Toys n Playthings July 2024

LEADER

Crikey! Is it summer, the actual, real summer, already? It certainly seems so, with the weather outside and the fact that our fans have had to be going full blast. In a nice cool way, not like some of the angry and sweaty England ones at the Euros.

Well, sweat or no sweat, what have we got for you in this edition of TnP?

First of all, our regular Retail Week columnist John Ryan looks into the British Independent Retailers Association’s fight with Amazon. It’s an interesting read and he looks at it from both sides. The only thing missing as far as I’m concerned is that John failed to squeeze in Amazon’s cheeky slogan that’s on the back of its hundreds of lorries heading up and down our motorways. Your know the one: “There’s more to Prime. A truckload more.”

Well I liked it anyway.

The Insights column is an excellent dissection and comparison of the rapid evolution and attitudes, behaviour, and consumption habits among the new generation of children and their parents’ tastes and attitudes.

Still on retail, we’ve got two excellent interviews, one with hmv. It’s a must-read that delves into an older company that never relaxes. It has product meetings every day to discuss ideas and how they can be activated instore. Planning can start two years out from release, but if an in-store test is successful, it can be a matter of days before it gets into all hmv branches. Bottom line –the chain can react very fast.

Anthony Clarke

the BTHA AGM day at Great Fosters Hotel. It’s a fun read and also touches on some serious points. One of them is the Lifetime Achievement Award given to Padraig Smyth of Smyths toys, which has grown from a single store to a major chain across Europe. All that success and it’s still a family business.

Keeping it in the family is quite the thing this month. Gibsons Games won the Family Business United Small Family Business Award this year. Another heartwarming success story.

Then there’s a strong and accurate piece from John Lewis on shoplifting being a lifestyle choice. It’s “greed not need” according to various members of the senior management team. Obvious, we all know, but the more publicity this epidemic gets, the more likely it is that the law will get involved (we hope).

On the film front, I mentioned last month that what we all need is a major success. Disney Pixar’s Inside Out 2 looks like it’s on its way to just that – it made £11,000,000 on its opening weekend in the UK alone after a series of disappointments. We’ve covered this in slightly more detail in The Month in Numbers page.

Despicable Me 4 will be released on July 12 in the UK and it will be great if that shows a similar level of success. We will of course monitor the numbers going into the autumn. This will include the much-anticipated Paddington in Peru (can’t wait). Oh yes, Paddington. Years ago, before your editor was an editor, he (that’s me) got picked up to be a layout artist for a small film company. The company was Filmfair, which made the original animated Paddington and Wombles TV hits. Michael Bond was a great friend of the Filmfair MD, the wildly characterful Graham Clutterbuck, and was always around for lunch.

I mentioned last month that what we all need is a major success. Disney Pixar’s Inside Out 2 looks like it’s on its way to just that – it made £11,000,000 on its opening weekend in the UK alone

“ ”

Anyway, we’ve got a major focus on Paddington coming up in our August issue and there will be plenty more coverage in the issues leading up to the November release date. If the film is anywhere near as good as the trailer then we are all, toy industry and beyond, in for a treat in the run-up to Christmas.

The other interview is with Ryan Street, owner and director of the equally successful Australian chain, General Games. Same energy levels, so no need to compare and contrast.

There are some news pieces that deserve your attention in their own right – Malcolm Naish, our founder and guiding light, has an entertaining report from the Fence Club charity golf day.

Talking of Naishes, yet another one, Claire, our batter-your-doors-down advertising manager and ace reporter attended

Finally, you may have noticed that this issue of TnP is accompanied by our first garden centre supplement in partnership with our sister publication, Gifts Today. There’s some great insight within this sector from leading suppliers and retailers, including a look at the UK trade association, BHETA, which supports this sector, and how garden centres are evolving with the modern consumer’s desire for one-stop shopping.

I’d love to hear from readers, whether suppliers, retailers –all of you – if you have news or opinions to share. So please get in touch with me at ant@tnpmedia.co.uk.

Let’s stay in touch.

Ju;y2024

Chairman Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director

Mark Naish

mark@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289930

Media & Sales Manager

Claire Naish claire@tnpmedia.co.uk 01442 289937

Editor Anthony Clarke ant@tnpmedia.co.uk 01442 289939

Assistant Editor

Naomi MacKay naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289930

Retail Editor

Clare Turner

clare@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289930

Production Director

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289933

CONTENTS

Regulars

5 Leader with Anthony Clarke

6 What’s New the latest products that you need to get your hands on

8 News the latest from the industry

13 Charity News Malcolm Naish reports on The Fence Club Golf Day

14 Retail News what’s happening at the shops

16

Licensing News licensed products and what brands are up to

17 People News the latest movers and shakers in the industry

18 The month in numbers a snapshot of the industry in figures

28 Trade Talk industry figures talk social media and show highlights

36 Talking Retail retailers around the country talk about movie licences and the sweet price spot at the till

50 Don’t Miss must-stock items for retail

Special reports

19 BTHA AGM Our report

20 Cover story Epoch Making Toys focuses on its Pati-school arts and craft range

Lema Publishing Ltd

Features

22 Trading Card Games what’s on the cards for this increasingly popular sector?

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

At the heart of retail

30 Plush soft toys are flying high when it comes to sales, so what’s new for your shelves?

40 Wooden Toys what does the future hold for this traditional sector?

Retail Interviews

26 Retail Interview Ryan Street, owner of Australian chain General Games, shares his experiences of trading in the ‘Land Down Under’

46 Retail Interview Clare Turner talks to Gary Williamson, hmv director of pop cultureUK and Europe

Columnists

9 U.S. Toy Association Jennifer Lynch on licensed toys

38 Insights Nick Richardson looks at how the differing needs of Gen Z and Millennial parents are shaping the toy industry

48 Indie Opinion Maggie Tibbenham of Yorkshire’s Imagine Toy Shop on the ups and down of toy trading this summer

49 Retail Opinion John Ryan looks at the battle between indies and online giant Amazon

WH AT’S

Magical unicorn is a rideon delight

WILTON BRADLEY

01626 835400 | sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk | www.wiltonbradley.com

A child's imagination will soar to new heights with Wilton Bradley’s enchanting new Xootz Unicorn white electric ride-on toy.

This delightful companion promises to be the playtime highlight for younger children. The journey into the fantastical world of unicorns begins with the accessories included with the toy. A soft hairbrush allows them to groom their unicorn friend, fostering a sense of responsibility and care. And what's a magical adventure without a tasty treat? The toy carrot provides the perfect snack for their mystical companion, encouraging imaginative play and storytelling.

Interactive sound effects bring every adventure to life with the unicorn’s soft neighs and cheerful giggles, which add an extra layer of engagement to playtime. And then there’s the multicoloured, light-up horn.

The easy-to-use reins allow children to control the direction of their ride, honing their fine motor skills and fostering a sense of confidence as they navigate their imaginary world. The 60-minute run time on a single charge keeps the magic going at a gentle speed of just over 1km per hour.

Cobi’s Dam Buster bounces

into action

COBI

07584 858978 | l.crocker@cobitoys.co.uk | www.cobitoys.co.uk

As part of its historical WWII collection, Cobi has announced the release of its Avro Lancaster bomber models. The Lancaster was used in key missions, including D-Day. There will be two models, including the famous Dam Buster.

The Lancaster was a four-engine strategic bomber, used mostly on night-time missions. On average, Lancasters completed 21 missions before being lost. The average age of the crews was just 22. The bombers flew more than 156,000 missions.

The Lancaster was used in Operation Chastise – known more widely as the Dambuster Raid. The attack on German dams famously used the bouncing bombs that enabled the allies to destroy dams, power stations, factories and mines.

On D-Day itself, Operation Taxable saw 16 Lancasters being used to protect allied fighters in the air and troops on the ground. This was achieved by dropping strips of aluminium foil to block the German radar systems.

Spilling the beans on slimy drinks

CANAL TOYS

01904 379123 enquiries@canaltoys.uk www.canaltoys.co.uk

Canal Toys has announced the launch of its So Slime DIY ‘Presso Machine.

The original So Slime DIY formula requires no glue and no mess – just add water. Each kit is designed to provide all the necessary tools and decorations to create a variety of slimes, promoting imaginative play and sensory satisfaction.

The So Slime DIY ‘Presso Machine offers children the unique opportunity to create their own slimy drink creations. By pulling the lever to mix the powder and water, and then adding the premade slime and decorations, kids can craft colourful bubble-tea, smoothie, and other vibrant drinkthemed slimes.

My First Puppets go black & white

THE PUPPET COMPANY

01462 446040

sam@thepuppetcompany.com www.thepuppetcompany.com

The Puppet Company’s beautiful and interactive My First Black & White Puppets collection is the latest addition to its growing Baby collection and the newest arrival to the My First Puppets range.

JANOD & JURA TOYS

020 8878 2133 | sales@juratoys.co.uk

www.janod.com/en

Janod, the wooden toys specialist, has launched its new collection of toy boxes. Each is created in collaboration with child development experts and targets key early-learning discoveries of children aged 12- to 36-months-plus.

The boxes include a detailed booklet that explains the child developmental stages and all the toys’ features. Each is designed to stimulate sight, hearing, vocabulary, fine motor skills and more.

Newborn babies have limited colour perception and primarily see black & white due to their undeveloped eyes. They are naturally drawn to high-contrast black & white patterns that capture their attention and aid focus and sensory development for instant engagement.

The beautiful contrasting designs and eye-catching patterns on their tummies help stimulate visual and tracking development. This also helps facilitate crucial social interaction and bonding between carer and baby.

Ideal for children of all ages, they can also be used by adults. Machine washable, they are made of high-quality materials tested to the highest possible safety levels and meet or exceed all current safety standards.

Bringing children’s creations to life

MAPED HELIX

01384 286860

scott.goodman@mapedhelix.co.uk www.mapedhelix.co.uk

Transform drawings into epic cartoons with the Maped Creativ Animaker Flash Set, Flip Set and the Animaker app.

Children aged six and up can bring their drawings to life with the help of the Animaker Flash Set. The Animaker Flip Set, meanwhile, allows kids to discover the basics of animation. Both sets are available in three different designs.

Box 12+ has a selection of four fun, earlylearning toys that stimulate the senses and promotes learning and discovery through touch, sight and hearing.

Box 18+ features toys designed aiming to stimulate the child’s fine motor skills, coordination and musical awareness with its fun yet educational approach.

Box 24+ is for early-learning and is crafted to promote concentration and precision. The crocodile balancing game has players trying to stack wooden leaves on the croc’s back.

Box 36+ targets cognitive and fine-motor skills, emotional understanding and turn taking. The super beaver balance game encourages key planning skills and the tree abacus will help children grasp the concept of size.

All wooden and cardboard toys are sustainably sourced and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

01420 593593

info@asmodee.co.uk www.asmodee.co.uk

Asmodee and Z-Man Games’ Love Letter: Bridgerton launched earlier this year. It’s not strictly new but it’s definitely topical – the second half of Bridgerton’s season 3 has just landed on Netflix as we write.

The game is an intriguing take on the popular Love Letter range. Encountering characters from the Ton, players launch investigations trying to figure out Lady Whistledown’s true identity. It is easy to learn, quick to play, and fits into a pocket.

Basic Fun sets out a legally sound financial restructuring plan

Basic Fun has announced that, together with certain affiliated entities, it has commenced Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the US District of Delaware. Such proceedings permit reorganisation and are available to all businesses, whether set up as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship,

As part of the first day filings, which began on 28 June, Basic Fun sought approval of $50 million in DIP (debtor in possession) financing from affiliates of Great Rock Capital, as well as a $15 million subordinate facility to be provided by its founders, Jay Foreman and John MacDonald, and Royal Bank of Canada. The financing, once approved, will provide ample liquidity for the ongoing operation of the business through the course of the restructuring proceedings, including continued ability to purchase and sell inventory, as well as supporting its key licensing, retail and vendor partners. Basic Fun intends to put forward a comprehensive restructuring plan which will allow it to emerge from the court-supervised process quickly and effectively.

Basic Fun president, Craig Leaf said: “As a result of the restructuring process, our partners will be even more secure and confident in their relationship with the company moving forward as a well-balanced

capital structure will ensure the health of our company for the long-term.”

Chief financial officer, Frank McMahon, said: “Basic Fun will move forward with a strengthened financial foundation, allowing us to invest in an even greater product and promotional experience for our best-in-class merchandise assortments globally.”

CEO and majority shareholder Jay Foreman, added,

“Since the demise of our industry’s largest toy retailer Toys R Us in 2018 through the tumult of the trade wars with China in 2019, Covid in 2020 through 2021, the travails of the supply chain crisis in 2022, inventory overstocks in 2023 and consumer slowdown in the early part of 2024 our industry and Basic Fun have been through a gauntlet of challenges. We intend to use the restructuring process to put those challenges in the rearview mirror, enabling us to secure a successful future and position us for growth and value creation.”

Source – Basic Fun website news page.www.basicfun.com

Hachette and Laurence King announce new partnership

Hachette Boardgames UK and Laurence King Publishing have announced a new partnership to bring classic and classic literary creations to life through highquality board games and puzzles.

The partnership will see Laurence King’s range brought into the Hachette Boardgames portfolio. They will be available to retailers such as board game cafes, hobby stores, and toy shops.

The Laurence King games line offers family-friendly titles, often based on rich and exciting worlds from TV, film and books. The

Shakespeare Game, for example, sees players put on The Bard’s greatest plays in a bid to establish The Globe Theatre.

Other titles are designed to bring families together and engage children in offline activities. Hachette partners with schools to showcase the best tabletop gaming experiences for children.

Philip Contos, deputy publisher at Laurence King, said:

“We are thrilled to be working alongside Hachette Boardgames UK to bring our flourishing games and puzzle range to a wider audience by expanding our distribution”

Laurence King titles are now available and its World of Terry Pratchett jigsaw will launch in October 2024.

Gibsons Games wins Small Family Business of the Year Award

Gibsons Games is the winner of the Family Business United (FBU) Small Family Business of the Year Award 2024. Kate Gibson, managing director and great-granddaughter of the founder, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

Kate Gibson said:

“Being recognised as a Family Business of the Year is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of our whole team. We are hugely proud to part of the family business community that does so much for the UK economy.”

