No. 149 April 2014
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Retail Licensing Pre-School Marketing 18 ToyShopUK Is a later Easter better for sales? Indie retailers tell us their thoughts
24 Pack leaders We talk to Cartamundi Group CEO Chris Van Doorslaer about the firm’s plans for the year
26 Dress to thrill Rubie’s reveals the secret to success behind its Batman dress-up line
39 Tot idols We take a look at what’s coming out this year in the preschool space
Trade secrets So you've got a great idea for a new toy – it could be the 'next big thing' in fact. But where do you go from here? How do you get the help you need? ToyNews kicks off a new series of features to find out just what it takes to get a product from paper to prototype, to retail shelf...
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CONTENTS
COMMENT
Regulars
The invention test
06 10 13 13 14 16 18 20 74 Issue: 149 April 2014
MEET THE TEAM Samantha Loveday Editor Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk
News NPD Analysis Campaign of the Month Playtime Industry Movers Industry Opinion Toy Shop UK Good Toy Guide Jon Salisbury
Features 22 Invention Special: Crowdfunding 24 Big Interview: Cartamundi 26 Anatomy of a Blockbuster Toy: Rubie’s Batman dress-up Licensing.biz 29 News
Billy Langsworthy Deputy Editor Billy.Langsworthy@intentmedia.co.uk
Robert Hutchins Staff Writer Robert.Hutchins@intentmedia.co.uk
Jodie Holdway Sales Manager Jodie.Holdway@intentmedia.co.uk
Florence Beaumont Production Executive Florence.Beaumont@intentmedia.co.uk
Lisa Carter Publisher Lisa.Carter@intentmedia.co.uk
Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 www.toynews-online.biz
Pre-school (sponsored by VTech Baby) 33 News 34 A Parent Blogger’s View 37 Sector Guide: Pre-school
There are plenty of people out there who have both the imagination and the skills to come up with the hot toys of tomorrow.
Retail 51 News 52 Mystery Shopper: Oxfordshire 54 Indie Profile: Bakewell Toy Shop 57 Sector Guide: Games & Puzzles 71 Sector Guide: R/C
Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 6,106 July 2012 to June 2013. ToyNews circulation is 17.5% higher than its closest competitor. ToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.
IT’S SAID that everyone has the ability to write a novel in them, but is it also true that everyone has at least one idea for a new toy kicking around in their heads? A quick straw poll of the ToyNews team unearthed some pretty random ideas – including a real life Mask like the one worn by Jim Carrey in the Nineties film, a Girls World doll with hair which actually grows back when you cut it and something which isn’t noisy or messy. While I’m not sure that we’d cut it on Dragons’ Den or be successful in the crowdfunding space, there are plenty of people out there who have both the imagination and the skills to come up with tomorrow’s hot toys. It’s the next step which is often the biggest hurdle: getting them to market. Do you trawl round trade fairs with your prototypes hoping you can catch the eye of a product development manager? Ask for private funding from a bank or business angels? Or go down the aforementioned Dragons’ Den route? Each method has its own benefits and pitfalls, but the one thing which always helps is advice from people in the know, or who have been there themselves. Which is why ToyNews has this month kicked off a series of articles designed to help toy inventors understand the various options open to them, and give them a fighting chance of ultimately seeing their products on retail shelves. We’re beginning with crowdfunding, which over the past 18 months has really captured the attention of the public. Seemingly easier than going to a private investment company, various projects have got off the ground this way, but it has its drawbacks, too. We’ve spoken to those who have enjoyed success – and those who haven’t – on page 22. Also in this issue, we’ve spoken to Cartamundi’s Chris Van Doorslaer, who is looking to reinvent the traditional card game for this generation. You can read all about the firm’s plans for Shuffle on page 24. Meanwhile, Rubie’s is no stranger to invention, having consistently updated its Batman dress-up for over a decade, and is charging into 2016 and Batman vs Superman with a plethora of new ideas. Maybe it can help us with our plans for that real life Mask... Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk
ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are: RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD
Stuart Grant, The Entertainer
Fiona MurrayYoung, Toys R Us
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Andrea Abbis, Argos
Brian Simpson, Toytown
Clare Barton, Sainsbury’s
Neil Mitchell Shop Direct
Annalise Quest, Harrods
Steph Strike, Asda
Ben Redhead, Firebox
Steven Bradley, Boots
Helen Gourley, Toy Hub
Miles Penhallow, Play-Room
April 05
NEWS
ToyNews’ Retail Advisory Board sees a 2014 reshuffle By Robert Hutchins
Jumbo scores with Wasgij summer marketing drive Chance to watch England World Cup match with former national captain Peter Shilton part of firm’s promotional blitz By Billy Langsworthy JUMBO GAMES is expecting this year’s international football tournament to push sales of its latest Wasgij Original 21: Football Fever puzzle. “Football will be a central theme in stores this year, we’re giving something new to the football conversation, providing retailers with a different type of football product for adults and families,” Jumbo Games, senior marketing manager, Katherine Pierce told ToyNews. “We’re fortunate to work with some of the nation’s top illustrators and our newest Wasgij artist Neil Easton has really captured the buzz that enters living rooms across the country during international football matches. “The design of the product was inspired by 06 April
summer football tournaments and we’re confident that the excitement that grips the nation throughout the year will strengthen its sales.”
to drive even more puzzlers to our retailers’ stores,” continued Pierce. “Peter’s a genuine legend of the beautiful game and it’s a real pleasure to work
We are giving something new to the football conversation. Katherine Pierce, Jumbo The firm is running a promotion to win the opportunity to watch England play Uruguay on June 19th with former national captain Peter Shilton OBE, and Jumbo believes this ‘once in a lifetime’ promotion will also prove a draw to the game. “We’re expecting the onpack promotion to win the opportunity to watch an England match this summer with Peter Shilton
alongside someone who has represented his country at the very highest level. At Toy Fair, Peter was a real crowd-pleaser and on March 4th, he hosted our football-themed Wasgij Pub Quiz in central London – where he was quite clearly the most popular man in the room,” she concluded. The Wasgij puzzles are available to stock now. Jumbo Games: 01707 289289
TOYNEWS HAS welcomed two new faces to its Retail Advisory Board this month. Sainsbury’s buying manager of toys, Tom Folliot and Morrisons’ Marc Dean are both moving away from the toy industry. ToyNews thanks the pair for their contributions and wishes them all the luck with their future endeavors. Comprised of some of the UK’s leading toy retailers, the monthly Retail Advisory Board is now joined by Sainsbury’s new buying manager for toys, Clare Barton and ShopDirect’s toy buyer, Neil Mitchell. Barton will offer insight into the toy industry, gained from experience spanning a 20-year career
in retail buying, including roles with Early Learning Centre, Littlewoods and ShopDirect. Meanwhile, Mitchell joined Littlewoods Home Shopping in 2001. He has held various roles within the toy buying sector including with JD Williams and now ShopDirect. He will offer valued comment to the panel each month. Finally, Toymaster’s Ian Edmunds has stepped down from the board. ToyNews thanks Edmunds for his regular and always honest contributions.
Odbolz on lookout for UK distribution Creator believes his bouncy monsters range will ‘take the world by storm’ By Billy Langsworthy THE OWNER of Odbolz, a range of bouncy monsters, is seeking UK distribution. Christopher Sweeney believes the likes of Manic Monster, BumpZ and Fruitcake are perfect for keeping kids active and retailers should be excited by the range. “Designed with fun and safety in mind, these outdoor toys aren’t just for boys,” Sweeney told ToyNews. “Odbolz toys act as a multi purpose toy. Throw them on the ground and try and catch them, they bounce all over the place like magic beans.” Sweeney is now looking for UK and European distributors to get in touch to take on the collection.
“Odbolz will take the world by storm when launched,” he enthused. “Toys R Us, Sainsburys, Tesco, Hamleys and Argos are ideal stores. “We want Odbolz to be the best selling toy range this Christmas.” Odbolz: 0115 845 9588
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NEWS
Panini readies for World Cup push Toys and collectables firm gears up for summer with sticker and trading cards launch campaign By Robert Hutchins PANINI IS embarking on one of its biggest marketing campaigns ever as it launches its FIFA World Cup trading card and sticker collection. The firm is implementing a multi-channel campaign covering TV advertising, covermount activity, press and web advertising, digital initiatives, sampling and regional newspaper activity.
For the first time this year, the company will provide a free to download Panini Collectors App, designed to help collectors monitor their progress and aid them with further needs and swaps. “World Cup Sticker Collections and Trading Cards have been an integral part of Panini’s collectables portfolio for many years,” Panini’s head of marketing, Jess Tadmor told ToyNews. “And this year, we are activating one of our biggest marketing campaigns to date, of which online is integral.” The increased focus on its online campaign follows a strong reaction to its digital sticker album from the last major football tournament. “During the last tournament our digital sticker album received over two billion page views, a record that we expect to beat this year,” said Tadmor.
“Digital is an increasingly important platform for boys. We have a strong in-app strategy where the campaign will be integrated into some of the most popular boys games, creating brand synergy and driving awareness.” Panini’s campaign also includes heavy investment in retail activity. “Here at Panini, we are gearing up for what is set to be one of the most successful World Cup campaigns ever,”
over recent years and the last three tournaments have all set new records. We expect them to be beaten this year. “We are investing heavily in retail activity across all of our key listings, which we expect to drive sales and volume across the board. The World Cup Sticker Collection presents a fantastic opportunity for retailers to drive volume and revenue. “Panini is a brand that is synonymous with football and will undoubtedly boost
The FIFA World Cup collection has seen sales growth exceed all expectations. Jess Tadmor, Panini continued Tadmor. “The FIFA World Cup collection has seen sales growth exceed all expectations
footfall in stores across the board.” With 640 stickers to collect and 40 special
stickers to look out for, the collection will feature all 32 teams participating in the tournament. While initially targeted at boys aged five to 14, Panini is aware of the nostalgic strength of sticker collecting and has a social media campaign focusing on second generation collectors, encompassing the ‘Dad and lad’ hype, with competitions running across social media as well as national and regional press. Panini: 01892 500105
Mattel targets blaster category with BOOMco New brand boasts blasters, smart stick darts, shields, and targets By Billy Langsworthy MATTEL IS entering the blaster sector with the launch of its new lifestyle brand, BOOMco. The BOOMco range boasts an assortment of blasters and accessories designed to ‘bring friends together for high energy fun and active competition’. In a statement, Mattel said that ‘BOOMco brings big news to the blaster
category with new technology, an exciting brand identity and unexpected product features.’ The BOOMco brand features signature Smart Stick darts, shields, and targets. Using Smart Stick technology, every plastic dart will stick to the Smart Stick shields and sticky targets only. All blasters are airpowered, with no batteries
required, and include a Smart Stick Target and Darts, available in a range of colours and patterns. The BOOMco Shields, allow players to catch opponents’ Darts, re-load and fire them back. The range will be backed by an extensive marketing campaign and boy engagement following the launch on April 1st. Mattel: 01628 500 000
TM
NEWS
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5 SECOND FACTS
A round up of the latest big numbers, stats and tidbits from the toy business
5.8m Number of people who have backed a Kickstarter project since its launch.
$460m
3.253
£526m
10
Amount Mattel acquired Mega Brands for last month.
Number of seconds taken for the Guiness World Record for solving a Rubik’s Cube, recently set by LEGO robot CubeStormer 3.
Total sales at Argos after 5.2 per cent growth in the eight week period to March 1st.
Number of years Vivid Imaginations’ former UK MD Neil Bandtock was at the firm.
The LEGO Movie ‘exceeded all expectations’
Success of the film has had a knock on effect for the firm’s ranges
Own brand toys “the start of bigger plans” for Benjamin Pollock’s The London retailer is looking to expand its in-house produced product offering this year By Robert Hutchins LONDON’S TRADITIONAL puppet and toy theatre retailer Benjamin Pollock’s Toy Shop believes “the time is now” for its own range of in-house toys and craft kits. In recent years, the store returned to producing its own line of craft kits and toys, marking ‘the start of bigger plans for the Benjamin Pollock’s brand.’ “We want to produce more of our own products because the ones that we currently sell, have been really successful,” said
Benjamin Pollock’s manager and buyer, Simon Seddon. Included in its selection of in-house products are dioramas depicting classic scenes from fairy tales and children’s stories, a Cinderella Theatre and a Great Expectations Theatre. Partnering with artists and designers, the shop is now looking to expand its offering with new products for 2014. “A number of products are in their final stages and will be produced soon. There is another diorama under way from myself, the last one in the series.”
The retailer believes that it is supplying a demand for traditional crossover product that appeals to both kids and adults. “The market needs this kind of product, so we are supplying it,” explained Seddon. “That’s the reason we decided to do it, because we were left wanting certain kinds of products. “This is the start of bigger Benjamin Pollock’s plans. I believe we have found our time now,” he concluded. Benjamin Pollock’s: 020 7379 7866
By Billy Langsworthy IT MAY come as little surprise, but LEGO has told ToyNews that the success of its first big screen venture has ‘exceeded all expectations’. The LEGO Movie spent three weeks at the top of the UK box office and, at the time of writing, has made over £30m in the UK alone. “LEGO is delighted with the response to The LEGO Movie,” Danielle Brazier, LEGO Movie brand manager, told ToyNews. “There was a lot of anticipation around the release of the film and it's great that people feel it's lived up to the hype. “It's exceeded all of our expectations and created a lot of buzz around the
brand. It's captured the magic and creativity of LEGO and what's great to see is adults have loved it just as much as children.” The release of the film has also helped push several LEGO ranges; not least of all the official The LEGO Movie sets. “The release of the film has naturally had a knock on effect for LEGO, driving fans in store,” added Brazier. “The new The LEGO Movie line is proving extremely popular. “As each set typifies a classic scene from the movie and features an exclusive Minifigure character, the range has enabled fans to recreate all the fun of the movie at home.” LEGO: 01753 495 000
NPD RESEARCH
Retail Sales Trends
Proper ties
The LEGO Movie helps to build up retail sales
Best item progression
IN FEBRUARY 2014, the UK toy market continued to grow in value, although at a slower rate than in January, with youth electronics continuing to be a strong performing super category. Despite wet weather through the month, outdoor and sports toys grew with ride-ons and skates, skateboards and scooters driving growth. However, there was a major uplift in week eight driven by half term, when the total toy market grew ten per cent in value. This was also the week that The LEGO Movie was released in cinemas and this helped drive the total building sets super category to grow by 20 per cent in February, with LEGO contributing four of the top ten best selling items across total toys for the month. The LEGO Movie property has had a strong start, selling over £1.6m YTD February and is the number one new toy property on the market. However, there seems to be a strong impact across the total construction market with LEGO City, LEGO Super Heroes and LEGO Star Wars also in growth. Another property showing growth is Minecraft, which is particularly strong in action figures where it was the number seven
February 2014
The Movie Melting Room This product from The LEGO Movie range stormed up the charts in February, moving up 1,576 places to number eight.
Sales UK toy sales (value, year-to-date)
YTD 2013
YTD 2014
Source: NPD
property in February, as well as being the number four licence in arts and crafts. In addition, other new properties from 2013 continue to add to sales this year with Doc McStuffins, Frozen and Sofia the First all performing well. “The strong uplift to toy sales associated with the release of The LEGO Movie is good news not just for LEGO but also encouraging for other licensees of major film releases due out later this year,”
said Jez Fraser-Hook, practice director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. “With strong boys licences such as The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Transformers 4 out over the summer, as well the second Planes film, Postman Pat and Paddington Bear waving the flag for pre-school licences in the cinema, 2014 could be the year that revives film licences, after a couple of slower than expected years performance within the toy market.”
+2%
Average toy price February ’13: £7.04
February ’14: £7.35
UK RETAIL SALES TRENDS February 2014 (£ sales – value)
1
LEGO MINIFIGURES
2.
LEAPPAD EXPLORER
3.
FURBY BOOM ASSORTMENT
4.
INNOTAB 2
5.
February 2014 LEGO
(Unit sales – volume)
1 LEGO MINIFIGURES
LEGO
LEAPFROG
2.
MATCH ATTAX 2013/2014 BOOSTER BOX
HASBRO
3.
HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT
VTECH
4.
MOSHI MONSTERS BLIND BAG ASSORTMENT
LSW MF 2014
LEGO
5.
PREMIER LEAGUE STICKERS
6.
LSW GR. VEHICLES
LEGO
6.
PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT
7.
THE MOVIE MELTING ROOM
LEGO
7.
MOSHI MONSTERS MOSHLING FIGURES
8.
INNOTAB SOFTWARE ASSORTMENT
VTECH
8.
PLAY-DOH CLASSIC 4 PACK
HASBRO
9.
MONSTER HIGH FRIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION ASSORT. MATTEL
9.
CARS 2 CHARACTER ASSORTMENT
MATTEL
10. MATCH ATTAX 2013/2014 BOOSTER BOX
TOPPS
TOPPS MATTEL VIVID TOPPS
10. LSW MF 2014
HASBRO VIVID
LEGO
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.
01932 355 580 10 April
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CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH / PLAYTIME
ChillFactor Character Options’ Squeeze Cup Slushy Maker scooped a Lifestyle Product Award and topped NPD lists last year. The firm reveals its campaign behind a launch of new ChillFactor products CONTACT Character Options: 0161 633 9800 ChillFactor Slushy Maker exceeded all expectations last year with three quarters of a million units sold throughout summer, autumn and winter. This year’s Toy Fair saw ChillFactor named as the toy industry’s Lifestyle Product of 2013 and the Slushy Maker has topped NPD lists since its launch. However, with a host of new arrivals to the slushy maker portfolio, ChillFactor is
no longer a standalone product, as Character Options introduces a full line of slushy and ice cream making gadgets for 2014. This spring will witness the arrival of the ChillFactor Colour Blast series and Ice Cream Maker. These will soon be followed with the Jelly Maker and Frozen Yoghurt Tub in the summer. Marketing of the new collection will continue in the same vein as 2013, targeting
traditional TV and print, each complemented with social media. Consumer shows with live demonstrations of the capabilities of the ChillFactor products are also on the agenda.
HOT OFF THE PRESS Kids aged six to ten will be asked to vote for their ‘Nation’s Favourite Ice Cream’ flavour alongside sampling a selection of ice cream recipes in various children’s titles across the UK. Furthermore, competitions running throughout the spring will reach a combined total audience of over 2.5million children. LIVE CONSUMER EVENTS The Good Food Show remains one of the most popular places to experience all things food related, and this year is just one focus of Character’s adult marketing campaign. The buying public will be able to see the ChillFactor range at work and over 10,000 samples of slushies, treats and ice creams will be made and handed out to the crowds.
SLUSHY ONLINE Character Options is continuing its campaign to send out continual streams of samples, targeting parental influencers, food writers and travel journalists. The reach already surpasses 700,000 for 2014, and with constant monthly outreach, the coverage is predicted only to grow.
Playtime
SMALL SCREEN Character Options has 1,900 TVRs planned for the year, supporting the four new lines on some of the most popular terrestrial and satellite children’s channels.
This month, Generation Media asks are more toys and games advertisers boxing clever post-Christmas? 26th Dec ‘13- 1st Jan 14
Toys & Games Kids Eq. TVRs
Latest Available data at time of printing
+14.5%
Source: BARB 2014
This month we examine the increase in toys and games advertisers starting with campaigns from Boxing Day 2013 onwards.
Analysis of consolidated TV data has shown that ad pressure within the toys and games market increased by nearly 15 per cent during December 26th to January 1st vs the previous year.
In 2013, 23 toys and games TV campaigns went live on Boxing Day compared to 12 in 2013. Some of these campaigns included LEGO Friends, Mattel Barbie Frozen Dolls, Hasbro Twister Dance and Vivid Animagic Rescue Hospital.
The most heavily supported campaign during this period was LeapFrog’s LeapPad Games with its creative promoting a 50 per cent off discount available from Boxing Day to January 16th.
With traditionally lower TV advertising costs during December to January, it will be interesting to see if more advertisers will follow suit in 2014 and focus on product sell through when Boxing Day sales kick off.
