Toy World Magazine February 2023

from the publisher

By the time this issue arrives on desks towards the end of January, the London Toy Fair will be drawing to a close and preparations will be well underway for the opening of the Nuremberg Toy Fair next week. By that stage, the dust will also have settled on an extremely lively festive trading period, and we should know where the UK toy market finally ended up in 2022. I am writing this column before any official statistics have been unveiled, so I am having to base my observations on anecdotal evidence, gleaned largely by speaking to retailers over the past few weeks.

Based on what I have been hearing, the week before Christmas was exceptional for many toy stores – several specialist independent retailers broke trading records day after day in that final week, while The Entertainer’s Gary Grant told me that most of his stores broke their best-ever day and best-ever week records in December.

Our editor Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to a selection of toy retailers to gauge their reaction to December trading, which you can read on page 42. Thankfully, the feedback was almost universally positive. As Gary Grant said: “It doesn’t get any better from a retailer’s point of view than when Christmas falls on a Sunday.” That full final week of trading was immense for so many brick and mortar retailers, even more so after the Royal Mail strike – and subsequent chaos across the entire home delivery network – sent consumers scurrying into High Streets and Retail Parks. They knew that ordering online would carry no guarantee of product arriving, so they headed to stores where they could physically get hold of what they wanted. Rounding off an extremely strong December for the toy retail channel, I gather the week after Christmas was highly encouraging as well: despite what you may have read in the papers about declining footfall, toy retailers have reported excellent sales, with many children receiving vouchers or money for Christmas. Compared to where we were at the end of October, the contrast with where the UK toy market actually ended up by the end of the year couldn’t have been greater.

Elsewhere, major retailers have been unveiling their festive sales performances over the past few weeks, which – in the main – were positive. Both Tesco and Sainsbury’s reported solid increases, although the numbers mostly focused on food sales: Sainsbury’s did confirm that Argos sales jumped by 7%, but there was no indication of how toys fared within the overall mix. However, both grocers admitted that online food sales fell, as consumers returned to store, presumably looking to ensure they were getting the best bang for their buck. In turn, I suspect that might have helped sales of toys, which are far more likely to occur in-store rather than online.

Mark Kingston and I had an interesting email exchange before Christmas, discussing the fact that UK grocers have yet to crack the conundrum of delivering food and non-food baskets online in a single transaction (unlike several of their European counterparts). In Mark’s words, “a seamless food and non-food online experience would be a game changer.” In the absence of UK grocers’ ability to do that, encouraging customers to visit stores rather than ordering online seems the best way for them to grow toy sales in the foreseeable future.

One retailer which did single out toys in its results report was Very, which saw a whopping 26% year on year increase in toy sales. Considering its overall sales grew by only 2.2%, toys seem to have been one of the key drivers in Very’s Q4 success. Elsewhere, I heard good things about Smyths (repeating orders multiple times since 23rd December) and Aldi (selling out lines halfway through the promotional period), while B&M also enjoyed an excellent festive season – Q4 turnover rose by 6.4% and healthy non-grocery sales helped the retailer to significantly increase its margin. All in all, I think we can say that after a worryingly slow start, Christmas came good for many toy retailers right at the death – for which we have to be truly thankful, given the circumstances and how things could have turned out.

So now we start the process all over again: with the London Toy Fair behind us and Nuremberg ahead, buyers have already started seeing and assessing many of the most exciting new launches for 2023. Some toy retailers will also be heading to Spring Fair at the start of February, where the Kids, Toys & Play section has grown this year. You can read a preview of this sector of the show, starting on page 78, where we round up a selection of the exhibitors that will be of interest to toy retailers.

Our other main feature this month focuses on the Sustainability area, showcasing products, packaging and other initiatives that toy companies are introducing to address this crucial subject. It remains a complex question, with few easy answers – but it is good to see toy companies embracing the need to evolve their product ranges and business practices to meet a whole new set of ‘green’ goals. Whether through packaging opitmisation, plastic reduction, using new sustainable materials or improving recycling capacity, toy companies are adopting numerous different approaches to improve their environmental performance. We’ve rounded up a selection of companies making strides in this area, and we will continue to focus on how the toy community is tacking the challenges as we move forward.

For now, enjoy this edition and we’ll be back at the start of March with our thoughts on Toy Fair Season and how 2023 is shaping up.

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

Character publishes year end results to 31st August 2022

The Character Group has announced its results for the year ended 31st August 2022, with the accounts showing that group turnover in the year increased by 26% to £176.4m (2021: £140m) and delivered a profit before tax of £11.4m.

The strength of the brands and products portfolio has enabled Character to significantly increase sales at a time when margins have come under intense pressure. Notable performers during the year were Goo Jit Zu, which is being distributed in over 40 territories and continues to maintain a strong presence; Chill Factor (acquired in 2021), which has been reinvigorated; Weebles, with its popular licensed characters such as Bluey, CoComelon and My Little Pony; Cra-Z-Art Shimmer ‘n Sparkle and Peppa Pig.

Jerry Healy, group marketing director, commented: “Trading conditions have been undeniably tough in the latter part of 2022, but we have ended the year in a strong position.”

For 2023, Character has many new in-house brands and distributor product lines which were previewed at London Toy Fair in January.

These include new products under Character’s multi-territory Stretch Armstrong umbrella, including Star Wars and Transformers; the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection from Playmates International, to coincide with the new Turtles movie, Mutant Mayhem, to be released in August, 2023; and the distribution of toy ranges from Bonkers Toys, based on the Aphmau and Lanky Box brands.

Jerry added: “With the strength of our current offering and the recent recovery in margins, we look forward to working with our customers and distributors in 2023.”

Spin Master to acquire Hexbug brand

Spin Master Corp has reached an agreement to acquire the Hexbug brand of toys from award-winning toy company Innovation First International. As part of the deal announced, Spin Master will acquire the Hexbug brand of toys and its portfolio of creative robotic technology

First entering the market in 2007, Hexbug products feature robotic technology with ingenious movement inspired by nature, giving kids a whimsical and imaginative play experience. Hexbug products feature creatures with life-like behaviour, with over 100 different toys that range from buildable play sets to battling robots.

“What excites us so much about Hexbug is that the inventors have mastered both the science and the art of bringing creatures to life through technology, to deliver truly magical play experiences,” said Anton Rabie, Spin Master’s co-founder. “With this acquisition, Spin Master will combine its innovation, global reach and diverse portfolio with Hexbug‘s innovative excellence to surprise and inspire kids in new ways.”

“At Spin Master we are focused on reimagining everyday play and are always looking for opportunities to strengthen our innovative portfolio through meaningful acquisitions,” said Max Rangel, Spin Master’s global president & CEO. “Hexbug is an evergreen brand with a strong foothold within a niche category, opening an opportunity for Spin Master to own and ultimately grow the popular robotic range’s reach through our expanded global footprint while also leveraging this technology across our broader toy offering.”

Tony Norman, CEO at Innovation First International, said: “Spin Master is the business that can really take our years of foundational tech toy innovation to the next level and gain an even greater awareness for the brand here at home and around the world.”

The acquisition is Spin Master’s 28th since the company was founded in 1994 and the 18th since its initial public offering in 2015.

INDX Toy & Gift 2023 Show to feature licensed toys theme

The INDX Toy & Gift show is organised by Associated Independent Stores (AIS), the UK’s leading buying and services group for Fashion, Home and Leisure. The team responsible for organising the show is looking forward to welcoming retailers from across the UK to Cranmore Park for the next edition on 14th – 15th March 2023.

This year, the show’s date has been brought forward by one month as a result of supplier and buyer feedback, allowing greater accessibility to a wider audience of retailers. Rosie Marshall, head of Toys & Children's Gifts at Playroom, the Toy Division of AIS, commented: “Visitors will be able to see the latest products and trends in time for them to prepare for the Easter holiday trade.”

The theme of the upcoming show is licensed toys across all toy and children’s gift categories. Rosie continued: “Our visitor footfall is extremely diverse, from specialist toy and gift retailers, department stores and garden centres to farm shops and leisure attraction: this will be reflected in the product offering from exhibitors.”

Suppliers have been quick to applaud the announced changes, with Brainstorm’s Nick Saunders commenting: “Moving the INDX Toy & Gift show to mid-March makes complete sense to me and I welcome the change. April is a very busy time for garden centres particularly, so I hope more buyers can be released to visit the show in March. A lot of effort from suppliers and the AIS Playroom team goes into producing a great event. Buyers new to the event will find it very productive, I am sure.”

Magic Box Toys’ Nicola Bergot, added: “Increasing the ‘gift’ section is a good differential which gives AIS and INDX Toy & Gift the opportunity to embrace and market its unique position. Bringing the timing forward to March nicely spaces out the toy trade show calendar and should mean that as suppliers, we can meet AIS members plus a broader group of retailers including garden centres, department stores, and other buyers from stores across the Toy and Gift industry.”

Key toy suppliers already signed up to exhibit at the March show include Character Options, Hasbro, Funko, Moose, Ravensburger, Spin Master, Schleich and Ty.

Admission to the INDX Toy & Gift show is free. Visitors can also take advantage of free onsite parking, plus complimentary barista coffee and refreshments. Exhibitor enquiries should be directed to Faz.Akhtar@play-room.uk.com. Companies wishing to highlight their attendance at the show should get in touch with the toyworld team to discuss inclusion in our March issue.

Creative Kids names DKB as UK & Ireland distributor

DKB Toys & Distribution has signed a deal with US Toy and arts & crafts company Creative Kids Group, which will see it distribute the company’s arts & crafts ranges in the UK & Ireland from this year.

Supplying the speciality channel, DKB will initially bring four key Creative Kids brands to market, with plans to increase this throughout 2023. Play-Doh Air Clay, Kiddy Dough, Zzand and Little Tikes licensed ranges will all be available from March alongside a range of POS options.

Founded in 1997, Creative Kids entered the market with the launch of its own-brand art activity line, spanning easels to crayons and everything in between. Since then, its offering has expanded to more than 12 categories with distribution in nearly 70 countries.

Now well established in the UK market, Creative Kids UK is partnering with DKB to provide broader distribution to speciality retailers throughout the UK & Ireland.

“This partnership could not have formed at a better time,” commented Chris Lohmeyer, managing director at DKB Toys & Distribution. “We have all seen the increase in costs across the board and we all have less money to spend on the things we love buying. Thankfully, Creative Kids has always priced its products competitively and its new ranges are perfectly positioned to give retailers a compelling margin, allowing price savings on fantastic products to be passed on to the customer. The brands being introduced to the UK in spring all offer unique play patterns kids are going to love, with brand names that are recognised and trusted.”

“Like Chris says, we’re aiming to bring value to shoppers when it’s needed the most. ‘Value’ being in our quality materials and expanded open-ended creative play all at affordable price points,” added Grant Gie, managing director of Creative Kids UK. “The partnership will help distribute our core brands throughout new channels in the UK & Ireland, providing retailers with additional opportunities to access our core items. As we expand into FSC wooden toys under Little Tikes, we see the speciality channel being key to its success.”

Pat Avenue welcomes Guy Rooney as commercial director

Managing director Terry Crew has announced that Guy Rooney has joined the Pat Avenue team as commercial director (MD Designate)

Guy joins Pat Avenue (formerly DKL-Beysal) as commercial director and brings with him a raft of industry knowledge having previously worked at Zapf, Character Options and IMC Toys.

Terry Crew, managing director, Pat Avenue said: “This is a great appointment, and I am delighted to have Guy on board. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge of the industry, gained working for top quality companies, and his drive and enthusiasm will be most welcome as we embark on our ambitious growth plans.”

Guy commented: “I am absolutely delighted to become part of the team at Pat Avenue UK and be reunited with colleagues Sharon Gaskin and Gary Cockerell once again, It’s going to be an exciting time as the company opens a new chapter in its development and I can’t wait to meet our existing customers, as well as plenty of new ones. Joining the company at this time of year means the trade shows are a great chance to meet everyone and introduce people to our existing, innovative new ranges.”

Moose ramps up global growth with Mergers & Acquisitions team

The company’s Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) team has announced the launch of a new business division. Led by Moose’s global head of business development and industry veteran, Giles Musker, Moose’s newly-formed Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) team is tasked with aggressive portfolio expansion across games, collectibles and traditional toy categories. Moose will also explore opportunities to offer equity investments to emerging companies to help them scale by tapping into Moose’s know-how.

“The tremendous success of our Worlds Apart acquisition proved the opportunity to diversify and expand our portfolio,” said Giles. “We are actively seeking acquisitions, as well as investment and strategic partnership opportunities, that will enhance our strength in existing categories and offer the ability to enter, and disrupt, new categories.”

Moose Toys says it has ‘become synonymous with innovation’ via its successful own-IPs – including Magic Mixies, Little Live Pets and Shopkins – as well as its licensing strategy and partnerships with popular entertainment properties including Bluey. Its latest initiative is designed to round out one of Moose’s core business strategies by buying titles, brands and IPs that boast long-term potential or offer firmly established entry into completely new categories.

In addition to the new Mergers & Acquisition team, Moose will be exploring opportunities to offer equity investments to emerging companies to help them scale by tapping into Moose’s proven innovation capabilities, brand building expertise and global distribution footprint.

“We’re eager to grow the Moose family, and look forward to welcoming new toys, games and collectibles to our growing portfolio,” said Paul Solomon, CEO, Moose Toys. “As a family-owned business that started from small, humble roots in Australia, we know the challenges that exist when it comes to taking a brand, business or idea global in today’s market. We’re interested in meeting potential partners at all stages of their business’ life cycle and welcome the opportunity for discussions and meetings.”

For more information, or to connect with the team to start a discussion, contact partnerships@moosetoys.com.

Final preparations underway for Istanbul Toy Fair 2023

The International Istanbul Toy Fair returns to Tüyap Fair, Convention and Congress Center, Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, between 28th February and 3rd March and will see visitors from the region gather to meet leading toy brands and suppliers, exhibiting their newest and most popular products.

Yesim Ulusoy, assistant general manager of Tüyap Fairs Production Inc., told Toy World how this year’s Toy Fair aims to increase the number of visitors by at least 17% - in 2022, there were nearly 4,000 visitors from 72 countries and 56 provinces. He said: “We’ve almost hit the target on our show which will house 145 direct and indirect exhibitors from 12 countries displaying 155 brands.

“The investment rate of the toy industry, which has an important place in the exports of Türkiye, accepted as the epicentre of the Balkans and the Middle East, is increasing every year. High-level safety regulations in toy production in our country, product quality meeting European standards, safe production, proximity to markets and speedy delivery all contribute towards a preference for Turkish manufacturers.”

The Toy Fair has carried out extensive digital marketing in 45 countries, mainly Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, England, Hungary, Russia and UAE, and exhibitors will meet a wide range of international visitors via Tüyap’s 80 overseas agents and qualified professionals selected by the company’s overseas offices in Moscow, Skopje, Tehran and Tbilisi. Parallel to the increase in visitor applications, there have been online registrations from 53 countries.

The Istanbul Toy Fair team says it will act in accordance with changing global dynamics during 2023.

This year, there will be a dedicated section of Baby & Mother Products alongside a host of other categories from across the toy and games industry. Held for the fifth time by Tüyap Fair Organization Production Inc., in cooperation with Toy Manufacturers Association (OYDER), visitors can also discover toys, innovative tech, hobby and art materials, educational and strategy games, licensed products and much more.

For more information, visit www.istanbuloyuncakfuari.com or follow the show’s Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.

Big Potato and Buffalo Games agree new international distribution deal

The rapidly expanding Buffalo Games and London-based indie games company Big Potato are now distributing each other’s products in the UK and US.

The deal provides a platform for Buffalo Games to bring some of its biggest titles to the UK. The Chuckle & Roar range of toys and games, available exclusively at Target in the US, will launch via Big Potato on Amazon and with selected retail partners in the UK, while other bestsellers arriving in the UK include Junior Detective, Pop-It! Pro and Pop-It! Pets.

Bubble-popping game Pop It! Pro has been a hit since launching in the US last year and will be available from Big Potato in the UK to order in summer 2023. The gameplay is simple and addictive, with three modes, including a multiplayer battle and a solo blitz challenge – think Whack-a-Mole meets bubble popping. Players pop the bubbles as soon as they light up, then squeeze the button on the back to level up. The difficulty ramps up gently, so there’s no need to be a master bubble popper straight away.

Big Potato already has a track-record of ‘quick-to-learn, easy-to-play’ hits in the US with games such as The Chameleon, Disney Colorbrain and Blockbuster. Specialising in party games for families and young adults, the London-based business is making more of its catalogue available to US consumers, including new releases such as Sounds Fishy, Chicken Vs Hot Dog and the USPS-licensed game The Great American Mail Race.

“Big Potato is a brilliantly creative business with an incredible line-up of games and yet more in the pipeline,” said Nagendra Raina, president of Buffalo Games. “We can’t wait to represent its titles in the US and think that together, we can really help drive growth for our retail partners. It is also an expert on Amazon, and we’ll be harnessing this to support key products in the UK, along with its broader retail relationships.”

Dean Tempest, co-founder of Big Potato, said: “Buffalo is a strategic retail expert and has a proven approach for creating smash hits – I don’t think anyone is better at managing product fit and productivity with retailers. The company can make Big Potato bigger and better in the US and we’re looking forward to learning from it.”

Big Potato’s previous distribution agreement with Spin Master is phasing out in Q1 2023. Spin Master will remain the distributor for the Blockbuster game franchise, and Big Potato will continue to work with the team to develop fresh Blockbuster titles.

Hunter Price set to make Creativeworld debut

Hunter Price International will make its debut at Creativeworld in Frankfurt, from 4th to 7th February, with the company’s Stationery, Arts & Craft division unveiling its creative direction and vision for a series of brandnew partnerships and product collections.

Earlier this month, the business announced the signing of its pan European partnership with craft giant, Crayola and Creativeworld will be the first time the industry will get to see the ranges which will be available from this autumn.

Hunter Price will also showcase new collections from its first collaboration with Paramount for pre-school brand Paw Patrol, as well as Hasbro for Peppa Pig.

Chapter B, the home & lifestyle brand which launched last year for TV personality Billie Faiers, will also unveil its first capsule stationery collection for children, Chapter B Kids Club.

Ben Cornwell, sales director for stationery, arts and craft at Hunter Price International, said: “It’s going to be a really proud moment to kick off the year with our debut appearance as a business at Creativeworld.

“The team has worked so hard to bring to life our new projects with some of the biggest brands in the industry and I can’t thank them all enough. Our first Creativeworld show will demonstrate our vision and direction we are heading for the stationery, arts and craft division here at Hunter Price and it’s really exciting.”

The Hunter Price stand is located in Hall 1.1, stand E42. To book a meeting please contact Ben Cornwell on 0161 653 1306.

Those not attending Creativeworld can visit the team at Hunter Price’s HQ at Devon Mill, Manchester.

IG Design Group launches new, updated virtual showroom

From February 2023, IG Design Group’s new virtual showroom will be launching, allowing visitors to view the showroom from the comfort of their home or office. This will allow buyers to easily navigate the 350 square metre plus showroom, spread across four different rooms and showcasing all the new product being launched for 2023.

There is new product on display across all of IG Design Group’s brands including Gift Marker, Tom Smith, Eco Nature, Edge, A*, Home Collection, Kids Create, Kids Play and licensed product.

Among the new product IG Design Group is launching for 2023 are new

Orchard waves farewell to Erica Haythornthwaite after 25 years

After 32 years in the toy sector, including more than 25 years at Orchard Toys, London Toy Fair was Erica’s farewell to all the customers and colleagues she has had the pleasure of working with throughout this time. The National Account manager at the educational games and jigsaws company has been described as a key member of the sales team.

Over the years Erica says she has created many fond memories, and a host of personal highlights, including working with a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum to develop the Dinosaur Discovery Puzzle, dressing up for the fun fancy dress nights out at Toymaster shows, and forging positive connections with all the people she has met in the toy trade, customers, associates and colleagues.

Simon Newbery, managing director at Orchard Toys, commented: “Erica has been a key member of our sales team during her 25 years with us. She will be greatly missed by us all, and we wish Erica the very best in her future endeavours.”

Mighty Jaxx continues European expansion

Singapore-based collectibles company Mighty Jaxx looks set to build on another year of growth with increased investment and expansion in the European markets. Opening last year, the company’s UK warehouse, based in Essex, is now fully operational and this readily available stock is already listed on Amazon, HMV, and at independent retailers with more stockists to be confirmed in 2023.

2022 proved to be a very successful year for Mighty Jaxx as partnerships with household names including Manchester City, Stranger Things and Shrek led to high demand product launches. Enthusiasm for the brand has remained strong and its popularity continues to grow; reflected by a 500% increase in sales in Q4 when compared to the same period for the previous year.

“2022 was a breakout year for us in Europe and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from fans and retailers alike as we’ve established a more physical presence in this region. We cannot wait to share some of the releases we have lined up for 2023 that will connect people with more of the brands they know and love,” said Alex Neal, director (Europe) for Mighty Jaxx.

Following 2022 London MCM Comic Con, Mighty Jaxx will be attending more trade events this year The early 2023 Toy Fairs in London and Nuremberg have kickstarted the company’s presence at more events in the future. These shows will provide a first look at some of the exciting releases touted for 2023 with additions to the Minions, Demopets and Kandy x Sanrio ranges expected.

Industry Moves

Steve Cox appointed UK senior sales manager at Connetix

Australian company Connetix Tiles has appointed Steve Cox as senior sales manager for the UK. Connetix is a family-owned business creating award-winning, STEAM accredited magnetic tiles designed to spark creativity and imaginations.

Steve brings with him valuable UK toy trade experience, having held senior sales director roles at Aurora World and Keel Toys. He enjoys working with creative teams from concept, bringing great products to market and is experienced in strategies for leading sales teams through difficult economic situations. “My ethos is to lead and manage from the frontline, not from behind a desk,” said Steve. “I’m delighted to be joining Connetix Tiles and can’t wait to get started and introduce the trade to its amazing, innovative products.”

A Connetix spokesperson commented: “Steve has a wealth of experience in sales and will be a wonderful addition to our team.”

At the London Toy Fair and Nuremburg, the company presented its award-winning STEAM range of magnetic tiles for the first time in

“From the beginning, there has always been an aim to be a respected brand that works in partnership with both consumers and retailers,” said Connetix. “This involves providing high quality toys that the whole family can enjoy, delivering incredible customer service and cultivating valuable partnerships with retailers.”

Connetix’s innovative ideas and product range has garnered global recognition, seeing the brand receive both nominations and several coveted awards in the toy industry, including being named Educational/STEAM Product of

Promotions and new hire expand Sambro’s senior leadership

Sambro International is celebrating two senior promotions and one senior hire, solidifying its Senior Leadership Team for Clare Rix has taken on the newly created role of Brand and Licensing director, Ed Whieldon the role of Buying and Sourcing director and John Mallett has joined the business in the role of Product

Clare will have direct responsibility for growing Sambro’s current licensor relationships, including key accounts such as Hasbro, Disney, Paramount and Mattel. She’ll also be responsible for developing relationships with new licensors, growing the number of brands the company supports.