FBU is a rallying point and voice for the global family business community and an invaluable source of insights into the sector.

Paul Andrews, FBU founder, said: “Family businesses are the backbone of the UK economy and often the unsung heroes, too. Family firms are significant contributors to the economy in terms of jobs provided and income generated.”

The Gibsons Games puzzle range has grown to more than 250 titles, running from two to 2,000 pieces, with more than 50 new jigsaw puzzle images added every year.

Retailer

registration open for Preshow Noël Jouets & Jeux

The 2024 Preshow Noël Jouets & Jeux, the leading French trade event for the toy industry, is open for buyer registration. It will run from November 18 to 22 in Deauville.

Buyers and suppliers will be able to make all their appointments beforehand to discover the 2025 collections and prototypes in the private showrooms, in complete confidentiality. With five months to go until the show opens, 120 out of the 130 expected suppliers have already registered, including: Asmodée, Canal Toys, Clementoni, Dujardin, Jakks, Jazwares, Juratoys, Lansay, Lexibook, Maped, MayCheong, Moose Toys, Rubies, Schleich, Vull and Zuru.

Ad Populum acquires Smiffys

Ad Populum has acquired Smiffys in a definitive agreement that will include Ad Populum founder and managing director Joel Weinshanker running the worldwide business.

In an official statement at the beginning of June, Smiffys said: “Following four extremely challenging years as a result of the pandemic, the subsequent supply chain crisis, and the ongoing inflationary burden on both businesses and consumers, Smiffys was required to take the difficult decision to file a notice of intention to appoint administrators.”

The takeover means that Ad Populum will leverage its product development, creative capabilities, and retail solutions to work with the existing management team at Smiffys.

Smiffys will benefit from Weinshanker’s years of experience on pop culture fandoms to create coveted consumer products, collectibles, costumes, and entertainment experiences.

Joel Weinshanker said:

“Smiffys joins the Ad Populum group of full-service, boots on the ground brands that, in this day and age, are necessary to properly service our retail partners. Our leading-edge

marketing and technological innovation not only provide best-in-class products, but help drive traffic to our partners, creating a truly unique winning offering that is unmatched for consumer demand.”

Smiffys was founded in 1894 by Robert Henry Smith and started as a wigmaker, creating court and surgical wigs. It has since successfully created a consumer dress-up brand, recognised by millions. The company distributes nearly 5,000 products to over 1,700 stockists around the world with over 26 million items shipped every year.

Ad Populum aligns corporate strategy and fosters growth across its unique, robust roster of subsidiary companies. AITs subsidiaries include NECA, the industry leader in pop culture action figures and collectibles and Rubies, the world’s largest designer, manufacturer, and distributor of Halloween costumes and accessories.

Lego bricks and astronaut

structures on the moon

Scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) turned to their love of Lego brick building when designing launch pads and shelters for astronauts visiting the moon.

To test whether space materials can be used to create structures, the team 3D printed meteorite dust in the shape and style of Lego bricks to see if they could be used as building blocks on small-scale versions of structures.

The actual structures will be built on the moon, using materials found there, but the scientists first needed to understand if a space material could even be made into building blocks.

ESA science officer Aidan Cowley said, “Our teams are working towards the future of space travel and take inspiration from not just what’s above us, but also what we can find on Earth. No one has ever built a structure on the moon, so we have to work out not only how we build them but what we build them out of – as we can’t take any materials with us.”

The ESA Space Bricks will be on display in the LEGO Store, Leicester Square until September 20.

TOYS THAT REACH EVERY FAN AND FANCHISE

Fans have more ways than ever to engage with their favourite properties – from movies and traditional TV to streaming, social, and beyond. Characters and entertainment brands remain key drivers for toy purchases. (Licensed toys account for 31% of the total toy market, according to Circana.)

As The US Toy Association’s Entertainment Update for 2024 breaks down, the areas drawing fans’ interest are shifting, and toymakers are responding with new toys and games that appeal to every fandom.

“Last year was a powerhouse year for classic kids’ entertainment and toyetic content like the Barbie movie, but this year we’re seeing more toys inspired by new streaming content, gaming worlds, social media trends, and nostalgic brands for adults,” said Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “The key to a successful translation into toys for today’s fans, however, ultimately always comes back to being true to the characters and the storylines − no matter the property.”

Here are some examples of licensed toys to look out for in 2024:

The Lilo & Stitch movie release is slated for this year, so fans can expect to see more of everyone’s favourite blue alien on shelves, including Wow! Stuff’s new Real FX Disney Stitch, a high-tech animatronic puppet that brings the character to life.

TLS Toy celebrates Rainbow-Brite’s 40th anniversary this year with new offerings that hark back to the original 1980s toy line. The new Rainbow Brite plush doll features a retro-styled soft body, yarn hair, and iconic fashions.

As Master Toy partner, Spin Master will release a line of Ms. Rachel-branded developmental and early childhood learning toys, including plush, puzzles, vehicles, playsets, and more.

Moose Toys announced an exclusive partnership with MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson), a philanthropist and digital creator, to co-create a new product line slated for launch this autumn.

Skybound Tabletop announced a new Invincible hero-building strategy board game based on the new Amazon Prime series. In the game, players team up in story-driven co-op battles to unlock unique powers and fight the bad guys.

WPhatMojo’s new minifigure 4-packs, means that fans of the Roblox game Blox Fruits can collect their favourite fruit characters. Each pack comes with Shadow and three other mystery figures.

Looking for more details on The Toy Association’s 2024 Toy & Play Trends? Visit toyassociation.org/trends for more information. And don’t forget to save the dates for the next Toy Fair in New York City (March 1-4, 2025), where more trend insights will be unveiled and attendees can seize new opportunities to connect, network, and expand their knowledge to achieve their goals.

Mattel announces focus on colour-blind accessibility

Mattel has announced that 80% of its global games portfolio will be colourblind accessible by the end of 2024 and up to 90% in 2025. Furthermore, mobile versions of its fan-favourite card games will also feature colourblind access updates.

The move is part of Mattel’s commitment to deliver more inclusive play experiences. Some 300 million people around the world experience some form of colour-blindness and the company is working to break down barriers to game play and help advance awareness of those affected.

Mattel partnered with several experts in the colour vision deficiency

field and consulted with individuals who experience colour-blindness, including Mattel’s own designers, to develop solutions for games to ensure colour was not the only difference between cards and components.

Ray Adler, vice president, global head of games at Mattel said:

“We are proud that our portfolio of games continues to bring people together – transcending languages and cultures – and this initiative to offer more colour-blind accessible games is another proof point on our inclusivity journey.”

Janod’s wooden toys scoop nine BlogOn Awards

French toy brand Janod has been recognised at the prestigious BlogOn Awards, winning nine trophies across 1st, 2nd and 3rd places for its popular and timeless wooden toys.

There was a first place in two different categories including Ride Ons and Ride Ons Kids Choice.

This was the Dino Ride On Dino Portosaurus, which is suitable for children aged 12 months and up.

Janod won a further seven awards with the problem solving 43-piece Brico’Kids Wooden Builder’s Truck; the

garden fun Egg-And-Spoon Race; and the Sound Camera – a brand favourite.

A Janod spokesperson said:

“We are thrilled to have won nine awards at the highly acclaimed BlogOn Awards. We know these awards are rigorously tested and trusted by influencers and children, so we are extremely proud to have been honoured with them.”

The BlogOn Toy Awards are judged by influencer families and are considered a true mark of distinction.

Cheatwell’s Skullduggery wins People’s Choice award at UK Games Expo

Cheatwell Games’ new Skullduggery card game won the People’s Choice award for best general card game at UK Games Expo 2024.

The annual UK Games Expo is the largest hobby games convention in the UK and one of the largest in Europe, attracting tens of thousands of enthusiasts, designers and publishers. This year’s event showcased a diverse range of innovative games, but it was Cheatwell’s entry that captured the imagination and votes of the public.

Paul Laing, head of product development at Cheatwell Games, said:

“Winning the People’s Choice Award for Best General Card Game is a tremendous honour and we would like to thank all the visitors to the UK Games Expo who voted for Skullduggery. It is much appreciated by all of us.”

Skullduggery has engaging gameplay and an appealing design. It is set to become an all-time favourite with gamers and families alike.

For more information about Cheatwell Games and Skullduggery contact sales@cheatwell.com.

Toymaster’s Outdoor Fun window kit

Toymaster’s Outdoor Fun window kit was the June window display offering. Produced monthly, the various displays enable Toymaster members to highlight different product ranges throughout the year. The June focus on Outdoor allowed members to bring all their key summer toys to the store front.

Toymaster’s development manager, Brian McLaughlin, said: “Now we just need the weather to pick up to sell the summer toys!” The Toymaster team also produced a Despicable Me 4 pointof-sale kit for those members who are stocking the toy range. The window displays are free to all members and are a perfect way for them to showcase something different each month. They are also double-sided, to give them a choice of designs to display.

Outdoor Toy Awards 2024 winners announced

The winners of 2024’s Outdoor Toy Awards were announced on June 17 following a weekend of fun, play and testing by a frenzy of feisty fans and critics – 20-plus children aged three to 16. There were 10 categories in the frame with more than 70 toys to test.

In addition to the winners in each category there were toy commendations plus an overall Gold Award that was given by everyone in attendance after being judged the best in show by the shout-o-meter.

Two others had as much fun as the kids –the awards organisers, Nick Gibbs-McNeil of Kidzcoolit and Toyology’s Peter Jenkinson.

Peter Jenkinson said: “We’ve managed some national coverage once more and are working on several opportunities as we approach the holidays as well as plenty of social activity to enhance and maximise the awareness of all entries.”

Nick Gibbs-McNeil added: “The judging day was such a joy. I’m so pleased that Pete and I decided to change the judging process to the natural habitat of most of these products – the garden. It makes such a difference having children play with them in the way they were intended to be played with. The day was electric, full of laughter and play. And the feedback from the young judges was immensely useful.”

WINNERS

Golden Outdoor Toy Award – Wham-O Slip’N Slide AIR

Climbing & Adventure – Simba Smoby Toys BIG KraXXL The Frame

Sport & Splash Fun – Nautica Pool Surfer

Outdoor Games – Wham-O Game Time! Trac-Ball Science & Nature – Build Your Own Binoculars

Ride-On – Razor Crazy Cart Shuffle

Trampoline – Sportspower 14ft Outdoor

Trampoline with Ladder and Enclosure

Preschool Play – Barbie My First Trampoline

Battle & Blaster Toys – Sambro Paw Patrol Water Blaster Backpack

Tents & Hideaways – Feber recycle Eco House Flying Toys – Eolo ready-to-fly pop-Up kite

Blog on to Manchester with Wilton Bradley

Wilton Bradley attended the first summer Blog-On Awards & Influencer Day at the Village Hotel Manchester on May 30.

Alex Crouch, brand marketing manager at Wilton Bradley, said:

“We have supported the winter awards for a few years, so it made perfect sense for us to enter the summer awards, as we have so many great outdoor products. This year we took a display space and demonstration area so that the children could have a proper go on our new products and we could get first-hand tester feedback from our target audience.”

TnP was told that there was a queue for Wilton Bradley’s new Xootz LandRover Defender Ride-On and its Xootz Bubble-Go Trikes and Scooters. Wilton Bradley’s Julian Marsh said: “If having products that the children keep coming back to over and over is a guide to the winning products, then we are sure to have won some awards.”

Once inside, children were transported into their own world of ice cream and grocery shops and to the theatre with their PlayHouse pop-up playtown curtain area among other products they had on show.

The Blogon Toy Awards are held twice yearly (May and November) with 24 main toy award categories covered.

Just Play returning to MCM Comic Con London

Just Play successfully showcased its Disney and Star Wars Doorables, Inside Out 2 and Stitch product lines at MCM Comic Con London in May.

As a result, the company has now announced that it will return to the convention this October with an even fuller range of products for showgoers to discover.

photo point and show deals.

Tess Parsons-Broome, Just Play’s UK marketing manager, said:

The Just Play team says that its presence at the May show, which was described as a “three-day celebration of all things pop culture”, featured first looks at new releases of products hitting retail this autumn. It was all presented on a 30 square metre stand packed with impactful displays, as well as a Disney Doorables

“We knew the time was right to take some of our hottest Disney and Star Wars lines to visitors of a UK-based Comic Con event but the reaction was so good that we will be returning for this autumn’s MCM London Comic Con.”

The October event will offer a further opportunity to grow the fanbase for these pop culture lines at a key point in the retail calendar.

Fence Club Golf Day ends in Cheers

Founder and chairman of Toys ‘n’ Playthings, Tiger Naish (known to many as Malcolm) tells us about the recent and hugely successful Fence Club Charity Golf day. We here at TnP reckon he’s holed it in one following an outstanding drive from his Bucks tee to the Harrogate green. Why would we dare say otherwise?

The beautiful morning of Thursday June 13 saw 60 of our industry’s finest golfers taking to the fairways at Oakdale golf club in Harrogate for this year’s Fence Club event. With trophies to win, all was set for a great day.

Started in 1952 by Teddy Simmons, proprietor of toy trade magazine ‘Games & Toys’, it has remained a popular trade golf day raising thousands of pounds for the Fence Club’s various charities. And winner of the Fence Club’s Teddy Simmons cup this year was none other than localborn Club member, Mark Collinson.

Winner of the Men’s Cup was Simon Cotton, MD of the HRH Group, which owns Harrogate’s Yorkshire and White Hart hotels. Playing off 19, his score of 39 points was enough to secure the top prize.

The Fence Club welcomes more and more lady golfers to its golf day and this year’s winner was James Galt’s very own Jacqueline Taylor-Foo coming in with a score of 34 points.

The evening dinner was once again a joyous meeting of toy trade friends. Steve Wells ran the auction, which, along with the raffle, raised an amazing £28,000 for the Club’s charities.

Club chairman Jon Gregory handed out some very amusing fines, and Character Options’ Joe Kissane was one of the victims (Joe got a ‘hole in one’ and told me that this was actually his second).

From a personal point of view, it was also great to see Jo Hall, exbuyer for Woolies and Toys R Us, who is believed by many to be one of the very best buyers in the toy trade ever. Jo was visiting from Phuket in Thailand along with husband Brian.

