Toy News 167 November 2015 by Future PLC

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No. 167 l November 2015

www.toynews-online.biz

Retail l Licensing l Pre-School l Marketing 19 OH WHAT A KNIGHT LEGO tells us why its new Nexo Knights brand is all set to be far more than just another toy

20 WORKSHOP REVIEW With the Inventors Workshop over for another year, we look at how some of our delegates got on

Watch out

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More great Shuffle titles coming soon!

27 THE BEAUTIFUL GAME John Adams’ Simon Pilkington on what titles have helped the firm to another great year

33 STRIKE A POSE Hasbro’s Katherine Buckland talks bringing toy brands to catwalks across the globe

With a hit video game series, a popular manga, an anime movie and a blossoming TV show under its belt, we look at whether Yo-Kai Watch can be the next big Japanese toy craze to sweep the UK market

Shuffle has a game for everyone!

Sales@Cartamundi.co.uk Ph: +44 1268 511 522 www.shuffle.cards

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WELCOME

MEET THE TEAM Billy Langsworthy Editor blangsworthy@nbmedia.com

Robert Hutchins Deputy Editor rhutchins@nbmedia.com

Rhys Troake Staff Writer rtroake@nbmedia.com

Jade Burke Staff Writer jburke@nbmedia.com

Jodie Holdway Sales Manager jholdway@nbmedia.com

Carole Eagles Account Manager ceagles@nbmedia.com

James Marions Production Executive jmarions@nbmedia.com

Nikki Hargreaves Designer nhargreaves@nbmedia.com

Andrew Wooden Content Director awooden@nbmedia.com

Mark Burton Managing Director mburton@nbmedia.com

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 www.toynews-online.biz

NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 6,092 July 2013 to June 2014. nToyNews circulation is 17.1% higher than its closest competitor nToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.

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CONTENTS Regulars 06 News 08 Campaign of the Month 08 Playtime 10 NPD Analysis 12 Industry Movers 14 Industry Opinion 16 Crowdfunding focus 56 Toy Shop UK 66 Jon Salisbury Features 19 Big Interview: LEGO Nexo Knights 20 Inventors Workshop Review 22 Big Interview: Character Options 24 News Analysis: Yo-Kai Watch 27 Big Interview: John Adams Licensing.biz 29 News 33 Big Interview: Hasbro Pre-school (sponsored by VTech Baby) 35 News 38 Sector Guide: Pre-school Retail 55 News 59 Sector Guide: Wheeled Toys

COMMENT

Big in Japan

We have a lot to thank Japan for. There’s Tamagotchi, which was not only a great toy but also gave me my first experience of death when I lost mine to ‘sickness’. This in turn triggered an awareness of my own mortality that I’ve not been able to shake since, so cheers Bandai.

WE HAVE a lot to thank Japan for. There’s the food, the flowers, the fashion and some cracking horror movies (I’m still having nightmares after a Halloween re-watch of Dark Water). Oh, and ninjas. We can’t forget those guys. But, slightly more on topic, the region has also given the UK some of its most powerful toy crazes in recent memory and, being a Nineties child, I was prime fodder for some iconic products. As a kid, I was mad on Pokémon. I loved the show, watched my Pokémon 2000 DVD to death and went to see the films at the cinema purley to scoop the special cards they gave out before screenings. I even paid £25 for a Ancient Mew card at a local newagents. I was reliably informed back then that it would be worth thousands. (I’ve just checked and one is going for £999 on eBay. That’s my weekend sorted.) There was also Tamagotchi. Not only was it a great toy but it also gave me my first experience of death when I lost mine to ‘sickness’. This in turned triggered an awareness of my own mortality that I’ve not been able to shake since, so cheers Bandai. Well, now we have Yo-Kai Watch, a new Japanese craze that has already conquered the worlds of video games, anime and TV and is looking to make a splash on the UK’s toy shelves next year. This issue, we take a look at why we should be bracing ourselves for the next big Japanese toy brand. Sticking with brands, this month also sees us chat to Hasbro about bringing the likes of Monopoly, Transformers and My Little Pony beyond the toy aisles to catwalks across the globe. Yes, you can now showcase your love for Monopoly via a lime green designer shirt. It’ll be a conversation starter at parties if nothing else. Finally, our staff writer Rhys is leaving us to travel the world for the next nine months. It’s been a genuine pleasure to have him with us and we wish him all the best as he heads to the beaches of Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore (what a git). In his place we welcome the wonderful Jade Burke to the team. She’s going to be a real asset to us and please drop her a line to say hello (her email is over to the left). blangsworthy@nbmedia.com

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NEWS

Match Attax helps Topps Europe to “unprecedented sales” this year The latest season of the hit trading card game is selling a packet every 1.2 seconds in the UK alone By Robert Hutchins TOPPS EUROPE has enjoyed record-breaking sales this year across some of its core brands. The latest season of Match Attax cards has been the top selling season since the brand’s launch, while other lines like Marvel Hero Attax, Minions stickers and WWE have also proved a hit on the shelves. “So far, 2015 has seen unprecedented sales across a number of our core launches,” Chris Rodman, VP of Topps Europe, told ToyNews. “Once again Match Attax is the best-selling sports trading card game in the world. The 2014/15 product has been our best-selling season since its launch in 2006, selling a packet every 1.2 seconds in the UK alone.

“We’ve continued to see strong sales across our other sticker and trading card collections such as Marvel Hero Attax, Minions stickers and WWE. “Elsewhere, new releases such as the World of Warriors trading card game and Shopkins stickers are performing well.”

The firm launched its Rugby Attax line earlier this year and despite England’s disappointing performances on the pitch, Rodman doesn’t believe the line will suffer on the shelves. “England as the host nation going out of the tournament was a disappointment, however

Esdevium Games to distribute Accentuate across the UK

given the other home nations and Ireland went further, this should more than offset the loss of sales,” added Rodman. “By using the power of the Attax brand, we have managed to engage a whole new consumer group who previously wouldn’t have been attracted to

a rugby collectable. We have also found that the trademark statistics that are featured on an Attax product have given young fans in particular the chance to better know and understand the featured players and the game of rugby itself.” Away from sport, the firm launched a Star Wars: The Force Awakens trading card collection on Force Friday and the firm believes the brand will help make 2016 another stellar year. “The Force Awakens collection got off to a great start at retail and the response we’ve had from consumers has been extremely positive,” continued Rodman. “There is absolutely no doubt 2016 will be an enormous Star Wars year for us.” Topps Europe: 01908 561 588

Power List 2015 revealed LEGO, Minions, V&A and Wimbledon named as the year’s most influential brands

“Now is the perfect time to take the game to the next level with much wider distribution,” said Esdevium’s Steve Buckmaster

By Billy Langsworthy FRESH FROM securing investment from Peter Jones in Dragons’ Den earlier this year, Accentuate has now won the backing of Esdevium Games. Taking on distribution of the game to its wide06 November

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reaching UK channels, the partnership starts with immediate effect and the game is available for stores to purchase from Esdevium. “We have been blown away by Steve Buckmaster and his team, who showed genuine enthusiasm and passion for the Accentuate

brand and made us feel that it was truly in the right hands,” said Accentuate CEO, Dr Graeme Fraser-Bell. “Esdevium is by far one of the most passionate and knowledgeable games companies in the country and it was apparent from our early meetings that there was alignment of our cultures and company DNA. “The firm followed our story with interest and we’re delighted to be part of their impressive and wide portfolio of titles.” Esdevium Games’ managing director, Steve Buckmaster, added: “Now is the perfect time to take the game to the next level with much wider distribution. Esdevium: 01420 593 593

By Billy Langsworthy TOYNEWS’ sister site Licensing.biz has unveiled its 2015 Power List of the most influential brands in licensing. Voted for by independent professionals from across the licensing industry – including licensors, licensees, retailers, agents and others – the four categories of the Power List had stand-out winners.

In the Character & Entertainment category, Universal’s Minions took the top spot, while for the third year running, LEGO topped the Brands category. The V&A topped the Art & Design listing and Wimbledon lead the Sport category. ‘LEGO is delighted to have been named as the most powerful Brand of 2015,’ read a statement from The LEGO Group. www.toynews-online.biz

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NEWS

K’NEX sets sights on biggest year “in a long time” in 2016 The construction firm is targeting 30 per cent growth next year with fresh lines from its K-Force and Thrill Rides Roller Coaster brands, notably the new customisable K-Force K-5 Phantom blaster By Robert Hutchins WITH NEW products primed for an autumn launch, and further additions to its key driver K-Force, K’NEX is targeting 30 per cent growth for 2016. The range of buildable dart-blasters has been championed for helping the firm to ‘huge growth’ throughout 2015, alongside its Beasts Alive, Mighty Makers and Thrill Rides Roller Coaster lines. In what it has billed as a ‘fantastic 2015’, the construction specialist is currently tracking to double turnover for the year, and tips its popular K-Force range to be a festive favourite this Christmas. “2015 has been a fantastic year for us, we are tracking to double our turnover

and have successfully introduced brand new lines,” said Paul Fogarty, managing director of K’NEX UK.

“Given the new product line-up we have planned for autumn, including a major revamp of the coaster line,

we are confidently targeting 30 per cent growth for 2016.” In addition to new lines for A/W 2015, K’NEX will

be refreshing the K-Force range in spring next year with a new £9.99 customisable blaster called the K-Force K-5 Phantom. The new blaster will be able to fire darts to up to 75 feet and will be supported with a comprehensive TV campaign and in-store activity. “We loved working with retailers in 2015 to bring the K-Force range to life with an in-store blasting gallery and we are keen to integrate retail theatre into our marketing plans again for 2016,” added Fogarty. “While we aren’t at the levels that the K’NEX brand achieved in its early days more than 20 years ago, in 2016 it will certainly be the biggest it’s been in a long time.” K’NEX: 0118 925 3270

Toy Fair 2016 to welcome more Greenhouse exhibitors than ever before The Nuremberg clash hasn’t deterred the new companies looking to introduce themselves to the industry By Billy Langsworthy NEXT YEAR’S London Toy Fair will boast the highest number of Greenhouse exhibitors in the show’s history. The Greenhouse area is designed for new or small companies and despite it being a “change year” due to the Nuremberg clash, this hasn’t deterred those looking to introduce themselves to the industry. “After high demand, 2016 will see the highest number of exhibitors in the Greenhouse Area,” said Kerri Atherton, communications and public affairs officer at the BTHA.

“This section of Toy Fair is designed for start-ups and small companies looking to make a break into the industry. Over the years

a number of exhibitors currently on the show floor started in the Greenhouse such as Micro Scooters, JNH Europe and Accentuate.

“Book an hour in your diary to walk around the Greenhouse stands and talk to exhibitors. There is always the potential to discover something new before anyone else.” Toy Fair 2016 is taking place from Sunday, January 24th to Tuesday, January 26th 2016, and with a different set of dates than in previous years, the BTHA claims it’s more important than ever before to plan ahead. “For many, Toy Fair is a regular fixture in the calendar, but for newcomers, it can be a daunting prospect working

out how to absorb all the show has to offer from more than 240 exhibitors,” added Atherton. “As this is a change year, it is more important than ever to plan ahead. On the Toy Fair website there is a full list of exhibitors. Have a look at what they are offering and book in some meeting times. We expect Sunday and Monday to be very busy, so there is no harm planning your diary nice and early.” You can register for a visitor pass for free now at ww.toyfair.co.uk. BTHA: 020 7701 7271

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CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH / PLAYTIME

Take Back Your Tech As half of UK parents have had their tech ruined by kids, LeapFrog has launched its Take Back Your Tech campaign to celebrate the arrival of the LeapFrog Epic and make consumers aware of the risks of non-child friendly devices CONTACT n LeapFrog: 01895 202840 n www.leapfrog.com LEAPFROG has launched its Take Back Your Tech campaign to mark the arrival of its new Androidbased, LeapFrog Epic. LeapFrog commissioned a survey of 1,000 parents, which revealed half of UK parents have had their tech ruined by kids. One in ten have had their device submerged in water, 20 per cent have deemed their gadget unusable after sticky fingers all over the screen, and 15 per cent have made accidental calls, including to the emergency services. The Take Back Your Tech campaign aims to make parents aware of the risks of children not having kidsuitable devices.

Playtime

n Q4 made up 42 per cent of the total toys and games CH Eq. TVRs in 2014, three percentile points above the year before, despite ad pressure remaining fairly static year-on-year. It was also the largest Q4 the industry has seen across the past four years. n By using the last eight years of TV data and the figures for January 1st to August 31st of this year, we predict that by the end

The report seeks to influence the views of Parliament by exposing needs and making recommendations for improved performance. The report calls for play to be at the centre of a ‘whole child’ approach to health and wellbeing. Within the report, a spotlight is placed on the positive role of modern technology in child’s play. The launch of the report was chaired by former Play School presenter, Baroness Floella Benjamin. Tony Hicks, chief international officer at LeapFrog, spoke at the launch to discuss LeapFrog’s role in supporting and educating parents on modern day play opportunities.

Generation Media takes a look at how instrumental Q4 is to the toys and games TV market

January 1st to December 31st 2011 - 2014 ‘12 vs ‘11 -0.01%

140,000 120,000 41% T&G Kids Eq TVRs

n Those who work in this sector of advertising know that the minute we see commercials with average prices of toys and games products clearing £15, we have entered the Q4 period. It is therefore no surprise to see that Q4 has dominated in previous years in terms of total kids Eq TVRs (January 1st 2011 to December 31st 2014).

The firm feels the LeapFrog Epic is ‘an ideal introduction to tablet play for children’. It provides a new home screen where children can personalise, create, and interact with innovative features that provide a world of discovery, while it grows and changes as they do. Featuring the kid-safe LeapSearch browser, LeapFrog Epic only allows access to pre-selected, kid-safe web content from over 5,000 videos, images, websites and games all reviewed and approved by LeapFrog learning experts. To mark the arrival of the tablet, the firm sponsored the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report on a Fit and Healthy Childhood.

‘13 vs ‘12 1.4%

39%

‘14 vs ‘13 -0.8%

39%

100,000

YoY % Change

42% Q4 Q3

80,000 60,000

28%

26%

28%

26%

Q1 40,000 16% 20,000 15% 0

2011

of 2015, ad pressure may increase by nine per cent. This may not all be down to Q4 however, as

17%

15%

18%

17%

14%

2012

2013

2014

we have already seen an increase of 10 per cent in Q1 and eight per cent in Q2 vs 2014.

n The growth in the first two quarters can be attributed in part to the top three toys and games advertisers (Hasbro,

17%

Mattel and LEGO) increasing their advertising output by 23 per cent, four per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

ToyNews PlayTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 307 7900 | www.generationmedia.co.uk 08 November

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Now available from Esdevium Games! Does your Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s English sound more Spice Girl than posh? Is your Cockney a little too Mockney, your Glaswegian a smidgen too Highlander? Could you pull off a convincing Russian accent without making a reference to vodka? This game will have you laughing your accents off!

@AccentuateGame

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Phone: 01420 593 593 Email: Sales@EsdeviumGames.com

14/10/2015 10:37:21

NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties

Construction sector helps market build on value growth SEPTEMBER saw the UK toy market continue to grow in value for the ninth month this year, up nine per cent for the four weeks ending September 19th, and up four per cent in volume for the same time period. Nine out of eleven supercategories grew in the same period, with building sets contributing the most to growth with sales up an additional £3.7MM. Construction growth was heavily driven by Star Wars, LEGO Ninjago and Minecraft sales, as well as LEGO Friends. Across the total toy market, girl’s properties remain strong with Shopkins continuing to drive strong sales in the dolls category, as does My Little Pony, which has seen consistent growth all year. Disney’s Frozen remains the top property across total toys year-to-date, but the first four weeks in September was a strong performance for Star Wars, which overtook Frozen to be the number one property for the last four week period with 4.2 per cent of total toy market sales. This is a third more sales than Frozen in the same period.

