The Toy Universe Magazine — Edition 7 by thebuggreport

Edition 7

Divisible By Zero

PROUDLY SUPPLIED BY

FROM THE EDITOR

2024 TOY HOBBY & LICENSING FAIR Welcome to Edition 7 of The Toy Universe Magazine featuring CLIXO, A Modern Magnetic Play Experience! This is the final edition of The Toy Universe Magazine for 2023. With the 2024 Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair now being held from 11th — 14th February, we are busy working on our Bumper Print Edition to be available at the fair. If you would like to feature your products in Edition 8 at Toy Fair, please reach out to learn more about what options we have available. As we are sure that you are now aware, the Toy Fair will have updated opening and closing times for February 2024, which are outlined below:

Grahame Grassby has included another Story from the GG's Toy Box Series — Living Barbie Doll, and Moose provide a Market Wrap update on Little Live Pets — A Decade of Success and Innovation. Alice Sanderson provides an update on the 2024 Toy Fair and Dean Salakas has written a follow-up column which details his Shoppable Mirrors Trial and what he learned from it. Finally we have an update from The Toy Association has highlighted the Trends Driving Holiday Toy Sales.

Sunday, February 11 — 9am to 5pm Monday, February 12 — 9am to 6pm Tuesday, February 13 — 9am to 6pm Wednesday, February 14 — 9am to 1pm Speaking of this edition of The Toy Universe Magazine, you will find a feature Market Wrap update from Johnco highlighting the arrival of MAGNA-TILES®, the original magnetic building brand which has finally arrived in Australia. Divisible By Zero provide an update on their Laboludic & Moluk Products and new study from LEGO Australia showcases the impact of play on bringing children together — no SUBSCRIBE TO THE TOY UNIVERSE matter their differences. Be sure to watch the video!

Managing Director — Tony Bugg tony@buggsolutions.com.au Editor & Designer — Matthew Bugg matt@buggsolutions.com.au Published by Bugg Marketing Solutions info@buggsolutions.com.au PO BOX 491, Berwick VIC 3806

EDITION 7 — NOVEMBER 2023

Advertising — bookings@thetoyuniverse.com.au Feedback — editor@thetoyuniverse.com.au Media — media@thetoyuniverse.com.au The Toy Universe has been compiled as a guide to toys and other related matters. The views and opinions provided are based upon the views and opinions of our writers. In no way is The Toy Universe a factual guide to toys and/or other related matters. The Toy Universe does not take responsibility for how the information provided is used by its consumers.

INSIDE THIS EDITION WELCOME TO EDITION 7 NEWS UPDATES FROM THE TOY UNIVERSE

MAGNA-TILES ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA! JOHNCO PRODUCTIONS

LABOLUDIC & MOLUK PRODUCTS DIVISIBLE BY ZERO

THE POWER OF PLAY LEGO AUSTRALIA

STORIES FROM GG'S TOY BOX LIVING BARBIE DOLL

LITTLE LIVE PETS: A DECADE OF SUCCESS AND INNOVATION MOOSE TOYS

2024 AUSTRALIAN TOY HOBBY AND LICENSING FAIR AUSTRALIAN TOY ASSOCIATION

SHOPPABLE MIRRORS TRIAL — WHAT WE LEARNED... THE RETAILERS DIARY

FROM KIDULTS TO SUSTAINABILITY HERE ARE THE TRENDS DRIVING HOLIDAY TOY SALES

www.thetoyuniverse.com.au

NEWS UPDATES FROM THE TOY UNIVERSE EDITION 7 NOVEMBER 2023

DISNEY TO LAUNCH NFT TRADING PLATFORM

KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS AT THE 2024 TOY HOBBY AND LICENSING FAIR

Disney, who own basically every character and television franchise not named Batman or Superman, is entering the NFT game with their new platform “Disney Pinnacle”. The collectibles are based on Disney’s real-world collectible pins that represent Disneyland rides, characters and films.

