Progressive Preschool July/August 2017

The B2B Publication For Preschool Products and Retailers

ISSUE 30 JULY/AUG 2017

Sector Focus

STEM For Early Years

Talking Shop

Asda Has Parents In Mind

Rolling The Dice

Games And Puzzles For Preschoolers

Essentially Yours

Must-Have Products For Infants

Big Interview

Joie’s Prosperity Story

Trade Publication. Sign up to our newsletter at www.progressive-preschool.com and follow us on Twitter at @prog_preschool

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www.progressive-preschool.com MARKET LEADING TRADE MAGAZINES

March/April 2013

MARKET LEADING TRADE EXHIBITIONS

MARKET LEADING TRADE AWARDS

this month JULY/AUGUST 2017

The summer months should – in theory – be a quieter time for the preschool retail industry, with families taking advantage of the good weather and heading outside to relax in parks, gardens and anywhere else they can take advantage of five minutes of sunshine.

Above: Some of the PPS Team: In reality of course it’s a very different story, Jo Pilcher, Rob Willis, Jacqui Parr. with summer-based retail initiatives, Christmas in July events and exciting awards programmes all packing out the typical industry diary. Preschool consumers and their offspring are equally busy, as the modern summer season now brings with it a whole host of family-focused events, including an increasing number of festivals catering for at the little ones.

Offering parents the chance to get outside and do something which feels grown up but which entertains their children as well is a small but significant stroke of genius, and festival organisers have quickly cottoned onto this. As have the plethora of toy and nursery companies who have signed up to have a presence at one of these events – whether that’s in the form of a simple merchandise stall or an interactive, immersive play area which offers families the chance to get hands-on with their kids’ play.

Preschool brand owners are particularly active in this arena, with entire stages often turned over to kids’ entertainment from the likes of Mr Tumble, Peppa Pig and even the legendary Cat in the Hat. Anyone who’s been in the presence of a preschooler as they are faced with their onscreen favourites will know the huge pull these TV characters have over their young fans – so it’s great news for the preschool licensing industry that two key media companies will be making significant changes to their current preschool offering in the near future.

A brand refresh for Channel 5’s popular preschool block Milkshake! will be the first in over a decade, with a new logo and opening sequence leading the way for a packed schedule of new preschool programming and the launch of a dedicated YouTube channel. Meanwhile, the BBC has recently announced that it will be investing an extra £34m into its children’s TV budget over the coming three year period. The broadcaster will be focusing on creating new, homegrown content, with a greater focus on online content in order to keep pace with the dramatic shift in viewing on digital devices.

What will this mean for the preschool sector? Investment in UK-commissioned programming for children is always going to be good news for an industry which is well-known for embracing quality content and merchandising. And if the new boost – which will see the BBC producing at least 100 hours of CBeebies shows each year – leads to content as popular as The Twirlywoos, Hey Duggee and Bing! then the preschool licensing sector has a lot to be looking forward to.

We can only guess which characters will be taking to the festival stage a few years down the line!

Have a great summer.

The Progressive Preschool Team Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP T: 020 7700 6740 F: 020 7607 6411 www.max-publishing.co.uk

Rob Willis, Jacqui Parr, Samantha Loveday, Jo Pilcher, Ian Hyder, Jakki Brown, Warren Lomax Our editorial wordsmiths include: Michelle Board and Sarah Welsh.

Progressive Preschool is published by Max Publishing Ltd. Rob Willis - Publishing Director.

Jacqui Parr - Editor. Jo Pilcher - Account Manager. Samantha Loveday, Fiona Pavely, Michelle Board and Sarah Welsh - Editorial Wordsmiths. Jakki Brown - Editor-in-Chief and Joint Managing Director. Ian Hyder and Warren Lomax - Joint Managing Directors. Tel: 020 7700 6740 Fax: 020 7607 6411 Email: robw@max-publishing.co.uk, jacquip@max-publishing.co.uk, saml@max-publishing.co.uk Copyright 2012. The publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text.

PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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29

RETAIL INTERVIEW

39

SOFT TOYS

NEWS Reporting from the preschool sector MEDIA WATCH Looking at the brands making headlines INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The latest industry numbers from GfK FEEDBACK Let’s talk preschool sector trading in 2017 RETAIL INTERVIEW Asda talks retailing for parents LEE LOVES What actually is an essential nursery product BIG INTERVIEW The joy of Joie, a mammoth growth story ASK ANNA What STEM means for preschoolers SOFT TOYS Sector focus on soft toys and comforters CUTE CHARACTER The story of a Tiny Tatty Teddy NURSERY TECH Sector focus on tech-led nursery product ESSENTIALS The must-have nursery products YOUR THROW Games and puzzles sector update STEM FOCUS The importance of STEM for preschoolers CATHY’S COLUMN What are parents really looking for?

BEST SELLERS Retailers best sellers and big hits

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CUTE CHARACTER

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NURSERY ESSENTIALS

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YOUR THROW

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BIG INTERVIEW PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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NEWS

PPS TAKES A LOOK AT THE RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE PRESCHOOL WORLD

TOP STORY

Peppa Says No To Pirates

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global piracy crackdown has been issued by eOne, the media company which owns the licensing rights to a number of popular preschool brands, including Peppa Pig and PJ Masks.

eOne has been taking proactive steps to crack down on the sale of both counterfeit merchandise and unlicensed events for Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, seizing over 250,000 counterfeit products in the first six months of 2017. Toys and apparel are the most counterfeited products.

More than 50,000 infringing listings have also been removed from over 40 leading e-commerce platforms including Alibaba, Mercado Libre and Amazon. The online battle has also extended to include social media platforms, where over 1,000 infringements were found – and removed – from across iTunes, GooglePlay and YouTube.

“Piracy is the single biggest issue facing brand owners in the licensing industry today,” said Andrew Carley, head of global licensing at eOne.“We are actively

Kind + Jugend Gears Up For 2017

Preparations for a successful Kind + Jugend, the leading international trade fair for baby and children’s products, are running at full speed. Taking place from 14 to 17 September 2017, around 1,000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries have confirmed they will be showcasing their latest product ranges at the international show.

Previous years have seen Kind + Jugend build upon its position as the world’s biggest trade fair for the baby and children’s industry, with major exhibitors such as Britax Römer, Dorel, iCandy and Medela making a welcome return.

Kind + Jugend supports start-ups and smaller companies with a number of country pavilions from Australia, the UK, France, South Korea, Latvia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and the USA. A fully-supported awards programme also includes the Kind + Jugend Innovation Award which is now seen as an important marketing tool throughout the trade.

For more information or to register for free, please visit www.kindundjugend.de

dealing with this situation to send a clear message that we will not tolerate the infringement of our IP and that we will make every effort to safeguard our brands and protect children from these poor quality and potentially harmful, untested counterfeit products.”

Below: These actions build upon eOne’s previous efforts to reduce piracy in 2015, when 2.5 million Peppa Pig counterfeit goods were seized globally.

UK Pavilion Places

Just a few last-minute spaces are available for companies interested in booking space in the UK Pavilion at Kind + Jugend, which has moved to a new location for 2017, in Hall 4.1 Adrian Sneyd, UK Pavilion organiser, comments: “With over 70 companies confirmed in the UK Pavilion we have just enough space for a few more. The UK Pavilion has proved hugely popular every year, particularly with the prominent British branding which attracts buyers from around the world.”

A drinks and networking event will be taking place directly after the show on Thursday 14 September, sponsored by logistics company Allport Cargo Services and Nursery Today magazine.

Full information about the UK Pavilion, including DIT grant application forms can be found on the BPA website at www.thebpa.eu

Poundland Launches Baby Range Bargain high street retailer Poundland has launched a new baby collection, targeted primarily for mothers-to-be and parents of newborns.

The range has been designed using in on-trend colours and design elements and includes plush giraffe toys, photo frames, mugs, baby shower accessories, balloons and even a count-down chalk board for impatient parents-to-be.

Inset: Consumers will be able to get their hands on each item for just £1.

Dream (Toy) Team Toy company Hape has acquired the entire shareholding of leading UK toy distributor Marbel Toys.

The deal represents the latest stage in the expansion of Hape Toys, following their success in the Asian, American and European markets.

Christoph Bettin will remain managing director of Marbel in addition to taking on a new role as Hape’s global marketing director. “[this deal] allows Hape to speed Marbel’s growth with investment,” he said.

“For Marbel’s existing customer base, this signals a real positive outcome with many exciting projects in the pipeline.”

“It also enables Hape to continue long-standing relationships within the toy market and to invest to make Marbel and its brands market leaders and increase their market share,” adds Hape’s CEO and founder Peter Handstein.

Liverpool FC Signs Joie As Family Partner

Nursery expert Joie has signed a threeyear partnership deal with Liverpool FC that sees the company become the Club’s first official family partner and global baby gear partner.

The partnership will see Joie launch a range of Liverpool FC branded products in 2018, while also working with the Club to deliver family-focused events. Joie will also have access to LFC players and legends throughout the season.

“The partnership will boost global awareness of Joie,” says David Welsh, Joie’s managing director. “Just as importantly, the club shares our values of supporting families in need and we look forward to working with the club on charitable initiatives.”

Festival Friendly

Last month saw the return of the 3foot People Festival, where young children are given the opportunity to enjoy music, arts and crafts, theatre and play.

Taking place from June 27 to 29, Playmobil and Fundamentally Children were once again in attendance. The three-day event saw Playmobil and Fundamentally Children bring a range of products to help unleash young children’s creative spirit and help develop children’s skills through play.

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NEWS TOP STORY

BBC Boosts Kids TV Budget

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he BBC has announced it will be boosting its annual children’s budget from £110m to £124.4m by 2019-20, totalling an extra £34m over the next three years.

The broadcaster’s investment in homegrown children’s content comes as plans were announced to reinvent the corporation ‘for a new generation’, to keep up with the shift to online viewing and combat competition from media giants like Netflix and Amazon.

Director general Tony Hall described the move as: “the biggest investment

in children’s services in a generation,” which will “increasingly offer a personalised online offering for our younger viewers.”

The new children’s strategy will also see £31.4m spent on online content such as video, online programme extensions, blogs, guides, games and apps.

The BBC said it wants to respond to changes to the way children “are watching and consuming programmes”, adding: “Investment in British content - particularly for the young - is vital, unless we want more of our culture

Argos Reveals Top Toys For Christmas 2017

Argos has revealed its top toy picks for Christmas 2017 and the retailers’ list of 12 toys contains a mix of licensed lines, traditional toys and the latest techdriven playthings.

Linzi Walker is the chief toy buyer for Argos, and has been curating the list with her team since the beginning of the year. “This year’s top toys list is a fantastic blend,” she said, “as toymakers evolve childhood favourites alongside the introduction of newer and more technology-led gifts.”

Of the dozen items listed, a number of preschool picks made the cut, including: ■ PJ Masks Headquarter Playset (Flair) ■ Fisher-Price Think & Learn Teach ‘n Tag Movi (Mattel) ■ Paw Patrol Sea Patroller (Spin Master) ■ Tiny Treasures Twin Set (Chad Valley)

Working At European Level

Robert Anslow, managing director of the UK’s Baby Products Association, has been re-elected as president of the European Nursery Products Confederation (ENPC) for a further two-year period, following the organisation’s recent AGM. The ENPC will continue to focus on child safety, aiming to build relationships with policy makers at a European level.

The seven country members include: Austria (ARGE), Ital y(Assogiocattoli), Germany (BDKH), Belgium (Febab), France (FJP) Netherlands (VBKV) and UK (BPA). The organisation hopes to recruit new trade associations from other European countries to give further strength to its working initiatives.

For more information about the ENPC, visit www.enpc.eu

shaped and defined by the rise of West Coast American companies.”

Above: Kids can expect to enjoy more UK-commissioned preschool programming from the BBC.

Toymaster Donations Make Difference

Taxi!

There’s a new way of keeping kids safe in London’s black cabs, thanks to the portable car seat belt solution mifold.

The law allows children to travel unrestrained if an appropriate car seat is unavailable, but a number of black cabs are now offering parents the option of using mifold, so that young children can be as safe as possible during their journey.

Participating cabs in Central London are liveried in bright yellow so parents can easily spot them and mifold is running social media competitions for parents who spot and photograph a mifold cab!

Above: Parents who spot a mifold cab can enter an online competition.

Toys donated after the May Toymaster show have already started to make a difference, according to a thank you letter from Martin House Hospice who coordinated the charitable collections.

The letter thanked the team behind the show for organising the generous donation of toys, which were destined for distribution between six local children’s charities.

“We were delighted to be presented with such a huge amount of toys” said Maureen Burns, speaking on behalf of Martin House Hospice. “We know that the children’s charities are always thrilled and grateful to receive them.”

Peppermint Teams Up With Baby To Toddler

Following the successful first Baby to Toddler in 2016, the shopping event will be returning to London ExCeL this autumn, and nursery retailer, Peppermint has been named as the principal retail partner. The two-day shopping event will play host to around 100 exhibitors, ranging from big names to boutique brands, and is designed for expectant and new parents with children aged from newborn to four-years-old.

The event will take place at ExCeL London on the weekend of 18 – 19 November 2017, while a second show will be taking place at Birmingham NEC on 2 and 3 December 2017.

Bookstart Celebrates 25 Years To celebrate 25 years of Bookstart, BookTrust partnered with popular TV presenter and radio DJ Lauren Laverne to bring this year’s National Bookstart Week title to life.

BookTrust, through its partnership with Hodder Children’s Books, donated 450,000 hard copies of Ellie Sandall’s Everybunny Dance! to children across the

country during National Bookstart Week.

Since 1992, BookTrust has gifted over 34 million books to children across the country through Bookstart. The programme gives every child in England and Wales a free reading pack in the first year of their life and again when they are 3-4 years old.

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NOW PRODUCING BABYWEAR

NEWLY SIGNED LICENSES...

MENS LADIES CHILDRENS BABIES UNDERWEAR NIGHTWEAR SOCKS HOSIERY Contact: Faye Hillard - Email: faye@misirli.co.uk

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NEWS TOP STORY

Mothercare Turnaround Sees Jump In Worldwide Sales

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eading global parenting and maternity retailer Mothercare has announced a jump in worldwide sales, up by 6.3% to £1.2bn for the 52 week period to 25 March 2017. Underlying profits are up by 1% to £19.7m.

The positive results have seen the UK branch of the global retailer’s operation return to underlying profit in the second half of the year for the first time in six years. Some 41% of all Mothercare’s UK sales are now made online, a 7.8% increase on the previous year.

Right: UK like-for-like sales are up by 1.1%, with losses reduced by an impressive 31%, to £35.2m.

“We are now in the third year of our turnaround and I am pleased to report that we have achieved much of what we set out to do,” revealed chief executive, Mark Newton-Jones. “[However] we believe we are only half way through the transformation of the Mothercare brand.”

“We shall focus our product offer on maternity, newborn, baby and toddler up to preschool,” Mark continued. “We are a true specialist in these categories and will build our future ranges and

services upon this basis.”

In the UK, Mothercare has closed unprofitable stores, transitioned the store portfolio to two thirds out of town and one third in town, and has refurbished 70% of its total UK store estate (152 branches).

Harrogate Dates Announced Harrogate International Nursery Fair has announced dates for its 2018 event with a new hall layout, new entrance and revamped look.

Returning to a Sunday start, the show will be taking place from 25 – 27 March 2018, and will take place in Halls G, H and Q of the Harrogate International Centre, with a new Above: Roger has worked in the toy business for more than 50 years, representing both suppliers and retailers.

Roger Dyson Recieves Lifetime Achievement Award

The British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) has presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Roger Dyson, on 28 June 2017, at the Industry Day at Great Fosters Hotel.

“Roger has made a lasting and significant contribution to the toy industry in his many roles that have spanned suppliers, manufacturers, and as leader of the retail buying group Toymaster – along with his 21 years’ service on the BTHA Council,” said Kevin Jones, BTHA President.

“Through some of the most difficult and challenging times the industry has faced, it has been Roger’s dedication and leadership along with his commitment to the BTHA in many roles, that truly sets him apart. This BTHA Lifetime Achievement Award is richly deserved for the vision and wisdom that he has brought to the Association and the industry as a whole”.

My First Frugi

Ethical and organic children’s clothing brand Frugi will be launching a brand new collection of beautiful, 100% organic clothing this November, perfectly sized and designed for babies’ first few months.

My First Frugi will be available in five sizes to cater for tinier babies; Tiny Baby (5-6lbs), Newborn (6-7lbs), 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-12 months.

“My First Frugi is a very exciting development for us and we can’t wait to share the range with everyone,” said Lucy Jewson, Frugi’s co-founder. “We will introduce this collection into an early drop for SS18 to ensure retailers have newness and full price stock as AW17 retail moves into the sale period and to influence sales across the Christmas gifting period.”

Industry Inspiration

Toy company Golden Bear has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain, a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic SMEs. To be included, companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming industry peers.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been recognised,” says Barry Hughes, managing director. “[We have] a fantastic team whose hard work and commitment continues to drive the business forward.”

entrance. Booking will open soon, with 2017 exhibitors being given priority before space goes onto general sale, although new halls mean they will not be able to reserve the exact same stand space.

