Toy World Magazine December 2021 by TOYWORLD MAGAZINE

December 2021 Volume 11 Issue 4

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CONTENTS December 2021 Volume 11 Issue 4

John Baulch

20 Licensing World

27 Talking Shop

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 07710 532 952

Anita Baulch

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

Rachael Simpson-Jones

News

Regulars

Features

05 06 14 16 20 50

18 22 24 27 34

32 Opinion: KidsKnowBest 36 Feature: Nuremberg preview

From the Publisher News Industry Moves Marketing World Licensing World Allegedly

Generation Media NPD Letter from America Talking Shop Fresh

34 Fresh

Contributors The NPD Group Mark Buschhaus Stephen Barnes Greta Bisetto-Donelan Rick Derr

36 Feature: Nuremberg preview

Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Sam Giltrow

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

Alakat

Published by

The business magazine with a passion for toys www.toyworldmag.co.uk

Mark Crowford

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

@toyworldmag @baulchtweet

toyworldmag

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Toy World Magazine

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

s we head into the ‘make or break’ weeks of the year, it is inevitable that people start to get a little nervous. A retailer recently flagged up to me that there have been some quite hefty week-on-week sales drops across October compared to last year, although I do think it is important to put them in context.

from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

Last October saw unprecedented demand, with many consumers correctly anticipating an impending lockdown, thus making sure they were stocked up nice and early for Christmas. Amazon Prime Day also took place in October last year: as well as sales driven directly by Amazon and its third-party sellers, many other retailers activated promotions in an attempt to compete. In addition, early Black Friday deals started to arrive at the end of October last year – by comparison, they started to appear almost a month later this time round. Grocers’ half-term promotions were also apparently far more aggressive last year, while Argos ran a half-price toy sale in ’20, which has been replaced by a 33% sale this year. When you take all of that into consideration, there are at least mitigating factors behind the subdued October data. Historically, UK toy retailers have tended to see an upswing after Halloween and Bonfire Night. So, let’s hope that the October performance was just a blip, possibly exacerbated by supply chain issues. On the positive side, one good week of sales in December can be the equivalent of a month’s sales throughout the year, and at least it doesn’t look like we are going back into lockdown in the UK, as some European territories may yet be facing in the run up to Christmas. Although the big boys have been more measured with their promotional activity this year, any hope they would cut it out altogether has been dashed in recent weeks. Midco’s Dave Middleton posted a picture on LinkedIn of empty fixtures at Tesco, below posters advertising ‘20% off with Clubcard’ deals. I guess, as with Black Friday, those retailers reached the conclusion that consumers have become conditioned to expect deals at this time of year, so they had no choice but to give them something. While disappointing on many levels, when your Q4 business has been driven by – even predicated around – aggressive promotions, perhaps it is just too big a swing to do nothing at all. Maybe they need to gently wean

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consumers off the habit rather than forcing them to go cold turkey? However, there is no doubt that promotions have had to be carefully constructed this year to avoid them turning into loss-making initiatives – and I doubt that is going to change drastically as we head into next year. Talking to suppliers about ’22, the extent to which prices will have to rise next year is occupying much of their brain space right now. One supplier likened it to iconic TV gameshow Play Your Cards Right – you reveal your latest price list to retailers and then play a game of ‘higher or lower’. Obviously, the supplier says higher every time, the retailer says lower. Hopefully, eventually both sides reach the point where ‘the price is right’ (to squeeze every last drop out of the gameshow analogy). And then, naturally, there is the eternal question of the level (ish) playing field: I was present when a retailer and supplier were talking in general terms about the thorny question of price rises recently, and the retailer was adamant that he would be prepared to accept them (within reason, of course) providing every other toy retailer did the same – with no exceptions. Understandably, he wasn’t prepared to hand a competitive advantage to anyone. So, what happens if and when a particular retailer - and I think most of you know who I am referring to at this point - refuses to accept price increases. I have seen emails that show just how difficult it is to negotiate (in the traditional way) with said retailer. That’s going to make for some interesting discussions next year. In the meantime, many retailers will already be planning their trip to next year’s Spielwarenmesse – so we are delighted to help the process with an early look at some of the companies which will be exhibiting and a sneak peek at what they’ll be showing. This month’s Nuremberg preview starts on page 36, and there will be a further round-up next month, when even more companies will be able to share details of their new lines for ’22. That edition will also include an exhaustive preview of the London Toy Fair - the toy community is already getting excited about being able to meet up at Olympia, and with no Hong Kong trip this year, Olympia will be the first show of the year. I am very much looking forward to London kicking Toy Fair Season ’22 off with a bang.

News Toys R Us and Babies R Us to return to UK market Toys R Us ANZ Limited and WHP Global, the parent company of Toys R Us and Babies R Us, have signed a long-term exclusive licence agreement for Toys R Us ANZ to run digital and physical retail commerce for Toys R Us and Babies R Us in the UK. Dr Louis Mittoni, CEO and managing director of Toys R Us ANZ, told Toy World: “Tailoring our successful Australian relaunch plan to the UK echoes the success of other eCommerce ‘platform play’ businesses that have delivered growth and value, due to their ability to quickly and cost effectively expand their software, processes, partner relationships and brands into new countries. Since Toys R Us returned to Australia in June 2019, we have scaled quickly as customers returned to the much-loved brand and our eCommerce model has proven its success.” The retailer recently announced a purpose-built, state-of-the-art warehouse distribution and adjoining head office facility located in Victoria. The new premises include a significant investment in Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) technology to increase capacity and efficiency. The company says that the new centre will enable it to realise its UK growth ambitions, with a further strategy to transfer these technologies and other processes to future locations. The retailer is already in the process of establishing a line of communication with prospective UK supplier partners. In order to record and respond to enquiries from toy and nursery suppliers, as well as 3PL and other service providers, the retailer has set up a dedicated expression of interest page, which has already seen over 300 vendors sign up. Speaking to Toy World publisher John Baulch, Louis admitted: “It has been two years since we brought the Toys R Us brand back to the Australian market, and I had forgotten just how intense the initial reaction would be. It has been great to feel the level of support for what we’re doing. I don’t feel it’s a relaunch, more that the brand is coming home.” Louis went on to acknowledge the importance of re-engaging with key stakeholders, as well as new and upcoming companies who would be looking to work with Toys R Us for the first time. It would appear that the traditional TRU philosophy of supporting new vendors and new ranges from existing suppliers is very much continuing in the new business. The pace at which the new operation is developing is encouraging, with Louis admitting that he wants to move as quickly as possible: “We’re an agile business with a lot of experience in digital toy sales, which aligns perfectly with the UK market, where the digital channel is so advanced. Logistics is very much a core competency of the business, playing a key role in the smooth running of the whole operation.” Louis also went on to outline his vision of how the new company would operate, with a ‘digital first’ strategy backed up with a bold, ambitious plan for an accompanying physical presence. However, those who thought the new

Dr Louis Mittoni

stores would be modelled on the previous UK Toys R Us store estate, or even predicated around Toys R Us store formats from other parts of the globe, might be disappointed. Forget warehouse-style 40,000 square foot stores on retail parks across the country; the plan involves a far more experiential physical store environment – a concept Louis describes as ‘the endless aisle.’ A quick way of describing it would be to imagine a massive, state of the art DC (200-300,000 square feet) – and bolted on to the front of it, a 20-30,000 square foot retail space. The idea is that consumers would spend time getting hands-on with the toys and nursery goods, then be able to order any one of 30-40,000 products, which would be delivered to you within a minute via the cutting-edge robotics integrated into the facility. Louis reiterated: “We’re not just going to turn the clock back and adopt the old model. We’re looking at how people are shopping now and how they’re going to be shopping in 5-10 years’ time. Our retail experience is going to be highly experiential- our ambition is very much to create destination retail stores, both here and in Australia. It will be the perfect complement to our digital first approach, where we want to offer the widest possible choice of toys and baby products to our customers.” The new Toys R Us UK operation has commenced its initial recruitment drive. As with potential vendors, a link has been set up to register interest in being considered. Louis confirmed: “At this early stage, we are primarily focussing on buyers, eCommerce inventory planning, customer support, marketing and content, admin and team support, graphics, web developers – and leaders. At some stage next year, we’ll expand to other areas such as operations, warehouse, store, etc.” Inevitably, many questions remain about the new operation – not least whether it will be able to expand the UK toy market. For those who feel that would be an ambitious task, the big question is where any sales would be taken from. Other online retailers, and Amazon in particular? Specialist independents such as The Entertainer or multiples like Smyths? The Grocers, or multi-channel retailers such as Argos? The UK toy community will be watching closely to see how the situation unfolds.

distributor of leading brands

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News Don’t forget to register to visit Toy Fair 2022 Following a hiatus in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 68th Toy Fair will return to Olympia London from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th January. Press Day is scheduled for 25th January and all attendees can now register for free through the official Toy Fair website: www. toyfair.co.uk. Majen Immink, BTHA director of Toy Fair, commented: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming back visitors to Toy Fair and know how important it is for the toy industry to do business in person once again.” Toy Fair will be the first opportunity of the year for retailers, licensors, media and the wider industry to meet face to face with more than 250 exhibiting companies, and to get hands-on with the hottest new toys and trends. The 2022 event will welcome back a high number of returning companies as well as many brand-new exhibitors and some returning after a period of absence. Visitors will also be able to network with industry professionals and with exhibitors ranging from renowned brands though to ambitious start-ups, many of which can be found in the Greenhouse Area in the Grand Hall. They will also be able to take advantage of the many exclusive on-site retail offers. Confirmed exhibitors include Bandai UK, Character Options, Funko, Hasbro, Jazwares, Lego, Moose Toys, Learning Resources and many more. The full exhibitor list can be viewed at www.toyfair.co.uk/visit/#floorPlan The show will follow Covid safety guidelines with Covid status checks for all participants and enhanced cleaning in high touchpoint areas as well as hand sanitiser throughout the halls. A second point of entrance/exit will also be in place via the new National Hall foyer, to help reduce potential congestion. When registering, attendees from any of the past three Toy Fairs need only check, update, and submit their details to receive their 2022 e-badge. All visitors must preregister before they arrive on-site at the show. Follow the latest Exhibitor and Show news on Twitter at @toyfairuk. For operations and sponsorship enquiries, please contact Rebecca Deeming: Rebecca@btha.co.uk

DreamToys Top 12 unveiled as countdown to Christmas begins The biggest licences from film and TV are the driving force behind this year’s must-have Christmas toys, with Star Wars, Pokémon, Jurassic World and Paw Patrol all making The Toy Retailers Association’s Top 12 Toys list at DreamToys 2021. Perennial favourites including Barbie, Hot Wheels and L.O.L. Surprise! also made the list, which the TRA says is the ‘most authoritative list of what will be hot this Christmas’ and is selected by an independent panel of retailers and industry experts. The Top 12 list is as follows (in alphabetical order): Barbie Dreamtopia Colour Change Mermaid – Mattel Bluey Family Home Playset – Moose CoComelon Deluxe JJ Interactive Doll – Bandai Gassy Gus – John Adams Hot Wheels Massive Loop Mayhem – Mattel Jurassic World Scorpios Rex – Mattel L.O.L. Surprise! Movie Magic Doll – MGA Entertainment Little Live Pets My Pig Piggly – Character Options Magic Mixies Cauldron – Moose Toys Paw Patrol Chase’s Deluxe Transforming Vehicle – Spin Master Pokémon 8" Plush Pikachu – Character Options Star Wars Boba Fett’s Starship – Lego

Gary Grant, founder of The Entertainer and chair of the DreamToys selection committee, said: “This year’s DreamToys list is an exciting blend of evergreen favourites and this year’s biggest brands, which we believe will be the most sought-after under the Christmas tree this festive season. Toys have played such a vital role in family life over the past two years and this Christmas will be no exception. That’s why the industry is working to overcome supply chain challenges to ensure there will be toys on shelves throughout the festive period.” Alongside the Top 12, the TRA released a longer list of 81 toys demonstrating the depth and quality of choice available to consumers this year. Frederique Tutt, VP – global industry expert, Toys, The NPD Group, said: “Brits have continued their love affair with toys this year, and sales have been strong. Compared to 2019, pre-Covid, sales are up 9% for the nine months ending September 2021. We expect the final sales quarter of the year to deliver a solid performance despite supply chain challenges. Toy manufacturers and retailers have planned ahead and stocked up to avoid anticipated shortages, so most toy shoppers will be able to get the items they want.”

Goliath adds to global acquisition tally with Endless Games Goliath has acquired Endless Games, stating that the move provides the company with an ‘endless’ catalogue of great games and puzzles that it will add to its global core portfolio. Jochanan Golad, Goliath’s CEO, commented: “This is Goliath’s fourth North American, and 11th global, acquisition in the last seven years as we continue to expand and strengthen our position in the market.” “Endless Games will continue to operate out of its New Jersey office with plans to fully integrate into Goliath’s distribution network by Q1, 2022,” said David Norman, president of Goliath’s North American operation. “We are also pleased to announce that Brian Turtle has agreed to join Goliath’s management team to help drive our business forward,” he added. Kevin McNulty of Endless Games said: “I’m thrilled to have Goliath carry on the great legacy that Mike Gasser, Brian Turtle and the rest of our team have built over the last 25 years. It feels great to sell our business to a company that excels at marketing to maximize the potential of our products.”

