Leader – with Tim Murray

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The busy season is well and truly upon us, and, hopefully for our retailer readers, things are slowly mark@lemapublishing. co.uk about advertising… We need to talk as soon as but surely picking up and looking up for possible about the December the months ahead… issue and please get those Toy

But as everyone knows – and I’m Fair and Spielwarenmesse entries in as fast learning – it doesn’t end there, as soon as possible… the January show season is hovering Meanwhile, there’s a fair bit of looking ahead in into view, too. this issue, too. We’re putting the ability to look

One of the many things that’s really ahead to the final quarter under the microscope impressed me about this industry in in our news section, assessing toy retailers’ my short few months here has been announcements of the key toys for Christmas, its ability to look forward and plan for as well as toy organisations’ assessments of the future, simultaneously managing to current trends in toys. These things help keep work on the supply side of the business toys and games firmly on the news agenda and and the present and immediate future, can benefit the whole business, so are always what’s happening in stores and the welcome to see. market, and, at the same time, looking beyond this, into next year. “ The toy trends lists While there may be some gripes about Christmas toy must-have lists and how they are compiled, there’s no denying that national newspapers and

And with that, it’s illustrate how broadcast media can’t get enough of worth noting we’ve forward-thinking them; their publication can help the got a few big issues on the way – both the industry is, wider industry in highlighting the availability of assorted toys and our December and and how it be beneficial to the other retailers and January editions are can adopt all suppliers. set to be bumper-sized publications. We’re technology as The toy trends lists illustrate how forward-thinking the industry is, and putting the call out well as wider how it can adopt technology as well

now for submissions, trends ” as wider trends. I’ve already seen because next issue a number of games this year that, we’re celebrating both while being rooted in traditional play, Q1, looking at key ranges on the way, reflect the kind of things a younger, Internetwhile also going further into the future savvy audience are into – some of those, and previewing 2023, whether it be with such as Winning Moves’ new games that product and ideas that will be hitting highlight YouTubers and more, are also covered stores later in the year, as well as the key in this issue. issues that will dominate. Alongside our big, big features – we’re looking

In a hopefully serendipitous way, it at ride-on toys, character licensed toys and enables us to preview what’s going to infant toys in our specials – we’ve also got a be happening in our huge January issue, lot of favourites, including our unrivalled retail which will cover the double-pronged coverage, as well as the return of toy talk and, assault in the first month of the year that better still, the fully-fledged comeback of our takes in both the London-based Toy Fair Ambassadors feature, where we get children to and the Nuremberg Spielwarenmesse… test out toys from key suppliers. It’s one of the Get your editorial submissions for both best regulars in the magazine and had caught in now, and I’m also looking forward to my eye long before I even came on board – meeting you all there. suppliers, contact Mark or myself as you really

Please get in touch with me at should get involved with this. tim@lemapublishing.co.uk to discuss So, enjoy the issue and I’ll see you at any of the editorial coverage, and speak to forthcoming toy fairs and associated events…

Tim Murray