Best item progression September 2015

Star Wars BB-8 (Sphero) An entirely new entry, Sphero’s BB-8 toy has leap straight to the top of the rankings for the weeks from August 23rd to September 19th. Back on Force Friday, the droid helped Firebox to its highest grossing 24 hours in 17 years.

Sales UK toy sales

(value, year-to-date)

Star Wars heavily benefitted from Force Friday on September 4th, when new lines related to the latest film, due out in December, were released. “Star Wars has consistently been a top performing licence in the UK toy market, even without a major new film release,” said Jez FraserHook, practice director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. “With The Force Awakens in December, there is a whole new generation of children who will see the popular franchise on the big screen for the first time.

“While traditionally, action figures and construction have been Star Wars’ strongest categories for toys, the last few weeks has seen products released across many new categories including vehicles, games and even pre-school toys among others. “This could help drive Star Wars sales higher than before and if even half the excitement of the UK toy market for Star Wars is picked up by consumers, then it could start challenging Disney’s Frozen for that number one property spot for the full year.”

YTD 2014

YTD 2015

Source: NPD

Average toy price September ’14: £7.92

September ’15: £8.29

UK RETAIL SALES TRENDS September 2015 (£ sales – value)

September 2015 (Unit sales – volume)

1Star Wars BB-8

1Shopkins Two Pack

Sphero

Shopkins Two Pack

LEGO Minifigures

Shopkins Pack of 12

Disney Frozen Elsa Sparkling Ice Castle

Pie Face

The Simpsons Minifigures

Shopkins Fashion Deluxe Packs Assortment

Flair

LEGO Minifigures

LEGO

Hot Wheels Basic Assortment

Flair

The Simpsons Minifigures

LEGO

Play-Doh Classic Four Pack

Hasbro

Play-Doh Single Tub Assortment

Hasbro

LEGO

Minecraft Minifigures Blind Pack Assortment

Mattel

Flair

My Little Pony Mystery Bad Assortment

Hasbro

Smart Trike 4 in 1 Trike Assortment

Mookie Toys

LEGO Mixels

10. Nerf N Strike Elite Modulus Blaster

Hasbro

Mattel LEGO

LEGO

10. The Zelfs Lil Zelf Series 5 Blind Flower Pod Character Options

Notes: All participating NPD retail data suppliers provide weekly data via epos systems. NPD figures are not projected to represent non-participating retailers but provide 100 per cent of the sales from participating stores. Epos sample includes the following retailers: Amazon.co.uk, Argos, Asda, Boots, Debenhams, ELC, Firebox, Freemans, Grattan, Halfords, Hamleys, HMV, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, Next, Play.com, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, The Entertainer, Toys R Us, Toymaster, WHSmith, Wilkinsons. NPD estimates that the epos now accounts for 78% of the total toy market.

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APPOINTMENTS

Industry moves This month, John Crane Ltd stars as our team of the month, Re:creation welcomes a new addition to its sales team, a new licensing director joins Hasbro and Toymaster adds a new development manager to the ranks TEAM OF THE MONTH: JOHN CRANE LTD Who’s in the team? Paul Carter-Hands (stock control and procurement), Adrian Leafe (national accounts manager), Aidan Lambert-Lewis (admin assistant), Alex Piper (area sales manager), Jonathan Thorpe (managing director), Christopher Doyle (assistant product designer), David Brown (commercial manager), John Hands (technical and distribution manager), Adrian Ashton (customer service relations), Sofia Pheasey (PR, marketing and sales manager), Alison Hardy (major accounts administrator), Natasha Dudnik (area sales manager), Nicola Woodward (educational account executive), Stewart Betts (product designer),

Hasbro n HOLLY OLDHAM has joined the Hasbro UK team as licensing director. In this new role, Oldham will be responsible for managing both the category team as well as our retail franchise team to continue building strategic relationships with licensees. “Oldham’s experience working in the industry will allow her to be take the UK licensing team to the Re:creation n Re:creation has welcomed a new addition to its sales team this month. HANNAH PIKE joins the company as key account manager, bringing with her

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Hayley Hanwell - Holland (export and admin coordinator), Lorraine Romain (accounts) and Angela Earley (educational manager). What have been your biggest successes of the last 12 months? Our Generation. It’s been an amazing success story. It’s become the must have global doll lifestyle range and our customers and consumers alike just can’t get enough. What are you working on at the moment? We are preparing for 2016 and have some exciting new products launching next year. With the phenomenal growth and demand of our

next level as we continue to develop our franchise brands,” said Katherine Buckland, senior licensing director of Hasbro Europe. Oldham joins Hasbro after working as the head of licensing EMEA at Rubies’s Masquerade Ltd where she worked closely with the Hasbro licensing team across EMEA for the last eight years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and has a background in marketing. She has been voted one of ToyNews’ Top 100 Women in Toys for two consecutive years. over five years experience in the retail sector. Reporting to Re:creation general sales manager, Adrian Mayes, Pike’s experience includes major brands such as World Duty Free where famous names in her remit included Christian Dior, Estee Lauder and Chanel.

current ranges It’s busy times at John Crane Ltd.

our customers the best service we can.

What’s the hardest part of working in the toy industry? The seasonal aspect. It’s all hands to the deck at the moment but we have a great team who work hard to offer

What’s the best part of working in the industry? The product. Working with toys keeps things fun and being big kids at heart means there is never a dull moment.

“Hannah is joining us at an extremely exciting time. 2016 is a big year for us and, as Re:creation continues to grow, Hannah’s enthusiasm and experience will certainly add value to our team” explains Mayes.

planning, budgeting, brand management and product development. In his new role with KD UK, Bishop will oversee the UK team and work alongside the group directors, COO and president.

KD UK n KD UK is expanding its team with the appointment of SETH BISHOP to the position of managing director. Having co-founded Re:creation in 1998, Bishop boasts a wealth of experience and knowledge within the toy industry. During his 15 years with Re:creation, Bishop held a number of positions, including managing director and sales and marketing director where he was responsible for strategic

Toymaster Ltd n UK independent toy retail buying group, Toymaster Ltd has welcomed a new development manager to the ranks. WILL ABIGAIL has stepped into the role, bringing with him a breadth of knowledge from both the retail and suppliers side of the industry. Abigail commenced his new role with the buying group on Monday. September 21st and has been welcomed to the team by Toymaster’s operations director Yogi

Who’s the office joker? Our MD Jonathan Thorpe by far, but we all give it a good go. Who makes the best cuppa? Alison makes a mean cup of tea and always offers it at the right time.

Parmar and managing director Ian Edmunds. Bulldog Licensing n Bulldog Licensing has appointed a former HarperCollins and Egmont exec as its new licensing coordinator. SOPHIE YATES, a graduate of the University of Kent, boasts extensive experience in the publishing field, having also held tenure at Hachette and Penguin as a marketing assistant. While at Egmont, Yates worked with major brands such as Mr. Men, Thomas the Tank Engine and Star Wars. Bulldog MD, Rob Corney, added: “Sophie was the standout candidate for this role, she understands the unique demands of the licensing industry and her publishing expertise will be hugely beneficial to us.”

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OPINION

State of play Steve Reece is confident that the state of creativity in the toy industry is in a very good place having just sieved through a plethora of entries for his Toy Verdict Awards 2015 AT THE time of writing this article, my oﬃce is kneedeep in toys we’ve been testing for The Toy Verdict Awards 2015. We’ve been somewhat overwhelmed by the number of entries and have had to bring in some additional help to get through everything in time. Aside from the usual bedlam of getting groups of children to test toys and games, what has been most striking is the sheer quality of many of the products that have been entered. In the consumer research part of our business, we tend to test products which have some kind of issue or problem (whether it’s an actual issue or just

a case of internal company wrangling), which I’m now realising may have slightly warped my perception of how good the new product development output of the toy industry is overall. Usually when we research test products for toy companies, they are either yet to be fully finished, are at an early stage with lots more tweaking to be done, or they have already launched and bombed for a reason and we conduct the ‘post mortem’ to identify what went wrong. So to see so many finished products for The Toy Verdict Awards that are clearly really good and delivering great play value

for kids has been both inspiring and reassuring in equal measure. The other really positive finding from this process we’ve been through is to see really good innovation, both in terms of tech driven toys and also innovative toys centred in traditional categories. There are also some really impressive (if slightly freaky) products with AI and robotic technologies. One of my personal bugbears is clever tech that delivers a crappy play experience (i.e. sounds clever but actually doesn’t use the tech to enhance the fun factor). But we haven’t found that issue so much with

tech toys we’ve tested this year. What we’ve seen instead are some very clever tech features and functionalities bringing things to life, solving long time drawbacks in some product categories and generally making things much more fun. When you bear in mind the high price points of some of these tech toys, and the fact that they are really delivering play value at those price points, we

seem to be a long way from those post financial crisis years of pocket money pricing, which, in turn, should be a positive in terms of growing the overall toy market. Last but not least, we’ve seen some really imaginative reinventions and innovations of traditional play patterns, which went down really well with kids and further suggests that our industry just might know what it’s doing!

Steve Reece runs a leading consultancy delivering consumer research and manufacturing sourcing services to toy and games companies. Contact him via www.KidsBrandInsight.com

Hello? Is anybody there? Nobody knows his or her identity, but the Secret Retailer has been coaxed out of the shadows this month to challenge those pesky non-communicating suppliers LET’S PLAY a game. We’re all going to pretend we have a toy shop, so we’ll shut the door and not talk to any customers who choose to push it open. We’ll pay them no attention once they are in, and if they buy anything, that’ll be their own choice. It’s up to them if they want to come back but if they do, they are certainly not getting any help choosing from us. Sound familiar? No? That’s not me, I hear retailers cry. OK, let’s put it into a different context. Suppliers are the shopkeepers who don’t communicate; retailers are the customers who get no help.

How many suppliers really know their retailers? I mean those that provide advice, support, information and contact. I’ve been in the toy industry for over 10 years now and I’ve seen some changes.

Let me tell you how it is from an independent retailer’s perspective. Scenario one: Dave from supplier X calls. He’s in the area next Wednesday and would love to come and see us. We keep a space

How many suppliers really know their retailers? I mean those that provide advice, support, information and contact. An obvious one is the dramatic reduction in the number of sales reps. It’s a cost cutting measure that probably felt like a no-brainer to the moneymaking suppliers.

free, talk through the sales, look at the new products and Dave, with his years of industry knowledge, advises us on what will sell in our particular shop. We buy far more than we would

have, but it sells. Dave was right. Result: Supplier wins, retailer wins and the customer is happy. Scenario two: The agent for supplier Y calls. He makes an appointment, shows us the range and we choose what we like. Retailer: “What do you think of the toys that we’ve chosen?” Agent: “It’s up to you, it’s your money.” OK, it’s not ideal, but at least we’ve had contact and it has prompted us to buy from that supplier. Result: It’s okay for both the supplier and for the retailer. The customer might buy, or might go elsewhere.

Scenario three: No contact from supplier, the retailer is busy keeping its head above water, no order is placed until stock has run out and we’re not sure when that is. Result: The supplier loses, the retailer loses and the customer? I doubt we’ll ever have the chance to find out. So suppliers, you have measured the money you have saved by culling sales reps. Can you measure the orders that haven’t taken place, the stock that has never been tried, the sales that haven’t happened and the number of retailers out there that just haven’t noticed they have no stock on their shelves for many of your lines?

The identity of secret retailer must remain under wraps.

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OPINION

Safe and sound WOW Toys’ CEO Nadim Ednan-Laperous lifts the lid on what goes into ensuring the company’s products are up to scratch when it comes to the all important factor of toy safety TOYS ARE invaluable for children’s development, which is why pre-school children often have specialised toys designed to both stimulate their intellectual needs while being safe and durable for their rough style of play. As a manufacturer, we at WOW Toys don’t just have to think about how a child could potentially hurt themselves, but we must also take into account all the possible ways children will play with our toys. There is a legal responsibility placed on all toy manufacturers to think about how toys and games are likely to be used, and indeed misused, and to take these issues

into account when we are developing new toys. All toys sold in the European Union must comply with the European Toy Safety Directive in the UK as the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.

If toys don’t comply, the repercussions are severe. The toys can be removed and manufacturers will face prosecution and possible imprisonment. Before they are available to the public,

We don’t just think about how a child could hurt themselves, but also all the possible ways that children will play with our toys. The British Standard BS EN 71 explains how manufacturers must adhere to its requirements. It states how toys should be manufactured and tested and the safety warnings they must carry.

toys must undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are safe for children to use. Toys may go through over 100 tests - all of which are designed to recreate the wear and tear on a toy by an active child.

We at WOW have often turned to childhood development experts to decide what makes a toy appropriate for a particular age group. On all our toys, safety is the number one reason for the recommended age range given. At WOW Toys, we have always ensured that none of our toys contain any small parts, heavy metals, PVC or phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that are used as plastic softeners and many children’s toys contain them. They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes, or even ingested when children chew on their toys.

The European Toy Safety Directive has strengthened its rules and now manufacturers and importers face new obligations to ensure that no unsafe toys enter the market. They must not contain heavy metals, such as lead, or a number of potentially toxic chemicals, including phthalates. With all these concerns on the minds of manufacturers to ensure the toys we make are safe, durable and provide fun lasting play to children, it is worth mentioning that CAPT, the Child Accident Prevention Trust, says: ‘Most children’s toys (in the UK) are actually very safe.”

Nadim Ednan-Laperous is CEO at WOW Toys. Contact WOW Toys on 020 7471 0980.

Do board games need the toys-to-life treatment? Heayes Design’s Richard Heayes looks at why the world of board games could benefit from taking inspiration from the likes of Skylanders, Disney Infinity and LEGO Dimensions SOMEONE SAID to me the other day: “what we need is toys-to-life for games”. Now I get the analogy because toys-to-life has defined a new genre: half video game, half action figure. For parents they make a tangible purchase that they can endorse, even if they are not quite sure what they do. Buying a disc for £40 was understandable, but now their money goes onto PSN or Steam and they really have no idea what their kids are downloading or playing, so I can see the win-win here. So do board games need the toys to life treatment? Are their any learnings from toys-to-life that could be extrapolated over to board games?

Firstly let’s look at overall design and branding. The visual design of the characters across Skylanders and Disney Infinity are highly detailed with excellent decoration. This is reflected in the price points, but after years of deco reduction due to labour cost increases in China, the figures bring back the look of action figures from the 80s and 90s. The characters become prized and displayed. The trend has been to push down the quality of board games. Maybe a flip is needed. Maybe we need higher quality components to bring the game fantasy back to life. Games to treasure once again.

Next, there is branding. Board games suffer from, well, the term ‘board games’ or ‘traditional games’. There are many games that are neither played on a board nor are traditional. Getting new players engaged, especially kids, means embracing a new terminology or way of looking at the category that is forward thinking with relevant language. What about technology? There have been many attempts to bring tech into board games. From simple electronic devices to fully interactive game surfaces. Some work, many don’t. The reason is that technology often gets in the way of the thing that

separates most video games from real games: the social experience. Coming out of Essen Games Fair, there are many games on and off the board. For those who have never been, it is one of the biggest pubic games events in the world. Comparing it to, say, EGX the biggest UK video games event - the atmosphere is different as it is a mass social gathering. EGX has hundreds of screens with people plugged in absorbed in the experience. At Essen, it’s all about the social interaction and that is really what it’s all about. It’s what gets people interacting, hanging out together and having fun.

In fact, people are already realising that in a world of virtual shares, sharing some real time together over a game which gets them laughing, with a little bit of competition, is a great way to spend time and connect.

Richard Heayes is an award winning inventor and product design, as well as the founder of Heayes Design. He can be contacted at richard@heayesdesign.com.