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News Obituary: Malcolm Rose

Asda trial partnership with The Entertainer to end in 2022 Following a successful trial partnership between The Entertainer and Asda to manage toy departments within Asda stores, it has been agreed that the concept will not roll out any further. Asda said it will build on learnings from the trial and maintain its own toy offer in stores. A letter was sent to suppliers by Lisa Lennon, Asda’s vice president General Merchandise, which confirmed the trial partnership in 11 Asda stores is being brought to a close. The letter states: “Nearly a year ago I wrote to you all, to inform you that we would be undertaking a test and learn partnership with The Entertainer in the form of a fully branded The Entertainer Toy category. The trial went live in February in five stores and has grown to 11 stores as the partnership developed. Over this time period a lot of hard work has gone into landing and maintaining this offer and a huge amount has been learnt by both parties, understanding the performance based on a number of metrics and reviewing the potential for the partnership in the future. Whilst partnerships remain an important part of Asda’s future proposition, and there have been a number of positives from this trial, we have taken the decision not to continue our work with The Entertainer. We will therefore be ending the trial over the forthcoming months and returning the trial stores to their Asda toy offering. We would like to thank The Entertainer and its team for their vision and support during this period and wish them luck with their future endeavours. The Asda toy offer is a strong and robust range which we know is greatly loved by colleagues and customers alike, so we are looking forward to work with you in developing our proposition.” The Entertainer will continue to operate the existing trial stores over Christmas and through to February 2022, when the stores will convert back to an Asda toy offering. Mark Campbell, CEO of The Entertainer, commented: “We are really proud of how incredibly hard both The Entertainer and Asda teams have worked on this project to deliver a successful trial across the 11 Asda stores. I’d like to thank everyone involved from both The Entertainer and Asda in bringing this trial to life.” Asda’s Lisa Lennon reiterated: “A lot of hard work has gone into making this a successful trial. We would like to thank The Entertainer and its team for their vision and support throughout this project.”

Toy World is sad to report that the much-respected industry veteran Malcolm Rose has passed away. Malcolm enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the toy trade. His first role in toys was with Angel Toys, which he joined in the mid ‘60s. He then went on to hold several senior roles in the industry; as well as his tenure at Angel Toys, Malcolm lent his expertise to Illco, Tyco-Matchbox and Mookie Toys, among others. His last full-time role was as sales director at Mookie Toys, where, over a 10-year period, he played an instrumental part in the growth of the business and its establishment as a pre-eminent force in the outdoor toy market, both in the UK and internationally. Malcolm formally retired from Mookie in 2005 but continued to work for a number of years on a consultancy basis, firstly for Top Banana Toys and then with Kelly Richardson at Kyria. Remembering Malcolm, Andrew Moulsher of Top Banana Toys said: “Malcolm was hugely respected by both the buyers he dealt with and his co-workers. He had a reputation as a straight talker, always showing great integrity and was never afraid to give a retail buyer the benefit of his experience if he thought they were making a less than judicious buying decision. In the main, they appreciated this and respected him all the more for it. He certainly had a significant impact on my own career development, and I shall miss him enormously.” Affectionately known as “Grumps” by his family and many of his colleagues, Malcolm is survived by his wife Sandra, children Simon and Jo and grandchildren Sophie and Sam. Toy World would like to express its condolences to Malcolm’s family and friends.

Mike Brighty retires from University Games Mike Brighty, senior vice president of international sales, retired from University Games and the toy industry in October. Mike has been a mainstay on the UK toy industry scene since joining Hasbro in 1989 and his career has taken him to international stints with Hasbro as well as Jakks and Toy Lobster. From 2006-2014 Mike served as the head of International Sales for Colorific where he established the Australian company in Europe, the US, Canada and more than two dozen other international markets. In 2015, he became the first vice president of international sales for University Games, where he had a leadership role serving on the board of directors and building the international business for the company. University Games has now started its search for a new head of international to fill Mike’s shoes.

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Let the games begin

Toys, gadgets, puzzles

6-9 FEBRUARY 2022 | NEC BIRMINGHAM

Where big imaginations come out to play. Tap into the hottest toys, gadgets and games at Kids, Toys & Play, exclusively at Spring Fair.

springfair.com

News Spring Fair set for success with 90% of stand space sold Following the highest ever re-book at this year’s Autumn Fair, by mid-November, 90% of the stand space for February’s Spring Fair was already sold, with organisers Hyve Group looking to increase the floorplan to accommodate the flurry of new brands keen to join the show. The event, which takes place at NEC Birmingham from 6th-9th February 2022, will feature four key buying destinations – Home, Gift, Fashion and Design & Source – as well as the Inspiring Retail Stage featuring inspiring and innovative retailers who are changing their business with a positive impact, such as becoming more sustainable. Daniel Mayhew, Event director, Spring Fair said: “Spring Fair was sorely missed this year and following the hugely successful Autumn Fair, the team is working hard to make the show better than ever. We have spent many months researching the market, talking to our customers, listening, and learning, and feel confident that Spring Fair will deliver the best possible experience across its four days. Visitors will discover the most inspirational and exciting brand line-up and stock rich exhibitors, as well as the newness, cross-buying opportunities and sustainable products that are so key to buyers and their customers.” Spring Fair provides a platform for buyers to touch, feel, and experience the latest products, trends and innovations across home, gift, fashion, and sourcing – from across the UK and overseas. Sustainability continues to be top of the agenda with 82% of visitors stating their interest in sustainable and ethical brands. Existing initiatives such as the Sustainability Trail continue to highlight and champion sustainable brands and the work they are doing. Of interest to Toy World readers will be the Toys section, which features exhibitors including Keel Toys, Ty UK Ltd, Noble Collection and Gibsons. Companies on show in the Party sector include Rubies and Ginger Ray. “Retail is changing, and it’s changing in all areas of businesses,” commented Suzanne Ellingham, head of Content, Hyve Group. “This year’s Inspiring Retail Stage will feature industry leaders, trend forecasters and a range of retailers who will be sharing their stories in the hopes that their ideas will give retailers the confidence to change, and may even spark a few ideas.” For further information visit www.springfair.com

Casdon helps 100 schools update role-play areas With role-play at the heart of Casdon Toys, the company launched its Helping out in the Home Corner initiative this summer, enabling children to benefit through an interactive and resource-led programme, while also enhancing home corners in their classrooms that many schools could not afford to update. When schools returned in September, the reception classes received Casdon Home Corner packs full of fun activity sheets, certificates and stickers for children to take home. They also received child-sized home corner favourites from Casdon’s best-selling range of toys including Henry and Hetty Vacuum Cleaners and Cleaning Trolleys, a mini Morphy Richards Microwave and Kitchen Set plus a Pan Set and Play Food Set as well as an Electronic Washer and Wash Day Set. The feedback received shows the initiative, launched to coincide with Casdon’s 75th anniversary, has been a huge success. A huge 98% of the schools that took part said the toys and resources helped children settle into their new classroom surroundings at the start of term and provided an opportunity for them to engage with new classmates. Comments included: “The children are absolutely loving (the resources) and we have seen such purposeful play since introducing them into our home corner”, and: “The children are loving the toys and resources; it will make a huge difference to their learning environment.” Phil Cassidy, managing director of Casdon Toys, said: “Casdon was built on my grandfather’s belief that toys need to have a role in children’s learning and development as well as being fun to play with. We’ve been thrilled to see the reception the Home Corner packs have had in schools and to note such active and engaged play in the pictures the teachers have kindly shared with us. Some of the children have even gone to the trouble of writing us thank you letters. We’re delighted to have played a part in their introduction to school.” Casdon has confirmed it will be running a similar initiative with schools in 2022.

FAO Schwarz launches on M&S.com and in selected stores FAO Schwarz will appear in 20 M&S stores across the UK and on M&S.com. A bespoke offer of around 50 bestselling products has been selected: a mix of FAO Schwarz, Discovery, Discovery #Mindblown and Sharper Image products. The M&S store openings are the first time the heritage toy brand has been available on local UK high streets. The FAO shops will be trialed next to the M&S gift shops and located within M&S Kids product. As the retailer continues to focus on offering families a great shopping experience, an experiential approach is being tested with magicians set to perform at two of the biggest stores (Stratford and Bluewater) every weekend in December. This latest brand addition is part of the ‘Brands at M&S’ strategy under the retailer’s MS2 division. It aims to curate a platform of brands that are relevant for the M&S customer and offer them more reasons to shop more frequently on M&S.com, with over 30 brands already live. The strategy includes offering a wider selection within the retailer’s core categories, also introducing complementary categories where the retailer doesn’t have a full offer – such as kids’ toys. Toys have already proved a popular new product option, with 64% of orders for an Early Learning Centre product (which landed on the site last year) also including at least one product from another M&S department. Neil Harrison, director of Brands at M&S, said: “Our brands strategy is all about giving customers even more reasons to shop with M&S – and that includes being more relevant, more often throughout the important festive season. A leading toy brand such as FAO Schwarz supports that mission, bringing a little extra magic to the M&S offer.” Mark Handley, CEO, Redlands Distribution, exclusive distributor of FAO Schwarz in the UK, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with M&S this festive season and excited to see the iconic FAO Schwarz toy brand come to life in stores.” The full range of FAO Schwarz is available for customers across the UK on M&S.com with click & collect available at over 700 locations.

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News Spock boldly goes where no giant Playmobil figure has gone before A giant model of Mr Spock was beamed into Osborne’s Sports & Toys in Rushden to mark the launch of Star Trek Playmobil. The independent retailer, run by Will and Libby Osborne, was chosen as the launch pad for one of the latest releases from Playmobil: Star Trek’s USS Enterprise playset. A 5ft model of half human, half Vulcan Mr Spock arrived in store along with a model of the USS Enterprise. Osborne’s was proud to be selected as the only independent venue to display the new set; the only other place where it was on display was at Hamleys in London. Store manager and owner Will Osborne said it was a fantastic opportunity for Star Trek fans to see the new play set and meet Mr Spock – the first Playmobil figure to be produced with ears. Aimed at both adults and children, the Playmobil 70548 Star Trek USS Enterprise NCC-1701 play set measures an impressive 1m long and 45cm wide. ‘Communicators’ (smart phones or tablets) can be uses to control the lights and sound via an app. Included in the set are crew members Dr “Bones” McCoy, Ensign Chekov, communications expert Lt Uhura, Captain James T. Kirk, Lt Sulu and chief engineer Scotty, along with Mr. Spock, all in their classic uniform colours. A Playmobil team installed the impressive play set in the shop. As it was so large, the decision was taken to display it inside and fans were also able to get ‘selfies’ with Mr Spock. Osborne’s Toys and Sports was previously chosen by Lego in 2018 to be given a brick makeover for the brand’s 60th anniversary.

ICTI ETP launches upgraded website ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP) is the specialist responsible sourcing programme for the toys and children’s products industry. IETP understands the importance of transparency and the need to provide clear information regarding responsible manufacturing in global supply chains. The organisation says this is why it has invested to refresh its website and ensure the new look and navigation enables users to access the information they need easily. “We have now launched our new website which has been designed to communicate our purpose, benefits, programmes and services more clearly,” a spokesperson told Toy World. “The refreshed website (www.ethical.toys) is part of our technology investment programme which is ensuring IETP is utilising the latest technology to provide our members with the information they need. Technology at IETP is enabling our members to access supplier audits, assessments and development plans, access insights from direct engagement with manufacturing workers and find new, ready to go, suppliers.” The new website has new user-friendly features which makes it much easier for different users to navigate. “We have also introduced new designs and additional pages which highlight key information, communicate our purpose and celebrate our programme’s milestones,” said IETP. “We will continue to update our new website, so keep checking in.” IETP offers a range of programmes and services to meet buyers and suppliers needs at different stages of their sustainability journey, and the website shares information on them all, explaining the business benefits they bring, and the different combinations that can multiply a company’s impact and reach. Readers are invited to head to the website and explore the exciting new features for themselves at www.ethicaltoyprogram.org.

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG rides the wave with sought-after new products As the trading card boom continues, Konami has brought an expedient range of attractive new products to retail shelves, much to the delight of players. The rise of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG during lockdown has been impressive. Yu-Gi-Oh! is already one of the most successful multimedia franchises of all time, with manga, anime, video games and more all beloved alongside the TCG. The established brand has seen eye-opening sales thanks to the boom in collectible trading cards, according to publisher Konami. Rather that resting on its laurels, Konami has responded to Yu-Gi-Oh!’s soaring popularity by making its latest collectible cards even more accessible, bringing a range of eye-catching products to retail shelves, both at the high and everyday value ends of the spectrum. The last 18 months have shown that fans are keen to get their hands on new Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG products, and the company’s latest launches are expected to meet this demand head on. The Maximum Gold: El Dorado collectors’ set offers a prime example of how Konami is catering to the needs and wants of Yu-Gi-Oh! fans. The set is suffused with gold, and its stylish Premium Gold Rare Cards have raised golden outlines, borders and iconography to drive home their classiness. Collectors will also be able to get their hands on brand new cards, while returning cards will feature new variant artwork to underline their gold-tinged exclusivity. Maximum Gold: El Dorado launches on 18th November. The Brothers of Legend booster set, which hits shelves on 2nd December, is a glimmering new item available at an attractive lower price-point. The all-foil packs contain cards used by some of the iconic characters from the first six Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series. Fans looking for something more standalone will enjoy the Speed Duel GX: Duel Academy Box. Designed for up to eight players to play straight out of the box, it features around 200 cards, many of them new to Speed Duel. Speed Duel offers a superb way for new players to jump into the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! card games, and Speed Duel GX: Duel Academy Box will introduce plenty of new cards to the game when it launches on 24th February 2022.

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Industry Moves ICTI Ethical Toy Program welcomes Todd Merton as head of Business Development

Addo Play appoints new international sales director Addo Play has appointed Stefanie Moore as its new international sales director to oversee the international sales team for its two brands: Addo and Early Learning Centre, with a focus will on developing Addo Play’s strategic partners and further developing the company’s brands in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. Stefanie joins the team with a wealth of knowledge and experience, having worked in the toy and licensing industry for 17 years leading international sales teams at MGA, Moose Toys and most recently Melissa and Doug. In her new role, Stefanie has been tasked with accelerating sales growth and building long-term partnerships with the company’s Addo and Early Learning Centre brands . She commented: “I am honoured to join the team at Addo Play and am very much looking forward to playing a key role in driving Addo’s already very impressive commercial success. I thrive on driving outstanding results, taking companies to their next growth phase and motivating and inspiring others by example. An exciting time to join.” Dave Martin, co-founder and CEO of Addo Play, told Toy World: “We are really delighted to welcome Stefanie to the Addo Play team and to our Operating Board. Stefanie brings a real wealth of knowledge of toys and international markets. Over the last six years, we have developed business in over 30 global markets with some incredible partners, and I know Stefanie is excited to continue to develop this business as well as helping us seek out exciting new opportunities.” Stefanie can be contacted at stefanie. moore@addoplay.com

Todd Merton, who is based in the United States, has joined IETP in the newly created position of head of Business Development. Todd brings with him a wealth of experience in developing strategic partnerships including complex licensing agreements with renowned companies like Marvel, ViacomCBS and Warner Bros. He will focus on strengthening relationships with existing programme members and securing new members in the retailer, toy manufacturer and brand licensing categories. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with world’s leading retailers, brands and companies to ensure their products are being made in the most ethical manner and improving the lives of the workers responsible for that production,” Todd said. Carmel Giblin, president & CEO, IETP, added: “IETP is dedicated to reducing duplication and helping our members achieve positive business and social impacts through their global supply chains. I’m thrilled to have Todd join the team, with his extensive experience we’ll build a stronger community of responsible buyers and ethical suppliers, creating long-term value for all.” Readers can get in touch with Todd directly at Todd.merton@ethicaltoyprogram.org. IETP says Todd will be delighted to talk to interested parties, learn about their business needs and share with them information about IETP services and how they can help companies and individuals achieve their objectives.