Our thanks to all

donated some amazing auction prizes and to those present last night who put their hands in their pockets with such willingness.

those members who

L-R Jacqueline Taylor Foo & Jo Hall

Malcolm ‘Tiger’ Naish, your correspondent and founder of TnP

Simon Cotton, winner of the Men’s Competition

L-R Jon Gregory, chairman of the Fence Club & Mark Collinson, winner of the Teddy Simmons cup

L-R Jon Gregory, Simon Anslow & Simon Cotton, organiser of the Golf Day & Dinner

Squishmallows pop-up at Selfridges

Jazwares’ Squishmallows and Selfridges have teamed up for a spectacular showcase featuring the ultimate Squish Squad selfie space in Selfridges’ Birmingham, London and Trafford stores.

Squishmallows has an immense social media influence with nearly 14 billion organic* social impressions to date. Hosting the new Squishmallows selfie zone, means that Selfridges is bound to be a hot destination for fans this summer.

The Selfridges stores will showcase the new Squishmallows pop-up areas, designed to give a summer festival vibe. Fans can be the star of the ultimate selfie with the Squish Squad in the Squishmallows infinity selfie mirror, surrounded by the dream Squishmallows plush assortments.

Heather Corbett, head of brand & marketing, Squishmallows & Plush, at Jazwares said:

“We are delighted to team up with Selfridges to create the most amazing Squishmallows selfie zone for our Squad. We are thrilled to continue the fantastic relationship with the Selfridges team, building on the incredibly popular previous Squishmallows pop-up activations.”

* Organic impressions on social media are defined as the number of times content has been seen, including multiple views from individual users. Impressions are calculated by tracking the total number of times the content was displayed across a platform.

Stabilo announces new Asda distribution partnership

Stabilo has announced a new partnership with Asda to stock its range of high-quality pens, pencils, and other writing instruments. The announcement marks a significant milestone for Stabilo as it expands its retail presence.

Shoppers will now be able to access Stabilo’s popular products – from vibrant highlighters to precision pens – ensuring they have the perfect tools for school, office and creative projects. The range will now be stocked in up to 462 Asda stores nationwide, along with being available for purchase online.

Shahbaz Khan, Stabilo’s market director for UK/Ireland, said:

“This collaboration not only enhances the availability of our high-quality products but also underscores our commitment to making our vibrant and creative tools accessible to a broader audience.”

The new partnership marks Stabilo’s move back into grocery stores and a glimpse of the future plans for the brand as it looks to expand its grocery partnership network. Current stockists include independent retailers, news, book and convenience stores.

John Lewis says shoplifting is a lifestyle choice

John Lewis and Waitrose have said “greed not need” is driving record levels of shoplifting as the group rolls out new measures to clamp down on surging retail crime. The Partnership has been upgrading its CCTV systems and installing more public display monitors. Partnership director of central operations and security, Lucy Brown, told the Financial Times: “Shoplifting and retail crime have been a growing problem across the industry .” Last year, shoplifting in England and Wales reached the highest level since records began in 2003, with more than 430,000 offences recorded in 2023 according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Lucy Brown continued:

“There’s a depressing narrative around cost of living and that shoplifting is because of that. I’m not seeing that. I describe it as absolutely greed, not need.”

Dame Sharon White, John Lewis chair, said it was “not an exaggeration” to describe the current wave of shoplifting as an epidemic.

Speaking at a Policy Exchange think tank she said: “We have moved from putting an extra six eggs in the shopping basket you haven’t paid for to organised gangs shoplifting to order in a way I find profoundly shocking.” The epidemic goes way beyond John Lewis and affects all high street retail operations including toy aisles and toy shops.

Santoro’s Vegas Licensing Expo successes

Santoro exhibited at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas again this year, showcasing Gorjuss and introducing new brand, Bangoberry.

Following last year’s Expo, where Gorjuss secured a number of new agents, it also attracted new interest from retailers and licensees with potential categories including toys, collectibles, novelty items and more. Santoro said it was thrilled with the reception to Gorjuss.

Bangoberry also delighted visitors across the show, marking its debut outside of Europe. Additionally, licensees were captivated by the adorable Bango Bunch.

As first products hit retail shops across Europe, Santoro looks forward to signing up new licensees in the near future.

Jakks’ Disguise announces licensing agreement for Demon Slayer

Disguise, the global costume division of toy and consumer products manufacturer Jakks Pacific, has announced a multi-year licensing agreement with Aniplex of America for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in the UK and Ireland, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.

Tara Cortner, president of Disguise, said:

“This popular anime has become an overnight sensation among fans and retailers. We have an exciting debut line of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba costume accessories that is sure to delight fans and retailers alike.”

Demon Slayer is based on the manga series created by Koyoharu Gotoge, and follows the journey of Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who joins the Demon Slayer Corps after his family is slaughtered by a demon, and his younger sister, Nezuko, is transformed into one.

Demon Slayer costume accessories will be available at retailers both instore and online in 2025.

BLE 2024 visitor registration is open

Visitor registration is open for Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) 2024 as organisers ramp up celebrations for the show’s 25th anniversary. BLE is Europe’s leading event for licensing, brand extension and collaborations. It is taking place slightly earlier this year from September 24-26 at ExCeL London.

BLE event director Ella Haynes said: “This is a huge year for BLE. We are celebrating our 25th birthday and have got lots of exciting plans in the pipeline to thank everyone who has supported the show over the last quarter century. It’s been an amazing journey, and we feel honoured to have spent

25 years as the biggest meeting date in the European brand licensing calendar.”

Brand Licensing Europe is the only pan-European annual show that is dedicated to licensing and brand extension.

The London event features more than 2,500 brands, along with more than 9,500 licensees, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and licensing agents.

European brand licensing professionals including retailers, manufacturers, brand owners, agents, service providers, marketers and designers are invited to secure their free pass now.

Moose Toys reappoints Highlight agency for 2024 campaigns

Moose Toys has extended its relationship with communications agency Highlight to manage UK PR and influencer campaigns for eight of its toptier launches in 2024.

The appointment reflects the success of Highlight’s inaugural work for Moose last year – activity that spanned immersive launch events integrated with influencer content and consumer PR.

Maddi Tiscoe, head of UK marketing at Moose Toys, said: “Their work will be invaluable in helping us achieve our ambitious Q4 goals.”

Alison Vellacott, consumer director at Highlight PR, said: “We had a huge amount of fun working with the Moose team last year, bringing to life its fantastic range of toys across a range of live, social and digital channels.”

Highlight’s campaigns kick off this month with the promotion of Moose’s new range of licensed toys launching ahead of the upcoming theatrical release of Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 in July.

Just Play UK expands team and opens new HQ

Just Play’s Amy Saunders has been promoted from UK sales director to UK country manager. Also, Anna Chapman, who was formerly VP marketing and licensing EMEA, has transitioned to VP international licensing and will be expanding her territory oversight to all markets outside of North America

Just Play UK opened in 2020 and commenced trading activities in January 2022. Two years later, the company has moved to a new, larger space to support the growing team, which now consists of 19 full-time staff members. The new premises in Woking is home to the UK team and also serves as its European HQ.

Shari Mann, head of international, Just Play, said:

“Since forming our UK team, we have embarked on an ambitious growth path. The UK business is thriving, with our team and brand portfolio continuing to strengthen. Our new office serves as a central hub, supporting our ongoing expansion plans across Europe.”

Just Play UK displayed strong growth over the Spring 2024 season, up an impressive 29%.

Marina Mello named BBC Studios’ new global director for gaming & interactive

BBC Studios has announced that Marina Mello has been appointed as global director for gaming and interactive at BBC Studios Brands and Licensing.

Marina was previously chief commercial officer at Bossa Games, a BAFTA-winning independent game developer and publisher. At BBC Studios she will be responsible for developing and delivering the global gaming and interactive strategy, as well as spearheading commercial activities for key brands including Bluey, BBC Earth, and Doctor Who.

Marina said: “I’m delighted to be joining the teams at BBC Studios and to combine my love and experience in TV with my gaming expertise.”

Moose Toys drives growth plan with senior leadership appointments

Moose Toys is on a mission to meet the ever-increasing demand for its toys with four new senior leadership roles. The appointees have been tasked with leading transformational growth in marketing, design, entertainment and licensing.

John Coyne, chief brand officer, is to further develop existing Moose brands, its portfolio of top-tier licensed brands, and entertainmentbacked franchises.

Craig Drobis, global general manager, licensed and preschool, is to drive product development and consumer marketing.

Deirdre Cross, senior vice president of games, will build and run a Seattle-based studio to create innovative new, games. She joins Moose from Funko Games.

Stephen Davis, entertainment

and franchise advisor, has served on the Moose board of advisors and will now focus on his role as an advisor to grow Moose’s entertainment initiatives.

Ronnie Frankowski, global president, Moose Toys said:

“Our evolved structure is now fully in place to unlock the next phase of our strategic plan. These four extraordinarily accomplished thought leaders have joined the Moose team to supercharge our strategy for sustainable, longterm transformational growth.”

All the appointees have extensive experience across key and leading industry enterprises.

John Coyne

Craig Drobis

Stephen Davis

Deirdre Cross

Amy Saunders

Anna Chapman

11,000,000

The opening weekend can really make or break a film. And the audience turned out in huge numbers for the release of Pixar’s Inside Out 2.

The Inside Out sequel, released in the UK and Ireland on June 14, drew an audience paying over £11 million – this accounted for 71% of all ticket sales across the weekend. Internationally, it opened to an estimated worldwide $295 million over the weekend, which makes it the highest animated global opening of all time.

And this is a very good thing for Pixar after recent disappointments.

The month in numbers

Some of the past month’s news highlights as offered up in TnP’s newsflashes and beyond. To sign up for the daily bulletins please go to www.toysnplaythings.media

Was the year that the Sylvanian Families range was created and released in Japan by Epoch, which uses the concept of dollhouses and anthropomorphic animal figures. The first releases of the dollhouses and other playsets were made of porcelain and the furniture was made of wood. The families own successful family businesses or have jobs such as doctor, teacher, artist, and bus driver.

4.5

That’s 4.5 billion years, that is. It’s the age of a meteorite discovered in North-West Africa in 2000. It is technically classed as an L3-6, which is a brecciated rock, which is comprised of many different elements.

And why are we talking about it? Well, the surface of the moon is largely composed of ‘regolith’, some gathered from the Apollo missions but there’s only a small sample remaining. Scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) have been looking for a suitable building material to use when designing launch pads and shelters and so on for astronauts during the next phase of lunar exploration. Hence the use of meteorite samples. These were ground up and mixed with a small amount of polylactide and regolith simulant and used to 3D print bricks. Lego-style bricks in fact – hence the ESA space bricks shown here. As you can imagine, Lego is pretty proud of this.

28,000

The Fence Club charity golf day on June 13 raised a total £28,000 for its chosen causes. The figure was reached through the auction of generously donated prizes, the raffle and, of course, the random and bountiful comedy fines issued by the club chairman, Jon Gregory . The event, which dates back to 1952, was held at Oakdale Golf Club in Harrogate. The image above this happy paragraph of putting fun is of Malcolm ‘Tiger’ Naish (pictured) founder and long-time inspiration for Toys n Playthings.

97

Countless businesses, organisations and children celebrated this year’s International Day of Play on June 11. Championed by the BTHA and its work with maketime2play , the day aims to shine a light on preserving every child’s right to playful exploration, building confidence, awareness and development. The children and young people of the International Day of Play Network have said: “97% of us believe play is important yet one in three of us do not have the time to play.”

Figures, fun and sky-high sun at BTHA AGM

The Great Fosters Hotel in Egham, Surrey, once again hosted the British Toy & Hobby Association’s AGM & Industry Day, which was complete with an 80th anniversary birthday cake. Excellent guest speakers added to the sparkle of the occasion. Claire Naish reports

British Toy & Hobby Association chair, Simon Pilkington, started proceedings by reminding everyone that 2024 is the BTHA’s 80th anniversary year, and highlighted the importance of the association and its core values of toy safety and the value of play.

Matt Jones, head of digital and Toy Trust Services gave a rundown of the continued efforts of Toy Trust activity over the past year. Currently, it stands at £6.75m, with more to come and vital funds going towards sporting and non-physical activities – the majority being donated to children’s hospices to enable the purchase of new equipment and finance ongoing activities.

Matt also unveiled this year’s new fundraising initiative with the Toy Trust Teddy, which has been created in partnership with Golden Bear. Very cute!

The BTHA Lifetime Achievement Award – which is only presented in exceptional circumstances to people who have made a truly outstanding and significant contribution to the toy industry – was awarded to Padraig Smyth. Padraig, along with his three brothers Thomas, Liam and Tony,

launched the original standalone toy shop, Smyth’s Toys, back in 1986. Padraig gave a moving acceptance speech made even more poignant by the sad passing of Liam last year.

Simon Pilkington presented the award and said: “Padraig’s career in toys is exceptional and the BTHA is honoured to present the award to him for the significant contribution he has made to the toy industry over the long term. He is respected by his peers and is supportive of the suppliers that support his business. His impact has been a true game changer, making a lasting imprint on the industry that sustains us all and champions the industry we all know and love.”

There were two guest speakers. Don Williams, a partner at KPMG, gave us a sobering reminder of just how difficult retail is amid the current pressures, including stunted GDP growth, increased business costs and the ongoing headache of the Red Sea shipping crisis causing major delays and sky-rocketing container prices.

However, he noted that the UK economy is gradually turning a corner. It grew by 0.6% in the first quarter of 2024 with forward-looking indicators pointing towards continued momentum over the coming months. The forecast is growth of 0.5% this year and 0.9% in 2025.

Sales of traditional games and toys are expected to grow from 2023 to 2028, with plush and scientific/ educational categories expected to drive the market along with some traction expected in construction. Sustainability will continue to see higher focus from key players and the inevitable demand for wooden toys.

Unsurprisingly, ‘buy now, pay later’ purchases were up 21% in Q4 2023 against Q4 2022.