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CROWDFUNDING FOCUS

Cannybots Cannybots aimed to raise $40,000 when it launched on Kickstarter back in late September. Within three days of the campaign being live, it had raised a mammoth $109,741. Robert Hutchins talks to Cannybots co-founder and CEO Anish Mampetta about the rapid rise of his robot building kit

Platform: Kickstarter Goal: $40,000 Amount raised: $148,900 Campaign status: Closes on November 12th What is Cannybots and how did the idea for these kits come about? Cannybots is a robot building kit disguised as a toy car. It can be used in a number of games like high speed racing, duelling or puzzle solving. It’s programmable from a phone or tablet and is also compatible with 3D printing. Cannybots give kids a chance to build their own smart toy. This gives them a practical insight into how various components of technology come together to create something as cool as a toy robot. I created the first Cannybot for my son as I was worried about the tablet addiction in kids. Being a robotics engineer, the obvious solution was to use

robotics technology to create an engaging toy. What has early reaction been like to Cannybots? Since November 2014, we have sold over 200 Cannybots kits to 22 schools around the world. Most the sales came through Twitter as teachers are surprising Twitter savvy. Cannybots are used for teaching programming in primary school and design/3D printing in secondary schools. The feedback from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. The high speed and agility of the robots creates a level of engagement with kids that’s not seen with traditional STEM kits. Kids see this more as a toy while not even realising they are learning. Why did you choose to take the project to a crowdfunding site?  To raise funds for scaling production as well as to

test the market. We had to be absolutely certain that there is a need for such a toy before taking the next step. Kickstarter is a nice place to test this.

Toys like Cannybots provide the opportunity to learn practical aspects of technology though play at home. Parents are starting to see the value in these

I created Cannybots as I was worried about tablet addiction in kids. Anish Mampetta, Cannybots

How have you found the Kickstarter experience so far?  It’s been amazing. We hit our goal of $40,000 in less than two hours and raised over $120,000 in one week. We are overwhelmed with the support and encouragement we have received so far. Why should the UK market be excited by the Cannybots line?  Technology is progressing so fast that the school system may lag behind.

sort of toys, as evident in our Kickstarter success and many other ‘edtech’ toys that are coming out. I think this this is a positive thing for the UK market as parents will be willing to spend more money on toys. What’s the next stage for you, following the Kickstarter project?  We’ll be focusing on delivering the Kickstarter orders and setting up supply chain. We are also expanding our software team as well

as introducing different Cannybots models in time for the holiday season next year. It is a really exciting time to be developing toys. I think toys stagnated for a few decades due to the popularity of digital games. But the cost of technology is coming down so much that you can make really smart toys at an affordable price. We also have lot more software that go into toys which adds a whole different dimension. We are talking about ‘Internet of toys’ and ‘toys 2.0’. There are exciting times ahead. Now the campaign has hit its goal, how can UK retailers get on board with Cannybots? We’re coming out with the retail version in March 2016 after the Kickstarter orders are fulfilled. Please get in touch with us on info@cannybots.com if you are interested in retailing Cannybots.

16 November www.toynews-online.biz

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LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS

Knight to remember A new LEGO launch is always a big deal, but with Nexo Knights, the firm is introducing a brand that’s set to span toys, TV and apps. Billy Langsworthy talks to LEGO brand manager Harry Harrison about why the firm’s latest property, hitting shelves in January 2016, is aiming to take play experiences to the next level WHILE LICENSING has proved incredibly lucrative for the folks over at The LEGO Group, the firm’s own brands are powerhouses in their own right. Recent success stories include Mixels and Elves, while LEGO City is currently sitting as the fourth best performing toy property across the EU5 countries (Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the UK) in 2015. Sticking with the top ten properties of 2015, the only new entry compared to 2014 is LEGO Ninjago. The brand sits in at ninth, and is in second place when looking at the top ten with regards to gains. As well as being a hit in the toy space, Ninjago has conquered the worlds of comics, books, video games and TV, and the brand even has a movie on the way in 2017. This multi-faceted approach to one of its own brands is something LEGO is adopting once again with Nexo Knights. The new property is set in a futuristic, yet medieval, world where five knights download special powers to their shields in order to battle the royal court’s evil Jestro and a cast of monsters to restore peace. 14 LEGO Nexo Knights building sets will be available in January 2016

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with additional sets to launch in August 2016, but the play is set to be

battle with unique Nexo powers across all different IP touch points, adding

This is more than a story, more than a game and more than a toy. This is a brand new way to play. Harry Harrison, The LEGO Group

bolstered by a new digital angle thanks to the LEGO Nexo Knights: Merlok 2.0 app. “We’re building on the success of our established evergreen propositions such as LEGO Ninjago with LEGO Nexo Knights, and we are now introducing a completely new way to play,” Harry Harrison, brand manager at The LEGO Group, tells ToyNews. “We have created a one reality IP in which physical and digital play is closely interlinked by the app. “Here, kids will be inspired to go find, scan, and

them to their digital power collection to creatively and continuously find new ways to defeat the enemy. “The app will be available as a free download via the App Store, Google Play, Samsung Apps and Amazon Appstore from late December 2015.” By utilising this blend of technology, LEGO believes its introducing a new play experience that caters to a vast demographic of kids. “This is a multi-year investment,” Harrison tells ToyNews. “Our aim is to meet kids where they are and

create play experiences that cater for their needs. Some kids will find playing with our LEGO models the best thing in the world, some enjoy the fantastic app that we have developed and others will have great fun combining the two worlds. “No matter the entry point – physical product or app download – their experience can be taken to the next level.” Like Ninjago, Nexo Knights is

heading to the small screen in an animated series that will hit Cartoon Network in December before airing throughout 2016. “This is more than a story, more than a game and more than a toy. This a brand new way to play,” concludes Harrison.

November 19

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INVENTORS WORKSHOP 2015 REVIEW

Review

With our Inventors Workshop event over for another year, Billy Langsworthy takes a look at how the day, boasting two conference streams and more speakers than ever before, united the creative community once again THE DUST has settled on another Inventors Workshop. The booths are packed up, the UK toy and game inventor scene has departed Whittlebury Hall and Rob has finally put his horn away. Based on feedback from delegates and toy firms alike, we’re pleased to report it was another major success. While we can’t reveal any done deals between inventors just yet, there are some properly exciting developments going between quite a few of our delegates and the firms

who attended. Like Gillian Logan and Skinny Sketcher last year, we’re hopeful of introducing you to some of the success stories from this year’s event in future issues. Both conference streams provoked some fascinating tales and great insight. Who knew Jenga started life as a drinking game? (Creator Leslie Scott claims she meant tea, not booze. I don’t buy it). The event was bigger in scale than last year, with more inventors, a bigger venue, two conference tracks and, importantly, more cake.

One major point of difference was that this time, it caught the eye of the wider media. We were happy to welcome BBC Radio Northamptonshire as well as the lovely folks at BBC Look East. Both provided a great platform to sing the praises of our creative sector and gave a few delegates the perfect chance to spread the word about their ideas. A personal highlight for myself was our first Hackfest, which saw students from Brunel, University of Sussex and London Metropolitan spend

the afternoon creating concepts for a product that their own age group would buy into. All the groups came up with interesting proposals and one even saw Ooba’s Max Ford called upon to do the Haka (he did it very well, I must add), but congrats to Sussex for impressing the panel (made up of Ford, Heayes Design’s Richard Heayes, Big Top PR’s Charlie Le Rougetel and Hasbro’s Rich Mazel) and scooping first prize and a fancy trophy. The fun didn’t end after the pitching sessions, as

a special pop-up Board Game Club saw our delegates thwack taches, explode kittens and Dobble themselves into oblivion at our favourite grown up games night. It all served as yet another reminder of how talented and passionate this community is, and we won’t be leaving it as long to get them all together again. But once again, thanks to everyone who came and got involved. It’s an event that’s close to the hearts of myself and team so we are massively grateful for your support and passion.

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS We would like to thank our event partners, without whom the Inventors Workshop would not be able to happen: Hasbro, Ooba Toys, Vivid, Sambro, Flair, Character Options, Worlds Apart, Parragon, Re:creation, Jazwares, HTI, Cartamundi, Nomad Games, Underground Toys and Board Game Club.

20 November

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INVENTORS WORKSHOP 2015 REVIEW WHAT SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS AND SPONSORS THOUGHT Jonny Henton, Vivid “The Inventors Workshop was once again a great success. I was really pleased to see so many more toy concepts this year compared to last. Also, sherbet bon bons - genius choice.” Richard Venner, HTI “There were definitely more than a few ideas that definitely caught our eye, from a diverse range of product areas including board games, outdoor, roleplay and electronics.” Lesley Singleton, Playtime PR and Board Game Club “It was a perfect environment for our Board Game Club pop-up which levelled the playing field somewhat and saw the big brands winding down and getting to grips with silly social games along with the hackathon students and new inventors.” Sally Jacobs, Ooba Toys “We had a fun filled day and met some very enthusiastic inventors.”

Jon Elliot, Character Options “It’s fantastic for the industry to have a dedicated event where inventors who are new to toys can come and learn a bit more about how it works and showcase their ideas.” Steve Reece, KidsBrandInsight “The 2015 Inventors Workshop was even better than last year’s event, with a two track format hugely increasing the value to established professional inventors and companies, as well as to up and coming inventors. I’m looking forward to this event becoming an ever increasingly pivotal date in the calendar in the years to come.” Steve Perrin, Seven Towns “As a professional toy inventor, the best advice I could give to anyone new to the industry is, get yourself to next year’s Inventors Workshop.” Jeremy Morton, Harbottle & Lewis “It was great to network,

and I learned a lot about business models in toy licensing. That, and playing Exploding Kittens at the pop-up Board Game Club.” Michael Fuller, AIM Start Ups “The enthusiasm of the delegates really set the tone with both experienced and new toy inventors alike exhibiting a genuine willingness to support, learn and engage with each other. A must for anyone in the toy industry.”

Leslie Scott, Jenga inventor “I thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was a great opportunity to reconnect or meet so many fellow designers, each one with his or her own unique story. Gillian Logan, Skinny Sketcher “I returned to the Workshop this year, having attended the first event as a delegate. The event has grown significantly since last year and the venue allowed for more networking opportunities.”

Peter Jenkinson, Toyology “The eclectic mixture of attendees meant that you could really get diverse opinions on almost any subject matter you instigated.” Ian Cuthbert, Sambro “We had a great time at the Workshop and saw innovative ideas from people who will go on to be a success within the industry. We are having conversations with a couple of the inventors we saw and hence the day was a success.”

WHAT SOME OF OUR DELEGATES THOUGHT want to promote my future toy inventions.”

Ciaran Larkin “The Inventors Workshop was an incredible day. I’m brand new to the toy industry and after meeting so many amazing, positive and like-minded people, I am certain this is where I belong. Getting the opportunity to pitch my product idea was genuinely one of the most exciting experiences of my life. It’s a must for any aspiring toy and game inventor.” Leith Moghli “We had an incredibly productive day. We went looking for a distributor and got to pitch to six of the biggest industry players in a single afternoon. The Anagranimals plush range was really well received and we already have several follow-up meetings in the diary.” Geoff Eagles “Leading up to the event, it had taken serious time and effort to independently pitch my game to just one

Sally Cook “Having so many important companies in the same place at the same time was a wonderful opportunity to pitch the board game I had invented. The atmosphere could not have been friendlier or more supportive and I left feeling very positive about the whole event.” company. In one afternoon, I had pitched Foiballz to no less than eight interested sponsors and was offered two follow up meetings for my efforts. Even if the follow up meetings fail to secure any deal or partnership, I sense I have ‘opened doors’ for future projects and that alone has made attending the workshop worthwhile.” Del Posner “From a graduate’s point of view, it really helped me network into the area of

design I wanted to explore. The Hackfest was a great opportunity to translate the Brunel Product Design process into toy and game design because you’re not creating a product for a purpose and solving a problem, you are creating an experience that a product can be applied to. So that was excellent opportunity to change the way I have been taught to think. It was a fantastic event to be a part of and this will be the first place I will come to when I

Jon Griffiths “It was definitely a success and the format worked well. The opportunity, the learning and the meeting of fellow creatives was a very positive experience and I would recommend it.” Assim Ishaque “I walked into the Workshop without any idea of what to expect. I was thrilled to find a whole community of inventors like me, as well as some of the biggest toy manufactures taking a

strong interest in what we are doing. It was great to share my experiences with creators and innovators, who offered valuable guidance about the road ahead. I am following up on conversations I had there and would definitely recommend this event to other toy inventors. I’m looking forward to coming back.” Lee McAuley “I was a newbee last year and it’s my second time to the event. I found this one very well structured and informative. It’s a great way to see companies that are interested in new inventions and I’ve had great feedback. Not only that, you don’t need an agent to see them. The feedback is very honest, be it good or bad. All this has helped me develop my games and I’m looking forward to what the future holds. I’d recommend the event to any inventor, be they professional or not.”

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SUPPLIER PROFILE

“2015 is one of our strongest Christmas line-ups ever” Having enjoyed a strong start to the year so far, Rhys Troake caught up with Character Options’ marketing manager, Mark Hunt, to find out about Scooby-Doo success, Q4 predictions and what’s in store for 2016 CHARACTER OPTIONS, last year’s toy retailer supplier of the year, has had a strong first three quarters of 2015 and houses some of the industry’s most popular brands in its portfolio. 2016 will see the company embark on a whole new adventure with the launch of Teletubbies, an event in the toy industry calendar that many are looking forward to. But with that in the future, we spoke with Mark Hunt, marketing manager at Character Options, to find out how the year has progressed so far and whether it has met the expectations of the firm. How has 2015 been for Character Options? We have seen growth across a number of core brands such as Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam, Teksta and Scooby-Doo. Little Live Pets is becoming one our best performing ranges with new mice and turtles performing extremely well. We are continuing to see big volume sales on collectables such as Zelfs and three-inch Minecraft action figures. New introductions of Clangers and Yummy Nummies are very positive and it’s good to see that a number of key lines, such as Clever Keet, have reached the lists of top toys by the retailers. What have been the key markets for you this year? Pre-school remains incredibly important. With Clangers, Weebles, Fireman Sam and Peppa Pig, we have a wide offering for the younger demographic. We are also having great success with youth electronics. The category is growing and Little Live Pets

and Teksta have made a strong contribution to this growth. This is an area we expect to expand further in 2016. What have you got for Scooby-Doo and why did you think now is the right time to launch these? This year, we re-launched Scooby-Doo with five-inch action figures at a really affordable price for the younger market. At £2.99, they have driven some serious volume. For SS16, we will expand on this area as well as

We launched Scooby-Doo action figures this year and they have driven some serious volume. Mark Hunt, Character Options

introducing hot TV lines like we did with Crazy Legs Scooby this fall. Are there any plans in place for Character to break into new markets? Character has a diverse portfolio and we are

continually looking to introduce new innovative concepts to the UK. This has been proven in recent years with ChillFactor and Shimmer and Sparkle Looms. We have some exciting product concepts launching in

AW16 so you’ll have to come and see us at Toy Fair and take a look. What will be your big hitters for Christmas? We have the amazing talking and singing real bird Clever Keet from Little Live Pets, which has already had some amazing coverage and we expect this to be a stand out toy for Christmas. In addition, we are seeing a great response to Teksta Scorpion and Princess Rose Peppa. 2015 is one of our strongest Christmas lineups ever.

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YO-KAI WATCH

One to watch

It has created a frenzy in Japan with merchandise sales hitting €2 billion in just 20 months and now, Yo-Kai Watch has its sights firmly on conquering the West. With the TV series heading to UK screens and the toys hitting shelves next year, Robert Hutchins explores the property expected to be the biggest boys’ brand of 2016

TIPPED to become one of the biggest boys’ brands of 2016/2017, Japanese videogame and cultural sensation Yo-Kai Watch is heading to the West. A franchise built around the success of Level 5’s hit videogame series, and one that has already dominated the Japanese TV, gaming and toy markets to the tune of €2 billion in just 20 months, Yo-Kai Watch has started to turn its attention to the UK. Described by those close to the brand as an ‘IP phenomenon to rival Pokémon’, word of the

Watch to the UK, hopes are high that it’s a brand to watch (pun intended). “We believe Yo-Kai Watch could be the biggest boys’ brand in the UK, building on the popularity it has already demonstrated in its home market,” Rob Corney, MD of Bulldog Licensing, tells ToyNews. “There have been very few new properties in the boys’ space for a long time, with the industry largely marketing re-hashed classic IP, so it is enormously exciting to be working with the strongest new opportunity in the sector for a very long time.”