This prestigious award accompanies a program of award categories that will be presented at the 2024 Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair on Sunday 11th February. This award is open to Toy Fair exhibitors only. Kids Choice Awards submissions must be received by Friday 25th of January. Products then need to be dropped off to the Organisers Office onsite at the Fair on Friday 9th February. To submit an entry visit the ATA website and download the relevant forms.

ATA 25 YEAR CLUB FUNCTION The 25 Year Club Function will now kickoff from 6.15pm at Toy Fair. The event will take place on the same level as previous years, but you will turn right out of the lifts instead of left. For retired members, this is a great chance to visit the Fair and catch up with fellow club members afterwards over some light refreshments. RSVP to the ATA by Friday 19th January by clicking here. READ MORE

EDITION 7 — NOVEMBER 2023

PARAMOUNT AND ADAIRS PARTNER ON PAWFECT PAW PATROLTM KIDS RANGE Paramount and Adairs, a leading specialty retailer of homewares in the region, have partnered on an adorable PAW PatrolTM children’s range that are the PAWfect gifts for preschoolers this holiday season. With prices from AU$24.99 to $199.99, there is something for every child in the new range. The new Adairs PAW Patrol children’s range is available today in store and online at Adairs. READ MORE

AUSTRALIAN TOY ASSOCIATION 2024 RISING STAR — DEADLINE APPROACHING!

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 2024

The Australian Toy Association wishes to alert the industry to the imminent deadline for nominations for the 2024 Rising Star. This year, the ATA are excited to introduce the new Mentor/ Mentee program alongside this esteemed award, and the finalists will automatically be enrolled. The submission deadline is December 15th, 2023. To nominate a deserving individual, whether it's a standout employee or yourself, visit the link below. Make sure to submit your entries before it's too late.

The prestigious Environmental and Sustainability Award accompanies a program of award categories that will be presented at the 2024 Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair on Sunday 11th February. Further information regarding submission and judging criteria can be found on the ATA website here and the entry form can be accessed here — entries close on 25th January.

www.thetoyuniverse.com.au

MARKET WRAP JOHNCO MAGNA-TILES® AMERICA’S #1 MAGNETIC BUILDING SETS BRAND

Magna-Tiles Arrive in Australia! MAGNA-TILES®, AMERICA’S #1 MAGNETIC BUILDING SETS BRAND, BRINGS ITS AWARD-WINNING RANGE TO AUSTRALIAN TOYBOXES

MAGNA-TILES, the original magnetic building brand, has finally arrived in Australia. Fresh from success at the prestigious 2023 American International Toy Fair and the honour of receiving the Toy Foundation’s 2023 Preschool Toy of the Year Award (TOTY) for the Downhill Duo Set, MAGNATILES® sets are the perfect gift to make playtime fun. MAGNA-TILES® sets are not one-and-done toys , as they provide meaningful play experiences and countless hours of safe, enriching, screen-free fun. MAGNA-TILES® sets grow with your child, whatever their stage of development, and foster cognitive, physical, social and emotional development through play. As children build their MAGNA-TILES® creations, their creativity and imaginations are sparked and they’ll develop important everyday life skills – all while having fun! MAGNA-TILES® sets were originally invented by an educator, for educators. From those humble beginnings in the classroom back in 1997, the creative, colourful MAGNA-TILES® sets have earned their place as the favourite magnetic building sets brand for millions of families across the world - and an essential learning tool for growing minds. An interactive, dynamic building set range designed for little hands and big imaginations. 08

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Check out these cool new sets that you won’t find from any other magnetic building brand. These innovative toy sets are all fully compatible and make great gifts! THE MAGNA-TILES® STORY MAGNA-TILES® is both the original and America’s #1 Magnetic Building Sets brand. Since first being introduced in the classroom 25+ years ago, the MAGNA-TILES brand has built a solid reputation as a leading innovator and provider of education, enrichment and meaningful play – play which is fun and engaging, child-led, developmental and experienced-based. The MAGNA-TILES stamp on each piece ensures you have the original, highest quality and most trusted magnetic building brand in your home. “We are a passionate and purpose-driven team, working to redefine meaningful play experiences and push magnetic construction forward,” says MAGNA-TILES President Michael Valenta.