The second speaker was Mandy Hickson who gave a charismatic, fascinating and inspirational speech

Mandy Hickson’s adventures were edge-of-yourseat stuff, and an enthralling account of the challenges and life-risking events, having completed three tours of duty and 45 combat missions over Iraq during her time in the RAF

on her career in the RAF. She had been only the second woman to fly the Tornado GR4 (that’s one mean flying machine). Mandy was on the front line, amassing over 30 years’ experience in an industry dominated by men and having to fight hard to achieve her ambition. She played a TV interview from earlier in her career in the late 1980s in which the male presenter actually asked “Do you think you’re capable of flying Tornadoes?”

Mandy Hickson’s adventures were edge-of-your-seat stuff, and she gave an enthralling account of the challenges and life-risking events, having completed three tours of duty and 45 combat missions over Iraq during her time in the RAF.

Also, as part of the BTHA and Toy Retailers Association (TRA) AGMs,

The Entertainer’s chief commercial officer, Geoff Sheffield, was voted in as the TRA’s new chairman, taking over from Toytown’s Alan Simpson, who has held the post since 2012. Congratulations to both.

Geoff also informed us of some exciting upcoming changes to DreamToys, the London Event in November that predicts what will be the hottest toys of the year and the must-have ones for Christmas.

And, of course, there was the usual delicious lunchtime spread for all attending. It was great to see everyone happily mingling and chatting. A big thank you from all of us at TnP.

Guest speaker Mandy Hickson signed a copy of her book An Officer, Not a Gentleman for TnP’s Claire Naish

BTHA’s Simon Pilkington and Padraig Smyth

Epoch’s epic journey through summer looks set for success

Epoch will have a full range of launches across its brands as we head towards Q4. Previewed at May’s Toymaster Show in Harrogate, the brands drew huge amounts of interest from retail visitors and beyond

Pati-school

Epoch’s new arts and crafts range, Pati-school, allows children to create, decorate and collect the most delightful, treat-inspired crafts that all have a function. Final creations can be used as memo holders, keychains, and containers. See our full Pati-school story on the page opposite.

Sylvanian Families

Sylvanian Families will see a new forest theme introduced for Autumn/Winter. Building on the brand’s key pillar of nature, the Secret Forest Falls features 16 different adventures and secrets to uncover and comes with an exclusive Husky baby figure. It can be linked with the Exciting Exploration, also new, and historical Family Adventure sets. Another Q4 arrival will be the Seal Family, Style & Sparkle Dressing Room, a Hamburger Stand and Baby Mermaid Shop.

Aquabeads nails it

After the successful launch of its Nail Studio sub-line last year, Epoch will add four new sets to its Aquabeads range this summer. Requiring just a simple ‘coat’ of water, the Nail Studio collection allows children to create magical messfree manicures with no gluey fingers or smudged nail polish to ruin the look.

Launching in July will be the Nail Studio Design‘n’Display Set, complete with rhinestones and a beautiful bow-shaped case to store the nails, display them and use as a worktable. There will also be the Nail Studio Disney Princess

Nail Designer Kit featuring favourite princesses Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Rapunzel and Tiana. And there will be a refill kits bonus.

Tabletop games

Look out for 10 exciting tabletop games under new licences in the Epoch Games portfolio – Minions and Jurassic World. Minions U-Turn Bowling and Minions Hammer POP, which are already available, will be joined by three additional games tying in with the new Despicable Me 4 film hitting cinemas in July. These are AVL Maze Mission, AVL Blast Training, and Hover Strike Battle. The five action-packed Jurassic World games include Jurassic World Shaky Volcano, Jurassic World Cage Breaker, Jurassic World T-Rex Panic, Jurassic World Volcano Quake and Island Quake.

All in all, Epoch looks set to have a hugely successful Autumn/Winter season. Hop on board and enjoy the fun across the ranges.

EPOCH MAKING TOYS

0208 049 1377

sales@epochmakingtoys.com www.epochmakingtoys.com

Epoch Making Toys’ new arts and crafts brand, Pati-school, is already a hit in the UK

Frost, decorate and more with Pati-school

Epoch’s award-winning arts and crafts brand, Pati-school, has been well received by retailers and consumers alike since landing in UK toy stores. Offering frosting fun for everyone, the evergreen brand originally launched in Japan 15 years ago. The pretty, pastel-coloured sets allow children to create, decorate and collect the most delightful, treat inspired crafts that all have a function. Final creations can be used as memo holders, keychains, and even a container to store favourite keepsakes in.

What’s more, the creation process encourages concentration and helps develop motor skills too. All crafters need to do is simply pipe the pastel-coloured craft crème that’s included in all of the sets and follow the squeezing guide, add the included decorations, wait for the creations to air dry…and voilà! From macarons to cupcakes, ice creams to tarts, the finished

Pati-school patisseries look just like the real thing.

Phil Hooper, managing director at Epoch Making Toys, said: “We are thrilled by the reception Pati-school has received! It’s proven to be a highly successful, evergreen brand for us in Japan, and with the strength of the arts and crafts sector, along with our experience within it thanks to Aquabeads, we are in a great position to drive the brand forward, with plenty of potential for future growth thanks to a large and exciting portfolio including new licences and features.”

includes two craft crème piping bags and all decorations needed to create a unicorn cake keepsake container, a heart cake memo holder, a star cake memo holder, an ice cream keychain, a cupcake keychain, and a starshaped macaron keychain.

The initial range spans four sets: Party Creation Starter Kit – Selected as a Hero Toy at Toy Fair in January, this set

Fun is the icing on the cake

In our recent Ambassadors Special on Pati-school we asked if it was something Amelia (7) and her Mum would play with again …

Amelia – If I was allowed to play with it all the time I would.

Mum – It is so satisfying to squeeze the frosting out and it’s easy to get a perfect result. A lot of other games look a certain way on the box but don’t end up looking that way. This one looks even better than the picture on the front of the box.

Lavender & Pastel Creations Kit – Includes one purple craft crème piping bag, and all the decorations needed to create a cute cat cake memo holder, a cupcake keepsake container, and a macaron keychain.

Pretty in Pink Creations Kit – Includes one pink craft crème piping bag and all the decorations needed to create a blingy macaron ring and a perfectly tart keychain.

Pastel Keychain Creations Kit – Includes a blue craft crème piping bag and all the decorations needed to create a whipped dessert keychain and frosty ice cream keychain.

AND …

Disney Princess themed Creation Kit will launch in July.

Focus on Trading Card Games

On the cards…

Trading card games have rocketed in popularity recently. We talk to retailers and Ravensburger, home of Disney Lorcana, to gauge the market…

Toys n Playthings speaks to Ben Lovell, category and sales manager for TCG Games at Ravensburger UK, about the current market…

What’s your opinion on the status of the Trading Card Games (TCG) market at this moment?

I feel the TCG market is in a really good place. Offering a fun and engaging way to play, the innovative themes and game mechanics make them a rewarding and re-playable play experience. The kidult market has exploded recently, helping to drive this sector

We want to make the game as accessible to all and provide hobby stores with Disney Lorcana event kits to encourage regular in-store play

Ben Lovell , Ravensburger UK “ “

What has driven the huge rise in popularity of TGC over the past few years?

TCGs always start at the hobby store. They offer a safe place for people to enjoy their hobby and meet likeminded people. After the challenges of the past few years, I think people are looking for new ways to interact with others, which in turn has generated these play communities centred around a unique and expansive co-operative experience. TCGs also offer the ability to use popular IPs in a unique way compared with other games. The release of additional cards allows the game to grow both for players and collectors. With Disney Lorcana, players can see iconic Disney characters presented in new and exciting ways that really capture the imagination as they play.

Do you think the sector can maintain the current level of interest? What does it need to do so?

It definitely can and I believe it has the ability to grow even more. Games can be rewarding for all and we want to raise awareness of trading card Games and these amazing dedicated play spaces all over the world.

There’s a real community feel to TCGs, with retailers running swap events and games nights. Is this something you help to drive, and if so how?

Absolutely. Organised Play is a big part of our way to support regular play. There’s something special about the experience these stores offer that you can never truly put into words and it is amazing to see. We have introduced the store locator - www.disneylorcana. com/en-US/locator - so players can find hobby stores near them that are offering regular games nights. We want to make the game as accessible to all and provide hobby stores

Retailer comment

Newer trading card games like Star Wars Unlimited and the One Piece TCG , which are proving very popular, can be found in most Geek Retreats . These lines tend to appeal to those who love the related movies or books. It’s worth emphasising that Pokémon , Disney Lorcana , and Star Wars are among the most identifiable licences in pop culture, with many of the games we deal with rooted in classic animes.

Peter Dobson , CEO, Geek Retreat

Focus on Trading Card Games

with Disney Lorcana event kits to encourage regular in-store play. These kits include exclusive promotional cards, pins and other items for fans of the game and the amazing artwork to win. With Into the Inklands we also introduced Store Championshipsquarterly activities for competitive players - to win exclusive promotional cards and playmats.

In the past, TCGs have probably been a male-oriented sector. Is this changing? How important do you think this is and are you doing anything to encourage a female following?

I think it is very important for TCGs to be accessible and welcoming to all people regardless of age or gender, with stores offering a safe and welcoming space for anyone participating in store events and enjoying playing the game in

whatever way they wish. Disney Lorcana has a wide appeal due to its stunning character artwork and reimagining of iconic Disney characters which we are finding has opened up the game to a wider audience including Disney fans.

Was there a TCG that you really enjoyed when you were young?

I have loved TCGs for as long as I’ve been able to play and collect them.

I was first drawn in by the exciting artwork, then enjoyed the unique gameplay style and strategy. Meeting and playing with likeminded people helped me develop problem-solving skills and was a perfect platform for me to conquer my own personal social anxiety. When I was older, I started supporting my local game store in running their events and travelled to large-scale international tournaments all over the world, meeting so many amazing people. Eventually I decided I wanted to make it my career and help be part of bringing new people into the game so that

All set for a shimmering summer

Having recently announced the release of Shimmering Skies, the fifth set of the Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game (TCG), this summer is destined to be a busy one for the brand

Celebrating its first anniversary and looking ahead to the launch of the hotly anticipated new Disney Lorcana TCG Gateway in August, Ravensburger is entering a new phase by introducing the globally successful TCG game to a family audience.

Featuring Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, Shimmering Skies also introduces characters such as Vanellope Von Schweetz and Fix-it Felix, Jr. All cards in this set can be used to update existing Disney Lorcana TCG decks or played alongside the previously released sets.

In addition, this summer sees a specialedition, foil version of a Shimmering Skies card included only in new copies of Disney Villainous: Introduction to Evil.

Retailer comment

Pokémon and Magic the Gathering are our bestsellers

Rachel and William Sankey Harold’s Toy Store , Church Stretton

Our bestselling trading card games depend on the release schedule, so recently we’ve had activations from Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!

Gary Williamson, hmv director of pop culture - UK and Europe

hopefully they would get the same enjoyment and special memories from TCGs like I have.

How much of your product content is geared to the adult market?

One of the reasons behind the success of Disney Lorcana is its appeal to such a wide demographic. We have been hugely successful in establishing an adult-based playing community by working closely with local hobby stores and are now moving into targeting mass with the new Gateway offering coming this August.

Adults and older players can be constantly challenged by the layered skill levels within the game and gameplay format while Disney fans are attracted to the game by the incredible artwork, storytelling and characterisation on the cards. Our Starter Decks make it easy for beginners to get to grips with the game straight away, with Gateway opening the doors for families and children to become immersed in the gameplay via a simple and appealing play format.

Contact: Ravensburger 01869 363800 | sales@ravensburger.com www.ravensburger.com

Ryan Street, owner and director of Australian chain General Games, shares his experiences of trading in the ‘Land Down Under’ with Clare Turner

An Antipodean perspective

What’s your career background?

In the early 2000s I was the digital entertainment buyer for Australian multinational retailer Harvey Norman. Then senior sales appointments followed in the video games, electronics and toy industry. My roles included national account manager for PlayStation, business development manager of Madman

We focus ontoysthat kids want to playwith,and adults want to collect ” “

Interactive for Madman Anime Group, sales & marketing manager Asia Pacific for Kent Displays (makers of Boogie Board), sales manager Asia Pacific for Moose Toys, and Head of Asia for Ickle Bubba.

I’ve also undertaken consultancy work for companies such as Warner Bros and Disney on launching products in the Asia Pacific market.

Why did you decide to move into toys and games retailing?

In my mid-20s, I was working in hospitality managing night clubs and was looking for a ‘normal working hours’ job. I was offered a role working for Games Workshop, managing one of its retail stores.

As a customer of gaming and pop culture stores, I was always disappointed with how most were presented and run. They were very cheap setups, which felt lacklustre and were not a proper representation of the products they sold.

In my consulting role, working with major IPs and toy and video companies, I've been privileged to travel all over the world and have seen the best that stores and trade shows can offer.

I wanted to create a store that offered a full experience: the best product merchandising, excellent customer service, and high impact branding. We take a lot of learnings from flagship stores around the world, particularly high-end retailers in South Korea, Hong Kong and particularly Japan. Trade shows are also a source of inspiration. When we see how suppliers display products on their stands, we try to replicate that. Our motto is less product, more impact.

We want to make our stores exciting and get our customers excitedbecause when customers are excited, they are more likely to spend.

Also, it's important to work with our supply partners, offering them marketing options in-stores and online to drive their brands.

Tell us about General Games.

I started General Games originally as a way to invest excess income from my consulting roles. There are three stores in Melbourne. The first opened in 2016 in the city’s eastern suburb of Malvern and measures 160sq m.

Two years later I acquired an established store called Games by the Beach in the south-east suburb of Frankston. It was started in 2005 by my business partner Glen Burdett, making it one of the longest-lasting game stores of its type in the country. This branch measures 280sq m and became General Games in 2018. Since then, Glen has gone on to help develop the business in Frankston, along with Malvern, and our most recent location in the outer east suburb of Chirnside Park. This opened In October 2022 and was originally 150sq m, but this year we expanded and it’s now 400sq m. We held a grand reopening of the larger store on Easter Saturday. It’s our premium ‘Epic’ store with lots of shelving, lots of products, and a life-size Charizard!

What sets you apart from other retailers of toys and games?

Our stores have a play-space where we run daily events such as Pokémon tournaments and trade days, Magic: The Gathering tournaments, Dungeons & Dragons tournaments, and Warhammer tournaments.

We pride ourselves on building a community around our products and offering children a safe, fun place to play and enjoy their hobbies with like-minded kids. We also employ great staff who have a genuine passion for the products we sell and are able to communicate that passion to customers.