It’s exciting to be working with the strongest new opportunity in the sector for a very long time. Rob Corney, Bulldog Licensing

franchise’s plans to take on the Western markets first emerged earlier this year when Hasbro detailed its move to take charge of the master toy roll out with a range of collectable figures and plush, scheduled to hit UK retailers in 2016. Now, with Bulldog Licensing – the firm responsible for guiding Shopkins to dizzying heights – on board to bring Yo-Kai

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Yo-Kai Watch follows the adventures of schoolboy Nate and his dealings with a cast of sprites with whom he interacts with via a special wrist watch. It’s a concept that has enjoyed success in Japan, where Nintendo has managed to shift eight million units of its 3DS game, and YoKai Watch products including manga, novels and toys have sold in their millions.

In June this year, the Japanese Toy Association reported that sales of YoKai Watch toys had helped the domestic market see its best result in a decade in fiscal 2014. It’s small wonder therefore that Bulldog Licensing, master licensing agent Viz Media and Hasbro are all keen to see the Japanese series’ success translate to similar effect on the global stage. The UK is no stranger to Japanese anime, with a property like Pokémon continuing to flex its muscles in the field having accrued $2 billion in retail sales across the franchise in 2014 alone. Despite this, Viz Media is confident that Yo-Kai Watch has what it takes to outpace Pokémon in the UK. “This will be the next big boys’ brand, essentially the next Pokémon, and we have very high expectations for the property in the UK,” explains Waell Oueslati, EMEA associate brand manager at Viz Media. “In the Japanese videogames market, we are already bigger than Pokémon with a 95 per cent share of the market. There’s no reason we can’t do the same overseas.” Meanwhile, Manga Entertainment, the longest running animé distributor in the UK and Ireland, believes the brand is UK is a great place for animé to thrive, having enjoyed success first hand with the Dragon Ball-Z franchise. “The market for animé products in the UK is rock solid,” reveals Jerome Mazandarani, chief operations officer at Manga Entertainment. “We have not seen our DVD and Blu-ray sales dip at all since the recession, and the key area of growth for anime content is in the merchandising, particularly apparel and collectables.”

It makes a lot of sense therefore that Bulldog is taking charge of Yo-Kai Watch’s UK programme, with a ‘retail first’ strategy. “As with all key boys’ titles, we think toys, apparel, publishing and home will be major areas for Yo-Kai Watch,” continues Bulldog’s Corney. “We will be looking to keep initial lines tight for 2016 with a more expansive range the following year, but we believe that all major categories will see strong sales with this brand.” Amid the early excitement for the UK arrival of Yo-Kai Watch, general manager of indie retailer ToyTown, Brian Simpson, is quick to point out that simply because something works in the Japanese market, is no guarantee of success here. “Yo-Kai Watch is one of those things that always piques a retailer’s interest, but

the only sure thing in toys is that you can never know for sure what will become a hit,” says Simpson. “However, it does tend to help when a brand becomes popular somewhere globally. It gives it a little bit of positivity before product is released. “There is a gap in the market for a good boys’ collectable brand, but whether Yo-Kai Watch will be that one is difficult to judge until we see product.”

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TKC Sales Ltd. The Old Spitfire Hangar, Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire, BA14 6EP, UK T: 01380 872 950, F: 01380 872 969, sales@tkcsales.co.uk, www.tkcsales.co.uk

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SUPPLIER PROFILE

Adams’ family values With a plethora of family game titles and hit brands to its name, 2015 has seen John Adams enjoy another year of steady growth. Robert Hutchins talks to managing director Simon Pilkington about this year’s hit family game Rummikub and the firm’s advancements in the pre-school sector with its Pip Ahoy line

How has 2015 been for John Adams? We have had a really exciting year with lots of major launches across all product categories, including new introductions within the Rummikub games collection and the launch of our new preschool range, Pip Ahoy. We are continuing to grow steadily across all of these categories. We do this by carefully managing our product portfolio and the lifecycle of each product to ensure that our growth is sustainable in the long-term. What’s driving growth for you at the moment? We have been really pleased with our key 2015 product launches. The reaction to our new Bangle

Blitz range, which enables kids to make and design their own bangles, has been fantastic. Our new Disney Globe products are also performing well in the arts and crafts category. However, the latest addition to our growing food craft collection, Mini Make Cupcakes, is doing really well at the moment as it was launched to coincide with all the hype around The Great British Bake Off. Everything is now lined up for us to have a very successful 2015. We have some very strong TV and PR campaigns in place for Q4 as we enter the key buying period in the run up to Christmas, so we are quietly confident, although only time will tell. 2015 has been a big year for the Rummikub brand. Can you talk us through its success? Rummikub is a fantastic brand. Born from humble beginnings, families all around the world have been playing it for over 50 years. As a heritage brand, it is the perfect fit for John Adams’ ever-expanding games portfolio.

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We relaunched Classic Rummikub last year and the range has been extended this year with Word, X-Press, Prime and Junior versions. This year saw the Rummikub UK championships take place

as well as bringing people who love playing these games together, it’s also a great way to raise awareness of these games and introduce them to new audiences. Our whole ethos is about bringing people together through play and

Our ethos is about bringing people together through play and we are proud to offer games the whole family can enjoy. Simon Pilkington, John Adams

at the John Lewis Store at Startford Westfield Centre, welcoming some of the best players from around the UK to compete against each other to become the UK Rummikub Champion. The winner now goes on to represent the UK in the World Championships. We also have the Othello World Championships at the end of October, followed by the Rubik’s UK Championships which we sponsor in November. These competitions are an important part of keeping games like Rummikub alive because,

as a company, we are very proud to offer games the whole family can enjoy. How has the Pip Ahoy helped shape your preschool offering? The Pip Ahoy product range has seen a really good response and as we move into 2016, the toy range will be supported by new product launches in other core pre-school categories, including publishing, apparel, mobile applications and DVDs, so this will naturally create an even stronger retail presence for the brand.

For us, Pip Ahoy is definitely adding more shape to the company’s pre-school portfolio, with continued UK broadcast commitment, new content, growth in the merchandising programme, international distribution opportunites and a drive in consumer marketing activity in 2016. It is an exciting time to be master toy licensee. Pip Ahoy is a brand we plan to build for the future, so watch this space. What has 2016 got in store for you? It’s all very much top secret at the moment, I am afraid. However, we will have extensions to our most successful brands along with new licensed arts and crafts products, plus some hilarious new games, following in the footsteps of Doggie Doo and Pig Out – in true John Adams style. Will you be looking to expand into new categories? We are always on the look out for new opportunities to develop and grow our portfolio, but equally, it’s important for us to maintain our core business and ethos. November 27

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News Media

Dedicated monthly licensing coverage for the UK

Opinion

Sony Pictures details toy plans for Ghostbusters, Jumanji and Get Smurfy “With Ghostbusters, we have something for everyone, whether you’re a collector or an everyday toy buyer,” Mark Caplan, the studio’s new senior vice president of global consumer products, tells ToyNews By Billy Langsworthy MARK CAPLAN, Sony Pictures’ new senior vice president of global consumer products, has revealed the firm’s toy plans for big screen properties including Ghostbusters, Get Smurfy and the Jumanji remake. Mattel has signed a deal to be the global master toy licensee for next year’s Ghostbusters reboot, set to hit screens in July 2016 with an all-female team, and Sony Pictures has shed some light on the slate of planned products, spanning blind bags, board games and action figures. “Mattel has developed a really broad line of products,” Sony’s Mark Caplan told ToyNews. “We’re going after collectors with blind bag figures at a very reasonable price point. In each figure pack there’s a piece of a particular character, so if a consumer buys all four, they can assemble a separate ghost. “Mattel is also doing a board game and six-inch figures of both the classic Ghostbusters and the brand new movie. “The firm is developing a new Eco-1 and the collectable characters can fit into the car. Mattel is also creating the Proton Pack. What kid would not want to throw that on? “Alongside Mattel, we have LEGO on board, Funko doing Pop! Vinyl and Rubie’s is making costumes. It’s expansive. We have something for everyone, www.toynews-online.biz

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whether you’re a collector or an everyday toy buyer.” Elsewhere, it was revealed back in August that Sony was developing a Jumanji remake and the firm’s plans involve a board game that it hopes can match the success of the original Hasbro game from the Nineties. Caplan continued: “Jumanji has an interesting place in the toy world. Back in the late Nineties, Hasbro developed a board game based on the movie. That’s the path for us in toys with the return of Jumanji, to create a board game and even a mobile game. “Maybe there is something we can do where the mobile game interacts with the

board game. It’s early days for that but I think it’s a natural fit.” Elsewhere, Hotel Transylvania 2 is now gracing UK cinema screens,

well and there’ll be more content moving forward,” said Caplan. “There’s an animated series coming and that’s when we’ll focus

With Ghostbusters, we’re going after collectors with blind bag figures at a reasonable price point. Mark Caplan, Sony Pictures

but Sony plans to push the brand into the toy space further with the arrival of an animated TV series that’s set to debut in early 2017. “Hotel Transylvania 2 has done tremendously

on developing a toy partnership for Hotel Transylvania because being on television will drive more awareness for it.” 2017 will also see Sony bring The Smurfs to the big screen once again in

Get Smurfy, a new fully animated movie. Sony has signed a master toy deal with Jakks Pacific for the film and Caplan believes that Get Smurfy will provide a wealth of opportunities for success in the toy space. “If you remember how successful the little Smurf figurines were back in the day, we’re bringing those back,” Caplan revealed. “There’s a lot of different play patterns that we’ll be tapping into with The Smurfs, from role play to construction and even ‘create your own’ products. “It’s early stages but it’s an evergreen brand and in toys, there’s an endless amount of product we can make.” November 29

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NEWS

Frozen is here to stay, says Disney “2015 has been great for Frozen and we’re hoping for an exciting Christmas,” Mike Stagg, general manager, integrated retail and licensing for The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland, told ToyNews By Billy Langsworthy IT MAY have landed in UK cinemas back in December 2013, but Disney sees no end in sight for the toy potential of Frozen. The brand has become a toy titan in the last few years and boosted by this year’s short film, Frozen Fever, and with a sequel on the way (not due out before 2018), Disney believes its success in the toy space will run and run. “2015 has been great for Frozen and we’re hoping for an exciting Christmas,” Mike Stagg, general manager, integrated retail and licensing for The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland, told ToyNews. “We’ve got new product coming through from a variety of licensees and the expectations are positive. We’re very excited about the product innovation that’s coming through. It’s

such a huge franchise. It’s got a life of its own and it’s here to stay.” Alongside Frozen, Disney is also excited about the potential of Star Wars, with a new slate of movies set to introduce the brand, and toys, to a new audience.

“We’re incredibly excited about the potential of Star Wars,” added Stagg. “The key thing is to reintroduce a generation that knows of Star Wars but hasn’t ever experienced the theatrical release of a Star Wars movie. That in

itself will be phenomenal and gives plenty of momentum to the franchise for years to come. “With a Star Wars movie being released every year for the next five years, there is plenty of content coming down the line.

“There’s also a huge amount of innovative product being launched by a number of licensees like Sphero’s BB-8. “What the Star Wars brand allows is creativity in product design and we’re looking forward to seeing that come through in the products that hit the marketplace. There’s something for everyone.” Elsewhere, this year saw Pixar celebrate its 20th anniversary, and Stagg believes the studio continues to form a vital part of the firm’s toy plans. “The legacy of Pixar has never been stronger and what comes out of Pixar is content that appeals to parents and children,” continued Stagg. “Products that come from Pixar movies endure over time. Woody and Buzz are as relevant today as they were 20 years ago, which is fantastic.”

The BFG to be major launch eOne bolsters Peppa Pig with new deals for Ravensburger in 2016 Firm believes the property is a perfect fit for the puzzle category

Guess Who and Junior Monopoly on the way

By Robert Hutchins

By Robert Hutchins RAVENSBURGER is readying a major launch for its range based on next year’s The BFG movie. The film hits UK cinemas on July 22nd 2016, and Ravensburger’s line of puzzles will launch six weeks prior, in early June. The puzzles will span age ranges from four to ten and the firm believes the property is a great fit for the category. “The BFG will be a major launch for Ravensburger and there will be the two major peaks coming from both the movie release and the launch of the DVD,” said Cornee Marlow, 30 November

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marketing services coordinator at Ravensburger. “There is a perfect fit between The BFG and the puzzle category. With the massive awareness and popularity of the book, together with what is sure to be an amazing film, there will definitely be a strong demand for puzzles.”

Marlow continued: “We are delighted to be working together with eOne on this brilliant property and really look forward to developing some superb product for thousands of young boys and girls to enjoy.” Ravensburger: 01869 363800

EONE has bolstered its line of Peppa Pig toys with a raft of new UK deals with both fresh and existing partners. Winning Moves will launch Peppa Pig Junior Monopoly and Guess Who board games while Character Options is introducing a line of arts and crafts products. Character will also be launching Peppa construction toys in the UK from January 2016. New to the Peppa Pig licensing programme is Trends UK. The firm will launch preschool Peppa Pig electronic learning toys to the UK from autumn/winter 2016. Other new partners include Bladez for remote control

inflatables, Vivid for Crayola a Colour Wonder activity, Flair for arts and crafts including draw on Peppa plush and t-shirts, Meld for wooden toys and Access all Areas for a range of music instruments including a ukulele, junior guitar, tambourine, maracas and egg shakers. www.toynews-online.biz

10/21/15 14:37

NEWS

IMG to rustle up games partners for The Laughing Cow The Bel Group has signed a worldwide deal to push the cheese brand into a wide range of new markets By Billy Langsworthy CHEESE BRAND The Laughing Cow is coming to the games market. The Bel Group has signed a worldwide licensing representation deal with IMG for its The Laughing Cow brand, and the firm is now on the lookout for games partners. The Laughing Cow is sold in 137 countries and Bel claims ‘the brand benefits from a unique global appeal that goes beyond the famous cheese itself’. A style guide has already been developed around four key values of the brand: design and contemporary, fun and bold, retro and vintage and ‘happy family’. The guide aims to inspire creative designs across categories including games, apparel, decoration items, kitchen accessories and publishing. “We are excited to be partnering with The Laughing Cow, which we believe has all the elements needed to create a strong

international licensing programme,” said Mickael Andreo, licensing director at IMG. “Our aim is to translate the core values of the brand into a fun, distinctive and broad range of licensed products, inspired by its unique appeal.”