The exciting MAGNA-TILES® range includes unique sets like: MAGNA-TILES® Downhill Duo 40-Piece Set Buckle up! The award-winning MAGNA-TILES® Downhill Duo set features fully magnetic figures, dashers, ramps and roads - to make play a rollicking, rolling adventure. Construct a thrilling mega-ramp, create competition with a side-byside race or simply cruise along rolling hills.

MAGNA-TILES® Builder – 32 Piece Set Watch your child’s imagination and STEAM learning soar to new heights with the fan-favourite Builder set, only from the MAGNA-TILES brand. Extend and swivel the first-ever magnetic Crane to move Bricks around your MAGNA-TILES creation.

MAGNA-TILES® Dino World XL – 50 Piece Set Surprise the little palaeontologist in your life with the BIGGEST thing in magnetic construction! The new Dino World XL set has it all. Kids can create the BIGGEST builds in pre-history!

(02) 9452 5819 info@johncoproductions.com www.johncoproductions.com

www.thetoyuniverse.com.au

MARKET WRAP DIVISIBLE BY ZERO LABOLUDIC & MOLUK PRODUCTS NEW GAMES

Laboludic & Moluk P roducts CRAZY FARM AGE 6+ RRP $29.95

COCO CANDY AGE 5+ RRP $29.95

LUCKY JACK AGE 8+ RRP $34.95

The farm animals are going crazy! They won't stop barking, squawking and meowing. Be fast and vigilant, and get rid of all your cards! Duel against the other players by imitating their animal's cry, but be careful not to make mistakes! An error could have disastrous consequences...

Who spilled these juicy fruits and delicious candles all over the table? Collect them quickly, but make sure to match the restrictions! Be the fastest to find a card that matches the 2 restrictions. Use your observation skills to win the most cards.

Lay down 3 identical cards and hit the jackpot! The intensity of a slot machine in a card game for all ages! You will need luck and thought. 2 to 6 players.

TULU - AVAILABLE IN BOTH 3 & 9 PACKS AGE RRP $24.95 - $49.95

MICRO NIMO AGE 6+ RRP $34.95 Trap and collect the insects in pairs; the more cards you have in your collection, the more points you will score! A game of Micro Nimo consists of several rounds of the following phases. Phase 1: Trapping Phase Phase 2: Collection Phase

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KAOKI NATURE AGE RRP $29.95 A bit of history...Kaoki nature is inspired by the game of Kim as described by Rudyard Kipling in his 1901 novel 'Kim'. In this book, Kim is a lively and cunning street orphan blessed with a great memory who ends up becoming a spy for the King of England. Be the fastest to identify which drawing has changed when a card is flipped.

Tulu™ reinvents the building block. Instead of square cubes, you can now stack and balance balls and other round objects – Tulu provides the missing link. In classic MOLUK fashion, the elastic shapes become versatile play objects that grow with your child. Tulu shines as an elegant grasping and teething toy for babies. Toddlers will stack, roll, or nest the pieces. You can thread a string or cloth through them or sort them by color. Combine Tulu with Bilibo Mini and other MOLUK toys to create even more adventurous constructions, or use them as open-ended accessories in pretend play!

