Feature - Wheeled Toys

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It’s beginning to feel like summer is finally on its way, and with it the promise of many an outdoor adventure on wheels. Toy World finds out what’s new to the Wheeled Toys category for this year, and how recent developments in transportation law could shape the way kids and their families get around.

In previous Wheeled Toy articles, we’ve often touched upon the legalities (or rather, illegalities) of eScooter use in public places. It’s long been a frustration for both manufacturers and commuters that riding a privately owned electric scooter in a public place could land you a healthy fine, points on your licence, or – as in the case of some unfortunate riders – a total driving ban (even before your provisional licence is issued). Only hire schemes, run as part of government trials, have provided any form of sensible, regulated compromise: eScooters are currently only legal for use on roads if they are hired as part of such schemes and have safety features such as speed limits of 15.5mph and automatic lights. More than 30 towns and cities – including London, Newcastle, Bristol and Bournemouth – are already operating rental trials.

However, that’s all about to change; privately owned eScooters will be legalised for use on public roads and cycle lanes in the UK as part of the government’s new Transport Bill, a change announced in mid-May following suggestions made by the transport secretary Grant Shapps and even the Prince of Wales, while addressing the state opening of parliament on behalf of the Queen, that a major change was on its way.

At present, no one quite knows exactly what privately-owned eScooter legislation and regulation will look like, and it is likely to remain a contentious issue - as it has since the first eScooters made their way under the feet of consumers. But there’s no denying that their popularity continues to soar, and manufacturers are no doubt pleased by the opportunities the move creates.

DGL Group is one such manufacturer. Pritesh Dave, EMEA sales manager at DGL Group, tells Toy World that while demand for its Hover-1 products continues to increase across all product platforms, it has increased further still since Prince Charles’ speech. He says: “Not only has it been confirmed that eScooters will be legalised on UK roads, the government has made it clear that implementing new regulations to allow for this will be made a priority in the coming months. This is very exciting.”

According to Pritesh, DGL’s Hover-1 brand is on course for its biggest year in both the UK and internationally. Its success will be bolstered in autumn/winter when the brand’s latest launches hit the market including its first eScooter for kids aged just five and over. This new ride-on features lean-tosteer technology which DGL says mitigates the safety issues posed by run of the mill handlebars, and will be nothing less than hi-vis thanks to its generous numbers of LED lights. Both features will appeal to parents and caregivers keen to get out on scooters with their kids in a safe way.

As eScooters continue to ramp up in popularity, so to do skateboards. Skateboarding was featured in the Olympics last year, and the stunning bronze medal performance of 13-year-old Sky Brown has inspired huge numbers of kids to take up the hobby. One For Fun was typically very quick to get its Ozbozz brand skateboards to market, and this year is joined in the sub-category by HTI, which has unveiled five new skateboard models under its best-selling Evo brand, and MV Sports, which is launching a Nerf-licensed skateboard complete with a backpack and blaster, for blasting on the go.

Licences continue to inject fun into the Wheeled Toys category elsewhere, too. As we all know, 2022 is a massive movie year, with a raft of blockbusters on the way that promises to make up for the two-year movie drought caused by the pandemic – and then some. Those companies that specialise in filmlicensed wheeled items will no doubt be looking to the months ahead in great anticipation. MV Sports offers a very strong range of licensed ride-ons, featuring Spider-Man, Batman, Encanto and more, and this year welcomes Lightyear to its portfolio, launching a selection of scooters, skateboards and bikes based upon the upcoming Disney Pixar animation. MV is also launching new products based on some of the hottest pre-school licences of the moment: Bluey and CoComelon. There’s also a new range based on MGA Entertainment’s Rainbow High, which brings aspirational fashion-forward ride-ons to the wheeled aisle.

For Huffy, this year is very much about Disney, Marvel and Lucas Film bikes, according to Jon Tilley, general manager – EMEA at United Wheels, which distributes the US-household brand this side of the pond. Huffy has just launched 24 new licensed bikes, including some specific retailer-exclusive bikes, and United Wheels is very optimistic about how they will perform in the marketplace. Jon tells us: “We work very closely with the Disney team to coincide our launches with new releases. We can’t wait to unveil our new Lightyear bikes - they look amazing.”