Toy News PlayTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 255 4650 | www.generationmedia.co.uk www.toynews-online.biz
April 13
APPOINTMENTS
Industry moves This month, a trade fair veteran steps down, Mask-arade and Winning Moves welcome new sales and marketing execs and Bigjigs is our Team of the Month
TEAM OF THE MONTH Who’s in the team? We have quite a big team including the directors, managers, sales staff, finance team, marketing and graphics department, warehouse staff plus all of the people that work off site including our reps and agents across the globe (we tried to get as many in the photo as possible.) What have been your biggest successes in the last year? There are too many to mention. Our biggest success in recent years is keeping the company growing in the right direction, despite the poor economic situation. We
PATTEXPO After 45 years in the trade fair business, industry veteran, ROGER SHERMAN has decided to step down from his role as Nuremberg Spielwarenmesse and Kids India in Mumbai
MASK-ARADE The licensed character masks firm is continuing to bolster its team, hiring TANYA FOLLIOT as its new international sales manager. Folliot joins the firm from Vivid Imaginations where she spent five years as international sales manager in the Crayola
14 April
BIGJIGS TOYS
What are you working on now? We are currently working towards the launch of the Bigjigs Rail re-brand, due to roll out in April. We are also working on the marketing to bring Station Master Sam to life. We have also got lots of new products for this year and beyond.
such a busy time of year, and can be slightly chaotic in the warehouse. With dispatching the orders correctly and on time, the sales team taking the orders, the marketing team ensuring we are being seen in the right places, the graphics completing the next year’s catalogues and the rest of the team overseeing the huge operation, it’s busy. The second hardest part is just trying to resist all the cakes and biscuits bought into the office.
work coming together – especially when the Christmas rush is over. Also having the chance to play with all of the new samples that come in... combining the worlds of work and play, without getting into trouble.
What’s the hardest part of the job? The hardest part of the job is Christmas time. It is
And what’s the best? There are loads. The best thing about Bigjigs is seeing everyone’s hard
Who is the team joker? We don’t have a particular member of a team who is a joker, but from the office
also built the world’s biggest wooden toy train track reaching 2,196.5 metres and gaining a Guinness World Record in the process.
representative for the UK. Sherman has been working for Nuremberg for eight years, and will leave the post in September this year. Prior to his role with Nuremberg, Sherman was the UK agent for all trade fairs organised throughout the world by the Munich Trade Fair Authority. Sherman will be succeeded by DAVID OWEN, managing director of Pattern Ltd, a company that was founded by Sherman in 1987.
division, responsible for developing the business in EMEA territories. Prior to this, Folliot was at Golden Bear for three years, selling its licensed product range to across the world. BTHA Head of operations and sales for Toy Fair, SIMON PILLING
has decided to step down from his role at the end of April. Pilling has worked on the event since 2008 and is now leaving to start his own marketing and events business called Warway Pilling. The BTHA thanks Pilling for his dedication to the team. HTI GROUP The UK toy firm has appointed CHRIS SPALDING as its chief executive officer. Spalding will report to a newly formed investor board, led by current CEO and principal investor JOHN HUTT. He will now take on the role of chairman and will retain an active involvement in the strategic direction of the business. Spalding joins the toy firm from LeapFrog where he held the position of managing director and SVP and grew its global division.
VIVID IMAGINATIONS Managing director of the firm’s UK division, NEIL BANDTOCK has decided to leave the company. Bandtock is departing Vivid to seek a new challenge. The former MD has held a number of senior sales and management positions during a long career with the firm. Bandtock’s previous duties will now be shared among the existing management team. WINNING MOVES The toy firm has welcomed its new head of marketing. SUZIE HOWES took up her new position with the company in January, joining from Vivid Imaginations, where she spent 12 years, most recently as senior brand manager. Howes has looked after a number of
George and Sharon are definitely up there. The warehouse lads are always pulling pranks on each other too. Who makes the most tea? We have a few ‘tea ladies’ in Sharon, Julia G, Julia C, Sally and Christine. Also Jacky and Paula keep the warehouse staff’s thirst quenched. They all make a splendid cuppa. brands including the launch of the Moshi Monsters product range. She will now look after Winning Moves’ portfolio including Monopoly, Guess Who and Top Trumps. CHARACTER OPTIONS This year the firm is restructuring its sales and marketing teams. Sales director, MIKE ROWE will retire in July 2015, and as a result DAVID BRAMFORD has been promoted to sales director designate. COLIN ROSSITER is taking on the role of national sales manager, while JERRY CROUCH will become senior national account manager. ANTHONY THORPE and RICHARD DINHAM have been promoted to national account managers. Finally, MARK HUNT becomes marketing manager and COLIN FOX will manage marketing services.
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OPINION
Why toy firms buy other toy firms Steve Reece tackles the issue of toy industry consolidation and why it happens
ONE OF the most industry changing impacts of the global financial crisis has been the inevitable round of insolvencies and acquisitions, driven by desperation in some circumstances and opportunism in others. We’ve also seen companies with healthy balance sheets buying high value brands and companies to ensure their on-going growth despite apparently static consumer demand overall. Most people can’t resist a bargain, and the chance to get something of higher perceived value than the purchase price is after all what often drives consumer purchase in our highly promotional market. The same bargain hunting
can apply to purchasing companies where the price to be paid can be significantly lower than the value to be gained in some instances.
Often larger multicategory companies seek to expand out into a new product category via buying an established player in the new category,
Hasbro’s acquisition of Waddington’s going back in time reaped the rich reward of Monopoly and Cluedo to Hasbro in the UK, even though it did not need the market position.
If we look at where the value is in most toy companies, it is usually in either established market position or in ownership or control of brand intellectual property.
especially where the company to be bought has proven brand IP of significant long-term value. The most strikingly obvious example of this recently would be Mattel’s
move into the construction toys arena via acquiring Mega Brands. In many instances though market position may be less valued versus brands. For example, Hasbro’s acquisition of Waddington’s going back in time reaped the rich reward of Monopoly and Cluedo to Hasbro in the UK, even though the company did not need the market position. There are other motivations for brand acquisition of course. Perhaps the most important to consider for those company owners looking to eventually sell up and sail into the distance is to get in the way of a cash rich competitor.
When the cash pile starts to mount up for larger companies, they begin to come under pressure to use it. Indeed it has been known for companies in this position to purchase smaller, pesky competitors in order to both gain the value of their brand intellectual property, as well as to also increase their market share and strength in the category at stake. Regardless of motivation, however, there is still a huge stack of cash (believe it or not) which is sat around within the toy industry and looking for a home. It will certainly be interesting to see which big deal happens next.
Steve Reece runs a leading Consultancy to Toy & Game companies. Contact him via his Blog: www.stevenreece.com
Mattel’s big build for market share Euromonitor’s Robert Porter explores the potential ramifications of Mattel’s acquisition of Mega Brands across the world’s largest regions for traditional toys and games LEGO AND Mattel both held a similar share in traditional toys and games in Asia Pacific in 2012, and with this region forecast to achieve the strongest growth over 2012 to 2017, competition between these two companies is expected to intensify in construction toys thanks to a much more level playing field. The competitive landscape in Asia Pacific, especially China, is highly fragmented. International Western companies have been trying to gain share here for years, but continue to face strong opposition from regional and domestic players. In the region overall, Takara Tomy and Namco Bandai accounted for eight per cent and
seven per cent of traditional toys and games value sales in 2012, respectively, compared to Mattel, LEGO and Hasbro’s combined share of eight per cent. This, coupled with the threat of piracy, is expected to be the main challenge for Western companies seeking to capitalise on the region’s strong growth potential. North America is Mattel’s home market, with the company commanding more than a 23 per cent share of traditional toys and games sales. The Mega Brands acquisition should have a significant impact on the region as the firm will benefit from the full force of Mattel’s marketing, logistics and operational
infrastructure there. This could well mean that in the coming years the gap closes in construction toys between Mattel and LEGO in North America. LEGO will not take this lying down. It has been suggested that a significant amount of its 2013 profit will be reinvested into the business, propelling innovation and new product development. The recent launch of The LEGO Movie will also complement and encourage the performance of LEGO’s portfolio. Mattel’s acquisition of Mega Brands means it will now have in its portfolio licensed brands such as Halo, Skylanders and SpongeBob SquarePants. However, LEGO still has
some of the most powerful licences on the planet, such as Marvel andStar Wars, as well as being a well-trusted brand with over 60 years of expertise in construction toys. Regardless of the battle in the licensing realm, it
could be argued that the success of construction toys globally has been underpinned by the success of LEGO, making the company the main driver and beneficiary of most of the growth in the category.
Robert Porter is a toys and games analyst at Euromonitor International. Contact him at Robert.Porter@euromonitor.com.
16 April
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OPINION
You don’t have to be mad to work here… David Smith considers the eccentric beginnings of some of our favourite toys
IN THE film Big, it takes a magically transformed schoolboy to inject new life into a stagnating toy company. He instinctively recognises what is wrong with a proposed new line of toys and suggests a much better alternative. Hoping that Tom Hanks will come up with the next great idea for your company probably isn’t a sound business plan, but there are many other ways that ideas can surface without the need for think tanks, focus groups or endless boring meetings. I am currently lucky enough to be working with the Royal Mail on a forthcoming stamp issue celebrating classic British toys. It has reminded me that so many of the great
toys have their origins in the UK, and there’s a delightful sprinkling of eccentricity in the stories behind many of the top candidates for inclusion.
He got the idea for Spirograph when he discerned patterns in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Matchbox cars were (so the legend goes) invented
You don’t have to be a certified eccentric, but it may help to have a different way of looking at things. Denys Fisher remains one of my favourite toy inventors, not just because he created Stickle Bricks and Spirograph, but because of how he created them. Fisher was something of a mathematical prodigy and once passed the time while off school with an illness by reading Lamb’s Infinitesimal Calculus.
when Jack Odell shrunk down one of his company’s existing scale models so that it would fit inside a matchbox, thus qualifying it for his daughter to use in show-and-tell at school. Fuzzy Felt was an unexpected by-product of World War Two tank production (honestly), while the Merrythought Teddy bear owes its existence to
the invention of synthetic fibres, which caused a group of Yorkshire mill owners to ask ‘what will we do with all this mohair?’ You don’t have to be a certified eccentric to succeed in the toy industry, but it probably does help to have a different way of looking at things (or listening to them, in the case of Denys Fisher). The imperatives of the business world can sometimes mean that eccentricity is squeezed out as competition intensifies. As the big toy firms get bigger will smaller voices still be heard? I wonder if, in the future, a stamp issue celebrating the best toys of the 21st century will include quite so many eccentric tales.
David Smith runs the consumer focused toy news site ToyTalk (www.toytalk.co.uk) and is the author of the book 100 Classic Toys.
Hollywood looks to toys for big screen hits DCM’s commercial director Joe Evea looks at how the success of The LEGO Movie now has Hollywood sniffing around our industry for further inspiration AFTER THE phenomenal success of The LEGO Movie, it is no surprise that both filmmakers and toymakers are looking to build on this success. The impact of a cinema hit can really pay dividends for toy brands. While Warner Bros. is already planning a sequel to The LEGO Movie for 2017, LEGO itself is reportedly building on the success with plans to move into new markets. We have all experienced the magic of cinema; its immersive environment and the shared experience that allows us to escape into another world, thanks to the very best storytelling devices, state-of-the-art cinematography and special effects.
The toy industry has also always been about stimulating the imagination, learning through play and encouraging children to develop their own stories through the toys they love. It seems a natural progression to bring these to life on the big screen. A trip to the cinema has always been a treat, but it’s also an increasingly rare opportunity for a parent and child to sit down together, switch off the outside world and just lose themselves in what they see in front of them. Brand association with this captivating and engaging environment can also deliver returns, with research showing that
recall from one single ad spot is eight times greater on cinema than on TV. The recent arrival of digital technology has further revolutionised the
life in a live action format, where previously only animation was feasible. Everything is more realistic and more believable than ever
Research shows recall from one single ad spot is eight times greater on cinema than on TV. cinema-going experience for families today. The advent of CGI and 3D cinematography, coupled with innovations in surround sound with Dolby Atmos and even 4D cinema experiences evoking smell, taste, touch or Cineworld’s moving DBox seats, means children can watch the unimaginable brought to
before. At the same time, digital distribution makes it easier to plan, schedule and deliver content in cinemas. Slashed production costs and lead times, along with the ability to book ad spots by the day or rotate copy to support different products have made cinema advertising more
accessible and more flexible for toy brands. Besides the potential for showcasing content on the big screen, brands, such as Mattel’s Max Steel, have recognised opportunities to deliver multi-platform marketing activities before and after the movie. Whether taking ownership of a cinema’s kids’ club property or bringing a cinema foyer to life, toy brands can drive footfall to their due to the proximity of cinemas to retail centres. Enabling cinemagoers to really engage with your brand is paramount and it is heartening to see these more and more innovative partnerships between the film and toy industries.
Joe Evea is the commercial director at Digital Cinema Media. Contact DCM on 020 7534 6363.
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April 17
INDEPENDENT SURVEY
Follow us on @toyshopuk
Does a late Easter mean bigger sales?
With the four-day Easter break this year falling mid-month, will this have any impact on sales for independent toy retailers? ToyShopUK asks its listers if they feel the timing will make a difference to footfall - or if it’s actually the weather which will have the biggest impact 18 April
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INDEPENDENT SURVEY IN ASSOCIATION WITH
DOES THE DATE OF EASTER MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO YOUR HOLIDAY TRADING OR IS IT JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL?
by ToyShopUK, with 59 per cent saying no difference and 42 per cent saying they did see a change. “A late Easter for us means that it rolls seamlessly into our summer trading period,” explains Sandra Patterson, director of Kids Bee Happy Sand Art.
A late Easter for us means that it rolls seamlessly into our summer trading period. Sandra Patterson, Kids Bee Happy Sand Art weather all helps to get consumers spending. But does it matter when the holiday actually falls? There was a more even split than we’ve seen for a while from the listers asked
“An early Easter means we have a small peak and then a lull, and we need to regain interest in May.” Colin Tindall from Rainbow Gifts concurs: “We are situated in a large
“
Colin Tindall Rainbow Gifts “Rainbow Gifts Toy Shop is situated in a large garden centre and footfall increases considerably as we move out of March and people start thinking about the warmer spells. A later Easter is beneficial as late April sees many more people attending such popular destinations.”
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garden centre and footfall increases considerably as we move out of March and people start thinking about the warmer spells. A later Easter is beneficial as late April sees many more people attending such popular destinations.” However, Lisa Clay from Armadillo Toys, comments: “An Easter gift is an Easter gift. The weather will have more of an impact than the date of Easter.” Final Frontier’s Julian Shelford agrees that the weather plays a crucial part, even going so far as to mention specifics – “overcast but dry in the morning is great for us” in case you’re wondering. Debbie Downie from The Sports and Model Shop, however, puts it simply: “Late Easter = better weather = better sales.”
have recovered fully from the Christmas period. Weather is a crucial player for us, overcast but dry in the morning is great for us.”
Lisa Clay Armadillo Toys “An Easter gift is an Easter gift. The weather will have more impact than the date of Easter.”
Stuart Andrew Hal Whittaker “Easter always kick starts spring time and signifies the end of winter and the start of warmer weather (hopefully). The feel good factor this creates amongst people is reflected in sales and therefore a late Easter just delays a very necessary boost to trade.”
Julian Shelford Final Frontier “Easter is really the start of the holiday season down our way. Easter this year falls on a good week as it is the start of the month. We definitely see more footfall and people
Sandra Patterson Kids Bee Happy Sand Art “A late Easter for us means that it rolls seamlessly into our summer trading period. An early Easter means that we have a small peak, not as big as for a later Easter, and then
21% - BIG DIFFERENCE 21% - SMALL DIFFERENCE 59% - NO DIFFERENCE
a lull, and then we need to regain interest in May. Neither, however, are as important as the weather.” Debra Scanlon Lootybag “This makes no difference to me at all.” Amanda Shiels Select Kidz “We are this year for the first time doing Easter baskets for our SPD kids and those with autism, etc. So fingers crossed.” Debbie Downie The Sports and Model Shop “Late Easter = better weather = better sales.” Neil Armstrong The Toy and Book Warehouse “Generally later Easters are busier, as this brings more campers and caravaners out.”
“
TRADITIONALLY THE second biggest selling period for the toy industry behind Christmas, Easter is often the first indication of how high – or not - consumer confidence is after the year has settled in. The first bank holiday of the year, coupled with (hopefully) an uplift in the
April 19
GOOD TOY GUIDE
Growing the grass roots
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
With the spotlight on sports this month in preparation of the upcoming World Cup, Dr. Amanda Gummer explores the importance of engaging children with sports from a young age, and asks ‘can toys help Team GB?’ FOLLOWING THE success of the Sochi Winter Olympics, eyes are now turning towards Brazil, both for the hotly anticipated World Cup and the lead up to the Olympic Games 2016. But even so, how can we ensure our perennial problem of grass roots engagement in sport is addressed, particularly for girls, who seem to drop out of sport at a great rate from the age of seven? Having clubs and facilities is one thing, but unless children are generally active and confident in their abilities to engage in the sport, these clubs are doomed from the start as children won’t even get through the doors.
Active toys can help children develop a range of skills: co-ordination, balance, flexibility, strength etc, as well as strategy and social skills such as learning to win and lose well, team work and importantly, confidence. Without the confidence to have a go at these sports in the first place, children will never know whether they have a talent for them. Active healthy lifestyles are key, but toys that promote specific skills, such as swingball, trampolines, balls, bicycles and skates give children a real headstart when they first try ‘real’ sports as they have already learned some of the skills
underpinning those sports in a fun, non-pressured way. Toys that really work well are those that can be used indoor and out, as well as with friends and alone. Toy companies looking to develop sporty toys need to make sure they are ageappropriate and develop skills in the natural order: gross motor skills before fine motor skills; jumping before hopping; two handed catching before one handed catching, etc. So, when developing the range or stocking your shops, look at the active toys and make sure there is something for all ages across the different skill sets, and let’s get those grass roots growing again.
Have you got an app? If you are developing an app or looking to propel your brand or product into the digital world, don’t forget that The Good Toy Guide is here to help get you on you way. Sponsored by Kurio and launching this summer, The Good App Guide will aim to provide you with all the information you may need to turn your product into a Good App. The new division will aim to offer insight into developing app toys, as well as provide advice on tablets and e-safety.
For anyone interested in developing their own app and getting involved in the Good App Guide, simply get in touch with Lucy Gill, head of the Good App Guide at Lucy@goodtoyguide.com.
CONTACT THE GOOD TOY GUIDE: Twitter: @goodtoyguide Facebook: GoodToyGuide Email: admin@goodtoyguide.com www.goodtoyguide.com 20 April
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INVENTORS: CROWDFUNDING
Crowd pleasers Getting a toy to retail is a difficult path only a few projects complete successfully. Over the coming months, ToyNews is looking at the different routes available to inventors for them to turn their ideas into a reality. This issue, Billy Langsworthy talks to those successful with, and currently in the thick of, crowdfunding GETTING A toy from design to toy shops is a difficult process and for every one that makes the journey, hundreds more never leave the mind of the inventor. Just as crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have been utilised by the worlds of film, technology, design and fashion, toy makers have increasingly turned to these sites to help launch products at retail. Tabletop game specialist Mantic Games took Mars Attacks! The Game to Kickstarter back in September 2013 and raised $50,000 in 13 minutes. More recently, Mantic has taken to Kickstarter for its board game Dreadball Xtreme, where it raised its $100,000 target in 37 minutes. While the firm doesn’t believe Kickstarter is the only way to get games out there, it has enjoyed benefits by taking this route. “It gives us advantages in so many ways that we still feel it’s a great platform to develop a new range or system,” says Andrew Whelan, national accounts manager at Mantic Games. Mantic also maintains that the coverage built through a campaign helps get stores interested in the product well in advance of it arriving to shelves. “It means that when a game is released to trade, there is a player base out there in the hobby stores
Mantic Games has found Kickstarter can offer a customer base ready and waiting for the product
that will be already engaged with the game. “For the local gaming store it means there is already an audience for this game, so stocking it is not so much a risk.” US tabletop firm CoolMiniOrNot is currently enjoying success on Kickstarter with Arcadia Quest, a game that raised $70,000 in under an hour, smashing its $50,000 goal. The game went on to raise over $400,000. The firm’s marketing executive Spencer Reeve tells ToyNews that in his experience, unless you know established people within the industry, going through crowdfunding is the best bet.
