Sector Focus

GAME PLAN

A favourite category with consumers, suppliers and retailers, games and puzzles continues to ride the wave of success it built up during the lockdowns of 2020 and early 2021. PPS catches up with just a few of the companies enjoying success in this area to find out more.

The games and puzzles sector is one which provides year-round sales for retailers, therefore it is no surprise that a healthy number of suppliers keep up an almost continuous supply of new product to ensure that demand is met.

For Ravensburger, 2021 was another “outstanding” year for the business in both children’s games and puzzles. “We are proud to lead the way in children’s licensed and non-licensed jigsaw puzzles holding 71% of the market share (NPD 2021 - £value) and currently have more than 45 licences in our portfolio (this also includes adults),” Katy Fletcher, head of marketing and product development at the company tells PPS. “In the games category, family games continued to excel across the year, particularly into the key gifting season in Q4.”

In the licensed children’s puzzles space, the company is enjoying success from new entrants to the market such as Bluey and CoComelon. Meanwhile, in non-licensed puzzles the ‘escape’ range continued to grow in popularity, with animal and wildlife scenes being strong sellers, along with giant floor puzzles. Popular children’s games, meanwhile, included Funny Bunny, Cat & Mouse and Bugs in the Kitchen. The BRIO range was also strengthened by the arrival of the Disney Princess Castle last year, along with the first ever BRIO steaming train. This year, Ravensburger will be relaunching the global brand memory which will include My First memory (suitable for ages two and up), with each game consisting of 24 extra thick cards with rounded edges. There will be two options – Favourite Things and Vehicles – with more planned in the future. Mini memory,

Above: Strong sellers for Orchard Toys including Shopping List and Farmyard Heads and Tails. Below: Ravensburger is relaunching the memory brand in 2022, including My First memory, Mini memory and Large memory products.

meanwhile, will have 23 options to choose from including PJ Masks, Peppa Pig, Batman, Frozen and Star Wars, while Large memory spans both popular licences such as Dino Ranch and generic options.

New launches for Ravensburger in licensed children’s games will include PAW Patrol, Blues Clues & You and Minions: The Rise of Gru among others, which will also be among the new puzzle line-up.

Karen Clarke, brand director at Smart Toys and Games, says that the demand for the company’s educational toys and games has remained at “a very high level”.

“The last two years seem to have had a profound long-term impact on how people live their life,” she says. “They are looking for more from the future and for parents, ensuring play time at home is educational seems more important than ever. Also, quality family time, which is enriching for all, has definitely inspired a change in leisure at home.”

This summer will see the company launch its eagerly awaited new preschool game, PeekA-Zoo, which is aimed at helping preschoolers practice their language skills while learning about colours and animals. Also, rolling into the SmartMax collection will be My First Hide & Seek and My First Wobbly Cars.

Karen continues: “With so many different brands and options on the market, parents are looking for toys that stand out and withstand the test of time. They are looking for well made, durable, cleverly designed games and puzzles that are engaging. Babies like toys that are colourful and creative. It’s also important that games and puzzles are easy to set up, help develop key skills,

have an educational element, are good value for money and, most importantly, are safe.” Orchard Toys is another company which has enjoyed a positive past 12 months, manufacturing over three million games and puzzles. “However, we are very aware that the landscape for our customers “All our products have has changed, and demand has varied so four key attributes - they we have had to adapt accordingly,” points are simple, fun, engaging out sales director, Simon Prest. and educational.” Shopping List remains top of the charts for

Simon Prest, sales the company, with one sold every two and a director, Orchard Toys half minutes. Other bestsellers include Farmyard Heads and Tails, a matching game aimed at 18 months+, and matching and memory game Smelly Wellies. Simon continues: “For 2022, we have extended our award-winning range of puzzles and games for toddlers, preschoolers and children through primary school, and refreshed our puzzle portfolio.” So what key attributes does a good game or puzzle for the preschool market need to have? “All our products have four key attributes - they are simple, fun, engaging and educational,” Simon offers. “Each of our games and jigsaws strike the perfect balance between education and fun, fitting within our ethos of ‘Learning Made Fun’. In fact, children enjoy themselves so much they don’t even realise they’re learning while playing our games. It’s a winning formula with parents, and why so many of them have developed a love for the Orchard Toys brand.”

Left: My First Wobbly Cars will be zooming into the SmartMax collection. Right: Peek-A-Zoo will be launched this summer from Smart Toys and Games.

GAMES & PUZZLES

ORCHARD TOYS

Orchard Toys launches Dress Up Nelly a fun, first colour matching game, designed to be played as a fun and simple activity to introduce children to colours, with the option for a shorter or longer game to suit different abilities. It features 30 bright and colourful, chunky, wipe clean cards, perfect for little hands.

Tel: 01953 859539 www.orchardtoys.com

SMART GAMES & TOYS

Children can battle with some bears in Grizzly Gears. Players must rotate the trees to help guide the characters through the forest but they need to beware of the bear. This original puzzle game will keep players on their toes thanks to a literal twist, quite simply, no one is out of the woods until all 80 challenges have been solved.

Tel: 01903 885669 www.smarttoysandgames.co.uk RAVENSBURGER

This fun and educational ABC game encourages children to learn the letters of the alphabet. All 28 unique, bright, colourful and self-correcting cards are printed on both sides, with one side showing the upper-case letters and the reverse, lower-case letters. Introducing upper case letters is a great step to move on to, once a child understands the connections between the pictures and the lowercase letters.

Tel: 01869 363800 www.ravensburger.org GALT TOYS

In 2022 Galt Toys is launching many new products to inspire learning through play. Its Giant Floor Puzzles now include a Space theme, which also contains a Solar System frieze.

Tel: 0161 4289111 www.jamesgalt.com

ORCHARD TOYS

Orchard Toys’ Rainforest Match involves building the tallest tree in this fun counting and colour matching game. It features three exciting ways to play, match cards by animal or colour to make the tallest tree, or enjoy a fast-paced, more tactical game perfect for older children.

Tel: 01953 859539 www.orchardtoys.com