Vol. 28, No. 6
DYO Kits Lead the Pack
December/January 2013
Nuremberg Toy Fair
K
ids want to express themselves. They want to exhibit an individual sense of style, and they want toys that satisfy that desire. This year, manufacturers of toys in the arts and crafts category are capitalizing on this Design Your Own (DYO) trend and are offering an array of fashionable, wearable items that allow children to exercise their talents as designers-in-training.
page 58
Europe: A Slowing Toy page 22 Giant page 63
Eco-Friendly Toys: A Growing Market
page S12
Getting a Read on Children’s Publishing
page S18
page 18
table of contents Published by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.®
December/January 2013 Departments
Volume 28, Number 6 www.toybook.com
Features
Editor’s Viewpoint
DYO Kits Lead the Pack
Page 9
Page 58
P UBLISHER Jonathan Samet jsamet@adventurepub.com
Toys and TV Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Stat Shot Page 10
TIA Perspectives Page 12
Industry Update Page 14
The Big Toy Book Sweet Suite 2013 Page 15
5 Questions with Delta Children’s Products Page 16
Digital Kids Conference Page 17
Raising the Bar Page 84
Industry Marketplace Page 89
Flashback: December/January 1993 Page 90
Page 86
Nuremberg Toy Fair Welcome to Nuremberg It’s a Toyvolution: From Toy Story to Game Universe 3.0 Nuremberg Toy Fair: Analyzing the Digital Evolution of Toys Europe: A Slowing Giant Nuremberg Product Preview The Toy Market in Germany: Many Markets in One The UK Toy Market: A Very British Affair
Page 19 Page 20 Page 22 Page 28 Page 54 Page 56
Specialty Toys & Gifts: Page 63
Thomas Rides into the Future New and Back to Its Roots Page S4 Page s S2 sights n I s ’ A ASTR Page S3 e s a c w ho ActivitiePsageSS6 What’s New Page S10 : s y o T y enter l C nd e a i i r F d o t e c E M Page S16 arke owing M A Gr
A SSOCIATE E DITOR Loren Moreno lmoreno@adventurepub.com A SSISTANT E DITORS Marissa DiBartolo mdibartolo@adventurepub.com Christine Duhaime cduhaime@adventurepub.com Sierra McCleary-Harris smcclearyharris@adventurepub.com E DITORIAL A SSISTANT Ali Mierzejewski amierzejewski@adventurepub.com A DVERTISING D IRECTOR Diana Veach dveach@adventurepub.com P RODUCTION D IRECTOR Anthony K. Guardiola aguardiola@adventurepub.com C ONTROLLER /O FFICE M ANAGER Robert Forde rforde@adventurepub.com U.S. Corporate Headquarters Laurie Schacht, President laurieschacht@aol.com
Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® 307 Seventh Ave., #1601 New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 575-4510 Fax: (212) 575-4521
Page S12
’s s Behavior d on Children Design Drive ows Getting a Rea Publishing at Trade Sh Page S20
8 • THE TOY BOOK
Page 18
E DITOR IN C HIEF Jackie Breyer jbreyer@adventurepub.com
Page S18
Member, International Toy Magazine Association
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
viewpoint
P ublis he r’s
Jackie Breyer editor
O
Serving the Global Marketplace
ne of the biggest measures of success in the toy industry is level of distribution. Are your products sold nationwide? Did you get picked up by Walmart? How many SKUs? What size footprint do you have at Toys “R” Us? For many manufacturers, the goal is to be successful not just in the U.S., but abroad as well. International distribution is a measuring stick of success. This is why the industry gets on a plane every January and heads first to Hong Kong and then to Nuremberg. At The Toy Book, we provide insight into the international toy industry year round. In this issue, we put a special focus on Europe. Check out the Stat Shot on pages 10 and 11. Here we showcase retail sales figures for the U.S. by toy category (courtesy of The NPD Group), along with a snapshot of the top-selling toys in France and Spain. On page 22, we provide you with an overview of the European toy industry. We also offer tips for expansion into international markets (page 54 looks at Germany, while page 56 focuses on the UK). The centerpiece of this issue is the Nuremberg Toy Fair. We place special emphasis on trends and show highlights, beginning on page 18. Our showcase of products being introduced at the fair begins on page 28. On the subject of trade shows, be sure to read “Design Drives Purchase Behavior” on page S20 in the Specialty Toys & Gifts section. You may not be aware of how much the design of your trade show booth impacts floor traffic and, ultimately, product sales. This insightful article outlines tips for driving traffic to your booth and making sure potential clients are engaged. In every issue, we take a look at individual toy categories to keep you up to date on trends and the latest product introductions. In this issue we highlight the activities (arts and
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
crafts) sector. Check out page 58 to catch up on the “design your own” trend and the following pages for what’s new in the category. Also check out specialty introductions in the Specialty Toys & Gifts section (beginning on page S6). Another category that continues to gain steam is ecofriendly toys. Once thought to be a fleeting trend, ecofriendly toys have found a permanent home on toy shelves and are especially prominent in specialty toy shops. Find out more about the appeal of green products and what’s new in the category on page S12. ■
“It’s the latest doll—she eats, sleeps, and wets herself... and does your taxes.” THE TOY BOOK • 9
U.S. Toy Sales
S TAT S HOT
Category Performance
Category Performance Has Been Inconsistent
U.S. Toy Sales January-October 2012 vs. 2010 and 2011
(YTD October 2012 vs. Previous Year)
(Year to Date)
Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service
Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service
Dollar Sales in Billions, U.S. Toy Industry Supercategories Based on actual retail sales
Categories
2011
2012
Change
Building Sets
$0.88
$1.06
20%
$0.56
-11%
$0.74
-9%
Youth Electronics All Other Toys Plush
Action Figures & Role Play Vehicles
Games & Puzzles
Outdoor & Sports Toys Dolls
Arts & Crafts
Infant & Preschool Total Toys
Year to Date November
$0.22 $0.65 $0.63 $0.90 $0.81 $0.89 $3.06 $1.42 $0.32 $1.91
$11.68
$0.21 $0.65 $0.89 $0.84 $2.79 $1.49 $0.34 $1.95
$11.52
*This data accounts for 80 percent of U.S. retail and e-tail channels.
10 • THE TOY BOOK
-5% 0%
-1% -6% -9% 5% 6% 2%
-1%
2011
2012
Change
12 Months Ending November $0.36 $1.21 $0.92 $0.93 $1.22 $1.26 $1.40 $3.82 $2.10 $0.48 $2.90 $16.61
$0.35
-3%
$1.46
21%
$0.81
-13%
$1.22
-3%
$0.94 $1.21 $1.31 $3.51 $2.25 $0.50 $2.95 $16.52
2%
-1% -6% -8% 7% 4% 2%
-1%
Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
European Market Update 2012: A Trying Year for the European Toy Market
A
mere eight days before Christmas, retailers all around Europe missed out on millions of euros worth of revenue by discounting toys. Sales were very slow in the run up to the big day, and mass merchants, like toy specialists, feared a last-minute December rush would not be sufficient to make up for what was a disappointing season, to say the least. The year 2012 was like no other, with poor or average sales in the spring and summer and no improvement since September. Southern Europe is doing worse, impacted by the financial crisis and the threat of following Greece into near-bankruptcy. Spanish toy sales year-to-date through November 2012 were down 14 percent compared to the same period last year, heading for three straight years of declines. France is 8 percent behind after an excellent performance in 2011 (up 6 percent). Meanwhile, Italy has embarked into structural reforms, which will pay in due time, but still the country’s toy market recorded a small decline of 3 percent. Germany retains its crown as the best performer and only major country to see sales improve, with a modest 1 percent growth year-to-date. The UK, outside the Euro zone, is also suffering: down 3 percent despite the Queen’s jubilee and the Olympics. Have consumers delayed their purchases? Are promotions impacting the final value? Have consumers stayed away from toys in favor of more “useful” categories? It is still too early to say. NPD Group analysts remain cautiously optimistic, though, based on their consumer research, which shows that in all Euro zone countries, sales for “no special occasion” (or impulse buys) were down for the first nine months of the year, but sales made for “special occasions” were up significantly. Some of the decline is also impacted by Christmas falling on a Tuesday, which means consumers had a couple of extra days to finalize their purchases, compared to 2011. The last time Christmas fell on a Tuesday was in 2007. That year, in the UK, sales in the last week alone nearly made up for the loss in November. Product-wise, this will have been the year of preschool tablets with VTech and LeapFrog landing on the Top 10 list in several countries. Building sets, with Lego and Monster High from Mattel, were also successful all across Europe. ■ —Frédérique Tutt, industry analyst, NPD EuroToys
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING TOYS — FRANCE W EEK E N DIN G D ECEM BER 2, 2012
RANK
TITLE
1
STORIO 2/INNOTAB, FROM VTECH
3
MONSTER HIGH ASSORTMENT, FROM MATTEL
2 4 5 6 7 8 9
10
PIRATE SHIP, FROM PLAYMOBIL
CICCIOBELLO BOBO, FROM GIOCHI PREZIOSI PRINCESS PALACE, FROM PLAYMOBIL LEAPPAD, FROM LEAPFROG
PLAYMOBIL CHRISTMAS, FROM PLAYMOBIL KIDI SECRETS ROSE, FROM VTECH
MODERN FARM WITH SILO, FROM PLAYMOBIL KIDIZOOM TWIST, FROM VTECH
Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING TOYS — SPAIN W EEK E N DIN G D ECEM BER 2, 2012
RANK
TITLE
1
MONSTER HIGH DIVINE PARTY, FROM MATTEL
3
PINYPON HOUSE IN THE SNOW, FROM FAMOSA
2 4 5 6 7 8 9
10
MONSTER HIGH ASSORTMENT, FROM MATTEL
NANCY ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD, FROM FAMOSA STORIO 2/INNOTAB, FROM VTECH
NANCY MAQUILLA Y DISFRAZA, FROM FAMOSA
MONSTER HIGH DESIGN YOUR MONSTER, FROM MATTEL CAZAFANTASMAS, FROM IMC TOYS
OPERACION RE-INVENT, FROM HASBRO HAIRDRESSER NANCY, FROM FAMOSA
Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service
THE TOY BOOK • 11
perspectives
Toy Industry Association
Upcoming Toy Fair Aims to Capture Hearts of Licensing and Entertainment Crowds by Kristin Morency, communications specialist, Toy Industry Association
W
ith the licensed toy category steadily on the rise, the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) American International Toy Fair, which will be held from February 10 to 13, has become one of the top spots for the toy and youth entertainment industries to come together to sign the next big deal and bring popular virtual characters and storylines into playrooms around the world. In addition to deal-making opportunities, Toy Fair 2013 will include an expanded educational track geared specifically toward the licensing community as part of the show’s networking and educational programming. “Building on the standing-room-only outcome of last year’s licensing panel, led by Elie Dekel of Saban Brands, and in response to the heightened licensing activities at Toy Fair and at TIA events year-round, we have created TIA’s Content Connection to provide business tips and strategies to visiting brand owners, licensors, entertainment executives, and key retail partners,” says Marian Bossard, TIA vice president of meetings and events. “As the licensing industry continues to grow and remain a vital part of the toy and youth entertainment marketplace, we strive to deliver even more resources that will help build and sustain these important intra-industry relationships.” Last year, licensed toys captured 27 percent of sales in the $22 billion U.S. toy market; the surge was reflected at Toy Fair 2012, which welcomed a 14 percent increase in licensors and a 23 percent surge in entertainment executives—a pattern that is expected to repeat itself this year. “The right licensed toys—whether based on an app, a favorite character, or a hit property—can reap huge rewards for both licensors and retailers,” Bossard says. “This is one of the reasons that Toy Fair has become such an important meeting place for the toy, licensing, and entertainment communities. Deals are being made because all strategic partners are in the same place at the same time.” As the largest toy tradeshow in the western hemisphere,
12 • THE TOY BOOK
American International Toy Fair 2012
Toy Fair 2013 will bring tens of thousands of industry professionals to New York City to conduct business under one roof. From its origins more than a century ago in hotels in lower Manhattan, the show has become a global destination that turns the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center into an annual playground of more than 100,000 toys and youth entertainment products—from classic toys and games, to e-Connected toys, and everything in between. More than 10,000 fast-acting retailers from more than 100 countries flock to Toy Fair annually, on the lookout for the most innovative products that will attract attention on their shelves, while approximately 1,100 trend-savvy exhibitors display their most exciting new product launches. The show’s growing appeal is confirmed by increased attendance across nearly all categories: Toy Fair 2012 saw a 2 percent increase in total attendance over 2011, a 3 percent increase in buyers, and a 5 percent increase in international participants. For complete details on registering, to see a list of exhibiting companies, make hotel reservations, or learn more about Toy Fair’s educational and networking events, visit www.Toy■ FairNY.com.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
update
I nd u s tr y
BALL, BOUNCE & SPORT, INC. (HEDSTROM) ACQUIRES REGENT SPORTS CORP. Ball, Bounce & Sport, Inc., dba Hedstrom, has acquired the sporting goods and game company Regent Sports Corp. Regent comes to Hedstrom with an array of products. As a manufacturer of baseball, basketball, billiards, darts, dartboards, outdoor games, soccer, table games, and tailgate items, Regent Sports has provided children and families with sporting goods for more than 70 years. This extension to Hedstrom’s existing range of products will help to round out the markets and consumers that Hedstrom serves. The active nature of all Regent products complements Hedstrom’s existing product lines in the toy and fitness divisions. Hedstrom plans to leverage its retail and global distribution channels to extend Regent’s presence in the retail environment.
SUN-MATE CORP. SIGNS DISTRIBUTOR AGREEMENTS FOR THE JUNGLE BOOK TOYS Sun-Mate Corp. (SMC), the master global toy partner for The Jungle Book, is expanding its network of worldwide partners with a slate of toy distributor agreements for The Jungle Book brand in key global territories. SMC has confirmed five new international distributor agreements. New partners include Hunter Leisure, Australia; Flash Toys, Latin America; Haka, New Zealand; Prima Toys, South Africa; and MC Entertainment, Benelux. SMC will provide marketing support to each company, including a TV advertising campaign and promotional spots produced by Sun-Mate. SMC is the North American master toy licensee for the brand, holding the North American rights for home entertainment, licensing, merchandising, and promotion. SMC has also secured the master toy rights for The Jungle Book for Australia and New Zealand and all licensing and merchandising for South Africa. DQ Entertainment is the producer and global rights owner of the new The Jungle Book animated TV series.
WICKED COOL TO DEVELOP TOY LINE BASED ON THE WIGGLES U.S. toymaker Wicked Cool has signed a master toy license for the children’s entertainment group, The Wiggles. Wicked Cool will manufacture, distribute, and market a range of toys for preschoolers based on the children’s property to coincide with The Wiggles’ debut of its new cast and worldwide tour. Under the agreement for North America and Australia, facilitated by The Wiggles’ licensing agency, Brandberry, Wicked Cool intends to develop plush and musical instruments. The Wiggles line targets children ages 2 to 6 and is expected to launch at retail in the fall.
JAZWARES PARTNERS WITH ART IMPRESSIONS FOR SO SO HAPPY TOYS Mad Dog, from Jazware’s So So Happy line
Jazwares has partnered with Art Impressions to create So So Happy figures, plush, and accessories. The line, which will be available in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in the spring, will feature the property’s characters, including Lucky, Ozzie, Taco, Mad Dog, and Tribe. The will include 5-inch bean bag plush, 12-inch plush, plush character backpacks, and figures, designed to help spread the property’s anti-bullying message. Ten percent of all proceeds from the toy line will go to organizations that encourage, educate, and support young people worldwide.
Get the latest toy industry news delivered straight to your inbox each week for free! Subscribe to The Toy Book’s Toy Report. Just send an email request to subscribe@adventurepub.com, and add that address to your address book to ensure delivery. For up-to-the-minute news, follow The Toy Book on Twitter: twitter.com/ToyBook, “like” The Toy Book on Facebook: facebook.com/TheToyBook, and visit our blog at www.toybook.com.
14 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMEBER/JANUARY 2013
2013
T
he Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite event on August 2 was the Biggest Night of Play. The Big Toy Book brought together
more brands and bloggers than ever before. More than 300 influential bloggers from around the country connected with more than 35 brands in the heart of Manhattan at the Viacom building in Times Square for an evening of fun. At the event, individual lounge areas were created, as well as discovery corners, where bloggers played with some of the hottest kids’ brands and products. The night gave bloggers a chance to meet old and new friends while they sipped wine and ate Pinkberry and other sweet treats. The bloggers got hands-on experience with new products, including being the first to battle with the Hexbug Warriors. They played with Activision’s Giants, were introduced to Kinect Sesame Street TV, launched Angry Birds, made bracelets, had their hair colored with Color Rox Hair Chox, and tried out some cool new baby products. And, of course, they left with two full bags of swag to review and share with the children in their lives. With a waiting list of more than 500 bloggers, the event ran on UStream so that those who were not able to attend were able to see the action and even win prizes. Twitter was abuzz with more than 2.5 million impressions. An online press center, which now features a large number of posts, was created for the bloggers in attendance. Due to the demand from both the bloggers and the manufacturers, the Big Toy Book hosted its first holiday event on December 8 at Yotel in New York City. This Biggest Day of Play welcomed influential bloggers and their children from the tri-state area, along with bloggers from Boston and Philadelphia. Now it’s time to get ready for the next Biggest Night of Play, with The Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite event on July 25 at Chicago’s River East Art Center. We will welcome more than 400 bloggers, and this event is sure to sell out. If you’re interested in learning more about these events, contact Laurie Schacht at laurie@thebigtoybook.com.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
■
THE TOY BOOK • 15
5
QUESTIONS WITH
Joe Shamie, president
1. How and why are you expanding your distribution in Europe? Many retailers, as well as licensors such as Disney, approached us and said there was a strong need for Delta to enter into the market. We started a little over two years ago and have been expanding ever since. The business has grown to the point where we needed to expand our sales force in the region. In addition, we have opened a new warehouse in Antwerp, Belgium to better service our customers. 2. Disney has been a strong license for Delta. How do you plan to work with Disney in the future? Disney is one of our best partners. They have always recognized our great quality, styles, production ability, and how devoted we are to producing safe products. Several years ago, we started exploring expansion in Europe, and since then our growth has exploded. Last year Disney approached us and suggested we look to China as our next big frontier. We are happy to announce that this latest endeavor and partnership with Disney began a few months ago. 3. What other licenses are you introducing in Europe? We recently added one of the most premier properties in the world, Hello Kitty, to our licensing roster. This was very exciting news for our team, since Hello Kitty has such a great appeal to girls and young ladies of all ages. There is just something special about this character that captures hearts.
