Toy World Magazine August 2020

August 2020 Volume 9 Issue 12

AVAILABLE NOW Find out more at LEGO.com/SuperMario

LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Brick and Knobconfigurations are trademarks and/or copyrightsof the LEGO Group. ©2020 The LEGO Group TM & © 2020 Nintendo.

The Team...

CONTENTS August 2020 Volume 9 Issue 12

John Baulch

38 Feature: Wooden Toys

53 Feature: STEM

Publisher and Managing Editor john@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 408 07932 651 207

Mark Austin

Sales Director mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Anita Baulch

Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

News

Regulars

Features

05 From the Publisher 06 News 14 Industry Moves 16 Marketing World 20 Licensing World 108 Allegedly

24 NPD column 26 Talking Shop 32 Touching Base 64 Viewpoint 104 Fresh

38 48 50 53 66 80

Feature: Wooden Toys Company Profile: Kids@Play Company Profile: Simba Smoby Toys Feature: STEM Feature: Plush Feature: Show Off

Contributors The NPD Group | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | Jonathan Chambers | Asha Bhalsod

Rachael Simpson-Jones Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

80 Feature: Show Off

66 Feature: Plush

Lisa Currie

Assistant Editor Lisa@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Mark Crowford

Design and Production Manager markc@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

toyworld toy world The business magazine with a passion for toys

Alakat Published by

www.toyworldmag.co.uk @toyworldmag @baulchtweet

toyworldmag

Toy World 3

Toy World Magazine

61 Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7DZ

T

from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

his past month has seen the UK take a series of key steps which will hopefully put us on the road to economic recovery.

The relaxation of the two-metre distancing rule, combined with the re-opening of bars, pubs, restaurants and other businesses have certainly helped to attract more people back to the High Street and shopping centres.

While footfall remains somewhere around the ‘steady’ mark, nearly all of the retailers I have spoken to have suggested that the average basket spend had increased - those consumers who are heading out to stores appear to be spending at an encouraging level. I am also hearing that online sales are holding up well, so those retailers who used lockdown to boost their online presence and capability continue to be rewarded for their efforts.

Across the UK toy community, normal service is gradually being resumed; UK major accounts have been finalising their spring summer 2021 selections, albeit after conducting virtual previews to replace the usual face to face meetings or trips to the Far East. Toy suppliers are solidifying their product launch and marketing plans for autumn winter, while simultaneously starting to prepare for next year.

Nevertheless, despite these welcome pockets of normality, the virus continues to play havoc with many our old routines. In news which will come as a surprise to precisely no-one, a string of trade shows and events have regrettably been forced to admit defeat and announce that they won’t be going ahead this year. London Comic-Con, BLE, Cologne’s Kind & Jugend and the rescheduled Toymaster show have all had to wave the white flag of surrender, as organisers grapple with the realities of putting on trade and consumer shows in the current climate.

I’m sure it is technically feasible with an awful lot of planning and a raft of safety measures, but as one sanguine show organiser said to me recently: “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.”

Kind & Jugend was a particularly interesting example: over in Germany, trade shows have been placed in a different category to general mass gatherings, unlike the UK, where everything is currently lumped in together. What this means in practice is that the current government guidance would have to change for a trade show to be able to take place here in the UK. Talking to someone who modern media parlance would describe as a

‘person familiar with the matter,’ he suggested that for the current rule to be relaxed, we would have to hit the equivalent of number 2 on the ‘Nando’s scale’ of virus transmission– essentially, we need to get to Lemon & Herb, while we are probably still somewhere between hot and medium. Whereas in Germany, trade shows can now legally take place, naturally with all appropriate safety measures in place. And yet, despite this, Kind & Jugend was still cancelled; this infers that whether a show can legally take place is not only factor in play – visitor and exhibitor sentiment play a key role in the final decision. And one would have to assume that the cancellation suggests that many people still feel slightly uneasy about the prospect of visiting a trade show right now. There is also the question of whether a trade show organiser would be happy to go ahead with a streamlined event which doesn’t live up to its usual standards, and indeed whether it would even be economically viable to do so, especially if the appetite from visitors is in question.

It was these trade show-related developments which led us to develop a brand-new section of Toy World, which you’ll be seeing for at least the next few months. Alongside our traditional product category features, this month sees the debut of Show Off – an opportunity for toy companies to plug the gap left by the cancelled trade fairs and the difficulty in securing face to face meetings. The new Show Off section will give suppliers the chance to let retailers know all about their new product introductions and marketing plans - the inaugural Show Off feature starts on page 80. Next month will see a follow-up which will focus on the independent channel: with the Toymaster show cancelled, this feature will help Toymaster members and other indie toy retailers decide which new ranges to get behind in the run-up to Christmas. Because after a challenging start to the year, independent toy retailers will need a strong festive sales season to help them bounce back, and ensuring they get their product mix right will be pivotal to their success in Q4.

Indeed, for everyone across the toy community, all eyes are turning to the festive selling season and Q1 2021, in the hope that measures being taken now can get the virus sufficiently under control to enable retailers to enjoy a strong Christmas and all the trade shows to take place in January and February.

Never before has it even crossed anyone’s mind that a toy show might not physically be able to take place – let’s hope the next six months is kind to us in that respect.

Hardworking PR for Toys & Games • B2B & consumer-facing PR • Hands-on, bespoke approach

01908 032 700 www.playtimepr.com

• Award-winning team of senior PR professionals • Specialist understanding of the toys, games & fun sector

Toy World 5

@PlaytimePRLtd

News Obituary: Phil Green

John Lewis announces eight permanent store closures John Lewis chairman, Sharon White, had previously warned that not all John Lewis stores would reopen once the high-street lockdown was over, and initially only 22 of the retailer’s 50 outlets welcomed back customers, with a gradual roll out of the remaining viable stores promised. Now eight locations facing closure have been announced, including two ‘full-service’ locations: the 30-year-old Intu Shopping Centre John Lewis store in Watford, and the location in the Birmingham Grand Central shopping mall.

Smaller ‘At Home’ branches in Swindon, Tamworth, Newbury and Croydon will also be shuttered, along with travel outlets at Heathrow and St Pancras.

However, stores in Aberdeen, Ashford, Brent Cross, Chichester, Oxford, Peterborough, Reading, Sheffield, White City Westfield and the Swindon outlet will reopen, as well as the Leicester branch, subject to local lockdown restrictions.

John Lewis had been in talks with landlords to renegotiate the terms of its existing leases. In a statement the company said: “Prior to the pandemic, the eight shops identified were already financially challenged and the pandemic has accelerated the switch from shopping in-store to online.”

It added: “If redundancies are confirmed, every effort would be made to find new roles where possible for Partners who wish to remain within the Partnership.

The Partnership has also made a commitment to provide support through a unique Retraining Fund, which will contribute up to £3,000 towards a recognised qualification or course for up to two years for any Partner with two years’ service or more.”

John Lewis has said that a London head office will also be shuttered, and the company’s annual bonus will be shelved for 2021 in an effort to retain cash. Sharon White commented: “There is clearly a lot of uncertainty but, as things stand, it is hard to see the circumstances where we will be able to pay a bonus next year.”

Toy World 6

The toy trade is sad to learn that former Woolworths’ trading controller Phil Green has passed away. Clive Jones, honorary secretary of the Fence Club, has written the following eulogy: “It is with tremendous sadness that I have to advise you that Phil Green has passed away suddenly, in the garden of his new home in Norfolk.

Phil was born in Lincolnshire, where he met his wife Rosemary.

He joined Woolworths and rose to become an area manager before being seconded to the head office in London to be a confectionery buyer. He subsequently became trading controller for Confectionery and then trading controller for Toys in 1993.

Phil left Woolworths to become the MD of United Overseas, where he worked with Robert Myers and Steve Beaumont. After moving on to Games Central, he then enjoyed several years working in Hong Kong at confectionery business Essential Box. On his return to the UK, Phil became MD of Robert Dyas, after which he went into semi-retirement with his consulting company, Connections, drawing on his extensive retail knowledge to advise UK and European retailers.

Phil was a Nottingham Forest fan and enjoyed watching many sports. He was also a keen golfer and fisherman.

Phil became a Fence Club member in 1997 and was chairman in 2013/14.

Phil and his wife Rosemary, who sadly passed away last August after a long battle with cancer, enjoyed many Fence Club functions over the years. Phil raised many thousands of pounds for the club through various fund-raising events, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, parachute jumping, walking 100 miles and cycling from London to Paris. In 2004 he was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the club for his fund-raising efforts.

Phil was a good friend to so many of us in the Toy trade. He has been taken far too young, aged just 66. Our thoughts are with his two sons Andrew and Martyn and their grandchildren at this very sad time.”

Toy World would like to join The Fence Club in offering condolences to Phil’s family.

Š 2019 Moose

sh Wa veal Re

oom Gr

Heavy weight TV, PR & creative digital campaign, including animated pre-roll, influencer highlight reel & extensive sampling

Panda

www.scruff-a-luvs.co.uk

News IMC Toys announces new offices and hires John Gray joins IMC Toys as operations & logistics manager, bringing with him a wealth of toy sector experience, having previously held positions with Mattel, Mega Brands, Spin Master and MGA. Katie Petitt also joins IMC Toys as account manager, after previously working in buying roles for both Debenhams and Toys R Us. IMC Toys’ new UK office, meanwhile, is based near Banbury in Oxfordshire, which the company says offers greater accessibility to both visitors and the growing team.

Sue Barratt, IMC UK country manager, said: “The company’s investment in both people and infrastructure in the UK further signals our commitment to this market. As well as continuing to grow our Cry Babies brand, we’re growing our portfolio even further this year with the exciting new collectable pet-doll range, VIP Pets.”

The launch of VIP Pets was announced on 1st July. Joining the company’s portfolio of collectible pet-doll ranges, VIP Pets are aimed at children aged five and over and tap into the evergreen appeal of cute pet characters, teamed with current surprise reveals and creative hair styling trends. A new series of animated webisodes accompanies the launch and features 21 five-minute episodes on IMC’s official YouTube channel, Kitoons. The launch of VIP Pets will be supported with a full marketing campaign including TV advertising, digital content, PR, social media and influencer collaborations.

For more information on Cry Babies, VIP Pets and other ranges by IMC Toys, please contact info.uk@imctoys.co

Fence Club cancels all remaining 2020 functions The Fence Club committee has continued to meet virtually through Zoom throughout the period of lockdown, culminating in an extraordinary committee meeting, which was held in July.

A large part of the meeting was spent discussing future Fence Club functions. According to Club Secretary Clive Jones: “It is very clear that whilst the existing government guidelines remain in place it will be almost impossible to continue with our functions in the formats that had been intended. We also realised that even if guidelines are lifted, the appetite from members to travel and congregate in enclosed indoor spaces is likely to be severely affected.

In some cases, our decisions have been made easier by venues either discouraging us to go ahead or applying such restrictions that it would make the functions completely unattractive. The committee has therefore taken the decision to cancel all remaining functions for 2020, including the popular Christmas Ball.

The Toy Fair Dinner is still planned to go ahead, but this is reliant on the Toy Fair itself going ahead. At the moment we expect this function to happen.

This is the first time the Fence Club has taken such a decision and we can assure you the committee did not take the decision lightly. First and foremost, the decision was taken with the interest and safety of our members in our minds. It’s unlikely we would be able to deliver the high quality of event that is expected by our members due to restrictions and safety concerns.”

In the meantime, the Fence Club continues to support children’s charities: £13,500 was donated at the last meeting, and a similar sum is expected to be allocated at the next meeting in September.

Changes to Toymaster board announced Changes to the board of Toymaster, the independent buying group, were announced in July.

In a statement sent to group members, current chairman Ciaran Fitzpatrick said: “I am writing to you to inform you of some changes to the Toymaster board. As of 1st August 2020, I am stepping down as chairman having served 13 years in the role. I have been asked to carry on as a non-executive director and chairman of the Merchandise Committee, which I am most happy to do.

I am pleased to announce that our new chairman is Chris Blatcher from JAC Stores, who has shops on the Isle of Man. JAC joined Toymaster in 1995, Chris became a director of Toymaster in 2016 and will also continue as chairman of the Marketing Committee. I wish him every success in his new role.

I also want to take this opportunity to personally thank Andy Taylor who is stepping down as a non-executive director from 1st August 2020. Andy’s employer, Ramsdens of Grimsby joined Toymaster in 1992.

I want to thank my other non-executive directors, Roger and Julian and our executives Ian, Colin and Yogi for all their support and effort during my term. A special thank you to all the team in Northampton for helping to make Toymaster the super company it is today.

These changes have been in the pipeline for the last year and are all about ensuring the proper succession for the continued success of Toymaster. Looking forward to seeing you all at future shows after the virus and when it is safe to-do so.”

Toy World 8

News Inside Out adds Viking Toys to sustainable line up Based in Sweden, Viking Toys is a small, family-run toy company. When the company was founded in 1974, it was based around a dream to create the safest and most durable toys on the market; a goal which still inspires and defines the company today.

Viking Toys’ Classic line is renowned for toys which are soft, strong, and durable enough to last a lifetime, allowing them to be handed down to friends and family. They are made from virgin raw materials, guaranteeing the highest possible quality, and are free from toxic substances.

The Ecoline combines Viking Toys’ timeless design of durable non-toxic toys with an oil-free, plant-based material made from sugar cane, taking sustainability to a new level. The range is 100% recyclable with packaging made from recycled material, and with every Jumbo sized Ecoline product purchased, Viking Toys commits to planting a tree.

A family owned and run company, Inside Out Toys already distributes two brands of wooden toys; Jumini, its own brand of brightly coloured wooden toys, and Studio Circus, a collection of pastel coloured wooden toys designed in the Netherlands. Last month the company also announced a new partnership with Tikiri Toys in Sri Lanka, to distribute its 100% natural rubber and organic cotton baby toys in the UK. The company supports many charities each year, including donations of toys to Northamptonshire Health Charity and Giving World.

For more information visit www.insideouttoys.co.uk.

newsanalysis

Less plastic, paper fantastic!

Toy World spoke to Keith Finch, studio and innovation director at Build Your Own, about what the brand offers retailers and kids, and its plans for the second half of 2020.

What can you tell us about Build Your Own’s history and brand ethos?

Build Your Own is an exciting new eco-friendly brand; we’re the creators of a growing range of STEM-inspired toys that you can build yourself. Our kits are designed here in the UK by our team of brilliant paper engineers, using sustainable cardboard and minimal plastics in both products and packaging. Our company ethos is ‘Less plastic, paper fantastic!’. Each premium paper and board kit is easily constructed using slot-together techniques to create a fun, tactile and robust toy. Build Your Own products encourage children to immerse themselves in the fun world of science and exploration, helping to reduce screen-time and bring families together. Everything you need is provided in the kit, making it a hassle-free, fun option for parents and children, and the step-by-step videos on our website provide helpful assembly hints and tips.

How has the brand performed so far this year?

We are delighted with the response to our Build Your Own kits. Our launch into the toy market in January has been well-received by both channel partners and consumers. Over the last five months we’ve invested in sales and marketing activity to drive awareness for Build Your Own, which, during lockdown, has been positively received by parents looking for engaging, educational activities for their children. Although the brand is in its infancy, we see huge potential, and our partners are asking for additional products to help them maximise sales. Later this year we will be launching two additional products which are perfect for the summer holidays and Christmas gifts.

What stands BYO products apart in the marketplace? What are the brand’s USPs? Every Build Your Own product is designed by our in-house team of paper engineers. With years of experience, we understand how to create robust kits that will withstand being handled by enthusiastic children. We use sustainable cardboard and minimal plastics in our designs, while Build Your Own itself is part of a carbon neutral company based in Hampshire. Our products are created so that building and making the kit is all part of the fun, helping children to develop their STEM knowledge and dexterity skills. We have a superb aftersales team too, which can provide support both online and over the phone.

What are your main aims for the second half of the year?

We have ambitious plans for the rest of the year, building on our success over the last few months. We want to develop our reach and expand our partnerships with retailers and e-commerce. Through our marketing and PR campaigns, we aim to achieve strong product reviews which demonstrate just how brilliant the Build Your Own kits are. We can then link up with key brand ambassadors and grow our social media presence, gathering Build Your Own fans who want to show off their creations. This month, we’re launching our new Build Your Own Microscope, and we have another exciting product in the pipeline for autumn.

How will you be supporting your products in the marketplace, and how will you be supporting your retail partners?

We are supporting new product launches with marketing campaigns including digital, PR and social media activity, plus much more. We will be developing bespoke Build Your Own POS for our independent retailers, and we’re also creating an engaging range of resources on our website that will encourage children to get outside and explore their world; activity sheets, fun makes, how-to videos and more. Our goal is to spark children’s curiosity for science and nature through our fun range of eco-friendly toys. To find out more, visit www.buildyourownkits.com.

Toy World 10

News Toynamics named as exclusive distributor for Skip Hop Leading European toy distributor, Toynamics, has today announced its appointment as exclusive distributor of Skip Hop branded products in the UK, Germany, Ireland and Austria, effective from September 2020.

“We’re excited to partner with Toynamics to continue our growth in Europe and bring Skip Hop products to even more families,” said Andrew Knight, vice president of International at Skip Hop. Dennis Gies, CEO of Toynamics Europe GmbH, added: “Skip Hop is the perfect brand for Toynamics, completing our product range with its very special baby assortment, comprising high quality products with innovative components and a high-class design approach. We are more than happy to welcome Skip Hop to the Toynamics brand family.”

Toynamics will offer a broad assortment of Skip Hop product to the market ranging in price from £9.99 to £200, and retailers should get in touch to find out more about the range.

plaY-room’s Miles Penhallow announces early retirement In a statement, Miles said: “After 12 happy years at AIS Ltd, I have decided to take early retirement at the end of September this year.

Although the past few months have been challenging for both members and suppliers, I believe that AIS is well placed to prosper in the future. Following the retirement of our MD Sheila Cooper, I believe that her replacement, Sue Kemp, will provide the necessary drive, together with an enthusiastic team of employees and a solid membership.

I will miss the interaction with both members and suppliers, but believe that the successful blueprint that we created for plaY-room when formed in 2008 will continue to evolve to the benefit of our members under new leadership.

I would like to wish all our suppliers all the best in the years ahead. I truly believe that I am blessed to have made a living in the Toy Trade for over 30 years and will miss all the friends that I have made.”

Aimee Hill, assistant selector, added: “Miles has been pivotal in the growth and success of plaY-room’s twelve-year history. His charisma and dedication will be missed not only within AIS but also within the wider toy industry, where he has made many close friendships. We would like to extend our endless gratitude for Miles’ service and wish him good health and happiness during his retirement.”

Learning Resources partners with Numberblocks Learning Resources has partnered with BAFTA award-winning animated children’s educational TV series Numberblocks and will be launching a new Activity Set based on the company’s existing top selling MathLink Cubes brand. The new MathLink Cubes Numberblocks Activity Set will be available through major retailers later this year.

MathLink Cubes is a linkable construction toy developed for hands-on maths learning through play. The new licensed Numberblocks Activity Set will allow children to play along with episodes and engage in further learning opportunities.

“Many parents and teachers use our MathLink cubes to make Numberblocks activities for their children,” said Learning Resources MD, Dennis Blackmore. “This partnership means that we can bring together the imaginative power of Numberblocks with MathLink Cubes’ tried and tested quality to create exciting new products. Our new Activity Set is designed for use in the home or classroom, and with the power of the Numberblocks brand behind it, will be a popular product in all retail environments.”

Obituary: Les Nurse Toy World was saddened to hear that industry veteran Les Nurse passed away suddenly on the 6th July. Clive Jones, honorary secretary of the Fence Club, has written the following eulogy: “Les Nurse was a colourful character, well known for his vibrant jackets, bright ties and effervescent personality.

He was a South Londoner who started his working life in a bank, but moved on to become a partner at Frankel & Roth, where he created a successful bag business which concentrated on character licences. In the 1990s, the company sold out to Mike Redfearn’s Copywrite Stationery.

Les remained with Copywrite for eighteen months before setting himself up as a far east agent, working with a selection of companies including Hong Kong Toy Centre, where he worked with Joe Brewer, and Super Toys, where he worked with Philip Wong to manufacture a range of pre-school toys for Woolworths and Mothercare. He also worked on OEM ranges with Lissi Dolls and Mega Gain. In each of these ventures he worked with his nephew Jonathan Nurse.

In the UK, Les worked with his great friend Derek Morris, looking after major accounts for MV Toys & Sports, before retiring in 2013.

Les became a member of the Fence Club in 1989 and was given a certificate of appreciation by the Club in 2002 for all his work on the Golf Day. It is likely that a private funeral service in August will be followed by a memorial service when the pandemic is over, where all his family and friends will be able to meet to celebrate Les’ life.”

Toy World joins The Fence Club in offering condolences, and our thoughts are with his daughters Louise and Lisa, and his three grandchildren at this very sad time.

Toy World 12

Industry Moves Felix Lewis joins Generation Media team Generation Media has strengthened its digital team by appointing Felix Lewis as associate director of digital.

Lisa Morgan, managing director, said: “We are very pleased to be able to welcome Felix to the team, as associate director of digital. Covid-19 has led to an acceleration in online and performance requirements across the industry and his skill set will further enhance our existing offer in this space. Despite the economic challenges the market is currently facing, we are very proud as a business to be able to continue our investment in new talent, alongside supporting the continuous professional development of our existing team.”

Felix has a wealth of digital experience in sports, FMCG and children’s brands, and his expertise spans PPC, programmatic, display, VOD and social.

He commented: “I’m very excited to join Generation Media. I was attracted instantly to the wealth of in-house talent, array of clients from multiple market sectors and global reach. I look forward to being involved in assisting market leading brands in navigating the digital online world as the landscape continues to develop at a pace.”

PlayMonster names Tim Kilpin as president A leader and executive in the toy and children’s entertainment industry for over 35 years, Tim has set brand strategies and creative direction for many of the world’s most iconic and successful children’s brands, including Hot Wheels and Barbie, having served in senior roles at Mattel, Disney and Activision Blizzard.

Reporting to CEO Bob Wann and based in the company’s corporate headquarters in Beloit, WI, Tim will focus on expanding and accelerating PlayMonster’s business with an emphasis on sales, marketing, design and business development. In addition to continuing strategic and operational oversight, Bob Wann will increase focus on international growth and acquisition.

Tim most recently served as president and CEO of Activision Blizzard’s Consumer Products business, overseeing the category strategy and creative development of multiple product ranges in support of key franchises. Before that, as president and chief commercial officer for Mattel. Tim has also served on the boards of Build-A-Bear Workshop, the Make-A-Wish International Foundation and the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation; he is also currently a board and executive committee member of the Toy Association.

PlayMonster will be continuing to build its portfolio of brands and contentdriven IP across categories, both organically and through acquisition. Tim’s appointment also signals a continuing emphasis on recruitment of key talent aimed at supporting this growth, bringing added resources and experience to the PlayMonster team in key functions.

MGA to welcome Neil Bandtock as MD UK & Ireland MGA Entertainment has announced the appointment of Neil Bandtock as its new managing director for UK and Ireland.

Neil will be in position from October this year, taking over from current MD, Andrew Laughton, who resigned earlier this year after 12 years in the position.

Having worked in the toy and children’s entertainment industry for over 16 years, Neil joins MGA Entertainment from Epoch toys, where he has been managing director for three years. Previous positions also include global retail director of Merlin Entertainment Group (2015 to 2017) and managing director of Vivid Imaginations (2010 to 2014). From 2004 to 2008, Neil worked as UK general manager for MGA Entertainment, overseeing many of its most celebrated brands including Bratz and Little Tikes.

Neil stated: “It’s not often that such an incredible opportunity comes to you twice in life. I started working at MGA in 2004, working closely with Isaac Larian and on core brands such as Bratz. Since then, I’ve successfully run businesses on both the supply and retail side, and I’m thrilled to be able to bring this experience to my new role. There’s no doubt this is an unusual time for the industry, and for the whole country, bringing both challenges and opportunities. I’m very excited to return to MGA, to work with such a passionate and incredible team on some of the best brands in the market and to make the most of what our ‘new normal’ future holds.”

The Entertainer appoints Pablo Badia to lead European growth Teal Group, the group behind UK toy retailer The Entertainer, has appointed Pablo Badia as country manager for Poly.

Pablo has broad and extensive experience in leading senior teams at global brands such as Massimo Dutti, Camper, Carolina Herrera and Karen Millen as well as Children Worldwide Fashion (CWF), where he was country director for the South of Europe. While there, he acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience in identifying opportunities for brands to grow their global presence; skills which will be put to good use in his new role.

Teal Group Holdings acquired Poly in December 2018 and has spent the past 18 months stabilising the existing business by streamlining processes and efficiencies, replenishing the stores with relevant stock and supporting the existing team to rebuild the Poly brand with its customers. Currently, the Poly portfolio consists of 44 stores. The Entertainer says the appointment of Pablo comes as it prepares to move into the next phase since the acquisition, with plans to actively grow the brand in Spain and other parts of Europe.

Gary Grant, founder and executive chairman of The Entertainer, said: “The acquisition of Poly was significant for our business as it marked the first phase of our expansion into Europe, outside of our franchise partnerships. We’re delighted to welcome Pablo to the team and are confident he will lead Poly to new heights over the coming months and years.”

Toy World 14

The go-to Social Agency for creative and transparent influencer campaigns.

Proven experience of executing influencer campaigns with the biggest toy and family brands across Europe Proven ROI on all PR and Marketing spend Working with the biggest family friendly creators across Europe

For more information call us on 01202 555655 or email at info@viraltalent.co.uk www.viral-group.co.uk @viralgroupuk

@ViralTalentUK

ViralTalentUK

Marketing World Asmodee unveils #PlayItOutdoors campaign Asmodee has launched a huge summer competition with its new #PlayItOutdoors campaign, offering fans of its games the chance to win a £2,000 prize every week just by taking their favourite games outside to enjoy the great British summer.

Each week, the company’s Instagram account will highlight one of eight key gaming brands that will be given a substantial digital advertising push to reach millions of UK consumers. For a chance at winning the weekly cash prize, entrants are asked to post a photo of themselves playing any of the eligible games in an outdoor setting, tagging @asmodeeuk and using the hashtag #playitoutdoors.

The campaign will spotlight eight of Asmodee’s most beloved family and party games, perfect for playing after a barbecue or on a sunny day in the park. The featured games are Dobble, Ticket to Ride, Rory’s Story Cubes, Catan, Bananagrams, Dixit, Just One and Codenames. Though each week’s post will highlight a different game, all eight are eligible choices for submission in entrants’ photos every week, including all individual products in the respective ranges.

In addition to digital advertising, Asmodee will be using a number of popular social media Influencers to extend the reach and impact of the eight-week competition.

Retailers are encouraged to stock up on the featured products and to share Asmodee’s weekly posts to give their customers a shot at winning the weekly jackpot.

#unowhoyouare brand campaign celebrates Uno The innovative new digital campaign celebrates different Uno player personalities. The #unowhoyouare campaign has identified four types of players - Victory Dancers, Dodgy Dealers, Sore Losers and Make Your Own Rules - and has created content to show all the different gameplay reactions.

The campaign is an ambitious social-first piece, using millennial and Gen Z influencers, as well as everyday players, across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to celebrate this muchloved game. On TikTok, the #unowhoyouare hashtag aims to harness the power of the platform’s popularity, which has skyrocketed in 2020. #unowhoyouare is billed as a tribute to the genuine reactions, crazy rules and fun forfeits that make Uno so much fun to play and customise, and will tap into the rising popularity of games during lockdown. Renewed interest in gameplay has seen sales in the category rivalling those at Christmas over the past few months. Uno itself is reportedly enjoying a ‘phenomenal’ 2020, according to Mattel, with POS up 116% +% YTD and a spot at No. 16 in the Total Toys Market.

The campaign will benefit from a hero video and digital plan featuring real people and influencers who have filmed reaction shots for a KidsKnowBest created campaign video, featuring TikTok talents OTB, Fleur, Kyran and Lily Rose. The campaign also includes bespoke content from social media comedian Arron Crascall, who has m followers across Instagram and TikTok.

