Pocket Money & Collectibles

While some categories saw sales surge in 2020 due to lockdowns, others, such as Pocket Money Toys and Collectibles, slowed down. However, a few factors mean a turnaround is on the cards for 2021. Rachael Simpson-Jones speaks to suppliers in this category to find out what the year has in store (and in-store).

The closure of non-essential shops has impacted numerous consumer behaviours. In toys, one of the biggest casualties of this has been the Pocket Money and Collectibles category, which – up till March 2020 – was performing incredibly well. By March 2021, we were reading in last month’s issue that toys priced at less than £5 lost almost £30m in value terms in 2020, and were showing a volume decline of -22%, with 1.2m fewer units being sold. Ouch.

Still, it certainly can’t be said that all brands within this category have fared poorly over the last 12 months. Surging interest in STEM toys during lockdown, largely due to homeschooling, resulted in a year-on-year increase in value and unit sales of Hexbug, Innovation First’s innovative robot collectibles. Retailers have also been reporting strong sales of Schleich throughout the year, irrespective of whether stores were shut, making it another brand that has very much bucked the trend.

“This year we are launching three new collectible concepts, all at sub-£5 – bayala unicorn foals, Eldrador Mini-Creatures and Schleich Puzzlemals,” says Paul Dearlove, trade marketing manager, Schleich UK. “All are based on popular Schleich properties, so there is already established consumer demand and retailer confidence; we aren’t relying on licensed properties or totally unproven concepts. The bayala unicorn foals, in foil bags, are based on the hugely popular bayala unicorns. Likewise, the 17 collectible Eldrador Mini-Creatures blind bags are based on the existing four worlds of Eldrador, and the mix-and-match Puzzlemals are part of the hugely popular Farm World and Wild Life ranges.”

We’ve also been reporting on the phenomenal response to the Pokémon Shining Fates expansion in recent weeks. With demand from fans at fever pitch in what is the franchise’s 25th anniversary year, Asmodee says every wave brought in has been sold out before arrival – and this is with toy shops still closed.

“The 25th anniversary year is attracting extra attention as people continue to discover and rediscover their love for the evergreen Pokémon brand, with some notable coverage of the Trading Card Game from popular YouTubers in recent months also contributing to demand,” explains Roger Martin, Hobby & Independent Channel director for Asmodee UK. “In Shining Fates specifically, many of the ‘.5’ releases - those that sit outside of the game’s usual blocks of four expansion sets per year - stem from expansion sets that had originally only been available for purchase in Japan. This drives excitement among consumers, as they have already seen an outline of the content and are hungry to get it in the UK for the first time. Shining Fates booster packs also give fans the chance to find a very exciting Charizard VMAX chase card, making it another very tempting proposition.”

The early release of Shining Fates meant the Sword & Shield 5: Battle Styles expansion – which will feature the new Single Strike and Rapid Strike gameplay mechanic for the first time - was pushed back to mid-March, when expansions traditionally come out in the first week of February. This means that retailers benefitted from a second new Pokémon release just weeks before they can reopen their stores.

The reopening of non-essential retail will surely be a turning point for pocket money toys and collectibles; we all know kids are keen to get back into stores and spend their saved-up money, and retailers are keen to tempt them in. Ultimately, while some pocket money and collectible ranges may have proved challenging for toy shops in recent months, these products will play a major role in kickstarting the physical toy shopping experience once more.

“People are desperate for some sense of normality, and when stores open, the ‘treat’ of going to a toy shop can safely return,” says Julia Cake, UK & Ireland commercial director, Magic Box. “Parents will be looking to reward children for coping with home schooling and lockdown, and there will be saved up pennies from birthdays and Christmas to be spent. A trip to the local toy shop will feel extremely special after the year that was.”

With many schoolchildren now back in the classroom, playground ‘swapability’ will also fuel kids’ appetites for collectible products. Social media, Twitter in particular, has been awash with the hashtag #GotGotNeed, as locked down collectors of Panini’s wildly popular Premier League, UEFA Euro 2020 and Scotland sticker collections desperately tried to make use of socially-distanced swaps to complete their collections; being able to do this during playtime and breaks will surely be infinitely easier.

Several retailers have also mentioned how nice it would be to have a craze this year – could H. Grossman’s Pushpoppers be the answer? There are certainly those that think so, including regular Toy World contributor Rick Derr, Paul Reader, marketing director at Toymaster, and H. Grossman’s own CEO, David Mordecai. Interest in the tactile rubber toy has been so great that H. Grossman recently placed orders for half a million units that hit retail in mid-March. David says: “We have all sorts of styles; rainbow, glitter, tie dye and glow in the dark, with lots more items coming through the year. The reaction from retailers has been wild.”