What’s your customer demographic?

Our customer base is very dynamic. We focus on ages nine to 99!

Most of our stores have fingerprints ontheirglass displays-and we love that! If kids are not pressedup againstthe glass,loving whatthey areseeing, then we’re notdoingour jobs.The more we clean the glassand re-merch the shelves, the more revenue the stores are making! ” “

How would you describe your range? Toys make up around 25-30% of stock, depending on the store. So in addition to Pokémon cards, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, board games, and puzzles, we sell a lot of plush toys such as Squishmallows, and Pokémon. Other toy brands are Hasbro figures, Beyblades, yoyos, Minecraft figures and collectibles. The best way to explain it is to say we focus on toys that kids want to play with, and adults want to collect.

What are your key categories?

Our main categories are Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, jigsaw puzzles, board games, Yu-Gi-Oh!, pop culture figures, paints and hobby tools, sports cards, second-hand cards, miniature and tabletop wargaming, toys, and collectibles.

How many brands and suppliers do you work with?

We deal with 20-plus suppliers. We also direct-source products. Key names are Banter Toys, Let’s Play Games, VR Distribution, Hasbro, Games Workshop, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Ravensburger, Nano Blocks, Star Wars, Marvel, Pops, Minecraft, Vallejo, and One Piece.

How do you find products?

From supplier information, company press releases, and trade shows. These include NY Toy Fair, Japan Toy Show, Spielwarenmesse, Melbourne Toy Fair, and Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair.

What’s your selection criteria?

Product selection depends on the IP, the quality of the product, and is it cool, fun and aspirational? And, of course, pricing.

Do you offer any services?

We offer gift vouchers, click-andcollect/store pickups, and in-store play events and tournaments.

For example, the Chirnside Park store hosted the Yu-Gi-Oh! state championship and oceanic qualifier tournament with 150-plus players.

What are typically Australian trading issues you might face that a toy retailer in the UK wouldn’t?

Like the rest of the world, cost-ofliving pressures and house pricing are reducing customers' spending. Plus, for us, exchange rates aren’t great. With Australia being fairly isolated, we can often not see products released into the market until months after they have been released in the US and Europe. This can affect initial sales, as Australian consumers will buy online from oversea retailers.

What’s next for your business?

We have what I call our ‘rocket plan’. The goal is 10 stores. Then we will set a new goal. We are working on our fourth store this year. The plan is to open at least two new stores next year, and continue to grow and expand - within Australia, at this stage. Watch this space.

Trade talk

Rianne Abul

If you

National & education account manager Zimpli kids

What is the one single issue really affecting business, above all else?

The lack of footfall on the high street is causing companies to spend less and is making them more cautious when trying new lines and ranges.

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

freight costs could prove particularly challenging.

Have you noticed any trends in orders?

Our Baff Bombz have become extremely popular, and I would say the bath bomb trend has definitely picked up over the past 12 months.

What advice do you have for retailers when it comes to making Christmas orders?

Order as early as possible ready for Q4. Pre-order for specific delivery dates if required to ensure you have your orders ready to go.

Order as early as possible ready for Q4

“ ”

We are lucky to manufacture over 70% of our products here in our Lancashire-based factory, so we are usually able to react very quickly to demand. For the products or components that we have to import from outside the UK, the constantly rising sea

What toy do you wish you’d kept from your childhood?

I had a little rooster alarm clock that was amazing! It crowed at you and said good morning. I looked it up recently and it is now classed as vintage (how rude!) and costs a fortune second-hand! I loved that alarm clock.

James Dobson EMEA sales director Razor USA

What is the one single issue really affecting business, above all else?

As we operate within the wheeled goods sector, weather is a big contributor to successful sell-out –weather hasn’t been on our side this year and that has certainly impacted some recognisable level of sell-out

Are you still stocking the same amount of product in Tesco and Entertainer stores or has that dynamic changed?

Our partnership with Tescos and the Entertainer has developed exponentially over the past 12 months

Have you noticed any trends in orders?

In many areas, retailers are

being overly conservative and this is restricting margin-making opportunities on demand-driven, good-margin items. This is a concern, especially with new compliance challenges, longer lead times from China, and sea freight shipping delays.

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

Inevitably, the golden quarter is an important period of the year so we ramp up our support providing stock, support and marketing solutions – obtusely, Christmas comes at the same time every year – so after 24 years we should be fairly resilient to challenges.

What advice do you have for retailers when it comes to making Christmas orders?

many items as possible. Spreadsheet specs invariably translate differently to actual performance and fun achieved. Try to only work with suppliers/brands that have demonstratable experience with being able to manage retail demands. Retail and online excellence is critical in the sale of many items – focus and specialise – provide the consistent shopping experience that you would want to enjoy

“ ” In many areas, retailers are being overly conservative and this is restricting margin-making opportunities on demand-driven, good-margin items. This is a concern, especially with new compliance challenges

What toy do you wish you’d kept from your childhood?

Test, touch and review as

It would either have been a potato cap gun, or a 1970s pedal gokart, which was well-used when I was given it but provided hours of outdoor fun and entertainment.

Sabrina Tweddle

Business development manager

Eduk8

What is the one single issue really affecting business, above all else?

The rising cost of shipping.

Have you noticed any trends in orders?

Yes, there has been a noticeable increase in outdoor learning, science and SEN products. The shift towards outdoor learning is largely due to a growing recognition of the benefits of outdoor play and education, including forest schools. Parents are increasingly seeking toys and games that encourage children to spend more time outside, promoting physical activity, creativity, and a connection with nature.

For those with additional needs, there is a huge demand for resources that can help enhance the learning and developmental experiences of children with autism, ADHD and other needs.

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

“

For those with additional needs, there is a huge demand for resources that can help enhance the learning and developmental experiences of children with autism, ADHD and other needs

”

The main challenges include ensuring timely delivery of products, managing increased demand, and navigating a seamless supply chain. We also face the challenge of predicting which toys will be the most popular, which can be particularly tricky given the rapidly changing trends and consumer preferences.

What advice do you have for retailers when it comes to making Christmas orders?

Place Christmas orders as early as possible to mitigate the risks posed by supply chain delays.

What toy do you wish you’d kept from your childhood? My Little Pony. I remember having a clear-out at a car boot sale and sold all of them for about £2. I bet they are worth a fortune now!

Jacqueline Taylor-Foo

UK & Ireland Country Manager

Jumbo/Galt

What is the one single issue really affecting business, above all else?

A continuing uncertain economy. After several years now of unrest, I think people want some stability so they can work out their budgets and return to a sense of normality.

Are you still stocking the same amount of product in Tesco and Entertainer stores or has that dynamic changed?

We are benefiting from working with their team, of course making the financials work for both parties is a challenge but communicating and trying to understand the dynamics in one another’s business, can only help in finding mutually beneficial solutions.

“

In a world where marketing is changing rapidly, there is increased value in getting your brand in front of consumers and fewer places where that has such flexibility, The Entertainer/Tesco model can help with that.

Poor weather means consumers are looking for things for their children to do and our arts and crafts and science kits are brilliant for that

Have you noticed any trends in orders?

It’s tough for most suppliers, every order is valuable. We have been steady so far this year; much of our range is evergreen, which helps. Poor weather means consumers are looking for things for their children to do and our arts and crafts and science kits are brilliant for that, plus we have a lot of lower price points, which is good in the current climate and for this time of year.

”What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

Shipping, and more increased, unplanned costs.

What advice do you have for retailers when it comes to making Christmas orders?

Give as much advance notice as possible, believe in the things you know have worked well with us in the past; some stock may run short or late so the more viability to manufacturers the better the chance of fulfilling supply.

What toy do you wish you’d kept from your childhood?

I had one of the early, if not original Paddington Bears (I grew up around the Paddington area, so had an affection for it long before the movie or our belated Queen). Mine had real wellies and a proper duffle coat that you could button up. I probably loved him until he wore out though, so he served me well.

The plush hour

Plush is enjoying its time in the limelight as it leads the industry, and the rising interest from collectors and kidults has given the sector a new lease of life

Plush Toys has always been an evergreen sector for the toys market, but 2023 saw it experience notable growth –and claim the title of strongest category – with 11% growth, according to Circana figures.

Driving the success was traditional plush, along with the success of Jazwares’ Squishmallows Plush 8in Assortment - the top-selling item in 2023, with an average price of less than £10.

But no one should rest on their laurels – with innovation being at the heart of success, says Patrick Downs, head of design at Keel Toys. ‘‘The market and trading conditions as a whole continue to be incredibly tough at the moment, however we are still seeing fantastic growth in many of areas of our business. This is down to a number of factors; we have a hugely diverse and everevolving product range. As a company we always invest in product design development to consistently bring new and

“Plush is a timeless category that we believe will continue to grow in popularity with the introduction of further innovative, high-quality products

Sue Lockey , director, The Puppet Company

”innovative products to our customers throughout the year. Finally, our Keeleco range continues to go from strength and strength with exciting new additions such as the Snackies and Snackies Love Bites. This is an eco-friendly culinary themed collection of characters featuring Franco Fries, Pablo Pizza, Dottie Donut and even Harry Hot Sauce to name but a few!’’

And over at The Puppet Company, director Sue Lockey remains optimistic about the market, especially with the festive season on the horizon: ‘‘The past few years have been challenging for everyone and the current market is no exception. We work with a broad array of retailers who are all facing different struggles on both a national, and international basis. There is a lot going on in the world right now, but we are optimistic that the market will stabilise over the coming months and are already gearing up for Christmas.’’

So what has driven the huge popularity of plush over the past few years? Sue believes ‘‘emotional support and comfort is a driving factor behind this. We are still seeing effects from the aftermath of the pandemic

and events going on around the world, and from the charities, schools, nurseries and associations that we support, we know that both children and adults are looking for help. With our puppets especially, we are seeing a move towards more interactive toys that cross generations, moving away from screens and to more traditional ways to learn through play.

‘’Puppets and traditional toys have an amazingly positive influence on any child’s development. From sharing smiles, to helping children through difficult times and giving them someone to talk to; we call this magic ‘The Power of Puppets’. Our puppets are also of enormous value to adults and older generations in engaging, communicating and using puppets as a means to work through trauma and difficult times.’’

Keel’s eco message is the key to success, says Patrick Downs: ‘‘Plush has always been an incredibly popular sector of the toy market and continues to grow in popularity year on year. Certainly at Keel Toys we put this down to our toys being beautifully designed, with a strong eco message and most importantly in the current

climate very well priced. Soft toys always make the perfect gift for young and old alike as either a comforting memory of childhood or a fashionable on-trend addition!’’

And it shows no signs of slowing down, he adds: ‘‘I think the soft toy sector will continue to be as popular and even grow in interest if companies consistently invest in new and innovative products. At Keel Toys we are constantly working with our Far-East manufacturing partners to bring new fabrics and finishing techniques to the plush market. This allows us to create exciting new collections and keep plush at the forefront of people’s buying cycles.’’

Sue agrees: ‘‘Plush is a timeless category that we believe will continue to grow in popularity with the introduction of further innovative, highquality products. People are actively looking for ways to engage children and help them learn and engage, and we believe that there will always be a place in the market for plush and plastic-free gifting. Our products capture the true essence of what makes a truly great toy by enhancing story time and play time with roleplay and increased creativity. Bringing imagination to life, we specifically design our products to be inclusive and accessible, proudly creating fun for everyone.’’

As we mentioned earlier, the collectors and kidult audience has had a major effect on the success of plush – what do our suppliers think about that?

The Puppet Company’s Sue Lockey

points out: ‘‘We have always created ranges of products for all ages and have some that really appeal to older markets. Using different materials and finishes really sets some of our ranges apart and makes them more appealing to collectors, tweens and kidults. We also have a lot of products that particularly appeal to older generations including grandparents, aunts and uncles who are looking for something a little bit different, both to gift, and for themselves. Miniature sizes in particular seem to be growing in popularity, which is an area we are looking to increase, in addition to increasing our seasonal offer to make gifting easier.‘’

“When I was young I was very attached to two classic teddy bears, Fred Ted and Blue Ted! My sixyear-old son Zachary adores his collection of Keeleco Dinosaurs and Wildlife; his most cherished favourites being the Keeleco T-Rex and Keeleco Tarantula that sleep with him every night!

Patrick Downs, head of design, Keel Toys

It’s an incredibly important target audience for Keel Toys, adds Patrick Downs: ‘‘The collectors, tween and kidult market is hugely important for Keel Toys; we have evolved our ranges in response to this in recent years. We have many small, cute and collectable ranges such as Mini Motsu, Mini Adoptables, Bobballs and more recent Food & Plant Bobballs. All of these ranges are well-priced ‘pocket money’ items with many characters in each to collect.’’

How important is licensing in the plush arena – and why?

Licensing done well is really important in the plush arena and is an area we can only see growing over time. We are new to the licensing world and are only introducing select licences true to our core ethos and values. Having started with Elmer, we have developed several partnerships to use the Power of Puppets for good, including our current Elmer Pride campaign. We have some very exciting new licences under way that we can’t wait to share as we continue our journey. The right licences and careful product selection have the potential to really bring brands to life in new ways and we are looking forward to sharing these with our customers.

Sue Lockey, director, The Puppet Company Licensing has its place within the soft toy arena, it keeps plush relevant, popular, highlights trends and the importance of the sector for buyers.

Patrick Downs, head of design, Keel Toys

Retailers’ bestsellers

■ Squishmallows

■ Palm Pals

Squishmallows are still selling really well and with new products coming in all the time, refreshing the range constantly.

Debbie Maloney, Austins

Department Store, Newton Abbot, Devon

■ Jellycat

■ The Puppet Company

Jennie Hogg Cachao Toys Muswell Hill, North London

■ Pokemon

■ Squishmallow

■ Minecraft

”Care

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

‘N’ Cuddles coming your way

CHARACTER OPTIONS

0161 633 9800 sales@charactergroup.plc.uk www.character-online.com

Character Options’ 2024 plush portfolio is full of cute and cuddly animal friends, including a new addition to the Fingerlings range.