Viral Group launches Influencer Hub The Viral Group has announced the launch of Influencer Hub, a new own-brand specialist influencer agency set up to help companies plan and execute influencer campaigns across the globe.

Laura Edwards, co-founder of Viral Group, told Toy World why the group has created Influencer Hub: “Over the last five years in the influencer marketing industry, we’ve learnt that some companies/brands really don’t know where to start when trying to find the right creators to work with and plan their influencer campaigns, from executing and distributing them, to understanding the social data reports.”

Companies working with Influencer Hub will be able to: access 4.5m influencers across the world; target influencers by their engagement percentage, followers and brand affinity; target by percentage of followers for a particular city; access next generation influencer reporting for the campaign, including real-time data; and gain insight into previous social campaigns to identify key peaks, uncovering who the best performing and most engaging social creatives/influencers are.

The Viral Group already works with brands such as Sky, DreamWorks and MGA, and says it demonstrates a ‘new era of transparency and high-level targeting’ which can be used on a global scale.

Laura continued: “This new division will give brands the confidence that they are working with a reliable team of expert consultants experienced in planning influencer marketing strategies. The influencer vetting process is priceless; via our bespoke platform, and working with our agency, we can offer in-depth analysis of brands and creators utilising nine billion points of data. Companies can be assured that we will only offer creators with an authentic following that are going to complement their brand. We’re also able to examine competitors’ social media activity by age, gender, race, language and location, as well as each brand’s growth rate on each of its social media platforms. This is invaluable when media planning, especially for the launch of new products.”

Alex Chavez-Munoz, talent and brand director, added: “This was a real organic move for us. Because of the team’s experience, passion and knowledge of the space, clients were keen for us to utilise those skills in influencer marketing outside of our roster. It’s been a tough few months, but the next six months are looking really positive and we’re excited to showcase our offering to as many brands as possible.”

To find out more, message info@influencerhub.co.uk or call 01202 555 655.

Toy World 16

Opinion

Safety first This month, Jonathan looks at managing data safely in an increasingly digital media marketplace.

W

ith the 2020 Toys and Games advertising sector set to spend more on digital media than ever before, now is the time to ensure that your carefully constructed media plans are following brand safety and GDPR-K best practice protocols.

Declines in linear TV viewing mean that the need for children’s advertisers to expand onto digital channels has been a common theme for the past decade, however 2020 possibly represents a tipping point. Not only is there a greater selection of viable digital channels than ever before, Covid-19 has and will directly impact on media behaviours and investment plans, not least because digital channels typically offer much greater flexibility in terms of bookings and cancellations, which will be higher on the list of priorities in a post-lockdown world.

In terms of viewing behaviours, Giraffe Insights’ Kids and the Screen research conducted in April has demonstrated that lockdown has accelerated the long-term transition from linear to digital viewing. For the first time since the study began, Live Linear TV (which has fallen to 23% share of total viewing occasions) no longer controls the largest share of children’s screen time. And whilst this means that Free Online Video services (predominantly YouTube) now rivals Live Linear TV with a 23% share, it has also been surpassed

by SVOD (29%). This is little surprise given that Disney+ already controls a quarter of the SVOD market for children under 12. Whilst the growth of SVOD does represent challenges in 2020, as it does not provide advertising opportunities, it does highlight the growth of on demand services available on connected TV. CTV platforms offered by Kidoodle, Ketchup, Pocket.Watch, Happy Kids TV and many more already feature on our plans, but we expect their growth to make this much more prominent in 2021.

When it comes to advertising potential, Free Online Video will be the largest growth area for ad spend in 2020. However, whilst YouTube still retains the vast majority of viewing share in this space, it is being impacted by the growth of TikTok. TikTok is without doubt an exciting avenue for brands to be

considering this autumn/winter, but following the recent bans handed out to the app in India and more recently Hong Kong, could Western markets such as the USA and the UK follow suit? In reality this is unlikely, but it does raise the issue once again of how data is handled by the platform, and whether standard advertising practices are at risk of falling foul of COPPA and GDPR-K guidelines.

Beyond that, as an emerging advertising platform, there will remain inherent risks (as still exist on YouTube) of appearing against content that could be deemed unsafe by many brands, particularly in the children’s space. In the mid to long term, these issues will no doubt be overcome as brand safety platforms are able to integrate with TikTok’s API. Brand safety issues are already being successfully

navigated on YouTube, meaning that there has never been a better time to make use of what is now the market leading platform (in terms of time spent) when it comes to advertising opportunities for children’s marketers. This has been the driving force behind the creation of the world’s first contextual DMP (Data Management Platform) built specifically for children: Precision. Developed in partnership with Giraffe Insights and Precise TV, Precision will offer Generation Media a safer and more sophisticated solution for targeting children’s audiences on YouTube, without the use of personally identifiable information.

Toy World 18

Jonathan Chambers Director of AV Investment, Generation Media.

Tel: 0207 307 7906 Jonathan.Chambers@generationmedia.co.uk

Powered by over three billion datapoints collated from thousands of campaigns, verified by anonymised respondent level data from Giraffe Insights’ Kids and the Screen research, Precision will not only offer advertisers a fully COPPA and GDPR-K compliant route to market, but a level of targeting online which has not previously been possible. This is more important than ever.

YouTube channels have been impacted by the introduction of “Made for Kids” measures implemented by Google at the start of the year, and many children’s favourites are broadening the type of content created for their channels in order to appeal to a wider range of advertisers. As a result, targeting YouTube channels will no longer be sufficient, rather video level selections now need to be made. This is how the AI powered planning and buying procedures operate within our new DMP, enabling predictions to be made as to which videos within each channel will engender the greatest engagement with your brand and therefore maximise return for every pound spent.

In a digital world in which non-children’s advertisers have had the luxury of rich data for years, now is the time for brands targeting children to benefit from our technological advancements eliminating risks, giving rise to increased ROI, which the market needs more than ever.

Licensing World Brand Licensing Europe transitions to all-virtual event for the Festival of Licensing After much deliberation and consultation with customers, attendees and industry partners, it has been announced that Brand Licensing Europe 2020 will transition to an all-virtual event. In place of the traditional trade show, the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the organiser behind BLE, is introducing the Festival of Licensing, a celebration of the business of brand licensing, in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International.

Running from 6th-29th October 2020, Festival of Licensing will be a four-week virtual gathering, bringing together the licensing industry to connect, learn, strike deals and do business on an international stage.

Festival of Licensing will comprise of four regionally tailored events in key licensing territories: • Week 1: 6th-8th October - Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe.

• Week 2: 14th-15th October - Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan.

• Week 3: 20th-22nd October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo.

• Week 4: 28th-29th October - Global C-suite virtual conference - Licensing Leadership Summit.

The first three events will be time-zoned around the territories they serve and deliver the following: IP discovery: • Exclusive brand and property showcases from up to 300 exhibitors.

• Untapped talent with live License This! and Pitch the Brands competition finals.

Content: • Live keynote headliners from the world’s most influential brands, addressing the most pressing topics of the current business environment.

• 100+ hours of live and on-demand, territory and category specific content to guide businesses through the new consumer landscape.

• Retailer-only space with exclusive educational content and expert Q&A sessions.

Networking: • Opportunities to meet, conduct business and strike deals through the Festival Matchmaking Service, enabling both pre-planned online video meetings and impromptu exhibitor booth drop-ins.

Experiences: • Fully Licensed!, an unmissable programme of special live daily evening entertainment and experiences in each region.

• Community & Wellbeing featuring a celebration of the global licensing industry, a wide range of business/career advice and mentoring, a huge industry fundraiser and wellbeing workshops focused on our physical, nutritional, creative, psychological and social needs.

Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group vice president, Anna Knight, commented: “Although the decision to transition Brand Licensing Europe to an all-virtual event was a difficult one, I’m proud that we have a comprehensive offering in its place and look forward to the European event kicking off Festival of Licensing.”

She added, “Our partners are telling us that driving domestic and international connections, discovering new IP and brands and learning how to navigate the new consumer landscape are paramount to the health of forward-planning for the business of brand licensing, and Festival of Licensing will support all of these needs.

One of the joys of virtual is that it can make the previously impossible possible, and we plan to use the power of the platform to fuel the imagination, delight and inspire in a fitting celebration of this industry and the people within it.”

Brands who are interested in exhibiting should visit www.festivaloflicensing.com.

Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! returns for season two The second series of the Beano Studios hit animated TV show Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! premiered on CBBC on Monday 13th July. The series airs on weekdays at 7.10am, and is repeated at 3.25pm, with each episode available on iPlayer directly after broadcast.

Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! season two is comprised of 52 x 11-minute episodes following the unpredictable and exciting adventures of Dennis and his friends in Beanotown.

Episode one, titled Beat the Bus, sees new teacher Miss Mistry taking Class Three on an outing to the Flumes ‘o’ Doom water theme park, and Walter pulls out all the stops to make Dennis late for the bus.

Dennis, voiced by Freddie Fox, and his group of mates Rubi, JJ, Pieface and his pet potato Paul, are joined by new characters for season two, including Miss Mistry.

Last year, Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! season one received nominations at Kidscreen, the British Animation awards and was nominated for an International Emmy. At launch it was the highest-rated animated show on CBBC for 6-12 year olds and one of the top 10 shows for kids across all channels.

Fans can find brand-new Dennis and Gnasher: Unleased! games and quizzes at beano.com/dennisandgnasher. To celebrate the series’ return, Beano also launched a ‘family and friends’ discount for subscribers to the Beano comic.

Toy World 20

Licensing World Playmobil details new Scooby-Doo playsets For more than 50 years, Scooby-Doo and the four teen detectives of Mystery Inc. have been delighting an audience of millions. With two cinema sequels, an animation series and numerous video and mobile games, the four detectives and Scooby are now also available as detailed Playmobil play sets.

Playmobil has released the iconic Mystery Machine from the popular franchise. The Mystery Inc vehicle includes Fred, Daphne and Velma and in the back of the vehicle is a ghost card reader, which can be used to identify ghosts from the cards that come with each Scooby-Doo set. The team wouldn’t be complete without Scooby-Doo and his best pal Shaggy who come in their own set, which also includes a ghost to unmask.

For collectible fans, twelve classic ghost characters are available to collect in the Surprise bags, each of which includes a ghost to build, complete with accessories. The ghosts can be unmasked to reveal a dastardly criminal and each bag includes a ghost card which can be used in conjunction with the Mystery Machine, as well as stickers for kids to collect and display on their very own sticker poster; available from stores and from Playmobil direct.

The next play set series will follow this month, combining more fun for Scooby-Doo and Playmobil fans alike.

Wow! Stuff awarded master toy licence for The Gruffalo As well as The Gruffalo, Wow! Stuff has signed a licence with Magic Light Pictures for its full catalogue of brands which also includes Room on the Broom, Zog and The Snail and the Whale – all creations based on books by the author and illustrator duo, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The master toy deal is multi territory; products will be available in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, USA and Canada.

From January 2021, Wow! Stuff will launch a full line up of toys and playsets, all with Wow! Stuff’s overlay of innovation, including collectibles, character action figures, playsets, electronic animated plush and more.

Wow! Stuff’s head of product development & licensing, Kenny McAndrew, said, “This is a fabulous way to show what we can do when we have a master licence and are free to explore traditional key toy categories and add our innovative take. We’ll bring Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s characters to life with the physical figurines children love. Each character and the playsets are part of a special universe, which complement and pay homage to the books and films. The characters are hugely ‘toyetic’ and our tests showed the reaction from parents and grandparents, and their propensity to purchase, was at the very highest level; family awareness and parental approval on the brand is high.”

Wow! Stuff will join long term Gruffalo partners including Ravensburger, Asmodee, Winning Moves and Schmidt Spiele.

The Entertainer and Riverside Brands announce ELC partnership The Entertainer has partnered with Riverside Brands to lead its brand extension strategy for Early Learning Centre.

The Entertainer has been focused on growing the Early Learning Centre brand since its acquisition in February 2019. The partnership marks a significant step into the licensing space, highlighting the commitment of the group to supporting this iconic brand, both within its own retail space and through bespoke brand extensions led by Riverside. The move is being hailed as a bold one; few retailers venture into the licensing space, particularly those outside of fashion and apparel, though the Entertainer is confident the move will pay off.

The extensive heritage of the ELC brand and the iconic characters within its brand portfolio lend themselves perfectly to wider brand extensions into categories such as apparel, nightwear, health & beauty, publishing, nursery and experiences, particularly Happyland and the core ELC brand.

“We are extremely excited to be partnering with Riverside Brands on this exciting opportunity for the Early Learning Centre brand,” commented Stuart Grant, global sourcing officer at The Entertainer.

“With such a strong heritage as an iconic part of early years development, we are confident there is more opportunity for the brand to be an even bigger part of children’s early years, giving them greater access to the characters through carefully selected brand extensions.”

Toy World 22

© 2020 Epic Games, Inc.

START COLLECTING!

AVAILABLE NOW FORNITE Publi A3 Trading Cards 020720.indd 1

2/7/20 14:51

NPD Insight

Business as unusual Melissa looks at how the UK toy market has fared during lockdown and as high street stores reopen.

A

impulse purchases and are more easily picked up lthough the UK lockdown due to in brick and mortar stores than online. At the same coronavirus has had a significant impact time, toys over £30+ increased their share of the on everyday life, the UK toy market has market by ten points and grew by +£44m. £30+ toy been remarkably resilient. Helped by growth was driven by the Outdoor & Sports Toys and an already developed online channel Building Sets supercategories in particular. Over and strong purchasing and delivery options, the 13 half of all Outdoor & Sports Toys items sold during week lockdown period (15th March – 13th June 2020 lockdown were over £30, while that price point also – including the week prior to official lockdown when accounted for 46% of Building Sets sales. For Outdoor, school closures were announced), saw the UK toy lockdown. Indeed, nine out of eleven supercategories those high price points were driven by an increase market grow +17% in value, or an additional +£58m. have seen value growth post-lockdown, with in Playground Equipment (trampolines, playsets, Comparing this to the pre-lockdown decline trend seven also seeing volume of -5% or loss of £12m, it growth (compared with appears that lockdown was just two supercategories actually good for the market. experiencing volume At the time of writing, we growth during lockdown). have three weeks of sales Despite gaining £58m in sales during lockdown, UK Toy Market sold 6m less Youth Electronics, Building data with brick and mortar toys (units) Sets, Plush and Arts & Crafts stores open and the UK Total UK Toys Gains/Loss have all enjoyed doubletoy market has continued digit volume growth. As the £58 to grow, albeit at a slower price point and product mix pace, up +9% in value, Value £M Units M of the industry continues to adding £8m compared evolve post-lockdown, we to the same period a year may continue to see strong ago. However, as always, £8 volume trends, even as value the top-line numbers don’t growth slows for the rest of tell the whole story and a -1 -2 -6 2020. deeper dive helps to explore -£12 Pre-lockdown(Dec 29 2019 - Mar 14 Lockdown (Mar 15 2020 - Jun 13 2020) Post-lockdown (Jun 14 2020 - Jul 04 We still have the largest what happened - and what 2020) 2020) sales period of the year to may happen during the come, with Q4 accounting remainder of 2020.

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | U.K. 2020 vs. 2019 for 48% of annual sales in DocumentThe classification: Client/Third Party Confidential NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential 1 While value has increased 2019. However, some big during lockdown, it is questions remain. What important to note that percentage of the lockdown sales were incremental playhouses etc), as well as pools and water toys.

These volume has not followed the same trend. During to the category, or were they just pulling later sectors grew as parents with limited options for the 13-week period, volume sales declined by -14%, purchases to an earlier point of the year? This seems outdoor activities outside the home tried to ensure which means that six million fewer toys were sold. to be the case with Outdoor toys, where many of that their kids had physical activities available in the Even since stores have reopened, we have still seen the outdoor categories saw sales picking up weeks garden during the good weather.

Building Sets high a volume decline compared with the same period earlier than usual. It remains to be seen how much priced growth was driven by Lego Technic, as well as in 2019, although a slightly slower rate of decline, it has impacted other categories such as Games and Lego Harry Potter and Lego Star Wars, suggesting a with volume down -11% or 1 million fewer toys.

Puzzles. Given the months between lockdown and mix of children and adults engaging in construction This means that the value growth both during and the all-important Christmas period, there is plenty play during lockdown. post-lock down has been driven by an increase in the of time for consumers to forget their early spend or Since non-essential stores have reopened, lower average price, which grew +36% during lockdown even be intrigued by new launches and marketing priced toys have once again increased their share and +22% post. This price increase was driven less campaigns for the remainder of the year. As the of the market, up to 33%, but this is still below their by changes to promotions and prices in store, but a industry’s focus now turns to Christmas, there is still share prior to lockdown. This has been welcome change in price point and product mix. much that can change for each toy category, price news for the Plush and Vehicles categories, which Prior to lockdown, toys under £10 accounted point and total industry. Whatever happens, 2020 will over index on the under £10 price point and have for 38% toy value, but dropped to 28% during the certainly be remembered as an interesting year. seen their performance grow since the easing of lockdown period. These price points are reliant on

Melissa Symonds

Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD

Pre & Post Lockdown Gains/Loss

Toy World 24

To monitor what’s happening in the ever-changing toy market, NPD collects point-of-sale information from all major toy retailers. This information, combined with our analysts’ industry perspectives, delivers a comprehensive view of what’s selling and where. We also field over 12m consumer surveys annually to help industry leaders understand why consumers shop where they shop and why they buy what they buy.

For more information visit www.npd.com. Follow NPD on Twitter @npdgroup.

Property Progression Item Description

May Rank #

June Rank #

Heroes of Goo Jit Zu

101

60

During the lockdown, one of the supercategories to suffer the most was Action Figures and Accessories, with value declining -29% for 13 weeks (15th March – 13th June 2020). However, since stores have started opening up, the Action Figures trend has started improving with sales down just -2% for 14th June – 4th July 2020.

Many Action Figure properties have increased in sales in June compared to May including Funko Pop, Star Wars & Jurassic World. However, Character’s Heroes of Goo Jit Zu has moved up the rankings in total toys the most, with two of the top three best-selling Action Figure items for June. The Single Figure Assortment 5” was the No.2 best-selling item for the month and the Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Marvel Super Heroes Assortment No.3.

Fastest growing growing Licences 2020 Fastest Licences––YTD YTDJune June 2020

2019film filmreleases releases Frozen Frozen and been driving licensed toystoys 2019 andStar StarWars Warshave have been driving licensed Sales £M SalesGained Gained £M Fastest growing Licences – YTD June 2020

Disney Frozen Disney Frozen 2019 film releases Frozen and Star Wars have been driving licensed toys Star Wars Star Wars Harry Potter Sales Gained £M Harry Potter Disney Frozen Toy Story Toy Story Trolls Star Wars Harry Potter Ryan's Trolls World Toy Story World DC ComicsRyan's Super Heroes Trolls DC Comics Super Heroes Land Rover Ryan's World DC Comics Super Heroes Marvel Other Land Rover Land Rover Bing Marvel Other Marvel Other £0 Bing

Bing

£0

£0 DocumentThe classification: Party Confidential NPD Group,Client/Third Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

£3

£3

DocumentThe classification: Party Confidential NPD Group,Client/Third Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

£6 £3

£9

£12

Service 2020 vs. 19 Millions £6Source: The NPD Group £9| Retail £12 | YTD June £6 £9 Tracking £12

Millions

1 vs. 19 Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD June 2020

Millions

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD June 2020 vs. 19

1

Fastest growing licences

DocumentThe classification: Party Confidential NPD Group,Client/Third Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

Licensed toys account for 24% of total spend on toys YTD June 2020, up from 23% in the same period in 2019. With growth of +15%, more than twice the non-licensed toys growth, licensed toys have had a strong first half of the year. The fastest growing licence is Disney’s Frozen, after the movie release at the end of 2019. Star Wars is No.2 with the Mandalorian items, as well as Rise of Skywalker, both contributing to growth. Harry Potter is the third fastest growing licence driven by Building Sets, while Toy Story is No.4 at the 1-year anniversary of the cinematic release of Toy Story 4 in June. The Toy Story 4 True Talkers Assortment is the number one Action Figure item in June.

With the release of the movie on PVOD in April, Trolls is now the fifth fastest growing licence YTD with Building Sets and Playset Dolls the top categories for Poppy and Branch.

Land Rover growth is driven by Lego Technic and high-priced items’ strong performance during the lockdown period. Marvel Other growth is from a mix of Playskool, Heroes of Goo Jit Zu and Funko items growing.

Toy World 25

1

Talking Shop

Welcome back to looking forward

Lisa Currie caught up with independent retailers to find out how business is faring since stores have reopened, what’s selling well and what plans are being made for the rest of the year.

Lisa Dyson - Games Crusade, Harrogate We put all the safety measures in place before we reopened, and since then we have ticked along steadily. The customers who have come into the shop have all bought something, however we have not experienced the footfall numbers and casual browsing that we would normally.

We are an interactive shop and usually have a lot of instore demonstrations and opportunities for customers to try out products. This often resulted in extra sales, since parents could see what their children enjoyed playing with or could have a go themselves before they buy. Of course, we have had to remove those, which means customers don’t get the same level of interaction as before. They have to rely on our expertise and advice.

The town has been quiet; I think the biggest issue for many people is that, early on at least, they didn’t have access to public toilets and restaurant facilities. Consequently, people are coming out for short periods of time and we have often found that our busiest hour is between 3pm and 4pm. I do wonder if most people are thinking it’s easier to have lunch and use their own toilets at home, before coming out for an hour or two in the afternoon.

I offered local delivery and online sales during lockdown and my customers have been really appreciative of that.

They have been eager to come and show support in the shop now that we are open once more, which has been really encouraging and morale boosting. I think there has been concern that some shops may have to close permanently, and local people are keen to support local businesses as best they can. In return, we can offer a high level of personal attention to each customer.

Jigsaws were a best-seller all throughout lockdown and even though people have a bit more freedom to be out of the house, there still seems to be demand for jigsaws and puzzles.

Asmodee very kindly sent some complimentary games to help businesses reopen, which I decided to use in a free raffle. We are still offering local and postal deliveries, and anyone that had bought a game from us either in store or online was entered into the draw with a raffle ticket for every game purchased, meaning five games, for examples, equals five entries. Winners received a mystery boardgame which we gift-wrapped for a surprise factor.

I have tried my best during lockdown to continue offer a service to our customers, despite having had no staff and the shop doors being closed, and I am grateful that people have decided to continue to support us now the physical shop is back open, whether online or in store.

Paul Wohl - Argosy Toys, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex Footfall is down but sales are up, since most customers coming into the shop are spending. We are still finding that a lot of people don’t realise we are open yet, with many checking to see if they are allowed in! However, once they are in, they seem happy to spend. There are very few people coming in to browse; given the situation, customers want to make a shopping expedition worthwhile, so they visit us with a purpose, and are not just browsing for something to do.

On the whole, there has been nothing too surprising since reopening. It is certainly a very interesting time in terms of what’s selling – and what’s not. I have noticed that a lot of the crazes seem to have died down. Before lockdown, we were experiencing good sales of Pokémon and L.O.L. Surprise! However, children aren’t getting together as much to show each other what they have got, so playground crazes haven’t been as popular.

Some people are still getting used to the idea of coming out and we are still experiencing encouraging trade with our delivery service as a result. As soon as lockdown started, we began offering local delivery and will continue to do so for now.

Our mail order side increased massively during lockdown, although since reopening it has settled slightly. Ultimately the current climate is an unprecedented one – during the week we have times where there are no customers for a while and then we have one or two customers who spend well and make it all worthwhile.

Since reopening, Lego has been very strong, as well as puzzles for children and adults, Sylvanian Families, boardgames and dolls. Anything outdoor has sold well, helped by the particularly brilliant spell of weather just when we reopened.

What’s noticeable is that more people now are seeking good value for money, rather than a five-minute wonder. This suits me very well; it’s the kind of toy shop I have always strived to be, rather than being all about the latest crazes.

We were very busy for the first six weeks of lockdown, but gradually we got quieter and decided to make the most of the down time. For a while now, we have been talking about reopening the first floor, which was closed a long time ago to be used as a stock room, as retail space. Lockdown has given us the opportunity to do that. My helpful staff and I took walls out, took down warehouse racking and cleaned the whole space. We opened the first floor to customers on Wednesday 24th June and it has been a great success, with the following weekend being very busy. We have gone from 2,000 square foot to 3,200 square foot, so now we’ve got more space for customers, as well as stock.

Toy World 26

Max Evans - Pandemonium, East Sheen, London We are relieved to be back open. In the few weeks leading up to reopening, phone and local delivery orders had slowed down; I think people had reached a point where they had everything they wanted, or they had order fatigue.

There has been a real bounce back from customers and I have noticed more people are keen to shop at local businesses, which seems to be a big movement at the moment.

A lot of children have also been excited to come back into the shop and spend the pocket money they have been saving.

Of course, we have had to put in rules and regulations around the shop to keep it safe, however I wanted to make sure that kids and their families could still come into together and enjoy a pleasurable shopping experience. We are limiting visitors to one family group at a time, although we are more flexible with smaller groups. If there is an individual customer, or just two people, we will let in another small group. We have provided hand sanitiser throughout the shop, as well as a one-way system and contactless payments. The public reaction has been positive and cooperative, and we are very encouraged by the support from the local community for independent shops.

When we reopened in June, at first sales and footfall roughly equated to our usual summer holiday levels of trade. During the summer holidays, Saturdays are less busy than during term time, when parents regularly purchase gifts for birthday parties.

We haven’t experienced that for months now due to the lack of parties happening, so although Saturdays are busier than weekdays, they are still about 50% down, compared to our usual term time Saturdays.

Being based in London, the area usually empties out over the school holidays, as many of our customers go away. Although people are not necessarily doing that this year, I do feel that we will continue to budget the way we would over the school holidays for the next few months.

Unsurprisingly, the fine weather recently means that paddling pools and outdoor toys have been the biggest sellers and outdoor items have also made up the majority of deliveries. Our customers are starting to show interest in collectibles again; after a quiet spell in this category, these items are showing a resurgence because a lot of kids have pocket money to spend. We will certainly focus on restocking collectible ranges going forward.

Puzzles and board games have slowed down, but they are still popular and selling steadily. Lego hasn’t been delivering for months but we finally received an order in the first week of reopening. Now it is a case of keeping that range as well stocked as we can for our customers. It is a relief to have Lego back - our shelves in that section were getting very empty. Orders for the new sets will take priority, as we build up our stock levels once more.

Toy World 27

Talking Shop Jonty Chippendale - The Toy Shop, Cockermouth On the whole, reopening the shop has been a positive experience. Our customers have been very supportive and very responsible about adhering to the social distancing and hand sanitising rules we have implemented. Footfall has been lower, however currently the average spend has been higher.

We have had a lot of children coming in who have been saving up their pocket money throughout lockdown, which is very gratifying and really quite heartwarming to see. We also supply school uniforms for the local school, which brings families in, even though the schools are feeling their way forward as to what they will do now and after the summer holiday break.

Having the physical store up and running once more has been encouraging, but there is still an uncertainty factor. I think anyone running a business gets unsettled by uncertainty more than by everything else. One challenge we face is whether or not we start to build up our stock position or take a more cautious approach, as we could find ourselves back in lockdown at any time.

We thought long and hard about reopening. Even though we are small enough not to need one, we still carried out the risk assessment exercise. We covered all the bases - and so far, there has been nothing that has caught us out.

There is an element of tourism in our town and we are looking forward to tourists coming back. But at the same time, all the pubs and attractions will be opening and the risk level will be higher, so we will have to be doubly careful during this time. When things are going well it is very easy to relax, but as we open up more as a nation, the risk factor for a second wave heightens. We have a responsibility not just to our customers but also to our staff and ourselves. I suspect initially we will have more regional tourism before more people feel confident to travel the length and breadth of England.

Recently, traditional toys like jigsaws, colouring books and puzzles have sold well.

As the weather improves, water pistols and paddling pools have also generated good business. At the moment we are selling what we have got rather than responding to demand. We won’t be chasing the latest crazes just yet. It is still early days, and at this time I would rather have a steady cashflow than more stock on the shelves. If suppliers want me to change cash into stock, they will have to make it a very attractive proposition.