Huffy only arrived in the UK in late 2021. The brand launched at a selection of major retailers at the end of last year, and United Wheels sold every bike it had brought to these shores. Since then, Jon says, the company has launched more new ranges of Huffy kids bikes and Huffy Disney bikes across multiple retailers and platforms. He adds: “Huffy is the No.1 bike brand in the US, with 30% of the market share of the mass market sector. If we can get close to those sorts of numbers here, then we can pat ourselves on the back.”

Perfect for the youngest end of the Bikes market, a number of new balance bikes are launching this year. In a further expansion of its Evo brand, HTI is introducing new Evo Balance Bikes, and Swag Distribution is bringing the Strider brand to the market. Suitable for children aged 18 months and upwards, each Strider bike is designed to encourage independent riding for every child, without the need for stabilisers. Swag is hugely enthusiastic about distributing the Strider range. Carly Kelleher, national key account coordinator, says: “This is a well-known, well-loved brand that is sure to get lots of people very excited.”

Plum also has wheeled offerings for the youngest of riders. The company’s Globber Explorer Trike 4-in-1 is an all-in-one baby tricycle and kids balance bike that grows with children thanks to four thoughtfully designed modes: infant trike, guided trike, training trike and balance bike. This means the ride-on will see kids through years of outdoor adventures, not just months.

Wheeled toys tend to sit within the upper price bracket of the toy market, and consumer spending is arguably under more pressure than it has been in decades. Spiralling energy and fuel costs, interest rates, food prices and more mean adults have less expendable income, so, much like during the pandemic, it’s likely they will turn to trusted brands that offer the best return for each pound spent. A quality ride-on is an investment that will last years, so it’s no surprise that Timo Gerold, managing director, Hong Kong, at HTI Toys, says the company is seeing increased demand for value-for-money offerings, driven, in his opinion, by the current economic situation and outlook for the coming years. HTI is supporting its retailers in the current climate too. Timo adds: “We have also optimised our box sizes in order to minimise impact of logistic costs on retail prices.”

One For Fun’s award-winning My First Scooter, meanwhile, continues to appeal to consumers for its attractive pricing and the way it evolves from a fourwheeler to a two-wheeler as kids find their balance and grow their confidence. The company has earned a reputation for offering wheeled toys that provide excellent value for money, so it’s little wonder My First Scooter has, according to One For One, outlived many of its rivals.

Retail footfall continues to recover post-pandemic. In May, Retail Gazette reported that footfall rose across all retail destinations week on week, with high streets outperforming both shopping centres and retail parks. While scooters and infant ride-ons tend to be smaller-box items, bikes, in the main, are both large and best bought in-person – no one wants their shiny new bike to arrive only to find it’s too small, or too big. During the pandemic, many retailers, especially smaller indies, were forced to reduce their shop-floor stock levels to increase the amount of space available to consumers, and many have not fully reverted back to their pre-pandemic layouts. This means big-box items or large, free-standing products may pose some challenges.

Jon Tilly notes, though, that Huffy Bikes offer a ‘great incremental sales revenue stream’. Traditionally, he tells Toy World, the kid's bike business has been very FOB focused, but the company holds significant local stocks in its UK distribution centres, meaning retailers can order bikes in small quantities, as little and often as required. This is a major benefit to those with limited space. United Wheels also offers a comprehensive drop ship range, so on top of core selections, ranges can be extended to offer consumers an even greater choice. Jon says the company is also working on several merchandising options which will offer a solution for retailers wanting to range bikes in a small area. More will be revealed in the coming months.

“We are also a key sponsor at the National Cycling Show in June at the NEC and will be supporting several other consumer awareness initiatives as the year develops,” Jon finishes. “We aim to support retailers to help grow our brand and increase the sales of their bikes, so we will continue to offer the trade our support in whatever way we can.”