From crazes to mainstays, MGA Entertainment’s hit collectible brand L.O.L. Surprise! managed to retain its No. 1 toy property spot in 2020. The company says L.O.L.’s position is improving weekly, even before its major new launches, and that it expects the brand to grow exponentially over the coming months with its new tentpole launch Dance Dance Dance! Initial sales reads have beaten MGA’s expectations and look set to continue to grow week on week as marketing plans continue to ramp up.

“We’re gearing up for what is set to be the most record-breaking year yet for L.O.L., with a series of range expansions on existing lines and exciting new product innovation throughout 2021,” Neil Bandtock, MD UK & Ireland, MGA Entertainment, told Toy World. “March saw the launch of Dance Dance Dance! supported by partnerships with major music icons and Pineapple Dance Studios, taking Remix a step further by introducing official L.O.L. dance moves and dance themed characters.”

“The rise of popular film and TV franchises within the toy market and the ever-growing popularity of online streaming platforms means children no longer want just a toy, they want to buy in to an all-encompassing entertainment brand where they can play with the toys, wear the clothes, listen to the music and watch them on their screens,” adds Neil, when asked why music is at the heart of the new L.O.L. series. “Music felt like the next logical step in creating an immersive experience for L.O.L. fans, bringing our characters to life whilst creating an opportunity for 360-degree marketing to engage consumers across toy, licensing and now music. The growth of channels like TikTok and Instagram Reels has also really driven an opportunity for savvy brands to engage directly with consumers through easily shareable short form content.”

MGA’s partnership with Magic Star of Sony Music UK has also resulted in new music and lyric videos featuring animated L.O.L. characters dancing and singing to new songs developed in partnership with the label. As we’ve seen in other categories, animated content has become an increasingly important element of toy range development, with kids consuming ever more content online through platforms like YouTube. IMC Toys says its animated content strategy has been the main driver of its 2020 successes; its English Kitoons YouTube channel, which hosts the Cry Babies Magic Tears and VIP Pets series, among others, boasts 485k subscribers, all of which are potential buyers of these collectible toy ranges. Magic Box Toys also supports its popular SuperThings collectible brand with animated content. Julia Cake explains why.

“We know that toys work well if there is a TV or movie licence behind them, so when it comes to nonlicensed collectibles it is just as important to give the toys a voice, give them substance and bring the brand to live in visual form,” she says. “Equally, the rate at which children consume online content is constantly on the rise; therefore, to build brand awareness and appeal, it’s vital to add animation to our strategy. SuperThings has had its own YouTube channel since launch, and we release new webisodes with each series to ensure our content is fresh and relevant. Each episode exceeds our expectations in terms of views and reach, so we know that our fans love watching their favourite SuperThings characters on screen.”

The launch of Power Machines, Magic Box’s latest SuperThings series, will be supported by an extensive marketing and PR campaign, including a 1,600 TVR TV advertising programme, cinema advertising, strong social media presence and instore theatre and merchandising options to support retail partners. In addition, a YouTube advertising campaign launched in January with an expected 10m impressions, while commercial partnerships with leading children’s media titles will roll out throughout spring.

Innovation First, meanwhile, which held back the full launch for its new JunkBots collectibles due to the pandemic, instead choosing to establish awareness and build demand via marketing campaigns, is now gearing up for a busy year. The JunkBots Alley range, which lets kids enjoy rummaging through junk-filled blind trash cans and dumpsters to find mix & match robot parts, as well as power cores that bring each JunkBot to life, will be joined this year by Season 2, JunkBots Factory. Andrew Ryan, marketing UK & Europe, Innovation First International, says: “We’re investing heavily in JunkBots and will be implementing robust marketing plans for the calendar year, which includes launching JunkBots Factory. This series expands on the first series by introducing newer, larger sets that go beyond what has been created for our first season range. It’s going to be a very exciting year for the brand.”

Beloved collectibles brand Corgi is also introducing something new for this year – or should that be someone? Mumbles, the brand’s iconic canine mascot, has been brought to life as a brand ambassador for 2021 as part of Corgi’s efforts to broaden the appeal of its collectibles and pocket money toys amongst younger consumers. A spokesperson said: “Feedback from collectors has reminded Corgi that collecting is a deeply personal hobby that evokes nostalgia-soaked memories of childhood. We wanted to bring that magic to a younger audience. Whilst many of us experienced collectors use Corgi to look backwards, we hope to use Mumbles to show children a way forward. With Mumbles’ help, we’re entering a different market to the one Corgi is traditionally known for, in the hope that we can introduce all the best Corgi traits to a younger demographic.”