Progressive Preschool January 2015

The B2B Publication For Preschool Products and Retailers

ISSUE 15 JAN/FEB 2015

Show Time

Toy Fair, Nuremberg, Spring Fair

Page Turner

Book Start’s Liv Bird

Cool Characters

Preschool licensing for 2015

New In Nursery

Focus on bouncers and walkers

Digging The Dirt JCB Kids special focus

Trade Publication. Sign up to our newsletter at www.progressive-preschool.com and follow us on Twitter at @prog_preschool COVERS_PPS_JANUARY 2015.indd 1

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Technical Advisory Services & Testing Intertek, the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, is pleased to announce the launch of a new and exciting range of services offering a suite of dedicated technical support and advice in the UK including: Article 18 Toy Safety Assessments Chemical Risk Assessments covering Heavy Metals, CMRs, Restricted Substances, and/or SVHCs Product Test Protocols EC Type Examinations Visit Intertek’s stands at London Toy Fair: G66 Nuremberg Toy Fair: Hall 11.1, E-01, F-02 Come ask about our prize draw at the London Toy Fair.

Intertek Centre Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19 1WD UK T: +44 1162 630 330 F: +44 1162 630 311 E: consumergoods.uk@intertek.com

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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 JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2015

With the frantic Christmas period behind us, the start of a new year offers the ideal opportunity - both literally and metaphorically - to clean out the cobwebs and make a fresh start.

It’s also a good opportunity to take a look back at the last 12 months to see if we’re on the right track; carrying the best product, following the best trends and meeting all of our consumers’ needs.

The last year has been an interesting time for the preschool industry and a quick glance through the news stories and features which made an impact in 2014 shows this is an industry that is constantly evolving, both in terms of the suppliers’ offerings and the consumers’ needs.

Each aspect of the preschool spectrum benefits from this positive attitude to change, not least of all the most important link in the chain - the children themselves. Whether they are reaping the rewards of the latest technological innovations or revelling in the creative freedom offered by the latest expert-endorsed toy developments, we can be sure that they are benefitting from the most up-to-date research.

Of course, trade shows are one of the most useful and effective ways of finding out the latest industry developments and trends and - conveniently this first issue of 2014 will be hitting your desks with plenty of planning time before the show season gets properly underway.

We’ve spoken to exhibitors at Nuremberg Toy Fair, London Toy Fair and Spring Fair, and the shows themselves promise to offer a great chance to find out what the underlying feeling is for trade throughout the coming year. With such a wide variety of product out there just waiting to be discovered, preschool retailers have a real opportunity to shine.

To keep you busy on that train to the NEC or flight from Nuremberg we’ve also taken a look at some other key areas of interest. Booktrust chief executive Viv Bird explained to us exactly why encouraging early years reading is so vitally important - and gives us an insight into the free book programme Bookstart and its power to change lives.

In a similarly educational vein, we spoke to three of the creative names behind a selection of children’s television programmes to find out why they have chosen to focus on the child’s developmental needs - and what that means for the shows themselves.

Finally, following on from November’s Progressive Preschool Awards, we caught up with the independent retail winners to see how their fifteen minutes of fame has inspired trading. The awards will take place on Thursday 12 November this year, and if you’re really keen, tickets can be booked by contacting any one of the team.

We look forward to seeing you all at the shows. Until then, stay in touch!

The Progressive Preschool Team

Jacqui Parr, Rob Willis, Judy Stevens, Ian Hyder, Jakki Brown, Warren Lomax Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP T: 020 7700 6740 F: 020 7607 6411 www.max-publishing.co.uk

Our editorial wordsmiths include: Fiona Pavely, Sue Marks, Michelle Board

@prog_preschool

Progressive Preschool is published by Max Publishing Ltd. Rob Willis - Publisher. Jakki Brown Editor-in-Chief and Joint Managing Director. Jacqui Parr - Editor. Fiona Pavely, Michelle Board and Sue Marks - Editorial Wordsmiths. Ian Hyder and Warren Lomax - Joint Managing Directors.

Judy Stevens - Sales and Marketing. Tel: 020 7700 6740 Fax: 020 7607 6411 Email: robw@max-publishing.co.uk, jacquip@max-publishing.co.uk, judys@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.

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Š 2015 Disney/Pixar. Š 2015 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.

Come visit us at stand H1 at the UK Toy Fair and in hall 10.1 stand B06 and C11 at Nurnberg toy fair!

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contents

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NEWS Reporting from the preschool world.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS From market research company GfK. DESIGN FOR LIFE The thoughts of Hamleys’ toy designer.

MEDIA WATCH What’s in the papers?

ROUGH AND READY With My First JCB. LONDON TOY FAIR Preview: Welcome to Toy Town.

SHOOTING THE BREEZE The fame game.

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LICENSING LANDSCAPE Preschool predictions for 2015.

ROUGH AND READY

POWER OF STORIES Face to face with Booktrust’s Viv Bird.

LINDSAY LOGS IN Love bombing at Christmas.

WATCH AND LEARN Educational early years television.

SPRING FAIR Preview: First steps into spring.

TAKE THREE Award-winning indies speak up.

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BOUNCING BABIES Walkers and bouncers.

CATHY’S COLUMN Blast from the past.

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR Preview: Totally toys.

WHAT’S HOT Retailers’ best sellers.

Meet an unrivalled consumer audience of new and expectant parents looking to test, try and buy

Be part of the UK’s leading pregnancy and parenting event February ExCeL May NEC October Olympia

Trade Registration For ExCeL Now Open To register or to find out how The Baby Show can benefit your business, get in touch:

enquiries@thebabyshow.co.uk | +44 (0)207 384 8125 | www.thebabyshow.co.uk

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PPS takes a look at the recent happenings in the preschool world

Right: The much-desired Snow Glow Elsa doll from Jakks Pacific.

TOP STORY

The Christmas Report Christmas 2014 has seen mixed reports as consumers shopping habits continue to diversify. A very successful Black Friday provided a welcome surge in the run-up to the main event, but early sales and online last-minute shopping meant that sales slowed throughout December, and retailers were kept on their toes until the very last second.

According to the CBI’s monthly Distributive Trades Survey, which covers the crucial run-up to Christmas, retail sales growth accelerated at the fastest pace for almost 26 years in the fortnight ending 11 December – which included the salesboosting effects of Black Friday which saw many shoppers bringing their Christmas spending forward.

This, in turn, saw three out of four top high street stores starting their sales before Christmas, with discounts averaging 45% on what is generally considered to be the biggest shopping weekend of the year. This had a direct effect on the Boxing Day sales, with footfall figures (from Ipsos) down by

The Meaning Of Christmas

A survey from parenting website Mumsnet found that, for its members, Christmas is all about the kids with 63% saying the best thing is seeing their child enjoy the season.

Over 1,300 parents were asked how they felt about Christmas – the joys and stresses, and who took charge of most of the preparations. For many, the worst aspect was the expense (41%) although 46% admitted they love all the preparation. Only 12% said that seeing their children open their presents was the highlight of their Christmas – despite 75% taking on the lion’s share of all the present shopping and planning!

Below:: It’s all worth it in the end – isn’t it?

4.7% compared with 2013. Ipsos has also predicted overall footfall for December to be up 0.6% on the same month last year.

Online shopping certainly played a key part for last-minute shoppers. While sales at John Lewis dropped 1.4% (to £126.24m) in the Christmas week, soaring demand for click-and-collect helped break records. One of the first retailers to announce its Christmas figures, Next said sales were up 2.9% in the two months to Christmas Eve. Instore sales edged up 0.5%, while online and home shopping sales were up 7.5%, year-on-year.

Above: Christmas shopping crowds in London’s Covent Garden.

The Only Way Is Hamleys

Inset:: The iconic British brand offers quality children’s toys and experiences.

Prestigious toy retailer Hamleys is to open a new toy store in the well-known Essex shopping centre, Lakeside.

The world famous toy retail group has signed up with leading shopping centre operator Intu for a 9,000 sq ft store at Intu Lakeside, due to open in spring 2015.

The new store will be the fourth Hamleys in the UK outside of its flagship London Regent Street shop and will be the third in the Intu portfolio, which already includes stores within Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Cardiff’s St David shopping centre.

Frozen Mania

Each year there is a must-have toy which sees parents determined to get the perfect Christmas present for their little darlings. It’s no surprise that this year that was a Frozen toy – specifically the Frozen Snow Glow Elsa, an interactive doll who sings, speaks and lights up. As retailers were struggling to get more stock in, eBay entrepreneurs were cashing in by charging up to £79.99 – a markup of almost 130%.

Retail experts at The NPD Group said UK sales of all Frozen merchandise, from dressing up outfits to dolls and jigsaws, exceeded £31m in the early part of Q4.

According to NPD’s weekly sales data, Frozen has been holding onto the top spot since September.

“New items have been launched, production has been increased to meet demand, and sales are getting stronger,” said Frederique Tutt, toys global industry analyst for The NPD Group. “We counted three Frozen dolls in the five best-selling toys last week alone.”

Current movie-licensed Frozen toy sales exceed £31m at retail in Great Britain and are set to beat the all-time record, currently set back in 2010 by Toy Story 3.

Driving Home For Christmas

Child safety and mobility company Britax partnered with Good Egg Safety to launch ‘Driving Home For Christmas’ initiative to provide parents with some useful winter travel tips.

In addition to a 12-step safety guide to help drivers negotiating difficult driving conditions, the initiative also saw Britax host an hour-long Facebook Q&A session with Good Egg Safety in December, with experts answering parents’ questions on winter road safety and car seats.

2015 Show Calendar ■ Top Drawer: 11 – 13 January ■ Toy Fair: 20 – 22 January ■ Dot To Dot: 25 – 26 January ■ Nuremberg Toy Fair: 28 January – 2 February ■ Spring Fair: 1 – 5 February ■ Bubble London: 1 – 2 February

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www.progressive-preschool.com TOP STORY

Playing Together

Above: Consumers are moving away from pink and blue stereotypes.

Gendered toys are on the way out according to two independent pieces of research. The latest survey from Let Toys Be Toys shows that retailers are dropping ’girls’ and ’boys’ toy categories from their websites, while Jim Wilson, director of Born Gifted, has found that consumers see gender stereotypes as outdated.

Household names such as Tesco, Asda, Boots, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Hamley’s, Ocado and Selfridges have dropped gendered website navigation

since the campaign began.

“We’ve seen substantial changes on the high street and we’re really happy to see this positive shift reflected on the web,” said Let Toys Be Toys campaigner, Jess Day. Born Gifted, an online retailer of baby and preschool toys, conducted its own survey of over 500 customers and found that they overwhelmingly shun stereotypes when it comes to buying toys.

Most respondents felt that, while typically aimed at girls, crafts sets (90%) and role-play toys (75%) were just as suitable for boys. Similar results were found for girls enjoying typically ‘boy toys’ such as science sets (89%) and construction and action toys (67%).

The data also showed that most consumers (76%) are keen to ignore gender stereotypes but feel hampered by outdated stereotypical pink/blue colours.

The majority (85%) would like to see more gender-neutral colours used in toy manufacture and packaging.

“I was surprised at how strongly customers feel about stereotypes,” said Jim, “and will certainly be opting more for toys in a genderneutral colour from now on.”

Boost For Character World

Award-winning licensed textiles and homewares business Character World has been the subject of a secondary management buyout, valuing the total business at £36m.

The £16m investment from Manchester-based Palatine Private Equity (in addition to debt facilities of £22m from RBS) will allow Character World to strengthen its position in the UK and capitalise on international growth opportunities.

Manchester-based Character World has enjoyed substantial growth over the past 15 years and has expanded its product ranges significantly. The business recently reported a 31% turnover rise, from £22.3m in 2012 to £29.2m in 2013, with pre-tax profit climbing from £2.96m to £4.22m.

“We’re extremely excited Palatine will be backing Character World in the next phase of our exciting journey,” said Danny Schweiger. “Mark and I will continue to run the business and our focus going forward will be on growing our UK business while becoming a successful international company. The future is full of opportunities.”

Below: Mark and Danny Schweiger, joint managing directors.

Royal Recognition

Joining The Dots

Pop-up showroom Dot to Dot London is set to kickstart the a/w ‘15 season with an eclectic mix of names from across the UK’s children’s fashion and lifestyle sector.

New season designs will be shown for the first time on 25 – 26 January 2015 at the Music Rooms in Mayfair, with more new designers and established labels than ever before.

The third outing for the trade show will see almost 30 UK-based labels across children’s fashion, design and lifestyle sectors.

“We’ve handpicked brands that excite us and are a great representation of the Uk chldren’s deisgn community,” said Nicole Frobusch and Carly Gledhill, co-founders. “We want to back the uninhibited designers that make the industry sit up and take notice.”

London-based childrenswear brand and retailer Amaia Kids provided some of the clothing worn by Prince George in the portrait shots which were seen in national and international press at the end of 2014.

Amaia Kids, which has a shop in Chelsea Green, London, provided the corduroy shorts and socks worn by Prince George in his new Christmas portrait shots. The extensive coverage of the photographs has seen the brand named in thousands of newpaper and online articles.

“We are honoured and grateful that our shorts were chosen for Prince George’s first official Christmas portrait,” says Amaia Arrieta, co-owner of Amaia Kids.

Below: The Amia Kids shorts sold out online as did the knitted tanktop, from popular British designer Cath Kidston.

New Face At Mothercare

Leading global maternity and nursery retailer Mothercare has appointed Richard Smothers as chief financial officer and executive director. Richard, who previously spent 14 years at Tesco, will join the retail group’s team on 23 March 2015.

Mothercare has appointed Richard as it continues with its turnaround plan, which has seen the baby products retailer carrying out a rights issue to ensure it has the financial resources to continue with returning the UK business to profitability.

The mother and baby specialist is already making progress in turning around its UK business. In its recent results for the half year to October, it revealed the UK loss was £13.5m (down from £14.9m in the first half of 2014) while international profit remained flat at £25.3m.

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The Endorsement Influence

Consumers are 20% more likely to purchase toys that feature trusted endorsements, according to research carried out by Fundamentally Children, the new home of The Good Toy Guide.

As part of the launch of the play expert’s rebranding last year, the Fundamentally Children team researched consumer buying habits. The results revealed that, of the 200 parents surveyed, 20% were more likely to purchase a toy that featured endorsement from a trusted

group, such as the Good Toy Guide.

The team is now calling on Toy Fair attendees to get involved in the latest survey. “There will be lots of toys bearing Good Toy Guide stickers on display at Toy Fair this year,” said Dr. Amanda Gummer, ceo of Fundamentally Children, “but in order to gauge how best to help our clients shout about their good toys to their customers, we are carrying out some research at the fair to find out what really does help retailers make their decisions.”

Lobbying Legislation

The British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) is lobbying UK Government against a draft piece of European legislation, which it claims could significantly increase importation costs for licensed toy sellers.

According to the BTHA, The European Commission has proposed that importation tax should include the cost of the licence, which would recalculate importation tax upwards by the percentage value of the licence on the toy.

The Commission also proposes eliminating the first export sale as a basis for valuing goods sold through complex supply chains, with invoiced sales based instead on the value of the last sale before the goods enter free circulation.

“LIMA UK has been liaising with BTHA and some of our members over this draft legislation,” said Kelvyn Gardener, president of LIMA. “We have also raised the matter with our Member of the European Parliament... and are monitoring the situation closely.”

Books For Babies

Booktrust, Britain’s largest reading charity, has teamed up with premature and sick baby charity TinyLife to give books to families of premature and sick babies.

The new partnership will be giving free children’s books to parents with babies in neonatal units across Northern Ireland, ensuring these parents don’t miss out on the life-changing benefits of reading to their baby.

Almost 2,000 babies are born too soon, too small or too sick in Northern Ireland every year, and TinyLife offers practical and emotional support. Booktrust has donated 100 copies of Super Duck by children’s

Trunki Court Appeal

Trunki has been granted the right to appeal to the Supreme Court after it was announced last spring that that Magmatic, the British firm behind the ride-on suitcase, had lost its fight to block an imported rival range from being distributed in the UK. In July 2013, Magmatic successfully

The team is looking for companies to help its research by asking retailers a handful of questions about the impact of Good Toy Guide endorsement.

Interested parties should email toys@ fundamentallychildren.com.

Above: Expert independent play advice for the industry and parents.

Asobi Founder Announces Next Step

After six years at the helm of UK toy wholesaler Asobi, founder Thierry Bourret has stepped down to explore new commercial opportunities and develop the popular Slow Toy Movement.

Bourret founded Asobi in 2008 and the company now has a £multimillion turnover generated from retailing high-end toy brands as well Asobi’s own innovative product line.

Asobi merged with Junction 18 recently, following a distribution deal which was secured back in 2010. It will continue to trade under the leadership of commercial director David Bottomley.

Above: Thierry Bourret also founded the Slow Toy Movement in 2011.

author Jez Alborough, as well as Bookstart baby packs.

For more about Booktrust, see page 65.

Above: (l - r) TinyLife ceo Alison McNulty and Booktrust NI manager Liz Canning. Success in Action Against Kiddee Cases

sued PMS International, a Hong Kongbased manufacturer, in the High Court for infringing Trunki’s design with the Kiddee Case. However, the Court of Appeal reversed this decision in 2014.

The new ruling meant computer drawings would not be offered the same protection as line-drawings. Trunki founder Rob Law argued the ruling would leave more than 350,000 creative British businesses open to copyright infringement and launched a #ProtectYourDesign campaign, calling for the Supreme Court to re-examine the case.

The Supreme Court Case is expected to take place later this year.

Left: Rob Law with a selection of Trunki designs.

Baby Jogger Sells For $210 Million

American consumer products company Newell Rubbermaid has acquired stroller manufacturer Baby Jogger from global private equity firm The Riverside Company for a reported $210 million.

The acquired business will become part of Newell Rubbermaid’s baby and parenting sector, joining Graco and Aprica.

Founded in 1984, leading infant and juvenile product company Baby Jogger – which is distributed by Kooltrade in the UK – delivered approximately $90 million of net sales in 2014 and has a strong growth track record which is expected to continue.

Inset: Baby Jogger is a leader in the premuim stroller market.

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www.progressive-preschool.com TOP STORY

The Cost Of Sleep Sleep-deprived parents are reliant on bedtime bribery and commonly resort to giving sweets and television time to their tireless tots, according to a study

by Mookie Toys, the company behind Dream Lites and Pillow Pets.

The research, which surveyed over 1,500 parents of kids aged three to six, revealed that sleep-deprived parents are taking drastic steps to get their children into bed. The dubious bedtime tactics include allowing children to stay up and

watch TV until they fall asleep (20%), bribing them into bed with the promise of presents (10%) and even allowing them sweets at bedtime (9%).

Lights out leads to weekly tantrums from one in five (20%) children aged between three and six, while one in six (16%) parents admit to having fallen asleep in their child’s room while trying to get them down. All this means a quarter (24%) of parents are unable to recall the last time they enjoyed a good night’s rest.

“Parents can easily find themselves resorting to TV or bribery to get their children off to bed at the end of a busy, tiring day,” said Mandy Gurney, sleep expert and founder of Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic. “Though such techniques appear to work in the short-term, they may have the opposite effect in the long-term.”

Left: Parents often use bribery to put an end to bedtime struggles.

Maxi-Cosi Moves Online

Inset: Maxi-Cosi is celebrating its 30th year.

Baby product specialist Maxi-Cosi has launched its first ever online shop in response to demand from customers for quick online access to its accessories.

The company –which has played an influential role in raising awareness among parents of the importance of correct car seat fitting – will sell Maxi-Cosi accessories up to and including the 2014 colour range.

“The online shop is a first for Maxi-Cosi and has been set up in response to customer demand,” said Andrew Ratcliffe, md of Maxi-Cosi UK. “Parents will now have the convenience of being able to buy accessories for their Maxi Cosi products from the comfort of their own home, at work or on the move.”

Misirli Makes Plans

Toy Fair Party Returns

The Alternative Toy Fair Party is returning to Toy Fair for the fourth year, bought to you by Progressive Preschool, ToyNews and Aardvark Swift Recruitment.

The informal party, which takes place on Wednesday, January 21, offers an opportunity for Toy Fair exhibitors and visitors to unwind, network and enjoy a few free drinks after the second day of the show (which takes place 20 – 22 January).

The Alternative Toy Fair Party will take place in the private function room at the Hand & Flower pub, just opposite Olympia. Tickets are limited, but you can register your interest by emailing robw@max-publishing.co.uk.

Leading manufacturer Misirli is delighted to be working with Disney through 2015 across the full Disney portfolio as well as the Marvel and newly-acquired Star Wars franchises.