As a town, we have got together over the last two weeks to advertise on local TV. The 30 second advert features all of the local shops who have contributed to the advert and shows that Cockermouth is open for business. So far it is doing its job in promoting activity to the wider region, which is great news.

Mike Slocombe - Watkins Toys, Taunton, Somerset Watkins Toys celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, and this was the first time we have had to close the shop. Even during the war, it stayed open, so this situation was new to all of us.

Since we reopened in June, we have found that adult purchases have kept us going.

Adult jigsaws, Airfix kits, paints and Lego Technic have all been in high demand, all items for adults rather than children. This is slightly concerning, and we hope children and their families haven’t switched to shopping for toys online completely.

Generally, the public has been very pleased to see us open again. Some of my customers haven’t been out for weeks on end and I can’t imagine how they have coped, especially those with no outside space and children to keep occupied. But they have pulled through and are slowly coming back out again.

Being so close to Burnham-on-sea, a large part of our customer base is made up of tourists, so once the holiday season really kicks off, I expect footfall will increase. This will be encouraging, but an increase in customers is also an increase in risk. After reopening on 4th July, one of our local pubs had to close again almost straight away because someone tested positive for coronavirus. This has shown that it’s vital we stick to all the safety guidelines in order to keep ourselves and customers safe.

When we carried out a stock-take in February, we found we had too much stock, and then the following month the government announced the closure of all non-essential shops. When we reopened, we consequently had plenty on the shelves, all thanks to a misjudgement on last year’s stock volumes.

With a healthy stock already in place, we haven’t felt the need to order much more just yet and haven’t been in contact with many suppliers. We have plenty of winter stock and we’re now in the middle of summer, but there is no particular craze in the market at the moment so it hasn’t really mattered that we haven’t had much summer stock delivered yet.

Moving forward, I think we have to play it by ear. I don’t want to order too much stock and then find we have to close again with more bills to pay. That is the biggest worry. From our years of experience, I feel it is important to remain cautious. The last thing we need would be to face further challenges at a time like this.

I think one of the biggest difficulties with trading in the current climate is that the usual sales patterns have gone completely out of the window, and we can’t quite grasp a new pattern just yet. Usually parents would call in after work or after picking their kids up from school, but changes in school and work routines means this simply isn’t happening.

Some people are still understandably feeling anxious about going out anywhere, and they will start to do so gradually.

Ultimately, we are all in the same boat and would love to know how things are going to look in the future and what our ‘new normal’ will be. But for now, we are just pleased to be open and will continue to move forward sensibly and with caution.

Toy World 28

Matt Booker - Automattic Comics, Wiltshire Now we are allowed to reopen, I have started off with a table and doorway service, which a few other shops on the same road have also decided to do. It makes sense because I am positioned on a B road, so cars can pull into the layby over the road in a half hour parking bay, come up to the door and ask for what they want.

Since reopening, I’ve been amazed that some suppliers haven’t contacted me to inform me they are open again. Now that I am finally up and running in the physical store, I want to buy in products to sell; naturally, I thought a lot of suppliers would have been keen to get in touch.

I don’t think there are any brand new crazes out there at the moment, I would say the only recent crazes have been jigsaw puzzles and Swing Ball. I’ve been in the business for 26 years, and I have never really done any pre-ordering. I prefer to be as fluid and reactive as possible, I don’t go heavy on anything and I plan to continue working this way post-lockdown.

Lego has been a top seller as well as outdoor toys like paddling pools and other smaller outdoor items. We had good weather shortly after reopening in June, so that wasn’t unexpected. Craft items and baby dolls are also generating good business.

Pokémon has done really well with the re-launch, though I didn’t think it would because it is usually a playground craze.

During lockdown I have evolved the business and traded very successfully on eBay. A lot of shops in the area have remained closed, so I have gained new customers from neighbouring towns. The hardware store next to me has been brilliant. During lockdown, they would allow customers to collect products ordered from me from their store. This meant I didn’t have to be in and out of the shop waiting for customers to come and collect.

We are located in a small town and everyone works very well together. Small paddling pools have been in high demand, but I haven’t been able to get hold of any bigger models. The hardware store managed to get some in from a garden supplier, so between us we can cater for everyone – we advertise each other. Lots of customers and local businesses, including myself, use social media to tag each other and help generate business. All of this has been very beneficial, through lockdown and since reopening.

All of my customers so far have been fine with the table counter service. Moving forward, I may be able to remove that, but I am going to play it by ear. Since reopening, I have let only a few customers come into the shop. I have a cabinet displaying secondhand Lego and action figures, so I have let those interested have a look first-hand. I have had the time to build a lot of second-hand Lego and to sort through some second hand action figures for the display, but I avoid letting anyone in if I have a queue outside; everything I do is controlled and monitored.

I’m very happy to be back open for business as nothing beats face to face customer interaction, albeit from a distance. Since reopening, I have definitely noticed less footfall in the city centre. I think people have realised they don’t need have to travel to shop. They are shopping locally at their independent butchers, green grocers and toy shops – which is great news for us all.

Toy World 29

Talking Shop Mark Mitchell -

Crocodile Toys, Cirencester We reopened on Tuesday 16th June. I believe it is going to take a while for people to gain confidence so we can essentially build up the business all over again. In the first couple of weeks of reopening, business was slow, but that was expected.

In this climate, if you are heading for approximately 50% of what you would have ordinarily done at that time of year on that day, that is optimistic. If we move forward with that reality in our heads, we shouldn’t be disappointed.

It’s hugely important to have suitable guidelines in place. In many cases, I think these will determine if customers will come back. If they feel comfortable and relaxed, you’ve got a good chance of seeing them again.

It’s going to be a long road and we have an 18-month plan in place. Moving forward, I think it will be a stepped journey. It would be unrealistic not to expect a certain amount of going backwards as well as going forwards; either way we want our customers to know we are here through it all.

In line with government guidelines, we have taken this opportunity to change the store layout to give more space for customers, with a queuing system outside and a different exit so people can feel totally comfortable shopping with us. We will retain the two-metre rule as keeping distance is more important than trying to squeeze more people in. We have also taken this opportunity to fully embrace a 100% plastic-free range going forward.

At Crocodile Toys, we provide toys and games for everyone from new-borns to adults. All our stock has to meet a very stringent criteria, including longevity with a simple but functional design and of course excellent materials and manufacturers. We only stock rubberwood, beach and birch plywood in the shop. One of our key areas is the Petit Collage range from Wild and Wolf, which meets our criteria in both games and early years. Recently we have seen great success with Eugy. Distributed by Brainstorm, it fits our brief perfectly because it is a broad range and environmentally friendly. At only £8, it is perfect for those looking for a gift that doesn’t break the budget – which is vital for so many at the moment.

We have found that people respond well to toys that last for generations. With everything that has happened in the world recently, I think people are ready to make more sustainable choices. Before lockdown, we had customers travelling to us for that reason alone. Evidently, they are taking care in the choices they make regarding both products and packaging, which is important.

Of course, there are many ways to shop and we don’t hammer our message into people, this is simply what Crocodile Toys is all about. However, lockdown has made us embrace sustainability fully and we have let go of our Lego account completely in the course of the crisis. This was a major decision and a brave move, as Lego is such a popular brand, but we think it is an important move in order to fulfil our values. Whilst in lockdown, we have been building a whole lifestyle-orientated ethos for the Crocodile brand and will continue to develop this moving forward. We believe there are further changes to be made that go beyond those enforced upon us as a result of Covid-19.

James Waddelove -

Storktown Toymaster, Leigh, Wigan Since reopening, trade has been steady. Everything is in place regarding guidelines, so now we are just trying to get back into the swing of things, albeit with new measures and a level of caution. At the moment, our opening hours are 9:30am – 2:30pm. We are watching footfall levels and if we feel we need to open longer hours, we will.

We have been trying to reset the business and move forward as best we can.

Although kids are off school for the summer holidays, finances are low for many people in the current climate. We need to take that into account as we start considering the latter part of the year and Christmas orders. We are going to be cautious, but we still need to cater for our customers and get stock in. The nursery side of the business has been very busy since reopening, as it was throughout lockdown, so that has been a blessing.

During lockdown, we were able to sell a selection of our toy range via eBay, which kept business going. Generally, customers are responding well to the shop reopening and life feeling a bit more normal again. Lots of shops in the local area, like Wilkinson’s and the Post Office, have been trading all the way through lockdown, so I think they have got used to adhering to the two metre rule and other guidelines and are happy that they can shop with us safely.

All jigsaws, plus anything kids can do at home, are still selling really well. I think some people are still feeling anxious about going out, so suitably priced indoor items, to keep the family entertained at home, remain in demand. I expect footfall and trade to remain steady over summer, and hopefully will increase as kids go back to school and Christmas beckons.

We have learnt many things throughout this whole experience; Facebook has been a brilliant platform for communicating with customers, and local delivery is something we will look at offering permanently in a post-lockdown world. In our nursery department, we have been running an appointment-only system that has worked very well, and we may well continue with this. That’s the big thing about running a small business, you can learn from adversity and make changes to suit the situation and improve the business going forward.

Toy World 30

indie viewpoint

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

Fame at last

A

s we write this, it has been just over a month since we re-opened our doors. It has been good to get trading again and have some sense of normality back to our working lives. Overall, we have been pleased with business, and although year on year comparisons are tough, we are happy with the volume we are taking. As other people have noted, there is a lot less footfall around, but customers who do visit are spending about 15-20% more than last year, which is a big help.

There was noticeably some pent-up demand when we first re-opened, and after a week this quietened down. But since early July, trade has picked up again. The pattern of when we take the money has changed, as weekends are significantly down on last year, whilst we have been trading up on weekdays. Clearly, as a lot of children are not at school, shopping visits are being spread out. Our branches are in shopping malls where, at the weekends, shopping is usually seen as a leisure activity, with coffee shops and eating out part of the experience.

Some of these opened a couple of weeks ago, but we don’t get the impression people are looking for that type of day out just yet, and most people head home rather than staying longer.

With facemasks about to become mandatory in all shops, it will be interesting to see how this will impact us. It is good to have some clarity on the issue, after various advisory statements, and hopefully once people have got used to wearing them, it will give more people the confidence to come out. On that note, we are just about to start selling face protectors and hand gel in different designs from a gift company, as we have been asked for both by customers; this could be a useful add-on sale instore.

One of the categories that has continued to perform well post lockdown has been plush.

We were worried that the tactile nature of the product would mean that people would be worried about touching them if other people had. However, this has not been the case, and whether people need comfort in these uncertain times or are looking for plush as gift items, sales have been strong. Ty Beanies continue to be our best seller, and the launch of the new large Squishaboos from Ty has been very popular. The Squishmallows also continue to sell well; they are a favourite with customers and are a great price.

Wooden toys is a range that has grown strongly over the last year in store, and that is mainly down to Brio. We have gradually added it to all our stores, and the marketing Ravensburger has done has really helped as there is now a lot more awareness of the brand People are happy to pay for the quality, and the product looks great on shelf. The wooden rail collection is the core of this business, and the technology Brio has introduced to the product really adds to the play experience.

As you know, we like to get the Toy Barnhaus name out there, some of you may even have seen us pop up on TV, in newspapers, or on radio adverts in the past few months, as part of a campaign be eBay to advertise small businesses which have launched on the site during lockdown. It has been a great boost for the business, although it was the first time we had ever done a voice recording in our office; we never realised how much background noise there was! As ever, we will not allow it to go to our heads, but whenever the next trade show is, we are happy to sign autographs‌

Toy World 31

touchingbase

Tomorrow is another day Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to leading suppliers to find out how they are supporting ranges since shops reopened and how they are addressing the reduction in the number of major Q3 trade shows.

Sue Barratt UK country manager, IMC Toys

Andrew Laughton Senior vice president UK, MGA Entertainment After a strange few months, it is fantastic to see toy retailers open again. The easing of restrictions seems to have brought more optimism and consumer confidence – and therefore a positive impact on sales.

I’m extremely proud of how MGA and Zapf Creation have managed the crisis; while we’ve worked closely with retailers on their digital offering and ensured we delivered for our consumers, we’re pleased that people are able to physically shop again. With exciting new brand launches and lots of high impact activity planned, we’re very much looking forward to a strong second half of the year for all of our brands.

Our superbrand L.O.L. will continue to dominate with its creative campaigns and incredible product lines, including the successful O.M.G. and brand new J.K. range. Little Tikes has had a particularly successful summer season this year, with its outdoor line, and we’re confident this will carry on throughout the autumn and winter season.

Na!Na!Na! Surprise and Poopsie continue to go from strength-to-strength and bring unique offerings to the tween market, while new brands Rainbow High and Secret Crush are set to be the new ‘big’ things. Zapf Creation has experienced a fantastic first half with consumers supporting traditional play patterns - Baby Born and Baby Annabell certainly fit that bill. With great new additions to both brands, we’re expecting big things for autumn. Here’s to a great season.

Prior to lockdown we were trading well, but, as IMC doesn’t have products in the toy categories that became ‘essential’ during the period, such as games, arts & crafts or outdoor, our shipped business suffered across April and May. That said, our NPD sales were still strong, with Cry Babies and Bloopies performing especially well.

From the beginning of June, as retailers’ click & collect services picked up and they prepared for store openings, both our shipments and sales picked up significantly. So much so, in fact, we’re now flat year on year and growing weekon-week with retail sales significantly up. June is up +48% in NPD, putting IMC firmly back in the NPD top 50 for the first time in well over a year.

Going forward, our retail partners are now actively planning for Christmas and spring.

We’ve created a virtual showroom and online presentations that show the new ranges pretty well. Everyone is very aware of the risk of a second peak and the recession coming, but cautious optimism is being combined with strong planning so that measures are in place as and when that happens. The biggest challenge for me and our buyers is the lack of ability to physically see and touch the products; what is the quality like, how do they compare to other products? I really think that if future shows are at risk - January Hong Kong, London Toy Fair, Nuremberg - autumn/winter selections will be a lot more challenging. Fingers crossed these shows can go ahead.

Toy World 32

Mary Wood General manager UK & Ireland, Tomy Back in March, with lockdown on the horizon, sales expectations were low for our new financial year and we started to take all measures to preserve cash in anticipation of some tough months ahead. We did not anticipate how strong a first quarter we would have in the UK, with Toomies being our No. 1 brand, followed

by Lamaze, Drumond Park and Aquadoodle.

Turnover has far exceeded what we achieved in 2019. Our overall games business was our biggest category, with popular brands such as Articulate, Logo, Greedy Granny and Pop Up Pirate all bestsellers, but to see our other core brands come through so strongly was very satisfying. I think the work we have done over the last couple of years to develop the right products at the right price points, as well as working on our online presence, has paid dividends. It’s also showed us that in times of uncertainly, consumers turn to brands they trust, with products that truly offer play value and longevity.

We all know that retailers with online offerings have fared well, but our bricks & mortar retailers are critically important to us and our industry.

Whilst the Toymaster show is not able to take place, we are doing our best to support these retailers by putting a number of offers in place to help get business going, now that these stores have started to reopen. I think the government decision to ensure consumers wear face masks in-store may help rebuild confidence in going out and shopping in the physical world, rather than just online.

Phil O’nion UK sales manager, Tactic Games With families clamouring for board games during lockdown, the team in Finland has gone above and beyond to keep stock arriving into the UK at regular intervals. We are therefore pleased to report that we were well prepared to support shops as soon as they reopened.

Whilst it’s going to still take time for bricks & mortar customers to settle back in and replenish their games shelves, our online partners continue to be very busy and we have seen great demand for our educational trivia games and outdoor games.

We were booked to show at Autumn Fair this year. It is obviously disappointing not to be seeing customers in person at the NEC next month, but we knew this was the likely scenario. Nevertheless, the team is on-hand to assist them with links to the catalogue and help with orders and delivery requirements, especially for the new games coming in September. The eagerly anticipated, award-winning 15 Minutes to Self-Destruct was so well received at London Toy Fair, and we’re excited for it to hit shelves. We have every confidence that 2020 will finish on a much more positive note, and that the usual pre-Christmas desire for board games will be as strong as ever.

Anthony Grimaud UK CEO, Canal Toys We’ve all experienced unprecedented and challenging times in the retail sector during lockdown. However, it’s been fantastic to see the mood improving over the last few weeks.

Whilst not everything has reopened and returned to normal, Canal Toys is seeing increasingly positive signs from the majority of its high street retailers; sales are picking up and consumers are becoming more confident about returning to stores once more.

Buying organisations remain cautious with forecasts, especially when ordering new lines. After so many phone calls, we are now seeing determination from retailers to prepare for the staycation summer holiday over the next seven weeks. This has allowed them to prepare for more sales in certain categories, whilst looking ahead to the festive season in Q4.

The toy industry has always proven quite resilient and we’ve been delighted to see how quickly many retailers have responded, adapted and shown a flexible approach to this new and difficult environment. Many have developed their online presence to ensure they are prepared for the second half of the year and the busy Christmas season, which presents its own unique challenges. From a Canal Toys perspective, I’m immensely proud of our team. We have managed to work through the crisis and our So DIY range of arts & crafts products has proved a lifeline for many parents stuck at home with their children.

Canal Toys is committed to supplying all its retailers with stock of key lines, and, more importantly, to ensuring retailers get the sell through in-store and online. To deliver this, we’ve made the decision to significantly increase our marketing budget for all core brands. Together, I know we can make the second half of the year a great success.

Toy World 33

touchingbase Andrea Gornall

Philip Morris

Senior business & project development manager, 8th Wonder

UK and Ireland country manager, Bertoy

8th Wonder has seen an increased level of sales during lockdown. However, we know and appreciate how difficult this time has been for everyone.

We’ve continued to work closely with our licensors, and our talented designers have created over 50 new products that began to launch in July. This includes new development for key licences like Hey Duggee and Bing, alongside the addition of new properties such as Paw Patrol.

We took precautions early doors to protect the business and ensure things are on track to support our autumn/winter growth plans.

In turn, this will mean an increased level of domestic stock will be available to support both current and new customers at all levels. This offers us an amazing opportunity to show the retail landscape that our ranges offer quality licensed products, in both wood and plush, at key price points. We haven’t stood still – we’ve been recruiting and strengthening our teams in all areas. In fact, over that last three months, eight new people have or will be joining the 8th Wonder team, which sets us up to grow further moving into 2021.

Over recent months we’ve been holding our own for sales YTD, and thankfully haven’t suffered as badly as we feared we would when going into lockdown on 23rd March.

Since non-essential shops have re-opened, we’ve seen an uplift in orders from bricks & mortar retailers, especially with zoo gift shops. The general mood can be summed up in two words - consumer confidence. Looking at feedback from Europe, it’s been a slower restart than expected.

Regarding September Fairs, we always felt that there would be a lack of face-to-face meetings with customers, but we’ve put in place certain promos to help drive business forward, such as ordering via our B2B portal. This has already resulted in an uplift in orders. The list of event cancellations is growing but Christmas definitely won’t be added to it and toys will always be bought.

Anil Boodhoo

Michelle Lilley

Sales & marketing director, Asmodee

Head of marketing UK, Little Tikes

As has been well publicised, games have performed very well since the beginning of lockdown; they’re an excellent source of family entertainment without having to leave the house. Even though there are challenges for us to overcome during this crisis, business is good and we’re delighted that retailers are able to open up again.

Consumers have remained willing to invest in quality experiences, with a strong uptake of our core brands including Dobble and Pokémon. We’ve also seen extremely promising sales for our Modern Classics range, which offers definitive entry points for consumers who are just discovering modern board games. Within this range, there has been strong interest in Ticket to Ride, Catan and Pandemic.

Given the strength of the games category right now, we’re looking forward to the peak period, even though – like everyone else in the trade – we don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like. With shows being cancelled, our priority is communication with all of our retail partners. We’re working on a number of initiatives to ensure that they’re fully informed of our plans and new launches, as well as innovative ways in which we can continue to support them.

We’ve focused heavily on digital marketing over the last few years, and with the current climate we’re all living in we’ve seen our ratings and reviews become an integral part of our strategy. Consumers are more informed than ever, with many doing their research before purchasing. We have worked hard to ensure the products we develop are gaining five-star reviews and we’re heading into the autumn season with over 15,000 positive consumer reviews in market - we can’t underestimate the power this has. We launched our first blasters range, My Mighty Blasters, into the market this year; the range has not only responded strongly to TV, it has also quickly earned a five-star rating in the market. This has been instrumental in helping it become one of the major new blasters on the block.

We’ve got a busy and exciting Q3 and Q4 ahead, with brand new launches in the smartwatch and role-play category. As always with Little Tikes, there will be something for everyone to inspire creative play. TV and influencer campaigns will play a key part in our autumn marketing plans, and we’re looking forward our latest launch, Tobi Robot Smartwatch, going on air this August.

Toy World 34

A

AS

#P

PER

FA NT

NEW 0 for Autumn 202

MARBLE RUN

NEW 0 for Summer 202

Over

50cmh!

Hig

MICROSCOPE

0ur

Over

70cmg!

Lon

Bes t

30x

Sell er!

Zoom!

Perfect for !

Moon Gazing

TELESCOPE PLANE LAUNCHER For more information: Call 07484 543387

Email jason@paperengine.com

Website BuildYourOwnKits.com

Launches Up To

10m!

TIC

C

LES

We’re the creators of an exciting new range of eco-friendly, STEM-inspired children’s toys that you can build WE yourself. 0nce built, our innovative L O O C E K MA PLASTI kits have unique functions and S STUFF FROM provide hours of entertainment CARD! for children aged 8+.

Company Profile

Studio Retail

Studio Retail a value proposition Based in Accrington, Studio.co.uk is the UK’s largest multi-range digital value retailer. Previously known as the catalogue retailer Express Gifts, Studio provides a shopping service to more than 2m customers per year, offering a wide range of products predominantly through online and mobile. Toys is a strongly performing category for Studio, and the company’s own brand range has received numerous awards including for its Outdoor Mud Kitchen and wooden toy range. Toy World spoke to toy buyer Neil Mitchell about the retailer’s success during lockdown, and what sets it apart in the marketplace.

How has Studio performed during 2020 as a whole, taking into account the weeks before lockdown and the lockdown itself?

Studio has performed exceptionally well in 2020. Back in January and February, sales were in line with budget, although good weather in February 2019 made it difficult for Garden & Outdoor Toys to annualise strong numbers.

However, since lockdown the business has seen both record online sales (+55% versus the same period last year) and a strong increase in new customers. Our multi-year transformation to become a digital value retailer means we have been well-placed to adapt to the current environment.

How big a role did the toy category play in this performance?

Toys has played a massive role in this year’s sales growth and has been a standout category, alongside the likes of Garden and Electricals.

Toys is up +20% YTD; we saw our biggest ever spring/summer trading week back in late March as we entered lockdown. This period was really dominated by Outdoor Toys. We were fully stocked ahead of the Easter period, plus we had the combination of warm weather and children off school for the foreseeable future. Despite the uncertainty that lockdown introduced, consumers didn’t hesitate to invest in outdoor fun for the kids, which was reflected

Toy World 36

in unprecedented sales of pools, trampolines and slides.

What toy trends were seen during lockdown? What brands or types of toy were most popular? And what price bracket were the majority of sales in?

‘Keep the kids entertained’ seemed to be a strapline used by most online retailers, and Outdoor Toys was at the forefront of this. Our most popular lines included trampolines, slides, paddling pools and playhouses, which were available across a range of price points. Another trend we observed was home learning, as the country adapted to a new way of life and teaching

kids from home. We already offered a wide range of relevant products, but we added new lines to the category, including brands we had not partnered with before, which all performed extremely well. Lego and wooden toys, including our own-brand role-play range, were standout sellers.

Who are your biggest toy and game suppliers, and what have they been like to work with during the pandemic?

Our biggest suppliers tend to be FOB companies, including HTI and Jupiter. We have a Studio office in Shanghai which helps us with direct sourcing, so a big part of our business is own-brand FOB. In many ways, working during the pandemic has made communication even more efficient and productive; for example, I now have a weekly video call with our Shanghai team, which has resulted in decisive actions being taken, rather than being drawn out over a series of emails. I have still been able to view products via video and request samples if required. A significant number of my national account managers were furloughed, but any changes were communicated clearly, and a new day-to-day contact identified - often a senior NAM or sales director. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several spring/summer 2021 previews via Microsoft Teams, instead of being on the road for a few weeks visiting suppliers. I enjoy face to face meetings and there is nothing better than seeing and handling physical products, but I’m in no doubt that video meetings are here to stay. They can be so much more efficient, save a good deal of everyone’s time and reduce travel costs.

Are you starting to see any shifts in consumer shopping behaviour now toy retailers have been allowed to re-open?

It’s still too early to say. As an online retailer, we’ve clearly benefited from the high street being closed, but the retail market remains volatile and we will have to wait and see how consumers react to the re-opening of physical stores.

Do you think online shopping in general will remain a bigger part of consumer’s lives moving forward?

Yes, I’ve no doubt online shopping will remain a bigger part of consumers’ lives moving forward.

Regular online shoppers have made purchases in

this way more than ever during lockdown, whilst consumers who prefer the high street and instore experience will have seen the benefits that online shopping brings. Some customers might still be cautious about visiting stores for a while, so will continue to rely on online options.

We’ve been pleased by the number of new customers we’ve welcomed to Studio in recent weeks. Customers who have never shopped with us before have been impressed by the choice, value and service we offer. It’s very much a personal choice as to how quickly consumers will return to the high street and everyone will have their own views.

How does Studio convey the USPs and fun each toy offers, when consumers can’t get hands-on with them?

We have various ways to communicate the USPs and fun features of toys. Studio was formed as a catalogue business; we still mail catalogues on a monthly basis, and these printed pages are a great way to showcase products. Digitally, we use supplier assets and benefit from our own in-house photographic studio, which we use to capture fantastic imagery. This is a great way to highlight the features and benefits of toys and helps get the scale of each item across to the consumer. All the assets used for catalogues will also be used on our website; online, each toy can have an unlimited amount of assets loaded against it, including model shots and videos.

Social media is also a great platform on which to show off products and is something we like to use for product launches or to shout about new ranges. It’s also a great way to get feedback on how consumers and influencers are enjoying the products.

E-commerce is likely to become a much bigger focus for many retailers moving forward. What stands Studio’s offerings and services apart in the marketplace?

One of Studio’s biggest USPs is personalisation.

Over many years, the business has invested heavily in state-of-the art machinery to create the largest personalisation plant in Europe, which allows us to place a child’s name on products, free of charge. This instantly gives Studio and the product a point of difference to others in the market. Wooden Toys is by far the most popular personalised range; the service

Toy World 37

works really well on kitchens, dollhouses and ride-ons. This service extends beyond toys – we provide personalisation across 3,000 products, including bath robes, Christmas decorations and stationery. We also offer our customers a credit option which makes many items more affordable and allows them to spread the cost. These flexible credit options allow us to sell a wide range of brands and price points.

What can toy suppliers gain from working with you? And how do you support your toy suppliers?

We work with all types of suppliers to curate a range that Studio customers will love. Our online platform allows us to offer a wide range, making us an ideal choice when launching new ranges, as well as selling tried and trusted products. If you’re an FOB supplier, then this is a big part of our business; we want to offer our customers fantastic prices and value, and we’re open to exclusive designs and products which can deliver incremental business. We are always on the lookout for great deals and promotions, so whatever the time of year, we can react, be agile, and work with suppliers to help deliver fantastic offers for our customers. We also offer Direct Dispatch, which allows both the supplier and Studio to trial products and brands whilst taking minimal risks.

Our SKUs span an extremely wide range of price points from a £2.49 pack of pencils to £500 Outdoor Wooden Playsets; we have the ability to work with all supplier types. Our aim is to build long term strategic relationships with suppliers as we continue our transformation, with the goal of becoming the leading digital value retailer.

Feature

Wooden Toys

That’s classic!

A traditional category featuring products which are recognised for their sustainability, durability and longevity, wooden toys continue to be a welcome addition to any household.

Toy World spoke to a selection of leading wooden toy suppliers to find out more.