16 • THE TOY BOOK
4. Do you have plans to expand your non-licensed product offerings? We have a full line of non-licensed products available. This includes high-quality solid wood tables, chairs, beds, and other beautiful furniture pieces to enhance any child’s room. 5. Delta prides itself on its extensive safety testing. What’s new for Delta in this area? Delta has always made safety our No. 1 priority. We have eight test labs worldwide, staffed with experts who test all of our products daily—including cribs, playards, strollers, table/chair sets, and more. We test everything we produce. One example of our investment in safety and testing is the Niton Analyzer, which tests for lead and other heavy metals. The cost for one analyzer is $40,000. We own 14. I doubt any of my competitors have this type of commitment or resources. In addition to our own in-house testing, we use third-party test labs for further verification and approval. This year we have started the process of obtaining TUV certification, which is the highest European standard. ■ Fabric Toy Box and Six-Bin Toy Organizer, from Delta’s Hello Kitty collection
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Digital Kids Conference Gives Businesses a Leg Up with Tech-Savvy Kids
K
ids are more in-tune with technology and the digital world than ever before. Every day, more and more teachers incorporate devices like laptops and iPads into lesson plans, acclimating children into the technologybased culture in which they are growing up. Kids even younger than school-aged children are also being exposed to the digital world with apps and tablets targeted toward toddlers. This trend will only continue to grow, so it’s no surprise that children’s toy makers and even children’s magazine and book publishers are hopping aboard the digital train.
Learn from the Experts Taking place February 12 and 13 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, Digital Kids Conference (digitalkidscon.com) is the premier event for professionals involved in building online and mobile products and services for kids. The conference provides insight into the children’s entertainment industry through Q&A sessions, panels, and keynote sessions from top executives making the largest impact on the industry today. Key high growth areas are addressed, including marketing, digital media, design, and revenue. Another area the conference touches on is storytelling and how it’s changing in the digital era. “Storytelling and physical play are both still very important in children’s entertainment, but it can be challenging to incorporate both in the digital age,” says Tonda Sellers, vice president of conferences for Digital Kids Conference. “However, all of our fantastic speakers will share their innovative ideas on how they combine the two elements for this generation of children.” The conference has more than 20 keynotes and featured speakers from companies specializing in children’s toys and games, publications, virtual worlds, mobile apps, and more. These companies range from leading household brands such as Hasbro and Spin Master to start-up tech innovators such as ToyTalk and Duck Duck Moose.
What to Expect Digital Kids Conference invites professionals including
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
attendees at the Digital Kids Conference in 2012
brand owners, entertainment and media executives, marketers, producers, digital media directors, and licensing professionals to attend. The conference is a great place to hear about the latest trends and market research in the children’s entertainment industry. Attendees will also learn about the latest social media tools and services, enabling them to easier connect with their target audiences. The newest addition to Digital Kids Conference is Digital Kids Safety Summit. Taking place February 11, the Safety Summit provides a detailed understanding of safety and privacy issues for operators of kid-directed virtual worlds, social networks, online games, mobile apps, and tablets. It’s jointly produced with the kidSAFE Seal Program, a safety certification service for kids’ websites and technologies. Register for Digital Kids Safety Summit at digitalkidssafety.com/register/.
You Can’t Afford to Miss It This year, Digital Kids Conference returns to New York City, once again co-locating with the American International Toy Fair. Online registration can be found at digitalkidscon.com/register/ and lasts until February 8. As an added bonus, registration for Digital Kids Conference comes with access to Digital Kids Safety Summit and Toy Fair. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from experts, network with peers, and achieve a greater understanding of the children’s entertainment industry. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 17
Welcome to
NurembergToy Fair
201 3
It’s a Toyvolution From Toy Story to Game Universe 3.0 by Ernst Kick, chairman of the board, Spielwarenmesse eG
T
oys, along with the world’s view of the nature of playing, used to be different. By combining a child’s imagination and play instincts with a toy, kids could create a universe of fun. The experience of playing was geared toward the connection between the toy and the user. This understanding of playing is the theme of Disney Pixar’s Toy Story, a fully animated and highly entertaining motion picture released in 1995. The film centers around a boy, Andy, and his favorite toys, as it explores the boundaries of imagination and the realities of adolescence. In addition, Toy Story was the first animated film created in its entirety on the computer. As a result, it caused quite a stir. Whether intentional or not, the film was a farewell to the world’s classic view of playing. With new media and information technology conquering the toy industry, today’s focal point in the universe of play is shifting away from the toy, and toward the activity of playing. Buying a toy today is more than just purchasing an action figure, a model train set, or a puzzle—buying a toy today means that unique worlds of adventure are purchased. Pre-fabricated universes, which now come directly from the toy instead of the imagination of the user, promise a multi-sensory experience. When I became head of management of Spielwarenmesse eG more than 10 years ago, things were changing as the Internet had established itself worldwide and virtual realities were up-and-coming. But, a toy was still a toy. Since then, the boundaries have blurred. Now, using technological devices such as
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
tablets, users can control the living room lights or fly a model helicopter. Which one of these activities is a game, and which one is not, depends on the situation. The toy industry has undergone a fundamental change. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the days of the gold rush. Never before has the space for fiction been so large and the correlation with reality so close, as aptly reflected by augmented reality. The evolution of playing has reached a new level, and the Toys 3.0 Special will duly celebrate this universe of playing at the Toy Fair. Once a year, the innovative strength and joy of creation of the international toy industry culminates in Nuremberg. More than 76,000 dealers and more than 2,700 manufacturers convene at the fair to secure their business’ success. Each individual knows that he or she will find everything needed to source products that draw in customers. In today’s world, a toy retailer can no longer stand apart from the competition by offering a product range sourced exclusively from the domestic market. Alternative buying sources help the retailer to create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for his or her business—and those sources can be found in Nuremberg. It is therefore not only recommended to visit the Toy Fair, but it is a must for every successful business owner. For decades, the Toy Fair, as the central platform for the industry’s global players, has mirrored the worldwide toy market. Things used to be different, and things will continue to change in the future. The constants that remain, however, are change, games, and Toy Fair Nuremberg. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 19
NurembergToy Fair 2013 Analyzing the Digital Evolution of Toys
F
or more than 30,000 trade professionals, the annual trip to the city of Nuremberg is their one and only visit to a toy fair, as they can source everything they need at the event. At the world’s largest toy trade show, staged from January 30 to February 4, more than 2,700 exhibitors showcase a million products, including 70,000 innovations. International Toy Fair Nuremberg’s diversity of products and exhibitors makes it a complete reflection of what the global toy industry has to offer. “The Nuremberg fair is extremely important,” says Mike Hirtle, Game Industry Consulting, Paladin LLC, U.S. “Not just for me, but really for everybody in the industry. Everyone and everything is at Nuremberg. The size of the fair is so impressive. The greatest strength is the international flavor as the world has become more international and more global in its business. Our industry’s become more global in its outreach and in its business and Nuremberg fair has always had more of an international flavor.” In the toy space, retailers have to be in tune with what makes consumers happy. There is a huge selection of toys for consumers to choose from, and more often than not, they are picky about what they buy because they want to select something special. This selective purchasing gives specialty retailers an advantage, but
20 • THE TOY BOOK
they must have a good nose to order the right choices for their shoppers. The ultimate selection of products is made available to more than 76,000 retailers at the International Toy Fair Nuremberg.
Toy Fair Stands for Quality For most parents, quality, safety, and sustainability rank high when selecting a toy. Most consumers won’t mind spending a little extra to warrant such quality, especially when buying gifts. In addition, green toys are becoming increasingly important for consumers and the toy industry, and more and more manufacturers are meticulously monitoring the sustainability of their products. The Toy Fair in Nuremberg not only focuses on a large selection of products, but pays particular attention to the quality of the toys. “If you are a member of the industry on any level, from hobby retailer to multinational manufacturer, and you have never attended the Nuremberg Toy Fair, you owe it to yourself to be there,” says Drew Heitner, M&D International Distributors, U.S. “I guarantee if it’s your first visit, you’ve never seen anything that comes close to the excitement of the Nuremberg Toy Fair.”
Special Show: Toys 3.0 In addition to the product diversity that comes with
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Special. On Saturday, February 2, Axel Dammler, managing partner of iconkids & youth, will present the outcome of the study, while toy trends expert Reyne Rice will update visitors about the new direction traditional toys with digital playing functions is taking, and which products retailers and manufacturers should be familiar with.
Online Marketing and eCommerce Learning Opportunities
the fair’s 2,700 exhibitors, the trade show provides an in-depth insight into a specific subject to its visitors known as The Toy Fair Special. This year, the special is dedicated to the growing digitalization of classic toys. The reason for the Toys 3.0: The Next Generation highlight, according to Ernst Kick, chairman of the board of Spielwarenmesse eG, is obvious: “Almost every children’s room these days has not only a slot car racing track and cuddly toys, but more and more multimedia equipment. Especially classic toys that can be combined with smartphones or tablet PCs, so-called iToys, are very much in demand.” Everything that retailers and toy makers need to know about this current trend is presented at the special Toys 3.0 show. Toy manufacturers will showcase iToys—also known as appcessories—as well as toys that feature digital and electronic components or virtual game worlds on individual product islands. An international study also examines the consumer and user behavior of the digital natives and analyzes the potential of iToys. Spielwarenmesse eG is supported by the market research group iconkids & youth, a company that specializes in children’s and youth research. For retailers and manufacturers to obtain comprehensive information about the Toys 3.0 trend topic, the Toy Business Forum is also dedicated to the Toy Fair
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Aside from a million products, visitors can look forward to learning at Nuremberg while attending the fourth Global Toy Conference. The International Toy Congress takes retailers and manufacturers on an exploration of digital worlds. Experts provide a detailed insight into the main topic Digital Worlds: Online Marketing and E-Commerce as the Key to Success. In various lectures, they will illustrate how retailers can strengthen customer loyalty using social media, and
what they can achieve with content marketing. Participants will also find out about the successful interaction between online and offline trading, and the platforms suitable for it. To purchase tickets for the International Toy Fair Nuremberg 2013 contact Jerry Kallman Associates, Inc., at (201) 652-7070, or jerry@kallmanexpo.com. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 21
Europe: A Slowing Toy Giant
by Lutz Muller
E
urope is still the largest toy market in the world and five countries—U.K. France, Germany, Italy and Spain— account for the bulk of it. However, their share is dropping; it stood at 80 percent of the total in 2010, then dropped to 78.6 percent in 2011 and is now expected to decline further to 68 percent this year. They are still doing pretty well considering that their share of the European total population is only 43 percent. This article will examine the main retail drivers active in each of the five European markets. The retailers’ market shares of each country is based on Toy Industry of Europe (TIE)’s 2012 report on Distribution Channels by Country. Andrew Dobbie, CEO of Gameplan Europe, explains, “The Spanish toy market crashed last year by approximately 16 percent and is looking to go down again by a large percentage. Other markets were fairly stable last year, but since the beginning of October, consumer sales have declined sharply compared with last year. Retailers are jittery and being very cautious. A few years ago, they hated running out of inventory before Christmas. Now, they don’t care—they just want to try to be clean at the end of the year.” The U.S. spends considerably more money on toys when compared to Europe.
22 • THE TOY BOOK
All of these markets, except for Germany, have seen a decrease in sales this year. Infant and preschool toys are the largest toy category in these five countries and in the U.S.
The only countries experiencing population growth in the very young demographic are Germany, the UK, and the U.S.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
These days, when we talk about the European toy market, we refer to the economically strong Northern Tier and the weak Southern Tier. The economic hardships in Spain and Italy have
already impacted how much parents are spending on toys, and will likely continue to affect the market. In all five countries, there are several common factors governing the toy space. One is seasonality; 60 percent of all toys are bought in November and December. In fact, in Spain, nearly 72 percent of all toys are bought between November 1 and January 6, which is Three Kings Day. Another factor is the high percentage of toys imported from China and Hong Kong— in 2012, an estimated 91 percent of all toys bought. Finally, innovation plays a significant role in the toy business; about two-thirds of all toys each year were not available the year before. There are two innovation yardsticks that help determine toy companies’ long-term growth prospects. The first is the acceptance of Monster High fashion dolls by many major nontoy retailers. Monster High dolls are a perfect measuring tool for this—the product is fairly new, it is sold by a trustworthy company, it is different from the long-established Barbie brand, and it has become successful throughout Europe in a short time. In Spain, for instance, Monster High is now vying for the top sales spot of all toys sold in the country. The failure of a major retailer to carry the brand under these circumstances would suggest the absence of good competitive intelligence or an unwillingness to innovate. The second is the adoption of the Internet for toy sales, which demonstrates the willingness of the consumer to stay ahead of the technological curve, showing innovation.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
France Most toys in France are sold by two types of retailers— hypermarkets or supermarkets and toy retailers. French zoning regulations often result in Toys “R” Us being located adjacent to a hypermarket. This suggests a preference for American-style toy retail practices.
The two leading hypermarkets are Carrefour and E. Auchan, both of which largely determine the nature of the toy space in mass retail. Like Walmart and Target in the U.S., they focus on limited SKU counts, just-in-time inventory policies, and competitive pricing. The toy retailers, on the other hand, offer a much wider assortment of products—including exclusives— typically at higher prices. For example, Carrefour carries seven Monster High dolls, and Auchan carries three, while Toys “R” Us carries 27. Hypermarkets practice a seasonal strategy, meaning that the shelf space devoted to toys is marginal from January to September and expands sharply during the fourth quarter—similar to Costco in the U.S., and unlike Toys “R” Us, where toys maintain the same shelf space throughout the year. Meanwhile, Internet retailers benefit from the fact that brickand-mortar locations tend to be expensive and crowded. Overall e-commerce growth in 2012 is estimated at 18 percent, and the toy market has grown by 15 percent. By far, the most important driver in this space is Amazon France. Without physical space restrictions, Amazon can offer a larger inventory than brick-and-mortar retailers.
Germany While toy retailers have a stronghold in Germany, Toys “R” Us, with its 58 locations, is not the leader. Vedes (1,400 stores) and Idee + Spiel (1,000 stores) are much better established,
THE TOY BOOK • 23
though even they are dwarfed by the leading supermarkets, Aldi (4,317 stores), Lidl (3,268 stores), and Penny (2,390 stores). The independent toy stores continue to have a large but declining market share in Germany. These stores are, by international standards, large, well staffed, and stocked with as many as 60,000 SKUs. Most of them have large model, hobby, and craft departments and cater to adults and children alike.
Consumers in Germany have a strong ethical approach to selecting toys. Major chains, such as Kaufhof and Karstadt, refuse to offer products that are militaristic, sexually exploitative, or that glorify violence. Despite their popularity in Germany, Karstadt, Aldi, Lidl, and Penny do not carry Monster High dolls, while Toys “R” Us carries 27 SKUs, Vedes carries seven, and Idee + Spiel carries three. E-commerce now represents nearly 20 percent of all toy sales, giving Germany the highest percentage of toy Internet sales among France, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the U.S.
Italy Giochi Preziosi’s Toy Center chain controls about onequarter of the total toy market in Italy. Giochi Preziosi bought all of the Toys “R” Us stores in the country more than 10 years ago and rebranded them as Toy Center. They now have nearly 450 stores throughout the country. The remainder of the business done by toy shops is carried out by thousands of small mom-and-pop retailers who buy their toys from wholesalers and local manufacturers. The balance of the toy market is handled mainly by hypermarkets or supermarkets, such as Selex (2,967 stores), the Coop (1,400 stores), and Carrefour (495 stores.) The only retailer that carries Monster High is Toy Center, with 17 SKUs. All others appear to follow
24 • THE TOY BOOK
the U.S. Costco model, carrying a limited assortment of toys during the fourth quarter and virtually none during the first three quarters.
Unlike most other European countries, the Internet is not a major factor for toy sales. This seems to indicate that Italy is trailing behind the rest of the world as it relates to online commerce. Italy’s official statistics bureau, ISTAT, recently produced a report on the state of the Internet in Italy. The numbers show that Italy is in 22nd place for worldwide Internet usage. The European average is 73 percent, whereas Italy’s average is 63 percent. The bulk of online toy sales are made through Amazon Italy, which offers an extensive assortment of toys, including 39 SKUs of Monster High dolls. Italy’s slow broadband infrastructure is the main reason for this. With just five megabites (5 MB) of data transfer per second in the more developed North, and a mere 2 MB in the South, Italy lags behind an average of 12 MB per second in France, and 16 MB in Germany. The U.S. averages 6.7 MB of data transfer per second. Italy has long been an Internet laggard, its creaky networks stunting the development of online commerce and banking. Italians pay among the highest prices in Europe for broadband speeds, and, as a result, only half the population uses the Internet at least once a week. Italian companies generate 5.4 percent of their sales online, compared to 13.9 percent elsewhere in Europe.
