touchingbase - Retailers
2024
We’ll be there! As Toy Fair celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, exhibitors tell Toy World what they are looking forward to and share their favourite memories of the show. Dave Middleton -
Midco Toymaster/Midco Toy Planet/Freak Treats I’m taking a scattergun approach to Toy Fair this year – I’ve got appointments from 9 to 5 all three days with a huge range of people, from the big brands such as Lego and Hasbro to smaller companies with some really exciting stuff that we’re just getting started up with, like Heathside Trading and YuMe Toys. Us indies know we can’t compete with the nationals on volume or RRP – that much became very clear in the run-up Christmas - so we need to be searching for toy ranges that fly under the radar a little bit (but not so far under that they’re invisible) and offer us the chance to take them and run with them. Even if they’re from big suppliers, we need those niche toys. We’re looking for the stuff indies do better than anyone else and that indies either aren’t doing or aren’t doing very well. When you’re dealing with massive brands in supercategories, you’re only able to take a tiny slice of a really big pie. I’m after a smaller pie, but I want all of it. Pop culture lines were massive for us at Christmas, so we’ll definitely be looking at what’s new there. Anything fan-driven is performing well, so we’ll be after licensed ranges for gaming, anime, manga and movie franchises, no matter whether its collectibles, plush, figures, play sets. With the diary I’ve got lined up, I’m sure I’ll see plenty of new stuff worth a go.
Tim Evans -
Julie Logan -
Toys & Games of Worcester
The Olive Branch, Castle Donington
Disney Lorcana has been a great success for us so I’m looking forward to seeing what is happening with that for 2024. I have no idea what Ravensburger will do next with it so I’m excited for the reveal. Lego ranges are always really interesting; Lego never fails to give us very, very strong sales, so that’s a stand I always like to visit. Hopefully I’ll find some surprises too. We like anything that stimulates repeat purchases to keep people coming into the store every week rather than only for one-off gifts. So I’ll be looking at more blind bag collectibles and things like that.
London Toy Fair is a great opportunity to get away from the day to day and think about what we want to offer in the future. We will be looking for new and innovative wooden and sustainable toys in particular, as well as sensory toys for little ones and interactive toys for older children.
Julia Wingate The Trading Post, Kingsbridge
At Toy Fair, we’re always on the lookout for new lines and new inventions. Any lines which are more ethically sources with less plastic and more recyclable materials will grab our attention, as this is what many customers are looking for. We also want to see what fun outdoor products we can find. Outdoor toys sell well for us because we’re the by the beach and the countryside and people are increasingly wanting to be outdoors and active.
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