Toy World Magazine December 2022

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December 2022 Volume 12 Issue 04

from the publisher

It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The weather has turned, Black Friday has been and gone, and our screens are awash with festive ads, albeit with a slightly different tone this year. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some retailers elected to adopt a more muted, toned-down approach this time round, such as John Lewis. Personally, I like the ad, and skateboard companies will absolutely love it (although look out for lots of skateboarding dads in A&Es across the country in the New Year). Not everyone has gone down that route, with other ads being more upbeat: Smyths is a high-octane, toyfilled thrill ride with admirably high production values, while Asda even succeeded in persuading Warner Bros and Will Ferrell to let them feature footage of the iconic Buddy the Elf character in its ad, which many people have told me is their favourite creative execution of the season so far.

Ads aside, the next four weeks are all about one thing – sales. The disappointing sales numbers at the end of September and the early part of October have been well documented, so there is no need to dwell on that. Thankfully, October half-term saw a marked improvement, and that momentum has largely continued through November. Some retailers who had previously told suppliers they thought they had enough stock to last them through to Christmas even came back looking for more. Lest we forget, the run-in to Christmas was not phenomenal last year; consumers buying early because of well-publicised stock shortages and an increase in Covid cases in December combined to dampen sales in the final six weeks of trading in 2021. This year we should see an upswing across November and December, providing retailers have held their nerve and maintained stock levels.

Indeed, the fortunes of retailers in the run-up to Christmas can depend to a large degree on getting the supply chain right. Ensuring stock is where it needs to be, keeping shelves full and maintaining a smooth flow of online order fulfilment can make a big difference to performance – either way. We caught up with The Entertainer’s Gary Grant and CEO Mark Campbell last month, to talk about its trial partnership with Tesco. I now understand far better where The Entertainer believes it can add major value and grow toy sales in Tesco, which would in turn grow toy market sales as a whole. With The Entertainer taking care of deliveries to each store via its own lorries, and handling all day-to-day stock, merchandising and pricing decisions, ensuring shelves are kept fully stocked the whole time (something a

hard-pressed Tesco store manager probably struggles to do with the huge food & drink workload over November and December), the size of the prize across peak season alone offers a great opportunity for both parties to grow sales. The Entertainer is certainly throwing itself into the partnership – right the way up to Gary, who took us to see the new Entertainer-branded aisles of his local Tesco and quickly turned into the most high-profile retail merchandiser in the toy market. You can read more about the partnership in our exclusive interview, which starts on page 34.

With a crucial month’s trading ahead, the toy community is also gearing up for Toy Fair season. Next month’s issue will deliver an exhaustive round-up of the London Toy Fair, as well as an extensive preview of the Nuremberg Toy Fair. However, for those retailers who are already working on their Nuremberg diaries, we have an early sneak peek at some of the new lines being unveiled in Nuremberg in this edition. Turn to page 44 to get a glimpse of some of the exciting new launches you’ll be able to see at the show, with much more to come next month.

We’ve already started to preview some of the ranges that will be hitting shelves in 2023, but our busy schedule in November and December (putting a 300+ page issue together is a gargantuan team effort, requiring all hands to the pump) precludes us from attending many individual company previews before Christmas. This is where the Toy Fairs come into their own; in three days, we can cover so much ground and see so many new products. With no January trip to Hong Kong in 2023, and the New York Toy Fair moving from its traditional February slot to September, both London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs will take on massive extra significance next year. It will also make planning more important than ever: buyers will have to cram all their appointments into two shows rather than three or four, and suppliers’ diaries will hopefully be full to bursting as a result. Our mammoth January issue will help everyone to plan their trips to get the most out of Toy Fair season: look out for it in the first week of January and, as ever, do keep your pets away from the letterbox when it arrives – it’s going to be another weighty tome.

In the meantime, from all of the Toy World team, we hope that December trading is all you hope it will be. Have a fantastic Christmas and a very happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing you all at one of the shows in the New Year.

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

Toymaster announces new committees

Independent buying group Toymaster has announced, on behalf of its board, that it has a new Member Committee.

Previously, the group had two committees: Marketing and Merchandise. However, the Toymaster Board has agreed to amalgamate these into a single committee, which will now be known as the Member Committee.

The new Member Committee members are:

Carl Blatcher – JAC Stores, Isle of Man

Ciaran Fitzpatrick – Banba Toymaster, Dublin

Dave Middleton – Midco Toymaster, Burton and Derby

Emma Dadswell – Toys n Tuck, Southend

Stephen Hartfield – Kids Stuff, eight stores across Sussex & Surry

Chloe Farrow – Toymaster Selector, committee co-ordinator

Having recognised the different needs of its membership, the Toymaster Board has also agreed a committee for the Island of Ireland membership.

The Island of Ireland Member Committee members are:

Ciaran Burns – Toymaster Cookstown and Lurgan

Ian Bailey – Baileys Toymaster, Gorey

Jean Hodgins – Hopkins Toymaster, Wicklow

Jonny Rogers – Rogers Toymaster, Portadown and Banbridge

Pat Murphy – Murphy’s Toymaster, Dungarven and Youghal

Ciaran Fitzpatrick – Banba Toymaster, Dublin committee co-ordinator

Yogi Parmar, managing director at Toymaster, commented: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Blatcher of JAC Stores, Ciaran Burns of Toymaster Cookstown, Steve Kerrison of Kerrisons Toys and John Testori of Bambola for their valuable input, time and hard work on our previous committees over many years.”

Flair GP to distribute Skyrocket Toys in UK and Ireland

Joining forces in time for autumn/winter 2023, Flair will become the exclusive distributor of one of the leading US manufacturers, Skyrocket Toys, in the UK and Ireland, drawing on its established retail partnerships to bring multiple new and established properties to market. The portfolio of brands includes category-leading Sky Viper Drones and awardwinning interactive plush, My Fuzzy Friends.

Julia Cake, UK country manager at Flair GP, said: “Skyrocket is renowned for some of the most exciting and innovative ranges in the US and we’re delighted to be introducing a number of these properties to our portfolio next year. Our customers will be excited to see brilliant brands such as Sky Viper Drones and My Fuzzy Friends in the line-up, and they can also anticipate a brand-new range that will be sure to catch kids’ attention.”

John Ardell, co-founder of Skyrocket, added: “With Flair as our exclusive distributor, we are incredibly excited to cement our retail position in the UK and Ireland. Flair is an industry heavyweight, and we were impressed by its track record of successfully launching properties from overseas. The team’s in-market knowledge, experience and marketing strategies, paired with Skyrocket’s innovative products, make up a winning combination.”

Retailers will have the chance to preview the latest Skyrocket ranges and hear more about the supporting marketing programme at Toy Fair 2023 on Flair stand E39.

distributor of leading brands

Carl Blatcher

Emma Dadswell

Ciaran Burns Pat Murphy

Jonny Rogers

Ciaran Fitzpatrick

Stephen Hartfield

Dave Middleton

Jean Hodgins

Chloe Farrow

Ian Bailey

Mattel reports third quarter results

For the third quarter 2022, Mattel’s global Net Sales were flat as reported and up 3% in constant currency versus the prior year. Looking at the company’s performance across the first nine months of the year, Net Sales were up 10% as reported, and 13% in constant currency.

In the third quarter, Net Sales in the North America segment declined 3% as reported and in constant currency. Gross Billings in the North America segment declined 4% as reported and in constant currency, due primarily to declines in Infant, Toddler and Pre-school (including Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends), Action Figures, Building Sets, Games and Dolls (including Barbie), partially offset by growth in Vehicles (including Hot Wheels).

Net Sales in the International segment increased 5% as reported, and 13% in constant currency. Gross Billings in the International segment increased 4% as reported, and 13% in constant currency. The increase in Gross Billings as reported was driven primarily by growth in Vehicles (including Hot Wheels) and Action Figures, Building Sets, Games and Other (including Lightyear and Jurassic World), partially offset by declines in Dolls (including Spirit and Barbie) and Infant, Toddler and Pre-school (including Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends).

Mattel EMEA achieved another strong quarter of growth, with Gross Billings increasing by 8%. POS was up low-single digits, outpacing the industry.

With regard to Mattel’s previously stated 2023 goals, given the increased volatility in the market as well as the revised 2022 outlook, the company has decided to re-evaluate its expectations and will provide annual guidance for 2023 on its 2022 fourth quarter and full year earnings call. However, the company still expects to achieve top and bottom-line growth in 2023.

Ynon Kreiz, chairman and CEO of Mattel, commented: “This was a good quarter for Mattel, with the ninth consecutive quarter of Net Sales growth in constant currency. We believe our fundamentals are strong and our world-class leadership team and global organization are executing with excellence. Our results reflect the resilience of our diversified portfolio and the success in executing our strategy, despite the challenging macro-economic environment. We look forward to the all-important holiday season, and believe we are on track to achieve another growth year for the company.”

Rainbow High’s Rainbow Vision enters the Metaverse

Rainbow High, the global fashion doll brand and hit animated YouTube series from MGA Entertainment, introduced the highly-anticipated Rainbow Vision competition earlier this year via the animated series and new product launches.

The competition heated up in weekly episodes, and fans enjoyed a shocking season finale on 23rd November on YouTube. In the finale, the winner of the Rainbow Vision competition was announced, as determined by a panel of judges including Headmaster Paris, voiced by Paris Hilton.

As part of the Rainbow Vision activities, Rainbow High partnered with Livetopia on a cohesive and immersive integration, which was available on Roblox from 4th November until 24th November. Fans had the opportunity to discover the iconic Rainbow High creative arts high school within their gameplay and players could also purchase virtual merchandise on the Roblox platform and within Livetopia.

SMF Toytown opens new Coventry store

SMF Toytown has opened the doors to a huge new shop in Coventry, hot on the heels of launching a new store in Perth, Scotland a month before.

The new Toytown Coventry store, in the West Orchards Shopping Centre, spans 8,000sq ft and takes up the first floor of a former Debenhams store. The opening on 27th October was delayed by two weeks after the sprinklers that needed to be installed failed to turn up on time but managing director Alan Simpson says that despite the teething problems, he was very excited to finally be open.

“It’s later than I would like to be open, but we are looking forward to good Christmas trade. If it’s anything like the Perth store, where we have been trading superbly, we will be over the moon,” he told Toy World.

The Toytown store is its first in Coventry and came about after SMF Toytown was approached by the shopping centre’s owner, who had seen some of its other stores and was impressed with the depth of range it offered. The Coventry store brings the number of Toytown branches to just over 30 and is one of Toytown’s largest and comparable in size to its stores in Glasgow and Merry Hill in the West Midlands. It includes an extensive nursery department, and all major suppliers are stocked, including 12 bays of Lego plus Sylvanian Families, Playmobil, Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, Character Options and VTech.

“We carry all the top names, and we also have a lot of bargains too,” said Alan. “This year in particular our special deals have gone through the roof. Customers are looking for bargains and the extra value.”

He said SMF Toytown was already looking to more store openings in 2023 with plans to open four or five new stores in both the north and south of England. “We are already in discussions with landlords on some new locations,” he confirmed.

The competition was live on the platform for just three weeks, but the Rainbow High school will exist in Livetopia in perpetuity, representing the growing relationship between the hit game and popular toy and entertainment brand.

Isaac Larian, CEO and Founder of MGA Entertainment commented: “The Rainbow High integration into Roblox’s top game, Livetopia, highlights Rainbow High’s commitment to identifying creative new ways to engage our loyal fans and welcome them into the colourful world they’ve grown to know and love through their dolls and favourite series.”

Rainbow High Rainbow Vision dolls and accessories include nine characters from all three competing bands: Rainbow Divas, Neon Shadow and Royal Three, as well as the official Rainbow High 4-in-1 Tour Bus Playset.

Fans can also head to their favourite music streaming platform to listen to the first-ever Rainbow High album featuring songs from Rainbow Vision and the series.

Season three, featuring Rainbow Vision, is available on YouTube and catch up on

Plus-Plus to open UK & Ireland subsidiary with Phil Hooper at the helm

Following success in the US and Nordic markets, where Plus-Plus operates a direct to market model, the company has confirmed its move to develop one of Europe’s biggest markets with the opening of a UK & Ireland subsidiary from January 2023.

To head up the new company, Plus-Plus has appointed experienced toy industry executive, Phil Hooper, as managing director of Plus-Plus UK & Ireland. Phil joins with over 25 years of experience gained across senior roles at Mattel, Spin Master and Warner Bros Discovery. Brands Phil has successfully developed in the UK include Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, Bakugan, Tech Deck, Hatchimals, Kinetic Sand, Meccano and Paw Patrol.

Phil commented: “I am delighted to be joining the business at such an exciting time for the company. The commitment to incorporating a UK & Ireland subsidiary is a clear reflection of Plus-Plus’ ambition to build a long-term brand in partnership with our retail customers. The high-quality values of the Plus-Plus brand, new product development and commitment to marketing should enable us to build an evergreen presence in the UK & Ireland. We are very much looking forward to launching the brand, recruiting a new team and sharing our 2023 plans at London Toy Fair, Nuremberg and Birmingham Spring Fair.”

Danish brand Plus-Plus is internationally recognised for its high-quality and is the winner of multiple product awards. Plus-Plus is a socially and environmentally responsible company; the factory and headquarters run on 100% green energy from wind power, and all products and packaging are 100% recyclable.

Toymaster welcomes Music Corner from Gibraltar

Music Corner in Gibraltar has joined independent buying group Toymaster and says it is looking forward to leveraging the many benefits of membership.

Owner Naresh Basantani told Toy World the store’s main suppliers include A.B.Gee and Click Distribution, and its best-selling products are Playmobil, Lego, Hasbro board games, MGA’s L.O.L Surprise! and Star Wars products, as well as collectible cards such as Panini, Topps and Pokémon.

When asked what prompted Music Corner to become a member, Naresh explained he came across some information about Toymaster and got in touch with Brian McLaughlin, Toymaster development manager to find out more. He was invited to the Toymaster May show in the UK last year, where he met the directors and the team and came to understand more about how becoming a member could benefit his business.

Naresh said: “The experience was quite different to the toy shows I would normally visit during the course of the year. The whole concept felt like joining a family: everyone seemed very close and attached and I liked how well the members are taken care of. I am very happy to have become a member.”

Toymaster visited Naresh in Gibraltar to see how Music Corner is trading and learn more about its customer approach. Naresh explained the importance of stocking the right product mix and the importance of presentation for customer satisfaction.

He added: “Being a Toymaster member is going to provide me with access to brands that I always wanted to add to my store, but found too difficult to access, as suppliers considered Gibraltar to be too small a place.”

A Toymaster spokesperson said: “We would like to welcome Music Corner to the Toymaster family and wish Naresh, Suresh and the team the best of luck.”

Music Corner can be found at 114-116 Main Street, PO Box 684, Gibraltar GX11 1AA.

Naresh Basantani can be contacted on 00350 2004 2761 or musiccorner@gibtelecom.net.

Sambro becomes latest toy company to join Recycle to Read

Sambro International has partnered with Wastebuster and Products of Change to become the most recent toy company to join the growing membership of the Recycle to Read programme. The Recycle to Read initiative works with organisations and schools across the UK to facilitate the recycling and the re-use of toys, small electrical items and textiles. Participating schools and communities are then rewarded with books and reading resources to support children’s literacy. Collected plastic toys are sent to a specialised recycling plant and turned into pellet form, ready to be recycled into new products such as outdoor furniture or playground equipment. Schools are also encouraged to hold toy swap shop events to recirculate or sell toys suitable for reuse, and to take any toys not sold or given away to local charities.

By partnering with Wastebuster, the environmental education company that founded the scheme, Sambro is helping scale it into further sites, allowing it to reach and educate more children. The company has also set up Wastebuster bins in its own office, to collect broken samples dismantled for testing purposes.

As part of Sambro’s own ESG strategy, the toy company has placed a focus on education and awareness among consumers when it comes to recycling.