Spain Toy shops are the largest channel for toy sales in Spain, representing 40 percent of the total market. Toys “R” Us, Spain’s largest toy retailer, makes up half of this figure, and the many small mom-and-pop independent retailers make up the other half. Hypermarkets and supermarkets are the second
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
largest channel, with Eroski (2,360 stores) and Carrefour (2,201 stores) accounting for the majority of these sales. El Corte, Spain’s largest department store chain, accounts for most of the toy sales generated by department stores. Despite the declining Spanish economy, Internet commerce continues to thrive. Overall, e-commerce in 2012 is expected to increase by nearly 20 percent from 2011, and to increase by two-thirds by 2016. Toy sales overall are following this trend, led by Amazon and Toys “R” Us’ Internet company, Imaginarium.
can order by phone or Internet at any time in their home. While it is laggard in the toy space overall, e-commerce is doing extremely well. Web-based commerce is expected to grow by 14 percent overall in 2012, but only by about 2 percent for toys. The main driver in the Internet-based toy space is Amazon, which accounts for about half of all web-based toy transactions.
Here is the distribution of Monster High dolls in the UK:
Monster High is hugely successful in Spain. In fact, the brand occupies sales positions one through four of the Spanish toy market, according to The NPD Group, and has the top 22 positions at Toys “R” Us’ fashion doll lineup in the fourth quarter. Barbie’s first entry is at position 23. Interestingly, Eroski, Carrefour, and El Courte are not selling Monster High dolls.
UK The leading channel for toy sales in the UK is toy shops, most notably Toys “R” Us, leading the market with 88 stores. In addition, two smaller toy chains—Smyths (40 stores) and The Entertainer (32 stores)—are expanding their reach. There are also roughly 600 independent retailers who, in the face of overwhelming competition, have joined together in buying groups to gain some purchase price leverage. However, mass retailers, such as Tesco (2,975 stores) and ASDA (Walmart) with 500 stores, are also a major influence and represent 20 percent of the toy market in the UK. Lastly, there is Argos, represented in the chart as “Other Types.” Argos is a multi-channel retailer with 700 brick-andmortar locations, catalogs, and an Internet store. Two-thirds of the UK population have an Argos catalog from which they
26 • THE TOY BOOK
Of these five European countries, France is most innovative, followed by Germany, the UK, Spain, and then Italy. Retailers looking to expand should also consider economic and demographic factors, and this research shows that Germany, followed by the UK and France, is the best place to enter the market. ■
Lutz Muller has been active in the global toy and video game market since 1984. He has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and the U.S. His insights are based on his daily contacts with toy buyers at big-box stores in the U.S. and Europe; his proprietary retailer panel in the U.S.; and his third-party manufacturing contacts in China.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
28 • THE TOY BOOK
Hall 12, Stand D-11-1
Kids Get Creative with Alex Toys
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ots Sticker Pictures, from Alex Toys, is the latest set in the Tots Art Start line. The kit includes six themed sticker boards and more than 100 stickers. Kids can create six original works of art by peeling and sticking. Also part of the Tots Art Start line is Tots Collage by Color. Tots Collage by Color is a color matching game and art activity in one. Kids just press the materials onto three peel-and-stick boards, no gluing required. The kit comes with 65 collage pieces, including printed cutouts, oversized buttons, crepe paper, cupcake liners, corrugated board, a doily, and stickers. Both kits are designed for children ages 18 months and older. The Duct Tape Party set takes duct tape fashion to the max. Kids can create jewelry, bags, headbands, brooches, belts, and more. The kit includes 108 feet of tape in 12 colors. Tools, templates, and stencils make designing and creating easy. In this kit, kids will find 12 rolls of duct tape, a pre-sewn pouch, fabric and paper templates, three plastic bangles, a hole punch, two stencils, two belt rings, two plastic chains, a brooch pin, eight jewelry findings, two non-stick papers, and two stretchy loops. Duct Tape Party is designed for kids ages 7 and older.
Get Growing with DuneCraft
Hall 4, Stand A-97
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ith the Mini-Meadow LED Light Cube, from DuneCraft, kids can start their own mini-meadow anywhere. Flowers will start sprouting in less than a week and will bloom in the first month. The kit comes with enough seed to plant multiple mini-meadows. The 15 micro LED lights provide plenty of light for seedlings and plants to thrive. Red lights promote flowering, blue lights foster foliage, and users can set the cube to one or both lights, depending on what is being grown. The USB can plug into any computer or USB plug. The kit comes with the terrarium, growing medium, light, seeds, and instructions. Also available is the Mini-Cactus LED Light Cube. Drop a bomb and get plants growing with the Deer Mixture Seed Bombs. Launch them, throw them, leave a swath of grass in your wake, and attract deer with this forage plant mix. Seed Bombs protect the seeds inside from animals, insects, and too much moisture while they are sprouting. You can throw them, toss them, crush them, or leave them, then water them and watch them grow. Seed Bombs are made in the U.S. Also available are the Wild Game Mixture Seed Bombs. Seed Bombs are safe for children ages 3 and up.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 4, Stand F-81
Neat-Oh! Packs a Punch
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oin the ranks of the Empire’s most elite soldiers and strike fear in the heart of the Rebel Alliance with the Star Wars ZipBin Stormtrooper Storage Case from Neat-Oh!. The Stormtooper Storage Case is a simple storage solution that wipes clean with a damp cloth for any unexpected spill. Lego Friends ZipBin is a transforming toy box. Inside the toy box is the landscape of Heartlake Place. Kids can store and carry their favorite toys while enhancing their Lego Friends play. Get Hot Wheels muscle cars safely to and from the track with the Hot Wheels ZipBin Wheelie Backpack. The adjustable straps make it easy for kids to grab their cars and go. Command the Galactic Empire’s most menacing weapon and relive all the action with the Star Wars ZipBin Deathstar Transforming Toy Box. With pockets for up to six minifigures, this transforming toy box can hold 1,000 Lego bricks and unzips to a flat surface for easy play and storage. Enter the epic Land of Chima with the new Lego Chima ZipBin Battle Case. With lots of storage space, the Battle Case is the perfect combination of storage and fun. The case unzips flat for both play and display.
Innovation First Revs Up Hexbug Warriors
Hall 12, Stand I-02
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exbug Warriors Battling Robots, from Innovation First International, use the physics of vibration to propel forward and compete against opponents in battle stadiums and arenas. Kids customize these futuristic fighters, equipping them with removable snap-on mechanical armor. Each Warrior has a shock sensor that activates in Match Mode. As it jabs and jostles the competition, its health decreases, and its Damage Indicator Light goes from green to red, until it stops, deactivates, and only one Warrior is left standing. Tagamoto motorized vehicles and road sets are a collection of colorful micro-sized cars and tracks, powered by high-tech vibration technology and a code-reading system that provides more interaction between kids and their vehicles. The exploratory, battery-operated vehicles read and react to a variety of codes children place on the roads, with up to 16 different sounds, lights, and movements including engine revving, car horns, and sirens, making each driving experience different. Hexbug Spider XL features 360-degree steering; an LED forward eye; and a two-channel, user-selectable, radio-controlled remote. The remote control operates in three speeds (slow, medium, and fast) when moving forward, and one speed in reverse, enabling users to operate multiple bugs independently or at the same time at varying speeds. Hexbug Scarab XL is a mechanical, Hexbug Spider XL beetle-like robotic bug that skitters around on six angled legs. The XL version is 65 percent larger than the original Hexbug Scarab. The high-energy robotic creature is even capable of getting to its feet if placed upside down.
30 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Laser Pegs Super Charges Building Blocks
Hall 5, Stand A-34
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lassic building blocks have gone high-tech. Laser Pegs introduces a new line of kits that can be used with building blocks from other companies. When connected to a Laser Pegs power source, Laser Peg shapes and blocks illuminate as the colored LED light inside them comes to life. While regular building blocks are made of opaque plastic, clear Laser Pegs bring a whole new dimension of creativity to play. Each Laser Peg kit comes with a variety of Laser Peg shapes, stackable pegs, and construction bricks. Inside of the Laser Peg Shapes are 3-millimeter LED lights in a variety of colors. Laser Pegs RoboPup Kit
Hall 4, Stand C-81/D-80
Build, Create, and Play with Mega Bloks
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xperience Barbie’s world like never before with the Mega Bloks Barbie line. From the Build ’n Style Fashion Boutique, complete with clothes and accessories, to the Build ’n Style Luxury Mansion with eight rooms to create and customize, Mega Bloks Barbie lets girls build, design, and decorate. Every set comes with a different Mega Bloks Barbie mini-fashion figure. There are 19 mini-fashion figures to collect, and each one can be dressed and styled to create dozens of looks. Mega Bloks First Builders promotes learning, early development, and creativity. The big blocks are easy for little hands to assemble and for simple stacking and building. Mega Bloks will offer a broad range of products and will focus on introducing more pink products for girls this year. Building on the success of the The Smurfs movie and in anticipation of The Smurfs 2, launching in August, Mega Bloks Smurfs will introduce new products into the range, including buildable Smurfs complemented by new artwork and packaging. The Mega Bloks Skylanders Giants product line brings the action-packed adventure to life through construction. This fantasy-based block line combines buildable heroic characters, villains, vehicles, and locations inspired by the video game Skylanders Giants. The Mega Bloks Hot Wheels collection brings the car brand to building toys, featuring speed, action, and performance. Boys can build and collect Hot Wheels vehicles and customize their own creations. The product line also includes launchers, and each set features a collectible Team Hot Wheels micro action figure to further enhance playtime. The new Mega Bloks Halo collection brings new characters and vehicles inspired by the Halo universe to life. Play sets include even more micro-action figures to collect. Marketing initiatives will focus on further engaging the kid and collector fan community through consumer conversations and user-generated content. Mega Bloks Barbie Build ’n Style Luxury Mansion
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Create Sparkling Treasures with The Orb Factory
Hall 4, Stand 34
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maginista Decoupage Jewelry Kit, from The Orb Factory, allows kids to become decoupage designers. Packed full of crafting materials, including feathers, glitter, ribbon, and more than 30 sheets of patterned paper, kids can create their own personalized jewelry. Rip or cut patterned paper and layer it onto bracelets, earrings, or a headband. Dip the foam brush in the decoupage glue and coat the creation. Use the inspiration booklet to learn tricks and techniques that will take kids from beginners to pros in no time. The kit is for kids ages 8 and up. Decorate and stack a princess palace with the Sticky Mosaics Princess Palace Treasure Box. These three sparkling jewelry boxes can be used individually or stacked together to make a whimsical tower. Jewel-by-number and add glittering gems to each box, completing an intricate and magical princess scene. The Treasure Box is for children ages 5 and up. With My First Creative Collage Fairies, kids can peel, stick, and reveal colorful pictures to hang and display. Match colors and textures to create three whimsical fairies. Use pompoms, glitter, and even floam to make their wings sparkle. This preschool craft for children ages 3 and up allows them to explore crafting materials while working on a project that yields perfect results every time.
Bigjigs Train Sets Steam Ahead
Hall 3, Stand B-46
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ravel to every corner of the globe with the Bigjigs Rail Around the World Train Set. This 73-piece train set allows kids to travel from London to Paris to New York, all in a matter of minutes. The set contains iconic buildings and objects from all around the globe, including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, and the Egyptian Pyramids. This wooden railway system is not only a toy but an educational tool that teaches children about geographical landmarks. The Flying Scotsman Train Set is a 38-piece wooden railway set centered around the green engine, coal, and passenger carriages that whiz past the shrubbery, people, and buildings. It comes complete with a retro ticket office. Both train sets are for children ages 3 and up. Bigjigs has updated complete trains including Supplies Train, Car Loader, and Fruit and Veg Train. Accessories include a new Double Bridge, a Double Engine Repair Shed, and a Bell Tower that rings when the train passes. The new battery-operated engine can travel forward and backward at the flick of a switch. Bigjigs Toys has also added to its collection of puzzles. Fashionistas will have hours of creative fun by mixing and matching the decorative boy and girl outfits. Made from high-quality wood, these puzzles stand the test of time while aiding in the development of motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Bigjigs Toys’ educational puzzles include the Chunky Alphabet Puzzle, which offers children a fun way to learn and absorb the alphabet, helping with letter recognition through play. Other new lines include Pattern Puzzles, Cube Puzzles, Number Puzzles, and Chunky Lift-and-Match Puzzles.
Bigjigs Double Engine Repair Shed
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
THE TOY BOOK • 33
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 5, Stand A-30/B-31
Hall 3, Stand F-19
Safari Ltd. Takes Kids on Adventures
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a f a r i Ltd. takes consumers on a wild ride with the Thunder Dragon with Drake Set. Join Drake and his Thunder Dragon on electrifying adventures as they soar through the dark clouds on stormy nights. The hand-painted replica is suitable for children ages 4 and up. All Safari Ltd. products are 100 percent guaranteed and lead-free to ensure children’s safety.
Tegu Goes Green
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he Educational Builders Set, from Tegu Toys, includes 106 blocks in eight different shapes. Powered by magnets, Tegu Blocks offer puzzle-like constructive possibilities that challenge students to develop and problem solve their way to gravity-defying breakthroughs, while also improving hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Tegu blocks are made using sustainably harvested wood. For each tree harvested at maturity, Tegu plants 100 new saplings in areas damaged by illegal logging.
Hall 12.0, Stand A-10
Diamant Toys Helps Kids Create Works of Art
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iamant Toys has a new range of easels. Its simple 3-in-1 Art Easel can be used for painting, drawing, as a wipe-on and wipe-off surface, or as a chalkboard. It includes a variety of art materials. Diamant also introduces its Fold ’n Go Easel for portable art fun. It is packed with art supplies, including a magnetic surface for letters and numbers. The 5-in-1 Two-Sided Easel includes a roll of art paper, a chalkboard surface, a wipe-off surface, and a magnetic board. The 8-in-1 Flip ’n Glow Battery Operated Easel is a desktop reversible and foldable easel providing eight different activities. The patented LED drawing board includes seven interchanging colors and patterns. The easel also includes 3-D glasses. Glow Pad is a portable art pad with seven color-changing LED lights. The drawing surface is erasable and easily cleaned with the wipe of a cloth. It comes with two special wipe-off markers and instructions. The Glow Phone works similar to the glow pad for portable doodling. No Iron Beads will launch in three themes—Princess, Pirate, and Butterflys—to allow kids to create safe bead art. The set includes 1,000 assorted colored beads, four pages of preprinted design templates, and a brush. The beads require no ironing. Simply wet with the paint brush once the beads are arranged on the design template. The beads are then glued into place once the water dries, so there is no mess or risk of injury. Once dry, the child has beautiful artwork ready to be displayed.
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 5, Stand B-54/C-55
K’nex Brands Unveils Super Mario Building Sets
K
’nex has added Super Mario to its line of Nintendo building sets. The officially licensed building sets are inspired by Super Mario Brothers game titles such as New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario 3DLand, and New Super Mario Bros. 2. Build Raccoon Mario and dodge Cheep Cheeps and the Piranha Plant with the Super Mario Beach Set. Featuring jumping, launching, and chomping action, this set also includes a palm tree, coins, a warp pipe, and a finish flag. With the Super Mario Cannon Building Set, kids can build Mario and Luigi and use the exclusive jump panels to attempt to dodge Bullet Bill as they fire him from his cannon. The set also features a star, a warp pipe, a flag, and coins. Inspired by Super Mario 3D Land, the Super Mario Prongo Building Set allows kids to build Raccoon Mario and battle Prongo. Featuring jumping action and a secret room, this set also includes pipes, a flag, jump panels, and coins. Build Propeller Mario and fly through the clouds with the Flying Cloud Building Set, which features flying action that allows Mario to fly from cloud to cloud, exclusive jump panels, and bouncy mushroom platforms. The set also includes tailed-Goomba, cloud, and mushroom platforms; coins; and a flag. Kids can build Boomerang Mario and battle Boos with the spooky Ghost House Building Set. Navigate Mario through sliding platforms and be sure to avoid the spinning Boos. Set also features Big Boo, exclusive jump panels, appearing panels, coins, and a flag. The new Super Mario building sets are designed for children ages 6 and up. Ghost House Building Set
Hall 7, Stand B-49
M&D International Introduces New Collectibles
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he Like Father-Like Son Motorhead Miniatures Figurine Set, from M&D International, is a set of two 1:18-scale resin hand-painted figures with accessories. Austin is helping his father, Adam, with a do-it-yourself oil change. The set comes with an open tool carrier and an oil catch pan. The Out of Gas Motorhead Miniatures Figurine Set also includes a set of two 1:18-scale resin handpainted figures with accessories. In this scenario, travelers Lorraine and Cody have run out of gas on the road to the music and art festival. Lorraine is hitching a ride while Cody stays with the car. The set comes with a knapsack and sleeping bag. 43rd Street Collectibles is Highway 61’s new series of high-quality, limited-edition, hand-built 1:43-scale resin models of American muscle cars. The first series will feature the 1969 Mustang Boss 302, the 1969 Chevy Camaro, and the 1968 Dodge Dart. The second wave of products, due out early this year, includes the 1970 Dodge Challenger, the 1957 Chevy 150, and the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. 1:43 scale 1969 Mustang Boss 302
36 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 5, Stand B-54/C-55
Kids Can Create with TCG
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CG brings a new twist to two classic play patterns: paper dolls and felt boards. With Magnetic Creations, kids ages 4 and up can mix and match more than 40 magnetic play pieces on three different backgrounds to create a variety of different looks. Basic themes include silly faces, fashion, fairy, weather, horse and stable, and penguins. Preschool and entertainment licenses include Fisher-Price, Little Tikes, Marvel Super Hero Squad, Peppa Pig, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Bratz, Spider-Man, Madagascar 3, Kung Fu Panda, and Puss in Boots. Fuzzy Felt Creations lets kids ages 3 to 6 mix and match more than 100 bright-colored felt pieces to create multiple scenes. Basic themes include little ponies, little princess, on the farm, magic garden, safari, and under the sea. UR World reusable wall graphics let kids ages 4 and up personalize, customize, and decorate their walls. Licenses include Lalaloopsy, Bratz, and Fisher-Price.
