Toys n Playthings March 2019 by Lema Publishing

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CONTENTS Regular 19 ary 20 Febru No. 5 8 Vol. 3

Leader – with Mark Naish

News – the latest toy industry headlines

10 People News – all the movers and shakers 11

Movie News – what’s happening on the big screen

Media News – the multimedia rundown

13 M edia Charts – the latest kids’ TV viewing figures and toy TV advertising spend

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14 Licensing News – the latest on licensed products

Chairman Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Georgie Dobie georgie@lemapublishing.co.uk

Media Solutions Manager Simon Davis simon@lemapublishing.co.uk

Digital Publisher Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

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

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

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

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

Independently audited

Retail News – the latest from the retail landscape

20 T oy Fair Toy Talk – what was hot for retailers at the show 21 T nP Ambassadors – our tiny testers try out products 54 W atch out for… – a round up of toys you really don’t want to miss 58 S tep Back in Time – a slice of toy history from the industry’s longest running magazine 59 D on’t Miss – unmissable products for all buyers and retailers

Features 28 G irls Collectables – the popularity of girls’ collectables is only set to grow – TnP learns what’s new in the category for 2019

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40 S cience and Nature – experimenting, coding, exploring the great outdoors – what’s not to love? 46 E co-Friendly Toys – environmental issues have never been more important for the toy industry, TnP discovers more

Special Report 18

etail Interview – EMTC’s James Colcough talks R about the secret of its success

24 C over Story – learn more about TOMY’s exciting new IP, Ritzy Rollerz, which promises to bring something unique to the girls’ collectables market 49 T oy Fair Review – looking back on the London show 53 T nP TV at Toy Fair – who made it onto the small screen? 55 Spring Fair Review – how was it for toy exhibitors? 56 N uremberg Toy Fair – news from the European show

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Columnists 22 R etail Opinion – John Ryan talks about FAO Schwarz flagship store set to open in Selfridges 23 M edia Analysis - Generation Media compares kids’ markets around the world 26 T he Independent/Secret Supplier – Our dynamic duo talk customer complaints 46 G aining Insight – Kids Insights looks at how buying decisions may be affected by growing environment awareness

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ABC circulation of 5,112

1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Helping everyone sell more

LEADER H

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,112 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018

PUBLISHING

At the heart of retail Also by Lema Publishing

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

“

TOMY’s new Ritzy Rollerz range has it all – it’s customisable, collectable and children are going to love it!

Learning Resources’ latest innovation, Artie

J i

Mark

In terms of what’s new for Naish collectables in 2019 – TOMY’s new Ritzy Rollerz range has it all – it’s customisable, collectable and children are going to love it! We are delighted to introduce the new range on our cover this issue. You must read TOMY’s cover story of page 24, where they reveal their plans for the Ritzy Rollerz release this year. I just know that kids will go crazy for Spin Master’s Hatchimals Colleggtibles Season 5 – Mermal Magic, which includes new seashell eggs, more character detailing and a variety of water transformations! And, I’m pretty sure kids will also go bonkers for Bandai’s Series 3 Bananas, Mookie Toy’s colourful, customisable doll range, RainboElla, and Funko, Jazwares and Hasbro’s comprehensive selection of Fortnite inspired toys. I must admit one of my faves at Toy Fair this year was Learning Resources’ latest innovation, Artie, the new coding and drawing robot – and I could have spent all day playing music and listening to stories with Tonies – what a brilliant idea! You couldn't have visited London Toy Fair and not read the official paper that we publish The Daily News. This is a mammoth undertaking and I must thank all my staff for working so hard on it DAILY this year. To produce a 64 page daily on The Toy Fair’s site, finishing at 1:00 ONLY officia l daily pape r a.m. in the morning Don ’t m and still smiling when iss! arriving at 7:00 a.m. the following day to repeat it is no mean feat and we couldn't have Star turn at Toy Fair done it without all of you getting so involved, so thanks to you too! Ready & ra Also, superstar ring to go ! celebrity of the show Peppa puckers up was Warwick Davies who I am told by the e Com s u team was charming, see nd a on st kind and a hoot (I am a 7 B 0 proud and unabashed Star Wars fan, though this didn't sway my CLEVER TO GETHER view)! So credit to Asmodee on creating the game Tenable based on his game show. Without question, this will be an interesting year at all levels of the industry and come this time next year the landscape may well look quite different. But should we collectively approach all we do in a more positive way, take strength from one another, and aim to achieve our very best, then we are half way there. That is what we at TNP will be doing and you are very Warwick Davis with welcome to join us! Asmodee's Tenable

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

”

NEWS

Razzle daz zle!

Tuesday, Janua

ry 22, 2019

•R • S eveale • B how d d! To ig n ea y am ls an Fair’ s e in d terv offer Hero Toys iew s s

Underground Toys E130

Team Banda i are all smiles Gallery 600 ,

It’s shimm -azing with new Shimm on the Vivid stand, B70, eez, a range with revers of cuddl ible Brand Manag sequins. Cathy Prowd y pets er, sh-nuggles e, up.

Toy industry

full of optim

ism following A survey condu a strong year cted by The has shown Daily News of trading that Although feeling positi the toy industry is business for ve about the better, some most was with over year ahead 90% , fluctuating did say that the that they are of the toy trade repor exchange ting adde hopeful for rate had of trading d additional a stron g year in 2019. This challenges. Nonethele optimism after three ss, most of comes quarters of trade the toy the reported a said that last stronger busin toy industry year’ positively 2018 comp ess year in affected their s Toy Fair ared with 96% have the previo business and long been us year. looking forwa to Toy Fair 2019! rd

London Toy Fair is set for Hollywood stardust, with a sprinkle of Star Wars film star, Warw Harry Potter and to make an ick Davis, appearanc prepped e on Asmo stand E109 dee UK’s , today in the early Warwick will be promoting afternoon. game, Tenab new board le, which is based on quiz show the hit he hosts on ITV. “We are very Warwick Davis excited to have join us on at Toy Fair,” the stand said Asmo dee’s Marketing Manager, Ben Hogg. “We could n’t have a better advocate for Tenable, and we expect that the his presence buzz around will reflect fans’ excitement to try their hand at Tenab le at home.”

Character Options’ Marketing Manager, Mark Hunt, shows off the company’s biggest Pepp collection a to date on stand E119. “Look out for our Peppa Surpr ise, our new unboxing range,” he says.

Y1 DA

magazine

ong Kong, London Toy Fair, Nuremberg, Spring Fair and still to come, New York... so much to see, yet such little time to see it. So much good product has been shown that retailers have really bought into TOMY’s new Ritzy Rollerz all the ingredients needed for a positive 2019. Now, if retail was to pick up, and if our overlords in Westminster and our chums in the EU were to sit down and sing a little Kumbaya, we could all be in for a good year. Who knows - stranger things have happened! Let's face it, the sooner Brexit happens and gives the pound a bit of a recovery, the sooner we'll see a few more smiles. I certainly don’t mean to demean the challenges facing the industry and all industries, but without a little humour it’s going to be a lot more challenging. Some of you might be wondering who I am - I am one of many Naishes. I also happen to be the company's Publishing Director and MD and have worked within the company for nearly 24 years. As you know, Mirella and Rhys are heading up our fantastic Georgie Dobie new digital platform TNP.MEDIA and Mairead is on maternity leave and will be back in the summer. Georgie has joined us on editorial; many of you will have met her during the shows along with Simon who will be working with me on the commercial side. Simon Davis We are investing a lot in both print and digital to bring you, dear reader, the very best content in the toy industry. If you want to see the best product, presented in the most exciting informative way and learn about your industry from a more positive perspective, then TNP will feel like home. The success of the collectables category certainly shows no sign of slowing down. The category had an outstanding performance in the Toy and Supplier of the Year Awards. MGA scooped up three awards for collectables and Character Options’ Soft’n Slo Squishies won Craze of the Year.

Bill Simons, CEO Jada Toys.

Florian Sieber, Co-CEO, Simba Dickie Group

Simba Dickie snaps up Jada The Simba Dickie Group is expanding into the US market with the acquisition of Jada Toys. Jada, based in LA, is a leading manufacturer of authentically licensed and highly stylised die-cast collectables, radio control vehicles, and pre-school toys. Its vast portfolio of popular entertainment licences includes Fast & Furious, Marvel, DC Comics, Disney, and Hello Kitty. “We are excited for what this partnership will bring as we work towards utilising Jada’s licensors and links in the retail sector to gain an important foothold in the American market. “We are also welcoming the opportunity to combine our efforts on the joint manufacturing of products through common uses of technology on an international scale.’’ said Florian Sieber, Co-CEO, Simba Dickie Group. “Joining the SImba Dickie Group instantly creates a significant global platform for our manufacturing and licensing partners” added Bill Simons, CEO of Jada Toys.

Gosh! Designs shines online Gosh! Designs kickstarted the year by launching a new website. It showcases thousands of exclusive plush and licensed lines, as well as many original brands including the collectable Glitzies sequin plush. It also offers secure online payment and free delivery on most orders. Following consumer interest at the Nuremberg and Spring Fair events, John Costi-Mouyia, Business Development Manager at Gosh! Designs, said: ‘’The website at www.goshdesigns.co.uk provides an easily accessible snapshot of what Gosh! Designs is all about, but also acts as an online showroom with B2B customers having instant access to pricing and availability.’’

NEWS

Trolley dollies More than 4,000 toys were collected in the annual Toy Fair Trolley Dash at London Toy Fair for Toy Fair’s charity partner, KidsOut. The dash once again marked the end of Toy Fair 2019, with hundreds of exhibitors kindly donating toys. More than 60 KidsOut staff and volunteers passed through the aisles of the show with shopping trolleys, kindly donated by Tesco, to gather as many toys as they could from exhibitors. This is the fourth year that KidsOut has been the exhibition’s charity partner. The collected toys go to disadvantaged

children via the KidsOut Toy Box service. Toy Box ensures that those children who are rehomed after spending time in a Women’s Aid refuge receive a brand new box of toys to call their own.

Stanley Perrin – “What an innings” Alan Baxter has paid tribute to Stanley Perrin who was an industry colleague and friend of his. Stan, who was MD of Lone Star Toys, a manufacturer of die cast toys, passed away just after Christmas at the ripe old age of 98. “Stan had served in the war and had the most miraculous escape from Dunkirk after being in the water twice.” writes Alan. “Stan was a well-known face at all the fairs with stands at Mount Royal, Harrogate, Brighton, Nuremberg and finishing in New York. He served as chairman of the BTHA from 1980 to 1982 and was on their Council from 1969 until 1982. He appeared on TV defending the industry and its products a number of times. He was one of a kind with his knowledge of the global toy industry. He finished his career as chairman and owner of Eaglet Industries.” Alan adds, “He was a true gentleman who will be sadly missed, and our thoughts go out to Enid along with Valerie, Neil and grandchildren.”

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Wine, dine & conga line! Fence Club Chairman Ian Edmunds welcomed more than 200 people to the Fence Club Toy Fair Party, at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel last month. Members and guests partied well into the small hours – far too late for a school night you might think, but this is the toy trade! The raﬄe, along with some generous donations, raised more than £4,300 for the charity - most prizes finding their way back to Ireland courtesy of the guests of Philip Richardson!

Mattel takes top spot Mattel’s CEO, Ynon Kreiz, praised his staff for ‘’regaining the number one toy company position globally in a year full of challenges and headwinds’’, as the toy giant reported its 2018 financial results. Ynon Kreiz said: “After three consecutive quarters of solid, disciplined execution, we are well on our way to becoming an IP-driven, high-performing toy company and creating long-term value for our shareholders.’’ The toy company announced net sales of $4.51 billion for 2018, with fourth quarter net sales of $1.52 billion. Gross sales of the iconic fashion doll Barbie, celebrating her 60th birthday this month, increased by 15 per cent, while Hot Wheels sales rose by 12 per cent.

FEBRUARY 2019

BTHA Brieﬁng Rebecca Deeming, the BTHA’s Public Relations Manager, looks back at this year’s London Toy Fair and forward to the BTHA’s goals for the year ahead It’s hard to believe that the Toy Fair season is drawing to an end, and what a great London Toy Fair we had. A huge thank you to all of our exhibitors and visitors who attended the show at Olympia London. Without your consistent support the show wouldn’t be the exciting and buzzing exhibition that it is. It was great to see all the new toys and trends for the year ahead, although I didn’t quite realise llamas were so popular! We hope the rest of the toy fairs were a great success and lead to a prosperous year ahead. A big thank you also to all who donated towards the Toy Trust media auction, which raised an incredible £91,800. The funds raised will go towards the Toy Trust’s overall fundraising for 2019, which will help the many children’s charities it supports throughout the year. Exhibitor applications for Toy Fair 2020 are now open, with the early bird discount running until the end of March. You can apply online now at www.toyfair.co.uk. BTHA members also receive a 24 per cent discount off their stand at Toy Fair. Elsewhere, the BTHA is continuing to work hard on behalf of its members across a range of industry related topics, with Brexit at the forefront of our minds. The public affairs and safety team is busy producing a ‘no-deal Brexit’ paper for members - should a no-deal decision be made - to help members to cope quickly. Members who haven’t yet decided if they will need a European entity are encouraged to think about that now in case of a no-deal scenario. To help you, the BTHA has already set up an authorised representative in Ireland for our members to use in short order. For more information on this, please contact natasha@btha.co.uk. We are also continuing our work on raising toy safety standards on online marketplaces, continuing discussions on connected toys and cybersecurity issues – in line with an expected new standard on IoT. We are also assessing how best we can help members to assess alternate materials and make environmental changes. All of our guidance can be found on our new website, which was launched at the beginning of the year. Most of the guidance is now private - exclusively for our members - although it may be shared with trusted partners and authorities. To visit the new website head to www.btha.co.uk. If you’d like to enquire into BTHA membership, please contact tracey@btha.co.uk.

NEWS Centarian celebrations!

£1b Olympia investment Planning permission has been granted to transform the iconic 133-year-old landmark into an arts, entertainment, events and creative business quarter. The approved vision is for Olympia London to become a world-leading cultural hub. The designs include an extended high-end events space, communal areas and co-working spaces, as well as new leisure facilities, on-site accommodation and food offerings. Majen Immink, Director of Fairs and Special Events at the BTHA, says: “We have not been informed of any impact to Toy Fair moving forward but shall keep you fully updated on developments. The 2020 show will proceed as normal from 21-23 January.”

Family company Gibsons Games were on L’Attaque at their 100th birthday celebrations at London Toy Fair. Fourth generation Kate Gibson, MD, her father Michael and sales agent Martyn George raised a glass of champagne to celebrate. This year also marks Martyn’s 50th year working at Gibsons, and it was his 51st visit to Toy Fair. He says: “I’ve never missed a single one. I’ve seen the show move from Brighton to Birmingham, and now Olympia.” They’re shown here in front of Gibsons’ special Centenary display, with new and original versions of their game L’Attaque.