Disguise hires new marketing manager for EMEA Costume company Disguise has announced another key hire to its EMEA team with Lianne Barber taking on the role of marketing manager. With over a decade of marketing, brand management and licensing experience at The Entertainer, Lianne will lead all marketing efforts in the EMEA territory for Disguise, a division of toy and consumer products manufacturer Jakks Pacific. With Disguise recently announcing major licence acquisitions and renewals across EMEA, including a new multi-year licensing agreement for a wide range of Disney portfolio brands, and the rapid expansion of the retail footprint across all regions, the need for a global approach to marketing and retail promotions is a key focus for the company. Lianne will be a major part of the marketing team developing targeted sales driving strategies and campaigns to drive business across Europe. Rachel Middleton-Smith, VP of marketing, Disguise EMEA, said: “Lianne Barber will be an integral part to our success in EMEA. She brings key skills and experience to the table which will enable us to develop our marketing reach across our region.” Disguise is hiring a complete staff of apparel-based experts to design, develop, sell and market costumes and accessories throughout Europe. With several new license acquisitions still to be announced, the company will bring new brands and characters to the EMEA market.

Vivid Goliath Group expands sales team The Vivid Goliath Group has announced that Mark Standen has joined the team as national account manager, working on the Toy and Games portfolio. Mark has been working on global toy brands in the retail industry for over 17 years and brings a wealth of experience in the independent sector across buying groups Toymaster and Playroom (AIS), thanks to his most recent role at Rainbow Designs. “With the latest acquisition of Endless Games and a striking line up of new games, new categories and new innovations in toys, it is an exciting time for Mark to join,” stated sales director Gerbie Quilter. Mark added: “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in as we start autumn/ winter ’22 previews. There is a lot to learn: the games portfolio has diversified into lots of exciting market segments, and toy brand innovations are taking the company into new categories. More will be revealed during retailer previews and at London Toy Fair.”

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Marketing World Playmobil takes over breakfast with Havas Entertainment

Alpha Group marketing ramps up as Super Pets and Chuggington continue to see success Alpha Group’s Super Wings autumn/winter marketing activity is set to deliver over 15m impressions by the end of Q4 via a comprehensive range of multi-platform campaigns targeting both pre-schoolers and parents. Supporting key lines across the range, the activity highlights product launches from the new Super Pets TV series. Originally launched in 2016, the popular property is now in its fifth season, with content airing daily on Tiny Pop and Cartoonito. Super Pets Season 5 brings fans 40 new episodes in which Jett and friends are joined by myriad new characters including the comical Super Pets. New characters Golden Boy, Leo and Sunny also join the extensive range of popular Transforming Figures, which remain a core focus of all marketing activity. The World Aircraft and Mission Team Airport, key play sets for autumn/winter, also feature centrally in all episodes. Marketing activity spans linear and digital platforms throughout the key Q4 period. A TV sponsorship on Cartoonito, taking over the prime-time morning segment, kicked things off in October, with YouTube pre-roll focused on Super Wings and pre-school content running simultaneously to target fans directly. Separate campaigns aimed at parents are running across Facebook and Instagram, including activity on TikTok and Instagram stories. Creators are being utilised to develop relevant and engaging content. The standalone Super Wings magazine continues to feature adverts and competitions in every issue, and retail activity focuses on exposure in key Christmas catalogues along with in-store POS and interactive brand experiences such as Jett meet & greets. Alpha Group has also launched a new master toy range for Chuggington this autumn/winter, in partnership with brand owner Herschend Entertainment. The new Season 6 TV series has been airing on Cbeebies since January 2021 in a prime-time slot seven days a week, and Season 1-5 content is available on-demand via BBC iPlayer. The new toy range includes themed train sets and engines compatible with most other track sets. The mid-scale range offers new touch-sensor technology to start and stop the motorised engines, whilst the large-scale products include surprise transformation features when their roofs are removed. Three different product campaigns are being supported across key digital platforms throughout the key Q4 period, including YouTube pre-roll targeting kids and parents. A parental social media campaign is also running across Facebook and Instagram with direct click-through to retail. The new product range is also featured in press adverts and competitions within key pre-school magazine titles, including Chuggington and Cbeebies. At retail, the range is promoted via Christmas catalogues, in-store POS and online product demo videos. For more information, visit the website (www.alphatoysuk.com) or call 01293 804599.

This autumn, Playmobil roadblocked breakfast sponsorships across C5 Milkshake, ITV Breakfast, Pop, Tiny Pop, Nick Jnr 2 and Nick Toons. Playmobil Breakfast Takeover idents started running in every morning commercial break on these channels from October and will continue until Christmas, showcasing the brand’s Christmas range. Breakfast is currently the peak time of day to reach the Playmobil audience, and securing all morning slots across the six kids’ channels that account for 80% of all commercial impacts in the run up to Christmas allows Playmobil to maximise its reach, frequency and brand recall during this key sales period.” Playmobil’s marketing communications manager, Adam Moore, told Toy World: “We are delighted to take over breakfast time on kids’ television this Q4, and are thrilled to have found an innovative and cost-effective way to navigate a challenging market and reach our consumers as Christmas approaches.” The breakfast takeover was designed and brokered by the head of AV at Havas Entertainment, Matt Smith, who added: “Gaining competitive standout in a market which has declined 21% year on year is a constant challenge for toys and games advertisers.”

Lego Carousel of Creativity invites families to unleash their imagination The Lego Group is encouraging families to unleash their imagination in the run up to Christmas with the Lego Carousel of Creativity, an art installation in London’s Covent Garden. The installation features five brick-built characters that celebrate the creative potential of children’s imaginations, along with one dedicated section screening play creations that have been submitted by children across the UK. Through the Lego Life app, kids can submit their festive builds now for the chance to be shown, with more information at lego.com/CarouselOfCreativity. The art installation will be in London from 1st December 2021 until 2nd January 2022, bringing a Lego twist to a traditional Christmas icon, while those unable to attend in person will be able to join in the festive fun online during the same period. Families from across the UK will also be able to take part in weekly online themed challenges as well as enjoying a 3D virtual tour of the Lego Carousel of Creativity and all it has to offer. In addition, to help make the holidays brighter for children in need of play, the Lego Group is encouraging everyone to build a star – small, big, or wonderfully weird – to help pass on the joy of play as part of its Rebuild the World #BuildToGive initiative. For every star which is built and shared on social media or Lego Life using the hashtag #BuildToGive before the end of December, the Lego Group will donate a Lego set to a child in need, giving children in hospitals, children’s homes and vulnerable communities the chance to play this festive season.

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NEW JAN ‘22

THE JOURNEY

STARTS WITH ELITE!

Opinion

Building the next CoComelon This month, Greta examines the success of the commercial juggernaut that is CoComelon and looks at how the property’s success might be replicated.

erhaps, like many parents across the globe, you are all too familiar with the phenomenon that is CoComelon. The pre-school brand has firmly cemented itself as the No.1 YouTube channel for kids, globally, with ambitions to continue its growth beyond the platform and into every facet of the modern pre-schooler’s media day. In fact, such has been the success in holding the attention of kids that Child Development Specialist Jerrica Sannes controversially claimed it to be “so hyper-stimulating that it actually acts as a drug, as a stimulant.” More commonplace is the view that CoComelon is a commercial juggernaut, with the success of the franchise encouraging a Blackstone backed consortium to purchase Moonbug Entertainment (the owners CoComelon) for a reported $3.05b. Of course, Moonbug’s stable also includes successes such as Blippi (14m subscribers) and Little Baby Bum (37.4m subscribers), but the fact that CoComelon has more than twice their subscriber count combined (121m at the time of writing) indicates that JJ and friends added significant weighting to Moonbug’s valuation. This is further borne out by the success of the consumer goods lines, with supply struggling to meet an everincreasing demand. For those looking to replicate this success, even a percentage of it, there is often a misconception in the digital age that successes like this happen “overnight”. This belief owes much to the trajectory of CoComelon’s success in disrupting traditional powerhouses such as Disney and ViacomCBS, however in reality, this is a journey spanning almost 15 years. Originally active as Checkgate on YouTube, before transitioning to ABC Kid TV in 2013, it was under this banner that the first pillars of long-term success emerged, with the introduction of recurring characters, notably JJ, ensuring a strong brand identity. It wasn’t until 2018 however that the channel was rebranded to CoComelon, and real efforts were made to cement the proposition as a brand that could live outside of YouTube. The watermelon logo was introduced and use of this within the intro and outro was made consistent across all videos. Increased

use of JJ and friends became a prominent feature, an important step in establishing potential heroes for the eventual product lines. The producers saw to it that the necessary steps were put in place to build the brand within the content itself, and Moonbug has gone about ensuring that that brand is accessible to us in every conceivable, relevant area. It is this omnichannel strategy that has been key to the long-term brand health - especially when you consider the fact that the original YouTube channel is currently experiencing long term decline. Year-on-year, monthly video views have declined -57% (September 2021 vs. 2020). Despite this, YouTube remains a fundamental cornerstone of CoComelon’s distribution footprint, and the metrics, by anyone else’s standards, are phenomenal. The channel still generates in excess of 1.5bn views per month and comfortably remains the No.1 “Made for Kids” YouTube channel, and No.2 YouTube channel overall (when ranked by both total views and total subscribers). This omnichannel approach to viewership has also seen CoComelon successfully disrupt the traditional content distribution cycle, where content is distributed to broadcast first in order to achieve critical mass to create demand for product. However, given that the content offering is substantially greater than the ability of broadcasters to showcase it, we’re seeing more and more content providers utilising nonlinear TV options to reach their audiences directly. This opens new opportunities for brands to distribute great content in different formats, beyond the usual time lengths, thus democratising the landscape that little bit more. CoComelon will soon be launching a live stage show in the US, adding an additional layer of immersion and ensuring that the brand truly lives everywhere.

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Greta Bisetto-Donelan Global director of Entertainment, Generation greta.bisetto-donelan@generationmedia.co.uk So, what have we learned from the CoComelon experience, and what should brands be looking to emulate within their own content strategy: • S trategic franchise management – success does not happen overnight and time needs to be invested in analysing the content analytics of what does and doesn’t work for your audiences. Content is key for successful and long-term brand development • I nvest in great content – ensure that the content has consistent brand pillars that are instantly recognisable: from storytelling, to look and feel, to ensure audiences are captivated and become loyal to your content, no matter where they may watch it. • W ider footprint distribution – the fragmentation of media distribution provides opportunity for brands to be wherever their audience might be. Take advantage of this to prove the effectiveness of your brand to generate new audiences for channels. Increasingly, content strategy should also be considered as part of your engagement strategy, in alignment with your advertising strategy. Content can generate demand for products and advertising will tell consumers how to purchase them. After all, if you are paying for your products to be viewed then wherever possible your content should be used to maximise the exposure to your brand, be that online, on TV/VOD, or even in cinema. This is why we have invested in growing Generation Entertainment, our “Content First” division, to better service the needs of the modern marketer. For more information on how we can help on your journey to building the next CoComelon, get in touch.

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O RD ER YOUR STOCK TODAY

Contact Sales & Business Development Manager Pauline Hinkley on Tel: 07739 200153 Email: pauline .hinkley@bachmann-europe .co.uk

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16/12/2020 12:20

Licensing World Funrise partners with Psyonix for launch of Rocket League range

New Paw Patrol movie announced by Nickelodeon and Spin Master Entertainment

Funrise is to create a range of customisable and remotecontrolled Rocket League replica cars in a new partnership with video game developer Psyonix. The deal, which has been brokered by IMG will see the collection include mini-RCs and full-size RCs that allow players to bring the video game Rocket League to life. The range will launch globally in autumn 2022 and replica cars will be based on some of the most popular from the Rocket League franchise, including Octane, Dominus, Fennec and Takumi. Stephanie Simpson Bughi, vice president of global brand marketing at Funrise, said: “We are so excited to welcome Rocket League into our family of toys and bring the fun of the game to life for fans around the world. Rocket League engages users in endless fun through a riveting combination of soccer and cars, and we are confident that fans will welcome the expansion of the Rocket League world through our new series of cars.” A high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem, easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition, Rocket League is one of the most popular and recognisable video game brands worldwide. It is free to play and available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC on Epic Games Store.

WWE extends global partnership with Mattel Mattel has announced a multi-year extension of its global master toy licensing agreement with WWE including exclusive rights around action figures, action figure accessories and kids’ toy title belts. Since 2009, Mattel and WWE have developed a diverse portfolio of toys which are currently available in more than 50 global markets. WWE Action Figures have ranked as the number one action figure property in the US and consistently hold a top ranking. Mattel’s WWE Basic Action Figure Series is the longest-running continuous action figure assortment in history, and over the years, WWE and Mattel have launched multiple collaborations such as WWE and Ghostbusters and WWE and Masters of the Universe. “Mattel is a true industry leader that continues to surprise and delight our fans around the world with innovative and creative WWE products that drive significant revenue for our retail partners,” said Sarah Cummins, WWE senior vice president, Consumer Products. Nick Karamanos, senior vice president of Entertainment Partnerships, Mattel added: “We are very pleased that WWE has once again chosen Mattel to help bring its storied history and characters to children and fans around the world, WWE is an important partner, and we look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come.” WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 900m homes worldwide in 28 languages through distribution partners including NBCUniversal, Fox Sports, BT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries.