For more information visit www. nurseryfair.com

LICENSING LOOKOUT ▶ Entertainment One (eOne) and awardwinning animation studio Astley Baker Davies are producing a new series of Peppa Pig, bringing the total number of episodes to 381. ▶ UK educational craft kits specialist Creativity International has joined forces with BBC Worldwide to launch a new range of CBeebies merchandise. ▶ DHX Brands is celebrating strong Teletubbies toy sales in UK, with overall sales up 36% in value and 23% in units for the year to date for the Character Options line. ▶ B BC Worldwide has boosted the licensing programme for preschool hit Hey Duggee with a number of new partners, including Roy Lowe and Sons, DNC and Scary Beasties. ▶ Acamar Films is bringing preschool favourites Bing and Flop to UK shopping centres and toy stores this summer in partnership with The Entertainer and Toys ‘R’ Us. ▶ Pat-a-Cake, the new baby, preschool and early years imprint from Hachette Children’s Group, will be publishing tie-in titles for Dot To Dot Productions’ preschool brand School of Roars. ▶ Golden Bear has been appointed as the master toy licensee for The World of Dinosaur Roar!, the preschool property from Nurture Rights, created by Peter Curtis and produced in association with the Natural History Museum.

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New for AW17!

We are excited to launch our new Matching Dolls Costumes.

Now children and their dolls can play dress-up together

For more information, support@pretendtobee.com

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TOP STORY

Mattel Plans Reinvention

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attel ceo Margo Georgiadis has hinted at a ‘reinvention’ of the business in order to get the global toy maker, and home of FisherPrice, back on track.

The past three years have seen Mattel’s sales slip from $6.5 billion to $5.5 billion, with the toy company’s shares shedding 28% of their value.

For comparison, Hasbro’s sales have grown by 29% over the same period and, after reported record-breaking sales earlier this year, is now worth nearly $6 billion more than Mattel.

“It is time to reinvent this company because of where the world is headed,” Margo told business publication Fortune in a recent interview. “As an industry, we are all challenged to do things differently.”

Investors were then told that the company would ‘get back on track’

by placing firmer bets on emerging markets, developing new lines quickly and by focusing more on digital play experiences.

Margo admitted that the process would involve some ‘tough decisions’ and that revitalisation plans for preschool brands such as Thomas & Friends and Mega Bloks could take longer than expected.

Below: Mattel boasts a number of preschool names in its portfolio, including the everpopular Fisher-Price.

To celebrate his 30th anniversary, Fireman Sam has partnered with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and will be supporting numerous charity fundraising events throughout the year.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations for Fireman Sam,” said Helen Genia, Mattel’s senior consumer products manager, hardlines, for Europe and the UK. “Fireman Sam supports the missions and values of the Fire Service, and it’s great to be working with the team based in Fireman Sam’s home country.”

Above: Fireman Sam with Cardiff Central station manager Mark Watt and firefighter Kevin Summerhayes.

Following a successful introduction and sell through in 2016, Geomagworld SA will be expanding its product portfolio and operation within the UK. The second half of 2017 will see a full packaging refresh of the Color and Panels collections; including the addition of a STEM logo and improved piece count call out. Two new collections will also be released within the range. The Magicube

Retailer Argos is giving its Chad Valley toy line a boost with the addition of Tots Town, a brand new range of playsets.

The sets, which have been designed for children aged from 18 months to three-years-old, cover a number of different scenarios, including Adventures at the Playground, Party at the Princess Castle and Sirens at the Fire Station.

“We absolutely love the new Tots Town range and have no doubt that both children and parents will do too,” says Andrea Derrick, head of play at Chad Valley at Argos. “Chad Valley is all about fostering greater creativity and development by encouraging imaginative childhood play.

And Tots Town does just that”

Chicco Partners With Annabel Karmel

Fireman Sam Celebrates 30 Years

Geomag Growth Plans

Argos’ Chad Valley Launches New Playsets

BLE Registration Now Open Visitor registration for Brand Licensing Europe, taking place from 10-12 October 2017 at Olympia London, is now open.

Now in its 19th year, BLE 2017 will feature over 280 exhibitors showcasing over 2,500 brands, characters and images.

This year’s event sees organiser UBM launching a host of new features for 2017, including a Gaming Activation Area, and expanded Brands and Lifestyle Theatre Programme, a newly revamped Product Showcase and the largest number of sports exhibitors to date.

To register for free or to find out more, visit www. brandlicensing.eu

range will also launch, while a new magnetic cube construction set is expected to revolutionise the Junior construction category for children as young as 18 months.

The classic Geomagworld range will also be supported with TVC for three weeks in October including the half-term period as well a further three weeks commencing 27 Nov.

www.progressive-preschool.com

Leading parenting brand Chicco has teamed up with children’s cookery author Annabel Karmel for an exciting feeding partnership based around the launch of her latest book.

The collaboration sees Chicco’s 5-in-1 Polly Progres5 named as the official highchair partner for Annabel Karmel’s brand new Baby-Led Weaning Recipe Book, which hit stores earlier this year.

A conjoined marketing plan, which will cover print, online, in store and social elements, all of which aim to promote the affinity of the two brands to their key target audience.

NEWS IN BRIEF ▶ The Baby Brands Direct website has now moved over to HTTPS, ensuring customers can benefit from an improved checkout process including online card storage facilities. ▶ Skip Hop, the global lifestyle brand devoted to designing innovative MustHaves Made Better has recently celebrated its one-year anniversary of being in the UK. ▶ Natural Baby Shower has partnered with US-based children’s sunglasses manufacturer Babiators, and is now the official UK distributor of the brand. ▶ PR and communications agency, MI PR has acquired Fizz Communications, an established PR specialist in the field of tech toys, gifts and gadgets. ▶ Lauren Child, artist and highly-acclaimed author and illustrator of the bestselling and award-winning Charlie and Lola picture books, has been crowned the 10th Waterstones Children’s Laureate.

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The Home of Licensed Character Accessories

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TOP STORY

Medela Achieves National Attention

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he most recent initiative from leading breastfeeding brand Medela is The Big Breastfeeding Cafe, which attracted a mass of media attention including coverage on Channel 5’s 5pm news slot and a plethora of print and online exposure.

Coverage of the national breastfeeding campaign, which returned for its second year, focused on nursing in public and the importance of mum-to-mum support.

Sioned Hilton, Medela UK’s in-house lactation consultant, was also interviewed

by TV presenter Sian Williams.

Coverage in the national consumer press included popular titles such as Mother & Baby, Gurgle and Baby London.

A number of high-profile celebrities also lent their support to the campaign via social media, reaching an audience of over 1.4m.

“We were delighted to see The Big Breastfeeding Café featured across the media and on national television,” said Medela UK’s marketing manager, Charlotte Price. “It was not only fantastic exposure for the brand but more importantly, a brilliant way to demonstrate the importance of mum to mum support. We have been overwhelmed with the response to the fun campaign this year and are already making some exciting plans for 2018.”

New Look For Channel 5’s Milkshake!

Channel 5’s popular preschool block Milkshake has undergone its first brand refresh in over a decade.

Sarah Muller, head of children’s at Channel 5, has unveiled Milkshake’s new brand logo and opening title sequence.

The brand refresh will launch on-air on July 24 with All New Week. The schedule will be packed with new episodes of preschool programming such as Peppa Pig and Thomas and Friends, as well as new acquisitions including Poppy Cat and SIMON, with more programming announcements to come.

“I am truly lucky to have this exceptional opportunity to guide a preschool institution to the next level,’ said Sarah. “Providing a contemporary context for modern, mediasavvy kids and future-proofing Milkshake for coming generations, without losing any of its existing charm and appeal.”

July 24 will also mark the launch of the Milkshake YouTube channel, featuring audience favourites such as the presenterled short form features.

Above: Medela’s Big Breastfeeding Café marked a major step in normalising breastfeeding in society.

Summer Infant Loves Summer

Nursery brand Summer Infant has launched a #LoveSummer social media campaign as part of a concerted marketing effort to drive brand equity. The photo/video caption competition will run for the entire summer, offering one lucky winner the chance to win a Summer Infant baby bundle of their choice worth £200, plus weekly prizes.

“There’s nothing we love more than to hear from our customers about how much they enjoy using our products, so we’re asking our consumers to join in with our #LoveSummer campaign”, says general manager Hashim Yilmaz. “We’re expecting some lovely photos and videos! ”

Halilit Portfolio Boost

Preschool specialist Halilit has announced new additions to its existing portfolio, with the UK distribution rights to two new brands.

Beautiful nursery brand Rosa & Bo offers a stylish and cohesive product range with attractive gift packaging, while TrueDough craft sets are great for encouraging kids to get hands on and creative.

“We loved the Rosa & Bo range from the moment we saw it last year, and are thrilled to be championing such home grown talent, says Amy Wildman, Halilit sales manager. “TrueDough is also a fantastic addition to our preschool portfolio and we are delighted with the initial reaction it has received.”

BabyStyle Lends Support

Nursery company BabyStyle has been announced as the lead sponsor for the upcoming consumer-focused Pregnancy2Baby Show, which will be held at UWE Bristol on 14 and 15 October.

The sponsorship agreement will see the company’s well-established brands egg, Oyster and Hybrid featuring prominently on all marketing material and ticketing for the event.

A further show is already being planned for March 2018. Visit www. pregnancy2babyshow.co.uk for more information.

Kidtropolis Returns To ExCel

Toys, games and family event Kidtropolis is set to return to London’s ExCel from 23 – 26 October, with a host of preschool names already signed up to appear.

Preschool highlights scheduled for this year’s event include Postman Pat, Fireman Sam (celebrating 30 years) and Bungle, Zippy and George, who will be marking Rainbow’s 45th anniversary.

“We are thrilled to be bringing such an amazing proposition to consumers and brands at Kidtropolis 2017,” says Gemma Gallagher, director of brand relations. “We’ve packed the event with live shows, much-loved brands and unique activities.”

Visit www.kidtropolis.co.uk for more details.

PEOPLE NEWS ▶ Marbel Toys has announced Mark Beaman as new national account manager and Joe Rushworth as new UK and Ireland sales manager. ▶ New recruits at Summer Infant include Luciana Caraccio as operations and finance manager and Charlotte Young as marketing and product development co-ordinator. ▶ Hippychick welcomes Mike Bird as sales executive, under the lead of Alan Houghton, who has now taken the helm as UK sales manager. ▶ Green Sheep Group, the company behind The Little Green Sheep and national award winning SnüzPod and Snüz products, has appointed Roger Allen as chief executive. ▶ BeSafe UK/IRL has recruited Clarissa von Kleist to support and expand all UK/Ireland marketing, while Jeanetta Zebik will now be on hand to provide extra consumer support. ▶ Konfidence has promoted Max Patey to the role of national sales manager after overseeing a sales increase of over 35% in the first-half of 2017. ▶ Penguin Random House has promoted Thomas Merrington to creative director for Penguin Ventures. ▶ Fred Wolff, former general manager at Tomy Europe will join IMC Toys as managing director in August.

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The Progressive Preschool Awards take place on Thursday 9 November 2017, at The Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, London.

Now in its fifth year, the PPS Awards is a hugely popular awards ceremony that sees all sectors within the preschool product and retail sector coming together to network and celebrate the past year.

The Progressive Preschool Awards recognise retail and product excellence, in addition to marketing prowess and people power. The nomination and voting process differs for each category, utilising the skills, experience and knowledge of experts in the sector. This ensures that the utmost integrity is maintained.

All categories open for entry Product Award Categories – Judged in person by top retail buyers Marketing Award – Highly coveted, judged by marketing gurus Retail Award Categories – A chance to nominate your leading retail partners Outstanding Achievement Award – Recognising talent from product or retail Wholesale / Distributor Award – Rewarding the often unsung heroes of trade Entry is open online at www.progressive-preschool-awards.co.uk Contact a member of the PPS Team for guidance on nominations and entry: Rob Willis: robw@max-publishing.co.uk Jo Pilcher: jop@max-publishing.co.uk Jacqui Parr: jacquip@max-publishing.co.uk Samantha Loveday: saml@max-publishing.co.uk Join industry peers across manufacturing, licensing, supply and retail for a day of celebration for the preschool sector in a glorious setting.

“What a great honour to receive the award. We have had great support from a fantastic group of suppliers partners that have worked hard with us in order to deliver a customer-focused range.”

Dawn Lavalette, head of buying for toys and nursery, Tesco.

“It is amazing for Sainsbury’s Argos to be recognised in the PPS Awards, and I feel incredibly proud of my team who have worked many late nights to deliver a fantastic preschool offering.”

Chris Watters, buying manager - preschool, Sainsbury’s Argos.

"To win Best Outdoor Toy Range had made us all so very proud, especially with it being such a prestigious category and up against some real industry giants. We couldn’t be happier.”

Nikki Jeffrey, UK key account manager, Famosa.

For ticket information Please contact Clare Davies, Createvents Ltd: T: 01183 340085 E: clare@createvents.co.uk W: createvents.co.uk

www.progressive-preschool-awards.co.uk

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The Retail Award Categories • • • • • • • • • •

Best Supermarket Retailer Best Multiple Retailer Best Mixed Retailer Best Department Store Retailer Best Online Retailer Best Retail Initiative Best Independent Toy Retailer Best Independent Apparel Retailer Best Independent Gift Retailer Best Independent Nursery Retailer

The Product Award Categories • • • • • • • • •

Best Preschool Essentials Range Best Preschool Reading or Writing Range Best Preschool Home or Furniture Range Best Preschool Mobility Range Best Preschool Apparel or Accessories Range Best Preschool Toys or Games Range Best Preschool Tech, Development or STEM Range Best Preschool Gift Range The Innovation Award

The Special Awards • The Marketing Award • The Outstanding Achievement Award • Best Wholesaler or Distributor Award 2017 Sponsors include...

T

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06/07/2017 15:31 16/06/2017 10:52

MEDI A WATCH

IN THE

Public Eye

In Media Watch, Progressive Preschool takes a look at the preschool products featuring in the consumer press and social media to find out what will be in demand at retail over the coming months.

JUL 2017

Gurgle Spys...

Trolley Dash

The popular I-Spy section of Gurgle magazine has some fab picks in this year’s July issue! A full page was dedicated to the colourful new My Carry Potty designs, with the editorial pointing out that summertime is perfect for potty training. The clever Infantino Sensory Robot was also featured a few pages later, offering something for everyone!

Parents do much of their non-food shopping in supermarkets these days, as the July issue of Mother & Baby magazine highlighted with a ‘Supermarket Buys’ article, which featured a brand new range of The Very Hungry Caterpillar babywear which has just launched exclusively at Sainsbury’s and includes babygros, clothing and this fab new hooded towel.

Carry Me Home

Toy Time

The June issue of Baby London featured Baby Bjorn’s Baby Carrier One not just once, but twice in one issue. The carrier made its first appearance in the news pages, where the blue tropical leaf print took the lead slot and was highlighted for being designed with dads in mind. It could also be seen later in the Style pages, where the soft pink cotton option was shown.

The wonderful Sleep Tight All Night Unicorn from Golden Bear was included in a round up of products ‘fit for a princess’ – a feature which was loosely based around Princess Charlotte’s second birthday in the May issue of Mother & Baby. The company’s new In the Night Garden Baby collection of toys and comforters was also highlighted as a key new arrival elsewhere in the issue.

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READY TO LAUNCH! TRANSFORM FROM PLANE TO ROBOT

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TRANSFORMING VEHICLES

WORLD AIRPORT PLAYSET

90 CM LONG LIGHTS, SOUNDS AND PHRASES FROM THE SHOW

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© 2017 Funny Flux / Alpha All rights reserved.

11/07/2017 14:55

MEDI A WATCH

Shop!

VTech VM343 Pan & Tilt Baby Monitor £149.99 vtech.co.uk WE SAY: This offers excellent control of the camera via the hand-held parent unit. It has a large colour screen and good sound quality and visibility, with infrared night vision. An alert sounds when the battery runs low or if you’re out of range. It also has two-way talkback, a thermometer and a lullaby mode.

CHRISTINA (9W): Quick and easy to set up. I love the large screen on the parent unit and the really clear picture.

A great feature is the option to set it to vibrate rather than sound – with two children, I don’t want to risk waking one up every time the monitor goes off.

This has great extras such as the two-way communication and thermometer.

The lullabies are lovely too. ★★★★★

FELICITY (8M): A brilliant, reliable monitor – this is our favourite by far.

The camera is bulky compared to others, but we love the colour monitor and that you can pan and tilt the camera via the parent monitor. The wall mount is useful, as you can choose the ideal position.

The parent unit charges in around three hours, which is great if you forget to do this overnight.

It’s pretty perfect. ★★★★★

LINDSEY (11M): This has easy-tofollow instructions.

The picture is a little grainy and the night mode isn’t very clear, but the screen is a good size. I like the extra features like the vibration on the parent unit to alert you to temperature changes or loss of connection. The optional sleep mode is noise-activated, so when Aaliyah makes a sound it comes on, but it’s easy to turn off. ★★★★★

Angelcare AC417 Video, Wireless Movement and Sound Monitor £249.99 angelcare.co.uk

Range: 250m

11½

Winner

15

14

15

Range: 300m

WE SAY: This has a sensor to alert you if no movement is detected from your baby. You can monitor movement and sound, sound only or just movement. It has a colour touch screen, two-way communication and a temperature display. We especially like the activity-tracking mode and zoom/rotate camera options.

CHRISTINA (9W): All the reassurance you could ever need.

Straightforward to set up and it looks and feels first class.

The picture quality is fantastic and I love the sensor pad which tracks all movements over a period of time to show when your little one is being disturbed – it turns out the heating coming on at 5.30am was waking Ethan!

It’s pricey, but it offers the most reassurance by far. ★★★★★

FELICITY (8M): Easy to assemble and I love the design.

I’m not a fan of movement sensors, though – the alarm sounded twice for no discernible reason, waking both my children. I found the parent unit tricky to use and the touch screen isn’t that responsive – annoying when you can’t make the alarm stop! It’s best suited to someone who specifically wants to monitor movement. ★ ★ ★★ ★

LINDSEY (11M): Wow, this looks beautiful and every detail seems high quality. The picture is very clear, but in sleep mode it’s not sound-activated unless you tap the screen, which could be more responsive.