Other key lines for the firm include Minions, and with the film launching July 2015 the madness is set to continue. Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time is also starting to build, while a renewed contract means evergreen property Peppa Pig will continue to form a strong basis for Misirli’s licensing activity throughout 2015.

“Our creative teams are busy putting fantastic ranges together into autumn/winter 2015 so some fabulous product will be continuing to hit the shelves,” said director Kim Bown. “And we can’t forget Frozen, which is icetastic – and we can’t let it go!”

Christmas With Kurio

KD UK spread some early Christmas cheer to some seriously ill children and their families at the end of last year, by delivering a number of Kurio 4S Touch tablets to children’s hospices Noah’s Ark in North London and Keech Above: The Kurio tablets Hospice Care in will help children living Bedfordshire. in the hospices.

The tablets were gifted to the community based hospice services, which provide support for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families. “We are absolutely thrilled with the generous donation made by Kurio,” said Mike Keel, chief executive at Keech Hospice Care. “At Keech we may not be able to add days to life, but thanks to this help we are able to add life to days.”

Tracey Devine, licensing and marketing director at KD UK, said: “We were delighted to be able to donate the Kurios to these wonderful charities and help support the staff with the fabulous work they do with young children and their families.”

NEWS IN BRIEF ■ T echnology giant D-Link has appointed bébélephant as its UK distributor for the EyeOn range of baby monitors.

■ I nnovative new website BerryClever.com aims to make online shopping more interactive by allowing parents to share advice and reviews on baby products and essentials.

■ F unFest Blogger Summit is the first networking, conference and brand expo to include children.

Toy and entertainment exhibitors will connect with bloggers and conference speakers at Whittlebury Hall on Saturday 25th April.

Potential exhibitors should contact Kirsty Barr. www.funfestuk.com.

■ P lanet-friendly clothing brand Kite Clothing has moved into 4,000 sq ft of new office and warehouse space in Branksome, Poole as the business has grown rapidly in recent years.

■ J oanne Gray, former sales and marketing director at Tomy, has opened the doors to her new marketing consultancy, The Progress Lab. To see how it can make a difference to your business, call 07903 864731 or email Joanne@theprogresslab.co.uk

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Sleepy Sounds and Soothing Lights....

A multi-sensory nursery collection featuring soft-to-touch fabrics, gentle lullabies, soothing lights and a unique personal touch with a specially designed baby-safe photo holder - perfect for baby to identify familiar faces.

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www.progressive-preschool.com TOP STORY

Touch Screen Learning

Above: Technology plays a central role in children’s development.

Touch-screen technology could be a vital new weapon to combat low literacy in boys and disadvantaged children aged between three and five, according to new research from the National Literacy Trust and learning company Pearson.

The research showed that children in these target groups often read stories on a touch-screen for longer than they read printed stories and spent more time on educational activities than on entertainment. The findings highlight the

increasingly significant role that technology plays in the lives of under-fives: X 91.7% of children aged three to five have access to touch-screen technology at home.

X Access to touch-screens in early years settings has doubled since 2013 (from 22% to 41.3%).

X Nearly a third of all parents (30%) say their children read stories on both a touch-screen and on paper compared to 70% of parents who say that their children read books only.

X The new findings also indicated that young children have a wider vocabulary if they read stories in both print and onscreen, compared to those who don’t use technology.

“Children’s early language and vocabulary skills lay the foundation for their future success and it is crucial that we recognise the opportunities technology brings for engaging boys and disadvantaged children in reading,” said Jonathan Douglas, director of the NLT.

New Partnership For China Trade Shows

Leading global show organisers Messe Frankfurt and the Guangdong Toy Association (GDTA) will be working together to host two separate but concurrent toy and babycare fairs in China. The new partnership will expand the shows’ reach, as well as their respective product offerings.

The Guangzhou International Toy and Hobby Fair and the Guangzhou International Stroller and Baby Product Fair will be taking place from 8 – 10 April, 2015 in the Poly World Trade Center in Guangzhou.

Remote control toys, computer games and software and computer learning

Global Entertainer Expansion Continues

Toy retailer The Entertainer has opened its first store in Azerbaijan, with franchisee The Zeta Group. The 5,500 sqft store at Port Baku Mall opened last month, with children meeting their favourite characters (Hello Kitty, Power Rangers, Darth Vader and Storm Troopers) and enjoying activities including face painting and toy demonstrations.

“This is a fantastic looking store, I am certainly very proud of it,” said Duncan Grant, founding family member. “Looking at the store you would not know if you were in Azerbaijan or in Westfield, London.”

Inset: The new partnership will benefit both shows.

systems will be among the new products at the Toy & Hobby China show. Baby & Stroller China will also extend its offering, which ranges from baby clothing to car seats and infant furniture.

Between them, the two events attracted more than 930 exhibitors and 38,000 visitors last year. The two fairs will occupy an exhibition area of 75,000 sqm in 2015, more than 50% larger than the separate shows.

Khalig Ildirimzade, chairman of, said: “We are very pleased to be working with such a well-known and trusted brand and are truly impressed with its experience, resources and values. The two companies have ambitious expansion plans for the future.”

Below: The Entertainer store opening at Port Baku Mall.

LICENSING LOWDOWN ▶ As its 20th anniversary celebrations begin, Guess How Much I Love You builds on its success following renewal deals with Paul Dennicci (apparel) and Rainbow Designs (plush). ▶ Belle & Boo has partnered with Character World to produce a range of premium bedroom textiles including a 100 % cotton single duvet and pillow launching from February. ▶ Golden Bear has secured the licence for the Forever Friends Nursery range and will be launching a ‘My First’ nursery range at Toy Fair and Spring Fair 2015. ▶ HTI has launched an extensive range of Disney Frozen wheeled and pocket money toys including bikes, scooters, loom bands sets and assorted musical and novelty lines. ▶ Penguin has acquired publishing rights for Hey Duggee, a new preschool children’s television programme created by Studio AKA for CBeebies and BBC Worldwide.

Jumbo Games has signed a deal with ▶ Sesame Workshop via UK licensing agent CPLG, to produce a range of The Furchester Hotel puzzles and games for launch a/w 2015. ▶ CBeebies’ controller Kay Benbow has commissioned a third series of Fremantle’s hit preschool action adventure series Tree Fu Tom, for transmission in 2016. ▶ Icelandic preschool property and giftware range Tulipop will be launching its debut collection of preschool toys at Spring Fair this year.

Story Maker

The winner of toy expert Tomy’s Story Maker Competition has been revealed to be Stacey Smith, a mother from Stevenage who will be seeing her name in print as she celebrates her win.

The Story Maker Competition was designed to support key characters in the Lamaze sensory toy range by giving parents the unique opportunity to create their very own soft story book.

Stacey’s winning storyline – Poorly Purring Percival – will be made into a limited edition soft book which will be launched early this year.

“Stacey’s entry was a hit with all the judges and made a perfect story for little ones to enjoy,” said Emma Fryer from Tomy, “We wanted to highlight the importance of sharing stories with young children and how reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful bonding activity.”

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The Progressive Preschool Awards take place on Thursday 12th November 2015, at The Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, London.

Now in their third year, this hugely popular awards ceremony sees all sectors within the preschool aged product and retail sector coming together to network, celebrate, and enjoy.

The Progressive Preschool Awards include retail and product categories, marketing, innovation, as well as some new recognising individual and company talent within the trade. The nomination, voting and judging process differs for each of the various categories to ensure that the utmost integrity is maintained to the highest level.

All entry forms will be live on the website from February 28th - visit www.progressive-preschool-awards.co.uk, where you can also sign up for the newsflash to be kept informed of the awards and other industry news.

All product award categories will be judged in person by an extensive panel of retail buyers.

Companies can enter product ranges that have been launched at retail between 16 July 2014 and 15 July 2015. By ‘launched, this means on sale with a third party retailer during this period.

The closing date for product entries is Friday 7 August 2015. An entry is made by sending a physical sample with the entry form completed and attached.

All retail award categories will involve an exhaustive poll of trade suppliers, manufacturers, and agents, who are encouraged to nominate retailers who have excelled in the preschool sector in the last year. This nomination process is followed by a validation process by a panel of industry experts.

The closing date for retailer nominations is Tuesday 1 September.

The Marketing Award (which covers marketing, PR, and promotional activity) will involve online submissions by companies with all entries being judged by a panel of marketing and promotional experts, who will arrive at the finalists and the winner.

The closing date for retailer nominations is Tuesday 1 September.

NEW awards for 2015: * Best Wholesaler or Distributor of preschool product: Open nominations from both manufacturers and retailers, to recognise excellent service to the trade. * The Outstanding Achievement Award: Nominated by industry peers for outstanding contribution to one’s own company, retail or service, or to the industry at large.

The closing date for the Outstanding Achievement and Wholesaler or Distributor awards is Tuesday 1 September.

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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Categories 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 Nursery Retailer Best Independent Apparel Retailer Best Independent Toy Retailer Best Independent Gift Retailer

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

Best Preschool Essentials Range Best Preschool Publishing Range Best Preschool Outdoor or Activity Range Best Preschool Home or Furniture Range Best Preschool Mobility Range Best Preschool Apparel or Accessories Range Best Preschool Toy or Games Range Best Preschool Gift Range The Innovation Award

Special Awards •

The Marketing Award – (best consumer/trade PR/promotions/advertising/ marketing campaign)

•

The Outstanding Achievement Award

•

Best Wholesaler or Distributor Award

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BOOKING FORM The 2015 Progressive Preschool Awards will take place during a lunchtime ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane London on Thursday 12 November 2015.

To confirm your attendance, please carefully complete this booking form and return to Createvents.

Allocation of tables are made on a first come first served basis.

For table bookings & event logistics: Contact: Mandy Biddle, +44 (0) 1183 340 085 Email: mandy@createvents.co.uk Mail: The Progressive Preschool Awards c/o Createvents Ltd, 450 Brook Drive Green Park, Reading, RG2 6UU

Please reserve the following:

For entry nomination& Sponsorship enquiries: Contact: Ian Hyder, +44 (0) 207 7006740 Email: ianh@max-publishing.co.uk

EXCL VAT

INC VAT @ 20% (Amount Payable)

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@ £2,160.00

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@ £1,800.00

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@ £180.00

@ £216.00

Please note: price includes drinks reception, three course lunch and celebrity hosted awards ceremony. All other beveragesincluding table wines are additional which are ordered with and charged by the venue directly. Full details in yourconfirmation email which will be provided following receipt of a signed booking form..

PAYMENT OPTIONS

INVOICE ME

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to the sum of £

Please note: ALL INVOICES MUST BE PAID 30 DAYS FROM INVOICE, TICKETS WILL NOT BE SENT UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED. This means that we can only process bookings that require us to issue invoices until 15 October 2015.

For bookings made after this date either a cheque or credit card is required.

Made payable (INCLUDING VAT) to: Max Publishing Ltd

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Please send to: The Progressive Preschool Awards 2015 c/o Createvents Ltd 450 Brook Drive, Green Park, Reading RG2 6UU

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Bookings will be confirmed upon receipt of a completed booking form. By signing this form you authorise Createvents Ltd on behalf of Max Publishing Ltd to proceed with your booking, and you acknowledge and understand the cancellation policy as follows: Notification of cancellation must be made in writing to: The Preschool Awards, c/o Createvents Ltd, 450 Brook Drive, Green Park, Reading, RG2 6UU No refund will be made/full payment will be required for Cancellations received after 12 October 2015 Cancellations received on or before 12 October 2015 will be accepted and refunds will be given less a 15% administration charge Max Publishing Limited will use your information for administrative purposes and analysis. We may share your information with carefully selected third parties. We, or they, may send you details of other goods and services which may be of interest to you. The information may be provided by letter, telephone or other reasonable method of communication. [ ] Please tick this box if you do not want your details to be shared with carefully selected third parties. Max Publishing, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

A YEAR IN FOCUS 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, nursery account manager Tullika Bhalla takes a look at some of the highlights from the last year.

Early 2014 “Looking back to the first half of 2014, the nursery sector saw steady growth with a 1% increase in value, while volume has developed more substantially.

The three main categories which drove this growth included feeding, bathing and transport. Conversely, bedding and towel value sales fell by 4%, while cots and cot beds became cheaper (at an average price of £68), which led to a 9% value drop, depsite constant volume sales.

The growth seen in the first half of the year can also be seen within the hardware market, and baby monitors were the fastest growing sector with an 11% volume growth. However, strollers were the overall value winner, with 15% growth.

An average price of £61 was spent on car seats in the first half of 2014, which was a 10% increase compared to the same period last year. The Isofix fitting system is becoming an important feature, with £1 out of £5 spent on this in Q2, 2014. As the new safety guidelines are implemented in Europe, we can expect an increase in the sales of these sturdy fitting systems.

Overall, the first half of the year showed that the nursery sector continued to grow, although the value growth had slowed to 1%.

Innovation and value for money were key drivers as parents look for deals and were prepared to pay more for feature-rich products.”

Q3 2014 “The total nursery sector saw an increase of 8.1% in Q3, 2014 as compared to Q3, 2013. While there was a 3.2% growth over the last 12 months (as compared to the

Inset: Baby swings are a growing category.

period Oct 2012 – Sept 2013), Q3, 2014 has seen growth accelerating.

The value share of the various categories remains constant. Bathing and feeding have had strong growth in Q3, and bathing categories grew by over 17% with hygiene and towel products experiencing uplift. Other areas that were driving the nursery sector during this period were thermometers, carry cots/cribs and harnesses/reins.

The nursery hardware sector has also had a strong performance in the third quarter. Within this sector, highchairs and car seats have emerged as the fastest growing categories, while the

volume growth of strollers has slowed (when compared quarter-on-quarter). Parents were not purchasing as many strollers, but they were prepared to pay a premium price.

Car seats are one of the fastest growing categories in this sector. With a 14% quarter-on-quarter volume growth, (Q3, 2014 vs Q3, 2013), the awareness of safe driving is definitely on the rise, with Isofix accounting for more than £2 out of every £5 spent on car seats in this quarter. While iSize regulations have been introduced recently, sales have been significant and they now account for 2% value share of the car seat market.”

Walkers and Bouncers T The nursery equipment market, which includes bouncers, walkers, swings and other exercisers, has seen an overall sales decline during the last year, largely driven by poor performance in the key door bouncers/exercisers category.

T Within the equipment sector, there has been a value growth of 3% in the last 12 months (figures from Nov 2014), however, this has been mainly driven by swings and other baby equipment.

T Play dens and door bouncers/ exercisers continue to decline in value, while baby swings continue to do well, with more than 14% growth. Bouncing cradles and rocker seats make up a 40% share of the total nursery equipment value sales. The next largest sector is walkers, which makes up 25% of the market sector.

T However, Q4 (so far!) has seen sales improve significantly, with a 10% growth to November 2014.

Top: Nursery equipment sales are not seasonal, but there has been a significant rise in recent months.

Middle: Year-on-year growth by category shows the increased popularity of swings in Q4. Bottom: Sales of nursery equipment such as bouncers and walkers in generally in decline.

(%)

14.5

-12.4 -15.6

24.6

-4.6

-1.5

(%)

18.4 -4.8

-5.2

-7.2

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peek-a-boo peter

Press Peter’s foot and listen to him giggle, and encourage you to play peek-a-boo with him!

International Spring Fair 1st–5th February 2015 Hall 5 E04/F03 & F04/G03 Enesco Limited, Head Office & Customer Services, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0EN Tel: 01228 404022 Fax: 01228 404041 email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Tel: +44 1228 404066 Fax: +44 1228 404080 email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk © Frederick Warne & Co., 2015. © GUND 2015

A DESIGN FOR LIFE LEARNING ABOUT PLAY PPS’ newest columnist Stacey Dix introduces herself and explains why she believes the responsibility to ensure the next generation has access to the most efficient and beneficial play tools lies in our hands.

I

“

believe you excel in what you love, and it was with this in mind that I pursued a career in commercial design – specialising in toys, gifting and brand within retail.

We all have fond memories of a particular toy from our childhood, and being part of the toy industry has enabled me to recreate some of my favourite memories. Many of our recollections are associated with one or more of our senses: the smell of freshly cut grass, a rainbow on a summer’s day or the song you sang (over and over again!) with a childhood friend.

The sensory stimulation triggers a flashback memory Above: Hands-on research is to those special an important part of keeping times and toys are in touch with the market. equally emotive – my colourful construction block set, giant marble run, extreme bouncy ball, well-loved soft toy and inflatable reindeer each conjure up an emotive story of their own. Maybe my formative years among the multi-coloured blocks influenced my career path. Who knows!

Hamley’s brand design manager and toy designer, Stacey Dix has a special interest in preschool product and play and is perfectly placed to share her insights and thoughts about play theory and creative play patterns. design for retail. This opportunity came about as a result of winning the Design & Art Direction yellow pencil award for my renewable energy playset: Sustainable Futures. From this, I spent a number of years working as part of the Hamleys own-brand team developing new ranges of toys predominantly for the baby and preschool markets, which gave me a good grasp of what has the potential to be successful.

It’s very easy for designers to become detached from their end goal and start designing for design’s sake rather than to meet a specific need. It is important to keep in touch with the consumer base and demographic and so I get involved with volunteer programmes, workshops and mentor other students working on play theory projects to keep me in touch with the final result. Sometimes though, it’s all about natural instinct – just like children in play.

A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

We all have a responsibility to supply the most efficient and beneficial play tools for the next generation and a toy’s ability to influence methods of play and stimulate creativity is a major factor in its success. Children must engage with a toy if they are to play with it to the full potential. The toy should hold their attention and give them fuel to exercise imagination in open-ended play. It should encourage adventure with no preconceived knowledge and it should fully engage their senses.

Getting the balance right in a toy which teaches cognitive, social and emotional, physical, creative or linguistic skills has never been more Continued on page 25

BEGINNING A CAREER IN TOY DESIGN My journey began at Falmouth University studying Sustainable Product Design. It was here I discovered my passion for design and how it can work within a community. It’s not just about functionality; it’s about impact and purpose.

Moving to London helped me make the transition from conceptual designer to FMCG

Inset: Stacey was the driving force behind Hamleys Traditionals, an own-brand range of 37 classic and wooden toys, including bricks, pull-alongs and even a spinning top.

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C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

MY

K

Contact details: famosauk@famosa.es 01623 237 433

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A DESIGN FOR LIFE Continued from page 23

The other old favourite is the ‘cardboard box’.

Parents often joke about the packaging being more entertaining than the toy inside, but it’s often true. If the actual product is over-engineered and structured so that there is no room for creativity, the child will often divert its attention elsewhere.

ART OF PLAY

Above: A box or a bus? This child says the latter.

Below: Stacey has worked in creative toy design for the last decade, but is still influenced by her giant marble run (bottom).

important. The most effective structured toys we give to our children teach core skills by focusing on strong play patterns and sensory play. These skills include problem solving, motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination, shape sorting, alphabet learning, and numerical recognition, role-playing, sound and colour recognition. All of these are vital for early years development.

IMPORTANCE OF FREE PLAY

As much as structured play is a key requirement for the younger years, unstructured imaginative play or ‘free play’ is equally valuable. Parents often ask, what’s better for my child? My response is usually a healthy balance of both. Someone recently highlighted to me that it’s not for us as adults to show children how to play during this unstructured time – all they need is permission. If the child finds a solution to a problem during play, they are more likely to remember that milestone rather than the object produced as a result. My favourite ‘free play’ toys include modelling clay and construction blocks. I also cannot forget my beloved Spirograph and Etch-a-Sketch!

However, not all children have the same level of creativity – they are all unique and so play in different ways. Toys are tagged as high-realism or low-realism based on how much creative freedom they give a child. You can then match this up with a high-fantasy child (who would be more content with the cardboard packaging) or a low-fantasy child. Obviously these are on a moving scale and there will be a perfect toy out there for any child. This is why there is such an eclectic mix of toys available! Does anyone else remember making swords, shields or dens with card, brown tape and foil?

As much as structured toys teach vital skills preparing children for adulthood, unstructured play teaches them valuable lessons as well.

Examples include building self-esteem, independence, open-mindedness, positive attitude to change, taking ownership and responsibility over actions, and also – maybe most importantly – being innovative. I don’t think it matters what type of play a child is doing, as long as they are fully engaged and focused in the ‘art of play.’

A BRAND EVOLUTION

I have been fortunate enough to pursue a career that is entertaining, rewarding and keeps me on my toes. But as the world is changing and evolving around us, so too are the toys we give to our children as they mirror society.

We, as adults designing tools to aid kids’ development, need to keep up with these changes.

To help me do this, I made the decision a few years ago to study for a master’s degree at Saint Martins with a specialism in consumer behaviour and usercentred design, which gave me a strong brand marketing foundation and made the switch to brand design, continuing with my toy design responsibilities, in 2010.