We aim to translate the core values of the brand into a fun, distinctive and broad range of products. Mickael Andreo, IMG

Mariana Coronel, marketing development

director at Bel Group, added: “This partnership

with IMG will allow us to maximise opportunities and greatly develop our brand’s international potential in licensing.” The licensing activity will be led by an IMG team based in Paris, which will also work with IMG’s global team. IMG: 0208 233 5300

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 to be “massive” in toys Nickelodeon believes the addition of Bebop and Rocksteady will lead to success on screen and shelves By Billy Langsworthy NICKELODEON believes its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel is set to make waves in the toy space next year. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 lands in UK cinemas in June 2016, and with characters Bebop and Rocksteady set to make an appearance, Nickelodeon is confident it will be a hit in cinemas and on shelves. “The first movie was a huge success and the next www.toynews-online.biz

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installment will bring us Casey Jones along with fan favourites Bebop and Rocksteady,” said Marianne James, vice president, consumer products UK and Ireland and European retail sales and marketing at Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products. “It’s going to be massive with a toy and action figure range to complement the release. We are very excited at developing the movie franchise with all new product and retail activations.” November 31

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Hot to trot You don’t just have to play with product to engage with toy brands, you can wear them. Billy Langsworthy talks to Katherine Buckland, senior licensing director at Hasbro Europe, about bringing the likes of My Little Pony, Transformers and Monopoly to the catwalk and whether toy stores should start stocking clothing lines

How has 2015 been for Hasbro so far in the licensing space? We have an incredible momentum behind our brands; 2014 was the best year in Hasbro’s licensing history. Hasbro has rapidly evolved beyond a traditional toy and game company into a truly branded play company with a rich portfolio of franchise brands that have become bona fide global lifestyle properties, each driven by strong entertainment, immersive storytelling, and comprehensive licensing programmes. What brands have performed well across the different categories? There is currently a global success story around our Transformers and My Little Pony franchises. Through a total brand approach for each property, we’re engaging fans of all ages with innovative consumer products and brand experiences across all major licensing categories including entertainment, digital, fashion, toys and

games, digital gaming, publishing, and much more. Whether it’s a £1 My Little Pony keychain or a £500 My Little Pony sweater, our franchises have incredible stretch across a wide span of licensing and retail channels. The My Little Pony brand has a global presence across all major consumer

in addition to promotions and corresponding retail and experiential programmes worldwide. The Transformers brand is one of the most iconic franchises of this century and continues to carve out its spot in pop culture history. Fans around the world have connected with an expansive range of Transformers

To see designers interpret our brands and give them high-fashion appeal has been astounding. Katherine Buckland, Hasbro

products and promotional categories, since its relaunch in 2010. The fifth season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic kicked off in the US earlier this year and airs on television in over 180 territories, on over 24 networks and is also distributed on iTunes, Google Play and Netflix. Its rich storyline and cast of characters has expanded the brand into an array of product categories,

branded content and lifestyle experiences, from the Transformers: Robots in Disguise and Transformers: Rescue Bots animated series to consumer apparel and more. Have any partnerships surprised you this year? To see how different designers and tastemakers interpret our brands and give them high-fashion appeal has been astounding.

From the extravagant rhinestone appliqués that form Transformers characters on designer dresses from Philipp Plein, to the fun and quirky Au Jour Le Jour prints and patterns made up of classic Monopoly iconography, our most beloved brands have now become modern musthave style through the eyes of some of fashion’s most acclaimed personalities. With the return of Stickle Bricks, Action Man and Stretch Armstrong, how important are retro properties to your plans moving forward? With more than 1,500 properties in the Hasbro ‘vault,’ we have an incredible opportunity to leverage nostalgic and beloved brands moving forward – we’ve barely even scratched the surface. We’re constantly reevaluating our properties and looking to re-introduce heritage brands to keep them fresh and tell new stories when the time is right. In addition to those you mention, another

great example is Jem and the Holograms, currently being reimagined for a new generation with the launch of Universal Pictures’ live-action, motion-picture adaptation inspired by the Eighties cult classic, set to premiere in the UK in February 2016. Do you think toy retailers should be stocking the wider Hasbro lines, like the fashion collections? Having branded apparel merchandised alongside our toy and games business would be a great opportunity for children and fans to engage with our brands at an even deeper level. When a child finds and falls in love with a character they relate to, there’s a greater chance for them to express themselves through those characters and their stories. We feel that an expansive range of consumer product offerings across retailers, from toys to apparel and more, is critical to reaching those consumers and delivering the great brand experiences that fit their lifestyle.

www.toynews-online.biz November 33

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A monthly guide dedicated to the biggest sector in toys

Posh Paws ready to roar ahead with The Good Dinosaur With excitement building ahead of Disney Pixar’s upcoming movie, as well as with pre-school TV series Miles from Tomorrow, the plush specialist is looking forward to another year of growth By Robert Hutchins THE GOOD Dinosaur and Miles From Tomorrow toy lines will reinforce Posh Paws’ position as a leader in the pre-school plush market. The firm has stated that with all the excitement for both The Good Dinosaur and TV series Miles from Tomorrow, set to continue into spring/summer of 2016, Posh Paws will be in for another successful year. The firm has already seen ‘unprecedented’ demand for its licensed plush ranges throughout 2015 and is currently tracking 60 per cent growth on 2014 year to date sales. “Hype for The Good Dinosaur is building ahead of its release at the end of November and we expect consumer interest in this product to carry through well into spring/summer 2016,” Lauren Shipman, group brand manager, Posh Paws, told ToyNews.

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“We believe The Good Dinosaur plush line will be one of the lead categories for the film, while due to the strong performance of the Miles From Tomorrow TV show this year, we are

already anticipating strong sales for the plush next year too.” The two properties join a burgeoning line up of licensed plush toys from Posh Paws, including the

likes of Star Wars, Tsum Tsum and Inside Out, as well as its staple preschool lines from Doc McStuffins Pet Vet, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Disney Princess.

“There are some really strong characters in The Good Dinosaur that I expect to see demand for the product well into 2016,” continued Shipman. “Our Miles plush seems to be gathering momentum and we certainly expect to see another year of growth with the addition of the two properties.” Both The Good Dinosaur and Miles from Tomorrow plush lines are expected to hit retailers in early 2016. “Both of these licences are perfect for the preschool plush category,” continued Shipman. “The Good Dinosaur is a heart-warming movie for all the family and Miles from Tomorrow is an aspiring science and space adventure TV series. “I think the product looks fantastic for the target audience and will certainly reinforce our position as a leader in the traditional plush market.” Posh Paws: 01268 580154

November 35

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NEWS

Disney prepares for big 2016 in pre-school with The Lion Guard The company is readying for brand new properties like The Lion King spin-off series and the fairy taleinspired Goldie & Bear to join favourites like Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins and Mickey’s Clubhouse By Billy Langsworthy THANKS TO the addition of two new properties, Disney believes it’s in for a great 2016 in the pre-school space. The Lion Guard, a new animated TV movie and series coming in early 2016, will continue the story of The Lion King by following Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala. Elsewhere, the fairy tale-inspired Goldie & Bear will debut on Disney Junior UK in early 2016 and is set after ‘the porridge incident’ from Goldilocks and The Three Bears. The firm believes both shows will spawn products that will be hits in the preschool sector, with The Lion Guard’’s offering set to be backed by the heritage of The Lion King brand. “In pre-school, we’ve got the favourites like Sofia, Jake, Doc and Mickey’s Clubhouse, but we’ve also got Goldie & Bear coming

through and also The Lion Guard,” Mike Stagg, general manager, integrated retail and licensing for The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland, told ToyNews. “The heritage of The Lion King is very exciting for us and hopefully for the retailers too.”

Stagg also stated that the Disney Junior brand has gone from strength to strength since its launch in the UK four years ago, with shows including Doc McStuffins, Miles from Tomorrow, Sofia the First, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

and Jake and the Never Land Pirates becoming popular in the toy aisle. “For generations Disney has created magical and heartfelt stories and characters. Our new Disney Junior programming will continue this legacy and it

also taps into the nostalgia parents have for traditional fairy tales and the iconic Lion King movie,” added Stagg. “With our pre-school portfolio expanding, so too will the opportunities to create products that will bring the characters to life.”

Orchard Toys enjoys US success with PBS Kids The American firm contacted the pre-school specialist to help them produce a new range of games and jigsaws that have gone on to scoop both awards and strong sales By Billy Langsworthy ORCHARD TOYS has enjoyed success across the pond, having designed range of successful games for PBS Kids. PBS contacted Orchard Toys looking for someone to help them produce a range of games and jigsaws to be sold through Wholefoods stores, a large upmarket supermarket chain in America. The game and jigsaw manufacturer worked collaboratively with the TV 36 November

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network’s development team to design and produce three games and two jigsaws in their own brand style, which have subsequently been successful in the US. Since completing the range, one of the jigsaws produced for PBS Kids has won a prestigious NAPPA (National Parenting Publications) award. “It’s been great to work closely with PBS throughout the product design and development process to ensure that the end results meet their expectations,”

said Orchard Toys’ export manager, Mary Watson. “It positively demonstrates the work we can do with other retailers and distributors.” Orchard Toys has also designed and manufactured several own brand products for retailers and distributors both in the UK and internationally, including language specific lines for a number of non-English speaking countries. Orchard Toys: 01953 859525 www.toynews-online.biz

10/21/15 16:56

SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL

Crawl intentions 2015 sees the pre-school sector enjoy another year of good health, thanks to new innovations and hit licences driving the market to success. Robert Hutchins takes a look at the latest products for toddlers GALT British toy designer Patrick Rylands first brought Ambi Toys to life in 1976 and thanks to Galt Toys, this ever-popular range is back on the shelves for kids and adults to enjoy. Ambi Toys now boasts an impressive collection of pre-school toys designed to promote learning through play, while the range’s distinctive style, purity of colour and imaginative features helps it stand out among any toy box. Leading Ambi Toys’ line-up this season, the popular Bird and Fish bath toys, reintroduced back in August 2015, are designed to be tactile with eyes for decoration. Each toy contains an internal ballast

to keep it upright when bobbing about in the water. Suitable for kids aged from 18 months and upwards, the minimalist deisgns aim to encourage youngsters to use their imaginations, while introducing them to new ideas of structure, form, colour and balance.

Another classic Ambi bath toy is the Fishing Boat featuring a steering wheel that doubles up as a life ring, while the masts become a fishing game for two and the all the fish can be popped under board in a secret hatch. Suitable from 24 months and upwards, the Fishing Boat is billed as the ‘perfect

developmental toy’ with a multitude of games for bath time fun. Pop-Up Pals is a colour matching peep-o toy designed to help develop hand-eye co-ordination and manual dexterity. Kids are sure to love tapping the buttons with the hammer and watching the coloured pop-up pal jump up.

GOLDEN BEAR It’s the perennial favourites that lead the way for Golden Bear’s pre-school offering this season, with new lines from the likes of CBeebies’ Twirlywoos, Hey Duggee, In the Night Garden and Mr Tumble. Based on the popular TV series airing on CBeebies, Golden Bear’s Twirlywoos range includes soft plush versions of Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy, Chick and Peekaboo. Varying in size, the range includes talking soft toys, Peeking Peekaboo as well as Twirlytop Toodloo. The collection also includes the Big Red Boat Playset which can mimic learning patterns from the show. Meanwhile, Hey Duggee has reportedly received an outstanding response from parents since launch, and with its burgeoning portfolio of pre-school lines, is destined to continue its success through to Christmas. 38 November

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All of Ambi Toys’ product designs have been developed with simplicity in mind. “Babies and toddlers are not interested in passing trends or the latest gadget,” said a statement from Galt. “They need well-designed toys which don’t disappoint during play and encourage discovery.” 0161 428 9111

VIVID

Duggee is a big cuddly dog and leader of a playgroup called The Squirrel Club in which he is joined by a cast of unique animal characters. Golden Bear’s plush offering includes collectable characters and talking Squirrel Soft Toys. The Woof Woof Duggee Soft Toy has textured fabrics and push-activated badge

icons which feature the show’s theme tune as well as key phrases from the series. Pre-schoolers can recreate scenes from the show with the Clubhouse Playset which comes complete with Duggee figure and accessories. Buildng on the 2014 success of the Ninky Nonk Musical Activity Train, the range has been extended

further for Christmas 2015. The new In the Night Garden Explore and Learn Musical Activity Table features three key characters, plus a host of interactive stories, songs and imaginative play. Meanwhile, the Ninky Nonk Track and Train Set is designed for little hands, while the Explore and Learn Musical Activity Carousel features five interactive electronic panels for children to explore as well as two modes: character songs and sounds or simple word learning. Finally, the Mr. Tumble Sensory Activity Centre is filled with textures, moving features, mechanical sounds and an articulated Mr. Tumble figure. Features include a wall of mirrors, wavy slides, a lift and textured spots; all of which are designed to aid the development of fine motor skills and imagination. 01952 608 308

My Friend Freddy Bear is labeled by Vivid as ‘the bear who really knows you’. Parents can simply download the app and type in the answers to questions about the child, such as favourite films and foods. Freddy Bear then incorporates this information into things he says. The app also includes three picture books and three types of activities, whch can be made trickier as the child advances through each stage. This spring saw the launch of an app add-on, featuring a new story book and the chance to pay to unlock additional games and stories. 01483 449 944 www.toynews-online.biz

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL VTECH

VTech is no stranger to the pre-school sector with its plethora of hit children’s brands and technology, including the popular TootToot collection. And, this year sees the introduction of a brand new addition to the Toot-Toot Family, with the launch of Toot-Toot Friends. Having already picked up two Gold awards for Best Electronic Toy and Best Interactive Toy in the Loved By Parents awards, Toot-Toot Friends is an interactive collection of

RAINBOW DESIGNS

friends, which have been developed especially for little ones, with the brand’s popular chunky characters and play-sets. Toot-Toot Friends characters can each come to life on specially designed Magic Point locations. Simply by placing the character on different MagicPoints on the accessories and play sets, kids can enjoy watching the characters move and lightup in addition to engaging with unique interactions between each character.

VTech will meanwhile continue to drive the collectability of the range with over seven introductory characters and two play sets. “At VTech we are always looking to enhance our offering and we feel that the new Toot-Toot Friends additions will continue to interact, educate and captivate young children just as Toot-Toot Drivers have proven to do,” explained Charlotte Drake, senior brand manager for Toot Toot at VTech. 012355 555 545

BANANAGRAMS Bananagrams brings a fruity twist to the preschool sector this season with its award-winning games Fruitominoes and PAIRSinPEARS. Aimed at kids aged three and upwards and priced at £14.99, Fruitominoes takes classic dominoes and gives them a twist. Featuring colourful images of fruit instead of dots means the time-tested game appeals to youngsters, too. Fruitonimoes arrive in a portable fabric pouch that can be taken on the road to be played at any time. The game challenges kids to connect the fruit depicted on each of the tiles, designed for little hands. Fruitominoes has already been recognised by the Dads’ Choice Awards, Primary Teacher Update Awards, Loved By Parents Awards and the Good Toy Guide. Meanwhile, PAIRSinPEARS is priced at £15.99 and challenges kids to build words and match patterns all in the name of fun and 40 November

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Following the successful launch of the Paddington movie last year, this autumn will see the introduction of a new look Paddington movie collection, aimed at the preschool market. Courtesy of pre-school aficionados Rainbow Designs, the new collection features Talking Paddington Bear as well as Paddington soft toys and bean toys. This new-look range will sit alongside the already firmly established Paddington pre-school collection featuring puzzles, Mix n Match Card Game and the Learn to Tell the Time with Paddington Bear Wooden Clock. But it’s not all marmalade sandwiches as Rainbow also has an extensive range of pre-school products from hit brands such as Peppa Pig, Peter Rabbit and Guess How Much I Love You. Next spring will see the launch of a set of Guess How Much I Love You Stacking Blocks and colourful Wooden Blocks, as well as Stackable

Building Block sets in The Very Hungry Caterpillar range. There will also be a multitude of new lines for the award-winning Peppa Pig for Baby collection. Furthermore, spring 2016 will see the launch of a brand new Miffy for Baby collection that will feature a range of comfort and developmental toys in baby pink and denim. Completing the line up and celebrating the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth next year, Rainbow Designs will be launching a series of soft toys coinciding with World Book Day, starring some of the author’s best known characters including The BFG, Matilda and Willy Wonka. 01392 227 300

CASDON

learning. PAIRSinPEARS contains a range of games that adapts as a family grows up. Packed with eight engaging, educational activities for children of varying ages, as well as two competitive word games for advanced players, PAIRSinPEARS help

developmental learning with the games Pattern Grouping and Letter Hunt. PAIRSinPEARS comes with ten games in total and has recently been awarded accolades from the Dads’ Choice Awards, Primary Teacher Update Awards and Loved By Parents Awards. 0207 298 9500

Decades of experience in role-play toys for preschoolers places Casdon in a prime position within the market this year. Combining pretend play with household names, Casdon brings replica kitchen appliances and play accessories to the play room, meaning kids can feel like a grown-up as they play. The Little Helper collection is a favourite among kids, with lines including the Dyson upright or Hettie and Henry cylinder vacuums. New for 2015 is a range of Annabel Karmel real baking accessories featuring mixing bowls and utensils, cookie cutters and cake tins as well as an icing set. Casdon’s Little Cook range also features a selection of toasters, microwaves and kettles and even a Mr. Kipling Cake Stand. Alternatively, little shoppers can enjoy

Casdon’s range of supermarket tills, shopping baskets, trollies and more. For retailers, the company provides the assurance of affordable collections, big brand names and for 2015, a solid social media strategy to spread the core values among parents. 01253 608 428

www.toynews-online.biz

10/21/15 16:40

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Extensive TV & Digital Presence Heavyweight PR Support

HEY DUGGEE™ and © Studio AKA Ltd 2014. Licensed by BBC Worldwide. Twirlywoos TM DHX Worldwide Ltd.@2015 Ragdoll Productions Ltd and DHX Worldwide Ltd. ©2015 DHX Worldwide Limited. In the Night Garden and all related characters, titles and logos are trademarks of DHX Worldwide Limited. All Rights Reserved.