Ed will develop a sourcing strategy in line with the company’s growth plans with an ultimate objective of delivering quality product into value-led channels, while John will put his 10 years plus of creative experience to use, ensuring Sambro continues to excel in product development and innovations, both across its own IP brands and licensor brands.

The trio join the Senior Leadership Team’s existing five members as Sambro looks to future growth following its 25th anniversary last year. The strengthened team will now have a renewed focus on product development and innovation, supporting Sambro’s wider growth aims.

“Our people are the biggest driver of our success here at Sambro and it is wonderful to see three of the new team include the promotion of two employees who have supported us on our growth journey for some time now,” said Paul Blackaby, CEO Sambro. “Each of them has the drive, determination and passion we need to help us build further successes in 2023, and their roles in particular will really focus on our products and the ongoing development of our licensor portfolio, both of which are pivotal to our growth plans.“

BargainMax welcomes Neil Mitchell as senior buyer

Experienced toy buyer Neil Mitchell has joined online toy specialist retailer BargainMax in the role of senior buyer. Neil, who is well-known to the toy community through previous roles at Very and most recently Home Bargains, took up his new position on 3rd January.

Newly appointed BargainMax CEO, Alex Woolfstein, told Toy World: “We are delighted that Neil has decided to join our team. Our continued drive to expand our range of product to fuel growth showed a need to also expand our team. Neil will work alongside Emma Carden in our buying team, alongside a second new recruit, Amelia, as an assistant buyer. We are really excited to see what our growing team can achieve in 2023. With the backing of a new website set to launch in February and the full transition to our new distribution centre in Ellesmere Port due to be completed in March, we can see 2023 being a very exciting year for BargainMax.co.uk.”

Commenting on his appointment, Neil added: “I’m extremely pleased to be joining BargainMax especially at such an exciting time for the business. I’ve no doubt that my 20 years of experience within the toy industry will help BargainMax continue its growth journey and achieve even greater success in the future. I’m really looking forward to working with Alex, Emma and the wider team and can’t wait to get started.”

Neil can be contacted at neil@bargainmax.co.uk

Industry Moves

Funko EMEA announces raft of new hires

Five new members have recently joined Funko EMEA’s team, filling marketing, sales and account management roles as the company continues to expand.

Sam Wilson joins Funko EMEA’s marketing team as marketing director, bringing with her a wealth of industry knowledge and marketing experience. For over 15 years, Sam has worked for high profile brands in the toy industry including LeapFrog and, most recently, MGA Entertainment.

Eva Verhaak – VP of Marketing and Business Development, said:

“We’re delighted to have Sam join our growing marketing team in the role of marketing director, EMEA. Sam joins Funko at an exciting time as we continue our expansion across EMEA with our existing and new product portfolio. We are confident that her vast experience will be very beneficial for Funko and look forward to what’s to come in 2023.”

Sam added: “I am absolutely thrilled to be part of such a dynamic and innovative company. The team and I are passionate and dedicated to continuing to make Funko a success with our retail partners. With all the amazing new launches across multiple categories, 2023 is going to be another exciting growth year for Funko.”

Two new faces have also joined Funko EMEA’s expanding sales force; Hazwan Tajuddin takes up the role of head of Amazon EMEA while Richard Skidmore onboards as Softlines sales manager.

Moving from Trust International, where he served as senior key account manager for Amazon UK and EU, Hazwan will lead the Amazon account team to support Funko’s expansion. Prior to being at Trust International, Hazwan was the Amazon account manager at Mattel UK for the likes of Barbie, Hot Wheels and WWE.

Richard, who joined Funko in September 2022, brings a wealth of experience in the apparel industry and has successfully grown and developed this area of the business with a number of key acquisitions being added to the client portfolio.

Funko EMEA has also appointed two new account managers. Josh Chapman takes up the newly created role of national account manager, joining from Bandai, and will report into Leanne Marlow, working across key national accounts as Funko looks to grow and develop these accounts further.

Josh comes with experience in both traditional toy and collector ranges, having worked across accounts such as The Entertainer, HMV, Game/Frasers, Waterstones, Gift Universe and Forbidden Planet during his two and a half years at Bandai. Prior to Bandai, Josh worked at Mattel for two years across all brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Thomas and Fisher Price.

Matthew Jones also joins as key account manager and comes from a licensed merchandise and video games company where he was UK sales manager, working with accounts such as Smyths toys, B&M, Game, THG and Gift Universe.

Karen Athill, senior regional channel director, said of the hires: “We’re extremely excited to have our new UK sales team in place for 2023. The additional resource of exceptional talent is paramount to Funko’s ambition to grow, evolve, and create an aspirational work culture in the industry.”

Nick Karmy joins Clementoni as national account manager

Experienced national account manager, Nick Karmy, has joined the UK Clementoni team. He joins Clementoni from VTech, having also worked previously at Alex Brands and Vivid.

Paul Fogarty, country manager UK and Ireland, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Nick on board at Clementoni UK. We are entering an exciting next phase of our ambitious growth plans and Nick’s knowledge of the industry coupled with his experience working for varied top-quality suppliers make him ideally equipped to help us achieve our objectives.”

“We have proven to be very resilient during the recent market challenges and have continued to grow through this period by utilising our broad product portfolio and increasing our marketing investment behind our key brands,” added Paul. “Nick joined the team just before Toy Fair where we unveiled even more exciting plans to fuel our growth.”

“I am thrilled to have joined Paul and the team at Clementoni UK and am enjoying working with the fantastic product portfolio,” said Nick. “Clementoni UK is embarking on its next phase of growth in the UK market with many exciting plans. I am looking forward to further strengthening and expanding Clementoni’s retail partnerships.”

Sam Wilson Hazwan Tajuddin Richard Skidmore Josh Chapman Matthew Jones

Industry Moves

Hunter Price welcomes new Stationery, Arts & Crafts sales

Hunter Price International has announced the arrival of Ben Cornwell as sales director for its Stationery, Arts & Crafts division. Ben will be working alongside Allana Holmes, who’s been promoted to sales director for the Home & Lifestyle division. Ben and Allana will work collaboratively alongside Richard Belford, sales director for the Toys & Activity team, to drive the overall sales and growth strategy for the wider business.

The company says the appointment of such a highly respected name in the industry continues to send a big message regarding the future direction and ambitious growth plans for Hunter

Ben joins Hunter Price from art materials specialist Daler-Rowney, where he led the USA and international sales strategy for the Crayola licence. He delivered extensive growth and category

Hunter Price International is a trusted product developer and supplier of innovative and design-led consumer products for the UK’s leading retailers. The business has three core divisions: Home & Lifestyle, Toys & Activity and Stationery, Arts & Craft - a key division for Hunter Price which Ben aims to make a category-defining pillar within the business. The team will drive the delivery of exceptional product quality and designs across all brands, from Hunter Price own label and its extensive licensed offer.

Ben commented: “Working in the retail industry, it’s been impossible to not notice the growing buzz around Hunter Price over these past few years. I’ve known founders Jeremy and Josh for a while, and it’s been really intriguing to watch their vision – to become a leader in the marketplace – quickly become a reality. As a highly driven individual, it’s truly exciting when you find a business where your passion and ambitions both align.”

He continued: “Within my new role, I am fully committed to building on our recent successes and opportunities as a team, to create a diverse, inclusive and agile environment – while bringing to market best-in-class stationery and craft products which reflect consumer needs and trends.”

Enrico Groeneveld joins Gibsons as international business development manager

Gibsons Games has welcomed Enrico Groeneveld to the Gibsons team as international business development manager.

Enrico joins Gibsons from Jumbodiset where he started as creative director of King International puzzles, before taking up the role of managing director for six years. His appointment at the familyowned jigsaw puzzle and games company will help support its worldwide growth plans.

Commenting on his new role, Enrico said: “I am excited to join the Gibsons family and to start this new chapter in my career, and very much look forward to meeting existing and new customers in Nuremberg.”

Amanda Chaplin, Gibsons’ commercial director, stated: ‘We are delighted to welcome Enrico. He brings vast experience of the European market as well as endless passion and enthusiasm for our products and sharing them with the world.”

Alejandra Campos becomes event director of Spring and Autumn Fair

Spring and Autumn Fair has announced the promotion of Alejandra Campos to event director of Spring and Autumn Fair. With a focus on Autumn Fair and Moda, Alejandra will work alongside SAF event director Daniel Mayhew whose focus is Spring Fair.

“I am thrilled to promote Alejandra to event director of Spring and Autumn Fair,” said Spring and Autumn Fair Portfolio director, Nicola Meadows. “Since joining Hyve, she has shown immense talent, passion and drive and we are confident she will bring enormous energy and expertise. Alejandra and Daniel make a remarkable team and bring many years of invaluable experience in the industry and a combined vision to drive progress, innovate, and develop the shows to ensure they continue to meet the needs of our community and deliver return on time and investment.”

Alejandra joined Hyve Group plc in July 2022 as event director of Moda, one of the UK’s longest standing fashion trade shows which is now an integral part of Spring and Autumn Fair. During her career, she has achieved highlevel experience working on pioneering and successful trade exhibitions, consumer shows, conferences and awards ceremonies across a variety of countries and sectors.

Whilst heading the National Wedding Show portfolio at Ocean Media, Alejandra launched the Luxury Wedding Show, and left a strong mark on the bridal fashion industry with the conception and launch of White Gallery London. She went on to found London Bridal Fashion Week independently, and more recently was the event director of award-winning design-led trade event, Top Drawer London.

Alejandra commented: “As Hyve drives its portfolio of exhibitions into a revolutionary new phase with the launch of Connect@, I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to help lead our incredibly talented and motivated team at such an exciting time.”

Embrace new opportunities in 2023, but at what cost?

Back in January’s edition we laid out our guiding principles for marketing in a recession. Principle among these was maximizing Share of Voice (SOV) over your competitors, and identifying and focusing on the key battlegrounds for this. The streaming giants Netflix and Disney+, with their new partially ad-funded models, provide the toy industry with a new frontier. As new platforms, they offer the opportunity for early adopters to dominate SOV. Given what we currently know about the platforms however, would this be the right decision?

Despite streaming services experiencing incredible growth during the height of the pandemic, 2022 saw their popularity amongst 4-9 year olds achieve new heights. According to the latest wave of the Giraffe Insights’ Kids and the Screen study, subscription based streaming services accounted for 45% of time spent watching video content in Q4 2022 (this figure stood at 41% in 2021, up from 27% pre-pandemic in 2019). On the other hand, both Live TV and Online Video (predominantly YouTube) control 23% each of viewing time. Looking at this evidence in isolation would suggest that the streaming services warrant the lion’s share of media budgets.

However, this doesn’t take into account what proportion of viewing on Netflix and Disney+ will be on their partially ad-funded services and therefore will be available to advertisers. As most will be aware, the providers are reluctant to share detailed viewership statistics, while commercial audience projections are equally safeguarded. Based on our experience of working with Netflix’s commercial platform to date, and viewing panel data, we are projecting Netflix’s inventory of advertising impressions to grow impressively over the first half of 2023.

Nevertheless, such growth would still leave it a long way short of commercial competitors on Linear TV. By June, we estimate that Netflix’s commercial audience is still likely to be only 9% of ITV1’s total audience, but it may rival channels such as Comedy Central, Sky Max and even the free-to-air Dave:

Disney+ will likely follow a similar trajectory when its much-anticipated ad-funded model launches in Europe (likely to be H2 2023). The key difference will be that the percentage of advertising impressions delivered to children’s audiences will be much higher; not only due to the nature of the platform, but also because it will allow advertising to be run before and during some of its children’s content. To date, Netflix’s stance has been that no adverts can be run against children’s content or when a child’s profile is in use. However, there are some workarounds for toy advertisers, such as running ads in family movies. The problem with this approach is that Netflix is still reviewing and upgrading how advertising is sold, meaning at the time of writing, the best option advertisers have to choose from is either top 10 lists (which attracts a premium price), or genres (which can be very broad, creating high amounts of wastage). Therefore, Netflix will primarily be a platform for talking to parents and gift givers, pitching it against highly cost-effective Social Media platforms for ad spend. This competition will be even tougher when you consider the premium cost placed on Netflix inventory at launch, even in comparison to Linear TV and Broadcast VOD platforms (such as ITVX and All4):

Broadly speaking, Netflix is - on the face of it - an expensive solution for toy advertisers, with sub-optimal targeting options and therefore not something toy advertisers should be blindly investing in with the aim of capitalising on SOV

opportunities. This is speaking on behalf of the toy industry as a whole, which is of course a much more nuanced market. Every product will have its own unique set of variables and targeting challenges which means Netflix, for some, could be a very viable platform for targeting parents and gift givers (in board games, for example).

But what of Disney+? Early indications are that the cost will be less prohibitive, and the targeting parameters more advantageous, meaning it will warrant serious consideration for a greater percentage of toy brands in 2023. The limiting factor in the equation will therefore be the inventory of ad impressions. Based on the projections that it will take Netflix 6-9 months before its inventory level is fully serviceable, even if the ad-funded Disney+ launched in Europe in March 2023, it is likely to take until 2024 before it can be considered a core component for the majority of toy brands (but could certainly play a vital role as support media in 2023).

2023 is set to be a challenging year - making the right decisions when it comes to media selection will be more pivotal than ever. It will be crucial to arm yourself with the right data and insight to make sense of the ever-evolving landscape, so do get in touch with Generation Media if you want support in making a success of 2023.

2023 is set to be a challenging year - and making the right decisions when it comes to media selection will be more pivotal than ever. Arming yourself with the right data and insight to make sense of the ever-evolving landscape will be crucial.

Licensing World

Mattel unveils all-new Disney Princess and Disney Frozen dolls

Mattel has revealed its all-new line up for Disney Princess and Disney Frozen dolls.

The line delivers on insights on what kids want, including more animal friends and sidekicks, reveal innovation, castles, houses and vehicles, hair play and colour change features, and expanded storytelling opportunities.

The toys, which are on shelves now globally, include bright colours, true-to-character facial features, hair fibre tailored to the characters and premium fabrics.

The Disney dolls line from Mattel will also include unique, premium collector offerings for adult fans that will celebrate the Disney Princess and Disney Frozen characters in a brand-new way. Together, Mattel and Disney will also bring the Disney Villains out of the shadows with a curated collection of premium dolls, capturing these mischievous characters in a new light.

The new line-up follows last year’s announcement that Mattel had secured the global licensing rights to develop lines of toys for Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, including fashion dolls, small dolls and figures.

The new line-up revealed includes Disney Princess Core Fashion Dolls Assortment; Disney Frozen Core Fashion Doll Assortment; Disney Frozen Snow Color Reveal Assortment; Disney Princess Royal Color Reveal Assortment; and Disney Storytime Stackers Belle’s Castle/Elsa’s Ice Palace.

PMI International prepares for launch of Sonic Prime Collectibles

PMI, in partnership with Sega and WildBrain is launching an exclusive, iconic Sonic Prime collectible line in spring/summer 2023.

Based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise, Sonic Prime is the new blockbuster animated Netflix series, co-produced by Sega and WildBrain, which reached No.1 in kids’ content globally just one day after airing. The new collectible range will include six lines: two types of collectible figures (articulated and non-articulated) from blind foil bags to multi-packs, collectible stampers, 3D figural keychains, collectible 6” clip-on plush and plush full-body backpacks. All collectibles have different common and rare character options and are true to the original series, featuring favourite Sonic villains and heroes such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, Amy, Knuckles and more.

The star of the line is the Sonic Collectible Articulated Action Figure, with six common and two rare characters to collect and different packaging options. The showstoppers are the Sonic Blind Capsules – intriguing spheres with a surprise articulated figure inside – which are packaged in captivating and eye-catching gravity boxes.

Forthcoming launches will include advent calendars, a Sonic Prime Matchify card game, a wide variety of blind capsules and much more.

For more information, call (+) 972 52 4614444 or email Omer Dekel, PMI International chief operating officer: omer@pmi.co.il

Hunter Price pens European partnership with Crayola

Hunter Price International is teaming up with global arts and craft giant Crayola in a pan European partnership. The collaboration includes the debut of four collections which will be available this autumn.

Each collection has been designed to inspire children to think outside the box and get creative with colour by making their own personalised creations, goals that both companies have in common.

The four new collections are:

• Crayola Kraft has a focus on sustainability using water-based non-toxic inks, FSC approved paper and no plastics. An ultimate Crayola Activity Case with pencils and 30 pages of activities is set to be a hero line for the range.

• I Can Do captures the imagination of children through colour and character fun. Products include a Crayola Craft Pad and Finger Painting Post Pad.

• Crayola 3D is a series of interactive puzzle books.

• Crayola Everyday combines Crayola quality products with fun crafts of great value. The ideal pick-up lines include activity books, stickers and story wheels.

Ben Cornwell, sales director for stationery, arts and craft at Hunter Price International, said: “This is a huge opportunity for the business, and we’re really excited to bring to market some truly innovative new product concepts. Collaboration is key and we’ll be working alongside the Crayola team to bring our product strategy to life over the coming years, enhance overall brand position in store, and drive increased awareness and engagement.”

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

Licensing World

Disguise launches new costumes for Book Day

Disguise is gearing up for Book Day with an array of new costumes that are sure to appeal to all ages.

For 2023, Disguise is launching its Disney Princess 100th anniversary range with signature platinum details, while there is also an extensive range of Toy Story characters from Buzz and Woody to Bo Peep and Rex. There will also be a Lightyear range with characters from last summer’s hit movie release, along with new Mirabel and Isabella costumes from another popular Disney movie, Encanto.

For kids looking to dress up as characters from classic Book Week favourites, Disguise is also offering costumes at various price points in Tinkerbell and her friends Rosetta and Silvermist, Captain Hook, Mary Poppins and, from Alice in Wonderland, Alice, Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter.

DZNR collectibles roll out globally this year

YuMe Toys will be launching its own range of design-led, premium quality collectible toys globally throughout 2023. The DZNR (pronounced Deeziner) 7.5” collectible ranges will be developed for a number of YuMe Toys’ licensing partners and all feature bespoke artwork, style and design.

The plush collectibles are a key feature of YuMe’s marketing plans for the first half of 2023 and will be widely promoted to consumers as limited-edition collections; to ensure ongoing retail momentum, new lines will be unveiled throughout the year. Brand-loving fans can either take their DZNR collectible toy out of the stylish packaging or display it as a collectible range that grows over time.

The DZNR series for 2023 features characters from Stranger Things, Transformers, Jujutsu Kaisen, Marvel, SpiderMan and other IPs that are yet to be announced.

Each product is individual and distils all the features that made the IP popular in the first instance, condensing it into a free-standing on-trend art collectible. The attention to detail sets DZNR apart with the colours, textures and aesthetic feel of each product. The fabrics used include PVC leather, minky and metallic with embroidery and print design such as glow-in-the-dark, collages and 3D accessories offering endless possibilities to the DZNR series. There are designs which open to reveal hidden surprises, others which feature split art-designs championing golden age IPs, some with add-ons and also limited-edition designs.

The DZNR packaging has been given an equally high level of creative focus to ensure it pops out on shelf to consumers. With the product visible through the box, the art-design theme is carried through onto the exterior packaging which includes box numbering, featuring bold, large script, with the use of a strong primary colour palette that replicates the creative style of product.

Contact YuMe Toys for more information on 020 7921 0380 / info@yumetoys.com.

WWE announces Money In The Bank London event

WWE has announced that The O2 in London will host Money In The Bank on Saturday 1st July, 2023, the first WWE Premium Live Event to be held in London in over two decades. The event follows hot on the heels of Cardiff’s Clash At The Castle in September 2022, the first major WWE stadium show to be held in the UK since 1992.

Money In The Bank will feature WWE’s biggest Superstars and will also bring the Money In The Bank ladder matches to the UK for the first time, with each winner receiving a briefcase containing a contract for a championship match at a time and place of their choosing anytime within the next year.

“The O2 is one of the world’s premier venues and the perfect home for Money In The Bank,” said Dan Ventrelle, EVP, Talent at WWE. “We are excited to bring one of our ‘Big 5’ events to the UK and look forward to welcoming the WWE Universe to London on 1st July.”

“We are honoured to be hosting the first ever Money In The Bank event taking place in the UK here at The O2,” said Christian D’Acuña, senior programming director at The O2. “We’re looking forward to welcoming back WWE fans to The O2 this summer for an unforgettable night with some of WWE’s biggest

Clash

At The Castle broke numerous records at the time including becoming the most-watched international premium live event in WWE history, with the largest European gate ever and the best-selling merchandise for a non-WrestleMania event.

UK’s No.1 Plush Brand

Ty, the UK’s No 1 plush brand is excited to welcome your favourite Marvel characters to the Squishy Beanie family. Made from colourful, cosy fabric, we have two sizes of this highly collectable range available while stocks last

2022 in review

This month, Melissa looks back at trading in 2022, as the year ended on a high for many categories in the UK toy market.

2022 was a challenging year for the UK Toy market, finishing the year down -3% in value versus 2021 and -6% in volume. However, the market improved throughout the year, with Q1 the poorest performing quarter, down -10% in value compared to the same period in 2021, when the UK was in a lockdown and toy sales were higher than normal. Q2 performance started improving, although it was impacted by slow Outdoor & Sports Toys sales due to poor weather compared to 2021, with value down -5%. Q3 saw continued improvement, with a modest -1% decline, largely due to the impact of the death of the Queen in September. Q4 was the strongest quarter of the year with value flat, but with December up +2% in value and volume +3%. This was the first time in ten years that Q4 has outperformed the trend set in the first nine months of the year.

After two years of early Christmas shopping driven by Covid, Q4 2022 looks to have returned to a more traditional pattern, with October up +1%, driven by promotions, and November down -4%. December was a stronger month for the trade, although it was very late to pick up, with many consumers waiting until just before Christmas to purchase. This could be due to them looking for value from products and prices, as well as the benefit of having Christmas Eve fall on a Saturday for the first time since 2016. Week 50 represented 5.2% of annual toy sales, while Week 51 - which finished on Christmas Eve - was the largest week of the year with 5.3% of annual sales, up +15% vs. 2021 and +49% vs. 2019. Growth continued into week 52 as well, with the market up +2%. It may have been later than many

within the industry would have ideally liked, but the overall numbers for the season are positive, especially compared to the early part of 2022.