A Golden Year Golden Bear, a leading force in the pre-school sector, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Barry Hughes, Managing Director said “We are delighted to be celebrating our 40th birthday and we are extremely proud that 90% of our portfolio continues to be designed and developed in the UK.” To mark its landmark birthday, Golden Bear hosted a party attended by one of the company’s founders Christine Nicholls, along with MD Barry Hughes and some of the key characters from its licensed pre-school brands. Guests of honour included Bing and Flop, Hey Duggee and In the Night Garden’s very own Igglepiggle. CBeebies’ Waffle the Wonder Dog, also made a star appearance, following Everybody’s Best Friend Waffle the Wonder Dog being named one of Toy Fair’s Hero Toys!

COMBATING COPYCAT TOYS As a new Toy Association report exposes the reasons behind the rise in counterfeit toys, CEO Steve Pasierb offers some solutions It’s a scene from any parent’s worst nightmare. Just last month, a child received a gift of what looked to be a popular magnetic toy set that comes in various rainbow-coloured shapes and encourages kids to build and create. However, the toy was actually an illicit product sold by a third-party vendor via a popular ecommerce site, and did not comply with the strict safety standards and regulations that toys are subject to in the United States. As a result, an unknowing consumer was able to purchase the set, and the four-year-old was able to easily break apart the toys to ingest more than a dozen magnets, causing a

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Safety is the US toy industry’s number one priority. Counterfeit products break laws, risk lives, and should not be sold anywhere

”

life-threatening situation. The rapid increase of copycat and unregulated toys sold via online marketplaces raises significant health and safety risks. The Toy Association’s new white paper, The Real Threat of Fake Toys: The Increase of Knockoff and Counterfeit Toys Sold Online & How to Fight Back, identifies three factors contributing to this problem. These include: insufficient vetting by marketplaces of sellers and products sold online; a burden of enforcement that is placed on the IP rights holders; and consumers who are unaware of the scale of the

tnp.media

Toys on top Wham-O, bang, shang-a-lang Re:creation has struck a partnership with iconic name in outdoor play, Wham-O, to become exclusive UK and Eire distributor from April. Full roll out is planned to meet springsummer 2020 availability. Wham-O celebrated 70 years in the industry last year and is responsible for many of the best-loved names in the toy, sports and outdoor aisles including Frisbee, Hula Hoop, Slip n Slide and Hacky Sack. TKC, current distributor of a number of Wham-O products will continue to sell through any remaining inventory of those lines, followed by a seamless transition to Re:creation.

Happy 30th DKL! London Toy Fair saw a very special presentation made on the DKL Marketing stand. To celebrate 30 years of the company, DKL founder Kai Hawaleschka (pictured) and his wife Dorte were presented with a special engraved box containing champagne and champagne flutes.

problem and unknowingly purchase these products thinking they are held to the same standards as toys sold by legitimate companies. “Safety is the US toy industry’s number one priority,’’ says Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Toy Association. ‘’Counterfeit products break laws, risk lives, and should not be sold anywhere. “The toy industry is calling on all ecommerce marketplaces, the government, and all other stakeholders to work together to effectively and swiftly fix this problem before another child is needlessly injured by a counterfeit toy.” He adds: “Under the current marketplace system, illicit sellers with little or no accountability take

MGA and Character Options came out on top at the annual Toy Industry Awards. MGA was the star of the show as its L.O.L. range of collectables and accessories scooped the Toy of the Year title for the second year running, as well as the award for Collectable Range of the Year. Poopsie Surprise Unicorn earned MGA a third win, named Doll of the Year at the awards. Character Options won Supplier of the Year and Craze of the Year, adding to its growing collection of trophies. TRA Chairman, Alan Simpson, presented the awards. He said: “Our industry makes amazing and innovative toys that inspire joy and development in children. It was a difficult process to choose the few that could be shortlisted for a coveted award, and more difficult still to pick the winners from a competitive field of great products.’’ BTHA Golden Teddy Awards were presented to Simon Kohler of Hornby Hobbies and Stuart Crawford of MV Sports for being ordinary people with extraordinary talents, who have both dedicated over 40 years to the toy industry. The toy and supplier of the year awards were presented at the gala event held in Olympia’s Apex Room following the first day of the 66th annual Toy Fair. Toy of the Year: Plush Toy of the Year: Outdoor Toy of the Year: Craze of the Year: Game of the Year: Collectable Range of the Year: Fashion Doll of the Year: Doll of the Year: Licensed Product of the Year: Action Figure of the Year: Pre-School Range of the Year: Supplier of The Year:

advantage of this consumer faith by offering inferior and unsafe counterfeit toys that put our children at risk. Anyone selling toys in the US must be held to the same high safety standards that apply to the toy brands consumers have come to know and trust.” The Toy Association’s white paper says online marketplaces need to do more to screen sellers and products, requiring marketplaces to collect verified contact information. Products could be screened by requiring sellers to demonstrate legitimacy and safety of the products and instituting improved tracking of products to sellers.

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Anyone selling toys in the US must be held to the same high safety standards that apply to the toy brands consumers have come to know and trust

”

L.O.L., MGA Entertainment Scruff-a-Luvs, Worlds Apart Super Wubble Bubble Ball, Vivid Soft’n Slo Squishies, Character Options Jumanji, Spin Master L.O.L. Under Wraps, MGA Barbie Care Clinic, Mattel Poopsie Surprise Unicorn, MGA Harry Potter, LEGO Roblox, Jazwares Paw Patrol, Spin Master Character Options

The white paper also suggests that online marketplaces, industry organisations and brand owners could work together to create programs that give the presumption to IP rights holders, and provide more streamlined removal processes, a direct point of contact for the industry, training to industry groups on best practices, and more transparency to stop culprits. The paper suggests that consumer education on the risks of buying online is also needed. One option is to allow rights holders to create ‘official’ product listings, helping consumers to identify authentic listings. A ‘verified’ stamp could also be instituted.

“The Real Threat rof Fake Toys” is available at ToyAssociation .org

FEBRUARY 2019

PEOPLE

NEWS

Mary’s a retiring type

Alex takes the reins Asmodee UK has a new Managing Director in the shape of Alex Green. Green has been with the games specialist for more than 20 years. The change at the top comes as previous MD Steve Buckmaster embarks on a new challenge within the wider Asmodee Group as the new Head of Distribution in Europe. Another senior Asmodee UK figure, Anil Boodhoo, has taken on the new title of Sales & Marketing Director. Anil, a company veteran of 14 years, steps up from his role as Sales Director to head the combined team. Asmodee also has a new National Account Controller. Rob Fort has been involved in the toy industry for more than 12 years, having previously worked for Tactic Games and John Adams.

MGA welcomes new licensing head Sarah Fletcher has joined MGA Entertainment’s UK team as head of licensing. Fletcher will be working closely with all brand teams at MGA, including; L.O.L. Surprise!, Little Tike, Poopsie Slime Surprise, Num Noms, Project Mc2, Crate Creatures, Baby Born and Zapf Creation. With more than 11 years of brand licensing experience behind her, including running her own consultancy, Maximum Licensing, Sarah was previously General Manager at Fluid World, the UK agent for Sanrio, Pusheen and Jourdan Dunn, and Head of Global Retail and Events at Mind Candy.

Mary Watson, Popular Export Manager of Orchard Toys, has decided to retire. Mary joined Orchard Toys 19 years ago as Sales Manager, having come from Nottingham-based NES Arnold. Simon Prest, Sales Director, Orchard Toys, said: “Her effervescent and warm personality has been key to building long-standing relationships with her colleagues and customers. “However, it isn’t all about serious work stuff and Mary will be fondly remembered for her willingness to join in everything socially (her winning Carmen Miranda outfit at the Toymaster show was epic) and her prowess on the golf course, picking up some silverware or wine at nearly every event she played in.’’

Broadfield takes on VP role Turner International’s Johanne Broadfield has become Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises EMEA & International Strategy. In this expanded role in the licensing and merchandising business, Broadfield will continue to oversee Turner’s licensing activities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a business unit that includes product licensing, promotions, publishing, home entertainment, location-based entertainment, live events and retail development for Turner’s portfolio of globally-recognised brands. She will also be responsible for Turner’s international licensing strategy, partnering with the US in shaping the global view for key decision making, and take on joint responsibility for the P&L of Cartoon Network licensing activities across Latin America. She will also work in close partnership with Vikram Sharma, VP of Cartoon Network Enterprises, Asia Pacific in a strategic capacity.

Re:creation’s new dream team Molly Goddard has joined the Re:creation team as Sales Co-ordinator. Joining the company from a background as Business Administrator at Interiors UK, Goddard will provide day-to-day assistance to the sales team including asset gathering and delivery, as well as team schedule management. Goddard will report into General Manager, Adrian Mayes. Harrison Scott, also in the Re:creation sales team, has been promoted to National Account Manager, while Amy Pennington has been promoted to Brand Manager in the marketing department. Pennington’s brand responsibilities include plush and arts and crafts.

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MOVIE

NEWS

Movie diary 2019 February • How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World • LEGO Movie – The Second Part

March • •

Captain Marvel Dumbo

April •

Avengers: Endgame

May • •

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Aladdin

June • •

X-Men: Dark Phoenix Toy Story 4

July • •

Barbie goes big screen Following several years in limbo, it looks like Barbie will finally be making it onto the big screen. Mattel has struck a deal with Warner Bros to produce a live-action movie, based on the iconic fashion doll Barbie Taking the lead role will be Suicide Squad actress Margot Robbie, who is also the film’s producer. The movie is the first to come out of a collaboration between Mattel and Warner Bros.

Did you know? Margot Robbie began her career in Aussie soap Neighbours.

Spider-Man: Far From Home The Lion King

November •

Frozen 2

December • •

Star Wars: Episode IX Jumanji 3

Hot Wheels revs up for movie

Familiar faces The follow-up to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle looks set to feature many of the same characters The teens from the 2017 movie are to return, along with the star cast including Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart. The third film in the franchise will also feature Danny DeVito and Danny Glover. Jumanji 3 is slated for a December release date.

FEBRUARY 2019

Hot Wheels live-action movie in the works A favourite among small boys, Mattel’s Hot Wheels are steering towards a live movie. The film is the result of a new deal between the new Mattel Films label and Warner Bros. Pictures. The news follows on from the announcement of a live-action Barbie movie to be produced under the same partnership.

Superheroes fly high Fact! The biggest film of In 2018, UK cinemas 2018 in the UK was hit the highest level of Avengers: Infinity War. admissions since 1970 The Disney movie – with 177,001,481 took £74.8 million at cinema-goers. the box office. They weren’t the only Disney superheroes to do well – with both Incredibles 2 (£56.8 million) and Black Panther (57.4 million) in the top five highest-grossing films according to box office measurement company comScore. Also in the top five were musical favourites Universal’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (£65.3 million) and 20th Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody (£50 million). 11

MEDIA

NEWS

Everybody loves Bing Acamar Film’s hit pre-school show Bing was the most requested children’s programme on iPlayer in 2018, according to new figures from the BBC. Sitting alongside hugely successful dramas Bodyguard and Killing Eve, Bing was revealed to be the ninth most popular programme requested on iPlayer across the year, with the mostwatched episode - ‘Show’ - having been requested more than 3.1 million times. Bing, which launched on CBeebies in 2014, was the only children’s show to make iPlayer’s 2018 list.

Splishies land on TV Vivid’s major new launch Splishies are now on TV. Vivid has unveiled a brand-new TV creative to support the launch of its squeezable plush range Splishies. The range combines plush, water filled bellies and glitter in one product. Marketing activity will include a digital campaign, featuring a YouTube animated music video, and TV advertising, which began late last month, across CITV, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. “Splishies are the big new launch for 2019 from Vivid and we wanted to challenge the norm with the creative and ensure it was upbeat, fast paced and unique,” said Cathy Prowde, Brand Manager at Vivid. The creative was commissioned from London-based creative agency Superhero.

Playmobil goes online Playmobil has enlisted WildBrain to manage YouTube content. Under the two-year agreement, WildBrain will manage an exclusive library of 15 short animated videos from the toy brand in multiple languages, including German, English, Spanish and Portuguese, with more planned. WildBrain’s YouTube network features more than 145,000 videos for more than 600 kids’ brands in up to 22 languages. From July to September 2018, one-third of the approximately 830 million kids around the world (with access to YouTube) watched at least one video on the WildBrain network.

WildBrain takes on Smurfs Digital kids’ network, Wildbrain will manage the iconic Smurfs brand on YouTube. Looking after 41 existing localised Smurfs channels, Wildbrain is tasked with growing The Smurfs’ audience on YouTube and YouTube Kids. “The Smurfs is a wonderful brand, with humour and characters perennially loved by kids and families across generations,” said Jon Gisby, MD, WildBrain. 12

Cartoon Network’s got the power! ZAG America - the indie entertainment studio behind animated series Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir - has announced Cartoon Network has secured the broadcast rights to the upcoming animated series, Power Players. Power Players follows the adventures of Axel, a seemingly normal boy with the ability to transform into a toy-sized action hero. as he recruits a team of toy heroes and experiences the world from an entirely new perspective. Developed by Jeremy Zag, written by Man of Action (Ben 10, Big Hero 6) and co-produced by OnEntertainment, the series will include the development of a multi-segment toy line in partnership with Playmates Toys.

tnp.media

MEDIA

ANALYSIS

A world of differences A

s a business, we (Generation Media) have been expanding our global footprint for the past five years through the introduction of our centrally-managed international solution The Next Generation Media Exchange. Despite uncertainties surrounding Brexit, and as the industry looks for leading expertise across markets to benefit from economies of scale, see below some surprising commonalities and differences between several international markets. The UK has one of the largest number of kids’ commercial channels vs. other territories, with 18 kids dedicated channels. The number of children in the UK reached an all-time high this year at over 9.3 million – that’s more than the entire population of London!

ROI

Belgium

On a map, Belgium looks like one country but is at least two, and arguably three, divided by language, wealth and politics. From a media perspective, the country is split by the Flemish-speaking part (Flanders) and the French-speaking part (Wallonia). As each region has its own specific TV channels, with no overlap, TV campaigns The in South Belgium are typically in French, number of which is a commonly known language.

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children in the UK reached an all-time high this year at over 9.3 million

The Republic of Ireland has only six kids commercial channels (Nick, NJR, NJR2, Nicktoons, RTE2 & TV3). As the number of kids in ROI is 7 per cent of the total when combined with the UK, 7 per cent of media investments are typically allocated to these channels. It’s also estimated that 17 per cent of UK feed is picked up in the ROI.

France France is one of the most similar markets to that of the UK, with 8.4 million children. Kids commercial TV can reach in excess of 70 per cent of key audiences, and as such is the top media selection for toys and games advertisers with an estimated 85 per cent of media budgets in 2017 allocated to TV.