The temperature display on the camera is quite bright and the instructions don’t explain the features as well as I’d like.

It’s brilliant, but a little advanced for our needs. ★★★★★

Look And Listen

Shape Shifting

The video monitor market was the subject of The Big Test in the June issue of Mother & Baby magazine.

Angelcare’s AC417 video, wireless movement and sound monitor scored an impressive 11.5 out of a possible 15. Testers were impressed with its ‘fantastic’ picture quality, temperature display and movement tracker which shows sleeping patterns throughout the night.

Clever magnet-based preschool toy GeoSmart has been highlighted in both the Metro newspaper’s Lust List and the June issue of Angels and Urchins magazine.

Described in the latter as being ‘ideal for budding builders’, the STEM constriction kit allows young children to create all manner of sculptures and models, which can become increasingly complicated as the child gets older.

LUSLTist T he LUSTist

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June 9, 2017

Connect Connect Connect

Technology

| Gadgets |

Games | Apps

Projector

Smartphone projector in Assemble a stylish cardboard this affordable seconds with some funky styling offering. It features so guests don’t and copper accents a box?’ ask: ‘Is it just re.org.uk £22, shop.nationaltheat

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Nest’s latest a 4K offering fuses picture sensor, HDR builtquality and a ward in speaker to also It off intruders. the offers all of facial recognition to you’ve come expect of a smarthome security camera. £299, store.nest. com/uk

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the here is also e of professional-grad Arguably the with plenty size. It packs a mighty most competent, over its rivals, belie its compact features that boosting the resolution poorly lit if a tiny 24.3MP sensor,ISO range makes shooting is glorious, while its solid easier. The 23mm lens an optical or electric simply pick subjects even and the option of using possible to very bit restrictive,excellent. In fact, it’s shots with is viewfinder and rattle off impressive fujifilm.eu/uk £1,249, up the X100F knowledge. little photographic

The SleepSpace from BabyHub has been featured in a number of key parenting titles in recent months, securing the coveted ‘Most Wanted’ spot in June’s issue of Gurgle magazine. The different colourways, mosquito net for warmer weather and play pen adaptor made it a popular choice. Mother & Baby magazine selected it as one of their ‘best new baby gear’ picks for April.

JUL 2017

Who’s Who?

The PR companies, distributors and suppliers featured in this issue of Media Watch are: Bump PR (My Carry Potty, Infantino, GeoSmart), License to PR (Rocket Licensing/Very Hungry Caterpillar), Claireville (Baby Bjorn), Norton PR (Golden Bear), Hardenberg, Mason Williams PR (BabyHub), VMC, Butterfly Consultancy (Babycup, Shnuggle). We would also like to clarify that Neat PR submitted the Silver Cross coverage in issue 29.

Astell & Kern SP1000 A&ultima

marque’s Billed as the flagship high-resolution this piece of music player, by an audio art is powered while the octa-core CPU, dual-DAC latest AK4497EQ for accurate design allows 32bit/ playback of native 384kHz audio. £2,958, amazon.co.uk

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Huawei X MateBook

This stylish notebook 13-inch fanless an 88 design features per cent screen-to-body ratio and gloriousalso It’s 4.4mm bezels. Dolby packing a built-in system.

Atmos sound (£1,218), From €1,399 om consumer.huawei.c

Nest Cam

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Electra Townie are being released electric bikes The Commute At long last, like sci-fi creations. a Bosch that don’t lookand town bike styling with fuses beach for breezy pedalling. electric drivetrain £2,500, evanscycles.com

Awair

This little puppy and tracks toxins air the chemicals in the and syncs with Amazon likes of Nest, Echo and Google Home to automatically in the optimise air home throughout the day. £179.99, getawair.co.uk

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Loewe Bild away from the and There is no running OLED televisions beauty of these added an enormous Loewe has just to its award-winning 77-inch version monster. It’s pricey...

HDR Dolby Vision £12,990, loewe.tv

Audio BTS

Pro

66 Bluetooth With 100ft wireless high-density range, 36mm ergonomically drivers and an these cans designed fit, to those are well suitedhigh-fidelity who appreciatethe go. tunes on $129.99, 66audio.com

| Gadgets |

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9, 2017 METRO

43

Connect Connect Connect

Friday, June

Technology

Powered by

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Garmin Virb little camera but this rugged imagery 360-degree It might be small bag immersive,in-camera stitching manages to Automatic to rock instantly. at 4K/30fps. footage is ready means gnarly £649.99, garmin.com

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portability, a III Sony RX10 Sony lacks in lightweight opportunities,

What the bigup for with mega-zoom sensor and the crisp than makes stacked Exmor CMOS deter those frame may far-off 20.1MP 1-inch lens. The bulky its ability to reach but modes Zeiss 24-600mm a pocket snapperthe selection of focusshots. looking for while unrivalled, up and snap super-sharp to capture subjects is to line 4K video for those wanting makes it simple is also brilliant values, as it bags slick POULTNEY The RX10 III LEON slick production video with £1,549, sony.co.uk with ease.

their own Mars Explorer GeoSmart kids (and parents) to build including pieces, kit contains 51 it moving. gizmos encourage These ace little vehicle from scratch. The tech to get transmitting remote-controlled as well as the geosmart.eu an LED panel, £69.99,

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Get The Look A recent celebrity-filled celebration was the subject of much media attention, with postevent images appearing in Heat magazine, The Sun and The Daily Mail, among others. The 10th anniversary celebration for In The Night Garden took place at the RHS Family Gardening show and saw Jamie Winstone and her little boy Raymond rocking VMC’s Iggle Piggle dress up costume!

Baby Essentials The summer issue of B magazine included features covering a number of diverse topics – ranging from developmental play hints and tips right through to how to ensure the little ones maintain their sleep routine when away from home.

The dentist-approved Babycup was chosen as a developmental highlight, while the hypoallergenic Shnuggle basket was a popular choice for parents on the move.

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I N DU ST RY I N S I G H TS

SAFETY IN NUMBERS

T

ough trading conditions characterise most areas of retail right now. Uncertainty and rising costs are leading to belt-tightening among consumers and with GfK’s own consumer confidence barometer dipping 8 points in June, the signs indicate that this will continue.

In the five months to May, the overall nursery market slipped 2% compared to last year, an £8m fall to £387m with furniture, travel systems and even safety products like monitors experiencing declines. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, and if you look beyond the headline numbers and focus on the premium pricepoints, a number of shafts of light appear.”

Keeping Watch “The smart monitor market grew by 22%, heading past the £1m mark for the first time at a much earlier point in the year. While new ranges and enhanced technology have helped average prices increase by around 10%, there seems to be a conscious move by parents to spend a little more as they embrace connected and mobile technology in all aspects of their life.

This is supported by a recent GfK smart home study which highlighted the rise in parents who considered baby and child safety a key factor in smart home purchasing. In real terms, average price for devices above £100 grew over 60% year on year, with those costing above £140 now making up 15% of sales. In contrast, an 8% drop in video monitors, the largest segment

Above: An increase in digital thermometers is boosting value sales across the sector. Right: GfK business group director Anthony Williams.

of the market in value and a double digit dip in sensory, the second largest, represents a significant shift in buying patterns.”

Seasonal Shift “In other areas of safety and health, seasonality can play a bigger factor than in most areas of nursery.

Thermometers are one such area where the spring and winter months bring greater demand as colds and other bugs start to make their presence felt more keenly. Last year, the incidence of infection was higher after a wet winter and as a result, sales of thermometers in the year to May were up 25%. This Below: Parents choosing premium are supporting the safety markets.

As one of the world’s largest market research companies, GfK offers retailers and suppliers valuable insight into the way people live, think and shop. Here, business group director Anthony Williams takes takes a look at the latest figures and market trends to see that premium products speak volumes in monitors and thermometers. year, sales have been far flatter, although digital products aimed at young children have performed better with a 15% upswing in value.

More than two fifths of digital thermometers sold in the UK are designed with kids in mind and while the thermometer market overall fell 3% in the year to date, those at the £30-40 pricepoint saw a 12% growth in value sales. This is a step up from previous years and is another example of parents eying up more premium products. While the market for smart thermometers is still relatively small (comprising just 1% of value), growth is gaining pace and could be influential in rising prices at the higher end before the year is out.

The bottom line for the industry is that while finding value is undeniably more challenging, there are clearly a number of parents who still have an appetite for trading up to the latest technology.”

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Cuddles and snuggles with Winnie The Pooh and friends Plush

sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk tel. 01268 567317

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FEEDB ACK

HALF-TIME REPORT As we hit the halfway point of 2017, it is time to find out how the preschool business is faring.

And who better to tell us than those actively involved in selling the products? PPS talks to a selection of execs from across the toy, nursery and brand owner sectors to find out how business has been over the last six months.

Gary Wood, UK country manager, Infantino Bkids

“

We are having a great year so far.

Having launched our new sensory toy collection in January at Toy Fair, we have been delighted to see more retailers on board and a fantastic response at shows. We’ve seen more of a shift into young age products and we believe that parents like to follow a brand from bump to toddler, so it’s been great seeing customers trust the Infantino brand, not just as a one-off purchase, but returning to our brand time and time again.

This year has seen the arrival of our carrier collection and the response has been fantastic, with retailers including Argos and Babies R Us on board already. The new Go Gaga Teepee Gym has done exceptionally well in Mothercare too. Thanks to its longevity and unique features, sales have been fantastic.

Finally, it goes without saying that the sensory toy collection has been thoroughly embraced by trade since we launched in January and we expect more growth to follow in 2018.

”

Above: Gary Wood says Infantino Bkids is having a great year so far.

Right: Infantino’s Go Gaga Teepee Gym.

Wendy Hill, brand activation director, Mattel The preschool sector “ continues to perform

well, with continuous developments and competitive offerings. Some of our most popular toys are the new Little People range, the BeatBo range, Code-a-Pillar, Jumperoo and Rainforest Gym. Some highlights to look forward to include the Infant to Toddler Rocker from our Babygear range, while the collaboration with Jonathan Adler – Fisher-Price’s creative director – includes a range for newborns that introduces vibrant colours and contemporary designs which help develop a baby’s senses, including the Monkey Mirror.

For infant we have the extended BeatBo range, the Monster range and the Laugh and Learn range which continues to remain popular, while the refreshed Little People range includes the Sensory Farm.

”

Above: Mattel’s preschool offer continues to be competitive, says Wendy.

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FEEDB ACK

Rachael Bradshaw managing director, Suncrest

Caroline Flood, commercial director, Frugi

“

2017 has been an exciting year for Suncrest with us really focusing on the independent sector which has proved to be great fun and very rewarding.

Our activity toy range, Funberry Farm, inspired by the British countryside, goes from strength to strength with Sunny Jim at its helm.

We are also really excited to be launching three premium ragdolls under the Gorjuss licence by Santoro – these are due to hit the shelves this September.

”

Above: Suncrest has really focused on the independent sector, says Rachael.

Fran Vaughn, co-founder, Ickle Bubba

“

The year to date has continued to see good growth for Ickle Bubba due to a number of factors, such as holding our prices for longer in challenging currency conditions and increasing access to our products through large online retailers such as Mothercare and Argos. We also continue to add more physical stores through the independent sector for more UK coverage.

So far, 2017 has seen an increased focus on understanding the needs of first time parents. We successfully launched our re-brand, along with a new website and see daily social media support building on our engagement with new and existing customers.

Above right: Fran says Ickle Bubba has managed to hold

”

its prices longer in challenging currency conditions.

Daryl Shute, brand director, Magic Light Pictures

“

The Gruffalo and our other properties continue to perform brilliantly in the preschool/nursery sector, and we’re definitely in a stronger position now than last year. We’ve seen great success with our babywear range in Sainsbury’s Tu, along with our LittleLife collection which has received great feedback and strong results since launch.

Our clothing ranges go from strength to strength, with top-selling lines including giftable sets, novelty sleepsuits and outerwear. The Gruffalo Trunki also continues to be a bestseller year on year.

The launch of our Gruffalo Baby range with Aurora World is very exciting. It’s great to be extending the existing nursery offering into other categories including rattles, booties and comfort blankets.

”

Above: A new Gruffalo Baby line with Aurora World is an upcoming highlight for Daryl.

“

2017 has been a very exciting and positive year for Frugi so far. We are thrilled with the feedback from both trade customers and consumers as GOTS Organic Cotton and ethical ways of working are being recognised more and more.

Our clothing, homeware, maternity and gifting collections have gone from strength to strength, with 2017 sales to date being ahead of plan. We’ve increased the Frugi team to move the business forward to meet all our exciting plans for the years ahead, as we strategically grow both the UK and internationally.

SS18 is filled with newness across baby, toddler and kids with the exciting arrival of My First Frugi – a new collection of 100% GOTS Organic Cotton and ethical clothing, perfectly sized and designed for baby’s first few months.

”

Above: Caroline has been thrilled with feedback to Frugi’s ranges.

Stewart Middleton, md, Jumbo Games

“

We have had a very positive first half of the year for our preschool and nursery ranges, especially with 120+ new GOULA products which are seeing growth across specialist stores and garden centres.

We have also launched a specially designed range of foam puzzles for the hugely popular Thomas & Friends licence that has been extremely well received by retailers and consumers. We expect this to continue and to see an increase in our year on year performance in this sector.

”

Above: Stewart says Jumbo has seen growth in specialist stores and garden centres.

Julie Wilson and Amy Livingston, founders, Cheeky Chompers

“

The sector has performed even better for us so far in 2017 – Cheeky Chompers sales are up compared to the same period for 2016.

Our grey Chewy & Co hippo neckerchew is our constant bestseller. We have also seen Chewy our Hippo Teether top our charts for online direct sales and also our Chewy & Co Cheeky Blanket is a favourite internationally with our distributors.

We are excited to have just launched our beautiful new muslin collection, four innovative products made from organic muslin.

”

Above: Cheeky Chompers sales are up compared to 2016 say Julie and Amy.

Jeremy Robinson, country manager, Schleich UK The preschool sector has performed “ exceptionally well for us so far in 2017.

Our Farm World and Wild Life franchises are the entry level (age wise) to the Schleich brand and we’ve seen consistent growth across both franchises for the last three years.

Left: Schleich has seen consistent growth for its Farm World and Wild Life brands, says Jeremy.

Our top sellers have been a mix of individual figurines and box sets, and we are now seeing our low and midpriced box sets selling in increasing numbers and driving repeat purchase of individual figurines across the wider range. We have many new additions to look forward to – the Croco Research Station is one not to miss with multiple figures and accessories included.

”

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GO WILD IN THE AISLES As one of the ‘Big Six’ supermarkets – which have all made significant inroads into the baby and infant sectors as part of an ongoing focus on non-food sectors to drive business – Asda is often hailed as ‘the go-to place’ for quality, affordable children’s product. PPE spoke to Gemma Bergin, preschool toys buying manager and Rhiannon James, preschool toys buyer, to find out more about the retail giant’s approach to the preschool world.

Left to right: Rhiannon and Gemma have years of buying experience.

I

t’s a familiar story: time-pressed parent pops into local supermarket.

Dashing past the toy aisle, they remember the birthday party their three-year-old has been invited to at the weekend. Less than £10 later, and with the perfect gift for a Paw Patrol fanatic in the bag, one more thing can be ticked off the to-do list.

Both Gemma and Rhiannon have been

working for Asda for a number of years and have a total of 17 years of experience with the grocer between them. “I have worked within the buying team here for the last seven and a half years,” says Gemma, “concentrating on the toys sector for the last two and a half years.”

Rhiannon also has strong retail credentials – she’s worked within toys for the last six years buying across a number of different categories, from girls toys to sports and outdoor, and currently looks after the preschool developmental range.

General merchandise can be a real differentiator for Asda within the UK grocery market explains Gemma, pointing out that leveraging the sheer scale of the Walmart operation (the US store bought Asda in 2009) has helped the retailer deliver on its key points of difference.

The toy sector is a key focus within that general merchandise business, and –

TA LKI N G S H OP : A S DA perhaps unsurprisingly – acts as a footfall driver at key times of the year, such as Christmas. “Seasonal business is very important to Asda, especially in the toy department,” Gemma explains.

Asda’s toy department is already starting to think about Christmas 2018, with own-label product development briefs being worked on to continue to drive the retailer’s point of difference throughout the marketplace. The team also works hard to ensure that the toy business remains steady all year round, targeting key consumer groups on an ongoing basis.

“At Asda, we place ‘Mum’ as a key customer focus group, as kids are a real priority during her weekly shop,” explains Gemma. “The preschool toy range is important in capturing Mum in the early years and introducing her to our total toy range at Asda. We know it is important to gain her trust in our quality

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Character Favourites Licensed and branded goods are a crucial part of Asda’s overall toy offering, and a recent baby event, held in April 2017, was sponsored by popular preschool brand Paw Patrol.

“Licensed and branded products are an essential part of our preschool range,” said Gemma. “Licences have been growing the preschool market significantly in the past two years, thanks to the likes of Paw Patrol, and more recently PJ Masks. We think PJ Masks and Paw Patrol will continue to grow into 2018.”

Above: Little Tikes and Asda have a strong partnership.

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v

WHAT’S NEW SUMMER INFANT New products from Summer Infant.

DIGITAL VIDEO MONITORS The sleek new range of digital video monitors now offers premium features as standard and provides a really easy to use interface with leading edge technology. There are four new digital video monitors in the range.

SOOTHING TURTLE A new addition to the hugely popular Slumber Buddies range, this cuddly Turtle character has the six different colours of noise projected through starry lights and sounds. The different colour choices are important, because each baby responds to the varying noise colours in unique ways.

