Toy World Magazine July 2023

As we enter the second half of the year, things are undoubtedly hotting up – both literally and metaphorically speaking. It certainly took its time, but thankfully summer has finally arrived here in the UK. The major retailer whose outdoor buyer was allegedly asking toy suppliers for markdown money in May is hopefully shifting stock like hot cakes now that a prolonged spell of decent weather has finally arrived.

Summer also traditionally heralds the release of major blockbuster movies, and this year’s crop of cinematic hopefuls sees ‘toyetic’ movies strongly represented – forget ‘hot girl summer’, this year is very much ‘hot toy movie summer’. We recently shared the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trailer online, which I was really excited by:

I am seriously looking forward to seeing the film in its entirety, and the animated series which follows next year is also shaping up to be impressive. The same goes for the Barbie movie, which looks like it is going to be an absolute blast. I caught up with Mattel’s Sanjay Luthra recently to hear all about the retail activations planned to coincide with the movie launch this month – and they truly sound epic. You can read more about the activity in our exclusive article on page 12.

With the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie getting off to a strong start at the box office, the next few months’ trading are set to be boosted by these heavily toyinfluenced movies. Retailers always talk about the need for a good craze to help drive footfall and excitement, and that will never go away; but in the (current) absence of an obvious new playground craze, these franchise movies will hopefully help to fill that gap.

Summer is also the time when a host of hot new autumn winter ranges start to be unveiled, and there are plenty of other brands that are making major contributions to toy retail sales: Pokémon and Squishmallows continue to thrive, while MGA’s Miniverse has got off to a strong start and here at Toy World, we are all big fans of Hasbro’s Twister Air, which launches next month. Also in the Tech Toys category, Spin Master’s Bitzee, Character Options’ Mintid Dog-E and Bandai’s Tamagotchi Uno have all been hotly tipped for success in the coming months – check out our feature on the Tech Toys category for all the latest on these and other new launches that will shortly be hitting shelves (see page 42).

And, of course, you can never omit Lego when talking

about ranges that are driving toy sales. You can read all about Lego’s latest releases as part of our in-depth look at the Construction Toys category, which starts on page 80. Our other category features this month cover the Dress Up & Role Play and Stationery sectors, which both offer valuable incremental sales to toy retailers. Parents will soon be thinking about Back to School purchases: why should pure stationery retailers be the only beneficiaries? Ditto Costume retailers as Halloween approaches – toy retailers carrying a strong offering in this area can unquestionably capitalise all-year-round, but one-off events such as World Book Day and Halloween offer perfectly targeted opportunities to boost sales.

I am writing this month’s column having just returned from navigating the (fiercely air-conditioned) aisles of Mandalay Bay in downtown Las Vegas, where Licensing Expo has been taking place. Following on from Toy Fair Season, the April INDX and Toymaster May Shows plus Distoy, Licensing Expo proved to be yet another successful trade show, which reinforces the notion that trade events are getting back to their pre-pandemic ‘buzzy’ best. There is no doubt that things happen when you congregate en masse and meet face-to-face that would simply never materialise if we were all still constrained to meeting in the digital arena. Meetings are more productive, both sides are more engaged and there is always the possibility of random introductions that are unlikely to ever be pre-planned but can turn out to be very rewarding.

Someone made a very good point to me in Vegas: when you return after a week of 40+ organized meetings and numerous spontaneous conversations in the aisles, hotels, bars and airport lounges, you won’t necessarily remember every minute detail. But you will remember what you felt and what excited you – an emotional reaction that stays with you. You leave a trade show with a strong sense of which brands, properties and partners you want to work closer with – and hopefully a good connection that can be built on.

These invaluable one-to-one meetings over the first half of the year have set us up nicely for the back end – now we all need to keep our fingers crossed that consumer confidence starts to improve as we head towards the festive period. For now, enjoy the July issue - there is plenty of sizzling content to get your teeth into, so pull up a deckchair, crack open a beer or a bottle of rose and dive in. Here comes the summer!

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

WHSmith brings Toys R Us back to the high street for UK shoppers this summer

WHSmith and Toys R Us ANZ Limited have announced the locations of nine WHSmith High Street stores which will be unveiling new Toys R Us shop-in-shops from this month, bringing the children’s toy brand back to the UK high street.

The retailer promises that the magic of Toys R Us will come to life in WHSmith with branded shop-in-shops rolling out in nine high street locations across the UK. Customers visiting these stores will be welcomed by a life-size Geoffrey the Giraffe 3D sculpture perfect for a family photo opportunity, before discovering and playing across dedicated sections by age, interest and category, with interactive experiences, demonstration tables and iconic visual elements throughout. Each Toys R Us shop-in-shop will feature a key range of products and activities from top toy brands including Barbie, Bluey, Fisher Price, Hot Wheels, Lego, Marvel, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Playmobil, Star Wars and more.

Sean Toal, managing director, WHSmith High Street, commented: “At WHSmith, we’re always exploring new opportunities to launch exciting new product ranges to our customers on the high street, and our partnership with Toys R Us certainly does this. The brand has long been known for its exceptional range of toys and games and complements our existing offer well.”

The new retail partnership follows last year’s successful launch of Toys R Us UK’s digital flagship ecommerce website www.toysrus.co.uk, which features a broad assortment of toys and products for families, delivering the magic of play for the next generation of Toys R Us kids.

The first Toys R Us opening took place on Saturday 10th June at WHSmith Monks Cross Retail Park store in York, with a grand opening event for customers. On 17th June, branches opened in Oxford and Cheltenham. Further Toys R Us shop-in-shops are rolling out in the following WHSmith High Street stores throughout the summer: Canterbury (St George Street), Chelmsford (High Street), Cwmbran (The Mall), Poole (Towngate Shopping Centre), Reading (Broad Street) and Solihull (Mell Square).

INDX Toy and Gift Show confirms move to September 2024 date

The next show will be held from 3rd-4th September 2024 and is open to all types of retailers. The move to September was agreed by the INDX strategy group, where suppliers and buyers agreed that a move of the date would give them the opportunity to view new ranges later in the year and ease the congested period of shows in the springtime.

INDX Toy & Gift will now be the only dedicated toy industry show in the autumn season, and the September date will provide a great opportunity for retailers to take advantage of pre-Christmas buying. Visitors to the show will also get a first look at suppliers’ early launch new ranges, giving them a head start on their spring 2025 buying.

Rosie Marshall, head of Toys & Children’s Gifts at AIS, said: “The unique proposition for INDX trade shows is that they are ‘curated by buyers, for buyers’ and therefore we are continually reviewing the best time to hold the shows for everyone to benefit commercially. With a busy trade show run for the toy sector in spring, it made sense that we created an autumn event that allowed suppliers and buyers to meet, forward plan beyond the Christmas season and maximise annual sales not just seasonal.”

The INDX Toy & Gift Show is the perfect place for toy and gift suppliers to present their new and bestselling toys & children’s gifts to retailers from the UK and Ireland, and in addition to showcasing ranges from over 70 exhibitors, the show also features mixed displays to inspire in-store merchandising.

“With a broad visitor base which includes leading department stores, standalone toy and gift stores, garden centres, farm shops and delis, it’s important that the INDX Toy & Gift show supports all year-round trading,” added Rosie.

Exhibitor enquiries can be made to Rosie.Marshall@play-room.uk.com

JouéClub takes over La Grande Récré stores and employees

In April, French company, Ludendo Entreprises – parent company of La Grande Récré – began liquidation proceedings, but the business has now been rescued. The Paris Commercial Court has appointed JouéClub to take over almost all of the stores and employees of its former competitor La Grande Récré, following an application to buy the toy store chain in April.

La Grande Récre, which has a store estate of 140 locations and just over 1,000 employees (including franchises), announced in March that it was looking for new investors. The company was forced to commence liquidation proceedings, “with a view to allowing its recovery”, as it said at the time. The move attracted a number of potential investors, with JouéClub emerging as the succesful bidder.