Germany With only three kids’ commercial channels in Germany, channel selection is streamlined

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with Super RTL leading from the front. The channel builds coverage levels like no other, and is fundamental to any kids’ TV channel mix.

Nordics Kids’ TV campaigns can only reach a maximum of 40 per cent of children in the Nordics. Digital investments are therefore fundamental to the media mix, with investments eclipsing that of spend on TV.

With international trade on everyone’s mind as Brexit looms, Generation Media looks at the differences, and similarities, between kids’ markets around the world

Spain Clan is the largest kids’ channel in Spain, with 14 per cent share of impacts, but sadly for advertisers it is non-commercial. Arguably the largest kids’ commercial channels is Boing, which is partly owed by MediaSet Espana and Turner. For those learning the English language, shows on the channel are also available in English via a second audio feed.

USA Arguably the largest toys and games market, ahead of Asia and Europe. With such a vast population, media investments reaching kids are often operated on a digital first basis, due to the substantial costs associated with delivering national TV campaigns. At Generation Media, Europe is open for business. We operate with a number of clients across Europe, as well as having partners to connect us to the US, Australian and Far East markets. We provide our specialist media planning and buying service on a global scale, making us a leader in children’s advertising around the world. As there is no corner of the globe that we can’t reach, do get in touch for further international insights and expertise.

Generation Media is the UK and Ireland’s largest independent media buyer of toys and games advertising. Visit generationmedia.co.uk or call 0207 307 7900 to learn more.

FEBRUARY 2019

LICENSING

Posh plush partner

NEWS

Reach for the skyyy! Disney has announced a new range of Toy Story 4 product. The exciting new collection covers toys and accessories, and will be available at Disney Store shops, shopDisney.uk and selected retailers from 22 April. Licensee Thinkway have introduced new toys including interactive Buzz and Woody toys that respond to a number of voice commands. If kids say, “someone’s coming!” Woody and Buzz will freeze, drop down and go into silent toy mode. Kids will also love Bunny and Ducky Huggable Plush and Interactive Forky, who listens to voice commands, talks back and is programmed to dance along with music is another,. Mission Moves Buzz from Mattel brings the toy space ranger to life with lights, sounds and iconic action moves. Press the big red button on his left side to deploy his wings and hear him say a series of phrases as he moves around and swivels his hips in his signature style. He even includes an Easter egg surprise to discover and make Buzz do the moon walk! Also from Mattel is the Ducky and Bunny Interactive 2-Pack, recreating the dynamic duo in movie-inspired relative scale and have authentic colours and styling. Each figure has over 20 sounds and phrases, and they interact when in close proximity to one another.

Posh Paws launched a raft of licensed product at London Toy Fair. From Disney, it presented a fantastic range of high quality plush toys for some of the biggest film releases of the year, including Dumbo, Aladdin, Toy Story 4, Lion King and, not to forget, Frozen 2! For the pre-school market Posh Paws has new property Pirata and Capitano, as well as The Sleepies from Moshi Twlight – super soft, huggable bedtime buddies based on characters in the revolutionary sleep story audio app.

Go Jet ‘em! BBC Studios has partnered with toy manufacturers 8th Wonder to create an exciting range of Go Jetters toys. The collection will include a range of plush and wooden designs inspired by the hit CBeebies show, which will hit shelves AW19, coinciding with the launch of the third series.

Barbie’s new career move Keep your eyes peeled as we we’ll soon be seeing Barbie dressed for a whole host of new jobs. Mattel has announced a worldwide licensing agreement between its iconic Barbie brand and National Geographic, and the partnership plans to create toys and content centred around exploration, science, conservation and research. The product line, which will be available this AW, is set to feature career dolls and playsets highlighting occupations in which women are currently underrepresented in the modern working world. They will include: Wildlife conservationist, astrophysicist, entomologist and wildlife photojournalist. All dolls and playsets will also come complete with relevant accessories.

Universal’s plush expansion Universal Brand Development has announced new collaborations with leading plush licensees, Rainbow Designs and Posh Paws. And the two deals have sparked ambitious plans to expand this much-loved toy category. “The plush category is often an entry point to our properties for young children,” says Hannah Mungo, Country Manager UK and Ireland for UBD. “Posh Paws and Rainbow Designs are market leaders and experts in bringing animated characters to life through beautiful, high quality, authentic plush. We look forward to collaborating with them.”

Oh, the cutelife! Re:creation is celebrating an agreement with toy licensee Brandable that will see it become UK distributor for the first toy collection inspired by Jiffpom. Known for being ‘the world’s most followed dog’, Jiffpom has become one of the most recognisable social media influencers around, with more than 30 million followers. Jiffpom Cutelife is a range of fun toys that launched last year, with collectable and plush styles. Among the launch lines in the UK are 10-inch collectable plush toys, with styles including ‘Pajama Party’ and Unicorn. The range is expected to retail from April. 14

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RETAIL

NEWS

Create and donate Toys R Us comeback Toys R Us is making a comeback as Tru Kids Brands, a year after the retailer collapsed. The company will oversee Toys R Us, Babies R Us and 20 other established consumer-facing toy and baby brands. Richard Barry, former Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys R Us, will serve as President and CEO. His ambition is to bring the Toys R Us brand back to US retail, so “the US doesn’t have to go through another holiday without these beloved brands”. Tru Kids will work with global partners who continue to operate the Toys R Us business around the world. These global partners are set to open 70 stores this year in Asia, India and Europe, as well as develop new e-commerce platforms in several key markets.

The Entertainer teamed up with UK charity Young Minds during Children’s Mental Health Week this month. Each of The Entertainers 163 shops hosted The Big Create at the start of the week, encouraging little ones to let their creativity flow with fun in-store activities indluding dough making and colouring-in sessions. The chain also donated 10 per cent of all profits of their Nick Jr Ready, Steady, Dough sets that were sold either online or in store on the same day to Young Minds, which supports children and young people’s mental health. The partnership was formed to help raise awareness of how play can promote mental health. Gary Grant, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Entertainer says: “Play is so important to children. Not only does it allow them to explore their imaginations and become inspired, but it also encourages them to interact with others.”

Lifeline loan Debenhams has secured a £40 million loan from lenders and a deal with a major supplier to improve its own-label clothing. The new investment allows the retailer to extend its current £520 million borrowing facilities with banks for another year, meaning it will be able to continue talks with lenders. Debenhams has issued three profit warnings over the past year, as it looks to renegotiate its debts and accelerate plans to close stores, with 20 outlets due to close this year. News of new funding caused a 40 per cent surge in Debenhams’ share price when trading opened this morning. Just last year Debenhams announced restructuring plans which will see the loss of 50 stores and put 4,000 jobs at risk.

Photo by Dom J from Pexels

High street habits “To save the high street, many retailers need to ensure that they are thinking innovatively about how to draw customers in with clearer in-store stock checks, more staff and extended hours during busy periods.” says Holly Andrews, KIS FInance MD, following a survey they ran with over 1,000 Brits. Shoppers also highlighted free parking as a major incentive for them to shop on the high street These findings come at a critical time; more than 60 per cent of those surveyed fear the high street will disappear within the next 10 years. Holly says they were keen to find out how consumers’ shopping habits might affect retailers’ footfall. “The reason why so many retailers are struggling with their stores is because consumer shopping habits are changing and the high street needs to change with it, creating a more community led atmosphere with more accessibility and variety for everyone.”

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Emmet returns! Buying group Toymaster released a new window display dedicated to the Lego Movie 2, which opened this month. The film, the sequel to the the hugely successful 2014 original, again features Special Master Builder Emmet Brickowski and all his friends. LEGO has released a number of sets to tie in with the new release, including Emmet’s Thricycle, and MetalBeard’s Heavy Metal Motor Trike.

Dragons ﬂy into Build-A-Bear The DreamWorks’ Dragons franchise has ﬂown into Build-A-Bear Workshop locations. The new plush, which appeared in mid-January, are stocked in Build-ABear locations across the UK, US and Canada, as well as online at buildabear. com. The move celebrates the release of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the third in the movie franchise, which is released this month. Everyone’s favourite dragon Toothless has been given the Build-A-Bear treatment alongside Light Fury, a new introduction for the new movie. Toothless has black fur and green eyes, and Light Fury rocks her long tail and white wings, Both can be enhanced with sounds from the movie through a six-in-one sound chip.

Toy boss rescues HMV The man who has stepped in to save high street entertainment chain HMV is also president of the largest toys and games distribution company in North America. Canadian company Sunrise Records is set to buy Photo from brightonbits.blogspot.com 100 of the music chain’s stores. Sunrise Records is owned by entrepreneur Doug Putman, who is also President of Everest Toys. Putman bought HMV’s Canadian business two years ago, taking Sunrise Records from a small chain to a national operation with 80 outlets.

FEBRUARY 2019

Top of the shops A high standard of entries in a challenging year impressed judges of the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards, said BTHA chair Foye Pascoe at last month’s presentation evening. The Entertainer came out on top at Awards evening, coming away with both the esteemed Toy Retailer of the Year award, and the Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (30 stores or more). Pascoe, who presented the retailer awards, said: “On behalf of the BTHA, I would like to congratulate all the winners of this year’s Toy Retailer Awards. In what was a challenging year, judges were impressed with the high standard of entries received and the achievements made in 2018 by all of the shortlisted retailers.”

Who won what… • Overall Toy Retailer of the Year: The Entertainer • Independent Toy Retailer of the Year: Banba Toymaster • Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (2-29 stores): East Midland Toy Company • Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (30 stores or more): The Entertainer • General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year: Sainsbury’s Argos • Department Store Toy Retailer of the Year: W.J. Daniel & Co, Windsor • Online Toy Retailer of the Year: Shop Direct

RETAIL INTERVIEW

EAST MIDLANDS TOY COMPANY

Eastern promise Fresh from its triumph at the BTHA awards, James Colcough, Co-Founder of the East Midlands Toy Company, talks to TnP about the secret of its success

ames Colcough, founded the East Midlands Toy Company (EMTC) with David Westerman 10 years ago. They now run five Toymaster branded toy shops, in Melton Mowbray, Newark-on-Trent, Retford, Bridlington and York. Last month they won the accolade of Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (2-29 stores) at last month’s BTHA Awards.

How did you first enter the toy industry?

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We are currently working our online to make it feel more like our shops. How do you do it without eye contact and a smile?

I took redundancy in 2009 from a large firm and after exploring my options, settled on joining Toymaster and we opened our

first store in Melton Mowbray.

Why do you think you made it to the finals of the awards?

What is it that makes your stores special?

I think we have a varied portfolio of stores and the teams within work very hard to make their site unique. Our people are the driving force behind our success and being a winner is something we are all proud of.

We aim to be ambassadors of the Toymaster brand, both visually and with our independent service ethos. Each of our store leaders is very committed to our service levels and this is filtered down to everyone who faces a customer.

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How many years have you been coming to Toy Fair? I’ve attended every fair since

Pony Agility Training, Schleich

Fact! EMTC has five shops – Melton Mowbray, Newark-on-Trent, Retford, Bridlington and York. 18

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impact for another generation of viewers.

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L.O.L. has smashed most things out of the park - but we have seen fantastic growth in Schliech and Sylvanian Families

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2010 and when I look back I remember how daunting it was to be faced with such choice, being a small independent.

How has 2018 been for the business? Any highs or lows? Our core business has seen growth on 2017, so that’s been a good reason to pat ourselves on the back in this climate. Implementation of a brand new EPOS system in 2018 was a major challenge but we have come through that now and the benefits are evident.

What's in the pipeline for EMTC in 2019? We have a solid business plan for 2019 and some of this is around re-establishing some core ranges into stores where perhaps we have lost focus. Back to basics is the key and getting those price points right. We will also be developing the direct ship model, with a plan for significant growth in that area.

FEBRUARY 2019

At Toy Fair, what are your go-to stands? We had lots of meetings set up but also set time aside to browse so we could get to most of the stands but I always like to get around the Greenhouse and see what new ideas are coming through. After seeing the sock game there a couple of years ago I have full confidence in new initiatives.

And finally, what do you most look forward to at Toy Fair? The bar at the end of a long day! Well, almost seriously because it’s great to catch up with fellow retailers and particularly Toymaster members who we see at each show and meeting.

What has sold particularly well for you over the past few months? L.O.L. has smashed most things out of the park – but we have seen fantastic growth in Schleich and Sylvanian Families too.

And what do you think will be the next big thing? I’m hoping movie product really works this year.

Do you have a personal favourite toy or brand? I think Toy Story is close to my heart as the third instalment came out in my first year of business and really helped give an initial lift. Almost 10 years later we are looking forward to Toy Story 4; it would be nice to see that brand make an

Buzz Lightyear with interactive drop-down action, Thinkway Toys

Did you know? EMTC won Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (2-29 stores) at last month’s BTHA Awards.

RETAIL

OPINION

Toy talk TnP caught up with some retailers and buyers before and after Toy Fair 2019 to find out what toys they want to stock on their shelves and what suppliers they are definitely going to be visiting…

TnP loves to hear your views. This month we chat with retailers at Toy Fair to find out what they enjoyed at the show and what they hope to be buying...

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There’s a lot of new kids’ movies out this year and we’ve spotted some great licensed products – Toy Story will be a big one for us, as will Frozen. We’re loving the new licensed Scalextrics – Marvel and Wacky Races. Adrian Kelly and Ian Kelly, directors, Kellys Toymaster, southern Ireland

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“We’re looking to expand the ranges from existing suppliers – we’ve already been to see Magformers and their Clicformers units. Another thing we’re on the lookout for are presents for the eight plus market.’’ Jonathan and Elizabeth Amphlett, Toytastik, Chepstow, South Wales

Dee Shah. Owner, Shells Toys and Gifts, Chichester 20

Sarah Keep, Assistant Manager Pandemonium

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“ “I really liked LEGO – they have more and more for girls, it is becoming more equal for boys and girls now. It’s one of the best sellers in our shop – especially the pocket money priced toys. I also liked the Ryans World’s stand. That little boy earns a lot from his YouTube channel and now has his own toys! They appeal to us as we try to do pocket money toys – £2.99/£5.99/£9.99 – as we are on the beach and children regularly come in with their own money. I also liked Spin Master’s toys from the new How to Train Your Dragon movie.’’

“I have to say Halilit were amazing, with great product lines and lovely designs.”