Kiddus Keeps Kids Stylin’
Hall 12, Stand I-09
Jazwares Continues Expansion
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azwares, Inc., developed seven new plush, figure, and electronics lines last year, which featured liSo So Happy censes such as Lalaloopsy, Ozzie Plush One Direction, Plants vs. Zombies, Nicktoons, Hanna-Barbera, Regular Show, and Power Rangers. In addition to expanding those lines this year, Jazwares will expand its international Star Wars Spy Electronics line, as well as release its Yo Gabba Gabba! toy line and a new So So Happy toy line, based on the property’s characters, whose mission is to stomp out bullying. Both lines will include figure and plush styles. Jazwares’ Adventure Time toy line, which was extended last year to include electronics, will continue its growth pattern worldwide this year. Currently, Jazwares holds master toy licenses for Adventure Time, Regular Show, Yo Gabba Gabba!, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Hall 3, Stand F-38
K
ids can swim and dive with waterproof watches from Kiddus Accesorios SL. The watches feature clear numbers for easy time-reading, fun designs, and 3-D strap styles. The watches are waterproof up to three atmospheres (ATM). The company’s stylish kids’ sunglasses with UV 400 lens filter protection help protect kids’ eyes against harmful UV rays. The sunglasses feature flexible rubber legs for juniors, and the comfort line includes an elastic, adjustable, and detachable strap on the back.
38 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Hall 4, Stand C-08/B-07
Nano Magnetics Shows Color Coated Nanodots
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olor Coated Nanodots, from Nano Magnetics Ltd., are powerful magnetic constructors milled from Neodymium: the world’s strongest permanent magnet. The new Color Coated Nanodots are precisely shaped spheres available in a spectrum of colored coatings and are engineered for the formation of complex shapes. Nanodots are appropriate for ages 14 and up. The tube product packaging can also serve as a storage canister once taken apart. Nanodots users can now take photographs and videos of their creations and share them with a global community online. Members can show off their work, learn new designs, and talk to fellow dot builders, as well as take part in build challenges, games, and contests.
Hall 2, Stand C-05
Green Toys Saves the Planet One Toy at a Time
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he Green Toys Tractor puts a whole new spin on sustainable agriculture. With chunky tires and a detachable rear trailer, little farmers can harvest and haul all of the organic produce their imaginations can grow. Safe and versatile, the Tractor is free of metal axles and external coatings, making it ready for indoor and outdoor play. Made in the U.S. from 100-percent recycled plastic milk jugs that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this tractor is green, despite its deep orange hue. It does not have any BPA, phthalates, or PVC, and it is dishwasher safe. The Green Toys Seaplane is ready for earth-friendly excitement in the sky or out at sea. This buoyant yellow and green floatplane features a spinning propeller and chunky, oversized pontoons perfect for coasting into any port. Specially designed to float when taken into the bathtub or pool, young captains can easily navigate from water to air and back. The Green Toys Airplane is a single-seater plane featuring a spinning propeller, two-wheeled landing gear, and racing stripes on its rounded wings. Pilots-in-training can practice loops, rolls, and spins with this eco-friendly flyer. The lightweight design and tapered, easy-to-grasp shape let even the smallest aviators ascend through flight school with ease. Take the helm of the Green Toys Submarine for a nautical journey to help protect the planet. Submerge it underwater to explore the terrain at the bottom of the tub, and let it resurface to scan the horizon in search of the next earth-friendly adventure. The wide, flat bottom assures no flipping or rolling once it takes on water from the portholes. This sturdy watercraft also features a spinning rear propeller, classic handle, and widemouth opening combination for plenty of scoop-and-pour fun. The cabin can be opened for easy cleaning, and the whole vessel is dishwasher safe.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
THE TOY BOOK • 39
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 8, Stand A-14
Hall 1, Stand B-05
Folkmanis Acts It Out with Puppets
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he Sky Dragon, from Folkmanis Puppets, has sculpted fabric that enhances its ethereal look. This champion of mythical creatures is destined to guide kids into the realms of fantasy. Ideal as a Mother Goose, the Goose puppet’s movable beak and two-handed wing design allow for endless combinations of humorous honking, flapping, singing, snapping, sputtering, and storytelling. With the Monkey in Barrel puppet, kids can pull the monkey down into the soft microfiber barrel and close the lid. Then, they can pop the monkey out for a playful surprise.
Guessing with PlaSmart
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orphology, from PlaSmart, is a hilarious guessing game where creativity wins. First, pick a card; there are 480 words to inspire, challenge, and create. Next, create a word with the more than 30 pieces included to help build the word. Then, animate the pieces to make the word come to life. Finally, get your teammates to guess the word within one minute. The first team to reach the final lily pad wins. Morphology is designed for children ages 8 and up.
Outset Media Shows Cards and Puzzles
Hall 12, Stand C-05-3
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ew to the blank Create Your Own Puzzles line, from Outset Media, are Create Your Own Puzzle Theme Boxes. Children can choose a coloring puzzle theme and get started coloring their own unique puzzles. Each of the themes—dinosaurs, fairytale princesses, and nature—include three 24-piece puzzles to color and assemble. The Family Scavenger Hunt card game is a find-the-clue card game with indoor and outdoor clues included. The card pack is perfect for camping trips. The Picture Charades card game doesn’t require any reading, so kids can play easily with their friends. The Family Charades card game allows families or groups to play against one another in teams as adults and kids act out the clues together.
40 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Famosa Brings Fun for Girls
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Hall 5, Stand B-74
inypon Fairies, part of Famosa’s Pinypon Fairies Assortment, sparkle, shine, and come apart so kids can mix and match them to create unique fairies of their own. Kids can swap outfits, accessories, hairstyles, and wings to create endless combinations. Each Pinypon Fairy comes with a magical unicorn
friend. The Pinypon Snow Collection takes kids on awesome snow adventures. The Ski Lodge is the height of the ski vacation, where Pinypon Friends ice skate, ski, ride a snowmobile, build a snowman, and get warm in the lodge. The collection also includes the Fun in the Snow Figures Assortment and the Figures and Pet Gift Set. The Pinypon Friends come complete with winter gear that allows kids to expand their Pinypon creations. The Nancy Goes for a Stroll with Baby Sister Set features Nancy, a big sister who loves spending time with her little sister. Nancy loves to get her baby sister dressed and ready for a fun stroll outside. The stroller has a secret compartment for storage and even converts to a baby carrier. The set also includes pet rabbit Princess. The set has everything Nancy needs to get baby sister ready for their stroll, including a backpack, a hairbrush, a mirror, and feeding and changing accessories. Nancy can be a ballerina with the Nancy Pink Sports Assortment. The Nancy Ballerina doll is poseable and comes with a detailed pink leotard, dance skirt, tights, leg warmers, ballet slippers, and a headband. The assortment also features a skier and an equestrian. These Famosa play sets are for kids ages 4 and up.
Goliath Games Picks Winners
Hall 12, Stand 10
D
on’t Panic, the party game from Australia, England, and France, will hit shelves in America in 2013. How fast can you name five things in an airport? How about eight rock stars? Flick the spinner to see how many items you have to name before the clock runs out. Gooey Louie is the newest addition to Goliath’s skill and action game line. Players put their finger up Louie’s nose and try to pick a winner. If the wrong gooey is picked, Louie’s eyes will pop, he’ll flip his lid, and his brains fly out. Gooey Louie provides hours of fun for ages 5 and up. Goliath will also be introducing four new accessories for smartphones and tablets that turn apps into real life experiences. Each set comes with a game accessory and a free downloadable app. Spin It combines the classic Spin the Bottle game with a truth or dare twist. Users can dance the hula or admit their most secret crush; just spin it and see. With K-Motion, users can saw the wood, burp the baby, or pour a drink, among other things. Users can test their nerve and hand-eye coordination with iBuzz. As one hand carefully maneuvers the wand around the 3-D maze without touching the sides, the other hand is playing a different game on the iPad. In Balancing Act, users must defuse the bomb before time runs out by completing a series of challenges.
42 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Hall 11.1, Stand JIU-17
Defacto GmbH Brings Minigolf Home
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yminigolf basic, from De Facto GmbH, is a portable miniature golf game. The nine-hole miniature golf set includes 13 injection-molded handicaps, a steel minigolf-club, two balls, a scoring pad, and a nylon carrying bag. Setting up the game is simple. Just place the obstacles anywhere on the ground and the game is ready to play. Obstacles can be rearranged to create new courses with every play. Myminigolf can be played on almost any level surface, indoors and outside, including lawns, the street, carpet, and wood floors. Obstacles can even be placed in different rooms for more difficult play.
Hall 12, Stand A-04-7
Hall 5, Stand B-7
Commotion Fuses Education with Innovation
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ommotion Distribution will show more than 200 products, many of which are exclusive and designed in-house. Among products such as the Talking Tubes and Forest Phones, is the new WordWand. The WordWand is an electronic learning aid that teaches children to read and recognize new words. Being recordable, it is entirely open-ended, meaning teachers and parents can encourage children to learn new words at an appropriate level and speed. In addition to learning words in English, the product also has sets of picture/word cards available in French, German, and Spanish so that children can begin to learn a foreign language, or English as a second language.
Commotion Distribution Talking Tubes
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Donutella Mini Plush
Tokidoki Sweetens Up Plush
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he 4-inch Donutella and her Sweet Friends Mini Plush, from tokidoki, includes eight characters in the collection. On Earth, Donutella was excited to find a lot of sweets and treats to fuel herself and her people. Almost instantly, Donutella realized that it would be much better to start a sweet colony here and invite all of her friends than to go back home. Series two of Unicornos will bring 11 new 2-inch PVC characters to collectors’ shelves, and the DIY Unicorno will allow users to decorate the blank Unicorno canvas themselves. The set comes with three Sharpie markers in adios black, bruttino blue, and stellina magenta.
THE TOY BOOK • 43
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 9, Stand A-09
Hall 10.0, Stand C-17
Elixir Stirs Up Fun
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K board game company Adrenaline Brush returns to Nuremberg with Elixir, a board game that involves moving through levels of transformation and collecting ingredients for alchemy formulae. The ingredients can be collected in two ways: landing on them, or dueling other players to acquire them. Single and multiple duels can be held simultaneously. In this dice-free game, players can test their skills to bluff, double bluff, and play the other players as well as the game. The game is appropriate for teens and adults.
Dress Up with NTheias
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Theias creates and produces mascots, masks, costumes, scenery, and props. NTheias products can be used in animated-form theater, design, merchandising, and in the visual arts areas. The creations can also be used as educational products for museums, heritage, and culture.
Hall 3, Stand C-13
Manhattan Toy to Show Specialty Plush Products
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anhattan Toy will showcase a range of products at Nuremberg. The Sweet Pea Blankie pairs the Sweet Pea character with an ultra-soft blankie. Soft, soothing, and snuggly, the Snuggle Pods collection is sure to comfort even the littlest cuddlers. Little ones can enjoy the classic game of croquet with a prehistoric twist. With the Dino Club Croquet Set, children use the mallet to knock the ball through the dinosaur arches. This elementary game supports gross motor development and allows children to practice good sportsmanship through taking turns. The set includes three dinosaur shaped arches, two padded wooden balls, and two wooden mallets. The Cat in the Hat Crawl and Discover Playmat provides tummy time play with a Seussical twist. The mat features the Cat in the Hat with his friendly fish. Attachments include a discovery mirror, colorful ribbons, and teethers. The Cat in the Hat Cordy brings soft corduroy fabric and this favorite character to snuggle time. Children will enjoy the Nursing Nola Sheep, a soft toy that celebrates caring for little ones. The black and white lambs attach to their mother with magnets. This sheep family is made from ultra-soft fabrics. The Time to Eat Table Chair is a welcome addition to feeding time. The hook-on table chair easily attaches to most tables and provides an eating space for Baby Stella.
44 • THE TOY BOOK
Sweet Pea Blankie
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 6, Stand B-36/C-39
Uncle Milton Shows Wild Walls
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ncle Milton Industries continues to bring innovation and imagination together with new products, including Fireworks Light Show Grand Finale!, Star Wars Infrared Force Battle Trainer, and Wild Walls, an interactive light and sound In My Room experience available in animal varieties and a range of character licenses.
Wild Walls, patent pending
Hall 12.0, Stand D-10
Spin Master Expands Air Hogs, La Dee Da Lines
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he Air Hogs ORB, from Spin Master, is a powered hovering sphere that floats above any surface. Control it with the palm of your hand or watch it hover autonomously in any space. The ORB’s spherical shape allows it to smoothly bounce off of walls and the ceiling. Charge and display the ORB on the palm-sized charging cradle. Experience the thrill of aerial assaults with the Air Hogs MegaBlast, the first-ever bomb dropping R/C helicopter. Lift the bomb-latch on the remote control to access the bomb button and to initiate the release mechanism. A blinking red LED notifies the pilot that the bomb is ready for action; just push the button to deploy. On impact, the bomb collapses and releases three missiles for even more devastation. Spin Master is also expanding on its La Dee Da doll line with the Fairytale Dance Collection. Dee, Tylie, Sloane, and Cyanne are getting ready for a school dance wearing outfits inspired by fairytales including the Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and the Snow Queen. Fairytale Prancie will get the girls to the dance in style. Kids can even transform the horse into a unicorn and style her different ways using the included marker, stencils, and stickers. Dee, Tylie, Cyanne, and Sloane are sporting their spruced-up smoothie shop outfits in the Juicy Crush collection. Each girl’s outfit is designed based on her favorite smoothie mash-up flavor, including straweberry kiwi, pom berry, peach mango, and tropical punch. Expanding its Kawaii Crush line, Spin Master will show the 8-inch Large Doll Assortment. Kids can comb and style Lamb, the girl with the fluffy lamb hat and fuzzy boots, or Bow, the girl with an oversized pink bow and fashionable glasses. The Hyper Happy Mall is the ultimate place to hang out in the Kawaii World. The mall features a pet shop, a boutique, a food court, and a photo booth. The set includes one animal love doll, two fashion outfits, and one animal love friend. Spin Master will also show Pillow Pets, stuffed toys with Velcro straps that change from soft pillows to stuffed animals. The line includes a lady bug, a unicorn, a panda bear, a sheep, and more.
46 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Hall 4, Stand B-98
Shainsware Gets Personal
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rom Shainsware, an eco-friendly accessories line for tweens, come customizable iPhone and iPad cases. Kids can create their own statements or messages right on the iPhone and iPad cases. The accessories line is composed of letters, numbers, and icons that can be mixed and matched. The product line includes bookmarks, bracelets, necklaces, belts, key chains, and other items. All items are made from recycled and recyclable content, including the packaging.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Hall 5, Stand D-60
B kids Gets Kids Moving
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abies will be delighted and surprised when the Shake ’n Dance Puppy, from B kids, starts to move and groove. Just shake the bone rattle to move the puppy forward and turn it around. The Splash ’n Slide Waterpark Wonder adds fun to bath time for toddlers. A water slide and spinning water wheel keep young hands active and happy in the tub. The characters, sliding and splashing play, sturdy construction, and moving action parts are a delight for babies.
THE TOY BOOK • 47
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 12.0, Stand F-05
Hall 10.1, Stand C-13
Company Collaboration Brings Original Games
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Rainbow Expands Winx Club Doll Line
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imed at 4-12 year olds, the Harmonix Power collection of dolls is the newest addition to the Winx Club product catalog from Rainbow. These will be distributed along with the other 16 collections in more than 34 countries. Plans are also in motion for the 2013 production of the Sirenix models, which will tiein with the CGI-redesign of the latest series and will include an electronic functionality. The dolls will allow consumers to interact digitally with the world of Winx, as they come with an exclusive membership card for the newly designed website, where users can access the blog in addition to digital content including games and downloadable episodes. Winx Club dolls are produced globally by Witty Toys, part of the Rainbow Group, except in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, where Jakks Pacific is the master toy licensee producing and distributing the dolls. New partners include Bizak for Spain, Adore for Turkey, Cotiplas for Brazil, Emway for Indonesia, Tisak for Croatia, Blackfire for the Czech Republic, and OFY for Serbia.
48 • THE TOY BOOK
inlea Holdings Pty Ltd. and The Playmakers have teamed up to create the Getta1Games line. Smell-o-rama is a line of games with scented cards for kids who love the smell of bubble gum, chocolate, and cola. In Bea & Buster’s Bubble Burst, players try to blow the biggest bubbles by laying down cards in the correct sequence. Dr. Fizzy’s Fabulous Floats pits players against one another to see who will collect cola, ice cream, mugs, and straws to make the most cola floats. No Clowns! is a line of anti-clown games, including the game that launched the line, No Clowns! A clown card is flipped face up, and players race to find the matching clown card hidden within rows of clown cards. The first player to take their miniplunger and plunge the clown in the face first, wins. In the Old Mime card game, players must get rid of all their clown cards by laying down matching pairs. Players can pull a card from their opponent’s hand and try to make a match. The game ends when the Old Mime is the only card in play, and the person holding the Old Mime loses the game. With the Don’t Be a Clown board game, players must get out of the circus before clowns recruit them by handing them clown paraphernalia. With the Crazy Chins Movie Maker Kit, kids can make chinface videos, where their chin becomes a little character when they lie upside down and film themselves. With the kit and corresponding free app, kids can easily make and share videos with the push of a button. Crazy Chins kits also give kids the ability to add wild backgrounds using the green screen technology within the app. The original line includes 10 kits, and licensed Crazy Chins kits will launch at Nuremberg.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 6, Stand B-36/C-39
Hall 12, Stand E-05-1
WowWee Makes Art Come Alive
A
rtsee Studio, by WowWee, takes children ages 3 and up on an interactive journey of color, sound, and motion. Artsee Studio is a visual and innovative drawing kit, which can transform simple drawings and paintings on the iPad into animated games and activities. Simply secure any iPad into the protective Artsee case and download the free application in the App Store. Using the wide range of interactive Artsee tools, including Stampee, kids can quickly turn a blank canvas into an explosion of color, sound, and movement.