Now, I always look to understand the bigger picture before embarking on designing a product. I ask myself ‘where does this sit in the overall story?’ The better the fit, the higher the product longevity and overall popularity with the children themselves. And as a toy designer, that’s the Holy Grail!”

PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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EVERY DAY’S AN ADVENTURE

A WHOLE NEW WORLD TO EXPLORE

• Best Ever show Premiere on Nick Jr.* • Fisher Price Toy launch A/W 2015 • Wider CP roll out S/S 2016 • CP Target – Girls 3 +

PAW PATROL IS ON A ROLL!

• Smash hit CP launch in all markets • Paw Patrol toys launched in December in the UK with extended CP roll out from 2015 • CP Target Kids 2-5 • Now airing on

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FEATURING YOUR FAVOURITE FRIENDS THERE’S A NEW ADVENTURE WASHED ASHORE EVERYDAY IN LILY’S DRIFTWOOD BAY

• Launched on Nick Jr in May 2014 • 3.1 million viewers have tuned in on Nick Jr.** • 52 x 7 minute episodes • CP Target – Girls 3-6 REPRESENTED IN THE UK ONLY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CONSUMERPRODUCTS@NICKELODEON.CO.UK

* Source: BARB, Dora & Friends launched at 5pm on Nick Jr., with +116% on the slot average and 61.1k kids (91.0k inds) tuning in. That’s Nick Jr.’s best ever launch, making it the #1 commercial kids channel in the slot. ** Source : BARB, All homes, Nick Jr. Channels, K4-15, Indi.4+, 5th May- 25th Aug 14, All Hours, Mon-Sun. Reach 3 min continuous viewing. © 2015 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Dora and Friends and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. PAW PATROL - © 2015 Spin Master PAW Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.LILY’S DRIFTWOOD BAY™ ® & © 2015 Sixteen South Limited. All Rights Reserved.

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Asobi Jan FP 2015:Layout 1 06/01/2015 10:38 Page 1

Disney Frozen Sticky Mosaics® Anna & Elsa OSM11442

Disney Frozen Sticky Mosaics® Anna & Elsa Single OSM11440

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See us at

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Gallery 120 028_PPS_JANUARY 2015.indd 1

Disney Frozen Sticky Mosaics® Olaf Single OSM11460

www.asobi.co.uk T: 01628 200077 • E: info@asobi.co.uk asobitoys

@asobi_toys

06/01/2015 11:56

In the

Public Eye In Media Watch, Progressive Preschool takes a look at the consumer press to see what parents will be splashing their cash on over the coming months.

JAN 2015

A Christmas Caterpillar

Going Green

Transformer

Animal Magic

The pre-Christmas gift lists are always a good way to ensure coverage at a busy time of year, and this feature in December’s issue of Mother & Baby was no different.

Focusing on the under-twos, it included Goldbug’s Very Hungry Caterpillar neck support and John Crane’s Tidlo stacking blocks.

In addition to its numerous awards and accolades, CuddleCo’s Doona is also getting its props in the press. Seen here in the Telegraph magazine, the clever piece of travel kit is described as sounding too good to be true in a feature focusing on children’s travel essentials.

There is no doubt that having a baby involves a lot of waste – just look at all those wet wipes and nappies. So both the December issue of Mother & Baby and a feature in The Observer decided to draw attention to Greentom’s recycled strollers for parents trying to do their bit for the enviroment.

These beautiful polar bear shoes from Daisy Roots were featured in the Green Parent magazine’s Christmas gift guide, as was a gorgeous rolling wooden pullalong rabbit from Bajo wooden toys.

Consumers were directed towards PPS retail finalist Green Owl Toys to get their very own bouncing bunny.

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Strawberry Shaped Chalks

Visit us at

SPRING FAIR NEC Birmingham 1–5 Feb, Hall 6 H42/J43

Paper Chain Garlands

Bunting Kit

Card Making Kit

The Very Hungry Caterpillar™

Crafty Kits For Kids

See the exciting range from Wild & Wolf at SPRING FAIR www.wildandwolf.com

Tel: +44 (0)1225 789909

Email: sales@wildandwolf.com

Beautiful gift and novelty books for children.

Come and see us at Spring Fair - Hall 3, E 10 www.bouncemarketing.co.uk

Boxer Books

Boxer Books

Publications International

Bounce Prog Preschool Spring Fair 2015 Issue.indd 1

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Priddy Books

Publications International

Priddy Books

Old Barn Books

05/01/2015 08:55:45

05/01/2015 18:42

MEDIA WATCH

Family Time

Game Time

Along For The Ride

Going Wild

If there’s one thing that can be said about Christmas, it’s that its a time for families – so its no surprise that classic toy brand Sylvanian Families got a lot of preChristmas publicity, featuring in gift guides everywhere, from The Guardian and The Independent to Prima Baby.

Staying firmly within the Christmas theme is this coverage for Jumbo Games, with a Peppa Pig hide and seek game and minipuzzles. The games were highlighted in November’s issue of Good Housekeeping and seasonal publication The Christmas Magazine, showing that Peppa is as popular as ever.

It’s definitely time to wrap up warm and that goes for the kids as well! This December feature in The i looked at the best children’s ski coats available on the market. Kosi Kidz’ Alaska Parka was described as being ‘real quality’, and ideal for young children who are likely to spend much of their time in the snow!

This feature on baby carriers in December’s issue of Prima Baby focused on sturdier carriers, ideal for long walks and rough terrain.

LittleLife’s Ranger Carrier, which lasts until the child is three -years-old, was awarded five stars for being smart, sturdy, ultra-light and affordable.

Best Foot Forward

The lovely designs and soft leather styling from Starchild Shoes makes them ‘instantly recognisable, colourful and fun’, according to this piece in the NCT magazine, a dedicated publication from the national parenting charity National Childbirth Trust.

JAN 2015 Who’s Who?

The PR companies, distributors and suppliers featured in this issue of Media Watch are: Bertelli Communications (Goldbug), Pittilla PR (John Crane), Bump PR (CuddleCo and Greentom), Shrewd PR (Daisy Roots), Green Owl Toys, Highlight PR (Sylvanian Families), mi PR (Jumbo Games), Skookum (LittleLife and Kosi Kidz), Starchild Shoes.

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Dig the adventure My First JCB brings machines to life for young children and welcomes them into an amazing earthmoving world.

The ultimate brand for energetic young explorers!

www.jcbexplore.com 01889 593499 licensing@jcb.com Š J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited

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Inset: Tough kids need a tough brand. Below left: Sam Johnson, senior licensing manager at JCB Consumer Products.

And

ROUGH Ready

MY FIRST JCB

The unmistakable yellow and black of JCB’s construction vehicles helps mark them out as machines with a difference.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2015, a number of high profile global events will help to drive awareness of this world-recognised brand and its successful preschool programme.

B

asing collections of preschool product on the very adult world of construction and engineering is not the anomaly it might first appear.

From fire trucks to kitchens, very young children have always been fascinated with the grown-up world that surrounds them, meaning that play patterns which allow them to enter that world are also popular.

“Having a strong preschool brand is really important for our overall business,” explained Sam Johnson, senior licensing manager at JCB Consumer Products. “If we can thrill young fans at an early age and engage with their parents it establishes a firm connection that we can build on both fronts.”

The true strength of the preschool brand is that it does not rely on TV ratings

▶ ALL ABOUT JCB ■ JCB is the world’s largest privately-owned construction equipment manufacturer.

■ The company is worth $4.5 billion and has over 10,000 employees worldwide.

■ JCB is Europe’s number one construction brand by volume.

■ The brand has 90% consumer brand awareness in the UK.

and scheduling, as Sam points out. “It is born from real earthmoving machines that children see, and builds on the parental trust associated with the brand,” he said. “And in the preschool sector the brand/product needs to have that parental approval in order to work in the mid- to long-term.”

The dedicated preschool offering, My First JCB, was first conceived in 2007 when JCB was approached by Golden Bear with a view to creating a talking characterled range of toys. The collection – which now has over 20 licensing partners – continues to inspire young imaginations with colourful, tough preschool product based on real life JCBs, and the characterisation of Joey JCB and the rest of the My First JCB team (such as Doug Dumptruck, Freddie Fastrac, Dan Dozer and Rex Roller) creates a friendly first engagement with the brand for young fans.

After making its debut at 2008’s Toy Fair in London, with a JCB-sized display on the Golden Bear stand, the launch was followed up with its first outing at the Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) show in the same year.

The first new partnerships were made at that show, and the licensing programme has grown ever since. All key categories are covered, with partners including  PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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MY FIRST JCB

▶ TOUGH TOYS

“Our My First JCB range is now into its eighth year and the brand continues to go from strength to strength. Last year’s introduction of bright new colours, packaging and kid-tough styling has been a sure hit at retail and we have lots of new and exciting products in the pipeline for 2015. The constructionbased range is perfect for little hands with big imaginations!”

Christine Nicholls, vice chairman, Golden Bear

Golden Bear (master toy), Smith & Brooks

(apparel), Igloo Books (publishing), Aykroyds & TDPL (nightwear and underwear), William Lamb (footwear) and Kidsaw (bedroom furniture).

The brand – which features consistently in the top five preschool vehicle toy brands in the UK – is bolstered through a number of dedicated My First JCB initiatives, including Golden Bear’s television advertising, retail campaigns (such as Asda’s half-term promotion), social media online activity and targeted PR campaigns like the recent JCB Kids Fresh Air Campaign – which was nominated for a Progressive Preschool Marketing award in 2013.

In addition to this activity, My First JCB is almost unique in that the brand is also supported by any marketing and publicity generated by the core JCB company – whether that’s Dancing Digger displays, world record-breaking diggers or JCB machines popping up on TV. “2014 was a big year for the My First JCB brand,” said Sam. “A refreshed logo and brand new look has re-energised our toy range, outerwear clothing has grown over 70% year on

year and we have continued to diversify our secondary category offering.”

Golden Bear was the first to roll out the new look – which aims to emphasise the early preschool appeal of the brand – across its toy range. All other My First JCB partners will be adopting the new look in their product and packaging throughout 2015.

The My First JCB brand has also been a big hit at retail, and the major success seen at George @Asda for outerwear over the last two years means that it is now a key toddlerwear brand for the retailer. JCB has supported Asda with in-store activities and giveaways and in turn the brand has benefited from brand-specific graphics and signage.

“My First JCB has really excelled in the outerwear, accessories and wellington boots categories,” said Sam, “which underlines how parents recognise and trust our brand when it comes to getting children outdoors. Our real machines are designed and built to cope with all sorts tough environments and those same associations are carried through to dressing children for rough and tumble of day time and outside play.”

This success in the apparel sector has spurred the creation of regular style and trend guide updates for all key partners, such as The My First JCB Joey toddler bed, which performs very well for a broad section of retailers.

Above: Golden Bear’s Big Wheeler range has been expanded for 2015 to include Freddie Fastrac alongside existing favourites Doug (pictured) and Joey. Left: With apparel, toys, games and a whole host of other product, My First JCB makes a strong in-store impact.

Above left: Best foot forward – shoes and wellies from William Lamb. Above: Dreamtex’s fully shaped Joey JCB duvet cover.

Sam also highlighted Dreamtex’s fully shaped Joey JCB duvet cover as a great example of licensees creating something innovative within their sector.

New partners in the greetings, back to nursery/school, baby gifting and arts and craft categories are to be announced in early 2015, and these new partnerships and products will further strengthen My First JCB’s overall portfolio. “We have a fleet of new partners,” said Sam, “including the likes of Gemma International, all set to launch during 2015. This year is set to be a bumper one for us as we celebrate 70 years of the parent JCB brand. Our existing licensee and retail partners will be capitalising on the anniversary with a truck-load of new ranges.”

The new lines and refreshed collections will be backed up by a full convoy of events, experiences, PR, social media and promotions. All designed to ensure the brand continues to make a JCB-sized impression on its youngest fans and their families.

▶ GET DIGGING

One of JCB’s most notable initiatives is its long-term partnership with Diggerland Theme Parks.

“We have a great relationship with Diggerland UK – and now Diggerland USA as well,” said Sam. “Most of the parks are geared around families engagement with JCB machines, with a great philosophy of encouraging children and adults to get out whatever the weather and have a go on machines that most people never get to try. The busy gift stores carry a good spread of our licensed kids and collector ranges and they help deliver our brand into the hands their customers of all ages. It’s win-win!”

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1/ AMSCAN

Amscan have a fantastic range of My First JCB inspired items for celebrations that young fans will dig. The 14 piece collection comprises tableware, decorations, favours, balloons and even construction hats. The designs are bold, friendly and colourful, and feature the main character - Joey JCB. www.amscan.co.uk 01908 288500

2/ IGLOO BOOKS

JCB 501 Things to Find features over 500 JCB themed items to find. Filled with bright and fun JCB characters, this is a fantastic book that is beautifully illustrated and will keep children entertained for hours. www.igloobooks.com 01604 741116

3/ GOLDEN BEAR

My First JCB Big Wheeler Joey is a super-sized kid tough character. Pull his exhaust to lift the front scoop or lift the rear digger bucket for added play.

His chunky big wheels are ready for any indoor or outdoor challenge. Also available is the My First Big Wheeler Doug Dumptruck.

01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys. com

4/ KIDSAW

The new JCB Playbox is a bright and bold toy box which doubles as a play station. Construction loving children will love the growing My first JCB bedroom furniture range from Leicester based Kidsaw including first

and single beds, rooms in box, table and chairs and JCB push along.

01455 848969 www.kidsaw.co.uk

5/ WILLIAM LAMB

The My First JCB footwear collection from William Lamb mixes fun JCB graphics with robust and hard wearing designs to keep all young digger fans happy. Bright Yellow wellies, sturdy back to school shoes and cosy character slippers lead the way.

01924 820282 www.wlamb.co.uk

6/ TRADEMARK COLLECTIONS

Sure to brighten up the nursery run, the new My First JCB backpack features flashing lights and bold JCB

character graphics. The bag is made from robust vinyl with a roomy main section and zip pocket to the front.

01799 599 899 www. trademarkcollections. com

7/ SMITH AND BROOKS

JCB has heritage which gives preschool aged children an aspirational, real life brand to want to be a part of. As such, it translates particularly well to apparel. With its strong yet preschool friendly graphics, coupled with great fashion garments often bought and worn as a coordinated outfit, it has become Smith & Brooks number one preschool boys brand - and retailers love it.

0845 129 9216 www.smithbrooks.co.uk

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SHOW PREVIEW: TOY FAIR 2015

Inset: A jam-packed London Toy Fair in 2014.

Welcome To

TOY TOWN

W

hether you are a gift store looking for the latest licensed playset or a high-end boutique looking for exclusive, hand-made wooden items, Toy Fair 2015 has exhibitors from both ends of the spectrum. And with more than 260 exhibitors setting up camp in London’s Olympia for three days towards the end of January, many of them will be taking the opportunity to launch preschool and baby ranges for the first time.

“The preschool and baby market is one of a number of key components to Toy Fair 2015,” said Majen Immink, head of Toy Fair operations and sales. “Preschool and baby products will be featured heavily across the show

▶

PRESCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Toy Fair 2015 will see John Adams unveiling its new Pip Ahoy! toy line for the first time since announcing the company’s acquisition of the master toy license in September. The range – based on the popular preschool programme – will consist of collectable figures, playsets, role play items and plush toys.

floor, with new ranges being launched across the board, but also in other key areas of Toy Fair 2015.”

She continued: “Some of the exhibitors who will be showcasing

Above: The Galt Toys stand from last year’s Toy Fair exhibition. Right: The Cosy Coupe Dino adds a real point of difference to the popular ride-ons.

their preschool and baby products this year include Asobi, Bigjigs, East Coast Nursery, Golden Bear, Jumbo Games and Wooky Europe. We’re also particularly pleased to be welcoming back Tomy Europe and Theo Klein, who are both returning to the show after time away.”

Toys are key to most preschool retailers, and Toy Fair 2015 provides the perfect showcase for the industry.

Organised by the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) and taking place from 20 – 22 January 2015, anticipation has been building for this year’s sold-out show for some time. PPS takes a look at what’s in store for retailers planning to find out the latest trends first-hand.

The other key areas Majen refers to include The Toy Fair Best New Toy Awards and a dedicated category in the Demo Zone.

“The extra buzz created by this resonates throughout the whole exhibition,” said Majen, “adding to the atmosphere of a show which provides visitors with a real overview and insight into a fun, innovative and exciting industry.”

TRADITIONAL FAVOURITES Toy Fair is also a great opportunity to catch up with established contacts and meet new ones, as John McDonnell, managing director at Galt, explained.

“Toy Fair is all about meeting people. It’s great to get the opportunity to showcase all our exciting new products, and get immediate feedback.”

With all the latest innovation and trends on show, John describes

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Above: Hallilit’s Battat Take-Apart Crane Truck is set to be a preschool favourite. Right: There are four different jigsaws in Jumbo’s Mr Bloom shaped puzzle set.

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Toy Fair as ‘a vital business hub for the toy industry’, saying it is: “the best place to see new products for 2015 from the biggest toy brands, all under one roof.”

John expects those trends to include modern takes on traditional favourites, saying that: “these have become increasingly popular as parents and grandparents look for toys that are more than just a fleeting trend, but offer true play value.”

This year will see Galt launching six Ambi Toys, designed to encourage discovery and learning through play, which are expected to delight children and parents as the trend for traditional toys continues.

CHANGING TRENDS While traditional toys remain as popular as ever, fashions change

quickly in the toy industry.

“Toy Fair is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get involved and see how the category is performing,” agreed Michelle Lilley, marketing manager at Little Tikes, “but it is also a chance to see how fast it moves and see examples

of ‘best in class’ innovation.”

The opportunity to find out what 2015 has in store is important, but Michelle highlights another key benefit of attending.

“The show also offers buyers a chance to improve relationships with brands and grill the team on product detail. This means they get to truly understand and know the product inside out, which can be invaluable.”

There will be a real focus on ‘the outdoors’ at the Little Tikes’ stand, with a new playhouse Cape Cottage, a new dinosaur-themed Cozy Coupe, and a brand new preschool range and bath category.

TIME TO CELEBRATE The 2015 show will also be playing host to a number of celebrations and anniversaries, including Halilit, which will be celebrating 50 years in business and 30 years of exhibiting at Toy Fair in January.

“We are so proud to be celebrating these landmarks,” said Judith Stark, Halilit’s md, “and wouldn’t miss the show for the opportunity it gives us to launch new toys and ranges, to catch up with existing customers and to meet new ones.”

Halilit will be showcasing its new range from Battat, a highly trusted brand that features a host of preschool toys including take-apart vehicles, bath toys and other classics. Also on show will be new launches from Taf Toys, while Halilit’s own range of brightly coloured musical toys will inspire early musical enjoyment.

DOLLY DELIGHT Famosa will be previewing new product from popular doll and playset brands Pinypon and Nenuco at Toy Fair, and based on the success of Above left: Nenuco Hugging from Famosa will hug back. Left: Posh Paws’ high quality plush lines include bestsellers such as Frozen’s Olaf.

both brands in 2014, the new line extensions are extremely promising.

“We are really excited to be back at Toy Fair with some really fabulous extensions to our hugely successful doll brands,” said marketing manager Nikki Jeffery.

“The range of interchangeable mini dolls and playsets from Pinypon was a key collectable last year, with an estimated 50,000 dolls sold.”

Pinypon is launching ‘Pinypon Princesses’ for 2015, while new lines for Nenuco include Nenuco Bathtime and Nenuco Hugging. “But Toy Fair is not just about showcasing this wonderful product,” said Nicki. “It’s also a great chance to catch up with colleagues and friends and to see all of the other great products which make the industry such great fun.”

PERFECT PLUSH Posh Paws’ range continues to expand at a fast pace and at Toy Fair the company will showcase some of the hottest

▶ PRESCHOOL SPOTLIGHT The 2015 line up from Flair includes exciting new properties and stunning additions to favourite brands such as Doc McStuffins. The new Pet Vet Doc McStuffins doll will take centre stage, while a case, Book of Boo Boos, desk and Pet Care Centre are all essentials for any preschool veterinary surgery.

Disney movie plush around. “We always look forward to the Toy Fair, but this year is more exciting than ever as we will be launching a huge amount of brand new licensed product,” said Posh Paws’ marketing manager Lauren Hayward.

Stand-out movies for 2015 include Inside Out, Star Wars, Cinderella and The Good Dinosaur, but Posh Paws will also be launching brand new product for existing bestselling brands including Frozen, Doc McStuffins, Palace Pets, Sofia the First, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey and Minnie. The Disney Nursery collection includes old favourites alongside the new Glow in the Dark nursery plush.