BY YOUR BED SLEEPER The By Your Bed Sleeper provides parents with a safe alternative to bed sharing. It’s height adjustable frame and legs that simply slide under the bed allow baby to sleep right by their parents side while still occupying a safe space. It features a unique adjustable incline that elevates baby’s head for easier breathing, better digestion and a more comfortable sleep.

MY FUN TUB The new four-stage My Fun Tub combines a super safe, grow with me tub with an interactive battery operated sprayer to bring even more fun to bath time for little ones and their parents. The tub also comes with a handy parent assist tray for keeping bath essentials nearby.

CUDDLE BUG This soft, cuddly and soothing bedtime companion provides a gentle, comforting glow and comes with three soothing sound modes to ease baby to sleep. The clever part is that the glowing lights on it’s body move in synch with the sounds, which can be activated by baby with a gentle squeeze, also helping to teach cause and effect.

LAID BACK LOUNGER The Laid-Back Lounger is a unique positioner and infant play mat that comes with a toy bar and two removable toys, which transitions through three stages of babies’ development. The multiple stages of the product make it great value for money for parents.

Summer Infant Tel: 01442 505 000 www.summerinfant.co.uk 30

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TA LKI N G S H OP : A S DA

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and value position.”

Baby events also are a key priority for the business for a similar reason, and preschool toys are increasingly being featured within these events, both in-store and online. “Asda is famous for its in-store events, and these really help to drive footfall at key times of the year for us,” offered Gemma. “We are seeing licences playing a bigger part in preschool sales and so we have had a number of licensed sponsored baby events which have been a great success.”

So what makes Asda’s preschool toy offering different to that of other supermarkets? “Within the toys offering, our own label ranges such as George Home, exclusive Little Tikes programme and Walmart brands such as My Sweet Baby and Adventure Force help drive a point of difference for us in the toy market,” Rhiannon says. “These brands not only drive a strong value perception but also help us to deliver strong quality credentials.”

The George Home wooden toys range was launched in 2015 and has been a key differentiator for Asda in the preschool toy market. “We have seen fantastic success and growth within this segment,” says Gemma, “as it offers fabulous value for money and quality for our customers.

We continue to work with our design and quality teams to ensure this range is up to date in terms of trends whilst innovating in construction and build times.”

Asda’s exclusive Little Tikes partnership also gives the supermarket a point of difference in the marketplace.

The Power Of Promotion Advertising and in-store point of sale is essential for highlighting core ranges, particularly during certain key events such as the Baby and Toddler Events and at Christmas, when the toy market is particularly competitive. “There are a number of different marketing activations that can be employed during promotional activity to drive customers into store,” reveals Gemma. “Toys are featured at key times on TV adverts, but we also utilise the Asda Price News and Asda Good Living magazine publications, as well as online banners.”

Left: Interactive plush from Little Tikes, ideal for newborn gifts.

Below and bottome: George Home wooden toys, such as this kitchen and dolls house, have seen fantastic growth.

Below right: Little Tikes takes its legendary Cozy Coupé inside.

This core range provides branded developmental products at affordable prices. “When building the Little Tikes ranges, child development is at the forefront of decision making,” adds Rhiannon. “We ensure all products feature key developmental benefits for the target age group.”

In order to ensure that Asda’s products ranges are suitable for the target consumer, the team undertakes detailed customer research and refers to third-party market research such as NPD. “This research enables us to understand categories we are under-trading in, as

Inset: In-store POS and merchandising is essential for highlighting core ranges.

well as spot new opportunities,” Gemma explains. “Social development is very important within the preschool toys category, and we have worked hard to ensure our ranges deliver this, and that it is communicated on packaging to make it easier for customers.”

She continues; “Our George Home wooden dolls house is our best-selling line across preschool toys, and it works particularly well at Christmas. We generally see higher price points working better online, where our

wooden kitchen range is a particularly strong driver for us all year round.”

Asda’s online offering has become increasingly important over the last five years, with a number of online exclusives available. “A large proportion of the toys we sell are now purchased online,” says Rhiannon. “Range space in stores is always going to be limited across the estate, while George.com allows us to showcase a full toys range.

We have over 3,000 skus online!”

The click and collect service has also driven incremental sales across all categories within Asda, as it provides a high level of convenience which parents are automatically drawn to.

“Ensuring our customers have an enjoyable shopping experience is important, whether its online or in-store, as we want our customers to come back,” adds Gemma. “Promotions and deals are key, as our customers look for good value for money. Quality is also important, as parents want to ensure they are giving their children products they can trust.”

So what does 2017 and beyond hold for Asda’s preschool toy business? “We are excited for our autumn launch in August, where a huge amount of development has been done on our Little Tikes and George Home ranges,” says Gemma.

“We’re also looking forward to the launch of a new brand Kid Connection, a leveraged brand from Wal-mart US and Canada, which will feature plush and plastic role-play product.”

Well-known among the parenting community for its accessible, affordable options, it’s clear to see why Asda remains a popular choice for parents looking to buy good quality, relevant toys.

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WHAT’S NEW EAST COAST New products from East Coast.

L IBERTY FURNITURE COLLECTION The Liberty collection features clean lines and a fresh white finish, for a modern look. Built to last and designed to grow with the child, with a removable changer top on the dresser and a spacious wardrobe. Cot bed, dresser and wardrobe are available individually or as a room set.

FISHER-PRICE REACH THE SKY CHANGING MAT One of three new Fisher-Price changing mats from East Coast Nursery for 2017, the Reach the Sky mat features a bright print of a stack of adorable animals – sure to appeal to loyal fans of Fisher-Price.

These changing mats are padded and waterproof, and are proudly made in the UK.

ANIMAL ANTICS CHANGING MAT With its fun fingerprint motif, the Animal Antics changing mat features plenty of details to catch little ones’ attention during changes. This is one of a collection of new changing mats from East Coast Nursery launching this year – more than 40 years since they created their first mat.

SAY HELLO STARRY SKY COT MOBILE The Starry Sky Cot Mobile plays the Say Hello To The Sun tune that starts every Baby Sensory class.

With its soft music and gently rotating toys, it will help to soothe baby to sleep safely on their back.

The lyrics are included in the box, so parents can sing along.

ACRE FURNITURE COLLECTION The Acre collection has a Shaker style, with tongue and groove look panels. The cot bed, dresser and wardrobe are finished in white with contrasting grey handles, and are made from sustainably-sourced wood.

Available as individual pieces as well as a complete room set.

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A PARENT PERSPECTIVE

Honest and upfront thoughts on parenting from columnist, blogger and parent-of-one Lisa Beever. www.leeleeloves.co.uk

“

W

hen I first found out I was pregnant over two and a half years ago we were flooded with advice and information from friends and relatives. What products we absolutely needed to get, and what we would be wasting our money on. Everyone had an opinion, and – surprise, surprise – they all wanted to share it with us!

A changing table for example.

Not an essential, apparently. But in my first-time mum brain I really wanted one – no, more than that; I needed one. Where would I lay him in the night to change his tiny nappy?

(Well, in reality, it wouldn’t be on the changing table that I ‘absolutely needed’ – but I wasn’t to know that at the time!). Where would I sit the selection of cute baby lotions and wipes in the baby’s new bedroom?

(Yes, that’s right – the same bedroom in which he wouldn’t sleep for the first eight months...).

But there it sat, all pristine and perfect months before his arrival. It felt essential to me at the time. The three-piece matching furniture set, the colourful wall sticker that looked like a tree, the wallpaper that was

BABY BASICS

In her latest column for Progressive Preschool, columnist Lisa – a blogger, graphic designer and parent to two-year-old Taylor – explains why choosing baby basics can be a minefield of navigating non-essential product which parents ultimately decide they ‘need’ anyway! near impossible to hang... it was all essential to me at the time.

Looking back, we could have done all that once he was eight months old and it wouldn’t have made any difference to him, or us. Maybe it wasn’t so essential after all. But it made us feel ready. Like we’d prepared for the changes that were about to happen. Although of course, in reality nothing can prepare you!

Buying nursery essentials, the real essentials, such as a moses basket or a bedside crib (we used a snuzpod), those first few outfits, bottles and breastpumps, nappies and wipes... These are the essentials which will see you ready for the arrival, physically. But nothing can prepare you mentally.

My judgement was completely clouded as to whether a product we saw advertised or in the parenting magazines was essential or not. I had set my mind on what I wanted for our baby regardless of whether or not it was really needed.

My partner still reminds me to this day, that we didn’t ever really use the changing table. We did, thankfully, choose one that was also a chest of drawers, not just a changing table, so at least it still serves a purpose today! Having lived and learned I feel the second time around we’ll be much more practical in the way we do things.

But of course, we kept everything, essential or not. Just in case!”

IT’S (ALL) IN THE BAG What can really be found nestled in those oversized changing bags? Surely it can’t all be essential... can it? Here’s Lisa’s guide to her daily essentials required to leave the house on any given day, back from when Taylor was a wee tot!

“I pack a lot in my bag, I know some people like to travel light but on some occasions we can be out of the house for up to six hours, and I like to cover every eventuality. I don’t pack toys in the bag as he usually keeps Sophie attached to his pram clips (isn’t that giraffe amazing!) and a toy in his pram, although he prefers to spend his time pulling cute faces at me anyway.

My everyday essentials include: nappies, wipes, cream, nappy bags, teething gel, Calpol, saline spray, spare clothes (Vests, bibs, outfits, socks), hand sanitiser, spare muslins, the ‘Red Baby Book’. I’ll have arms of steel before you know it carrying this lot!”

Top: Changing bag essentials – and don’t forget the baby!

Left: The ‘Essential’ Changing Table – at least it doubles as a chest of drawers!

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Inset: The Every Stage car seat has been cleverly engineered to take baby from birth to 12 years of age. It can be used rear-facing up to 18kgs.

Sharing The Joie

Launched in 2011, Joie is dedicated to designing products that make life with small children less work and more fun. PPS spoke to managing director David Welsh to find out more about one of the world’s fastest growing baby brands.

W

ith a mission statement as simple and parentfriendly as ‘sharing joy with parents worldwide’, it’s no surprise that despite being a relative newcomer to the nursery market, Joie is already an award-winning brand, going from strength to strength.

With products now being distributed across more than 50 countries, Joie operates from five offices based around the world. Despite its global stature, it remains a family-owned and operated business, proud to be creating products which genuinely make life with small children more enjoyable.

“Our one simple mission is to share joy with new parents worldwide,” managing director David Welsh told PPS, “and we are 100% committed to that. We know families around the world are experiencing something new every day and we are delighted to be part of that journey.”

In fact, 2016 saw an outstanding year of growth for the innovative nursery brand, as the company turnover ballooned from £15million to £30million in a single year.

Now, just past the halfway mark for the year, Joie is already looking to continue this impressive rate of growth in 2017 – the company is currently projecting year-end sales of over £40million.

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Right: Joie’s managing director David Welsh has been at the helm in the UK since 2011.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see what the rest of this year will bring,” says David, “as we continue to build on our previous successes. Given that we’re a relatively new brand, both retailers and consumers have come to expect innovative products and very competitive prices, with great margins for retailers and affordable price points for parents.

And we will continue communicating and engaging with all our customers to drive sales wherever possible.”

Joie’s meteoric rise comes as little

surprise when considered against the wealth of fantastic options it offers modern parents and it is clearly key to David and the rest of the Joie family that the product range reflects the company ethos. “It’s very important to us,” David explains. “We’re constantly working

FOOTBALL’S FAMILY FOCUS Joie and Liverpool FC recently announced a three-year partnership deal that sees Joie become the club’s first official family partner and global baby gear partner, working together to deliver a host of family-focused events.

The charity work that both Joie and Liverpool FC undertake both in the UK and abroad will complement each other and the brands will be working together on many events, as well as a branded product range which will launch in 2018. The partnership will also offer Joie social media and marketing support as well as access to LFC players and legends throughout the season.

“Our partnership with Liverpool FC is really exciting,” David enthused.

“The brand will be reaching a huge worldwide audience and the partnership will certainly boost global awareness of Joie. However, equally importantly, the club shares our values of supporting families in need and we look forward to working with the club on charitable initiatives.”

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TA LKI N G TO : J OI E

CONSUMER CROSSOVER Thanks to a number of prestigious awards and accolades from outside the nursery market, Joie brand awareness reaches out beyond the mainstream baby media to touch a wider audience.

The Spin 360 car seat recently won a Product Of The Year Award from the popular motoring website Honest John.co.uk, while the family company was also recently identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’.

To qualify for inclusion in the LSE’s list, Joie needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, ‘significantly outperforming industry peers’.

to make products that improve and help parents on their exciting journey, so they can really concentrate on their fantastic new parenting experiences!”

Joie’s commitment to the highest standards of design, engineering and safety means the company is proud to be 100% accountable for every single line in its expansive portfolio. “We are meticulous about the fact that each Joie product combines the highest standards of design, engineering and safety,” David continues, “together with the most durable, childproof materials. We draw on decades of industry experience, stemming from our devotion to do what is right for parents, children and the environment, to create simply brilliant products, cleverly designed with unique parent-friendly features.”

The last few years have seen Joie customers welcoming a wealth of new products into the range, and 2017 looks set to be another exciting year of growth, with a number of new and innovative products being added to the portfolio across all categories.

“Of course, design, innovation and quality remains of utmost importance,” said David. “Our new products are versatile, high-quality and are loaded with features that grow right along with little ones.”

Joie’s extensive, award-winning product line is built on a core range of cleverly

Above and right: Joie’s all-new Multiply is the ultimate in practicality, going from highchair to mini table and chair, covering every mealtime milestone inbetween!

designed home and travel products, with new hero items making a big impact on their respective categories. A continued focus on the car seat category, sees one of the company’s most exciting new lines for 2017, their first lie-flat infant carrier. The innovative i-Level, which will be available at retail later this year, builds upon Joie’s successful, multiaward winning, car seat offering and – as its name suggests – meets the new i-Size R129 requirements and easily adjusts to a lie-flat position. “With few other options currently in the marketplace, we’re bringing the proven benefits of lie-flat infant seats and the latest i-Size standard at a very competitive retail price point,” says David.

With such a wide range of product available, Joie is continuing to focus on a number of new launches, such as the new Multiply highchair which has six modes, ranging from a classic 6m+ highchair through booster seat to play table and toddler chair. “A commitment to multi-group products which work across the traditional nursery categories gives us real traction with consumers,” adds David. “They really appreciate the added practicality and longevity.”

Consumer feedback is crucial to Joie and the company embraces social media to ensure it stays on top of the

Above: The award-winniing Litetrax 4 is a trendy pushchair/ travel system with an instant one-hand fold conveniently located in the seat. Left: The Serina 2-in-1 took the gold in the 2016/2017 Mother and Baby Awards for the best bouncy chair /rocker seat.

Below: Lie-flat infant carrier the i-Level comes complete with an ISOFIX base and is compatible with a number of Joie and other branded pushchairs.

market and aware of the latest trends. “Our social channels are constantly evolving and growing in terms of both content and numbers of followers,” David explains.

“They are very helpful in allowing us to understand our customers’ concerns and needs very quickly, and this feedback is very important. It also gives our consumers a closeness and inclusivity which is difficult to attain with other media forms.”

Another way in which Joie is reaching out into the community is its recent partnership with Liverpool FC, which sees the company become the iconic club’s first official family partner and global baby gear partner (see breakout).

And for retailers, trade marketing also remains important, with September’s Kind + Jugend exhibition proving a key focal point for the year. What’s in store for this year’s show?

“Kind + Jugend is hugely important for our brand,” explains David. “This is certainly the case from a global perspective, but it also gives us a great opportunity to bring the latest product development to the forefront at the right time of year. This year should be no exception, and we have plenty of new innovation and products to look forward to!”

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Ardega Advert 17-07_Layout 1 07/07/2017 15:43 Page 1

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Website: www.ardega.co.uk 10/07/2017 13:43

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EARLY EXPLORERS ASK ANNA

In her latest column for Progressive Preschool, Anna takes a look at the importance of STEM learning in the early years and considers what independent retailers can do to help parents and gift-givers looking for products which help preschoolers develop these important areas of learning.

Anna Taylor is a research assistant at Fundamentally Children, an organisation dedicated to helping children develop skills through play. www.fundamentallychildren.com

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“

t might sound like something that is really only relevant to pushy Tiger Parents and nursery teachers looking for boxes to tick on their learning pathway charts, but the reality is that preschoolers engage in STEM learning every single day. (That’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics to the uninitiated.)

With a little guidance, young children can make make huge leaps in their reasoning and critical thinking skills. Parents and other adults are becoming increasingly aware of the term and so toys and other preschool products which boast STEM-boosting capabilities are in increasing demand.

It is in areas like this that passionate and knowledgable staff can really make a small independent toy shop stand out from the big boys. To give retail staff confidence when parents start asking about toys which can help develop the STEM subjects, Fundamentally Toys has put together this quick bite-sized guide.

We suggest you pass it around the staffroom or stick it up by the till so that next time a parent comes in, having read somewhere that STEM is important for their little one, you’ll know exactly which shelf to point them to.

SUBJECT: SCIENCE Encouraging curiosity, investigation and observation.

Recommended Toys: ■ Stimulating, open-ended resources that foster curiosity. e.g. child-safe magnets, silly putty, Slinky, bubbles ■ Toys for investigating and observing the natural world. e.g. child-safe magnifying glass, Live Butterfly Garden, Ant World, child-safe gardening tools ■ Animal figures to get children thinking about the differences between animals. e.g. Schleich SUBJECT: TECHNOLOGY Using and understanding the purpose of technology.