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I’ve got some great stuff coming from LEGO soon, and my Ty order is in already – it always does well for us. I’m heading off see Playmobil and BigJigs now. Billy Deakin, Silly Billy’s, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

I saw a lot of stuff that was just the next generation of the same thing. What did impress me was the repackaging of Sylvanian Families. There’s a lot less packaging and it’s all been resized, which is great, because when we put them out on the shelf it can look a bit like a jumble sale! The new houses are great in their modular form; they can stack on top of each other, so someone can buy the starter home and then add to it. Sylvanian Families is a consistent seller for us – it was really nice to see something that was not gimmicky. Jon Scrivens, Toymaster, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

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AMBASS ADORS

s y a s e Milli

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SLIME E V O L I HESE AND T LITTLE FUNNY RES Not all collectables are cute and fluffy, as U CREAT S LAUGH Christine discovered when she gave Bandai’s U Slurpees Snot Suckers to her granddaughter, MADE Y E H T AS OUT Millie, aged nine. D E Z E "My granddaughter Millie just loves slime. Last time we SQUE ND A , out shopping – supposedly for clothes – she ended up T O N E went S K I L I with pots of the stuff- glittery, sparkly, you name it she had ! D FARTE ERE it! So I knew she would love these Slurpees Snot Suckers. H "Basically, they are two toys in one – there’s the slime THAT T FERENT F and then the little creature. You can suck the snot up into I D E AR RES TO their nose and then squirt it out again – gross, but the U T A E children love it!" says Christine. CR CT TOO E L Christine added: "Millie is not a really ‘girlie’ girl. L O C

Suck it up!

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She loves reptiles - snakes in particular - and thought the Slurpees Snot Suckers were great fun. She likes anything that is based on putty and slime – and she really liked that they were gross! They also make some delightful farting noises – what’s not to love?!"

Bandai 0208 324 6160 www.bandai.co.uk

Lovely Larvae Larva is a Korean animation that has taken YouTube by storm. Little Arthur, aged 5, loved the cuddly character Yellow from Re:creation as his mum Vicky explains

: s y a s arry

"Larva, with its slapstick humour, is KES HE MA URP a hit in our house – MB even the grown-ups BOTTO – I like it! So Arthur was S Re:creation is the NOISE M! delighted with this giant I first distributor LOVE H ‘Yellow’ – one of the main to launch the creatures in the series. product in "Yellow is not Europe particularly clever – and this plush version makes all of his favourite noises, Each episode of Larva only lasts including some hilarious farting between one and three minutes. sounds that had Arthur in hysterics. "The toy has a lovely, soft, almost velvety feel, and unlike the usual plush toy, it feels more like memory foam inside, which makes it very huggable – none of us can resisting picking him up and having a cuddle when we find him around the house. "Yellow has become Arthur’s favourite cuddly toy for bedtime, and I think we’ll look out for more from the same collection once they hit the shops in Re:creation the spring."

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Fact!

Did you know?

Contact

01189 736 222 www.recreationltd.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2019

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RETAIL

OPINION

Back from the retail dead? Europe’s first FAO Schwarz ‘flagship’ store is set to open later this year. But will it prove to be the right fit in the right location?

past an outsize toy of this kind and not at least want to have ater this year, iconic American toy retailer FAO a little go. But is it enough to pull the crowds through the Schwarz will open its first ever European flagship doors and, given the power of the web, is there much point store, in Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street. at all in opening big, shiny new stores in 2019? There are a couple of points worth making at this point. A As far as London is concerned, it all looks a bit of a winflagship tends to lead to a fleet, but this will be, to date, the sole European outpost of what was once at the very top of the win for FAO Schwarz and Selfridges. The toy department in the world’s best department store (that’s what the Global tree of the US toy retailing panorama. Department Store Summit crowned it for the fourth time in Also key, is that it will be in Selfridges, and there aren’t that 2018), was always a little below par when set against much many ‘flagships’ that are surrounded by another vessel. But of the rest of the store’s offer. The space given to toys was it appears this will be the case for Euro FAO – now owned by (like John Lewis, further along Oxford Street), secondary, the Hong Kong-based ThreeSixty Group. marooned on one of the upper floors and it was always The store is going to be around the 20,000 sq ft mark something of an effort to get to it. when it does see the light of day, which even At the end of last year, an FAO Schwarz contained within a host, as it is, still makes it a pop-up was installed in Selfridges, opening sizable proposition. given the in November, around the same time as the FAO Schwarz is a retail brand that locations of the Rockefeller store in New York. has been brought back from the new stores, all of It clearly worked, and for Selfridges, which dead with a shiny new shop in New which are high does have a lot of space to keep filled, 20,000 York’s Rockefeller Plaza, and in March sq ft is now spoken for and a deal will have another store will open in Beijing. It rent, it seems been done that will see FAO Schwarz agreeing looks like an operation that is on the reasonable to to keep the in-store faith for a prescribed move. suppose that they period. Who knows, it might prove better than And given the locations of the new the previous dedicated Selfridges toy store. stores, all of which are high rent, it will be crowdFor FAO Schwarz it’s a matter of footfall. As seems reasonable to suppose that pleasers those who followed the fortunes of ‘The Toy they will be crowd-pleasers. Store’, along the street and just next to Bond You’d also suspect that as this is Street tube station (which opened and closed in 2016 after a known brand, but one that has been away for a less than a year’s trading) there is more to being successful while – having closed the doors of its New York store than just being in the right place. It is crucial that the brand is in 2015 when it was owned by Toys R Us, before both known and wanted. unveiling the Rockefeller Centre location last year – Here FAO Schwarz should score. The horde that descends ThreeSixty might take the opportunity to start afresh. on Oxford Street before Christmas (the shop-in-shop is set Why? Simple really. If this is a format that closed to open on November 1st) is pretty international in its makeowing to lack of trade last time around, wouldn’t it up and will be well aware of the heritage of the new arrival. make sense to do things a little differently? And up to a point they have done just that. The Rockefeller It’s also fair to say that Selfridges is not a bad brand in its own right and when it markets something, its fans tend to store features a 27ft-high rocket ship, courtesy of fall in line. Build-A-Bear which sponsors it, with teddy-bear But will this ‘flagship’, massive by in-store space standards, astronauts and there is also a three-storey clock actually work? The answer, Brexit notwithstanding, is a tower. cautious yes. But hold on, there’s also a dance-on piano Unless the UK really does become a commercial no-go zone and wasn’t that the one that featured in the in the next few months, this looks like being the right thing 1988 Tom Hank’s film Big? In spite of the claims in the right place with a potentially beguiling mix of proven made by the retailer’s marketing team about features and a few novelties. It may not be a flagship in the the piano being ‘new and improved’, it’s still traditional sense, but it seems a fair bet that the management an instrument that you dance on and which has of Hamley’s will be hot-footing it along the street to check it been an FAO feature for decades. out - and they will likely have good cause to be a little fearful. On the face of it perhaps there is nothing At last, something to give three cheers to, showing that the wrong with this, as it would be something of UK still has some who believe in it. a challenge for any child or adult to wander

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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.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

TOMY’s on a In a Golden Age of product development, TOMY is setting the standard with its new girls’ collectables range, Ritzy Rollerz. Set to launch in July 2019, this exciting new brand is poised to take the collectables market to the next level!

itzy Rollerz is the exciting new IP from TOMY that promises to bring something unique to the girls’ collectables market when it launches this summer. Creating a world of adventures where personalities can shine through with cute and sparkly characters that are not only customisable, but also offer plenty of hidden surprises. Girls aged four to nine years old will love to collect these adorable characters, which have been developed to empower storytelling and inspire girls to be unique in their very own way. The Ritzy Rollerz collection will launch with a range of single and bestie characters, mobile playsets and a feature Dance n Dazzle Spa playset. There will be 12 characters to choose from initially, including Groovy Gaby, Frenchy Braid and Penelope Paris. The characters are all unique, both in terms of their look – different textures, different hairstyles – and their actual personalities. With

these unique characters, young girls can immerse themselves in a world of roleplay and express their own individual personalities. Retailers were introduced to the new Ritzy Rollerz line-up at London Toy Fair and Spielwarenmesse, who were impressed with the competitive entry point of the Ritzy Rollerz characters given the level of detail on each character, the charms, as well as the hidden surprise charms inside the booty trunks. Also well received by retailers were the Ritzy Rollerz playsets, designed to allow girls to expand their play. But, the star of the show was the Dance n Dazzle Spa, which was named one of London Toy Fair’s Hero Toys of 2019. TOMY’s strategy to launch the new product line will kick off with a preawareness campaign driven by social and creative community platforms like PopJam where the older end of the Ritzy Rollerz’ target audience is spending their

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Girls aged four to nine years old will love to collect these adorable characters, which have been developed to empower storytelling and inspire girls to be unique in their very own way

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Plenty of character There will be 12 characters to choose from initially, including Groovy Gaby, Frenchy Braid and Penelope Paris. The characters are all unique, both in terms of their look – different textures, different hairstyles – and their actual personalities. 24

Retailers love Ritzy

Retailers were introduced to the new Ritzy Rollerz lineup at London Toy Fair and Spielwarenmesse, who were impressed with competitive entry point of the Ritzy Rollerz characters given the level of detail on each character, the charms, as well as the hidden surprise charms inside the booty trunks. time. At the same time, TOMY will be looking to seed the characters amongst the target audience, starting to bring the world of Ritzy Rollerz to life through some CGI animated webisodes. As the launch date draws closer, there will be a heavyweight TV advertising campaign to promote in-store and online purchase. TOMY will continue its support in the Back to School timeframe, right through until the Christmas gifting period when the focus will be on the Dance n Dazzle Spa Playset. The full offering will include the Ritzy Rollerz Assortment, the Ritzy Rollerz Bestie Assortment, the Heelz On Wheelz Playset, the Sprinklez On Wheelz Playset and of course the festive focus, Dance n Dazzle Spa Playset.

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Ritzy Rollerz Dance n Dazzle Spa was named one of London Toy Fair’s Hero Toys of 2019

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Sprinklez On Wheelz Playset (suitable from four years) If you’re looking for the most scrumptious pastries in all of Ritzy World, then you have to track down Donut Dani and her mobile donut shop, Sprinklez on Wheelz! Inside the shop you’ll find a display case (mmmmm, donuts!) and opening drawers where Dani can store her most prized ritzy charms! Come join all of the Ritzy Rollerz at the sweetest charm shop in all of Glitz City! This set includes the donut shop, an exclusive Donut Dani wheeled character and 16 ritzy charms that you can use to customise Dani and the inside of the shop. Available from July 2019.

FEBRUARY 2019

This adorable playset is a spa day dream come true. Ja m-packed with features including lights, sounds and an exclusive Tori TaDa unicorn on w heels, the Dance n Daz zle Spa is guaranteed to entertain and provide additional play. Complet e with the Dance n Daz zle stage and 30 supe r sparkly Ritzy charms that girls will love! This playset is primed to be a hit this Christmas gi fting period. Available from July 2019.

THE INDEPENDENT

OPINION

You can’t always get what you I

know that I should be writing all about the amazing toys and product ranges I have seen over the past month during all of the amazing fairs, but something has come up that I would rather have a total rant about, so please forgive me if you have to wait until next month for my in-depth and extremely informative review of what I saw during Toy Fair and Spring Fair. I regularly try to avoid dealing with customer complaints (either face-to-face or on the phone). Now, this isn`t for the usual reason that people shy away from these things; I have no trouble at all having it out with a disgruntled customer or saying that awkward thing that needs to be said in certain situations. I wouldn`t say I

enjoy these confrontations, but I have always been able to overcome that initial fear of what I wanted to say and just got on with saying it regardless. I have recently had a number of complaints from customers that I was unable to avoid (I happened to be on the shop floor when they came in guns blazing or unfortunately picked up the phone when they rang) but I can`t help but feel that the immediate thought process of most people is that if they complain enough, they will get whatever they want. This couldn`t be further from the truth! Here’s a couple of the best examples: a customer brought back a Jumbo Squish Dee Lish from Jakks Pacific in a plastic bag, and demanded a full

“

My initial reaction was to ask the lady if she was part werewolf, but when she didn’t see the funny side of that I ended up having a bit of a row with her on the shop floor.

“

The Indie has a complaint about his customers. They’re always complaining…

refund because the product ‘fell apart’ when their child was playing with it. I opened the bag, to see about six pieces of what used to be quite a cute Squish Dee Lish product that had quite clearly been torn apart by a dog or animal of some kind. My initial reaction was to ask the lady if she was part werewolf, but when she didn’t see the funny side of that I ended up having a bit of a row with her on the shop floor. She stormed out as if I had been totally unreasonable, even being daft enough to tell me that any other retailer wouldn`t have even questioned her. Sorry, is that of any interest to me?! Another brilliant one was

THE SECRET SUPPLIER

Turn that frown upside down The Secret Supplier believes that it is almost always possible to turn a complaint around and win yourself a loyal customer

“

The lesson I have learned is that it is relatively easy to turn a complaint into a compliment.

“

his month’s Independent article is both interesting and amusing (pity we didn’t see the confrontation with the Wolf lady on YouTube). At the same time it also highlights a significant difference between suppliers and retailers. In broad terms, we suppliers mainly have to respond to complaints about product performance whereas retailers

have to face complaints about pricing. However, the common problem we both face is that a member of the public is dissatisfied in some respect. And that person may be buying toys for years to come, so how the complaint is resolved is really important. I am reminded of my own experience as a consumer

with a complaint when I had a Mothercare baby bottle warmer which flashed and sparked dangerously. When the second replacement also failed I decided to write to the boss of Mothercare in case the problem was endemic in all of their stock. Some three months later I got a reply, not from the big boss but from his secretary, who simply said there was nothing

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as far as I can remember she didn`t even pause for breath – about how I should run my business. She even said that her grandson had been loyal to my store since he was born! Haha, I`ll not even mention my response to that one. What is it with these people who feel they can just be a nuisance until they get what they want? Also, the number of things I get back for refunds that were sold at £1 or less is unreal. I`m no more wealthy than your average Joe on the street, and things were always tight for my family when my kids were young, but if I had been asked to return to a store to return an item that cost that little I would have just laughed. This may be an unfair way

wrong with the product! Why would anyone complain and write unless they truly thought there was something wrong? I vowed never to shop at Mothercare again. In fact, as suppliers we have relatively little contact with consumers but the lesson I have learned is that it is relatively easy to turn a complaint into a compliment. A friend of mine, with whom I was discussing this subject, wisely said: “You never know what a bad thing is good for”. If you apply this mantra to customer service, you can win a consumer who trusts and appreciates the company, and who goes on to tell all his friends

“

how good the company is. In that context I am left wondering how the two consumers to which the Indie refers think about his business. Although, inevitably there are a small number of consumers who are prepared to take advantage of a sympathetic retailer (or supplier), it seems that the positive approach and best strategy is to assume that the customer is always right and it will pay off in the long run. The Indie should try it!

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FEBRUARY 2019

It seems that the positive approach and best strategy is to assume that the customer is always right and it will pay off in the long run.

“

Some people just seem to be at their most happy when complaining about something (usually me in the case of my in-laws!)