JouéClub will take over 750 of the 770 stores and the head office of La Grande Récré and has pledged that most of the staff of the stores not taken over will be reassigned to another La Grande Récré store. In total, JouéClub claims to have preserved more than 1,100 direct and indirect jobs.

One of the leaders in the French toy market, JouéClub, which has 290 stores, defines itself as “the largest French network of independent toy professionals”. This takeover makes the company a new, leading force in the French toy market, which is undergoing a period of realignment following the takeover in 2020 of the Maxi Toys network by King Toy, then the takeover in 2022 of the PicWicToys (Toys R Us) brand by Smyths Toys.

La Grande Récré was a former member of the JouéClub cooperative. JouéClub said in a statement that the two brands “share DNA”, and that its objective is to maintain the La Grande Récré network while integrating the brand into the group.

Jacques Baudoz, president of JouéClub, said that the organisation will relaunch the La Grande Récré brand, describing it as “a benchmark player for the French toy market”. He confirmed that the two brands “will remain independent of each other, with specific brand positioning, family-oriented for JouéClub and child-oriented for La Grande Récré”.

are made of this Sweet dreams

Major new changes have been announced for DreamToys, arguably the most authoritative, industry-wide predictive list of what items will be the most sought after each festive season. Toy World caught up with Paul Reader, chair of the DreamToys selection committee, and Natasha Crookes, director general of the Toy Retailers Association, to find out more.

own assets and PR communications against the festive backdrop of the fully-‘Christmassified’ Grand Hall.

Perhaps the biggest change is to the DreamToys list itself. Historically, there’s been a Top 12 list of toys and games accompanied by a longlist of 72. Paul, who’s sat on the DreamToys selection panel for many years, says it’s always been a struggle to whittle down a list of several hundred to just 12 ‘winners’, and that panellists have long wanted the final selection to encompass more suppliers and more toy categories. So for this year, the Top 12 becomes a Top 20and the longlist has gone altogether.

One of the only things left unchanged for this year’s DreamToys is the month in which it takes place – November. The 7th and 8th of November, to be exact, with the first of the two days reserved for media and the official DreamToys list kept under strict embargo until day two. When it comes to the dates for the annual event, it’s very much of a case of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. Tash says the early November timing works for retailers and suppliers alike, providing the opportunity to really get stock moving ahead of the big day, as well as mainstream media outlets, which tend to get tied up elsewhere the closer to Christmas they get.

So, onto the raft of changes made for DreamToys 2023. Last year’s venue, the Bastion offices in central London, was appropriate for the post-pandemic comeback of the event, but this year the organisers feel the event requires a little more room to breathe. Goodenough College in Mecklenburgh Square, Bloomsbury, central London, offers just that, with the Grand Hall hosting the main event and smaller breakout rooms offering opportunities for interviews, filming or writing up stories. There will also

“As always, the selection panel - which is made up of key retailers and members of the Toy Retailers association - will work very hard to choose what it believes are the biggest toys for Christmas, but we’re choosing 20 this time,” explains Paul. “We’ll also be presenting the story behind each choice, which will create strong angles for media coverage and allow suppliers to push that message out to consumers in their own marketing.”

Creating a story explaining each selection is a genius move, and an element some have felt has been lacking in recent years. The journalists that attend DreamToys usually aren’t toy experts. Guiding them towards topics to talk about in their reporting will result in much higher quality coverage for the suppliers that make it into the Top 20 and will help consumers decide which of the toys and games are best suited to their needs.

Selection for the Top 20 list will get underway in early September. Those chosen will be notified under NDAs by the end of the month, giving suppliers enough time to organise samples and get to work on assets they can use across the two days to really showcase their product (or products, as the case may be).

“With the list this year being a Top 20, the Grand Hall at Goodenough College will have 20 individual spaces on offer to showcase the chosen finalists,” says Natasha. “With a little guidance from us, companies will be able to dress their bespoke space as best fits their toy or game, creating

an impactful display that still allows the chosen product to speak for itself. On top of this, we’ll also have a main display of the full Top 20 selection, dressed and ready for photography and filming.”

The DreamToys committee will also be laying on additional spokespeople this year, so that all the toys and games in the Top 20 can be represented to the media as fully as possible. It will also work with suppliers to ensure the spokespeople convey desired messaging about their product. The aim is to create as much fanfare as possible.

And if all these changes weren’t enough, the DreamToys logo has also been reworked, becoming more of a stamp of approval that can be used in marketing and on packaging, which will appeal massively to suppliers.

Paul adds: “DreamToys has long been the biggest, best, most respected list of the best toys for Christmas. Of course, we all have to remember that it’s a predictive list – the only person who really knows what’s what is Father Christmas

a cultural moment More than a movie

John Baulch caught up with Sanjay Luthra, Mattel’s Executive vice president and managing director EMEA, to hear how Mattel will be delivering its largest-ever campaign of retail activations in the UK and EMEA to coincide with the launch of the Barbie movie this month.

It is always a pleasure to catch up with Sanjay. In his 20 years at Mattel, he has gone from managing Mattel India’s business to his current position heading up the EMEA operation. His collaborative, partnership-driven approach with customers has played a big part in strengthening Mattel’s relationships across the entire retail spectrum, which is hugely important when a phenomenon like the Barbie movie comes along. Yes, it’s a major summer blockbuster movie, but it is shaping up to be so much more than that: Sanjay describes it as “a cultural moment”, and with the media frenzy and momentum it has been building ahead of the film’s release, it’s hard to disagree.

I was invited to meet with Sanjay to hear how Mattel will be using “the most-anticipated movie of the year” to execute what he describes as “one of the biggest-ever retail activations which any toy brand has ever done. It will also be the biggest-ever investment at retail for Mattel and the Barbie brand.”

Looking at the plan of activity, I can see why he says that. You name a retailer across the region, and they are involved: all the key toy players, as you would expect that includes Smyths, Amazon, Carrefour (France), El Cortes Ingles (Spain) to Hamleys and Selfridges for the UK … the list is exhaustive. Although the list isn’t limited to toy retailers: leading fashion retailers like Primark and others

to be announced are very much part of the over-arching plan too. As Sanjay points out: “Toy retailers are obviously very excited about the movie, as is the fashion channel. Nevertheless, as a toy magazine, our focus is on the toy channel – and it’s fair to say that the retail activation plan that the Mattel teams have for the toy market is hugely ambitious and literally all-encompassing. Sanjay is unequivocal: “ Our aim is to own that core time period. The scale of what we are investing across the region is huge. We are really appreciative of our relationship with toy market. What do retailers need? They need traffic and they need excitement. We are creating the biggest blockbuster movie with Warner Bros to bring everyone to the cinema, and then drive them to retail.”

And once those customers get to retail stores, they will be met with a series of best-in-class, hugely impactful retail executions: a full 360 franchise approach with an omnichannel presence is guaranteed. What’s more, it won’t be a ‘one size fits all’ approach: each retailer is getting bespoke activity, tailored to what they need, giving them a point of difference. “It’s important to maintain brand consistency”, explains Sanjay, “but we also need to create unique differentiation for each retailer. I believe the teams across the region have achieved that. Retail has supported us brilliantly, which I think is testament the strong relationships we’ve built over the past five years.”

Early evidence suggests that the plan is already translating into strong sales. The movie range went live at retail in the same week I met with Sanjay, and he was delighted to report that many dolls across the region had sold out within hours.

The bold creative vision and execution of the retail support plan is just what you would expect: fresh, modern and high impact. No surprise then that some retailers have already asked if they can keep their installations beyond the initial movie window, to maintain visibility. The strong messages from the movie and the brand as a whole – highlighting girl empowerment and the ‘You can be anything’ philosophy embodied by Barbie – come across emphatically, helping to redefine Barbie for future generations.

Sanjay believes this is important for the future of Barbie the brand and Mattel the company: “Ultimately, we want to be more than just a high-performing toy company. And this is more than just a movie – it’s a cultural moment. The film has the opportunity to recontextualize what Barbie means to future generations of fans.”

Of course, the level of expectation for the Barbie movie and what it can deliver to toy retailers t is matched across EMEA and the globe. Thankfully, we only have to wait a few more weeks before the movie will be released and the world turns pink.