MARKET WRAP LEGO AUSTRALIA THE POWER OF PLAY www.lego.com

EDITION 7 — NOVEMBER 2023

COLUMN STORIES FROM GG'S TOY BOX BY GRAHAME GRASSBY LIVING BARBIE DOLL

STORIES FROM GG'S TOY BOX LIVING BARBIE DOLL

I was hung over — really really hung over — thumping headache, horrible dry mouth, clear evidence of a full-frontal flop onto the bed the night before as clothes mostly still on, shoes off which is good, why is that phone ringing? Where am I?... “Hello?’ “Your 7am wake-up call, sir” “Ah thanks” New York, Warwick Hotel — that’s pronounced “War-Wick Hotel” sir, no such place called “Warrick hotel” in this city, sir. It’s the 1994 New York Toy Fair, and oh god, the Gaffney bus is leaving the Righa Royal Hotel in half an hour, it’s ok, you can make it, 5-minute shower, 10 minutes to get dressed, down the lift, out the door, run up 54th Street one block, and there they are, the Gaff girls, outside the front of the Righa, in the freezing cold, loading up the Gaffney van. The Gaff girls are getting ready for another big day in New York, fighting their way to get into the lifts at the Toy Buildings to visit the showrooms, pounding the streets buying all the licensed product samples they can find and this morning, it’s off to the Mattel offices for the Gaffney Licensing official Mattel Toy Fair showroom visit.

...and why am I here, all I want to do is to be sick and to curl up in a corner, but no. I’m on the Gaffney tour heading for the Mattel building, the home of Barbie. ...and then, once we get to Mattel, “I’m sorry Mr Gaffney, your guest is not on the list, so he cannot come in and take the tour of the showrooms.” Ah bullshit, I’m Fred Gaffney, I’ll get Stan Clutton from Fisher-Price down here, he’ll sort this out… ...“That’s all right Mr Gaffney, that will not be necessary – I’ve just been told by my manager to let your group through – have a nice day”. ...and just like that we were in - the magical persuasive powers of Fred Gaffney had triumphed once more. Room after room, toy after toy, on and on, toy after toy, room after room, no end in sight, I’m going to throw up, head spinning and then accidently knocking into a life-size Barbie doll... what the hell... it moved... it bloody moved... “What’s wrong Grazza? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Fred, that Barbie doll moved — I promise you, that Barbie just moved. “I’m sorry young lady — he’s from Australia” — “Come-on Grazza — Let’s get you out of here before they have you up for assault.” Hallelujah! The Mattel tour is over, and yes let’s get out of here, I need a drink.

(GAFF GIRLS & GG OUTSIDE THE RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL)

(MATTEL OFFICES NEW YORK)

www.thetoyuniverse.com.au

MARKET WRAP MOOSE TOYS LITTLE LIVE PETS: A DECADE OF SUCCESS AND INNOVATION www.moosetoys.com

LITTLE LIVE PETS: A DECADE OF SUCCESS AND INNOVATION Moose Toys’ Little Live Pets, the brand known for its innovative and interactive toys, is on the cusp of celebrating a remarkable 10-year milestone. This incredible journey is marked by numerous accolades and awards and a promising lineup of new releases. For nearly a decade, Moose, through Little Live Pets has consistently wowed children with their imaginative and innovative toys, offering something for everyone. Their commitment to creating interactive and lifelike play experiences has made them a long time favourite in the world of toys. As Ronnie Frankowski, Chief Commercial Officer of Moose Toys said: "The very core of our Moose DNA is 'Innovation.' Our relentless pursuit of doing things and our ongoing commitment to innovation has propelled us to the top of the category. With exciting new releases like My Puppy's Home, Little Live Pets continues to captivate the imagination of children and parents.” “One of the brightest stars in the Little Live Pets’ line up is Mama Surprise. Mama Surprise was recognized locally for the “Australian Development Toy of the Year Award”, underlining the brand’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of creativity and play. Winning the “Most Innovative Toy” at the London Toy Awards also speaks to Mama Surprise’s global appeal and impact. Further recognition came in the form of the “Play Innovator of the Year Award” at the Mojo Nation 16