“

over the phone. A grandmother had been out with her grandson who was delighted to be visiting his favourite toy store (my shop). During their visit they purchased a Jurassic World Thrash N Throw T-Rex from Mattel, only to find out when they went to a couple of other stores that we were slightly more expensive than the other retailers that had them in stock. I advised the lady that provided she had proof of purchase and the item wasn`t opened or used we would issue a full refund to her and she could go and purchase it at the better price, but that based on my cost price I wasn`t going to be able to price match. I then had to endure (it was torture) a fiveminute ramble – during which

to look at things, but I just can`t imagine that being worth anyone`s time. Then again, if I look at my in-laws for example, some people just seem to be at their most happy when complaining about something (usually me in the case of my in-laws!). I just can`t get my head around it, but it is becoming more of an issue every year. I really do my best as a retailer to be fair to everyone that comes into my stores, but there seems to be a misunderstanding among the general public that selling toys earns a fortune, and that every retail price out there is still making a profit. If only we could spend a small amount of time correcting this, and even better than that, if only retailers tried to sell all of their toys at a profit instead of worrying about market share, or sticking the knife into one of their competitors it would be a nicer world to be in.

FEATURE

GIRLS COLLECTABLES

A little piece of the action In a tricky ﬁnancial time for the toy industry the success of girls’ collectables is soaring. And as TnP discovers, it’s both imaginative play and design that’s fuelling the ﬁre…

n these days of genderneutral toys, it’s perhaps not wise to talk in too generalised terms about how children like to play. But speak to industry leaders in the collectables toy category and they will tell you that for girls, it’s their love of imaginative play and the draw of building magical worlds with characters that’s fuelling huge growth in the field and continuing to inspire innovative design. Whether you’re talking about brands that have stood the test of time, such as My Little Pony or Sylvanian Families, product tied to huge ﬁlm franchises, such as Frozen 2 – which is due for release in November – or new emotionsbased

brand Moji Pops, girls’ collectables are currently one of the big success stories in the toy market. New ﬁgures from NPD, released at London Toy Fair, reveal that, in a year of ﬁnancial instability for the industry, collectables were a key driving force for growth – accounting for 14 per cent of total British toy sales in 2018. That’s up 32 per cent year on year in terms of growth and collectables accounted for one out of every four toys sold in the UK last year – the number oneselling toy of the year was the L.O.L. Surprise! Pets blind pack. The success of the collectables category certainly shows no sign of slowing down. The category had an outstanding performance in the Toy and Supplier of the Year Awards. MGA scooped up three awards for collectables and Character Options’ Soft’n Slo Squishies won Craze of the Year. Julia Cake, Commercial Director at Magic Box Toys, says the popularity of different types of girls’ collectables is only set to grow over the next few years. “Girls love to collect and create and build worlds to embrace their imagination,” she says. “This is as opposed to boys who collect to predominantly

Bandai

Magic Box Toys trade and battle. “Due to this play pattern girls’ collectables will remain popular and brands will continue to ﬁnd ways to bring new this is a toy innovation and excitement to the category. Plus trend that’s this is a toy trend that’s particularly good particularly good for retailers because price for retailers points are good, creating because price year-round appeal rather points are good, than seasonal trends. In addition shelf space doesn’t creating yearbecome an issue as most round appeal collectables are displayed rather than in counter display units or seasonal trends freestanding display units, or are small enough to Julia Cake, maximise shelf space – so Magic Box Toys there are no display issues. “The appeal of collectables is consistently strong so they present little risk.” “Collectable toys with an element of surprise continue to be topsellers in the toy industry,” says

“

”

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Spin Master

Phil Hooper, Commercial Director Marketing, Spin Master UK. Having introduced a number of collectables to the toy market, including the hugely successful girls Hatchimals CollEGGtibles, and the recently-launched Lollipets, Spin Master is keeping the collectables category fresh this year. Phil promises that Spin Master will “take this trend further” for the Hathchimals CollEGGtibles range in 2019, “revealing more hidden surprises beyond the initial unboxing. Children can enjoy the element of surprise as they unbox their toys, hatch their eggs and reveal new exciting features”. Charlotte Kinson, Social Media and Marketing Executive for Funko, who are one of the leading creators and distributors of licensed pop culture products across a range of ages and genres – says the collectables genre has certainly seen a shift in recent years. “The collector landscape is changing to become more inclusive,” she says. “A community that was once heavily maledominated has seen a huge rise in female fans over recent years, and Funko supports this with the vast range of licences we support. “We have a range of products across hundreds of licences with unisex appeal, from major cinematic releases like Avengers: End Game to TV shows such as Stranger Things and Riverdale.

Plus we’ve also found an increased interest in some of our more nostalgic products too, from classic Disney Princesses to licences such as Harry Potter, and even Care Bears. “Due to the whimsical characterisation our collectables have, they have a much more unisex appeal and appealing price points allow us to attract a range of different customers. “With content continuously being released, the girls’ collectable trend is here to stay – not just with traditional girl-focused licences like Frozen 2, but others that didn’t previously sit under the girls’ umbrella, including Marvel, DC and Star Wars.” In terms of products to look out for from Funko in 2019, Charlotte says: “The beginning of the year is seeing a strong drive for Captain Marvel and Avengers: End Game, and we’re expecting success around How To Train Your Dragon 3 and Frozen 2.” For Magic Box Toys, as Julia Cake explains, the big collectables story for 2019 is the launch of Moji Pops – a range that brings everyday objects to life as unique, fun-loving characters with colourful emotions based on popular emoticons. “From an ice cream to a cactus, a television to a pillow, each blind-bagged character has a removable double-

Funko

FEBRUARY 2019

“

With content continuously being released the girls’ collectable trend is here to stay, and not just with traditional girlfocused licenses like Frozen 2

”

Charlotte Kinson, Funko

sided face,” Julia says. “You flip it over to switch between emoticon-based expressions depicting a huge variety of sentiments, or you can even swap faces completely with any of the other characters in the collection. “Children can switch their character’s mood from sleepy to happy, sad to cool – there are six different-coloured face pieces, each with two distinct emotions to alternate between. “In total there are 90 different characters to collect, from the worlds of pets, home, nature, travel, music, food and sport, including six ultra-rare Glitter Moji Pops.” And there’s plenty more new, collectable ranges for girls this year. TOMY’s new Ritzy Rollerz range has it all - it’s customisable, collectable and girls are going to love it when it launches in July. Girls will also go bonkers for Bandai’s Series 3 Bananas and Mookie Toy’s new distributed line, PopPops, which are not only collectable, but also cross over into the slime category. The colourful, customiseable doll range, RaindboElla, which Mookie Toys showcased at London Toy Fair is also sure to be a best-seller!

FEATURE

GIRLS COLLECTABLES

A Flair for collectables FLAIR

From super-cute pets to Shopkins families,

there’s a whole host of new collectables to 0208 643 0320 www.ﬂairplc.co.uk enjoy from Flair and Just Play this year.

Just Play’s Hairdorables have created waves in the toy market since the brand’s launch in autumn and now Noah and the Hairdorables are back in Series 2! The girl squad has 26 new dolls to collect with all new styles, and an exciting new colour reveal feature. Also new to the squad is the Hairdorables Pets. There are 24 to collect in total and all

come with their own brush, so you can style your pet’s hair just like your doll! Meanwhile Shopkins is keeping it in the family with a new series combining mini packs with collectable family groups. In total there are 150 new characters to collect, with each group consisting of a mum, dad, sister and brother – plus a surprise baby to ﬁnd. There’s plenty of choice from a price point of view as well, with pocket-money friendly single Shopkins packs, 16-piece Shopper Packs, plus a mega Fun Pack with 22 pieces – and at least one family unit. Pikmi Pops is also feeling the collectables’ love, with Pikmi Pops Bubble Drops due for release this month. Packaged in a gumball-inspired CDU, there are 24 characters to collect, including a limited-edition unicorn. Each contains a squeezable Pikmi Pops plush and surprise message. In April, the core collection will introduce freshly-baked doughnutshaped Pikmi plush. These super-cute DoughMis smell delicious with scents including Cinnamon, Chocolate Glaze and Strawberry Jelly – sure to whet your appetite for collectables!

Top of the Moji Pops MAGIC BOX TOYS 01403 251286 www.magicboxint.com As possibly the biggest current success story in the toy industry, it’s not surprising to see cutting-edge design being associated with the collectables category. But Magic Box Toys has gone one step further with their new range, Moji Pops, which enables children to use their favourite collectables to switch moods, ﬂip faces, and alter emotions. The specialists behind such smash-hit

properties as GoGos, Crazy Bones and SuperZings, Magic Box is set to launch the new emotions-based collectable IP in March. Moji Pops Series 1 is made up of everyday objects brought to life as unique, fun-loving characters with an array of colourful emotions based on popular emoticons. From an ice cream to a cactus, a television to a pillow, each blind-bagged character has a removable double-sided face – and you can ﬂip between emoticon expressions or swap faces completely with other characters. There are six

different-coloured face pieces and 90 individual characters to collect in all, including six ultra-rare Glitter Moji Pops. Highlights from the range include 12 different boxed Story sets, including two Moji Pops and a mini stage, six different Photo Pop blister packs, each containing four Moji Pops, Blister Glitter Surprise – a blister eight-pack containing six Moji Pops and two Glitter Moji Pops and four different I Like… playsets to collect, each containing two themed Moji Pops.

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FEATURE

GIRLS COLLECTABLES

A-peeling collectables! BANDAI 0208 324 6160 www.bandai.co.uk Series 3 Bananas Bunches 3-Pack was recently recognised as one of Toy Fair’s Hero Toys 2019. Cleverly combining two key collectables trends – the surprise moment and toys related to food – Bananas takes it to the next level as kids peel the tactile, scented banana skin to reveal a variety of exciting surprises and even more toys to play with. Every Bananas looks, smells and peels like the real thing and reveals a unique collectable Crushie character hidden inside the fruit. Series 2 launching in SS19 sees the introduction of new Rainbow Bananas and new fruits with more Crushies to collect. Moving into autumn, Series 3 will include chocolate-dipped Bananas, more fruits and playsets. The squishy, scented surprise collectable brand Smooshy Mushy sees new themed series and play patterns launched throughout 2019. Launching in spring, Series 5: Sugar Fix features new characters housed in gumball containers.each with a new scratch card game to play alongside the Smooshy app. AW19 will see Smooshy Mushy miniatures – compact sets including mini Smooshy collectables packed inside a Smooshyville house that can be used for play and storage. Pets and nurture brand Rescue Runts is moving in to the collectables category with Rescue Runts Babies, 16 plush creatures to rescue, love and care for, designed to promote pet care and encourage a child’s love of animals. And Pomsies continues the pet-inspired collectables theme for the company. Since these plush interactive pets were launched in the UK in Q4 2018, sales have exceeded Bandai’s initial targets. The introduction of Pomsie Poos in Spring 2019 allows children to add to their collection at a pocket-money price point.

Funko dives in FUNKO 0203 957 7018 www.funko.com

Did you know...

Disney’s The Little Disney’s movie The Mermaid turns 30 this year, Little Mermaid was and Funko is celebrating the underwater magic of released in 1989. Ariel and her friends with a new line of The Little Mermaid products. The range, commemorating the film’s pearl anniversary, will feature Funko’s Pop! Vinyl figures, and includes fan favourites Ariel, Eric and a must-have 10in Ursula. Funko has also announced a new 5 Star range with iconic characters such as Ariel, Flounder and Ursula in articulated form, packed with a selection of accessories. Be sure to look out for mugs, water bottles, notebooks and more, all adorned with striking, pearlescent tones, from the home and gifting line. Funko’s extensive range is also set for some exceptional cinematic releases this year, including Captain Marvel Avengers: End Game, How To Train Your Dragon 3 and Frozen 2.

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Toys and Playthings Template.indd 1

10/01/2019 09:09:41

FEATURE

GIRLS COLLECTABLES

Forever Sylvanian Families EPOCH MAKING TOYS 0843 557 4062 www.sylvanianfamilies.net Sylvanian Families has been a part of our lives since the mid-1980s, and the brand has had another exciting start to the year with the continued success of its CGI animation series, that only launched in November. Last year also saw the release of the Baby Band Series, which featured baby characters playing instruments, and now Epoch Making Toys is due to unveil the Baby Shopping Series for 2019, complete with never-seen-before babies. As part of this exciting new series, there is an unidentified special figure to collect, making them even more highly sought after! Plus, the series will decrease in price – making them ideal for young collectors. Targeting past, existing and future fans, the brand has released a series of brand-new products which expand one of the core ranges. The ready-to-play Nursery range, which launched in 2018, will expand in July with a new Baby Ferris Wheel and Baby Airplane Ride. Each set includes a Sylvanian baby figure, making them ideal for first purchasers as well as for current fans.

And more exciting new s....

Four new fa m launching th ilies will be ro making a to ughout 2019, tal of 23 fam ilies in the range th is love creating year. Children will st new Elephan ories with the t Family, Pola Family, Woo r Bear lly and the Spla Alpaca Family shy Otter Fa mily.

Small and tweet! CHARACTER OPTIONS 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.com They say the best things come in small packages, and the Little Live brand from Character Options is no exception. This much-loved girls’ collectables range is ever-expanding, and the amazing attention to detail that’s part and parcel of Little Live means some characters now come with fur or sparkling light-up horns. At the heart of the brand is the wonderful array of beautiful song birds and, with each season bringing new colour choices and features, there’s every reason to collect a whole flock! Plus 2019 sees the addition of four new Light Up Song Birds, complete with wings that glow as they talk back to you. Another success story for Little Live is Wrapples, the cute flip and snap range of pets that you wear on your wrist. Children across the globe now wear their pets with pride and take them wherever they go. This spring sees the release of two new characters, Bonnie the bunny and Shylo, a sweet mouse. They will be joined in Q3 by further stylish wearable pets. Little Live Pets Sparkles My Dancing Unicorn has unique dancing and nuzzling action that really makes her come to life, and you can also reward this lovely collectables character by feeding her a magical cupcake or combing her mane. Character Options also has collectables all boxed up with Boxy Girls. The four Boxy Girls characters just love shopping online and collect posh and high-end clothes, make-up, shoes and lots of accessories! Another new addition to the family is the pocket money priced Fashion Packs, with six accessory cartons filled with stylish surprises, and this year also sees the introduction of the first Boxy Girls Mini Dolls series.

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THE LARGEST LICENSE PORTFOLIO IN THE INDUSTRY! For any queries please contact us via email at inquiriesuk@funko.com Follow us for more exciting product updates!