Hall 12, Stand B-07-1
Sakar Electrifies Brands
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akar International will launch a line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) electronics and accessories across the UK and European markets. The line will feature earbuds in the shape of the half-shell-heroes’ faces, along with TMNT-branded iPad and tablet cases, cameras, headphones, and alarm clocks with iPhone/iPod docks. The product line is in collaboration with Nickelodeon’s resurgence of the 1990s TV series. Sakar’s line of fashionably ghoulish Monster High products for the UK and Europe will be renewed for another two years. Product offerings will include karaoke machines, earbuds, headphones, walkie-talkies, musical instruments, digital cameras, and camcorders.
50 • THE TOY BOOK
Moose Toys Expands Brands
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ew to Moose Toys’ line of trash-inspired collectibles, The Trash Pack, are Ultimate Fighting Trashies (UFTs). Kids choose their Trashie fighter, load it into the spin bin, wind it up, and battle other UFTs. Kids can collect UFTs alongside the third series of The Trash Pack, which hit mass retailers in the U.S. in December. With the introduction of UFTs and Series 3, there are now more than 500 Trashies to collect. Moose is also set to expand its Micro Chargers brand, the line of fast micro vehicles that race at scale speeds of up to 600 mph. Crash Track will be available this spring to provide kids with an exhilarating experience as cars race and crash. New track sets will also be introduced as kids use the new Expansion Pack to configure new track designs. Gelarti, a line of reusable gel stickers that kids create themselves, will make its debut at mass retailers this year. New items will be added to the Blingles line of gem stickers. The Blingles Jewelry Pack will be available this spring and includes all the tools needed to create jeweled stickers and accessories.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Hall 1, Stand A-12
Hall 8, Stand A-16
Waboba Bounces Out of This World
M Boikido Wooden Toys Help Early Development
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he 2-in-1 Wooden Push-Walker, part of the Boikido line from L’ets Go, is also a ride-on. It encourages kids to take their first steps and improves balance. The 2-in-1 Push-Walker comes with a built-in Xylophone with two drumsticks and a shape sorter to improve the development of motor skills. The vibrant Wooden Boat Maze is loaded with activities for little ones. Build the boat, stack the sail, play the maze with five colorful beads, and have fun with the Boikido characters. The maze helps develop motor skills and encourages imagination. Kids can learn the alphabet, numbers, colors, and shapes by playing with the 28 colorful wooden Boikido Cubes. The cubes are also building blocks that help to develop hand-eye coordination and problem solving. The colorful and attractive wooden Pull-Along Musical Train will engage kids in hours of wholesome play while they develop a sense of rhythm. It consists of three wagons equipped with a xylophone, two drumsticks, two bells, and a cymbal. The environmentally friendly, wooden Threading Beads Set is made of wood from an FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a sturdy re-useable box made of recycled materials, and printed with soy-bean ink. The set includes 12 double-sided wooden beads featuring Boikido characters and numbers. The wooden threading bead set encourages problem solving and comes in a sturdy re-usable box for easy storage. All of these Boikido products have been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
oon Ball, from Waboba, is a small step for Waboba and a giant bounce for mankind. With its lightweight design, the Moon Ball bounces as if there is no gravity. The colorful ball has craters that give it an outlandish bounce for hours of fun. As a sports training and fitness game, it enhances hand-eye coordination and is fun for all ages.
Hall 12, Stand B-08-1
SmartLab Gets Creative with Headphones
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ock out with the one-of-a-kind YouBuild-It Headphones, from SmartLab Toys, for children ages 8 and up. The headphones feature full stereo sound, vivid pulse-to-the-beat LEDs, foam ear pads, and customizable ear casings. Kids can explore the world of audio electronics by twisting wires, mounting speakers and circuits, and hooking up their headphones with multi-colored LEDs that sync to their sounds. Users can insert photos of their favorite artists or designs inside the ear casings. The kit also includes a 24-page book that teaches kids the tricks of the electronic music trade.
THE TOY BOOK • 51
NurembergToy Fair 2013
Hall 1, Stand C-29
High IntenCity Shows Colorful Charm Jewelry
C
harm It!, from High IntenCity, is a new charm jewelry brand for girls ages 5 to 14. The collection includes charms from a variety of categories, such as animals, family and friends, Disney, sweets, food, princess, fashion, hobbies and fun, sports, peace, earth, Hello Kitty, and birthday. Girls can also enjoy the gumball machine charm with shaking gumballs, the robot with moving arms and legs, the treasure chest with jewels inside that opens and closes, and the 3-D rainbow whale.
Hall 7, Stand F-59
XTIM Digitizes Nature
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he Avitron, from XTIM, is an R/C bionic bird. Kids can control where the bird flies with the easy-to-use beginner-level remote control. The Avitron flies around any room indoors, and can be used outdoors as well. Kids won’t have to wait long, as with its turbo charge feature, the bird is ready to fly in just 12 minutes. The Avitron gets kids outdoors to experience nature while giving them a digital fix.
Hall 4, Stand D-81
Toolkid Turns Kids into Carpenters
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he ToolKid Tool Set’s ergonomic design, weight, and proportions make the tools easy for children ages 5 to 12 to use. The tools are lightweight, easily fit in a child’s hand, and are safe to use. The set contains 20 pieces, including a measuring tape, a carpenter’s square, a hand saw, a fretsaw, a screwdriver with bits, sandpaper, and a sanding block. The tool set will help with kids’ physical and motor development as they search for solutions, learn to build and create objects, and increase their self-confidence.
52 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
The German Toy Market Many Markets in One by Steve Reece, brand marketing and product development consultant
T
he German toy market is unique. In fact, of the major toy markets in Europe, it is the most distinct. Culturally speaking, Germany is an interesting place, having only been formed as a country in 1871. Germany was originally a collection of principalities with many cultural differences between regions and cities—from the south of the country, where Bavarian traditions still continue (yes, lederhosen are de rigeur!), to the popular Oktoberfest in Munich, to the carnival in Cologne. Now I know you aren’t reading this for tourist information, but many of these local peculiarities have an impact on the toy business. Germany as a country and toy market is very decentralized. The retail makeup of the country is a prime example of this. Whereas those of us in North America will be used to the omnipotence of Walmart and Target, Argos & Tesco for the UK, or Carrefour for France, the same concentration of retail power doesn’t exist in Germany. There are national retailers, and there are key accounts you can’t afford to ignore, but if you look at the spread of retail market share in Germany, it’s much broader than any other major market. Grocery stores have a much smaller share of the market, with department and drug stores being bigger players. In fact, depending on the breakdown of your business, Muller, the largest drug store chain, can be the No. 1 account. Even when trading with a national chain, several of them buy on a regional or federal basis, and you can’t expect to have a single sales guy or gal covering them. The other massive difference and great opportunity in Germany is the array of specialty mom-and-pop-style toy stores, roughly estimated at 5,000. That number is certainly not to be sniffed at. While the number of these stores is declining, it nevertheless represents a large portion of the market. So, in some ways, Germany’s retail makeup is a huge positive for toy companies because no single retailer can wield too
54 • THE TOY BOOK
much power and kill a product launch to the same extent as they can in North America. The challenge, however, is the massive fragmentation of opportunity. So you have significantly less risk in effect but much more legwork and grind to pull your order book together, and potentially more salespeople per sale. Germany is even more distinctive in terms of its toy market product make-up. If I had to sum this up in one word, it would be quality. While plastic toys do sell in Germany, in general they are very much looked down upon. You will find many more wooden products in a German toy store than in other markets. You might also be surprised to discover that licensed products make up a significantly smaller amount of the German toy market than in North America or the UK. The reason for this is, again, down to that word quality. German parents tend to want their children to play with high-quality, educational/developmental toys. That doesn’t mean that you won’t find licensed product on the shelf. You definitely will, but not at the same volume as other markets. Instead, you will find Schleich, Playmobil, and Lego, among others, with a high degree of in-store prominence. The other notable factor in Germany is cultural acceptance of games as a normal part of the family socialization process. We aren’t necessarily talking about the kind of games that sell in most other markets. So called “Eurogames” can be more involved, with less chance elements and more open-ended play. Finally, in Germany you will find a distinct dislike of aggressive or violent toys. G.I. Joe does not go over well in Germany. There are several reasons for this, but clearly the ongoing legacy of Germany and World War II is a major part of this cultural nuance. German media is not quite as different from other markets.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
At a Glance
— Germany has a decentralized commercial market. Its key distribution channels are speciality shops, department stores, and momand-pop shops. — Violent toys are frowned upon. — Construction toys and board games generally perform better than toys in other categories. Source: Stevenreece.com
Product placement is common and tends to be highly effective. For instance, Hasbro’s Milton Bradley games range was famously featured as the central part of a kids’ TV series, with kids playing a different giant version of a well-known game live on air every week. One of my colleagues once placed a product in the Big Brother house during a run of the popular reality TV show, and I can confirm that we moved a lot of units from that. In terms of printed media, the newspaper Bild has a large circulation of approximately 3.5 million and a significant cultural impact, whereas Der Spiegel, a popular weekly, has a circulation of approximately 1 million. Germany has the largest economy in Europe, by far. It has a population of approximately 82 million, versus the roughly 60
million of the UK and France. Despite recent turbulence in the Eurozone, Germany retains a strong economy, meaning it is a safer refuge than Southern Europe at the time of writing. Many toy companies manage their German business in conjunction with business in Austria and Switzerland. Neither is a particularly large market, but to maximize sales, the opportunity there should be considered. Austria is easier to reach than Switzerland. Aside from having three prevalent languages (German, Italian, and French), it is also not a member of the European Union, meaning more hoops to jump through and costly tariffs are involved to get products over the border. So in summary, Germany is in many ways an atypical market, but not one to be ignored. Just don’t presume it’s easy. Expect to approach things differently to succeed here. ■
Steve Reece is a brand marketing and product development consultant in the UK and European toy and game markets, as well as the author of The Practical Guide to Doing Toy Business in Europe. He previously worked for Hasbro’s European head office in brand marketing and market research. You can contact him via steve.reece@vicientertainment.co.uk, or visit his blog, www.stevenreece.com.
The UK Toy Market A Very British Affair by Steve Reece, brand marketing and product development consultant
T
he UK toy market is often the first port of call for North American companies looking for international distribution. This isn’t surprising, bearing in mind the language is—nearly!—the same. Moreover, the movie release slate is nearly identical, meaning a movie-driven U.S. toy line is likely to work in the UK. Much of the TV content is also the same. The UK appears to be an obvious, and perhaps easy, place to foray. There are, however, some very distinctly British considerations. For a start, TV programs targeted at kids are often redubbed with UK accents, meaning that toys with speech may need localization. Retail is also different. Walmart owns one UK retailer, Asda, which doesn’t have as significant a market share. The largest UK toy retailer is Argos. The core of Argos’ business is its catalog, of which a reported 30 million copies are printed. The UK’s population is about 60 million, with about 30 million households. Consumers browse and select at home, and the vast majority know what they will buy before they get to the store. The online business has become more important for Argos recently, but the catalog remains critical. The grocery channel has grown massively for toys in the last decade, with Tesco in particular having a major impact. The other major difference is the smaller specialty retail business. There are less than 400 independent mom-and-pop-style stores in the UK, and while the Toymaster buying group has a degree of centralizing influence, it’s nevertheless a very fragmented and costly channel to service. Away from retail, UK families spend considerably less quality time together compared to other European countries— “plasma parenting” is rife. Studies show the UK is significantly more materialistic and has a deeply ingrained consumer- and label-conscious culture versus other European markets. This may seem like a damning indictment of UK family culture, but
56 • THE TOY BOOK
it’s not bad news for those in the toy business, as children are often “palmed off” with toys by parents. In marketing terms, there are other differences of which to remain aware. There are two main public (non-commercial) terrestrial TV channels, BBC1 and BBC2. BBC does not show advertisements, but it has a significant impact on the toy industry via its extensive kids’ TV programming and licensing. The three commercial terrestrial TV channels are ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5. ITV has the broadest reach. The kid-specific cable and satellite channels include Disney, Nick, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, and BBC’s satellite offering—CBBC and Cbeebies. Another point to bear in mind is that UK TV is highly regulated. Product placement was illegal until recently, and although it’s now permitted under certain conditions, it isn’t allowed on kid-targeted TV. Sponsoring kids’ TV programs is allowed, however, and a number of toy companies take advantage of this opportunity. Also, the allowable ad length per hour is half of the U.S.’, meaning less ad time overall. Therefore, ads are normally 20 seconds and 10 seconds in length as opposed to 30 seconds. All in all, the UK market offers considerable opportunity, but success will be enhanced by sensitivity to local factors. ■
Steve Reece is a brand marketing and product development consultant in the UK and European toy and game markets, as well as the author of The Practical Guide to Doing Toy Business in Europe. He previously worked for Hasbro’s European head office in brand marketing and market research. You can contact him via steve.reece@vicientertainment.co.uk, or visit his blog, www.stevenreece.com.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
DYO Kits Lead the Pack
by Sierra McCleary-Harris
K
ids want to express themselves. They want to exhibit an individual sense of style, and they want toys that satisfy that desire. This year, manufacturers of toys in the arts and crafts category are capitalizing on this Design Your Own (DYO) trend and are offering an array of fashionable, wearable items that allow children to exercise their talents as designers-in-training. According to Brent Taylor, co-owner of Brilliant Sky Toys, a specialty toy retailer with 16 locations throughout the U.S., “The DYO concept resonates particularly well with girls in the 7 to 12 age range. We all have a need to express our individualism, and fashion is a natural way for girls to do so. Craft items that meet that need do particularly well.” Taylor says that, in his stores, sales are up 10 percent for the arts and crafts category and it continues to be in the top three categories each month. With distinctive new offerings from Alex Toys and Moose Toys, among other manufacturers, it isn’t surprising that the category continues to do well year after year. Janet Simon, vice president of marketing at Alex, says that while classic activities remain popular for younger kids, “a fast-growing collection of [DYO] jewelry, fashion, and décor accessory crafts for tweens is topping the charts.” Building on the success of the Duct Tape line, Alex is introducing two new kits: Duct Tape Jewelry and Duct Tape Messenger Bag. This year alone, the duct tape line has won eight awards and is a 2013 TIA Toy of the Year finalist. “Our goal was to introduce kids to this versatile material with easyto-master projects,” says Simon. The Duct Tape Messenger Bag kit has eight colors of tape, a pre-sewn bag with a strap, and a foldable cardboard insert that creates a surface for easy taping. The Duct Tape Jewelry, from Alex Toys
58 • THE TOY BOOK
A little artist gets creative inside Brilliant Sky Toys.
Duct Tape Jewelry kit also has eight rolls—including new gold and silver metallic rolls—plus jewelry findings; stick-on studs; and templates to make earrings, necklaces, headbands, brooches, a purse, and more. “It’s our edgiest kit to date,” says Simon. Alex is also introducing Tots Collage by Color, the newest addition to the Tots Art Start line, which features craft projects and materials specifically designed for little artists ages 18 to 30 months. “The key factor is that the child can accomplish the project without the use of scissors or glue that they are not yet skilled to work with. The materials also contain things like pre-framed blank areas for coloring and collaging, so when they are finished their artwork is ready to hang and can be shown off anywhere, just like the older artists,” says Simon. Alex believes that even tots are capable of creative expression, so they attempt to provide them with the opportunity to do so with the Tots Art collection. “Collage by Color is one of the additions to the line that stays true to the Alex mission of building developmental skills while being creative. Collage by Color helps children begin to learn color sorting and matching, an excellent marriage with making art,” adds Simon. Since breaking into the U.S. market during holiday 2011, Australian manufacturer Moose Toys continues to make strides in the mass retail realm with its Blingles line, which speaks to many girls’ desire to create wearable art.
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The Blingles Jewelry Pack, which allows girls to bling things, is the newest addition to the Blingles line. The kit comes with all of the tools to create jeweled stickers for blinging the included jewelry. “Girls see the sparkly accessories of their favorite celebrities like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry and want to bling their belongings as well. We saw Blingles as an opportunity to give girls everything they need in one package—something that did not exist on the market—to ‘bling to life’ their favorite things,” says Tamara Stewart, vice president of marketing and strategy for Moose. While the arts and crafts category will always hold the interests of tweens and girls, some companies struggle to provide gender-neutral products or products that specifically target boys. According to Brilliant Sky’s Taylor, “the level of product innovation in this category definitely favors the girls. There are some good new products that at least fall into the gender-neutral category, such as Master Kitz from Kidzaw or the Sprayza line from Melissa & Doug.” Similar to Kidzaw and Melissa & Doug, Stewart says that Moose’s offerings experience a significant amount of crossover.
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“While some of our products tend to be gender-specific, including Blingles and Gelarti, we’ve found that there is definitely crossover with boys playing with the products intended for girls and girls enjoying the brands designed initially for boys. On the gender-neutral side, we introduced Fortune Cookie Maker this year,” says Stewart. The Fortune Cookie Maker, an activity kit that allows users to write, create, and decorate fortune cookies, has been popular among both boys and girls, says Stewart. According to Simon, Alex also has several lines that appeal equally to boys and girls, including Sticker Factory, which allows kids to make original stickers instantly, and Eco Crafts, which allows kids to complete Earth-friendly crafts with recycled materials. As parents search for art products that aren’t going to be depleted in one sitting, many turn to ecologically sound kits that tend to be less on the consumable and disposable side. Taylor says that his customers are looking for art products that provide hours of constructive play value, and they are more willing to make an investment if they know that the finished product will get a lot of use. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 59
Activities Craft a banner of patterned flags and paper flowers with the Fancy Fold & Cut Banner Kit, from American Girl. Kirigami is the art of folding and cutting paper to make elaborate designs. With this kit, kids use stencils to trace the designs onto folded paper. The kit includes 184 pieces and makes one banner.