Zuru introduces first lockable blaster in new X-Shot Insanity range

Offering users full control and ownership, the X-Shot Skins Lock Blaster comes with a QR code to discover a unique three-digit combination code for unlocking and re-locking, ensuring that no other player can use it.

Incorporating the proprietary Skins technology to create impact on-shelf and increased consumer choice, the Lock Blaster has an eight-dart auto rotating barrel to blast through darts in seconds and hit targets up to 27m away. Complete with locking mechanism, the blaster can only be used once unlocked, and includes 16 Air Pocket Technology Darts for a further, faster and more accurate blast.

Last year saw X-Shot become the No.2 property in value sales in the Outdoor & Sports Toys supercategory, as well as the No.2 property in Blaster/Shooters and Accessories in the UK, growing +7% whilst the subclass was down -10% in value in 2022 vs 2021 (Source: Circana UK POS panel, Jan-Dec 2022, value sales). X-Shot also held half of the top 10 blasters by unit ranking, including the No.1 bestselling unit item with X-Shot Micro-Blaster. The company is looking to continue this success with its new ’23 ranges.

Disrupting the blaster market, Zuru’s latest X-Shot ranges continue to bring innovation and value to blaster play. In addition, the X-Shot brand is fully supported by a robust, 360-degree marketing programme including exclusive YouTube content and a dedicated TikTok channel which currently counts over 100m impressions.

“We’ve seen enormous growth with X-Shot, up +78% over the past four years,” said Will Collinson, Zuru general manager UK & Ireland. “The X-Shot Skins Lock Blaster is a great addition to the wider brand portfolio, offering full autonomous play, value and performance for children aged from eight years and over, and the teen and kidult markets.”

Playmobil takes over summer holidays on Pop and Tiny Pop

Playmobil will run a series of fun and impactful ads across the Pop and Tiny Pop networks this summer. Branded ads will feature across key afternoon slots on Pop (12:00 – 15:00) every week throughout August, with further reach from 6:00-10:00 (Mon-Fri) and 6:00 -14:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Pop is currently the No.1 commercial kids’ channel in the UK and will allow Playmobil to reach a large audience during the summer holidays and increase awareness of the brand and range of products.

Playmobil’s marketing communications manager, Adam Moore, told Toy World: “We are really excited to be able to showcase the brand in this way across such a key period of the year. We will be featuring some of the classic Playmobil products that we are so well known for, including the Playmobil Police, Pirate, Rescue and Farm ranges.”

New Playmobil Rescue sets launched this year with six new play sets designed to engage children in exciting rescue and emergency service adventures. Each set can be connected, allowing children to create a world of their own. There are also individual vehicles, characters and scenarios that can be used to add variety to the collection or make up new

For more on this and other Playmobil ranges, visit www.playmobil.co.uk

Kayes’ varied distribution partnerships offer something for all retailers

Kayes of Cardiff says it is ‘proud’ to partner with brands in the Construction category, supporting the demand for this key area of the toy industry. Kayes formed a strong partnership with the Construct It brand when it arrived in the UK from Australia in 2022. The company’s range of products, covering ages five to adult, span a range of affordable price points that make them especially appealing to the independent sector.

Sets include models such as the Flying Scotsman and Spitfire alongside many other generic vehicles such as helicopters, cars, trains, military vehicles, transport vehicles and more.

Construct It is just one of many partnerships that allow Kayes to be a one-stop-shop for any independent retailer, garden centre or leisure attraction. Other brands available through Kayes include Orchard Toys, Mattel, Ravensburger, Think Fun, Jumbo, John Adams, PlayMonster, Tomy, Winning Moves, Schleich, Bruder, Casdon, Basic Fun! and Brio.

This year sees Kayes partner with Curious Universe, adding the company’s craft and puzzle products to the Kayes portfolio. All offer strong margins and appealing content and are proving popular with retailers. These branded items are complemented by a range of pocket money toys which prove popular throughout the year and are perfect for underpinning any toy offering.

Via its ever-growing sales team, which provides regular customer-facing visits to independent retailers, Kayes also provides its retail partners with comprehensive catalogues showcasing its full range.

Owner Philip Kaye told Toy World: “At Kayes, we’re continuing to enhance the vast selection of products we offer, all under one roof, and we’re always looking for the next range to add to our comprehensive portfolio. We offer independent retailers a wide selection of products in small quantities, enabling our partners to buy a large range as opposed to a depth of stock. This approach is proving hugely popular at a time of focused stock management. And with our team of regional representatives and agents, which is complimented by our office sales team, Kayes covers the whole UK mainland.”

Readers with enquiries are advised to contact orders@kayes.co.uk, visit www.kayes.co.uk or call 029 2036 3678.

Modern Home Dollhouse

Encourage authentic pretend play with the new Modern Home Dollhouse from Guidecraft. The large-scale dollhouse features colorful acrylic accents that illuminate play in a unique way. While children engage across the multiple levels of the dollhouse using the stair details and open sides, they can act out social situations and develop important communication skills. Softened natural colors and stylish features draw upon familiar details that children aged 3 and up will recognize, leading to deeper, more meaningful dramatic play experiences. By mimicking real-life scenarios, children will strengthen their emotional intelligence, navigate social emotional conflicts, and develop important communication skills. Beautifully enhance the play experience with the Modern Home Dollhouse¬ Furniture set (sold separately).

G15504 Modern Home Dollhouse Furniture 24 pc. set

G15503 Modern Home Dollhouse

*funiture and accessories sold separately.

Industry Moves

David Martin becomes head of business development at Curious Universe

An industry specialist with a stellar track record in the toy sector, David Martin is heading up the development of the Curious Universe toy division (established in 2021) within the multi-award-winning Bath based Arts & Crafts, Stationery and Publishing company.

Having spent 18 years at Crayola as part of the senior management team that took the brand to new heights, David continued his career at Inspiration Works (KD Group) and more recently, held senior commercial positions at Funrise and also extended his marketing experience as part of children’s market research companies and independent consulting projects during the Covid pandemic.

“I am delighted to be joining Curious Universe as part of a fast-growing and dynamic team expanding both here in the UK and internationally,” commented David. “What John Styring and his homegrown team have delivered in terms of growth and product innovation in under six years is truly amazing. The company is now almost 90 people strong, and all elements of the business are under one roof, based here the UK. So we’re nimble, creative, flexible to customer requirements and fast to market. It’s truly an honour to be given the opportunity to help set up this new toy division.

Toikido appoints Johnny Taylor as new chief creative

Toikido has appointed experienced creative lead, Johnny Taylor, as its new chief creative officer. Johnny will now play a fundamental role in further developing Toikido’s portfolio of in-house IPs, with four new and exciting toy-focused games already in early-stage development and set for release within the next two years.

Johnny commented: “I am so excited to join the team at Toikido. Its philosophy is one that is streamlined, fast moving and ultra-creative. The company has a strong desire to make a massive and needed impact in the entertainment industry. This is something that really resonated with me. It has a highly talented, fun team with a desire to do things differently, and the creative energy here at Toikido is palpable. I couldn’t pass on this amazing opportunity to work with them.”

Darran Garnham, founder and CEO of Toikido, said: “Johnny bleeds the Toikido DNA and is an incredibly creative, passionate and truly genuine person who boasts a proven track record in transforming creative concepts into successful, global IPs, with Moshi Monsters, World of Warriors and the Candy Crush Saga Franchise all prime examples. In joining the business, he will add immediate value on the creative direction for Piñata Smashlings following its official launch this summer, while progressing several other in-house IPs, due to be unveiled from early 2024 onwards. Watch this space.”

Greg Stanton takes on innovative new role at Asmodee

Greg Stanton has taken over the marketing, purchasing and quality assurance teams at Asmodee. Forming part of the company’s leadership team, his new title is head of Product – Commercial. This newly created role is part of the latest innovative thinking and planning from Asmodee as the company works to increase its visibility and awareness on the high-street, with the consumer and increasingly with hobbyists and on-line gamers.