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Funko_Europe

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FEATURE

GIRLS COLLECTABLES

Lock, stock & 18 surprises GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com

Foodie fun BASIC FUN! 07917 186 540 www.basicfun.com Basic Fun has three key collectable brands for 2019. The first, Cutetitos, launched late last year, and the line continues to deliver excitement with new waves of characters, rarity features, and a new side range of Babitos all coming. Series 1, 2 and 3 each include 12 different Cutetitos to collect, all with rarity Hot Spots and added rarity features including extra fur, patterns and sparkly fabrics. Series 2 and 3 introduce many new creatures to the collection including key trends such as Unicorns. Each Babito will come packaged in a Taco, and will reveal a boy or girl wearing a removable nappy embroidered with the range’s signature Hot Spot. Basic Fun will continue to support the brand with more than 700 TVRs in spring, and further PR and marketing support across the year. Up next is Little Lucky Lunchbox. Each tin contains two Foodie Friends, each holding a secret reveal inside. There are 50 Foodie Friends to collect. Series 1 has just launched and includes Foodie classics such as hot dogs, pie and juice; and Series Two will launch over the coming months and include International Foods such as Japanese and Italian. Other bigger packs will be available later in the year. Basic Fun is supporting the launch with a big media spend including a Pop TV sponsorship, delivering more than 400 TVRs to girls aged four to nine, and PR support across media and influencers. Last but definitely not least is the original My Little Pony range. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the line includes classics such as Cotton Candy and Butterscotch and Collector Ponies including Unicorns and Pegasus. Basic Fun is also bringing to life one of the brand’s original top-selling products, the Pretty Parlour playset, complete with brushes and hats. The range will appeal to mums who played with My Little Pony in the 1980s and want to share those special memories with their own children.

Fact!

My Little Pony is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2019.

Golden Bear has three ranges of girls’ collectables to bring to market this year, including the FunLockets Secret Jewellery Boxes where each includes 18 surprises. Unwrap the heart key on top and try the different drawers to find the one it unlocks. There’s a special key-charm to open the next drawer and the excitement continues until all the charms are revealed, along with a bracelet or necklace – and there may be a rare glitter or scented charm.

Play-reveal PLAYMOBIL 01268 548111 www.playmobil.co.uk Children can start or expand their Playmobil collection with the new 70026 Figures Series 15 – Girls. The series introduces 12 new heroines, all with exciting accessories to discover and collect. Combine the characters with other Playmobil sets and worlds, or start building your first Playmobil collection with the all-new figures. The new series is sold in blind packets, adding an element of suspense, completely surprising children when they open the packet to discover what’s inside. The range includes characters from many different careers or interests, meaning there’s something for everyone. Series 15 characters include: Painter, Princess, Witch, Sheriff, Baker and many more.

Foam-tastic pals! LEARNING RESOURCES 01553 819380 www.learningresources.co.uk A number of Playfoam Pals collectables are available from Learning Resources, with the latest in the best-selling series being Playfoam Pals Fantasy Friends. The all-new Playfoam Pals Fantasy Friends join the hugely successful Wild Friends, Pet Party and Snowy Friends series, bringing 12 fresh magical characters hiding inside colourful pods of playfoam. Children will love opening the colourful Playfoam Pals Fantasy Friends pods to reveal their surprise collectable. Heads and bodies can be mixed and matched for endless character combinations. These collectables add elements of role play and nurturing, uniquely combining creative play with discovery. Playfoam is a super-squishy, sculpting material which encourages creativity and imagination while developing sensory and fine motor skills. It’s child friendly, won’t dry out and doesn’t stick to clothes or carpet. With a comprehensive marketing and social media plan for 2019, Playfoam Pals can be supplied in a two-pack, six-pack or 12-pack CDU and as part of a Playfoam range FSDU.

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FEATURE

GIRLS COLLECTABLES

Pop and play MOOKIE TOYS 01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk PopPops are inspired by the addictiveness of bubble wrap popping, and combine top trends of unboxing, collectables and slime into one gross collectable, fun, pop-able product. Mookie Toys is the exclusive UK distributor for YULU, launching PopPops into the collectables and slime markets in 2019. PopPops includes a boys’ and girls’ offering, PopPops Snotz and PopPops Pets. Each range has 60 to collect with some more rare PopPops such as special edition glow-in-the-dark characters. The PopPops Snotz Play Set includes bubbles to pop, a hammer to slam them, plus slime and character storage. The PopPops Pets Play Set includes a carousel to display all of the characters. PopPops will be supported with multi-channelled marketing campaigns throughout the year including TV, digital, PR activity and in-store displays.

Fact!

The two PopPops ranges each include 60 to collect

A cracking selEGGtion! SPIN MASTER

Bringing sparkle to proceedings ZURU www.zuru.com

01628 535000 www.spinmaster.com As the collectables trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2019, Spin Master continues to innovate with the launch of two new lines for spring-summer – the EGG-citing hatching of Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Season 5 Mermal Magic and the fun new interactive collectable pets with a big personality and a sweet tooth, Lollipets. Both new ranges join the recently-launched Off the Hook, which offers enhanced customised doll play and dress-up. There are six mannequin-style dolls to collect, each with their own outfits, accessories and hidden surprises. Dress and style any doll from head to toe with mix and match fashions from three trendy collections: Spring Dance, Summer Vacay and Music Concert. The enchanted Mermal Magic range includes new sea shell eggs, more character detailing and a variety of water transformations. Hatchimals fans will experience the magical underwater world with the new one-pack, two-pack and four-pack as well as the six-pack Seashell carton. Not to mention unique playsets including Flower Shower and Water Slide with real water features, and the Coral Castle Playset. Also part of the new collectable offering is Lollipets. These little cuties move by children showing them their favourite treat! They can speed them up, slow them down, or guide them with the brightly-coloured candy accessory included as they hug, chase, skip, scamper, and explore. Lollipets come in a one-pack and a two-pack for fans to collect all these candy-loving cuties! These three ranges see Spin Master’s marketing efforts busy through spring, taking advantage of events such as Fashion Week and Easter to leverage interest and excitement around the brands. These new lines will be heavily supported by TV advertising, in store activations and an extensive marketing and PR campaign.

Zuru is set for an exciting 2019 after announcing they have acquired Sparkle Girlz, the decade-old doll brand previously developed by Danuta Saville as Funville. The new Sparkle Girlz branding has been designed to give the range a stronger presence of magic, imagination and sparkle to help them stand out in the doll category. The brand features an extensive range of products that incorporate fun, fantasy and fashion with fairies and princesses, hair styling unicorns, baby dolls, interactive play sets, castles, surprise collectables and more. Plus the brand is also working to incorporate environmentallyfriendly packaging.

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FEATURE

SCIENCE AND NATURE

Thames & Kosmos

A natural choice

In a tough toy market science and nature toys continue to grow in terms of sales and innovation. TnP spoke to some industry experts about how natural wonders can lead to pleasing profits…

n generations gone by, children learned by playing outside with friends, rather than accessing informative videos on YouTube – but, with the continued popularity of the science and nature toy category, curiosity about the natural world is still big business for the industry. Following a year of instability for the toy market with overall sales falling by seven per cent (according to NPD figures) innovative STEM toys still seem universally popular with both parents and kids, as are toys, games and kits that embrace the great outdoors.

Learning Resources Research by top educational toy brand Learning Resources in 2017 found 77 per cent of parents had purchased an educational toy in the last 12 months. Simon Tomlinson, Head of Marketing, Learning Resources, says: “The beauty of STEM-based learning is that there is no right or wrong answer. Changing thinking from ‘right answer versus wrong answer’ to ‘let’s try it this way’ is at the heart of STEM. This presents us with a great opportunity to create innovative products that allow children

to learn through exploratory play. “This year we’re launching Artie, a new coding and drawing robot that puts children in control. With a built-in wifi server Artie can be used anywhere. Artie won a London Toy Fair Hero Award 2019.” David Mordecai, CEO, Tobar, says interest in the environment has also had its part to play: “Schools are prioritising science as a subject, and there has also been more focus on the environment in TV documentaries. “There has always been a drive for children to discover things for themselves, whether this was reflected in old fashioned chemistry sets, or the modern desire to make your own slime! “Tobar gather together products that reflect this interest and allow children to discover the world of science and nature.” Other industry leaders believe a key focus within the category will be on affordable price points, which fits with NPD figures that revealed at London Toy Fair the average price of toys was now £10.41 – down four per cent on 2017. “I believe the science and nature sector of the toy industry is still growing, although not as fast as in previous years,” says Joanna Drage, Sales Director, Thames & Kosmos. “This is almost certainly due to the narrowing of the industry in general, but also growth in collectables and board games. “However there will always be a good market for educational toys; this year I think the focus will be on

Wilton Bradley

“

Changing thinking from “right answer versus wrong answer” to “let’s try it this way” is at the heart of STEM. This presents us with a great opportunity to create innovative products that allow children to learn through exploratory play Simon Tomlinson, Learning Resources

”

price points.” This year sees Thames & Kosmos launch tNexo, the follow-up to the award-winning Geckobot STEM kit. This gravity-defying four-legged bot uses an ingenious system of suction cups and pumps to crawl along smooth, vertical surfaces like windows.” Meanwhile, Tobar’s Junior Explorer toy category offers everything young scientists need to create a mini lab, from specimen bug tubes to magnifiers, bug catchers, microscopes and binoculars. The company’s Mr Grasshead and Owl Grasshead kits let you grow green hair quickly onto two quirky characters, while Magic Growing Crystals give a result in hours to children who can’t wait for their plants to grow. Wannabe astronauts are catered for with the Solar System Planetarium – a self-assembly planetarium that comes with glow in the dark paints. Plus also new for 2019 is Tobar’s Putty Planets Solar System; each planet opens to reveal different coloured putty. Iconic range Playmobil also has a selection of new science and nature toys due for release this year. The 6765 Take-Along Noah’s Ark is part of the 1.2.3. Playmobil toddler range, and comes with a lovely selection of animal pairs. Little hands can also help Noah load animals on board with a fully workable crane. The ark is also capable of floating on water. Meanwhile, science fans are well catered with the launch of a range of intergalactic playsets. The Playmobil Mission to Mars range will be released in March 2019 and includes the Mission to Mars Station, which comes with rock-collecting kits and a fully furnished laboratory.

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GeoSafari® Jr. Kidnoculars® Extreme™ EI-5261

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FEATURE

SCIENCE AND NATURE

Focused on STEM!

LEARNING RESOURCES 01553 819 380 www.learning-resources.co.uk New to the best-selling GeoSafari Jr. range from Learning Resources is the GeoSafari Jr Kidnoculars Extreme. Observe nature, animals and more with these all-inone binoculars. The Kidnoculars Extreme are designed specifically for small hands and big imaginations, encouraging curious young explorers to get outside and explore the world around them. The focus-free vision, easy-to-see 3x magnification and built-in audio amplification will encourage children to use both sight and sound to explore their world. The breakaway strap and soft double eyecup will ensure safe and comfortable scientific exploration. The product is supplied in eye-catching packaging and will be supported by a comprehensive marketing and social media plan throughout 2019.

Clem’ covers STEM

CLEMENTONI 0203 206 1101 www.clementoni.com

Out of this world! GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221 www.ggtrade.co.uk The popular Kidz Labs range from 4M has some new additions for 2019. Space Air Engine is a fantastic kit packed full of interesting experiments teaching about Bernoulli’s airflow principle. Kids will watch in amazement as the glow foam ball floats as if it is defying gravity! Build your own robotic arm and learn about hydraulic technology with Hydraulic Robot Arm kit. The realistic gripper can lift, move and grab objects with no electricity! The Green Science range is also expanding with new hybrid titles that can be operated using the solar panels or by battery. Build and watch the Aqua Robot swim along in water. Have fun building the Rover Robot and it will roam around on any surface. Watch the planets move around the sun with the Solar System kit. Also new and launched at Toy Fair is Code A Maze, a new coding play board aimed at children over the age of four. It teaches the early stages of coding and allows young kids to learn coding skills through intuitive arrow cards.

The science category has always been strong for Clementoni with robotic and coding kits being top sellers throughout 2018. Adding to the range for 2019 is pet_bits – the cool new interactive coding pets that each have their own personality and voice. There are four animals to collect – bunny_bit, panda_bit, cat_bit and dog_bit – who all interact when brought together, as well as offering great solo play, including interactive functions such as hand clap reaction and voice recording and playback. A coding app brings the pet_bits world to life where children can learn all about their _bit and take care of them through three stages of development, using their voice to program, teach and nurture. For slightly older children, Clementoni is launching the unique Science Museum Action & Reaction kit, to make discovering the wonders of physics easy and great fun! It’s a science lab packed with special pieces and accessories offering lots of playing options where kids can experiment with gravity, forces and levers and comes with scales, a hammer pendulum, slides, towers and lots of other pieces for kids to grow in knowledge as they build ingenious compositions.

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FEATURE

SCIENCE AND NATURE

Natural edutainment BANDAI 0208 324 6160 www.bandai.co.uk

Up & atom!

Science and Nature toys is one category that is growing in a tough marketplace, and Bandai is cleverly building on this by collaborating with several well-known partners on new licenses and product lines and ranges. Bandai’s National Geographic range covers a variety of STEAM subjects, encouraging ‘edutainment’ play through a selection of kids and price points. Central to the collection are Dig Kits, with sharks, dinosaurs, bugs and gems available for 30-minute excavation adventures to discover real specimens. And there are also Mini Kit versions available. New for AW 2019 are the Da Vinci Inventions, wooden construction sets that feature three of the inventor’s most famous creations, Catapult, Ballista and Bombard. Another new release is the Cubic Fun sub-range of 3D puzzles.

TOBAR

Terriﬁc & scientiﬁc

01603 397 105 www.tobar.co.uk

VIVID IMAGINATIONS

Tobar has a wide variety of products to interest any budding Einstein or Attenborough. The Junior Explorer range has everything the young scientist needs to discover more about the natural world. From butterﬂy nets to binoculars – the range includes bugcollecting tubes, bug catcher, magnifying glasses and fabulous Bug Observation Dome for closer scrutiny. For the green-fingered brigade grow a Venus Fly Trap or take a look at Herb Heads, which allow you to grow basil, parsley or chives in a character plant pot. The best-selling Mr Grasshead and Owl Grasshead cultivate their own hair, leave it to grow long or cut it short! And when it comes to growing, Magic Growing Crystals are a must, for those who just can’t wait, add a special liquid and watch as the crystals form into magical shapes. Choose from a Growing Garden, a Mermaid, Penguin, Peacock or, of course, a Unicorn. There are also special kits to make your own slime. Tobar have geography covered too with inﬂatable globes – for more scientific pursuits choose from gyroscopes, magnets, a mirascope and kinetic wheels. A popular addition to the range has been the Solar System Planetarium, a self-assembly planetarium with glow-in-the-dark planets which you can paint yourself. This year learn even more about the solar system with the brand-new Putty Planets Solar System - this has planet globes which open up to each reveal a different coloured putty. The range has all price points and interests covered and appeals to a wide age range.

01483 449944 www.vividtoydsandgames.co.uk Science4You is the perfect range to encourage children to discover the wonders of the world around them. Encouraging STEM-linked learning, these science-based kits, designed for children aged eight plus, are educational and fun packed! From July there will be refreshed branding, packaging and a new range of price points with mini, medium, large and XL kits. And 2019 will see the introduction of New Yucky Science, Tattoo Factory and Manicure Factory - all TV advertised alongside a range of other new introductions These kits are each packed with multiple experiments to challenge all budding scientists!