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A second Paw Patrol feature film has been announced by Spin Master Entertainment and Nickelodeon Movies, to be released in October 2023. Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie follows the success of this summer’s Paw Patrol: The Movie release, which saw the expansion of the pre-school franchise onto the wide screen and grossed more than $135m worldwide. The sequel will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and is set for an exclusive theatrical release on 13th October, 2023. Nickelodeon and Spin Master Entertainment have also announced a new Paw Patrol television series spin-off for one of the main pups set to debut in the same year. Veteran animation director Cal Brunker will return to direct Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, which will see a magical meteor crash landing in Adventure City, transforming the Paw Patrol characters into The Mighty Pups with superpowers, which they use to fight their arch-rival, Humdinger. “We loved telling a deeper Paw Patrol story on a bigger canvas and are pleased that the movie connected so strongly with kids and families around the world,” said Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master Entertainment’s president. “Judging by the exit polls, audience scores and positive critical reception, everyone had as much fun watching it, and re-watching it, as we did making it. We’re looking forward to taking kids on a new adventure in the second film with our partners and can’t wait to further expand our storytelling with one of the fan-favourite pups in our spin-off.” Brian Robbins, president and CEO, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; and chief content officer, Paramount+ Kids and Family, added: “Just as the first movie’s success in theatres and streaming confirmed Paw Patrol’s status and power as a top, globally loved franchise, this second theatrical release paired with the property’s very first television spin off will mark another major step in creating a universe of characters and stories to reach even more fans everywhere. Here at Paramount and Nickelodeon, we are focused on keeping the momentum going with our great partners at Spin Master to keep giving kids and families more Paw Patrol adventures across multiple media.”

Bandai UK lands distribution for Star Trek in Europe and Mexico Bandai UK is boldly going into the European and Mexican toy markets as the distributor of a new range of Star Trek licensed toys and collectibles. The initial phase of the three-way collaboration between Bandai UK, ViacomCBS Consumer Products and Playmates will see an extensive range introduced in the UK, ROI, France, Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Iberia, Italy and Mexico for the AW22 period. The range of highly detailed action figures and play sets, which is still in development, will be based on both the classic Star Trek Universe, and the new, upcoming animated Star Trek: Prodigy series launching on ViacomCBS’s streaming service, Paramount+. Nic Aldridge, managing director, Bandai UK, said the company was really excited to be working with ViacomCBS and Playmates on such a classic, and iconic, brand. “It is a long-term strategy to grow the collector division of our business while continuing to offer children engaging product ranges through our own IPs and exciting licences,” he commented. “The new Star Trek toys offer an innovative and exciting assortment to appeal to collectors, fans and a new generation of Star Trek fans.” Mark Kingston, senior vice president, international, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, added: “As Star Trek readies to beam into the kids’ space for the first time with the launch of Star Trek: Prodigy, we are thrilled to also enter the toy aisle with our partners at Bandai UK, distributing the exciting range of action figures and playsets from our global toy partner, Playmates, offering a new generation of fans out of this world toys that will allow them to embark on their own Star Trek adventures at home.” He added: “Bandai UK has deep experience within the boys action figure category and, with its expertise and ingenuity, plans to bring the assortment of Star Trek Prodigy products to life across retail and elevate the play experience for kids and collectors alike.”

KAP Toys looks to build on the success of its licensed ranges in 2022

Rubies announced as EMEA dress-up partner for CoComelon Just weeks after revealing 66 new licensee partners across EMEA, the brand licensing programme for Moonbug Entertainment’s leading IP CoComelon also signed costume designer, manufacturer and distributor Rubies. Brought on board by The Point.1888 to create a range of dress-up products for CoComelon across EMEA, Rubies is a ‘perfect fit’ for the brand thanks to its creative designs, distribution expertise, and highly trusted reputation across the industry. Founded in 1950, Rubies has established long-term partnerships with other market leaders in TV, film and entertainment including Disney, DC and Marvel. Commenting on the news, Olivia Wiggett, associate commercial manager at The Point.1888, said: “Our CoComelon brand licensing programme has exceeded our expectations and we’ve been thrilled with the interest we’ve received from retailers and licensees alike, all eager to get on board. After discussions with Rubies, it was a no-brainer that it should take the costume licence, given its proven track record of successfully delivering costumes for a wide range of licensors and exciting retail plans.” Mike O’Connell, managing director of Rubies UK, added: “CoComelon’s impact on pop culture is simply unprecedented, from the stratospheric rise on YouTube to its impressive streaming service rankings. We are proud to be able to bring this much-loved brand to life and add yet another extremely successful licence to our already mammoth portfolio. We understand the responsibility we play in young children’s lives as the market leader for fancy-dress and dressup and we want to continue to positively influence our youngest audience with inspirational role models: CoComelon is the embodiment of this.”

KAP Toys has enjoyed another successful year, with multiple award wins bolstering its strong retail partnerships. Now, as it looks to enter 2022, the company has its sights set on furthering its success with new series of its collectibles and strong marketing campaigns. Harry Potter Magical Capsules now gives fans of the Wizarding World over 30 different characters to collect, while Series 3 offers consumers a new and innovative scratch reveal clue that indicates which house – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin - the character belongs to. The Harry Potter Magical Capsules brands benefits from a fanbase keen to support retailers with repeat purchases. The range also works well for visual demonstrations, which appeal to both diehard fans and those just discovering the world of Harry Potter. Based on the range’s success to date and its knowledge of the collectibles category, KAP Toys is confident it can take Harry Potter Magical Capsules to new levels. As such, the company has committed to a TV advertising campaign which kicks off on 26th December and runs into the February half term, capturing the bulk of the all-important Q1 season. A new Fantastic Beasts movie is also arriving at cinemas in April; Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will reinforce the appeal of JK Rowling’s Wizarding World franchise. Having managed the national roll-out of YuMe Toys’ Warner Bros. line, KAP Toys is proud to have brought the Toikido line of Among Us toys to market in record time in Q4 2021. This range has sold through in all locations, with retailers crying out for more due to the huge demand from consumers. Stock is now flowing once again. From Boxing Day, KAP Toys’ Among Us Mystery Capsules marketing campaign will go live. The range will also be bolstered by a line of plush and dress-up costumes in spring/summer 2022. Nat Southworth, managing director of KAP Toys, commented: “We are very excited about what’s coming next on this range, but we can only reveal more in person at this moment. We want everyone to capitalise on the opportunities presented from Q1 2022, so please do get in touch to plan how you can be involved.”

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NPD Insight

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.

And that’s a wrap on 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, Moneeba looks back on how sales trends have developed and how the year might end up.

he toy industry has managed to We saw a shift in channels this year too, as successfully navigate another turbulent consumers moved from online purchasing to more year as we look to the close of 2021. As it in-store transactions as stores opened. As it stands, YTD October 2018 - 2021 stands, toy sales have generated £1.3b in the grocery channel is up +5%, after a really strong terms of value and 151m in terms of units, start to the year, growing double digits month by YTD Oct-21. Whilst the market is showing a slight month until Apr-21. As we saw consumers head back decline of -3%, it’s important to compare against 2019 into stores, based on our consumer panel, methods 15.0 performance (a non-covid year), which shows the of toy purchasing such reserve online/pick up in market up +6%. The shift in consumers buying lower11.3 store, paid online/pick up at a station increased +17% priced items has meant that more toys are being share. However, online purchasing still remains key bought, but the value generated has decreased this for the category. Based on our consumer panel data, 7.5 year. The under £6 price point, which really struggled the online share of the toys market is the biggest as a result of stores being closed last year, is now in we’ve ever seen, accounting for 60% of consumer toy growth adding +£9.7m to the market. The average 3.8 purchasing. Internet pure players remain the No.1 price has decreased by -4% so far this year to £8.98. channel in the market, but toy specialists and grocery have been growing. 0.0 The toy market

Collectibles share £% in total market

YTD Oct'18

YTD Oct'19

YTD Oct'20

Moneeba Baloch

Account Manager, UK Toys, Euro Toys

minifigures is the No.1 new collectible item in the market right now, generating £2.3m, followed by MGA’s L.O.L. Surprise! Dance Dance Dance Tots which made £2m. In such a competitive sector, L.O.L. Surprise! Present Surprise remains the top collectible, growing triple digits in terms of value to £2.6m and YTD Oct'21 selling 254k items.

came into 2021 on With just 46 days Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | UK | YTD Oct-21, 20, 19 a high, with a +5% left till Christmas at trend. In the first four 1 The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential the time of writing, months of this year, what can we expect the market continued from Christmas this to grow. The biggest year? While we don’t growth was Feb-21, have a crystal ball, which showed the we are predicting monthly trend as modest growth for +16% as we were in a 15.0 2021, ending the lockdown this year year with a single versus no lockdown % digit positive trend. 7 1 11.3 + in 2020. In 2021, the Typically, December month of May showed accounts for a quarter the second steepest of toy sales, so there 7.5 decline compared to is a big chunk still to 2020 which mainly come. We anticipate came from Outdoor & that higher price 3.8 Sports declining by a point items will half and Arts & Crafts still be popular this by a third. These key 0.0 Christmas despite the categories excelled YTD Oct'18 YTD Oct'19 YTD Oct'20 YTD Oct'21 resurgence of smaller in 2020 during the price points in the lockdown months and Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | UK | YTD Oct-21, 19 toy20, market right now. therefore have had strong values to match up to this This year also saw the return of collectibles which With price inflation and a strong message of shopping year. In the most recent figuresThe forNPD Oct-21, we have has generated £160m so far this year, with a growth 1 Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential early, we may see sales spike sooner than we think, seen the biggest decline so far this year of -16% vs last of +17%, accounting for 12% of the market. Over which could impact the month of Dec-21 resulting year. With England now fully open and all restrictions half of collectibles purchasing has come from the in slower growth that anticipated. We are also lifted, consumer’s share of spend has inevitably grocery channel, which has generated £85.8m in predicting another year of modest growth in 2022 as spread to other activities such as travelling, dining terms of value, growing by +21%. There were plenty the toy market continues to excel off the back of the out, socialising with others etc. of new launches this year too: Lego Looney Toons pandemic before flattening out in the next few years.

Collectibles share £% in total market YTD October 2018 - 2021

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Item Progression Playset Doll Accessories have generated £20m and account for 2% share of the total market, proving to be an enduringly popular category Sylvanian Families Hillcrest Home Gift Set 155 15 for consumers. The Sylvanian Families Hillcrest Home Gift Set has enjoyed huge success, climbing 140 places to become the 15th ranked item for the month of October 2021 in the total market. With gift sets more in demand as we gear up for Christmas, this item alone has generated £320K for October, an increase of triple digits from the previous month. Distribution increased by three percentage points but with only 17% distribution currently, this item is selling three times faster than last month based on value velocity.

Total Licence

Fastest Growing Subclasses Fastest growing subclasses - YTD October 2021 vs. 2020 YTD October 2021 vs. 2020 Fastest Growing Subclasses

We’ve seen a variety of subclasses excel this year with the top 10 fastest growing adding over +£63m to the market. The growth in collectibles has meant that categories such Strategic Trading Card Games Strategic Trading Card Games as STCG, Miscellaneous Toys, Non-STC/Collectibles and Miscellaneous Toys Miscellaneous Toys AF collectibles have added nearly +£40m alone. Outside the TradiXonal Plush collectible categories, and also helped by stores reopening, TradiXonal Plush Non-Strategic Trading Cards/CollecXble SXckers Fashion Dolls the standout category this year is Traditional Plush. Ty has Non-Strategic Trading Cards/CollecXble SXckers Standard Building Sets come back into growth with Beanie Boos as the No.1 item Mini Vehicles Fashion Dolls in the category, growing by +51%. Rainbocorns, an IP which AcXon Figure CollecXbles has done well from Zuru, has seen new items do well in this Bubble Toys/SoluXon Standard Building Sets category; Rainbocorns Puppycorn Surprise is the No.2 item Non-Powered Cars Mini Vehicles 0 5 9 14 18 adding an incremental +£1.2m. It’s also worth noting that Millions some of the key hero lockdown categories are continuing AcXon Figure CollecXbles 2 The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential to perform well in a non-lockdown period; Fashion Dolls Bubble Toys/SoluXon and Standard Building Sets have both added +£5.9m each. Fashion Dolls has seen new IPs such as the OMG Dance Non-Powered Cars Dance Dance Doll, the Barbie Doll with Pet and Accessories 0 5 9 14 18 and the Love Diana Princess of Play Doll which have all Millions bought incremental value to this subclass. Newness also drives 2 the success of the Standard Building Sets subclass The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential with the new WBCP x Lego item Minifigures Looney Tunes Asst the No.1 item in the subclass. The success of Hot Wheels ad Monster Jam means that Mini Vehicles is the 7th fastest growing subclass in the market today. As category trend shifts, we hope to see the lower price point items continue to sell well as stocking filler items, as well as parents splurging for Christmas with the higher price point items.

YTD October 2021 vs. 2020

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | UK | YTD Oct-21

Leading the way in toy safety, quality and sustainability To learn more about UL’s safety, quality and sustainability solutions for your traditional toys, connected toys and children’s products, contact toys@ul.com or visit UL.com

Toy World 23

Opinion

WowWow

what a year for!

Letter from America

indies!