A

s a naturally sustainable material, wooden toys lead the way in encouraging positive changes across the industry, including material sourcing, production processes and packaging, as well as the products themselves. However, in an ever-changing society where the rise in digitalisation is on-going, some suppliers of wooden toys are also looking at ways in which they can modernise products and ensure they appeal to the kids of today.

“Traditional play patterns endure and there will always be a place for classic wooden railways and pull-alongs,” comments Katy Fletcher, head of marketing and product development, Ravensburger UK. “But the world children live in today is very different to that when railway sets were first created and we’re seeing that world reflected in the wooden toy category in a variety of ways.”

Ravensburger has a wide range of new products

set to hit shelves this autumn under the Brio brand, aiming to elevate the ‘tradition meets tech’ trend.

Following the introduction of Smart Tech technology in 2019, Smart Tech Sound will be a new addition to the Brio World experience, featuring the Smart Tech app and lots of innovative tools for children to explore. For pre-schoolers, the Code and Go Bumblebee is another new addition that enables children to programme up to 27 different movement patterns.

Katy adds, “Technology can have a part to play in the traditional wood category, bringing innovation, excitement and reflecting what today’s children recognise. Clever layers of interactivity enhance the products, without overshadowing the fantastic developmental benefits of traditional wooden railway play.”

Hape’s Baby Einstein range continues to innovate and excite pre-school children, with a selection of

Toy World 38

wooden musical instruments which sound just like the real thing when played. The range has expanded with four new instruments now available. Across other ranges, Hape is following the digital trend with the inclusion of app technology in its wood offering.

Daniel Coe, marketing executive, Toynamics UK & Ireland, explains: “There has certainly been a trend towards wooden and more traditional toys. I think this stems from single-use plastic initiatives, and parents becoming more aware of their carbon footprint and how important protecting the environment is. However, Hape is looking to branch out by combining traditional wooden toys with innovation, both in terms of play value and the merging of wooden toys with apps and other smart integrations. The Junior Inventor and Quadrilla ranges all come with apps, and Hape is constantly finding new ways to take wooden toys to the next level, with more to be revealed in 2021.”

Monster Math Scale 50 Piece Railway Bucket Builder Set

in natural ! ts wood componen

Strum Along Songs™ Magic Touch™ Guitar

Magic Touch Piano™ Musical Toy

Contact Us @: sales@toynamics.co.uk|t: 0116 478 5230 |Web: www.toynamics.co.uk 10b Nursery Court, Kibworth Business Park, Kibworth Harcourt, Leicestershire, LE8 0EX

Hape UK toynamics_uk

Feature

Wooden Toys

Elsewhere in the category, Little Concepts recently announced a new distribution partnership with Brooklyn-based brand, Candylab Toys. Little Concepts will cover the UK & Ireland and distribute the full range of approximately 60 existing lines, arriving this month. 35 brand-new models are also landing in September, ready for back to school and the gifting season.

Philip Nelson, co-founder of Little Concepts, told us about developments across the company’s other key wooden ranges: “We are seeing strong demand in the Pretend Play sub-category. We now have 10 PlanToys Pretend Play sets that are performing amazingly well. We are also noticing our audience turn to more design-led products. Many of our wooden toys look great left on a display shelf and don’t have to be tidied away in the toy box every evening. We have also noticed a strong demand for sustainable products, which has been growing for many years; perhaps now

as consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their purchasing choices, we see our products opening to a wider audience. It’s hard to avoid the climate issue in the news and media and as consumer awareness of the issues is increasing, we are aiming to become even more transparent with our manufacturing processes and sustainable story.”

As we move closer to the all-important gifting season, Daniel highlights Toynamics’ approach to the rest of the year: “We are dedicated to supporting our retailers; we want to build traffic in their shops, whether they are bricks and mortar or online,” he told Toy World. “As a distributor, Toynamics offers retailers a vast range of toys across all age groups. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the changes to society which we have all had to face, Toynamics has continued to communicate regularly with retailers through newsletters and marketing. Our B2B web

shop gives retailers full access to all the required information and products with ease. Our main aim will always be to support our retailers, especially as they reopen their doors.”

“The Ravensburger core focus has always been on creating playful opportunities for friends and families to connect together and share special moments,” adds Katy, “That will not change and has perhaps never been more relevant than in the current times.

We’re receiving great feedback from consumers and our results are speaking for themselves. The way we reach out to consumers may change as circumstances do, but our aims will remain the same as we move forward.”

Over the next few pages, Toy World has collated a selection of the latest and up and coming ranges in the wooden toy category.

Toynamics 0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.co.uk Hape’s range of wooden toys continues to grow each year with a mix of traditional toys and innovation. The brand has 20 ranges of high-quality wooden toys including railway, kitchen, music and puzzles. The quality of Hape’s wooden toys means they are long lasting and can be passed down the family or given to other family and friends with young children.

Hape recently released new wooden products including the Fun Fan Fryer, which features a two-speed fan powered stove, six different recipe discs, salt and pepper shakers and a spatula. Retailing around £25, the innovative wooden hob offers hours of imaginative play. Also unveiled by Hape this year is the 50-Piece Railway Bucket Builder Set. The entire track fits around the bucket and stores inside perfectly. The set includes a train, tracks, vehicle, crane and scenery for children to let their imaginations run wild. Hape wooden railway is also compatible with all major wooden railway brands. At an attractive retail price point of £40, the Railway Bucket Builder Set offers endless play value.

Hape’s vast range of wooden toys also contains construction toys, including Flexistix. Made from bamboo, the sets are durable and give children the opportunity to build whatever their imagination desires. Options include a crane and the Eiffel Tower, as well as building kits that let children create freely.

The Junior Inventor STEM range offers sets which come in a range of sizes, from three experiment kits to 15 experiment workbenches. A selection of science kits have been added to the range, including Optical Science Lab and Magnet Science Lab. Perfect for children aged four and above, children can learn about different scientific practices whilst having fun and building their own experiments. Hape also has an app for Junior Inventor, which includes even more experiments for children to explore.

Along with Flexistix, Hape has a range of outdoor toys made from Bamboo. The Nature Fun range offers a wide variety of different toys with which children can explore the outside world. Most recently, Hape added the Hand-Powered Torch to this range; children can pull the string to power the bamboo torch and turn their kinetic energy into light.

Hape also offers more traditional wooden toys, including baby and toddler toys and musical instruments for all ages up to six years old. The company’s learning toys feature mazes, abacuses, and the popular Monster Math Scale.

Hape teamed up with Kids 2 and Baby Einstein to create a range of Magic Touch wooden toys, including a piano, drums, and xylophone. The range has won numerous awards and gained huge popularity among retailers, parents and children. The Magic Touch Piano has been the most prominent toy in the range to date, and has been joined this year by the Guitar, Keyboard, Symphony Sounds, Composer Table and Curiosity Tablet.

Hape and Baby Einstein wooden toys are exclusively distributed by Toynamics in the UK and Ireland. For more information contact sales@toynamics.co.uk.

Toy World 40

Wooden Toys

8th Wonder 01942 829811 | www.8thwonder.co.uk 8th Wonder has specialised in making high quality, affordable wooden toys for over 20 years, moving into the licensing market around two years ago. The design team has created a range that is perfect for ages 18 months and above, with toys that encourage and reward children’s imagination and offer value for money for parents, grandparents or gift givers.

The company has seen a positive response to its licensed range, which hit the market in Q4 2019. Following a successful start, the range will carry forward its best sellers which include dominoes, memory games, education and sound puzzles, character skittles, stacking trains, carry along houses and a light & sound train.

The portfolio will expand with over 50 lines this Autumn/Winter. This growth will include range extensions from its bestselling brands like Hey Duggee, Bing and ITNG, as well as the addition of Paw Patrol and Paddington.

Key new line, the Hey Duggee Vehicle Block Set comes with a fold up carry along storage bag. It offers lots of imaginative play opportunity and includes 50 pieces, light and sound and the carry along bag, which is ideal for storage and makes it easy for children to take and play anywhere.

A new feature line from Bing is the carry along Bing House, which includes Bing and all his friends so kids can recreate Bing’s adventures.

For new brands there will be a range of products available, including games that are ideal for all round family fun. Further new products will be developed for 2021.

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com Character Options’ Peppa Pig collection is designed to impress youngsters and promote a positive sustainability message. In July, the company launched a whole new collection of playsets, vehicles and figures made from 100% FSC Certified Wood.

Every item in Peppa’s World of Wooden Toys is made from high quality, durable and sustainable FSC Certified Wood, with eye catching and colourful designs. The range is crafted with the youngest of Peppa fans in mind, whilst staying true to the classic Peppa styling.

Play appeal is at the forefront of the product design, in order to stimulate a child’s imagination. The bright colours, exposed wood and soft styling means the toys look great on display in the home too.

Kids can open up Peppa Pig’s Wooden Family Home and discover the multiple rooms and garden area. Decorated with bright yellow colouring, with a detailed painted brick roof and bold blue windows, the playset features a Peppa wooden figure and furniture including a bath, oven, fridge, TV and bench seat. There are also two tables, which can be turned upside down and used as single beds or stacked to create bunk beds.

Peppa Pig’s Wooden School House is easy to open and includes Madame Gazelle, Peppa and George wooden figures, plus wooden furniture including desk, bench seat, bookcase, and easel. The figures’ ‘drop n play’ feet easily slot into the bench seat and promote hand-eye coordination.

The Peppa Pig Shape Sorter School Bus let kids’ imaginations take the wheel as they push along the floor and explore. With four wooden shapes and four magnetic pictures, this activity playset promotes hand-eye coordination and shape and colour recognition, and features a wooden Miss Rabbit figure.

Peppa’s classic Wooden Red Car from the first collection and Grandpa Pig’s three-piece Wooden Train are also available. Kids can add the Wooden Figure Packs, which fit in any of the playsets and a selection of four Mini Vehicles, to complete their new wooden adventure.

The new collection launched in July and will be supported with YouTube Videos, parental advertising and an Instagram famous mum campaign.

Toy World 42

Wooden Toys

Ravensburger 01869 363 830 | www.ravensburger.com Later this year Brio is set to make more innovative introductions, including additions that build on its Smart Tech offering. The quality and play value offered by the brand is striking a chord among consumers with results throughout 2020 demonstrating strong double-digit growth. The brand is supported with a year-round marketing programme.

Brio World continues to offer children the opportunity to explore their imaginations and new launches for 2020 will see further ways to build on the experience. Following the introduction of Smart Tech technology to the Brio World range in 2019, Smart Tech Sound will add a new layer of interactivity and play to the Brio World experience this autumn. The Smart Tech Sound range will enable children to record sound directly into the Record & Play Engine and hear it play out as the train passes under the special Sound Tunnel. Or, by using the Smart Tech app, they can further customise play by programming sounds into Smart Tech Sound destinations, such as the station. The Smart Tech Sound range is compatible with other Brio World items.

Among the Smart Tech Sound introductions is the Smart Tech Sound Action Tunnel Circle Set. This 14-piece set includes wooden tracks and accessories.

Children can programme the play with Smart Tech Sound actions motion, colourful lights and customisable sounds using the Record and Play function.

The set includes Smart Tech Sound Engine, two action tunnels, track pieces, accessories and a train driver. The Smart Tech Sound collection also includes the Record & Play Engine, Action Tunnel Travel Set and Action Tunnel Station.

The Light Up Construction Crane is almost half a metre tall; a fully functioning toy tower crane with 360 degree rotating tower, a working trolly and magnetic hook.

Offering pre-school children an early introduction to STEM learning and programming in a playful way, the Code and Go Bumblebee is another new addition.

Mirroring the style of the Pull-Along Bumblebee, this tech-meets-tradition toy enables children to programme up to 27 different movement patterns using the input buttons on its back.

Little Concepts 07870 132595 www.littleconcepts.co.uk The new Drifter Zebra from Candylab brings a new level of detail to the House of Candy collection. Mixing hard and soft materials, from the matte black bull bar and roof rack, to the food-grade rubber tires, the Zebra embodies the diversity within the Drifter range.

Candylab is also focusing on smaller, more streamlined toy cars that are squarely intended for kids to play with. The new cars have Candylab’s highly stylised cartoon look that attracts a childs’ attention and brings out their imagination, whether playing with them alone or while using the many accessories that encourage further creativity. Some of the “kid-focused cars” include the Soft Serve Ice Cream Van, the Taco Van and a satellite dish-equipped News Truck. There is also an upcoming Plumber Van, a Yellow Taxi and Blue Racer #8. Candylab will be launching 20 new lines in September 2020.

For 40 years, PlanToys has been creating sustainable products for children, continually pushing the design and development of new production techniques. The first wooden toy company to use discarded rubber-trees for the production of toys, the wood is dried using a chemical free kiln drying process and all products are finished with organic colour pigments and water-based dyes.

The Detective Set has everything little detectives need, including an eyeglass, walkie-talkie, camera, a red lens, a periscope and a bag. The set is the perfect accessory to let kids explore the world around them.

The PlanToys pocket-money range has been expanded to include new collectible animal figures. Produced from the innovative PlanWood material, which uses the waste sawdust from the factory, the new figures are perfect for little hands. The wooden figures cover four themes: Farm, Wild Animals, Sea Life and Dinosaur. They are available individually or as part of a four pack.

Contact hello@littleconcepts.co.uk for more information.

Toy World 44

Wonderful wooden toys, perfect plush and so much more...

We hope to meet you all again soon! sales@tobar.co.uk +44 (0) 1603 397 105

A World of Fun!

Wooden Toys

Tobar 01603 397105 | www.tobar.co.uk Tobar is giving the wooden toys category a boost this year with the addition of new ranges, many of which fall into the pocket money category. Its range of traditional, brightly coloured products includes slide whistles in the shape of unicorns and dragons, yoyos and spinning tops, pull back toys and the ever popular push base toys, plus finger puppets, flexible wooden jointed monsters, ballerinas, robots and a worm. The clean lines and Scandi styling have made the range attractive to customers, as reflected in recent online sales, with the pull along Unicorn already a best-seller.

Tobar’s Wooden Learning Clock is new for 2020, and helps children tell the time. It features hours and seconds around the edges, moveable clock hands and a small chalkboard for writing the time.

Wooden games and puzzles include dominoes and shape sorters, as well as the Robot building blocks; an innovative twist enables them to form two colourful futuristic robots. The Wooden Stack n Play Safari Animals features three animals in one box which can be mixed and matched so kids can build their own animal. A Lion Stacker is also available.

New for toddlers, the wooden Play n Sound Fire Engine, Ambulance and Police Car have batteries included and a push down button to activate the siren.

A wooden Car Transporter comes complete with four cars and two designs of wooden trucks, and a wooden Transformbot changes from a truck to a robot.

Wooden playsets include a Farm, a Noah’s Ark and a Pirate Ship. The contemporary design, clean lines and bright colours make them perfect for youngsters, while the packaging has been designed to maximise shelf space and eye appeal.

The Wooden Stack and Sounds Train comes in ‘try me’ packaging. Kids press down on the funnel to hear the train play one of three sounds.

The carriages of the train double up as shape sorters and stackers, and the whole item trundles along to act as a push along toy.

Casdon 01253 608 428 | www.casdon.com Bringing traditional arts and crafts into the home, Casdon’s Wooden Easel not only encourages children to create and show off their artistic masterpieces, it also helps with fine motor skills.

The traditional Wooden Easel houses a chalkboard surface on one side and a wipe-clean magnetic surface on the other for no mess drawing.

Children can use the chalk included to create their masterpieces or hang paper for colourful drawings using the attached clips to make sure their works of art stay in place.

For more information contact Casdon on 07951 033234 or email roger@casdon.com.

Toy World 46

Wooden Toys

A.B.Gee 01773 570 444 | www.abgee.co.uk A.B.Gee’s exclusive Tooky Toy range offers over 250 beautifully crafted, premium quality wooden toys. All items are brightly coloured, educational and timeless.

One of the top sellers is the Noah’s Ark set. Inspired by the bible story, this set includes seven sets of animals and two people. Kids can open the ark’s door, turning it into a ramp, and lift the deck to easily access the inside. Encouraging little ones to be imaginative and have creative fun, the set allows children to compose different scenarios and to invent stories using the included characters, all while being friendly to the environment.

2020 has also seen the introduction of a Disney wooden range. Embellished with the childhood classic Winnie the Pooh, the Shape Sorting Cube comes with 10 brightly coloured, easy grip shapes to encourage little hands and help with shape and colour recognition. The cube encourages a hands-on learning experience whilst keeping children engaged and screen free. Visit A.B.Gee’s website to see the full range.

order B2B at littleconcepts.co.uk

Spring Fair 5L34 | Spielwarenmesse Hall 3 D30

L

C

littleCONCEPTS - proud partners of:

Candylab | Plan Toys | Makii | MOLUK | Makedo | Scribble Down www.littleconcepts.co.uk | hello@littleconcepts.co.uk

Toy World 47

Company Profile

Kids@Play

To KAP it all While all companies have faced their fair share of challenges during lockdown, this month’s Front Coveradvertiser KAP Toys, more commonly known as Kids@Play, has had a rather particular set of circumstances to deal with – moving its warehouse and the entirety of its stock mid-pandemic. With the move now complete, and the launch of a new collectible range well underway, Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to MD, Nat Southworth to find out what the rest of 2020 holds.

L

ockdown continues to offer up novel experiences; my interview with KAP Toys started with my first ever Zoom tour of a warehouse. Nat was understandably keen to show off the company’s new site, having consolidated two locations in Wales to move to a single new one in North Yorkshire. While the new site offers slightly less space overall than the two previous sites put together, what it does offer is a single central location and the scope to create a comfortable and modern showroom where KAP can host buyers, should the company decide to do so. When the move was in its early stages, notes Nat, having a showroom seemed an unnecessary luxury, but, post-pandemic, he believes that people will be looking to travel more locally, making an on-site showroom an option worth serious consideration.

“We’d already decided to relocate the business

before the pandemic started, and the plan was simple enough,” explains Nat, when asked how events unfolded. “I would spend two weeks at each Welsh site before it closed to oversee the handover.

The office was due to close on 31st March, but the lockdown started on the 23rd. At that point, all our plans went out the window. We had to move the office to the warehouse on 18th March, and the next challenge we faced was moving out of the warehouse.

We’d been given a date of 27th April for that, but with the lockdown in full swing, and the paperwork for our new warehouse not yet finalised, I couldn’t spend any time sorting through our inventory to ensure we only moved what we wanted. We had to pay for the entire contents of the warehouse to be moved here; returns, broken pallets, things that really should have gone in a skip. All of it went in multiple lorries. By 29th April everything had been moved, and because the other units on this estate had temporarily shut up shop, we had the place to ourselves when we unpacked. One guy lent us his forklift while he wasn’t using it, which was a godsend and a brilliant example of just how decent people are.”

Nat also had to furlough his own brother, who oversees indie sales (though he is now back at work), and, to make matters worse had a serious issue with import tax too. Companies of a certain size can have a deferment account, which KAP Toys had been applying for, but the ‘@’ symbol in the company’s original name, Kids@play, upset HMRC computers to the point where the company had to rename itself; HMRC and Companies House couldn’t agree on the name, and the mismatch meant the deferment account application was rejected. Under government guidelines, companies with a deferment account don’t have to pay import tax until March 2021, but this was of no use to KAP Toys, which was faced with a whopping VAT bill - and no product being sold. A solution was at hand, though. All Nat had to do was apply for a deferment manually, at which point he was told his was the first company in the UK to do so,

Toy World 48

and there was no process set up to handle the request.

Nat shakes his head. “You couldn’t make this stuff up, could you? I’ve got a lot more grey hair now.”

However, with the assistance of Far Logistics, which Nat says went above and beyond to help, KAP Toys was able to sort it out. The company and its logistics partner were able to get the containers released after what Nat describes as ‘seven or eight’ sleepless nights. In addition to Far Logistics, Nat is keen to thank his wife, family and friends for their support, including MGA’s current SVP UK Andrew Laughton, who challenged him to take part in the mental health press-up challenge which some of you may have seen doing the rounds on social media.

This, he says, gave him a sorely needed distraction from the problems he was facing when, he freely admits, he had some low days. Nat also highlights the sterling efforts of the ‘legendary’ head of sales Neil Leah, who, despite shielding at home throughout lockdown, kept working diligently to drum up sales.

As the saying goes, ‘there is no I in team’.

Despite the clear hurdles KAP Toys has faced recently, the company remains on a par with last year, which Nat is understandably pleased about.

The company conducts business with Aldi, B&M and Tesco - which have all remained open throughout lockdown - but hadn’t shipped to an independent for 15 or 16 weeks by the time I spoke to him. Despite this, stock kept on arriving. Not more than 10 days after getting into the new warehouse, three containers of product arrived, having originally been slated to go straight back out, and ended up sitting there for five weeks. A major launch, the Harry Potter Magical Capsules, is now shipping and performing well. “There was a day when we got an email from Toymaster, telling suppliers not to bother with FSDUs,” laughs Nat. “I kid you not, I’d spent that entire morning unloading FSDUs from the back of a lorry.”

However, with the worst now firmly behind it, KAP Toys has its sights set on the future. Having made

the decision not to give indies the hard sell during lockdown, preferring to keep a low profile while it focused on its own challenges, the company is keen to now support them with its new 2020 lines, including the aforementioned Magical Capsules collectible range. “I love the products I get shown; I’m like a kid in a sweet shop,” Nat enthuses. “Unfortunately, though, you can’t win them all. Like a lot of people, we have had to assess the risk profile of each product in our line-up, taking into consideration the feedback from the shows, and decide what we’re backing most strongly this year. From that point, we can then communicate with our retailers. You’ve got the retailers who’ve been able to trade throughout the lockdown, and then you’ve got the ones who have recently come back. What we’re trying to do now is assess what they are doing in the market and ensure the products we have are in front of the right people. I’m trying to engage with a lot of the Harry Potter specialists on the Magical Capsules range, for example, but it might be a bit early for them and it’s likely some will end up in the mass market.

Previously, the specialists have picked up these sorts of ranges first, but the pandemic has rewritten the rule book.”

Retailers need lines that are sought-after and will drive footfall, such as the Magical Capsules which, with proven sales in other territories, will help to maximise business opportunities and make best use of the channels that are working. Creator Maxx Marketing kept Nat involved throughout development of the collectible range, listening to feedback from retailers to create a line which ticks plenty of boxes. Series 1 launched for 2020, while Series 2 is ready and waiting in the wings. A winning line in Nat’s eyes, this is definitely KAP Toys’ hero product for the year. The company also recently became the UK & Ireland distributor for Lego Lites from IQHK and has high hopes for the brand; so much so, Nat says he’s having to temper the team’s enthusiasm to get stuck in immediately. “I wanted to run this line 10 or 12 years ago, but it went to Re:creation, which did an incredible job with it,” he explains. “Because there’s been a gap in supply,

Toy World 49

there’s not a lot of stock around, which is great. It’s like introducing a new line, but retailers already know and love it. Kid Made Modern, our arts & craft brand, is phenomenal too. The whole range has seen a great response from Selfridges, but there’s a bit of rebuilding to be done post-pandemic. We also have the Clever Trike and another product we’ve developed ourselves which is under wraps for now. We’re a small company, but we’ll be launching maybe a dozen really strong lines this year and national support is in place for all of them.”

KAP Toys has always aimed to create direct lines of communication with its retail partners, and is keen to find out what works from business to business to ensure long term success for both parties. If a retailer wants to run a competition on a KAP Toys line, they need only pick up the phone and ask for support. Marketing materials are available for all retailers to use, and the company is working hard to improve its reactivity to customer requests, having (understandably, one could argue) seen things slow down slightly due to the warehouse move and pandemic. The business is under constant development, with Nat summing up its aims in two succinct points: great products, and great support.

“The past few months have been about survival for most people,” he adds. “This will have been the most challenging time anyone in the toy industry will ever have faced, and none of us are going to forget it in a hurry. As I found out myself, it’s surprising how much a person can take on and cope with when you have no choice. There’s optimism now, which the toy industry has always had in spades, so we all need to work together – manufacturers, suppliers and retailers alike – to support each other’s success. With lockdown restrictions lifting, now’s the time to get back to the products, get hands-on and get excited.

The rest will take care of itself.”

To find out more about the company or its 2020 ranges, call 07796 175 764, email orders@kaptoys. com, or visit www.kaptoys.com.

Company Profile

Simba Smoby Toys UK

Looking ahead with Simba Smoby Toys UK With the merger between Simba Smoby and Siso Toys now complete, the newly formed Simba Smoby Toys UK is firmly focused on the crucial Q4 period. MD Martin Whittaker tells Toy World about the company’s brand and marketing plans for the remainder of the year, and what the merger means for the business.

The Simba Dickie Group recently merged Simba Smoby and Siso Toys to create Simba Smoby Toys UK. Falling mid-pandemic, was the merger as smooth as it should have been?

A lot of the planning and preparation had already taken place before the lockdown came into effect on 23rd March, so we were well prepared, and everything went smoothly. Our teams in both Marlow and Bradford continued working as normal, while the sales and marketing team had already built our 2020 combined range. Like all other toy suppliers, the lockdown meant meetings and previews were held over Zoom, but despite working remotely, our teams - including the logistics team in Bradford - worked hard to ensure that customer orders were shipped throughout the lockdown.

What changes can we expect to see to the UK operation as a result of the merger?

The only thing we want to change is the visibility of the group’s brands in the market. Our sales and marketing function will continue to be based out of our Marlow office, whilst our logistics and warehousing will remain in Bradford. Mandy, our general sales manager, and Sabine, our new senior national account manager, will now be responsible for sales across all our combined brands including Smoby, Steffi, Disney Plush, Ryan’s World, Masha, 44 Cats and more. Mayur, our UK marketing manager, will oversee all our trade and consumer marketing.

How was Simba Smoby Toys UK’s performance throughout the lockdown period?

As with most companies, there were some challenges, but also some winners across our business. Smoby saw a massive uplift during lockdown, with great weather and the need to

keep kids entertained combining to cause a sales surge for our Smoby outdoor ranges. Aquaplay, our waterplay range, also saw massive spikes during the period, and we became the No. 2 supplier in the waterplay category as a result. The aim now is to build on this success; in the second half of the year we’ll be placing a significant marketing investment behind the Smoby brand. We conducted some encouraging market research, which revealed that consumers really appreciate the quality of Smoby playhouses and, in particular, the accessories that come with them.

Has Covid-19 changed the way you will be approaching the second half 2020?

The situation continues to evolve, but with physical stores now open, we’ll be focusing all our marketing and retail support on Q4. More so than ever, the peak festive season is going to be vital to the toy industry and wider economy this year.

I believe we should be forensic in our approach, being aware of volatility in the marketplace and reacting accordingly. Hopefully, consumer confidence in visiting stores will continue to increase over the coming months, and physical stores will stay open for the long term.

Which key product lines will you be focusing on between now and Christmas?

Disney Plush will be a major focus; our retail support will be enhanced with strong marketing activity, incorporating social media, macro bloggers, parenting sites and Disney fan boxes.

We’re excited to launch our Baby Yoda plush in October, alongside a special edition Mickey, backed by a Disney brand campaign which includes TV and digital activations.

Smoby is also a massive priority for us. This year will see us invest in a substantial marketing drive to build the brand, with social activity including celebrity ambassadors, macro bloggers and mum/

Toy World 50

parenting sites now underway. This will be built upon as we approach Christmas. One of our key launches this year is the Chef Corner restaurant, a 2-in-1 play set complete with a counter, till and card reader – 70 accessories in total. It will benefit from strong marketing, highlighting its suitability as a great Christmas gift.

Moving away from pre-school, our Jada toys collection is aimed at kidults and older children.

Our 1:32 and 1:24 die-cast range features incredible scale replicas, some coming with a miniature metal figure. Our Hollywood Rides collection incorporates licences including Batman, Marvel, Harry Potter, Stranger Things, Back to The Future, Knight Rider and Fast & Furious. We have partnered with leading online fan and movie sites in November for a takeover, allowing us to speak to kidults directly, on their turf. Finally, we want to continue pushing Steffi Love as a truly bankable fashion doll brand offering great choice, variety and margin. The range centres on the core Steffi Love DNA - family and animal-themed dolls – while other categories will both supplement and complement the range.