Greg has been working with Asmodee for the past three years concentrating on eCommerce within the business and heading up work with Amazon across Europe. His knowledge of retail and sales in general covers almost twenty-five years and takes in retail giants like Mothercare, Kiddicare and, of course, Amazon.

“Historically purchasing and marketing have always wanted to be more integrated,” Greg commented. “Now we are encouraging a wider thinking and a better insight for all, to enhance the brand, product development and retail/consumer offering even more. I am both delighted and privileged to head up such an amazing team of experts and such a fabulous portfolio of brands.” Only a month into the job, Greg has already seen the development of the Dobble brand in to mainstream consumer lifestyle activity, at Thorpe Park, and is planning a number of major initiatives that will see Asmodee games partner with more well-known family brands and offerings.

Allan Rabie joins Diamant Toys/AMAV

Diamant Toys/AMAV has announced that Allan Rabie joined the company as head consultant of International Sales, a strategic move intended to strengthen Diamant’s International team.

An industry specialist with a stellar track record in the toy industry, Allan brings 24 years’ experience to the role. He acts as head consultant to the International Sales division of Diamant Toys/AMAV and will mentor the company’s international sales & marketing team.

Diamant Toys/AMAV, an award-winning company, has been operating in the international market for the past 60 years and today sells to over 40 countries worldwide. The company is known for its high standards, premium quality and innovative products. The Glow Pad, invented by Diamant Toys, has sold over 12m units internationally to date. The launch of collectible lines Keypsees and Mermaid Treasures has also been hugely successful for Diamant Toys, alongside the development of bespoke licensed collections for Paw Patrol, CoComelon, Barbie and Gabby’s Dollhouse.

Commenting on the appointment, Asher Diamant, owner of the company, said: “We’re delighted to have Allan on board in such a crucial role. Allan has huge experience and warm relationships within the toy world, and we believe that he will be a tremendous asset in assisting the Diamant Toys/AMAV team moving forward. With strong growth on our leading brands and several new launches planned, 2023 is already proving to be a successful year for Diamant Toys, and having Allan on our advisory team will only heighten that.”

Allan added: “I see the potential in the line: Diamant’s R&D team continues to amaze me, with its innovative mind continually rolling out exciting activities year in, year out. I am excited and I can’t wait to roll my sleeves up and get involved.”

Craft

Buddy welcomes Jonathan Kirkley as head of Marketing

Leading crafting company Craft Buddy has strengthened its management team by appointing ex-Re:creation and Mattel marketer, Jonathan Kirkley, as head of Marketing.

Jonathan will lead the Craft Buddy marketing team on all marketing initiatives across a growing portfolio that includes the popular Crystal Art, Forever Flowerz, Craft Buddy Puzzles and Paint By Numb3rs brands. Crystal Art Buddies, a sub-brand of Crystal Art, was launched last year and is a unique combination of arts and crafts and collectible figures. Series 1 includes Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and L.O.L! Surprise ranges. Following excellent sales from across the globe, the eagerly awaited Series 2 is set for launch in summer this year. Another market first, Craft Buddy’s highly anticipated Disney 100 Crystal Art Sticker Album, has also been slated for a summer launch.

“I am really pleased that Jonathan has decided to join us as head of Marketing,” said Gary Wadhwani, codirector of Craft Buddy. “He has a great track record in the toy industry and joins us at a time of really strong growth. Jonathan has brought with him some great experience, and his appointment will continue the drive to put our brands at the heart of our business.”

Jonathan added: “This is a really exciting time to be joining Craft Buddy. Not only is there a great team in place and an enviable portfolio, there are some truly innovative initiatives and launches in the pipeline which we are very excited about.”

Cartamundi

Entertainment UK appoints Nigel Kay as sales director

In line with a series of strategic appointments within the company, industry specialist Nigel will be joining the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of playing cards and board games as Cartamundi continues to grow across Europe.

An experienced sales management professional with success in building brands, Nigel’s experience includes senior sales positions at Hasbro, Mattel, Bandai and more recently, Creative Kids.

“Nigel joins Cartamundi Entertainment at an exciting time, when we are investing heavily in building and creating teams within our business and are dedicated to creating and bringing our brands to market,” said Javier Berasategui, VP Retail & Gaming EU. “Nigel is a perfect fit for the business and brings a wealth of knowledge to the role as we focus heavily on building strong relationships with key accounts and in particular, the independent trade.”

Nigel said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to join Cartamundi, as the company emerges into the market with a driven, creative and ambitious team that has been re-organised to best serve the various markets and retail networks that support our business. I’m excited to strengthen our existing relationships and build new partnerships across the retail landscape with consumer-focused plans that bring our brands to life in store.”

Erica Haythornthwaite joins Kayes of Cardiff

Erica Haythornthwaite, formerly of Orchard Toys and James Galt, brings many years of experience to the Kayes team, which announced a distribution partnership with Orchard in May 2022.

Erica, who announced her retirement from full-time work in January, has decided after four months away from the Toy Trade that the new part-time challenge offered by Kayes will re-kindle her enthusiasm. She looks forward to revisiting the many customers and friends she has made over the years.

Owner Philip Kaye said: “I am delighted that Erica has decided put on her boots and start playing again. She will be a great asset to our team.”

Erica added: “Five days a week doing nothing was far too many for me, so I needed to get back to the coalface. The fact that I can continue to have a link to Orchard Toy Products now via Kayes, after so many enjoyable years, was just the icing on the cake.”

appointment sees apple fall close to the tree

Josh Beevor, the grandson of Orchard Toys founder Keith Harvey, has joined the company as director and key account manager. In his new role, Josh is working with Orchard Toys sales director Simon Prest and reporting into managing director Simon Newbery. His responsibilities ensure he will gain a view of the entire business, from shopper insights to warehousing logistics as well as product design and development to ensure innovative new games and puzzles get to market.

Simon Newbery, managing director at Orchard Toys, said: “We’re delighted Josh is joining us, and excited to see him become a key member of our team and maintain the family involvement.”

Prior to his appointment at Orchard Toys, Josh worked in London and New York. He gained experience in asset management with a year at Aberdeen Asset Management and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. More recently he has spent three years as an accountant with Bandai Namco Holdings.

This is not Josh’s first time working for Orchard Toys, he’s previously done holiday work in the warehouse, packing some of his favourite games – Tummy Ache and Shopping List. Josh commented: “It’s amazing to be here at Orchard Toys, becoming part of a great team, a really strong brand, and contributing to the business I’ve heard so much about for most of my life.”

Orchard Toys started at the kitchen table in Keith Harvey’s home, Orchard House in Plumtree, Nottingham. More than 50 years on, the company remains a privately owned family business, with Keith’s daughter and son-in-law, the owners, playing an active role in the company. Keith, as a non-executive director, continues to take a keen interest in the business.

Gibsons announces new marketing manager

Gibsons has welcomed Gemma Briant as marketing manager, where she’ll be heading up the marketing team to help the family-owned games and puzzles company with its ambitious plans. Previously known for her work at Coiledspring Games, Gemma brings with her a wealth of experience in not only puzzles, but games too, having headed up marketing and product for the company.

Amanda Chaplin, commercial director, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Gemma to the Gibsons team. Her years of experience in the toy industry will help drive our exciting growth plans in the UK and worldwide. The addition of Gemma to the team will allow us to focus our marketing efforts and deliver our strategic goals.”

Gemma added: “I’m overjoyed to be back in world of toys and games, and being an avid puzzler, I’m excited to get stuck in with the impressive portfolio that Gibsons has. With the launch of our trade portal making it easier and more efficient for our retailers to order, alongside our fantastic line up of new releases launching in July, it’s the perfect time to join the team”.

Marketing World

Joking Hazard ramps up PR and marketing efforts

Joking Hazard, the games division of the multimedia powerhouse Cyanide & Happiness, has officially signed with Gift PR for its UK and US PR needs.

Gift PR will work closely with Joking Hazard’s marketing team to develop and implement targeted PR campaigns focused on spreading the news of the company’s successful games. The campaigns will be aimed at increasing brand awareness, improving customer engagement and driving sales in both the UK and US.

