From the publisher

Welcome to our largest-ever April edition of Toy World. That we have been able to put together an issue of this magnitude in the current climate is surely testament to the positivity of the toy community, and its ongoing ability to buck the prevailing retail trend. While many other retail markets have continued to struggle in the post-Christmas period, the toy market has performed well over the past few months, with product categories such as Outdoor Toys and Games & Puzzles posting strong sales outside of their traditional peak periods.

The toy market’s encouraging start to the year should hopefully be boosted even further with the re-opening of non-essential retail stores in the next couple of weeks. We’ve spoken to both specialist buying groups Toymaster and AIS, to hear how they will be supporting their members through the reopening phase and beyond – find out more on page 12. We also caught up with a selection of indies, to hear how they’ve been preparing for April 12th – you can read their thoughts in this month’s Talking Shop section, starting on page 37.

Suffice to say that there is a mixture of relief and excitement about the grand re-opening of High Street UK: obviously, toy retailers would have loved to have been open in time for Easter, but the ones we spoke to were very much adopting a ‘glass half full’ perspective – some had begun to anticipate a much later opening date, so they didn’t seem too disappointed with the eventual outcome. And at least they will be re-opening when many kids will still be on their Easter holiday break.

For those toy retailers who are looking to freshen up their stock selection ahead of re-opening, we have pulled together some mightily comprehensive features this month, to provide you with plenty of inspiration for new lines to carry. Children returning to school will no doubt be a big catalyst for those categories which thrive on the concept of ‘playground currency’ – collectibles, trading cards and stickers, pocket money toys and the like – so our feature on Pocket Money & Collectibles is perfectly timed. We also shine a spotlight on two other massive, enduringly-successful categories this month – the Games & Puzzles sector and the PreSchool market. With so many great new lines about to be launched, there are a host of exciting options for retailers to spruce up their offering for the coming weeks and for what many are anticipating will be a bumper summer season (especially those stores in coastal or tourist destinations).

While it is fantastic news that toy stores will soon open their doors again, the situation surrounding trade shows and events is slightly more complex. I believe that most of us are looking forward to the return of these industry gatherings, although It’s taken longer than most of us ever thought – who remembers discussing the ‘traditional’ January Toy Fair Season ‘21 last summer, thinking “surely it will all be over by then?”

Having seen the pace at which the situation can change, it’s impossible to make any firm predictions about the time frame for events to return – however, a few notable decisions are beginning to emerge. The AIS Independent Toy & Gift show has announced that it intends to move from April to September, while Toymaster has revealed that it will not be running its show this year, and that the event will make its comeback in its traditional timeslot next May.

Sad though I am that the Toy World team won’t be able to meet up with the toy community in Harrogate this year, I do think it’s the right call from Toymaster’s perspective, as you will know if you read my recent Friday Blog which explored the rationale behind the decision. Ultimately, appetite from both exhibitors and visitors is the key to when shows will be able to come back and whether they come back with a bang, or a whimper. Personally, as much as I want to be able to visit a trade show again, I think on balance that I’m happy to wait for the bang.

In the meantime, I hope retailers enjoy a healthy surge of visitors when they throw open their doors to the great British public once more. Here’s to a successful re-opening, another crucial step on the road back to normality.