In addition, Masha and The Bear, Toy Story and Disney Cars will be supported by TV and media campaigns from October through to December.

What are your aspirations for the remainder of the year and Q1 2021?

Our aim is to grow Smoby’s presence in the market and establish the brand as a one of top three in the infant, pre-school and outdoor categories.

The marketing investment and sales push we’ve committed to for 2020 will enable us to create and deliver an even larger plan for 2021. In addition to Smoby, we want to focus on building Steffi and deliver key growth into this own-IP. We’re also looking to expand our Disney plush retail partnerships this year, setting us up for an even more successful 2021.

100% Screen Free!

New!

78-Piece activity set

BooBooooooo!ooo!

BooBoooooo!ooo!

New Features for Our Smartest Coding Robot!

BooBooooooo!ooo!

BooBoooooo!ooo!

Night vision with light-up eyes!

150 Coding steps in six directions

Advanced object detection

To learn even more about Botley visit

learningresources.co.uk/botley call 01553 819380 email Sales@learning-resources.co.uk

Transform into a police car, ghost, and more!

Let’s Promote!

Botley 2.0 is supported with FREE activity sheets and videos for you to share online g Activ Codin

55

ith ities w

55

s y! Pres

tle AY! with Bo code: IRTHD ial day following PPY B ’s spec 1. H the 1. HA ard.APP meone en enter in rw so Fo te ra • Cesing aY BIRT , th rward, Fo le • Celeb ld CLEAR y d, tle ar Bo an brate so HDAY! and ho , Forw d ten to m

des

Co t e r c

Cod ing A ctivi ties with

hold Back and lis CLEA eone’s sp Back Back, SMIT Back, R, th , Bac e s TRAN ng! en e cial day k, Ba • No , pres so nter with ck, w, p • Now l birthday ia sp c te ress TR Forwasrdtop in the fo Botley! spec P ial b llow e One or creea to , Forw t, ar u se irthd LAENASR ing c ress MIT ard, to Sq in the r. a 2 ode: C a k y n . to ed Forw pe s ac t d so B s pa ud a kyPre liste ng!

2. B to ge ard. es incl nstruction • Boc n to to tle til e S th Botl qrk p uare e da ith co CodUese th to e • Use th w s e. y n to til e si O E tile ng a tuurnr AeR to your ow e dark BLU then reyo En own s incsluC dL • Sta witre e, and t on th cesc!o ed in th rt enh • Star ht BLUE til quP e set,ing in nstru seth the lideon e da c oneth o the lig e. st co g sotim paptleeryc!reate shorteBLUE ht BLUE rk Bla E til e LU e U c o th E BL e r. no c P, aur owtitle tile tile. is in . fCB • Tnry do th yo n on Poli . then ode Botlg in create frd • Try to k agai tosedt,oor retuethiney to this d bac the in th m rn to thy! get to d!â€? ere an ed3in. The e sh thece so lartest of Botle e dark o r. re an to get to boar 3. Th the tiles includ P a pe • pa y U ll d se th Botle bac UE tile. onctod “A uction • Use nd e seq fr tr k e BL od ns e ti C a w gain u hts a s inthc !. with co rnleto UE tile.ith re cotu ce lu BL en e ligenceen! s! n e d st • Sth e ructi sequ ff th taen d t on th p on p d in th o st code • Star GE tile, an O rt or e seot, at hap ! ap er.Turn shN ntethe BL h RA e o Kiss w r th ORAN c U e G is in nE).tile se own reate yo leg p do th • Try to aiEnti(a , aai Co tedyour nd thcr.ea ag own • Try to to usrto en re e Botle back do ththiseinset, or EAR turn s! e and4. Thud the sh syCtoL get to ed in tosth ere Yike 4. Ther ort Pre eB r. the rkLU nd eystto • Uinsecl n paape tle tiles da e Bo e b c th E tile ac ode tiothe toodthe se • Use . tiU tile. Ck aen nstrwuc g return leEs in quen ith c BL with co cluddth ain (aga ce! an e darkonst • Sta st ed in). tilce,tio GE ru t on th AN Gho n pa in the se n • Star thgee OrtRo p er.de t, or t to the dark t to co c ge th re st e O shorBteLUE ate yo Be. se LUE til tile tilein. theRA ur ow NGE thou BLU•E Trydo th is tile, . Code n Ligh to and B n • Try to then otleyo seq ce. do th y ur to ow rete se turn k5!quenuence.htis in the sho e set, or crea c to a t the d . Dir at t Flig in thrtest co k ec a r ed e e ir rk th a c D ud de get to 5.

Sh • Use e ttilFes liginhcl paper. t n th th tley to tio •wUitse ode Bo n! e tinsletrs uc and cluUdE tile. C t st eps. nstru einBL ctiowhithcoco ed in es ortcut stru • StartStar e few the se to take a sh t on thctieoin n pth Con a s til OR•A on thG p e EB er. turn t, or c NRAN reate E-d egree E tile LU tile • HIN OG 45 . Co your se in th U T: T: d r s! o U e e IN wn sauuse fe•wHse 45wer stepfewest Botley o VL to ge ces.c st ep us erestfe -degree Dino resour s. t to eps! turn thewww.learning s to take a sh ! o it rt cut a b RŠib nd Lear Inc. ning urces,

20

Se

Reso

urce earning ŠL s, In c.

Page

Reso

um

Vacu

www

s!

ting

Gree

.lear

ning

reso

urce

s.co

VL

!

eee Whe

Page

y!

Dizz

py B

ay! irthd

Hap

New! To learn even more about Botley visit

learningresources.co.uk/botley call 01553 819380 email Sales@learning-resources.co.uk

1

1

STEM

Feature

Enquiring minds With schools closed for much of term time this year, and families forced to adapt to a new home-schooling environment, STEM toys have been invaluable in supporting parents in their effort to drum up enthusiasm for core subjects. Now that parents and teachers are gearing up for the start of a new school year, suppliers in the STEM category are readying new launches for Q3 and Q4. Lisa Currie talks to some of the sector’s leading lights to find out more.

I

n recent months, STEM toys have been crucial in helping children and parents, as the home was transformed into a classroom for home schooling lessons. Demand for STEM toys is expected to remain high as parents and teachers prepare children for the start of a new school year in September. Although there have been opportunities for the category, challenges have inevitably arisen to keep up with demand in the current climate.

“The pandemic has undoubtedly boosted demand for STEM products, as families continue to look for ways to inspire their children to learn at home,” comments Debra Tiffany, marketing manager, Brainstorm Ltd. “Advertising and social media has highlighted products and resources to supplement home learning and we benefitted greatly from this, with our products featuring across a number of national titles and social channels. This led to the challenge of keeping those items in stock; for some items, demand has been 20 times what we would normally expect at this time of year.”

Kim Carter, Kids International Marketing, UK & Ireland sales management for the Quercetti brand, adds: “The way consumers are now shopping means that purchases are more carefully considered, and this has been especially apparent in the STEM category. The advantage of the Quercetti range is that the products and packaging speak very clearly to this need.” He adds, “This autumn, Quercetti is launching a sub-brand call Play Bio – an environmentally friendly product range, which is a very strong fit for the STEM category. The line will initially consist of six items which focus on classic play patterns such as Marble Runs and Fantacolor. We recognise that many consumers’ budgets for toys will be tight this year, so we are recommending customers to focus their Quercetti selection on the large number of SKUs available to retail below £20.”

As well as being important for educational purposes, STEM products also provide interaction and essential developmental skills, benefits highly appreciated by parents over recent months. This year Geomag is expanding its innovative play portfolio, Magicube, in order to further enhance these allimportant aspects of STEM play and learning. Nikki Jeffery, marketing manager at Geomag, explains: “We believe our magnetic construction systems stimulate a passion to learn in children and we are convinced this passion is a necessary ingredient in the learning process.”

A passion to learn and the potential to gain new interests and confidence across maths, science, engineering and technology, is something parents of younger children are becoming increasingly invested in. In 2019, Learning Resources introduced the Coding Critters, a range of 100% screen-free toys that introduce basic coding concepts to children as young as four.

“Parents are introducing STEM toys to their children at a younger age; a trend which has emerged in recent years. Our product development strategy during this period and beyond is therefore to continue to develop innovative, engaging toys for early years,” explains Simon Tomlinson, head of marketing EMEA, Learning Resources. “We are

Toy World 53

expanding the Coding Critters range with new characters and toys that offer fun, new coding learning opportunities at a range of very accessible price points. This year has also seen the launch of Botley 2.0, our hugely successful coding robot, which offers children the opportunity to develop their coding skills even further. Botley 2.0 can be programmed with up to 150 steps, is packed with new features and develops expanded coding styles using music and lights - all of which keeps children engaged for longer.”

With new launches on the horizon, we asked suppliers what the futures holds for the STEM category now that the high street is back open for business. Debra told us: “We have been in communication with customers to ensure their requirements are met for the balance of the year and into 2021. We will work with them individually to help ensure they have adequate stock levels, POS and marketing support where needed. These are unprecedented times and it’s a case of supporting each other to find a new way of working positively and effectively.”

Simon adds, “Learning Resources is keen to see bricks and mortar retailers recover from store closures, but this period has undoubtedly changed the way consumers shop and connect with brands.

Focus will need to be on creating engaging in-store experiences that get consumers excited about shopping in the new retail operating environment.

We are working closely with our retail customers to ensure they have the right product mix at the right price for their target markets. I expect that instore events and experiential programmes will be affected for the foreseeable future, and this will have some impact on STEM products which benefit from instore demonstrations and interactive play to engage children. We will work with our retail customers to tailor-make point of sale support and eye-catching product displays to help draw attention to our STEM products on shelf, whilst not cluttering aisles.”

Over the following pages, Toy World brings you a selection of the latest product launches in the STEM category.

STEM

Lego 01753 495 000 | www.lego.com This year, Lego announced the first addition to the Lego Mindstorms theme in seven years.

Lego Mindstorms inspires builders aged 10+ to test and build their confidence with technology through play. By combining the Lego building system with robotic and coding elements, builders can create anything they can imagine, whilst developing essential STEM skills.

The new Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor 5-in-1 model gives builders the power to bring one of the set’s five unique designs to life or take their own builds to the next level by programming them to walk, talk, think and do more than ever before.

The Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor 5-in-1 set includes digital building and coding instructions for five unique robots. With this 5-in-1 set, children can act out action scenes with the robot Blast, which can hammer its way through obstacles and grab items, or they can code quirky sidekick helper Charlie who hands out high fives and plays the drums.

For children who love sports, Tricky is the ultimate athlete, which can be coded to complete a variety of robot sports. Alternatively, children can code M.V.P – also known as The Modular Vehicle Platform – to turn the robot into a buggy, crane or even a brick-eating truck.

Finally, builders can code their very own four-legged robot, Gelo, which has a unique mechanism, allowing it to walk and perform tricks.

The five personality-packed bots can be easily controlled remotely using the Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor app through Bluetooth. The Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor app features over 50 fun coding challenges and activities to help those of all abilities build coding confidence. The app uses drag-and-drop coding language based on Scratch to support those getting into coding for the first time, as well as Python for advanced coders looking for new challenges.

This latest evolution of the theme continues the commitment to helping children develop STEM skills in a fun way at home, whilst developing their interest in technology through play.

The new Lego Mindstorms set will be available this autumn.

Geomag 07831 886 997 | www.geomagworld.com Geomagworld SA has announced that its products have been awarded the STEM Approved TM certification by STEM.org, the only international third-party verifier of STEM products and curricula, guaranteeing and recognising the educational quality of its products.

With Magicube, children develop visual and manual skills, playing and learning at the same time. The “magic” of magnetism is an exciting discovery and fun, easy building with the cubes ensures rewards and results. Magicube sets stimulate creative free building from as young as six months. The magnetic cubes further encourage children to build easily and creatively as the cubes attach on all six sides.

This innovative play platform from Geomag continues to grow for 2020. The comprehensive range is completed by the STEM focused Maths and Word Building items. Magicube sets contain 10 and 16 cubes with magnetic clips, showing that mathematical and alphabetical references can provide fun activities that reinforce the essential basic skills young learners need. Magicube provides a positive learning experience through play, offering a fun approach to learning activities and ensuring kids gain fluency in their basic skills.

Learning Resources 01553 762 276 | www.learningresources.co.uk With consumers increasingly looking for toys that introduce STEM learning through play, Learning Resources’ Gears! Gears! Gears! Robots in Motion is an ideal choice for children aged five and above who are keen on building and engineering. This latest set has all-new special components including rolling treads and spinning eyes to build a twisting, turning robot, with STEM construction fun in every build.

For 25 years, the Gears! Gears! Gears! range of construction toys has helped children understand how to build basic machines and learn about force and motion through hands-on play. Each set is designed to encourage discovery and experimentation, as children follow along with the build guide or design their own simple machines. Sets can be combined with others in the range, including the motorised building sets and the awardwinning Machines in Motion.

Toy World 54

STEM

Thames & Kosmos 01580 212 000 | www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk Thames & Kosmos has announced the arrival of its new Solar Powered Rovers, which join the company’s popular Alternative Energy range. The kits, which are suitable for children aged eight and above, have been eagerly anticipated by the company’s trade customers and product is now available.

The production of the kits was delayed by a few months, due to the impact of Covid-19, but the company has seen a surge in the demand for high quality science kits, which teach children about alternative energy in a fun and engaging way.

The Solar Powered Rover is a nifty, mid-price range kit that makes a perfect present for any budding physicist and is an ideal project to play and experiment with in the upcoming summer holidays. The fun factor of the kit will appeal to kids while parents will be assured by its quality and educational value.

Children (and parents) can construct five motorised models with one kit; three types of solar cars, a solar fan and a solar robot model. Alternative Energy Solar Powered Rovers also lets kids conduct science experiments with each model, learning about gear ratios, solar cells and more. The ultralight materials, including strong bamboo rods, make the models both speedy and durable.

Please contact sales@thamesandkosmos.co.uk for more information.

Bandai 020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk National Geographic has established its position as an evergreen, go-to science range within Bandai’s portfolio. The company has introduced a new Crystal Garden kit for 2020 and Super Kits have been added to the collection for Q3. The Light-up Crystal Growing Lab enables children to grow three crystals which then glow when displayed on the included light-up base. The kit includes three genuine gemstone specimens, a detailed learning guide teaching about crystal formation, seed rocks, growing powder and the display base which has seven light modes: rainbow mode, three light display settings and three brightness modes.

Core to the range are the Dig Kits, which feature a piece of the natural world and a full colour learning guide. Sales are consistently high all year-round and the new product lines aim to keep the brand fresh and appealing. With genuine specimens in each, sets are available at a range of price points starting from RRP £4.99 for Mini Dig Kits up to RRP £29.99 for the Super Kits.

Two years since its acquisition of the Original Sea Monkeys, Bandai continues to report a strong performance from the heritage brand, which has contributed to early science learning and play for decades. Encouraging engagement with nature, nurture-play and an opportunity for children to own their own aquatic pets, the Original Sea Monkeys line is compact and affordable. With a reinvigorated range including an Ocean Zoo, Volcano Zoo and Adventure Zoo, further themed tanks include Magiquarium, Castle and Mars settings for housing the brine shrimp.

Leapfrog 01235 555 545 | www.leapfrog.com With LeapFrog’s Magic Adventures Globe, young explorers can travel the world and see everything within it.

Using the stylus, children tap on the 10” interactive globe to experience new places, languages, cultures, animals, geography, habitats and more.

Over 600, high-quality, custom BBC videos, shown on the 2.7” screen, will provide a better understanding of the world and immerse children in the curriculum.

One of the 11 categories on the Magic Adventures Globe is Geology, where children will learn all about the different physical structures and substances of the world by simply tapping on a country.

Additional Adventure Packs are available to download. Covering Dinosaurs & Ancient Beasts, and People & Inventions, children can discover 100 dinosaurs and ancient beasts from around the world, spanning 155m years of pre-history, and also learn about more than 100 important people and inventions that have changed the world.

There are also three interactive games: Around the World, Quiz Show and Where in the World, with which children can explore the globe, challenge a friend and solve mysteries.

Magic Adventures Globe and the Magic Adventures Globe Downloads are suitable for ages five and above and are TV advertised.

Toy World 56

STEM

Quercetti 07399 623971 | 07770 661461 | www.quercettistore.com Quercetti has been a manufacturer of STEAM toys for nearly 70 years. Since assuming responsibility for UK & Ireland sales of the Italian Quercetti brand 18 months ago, Kids International Marketing has been working to make the brand even stronger, focusing on the quality of design, manufacture, shorter lead time and more stable currency, which all make the Quercetti brand a success.

The Quercetti STEAM range comprises over 100 lines covering infant toys, Fantacolor (the original peg line), Marble Runs, Gear toys, Design, Letters & Numbers, Construction, Musical and Coding products. Half of its range is made up of classic everyday sellers, like Saxoflute and Kaleido Gears, now available on its direct to retail offer at a delivered price with a low MOQ. Three new product introductions demonstrate Quercetti’s expertise in the STEAM category; the coding range is extended, beyond the classic Rami code with the introduction of Peg code. One player creates a secret word in code using coloured pegs, while the other player(s) decrypt the code to work out the word it spells.

The new Quercetti Play Bio range comprises six classic Quercetti STEAM toys spanning the Infant, Fantacolor, Construction and Marble Run ranges. All Quercetti Play Bio products are made of 100% sustainable bioplastic; a bio-composite made of wooden fibres from Nordic forests and a special plastic. The colour styling of both Play Bio products and packaging has been chosen to clearly communicate the strong Eco positioning.

Quercetti’s Fantacolor was the original peg toy. Its latest version, Peg Brite, has been introduced to the European and Italian markets over the last two years and is now available in UK & Ireland. The translucent pegs of Peg Brite enable a child’s design to be lit up with a sparkle, and it also makes a great night light.

Quercetti is supporting both Toymaster and AIS members, with two Play Bio lines featured in Toymaster’s 2020 catalogue and the 2020 Quercetti catalogue delivered to members of both groups.

UK retailers can contact Wendy Wood at salesuk@quercetti.it. Irish retailers should contact McCabe Marketing & Sales by emailing liam.mmsales@gmail.com and briancolgan. sales@gmail.com, or call 086 023 0233.

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Trends UK 01295 768078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk The ability to make something at home has proved appealing over recent months and sales of Machine Works Haynes Engine Kits and Science Mad Sets saw a dramatic rise during lockdown as a result.

With a slew of gold awards under its belt, Trends UK’s Science Mad range provides fun learning with cool experiments and STEM themed projects.

Kids can discover the wonders of chemistry with the well-equipped Science Mad Chemistry Lab. With 80+ safety-tested experiments, a selection of 10 different chemicals and a real methylated spirit burner, young chemists can explore chemical reactions involving heat and more. The Science Mad Circuit Lab features over 50 experiments which teach about electricity, electrical components and circuits with easy to use spring connectors, pre-cut wires, resistors, transistors, diodes and more. Young geologists can polish rocks to create semi-precious gemstones with the Science Mad Rock Tumbler. This set includes all the accessories needed to start polishing gems, as well as ring fastenings to create homemade jewellery.

The Machine Works build-your-own kits create models of working engines with realistic sound effects and illuminated spark plugs. Complete with all the tools needed and its very own Haynes style manual, each set reveals how engines work.

The best-selling Machine Works V8 Engine comes with an AR feature.

Youngsters can download a free app and explore machine functions with animated AR features and 11 engine components described in detail.

Trends UK is supporting the Science Mad and Machine Works ranges with social media and PR campaigns.

For sales enquiries, email salesadmin@trendsuk.co.uk.

Meccano continues to support a host of educational initiatives, building on its important role within the STEM/STEAM category. With the brand’s goal firmly to get kids building and creating with this challenging construction material, a refreshed Junior Build range has recently been launched. Younger kids aged five and upwards will now have the tools to experiment and be able to satisfy their enquiring minds.

The Meccano Junior 150-Piece Free Play Bucket is ideal for first-time builders. It comes with an easy-to-follow instruction sheet for three different builds to inspire creativity. With redesigned parts and tools, it’s easier than ever before for kids to build a car, robot, space shuttle and more. Kids can snap nuts onto parts to make them lock and use the bolts to hold pieces together and stay in place as they build. As young inventors assemble their own creations, they’ll learn how principles from science, technology, engineering, arts and math are practically applied. Kids can display new builds or attach the tools onto the lid and store the pieces in the reusable bucket for later.

With over 130 parts, the Meccano Junior Pull-Back Buggy building kit is also suitable for first-time builders. Using the redesigned parts and tools, kids can assemble and re-assemble their own deluxe vehicle models with a pull-back motor. They can create a Pull-Back Dune Buggy, ATV or Off-Road Truck, which can then be customised with the included stickers. Attaching the finishing pieces will give vehicles a realistic look.

At an entry level point into this refreshed range, kids can choose from or collect four new vehicles: the Junior Motorbike, Junior Race Car, Junior Bulldozer and Junior Helicopter. These four Meccano Junior STEAM building kits each feature over 45 redesigned parts and tools, and the models can also be customised for a realistic look.

The Meccano Junior Build Range offers kids endless building possibilities and introduces young builders to the world of engineering. Kits will also strengthen handeye coordination, problem-solving and fine motor skills. Spin Master will support the range with a strong influencer PR campaign.

Toy World 58

STEM

Brainstorm 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk

Galt 01614 289 111 www.galttoys.com Galt’s extensive range of STEM toys provides the perfect tools to transform a home setting into a fun-filled laboratory with a variety of enriching handson activities and experiments.

Budding scientists can be introduced to subjects such as chemistry, biology and astronomy with the Explore & Discover range designed for ages five and above. These sets, including Rainbow Lab, Glow Lab and Body Lab, are compatible with the National Curriculum to support home learning. The range also includes several smaller sets, such as Kitchen Lab, Bubble Lab and Dino Lab, which are ideal as gifts or party favours.

2020 also brings the release of the Giant Science Lab. Featuring 30 fascinating experiments, as well as a lab coat and play goggles, this bumper science kit is designed to inspire scientific thinking in curious minds and provide hours of educational fun.

The Horrible Science range is science with a twist, guaranteed to turn stomachs and excite young scientists. Based on the best-selling books written by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony DeSaulles, the gruesome sets such as Ghastly Glow, Creepy Crystals and Deadly Dino Experiments are an ideal progression for older children looking to expand their knowledge. The very first Horrible Science game is also new for 2020: Germ Attack! challenges players to beat germs in a ruthless race to the heart. Suitable for 2-6 players, the game is designed to teach children fun and foul facts about germs and the human body.

Whatever a child’s particular areas of interest, Galt Toys science ranges will inspire learning through play, encouraging children to think scientifically and interact with a host of new concepts and ideas.

Basic Fun 01189 253 270 | www.knex.co.uk Basic Fun’s range of construction engineering kits from K’Nex offers a wide variety of STEM projects for kids. The range has something for everyone, with finished builds bigger than the box, and delivers hours of construction play value.

The K’Nex brand will continue to build on the growth in sales this year with a collection of STEM multi build and motorised sets. An entry level KID K’Nex sub-category is suitable for ages 3+ and enables younger children to get to grips with basic STEM concepts.

Joining the existing line up, the K’Nex Architecture range is new for autumn 2020.

For more information, contact Tim.Ives@basicfun.com.

Toy World 60

Brainstorm’s range of STEM toys are not only educational but also high-quality and engaging. This year, Brainstorm has extended its range to include two traditional educational toys: My First Telescope and the 450X Microscope.

Looking just like an adult’s telescope, the My First Telescope allows children to magnify objects 20-40x using the high-quality 42mm lens. It can be used as a handheld telescope but also comes with a sturdy tripod so children can position it. The 450X Microscope has three levels of magnification and includes over 40 pieces of kit including three prepared slides containing specimens to view. It also comes with blank slides, collection vials, a petri dish, magnifiers and more.

The Light Up & Glow Astronaut allows children to bring space into their bedroom in the shape of this cosmic astronaut night light. Standing at 150mm (6”) tall, the realistic looking free-standing astronaut comes with a 60 minute auto-shut off, but still offers a comforting glow even when switched off.

For those wanting to explore on the go, The Outdoor Adventure Monocular is designed for little hands to hold. The monocular has a superb 7x magnification and the 20mm lens gives kids a clear, sharp view that is easy to focus. It features a breakaway lanyard so children can carry the monocular easily. There’s also a pocket money Mini Monocular available that comes on a keychain, so children can attach it to school bags.

Klikbot is the brand-new collection from the makers of StikBot. Children can learn how to create stop-frame animations using green screen technology. With TV advertising planned throughout the remainder of 2020, collectible characters include heroes: Helix, Axil, Cosmo and Cannon, and Villains: Thrash, Bash, Blaze and Warp. Each comes with its own unique accessories ready to do battle. There are also three different Studio Sets - Slink, Klonk and Thud - which include a Klikbot Minion, plus a Creature that converts into battle armour and a phone tripod.

Q

ly

L

ow

Qs and invoiced O M in £

y or

irect from the f d ac ry e t v

De li

anufacture in m Ita lity a u

argins 50% m t to ofi pr 6

0%

Hig h

A leader in STEAM Toys for 70 years

2 lines from our NEW Play Bio range are featured in the Toymaster 2020 A/W catalogue.

For details of our 20 top sellers for 2020 UK retailers should contact: Wendy Wood - Email: salesuk@quercetti.it or call: 07399 623971.

Irish retailers please contact McCabe Marketing & Sales Liam McCabe Email: liam.mmsales@gmail.com or call 086 023 0233 & Brian Colgan Email: briancolgansales@gmail.com or call +353 86 833 2194.

Agents interested in joining the Quercetti UK sales team please contact Kim Carter kidsinternationalmarketing@gmail.com or call 07770 661461.

STEM

Build Your Own 07484 543387 | www.buildyourownkits.com Build Your Own’s new cardboard Microscope Kit is the latest addition to the company’s ecofriendly, STEM-inspired portfolio. This new kit complements Build Your Own’s innovative range of toys, each of which is designed to encourage children to immerse themselves in the fun world of science and exploration. This fully-functioning microscope is easy to assemble using slot together techniques – no glue, no mess, no fuss – and everything kids need is provided in the kit. Builders can simply press out the pre-cut parts, and add the lenses and mirror to create an impressive, portable microscope. Perfect for examining garden minibeasts, leaves, feathers and more, they’ll be amazed by what they can see with the 30x magnification. The focusing dials will help children adjust the zoom, reducing or increasing the detail of the specimens they are examining, while the light on a smart phone can be used to light up the object being examined via the built-in periscope. Available from August, this kit is suitable for children aged 8+.

Also suitable for kids aged 8+, the Build Your Own Paper Plane Launcher encourages children to explore the wonders of aerodynamics and the world of engineering. Just like the microscope, this 47-piece kit contains everything needed to build the Paper Plane Launcher. The heavy-duty cardboard frame uses elastic bands as a twin propulsion system, and includes four scoring targets plus 10 different Fold ‘N’ Fly planes that can travel an impressive 10 metres. A true STEM toy, children can have hours of fun experimenting with wing adjustments or combining the integrated power scale and the plane’s flight dynamics to produce a different flight path outcome.

Designed in the UK by a talented team of paper engineers, these premium paper and board kits help reduce screen-time and bring families together to create rich memories.

Build Your Own is supporting its new launches with marketing campaigns including digital, PR and social media activity, plus much more. Contact the Build Your Own sales team on 07484 543387 or email jason@paperengine.com for more information.

>Rock Tumbler >Chemistry Lab

> V8 Engine with New AR feature

>Circuit Lab

To place an order please contact:

Science Mad® © 2018 Trends UK Ltd. SCIENCE MAD is the Registered Trade mark of Trends UK Limited. ©J H Haynes & Co Ltd

Trends UK (National Accounts)

Wind Designs (Independents)

Email: salesadmin@trendsuk.co.uk www.trendsuk.co.uk

Email: sales@wind-designs.com www.wind-designs.com

Tel: +44 (0)1295 768078 Trends SCIENCE AD TW 210 x 138 july2020.indd 1

Tel: +44 (0)1353 724140

Toy World 62

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ane Olesen: ane@wirepr.eu

09/07/2020 15:09

Touch the stylus anywhere on the globe to learn about the world and everything in it!