Kids will love to build 3-D light-up constructions with the Cra-Z-Art Lite Brix Building System. Kids can build a Super Jet Fighter using connectors, special translucent pieces, and building bricks. Lite Brix is compatible with all other building bricks on the market, and all Lite Brix sets can be used and connected together. This building set was designed for children ages 6 and up.
Bling to life necklaces, bangles, and more with the Blingles Jewelry Pack, from Moose Toys. The Jewelry Pack comes with all of the tools needed—300 gems, a gem pen, gem mat, glue roll, transfer slides, and design templates—to create jeweled stickers for the included necklace, compact mirror, and two bangles. Each jeweled sticker adheres to any smooth surface. It’s designed for children ages 6 and up.
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With Magna Color, from Tech 4 Kids, children can magically transform designs into vibrant 3-D artwork by using the magnetic coloring studio and colorful 3-D Magic Dots. Kids can sweep dots into the sorter compartment and watch as the dots magically return into the pens with absolutely no mess. Themed stencil sets include Midnight Garden, Rainbow Sky, and Jungle Adventure, as well as licensed themes such as Angry Birds and Hello Kitty.
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The Voice Reaching Both Trade and Consumers
CONTACT: JONATHAN SAMET OR LAURIE SCHACHT ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP 307 7TH AVENUE, SUITE 1601 NEW YORK, NY 10001 TEL: 212-575-4510 FAX: 212-575-4521 WWW.ADVENTUREPUB.COM
Activities Crayola’s new Washable Sidewalk Chalk is the first sidewalk chalk featuring 48 classic Crayola crayon colors, as well as glitter and rainbow. The chalk is washable from sidewalks and driveways by spraying away with water. The new square shape prevents the chalk from rolling. Designed for children ages 4 and up, Washable Sidewalk Chalk is available in 12-,16-, 24-, and 48count varieties.
Kids can use their fashion-sense and imaginations to create some deliciously diva-tastic designs with Craft Candy Bow-tique Hair Couture, from RoseArt. Explore different styles with patterns in five different designs. Made for kids ages 8 and up, the kit includes 18 buttons, eight feathers, two plastic headband forms, couture clips, sticker gemstones, a clip barrette, and a bow-making designer tool.
New to The Bridge Direct’s Inkoos line of draw, wash, and redo plush, the Wipeout Inkoos are vinyl figures that can be decorated and then fully wiped clean with a damp cloth, allowing for endless creative expression in a new and trendy format. The all-white 5-inch figures come with three mini-markers, three glitter glue pens, and one sheet of glow-in-the-dark removable stickers.
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With the Colorgami Puppet Maker, from Wowopolis, kids will decide whether or not the brave knight will save the princess from the evil witch and her terrifying dragon when they color, create, and perform with the 15 different finger puppets and the special pop-out theater. The kit includes three Colorgami sheets with 15 finger puppets, one Colorgami sheet with a pop-out stage, and four washable markers. Colorgami was designed for children ages 4 and up.
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
T HE D EFINITIVE I NFORMATION S OURCE
FOR THE
T OY
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G IFT M ERCHANT
NEWS
ADORA DOLLS UNVEILS NEW LOOK
AND
PRODUCTS
Adora has infused its brand with a new identity, featuring new packaging, a redesigned website, and an assortment of products and price points for children of all ages. The new brand extensions include 200 products with 70 new dolls and accessories. The new offering includes 12-inch FabFairies soft, micro plush dolls for all ages; FlutterBabies with interchangeable wings and soft, micro plush with vinyl faces for all ages; SnuggleTime Babies with removable hoodies and soft, micro plush with vinyl heads for all ages; and BathTime Babies with a QuikDri body, built-in swimsuit, and colorful robe for children ages 12 months and up. Adora’s current collections, PlayTime, GiggleTime, NurseryTime, and Adora Friends, have all been updated with added features and a new look. In addition, Adora will continue to offer a wide selection of its Toddler dolls.
HABA
TO
DISTRIBUTE LILLIPUTIENS LINE
IN THE
U.S.
Haba is now the exclusive U.S. distributor of Lilliputiens products for babies and toddlers. Lilliputiens is based in Belgium and its toys are handmade in Asia. The line is designed by a team of five young, trend-conscious moms. The toys are made of soft materials, and the shapes, colors, and noises are intended to engage kids’ imaginations. Each Lilliputiens character has its own magical universe. Among the Lilliputiens products is The Ophelie Collection, which features Ophelie and her four chicks. Mother Ophelie is a puppet for larger hands, and the chicks, each embroidered with numbers one to four, are finger puppets. Parents can play with their children by using the puppets in role-playing and color matching games. Other products include The Romeo Collection. Romeo is a toad, made from a variety of textured materials that rattle, tinkle, and croak. In the toad’s mouth there are intricately designed creatures such as a squeaking fish, a textured crab, colorful manyarmed jellyfish, and a fly.
ABC KIDS EXPO, CBME ASIA, NURSERY FAIR FORGE ALLIANCE
AND
BPA/HARROGATE
As a result of meetings held during the 2012 ABC Kids Expo in Louisville, the ABC Kids Expo, Children’s Baby Maternity Expo, and the Harrogate Nursery Fair/Baby Products Association have formed an alliance of mutual cooperation and reciprocal pavilions in each other’s shows. The ABC Kids Expo, held annually, is the largest North American baby, maternity, and juvenile products exhibition; UBM Asia’s CBME is the largest Chinese exhibition in this sector; and the Harrogate Nursery Show is the only show of its kind in the UK. Due to the challenges of exhibiting internationally, all show management agreed that providing a turnkey exhibit for new-to-market companies was essential. In addition to pavilions in each other’s shows, each exhibition will hold export opportunity seminars at each respective exposition and receive additional publicity through co-marketing promotions.
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FUNDEX GAMES ACQUIRED BY PROPEL EQUITY PARTNERS
Propel Equity Partners, a private equity firm, has acquired Fundex Games Ltd., a leading maker of popular games. The assets of Fundex Games will be incorporated under the Ideal and Poof brands of PoofSlinky, Inc., makers of toys under the Slinky, Poof, Ideal, and Scientific Explorer brands. Poof-Slinky, Inc., was acquired by Propel Equity Partners in July.
NEW ORGANIZATION SEEKS TO HELP SPECIALTY RETAILERS CONNECT
This month marks the launch of Brixy, a new community of independent retailers in the juvenile industry looking to support sustainable growth in the specialty channel. Brixy is currently focused on building a community of retailers for retailers. The organization will help retailers connect in order to share new ideas and information. Brixy members will be able to interact via message boards, annual meetings and workshops, peer groups, and support from the Brixy staff. For manufacturers and sales representatives, Brixy seeks to improve members’ payment track record through improved cash flow and increase sales volume through a unified scale and national marketing to consumers. Brixy plans to give manufacturers a network of retailers for help with product development, beta testing new products or packaging, and forecasting. For more information about Brixy, visit www.brixy.com
ON THE COVER: A NEW THOMAS WOODEN RAILWAY LINE DEBUTS IN JANUARY 2013 FROM FISHER-PRICE AND HIT ENTERTAINMENT. FEATURED ARE THE NEW TIDMOUTH TIMBER CO. SET AND THE TIDMOUTH SHEDS DESTINATION.
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ASTRA’S INSIGHTS
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Retaining Top Employees: Strategies for 2013
by Kathleen McHugh, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) hen employees are happy, they are your very best ambassadors,” observed James Sinegal, former CEO of Costco. While a retailing giant like Costco may not have much in common with a typical independent toy store, both businesses depend on quality employees to help generate their profits and to represent their brand to customers.
Addressing Employee Turnover in 2013
This is a good time of year to be thinking about your store’s employees. When the holiday rush has ended, specialty toy store owners will take stock of 2012 and turn their attention to new strategies for 2013. When you set priorities, keeping your employees satisfied, energetic, and focused on selling ought to be high on your list. This is important for all retailers, but especially for specialty stores because top-notch service is a key point of differentiation in the competition with your big-box opponents. Members of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) can learn more about employee management on the ASTRA website (www.astratoy.org), by sharing experiences on ASTRA’s discussion boards, and at ASTRA’s annual Marketplace & Academy, to be held in Nashville June 16-19. Many ASTRA retailers can boast of stable, long-term relationships with key employees. A recent report by the Hay Group, however, indicated that retail employee turnover rates are rising, especially for part-time employees. According to their survey, one in five retailers saw increased turnover during the first half of 2012, 74 percent of employers said their employees left to pursue better opportunities, and 44 percent said employees walked out the door for more pay elsewhere.
Tips for Increasing Retention
What can specialty toy store owners do to minimize the risk that their valued employees will leave? Here are a few tips: Rethink training. Most retailers train with a focus on job functions, including selling techniques, approaching customers, understanding products, and operating the cash register. But do you also share your store’s mission, your vision of success, and your personal motivation and enthusiasm for the business? Do you build loyalty by providing ongoing formal and ad hoc training and professional development opportunities, such as attending ASTRA’s
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annual Marketplace & Academy? Training is not only a chance for you to build an employee’s skills, but their commitment as well. Give and get feedback. Many small business owners are refugees (by choice) from big corporations and their bureaucracies. It’s understandable that some store owners are inclined to dispense with practices like annual employee reviews. Not so fast, say retailing experts like Bob Phibbs. “People change their performance in response to any increase in attention paid to them,” says Phibbs. He recommends a review thirty days after a new employee starts, another in ninety days, and then every six months. For your best, think of it as a “stay interview” (as opposed to the exit interview), during which you ask about the employee’s expectations and how well they are being met, suggestions for increasing sales, and making operations go more smoothly. Offer new opportunities. For most specialty toy stores, employees’ core responsibilities center on sales floor activities. Are there other functions that high-performing employees might add to their responsibilities so they can grow and stay challenged? Perhaps working with vendors, designing displays, taking charge of social media or traditional media outreach, planning special events? Look for ways to give employees new opportunities to learn and take charge. Cultivate trust. All employees want to trust and respect their employers. From small things such as following through if you say you will do something, to big things such as demonstrating impeccable ethics and treating employees fairly, you can build loyalty through strong values. Show that your store is a good corporate citizen by participating in shop-local organizations, supporting community events, and contributing to charity. Say thank you. Thank your employees for good effort every day and when you are leaving in the evening. You can never say thank you too often.
Make Them Proud
Management guru Tom Peters once said, “the magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people.” In the specialty toy business, your employees are your best ambassadors. Perhaps your best business strategy for 2013 is to earn your employees’ commitment and loyalty and create a store for which they are proud to work. ●
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Thomas Rides into the Future and Back to Its Roots
by Jackie Breyer homas & Friends is one of the top children’s brands of all time and is well-known for its roots in the specialty market with the Thomas Wooden Railway. With Fisher-Price’s recent acquisition of Hit Entertainment, which includes the Thomas license, some specialty retailers have expressed concern for the brand’s integrity and doubts about the future of the Wooden Railway System at the specialty level. To alleviate these concerns, and because they too want to see Thomas ride to the top, FisherPrice has been working steadily with specialty retailers to make sure they get it right. The company understands that specialty retailers have unique needs and desire a more personalized relationship with their suppliers. The company is offering a variety of specialty-only exclusive products, including limited-release engines.
At a Glance —Rev. W Awdry published his first Thomas & Friends story, “Edward’s Day Out,” in 1945. Awdry came up with tales about the steam engines to entertain his young son when he was in bed with the measles. —More than 21 million pieces of track have been sold in the US. If you laid out all these pieces of track, you could drive your Thomas Wooden Engine from Boston to Cheyenne, Wyoming. —Thomas & Friends experienced a 35 percent month-to-month ratings growth in 2012 and has rated in the top two programs for children ages 2 to 5, for the first time ever, in August, September, and October. —200 million Thomas books and e-books have been sold to date. —The Thomas digital portfolio boasts 15 Thomas apps with 2 million downloads. —The new Thomas Wooden Railway line from Fisher-Price will feature more than 85 SKUs of engines, destinations, and track sets, all created from wood.
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Fisher-Price will offer specialty retailers premium wooden shelving displays and is supplying stores with the classic Thomas Wooden Railway play table, giving children a hands-on in-store experience. The company has also heard loud and clear that retailers and their consumers are expecting a return to the brand’s roots of high-quality product. For example, when reviewing initial product designs, specialty retailers requested taking out plastic parts and incorporating more wood. Specialty retailers also requested more innovation that they felt had been missing. Fisher-Price responded by introducing new features, such as multi-level play in the play sets, three-in-one destinations, and unique cargo loading features. Another impactful change is the age grading on the engines being lowered to ages 2 and up; previously, some engines were age graded for 3 and up. “That was a concerted effort for us because we realize that Thomas Wooden Railway is often a child’s first handshake with our brand,” says Rick Glankler, vice president, marketing, at Fisher-Price. “It was important that we safety tested everything for the consumer as they’re coming into the brand.” One of the retailers who worked especially close with Fisher-Price is Cindy Wyatt, CEO of Totally Thomas, Inc. With two brick-andmortar locations in California and steady Internet sales, Totally Thomas— as its name implies—has a strong relationship with the Thomas brand. Wyatt is also a rather vocal member of the specialty toy industry and, therefore, the perfect person to make sure things stay on track. While Wyatt says that with her stake in the Thomas brand—20 percent of her store is devoted to Thomas, plus 90 percent of her web sales—she was especially concerned about the brand being placed in the hands of a massmarket manufacturer. But, after working closely with the Thomas team at Fisher-Price, she is confident that she and her customers will be quite pleased with the product line.
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“They have been absolutely awesome in terms of consulting us [retailers],” says Wyatt. “They’ve been really leveraging the knowledge that we bring to the table. I’m seeing specific things in their new line that came out of those discussions. They have managed to focus on what’s important in the line, what the key things were, what we need in the line that is now missing, and I think they’re going to bring the line back to its classic focus that was the original appeal of the line.” Wyatt notes that in recent years the wooden line had evolved from its original appeal and was becoming “very plastic-y and ho-hum,” and felt that the perceived value for the price had dropped. “They’re bringing things back to the core values of wood in the line, and they’re really focusing on the right characters for the launch. They’ve taken some of their accessories and made little tweaks that really take a lot of the sets and accessories to a new level,” says Wyatt. Since the Wooden Railway is, in many cases, a child’s entry point to the brand at the youngest ages, it was important for Fisher-Price and Hit Entertainment to focus on bringing that line back to its roots. “The wood is the purest, most classic form of delivering the Thomas experience,” says Shari Donnefeld, vice president of global brands at Hit Entertainment. “It’s the young, classic, chunky, pure material that gets moms very excited. And kids can see how it’s spun out from the content. It gives them a chance to reenact the stories. It’s the storytelling and the train play that drive this brand.” With the product now headed to retail, the next task is making sure parents are informed. With all four Thomas train systems under one This page: Inspired by the spring 2013 DVD Go Go Thomas, the new Thomas Wooden Railway Search and Rescue destination features lights, sounds, and two levels of play. This destination will be offered exclusively in the specialty channel and is one of the items that introduces multi-level over/under play to Thomas Wooden Railway. Opposite page: The new Thomas Wooden Railway Farmhouse Pig Parade set will be offered exclusively at specialty retailers and includes a new cargo loading feature. Roll Thomas to the barn, press the roof, and the pigs “walk” into his cargo car.
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roof with Fisher-Price, the brand can be more efficiently marketed to parents and tailored to the way children interact with the brand at various stages of development. “We can help parents fully understand what the benefits are for each child,” says Donnefeld. “It’s motorized, it’s take-and-play portability, it’s the classic wood line. We need to help consumers understand how to navigate through our product and through a child’s preschool and early childhood to match the product to a child’s life stage.” Since today’s parents do much of their product research online, digital advertising will be a focus of the program’s outreach. “There will be a national digital advertising campaign focused on the wooden railway that talks about the benefits of Thomas and wooden train play for children,” says Glankler. “It’s driving traffic to individual retailers, whereas in the past it was left to the individual retailers themselves. Not only will it include banner ads and other digital spots on our site and other mom-related sites, we’re also creating a more robust mom destination on our website.” Glankler says the new destination will be more than just information about the brand; it will engage parents by discussing the value of wooden train play and the benefits it provides their children. “We’re having conversations with today’s mom in the way that she talks today,” says Glankler. “There are a lot of parents out there who are strong advocates for our brand, so it’s not just information for new moms, we’re also working on giving a voice to those advocates via social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Moms want to hear from other moms about the brand.” With marketing and promotions supported by Fisher-Price and Hit Entertainment, the Thomas brand and the revamped Wooden Railway line are sure to be top of mind with parents whose kids are ready to enter—or are already a part of—the world of Thomas & Friends. For many specialty retailers it may seem like a tremendous leap to carry Fisher-Price product in their stores, but the company says it is committed not only to delivering a fresh, innovative, high-quality line, but it is also striving to work with specialty retailers. According to Totally Thomas’ Wyatt, the Fisher-Price group working on the Thomas brand is indeed committed to working with specialty retailers. “It’s like they’re a separate group,” says Wyatt. “So far, I love these people.” ●
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Activities
Fall in love with the PlushCraft Heart Pillow, from THE ORB FACTORY. Use the stylus to punch pretty fabric and make this fun and easy fabric-by-number craft. This kit includes 400 regular and sparkling fabric pieces, one heart-shaped pillow, and one stylus. This no-mess piece of room dĂŠcor teaches number and pattern recognition and is designed for children ages 5 and up.
Wearables, from KID CONSTRUCTIONS, feature multiple die-cut corrugated pieces, offering construction play that transforms into roleplay as children create, construct, and wear their creations. Each Wearables kit comes with die-cut corrugated pieces that kids and adults can construct together to create a wearable-sized airplane, bulldozer, or Princess Carriage. The Wearables line was designed for children ages 4 to 10 and is eco-friendly, biodegradable, and recyclable.