Other newcomers for 2015 include DreamWorks, My Little Pony, PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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SHOW PREVIEW: TOY FAIR 2015 Left: The Colour Discovery Hot Air Balloon from Tomy is a magical toy with music, sounds and lights. Below: Amscan’s AirWalkers are always popular, and this Elsa design is new for 2015.

the party, dress-up and balloon categories with retailers who will see the opportunities we offer.”

Amscan will be showcasing its extensive range of party products, including children’s role play sets which come complete with costume and coordinating accessories. An impressive licensed collection includes over 95 licensed properties, such as Fireman Sam, SpongeBob SquarePants, Paddington Bear, Minions and Disney.



Littlest Pet Shop and Kimmidoll.

“We strongly believe that we have some of the hottest properties in licensing for 2015,” continued Lauren, “and have expanded our plush, backpack and pocket money ranges accordingly.”

▶ PRESCHOOL SPOTLIGHT With a strong focus on new preschool licensed lines, Golden Bear is preparing for a busy Toy Fair.

New lines include Twirlywoos plush and playsets, Hey Duggee plush and playsets, In The Night Garden train set and interactive plush lines, Something Special games and plush, Sooty preschool magic set and My First JCB digger.

GAME ON As a leading manufacturer in the children’s puzzle market, Jumbo Games is bringing its successful portfolio of preschool licences to Toy Fair, including Peppa Pig, Something Special, Fireman Sam, Disney Frozen and many more.

The puzzle and game company will be launching a fantastic range of licensed products at Toy Fair 2015, with new lines featuring CBeebies’ Mr Bloom and Sesame Workshop’s Furchester Hotel, among others.

“We are very excited about the new products and licences which we will be showcasing at Toy Fair 2015,” said Katherine Pierce, senior marketing manager at Jumbo Games. “It’s a fun event and one we enjoy welcoming our partners to and presenting our exciting product line up.”

The new lines include 4-in-1 shaped puzzles, 20 and 35-piece puzzles, domino sets and giant playing cards.

PARTY SHOP Offering a perfect example of crosscategory business is party supplies business Amscan, which is returning to Toy Fair for the first time in over 15 years.

“The toy sector has become ever more competitive and additions in categories such as ours delivers consistent everyday sales throughout the year,” commented Mike McGillion, vice president of international retail and marketing. “We hope that by exhibiting at Toy Fair 2015 we will be able to have significant conversations about

PLAY TIME Also returning to the show after some time away is global toy company Tomy, which will be presenting a whole host of play products to ignite the imagination.

“The show give us an opportunity to showcase all our new innovation for the next 12 months while reminding customers of our current offering,” explained Matthew Woolf, head of customer marketing. “Buyers attend the shows as they are able to see all their suppliers at the same time while enjoying the atmosphere that the toy industry offers.”

With over 20 years of expertise in infant developmental and creative play, Tomy’s awardwinning preschool lines are suitable for children from six months to three years old and provide endless play possibilities through innovative design, fun surprises and grow-with-me features.

“We are expecting a busy show with a strong showing of licenced properties,” confirmed Matthew. “2015 is going to be a great year of innovation!”

▶ PRESCHOOL SPOTLIGHT The KD UK portfolio is as wide-ranging as ever, with its first ever range of educational bath toys sitting alongside additions to the licensed ELA range such as My Push & Learn Thomas and My First Frozen Tablet. The Peppa Pig collection also continues to grow with three new lines including a camera, remote and smartphone.

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WHAT’S NEW

WHAT’S

20th – 22nd January, Olympia, London

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Janod, from Jura, will launch wonderful new product at Toy Fair this month. Like the iconic rocket, products are going interstellar with updated classics and unique additions direct from the design studios. Come and discover the Janod universe for yourself and your consumers.

Stand F50 020 8878 2133 www.janod.com

2/ FIESTA CRAFTS

The hugely popular Squeakaboos soft toy rattles make the perfect toy for babies from birth to one year old.

They jingle, crinkle and squeak when squeezed, making them

a great interactive first toy for little ones. Crafted from vibrant and soft plush fabrics, each Squeakaboo has a cute shaped face with a kind, gentle smile. The perfect size for small hands, also be available in a pink or blue bear design.

Stand F66 0208 804 0563 www.fiestacrafts.co.uk

3/ FLAIR

Motor along to prestigious preschool four wheeled play.

New to preschool toys is the ultimate vehicle brand.

Ferrari Play and Go is a range of chunky preschool vehicles, play-sets and RC toys that will be the definitive first wheels for tots aged ten

months upwards. Supported

by TV and online marketing to ensure brand awareness.

Stand E39 0208 643 0320 www.Flairplc.co.uk

4/ JOHN ADAMS

Toy Fair 2015 will see John Adams unveiling its exciting Pip Ahoy! toy line for the first time, since announcing the company’s acquisition of the master toy license for the popular preschool programme. The toy line will consist of beautifully detailed figures, playsets, role play items and plush toys.

Stand G100 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk

5/ POSH PAWS

Posh Paws range continues to expand at fast pace and at the upcoming fairs the company will showcase some of the hottest movie plush around including; Inside Out, Star Wars and Cinderella. In addition the company will launch its brand new Minions backpack range that features characters & scenes from the forthcoming movie.

Stand D89 01268 567290 www. poshpawsinternational.co.uk

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Š 2015 GULLANE (THOMAS) LIMITED

Happy 70th Birthday Thomas from all your friends at Hornby!

Hornby Hobbies are very excited to announce a new range of Thomas the Tank Engine launching in 2015.

Pretty Enchanting More details coming soon.

Princess plaque

shaped deck

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Fairytale doll carrier

Pretty Princess Ribbon plaque tassels

Fairytale doll carrier

14" Bike

22/12/2014 13:13

Enchanting shaped deck

Ribbon tassels

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Enchanting shaped deck

Pretty Princess plaque Fairytale doll carrier Fairytale doll carrier

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My Fir s t Tri-S c ter oo

Ribbon tassels

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Sparkling sales Progressive Preschool HP AD.indd 1

www.mvsports.com

0121 748 8000 08/12/2014 11:28:30

WHAT’S NEW

WHAT’S

NEW

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6/ JAMES GALT & CO New, the Fill and Spill Picnic Basket - a soft picnic basket to fill with a sandwich, cake, apple and drink, then spill out and start again. Young children will enjoy carrying around the basket of goodies and having an imaginary picnic with the velour bottle, apple rattle, cake with squeaker and two-piece crinkle sandwich to join together with velcro.

Stand E9 0161 428 9111 www.galttoys.com

7/ KDUK

Peppa’s Play & Learn Active Watch will certainly be a show highlight, with KD embracing the phenomenon of wearable technology.

Children can play, learn, move and tell the time with Peppa. With games to help teach numbers, letters and music whilst developing observation and memory skills; plus a motion sensor, voice recorder and much more.

Stand Gallery 160 01727 827194 www.kdplanet.com/uk

8/ MV SPORTS

MV Sports is very excited to be back at Toy Fair to showcase its exciting new ranges. This year MV’s portfolio of exciting sector leading licenses is further strengthened with the addition of several sensational new properties. Retailers are urged to join MV Sports on

the stand at London Toy Fair where it will be showcasing its brand new products.

Stand B30 0121 748 8000 www.mvsports.co.uk

9/ MANHATTAN TOY EUROPE For over three decades, Manhattan Toy has been creating soft, snuggly and irresistible toys and gifts, loved by children around the world. This season, delightful additions to our super successful Lovelies line along with brand new Luxe Bears and Bunnies and Lavish Lanky Cats make this our finest collection yet.

Stand Gallery 315 020 8944 3191 www.manhattantoy.com

10/ FIESTA CRAFTS

Young babies love to grasp and chew, exploring new toys, sounds and textures.

The ring teether toy is a great way to help them on their journey of discovery and is not only fun to play with but practical too. It combines beautiful soft fabrics in vibrant colours and comes in four fun animal designs - elephant, lion, zebra and giraffe.

Stand F66 0208 804 0563 www.fiestacrafts.co.uk

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VTech is excited to launch a number of great new products at the 2015 London Toy Fair.

With developments to much loved ranges as well as brand new additions in other categories.

Visit our stand to see more!

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WHAT’S NEW

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20th – 22nd January, Olympia, London

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Following the success of the Bella & Bruno collection launched last year, eight new Cheeky Monkey plush toys join the Bigjigs Baby Toys Range.

Suitable from birth, these new additions boast equally fun shapes, exciting sounds and tactile textures as others in the collection, but introduce a new gender neutral colour palette.

Hall 3 Stand H01 01303 250400 www.trade.bigjigstoys.co.uk

12/ ORANGE TREE TOYS

Following on from the success of its Peter Rabbit and Friends Collection, Orange Tree Toys is launching a collection of Paddington Bear products.

In addition the company is launching another 50 new products at the show,

including a Circus and Farm Yard range, which includes bookends, skittles, push alongs, puzzles, spinning tops, and yo-yos joining the already huge portfolio of wooden toys from the company, Hall 3 Stand J05 01242 244500 www.orangetreetoys.com

13/ WILLOWBEE TOYS

Real or pretend, nothing beats the timeless elegance of tea and cakes. Willowbee Toys’ great new Danish range of wooden, tin and porcelain tea sets will capture any young person’s creative imagination.

There are cakes in boxes and a wide range of food and cooking items.

Hall 3 Stand C26 01727 859 200 www.willowbee.co.uk

14/ LE TOY VAN

New for 2015 is an updated Dino’s Garage. A brightly painted red and yellow wooden garage, featuring a working lift and spiral ramps. Scaled for all Le Toy Van vehicle sets (which are available separately).

Comes with a red car and a set of stickers. A great retro garage for car enthusiasts.

Stand E10 0208 979 2036 www.letoyvan.com

15/ JUMBO GAMES

Jumbo Games will be launching new licensed games and puzzles at this year’s Toy Fair including Mr Bloom’s Nursery, The Furchester Hotel, Looney Tunes as well fun pre-school products for Playlab. 2015

will also see new lines added to the high quality wooden Goula range.

Stand E46 01707 289289. www.jumbo.eu

16/ ASOBI

Toy Fair 2015 will see new offering from Asobi, including ORB Factory sticky mosaics, which offer hours of craft play for children. Numbered stickering allows children to add stickers and jewels, creating glittering keepsakes. The range includes the current coolest toy line – Frozen.

Stand Gallery 120 01628 200077 www.asobi.co.uk

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SHOOTING FACE TO FACE: THE BREEZE KIDDY

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Kevin Golding, commercial director, Bébécar UK It’s undeniable “ that the right celebrity

being pictured with the right product can do wonders for sales. Parents want to give their children the best they can, and if they can buy the same product that a celebrity (or royal baby!) uses, it is perceived as ‘superior’.

We do not actively seek celebrity endorsement, as we would prefer someone to choose a Bébécar pushchair on its own merit. A perfect example is Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey – she found us at a Baby Show, and genuinely loves her Bébécar Ip-Op pushchair.

”

Above: Dame Sarah Storey likes the Ip-Op because it’s easy to push, fold and unfold with one hand.

We see it in the newspapers, the gossip columns and online sidebars – but just how important is celebrity endorsement in the preschool world?

Do sales really rocket when a certain celeb uses a particular stroller or mops up some dribble with the latest must-have muslin? When a male celeb is pictured with a carrier does it really make a difference to the way people parent? PPS asked for expert opinions on this modern marketing phenomenon – and here's what we found out.

Marc Kelly, sales director at CuddleCo Celebrities are hugely “ influential these days when it

comes to purchasing decisions and endorsements should be a significant part of a brand's marketing plan. Even more so when you are launching a new product. Doona is a world-first, and has never been done before, which means parents need to have even more confidence before deciding whether or not to buy.

Since its launch, Doona has received faultless reviews, passed every safety test, won numerous awards and is sold by the most trusted retailers. However, having famous fans such as JB Gill and Sam Bailey continuously tweeting their love for the product, has been by far the best support for our product! A number of exciting celebrities have taken it, so we are excited to see what other famous fans we get on board.

”

Right: The Doona is really making a name for itself as a celebrity must-have.

Sophie Mirman, founder, Trotters Prince George has been “ photographed in some of

Trotters clothes and shoes, and as a small family business, it is not only a great honour but also a great morale booster for my staff and the manufacturers for Trotters. Clearly the commercial impact is considerable and it

is wonderful that Her Royal Highness supports British businesses. It is especially poignant for me as between my mother, Simone Mirman who was a royal milliner with Royal Warrants from The Queen and the Queen Mother, and me, we have now served five generations of Royals.

”

Left : Prince George, pictured in a Milo bodysuit from Trotters.

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SHOOTING FACE TO FACE: THE BREEZE KIDDY

Roger Cheetham, managing director, Clippasafe

Amy Livingstone and Julie Wilson, directors of Cheeky Chompers

“

Cheeky Chompers has been lucky to have had a range of great celebrity endorsements. It has really helped increase awareness of our brand and spread the word about the Neckerchew and Comfortchew really quickly, especially on social media! Celebrities like Sinitta, Caprice and Tamara Ecclestone have tweeted great things about us or posted some great pics of their little ones sporting their Cheeky Chompers Chews. It’s great that we have had so much great feedback and fantastic exposure from some lovely celebrity mums!

”

Above: Amy and Julie have found Twitter to be useful for sharing celeb news.

Gudrun Wurm, founder of Little Butterfly London.

Celebrity endorsement is a great way to get “ into the spotlight. It’s particularly powerful when

Above: Gurd created Little Butterfly as a luxury baby skincare brand.

it happens spontaneously, which is why it is so important to get all the aspects of your brand right.

After all, if you don’t pay for the endorsement, you cannot force celebrities to use your products, but you can try to make your brand stand out by paying attention to the smallest details. This has probably paid off in our case as Pippa Middleton bought some of our Bath Milks recently, which was quite exciting news!

”

“

When you have a celebrity behind your brand, it really does give an amazing sense of achievement. With so many competitors in the industry, having a celebrity select your product is the ultimate seal of approval and undoubtedly drives sales. Claire Sweeney sent us a photo of her wearing a Bibee dress and the interaction we had was fantastic. I think celebrity endorsement is all the more crucial if you are in the maternity wear sector. One of the most important aspects of a celebrity’s pregnancy is what they are wearing. If they are spotted wearing something from your collection, you know it will be a hit.

”

Lynda Harding, founder of SweetDreamers When Lily Allen tweeted “Don’t know if I could “ survive without Ewan the Dream Sheep”, sales of our

award-winning sleep aid rocketed, and we actually sold out! Celebrity culture is still at its peak and shows no sign of stopping, so to have a celebrity supporting your brand can distinguish you from your competitors. With Twitter and the media continuously taking an interest in what celebrities are doing, endorsement is sure to be more important than ever before!

Right: Sales rocketed as parents clamoured for a celebrity-endorsed sleep solution.

celebrity endorsements as we think that our 50 years of experience gives us enough credibility. However from a marketing point of view, it’s always nice to have our products recognised by influential and respected people.

Harnesses are some of our original and flagship products, and we recently had one commissioned to be used with HRH Prince George’s highchair. Although we can’t quite call it an endorsement, we hear that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the quality and craftsmanship of the chair, including our harness. It doesn’t get much better than Royalty where product recognition is concerned! It makes us very proud.

”

Above: Clippasafe's royal connection got plenty of trade press attention.

Nick Farnsworth, founder, Little Champs Our sales first “ rocketed when

Nicola Norris, founder of Bibee Maternity

Left: Nicola models one of the Bibee dresses.

We don’t “ actively seek

”

Andy Murray won Wimbledon in 2012, assisted by a feature in the Sunday Telegraph about our toys and we are now the exclusive supplier of baby tennis rackets to the Australian Open tennis tournament, starting in January.

The top two tennis players in the world have five children between them and as if tennis is not already demanding enough, remember that Roger Federer has two sets of twins! World number one, Novak Djokovic has also had a baby earlier this year. So of course we are hoping that Roger and Novak will be sporting our baby tennis rackets in Melbourne!

”

Above: Nick Farnsworth and his daughter Nina and the Australian open version of the classic Little champs tennic racquet (right).

PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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PRESCHOOL LICENSING: 2015 Inset: The ultimate preschool landscape – In The Night Garden Magical Boat Ride at Cbeenies Land.

The Licensing

LANDSCAPE Familiarity and repetition are two of the most important aspects of a preschooler’s life, which goes some way towards explaining why licensed product is so popular in those early years, when Queen Elsa and Fireman Sam come second only to mum and dad – and even that’s a close-run contest sometimes. But the preschool licensing landscape is constantly changing, which of course has a direct effect on the retail market. With that in mind, PPS has spoken to a selection of property owners to find out what their predictions are for 2015’s preschool licensing scene.

CLASSIC BRANDS

While there is certainly no shortage of new preschool animations on the market, Cloudbabies, which was first shown on CBeebies in March of 2012, has gathered momentum ever since and is now making a real name for itself.

“We’ve certainly seen a number of good preschool shows making it into production and hopefully with the new animation tax credit more great shows will make it to screen,” said Helen Howells, joint managing director of Hoho Entertainment.

“But the likelihood of those projects making it to retail are unfortunately relatively slim,” she continued. “Each year shelf space is being squeezed and retailers appear less inclined to take a risk on something new that doesn’t already come with

guaranteed heritage/success.”

Talking about what will be successful, Helen believes that: “classic brands, rebooted brands and those with proven success will remain at the forefront of preschool licensing for 2015. But let’s hope there is room for something new at least!”

▶ ONES TO WATCH

■ F ollowing from the tenth anniversary celebrations in 2014, Peppa Pig continues to expand its reach both globally and also in the UK, with a new dedicated bi-monthly publication from Redan Publishing.

■ J ulius Jr, the preschool series inspired by the Paul Frank brand, is now in its second season, with an interactive app, game and website, launched to support the new series.

■ F resh Ben and Holly marketing initiatives include continued TV promotions and a new website and app. A second wave toy launch will roll-out later this year.

■ N ew series Dora and Friends: Into the City is Nick Jr UK’s most successful launch show to date.

New characters and diverse accessories promise a wide range of product for 2015.

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

Left: The sky’s the limit for CBeebies’ preschool favourite Cloudbabies in 2015 with the launch of an adorable new toy line.

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PRESCHOOL LICENSING: 2015



Cloudbabies remains a top priority for Hoho Entertainment. After two years of consistent broadcasting on CBeebies, coupled with great ratings and an ever increasing following on iPlayer (13 million requests and counting) the company is about to launch a range of soft toys which caters for a younger audience of 12-18 months with master toy partner, IVS.

A BIG CHANGE

According to Rob Corney, managing director and founder of Bulldog Licensing, the biggest – and most significant – change in the preschool licensing world has been the purchase of HIT by Mattel.

“The preschool environment has always been a tough one for new properties,” he explained, “but for the world’s biggest toy company to own a raft of the UK’s biggest preschool brands presents a huge barrier to seeing new creative opportunities at retail.”

There has been a big trend in recent years for otherwise ‘adult’ properties to see traction in preschool with great lines such as Batman partnering with Baby Gap, and while Rob expects this trend to continue to grow, he also believes that retailers will only look to put established brands up against the likes of Thomas, Bob, etc.

Above: Little Baba’s With product Mr Bloom dress-up will help to drive the launching across preschool brand in toy, dress-up, a crowded market. publishing and apparel, alongside huge ratings success, CBeebie’s hit Mr Bloom’s Nursery can give buyers the confidence to list it alongside ‘core’ brands.

“Licensing offers retailers an opportunity to drive newness and interest on shelf which in turn results in increased footfall,” Rob continued.

“It is brands with the kind of metrics that Mr Bloom can boast which will help to open up these new avenues and we’re very excited for the property’s development through 2015.”

Inset: Kate & Mim-Mim had a strong launch on CBeebies in 2014.

SEEING RESULTS

While retailers are more risk-averse, the preschool landscape has become increasingly competitive, according to Pindy O’Brien, vp licensing and retail

▶

THOMAS TURNS 70

This year Thomas & Friends celebrates its 70th anniversary with an exciting programme of new content (a movie, tv series and two specials), website, mobile apps and consumer products, ensuring that the brand remains relevant and ontrend for another generation of fans.

HIT Entertainment and parent company Mattel have been working with over 45 UK licensees to ensure that Thomas resonates with today’s children, while protecting the brand’s heritage and values.

“We have a huge responsibility to ensure Thomas continues to last generations,” says Edward Catchpole, senior vice president of HIT Entertainment. “The values that Thomas & Friends has are as relevant today as they were yesterday and continue to be valued by children and parents, so we must keep him true to these.”

