EVENT FOCUS Inset: Rainbow Designs is celebrating Peter Rabbit’s 120th anniversary with a new wooden toy collection.
MASTER CLASS It’s been a long pandemic induced wait, but the Toymaster May Show is finally heading back to Harrogate, and the excitement among the preschool toy sector is palpable. PPS catches up with just some of the suppliers which will be looking to court the independent retailers heading to The Majestic Hotel between 17-19 May.
T
he last time that the toy trade headed to Harrogate for the Toymaster May Show it was 2019 and the world was a significantly different place. Fast forward to 2022, and the buying group is ready to once again throw open the doors of The Majestic Hotel and welcome independent retailers and suppliers to network, take orders, get a read on current trends and catch up with their peers. For an event as much-loved as the May Show is, its enforced absence has been felt keenly and people are understandably delighted to get back to business, underlined by the fact that all space was sold by mid January. “[The show is] a fantastic way for us to connect with our friends in the independent trade, get their feedback on ranges, catch up on what’s been going on and do some great business together in a lovely setting,” David Mordecai, ceo of One for Fun tells PPS. The company will get its first opportunity to show the new Dream Beams
collection to the independent trade as a whole. David believes that the range of ‘squishy loveable’ collectable characters which glow softly in the dark will appeal to young children. It will also be showcasing its BB Junior range, as well as the Drive and Rock range. For Michelle Fox, senior national account manager at Golden Bear, the independent customers she meets at the show “have a wealth of knowledge as they have constant contact with the purchasers and of course end-users of our infant and preschool toys; their feedback helps us ensure we are bringing the right products to market”. Bing, Hey Duggee, In the Night Garden, The Baby Club, Mr Tumble, Twirly Woos, Waffle the Wonder Dog and Love Monster will all be taking centre stage for the company at the show. Amy Wildman, sales and marketing director at Halilit, agrees that Toymaster members are experts at knowing their audience and provide valuable feedback. “The members are always very supportive of the show and, therefore, this is well attended and provides us with a great opportunity to speak with a large number of customers both current and prospective over the three days,” she says.
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