Sambro has added QR codes on packaging which direct consumers to a dedicated web page with details of what materials can be recycled and changes are being made to packaging across the board, with plastic being removed where possible and FSC card being introduced. Snipes detailing these changes are being added to the front of packaging.

Lisa Longley, Ethical and Sustainability manager at Sambro, said: “Sustainability is a key focus for the toy industry, which has traditionally been a heavy user of plastics. Retailers and brands need to work together to ensure it’s top of the agenda and wherever possible, we replace or support innovative solutions to re-use. We need to ensure we are effectively communicating with and educating consumers on how to make more sustainable buying choices.”

Konami aims for nearly 10,000 food can donations to charities across Europe

The holiday season is always a busy one for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG and plenty of exciting products will end up in the holiday stockings of lucky Duelists. However, Konami isn’t just hoping to deliver cards into the hands of Duelists this December: the company is also looking to help get food cans into the hands of charities and those in need across Europe.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Christmas Charity Event began eight years ago as a local initiative in Germany. Now it’s a cross-European drive, with hundreds of Official Tournament Stores (OTS) taking part in nine different countries across the continent, including the UK.

Duelists need to bring three food cans with them to a participating store and can then Duel against each other to win more cans. At the end of the event, they then exchange their cans for OTS Tournament Packs; card packs that are only available from Konami partnered stores - Konami provides packs to the stores for the event. At the end of all of it, each store gets lots of tinned food goods to then donate to a non-profit organisation of its choice.

Konami is hoping to surpass last year’s Christmas Charity Event, in which an estimated 9,000 or so food cans were delivered to charities across Europe.

“The Christmas Charity Event is a wonderful project that we are very proud of,” Konami’s Head of Marketing, Dom Galizia, told Toy World Magazine. “It’s something we’ve built upon year by year. This holiday season will be an especially difficult time for many people in Europe. It’s fantastic to know that both Konami and the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG community itself will come together to help those in need at a crucial time. That is absolutely part of the spirit of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG.”

Participating stores in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK will hold events during 2nd-18th December. For more information, visit www.yugioh-card.com/uk/events/.

The Very Group announces increase in sales and profits

The Very Group has reported that full-year profits have risen, saying the company had carefully and successfully managed costs during the financial period.

The retail group, which includes online segments Very and Littlewoods, reported that pre-tax profit increased 2.2% to £63.9m for the year ending 2nd July. Very revenue grew 12.6% and group revenue was up 4.8%, compared with pre-pandemic trading. However, compared to its best-ever year in 2021, Very group sales were down 7.3%.

Very’s retail sales declined 7.7% compared with the same period last year but grew 15.3% on a two-year basis. Customers were said to have returned to more normal shopping habits, with double digit growth compared to pre-pandemic across all sub-categories.

The Very Group CFO, Ben Fletcher, commented: “I am pleased to report another robust performance, driven by ongoing structural growth in the Very brand, our integrated business model – which continues to prove resilient as we adapt to changing customer behaviour – and, of course, our amazing people. We also successfully managed costs, achieving a reduction relative to revenue despite inflationary pressures.”

The retailer’s gross margin was broadly maintained at 36.2%, compared to 36.5% last year, due to both the 10.7% growth of its credit business Very Finance and careful cost management.

In January, Very Group reported very strong Christmas trading for 2021. The company told Toy World that, from a toy perspective, the company had maintained share in a difficult market.

Ben added: “While the rising cost of living and other economic conditions present challenges for all retailers, we are confident in our resilient and adaptable business model

Nickelodeon and Mattel Television greenlight Monster High movie sequel

Following the success of Monster High The Movie, Nickelodeon and Mattel Television have announced a sequel to the live-action movie musical. Based on the iconic Mattel franchise about the children of famous monsters and creatures, the feature-length TV movie will begin production in January in Vancouver, Canada, and will air on Nickelodeon and stream on Paramount+ in 2023.

The first live-action movie for the franchise, Monster High The Movie, premiered on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ on 6th October reaching more than 4m viewers across its launch weekend on linear (Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nicktoons and TeenNick). In Live +3, the linear simulcast posted impressive triple-digit increases, up more than +100% with Kids 6-11, and scored double-digit increases with total viewers (+45%).

Mattel first introduced Monster High in 2010. The franchise seeks to foster a more accepting world where everyone is proud to be their authentic self.

“We are ecstatic to tell the monstrous next chapter of this beloved franchise to our audience,” said Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan, co-heads of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action. “Monster High’s message of embracing one’s unique self is as important as ever and we look forward to expanding the stories of these fan-favourite characters.”

Todd Holland will return as director and executive producer. Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager of Mattel Television, Phil Breman, vice president of Live Action Development at Mattel and Adam Bonnett will also return as executive producers. The sequel screenplay is being written by Matt and Billy Eddy with story by Todd Holland, Matt Eddy and Billy Eddy.

A new Monster High animated series also premiered in the US on 28th October and will be released later in the year in the UK.

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HoloToyz wins Irish Times Innovation Award for Manufacturing and Design

For HoloToyz, 2022 has been topped and tailed with podium positions, from winning silver in the Editor’s Choice awards at the London Toy Fair in January to now winning Gold at the Irish Times Innovation Awards in the Manufacturing and Design category.

The prestigious awards, held in Dublin on 9th November, hosted the best of Ireland’s innovators with the awards designed to recognise and honour innovations in business.

Kate Scott, co-founder & CEO at HoloToyz, and Declan Fahy, co-founder & sales director, told Toy World the award came at the end of what has been a hugely positive year for the business, in which the pair have focused their efforts on HoloToyz’ growth and also recruited strategically in order to sharpen its product offering for the next three years.

“Winning this award means the world to us,” Declan told Toy World. “We have so much passion and energy for what we are creating, and we strongly believe in leveraging new technologies to enhance children’s play and learning experiences in a kidsafe format. We do this by bridging the gap between physical and digital through our free HoloToyz app that brings all of our toys and books to life.”

Kate added: “Young children today are engaging in mass numbers with the AR filters and effects on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram but these are not safe playgrounds for children – and they are only a swipe away from content that’s inappropriate for their age. At HoloToyz, we want to offer the same technology to generation alpha so that these tech titans can enjoy the same experience and more in a safe and controlled way. We like to think of HoloToyz as the world’s first Fun-Tech company.”

It’s been a year of major achievements for HoloToyz. First, the company launched the world’s first range of Paw Patrol Tattoos and Stickers, which bring 10 characters to life and allow children to place the characters in the room with them and take photos and videos with their favourite pups.

The company also secured its first round of investment with 14 of Ireland’s most respected tech investors and is being backed by Enterprise Ireland as a High Potential Start Up.

Curious Universe earns another top business accolade

Curious Universe fought off stiff national competition to be awarded Business of the Year in the Small to Medium Sized category in the UK at an awards ceremony hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald and sponsored by Lloyds Bank.

Celebrating the contribution of SMEs to the UK economy, the award recognised that the business has maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance, understands its customer, has an engaged workforce with effective leadership, demonstrates effective use of technology and digital media to engage with its stakeholders and is continually innovating to support future growth.

The Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards is the UK’s most prestigious awards programme celebrating the innovation, success and resilience of British business. From entrepreneurs, micro, SMEs and mid-market, right up to FTSE 100 companies, this established awards programme covers all businesses across the UK.

Already the recipient of multiple accolades this year including being listed in the Sunday Times 100 in recognition of the company’s significant achievement and growth, plus winners of the Bath Business Awards SME of the year, Curious Universe was up against 12 national finalists.

“This award is recognition of the great work that everyone in the company puts in,” commented John Styring, founder and CEO of Curious Universe. “To come out on top against such a high-quality field is a massive endorsement from the judges for what we have achieved so far in our relatively short life. Everyone in the company works their socks off to create great products to give enjoyment and pleasure to the end consumer. It’s been a tough few years for everyone in the country with lots of uncertainty so it has been great to have flourished during this time. With tough times ahead, we are pleased to have a strong business plan and great products and continue to provide an exciting and vibrant workplace to nurture creativity.”

Obituary: Lesley John Cooke

Toy World is sad to report that industry veteran Les Cooke passed away peacefully at his home on 15th October.

Les’s former colleague and close friend, Bob Brechin, shared his memories of Les with Toy World.

When Bob joined Palitoy in 1967 as a toy designer, Les was responsible for the marketing of Action Man, which had been licensed the previous year from Hasbro. Les famously once said: “I had the best job in the toy industry – Action Man’s first brand manager.”

“Les was quick to realise that Action Man provided more play scenarios than solely military adventures,” Bob explained. “Attending a research study, he noticed that one little boy was playing with the Mountain and Arctic Trooper Action Man as Scott of the Antarctic. This inspired Les to develop a range of adventure sets, which I was instructed to design. Action Man began to live up to his name, took on many roles and became a truly British icon.” Action Man was named Toy of the Decade in 1980, after winning the title Toy of the Year in its first outing.

In 1968, the Palitoy brand and its Coalville factory were bought by new owners General Mills. Les became Marketing director and was instrumental in introducing many iconic lines, including Girls World, pocket-sized fashion doll Pippa and the Discovery Time pre-school range.

When the Star Wars phenomenon exploded, Palitoy became the UK distributor of toys developed by sister company Kenner. Palitoy owner General Mills began to pursue global branding, introducing more ranges from the US such as Care Bears and many of the classic ranges – including Action Man – started to be phased out. Les resigned from the company to join outgoing UK MD Bob Wilson to establish Emblem Toys in Leicester. Later they would resuscitate the ailing Matchbox Company.

“During my long association with Les Cooke, I have found him to be very committed, willing to embrace my ideas and always giving total support,” says Bob Brechin. “Everyone I have talked to has shown respect and admiration. He had a strong affinity to toys and the long list of products he introduced attests to that. The British toy industry will mourn the passing of one of its stalwarts.”

Bob added that his thoughts were with Les’s wife Diane, and his children and grandchildren, at this sad time. Toy World would like to add its condolences to the family and all who knew Les.

Industry Moves

Flair bolsters sales team with new hires

Flair says it is ‘heading confidently’ towards the end of the year with two new additions to its sales team. Karl Young and Alex McKie join as senior national account manager and national account manager respectively and will be integral to the success of the business’ current brand portfolio.

Heading up Flair’s largest accounts, Karl and Alex will be pivotal to the ongoing growth of the business and will work with the wider team to maintain excellent relationships and customer satisfaction.

Having worked for six years at Bandai UK on its Amazon and grocery accounts, and more recently at the houseware manufacturer DNC, Karl has a wealth of experience to bring to his new role. As senior national account manager, he is responsible for maintaining strong and successful relationships with Amazon, Argos and Sainsburys, amongst others.

Alex joins from arts & crafts business Curious Universe. His prior experience in the Publishing, Gifting and Stationery sectors stands him in good stead for managing Flair’s partnerships with Tesco, The Entertainer and B&M, to name a few.

Julia Cake, UK country manager at Flair, said: “Karl and Alex are a welcome addition to the team and we’re confident our national accounts will go from strength to strength under their management. 2022 has been an excellent year so far and, with a fantastic brand portfolio and team in place, we are in an exciting position heading towards Christmas.”

The Flair portfolio includes collectibles, creative play, pre-school toys, plush and more, with hero brands for 2022 such as Action Heroes, Super Cute and Unique Eyes.

Galt names new GM as two stalwarts retire

The Jumbodiset Group has announced the retirement of two highly regarded and long-serving Galt leaders – managing director John McDonnell and sales director Clive Robinson – with Jacqueline Taylor Foo taking up the role of GM.

John McDonnell recently retired after 28 years with Galt. The Jumbodiset Group has put on record its recognition of John’s hard work and commitment to the company over such a long period.

Commenting on John’s retirement, departing Jumbodiset CEO Joan Ferrer said: “As the head of Galt for so many years, John has been a standout and respected leader in the industry. We have enjoyed collaborating with him across Europe since the incorporation of Galt to the Jumbodiset family and his passion and expertise will be missed.”

Clive Robinson will retire at the end of 2022, after 26 years with Galt. The company has expressed its gratitude to Clive for his major contribution to Galt’s success in the market.

John and Clive leave Galt in a strong position following its acquisition by the Jumbodiset Group in 2019. They both played a key role in a transition that has positioned Galt and Jumbodiset to thrive across the UK & Ireland in what promises to be an exciting new era for the joint endeavour.

Jacqueline Taylor Foo assumed the position of general manager Jumbodiset/Galt UK & Ireland on 1st November. Jacqueline has a long and impressive track record in the toy sector, having delivered cross-functional success at companies including Mattel, Spin Master. Zapf Creation and Melissa & Doug LLC.

Jacqueline commented: “I am honoured to be joining the Jumbodiset/Galt team. Our new European leadership team has exciting plans, with huge ambitions to further grow the company as we integrate to one even stronger organisation.”

The changes at Galt takes place within the context of further developments at Jumbodiset, where new CEO Mark Hoitijnk took over from Joan Ferrer in October 2022. Joan will remain a member of the board of Jumbodiset.

Gary Wilmot joins Playmobil UK as field sales manager

Gary brings with him a wealth of knowledge and industry experience, having held senior roles at Tonies, Character Options and Schleich. In his new role at Playmobil, he will focus on the Toy Specialist channel.

Alf Bohm, head of Sales at Playmobil UK, said: “We are really excited to welcome Gary to the team; he has a huge amount of experience in the industry and a fantastic understanding of the Toy Specialist business.”

He added: “Gary is looking forward to meeting his new customers in the upcoming weeks and will bring a huge amount of experience within the industry. I have no doubt he will make a huge impact on the Christmas plans for Playmobil, and work through all the exciting things to come in 2023.”

Alex McKie

Karl Young

Marketing World

Schleich launches Christmas reindeer design competition

Schleich is tapping into children’s imagination with a Christmas competition based on the question ‘Do reindeer always have to look the same?’

Celebrating the power of imagination, creativity and free-thinking, the brand has launched a global competition inviting children to design their very own reindeer with the chance to have it turned in to a real Schleich figurine. The campaign has been inspired by Schleich’s belief that storytelling brings us together and a child’s natural instinct is to embrace characters’ differences to create even better stories.

Entrants can join in the fun by picking up a colouring sheet in participating stores; printing out the PDF from the dedicated microsite and uploading the finished design; or colouring the template in online. Schleich recognises that Christmas can be so individual, and the campaign enables everyone to discover and create their own Christmas story.

Schleich UK is promoting the campaign across its social media channels as well as working with social media influencers to promote the competition. A winner will be picked from each of the seven participating countries (Germany, France, US, Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK), with the deadline for entry 16th December 2022.

In addition to the colouring competition, children were able to send in videos telling Schleich why reindeer don’t and shouldn’t look the same. Schleich has captured the overwhelming sentiment of inclusivity that kids shared, creating a multi-lingual holiday video that celebrates how differences make us unique and special.

In correlation with the campaign, the Schleich special-edition 2022 reindeer has been designed specifically to stand out, boasting festive green antlers and an eye-catching nose. Paul Dearlove, UK marketing manager, commented: “We are really excited about this year’s Christmas competition. Providing a fun, free, festive activity, it taps into children’s limitless imaginations, inspiring creativity and free-thinking, with the added bonus of having their creative accomplishments brought to life. We’re already very much enjoying seeing all of the entries come in and, of course, looking forward to the winning designs being made in to actual Schleich figurines.”

Greg Rutherford leaps onto Instagram with Character’s Jump-It Wipeout

Character Options Jump-It Wipeout’ campaign to Stay Active this year has seen the Olympic champion long jumper Greg Rutherford lead the way in promoting the company’s play category, which features family-friendly activity toys and games suitable for playing both inside and out, including the Jump-It Wipeout family game.

Over the past six months, Greg and his family have been showcasing Stay Active escapades including Moon Shoes bounce racing and lap counting challenges with Jump-It Lap Counter. Most recently, Greg and his partner Susie took to Instagram to take on the Jump-It Wipeout Challenge.

Jump-it Wipeout is a game that brings a fast, fun jump challenge to consumer homes. With five different musical tracks to jump to, three play modes and multiple difficulty levels, no two games are the same. Players from the age of five can try their luck against the rotating soft foam jump bar as they try to avoid being wiped out.