Despite the challenges throughout the year and pressure on consumer spending driven by inflation and cost of living increases, there were still some areas of the UK toy market that performed well. The strongest

performing category for 2022 was Plush, up +29% driven by the phenomenal success of Squishmallows. The Squishmallow 8” Assortment was the No.1 best-selling item in the UK for 2022. In addition, the Plush category also saw strong growth last year from Ty and interactive plush, especially CoComelon, Magic Mixies and Little Live Pets. 2022 also saw Building Sets grow for the second year in a row, with The Lego Group finishing the year as the number one corporate manufacturer in the UK, with the highest share ever seen in the UK toy market at 15.5%. Other growth categories across the year included the Action Figures & Accessories supercategory, driven by Funko Pop and Jurassic World, while Vehicles also grew thanks to Hot Wheels.

Collectibles grew across the market in 2022, with Strategic Trading Cards one of the top growing categories. Pokémon Trading Cards was the key driver for the year, continuing its growth from 2021. In addition, FIFA World Cup Stickers from Panini performed well in Q4, helping to drive volume sales in Q4 and resulting in the World Soccer property growing +38% vs 2021 and the Euro Championship tournament. Other collectibles that grew in 2022 included 5 Surprise from Zuru with Mini Brands, and Real Littles from Moose. Licences grew for the fourth year in a row, reaching 31% of the UK Toy market. This equated to almost £1 in every £3 spent on toys, with a mixture of movies, streaming and on-demand shows and video games helping to drive the top performers. Most of the growing licences were existing properties, as consumers stuck to tried and trusted ranges and extensions. Star Wars was the top property for the year, followed by Marvel Universe, Barbie and Pokémon. The top new property in the UK was Gabby’s Dollhouse. Despite a December release date for the film, Avatar toys performed well in December and finished the year as the number two best new launch.

Given the continuing macro-economic pressures on consumers due to the cost of living, 2023 may still hold some challenges for the UK toy market. However, consumers will still need to entertain and educate their children, while the trend for kidults to turn to toys for entertainment and collecting remains strong. Even in challenging years, there are always strong products that stand out and will be drivers of the market for the coming year.

Melissa Symonds

Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD

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

Item Progression:

December is always the key month of the year for Games, accounting for 36% of annual Games sales, compared to 21% for total toys. As a result, a number of Games items enter the top sellers for total toys for the month, with games representing 11 out of the top 50 items. Monopoly Classic and Pictionary Air are the best-selling games for December, increasing their ranking to number 4 and number 6 across total toys from November respectively. However, Articulate from Drumond Park saw the greatest leap, not just for Games, but across total toys, moving from number 402 to number 32, despite only having weighted distribution of 66%.

Fastest Growing Licences

Fastest Growing Licences

Licences accounted for 31% of UK Toys in 2022

Licences accounted for 30.7% of all toy sales in 2022, growing ahead of total toys, up +5% and ahead of 2019 by +24%. The top growing licences were a mix of classics and new offerings. Star Wars was not only the largest licence in the UK, it was also the fastest growing. The property’s strong performance in 2022 was helped by multiple streaming series releases, as well as the introduction of high priced offerings in Building Sets. Following the release of the Jurassic World: Dominion movie over the summer, Jurassic World was the second fastest growing licence in the UK, with sales nearly doubling from 2021. Action Figures was the strongest category for Jurassic World, where it was the number one licence for the year.

The men’s World Cup in Qatar helped the FIFA licence to grow in Q4, primarily driven by Panini stickers. Minecraft also enjoyed a strong year, especially within Building Sets, where it was the number three licence in 2022. Film releases from early 2022 remained strong throughout the year, with Disney Encanto and Batman both growing this year.

Pre- School licences also performed well this year, with Spidey and his Amazing Friends, Bluey and Gabby’s Dollhouse amongst the topgrowing properties. Gabby’s Dollhouse was also the top new launch in 2022. All of these licences are supported by content available on demand, with Pre-School Figures & Playsets a key category.

Collaboration with successful brands including Zuru’s 5 Surprise, Moose Toys’ Real Littles and Jazwares’ Squishmallows helped to drive growth for Disney ahead of the launch of the Disney 100 initiative in 2023.

Talking Shop Retail therapy

As the madness of Christmas 22 and January 23 starts to fade, our Indies this month reflect on festive trading and tell us how this year is going so far. Suzie Sparkes reports.

We enjoyed a busy December with a bumper finish right up to Christmas Eve, which was an all-time best for us. People were still buying online in November but once December started, the postal strikes had a huge impact; more people decided to shop local, they were able to physically find what they were looking for and buy it straight away, without the stress about whether it would arrive in time. Some customers also hadn’t been able to get the goods they wanted online at all. The situation was good for brick & mortar trade, as well as reminding people of all the different shops that are available to them in their town - and what a nice day out you can have when you actually go shopping!

Footfall was up, and the mood was lovely; festive and encouraging with a good mix of customers from the

young to the elderly. We were delighted to see how many customers came in for guidance to help find their perfect gift – and at an affordable price. We had many customers coming back several times, which was lovely as we felt we had built up a rapport and those customers trusted us. We have a lot of families coming in as well as grandparents, and we also had a lot of children buying for their friends and siblings. Lego, Pokémon and Squishmallows continue to remain our top selling lines and these dominated sales in the run up to Christmas. Board games and travel games, particularly the Purple Cow range from University Games, proved to be excellent stocking fillers. Other top sellers over the festive period included plush from Ty, X-Shot Skins from Zuru and Hot Wheels – Monster Jam. I understand there was a Monster Jam event going on at the O2, so no doubt that fuelled the popularity.

The Tonies audio box and stories enjoyed incredible sales. Families were buying the Starter Sets as presents and then sending grandparents or other family members in to buy the individual Tonies to be used with the Toniebox. It is an amazing product that we have done really well with, and the bonus is all the fabulous link up products that can be added to it. We don’t normally order much at this time of year, but I placed an order for more Tonies just yesterday, to ensure I have

additional stories for all my customers who bought the boxes for their children at Christmas.

Licensed plush, in particular Pokémon plush, sold really well, along with our range of puppets. Rather than focus on big-ticket items, we mainly stock middle/lower price range items, which suits our clientele and means we can offer a healthy mix of product. The overall stocking filler winner had to be Eugy by Brainstorm.

We remained busy in the week between Christmas and New Year, busier than normal for that week. Lots of children came in with their Christmas money and gift vouchers. We sell a lot of gift vouchers, and we also donate them to local schools and charities. Footfall was a good mix of local customers and visitors who were enjoying a day out. Most of the stock we brought in for Christmas sold through, so we were very happy.

After the Christmas and New Year rush, we tend to lay low for a while and enjoy getting our breath back, before trips to the London Toy Fair and Spring Fair in Birmingham and planning for the rest of the year. I know for some January and February can be dull, but we love it as it is such an exciting time in the toy industry. Before the new ranges come in, we concentrate on ensuring we keep good stock of our core products, such as Lego, Ty, Tonies, Pokémon and pocket-money lines, and will forward plan upcoming events and competitions.

Over the next couple of months, bearing in mind the cost-of-living crisis, we will endeavour to purchase good value products, retaining quality to fit a budget price point. We are particularly conscious of helping parents with the many birthday parties school children attend, so we will keep in stock a good selection of product in the £10-15 price range, with gift wrapping and local delivery available to make their lives easier.

Before we know it, we will be into February half term. We are feeling positive and looking forward to a fun and successful 2023.

Helen Bellenie - Toys N Trends, Whitstable

Warren Du Preez - Daniel Department Store, Windsor

Our department store in Windsor is a destination point for visitors and staycations and we’ve had another very good year on the toy department. Christmas came quite late for us; October was very slow, and we were a bit worried by all the ‘doom and gloom’ messages coming from the media, but sales started picking up in November and then December was one of our best ever. The last couple of weeks before Christmas were just crazy! I suspect the postal strikes helped, but we have never had such a strong peak December fortnight. When Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, the trading week is just perfect, and we were busy non-stop until we closed the store on Christmas Eve. People flocked to bricks & mortar, and they came with conviction.

Our demographic covers all age ranges; we also have a nursery department, so we have customers from new mums all the way up to grandparents. The catchment area of Windsor tends to be an older clientele, so grandparents are amongst our biggest customers. This has been a help with the current cost of living crisis, as the older generation is generally mortgage free and not quite so worried as the younger generation. We find that grandparents enjoy coming in and looking for treats for their grandchildren.

The store sits on the high street and has three entrances, so we are a connection between the old and the new town and you can’t really miss us. We gained a lot of footfall post-Covid from people visiting the castle and the Thames and then popping in to see us.

In our traditional toy department, our top selling products are well-known brands such as Lego, Hasbro, Mattel and Playmobil. Because a large part of our demographic is grandparents, they like good quality brands that they grew up with and can trust. But we also stock everything from pocket money toys all the way up to £300/400 items. Spin Master’s Gabby’s Dollhouse enjoyed phenomenal sales at Christmas, as well as the Little Live Pets Mama Surprise range by Moose Toys.

Pokémon also saw phenomenal sales, as it did in 2021. We thought we had forecast a sizeable increase in order levels, but found we were still constantly scrambling for stock and struggled to get enough

cards that sell well under the Pokémon licence; the figurines from Jazwares were also in demand, as well as the advent calendars. I think the whole industry was caught out by the sheer demand for trading cards - and that included anything from the £3.50 boosters all the way up to the £100 box sets – the demand was huge. We were looked after in supply, but could have sold even more if we had received more product. Even in January, people were asking when we were going to be getting the box sets back in, and that really does surprise us at a £100 price point.

We were very busy in the week between Christmas and New Year with customers coming in to spend their Christmas money and vouchers. January also started really well, which if you had asked me three months ago, I would have been very cautious about, but after the first ten days, we were already 5% up on the previous January. These sales are right across the range, from pre-school all the way up to product for older kids. Craft items continue to sell well, as do trading cards, Lego and Squishmallows. Hot Wheels

has enjoyed phenomenal sales, as well as Barbie and Polly Pocket from Mattel. For Hasbro, Play Doh and Nerf are performing brilliantly.

Board games enjoyed very strong sales in the last two weeks before Christmas. The category was tracking down on previous years for the quarter but right at the end, sales suddenly picked up.

The toy department is 10k square feet and we don’t grow or shrink it throughout the year as some stores do, we find there is always an occasion for toys. We maintain what we call our ‘never out of stock” range throughout the year, which includes Hot Wheels £5 packs, Orchard Toys and Ravensburger - we have a big demographic of puzzle enthusiasts. The rest of our stock is pretty fluid across the year, with obviously a big increase in Q4.

We thoroughly enjoy toy fair season, even though it’s

Jennie DansoHappy Returns, Hampstead, London

Christmas trading was very positive and back to a pre-pandemic pattern- we had the usual steady November and then it kept building to a very busy last week before Christmas in December. We are located just below the High Street; almost an extension of it, so we get a lot of footfall and are very lucky to be supported by a loyal local customer base. In December, many customers were saying that items they had ordered online hadn’t arrived, or they needed a few more bits, so in some ways, the postal strikes helped us.

We are quite a traditional, all-round toy shop and our core products are wooden toys for younger children and Lego and board games for older ones. Our suppliers and ranges are tried and tested; I don’t tend to stock items I am not

After a booming Christmas – what’s next?

AAfter all the months of planning and preparation, and a lot of hard work over the last few months, we can look back on Christmas 2022 with a sense of satisfaction. Overall, it was one of our best-ever Christmas trading periods, with figures well ahead of 2021, and also higher than 2019, the last pre-pandemic Christmas. Given all the uncertainty over the last year in the economy, there were a whole host of headwinds that could have worked against us. In the end though, the biggest factor that worked in our favour is that everyone wanted to really enjoy Christmas this year, after the last two were disrupted due to Covid. They were prepared to spend out for it, and we benefited from that.

from Character Options have also sold very well.

The Tonies range has been very successful for the last couple of years, and we’ve been especially pleased this Christmas. Having sold the tonieboxes well over the last couple of years, there is now a good selection of stories, which has created repeat visits as customers return to buy all the new characters. Our regulars know they can find the latest Tonies releases here.

We sell a high volume of of wooden toys and puzzles from various suppliers, which include Hape, Brio and Ravensburger, and sales have been very encouraging recently.

We experienced a bit of a lull after Christmas, but this was expected as many of our local customers go away between Christmas and New Year visiting relatives. There were a few who came in and bought presents as they were going to visit family at New Year that they hadn’t seen at Christmas.

We have a good mixture of customers; we get a lot of families coming in as well as grandparents. Children love to come in and have a good look around; they like to touch and feel the products, ask questions, and then save up their pocket money to come back and buy. I think it’s an important way for children to learn about the value of money. If children have had to save up for something it means more to them when they finally get what they wanted, so we do encourage them to have a browse and welcome the interaction.

We didn’t sell through all of our stock before Christmas, which was a bit disappointing, but at least it means we had a nice selection of key lines in for January to sell before we go to Toy Fair. It’s better to restock once I have seen the new ranges coming out and I then decide which lines we are going to stock for the rest of the year.

Toy Fair is always something I look forward to. I can get so much done in the three days, although to be honest I don’t think three days is enough. I would love an extra day without too many appointments, to be able to aimlessly wander around and possibly spot something really different and special.

The current cost of living concerns did have an impact, and that was on the amount of pocket money items we sold. Even compared to last year’ push popper craze, sales in this category increased by over 20% year on year. It’s a category that the bigger multiples struggle to do well due to the low price points and number of SKUs needed, but we are able to merchandise it effectively – and we did a really good job. We also found that many customers were looking to trade down in some areas, but this meant we enjoyed strong sales on clearance products, which offer great value to our customers. Rather than buy the latest version of a particular toy, people were happy to buy an older version at a lower price, and this was reflected in the volume of products sold on promotion.

It was noticeable last year that several new products/brands failed to make the expected impact at the tills. This was across a broad range of the main manufacturers and left us having to move stock on rather than sitting on it. This will make us more cautious going into this year; we need to try new lines to keep our offering fresh but will be careful not to commit to high volumes until we have some firm sales data.

But there was one standout new licence from last year, and that was Gabby’s Dollhouse. It really did become one of those lines that we were getting phone-calls and enquiries for every day. Another line that was a standout was the Live Pets Mama Surprise; it simply flew out right from launch. Otherwise, the bestsellers reflected the rest of the year, with Lego doing well, even at higher price points, Pokémon still a massive customer favourite and Squishmallows remaining very popular, along with Squish-aboos from Ty.

Post-Christmas Day sales were extremely good, well ahead of last year. This was reflected in gift voucher sales prior to Christmas being up on the previous year, then the redemptions post-Christmas were also well ahead. Kids definitely got plenty of money to spend too and were keen to get out early to do so. We took the decision to remain closed again on Boxing Day this year, to give our colleagues a break, and this did not seem to impact business at all, as 27th December was our best ever post-Christmas trading day.

We are realistic about the conditions for the current year, as cost pressures continue to build on consumers. However, the first week of January trade was steady, and our new Lego lines have arrived which we are very confident about. As we write this, we’re looking forward to heading back to Toy Fair and seeing what else is going to be launched in 2023 – more on that next month!

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes

Toy Barnhaus

From sales of woe to sales are GO!

After 20 years working at A.C. Nielsen/D&B Research Company, Rick opened the first Learning Express Toys franchise in the Chicago area in 1996, and then became a sub-franchiser, opening nine more stores. Although leaving the corporate environment behind, he has combined his expertise in data and numbers with a passion for the toy retail space. Last month, Rick’s column was written with just 10 trading days to go before Christmas. Here he picks up what happened next…

Letter from America

Those last 10 days before Christmas that I talked about in my last column turned out to be a real wow. Shoppers still visited us despite some particularly harsh weather conditions in the States, and the week after Christmas was much stronger than usual, due to the massive amount of gift cards sold and then redeemed post-holiday. This positive momentum continued into 2023, with sales in the first week of January well above past norms. The key factor for success, in my mind, for indie toy stores? Service. I know we always include this attribute when we speak about local toy and gift shops, but it is true!

We found last year that, in spite of the heavy promotional environment in the toy market I spoke about last month, we were able to capture our core customers as well as random walk ins. Solid data indicates that many indies have retained 30-50% of foot traffic from their pre pandemic levels, and an equal amount of dollar sales gains. While we were all concerned that the “local love” would fade quickly, we are just not seeing that happening.

‘Shop local’ remains strong as long as you follow the three strategic elements of toy store success: Teams, Products and Wow.

Best Teams - we increased our investment heavily into our people this year, adding health coverage, retirement, flex time and bonus opportunities, as we train and delegate more to our key team members. The dividends are paying back.

Best Products – we stock a curated assortment that gives our shoppers convenience and what kids really want, a selection of whimsical as well as educational toys and stock presented in an organized fashion. so that a customer can select easily. Today’s in-store consumer doesn’t want thousands of choices (as on Amazon) but rather top quality, hand selected choices that they can touch and feel, or get a human recommendation as to why this particular toy is right for them.

Best Wows – whether they are shopping in-store or online, using collection services or delivery, choosing educational products or just joyful pick me up toys, our customers want that feeling of Wow. Gift wrapping for convenience, personalizing a gift to make it special, a recommendation on a new toy, a new

breaking performance for US indies. The other two record-breaking years were 2013, with the Rainbow Loom phenomenon and 2017, when the Big L.O.L. Ball first launched. Remember that craziness and the beginning of unboxing?

I have grown fond of January. Instead of slowing down, we speed up. The air is filled with excitement from visiting our first buying show this year in Dallas, Texas, working on a new store floor plan (we’re adding a dedicated Tween space), spring cleaning, adding new signage and bringing back in-store events. Next week, we will hold our first event since late 2019 and have chosen Encanto - our singalong will not only draw crowds again, but also return normalcy to children’s lives. We can’t wait.

We also continue to aggressively use social media to inform, educate and have a fun presence where both kids and parents can learn about new products, watch engaging videos and pictures and keep in tune with the toy industry. This has been a key element since our first ad on Facebook in December 2012. We firmly believe that, if used responsibly, and with positive messages, social media allows us to interact in a safe and positive way. If any negativity outweighs this, we will be the first to exit. Print media continues to be part of our marketing plans and redemption rates still create a positive ROI - especially our larger catalogues. We will continue to explore new avenues, but carry on with a blend of online, in-home and cross marketing with other local businesses.

Finally, I do see a stronger alliance between Learning Express Toys and the ASTRA Toy association, as well as with strategic partners in the UK (Toymaster) and our friends to the north in Canada (Mastermind Toys). We are not competitors but allies, and if we can continue to find ways to share info, products, trends and best practices, I believe we will all benefit from a stronger toy industry, stronger local toy markets, and a consumer who is better informed and appreciative of the value of toys and what they do. Are you in?

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Is the shopping bug back?

The run-up to Christmas 2022 was certainly a nail-biting one, thanks to several challenges that threatened quite the potential headache for toy shops – but when consumers finally turned up, they certainly didn’t hold back. Toy World caught up with a selection of retailers about how the festive trading period panned out.

Postal strikes, stock availability, spending pressures, you name it: if it was threatening to derail Christmas shopping plans, we saw it. Happily, despite many dire (yet somewhat understandable) predictions to the contrary, it appears that the old adage – that people will always buy toys at Christmas, no matter what – proved true again last year.

NPD data shows that Q4 2022 outperformed the first nine months of the year for the first time in a decade, with December up +2% in value and volume +3%. Though shoppers may have arrived late, perhaps because they were holding out for discounted lines or were waiting for payday to complete festive purchases, Melissa Symonds, executive director UK Toys, EuroToys, reveals in her article on pages 32-33 that Week 51, which ended on Christmas Eve, was the highest week of the year for sales with 5.3% of the annual total, an increase of +15% vs. 2021 (+49% vs. 2019).

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes at Toy Barnhaus told Toy World that 2022’s festive shopping period was one of their best ever, with figures ‘well ahead’ of those seen in 2021 (find out more on p. 37), while Rick Derr, manager and owner of Learning Express in Lake Zurich, Illinois, tells us in his Letter from America (p. 40) that the final 10 days before Christmas could be summed up with the word ‘wow’. Grocers, too, enjoyed strong results, with Sainsburys posting a total sales increase of +7.1% - Argos sales were up the same amount - and Tesco seeing its revenue jump +6.1%.

Dave Middleton, owner of Midco Toys, tells Toy World that Christmas 2022 was his best in 20 years, with basket spend the same as previous years and signs of a cost-of-living crisis nowhere to be seen. Those who follow Dave on LinkedIn will have seen his daily posts regarding record-breaking sales (often accompanied by paradoxically harried looking, yet happy, selfies), which appeared one day after another after another as the shopping period ramped up. While he puts some of his success down to store relocations he made last year, his selections also bore fruit: Funko, Lego, Pokémon and Squishmallows from Jazwares led the sales, with the Gabby’s Dollhouse licensed range from Spin Master, Hot Wheels from Mattel and all things anime also contributing heavily.

Gabby’s Dollhouse and Squishmallows were top lines for many other Toymaster members across the country, alongside Magic Mixies and Mama Surprise from Moose, Lego and Pokémon. Games, surprisingly, was a mildly disappointing category this year, at least according to Paul Reader, marketing director at the Toymaster, though that didn’t stop a number of members, not just Midco, pulling off their best Christmas ever.

The Gabby’s Dollhouse range, particularly hero line Gabby’s Purrfect Dollhouse play set, was tipped as a Christmas best-seller early on. Alan Simpson, executive chairman at SMF Toytown, confirms it was a major line for his business – as was Squishmallows. Alan explains: “We placed a huge order for Squishmallows before Christmas, which I will admit I questioned, but they all flew out in record time.”

Dave Middleton finds the funny side in the pre-christmas sales rush

Alan witnessed in 2021. The reason? The Royal Mail strikes, which helped drive shoppers back onto their local high streets and into toy stores. Now, Alan says, we just have to hope consumers have once again got the shopping bug: “Online shopping has been almost too easy for a while now.”

The Entertainer’s Gary Grant likewise highlights the postal strikes as the ‘biggest single factor’ in the retailer’s strong December performance. He told Toy World: “Consumers believed that if they ordered online, the product may not arrive in time, so they turned to the high street and physical stores in their droves. As a result, most of our individual stores beat their best ever day and best ever week performances in December. We were also delighted with our performance in Tesco, where we maintained stock levels right through to Christmas Eve.”

“It doesn’t get any better for a retailer than when Christmas falls on a Sunday,” adds Gary. “We all had the benefit of a full final week’s trading, which was stunning.”

Though undoubtedly a boon for bricks & mortar retailers, the action by Royal Mail workers created yet another unusual set of conditions which makes it hard to accurately compare years or anniversary the numbers. Indeed, we’ve lived through three very unusual Q4s in a row now, and many of us may be starting to forget what a ‘normal’ year looks like. Even with Christmas now out of the way, we still face strange times, with ongoing financial uncertainty causing considerable consternation among many consumers. As Gary says: “These are not purely intangible ‘confidence’ issues – these are real financial issues affecting the vast majority of consumers.”

That being said, post-Christmas trading has been very good by all accounts. The two weeks after Christmas were ‘exceptional’ for The Entertainer, according to Gary, while Dave at Midco tells us business has remained strong since Christmas with no signs of slowing down. Tesco CEO Ken Murphy has also revealed a ‘pretty good’ post-Christmas performance akin to that of a normal January.