UK, FremantleMedia Kids and Family Entertainment. This has been primarily driven by the growing TV landscape but also from other platforms such as apps, the internet, gaming and books – and as a result there is less space to support new brands. “Retailers will give certain brands a trial, but to sustain their commitment, the results need to match that of evergreens,” Pindy explained.

“As brand owners we need to believe in the longevity of our IP and ensure that our properties are available on multiple platforms,” she continued.

“Working with retailers on promotions and other marketing activity is key to driving sales and sustaining shelf space.”

Pindy believes that strong themes will continue to entertain the nation’s preschoolers. “Any brands which reflect the real life of preschoolers have a strong formula for success,” she said.

Kate & Mim-Mim launched on CBeebies in August 2014 and the show has been an instant success with strong ratings. During 2015 Fremantle will be making an exciting master toy announcement and signing other core categories followed by secondary licensees both in the UK and other territories.

QUALITY IS KING

The preschool market has always been incredibly competitive, but Daryl Shute, brand director for Magic Light Pictures, believes that consumers now look for quality and innovation more than ever before.

“Consumers are looking for products that are unique and fun and last a little bit longer,” he said. “Cash is not so readily available, but with people investing in fewer products of higher  Left: The Gruffalo shows no signs of slowing down for 2015, with new licensees, partnerships and promotions.

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The Toy Fair

January 20th - 22nd 2015 Ben and Holly licensees exhibiting:

Stand E46

Stand B30

Stand 160

Stand E119

Stand E125

For Licensing Enquiries contact:

eonelicensing@entonegroup.com www.eonelicensing.com Š Astley Baker Davies Ltd/Entertainment One UK Ltd 2008.

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PRESCHOOL LICENSING: 2015

 quality it’s apparent that people shop in

different ways, across a wider selection of outlets.”

Daryl also believes that retailers are totally switched onto this and as a result are more considered with the licences they select. “Retailers are buying deeper in fewer categories and focusing their character offering,” he explained. “It’s a great strategy for us and is delivering excellent results.”

Classic, literary-based properties like The Gruffalo and Room On The Broom continue to hold significant shelf-space and this trend is on the increase as they offer assurances to both retailers and consumers.

Below: Twirlywoos is pure slapstick comedy with a focus on laugh-outloud child-centric humour.

Right: The Furchester Hotel sees a close-knit family of cheerfully incompetent monsters running an almost world-class hotel.

impact. “There is no substitute for experience and any link with previous success must be taken very seriously,” he said.

CPLG represents a wealth of new preschool properties for 2015, including Twirlywoos and The Furchester Hotel. Twirlywoos, the brand new preschool series from Anne Wood, creator of Teletubbies and In the Night Garden, will launch on CBeebies in the spring, with a TVadvertised master toy line from Golden Bear following later in the year.

Top-rating CBeebies show The Furchester Hotel is the first ever Sesame Street spin-off. This year will see a season two debut, a new master toy line from Hasbro launching in April, and a full category merchandise programme later in 2015.

▶

The last year has seen The Gruffalo celebrating a 15th anniversary, taking on a partnership with Forestry Commission England and launching the brand across digital platforms. And according to Daryl: “2015 will be even bigger, with amazing new licensees, exciting promotional partnerships, and more character carvings and woodland trail activities.”

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

The preschool licensing market might be in a state of flux, but Stephen Gould, managing director of CPLG UK, believes that the UK still leads the global landscape, although he describes it as a ‘cluttered arena with few new names breaking through’.

“For retail this presents a dilemma in choosing which brands to back and support becomes ever more complex,” he continued. “Pedigree and provenance usually win through at the end of the day.”

Stephen believes that the current trend for brand refurbishments is key, but that content appealing to the parent or guardian will also have a strong

A CBEEBIES YEAR

■ T he new 60-episode series of Teletubbies, commissioned by CBeebies, will feature the same wellloved characters with a refreshed, contemporary look. DHX Brands has appointed further UK licensees as it ramps up licensing activity.

■ N ew CBeebies show Hey Duggee is based around a playgroup. BBC Worldwide has announced Golden Bear as master toy partner, with Penguin Books also on board.

■ C Beebies has commissioned a third series of action adventure series Tree Fu Tom, from FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment preschool, for transmission in 2016.

■ T he modern version of The Clangers, which first aired on the BBC in 1969, is set to launch in the UK on CBeebies this spring.

Product will be on shelf

by Christmas.

NEED FOR VARIETY

The increased amount of competition and the changing landscape of licensing in general are the reasons that Gayle Tarrant, partner at Lisle International, believes there hasn’t been a real breakthrough brand for a number of years. “Retail shelves tend to be dominated by the same classic brands,” she said. “But even larger licensors can’t guarantee a new brand will be a success – the determining factors of what constitutes a ‘hit’ property have definitely changed.”

The good news is that with the right characters, good TV scheduling and other cross-platform support there are properties which are able to break through. “It’s good news for preschoolers as it offers them greater variety,” Gayle explained.

She also believes that a number of classic brands will re-emerge. “It will be interesting to see what prevails in the end,” she continued, “All sorts of things seem to capture the imagination of this age group – we would all love to predict what the next big thing will be!”

Lisle’s latest release Pip Ahoy! is currently airing on Milkshake! at the prime 7am timeslot and will also be showing on Cartoonito from February.

New master toy licensee John Adams will unveil its range at Toy Fair, and other partners are already on board.

Right: Pip Ahoy! follows the adventures of a puppy named Pip and his friend, a kitten named Alba, who live in Salty Cove.

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FACE TO FACE: VIV BIRD

The Power Of

STORIES

Reading charity Booktrust is best-known in the preschool world for Bookstart, the free book packs given to children at key stages of their development. Chief executive Viv Bird is stepping down in 2015 and so PPS took the opportunity to get her insight on the importance of early years reading.

A

s Britain’s largest reading charity, Booktrust has a clear vision – a society where nobody misses out on the life-changing benefits of reading.

Following a career in education and literacy, Viv Bird first became Booktrust chief executive in September 2007 and under her leadership, Booktrust has championed the message that reading to children from an early age can dramatically improve their lives.

The charity is responsible for a number of successful promotions and creative projects but it is Bookstart – a 22-year-old programme which has given over 10 Right: The baby Bookstart pack includes rhymes, board books and a guide to help get parents reading.

million children more than 35 million free books since it began – which is most relevant to the early years audience.

“We want to get everyone enjoying reading,” Viv told Progressive Preschool, “and, with Bookstart, we are giving children a love of reading from a very early age.”

Reading – and being read to – helps children understand the world around them and develop their language skills, Viv explained.

“It helps them to recall their own experiences and develop critical thinking, while storytelling, particularly the use of rhythm and sound, stimulates so many different things.

Right: Viv Bird was Booktrust’s chief executive from 2007 to 2015.

It’s such a valuable bonding and connecting opportunity.”

Such is the importance of reading and storytelling in those early years, that the charity has found that if children have other difficulties later in life it can often be because they didn’t make that initial connection. “Being read to helps them learn to listen and absorb information,” continued Viv. “It’s impossible to overstate how important it is to a child’s development.” 

▶ AN EARLY START

The best time to start sharing books with babies is from about five months old. “The earlier the better!,” Viv said. “Sadly, one-inthree children in the UK do not have books in the home and it’s not uncommon to find children starting reception class who don’t know how to use a book.”

PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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FACE TO FACE: VIV BIRD Left: Booktrust is working with Save the Children, the National Literacy Trust and other partners on the ‘Read On Get On’ campaign to get all children reading well by 2025.

Bookstart is the charity’s flagship programme. It gives free packs of books to babies and preschool children right across the UK, even including guidance for parents and carers to inspire them to read every day with their children. Booktrust works with publishing partners, local authorities, children’s centres, libraries, early years carers and schools to build on the programme’s success.

The Bookstart packs themselves contain a number of carefully chosen books, as Viv outlined. “Our book selection panel (a varied mix of librarians, parents, etc) use a set of criteria – which follow the highest industry standards – very closely in order to select the books we use. The books need to engage the child – they should be interested and asking questions, which in turn can lead to some really valuable conversations between parent and child. It’s all very carefully planned – we want to make sure that they want to return to the books again and again.”

The books in each pack contain lessons which are relevant to the age of the child concerned, ensuring there are relevant themes they can identify with and relate to. “We choose books which help encourage a child’s imagination but which also help parents to be silly and use their own imagination,” said Viv. “The books also need to appeal to all Right: The preschool pack offers a wide range of carefully chosen titles to appeal to children from all backgrounds and reading levels.

The publishers we “work with are incredibly generous in supplying us with the books that make up the packs.

Viv Bird, Booktrust

“



children, so the selection panel have to be aware of cultural needs.” For example, ensuring there is diverse imagery helps children with self-identification.

“The publishers we work with are incredibly generous in supplying us with the books that make up the packs,” Viv continued. “They are really on board with what we’re doing and go out of their way to create different versions of suitable books to make it a cost-effective exercise.

We are extremely grateful to them.”

The reason the Bookstart programme works so well is because it genuinely reaches almost every child in the UK and has been proven to change children’s lives. Responsibility for giving out the packs is shared through libraries, healthcare providers, childcare settings and children’s centres who all collaborate and work closely with each other.

“We have a partnership agreement with local authorities,” explained Viv, “which helps us secure such a wide distribution. Baby packs, which are shared in the child’s first year, reach around 98% of the population.

After that we estimate that 99% of all children get their preschool packs.”

Being able to secure such a significant level of support is vital to the success of the programme, but early trials showed results which made people sit up and pay attention from the very start.

“The University of Birmingham

▶ A HELPING HAND

Some children need extra support for lots of reasons. Bookstart Corner ensures that support goes to the whole family. “Parents with challenging circumstances often have less time to read,” explained Viv, “but it’s so valuable as it helps with securing strong family bonds and relationships.”

In a similar vein, Bookstart Shine has been created for children with different developmental needs – those with hearing or sight difficulties etc. “The tactile books are very helpful, and help parents realise children with different needs still benefit from storytelling,” said Viv. “No child should miss out!”

released a study which showed that Bookstart Babies are more developed – both emotionally and educationally – than those children who are not exposed to the scheme,” said Viv. “We have also found that when parents read to their children every day, they are 12 months more advanced when they start school. Their vocabularies are different as well – much wider. That’s why the scheme is so important!”

It’s this sort of solid evidence which meant that Booktrust was able to get libraries and local authorities involved (each manages the delivery in their area) and secure Government funding. The Bookstart programme has been replicated internationally in over 24 countries across the world including China, Korea, Germany, USA, and Australia.

However, Booktrust understands that it’s not as simple as getting the books out into the community. There are significant challenges facing many families and so the charity also works with parents to improve their storytelling confidence and ability, ensuring they are able to have a positive impact on their children’s lives and opportunities.

“We give the parents advice and help as well,” Viv explained. “Often they’re not confident in their storytelling abilities and so we try to make it as inclusive and easy for them as possible.”

By highlighting the message that books give children the power to imagine and skills to transform their lives, Viv has ensured that, while she may be stepping down, Booktrust is more than able to meet the challenges ahead. “It’s a simple message really,” she concluded.

“Never forget the power of stories.”

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LINDSAY LOGS IN LINDSAY RANDALL

WASTE LOTS. WANT NOT. With three children, all born within the four weeks leading up to Christmas, Lindsay increasingly finds herself the subject of interrogation by assorted flustered family members who just want to be emailed a link to the perfect present on Amazon. year, the task of present idea generation “fallsEachat the (weary) feet of Yours Truly. This

year I have really struggled, because more than ever before I am looking around the house and noticing the amount we already have.

I am forever tripping over VTech products making Dalek noises or a Hello Kitty keyboard playing woefully out of tune, and Iggle Piggle (who has been under the bath for the last few weeks) occasionally bursts into spontaneous song as another last bit of battery juice trickles out – quite the unwelcome surprise during a 3am wee. And of course there’s the multitude of plastic toys needing new batteries because finding the time or inclination to locate a tiny screwdriver and fiddle about with a plastic flap rarely reaches the top of any parent’s ‘to do’ list.

The fact is, like many fortunate offspring in today’s consumer culture, my children don’t want for very much, so trying to make up ideas for the sake of it feels shamefully First Worldly.

And frankly, if I am expecting elderly aunties to part with their pennies, I’d like them to feel some semblance of return on investment.

The baby of the bunch Below: Finding turned one just the real spirit of two weeks before Christmas.

Christmas, and as we already had all the baby toys we could shake a rattle at from when the others where young, I was really stumped

and turned to The Husband for inspiration.

‘I can’t think of anything to get her; what does she need?’ I asked. ‘Representation’ came the reply as he walked out the door. He was right. We have a house full of pairs; because for the last four years we have been a family of pairs. So, there are two beautiful hooks from Cox and Cox where the children hang their coats, two fabulous Hot Hen egg cups by Martin Gulliver, two Pearhead photo frames charting their first 12 months in chubby cheeked glory. And so it goes on.

Yes the youngest has plenty of hand-me-down Boden applique and Fisher-Price from the other two, but she doesn’t really have her stamp on the house. I realised that actually while she wanted for nothing, there was stuff she needed to be part of the family.

As an aside – retailers if you’re listening – this could make a great campaign for parents with multiple children.

Above: You’re getting us Because these are MORE toys?! the things we often forget to do – and then feel guilty about. And guilt makes mummies spend money. Big time! So, rather than trying to sell us the latest 12-18 month activity centre, ask us if we remembered to buy the baby book, the beautiful keepsake box, the satin pouches for their first tooth and first curl. Because the chances are, we won’t have done and catching us at the right time could result in a lot of teary ‘adding to basket’.

As I set about correcting my house of pairs, and finding the time to adjust the balance, it got me thinking again about how Christmas and birthdays shouldn’t always be about the toys children want, but more about the bigger picture and the meaningful stuff.

I thought perhaps I had successfully imparted some of this wider appreciation when I overheard them discussing their faith on Christmas Eve (they are both, apparently, Christian. The Husband and I are not). Until my four-year-old added, “Did you know God invented the internet?

He just flew around the world and saw lots of cool stuff to put on Amazon”. To which my seven year old replied, “Don’t be silly, God can’t fly.

He’s made of Lego”.

I may have some way to go.

PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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TAKE THREE: PRESCHOOL PROGRAMMES Below: Jennifer Kotler Clarke, vice president of research and evaluation at Sesame Workshop.

Watch and

learn

W

The educational benefits of children’s television programmes have always been under scrutiny, from the time Bill and Ben uttered their first ‘words’ of Oddle Poddle on screen. PPS takes a look at three very different preschool programmes to find out more.

P

“

arenting can be they learn is critical.”

I have never seen children’s a competitive Sesame Street refers to television being made before and a ‘whole child curriculum’ vocation at the what struck me was the attention which helps children grow best of times, but that really comes into its smarter and stronger in to detail and the great respect own where television is both mind and body. for the young audience.

I would concerned. Babies love the Research is also essential often hear someone ask, “What flashing lights, toddlers love to the way Sesame would the children think of the bright colours and funny Workshop operates. “It is noises and preschoolers where everything begins that?” or “Will three-year-olds find this funny? enjoy the stories, characters and is a fundamental Professor Cathy Nutbrown, School of and familiarity. So far so part of our process,” said Education, University of Sheffield good – but the notion that Jennifer. “It helps shape our television is inherently content and then evaluate bad is hard to shake, often the effects – both kinds are critical.” season, Sesame Street – and Sesame leaving parents feeling guilty for caving An example of this is the ‘Lessons Workshop, the non-profit educational in to the cries of “More Peppa!” from Cookie Monster’ study, to see if organisation behind the show – has paved Most parents do, as a result, limit children exposed to certain content the way for much of the educational preschoolers’ time in front of the box. behave differently. “We found that there programming we see on television today.

But preschool programming, aimed were positive effects, particularly in As the vice president of mainly at under-sixes, has undergone the area of delayed gratification,” said research and evaluation something of a revolution of late. There Jennifer. “Children who watched at Sesame Workshop, are plenty of programmes which, as just one clip (of Cookie Monster Jennifer Kotler Clarke well as being great fun, also help little learning to wait) delayed their develops studies ones learn; on a social, emotional, own gratification by almost four which are used to developmental and even physical level. minutes. That is a tremendous create educational Of course, there have always amount of time and relevant programming. “Children been preschool shows which aim to for all sorts of situations.” are born ready to learn,” inspire – such as iconic American show So the research proved not only that said Jennifer, “but Sesame Street. Celebrating its 45th children learn through watching how and what television, but also that Right: Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Abby they learn surprisingly Cadabby and Big Bird visit Central Park as part quickly. “One of the of Sesame Street’s milestone 45th season.

“

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TAKE THREE: PRESCHOOL PROGRAMMES Far left: On-set ‘chaos’ as the mayhem of Sooty is combined with early learning goals. Left: In addition to the two DVDs (ABC and 123) additional Sooty learning materials will build on the programme content.



great things about Sesame Street is our characters like Elmo and Big Bird are a lot like our audience – they are exploring their world and learning new things all the time,” said Jennifer.

“We are extremely fortunate to have characters who lend themselves so well to helping children develop new skills.”

The importance of engaging characters cannot be underestimated in educational preschool programming, so well-

preschooler, regardless of age and personal development. “For the very young audience simple processes like sequencing and repetition are considered key,” pointed out Jo, “while a child about to begin its school life benefits from number ordering and visualisation as well as the phonetic structure of the alphabet.”

To achieve this, it was important that the production team were all on the same page. “We recognised the importance of balancing Sooty’s integrity and brilliant slapstick humour with the educational content required to maximise the learning journey,” explained Jo. The resulting DVDs focus on two

In essence this property is a gift to the educationally “minded.

The three main characters are at totally different developmental levels and showing them working and learning together eliminates the risk of talking either up to or down to children.

established names such as The Sooty Show – the longest running children’s television show in UK history – are a great help. Redan Alchemy is bringing Sooty into the educational field via a series of bespoke DVD specials that support the early learning curriculum.

Set for release in February 2015, the project has been overseen by Jo Pullen, the educational specialist who had the tricky task of working with Richard Cadell (who has owned Sooty since 1999) to keep the music, magic and mayhem of Sooty while ensuring the show meets National Curriculum early learning goals.

“Children develop very quickly during their early years and wellproduced preschool programming can offer an unrivalled source of developmental stimuli,’ said Jo, who has extensive experience in educational preschool programming.

“This is particularly true where the programmes offer the opportunity for child and parent interaction.”

The team wanted to make shows that had something to offer every

“

Jo Pullen, educational specialist

educational disciplines; the alphabet and numbers one to ten. “I really hope we’ve created two programmes that will engage young minds and also help parents develop an understanding of the early fundamentals of literacy and numeracy,”

said Jo. “But the most important thing is that children enjoy the programme and want to return to it again and again!”

Knowing instinctively what children enjoy is something of a speciality for Anne Wood, founder and creative director of Ragdoll Productions. After over 35 years in children’s programming, Anne’s previous successes speak for themselves (Teletubbies, In The Night Garden, Abney and Teal) and her newest show, Twirlywoos, is the first of Anne’s programmes to be developed with the educational benefits in mind from the very beginning.

“We’ve always encouraged communication and interaction from the children,” Anne explained, “but it was sometimes hard for adults to understand. By working with an early years expert from the start we have been able to make sure the educational aspect is a key factor in the show’s appeal.”

Working closely with Sheffield University’s Professor Cathy Nutbrown (who specialises in early childhood education) has ensured that each episode includes relevant learning material while remaining strong, instinctual and child-focused.

“Anne read some of my work and felt that it fitted with her plans for the programmes,” said Cathy, who believes that the first five years are crucial for children’s all-round development. “My job was to advise on elements of the programme that would support young children’s learning,” she continued.

The learning and developmental concepts relied on the fact that young children pay attention to particular patterns or themes. “For example,” Cathy outlined, “they may be particularly interested in things that go round or putting things inside other things. If the educational content underpinning the show is meaningful then children will relate to what they see.”

Recent years have seen huge leaps taking place in children’s entertainment, both in terms of quality and educational benefits to the audience. It’s clear that modern parents have nothing to fear here.

Above right: Educational specialist Jo Pullen with Sooty and his owner, Richard Cadell. Right: Twirlywoos will launch on CBeebies this spring.