Speaking on Instagram, Greg said: “Out of all the things we’ve done recently to keep fit as a family, this is by far the most fun.” Greg’s followers agreed that Jump-it Wipeout looked like a must have family game, with over 1,300 people swiping up on Greg’s stories to find out more.

Mark Hunt, Character Options’ marketing director, commented: “Greg Rutherford is the perfect person to lead our core messaging for the Stay Active collection. He is known for both his triumphs in athletics and his family values and went over and above with his Jump-it Wipeout activity. We are delighted to have him at the centre of our campaign showcasing these products.”

Mark added: “Alongside the activity with Greg, the Stay Active Campaign has featured an always-on active mums campaign. Each month, Instagram influencers share their family activities with that month’s focus product from the range. Added to this, above the line activity across pre-roll has ensured eyeballs on the brand continuously.”

For more information about Stay Active from Character Options, call 0161 633 9800 or email sales@charactergroup.plc.uk

Goliath unveils Christmas #PlayItForward influencer campaign

To promote its range of action games during the busy Christmas buying period, Goliath has introduced an emotive content creation campaign designed to play on the feel-good factor this festive season and give back to families across the UK. The #PlayItForward campaign sees carefully selected influencers showcase key Goliath games and #PlayItForward by giving fans the chance to win mystery Christmas bundles.

Based around the concept of sharing the joy of family game play, Norton PR has secured a host of family and lifestyle Instagram influencers who can showcase key games including Chicken Poo Bingo, Trash Stash, Slap The Deck, Chompin’ Charlie and The Floor Is Lava: Family Edition. Each influencer can then #PlayItForward by giving their followers chances to win mystery, Christmas wrapped games bundles.

“A great way to bring the magic of playing games to the whole family this Christmas, #PlayItForward is a fun campaign designed to build organic content around the fast and furious action games from our range plus link to retail in order to generate stand out in a busy games market,” commented Charlie Douglas, assistant brand manager UK at Goliath Games. “The appeal of this campaign is that influencers also have the chance to enable their followers to win – albeit a prize which is a complete mystery until unwrapped.”

The John Lewis Effect

Clearly a lot of this correla+on will also be coincidental, as proximity to the event will always increase interest, but the week of the John Lewis ad saw Christmas search volumes more than double, bea+ng the natural trend line we would expect to see over +me.

Rather than taking up skateboarding to impress, this month Jonathan suggests that marketers use historical data to predict when Christmas spirit will kick in for consumers.

John Lewis is not alone in this responsibility of course, with all major online and tradi+onal retailers, especially grocers, figh+ng for share of mind and wallet. Closer to home within the toy industry, Smyths is the leading light in this regard. Launching on the 4th November, its incredible 2022 Christmas ad amassed over seven million views on YouTube within the first 12 days, leading to an inevitable spike in searches:

Smyths 2022:

Director of AV Investment, Genera+on Media

The John Lewis Effect

eciding the timing of H2 marketing has always been a tricky business – let alone in 2022 when the cost-of-living crisis and Qatar World Cup have undoubtedly impacted and altered consumers’ media and retail behaviours. Should you go early to build share of voice in lower cost periods and gain a competitive advantage? Or should you wait until natural sales spikes occur and plan to outmanoeuvre the competition? Even the traditional staple of the October the half term period has become increasingly compromised by the focus of retailer messaging on Halloween.

Rather than taking up skateboarding to impress, this month Jonathan suggests that marketers use historical data to predict when Christmas spirit will kick in for consumers. Deciding the +ming of H2 marke+ng has always been a tricky business – let alone in 2022 when the cost-of-living crisis and Qatar World Cup have undoubtedly impacted and altered consumers’ media and retail behaviours. Should you go early to build share of voice in lower cost periods and gain a compe++ve advantage? Or should you wait un+l natural sales spikes occur and plan to outmanoeuvre the compe++on? Even the tradi+onal staple of the October the half term period has become increasingly compromised by the focus of retailer messaging on Halloween.

The key is often to judge when “Christmas spirit” is likely to kick in and, where budgets allow, focus marketing efforts around this period (whilst still having messaging prior so as not to go in cold). But herein lies the catch, which can often be overlooked. Advertisers, specifically retailers, have a huge responsibility in building Christmas sales momentum. The “John Lewis effect” usually references the emotional triggers within the company’s ads. However, in the challenging modern retail landscape, the true John Lewis effect is changing the psyche of the average consumer to start thinking about Christmas, and all the purchasing that entails.

However, year-on-year search interest in Smyths is behind.

Smyths 20212022:

Using Google Trends we can assess spikes in search activity over time, and there is a clear correlation between searches for “John Lewis” (following the launch of their 2022 Christmas ad on 10th November) and Christmas”:

The key is oIen to judge when “Christmas spirit” is likely to kick in and, where budgets allow, focus marke+ng efforts around this period (whilst s+ll having messaging prior so as not to go in cold). But herein lies the catch, which can oIen be overlooked. Adver+sers, specifically retailers, have a huge responsibility in building Christmas sales momentum. The “John Lewis effect” usually references the emo+onal triggers within the company’s ads. However, in the challenging modern retail landscape, the true John Lewis effect is changing the psyche of the average consumer to start thinking about Christmas, and all the purchasing that entails.

Clearly a lot of this correlation will also be coincidental, as proximity to the event will always increase interest, but the week of the John Lewis ad saw Christmas search volumes more than double, beating the natural trend line we would expect to see over time.

Using Google Trends we can assess spikes in search ac+vity over +me, and there is a clear correla+on between searches for “John Lewis” (following the launch of their 2022 Christmas ad on 10th November) and Christmas”:

John Lewis 2022:

Christmas 2022:

Gen Media Marke+ng World Dec 22

Clearly a lot of this correla+on will also be coincidental, as proximity to the event will always increase interest, but the week of the John Lewis ad saw Christmas search volumes more than double, bea+ng the natural trend line we would expect to see over +me.

John Lewis is not alone in this responsibility of course, with all major online and traditional retailers, especially grocers, fighting for share of mind and wallet. Closer to home within the toy industry, Smyths is the leading light in this regard. Launching on the 4th November, its incredible 2022 Christmas ad amassed over seven million views on YouTube within the first 12 days, leading to an inevitable spike in searches:

John Lewis is not alone in this responsibility of course, with all major online and tradi+onal retailers, especially grocers, figh+ng for share of mind and wallet. Closer to home within the toy industry, Smyths is the leading light in this regard. Launching on the 4th November, its incredible 2022 Christmas ad amassed over seven million views on YouTube within the first 12 days, leading to an inevitable spike in searches:

Smyths 2022:

However, year-on-year search interest in Smyths is behind.

Smyths 20212022:

However, year-on-year search interest in Smyths is behind.

Environmental factors clearly have a part to play in this, but +ming remains crucial. This, perhaps, is the most notable retail marke+ng trend of the past decade – the fact that Christmas messaging is becoming later and later. The arguments for and against this are manifold. Adver+sing clearly s+mulates sales, but retailers have a responsibility to their own P+Ls to maximise their messaging around natural sales upliIs and promo+onal periods, such as Black Friday.

Environmental factors clearly have a part to play in this, but timing remains crucial. This, perhaps, is the most notable retail marketing trend of the past decade – the fact that Christmas messaging is becoming later and later. The arguments for and against this are manifold. Advertising clearly stimulates sales, but retailers have a responsibility to their own P+Ls to maximise their messaging around natural sales uplifts and promotional periods, such as Black Friday.

What is some+mes overlooked is that adver+sers’ hands are somewhat forced by media infla+on. TV was for +me immemorial the launchpad for large scale Christmas campaigns, but the rate card cost of reaching a houseperson with children in November is +53% vs. 2019 (pre pandemic). Ligle wonder then that adver+sers now trust their owned and earned plahorms to launch campaigns. YouTube is now more commonly used than TV, and we even saw John Lewis launch via their own app this year in order to s+mulate downloads. Such strategies undoubtedly deliver views, but do they deliver a

What is sometimes overlooked is that advertisers’ hands are somewhat forced by media inflation. TV was for time immemorial the launchpad for large scale Christmas campaigns, but the rate card cost of reaching a houseperson with children in November is +53% vs. 2019 (pre pandemic). Little wonder then that advertisers now trust their owned and earned platforms to launch campaigns. YouTube is now more commonly used than TV, and we even saw John Lewis launch via their own app this year in order to stimulate downloads. Such strategies undoubtedly deliver views, but do they deliver a longer-term uplift in brand interest. Google Trends suggest perhaps not, when looking at the past five years (although we have to take into account spend levels, environmental factors, etc.).

Gen Media Marke+ng World Dec 22

longer-term upliI in brand interest. Google Trends suggest perhaps not, when looking at the past five years (although we have to take into account spend levels, environmental factors, etc.).

John Lewis 2017-2022:

So how should this impact Q4 2023 planning (it is never too early to start thinking ahead)? The answer of course is not a linear one, because all brands will have a unique answer.

So how should this impact Q4 2023 planning (it is never too early to start thinking ahead)? The answer of course is not a linear one, because all brands will have a unique answer.

Tradi+onally, we have seen brands focus on early Q3/Q4 sales opportuni+es to s+mulate retailer reorders. These should s+ll remain of course, par+cularly where low-cost media opportuni+es arise out of peak demand season. However, strategies can some+mes overly focus on this ini+al launch, and not leave enough in reserve for peak season. So you should consider using historic informa+on to predict when Christmas 2023 campaigns will begin, ensure you have significant budget to deploy in the surrounding weeks, and build the strategy backwards from there. Take advantage of the John Lewis effect and maximise the chances of Christmas retail success.

Traditionally, we have seen brands focus on early Q3/Q4 sales opportunities to stimulate retailer re-orders. These should still remain of course, particularly where low-cost media opportunities arise out of peak demand season. However, strategies can sometimes overly focus on this initial launch, and not leave enough in reserve for peak season. So you should consider using historic information to predict when Christmas 2023 campaigns will begin, ensure you have significant budget to deploy in the surrounding weeks, and build the strategy backwards from there. Take advantage of the John Lewis effect and maximise the chances of Christmas retail success.

DGen Media Marke+ng World Dec

Jonathan Chambers

Gen Media Marke+ng World Dec 22

Licensing World

New Crystal Art Buddies have arrived at retail

Named Best Licensed Toy, Best Collectible Toy and Best Creative Toy at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2022, Craft Buddy’s latest collectible toy range, Crystal Art Buddies, has officially launched.

With listings online and at major nationwide retailers including Hobbycraft, B&M, Forbidden Planet and Toytown, the first series of Crystal Art Buddies (‘Buddies’) features 25 fan-favourite characters from the Disney, Disney Princesses, Star Wars, Marvel and L.O.L. Surprise! universes. Suitable for kids aged six and over, the Buddies are perfect gifts and stocking fillers for the festive season.

As one of the most innovative crafting companies in the UK, Craft Buddy’s flagship brand Crystal Art was recently awarded Highly Commended in the Best for Children category in Craft Beautiful magazine’s Best Of Craft Awards 2022. With its new Buddies range, Craft Buddy has uniquely combined the hugely popular craft diamond painting with the world of collectible figurines. Social media has been awash with discussion surrounding the launch, with the product championed by many influencers, culminating in multiple award wins at the BlogOn Toys Awards, which are voted for by toy industry influencers and bloggers.

“The response the Buddies has received so far has been mind-blowing," said Gary Wadhwani, co-director of Craft Buddy. "After the early reaction we received when we debuted the Buddies at the Toymaster May Show, and Autumn Fair in September earlier this year, we knew the range would be popular. Then, the exclusive launch to consumers at MCM London Comic Con in October was a wild success. We are very confident that Buddies will be a big hit this holiday season. There is a huge demand for new and unique gifting ideas that are also priced competitively; as Christmas looms, Buddies are perfect for stocking fillers or party gifts for family members of all ages.”

Sergio Anna, Craft Buddy’s head of Product, added: “Through the successful launch of the Buddies, and also the recent Star Wars Crystal Art Collection, we have established a strong brand affinity among the fans of our licensed partners. With the upcoming Disney D100 100th anniversary celebrations, we are excited to work with Disney to create more never seen before Crystal Art products which will be launched in Q1 2023.”

For trade sales enquiries, contact the trade team at trade@craftbuddyltd.co.uk.

Toynamics celebrates success of Nanoblock licensing

Toynamics has seen Nanoblock go from strength to strength in the UK, thanks largely to its successful licensing programme for the brand.

The world’s smallest micro-sized building block (4mm x 4mm x 5mm) lets children and kidults aged 12+ construct detailed and realistic three-dimensional creations, which are fun to build, display and collect. The range has a clever selection of themed pieces, for an ever-expanding Nanoverse, offering open-ended longevity of play – an increasingly important selling point for shoppers seeking toys that will stand the test of time whilst offering hours of fun and creativity.

Of the three Nanoblock product categories – Mini Collection, Sights to See and Licensed – the most popular in the UK is Licensed. Within the huge range of Nanoblock licences, Pokémon and Sonic the Hedgehog are two of the best-selling, with all models featuring unique details such as the accurate facial features on each of the Pokémon characters and flaming tail design on Charmander and Charizard.

The Nanoblock Pokémon collection offers fans more than 20 different characters to collect, including Pikachu, Charizard and Bulbasaur. Sonic the Hedgehog fans can battle the evil Dr Eggaman with the six Sonic the Hedgehog and Friends Nanoblock sets and there are also six Crash Bandicoot characters to collect, including the 210-piece Dr N Gin.

David Allan, MD at Toynamics UK & Ireland, said: “Nanoblock is continuing to exceed expectations for our brand portfolio, and the licensed collection in particular has been hugely popular. Consumer demand for Pokémon themed toys remains strong, and with so many character sets to collect, the range is continuing to add significantly to our sales growth. We continue to support retailers with consumer campaigns, including a reader competition we recently published in the official Pokémon Magazine.”

To support the range, Toynamics offers retailers POS display solutions for the Pokémon packs. Retailers can also have access to graphic packs and free stock for competitions on their social platforms.

Rubies anticipates strong demand for Black Adam costumes

With fans flocking to cinemas in their droves since 21st October to see DC’s highly anticipated blockbuster Black Adam, Rubies has released an officially licensed costume it says will ‘thrill DC fans of every age’.

The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as the comic-book antihero, who is released after 5,000 years of imprisonment to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.

Rubies’ new Black Adam dress-up is the company’s latest in a long line of collaborations with DC and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Available in a deluxe edition in both adult and children’s sizing, the costumes feature a musclechest jumpsuit with cape and a highly detailed realistic all-over print, closely mirroring the iconic outfit worn by Dwayne throughout the film.

Mike O’Connell, Rubies managing director, said: “Black Adam is one of the biggest films to be released theatrically this year, and there’s an incredible amount of buzz around both the movie and the character. We expect the Black Adam dress-up to be one of our most in-demand options for 2022/23, and we can’t wait to see fans’ reactions to it. With incredible attention to detail in the design, the quality of the product is unmatched.”

Funrise announces launch of TMNT toy cars

Funrise and Paramount Consumer Products have announced a partnership for the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy cars for autumn 2023.

The new collaboration of classic and movie inspired toys cars will include a sizeable assortment of die cast vehicles, rip cord, pull-back, gyro vehicles, play sets and full-function remote controlled vehicles. The collection will feature iconic, fan-favourite TMNT characters, a classic TMNT toy style as well as a new movie-inspired take on the design with key elements from the popular franchise.

“We are very excited about this collaboration and adding TMNT to our portfolio of toy brands,” said Stephanie Simpson Bughi, vice president of Global Brand Marketing at Funrise. “TMNT is such a universally beloved franchise, and we’re thrilled about releasing a line of toys that we know fans all over the world will enjoy.”

The range of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy vehicles will launch globally, offering a variety of items with a wide range of price points. Toys will be available in major retailers from autumn 2023.

