will distribute a gift plush collection in selected retailers in the UK and Ireland from spring 2016. Steve Gomez, Business Development Director of Ty UK, said the company is “immensely proud” to partner with Coolabi while Valerie Fry, Director of Licensing at Coolabi, said they are “delighted to be developing a range of gift plush with Ty, which will complement the master toy range from Character Options”.

172

The Cartoon Network and LEGO have come up with a T 3 360° approach to supporting the new LEGO Nexo K Knights brand. Along with broadcasting the LEGO-animated Nexo K Knights series, which is currently airing every day at 6 6pm on Cartoon Network, the network will also ssupport the new Nexo Knights toy range and Merlok 2 2.0 gaming app across their TV and digital platforms. Cartoon Network’s partnership with LEGO includes a 3 30” webdrive, which will introduce kids to the toy range and ask them to U-Knight for a very special Cartoon Network quest by heading to the bespoke Nexo Knights microsite hosted by www.CartoonNetwork.co.uk. The microsite features exclusive content which offers the opportunity for kids to enter a competition for a chance to win prizes, including the entire toy range. Additionally, once kids reach a certain level of the game they will be rewarded with an exclusive powerup shield which they can scan and use while playing the app. The campaign will run until 4 March.

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LICENSING

NEWS

As seen on Tele HTI and Bladez have both been announced as Teletubbies licensees. DHX Brands signed ﬁve new UK consumer products licensees for the brand, adding to its current roster of 49 licensees. HTI will produce Teletubbies-themed toys, which include musical role-playing and activity games, as well as novelty items while Bladez will be launching a range of inﬂatable toys. In addition, Kokomo will produce products in the health and beauty category, Misirli has taken the licence for Teletubbies socks while Whitehouse has signed on for the amusement category, including plush toys. Products from these licensees are expected to launch in the UK beginning in autumn 2016.

Come over to Justin’s House Golden Bear and Justin Fletcher have shared something of a special partnership over the past few years, and that relationship has been strengthened in a new deal with BBC Worldwide. After striking success with a toy range based on Justin’s character Mr Tumble and his Something Special series, Golden Bear has been appointed master toy partner for hilarious CBeebies show Justin’s House. The star of the shows himself was on the Golden Bear stand at London Toy Fair to announce the new deal with Golden Bear’s Vice-Chair and Director Christine Nichols, who told TnP: “We have plenty of experience with the Mr Tumble range, which we have given a makeover for SS, so this has been a natural progression for us. “Kids love engaging with the characters in the show. Our Justin’s House Playset is the house itself, and has lots of fun, high energy play value. Retailers have been very impressed with that authenticity and how true to the show it is. The toys will launch AW16, and we have a full TV and online marketing plan, which will roll out in July.”

FEBRUARY 2016

Krazy for Kawaii Sambro recently launched a range licensed Kawaii Cubes at London Toy Fair. The plush characters come in varying sized cuddly cubes and are dedicated to some of the most popular DC Comics and Warner Bros. heroes. The high-quality products come in three sizes: small (2.5in), medium (4in) and large (8in) and feature Wonder Woman, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, Fred Flintsone, Superman, Green Lantern, Tweety Bird, Tasmanian Devil and more. Completely stackable and collectable, the Cubes have fantastic on-shelf appeal and allow retailers to maximise space while the array of price points allows them to stock full ranges.

Trevor semiretires from Danilo A new member is joining the licensing team at Danilo following the conﬁrmation of the semiretirement of long-serving Licensing Director Trevor Jones. Danilo Founder and Chairman Laurence Prince said Trevor will be stepping down at the end of February after 18 years at the company, although he will continue as a director on the board for the foreseeable future, while Dan Grant will start as Senior Licensing Manager on March 21 to work alongside him. Laurence is pictured (top left) with TV’s Eamonn Holmes at the National Calendar Awards recently, and Trevor is also pictured with the This Morning and Sky News presenter.

LICENSING OPINION KELVYN GARDNER

Are you ﬁt for toys? Fresh from speaking at Hong Kong Toy Fair, Kelvyn Gardner, LIMA UK MD, ponders the industry

hen is a toy not a toy? I was pondering this before preparing a presentation I made last month at the Hong Kong Toy Fair — my ﬁrst time speaking at this longestablished conference. It came up because I was including some data from NPD about UK toy sales, and right up there, in with the biggest toy sellers, was Match Attax trading card game from Topps. Match Attax and other card games are now naturally assumed to be part of the toy business, at least from the toy trade’s point of view. Intriguingly, through the years I worked full-time in collectables, ﬁrstly for Panini and then with the company I co-founded, Merlin Publishing (now part of Topps), I never thought of trading cards as toys, even when there was a game element. In licensing terms, trading cards often fall into the publishing category, not the one for toys, and certainly, as the name implies, at Merlin we considered ourselves a publisher, as all our products were paper or board-based. I raised the point at the conference because I wished to communicate that innovation and imagination can be the way into licensed toys for newcomers. I have seen a kind of despair in the eyes of new toy companies who believe that all the key toy categories are likely to either be covered by the master