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TOY TOYFAIR, FAIR,Olympia OlympiaGrand, Grand,London, London, 20th January TOY-FAIR, Olympia Grand, 20th -22nd 22nd January2015 2015- STAND - London, STANDB100 B100

20th January 2015 - STAND B100 TOY FAIR,- 22nd Olympia Grand, London, SPRING FAIR, NEC SPRING FAIR, NECBirmingham, Birmingham, 20th 22nd January 2015 STAND B100 1st - -5th 2015 - STAND 1st 5thFebruary February - STAND3J05 3J05 SPRING FAIR, NEC2015 Birmingham, 1st - 5th February 2015 - STAND 3J05 SPRING FAIR, NEC Birmingham, SPIELWARENMESSE, Nuremburg SPIELWARENMESSE, Nuremburg - 2nd February 2015 - STAND H3/B-48 1st28th - 5thJanuary February 2015 - STAND 3J05 28th January - 2nd February 2015 - STAND H3/B-48 SPIELWARENMESSE, Nuremburg 28th January - 2nd February 2015 - STAND H3/B-48 SPIELWARENMESSE, Nuremburg 28th January - 2nd February 2015 - STAND H3/B-48

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SPRING FAIR 2015

Inset: Busy aisles at Spring Fair.

First Steps INTO SPRING COUNTDOWN CALENDARS WOW Toys will be launching four brand new toys for spring/ summer and showcasing new toys for autumn/winter.

W

“

e will be exhibiting in Hall 3, stand K19, where visitors to the WOW stand will be given demonstrations on new toys launches and be invited to see the in-store promotions planned for 2015, which also include branded and highly visible ready to roll out shop-fits,” confirms WOW Toys’ PR manager Tanya Laperouse.

Spring/summer 2015 sees a brand new category launch of toy filled ‘Countdown Calendars’ which has been a natural extension for the brand. The launch takes off with four themed products: Holiday Countdown, Birthday Countdown, Special Day Countdown and Preschool Countdown.

Tanya explains: The toy-filled calendars have been designed to create excitement and learning experiences for young children and

From February 1-5, Spring Fair will be home to 3,000 British and international suppliers, 400 of them new to the show in 2015, providing the ideal launch platform for more than 300,000 new products across 14 different market sectors to include children’s gifts, toys and gadgets.

As the excitement builds, PPS peeked into Hall 3 where over 170 companies will be exhibiting - to take a look at what’s going to be new and exciting in the preschool market place for spring/summer.

offer something new for both the trade and consumers. They are the only Countdown calendars available for the under-five’s and are an all year round sales opportunity.”

She says that all four skus (Holiday, Birthday, Special Day and Preschool) have unique, super cute features that offer enduring play, with each calendar including an innovative packaging builtin play slide and ten toys to collect in ten days that end the ‘countdown’ with a complete and themed WOW play-set.

“We continue to strive to design and manufacture safe, highly durable and battery-free toys for the underfives,” underlines Tanya. “Lasting play value is of the utmost importance to us, so when we design our toys, they have exciting functions and features built into them. Our core range covers classic and popular themed vehicles, play sets, play mats, activity play tables and the new and successful 2014 launch of WOW Advent calendars.”  Right: A preschooler with WOW’s exciting new Countdown Birthday calendar.

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See us at...

Stand H39

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Drop by to see our fantastic new rail sets, games and much much more.

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SPRING FAIR 2015



WOODEN TOYS In early 2014, Mapa Spontex moved into a new product category with the launch of the Boikido wooden toy range.

“

MARKET PRESENCE

Spring Fair 2015 is the largest show Green Owl Toys has ever exhibited at.

“

W

e decided to go the extra mile because we have a few things on the horizon and would like to let people know we are increasing in size and market presence,” explains Izabela Hailey, founder and director of Green Owl Toys.

“We are the UK’s nominated agent for Bajo toys which is now moving its attention to the UK following the substantial increase in interest we are

receiving.

Alongside Bajo, we are also launching a Green Owl

W

e recognise that Spring Fair creates a great opportunity for us to directly engage with the key buyers that we need to influence within the toy industry,” comments Chris Clarke, marketing manager for babycare and healthcare.

“Boikido is still a fairly new brand in the UK, despite being sold in 20 countries worldwide, and Spring Fair is a great platform for us to be able to showcase the entire range, which spans a number of different sub categories within the wooden toys sector, including musical, activity, cubes, puzzles and role play.”

Chris says that all Boikido wooden toys have the common theme of encouraging learning through play. In addition to Boikido, sister brand NUK, which markets a range of baby feeding products and accessories, will also have a presence on the company’s stand, H25 (Hall 3).

Toys line, a range of wooden swords and shields with some out-of-this world graphics on the wooden shields and intricate wooden sword designs. All our toys are made in Europe ensuring increased quality while decreasing lead time.”

The company will be exhibiting in Hall 3 on stand H07 with a new style of showcasing to display Green Owl Toys, Gruffalo’s and Bajo’s new products. “This is the biggest showcase of all our new products and designs unseen by the English market yet,” emphasises Izabela.

Left: Green Owl Toys’ Legendary Combat sword and shield. Above: Among the new wooden toys from Bajo.

THEMED RANGES

The team at Lanka Kade are among those anticipating a busy show.

N

ew for Spring Fair are three themed ranges for London Zoo and Cathedral shops which will be showcased in Hall 3, stand P41.

“In addition, the company has undergone a complete

rebranding during 2014 with a new logo, new packaging across the range and a new B2B website launch featuring products and information to support our trade customers,” said Lanka Kade’s sales and marketing assistant Joe Felton.

“The new packaging is receiving a lot of praise,” he confirms.

Below: Lanka Kade’s nativity building blocks.

Top: Boikido Blocks.

Above: Boikido’s Twist Caterpillar.

 PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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SPRING FAIR 2015 SPRING FAIR 2015 SPRING FAIR 2015 SPRING FAIR 2015 SPRING FAIR 2015

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Phil White - Country Manager UK & Eire Kevin Hanlon - Sales Manager South Ann Peppiatt - Sales Manager North phil@wildrepublic.dk kevin@wildrepublic.dk ann@wildrepublic.dk We look forward to seeing you on our Wild Republic Stand!

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Whitelook - Country Manager UK &seeing Eire - Accounts Kevin Hanlon - Sales Manager Ann Peppiatt - Sales Manager North Bhumika Dalvi Manager Lotte Barnes - Customer Service Mobile: 07403 -104018 Phone: (0)845 271 32 35South bhumika@wildrepublic.dk lotte@wildrepublic.dk phil@wildrepublic.dk kevin@wildrepublic.dk ann@wildrepublic.dk Bhumika Dalvi - Accounts Manager Lotte Barnes - Customer Service phil@wildrepublic.dk kevin@wildrepublic.dk ann@wildrepublic.dk Phil White Country Manager UK & Eire Kevin Hanlon Sales Manager South Ann Peppiatt Sales Manager North bhumika@wildrepublic.dk lotte@wildrepublic.dk bhumika@wildrepublic.dk lotte@wildrepublic.dk www.facebook.com/WildRepublicUK Mobile: 07403 -104018 Phone:07793(0)845 271 32 35 Mobile: 07979-501953 Mobile: 07940513608 Mobile: 198614 twitter.com/wildrepublicuk Mobile: 07979-501953 Mobile: 07940513608 Mobile: 07793- 198614 Mobile: 07403 -104018 Phone: (0)845 271 32 35 phil@wildrepublic.dk kevin@wildrepublic.dk ann@wildrepublic.dk Mobile: 07403 -104018 Phone: (0)845 271 32 35 Mobile: 07979-501953 Mobile: 07940- 513608 Mobile: 07793- 198614

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twitter.com/wildrepublicuk Phil White - Country Manager UK & Eire Kevin Hanlon - Sales Manager South Ann Peppiatt - Sales Manager North twitter.com Phil White - Country Manager UK & Eire KevinWild Hanlon - Sales Manager House South-16 PepperAnn Peppiatt -E14 Sales Manager North Republic APS-Davenport Street-London, 9RP-info@wildrepublic.dk-Phone: +44 (0)845 271 32 phil@wildrepublic.dk kevin@wildrepublic.dk ann@wildrepublic.dk Bhumika Dalvi - Accountskevin@wildrepublic.dk Manager Lotte Barnes - Customer9RP-info@wildrepublic.dk-Phone: Service ann@wildrepublic.dk twitter.com Bhumika Dalvi - Accounts Manager Lotte Barnes - Customer Service Wild Republic APS-Davenport House -16 Pepper Street-London, +44 (0)845 271 32 35-Fax: +44 (0)845 271 32 36 phil@wildrepublic.dk Dalvi - Accounts Manager Lotte BarnesE14 - Customer Service Mobile: 07979-501953 Mobile: 07940- 513608 Bhumika Mobile: 07793198614 bhumika@wildrepublic.dk lotte@wildrepublic.dk www.facebook.com/WildRepublicUK bhumika@wildrepublic.dk lotte@wildrepublic.dk Mobile: www.facebook.com/WildRepublicUK bhumika@wildrepublic.dk lotte@wildrepublic.dk www.facebook.com/WildRepublicUK Wild07940Republic APS-Davenport House -16 Pepper Street-London, E14 9RP-info@wildrepublic.dk-Phone: +44 (0)845 271 32 35-Fax: +44 (0)845 271 32 36 Mobile: 07979-501953 Mobile: 513608 07793198614 Mobile: 07403 -104018 Phone: (0)845 271(0)845 32 35271 32 35 Mobile: 07403 -104018 Phone:

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Educational Learning Mats are an attractive new learning resource for children and cover those tricky basics taught at school. Each mat is beautifully illustrated with the information on one side, and when the child is ready, they flip the mat over, pick up a pen and practise what they’ve learnt. Prices from £3.99.

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The Mill House, Calstone Wellington, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 8QF UK 07785- 990759 www.educationallearningmats.co.uk Email: lucy@elmats.co.uk Contact: Lucy Moore

19/12/2014 12:44 06/01/2015 16:13

SPRING FAIR 2015



Spring Fair: The Lowdown ■ Children’s Gifts, Toys & Gadgets will be showcased in Hall 3 at Spring Fair which takes place from February 1 – 5 at The NEC, Birmingham.

■ It is estimated that there will be 170 exhibitors, including 60 companies that are brand new to the show in 2015, and 20 international brands such as Posh Paws, Tinytodds, Berg Toys, Palgrave, Marshall Group and Bandai UK. ■ Categories include traditional toys, pocket money gifts, plush, games and puzzles, boys gadgets, crafting materials, educational toys and other children’s gifts.

■ Leading British and international suppliers exhibiting in this area include: Grossman (H), Kandy Toys, Tobar Group Trading, Aurora World, Scream Wholesale, Ravensden, HTI (Hallsall Toys Europe), Marshall Group, Kayes of Cardiff, Wilton Bradley, House of Marbles, Paul Lammond Games, Ty UK, Keycraft, Marbel, Dowman Imports, Gibsons, Millars Ark Toys, Funrise International and Cheatwell Games.

Visit; www.springfair.com NEW STYLES

Natures Purest is returning to Spring Fair 2015 after a two-year break and will be launching the new My First Friend range.

“T

his is an exciting development and new direction for Natures Purest,” explains UK sales manager Charlotte Double. “We’ve got an amazing collection and can’t wait to showcase it to the nursery industry!”

She says the range still uses the recognised naturally coloured cotton, but grey and burnt orange have been added as bright highlights in the new elephant print. “The elephant was chosen as the inspiration for this range in celebration of our decision to move production of all products to Sri Lanka two years ago,” comments Charlotte.

She says that this is a true collection of ‘firsts’ for Natures Purest as there are a number of new styles that have not featured in previous ranges, such as the 100% natural rubber teething toy, a 1 tog sleeping bag and oversized muslin swaddles, with more to be discovered at the show in Hall 6, stand K04.

ON TREND

Intelex Group, currently celebrating its 20th year, will be showcasing around 20 totally new on-trend designs at Spring Fair in Hall 5, stand G10-H11.

T

he new designs will be sold under the new branding of Warmies and will be supported by newly designed floor and counter display units. “The Warmies brand is being rolled out in 2015 and will be applied to all new and existing heatable ranges including Warmhearts, Socky Dolls and Cozy Plush,” confirms Philip Gannon, founder and ceo of Intelex Group.

Attractive new packaging features a holographic security feature to freshen up the look of the older ranges.

Above: Warmies from Intelex.

Right: Natures Purest.

NEW DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIPS

Tobar will be among the companies unveiling hundreds of new products at Spring Fair.

“T

here are some incredible lines that are bound to be great for sales,” says ceo David Mordecai. He highlights that the Tobar team has managed to secure some exciting

new distribution partnerships, in addition to its existing lines, which include: Maisto, Edible Sweet Art, Syma, Zuru, 50Fifty and Bburago. New partners include USA brand Schylling, famous for classic tin toys, stationery brand Scentos and outdoor brand Turbospoke. Also unveiling exciting new lines will be Zuru and Bburago.

Tobar has also added new lines to its own brand collection of classic pocket money gifts with an RRP of £5 or less, with everything on display in Hall 3 on stand K20-L21.

Left and above: Hundreds of new products from Tobar will be unveiled at Spring Fair.

PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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f ir tr de toys & gifts

play create explore education through imagination

Visit us at:

Spring Fair (NEC) 3 P41 Toy Fair (London) F1 Spielwarenmesse H3 F-05

www.lankakade.co.uk 01858 463850 info@lankakade.co.uk Proud to be a member of BAFTS

Lanka Kade refuses to trade with 3rd party retailers on Amazon and eBay

www.kidkraft.com europsales@kidkraft.com

080_PPS_JANUARY 2015.indd 1

London Toy Fair 20-22 January – Stand E79 Toy Fair Nuremberg – 28 January – 2 February Hall 3, A24

28/12/2014 19:59

WHAT’S NEW

Spring Fair – 1-5 February 2015

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1/ ENESCO

The much-loved Peter Rabbit plush collection from GUND has been expanded, with the introduction of Squirrel Nutkin holding an acorn. Also new, standing at 90cm tall is an oversized Peter Rabbit, which is destined to make a statement in any nursery, In addition is an interactive Peter Rabbit Peek-A-Boo, who will play with baby on the touch of his footpad.

Hall 5 Stand E04/FO3 & F04/GO3 01228 404022 www.enesco.co.uk

2/ NATURES PUREST Inspired by their Sri Lankan home, Natures Purest is launching a My First Friend range, all featuring a delightful new elephant print which uses the company’s recognised naturally coloured cotton with accents of grey and burnt orange. The range comprises toys, apparel,

muslin swaddles, sleeping bag and a towelling robe up to age three.

Hall 6 Stand K04 0116 279 2901 www.naturespurest.co.uk

3/ INTELEX GROUP

Heatable soft toy inventors Intelex Group has been warming the nation since 1995 with its best-selling favourites like Warmhearts, Cozy Plus and Hooty.

Starting another strong year of innovation Intelex is launching over 20 fresh and on-trend new product ranges.

Hall 5 Stand G10-H11 01933 679 777 www.intelex.co.uk

4/ POWELL CRAFT

Well known for its nostalgic children’s wear, rag dolls, nursery accessories, and new baby gifts, Powell Craft is adding new design themes to its product portfolio. Joining

the line-up are products on such as ponies, jungle, woodland, weather, robot and nautical.

Hall 6 Stand GO1 01273 622023 www.powellcraft.co.uk

5/ TINYTODDS

Dutch soft toy brand Happy Horse will be showcased at the Fair by UK and Ireland distributor TinyTodds.

Previously distributed

by Mumbo Jumbo Toys, this brand now joins the latest products from Teddykompaniet and Oskar & Ellen in TinyTodds’ range of complementary children’s toys.

Hall 3 Stand K22 - L23 020 7000 1988 www.tinytodds.com

6/ LITTLE FINGY

Building on its reputation for products incorporating hand-knitted finger puppets, Little Fingy is introducing

5

Puppet Pencils, which feature a finger puppet atop an ecofriendly pencil. High quality wooden display boxes are available FOC. The company supports a variety of charities and good causes through the sale of its products.

Hall 4 Stand J20 0113 2047644 www.littlefingy.com

7/ AWARD PUBLICATIONS

Loved for their simplicity, humour and bright, bold colours, the Little Goose board books are the latest hit titles from Award Publications, enjoying strong worldwide sales in over 30 countries. Soft feel padded covers and quality materials ensure long lasting appeal and maximum enjoyment, learning and play value.

Hall 3 Stand N18-P19 01909 478 170 www.awardpublications. co.uk PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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Stand: Hall 3 Stand K22 - L23

Order a catalogue for free: tel. 0049-4221-97302 69

Anzeige Progressive Preschool_wide_range.indd 1 082_PPS_JANUARY 2015.indd 1

Telephone: 020 7000 1988 www.tinytodds.com

10.12.2014 10:25:26

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WHAT’S NEW

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Spring Fair – 1-5 February 2015

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8/ LANKA KADE

Unleashing a child’s imagination, beautiful new wooden building blocks from Lanka Kade are hand-painted in a zoo theme.

Exclusively designed to inspire open-ended learning, the child is, in effect, the zoo keeper and can determine how the park is constructed.

Hall 3 Stand P41 01858 463850 www.lankakade.co.uk

9/ AXISKI

The brand new all year skiboard from Axiski allows you to stand up, sit down, lie down or share it. Axiski is very versatile, and a whole lot of fun! It works on wet and frosty grass, sand dunes and, of course, all types of snow.

Hall 3 Stand M50 07519 659960 / 07794 378207 www.axiski.com

10/ CLOCKWORK SOLDIER

With the Design Your Own Superhero Comic Book from

Clockwork Soldier, a child’s imaginative characters are brought to life! Separated into easy-to-follow sections, this innovative product enables them to learn everything from crafting a hero’s iconic emblem and background story, to laying out comic strips, storyboarding as well as basic sketch and inking techniques.

Hall 3 Stand M24 0844 482 1775 www. clockworksoldiershop.co.uk

11/ LESSER & PAVEY

Designed in the UK by Jennifer Rose, the Little Bear Hugs collection, available exclusively from Lesser & Pavey, includes 1st tooth and 1st curl trinkets, birth and christening certificate holders, egg cup, plate and spoon set, feeding set, money box and a handled mug.

Fine china with beautiful illustrations of Bear, each item has complementary gift packaging. Also

9

available is a wall clock, gift bags in two sizes, storage boxes and cases.

Hall 5 Stand C04-D03 01322 279225 www.leonardo.co.uk

12/ ENESCO

New updated ultra-soft playsets from Baby GUND stimulate imaginative play from birth.

Accessories crinkle, rattle, squeak or play a sound and all fit inside a colourful carrying case. Each element of the themed playsets has been carefully chosen to encourage sensory, cognitive and early motor skill development.

The updated playsets include refreshed colours and larger sizes, making them easier for little hands to use.

Hall 5 Stand E04/FO3 & F04/GO3 01228 404022 www.enesco.co.uk

13/ ENESCO

Dubbed by social media as the World’s Cutest Dog, Boo continues to be an

outstandingly ‘hot’ trend. The Itty Bitty Boo soft toy collection from GUND depicts the precious Pomeranian with the puppy haircut in his favourite adorable outfits. Four new Itty Bitty Boos are to join the range this year. Latest figures show that Boo now has over 16 million fans on Facebook.

Hall 5 Stand E04/FO3 & F04/GO3 01228 404022 www.enesco.co.uk

14/ PLUSHIEMORPHS Soft, huggable and transformable, the Hero Pets introduce a new way to play with plush. Lovingly designed in the UK and carrying a 0+ EN71 certification, Hero Pets can help develop dexterity, coordination and imagination in children of all ages, from preschool upwards, using staged levels of transforming complexity.

Hall 3 Stand N43 O7925 856404 www.plushiemorphs.com

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The award-winning little green tractor, Tractor Ted, teaches and entertains young children from two to six years old about farming and the countryside through books, DVDs, toys, clothes and live events. Lots of exciting new products, point of sale features and live events will be launched at the Fair.

Hall 3 Stand Q20 01373 834500 www.tractorted.co.uk Among many new lines from Fiesta Crafts is a brand new Pinocchio puppet set added to its already extensive collection. This is the perfect way for children to tell and act out their favourite stories. Reflective of the key characters in one of our most treasured children’s stories, the large Pinocchio hand puppet is supported by a series of embroidered fabric finger puppets to make the re-telling of this classic fun and fully interactive.

Hall 3 Stand J18 020 8804 0563 www.fiestacrafts.co.uk

Children’s costumes for imaginative play from Pretend To Bee are dedicated to preschool learning. Whilst remaining fun, the costumes inspire role play from the age of just six months. New ranges include doctors and nurses, pirates and princesses, and super-soft plush all-in-one suits.

Hall 3 Stand P48 0115 921 5690 www.PretendToBee.com

As always, there’ll be a raft of new costume ranges being showcased by Rubie’s at the Fair. This year’s highlight will be new additions to the hugely successful Disney Princess and Frozen range of dresses, with new looks ahead of the forthcoming Disney short, Frozen Fever and the Cinderella live action movie set for release in the spring.