Asmodee and ITV partner on new I’m a Celeb jungle game

Combining two of the nation’s great loves – game playing and TV’s toughest entertainment show, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! – Asmodee has introduced Jungle Hat Dunny Star Hammock.

A simple, no fuss and easy-to-play card game, Jungle Hat Dunny Star Hammock is inspired by the popular Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, which fans have described as ‘filled to the brim with hand-slapping mayhem’. In this new version, players need to keep these five jungle related words in mind as they try to get rid of all their cards. As soon as there is a match between a card and a spoken word, they must race against each other to slap their hand on the central pile of cards. The last one to do so must pick up all the cards and therefore risks losing the game.

As well as watching the cards, players have trials (or actions) to complete. If they spot the crocodile card, they must snap their arms together like a crocodile’s jaw, while spotting a grub means moving their hands up to their mouth and wiggling their fingers, like a hungry grub. If they spot the spider, meanwhile, the player must cover their mouth with both hands and gasp. William van Rest, director of Gaming, Live & Merchandising at ITV, said: “We are delighted to be working with Asmodee on the I’m a Celebrity… version of its much-loved game Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza. The jungle spin on the game adds real fun for all the family, who we hope will sit down to play it together after watching this year’s series of I’m a Celebrity…Get me Out of Here!”

This game is suitable for 2-8 players aged eight and over, with each rapid, addictive round taking just 10 minutes.

Mattel renews Pokémon licensing agreement for Mega

Mattel has renewed its licensing partnership with The Pokémon Company International in the building sets category and, under the agreement, will continue to produce its popular Pokémon toys and building sets under the Mega brand.

Over the years Mattel has produced buildable characters, play sets, building blocks and sets featuring some of the most popular Pokémon in the beloved entertainment franchise, such as Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Gyarados and Eevee. Following a strong response from consumers, the continued partnership between Mattel and The Pokémon Company International means the two companies can create new Mega products for Pokémon fans for years to come.

“The Pokémon Company International has built an incredible franchise for more than 25 years,” said Nick Karamanos, senior vice president of Entertainment Partnerships at Mattel. “We are proud to continue creating amazing products that allow fans to build and experience everything they love about Pokémon.”

“Mattel continues to be an ideal partner in helping us deliver fun and innovative ways for fans to engage with Pokémon through construction play,” added Amy Sachtleben, senior director of Licensing and Promotions at The Pokémon Company International. “Toys play an integral role in the Pokémon brand’s goal of bringing the joy of the brand to all types of Trainers, and we look forward to our renewed collaboration in supporting this mission.”

Countdown Christmas to

The UK toy market has sold over £2b YTD October 2022, but sales are down -4% on the same period a year ago, as concerns about the increase in the cost-of-living impact consumer shopping habits. Despite consumers being more price conscious this year, most of the value loss is actually from the lower price points. Toys under £10, which account for two thirds of the volume sold so far this year, lost sales of £64m, as shoppers have reigned in impulse purchases and non-essential toy purchases. NPD’s Toys Consumer 360 service shows that No Special Occasion purchases - which historically account for a third of toy market spend - has declined -6%, faster than the total toy market. Perhaps consumers concerned about their overall spend may be saving for a higher priced toy purchase for Christmas? This is a similar pattern to what we’ve seen in the past when the UK economy is weak, as unplanned purchases are easily cut out and parents say no more often to pester power.

Despite this decline in the low price points so far this year, we’re still seeing growth in the Collectibles segment, up +12% in value and now accounting for one in every five toys purchased. However, the average selling price of collectibles has increased by +12% and is now £6.31. One of the fastest growing collectibles ranges is Squishmallows, which is also the fastest growing property in the UK Toy market. Furthermore, it hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down - especially with the recent introduction of licences to the collection. In addition, we’ve seen continued growth from Pokémon Trading cards after a strong 25-year anniversary last year. At the

time of writing (mid-November), the success of the Qatar World Cup Stickers has also been driving the collectible market and could also potentially help slow the decline in low price items in December, depending on how far England football team progresses in the tournament.

Looking at other price points, value sales of £10£29.99 price points remain relatively flat and account for 27% of all volume sales. However, the £30-£49.99 price point has grown +9% at the same time as the £50-£99.99 price point has declined by -10%, as some consumers trade down from higher prices to a level they are more comfortable with. Properties that are performing well in the £30 - £49.99 price point include Star Wars, Fisher-Price, VTech Baby, Jurassic World and Lego Creator Expert, all of which are up double-digits.

For most of 2022, the UK Toy market has been squeezed to middle price points, as consumers cut back on the lower priced items and traded down on lines at higher price points. December usually sees higher price points take a larger share of the market, with many higher priced lines topping the best-selling items list. In October we’ve already seen three items with an average selling price of over £100 in the top ten

for the month: Barbie’s DreamHouse at number one, Lego Technic Ferrari Daytona SP3 at number five and Lego Technic Maclaren Formula 1 Team 2022 Race car at number eight.

We may expect to see a better performance from higher priced items over the last weeks of the year, but lower priced items remain important - 22% of volume in December 2021 sold at under £5. These items may be stocking fillers or additional purchases outside the main Christmas present and can collectively add more volume to the market than a single high-priced item.

This year, Christmas is on a Sunday, meaning we have a full week of shopping prior to the main day, whilst Christmas Eve on a Saturday is expected to be big day for retailers. The last time this occurred was in 2016; in that year, week 51 took the highest sales of the year, accounting for 6% of annual toy sales - largely through physical stores. For week 51 2016, 22 out of the top 50 best-selling items were priced under £15, meaning that these low-price items could be a driver of sales late in the year. However, it may feel like a long wait to week 51 for the trade, and we may yet experience a few wobbles in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Melissa Symonds

Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD

Top

Properties

The fastest growing property in the UK Toy market YTD October 2022 is Squishmallows, helping to drive Traditional Plush to the fastest growing subclass in the UK. The Squishmallow 8” is the No.2 bestselling item in the UK, with the other sizes also performing well with both children and adults. Jurassic World continues its strong performance in the UK as the top growing film property this year, while DC’s The Batman release early in the year is still driving DC Universe performance. Disney’s Encanto remains the No.1 new toy property this year; the property is particularly strong in Building Sets and Dolls, accounting for 45% and 42% of sales respectively. Building Set properties also remain strong, with Lego’s Star Wars and Lego Jurassic Park growing. Star Wars has been driven by some of the new higher price point sets such as the Millennium Falcon, as well as the Darth Vader and Mandalorian Helmet sets. Lego Creator Expert is also driven by higher priced items such as the Botanical Collection Flower Bouquet and Bonsai Tree sets.

Bluey is the biggest growing pre-school property, although the recent launch of Gabby’s Dollhouse will provide strong competition in the category for the end of the year.

Sylvanian Families Bluebell Cottage, with an average selling price for October of £33.49, jumped up the rankings in October despite only having 20% weighted distribution. The Sylvanian Families property remains No.4 in Dolls, behind Barbie, L.O.L. Surprise! and Disney Princess, while it is the No.2 property in the Playset Dolls & Accessories segment. While Playset Dolls was down -2% for October, a number of properties saw strong performance with L.O.L Surprise! up +10% for October and growth from Real Little and Disney Princess. New launches in the category from Magic Mixies and Barbie also performed well.

Talking Shop

Shoppin’ around the Christmas tree

It’s December and that means tills are ringing, but our indies took a break from their busy shop floors to speak to Suzie Sparkes and Sam Giltrow about pre-Christmas trading.

Robert Gliddon - Gliddons Toymaster, Sidmouth

Ihave brought in all the stock that we are going to need for Christmas already, which feels good - we are in a much better position than last year when we had to contend with all kinds of stock problems and delays with containers in the run up to Christmas.

This year, customers are behaving more cautiously. They are no longer just jumping in and buying things, instead they are coming in and having a look, then going away and thinking about it very seriously before they make their decisions. There is much less impulse purchasing than usual for this time of year. We’re a well-established toy shop offering a wide range of toys in a traditional, fun setting. We were very grateful to receive the Toymaster 25 Year Award recently, but it did shock me how quickly these things come around and whether I should be thinking about retiring!

Traditional products sell well for us; games such as chess, draughts, snakes & ladders as well as all kinds of jigsaws. Lego, and Sylvanian Families continue to be really popular, and Pokémon always sells through quickly. Sales on these ranges don’t really change from one year to the next and it’s encouraging to know we can rely on them. In Lego, we are seeing sales from most ranges and Lego City sells particularly well all year round. Once the holiday makers arrive, we find the kids want the newer Lego sets, this means we carry practically the whole Lego range.

As we are a seaside resort, there’s an increase in footfall during the summer and in the school holidays, but the locals are very loyal and support us throughout the year, with sales picking up again in November and December. Our trading pattern doesn’t really vary from year to year, although I’m very happy with that -

my accountant always says that there is no such thing as continual growth, and those who set out with that aim will end up failing. The important thing in these turbulent times is to keep your cool and not panic. It’s crucial not to start dramatically dropping prices if products don’t sell; at the end of the day, margins and profit must be kept front of mind. I believe it’s important not to slash prices as all that does is to devalue the market, and when you do come out the other side of the recession, people won’t accept prices going back up again.

We have a Facebook page that we update when we receive new products, which our local customers find useful. We don’t sell online as the shop keeps us busy enough.

October half term was a very strong week for us, as it always is, boosted by holiday makers coming into the shop. It wasn’t our best one ever, but it certainly wasn’t our worst. We no longer sell fireworks, which traditionally made up a good portion of sales at half term, but even without them turnover was encouraging. Pokémon sold phenomenally well all week.

Pokémon aside, we don’t sell much of what I consider ‘hype’ products. Customers can get these elsewhere and the traditional market is good and steady. With hype products, the market moves so fast that if you get it wrong, it can have a significant effect on the business, which is why I like to stay very traditional.

I am also reflecting our local demographic – in Sidmouth, 70% of the population is aged over 65.

We sell a lot of adult jigsaws, which are a massive part of our range – even more so since demand increased during the pandemic and it hasn’t really dropped off. We have expanded the range accordingly, which has

proved to be a highly successful move. The typical demographic of people buying jigsaws has expanded; as well as the traditional older, retired generation, it now includes younger generations as well. I think when people were working from home, they may have had a jigsaw on the go to help them pass the timethey enjoyed that and have stuck with it. Gibsons, Ravensburger and Falcon (from Jumbo/James Galt) are the top three suppliers of jigsaws that we stock, as well as a few smaller ones.

We have been promoting our Christmas savings club in the window; a few regulars use it and are very grateful for it. Our Christmas window went in just after Armistice Day. We change it round to make it a bit different from year to year and get everyone in a festive mood.

I am hopeful for a good Christmas, and I would say to anyone, don’t expect growth right now, just keep your cool and ride it out.

Talking Shop

Adam Marshall - The Collector’s Universe, Leeds

Trading has been encouraging since we opened on 22nd October. I decided to open the shop after being made redundant from my warehouse job two years ago. During the first lockdown I was put on furlough, so I started buying and selling Funko Pops! to earn a bit of extra money and to keep myself busy, but I ended up making good money out of it and so it became my full-time job. I would buy and sell on eBay and social media and then started buying and selling signed Funko Pop! collectibles, along with signed photos and sporting memorabilia.

Now, in the shop, as well as Funko Pop! and Tees, we stock Funko’s Loungefly range of bags and wallets, Hot Wheels cars and Squishmallows from Jazwares, as well as other smaller lines. With Squishmallows, most of our sales come from the small and medium-sized plush, though we do stock the larger 20-inch range too. The range is incredibly popular and I’m expecting it to be in high demand this Christmas.

Currently, the most popular licences across collectibles for our customers are Stranger Things and Star Wars, especially for Funko Pop!

The feedback from customers has been amazing and we have had shoppers who have travelled from York, Sheffield and Nottingham, spanning a wide age range - from young kids through to adult collectors in their 60s. They are delighted that we have opened because

Although we only operate a brick-and-mortar store at the moment, we are working on a website, and, if this Leeds shop does well, I also hope to eventually expand and look at opening additional premises in York and/ or Sheffield. We had returning customers in the first week of trading and once people know where and who

John Testori - Bambola Toymaster, St Helier, Jersey

It’s been an exciting time for us as we opened a new hobby shop in October, next door to our existing shop in Don Street, which has been trading for 18 years.

We recently closed our other store in The Parade, which had been open for 61 years, and though this caused sadness among some customers, it was offset by the positive reaction we have had to the new store. Customer feedback has been great, with people saying they like the product offering and the brightness of the new store, and we are extremely happy with trading so far.

We wanted to make use of both the units in the building which we own, but we didn’t need two toy

shops. The existing one is our core toy shop catering for younger children, whereas the new one is more of a hobby shop, aimed at older children and adults. The new 900sq ft shop is dual aspect, being on the corner of Don Street and the busy Waterloo Street. This has been great for footfall, showing an improvement compared to our The Parade store which was on the outskirts of town. In the new shop we stock a large range of hobby-based products including 500pc to 4,000pc jigsaws from suppliers such as Ravensburger and Gibsons, collectible figures from Banpresto and slots cars from Scalextric and Carrera.

In our core toy shop, Lego is selling well, particularly the Minecraft sets, and sales of the Lego Toymaster

Our location in Central Arcade is proving to be a good one and although there is another collectibles shop nearby, Geek Retreat, they stock different products. In fact, it has worked very well for us both as we send customers to each other’s shops.

Gabby’s Purrfect Dollhouse has also been in high demand and we noticed a surge in sales as soon as our Christmas Toymaster catalogue went out. Pokémon is also still huge for us – in fact, it’s the only range that we sell in both shops, as I think it appeals to both customer bases. Jazwares’ Squishmallows is also still going strong, and I predict that one of the biggest sellers this Christmas will be the Fisher-Price DJ Bouncin’ Beats, which I think has Toy of the Year potential. It’s phenomenal – I remember seeing it at this year’s London Toy Fair and it put a smile on my face.

We have Toymaster branded window displays for this Christmas, as they tie in with the front cover of the Toymaster catalogue. Across the two shops, we now have 105 feet of window frontage so there’s a lot to fill. Lego has provided some display assets, so we have a very nice display.

I am confident we will have a good Christmas trading period. Here in Jersey, we are a little more fortunate than the UK as our energy costs haven’t increased much and although fuel has, we don’t use much being on a small island. A lot of people in Jersey earn high incomes, so we aren’t feeling the pinch as much as many other places. I’m not saying the early part of next year might not be tougher than usual, but we are ok for now.

As always, I think it will be a challenge getting customers through the door after Christmas and if we get a cold spell it will be even harder. Now we have opened the fresh, new Don Street store, the existing shop looks a little tired in comparison, so we will start planning a revamp the for the new year. We already have a few ideas and will implement them after Christmas; then as the year moves on, we will pick a time to empty the shop and make it look as smart as the one next door.

After having such a good 2022, I am equally hopeful that we will have a good year in 2023. You’ve just got to get your new stock in and hope for the best.

Mike Slocombe - Watkin Toys, Taunton

Initially, we ordered as much stock in for Christmas as we felt we would need and we’re now topping that up little and often. It’s difficult to predict how sales will develop, and we’re hoping there will be more stock available from suppliers if we need to reorder again.

Being a Toymaster member certainly helps, and we were thankful to have received the 25 years award last month, so thank you to ToyMaster for that. It’s nice to be recognised in this way, although we are now actually celebrating 28 years - we missed the anniversary at the time because of the pandemic.

There has definitely been a change in consumer spending these last few months. Most customers who come into the shop are spending relatively low amounts, although some do spend more and tell us that’s another Christmas present sorted. The pattern of consumer behaviour isn’t the same as it usually is at this time of year – we’re still finding that a lot of people are ‘just looking’.

In all my 60 years of trading, I have honestly never witnessed consumer caution like I’m seeing at the moment. Normally, families come in with the children, who look to see what they might like for Christmas and within minutes of the family leaving the store, one of the parents is back in to buy the items. That is happening less often this year.

