TRADE
OPINION
Calling all suppliers and distributors! We’d love to hear your views. Get in touch with Clare@lemapublishing.co.uk to have your say!
Trade talk
This month we find out what's going to be hot this summer, as well as how suppliers will capitalise on staycations and attractions opening their doors JACK PROBYN
KYLE MAGLIONE
UK retail marketing manager Winning Moves
International marketing & e-commerce manager Mookie Toys
What lines do you expect to do well over summer?
TP toys continues to be our best-performing brand with a number of climbing frames and playhouses being the best performers.
One of our hottest seasonal games is Giant Pass the Pigs. These giant inflatable pigs are an extension of the much-loved Pass the Pigs game, where players must throw the pigs into the air and score points based on the positions the pigs land in. The first player to 100 points wins. Giant Pass the Pigs can be played in the garden, in the pool, on the beach - anywhere. All you need is a big set of lungs and enough space to throw them in.
What lines do you expect to do well over summer?
With the current lockdown exit plan, overseas holidays may not be permitted for UK families for a while. What impact do you think this will have on your sales? It looks like we’re going to have another year of staycations, which potentially means staying indoors (we all know how temperamental the UK weather is) for long periods of time, and enjoying some family time around a board game, card game or a puzzle. Fortunately, Winning Moves is in the position to offer all the above: our puzzle range has increased from 12 to more than 30 lines, and our familyloved brands (including Monopoly, Top Trumps, Cluedo, Trivial Pursuit, Waddingtons Number 1, and Pass the Pigs), are guaranteed to keep the family entertained. Featuring some of the hottest licences, we’ve got something for everyone.
What are your best-selling products at the moment?
Our new Explorer climbing frame sets have already seen huge success, as has our new Treehouse Playhouse range. Consumers are responding well to the wide variety of configurations available. These products now feature some amazing accessories ranging from monkey bars and climbing walls to swing arms. With the current lockdown exit plan, overseas holidays may not be permitted for UK families for a while. What impact do you think this will have on your sales? We expect to see demand for outdoor toys stay at an all-time high as families choose to invest in their homes and gardens instead of international holidays.
PHIL RATCLIFFE Joint managing director, MV Sports & Leisure What are your best-selling products at the moment? Anything outdoor-related is selling well. What lines do you expect to do well over the summer? Hedstrom swing & slide sets, sand & ball pits, our new mud kitchens, plus our Kickmaster football products (ahead of the Euros) - and anything wheel-related such as bikes, scooters and e-scooters.
summer - and place orders immediately. What’s your earliest toy memory? Roleplaying with Thunderbirds toys - with me as Virgil, my friend Tony as Scott, and my mum as Tin Tin (what was I thinking!?). What toy or game do you wish would make a comeback? Casdon Soccer with Bobby Charlton.
With the current lockdown exit plan, overseas holidays may not be permitted for UK families for a while. What impact do you think this will have on your sales? Last year all our domestic stock was in short supply as proactive customers came and took as much stock as they could. With product in high demand, we would urge all our customers not to get caught short this
LISA RAYNER Trade account manager Craft Buddy What are your best-selling products at the moment? We released our first collaborative range with Disney in March, and it’s been a huge hit! All products across the board have been successful, led by our new Disney Cards. We are really excited to develop the range further and explore more Disney characters across our cards, artworks and notebooks.
initial reaction. As we are still spending so much more time at home, we’re finding that there is true joy in crafting items to hang around the house.
What lines do you expect to do well over summer?
With the current lockdown exit plan, overseas holidays may not be permitted for UK families for a while. What impact do you think this will have on your sales?
We’ve had a great response to our seasonal wreaths. Our Spring and Easter wreaths were a real hit. We have just launched our butterfly wreath to our trade accounts and to retail and have had a very strong
We strongly believe that the craft bug has been well and truly caught and shows no sign of leaving any time soon!
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