Hall 3 Stand RO4 01491 826500 www.rubiesuk.com

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Reinforcing good old fashioned play time is this gorgeous range of wooden swords and shields from Green Owl Toys. The company supplies independents as well as some of the UK’s most prestigious retailers, sourcing unique, European-made toys, that focus on natural and sustainable materials.

Hall 3 Stand H07 020 8851 9904 www.Greenowltoys4Trade. com

20/ TYRRELL KATZ

Distinctive illustrations on a brilliant range of kids accessories are offered by Tyrrell Katz. New for 2015 is the fantastic Cars design. Its toddler range has expanded to include tritan beakers, training cups and cutlery sets.

Hall 6 Stand N19 020 7613 4616 www.tyrrellkatz.co.uk

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21/ A.M. INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES

Cliponella is one of a new collection of practical clip-on Selecta wooden toys. This innovative and versatile toy has a back clip that can be attached to fabric and is flat so it’s great for clothes, slings and baby carriers. Colourful wooden beads and bells dangle merrily next to a stimulating grasping ring which keeps youngsters occupied on the move. This is just part of the new 2015 range made in Germany of FSC-accredited wood.

Hall 3 Stand L49 01246 269723 www. aminternationalagencies. com

22/ SCOOTAHEADZ

Finalists in the Progressive Preschool Awards, this range of five funky pony and dinosaur scooter buddies from Scootaheadz bring a child’s

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ride to life. The waterproof, solid characters attach to a scooter’s T-bar.

Hall 3 Stand H15 07971 789767 www.scootaheadz.com

23/ BOUNCE MARKETING

Old Barn Books is a new name in children’s publishing, launching with titles from David Ellwand, the awardwinning photographer. The Bluebell Bears will charm toddlers and grown-ups alike, as they count the teddies from one to ten through the bluebell woods.

Hall 3 Stand E10 020 7138 3650 www.bouncemarketing. co.uk/publishers/old-barnbooks

24/ EDUCATIONAL LEARNING MATS An attractive new learning resource for children, Educational Learning Mats cover those tricky basics

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taught at school. Each mat is beautifully illustrated with the information on one side, and when the child is ready, they flip the mat over, pick up a pen and practise what they’ve learnt.

A spontaneous buy for parents and grandparents!

Hall 3 Stand B16 07785- 990759 www. educationallearningmats. co.uk

25/ WILD REPUBLIC

The extended range of Natural History Museum licensed products will be launched alongside the popular plush and toy range from Wild Republic. Nearly 2000 different products for all age ranges!

Hall 3 Stand K40/L41 08452 713 235 www.wild-republic.co.uk

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Come and meet us...

Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies/Enter tainment One UK Limite

d 2003.

Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies/Enter tainment One UK Limited 2 003.

20th-22nd January 2015 1st-5th February 2015 Olympia Kensington NEC Brimingham Stand B75 Hall 3 Stand R20-S21 & S20-T21

TEL: +44 (0)1908 288 500 E-MAIL: sales@amscan-uk.co.uk WEB: www.amscan.co.uk ©Amscan 2015, ©Anagram 2015 All rights reserved

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26/ MARRESA

Offering toys and gifts with style, imagination and distinction; two new designs across the Bobble Art range of bags, gifts, stationery and accessories are to be launched

by Marresa. They will also be exhibiting three new play tents and the 2015 Franck & Fischer Collection which will be seen for the first time.

Hall 3 Stand N29 01332 987097 www.marresa.co.uk

27/ COILEDSPRING GAMES

Joining the award-winning Sorgenfresser Worry Eaters is a brand new character – Wanda. Literally German for ‘Worry Eater’ children (or adults!) write or draw their worries and carefully zip them away in Sorgenfresser’s mouth. The supersoft plush are supported by TV and radio advertising this year.

Hall 3 Stand P02 020 3301 1160 www.coiledspring.co.uk

28/ ACKERMAN INTERNATIONAL

Ackerman are the exclusive distributor for the The Irish Fairy Door Company who help Fairies relocate into homes and gardens all over the world by producing high quality handmade Fairy Doors. The aim is to create memorable moments and a little magic all year round.

All you have to do is chose a name, leave out a key and lease agreement and believe.

Hall 5 Stand B48 01279 408208 www. ackermaninternational. co.uk

29/ LITTLE TIMBERS Hand-made wooden clocks from Little Timbers include a range of over 60 designs.

With a selection of childthemes, many also suitable for adults, there’s something for everyone. The silent systems with easy numerical clock dials make these ideal for a child’s bedroom. These

unique clocks will brighten any room.

Hall 3 Stand G10 01234 589383 www.littletimbers-clocks. co.uk

30/ MARY MEYER

Making soft toys and baby accessories for over 82 years in the US, Mary Meyer design beautiful, safe, educational toys and companions, from the best materials and finest designs.

Soft toy collections feature Baby and Taggies; where the Taggies Signature Collection is a premium range of ultra soft fabrics, whimsical appliques and colourful embroidery. In soft toys, choose from fabulous characters and fabrics, from the colourful Print Pizzazz through to the tactile Fab Fuzz and the ultra soft Marshmallow Zoo ranges. The baby collection includes gorgeous blankets, rattles and soft toys.

Hall 3 Stand K11 01243780501 www.marymeyer.com

31/ LITTLE GIFTS

A plush ball that transforms into a teddy bear with a secret compartment was designed in the USA by a six-year-old boy as a school project to design the greatest toy ever made.

Not one but two toys in one, suitable for age three plus, Buddy Balls are now distributed in the UK and Ireland by Little Gifts. Remember ‘every child deserves a buddy!’

Hall 5 Stand B34 00353 858883053

32/ STEPPING STONES MARKETING

The much-loved and admired Belgium activity soft toy manufacturer, Lilliputiens, is launching an innovative range of games and jigsaw puzzles including a Noah’s Ark double sided jigsaw puzzle game.

Hall 3 Stand N31 029 2002 9724 www. steppingstonesmarketing. co.uk/distributor

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Winners Take All

After lots of nail-biting in the run-up to the second Progressive Preschool Awards, the results of the four independent retailer categories were announced at the stunning Dorchester Hotel in London. In a tough retail environment, it was a tremendous testament to their business prowess. So how did the winners feel and how has their success impacted on their businesses?

PPS headed to the high street to find out.

Glow Baby Winner: Best Independent Nursery Retailer "We were incredibly proud to pick up the Best Independent Nursery Retailer Award," states Mark Staddon, who, together with his wife Kate, first launched Glow Baby in Barnstaple in 2006. "It has been really nice to receive recognition for all the hard work we have put in at Glow Baby over the last few years. On the back of this, we received some really positive PR in our local press and we also had a great response in store and on our Facebook page."

Glow Baby started out as Glow Maternity & Baby, a small maternity boutique which also sold some baby items, but in 2008, when a large freehold came up for sale, Mark and Kate took the decision to focus the business on baby products.

The store is now over double its original size and has evolved to become a onestop-baby-shop with dedicated in-store classrooms where both

antenatal and baby classes are held.

Although Mark says the nursery industry continues to be tough, 2014 was a very successful year. "We expanded again, and then received the PPS Award at the end of the year.

Also, I do think the industry is getting a bit better," he adds.

"Suppliers are realising that they need to protect their brands and do whatever they can to stop the devaluing of their products by silly discounting, otherwise stores won’t put them on their shop floors. And if the products aren't available to see, then slowly consumers will stop buying them."

Plans for 2015: Mark says that he and Kate are looking forward to expanding their ranges and continuing to support their suppliers. "Our local Mothercare has announced it will be closing in January so that will give us the opportunity to try out new lines that have previously not worked for us," he adds.

Above: Mark Staddon and the Glow Baby team.

Left: East Coast’s Phil Bosher on behalf of Glow Baby.

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Visit us at The NEC Spring Fair

Hall 6, Stand G01

01273 622023 www.powellcraft.co.uk

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PPS AWARDS: INDEPENDENT FACERETAIL TO FACE: WINNERS KIDDY

Herbert and Stella Winner: Best Independent Apparel Retailer

Sylvanian Families Shop Winner: Best Independent Toy Retailer

"Receiving the award for Best Independent Apparel Retailer was such a lovely surprise!" exclaims Christine Asher, owner of Herbert and Stella in Ilkley. "It was incredible that anyone noticed us, as we are so small, but it means such a lot, as we have put so much time and love into the business. We had an article in the local paper and are promoting our success on our website."

Previously a doctor of Chinese Medicine, Christine became ill after the birth of her daughter and was housebound for a while. "My husband bought me a sewing machine and I made an interactive Wendy house for my little girl. Then I started making vintage-inspired baby clothes and noticed there was nowhere in my town to buy mid-price, beautifully designed children’s clothes and toys," she continues. "I was lucky that a tiny shop unit in a good position came available at the right time."

The shop opened in 2012, and Christine says that the past 12 months have been a bit of a rollercoaster. "So much fun, hard work and ups and downs! But we are very lucky as we don’t pay business rates, and we also have free parking outside. Plus, the Tour De France came to our town last year and that put everyone on a high. It was an exciting year all round!"

Plans for 2015: Over the next year, Christine will be working on developing Herbert and Stella's media presence and improving the shop's blogging efforts.

"We would also like do some collaborations with independent designer/makers too," she highlights.

Angela Harwood, owner of Sylvannian Families Shop in Highbury, London, was absolutely thrilled when she heard her name announced as winner of the Best Independent Toy Retailer award. "We felt it was a testament to our enthusiasm for the Sylvanian Families brand for which we have worked tirelessly over the last 20 years," she enthused.

"The award now takes pride of place in our shop."

The store, which opened in 1992, was originally created as a base to run the Tomy Sylvanian Families token collectors scheme and a collectors mail order service. "In those days, Sylvanians were sold individually as well as in family sets, so collectors could order any missing family figures or other items to complete their collections from us," explains Angela. "However, the toughest part of our work now is sourcing enough diverse stock to meet customer demand and, obviously, having only one supplier."

Plans for 2015: Following a tough 12 months, Angela says she's looking forward to 2015 with renewed optimism and is hoping for a more successful year.

"With our loyal fan base still continuing to support the range, and our keen, loyal, dedicated staff who are full of ideas on how to move forwards, I believe that we can overcome anything!" she states.

Right: Christine Asher with the coveted Best Independent Apparel Retailer trophy.

Top: The PPS Award takes pride of place in-store. Above: Retail manager Ben Miller joined Angela Harwood at the PPS Awards

The House That Jack Built Winner: Best Independent Gift Retailer Winning the PPS Award for Best Independent Gift Retailer was a huge thrill for Anne Preston, who opened The House That Jack Built in Settle in 2010. "We really weren't expecting it and has given us a really high profile locally," Anne highlights.

"We received a lot of press coverage and locals came in to congratulate us. Settle itself has been really supportive and we were very chuffed. Prior to Christmas, we put the award on the counter and surrounded it with fairy lights!"

She adds that winning the award has definitely helped to increase footfall. "It came at the right time of year and helped to encourage people to come in to visit us."

The House That Jack Built came about when Anne spotted a gap in the market in Settle for a shop selling preschool toys and gifts. "We think of it as a children's emporium, because we sell everything from clothes and toys to toiletries, swimming aids and nappies," she explains.

For Anne, 2014 was the shop's best year. "Business is still very tough, but we're resilient and we're going forward year on year," she confirms.

Plans for 2015: "I'm hoping that the award will help to bring some big brands into the shop in 2015," Anne reveals. "When we first started out we were too small a retailer, but having won the PPS award, I'm really hoping that that will give us some more clout."

Above left: The House That Jack Built, Settle. Above: Anne shown with her Best Independent Gift Retailer award at the Dorchester.

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Gymini速 Super Deluxe Feature-packed activity gym that offers baby a world of fun

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5 Tiny Love Toys UK For more information: East Coast Nursery Tel: 01692 408802 www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

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BOUNCERS AND WALKERS Inset: Baby Bjorn’s latest version of a classic line, the Babysitter Balance Soft.

Bouncing Babies

Grabbing five minutes to have a cup of tea or do some jobs can be tricky with a young baby, but that’s where bouncers, walkers and swings really come into their own. With each offering parents – and children – different and increasingly innovative functions, PPS has taken a look at the way the market for these once-simple nursery basics has developed.

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ike the adults they will one day become, babies can be awfully particular sometimes. One might not like lying on his back, another might only be happy when she is being rocked from side-to-side and a third might scream the house down at the slightest movement.

Over the years, parents – and nursery product suppliers – have cottoned onto this, and the classic baby bouncer has changed dramatically over the years.

While bouncers, walkers and swings all have slightly different benefits, they essentially exist so that the child is able to learn to amuse itself and the parent Above: Red Kite’s Baby Go Round Twist is a 3-in-1 with a fully rotating seat, musical and interactive functions and a rolling, rocking or static base. It is suitable for babies from six months onwards.

or carer is able to put them down for five minutes.

The market itself has adapted massively in recent years, meeting the changing needs of parents, as Graco’s head of brand marketing EMEA Paul Jakeway explained. “Swings, bouncers and walkers used to be positioned as a seemingly straightforward, simple and functional purchase but now we’re seeing much more of a focus on technical innovations and design development.”

Paul continued: “As a business, we’ve been lucky to see the extent to which the market has changed; having invented the first wind-up infant swing back in the 1940s, we’re proud to be further developing the design today.”

Graco’s dedicated research and development team is constantly

working on products tailored to the varied lifestyles and budgets of today’s parents. “We’ve been hard at work developing our rockers and swings,” said Paul. “Historically, it’s what we’re known for and we’re keen to keep challenging the latest in swing design in particular.

We’ve got a couple of fantastic new products launching this year including the Simple Sway and the Glider Elite, both of which we’re very excited about.”

Functionality is important, of course, but there is a large section of the market which is looking for lower cost items, as Mike Chapman, group sales director for East Coast Nursery, pointed out. “We’ve seen the appearance of lots of budget-priced products, offering fewer features for much lower retail prices. Alongside this, there have also been much higher-spec and PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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BOUNCERS AND WALKERS

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Far right: Graco’s 2-in-1Duet Rocker, higher-priced products, such as multiwhich folds flat, can be transformed directional swings and bouncers with into a stationary vibrating seat, offering two ways to soothe a MP3 connectivity. It seems as though baby. Right: Hauck’s 2-in-1 the market has grown and diversified, walker is also an activity which is really exciting.” playcenter with music and flashing lights and Mike also pointed out that parents can be converted into a seem willing to spend a little more on walking frame. quality products that are likely to fit their requirements and last well. Indeed, criteria for parents with so many designs on the market, looking at bouncers parents are dedicating more time to for their children is researching options before they buy; appearance, value reading reviews online, comparing for money and most technical specifications, studying importantly, safety features and weighing up the benefits and comfort for their little one.” of each model. “They are looking for a Indeed, self-propelled bouncers combination of cost, appearance and mean that the days of parents rocking function,” explained Mike, “spending their children to sleep are a thing much longer researching and making of the past – but many brands are sure they find the product that offers still trying to retain the the most features for the best value.” heritage in their lines East Coast is updating its so we see a great Rest & Play range for 2015, blend of traditional and the new 360⁰ Swivel features alongside Rocker will be appearing in the the new. Baby Bjorn’s range in a cool graphic print. new Bouncer Balance Also available in Tiny Tatty Soft is a great example Teddy design, it offers of this, with no added a number of different functions meaning functions while also that the baby’s own fully co-ordinating movements make the Above: Obaby’s B is for Bear bouncer is with the rest of the bouncer rock pleasantly. the ideal option for Tiny Tatty Teddy range, The company sold its first parents wanting to which includes furniture, balance great quality, an bouncer in 1961 and has now bedding, bathtime, dining adorable design and a updated this popular classic reasonable price. and travel accessories. again, giving it a softer and more Josie Giles, who looks after sales curved design than previous versions. and marketing for Obaby, points out While bouncers and swings are that simple vibrating bouncers will relax useful for younger babies, walkers are and soothe most babies without the perfect for those who are keen to be need for a lot of extra functionality. mobile. “Advances in technology and “It has become clear that the primary electronics mean walkers have become a lot more interactive, with most play trays featuring electronic lights, sounds Below: The Tiny Tatty Teddy 360⁰ Swivel Rocker has a swivelling seat so baby can rock and other functions that were a novelty side-to-side or forwards and backwards. It just a few years ago,” said Nick Tucker, also includes a detachable toy bar, music and Red Kite’s national account manager. soothing vibrations.

“Rocker walkers are becoming more popular with consumers due to the obvious extra features. Electronic and manual interactive functions make sure the experience is fully immersive for children who no longer need their parents to entertain them.”

“Functionality and enjoyment are two of the main selling points for any product but this is especially true for bouncers and walkers,” Nick continued. “It’s only after meeting these needs that other

categories – such as price – become important. In today’s retail world price has almost become a taboo word; however it is of great importance to customers and retailers alike. There is a very small margin of error in pricing – too much and no sales, too little and no profit.”

Sue Griffiths, Hauck Group’s marketing manager agrees that walkers are becoming increasingly important within the market. “Bouncers have always been a ‘first choice’ purchase for new parents as they have become established as a must-have items which no parent can be without.,” she said.

“The real growth recently has been within the walker market.”

She continued: “The designs have changed dramatically over the past years, incorporating active, educational play, and many parents now see these all-inclusive playcenters as a great way for their child to get some exercise.”

The new technology available to manufacturers in recent years has allowed them to meet all the demands for safety, entertainment value, durability and price, and offering products that will meet all these parental demands and more.

“Our Hauck 2-in-1 walker is a great example of this – it is a playcenter which will convert to a walking frame as baby grows and develops, building their strength and confidence and supporting them while they begin to experiment with movement.”

Parents are looking for value for money, quality materials and innovative design, and so these qualities are also at the forefront of product development and retail buying. While bouncers, swings and walkers are a great way to keep children entertained, safe, comforted and soothed, lowcost, multi-functional products are rapidly becoming the go-to item for new families.

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New

New 2wayFamily The best safety for children; i-Size (R129) certified and rear facing travel up to the age of 4

Pebble Plus

2wayPearl

Rearward facing

Rearward facing

Birth to approx.

Approx. 6 months

12 months

to 4 years Forward facing 15 months to approx. 4 years

The 2wayFamily offers a complete i-Size solution from birth to 4 years and consists of the 2wayFix Base, new Pebble Plus infant carrier and 2wayPearl toddler seat. The new Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus is the first infant carrier complying with i-Size (R129). It comes with a new high tech impactabsorbing material in the top side wings, resulting in enhanced side protection and improved safety performance. It includes a new babyhugg inlay for a better fit and comfort for a newborn. Find out more at www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/2wayFamily

2wayFix Base

The 2wayFamily complies to the i-Size (R129) regulation and

Birth to approx.

therefore is the safest choice. i-Size car seats fit most IsoFix

4 years

cars. Find out more on www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/i-size

2wayPearl awards

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WHAT’S NEW

What’s New - Bouncers and Walkers

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1/ OBABY

Obaby’s B is for Bear bouncer is the ideal option for parents wanting to balance great quality, an adorable design and a reasonable price. The bouncer is simple and easy to use, with a single button which triggers a relaxing and soothing vibration to aid baby’s sleep.

The padded seat is raised by a sturdy but lightweight frame and the presence of a head hugger and harness means children are in safe and cosy hands too. www.obaby.co.uk 0845 0870290

2/ GRACO

The Duet Rocker folds flat and compactly for storage or travel and comes with its own handy travel bag making it a lightweight

design perfect for trips away.

Perfect for limited space but without compromising on functionality, and with Graco’s usual excellent retail margins. www.graco.co.uk 0844 412 1212

3/ HAUCK

The unique two-in-one walker and entertainment centre offers a wide variety of uses, while building strength and confidence when first starting to. It is also an activity play-centre helping educate and entertain with music and flashing lights.

The play tray can be used as mobile eating tray and finally when they are ready to walk freely this can be converted to a fun walking frame. www.hauckuk.com 01978 664362

4/ RED KITE BABY

New to launch is the Baby Go Round Twist, with its bright and funky design. The features and functions the walker has to offer also help make it great value for money when compared to similar options within the nursery market.