Recommended Toys: ■ Role-play tech toys. e.g. toy phone ■ Child-safe technology. e.g. torch, Tech Kidizoom camera, remote-controlled toys (Bladez Toyz RC inflatable characters) ■ Toys to introduce children to the concept of coding. e.g. pattern matching, Robot Turtles

SUBJECT: ENGINEERING Understanding how things are built and why.

Recommended Toys: ■ A variety of open-ended construction resources. e.g. building blocks, play sand (Sands Alive), Playmags, Ur-Tubes ■ Construction toys that ‘do’ something. e.g. marble runs, Gears! Gears! Gears!, SmartMax (Mega Ball Run) ■ Toys that encourage logical thinking. e.g. jigsaw puzzles, Smart Games puzzles (Three Little Piggies), Noah’s Balancing Ark (Le Toy Van) SUBJECT: MATHS Becoming familiar with quantities, measurements, numbers and shapes.

Recommended Toys: ■ Games that involve numbers and counting. e.g. Orchard Toys Frog Party or Cheeky Monkeys, any ageappropriate games that involve rolling dice/counting spaces ■ Pretend play shop equipment to practise using money, counting, adding and subtracting. e.g. play money, cash register, toy food ■ Sand and water play for experimenting with quantities. e.g. various measuring cups and containers ■ Sorting and matching games. e.g. Snap, collections of toy cars or animals, Orchard Toys Insey Winsey Spider

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Above: Building blocks are one of the most natural ways for young children to begin learning engineering basics.

Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage non-statutory guidance material (2012). Retrieved from www.foundationyears.org.uk.

Statutory framework for Early Years Foundation Stage (March 2017). Retrieved from www.gov.uk

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The Home of Classic Characters

Beautiful brand new baby ranges in 2017 Call 01329 227300 or visit our website www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk 38_PPS_July August 2017.indd 1

06/07/2017 15:31

FOCU S ON : S OF T TOYS A N D COMFORT ER S

A core staple of the nursery and preschool market, the soft toy sector is often the first port of call for both parents and gift-givers.

Offering consistent business throughout the year for retailers, the mix of product available – from traditional plush and interactive toys, through to dedicated nursery ranges including comforters – means there really is something for everyone.

PPS chats to some key suppliers to find out more.

Snuggle Up V

ery often one of the first toys that a child receives is something soft – be that a teddy bear, a comforter or some type of plush animal – and this is something that stays with them throughout the growing up years, often into adulthood.

In-store Stars The soft toy and comforter category is solid business for retailers, but is there anything they can do to help engage parents in-store to further grow sales?

“Making sure that stock is merchandised in a clear and logical way is very important,” says Rainbow Designs’ Suzie. “Many people rush this part, but spending a few more minutes thinking through the positioning and weighting of your range can make a massive difference to the way a customer shops.”

Posh Paws’ Lauren concurs: “I think one of the most important considerations for preschool toys is where the product is positioned; it needs to be at a height they can see, touch and feel. I also believe on infant product that retailers could achieve additional plush toy sales by sighting product next to the licensed apparel in-store.”

For Character Options’ Mark, meanwhile, “strong branding and point of sale” is important. He believes that TV advertising for key feature plush also helps pull through demand in the autumn/winter gifting season.

BABY

It’s no wonder then, that the soft toy and comforter sector is a solid one for retailers – as well as parents buying for their children, there is a strong gifting business to be had, too, from timeless traditional favourites through to book characters and new brands.

“Soft toys are the essence of our business and, in spite of Brexit and the current economic climate, business is good,” says Suzie Howes, head of licensing and marketing at Rainbow Designs.

“Across all of our renowned licensed nursery collections we include a ‘My First’ soft toy or feature plush, as well as comfort blankets. It is a formula that works very well for us.”

Suzie says that the company’s classic nursery collections are perennial best sellers, with timeless ranges such as Peter Rabbit, Paddington for Baby and Guess How Much I Love You performing consistently well year on year. TV favourites such as Peppa Pig for Baby and its new My First Thomas & Friends are also popular, while new launches this summer include an Elmer nursery collection and a Paddington

Above: Rainbow Designs is launching an Elmer nursery collection this summer. Below: Paddington Bear is a perennial best seller in the category.

for Baby activity toy featuring a peek-a-boo flap, teether and multiple textures and sounds.

For Aurora World, plush remains a core staple of the nursery category and is always a hero product in any collection. The company has worked closely with Magic Light Pictures to create a new Gruffalo baby range (arriving in July), expanding its already well-established plush line.

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FOCU S ON : S OF T TOYS A N D COMFORT ER S Below centre: Aurora World has worked closely with brand owner Magic Light Pictures on its new Gruffalo baby range. Right: Posh Paws says it has seen a huge increase in Winnie the Pooh sales in the infant and preschool space.

National account manager Viki White explains: “The range allows the essence of the Gruffalo character to shine through, but also reflects the latest design styles and handwriting. We have used high-end materials, including a unique threedimensional fabric, which are not only softly textured for little hands and wonderfully tactile, but manage to also perfectly capture the character and charm of The Gruffalo, without losing any of his key attributes and ‘monstrous’ appeal.”

As well as the plush, Viki says that comforters are incredibly popular, selling throughout the year.

“To be able to apply the learnings we have from other successful ranges to that of something as phenomenally popular as The Gruffalo is incredibly exciting for us,” she enthuses.

Posh Paws is another company which knows how to make a classic licence stand out in the soft toy space.

Lauren Shipman, group brand manager, says it has seen a huge increase in Winnie the Pooh sales in both the infant and preschool space, following on from last year’s 90th anniversary, and will be launching new items in 2018.

This autumn/winter will also see Posh Paws launch Mickey Roadster Racers lines to coincide with the Disney Junior TV show, while it has also recently introduced extra large characters (including classic Mickey and Minnie) to its range.

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Below: The Tiddlytubbies have helped Character Options further expand its successful Teletubbies offering.

“Feature plush always performs well later in the season, especially once the strong TV media campaign comes into effect,” says marketing manager Mark Hunt. “Our licensed collectables have performed incredibly well over the past 12 months, with huge volumes of sales.”

Further additions due this year include two new Tiddlytubbies plush lines and the Giggling Tiddlytubbies, while there will also be an ABC Singing Peppa feature plush. Soft toys and comforters is certainly a packed category, but with so much choice on offer there really is something to suit every retailer – and consumer.

The Licensed Factor “The challenge for space from brand to brand remains hugely competitive, with more and more new properties coming to market, as well as childhood characters making a return for a new generation,” says Lauren. “But there is no doubt that licensed brands drive the category and deliver solid business for retailers year in year out.”

Certainly this is a notion that Character Options would agree with. It is enjoying current success with its Teletubbies eightinch talking plush and will be adding to the range this autumn with the likes of Dancing Po, while its Peppa Pig collectables have been the highest volume line in the Peppa portfolio over the years, too.

We all know that licences can hold huge sway within key product categories for nursery and preschool lines, and plush is no exception.

“Renowned characters from the worlds of publishing and entertainment provide instant recognition that appeal to both the parent and the child,” says Rainbow’s Suzie. “The quality attributes that are associated with recognised brands not only offer added value, but a comfort and reassurance for both the gift buyer and parents.”

Character Options’ Mark says that a big event – such as a movie launch or a new TV series – helps to boost sales further: “Movie-linked and licensed toys are thriving in 2017 and will continue to be a big trend in the coming years. Peppa Pig’s First Cinema Experience has definitely had a halo effect on the Peppa plush, with sales rising by approximately 30% over the screening period.”

“With Teletubbies,” he continues, “the launch of series two has also played a huge role by capturing a new audience and therefore more demand for the plush toys.”

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Say hello to Lou Lou, Lea and Hippolyte from Nattou www.hippychick.com 01278 434440

from

Mary Meyer

Contact Claire at Tel: +44 (0)1243 780501 or claire.bradley@whitepebbleint.com

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WHAT’S NEW SOFT TOYS & COMFORTERS New lines available for soft toys and comforters.

HIPPYCHICK Introducing Lou Lou the panda, Lea the snow leopard and Hippolyte the hippopotamus – the newest cast members by Nattou from Hippychick. These plush friends take the guises of comforters, soft toys, and a collection of exciting nursery décor accessories that compliment any nursery scheme. Nattou’s nursery accessories range from growth charts to sofas and sleeping bags and are all made with the plush fabric and attention to detail Nattou are famous for.

Tel: 01278 434440 www.hippychick.com/nattou

RAINBOW DESIGNS

GOLDEN BEAR

From David McKee’s classic storybooks about the little patchwork elephant, this gorgeous Elmer for Baby Comfort Blanket makes the perfect companion for baby. The baby-soft plush comfort blanket features Elmer’s face with distinctive long trunk and large ears on a bold patchwork coloured blanket with a multi-coloured pattern on the underside.

Tel: 01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Specially designed for infants and babies 0-18 months, the In the Night Garden Baby collection is a beautiful range of nursery toys based around the characters from the much-loved TV programme.

The range includes adorable plush toys in pastel colours as well as themed blankies, rattles and hanging chimes, all designed to delight and entertain little ones.

Tel: 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com

GRO Cleverly made with Air-flow technology, the all new Gro Friends are breathable and hypoallergenic, making them the safest toy around.

Made from highly permeable soft knitted mesh, these toys allow ventilation through the fabric, meaning baby can breathe through it. Suitable from birth, there’s four designs available, including Ernie the Elephant, Henry the Hippo, Boppy the Bunny and Raff the Giraffe.

Tel: 01392 347111 www.gro.co.uk

WILBERRY TOYS The Puppet Company now has a small soft toys collection called Wilberry, running alongside its core puppet range.

It has worked very hard in developing the Wilberry range and is extremely excited to announce that it is officially launching as a separate brand. It has extended the range drastically with pricing and design being its main motivation.

With eight brand new ranges consisting of around 60+ different sku’s across the board with each different soft toy promising to put a smile on children’s faces.

Tel: 01462 446040 www.wilberrytoys.com

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WHAT’S NEW SOFT TOYS & COMFORTERS New lines available for soft toys and comforters.

LAMAZE Lamaze is expanding its popular gifting and activity toy segments with a range of new releases including Cosimo Concerto. This soft plush zebra doubles as a piano for baby to begin playing songs and developing musical skills. Each of the coloured stripes plays a different musical note when pressed. Young infants will love the bright colours and big friendly face, and older babies will enjoy exploring and learning that each stripe plays a different sound.

Tel: 01392 281 928 www.uk.tomy.com/lamaze

GP FLAIR

SKIP HOP

Peppy Pets are the quirky kidpowered animals which young ones simply won’t be able to resist. The range offers life-sized pet friends which bounce alongside kids when their lead is pulled. New to the collection is the adorable French Bulldog and a Unicorn which has lovely flowing mane and a magical bouncy walking action.

Tel: 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk

The Skip Hop Bandana Buddies collection is a massive hit with parents and babies alike. Full of textures, patterns and sounds, little hands stay active as baby explores, rattles, crinkles and more. The colourful character’s soft bandana teether detaches for mum and dad to wear around the wrist for quick access. Perfect for multi-sensory play, this cute companion is ideal for fun at home or on-the-go. Simply attach to stroller, car seat or infant carrier and let baby play till their hearts content!

Available in fox, monkey, lion, raccoon, kitty, elephant and puppy.

Tel: 01582 434250 www.skiphop.com

LITTLE TIKES The line of newborn toys from Little Tikes is “designed to develop” by addressing baby’s specific developmental needs through every coo, giggle, and stretch. The range is ideal for a first newborn gift.

The adorable characters include Good Vibes Panda, which calms your baby with various vibration settings and Lullaby Lovebirds which allows parents to record 10-second messages to share their love throughout the day or they can select ten minutes of soothing music or nature sounds to help develop a comforting bedtime routine.

Tel: 0845 0533333 www.littletikes.co.uk

CHEEKY CHOMPERS Many little ones love the comfort and feel of keeping a muslin close by, so Cheeky Chompers have created an attachable muslin comfort blanket. The lightweight beautiful fabric is made from super-soft 100% organic muslin, is breathable and has lovely sensory tags to help stimulate and soothe.

Tel: 0131 440 8370 www.cheekychompers.com

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Š 2017 DHX Worldwide Limited. In the Night Garden and all related characters, titles and logos are trademarks of DHX Worldwide. All rights reserved.

Making Children Smile since 1979

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Good things in Tiny Packages

FOCU S ON : T I N Y TATT Y T EDDY

With its big brother brand Me to You celebrating its 21st birthday, Tiny Tatty Teddy has seen the cute grey bear expanding into the nursery and preschool arena, where it has enjoyed much success.

PPS catches up with brand owner Carte Blanche Greetings to find out what’s coming up for the property, from new products and retailers through to brand partnerships.

Above: Tiny Tatty Teddy has firmly

M

e to You’s Tatty Teddy is one of the most recognisable brands on today’s retail shelves, and it’s not hard to understand why the grey bear with the blue nose is such a hit. It’s trusted, versatile, gender-neutral and has cuteness by the bucketload.

The arrival of Tiny Tatty Teddy in 2011 meant that Carte Blanche Greetings could further expand these attributes into the nursery and preschool space. CBG’s artist took Tatty Teddy’s key features and created a brand new look that lent itself to the product and the core consumer in the space.

Success quickly followed and CBG currently has 12 UK partners and two brand partnerships (with Simple on baby care and Cheeky Chompers), as well as a longstanding DTR with Marks & Spencers.

“Apparel and toiletries are the biggest performing categories,” Danielle Oprey, European licensing manager at CBG, tells PPS. “I think we were all in shock when we realised that we had sold over

established itself as a key nursery brand.

Left: The combination of a bedtime story book and a plush toy is a recent launch.

700,000 units of baby apparel last year and over three million Simple baby care products.”

That partner count is continuing to grow – Casa Chicos has just been signed up as a nursery textiles partner because, as Danielle explains, “our customers and retailers wanted coordinating product following the success of the apparel ranges.” In addition, breathable cot liners have been launched through Breathable Baby.

“We stay true to ourselves and only create product that is right for us, our consumers and our retailers,” Danielle continues. “Our brand is seen as trusted and family-friendly which is really important in such a big market. We are also seen as an evergreen brand with unisex appeal, which makes us really versatile when buyers are building ranges.”

The portfolio for Tiny Tatty Teddy is constantly growing as CBG reviews market trends and identifies where the brand could work. Danielle says that CBG is currently looking at baby-safe toys and accessories such as play mats.

“These would work fantastically using assets from our new style guide,” she elaborates. “We would also like to replicate more of the UK’s success stories internationally on the key categories and hope to realise some of this in 2018.”



Below: European licensing manager, Danielle Oprey.

A Bountiful Partnership Danielle confirms that Tiny Tatty Teddy will be working with Bounty for next year.

Carte Blanche Group will be putting Tiny Tatty Teddy product in Bounty packs available in Tesco, which has a reach of around 41,000.

The exact date of the campaign is to be confirmed, however it is likely to take place in spring next year.

In addition, the brand also has a continued partnership with Bliss, the UK’s leading neonatal charity. Tiny Tatty Teddy plush is available to buy on the Bliss website, with all proceeds going back to the charity.

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UK Distributor to some of the world’s most unique children’s brands

Sale or Return

£200 Min Order On-Line Ordering

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orders@potwellstrading.co.uk / Tel: 0845 653 1493

06/07/2017 16:34

FOCU S ON : T I N Y TATT Y T EDDY Inset: Breathable Baby is one of the most recent partners to join the Tiny Tatty Teddy programme.

Social media has also been very important, both in terms of building the brand and engaging with the audience. “We have a loyal fanbase of over 140,000 followers on Facebook alone, so the digital channels are key for us,” Danielle says. “Twitter and Facebook allow us to showcase new ranges, but also offer a platform for our consumers to engage with us.

I’m always impressed to see how many people we reach when we run competitions and activations.”

Looking forward, orders have been confirmed with a new retail partner, which will be launching in September; “We see them as a key destination for our consumer, so watch this space!” hints Danielle.

Longer term, Danielle is clear on her aspirations for Tiny Tatty Teddy: “I would love to see us reach the 21 years of trading the brand as Me to You has done. I see Tiny Tatty Teddy as being a heritage brand in the future.”



The Bear Facts Tiny Tatty Teddy was created in 2011. Feedback had been received from Me to You fans and retailers who had grown up with the brand, that they wanted to purchase baby and nursery product for their families, and so the brand was born.

“Tiny Tatty Teddy is a brand in its own right and even has its own Facebook page,” says Danielle. “The artwork, branding, marketing and brand strategy is managed as an individual brand internally at CBG and has resulted in Tiny becoming a key nursery brand in the market.

“We also have a dedicated artist – Ceri Lewis – who is the creative lead for Tiny. From the types of products to the types of marketing we do, this is all centred around new mums which is unique to Tiny within the Me to You portfolio.”

M&S was one of the first retailers to launch with the brand back in 2011 and remains one of its biggest retailers today, says Danielle.

Below and right: Just a taster of the Tiny Tatty Teddy product available.

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Lumie BedBug Advert_Layout 1 19/06/2017 11:56 Page 1

Lumie Bedbug ÂŽ

™

Brand new, unique children's sleep aid.

Recommended by parenting expert and best-selling author of The Gentle Sleep Book, Sarah Ockwell-Smith.

Sleep-optimised lighting for calm bedtimes and good nights.

Designed by light therapy specialists Lumie in Cambridge.

Ideal for babies and young children.

Based on scientific research*

lumie.com | 01954 780500 | info@lumie.com *J.Pineal Res. 2012 Aug;53(1):47-59.

54_PPS_July August 2017.indd 1

Biol.Psychiatry. 1989 Apr 1;25(7):966-70.

07/07/2017 14:39

LOOKI N G AT: N U R S ERY T ECH Inset: Summer Infant’s sleek new range of digital video monitors will compliment any nursery interior and provide modern functionality.