A lot of retired people live in the area though, and they are still spending on toys - obviously buying for their grandchildren. Maybe the parents who come in and let the children look around are then reporting back what the children are after. Hopefully the grandparents will be responsible for buying the gifts.

We had a very busy half term with lots of footfall, but sales didn’t quite match what we would expect. We also had a lot of holiday makers who were coming in for a good look round. Lego is still selling well, but usually I can rely on steady sales from ranges like Playmobil and Sylvanian Families too. But at the moment, sales on these classic bread and butter lines have noticeably dipped.

However, it’s certainly not all doom and gloom - I am nearly 80 years old and I’m still trading! We are grateful to those customers who are choosing to come into the shop and spend their hard-earned cash. Here in the West Country, people are being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, it’s not as affluent as everyone perhaps thinks.

I have spoken to several other toy shop owners over the last week or so and we all seem to be in the same boat – quiet but hoping business will pick up soon. We will just have to see how things pan out, but I am hopeful people will be back in to buy what the children are after for Christmas.

Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

Tidings of comfort and toys

WWe are well into November trade as we write this, and everything seems to be encouraging so far. October finished strongly with a good half term week; early November has held up well against strong figures from 2022. Last year, the figures did tail off towards the end of the month and into December, as the Omicron Covid variant hit footfall. So, we are hopeful that this time round, the final few weeks of the year will be better.

The lines contributing to our strong sales performance will come as no surprise to most of you out there – Pokémon TCG, Squishmallows, Lego and clearance lines have made up the bulk of sales. There are a couple of current lines that are selling particularly well, two of them in the Dream Toys list: Gabby’s Dollhouse from Spin Master, and Character’s Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters. And we’ve also seen strong demand for the Queen Elizabeth Ty Beanie Baby, Paddington Bear and stretchy Mr Bean.

A line that always sells well at Christmas every year is Fart Ninjas from Funrise, and we’ve seen lots of additional sales from lower priced pick-up lines including (don’t laugh), clearance Push Poppers (thanks One for Fun), Fidget Spinners and Loom Bands. Apart from that, there is no one line that is really standing out this year, although with the cost of living impacting everyone’s finances, the big box value lines are really starting to move.

Our bricks and mortar business is now fully back after Covid, and it does feel like footfall has finally returned to levels matching those before the pandemic. Our online business is performing well too, and sales are growing, despite all the Royal Mail strikes. This gives us a nice mix between different channels, and means we have different options to move stock – for example, something that has had sluggish sales in the store can often sell a lot better online.

As if we did not have enough going on, we continue to invest in our business. We made the decision to relocate our Horsham branch into a larger shop in a prime location. It was always going to be tight to complete everything and open in November, but we managed to move over all the stock and remerchandise the new store in just five days. Although we are biased, we think the new store looks great. It had a fantastic opening weekend, and the customer feedback has been very positive.

As mentioned in previous articles, our main focus remains on stock control and trying to manage it effectively going into the new year. A big part of that is our Black Friday sale, which started a week before Black Friday itself. Thanks to the many good offers coming from suppliers, as they too look to clear down stock levels, we picked up some great deals. We’re also thinking ahead and planning to feature more of these lines in our January sale, which is the next key event.

We are trying to stay positive with everything going on, but do expect the first quarter of 2023 to be quite challenging, with people’s budgets being squeezed over the winter. We are managing our stocks for the first quarter very carefully to leave us in as strong a position as possible.

We are also already starting to plan our Toy Fair diary for January. We have our lunches booked and cannot wait to get back into seeing new product, especially Mark, who missed this year’s show due to an incident with a ladder.

Fingers crossed that when you read this, England will still be in the World Cup. It will be interesting to see if it will have much impact on trade at all – we’ve never had a winter tournament before. However, Stephen’s happy as it means Arsenal are top of the league for at least six weeks.

Happy trading everyone, and Merry Christmas to you all!

Mark

Adding value at Tesco

In September, The Entertainer announced it had forged a new trial partnership with Tesco which would see the specialist toy retailer’s expertise and merchandising leveraged in a selection of Tesco’s aisles in time for the peak Christmas shopping season. As the speedy roll-out of all 35 branded concessions reached its final days, Toy World publisher

Baulch and editor Rachael Simpson-Jones paid The Entertainer’s founder and executive chairman

Grant and CEO

Campbell a visit to find out more

Following a whistle-stop tour of The Entertainer’s impressive Amersham offices, John, Rachael, Gary and Mark got down to business – coffee, and a discussion on the nature of normality within the retail channel. Retailers, suppliers and consumers alike are all living in the time of the New Normal: the internet

has changed the face of shopping forever, and the costof-living crisis has changed consumer’s approach to spending, at very least in the short term.

Coming into 2022, Gary tells us, he anticipated a more ‘stable and consistent’ year, the word ‘normal’ no longer being part of his lexicon. Expectations for the period largely hinged on prevailing economic

factors: ultimately, container prices haven’t fallen fast enough to offset the rising cost of raw materials and the impact of a devalued pound. The unusually packed 2022 film slate gave the Entertainer’s buying team much to look forward to, with properties such as Jurassic World living up to their promise in terms of toy sales, and while online sales have fallen slightly compared to 2020 – in large part due to the ability to enjoy an in-store toy shopping experience once more - they nonetheless remain higher than they were in 2019. However, the return to pre-pandemic everyday life glimpsed in the early part of the year has subsequently been derailed by economic turbulence and soaring prices on just about everything. The result, Gary explains, is a softer start to Q4 than hoped, though there are silver linings.

“I would imagine a percentage of our customers no longer have much in the way of disposable income or are even underwater in the face of their household bills, and unfortunately, that means that for those people, toys are now a luxury,” Gary tells us. “Web

John

Gary

Mark

Gary Grant

Mark Campbell

Special Feature

sales are holding up extraordinarily well though: we’re seeing fewer transactions, but more than twice as many items in each basket.” Mark adds that a number of very strong Saturday performances from The Entertainer’s physical stores, combined with excellent online business, indicate that Christmas started early again this year, perhaps driven, in part, by parents wanting to secure their kids’ presents before October’s big rise in energy bills really started to make itself felt.

Of course, The Entertainer’s new concession deal with Tesco offers consumers a new way to get their hands on top toys for Christmas. The partnership between the toy retailer and the major UK supermarket chain has seen a trial launch take place in 35 stores across the UK. The Entertainer will retain full oversight of product range, pricing and merchandising across the stores, and will run free-ofcharge and all-year-round events, plus character visits for children of all ages. At the time of our interview, the concessions were in place in 34 stores, and the 35th was being finalised – and Mark and Gary told us the rollout had got off to a superb start.

Many of us can relate to buying things at the supermarket that weren’t on our lists, and as we get closer to Christmas it makes sense that Tesco shoppers will head to the tills with toys and games they didn’t set out to buy - but couldn’t resist picking up from The Entertainer’s impressive concessions.

“Tesco is an absolute delight to work with, and our values and culture are very similar,” enthused Gary. “The Tesco store managers have really embraced our

taking place.”

The installation of the concessions has taken just three weeks, allowing the toy specialist to get ahead of the peak festive buying season by completing its branded aisles and placing promotional items in Tesco’s ‘power aisles’ bang on schedule.

Under the terms of the deal, The Entertainer will be using its own trucks to handle distribution of toys to the 35 Tesco stores. This means it’s not having to jostle for hard-won space on food lorries, a move Gary is calling his ‘secret weapon’. The Entertainer will also be responsible for stock, merchandising and pricing, plus customer service and advice: it’s not just toys the retailer is placing into Tesco’s aisles, but its own knowledge and expertise in the form of highly trained team members. Another major benefit for Tesco is the fact The Entertainer is more loosely planogrammed by comparison. This means out of stock lines can be swiftly filled with other toys and games, plugging what would otherwise be a noticeable gap on the shelf.

“When The Entertainer talks about partnerships, it does so knowing what the word means and what it stands for,” he elaborates. “We are keen for this to be a success for Tesco, because if it’s good for them, it’s good for us. Standards in store have to be high and the experience has to be memorable. We’ve got a limited amount of space and we’ve got to work it as hard as we can. Three weeks in, we’re already critiquing the ranges, swapping out anything that’s not performing to expectations and quickly bringing in other lines that we believe could sell through more strongly.

format. Anything designed to be hung falls over easily on-shelf. It’s all being assessed and monitored, day in, day out.”

Amersham’s Tesco Superstore is one of the 35 stores taking part in the trial, ostensibly because it’s so close to The Entertainer’s base of operations. So close, in fact, Gary likes to pop in on his lunch breaks to neaten the shelves and assess stock levels – and even help customers decide what toys to buy in what might be one of the most amusing undercover personal shopper services Toy World has ever come across. After the sitdown part of our interview, Gary headed down to the Amersham store - with John and Rachael in tow - to show off The Entertainer’s concession. What we saw was an immaculately arranged, well-stocked and eyecatching two aisles of toys and games, from pocket money and arts & crafts to interactive plush and big play sets. We also saw Gary in action, returning toys moved by consumers to their correct places and shelf wobblers to their 90-degree angles.

Gary is obviously not the only one taking such pride in The Entertainer’s Tesco concessions. Store managers from those Entertainer locations closest to trial Tesco stores have been awarded the concessions to oversee as a kind of pet project, giving them a sense of ownership over the trial.

For now, though, it’s all eyes on the next few weeks: increasing the density of Tesco’s toy sales, expanding the range of toys on offer, and improving the customer experience in-store to ensure this Christmas produces the supermarket’s best ever Toy

LeapFrog’s new Magic Adventures Microscope offers children aged 5+ the chance to make new discoveries, enjoy tiny worlds, and explore the microscopic environment around them. Officially launched by TV presenter and nature lover Naomi Wilkinson at The Science Museum, London, the real, working microscope, with its 2.4'' LCD viewing screen, is brought to life with stunning BBC content on nine double-sided Smart Slides. These are written by science educators, featuring 18 categories, games and audio that are educational and fun.

These tiny worlds offer huge discoveries in an immersive and educational way that’s fun for the whole family. Children can also explore and prepare their own samples with the 50x-200x magnification, using the included blank slides and tray.

Young biologists can zoom in on flowers, animals, food, minerals and more using the nine double-sided smart slides that activate over 240 amazing BBC videos and images. They are able to save 100 pictures of their own discoveries, play four action packed adventure games to feed and heal microorganisms and defend them from micro-invaders across 24 exciting levels, and take on a knowledge test with the What’s This? quiz game.

Chou Chou Zapf Creation

0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com

Zapf Creation is launching its new doll brand, Chou Chou, just in time for Christmas. The new dolls offer a fun twist on classic doll style and are designed to encourage nurturing doll play among children aged two and over.

With adorable big eyes that ‘bobble’ when the dolls are moved around and colourful hair, the three Chou Chou dolls have an array of features that little ones will find engaging. There are three dolls to choose from – Robin, Luka or Mika – all of which come dressed in a bright, colourful outfit. Each doll also features over 25 hilarious sounds that children will be giggling along to this festive season. Thanks to their moveable heads, arms and legs, the Chou Chou dolls can sit and stand on their own. The included bottle and dummy activate sucking sounds when put to each doll’s mouth. The dolls come in Zapf Creation’s plasticfree packaging, which forms part of the company’s commitment to reducing waste in the face of growing demand from parents and children for more sustainable options in the toy market.

The new brand is being supported by heavyweight TV and YouTube campaigns aimed at children and over-the shoulder viewers which have run throughout November and continue into December. Influencer and social campaigns will bolster the media investment and showcase the fun features to parents and gift givers alike.

SmartGames’ latest game, Peek-A-Zoo is an I Spy game for toddlers to explore where their favourite animals are hiding.

The new game is designed for for pre-schoolers aged two plus to practise language skills, learn about colours, discover animals and develop their understanding of concepts such as above, below, inside and outside. The game is made of high quality, durable cardboard and is easily packed away to store and take along you wherever the child goes.

With multiple play options, little ones can follow the picture challenges and try to stack the right cubes as shown on the challenge card to spy the animals, or let their imagination run wild while they stack and play. Either way, little ones will love playing peekaboo with the cheeky giraffe, fabulous flamingo and cute lion as they stack the different sized blocks. The game includes five cardboard blocks, one cardboard lid and 48 picture cards.

As always with SmartGames, challenges range from easy to difficult and will entertain for hours. Peek-A-Zoo stimulates many different cognitive skills, including concentration, language, logic, problem solving and spatial insight.

In 2023 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

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.

The business magazine with a passion for toys

Willkommen zurück!

After

AAccording to its organisers, Spielwarenmesse eG, the 72nd iteration of Spielwarenmesse is the place to be for the international industry at the start of 2023. Taking place from 1st-5th February at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center, the show will let retailers discover a multitude of trends and innovations for the new year. Both the industry and the organisers are said to be ‘delighted’ to return to the physical fair and its live events after two years away, while the associated new online platform, Spielwarenmesse Digital, will continue to support the event by providing valuable additional services.

Announced by a rousing marching band that promises to blow away the cobwebs at 8.55am on 31st January – the day before the show officially opens - PressPreview returns to Spielwarenmesse in 2023, this year with a particular focus on start-ups and young businesses. Participants will be afforded the opportunity to give presentations about their companies and product ranges to an engaged audience on the hunt for new products. Exhibitors will be able to attract media attention by bringing their products to life at their own stands with street theatre acts, demos and celebrity appearances. This will give journalists, bloggers, influencers and YouTubers from around the world a unique overview of the depth and breadth of products and trends on display at the 72nd Spielwarenmesse. Alongside well-known exhibitors and brands, particular attention will be placed on young businesses, as newcomers and start-ups present their innovations alongside one another in a compact space all of their own.

A broad supporting programme will bolster what’s on show, a highlight of which will be the presentation

of the 2023 ToyAwards. The internationally recognised ToyAwards are presented annually to the best new products in a total of six categories: Baby & Infant, PreSchool, SchoolKids, Teenager & Adults, Startup and Sustainability. The selection is made by an international jury of experts, who base their decisions on how fun the toys are to play with, their originality and the potential for success at retail. The ToyAward winners will be announced at 11:30am in the Sydney Hall. Ahead of this, press representatives be given the opportunity to take a closer look at the three products nominated in each of the six categories.

Other PressPreview day highlights include the original Spielwarenmesse Selfie-Spot and a ToyCocktail competition, which for the first time will be taking place as part of the PressPreview. Nuremberg bartenders will be mixing their creations in person, from which three winners will be selected.

Once the show gets officially underway, visitors will be able to peruse a selection of manufacturers across 13 distinct product groups: Lifestyle Products (with its strong focus on licensing); Dolls and Soft Toys; Baby and Infant; Wooden Toys and Toys made from Natural Materials (an ongoing strong focus among consumers); School, Stationery and Creative Design; Technical Toys, Educational Toys and Action Toys; Electronic Toys; Model Railways and Model Construction; Sports, Leisure and Outdoor; Festive, Carnival and Fireworks; Games, Books, Learning and Experimenting; Services for Trade and Industry and the Multi-Product Group.

Perhaps the biggest departure from the norm at the 2023 show is the fact the organisers have taken the unprecedented decision to open part of the show to consumers next year. While the whole Nuremberg Toy Fair will run as usual from 1st-5th February, consumers

will be given special access to the Model Railways and Model Construction Hall 7A over the weekend of 4th-5th February. Christian Ulrich, spokesperson of the Executive Board of Spielwarenmesse eG, says the move is in accordance with the ‘long-held wishes of exhibitors from this sector of the market’. The decision has generated a lot of discussion and will certainly be something to keep an eye on.

Another first, the Game Inventors Convention will be taking place in Nuremberg on 3rd February 2023, bringing games inventors together with developers from both national and international publishing houses in Hall 11.1. From 9am-6pm, games inventors will be able to present their prototypes to experienced games developers on individual tables. Tom Werneck, founder of the International Game Inventors’ Fair and chair of the Board of the Bavarian Games Archive, and his colleague, Christian Fürst-Brunner, will join the Spielwarenmesse team to make up a panel of experienced game and trade fair professionals to offer advice and support. The day will end a joint networking party for the games sector taking place from 6-9pm. The DuAli award will be awarded as part of the gathering: this will be presented by the Nurembergbased Ali Baba Games Club for the best two-person game.