Cyanide & Happiness is an internationally recognised brand known for its webcomics, animated show, YouTube videos and popular ‘not-for-kids’ party games, all of which are fuelled by a dedicated and long-standing fanbase. Boasting 12m Facebook followers, 3.75b+ views on YouTube, over a million daily visitors to its website and 1.9m Instagram followers, the company’s social reach speaks for itself.

Gift PR was originally conceived as a souvenir PR campaign for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate back in 2011. The Gift PR concept has gone on to execute numerous PR campaigns themed around gifting, including Christmas Gifts, Valentine’s Day, summer holidays and many more, resulting in continuous coverage in coveted gift guides for national press, TV and other mainstream media. The re-branded company offers services including public relations, social media, event management, digital marketing, creative services, copywriting and marketing consultancy.

Joking Hazard recently successfully crowdfunded and released its newest game, Master Dater, now available for purchase on its website (Explosm.net), Amazon US and Amazon UK. Cyanide & Happiness, meanwhile, has announced an official collaboration with the Educated Barfly that will see the crafting of its very own branded signature cocktail.

The Educated Barfly website and YouTube channel features articles, recipes and stepby-step informative videos of Classic, Modern Classic and Craft cocktails from some of the industry’s top bartenders. The upcoming crossover will see both groups reaching each other’s vast and active communities and brings the well-loved unique “not-for-kids” attitude of Cyanide & Happiness to the Educated Barfly’s world of high-class cocktails.

UK Nerf Training Camps brought to Haven

The Nerf Training Camps, which are being held in the UK for the first time, will take place in 31 Haven holiday parks, taking guests on an exhilarating, energetic and entertaining competitive adventure.

The event is a dynamic two-team game, combining the buzz and play of paintball with the speed and agility of basketball. Each player, equipped with a Nerf blaster and safety goggles, will compete to score points by getting the ball into the opponent’s net without being struck by the opposition. The gameplay space will feature inflatable obstacles that players can use to duck and dive around to avoid rival darts, rounds and discs.

Simon Price, operations director for Activities & Leisure, Entertainment and Retail at Haven, said: “We are thrilled to introduce the high-energy Nerf Training Camp to Haven this May for our guests. We pride ourselves on our diverse and interactive range of park activities that make for many fond, long-lasting memories, and we look forward to seeing players of all ages battle it out for victory.”

Brian Ward, chief operating officer for Rocafella Leisure, added: “Nerf Training Camp, exclusive to Haven holiday parks, will provide tremendous fun for children and adults alike. Nerf is renowned for its engaging play and energetic performance, and we are extremely excited to bring the iconic Nerf blaster in a collaborative, fun-for-all game to Haven.”

He added: “This marks the first of many projects earmarked in our newly formed partnership with Haven to deliver Hasbro branded leisure activity across their parks, inspired by our inaugural Nerf Action Xperience entertainment centre opening in Manchester later this summer.”

One for Fun’s major summer social media campaign hots up

Focusing on all things squishy, One For Fun‘s summer campaign launched with Scrunchems, which are now available in all permutations and sizes. The squidgy, squishy balls are filled with everything from neon beans and glitter to food items. Some are furry, others are scented and all of them are squishy and addictive. Of particular interest are the squishy neon scented bears in bright colours.

These sensory collections are proving especially popular with influencers who want stimulating fidgets for children with sensory needs. As part of its marketing efforts, One for Fun asked a selection of influencers to choose which products from the Scrunchems range they were interested in reviewing. The second wave of the campaign is now well underway, providing many more opportunities for consumers to see Scrunchems in action.

At the end of May, the Micro Fidgetz influencer campaign also began. Tipped to be a ‘must have’ fidget toy this year, Micro Fidgetz combines collectability, fidgety fun and real working toys. Micro toys are all the rage at the moment, but these Micro Fidgetz are mini replicas of the full-sized toys – and they actually work. The surprise element is there too: one fidget is displayed in the transparent dome on the top of the tub, while four blind bags containing more Fidgetz are underneath.

David Mordecai, CEO of One for Fun, said: “The feedback we are getting from influencers and consumers alike is great. Micro Fidgetz is a unique range and watching the delight as the kids reveal the fidget surprises just shows how popular and collectible these ranges are. We are planning more influencer campaigns for the fourth quarter to boost sales of these well priced, high play value items before Christmas.”

Readers can see One for Fun’s latest campaign on their favourite social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram.

Why don’t we talk about TV anymore?

WWe all know the rhetoric: TV in the UK, and increasingly across Europe, is dead. We’ve used this very column to share the statistics highlighting its decline, and in 2022 in the UK, we reached the tipping point where a greater percentage of toy marketing budgets were invested in Digital channels than TV.

The conversations we have as an industry have changed as a result. We are no longer judging campaigns purely by the volume of TVRs/GRPS we put on a plan (although we do hear from time to time of retailers still placing perhaps undue precedence on this part of the puzzle). This is a step in the right direction that the industry needed to take. It’s important not to overlook that whilst marketing investment has made a significant shift away from traditional Linear TV advertising, we are still talking about TV in one of its many guises incredibly regularly.

Advertisers have migrated away from Linear TV advertising as the supply of impacts has reduced, with children and parent audiences focusing their attention on other, Digital, platforms. Whilst this has been happening, audiences have been showing an increasing preference for consuming Digital media on the largest screen possible, bringing them back to the TV set.

Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) services such as Netflix and Disney+ long surpassed Linear TV as the primary video channel for children, with Giraffe Insights reporting that SVOD accounted for 38% of total video occasions in October 2022 (Kids and the Screen, Wave 11). It will come as no surprise that over 80% of the viewing of these platforms takes place on a TV screen, meaning that if a viable commercial solution is ever presented to toy advertisers (i.e. cost effective reach at scale), SVOD would be well placed to command a large percentage of advertising budgets. But current pricing structures, targeting restrictions and the slow uptake of ad funded subscriptions means

that this might not be a reality for the toy market until 2024, and more likely 2025.

What of ad funded platforms? What have these got to do with TV? YouTube is now the No.1 platform when it comes to toy advertising spend, offering advertisers the reach that Linear TV has lost, at a price that is more affordable, given the inflationary pressure on Linear TV. The success of YouTube in recent years has been, at least in part, driven by its movement to becoming the largest Connected TV (CTV) partner in the world. In fact, assessing natural delivery of impressions by device, over 50% of campaigns on YouTube are now delivered on a TV screen. YouTube not only has the capacity to run a full campaign budget on TV alone, in the UK at least, it has an inventory of children’s content that easily surpasses that of all the commercial children’s channels on Linear TV combined.

Within the ad supported world, we also need to be aware of CTV/VOD partners. At present, there are 13 recognisable child-targeted channels in the UK (compared to 12 Linear TV channels), with the group set to be bolstered by ITVX Kids as the CITV channel is removed from linear feeds in September 2023. At this point, we are projecting that of the combined Linear/ CTV/VOD market, CTV/VOD channels will account for over 20% of total impressions. This will only grow as content providers opt for lower cost Digital distribution; as with YouTube, the vast majority of impressions is delivered via the TV set.

So, what does this preference for the big screen (at least by household standards), mean for advertisers?

Primarily, that as much as things have changed over the past decade, they have somehow stayed the same when it comes to consuming video content. The channel line up may have changed from the dominance of Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network to YouTube et al, but the device that has the highest impact when it comes to reaching, and ultimately

connect entire media plans. Using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology, Samba TV can identify viewership and non-viewership based on set criteria, allowing advertisers to either retarget or extend the reach of campaigns. For example, the ACR tech can identify which households have been exposed to an ad, then this data can be used to target Digital devices in the household with a follow up message on other devices. Alternatively, it can identify households that have not been exposed to the ad, before targeting them on platforms and devices in those households, increasingly using CTV channels, to extend campaign reach.

In the age of media fragmentation, when Linear TV no longer commands the lion’s share of budget, don’t forget to talk about the importance of TV and how as a device it is still one of the greatest assets in the marketer’s playbook.