A

The world of HD video monitors and wifienabled, intelligent nightlights means that the typical modern nursery contains more gadgets than the deck of the Starship Enterprise. PPS takes a look at the latest tech making its way into the parenting world.

GET CONNECTED

nxious parents have always embraced new ways of making life with a baby easier and safer, making it only natural that the ongoing creep of technology into all areas of modern life continues into the nursery.

Embracing this new technology to one degree or another is now a natural progression for parents navigating their way through life with a new baby, and for every family cuddling up to co-sleep, another will be carefully checking multiple apps and screens before settling baby down for the night. After all, recent research carried out by The Gro Company indicated that 94% of parents worry about how safe their baby is while asleep.

“We live with technology all around us,” points out Elizabeth Lovell, marketing executive for The Gro Company. “We are able to manage our households and businesses via handheld devices, so using new technology to help look after the baby is just common sense.”

The nursery market offers a host of potential for technological development, with a greater variety of products becoming available as parents seek out those which suit their specific needs or concerns.

“Using technology means we can address some of these concerns,” explained Elizabeth. “We have recently launched Ollie the Owl – an innovative light and sound soother, which uses CrySensor technology to help parents settle their children. It’s a fantastic mixture of new technology combined

with an appealing, interactive toy.”

While Ollie is helpful for getting babies off to sleep, technology which helps alleviate parents’ concerns about monitoring and safety during the night is always going to appeal. “Many parents feel nervous about bringing home a new baby, so products which can help reduce

that anxiety are welcomed,” said Joanne Gray, marketing consultant for Summer Infant, which has a range of new monitors with leading-edge technology to suit varying consumer needs and budgets.

“Technology has become even more embedded in our everyday lives since the advent of the smartphone,” Joanne points out. “And our expectations of the capability and benefits of this technology also continue to increase.”

As such, each of Summer Infant’s digital video monitors offers premium features as standard, from the entry-level Sure Sight 2.0 monitor which comes with enhanced night vision, temperature display, soft glow nightlight and soundactivated lights right through to the ergonomically designed Panorama monitor which offers a remote pan,  Left: The Gro Company’s Ollie the Owl is a clever soother with CrySensor technology which doubles up as a tactile and cuddly interactive toy.

Adding Value The nursery market involves a great deal of product development and adding technological advances to existing lines adds a new dimension to current products. Gro has recently updated its classic room thermometer with the Groegg2, which comes with a number of additional features and an improved design, making it more useful, adding value to the product and improving its appeal.

Inset: Adding tech advances to existing products adds an extra dimension, as The Gro Company has seen with the popular Groegg2.

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LOOKI N G AT: N U R S ERY T ECH

tilt and zoom capability for those who

really like to keep a watchful eye!

Another popular option in the sleep and safety market is Angelcare’s range of monitors, with the bestselling Sensor Pad offering parents additional reassurance throughout the night. “All parents want to have peace of mind while their baby is resting,” says Hardenberg’s marketing manager Kate Cartwright.

“Our Angelcare monitors are able to alleviate some of the stress and worry associated with parenting. Being able to see and hear the baby is reassuring for parents and helps ensure that everybody gets enough good quality sleep.”

The Angelcare monitor collection offers parents both digital and analogue options with the options of movement, video and/or sound monitoring. A number of new monitors have been launched this year, two of which are able to monitor movement using a new wireless Sensor Pad. In addition to the clever Sensor Pad, Angelcare monitors now offer a reporting and tracking feature, allowing parents to respond to baby’s needs based on their sleep patterns and reactions to temperature and movement throughout the night.

Safe And Sound The VTech Safe & Sound wifi video and audio baby monitor BM6000 allows parents to keep an eye on their little one from the screen of their smartphone or tablet. Infrared night vision allows parents to see live HD footage clearly at night, while a motorised pan, tilt and 10x digital zoom feature covers all the bases. Parents can use their device to take photos and videos, receive alerts and soothe baby using the Talk-Back communication feature.

Left and below: The latest monitor from VTech allows parents to use their own device to monitor their baby during the night.

Inset: Pabobo’s Calm Ocean is an ambiance projector which uses phased sleep cycles to create a soothing environment.

Right: Angelcare baby monitors have a more contemporary feel in order to fit into the homes of today’s parents. Below left: Lumie’s Bedbug is primarily a sleep aid to benefit both child and parent, but is also a reading light and fully adjustable night light

“This means we can also help parents understand more about their child’s sleeping patterns and give them a chance to ensure their baby is as comfortable as possible to allow for the best night’s sleep,” concludes Kate.

Technological developments also often promise to make life easier, do a job quicker or make something better – and for busy parents these are undeniably attractive benefits.

“If new technology makes life easier for modern parents, then it will be important to them,” says Ruth Jackson, PR manager for lighting experts Lumie. “And the more it helps, the more important it becomes. A new sleep aid which helps an 18-month-old sleep through the night can be very valuable indeed!”

Groundbreaking technological developments are increasingly being applied to a wide range of nursery product, including sleep aids such as the Lumie Bedbug, which uses the latest technology to create optimal lighting which helps baby feel calm and sleep well.

“Consumer expectations are driving a trend for nursery product to incorporate the latest technology,” confirms Ruth.

“So we have incorporated low-blue light LEDs chosen for their specific circadian effects when creating an optimal sleep environment for babies.”

The Lumie Bedbug was developed in consultation with children’s sleep expert, Sarah Ockwell-Smith and is ideal for parents who are struggling to get young

children to follow a regular sleep pattern.

Also incorporating new technology into nursery lighting solutions is Pabobo, which led the way in the nursery market by being the first company to use LEDs and incorporate a micro-USB charging system. “Nowadays, parents can’t imagine a nightlight which is not cordless,” says communication manager Emilie Ruben. “We revolutionised the market in that sense.”

For 2017, Pabobo has launched Calm Ocean; a groundbreaking new sleep aid which uses different sleep cycles to help lull children to sleep, whatever their individal needs. It offers a number of preset scenarios using various parameters, each featuring three distinct phases to help with the initial stages of sleep, while a clever ‘baby cry sensor’ means that the projector comes on automatically if the baby cries during the night.

Most consumers are now accustomed to letting technology help around the home and this carries across very naturally to the nursery environment.

And with nursery companies continually researching and developing exciting new ways of meeting a whole host of parenting challenges there promises to be plenty of untapped potential for making parents’ lives even easier in the future.

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Giving parents peace of mind

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AC517 Movement, Sound and Video Monitor Wireless Sensor Pad Monitors movement that sound/video only monitors can’t detect Tracking Reports New analytic reports show up to 2 months of room temperature & movement data Large 5” Touchscreen 5” (13cm) touchscreen enables real-time monitoring & displays tracking reports Wide Angle Camera Wide angle video camera can be wall mounted or placed on a flat surface More monitors available online

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06/07/2017 14:40 06/07/2017 15:35

WHAT’S NEW NURSERY TECH New nursery tech products available.

CHICCO

SKIP HOP Available in two adorable characters, lamb and bear, this friendly baby soother projects a starry nightscape onto any surface and then transforms into a huggable bedtime friend for toddlers. Simply flip up the pocket to cover the projector belly and enjoy a warm nightlight glow.

With four gentle melodies and an auto-off time, baby will drift off to dreamland in no time.

Tel: 01582 434250 www.skiphop.com

Lullaby Sheep has a voice recorder function so parents can record their voice and it also has a special sound sensor, which is automatically activated when it detects certain sounds, such as a baby crying. Complete with lights and 30 minutes of soothing nature sounds and white noise, Lullaby Sheep is the perfect toy to accompany a baby to sleep. It is machine washable and available in both pink and blue.

Tel: 0208 9536627 www.chicco.co.uk

GRO

CHEEKY RASCALS

HARDENBERG & CO Angelcare’s new AC115 movement and sound monitor allows parents to relax while baby is resting. Digital audio and movement monitoring enable parents to better respond to baby’s needs. The AC115 features a movement Sensor Pad bundled with a new low-profile, nursery audio/temperature sensor unit and a newly designed audio parent unit. The system features a digital temperature read-out on the parent unit and two-way audio.

Tel: 01785 503 821 www.hardenbergco.co.uk

FIN is a reading and night light all in one. The friendly little lamb will keep all little ones company when reading a bedtime story and automatically switches off after one hour, enabling children to fall asleep with the light and sleep through in the dark.

FIN is wireless so will fit well in any nursery and is completely safe from overheating. Perfect as a reassuring comfort to little ones and ideal for older children who like to read before sleep, it really is a must-buy for any nursery.

Tel: 01730 895761 www.cheekyrascals.co.uk

Introducing Ollie the Owl, a unique and utterly adorable sleep aid with built in CrySensor technology helping baby to get quality sleep every night. Ollie the Owl plays four soothing sounds including heartbeat, rainfall, white noise static and beautiful Brahms lullaby.

Promising to always be there, the CrySensor technology means Ollie automatically activates when baby cries, so he can soothe little ones back to sleep in an instant, without Mum or Dad having to get up.

Tel: 01392 347111 www.gro.co.uk

VITAL BABY The Arthur Bear digital room and bath thermometer features a 2-in1 design, monitoring both room and bath water temperature to provide accurate, fast and reliable measurements via a clear, large and easy-to-read LCD screen.

Tel: 01707 262 200 www.vitalbaby.co.uk

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FOCU S ON : N U R S ERY ES S EN TI A LS

The Bare

NECESSITIES T he first 12 months with a new baby is full of conflicting advice for new parents, with friends, family and the media all suggesting their own favourite piece of kit which promises to make baby sleep through/feed well/take up avanced astrophysics (delete as applicable). It’s no surprise that it’s easy for new parents to become overwhelmed and turn to impartial retailers (that’s you!) for advice.

First, we need to clarify what we mean by ‘essentials’ – after all, everyone’s heard the story of the baby who slept in a drawer for the first six months, and it never did him any harm. According to Elizabeth

Pearly Whites “Parents are always looking for something that will solve a problem and make their life easier and will deem these products ‘essential’, especially if they are health-related.

Some 80% of children aged between one and two years-old did not visit a dentist last year and levels of early childhood dental decay remain worryingly high. We firmly believe that the best place to start looking after a child’s teeth is in the home and Teething Wipes – hygienically wrapped fingersleeve wipes which a parent can use to clean their baby’s gums and emerging teeth – can be the first product to help with establishing a good dental-care regime.”

Dominique Tillen, founder and managing director, Brush-Baby

Preparing for a new arrival means that a nursery needs to be functional as well as fabulous – but what exactly should new parents be stocking up on for those allimportant early days?

PPS finds out more about the latest industry recommendations.

Above: Disposable teething wipes from Brush Baby help keep gums clean which introduces baby to oral care and prevents gum inflammation and pain during teething.

Right: Gro offers a range of styles and patterns (such as this Orla Kierly Grosnug) to suit parents’ different tastes and help them to reflect their own personal style.

Lovell, marketing executive for The Gro Company, at the top of the list should be; “products that are genuinely useful.

At 3am when baby won’t settle it’s not really important that products match the nursery theme. An essential that actually helps, makes parenting easier and is used often (so offers value for money) is always going to come top of the wish list.”

Perhaps best-known for introducing the concept of baby sleeping bags to the UK, Gro has carved a secure place for itself in the essentials market by addressing the different sleeping needs children have at different stages. The Grosnug is perfect for newborns, while the classic Grobag is designed for babies and toddlers and the Groclock and Gro to Bed can be lifesavers for parents of young children.

“The Grobag Right: The clever six-in-one MultiMuslin from Cheeky Chompers is 100% organic, super-soft, breathable and made in the UK.

and Grosnug are definitely regarded as essentials for parents, with over 90% of parents using a baby sleep bag on their children,” continues Elizabeth, also noting that while pricing is important, parents remain willing to spend money on genuinely useful items. “As long as the price of a product reflects value for money, parents are happy to invest in products that are going to be well used and loved.”

Defining what makes an essential is a similar story for Simon Russell, managing director at Cheeky Rascals, who points out that, “in today’s fast-paced society, parents are looking for truly innovative products that solve a problem with minimal fuss.”

He continues; “In the past, the shopping list for a newborn was much smaller. However, in recent years the industry has seen a great deal of innovation, introducing products which save parents time, solve common problems and make family life easier. Once something is seen to work and genuinely make parenting easier, it is difficult for it not to be deemed essential!”

In this regard, we can say that anything which makes parents lives’ simpler can be deemed an 

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FOCU S ON : N U R S ERY ES S EN TI A LS

essential for that particular family. A

portable potty that takes the stress out of potty training? Essential. Well-designed, effective safety products which give parents peace of mind? Essential.

“Of course, for retailers, the more a product is genuinely helpful, welldesigned, easy to use and demonstrate, the easier it is to sell to consumers,” Simon continues. “In regards to price, affordability is key but equally, price tags reflect award-winning product design, and for truly useful parenting products, pricing is often a secondary concern.”

In the early days of parenting, new mums and dads are often more focused on the idea of design and style than on pricing, agrees Victoria Taylor, brand manager for East Coast Nursery, who believes this also holds true for the less glamorous essentials like sheets and changing mats.

East Coast Nursery’s new collection of changing mats are placed firmly at the centre of the essentials market.

More than 40 years after the company created the first changing mat, it has now launched a new collection including value-sized mats, standard mats with fresh new prints and a wedge-shaped mat with a gorgeous all-over print of modern origami shapes. “Design is often very important pre-birth,” Victoria explains, “as planning and putting together a new nursery is a

Multi Functional Having more than one practical use often helps elevate a product to ‘essential’ status. More just a helpful breastfeeding cushion, Chicco’s Boppy feeding pillow can continue to be useful as the baby grows. From the age of two months, the pillow can be used as a cosy nest to help baby begin to sit upright, particularly helpful if they have digestive issues such as colic or reflux. From six months onwards it can also be used as a seat, or for ‘tummy time’ to help encourage movement and the development of gross motor skills.

Inset: The Shnuggle Squishy Changing Mat is a super soft changing mat made from warm-to-touch foam. Below: Fred is a new home-safety brand from Cheeky Rascals which helps parents understand and identify the risks in their own home.

big part of preparing for a new baby.”

Design aside, product needs to be durable in those early days as high demands are placed on the products that parents use. Bedding needs to stand up to repeated washing (“Our new Silvercloud Sweet Dreams and Little Star collections are made with easycare cotton-mix fabric...”) and essentials that help parents with these jobs will always sell well.

“Babies’ needs change so much within their first year,” says Victoria, “and it’s a time when everything needs to be practical and dependable, because a new parent has so many more jobs to do!”

Also focusing on the changing mat market for 2017 is Shnuggle, a company well known for its modern take on traditional baby basics. The Shnuggle Squishy is a cosy changing mat packed with clever features such as a special material which remains at room temperature, a side lip for safety and a slight incline.

“The incline helps with baby’s comfort during nappy changes,” explains founder Sinead Murphy, “especially if they have stuffy noses or reflux! It also helps with flowing any Below: A new wedge-shaped changing mat from East Coast Nursery with a gorgeous all-over print of modern origami shapes.

Right: These gorgeous Abeille cellular blankets from Hippychick are big, soft and look great in the modern home.

little accidents away from the baby!”

As a company which believes that innovation in design is key, Sinead is well accustomed to providing parents with solutions to their everyday problems, sometimes before they even face the problem!

“Ultimately parents want to make their lives easier and need to be presented with products that provide fantastic solutions to problems that could cause everyday stresses,” she says. “And retailers want to be able to offer the best product at a good price in order to retain customer loyalty.

Nursery essentials need to genuinely benefit the parent and not be a gimmick they will regret buying. They need to be safe, durable and good value for money.”

The final word on the booming essentials market goes to Kelly Linthorne, marketing executive for Hippychick. “There is a lot more choice now and consumers are doing a lot of research before making a purchase. This is quite different from 50 years ago when new parents would rely on word of mouth to find out what was deemed to be an ‘essential’. Now new parents have a lot of information at their fingertips and can make truly informed choices. This makes the marketing competitive and when another parent claims something is ‘unessential’ in an online forum, they are listened to.”

“Essentially,” she concludes, “parents are just after products that get the job done!”

Above: The Chicco Boppy Pillow has a number of practical uses.

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Managed by The RHSM Group - www.littlechick.london Email: hello@littlechick.london Tel: 07976 773 486

10/07/2017 10:56

WHAT’S NEW NURSERY ESSENTIALS A round up of the latest nursery essential products.

CHICCO Chicco’s NaturalFeeling range has a unique truly angled teat, developed with the help of Chicco’s research centre, Osservatorio. The teat has been designed to replicate a natural feeding experience. The range includes 150ml and 250ml bottles and is available as single packs or packs of three. In addition to the bottles there are also five age specific variable teats available to buy separately.

Tel: 0208 9536627 www.chicco.co.uk

BRUSH-BABY

LITTLE CHICK LONDON

Brush-Baby has developed a range of dental wipes, teething wipes, teethers and first brushes and toothpastes to encourage parents to routinely clean their babies’ gums and mouths. Included in the range is Brush-Baby DentalWipes for 0-16 months, with their finger sleeve design clean baby gums and teeth. They are gently formulated with Xylitol to reduce decaycausing bacteria.

Tel: 0345 5202229 www.brushbaby.co.uk

The launch of Little Chick London’s latest innovation is guaranteed to bring comfort to new babies and convenience to busy new parents.

With patent pending, the new 2-Stage Comfort Nest is a fantastic multifunctional product suitable for supervised playtime and naptime. It keeps little ones safely contained in their own comfortable nest with a super soft breathable, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal bamboo cover, which is fully washable at 30 degrees.