Toytown’s Alan Simpson shares an interesting post-Christmas nugget of information. The week before Christmas, around 80% of transactions in Toytown were either credit or debit card transactions. The week after Christmas that flipped on its head, with 80% of transactions made in cash, as kids who’d received ‘Queens Head gift vouchers’ for Christmas turned up to get spending (with such abandon that Alan’s sales goal

September and October were flat, a surge in midNovember was scuppered by the snowy/icy weather, and December was then huge, with a ‘monster’ final two weeks breaking all B&M’s previous sales records. Pre-school hits CoComelon and Peppa Pig were big for the retailer this year, perhaps reflecting how parents were seeking trusted brands rather than gambling on something lesser-known – though as with all our other contributors, Squishmallows, Lego and Pokémon led from the front. MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L Surprise! also proved popular.

“One thing we noticed this year was a slight shift away from ever-increasing master toy RRPs back to lower priced secondary product,” notes Hayley. “If a child loves a particular brand but the ‘main’ toys are becoming unaffordable, we’ve seen increased sales of licensed scribblers and art sets instead. On a related note, we’ve found that entry price point lines have been strong this year; we’ve had an especially strong season with our generic pocket money range.”

But how have online retailers fared over Christmas? If the postal strikes were a huge boost to physical toy retailers, it would stand to reason that they’d be a major blow to online specialists. For some, they were - Asos and N Brown Group both posted a fall in sales – but others fared rather better.

Very’s Toys, Gifts & Beauty category pulled off one of the online retailer’s biggest performances in 2022, with Toys on its own up a whopping +26% YoY. Anne-Marie Edwards, toy category manager at The Very Group which operates digital retailer Very, says the retailer worked hard to mitigate pre-Christmas challenges,

including investing in stock within the Toys, Gifts and Beauty category which, as expected, customers prioritised for their loved ones. The category’s strong performance was underpinned by Very’s trusted supplier and delivery partner relationships, as well as its highly automated fulfilment centre, Skygate - not to be confused with Skynet - where the fastest order of Christmas 2022 was processed in just 10 minutes and 30 seconds.

According to Anne-Marie, Very saw an increased focus on value during the festive period, affirming its decision to focus on curating an assortment of toys within its value price proposition, and making price the primary way to filter toys when browsing the site for the first time ever.

“Popular toys from our value ranges this Christmas included Character Options’ Jiggly Pets Pup, Hot Wheels Colour Reveal and Pokémon trading cards - but value isn’t only about price,” Anne-Maire explains. “Our customers were looking for great deals, like the special offer we had on the Barbie Dreamplane during Black Friday, which generated lots of demand.”

She adds: “Heritage brands such as Barbie and Lego are always popular at Christmas, and this year was no exception. The Barbie Dreamhouse from Mattel and Lego Express Passenger Train were among our bestsellers. L.O.L Surprise! also performed well as a brand, with the L.O.L Surprise! O.M.G House of Surprises one of our most popular toys this Christmas. Products offering a sense of innovation, newness and fun, such as Gabby’s Purrfect Dollhouse and Little Live Pets Mama Surprise, were also firm favourites with our customers this year, as were family games and arts & crafts for all ages.”

So: what comes next? As discussed earlier, postChristmas sales - at least up to the point of penning this piece - have been very healthy. NPD data shows Week 52 sales up +2%, but there is some discussion out there regarding whether or not this spending was simply using Christmas present money or something of a last hurrah before consumers tighten their belts and batten down the hatches (other metaphors are available). Dave Middleton, who was in the throes of opening his third store, Freak Treats, when we spoke to him in early January, is firmly in the ‘not’ camp – maybe customer demographics is a factor here? - while others remain slightly more on the fence. One such fence-sitter, Toymaster’s Paul Reader nonetheless expresses cautious optimism for the second half of the year, noting that exciting launches are coming up such as Lorcana Disney trading cards from Ravensburger and movielicensed lines for blockbusters like Seth Rogan’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

“There are still a few potential hand grenades to go off this year, such as people coming off fixed rate mortgages and many intangibles that will affect business planning,” adds The Entertainer’s Gary Grant. “Where will container rates end up? Will they level off at a higher rate than pre-pandemic? What about the dollar - £1.22 is better than it was in the autumn, but still not back to £1.35, where it was previously. Can salaries keep pace with inflation? What will happen to retail volumes, especially when we are seeing some punchy price increases in certain areas? In a way, suppliers are rebalancing almost 10 years of not raising prices.”

SMF Toytown, meanwhile, is continuing with its aggressive expansion strategy with at least three store openings slated for this year and perhaps as many as five or six. That shows a level of confidence in how the year will pan out, surely?

“Toytown continues to enjoy a very strong performance year after year and there’s no need to change the business model,” Alan states when we put this to him. “After all - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Sarah Atta and Hayley White of B&M

Squishmellows by Jazwares

Keen to

be green

As the years go by, and coverage of climate and environmental issues continues, consumers are enjoying an ever-increasing variety of toys that come with a smaller footprint, without sacrificing the fun. Rachael Simpson-Jones looks at what’s new within the Green category for 2023, how packaging is playing its part, and what companies are doing behind the scenes to improve their sustainability credentials.

It’s endlessly pleasing to witness the launch of new toy ranges developed with the planet in mind, and the past few years have certainly spoiled those of us to whom such launches remain exciting.

John Adams, for example, is this year launching a Rubik’s Eco Cube made from 100% recycled ABS plastic and Flair GP has unveiled its CapStars range of pencil toppers made from recycled plastic bottle tops. Basic Fun has announced that all its 22cm Bean Plush and 35cm Medium Plush Care Bears will be made from recycled materials by the second half of the year, and ToyTopic’s licensed plush is now available as a 100% recycled option. Bladez Toyz and Great Gizmos are both releasing new craft kits made from sustainable materials, Playmobil has expanded its award-winning Wiltopia range for this year and Brainstorm is welcoming lots of new Eugy kits to its offering.

Wooden toys continue to be the face of the Green toy category, thanks to their longevity – something parents are seeking more and more, according to David Lubliner, head of customer marketing, Europe, Melissa

& Doug. He says: “Parents are looking for play that lasts and toys that don’t end up in landfills. Wooden toys are tough, durable and can take a beating for generations of play. More uses mean fewer additional toys to buy down the road, which saves money over the long run. Our classic wooden toys are designed to last and are intended to be passed down or donated to keep openended play alive for years to come.”

Some of the biggest steps being taken by companies looking to lessen their environmental footprint aren’t in the toys themselves, though, but the packaging. Indeed, we’re seeing numerous manufacturers remove single use plastic trays, windows, ties, wrap and more from their packaging in favour of more-easily recycled cardboard and paper. One such company is Zapf, which rolled out its plastic-free packaging a little over a year ago. Kasia Leskow, head of Marketing for Zapf Creation UK, tells Toy World: “Our plastic-free packaging has received a positive response from our customers and we’re proud to be able to share the tangible results of our switch to more sustainable packaging. We know

that plastic-free packaging and longevity of toys will continue to be a big focus for parents moving forward, so we’ll continue to make environmentally conscious choices throughout 2023 and beyond.”

Curious Universe has managed to reduce the plastic packaging content from no fewer than 1m units of its Fun Box range last year and increased the use of FSCcertified materials from 5.4% to 32%. By next year, the target is 100%.

“Our company is committed to making positive changes during every aspect of our product’s creation, so we stand strong in our dedication to produce ecofriendlier products,” explains John Styring, founder and CEO. “All our new products now go through a ‘Sustainable by Design’ protocol that allows us to identify improvement opportunities and ensure they are delivered. Equally, all our team members are able to get involved in our sustainability journey. We host monthly meetings to map out progress across our three pillars: Sustainable Products, Responsible Production and Taking Care of Our Own, in line with the United

Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

Brainstorm Toys has been hard at work removing plastic from its packaging, across ranges including StikBot and Torch & Projectors. Debra Tiffany, marketing manager, tells Toy World that while the new packaging is more costly to produce, the ‘brilliant exercise’ has resulted in boxes that are both better for the environment and more aesthetically pleasing. She adds: “This initiative has been very popular with retailers and feedback has been great. The new designs also afford us the room to get across more messaging about product features.”

Many of Sambro’s best-selling lines are now offered in completely plastic-free packaging. The company, which in April last year appointed Lisa Longley as Ethical & Sustainability manager, continues to work with its suppliers to progress this further, though this is only a small part of the company's efforts to bolster its ESG programme. According to Lisa, Sambro’s ESG committee achieved 15 of the 17 goals set for 2022, including calculating its carbon footprint. The company’s UK headquarters in Bury are now powered by 100% renewable electricity and all its unused samples are donated to charity to give them a second life. It is working with Wastebuster on its Toy Recycling Programme, Recycle to Read, and sustainability learning hub, Products of Change. These efforts are paying off: in its most recent ESG audit, the company went from a score of 34/100 (Learner) to 49/100 (Competent). Now ahead of the sector benchmark, this is an achievement Lisa says the team is very proud of.

Sambro is one of a number of companies at which sustainability efforts are taking place largely behind the scenes. Over at Mattel, the goal is to use 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials in both products and packaging by 2030 while also working

to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimise waste, conserve water resources and more. The company’s recycling programme, Mattel PlayBack, also continues to provide guilt-free solutions for toys that have reached the end of their useful life, putting valuable materials back into play and keeping them out of landfills.

Schleich, meanwhile, has set itself the goal of producing its toys in a more sustainable way and says that by the end of 2027, all of its figurines will be recyclable or biodegradable: readers can find out more about this in our Q&A with Philip Hummel, head of Sustainability at Schleich, on pages 50-51. And HTI has focused on production, deciding to onshore its Bubblz factory in Lancashire. Investing in British manufacturing facilities for its Bubblz products, thereby massively reducing the brand’s transport mileage, has slashed Bubblz’s carbon footprint by 76%.

“Our decision to bring bubbles back to the UK had to be commercially viable, and despite various challenges along the way, we did just that, thanks to a huge team effort,” explains Nancy Fielden, marketing manager at HTI. “The creation of the UK bubble factory has proved that such projects are not only possible but are also financially viable. A massive part of our transport footprint has been reduced, which is positive for consumers, retailers and the environment. Any opportunity to make a difference, no matter how small at first, must be jumped at.”

Nancy adds: “The completion of the UK manufacturing facility was only the beginning of a long-term commitment which will see HTI become a greener toy company. We are currently in the planning stages of moving to purpose built new netzero premises, to further reduce our impact on the environment. The building’s energy requirements will be met by solar energy generated and stored on site, while ground source heat exchange pumps will provide internal heating.”

Geomagworld, manufacturer of recycledplastic magnetic building systems, says it is leading the way in sustainability, moving from a linear economy - which saw the unnecessary use of multiple manufacturing processes and raw materialsto a full circular economy. The company’s ultimate goal is to become zero waste, with each stage of the journey bringing this closer to a reality: 2012 saw Geomagworld switch to renewable energy from Swiss hydro plants for its factory and head office, followed by the adoption of recycled plastics throughout all its product development, avoiding the extraction and processing of crude oil to manufacture its products.

Other toy companies are working with external organisations and/or initiatives. Wooden toy specialist Melissa & Doug last year joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and How2Recycle to improve its packaging efforts, and has pledged to help plant 10m trees by 2030 as part of its partnership with the global reforestation organisation One Tree Planted. Additionally, explains David Lubliner, Melissa & Doug is the only global toy manufacturer named as a 2022 FSC Leadership Award winner for Uncommon Excellence by the Forest Stewardship Council. (Readers will see the FSC mentioned a lot throughout this feature, thanks to an ongoing focus by many companies – including Brainstorm, Melissa & Doug, Curious Universe, Paper Engine and many moreon ensuring their paper, cardboard and wood are sourced from sustainably-managed forests).

Working with such organisations is one way in which toy companies can show the public that they aren’t just paying lip-service to the topic of sustainability. As more companies in more industries look to get on the sustainability bandwagon, so we’re seeing more risk of ‘greenwashing’.

“Whilst it is encouraging that so many companies want to gain a foothold in the ‘Green’ sector, it’s important that what they are doing is quantifiable and can lead to meaningful change,” says Sambro’s Lisa Longley. “Currently, there is no clear legislation about sustainable claims; companies are free to add anything they wish to their packaging. This means that labelling something as ‘eco-friendly’ doesn’t necessarily mean it is. There are very few consumer products that have little or no impact on the environment, making them ‘truly eco-friendly’, but there are plenty of ‘more sustainable’ options. It is therefore crucial to be transparent when it comes to product labelling and messaging, ensuring it is clear and easy to understand. All Sambro’s claims are backed by clear information on our website, which can be easily accessed via our on-pack QR codes.”

Communication is also crucial in-store, where consumers are confronted by an ever-growing raft of toys all clamouring to highlight their eco-credentials. Retailers can cut through the noise and guide their customers towards considered purchases by making use of POS solutions, such as Brainstorm Toys’ compact FSC-certified Eugy FSDU, which prominently features the FSC logos. SKUs which support conservation schemes with a proportion of their profits also feature

Sambro’s plush hang tags highlight that the filling used in the company’s plush toys is 100% recycled.

Curious Universe is increasing the visibility of its ecocredentials on its packaging. Additionally, Jon Styring tells Toy World, the company is developing parental guidance icons that will help consumers choose products that suit the wants and needs of their child. These icons will be rolled out across Curious Universe's product lines in 2023.

Jon adds: “We are always looking for ways to communicate effectively with our customers –especially when looking at the life cycle of our products. We recognise that there will be a natural inclination for our consumers to dispose of their products once enjoyed. However, in 2023 we are launching a new ‘Curiously Green’ initiative that includes ‘When you have finished’ guidance on the back of key products to encourage Reuse, Regift and, if required, effective Recycling. We recognise that we are just at the start of our sustainability journey, but these changes for good will ensure that we are kinder to our planet.”

In this feature, readers will find the latest toys from companies working hard to lessen their impact on the environment, while still going big on the fun.

Company Profile

Sustainability a holistic approach

Dr Philipp Hummel, head of Sustainability at Schleich, tells Toy World readers more about the company's recently announced promise to make all its figurines either recyclable or biodegradable by 2027, how packaging plays a big role in Schleich’s plastic reduction goals, and why a commitment to the planet aligns with the company’s ethos.

approach also demands that both the production and supply chains are designed to improve the social and environmental impact of all products that adhere to it and the companies that make them. What kind of feedback have you received since making the announcement?

Initial feedback has been very positive, chiefly because of the holistic approach we have taken. We’re not only looking at the material that goes into making our toys, but at many other factors too. We’ve also received positive feedback on our adoption of the Cradle to Cradle principles as they are the most sophisticated circularity principles a company can possibly follow.

What does the move mean for your customers from a commercial perspective?

Although we’re unable to give any information about future prices at this stage, we firmly believe that consumers will see the benefit of investing in toys that offer greater eco-friendly credentials and long-term play value, and that retailers will therefore see the opportunities presented by offering Schleich toys onshelf.

The prices of our products are based upon various factors and not only on the materials used. To help our retail partners tell the story of our products in-store, we’re preparing B2C communication incorporating POS materials for this year. This will include example videos specifically designed to help children understand our plans.

process, so that an old piece of packaging can become a new piece of packaging at the end of its useful life. By 2025, all our packaging will be recyclable, and as early as this year, we’ll only use FSC-certified paper to make it.

After packaging, where are we likely to see the next biggest changes to the Schleich product line?

By the end of 2027, all our figurines will be either recyclable or biodegradable. In addition, we’re working hard to find recycled or bio-based materials for the future production of our toys.

Secondly, our figurines need a place to play - and so do our children. With this in mind, we’re committed to making a positive contribution towards the protection of our planet, so our children and their children will be able to enjoy healthy, vibrant spaces where their stories can unfold. Our goal is to reduce our ecological footprint. That’s why we continually work to regionalise our production and thus shorten our supply chains. In the future, our products will be produced mainly where they are sold: this means relocating more elements of our production operations to Europe.

In addition, as part of the Net Zero Carbon Programme from our sea freight provider Kühne + Nagel, we’ve reduced our sea-freight-related carbon footprint by 1,000 tonnes per year (compared to 2019), and our site in Schwäbisch-Gmünd will be equipped with a photovoltaic system that will produce green energy for our operations.

enough for us. We want to meet our responsibility to children and their future on a healthy planet headon. That’s why we’re transforming all areas of the company, making each one even more sustainable and further minimising our ecological footprint.

Why is Cradle to Cradle certification such an important part of your commitment?

We’re optimising and certifying our figurines and packaging in accordance with Cradle to Cradle circular economy principles, one the most sophisticated yet holistic approaches available. Cradle to Cradle seeks to use the planet’s resources - for example, the material from which our figurines are made - for as long as possible, and then reuse them again and again. It’s worth nothing that our products are so durable, and of such high quality, that they’re only thrown away in very rare cases. If this does happen, however, the consistent implementation of Cradle to Cradle principles can turn an old Schleich dinosaur into a new Schleich dinosaur (or a lion, horse or unicorn) instead of a product with reduced material quality. The Cradle to Cradle

the initial press release, Schleich drew attention to the role of packaging in the company’s sustainability efforts. Can you elaborate?

We’ve already achieved a lot in terms of packaging, having been significantly decreasing the plastic in our packaging and replacing components with both recycled and recyclable materials. Compared to 2020, we’ve reduced plastic in all our packaging by around 20%. From Christmas 2022, the insides of our Schleich 2022 Advent calendars are now completely made of cardboard, saving around 40 tonnes of plastic per year. Since July 2022, all Schleich Horse Club and Farm World sets have been shipped in packaging without plastic windows, while the packaging for the new Sofia’s Beauties product line will also eliminate plastic windows, saving about 15 tonnes of plastic annually. We’re also increasingly using displays that don’t use plastic holders for our figurines, and most of our displays are already made from FSC-certified cardboard too.

All our packaging will be Cradle to Cradle certified by the end of 2027 and produced in a way that uses resources effectively. In circular economy, this means our packaging can be reintroduced into the production

As you strive to find more recycled or biobased materials, what options are you considering?

We’ve already looked in to both recycled and biobased material options intensively. However, there are inherent challenges that come with producing real biodegradable toys: often, they are only biodegradable under very specific temperature or duration conditions. As such, we’re currently focusing on making our figurines fully recyclable, working with partners and suppliers such as BASF and EPEA to develop a material that is compatible with the Cradle to Cradle principles we are striving for, and producing new figures and high-quality products out of that recycled material.

This doesn’t mean we’ve completely rejected the option of making biodegradable figurines and we’re still looking into different methods and technologies. However, we will only produce biodegradable figurines if we find the solution for real circularity of biodegradable toys, which we currently don’t have.

It’s a major challenge for the entire toy industry to find sustainable materials that meet the high levels of safety, quality, attention to detail and durability which plastic offers – but we’re confident Schleich is on the right track.

Zapf Creation

0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com

With its decades-long legacy, Zapf Creation remains one of the go-to brands for nurturing dolls, with Baby Annabell and Baby born maintaining their No. 1 and 2 brand positions in the category coming into 2023.

In January 2021, Zapf Creation made a commitment to care for children and the future of the planet with the roll out of its plastic-free packaging initiative. Leading the way in the doll sector, this pledge saw the company move to packaging made wholly from plastic-free materials in answer to growing demand from parents and children for sustainable options in the toy market.

By the end of 2022, Zapf Creation successfully achieved its goal: to provide all its products in completely plastic-free packaging. Since the start of the initiative, Zapf Creation has cut production of single-use plastic by over 65 tonnes. This was achieved by removing transparent single-use plastic windows, plastic wrapping and cable ties from all new lines. Packaging sizes were also reduced, increasing efficiency and therefore the environmental impact of transportation and storage of Zapf products. The packaging makes unboxing easier and more fun for children and parents too, with fewer ties and no need for scissors, plus it can be disposed of alongside household recycling.

Zapf’s plastic-free packaging is easily identifiable by the sunflower logo, which can be found on the front of the boxes.

New for 2023 is Baby born Bear. Launching for Easter, the plush Bear, with its moveable arms and legs, offers the ultimate creative role-play experience for children. The Baby born Bear is Baby born’s best friend and can be used with all of Baby born’s accessories, allowing for an abundance of dual play possibilities for children, from dressing up the Bear and Baby born together and having naptimes together, to days out as a pair in their prams.

Launching alongside the Baby born Bear is a themed accessory and clothing range, including two outfits and a Bear Sleeping Cave: a fun accessory to develop imaginative play. Baby born Bear also has a Backpack which converts into a carrier for the Bear – meaning little ones can take it on adventures with them.

Also joining the range in plastic-free packaging this year are the Baby born Magic Dolls. Available in four variations, two boys and two girls, the dolls can open and close their eyes with a twist of their dummy, eat, drink, cry real tears and even wee and poop in their nappies, giving kids hours of fun caring for their doll and honing their nurturing skills. Each doll comes with 10 accessories and requires no batteries.

Amscan will be showcasing its new sustainable Bluey range at this year’s Spring Fair. Comprising all three categories of party, balloons and costume, it consists of FSC-certified paper for both party products and the full range’s packaging. To make things even easier for the consumer, the items also contain the OPRL information to make recycling simple once the party is over. The two costume styles of Bluey and Bingo are both made from 100% recycled materials.

Amscan has also extended its sustainable costume product range even further, adding Roald Dahl characters to the assortment which already comprises Warner Bros. superheroes, classic career and book week styles along with a

Taking it's first steps this July

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Zuru

info@zuru.com

Zuru is committed to sustainability in its products and has made significant efforts across its design and development process. One example is transitioning its 5 Surprise segments to be produced with traceable, recycled plastic, which will save over 2,000 tonnes of virgin plastic from entering the environment annually. This is a significant accomplishment and shows Zuru’s dedication to sustainability. Zuru's sustainability efforts have helped drive its success with fans. The 5 Surprise Mini Brands line and Mini Brands Disney line have both been one of the UK’s best-selling items and Zuru brands have also been popular on TikTok, where they have amassed over 5b views. For 2023, Mini Brands has multiple new launches produced using recycled plastic, further emphasising positive change. Zuru is proud of the innovation coming across 5 Surprise, and what it is doing to change its production and procurement processes to drive improvements in sustainability and sourcing. Exciting new launches include 5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands Series 3 and 5 Surprise Disney Mini Brands Series 2.

5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands are unwrapped and peeled to reveal five mystery miniatures in every capsule. There are over 90 miniature toys and accessories to collect including ultra-rare Frozen Moments. The brand offers minis of favourite toys from Hasbro, K'Nex, Nee Doh, Tamagotchi and more, all produced with recycled plastic. 5 Surprise Mini Brands Disney Store Series 2 lets fans unwrap, peel and reveal real miniature Disney Store collectibles. There are over 60 miniatures to collect from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Mickey Mouse & Friends and Disney Princesses. There are also minis to find and collect of characters such as Woody, Thor, Jasmine and more. Along with special accessories, fans can use their collection to recreate their own Disney Store.