In October, the Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee, on which Toy World’s own publisher John Baulch sits, announced the three trends it believes will drive toy sales next year: Discover!, Brands for Fans and MetaToys. The Discover! trend revolves around the opening up of new worlds and themes, encouraging children to explore other countries, cultures and languages, the wonder of nature or unknown galaxies. The focus of the second trend, Brands for Fans, is

licences and retro products, while innovative approaches and technologies for play are the focus of the MetaToys trend. The redesigned ToyTrends experience covers some 400m² in Hall 3A, where relevant products will be available to assess and try out.

Special themed areas will also help visitors to Spielwarenmesse 2023 make the most of their time at the international trade fair. Hall 2 places sustainability in the spotlight under the title Toys Go Green, with eco-friendly toys and further information displayed on four on-topic islands. Made by Nature, Inspired by Nature and Recycle & Create each focus on specific materials, while Discover Sustainability explains environment and climate issues through play, with added educational value. The Tech2Play interactive action area in Hall 4A, meanwhile, will once again highlight innovations in Robotic Toys, RC Toys, Virtual Play and Electronic Learning.

Alongside innovations and new ideas, knowledgesharing is a core tenet of Spielwarenmesse. At the Toy Business Forum, which also takes place in Hall 3A, carefully chosen experts will present on topical industry and retail subjects such as trends in retail and toys, digitalisation, sustainability and diversity. The presentations will take place between 1-3 pm on each day of the fair, and real-time translation will be available for all attendees. The presentations will also be shown on the Spielwarenmesse Digital business platform. From Wednesday to Saturday in the Toy Business Forum, the final event of each day will be the Trends presentations containing further information on the 2023 ToyTrends. LicenseTalks will also take place each morning from Wednesday to Saturday: these cover the latest trends in licensing, valuable examples of best practice and tips for newcomers to the licensing landscape.

Over the next pages, we present the first raft of exhibitors who have chosen to highlight what will be on show to the readers of Toy World. Look out for the second part of our Spielwarenmesse preview, which will be published in the bumper January issue.

Sambro International

products such as Love & Hugs, Felties and Puzzle Palz.

Sambro works closely with top licensors; Disney, Paramount, Hasbro and Mattel, and offers extensive ranges in the categories of plush, arts & crafts, creative, cosmetic & pamper, novelty and outdoor toys, plus pre-school games.

Joining Disney in celebrating its 100th year, Sambro has even more Disney-inspired new product development, including an exciting seasonal range of super soft, feature and collectible Disney plush. Working collaboratively with Disney, Sambro has created a uniquely styled collectible character range for autumn/winter 23.

2023 sees the release of the new Barbie movie and following the success of the new Monster High movie and animated TV series, Sambro is developing a cosmetic and fashion-inspired range to celebrate these iconic brands.

Peppa Pig plush remains hugely popular and Sambro is adding to its EU range with adorable and fun seasonal plush. The Peppa Pig Arts & Crafts range has been refreshed with new additions to the awardwinning Felties range, including hero product the Felties Peppa Pig Wash Station. This playground themed set includes a see-saw, roundabout and wash area for Peppa Pig to bathe, ready for her next Felties design.

Sambro’s licensing relationship with Hasbro grows stronger with the addition of My Little Pony, with an inspired offering of Doodle Plush, Paint Your Own creative toys and collectibles Puzzle Palz and Bops N Tops, all set to launch in 2023. With the new EarthSpark series and film release, Sambro is developing new Transformers lines in the novelty collectibles and plush categories too.

Sambro’s own IP range, Love & Hugs, continues to go from strength to strength with new branding based on commissioned focus group research, and new range additions such as the Bath Bomb Creator, Super Soapers Soap Maker and Fashion Links Bracelet Maker.

With Sambro’s ethical and sustainability manager, Lisa Longley, at the helm, Sambro’s ESG commitments continue to grow within the business, with a move to have 100% recycled filling in its plush ranges, including Disney, Hello Kitty and Teletubbies, plus many other sustainability-led initiatives.

Buyers can hear more about all the new launches and ambitions for 2023 at the Sambro stand and are invited to make an appointment on the contact details above.

Feature Nuremberg Preview

Connetix

www.connetixtiles.com | wholesale@connetixtiles.com

Connetix is an Australian family-owned business creating award-winning, STEAM accredited magnetic tiles designed to spark creativity and imaginations. Having launched in June 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic, Connetix is attending Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg for the first time.

Founded by a masters qualified early childhood educator and an entrepreneur with a background in engineering, Connetix is bringing to market a range of unique, high quality magnetic tiles. Made from nontoxic ABS plastic that is free from BPA, lead and phthalates, Connetix tiles are internationally safety rated and are manufactured with ultrasonic welding and rivets to make magnetic tile play safer for little hands. The unique bevel design provides added durability and clearer refractions, making Connetix is a toy in which play and learning connect.

Visitors can expect the Connetix stand to be full of vibrant colours, hands-on interactions and even some Aussie icons. An immersive sensory experience will be on offer as the team exhibits its innovative designs, including the signature Pastel Range, best-selling Ball Run Packs containing clear fluted tubes and specialty pieces, along with the distinctive car bases (with real rubber wheels) and the full range of geometric shapes such as large hexagons. These displays will let attendees experience first-hand the magic of open-ended toys and gain an understanding of how Connetix supports children as they learn through play. Connetix Play Experts will also be available to share insight into the rich learning and development opportunities Connetix play promotes.

From the beginning, the company has always been guided by its aim to be a high quality, respected brand that works in partnership with both consumers and retailers. This involves providing high quality toys that the whole family can enjoy, delivering quality customer service and cultivating valuable partnerships with retailers. Surpassing expectations in these areas has seen Connetix amass a loyal customer and retailer base, along with a significant organic following on social media.

The company’s innovative ideas and product ranges have garnered global recognition, resulting in the brand receiving nominations and several coveted awards in the toy industry. These include a recent nomination for Toy of the Year in the STEAM category at the 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Market in Dallas and being named Educational/STEAM Product of the Year by the Australian Toy Association in 2022.

Connetix tiles not only spark creativity and imagination: they also provide opportunity for children to discover STEAM learning principles in an interactive way. Connetix creates and offers free resources, blogs by educational experts and video tutorials through its website, Pinterest and YouTube channels.

The team is looking forward to showing Spielwarenmesse attendees its uniquely beveled magnetic tiles in three beautiful colour ranges - vibrant rainbow, earthy pastel and clear. Visitors to the stand will find be able to see and feel why the company’s award-winning magnetic tiles are stocked with quality retailers in over 61 countries.

STRONGER MAGNETS FOOD GRADE NON-TOXIC

Company Profile

Sports goods and outdoor toy company Hy-Pro International is looking to stake a major claim in the scooter market for young children by marrying up two of its well-known IPs.

The Zinc Flyte scooter brings together the Zinc and Flyte brands for the first time ever, creating a premium quality three-wheeled scooter that not only demonstrates tremendous value and is built to last, but also addresses one of the fundamental aspects of functionality. The new scooter, which launches at Nuremberg Toy Fair, was born out of a crucial observation that kids were working too hard to push/ kick scooters and weren’t really enjoying themselves. So, Hy-Pro spent two years dedicating resources into R&D to develop Zinc Flyte.

“Many kids you see are pushing but not really scooting, so we wanted to change this,” explains chief operating officer Chirag Shah. “Our brand mission is to teach children the life skills of mobility and motion. Too much pushing can lead to a muscle imbalance.”

Acknowledging that there is already a big competitor at the younger end of the scooter market, Chirag says what sets the Zinc Flyte apart is that everything has been ergonomically designed and considered. The scooter’s innovative features include comfortable silicone grips, which provide a much better grip for little ones’ hands compared to standard grips. The handles also feature embossed patterns that don’t compromise the feel or the vibrations kids usually get when scootering on uneven pavements and cobbled streets.

The handlebars, which lean back slightly, provide kids with the optimum scooting posture, meaning they are more stable - which also means they need less energy to glide. As a result, riders quickly become more confident and experienced. The lightweight scooter folds up for convenience and Chirag says the scooters’ wheels are also five times stronger and brighter than

its rivals, with leading class bearings which deliver a silky-smooth gliding experience. Importantly, the new scooter is a robust, high quality product which can be passed on to future generations.

“Getting value for money, and something that will last, is more important than ever given the current economic challenges many families are facing,” says Chirag. “The scooter not only has to show value and practicality, but also that there has been a diligent thought process behind it. We knew there had to be an alternative to our main competitor – it was ridiculous that one company was dominating the market.”

The scooter’s deck is wider and longer than others on the market, making it more stable, and the aluminium frame features a sleek, stylish look. It is easy to turn thanks to its tilting mechanism and is available in five different colours. All the components are made by Hy-Pro, so the company has complete control over the build quality, and the scooters are rigorously tested in the most extreme conditions. They are exposed to temperatures of -20C to +60C and go through many other rigorous tests; if left outside they will not suffer weather damage

The Zinc Flyte scooter is suitable for younger toddlers, thanks to a parent handle and a special seat which attaches to the scooter for the child to sit on, enabling them to hold the handlebars and get used to being on a scooter. There is a button which can be pressed to limit the scooter steering - children tend to be over enthusiastic the first few times. However, once the child learns how to navigate, they can progress on to steering it for themselves. “Our aim is that if they learn how to steer at a very young age, they will go on to become a responsible driver,” explains Chirag.

The scooter will be available in two versions, with or without the seat which also features a storage drawer underneath. Hy-Pro has deliberately kept the

handlebars from being raised too high, as the company acknowledges that children will not want to ride a three-wheeled scooter as they get older and will prefer to move onto a different model. “To have the right height of the scooter is important. not too big and not too small,” explains Chirag. “Once the child has outgrown it, they can move onto a big wheel scooter.”

Chirag says the new Zinc Flyte scooter reflects HyPro’s company ethos of making sure that every child in the world has the opportunity to at least try a sport. “We have always focused on that, whether it be a football or a scooter,” he states.

Hy-Pro’s Zinc range has been developed over the years to include stunt scooters and electric scooters and the company now plans to grow the Zinc brand outside of the UK. “Our mission is to be Europe’s number one brand in the next three years,” enthuses Chirag. “Two key areas for business growth are the US and France, and we have already recruited people in the US to start distributing the Zinc Flyte scooter. We will promote it through the product differentiation it offers.”

Meanwhile, Hy-Pro’s commercial plan is to double the business with electric mobility for children and adults, with the aim of opening doors in the international market and investing in the right talent and capabilities. It also wants to create a brand attachment for Flyte, its range of scooter suitcases.

There are plans to ‘rebirth’ the Zinc Street Gliders clip-on skate range and expand the Flyte range of scooter suitcases, which have proved very successful since they were launched five years ago. Hy-Pro is looking at ways it can use content to drive sales for these. “We would like to create a YouTube channel, based on the characters, so kids can associate themselves more with the Flyte brand,” explains Chirag. “There’s a lot happening at Hy-Pro at the moment, and we are excited to share our developments as and when they happen.”

Hy-Pro International COO Chirag Shah tells Sam Giltrow about the new Zinc Flyte scooter and why the company is confident that it will revolutionise the scooting experience for young children.

Character Options

0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.com sales@charactergroup.plc.uk

Character Options’ Spielwarenmesse stand promises to be a hive of activity, with a range of products that ticks the boxes for all play patterns. Remaining key to the portfolio in 2023 is the Heroes of Goo Jit Zu collection, which will benefit from continued investment and new themes to drive collectability. The latest series are Goo Jit Zu Glow Shifters and Goo Jit Zu Deep Goo Sea. With Glow Shifters, kids crush their characters’ hidden core to activate glow-in-the-dark gootransformation. The Goo Jit Zu Deep Goo Sea series, meanwhile, introduces new creatures and features to the range, including gooey sea life and the ultimate ruler of the Goo, King Hydra, with a 3-in-1 goo power. There are six new Deep Goo Sea Heroes to collect in the range, each with a unique goo filling and head feature to discover.

Spring will bring with it new food-themed play sets from Millie & Friends Mouse in the House. Supported by YouTube webisodes narrated by Helen Flanagan, this toy collection that lets children transform their skirting boards as they bring to life the tiny town of Mouseville. Standout Q1 lines include the baby bottle shaped Little Paws Nursery and the Supa Scoops Ice Cream Van. The latter has a two-scoop tub on the back that flips open to create a 50s style parlour.

Visitors to the show will also be able to view the latest fruit inspired ChillFactor Slushy Maker series. Set to be the focus of a new TVC for the brand in the spring, there are five styles to collect, including green and red Watermelon Crush, pink and purple Berry Burst, and the bright blue Blueberry Bonanza. Brightly coloured inners make this series extra special. This Slushy Maker range joins an existing line-up of ChillFactor play sets: the ChillFactor Smoothie Maker, the ChillFactor Ice Cream Maker and the ChillFactor 3-in-1 Fruit Factory, which creates a variety of drinks and ice lollies.

Character Options’ spring/summer collection will be supported with substantial PR and marketing campaigns for 2023.

Toynamics Europe

0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.com | sales@toynamics.co.uk

Toynamics Europe will be unveiling launches spanning its entire brand portfolio at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair. With hundreds of toy products to choose from, at multiple price points and for all ages, Toynamics offers a one stop shop for retailers.

Alongside high quality, the key message from Toynamics is sustainability. This focus is reflected in the materials used to produce the company’s sustainable toys. Across all product categories, supporting stories explain to consumers why and how the products are sustainable to aid purchasing decisions and improve knowledge. For example, Korko is a new environmentally friendly toy range made from cork, one of the most sustainable materials around.

Toynamics’ strength as a multi-brand distributor lies in the exceptional variety of product categories and the innovation of its products. The company’s portfolio of over 1,200 items combines classic toys with innovative new products for children of all ages as well as parents. As a manufacturer, Toynamics offer unparalleled expertise with a global network of different services to support its partners.

Toynamics will also be showcasing the breadth of the Hape range, including its sustainable wooden toys. Categories include baby toys, music, educational, walkers, puzzles, railway, kitchen, outdoor toys, arts & crafts and more. In addition, the best-selling Baby Einstein collection will be on display.

Other brands in the Toynamics Europe portfolio include 4M, barrutoys, beleduc, DinsoArt, Eurekakids, EzyRoller, Globber, J’adore Paris, Kathe Kruse, Kruselings, nanoblock, Nebulous Stars, plum, PolyM, Senger, Sento Sphere, Skip Hop, Timio and - new for 2023 - AmbossToys.

Creator of natural, educational children’s toys for over 50 years, Guidecraft emphasizes 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 2023 product launch, Guidecraft has added an expansive collection of toys made from ultraresilient, translucent plastics. All part of the Discovery line, the collection includes stacking toys in various shapes, sets of people-shaped pieces and a group of vibrant arches and tunnels. Each set of beautifully coloured toys brings light play to life, enhances traditional block play and engages children’s senses and imaginations, inspiring both simple and complex builds.

Children aged two years and up can explore relationships in balance, perpendicular and parallel forms and organic geometry using the arched or house-shaped Discovery Stackers – an upgraded version of a classic nesting toy. Each five-piece set includes nesting shapes in either a gradated, nature-inspired colour scheme or a vibrant spectrum of rainbow colours. Sets includes double-sided inspiration cards complete with ideas for play, relevant vocabulary and beautiful imagery.

In the Discovery People sets, simplified people shapes seamlessly complement the rest of the Discovery collection while enhancing block play setups with an element of dramatic play. Also designed for children aged two years and up, the 16-piece sets are available in a gradated rainbow colour scheme or nature-based colours that coordinate with indoor and outdoor activities. Each set includes eight short figures and eight taller figures.

Discovery Rainbow Arches and Tunnels for children aged two years and up share the rugged construction and vibrant colour scheme of the rest of the Discovery collection launching in 2023. This 10-piece set of oversized arched pieces provides children with new opportunities for light and sensory exploration as they build and create, both indoors and outdoors.