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Play Creator Awards and the "Bronze" in the Play for Change Awards, in the Life Skills Category. These accolades showcase Little Live Pets' continued pursuit of excellence and innovation. Little Live Pets is not only an innovator but also a market leader. According to Circana Australia, Little Live Pets currently holds the #3 position in the Youth Electronics Category, a testament to the brand's ability to adapt and remain relevant in the ever-evolving world of technology-driven play. The brand's commitment to innovation is further exemplified by a promising lineup of new releases. Including: : Little Live Pets My Puppy’s Home , Little Live Pets My Pet Lamb, Little Live Pets Hug N’ Hang Zoogooz, Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Minis , Little Live Pets Cozy Dozy Kitty, all which promise to carry forward the spirit of creativity and interactivity that defies the brand. A standout in the new releases is "Little Live Pets My Puppy's Home." This one-of-a-kind DIY playset brings the excitement of adopting a new puppy into the comfort of your home. The set includes everything needed to build a home for an interactive plush puppy with a surprise reveal that is truly magical and is sure to be a winner this holiday season. For more information about Little Live Pets go to: www.moosetoys.com/au/little-live-pets/

UPDATE THE AUSTRALIAN TOY ASSOCIATION BY ALICE SANDERSON — EXECUTIVE MANAGER www.austoy.com.au

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Australian Toy Association

2024 AUSTRALIAN TOY HOBBY AND LICENSING FAIR In February, the Australian Toy Association is gearing up for an exciting start to the year with the much-anticipated 2024 Australian Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair, to be held at the renowned Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. HERE ARE THE DETAILS Sunday, February 11 — 9am to 5pm Monday, February 12 — 9am to 6pm Tuesday, February 13 — 9am to 6pm Wednesday, February 14 — 9am to 1pm Across four-action packed days more than 6,000 retailers, exhibitors, media and buyers will come together to buy, sell, witness new toy trends and network amidst a carnivallike atmosphere of colour and movement. Over 180 exhibitors are set to showcase their products to the trade and these include major players like LEGO Australia, Hasbro Pacific, Spin Master, Moose and so many more major and independent wholesalers, importers, manufacturers and brand owners of toys, hobby, nursery and everything in between. The excitement extends beyond the exhibit halls, as the venue concourse comes alive with activations from the toy industry's licensing partners, captivating both delegates and the general public throughout the event. As the doors close on the first day, the fun and excitement will continue on as we host the annual industry Gala Dinner taking place at Crown Palladium Ballroom from 7pm. 18

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With over 600 guests expected to attend, the night celebrates the people, products and licenses that have made outstanding accomplishments in the industry as well as those products that are expected to wow consumers in 2024. It promises to be an amazing not to be missed networking evening for the industry. Day two opens the Fair to the media, attracting coverage from major channels, print media, and influencers eager to explore what's hot and new. That evening the ATA will host our 25 Year Club Function that recognises individuals who have worked in the industry for 25 years or more. Always a wonderful event that brings together the past and present industry representatives who make the industry the vibrant community that it is today. Alongside the Fair we also hold informative information sessions at the ATA Learning hub, this year will see the 2nd Women in Toys event on the Tuesday afternoon and of course Variety will attend on the Wednesday afternoon to collect product generously donated by Fair exhibitors, that will be passed onto children and families who are doing it tough. The 2024 Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair is set to be another fantastic event for the industry and we welcome all retailers of children’s products to attend. For more information, be sure to check out the ATA website

FEATURE ARTICLE DEAN SALAKAS — CHIEF PARTY DUDE THE RETAILERS DIARY EDITION 3

Shoppable Mirrors Trial - What we Learned... The Party People have the largest range of party supplies, theme decorations, balloons and costumes in Australia. Dean Salakas (Chief Party Dude) writes a regular column for The Toy Universe and is passionate about parties, retail, fishing and sharing his business hacks with others. This is the follow-up column to Edition 2 of The Retailers Diary featured in Edition 6 of The Toy Universe Magazine.