Vivid Goliath

01483 449944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

From infant toys to STEM, arts and crafts to collectibles, Vivid Goliath is making positive impacts with its sustainable ranges.

The company is taking its first steps into the Infant sector with Modimi, a future focused range of infant toys that grows with baby as they become a toddler. The range is made from durable, recycled materials and offers a wide variety of sensory and cognitive play experiences without compromising on the fun. The range encourages the development of fine motor skills, colour recognition and hand strength whilst allowing toddlers to enjoy building and creating.

WoodworX is an FCA compliant range of wooden kits allowing younger DIY fans to build and paint their own wooden vehicles, animals or jewellery boxes. With a 17-year track record in Australia and over 2m packs sold worldwide, WoodworX also extends into licensing for the first time, presenting Star Wars DIY themed projects on shelf from July.

Sustainability is at the forefront for Recyclings, a collectible range made from 70% recycled plastic, stopping an average five bottle caps going into landfill for each Recycling made. The range of cute characters includes Dumplings, Dragons, Hotdogs, Handbags, Popcorn and Pandas. Winner of a Toy Fair’s Hero Toys 2022 award, 2023 sees the launch of Series 3 with all-new collectibles and value-saving multipack styles with the 4-Pack and Collector 9-Pack, Recyclies Dolls & Resoftables Plush items. The refreshed range will be all about celebrations.

Crayola is always on the lookout for new ways to become more sustainable and eco-friendly; Crayola’s Solar Farm has been running for over 10 years and, to date, has produced over 10b crayons and 7b markers. This gives parents peace of mind that they are selecting products produced in a sustainable way. Packaging has been designed to be recycled, and vendors go through thorough checks and procedures to ensure their factories align with Crayola’s eco-friendly principles.

SUSTAINABLE TOYS FOR ALL AGES

We are proud to present our sustainability achievements:

■ -19% water consumption

■ -29% CO 2 emissions

■ -32% impact on ecosystems

■ -70% use of non-renewable resources

Toynamics UK & Ireland

0116 478 5230 | sales@toynamics.co.uk

www.toynamics.com

Toynamics UK & Ireland has multiple sustainable brands in its portfolio, including Korko, a range of educational toys made from sustainable Portuguese cork, and bestselling Hape. Since launching nearly 40 years ago, Hape has become the world’s largest manufacturer of toys made from renewable raw materials – there are wooden toys and products made using rice, fasal and bamboo – and Hape even owns 18 acres of bamboo forest, the world’s fastest growing plant.

New sustainable toys for 2023 include additions to the Hape Nature Fun range and Hape sub brand Green Planet Explorers.

Hape Nature Fun is a range of best-selling sustainable and eco-friendly outdoor toys and new for this year are the Outdoor Kitchen, Portable Microscope and Garden Tool Set. The Hape Outdoor Kitchen is made with FSCcertified wood and green PE and features a water tank to collect rainwater, with a working tap over the sink, four hobs and a stone oven. Multiple utensils - baking tray, bowls, pot, ladle, sieve, flowerpots and hanging rack - provide everything a child needs for hours of endless mud making fun.

Made from bamboo and green PE, the Hape Nature Fun Portable Microscope helps children explore the microscopic world. It can be played with as a lab experience for scientific investigation, using the professional slides and LED lamp with adjustable focus or children can remove the microscope from the stand to create a handheld microscope that can be taken out and about for observing the microscopic world. The microscope has two magnifications, x 60 and x 120, and is a great STEAM toy.

The Hape Garden Tool Set has everything needed for planting and garden fun, featuring high quality, metal tipped tools with bamboo handles, and comes with a watering can, trowel, rake, spade and bamboo plant labels.

Launched in late 2022, Hape Green Planet Explorers offers role-play products made entirely from sustainable materials - wood, plant plastic (made from sugar cane) and bamboo. For 2023, three new sets include Organic Greenhouse, Honey Bees Picnic and Tree Planting E-car. These learning toys are all designed to teach children aged three years + about eco living and sustainability.

Korko, educational toys made from sustainable Portuguese cork, give little ones from 18 months the opportunity to explore sustainable products which stimulate their creativity and early development skills. The cork building bricks, in sets of 20, 40 and 60, come in fun colours and shapes to encourage children’s spatial thinking and fine motor skills. Cork is a soft, light, non-slip, durable material that’s also antibacterial, and as well as being sustainable, is biodegradable, recyclable and carbon negative.

ToyTopic

sales@toytopicgroup.com

All proprietary plush from ToyTopic is now available as a 100% recycled option and, developing its strategy for environmentally friendly production, the company’s sustainable plush and hand puppet range will feature best-selling brands from the company’s successful multi-territory licence agreement with Hasbro and other key partners.

The new 100% recycled portfolio includes ToyTopic’s best-selling Peppa Pig range, featuring interactive musical hand puppets and soft, eye-catching finger puppets. ToyTopic is further expanding its sustainable line-up with new licensed toys based on a selection of Hasbro’s top brands including My Little Pony.

The company is also pleased to welcome the much-loved Peter Rabbit to its portfolio of high-profile brands, showcasing new hand puppets for 2023, all available in the new 100% recycled options.

Simba Smoby

sales@simbasmoby.com | call 01620 674 778

Simba Smoby Toys UK will continue to offer families a greener option in the doll’s aisle this year, with the BeKind range.

The eco-friendly BeKind doll collection helps promote being kind to the environment, animals and to each other. Made from recycled materials and presented in eco-fashions, the BeKind Dolls come boxed in reusable packaging that is made from recycled materials, and each character comes with a wide range of accessories that supports the brand ethos of kindness and sustainability.

There are currently eight characters to collect across two different scales. The original 30cm doll range comprises five eco-conscious characters, with a further three dolls to collect in the 15cm assortment which launched late last year, offering a fantastic entry point into the collection.

BeKind fans will be able to add three new 15cm characters to their collections in autumn/winter 2023, and there will also be a brand-new, brighter, bolder colourway to discover across the range. BeKind will also be crossing over into a brand-new category later this year; the Simba Smoby team can be contacted for further details.

Posh Paws

01268 567 317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk | sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Posh Paws is committed to bringing more sustainable products to the market, and leading the way with its portfolio of plush toys and gifts is the Eco Earth collection of realistic animals from around the world. Produced using 100% recycled fabrics and stuffing, the animals are made from post-consumer waste plastics, and packaging is printed using FSC-certified paper tags and biodegradable soy-based inks, to ensure it can be fully recycled by the consumer after purchase.

The Eco Earth range consists of over 30 beautiful animals in both 12-inch and 7-inch sizes, with more than 60 plush gifts available, providing retailers with a wide selection of choice and competitive prices for consumers.

New for 2023 are the Cute Eco Animals that consist of a Koala, Panda, Monkey and Sloth with big eyes and chunky heads. The Cute Eco Animals have been designed especially for younger fans to cuddle up with and take wherever they go, with baby animal features and styling.

There are four other collections available in the range which have been designed in a realistic style, including animals from different regions of the world, such as a Fox, Red Squirrel, Deer, Rabbit, Barn Owl and Hedgehog in the autumnal Woodland Animals inspired range. In Arctic Animals, there is a Polar Bear, Seal Pup, Orca, Walrus, Arctic Wolf and Penguin available, while the Out of Africa assortment includes a Sloth, Meerkat, Leopard, Brown Bear, Silverback Gorilla and Panda. The final assortmentAround the World – contains a Hippo Calf, Giraffe, Monkey, Elephant, Tiger and Lion.

Roomies, is a brand-new range that Posh Paws has developed with educational learning benefits and fun that young children can have exploring mother & baby play patterns. These brightly coloured, soft and cuddly animal toys encourage imaginative play and caring, and are made using 100% recycled materials and packaging hangtags. Posh Paws will launch with a mother and baby Kangaroo, Panda, Sloth, Koala and Penguin 2-in-1 set. Children can place the baby animal inside the pouch of the mother and take them out again, and the animals can be mixed and matched to create fun combinations for greater imaginative play.

All Posh Paws plush toys and gifts actively encourage consumers to donate unwanted toys to new loving homes and to keep on recycling with the messaging on hang-tags and marketing communications.

Posh Paws will be showing its new ranges at Spring Fair (Hall 5, Stand 5K30-L31).

Eco friendly/sustainable toys

Sambro International

0845 8739 380

www.sambro.com

sales@sambro.com

Sambro International has been driving forward its plans towards a more sustainable future, and this year is taking major strides when it comes to eco-friendly materials, products and packaging.

Alongside its own brand toys, the supplier is known for its licensed ranges and one of its newest plush ranges is the Disney D100 collection, which launches at retail this spring. There are around 50 products in the D100 plush range, in a variety of characters, poses and sizes to choose from.

As well as being beautiful, each product also has sustainability at its heart. All Sambro’s plush products are created with 100% recycled polyester filling, made from postconsumer plastic, saving waste from going to landfill.

Launching in 2023 as part of Disney’s 100th birthday celebrations, Sambro has partnered with the iconic brand to launch a range of limited-edition plush products, which provide an extra touch of celebration, fun and collectability for Disney fans of all ages.

Bringing the magic of Disney to life, the range of D100 plush toys takes beloved characters such as Winnie the Pooh, Simba and Stitch and adds luxury touches such as metallic, glitter-ball fabric or Disney heritage prints into every toy. Each plush is marked with the special D100 logo to celebrate the Disney centenary adding to its collectability. The range also includes two-feature sound functions, which bring the essence of these much-loved characters to life.

SES Creative

sales@ses-creative.co.uk

SES Creative is always looking for innovative ways to develop creative, educational and fun craft sets for children, made with environmentally friendly materials and production methods. As of 2021, the company’s toys are 100% CO2-neutral, and it keeps innovating to make its products greener year after year.

Joining SES Creative’s existing range of eco products, which includes the award-winning Eco Apron made of recycled PET bottles and its extensive fingerpaint range, the company is pleased to share its latest new and exciting products.

In 2023, SES Creative introduces Green Beedz, a line of iron-on, colourful beads, shaped pegboards made of recycled material and on-trend, themed sets. The iron-on beads within the Green Beedz range are produced with a plant-based plastic alternative made of sugar cane and the pegboards that complement the beads are made from 100% recycled materials salvaged from old refrigerator doors. Green Beedz sets and iron-on beads are 100% compatible with other iron-on bead products. With a wide range of different sets, as well as separate pegboards and a variety of 3,000 iron-on beads, consumers can make a sustainable choice. The Green Beedz line displays true innovation when it comes to repurposing post-consumer materials in toys and is the next step towards even more sustainable toys for SES Creative.

In addition to Green Beedz, SES is introducing other products developed with sustainability and nature in mind, such as Feel Good Dough and the Inspired by Nature range. Readers are advised to get in touch to find out more.

Playmobil

01268 548 111

www.playmobil.co.uk

Since its launch in August 2022, Playmobil’s Wiltopia range has scooped several awards and was the most successful new launch in the Sustainable Toys 2022 sector in the UK, according to NPD UK. Two new sets, the Tropical Jungle Playground and Wiltopia Paddling Tour with River Dolphins, will continue the adventures in the Amazon rainforest for 2023.

The Wiltopia range is made from recycled and bio-based plastic, with the current initial wave featuring 12 baby animals and 15 medium-sized and large adult animals. It is the first product range from Playmobil to be made from an average of over 80% sustainable material. PCR plastic, plastic that has already been used by consumers and then fed back into the recycling loop, as well as bio-based plastics are used.

The Playmobil Country Farm range has everything needed to create country adventures. With the Farm House and Farm Shop, children can role-play real life farming stories from the comfort of their own homes. No farm is complete without a Tractor, while plenty of animal sets further bring this range to life. Continuing to push forward with its ambitious sustainability targets, the Country Farm range will also be made with more than 80% bio-based and recycled materials (on average). Both ranges will be backed with extensive marketing plans and in-store support.

Paper Engine

023 8062 5855 / 07484 543387

www.buildyourownkits.com

Jason@paperengine.com

Paper Engine is the creator of Build Your Own, an award-winning range of eco-friendly children’s toys that kids can build themselvesand they are loved by big kids too.

Build Your Own kits are made from highquality, sustainable materials, with minimal plastics. The eco-friendly packaging is 100% recyclable in line with the company ethos: ‘Less plastic, paper fantastic’. Made from sustainable cardboard, the innovative, STEM-inspired kits are fun to build and provide hours of entertainment. Assembled using simple slot-together techniques, there’s no glue, no mess and no fuss: everything needed is provided in the kit.

The company is showcasing its first range of licensed kits this year. Launching in April 2023, these kits have been developed in partnership with Aardman Animations. Paper Engine and Aardman, both of which are homegrown UK companies, say they are ‘incredibly proud’ of what they have created together. Aardman Animations is celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Wrong Trousers this year, and for Paper Engine, being a part of this major milestone is a huge boon.

There are three kits in the new Wallace & Gromit range, each inspired by the world-famous and much-loved animated films. Available at launch will be the Wallace & Gromit Sidecar Plane, as featured in A Close Shave; the Wallace & Gromit Techno Trousers, as featured in The Wrong Trousers; and a Wallace & Gromit Rocket, as featured in A Grand Day Out. The clever mechanics of these innovative kits are ‘cracking fun’. From a pop-up porridge gun and stomping Techno trousers to flames that retract when the rocket doors open, the intricate detail in these kits is second to none. All three are suitable for ages 10-100 years and are 100% plastic-free, being made from sustainable cardboard and paper.

The new Wallace & Gromit range brings the total number of Build Your Own kits to 25.

Keel Toys

01233 506 363 | www.keeltoys.com | sales@keeltoys.com

Keel Toys, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2022, is committed to creating a sustainable future and currently 70% of the entire Keel Toys collection is made from 100% recycled materials. The range includes Wild, Farm, Sealife, Dinosaurs, Teddy Bears, Puppies, Kittens, Nursery, Seasonal and Keeleco Adoptable World.

The company launched Keeleco in 2020; a 100% recycled range of soft toys, manufactured and filled with 100% recycled polyester made from plastic waste. The Keel logo and hangtag are formed from FSC-certified card and attached to the toy with cotton, and even the shipping cartons are made of 100% recycled board. All Keel toys are manufactured in an ICTI ethically audited factory to the highest social and environmental standards.

Keel Toys’ latest sustainable soft toy range is Keeleco Adoptable World - the first fashion eco soft toy. The collection features 24 adorable animals in a range of sizes just waiting to be adopted by a loving new owner, while a Mini Adoptable World collection will launch this year - a range of 24 cute and collectible characters, complete with an eye-catching tiered floor standing display unit.

The original Keeleco Wild, Farm, Sealife and Dinosaur ranges have been extended to over 200 products, making Keeleco the most comprehensive collection available. New additions include the colourful family of snakes and uniquely patterned, super-soft lobster and puffer fish. There are also best-selling Dinosaurs, featuring beautifully textured exclusive fabrics and embroideries, and new arrivals include the Spinosaurus and Ankylosaurus Mini Dinosaurs.

Keeleco Baby launched in 2021 and became an instant success, with the new Marcel Monkey and Ezra Elephant recently added to the Koala, Giraffe, Zebra and Lamb assortment. All ranges are clearly labelled with sustainable messaging and offered with a variety of retail solutions and POS that call it out to consumers.

The Keeleco range now features well over 350 products and Keel Toys’ UK-based design team is already working on many new Keeleco products and collections to reinforce its position as the No.1 sustainable soft toy supplier in the market today.

HTI 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk

HTI’s Bubblz brand remains committed to developing and producing sustainable products. From the beginning, HTI’s bubbles bottles have been 100% recyclable and made from 100% recycled material here in the UK. HTI is now actively working with universities and innovators to investigate alternative, even more sustainable materials that can be easily recycled by consumers, always ensuring there is a balance between functionality and recyclability.

2020’s opening of HTI’s British manufacturing facilities for Bubblz products marked a significant point in the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Onshoring a bubbles factory in Lancashire was a positive move in terms of sustainability. In 2023, HTI will be extending its production of Bubblz by expanding its portfolio of environmentally friendly, UK-made products, increasing its green credentials, and providing added value to the consumer.

The combination of 100% recyclable products and bringing the bubbles factory to the UK was the beginning of a long-term commitment which HTI has made to becoming a greener toy company. HTI’s promise to move to purpose-built new premises in the next two years also plays a significant part in reducing the company’s impact on the environment. During the planning and design of the building’s energy requirements, using exclusively renewable power sources was a key focus. These state-of the-art new headquarters will be fully self-contained, guaranteeing a zero-carbon building for the future.

All of this makes these exciting times for HTI and the Bubblz brand. As well as innovative and increased manufacturing, new lines and licences have been added to the range. The Bubblz brand has created licensed products for top pre-school shows including Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and Hey Duggee for several seasons, and now includes Bluey and Baby Shark within the brand’s portfolio.

Bubblz products provide retailers with a one stop shop solution for this all-year-round classic toy. The range of wands, machines, flurries and mowers are all that’s needed to turn a home or garden into the ultimate bubble fun zone.

Guidecraft’s new line of STEM-based learning tools are made using Poly+ components and construction, a wood composite material that reduces the amount of plastic in traditionally synthetic products by 30%. Poly+ construction, as found in the new Guidecraft Magnification Series, lasts longer and performs better over time than products made from either plastic or wood exclusively. Shatter-resistant lenses, overmolded handles, and waterresistant Poly+ components make these tools the perfect companions for meaningful investigation indoors and outdoors.

Guidecraft

07725 833 273 | www.guidecraft.com

Creator of natural children’s toys for over 50 years, Guidecraft’s commitment to creating positive experiences for young children inspires its efforts to use high-quality, responsibly sourced materials that will last generations. Guidecraft’s new line of STEMbased learning tools are made using Poly+ components and construction. Poly+ is a wood composite material that reduces the amount of plastic in traditionally synthetic products by 30%. Products made from rugged and resilient Poly+ are designed to withstand years of rigorous play indoors and out, lasting longer and performing better over time than products made from either plastic or wood exclusively.

New for 2023, Guidecraft has created a collection of realistic scientific tools including a tabletop magnifier, kaleidoscope loops, a two-handed magnifier, jumbo tweezers and magnifying glasses. Children can get a closer look at the world around them and engage in child-led experimentation and STEM activities. Shatter-resistant lenses, overmoulded handles, textured grips and water-resistant Poly+ components make the products in this collection the perfect companions for meaningful play indoors and outdoors.

Geomag

07831 886 997 | www.geomagworld.com

Starting out with the original classic construction system with its magnetic rods and metal spheres, Geomag has now developed several platforms, designed around the magic, simplicity and strength of magnets, all with different play activities that cater to all types of intelligence and sensibility. Made in Geomagworld’s Swiss hydropowered factory, they are made from recycled plastic.

In 2023, Magicube sees the introduction of the 16-piece Blocks & Cards Set, which provides progressive play activities guiding children on how to build shapes and to combine different shapes and colours, developing creativity and space vision skills. The Blocks & Cards Set provides educational content thanks to the six cards with 1:1 scale matching with the blocks real size, making it a perfect pre-school STEM toy.

The Geomag Classic range has expanded with new additions to the core Supercolor and Glow ranges. With Geomag Classic, kids can build endless 3D structures using the magnetic rods, steel spheres and panels of different shapes which form the magnetic construction system.

The Mechanics range sees the introduction of the Mechanics Motion Fly Wheels set, an entry price point item. The laws of physics, when skilfully applied to these Mechanics toys, make this line particularly STEM-friendly, capable of stimulating scientific insights, from the simplest principles up to very high levels. Composed of magnetic bars, steel balls and elements of different shapes such as cylinders, bearings and modular platforms, the Mechanics models trigger chain reactions for endless fun. Expanding the play possibilities with the Easy Combo System, kids can combine different boxes and build bigger circuits with a maximum of three moves.

Geomag’s ongoing environmental policy considers product safety, renewable energy, recycled materials, the impact of the product and packaging production, product end of life, emissions reduction, and waste and microplastics. With its continuous improvement approach, it has analysed waste production and developed a strategy to reduce it.

Brainstorm

01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk

Launched in 2019, the collectible Eugy arts & crafts range has become a craze, not least because of its eco-friendly credentials. Eugy is made from environmentally friendly, biodegradable card with natural ecofriendly ink and non-toxic glue. The paper used in the packaging and the product is fully FSC-certified.

Each set allows children to build a cute Eugy animal by following a simple number sequence. Children (and adults) will love building and collecting them all. There are currently 55 Eugy models in the range, including the popular Unicorn Sky, Hedgehog, Chameleon, Gorilla and Dolphin. Recent additions include Squirrel, Spino and Moose with more due to be launched in phases throughout 2023, Red Dragon being one of the first.

The key to success with Eugy is eye-catching display. To this end, Brainstorm has invested heavily in creating effective POS, from small carboard CDUs right up to a compact floor standing spinner which itself is constructed from FSC-certified materials. Each display solution includes finished Eugy models that allow consumers to see what they can make with the kits.

Across all its brands, Brainstorm continues its journey towards eliminating single-use plastic packaging. Much of the work has already been completed and rolled into the marketplace on best-selling lines such as Torch & Projectors and StikBot. The company is keen for consumers to know about this development, so has added new logos to packaging calling out the ecofriendly, carboard only packaging. They also encourage consumers to recycle. In 2023, more new and existing products will be introduced with the new plastic-free packaging across brands including Brainstorm Toys, The Original Glowstars Company and Aqua Dragons.

Asmodee UK

01420 593 593 | www.asmodee.co.uk

www.dobblegame.com/eco-design | info@asmodee.co.uk

Zygomatic, the creator of fast-paced observation game Dobble, has announced a complete reimagining of its game box packaging with a new eco-design. Significant improvements to the production and use of materials of the world-famous Dobble game will result in a substantial reduction in Dobble’s environmental impact.

Working hand in hand with supplier partners, Dobble’s redesigned packaging, which aims to be implemented worldwide by 2024, will use 95% less plastic, up to 24% recycled materials, contain only 100% FSC-certified paper and cardboard and will reduce the packaging’s ‘empty space’ by 33%. Just one year of production of these new Dobble game boxes in place of the old boxes would save an estimated 94 tons of plastic, paper and cardboard – the weight of 16 African bush elephants.

By eliminating the plastic insert and the plastic film around the box in favour of a cardboard insert and a simple sticker, Zygomatic has reduced the amount of plastic used in Dobble by 95%. Each Dobble game box will now contain less than one gram of plastic, compared to 23 grams previously.

Recycled materials are prioritised where possible, with 100% recycled material used for the cardboard insert and 58% recycled material for the metal box. In total, up to 24% of the game is now made from recycled materials. All paper and cardboard used is FSC-certified including the box, the cardboard insert, the game cards and the rule book. To reduce the empty space in the Dobble box, Zygomatic has reduced the depth of the cardboard boxes from 75mm to 50mm.