“There’s always going to be a bit of ‘who you know’, involved,” says Reeve. “If you know established designers, developers, or producers, it’s going to be an easier door to open. “If you’re outside the industry, my recommendation would be to find out if there is a local game company near you, see if they do play test nights, and get involved. It will hone your skills for design and development, and shows the company you have an active interest in the industry. “If you’re trying to go fully indie, then Kickstarter might be your best bet, but a successful Kickstater campaign doesn’t necessarily mean your game is going into stores.” Reeve has found that although being no certainity of success, bringing a game
to a crowdfunding platform allows the inventor to gauge everything from retail price to demand. Reeve continues: “In many cases, getting fully funded on Kickstarter allows a company to set a more favorable MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). This is due to the offset of materials cost thanks to the backers. Kickstarter (hopefully) foreshadows your retail sales. “If you have a hugely successful Kickstarter you may consider increasing the quantity of your first production run. “However, if you barely fund, you may want to make a small first production run and see how well the product does once on stores’ shelves.” Candylab Toys utilised Kickstarter to help launch
its range of MO-TO: Modern Vintage Toy Cars. Founder Vlad Dragusin found the site helpful in launching the wooden toys as it opens up the product to pre-orders. “With pre-paid orders, it’s hugely beneficial, as you have a no strings attached cash infusion,” Dragusin says. “But expect a year of hard work. Lots of unknowns and many hours to be put in. And after speaking with other creators, it's a sink or swim proposition after being launched - one must carefully manage cash among other things.” GoldieBlox founder Debbie Sterling turned to Kickstarter in September 2012 after facing hostility to the idea of construction toys for girls from the industry professionals she initially went to for help. “One of the first things I did was bring the idea and prototypes to toy industry professionals to get their feedback,” GoldieBlox founder and CEO Sterling tells ToyNews. “I was met with immediate pushback on the idea, telling me: "construction toys for girls don't sell. You can't fight nature." I was fairly discouraged at first hearing these opinions, but I was convinced that if I had something like GoldieBlox growing up, maybe I would have considered engineering at a much younger age. I decided to crowdfund my idea to prove the market demand for this kind of toy.”
GoldieBlox (left) founder Debbie Sterling turned to Kickstarter following hostility from industry colleagues to the idea of a construction set for girls Candylab Toys’ Vlad Dragusin found crowdfunding the ideal platform to launch MO-TO: Vintage Toy Cars (right) as it made pre-orders a reality
22 April
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INVENTORS: CROWDFUNDING
DIARY OF AN
INVENTOR CoolMiniOrNot is currently enjoying success on Kickstarter with Arcadia Quest, a game that raised $70,000 in under an hour
The idea proved a hit on the site, raising $285,881 from a $150,000 goal, but Sterling still had to pour her own savings and find additional resources from elsewhere to help make GoldieBlox a reality. “Kickstarter did fund us into production, and we are thankful everyday for the overwhelming amount of support we received from our Kickstarter backers in such a short period of time,” Sterling adds. “The beauty of Kickstarter is getting your
with a well-established toy firm. “It’s really hard to get noticed by a big-name publisher if you’re not a known toy designer,” Hunter tells ToyNews. “If by chance you do get noticed, profits are extremely low because it’s a risk for them to publish an unknown game by an unknown designer. “For me, I’ve done all of the work on the game so it’s been a bit of a labour of love and I wanted to own the look and feel the way it is. I was approached by a
I’m blown away by the support and generosity of people, most of whom I don’t know. Phil Hunter, Robots on the Line story out there and having an opportunity to present yourself to a large community in a really organic and truthful way. Additionally, our Kickstarter campaign was a great confidence boost that our mission and product was valid and desired.” While GoldieBlox has distribution, and Mantic Games and CoolMiniOrNot are moving onto the next stage of production, there are hundreds of inventors pitching toys to supporters on Kickstarter right now. One such game is Robots on the Line from toy designer Phil Hunter. Hunter has found that being an unknown seriously hinders your chances of having a chance www.toynews-online.biz
couple of small publishers but they both wanted to change the look of the game and I wasn’t willing to do that. There’s a lot more to this than money for me.” Hunter has also found that choosing the Kickstarter path has given him a relationship to his prospective audience that
would’ve otherwise been far more difficult to achieve if launching via a larger firm. “There is a real community that you’re able to tap into,” said Hunter. “I’m blown away by the support and generosity of people, most of whom I don’t know. It’s an honest community and they’ll tell you if your product isn’t good but supportive enough to give you ideas on how to improve. I feel connected to them. “I don’t think that would be the case had I used a traditional publishing model.” While the support of a high profile game publisher provides a prospective audience, marketing clout and a slice of the profits, crowdfunding platforms are giving inventors the opportunity to release toys on their own terms. If funded, this means creative control, a guaranteed (albeit smaller) audience waiting for the product and a rare active relationship with consumers.
Each month, a toy inventor will give us, first hand, their trials and tribulations in their quest to get products to market. This month, Jan Grime explains her struggles to launch Shape Kids
I tried for ten months here in New Zealand to get them made and quite a few people were very interested, but no one could do them for less than $29 so I got in touch with an online company called Salehoo who have done the hard work with companies overseas by checking them all out. I paid my fee and that gave me access to some company names. I picked Hexin Toys in China, a firm that has made toys for Hasbro and Tomy, but dealing with them was very hard because of the language differences. I often got emails that I couldn't understand and so did they, but we got there in the end. I sent a set to the BBC but haven't heard anything. I emailed to ask if they had received them but they ignored my email. I rang Toys R Us and the girl on the reception put me through to their buyer and she said “yes send a set”. I did, but it took me ages to get through to her and then she said, "oh we can't accept wooden toys." I didn't get in touch with any crowdfunders, as I didn't know they existed unfortunately. I paid to get a business mentor at the end of last year and he said he couldn't help me as I had done everything he would have suggested, so that was another waste of money. It's like I am banging my head against a brick wall, it is so frustrating. Two clairvoyants told me separately that Shape Kids would fly off the shelves once they hit England, but I am not sure where to go next. I would gladly move back to the UK if I had someone willing to help me get to the next level.
Board game Robots on the Line is currently in the midst of a Kickstater campaign
April 23
BIG INTERVIEW: CARTAMUNDI
Pack leaders It’s a card company but don’t call it traditional. Chris Van Doorslaer, CEO of Cartamundi Group tells Billy Langsworthy how the future of this unconventional playing card company brings innovation, digital play and an entirely new toy category Where is Cartamundi now and where would you like it to go? The oldest part of Cartamundi’s business dates from 1765. Cartamundi is about 40 years old which makes it relatively young. The name is Latin as this can cause no offence in any language. The playing card industry is traditional but Cartamundi is not a traditional brand and innovation, whilst retaining core values, is important. Our goals are more than just profit led. Sharing the magic of playing together is key to all that we do. Our aim is to be recognised as the world reference in playing card games - the ‘go to’ brand. That said, we always aim to
be positive without being arrogant, letting our product’s quality and innovation do the talking for us. There is a lot to do in the card category. Creating games that are fast, easy and fun are qualities that we like to think we have as a company as well. We want our partners to consider us a pleasure to work with. What products are you excited about this year? Shuffle is a big priority for us this year. Our aim is to create a new category: fast, fun and easy card games that are enhanced by a free app. What is important to understand is that the apps enhance the play, they are not essential. They bring a new
dimension but the games are eminently playable without using them. That said, not only do they bring a new dimension to gameplay, they also offer a great solution to quickly understanding game rules. Visual and creative, they help the fun start right away. We have developed robust packaging so Shuffle games are perfect for fun on the move. The gameplay is short so even with today’s busy lifestyles there is always time for 20 minutes of fun with family or friends. We have partnered with Hasbro and the first games will be out in July. They include Monopoly, Transformers, My Little Pony, Guess Who and Play-Doh.
The playing card industry is traditional but Cartamundi is not a traditional brand. Innovation is important. Chris Van Doorslaer, Cartamundi Brands from other partners, including Disney, will be announced shortly.
Cartamundi’s Shuffle range sees the firm enter the digital space with partners including Hasbro and Disney (Images not final or approved)
24 April
How important are licences to Cartamudi? Obviously licences are a key aspect of Shuffle, but they are also an important element of other existing games and we work with partners including Disney, Nickleodeon and Discovery. With that said though, we continue to have great success with our nonlicensed children’s ranges as well as our Poker, Bridge and general playing card
ranges such as the everpopular Royal Flush. Digital is an important sector for toy firms. As a company known for traditional products, how do you approach digital space? Although our product sector may be considered traditional, we are a company that prides itself on being innovative and creative. We embrace digital as we have demonstrated in creating Shuffle, first and foremost card games but with an accompanying app to add to the fun. www.toynews-online.biz
RUBIE’S BATMAN COSTUMES
Anatomy of a blockbuster toy: Rubie’s Batman costumes Bruce Wayne. The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. Adam West. Michael Keaton. Val Kilmer. George Clooney. Christian Bale. Ben Affleck. Batman. The iconic superhero has enjoyed many different faces and even more batsuits in his time, and Rubie’s has been on hand to help consumers cape up every step of the way. Billy Langsworthy talks to the firm about its most popular superhero costume year-on-year DESPITE TURNING 75 this year, Batman has never been more popular. The Dark Knight has worn more faces than just that of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. Along with waves of hit animated TV shows and movies, we’ve had the camp of Adam West, the gothic of Tim Burton, the edgier Schumacher years complete with nipples on the Batsuit, and the dark origins of Nolan’s most recent trilogy. He’s even muscled his way into the next Superman film. And through it all, dressup firm Rubie’s has provided Batman fans young and old with the chance to dress up as the iconic superhero, in all his guises. “Since Gotham City’s most famous crime-fighter appeared Detective Comics #27 in 1939, Batman has been a hit with boys and teenagers all over the world who are drawn to the excitement and heroic fantasy that the character extols in them,” Struan Robertson, trade marketing and digital manager at Rubie's Masquerade enthuses to ToyNews. “The combination of escapism and otherworldliness is a potent mix and superheroes like him have become almost god-like in our modern secular age, able to deal with the problems of society and protect the people, whilst simultaneously being relatable; Batman could almost be seen as the ultimate policeman, and as role models go, there’s not many that come close.” 26 April
TM & © DC Comics s(14)
Rubie’s believes that embracing a superhero is something most youngsters go through and that the key to Batman’s long-term success lies in his decade-spanning
expansive portfolio of films, TV shows and animations. “Dressing up as your favourite superhero is almost a rite of passage for any young lad, and the most popular
superhero costume yearon-year for the best part of the last decade at Rubie’s has been the iconic Batman,” adds Robertson. “Part of Batman’s enduring appeal can, of
course, be attributed to the amount of films and cartoons which he’s featured in recently; he could even be counted as the one who started the current reign of www.toynews-online.biz
RUBIE’S BATMAN COSTUMES
superheroes at the box office when Tim Burton gave him a fittingly gothic makeover in his 1989 movie Batman. “Although Superman reigned supreme in the Eighties, by the time Superman 4: The Quest For Peace came out in 1987, it took a mere $15m at the box office compared to a whopping $411m for Batman two years later. “It was Batman who conquered the box office in the Nineties, and with the advent of technology and CGI during that period, the Batman films have acted as a spring board for the pantheon of superhero movies that have become ever-more advanced and fantastic since his Burtonesque makeover that made superheroes ‘cool’ again.” This presence on the big screen has been key in charting Rubie’s wide range of Batman costumes, with each director, film or animated series bringing something different to his iconic Batsuit. Robertson says: “Following the advent of the Tim Burton movies, Batman’s costumes moved into a more gothic stage which continued through to the stylised outfit featured in the Joel Schumacherdirected Batman and Robin from 1997, a costume which Rubie’s produced at the time. “During that period Rubie’s also produced an unusual Batman costume
Caping up with the Joneses BLACK OR GREY? Codpiece or no codpiece? Nipples above or below the outfit? The Batsuit has undergone numerous changes since his first comic book appearances and Rubie’s has kept its finger on the pulse. “Rubie’s has moved with the times and with every incarnation of Batman, there’s a new range of skews to tie in with every new look,” says Struan Robertson, trade marketing and digital manager at Rubie's Masquerade. “The original Batsuit as seen in the DC Comics has,
based on the Batman: Beyond animated US TV series, which was remarkable in that it introduced a red emblazoned Bat logo and cape. “More recently a colourful blue and grey range of skews were introduced to represent the superhero in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, again an animated TV series which was aired until last year, the costumes from which still feature strongly in the Rubie’s range. “But it’s the recent Christopher Nolan trilogy that most people associate Batman with currently, which again harks
of course, been drawn in different ways by the various artists employed by DC since the original depiction by Bob Kane, but the suit is most often depicted as a dark blue or black cape and bat-like cowl and gloves with finlike protuberances, matched with a skin-tight grey body suit. “There’s also the iconic black bat insignia emblazoned on the chest in various guises, sometimes in a yellow ellipse, and a yellowish, ever-present utility belt. “This classic look became known to kids all over the world through the comics and various TV shows and
cartoon series’ such as Batman: The Animated Series (right), which ran throughout the Nineties.” Despite the show finishing in 1995, the Animated Series costume remains one of the most iconic, and popular, in Rubie’s expansive Batman range. On the Animated costume, Robertson continues: “It is essentially what comprises the classic Rubie’s Batman costume, still one of the most popular outfits in the Rubie’s range today.”
kick-started the next wave of movie-mania for the iconic superhero in 2005, which again helped propel sales of the dress-up range.”
But news broke last year that Ben Affleck would be stepping back into the world of superheroes to play the caped crusader in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel
sequel, Batman vs. Superman, set to land in 2015. With this new Batman on the horizon, complete with a new Batsuit, the popularity of Rubie’s Batman range shows no sign of slowing down. Robertson concludes: “Currently in its most recent incarnation as The Dark Knight Rises, and with Batman vs. Superman coming in 2015 with Ben Affleck taking up the role, the evolution of Rubie’s range of Batman costumes continues and go from strength to strength, illustrating the well-worn maxim that superheroes never grow old, they just change with the times.”
Batman Begins (2005) Fans kitted themselves out like Christian Bale’s Batman.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) Inspired by the CN show.
The Dark Knight Rises (Current skew) Based on Bale’s final outing.
back to the Burton-era of gothic styling and predominantly black colour scheme. “Rubie’s has been introducing further variants of the costume since Batman Begins
With Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy all wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, it seemed like fans would have to wait a while for another studio reboot to come along.
The evolution of Rubie’s range of Batman costumes illustrates the well-worn maxim that superheroes never grow old, they just change with the times.
Batsuits through the ages
Batman & Robin (1997) Based on the suit worn by George Clooney in the movie. www.toynews-online.biz
Batman: Beyond (1999) Based on the red and black batsuit from the TV show.
April 27
News Media Opinion
Dedicated monthly licensing coverage for the UK
The Simpsons set for big year at toy retail By Billy Langsworthy THIS YEAR marks the 25th anniversary of The Simpsons, and 20th Century Fox Consumer Products has partnered with some of the biggest toy firms around to mark the milestone. The firm has signed with NECA, LEGO, Mattel and Promotional Partners Worldwide for a range of different toy lines. “You rarely see a combination of these types of global, premium partners in the toy market for any single brand,” Peter Leeb, vice president, TV global brand management and strategy at 20th Century Fox Consumer Products told ToyNews. “This year, for us to be coming out with multiple lines of product with LEGO, multiple lines with NECA, a Homer Mr Potato Head for
you’re seeing at least five plus global toy lines for The Simpsons this year. “I find it hard to believe that you can find any other brand out there with these kinds of partnerships.” Leeb believes the LEGO deal ranks highly in what the year has in store.
None of these partnerships are short sighted. They’re here to stay. Peter Leeb, Fox the nostalgic market and on top of that, partnering with the biggest sports clubs in the world where you will have toy lines, figures and collectables -
Alongside LEGO sets and Minifigures, a special LEGO episode of The Simpsons will air in the US in May. Leeb added: “It’s going to be a great thing for LEGO
and a great thing for The Simpsons when this episode comes out. We’ve never done an entire episode like this. It’s something the fans are extremely excited about. “This year is very unique because demand is greater
now for The Simpsons around the world than it’s ever been.” Fox will be targeting all demographics for The Simpsons through the different toy lines. Leeb stated: “If I look at the demographics of The Simpsons in the major markets, it really spans every demographic. “We have fans that have been with it from the early Nineties. That core audience has their own
NECA, LEGO, Mattel and Promotional Partners Worldwide among those on board in the category
families and kids growing up. We really look to hit all the different demographics with interesting products.” While these partners have been born out of the anniversary, Fox intends to keep these toy lines coming past this year, especially as The Simpsons will be able to be streamed for the first time ever at the end of 2014.
“These aren’t going to be in and out products,” said Leeb. “Right off the bat with the initial toy products around the world, with the results we’re seeing there’s some discussion about what do the 2015/2016 lines look like because they’re doing so well. “None of these partnerships are short sighted at just the anniversary. They’re here to stay.”
Fox believes the toy lines will go down well in the UK due to the region’s history with the brand. “There are territories which are much more apparel driven, but the UK has been one of our most successful countries since merchandising began,” concluded Leeb. Fox: 020 7632 2352
NEWS
LEGO confident of success with Mixels Firm tells ToyNews that partnering with Cartoon Network opens both up to a wider combined audience by Billy Langsworthy LEGO IS confident that its LEGO Mixels, the fruits of its tie-up with Cartoon Network, will be received “exceptionally well.” The Mixels brand encompasses animated shorts, a mobile game and toys, and the firm believes the combined customer bases of LEGO and Cartoon Network bodes well.
“Having already won an award at this year’s Toy Fair, we are confident that LEGO Mixels will be received exceptionally well in stores up and down the country,” brand manager Harry Harrison told ToyNews. “Joining forces with Cartoon Network was a natural progression. “To bring two leading forces together to cocreate a compelling IP that
will not only transmit into 130m homes across the globe, but also will be built and played with by millions of LEGO fans in their physical and digital forms, is a very exciting venture.” Sean Gorman, director of Kids’ Channels UK, at Turner Broadcasting, told ToyNews: “Mixels allows both Cartoon Network and LEGO to showcase our creative strengths; the
reach of all the Cartoon Network platforms combined with the different touch points of the LEGO brand will enable us to create a fully integrated and rich experience for our audiences and fans.” The Mixels are marking a number of firsts for LEGO, with mini ball joints, funky hair parts and eyes. Meanwhile,
the Cartoon Network show will introduce viewers to new builds and transformations. “We are already seeing LEGO fans clambering into stores to get their hands on these unique parts,” added Harrison. “The Cartoon Network content will undoubtedly drive the collectability of the individual characters.” LEGO: 01753 495000
Loot Crate excites UK’s ‘geeks and gamers’ with licensed toys By Robert Hutchins US MONTHLY licensed treats and toys subscription box, Loot Crate, is reporting “awesome reaction” from the UK market. Aimed at kids and adults, the firm works with a number of entertainment and gaming companies to deliver a box of goodies and collectables to ‘geeks and gamers’. Having launched in the US in July 2012, Loot Crate moved to the UK in November last year offering monthly licensed toys and products from firms such as Funko, Ubisoft, Mojang,
KidRobot, Just Toys Int. and more. “We’ve been active for 20 months in the US and so far, the reaction has been amazing,” Marissa Zaenger, marketing manager of Loot Crate told ToyNews. “The reaction in the UK has been equally awesome; UK residents have been thrilled to be able to sign up and our UK base has been expanding rapidly.” Previous Loot Crates have treated
consumers to quirky products including Ren and Stimpy plush, The Simpsons collectable keyrings and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures. Loot Crate is now on the lookout for further firms to collaborate with. “International expansion has always been a part of the Loot Crate plans,” continued Zaenger. “We are always on the lookout for more partners, which will become especially important as we expand.” With different themed boxes each month, Loot Crate believes that it has
found a winning combination in its target audience. “Our target audience is geeks and gamers,” explained Zaenger. “The obsession with toys, superheroes, games and fantasy worlds often does not disappear with age.” While the essence of Loot Crates is that each month delivers a surprise to its subscribers, Zaenger teased that this year the firm is looking at some interesting partnerships with the likes of Jazwares with some Minecraft and Adventure Time products, plus LA-based Loyal Subjects. www.lootcrate.com
IN BRIEF BLE RETAIL MENTORING PROGRAMME SHAPES UP Four new retailers have joined this year’s Brand Licensing Europe Retail Mentoring Programme. Debenhams, Matalan, Blue Inc and Card Factory have signed up alongside existing participants Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Miniclub in the six-month programme. www.brandlicensing.eu
30 April
DOCTOR WHO AND BIG BANG THEORY LEGO ON THE WAY? Doctor Who and The Big Bang Theory themed LEGO sets are one step closer, having both reached 10,000 supporters on LEGO Cuusoo. They are both now up for official review by the team. The proposed Doctor Who project includes five Minifigures, a K-9 unit, three Daleks and the Tardis. LEGO: 01753 495000
SAMBRO BAGS EXTENSION TO 1D DEAL Global Merchandising Services has extended its deal with Sambro for One Direction bags and stationery. It will launch bags including new designs and colourways for the rucksack and messenger bag lines, plus a new 3D backpack. Its stationery collection will also now be extended. Sambro: 0161 707 5555
BLINKY BILL SECURES MASTER TOY PARTNER Studio 100 has snapped up Headstart International as the worldwide master toy partner for Australian character Blinky Bill. A range of products is now due including plush, figurines, play-sets and bath toys. The toy launch will coincide with the release of a new Blinky Bill CGI movie. Studio 100: +32 477 751 366
HY-PRO TO ROLL OUT MATT HATTER RANGE ITV Studios Global Entertainment has signed a deal with Hy-Pro for a range of Matt Hatter products. It is planning to launch bikes, inline scooters, skates, skateboards and accessories in Q4. Master toy partner Simba Dickie will also launch its collection later this year. Hy-Pro: 01582 670100
www.toynews-online.biz
IT’S ADVENTURE TIME! One of Cartoon Network’s most popular shows, ADVENTURE TIME focuses on 3 main themes: FRIENDSHIP, COMEDY and of course ADVENTURE!