Although Linear TV budgets may have been reduced in favour of other Digital platforms, Jonathan reminds readers of TV’s strengths and how it remains one of toy trade marketers’ greatest assets.

Licensing World

Sony announces PMI as master global toy partner for The Creature Cases

Sony Pictures Television – Kids (SPT – Kids), formerly Silvergate Media, has announced that PMI will spearhead the brand’s consumer products rollout with a range of playsets, figures and plush based on The Creature Cases for global retail launch from 2024.

Chapter 3 of The Creature Cases launched on Netflix on 22nd May, shooting into the top 3 kids shows in the US, UK, France and other key global markets.

Rapidly growing and dynamic toy firm PMI has built a reputation as one of the leading toy manufacturers of gaming IP including Sonic Prime, Among Us and Tokido’s Piñata Smashlings, with a distribution network that spans 132 countries. The Creature Cases will mark PMI’s first master toy deal in the pre-school market following success as a toy licensee for Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig and other leading pre-school shows. The firm is readying a comprehensive line of The Creature Cases playsets, figures and plush toys, which will debut at retail as part of a multi-territory launch from 2024.

The partnership follows the outstanding success of The Creature Cases’ broadcast debut in Spring 2022 when it ranked in Netflix’s global top 10. This popularity was quickly replicated in China where the show debuted on Tencent, quickly becoming its top children’s show, generating over 800m views in six months.

The Creature Cases follows the adventures of detective duo, Sam Snow and Kit Casey as they work together to crack cases. Armed with top-secret intel from their miniature contacts, the Mice Squad, these animal sleuths travel a world populated exclusively by animals, solving mysteries that mix real zoological facts with wild detective action. The show’s award-winning animation studio, TeamTo, is in production on new episodes that will see brand-new content delivered from 2024.

Moose named master toy partner for Despicable Me and Minions

Moose Toys has entered into a global partnership with Universal Products & Experiences as master toy licensee for Illumination’s Despicable Me and Minions.

Under the new multi-year licensing agreement, the company’s first wave of products will feature an extensive line of action figures, play sets, role-play and collectibles as well as co-branded toys, including Moose’s Heroes of Goo Jit Zu, for the release of Despicable Me 4. Toys are scheduled to be on shelves late spring 2024, ahead of the film’s theatrical release on 3rd July 2024.

“This global partnership represents both a major expansion of Moose Toys’ licensed portfolio and an extension of our relationship with Universal Products & Experiences, accomplishments of which we are extremely proud,” said Joe Smith, vice president of global and US marketing, licensed brands, Moose Toys. “Illumination’s Despicable Me and Minions franchise is full of humour, friendship and fun, attributes that align perfectly with the Moose brand and personality. It is an ideal fit, and we cannot wait to infuse this beloved franchise with Moose Toys innovation.”

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Moose Toys and collaborate on an all-new line inspired by Illumination’s Despicable Me 4,” added Joe Lawandus, senior vice president and general manager, Global Toys and Hardlines, Universal Products & Experiences. “Moose shares our creative vision and passion for designing a fresh, new, innovative line capturing the joy and mischievousness of Illumination’s iconic Minions. Fans of all ages and across the globe embrace the Minions as their own, and we can’t wait for them to start collecting this dynamic new line of toys and collectibles.”

Disguise signs multi-year licensing agreement for Poppy Playtime

The agreement gives Disguise the rights to design, develop and manufacture costumes and costume accessories for the horror survival game, Poppy Playtime, commencing this autumn.

Poppy Playtime, developed by Mob Entertainment, is an episodic horror survival game that immerses players in a sinister tale. Players assume the role of a former Playtime Co. employee, compelled to return to the forsaken toy factory ten years after the mysterious disappearance of its entire staff. While delving into the shadows of the abandoned facility, the only goal is to survive the relentless pursuit of the vengeful toys lurking within.

“Year after year, Disguise keeps expanding its collection of costumes in this ever-growing genre of episodic horror games,” said Tara Cortner, president and GM of Disguise. “As the popularity of this genre continues to surge, we are thrilled to be a part of it. Our passion lies in developing costumes that bring kids, adults and fans into the world of their favourite characters. Poppy Playtime is sure to be a hit this year.”

Mob Entertainment director of Business Development and Licensing, Arsenio Navarro, added: “Poppy Playtime is a pop culture phenomenon with a massive worldwide following and, like other influential brands, has captured the imagination of the masses – inspiring fan fiction, cosplay, music videos, dance challenges and hundreds of hours of game play commentary. Poppy-related content has more than 5b views on TikTok and more than a billion views on YouTube – a true testament to the appeal of the game’s characters and universe and its loyal, ever-growing fan base that spans all ages. We are thrilled to add Disguise as an official licensee

Disguise boasts an impressive 36-year legacy in the costume and dress-up industry. Over the years, the company

international markets, establishing itself as the global front-runner in design and manufacturing with

to bring the Poppy Playtime universe to life for our fans.”

has experienced remarkable growth in both domestic and

longstanding relationships with licensors.

Funrise’s CAT range continues to build on its success

Funrise is enjoying another strong performance from its CAT range of construction toys, which, true to form, is building on its portfolio to ensure continued growth.

CAT has been ranked within the top 20 list of global licensors, generating an impressive $6.5b in brand value. The brand is also ranked in the top 50 list of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies.

Funrise’s CAT range of vehicles is extensive, covering multiple vehicle categories including mini vehicles, die-cast and RC. The range provides plenty of play value within construction vehicles with its quality vehicle offering. Little Machines is an assortment of plastic mini 7cm push free-wheeling vehicles. A standout retail solution is the sub-£6 5-pack of Little Machines, which provides a great value and volume solution.

Funrise has feature construction vehicles covered too, with the Power Haulers assortment. These feature motion drive technology: the engine revs and lights activate when the vehicle is pushed forward, while pushing the vehicle backward triggers back-up sounds. There are four vehicles in the assortment including an Excavator and Cement Mixer.

Funrise has a wide range of CAT vehicles available for retailers to stock now.

Tonies introduces Warner Bros. and DC ranges

An innovative and award-winning audio system for children aged three and up and consisting of the Toniebox and the matching Tonies audio figurines, Tonies makes audio content touchable and enables a completely new kind of listening experience: “audio play”.

“We could not be more excited that DC is now joining the Tonies family. Beloved characters such as Batman and Wonder Woman will be available as Tonies figurines soon,” commented Markus Langer, chief content officer at Tonies. “This is a fantastic enrichment to our portfolio, and I can’t wait for all the little ones around the world to listen to these great stories.”

The deal covers all rights for Tonies’ main markets ans started with a Batman figurine, which was released for Tonieboxes last month in the US and UK. In the DACH region, the first figurines will not appear until 2024. The age recommendation for the majority of the DC-Tonies will be four years and up.

Philippe Roucoule, vice president EMEA Category & Retail Business Development at Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, adds: “We are delighted to bring DC Superheroes to kids around the world via Tonies. It’s a new way for children to discover our characters and their fantastic stories. For some children, it might be their first contact ever with our DC universe, and we are thrilled to make new fans among little ones.”

Miraculous x LankyBox collaboration unveiled by Zag

Award-winning independent animation studio Zag has signed a global licensing agreement with LankyBox, a high-energy YouTube channel with 1.5b views a month, for a limited-edition crossover product collaboration with global hit Miraculous –Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is now in its fifth season, scoring top ratings in more than 120 countries around the globe across multiple traditional media outlets and streaming platforms. The animated blockbuster Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie, will launch on Netflix on July 28th, 2023, and theatrically in select countries.

LankyBox has exponentially grown into one of the largest channels in the youth gaming and entertainment space. Hosts Justin and Adam, along with their cast of animated characters including Boxy, Foxy and Rocky, create fast-paced content for kids ages 4–12 as they play games such as Roblox, Minecraft, Friday Night Funkin and many others. Roblox is also the home of the Miraculous RP: Ladybug & Cat Noir game which has captured the No.1 spot in the branded games category and No.1 in engagement, with over 550m gameplays.