Simba Smoby Toys UK

01620 674 778 | www.simba-dickie-group.de/en | sales@sisotoysuk.com

The Simba Smoby Toys UK team will be on the Simba Dickie Group stand at the Spielwarenmesse offering a first look at the company’s 2023 ranges, which include Street Fighter Deluxe Collector Figures from Jada Toys, the latest from the Smoby collection and new Steffi Love dolls.

Street Fighter, the iconic Japanese game that first launched in 1987, has amassed generations of fans along the way. With Street Fighter 6 launching in 2023, Jada Toys is marking the occasion by introducing three brand new 6-inch Street Fighter Deluxe Collector Figures. The Ryu, Chun-Li and Fei Long action figures come boxed in premium arcade game styled packaging with each character featuring 20 points of articulation and coming with an alternate head and hands, as well as accessories.

The Smoby brand includes playhouses, ride-ons, activity toys and more and its everpopular Smoby slides are perfect for children aged three years plus. This year, there’s a colour change across the range which has been designed to appeal to the modern family. Families can give their gardens a makeover with a new slide that complements the Smoby playhouse colour palette.

Adding to this refreshed offering and an already extensive portfolio of playhouses, pretend play kitchens, DIY workbenches, ride-ons and more is a quirky new addition to the Smoby portfolio: the Smoby Cluck Cluck Cottage Chicken House, which combines the beauty of Smoby toys with an entirely different functionality, providing families with a purpose-built, raised living space for keeping up to five hens. It has four doors, a locking system, roof guttering and a downpipe to the drinking container.

Visitors to the stand will also be offered a glimpse at the latest on-trend dolls in the Steffi Love collection. Sticking to relatable, authentic themes and proven play patterns, Steffi Love Hula Hoop Doll sees a sporty Steffi do the hula, thanks to her mechanical function, while the Steffi Love Welcome Baby offers children an insight into motherhood as the pregnant doll’s belly opens up to reveal a baby.

MGA Entertainment

0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com

MGA Entertainment will be showcasing the newest launches from its category leading brands L.O.L. Surprise!, Rainbow High and Little Tikes.

020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk sales@flairplc.co.uk

From a licensed pre-school collection to an educational baby doll collection, retailers and buyers can view the latest Flair GP lines at the Giochi Preziosi Nuremberg stand.

Having signed a Master Toy deal for the animated CBeebies series Pinocchio and Friends, Flair GP will showcase its innovative launch collection at the Spielwarenmesse. Central to the range is the House of Wonder, which is based on Geppetto‘s Shop of Wonders – the hive of adventure in the show. The playset features a working light, moveable bucket and comes with multiple accessories and stickers. The Stretch the Truth Pinocchio Doll is key to the line-up; his nose magically grows when Pinocchio ‘tells a lie’ and is spoken to loudly, then his cheek must be stroked to return his nose to normal. Also in the Pinocchio and Friends collection, articulated mini figures, plush toys and other magical playsets bring the show to life.

The Nenuco baby doll universe has been loved by European families since 1977 and in 2023, the brand will come to the UK, supported by heavy investment. Renowned for its super-realistic, high-quality designs, Nenuco is suitable for ages 10 months to seven years to role play every nurturing moment. Children can teach Nenuco Swimmer to swim on her back and front, with the help of her float. She comes dressed in a swimsuit, swim cap and goggles. The Nenuco 5 Functions Doll is one of the most realistic babies in the range; she says ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’, she laughs, she sucks her dummy and cries when her dummy is taken away. In the diverse Nenucos of the World collection there are four dolls of different ethnicities to collect: Caucasian, Asiatic, Latin American and African. All dolls drink and wet, and each comes dressed in a machine washable dress and matching hair accessory.

For more information, contact Flair GP on the details above.

Taking centre stage will be L.O.L Surprise! and visitors can expect market-leading innovation with exciting new themes for spring 2023, plus extensions to its best-selling collectible ranges and play sets. New standalone themes for 2023 will include L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets, which enjoyed a hugely successful launch in the US earlier this year, and features characters in sweet-inspired fashions.

Rainbow High will also be on show, featuring brand new characters that are not only reflected in product but also in the animated show on YouTube. Diversity and inclusivity are at the heart of Rainbow High’s brand with each new collection featuring different characters from wide-ranging backgrounds and ethnicities. Series 4. which launched in July 2022, featured two dolls with visible differences (Delilah Fields with albinism and Jewel Ritchie with vitiligo) and the new line for 2023 will build further on this representation.

Rainbow High is also about empowerment and self-expression, with each character having different creative passions and expressing themselves through their style. The S23 lines will continue this theme, not just through new Rainbow High characters, but also through the return of their rivals, Shadow High. In addition, younger versions of Rainbow High characters will continue to make an appearance within the Junior High collection.

Outdoor brand Little Tikes will be showcasing developments to its evergreen hero items such as the ride-on toy Cozy Coupe and its many styles, including Princess Cozy Coupe and Dino Cozy Coupe. Other key products set to make an appearance include the Turtle Sandbox and the Fountain Factory Water Table. Little Tikes will showcase toys for every stage of a child’s development at Spielwarenmesse 2023, teasing what’s to come for the brand in 2023 and beyond.

In addition to these leading brands. MGA will also be exhibiting new never-before-seen brands and buyers are encouraged to visit the stand to find out more.

Ugears

distrib@ugearsmodels.com

Ugears, a Ukrainian manufacturer of wooden mechanical 3D puzzles, will present 20 new models at the Spielwarenmesse international toy fair, one year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

That the company has any presence at all at the show is nothing short of remarkable. After the invasion, a number of employees of the Kyiv-based toy company took up arms, while others sheltered for weeks in bunkers or helped their families either escape abroad or find relative safety within Ukraine. In spring, a Russian missile attack destroyed Ugears’ warehouse near Bucha, turning 500,000 euros worth of wooden toy puzzles to ashes. However, the company’s warehouse in Latvia was able to continue shipping international orders and providing kits to distributors worldwide, meaning that despite everything, Ugears fulfilled its obligations to customers.

Ugears will participate in the fair this coming year for the fourth time. The company’s wooden 3D puzzles are known the world over, with fans in 85 countries across five continents enjoying the outstanding design, quality and movement of these mechanical marvels. Over the past eight years, Ugears has released more than 100 different models powered by rubber bands or metal springs, including cars, trains, ships, musical instruments, and even functional clocks.

In addition to its existing best-selling puzzle kits, Ugears will present 20 new models at Spielwarenmesse, all of which were released in 2022 in the midst of war. Potterheads will love the Ugears Harry Potter collection, which comprises the Hogwarts Express, Flying Ford Anglia and the Advent Calendar with 24 different DIY Harry Potter-themed fidgets and Christmas ornaments to build. Marble track enthusiasts will enjoy the company’s quartet of engaging Ugears Marble Runs, which can either operate as standalone or be connected to form larger, integrated machines. A new war-themed model features a Ukrainian tractor towing a broken Russian tank, while the Age of Bravery collection honours Ukrainian defenders throughout the ages. Perfect for music lovers, the Ugears Team has developed a new functional DIY musical

The company notes that although it’s been a very challenging period, it has managed to move forward and even release a raft of impressive new models. Ugears is always looking for new partners around the world, with the goal of expanding its community and allowing hobbyists everywhere to enjoy its quality puzzles.

Happy Line prides itself on promoting childhood development through innovative play. The family run toy company is looking forward to meeting

New for 2023, Funky Paws is a chunky new collectible range aimed

bedtime friends for many children over the last 12 months. The 2023 range is set to delight retailers and consumers alike as it expands further into new scales and line extensions including Nursery Surprise, a cuddly, cradled version of the original

In addition to this, Happy Line is bringing to market a new line of foam blasters. The range, inspired by digital gaming trends, offer kids something totally new: the alien blaster range in particular is set to impress by offering both role-play elements and the ultimate outdoor fun experience. A new range of water blasters

In addition, the other Happy Line ranges - from fashion dolls to building blocksTo schedule an appointment, contact Daniel Richardson (drichardson@happylinetoys.com), and at

Wilton Bradley

01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com

Wilton Bradley hails Spielwarenmesse as the perfect platform on which to reveal its latest autumn/winter 2023 developments to both existing and future partners. The team will be unveiling a new, larger stand, with expanded exhibition space that will enable the company to present not only the awardwinning lines it is well known for, but innovative new products too.

Wilton Bradley supplies its own brands and products to a broad range of customers and designs, develops and manufactures OEM products for other brand owners. Many of Wilton Bradley products promote active play for all the family. Brands on show will include Xootz, a leading wheeled toy brand, and Playhouse, an outdoor creative play brand, encourage children and families to go out exploring and have fun.

The entire Xootz range delivers the full package with superb specification and features, competitive pricing and multiple awards for products such as the Bumper Car and Bubble Go scooter. An ideal beginner’s scooter, the adjustable aluminium T-bar stem can be raised as kids grow, while super-soft handles and a rear brake ensure they will always be in control. In addition, the tilt-and-turn system makes it easy to manoeuvre whilst maintaining balance. The tri-scooter's stem folds for easy carrying and the front-mounted bubble machine can be removed. Complete with 100ml of bubble solution, the Bubble Go Scooter is the perfect gift for active kids.

The ultimate ride-on for young children, the Xootz Bumper Car drives, dodges, bumps and spins, bringing fairground to the home or garden. Using the two simple joysticks, kids can reach speeds of up to 0.7mph and spin a full 360 degrees. The Bumper Car has an adjustable seatbelt, anti-flat tyres and a rubberised base that offers protection, just like a real bumper car. Complete with two LED sidelights and a light-up back panel, this introduction to the world of electric ride-ons includes a remote control, giving parents the ability to operate the vehicle.

Playhouse, meanwhile, Wilton Bradley’s range of garden play furniture, provides hours of exciting fun for all kids. The addition of the multi awardwinning Water Wall to the range teaches kids about gravity, angles and water flow. Water Wall is packed with limitless combinations for children to enjoy, as they discover a different creation every time they move the pieces. With a multitude of modular accessories included, 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.

Ideal for budding YouTubers, TikTok-ers, Vloggers and more, the company’s Mi-Mic brand combines innovation, technology and hot trends, allowing children to become a pop star or influencer as they create content in their own home. The latest developments for this brand will also be on display.

Wilton Bradley’s portfolio comprises more than 4,000 products distributed in over 40 countries. This depth and breadth of business, as well as continual investment, has enabled the company to trade well despite challenging and volatile times. Wilton Bradley prides itself on being highly flexible and able to adapt quickly, focusing on continuous improvement and sustainability. Product development is at the heart of what Wilton Bradley does, and the company relies on a team of over 200 talented creatives in the UK, Hong Kong and the USA.

Smiffys

0800 590 599 | www.smiffystrade.com

During the two-year Nuremberg hiatus, Smiffys has added more key children’s licences to its portfolio, further strengthening the company’s relationships with toy buyers.

In the pre-school category, Smiffys recently launched the debut collection of costumes and accessories with top Netflix show True and the Rainbow Kingdom. The range includes key character costumes and wigs for True and her friend, Grizelda, along with accessories and seasonal costumes. A full paper partyware range is also now available, which sits perfectly alongside the dress up range, all of which will be showcased at Spielwarenmesse.

Smiffys has also added another top Netflix show, Gigantosaurus, to its portfolio and Spielwarenmesse will be the first opportunity for European customers to view the collection of deluxe dinosaur costumes which will be launched for 2023. Five key characters from the show will be available to preview.

This year has also seen the launch of Smiffys’ dress up collection featuring global toy brand L.O.L Surprise! The first costume from the collection was launched earlier this year with Spice Devil, and the latest additions to the line-up will be unveiled at the show. Characters include the deluxe Unicorn, featuring a multi layered tutu dress and wig headband; the iconic Queen Bee, featuring a striped glitter dress with character icon and matching gold pompom headband; and the fierce but cute Countess Kitty, a pink velour dress with tutu underskirt, sequin bodice and cute car ears. The range is available in ages 4-12 years.

As a distributor for Disguise, Smiffys will be showcasing a selection of key licences from the brand’s portfolio including Disney Princess, Toy Story, Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Squid Games and Stranger Things.

Rubies

08453 070 707 | www.rubiesuk.com

This year, Rubies returns with two stands at Spielwarenmesse. Featuring the newest arrivals including some appointment-only viewings of costumes and accessories, the permanent showcase stand and fair-dedicated retail space are located in Hall 12.2 Stand P24 and Hall 9 Stand D04, respectively.

With all the ranges for 2023 available to view, both stands will offer an exclusive look at new and upcoming products including Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Antman and the Wasp: Quantomania and The Marvels officially licensed costumes and accessories. Rubies will also have new Gabby’s Dollhouse, Transformer and Power Rangers ranges to view.

Rubies will also be presenting its new Black Adam dress-up, which is the company’s latest in a long line of collaborations with DC and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Available in a deluxe edition in both adults and children’s sizing, the costumes feature a musclechest jumpsuit with cape and a highly detailed realistic all-over print, closely mirroring the iconic outfit worn by Dwayne Johnson throughout the film. Rubies will also be presenting new costumes and accessories for two other DC Comics upcoming blockbuster hits, The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

For the wider European market, where Zag’s licences are phenomenally successful, Rubies will be showcasing two new accessory sets from Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and new costumes for Ghostforce. The Miraculous Ladybug Bag Accessory features a handheld bag printed in the iconic red and black polka dot pattern, tikki toy and Miraculous mask, while the Yoyo Accessory Set includes a light-up yoyo and colour change wristlet.

Building on its Barbie range with Mattel, Rubies is introducing two ‘80s retro style Barbie and Ken costumes, so everyone can get dressed up as the most popular couple in the world. Rubies is also strengthening its relationship with Mattel by introducing new Barbie Mermaid and Monster High costume ranges.

Team members from Rubies will be on hand throughout the event to answer any questions regarding the industry and market, as well as providing tips and insight into sales and forecasting.

The new product array from Rubies is supported by marketing plans that include unique and original competitions in partnership with the biggest licences in the industry and social media driven campaigns.

Marvin’s Magic

marvinsmagic.com | trade@marvinsmagic.co.uk

Spanning more than three decades, Marvin's Magic has presented an award-winning range of Professional Magic Made Easy and is proud to have more tricks up its sleeve than ever before. The Magic Made Easy range introduces magicians as young as five years old to the world of magic and is great for boosting youngsters’ confidence, self-esteem and communication skills. This year, Marvin’s Magic will further add to this range with the introduction of Marvin's Magic Dress Up & Play, launching spring/summer 2023. A magician's costume with special magic props has been designed to inspire young imaginations from ages five plus. Presented in a magician's carry case for magic on the move, it includes a plush Magic Hat, Magician's Waistcoat and Cape, Glow in the Dark Magic Wand, Magic Colouring Book, Interactive Augmented Reality Bunny and more.

Marvin's Magic Illuminating Wand is another new addition launching summer 2023, which will light up any performance and includes 15 easy to perform tricks for ages six plus. The wand is ideal to pair with the Marvin's Magic Lights from Anywhere to take magic illusions to a new level.

An expanding range this year is Marvin's Amazing Magic ArtXtrA, which delivers unique art and craft products with that extra touch of magic. Designed to inspire imagination and creativity, the collection now includes Silver Rainbow Marker Pens – 12 and 24 pack versions, Rainbow Magic Foil Stickers and the Ultimate Art Compendium, which join best sellers such as the Magic Colour Changing Pens & Glow Art.

Sustainability continues to take centre stage in many consumers’ buying habits and alongside the popular Treasured Wooden Magic Sets will be further innovations in product and packaging that promote the environmental ambitions of the brand. Marvin’s Magic Showcase is a perfect example of how packaging can double as an incredible prop; the box instantly folds out to create a fantastic performance table and it even has a backstage compartment where young magicians can keep their secret magic props.