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episodes, 5 seasons taking content into 2016
contact licensing.emea@turner.com for all Adventure Time licensing opportunities Adventure Time and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © 2014 Cartoon Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
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Pre-School
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Fisher-Price launches Real Mums campaign
Firm looking for ‘new millennial mums’ to become official toy testers for new products
By Samantha Loveday FISHER-PRICE has launched a new campaign targeting ‘real mums’. Launched in time for Mother’s Day, the firm has been searching online for mums to be and mums to share their parenting journey and become official toy testers, putting new and much-loved FisherPrice products through their paces. The mums and babies will feature on a dedicated website launching in May, where they will share their experiences in real life situations through reviews, images and videos with other parents.
They can also extend the conversation through their own social media, forums or blogs. The campaign will be supported through an extensive media partnership programme, plus additional activity later in the year. “Sharing experiences, reviews and
recommendations through social media and on blogs is now ‘the norm’ for mums and, as a brand, being able to reach these mums on relevant platforms and at key times is very important,” Wendy Hill, director of customer marketing and brand communications at Mattel (pictured), explained to ToyNews “Our Fisher-Price Mums will be a genuine real mum voice to create conversations and also show the high quality, durability and performance of our products all the way from birth to pre-school.” Fisher-Price: 01628 500000
Click “bowled over” by Mister Maker response Mister Maker Board Game marks the firm’s first foray into the pre-school sector By Robert Hutchins CLICK DISTRIBUTION has been “bowled over” by the initial response to its Mister Maker Board Game, the firm’s first endeavor at manufacturing its own product. The distributor reported that the hero product in its new partnership with the popular kid’s show has been met with positive and enthusiastic responses and expects the board game to do very well when it launches this September. The board game is joined by a collection of Mister Maker Clay Buddies. www.toynews-online.biz
“The board game is the first Mister Maker product, and it’s a massive step for us because we have never made anything ourselves before,” said Click Distribution MD Mark Hillier (pictured with Mister Maker). “When we decided to go into licensing and produce our own products, we knew we had to wait for the perfect opportunity and the right sort of ideas to come along. “Mister Maker is a fun programme and fits in to our concept for the board game and Clay Buddies perfectly.” The Mister Maker licence also marks Click
Distribution’s first foray into the pre-school sector. “Pre-school is a new area for us and we are very excited to be entering this category with such a strong licence and range of
products,” continued Hillier. “We have done it all ourselves and these are very exciting times for us.” The Mister Maker Board Game challenges players to progress around the board
by engaging with a range of arts and crafts tasks and will retail at £24.99. “I think parents are looking for things to do with their kids now, rather than sit in front of the tablet,” explained Hillier. “It’s about doing stuff together and it’s a very simple game. It’s like a craft kit and a game in one.” Meanwhile, Click Distribution’s Mister Maker Clay Buddies range will hit retailers in time for Easter, and will be available at four price points: 99p, £2.99, £5.99 and £14.99. Click Distribution: 01604 877888 April 33
NEWS
Comment A PARENT BLOGGER’S VIEW Parent bloggers are an influential part of the preschool landscape. Each month, we ask a mummy or daddy blogger to write a special blog post for ToyNews, giving their views on the toy market.
This month: Susan Mann PLAYING FOOTBALL is the most important activity in my son’s life. He eats, breaths and sleeps football. My living room door is however not a goal net. Having a sports toy like indoor goals that we have set up in the toy room have been the perfect solution for those rainy days when he is unable to get outside. Football games keep little, and not so little, football fans entertained from Total Action Football to the classic Subbuteo. For the younger ones Orchard Toys has a great Football Game, which teaches taking turns and counting. There are even some pro girl dolls out there like Lottie doll which has a great Girls United Football strip. Topps Match Attax World Stars 2014 are a fun collectable game that gets children interested in swapping and collecting. Stars like Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar are just a few in the high stakes of card swapping. With the warmer weather starting, it’s time to get ourselves and our children off that sofa and into the great outdoors. It’s great having slides, swings and climbing frames in our gardens, but we are not all lucky enough to have a garden capable
of holding a mini swing park. You can even get an extreme coaster in your back garden. Why not take it back to basics with bouncy balls trying to reach Mars or being the next Picasso with colourful chalk. It could be fun flying through the air to catch a Frisbee. Let’s not forget the vast range of water guns or could your child be the next Andy Murray with a tennis set? Maybe throw or kick a ball about. Children love this; I know mine would do this from dawn to dusk. Even better are the ones that make rude noises, they think these are hilarious. Play is easy and fun. There are loads of outdoor toys that will bring your child endless amounts of fun if they want to be a bit more energetic with goal nets, basketball sets and swing ball that pack away in their own little cases. I don’t feel children play outside as much as I did as a child of the 80’s, which is a shame. I played elastics, tag, hide and seek, climbed trees, hopscotch, rounders’ and played kerby. Do our children even know what kerby is? We need to change this. Let’s go outside this spring, have some fun in the sun with our children and get into outdoor play.
Check out more from Susan Mann online: www.susankmann.com and on Twitter @susankmann.
34 April
Munchkin bolsters bath lines ‘Range is great fit in the pre-school arena’ says company By Samantha Loveday MUNCHKIN IS extending its popular bath toys line, saying the collection can be a great fit for retailers in the pre-school arena. New introductions to the range include the Bath Fun Bubble Blower – a penguin that sticks safely to either a wall or bath ledge and works with any bubble solution to create a continuous flow of bubbles. Suitable from 12 months, ten round wands spin around in the penguin’s tummy and dip into a deep bubble reservoir in its feet. “Within our Munchkin range, we have an extensive collection of
products from feeding to cleaning, teethers to bath toys,” said Matthew Wilson, EMEA marketing manager at Munchkin. “The range offers clever solutions for all parenting situations with our bath category boasting colourful and interactive toys that make bathtime an enjoyable everyday activity. The bath toy category has shown growth in recent years and is a high penetration category with consumers purchasing multiple bath toys across different stages of development. “The Munchkin range is a great fit in the pre-
school arena and offers toy retailers a great range and gifting opportunity within the bath toy sections,” Wilson added. www.munchkin.com
Start-up targets UK hospitals and niche toyshops for healthcare range Singapore-based Joytingle creates toys to help children understand hospital procedures such as taking blood By Billy Langsworthy JOYTINGLE, A new start-up from Singapore, is looking for a UK distributor to bring its range of children’s healthcare toys to UK shops and hospitals. The firm has taken to IndieGoGO to raise funds for its first product – Rabbit Ray – a toy designed to help children understand blood samples. “Joytingle aims to change healthcare for children,” Annet Bruil, interaction designer at Joytingle told ToyNews. “We do this by using a language all children understand: play. “Rabbit Ray helps children to overcome their fear for needles, he helps your child stay calm when the nurse needs to take your child's blood for a health check. “Rabbit Ray allows children to be familiar with the procedure by practicing on him first.
“This means that children can actually draw blood from Rabbit Ray’s hand,” Bruil explained. The company is targeting open-minded toy shops and Rabbit Ray, complete with his red bloodcell sidekick, has been designed to be safely used in a hospital environment. Joytingle wants to sell directly to hospitals and is also currently researching retailers who can stock their toys. Bruil stated: “We are looking to retailers who
have a connection to healthcare or toys for niche markets. “Joytingle is looking to enter the UK market as we believe children in the UK also have the right to healthcare they understand. “UK hospitals can hop on board with Joytingle by developing new materials together, or by purchasing toys from us directly if they wish to save on the product development time,” she concluded. hello@joytingle.com www.toynews-online.biz
Lots new for Spring/Summer 2014 All TV Advertised
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Toot-Toot Drivers Police Station
Toot-Toot Drivers Big Fire Engine
Toot-Toot Drivers Parking Tower
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Features
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Toot-Toot Drivers Fire Station
SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL
Too small for school Pre-schoolers may be tiny, but they make up a toy industry sector worth £362 million. Robert Hutchins offers a ‘crèche’ course in the latest products primed to make you a small fortune this year THEY’RE LOUD, temperamental and they’re always breaking stuff. No, we’re not talking about your local wholesale representative, but toddlers. However, they also happen to be one of the toy market’s biggest money earners, through pre-school toys. In 2013, the pre-school toys category was worth £362.5 million and, according to The NPD Group’s senior account manager, Melissa Symonds, displayed a “performance in
line with that of the total toys for the year.” Today, she informs us that “pre-school remains the largest segment within the UK toy industry,” a statement that both NPD figures and a quick flick through the pages of this sector guide can confirm. “The pre-school sector is hugely important to us and with our current brand portfolio, even more so now than ever before,” Rainbow Designs’ trade marketing manager, Lisa Dower tells ToyNews.
“Our toys are not only fun but they help to develop key learning skills and in such a crowded market it is really important that we are offering product that is unique, high quality and has additional play value.” This emphasis on providing unique product is one that is echoed across the board. Orchard Toys’ marketing manager, Ali Brown, says: “There are a number of brands in the marketplace, but this in itself offers diversity and offers parents
the opportunity to choose products most suited to their child’s needs.” A quick look at the top five items, by value in preschool toys for February 2014 would suggest that the sector is dominated by electronic learning products. However, many, like Asobi’s MD, Thierry Bourret argue there is always room for innovation. “Parents are looking for products that allow their children to be creative and use their imagination,” Bourret explains.
five SmartPoint locations that trigger phrases and sound effects when driven over. The set includes a twisting bird, turning telescope, opening door, a SmartPoint Panda and more. Meanwhile, the Safari Park offers toddlers lessons in shapes, animals, colours, a variety of sound effects and seven SmartPoint locations. Features include a flipping gate, an up and down lift, a spinning water tank, penguin and igloo play pieces and a SmartPoint Rhino. “We are the market leader in youth electronic learning,”
says VTech’s Andrew Welch. “With over 30 years heritage in this sector, pre-school is a key part to our business. And for 2014 we are launching a brand new Toot Toot range.” Joining the VTech line-up this month is the Playtime Bus with Phonics and the VTech Interactive Learning Table. Now in its 14th year, the Playtime Bus uses over 100 interactive curriculum questions to help teach kids phonic sounds, letters, vocabulary numbers and counting. Finally, completing the line-up, the Interactive Learning Table features over
200 touch to learn points, with nine activity pages and 30 activities to play. 01235 555 545
“We have witnessed a growing trend with Seedling and a growing trend towards more traditional style toys, too.” The competition really heats up, though, when it comes to licensed preschool products. “The pre-school licensed area is very important to us in tablet software and our licensed electronics range. However, the pre-school licensed area is very competitive,” VTech’s senior brand manager, Andrew Welch says.
VTECH VTech reveals some key launches in the pre-school market, including the growth of its award winning Toot Toot Drivers range. Boasting a ‘fantastic performance throughout the year’, the Toot Toot Drivers range saw a growth of 70.5 per cent throughout 2013. Building on this success, VTech now introduces its new Toot Toot Animals collection, led by the arrival of the Toot Toot Animal Tree House and the Toot Toot Animals Safari Park. Aimed at one to five year olds, the Tree House boasts
www.toynewsonline.biz
April 37
Growing Great Brands
0845 6000 286
SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL FISHER-PRICE Fisher-Price is looking to excite the infant and pre-school category with new marketing initiatives and a new collection of products. Through extensive mother communication aimed at highlighting the benefits of Fisher-Price toys from birth to pre-school, the firm hopes to create high impact engagement and drive awareness of key new products. Fisher-Price’s newly launched Smart Stages technology is designed to transform play patterns and enhance early development for babies, with three unique modes of play that change as a baby grows and learns. Key product launches within the Fisher-Price portfolio include the Little People City Skyway, a three foot tall play-set, and the launch of the new Cosmic Chaos space range from Imaginext, featuring the Supernova Battlerover. Meanwhile, it’s full steam ahead for Thomas and Friends that has already seen new branding for the pre-school range with the relaunch of the My First Thomas and Friends in the summer. As Wooden railway continues to build momentum offering retailers a new proposition for the brand, Fisher-
FLAIR Price will also harness the momentum of the popular Take n’ Play and TrackMaster ranges. Finally, Fisher-Price’s core Disney licence ranges, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Minnie Mouse and Jake and the Never Land Pirates, continue to grow with the introduction of new figures and play-sets, while Octonauts and Dora the Explorer look set to continue their current success with new launches throughout the year. 01628 500 000
LEGO DUPLO January saw LEGO Duplo launch ten new sets for the first half of the year, each offering girls and boys aged 18 months to five years plenty to get creative with. Following the success of its Creative Cakes, Duplo introduces its Creative Ice Cream (£12.99),Creative Picnic (£19.99) and Creative Animals (£12.99). Pre-schoolers will be able to create a selection of snacks using brick-form bread, meat, ketchup, lettuce and more with the Creative Picnic Set. Similarly, Creative Ice Cream features a collection of DUPLO brick scoops of ice cream, toppings and cones. Completing the set, Creative Animals will challenge kids to assemble their own animals with an easy to build giraffe, bunny, dog and worm. The firm also introduces three new brick boxes with the All in One Gift Set (£14.99), All in One Box of Fun (£24.99) and All in One Pink Box of Fun (£24.99). Each set features a diverse assortment of bricks, providing a good introduction to construction.
www.toynews-online.biz
This season, Flair showcases an array of pre-school ranges based on popular TV characters, such as Doc McStuffins and Tree Fu Tom, while its Snuggle Pets collection will see the addition of some new soft companions. Flair’s Tree Fu Tom collection has been extended and refreshed with a new Hero themed range. The brand new Ranger belt is designed to transform any Tree Fu Tom fan into an explorer with an adjustable belt featuring a storage pouch, scarf and woggle, ranger cards, ranger book, clip on telescope, ranger badges and a detachable compass. Joining the Ranger Belt is the new Remote Control Tom, featuring a removable leaf board. Kids will be able to steer Tom left, right, forwards and back with the infra-red remote control. Meanwhile, the toy firm will be building on the success of its Doc McStuffins range that recently scooped a Pre-School Toy of the Year Award. At the heart of the new range is the new child sized Doc McStuffins mobile phone. As seen in the new TV episodes, the Get Better Talking Mobile Clinic features a light up and
sound function when pulled and a seat for Doc’s toy friends. Doc McStuffins also comes in a new pocket sized format for pre-schoolers with the Mini Clinic Play-set featuring a thermometer, a syringe, two casts for Lambie, a hidden book of boo boos and exclusive mini Doc and Lambie dolls. Finally, Snuggle Pets continues to expand with new additions including Seat Pets and Seat Pets Juniors. Scheduled to hit retail this autumn/winter the pets can be attached to a standard car seat belt. Kids can choose from three characters, lion, cat and dog, while Seat Pet Juniors characters include: monster, tiger, bee and poodle. The range will be completed with the new Tummy Stuffers collection, all of which will be supported with spring/summer 14 TV and marketing campaigns. 0208 643 0320
TOBAR Meanwhile, focusing on role-play, My First Police Set (£19.99), My First Shop (£19.99) and Farm Tractor (£16.99) are designed to be the ‘perfect recruitment sets to LEGO.’ LEGO Duplo’s collection is completed with a new addition to its Disney Princess line, the Sleeping Beauty’s Fairy Tale set, retailing at £29.99. The model includes a magical castle tower surrounded by rose bushes and Merryweather’s forest cottage, home to the Fairy Godmother. “Offering a world of play, LEGO Duplo toys stimulate creativity, encourage role-play and conversation and help towards developing motor skills in pre-school boys and girls. Colourful, safe and sturdy they are designed for small hands and big imaginations,” states a LEGO Duplo representative. 01753 495 000
Renowned for supplying toys and gifts to hundreds of retailers serving a wide variety of age groups, Tobar has kicked off the year with a number of new launches. Earlier this year, the firm introduced its Activity Table Cloth as part of its Create range. The double-sided cover can be doodled on by young scribblers and art enthusiasts using the washable marker pens included. With child friendly decorations covering each side, kids can colour an array of animals, musical instruments and activities, encouraging creativity and imaginative play. Once the kids have finished, the sheets can simply be wiped clean, ready for next time. Another pre-school toy joining the firm’s roster is the Fluffy Sheep. The animated plush toy trots and bleats in time to a distinctive tune following a simple stroke of its button. Tobar believes the combination of looks and interactive features makes it an instant favourite with young children. The Fluffy Sheep is accompanied by the Quack Duck, a plush toy which comes complete with a flowery bow. Finally, Tobar completes the lineup with its range of 50 Fifty featuring the Glow Fairy Sky. 0844 573 4299
Chris Dixon, Sales and marketing executive, Tobar “The pre-school sector is very important to Tobar. “Traditional items seem to be extremely popular in the sector as parents enjoy seeing their kids appreciate toys that they had as children. “We believe that providing imaginative and fun products to retailers which supply the younger markets is critical to a child’s development as it encourages them to interact with their surroundings.”
April 39
SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL RAINBOW DESIGNS
HASBRO
With lots of new additions to its pre-school range this year, Rainbow Designs is kicking off proceedings by celebrating the new Paddington movie. With a new range developed specifically for the pre-school market, the eponymous bear will reflect the look of the Paddington from the movie, scheduled to hit cinemas this November. The new range will consist of a small bean toy, medium soft toy, a Talking Paddington and Paddington the ‘Well Mannered Bear’ feature plush, and a selection of puzzles and card games. The World of Eric Carle also boasts a host of new additions to the preschool range including the wooden Counting Caterpillar. The product aims to combine traditional toy aesthetics with key early stage development. Further new items in the World of Eric Carle collection include the Developmental Elephant and Developmental Ladybug. A further addition to Rainbow designs’ pre-school portfolio this year is the introduction of its new Air Puppy brand, a collection of premium plush characters, ‘set to be the new must have accessory for any pre-schooler.’ 01329 227 300
Hasbro is targeting the pre-school sector with a collection of refreshed classic lines, as well as some innovative new products for some of its popular and most established properties. Leading the way for the firm’s preschool offering this year is the Elefun and Friends Mousetrap Game. Aimed at kids aged four years and upwards, Elefun and Friends Mousetrap is the trap launching, mouse catching game that features all the Elefun and Friends characters in an updated take on the classic board game. Meanwhile, Play-Doh Double Desserts encourages children to get creative and become a pastry chef with their own toy oven and Play-Doh ice cream freezer. Kids can create Play-Doh cakes and top them off with a scoop of pretend ice cream. With realistic sounds, the oven dings when the Play-Doh cake is ready to be served. The set – retailing at £14.99 – comes with two cans of Play-Doh Plus, allowing pre-schoolers to Plus Up their creations. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head arrive retailing at £9.99 each. Aimed at children aged two and upwards, the Pototo Heads challenge kids to create their own characters,
Lisa Dower, Trade marketing manager, Rainbow Designs “It’s going to be an amazing year for Paddington this year. We have already seen sales increase considerably on our classic Paddington ranges and this will only continue to build as the movie publicity increases. “We stick to classic characters that offer retailers something a little bit different. We have also introduced our new Learning Through Play system that ensures our toys are not only fun but help to develop key learning skills as well.”