Kids will step into an alternate universe with the Miraculous x LankyBox crossover product collaboration, which will include plush, stylish apparel and home décor. All products will feature characters from the LankyBox universe dressed as fan favourite characters from the Miraculous TV series, for example Ladybug and Foxy, and Cat Noir and Boxy. Alongside the plush options, the assortment will include t-shirts and a 2-in-1 blanket pillow for kids to snuggle up with Miraculous Ladybug and LankyBox friends. Miraculous x LankyBox toys will launch in the second half of 2023.

“With the immersive world of LankyBox, Justin Kroma and Adam McArthur have created a pop culture phenomenon featuring original characters that has propelled viewership with over 25b lifetime views,” commented Hyde Schram, vice president, Global Partnerships, Zag. “Miraculous and LankyBox fans alike are going to clamour to collect these cool limited-edition products created by this unique partnership.”

Summer toys

it’s not all about fun in the sun

Summer is here at last; it took its time to arrive but the good weather in the first couple of weeks of June has been very welcome. An important period for the toy market, around a fifth of the value of UK toys value is spent from June to August. Naturally, there is a focus on Outdoor Toys during this period; around 40% of Outdoor & Sports Toys were purchased from June to August in 2022, comparable to the share at Christmas for some other categories. But it’s not just about Outdoor Toys during the summer months, there is so much more going on with school holidays, summer movie blockbusters and whether we might have a toy craze to take that pocket money spend.

being held in Qatar meant a move to winter months), so it could have been even better. Category trends are as expected, with Playground Equipment, Pools and Water/Sand Toys amongst the top performers. But strong trends for other categories include Building Sets, Plush and Strategic Trading Cards as the top three growth categories. These trends are in line with the category trends for the year but there are some key trends that we can look at that are particular to summer.

Summer Months Trend 2019-2022

Rory Partis Director UK Toys & EuroToys Circana

Summer Months Trend 2019-2022

Looking at the trends of summer over the last few years is quite a challenge because, as with a lot of areas of the market, trends were impacted by Covid and lockdowns. In 2019 summer sales (June to August) were £379m, and in 2020 this had grown +8% and was worth £411m. An impressive increase but not really a fair comparison as lockdown and exceptionally good weather meant that there was a surge in Outdoor Toy sales over this period. What is interesting is that summer sales stayed at this level in 2021 and 2022, with a small increase in 2O22 vs. 2021. In 2022 summer sales were £416m compared to £379m in the pre Covid summer of 2019. There should have been a World Cup in summer 2022 too, (the tournament

Summer blockbuster movies can have a big impact on toys sales and generate interest in the market. 2022 had a strong slate of summer releases including Jurassic World, Lightyear and Minions: Rise of Gru. Movies showed a +24% trend in summer 2022 vs. 2021, compared to total market growth of +1%. Movie related sales accounted for around 12% of the total market over this period, up from 9.5% in 2021. The standout success was Jurassic World, with £6.5m in toys sales over the summer months - and this strong start lead to an excellent Q4 for the franchise.

This year has another impressive set of summer releases that should have a significant impact on toy sales: a new Transformers movie, a debut movie for Barbie and a Ninja Turtles movie later in summer too. All have real potential to stimulate sales but at the time of writing only Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has been released. For the two weeks leading up to movie release date, the Transformers brand shows a trend of +135% vs. the same period last year, so got off to a great start. A huge amount of buzz around the Barbie and Turtles movies suggests another strong summer for movie related properties. Is there a summer craze this year? We’ve had quite a few over the years: loom bands, squishy toys, slime and fidget spinners to name a few, but there hasn’t been one for a while. This can have a huge impact, boosting sales with additional spend over the summer and enhancing volume trends too.

The great weather here in the UK means we have seen a +28% trend for Outdoor & Sports Toys, but as summer isn’t just about Outdoor Toys, there’s a whole lot more to look forward too.

Rory looks at toy sales over the summer months and how both predictable and unpredictable factors come into play at his time of year.

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

Property Progression:

The Lego Minifigures property was the fastest riser in May, moving up 109 places compared to April. This growth has been driven by Minifigures Disney 100, which were the No.3 item in value within the total UK toy market for the month of May, at an average price of £3.51. These Minifigures include 18 classic Disney characters with favourites including Pocahontas, Baymax and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. As the 100th anniversary of Disney celebrations continue, it’s likely that even more related items and properties will enter the top selling lists.

Lego Minifigures 14 35

Fastest Growing Subclasses

Ranked by value gained

Strategic Trading Cards is the top growing subclass so far in 2023, adding £6.6m in YTD May 2023 vs. 2022. Pokémon continues to be the standout performer in this subclass and has added £4.7m this year, a significant portion of the £6.6m added value in the subclass. Other growth comes from both World Soccer and Match Attax adding value in 2023.

Top 10 Fastest Growing Subclass - UK Toys

Top 10 Fastest Growing Subclass - UK Toys

Traditional plush is the second top subclass for value add, with £6.3m in additional value in 2023 so far. Squishmallows continues to be the top driver of growth and is the second best performing property in the UK market in 2023, only being outperformed by Pokémon. Squishmallows 8” Plush is the No.1 item in the total market in 2023 and the 12” Plush is at No.3. Success stories within this category come from a combination of traditional plush and licensed ranges; the Bluey, Pokémon, Nintendo and Paddington Bear licences have been doing particularly well.

The subclass in third place for growth is Standard Building Sets, adding £4.7m in 2023 so far. Star Wars continues to be the top performer within this subclass and is also the top property in the total UK market in 2023. There are several Lego Star Wars items in the top 50 items in toys, taking up eight of the top 50 spots in the first five months of the year. Other growing areas of the sub category include Marvel Universe, Lego Icons, Minecraft and Pokémon.

Talking Shop

Pulling out all the shops

Our indies tell Marianna Casal how the year is going for them so far and what they are looking forward to this summer, among 2023’s steady stream of new products and a packed slate of blockbuster movie releases.

Steve Kerrison - Kerrison Toys, Norwich

This year started strong, but footfall dropped after Easter and has been a bit quieter than usual. We are still seeing some effects of the cost-of-living crisis, but I hope the summer holidays will be more positive. We are planning some instore events for the summer which will bring in customers and help drive sales; events such as make & takes, colouring competitions, game demos and character visits. Playmobil character visits are always a draw, and we would love to see Freya Chocolate Rabbit from Sylvanian Families. We have a lot of great quick-play games instore which would be great to demo and get into people’s hands, such as Asmodee’s Dobble.

In the first quarter of the year, Lego and Pokémon have been flying, and Playmobil, MGA’s Miniverse, Squishmallows and pocket money toys are also great sellers. New movies this year have stimulated a lot of sales and there are more summer launches to look forward to that we expect to push particular brands. Following the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts premiere, we saw our action figures and collectibles perform really well for a couple of weeks. Hasbro increased the price of Transformers products and due to the number of collectors, people were prepared to accept the new price points. Hasbro’s Spider-Man action figures sales have also surged after the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

We expect that the Barbie movie this month will boost Barbie sales generally, even though there are no specific toy launches, and we also have a great action figure selection for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, ready for the film in August. In light of Disney’s centenary, the new Disney minifigures have been popular and with the recent rise in temperature, sales

have increased in outdoor toys, garden items, paddling pools and slides.

For the second half of the year, it seems as though Bitzee is the product that everyone is getting behind. We have heard from US toy retailer Rick Derr that it has got off to an amazing start in the States, so hopefully it will receive the same reception here in the UK. There is also a new Little Live Pets launch – the range sells well so we will be bringing in a new dog which I expect to be in demand as an exciting new Christmas present.

The million-dollar question is what the second half of the year will look like. We are all waiting to see if interest rates rise and if energy prices will change. Food prices still seem to be rising, so it’s quite unpredictable to know how much people will be willing to spend this year at Christmas. I am expecting our Christmas Club to be a lifeline for more parents this year, enabling them to put money to one side each month towards presents. Budgeting is at the forefront of more people’s minds, and I hope that we can help people.