MAGIC ADVENTURES

GLOBE

TV

ADVERTISED

Come and explore with me!

Living in many pockets of the Indian subcontinent are Bengal tigers

videos Over 600 custom to help kids explore countries, animals, places and more!

Explore the world across 11 categories

BBC name and logo are owned by the British Broadcasting Corp.

TMŠBBC1996. Video content provided by BBC Learning.

Order now 01235 555545 trade_sales@vtech.com

Viewpoint As Amazon grows, so should Amazon account management

Asha Bhalsod Asha has 10 years eCommerce account management experience, including at Amazon and managing the Amazon/ eCommerce businesses at Tomy UK and Melissa & Doug. She now runs Etopia Consultancy, to help brands create their e-commerce strategy and grow their Amazon business, and can be contacted on asha@etopiaconsultancy.co.uk for guidance with working with Amazon.

A

mazon is forecast to grab 38% of e-commerce sales this year. The pandemic has increased sales in Amazon’s largest international markets in 2020, with Germany showing a 9.8% increase, while the UK has experienced even stronger growth of 15.2%. I believe that the strength of toy businesses will hinge on their ability to supplement sales from traditional bricks and mortar stores by transitioning into digital, which can interact and sell to customers around Europe and the rest of the world. 2020 saw Amazon launch in the Netherlands, taking advantage of the current €25.8b Dutch e-commerce industry. With Sweden and Poland opening imminently, Amazon EU will be growing from five countries to eight.

Managing Amazon is complicated, and it requires brands to constantly monitor and analyse, consistently adapting growth strategies to stay ahead of their competition. With Amazon continually releasing new programmes and features, brands can’t afford to be complacent and must have the correct resources to evaluate the strength of these new programmes. As Amazon moves many brands to pan-EU agreements, businesses are struggling to determine the correct way of managing this – adopting a localised strategy or having a central Amazon EU team?

With many toy brands having local offices, Amazon pushing for pan-EU agreements poses difficulties in how to manage this business unit. With separate P&Ls in every market, how easy is it to centralise an e-commerce team and what should this team structure look like?

Covid has highlighted how under resourced we are when it comes to internal e-commerce and Amazon commercial capabilities. However, this stems from way before 2020. 10 years ago, Amazon was a minor player to the majority of traditional toy businesses, which often resulted in it getting second rate services from key brands. Over time, we’ve seen a

distinct change in attitude: however, nature often dictates that we replicate what we have done in the past. In this particular example, this has often resulted in companies reshuffling their teams, in order to allocate their ‘best talent’ to the largest growth accounts – which for many toy companies in the past couple of years has been Amazon.

But is that the correct move to make? An Amazon account manager needs very different skills to those managing traditional retailers. Surely for a business to succeed with the biggest e-commerce giant, brands should be focusing on hiring the correct talent that does not reproduce existing business practices, but instead starts evolving – because we all know the beast won’t stop evolving!

When looking at Amazon Advertising, companies need to decide whether to use an in-house or agency model. There is a definite trend towards in-house at the moment, but you have to look at what is being inhoused and why.

Brands are looking at in-housing anything digital that has a self-serve platform/element, which perhaps erroneously gives a view they can run it themselves e.g. Facebook, Google Search, Amazon. Even if you do currently have the expertise and capabilities, will you in the future?

What happens as you expand, and these platforms become more complex? Many brands are trying to work with Amazon Advertising, but don’t realise that the programme offers more than just Sponsored Products. Brands should also be capitalising on Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display and using Amazon DSP. One of the main reasons that brands are in-housing is cost. It is often perceived that hiring an agency will be more expensive in the long run. As Amazon’s programmes evolve, there is limited talent in the market and arguably brands choose to hire people that have basic skills in managing Performance Marketing. Brands need to consider whether to hire a local

Toy World 64

expert in every market or move to a central plan? There is nothing wrong with clients having a marketing team that helps plan a cross-European strategy; however, the reality is that each local market will need its own plan and local activation. Amazon Search consoles and Amazon DSP seats are different in each market: therefore, you need the access, knowledge and ability to activate local plans.

There are challenges between internal structures, such as marketing versus e-commerce, and Amazon Advertising is seen as a cost on the Amazon P&L. Amazon is still not seen as a marketing platform and many marketers aren’t thinking about how Amazon can be used to deliver brand as well as drive sales So, what’s the next evolution in the world of Amazon? Globalisation, Europe, EU6…7…8…9…it’s not going to stop. Global strategies will need to be adopted and companies will need to rethink their business model to help the challenges of everything from marketing, launching new products on Amazon to cross shipping. In 2021 we will see Amazon stopping its pan EU FBA & Fulfilment Network model – many will see this as a logical and unavoidable decision, due to Brexit. Many brands selling to Amazon through the traditional retail model will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief: finally, there will be an end to products appearing in markets you did not want to launch in yet.

However, for marketplace suppliers, the impact will be felt immediately, with quick decisions needing to be made on how to manage inventory in the Amazon warehouses: essentially, it will either need to be sold through, moved to specific warehouses or repatriated. No doubt EU marketplace sellers will start to see their EU Amazon sales decline before Christmas.

For help with building strategies in e-commerce as well as support with analysing Amazon’s programmes, please contact Etopia Consultancy.

O ET !

BL W L A NO AI ER AV D OR

01626 835400

sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk

Toy World 65

www.wiltonbradley.co.uk

Feature

Plush

A soft spot for plush Unique textures, licences and collectability are shaping the plush space for 2020, offering consumers new reasons to buy and retailers new reasons to invest. Toy World spoke to four suppliers launching fresh lines this year, to find out what they are bringing to this classic category.

S

quishmallows is surely one of the biggest success stories the plush category has seen in recent years. Since launching in 2019, it has gone from a popular yet simple toy concept to a best-selling global brand with a loyal fanbase – and even its own official song. Jazwares, which acquired Squishmallows’ owner Kellytoy in April to bring the plush range into its portfolio, says it’s committed to launching new characters every 12 weeks, in addition to seasonal lines and retailer exclusives, driving collectability and repeat purchases.

Alongside cute characters with their own names and personalities, the range taps into the ongoing demand for highly tactile products. If you’ve ever squashed a Squishmallow, you’ll know what we mean.

“The depth of characters and their unique personality traits, combined with the ultra-soft marshmallowlike texture of the product, means Squishmallows is proving to be massive hit with fans young and old,” says Jonny Taylor, Jazwares UK managing director.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the demand at retail, where the competitive price point and variety of product sizes have come into play. Consumer feedback shows that

Squishmallows has been a source of comfort, reassurance, and much needed cuddles during lockdown.” Jazwares is also working towards a new pre-Christmas Squishmallows launch, which Jonny says is set to be a game changer in the plush-play category.

Licensed characters remain popular with consumers year after year. Evergreen favourite Paddington returned to the small screen in March, courtesy of Nickelodeon, in a new pre-school series

Toy World 66

– The Adventures of Paddington. When the show debuted, it quickly became Nick Jr’s No. 1 show in the afternoon and remains the No. 3 show overall on the channel, securing 1.6m viewers from March to June.

From October, the series will also be aired on the freeto-view Milkshake channel. We asked Zara Grindrod, sales director at master toy partner Rainbow Designs, why the character remains so popular.

“Paddington is an adored, evergreen brand; a character that has been in playrooms and formed a part of children’s bedtime story routines for decades,” she explains. “Paddington’s wholesome, kind, adventurous and fun-loving character resonates with grandparents and parents. The new Adventures of Paddington toy range is all about inspiring pre-schoolers to create their own adventures with Paddington, igniting their imagination and encouraging learning through play.” Rainbow is also launching a new plush range to support the rescheduled Christmas release of Peter Rabbit 2, which was delayed due to the pandemic.

While the pandemic has undoubtedly caused its fair share of disruption and challenges to the toy industry, it has also given something of a boost to many sectors. Tomy is expanding

250,000pcs sold in the UK in the last 12 months

Exciting new brand developments for 2021

Seasonal styles available

www.jazwares.com

For sales enquiries please contact: UKSales@jazwares.com Š 2020 Jazwares. All rights reserved.

Feature

Plush

its Club Mocchi-Mocchi line-up for autumn/ winter, with popular characters from Nintendo titles including Super Mario, Mario Kart and Kirby, amongst others, all of which have a strong heritage appeal. “Super Mario first launched in 1985 and is still hugely popular today, appealing to a mainstream audience,” explained Tomy’s head of EU brands, Claire Ridley. “This is what allows the product to sit comfortably within both regular toy stores, as well as more specialist gaming retailers. Mocchi Mocchi really comes into its own when people see it in-store, but we’re also working with influencers so that they can capture and share with their audience how incredible the Mocchi Mocchi products are.”

Tomy is also welcoming additions from Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Launched on 20th March, three days before the UK went into lockdown, the game was snapped up by millions of

players seeking a whimsical escape from the toils of lockdown life, and as such emerged as something of a sanity-saver during the pandemic. The 2020 Club Mocchi-Mocchi expansion encompasses two of Animal Crossing’s most popular characters, Tom Nook and Isabelle, both of whom have a large and loyal fanbase.

In response to the pandemic, Posh Paws has created a new Thank You Bears range. Developed to show the company’s support and appreciation for the NHS, and with the goal of giving something back during what continues to be a trying time, Posh Paws’ autumn marketing and PR plans are focusing on the bears, building awareness and promoting the charity partnership to raise as much money as it can.

Anticipating a positive response and high demand from retailers and consumers alike, the company hopes to donate at least £20,000 to NHS Charities

Together.

Lauren Shipman told Toy world: “Because the Thank You Bears have been created in aid of such a fantastic charity, they are incredibly versatile regarding where they can be merchandised in-store.

The obvious area is at till-points because of the £6.99 (6.5”) and £12.99 (11”) pricing. The standout packaging will alert consumers to the charity partnership and encourage them to purchase, safe in the knowledge they are buying an item that will give back to the NHS.” Posh Paws has also added new brand Ragtales to its portfolio. A step in the more traditional direction, the collection offers a variety of beautifully designed British toys, covering a variety of toy and gifting items including ragdolls and teddy bears.

Read on to find out more about the latest cuddly characters hitting shelves this year.

Jazwares 020 3598 5119 | www.jazwares.com Jazwares’ Squishmallows are proving popular with consumers and retailers alike. The brand stands out from other plush toys thanks to its unique ultrasoft texture, which makes the characters feel as ‘soft and as puffy as marshmallows’.

A new range of characters in a variety of sizes joined the award-winning Squishmallows line-up in July, following the successful launch of 12 7.5” characters in selected retailers back in March. Jazwares will be welcoming 11 larger characters to the squad for summer, alongside special exclusive characters due to land in selected retailers. In addition, a new line of four reversible Flip-A-Mallows will give kids the opportunity to own two toys in one, as the reversible 5” plush can be flipped over to reveal a second character.

Jazwares is supporting the Squishmallows Squad 3 roll-out with TV sponsorship on Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. Too, digital advertising on YouTube and VOD platforms, a sponsored kid-influencer campaign across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, parenting influencer outreach and media promotions.

Petooties is Jazwares’ new collectible range of cute and furry pet plush.

Each adorable and affordable pocket-sized Petootie has soft fur, while the portable size makes them perfect for on-the-go adventures. Each range features a variety of animals, including Dogs, which have proved to be extremely popular with families during lockdown. Cats and Zoo Animals are also available, while an imaginative Fantasy range features Unicorns, Dragons, Pegasus, Caticorns and Llamacorns. There are multiple styles to choose from, so children can build a collection. The realistic plush even have their own names and birthdays, helping kids to create an emotional connection that will make each toy a part of the family.

Jazwares is building brand awareness for Petooties to drive collectability through social media marketing, celebrity seeding, parenting influencer outreach, media promotions and sponsored kid-influencer video content.

Toy World 68

Plush

Tomy 01392 281927 | www.tomy.com Tomy is expanding its popular Club Mocchi-Mocchi plush range this autumn/winter with new characters from evergreen gaming franchises. Designed in Japan, each plush has a unique squishy texture and is super soft to touch. The huggable range features characters and items from iconic Nintendo games including Super Mario, Splatoon 2, Kirby, Mario Kart and The Legend of Zelda. Since launch, best-selling lines have included the Mega Mario Hat, the Banana and the 1Up Mushroom.

This summer, fans will be able to bring the World of Nintendo into their homes with two brand new Mega Mocchi-Mocchi lines from the Animal Crossing game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a global success since its launch in April, exceeding Nintendo’s lifetime expectations in just six weeks. The Animal Crossing Mocchi-Mocchi series features fan-favourite characters, Tom Nook and Isabelle.

In addition, fans will be able to add two new characters from The Legend of Zelda to their collection – Octorok and Korok. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s most prominent and successful franchises, and the new lines should appeal to any Zelda fan.

The Club Mocchi-Mocchi range includes clip-ons, junior assortments and Mega plush. Also available are a Super Mega Collectible Kirby and Red Mushroom.

Bandai UK 020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk Bandai’s new interactive pets Nuzzy Luvs combine sound and movement features to create a collection of cute plush characters which fit in the palm of a child’s hand. The line includes touch and sound sensors capable of recognising both high and low decibel noises, which will trigger different reactions. With six styles to collect, including a unicorn, a giraffe and monkey, Nuzzy Luvs respond to one another and their owners, letting kids know when they feel happy, frightened, tired, or simply want attention.

Bandai will be releasing the characters in two waves to further increase excitement and demand amongst consumers.

IMC Toys 01904 720 908 | www.imctoys.com The Cry Babies brand was launched in 2016, and four years on is proving one of the most successful within IMC Toys’ portfolio. The company has unveiled its latest plush line, Cry Babies Pets. Expanding the Cry Babies world, the pets regularly appear in the 3D animation series on the company’s You Tube entertainment channel, Kitoons, and are now available in plush form for the first time. There are three characters to collect; just like the Cry Babies dolls, the cute and cuddly pets cry real tears when their tummies are squeezed.

Children can choose from key characters that will be familiar to them from the series - a unicorn, a triceratops and Pegasus. The range is suitable for ages 18m+ and has an attractive RRP which should appeal to treat and gift purchasers. Ideal for adding to existing Cry Babies collections or for starting a new one, the range encourages nurturing role-play as kids learn to care for and comfort their pets.

For more information on Cry Babies Pets and other ranges by IMC Toys, please contact info.uk@imctoys.com.

Toy World 70

D BRAN NEW LINES

BBC logo TM and © BBC 1996. BBC E

OUR STUFFING IS MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES

arth logoTM and © B BC 2014. Licens ed by BBC Stu dios.

GIVE BACK

Saying a huge thank you to all our NHS heroes, a donation will be made with every purcha se.

E MAD WITH LOVE

Traditional toys with true character +44 (0) 1268 567317

sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Gloucester House Basildon Essex SS14 3BX UK

Plush

Posh Paws 01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk To show its support for the ongoing work of the NHS throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Posh Paws has partnered with the NHS Charities Together for the launch of a new range of colourful and high quality teddy bears called Thank You Bears.

The range includes white, brown and multicoloured assorted 6.5” bears in a CDU as well as large 11” versions of all three bears, with both sizes featuring a sound chip which plays the sound of clapping and cheering when pressed. Posh Paws will be donating a percentage of the profits from each Thank You Bear sale to NHS Charites Together, with the logo featured on the packaging. Each Bear’s hangtag also features a ‘To and From’ message so that customers can personalise the gift.

Available now, the eye-catching and entertaining range of Sunny Bunnies feature plush toys is already a hit with fans of the show. The range includes small Sunny Bunnies slammers which laugh when thrown, medium sized Giggle & Wiggle Bunnies and large Giggle & Hop Bunnies with movement and sound effect features. The full range is being supported with strong digital marketing and PR campaigns this autumn/winter.

Perfect for animal lovers, Posh Paws has extended its range of BBC Earth plush with a new collection of baby animals. This cute range features a baby giraffe, penguin, husky, hippo, snow leopard and seal, all made with stuffing created from 100% post-consumer waste recycled plastic bottles and 100% recycled craft-paper hangtags.

Retailers looking for more traditional plush toys should consider the new Ragtales collection, which comprises beautifully designed toys and attractive, hand-picked fabrics. A variety of plush toys and gifts is available, from baby ranges and teddy bears to ragdolls and animal ragtag characters.

Hasbro 0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk Suitable for kids aged four and above, Hasbro’s new Furreal Mama Josie the Kangaroo Pet is just as lovable as her three joeys. Offering a fun gender reveal unboxing play pattern, kids can discover whether each joey is a boy or a girl. Each joey also comes with mix & match accessories, and all three fit into Mama Josie’s pouch, just like real kangaroo babies. Mama Josie responds to touch with more than 70 sound and motion reactions, including kissing and feeding sounds – a smoothie is included, which kids can feed to their kangaroo - and a hopping dance complete with music. Her arms and head move, while attachment points on her paws allow kids to place a joey and an accessory, which will trigger nurturing sound and movement reactions.

Little Tikes 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com Available in pink or blue, Little Tikes’ interactive plush toy My Buddy features over 200 songs, sounds and phrases, making it ideal for supporting onward development.

The plush grows with children from six months to three years, encouraging them to engage as they explore, discover and learn.

New for 2020, the Little Baby Bum range includes a number of plush toys to keep little ones engaged and educated through music and play. The Little Baby Bum Wiggling Wheels on the Bus is a cuddly, sing-along interactive plush designed to build sensory and fine motor skills. Kids can simply press Buster The Bus and watch him wiggle along as he sings the Wheels on the Bus song.

The Little Baby Bum Twinkle The Star Plush brings the popular Little Baby Bum Twinkle character to life through music and sounds. Pressing the face triggers the soothing sound of Twinkle Twinkle, encouraging a love of music, whole the attached blanket promotes sensory learning.

The new Little Baby Bum Singing Storybook introduces babies to their first nursery rhymes; featuring all the characters of the Little Baby Bum series, this plush storybook includes a nursery rhyme on each page as well as soothing melodies and sounds. The book also includes fun textures to engage little ones and help develop sensory learning.

Toy World 72

Over 150 lines in the range

■ Tel: 01773 570444 ■ Email: sales@abgee.co.uk ■ www.abgee.co.uk

Exclusive new range for 2020

Plush

A.B.Gee 01773 570 444 | www.abgee.co.uk A.B.Gee is expanding its plush portfolio this year with a new and exclusive range from Wild Planet.

Comprising over 150 handmade characters, keyrings and pens, all manufactured with premium quality fabrics that are super-soft to the touch, this range is made up of two distinct collections.

All About Nature offers an array of realistic cuddly animals, each with fun facts about that species on their tag; kids can find out the lifespan of a parrot, the size of a sting ray, what a beaver eats, and more.

Orbys are brightly coloured, fun collectibles with large glittery eyes. Each range comes in a variety of sizes and styles, from farmyard friends to sea creatures and everything in between. Kids can clip and go with the Orbys keyring pals, which are ideal for school bags. Matching pens are available.

Retailers can benefit from several impressive display options for this new range. Visit the website to find out more.

Flair Just Play 020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear has unveiled its sassiest toys to date: Sassimals soft toys featuring sassy dance moves and cool music guaranteed to get everyone dancing. There are two characters Ali the alpaca and Flossi the flamingo – each of which is made from soft, rainbow-coloured fabrics that reflect their sassy attitudes.

Each Sassimal features talk-back and dance/ music modes. Kids can press the microphone on the character’s left foot for the talk-back function; when kids say something to the Sassimal, it will repeat it in a silly, sassy voice whilst showcasing its unique swirling dance, moving its long neck. Pressing the music note on their right foot causes the Sassimal to showcase its signature dance to the beat of three exclusive songs.

Sure to spark a new dance craze, Sassimals are suitable for all ages. The July launch of the Sassimals was supported by an extensive marketing campaign across TV, social, digital and influencers.

For more information on the Sassimals and other products in the Golden Bear portfolio, please contact customerservices@ goldenbeartoys.co.uk.

Plush brand Trudi prides itself on offering the softest of companions that will be treasured for years to come. Renowned for its quality toys with refined designs, Trudi recreates the animals of the world in the highest-quality plush materials. Flair’s 2020 Trudi line up will include the Classic range, comprising adult animals and their little ones, Fluffies, super cute characters with longer plush, and other collections. The Fluffies’ extra-long fur enhances their full bodies and tender, baby-face expressions.

The full Trudi portfolio of premium plush toys will be available from summer and will be launched with active PR including online reviews, social media and celebrity gifting.

Just Play will introduce the colourful and interactive plush Colour Poppin’ Poppy. Straight from this spring’s blockbuster Trolls World Tour, Poppy comes wearing her blue dress and flower crown and has five different modes of play - Paint, Games, DJ, Music and Dance. Trolls fans can press the hand of the impressive 44cm tall Dancing Poppy Feature Plush to activate musical features, and Poppy will dance as she sings ‘Trolls Just Wanna’ Have Fun. Perfect for on-the-go play, the Trolls Small Plush with Sound can also be pressed to activate sound effects and music from the Trolls World Tour film.

An assortment of PJ Masks pocket money priced Beanie plush is available in a CDU. The soft and cute plush characters are ideal travel companions, and all the most popular PJ Masks characters are available.

Toy World 74

INTRODUCING OUR BRAND NEW PADDINGTON TV TOY COLLECTION!

© P&Co.Ltd./SC 2020

See our exciting new The Adventures of Paddington range on our website now!

Plush

Rainbow Designs 01329 227 300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Zuru 01604 401 719 | sales@geemac.biz Zuru has unveiled the third series in its award-winning plush line, Rainbocorns. On UK shelves from July, Rainbocorns Wild Surprise introduces six wild new characters housed in surprise eggs.

Series 3 Wild Surprise includes a Toucan, Elephant, Tiger, Zebra, Giraffe and Peacock, all complete with the Rainbocorn horn. A rare Silver Starred Sloth has also been added to the range, further increasing collectability and repeat purchase opportunities. Each Rainbocorn Wild Surprise Egg ‘hatches’ to reveal 10 surprises including wild-themed Boo-Boocorns, nail decals, stickers and a sequin heart. A robust PR, influencer and advertising campaign across TV and digital platforms is currently underway, while new Rainbocorn webisodes are now available to view.

Since launching in 2018, the brand has won various accolades, with Rainbocorns Series 2 recently taking home several industry awards. Additional waves of new and innovative Rainbocorns lines are launching throughout 2020, offering retailers a comprehensive licensed range plus even more engaging surprise experiences for children to enjoy.

A line of plush at pocket-money prices, the new Rainbocorns Sparkle Heart Surprise Series 2 includes six new mini versions of Rainbocorn favourites to collect. Each character comes with a sparkly heart hiding a surprise, a BooBoocorn stamp, glitter poop and an adoption certificate.

The Rainbocorns Sweet Shake Surprise introduces extended play patterns and new unboxing experiences to the brand. The Sweet Shake sundae-shaped packaging houses one of six new characters and a raft of sweet surprises. A Rainbocorns first, these versions feature electronic interactive elements, allowing them to speak and sing with a simple press of the paw, as well as 15 layers of surprises. Children can create their own sweet shakes by mixing the slime ‘ingredients’ in the sundae dish and decorating their creation with accessories and Boo-BooSprinklecorns.

Following the success of last year’s limited edition giant Rainbocorn, 2020 sees the unveiling of Big Hair Surprise. The ultimate giant surprise egg, Rainbocorns: Big Hair Surprise comes with over 25 hair-themed surprises and three exclusive characters to find.

For FOB sales enquiries, please contact info@zuru.com.

Nick Jr’s No. 1 afternoon show at launch, and still the No. 3 show overall on the channel with 1.6m viewers from March to June, the new television series The Adventures of Paddington is proving a success with pre-schoolers. Arriving this October, the Adventures of Paddington pre-school toy range from Rainbow Designs features a soft and cuddly Deluxe Paddington Plush. Standing at 33cm tall, the bear wears his famous red hat and his duffle coat features real toggles, allowing it to be removed for added play value.

The lovable soft toy also comes complete with a letter to Aunt Lucy and a map of London. The range will also feature collectable 22cm soft toys of Paddington in different outfits, such as his iconic coat and hat and his pyjamas. Outside of plush, the range will also offer plastic Paddington figures with movable arms and a fun Double Decker Bus play set.

With the Peter Rabbit 2 Movie rescheduled for release this Christmas, retailers are advised to stock up on Rainbow’s popular Peter Rabbit Movie range. New lines available for the sequel include a cute Peter Rabbit Clip and Go, a super soft Giant Peter Rabbit, and the cuddly 18cm soft toy trio of Benjamin Bunny, Mopsy and Peter Rabbit. These new additions join the Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny Soft Toys, the Peter Rabbit Movie Soft Toy in a Union Jack Bag, and the Talking Peter Rabbit Movie Soft Toy.

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com Collectability and creativity have been combined with super-soft characters in Character’s new range Ravel Tales, which lets kids discover what’s hiding in a ball of chunky wool. They carefully unwrap each colourful ball to reveal the surprise cutie within, as well as accessories and an easy sewing project.

Already launched in the US, Ravel Tales reached No. 1 as the new plush collectible in the first month and sold through at retail in a matter of days. Marketing activity surrounding the launch has played a part in success, with influencers pushing #TheUnravellers on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

Character’s own marketing drive begins in July, and aims to echo the successes of the US campaign. FSDUs will create a ‘wow’ Ravel Tales focal point instore, while influencers will create their own YouTube videos and TikTok content. Other activity will include the entire cast of the Character Kidz event taking to TikTok at the end of July, with the aim of achieving 1m views in the time-period.

This mass social campaign will start ahead of the TV schedule, which kicks off in August, delivering heavyweight TVRs across satellite and terrestrial TV, while girls 5-9 pre-roll and a platform campaign with PopFun will run throughout the month.

Toy World 76

Also available Cheeks glow a soft pink!

Claps his hands and sings!

“If You’re Happy and You Know It”

Plush

Simba Smoby Toys UK 01620 674 778 | www.simba-dickie-group.de Simba Smoby Toys UK’s licensing agreement with Disney took effect from April. The resulting new collection includes a raft of Disney properties including Frozen II, Toy Story, Disney Princess, Dumbo, Lion King, Disney Classics, Minnie and Mickey, and many more. The 17cm animal core collection has all the favourites from many of Disney’s most treasured films, including Baloo from the Jungle Book, Thumper from Bambi, Dumbo and more. Retailing at under £20, these quality plush toys are an ideal gift.

A range of sizes are available, including 25 and 35cm animal core classics through to huggable and stylised 50cm characters. The Winnie the Pooh collection has something for every fan of The Hundred Acre Wood; pocket money Flopsies come in a handy CDU and are also available in a 35cm option, while the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet plush are reminiscent of the original storybook styling. Each toy within this heritage collection has a super-soft curly haired look.

Frozen’s Elsa and Anna are also represented in the 2020 collection, together with Olaf and Sven. The Frozen II line-up comes in a variety of sizes, from CDU assortments of Frozen II characters through to a 45cm Olaf. Also available is an Olaf that comes apart and reattaches in any order, just like in the film.

An exciting addition for the second half of 2020 is the cute and mysterious The Child from Star Wars: The Mandalorian. The 25cm character is 100% plush, providing a strong addition to any retailer’s offering.

Basic Fun 01189 253 270 | www.basicfun.com Basic Fun’s new Care Bears collection echoes the Tiny Pop TV series and will be supported by a Care Out Loud campaign of celebrity and influencer sampling. Each with its own message and personality, the new Care Bears are highly collectable. From pocket money 9” Beanies to the soft and huggable 14” Care Bears, the iconic plush range has been refreshed and updated for today’s kids with brighter colours and Care Coins, a caring, sharing currency featuring inspirational quotes to collect and share.

Pound Puppies welcomes new characters, and every UK purchase now sees a donation made to The Dogs Trust. The partnership will be reinforced and supported with the important message ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ across all media messaging. Whether kids choose from the classic wave assortment or the cute newborns, each Pound Puppy character comes with its own Carrier Kennel and an adoption certificate.