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL HASBRO Hasbro has checked into The Furchester Hotel this season, with a range of pre-school toys inspired by the hit series’ cast of incompetent monsters. Elmo’s Aunt Funella, Uncle Furgus and cousin Phoebe all star alongside Elmo and Cookie Monster from the ever-popular Sesame Street. Leading the line up is the Elmo Talking Plush, welcoming new friends with his furry arms and no less than ten phrases from The Furchester Hotel TV series. Featuring phrases and laughter, this Elmo plush can deliver a playful message or emit silly giggles with each squeeze of its furry tummy. Elmo will roll out phrases about tea time or another dilemma at the hotel, or maybe just the giggles. After 20 seconds of no activity,

CLEMENTONI Elmo Talking Plush will say goodbye to you. Elsewhere, Elmo and Phoebe figures take to the stage in The Furchester Hotel play-set with figures, featuring some of the familiar rooms from the

television series in a carry ‘n play suitcase. With the play-set, kids can explore the reception area, where Isabel waits on the desktop for little hands to ring her bell, or use the lift to move between the tearoom and the bedroom. Pre-schoolers can fold down the bed on the second floor or rotate rooms with the pop-out panel on the first floor, which features a dining area and kitchen with oven. All of the included accessories and figures can be packed away into The Furchester Hotel’s suitcase design, allowing for extended role-play. The included tea cart, luggage trolley and luggage accessories help to complete the experience. Other mini figures from The Furchester Hotel series can also fit in this playset, driven collectability among young ones. 020 85691234

Clementoni has a raft of hit pre-school lines to it name, but this season it’s the firm’s Baby T-Rex that takes the starring role among its burgeoning portfolio. This electronic dinosaur can speak, sing and move when activated. Children can press the three shape buttons on its back and the Baby T-Rex responds by walking and turning around. When the rattle is shaken it activates baby T-Rex, encouraging children to use manual skills to help the movement of the dinosaur. The waddling dinosaur is an educational, electronic toy which introduces numbers, first words, animal sounds and the habitat in which they live. This electronic speaking toy sings and array of songs and nursery rhymes, ideal for infants

THAMES AND KOSMOS

LEARNING RESOURCES

Kids First is a new line of science kits from Thames and Kosmos that allows parents to introduce scientific topics and hands learning to youngsters. Starting at age three and designed to prepare kids for more advanced science kits and school work, these pre-school kits aim to inspire a lifetime of science exploration from an early age. The story-book style manuals encourage children to experiment on their own and the large building The educational toy specialists are getting warmed up for winter with the introduction of New Sprouts, designed to encourage diverse imaginative play based on first hand experiences, early vocabulary skills and social skills. Specially designed for little hands, this range boasts bright and durable plastic pieces and are easy to grip for long-lasting fun for toddlers. 42 November

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reaching their first milestones in life. Elsewhere, Clementoni presents its licensed Paw Patrol Quizzy, an entertaining card game with more than 200 educational quizzes to answer, using a Paw Patrol electronic pen. The game has been designed to help kids learn the important pre-school age notions such as shapes, colours, special orientation, number and words. The accompanying Paw Patrol pen makes a sounds and lights up with each correct answer, encouraging kids’ attention, observation and logical skills. 020 87821 143

New for 2015, the Soups On set includes everything kids need to cook up a new recipe for creative play. The set encourages a positive attitude towards healthy eating as they simmer, stir and serve a bowl of soup. The set is complete with a tureen with lid, ladle, two bowls, two spoons, two potato wedges, two tomato wedges, three celery chunks, three red onion wedges, three noodles and three carrot crinkles.

pieces make it easy to play with. The kit also helps to develop important fine motor skills, along with laying the groundwork for future STEM related skills and comprehension. There are three kits to choose from in the level one series, all of which come in a durable storage box and include an easy to follow manual. Choose from three boxes: automobile, engineer, aircraft engineer and amusement park engineer. 01580 212 000

Also new for this year, the Hot Cocoa Set encourages little ones to mimic mum and dad by popping the kettle on and settling down to a cosy treat. The set comes complete with kettle, hot chocolate container, two mugs, two spoons, giant marshmallows and two cookies. The New Sprout range is suitable for kids aged two and upwards. 01553 819 330 www.toynews-online.biz

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Games that grow with your family! Perfect for preschoolers and kids of all ages.

+44 (0) 207 298 9500 sales@winningmoves.co.uk www.bananagrams.com

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL IMC TOYS

This summer saw IMC toys partner with Disney to launch it brand new Miles From Tomorrow toy range and according to the firm, sales are already off to a flying start. With a comprehensive marketing plan in place, the range includes key items such as action figures, the Stellosphere Play-set, Rover RC and deluxe figures. The Stellosphere play-set is filled with features, including light and sound effects. The vehicle opens up to reveal the cabin inside and also comes with articulated figures of the hero characters from the show, Miles and MERC.

TRENDS UK

Miles and MERC deluxe figures come with the character’s key accessories from the show. Miles has his helmet, laserang and blasboard, while MERC has interchangable wings, his rocker and his normal wings. Both feature lights and sound effects from the television show. New novelties are being introduced to the range from July 2016 onwards, building on the success of the launch. IMC will continue to support its growng portfolio with TV, digital and print marketing activity. 01904 720 908

As it builds on its recent success of the Puppy Surprise brand, Trends UK introduces the new Pony Surprise and Bunny Surprise plush toys into the range. Puppy Surprise is the much-loved 90s phenomenon featuring a mummy dog with a surprise number of puppies in her litter which has been reintroduced this year, and according to Trends ‘is selling like hot cakes.’ The new Surprise and Bunny Surprise will be available from spring 2016. Featuring a surprise number of foals in its pouch, Pony Surprise has proved to be a big hit in the US, while Bunny Surprise will launch in the UK in time for Easter. Both will retail at £24.99 each. Elsewhere, Trends UK is launching a new Haynes First Tech Build Your Own range, suitable for kids aged four and upwards. The product has been designed to help young petrol heads understand how basic

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Completing the line up and dinosaur fans are in for a treat as Trends UK introduces The Good Dinosaur’s Arlo feature plush. The star of the upcoming Disney Pixar movie – scheduled for release this month – arrives standing at 30cm tall and comes with 15 sounds and phrases from the movie. Walkin’ & Talkin’ Arlo is available from Trends UK for £29.99. 01295 768 078

JOHN ADAMS

LEAPFROG

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, LeapFrog uses its signature blend of fun and education to drive innovation in the pre-school sector. This year, LeapFrog has expanded its pre-school toy collection, introducing new ways to teach children those important skills in an active way. Designed by learning and development experts,

engines and car parts work, in the name of fun. The range launches with two sets: The Haynes First Tech Build Your Own Engines and The Haynes First Tech Build Your Own Racing Car. The engine set arrives with 20 parts and accessories to build a motorcycle engine, while the racing car kit comes with 24 parts to construct a race car or street car. Both new Haynes First Tech products will be available for £14.99 each.

the LeapFrog collection aims to teach the essential counting, sharing, spelling and collaboration skills. Leading the charge this season is LeapFrog’s Number Loving Oven, offering toddlers a first glimpse into how numbers and early maths skills are a part of everyday life. The Number Loving Oven talks, sings and gets number skills cooking with

over 30 songs and phrases, 16 ingredients while the number slider on the front of the Number Loving Oven allows kids to practice number recognition and learn the value of numbers. Meanwhile, Scout’s Build and Discover Tool Box lets kids interact with LeapFrog’s pup Scout as he guides them through their first step-by-step building project by counting, measuring and even colour matching along the way. The Scout’s Build and Discover Tool Box supports the foundational pre-school skills and engages children in purposeful play as they explore and discover. Completing the line up, Word Whammer gets kids jamming on phonics skills as they spin and twist the handles to identify letters and build words in three funfair themed games. Kids can push the toy’s handles to blast a rocket into letters and to spell more than 100 words. 01895 202 840

John Adams has set sail upon new waters with its range of pre-school toys for Pip Ahoy, having secured the master toy licence for the hit television series airing on Channel 5, earlier in the year. The toy range reflects the characters and themes from the television series, which feautres the voices of Sir David Jason and Stacey Solomon. Pip’s Lighthouse Playset leads the line, followed by the Mr Morris’ Bubble Train Vehicle, featuring articulated carriages and seats that bob up and down as the train rolls along. Also in the range is Skipper’s Bucket tug boat which can be pulled along the ground with a

rocking motion or can float in the water. The portfolio also includes a 12-inch Talking Pip Plush character which plays 11 recognisable phrases from the show and a selection of articulated to scale mini figures available in packs of two or four. Elsewhere, Tiny Tears continues to be a popular choice and as the range celebrates its 50th anniversary John Adams has produced a special, limited edition Tiny Tears doll. The Tiny Tears Anniversary doll comes with a water bottle, a potty and a special keepsake certificate. 01480 414 361

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL LE TOY VAN With 20 years experience in the sector, Le Toy Van is a master of the pre-school space, delivering its signature range of crafted, wooden toys. This season, the firm has launched its latest collection of seven water-based painted wooden toys for little ones, under the much-loved Petilou umberella. Rich in AngloFranco heritage, Le Toy Van’s Petilou brand name is formed by the two French words ‘petit’ and ‘loup’, which means ‘little wolf’, often used as a nick name for toddlers in France. Aimed at kids aged 12 months and upwards, the latest additions to the Petilou range include the brand new woodlandthemed sets, featuring a the impressive owl, hedgehog and fox motifs.

ORCHARD TOYS The Cake Monster is on the loose, in an exciting new matching and counting game from Orchard Toys. Designed to help children learn their numbers up to ten, Cake Monster has two modes of play, creating added value and fun for pre-school children, who according to Orchard Toys, will ‘want to lay again and again.’ Cake Monster can be played as a fun counting game, challenging kids to count the number of toppings on the cakes to

The Woodland Puzzle itself is a chunky wooden woodland themed puzzle with 16 pieces illustrated with an abundance of forest creatures. The jigsaw comes complete with a wooden base board tray that allows

TOBAR This month sees Tobar’s selection of pre-school toys go from strength to strength with the awardwinning Bump N Go Bubble Train proving to be a big hit with consumers. This brightly coloured train can move along the ground and makes a selection of noises, as well as blows bubbles from its chimney. When activated, the train rolls forward while making chugging train noises and producing a vast plume of bubbles.

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match the number on the spinner. Meanwhile, the second mode of game play is as a simple matching game, tasking players to compete to become the first to find matching numbers and feed all of their cakes to the Cake Monster himself. Suitable for children aged three years old and upwards, the game also includes a number line to help develop a child’s number recognition. 01953 859 525

kids to both sort and store the pieces. Presented for the first time at the London Toy Fair and Nuremberg Toy Fair 2015, the Petilou range has received positive feedback from both the retailers and end consumers. 0208 979 2036

WOW TOYS Meanwhile, classic play-sets are billed as the perfect gifts for toddlers and Tobar’s Pixie and Farm sets arrive in their own carry case with a selection of wooden figures to make the scenes come to life. Elsewhere, bath time is being made easy thanks to Tobar’s selection of crayons, colour bath tints, water trumpet and drums, while for plush fans, the cuddly Snugglesaurs and Diplodocus remain popular lines. 0844 573 4299

Throughout its history, Wow Toys has become a toy brand synonymous with high quality and durable toy vehicles for children aged one to five years old. Wow Toys aims to cover all those important themes with a product portfolio ranging from small racing cars and bath boats to safari planes, diggers and rockets, spanning a wide range of traditional and favourite themes. The firm’s ‘no batteries’ policy coupled with its toy design means that they can whizz along with mechanical push and go motors and trigger-pull propellers, with

many containing special functions, features and ‘magic’ buttons. New ranges in the Wow Toys portfolio continue to grow and now includes birthday, pre-school, holiday and special day countdown calendars. The Farmyard Advent Calendar joins Town and Wonderland this Christmas and has been designed with animal loving tots in mind. Safe for children from 12 months, all three advent calendars have Wow’s attention to detail and feature 24 toy gifts including Wow figures and vehicles.

Completing the line-up, Wow’s Magnetic Reward charts offer a reward chart solution to parents and carers, with a chart and the rewards included. Designed to keep kids motivated along their journey, the charts also aim to also inspire imaginative play in youngsters. There are three toddler themes in the range: Dino, Fairies and Racers and each set includes three Wow Toy rewards and a Wow magnetic star tracker. All of the toys are compatible with the wider Wow Toy range. 0207 471 0980 www.toynews-online.biz

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL MGA ENTERTAINMENT/ZAPF CREATIONS For more than 45 years, Little Tikes has manufactured safe, durable and imaginative toys on a global scale. A name that has journeyed across the generations, MGA Entertainment is the firm that probably introduced you to your first car, courtesy of its best-selling Cozy Coupe. Today, and MGA’s Little Tikes brand continues to champion active play, delivering products that encourage kids to get of the sofa and get moving. As we approach the festive season, the firm introduces a raft of new product destined to be a hit this year, featuring the Tumble Train, Lil Ocean Explorers and the Little Tikes RC Tire Twister. Tumble Train is a bouncy train with unique tracks, allowing it to move in comedic ways. Aimed at kids aged three upwards, the Tumble Train features 3D track that moves across the floor before changing direction. Meanwhile, Little Tikes’ Lil Ocean Explorers line focuses on entertaining youngsters

CHARACTER OPTIONS Character Options is bolstering its licensed pre-school collection this season with the introduction of brand new properties and additions to cornerstone favourites. Next year will see the much-anticipated launch of the Teletubbies toy range featuring a World of Teletubbies collection of scaled figurines and interactive play-sets, all aimed at young children. The Teletubbies range will also include a line of plush toys as well as a fun range of novelty toys. A hero of the range will be the Superdome Playset, an interior diorama of the Teletubbies home featuring a musical dance floor, light and sounds phone, plus a moving Noo-Noo with sound effects. The Custard Train, meanwhile, is brand new to the show and children will be able to enjoy a pull-along version too. The train holds moulded Teletubby figures in spinning waltz seats. 48 November

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through key developmental milestones: sitting, crawling and standing. The Little Ocean Explorers three-in-one Adventure Course leads the line-up and is followed by the Catch Me Crabbie that boasts the ability to move side to side whle clapping its claws in time to its music. The line is completed by the Pop and Crawl Turtle that teaches babies about shapes and colours. The Little Tikes RC Tire Twister meanwhile, features a large tire with a car inside, is easy to steer via a remote control and allows kids to perform tricks. Elsewhere, the Zapf Creation stable continues to see success in the pre-school sector with thanks to the UK’s number one large doll brand, Baby Annabell. Key pre-school products include My First Annabell Newborn, Cuddly Sleeping Lamb, My First Baby Annabell and Baby Annabell Let’s Play. 0845 0533 333

H. GROSSMAN

No collection is complete without the cuddly plush and Character aims to please with its line of six-inch Supersoft Collectables at pocket money prices and eight-inch Talking Soft toys with their own sayings and phrases. A Jumping Po and Lullaby Laa-Laa along with Tickle and Giggle Po and Laa-Laa will complete the line-up. Over to the pre-school sector’s favourite swine, and Character is building on the Peppa portfolio with a new construction range, featuring no less than 11 SKUs to choose from. 3D Peppa’s House with Peppa and George figures, a School House Set with four articulated figures and a free-wheeling Grandpa’s Train all feature.