The Fingerlings Care ‘N’ Cuddles Monkey is a super-cute, super-sized feature plush joining the lineup. This adorable new plush pal comes with added huggability, but also stays true to the original toy that won the 2018 Toy of the Year Award. This large-scale interactive Fingerlings soft comes in an eye-catching purple colour. It is a plush at heart and is ultra soft and squishy with all the added play value of an interactive friend. The monkey’s heart lights up and beats when you play. It also comes with games to play like the banana freeze dance and DJ mode, as well as a bed-time lullaby mode.

Character Options’ plush portfolio will be supported with substantial PR and marketing campaigns.

Keeleco keeps Bobballing along

KEEL TOYS

01233 506363

sales@keeltoys.com

www.keeltoys.com

Keel Toys is the home of Keeleco, a remarkable collection of soft toys crafted from 100% recycled materials, with more than 480 products – and counting.

The best-selling Plant Bobballs have been a huge favourite with buyers and customers alike, so the new addition of Flower Bobballs are sure to be just a successful. The flowers given the Bobball makeover are a daisy, a sunflower, tulips and even bluebells.

Then there’s an eco-friendly culinary adventure with the cute and collectable Snackies range of food-themed characters. This collection of 12 comes assorted in two sizes and is made from an exclusive, new recycled tousled fabric, featuring Franco Fries, Pablo Pizza, Dottie Donut and even Harry Hot .

Keeleco Baby has new friends with Fuzzy Duck and Percy Penguin added to the super cute natural range of Marcel Monkey and Huggy Giraffe.

Worth remembering …

Over the summer and into Autumn Fair, Keel is offering its customers the opportunity to preview and pre-order more than 100 new items from the 2025 range

MV SPORTS

01217488000 | info@mvsports.com www.mvsports.com

MV Sports’ Squishles merges plush toys with practical onboard scooter storage. The joy of having a stylish plush character – doubling as a wrist purse – seamlessly integrated with a scooter redefines outdoor playtime with fun meeting functionality in the most charming way possible.

The wrist purse adds an element of convenience, allowing children to carry their essentials wherever they go. With Squishies, parents can rest assured knowing that their little ones are not only having fun but also staying organised on the go.

There’s a wide array of Squishle characters, each offering its own unique personality and charm. There’s a Squishle to capture the imagination of every young adventurer.

The MoVe Mini Go! Tilt Scooter is crafted with care and features a wide footplate with smooth sides, promising stability and durability.

Ready to play with plush aplenty? JUST PLAY

uksales@justplayproducts.com | www.justplayproducts.com

There’s a plush pal for all in the Just Play portfolio, be it a familiar friend… or a quirky little goat!

Get ready to nurture the newest interactive pet in Just Play’s furReal collection – Daisy the Yoga Goat. Licensed from Hasbro, it continues the legacy of the range by providing magical interactions. Inspired by the goat yoga trend, Daisy shakes her tail, blinks her eyes and flows into real yoga poses. She will delight children with her fun goat sounds and make them giggle when she toots! Her accessories include a sweat band and water bottle.

Another exciting addition is the highly-anticipated Disney Munchlings collection that combines yummy treats with beloved Disney characters. Just Play will serve up a generous helping of collectible feature plushes and water-activated colour reveal mini-figures to UK-based fans.

Hey there retailers!

You really won’t want to miss out on the out-pour of affection for the marmaladeloving bear, Paddington, this autumn – and Rainbow is on the case

Cuddly friends for all ages

RAINBOW DESIGNS

01329 227300 | sales@rainbowdesigns.co.uk www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

There are plenty of adorable and super cuddly plush toys, coupled with much-loved classic characters, to be found at Rainbow Designs. The playful and engaging soft toy collections featuring Peter Rabbit, Paddington, and Winnie the Pooh among others offer the perfect cuddly friend for kids of all ages, Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Disney’s The Lion King, the new Disney Baby Lion King range is now available. It includes the super cuddly My First Simba activity soft toy, comfort blanket and ring rattle. There’s also the stimulating Simba Sensory Play Mat, with peek-aboo flap and baby safe mirror.

Paddington in Peru hits the big screen in November and Rainbow’s classic Paddington collection of plush toys, preschool and baby ranges are already in high demand.

Autumn will also see the Harry Potter Wizarding World collection of plush nursery toys featuring Harry, Hedwig and Dobby.

Plush rush is sooo Phunny

RUBIES

01491 826500 | customerservices@rubiesuk.com www.uk.rubiesmasquerade.com

Rubies’ contrasting designs for Sexy Deadpool and X-Force Deadpool plush are perfect additions to any Marvel fan’s collection. These collectibles are must-have stock for the upcoming film release of Deadpool and Wolverine, a multi-award-winning franchise worth collectively over $1.5 billion worldwide.

Add a playful twist to décor with the Sexy Deadpool plush, featuring ‘the merc with the mouth’s’ iconic black and red outfit, holding a rose and striking a cheeky pose. Or get ready for action and an attitude with the X-Force Deadpool plush featuring Deadpool’s black and grey suit from the original X-Force comics.

Wilberry soft toys travelling your way

THE PUPPET COMPANY

01462 446040 sam@thepuppetcompany.com www.thepuppetcompany.com

The Puppet Company’s Wilberry Soft Toys is set to launch two new ranges this summer. First is the Wilberry Eco Comforters – each with a gentle friendly face and soft snuggly body, they are perfect for little hands and travelling wherever you go. With nine characters to choose from including a cat, elephant and zebra, they are a real delight and appeal to both babies and children as they grow.

Shake up the living world with the unnerving Beetlejuice Plush Phunny, a perfect gift for fans getting ready for the comeback of academy award-winning Beetlejuice. This ‘Ghost with the Most’ stands at 7.5 inches, all dressed up in his signature black and white striped suit, ready to scare anyone in sight.

With creeps and monsters softened to huggable absurdity, Rubies’ Phunny plushes are shaking up the soft toy world.

Another new addition is the Miniature Eco Animal collection; also made with soft, high-end materials with adorable little faces and tails. With farm, wild, pet and wildlife, they can be mixed and matched across the range to make new collections. The new Eco animals have embroidered eyes and noses and are tested to the highest possible safety standards. They are ideal for story time fun and are perfectly sized for mini adventures.

Bespoke Brazier designs and builds

BRAZIER & CO

01626 873000

sales@brazierandco.com www.brazierandco.co.uk

Brazier & Co has specialised in producing custom soft toys and collectibles since 2006. The UK-based family business brings brands and mascots to life with unique toys and merchandise for retail, promotions, fundraising, and licensing. The company handles the entire custom product process, from concept to delivery. Trusted by top brands and charities worldwide, the Brazier range includes soft toys, 100% recycled eco options, organic materials, PVC collectables, branded plush keyrings, and more.

Ifyou would like to take part in ToyTalk, we’d love to hear from you. Please email news@toysnplaythings.media

Jennie Hogg

Cachao Toys

Muswell Hill, North London

What is the age range of kids who come in? Do you have products that encourage older kids?

This month our retailers talk about the sweet spot at the till and the age range of their young customers

From birth to adult. I try my best to have something for everyone, but the core products that sell are for primary school ages. A lot of secondary kids come in and hang out and play after school but never buy anything - they still like toys, and I think being in the shop is nostalgic for them.

What’s the sweet spot price wise at the till?

People still seem to have an amount in mind to spend either £10, £15 or £20 on a kid’s present. This has been the case for as long as I can remember and I've been doing this for over 15 years, The prices of everything have gone up a lot, so it is getting harder to appeal to the lowerprice points for a gift that is good quality and looks 'enough'. I suppose the majority are heading towards £20 now.

Is the build-up to the general election having any effect on business?

I don't honestly know. This is a weird year for sure, and it's not like people come in talking politics and buying toys. Although most people do come in to escape the doom and gloom of the news as my shop is so lovely and colourful (those are customers' words by the way) and I completely agree of course!

“A lot of secondary kids come in and hang out and play after school but never buy anything - I think being in the shop is nostalgic for them”

Debra Maloney

AustinsToy Store Newton Abbot, Devon

What is the age range of kids who come in? Do you have products that encourage older kids?

The typical age range is birth to 10 years. For older children we have science kits, Revell model kits, and Lego Technic.

What’s the sweet spot price wise at the till?

At the present time, I would say £10 and under, with the exception being Lego as high-priced sets are currently popular.

Is the build-up to the general election having any effect on business?

I think it is affecting footfall. People don't like uncertainty. Movie licensed product. What are you stocking/going to stock? Moana 2. And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Talking retail

Peter Dobson CEO

Geek Retreat 30 stores across the UK

What is the age range of kids who come in?

Our stores are open to kids of all ages, from babies right up to school leaver age and beyond. Most of our stores are equipped with baby changing facilities, and some even have playpens so parents can relax and enjoy the café environment while their kids play. Popular TCGs and tabletop games, such as Pokémon, Disney’s Lorcana, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Dungeons & Dragons, tend to appeal to children of primary school age and upwards.

Do you have products that encourage older kids?

Yes, many older children and adults also enjoy our popular TCG and tabletop games. It’s common to see whole families, from little ones to grandparents, bonding over a card game or a session of D&D at Geek Retreat.

What’s the sweet spot price-wise at the till?

The sweet spot on pricing ranges from £5 to £20, with the average spend being about £14.

Movie licensed products: What are you stocking/ going to stock?

The stock of movie-licensed products can vary from store to store. Some stores may focus more on ‘pop culture’ merchandise, while others may lean towards anime. Every store stocks our core TCG and tabletop ranges, such as Pokémon, Disney’s Lorcana, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Dungeons & Dragons. Additionally, newer trading card games like Star Wars Unlimited and the One Piece TCG, which are proving very popular, can be found in most Geek Retreats. These lines tend to appeal to those who love the related movies or books. It’s worth emphasising that Pokémon, Disney Lorcana, and Star Wars are among the most identifiable licences in pop culture, with many of the games we deal with rooted in classic animes.

Unboxing a new era – how Gen Z and millennial parents are shaping the toy industry

Nick Richardson , founder of The Insights Family , looks deep into the data for both millennial parents and Gen Z children and finds interesting contrasts, shared interests and evolving trends...

In recent years, I have discussed the rapid evolution in attitudes, behaviour, and consumption habits among the new generation of children, underscoring the critical importance of understanding your specific target audience. However, this article shifts focus to our Parents Insights data, revealing that 74% of toy purchases are made by parents of kids aged three to nine. It sheds light on the notable distinctions and commonalities in toy preferences within the parent generations – Gen Z and Millennials – who form your core customer base.

Our Parents Insights data,

Thetoy industry,a constant companionto childhood,finds itselfnavigating afascinating generational shift in purchasing habits “ “

shows that value for money or affordability holds the highest degree of influence for Millennial parents (16%). Durable classics such as sturdy building sets, well-loved dolls, and action

figures that can be passed down to different generations may be particularly favoured. We also observe that educational value takes centre stage for Millennials (15%), a factor +19% more influential

The Insights Family is the global leader in kids, parents, and family market intelligence, providing real-time data on attitudes, behaviours, and consumption patterns. Kids Insights surveys 7,780 kids every week aged 3-18. Parents Insights surveys more than 3,800 parents of kids between the ages of 1 and 16 every week. Both services operate in 22 countries across six continents and in total, survey more than 469,040 kids and 228,800 parents a year. This means that the company interviews a new family member somewhere in the world every 45 seconds. For more information.

among this cohort than Gen Z parents. Additionally, the interest in educational value of toys has also experienced a +5% year-on-year increase among Millennial Parents. This preference could stem from the power of open-ended play to foster foundational skills such as critical thinking and problemsolving, contributing to their kid’s all-round development.

Gen Z parents have differing values, prioritising sustainability in their consumption. These environmentally-conscious parents seek toys that can be reused. Second to affordability (15%), reusability of toys (14%) is a significant influential factor for Gen Z parents’ toy purchases, compared with Millennial parents where this factor ranks fifth at 13%. Our data shows that 60% of Gen Z parents encourage their kids to consider how their actions impact the environment. A +5% year-on-year increase in reusability reflects Gen Z parents’ growing concern of climate change and their commitment towards sustainable living. Furthermore, Gen Z parents value toys that encourage kids to think creatively, this factor has also experienced a year-onyear increase of +70%, showing a growing potential for creative toys. Our data shows that toys that allow kids to roleplay (11%), are 38% more popular among Gen Z parents than Millennial parents (8%). Further, the top priority for Millennial parents (20%) is for their kid to gain social skills from playtime.

Brand popularity and recognition also play a significant role for Gen Z parents (9%), with an influence +39% greater than that for Millennial parents. Our data shows that Nike (ranked 1st, 5.5%) followed by Lego (ranked 2nd, 4%) are the most trusted family brands for Gen Z parents. Additionally, parents cite the quality

of these products as the primary reason for favouring these brands.

Gen Z parents (8%) are also +54% more likely to prefer toys that can be personalised compared with Millennial parents (5%), suggesting that customisation and personalisation of toys meeting each kid’s unique needs is a growing trend as more of the Gen Z population choose to have kids.

Conclusion

Interestingly, Gen Z parents are +44% more likely than their Millennial counterparts to consider gender neutrality when making toy purchases. Such gender-neutral toys allow kids to create their own worlds, develop storytelling skills, and express themselves creatively. Despite these contrasting trends, there are a few similarities in the toy purchasing behaviour of Gen Z and Millennial parents. Nostalgia, or the phenomenon of toys and brands reminding parents of their own childhood memories, plays a role in influencing toy purchases for both generations, though this effect is stronger for Gen Z parents (8%) than for Millennial parents (7%) by +14%. Both Millennials and Gen Z parents seek toys that can be enjoyed together (about 11% for both demographics).

Our data shows that board games (16%), are the 7th most popular toy type among three-to-12year-olds, and card games (14%) are the 8th most popular toy type among the same demographic. These games involve collaboration, encourage communication, and shared experience, and provide valuable opportunities for connection and creating lasting memories for families.

“Gen Z parents valuetoys that encourage kids to think creatively, this factor has also experienced ayear-onyearincrease ofover70 percent “

Millennial parents, highlighting long-term value by emphasising educational benefits, durability, and leveraging nostalgia with classic brands, can provide an edge. For Gen Z parents, focusing on eco-friendly materials, reusability, open-ended play that sparks creativity, and toys that challenge gender norms can help to target this audience better. By recognising the unique preferences of Gen Z and Millennial parents, the toy industry can craft products that not only resonate with different generations of parents but also lay the groundwork for a future filled with shared play experiences and deeper connection.