After 20 years working at A.C. Nielsen/D&B Research Company, Rick opened the first Learning Express Toys franchise in the Chicago area in 1996, and then became a sub-franchiser, opening nine more stores. Although leaving the corporate environment behind, he has combined his expertise in data and numbers with a passion for the toy retail space. In his final column of the year, Rick celebrates how 2021 turned out.

e all are jumping for joy as the year winds down. I am writing this in midNovember so we have several weeks to go, but can confidently conclude the following:

1. This has been our personal best year ever. Learning Express Toys as a group has had its best year ever and the numerous indies I have spoken to say the same. Congrats to all! 2. We learned several things from the Covid recovery year 2021, mainly that kids want and need physical stores. Over the pandemic, children felt a need for tactile items and fidgets to discharge all their nervous energy and satisfy a pent-up need for activity. Our customers, both kids and adults alike, also voted for plush - particularly Squishmallows by Jazwares, which was our No.1 supplier by a wide margin. The girl pictured drove three hours to get her exclusive Terry the Turkey Squishmallow – and, as you can see, she loved it. 3. We experienced the rise of the social platform TikTok, which showed us how even small businesses can go viral and drive traffic in-store. This happened not only with fidgets and Squishmallows but also with our ranges of candy, lighting products, DIY arts & crafts and slimes. 4. Margins improved, even in the face of price increases. With hot product comes less discounting and less slow sellers to move out. Amazon became a major vendor for indies instead of a competitor, which is a complete reversal of the prior 10 years.

So, for Learning Express Toys Lake Zurich, 2021 wraps up like this:

Our Top 5 sellers (based on dollar sales):

Dollar sales increase vs 2020 by over 140%

CatsvsPickles (Cepia)

Margins increased by 2.5 points

Poppits (Various)

Traffic increase over 150% (majority of the growth)

Pokémon (various)

Average price increase from $45 to $49

NeeDoh balls (Schylling)

Squishmallows (Jazwares)

Top Vendor - Jazwares To all indies everywhere—the news is good, the worst did not happen, and the best possible outcome did. There is a Santa Claus.

Richard can be reached on LinkedIn or by email at LE45@sbcglobal.net. Toy World 24

Talking Shop

Brace your elves Sam Giltrow spoke to indie retailers as they reach the business end of the year, having navigated the ups and downs of 2021 and adapted to the unpredictability of stock availability this year. Simon Steel - Toy City, Wood Green, London dinosaurs from Mattel has performed very strongly. It’s an excellent line as there is a good range of sizes at different price points. Goo Jit Zu sales are also still strong, and our Schleich range has been as in demand as ever. Dolls are also performing well, particularly Barbie, with sales right across the range. As the advertising campaigns started to kick in, customers’ requests become more specific, and one item that many have been asking for is the Instaglam On the Glo Make-Up Trolley from Character Options. The new Lego Marvel sets and Lego Friends sets are also highly sought after, which I will hopefully get in stock soon.

W W

e had a great Halloween and fireworks period, following the disappointment of last year, selling every item of stock we had, which is unusual for us. People also realised over October and November that it would be to their advantage to come in earlier to do their shopping, rather than later. I’ve seen customers’ basket spend increase dramatically, some even buying everything for Christmas in one go rather than spreading it out over several weeks.

Games has been a mixed bag for us and over the past few years, sales have dropped off quite a bit. The air hockey table, table football and snooker table from Wilton Bradley remain strong sellers but demand for traditional games and board games can be quite temperamental. I think we are possibly still suffering the effects of the pandemic; many games benefit from being demonstrated and people haven’t been able to attend in-store demos to experience the different

What our customers read in the press can have a massive effect. For instance, one big newspaper published a list of top 10 toys for Christmas, including the CoComelon Deluxe JJ Interactive Doll from Bandai. We ordered that back in May but only received four pieces, which have all sold. Some of my fellow independent retailers who own maybe three or four shops received a similar level of stock. It was a popular line anyway, but a bit of press attention increased demand. Pokémon is selling extremely well across both the trading cards and toys, due to its 25th anniversary and lots of new releases coming out. Other character licensed products which are popular include Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario. Spider-Man also continues to sell well and with the new movie, SpiderMan: No Way Home, being released at the end of this year, I think this will only make the toys even more popular. We are looking forward to all the new movies which will be released next year after being put on hold during the pandemic, such as Minions and Jurassic World. Dinosaurs always sell well for us and even though we have had to wait for the new Jurassic World movie, the Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous series on Netflix has meant that the great range of

Toy World 27

games for themselves. We have noticed an increase in footfall with many people shopping more locally this year. We are located in a mall, and even weekdays seem much busier than usual. I am hearing that the West End of London is still quite quiet, so I think people must prefer to stick closer to home. I’m just relieved they came back after the pandemic because that was a major concern for us. I am looking forward to a fresh start in 2022 and will be visiting the toy fairs so I can see contacts and make new connections. It’s also so important to be able to physically see new product. I normally go to the fairs with my father, Martin, who started the business, and we come back and brief the staff on what we have seen. They are then knowledgeable when the reps visit our shop. Overall, I am feeling positive about next year, when hopefully we won’t have any more closures and can just get on with doing what we do best - serving our customers. We have had some difficult times this year, but I’m sure better times are on the way.

Talking Shop Steve Kerrison - Kerrison Toys, Norwich

n the run up to Christmas, we have found that customers like being able to come into the shop, have a chat and actually see toys in the flesh. I’m sure that when the shops were shut during lockdown, many people bought something online that wasn’t quite what they were expecting. We can offer advice to customers on what to buy, and you just don’t get that interaction online. The pandemic has made people realise that they need to keep shopping locally and supporting the High Street. Like many other retailers, we have had some stock issues; though there were quite a few gaps, more deliveries started to arrive in early November. As everyone was in the same boat, it didn’t hurt us too much. In September and early October, we were scrabbling round trying to get what we could, but the situation improved after that. We need to keep tracking prices to keep on top of price increases. Although some deliveries are still all over the place, there are other companies where the service levels have been fantastic, and you have to doff your hat to them. It’s difficult to list them all but Gibsons and Orchard Toys are just two examples. It’s in their interests, of course; if they are getting their product onto our shelves, we are selling it. I don’t think the public took the ‘shop early’ message seriously until they actually saw empty shelves of everyday items such as crisps, but they are starting to realise there are shortages out there now. However, after all that’s happened in the last two years, I believe people are re-evaluating their priorities, such as whether they should be running around to get that must-have toy. There doesn’t seem to be the usual panic or even excitement this year. However, an exception has been the Pokémon 25th anniversary releases, which customers can’t get enough of. Hats off to Asmodee and how they have handled it because everybody got a good crack at the whip. Sales in the run-up to Christmas seem to be spread across the board. As expected, the evergreens are doing well such as Lego, Sylvanian Families and Barbie, and L.O.L Surprise! is picking up now we have more stock. Board games are still enjoying fantastic sales; so many people got back into them during the last 18 months and the trend seems to have kept going. Jigsaw

puzzles are also still selling, although not at the same level as last year. Gibsons, Ravensburger and Jumbo are the favourites but there doesn’t seem to be as much brand loyalty with jigsaw puzzles - if it’s a nice picture they go for it. Kidicraft has just released some nostalgic puzzles with an artist who used to be a very popular one with Gibsons, and we have sold quite a few of them. I am looking forward to next year and being able to go back to the toy fairs to see people, and also to see product because we need to see it ‘in the flesh’ to make a proper buying decision. During the pandemic, there have been a few occasions where we have ordered stock and been disappointed with it because of the size or value for money. However, we have also had product that has been a nice surprise. We haven’t really heard much yet about what is coming out next year. We hear of new licences, but it’s hard to decide which to back. Movie licences in particular are all over the place as there is still quite a backlog of movies that should have come out last year

Justine Elliott - area manager, Thorntons Toymaster, Chippenham

or this year, and release dates keep being rescheduled. The start of 2022 will all be about new product, which is needed to get customers in after Christmas. New launches are always a big draw in January and February; everyone is always keen to see the latest from companies like Lego. In the new year, I am hopeful that we can get back to holding in-store events and will be able to put play tables out again. I think the customers have missed them, especially for things like Playmobil. Sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate how good something is if you only see the box and can’t see the contents or how it will look made up. Next year, I am hoping we will have more of a return to normality, the supply chain issues will be better and we can focus on our relationships with suppliers. I think we all need Toy Fair this year to reignite our enthusiasm. We’ve had such a hard slog for two years. It will be great to see product and it will be great to see people, and that’s what we are looking forward to.

e are getting very busy now in the run up to Christmas and fortunately have been receiving sufficient levels of stock so far. Some of the items we order don’t come in, but we have been able to source alternatives, so the shop is well stocked and there is plenty for customers to look at. With a healthy range of options for people to consider, we have by no means got empty shelves. Although there are a few companies that we are struggling to get stock from, for many, supply has not been an issue at all. Our Lego display is very full, and other high turnover fixtures like Playmobil and Sylvanian Families all have plenty of stock. In the run up to Christmas, Lego and Playmobil have been selling well, and our Orchard Toys range is always a popular choice. Currently, there’s been a really good mix of sales across all of our ranges; there doesn’t seem to be a particular stand-out item

Toy World 28

indie viewpoint this year. For once, customers aren’t all wanting one specific board game or anything like that. Pokémon remains in high demand due to its 25th anniversary, the whole range is selling like hot cakes. We stock games and figurines, and a lot of the big collectors’ tins of Pokémon trading cards. After the last 18 months of having to educate their children at home, families just want to have fun with them, and it seems there are a lot more fun toys being purchased than educational ones this Christmas. Games are still doing well, particularly classics such as Cluedo, Monopoly and Battleships, but we are selling more up to date titles like Exploding Kittens and games for older players too. I think a lot more people are shopping locally this year, and fewer people are shopping online. After being forced to rely on internet shopping last year, I think customers like the fact that they can go into a physical shop and see things again – they really seem to enjoy it. I also think many are worried about deliveries not turning up because of driver issues. The ‘shop early’ message really seems to have got across to consumers this year. Even before we installed our Toymaster Christmas window, in mid-November, people were coming in for Christmas presents – it rarely starts to get busy before we unveil the Christmas window. They started off buying a lot of smaller items and stocking fillers rather than main presents, possibly waiting to see what the children would ask for. However, basket spend has gradually increased, customers obviously want to get things when they see them. I am feeling optimistic for 2022, and I think it will be a much better year. I am really looking forward to visiting London Toy Fair, along with all the managers from our different branches. It’s the only time of the year that we all get to meet in one place, and we haven’t done that for two years now. We have nine shops in the company – Andover, Bicester, Berkhamsted, Chippenham, Devizes, Fleet, Frome, Marlow and Thame. It will be wonderful to see everyone. I am excited to see what is coming out for next year; we missed that this year. When Hatchimals came out years ago, we had been shown the prototype in a private room at Toy Fair, so when it came in the shops six months later, we knew what it was about. With no trade shows this year, we hadn’t been able to preview much at all and sometimes it felt like we were in the dark. We can’t wait to see all the new product, as well as meeting colleagues. We will actually see many of our reps face to face for the first time in ages too. There seem to be a lot of big films coming out next year, such as Jurassic World and I’m looking forward to seeing what will be on offer for these. We carry a wide range of licensed product, which is always popular. I am very hopeful that we will have a much better year next year. The main thing is we are still here, and all still trading.

How was it for you? In our January issue, we are planning to speak to a selection of indies about their experiences in 2021 and looking ahead to the new year. Retailers who would like to be involved should email Sam@toyworldmag.co.uk and we can arrange to send questions or to speak to you by phone. We promise not to take up too much of your valuable time!

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes

Countdown to Christmas

Toy Barnhaus

s we write this, it is hard to believe there are just over five weeks left until Christmas. Time seems to have flown by faster than ever in this strangest of years. We have to keep reminding ourselves that this time last year, all our stores were closed and (thankfully) we were blissfully unaware that we would only be open for about another three weeks in the following five months. That would have been enough to give us a few panics. But this year, trade has been very positive so far, with October ahead of last year, and the first half of November proving strong. The best comparison we have now is from 2019, and our figures compare favourably with two years ago. It’s hard to tell whether trade being is brought forward from December, but we’re happy to take the money whilst it’s there. We are starting to get some visibility of the bestsellers, although it has been more difficult this year due to lines arriving late and the well documented shipping issues. Whereas we would normally start to get Autumn/Winter lines in between August and September, a lot arrived in October, and some in only the last couple of weeks. Usually, we keep an eye on lines in September to see what is moving and then re-order for November. Now, we are having to keep a very close eye on how stock sells in the first few days and then decide whether to order more before the supplier sells out. It keeps us on our toes; we are forced to be more reactive than ever before. Popular new lines so far include the Bluey range from Moose, Little Live Pets My Pet Piggly and the giant Sleeping Pokémon Plush, both from Character. In games, it has mainly been the evergreen bestsellers, although the early signs on Ghost Castle from John Adams are good. Otherwise, Mini Brands from Zuru is still proving very popular, and the new L.O.L Surprise Movie range is in high demand. Looking back on 2021, it has been another turbulent year overall, and certainly a very challenging first quarter. However, since then, trade has bounced back well, and we are on course for a strong end to the year. The early lockdown gave us the opportunity to develop our online operation further, which helped us survive the long closure. Now, in the run up to Christmas, as well as our shops we have a thriving online channel. It’s still going strong and is an important extension to the business. Without the lockdowns it’s unlikely we would have mastered the whole operation fully and developed it to the extent we did. However, we are hoping we end the year with our stores open too this Christmas. We have taken the decision to close on Boxing Day for the first time ever, to give our colleagues more time to spend with their families over the festive period. It has been a very tough time for everyone, so we wanted to give them all the chance to be able to relax after our busy peak trading time. Looking into 2022, we are most looking forward to getting back to trade shows and seeing products properly again. The biggest challenge we see going forward is pricing. With most suppliers having had mid-year price increases, we are already seeing more for the first half of next year. We understand the reasons for this but do wonder how much customers will be able to take, given the squeeze on family finances lately. Toys has performed very well as a sector in the last 18 months, but we’re not expecting 2022 to be plain sailing by any means. However, before we reach that, we hope everyone has a great Christmas - and happy trading to you all.

