Feature - Wooden Toys

All wood things

Demand for wooden toys is soaring thanks to increasingly eco-conscious consumers, while imaginative product development and new licensing deals are resulting in impressive new ranges that will secure strong sales at retail this year. Rachael Simpson-Jones speaks to a selection of wooden toy suppliers to get the lowdown on what their latest offerings bring to the marketplace.

It’s fair to say by now that consumer demand for toys made from more sustainable materials appears to be a permanent change. We’re seeing the positive effects of eco-conscious consumption across all toy categories, but as the ‘original’ sustainable toy material, wood is very well placed indeed to serve the burgeoning demand for planet-friendly playthings.

“I think we are starting to see a move back towards wooden toys; people are looking for something a little bit eco-friendlier and more responsible,” says Zac Chapman, buyer at Oldrids & Downtown in Lincolnshire. “This trend is not going to go away, so I think we will see wooden ranges grow for us and probably for many other stores too.”

Suppliers agree that environmental concerns appear to be behind increasing sales of wooden toys, at least in part. David Lubliner, head of customer marketing – Europe at Melissa & Doug, told Toy World that parents and children alike now possess more awareness of climate change and sustainability issues than they did before. He adds: “We love wood because it's natural and renewable and we therefore try to use it whenever we can. Helping ensure the world has thriving forests is an important goal of ours.” And while Neil Montgomery, UK commercial director at Juratoys, says a wooden toy’s carbon footprint is ‘25 times lower than that of a plastic toy’, he also tells Toy World there’s another reason sales are on the up - parents and grandparents are increasingly conscious that traditional toys, which promote creative play, are being looked to more and more by parents and carers wanting to offset the amount of time their kids spend on digital devices.

Toy companies are an imaginative bunch and nowadays, wood no longer means ‘boring’. This year, we’ve seen several big wooden brands announce major licensing partnerships that will introduce pre-school properties and classic animated movie licences to the marketplace. Character Options is introducing new Disney additions to its World of Wooden Toys range, including the gorgeous Princess Enchanted Royal Castle Wooden Playset, and train set specialist Brio has also signed a deal with Disney. Katy Fletcher, head of Marketing and Product Development at Ravensburger, says: “Having the Disney licence broadens our audience and will continue to bring more consumers to the Brio brand. With both Mickey Mouse and Disney Princess licences onboard, we have a fantastic opportunity to combine vehicle play with character play, encouraging magical storytelling and adding some extra fantasy that places iconic Disney characters at the centre of Brio play.”

Katy also tells me that Brio, which has been creating quality wooden toys since the end of the 1800s, is ‘very much leading the category’ in terms of wooden toy innovation. Last year saw the launch of Brio World Smart Tech Sound, a highly interactive play environment that offers kids plenty of experimentation and customisation options, while integrated Smart Tech Sound technology increases functionality and play value via cause-and-effect. She adds: “Brio’s products are very much based on a play philosophy and ethos that aims to create happy childhood memories. Brio World Railway is built around an open-ended play system which inspires children’s creativity with endless play possibilities in recognisable real-life scenarios. All Brio World toys are compatible and for added peace of mind are FSC accredited, made from traceable wood from responsibility managed forests. Parents can rest assured that there are no small parts either, making the system sibling safe.”

Over at Melissa & Doug, the company has partnered with Viacom in a deal which will bring Paw Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You! licensed ranges to the market in the second half of 2021. Many of these products will draw on the company’s heritage in wooden toys, such as the Paw Patrol Wooden ABC Block Truck. The company offers a wide range of wooden toys covering categories including Pretend Play, Developmental Toys, and Arts & Crafts products; in fact, most of Melissa & Doug’s best-selling products are made wholly or mostly of wood. David tells Toy World this makes the brand synonymous with the material in the eyes of customers, and therefore a ‘natural brand to search for when looking for wooden toys’. He adds: “Retailers who already stock Melissa & Doug toys will know that the toys offer good year-round sales with strong margins. We are also committed to investing in marketing in 2021 to raise our awareness levels and bring new consumers to the brand. It’s a big year for Melissa & Doug, with our first ever consumerfacing brand campaign built around TV and digital advertising. Our TV campaign kicked off in June and will continue in bursts through until December, supported by an ‘always on’ digital advertising campaign. We also have a partnership with Netmums showcasing the Melissa & Doug brand and key products throughout the year.”