BIGJIGS The BigJigs Baby range is one of the market leaders in quality, educational wooden toys aimed at children under three years old. With bright colours, a variety of shapes, sounds and tactile textures, the Baby range is developed to help youngsters discover the world around them. The firm has added several new lines to its baby and toddler collection, including a number of stackers, sorters, activity and plush toys. New for 2014 are the decorative Stacking Cubes which provide a variety of activities in one, including a shape sorter, matching number spots, stacking cubes and a tall giraffe to construct. BigJigs has also refreshed a number of its current best sellers, bringing them into the 21st Century. Among these are the First Basic Blocks, Rolling Shape Sorter, Hammer Bench and Posting Box. Also new for 2014 are a number of Marine themed activity toys including a Baby walker, Activity Centre, Suction Toy and Bead Frame. 01303 250 400
40 April
reassembling the pair’s iconic features including ears, eyes, noses and more. Hasbro’s pre-school offering is completed with the PlaySkool Heroes Spider-Man Crane Capture Track set. Featuring a special edition SpiderMan figure, youngsters can swing the crane to capture the villain Electro with the crane’s grabbers. By launching Spider-Man down the track, the figure’s hands will grab the swing bar on the crane, putting the plan into action. The 27-inch track can be connected in various ways and also works with action Figure racing vehicles and launchers for further web slinging. The Spider-Man Crane Capture Track set is aimed at children aged three to seven. 02085 691 234
GOLDEN BEAR George Poole, Marketing and PR co-ordinator, Bigjigs “The pre-school sector is extremely important to us. Our BigJigs Baby range is seeing steady growth as consumers want dual purpose products that fulfill both play and aide developmental growth both physically and mentally. Offering choice and a wide variety of products has helped us become the market leader in wooden pre-school toys. “We have introduced over 35 new lines to our pre-school range, and early signs suggest it is going to be a good year. We expect to see a continued steady growth in the market with demand high for quality, educational toys.”
Licensed play ranges are leading the way for Golden Bear as the firm introduces a collection of multifeatured play-sets and accessories featuring popular preschool characters. The firm’s collection of CBeebies Bugbies toys is based on the channel’s little yellow characters. The collection includes games and soft plush such as the Giggling Bugbies, fashioned in eight different styles to collect. Furthermore, the Sweet Dreams with Squidge is an interactive plush that glows while playing the bedtime tune as featured on CBeebies. As the master toy partner for Disney’s Henry Hugglemonster, Golden Bear now introduces a line of toys based on the show’s characters. Henry’s Roarsome and Summer’s Super Scooters are push-along toys that come complete with phrases from the show and detachable, articulated figures. Key to the range is the HuggleHouse Play-set with its interactive features, including Henry and Ivor figures along with accessories. The firm’s collection of In The Night Garden toys is being joined with both plush and plastic lines this year, lead by the new Ninky Nonk Pull Along Musical Train. The train offers four toys in one
with an array of features such as shape sorter, stacking blocks, pop-ups and opening doors with sounds and lights. Woolly and Tig and Something Special continue to grow with Read Along with Woolly and Something Special toys including the Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes Mr Tumble. 01952 608 308 Barry Hughes, General manager, Golden Bear “By concentrating on the best licences, quality products and our pride in knowing the brands, we are consolidating and growing our position in the preschool market.”
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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL MEGA BRANDS Mega Brands is building on its recent success with a new look and selection of toys for autumn/winter. Mega Bloks First Builders – the current number one junior construction manufacturer, property, brand and
item – is welcoming some new additions this year including the Mega Bloks First Builders Bobby Barn
Musical Farm. Combining building and stacking with animals and farmyard songs and sounds, the set is aimed at boys and girls aged one and upwards. Meanwhile, the new Mega Bloks First Builders Fast Tracks Raceway and Rescue Team includes innovative tracks plus mix and match buildable vehicles. The new Mega Bloks First Builders Alphabet School Bus comes complete with more than 30 blocks and fun with letters and pictures to match, while the new Mega Bloks First Builders Build 'n Discover Table offers
building possibilities and folding legs for easy storing and transporting. Completing the Mega Bloks First Builders collection, the Learn ‘n Go Wagon is a new way for little ones to take their building blocks anywhere. The set comes with lots of blocks, a building plate and ABC/1-2-3 stickers. For older kids, the Mega Bloks Junior Builders range offers children aged two and up the chance to build and rebuild their own stories, and are the next step in the Mega Bloks system.
Pat, which comes dressed in a sparkly outfit and accessorised with microphone and sunglasses. Pat can even dance to three musical tunes with the push of a button. Meanwhile, a new series in the Fireman Sam collection will expand on its Ocean Rescue theme. The Fireman Sam Ocean Rescue Centre will feature a fireman’s pole, lift, helipad, viewing platform and various accessories. The vehicle collection also sees an ocean themed addition with the new Titan rescue boat.
Finally, and brand new for Character Options’ preschool range this year, is Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom. The collection begins with the Thistle Castle Play-set, allowing kids to explore the castle and its magical moving throne as it floats upwards. The line is completed with the Magical Playground Play-set, with various outdoor scenes to create a Ben and Holly playground. 0161 633 9800
The new Mega Bloks Junior Builders Cool Construction Site includes a buildable playset, figurine, vehicle and sticker sheet, while the Mega Bloks Junior Builders Fire Station Rescue play-set is prepared for action with blocks, a fireman figurine, fire engine and puppy and kitten to rescue. Finally, the Mega Bloks Junior Builders Pretty Pony Stable, Mega Bloks Junior Builders Small Value Tub and Mega Bloks Junior Builders Large Value Tub complete the line-up. 01844 350033
CHARACTER OPTIONS Postman Pat, Fireman Sam, Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly all feature in Character Options’ portfolio of preschool ranges this year. As Peppa Pig celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, the company introduces a whole range of products based on the popular pre-school show including the new Ani Mel Chatterbox Peppa with four different expressions and glowing eyes, heart and cheeks. The Chatterbox will be joined by Peppa Pig Weebles Wind and Wobble Playhouse, the winner of this year’s
Best New Pre-school Character Toy at Toy Fair. The Playhouse features a twirly slide, a winding staircase, a swing and a roundabout for Weebles to wobble around on. Aimed at children aged 18 months and upwards, the set launched on Boxing Day 2013, and has already seen vast sales success. 2014 is a big year for Postman Pat with the launch of Postman Pat: The Movie in May, as well as a host of new products from Character Options. One of the hero products for this year is the Showbiz
ORCHARD TOYS Orchard Toys has strengthened its range of pre-school products this year with a collection of ‘Very First’ games. New Baby Lotto and Farmyard Friends are the most recent additions to the Very First Games range, following a positive response to Pirate Shapers and Post Box Game, launched early last year. The two plus range also contains Red Dog, Blue Dog and Old Macdonald Lotto, two of Orchard’s best selling games. “In our experience, parents are becoming more aware and encouraging of play based learning and we have seen an increase in parents wanting to introduce educational activities and games to children at a very young age,” says Orchard Toys’ Ali Brown. “We understand skills are very basic at this age and we therefore focus on very simple activities and game play. “Many of the games within this range can be played as single player activities or multi player games, which allows the game to grow with the child as they develop.” Orchard’s range of Very First Games cover key themes for children aged two and upwards, such as farm animals, new babies, pirates and shapes and objects. 01953 859525
42 April
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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL COMMOTION DISTRIBUTION
MARBEL
Over the past 30 years, Commotion Distribution has built an international reputation for the innovation and design of a wide variety of educational products. Boasting a 200-page catalogue with over 500 educational trade lines for children aged from birth to 11 years old, Commotion now sells to over 80 countries worldwide. Among the firm’s most popular products is its range of outdoor toys aimed at toddlers and upwards. Commotion has numerous lines aimed at developing young children’s physical skills, hand eye co-ordination and strengthen motor muscle groups.
Marbel is introducing a number of new pre-school products under its Hape branding, led by the hero product, the Rainbow Rattle. Crafted out of wood, the Rainbow Rattle retails at £5.99 and is joined by the Shake it up Duo (£9.99). Meanwhile, new to the walk-along range is the Hedgehog, sitting alongside the Puppy and Crocodile. Within Hape’s outdoor pre-school range is the Little Red Rider, a wooden ride-on with rubber wheels and easy grip handle bars.
The firm’s Basketball Stands are available in two sizes, making them suitable for children aged three and upwards. The Giant Catch Net is designed to stand horizontally and vertically and is aimed at kids aged two and above. In addition, joining them is the Mini Trampoline, featuring reinforced springs and padding. All products in the line-up are sturdy yet lightweight and can be easily moved around. The Mini Basketball Stand and Giant Catch Net both include removable and washable nets. 01732 225 821
COILEDSPRING GAMES Coiledspring Games is the UK distributor of the popular line of toys and games from ThinkFun. Following the success of both Roll and Play and Hello Sunshine, ThinkFun is now adding another game to its pre-school range, designed to inspire movement, creativity, laughter and learning.
The Little Red Rider is £59.99. Encouraging children to learn to walk, Hape also has the Galloping Zebra Cart, a push-along walker with two moving zebras at the front. Other walkers include the Wonder Walker featuring puzzles in the frame and the Block and Roll containing different coloured building blocks. Finally, Marbel is also showcasing its collection of wooen instruments from Brio, featuring the Musical Shakers, a Drum and Xylophone. 0845 6000 286
BANANAGRAMS Move and Groove encourages kids to get with the boogie by simply rolling the plush dice to determine a colour, choosing a matching card and performing the given move. “There’s no right or wrong way to boogie,” says the firm in a statement. “It’s all up to interpretation, so players can use their imagination while improving balance, coordination and flexibility. “It’s the perfect game to build confidence and celebrate all the things toddlers do so well.” The game features a large washable plush cube with a storage pocket for the cards. The game is suitable for children aged 18 months to two years old and retails at £15. This year also sees the launch of two new titles from Zingo: Zingo Tell the Time and Zingo Word Builder. 02033 011 160
The Bananagrams Family of Games offers two award-winning games for pre-schoolers: Fruitominoes and PAIRSinPEARS. Fruitominoes (£14.99) takes the classic Dominoes game and blends it with a Bananagrams’ twist. Images of fruit serve as the dots on the dominoes. Packaged in a compact, fabric pouch, Fruitominoes is aimed at children aged five and upwards. The game has been recognised by the Dads’ Choice Awards, Primary Teacher Update Awards, Loved By Parents Awards and the Good Toy Guide. Meanwhile PAIRSinPEARS (£15.99) was recently voted the winning product in the Educational category at the Dad’s Choice Awards, as well as being recognised in both the Primary Teacher Update Awards and Loved By Parents Awards. Packed with eight educational activities and two competitive word games, PAIRSinPEARS can take kids
from pre-reader stages through to adulthood. Developmental activities include Pattern Grouping and Letter Hunt, while wordplay activities like Rhyming and Fill in the Blank will keep early years kids entertained. PAIRSinPEARS is aimed at kids aged three years and above. 020 7298 9500
SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL HIPPYCHICK
ASOBI
Hippychick’s Nattou soft toy collection is available in two new designs: Manon & Ailzee and Gatson & Cyril. And from its range of Doudou, retailing at £8.50 to its collection of Rockers selling at around £94.99, Hippychick boasts a portfolio spanning all price ranges. “The rocker is just one product in Nattou’s range of activity and soft toys,” says Hippychick. “So whether you are trying to create that perfect look and feel for the baby’s nursery or find that snuggly soft toy that children will cherish for years to come, then this range has loads to choose from.” The line is joined by the award-winning Wheelybugs which are designed to withstand any amount of robust play. The ride-ons allow unlimited directional movement, helping children develop spatial awareness, core motor skills and build self confidence. Wheelybugs are available in six designs including a ladybird, bee, cow, mouse, tiger and piglet. There are two plush options: Hedgehog or Panda. Hippychick completes the line-up with inflatable toy Happy Hopperz, which are available in 16 animal designs. 01278 434 440
Asobi is showcasing the Vilac portfolio of pre-school toys and games. Over the past century, Vilac has built up a portfolio encompassing pull-along toys, educational games, puzzles and musical instruments. Each embodies the firm’s emphasis on wooden, handcrafted toys. The brand also has a selection of toys based on popular childhood characters such as Elmer and Babar, bringing them to pre-schoolers in new and innovative ways. “Pre-school is a great group when it comes to toys,” comments Asobi’s Thierry Bourret. “Three to five year olds have a vivid imagination and the simplest of toys can bring a lot of joy and hours of play. It is also a very impressionable age group, so it is vital that the toys they are given inspire them and can engage the mind every time they pick it up to play with it. “We stay ahead in this market by continuously looking for new and unique ideas. If Toy Fair is anything to go by, we believe this sector will perform extremely well this year. The 2014 fair was by far our busiest yet and we were inundated with leads to follow up from interested retailers.” 01628 200 077
DKL DKL is showcasing a wide range of pre-school toys across the Miniland, Wonderworld, Corolle and Hama brands this season. Miniland’s pre-school range: The Educational Corner has been revamped for 2014 with new packaging and added play value. The range is designed to cater to any store’s educational needs. Miniland’s Aptitude Box Sets are designed to fulfil an educational role and feature a variety of learning toys targeted from three up to pre-school age, including The Activity Timer Set and Activity Buttons. The Miniland Pairs game gives the classic a new twist and comes with 12 different game cards. Fantastic Mini Puzzles
K’NEX come in three designs and are made from washable plastic. Also the pegs game allows children to follow six designs with coloured pegs. Wonderworld boasts a range of eco-friendly wooden toys. The Rainbow Sound Blocks have a seethrough design with a different shape, sound and colour in each. The Wonder ABC blocks are geared for pre-schoolers, encouraging imagination through helping to make up stories, promote speech and reinforce learning of the alphabet. Meanwhile, Counting Ball teaches
children counting, adding and subtracting. Balls are balanced on a wooden platform, encased in a numbered perspex case. Finally, Hama introduces its Maxi beads. In a variety of designs and sizes including blister packs, hanging boxes and gift boxes, the Hama Maxi range is a unique offering for all children of pre-school age. 01604 678 780
K’Nex continues to drive its ‘Building Worlds Kids Love’ initiative with the Tinkertoy range of preschool building sets. Available across a number of price points, sets in the range offer popular several themes and good play value. The Tinkertoy 65 and Tinkertoy 100 Piece Essentials Value Set come complete with an instruction sheet and storage box packaging. Other sets in the collection include Tinkertoy Super Tink Building Set, featuring hero character figures and the ability to build objects from fighter jets to skyscrapers. The Tinkertoy Big Top Building Set comes with 188 pieces and 20 building ideas. Further Tinkertoy sets include Tinkertoy Vehicles Building Set and the Tinkertoy Pink Building Set. As part of the K’Nex relaunch into the UK, the Tinkertoy range will benefit from an extensive marketing programme. 0118 925 3270
TOMY
ESDEVIUM GAMES
FAMOSA
Celebrating 20 years in infant development, Tomy showcases its collection of toddler toys, aimed at kids aged six months to three years old. Now under the Tomy Infant and Toddler Toys umbrella, the collection features a host of new additions this year. Launched this January, Luke the Loop is the hero toy in the range. Luke is a plane riding elephant and features engine noises and a spinning propeller. Meanwhile, the new Push ‘n’ chase Turtle allows kids to push the toy along the floor, with a ring shaped body, a clicking sound as it moves and a rattle when shook. Completing the line-up is the Ready Steady Musical Giraffe, designed to get babies toddling and crawling. The engine starts when the giraffe’s head is pushed down and then the car vibrates as it moves along. 020 8 7227 300
Recent years have seen Esdevium Games build up an offering of pre-school toys and games and this year, the company is showcasing the retro Fisher Price Classics collection. An exclusive property to the firm, the range features a range of vintage looking kids’ toys, many of which were first introduced in the 60s and 70s. The collection of 11 toys is spearheaded by the Chatter Telephone and Record Player, with a number of new lines for the year, including Movie Viewer and See ‘n’ Say Farmer Says. Esdevium has also grown its range of Disney licensed games and now includes the Sofia the First Magical Tea Time game, retailing at £14.99. In addition, Esdevium will carry a number of preschool games across popular licences such as Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Doc McStuffins and Disney Princess. 01420 593 593
Famosa is expanding its pre-school category with the launch of a plush version of the popular Mr Potato Head Character. Standing at 25cm, the soft version features removable facial features and accessories to enable kids to create their own. Licensed by Hasbro, the initial launch will see three designs – Fireman, Policeman and Chef – to encourage collectability. A strong marketing campaign is in place to support the launch with press activity secured in various pre-school titles. “We are thrilled with the execution of this classic character and will serve as a very strong addition to the already successful Famosa Plush range,” says Famosa’s Nikki Jeffrey. This year will also see the launch of plush My Little Ponies. 07919 541 116
46 April
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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL GREEN BOARD GAMES
PAUL LAMOND
MGA ENTERTAINMENT, ZAPF CREATION AND LITTLE TIKES
This season, Green Board Games is looking to prepare youngsters for their school years with the roll out of a host of award winning titles from its popular BrainBox collection. BrainBox ABC, Pictures and Teddy Bears have been created for children aged three and over. The aim is to help with recognition of daily objects and names of household items, holiday and everyday scenes. BrainBox Teddy Bears includes 55 hand-painted cards, and is in association with Alice’s Teddy Bear Hospital. The object of the game is to study a card for ten seconds and then answer a question based on the roll of the dice. If a question is answered correctly, the card is kept and the person with the most cards after five or ten minutes, is the winner. The concept can be played by all ages, in large groups or as a one person game. 01494 538 999
New to the pre-school scene is Paul Lamond’s Guess How Much I Love You range. The collection features the new Giant Snakes and Ladders, a game featuring a hardwearing washable mat, extra large pieces including a jumbo dice and four playing counters. Guess How Much I Love You fans will also enjoy the Memory card Game, 4-in-1 Puzzle and Giant Floor Puzzle. Meanwhile, Dinosaur Roar features a host of new products such as the Memory Card Game, 4in-1 Puzzle and Giant floor Puzzle. Bolstering Paul Lamond’s pre-school collection further is the Chimp and Zee range of educational, interactive games featuring Pesky Pirates, Silly Socks, Dodge the Dino, Who’s the Princess and Pretty Mermaids. Finally, the Crafty Kids range features the double-sided activity tablecloth with washable coloured pens. 0207 254 0100
Continued expansion of MGA’s Lalaloopsy portfolio see 12 new characters join the large doll range this year, taking the collection to over 50. The Lalaloopsy Littles are younger siblings of the originals, and new characters to this line brings the total up to over 24. Launching this spring and supported by TV advertising, the new Lalaloopsy Babies each have a bottle, dummy and hat. Meanwhile, Zapf introduces not only its Mooshka soft dolls, but also its My First Baby Annabell Let’s Play, Baby Annabell Baby Brother George and My Little Baby Born Bathing Fun. Baby Born will be launching three focused TV segments for interactive accessories, medical and princess themes. Finally, Little Tikes will launch its new ride-on, Jelly Beans available in two colours – red and pink. Designed to encourage motor skills, the Jelly Beans feature four wheels and a smooth seat. 08450 533 333
JOHN ADAMS
WOW TOYS
VIVID
John Adams is continuing to add to its popular Fuzzy Felt portfolio with two new licences: Doc McStuffins (in stock now) and Tatty Teddy and My Blue Nose Friends. The new additions join the existing Disney Princess, My Little Pony and Minnie Mouse Fuzzy Felt sets in the collection. Each of the licensed kits includes over 100 felt shapes – such as pre-printed character pieces – for great play value. In addition to this, each set also includes a flocked board for pre-schoolers to use as a base for their designs. There is also an ideas leaflet included which aims to introduce youngsters to the Fuzzy Felt play pattern. Designed to encourage creativity and fuel the imagination in children, each kit sits within a wider range of pocket money craft kits as part of the company’s growing arts and crafts collection. 01480 414 361
Mini Wow is the new collection of miniaturised push-along vehicles from Wow Toys, aimed at encouraging pre-schoolers’ imaginations. With features including extra grip, stenciled rubber tyres and a tough suspension to give the vehicles a racing feel. The Mini Wow range is compatible with each other, as well as toys from the Wow core range and aim to assist children refine their fine motor skills and problem solving abilities. Inspired by Wow’s popular racing, emergency and construction themes, the range consists of six Mini Wow themed vehicles, each with a removable driver figure and an activity sheet. Characters included in the range are Ace the green racecar, Izzy the purple racecar, Jojo the ambulance, Blaze the firetruck, Jax the dump truck and Clay the cement mixer. To support the Mini Wow launch, the firm has created a FSDU which holds the full collection. 0207 471 0980
Vivid Imaginations’ Peter Rabbit toy range launched in January and includes both figures and plush, all supported with TV advertising in the run up to Easter. New characters, such as Benjamin Bunny Small Plush (£6.99) and the Woodland Chase figure pack (£14.99) featuring Tommy Brock and Old Brown will also join this autumn. The hero TV line for Christmas 2014 is the Secret Treehouse Play-set (£29.99) that includes various features to explore, as well as an exclusive Peter Rabbit figure. The popular Crayola line welcomes new additions to its Doodle Magic range with Doodle Magic Colour Mat, a Lap Desk, Travel Pack and an Accessory Pack. Finally, Vivid is ramping up its reading selection with Sparkup the Magical Book Reader, a device which aims to enhance children’s love for reading and stories. 01483 449 944
WORLDS APART
LEAPFROG
DRUMOND PARK
Worlds Apart targets the pre-school market this year with new products in role-play, dress-up and pre-school games. Leading the dress-up line is a host of new playsets from Disney’s Sofia the First and Minnie Mouse, with interchangeable magnetic outfits and task cards that encourage imaginative play and learning. The firm’s range of pre-school games includes lines from Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Sofia the First, Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse, and will expand to include Disney Planes and Disney Princesses. The games develop specific learning themes from colour and number recognition to simply word and number play. The Minnie Mouse Feel for Fashion game will help teach kids shape recognition and texture. The company also boasts a range of Disney licensed books aimed at teaching youngsters the alphabet. 0800 389 8591
Read With Me Scout and Violet are interactive learning puppies, designed to encourage a love of reading for two to five year olds. Each puppy reads from five books and engages children with questions throughout the story. Launched in autumn 2013, the pups were LeapFrog’s biggest learning toy launch to date. Titles in the book range include Let’s Go Camping that teaches pre-school curriculum through rhythm and rhyme, while Let’s Find Scout’s Toy teaches children about characters, settings and events. Meanwhile, the LeapReader is LeapFrog’s reading and writing learning aid combining three key learning areas into one device. The product provides interactive guidance by reading aloud words and sentences. Children can trace letters, words and numbers through stroke by stroke audio guidance, encouraging writing as well as reading. 01895 202 840
Drumond Park has a selection of pre-school games for both boys and girls this season, including Pig Goes Pop, Bubble Buster Kazoo, Pumpaloons and Doh Nutters. Pig Goes Pop encourages players to roll a dice and feed the Pig his burgers. The more he eats, the closer he becomes to popping out of his bulging coat. The new two-player Bubble Buster Kazoo Game, meanwhile, challenges players to go head to head to pop as many of the bubbles as they can in a 30-second time slot. The bubble busting wand emits sounds as it keeps count of every bubble popped. Meanwhile, Pumpaloons tasks players to pump like crazy to move the two clown like wobblies. Finally in the firm’s pre-school portfolio, the Doh Nutters game sees players use bespectacled big ears trunk masks to scoop up their own doughnuts as fast as they can. 01473 322 000
48 April
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News Data Opinion
Dedicated monthly retail coverage
Easter is “second biggest selling time behind Christmas,” say retailers The ToyNews Retail Advisory Board gives its views on the first major holiday of this year By Robert Hutchins “EASTER is the second biggest selling time behind Christmas,” according to some of the UK's leading toy retailers. Traditionally a gifting period renowned for its chocolate eggs, the spring holiday season is now championed among many toy vendors as the ‘Christmas of the first three quarters of the year.’ "Easter is big for us," The Entertainer's Stuart Grant tells ToyNews. "It's a key period within the first three quarters of the year and it's our biggest peak until we start getting into October.” These same retailers are reporting a ‘massive increase in demand for toys as Easter gifts,’ as opposed to their chocolate counterparts. "Sainsbury's traditionally does well with customer footfall for Easter," explains Sainsbury's buying manager, Clare Barton. "It is absolutely the second biggest selling time behind Christmas and we have certainly seen an increase in demand for toys over the period. "We have become increasingly aware of how important it is to offer an
alternative to chocolate, and as more emphasis and concern is placed on childhood obesity, we know that families are as likely to buy a toy as they are a treat." Of course, NHS warnings are not the toy industry's only means of celebration at Easter, as the holiday has always been a strong period for pocket money toys. “Easter is an interesting time of year. It’s the first holiday break after the Christmas and New Year rush,” says Toytown’s Brian Simpson. “We definitely see a large uplift in pocket money toys, and we always ensure we have plenty of these items in stock for that week.” With family holidays coupled with the prospects
brings a feel good factor of time off with the family. "It generally signals the start of spring and we typically see customers starting to plan for summer
For many of our customers, Easter brings a feel good factor of time off with the family. Neil Mitchell, Shop Direct of warmer weather, the season is also a time when outdoor toy sales begin to see an uplift. Shop Direct's Neil Mitchell says: "For many of our customers, Easter
by purchasing large outdoor toys such as trampolines, pools and swings. “A combination of Easter gifting, bank holidays and outdoor garden play results in Easter being a key selling
period for toys, only beaten by Christmas." However, some, like Helen Gourley of ToyHub, are wary of spring's unpredictable nature. "Easter trade can really vary for us," she explained. "It's not so much to do with the timing, but the weather. "This year we are noticing a lot more customers talking about going away over the Easter period as they are so fed up with the rain. That said, Easter is important to us, and even if they do, hopefully we can persuade them to take a couple of travel games with them." But wary or not, the two week Easter holiday – often
coinciding with a major movie release - is a time for retailers to pull out all the stops, with promotions, instore events and more. “We put a lot of focus on promotions and the acivities we have in store,” continues The Entertainer’s Grant. “We have character visits and focus our windows or prime space on the key movie event, which this time is Spider-Man.” “I love any holiday period throughout the year,” echoes Toytown’s Simpson. “We strive to maximise in-store activity and sales during these periods to continue the growth that we have seen in the last few years.”
ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are: RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD
Stuart Grant, The Entertainer
Fiona MurrayYoung, Toys R Us
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Andrea Abbis, Argos
Brian Simpson, Toytown
Clare Barton, Sainsbury’s
Neil Mitchell Shop Direct
Annalise Quest, Harrods
Steph Strike, Asda
Ben Redhead, Firebox
Steven Bradley, Boots
Helen Gourley, Toy Hub
Miles Penhallow, Play-Room
April 51
MYSTERY SHOPPER
Oxfordshire This month, we take to the Cotswolds in search of a toy to promote exploration for a seven year old boy
HOYLE’S
DENTONS TOYS, NURSERY AND CYCLES 1 High Street, Witney, Oxfordshire The phrase ‘like a Tardis’ may be bandied around all too often, but squeezing through the door of this seemingly cozy High Street shop, there was little else to describe what greeted me. Aisles brimming with all manner of toys such as popular girls’ lines, shelves of LEGO, board games, science kits, Warhammer, construction, R/C, plush, preschool toys, sports and outdoor toys filled the store, all three large rooms of it. Beyond that, an entire section dedicated to bicycles and a bicycle workshop.
Tearing myself away from a rack of Chocolate Picture Makers strategically placed by the door, I marched on with my mission of finding an exploration toy for a seven year old. After 15 minutes of perusing, I decided to ask the kindly looking elderly woman tidying the pre-school section for a bit of guidance. Before I could finish my sentence she was trundling across the store leading me to The LEGO Movie collection. It was great, I told her, but I was looking for an exploration toy.
“Oh we have plenty of those, over here,” she told me. She took me to a collection of science kits. “These are great actually, I love this one,” she told me indicating a build it yourself Robot science kit. “I wouldn’t mind a couple of these myself in fact.” She showed me the whole range of science kits, including Gross Science Kits from John Adams. “Boys love all this kind of stuff,” she told me before leaving me to have a closer look. I have to admit, she certainly was right.
VERDICT: This store had plenty to choose from. From the latest LEGO lines and popular action figure toys to weird and wonderful science and nature kits or a host of family board games. The customer service was friendly and knowledgeable and despite the 15-minute waiting time, the staff were accommodating.
52 April
4/5
Somewhere between the site of Tolkein’s favourite tree and one of Oxford’s oldest pubs, lies Hoyle’s and its collection of games, puzzles, magic, juggling and science toys. A ringing bell announced my presence to a room filled with board games, chess sets, ancient Oriental games and glass cases housing antique toys. The room was a playground for grey matter, and needless to say, I felt a little out of place. My uneasiness was alleviated by the welcoming smile of the storeowner. “Exploration toys? You’ve had a look at our science kits, or the juggling?” I couldn’t quite see the link with juggling, but I had a look and it was an
71 High Street, Oxford
impressive collection all the same. He led me to a wall bursting with board games, from which he plucked out Risk. “This game is timeless, I had it when I was a kid. And it’s your chance to conquer the world.” It was a nice idea, but perhaps a little tenuous considering the more appropriate Backpacker game placed next to it. Unperturbed he took me to the chess sets. “This, they call the Viking Game, based on the one they discovered with Richard III. Or we have Go, a Japanese version of Othello. With these, kids can explore different cultures.” A fantastic idea. I had to take my hat off to the man’s lateral thinking.
VERDICT: Despite first appearances, this shop was not just for the elite thinkers or professional chess players. With a range of board games for beginners, juggling sets suitable for children through to circus travellers and science and gadget toys for all ages, this shop covered a broad spectrum. The service was friendly and knowledgeable.
4/5
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MYSTERY SHOPPER
STAR STORE
TOY GALAXY “Do you need any help there, sir?” asked the very polite young man dressed in a Toy Galaxy uniform. I am rarely called sir. I could tell that this chap and I were going to get along. I gave him my mission statement and in a flash he was on the case. He took me through a collection of Star Wars LEGO and a series of Star Wars collectable action figures. Hinting that I was after something with a bit more
129 Pound Way, Oxford emphasis on discovery or learning, he rushed me over to the science kits. “Some of my favourites in this section are these detective kits,” he said, proudly singling out a Detective Finger Printing kit and a Secret Agent set. “These are great for kids, they’re educational and encourage the imagination.” But he trumped it with his next suggestion. A dig your own Pirate Treasure Chest complete with Treasure Map.
It was an excavation set that featured a Pirate Treasure Chest filled with coins and jewels. “You can hide the chest somewhere around the house or garden, follow the instructions and draw up your own treasure map, and set the kids off on a treasure hunt.” It was the ultimate in role-play. The man had discovered my Achilles heel, and it was pirates. The only thing left to ask was simply, where’s the till?
VERDICT: This store boasted a great range of product, from pre-school through to intricate modeling, family games and a good selection of outdoor toys. The customer service was excellent; confident and enthusiastic with great ideas for a variety of play.
GILES TOYS AND CYCLES Giles doesn’t just offer toys. This Oxfordshire store is also home to a large collection of bicycles, as well as a dedicated sports equipment area. As I entered, a wall of discounted toys stood opposite a unit of greetings cards and stationery. This toy store certainly knew diversification. After a wander around the aisles of action figures, train sets, outdoor toys, arts and crafts kits, LEGO (based in its own department of the
1 Alvescot Road, Carterton, Oxfordshire
store, complete with a ‘LEGO building station’) and more, I approached the counter laden with sweets to ask for assistance. “An exploration toy…” mused the assistant. “We have quite a few good nature kits,” she announced triumphantly. I was shown all manner of science kits, from a ‘Build your own Robotic hand’ set to Interplay’s Nick Baker endorsed Ant World. “These are all great for boys, if they want to explore
robotics or nature, and all educational…” She was distracted mid-sentence by a line of Spy Gear toys from Spin Master. “Now, this is real boys’ toys exploration,” she smiled handing me a Spike Mic Launcher. “Children can fire the microphone across the room and listen to unsuspecting victims.” She could tell I was impressed. I was. It was a great interpretation of my very ambiguous request.
VERDICT: Diversification seemed to be key to this store’s place in the community and armed with such, it had plenty to offer. However, at times the store’s identity felt slightly confused with echoes of a supermarket style layout. This was counteracted with bubbly staff and excellent, enthusiastic customer service. www.toynews-online.biz
5/5
4/5
TOYS UK
164 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire
It was almost closing time when I reached Toys UK. Nevertheless, the shop assistant greeted me with a beaming smile and a chirpy “hello,” making me feel very welcome. With a horseshoe like layout, the shop housed a bounty of toys, from The LEGO Movie sets, pre-school toys, action figures, dolls and accessories to outdoor toys, science kits and remote control vehicles. Wasting no time, I asked the storeowner what she could suggest to fit the bill. She pondered a while. “Well, we have a whole new collection of Minecraft toys from Character.” The woman explained that Minecraft was an extremely popular videogame among kids of that age, and that with the emphasis on creating whole worlds from small building blocks, the game encourages
exploration of design and imagination. She did note that while the toys were a standalone line from the videogame, they promoted the same message of striving for accomplishment. A very clever assessment of what were essentially, collectable action figures, I thought. But I liked them. “Of course, if you want something a bit more traditional, we have some Gross Magic sets that mix education and fun in some pretty disgusting ways.” As the setting sun shone its final rays through The LEGO Movie window displays, I thanked her for her help. As I made to leave, she left me with the knowledge that a lot of the products were also available on the Toys UK website. I thanked her and made a mental note to check out the Minecraft figures when I got home.
VERDICT: Toys UK had a friendly atmosphere and a team of staff willing to help even past opening hours. The shop was filled with some great toys spanning all manner of sectors and a heavy emphasis on LEGO. The suggestion of Minecraft as an exploration toy was inspired and a great example of innovative thinking. The experience could have only been improved with more of a talk through the selection of science kits on display.
SUMMARY Oxfordshire offers a selection of very high scoring toy shops this month, each of which are underpinned by enthusiastic customer service and a diverse product offering. While travelling to each does require some level of effort, the selection of toys on offer and the welcoming customer service make setting aside a day to shop
4/5
around for the ideal toy well worth the while. Toy Galaxy takes the Star Store accolade this month for its professionalism and dedication to customer service. Meanwhile, all others come a very close second in this instance and each are worthy of their own merits. Diversification seems to be the driving force behind the success of each of these stores, integral to their local community.
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INDIE RETAILER FOCUS
The Bakewell Toy Shop For 16 years, Scott Dickinson has been wowing tourists with his old-fashioned toy and puzzle store. Today he contemplates ditching it to turn to online retailing. Robert Hutchins finds out why Tell us about your store. Well, we are actually the last toy shop in Bakewell. We sell toys and jigsaws, with a whole floor dedicated entirely to each. We have puzzles for all ages, from pre-school to adults. On the ground floor, we have toys: retro toys, LEGO, Playmobil and Airfix. Bakewell is an agricultural area, so we also have quite a lot of agricultural toys. What is your background? I have been in this shop for 16 years now. I am a former Sheffield newsagent. My late father had been out, around 23 years ago, to have a look at this shop. He fancied a shop in Bakewell. It was a mixture of toys and gifts at the time, and was, really, a bit of a mess. When my father died, my toy rep at the newsagents told me this place was for sale, we decided to buy it, tidy it up and improve it. What kind of toys and puzzles do you sell? We usually have around three and a half thousand jigsaws in stock, from early years stuff to anything up to 18,000-piece jigsaws. People tend to come from all over to buy our jigsaws. We do well on the retro side, too. These have been very good for us. The business is driven equally by toys and puzzles. Tell us about your location. What’s your local competition? Bakewell is a beautiful area. The drive to work is breathtaking and most of the shops are familyowned, unique places. But it is also quite a seasonal area. At the beginning of the year it is always quiet for us. A lot of business is driven by tourism. However, we do get a few returning customers who come in to stock up on all the new jigsaws. 54 April
The Bakewell Toy Shop is the last toy shop in Bakewell, and if the online side takes off, the area may well be left without one
How was Christmas 2013 for you? Christmas was not good. Online shopping has really affected us. Not just me, but everybody. I took some photographs of the town centre over Christmas, I just couldn’t believe it, it was completely deserted. What time of year does best for you? When the weather is good, the summers are better. Last summer the weather was good. After six bad summers in a row, it was nice to have that respite. People are always pleased when they do discover us. They have rarely seen old-fashioned toy shops like ours, you just don’t see them around. What are the biggest struggles you face? The biggest change to the market is online shopping. My prices are very competitive, some even lower than Amazon. But
people continue to use online for its convenience. BBC News’ Robert Peston tweeted his followers to ask them how they got their Christmas presents last year. The majority said that 99% of shopping was done online. This is going to kill the High Street. There are 15 shops for sale in Bakewell now, and half a dozen empty and boarded up. However, landlords will insist on putting the rents up. £700 a week rent is a lot. Some people here pay £1,000 a week.
really well through the site, we will ditch the shop. That’s what everybody else does and we really are reaching the tipping point. Did you have any stand out products last year? What are you looking forward to this year? It’s mostly the retro stuff. Adults seem to be into buying this stuff as well as kids. Beetle Drive has been incredible. We do well with Janet and John reading books, wooden train sets and Fisher-Price’s retro line, especially the record
If we get to the point where we are selling really well through the site, we will ditch the shop. Scott Dickinson, The Bakewell Toy Shop How will you tackle these difficulties this year? We are re-launching our website. If we get to the point where we are selling
player. We sell loads and it’s hard to get hold of. Likewise, Etch-a-Sketch does well. The three best sellers were Spinning
Top, Jack in the Box and Kaleidoscope. We have our retro toy representative coming in soon, so I am looking forward to the new catalogue. Do you run in-store activities? We like people to get hands on with the toys. Melissa and Doug encourage in-store play with their toys. They actually give us credit for any toy we use for kids to have a go with in-store. A lot of the others don’t do that. They do, and it really works. What’s next for your store over the coming year? The new website and getting involved with the online shopping market is our main concern. People really need to use the High Street. Otherwise, it is just going to be decimated. www.toynews-online.biz
SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES
Aim of the game It’s one of the oldest sectors in the industry, but games and puzzles is thriving. Despite being traditional in its nature, more and more firms are infusing their games and puzzles with the latest tech. Billy Langsworthy gets playing with some of the best on the market
DRUMOND PARK Drumond Park has enjoyed solid year-on-year growth and market share in the games and puzzles sector, with the company continuing to go from strength to strength in 2014. Over the Easter holidays, the firm is running TV ads for a number of its top-selling lines including Pig Goes Pop, the Bubble Buster Kazoo Game, Magic Tooth Fairy, Don’t Laugh, Doh Nutters and the new LOGO Billionaire family game. Drumond Park states the game is ‘proving to
be very popular with families who are striving to get their children away from their electronic devices.’ Looking to be a hit game this Christmas is Drumond Park’s LOGO Grab (£14.99, age 8 to adult). LOGO Grab is the seventh in the number one best selling LOGO series, and sees players grabbing the dice instead of the famous name cards. Two of the eight dice have a bell hidden inside and players must shake the dice they’ve just picked up and if
Claire McCool, Co-founder and Marketing Director, Drumond Park “The first quarter of 2014 has been absolutely amazing – we’ve had huge interest in our new products, LOGO Grab and Shout! – and sales of many of our existing and refreshed children’s, family and adult titles are way up on the same quarter last year. “So far this year, both the majors and the independents are buying in
it goes ting-a-ling, they must hand back the card. Elsewhere in the Drumond Park portfolio is a game all about looking, linking and thinking with the Shout! family team game (£29.99, age 12 to adult) ‘already going through the roof’, according to the company. Opposing teams have to sit on either side of a cardholder stand, and have to shout out the names and answers which relate to nine themed images, words or figures. 01473 322000
far greater depth than previous years – one of the reasons being that parents and grandparents are now very aware of the necessity of getting children out of their bedrooms and away from their electronic devices. “And the great thing is that once the kids have experienced the games in a family atmosphere or with their siblings, they love them… and ask for more. So if this trend continues, the 2014 year is going to be a great one for everyone in the games industry.”
MATTEL Mattel continues to provide fantastic entertainment for all ages with its portfolio of family favourites. Top-selling titles in the stable include number three family game Scrabble, number two card game UNO and top drawing game Pictionary. This year, Mattel is supporting its games with an extensive marketing programme of activity which has been designed to raise awareness and demand for its assortment of games across multiple platforms. While the company’s physical portfolio continues to do well, the digital communities for Scrabble, UNO and Pictionary also look set to grow.