Tel: 07976 773486 www.littlechick.london

MOBA Ingenuity and imagination are at the heart of every decision, which is why each product that comes from Moba has both a modern and luxurious feel. The Little Star liner, is no different. Made from super soft, cotton jersey with a subtle, yet effective star detail – this timeless design is ideal for any nursery.

Couple this with the Dove Moba, mattress and Dove grey sheet and you have the deluxe Little Star Dove Moba moses basket package.

Tel: 01323 410470 www.mobauk.com

BAMBINO MIO Introducing the newest print collection of reusable nappies from Bambino Mio. The dream traveller collection includes a range of reusable nappies and accessories inspired by the imaginative world of dreamland. The collection includes five new prints – sky ride, cloud nine, sweet dreams, starry night and sail away and is available in the miosolo all-one nappy, miosoft two-piece nappy cover and wet nappy bag.

Tel: 01604 883 777 www.bambinomio.com/en

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WHAT’S NEW NURSERY ESSENTIALS A round up of the latest nursery essential products.

HIPPYCHICK The first blanket a baby is wrapped in is always precious, and Abeille have given them a modern twist. Bigger, softer and more versatile than their counterparts, Abeille cellular blankets come in an array of carefully selected modern colours that complement the modern home.

Tel: 01278 434440 www.hippychick.com

HERDYBABY

LOVE TO DREAM SWADDLE UP The pioneering Swaddle UP is the only arms UP swaddle on the market. This warm and snuggly sleepsuit enables little ones to sleep comfortably in the natural sleep position with their arms UP. The unique wings design means babies can still self soothe themselves to sleep, such as sucking on their hands safely through the Swaddle UP breathable fabric, or gently rubbing their cheeks.

Tel: 01730 895761 www.cheekyrascals.co.uk

Recently seen at INDX SS18, the new baby range from herdybaby includes a baby cuddle robe, bibs and clothing sets. Parents can wrap up their little lambs in the super soft towelling cuddle robe featuring herdy’s cute peeping face on the hood. It is made of 100% cotton towelling/cotton interlock fabric, with applique embroidery detail.

Tel: 01539 739202 www.herdy.co.uk

ZIPPY BABY Multi-award winning Zippy Baby bandana bibs have 35 different themed sets to appeal to all tastes.

They are loved for their designs, softness and super absorbency and this month sees the launch of Little Baby Bum licensed sets featuring characters from this YouTube preschool sensation.

Tel: 01625 569530 www.zippybibs.com

MERRYGOROUND See at recent trade shows, the popular MuslinZ brand has launched a new print for its MuslinZ range. This will complement the existing colours of muslin squares and muslin products. MuslinZ - premium quality products at affordable prices. Available in 100% cotton and luxury bamboo-organic cotton.

Tel: 01295 810008 www.merrygorounduk.co.uk

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FOCU S ON : G A MES A N D P U Z ZLES Inset: Jumbo Games has plans to further expand the GOULA range which includes wooden puzzles.

Clicking Into Place I

n the adult space, games and puzzles have been enjoying a moment in the ‘cool’ spotlight; however, for preschoolers they have always been seen as a staple of any toy offering.

The sector’s success means that it’s a challenging and competitive category, with new launches and innovation coming thick and fast as suppliers and retailers look to attract families.

“There are a lot of new companies joining the marketplace, seeing the sector as an exciting new opportunity,” Simon Prest,

Right: Orchard Toys’ mini games have year-round versatility.

Below: Clementoni has added Cars 3 to its Giant Floor Puzzle range.

sales director at Orchard Toys tells PPS. “We have narrowed this widely varied sector by focusing on creating games and puzzles that concentrate on both education and fun.”

The company has enjoyed success with its youngest game for children aged 18 months+, Farmyard Heads and Tails, while literacy game Match and Spell is now its second best seller and current fastet selling game. It has also recently launched a collection

A strong games and puzzles offering is a key part of any toy retailer’s arsenal, and there is an abundance of choice available in the preschool space.

From traditional jigsaws through to mini games, floor puzzles and products incorporating interactive elements, the category is a year-round seller and can also help aid with key developmental milestones.

PPS rolls the dice and chats to some key players.

The Perfect Mix Like any product, getting the key attributes in place is vital to ensuring success within the games and puzzles space. So what ticks all the boxes to ensure a supplier scores a hit in the preschool arena?

“It sounds obvious for a puzzle, but the image remains the most important factor – it has to be something that attracts, engages and entertains children,” says Jumbo Games’ Stewart Middleton.

“We have also seen success in developing added value puzzles, like our Puzzle & Colour range, that allows children to enjoy piecing together a coloured 2D puzzle image and then flipping it over to colour in a black and white picture.”

of mini games which Simon says have proved popular due to their “year-round versatility.”

Clementoni’s UK and Ireland country manager Shahbaz Khan believes the big push on decreasing screen time means that families are turning to more traditional categories for play.

“With an increase in interest and demand, the excitement and innovation from the products we are seeing has increased hugely, as well as the number of games and puzzles available,” he offers.

Licensed products always do well for Clementoni, says Shahbaz, with the company recently launching  PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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Appeal To The Senses Even from a young age, children are very perceptive and know what they like and dislike, says SmartGames’ Karen. “This prompts us to create games that are engaging, visual, tactile, colourful, fun and easy to understand,” she says. “If you have all those elements in place, children are going to learn and gain an element of confidence.”

For Simon from Orchard Toys, it’s a very simple formula: “It needs to be bright, colourful and appealing to both child and parent, as well as having an educational element that helps in their development.”

Clementoni’s Shahbaz concurs: “Keeping a small child’s attention is hard, but with the use of bright colours, textures and smells, it’s possible to add another level of interest to the product.”

lines for Despicable Me 3 and Cars 3.

“For the children’s market, licensed product is key. It sparks an interest in puzzles that may not ordinarily be there so adds another dimension to a child’s play, while being a great tool for hand/eye coordination and fine motor skill development.”

For Jumbo Games, classic licences such as Thomas & Friends (a new addition in foam puzzles) and Winnie the Pooh have proved a hit.

The latter has just launched in the My First Puzzles range which is specially designed for toddlers aged two-years-old upwards and include extra thick and large jigsaw pieces.

Stewart Middleton, md of Jumbo, Below: Three Little Piggies is among the successes for SmartGames. Right: PAW Patrol is part of Cartamundi’s Shuffle games collection.

Above and right: Lanka Kade’s tray shapes sorters, block puzzles and simple jigsaw are popular with retailers and parents.

explains that the company balances its licensed offering with a strong own brand proposition including the GOULA wooden puzzle range.

In addition, it also boasts a new drawing toy – Dessineo Learn to Draw – which helps teach children how to draw a variety of fun and entertaining shapes and pictures.

“Non-licensed products are continuing to see large growth,” he says. “It’s an area that we are looking to capitalise on and grow within our business for autumn/winter and next year with our own branded puzzles, games and wooden toys,” Traditional is also the name of the game (excuse the pun) for Lanka Kade. Spring saw the company introduce a new range of puzzles for children aged ten-months plus, including tray shape sorters, block puzzles and simple jigsaws. It will follow this up in the autumn with two new additions to its natural wood play-set range – a nativity scene and chunky fire

engine – plus new jigsaw launches.

Lanka Kade’s Millie Sibley tells PPS: “Our puzzles are all designed to inspire learning and aid the development of language, shape and colour recognition skills and are available in a range of styles appropriate for varying ages.”

Innovation is an important factor for Cartamundi when it comes to broadening its product range. The company has enjoyed strong sales of its Shuffle games – a range which now includes preschool favourite PAW Patrol – and has received positive feedback on its Fundels educational card games collection from both teachers and parents.

Launching soon will be the Aqua range – the first card game that is designed to be played in the bath and is specially made for preschoolers.

“Preschool children are at an age where they have the world at their feet,” says Philip Van Herck, category manager for Shuffle and Fundels.

“There are so many things to learn, investigate and play with. Games need to be fast, easy to learn and fun.”

The last word goes to SmartGames, however, which has seen familiar themes coupled with multi-level challenges prove a successful mix. Three Little Piggies and Little Red Riding Hood will shortly be joined in the popular fairytale range by Snow White, with each game including large tactile pieces, a picture storybook and a booklet with 48 challenges.

“We have noticed a steady increase in the demand for games that encourage fun and learning for children from a young age,” says brand director, Karen Clarke.

“When we first started selling games for children as young as three, we had no idea just how popular they would be!”

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Celebrating over 75 years of producing high quality traditional toys, to help young children learn and have fun as they grow.

CONTACT YOUR JUMBO SALES REP FOR MORE INFORMATION Jumbo Games, 2 Carters Row, Hatfield Park, Hatfield, UK, AL9 5NB Telephone: 01707-289289 Email: uk.saleshotline@jumbo.eu www.jumbo.eu

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WHAT’S NEW GAMES & PUZZLES Summer update for the games and puzzles sector.

JUMBO GAMES Dessineo Learn to Draw is the brand new artistic educational learning aid which is perfect for stimulating the creativity and imagination of children, as they learn how to draw fun and entertaining pictures. Dessineo teaches children step-by-step how to draw, rather than just tracing simple shapes to create pictures of as animals, vehicles, fantasy characters, buildings and more.

Tel: 01707 260436 www.jumbo.eu

GIBSONS

RAVENSBURGER

The My World range from Gibsons has been designed in conjunction with Child Psychologist and Play Specialist, Dr. Amanda Gummer. The entire range supports Early Years Goals and the National Curriculum, covering a wide range of skills such as numeracy, logic, motor control and literacy. With eight products in the range, including My Wheels and Ships Ahoy, there is so much to learn.

Tel: 020 8661 8866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk

Bounce up the hill, but watch out for the traps. Hop the bunnies to the top of the hill in this updated and much-loved classic game for 2-4 players aged 4+. As the bunnies make their way to the carrot at the top of the hill, watch out for sinking holes, a mole jumping out, a swinging gate and a pop-up bridge. Funny Bunny is an exciting race to the top of the hill.

Tel: 01869 363800 www.ravensburger.com

BRAINSTORM This year Brainstorm Ltd extend its product ranges with a new games collection aimed at preschoolers and families.

All games in the range are educational as well as fun and reflect the company’s learning by stealth philosophy. Games include Big Beard Battle, Dynamite Dare, Igloo Mania and Safe Breaker.

Tel: 01200 445 113 www.brainstormltd.co.uk

PAUL LAMOND GAMES The Tiger Who Came to Tea 4-in-1 Games Cube is a little box jam packed with four traditional fun games for preschoolers - Matching Bingo, Snap, Twisted Pairs and Four Shapes in a Row. The Games Cube from Paul Lamond Games features beautiful artwork from Judith Kerr’s classic children’s story book and contains colourful and educational games that are just perfect for preschoolers.

Tel: 0207 2540100 www.paul-lamond.com

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WHAT’S NEW GAMES & PUZZLES Summer update for the games and puzzles sector.

ORCHARD TOYS Orchard Toys has launched six new additions to its awardwinning travel-size mini game range. Based on traditional family favourites, the range gives six classic games, from snakes and ladders to happy families, a fun Orchard Toys twist. The range includes Little Bug Bingo, Animal Families, Spiders and Spouts, Animal Match, Jungle Dominoes and Llamas in Pyjamas.

Tel: 01953 423422 www.orchardtoys.com

FIESTA CRAFTS

BIG JIGS TOYS

The Fish N Count is perfect for children to help learn simple maths and improve co-ordination and memory skills. Players fish out ducks with numbers on and if the duck is yellow the player can add the number and count their piece forward on the game board. If the duck is green then the player can subtract the number and count back on the board. These games are a great way for children to increase their confidence, spelling, counting, memory and fine motor skills whilst having loads of fun along the way.

Tel: 020 8804 0563 www.fiestacrafts.co.uk

Rubbabu 3D Geometric Shape Sorter Puzzle is a hand made puzzle shape sorter. It is a brightly coloured toy made from 100% natural biodegradable foam rubber and is soft, tactile and durable, offering years of endless imaginative play value and learning opportunities. Children can learn colours, shapes and coordination and dexterity are encouraged.

Suitable from birth.

Tel: 01303 250400 www.bigjigstoys.co.uk

LEARNING RESOURCES Now the youngest learners can get a feel for geography with the hands-on Puzzle Globe. This brightly coloured rotating globe sits on a sturdy safe base. Even three year olds will be able to correctly place the continents on the globe guided by unique parts that provide simple self checking. Once complete, the globe is customised with stickers of famous landmarks and animals for extended learning.

Tel: 0845 241 0484 www.learningresources.co.uk

LANKA KADE Lanka Kade’s colourful range of alphabet and number jigsaws are now available in easy to merchandise packaging. Its wide range of animal themed puzzles are handcrafted from sustainable rubber wood by skilled artisans in Sri Lanka. These puzzles encourage learning through play, and aid the development of children’s language and counting skills.

Tel: 01858 463850 www.lankakade.co.uk

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PRESENTS

Magnetic Adventures

For Trade Enquiries please contact: clivewooster@aol.com www.geomagworld.com

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FOCU S ON : ST EM TOYS Inset: STEM toys help children think laterally and explore new areas which will give them valuable skills for the future.

A WORLD OF

Wonder

Forget dusty science sets and yawn-inducing maths toys, the current boom in the STEM toy sector is all about packaging learning tools in a fun way – and many products are perfect for preschoolers. PPS looks at why STEM toys for pint-sized people are here to stay.

W

hen it comes to technology in today’s hectic modern world, there’s little or no escape. And with preschoolers already being exposed to tech in many areas of their lives, it stands to reason that parents want to equip their little learners with essential skills for the future – and that’s where the booming STEM toy sector comes into play.

The STEM sector covers four key subjects; Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, and has increasingly become recognised in recent years as a crucial and ever-expanding area of the toy and education markets.

Combining important learning tools with fun products, STEM is also becoming increasingly relevant and more important within the preschool sector. Parents are now more aware of their children’s education from an earlier age, and STEM toys are designed not only to fuel the imagination – perfect for under-fives – but Below: The Kid K’NEX Range, aimed at children three-years-old and up.

Right: The electronic learning Alphaphonics toy from Trends features preschool licenses such as Peppa Pig, Thomas and Mr Tumble.

also to help prepare little ones for starting school. Splashing out on STEM products is generally considered to be a wise investment by many parents.

“Research has shown that the first five years of a child’s life are the most crucial

Engineering Success When it comes to the STEM sector, toy brands know that it’s not just about inspiring future scientists but also harnessing the power of today’s technological whizz kids.

Recognising the growing importance of STEM products, Clementoni now has a department dedicated solely to the development of products in this area.

“At Clementoni HQ we have a department that is made up of expert technological and robotic engineers,” says the company’s Shahbaz Khan. “Some of our older products are also produced under The Science Museum licence so we consult with their in-house experts to ensure the product we bring to market is relevant, appropriate and authentic.”

for physical, intellectual and emotional development,” says Bethan Davies, account manager at Thames and Kosmos.

“Our STEM products are designed with different age groups in mind to promote fun and engaging science education, but the preschool age group is when children are the most influenced by external ideas.”

“It’s the perfect time to get children engrossed in STEM products and to eliminate gender stereotypes regarding scientists,” she continues.

“All of our kits are designed to be gender-neutral to help promote more young women into the industry.”

Thames and Kosmos has also developed a range called ‘Kids’ First’ which has been hugely popular, offering different levels that target all age groups in a stimulating way, looking at areas including plant growth, weather science and engineering.

“These days science plays such a huge part in our everyday lives,” says Bethan, “and it’s constantly developing.

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of the curriculum in primary schools

we can only see the STEM sector having ever-increasing success.”

While STEM toys have been around for a number of years, according to Nikki Jeffery, UK marketing manager for Geomag, their increasing visibility within the preschool industry has seen them carving out a real niche within the sector.

“While the overall play pattern surrounding the idea of STEM learning

Construction Is Key STEM products have a reputation for encouraging children to develop a range of useful skills – and this is exactly the thinking behind the range of KID K’NEX kits.

As well as incorporating bright colours and large pieces that are ideal for preschool children to build with, many of the models cleverly integrate movement to help little minds understand how things work as well.

Aimed at children aged three plus, highlights in the range include the KID K’NEX Building Tub full of parts and pieces, plus 50 building ideas that can be used as inspiration alongside free play. Other items in the line incorporate enduringly popular themes such as animals and transport.

has been enjoyed by children for many years, it is good to see the emergence of a specific sector within the toy industry which recognises the benefits these kinds of toys bring to children,” she says.

Geomagworld SA has been producing and marketing products where creativity and learning work side by side since 2008 – many years before the STEM label emerged.

“The STEM sector within the toy

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Above left: The SmartMax BUILD is a chunky construction-based STEM toy ideal for little hands. Above: One of the Thames and Kosmos ‘Kids First’ collection - Intro to Engineering. Right: The KID K’NEX kits offers children a wide range of STEM-based play opportunities.

industry has evolved very quickly,” continues Nikki. “Ultimately, it will help consumers choose age-appropriate toys that also include some valuable and unexpected educational benefits.”

Eileen Thornton, head of marketing at K’NEX UK, says the company is increasingly responding to the demand for preschool STEM toys with new designs and products. “As STEM skills become increasingly important, parents and educators alike are looking for ways to help children develop them from as early an age as possible,” she explains.

“We have responded to this demand with the launch of our KID K’NEX range, which is suitable for ages three and over and allows little hands to build big, with chunky and brightly coloured pieces.”

Previously only available in early years education settings, K’NEX refreshed the range for the retail market this year so children can benefit at Below and right: Classic Geomag toys use magnets for play and construction, helping children of all ages develop and train their minds, imagination and curiosity.

home as well. “Consumer demand for preschool STEM learning tools is growing and we continue to be impressed by the capabilities of preschoolers when given the appropriate tools to develop their skills,” says Eileen.