Overall, the toy industry finds itself navigating a fascinating generational shift in purchasing habits. This further demonstrates how we can help you navigate these challenging times and position you to maximise your investments. Together, we can identify opportunities through our market intelligence and ensure you capitalise on them effectively.

This article is inspired by the keynote delivered by Nick Richardson, founder of The Insights Family at the Baby Products Association event. To download Nick’s keynote presentation and learn more about parental attitudes, behaviour, consumption trends and the future of the baby product market, either scan the QR code or visit https://go.theinsightsfamily. com/baby-products-association-june-2024.

Knock on wood

Suppliers are reporting an upsurge in interest in the wooden toy category. TnP talks to toy makers and retailers to find out more…

Things are looking up for the wooden toy market, according to suppliers who spoke to Toys n Playthings about the sector, its performance, trends and future.

Danielle Hanson, creative director for Tender Leaf Toys, Threadbear Design, tells us: ‘‘The wooden toy market is currently enjoying a real upsurge due to growing concerns about sustainability, eco-friendliness, and the desire for non-electronic, more traditional play options. Parents are increasingly interested in toys that are durable, safe, and environmentally friendly, which has led to a rise in the demand for

wooden toys. As the creative director for Tender Leaf, we consistently sell high volumes of pretend-play toys, dolls houses and accessories, and more recently open ended toys.’’ She adds that retailers are also acting on the upturn: ‘‘Retailers are also recognising the popularity of wooden toys and are giving more shelf space to these products. Additionally, many small-scale and artisanal toy makers are entering the market, offering unique and handmade wooden toys that further cater to the demand for high-quality, individualised items.’’

At Guidecraft, international

“

It’s not just about nostalgia; it’s about the timeless appeal of wooden toys’ simplicity and durability

Lorna Smith, international director of sales, Guidecraft

”What trends might we see in this sector moving forward?

We anticipate a continued emphasis on eco-friendliness in the wooden toy sector. We’ll continue to see a blend of traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics, which has been popular in recent years. Educational wooden toys are gaining traction, as parents understand more about the value of di fferent educational theories and pedagogies, which all can agree on prioritising toys that promote learning and development.

The perception of wooden toys is expanding beyond early childhood. Adults are drawn to wooden toys for their decorative value and nostalgic appeal. Plus, as sustainability becomes more mainstream, wooden toys are seen as a conscious choice for consumers of all ages.

Lorna Smith - International Director of Sales, Guidecraft

director of sales, Lorna Smith, is experiencing the same positive feedback: ‘‘The wooden toy market is experiencing a notable resurgence. There’s a widespread shift towards eco-friendly alternatives, with wooden toys leading the way all over the world. This renewed interest reflects a broader trend towards sustainable, timeless toys that prioritise quality and longevity.’’

So what is driving this popularity?

Steven Le Van, Le Toy Van’s MD, comments: ‘’We love wood, it’s 100% natural, tactile, safe and longlasting. The toy market experiences lots of passing trends and many are often short-lived with limited long-term success and play value. Wooden toys are a conscious choice for consumers as they never go out of style and are a familiar favourite. A happy childhood should be full of possibilities to explore, learn, create and develop through play. Knowing that our toys will be passed down through generations means we are dedicated to striking a balance between innovative ideas and classic designs.’’ Environmental concerns are top of the list according to Guidecraft’s Lorna Smith: ‘‘There’s a growing concern about the environmental impact of plastic toys, leading

Do you think safety is a bigger concern when it comes to wooden toys?

Safety is the highest priority for all types of toys and is our number one priority. At Le Toy Van, we work hard across all stages of design and production to meet and exceed industry standards across the globe. Our durable toys are made with supreme-quality manufacturing and safe materials such as natural wood and water-based paints. This has allowed us to establish a strong reputation for safety as a brand and helped us to cultivate trust with our customers.

Steven Le Van - Le Toy Van

Safety is always a top priority, regardless of the type of toy. However, wooden toys have a natural advantage in that they are free from harmful chemicals and choking hazards.

Lorna Smith - Guidecraft

parents to seek out sustainable alternatives like wood. Additionally, wooden toys are durable, safe, longlived and usually encourage openended and imaginative play.’’

And Danielle Hanson at Tender Leaf/Threadbear agrees: ‘‘As the awareness of environmental issues continues to increase, it is likely that the popularity of wooden toys will only continue to grow in the coming years, especially for the toddler market where purchasing wooden toys is a guilt-free option and the child is not pressurising their parents for flashier, plastic alternatives! We do predict, however, that wooden toys might replace toys traditionally created out of mdf and plastic, and this year we have launched our impressive Mulberry Mansion, which is a huge dolls house scaled for larger 25cm dolls. We have done away with the garish colours and graphics associated with plastic fashion dolls and have designed it to be aesthetically pleasing in the home!’’

Presumably sustainability is also a huge part of the sector? It is for Tender Leaf/Threadbear: ‘‘Naturally the sustainability factor is hugely important for us here at Tender Leaf,’’ says Danielle Hanson. ‘‘We are immensely proud of the fact that we have SVLK (Indonesian Legal Wood certi fi cation. This means that we don’t need to cut down any forests as the wood we use to make our beautiful toys is 100% reclaimed timber.

‘’We also endeavour to design unique and original toys that are so visually appealing and have so much play value that they are treasured and get passed down to the next generation - so less toys are purchased, meaning less waste!

‘‘A good example of this is our beautiful collection of small world play sets called Merrywood Tales, which draws inspiration from the

beauty of traditional children’s literature where little animal families have adventures in the countryside.’’

The same is true for Le Toy Van, says Steven Le Van: ‘‘Sustainability is at the heart of every toy we design. Consumers are becoming far more environmentally conscious and are thus making more ecologically informed decisions about which products they purchase. We have already made fantastic strides in improving the environmental impact of our toys. We are proud to be FSC-certified and we are working diligently towards our goal of being 100% plastic-free by 2026. We also implement greener manufacturing practices and support tree replanting schemes, ensuring we give back what we take and that the forests we source our materials from continue to flourish. While we are transparent about our sustainability efforts, we recognise that our work is never done.’’

And unsurprisingly it’s key for Guidecraft too: ‘‘Sustainability is paramount in the wooden toy sector. We prioritise responsibly sourced materials and eco-friendly production and packaging choices,’’ notes Lorna Smith. Finally, we wondered, is it the fact that wooden toys have a long tradition, that keeps the market consistently healthy? Our suppliers

Retail bestsellers

Djeco Le Toy Van Hape

Jennie Hogg

Cachao Toys, Muswell Hill, North London

Pull-along animals from:

Tooky Toy

Classic World

Petit Monkey

Fisher-Price (plastic wheels)

Rachael & William Sankey

“Wooden toys are a conscious choice for consumers as they never go out of style and are a familiar favourite

”Steven Le Van, MD, Le Toy Van

Harold’s Toy Store

Church Stretton Shropshire

agree, to a certain extent…

‘’The long tradition of wooden toys certainly contributes to the market’s stability. Their nostalgic value appeals to parents and grandparents who want to share cherished childhood experiences. Wooden toys offer a tactile experience, which helps with fine motor skills and handeye coordination, crucial for early development. But they also promote creativity, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, making them an effective learning resource for children of any age,’’ says Steven Le Van.

‘‘Additionally, we are seeing an upswing in adults purchasing wooden toys as nostalgic gifts and aesthetic home accessories. This enduring appeal, combined with our unique designs helps keep business healthy.’’

While Lorna Smith concludes: ‘‘The tradition of wooden toys certainly contributes to their enduring popularity. However, it’s not just about nostalgia; it’s about the timeless appeal of wooden toys’ simplicity and durability.’’

Janod

Timeless characters

RAINBOW DESIGNS

Travel back to the land of the dinosaurs

Marketing heads-up

01329 227300 | sales@rainbowdesigns.co.uk | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Rainbow Designs’ joyful range of wooden toys are coupled with timeless characters such as Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. They are fun, educational and inspiring toys for little ones.

Exceptionally popular with preschoolers, Rainbow’s range of wooden toys help to aid the development of fine motor skills, as well as matching and counting skills.

The Peter Rabbit wooden toy collection includes the beautifully illustrated Picture Dominoes and Wooden Shape Sorter featuring Peter Rabbit and his sister Flopsy Bunny, alongside their friends Benjamin Bunny and Jemima Puddle-Duck. There are also Wooden Picture Blocks, featuring both letters and numbers for a fusion of learning and play, the beautiful Wooden Bookends, as well as the funpacked Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny Pull-Along.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar range incudes the best-selling Wooden Pull Along with little ones just lovng to take the hungry one for a walk.

Kapla’s planks make for fun and creativity

KAPLA

contact@kapla.com | www.kapla.com

Kapla’s creative and high-quality and miniature building planks are in high demand when it comes to wooden toys. As more people look for sustainable, timeless, and educational toys, its wooden planks are winning hearts across all ages.

Perfectly balanced, the planks are suitable to build anything without any connectors – the only limit is gravity. It’s not just a toy, it’s an educational tool. Among other applications it’s great for STEM learning.

Kids, kidults and golden agers can use it to deal with a wide range of subjects including spatial awareness, fine motor skills, art and creativity and even problem-solving abilities.

On the eco-friendly front, the planks are made from sustainable pine from forests in Les Landes, France.

The simplicity and elegance make Kapla a timeless favourite, keeping customers coming back for more.

RAVENSBURGER

charlotte.bird@ravensburger.com www.ravensburger.co.uk

Ravensburger’s Brio brand delivers prehistoric fun in the Brio World railway system this year. The new Dinosaurs range captures the spirit of this evergreen theme and adds the innovative touches that fans have come to enjoy. The Dinosaurs range is compatible with other Brio World items and track pieces and includes railway sets and accessories. The Dinosaur Circle Set features 12 pieces and the Dinosaur Adventure Set has 21 place pieces including chunky dinosaur figures and themed accessories.

Marketing support across Brio and Play+ brands includes yearround PR, print, digital marketing and events activity

Preschoolers from the age of three can explore their creativity and early construction skills with the Brio Builder range. The sets, which range from around 40 components, include a variety of pieces to enable freestyle building. The latest introduction, the Brio Builder Activity Set, includes more than 200 pieces for budding engineers to let their imaginations go wild.

Can you smell the delicious smell of grilled sausages?

Janod’s toy barbeque has cute BBQ vibes

JANOD & JURA TOYS

020 8878 2133

sales@juratoys.co.uk www.janod.com/en

Kicking off the summertime fun, French wooden toy specialist Janod has launched a playful new collection of roleplay toys including a wonderful barbecue designed to inspire children to learn while having fun as well. Set to be a firm favourite for those warm summer evenings, this cheerful wooden toy offers hours of play for everyone, whether in the garden, patio or playroom.

Mastering the art of imaginative play, children will love to be just like Mum and Dad cooking a barbecue for friends and family to enjoy. It has a selection of 35 foods and flavourings (sausages, steak, slices of tomato, pepper, aubergine and onion, prawns, jars of hot sauce and mustard). The essential tools needed to grill things perfectly are also included (skewers, knife, spatula, pair of tongs

Worth mentioning

Amazon reviews are 87% 5-star. Here’s one: “The quality is very high and the attention to detail is impressive. And it’s super cute!”

Marvellous mud kitchen

WILTON BRADLEY

01626 835400 | sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk | www.wiltonbradley.co.uk

It’s no secret that when it comes to outdoor play, kids need no help in creating their own, imaginary worlds. Playhouse complements their desire to imagine and dream thanks to Wilton Bradley’s range of kids’ garden play furniture. Made from wood, the products also blend perfectly into the garden.

The Playhouse Marvellous Mud Kitchen will provide hours of exciting fun for all kids who love mucking around in the garden, especially playing in the mud.

This set includes stainless steel pans and utensils and there is a preparation area at the side and storage tray above and below the sink, providing plenty of space for storing all ingredients and utensils.

Pretend play is a brilliant way for children to develop their creativity and imagination, while having masses of fun. Just add some water to the fitted sink and mix up some mud for some fabulous pretend cooking fun with the added excitement of, well, mud.

and a fabric pot holder) in fact everything needed and no chance of getting burnt. Children from three years up will love to play with this toy again and again. And it’s made from sustainably sourced wood that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

Down on the beach

THREADBEAR DESIGN

01526 341177 www.threadbeardesign.co.uk

Sandy the Seagull and her family are down on the beach where they have inhabited a small beach hut and turned it into a fish and chips stall. Set on two bases of plywood that resembles sand, they have foraged two seaweed plants, a deck chair, a kettle, a wooden tub of ice cream plus spoon, three fish in a dish, a bucket of chips, a fish and chips dinner sign, a sandcastle, a piece of rock candy, and a boat made from a folded sheet of newspaper.

Check out Gully the daddy seagull, who has a knitted beanie hat, and a removable rubber ring.

The names of the seagulls are written on their bases, so that these little characters can become part of a story telling adventure.

Perfect for creative storytelling and imaginative play Suitable for children aged three and up.

Combining smart design and sustainable materials to encourage early childhood development

A pop culture treasure trove

Clare Turner talks to Gary Williamson, hmv director of pop culture - UK and Europe, about new trends, stock, stores and more

What’s your career background?

I’ve worked in retail since an early age. My first job (unpaid) was cleaning the stockroom in my local record store at the age of 12, for which I received free 7in singles! I’ve worked mainly on the entertainment side in retail and for 95% of my working life I’ve been with hmv.

What does your role entail?

Strategy and planning for the store chain across the UK and Europe, and the advancement of pop culture.

Tell us about hmv.

Hmv has been around longer than you think. We started in 1921 and now have a total of 118 stores, and of course our .com

We react hourlyand dailyto new trends coming through ” “

store. Plus, we own the music, films and books chain Fopp, which operates stores in Manchester, Glasgow, London (Covent Garden), Cambridge, Edinburgh and Nottingham – the latter opened in June.

We also have sister store chains in North America: F.Y.E in the US, and Toys R Us and Sunrise in Canada.

We are owned by Doug Putman. In the UK we are run by our MD Phil Halliday along with two other directors: marketing and commercial director Patrizia Leighton and head of retail operations Laurence Price.