Aimed at children aged six and over, the Dobble card game provides fast-paced family fun in an easy to transport compact tin, making it easy to play anytime, anywhere. Dobble is available in a series of editions including Dobble Friends, Dobble Harry Potter, Star Wars, Disney Princess, Pixar and Dobble Marvel.

Curious Universe

01225 614 310 | www.curiousuniverse.co.uk

sales@curiousuniverse.co.uk

Curious Universe is committed to becoming a sustainably aware company, employer and community member, and part of this commitment is reducing unnecessary packaging and resizing its products to reduce its carbon footprint during production. The company believes in creating products that will stand the test of time and become family favourites for years to come while also having as little impact on the world as possible.

A new zero-plastic launch for later this year is the Curious Universe Games collection, which has been developed with sustainability at its core. Completely plastic-free, the family games consist of card and woodbased playing pieces with exciting themes designed to inspire children and encourage family game play from an early age.

Players can experience a 3D Race Through Space or become Unicorn Racers complete with slot-together card-based playing sections, and they can also whizz around the board with the piece-together Giant Road Race floor game featuring puzzle track sections, car movers, die cut passengers and more.

The Junior Jigsaw brand is a best seller within Curious Universe’s puzzle range, and for 2023 it is continuing to invest in new designs and manufacturing to further develop the range and introduce new titles in different, sustainable formats. Encouraging Early Years development and sensory awareness, the Junior Jigsaw range includes 4-in-1 Shaped Puzzles and tactile Touch and Feel Jigsaws in a host of colourful and engaging themes and designs.

Curious Universe has removed all plastic bags within the boxes and swapped them for fully recyclable kraft paper, reducing plastic consumption and appealing to ecoconscious consumers. Additionally, the company has reduced the size of the box which not only allows it to fill fewer shipping containers but also decrease the amount of waste it is producing.

Bladez Toyz

02392 658 255 | www.bladeztoyz.co.uk | sales@bladeztoyz.co.uk

Bladez Toyz believes in the value of innovative, sustainable toys and will therefore continue to grow its Creative Maker Kitz range. First introduced in 2020, the line of printed cardboard craft kits will welcome sustainable new additions across a variety of popular licences. Minecraft is the latest property to join the Bladez roster, with Make Your Own Mobs giving kids everything they need to create a 25cm tall Zombie (with poseable arms for classic zombie pose), Creeper or Spider. Going one step further than previous Creative Maker Kitz, these will be ‘Zero Plastic’, with only paper-based materials used in both product and packaging. Joining the Mobs will be the heroic Alex and Steve, plus cute animals such as the colourful Llama and loyal Wolf. Kids can complete and customise their characters with accessories and paper stickers. The Bladez Toyz Minecraft range will be available for autumn/winter 2023.

Also within the Zero Plastic category, Make Your Own Magical Creatures are the latest Bladez Toyz Creative Maker Kitz to be inspired by the Wizarding World. Featuring familiar characters such as Hedwig from the Harry Potter series and Niffler from Fantastic Beasts, these kits give Wizarding World fans of all ages the opportunity to make an easy-to-assemble model from sustainable and tough printed cardboard. Once the 15cm kits are assembled, it is time to add the finishing touch – realistic glass ‘doll’ eyes that really bring them to life. Other characters will follow as well as a giant version of Hedwig for autumn/winter. Thanks to this year’s big summer movie, 2023 is going to be massive for Barbie. Bladez Toyz sustainable kits give kids the opportunity to make fun new play environments for Barbie at a competitive price. The Make Your Own Dreamhouse kit stands 70cm tall when assembled and comes complete with re-positionable stickers for decoration and customisation. Available at a lower price, the Make Your Own Pop-Up Café comes with accessories including a table and chair for Barbie’s customers, complete with mini menus and repositionable stickers thzat add a slice of pizza to the mini cardboard plates. A Make Your Own Pop-Up Boutique is also launching alongside the latest addition to the range, the Barbie Extra Make Your Own Pop-Up Party House. In line with the ‘Barbie Extra’ vibe, 10 LED lights can be integrated into the build for night and day modes to keep the party going around the clock. All kits are made from tough jigsaw-style board sourced from recycled material and the complete Barbie Creative Maker Kitz range is available to order now.

Melissa & Doug

0800 731 0578 | www.melissaanddoug.com

Melissa & Doug is known for its extensive range of wooden toys that promote imaginative, open-ended play for children from 0-5 years. Melissa & Doug toys are high quality, durable, and offer classic, universal play patterns that can be enjoyed again and again. The company’s toys are often played with by several siblings within a family before being passed to the next generation, ready for a whole new play cycle.

Reusable Sticker Pad – Habitats is mess-free activity that lengthens play time and reduces waste compared to conventional, disposable stickers. The pad comes with a variety of different themed stickers that can be repositioned on the various glossy pages over and over again. Each page shows a different animal habitat.

The classic Wooden Latches Board is a brightly coloured activity board offering educational, open-ended play. Family members can get involved through games, identifying specific colours and locating the type of animals displayed.

A standout product from Melissa & Doug’s developmental toys portfolio, the Wooden Lacing Beads promote hand-eye coordination as kids thread the colourful, chunky wooden beads onto the included laces. Analytical thinking in toddlers is encouraged as they plan and create a necklace, whether they decide on a symmetrical pattern or sequential one.

The Fold & Go Barn offers wholesome, nostalgic fun for both parents and kids. The durable handle means the barn and included farm animals can be taken out and about for a taste of rural life on the go.

Finally, the sturdy Wooden Slice & Stack Sandwich Counter brings deli counter role-play to life for the youngest of foodies. Simple maths concepts can be introduced by exchanging the pretend money and natural interactions will arise as siblings or parents and kids take turns to make a specific sandwich.

Winning Moves

01706 558 539 | www.winningmoves.co.uk

With companies across every sector placing an extra focus on their sustainability efforts, Winning Moves has gone one step further and made it one of its priorities for 2023. Following the COP26 Conference in January 2021, Winning Moves has taken what it calls ‘immense’ steps towards increasing its ethics and sustainability, well ahead of the proposed 5-year schedule.

Customers are becoming increasingly conscious of the resources used in their toys and games, notes Winning Moves, which aims to be a part of the solution. The first step Winning Moves has taken is the removal of single-use and unnecessary plastic from its Top Trumps Match range. Previously, the game came in cellophane wrapping: this has been removed completely. In addition, the acetate window that once showed the contents of the game has been replaced with a 3D visual of the finished product instead. The only plastic inside the game has been built to last and is intended for use in the game itself.

Top Trumps Match is not the only game that has seen the removal of plastic from the product range. Once Winning Moves had seen what was possible with Match, the company turned its attention to its Top Trumps Collector’s Tins. These had previously been protected by an acetate sleeve on the outside and a plastic VAC tray on the inside. Both have now been removed completely and replaced with cardboard versions that perform the same protective function. In addition, the plastic packaging housing the Top Trumps packs inside the game has been replaced with a paper band.

In 2022, Winning Moves announced the arrival of Harry Potter Top Trumps Battle Mat, the company’s first game with no plastic components. Using the learnings from Match and Tins, Winning Moves has taken out the plastic from inside the game and replaced everything with cardboard instead.

In addition, many of Winning Moves’ products are manufactured here in the UK, including Monopoly, Cluedo, Top Trumps and the Waddingtons Number 1 Playing Cards ranges. Not only does this mean shorter lead times, but also a smaller carbon footprint.

With an eye always on the future, Winning Moves is also gearing up for a mass drive towards use of ethically compliant materials in all of its products.

Character Options

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

Children aged 18 months plus can discover all their favourite friends from pre-school TV within Character Options’ licensed Eco Plush range.

The collectible line-up of super-soft, 8-inch plush pals features characters from the worlds of CoComelon, Peppa Pig, Blippi, Teletubbies and My Little Pony. There are also 6-inch Peppa Pig Eco Plush collectibles, which are great for taking out and about.

From fabric to filling to thread, these characterful toys are made entirely from recycled materials and come displayed in an FSC-certified platform box. With a bespoke packaging style guide and green leaf emblem stitched onto each toy, the toys are easily identifiable as eco-conscious options.

Company Profile

Fast thinking and action at Toikido

Toikido, the star of this month’s front cover, continues to make a name for itself by leveraging disruptive, content-led IP that wins with kids and retailers alike. In this exclusive piece, CEO and founder Darran Garnham speaks to Rachael Simpson-Jones about why it’s so hard to pin down what Toikido does – and why it does it so well.

For many, 2022 was a year of challenges and tightened belts. For Toikido, however, it was one of exceptional growth. The team has grown from just two at the start of last year – founder and CEO Darran and CPO Jeff Hall - to 12 at the start of this year, including Nick Clark, a Panini veteran who had started as product development coordinator on the very morning of Toy World’s interview.

The additional bodies are needed to handle Toikido’s rapidly expanding slate of own- and third-party IP, which continues to enjoy huge global success. 20m Among Us products have been sold in the past 18 months, distributed to more than 70 countries and over 100,000 stores, and Toikido has just agreed an extension to its current agreement with Among Us’ creator, Innersloth Games, that will run through to 2025. Understandably, Darran sees this an endorsement of his company’s success with the property so far. Gang Beasts, meanwhile, which launched in Q3 2022, is now distributed in more than 25 countries and 25,000 stores, and VeeFriends, another Q3 launch that marks the first ever NFT project to be turned into physical toys, launched exclusively with 400 Macy stores across the US last year. More recently, Toikido has signed an exclusive master agreement for Bare Butt Boxing (well worth a careful Google) with the first range due to hit retail in the middle of this year. However, the big news is that this year

sees the full 360-degree launch of Toikido’s very first own-IP, Piñata Smashlings. With a Roblox Game coming out in June, supported and amplified by a raft of top-tier influencers and social media stars, as well as an animated series following in 2024, the foundations for the brand are very strong. Licensing deals have now been agreed in Toys, Apparel, Homewares and Publishing with more to come very soon. On top of all this, PMI International has been named official toy manufacturing partner and Character Options is on board as distributor. It’s a far cry from this time 12 months ago, as Darran explains.

“When we first put Piñata Smashlings on the front cover of the February issue of Toy World, exactly one year ago, all we had was that piece of artwork and nothing else,” “However, I knew we had the creativity and contacts to make something special happen.”

One of the most interesting things about Toikido is that it politely refuses to be pigeonholed. When asked to explain where he sees his company lying within the wider landscape, Darran compares it to the likes of Spin Master and Moose, toy companies that create their own IP and content but work seamlessly to also expand and boost those of external partners. However, Toikido can’t really be compared to many, being an investor, games developer, licensor and much more (as well as also being a toy company). As Darran says: “If you were to ask me what Toikido’s mission statement is, I’d tell you that’s a really good question. We’re still trying to work it out ourselves. We don’t want a mission statement to hold us back, because we operate at the speed of culture.”

“Penguin, for example, is a pure licensee for us, making us the licensor,” he elaborates when pressed further. “I don’t know anything about publishing and that’s OK. Penguin does, so I am handing that over quite happily. The Roblox game sees Toikido become an investor: we’re fully funding it because Jeff [Hall, Toikido chief creative officer] has a game studio background, and therefore this is something we do know about. We’re happy to take risks in areas we understand, and let others take the risks in the areas they understand.”

Darran uses Among Us as an example of how far his adaptable team’s creative skills stretch. When they signed the deal, it was a 2D game. A very successful 2D

game, but a 2D game nonetheless. Toikido then developed the 3D creative, the toy line packaging and style guide assets and much more, taking it from 2D game to fully-fleshed IP. Gang Beasts, the next big hit in Toikido’s stable, followed a similar path, starting

got involved and transformed it into the IP it is today by, as he puts it, ‘adding value from the ground up’. The Toikido team enjoys working in partnership with studios that lack the expertise it has assembled within its team to create a block of assets, which the founder and CEO says is far more satisfying than simply going in and bagging the finished property.

Darran adds: “We’re working on an online and mobile gaming acquisition, while also looking at how we bring AI into the toy space. And that’s not all: we’re going to do something in the sandbox this year, and I want Toikido to be the first company to properly take VR into the toy space as well – actually, we’re already pretty close.”

For Darran, much of Toikido’s approach to business stems from having sat on both sides of the table. After a brief stint at Tesco, he became a licensor at 4Kidz Entertainment, then moved to Moshi Monsters (also as a licensor), then Universal (licensor again), before switching teams to become a licensee while at

franchise, Minions and more. His experience at these companies showed him that with a few simple, easy to implement tweaks, the traditional business model could be made much better - and more fun - and so Toikido was born.

Darran goes on to explain that Toikido is run very much like a game studio, making use of ‘stand-ups’ and ‘sprints’ to create a culture in which communication is second-to-none. Each of the 12 team members have daily touchpoints, while routes to certain goals are very tightly managed and run on fast-moving timescales. Where other toy companies might reel at same-year requests for product, Toikido merely suggests a month for delivery.

His time at other licensors has taught him that communication is key so at Toikido, there’s an internal team agreement in place which stipulates that someone will reply to your email within 24 hours. Many other licensors, by comparison, hardwire a 10-working-day response time into their contracts. Darran says he wants to be a ‘disruptor, but in a good way’, noting that the toy industry shouldn’t - and needn’t - be a difficult place to work.

Piñata Smashlings, according to Darran, will be what makes people ‘sit up and take notice’ of what Toikido is capable of this year, if they haven’t already. It’s one of two own-IPs making their way into the spotlight in 2023, bolstered by a further six external IPs. The other own-IP is Bad Eggs Co. This property was originally intended for the world of NFTs, a space which Darran tactfully describes as ‘having its winter’. A mobile Bad Eggs game has already been developed, along with some short, animated sizzles, and a deal with Eolo Toys to bring the property to life has been agreed too. This collaboration will see both companies work closely together on a toy range while at the same time working out the best route to market. Having been developed as an NFT concept, there are already a staggering 10,000 unique characters that can be pivoted quite easily to become toys instead of digital art.

In 2024, meanwhile, the plan is for five new own-IP announcements and seven external deals. I was keen to find out how Toikido avoids cannibalism of its own properties, and how it manages to identify new areas into which it can inject its own way of doing things.

unparalleled scope to guide and advise Tuatara on decisions that, later down the line, could have very positive consequences for sales of physical toys, a very different kettle of fish to retrospectively creating a toy range based on a finished, cast-iron IP.

From a retail perspective, Toikido is also able to add value in new and innovative ways. For example, it has recently created a very cute Smashling based on The Entertainer’s mascot, Jack, which will be exclusive to that retailer. Other retailers are invited to get in touch if they, too, would like to see their brand immortalised in Smashling form. Toikido understands that retailers require footfall and has therefore also created half a dozen giant Piñata costumes for meet & greets and in-store events. (Darran has tested them out himself, becoming one of very few CEOs ever to have donned a chicken outfit for a visit to their own office.) And if a retailer needs a TV commercial to help attract customers, no problem: that can be arranged too. Darran says: “There’s scope for all possibilities at Toikido, because we like to say ‘yes’ and craft a way forward.”

“Later this year, we’ll also be revealing another string to our bow that will make people think ‘Wow, are they doing that as well?’,” finishes Darran cryptically, as the clock ticks down towards the end of our meeting. “All I can say is that what we’re working on marks the first time we’ve been used as a creative agent, and what we’ve done will be pulled into the world of Piñata Smashlings. We can’t wait for what comes next.”

FRESH THIS MONTH:

Each month Fresh sets out to find the latest products that will have toy retailers reaching for the phone. Here are new releases from: DreamGear, Magicbox & Rainbow Designs.

Gaming and tech accessories

DreamGear | www.dreamgear.com

The DreamGear brand provides innovative and cutting-edge video game accessories for all major video game platforms. An extensive product line for every gaming system produced by Sony PlayStation (PS3, PS4 and PS5), Nintendo Switch (Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, New3DS XL) and Microsoft Xbox (One and X/S) is offered, providing consumers with hundreds of different items across all video game platforms.

DreamGear’s line-up of bionik products comprises an extensive array of high-quality video game accessories for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, PC and Android. The bionik brand is committed to providing unique and innovative accessories that act as catalysts for an improved experience by bringing players the latest in gaming technology.

My Arcade is an exciting line of miniature retro arcade machines, ‘plug ‘n play’, portable handheld devices which feature iconic licensed titles from Bandai Namco, Capcom, Data East, Konami, Taito and Jaleco. My Arcade brings classics such as Pac-Man, Galaga, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition and many others to the palm of players’ hands, evoking nostalgia among adult gamers while encouraging a whole new generation of youngsters to embrace classic retro games.

iSound is a complete line of audio products and accessories for all mobile devices. The iSound brand offers a wide variety of high-quality audio, power and general mobile products, including Apple licensed products, speakers, batteries, charging docks and other accessories.

To find out more, visit www.dreamgear.com, www.bionikgaming.com, www.myarcadegaming.com, or www.isound.com.

KookyLoos

Magicbox Toys | 01293 222 500 www.magicboxint.com | sales@magicbox-toys.co.uk

KookyLoos collectible dolls from Magicbox let kids change their doll’s facial expression with a simple swipe of the finger, and new for this spring is the Kooky Case assortment.

There are four Kooky Cases to choose from, each with its own exclusive doll within a chic suitcase that matches the character’s fashion style. The stylish but quirky suitcase exterior is all part of the fun and opens out to create a travelling wardrobe. The cases include Suzie the kooky rock chick with her stage outfits, funky footwear, guitar and mic; while Jane’s safari suitcase contains clothes and accessories that complement her wild personality. Each themed case comes with hangers, drawers and more, plus three stickers to help personalise the case.

Marketing support will include TV advertising, digital pre-roll, stop frame shorts and peerto-peer conversation through influencers.

Added to this will be a nationwide competition. Magicbox’s commitment to support retail partners will include instore retail kits for independents along with targeted social media campaigns with links to buy.

The Kooky Case assortment launch coincides with the introduction of the KookyLoos Series 3 Party Time collection, which will introduce 12 girls and four fun party themes.

Animal Adventure

Rainbow Designs | 01329 227 300

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Rainbow Designs has welcomed a new UK distribution range this year: the Animal Adventure Soft Toy Collection.

Available from summer, the Animal Adventure Cuddles Collection comprises soft and squishy cuddly toys grouped into series of mini ranges including Little Luxuries, Puppy Pals, Dangle Bears, Dinoriffics, Barnyard Buddies and Puddle Jumpers. Completing the line-up is the Squeeze with Love Collection,

The stylish and unique Safe & Soft Collection has been created especially for babies. The patented range features beautiful My First and Baby Comfort Toys made from specially-treated antibacterial and hypoallergenic materials, delivering the ultimate in hygiene protection. In addition, the infant aquatic Under the Sea Collection focuses on the vibrant Octopus and Turtle characters.

The full range will be on display at Spring Fair in Hall 3, Stand M10-N11.

Wizard of Oz

Paddington

Peter Rabbit

Pip & Posy

Matilda

Harry Potter

Elmer

The Cat in the Hat

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Come to the mega

marketplace!

With an ever-increasing focus on sustainability and more diversification by retailers, Spring Fair is attracting many new exhibitors, as Sam Giltrow discovers when she chats to Hyve Group’s key account director, Bhavika Pattni.

AAs the dust settles on the toy fairs in London and Nuremberg, some UK toy buyers will be heading to the halls of the NEC, Birmingham for another key event in the retail calendar – Spring Fair. Although encompassing a wide range of product sectors, 14 in total, covering everything for the home and lifestyle such as housewares, gifts, Christmas and fashion, it is the Kids, Toys and Play section in Hall 5 which is the main draw for Toy World readers.

Bhavika Pattni, key account director for show organiser Hyve Group, suggests that many retailers have diversified in recent years to broaden their offerings to include toys and games. “Spring Fair is one of the largest retail shows in the UK with exhibitors showcasing both toys and gifts,” she told Toy World. “We know that toys are a gift item, so there’s that cross-over buying opportunity, and we also know that many shops are diversifying and want to have different ranges, so that is a really big factor for us.”

She cited the example of garden centres, many of which have introduced or expanded their toy departments in recent years as they bid to become a destination for the whole family. “I think retail buyers appreciate the one destination approach that Spring Fair offers, especially for multi-channel retailers,” she said.

Commenting on this year’s show, Bhavika added: “It’s all looking really good and shaping up nicely. We are in a good position, especially in Kids, Toys and Play. We have lots of new exhibitors and what I have also noticed is that many companies have taken on new distribution ranges - that seems to be a growing trend. There have also been some acquisitions, such as Smart Toys and Games taking on The Happy Puzzle Company, so there’s lots of newness within the existing companies too.”

Kids, Toys and Play offers an array of toys, games, puzzles, high-tech gadgets and craft gifts for all ages. Among the numerous suppliers exhibiting at Spring Fair this year are Keel Toys, Orange Tree Toys, Kidicraft, Ty, Rainbow Designs, Spinning Poodle Games, Wilton Bradley, Bachmann Europe, Gibsons, Big Potato, Toynamics, University Games, Blue Sky Designs, Fanattik, Alpha Toys, Simba Smoby, Hunter Price, SES Creative, The Source Wholesale, PMS International and Cheatwell Games.

The Covid pandemic caused a hiatus for the show and when it returned in 2022, numbers were lower than usual. However, Bhavika points out that the number of toy exhibitors has increased for 2023. “Our numbers are up on last year and the floor plan is growing again.”

The show places a big focus on sustainability and

innovation and many exhibitors offer sustainable product. “Hyve has a personal pledge to be a sustainable company, so it’s great to see what companies can bring to the show,” commented Bhavika.

One new exhibitor at Spring Fair this year is SES Creative which offers a wide range of crafting kits for kids from fingerpaint, poster paint, colouring pencils, markers, chalk, play dough and more. “We are exhibiting at Spring Fair for the first time this year and are looking forward to meeting the diverse visitors to the show,” said Damien Collett, head of Sales & country manager, UK & Ireland. “We feel that our company ethos of designing and manufacturing products that are both extremely safe and environmentally responsible is a good fit for the visitors to Spring Fair, with all our products being made in the Netherlands.” Damien added that he was excited to showcase many products at the show, but particularly the new iron on beads range Green Beedz, made from a plant based plastic alternative from sugar cane. SES Creative will also be showing its pre-school crafting ranges, safe for children one year plus, which are performing very strongly in the market and are gluten free, vegan and hypoallergenic.

Orange Tree Toys, which offers a wide range of wooden toys, will also be exhibiting at this year’s Spring Fair and is particularly excited about its new woodland animal range, which includes lots of new concepts. It is also introducing a beautiful new Peter Rabbit TV range - a new licence for Orange Tree Toys

- and says it is also looking forward to showcasing its new Disney range as part of the D100 celebrations.