Toy World 29

YuGiOhCardEU www.yugioh-card.com/uk

*Date subject to change

Opinion

KidsKnowBest

Context is

everything Rob Lough, co-founder and chief brand officer of Kids Know Best, explains why it’s time for progressive brands to skip the demos and dive straight into the stuff that matters in 2022. thing we have found out is that no child, or parent, is the same. Which is something brands have to be considerate of when making and marketing content and products. Contextual marketing isn’t just a compliance requirement: it’s the most logical strategy. Another factor to add to the advertising mix is that gender is becoming less and less relevant in today’s progressive world. More than any generation before, Gen Alpha kids and parents are dead set on shattering the barriers of labels, stereotypes and the limitations that come with them. For instance, in a study we conducted last year, just over 0.5% of over 3,000 interviewees picked ‘Other’ as an option when asked for their gender. That may not feel like a significant amount, but it’s a percentage that increases year on year, and fast. We didn’t even have it as an option in 2018, such is the pace of this movement.

hen Apple recently introduced privacy changes to its products, it sent advertisers, publishers and the whole industry scrambling for solutions. As AdTech giants battle it out in the name of privacy (and profits), for once, the consumer is benefiting. Privacy is now on the agenda for the AdTech world, which means targeting individuals through personal data will be more of a challenge than ever. However, don’t let any advertisers tell you this is a bad thing; this is a great thing. Not just ethically, but also because it means the most skilled experts and the best creatives will continue to win. When we first created KidsKnowBest, we focused on giving kids a voice. Our mission has always been at the forefront. Our aim to give kids a voice means we constantly talk to kids and families about how they want to experience brands and how they want brands to communicate with them. One

We can avoid gender stereotypes and use actual data and insight to backup choices and statements. As an example, let’s look at toy cars and a toy company who wants to excite current fans with a new range. They no longer have to hinder themselves with stereotypes. It’s not about targeting 4-8-year-old boys, but all fans of toy cars, be that girls, boys or however kids choose to identify. Indeed, 80% of toy car fans may be boys, but the demographics of a fan are not relevant. Instead, brands must look beyond demographics and consider what engages and unites them. Contextual marketing isn’t just the more progressive and compliant choice: it’s the most logical strategy. As the father of identical twin daughters, I've never fully understood demographic data. If we relied on demographic data to create a target audience, we would have grouped my twins together. Sure, they have lots in common: gaming, YouTube and more gaming. But they also have many contrasting personality traits and interests: a different sense of humour and favourite YouTubers, gamers, shows, toys, food, music, even friendship groups. The same applies to kids, adults, best friends and siblings across the globe. Our cultural touchpoints, personality traits and interests are what connects us. Of course, demographic data factors within these, but doesn’t dictate our taste in comedy or which brands we like. In a seemingly limitless social media-driven world of choice, connectivity has never been more apparent. An 18-year-old Marvel superfan can find 1,000s of others like them of differing age, gender and class on social platforms.

Toy World 32

Contextual marketing isn’t anything new, we’ve been doing it since day one. The best marketers always explore what makes a consumer tick. However, somewhere along the way, we as an industry lost sight of that. Toy company brand managers everywhere should be looking outside for inspiration. At the moment, gaming companies are the best in the contextual marketing business. We see 15-year-olds playing with 50-year-olds globally; the love of gaming and playing brings them together. Gaming companies care about building fans regardless of who they are. Contextual marketing gives you the freedom to think differently, build more in-depth and compelling brand personas and really dig deeper into the needs of your brief, or even help build them initially. Want to engage with current fans? Dive into the specifics, research where these fans really are, what they are doing and what else makes them tick. Want to appeal to fans who like competitor brands? You get the picture. It sounds simple, and that’s because it is - the best marketing campaigns always are. The best communication reaches the right person at the right moment with the right message, and this is what contextual thinking can help us do. At KKB, our insights and data-first approach, through qual, quant, and data science, means we have thousands of contextual profiles based on keywords, from Lego to Leo Messi. One tool that really helps our strategy is our proprietary keyword planning tool called WOTS. Within the image (below), I've deleted the keyword for privacy reasons, but hopefully, you get the picture. Of those who mentioned the keyword, we look at the gender split, average age, competitors for brand affinity, influencers, content platforms, hobbies and more. This data helps us, internally and externally, build out brand personas for influencers, content, media placement and so much more. So, the next time you are ideating your new IP, brands, campaigns or launches, start thinking about the questions you are asking. Don’t do your brief a disservice by simply considering baseline demographics. Flip the narrative, dig deeper, and you’ll be rewarded with even more surprising and exciting insights and possibilities to act upon and create something unique. For more info on our keyword planner and other contextual planning tools, feel free to email me on

rob@kidsknowbest.co.uk.

FUNKO TRULY HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

VISIT US AT STAND C-05-B-08. HALL 12 AT THE NUREMBERG TOY FAIR 2022

To ﬁnd out more, contact inquiriesuk@funko.com funkoeurope

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fresh FRESH THIS MONTH:

Each month Fresh sets out to find the latest products that will have toy retailers reaching for the phone. Here are new releases from: Bachmann, Character Options, HGL, Rubies, Simba Smoby and Wilton Bradley.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Costumes

Rubies 08453 070 707 | www.rubiesuk.com

Light Up Octopus Push Popper Spinner HGL 0141 613 2525 | www.tobar.co.uk | sales@tobar.co.uk

Spider-Man is one of the top selling superheroes of all time; with the previous blockbuster Spider-Man: Far From Home grossing over $1b worldwide, both the film and costumes alike are already highly anticipated.

HGL’s latest fidget toy offering combines a number of the most popular recent trends: spinners, poppers, and moodchanging octopi. The Light Up Octopus Push Popper Spinner has facial expressions that vary, eight multicoloured and tactile poppers on its tentacles, and spins for added fun. Available in two colours – white and pink.

The release of the official Spider-Man: No Way Home costumes is the latest collaboration between Rubies and Marvel, adding to Rubies extensive catalogue of costumes from the film series.

Water Wall

With Spider-Man: No Way Home swinging into cinemas on 17th December, Rubies has unmasked its latest costume designs from the superhero. Fans of the franchise will be able to get their hands on multiple costumes being released in time to tie-in with the outfits seen in the film, which will be available in children and adults’ deluxe variations, in the full range of sizes. The dress-up collection is inspired by three different costumes worn by Peter Parker’s Spider-Man in the film, including a classic edition, an Iron Spider and a Stealth Spider-Man.

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400

www.wiltonbradley.com

Wilton Bradley has unveiled the latest addition to its popular Playhouse brand, Water Wall, which the company believes is a must-have for households with imaginative toddlers. Teaching kids about gravity, angles and water flow, the interactive wall offers limitless play combinations to enjoy as they create a different outcome every time they move the pieces. The included range of modular accessories means kids can have fun creating their own water flows and seeing their problem-solving skills come to life as they pour water from the top.

The new movie follows Peter Parker as he tries to cope with the world once it discovers his secret identity as Spider-Man. However, having turned to Marvel veteran Doctor Strange, things go awry and the multiverse changes course forever. The film is said to be the most ambitious Spider-Man movie to be conceived as it also draws in previous enemies including Doc Ock and Green Goblin.

Made from high quality, sustainably sourced wood which will stand up to years of robust play, Water Wall also blends perfectly into the garden and is designed to be kept outdoors all year round. However, this weather resistant product can be used both outdoors and indoors thanks to the included bucket, which safely catches the water when it reaches the bottom. Water Wall is approximately 120cm x 80cm x 30cm and comes packaged in a sturdy brown box with a colour poster depicting the product. The unique design and concept are currently under Design Registration and are Patent Pending (ref. GB 2105957.1).

Rubies Spider-Man: No Way Home costumes will be coming into stock soon and can be pre-ordered at www.rubiesuk.com.

Toy World 34

B-Kind dolls

Simba Smoby Toys UK 01620 674 778 www.simba-dickie-group.de/en sales@simbasmoby.com With the range attracting a great deal of interest both in the US and overseas, Simba Smoby Toys UK is anticipating a welcome reception for the B-Kind doll range in the UK upon its arrival in spring/summer 2022. Designed to be eco-conscious, the B-Kind brand also promotes kindness, creativity and compassion. The range comprises five core characters - Brianna, Koral, Ivy, Nora and Daisy (B.K.I.N.D.) - which will be available in the UK as solids for online retailers and as an assortment of the five dolls for bricks & mortar locations. The dolls are made from recycled materials and come dressed in eco-fashions, and are boxed in recycled, reusable packaging created from ink made from soybeans. The B-Kind dolls’ interests are relatable for the children of today, ranging from going green to saving the oceans and ending bullying; these interests will help to promote the importance of being kind to the environment, animals and each other. Each B-Kind doll also encourages creativity through DIY play: kids can make an upcycled outfit for their doll, create a set of BFF bracelets using the ribbon handle on the box, and much more. Creative families can also use the packaging to construct their own Kindness Board - a space to display and share kindness goals - which can also be used as a background play scene for the dolls.

AiP Thunderbirds model kits Bachmann Europe 07739 200 153 | www.bachmann.co.uk sales@toyway.co.uk

Bachmann produces a range of products suitable for the Kidult market. Thunderbirds plastic kits from the company’s Adventures in Plastic (AiP) brand are produced under licence from ITV. The range includes 11 different kits across several scales, allowing fans to construct detailed models of the vehicles from the original Thunderbirds TV series: all five Thunderbird crafts plus Fireflash, The Mole and Lady Penelope’s iconic car, FAB 1. Debuting in the UK in 1965, Thunderbirds has subsequently been watched by viewers around the world and currently airs on Britbox. The kits come in retro style packaging and include easy to follow instructions.

DoodleJamz

Character Options 01616 339 800 www.character-online.com sales@charactergroup.plc.uk With DIY sensory bags an emerging trend on TikTok, Character Options is introducing a new addition to its creative play portfolio for spring/summer. DoodleJamz offers kids two ways to paint, play and style: JellyPics and JellyBoards. JellyPics features transparent jelly with various colours of squishy beads. Each frame comes with a cardboard backer with picture, allowing kids to sculpt the coloured beads on top of the picture to make exciting and unique combinations. Meanwhile, the JellyBoards have two separate layers of coloured jelly, resulting in an amazing sensory touch and feel experience. The double colour depth offers more complexity for artistic creations as kids form shapes from jelly or draw in the negative space. Each DoodleJamz comes in a plastic frame and is accompanied by a shaping stylus and removable paper background. The backgrounds can be swapped in and out, and kids can also print out their own selfie pictures at home to insert in their DoodleJamz - any picture can be rescaled for use at DoodleJamz.com. Once the background has been inserted, kids can get creative and start drawing. DoodleJamz is also ideal for mess-free entertainment on the go. New styles are already planned for autumn/winter 2022, and a comprehensive TV campaign for DoodleJamz is set to run across key kids channels at launch. This TV spot will be utilised online as part of the brand’s digital activity, which also includes influencer partnerships, parental outreach, social media and more.

Toy World 35

Feature

Nuremberg Preview

The show must go on Publisher John Baulch looks ahead to Toy Fair Season ’22, and the return of the Spielwarenmesse.

oy Fair Season ’21 literally didn’t happen. For the first time in living memory, not a single toy trade show took place around the globe. Exhibitors and retailers plugged the gap with virtual meetings, zoom presentations and mass distribution of samples. The digital realm provided a short-term workaround to keep the selection process flowing, but no-one pretended that online presentations could genuinely replace meeting customers or seeing product in the flesh. Building relationships; touching and feeling product; making new contacts and finding new suppliers or retail partners – all of these crucial functions are far better suited to in-person meetings than via a screen. Undoubtedly then, the toy community will be delighted that Toy Fair Season ’22 looks likely to go ahead as scheduled – albeit, as we have repeatedly seen over the past 18 months, cast-iron guarantees are still difficult to come by. Most people will have seen the headline news coming out of Germany in recent weeks: Covid cases increasing rapidly (65,000 and rising each day), low vaccination rates (only 63% of Germans are double jabbed) and Bavaria – home to Nuremberg - being the second worst-affected State. All of the superficial evidence was pointing one way, and lots of people started to put two and two together. Fortuitously, Spielwarenmesse director Christian Ulrich visited BLE a few weeks ago, so I was able to get some direct feedback on the situation. Thankfully, it

appears that things may not be as bad as they first look. The German government has proposed some shortterm measures, but at this stage, lockdown doesn’t appear to be on the cards. Nor are trade shows thought to be in danger – some mass events such as concerts and football matches could be temporarily put on hold, but trade events are being treated separately. There is talk of unvaccinated people not being allowed on public transport, and even a possibility that bars and nightclubs could have a curfew imposed. However, unless the situation deteriorates rapidly and the German government is forced to consider even more draconian measures, the feeling is that the show will go on. There will almost certainly be fewer visitors from some regions (chiefly Asia and the US I would imagine), but the core German domestic, mainland European and UK audience will hopefully be fine to attend – as long as you have been double jabbed. So, what can visitors to the show expect this time round? The Spielwarenmesse is traditionally the largest Toy Fair in the world, both in terms of visitors and exhibitors – and that isn’t likely to change. However, there will be some noticeable differences next year: inevitably, there are likely to be fewer exhibitors and visitors, with people from the Far East and perhaps the US market finding it more complicated to participate in the event. Nevertheless, visitors and exhibitors from the show’s core demographic – Germany, mainland Europe and the UK – should hopefully be fine to attend. The change in exhibitor numbers has resulted in a

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few minor changes to the halls, with Hall 11.1 not being part of the plan for next year. However, other areas are being extended and new sections introduced: the Tech 2 Play section in Hall 4A is being expanded for ’22, so that exhibitors have more space to demonstrate product to customers. There will be a new Service Provider section in Hall 3A, comprising companies from the testing, packaging, logistics, marketing and production technology markets. A new Insights-X section – showcasing Stationery and Back to School ranges – will make its debut at the show, while Hall 8 will play host to a Start-Up Zone, highlighting German and international start-up companies. The Trend Gallery also moves to Hall 8, where it will be joined by a presentation of the nominations and winners of the Toy Award ’22. Another new initiative for next year will be the Game Inventors Convention, which will be integrated into the Spielwarenmesse for the very first time on the Friday of the show. There will be meetings and events during the day, and an evening networking function, all aimed at bringing together games inventors and games companies. Each year, the Spielwarenmesse works with the Trend Committee to identify key industry trends, which it presents to visitors at the show. For ’22, the Committee has settled on one ‘mega trend’ – Toys Go Green. There will be a special area in Hall 3A dedicated to this theme, with product presentations and knowledge sharing at its heart. Four key categories will be highlighted: Made by Nature, Inspired by

Feature

Nature, Recycle & Create and Discover Sustainability. In addition, results of a special international toys & sustainability consumer study will be unveiled, while the Nuremberg Toy Awards will see a new Sustainable category introduced. Exhibition organisers around the world have been working closely with local health authorities to ensure a safe working environment for attendees, and the Spielewarenmesse team is no exception. Regular

Nuremberg Preview

cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, a complete change of air several times an hour in the halls, safe distancing and masks are all going to be pre-requisites for trade shows for the foreseeable future, while preregistration to attend the show is now mandatory – so please make sure you register in advance to buy your entry ticket. And while it is not confirmed at the time of going to press, it is highly plausible that proof of vaccination will be required to enter the show.