In the UK we are everywhere from Aberdeen to Brighton – and I must mention my hometown store of Manchester. We launched in Dublin in 2023 and have a three-floor store there. And one week last November saw us open our flagship on London’s Oxford Street, a store in Birmingham’s Bullring, and our first store in Belgium in Antwerp. In April we opened our second Belgian store in Brussels.

Store sizes vary depending on the location but around 4,000-5,000sq ft is the norm, and we have stores situated in shopping centres and on the high street. So in the UK, you’re never far from an hmv. In the coming years, we will look to Europe to expand.

What sets you apart from other retailers of toys and games?

I believe the enthusiasm and drive

of our 1,400 store colleagues makes a massive difference. I can clearly see on store visits that they are fans of the products we sell, and their knowledge is passed on to our pop culture fan customers.

From a head office point of view, we react hourly and daily to new trends coming through. Did you know you can now find a selection of Japanese sweets in our stores, as well as trending board games? By the very nature of pop culture, we have to constantly evolve every hour of every day. If we continue to do that, our customers will see us as a must go-to destination when they shop.

What’s your customer demographic?

Everyone, from eight-year-olds buying a pack of Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards as their first venture into pop culture, all the way to super pop culture fans who must have that £300 Star Wars figure.

Our stores are treasure troves for pop culture; we aim to have something for everyone. The stores invite you as a customer to come and meet similar fans of pop culture – be that a staff member who loves all things Five Nights At Freddy’s, or other customers who you can meet and chat to.

Describe your range.

Our range is ever-changing and new lines are coming in daily. For example, this week we have - for the first time - introduced Care Bears into our mix.

Our stores are treasure troves for pop culture; we aim to have something for everyone ” “

And in a couple of weeks, we will be introducing Winning Moves and Rubber Road ranges. We also have activations going in for the first time from the likes of Lego and Stor. Also, seasonality is a key factor for when suppliers and lines are introduced.

Where do you source products?

Again, this is ever-changing - and from all over the world. Products could be sourced via contacts on LinkedIn, meetings at the various trade fairs, or from reading articles in a magazine such as Toys n Playthings. Social media is a massive help nowadays too, so I’m on that 24 hours looking for opportunities.

Our current supplier base is around the 300 mark, but we have new contracts going through daily where we spot an opportunity. I’ve dealt with certain suppliers such as Pyramid and Heroes Inc for 30-plus years, and this has been a massive part of our success. Suppliers like these know what we sell and source it accordingly. But we also have suppliers such as Kap Toys, which we’ve known for a

Social media is a massivehelp nowadays, so I’m on that 24 hours lookingfor opportunities ” “

couple of years, and two weeks ago saw the introduction of Wow Stuff product lines.

Who are your key suppliers?

All our suppliers are key, from Mighty Jaxx, Bandai, Hasbro, Wizards Of The Coast and of course Funko and Loungefly, to a much smaller supplier who may only have five to six skus in place with us.

Our supplier base can grow very quickly. For instance, when we introduced plush for the first time four years ago, we had the likes of Aurora World, Posh Paws International and Kenji (UK) join up with us in a matter of weeks. Key here are the account managers of these suppliers. They are vital in helping us to react. So Viki White, Mandy Warburton, and Derek Yong respectively deserve a big round of applause for their part in this.

What are your key categories?

Core categories change all the time; it can be blind bags, then figurines, then card games… depending on what the customer wants.

What’s selling well?

A category that’s performing well is plush. We have everything now from Care Bears and Moomins to anime titles. We’re also seeing increased sales on figurines as we introduce new suppliers. Our bestselling trading card games depend on the release schedule, so recently we’ve had activations from Magic: The Gathering , Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!

Bestselling collectibles include the likes of Pop! Vinyl from franchises such as FNAF/Spiderman and Hello Kitty . And we have blind bags from various suppliers, which are always popular. We work very closely with DKB Toys on toy selections.

Key to growth for us is the involvement at director level from our suppliers. Take for example, Nic Aldridge of Bandai UK and Alex Neal of Mighty Jaxx. We talk daily and weekly to spot opportunities and trends. This level of customer service from these two managing directors has made a massive difference.

What’s your selection criteria?

Our selection criteria is based on what key franchises are being releasedespecially across cinema and TV from the likes of Netflix and Disney+ - and how they fit in with the various product lines we do.

We have product meetings every day to discuss ideas and suggest how we activate them in-store. Planning can start two years out from release, but if an activation that we test in-

store is successful, it can be a matter of days before we get it in all storesso we react very quickly.

How do you get the word out there?

Social media is everything now: that's where we see trends first. So if you take a look at our Instagram site and X, we’re always pushing what we have in and what promotions we’re doing. We also have digital screens in a selection of our stores’ windows, which highlight key activity. In-store events can be anything from our Oxford store inviting a K-Pop dance troupe in, or our Birmingham Vault branch which has a K-Pop Store inside. Clare, the manager of our Solihull store, hosts K-Pop events inside Birmingham Vault, which get 600-plus fans turning up. So anything is possible - just come and ask us!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Maggie Tibbenham , at Imagine Toyshop in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, looks on the bright side, as a busy half term offers hope that business is improving

There’s been a lot happening in my little Aladdin’s cave since my last column back in April. I truly laugh now when I remember saying, when chatting to other business owners at the beginning of this year, how unpredictable and hard 2023 was and DEFINITELY the next year will be better, it just has to be.

So, after my last column, despite all my hard work and dedication for my beloved little shop, things started to get even harder. I found myself screaming at the top of my voice what is going on?

This led me to speak up and make an honest post on social media for all my customers out there, saying that despite having such a well-established business, working weekends, often non-stop without a day off, I was done. Well, almost done. Customers expect me to have everything in stock yet there were not enough of them coming through the door, especially during weekdays. Thursdays can be the worst; probably it’s time to consider closing the shop for that day. At least I could have a day off!

My honest post brought an incredible response from customers as well as fellow businesses. I had one of the busiest weekends ever after that post; the local council got in touch offering some help, various businesses messaged saying I am not alone – it was just wonderful. I always believe in honesty and if we don’t tell people that it IS hard, they assume it’s all good.

“

June

half term was very good! It’s the first half term for ages that has been really busy, with a great vibe, lovely chats, and happy little people with big smiles

“There was a downside to my honesty, though. My appearance in a local newspaper was pilfered by the Daily Mail which, without my authorisation, twisted everything into a drama. I couldn’t have been bothered less as I come from a journalist’s family so I know how the news works, but I was truly shocked with the hate I received from people who never shop local, don’t use local, live in countries I’ve not heard of, and yet have the biggest say via the social media nasty machine. I promised myself to never fight for the idea of small business support ever again. I just try my best and if they don’t like it, life goes on. At the end of the day, my mental health is a priority.

Now, let’s cheer up. June half term was very good! It’s the first half term for ages that has been really busy, with a great vibe, lovely chats, and happy little people with big smiles. Each of them received a massive thank you and some sweets from me. How good it was to have the shop buzzing just for a week. Plus, there was one weekend with a folk festival in town and we recorded our busiest Saturday ever, better than any day during the Christmas season. Could it be a tiny omen that things are getting better…?

I also adopted another tactic. Do you know that reverse psychology parents use with toddlers when they wish them to eat something new; they tell them it’s horrible and they wouldn’t like it so they of

What’s selling well this month…

The best-selling fidget toy, which each time I need to reorder and reorder, is the tiny metal Bopster Fidget Cube Spinner from Click.

[We did want a picture of Maggie with the Bopster Fidget – but it had sold out again!]

course immediately want it? I thought I’ve got nothing to lose so I started doing the same with customers, telling them not to shop at tiny shops as they are apparently so expensive and comparing prices from Amazon on eBay or just randomly online – and in the process proving that I was cheaper. It worked! I definitely saw more people coming in from it.

As I’m writing this, interactive Stitch arrived! I saw this fabulous toy at the Toymaster show in Harrogate and I fell in love. I don’t generally sell licensed toys but I saw this lovely thing with its big eyes and I thought every child would love one. I am a bit worried about the price tag but response from my social post seems to be positive, which might result in Stitches disappearing from my shop quickly.

Having said that, my big hope for the bestselling Flexi fidget toy (from One For Fun) unfortunately met a different reality. Flexi is not performing well for me. If I could recommend the best-selling fidget toy, which each time I need to reorder and reorder, it would be the tiny metal Bopster Bopster Fidget Cube Spinner from Click. It’s incredible for kids and for kidults.

I found many exciting toys at Toymaster, my favourite show. I think Horror Fried from Character will sell well, that’s my next prediction. I have a good relationship with Character and I appreciate the company’s support whenever I need it..

I finally started having Orchard Toys product on my shelves, thank to Kayes, which is my newest opened account, and I’m over the moon - they offer most stock in singles, which is becoming more and more crucial for me. At the show I ordered a lot of Janod (which is one of my core brands) as there was a fabulous offer - truly amazing with even 70% off some items.

Finally we are 21 in June! I wish my little shop a very Happy Birthday and many, many, more years to come.

Indies v Amazon Davids v Goliath?

There can be few of us who have never bought something on Amazon. If you live or work in a town or city and happen to glance out of the window from time to time, working from home or otherwise, the chances are pretty high that you will have seen a van charging past bearing the online giant’s name and logo.

Or then again, perhaps you’ve taken a train from Euston or Kings Cross in London and headed north for about 40 minutes. Again, it’s likely that you will pass a series of massive warehouses (aka The Midlands) and that at least a couple of them will also have the Amazon logo emblazoned across them. In truth, the online marketplace has things all stitched up and if you can’t find what you want when you head down to the shops, a few minutes on the Amazon platform and it’s a near racing certainty that the object of your desire will be waiting for you –and that it will be cheaper than it is on the high street.

This, or a version of it, is one of the reasons trotted out by retailers, independents and chains, for lacklustre results. Even those who choose to sell their wares via Amazon still frequently claim to find themselves short-changed.

But if you can’t join ’em, why not beat ’em up? In case you’ve missed it, BIRA (the British Independent Retailers Association) is suing Amazon for £1bn, claiming that it has misused proprietorial data with a view to selling its own goods to the detriment of those using the platform to shift their goods.

Perhaps this may be the case and the claim made is that Amazon’s data manipulation dates back almost a decade. To this end, a suit has been filed by 35,000 ‘independent sellers’ claiming foul play. That’s a lot of claimants and if nothing else it is indicative of a vast reserve of ill-will towards the Seattle-based behemoth.

The conclusion that has been reached is that shoppers have to be able to look, see, feel and enjoy a brand –something that absolutely cannot be done online “ ”

But hold on a moment. If you sell from Amazon what do you get as your side of the deal? Obviously you get exposure to a vast and truly cross-border audience, most of whom are looking to spend money. Okay, there may be a lot of competing offers, but surely your shout is sufficient to generate a bit of cash, even when Amazon has taken a rake-off? The other point is that if you don’t like it, don’t use it.

But what about the money that honest toy retailers are being deprived of? Depending on which set of figures you look at, e-commerce represents a little over a quarter of all UK retail sales, making it the highest take in Europe. Looked at another way, however, it’s just another competitive force and it still means that close to 75% of retail sales in this country are conducted through physical stores. All of which means

that you’d benefit just as much from looking at what supermarkets, a large retailer that has teamed up with WH Smith or good old-fashioned high street retailers are up to, as you would worrying incessantly about Amazon in particular and, more generally, e-commerce.

There is also the ‘e’ word. No, not e-commerce, but ‘experience’ commerce. The one huge advantage that anyone operating from the high street has is that products can be visually merchandised in such a manner that they sell because of the environment that contains them. Contrast this with leafing through page after page of toys in the hope of finding something that might appeal. Whichever way you look at it, in this respect physical toy retailers have the edge, even if they are paying to operate and staff their stores.

And before the cry is raised that it’s a lot cheaper to operate an online shop than a physical one, consider the fact that currently a lot of e-tailers are opening physical stores. In order to make their offers in some way appropriate, they have reached the conclusion that shoppers have to be able to look, see, feel and enjoy a brand – something that absolutely cannot be done online, hence physical stores being set up by online merchants. It costs a lot of money to get a brand up and running and Amazon’s only real USP is endless choice and price.

Think, therefore, before you sue. There may be 35,000 complainants in this action, but there is little guarantee of success and legal fees can be hefty even when there is a massive bit of crowdfunding involved. Rather than whingeing about data manipulation might some kind of concerted boycott of Amazon be more appropriate, if you feel ill-used? All those who opted to sell from the platform did so in the knowledge that while they would gain exposure to a gargantuan customer base there would inevitably be others who would be doing so at the same time.

Also worth noting is the fact that no positive outcome is guaranteed. Amazon’s pockets will be deeper than a multitude of small outfits, should it all end up in the courts. Lawyers don’t come cheap and actions of this kind tend to be lengthy. Which is a roundabout way of asking: is it worth it and, should Amazon find itself at the receiving end of a massive fine, won’t there just be another company that will take its place and do something similar?

Perhaps it might make more sense to focus on your store – it is a channel over which you have complete control and, used properly and attractively, it should be capable of turning more than a few pennies – take a look at yourself, what you do and how you do it.

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

JohnRyan likesto exercisehis righttobuy fromwhoever hechooses, andconsiders theprosand consoftouch andfeel immediacy versusonline window shopping

August is approaching and school will definitely be out for summer. But here at TnP it’s nose to the toy shop window and shoulder to the wheels of your trade. We’re working hard on more fun features, previews and our usual popular and business boosting regulars. So put down your pencil, put down your book, have a dip and take a look.

Did you know the next issue of TNP has a games and puzzles feature

So why are we playing this crap game, give Claire a call to see if we can get in it!

August Features

• Games & Puzzles

• Dress Up & Role Play

• Eco & Sustainability

Previews

• Autumn Fair

• INDX Toy & Gift show

Regulars

• What’s new

• Don’t miss

• News, views & insights to enthuse

So get in touch to be in our August issue. You’ve got toy class, we’ve got your principles and in TnP your range is invincible.

Editorial - Anthony Clarke

Toys ‘n’ Playthings reaches the highest spending and most influential toy buyers in the UK and beyond. The rest of the industry too – you, your colleagues, and the competition.