An outfit topper or the main event, the Style Me Up Romantic Scarf, from WOOKY ENTERTAINMENT, is a stylish and colorful scarf created using a loop. The finished scarf is light and trendy for all kinds of outfits and occasions. Kids will use a knitting loom and hook, rainbow-colored yarn, soft yarn, and ribbons to create a one-of-a-kind scarf. The kit also comes with rhinestone stickers and color instructions and is designed for children ages 7 and up.
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With the Paint Your Own Porcelain kits, from MINDWARE, kids can paint and fire their own creations for a glossy, permanent finished product. The Porcelain Vase Set includes three different vases (each 5-inches tall); the Porcelain Bowl Set includes three bowls (each 4.5-inches in diameter). Both kits include 12 colors of porcelain paint, a paintbrush, reusable stencils, and illustrated instructions. The finished products are not food safe. The kits were designed for kids ages 8 and up.
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Activities
CABOODLE KIDS’ Alphabet Critter Crew Color-Me Placemats, a 52-page tear-off pad of placemats, is perfect for tapping into toddler and preschooler mealtime coloring creativity. A percentage of the profits each year are donated to non-profit organizations that support reading programs.
ALEX TOYS has added new and exciting wearable craft projects to the world of designing with its Duct Tape Messenger Bag and Duct Tape Jewelry kits. The Duct Tape Messenger Bag is large enough to fit books and school supplies. The Duct Tape Jewelry kit includes new silver and gold metallic duct tape colors, silver studs, plastic chains, a cuff bracelet, a purse template, hair clips, brooch pins, and more. Each kit contains easy instructions, and eight rolls of tape, and is designed for children ages 7 and up.
Do Art Collage, the latest craft kit from CREATIVITY FOR KIDS, teaches beginning artists techniques for creating art collages. Included is an instruction booklet with more than 20 pages outlining the history of collage, project tips and tricks, and inspiration for creating original collage artwork. Glue sticks, glitter glue, scissors, various types of collage paper, and backing boards are included as well.
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The Doodle Duvet, from DOODLE BY STITCH, is a giant wash-out sketchbook duvet cover that can be redesigned endlessly. The duvet is printed to look just like a sheet of oversized file paper, is 100 percent cotton, and comes with 10 wash-out pens. This duvet is great for messaging and sleepovers. Also available are the Doodle Apron and the Doodle Placemat.
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The eco-coloring book from ECO-KIDS is a 32-page coloring and activity book made from 100 percent recycled paper and soy ink. ecomarkers—made from fruits, plants, and vegetables—can be used to fill in this Woodland World activity book. eco-kids is a line of art supplies that gives children the tools to create using non-toxic, natural ingredients. The books are made using wind power.
EEBOO’s Waste-Not Animal Recycle Kits repurpose discarded materials by transforming them into toys. Each kit comes with die-cut felt, a plastic needle, and thread. Simple instructions show how to turn items, such as a water bottle or a yogurt container, into an adorable cloth friend, such as a fox, hedgehog, or Chameleon. Not only do the kits raise environmental consciousness, but they also teach children simple sewing skills. These kits are designed for children ages 5 and up.
Build up the fun with the Terra Kids Automobile Assembly Kit, from HABA. This quick activity produces a cool car with wind-up rubber band propulsion. Kids ages 6 and up can just loosen the parts from the wooden board and glue them together following the easy-to-understand instructions.
Kids can create their very own hydroponic garden and grow plants from seed, clone plants, and make root cuttings with the Everbearing Strawberry Hydro-Dome, from DUNECRAFT. Kids will grow plants in rock-wool net pots, which suspend the plants in the air at the perfect height for maximum nutrition and aeration. This kit comes with a greenhouse with a hydroponic rack, a hydro-pump, two-part nutrient packs, net pots, rock-wool, and strawberry seeds. The kit is safe for children ages 12 and up.
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
WHAT’S NEW
CharlieDog and Friends are plush toys based on real-life animal adoption success stories. The 17-inch toys, from new toy company CHARLIEDOG AND FRIENDS, come with a hang tag that tells the real pet’s story, a serial number, and a toy collar with the word “Adopt” embroidered on it. The collar can be used as a bracelet, worn to showcase support for pet adoption. CharlieDog and Friends plush toys were launched to raise both money and awareness for homeless pets. For every toy that is sold, CharlieDog and Friends will donate $5 to the shelter or rescue group from which the real-life pet came.
GOLDIEBLOX, INC., introduces Goldie Blox and the Spinning Machine, starring Goldie, the girl engineer who builds simple machines to solve problems and help her friends. Designed for children ages 5 to 9, the construction toy set introduces new engineering principles with each story, including lessons about wheels, axles, pulleys, force, and friction. Toy company founder Debbie Sterling, a Stanford engineer, launched this interactive book and construction toy series to fill the gender gap in the construction toy category. Goldie Blox and the Spinning Machine will be available as an e-book for the iPad and iPhone, with narration and animation for added fun.
WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS and CRYPTOZOIC ENTERTAINMENT introduce The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Board Game. The board game is based on New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ first film in a trilogy production. The board game captures the spirit of Bilbo Baggin’s adventures. To successfully complete the journey through Middle-earth, players must team up and cooperate to defeat treacherous creatures. One to four players will join forces with dwarves to overcome obstacles and reach the final battle.
DIGITAL TECH FRONTIER and POPAR TOYS have created a digital augmented-reality tech toy line that combines 3-D technology and video game interactivity. The Popar Toys line includes the Bugs 3D, Construction Machines 3D, and Planets 3D adventure kits. It also includes the Bugs 3-D book and cards, the Construction Machines 3-D book and cards, Planets 3-D book and cards, and Princess and Her Pals 3-D book. By scanning the patterned markers, 3-D objects and animations will pop off the books or cards on a computer, mobile device, or webcam. Users can download the free app and scan one of Popar’s products to learn and enjoy. The technologically advanced toy line is available on Google Play and the App Store.
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Eco-Friendly Toys A Growing Market
Environmental awareness is on the rise, and so is the demand for green products.
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by Christine Duhaime
n a generation of earth-conscious consumers and growing awareness of human impact on the environment, people are looking to purchase toys in an environmentally responsible way. More consumers are seeking products that are sustainably made, despite the sometimes higher cost of such items. Charlotte Wood, designer of Zeenie Dollz, explains, “the awareness for eco-friendly items has certainly increased over the past few years. In turn, consumers, particularly parents, are becoming more cautious about what they buy for their families and households and are willing to spend a little extra to either protect the environment or minimize toxic waste. The demand for eco-friendly items is also increasing among children as they learn about protecting the environment.” Zeenie Dollz, like many eco-friendly products, are not only sustainably produced, but send a message of awareness to children. Kristine Ford, marketing director at Green Kid Crafts, echos this sentiment. “Our Green Toys’ Submarine
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products are actually designed to promote eco-consciousness by getting kids excited about nature. In that way, we hope that we’re building a next generation of environmental stewards,” she says. Planet Happy Kids, based in Seattle, is a toy shop focused on providing its customers with a wide variety of green products for infants and children. For a product to meet its ecofriendly standards, it must be made from sustainable resources or recycled, must be sustainably harvested, and the workers involved must be paid fairly. Additionally, for every $10 spent at Planet Happy Kids, a tree is planted. Breah Furlong, store manager, says that a lot of parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles come to shop for these types of Green Kid Crafts’ toys because “they want to shop eco-friendly, Around the World Kit so they look for safe, fun items that are healthy for the planet and for their families.” The eco-friendly trend is on the upswing, says Ford. “It is continuing to grow rapidly as the trends in environmental awareness and health continue to build. We have noticed that kids today are extremely interested in social responsibility and sustainability.” Wood adds, “The market can only grow. There is a difference between those who say they support ecofriendly products and those who actually purchase them, but the demand is increasing and the market is expanding as people are becoming educated on the frightening consequences of what is happening to our planet, and what can happen if habits don’t change.” ●
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Eco-Friendly Toys Red Fish Introduces Colorful Puzzles
RED FISH puzzles encourage creativity and imagination, and help children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. All Red Fish products are handcrafted of rubber wood and use non-toxic paint or coatings. Kids can learn to count by creating the colorful snail, learn the alphabet by making a beautiful butterfly, or choose from many other fun designs.
Eco-Bonk Brings Bouncy Fun
Hug them, love them, watch them bounce back. ECO-BONK offers superior quality, rugged durability, and an earth-friendly vinyl that is manufactured with a revolutionary technology that enables it to biodegrade in any biologically active environment in nine months to five years. Kids can hug, love, bounce, and bonk Emma the owl, Noah the whale, and Lily the gibbon.
Plan Toys’ Stacking Bear Makes Learning Fun
PLAN TOYS’ Stacking Bear encourages child development and coordination. Kids can build the bear by stacking and matching the colorful blocks with the corresponding shaped grooves. Plan Toys protects kids and the environment by using preservative-free expired rubberwood trees. This toy is for children ages 18 months and up.
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Sweatertoys Are Earth-Friendly Friends
Cuddle up with a loyal elephant, an intelligent hippo, a mystical narwhal, or a host of other friends. SWEATERTOYS are handmade from recycled sweaters and vintage-inspired cotton accent fabric. Each Sweatertoy has hand-stitched eyes and is stuffed with polyester fiberfill made from recycled bottles. Sweatertoys are for kids ages 3 and up.
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Eco-Friendly Toys Zeenie Dollz Set Out to Save the Planet
ZEENIE DOLLZ are a new, vibrant series of eco-warrior dolls. Zeenie Dollz bring sustainability and an eco-friendly mission to the toy world. They are made of 100-percent sustainable material, and a portion of every Zeenie Dollz sale is donated to the World Wildlife Fund. Zennia is the first eco-warrior in the series. She represents Mother Earth, the protector of our planet. As the giver and sustainer of life on earth, Zennia is passionate about combating the evil anti-environment villains that threaten to destroy the world.
Under the Nile’s Scrappys Waste Not
UNDER THE NILE’s Scrappys are made from 100-percent organic Egyptian cotton scraps left over from clothing production. The 10-inchlong, slim-body design makes Scrappy Cats and Scrappy Dogs easy to hold. Quirky and colorful, they are machine-washable and dryer-safe.
All Aboard the Name Train
Green Toys’ Seaplane Takes Off
The GREEN TOYS Seaplane is ready for earth-friendly excitement in the sky or out at sea. Made from 100-percent recycled plastic milk jugs, this buoyant yellow and green floatplane features a spinning propeller and chunky, oversized pontoons. Specially designed to float when taken into the bathtub or pool, young captains can easily navigate from water to air and back again. This toy contains no BPA, phthalates, PVC, or external coatings, and also meets FDA food contact standards. It is designed for ages 1 and up and is made in the U.S.
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These approximately 2- to 2.5inch-tall magnetic wooden name train letters from MAPLE LANDMARK fit on their own train track, as well as the wood tracks of Brio, Thomas Wooden Railway, and many other brands. Name trains make a unique personalized gift for a newborn baby, toddler, boy or girl, ages 3 and up.
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BeginAgain’s Scented Scoops Are Deliciously Sustainable
Kinderfeets Prepares Kids for “Big Bikes”
KINDERFEETS is an eco-friendly push bike that helps kids ages 2 and up learn to ride and balance as they prepare for big bikes. Kinderfeets bikes feature EVA airless, biodegradable tires, minimal packaging made from recycled paper, foot pegs, a washable seat, ergonomic seat and handlebar position, and a stepthrough frame. Kinderfeets is available in six different colors of chalkboard finish—kids can doodle or practice writing—or a natural finish. Every Kinderfeets bike is made from fast-growing birch trees, and every tree used is replanted. One Kinderfeets is donated to Toys for Tots for every 50 sold.
The 100-percent compostable Scented Scoops play set from BEGINAGAIN includes a beech wood serving tray that holds six birch wood cones. Each cone can be topped with one or more of the six deliciously scented “scoops,” made from rubberlike corn starch bio-resin (two vanilla, two chocolate, and two strawberry). Scented Scoops is for kids ages 3 and up, and is made in the U.S.
Greenpoint Brands Debuts My Natural Eco Teether
Haba Introduces Pure Nature Organic Ball
HABA’s line of Pure Nature Organic toys offers eight new products, including the Magic Leaf Ball. Little ones will love exploring the many colors and ridges of the 6-inch ball. Pastel colors with different designs and different acoustical surprises in each “leaf” adorn each section of this sensory toy. The ball is made from high-quality organic cotton, and filled with polyester for easy washing and healthy drying.
My Natural Eco Teether, from GREENPOINT BRANDS, is a perfect choice in teething and sensory stimulating infant fun. The Eco Teether is toxin-free and features a U.S.-made plant-based bio material made from corn. This multi-sensory teether is designed to soothe and stimulate sore gums for young babies. The fun animal shape makes it easy to grip while entertaining baby and encouraging sensory exploration.
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MEDIA CENTER
Angelina Ballerina is a mouseling who knows how to celebrate the big world of dance. Grab your dancing shoes, step up, and join Angelina Ballerina and her friends in the new, fiveepisode collection Angelina Ballerina: Dance Around the World, available on DVD, Digital Download, and On Demand January 8 from LIONSGATE and HIT ENTERTAINMENT. Along with Angelina and her friends’ exploration of dances around the world, the DVD includes two karaoke music videos and a Create Your Own Dream Routine game. For children ages 2 to 6, Angelina Ballerina: Dance Around the World will teach the power of dance and friendship.
With mostly acoustic music, Grammy-nominee Justin Roberts released his first collection of original nighttime songs for families on November 20. Lullaby is for those wee hours just before bedtime. These 10 new songs present a mix of genres, including elegant moments of chamber music, snatches of 1970s soft rock, and sleepy bossa nova and R&B grooves. The drifty guitar and keyboard phrasing of “Count Them As They Go” and plucky pizzicato strings of “Heart of Gold” help set the tone of these new songs written for bedtime. Composed and arranged by Roberts, the songs feature various guests such as members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and female vocalists from the Chicago production of the musical Hairspray. The record is produced by CARPET SQUARE RECORDS.
Preschool of Rock defines life as rhythm with the December 4 release of their third studio CD, Everything Makes a Sound. Produced by PRESCHOOL OF ROCK RECORDS, Everything Makes a Sound features singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Napolitano. Michael is aware that rhythm, an intrinsic aspect of childhood from patty cake to jumping rope, provides for individual development and a framework for social connections with other kids. On this record, he’s included tribal rhythms (“Safari Song”), indie melodic hooks (“Shake It”), and even punk beats (“Cupcake Song”). His Preschool of Rock recordings are also influenced through his time with the Blue Man Group’s creative production department.
From the editors of the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION’s Ranger Rick magazine comes Ranger Rick’s Tree House, a highly-interactive magazine app. The app revamps the way children ages 7 to 12 read magazine-like content on digital devices. Launched December 5, the app allows kids to enter the world of Ranger Rick’s home in the Deep Green Wood, which is full of clickable animal stories, comic adventures, games, animal videos, nature activities, and wildlife mysteries, on their iPad. The app will be available in the Apple Newsstand and App Store.
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Getting a Read on Children’s Publishing NEW
AND
UPCOMING BOOKS
In The Dark, published by LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, an imprint of Little, Brown and Co., young Laszlo is afraid of the dark, but the dark is more afraid of him. The dark lives in Laszlo’s house, spending most of its time in the basement. Thanks to his nightlight, the dark doesn’t visit Laszlo in his bedroom. Until one night, it does. Author Lemony Snicket and illustrator Jon Klassen tell a universal and empowering story about conquering fear. Kids will witness a brave boy’s journey to meet the dark, and see why it will never bother him again.
KIDS
Fuzzwippers Find Good Listeners, published by 4 SUNFLOWERS MEDIA, follows Fuzzoola the Fuzzwipper and Katherine as they share an adventure to help others learn how to communicate with their buddies. The Fuzzwippers are imaginary creatures that reach out to children or anyone who needs a friend, assuring them that they are wanted and needed. Fuzzwippers appear at the change of each season. A list of listener tips for kids is located at the end of the book, including tips such as “listen with your whole body,” and “take turns talking.” The book, written by Marilynn Halas and illustrated by Jeremy Provost, is the second in a collection of 10 storybooks that facilitate children’s social-emotional development. This book is suitable for kids ages 3 to 7.
In Doug Unplugged, from ALFRED A. KNOPF, a division of Random House, Doug is a robot whose parents want him to be smart. Each morning they plug him in and start the information download. After a morning spent learning facts about the city, Doug suspects he could learn even more by going outside and exploring. So, Doug unplugs. What follows is an exciting day of adventure and discovery. The book, by Dan Yaccarino, is a funny story of robot rebellion and a reminder that sometimes the best way to learn about the world is to go out and be in it.
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FOR
Sally Simon Simmons’ Super Frustrating Day, published by THE MOTHER CO., follows little, red-haired whippersnapper Sally, who is hilariously tasked with building a milehigh, super tall sandwich in class. She sets off with gusto but when her efforts don’t achieve the results she’d hoped for, she gets frustrated and wants to give up. With the help of her teacher, Sally learns that patience and practice ultimately help her triumph. This book is suitable for kids ages 2 to 5.
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What Happened When Mommy Got Cancer was written by 7-year-old Mathuin Smith about his experience of discovering that his mother was sick. Smith recounts watching his mom go through treatment and how terrified he felt as his mother began to lose her hair. He found comfort when his mom began to wear her wigs. He even put on her wigs to make himself feel like a rock star. In the end, Smith says he wrote the book for other kids who are trying to find strength and to make sense of a loved one’s illness. The book is illustrated by Ranya Ghazaly and is published by his mom, JOCELYNE SMITH.
When Sheldon Bilberry, a young boy from Jaloonsville, finds out that his favorite grocer’s blueberry stock is being replaced with cakes, cookies, and doughnuts by a new delivery driver, Sheldon comes to the rescue. Sheldon, with the help of his friends and family, starts a blueberry farm. It’s there that he becomes an antioxidant super hero. Join Sheldon on his blueberry adventure in Sheldon, The Antioxidant Super Hero of Jaloonsville, written by Melissa Jones. The book is the second installment in the The Blueberry Boy Series, published by MELISSA’S BOOK PUBLISHING, LLC.