The Baby Go Round is the company’s pinnacle option within the walker category. www.redkitebaby.co.uk 01454 326 555

5/ BABYBJÖRN

The ergonomic design provides the correct head and back support as well as distributing the babies’ weight evenly. Designed to be long lasting, the bouncer suits newborns but also converts to a chair for up to two years of

age. It has been designed with inpit from leading paediatricians, and finished in high quality fabrics. www.babybjorn.co.uk 0844 8154 813

6/ EAST COAST NURSERY

The Tiny Tatty Teddy 360 degree swivel rocker coordinates with a range of Tiny Tatty Teddy products from East Coast Nursery, which includes furniture, bedding, bathtime, dining and travel accessories. The whole Tiny Tatty Teddy range is so popular, as loyal Me To You fans are growing with the brand and now having children of their own. www.eastcoastnursery. co.uk 01692 403461 PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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Getting little people and tiny people out this winter

Spring Fair Hall 5 Stand B34

Distributed By: Little Gifts Ltd

trade@buddyballs.co.uk

0203 - 322 7833

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For more information on new and existing products, contact us: 01785 503 305 info@hcotrade.co.uk hardenbergco.co.uk

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1/ D UUX AIR PURIFIER

Keep air clean and pure by using this stylish soft-touch air purifier. The detachable HEPA-filter cleanses the air from 99% of pollutants and a built-in vaporiser spreads pleasant aroma throughout the room. The additional soothing nightlight will make children feel safe in the dark.

Stylish enough to use in any room. Suitable from birth.

2/ DUUX ULTRASONIC AIR HUMIDIFIER

The Duux Ultrasonic Air Humidifier makes any room look stylish and is perfect for the nursery. The ultrasonic technology produces a cool mist in just a matter of

seconds and floats out at 360 degrees! Even though the humidifier is compact, it’s able to run 8-10 hours consistently. The additional nightlight creates a mystical mood and makes your child feel safe in the dark. It uses 80% less power than most humidifiers and has 3 optional Duux aromatherapy oils.

Suitable from birth.

3/ D UUX BABY PROJECTOR

Baby’s ultimate bedtime ritual. Create a room full of stars with the Duux baby projector. Choose from three different colour nightlight projections, setup voice-activation and turn on a sweet family favourite lullaby simultaneously. Its

built-in microphone works as a sound activator; once a child suddenly starts crying at night, the projector will automatically activate and start projecting to soothe them back to sleep. Suitable from birth.

4/ ANGELCARE AC403 MOVEMENT & SOUND BABY MONITOR

The newly designed AC403 is the replacement model for the UK’s bestselling AC401 monitor. Offering the same quality functions including: under-the-mattress sensor pad, full colour digital display, crystal clear transmission, portable & rechargeable, temperature display &

control, out of range indicator and volume control & vibration alert.

5/ ANGELCARE AC701 DIGITAL TOUCH SCREEN MOVEMENT & SOUND BABY MONITOR

The 2-in-1 AC701 is the new digital replacement for the UK’s bestselling AC401.

Using the latest technology, functions include: under-themattress sensor pad, LCD touch screen, 2-way talkback feature, temperature display & control, digital transmission with minimised interference, portable & rechargeable, adjustable nursery night light, & audible “tic” feature.

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Travel safer with the

Advanced Bump Belt During a collision, a wrongly positioned seat belt can seriously harm an unborn baby.

That’s why we’ve developed the Advanced Bump Belt.

It keeps the lap belt below the bump so that in the event of a collision, the pressure of impact is transferred through the hips and pelvis instead of the abdomen; significantly reducing the risk to an unborn baby.

TRANSFERS IMPACT PRESSURE THROUGH THE PELVIS

Visit our website to view the full range of safety products; including home accessories, stair gates, safety harnesses, fireguards and much more.

SUITABLE FROM EARLY PREGNANCY UP TO BIRTH

SAFER & MORE COMFORTABLE TRAVEL DURING PREGNANCY

Clippasafe Ltd Lanthwaite Road, Clifton, Nottingham, NGII 8LD Tel: 0115 921 1899 Email: sales@clippasafe.co.uk

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The brand that parents trust 31/12/2014 14:27

CATHY’S COLUMN THE GREAT WALKER SCANDAL While safety standards may have changed over the years, the issue itself has always been of paramount importance in the nursery industry.

With wary parents erring on the side of caution, safety scares can really damage a product’s reputation. In this month’s column Cathy takes a look back at a previous safety scare and some unneccesarily hysterical press attention...

“

W

hen I found out the features that would be appearing in this issue of Progressive Preschool magazine I heard only one word – walkers – and immediately started reminiscing!

Do you remember the front page of the Daily Express on 16 April 1998? The clue is in the word ‘walkers’. For the Daily Express decided the most important story in the world that day was BABY WALKER SAFETY SCARE and underneath, ‘Warning of danger to toddlers’. Even people who didn’t buy the paper could see it. There was nothing else on the front page – apart from a picture of a worried looking baby in a walker.

The story centred around a ‘secret trading standard report’ which: “accuses 11 top-selling brands, made by eight different companies, of failing to meet minimum standards drawn up to protect youngsters.” Liverpool trading standards officers ‘leaked’ the results to the press, who responded with their usual hysteria, linking these ‘failures’ to accident statistics.

The manufacturers concerned had valid test certificates for these walkers and had no reason Above: Walkers have to believe there was any problem to pass stringent with them. Baby walkers have safety tests. always featured heavily in the accident statistics, but usually because of the way the walker was used, such as children falling down the stairs or into an unguarded fire. But the inference in the paper was that the ‘failures’ and the accidents were linked.

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.

The ‘failure’ itself centred around the way two stability tests were conducted. Do it one way and the walker passes, do it the other way and it fails. Small details with major ramifications, and many experts felt that the Liverpool tests were not as rigorous as they should have been.

The companies involved were very glad of their BPA membership as the BPA took up the cudgels on their behalf. It went through the courts and the BPA won, thank goodness! It was just as well. If it had lost, there would have been horrendous ramifications, not only for our industry but for many others that rely on safety testing.

As consumers, we cannot determine what is safe and Above: Baby what is not safe. The law says walkers making page we need to be protected and front news in 1998. in general it is illegal to sell dangerous products. But how is a retailer to know what is safe? They have to rely on the supplier.

However, in this world of long supply chains, the UK supplier may simply be importing product from another company and cannot be an expert in all things pertaining to safety. The original company may well be in the same boat, as it needs to rely on the designer and of course the factory actually making the product. It’s a long way down the supply chain before the question of “Was the paint used lead-free or not?” can be honestly and accurately answered.

Of course, we cannot simply rely on someone’s word; we can’t accept that they think it’s probably okay. Products need to be tested according to carefully designed rules – we call them Standards – and certificates issued. We also need an efficient and good traceability system.

There is a lot happening in the EU at the moment on who is liable for what, and when and more importantly what constitutes ‘due diligence’ – what do I have to do to determine the safety of a product? The legislation is evolving and we will all be directly affected by the Consumer Safety and Market Surveillance Regulations once they have been approved and entered into force.

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Meet the Voyagers-

Our newest irresistible characters.

A heritage in soft toys since 1982.

The Manhattan Toy Company™ The Loft, 204 Durnsford Road Wimbledon, London SW19 8DR www.manhattantoy.co.uk 020-8944-3160

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Call your sales representative to learn more.

31/12/2014 14:26

SHOW PREVIEW: SPIELWARENMESSE 2015

Totally Toys

Dressed For Inset: Gollnest and Kiesel in Hall 3 at 2014’s Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair.

W

hile Spielwarenmesse has always been an important event for preschool retailers, last year saw the fair increasing the amount of exhibition space dedicated to infant and preschool product.

The move followed a signficant increase in the market for baby and infant articles across Europe, with

▶ DON’T MISS...

Above: Each of Rainbow’s unique Air Puppy characters has its own personality.

Rainbow Designs will be offering a plethora of new product across many of its existing collections. The Shaun the Sheep The Movie range includes soft toys, games and puzzles to coincide with the cinema release of the movie, on 6 February. Other new lines for 2015 include Air Puppy, Peter Rabbit, Guess How Much I Love You, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Paddington Bear and Miffy.

revenues rising by 4% in Germany, France and Spain and 2% in Italy.

This year will see baby products playing a major role in the show once again, with around 350 exhibitors presenting lines specifically for babies and young children. The sector, predominantly focused in Halls 1, 2 and 3, will feature baby equipment in addition to toys, games and books, offering trade visitors a fresh spectrum of products, with everything from buggies to textiles and furniture to car seats.

“Nuremberg offers exhibitors the chance to talk to key buyers from around the globe in an open, relaxed and focused way,” said Vance Withers, Worlds Apart’s group sales director. “For us, it’s the first real opportunity to present our new identity and family of brands, while for buyers, it’s the perfect occasion to see, touch and understand the products that will drive their businesses in 2015.”

That new family of brands covers numerous categories, ranging from role-play to active play, lighting, travel and furniture. During Nuremberg, World’s Apart will be highlighting a new generation of popular role-play brand DreamTown and GetGo – a dynamic active play range that includes generic

A key destination for the toy industry’s annual pilgrimage, Nuremberg’s toy fair is the place where international toy markets come together. Showcasing everything from classic toys and games to baby products and books, the 2015 show, taking place from 28 January to 2 February, will be a key show for the preschool market.

and licensed pop-up tents and tunnels.

As such, it comes as no surprise that Vance expects 2015 to be dominated by a number of key licences. “Frozen, Star Wars, Minions and others will be the foundations for most of the toy trade, but the need to innovate and generate new market segments (and create sustainable value) will be paramount,” he said.

Left: Learning Resources is convincing children to enjoy their ‘five a day’ with this vibrant and appetising New Sprouts Fresh Fruit Salad.

Inset:Rollers by Zinc is a preschool brand from Hy-Pro. PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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Visit our stand at Spring Fair 2015 February 1st - 5th Stand RO4-SO5

Hall 3

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SHOW PREVIEW: SPIELWARENMESSE 2015



Coming as it does at the beginning of the year (conveniently after the Christmas sales period) most exhibitors will use the show to launch new products, conduct market research and test new concepts, explained Dennis Blackmore, managing director for Learning Resources, who will be presenting over 100 new products for 2015.

Learning Resources is a market leader in the field of educational toys and games and Dennis fully expects that the market will continue its interest in that area. “There will be

▶ DON’T MISS...

entire portfolio. “Experience suggests that all of us – licensors, marketeers, retailers, inventors, agents, media – will find something useful, important or new going on at these shows,” she said. “But experience also suggests that, however well prepared you are, there will always be surprises.

I’m looking forward to that!”

Creative fun appealing to children’s love of discovery and invention is a trend Trudi expects to see more of, and she highlights the one-year anniversary of Cartimundi’s Shuffle range, which combines card games with a downloadable app, as an example of this. “It’s been an exciting period, but a useful reminder that today’s toy and game companies have to keep abreast of both digital and physical markets without favouring one over the other.”

Above: Peppa Pig Sing-along Kitchen from HTI.

With over 140 new lines across new brands and existing ranges, HTI will be showcasing licensed product ranging from innovative colourchanging Frozen bags to colourful My Little Pony role-play sets and tough Tonka trucks. An extensive selection of fun Peppa Pig role-play, musical and wheeled toys will also be making an appearance.

continued growth in the educational market,” he said, “with emphasis on innovative products for early years. I also think STEM (science, technology engineering and maths) toys will be a growing trend this year.”

“If you are a toy buyer you have to be at the show to see what the new hot products will be for the coming year,” he continued. “It’s the ideal opportunity to maintain relationships with suppliers and find new ones – and of course you always have an eye out for what the competition is up to as well!”

Also looking forward to seeing what else is on offer is Trudi Bishop, head of marketing and licensing at Cartamundi, which will be showcasing a number of new arrivals across its

Above: Disney Cars Shuffle, Cartamundi’s groundbreaking new combination of playing cards and digital technology. Right: The GetGo Disney Frozen play tent from World’s Apart.

“We’re very excited about Nuremberg Toy Fair,” said Ying Pickavance, senior category and brand manager at outdoor activity company Hy-Pro. “Our focus at the show is to launch and showcase our new exciting and innovative products for 2015, with new developments

▶ DON’T MISS...

Above: Each of Fiesta Crafts finger puppet is made from wood and fabric and encourages creative thinking and role play.

New for 2015 from Fiesta Crafts, which is celebrating its 25th year, are the Three Little Pigs and Gingerbread Man finger puppet sets, helping children bring these popular and much loved stories to life. Each set includes a free downloadable play script to help get storytelling off to a great start. Also new are the Gingerbread Man, glow-in-the-dark skeleton and Snow White individual finger puppets.

across our preschool range.”

Rollers by Zinc is Hy-Pro’s preschool brand, which is designed to help preschoolers gain confidence on ride-ons and balance bikes, making the transition to scooters easier.

The award-winning scooters convert from a trike/balance bike into scooters and the growing brand will be unveiling new models at the show.

Spielwarenmesse offers the perfect opportunity to see a truly inspiring array of product in one place, giving vendors and buyers the chance to uncover the key drivers for 2015. And with so much to see, the show is busy, exhausting and intense – but also fun, rewarding and, in the final analysis, unmissable.

After all, if you have the opportunity chance to meet international clients, prospects and colleagues all in one place, why wouldn’t you?

▶ DON’T MISS...

Celebrating its 20th anniversary year is traditional toy company Le Toy Van, which has new arrivals in its classic collections and a new dolls house family, in addition to the expansion of the PelMels pocket money fun toy range and Petilou; a new range of seven wooden toys especially designed for children aged from 12 months.

Left: Woodland puzzle block from Le Toy Van’s new Petilou range for toddlers.

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What’s new for preschool retail.

WHAT’S

1

NEW GE NERAL

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2

4

1/ BELLE AND BOO

In partnership with licensing business Character World, Belle and Boo are launching a range of premium bedroom textiles. The first of which is a super soft 100 % cotton single duvet and pillow. The set is printed with a nostalgic and gentle image of Belle & Boo playing with a dandelion and butterflies.

0117 9246382 www.belleandboo.com

2/ BLUEBIRD

Beautiful, practical and unique Bluebird baby gifts have the ‘wow’ factor – making them perfect for welcoming a new baby into the world!

These gorgeous and affordable gift sets, made in the UK, are guaranteed to surprise and delight any proud new parent.

01442 822452 www.bluebirdshop.co.uk

6

7

3

3/ SARAH HURLEY

Tooth Fairy kits from the award-winning World of Imagination range from Sarah Hurley are designed to keep this special Tooth Fairy tradition alive. Each kit contains a tiny wooden fairy door allowing the Fairy to visit and collect a tooth, paper and miniature pencil for note writing, a miniature corked bottle to hold a tooth, and a sprinkling of glow in the dark stars to light a path from the fairy door to the tooth bottle in the moonlight. Tooth Fairy kits can also be personalised.

07827885818/ 0208 502 3568 www.sarahhurley.com

4/ CLIPPASAFE

The Stroller Organiser is the latest accessory from Clippasafe designed for busy parents on the move. Available in black, its many compartments make easy work of keeping

things in their place. It even features a thermal drink pouch and a mobile phone compartment with convenient retrieval strap.

0115 9211899 www.clippasafe.co.uk

5/ LITTLE BALLERINA

Celebrating ten years as a Royal Academy of Dance licensee, Little Ballerina continues to supply quality ballet wear to customers worldwide. Gifts include greetings cards, party invitations, bags, an apron and a colouring book. Ballet is such a popular activity and these adorable vintage inspired characters have wide appeal to all gift shops.

0208 404 6885 www.littleballerina. co.uk

6/ MABYLAND

Snuggle Carrier from MaByLand is an easy to use, supportive, two position

baby carrier, suitable for infants from 3.5 – 11 kg (0-18m). The carrier features fully adjustable shoulder straps, ensuring a perfect fit every time. The padded waist belt offers parents much needed support and distributes baby’s weight evenly.

0208 8790080 www.mabyland.com

7/ KOOLTRADE

Why swing when you can rock? The 4moms rockaRoo flips the swing on its head. Literally. It rocks like a rocking horse, which maximises the sensation of motion for a baby. This sleek, modern design helps comfort a child. Choose a preferred speed setting by turning the dial to the front – there’s five to choose from, something to suit everyone!

0161 335 2502 www.kooltrade.co.uk

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Adorable Animal costumes!

Great for nurseries... ...and school plays

To view our NEW 2015 Costume Collection online please visit our website

TEL: +44 (0)1908 288 500 E-MAIL: sales@amscan-uk.co.uk WEB: www.amscan.co.uk ©Amscan 2015, ©Anagram 2015 All rights reserved

WHAT’S

HOT?

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

Charlotte Croser, owner, Jolly Toys, Tharpston, Northants

A high street toy shop in a busy market town focusing on new and unique toys and party bag gifts.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Games/ Jigsaws

Orchard Toys

All the Orchard Toys products sell well.

Shopping List is our most popular game, but we’ve been doing well with the new Pigs in Pants is popular too.

Vehicle Play

Z Wind Ups

These are new to the market from America. The vehicles wind up and as they move they transform into animals and back again. Our customers love them.

Soft Toys

Jellycat

This is such a well-known brand. It is a premium product at a premium price, but our customers don’t mind. The Bashful Bunnies are our best sellers.

Wooden Toys

Bigjigs

Bigjigs has a really good name in the market. We do well with the egg tower.

Publishing

eeBoo

This is another American brand we’re doing well with. The story card packs are beautifully illustrated.

Orchard Toys

Jellycat

Sue Growcott, co-owner, Chez Soi, Stamford

A home and gift shop with the second floor given over to baby and children’s gifts.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Clothing

Cath Kidston

At this time of the year the pyjamas are very popular. There are some beautiful designs this year and they make lovely gifts.

Newborn Gifts

Sophie la Giraffe

Sophie is an iconic toy for babies. We stock the new toiletries range, which is a popular gift item for newborns.

Dolls

Powell Crafts

The ballerina is our best-selling rag doll.

It’s the perfect gift for any child who does ballet.

Licensed Character

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very hungry Caterpillar is still as popular as ever. We stock a few different products, but the activity caterpillar is our best-seller.

Soft Toys

Guess How Much I Love You

This is a very appealing range with a lovely sentiment; guess how much I love you?!

Sophie la Giraffe

Very Hungry Caterpillar

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BEST SELLERS

WHAT’S

HOT?

continued

Amir Noorani, sales manager, Baby Nest, Croydon A family-run business celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Pushchair

Bugaboo

The Bugaboo Cameleon and Bee 3 are always our best sellers. They look good and are very practical for using around the city.

Car Seat

Maxi-Cosi

Maxi-Cosi is popular across its whole product range. The rearward-facing models sell well; people are prepared to pay extra for safety.

Furniture

BabyStyle

The BabyStyle Aspen is a good mid-price furniture rage. Customers can get a three piece nursery set for under £1000.

Highchair

Stokke

The Tripp Trapp is very popular with our customers. It looks good in the kitchen and can be used right until adulthood.

Baby Carrier

Boba

This range is new to the market and we are very impressed with it. The company is excellent to work with and supportive of independents.

Stroller

Maclaren

This is a good brand at a good price point. We sell a lot of different models, but the Quest would be our best-seller.

Stokke

Boba

Alexandra Schick, owner, Milestones, Whitstable, Kent

A successful boutique, only open 18 months, with a second shop opening in Canterbury.

CATEGORY

SUPPLIERS/RANGES

COMMENT

Newborn Gifts

Ewan the Dream Sheep

Ewan is a lovely gift for new parents. He is a soft, cuddly toy that helps babies and toddlers get to sleep.

Wooden Toys

Djeco

This French brand makes such beautiful products. Our customers really love the magnetic puzzles, especially the ducks.

Nursery Accessories

Heico lights

All the Heico lights sell well. The moulded toadstool and rabbit is particularly popular.

Cots

Little Green Sheep

The Snuz Pod has won multiple awards and does ever so well. It’s a well thought-out product and parents love it. It’s very practical.

Wall Art

Showler and Showler

We stock a lot of wall art and support local artists where possible.

Ewan the Dream Sheep

Little Green Sheep PROGRES SIVE PRESCHOOL

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abcdirectory hype and wrap hypegreeting cards cards and wrap

hypa.com hypa.com

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www.progressive-preschool.com

The UK No. 1 in Licensed Greetings Over 30 licenses including: Disney, Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty, Mr Men and Angry Birds t: +44 (0)1264 388400 e: enquiries@gemma-international.co.uk w: gemma-international.co.uk

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Gemma_ClassifiedAd_PGPreSchool_0413.indd 1 03/04/2013 12:28

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Learn… Grow… Go! Steer your sales with our Trikes range Our 4-in-1 trikes are: • Designed to develop physical, balancing, and steering skills.

• Adapts from a parent guided stroller to infant powered trike.

ll range of styles u f r u o C h o o s e f ro m

t gh ei yw ia n av ed paig e H Mm Ca

Visit www.littletikes.co.uk to find out more Call us: 0845 0533 333 | Email us: Little.Tikes@zapf-creation.co.uk MGA Entertainment UK Ltd, 50 Presley Way, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0ES

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