Focus on Wilton Bradley

Three Wilton Bradley directors discuss the company’s products, plans and projections for 2021

Sales director Ross Bradley

Design director Scott Eden

Buying director Carl Bradley

Buying director Carl Bradley Can you tell us a bit about Wilton Bradley and the scale of the business?

Ross: We specialise in the design, development, distribution and marketing of consumer products in the toy, sports and outdoor leisure markets. We supply our own brands and products to a broad range of customers, from independent and multi-national retailers to distributors.

We also design, develop and manufacture OEM products for other brand owners. While product design and development are at the centre of what we do, we also distribute a number of market-leading brands in the UK. We are proud of the fact that this year marks 25 years of working as Bestway’s UK offi ce, one of the world’s leading infl atable and leisure brands.

What changes have you made in light of the restrictions that Covid-19 has created?

Ross: As Covid-19 continues to present new challenges, we’ve introduced a number of strategies to help our customers view our exciting new 2021 ranges. We are offering live video conference presentations from our showroom, allowing buyers to meet their salesmen from the comfort of their own homes to review the products and ask questions live.

We have also created new recorded video presentations for every new product, allowing customers to revisit certain products and watch at their convenience. The videos were created by the Wilton Bradley buying team, who share their detailed knowledge and explain the specifi cations of each product line.

While we are encouraging customers to meet virtually, our showroom will be open when legally allowed for customers to visit in person who feel they cannot effectively review the products virtually. The showroom can be accessed directly without coming into contact with other areas of the business and is kept safe with increased cleaning and PPE.

What have been the company’s most successful products in the past year?

Ross: With the launch of the new electric range, our Xootz brand has had a real buzz around it this year, which has led to considerable growth. At the forefront of this charge were our Elements kids’ electric scooters, which have been one of our best-selling products across the group, as well as the award-winning Typhoon Power Drifter, created using in-house tooling and design.

Our electric ride-on range has also been a driveaway success. This range of exclusive, offi cially licensed electric ride-on models allows kids to experience the thrill of getting behind the wheel of their very own electric ride-on car. Many of these products were recognised for their design and innovation, bringing home some of the top awards in the industry. Our Typhoon Power Drifter won the Top WOW factor within the active category in the Right Start Awards. Additionally, our Xootz Bubble Scooter and Mi Mic & X-Factor Karaoke Disco Cube Speaker both won Gold in the MadeForMums Awards.

How was trading for Wilton Bradley in 2020?

Bradley Group. Today we supply a range of more than 4,000 products to more than 30 countries, employing 125 people across the UK and in Hong Kong. We are eager to continue this momentum into 2021, with lots of exciting new products for retailers to see and clear direction for our brands and ongoing new product development.

This year we will be celebrating our seventh year of having a permanently manned showroom in Hong Kong, helping to serve our global customer base and enhancing their sourcing capabilities, with four full-time staff working in the showroom.

We were also proud to be recognised in the London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report last year, which acknowledges the fastest-growing businesses across sectors and regions that have achieved ‘signifi cant performance not only in consistent YOY revenue growth but also against sector peers’.

What are the team’s ambitions for 2021?

Ross: The toy industry continues to be an exciting sector to be a part of heading into 2021. As our new products arrive in stock and land on shelves, we will continue to stay supportive of our lines in stores, while displaying our products well online.

What’s the biggest challenge and opportunity facing toy suppliers?

Carl: In a normal year, we plan our buying trips around various trade fairs which generally align with our development timeline. We have multiple members of the team travelling to attend these exhibitions, looking to source new products and seek out new

Sales reps are available to talk you through the products live from the showroom

suppliers. We always ensure we have a presence at the trade fairs, but our trips do not finish when they end.

We spend most of our time travelling to the Far East visiting prospective suppliers and, of course, our many existing partner suppliers that we have worked with for decades. During these visits we continue to develop new products as well as conducting quality inspections on our current production.

Of course, 2020 was a different year for everyone and threw plenty of challenges our way. But our business has adapted very well, and our foundations have allowed us to continue to move forward. We have a vast supply base, many of which we have been working with for several years. So, despite the lack of buying trips in 2020, we have still managed to push on with developing great new products, all on time to launch to our customers.

What support is your team able to offer retailers?

Carl: Many of our customers value the flexibility that we offer when it comes to product selection. Because of our strength in product design and sourcing, we can provide a range of options. These include buying our own finished products or working on joint projects, from concept to delivery, in the customer’s own branding.

We’ve always had extremely high standards when it comes to compliance and quality control. We have strict processes in place for vendor selection, product certification and QA, with a compliance team that spans across both the UK and Hong Kong.

3D design and 3D printing help with new product development

How has the direction for new product development changed over the past few years?

Carl: Over the past five years or so, our focus has really changed to developing new exciting, unique products, through a combination of licensing products, setting up our own tooling or securing factory exclusives. We have a core range of products across each of our sub-brands that continues to grow year on year, and this allows us to invest time in creating new concepts, ensuring we stay relevant and exciting to our customers.

How important is new product development?

Scott: Product development is at the heart of our operations at Wilton Bradley, and we’re constantly investing in our varied product range. We are launching 130 new toy SKUs this year including previously unexplored categories, developing existing ranges, and exciting innovations. We pride ourselves on creating the right product at the right price. Therefore investing in and refining our product development process has always been vital.

How do you ensure all your products are fairly represented in the portfolio and managed at all levels of the business?

The past 12 months “ have been exceptionally strong for the Wilton Bradley Group. Today we supply a range of more than 4,000 products to more than 30 countries, employing 125 people across the UK and in Hong Kong”

Scott: Within our different inhouse teams we have experts who specialise in, and are responsible for, their own categories.

Our in-house teams - including 3D design, photography studios and customer services - support the daily running of the company as well as the overall buying process for all of our customers. These in-house facilities allow us to deliver consistency, quality and innovation, saving us both time and money. That, in turn, can be passed on to our customers.

Our in-house design team are experts in developing innovative new products for our own brands, as well as helping retailers to conceptualise their own product ideas. Starting with the product, our design team ensures that the packaging is eye-catching, appealing and communicates the USPs.

Our in-house photographers, videographer and copywriters produce quality product content and ensure it’s accessible for our customers to use.

Our design and marketing teams create packaging, POS and FSDUs that help products to stand out in store. We invest in brand marketing campaigns to drive demand and awareness for our products as well as working together with customers on marketing campaigns. Finally, our after-sales team makes sure that the customer is satisfied and supported with their purchase, helping to avoid retail returns.

How do you see the company developing over the next 12 months?

Scott: You can expect some other new products from Wilton Bradley.

We are ‘full steam ahead’ and developing about 18 new lines. Most are within the brands we already own and work with, but there are new products that are exclusively ours.

At a time when most companies are playing it safe, it offers an opportunity to be more creative.

I’m excited about 2021/2022! We have the mix right and I think we have huge potential. Summer 2020 went well for us and we are known for our summer products, but our brands and toys are becoming more and more recognised and we are gaining credibility in the toy market.