Thankfully, the essence of the Spielwarenmesse remains intact –retail buyers from across the globe will be able to see new launches from the vast majority of the main toy companies, all under one roof. Over the following pages, we bring you a selection of new lines which will be unveiled in Nuremberg in February. Next month, the January issue will include a further Nuremberg preview section, featuring those companies that were still finalizing their new ranges at the time this issue went to press.

Mookie Toys 01525 722 769 | www.mookie.co.uk Hall 7, Stand B-24 Mookie will be showcasing its wide portfolio of brands including new product launches at Nuremberg. The company’s recent expansion into Europe with the launch of Mookie France now gives the company the ability to service all EU countries without any Brexit constraints. TP Toys’ product line-up has moved into new categories including Nursery and STEM, as well as continuing to be a market leader in its traditional outdoor offering. TP will be launching two brand new ranges: Active-Tots and Explore. Active-Tots brings the magic of TP indoors with a pre-school wooden range that encourages active play while helping children to develop their gross motor skills. The TP Explore range has a strong focus on educational outdoor play that gets children excited about science and nature. Innovation continues to drive TP’s success and it has also launched its TP UFO Metal range, adding a visually striking new play concept to its popular metal portfolio. This new line-up will complement the iconic TP Explorer climbing frame which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2022. Mookie’s heritage lines will also be at the show with the new and improved Swingball Range being shown in full for the first time, along with the bestselling ride-ons from The Bug Family including Scuttlebug, Scramblebug and Scootiebug. Tybo will also be a focus as the full range of Tie-Dye products will be on display along with a selection of Mookie’s other indoor lines. Mookie is looking forward to greeting customers again to showcase its new products in person.

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Nuremberg Preview

Guidecraft 07725 833 273 | www.guidecraft.com Hall 4, Stand D50 Creator of natural, educational toys and children’s furniture for over 50 years, Guidecraft emphasises the importance of open-ended play, the beauty of loose parts and the significance of hands-on learning through children’s connections to nature. As part of the 2022 Spielwarenmesse show, Guidecraft plans to share a variety of toys that organically connect children to their environments through the use of authentic materials, textures and activities rooted in nature. Guidecraft toy systems also include sets of inspiration cards that further a child’s play experience by introducing them to real-life examples and relevant vocabulary. A new introduction that provides children with natural play opportunities is Big Branch Block Builders, a 125-piece set for children aged three and up which features real branch pieces with notched sides for easy stacking and perpendicular builds. The unrefined wood pieces each have authentic markings, imperfections, spots and bark textures that encourage children to fully immerse themselves in creative, holistic play. Children are encouraged to engage in tactile building while experiencing real examples of cause and effect behaviours and the natural evolution of the pieces. In addition to highlighting an array of natural, wooden toys, Guidecraft will showcase the Nature to Play furniture collection, a comprehensive assortment of activity tables, kid-sized seating, loose parts and tables designed for use with messy materials like mud, dirt and water. The Nature to Play collection encourages children to engage with nature and explore with all of their senses, and can incorporate loose parts and natural elements into playtime. Thanks to the open-ended essence of the Nature to Play collection, children can initiate their own learning experiences and engage in physical activity that is good for their minds, bodies and spirits. The weather resistant furniture in the Nature to Play line, made from thermally modified wood by Thermory, stands up to rough-and-tumble fun and unpredictable outdoor elements and grows with children as they develop.

Funko 020 3376 3223 | www.funko.com Hall 12, Stand B-08

Rubies 08453 070 707 | www.rubiesuk.com Hall 9, Stand D-14 Rubies is back at Spielwarenmesse to showcase all of its latest costumes and upcoming cinematic tie-ins in its permanent 365 showroom in Hall 12.2 and display stand in Hall 9. Both stands will cater for returning and new customers, presenting them with exclusive looks at upcoming product, evergreen lines and a chance to catch up with their team of experts. Attendees will have the opportunity to view the costumes for 2022 film releases, including huge Warner Brother releases, with DC’s Black Adam and The Batman available to view upon appointment. There will be exclusive previews available for the costumes for the newest instalments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Family favourites return with new Harry Potter ranges and Zag’s Miraculous: Ladybug and Tales of Cat Noir. For pre-school inspiration, both stands will be displaying the biggest household names in the children’s entertainment industry with Spidey & His Amazing Friends, CoComelon, Dino Ranch, Numberblocks and Oddbods. Rubies will also unveil epic Star Wars costumes from long-awaited properties including The Book of Boba Fett. Eagerly anticipated by lifelong fans and casual viewers alike, these costumes have never been seen before and will be debuting at Spielwarenmesse.

Funko Europe will be bringing its unique selection of licensed and original products to Spielwarenmesse 2022. The creator of the iconic Pop! Collectibles brand continues to innovate and evolve its line, which now includes more new products than have ever been exhibited in Nuremberg before. Among the numerous categories on display, the Funko team will present its line of new premium Vinyl figures. The first wave of the latest range, Gold, will feature both 5” and 12” figures of some of the world’s most beloved music, NBA and NFL icons, with many more to follow across the entertainment, music and sporting landscapes. 2022 will welcome the next wave of Marvel’s Battleworld, while Something Wild, a unique and thrilling card game, is set to make a big impact at launch. Strategic, party and card games have been designed to keep the whole family entertained, including Pan Am, The Goonies, Never Say Die, Fast and Furious: Highway Heist and Disney Hidden Mickeys. Pop! Albums continue to bring to life masterpieces including Queen Greatest Hits and Metallica: The Black Album, while Pop! Comic Covers presents historic Superman and Batman issues restaged in all their glory. Mini Moments, meanwhile, dives deeper into its collection of unforgettable TV and film moments with new offerings from Harry Potter and Marvel’s WandaVision, among others. Funko’s fashion lines let consumers show their fandom in style. Loungefly continues to push the envelope with high-quality concept-driven bags and wallets. The brand’s rapid expansion into the European marketplace continues to combine fashion and IP in a flurry of inventive design. Further apparel from the Funko team celebrates an array of popular properties within its extensive ranges of exclusive and unique Pop! and Tees featuring stylised artwork alongside Pop! Pins, which are both wearable and decorative. The iconic Pop! Collectibles brand continues to evolve with new sizing formats: the 6” Super Pop!, the 10” Jumbo Pop! and the 18” Mega Pop! take this line further than ever into specialised fandom zones, with extensive selections of genres now available within Sports, Anime and Gaming.

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LET’ S MEE T AG AIN 2 – 6 february 2022 Nuremberg toy fair, hall 5 A01

Nuremberg Preview

Brainstorm Toys 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk Hall 12.0, Stand B-03-2 Known for its engaging products, which educate and entertain kids of all ages, Brainstorm Toys has become synonymous with STEM learning. Next year will see the company add a raft of new lines to its popular range, which will be showcased for the first time at Nuremberg. Brainstorm’s My Bedtime Story Torch & Projector will help make night-time routines both entertaining and relaxing. The set includes six stories with 12 different story discs easily identifiable by their colours. Kids can scan the QR codes and listen to the stories while projecting large story images on walls. Alternatively, they can use their imagination to tell the stories themselves by following along with the projected images. New for 2022, My Super-Fun Voice Changer is a chunky hand-held red mini megaphone that applies eight different sound effects to voices: echo, slow, low, high, squeaky and two robot voice sounds. In addition to the entertainment value inherent in hearing their voices sound so different, children can also enjoy using My Super-Fun Voice Changer to record and playback what they say. Brainstorm has created its own version of a zoetrope, one of the earliest forms of animation tech, with the aim of entertaining young children in a new way. The scientific toy features 18 animation strips plus six draw-your-own strips. Kids simply add a strip into their zoetrope, spin it and watch the images move. Another new addition is The Amazing Balancing Unicorn, a gravity defying model that can balance on the tips of fingers or on small surfaces - a must-have for kids who love all things unicorn. The popular Torch & Projector range will welcome a magical Wizard & Dragon torch, which can project 24 colour images up to one metre wide onto walls and ceilings. The Original Glow Stars Company range continues to innovate and build on its 30-year legacy. Brainstorm recently added the Glow Window Art set to the range, a bumper activity set offering great value and hours of creative play. The set includes everything kids need to make over 60 peelable window decoration designs. Children can choose a design or create their own using liner paint and glow paint. The finished designs can be stuck to any glass surface where they will glow in the dark. The set also features two sun catchers that can be painted and placed on windowsills to reflect light throughout the day.

Zuru info@zuru.com Hall 12, Stand H-04-5 With plans to unveil several innovative additions to some of its best-selling ranges, including 5 Surprise, X-Shot, Bunch O Balloons, Rainbocorns and Smashers, Zuru’s CEO and founder, Nick Mowbray, will be attending Spielwarenmesse to discuss long-term business plans, retail and marketing support, and investment across the portfolio. Sustainability remains a key consideration for the business, which plans to demonstrate its commitment in this space across its 5 Surprise range. One of the company’s key brands, 5 Surprise has enjoyed a meteoric rise thanks in part to the success of the Mini Brands phenomenon and runaway TikTok success, with #minibrands videos receiving over 3.2b views so far. Over 90m capsules have been sold to date since the miniature collectible versions of real-life everyday grocery and toy brands was launched in 2019. Featuring 500 licensed brands, 5 Surprise has experienced a 365% growth YOY between spring 2020 and spring 2021.

Chengzhen International Ltd. (852) 2312 0610 | www.msztoys.com | sales09@caipotoys.com Hall 7, Stand D-66 Hong Kong based manufacturer Chengzhen International is launching new die-cast models of the BMW M4 and X5M in 1:32 and 1:43 scales under its MSZ (Metal Speed Zone) brand. The new additions will launch in Q1 2022. The 1:32 scale has light & sound features, with an opening bonnet, doors, and pull-back function. When children open its side doors the headlights and taillights will turn on, and vivid car sounds will start up too. Combined, these innovative elements bring the model to life and provide great play value. The 1:43 scale model, approximately 4.5” in length, has opening doors as well as a pull-back function. Chengzhen works closely with various famous car brands, including Lamborghini, Porsche and Land Rover, to offer a wide range of die-cast in 1:24, 1:32, 1:43 and 1:64 scales. Die-cast truck and construction toys are also available. The company will also showcase a selection of other new items during the fair. Recently, Chengzhen also announced that it plans to partner with another popular international vehicle brand, in addition to those listed above, to create a new co-branded series for the coming year.

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At the upcoming 2022 Spielwarenmesse show, Guidecraft is proud to showcase a variety of toys that support the connection between children and their environment through authentic materials, textures and nature-based activities. The Big Branch Block Builders set features real, notched branch pieces and structural boards. The unrefined bark textures provide a unique tactile and architectural experience, layered with lessons of how a material can evolve depending on where and how it is used. This extensive set includes 125 pieces and 10 double-sided concept cards.

Big Branch Block Builders G6778

www.guidecraft.com Hall 4, Stand D50

Sales Rep: Lorna Smith (EMEA) Email: lsmith@guidecraft.com

- 125 pc. set

Phone: +44 (0) 7725833273 Skype: lorna.smith966

Nuremberg Preview

Flair GP 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk | sales@flairplc.co.uk Hall 12, Stand D-12, E-07 Flair’s upcoming launch, Action Heroes, introduces a unique line of interchangeable mini figures with double-sided faces showing different expressions. The varied launch range lets collectors pop and swap the head and body pieces of each character to create new combinations. Characters include the likes of Police Segway, a police officer who comes complete with a Segway, dog and weapon. There are larger sets to collect too, including the City Police Truck and the City Police Station, as well as on-trend themes including dinosaurs. Each figure and small accessories pack in the dinosaur theme comes with two explorers and two dinosaurs. There are also special vehicle packs, which come with explorer and dinosaur figures. Kids can collect both the Quad and the Pickup, which can be enjoyed with the Dinosaur Attack Camp play set. The dolls aisle welcomes the arrival of Unique Eyes. These dolls have ‘magical’ eyes which follow the gaze of those observing them. There are three core characters – Amy, Sophia and Rebecca – each of whom feature soft brushable hair and realistic, articulated bodies that stand upright unaided. The three dolls also have distinctive styles. Each character is available to purchase individually, styled in one removable outfit, or can be bought as Total Look sets, which come with an additional outfit option. Endorsed by football legend Lionel Messi, Flair’s Messi Training collection is designed to help kids improve their football skills with a professional training method and equipment. The Soft Touch Training Ball is designed to help improve aim and control. Ideal for younger players, thanks an extendable and height-adjustable cord which can be detached from the Size 2 ball, the ball is printed with an image of Messi in his No. 10 shirt. Perfect for older kids, the Pro Training Ball S3 offers the same benefits as the Soft Touch Ball, but in a larger format with two fresh designs. Kids can also brush up their fancy tricks with the Tricks & Effects Ball. Its streamlined design allows kids to make the best plays whilst also helping them shoot like a pro, and is available in Size 3 or Size 4. A high resistance ball with a quality rebound, the Flexi Ball Pro comes sizes 3 and 5, and features a hitech air chamber and surface texture for better control. A wide range of accessories is also in offer. The Messi Large Foldable Goal is ideal for target practice and comes complete with a ball and pump. The Messi Small Pop-Up Goal, meanwhile, is perfect for smaller setups and more compact training spaces.