Expanding its European offering, Marvin’s Magic has translated its Top Ten items into German, French, Italian and Spanish and is looking forward to meeting distributors in Nuremberg this year. Easy to follow video instructions via the Marvin’s Magic App are a great addition for non-English speakers. The app showcases top-tech-wizardry, augmented reality and cutting edge ‘Smart Magic for Smart Devices’ plus includes access to the Marvin’s Magic Academy, an amazing resource where magicians can access 100s of videos as well as hints and tips from Marvin himself.

To be astounded by some mind-blowing magic, buyers should head to Hall 12.0 Stand C-02 and experience amazing demonstrations and sneak peeks of new ranges that will ensure they never miss a trick.

Orders placed at the show will benefit from a 5% discount on the Trade Price List, 7.5% for orders £500+ and 10% for orders £1k+.

WELCOME TO THE UGEARS WORLD OF UNIQUE MECHANICAL 3D DIY MODEL KITS FOR ADULTS AND KIDS

These beautiful mechanisms move without batteries or any external power source as they are powered by rubber bands, springs, gears, cranks and gravity.

The models are made of art-quality plywood and require neither glue nor special tools — just follow the detailed step-by-step illustrated manual with instructions in 11 languages to assemble your model.

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Learn more at ugearsmodels.com

Contact us to discuss the partnership: distrib@ugearsmodels.com

Toys

+852 2363 1998 www.eolo.com sales@eolohk.com

Eolo Toys' mission is to create unique toys and unforgettable experiences for children while staying true to its core values to bring a smile to children’s faces and to be innovative. The team is focused on delivering cutting-edge products to the market as well as making a strong effort to support all its worldwide partners. ToyZone is the design and entertainment agency behind the assets production and will be present at Spielwarenmesse in the Eolo Toys booth. The partnership with ToyZone has led the company to offer 360properties, with more attractive and value-added product offers. Supermasked will be at the show with new developments in pricing and category variety. A superhero franchise with a great twist and a 360-content programme, including a fight game app, and an animation series on the company’s Trackatoon YouTube channel, the brand is supported by a consistent online presence with active accounts on TikTok

The Marvel Battle Cubes have had huge success on social media. With more than 23.5m views on TikTok, Battle Cubes will be showcasing new franchises coming for spring/summer 2024. The app game is the perfect complement to the physical cube, which has had a high volume of downloads and rate of active users redeeming the exclusive content codes.

The Jiggly Pets collection is one of the company’s best sellers and the Eolo team has worked on an evolution of the wellestablished rubbery animatronic brand to increase its attractiveness and add value to the line. Jiggly Pets will be featuring adorable new characters, and sensational packaging designs will be unveiled. The additions will have new features and concepts that are set to expand the brand’s potential.

Last September, the Gummymals line was presented in LA to great excitement from distributors globally. The unique interactive, rubbery and squeezable gummy bear with over 20 reactions and sounds will be on display, with new concepts coming next season. The Sprint toddler toy will also be extended with the addition of new Mini furry friend.

The Eolo Toys bedtime brand Glowies has experienced great sales volume in the first wave, and the company is investing resources in developing new products in the range, with Magic Tech and innovative features that will be showcased at Spielwarenmesse.

The Party Pets animated series is one of the best examples of first-class content to be developed by ToyZone. The company is pushing the brand to the next level with the series and the release of the Party Pets Disco Ball. This new addition is a reusable disco ball that comes with a baby character from the series and more surprises. The product activation with confetti - similar to a piñata - is attracting strong interest from customers.

Eolo Toys is more conscious than ever about the environment, which is why the company has decided to go green with one of its iconic brands: Kites ready2fly. By investing in reusable tote bags instead of regular plastic bags, there will be no more waste in the packaging. The bags will be available for the stunt, nylon and super-size lines and will be unveiled at the show along with a new Kites School app.

The company is also excited to present new brands Biggies and Furry Tails at Spielwarenmesse. International distributors have already shown great interest in the company's new additions that were revealed in September in LA, so those keen to discover Eolo Toys' latest portfolio and news should contact the sales team on the details above.

Chengzhen International Limited

The Hong Kong based die-cast toy company Chengzhen will be showcasing its newest car models from across a number of its own-brand MSZ (Metal Speed Zone) ranges in Nuremberg.

The 1:32 series is the company’s best-selling collection. Creative light and sound features mean the headlights and taillights turn on when kids open the doors or press the car to unleash the impressive pull-back function, while realistic engine or horn sounds add to the fun. These additional functions enhance the play value offered by each model and really bring them to life. Two popular German auto brands, the BMW I4 M50 and Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, will be displayed during fair.

Another perennial favourite is the 1:43 scale (approximately about 4.5”). Opening doors and pull-back functions, all at a competitive price, makes this range an attractive selection for retail buyers. The company believes this is especially true in the current climate, which has seen many consumers become more price sensitive due to the cost-of-living crisis. The 1:43 scale range comprises almost 80 car models. A selection of innovative and realistic new models will be released during Q2 2023.

Next year, the company will focus more on its impressive 1:24 scale. Similar to the 1:32 series, each model is enhanced with light and sound functions, opening doors or additional wheel features triggered by pressing on the chassis. Most models also benefit from an opening bonnet or boot together with a high level of detail, making them very popular among committed die-cast toy collectors. The stunning Lamborghini supercar, the Huracan STO, will be showcased at Spielwarenmesse in February.

The company will exhibit in a new stand location in Hall 7A and looks forward to welcoming visitors for meetings and drop-in appointments.

Magicbox Toys

01293 222500 | www.magicboxint.com | sales@magicbox-toys.co.uk

At the Nuremberg toy fair, the Magicbox Toys team will be showcasing an array of character-led collectibles and multi-feature play sets that meet the important sub-£15 price point.

Visitors will be offered a peek at what’s to come from SuperThings in 2023. The hugely collectible characters of Kaboom City enter a new Neon Power season with single, starter and multi-packs to look out for. The big highlight is the fleet of new SuperThings vehicles, including the Pizzacopter and Turbo Ice. Each comes with its own exclusive Kaboom Kid and SuperThing.

The Pizzacopter will be an absolute must-have for any SuperThings fan, with its spinning rotors and storage for three pizza discs: simply load the discs into the front disc shooter and pull the trigger to fire. Kids can pair the Pizzacopter up with the Turbo Ice motorbike for the ultimate vehicle duo. The Kaboom Kid sits astride the Turbo Ice motorbike, ready for battle with ice cream ball ammo that can be fired from the launcher with a simple pull of the lever. A carefully positioned pin on each vehicle offers an ideal place to secure the exclusive SuperThing which is also along for the ride.

As with all new series launches, Magicbox’s commitment to delivery promises high-impact marketing throughout the spring across its SuperThings, T-Racers and KookyLoos collections.

Funko

Funkoeurope.com | NewTradeEnquiries.EMEA@funko.com

Funko continues to build on its reputation as one of the most exciting and current licensees in the business with continued growth across all product categories. Buyers can book appointments to visit Funko at Spielwarenmesse 2023 now on the contact details above.

Funko launches straight into 2023 with the launch of both Bitty Pop! and Popsies across European markets. Bitty Pop! takes the Funko Pop! stylisation to a micro-sized level with initial offerings featuring three visible collectibles and one hidden chase. Popsies, an interactive greeting card featuring some of the world’s most celebrated characters, launched earlier in 2022 in the United States and the United Kingdom to great fanfare and excitement with continued anticipation across European markets such as France and Spain.

Loungefly, a premium collection of bags, purses and wallets celebrating fandom of all styles continues to go from strength to strength with unparalleled designs and unbeatable quality. After recently holding its first EMEA brand event in London, Loungefly is well and truly cemented as one to watch in the bags and accessories department, boasting a growing catalogue of licences and designs, a fervent fanbase and a celebrity following.

Further growing in popularity is Funko’s range of Pop! Pins, Blind Box Pins and Loungefly Pins. These wearable pieces of art offer an exciting chance to celebrate fandom on clothes, bags or on display at home. With a growing fanbase and continuously evolving designs, Funko Apparel gives fans the chance to declare their support of favourite TV shows and films. The Pop! and Tee range delivers the opportunity to enjoy Funko

Funko Games continues its ascent in the gaming world with a growing roster of titles that covers strategy, preschool and collectible games, with notable releases of E.T. Light Years from Home and Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar both landing in 2022 plus many more titles to come in 2023. After an inaugural appearance at Essen Spiel 2022, Funko Games continues to stake its claim in the competitive board game arena with an exciting slate of upcoming titles, Soda’s growth in popularity and reputation continues, earning its place among the Funko catalogue as a fan-favourite. Arriving in a retro soda can and offering a one in six chance of a desirable chase edition, these amazingly designed collectibles with varied and often exclusive licences, mean there is something for everyone. Mystery Mini offerings give fans a chance to collect from their favourite licences ‘sight unseen’, and keychains enable their favourite characters to always stay with them.

The original Funko Pop! continues to cover all the most relevant, exciting, and beloved titles and characters across the world of Pop-Culture with expanded assortments including Jumbo Pop!, Pop! Albums, Pop! Covers, Pop! Town, Pop! Ride and more.

Sequin Art

01760 721390 | www.sequinart.com

Sequin Art will be showcasing new developments from its much-loved crafting ranges for 2023 at Spielwarenmesse.

Launching at the end of 2022/early January 2023 is the Sequin Art HM Queen Elizabeth II – Memorial Edition. Suitable for kids aged eight and over, this special edition set offers an exciting design challenge perfect for the more experienced crafter. The velvet background lends the completed artwork a more premium finish and the included wooden frame provides an instant display option. This is the only ‘Made in Britain’ sequin craft memorial product.

For spring/summer 2023, Sequin Art will be releasing two new designs in the Sequin Art Red Range. The Red Panda and Ballet Shoes designs are ideal for younger crafters. Three new Sequin Art options for more experienced crafters will also be joining the Blue Range: the impressive Cockapoo, Giraffe and Feathers decorative designs are more engaging and challenging to complete. More Sequin Art is scheduled for an autumn/ winter launch. These will also be previewed.

Visitors to the Sequin Art stand will also be able to view the four new items joining the company’s Diamond Art range. All new launches promise to keep the sparkle going throughout 2023.

As part of the 2023 product launch, Guidecraft has developed an expansive collection of toys made from ultraresilient, translucent plastics. The Discovery line is a substantial upgrade to classic nesting toys that bring new life to light play, dramatic play and building activities indoors and outdoors. Children 2 years old and up can explore relationships in balance, perpendicular and parallel forms, and organic geometry using the arched or house-shaped Discovery Stackers. Each 5-piece set includes nesting shapes in either a gradated, natureinspired color scheme, or a vibrant spectrum of rainbow colors.

Allegedly

Just as we went to press last month came the news that Toys R Us had tied up a deal to trial concessions in WHSmith stores. I had only been discussing at a client meeting the previous day how I thought it was likely that Toys R Us would strike a deal to take over retail space within an established retailer in the UK, rather than building a store estate of its own from scratch. We even kicked some ideas around about which retailers might be suitable for such a partnership. But did we include WHSmith in that list? No, we did not. The initial trial will see concessions open in nine stores for 12 months, starting in the first half of next year, with a view to extending the deal across the store estate for a period of up to ten years if it is successful. For sure, WHSmith needs to do something to attract more customers: it has felt like a store struggling to find its identity for many years now, and in toy terms, it hasn’t been perceived as a major player for a very long time. So, a tie-up with Toys R Us makes sense on a number of levels. But is there a match in terms of customer profile? And how will the arrangement work in terms of in-store space, stock control and merchandising? Are WHSmith stores really big enough - with enough spare shelf space - to do justice to the Toys R Us toy offering? It will be interesting to see how Toys R Us approaches ranging in the WHSmith trial; presumably there will be a greater focus on sub £10 and £10-£20 price points than the overall online range, while certain categories (games, puzzles, art & craft, STEM spring to mind) would appear to make more sense than others. One of the big attractions of Toys R Us in its heyday was the vast choice it offered consumers –and, of course, the fact it was an exciting outing for the whole family to visit. Will consumers still be expecting an experience along those lines? And what about staff interaction with customers – it wasn’t always Toys R Us’ strongpoint compared to the successful specialists which flourished in its wake, like Smyths and The Entertainer. Nevertheless, its staff’s engagement with customers was still head and shoulders above what anyone would traditionally expect in a WHSmith store. Still, lots of time for them to address these potential challenges to deliver an experience which could ultimately benefit both partners…

Last month saw the annual DreamToys event take place in London. Organised as ever by the Toy Retailers Association, one of the strengths of the DreamToys list is the fact that it represents a good overview of what’s hot from a broad selection of retailers. I also get the impression that the DreamToys Committee had stronger representation from specialist toy retail operations this year, as opposed to grocers and other multi-channel retailers. I am going to chalk up as a positive too, as I feel that they not only have a different agenda to the crosscategory retailers, but also perhaps a more balanced view across the whole market. Indeed, there is a feeling amongst many toy suppliers that specialist retailers are performing comparatively better than some of their multi-channel counterparts right now. I noticed the usual grumbling on social media from a few people suggesting that the DreamToys list didn’t represent the ‘best toys’ – but what are the best toys? Who says they are the best? The truth is that there can never be a definitive list of best toys – that is far too subjective. It is like putting a group of people in a room and asking them to choose the best 12 songs of the year. They would be there for weeks and still not agree – because there isn’t a right answer, it all comes down to personal choice, which can be influenced by many factors. In some respects, it

doesn’t actually matter which individual toys make the list. What ultimately matters is the resulting publicity for the toy market as a whole, and whether that in turn encourages consumers to go out and buy toys (not just those on the list, but anything on their kids’ wish lists). Coverage levels this year were very good: pretty much all the nationals ran a piece, along with plenty of radio stations and there was even a respectable sprinkling of TV coverage. Much of the coverage focused on pricing, which was somewhat inevitable. In many respects, it felt like this year’s list was carefully constructed to avoid scoring any own goals – I can certainly understand why the committee felt that this was the year to focus on value and the wide choice of price points available, rather than include too many high-priced items which would have given journalists an easy tap-in. It helped to illustrate that the toy community is sensitive to the wider economic challenges that consumers are facing –just as many retailers have moved their festive ads away from the traditional ‘buy more stuff’ strategy, it was important for DreamToys to position the toy industry in the appropriate way…

By all accounts, the second Amazon Prime Day ended up as something of a damp squib. I just didn’t get the impression that sellers or vendors approached it with great enthusiasm, with sale ‘bargains’ feeling like they were just merchandise which had been deliberately overpriced to begin with, in order to allow for subsequent reductions. There was precious little social media buzz, and in the end, it felt like the whole event was just aimed at flogging a few more Alexas. To be fair, it doesn’t feel like Amazon has been having a phenomenal time on toys all year. Many toy companies have told me that the numbers are way down on previous years, even as dealing with Amazon becomes ever more complicated (and costly). Q4 is when online sales traditionally pick up pace versus physical stores. However, if many Christmas purchases do end up being made very late this year – as has been widely predicted – it is more likely to benefit bricks and mortar retailers than online sellers, as consumers are traditionally reluctant to trust the delivery network in the final week or two…

Keep an eye on the Irish market, where Amazon recently opened a giant new fulfilment centre in Baldonnell, which is the size of seven football pitches. The company apparently won’t comment on whether it plans to launch an Amazon.ie service anytime soon, but one has to assume that they didn’t build a facility like that so the Irish football team could train there ahead of the World Cup…

If you haven’t planned your trips to London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs, I would add that to your list of things to do pretty sharpish – with many hotels across the globe still operating below capacity, rooms are scarce and prices are higher than they’ve ever been, especially in Nuremberg. While it is unavoidable and outside of anyone’s control, I do think it’s a shame, as it may impact on the size of teams that retailers and toy companies decide to send. But with the likelihood that far fewer people will be travelling to Hong Kong in January, while the New York Toy Fair has moved from February to September, both Nuremberg and London are going to be incredibly busy shows for retailers in 2023. Good news too that British Airways is offering direct flights from Heathrow to Nuremberg – at respectable times of the day too.