Bring the world home WILTON BRADLEY 01626 835400 www.wiltonbradley.com Toyrific Science offers educational science toys that help to encourage children to discover a hidden world. This range, one of Wilton Bradley’s sub brands, has been successful for a number of years now and as the science toys category is showing significant growth year on year this range has also developed. The new 20cm and 25cm globes offer an affordable educational toy for a child’s bedroom. These 360-degree spin globes are a great way to get little ones aged three-plus to explore and learn. The colourful design and internal light feature keep learning interesting and entertaining. Also new is the refractor telescope with tripod. Suitable for ages five -plus, the adjustable tripod means this telescope can grow with the child. The lightweight aluminium construction and full 360-degree pivot ensures children can admire the sky from anywhere in the house.

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FEATURE

SCIENCE AND NATURE

ENGIN-ious play Animal Magic SCHLEICH 01279 870000 www.schleich-s.com/en/GB/ They say never work with animals but playing with them is a must when it comes to Schleich’s popular Farm World and Wild Life theme worlds. Pint-sized animal lovers can enjoy a host of more individual figures, including a Black Angus bull, Black Angus calf and Texas Longhorn calf. Classics such as the sheep and lamb have also been re-issued. and also cute are the new Dachshund, miniature Schnauzer and Maine Coon cat. Schleich’s new dog play sets are also causing excitement, with one containing a boy with movable arms and legs and his faithful friend the Labrador Retriever. Plus there’s a Shiba Inu complete with cute puppy. Meanwhile, featuring some of the world’s most amazing animals, Schleich’s Wild Life brings children closer to the jungle action. New is a Komodo Dragon, cheeky ring-tailed lemur and vigilant Okapi – the latter being the User Voted Animal 2018. The new quokka is also especially cute, and the funny marsupial a must for every collection! Plus there is the highly captivating tarantula.

RE:CREATION

0118 973 6222 www.recreationltd.co.uk A globally established player in the world of STEM play, Re:Creation’s ENGINO introduces children to core STEM principles while having fun. The unique, patented construction system comprises modular connectors that enable students to build fast and easy, fullyfunctional, technological models. Each set is complete with easy to follow instructions and supported by a free online KidCAD app showcasing 3D step-by-step builds. The ENGINO STEM Heroes Greenhouse enables children to build a fully-functioning minigreenhouse with moving parts, and see seeds fertilise and grow. They can discover how temperature, moisture and light affect plant growth. This construction set includes plant pots and watering pipette, as well as facts, quizzes and challenges. The ENGINO JCB Tall Crane Set is part of a range of exclusively-licensed JCB sets. The Tall Crane Set contains all the parts needed to build and play with three scale motorised replicas of real JCB machines, including a high torque motor. Re:creation will support the launch of the range with a year round marketing programme including PR, digital and event activations.

A force to be reckoned with! THAMES & KOSMOS 01580 212000 www.thamesandkosmos.com With 29 new science kits and 18 new board games to release, 2019 promises to be a strong trading year for Thames & Kosmos. Engineering Makerspace is the fantastic range of construction kits, which will enable children to learn the basics of physics, while they construct a new age gadget. If you haven’t already come across the highly acclaimed Chemistry sets from Thames & Kosmos, be sure to familiarise yourself with them now! Not only have they won numerous awards, they’re the only sets that truly go ‘bang’! This year, Thames and Kosmos is also adding lots of new Glow-In-The-Dark products to its portfolio, as well as expanding its globe offering and introducing two new products in the Pepper Mint range.

FEBRUARY 2019

FEATURE ECO TOYS

Green, clean and kid captivating

ast year, David packaged in recyclable card. Attenborough’s “I think environmental themes Blue Planet II aren’t even close to being series brought to important enough in any industry the forefront the very real and the toy industry is no problem of plastic exception. Eco-friendly toys are pollution that’s threatening still a niche at the moment – I our globe. hope one day they will be the Little wonder then norm.” eco-friendly toys that are The LEGO group has made designed and made with headway in this field. Tim Brooks, serious thought about Vice-President, Environmental materials are used to make Responsibility, says: “We want to and package them are so make a positive impact on the important, and popular. world around us, and are working Amanda Gummer, CEO hard to make great play products of Fundamentally Children, for children using sustainable says: “The Blue Planet Eco-friendly toys materials. We are proud that the effect in terms of concern first LEGO elements made from are still a niche at over plastic and recycling has sustainably-sourced plastic are certainly carried over into toys the moment – I hope in production and will be in and there’s lots of noise being one day they will be LEGO boxes this year.” made about it – but I don’t At Green Board Games Karen the norm think the toy industry has to Nunn, Marketing, says: “From Pete Rope, date taken the lead on it. conception 28 years ago, the Laser Beam Eyes There will need to be an green in Green Board Games industry-wide push for the toy was set to represent a market as a whole to become more commitment to eco-friendliness. We have a eco-friendly. culture in our business which is to create “There is increasing awareness among games for all leaving a minimal footprint.” parents that if they can interest their child Lanka Kade is another eco-friendly, in nature at an early age they will become ethically-conscious supplier. Co-Founders and more environmentally conscious. Directors Upul and Diane Soysa tell TnP: “Our Everything from bikes and scooters to toys are made from rubber wood sourced water tables and sand play to a simple from sustainable plantations. In 2018 we football can help with this.” greatly reduced our use of single-use plastic One firm that’s bought into this packaging and we are determined to important trend is Laser Beam Eyes, minimise our environmental impact even which just debuted at Toy Fair. Founder further.” and brand owner Pete Rope tells TnP: Steve Washbourne, Sales Director of Jumbo “We set up to develop an idea I had for Games, tells TnP: “We have always been JUNKO, a product we’ve just released. It’s extremely conscious of producing the world’s first junk modelling environmentally-friendly products, shown construction toy and the idea is you can across our range of jigsaw puzzles that use use it to make junk into 100 per cent recycled cardboard and our working toys.” exciting new range of Eco-Games that use Made from 100 per cent recycled plastics and cardboard.” recycled plastic Samantha Goodburn, Marketing & PR taken from old Manager at Gibsons, says: “Consumers are suitcases, wanting to know more about the products JUNKO is they are buying and where they have come from. “Blue Planet showed the devastating effects that human actions have had on destroying natural habitats. It’s now our duty in the toys and games industry to help make a change for the better.”

“

UPCYCLING AND EXCHANGE Environmental topics have received a high level of media attention of late, and they’re a growing conern with children, too. Kids Insights, who surveyed over 20,000 children in the UK in the last 12 months, tell us more

At the start of 2018, one in four children thought about the effect of their actions on the environment regularly; this increased to one in three by the end of the year according to Kids Insights data. Eco-friendly credentials are increasingly important to this generation and will no doubt affect their buying decisions in 2019. With excessive plastic packaging and Manufacturers production are increasingly materials opting for becoming a growing sustainable product concern development for parents and families, manufacturers are increasingly opting for sustainable product development in a shift towards products that cause less harm to the environment. A rise in sustainable toys is expected to help drive the educational toy segment to its projected 11 per cent growth over the next four years. Businesses have the power to influence the next generation, and they can strategically benefit from the awareness of serious issues that is building in younger age groups by gaining consumer trust and all-important brand advocacy.

“

Environmental issues have never been more important for the toy industry, as TnP discovers…

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FEATURE ECO TOYS

Creative and educative! LASER BEAM EYES 0203 195 3831 sayhello@laserbeameyes.com The newly-launched, super-creative, eco-friendly JUNKO range is the world’s first junk modelling system. JUNKO is a STEAM toy designed to help kids develop creative, construction and craft skills, as they learn to upcycle junk, like boxes, bottles and cartons into working toys. JUNKO is one of the most eco-friendly toys. It’s fully reusable, made in the UK from recycled plastic, and it reuses household junk to make working toys, like a 4x4 for your doll, a boat for your model figures, or a monster-filled double-decker bus. It’s supercharged junk modelling to give kids even more power to make whatever they can imagine. Of course, JUNKO is packaged without the use of plastic in super-cool, chunky cardboard tubes. There are three kits: the Zoomer! Kit for making vehicles of all shapes and sizes, the Water! Kit, which is an add-on kit to the Zoomer! to make it whizz on water, and the Build! Kit, for making constructions such as houses and castles. The kits feature innovations, like a pull-back-and-let-go rubber band drive and the

Going greener

J-FIX clips, which attach card and junk together without using tape or glue. Laser Beam Eyes has developed an accompanying original comic, featuring the J-Heroes – peaceful, fun-loving environmental warriors from another planet, who must out-think their evil nemesis L’Fill as he tries to trash the earth. Comics and posters come free with the kits. Laser Beam Eyes is new to market and hungry to do its bit to encourage kids to be more creative and make the planet happier. For them, eco-friendliness isn’t a bolt on, or a change they’re trying to make. It’s what they’re all about.

Forest friendly

Tree-mendous!

JUMBO GAMES

GIBSONS

LANKA KADE

01707 289289 www.jumbo.eu

0208 661 8866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk

01858 463850 www.lankakade.co.uk

Jumbo Games’ new range of sustainable play products for children aged three plus, is manufactured using 100 per cent recycled paper, cardboard and plastics. New games include Catch the Mouse, a reaction-based game that improves hand-eye coordination; Colour Chameleon, a colour-matching game; Peek-a-Boo, a fun memory game, and Honey Yummy, a co-operative game, encouraging children to work together. Sales Director Steve Washbourne says: “We are an environmentally conscious company, who believe consumers are now looking for eco-friendly alternatives within the toy industry.”

Gibsons’ new collection of jigsaw puzzles has been designed and manufactured in the UK from the thickest board available on the jigsaw puzzle market. The White Logo puzzles are made from 100 per cent recycled board and are presented in compact boxes to reduce unnecessary cardboard waste and secured with paper tabs instead of shrink wrap to avoid plastic waste. Gibsons’ wooden games are both fun to play and forest friendly! The range includes Cribbage, Chinese Chequers, Solitaire and four mini travel games which are all made from reforested rubber wood.

The Lanka Kade range includes toys made from Sri Lankan rubber wood sourced from sustainable plantations. A popular choice are the chunky, natural wood figurines – perfect for small world play, party bags, stacking, story sacks and more. With more than 100 designs, including countryside, farm, world and sea life animals, and dinosaurs, these characters are becoming collectable, pocket money favourites. New for 2019, the world animal skittles are a fun playtime game. The designs include gorilla, crocodile, panda, lion, elephant and tiger.

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REVIEW

LONDON TOY FAIR

The Greatest

Show in Toy Town Toy Fair may be over for another year, but the celebrity sparkle, industry excitement, product innovation and networking heaven it represents has got 2019 off to a great start… London’s Olympia each January. This year’s show marked 65 years since the first ever Toy Fair was held in If you’re looking for a short, sharp and Brighton, back in perfectly conceived phrase that sums up February 1954, By the time we got exactly the magnetic draw of London’s and the latest Toy Fair, look no further than Adrian to the last hour of the outing didn’t Mayes, General Manager at Re:creation. show we were completely disappoint by Just one of the more than 250 exhibiting any means, with exhausted, could barely companies and thousands of visitors Christine Nicholls, from all areas of the industry who return stand up and were hoarse President of to the show year after year because from talking – a good the British of its unique atmosphere, global reach Toy & Hobby and the simple fact that as a stage for problem to have! Association, innovation, thousands of exciting new Pete Rope, Laser Beam Eyes reporting that the toy and game designs are launched at event was sold out with a huge range of retailers attending. “We’re very pleased with how people have responded to Toy Fair 2019,” Christine told TnP. “We’ve had lots of nationals attend as well as lots of independent buyers.” This year big-name buyers making the The BTHA has announced that the annual Toy journey to West London, included those Trust Media Auction raised over £92,000 for from Tesco, Harrods and Ocado – to

“Toy Fair reminds us all why we love this industry…”

“

Fundraising phenomenon!

children’s charities during Toy Fair, surpassing the amount raised last year by £20,000!

As the second largest fundraising activity for the Toy Trust each year, the auction saw airtime and printed media lots donated by leading online, print and trade journals, including Toys ‘n’ Playthings and TNP.MEDIA. The BTHA expressed gratitude for the continued support and generous donations of the Toy Trust’s media partners, which equated to over £150,000 of media space from Disney, Nickelodeon, Turner, CITV, SuperAwesome, The Entertainer, Sainsbury’s/Argos, and more! The BTHA also thanked Arena Azure’s Jeff Taylor for his hard work and dedication in securing media items and raising money for the Toy Trust.

FEBRUARY 2019

”

name a few – and they certainly weren’t disappointed with what they saw. John Hext, Tesco’s Category Manager, Toys & Nursery, told TnP, “I’ve seen a lot of new stuff and plenty of innovative stuff out there. Generally, I think there’s a lot more innovation and play value. Perhaps because it’s so competitive out there, parents want more for their money. Generally, as a result, I’d say the standard is rising.” Thomas Hampton, Buyer, Technology & Toys, Harrods said of the show, “It’s been fantastic to see so much variety at London Toy Fair this year with exciting newness for AW19.” There was good news for the Greenhouse, too, as Carla Sydenham, Buying Manager, Ocado, headed there to see the “great innovation coming through in the toy industry.” Toy Fair visitors saw a strong offering of licensed toys, as they were given a first look at the latest Disney-Pixar Toy Story 4 product offering from Thinkway. Also on display at London Toy Fair was a multitude of new product lines for Fornite fans, including Funko’s Pop! Vinyl and Pint Size

Toy Fair Hero Award winners “We are delighted with the award and know 2019 is going to be another great year for Sliverlit! Chimpy is part of the new robotic pets range from Silverlit, distributed by Mookie Toys. This interactive dancing ape won over the judges with his hilarious features including funny noises, walking on command and farting!”

the new product we’ve shown.” Sarah Dayus, Sales and Brand Manager, Great Gizmos, says the team were kept extremely busy at Toy Fair. “It was great to see our existing buyers and some new faces too,” she says. Phil Cassidy, MD, Casdon, agrees: “It’s been a fantastic show. We’ve seen some great customers and we’ve had a great response to our Dyson cord-free hoover.” John McDonnell, MD, Galt Toys, said his company had experienced their best Toy

Gemma Lewington, Head of Marketing, Mookie Toys

Hero 2-packs, Hasbro’s Monopoly: Fornite and Nerf Fortnite AR-L blaser, as well as Jazwares’ Fornite range that includes trueto-game action figures, plush and more. Of the many category success stories, collectables had a strong pull for buyers. As MGA celebrated three wins at the Toy Industry Awards with their collectable ranges, Flair, Spin Master, Mookie Toys, Bandai, Tobar, Magic Box Toys, among others were showcasing new collectables. The ‘award season glamour’ sprinkled on proceedings also included Character Options scoring a double victory with Supplier and Craze of the Year, and Gary Grant’s The Entertainer winning Toy Retailer of the Year. 2019’s show was also one for anniversaries, with Gibsons Games celebrating 100 years in business and DKL 30 years. Celebrities drawing crowds at Toy Fair included actor Warwick Davis, of Harry Potter and Star Wars, who was promoting new board game Tenable with the Asmodee team. Amy Childs was on the Roma Prams stand, while popular children’s TV personality Timmy Mallett was also at Olympia. Majen Immink, Director of Fairs and Special Events at BTHA, says: “Toys at the show have often gone on to be the best-sellers and must-have crazes of the year. We’ve been providing the industry with this valuable insight for more than six decades.” An exciting new feature at this year’s show was the Content Creation Zone, set up to reflect the increasing importance of social media influencers, YouTubers and bloggers to the toy industry. But what about the toy companies themselves – how did they find Toy Fair 2019?