Golden Bear Toys 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com | customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk Hall 5, Stand A-47 Golden Bear will be unveiling new product lines and planned marketing activities for both its Hey Duggee and Bing ranges at Spielwarenmesse 2022. Range extensions come following a successful year, with award-winning products across multiple international territories and a strong Q4 period with standout hero items including the new Hey Duggee Spin and Groove with DJ Duggee, and the Musical Statues Dancing Bing Soft Toy. The company is experiencing success with new IP, Windy Bums. This fun, giggling, trumping plush range will seeww the introduction of two new characters for autumn/winter 2022, when Donkey and Pig will join Unicorn, Monkey and Panda. Another newly introduced IP, Zipstas is a 2-in-1 toy combining both plush collectibles and the ongoing toddler rucksack trend. These backpacks are available in various sizes and transform into cuddly plush toys. Children can go out and about with their rucksack before simply unzipping and flipping it to reveal a furry friend. The lines currently include a sloth, unicorn, panda and narwhal. Golden Bear plans to showcase an extended range of animal and fruitthemed SKUs while at the show. Expanding the animal theme, Golden Bear will be launching its brand-new IP, Curlimals, a range of interactive plush which respond to touch with over 45 sounds and reactions. These cute woodland creatures come in two colourways: a purple hedgehog and a pink bunny. Each has its own unique sounds to reflect its personality. A gentle stroke on the head will awaken each Curlimal. Initially a little shy, the Curlimals respond to more attention and uncurl ready to play. The characters will then giggle, sing, hum and burp. Stroking the top of their nose makes them sneeze while tickling their tummies make them laugh. When the Curlimals are tired, they will curl up into a ball and begin to snore. With a long-term business strategy to develop its family games offering, Golden Bear will be introducing another own-IP, Squirty Gertie. An interactive game for all ages, two modes of play see players compete to beat their opponents by remaining dry throughout the game: either racing against another player to be the fastest to squirt the other in ‘Competition’ mode, or opting for ‘In Turn’ mode, in which one wrong move means Gertie will squirt water over the loser.

Nikko Toys 07966 531 577 | www.NikkoToys.com Hall 4A, Stand D11 With more than 20 new SKUs rolling out across its brands, there will be plenty of new and exciting Nikko Toys products to see come February. Focusing on quality, innovation and performance, the action-packed new line-up will be on display once again at Spielwarenmesse. Following its four Toy of the Year Award wins across EMEA in 2021, Nikko’s RC Rock CrushR will be on display alongside its new smaller version, the Nikko Nano Rock CrushR. Both feature Nikko’s globally patented Auto-Expanding Wheels. Nikko RC continues to bring innovation to the RC aisle: new lines, new designs and exciting innovations abound, offering something for everyone - from dino hunting trucks with net shooters to hobby grade all-terrain vehicles. The team at Nikko Toys continues to ‘Rev your Imagination’ with Road Rippers, a premier brand of light and sound vehicles with some of the best ‘Try Me’ functions of any toy vehicle range currently on the market. Road Rippers continues to offer awesome light displays, sound features and motorised actions that excite consumers around the world. This year the company introduces the iRacer, a new electric car complete with charging station, while Rescue Train and Tough Tracks are also new from the brand. These two new motorised battery-operated train assortments are on track to become consumer favourites thanks to their fun stylised play features and accessories. Nikko Toys Machine Maker brand, which lets kids mix & match the parts from any of the available themes and assortments to create their own unique vehicles, welcomes new Mission to Mars vehicle assortments and play sets. Kids can pilot the Shuttle or drive the Rover across alien landscapes or use the Shuttle Launch set and the Mars Base set to explore the stars.

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Nuremberg Preview

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com Hall 7, B11-C10

SES Creative sales@ses-creative.co.uk Hall 5, Stand A01 SES Creative is proud to be celebrating its 50th year in 2022 and will have a great array of products on display at Nuremberg Toy Fair. This will include pre-school and nursery ranges across the My First and Tiny Talents categories, which feature products such as the award-winning My First Crayon Beads and Family Hugs Photo Book. All products in this range feature benefits such as being gluten free and made from PVC free plastic. SES Creative also has paint and dough ranges suitable for 1+. The company’s hobby range includes ever-popular casting and painting products featuring dinosaurs, unicorns, animals and more, and there are also products for other craft activities such as weaving, embroidery, tie-dye, blow airbrush, fingerpaints and woodwork. SES Creative offers a wide range of iron on beads, including sets based on glow in the dark universe, animals, emoticons, dinosaurs and princesses. All are made in the Netherlands and completely PVC free. Outside the hobby range, a wide range of outdoor products covers fun with bubbles - such as the Standing in a Mega Bubble product. An ever-expanding range of funfilled outdoor activities also includes lines such as the Animal Yoga activity set. The Explore range features such activities as fossil excavating, building a bird feeder station, a glowing solar system and insect hotel. Finally, in the role-play category, the Petits Pretenders range offers a wide variety of fun-filled activities such as doctor costumes, kitchen and supermarket play sets, portable hospital and supermarket play suitcases with playmats, and many more play worlds. All SES Creative products are made in the Netherlands. The company is proud to be socially and environmentally responsible, being 100% CO2 neutral, with in-house testing and development facilities to ensure compliance and safety. SES Creative has been FSC-certified, since September.

The team at Wilton Bradley is looking forward to returning to Nuremberg for Spielwarenmesse 2022, where it will meet up once again with its existing partners and introduce the company and its ranges to new retailers and distributors. This year, Wilton Bradley will be showcasing its ranges on an impressive new 120m2 stand located in a handy central position. Visitors to the stand will be able to discover the new product lines set to extend the company’s already comprehensive offering across its successful brands, as well as exciting new developments that reflect Wilton Bradley’s commitment to innovation. Visitors can admire the new Venom Go Kart and the Comet Electric Go Kart, as well as new additions in the licensed electric ride-on category. Wilton Bradley’s music portfolio has been bolstered with new lines for the successful Mi-Mic and Academy of Music brands. Exciting innovations will also be unveiled within the outdoor category under the Playhouse brand. These will include Water Wall, which will be supported with a strong media campaign, and the Ice Cream Van. Both will benefit from additional designs rolled out for 2023 and beyond.

Simba Smoby Toys UK 01620 674 778 01620 674 778 | www.simba-dickie-group.de/en | sales@sisotoysuk.com Hall 4 , Stand C-04 Simba Smoby Toys UK is looking forward to presenting a new wave of cross-category releases in 2022. Jada Toys’ Hollywood Rides range celebrates the best in action film merchandising with scaled replicas of the most memorable wheels. Ever popular is the epic collection of six Batman 1:32 scale cars; each pack includes a metal figure and a vehicle modelled on Batman’s on-screen appearances and, with The Batman movie scheduled for release in March, fans can look forward to new 1:32 and 1:24 scale replicas to add to their collections come SS22. Majorette is a premium diecast vehicle brand which is small in size but big on detail. The three-inch scale cars have opening doors, suspension, transparent front lights and interiors. The collection already comprises a strong portfolio of licensed cars, including Audi, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Porsche, as well as play sets, and new for AW21, Volvo lines will join the range. The Smoby Chef House is a 2-in-1 play kitchen and house. This restaurant comes with a fridge, oven and grill and lots of play food. Kids can open-up the shutters and write their menu on the boards, and there’s also a built-in cash register, play money and toy card reader. The Smoby Nature Playhouse + Kitchen has everything kids need to play and pretend to cook, including a grill and accessories such as sausages and cutlery, while the Smoby Garden Playhouse is perfect for budding gardeners, bringing the natural world into role-play. The Disney Plush collection includes a host of properties including Frozen II, Toy Story, Disney Princesses, Dumbo, Lion King, Classics and more. A favourite is Star Wars: The Mandalorian’s Grogu, now available in 18cm, 25cm, 30cm and 67cm plush. New for AW21 is the 25cm Minnie and Mickey Smart and Sparkle Plush assortment which presents the iconic duo in their finest red attire.

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All of these companies will not be sending out Christmas cards this year. Instead, they have generously supported the Toy Trust by donating their Christmas Card budget to the industry’s charity. In 2022 The Toy Trust will again be inviting the industry to get involved with a number of exciting new events as well as the annual fundraising activities. Details and dates will be publicised in the New Year and updated on the Toy Trust website

www.toytrust.co.uk

Allegedly

The recent BLE event proved to be another successful step on the road to trade show recovery. The licensing community has always been a sociable bunch, favouring a face-to-face approach to doing business. So, it was no surprise that people enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to meet up in person once more, leading to a buoyant and convivial atmosphere – just as we saw at other events in September, people were just delighted to be back together again. There were a handful of big names missing, hopefully for one year only, which at least one major licensor called out right at the start of its presentation. However, this meant the aisles were wider and there were plenty of places to sit and talk – this wasn’t the year for the show to feel ‘crammed in.’ UK attendance was strong, especially amongst licensees, and if international attendance was below traditional levels, that was only to be expected. That said, I had meetings with visitors from Germany, Italy, the USA and Israel amongst others, so there was still a highly respectable overseas presence. If you are one of those hyper-organised people (or someone with a 30th wedding anniversary trip to plan, whose wife would not be impressed with her surprise trip being three days in the Novotel at Excel), it’s worth noting that the dates for next year’s event move yet again – not back to the show’s traditional October timeslot, but 20th-22nd September… Most people will have seen the headline news coming out of Germany in recent weeks: Covid cases increasing rapidly (65,000 and rising each day), low vaccination rates (only 63% of Germans are double jabbed) and Bavaria, home to Nuremberg, being the second worst-affected State. All of the evidence was pointing one way, and lots of people started to put two and two together. Fortuitously, one of the directors of the show was at BLE, so I was able to get some direct feedback on the situation. Thankfully, it appears that things may not be as bad as they first look. The German government has proposed some short-term measures, but at this stage, lockdown doesn’t appear to be on the cards. Nor are trade shows thought to be in danger – some mass events such as concerts and football matches could be temporarily put on hold, but trade events are being treated separately. There is talk of unvaccinated people not being allowed on public transport, and even a possibility that bars and nightclubs could have a curfew imposed (note to Bavarian officials: if the Irish bars are closed, we riot). But unless the situation deteriorates rapidly and the German government is forced to consider even more draconian measures, the feeling is that the show will go on. There will be fewer visitors from some regions (chiefly Asia and the US I would imagine), but the core German domestic, mainland European and UK audience will hopefully be fine to attend – as long as they have been double jabbed… A Chinese official apparently told the FT that the removal of quarantine restrictions in Hong Kong could be delayed until November ’22, after the communist party conference. The FT isn’t given to printing rumours without having a credible source, so assuming this is plausible, it would not only rule out any trips in the early part of next year, but even call into question the prospect of international visitors heading there next autumn and even – whisper it quietly – in January ’23. It’s

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all speculation at this stage of course, but I would imagine that the Hong Kong exhibition sector, as well as companies with showrooms there, must be tearing their hair out in frustration… Maersk has tripled its quarterly profit, despite shipping lower container volumes. But unbelievably, that is apparently still not enough, as the shipping company is rumoured to be considering cutting out freight forwarders and dealing directly with larger shippers. It has been reported that Maersk is unhappy that some forwarders have been taking contract rates – around $4,000/feu from Asia to Europe – and reselling the slots to customers for $20,000/feu. One industry source was quoted as saying: “That’s $16,000 Maersk is losing, so the line is looking to punish the forwarders.” Essentially, it seems that suppliers and retailers are now in the middle of a fierce ‘who is the greediest’ competition – I just hope it doesn’t get too ugly. I read a story a few weeks ago about the existence of scalpers in the shipping market – but it didn’t occur to me that legitimate freight forwarders were the ones being accused of doing the scalping… A heads-up for those planning their ’22 diaries – after much discussion, Distoy has settled on its dates for next year, which will be 17th-20th May. Identifying clear dates proved to be tricky, with the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations and the Las Vegas Licensing Expo both falling on weeks which had potentially been earmarked by organizer David Potter. The chosen dates do clash with the Toymaster Show in Harrogate, although there is relatively minimal crossover between the two visitor profiles. It’s going to be a heck of a busy week (and month) for us though. Mind you, what’s new… I am sad to report that industry stalwart Tony Strodder passed away last month. A hugely popular toy community figure of the 80s and 90s, Tony worked closely with David Lipman for many years, before he went on to run his own successful toy business. He also used to organise the legendary toy trade cricket matches and was universally known as a thoroughly decent bloke. Lifelong Leeds fan and proud Yorkshireman, Tony had been battling a brain tumour for some while but stayed in touch with many from the toy trade via social media. I am sure I can speak for his many industry friends and colleagues when I say his was a life well-lived and he will be sorely missed.

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PLUG & PLAY MODULAR PIECES

In a small village in Yorkshire a few miles away from the A1 there is a small team of people working on finding great toys for children that are offered to toy retailers across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and to the retailers of Ireland. This small team have worked so hard to simply survive through the challenges of relocating during a national lockdown, the far reaching consequences of a global pandemic, the ripping up of the status quo because of Brexit and the usual day to day challenges families encounter. Their warehouse has come under attack twice by those who seek to illegally profit from their endeavour. This team have somehow found a way forward and have tried to do this with a belief things will get better. There have been times when there have been tears as things have got a bit much but they have gathered themselves together to keep going. In 2021 this team have secured a record number of awards and launched new ranges that will sell out before Christmas. On a sad lonely day in May 2020 there was a moment where we thought this would not be possible.

WE WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU! Thank you to all of our supporters from source to consumer distribution. We couldn’t do it without you and if we learned one thing from the experiences of 2020/21 it is to recognise what we should be grateful for. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Nathaniel Southworth & the team at KAPTOYS

Tel: +44 (0) 1423 368 888 | Email: orders@kaptoys.com

KAP Toys offers incredible products from World-leading brands while operating with the speed and agility of a family business. They have won multiple awards for the business see www.kaptoys.com for further information

Toy World Magazine December 2021

Articles inside

Feature - Nuremberg Preview

Fresh

Opinion - KidsKnowBest

Talking Shop

Opinion - Letter from America

NPD Insight

Opinion - Generation Media

Industry Moves

From the publisher