Added to this is a collection of Peppa’s Arts and Crafts sets courtesy of Softee Dough. Accessories are included to suit each theme such as the Figure Maker Activity Set and Peppa’s Picnic Dough. Completing the line-up will be Magna Doodle for Peppa inspired drawing fun. Finally, the recent introduction of collectable Die Cast Vehicles to Fireman Sam has been highly successful, offering year-round purchase opportunities for retailers. With free-wheeling axles and all the detail that traditional die-cast can offer, there are lots of favourites to choose from, while a Fire Rescue Centre Die Cast playset makes the ideal back drop. 0161 633 9800

For youngsters looking to jostle for pole position, Car Trax offers all they need. This chunky, flexible track connects and interconnects so that kids can collect the various sets. Designed in bright colours for kids aged three and upwards, each set includes its own vehicle. Choose from Turnaround Trax, Cross Trax, Road Trax, Starter Trax and Train Trax.

Elsewhere, the My First Scooter continues to pick up awards for its unique design. Starting off on four wheels, kids can get to grips with the feel of a scooter, before reducing it to three wheels and eventually two. Also new for this year is the Sand Sculpt Set from H. Grossman, bringing the beach to your back garden or indoors. 0141 613 2525 www.toynews-online.biz

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL FLAIR Doc McStuffins, Thomas and Friends and some Half Shell Heroes make for a strong pre-school portfolio for Flair this season. Building on the success of Disney’s Doc McStuffins, Flair’s Pet Vet series has seen Dottie don her scrubs to turn her attention to healing animals this autumn. Leading the line-up is the Pet Vet Doc McStuffins Doll and Find and Fetch Findo. Aiding Doc in her vet duties, Flair has a range of accessories such as the Vet Bag Playset and the Pet Vet Bok of Boos Boos. Finally, the Doc McStuffins Pet Vet Desk allowed kids to create their own Pet Vet clinic at home, making sure all their toy animals are kept healthy. Thomas and Friends has made a welcome return to the Flair portfolio in a collection of wooden games, including familiar concepts to enhance learning while having fun with the cast of iconic characters. Continuing for spring/ summer 2016 are the

PAUL LAMOND

Wooden Dominoes and Track Puzzle, Sorting Box, Tic-Tac-Toe and the Wooden Clock Game, with 12 double side self-correcting puzzle pieces, two jumbo time dice and a clock stand. Meanwhile, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have entered the pre-school scene with Half-Shell Heroes. Key lines include twin pack figures, talking figures, vehicle and figure packs, deluxe vehicles and an Electronic Shellraiser. The hero items of the Turtle range are the Super

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With a prehistoric twist in the tale, Dinosaur Roar features a host of friendly dinosaurs who star in a collection of pre-school games including the Dinothemed Memory Card Game, four-in-one puzzle and giant floor puzzle. Meanwhile, the multiaward winning Chimp and Zee range of games are educational, interactive and imaginative, all designed especially for pre-schoolers. The range includes Pesky Pirates, Silly Socks, Dodge the Dino, Who’s the Princess and Spotty Botty. 020 72540100

POSH PAWS

HTI From role-play to wheeled toys, HTI provides the preschool market with a wide range of fun toys. A leader in the pre-school market, HTI provides an extensive range of Peppa Pig role-play toys, dolls prams, music and wooden puzzles as well as bubbles and pocket money toys. The firm has detailed its plans to further expand the Peppa Pig role-play range to include the new Peppa Pig House Kitchen. The kitchen set includes an accessible fridge, cooker, rotating cooker hob/toaster, a pancake pan, toaster with pop up toast, a clock and a timer. The role-play range also includes two new additional character cases: Super Hero George Case and Peppa’s Bedtime Case. Sticking with the pig, Peppa themed music toys include a sing-along microphone, big band station and first piano, while the Peppa Pig wooden range comprises classic toys, including a Peppa and friends

Sewer HQ and the Mega Mutant Leo. New for autumn is the Talking Soft Ninja Role Play featuring soft foam weapons including sounds and phrases. Meanwhile, the Peppa Pig Colour ‘n’ Create Inkoo plush mixes creative play with a perennial pre-school favourite. Children can colour and decorate Peppa using the washable markers supplied, The Inkoo can then be popped into the washing machine to create a clean canvas. 020 86430320

Paul Lamond Games boasts an extensive pre-school range of games and puzzles from some of the most renowned children’s licences. Classic literary property We’re Going on a Bear Hunt has been loved by little ones for over 25 years and is set to appear on TV screens next Christmas. Young fans of this story can now engage with the brand further with Paul Lamond’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt games and puzzles range. The line includes a board game, a jumbo memory card game, a four in one games cube and a giant floor puzzle.

Train, Family Car, Drum of Bricks and 3D Clock Puzzle. Pre-school hit Doc McStuffins lends herself to a raft of pre-school offerings from HTI this season, including the hero Balance Bike. With adjustable handle bars and seat height, the training bike is great for balance and building a preschooler’s confidence. HTI’s Doc McStuffins range of nurturing dolls prams and pushchairs offers little ones their nurturing role-play. Finally, the pre-school wheeled range also includes brands such as Sofia the First, Disney Fairies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Minnie Mouse and Something Special and dolls prams ranges with Sofia the First and Minnie Mouse. 01253 778888

The beginning of 2016 will see Disney’s movie Zootropolis launch in the UK, and Posh Paws is ready to support the movie with an assortment of small plush, as well as a large choice of ten inch characters from the film. Out in cinemas in March 2016, the animated animal comedy-adventure is a film for all the family and with DVD release in July, there are two great opportunities at retail for this licence. Following in quick succession, Disney brings a classic movie back to life in April with the new CGI/ live-action release of The Jungle Book. Posh Paws will be releasing a plush range of The Jungle Book’s favourite characters including Baloo, King Louie, Kaa, Shere Khan and Bagheera. Of course, you can’t talk about movies without mention of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the release of The Good Dinosaur at the end of this year.

Posh Paws expects to see srong demand for product continue in January and throughout Spring/Summer. Posh Paws’ range of classic Star Wars and The Good Dinosaur characters will be available to retailers throughout 2016. Moving on from the big screen to television releases and Posh Paws is launching a brand new

Miles from Tomorrow plush range, which features small plush and ten-inch items available at retail for spring/ summer 2016. Minions, Care Bears, The Furchester Hotel and Thunderbirds Are Go! will undergo the backpack treatment in a new line of plush-inspired bags featuring the hit licences. 01268 567290 www.toynews-online.biz

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ÂŠ Disney

Articulated figures of all your favourite characters from the TV series.

For more information contact 01904 720 908 or go to www.imc.com Untitled-1 1

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL HARDENBERG&CO

NEW Paddington Movie Collection available from December 2015*

Hadernberg&Co is happy to present the UK with a new Inspire the Senses Collection from Sassy this AW 2015. A range created with the aide of child development experts, Inspire the Senses delivers a series of quality products to help develop all aspects of a baby’s senses through sound, touch, sight and taste. The Pop Up Playmat pops open and folds away into its travel bag, home to a troupe of cheeky monkeys. A multi-sensory environment with detachable take away toys and cocooning sides, as well as tactile simulation and a large soft playmat, the product is ideal for helping to

‘It’s nice being a Be ar, especially a Bear called Paddington’

‘Good Afternoon I’m from darkest Peru ’

‘I’m a very rare sort of Bear’

‘Hello My name is Paddington’

‘Marmalade sandwiches are my favourite’

develop a baby’s vision, hearing, taste and touch. Meanwhile, the Inspire the Senses Bounce Around is an awardwinning activity centre featuring a 360-degree rotating seat that lets baby exercise while engaging with the sensory toys and teethers. Tummy time has never been so comfortable, thanks to the Inspire the Senses Developmental Playmat. It comes with seven stimulating toys to attach or detach from the over-arching bars to encourage baby to reach, grab and eventually crawl. 01785 503 305

GIBSONS

Press my Tummy

Exploring the world is all part of the Gibsons ethos, and with its new My World range, pre-schoolers are invited to join in the journey. Developed with child psychologist and play specialist Dr. Amanda Gummer, My World aims to make learning about the world fun. The range boasts handy hints and advice about how to get the most out of each puzzle in the box, teaching kids essential life skills. Meanwhile, starting school will be a doddle thanks to 12 new products in the range, helping kids build their vocabulary, numeracy, creativity, logic and motor skills.

Talking Paddington

™

Bean Toy

Dominoes will help a child’s counting and matching skills, while floor puzzles like My ABC Jungle Safari will focus on teaching little ones the alphabet. Elsewhere, My Wheels is a special bumper pack containing eight different puzzles of various vehicles. Kids can progress from piecing together the four piece digger to eventually tackling the whopping 16 piece train once their motor skills develop. Once the puzzle is complete, kids can swap the drivers around to make funny combinations and learn along the way. 0208 661 8866

Call for our new catalogue: 01329 227300 Email: sales@rainbowdesigns.co.uk Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk * Subject to availability

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL GREAT GIZMOS Great Gizmos’ pre-school portfolio continues to grow, with new ranges from Kid O and Meadow Kids as well as its environmentally friendly wooden toy collection, PlanToys. Kid O is a range of vibrant plastic toys, designed with learning in mind. Each toy is created to engage and stimulate the mind with a rich variety of shapes, colours and sizes. The brand new Pink Go Car is suitable for children aged one and upwards and is made from a durable material with an easy-togrip handle. The Pour and Spin Submarine meanwhile is a bath toy for little ones to enjoy by watching the wheel spin or blow through the periscope to create bubbles. The award-winning Meadow Kids collection has a variety of craft, bath toys and educational games that will excite kids of all ages.

DKL

Kids can get arty with the Alphabet and Colours Learning Activity Set, featuring a host of accessories such as stamps, stencils, felt tips and more. For further bath time fun, the Build a Castle set allows kids to mix and match the colourful floating building blocks to construct a castle. Babies and young children can grab onto smaller items such as the Baby Key Ratle

that will make sounds when moved about and are colourful and chunky enough for baby to hold. When baby reachs 12 months, there is a wide collection of wooden animals, vehicles and musical toys to entertain the smallest of children. The Plan Toys Clatter features brightly coloured pads that will make a clickclack sound when shaken. 01293 543 221

DKL is the UK distributor for Scratch Traditional Toys, Miniland Educational, Hama Beads and Wonderworld Wooden Toys. Newly launched from Scratch is the Circus Track, a red pull-along toy that comes complete with five miniature wooden animals for children to push through the truck’s shape sorting feature. Meanwhile, the Toc Toc Owl features a wooden hammer for children to knock the colourful balls through the slots and watch them tumble through the Owl’s mouth. Miniland delivers a range of toys designed for pre-

schoolers, and is headed up by the Educational Corner, a collection of toys designed to aide learning at home. The best-selling Activity Time helps children to tell the time in relation to dayto-day life at home. New for Hama Beads in 2015 is the Maxi Food set, while the Butterfly and parrot Maxi gift boxes continue to prove popular. Elsewhere, fresh from Wonderworld this year is the Young Mini Vehicles range, featuring a Build-a-Loader, Dog Police Car, Chicky plane and Moo Moo Tractor. 01604 678 780

Toys News new ideas AW halfp:Layout 1 07/10/2015 11:25 Page 1

To place an order please contact: +44 (0)1295 768078 salesadmin@trendsuk.co.uk www.trendsuk.co.uk For Media/PR enquiries, please contact Ane Olesen: ane@wirepr.eu PONY & PUPPY SURPRISE is a trademark of Ed Kaplan Associates, LLC the licensor of the IP rights herein. All Rights Reserved. © 2014 Haynes Publishing ©2014 DCL.

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Retail Only

News Data Opinion

Dedicated monthly retail coverage

Beat Black Friday? ‘We’ll just ignore it’ say UK indies It’s the US shopping phenomenon that’s on track to top £1bn in sales in the UK, but the country’s independent toy retailers look set to continue to hold their nerve through this month’s discount frenzy By Robert Hutchins DESPITE IT BEING on track to yield over £1billion this year, UK independent toy retailers maintain that the best way to succeed this Black Friday is to simply ignore it. Billed by many as the most chaotic 24 hours on the British shopping calendar, Black Friday is the one day sales event on which retailers offer substantial discounts across various products, including toys. An export of American shopping culture that traditionally falls on the first Friday after Thanksgiving, recent years have seen the November sales sensation pick up steam within the UK. When Black Friday lands on UK shores this November 27th, the event is tipped to surpass the £1bn mark. However, one group who won’t be participating in the mania is the UK’s indie toy retailers. “When it comes to Black Friday, it just seems like herd mentality to me,” explained Paul Warner, owner of the Wellingborough-based traditional toy retailer When I Was A Kid.

“You have all these sheep following suit for really very little reward, and I just don’t feel the need to compete.” With two stores to the When I Was A Kid name and a vast online offering, Warner suggests that while the majors are kept busy engaging in the annual price slashing, it is the independent that can reap the benefit. “As long as you hold your nerve, ride out the madness and don’t cave to the pressure, you can enjoy the rest of the year,” he told ToyNews. “Black Friday is one day of trading. Our gross profit

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Stuart Grant, The Entertainer

Fiona Murray-Young, Toys R Us

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Linzi Walker, Argos

margins are 51 per cent for the Wellingborough store and 52 per cent for the Cambridge store. It proves that if you stick to your niche, understand what you are delivering and continue to deliver that throughout the sales madness, you can come out the over side.” While the larger chain stores work on cementing their strategies for this year’s sales showdown, the indies maintain that to them, there simply isn’t an alternative to riding out the storm. “Black Friday is an odd thing, it’s all about the chain stores trying to make

sure they are part of the game,” said Peter Allinson, owner of growing indie toy store, Whirligig. “But while the big retailers are going out and being competitive with each other, the independents thrive with the unusual products that consumers really want. “In the toy world, Christmas is key and the fact that events like Black Friday get people in spending mode and generates the idea of spending is all positive, however for us, it’s about being consistently good all year round.”

Of course not all independents are adverse to the Black Friday sales bonanza and the UK’s family run The Entertainer has been vocal in its efforts to build upon the success of 2014’s big day. Citing Black Friday as “the cheapest initiative we have ever had,” Gary Grand, MD and founder of The Entertainer has made no secret that the firm had already ordered the stock ready to be pushed this year back in March. And with powerhouses such as The Entertainer, who maintains that the ‘Black Friday customers received exactly the same level of customer service’ as they would on any other day, it’s no wonder that the event casts an ominous shadow over some. “Black Friday was a worry last year as it was the first time it really seemed to take off,” said Faye Bobillier, owner of Toy Shed Worcester Park. “This year, I am going to just hold my nerve once again, ride it out and wait for the Christmas sales to roll in. “As long as you do that, you eventually see profit.”

ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are:

Brian Simpson, Toytown

Clare Barton, Sainsbury’s

Neil Mitchell, Shop Direct

Annalise Quest, Harrods

Steph Strike, Asda

Ben Redhead, Firebox

Alphonse Madamombe, Maplin

Helen Gourley, Toy Hub

Miles Penhallow, Play-Room

Karla Mitchell, XBite

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INDEPENDENT SURVEY

AGAINST

“2015 has been an excellent year for the independent toy retail scene and retailers are in for another successful Christmas period” This month, ToyShop UK opens up the debate among its listing of independent retailers over whether 2015 has been an excellent year for the indie toy store

Faye Bobillier, Toy Shed Worcester Park “Our summer trading was poor as many customers chose to go away for their holidays this year. Hopefully, Christmas trading will make up for this. We thought we were going to be on the up. We have four stores around London and one in Hampshire, and at all but one we saw a mass migration of customers over summer. We sold a few Nerf products and kites have seemed to do well for us, so it hasn’t been for a lack of product. We simply saw a drop off in footfall over the summer, right until the weather turned dreadful. We have high hopes that Christmas will see a pick up in sales for us. It’s always a funny time for the independents, as you have the likes of Black Friday and the supermarkets’ weekly toy sales to ride out. But as long as you hold your nerve and ride the time out, you see the profit. Last year, we did in the two weeks run-up to Christmas what we would usually see in the preceding six week period. So now, we just won’t panic and sit it all out.”