Commenting on last year’s Spring Fair, national account manager Bev Cochrane said: “2022 was amazing for us - it was our most successful year to date – and the whole team enjoyed meeting both our existing customers and many new ones, proving that face to face is best. We hope that 2023 will be equally successful, if not more.”

Another exhibitor is Fanattik, a UK-based gifts and collectibles company which supplies pop culture retailers worldwide and is a licensee for Universal Studios, Hasbro, Paramount Studios, Bethesda, Toho Studios, Konami, Capcom, Microsoft and many more. Among Fanattik’s newest releases launching at Spring Fair are a Jurassic Park 30th anniversary range, Yu-Gi-Oh! collectibles and a Dungeons & Dragons range. “Spring Fair gives us the opportunity to re-connect with the UK retail trade. We release over 300 new licensed gifts each year and there’s nothing like seeing our partners reactions when they see product for the first time in person,” said managing director Anthony Marks. Fanattik has signed six big licences in just the past few weeks and the show will provide the opportunity to reveal to its retail partners what it has planned for the year ahead.

Jigsaw puzzle and board game company Gibsons is looking forward to introducing its brand-new range at the show. “We’re excited to showcase over 40 new products for 2023, including the new TfL Elizabeth Line collection, our commemorative

puzzle for King Charles III Coronation and a brandnew collaboration with the design studio Snowtap. Our team have worked so hard on this new range so we can’t wait to show these off during Spring Fair,” said Gibsons’ Zoe Walsh.

As well as welcoming back regular exhibitors, smaller companies and start-ups will be promoted in the popular toy debut area. “We want to make sure that we are pushing new companies, as well as the exhibitors that return each year. It’s all about building long-term relationships and we like to see the companies grow,” said Bhavika.

Enticing new visitors, and suppliers, is a challenge for any big trade show and Bhavika added that Spring Fair aims to keep things fresh by not having exhibitors in the same place each year and by creating little “pockets” such as a family board games area, or puzzles. “We don’t want to have a stale floor plan,” she commented. “It’s a little bit like a retail store really; we don’t want the same display all the time.”

In her eight years dealing with the show, Bhavika has seen many toy companies develop and watching them grow has been a personal highlight for her. “I just love the buzz of Spring Fair and the Toy section is particularly exciting for me. It’s great to see companies come in as small businesses and a few years later take bigger stands,” she concluded.

Spring Fair runs from 5th- 8th February 2023 at NEC Birmingham. For further information, visit www.springfair.com

Corners of the World

G7128 Bright Lights & Big Cities

G6362 Birdsong by the Stream

G2723 Wings Over Windsor

G6621 Sweet Retreat

G6619 London Gallery

Wilton Bradley

01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com

Stand 4G26/Stand 5G20-H21

Wilton Bradley will be showcasing a whole host of new products at Spring Fair across its range which includes brands such as Xootz wheeled toys.

The Xootz Bubble-Go Trike is a tricycle which kids can pedal leaving a cloud of bubbles behind them. All they need to do is add the included bubble solution to the front mounted Bubble Go machine and watch as hundreds of bubbles blow away as they move. With an easy clip assembly, the Bubble Go Trike can be put together in a matter of minutes and the sturdy, lightweight frame offers durability. It comes complete with 100ml of bubble solution.

The new Xootz Wild Thing LED Scooter comes with deck and handlebar grips with leopard print grip tape and LED wheels for a fun light show when riding. Perfect for ages 5+, the Wild Thing features a lightweight aluminium frame and an easy folding mechanism for transporting.

Reaching speeds of up to 10km/h, the new Xootz Eclipse Electric Scooter, Aqua, is suitable for kids age 3+ and comes with PU wheels, making for a super smooth ride along pavements and parks. The collapsible bars also make the Eclipse easy to transport.

The Sew Amazing Workshop is suitable for ages 6+ and is a great way to introduce them to sewing. With the fully functional machine, kids can make and customise their own clothes and accessories, producing finished pieces that they can be proud of. The machine is mains or battery operated and features two speed settings and a foot pedal control. Also included are additional threads, fabrics and a clutch bag pattern to get started with. There is also a removable table offering support for larger projects.

The Power Play 4 in 1 Stand Up Games table is the perfect addition to any party and includes all the party favourites: hockey, pool, table tennis and table football. Players simply lift the games deck and replace with their chosen game. The table also includes handy storage for keeping the included balls, bats and cues safe while not in use.

The 2-1 Globe is suitable for kids age 3+ and encourages them to learn about the world around them, with built in LED lights allowing them to explore both Earth and the constellations at the flick of a switch. This 25cm globe includes all capitals and major cities across the planet.

Toynamics UK & Ireland

01164 785 230 | www.toynamics.com

sales@toynamics.co.uk

Stand 5M20-N21

Toynamics will be showing new products and extended ranges for its brands Hape, Skip Hop, Nebulous Stars, DinosArt, Beleduc, Korko and Nanoblock, plus showcasing its new brand for 2023, AmbossToys - timeless ride-on toys that combine classic Italian design with the finest craftsmanship.

The line-up will offer retailers a wide choice in games, puzzles, STEM education, outdoor, plush, construction, pre-school and licensed toys, as well as arts & crafts and collectibles. There will also be a large collection of sustainable toys.

For Skip Hop, Toynamics will be showcasing innovative must-have gadgets for parents, an extensive Moby bath range, plus new changing bags and a new Spark Style range. Show heroes will include the Skip Hop Stroll and Connect Bladeless Stroller Fan; designed to keep baby cool when out and about, the fan easily clips onto most strollers and can be moved to rotate at different positions and angles for maximum effect. It’s also friendly for little fingers, making it safe for babies and toddlers.

Magical arts & crafts from Nebulous Stars will see new stationery, crafts and sketchbooks, with the Nebulous Stars Shooting Star Maker expected to be a hero launch. This arts & crafts set for children from 7yrs+ produces 3D stars and comes with a shooting star maker, 12 pulp paper stars, star shaped punch, three paint bottles, two ink spray bottles, tissue paper, glitter powder, glue, beads, cords and inspiring message pages. The 3D element of the stars means they can be filled with gifts or inspiring messages before being sealed and decorated. For set longevity, refill packs are also available.

Spring Fair 2023

Big Potato

020 3620 9495 | www.bigpotato.co.uk

trade@bigpotato.co.uk

Stand 4F26-G27

Big Potato is looking forward to showcasing its new Block Party game, which is a charades-style party game. Instead of acting or drawing the secret word, players must use their skill to build it with little wooden blocks and be prepared to think ‘outside the blocks’.

To play Block Party, everyone grabs some blocks then races to build one of the objects written on their card. One player is the Guesser; if they correctly guess the first player’s object straight off, both the Guesser and the player win points. If they don’t, another player can jump in and bag a bonus point if they guess correctly. Players might find themselves trying to build a flying saucer or a swan - without the other players thinking it is a gravy boat.

As with all Big Potato’s games, there’s no waiting about - everyone is either building or guessing. In each round there is a bonus mission, such as: ‘Build using the least blocks’ or ‘Build using only one colour’, which gives the winner an extra party point.

At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins and is crowned the Block Party Champion, unless the other players want a re-match Block Party is plastic-free. The wooden blocks are from FSC-certified forests and the shrink-wrap has been replaced with biodegradable cellulose stickers, making it another example of Big Potato’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact by binning plastic, reducing packaging and planting a tree for every game sold on its website.

To find out more about the 2023 range, get in touch with the team on the details above or pop along to the stand at Spring Fair.

Spinning Poodle Games

0330 222 0318 | www.spinningpoodlegames.com | sales@spinningpoodle.com

Stand 5N41

Spinning Poodle Games will be showcasing its extended range of card games in tins which have proven very popular in 2022, winning various awards.

The range includes many classic card games that have been re-imagined for a modern audience: Hide The Slug is a fun version of Cheat with fruit and slugs; Slug Sandwich is silly sandwich making game loosely based on Rummy; Rocket Bang is a firework themed version of Sevens and Simple Charades is simple set of charades picture cards for young families.

Adding to the range this spring are Croc Patience, which is a very simple but cute single player clock patience game, and Verstecke die Schnecke, a German language version of the best-selling Hide The Slug which is Spinning Poodle Games' first product designed for sale outside of the UK.

The range now includes games designed for all ages from youngsters aged 4+, including single and two-player games and games for larger, mixed age groups. Games are supplied in sturdy tins making them perfect for travel, for casual entertaining while out and about or as stocking fillers. All games appeal to multiple age ranges, feature bright illustrations and are designed and manufactured in the UK using FSC-certified card.

The full range from Spinning Poodle Games will be on display at Spring Fair.

Orange Tree Toys

01242 244 500 | www.orangetreetoys.com

Stand 5G14-15

Orange Tree Toys’ main new collection for 2023 is a beautiful Woodland Animals range, using autumnal colours and featuring many different woodland creatures. The range includes a set of the popular wooden Stacking Cubes, a Puzzle Train, a Woodland Animal Balancing Game and a Shape Sorting Clock, as well as some brand-new concepts.

The company has introduced a wide range of pocket money toys across its ranges, with chunky wooden mini puzzles and travel games which come packaged in a canvas bag for easy storage, and a wide selection of pencil toppers. There are also new additions to its London range and a brand-new Scotland range, featuring a highland cow, piper, and of course, Nessie.

In its licensed collections, a brand-new range of Peter Rabbit TV products is based on the popular animated television series, and new lines are added to the Disney Winnie the Pooh range using a softer colour palette, along with some new-look toys in the Paddington for Baby range.

Orange Tree Toys is excited to be included in the Disney 100 celebrations this year, with some exclusive D100 lines which launched at Toy Fair, and which the team is looking forward to introducing to Spring Fair visitors. There is a Christmas specific D100 range, which includes an Advent Calendar, and an all-yearround D100 range, with dominoes, shape sorters, puzzles and collectible items.

All products are entirely plastic free and made using FSC-certified wood - and also come in beautifully designed packaging using no plastic, making all of the product fully recyclable.

Along with its usual free stock offers, Orange Tree Toys will have some great show offers to share with its independent customers, including new mini puzzles.

SES Creative

sales@ses-creative.co.uk

Stand 5M42

As a European manufacturer of educational, fun and creative toys, a sustainable future for the next generation is one of SES Creative’s goals. It has applied innovative techniques and ingredients to design and manufacture a range of new products, keeping sustainability in mind.

In 2023, SES Creative introduces Green Beedz, a line of iron-on, colourful, plant-based beads, shaped pegboards made of recycled material and on-trend, themed sets. 100% compatible with other iron on beads, Green Beedz is a truly sustainable iron-on bead choice.

Another innovative new concept, Feel Good Dough is super soft, 100% gluten free, vegan and made in Holland. Each unit, contained within new packaging, contains four unique colour combinations: Happy, Nature, Pure and Relax. The dough stimulates and relaxes pre-school children and is completely safe for kids aged one and over. The packaging clearly informs parents of the product benefits, making it an easy choice for parents looking for dough for younger children. An additional QR-code means they can also find inspiration about re-using the packaging and containers. All pots are food grade and can be used in the kitchen.

SES Creative is expanding its range of products, with every age in mind. In the pre-school category, new activities are being introduced that will help develop fine motor skills and imagination, such as additions to the company’s Colouring with Water collection and the new Dough Activity Cards. Both stimulate children while they play. The company is also launching new craft sets that let kids make jewellery, cast models and paint figures, construct cool dinosaurs, or play outdoors. SES Creative has even developed new Beedz Art sets for adults who have not yet forgotten how to play.

With over 100 new products in 2023, the SES Creative team is looking forward to showing them to visitors as well as revealing its plans for the year ahead.

SPRINGNUREMBERGGERMANY:HALL7STAND FAIRNECBIRMINGHAM: HALL5STANDG20-H21/HALL4STANDG26B11-C12

SHOWINGAT: TOYFAIRTOYFAIROLYMPIALONDON:STANDE89–E98

Fanattik

www.wearefanattik.com | hello@wearefanattik.com

Fanattik is a gifts and collectibles company, based in the UK, supplying pop culture retailers worldwide.

A licensee for Universal Studios, Hasbro, Paramount Studios, Bethesda, Toho Studios, Konami, Capcom, Microsoft and many more, the highly collectible kidult pieces the company creates feature brands such as Harry Potter, Batman, Jurassic Park, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Back To the Future and Jaws, plus many more film and video game

Its catalogues contain almost 1,000 licensed gifts and collectibles, containing everything from a SpongeBob SquarePants bottle opener to Lord of the Rings Jewellery. The Fanattik mantra is to create affordable collectibles for all, and with suggested retail price points of less than £20, many pieces are limited edition, individually numbered and supplied with a display stand within each piece’s presentation box.

Among Fanattik’s newest releases launching at Spring Fair are a Jurassic Park 30th anniversary range, Yu-Gi-Oh! collectibles and a Dungeons & Dragons range. Some of the biggest licensed gift retailers from the US to Australia partner with Fanattik and the company was recently named as UK exclusive distributor for Handmade By Robots, the collectible vinyl figure range currently taking the US by storm, featuring properties such as Scooby Doo and Harry Potter. The soft launch at the end of 2022 sold out.

With social media support from both Fanattik and brand partners, many Fanattik products can sell out within a week, or in the case of one of its Jurassic Park pieces, just 24 minutes.

Gibsons

020 8661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk |

Stand 5G10-11

sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk

Gibsons, the family-owned jigsaw puzzle and games company, is starting 2023 with a range of new puzzle designs, all of which will be available to view and order at Spring Fair. The new SS23 collection is a vibrant mix of classic Gibsons blue boxes and modern special editions including something for everyone, from nostalgic images in School Days to a beach full of sweet treats in Sweet Retreat.

Bird Song by the Stream is a mix of nature and animals, with the wholesome piece from Greg Giordano perfectly capturing the beauty of nature.

Gibsons is also thrilled to launch its first multibox puzzle in its design-led ‘White Logo’ collection. Working with the talented Hebe Studios, it has created the stunning 4x500 piece puzzle, Corners of the World, capturing iconic landmarks from around the world in gorgeous vivid colours.

Puzzlers can take a trip around famous London sites in London Gallery, the latest instalment from Josie Shenoy; from Buckingham Place to Kew Gardens this puzzle covers many London landmarks.

Exploration doesn’t stop there as the newest puzzle from Val Goldfinch, Bright Lights and Big Cities, covers the A-Z of Great Britain, all the way from Aberdeen to York. With stops along the way, this puzzle is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves a road trip.

Along with new 1000, 500 and 4x500 puzzles, there are seven new additions to the XL range, including two brand new images which are also available in 1000 piece.

Gibsons jigsaws are made from 100% recycled board and secured with biodegradable tabs rather than shrinkwrap, to reduce single-use plastic waste.

Gibsons also offers a great selection of family board games including quick-play games such as Mind the Gap and Pass the Bomb and strategy games such as Hare & Tortoise, 221b Baker Street and Civilization.

Bachmann Europe

www.toyway.co.uk | sales@toyway.co.uk

Stand 5H24-J25

At this year’s Spring Fair, Bachmann Europe will be launching its new distribution line PepPlay, a range of children’s arts and crafts products that is suitable for ages 3-10 and features colourful designs to appeal to both children and parents.

PepPlay is a premium eco conscious brand, with many of the products designed to be reusable and recyclable, and all the products are non-toxic and conform to CE and ASTM standards. The range is made up of around 20 products initially, with plans to expand the range in the coming year. It includes Reusable Doodle Placemats, Sticker Puzzles, How-toDraw books, Origami Art, Dough Art, Velvet Colouring Cards, Painting by Numbers, 3D Model Kit and No Sew Pillow Kits.

The Reusable Doodle Mats are a particular highlight and come in a range of designs. The placemats are designed to make mealtimes fun at home or on the go and take the stress out of eating at restaurants with little ones by giving them a fun activity while they are waiting. Children can learn and play while developing skills such as concentration, fine motor and coordination for early writing skills and correct pencil grip. They are printed with fade proof black ink on food grade, non-toxic polymer sheets and are BPA free. Once kids have coloured in the pictures, they can be wiped clean and started again.

The educational Sticker Puzzles are fantastic for encouraging independent, exploratory play. Each scene card features designs that are divided into spaces, each with a number, that corresponds to a sticker. Kids can find the sticker, peel it and place it in the right space to complete the scene. The stickers are repositionable, in the event of an error.

Peers Hardy UK

www.tikkers.co.uk / www.peershardy.com | pashfield@peershardy.co.uk / jbarrett@peershardy.co.uk

Stand 5L23

Peers Hardy, a Birmingham-based business which has been privately owned since 1978, is now the UK’s largest children’s watch and jewellery distributor with over two decades experience in character licence distribution. The company is planning to further expand its customer network on a global scale this year by leveraging its popular range of smart watches, traditional timepieces, jewellery, hair accessories, clocks, travel accessories and jewellery storage solutions.

Peers Hardy is a long-standing UK distributor for character licensed watches and clocks with a portfolio featuring Barbie, Minecraft, Pokémon, Sonic, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Disney, Marvel, L.O.L. Surprise! and DC, plus many more. Products include LED displays, flashing and singing digital watches, projection watches and the company’s award-winning interactive smartwatches. The features include a camera, step counter, voice recorder and a great selection of character dials and games providing hours of entertainment, starting at pocket money price points.

Tikkers was the first kids’ watch brand born from the Peers Hardy design studios back in 1999 and has remained fundamental to the company’s success, helping children tell the time for over 20 years. From traditional time teachers, glitter and sparkle gift sets through to the latest sports activity trackers, Tikkers covers all styles and trends for children at a range of affordable price points.

In 2019, Peers Hardy secured EMEA distribution rights for character licensed jewellery and accessories. The company’s jewellery collection includes entry-level costume pieces through to Sterling Silver styles. The gift collection is ever growing and includes novelty hairbands, jewellery boxes and hair accessories. The most recent additions include a range of 3D vinyl, mini backpack and purse keychains.

This year will also see Peers Hardy introduce a new brand to the UK market in the form of Wow Generation. Aimed at 6–12-year-olds, Wow Generation is based around five key characters and offers a range of Stationery, Arts & Crafts, Cosmetics, Jewellery, Basics (bags and water bottles) and Tech products, all rich in design and beautifully presented for in-store retail. High quality products with strong POS appeal, Wow Generation is a must see.

University Games

0207 254 0100 | www.university-games.co.uk | sales@ugames.uk.com

Stand 4E30-F31/E24-25

University Games and The Lagoon Group will be launching over 50 new lines in 2023, including multiple new titles in the murder mystery and family games categories.

University Games’ best-selling Murder Mystery range has been refreshed with modern, eye-catching, cross -generation packaging and features everything needed for a crime solving evening with friends. Murder Mystery games have always been a staple in University Games’ portfolio thanks to likes of the ever-popular Champagne Murders and Death By Chocolate, and the last few years have seen a significant surge in interest as people look for new ways of entertaining at home.

Games which offer the option of playing either alone or with friends have also been on the rise, and University Games’ series of Case Files Mysteries ticks this box. Joining the range for 2023 is a case that takes mystery games to the next level; Mission: Black Hawk is an immersive multimedia experience that utilises AI. Players take on a live mission as they create and execute a plan to stop a cyberattack using a mixture of physical and digital clues.

The Lagoon Group also welcomes two new crime titles this year. Presented in an elegant whisky-style gift box, Gym Scream is a murder mystery inspired by Lagoon’s best-selling Complete Murder Mystery Night. The Escape Room Mystery Game, meanwhile, comes in a travel-size tin and invites players to solve a mystery in every room of the house to escape – all from the comfort of their own home.

Roald Dahl is the UK’s greatest storyteller with huge appeal across the 5-11-year-old age range. Delivered in contemporary new packaging for 2023 are the inspiring educational games Matilda’s Splendid Spelling, The BFG’s Whizzpopping Letters and Charlie’s Marvellous Maths. All the titles contain three fun yet educational games ideal for Key Stage 1 and 2 learning. Also available will be four 250-piece puzzles focusing on The BFG, Matilda, Fantastic Mr Fox, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

New titles join University Games’ family games portfolio including the Forbidden Games strategy series, 20 Questions, Irritable Vowels and Mind Your Language. Players who know what obscure words mean and are good at accents will love this hilarious board game, as they learn a new words and bolster their vocabulary along the way.

Entertaining new games joining the Lagoon range include Happy Hour Hustle. A party game for ages 18 years and above, Happy Hour Hustle combines 100 drinking and challenge quests: players must complete the challenges with their team to win the most coasters. Rom Com is a date-night trivia game about romantic comedies, in which players try to identify perfect pairs, romantic oneliners and silver screen hits from their favourite films. The first player to earn a red heart from each of the three categories wins the game.

A beautiful series of traditional wooden board games will also be available from Lagoon this year. Created from sustainably sourced wood, the series includes family-favourites Chess, Draughts, Ludo and Snakes and Ladders.

Plus-Plus UK & Ireland

www.plus-plus.com | info@plus-plusuk.com

Stand 5G31

Plus-Plus was established in the 80s in Holbaek, Denmark. January saw the launch of Plus-Plus UK & Ireland with Phil Hooper at the helm as managing director. Phil’s new team is bringing an extensive range of products directly to the local toy and gift market while building a long-term brand partnership with retailers. Supported by the high-quality values of the PlusPlus brand, new product development and a commitment to marketing, Plus-Plus aims to establish an evergreen presence in the UK & Ireland.

Many will recognise the versatility of the differing size tubes, ranging from 100-pieces to 240-pieces and the standout one metre tube containing 520-pieces. All options offer open play patterns and creativity, but with so much more to discover - including a new Transportation theme for 2023 - this diverse and creative range offers something for all.

The chunky and bright Plus-Plus Big range is perfect for youngsters ready to take their first steps into building. Big Plus-Plus is available in tubes of 15-pieces while the Open Play 100-piece box is a best-seller, packed to brim with bricks and available in basic, pastel and neon colours. Another best-selling range is Travel and Storage. The Big pieces can be packed into a metal suitcase or the larger travel case with a little space left for kids to add to their collection and take it with them wherever they go. New for 2023 is Big Bunny, a cute white rabbit with carrot.

Puzzle by Numbers combines paint by number artistry with the satisfaction of puzzle solving and is available in three sizes containing 250- to 800-pieces each. New additions to the range in spring include a Unicorn, Rocket and a beautiful Peacock, increasing this creative and colourful range to nine SKUs.

Learn to Build welcomes two new sets: Flags of the World and People of the World. Both include templates, instructions and stencils. The larger Flags of the World set enables kids make over 80 flags or develop their own which can be flown from the Plus-Plus flagpole.

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.

Smart Toys and Games

01903 885669 | smarttoysandgames.co.uk | uk@smart.be

Stand 5K21

Smart Toys and Games is home to 10 award-winning educational brands including Smart Games, the worldwide leader in multi-level logic games; SmartMax, the pioneering pre-school magnetic construction system for young children and GeoSmart, which the company describes as the future of geomagnetic play. Other award-winning brands in the portfolio are Happy Cube, a fun range of Eva foam puzzles; Smartivity, a collection of sustainable wooden construction and activity sets; Go Genius, an eco-friendly collection of educational board games; True Balance, a fidget toy for adults and children as well as The Happy Puzzle Company, which was acquired by Smart Toys and Games last year.