PEOPLE BEHAVIOUR IS NOT WHAT WE THINK... On day 1, We had a great looking professional pop-up site with the mirror facing outwards for people to see as they walked past. We had an engaging initial screen, we had pull up banners and the screen said “try for free”. Customers simply didn’t see it. Hardly anyone used the mirror and in fact people walked past like they didn’t even see it. People coming to meet me even walked past it. Kids did seem to notice while walking past, but their parents were oblivious. It was almost like people were in a trance and conditioned not to see our pop-up and looking straight through us. Maybe it was because the screens looked like shopping centre screens, or maybe because it looked like we were selling something, I am not sure. The same issue then persisted on day 2, so on day 3 we made many changes to the look of the pop-up and the initial screen. We focused on making the site less professional and more fun and engaging with lots of Halloween decorations, sample costumes and balloons. The difference was instant and we had many people seeing us as they walked past and we caught their attention drawing them in to try our Augmented Reality Try On.

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THE USER EXPERIENCE Initially following website methodologies, we setup how the mirror was to be used in a way that seemed simple and intuitive for us. How wrong we were. People were eager to use the mirror but struggled to use it. I sat in a coffee shop every second day and worked from there as my office and watched interaction to provide feedback to the dev team and we rolled out 5 different deployments which reworked the customer experience. The use of gestures to select items and buttons on a shoppable mirror is foreign to many people. Selecting items and clicking buttons might seem intuitive on a website but using gestures on a device like the mirror requires a different way of thinking about User Experience.

The use of gestures helps the mirror stand out as a fun and novel experience for people but like all new experiences, we had to guide the user because they were learning and exploring the idea of using gestures to select buttons on the fly. The number of things we learned will take longer than we have in this story, but just as an example we had to locate buttons in areas away from the middle of the screen where your arm rests by your side because that is interpreted as resting on a button to select it. Certainly we had to start from scratch, watch users, implement changes and repeat to refine the user experience for what is a new way to interact with a screen for most people that don’t have a Nintendo Wii at home.

PARTNERING AND THE POWER OF COLLABORATION With the right partners, anything is possible. The project would have cost over $150k but ended up costing me nothing. I had to find what the partners wanted from the project, and try to form a mutually beneficial arrangement. Some wanted a guarantee of future incomes because they believed in the project, some wanted publicity and some wanted simply to be involved because they wanted to be part of something fun, cool and what could be the next new retail channel. Stockinstore was instrumental in providing us with inventory into the mirror, click and collect management & ship from store management. They also went above and beyond to provide advice and assistance with other areas. Shopexp provided technical expertise and hardware enabling Augmented Reality to be used as a try on feature. Starshipit provided us access to multiple shipping providers especially 2 hour delivery with Uber. Uber was also instrumental in providing a great service so people could order on the mirror and get it delivered before they returned from the mall. OTHER LEARNINGS

KEY BENEFITS

The placement of the mirror in the shopping centre was critical and we really didn’t get that right.

We only generated a handful of transactions on the mirror, however we generated 20-40 in-store sales per day as a direct result of the mirror. We tracked the sales with a 10% discount coupon to be used at the store. This was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of the sales and a curse because it deterred transactions on the mirror.

1. Foot traffic was not the highest where we were located. 2. Internet / Wifi was poor in the area hampering users ability to checkout and users were forced to “hot spot” to complete a transaction and so walking 200 meters to the store proved easier. Having at least all 4g networks work at the location of the mirror is critical to transactions occurring before installation. 3. Proximity to a store will impact if the mirrors purpose is for driving in-store traffic or generating direct conversions. 4. Natural lighting, lights from other stores and reflective elements make it hard for customers to use the mirror and see their reflection in the glare. 5. The say never have a list with an even number so just adding this based on that advice.