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Following the re-brand of Scrabble in 2013, it remains a family favourite and is number four in the total games market. In 2014, marketing initiatives will aim to drive awareness of the new brand message, ‘bringing letters and people together.’ The marketing strategy will also look to target the younger audience, including casual gamers. Card game UNO, will also be supported with a multiplatform marketing programme this spring and summer. This will encompass TV advertising support and promotional sampling. The campaign will be aiming to drive awareness of the new UNO 24/7 brand
message, encouraging families to play UNO ‘whenever and wherever’. Pictionary, the long-time successful game of quick sketches and crazy guesses, continues to perform well for Mattel, while family strategy game Blokus has become the latest in Mattel’s portfolio to get the digital treatment. Blokus can now be played on the move with the new Blokus Digital App. Players start with 21 pieces and try to play as many of them as possible by connecting the corners. Other players will try to block each other, and the player with the fewest squares left is the winner. 01628 500000
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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES PAUL LAMOND Paul Lamond Games is welcoming several new arrivals to its games and puzzles portfolio, spanning children's products right through to after dinner entertainment. Pizza Party is a fast-paced actionpacked game for pizza-loving children and adults. Players have to roll the dice and create their own slice of pizza by adding different toppings. Paul Lamond advises that ‘speed is the key to winning Pizza Party’ and states that the game is great for playing at home or while travelling. Elsewhere, coloured Yatzy is a new twist to the classic game featuring little prisms of colour with 13 scoring combinations including full house, wild 2s and Yatzy. The firm’s new Story Telling Game has been created to ‘inspire imaginations, encourage creativity and develop quick thinking’. The game sees players race to get rid of their words and tell a story before the buzzer ends the round. Music fans can impress friends with Spontuneous, a game where one player says a word and other players must sing a song containing that word. Meanwhile, It's a Chicken sees children pick a card, roll the dice and
GREEN BOARD GAMES then draw clues over circle shapes while other players try and guess what's being drawn. The new Where's Wally? Board Game challenges players to find the picture on the board which matches what's on the card. The trick being, that all this happens while the board rotates and the timer ticks away. Moving on, and Paul Lamond’s DVD offering includes Classic Comedy DVD Board Game, complete with clips from classic BBC comedies. Finally, the firm is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Perudo this year, the liar dice game which combines skill, luck and deception. 02392 241333
JUMBO GAMES Jumbo Games is bound to get football fans in a twist with its latest Wasgij puzzle, Football Fever. Inspired by the forthcoming international cup football, Football Fever offers jigsaw fans two 1,000piece puzzles in a single box. One of them is a puzzle of the picture on the front of the box, the other follows the Wasgij Original ‘what are they looking at?’ concept where fans have to piece together what the characters in the box image are looking at. Every box also includes a promotion encouraging fans to enter to win the opportunity to watch an England football match with former national captain Peter Shilton OBE. The winner will watch the second England game of this summer’s
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With World Book Day getting children excited about reading, Green Board Games has a portfolio which aims to get kids engaged with words well past March 6th. Green Board Games’ BrainBox Roald Dahl mixes ‘splendiferous’ words with Sir Quentin Blake's iconic illustrations making for, what the firm is calling, ‘an extra special whoppsy-whiffling observation game like no other’. To play BrainBox Roald Dahl, players simply study a card for ten seconds and then answer a question based on the roll of a die. If the player answers correctly, the card is kept and the winner is the one who has the most cards after five or ten minutes of gameplay. The game can be played by all ages, in large groups or as a one player game. BrainBox is also made from a minimum of 70 per cent recycled material and designed in the UK. Roald Dahl is just one of the awardwinning BrainBox titles from Green Board Games. Others are themed around the likes of Fairies, Senior Moments, Dinosaurs and Horrible Histories: Vile Villains. 01494 538999
Keith Grafham, CEO, Green Board Games
"There are few things that truly bring a whole family together; it’s likely that food is the main one and games would be a close second, often with both together. “There will always be a place for games and puzzles which help people to share in the fun together, that is why this sector is still key for the industry. Green Board Games is dedicated to developing and distributing products that do just that – and throw a bit of learning in as well."
FLAIR Peter Shilton, Wasgij brand ambassador and former England no.1 “Nothing grips the nation like getting behind England in their international tournament as they prepare for some critical matches and it’s a real pleasure to be representing the nation’s number one puzzle brand which is football inspired. My family love puzzles – I’m really looking forward to having a crack at Football Fever with them.”
Flair has an expansive portfolio brimming with fun, competitive games for the year ahead including Freaky Franky, Tumblin’ Monkeys and Ali Baba. New for autumn is the two player game, Tumblin’ Monkeys. The aim of the game is for players to take it in turns to pull out the sticks one by one and watch as the monkeys begin to fall. The player with the least monkeys at the end wins. Elsewhere, Ali Baba challenges players to add their 15 playing pieces to the camel’s saddle one at a time. Whoever makes the camel buck
will lose, with Ali and all the pieces going flying. Flair is welcoming a brand new addition to its games and puzzles portfolio in the form of Freaky Franky. The stretchable figure doubles as the ultimate competition of strength. For five to seven year olds, players can play solo by simply punching his head and watching his eyes and brain pop out. Or, kids can play against an opponent by pulling Franky’s arms to see who is the strongest. 0208 633 0320
international football tournament in the UK with the former England number one. The Football Fever puzzle also includes an exclusive Wasgij football wallchart, allowing fans to follow the month-long global tournament, which starts on June 12th. Wasgij Original 21: Football Fever is out now and is available from Amazon.co.uk, Argos, Notcutts, Toys R Us, WHSmith, jigsawpuzzlesdirect.co.uk and alljigsawpuzzles.co.uk. 01707 260436
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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES ESDEVIUM GAMES Esdevium Games believes its range of board games for 2014 is the firm’s ‘most exciting to date’. New for this year is Hotel Tycoon (£24.99), a family board game where players attempt to become real estate gurus by purchasing hotels and making a fortune, while opponents foot the bill. Hotel Tycoon is actually a refresh of the 1970s game Hotel, and Esdevium has brought the game into the 21st century with the introduction of 28 3D hotel buildings that players can add to the board as they progress. The game will be the focus of a marketing campaign featuring widespread TV advertising and an extensive PR campaign. The Dobble Card Game saw excellent growth in 2013 thanks to Esdevium’s independent retailer initiative, the Dobble Challenge. This saw close to 100 stores sign up to demonstrate Dobble in-store with financial rewards for those able to sell over 100 units. Those stores were also entered into a Grand Prize Draw with 2013’s winner, Just Williams in Balham, taking home a brand new laptop.
DKL The 2014 Dobble Challenge kicked off at London Toy Fair and Esdevium has enjoyed a great reaction from stores already with ‘record-breaking show orders’. This year will also see Esdevium extend its range of Disney-licensed games with new additions including the Sofia the First - Magical Tea Time Game. The collection already boasts titles spanning Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Disney Princess and Doc McStuffins. Esdevium’s other forthcoming new releases which are due to hit retail shelves in 2014 include a whole new collection of Timeline games, a re-design of the popular, Dixit, and the creamy Russian roulette that is Pie Face. 01420 593593
GOLDEN BEAR Golden Bear has a whole host of games and puzzles featuring the stars of CBeebies. Following the launch of a new toy collection based on the preschool channel’s CBeebies Bugbies, the Matching Bugbies Game sees children develop their memory and dexterity skills by matching 36 different cards with 18 different designs. Elsewhere, the Toppling Bugbies Game sees children aim to perfect the art of selecting wooden Bugbies pieces, but without sending the tower toppling. Meanwhile, fans of Mr Tumble can also match character pieces to the background in Mr Tumble’s Sound Puzzle. Once matched, children can hear fun phrases and sounds familiar
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DKL distributes the Miniland Educational and Wonderworld brands, each offering consumers a wide range of games and puzzles suitable for children aged from two years and onwards. Miniland Educational’s Pairs game breathes new life into the classic game, with 12 different double-sided game cards spanning four fun categories and a plastic holder with counters to cover up the pictures. Elsewhere, Miniland’s Mini Puzzles come in three different designs and are made from resistant washable plastic. Designed as a child’s first puzzle, it has many educational benefits including stimulating speech and exercising a child’s attention span. The Pegs game allows children to follow six designs with different colour pegs, helping to teach them colour recognition and develop their motor skills. The pegs come in four different sizes suitable for a wide range of ages. Wonderworld’s range of ecofriendly games and puzzles aim to educate children about the environment and the impact it has on the planet.
Children will learn about the effects of ice caps melting through the Penguin Rescuer game. The game sees players rescue penguins from their melting surroundings before it’s too late. Also on offer from Wonderworld is Eco Town. The game features wooden models so children can build their very own mini eco town, complete with bicycles, trees, a rainwater tank and recycling bin. Finally, Wonderworld’s Fun Safari collection features a Safari Puzzle made of chunky wood with a friendly animal face. 01604 678786
ASOBI with Mr Tumble and friends. The wooden pieces are the right size for little hands to grasp and aims to promote fine motor skills and colour recognition. Another popular puzzle in the Golden Bear collection is the In The Night Garden Pick ‘n’ Place Wooden Puzzle. It boasts six chunky pieces based on the popular characters, and features wooden coloured pegs to help children pick up the pieces. Finally, the Wooden Dress Up Peppa Pig puzzle allows children to mix and match Peppa Pig's head and body to dress her in a range of fun and quirky outfits. The puzzle comes with a wooden box for safe storage and includes 18 different pieces. 01952 608308
Asobi is the distributer of Vilac, which is a company boasting an extensive range of educational games and puzzles. With a traditional approach to playtime, the collection includes sturdy wooden dominos designed to last and last, memory games to stimulate the brain and solitaire games with a twist. Vilac has also produced the ‘My Large Games Box’ compendium of games including draughts and jacks. The company also has a large range of wooden puzzles suitable for all abilities.
These range from pull-out puzzles for little ones all the way up to a 96piece picture puzzle for the more advanced player. The company states that ‘it just goes to show that education and fun can come without batteries.’ 01628 200077
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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES SPIN MASTER
BANANAGRAMS
Spin Master has seen Hedbanz continue its excellent sales performance during the autumn of 2013 and the company is eyeing a strong start to 2014 to keep kids entertained in the run up to the Easter holidays. The firm states that its Disney Hedbanz ‘is still a popular option with younger children who recognise and aspire to their favourite Disney characters’. The company’s Boom Boom Balloon has also performed well and both games were the focus of a TV campaign that ran throughout the Christmas buying period. The game sees players take turns at rolling the die and carefully pushing a stick into place against the balloon, without popping it. Elsewhere in Spin Master’s portfolio is Beat the Parents. The game pits kids against adults to prove who is the most knowledgeable generation ‘once and for all’.
Bananagrams, Amazon’s best selling toy of all time, continues to be a popular game choice with players of all ages. The anagram game comes in a small portable banana-shaped pouch and is ideal for players aged ‘seven to 107 years old, at home or on the go’. The game has now sold over six million units in more than 30 countries worldwide, and continues to win awards from parents, educators, children and independent retailers alike. The last year has seen Bananagrams break into the Good Toy Guide, as well as being named the ‘overall winner’ in the Toys & Games category of the Primary Teacher Update Awards. In addition, Bananagrams won a Gold Medal in the ToyShopUK Awards in the Board & Card Games category. The game is now in a series of puzzle books, and foreign language editions include Hebrew, Spanish, French, Norwegian, Dutch
Questions range from silly to hilarious and players can use Wild Cards to send rivals backwards. The Spin Master games and puzzles collection will be expanded further during the second half of the year when Moustache Smash and Shark Mania, both popular at Toy Fair, hit retail shelves. 01628 535000
RAVENSBURGER Ravensburger has welcomed nine new properties to its growing licensed portfolio. Forming part of the 100 plus product launches this spring/summer will be puzzles and games based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Gruffalo, Woolly and Tig, In the Night Garden, Henry Hugglemonster, The Ultimate Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Muppets Most Wanted, Planes 2 and Despicable Me 2. The company will also continue to build on the success of its One Direction puzzle range. New to Ravensburger’s awardwinning generic range are a ‘My First’ floor puzzle range developed for two year olds, bright, ‘fun-tolearn’ 60-piece floor puzzles, and ten fresh titles in the 100 to 300piece XXL range. Ravensburger saw its adult puzzles enjoy strong sales growth in 2013 and the firm launched over 50 new designs at Toy Fair. A further 20 new designs are now scheduled to arrive this autumn/winter.
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and German. A larger version, titled Double Bananagrams, allows up to 16 players to play, and fans of the game can even take the play outside with Jumbo Bananagrams (£49.99). The giant version of the game boasts waterproof, three-inch square tiles and the firm believes it’s the perfect game to ‘liven up family barbecues, daytrips to the seaside and beer garden lunches.’ 020 7298 9500
COILEDSPRING GAMES The firm’s 3D puzzle range grew again in 2013. There were four new products launched for spring/summer (Windmill, Lighthouse, Taj Mahal and Endangered Species globe), with a further eight new launches in autumn/winter (Empire State Building with lights, Coliseum, Medieval House, Disney Eiffel Tower, Minions 72pc, One Direction 72pc, Disney World Globe 180pc and a Vintage Globe 540 pc). The 3D puzzle range will be backed with a strong TV advertising campaign in the autumn. 01869 363800
Coiledspring is offering game fans the multi-award winning titles Forbidden Island and its successor Forbidden Desert. The games see players work together to collect artefacts and defeat the game or meet their fate; either disappearing under the waves of the Forbidden Island or being buried by sand in the Forbidden Desert. Both games come from renowned designer Matt Leacock, and while Leacock is an established name in the ‘games for gamers’ market, both Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert have successfully made the move into mainstream family gaming. Forbidden Desert recently picked up a ‘Golden Geek’ award, as voted for by members of the Boardgame Geek site, ‘the first point of call for families looking for their next purchase’. “With the revival of ‘stay at home activities’ it’s clear that the board game market is stronger than ever
and is starting to emulate the German market,” read a statement from the company. “Families are looking for rewarding board games with exciting twists and turns.” 020 3301 1160
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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES HASBRO Hasbro has a wide range of games on offer, spanning classics, new titles and unique spins on family favourites. Launching in July is the Elefun & Friends Mousetrap, a version of the classic game featuring Elefun & Friends characters, while the firm’s Trivial Pursuit Party (due in August) speeds up the classic by allowing players to win a wedge on any space. Elsewhere, coming in July is the Twister Dance Game, allowing fans to learn the moves to a range of songs, and the Transformers Battle Master 2 Pack, pitting Optimus Prime against Megatron in a battle to see who is the best. Other reinvented classics include Bop It! Beats with its
BIGJIGS TOYS double-sided turntable, Simon Swipe with the new swipe action and My Monopoly, a customisable version of the iconic game. Also available from Hasbro is Taboo, Scattergories, Cranium Party and Monopoly Junior. 020 8569 1234
and consumers can also buy Sonic Games’ iball4. A special Isis coin has been placed within the proximity of Hamleys toy store and whoever finds it will win a Titanium Isis puzzle, which is worth £200. A clue is the OS Grid Ref: SX7339. 01743 242999
ORCHARD TOYS Orchard Toys has added two new products to its collection of award winning educational jigsaws and games, bringing the total number to 120 lines. Colour Match is an activity-based jigsaw which encourages children to identify colours, by relating them to familiar objects. The puzzle incorporates secondary colours, as well as black, white, grey and multi-colours. Colour Match joins a range of activity-based puzzles which also includes Farm Opposites, Alphabet Match and Match and Count. Elsewhere, Catch and Count Game is a number and counting game for pre-
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Ladders board decorated with a pirate ship, rocket and castle. The game comes complete with four coloured counters and a dice, all of which can be kept in a drawstring bag to ensure they do not get lost. It is priced at £7.99. 01303 250400
GIBSONS GAMES
SONIC GAMES Sonic Games has been manufacturing puzzles for over ten years, most recently bringing a collection of electronic brain training games to retail shelves. Andrew Reeves the creator of the Isis series of puzzles, introduced the Isis on The Jonathan Ross Show back in 2007 and also turned down a £200,000 offer on Dragons’ Den a year later. The recently published Isis Adventure: Codes of the Diamond Isis book contains hidden codes that when solved will allow readers to win one of the four exclusive 24ct Gold and Diamond Isis, valued at £17,000 each. Hamleys in London houses a replica of the real Diamond Isis
New from Bigjigs this year is a selection of eight, 48-piece wooden puzzles, hand cut to precision. Themes in the range include Ballet School, Enchanted Fairies, Picnic in the Park and Once Upon A Time. Set to please train-enthusiasts are four locomotive-themed puzzles including the Mallard, the Rocket, the Flying Scotsman and the Duchess of Hamilton. The puzzles are all suitable for children aged four years and above and each is priced at £11.99. The classic traditional games side of Bigjigs’ portfolio spans wooden dominoes, chess, solitaire and ludo. Also new for 2014 is a classic wooden Snakes &
Gibsons released four new Thomas Kinkade jigsaws at the beginning of the year. The Open Gate Sussex is a 500piece puzzle depicting a gaggle of geese returning home, while Evening at Swanbrooke Cottage is a 1,000piece puzzle filled with flowers. Holiday Traditions shows the festivities of a small town as they gather around the nativity scene and, finally, the last jigsaw is a 2x500 collection that features Nanette’s Cottage and Spirit of Christmas. Gibsons states that “Thomas hoped that his paintings would bring hope and inspiration to others, and encourage people to slow down, appreciate the little details in life, and to look for beauty in the world around us”.
Elsewhere, for pre-schoolers, the My World puzzles and games have been developed in conjunction with The Good Toy Guide’s Dr Amanda Gummer and helps children to learn about the world around them. 020 8661 8866
JOHN ADAMS schoolers, which see children spin the 3D Octopus spinner, count bubbles and collect fish, all while avoiding the shark. 01953 423422
John Adams is boosting its games portfolio with a number of new lines. Pig Out sees players roll ‘Pig Out’ on the dice and strap pig noses to their faces. They must then rootle around in the trough to get food in their snout. The player who collects the most food wins. A new addition to the electronic board games category is Reflex, based on the BBC TV game show hosted by Shane Ritchie. The game, like the show, focuses on testing reactions and there are 25 games to play. Reflex will be supported by a strong marketing and PR campaign from launch. Think Words also joins the company’s offering from June with players having to name it, press it and pass it within ten seconds to win.
Also new is Rubik’s Void, the classic puzzle without its core, while the company will also be welcoming Linkee, the popular crowd sourced trivia game. Linkee will join the portfolio complete with refreshed packaging and all new questions, as well as some special celebrity cards written by well-known names. 01480 414361
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New exciting titles from
PAUL LAMOND GAMES LIMITED 31 Newington Green, Islington, London N16 9PU Tel: 020 7254 0100 Fax: 020 7254 3400 Web: www.paul-lamond.com
SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES CARTAMUNDI
FIESTA CRAFTS
Card game specialist Cartamundi has introduced Shuffle, a new card game which blends brands, technology and cards. Thanks to a partnership between Cartamundi and Hasbro, the likes of Play-Doh, Transformers, My Little Pony, Monopoly and more will be starring in a collection of new card games. Shuffle also offers support from tablets and smartphones, allows players to buy and sell property in Monopoly Deal, use a smart device as mission control with the Transformers game and find missing jewels with My Little Pony. The company states that ‘the role of the cards is still at the
Fiesta Crafts boasts a range of chunky puzzles designed to help children learn about an array of animals and objects, while developing hand-eye coordination. Available in jungle, farm, vehicles and flower garden themes, the wooden pieces are sturdy and easy to grasp. The firm’s collection of four-piece puzzles adds a new element of complexity to further develop coordination and problem solving. Each themed puzzle comes complete with four mini puzzles. Each mini puzzle sits inside a wooden frame to hold the pieces in place and make it easier for younger children to use. Finally, the range of 48-piece jigsaws depict a detailed scene of either dinosaurs and erupting volcanoes or fairies, rainbows, unicorns and toadstools. Brightly coloured, beautifully detailed and durable, Fiesta Crafts states the jigsaws will ‘last the test of time and be enjoyed by sibling after sibling’. 020 8804 0563
forefront of the concept, but the Shuffle app adds to the fun and possibilities of card play’.