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He’s big. He’s funny. He’s not real. Or is he? The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot, from SIMON AND SCHUSTER, is a clever twist on the story of the boy who cried wolf, told from the point of view of an unexpected narrator. Written and illustrated by Scott Magoon, the story is told through snappy text and lighthearted illustrations. The book demonstrates the value of telling the truth, the importance of establishing trust, and the possibility that a beast created to get attention can become a real-life friend.
Kushka: the Dog Named Cat, from SPORTS CHALLENGE NETWORK PUBLISHING, is the story about—well—a dog whose name means cat. In this 32-page book illustrated by Jim McWeeney and written by Eli Kowalski, kids will follow Kushka in her daily routine of fun. Kushka is a beautiful white Maltese dog who, by virtue of her name, thinks that she is a cat and acts that way, too. The book is also available in e-book format for iPad, Kindle, and Nook.
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Design Drives Behavior at Trade Shows by Martin Smith, founder and president of BuyingBehaviorMETRICS
here are four fundamental reasons why exhibitors go to trade shows and other events:
do
• To build awareness of who the exhibiting company is and what they
• To prompt consideration of their products and/or services to solve a specific problem • To motivate preference of their products and/or services over the audiences’ current suppliers • To drive conversion of the attendees into loyal users of their products and services.
Creating Your Space
Whatever your reason for exhibiting, to get the best results you will need a welldesigned exhibit space to achieve your goals and objectives. Start at square one. Ask your team, “Why are we going to this show?” or “What behaviors do we want attendees to act on?” Then, design your booth to facilitate traffic flow and to match your sales process. You need to ask these questions because every behavior is driven by design. You drive through a fast food restaurant because it’s designed for you to do that. Booth design is the same. It drives attendees to do certain things—both positive and negative. If the architecture gets in the way, you’ve lost an opportunity. That means that although your booth may be professional and visually appealing, it may be an obstacle to achieving your goals and objectives. In fact, companies typically design or redesign their booths by
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choosing what looks good without measuring its effectiveness against their goals. Booth architecture and structures within your booth might seem obvious when you sit down to design your exhibit, but even the biggest design houses often overlook some of the most basic design rules. For example, exhibitors use carpet to stand out on the show floor, but changes in carpet color can create a force field effect between the aisle and the booth. This means that many booth designs make attendees subconsciously uncomfortable about stepping from the aisle carpet onto the exhibit carpet if there’s a strong contrast between the colors of the two spaces. Unless the booth staff invites them in, they’ll stay in the aisle where they feel safe. Walls displaying a company’s products and services can have the same effect. Towering castle-like walls can be intimidating, especially if the courageous attendees who dare to enter the exhibit are forced to gain access through a narrow entry point. In addition to creating a barrier that keeps out attendees, these booth structures drive the behavior of booth staff. The walled-in, closed-off space creates a gathering area for staff to cluster or hide out. As a result, attendees get ignored. Open architecture improves traffic flow and eliminates these staff “safe zones.”
Staff Conduct
The No. 1 attendee complaint is the inability to find a staffer to answer their questions. Sometimes the architecture is to blame for this, but it can also be a result of your staff’s attitude. Some staff members view booth
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duty as a chore rather than a sales opportunity. Instead of interacting with visitors, they use their time to catch up on reading sales materials, texting their friends, or browsing the Internet. Why would professionals act this way? More than likely, your sales team is used to closing deals in a controlled environment, such as a conference room or an office. On a trade show floor, they’re out of their element. Plus, interaction with prospects on the trade show floor is very different than a scheduled meeting with a client. Also, the “Hi! How are you?” approach they use to kick off a meeting in a client’s office does nothing to drive the sales process with booth visitors. Consequently, you need an effective training program to provide your staff with the necessary tools for them to bridge the gap between the two experiences. That may mean extra work on your part, but the payoff is worth it. A knowledgeable sales force drives interaction, and the success of each member of your team feeds back on itself. Staffers don’t want to be bored or hide from attendees. In fact, they should police each other to stay active and engaged.
Quality vs. Quantity
For some exhibitors, numbers are all-important. But too many visitors can result in a bad first impression of your company. For example, if your exhibit attracts 100 people and only 20 interact with your staff, the other 80 attendees have no interaction. Depending on how they deal with being “ignored,” they’ll either have no opinion of your company or a negative impression of it. Instead of concentrating on numbers, aim to provide all your visitors with a good “experiential imprint.” Make sure every attendee leaves your exhibit feeling he or she has had an incredible experience. This may have included a great presentation, a hands-on product demo, or a personal interaction with a knowledgeable staffer. Add to this the physical experience of your booth’s design and you’ve imprinted your company and its products favorably on the attendee’s memory. When an attendee has a positive experience in your booth and not in a competitor’s, he or she is even more disappointed with the competitive experience. That
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makes the good imprint a winner for you in more ways than one. When planning for your next show, remember that design guides traffic flow and drives the behavior of your staff. It can help you deliver the kind of positive experience that creates a good buzz about your company and builds successful business relationships. ●
For more than two decades, Martin Smith, founder and president of BuyingBehaviorMETRICS, has helped trade shows and its exhibitors realize millions of dollars in increased revenues and reduced costs. Smith is considered an expert on the purchase experience and buying behavior marketing at trade shows. Smith has published three books, The New Exhibitor, Orange Belt for Exhibitors, and The Show Approach. These publications, nearly 100 video tapes on trade show-related topics, and other information about how his company uses Lean Six Sigma methodology to maximize his clients’ return on investment, are available on the BuyingBehaviorMETRICS website, www.bbmgo.com.
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the bar
Raising
The Consequential Non-Disclosure Agreement How to Get the Most Out of Your Agreement Through Personalization
by Howard N. Aronson
F
or many toy companies, intellectual property, customer lists, marketing, and business plans rank among their most valuable assets. So when a new product is announced, a business is sold or merged, third-party mold makers or engineers are engaged, or even when a cost estimate is obtained from a fabricator or potential vender, there is a need to protect confidentiality. While one of the simplest of agreements, typically adapted from a ubiquitous “standard” form, the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) should always be reviewed before each transaction. There is no “one size fits all” NDA. It is important to consider on which side of the transaction you stand, and then assess which of the various components of an NDA should be revised for your benefit. Some of the important components of an NDA are: Parties: When dealing with large corporate entities, be certain that the
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agreement binds parent, subsidiary, and/or affiliate companies that are key to the purpose of the transaction and the disclosure. Intent: It is usually best for both parties, in the preamble or beginning of the agreement, to characterize the purpose or intent for disclosing the information (new product development or evaluation; business sale or merger; joint venture or license; fabrication estimates, etc.). Definition of Confidential Information: Depending upon whether you are disclosing or receiving information and things, it is important to know whether the obligation runs to
documents and material in tangible form or whether it also relates to verbal discussions, PowerPoint presentations, or business banter related to the purpose of the agreement. Be careful to consider whether the agreement mandates that any documents falling within the agreement be marked “confidential” or that the obligations run to documents and things that have been provided pursuant to the purpose of the agreement, whether or not so marked. Exclusions: Most NDAs exclude information that is publicly known at the time of the disclosure or that
NDA Areas of Revision • Definition of “confidential information;” • The obligations of confidentiality and the individuals or entities to which it extends; • The exclusions from the obligation to keep confidential; • The duration of both the agreement and the confidentiality obligations; • Provisions related to governing law, venue, and jurisdiction. DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
subsequently becomes publicly known through no fault of the receiving party. Also typically excluded is information known by the receiving party before disclosure, known by the receiving party through legitimate means other than from the disclosing party, or required to be disclosed by law. In proving whether confidential information was known or created by the receiving party before the execution of the NDA, the disclosing party often benefits from mandates that such be proven by dated documentary evidence. Obligations of the Receiving Party: While the agreement may provide that a party or entity executing the NDA maintain the confidentiality of information, it is important to have more detail. It is often prudent to have the agreement recite that the receiving party shall restrict access of confidential information to only those employees, contractors, and third parties who are reasonably required to effect evaluation (such as attorneys or accountants) and who shall be notified of the confidential obligations. With respect to contractors and third parties, consider including an obligation that they be required to sign non-disclosure restrictions at least as extensive as the underlying NDA. The object is preventing the receiving party from making your confidential information publicly known. Duration: It is important to con-
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sider from your point of view of the transaction whether there should be a time period—such as the common two, three, or five years—or whether it should be perpetual, meaning that it remains in effect until the confidential information no longer qualifies as a trade secret or otherwise falls within the exclusions. NDAs often recite that nothing in the agreement shall constitute that the parties are partners, joint ventures, or the like, for purposes of liability. A well-written NDA will provide boilerplate legal provisions governing law, venue, and jurisdiction—meaning that it defines the laws of a specific state that shall apply should there be the need to litigate the agreement. It would also define which courts in what geographic location should hear the dispute between the parties. While other legal considerations, such as integration and severability, are points your attorney is best suited to consider, most parties benefit from the inclusion of these two legal principles. Severability means that if a court finds any provision invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of the agreement is interpreted to
affect the intent of the parties and enforced. Integration means that the agreement encompasses the complete understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior proposals, discussions, agreements, and undertakings to avoid any prior negotiations being misunderstood. While NDAs are common and most often short, there are areas that should always be reviewed to see if they benefit your side of the transaction. It is common to negotiate revisions so that they further ■ your position.
Howard N. Aronson has provided legal counsel to toy industry companies for the past 30 years. He is the managing partner of Lackenbach Siegel LLP, an intellectual property law firm recognized for its nine decades of handling toy company issues. Contact Howard at haronson@LSLLP.com or (914) 723-4300.
THE TOY BOOK • 85
TV and Toys: The Best Marriage Ever by Stuart Fischer
T
oy and television tie-ins were all the rage in the 1980s, but by the end of the decade toy and television companies found new inspiration from a different source, a development that gave birth to a pop culture icon. In late 1987 it was announced to the press that a little-known, but successful, black-and-white comic book, created and published just three years earlier by artist Kevin Eastman and writer Peter Laird, would be the subject of a major toy line and television show. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an example of how multiple industries can come together. And with some ingenuity on both the creative side of the property as well as the marketing side, how those industries can turn an idea into a phenomenon. Because Eastman and Laird’s resources were limited, they published their comic book in black and white, an already out-dated practice, in hopes that word-of-mouth would gain TMNT initial success and a solid fan base. Their wish came true. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did have a pretty good debut for a comic
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Part three of a series book published by the creators themselves, without the benefit of a large publisher behind it. After several issues, it attracted a following all its own. This comic book was a very clever creation. It featured four human-like turtle hybrids, each in his teens, with terrific martial arts skills. They lived in the sewer and answered to a human rat-like hybrid, a sensei-like leader guiding them to combat crime. Readers of the comic books were enthralled with the concept and soon it was selling very well. This off-beat creation got the attention of Mark Freedman, a licensing agent. He saw the potential in this comic for licensed products and for television, possibly even movies, and signed the two creators and their company, Mirage Productions, and began to represent them to the licensing community. A few small deals were made with a few manufacturers and the products sold quite well. A new comic publisher came onboard and published reprints of the original black-and-white comics and this added even more exposure to the
A Donatello action figure, from Playmates Toys, based on the original 1988 TMNT
TMNT. Then Mark Freedman and his Surge Licensing struck a deal with then-small independent toy company Playmates, based in Southern California, to produce a line of toys, which would come into the market in late 1987. At the same time, Sachs Family Entertainment, headed by advertising executive Jerry Sachs, contacted small independent animation studio Murakami, Wolf, Swenson Films (MWS) to provide the animation services for a five-part animated mini-series based on the original comic book. It would coincide with the introduction of the Playmates toy line in December of 1987. It was looking up for the little green guys in turtle shells. At Toy Fair in 1988, the entire toy industry was abuzz about the promising new property. The toys were selling very well, and the television show, airing five days a week in the fall of 1988, proved successful. It was syndicated by Group W. Licensing deals, ranging from T-shirts to coloring books, cropped up all over,
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and the products sold, bringing in enormous revenue to all parties concerned. MWS, the producer of the mini-series, continued as the show’s animation production company and the show, which received grand exposure because of its prime-time slots in most markets, helped boost sales of the toy products from Playmates Toys. Playmates Toys aggressively supported the show with advertising dollars. The comic books became more popular than ever, and at one time three different comic book publishers could barely keep up with the demand. Mirage sold the black-and-white comic book; Archie sold a new color comic book with new stories; and First Publishing sold graphic novels in color. This is the ultimate example of how genuine creativity and imagination, combined with expert marketing and cooperation, can create a hit. TMNT made small companies into big companies, and each company involved with the property went on to great things because of the credibility they gained by being associated with it. Freedman and Surge Licensing won an award for excellence from a licensing organization for his work on TMNT, and he became a leading figure in the licensing business. Playmates Toys became a major toy company and went on to acquire various TV and movie licenses, including Star Trek and The Simpsons, and produced other toys, such as Waterbabies. All did well, although not as well as TMNT. MWS became a major TV animation studio that continued with TMNT until its final episode and was responsible for both the first-run syndicated show and the CBS Saturday morning show. MWS
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TMNT action figures, from Playmates Toys, based on the 1988 television series
produced other shows for both the networks and first-run syndication, but it remained known as the studio that the turtles built. Eastman and Laird continued to oversee TMNT and went on to other projects, but they will be remembered most as the creators of a pop culture icon. TMNT has since been sold to Nickelodeon and plans for new licensing programs, a new cartoon series, and even new movies are well underway. It should not be forgotten that in 1990, two very important major endeavors took place in the lives of the little green fellows. Judy Price, then-vice president of programming at CBS, made a deal with Mirage and Surge Licensing to produce new episodes for CBS’ Saturday morning lineup, making the TMNT larger than ever. Also in 1990, the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles motion picture was released by Golden Harvest Films and New Line Cinema and went on to earn
more than $100 million in the U.S. and Canada. Nothing since has come close to replicating the TMNT model. TMNT proved that comic books are a wonderful source of material to be tapped into for not only movies and TV, but also for toys and for other consumer products. It is not just the classic characters like Superman and Spider-Man that have that potential for greatness. The lesser known characters should not escape anyone’s attention. ■ Stuart Fischer has worked at Universal Studios, where he helped develop shows to be sold to networks, as well as Hanna-Barbera Productions, where he developed shows to be sold to the networks and to the first-run syndication market. Fischer has written the books Kids’ TV: The First 25 Years and The Hanna-Barbera Story: The Life and Times of TV’s Greatest Animation Studio, as well as various magazine and trade journal articles. He also created his own comic book, The Man-O-Saurs.
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The Toy Book Volume 28, Number 6 THE TOY BOOK (ISSN-0885-3991) is published bi-monthly by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Editorial and advertising offices are located at 307 Seventh Ave., Room 1601, New York, NY 10001, Phone (212) 575-4510. Periodicals Postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2013 Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. Subscription rates: $48 one year, foreign $200. The Toy Book is a trademark of Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Toy Book, c/o Adventure Publishing Group, PO Box 47703 Plymouth, MN 55447. Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of the management of The Toy Book.
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Advertiser Index
Adventure Publishing Group .....................................................................................................................................................................................................61 ALEX...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................47, 59 Carrera........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................37 Cloud B....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................S11 Delta Children’s Products....................................................................................................................................................................................................35, 92 Dub Garage Toys .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................45 Eastcolight..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................27 Guangzhou Litong Exhibition Co. Ltd......................................................................................................................................................................................55 Jada Toys....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................41 Kids Preferred ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................53 Laser Pegs................................................................................................................................................................................................................................2, 3 Maisto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4, 31 Neat-Oh! International...............................................................................................................................................................................................................29 NPD ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................57 Pocket People Avenue................................................................................................................................................................................................................13 Small World Toys ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................S7 Spielwarenmesse..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 TOMY........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................25 Toy Industry Association .........................................................................................................................................................................................................S17 UL-STR......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................49 Women in Toys ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................87 Yomega ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................91 THE AD INDEX IS PUBLISHED AS A COURTESY. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO BE ACCURATE, LATE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES IN LAYOUT MAY RESULT IN ERRORS OR OMISSIONS.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
THE TOY BOOK •
89
Flashback: December/January 1993 1.
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1. Novelty toys such as OddzOn Products’ Koosh Critters have become instant strong sellers at retail. 2. Mattel’s Totally Hair Barbie is wildly popular across Europe. 3. Kenner Products keeps in fashion with the EZ 2 Do Fashion Machine. 4. Classic Games’ Cheers trivia game, licensed from Paramount, features questions based on episodes of the show. 5. Sega’s new CD-ROM peripheral attaches to the 16-bit Genesis system. Games reperesent a new level of game play called True Video that looks and sounds like television. 6. The Interactive Talking Typewriter by Blue Box/Tectron USA helps children ages 2 to 6 to learn the alphabet and read.
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5. U. S . Ju dg e Rul e s T ha t Wor d “S oa ke r ” D e fi n e s Wa t e r G un s A Federal judge ruled that the word “soaker” sums up the “essential purpose” of a water gun. By ruling so, the judge settled the court battle between Larami Corp. and Talk To Me Products stating that Larami Corp.’s Super Soaker does not infringe on Talk To Me Product’s trademark application on its battery-operated Totally Rad Soaker. The judge said that the word “soaker” was too common and was a descriptive term that could not be copyrighted in this instance.
90 • THE TOY BOOK
Ty c o, C hil dr en ’s T e l ev i s ion Wor k s hop Si gn 10 -y ea r L i c e n s i n g A g r e e m en t Tyco Toys announced a 10-year licensing agreement with Children’s Television Workshop to develop toys and other children’s products based on the Sesame Street program and characters. Richard Grey, chairman and president of Tyco, said the agreement should generate an excess of $1 billion in sales over the 10-year period. Tyco will market the products through its newly created Tyco preschool division.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013