Last year’s successful launch of Cutetitos, food-inspired plush collectibles, will be followed by several new series set to hit shelves over the coming months. Fruit scented Fruititos Cutetitos and the Ice Cream Babbitos are perfect for summer, with more new themes coinciding with back to school being announced soon. These will be sandwiched by Taste Budditos in August. Each wave will be supported by TV and pre-roll to ensure fans know what’s coming next from this popular collectible brand.

For more information about the Basic Fun plush portfolio, please contact head of sales Tim Ives, Tim.Ives@basicfun.com.

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Plush manufacturer Gund became a new division of Spin Master in 2018. Building upon its award-winning designs, Gund will continue to develop original and licensed products to appeal to the next generation of customers. Each of its plush toys is constructed from premium materials for unparalleled softness.

New to the Gund range this summer, Clappy the Monkey offers two different play modes. Pressing the left foot starts an interactive clapping game, while pressing the right plays the song ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’ in a child’s voice. Clappy’s arms move and clap during play. Clappy follows the success of Flappy the Elephant, which remains a popular option.

Flora the Bunny, a smiling, singing, animated rabbit with moving ears, also offers two different play modes; an interactive game of peek-a-boo, and the song ‘Do your ears hang low’ can be started by pressing the paws.

Both Clappy and Flora are surface washable and appropriate for kids aged one year and over.

Spin Master’s plush collection expands further this summer with the launch of the Mini Plush Pups from its successful Paw Patrol range. Each 3” (12.7cm) tall pup sports its own signature uniform in vibrant colours, complete with a snuggly hat, Paw Patrol badge, soft fur, realistic details and expressive faces.

Suitable for kids aged three and over, Paw Patrol fans can also collect all the Paw Patrol Mini Plush Pups (each sold separately) or the Mighty Pups Superpaws plush characters.

Spin Master will support both the Gund and Paw Patrol ranges with a strong mix of digital, core influencer, experiential and a host of other PR activities.

A new plush offering is on its way from the Hatchimals brand. Launched this spring, Hatchtopia Life offers a range of super-soft Hatchimals with big eyes and downy fur. Kids rub the shell until the purple heart turns pink, then gently press down to crack the shell and meet their new friend. There are over 15 cuddly characters to find, including six Rainbow Rares and the Golden Unikeet. Once hatched, the secret code included with each character can be used to unlock the world of Hatchtopia. Collectors can also download the Hatchtopia Life app to create their very own Hatchtopia, where they can hatch new friends, play mini-games, earn hatchipoints and more.

Toy World 78

Feature

Show Off

Even if the shows are off...

Sh w off

we can still show off your products

Let’s do the show right here!

With travel restrictions and social distancing measures causing disruption to what would usually be a busy schedule of trade events and previews, suppliers and retailers are having to find alternative ways to keep the toy industry connected.

Toy World asks what impact the loss of key shows may have on the sector, how suppliers are addressing the ongoing ‘no contact’ communication challenge and looks at the service providers aiming to help fill the void.

T

he year started normally from a trade show and preview perspective; the January Hong Kong trips went ahead as planned, London Toy Fair went off without a hitch, while both the Nuremberg Toy Fair and Spring Fair snuck in just before the virus began to disrupt proceedings in the UK and Europe. And although Toy Fair New York, which took the decision to close the China Pavilion, reported a 7.7% decrease in international buyer attendance, it was still a successful and busy show.

After that, the situation changed dramatically, resulting in postponements and cancellations of trade shows and events for all sectors, right across the globe. Distoy was called off early on and Toymaster has been cancelled for this year too (having originally been postponed to September from its usual May slot), as has Cologne’s Kind + Jugend. Autumn Fair will be an online-only event in the form of a Virtual Forum, and the Independent Toy & Gift Show has announced its intention to hold a streamlined buying event at the end of September, rather than the full blown buying show - although this will only go ahead if there is a change in government trade show guidelines. In October, BLE 2020 will transition to an all-virtual event, the Festival of Licensing.

And as it stands, there’s even a growing sense of unease regarding prospects for the early 2021 fairs.

Trade fairs and previews are a vital part of the toy industry’s yearly calendar, each one providing its own unique atmosphere, audience and opportunities, and the loss of them this year is not being taken lightly. There’s not much can replace the joy of getting hands on with an awesome new

toy, or seeing all your major clients face-to-face, supported by likeminded colleagues. However, if there’s one thing that the coronavirus has taught us, it’s that the toy industry is brilliant for making the best of a bad situation, and the innovation and ingenuity usually seen in product is now making its way into the events, networking and retail spaces.

We’ve already seen a number of suppliers hosting virtual previews. PMI took to Zoom in May to hold a week-long virtual ‘toy fair’ showcasing its portfolio of licensed collectibles, stationery and pocket money lines, while Eolo launched a virtual showroom offering entertaining sessions which allowed customers to see new lines, product features and additional materials. We’re likely to see plenty more companies taking this approach in the short term in an effort to fill the current void, and specialist service providers are making it easier than ever before. Show Cloud is one such company, and its platform is the one Eolo opted to use back in May. The brainchild of well-known UK toy industry figure Chris Jones and his business partner Ian de Kretser, Show Cloud is billed as a ‘virtual showroom for virtual meetings’, the platform allows companies to manage and share key brand information with their customers remotely, 24/7.

Users can enjoy a high level of personalisation, while the Customer Insights feature offers a breakdown of customer behaviour so businesses can better plan their sales conversations and see where their time is best spent. With over 7,000 users already on board, Show Cloud is ideally placed to help toy companies navigate the coming months, in lieu of physical events.

With international travel bans and 14-day

Toy World 80

quarantine periods still in place, the October Hong Kong trip looks to be in jeopardy for 2020.

For those looking to source product in the Far East, the cancellation of trips this year (and potentially next year) poses its own particular set of challenges. Solutions are at hand though. Enter Spider Global, a sourcing, product development and procurement company based in Hong Kong.

Founded in early 2019 by René Schweitzer and his Hong Kong and UK partners, the company boasts a rich portfolio comprising hundreds of vendors in the region and is able to identify opportunities and secure favourable commercial terms including price, payment and lead-times. René has over 20 years’ experience managing sourcing organisations in the Far East, while the wider team has decades of experience working in the Hong Kong buying offices of companies including Vivid, Hasbro, Metro Group, Top-Toy and more.

While video conferencing and phone-calls might suffice outside of the Far East, Spider Global is still able to meet face-to-face with suppliers, allowing it to forge strong relationships in the region.

According to the company, this makes it the ideal sourcing partner for that part of the world.

Elsewhere, businesses are turning to the online space to bridge the gaps in business the Covid-19 pandemic has created, with many suppliers and retailers utilising the likes of eBay and Amazon to reach consumers directly. Ideally placed to assist those looking to make the most of Amazon is Caoss, a dedicated full-service Amazon agency, representing brands in the EU, North America, Singapore, Australia and the Middle East. One of a small number of UK agencies to be a certified part of the approved Amazon SPN network, Caoss offers a range of services, from content

Show Cloud® Your virtual showroom for virtual meetings    

Upload information once and share it many times Every customer has their own personal showroom They only see the brands you give them access to Share key information : Sales & Marketing assets, Studio, QA, Logistics files  Customers self serve the information they need  Everyone working with the latest information  Live dashboard of insights in to customer activity & downloads

 PROMOTE function for ad hoc brand promos  FOLLOW UP function for quick and simple meeting follow ups  WORK REMOTELY with your team and customers showcasing your brands anywhere and anytime alongside your virtual meetings

Developed by the Toy industry, for the Toy industry Used by over 7,200 Toy professionals in 103 countries

BOOK A DEMO Via www.showcloud.com

hel lo @ s h owcl o ud.c om

www.showc l oud. com

Feature

Sh w off

Show Off

optimisation and sales insights to seller & vendor central account management. Selling on Amazon is far more complex than simply creating a listing and posting it, with the road to success a complex and nuanced one. The company says that Toys & Games is one of the biggest and most established vertical markets on Amazon, so businesses looking to make the most of the opportunities on offer would be wise to consider the services Caoss offers; with a free audit of Amazon propositions up for grabs, companies have nothing to lose.

Readers can find out much more about Show Cloud, Spider Global and Caoss over the following pages, alongside exclusive feedback from leading toy companies about how they’re addressing the

current challenges, as well as the latest product news from a selection of companies launching new items for Q3/4.

Naturally, Toy World is delighted to play its part in helping to support toy companies and retailers through this unpredictable period; no Toy World staff were ever furloughed, while we have maintained both our print issue and daily email newsflash service throughout lockdown.

We took the view very early on that we wanted to maintain full coverage, in order to keep the latest information flowing throughout the toy community. In the absence of trade shows and events, Toy World will continue to offer a platform for suppliers to let retailers know about their latest

news, product launches and marketing initiatives.

In our September issue, we’ll be running a follow-up Show Off ‘Indie Special’, an additional feature which will focus specifically on the independent retail channel. After a challenging spring/summer period, independent toy retailers will need a strong festive sales season to help them bounce back, and ensuring they get their product mix right will be pivotal to their success in Q4. With face to face meetings off the menu and the Toymaster show cancelled, this feature will help them to decide which new ranges to get behind in the run-up to Christmas. If you’d like to be involved, contact the Toy World team now.

companyanalysis

How can Spider Global help your business?

Although we all wish that Covid-19 would just disappear, the virus remains a threat. For the foreseeable future, we all need to find ways to live with the numerous challenges it presents our businesses.

The toy industry represents the opposite of social distancing. Annual cycles are structured around major events across the globe, and the sector is characterised by its great people, long-term personal relationships, social interactions and trust.

Due to limited travel options and the associated risks, it is now a challenge to approach the Q3/Q4 seasons in the usual manner, and a new route forward must be established. We are hearing of many companies that have adjusted their team sizes, and - with the outlook so uncertain - most will be unwilling to increase them again any time soon.

If you cannot travel to the Far East for the rest of this year (and potentially during the first part of next year as well), how do you:

• • • •

Manage sourcing?

Execute product development?

Realise quality management?

Secure accurate operations?

• • •

Conduct your negotiations?

Develop your supply chain?

Solve other issues you may have?

Spider Global is already providing the answers to these challenges, and is experiencing a surge in new projects and customers as a result.

Let us be your team in the Far East. We offer a unique combination of diverse competencies and cultural backgrounds, allowing us to go far beyond simple execution. We approach each project with a mix of business consultancy and hands-on, pro-active support, to really take ownership of your projects. We are the glue between your organisation, the factories, the sample makers, the laboratories, the forwarders and more.

Every day, we are here in the Far East. We dive deep and ask all the right questions, working collaboratively to guide you towards the best possible solutions.

We consider each project from a technical, commercial and consumer perspective, thinking like designers, buyers, consumers, manufacturers, laboratories, engineers and marketers to ensure a favourable outcome.

As a team, we have decades of experience working in the Hong Kong buying offices of companies including Vivid, Hasbro, Metro Group, Top-Toy and more, and now we are ready to serve you by becoming your team in the Far East.

What are your needs? How can we help you? Please reach out - we will gladly accept any challenges you throw at us.

To find out more, visit www.spiderglobalhk.com

Toy World 82

Full Service SPN Approved Amazon Agency Best Practice Optimisation A+ Content Amazon Branded Stores Amazon Advertising Global Expansion

What can we do for you?

CONTENT OPTIMISATION

AMAZON ADVERTISING

GLOBAL MARKETPLACE EXPANSION

CONSULTANCY AND TRAINING

SALES DATA INSIGHTS & REPORTING

FBA/FBM/SFP FULFILLMENT MODELS

SELLER & VENDOR CENTRAL ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

Tel 0333 9002100 Email Info@caoss.net

Company Profile

Show Cloud

Sh w off

Remote Control Showcloud.com is an online showroom which offers a tailored solution to conducting business remotely. John Baulch finds out what the platform has to offer toy companies.

T

he past few months has seen many standard business practices having to be abandoned or curtailed: face to face meetings have become almost impossible, while international travel has been put on hold for the vast majority. Most trade shows and buying events have been cancelled, while previews have migrated online. Remote working has become the new normal, and toy companies have had to adapt their traditional way of working to fit the new working environment.

With the way the industry has changed during lockdown, suppliers and buyers have been turning to new technology to fill the gaps. One exciting platform which perfectly fits the new way of working is Show Cloud, an online showroom which was developed by UK toy industry doyen Chris Jones and his business partner Ian de Kretser.

Show Cloud has been helping toy companies across the globe to cope with the disruption caused by the pandemic, although it was never designed to replace face to face interactions and meetings, but rather as a complimentary resource to support international toy companies.

Chris takes up the story: “We believe Show Cloud is a unique proposition. Over 7,200 people are already using it, and we’ve had a lot of interest in recent months. Show Cloud is now more relevant than ever – and as it has been developed by the toy industry, for the toy industry, it addresses the specific challenges which toy companies face and provides them with solutions which work.”

Combining speed and simplicity, Show Cloud helps to maximise opportunities in a world of virtual selling, enabling buyers to buy, sellers to sell and brand managers to manage brands.

Show Cloud is information rich – it provides users with practical applications, as well as data and analysis which helps progress sales discussions. The platform really comes into its own on a global basis – it represents a single ‘shared’ view of marketing assets, as well as sales and technical information. Furthermore, it is both versatile and flexible – Show Cloud can be

personalised for every customer. It’s also totally secure – every participant has their own log-in details.

Each brand on the platform is featured in a powerpoint presentation, along with pricing, TV commercials, imagery, packaging and testing reports. This comprehensive information allows companies to share key brand material with multiple customers, saving valuable time on follow up and low-level administration tasks, so that time can be used more productively on selling and building the brand.

The brand information is live 24/7 and, in a world where details can change constantly, it also ensures that everyone has the correct, up to date information, helping to co-ordinate international sales operations. It also offers the host total visibility of customer activity, so that sellers can see which lines buyers are truly interested in.

Since Show Cloud launched four years ago, it has been growing organically, with new features constantly being added and existing processes being refined. For example, they are currently in the process of embedding in video messaging, a valuable addition to the platform, as Chris explains: “Video conveys emotion and tone of voice that text simply can’t achieve – it is as effective as being in the same room, empowering you to build strong relationships even when you’re

Toy World 84

across the globe from your customer.”

Numerous high profile toy companies are already on board: Zuru has been using Show Cloud to manage its international business for the past four years, while other toy companies currently using the platform include Addo Play, Eolo, Wilton Bradley, Toy Triangle, Yulu, Spider Global, Jay@Play, Jakks Pacific and many others. Show Cloud recently made its first significant licensing industry signing (to be announced soon), and the team aims to bring more licensing companies on board in the coming months.

In addition to its core function, Show Cloud also offers the opportunity for users to host virtual events: for example, Eolo recently used the platform to host its first-ever virtual toy show, an event which has been hailed as a success and one which many other suppliers are currently looking to replicate over the autumn season, with the traditional buying trips to Hong Kong and Los Angeles looking increasingly unlikely to happen this year. With question marks hanging over the likelihood of everything being back to normal by January, virtual events may become ubiquitous in the coming months.

For any business, maintaining overall employee productivity in challenging conditions is very important. But Show Cloud is not just a short-term option– it’s very much a long-term, permanent solution to help toy sales teams continue to collaborate efficiently and seamlessly with their customers across the world.

Chris and Ian would be delighted to demonstrate Show Cloud to interested toy companies and highlight what it can do: to learn more, simply book a demo at showcould.com

Sh w off

Caoss

Company Profile

Caoss theory maximising Amazon strategy With omni-channel approaches becoming an increasingly important part of business strategy, especially postpandemic, attention is turning to online platforms in a bid to reach consumers in all corners of the market. Toy World spoke to Alfi Ariff, managing director of the full-service Amazon-approved agency Caoss, to find out what the online retail giant offers toy companies, and how Caoss can help businesses make the most of eCommerce opportunities.

Can you give us an overview of the services Caoss offers?

Caoss is an Amazon-approved full-service agency. We offer a comprehensive package of Amazon-centric services. Typically, this covers strategic consultancy, staff training, best practice optimisation, enhanced branding, global expansion and a full range of in-depth advertising services. We work with brands of all sizes on both vendor & seller central. We have offices located in the UK and South East Asia, with plans to open a German office early next year.

How might these services and your expertise specifically help toy and game suppliers, especially as attention turns to Christmas?

It’s globally recognised that Amazon should be a critical element of any omni-channel eCommerce strategy. Toys & Games is one of the biggest and most established vertical markets on Amazon; the opportunity in this category is huge and growing all the time. Ensuring that your brands and products are correctly presented and fully utilising all the tools Amazon provide is key to maximising revenue and profit. Caoss’ services are geared towards getting the key basic pillars on Amazon right and running at an optimal level. These basics are designed to maximise discoverability, visibility, conversion rates and brand building. Whilst the overview of this is relatively straightforward, executing a complex multi-faceted Amazon strategy can be extremely

challenging, especially without in-house Amazon experts. The global pandemic has accelerated and changed buying habits forever; Amazon is the de-facto buying platform for 20m people.

Caoss’ Amazon expertise will enable brands to fully validate their business on the world’s biggest marketplace.

Can you give any examples or case studies demonstrating how Caoss has assisted other clients?

We’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing brands, including Toy Story, Nando’s, Costa, Frozen, The Hairy Bikers and Daewoo, to name just a few. The Caoss view, however, is that it doesn’t matter if you’re a household PLC brand or a start-up business looking to make it big, the principles (and often the goals) for Amazon are the same - make sure buyers can find your products and, when they do, give them every possible reason to buy.

What are the biggest opportunities presented by Amazon as an online retail platform in the current climate?

Amazon has been growing for a long time and its consumers are loyal due to the vast product range, ease of purchase, speed of delivery and trust they have in the marketplace.

Every year, Amazon takes more and more sales from traditional bricks & mortar shops and increasingly from other D-C websites too. The global Covid-19 pandemic has forced some reluctant, late-adopter consumers online and

Toy World 89

dramatically increased online spend for others.

Billions in consumer and business spending will now stay with eCommerce, as consumers make home or work desk purchases permanent habits.

What percentage of your business sales should be on Amazon? 100%? 50%? 25%? 15%? In 2020, if the figure is a single digit then your Amazon business is probably underperforming. What is clear, though, is that the more business you control yourself on Amazon, the more profitable your Amazon business will be. In addition to the UK, Amazon gives you the ability to sell all over Europe, North, Central and South America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Our advice on expansion? Completely validate and maximise your UK business, then start growing outwards.

How should companies interested in working with you get in touch? And is there anything in particular you think they should know before they do?

Even if you think your Amazon business is doing well, and you have all the basics covered, we will happily give your products and Amazon proposition a free audit. There are often multiple marginal gains that can make a significant difference overall. Of course, if you feel your Amazon business is well below par or you want to take back control, we can help to implement immediate, deep-seated changes.

For more information, email Info@caoss.net or call 0333 900 2100.

Sh w off Canal Toys 01904 379 123 | www.canaltoys.fr/en Canal Toys continues to innovate in the Arts & Crafts and ready-made Slime categories.

The new So Slime Tie & Dye Machine has proved popular with reviewers, while those who want to tap into on-trend AMSR themes should consider the So Sand DIY range.

So Slime Tie & Dye is Canal Toys first venture into the ready-made slime market, introducing something new and innovative to the category. Kids can mix up slime in the mini washing machine simply by adding in the scented colourants, shutting the door and listening to the realistic sound effects. The Tie & Dye Washing Machine lights up and spins, changing the slime in front of their eyes. When the time is up, they open the door and pour the new slime into the basket before enjoying the impressive tie dye dispersed patterns throughout the compound.

Kids can also tap into the AMSR magic sand trend with the So Sand DIY Sensory Studio, which lets them create their own magic sand using the formula provided. With more than 12 tools included, the studio can then be used to unleash the ultimate in sensory satisfaction; kids can cut, shape and smash their creation to discover the ASMR effect. The included patterned mat also enables different designs and shapes to be pressed into the sand, so they can go on to discover and enjoy the variety of ways magic sand responds.

Hy-Pro

01582 670 100 www.zincsports.com Zinc introduced its new Eco commuter scooter range last month, to offer greener, cleaner and safer travel.

At the forefront of the new lithium-powered range is the Eco Max, which travels up to 20km on a single charge with a top speed of 24km per hour.

Three speed options ensure the rider is in control of their journey. The Eco Plus can travel up to 24km per hour and travel up to 15km on a single charge.

All Hy-Pro’s Eco scooters feature an LCD screen which displays speed, speed mode and battery level. Both scooters boast a sleek foldaway design for easy storage, while rapid charge times make them ideal for the daily commute.

The new e-scooter range will be available at retail this summer, with domestic stock now available. Retailers also have the option to trial the range, with direct dispatch available via Hy-Pro’s partner Swag Distribution.

With a continual focus on keeping the brand both aspirational and accessible, Zinc’s new offering accommodates a range of abilities and budgets. A full complement of children’s scooters allows kids and parents to travel together; e-scooters, kick scooters and stunt scooters cater for all preferences.

Available domestically, the E4 is an ideal first electric scooter for kids aged 5+. Riders can travel to up to 5km on a single charge at speeds up to 8km per hour, while the Push and Go accelerator makes it easy for kids to join the commute.

The new range will be supported by extensive marketing campaigns. Bold out-of-home campaigns on the London Underground are planned for Black Friday, and a one-week mainstream TV campaign launched this month. These campaigns will be paired with online activity including paid social media and YouTube.

Craft Buddy 0203 417 6565 | www.craftbuddyltd.co.uk Available this autumn/winter, Craft Buddy’s Crystal Art Sticker Collection offers the same therapeutic benefits of the larger Crystal Art sets, and is ideally suited to kids aged 6+ who may be getting used to the Crystal Art technique. Crafters simply pick the sticker they want, peel back the sticky covering and, using the crystal pick up pen, carefully pick up the crystals and place them onto their assigned spot, where they stick instantly.

Two new Sticker Sets both include 10 stickers; the festive Cool Christmas Owls set, perfect for making cards to send to family and friends, or the Monster Family set. The playful monsters look great on any craft project, or on cards and home décor. Each 8-10cm sticker takes approximately 20-25 minutes to complete.

Toy World 90

Sh w off Tobar 01603 397105 | www.tobar.co.uk Following the success of Zuru’s Pets Alive Boppi the Booty Shakin’ Llama, comes Fifi the Flossing Sloth. Boppi has also been refreshed with new topical rainbow colours.

Best-selling game of the nineties, Atmosfear, is back in an updated version with the famous Gatekeeper now more lifelike than ever. The new interactive version of the game is linked to an app, and can be played on the TV, tablet or mobile.

In the pocket money category, Tobar is set to be on trend with its new Squiggle Bandz range. These multi-coloured bands can be worn as bracelets or knotted together and when not stretched form an animal shape. Available in an assorted CDU and supplied in neon, glitter and glow in the dark variations, Squiggle Bandz are set to become a playground favourite. The Rainbow range is another pocket money must-have, featuring on trend rainbows on pens, rings, hairclips, snap bands and putty.

Tobar now has full distribution of the Tangle range, which now includes Tangle Pets, Metallic, LED, Neon, Palm Tangles and many more.

A collection of new wooden toys featuring traditional push puppets, squeaky cars, noisy farm animals, puzzle blocks and more is also on offer. All products are decorated with primary colours in a Scandi-style design.

The Animigos animated plush range now covers all sorts of domestic animals and last year moved into wildlife with the World of Nature range. For 2020, Tobar has added a limited-edition Magical Rainbow Bunny.

Model car collectors and motor enthusiasts can get their hands on the 2020 range from Maisto and Bburago.

Download the latest catalogue and find out more on Tobar’s website.

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com Wilton Bradley’s BMW K1300s Electric Ride-On Motorbike is the closest kids will get to the real deal, with official BMW branding and all the premium features that go into a full-sized bike. A real key-start function is combined with engine and ignition sounds, plus a light up dashboard for added realism. Kids can turn on the front light, select one of the three gears and cruise away using the foot accelerator, while a reverse function allows them to back up out of tight spots. Available in a choice of stylish colours – red, white, blue and black - the bike comes equipped with sturdy stabilisers to add balance and prevent accidents, and even plays eight songs while kids ride.

The officially licensed Range Rover SVR Electric Ride-On/Push Car combines stylish SUV styling and impressive performance, while remaining suitable for younger kids thanks to its push handle, which gives parents extra control. The included rechargeable battery gives a powerful but safe top speed of 2.7 km/hour, controlled by kids with the foot accelerator pedal.

The battery will power the car for 1.5-2 hours on one charge (depending on terrain). The car can go forward and backwards, has working front headlights, a power indicator and opening doors. Kids can also plug in an MP3 player to play their favourite music as they drive along.

The bright red Audi TT RS Plus Electric Ride-On Sports Car features sporty looks, a rear spoiler and shiny paintwork, while the included 6V rechargeable battery gives a top speed of 2.5 km/hour for up to two hours. The car can go forwards and backwards, has working headlights, an adjustable seat belt, working wing mirrors and a musical steering wheel. There are six songs pre-installed.

Blue Sky 01133 879 670 | www.blueskystudios.co After many months of product development, Blue Sky’s new Harry Potter Self Stirring Cauldron Mug has landed. Set to be a big hit this season, kids can recreate the magic of Hogwarts by filling the mug with their favourite hot or cold drink, pressing the button, and watching in amazement as their ‘potion’ stirs itself. Blue Sky has already had significant interest in this new product and says advance orders are encouraging. With limited stock available, retailers are urged to get in touch soon.

An ideal stocking filler for this Christmas, the Patch Notebooks let kids chop and change the look of their notebook as much as they like. Supplied in a gift box, each premium felt-covered notebook features a mixture of embroidered and glitter print patches. Initially these notebooks are available in Harry Potter and Friends licences, with further properties available soon.

Each 100% plastic-packaging free novelty game in the Tinned Fun range has been designed to look like authentic tinned food. Players can simply pop the lid to reveal a fun game to play after dinner, with friends or on the go. There are three classic games to collect in the first series; the guessing game Who Am I?, Modelling Charades and Finger Football. In stock now, ready for this autumn/winter, the games make a great stocking filler gift.

Toy World 92

Sh w off

RetevisToys info@retevistoys.com | www.retevistoys.com

Tactic Games 01483 332 070 www.tactic.net A highlight of Tactic’s autumn launches is the app-enhanced game 15 Minutes to Self-Destruct, where players work as a team to de-activate switches and escape before their spaceship blows up.

A 2020 Toy Fair Hero Toy winner, the game features edge-of-the-seat sound effects to add excitement as the clock counts down the minutes. Hack My Password, meanwhile, challenges players to break through their opponent’s firewall and decode their password. Both these board games are suitable for players aged 8+ and will be available from September, supported by ‘how to play’ videos and influencer PR activity in the run- up to Christmas.

At a time when home learning has been hugely important for families, the classic Flags of the World and Wonders of the World games continue to be popular thanks to their combination of entertainment and education. New trivia games this year include Animals of the World, which lets children learn amazing facts about wild animals, and I Love Britain, which poses questions on British culture, traditions and places. Ideal for strategic game lovers, the recently released Land of Clans invites players to step into the shoes of a clan chief, as they build castles, storm their enemies and collect the most victory points in a quest to conquer the Scottish Highlands.

Arriving in September are two new games for younger children. Jolly Polly is a skilful game which challenges players to carefully place their brightly coloured parrots on the swaying tree without it falling over. In Spotlight Slam, one player acts whilst the others race to be the first to guess and grab the right card from the table.

Tactic has also introduced a new collection of gift-games for the 15+ market, perfect for playing with friends and family at parties. There are four games to choose from, each containing 200 cards: Who Has…?, Wrong Is Right, Crazy Laws and You Think You Know Me?. Another new addition for the coming season is the fun, mischief making party game No Way Jose, in which players must decide if the claims they hear are true or false.

Perfect for indoor activities and outdoor exploration, RetevisToys’ walkie talkies offer kids a safe and convenient means of communicating with friends, parents and other loved ones during playtime.