The Shuffle line will appear in premium packaging designed to be durable and portable. 01268 511522
WINNING MOVES
MERONCOURT
UNIVERSITY GAMES
Winning Moves UK offers an expansive 2014 range of licensed family games. Classics that have embraced licences include Big Bang Theory Cluedo, DC Comics Retro Monopoly, Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit, Walking Dead Risk, Skylanders Guess Who and One Direction Twister. The Top Trumps portfolio is welcoming a raft of additions in 2014 including Adventure Time, How to Train Your Dragon, Transformers 4: Age of Extinction and My Little Pony. Winning Moves is also developing a full range of Waddingtons products that will focus on wooden and travel games. Also new for 2014 are the Top Trump Puzzles, offering fans a 50-piece Dinosaur puzzle with new titles to follow throughout the year. Waddingtons Puzzles will be extending its offering with a range of Classics, Commemorative World War One Centenary, Harry Potter, Doctor Who and Adventure Time Puzzles. 020 7298 9507
Meroncourt is offering puzzle fans and nature nuts the perfect product in Uncle Milton National Geographic puzzles. The Wild Panarama three in one puzzles boast 24, 48 and 100-piece puzzles showing images of Ring-Tailed Lemurs. Also from Uncle Milton is the National Geographic Wild Dominoes African Animal Safari and the National Geographic Wild Baby Animals Memory Match Game. Players must match the pairs of baby animals, and whoever makes the most matches wins. Meroncourt is also distributing Clementoni’s Disney Minnie Mouse Interactive Quiz Puzzle. The electronic puzzles help children develop manipulation, observation and logical association skills. The picture at the centre is made up of 15 cards which must be put together and observed. Each of the side cards has a question and two answers. Children must choose the right answer by placing the pen on one of the dots. 01462 680060
Just in time for Easter, University Games is launching Bunny Jump. Available exclusively at all Toys R Us stores during April and May, Bunny Jump sees players spin the arrow and take it in turns to pull out the carrots. If the bunny jumps, players have to catch him to win extra carrots. University Games also has a range of travel products to help long journeys fly by, including Pointless, based on the hit TV show; Sorted, a game of luck; Spot the Difference; and fast paced party game Smart Ass. Gruffalo fans can brush up on their rhyming with The Gruffalo Word Rhyming Game, while Totally Gross shines a light on the real science behind revolting facts. Finally, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire Pink Edition brings players new categories and over 600 questions to test their knowledge on fashion, food, culture and films. 03334 050120
GALT
GREAT GIZMOS
WILD CARD GAMES
Galt Toys has launched two new puzzles aimed at young children. Suitable for children aged three and above, the colourful puzzles encourage matching and sorting skills and feature bold illustrations. The puzzles are also designed to stimulate discussion and develop language skills, with fun reusable stickers and interactive sounds to keep children engaged. The Funny Face Sticker Puzzles allow children to put together the face of a clown, a pirate, a little monster or a princess, then use stickers to create lots of different silly faces. There are four 12-piece face puzzles and vinyl stickers to use again. The Face Sticker Puzzles retail at £8.99. Meanwhile, the First Puppet Show is an extra long ten-piece floor puzzle featuring a traffic jam with different vehicles to talk about and a horn sound button. Children can build the puzzle before pressing the horn sound when their traffic jam is complete. It is priced at £8.99. 0161 428 9111
Great Gizmos’ new collection of wooden pre-school games and puzzles from PlanToys offer children a wide range of educational game play. The wooden Balancing Boat allows kids to practice balancing through the tale of Noah and his Ark, while the Balancing Tree and Balancing Monkeys allow children to hang monkeys on branches until they balance. Elsewhere, the Weather Dress-Up Puzzle contains separate segments to slot together to form an outfit or for a puzzle that helps children learn about evolution. The Chicken Puzzle features the lifecycle of a chicken and encourages hand-eye co-ordination, while kids can help re-build a frog’s habitat in the Frog Life Puzzle. Children can practice their aim with the Meadow Ring Toss and fishing fans can play the Fishing Game which includes two adjustable rods, six colourful fish and a blue fabric fishing pond. Plan Toys also has a Croquet Set and Mini Golf Set. 01293 543221
Family games specialist Wild Card Games has added several new products to its range of award winning games. Top sellers Mapominoes and Backpacker, plus recent educational award winners Arithmanix and Astronauts, are being joined by pirate memory game Ah-Harr! and a new range of eight family games from MJ Games. Also new for 2014 is Who Knows Where? The global location guessing game sees players race opponents to try to be the first player to travel around the world by locating famous places on the world map. There are over 1,000 locations to guess in five categories including capitals, major cities and towns, events and facts, famous tourist sites and iconic landmark images. Flexible rules and a double-sided board allow many different ways to play, making the game easier or harder and thus accessible and appealing for a broad range of ages and abilities. 07916 349942
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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES MAPS TOYS Maps Toys is introducing a brand new puzzle for 2014. The award-winning Cool Circuits is a fun, engaging game for the whole family from ages eight and upwards. It features a circuit board, eight fluorescent 3D puzzle pieces and 40 different challenges to solve. Challenges start easy but stretch all the way to the ‘practically impossible’, the firm warns. The game sees players choose a puzzle card, create the circuit loop
ELEMENTALS and watch the board light up and play music if they win. The game emphasises abstract thinking and spatial reasoning. Cool Circuits was awarded Puzzle of the Year 2013 by Games MagazineX. Maps Toys enjoyed its best year yet in 2013, with a number of its lines selling strongly. MD Dirk Kiefer told ToyNews in January he was confident about performance in 2014, too. 01483 776 006
TOY ESSENTIALS The Learning Journey, distributed in the UK by the newly formed Toy Essentials, is the designer and manufacturer of an exclusive line of award-winning children's interactive educational products. These include a wide range of games and puzzles for early learners and pre-school children. The company has been established since 1995 and is now in numerous international markets with products spanning multiple languages.
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Elementals has published its latest science game for schools in the UK, entitled STEM Career Board Resource. The game follows National Curriculum guidelines to bring awareness for STEM careers – STEM standing for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Manufactured in the UK, the game was submitted by Ros Walker, a STEM leader at Longfield School in Darlington.
It is a cross-curricular resource for over 30 lessons and includes 91 unique career cards. Science and Engineering week took place between March 14th and 23rd, with orders being placed by schools during early promotion campaigns, underlining the demand for science games in schools. The game is being distributed by Elementals and is available to schools now. 020 8123 9378
VIVID In a bid to penetrate the UK toy retail market, Learning Journey has joined forces with Toy Essentials. The portfolio of Learning Journey Games and Puzzles available from Toy Essentials (which is headed up by managing director, Robin Bennett) will include Jumbo floor puzzles, Match it Puzzle Cards, as well as My First puzzles and Puzzle Doubles which offer a puzzle and activity in one. 01285 762039
To support Vivid’s core toy line for Peter Rabbit, pre-schoolers can now play with Peter Rabbit Game Cards (£3.99). The oversized playing cards show lots of pictures of characters from the TV series. There are 36 cards in a pack and four fun games to play; Peter’s Pairs, Get The Set, Snap and Yucky Worms. For puzzle fans, Peter Rabbits 3 in a Box Jigsaws (£4.99) includes 12, 16 and 24-piece puzzles for children to
enjoy, each containing a different scene of Peter Rabbit and Friends. Fans of X Factor boy band Union J can now get their hands on the Union J Puzzle (£7.99) which is made up of 300 pieces, as well as the Union J Game (£9.99) which sees players either perform an action, carry out a dare or answer a trivia question about Union J. The aim of the game is to be the first player to make it backstage. 01483 449944
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30 COLLECTABLE TRANSFORMERS FIGURINES - COLLECT THEM ALL!
Licensed by:
HASBRO and its logo, TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. Š 2013 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.
Paladone Products Ltd, www.paladone.com, sales@paladone.com, tel +44 (0)1273 230037
SECTOR GUIDE: RC PRODUCTS
Take control
From mini helicopters and motorbikes, through to die-cast cars, planes and licensed collections, the remote control sector has some robust offerings coming through this year. Samantha Loveday rounds them up FLYING TOYS Flying Toys traditionally launches all of its new products at Spring Fair – and this year considerable interest was shown in the top of the range wi-fi controlled Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition quadricopter and new Elite Edition camouflage collection. In addition, the new MiniDrone and Jumping Sumo, due later in the year, also attracted attention. The Silverlit range of high performance Power in Air products – featuring a wide range of ready to fly radio controlled aeroplanes with up to four engines – includes the Centenary Sopwith Camel. In addition, the three channel gyro Nano Falcon is the smallest helicopter in the world. Flying Toys
distributes over 50 different Silverlit helicopters. Buyers visiting Spring Fair also got the chance to see a pair of Silverlit Power in Speed Gyro Buzz miniature motorbikes performing wheelies and racing around the stand, as well as demos of the Gyro Zee buggy that can be driven either way up, on two or four wheels. Flying Toys Silverlit iConnect Supercar collection includes a Ferrari Enzo and a Porsche Carrera, while the Mercedes-Benz allows users to stream their favourite music from any iOS device directly to a speaker built into the car. Moving on, and the new Blu-Bot robot can be controlled with an iOS or Android device and is easily
programmed to dance to music, with a choice of facial expressions. The Silverlit DigiBird Table Top Pets, meanwhile, will tweet
MATTEL Hot Wheels zooms into 2014 as the number one brand in the vehicles super category and mini vehicles category (source: NPD January 2014). Its brand campaign includes the Catch the Gold Car promotion, where kids can purchase ten Hot Wheels die-cast cars from any of the four segments (City, Race, Off-Road and Workshop) to claim their free limited edition gold car. This year will also see the launch of the Race to Connect campaign, allowing kids to design, create and customise their own track challenges. New for spring/summer is the TV advertised Track Builder System 4Lane Tower Starter Set and Stunt, Deluxe and Speed Accessory Assortments, as well as Double Jump Duel (also TV advertised). All of the tracks work together or connect to other sets. Meanwhile, for autumn/winter there will be the Super Loop Chase Race, Track Builder System Double Boost Bi-way and a
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realistically or sing a chorus of different songs together on demand. Finally, the Aerotron-RC Flying Man proved another
popular choice with both catalogue and gift buyers visiting Spring Fair. 01702 295110 www.flyingtoys.com
NIKKO wide range of Basic Die-cast Cars. Moving on, and Matchbox has diecast vehicles, planes and helicopters available in five worlds: Adventure City, Construction, Explorers and Heroic Rescue, plus the Skybusters planes and helicopters. Kids can recreate scenes from Disney Pixar’s Planes with the Action Shifters Flight to the Finish Speedway Track Set, Character Planes Assortment and RC Mini Rides Assortment. Supporting the launch of the new Planes 2 movie on August 8th will be Planes 2 Fire Blastin’ Dusty, Riplash Flyers range and a new Die-cast Assortment. Meanwhile, Disney Pixar’s Cars sees the launch of the Neon range including a new Track Set and Die-cast Assortment, plus the Action Shifters Flo’s V8 Café Dragstrip and refreshed Character Cars Assortment. Autumn/winter will see the arrival of the RS500 range including RS500 Hero McQueen. 01628 500000
The first two Nano radio control items from Nikko – the Nano VaporizR and Nano BlasteR – were big hits instore. Consumers and enthusiasts love the idea of a small action packed vehicle with all the features of their ‘bigger brothers’ such as four wheel drive, two motor, high speed and strong quality. After the sales success of the Nikko SlammR during the Christmas
period, the Nano SlammR version was presented at London Toy Fair. The four wheel drive action packed vehicle has two motors and a ‘slamming’ function. Both SlammR and Nano SlammR will be TV advertised across almost all EU countries. 0031 (0)76 54 80 500 (Nikko) 0116 254 3645 (Peterkin) Elian@nikko.eu/sales@peterkin.co.uk
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SECTOR GUIDE: RC PRODUCTS GOLDEN BEAR Golden Bear is aiming to bring some fast and furious four wheeled fun to the RC and slot racing category, with vehicles from its Go MINI and VDubs ranges. Stunt-based vehicle brand Go MINI will welcome the Twin Turbo Raceway, which allows for high and low speed racing with the flick of a switch. Race on the low level for controlled racing, perfect for the younger pre-schoolers, or give the car a boost with the higher setting, testing a child’s skill to control the car at super quick speeds without crashing.
FLAIR The RC WOLF Rally Car is a top of the range Go MINI which is based on the MINI Countryman. It features lights and sounds that are activated by the steering wheel remote handset, plus RC WOLF can perform all sorts of skids and spins. Moving on, and the company’s new V-Dubs pre-school collection is based around the Volkswagen brand. It launches this year with a range of vehicles aimed at three to six year olds. The V-Dubs RC Roll Over Beetle takes remote control fun to another level with extreme styling and a unique feature. Children can use the chunky hand controller to drive the car or press the special feature button which will make the car perform a forward roll. 01952 608308 customerservices@ goldenbeartoys.co.uk
Built with folding props and crash resistant materials, the Zip Wing has superior construction to stand up to the toughest of crashes making it the ultimate flying machine. 01628 535000
TRENDS UK Trends UK introduced the MiP robot from WowWee to the European market earlier this year. Short for Mobile Inverted Pendulum, MiP is the first innovation in association with the Coordinated Robotics Lab at the University of California. It has unique dual-wheel balancing and is able to navigate its surroundings while controlled by hand movements using GestureSense technology. MiP can also be controlled by using a
72 April
a Remote Control Tom that features a removable leaf board. Using the infra red remote control, children will be able to steer Tom left, right, backwards and forwards and bring their favourite character to life. 020 8643 0320 sales@flairplc.co.uk
WOW STUFF
SPIN MASTER The best selling Air Hogs has launched two new outdoor items for spring 2014. The Air Hogs Titan with its 1.2m wing span puts paper planes to shame with its easy to assemble and no batteries required build system. The durable plane flies with the thrust of the arm, while the tail fin can be flipped to change from distance coverage to performing acrobatic stunt plane. Meanwhile, the build it yourself Air Hogs Zip Wing is easy to launch directly from the hand. Its engine will fire for ten seconds propelling it into the air and the 56cm wingspan owns the sky and rips up incredible distances before gently coasting back to earth.
Two of Flair’s successful boys’ brands have entered the RC and four wheel scene, namely Tree Fu Tom and The Trash Pack. Trash Wheels is the first on the road series and provides ‘wheely’ gross fun. The products feature Skid Marks, Rust Buckets and four other vile vehicles for boys to collect, swap and race around with on the various race-themed play-sets. Whether they need a new engine or are ready to go to the scrap heap, the Junk Yard is the place to go. The Trash Wheels Junk Yard includes two exclusive Trash Wheels vehicles and a collector’s guide. Just watch out for the crushing yard. Meanwhile, pre-school favourite Tree Fu Tom has entered the RC sector with
Wow Stuff says that the four guiding principles for its new TX Juice are ‘innovation, innovation, innovation and great value’. “Outside of vehicle marque replicas such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, the volume RC market is driven by the latest move on in technology,” says Dr Graeme Taylor, director of NPD at Wow Stuff. “The next big move on is Auto-Take-off and Auto-Hover, both patents we have and they are exclusive to our TX Juice brand.
“The use of this patent gives our RC helicopters the world’s first AutoPilot System making it quite probably the easiest to fly RC helicopter available in the market. “All TX Juice RC products feature the unique Juice Button. Dependent on the product chosen, the Juice Button activates Auto-Pilot, AutoTake-off, Auto-Land, Turbo Power or Super Stunts. “This unique and IP protected feature makes it easy for consumers to understand what each TX Juice product is, and does. Certain copies of our Radar Copter are known as ‘MiniFlyer’, Flying Ball and similar. We would be very grateful for any information from retailers who might be offered these copies of our products.” 0870 054 6000 legal@wowstuff.com
TOMY Bluetooth link to any smart device running the free app. MiP has an inquisitive and responsive personality that is communicated through motion, sound and its LED ‘eyes’, according to the firm Children can drive MiP, play games or teach it to dance, and when attached to its tray accessory it can balance multiple objects while moving or standing still. 01295 768078
Little ones can take to the road for the first time with the remote controlled Johnny Tractor. The soft moulded, bright coloured tractor, with flexible safety antenna, features simple and easy to use two button remote control. Meanwhile, budding young farmers can recreate farm adventures with the range of Britains Big Farm radio controlled tractors including New Holland T6070, Case IH 140 and John Deere 6190R Tractor.
Simply press the buttons for real engine sounds, horn and working lights, while the hand controls can be used to move it forward, reverse, left and right. The cabs feature all details of the original tractor, from wing mirrors to hazard lights and front weight. They are also compatible with implements from the Britains Big Farm range, as well as other alternative plastic 1:16 scale authentic replica farm play-sets. 020 8722 7300
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SECTOR GUIDE: RC PRODUCTS REVELL/HOBBICO The Revell Control brand goes from strength to strength with the 2.4GHz Nano Quad picking up two awards at the London and Nuremberg toy fairs. Despite a size of just 45mm and weight of 11.5g, its GHz technology matches the quality of larger models. Several entry-level models extend the XS range including the Two Side Stunt Cars, available in green/blue and yellow/red. It is a flip-over racer designed to run on the side it lands and enables easy stunts. Also available will be Mini Trucks and City Wolf RC car, plus Mini Boats
and the 50cm Speedboat Maxi with a high speed racing motor, righting function and watertight covers. Meanwhile, the aircraft range is expanded with the Texter, a 2.4GHz helicopter that flashes text messages in mid air; the Motion Pilot, a solid motion control helicopter; the entry level, under £20 Turaco Micro Helicopter in black or with transparent body; the Big One Next helicopter with LED lighting; the 2.4GHz Quadro Shuttle; and the EasyPlane. Revell also makes steps into RC construction with the At Work line, while the Revellutions RC brand turns multi-format this year. The expanded 1:18 scale range includes a Police Car, Pick
Up Truck, Night Cruiser and Redback Buggy. Revell is also now handling the sales and marketing of Hobbico products in the UK. The Dromida 1:18 scale, four wheel drive RC vehicles include Mini Race Buggy, Monster Truck and Short Course Truck. As kids’ skills build, there is a range of optional parts to further upgrade performance and appearance. The AirCore range of RC model aircraft welcomes new lines including the ‘Miss America’ P-51 Mustang Air Racer, while the AquaCraft RC model boats are described as perfect for novices. Revell: 0845 459 0747/ ukbranch@revell.de Hobbico: 0845 459 1966/ uk@hobbico.de
The Bladez Land, Sea and Air Super Nano collection will be available from the middle of the year. Meanwhile, the company’s hero product for 2014 is the new Despicable Me RC Inflatable Minion with sound FX. The 2013 inflatable was so successful,
that not only is Bladez Toyz launching new Despicable Me characters, it has also added some official Minion catchphrases and quotes that sound upon contact to bring more play value to users. 02392 658255 trade@bladeztoyz.co.uk
BLADEZ TOYZ Following the success of its Super Jumbo RC collection, Bladez is hitting the other end of the scale with the launch of its Land, Sea and Air Super Nano collection. The line includes A 1:64 Volkswagon RC Micro Bus, Nano RC Yacht, Nano Quadcopter and what it believes might be the smallest three channel helicopter in the world. The range includes a nifty ‘Pack away and Play’ feature with a handset/storage/charging combination. Each gadget has been engineered to boast easy to use controls and high speed performance – for example, the Bladez Nano Quad is so precise, it can perform flawless 360-degree flips and barrel rolls. Styled to suit the whole family, the gadgets offer a variety of designs to choose from – including Apache or Hobby for the Chopper, and a choice of themes and colours for the VW micro camper.
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April 73
OBSERVATIONS 0F A TOY INDUSTRY SURVIVOR
Jon Salisbury THE ‘MEDIUM is the message’ was a term first coined in 1964 by Marshall McLuhan in his book Understanding Media. I’ve talked about evolution in this column before with particular reference to the changing nature of retail and the role that multichannel delivery now plays. Well, this month I’m addressing the speed of change in many different aspects of modern life and their impact on the world of toys.
cost of boxed sets of DVDs which can be attributed to the instant access to complete TV series and movies via Netflix, the streaming company that now has more than 44 million members in over 40 countries enjoying more than one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month. All predictions are that TV is in decline. According to an article published by Business Insider, "We're at the beginning of a major
No one more than LEGO knows that the medium is the message having triumphed at the movies. The CD has pretty much been usurped by the MP3 and the way we consume movies and TV viewing is currently undergoing a massive upheaval. The corollary of these developments has meant that the hardware used to play your entertainment has also had to change. Your smartphone is now capable of everything, should you so choose. Most people prefer to use the larger TV screen to view their televisual and cinematic content, but the DVD player is forecast to be fast approaching the end of its brief life. Why so? If you, like me, buy far too much from Amazon, you must get those daily emails suggesting ‘items you might like’ and you will have noticed the plummeting
historical shift from watching TV to watching video on the internet or on mobile devices.” The big worry for TV service providers is the phenomenon of ‘cable cutters’, the term used to describe those people dropping their cable service and relying on the internet for their media. It’s up to everyone in the toy industry to make sure they remain abreast of the rapidly evolving nature of the medium. That’s the message. Space prevents me from talking about Roku, an even more versatile streaming system which boasts over 750 channels of movies, TV shows and music coming to the UK and Ireland shortly. No one more than LEGO knows that the medium is the message having now
Follow me on Twitter @jonsalisbury
The speed of change in different aspects of modern life and the impact on the toy business is the topic for our columnist this month
triumphed at the movies. I went to school with movie critic Mark Kermode and tweeted him after he praised the “awesome Lego movie”. I apologised for being pedantic but had to correct him that LEGO was always written in capital letters. Us mere mortals have modest numbers of Twitter followers but Mark has over 150,000 and a storm was unleashed as his loyal tribe debated the spelling. One pointed out that it was LEGO© while another said it is a generic term for building bricks now, so the Lego spelling would do nicely. Another friend wondered if he could ask for LEGO on his wedding list. He fancied a LEGO Millennium Falcon for their living room but thought his fiancé might object …
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
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