From the Publisher

Welcome to the final issue of Toy World for 2024. I’m writing this month’s column having just witnessed the first heavy snowfall of this winter, so if they weren’t before, consumers really should be feeling in a festive mood now. With five weeks to go before the big day, the UK toy market is facing a pivotal sales period: although, by the time you read this, Black Friday will be behind us, and we’ll be on the final lap. There’s no point in beating around the bush, the early weeks of Q4 haven’t been spectacular – even the recent drop in the interest rate didn’t help in the end, with banks actually raising mortgage rates rather than cutting them.

However, I said in last month’s Leader column that I thought a high volume of festive sales would come late this year, and nothing has happened in the past four weeks to change my mind. I am still anticipating a late surge, and hopefully retailers and suppliers will finish the year on a high. It’s not been an easy or straightforward year by any means – but can anyone remember the last time we got to the end of a year and said: “well that was a breeze”? Inevitably, there will always be hurdles to overcome - and next year will be no exception. Although after the US election, there is every chance that the American toy market may face significantly larger challenges than the UK and Europe in 2025.

Of course, that all depends on how much of what was ‘promised’ by the incoming President on the campaign trail will be delivered. As a Brit, we know all about politician’s lofty promises not being fulfilled – about ‘sunlit uplands’ that were guaranteed, but in practice have never materialised. I guess we will find out soon enough just how much of the rhetoric was bluff and bluster, and how much of what was threatened will come to pass.

As far as the toy market is concerned, the big potential development everyone is watching out for is what happens on tariffs – particularly those on Chinese made goods. Will they be introduced at the ridiculous scale that was suggested by Trump? Or will he appoint someone who is more familiar with the nuances of international trade, who may be able to talk him down from this extreme position. If Chinese-made goods do end up being slapped with a 60% tariff, the toy industry could change dramatically almost overnight – and not in a good way. Undoubtedly, US toy companies and consumers would bear the brunt of the cost increases, but even if the shock would be centred on the US market, the shock waves would reverberate across the global toy community. The economics of Chinese factories could be turned upside down in a heartbeat –and it wouldn’t just be US customers that would feel the impact.

However, until we know for certain what’s going to happen, all everyone in the toy community can do is focus on the next three weeks and make them the best they can be. And then, before you know it, we’ll be starting all over again from scratch, with Toy Fair season kicking off in January.

Our first issue of 2025 will arrive on desks early in the New Year, and this is your annual warning to keep small pets (and indeed small children) away from the letterbox when the January edition of Toy World arrives. It is going to be another cracking issue, full to the brim with the most exciting new launches that exhibitors will be showcasing in London and Nuremberg. Retailers will start the year with a clean slate, knowing which categories and aisles will need to be freshened up – and this is your chance to throw your hat into the ring and tell them why you should be on their list of companies to see at the shows. By the time you read this, there will just be time to squeeze into the main January London Toy Fair preview issue and standalone Nuremberg supplement, so if you haven’t already reserved your slot, get in touch straight away.

This month, as we know that some retailers have already started working on their Nuremberg Toy Fair diaries, we have pulled together an early preview of the show, so that companies can make an early case for securing a slot in buyers’ itineraries. Turn to page 44 for Part 1 of our Nuremberg coverage – Part 2 will take the form of a standalone supplement, which will be mailed alongside the January London Toy Fair preview issue.

Although our main preview will dominate the January edition, there’s also plenty of content about the London Toy Fair this month to whet your appetite: we spoke to the BTHA, leading figures from the two UK toy buying groups and a selection of independent retailers to find out why they believe it’s an unmissable show. There is a separate article on the newly rebranded Gold Zone (formerly The Greenhouse area), exploring why it’s such an important platform for new companies looking to take their first steps in the toy market.

That all lies ahead of us in the New Year. For now, all that remains is for me to wish everyone in the toy community a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. I also hope the next three weeks of trading are as good as they can be, and we can finish the year off in style. Whatever happens in the next few weeks, we start afresh in a few weeks’ time, with a blank canvas, ready to do it all over again. I, for one, can’t wait.