Karen Clarke, brand director of the Smart toy ranges agrees. “The power of learning through play is incredible, and parents are becoming increasingly aware of the innovative STEM products that are on the market.”

She continues, “There is a growing demand from parents to purchase educational toys or games for their children to develop cognitive skills, no matter what the age.”

Smart’s awardwinning magnetic construction sets, SmartMax, are aimed at children from the age of one upwards, while its multilevel logic games, SmartGames, encourage children to think analytically. “Creating games and toys that stimulate key areas of development of children from as young as one is key to the Smart ethos,” Karen says. “We know that the STEM subjects are woven into every product we bring to market.”

Despite previously being seen as an

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exclusively male domain, great care is being taken throughout the toy industry to ensure that STEM-related products are positioned as gender-neutral.

“STEM was traditionally perceived as a boy’s category but it’s now becoming increasingly popular with girls, making it a great gender-neutral option,” says Clementoni’s Shahbaz Khan. “This has been driven by media awareness of non-gender stereotypes, but also by the manufacturer’s understanding that girls’ interests reach wider than dolls and fashion.

Clementoni’s range of STEM has equal appeal throughout the range, ensuring that whatever a child’s STEM interest, there is a kit available. The company’s core STEM category continues to go from strength-tostrength in 2017 with a tiered line of STEM kits at varying price points, giving retailers a real opportunity to create a strong range instore.

“This year we’ve brought technology to preschool for the first time with DOC,” offers Shahbaz. “It’s a brilliant educational game which teaches youngsters the basics of robotic programming and we’re very excited about it!”

Trends UK is also finding increased success with STEM products, combining the power of much-loved television and literary characters with electronic learning. “Demand for STEM related toys is increasing as families seek out learning-based products that are not only fun, but educational at an ageappropriate level too,” Trends’ marketing director Lindsay Hardy reveals.

“Responding to questions and following sequential steps, with cause and effect, is a very good foundation for learning about science concepts later,” she continues. “ELA toys also introduce the alphabet, spelling and

Above left: Clementoni’s DOC Educational Smart Robot. Right: The construction-based Geomag Classic can be used in an infinite number of ways.

counting through play with a child’s favourite characters, making learning less stressful when they are faced with these tasks in nursery and then school.

It can also be a great way for the parents to get familiar with phonics as they may not have come across them before.”

In terms of developing STEM toys for the preschool market, Ali Brown, marketing manager at Orchard Toys, believes that harnessing

professional input is vital.

“We work with teachers and nursery professionals to ensure that our products are aimed at the right age and are in line with the national curriculum and EYFS Above left: Children need to use logic and reasoning with SmartGames, which encourage them to use their analytical skills to complete the puzzles. Above: Orchard Toys’ Spotty Dogs is a great counting game to help develop preschool maths skills.

framework,” she explains. “We also work with schools and nurseries to test our products with children themselves, to make sure we have got the allimportant balance of learning and fun!

Orchard Toys has a really strong collection of maths products for preschoolers, ranging from basic counting activities such as Big Number Jigsaw and Counting Caterpillars to more challenging games like Spotty Dogs and Frog Party.

“All of our games and jigsaws are designed progressively to challenge children and make learning maths fun,” explains Ali. Also keen to work with experts to secure its educational credentials is K’NEX, as Eileen Thornton explains.

“By working closely with teachers and education experts we ensure that we are responding to changes in the curriculum as well as trends in the classroom,” she says.

But putting everything else to one side for a minute, is there a magic, modern formula behind the increasing success of STEM for a preschool audience? According to Geomag’s Nikki Jeffery it’s quite simple. “Primarily it’s because these toys are just so much fun,” she says.

“Children see the fun elements of STEM toys but parents and gift givers see the real educational side to these items as well. And if kids are having fun whilst learning, which in turn translates into the classroom later down the line, then it’s a win-win situation for everyone!”

STEM Collection

STEM toys and kits have grown to become an integral part of the Geomagworld collection, which has number of different categories within it, including: Colours, Panels, PRO-L, Mechanics and Magicube.

“For us the STEM acronym stands for an innovative approach to learning,” says UK marketing manager Nikki Jeffery. “Our magnetic platforms allow children to create an infinite number of structures using the magnetic bars and metal spheres or our brand new magnetic cubes. The wide range of colours and pieces create bright, colourful and fun play.”

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WHAT’S NEW STEM TOYS Update on new STEM toys available.

GEOSMART Introducing GeoSmart, the future of geomagnetic play. A truly exciting construction toy with patented technology that offers the ultimate in magnetic fun. It features bright, bold colours and super strong magnetic pieces, with each creation limited only by the child’s imagination. www.geosmart.eu

HAPE

BRIO

The Hape Medieval Quest Quadrilla marbel run building set includes 217 pieces from rotary towers, to a magnificent water mill, mighty draw bridge, carriage and tracks. All of which helps to fuel and stimulate the child’s mind, while encouraging 3-D thinking, forward planning, creativity and spatial reasoning.

T: 0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk

New from BRIO are the clever sensory blocks. Made from the highest quality materials, these interactive building blocks are designed to help children aged 12 months plus, to explore and discover new structures, materials, shapes, colours and sounds.

Stack them up, push them over, hold them, twist them, shake and listen. It is a stimulating sensory exploration for young growing minds.

Tel: 01869 363800 www.ravensburger.com

GEOMAG The Magicube range from Geomag is the set to revolutionize the junior construction category. This innovative toy is made of magnetic cubes which attach to each other on every side. By using the invisible and magical properties of magnetism, children as young as 18 months will be able to let their imagination fly. To further support the Magicube launch a FSDU deal has been developed to offer FOC stock and provide in store branding. Stock will be available from August.

Tel: 07577 371545 www.geomagworld.com

TRENDS UK Trends UK is introducing the new Mr Tumble Learning Pad created under licence from BBC Worldwide. The Mr Tumble Learning Pad is an ideal toy for any fan of the programme because it combines recognising colours, letters, numbers, musical instruments with the lovely Mr Tumble and his friends. It’s a truly interactive and fun learning toy. Available from Summer 2017.

Tel: 01295 768078 Web: www.trendsuk.co.uk

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WHAT’S NEW STEM TOYS Update on new STEM toys available.

THAMES AND COSMOS

LEARNING RESOURCES 1-2-3 Build It! provides STEM challenges for children as young as two. Encouraging early exploration of physics and technology, 15 colourful pieces are mixed and matched to build a car, plane or boat. Perfect for imaginative play, children can piece the chunky pieces together using their hands or the character screwdriver.

Tel: 0845 2410484 www.learningresources.co.uk

Read the funny story of two inquisitive young engineers, Ty and Karlie, and their family’s robots, Huxley and Remus. Build simple models of the boats they encounter in the story. The boats actually float on water, making for fun and easy experiments around the sink or bathtub. This 52-piece science kit and the beautifully illustrated storybook provide an engaging way to teach simple engineering concepts to preschool-age kids.

Tel: 01580 212000 www.trade.thamesandkosmos.co.uk

PRIMO TOYS Cubetto is powered by a programming language designed for children from three to teach the basics of coding and STEM skills.

Cubetto provides gender-neutral play that boosts a child’s creativity, critical thinking, spatial awareness and communication skills. Launched last March, Cubetto became the most crowdfunded educational technology in Kickstarter’s history.

Tel: 0203 0967436 www.primotoys.com

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Liberty Cot Bed shown in cot mode

t: 01692 408802 e: nursery@east-coast.co.uk w: eastcoastnursery.co.uk

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COLU MN I ST

GOT THE LOOK CATHY’S IT’S This month Cathy goes some way towards answering ultimate question for anyone who works in the COLUMN the retail industry – what makes a person choose to buy a particular product?

Cathy Bryan has been part of the nursery industry for the last 28 years. You can sign up for Cathy’s free newsletters at www.nursery-online.com

I

“

f you did a survey of people leaving the shop and asked them why they bought the product they were walking out with, I’m sure you would get answers that seemed logical; “It had all the features I needed/It was a good price/ It was well-made.”

Actually, the true reasons are much more subtle. In this age of consumerism, we want new things, plain and simple. New TVs and smartphones are often bought long before the old one packs up. We buy because we think we need the latest features or the most fashionable model, and this habit continues into the nursery sector.

Parents want the latest product and unfor tunately, this can sometimes become the priority – ahead of the product which actually meets their needs. We can do our best to steer consumers to the right product but in my experience newness will nearly always win – even over price!

L a r ge comp a n ie s s p e nd megabucks on marketing and branding. Is it worthwhile? From the point of view of increasing sales, of course it is! However, a good marketeer knows that their job is all about creating the right image for the brand.

The stereotypes go thus: Apple products are bought by young hipsters with disposable incomes, Volvos are driven by middle-aged, safety-conscious men. Indeed, one marketing technique is to create a ‘buyer persona’, a synopsis of the type of person you hope will buy your products. Then you tailor your marketing message to appeal to that sort of person. Will you play up the fashionable style, the edgy design, or the good solid engineering?

What exactly makes an item desirable? Marketing is taking giant steps to work out the real ways of making someone buy. The answers are neither simple nor obvious, but we are getting closer to working it out.

I was recently show n a demonstration of a woman going into a shop, looking round and buying some hand cream. In this experiment, she was fitted with the latest gear for monitoring her brainwaves and special glasses to show where, exactly, she was looking.

Looking at the results, the researchers could see that the POS

material on one display unit caught her eye; another one didn’t. She moved to the display unit, glanced over all the products and picked up one brand. She read the list of ingredients – or at least she said she did and it looked as though she did but, interestingly, the brainwaves showed nothing.

She then took the top off the tube and smelt the cream. Wow! Emotional brain waves leapt all over the place. The results showed a flurry of ‘thinking’ brainwaves and she headed for the till. As a sidenote, she didn’t even look at the price!

That hand cream was bought purely because she liked the smell.

Neuro-marketeers can now do this type of research, finding out exactly what catches our eyes in adverts, what we are thinking about, what we find attractive. It’s quite frightening to think how much we will be manipulated into buying stuff we don’t need because some clever bod has worked out which string to pull!

This work is already influencing the marketing of FMCG – the sort of stuff we buy on a regular basis – but will surely filter through into the nursery market, with nappies and toiletries likely to lead the way.

Anyone fancy taking the first steps and trying this technique on parents buying pushchairs?”

Left: Choices, choices! Below: Some people know exactly what they want...

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nspirational thinking

Minnie Mouse - Hearts

Winnie The Pooh - Hug Me

This Disney cot bed and nursery set thoughtfully combines clean and contemporary design with the delightful addition of Winnie the Pooh or Minnie Mouse illustrations.

As your child grows, learning to sit and stand, the mattress base can be lowered, with three base heights available in total, providing extra security and reassurance. The cot bed then converts effortlessly from a cot of the highest quality into a cosy and stylish junior bed. This is done by simply splitting down both ends and removing the fixed sides, meaning minimal disruption during little one’s often daunting transition. Once the change is complete, the bed can be suitable for a child up to approximately 4 years, making the Disney cot bed both extremely durable and great value.

The open slatted sides are perfect for watching over your little treasure during their most peaceful times and the teething rails ensures your child’s delicate first teeth are protected.

The Winnie the Pooh cot bed strikes the perfect balance between modern and classic designs and will look perfect within any nursery.

®

www.obabytrade.co.uk 01652 641491

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WHAT’S NEW GENERAL New products for the preschool sector.

PEG PEREGO The John Deere Gator HPX 6x4 from Peg Perego is brand new for 2017 and is supplied with rechargeable LG Lithium battery and at 24 volts it is the fastest and most powerful Gator on the market.

Gradual acceleration using a two speed forward and reverse, with the accelerator and brake on the same pedal, this fun farming vehicle puts the child in control. As with the original Gator 12v, the HPX 6x4 has adjustable seats so it can grow with the child, a working horn and extreme traction wheels with knobbly tread. www.pegperego.com

MORE 2 EXPLORE

PRETEND TO BEE This Summer will see the launch of the Pretend to Bee and Me collection, a range of doll costumes that sit perfectly alongside Pretend to Bee’s existing offering. The initial collection will include nurse, fire fighter, knight, princess, fairy and Robin Hood, amongst other children’s favourites.

Tel: 0115 921 5690 www.pretendtobee.com

The revolutionary Adventure Belt connects parent to child via a hands-free system, whereby both the parent and child wear a comfortable belt. When a potentially dangerous situation arises, the bungee can be linked first to the adult belt, then the child’s belt, ensuring the child is kept safe and close. Once the danger has passed, the bungee can simply be unclipped.The easy to use system ensures little ones are kept safe whilst still allowing them to have independence and explore.

Tel: 01506 880 888 www.more-2-explore.com

LE TOY VAN The Honeybake Shopping Trolley had a successful launch at the toy fairs and has had great sales since stock has reached the UK. Its a stylish wooden shopping trolley with two internal compartments and a fabric storage level underneath. Special features include a detachable high quality fabric shopping bag and a mini chalkboard.

This shopping trolley is great fun and helps children develop their social and speech skills through play.

Tested for age 3 plus.

Tel: 020 8979 2036 www.letoyvan.com

TIDDLERS & NIPPERS tiddlers & nippers is a British designer of unique baby and toddler daily tracking journals. They offer a cleverly designed range of luxury trackers for recording baby’s daily feeds, sleeps and changes, as well as logging important milestones and achievements. Beautifully crafted family keepsakes that make a great gift for new and expectant mums & dads, or parents who love stationery. WIth tiddlers & nippers parents need ever miss a moment.

Tel: 07718 650686 www.tiddlersandnippers.com

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WHAT’S

HOT?

Progressive Preschool spoke to a number of independent retailers, to find out what’s been selling well across the preschool market.

Kathy Mcgeown, Owner, The Kids Store Ltd, Belfast A family run nursery retailer now in its second generation CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Prams

Venicci

The Venicci travel system is always of interest to our customers. The new Gusto exclusive colours are especially popular right now.

Car seats Group 0+

Joie

We stock a wide variety of car seats in this category, however the Joie igemm seems to be our biggest seller at the moment.

Car seats Group 1

Cozy N Safe

When customers come in when their baby gets big enough for the group 1 car seat, we find the Cozy N Safe Galaxy tends to be the one we sell the most of.

Furniture

BR Baby

I would say the Nursery Oslo range of sleigh cot-bed, dresser and wardrobe is our number one bestseller.

Venicci

BR Baby

Diane Griffiths, owner, Nursery Time, Blackburn A well-established independent nursery retailer in the north-west CATEGORY

Pushchairs

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

iCandy

COMMENT

The premium brands tend to be our bestsellers, such as iCandy. We offer payment plans so they are happy to reserve and make payments over a few months.

Car seats

Maxi Cos

Our most popular car seat brand tends to be Maxi-Cosi. In particular the Cabriofix is a favourite amongst customers, because we are able to offer it at a great price point.

Furniture

Babystyle

We stock a variety of furniture, but the one that our customers tend to go for is the Babystyle Bordeaux set. Its classic and offers good value.

Booster seats

Summer Infant

This time of year we have a lot of customers buying booster seats for when they are travelling. Summer Infant have one which customers love and which sells well.

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Maxi Cos Summer Infant

Babystyle

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WH AT’S H OT

Mary-Jane Higginson, Proprietor, Buttercup, Whitstable, Kent

An independent retailer of toys, gifts and clothes in the seaside town of Whitstable CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Wooden Toys

Brikkon

A fabulous design from a new Dutch company, of a wooden toy base, on which children can build Lego onto in fabulous, creative ways. There is a Bird, a Tree house, a Space ship a Castle.

Soft Toys

Moulin Roty

We stock the beautiful Moulin Roty soft toys and are currently offering a customised embroidered range with the child’s name applied for a small extra charge. These are selling really well as new baby and christening gifts.

Clothing

Books

Tobias and the Bear

Katie Viggers from Eightbear Press

It is a great brand which changes seasonally, with an emphasis on strong graphics with a great story, that children can identify with. Currently their ‘The Sea’ range is doing really well for us as it suits our store in the seaside town of Whitstable.

Her ‘1-20 Animals a Plenty’ is one book that if customers pick up and engage with, they invariably purchase it ! You cannot say better than that about a book for its popularity!

Brikkon

Moulin Roty

Tobias and the Bear

Brian Buckby, owner, Blewetts Toy Shop, Hayle, Cornwalll A traditional toy shop in Cornwall, now in its 34th year CATEGORY

Licensed Toys

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

Paw Patrol

COMMENT

The licensed products do very well for the customers we have looking for preschool products, in particular Paw Patrol toys. There is a wider variety of products on offer now with the Jungle Rescue being popular at the moment.

Wooden Toys

Bigjigs Toys

We love stocking lots of traditional wooden toys and in particular always do well with the Bigjigs toys such as the shape sorter they offer.

Construction

Playmobil

Construction sets are always popular for younger children. The Playmobil 123 range is ideal for preschoolers and always does well for us.

Dolls

Baby Annabell

Paw Patrol

Bigjigs Playmobil

We stock a wide variety of dolls, but the Baby Annabell range from Zapf do well as they have several dolls, some of which are suitable from birth and tend to be very popular.

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NEW FOR SPRING

HEAVYWEIGHT MEDIA CAMPAIGN INCLUDING TV

Build, Splash & Play!

Loaded with interchangeable pipes and fittings!

Channel the water through three different fountains!

A fun, interactive way to introduce STEM learning.

Imaginations In Motionâ„¢

Call us: 0845 0533 333

Email us: Uklittle.tikes@mgae.com

www.littletikes.co.uk

MGA Entertainment UK Ltd, 50 Presley Way, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0ES

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