Janod, which this year has launched over 200 new products including an FSCcertified pocket money range, an extensive bath collection and some beautiful larger pieces perfect for the Q4 period, has partnered with the global conservation charity World Wildlife Fund to produce a range of toys for children aged 0-7 years old. Made with minimal impact on the climate, the new range also takes kids full circle by not only being better for the environment, but also teaching them the importance of looking after it. Neil Montgomery says: “WWF is known worldwide, and this partnership is one we are very proud of. Consumers appreciate the importance of climate change and recognise the amazing work WWF is doing for our planet.”

“Janod is known for its great design as well as great quality,” he continues. “We are very focused on design trends and keeping ahead of the competition, to ensure our products capture the latest colour trends and reflect the colour palettes consumers are looking for. The new look packaging also sets us apart; the product is king and having minimal text on the front of the pack means consumers can see what the product is all about at a glance. We have an increasing number of FSC-certified wooden toys, which means we’re well on track to meeting all our environmental targets.”

Of course, licensing isn’t the only thing injecting innovation and inspiration into the wooden category this year. Toynamics offers a comprehensive assortment of toys from leading wooden toy brand Hape, spanning everything from railway and music to role-play and puzzles. Aware that children begin to emulate the behaviour of the adults around them from an early age, Hape has created a wooden Toddler Kitchen suitable for kids aged from 18 months plus, making it one of the only brands to have a kitchen suitable for such young children in its range. Readers can find out more about Hape’s heritage in wood in our exclusive interview with David Allan, MD of Toynamics, on pages 44-45 of this issue. The company is overhauling its marketing efforts to drive brand awareness, bringing on board Emma Damerell as marketing manager and hiring toy and games specialist Playtime PR as its retained agency. Although Hape is a quality wooden toy brand that enjoys shelf space in retailers up and down the nation, the aim now is to give it the exposure it deserves and to support retailers better than ever. To this end, Toynamics is investing in strong digital and social media campaigns, while Emma and the team will be working with retailers on an individual basis, providing bespoke plans for their stores that encompass POS, competitions and much more. Taken as a whole, Toynamics’ new outlook on marketing can’t be understated.

As evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive reception to Janod’s WWF line-up, animals remains a beloved theme within wood. Beehive Toys is expanding its wooden toy ranges with the introduction of the Wooden Zoo Table, a colourful and creative scene that lets kids role-play a day at the zoo, complete with iconic creatures such as penguins, lions and elephants. Amaroni, meanwhile, is introducing Haba’s new wooden animal stacking game, Animal Upon Animal, which helps kids develop their fine motor skills by balancing colourful wooden creatures atop one another while enjoying a simple game.

With sustainability and the environment front of mind among consumers, and the popularity of wooden animal toys showing no signs of waning, the WWF-Janod partnership will give retailers a tangible good-news-story to tell shoppers as well as a proven best-selling theme. It also looks truly beautiful on-shelf. Neil says that Juratoys will be supporting its collection of 30 educational wooden WWF toys at retail with a wide range of display and marketing materials, and will be working closely with its customers to formulate new ways to attract consumers with promotions and in-store activity. The company has also invested heavily on consumerfocused digital marketing to build awareness and create demand for the new range, with the ultimate objective of funnelling footfall into stores.

Brio, meanwhile, has its sights firmly set on building on the success of 2020, when the brand enjoyed a +35% increase in growth. Awareness and sales this year are being driven with a high-impact 360-degree marketing programme to include major support in Q4. Activity will include TV, YouTube, social media, programmatic advertising, influencer outreach, print and PR.

“In-store support is integral to the success of the brand, supporting retailers with rich, stand out physical and digital toolboxes,” Katie adds. “Brio also offers retailers the opportunity to take advantage of ‘play dates’. Ravensburger will happily provide everything needed to create an in-store Brio event offering kids and families the joy of hands-on play. These kinds of events have been sorely missed over the past year and a half, but we are definitely hoping to introduce these again later this year when it’s appropriate to do so.” Over the next few pages, Toy World takes a look at a selection of the newest wooden toys combining sustainability with play.