“We were extremely happy about it winning the award for the Peppa Pig Stage Playset. The product is multifaceted; kids can recreate scenes from the show, it encourages imaginative play with multiple scenes and has lots of accessories. By placing a smart device inside the stage, you can also magically turn the playset into a cinema so kids can watch their favourite Peppa Pig episodes!” Mark Hunt, Marketing Manager, Character Options “Toy Fair 2019 was one of the best yet,” reports Re:creation’s Adrian Mayes. “There was a real buzz about We always the stand, and a huge amount of positivity around our new brands. go away from “Toy Fair reminds us all why we the show feeling love this industry.” Pete Rope, Founder of Laser like we’re on Beam Eyes, says: “Toy Fair was Cloud 9! so much better than we’d dared to expect. By the time we got to Simon Newbery, the last hour of the show we were Orchard Toys completely exhausted, could barely stand up and were hoarse from talking – a good problem to have!” Jamie Dickinson, Marketing and Display Manager, Playmobil UK, says: “Getting the opportunity to showcase all of our new themes for 2019, while being able to speak to all our customers makes the show a must for our calendar. Schleich’s Trade Marketing Manager, Paul Dearlove, told TnP, “We came into this year off the back of a really positive year. It’s felt like there has been a real buzz at the show and stands have felt really busy. We’ve had a really positive response to all

“

”

Fair for a number of years, while Christine Nicholls, Co-Founder, Golden Bear, added: “We’ve had a very exciting show, with great reaction to new products.” John Costi-Mouyia, International Sales Director for PMS International, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our new products to the industry and get strategic feedback and pointers for the coming year.” Zara Grindrod, Sales Director, Rainbow Designs, told TnP: “We are coming out of a great year, and visiting Toy Fair was the perfect way to match this success.” DKL’s Marketing & Sales Director, David Allen, “With many new products launching, the DKL stand was buzzing with excitement!” Nick Thomas, GM, Vivid UK, reports: “The show was a resounding success for us. It was our first Toy Fair under the new ownership of Goliath.” Jamie Mabbs from Revell, added: “It’s been great. We’ve seen all the major buyers. It has been an even more successful show than past years.” But perhaps the final word should go to Simon Newbery from Orchard Toys: “We always go away from the show feeling like we’re on Cloud 9. The response to our new products has been so positive from both independents and multiples.” Well, you can’t argue with that!

Toy Fair 2020! Toy Fair 2020 will take place 21-23 January 2020. Visit www.toyfair.co.uk/register to book now!

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RIDE-ON CATEGORY

Learn More / Request a Catalogue • Tel: 01626 835400 www.wiltonbradley.co.uk • Email: sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk

REVIEW

Wagging tails and flapping ears with Adrian Mayes, General Manager Re:creation, and wearables Flappies and Happy Waggers

Celebrating Peppa Pig’s 15th birthday with Character Options Marketing Manager Mark Hunt

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Manager David Harms demonstrates

Evolution not revolution for the classic Sylvanian Families brand, explains Epoch's MD Neil Bandtock

Encountering a twerking llama on the Tobar stand with MD David Mordecai

It's all about Masha and the Bear on the Siso Toys stand. Martin Whitaker, Siso's MD, says it wants to double its Masha range sales this year Chris Beardmore, UK Retail Sales Manager at Learning Resources and special guest Alan, tell us more about Artie 3000, the new, artistic coding robot

Clementoni’s Shahbaz Khan discusses the company’s Harry Potter licence

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REVIEW

SPRING FAIR

The joys of spring Toy buyers from far and wide flocked to Birmingham NEC’s for Spring Fair earlier this month

or visitors looking for the latest in toys, Hall 5 is the place to go at Spring Fair. From plush to preschool, from retro to ride-ons, there were plenty of exhibitors showing off their latest products. As part of the show season, Spring Fair gives buyers the chance to take a second look at toys they didn’t manage to see at Toy Fair, and exhibitors have a second chance to show off their wares. And there were plenty of people to promote to – from buyers from the big department stores and supermarkets to independent shop owners We meet so many and online retailers – around fantastic customers old and 56,000 in all. The other bonus for toy new during the show exhibitors is that they can see David Mordecai, CEO, Tobar retailers from a more diverse section of the retail industry – museums, leisure centres, garden centres and gift ships – who stock a wider variety of products than just toys. Spring Fair was a successful event for toy wholesaler Tobar, as CEO David Mordecai explains: ‘’We loved attending Spring Fair again this year. It’s great to get positive feedback on our new products, of course, but most of all we see the show as a chance to build strong relationships. We meet so many fantastic customers old and new during the show and it’s always a pleasure to learn more about them and their businesses.” Kids@Play attended its first Spring Fair following a fantastic reaction during our Spring Fair featured 15 show first Autumn Fair last sectors, with 600 new exhibitors. year, says Benjamin

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Did you know…

FEBRUARY 2019

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Spring Fair is the first opportunity many of our independent customers have had to view our complete range Richard Wells, MD, Paul Lamond Games

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Smith, General Manager GB & Eire. ‘’Exhibiting the range of Warner Bros soft toys including the Harry Potter Sorting Hat, which continues to sell well at retail and brought new customers to the stand throughout the show, 2019 will see the launch of new lines from Looney Tunes, Horror and Batman who celebrates his 80th anniversary during 2019. There was also a lot of interest in the arts & crafts range Kid Made Modern during the show.’’ MD of Paul Lamond Games, Richard Wells, also came away from the show feeling positive: “We had a fantastic response from visitors at Spring Fair to our new launches for this year, especially the new World of David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny board game and our new quickplay trivia game, Are you Dumber than a Box of Rocks? Spring Fair is the first opportunity that many of our independent customers have had to view our complete 2019 of games and puzzles range and we were delighted with the response.” Spring Fair will be held next year at the NEC 2-6 February 2020.

Gift of the Year

Children’s Gift category Winner Engenius Contraptions Marble Run, Cheatwell Games

Commended Healthy Kids Cooking Kit, Little Cooks Co History Heroes Games, History Heroes

REVIEW

SPIELWARENMESSE

A birthday to remember

And the top toys are…

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the biggest toy fair in the world impressed, with the highest ever level of exhibitor satisfaction reported

uremberg Toy Fair has a reputation to uphold as the biggest toy fair in the world – and it has managed to do that again this year. Boasting an improved hall structure, and a colourful supporting programme, the Spielwarenmesse celebrated its 70th anniversary with industry members from all over the world over five days last month. A total of 2,886 companies from 68 countries presented their innovations at Nuremberg’s exhibition centre to 68,500 trade visitors and buyers, who flocked to the fair from 131 nations – a couple more than last year. Factors such as the continued decline of independent retailers and the reassessment of distribution channels did affect numbers, but their international consistency couldn’t be faulted, with 64 per cent travelling to Nuremberg from abroad. Paul Heinz Bruder, Managing Director of Bruder Spielwaren, said Spilwarenmesse is: “the most international trade fair. The quality of the visitors is extremely high, giving rise to good prospects for 2019.” This year’s events saw some changes – including a new hall structure – in order to help companies attract new customers. The new product group Electronic Toys, for example, moved into Hall 4A. Sebastian Budich, Managing Director of Jazwares, was happy with the new location: “We’re delighted with the high footfall that comes with it and the strong interest in our diverse product portfolio.”

Did you know? 64 per cent of visitors travelling to Nuremberg from abroad 56

The presentation of the ToyAwards was the main highlight of the official Opening Ceremony, marking the start of the 70th Spielwarenmesse The ToyAwards are among the most important accolades in the industry, and are judged by a jury of 16 experts – comprising international trade representatives, market researchers, educationalists, scientists, a blogger and a toy safety expert.

This year’s winners are: Category Baby & Infant (0-3 years) Magic Touch Piano Musical Toy, Hape International and Kids II Manuela Pfeifer, Managing Director of Rubies Deutschland, said the Showtime activity area was a great asset: “The catwalk allowed us to show trade buyers many of our new costumes several times a day. This is something we just couldn’t do at our own stand.” The extended offering of information and industry knowledge, such as talks in the Toys meet Books area or at the Toy Business Forum, were welcomed too. The theme of licensing now has a firm place at the Spielwarenmesse thanks not least to the exclusive LicensePreview and the new LicenseTalks. Some companies have been coming to the event since it began – including family-run-business Jürgen Huck and Rolly Toys. Frank Schneider, Head of Rolly Toys, said: “The Spielwarenmesse is the fair for us.” The 70th anniversary of the Spielwarenmesse was celebrated with the ToyFestival, which attracted more than 2,000 people, and a fireworks display. And the future looks good too, with 90 per cent of exhibiters planning to come back to the 2020 show. Ernst Kick, CEO of Spielwarenmesse eG, added: “We obviously have no direct control over the market, but what we can do, is ensure that all our actions are tuned to the future.“ Ernst added: “We intend to approach the event with the same energy and commitment in years to come.” Make sure you put the date for the 2020 Spielwarenmesse in your diary – 29 January to 2 February 2020.

Category Pre- School (3-6 years) bworld theme sets, Bruder Spielwaren

Category SchoolKids (6-10 years) Magical Mermaid World, Playmobil

Category Teenager & Adults (10 years and older) kNOW!, Ravensburger Spieleverlag

Category Startup Mabot, Shenzhen Bell Creative Science and Education

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GOLF

£98 FOR THE DAY

CLASSIC 2008 - 2019

£98

A E Y R S 1 1 Goring & Streatley THE PACKAGE INCLUDES • Coffee and bacon rolls on arrival • 9 hole morning Texas Scramble from 9.30 • Lunch (ham, egg and chips) • 18 hole individual Stableford and team four ball, longest drive and nearest the pin • 3 Course Presentation Dinner Email: malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

FOR THE DAY

TNP

LOOKS BACK

Step back in time TnP’s Founder, Malcolm Naish, takes a look back through time, reflecting on the events of Februarys past: 1989, 1999, 2009 and 2014.

February 2014 • Argos upset suppliers by asking for an extra two per cent turnover rebate for orders placed after the 1st March. Reactions from suppliers included, “unfair”, “dictatorial”, and “no way, Jose”. Argos was not the first major to go for better terms; Woolies had tried this some years earlier. • The LEGO Movie grossed £8 million on its debut weekend in the UK and we heard how David Beckham loved to build LEGO Technik with his sons. • The Fence Club Hong Kong Football match raised over £20,000 for their various charities. • Toy of the Year was won by the Character Group for their Teksta Robotic Puppy and Supplier of the Year was awarded to John Adams. John Adams also picked up Action Game of the Year for ‘Gooey Louie’.

February 2009 • We record the most challenging trading conditions in the build-up to Toy Fair 2009, but coming in to Spring 2010 there seemed to be a feeling of optimism that we were coming out of all the chaos of 2008. • A move back to Olympia is announced by Roger Dyson at the Toy of the Year Awards and everyone seems to be in favour. ExCeL, with its unfavourable location and lack of hotels, bars and other amenities, never quite took off, although the BTHA gave the venue a very good run. • Ian Chaplin, Argos’ Trading Controller, is a big supporter of Toy Fair, even going to the lengths of refusing to see any UK companies who do not support the London show, a stance also taken by Toys R Us. • Toy of the Year went to Bandai’s ‘Ben Ten Action Figures’, Gogo’s ‘Crazy Bones’ was named Collectable of the Year, and Playmobil took home the award for Supplier of the Year.

February 1999 • Early 1999 was an eventful time! MV Sports & Leisure was acquired by Chelful; Roger Dyson was named as Toymaster’s new MD; and Peter Brown announced the formation of Flair Toys. • Tomy was celebrating its 75th anniversary. Our picture (right) shows Sales Director Andrew Pickett and MD Alan Munn cutting into a generously sized birthday cake to mark the occasion at Toy Fair. • Richard Beecham and Ralph Ehrmann, two grandees of the toy industry, received the BTHA’s Lifetime Achievement award. Our pictures (right) show them receiving their awards. • Furby won Toy of the Year for Tiger Electronics - a great company, that was acquired shortly after by Hasbro.

February 1989 • Frank Halshaw announced his early retirement from Woolworths. It was rumoured that over 150 hopefuls went for an interview. • Mattel celebrated Barbie’s 30th. The Daily Mail tracked down the real Barbie, Ruth Handler’s daughter. She told them in real life she preferred running around in old jeans and drove a battered VW Beetle - a far cry from Barbie’s Ferrari and wardrobe! • David Allan (pictured) was Sales & Marketing Manager of Living & Learning. • Cassidy Brothers now Casdon – was floating the company on the Unlisted Securities Market after 40 years as a family business. TnP includes an editorial page from Tom Cassidy about organising such an event. • Sid Heyde, as MD of VTech, was asking buyers why VTech’s products were being placed in a general electronics section, rather than alongside other games like Monopoly? Good point Sid!

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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

Product: Silverlit Chimpy Company: Mookie Toys Tel: 01525 722722 Web: www.mookie.co.uk

Product: Peppa Pig Stage Playset Company: Character Options Tel: 0161 633 9800 Web: www.character-online.com

Product: Bananas Bunches 3 Pack Series 3 Company: Bandai Tel: 0208 324 6160 Web: www.bandai.co.uk

Product: Artie Company: Learning Resources Tel: 01553 819 380 Web: www.learningresources.co.uk

Product: Slime Control Slime Shooter Company: Re:creation Ltd Tel: 01189 736 222 Web: www.recreationltd.co.uk

Product: Glitzies Company: Gosh! Designs / PMS International Group Tel: 01268 50 50 50 Web: www.goshdesigns.co.uk

Product: Black Knight Pop! Vinyl Company: Funko Tel: 0203 957 7018 Web: www.funko.com

Product: Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Season 5 Mermal Magic Company: Spin Master Tel: 01628 535000 Web: www.spinmaster.com

Product: The LEGO Movie 2 LEGO Movie Maker Company: LEGO Tel: 01753 495 000 Web: www.lego.co.uk