toy licence, or already snapped up by the usual suspects. Fortunately, the toy business is forever reinventing itself, Now, this outcome so opportunities is clearly very similar to the goal for licences will continue to widen. that most educational toys set Still musing on the same point, for themselves. They position when is a toy not a toy, I’m turning themselves as providing learning my attention to my first anniversary without seeming to do so. The child as a Fitbit user. This gadget, and does not wish to think themselves the many competitive devices at school, or the toy won’t be from other fitness tech companies, much of a present. So the didactic is probably rightly classified as outcome is built into the fun. I wearable tech within the broader reckon that the two are very close. consumer electronics category, As a last thought about overlapping with sports equipment. the Hong Kong Toy Fair and However, part of its charm for Conference, I continue to be struck me has been its play value. With by how much more formal the toy the device linking to Fitbit’s own trade in the UK, and also evidently app on my phone and tablet, and over there, seems to be than is this app further connected to my field of activity, Myfitnesspal, licensing. there’s no Accepting right doubt for me I have seen a away that I find that this has kind of despair in the myself at perhaps put the fun eyes of new toy something of an into monitoring extreme when activity, companies who comes to the exercise and believe that all the key itflamboyant in diet. toy categories are business attire, I No doubt likely to already was nonetheless some of you intrigued to find all have been covered the speakers in Hong on the same Kong, apart from journey as have the ladies and myself, were very I in the past, trying to log activity traditionally suited and booted. and food intake on a spreadsheet Does one have to look serious or in a diary. Always hopeless, to be allowed the indulgence of a unrewarding and all too swiftly business career in toys? Perhaps so abandoned! Fitbit has genuinely but, as long as they’ll put up with made this fun for me, and it worked my rather more relaxed style, I’ll be as I lost a tidy amount of weight in pleased to count them as friends. 2015 without it seeming a chore.

“

”

LIMA the trade association for the licensing business www.licensing.org/uk email rbeaird@licensing.org

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TNP T

LOOKS S BAC BACK

Step back in time TnP MD Malcolm Naish looks back at some of the events and news stories that made the pages back in February 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2011

FEBRUARY 1986 • For my more senior readers, Bill Dowle moves across the road to Woolies following 27 years with BHS. As Bill said at the time: “It’s a nine iron shot across the road to my new office and I’m looking forward to the title challenge.” • Well-known High Street retailer House of Holland go bust and are eventually bought by Li-Lo. • Interesting to note that I publicise the Fence Club golf day, where the cost for the event including a sumptuous three-course meal is £19. • Many people are forecasting that 1986 will be the year of the yo-yo. • A good-looking young man — as our picture shows — has joined die-cast company Ertl as their national sales manager. None other than Roger Dyson, Ertl were eventually bought by Racing Champions. • Our retail roundup confirms that Transformers, Trivial Pursuit, Masters of the Universe, Care Bears, My Roger Dyson Little Pony and Britains are all selling well post-Christmas. • We run an 11-page feature on fireworks. I doubt that we could fill a page in 2016!

February 2011 Volume 30 Number 5

FEBRUARY 2016

• Two industry stalwarts receive Lifetime Achievement awards from the BTHA, namely Arthur Katz and Dennis Britain. Peter Brown as Chairman of the BTHA does the honours. • Andrew Wood joins Tomy from Bluebird as their Senior National Accounts Manager. • Waddington’s wins Toy of the Year with their Pogs product. Not bad at 99p retail.

FEBRUARY 2006 • We were sad to report the demise of Greens Toymaster. Geoff and Diana Green had 17 stores and a reported debt of £3 million. As Toymaster’s biggest member Toymaster, to their credit, paid suppliers in full, proving to members what a great buying group it is. The Greens son Ben resigns as chairman of the TRA. • Toy of the Year is won by Bandai for Tamagotchi Connection. • Following 27 years with Dekkertoys, Clive Jones joins Golden Bear as MD. • Two toy industry icons sadly pass away. Alan Cowley of Index and Norman Walker who was MD of Hasbro for many years and then moved to New York to run K’Nex. I must have been one of the very last people to see Norman before he died, as we had lunch together in Hong Kong and that afternoon he ﬂew back to the States for an operation the next day, from which he never recovered. • Former Crayola Sales Director Dave Martin joins Inspiration Works as commercial director. • Disney buys computer animation leader Pixar for a cool $7.4 billion.

FEBRUARY 1996

FEBRUARY 2011

• The big news story at retail was the purchase by Mothercare of Children’s World owned by Boots for a price of £62.5m. This increases the group’s turnover by one third, but we believe that the 56 stores will soon bear the Mothercare name and that it seems likely that their head ofﬁce in Nottingham will close with the loss of 100 jobs. • Mattel’s group MD John Harper leaves to join the Crown Group as their CEO, with Dennis Horton taking over as group MD at Mattel. There’s also a promotion for Kevin Jones to Deputy MD. • I loved the news that Mattel had made a bid for Hasbro, there was much talk at Olympia with the Hasbro sales force wearing badges depicting Action Man throttling Barbie and bearing the legend “Hands off Hasbro”, neatly summing up Hasbro’s feelings on the matter. • We learn that WH Smith has decided to begin stocking toys again in a selected number of its stores. Jumbo Games buy Harry Jondorf’s Falcon Games. Harry decides to retire and Spear’s Sales Director Eric Balaam takes on the role of MD at Falcon.

• Barbie is reunited with Ken after a seven year coolingoff period. They were reunited on the set of Toy Story 3. They were obviously missing each other big-time. • Three well-known toymen sadly pass away. Peter Waterman, MD at Kenner Parker; Allan Able, a real East End boy who spent his entire working life in the toy trade, and Mike Arnold, who at one stage owned three toy stores with his Chichester shop a fond favourite with many a south coast agent. • Popular buys at toy fair were Zoobies, Moshi Monsters and Bakugan. • Toy of the Year award went to Mattel for their Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear. • Spring Fair announces that for 2013 the toy hall (Hall 5) will see the exhibitors moved to Hall 3. At the time I thought that this was not a wise move and, sure enough, move forward to 2016 and they are all now back in Hall 5. No doubt the number of exhibitors who didn’t agree with the move and stopped exhibiting were eventually listened to, thus prompting this move back over to Hall 5.