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Tim Broad, Lighthouse Toys “For us here at Lighthouse Toys, 2015 has been a tough year. When it comes to Christmas, who knows, hopefully we will see it pick up and end the year on a high.” www.toynews-online.biz

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INDEPENDENT SURVEY

Sam Haggett, Moving Pictures Final Frontier, Julian Shelford “2015 has definitely seen an increase on last year, with some great products and great movies. The lines that have come out have really helped the independent and they have been coming out on a regular basis. The last part of the year is going to be mega, not only is Christmas on its way, but we also have Star Wars. 2016 is looking good and the impact of December will carry on through the new year. In the past there were only a few strong product lines, now with LEGO having a massive range, and the chance for independents to reap the benefits of the impact of big movies and TV shows, the smaller guys may finally have a chance of competing with the multiples.”

“Our team is looking forward to the run up to Christmas. With so many great products available, it’s sure to be the best sales year yet for us as we celebrate our fifth year in business and the second Christmas in more of a city centre location. Christmas wishlists are already in store for customers to fill in and we will get more festive as soon as Halloween and our Comic Fest is out of the way.”

Emma Robinson, Wildly Woolly “This is our second year in business and sales have definitely increased for us. Toys are always going to be a popular seller and this year has been no different. We got the feeling that the demand for ethical and eco-friendly products has certainly spread into the toy sector.” Teresa Bramble, Hoomble Toys and Collectibles

“Since last year’s Loom Band craze and Frozen fever struck, it has been a really up and down 2015. Trade picked up for us around March time, however, we had a tough summer due to local road works. September saw a huge increase in sales and we have a Christmas layaway plan that loads of customers are taking advantage of. Christmas sales are definitely up, so far.”

Toy Shop UK is a consumerled, online directory that helps toy suppliers, retailers and licence holders promote their businesses to an audience of up to 10,000 unique visitors per day. Popular weekly giveaways, the esteemed Independent Toy Awards and special

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supplier listings are just three of the ways that Toy Shop UK can help you increase your online presence and complement your other marketing activities this year. Contact n Michael Hawkins (michael@toyshopuk.co.uk or 07786 295756) for more information. www.toyshopuk.co.uk

Peter Allinson, Whirligig Chichester

FOR

“Things have started to pick up for Christmas already, with some strong lines having good early sales. We are hopeful of a good and busy Christmas shopping period over the next couple of months.”

Luan Hall, Fairies n’ Frogs

“We are feeling really positive about this year. Customers seem to be actively looking for the more unique products we sell.”

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10/20/15 16:23

SECTOR GUIDE: WHEELED TOYS

Easy riders With such a vast range of scooters, bikes and ride-ons in the market, kids can keep active both indoors and out all year round. Rhys Troake explores some of the latest products set to get youngsters rolling this Q4 SAMBRO We all know that kids can’t sit still, and Sambro has an extensive range of wheeled toys appealing to young children on the move. The firm boasts an extensive selection including scooters, trikes, bikes and skateboards spanning the hottest licences around. Brand new for 2015 is the Paw Patrol collection. Featuring everyone’s favourite Paw Patrol characters, the range of scooters and three wheeled trikes feature chunky wheels and character decals, perfect for fans of the supremely popular animated series. Licensed wheeled toy ranges also include Nickelodeon favourites, SpongeBob Squarepants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Older children will love the collection of high-

quality licensed skateboards too. All Sambro wheeled toy lines come in a range of price points so they complement existing licensed ranges perfectly, allowing retailers to stock full character licensed ranges. New licensed wheeled toys set to launch soon include Dora & Friends and Half Shell Heroes. Dora & Friends is the hit Nick Jnr show following the iconic animated explorer and her group of friends, while Half Shell Heroes gives pre-school fans of those pizza loving turtles a new way to engage with the brand. 0845 8739380

STRIDER BIKES Strider is the original balance bike and, since the first bike was built in 2006, more than one million Striders have been sold throughout the world. With nine years of cyclist and parent-inspired evolution behind the brand, more toddlers and young children have learnt to ride on a Strider balance bike than on any other. In the last month alone, Strider has won the Consumer Choice Award from Best Baby and Toddler Gear, was a winner in the Right Start Best Toy Awards and has been shortlisted for the Mother and Baby Awards in the Best Toddler Toy 24+ months category. Strider bikes are popular among parents and children because they make learning www.toynews-online.biz

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to ride an instinctive, comfortable and safe process. Strider bikes feature a low standover height precision geometry, fully adjustable seat and handlebars and super lightweight frames, which means they are easier to manoeuvre than pedal bikes. They are also designed with safety and longevity in mind, featuring puncture-

proof tyres and indestructible and durable steel gauge or high spec aluminium frames, which won’t warp or crack. There are three Strider frame sizes to choose from, multiple models and seven vibrant colours. Strider also designs a range of accessories to complement the bikes including racing jerseys, knee and elbow pads, helmets and gloves. 01926 339107

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SECTOR GUIDE: WHEELED TOYS HY-PRO

Zinc has created a hybrid wheeled toy that kids will enjoy while on their travels and adventures. Equally functional and fun, Flyte is a safe and sturdy scooter, a swift pull along trolley and a compact piece of cabin sized luggage all in one. Equipped with an impressive capacity of

ASOBI

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25 litres, Flyte can hold up to five kilograms of a kid’s travel essentials and favourite items. Designed to take a few knocks and bumps; drop it, squeeze it, or even sit on it and Flyte will bounce back into shape due to the foam exterior. This soft, bouncy surface is water resistant

and easy to clean, so kids can have the most amount of fun on all of their different adventures. Perfect for adventurous children aged between four and eight years old, when Flyte’s handle bars have been raised, it is a pull-along trolley with soft, rubber grips, ideal for when

families needs to navigate through busy crowds and for boarding queues. Flyte’s best feature is its easy-to-fold footplate, which fits snugly in the back of the case. When folded out, Flyte takes its final form, a fully functioning scooter with rock ‘n’ roll steering.

Flyte is perfect for every adventure, whether families are taking a jaunt to the park, a trip around the world or just tackling the everyday school run. Flyte will be supported with full marketing plans throughout 2016, including a TV campaign. 01582 500 670

Asobi distributes the classic Amercian brand Radio Flyer, a range as popular now as ever before with children and adults alike. Covering a wide variety of wheeled vehicles, from my first scooter through to trikes and all terrain wagons, the range covers every age of child from three upwards. Elsewhere, Skipper Ride and Roll is a range of my first quality wooden ride on toys with characters such as Ladybird, Lion and even a mini bumper car. The range has recently won a prestigious award for being the top pre-school ride on toy. 01628 200077

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SECTOR GUIDE: WHEELED TOYS RE:CREATION The company’s Razor E90 is the UK’s number one electric scooter with its zippy style and 9mph capability. It is followed up in second spot by its Razor counterpart, the E100. These rides have captured imaginations with optimum quality and performance and have set the standard in the category. Looking ahead to spring 2016, Razor will reinforce its trailblazing status with innovation that will revolutionise the electric scooter market. The Powercore 90 electric scooter is set to almost double riding time and brings with it many other advances in technology to raise the bar in this dynamic category. Kick scooters too are high on the agenda for Razor and the funky S Sport has more than made its mark on the category achieving fifth spot. With its pocket friendly price point, stylish anodised design and unrivalled performance, this ride is one to beat.

These scooters feature high-quality construction, are anodised in eye-catching colours and deck fold into a compact size, perfect for out and about portable action. Also proving a popular choice, the Razor Beast sport scooter is a high quality, ramp tested pro ride that offers top spec at a great value price point. The media coverage for the innovative Crazy Cart ride-on has continued to pour in throughout the year. This unique drifting electric ride-on has proved itself the fun ride of choice for motoring fans and experts alike with press credits including the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Damon Hill and Top Gear. Re:creation continues to keep its foot on the pedal throughout the drive towards the Christmas period with extensive PR and event activity. The Crazy Cart’s little brother, the Lil’ Crazy from Razor Junior, offers an

age appropriate experience with drifts, turns and spins suitable for children from age three. In late spring 2016, the RipSurf, a new creation from Ali Kermani, the inventor of the Crazy Cart, will revolutionise the world of two wheel transport. This exciting innovation employs caster-board technology to deliver a ride experience that is the closest ever to surfing on land. With bold surfboard styling, the RipSurf enables riders to accelerate without the need to step off the board to push, as well as to perform surf-like moves like never before. The RipSurf will benefit from extensive PR and marketing support. 0118 9736222

TOBAR

HTI When it comes to bikes and scooters, HTI is wheeling out the big brands and own developed designs with wheeled ranges for kids of all ages and price points. HTI further broadens its portfolio with a brand new Toy Story range, which provides bikes and scooters for inter-galactic adventures for kids from two to seven years.

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The firm’s Ultimate Spiderman wheeled toy offering continues to perform. Featuring impactful graphic imagery of the classic superhero character, the range provides bikes, scooters and ride-ons across a wide range of ages and price points, including the new Ultimate Spiderman Go-Kart and Balance Bike.

From the most successful Disney animation in the UK, HTI provide a range of Disney Frozen wheeled toys. Pre-schoolers can experience their first set of wheels with a Frozen Training Bike, 10” and 12” Bikes and 3 Wheel Scooter. New for SS16 HTI introduce an Olaf Move n’ Groove Scooter, leveraging the strength of this popular character from the franchise. For older kids there’s a 14” and 16” Bike as well as Inline Scooter. HTI provide a full range of Disney Fairies wheeled toys and protection gear which have been refreshed for SS16 to a new style guide. The products feature new vibrant colourways, new graphic artwork and impactful packaging to ensure stand-out on shelf. Elsewhere, HTI’s own scooter brand, Rïpp provides a range of high spec, high detail scooters and accessories for older kids of six years upwards. 01253 778888

Tobar’s pedal racer is an interesting hybrid, similar to a cross between a bicycle and a skateboard. With practice it is possible to pedal forwards and backwards with varying degrees of speed and control. Turbospoke bicycle exhaust system that fixes to the back of a pedal bike and makes realistic engine noises. The exhaust pipe attaches to the rear frame of most bicycles with a mounting bracket and tools included in the set. Once in place a plastic sound card can be between the base of

the exhaust and the spokes of the rear wheel. As the bike moves, the teeth on the sound card catch on the spokes, creating a sound that travels up the exhaust pipe to create a loud, realistic motorbike noise. Each Turbospoke comes with three sound cards which are tuneable for up to six different bike sounds. This innovative bicycle accessory is a new take on a classic idea and makes a great gift line for children of all ages. 0844 5734299

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SECTOR GUIDE: WHEELED TOYS MV SPORTS 2015 has been a very exciting year so far for MV Sports, with product ranges proving popular with retailers across the UK. Finding Dory will be released in 2016 and to accompany the film, MV has a pre-school range which features scooters, trikes, bikes, ride-ons and an exciting array of inflatables, guaranteed to make a splash and keep sales swimming along.

To accompany Paw Patrol’s proven success, MV will be launching a brand new range for 2016. The collection will feature all the pre-school staples such as Safety Helmets, Ride-Ons and a 12 inch bike. Teletubbies will be springing back into action next year with MV Sports headlining its wheeled collection. The prospective range will feature Po’s

YVOLUTION Outdoor fun for toddlers and older children is more than catered for by Yvolution’s Y Velo Balance Bike and Y Fliker Scooter ranges. For first time riders, the Yvolution Y Velo range of balance bikes offers a safe and fun way for toddlers to learn to cycle. The Y Velo Junior Balance Bike teaches toddlers how to steer and balance while building confidence with the increased stability brought by two back wheels - no stabilizers required. As children get older and develop better

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famous scooter and helmet, and a selection of other preschool essentials. MV will also be showcasing a Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice range. The line-up will feature scooters, skateboards, bikes and helmets. To accompany this range, the firm will also be offering two Avengers collections, one for pre-school and one for older boys.

MV will also be fluttering some feathers with the upcoming Angry Birds movie. The range includes skateboards, scooters, helmets and hoppers, featuring some bomb dropping graphics as well as flying pigs. With unprecedented success, Shopkins has been sweeping supermarket shelves clear with sky high sales. This includes MV’s

eye catching new range of scooters, accessories, bikes and helmets. After Force Friday in September, the highly anticipated Star Wars film is out at the end of this year and the company’s Stormtrooper and Episode VII ranges of scooters, bikes and helmets allows retailers to maximise their space for out of this world sales. 0121 748 8000

The Despicable Me 2 range has the Minions running riot over skateboards, satchel skateboards, scooters, bikes, balance bikes, helmets and pogos. The Speedy Scooter is designed for those who want to know how fast they can go. The aluminium deck provides great stability, as does the steel T bar steering. In a variety of colourways, the stand out feature is the easy to read

speedometer. Kids can choose to log your speed in km or mph and the speedo handily logs your fastest speed to date. For younger children, the Ozbozz brand includes the award winning My First Scooter, the Twist and Trail and Cosmic Light scooter ranges. Younger children love the Twist n Trail scooter and it is great for smaller children who need more stability but still want style. 0141 6132525

H GROSSMAN LTD balance, parents can remove one of the back wheels to covert the Y Velo into a two wheeled balance bike. Innovation and quality is evident with the Y Fliker Air Series Scooters. Light weight and with a sleek design, these free-style scooters glide on the pavement with no discomfort. Available in different sizes and colour schemes that will appeal to both boys and girls, the Y Fliker Air series has something for everyone. 0800 802 1197

Grossman is known for its outdoor products and this year, the firm’s Minions themed balance bike is taking to the pavements. Designed for younger kids to get used to riding bikes and themed with the ever-popular Minions, this balance bike will appeal to the raft of fans out there. HGL are renowned for outdoor products under its Ozbozz brand and 2015 has seen some exciting new additions.

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OBSERVATIONS 0F A TOY INDUSTRY SURVIVOR

Jon Salisbury COMPETITION for the nation’s toy spend promises to be more intense than ever this holiday season. The fact that a host of independent toy retailers will be joining the usual suspects of the multiple

does indeed benefit the entire sector. Dubai-based retailer The Toy Store has welcomed the first visitors to its debut UK location. The store popular across the Middle East for its emphasis on

A host of independent retailers will be joining the usual suspects of the multiple horde in advertising campaigns to carve up the consumer pound this Christmas. horde in advertising campaigns to carve up the consumer pound is the big difference this year. The rude health of the specialty toy retailers is great news of course, and their expansive promotional activities

in-store theatre and consumer experience made headlines earlier this year when Gulf Greetings, the Middle Eastern owners of The Toy Store, made enquiries into the purchase of London’s iconic Hamleys.

Follow me on Twitter @jonsalisbury

This month, our columnist shares his views on why this Christmas, competition for the nation’s toy spend is set to be more intense than ever before

The 27,000 sq. ft. property on Oxford Street and situated within the West One Shopping Centre is the first of six The Toy Store shops planned to open in key locations across the UK over the next three years. Toys R Us, meanwhile, has revealed its plans to open 10 new stores in Ireland within the next five years. Elsewhere, other retailers flying the flag for toys will include Hamleys, Geoff’s Toys, The Entertainer and Smyths Toys.

Jon Salisbury has written about the toy business since 1985, editing magazines and running toy media events in New York and London. He can be contacted at jonsalisbury@icloud.com or @JonSalisbury www.toynews-online.biz Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

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