The exercise generated a huge amount of awareness for The Party People store located in a tucked away corner of Campbelltown, with minimal passing foot traffic. More importantly it provided the perception to customers that The Party People is the coolest, most fun and best party store in the area which is highly competitive. SUMMARY In the planning, locating the mirrors near one of our stores seemed like a great idea because it provided for easier management and more instore sales but this was to the detriment of sales on the mirror itself.

It was a great result to generate so many sales but to prove the concept of a shoppable mirror as a stand alone store, it was not ideal and was certainly not helped by poor 4g and WIFI in that location. When we started this exercise we knew that at worst it was going to be a great marketing exercise, and at best we would be rolling in extra sales. All up it is an amazing result for the business with a huge amounts of customer awareness and sales generated and exceeding our expectations. WHATS NEXT Since starting this project I have been contacted by a number of parties to explore opportunities; • Retail property groups • Retailers in fashion, toys and beauty about using the technology in-store • This includes pureplay interested in doing pop ups • Execution on hoardings before stores open • Use in shop windows • Use as a shoppable screen on front of the store • Use in stores change rooms to help people find more styles and offer somewhat endless isle capabilities • Tech providers to further expand the project including one company who can integrate us to make a vending machine The project team remains together and is working towards our next execution on hopefully one or multiple of the above. Additionally The Party People is looking at the use of the mirrors for more executions next Halloween so stay tuned! www.ThePartyPeople.com.au

www.thetoyuniverse.com.au

UPDATE THE TOY ASSOCIATION™ JENNIFER LYNCH www.toyassociation.org

From Kidults to Sustainability HERE ARE THE TRENDS DRIVING HOLIDAY TOY SALES

The Toy Association™ works throughout the year to identify the toy trends that influence shoppers, meeting with toymakers of all sizes to track what’s new and next, and gathering insights from adjacent industries impacting toys like youth entertainment, fashion, technology, and others. This year, this work culminated in the unveiling of the top toy trends of 2023 in March followed by a Q4 trends update on the hottest trends of the holiday season presented during Toy Fair® 2023.

“While families may be watching their budgets amid

The Toy Association’s holiday trends report was supported by new research that gauged 1,000 U.S. parents on their attitudes toward toys and play and the factors influencing their toy purchases.

ensure hours of extended playtime. In fact, adults

EDITION 7 — NOVEMBER 2023

a continually uncertain economy in the U.S, toys and play will still be prioritized this holiday season,” said Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association™. “Parents want bang for their buck and toymakers are answering their calls with budget-friendly options as well as feature-rich products that will want to get in on the fun, too, with 89% reporting they’ll be toy shopping for themselves and the other adults in their lives this holiday.”

HERE ARE THE KEY TOY TRENDS TO WATCH THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Cool to be a Kidult: Adults, not just kids, are adding toys to their wish lists, with 89% of parents toy shopping for grownups this holiday. This trend is also creating new opportunities for toymakers catering to both ends of the "kidult" age spectrum, from tweens to grandparents. Conscientious Consumers: While children often seek out toys that reflect their identities, parents now recognize the importance of fostering diversity and inclusivity in their children's toy collections. Sustainability is also a priority, with 45% of parents under 40 prioritizing eco-friendly considerations when making buying decisions.

Playing it Smart: Acknowledging the crucial role of play in kids' learning and development, 81% of parents are highly likely to ensure they purchase at least one toy with educational value. Whether coding their own robot, engaging in role play in the kitchen, or taking on caregiver roles, children have numerous opportunities to learn through play. Pop Culture at Play: Toys continue to have a lasting impact on pop culture and vice versa, bridging generations and evoking feelings of nostalgia. Against the backdrop of a successful year for blockbuster toy-related movies, 38% of parents express interest in purchasing toys inspired by movies and popular entertainment franchises. Anime, 90s/Y2K, and nostalgic toys are currently enjoying a significant moment. The Toy Association’s full Q4 Toy Trends report and additional information on industry trends can be viewed here. www.thetoyuniverse.com.au