A popular choice for role play scenarios, kids can replicate how walkie talkies are widely used across the emergency services, at sporting events and festivals, and imitate their use throughout popular films and TV series. With such widespread representation of walkie talkies in everyday life, interest in and demand for kid-safe options has increased. RetevisToys walkie talkies feature crystal clear sound/voice function and an impressive range, making them the core product line for Shenzhen Retevis Technology Co. RetevisToys has a team dedicated to research and development, and all products conform to CE, ROHS, EN71 and EN62115 Electrical Toys Safety Tests and standards. In addition, the company’s factory has passed the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit Report and adheres to a strict set of safety and quality control procedures. The company is proud to support organisations such as the Scouts via the donation of products.

RetevisToys welcomes enquiries from retailers and is happy to accept specific briefs from toy companies. Interested parties are invited to contact the company for a free sample or to find out more.

HGL 0141 613 2525 | www.hgltoys.com HGL has a vast selection of pocket money ranges and outdoor products. Wonder Bounce putty has just won a consumer award due to be announced in October. My First Balance Bike has also seen success, and the company has lots of pre-Christmas publicity to follow, covering both sectors.

A large range of pocket money favourites from marbles to megasaurs are on offer this year, as well as the ever-popular slime and putty items. Card sized Water Games with Unicorns and Dinosaurs options and a Unicorn Wand are new for autumn/winter.

Unicorn and Dino versions of the classic My First Scooter are now available. This classic product has a new design twist and is still at a reasonable price for its three-in-one scooter USP. My First Scooter can change from a four-wheeler to a trike and then to a two-wheeler and is ideal for those seeking more for their money.

Magical creatures abound for HGL this year, and the popular Unicorn Scooter is still seeing strong sales in the UK. It has been joined by a brand-new Dino Scooter with flashing wheels. Pop-up tents are also available in the Dino and Unicorn theme.

Toy World 94

80

SUPERTHINGS to collect

Sh w off Bertoy (32) 03 777 0533 or 0774 815 0906 | www.bertoy.com To enhance and expand the Fuzzy Puzzles range from Mudpuppy, Bertoy is introducing lift-the-flap puzzles. These will help toddlers develop their hand-eye coordination, while also offering a fun element of surprise as they find out what’s hidden under the flaps when the puzzle is complete. The new lift-the-flap puzzles are available in three themes: Space (Blast Off), Ocean and Safari.

The popular Search and Find Puzzle range has also welcomed two newly designed themes, Desert and African Safari. After putting the puzzle together, kids can test their observation skills as they find the 40+ animals, insects and plants featured in the border around the puzzle image.

Meanwhile, the Tiger Tribe colouring sets have been enriched with the additional themes: Magical Creatures and Transport, providing children with additional crafting and creativity opportunities.

Other ranges on offer include the Movable Playbooks, which let kids create endless stories at home or on the go, and the Stack & Pour Egg bath toy from Tiger Tribe, which helps develop fine motor skills during bath time. The Let’s Begin Puzzles from Crocodile Creek contain 10 individual 2-piece Puzzles suitable for kids aged 2+, packed in a handy storage canister in Dinosaur and Jungle themes. Following the success of the 36-piece Shaped Box Puzzle, there are now two new designs to enjoy: Children of the World and Vehicles.

Following a successful launch, the Squishable plush range welcomes new cute foods and animals to the line-up, including Unicorn Cake, Avocado Toast and Big Fluffy Bumblebee.

For additional information on any of these new items, readers are advised to contact their Bertoy agent. Alternatively, Bertoy’s UK and Ireland country manager, Philip Morris, can be reached by emailing philip@bertoy.co.uk or calling the numbers above.

GB Eye 01142 767 454 | www.gbeye.com

8th Wonder 01942 829 811 | www.8thwonder.co.uk

GB Eye’s gift range for this year features some of the biggest brands, including Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Play Station, Harry Potter, DC Comics, Friends and L.O.L. Surprise! The company’s popular Gift Boxes are back again this year and with 15 titles in the range there is plenty to choose from; the Breakfast Set and Espresso Set range continue to grow with new titles from popular brands. The company also has many other formats available, including heat change mugs, 3D mugs and ceramic and glass steins.

GB Eye continues to work on new products, including eco-friendly Tote Bags, made from sustainable materials and environmentally friendly inks, which will be available from the autumn. These will be joined by a new range of stainless-steel drinks bottles. The company will continue to release products with strong environmental credentials over the following months, featuring new designs.

In-house manufacturing is fully operational and ready to support the fast-moving changes evident in retail, with low minimum quantities and fast turnaround times across the range of standard mugs, carabiner mugs, posters, wall art, frames and much more. GB Eye’s extensive list of properties includes Pokémon, Fortnight, Dragon Ball Z, Harry Potter, Wonder Woman, DC Comics, Peaky Blinders and PlayStation.

Following on from its success in 2019, 8th Wonder has seen continuous growth this year. The team maintains strong relationships with its licensors, which boast brands including Hey Duggee, Bing, In the Night Garden, Mr Tumble, Mr Men and Little Miss. More than 50 new product lines will be launching this year, including range extensions to 8th Wonder’s current branded portfolio, which offers items starting at an attractive £3.99 price point.

The range comprises beautifully designed wooden and plush toys suitable for kids from 18 months plus, covering key play patterns for preschoolers and offering educational and imaginative play. Key new products for 2020 include the Hey Duggee vehicle and block set, the Bing carry along house, Paw Patrol skittles, Paw Patrol Jumbo Plush, and Hey Duggee and In the Night Garden deluxe plush chairs. 8th Wonder is also releasing a new games range which will provide family fun.

The company’s licensed portfolio continues to welcome popular new properties. Paw Patrol and Paddington are both new to the line-up for this year, with products now launching into the market. Moving into 2021, the company has a lot more news to announce, and readers are advised to call now to book an online preview.

Toy World 96

Sh w off Asmodee UK 01420 593 593 | www.asmodee.co.uk Dobble, the UK’s best-selling game for two years running, continues to go from strength to strength, with a new licensed version hitting shelves in the form of The Gruffalo Dobble. This major addition to the Dobble brand follows in the footsteps of last year’s highly successful Harry Potter Dobble.

Featuring eye-catching illustrations straight from the beloved book by Julia Donaldson, The Gruffalo Dobble challenges players to be the first to spot the single matching image between two cards, whether they’re looking for the Gruffalo’s knobbly knees or his terrible teeth.

The magic of the Wizarding World is also coming to another of Asmodee’s Quick Play games, with Harry Potter Story Cubes making their debut. Rory’s Story Cubes, a non-competitive storytelling game in which players roll dice-like cubes and interpret the images on them to tell stories, will benefit from one of the world’s most popular storytelling settings, with the new release featuring images depicting a range of magical characters and items.

Asmodee continues to heavily support its successful BrainBox range of 10-minute educational games, with the licensed Peppa Pig editions set to receive plenty of attention this year. Three different SKUs are on offer, developed to appeal to a range of ages. These memory challenges make learning and development fun for the whole family.

Asmodee is also introducing a new title to its comprehensive selection of accessible, quick-play games, with the debut of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. This simple and addictive card game sees players taking turns to recite the next word from its titular mantra, as they simultaneously play cards from their hand. If the card played matches the word said, it’s a race to slap the top of the deck or be left picking it all up. Special-action cards dial up the mayhem by challenging players to perform wacky actions.

Ideal for those looking for an even more raucous party, the hilarious Telestrations stands as a key part of Asmodee’s Party Games range, with its creative mix of drawing and interpretation making it a sure-fire hit for larger groups.

For Ireland enquiries please contact:

Banaghan & Co Ltd Tel: 00 353 67 63800 Email: info@banaghans.ie

For UK enquiries please contact:

Alpha Toys Ltd Tel: 00 353 67 63800 Email: info@alpha-toys.co.uk

Toy World 98

To find out more contact Tactic Games

Phil O’nion

Sabrina Hayhoe

+44 (0) 7970 779842 phil@tacticgames.co.uk

+44 (0) 7826 844824 sabrina@tacticgames.co.uk

www.youtube.com/ TacticBoardGames

Sh w off Winning Moves 0207 298 9507 | www.winningmoves.co.uk Winning Moves’ new Top Trumps pack, available now, takes fans of the monarchy through 30 of the key moments in Queen Elizabeth II’s life, while new Waddingtons playing cards feature key figures in the life and times of Her Majesty.

Two vibrant 1,000-piece puzzles launched in July. One of the new offerings features a colourful image of HM Queen Elizabeth II as she takes a drive and greets passers-by with her trademark royal wave. The close-up image shows the interior of her carriage and the uniforms of her guards in great detail. The montage jigsaw lets puzzlers relive some of the highlights of the Queen’s reign. This eye-catching, officially licensed item boasts a charming scrapbook theme.

Alpha Toys 00 353 67 63800 | www.siku.de

Winning Moves’ royal edition of Monopoly features highlights from the life of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, from her birth through to being named the longest reigning British monarch. The board will feature her parents, childhood and early adulthood, her commitment to the nation during WWII and the arrival of her heirs and grandchildren, as well as several Royal Weddings, her four residences and her beloved horses and corgis.

Top Trumps expands upon the appreciation for British icons with the introduction of the British National Treasures Top Trumps pack, which includes Dame Judy Dench, Sir David Attenborough, Ant and Dec, Ed Sheeran and Ellie Simmons.

Top Trumps Marvel Cinematic pack comes in a shiny metallic case and includes all the latest characters. Also available is Let’s Go Back to the 80s Top Trumps, which features categories including Toys, Music, Celebrities, Films and TV. New additions to the Monopoly collection include The Lakes. The holiday destination Monopoly features favourite places, walks and pubs, taking players on a relaxing break without having to leave the house. Finally, The Godfather Monopoly comes with gold coloured tokens, a first for the brand, while the launch of Top Gun Monopoly will coincide with the movie release.

In order to help retailers with merchandising after implementing in-store changes to comply with social distancing and one-way systems, Winning Moves will provide free refillable branded metal clip strips which can hang 25 Top Trumps packs, taking the product off-shelf to any position in store.

Siku, the top quality German die-cast brand, has announced the arrival of Toddys. Siku’s first venture into a developmental play range, Toddys is an engaging collection of characters and vehicles that provide learning through fun and a simple click-and- play functionality.

Suitable from 18 months upwards, the vehicles and aeroplanes feature a classical friction motor and have been designed to fit perfectly into children’s hands.

Because every child’s personality is unique, each of the 12 Toddys characters has their own personality and adventures to share. Each character has a name, as does their vehicle; Freddie and his music loving car Fluxy, nature loving Zoe and her yellow car Zoomy, and Jim and his speed-loving Jumpy are just some of the characters in the Toddys range.

Each Toddys box comes with a two or a three-piece vehicle and a figure, and features tactile surfaces. To extend the play potential, each of the 12 figures is compatible with every vehicle.

The parts of each vehicle can also be combined with each other to create new inventions, comprising limitless combinations. This not only helps develop fine motor skills, but encourages perseverance and patience too. Four of the vehicles in the range feature light and sound functions for added adventure, guaranteeing hours of play value for nursery and preschoolers alike and helping to drive brand loyalty with repeat purchases.

Toddys is supported with a range of retail display options and content in the form of imagery and videos.

Magic Box Toys 01403 251 286 | www.magicboxint.com Magic Box Toys has announced a brand-new series of collectibles, SuperThings Secret Spies, due to hit shelves 21st August.

SuperThings Secret Spies Series taps into the popular hero vs. villain format.

There are 80 characters to collect as well as 24 Secret Spies which have a colour changing feature; kids simply pop them in warm water to discover the true identity of each spy, and whether they are a hero or a villain. The Ultra Rare Oculus Max is in disguise too – only when he’s found is his true identity revealed. Kids can also enjoy hunting for the two Super Rare Gold Finish characters, Hardlock and Lord Torch.

Eight Secret Hideouts are available to collect. Kids need to crack the secret password on each Hideout to unlock it, and the Hideouts can then be stacked together to create the ultimate lair.

Spy Jets provide transport for the new characters, of which there are eight to collect; Bite Boat, Monster Bike, Speed Jumper and Sky Gripper all feature a secret weapon for battling. Also included in the Spies Series are the Starter Pack and Megapack, both of which come with four characters plus a Secret Hideout.

The launch line-up also includes play sets. SuperHeroes HQ includes fun interactive features and moveable parts, plus the official SuperThings truck, while the Power Band comes complete with an exclusive Enigma figure. Kids can spin the dial to activate the sounds and see their favourite characters. Two fully interactive vehicles complete the toy line. Kid Kazoom and Kid Fury can be pitted against each other in battle mode, which releases spinning projectiles, or flying mode, which allows the vehicles to attack from above. Each vehicle is fully equipped with weapons too.

Toy World 100

Exclusively for Europe!

A N E Y E F O R TOYS

New! Autumn

New!

2020

!

www.bertoy.com

Developed Exclusively for Europe!

New! Fuzzy Bumblebee 38cm | 15”

!

Developed Exclusively for Europe!

!

2 pcs Let’s Begin Puzzles

Lift-the-Flap puzzles

36 pcs Shaped Box Puzzles

Developed Exclusively for Europe!

New!

New! Search & Find Puzzles

Movable Playbooks NEW B2B webshop: https://shop.app4sales.net/Bertoy/

service@bertoy.com philip@bertoy.co.uk

new catalogue

2020 GIFTWARE view our full range at

www.gbeye.com

Call: 0114 276 7454 or email: enquiries@gbeye.com

fresh FRESH THIS MONTH:

Each month Fresh sets out to find the latest products that will have toy retailers reaching for the phone.

In August we have new releases from: Panini, Little Tikes, MGA, Golden Bear.

Tobi Robot Smartwatch Little Tikes 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com

Little Tikes has launched a brand-new revolutionary smartwatch for kids. The Tobi Robot Smartwatch combines all the interactive features of a smartwatch with a playful robot that comes to life.

Packed with a host of interactive features to engage and excite adventurous minds, the Tobi Robot Smartwatch boasts a playful robot personality, moving arms and legs on the side of the watch and over 100 expressions. The wearable tech accessory also features a dual camera for both photo and video, allowing children to capture unique memories. They can even wear the smartwatch with a clip to transform the video camera into ‘Go Cam’. The built-in memory can store up to 3,000 photos or 30 minutes of video.

The Tobi Robot Smartwatch also features built-in, action-packed learning, augmented reality and motion games and activities. The built-in games promote learning, play and fitness to provide hours of productive entertainment. Games include Smash Math, TobiTime, a twist on a classic game with Tic-Tac-Tobi, Freeze Dance and more. Kids can also play interactively with friends whilst safely socially distancing with the Walkie Talkie app, which allows children to listen to voice messages from nearby Tobi Robot Smartwatches.

Children and their parents can track footsteps with the built-in pedometer, whilst the 50+ digital and analogue clock faces will help children learn to tell the time in a fun and interactive way. Additional practical features include calendar, alarm clock, stopwatch and timer.

The Tobi Robot Smartwatch is available in two colourways, blue and pink, and retails at RRP £49.99.

The launch is being supported by a heavyweight TV campaign beginning this month, which will run throughout autumn, along with strong digital advertising, PR, social and media strategy. The Tobi Robot Smartwatch is suitable for children aged four and above.

L.O.L. Surprise! new collectible ranges MGA Entertainment 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com

New collectible launches are on their way from L.O.L. Surprise!, while a new product range, exclusive to the Entertainer, will bring more excitement to the unboxing experience.

Exclusive to The Entertainer, L.O.L. Surprise! J.K. is the first mini fashion doll with real hair, real fabric fashions and real tall shoes.

New characters are Diva, M.C. Swag, Queen Bee and Neon Q.T. Each mini doll has 15 surprises and is suitable for ages four plus.

L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Fashion Dolls Series Three includes four new characters: Roller Chick, Da Bo$$, Chillax and Class Prez. Each fashion doll is the big sister to L.O.L. Surprise! dolls. Fans can unbox 20 surprises, including fashions and accessories. The new dolls give fans a unique unboxing experience, with packaging that transforms into a reusable dressing room play set for even more fashion play.

Finally, there’s the L.O.L. Surprise! Boys Series Three. Fans can unbox the brother of one of the fan favourite L.O.L. Surprise! dolls.

Each character has a similar style to his sister character, but with his own unique twist. Characters include Sweet Guy, Spicy Kid and more, including ultra-rare character, Steezy.

The new collectible launches will be supported through PR and social media, including teasers, influencer and celebrity collaborations, customisation campaigns and digital viral content. More surprises will be revealed in autumn/winter 2020.

Fortnite Official Trading Card Collection Reloaded Panini 01604 877 888 | www.paninigroup.com

Panini has announced the arrival of its brand-new official Fortnite trading card collection. An Epic Games title, Fortnite drops players on an Island full of battles and experiences to enjoy. Whether fans choose to battle solo or as a team, outlast everyone else or create their own worlds with their own rules, Panini’s new collection brings together all the thrills and action of the online video game.

There are 315 cards to collect and swap, including 65 special cards with foil, glow in the dark or lenticular movement. Starter Packs include a collectors’ binder and 24 trading cards, and will be on sale from 6th August.

Trading Card Packs are also available, priced at £2.70 RRP.

Toy World 102

h

THE GATEKEEPER IS BACK

Atmosfear, the international best selling game returns in 2020. Exclusive to Tobar

Contact us on:

sales@tobar.co.uk +44 (0) 1603 397 105

A World of Fun!

Brand Profile

Sparkle Girlz

Magic

kingdoms Following Zuru’s first brand acquisition within the toy industry on the 18th January 2019, Sparkle Girlz has gone from strength-to-strength thanks to the company’s brand development team and vision. Toy World spoke to Brittany Oliver, Sparkle Girlz brand manager, to find out more.

A key part of the brand’s DNA is the unique way in which the dolls are merchandised and sold in cardboard cones, removing single use plastic window box packaging. This innovative design is a great example of what it means to minimalise packaging without sacrificing merchandising effectiveness and quality in-store.

Since then, the range has continued to remove unnecessary plastic from packaging. Asda, a longtime partner for the range, exhibits 12ft of product space without any window box packaging. As new lines enter the range for 2020, such as the Radio Control Car, our commitment to reducing our plastic footprint continues to be reflected in both packaging design and structure.

How did Sparkle Girlz perform for you in its acquisition year, and what has 2020 been like so far?

What can you tell us about the refreshed branding work that has gone into Sparkle Girlz and how has the range benefited?

Given the range and breadth of the Sparkle Girlz line upon acquisition, at the forefront of 2019’s turnaround was elevating the brand’s story and creating a line with purpose, character and magic. Rationalisation of the range was key to driving greater efficiency and quality; the range was reduced from over 300 SKUs to 100 core items. Zuru’s creative team built a home and story for the beloved Sparkle Girlz dolls; Princesses, Fairies, Ballerinas and Mermaids were each given their own kingdom, while industry-leading artwork was created and rolled out across a fullrange packaging refresh. The vision was brought to life within six months, with the new packaging shipping from January this year.

Have other changes been made to the packaging, in line with other trends or consumer demand?

2019 proved highly competitive for the doll category; shelf space was decided by brand, collectability, innovation and value. Delivering value for consumers on both a product and price level is central to the line. Within the category, Sparkle Girlz offers exceptional doll design, the outfit and hair quality are unbeatable, and the £4.99 price point is very attractive. When choosing play sets and accessories, we have found that customers are becoming less brand sensitive and more value driven. Zuru’s manufacturing and automation capabilities add strength to the supply chain in a way that enables competitive pricing for retail partners and consumers alike.

In 2020, global sales for Q1 increased 60% YoY. This growth was driven largely by an expanding distribution network, incremental brand building and a heavy focus on promotions and in-store execution, all of which remain at the forefront of Zuru’s rapid, yet long-term sustainable, growth mindset.

How did the coronavirus crisis affect the re-launch of Sparkle Girlz?

Re-launching a brand in the midst of a global pandemic was never on the minds of anyone at the beginning of the takeover; for all of us, these are new waters to navigate. Whilst each market

Toy World 104

is uniquely different in terms of retail impact, it has been encouraging to see Sparkle Girlz sales continue to track upwards in both the UK and USA. The demand for impulse price points and value offerings makes the line an appealing consumer-facing solution at a time when disposable incomes are decreasing.

Consumers will not stop buying; for now, it’s more a matter of what, how and where they decide to buy. As we move forward, the Sparkle Girlz range is set to be an affordable, quality and captivating line for children across the globe.

Brand Profile

CoComelon

Nursery Rhyme Time In June, Bandai UK announced the distribution of the licensed CoComelon toy range for the UK market as well as for France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Toy World spoke to Nic Aldridge, managing director, Bandai UK, about what’s on offer.

How has the CoComelon range been received so far? How strong are the pre-orders?

The range has been received incredibly well.

We had been tracking the property for quite some time before launch, and we knew from the 88m channel subscribers and 4b monthly views that CoComelon already had a huge following amongst pre-schoolers and parents. We can also see from the comments posted by parents that CoComelon toys are in high demand and this has been shown in the early pre-order figures, which have massively exceeded our expectations.

What does the range offer retailers?

The CoComelon range has been kept tight for launch, focusing on key play patterns for pre-schoolers. There’s a spread of price points, ranging from £5.99RRP for the mini vehicles up to £24.99RRP for the Bedtime JJ Doll. The products focus on favourite characters from the YouTube content, as well as key themes from the most highly viewed videos. Several of the products also feature music, such as the Bedtime JJ Doll, Check Up Set and School Bus. Songs such as the CoComelon Wheels on the Bus have over

2b views and have become firm family favourites.

The packaging is bright and colourful too, so it looks great on shelf.

How will the launch be supported?

The CoComelon launch will benefit from a full marketing campaign targeting parents, grandparents and pre-schoolers. We will have TV running from launch throughout the year, as well as digital, paid social campaigns and an influencer and blogger campaign. At retail, we’re working with our customers to engage consumers both in-store and online. Our marketing campaign will take us right up to the important Christmas period; we believe that CoComelon will be a must-have on Christmas lists this year.

What one product from the range are you most excited about, and why?

The Bedtime JJ Doll seems to have got off to a great start. JJ is the star of the show and features in all the music videos with his family. The Bedtime JJ Doll is the perfect bedtime friend, featuring seven sounds and phrases. Kids can squeeze JJ’s tummy and listen as he says iconic phrases and even plays the Yes Yes Bedtime song, which has over 850m views on the channel.

We would love to see JJ become a Top Toy this Christmas.

How will the range be expanded – anything new in the pipeline for Christmas or Q1?

There will be exciting new additions for spring, including a new collectible figure, a new feature vehicle and role-play musical instruments which tie in perfectly with the musical theme within the content. All the new items have received positive reactions from customers.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Toy World 106

We are incredibly excited to launch this range and get the product out into the market. Jazwares has created a fantastic product line, and it’s great to see that consumers are reacting to the product in the same way that they have to the content.

Allegedly

Games have been back in the news recently, and not just because they’re still selling incredibly well.

No, this time it’s because the government has turned to heritage gaming for inspiration on how to defeat coronavirus. Rather than complex strategizing and scenario planning long into the night, it appears that our illustrious unelected leader, super spore caster Dom, and his mate Boris Johnson have been holding their own Hasbro Games Night at Number 10 instead.

That would certainly explain the recent photo on the front of the Sunday Mail – Johnson wasn’t doing pressups, he was playing Twister (beer belly: red, green, yellow and blue). Their game-playing shenanigans have also given rise to the UK’s new virus response strategy – now officially referred to in Parliament by its no-longer secret code name, Whack-a-Mole.

If Hasbro isn’t working on a special limited edition ‘2020 coronavirus edition’ of the original game as we speak, I will be disappointed. Rumour has it the pair also played obscure board game ‘Escape from New York’, but adapted it for the modern era by renaming it ‘Escape from Leicester.’ Maybe other government policies will be based on D&B’s Games Night in future – instead of pay rises, maybe all NHS staff could be given a game of Operation instead? And let’s just hope that no one gives them a copy of Risk or who knows where we’ll end up…

Despite the fact that the toy market continues to perform solidly, it is also inescapable that the wider retail channel and other parts of the UK economy are in for a pretty rough ride. The past couple of weeks has seen a host of redundancies and store closures being announced: Very Group will be losing over 100 people from its head office team, while 700 roles – 1 in 7 of the workforce – will be disappearing at Harrods.

Thankfully, not all UK retailers are in the doldrums –B&M saw its revenue rise by over 33% in its first quarter, while sales at Argos rose by over 10% over the same period, aided by a 78% rise in home deliveries, with toys cited as one of the key category drivers.

Given how well toy sales have fared in general, we can but hope that this will restrict the number of job losses in our own market…

One person whose current role has come to an end is Groupon trading director David Ripley, who left the business last month. David will be in the market for a new challenge from 1st October and has told me that he would love for that to be in toys. However, in the meantime, he is keen to use his garden leave productively to support toy-related charities or not for profit toy organisations over the next three months, giving something back to the industry he has been a part of for so long. He can be reached at DavidJMRipley@Gmail.com or on 07738 999210 if you have a project or idea you’d like him to consider…

Long-term ‘friend’ of this column Mike Ashley, owner of Frasers Group and Sports Direct, has been making a name for himself again. Sadly, the name he has been making is unprintable in a magazine associated with toys. This time, he has written to all his landlords to kindly inform them that he won’t be paying any rent on his stores until trading “reaches a level that was expected when agreeing rental terms.”

So much for ‘we’re all in this together’ and sharing the burden – if he had been a passenger on The Titanic, we all know how he would have approached the lifeboat situation. To be fair, I suspect that the majority

Toy World 108

of retailers are not currently trading at traditional levels, but I’m not sure it is ethical (or even legal) to completely withhold payment from service providers.

Most of us accept that we have to take our share of the pain in the current climate, except apparently Mr Ashley. And the fact that his letter has somehow gone public will surely make other tenants feel they are entitled to make exactly the same request. If every retailer does that, the house of cards is likely to come tumbling down rather quickly. Intriguingly, Mr Ashley’s letter also asks for payments to be made monthly, rather than quarterly – although as he has declared he won’t be paying any rent at all, I am not sure why that would make a difference. ‘I’m not paying rent this month’ and ‘I’m not paying rent this quarter’ sound pretty much the same to me. I know it’s not like Mr Ashley to be unreasonable, but it just seems to me that he has a rather unique definition of the word ‘partnership’. As I have said before, everyone will be judged on how they behave during this time. I know how certain toy retailers are approaching the same landlord/tenant negotiations, and without giving away confidential commercial information, let’s just say the approaches are absolutely chalk and cheese…

John Lewis has confirmed that eight of its stores will be closing – four ‘at home’ branches, two travel outlets (Heathrow & St Pancras) and two major stores in Birmingham and Watford. The closure of the ill-advised ‘at home’ branches is completely understandable, but poor Watford; my hometown has already lost the new Debenhams flagship branch and now John Lewis, which has been the fulcrum of that shopping centre for the past 30 years. Incredibly, John Lewis didn’t even wait to see if its sales rebounded after the closure of Debenhams. A letter from a John Lewis director to suppliers told how the eight stores had been ‘identified as financially challenged prior to the pandemic’, but maybe the disappearance of its biggest local competitor would have helped turn that round? As for Birmingham, it has been suggested in some quarters that John Lewis made a blunder in choosing the Grand Central location, rather than the Bull Ring, in the first place…

We’re all starting to get our heads around what postlockdown life looks like in the short term. One picture which has been doing the rounds on social media caught my eye: is this what next year’s Toy Fairs might look like? If so, I for one can’t wait…

(Pic of Teddy Bears from Blog)

A VIRTUAL CELEBRATION OF THE GLOBAL LICENSING INDUSTRY 6-29 OCTOBER 2020 The Festival of Licensing is a 4-week large-scale digital gathering that will bring together the global licenisng industry to connect, learn, strike deals and do business on an international stage.

www.festivaloflicensing.com POWERED BY

ORGANIZED BY:

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION:

EVENT SPONSOR:

MEDIA

70+ SOUND AND MOTION COMBINATIONS

MEDIA

100+ SOUND AND MOTION

BIG AND LITTLE WAGS!

COMBINATIONS

FOR SALES AND ENQUIRIES CALL HASBRO: 0208 569 1234 © 2020 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

I PEE!