New for 2023 and on show at Spring Fair is Safari Park Jr, a puzzle game for pre-schoolers which is suitable for ages three and over.

In Safari Park Jr, the safari animals love to model for the camera; the game challenges kids to get the animals into picture-perfect position for the photo. They need to remember that the lion doesn’t like water, the elephant can’t climb over the rocks and the giraffes are too tall to fit under the trees. It’s a 2-in-1 learning game for toddlers, teaching them about shapes as well as concepts such as left, right, on top, in front and behind. As with all games from the company, Safari Park Jr has been created to be passed down through generations. Children will develop a number of cognitive skills including planning, problem solving, visual perception, language and hand-eye coordination.

Another new game, Cats & Boxes tasks players with moving the puzzle pieces one by one until all the cats are inside a cardboard box. and adults comes in a compact format, so is perfect for travel.

Smart Toys and Games caters for children as young as one, up to all ages and stages. Each product in the extensive range features an engaging and well as being colourful and durable. The whole brand ethos is to encourage children to learn through play.

The Source Wholesale

01306 646 885 | www.thesourcewholesale.co.uk

sales@thesourcewholesale.co.uk

Internationalenquiries@thesourcewholesale.co.uk

Stand 5J30-K31

The Source Wholesale will be launching 60 new products from various buying categories, all showcasing at Spring Fair 2023. There will be new lines within the Games, Construction and Robotics category, including new additions to the Xtrem Bots range. Sam is the new robotic friend from Xtrem Bots which, once assembled, can be controlled, programmed and played with. Kids can play in Workshop mode, repairing the different types of errors that Sam displays (oil, electricity or software) and win levels to unlock new characters. They can also turn Sam into a ninja, an alien or even a ghost.

The Source’s Toy category is growing with two stand-out hero products from Red5. With the Laser Tag Game, laser shooters reload with a pump-action and shoot infrared beams for accurate, longdistance shooting. Chest-plates detect when a player has been hit and light up and vibrate, as well as making sounds. There’s an automatic hit count and to win, the player has to accurately hit the chest-plate six times. The second hero product is Road Rage Speed Bumper Cars, which comes with two cars and two controllers. The seat ejects the losing driver as soon as it takes the deciding knock.

The Source will also be showcasing Flying Vortex Spinners: fidget spinners with LED lights, which can be thrown in a straight line for direct flight from one point to another or at an angle for a boomerang effect.

The Battle Tanks Twin Pack sees players pit their tank against an opponent’s and go to war in a hi-tech game of laser tag. Both tanks boast 360-degree movement but each one moves on different frequencies, giving the game a serious edge of competitiveness. The tanks can be controlled from up to 15m away and fire up to 10m. Each tank has four lives, and the realistic sounds and shudders let the player know once they have been hit. After four hits, the tank will disable. Each tank is also fitted with LED indicators.

Finally, in construction from CIC is Wabo the robot, a gyro monorail science construction kit. The track kingdom has 26 routes to explore and create using the gyroscope effect Wabo, to achieve the impossible mission of going through the monorail with a single wheel. The pack includes three additional pieces to enhance the difficulty of the track with, three-way splitter, cross switch and seesaw.

SPRING FAIR HALL 4 STAND 4G63

THE

PMS International

01268

Stand 1D20/E21

The Elves Behavin’ Badly brand saw record sales at traditional retail worldwide in 2022, and it was the top ranked item in numerous festive categories online, both for the UK and the US. 2022 also saw its first ever television commercial and marked the return of a PMS International brand to TV in the company’s biggest consumer marketing campaign to date. The multi-channel campaign, aimed at kids and raising awareness amongst parents, ran a total of over 30m impressions across the UK & Ireland.

The engagement was further strengthened by a robust digital campaign with YouTube, delivering millions of views and impressions. In addition, there was high engagement across socials with over 20m impressions between Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok platforms.

2022 also saw the Elves Behavin Badly Elfie UK tour, where the duo entertained children in busy shopping centres up and down the country with a professionally choreographed show throughout November and December. A firm favourite in the Elf calendar, next year’s dates will be on the company’s socials soon.

The brand’s licensing partner portfolio also saw continued growth with the addition of new market leading partners, with more set to be developed over the coming years. Any licensing enquiries can be directed to John Costi-Mouyia at jcostimouyia@pmsplc.com

Elfie and Elvie will be planning more mischief and mayhem for 2023 launching new products, including an extensive new collection of clothing for the elves, new stationery, prank accessories and Christmas craft-focused products. There will also be roadshows, along with further social engagement.

Reydon Sports

0115 938 6444 | www.reydonsports.com

sales@reydonsports.com

Stand 5G19

Reydon will showcase its Nerf and Franklin Sports ranges as it extends a warm welcome to any retailer looking to explore the full A-Z of Sports, Toy, Leisure & Outdoor products the company offers.

Working alongside Franklin Sports, Reydon is an exclusive B2B European distributor for the brand including its Nerf Sports range with the full support of Hasbro UK. Exploring a hybrid of Sport and Toy through an innovative set of products from Nerf, the ranges are distributed via Reydon’s UK distribution centre based in Nottingham. Its B2B model allows it to supply and service the world of retail across many sectors, making a huge splash in Europe for Franklin and Nerf with an array of marketing support also on offer.

The 30+ SKU line-up showcases a varied set of sporting product lines which fit perfectly into any Toy, Sport, Leisure or Multiple retailer. One of the precited best-sellers for this year, the Nerf Pro Hoop basketball set transforms any bedroom or living room into a personal basketball court. This premium quality, over the door hoop fits most standard bedroom doors and assembles quickly. Other products include ball, basketball, golf and tennis sets, along with the iconic Howler range.

With a long-term business strategy to develop its sports offering with a toy-like spin, Reydon’s close working relationship with Franklin Sports opens up a great offering of products to the retail sector.

Galt

01614 289 111 | www.galttoys.com

Stand 5J34-K35

The JumboDiset/James Galt team will be presenting its latest lines at Spring Fair. Core highlights include everything from the company’s evergreen Playnest to its category-leading science kits. These kits make science fun and adhere to STEM principles, attracting a new audience of future scientists each year by appealing to kids aged five and over.

The evergreen Galt brand is launching a new pocket money range of Mini Makes as well as new 3D Paint It ranges, while its Infant and Pre-School range also welcomes some engaging new additions. Within its party games catalogue, the company will be launching a new music game: Hitster is bound to be a big hit with music-lovers of all ages and encourages musical family fun across the generations.

Wasgij - the addictively unique jigsaw brand that tasks puzzlers with using their imaginations to piece together the Wasgij 'solution' – welcomed six new releases in January. As the host country for this year’s contest, a Eurovision version is also launching in April. Falcon, meanwhile, has unveiled a special edition Kings Coronation puzzle to mark the Coronation on 6th May, giving puzzlers something both relevant and mindful to do on their extra bank holiday off.

The team continues working hard to improve the sustainability of its entire product range and is keen to share its progress with visitors at the show. Particularly noteworthy steps forward have been seen within JumboDiset/James Galt’s craft and puzzle ranges, which continue to support the STEAM and educational elements so critical to child development.

The company is going through some exciting changes, with new acquisitions promising to change both the way its plays and what it plays with. Visitors to the show will be able to hear the latest news on acquisitions and find out about JumboDiset/James Galt’s exciting first-time marketing plans for this year.

Kidicraft

01282 505 988 | www.kidicraft.com | sales@kidicraft.com

Stand 5H14-J15

Kidicraft recently announced the newest addition to its licensed puzzle portfolio, Naruto Shippuden. The anime TV series Naruto Shippuden follows Naturo Uzamaki, a loud, mischievous adolescent ninja who struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming Hokage, the village’s leader and strongest ninja. Kidicraft’s new Prime 3D puzzles are available in 300-piece and 500-piece options and will feature fan-favourite characters including the eponymous Naruto himself, Sasuke Uchiha – Naruto’s biggest rival – and Kakashi Hatake, the quiet and mysterious leader of the team. These exciting puzzles capture Naruto’s powerful stories of dreaming big and never giving up, and are sure to be popular with anime enthusiasts.

Kidicraft is adding three new additions to its popular Airfix range. The new 1,000-piece puzzles feature some of the most iconic aircrafts that hobbyists know and love. The range offers something for beginner modellers, hobby collectors and committed enthusiasts alike.

Hidden inside just three of Kidicraft’s new Limited Edition 3,000-piece Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia jigsaw puzzles is a Golden Ticket. Each of the three lucky winners who discover a ticket will win a one-night stay for two at a 4-star hotel, a VIP tour of the Hornby Hobbies Visitors Centre in Margate and a generous £200 voucher to spend at the Hornby Hobbies Visitors Centre gift shop on the day of the tour. This is the perfect prize for collectors and seasoned modellers alike, and one that is sure to generate a lot of excitement among the passionate community of Airfix fans. Retailers stocking the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia jigsaw puzzle can expect the Golden Ticket competition to drive consumers into stores. This special puzzle also includes a 1:72 scale Supermarine Spitfire Model Kit, making it a true collector’s items for play and display.

Following on from the success of its Marvel collection, Kidicraft is launching an impressive 300-piece Prime 3D Marvel Comic Book Cover range. An art form of its own, the new range immortalises the universal comic book cover design Marvel introduced in the 80s, which included a corner box with unique art. The new range has six eye-catching designs to choose from including a Marvel double feature, featuring Captain America and Iron Man as well as the Mighty Thor, Incredible Hulk, Lethal Protector Venom, Black Panther and Amazing Spiderman.

DKB Toys & Distribution

07583 016 578 | www.dkbtoys.com | james.luff@dkbtoys.com

Stand 5G26

The launch of Crazy Aarons Putty back into the UK has been a phenomenal success for DKB, with the first wave of tins selling out in five months. DKB will be showcasing its complete range at Spring Fair this year, including new lines that will help sustain the incredible sales momentum for 2023 and beyond.

Uncanny Brands has also proved to be a huge success in the UK, with the range expanding to showcase licensed Pokémon designs across waffle makers, cheese toastie makers and the new mini waffles and single cheese toastie makers. This year will see a further expansion of the range with new, never-seen-before licences coming on board.

Also selling well since launching in 2022 is the new Monogram range of money banks and blind bags. The cute and collectible renditions of popular characters from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Anime feature fantastic attention to detail, making them instantly identifiable. Sales have been high across the blind bag collection, which is available at an affordable price point and enjoying a huge rise in popularity. DKB will be showcasing the complete current range as well as teasing new product offerings, with some new lines on the horizon.

Expandable play system Crazy Forts, which has received numerous awards to date, continues to grow and gain momentum, with consistently high levels of sales across small independents as well as some of the larger nationals. This year also saw DKB getting more involved with the thriving Crazy Forts online community, actively encouraging everyone to #shareyourbuilds.

Also returning with DKB to the show is Alex Toys, with a range of Alex Bath and Alex Craft products to promote creative, educational and imaginative play. DKB will be showcasing eight different bath toys that allow kids to have fun and learn at the same time. Role-play items will let kids ‘shave’ just like dad or indulge in magnetic boat races after a spot of fishing in the tub. They can also practise their ABCs with the colourful foam alphabet letters.

John Adams Leisure

01480 414361 | sales@johnadams.co.uk

Stand 5L24-M25

Launched in January, the ZipLinx range provides everything kids need to create high-flying chain-reaction fun. The specially designed spring-loaded ‘linx’ launch into the air in dramatic fashion, and kids can record the action in slow motion. Amazing designs can be created in just minutes, ready to send flying into the air with one push of a launcher key.

Social media sensation Doctor Squish introduces a new range to the UK in March. The Doctor Squish: Squishy Maker lets fans create and customise their own sensory toys by using the clever unit to fill and seal their colourful, sparkly squishies.

John Adams’ highly successful Glowpad range continues to expand with a licensed Barbie edition. This Glowpad is in the shape of Barbie’s favourite holiday camper and comes with eight light settings.

Available in a classic and a licensed Peppa Pig edition, i-Doodle keeps kids entertained as they play games, draw and doodle with no ink. The ever-popular Blopens range is being extended with Harry Potter and Scooby Doo licensed sets at key price points and joining the Aqua Gelz range is the Aqua Gelz Magical Mermaids Playset, which allows kids to create over 30 colourful mermaids.

Feisty Pets is a collectible line of interactive plush that go from cute to ferociously fun with just a squeeze of each toy’s head. Glenda Glitterpoop, Princess Pottymouth, Sammy Suckerpunch, Sir Growls-a-Lot and the rest of the squad surprise their victims with hidden ‘stuffed attitude emotions’ that appear when squeezed, complete with raging fangs.

Ideal Games continues to grow in strength and volume with a collection of new fun action and family games. The TV show collection welcomes the new BBC gameshow The 1% Club, which challenges players to answer a question that only 1% of the country can get right.

Rubik’s benefits from new additions. The Rubik’s Eco Cube is a classic 3x3 Rubik's Cube sourced from 100% recycled ABS plastic and 100% sustainably sourced cardboard packaging. Also joining the range is a premium Speedcube and a collectible cube for Disney fans that commemorates 100 years of Disney Wonder.

The Rummikub range is extended with a City edition featuring bespoke packaging to celebrate the best of Britain. Other new additions include Rummikub XXL and Rummikub 6-Player edition. The Tetris games range, meanwhile, benefits from an exciting new head-tohead strategy game.

Brainstorm Toys

01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk

Stand 5N20

Brainstorm’s portfolio has welcomed a huge selection of newly added lines. Thumbler is an addictive, pocket-sized spinning top that transforms into a multi-coloured light show when swirled. The unique fidget toy has its own stand and comes encased in a special enclosure that allows it to spin faster for longer.

My Very Own Fairy Cottage Keepsake Box is a craft kit that doubles as a keepsake box. Children can create a toadstool home for their fairy and unicorn figures using three types of easy-to-use air-drying clay. The set includes moulds and a step-by-step guide.

The eye-catching My Very Own Solar System Suncatcher set comes with eight planets, translucent paint and a glow in the dark pen. The Suncatcher shimmers in sunlight and glows at night. The planets can be used to create a hanging mobile while the sucker attachment lets kids hang it on windows or mirrors.

The Outdoor Adventure Nature Explorer comes with five double sided, full colour cards that include a variety of photo-real images and feature themes including clouds, animal tracks, birds, flowers, bugs and trees as well as a glow-in-the-dark constellation spotter. The Nature Explorer also comes with a secret compartment in which kids can store the natural treasures they collect on their adventures, such as acorns, leaves or stones.

A STEM kit for early learners, My First Magnet Kit is a colourful 20-piece set that helps children explore magnetism via experimentation. As well as a selection of magnets, the set also comes with a secret code for unlocking 10 online experiments and a colourful leaflet full of magnet facts.

Brainstorm’s new Paw Patrol Drawing Projector helps children draw their favourite pups. The pocket-sized projector has six image caps that can be traced onto paper or projected onto the walls and ceilings of darkened rooms.

The best-selling Head Torch range includes a Nick Jr. Paw Patrol Head Torch featuring Chase. Pressing once triggers a light while doing so a second time triggers a police siren sound. The head torch can be adjusted for one of two angles, straight or tilted, while the adjustable strap makes it suitable for children of all ages. New to the range is the Nick Jr. Baby Shark’s Big Show! Torch & Projector, featuring images from the popular Nick Jr. and Milkshake series. The hand-held projector beams 24 different character-based images

The new StikBot Monster Werewolf Pack includes a Werewolf, StikBot and StikBot Monster while the StikBot Monster Cyborg Pack features a Cyborg, a Mad Scientist and a Monster. A KlikBot Galaxy Pack featuring a KlikBot Hero, a KlikBot Villain and KlikBot Guardian will also launch this year. This great value set includes over 25 accessories.

New from Zing, and distributed exclusively by Brainstorm in the UK, is the new Klixx Creaturez range. These addictive fidget toys have over 200 points of articulation so kids can ‘Click - Connect – Fidget – Animate’. The collectible pocket money line includes three initial characters - Spider, Cobra and Scorpion - that come in two colourways.

Designs

01329 227 300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Showcasing some of the most nostalgic and cherished characters from children’s literature, Rainbow Designs will launch exciting new additions to its best-selling Adventures of Paddington, Peter Rabbit, Disney Classic Pooh and the ever-popular Guess How Much I love You ranges at Spring Fair, as well as two exciting new Disney Mickey Mouse collections.

2023 will see Disney mark its centenary and, to celebrate the momentous milestone, Rainbow’s two new collections will commemorate Mickey Mouse, one of the most famous global cartoon characters of all time and his girlfriend, Minnie Mouse. The new Mickey Memories collection is a luxury collection of fun forever toys and gifts delivered in stunning packaging that features the iconic Mickey Mouse vintage artwork. The range includes a Mickey Mouse Wooden Ring Rattle, Comfort Blanket and Activity Toy, as well as Musical Lullaby Mickey Mouse Toy.

The new, vibrant Mickey Mouse and Friends range is a fun baby toy range featuring both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Created in the synonymous striking red and black colour palette associated with this much-loved duo, this collection includes Ring Rattles, Comfort Blankets and Activity Toys of both

For over 50 years, Rainbow has been creating high quality, forever toys, inspired by the much-loved characters from children’s literature and a focal theme for 2023 is Bedtime Cuddles and Stories. Peter Rabbit, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, Guess How Much I Love You, Elmer and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt soft toy collections, along with new additions, Maisy, Exciting new lines launching this year for The Adventures of Paddington toy range include a 10-piece Tea Set, packaged in Paddington’s Suitcase, featuring a Paddington soft toy and everything needed for afternoon tea for two. There will also be a fun Paddington Bike and Sidecar Play Set and an inspiring Adventures of Paddington Dress Me Up Soft Toy, that will see the super soft Paddington, in his blue duffle coat and red hat, transform into a doctor, baker or magician.

Allegedly

Congratulations to all of the nominees for this year’s Toy Retailer of the Year awards. I look forward to finding out who has won on the eve of Toy Fair, when the winners will be announced. There were a few comments on my social media posts questioning some of the names listed, especially in the online retailer category. I can only reiterate what I have said before; it is nigh on impossible to come up with a definitive list which everyone will agree on, and the judging criteria will play a big part in the final decision. In this instance, it appears that sales and turnover may have been prioritized over other factors. In many respects, that is perfectly understandable. I was told recently that one of the category winners in this year’s Licensing Awards had sold a mere 300 pieces of the item that won. 300!!! I also saw pictures taken in a store which won in a different set of awards run by the same company, clearly showing ‘hooky’ unlicensed toys on display. There is no reason to suspect that the jury in either case was aware of these facts, but it shows how difficult it can be to evaluate candidates and reach a decision that is beyond reproach. Were there other online retailers who I feel deserved to be recognized? Yes, perhaps there were, but you can say the same for just about any award ceremony ever. All I know is that some exceptional retail performances are about to be rewarded, and some other exceptional performances will just have missed out by the finest of margins…

Even though this is the third year in a row that I’ve not travelled to Hong Kong in January, a part of me still thinks that’s where I should have been at that time of year. The FOMO is not as acute as it might have been, given how few of my UK customers are there this year, although I have read reports from a few people who did make the trip. Based on what they’ve said, it is – as you would expect – quieter than usual. A company with a showroom at the Grand Stamford sent me a picture of the digital screen detailing who was showing there – with just their name on it. A blog written by Basic Fun’s Jay Foreman admitted that he had only a handful of appointments, compared to the hundreds he used to have. That said, some people have had a different experience: Dragon-i’s Dave Cave ended up with over 40 appointments, having initially expected around half that number, while others pointed to a respectable turn-out by customers from Asia and the Middle East. Based on the pictures I saw, the visitor profile of the Toys & Games Fair itself seemed more local than international, and quieter than usual; but nevertheless, the show went ahead and some exhibitors – such as MSZ Diecast’s Sam Chung – spoke of being pleasantly surprised at how busy they were. Credit to the HKTDC for getting an event off the ground on under challenging circumstances – I am sure that January 2024 will be a very different story…

Christmas came late, as many had predicted, but it certainly came good right at the death. Even the local Argos branch that I highlighted in the Allegedly column – when it was looking rather forlorn - had long queues on Christmas Eve. It’s well known that customers tend to turn to independent stores in December, once online delivery becomes too risky an option. It seems you can

now put Argos in that same bracket – aided arguably by some aggressive promotional activity at the end of the season, but still, it appears as though Argos may have benefitted from a strong late surge (also confirmed to me by one of the Argos buying team) …

Another retailer which enjoyed an excellent festive season was B&M – Q4 turnover rose by 6.4% and healthy non-grocery sales helped the retailer to significantly increase its margin. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that one major toy company told me recently that B&M is now its second largest account. It’s not exactly rocket science: retailers who can move fast and make swift decisions are important for a supplier's P&L – a crucial reason why the likes of Smyths and B&M are regarded by many toy suppliers as key partners…

Rounding off a strong December, I gather the week after Christmas was decent as well (despite what you may have read in the papers about footfall). As a result, it appears that the stock situation here in the UK is rather better than some had predicted. The caveat is that the US stock holding situation allegedly didn’t improve to the same extent as the UK, and that stock will have to go somewhere – it won’t necessarily stay on the other side of the Atlantic. Nevertheless, it seems that many of our retailers may have come out far cleaner than they imagined, which can only be a good thing when evaluating what may happen over the coming months. In related news, Tesco found a novel way of dealing with its food overstocks, deciding to give each employee a box of Quality Street as a bonus, rather than cash. Given the same boxes were being cleared out at £3 in my local Tesco last weekend, I bet that made the staff feel really special and valued…

That said, it looks like Q1 may be a rocky time at Amazon. The staff are getting restless: warehouse workers in Coventry are set to stage Amazon’s first ever strike in the UK on January 25th, unhappy at the 50p an hour pay rise on offer. That, of course, only applies to the staff being retained – Amazon announced recently that it would be cutting a massive 18,000 jobs across the globe. So, have I got this right - Amazon went on a massive hiring spree over the last two years, paying many new employees well over the odds to entice them away from other companies....and now they're getting rid of 18,000 of them? An interesting approach. As one very knowledgeable person pointed out on my LinkedIn feed, it looks like the anticipated cost-cutting exercise has begun – and as she says, “let's see how this effects trading terms and products that are not profitable.” Very much a case of ‘watch this space’…

I was extremely sad to hear that VTech’s Julian Page passed away early in the New Year. Aged only 53, he was taken far too soon. He will be sadly missed, and our thoughts are with his wife Vicky and his two daughters. As one of Julian’s colleagues told me: “It’s going to be hard for us going to London Toy Fair not having Julian with us. He was such a popular member of our team and wellloved across the whole toy community.”