As an independent store owner, all I can hope for is that we receive the same loyalty and support we give to our suppliers. There are a lot of products independent stores simply can’t stock that our customers want. Toy companies need to remember that we support them through thick and thin, and it’s great when they support us in return and help us to get the stock we need. At the end of the day, we are dedicated to supporting our suppliers. Without them, we don’t have a business whereas all the supermarkets and value stores don’t really need toys; it doesn’t matter to them if they destroy price points. My message to suppliers would be ‘support the independents, and we’ll support you no matter what!’

ISquishmallows and Ty in particular have really exceeded our expectations. The age range is interesting – the market has shifted to include teenagers and young adults who seem to be very much enjoying collecting plush.

Footfall has been a bit down, but the average spend per customer is higher. People are more conscious of their budget and considered about their spending, prioritising better-quality items. As this is something JJ has always been about, high quality items rather than trying to stock everything, we’re perfect to cater to that trend. We still carry a selection of pocket money items which will always sell as pick up lines, but we have found the £35- £50 price point goods are what is making up the bulk of sales. Pokémon is still absolutely huge, and Lego is a very solid part of our business. These lines need little promotion or price offers, but our customers have welcomed things like Commotion plush bundles too, where they can see they are getting value.

We introduced Funko Pop! last year which has been very successful. A brand which has seen a strong resurgence lately is Hot Wheels, which is very popular. It’s also good to see the impact of films on sales is returning,

fall under this category, and nowadays it’s how companies like MGA keep its brands fresh. L.O.L. Surprise! is another bestseller, with a range that keeps on diversifying. I love what they’ve done with the new Mini sets.

The recent hot weather has sparked a huge spike in paddling pool sales, in fact in all kinds of outdoor toys. We have ordered gel blasters to add to the range, which we will ensure are sold to the right age group.

Our community in Gerrards Cross, which has a population of 8,000 people, is a huge part of our business. We work closely with the local schools; we donate toys for school fetes and offer our large gazebo when they need it. The town’s Picnic in the Park event is coming up in July, where we have a big stand and can get out there and interact with the community. We like to collaborate with brands to offer our customers extra reasons to visit the store, events such as a visit from Pepper Pig always go down well.

We are working on strengthening our social media

John Bentley - Howleys Toymaster, Weymouth

It was a challenging start to the year, but the last half term was very encouraging as new ranges such as Pokémon, Squishmallows and Hot Wheels came in –sales really started to pick up.

We’re feeling confident about pushing forward into the summer months which is our peak season. We have a strong beach and garden selection because all our stores –also in Dorchester and Bridport – are close to the seafront. Thanks to the recent heatwave, paddling pool sales have gone crazy, and with kids around on holiday or on days out,

beach gear is selling well. We take summer very seriously in all our shops and are always prepared with lots of stock. We have everything for fun in the sunshine, from paddleboards and sandpits to buckets & spades and kites – no stone is left unturned.

The heatwave has been fantastic, although not so much for our staff who need to be carrying boxes. But the sun puts customers in a happy mood – especially when they’re on holiday – which makes them more willing to spend.

One difference we’ve seen this year is that jigsaws, model

experimenting with Instagram last year and it has been absolutely superb. We have a very good following and as soon as we post a new product, people buy it faster than before. We’ve been experimenting with a small website but are about to become part of a bigger website, Yipp-e, a site for independent retailers. We have always offered click and collect but will now also have a delivery option. We hope this will give customers an alternative to shopping with the big guys.

Sales are up from last year and the year before that, so if we continue in that direction, we will be in for a good Q3 and Q4.

We are already looking towards Christmas and are very excited about Bitzee from Spin Master. We have high hopes for this product; it was the standout at the Toymaster May Show. The popularity of digital toys seems to be growing and, although right now people are buying toys to use outside in the sunshine, we are preparing for when the weather begins to cool down and considering more digital products to bring in.

trains and games have continued to sell into spring and summer, rather than dropping in sales after winter when everyone begins to go outdoors. People are continuing these sort of interests all year round now. And plush, which used to be quite seasonal or primarily in the infant category, is now popular all round. This is in part thanks to the Squishmallows craze, although licensed plush such as Jazwares’ Pokémon, as well as Ty Beanie Babies, continues to be in high demand.

The 100 Years of Disney mini figures are selling well. We

Talking Shop

see steady sales from collectibles such as Funko Pop and, unsurprisingly, Lego continues to be a bestseller year after year.

We like to support new products, but we also need to keep in mind our key buying strategy, ordering products that we are confident will suit our customer base and will sell well. Margin is an issue, and we have to be selective to achieve workable profit. Recently, we’ve taken delivery of new lines from Schleich, L.O.L. Surprise! which is still a bestseller, and Disney products because of the 100 years celebration. There are new Hot Wheels in store; it’s one of our best buy brands and we like to keep the selection fresh, and Tech Deck is also selling well.

With a small team and small stores, we don’t have room for big in store events, but we attract customers with our friendly, helpful service and front of house impact. We have plenty of things going on in the shop so customers can see the products to their best advantage, and cheerful music makes it a fun place to be.

In the summertime, when the weather is high

AAs we write this, we are in the middle of the first heatwave of the summer, and in our books, not a moment too soon. Having been spoilt over the last few years with a warm Easter and May, this year, the inclement weather meant we sold very little summer stock. Whilst outdoor games and wheeled toys were selling well, paddling pools in particular were still waiting to get moving. With quite a bit of stock left over from last summer, we want to try and come out cleaner this year. Once the weather forecast started to show warmer weather in June, it was full steam ahead to get our stores stocked up.

At the moment, our focus is on the busy summer period, but we have begun to place orders for later in the year. We’ll be bringing in Bandai anime – we’re looking to build the presence of anime in the store – One for Fun’s pocket money range, which is good all year round but also works well for stocking fillers, and Golden Bear. We try to carry a wide range of lines, from the big players like Hasbro, Mattel, Spin Master and Lego down to smaller companies, which we love to support.

Despite the expected difficulties this year for any retailer, we’ve got the experience and heritage to rise to any challenge. We have a loyal following in each of our stores, and staff who know their customers. I’m happy that we have a range of products people want to buy, and we continue our success by keeping an eye on our overheads as well as waste and margins. If we can deliver an increase on sales, we will get through the year with no problems.

If you’d like to be featured in the August edition of Talking Shop please contact Marianna Casal

– marianna@toyworldmag.co.uk

We contacted the shopping centres we are based in about displays of pools, as when customers can see what they are buying properly, sales improve even further. This tactic worked; sales on outdoor products rocketed in all stores, but the stores with the displays showed around a 50% increase compared to those without. Summer products make up to a third of our sales, so this is important.

Add-ons like water-guns and bubbles are just as popular as the pools. Our range of pool inflatables always sells very well in all our stores, even those that are inland. We made the most of the prolonged, hot, dry spell, putting all our focus into outdoor stock. It’s important to react while the weather is good as it’s so unpredictable in the UK. In 14 years of running Toy Barnhaus, we have never run out of paddling pools, and we will ensure that this year. Is no exception.

Overall sales have slowed down a bit after a strong couple of months, but we are happy with how trade has been so far this year and are optimistic for the rest of 2023. Current bestsellers include the new Pokémon Paldea Evolved trading cards and the latest waves of Squishmallows, including some Pokémon characters. Hot Wheels cars, which are always a fantastic seller have become even more popular, and sales have doubled since last year. The Little Mermaid film merchandise has been a winner too, and the L.O.L Surprise Mini Sweets range has really taken off. Character’s Aphmau and Lankybox lines continue to sell well, along with the Miniverse range from MGA.

Like any independent toy store, construction is a major category for us, and home to what is without doubt our most important brand – Lego. Our sales of Lego have grown significantly over the last few years, as more and more people turn to it, as either a form of play or relaxation. Lego has significantly increased its the range of products, and who they are marketed to. A few years ago, adult Lego collectors made up a good proportion of our sales, but there is now a new customer: the casual adult Lego fan. These new customers have created some of our bestsellers, such as the Botanical Flower collection, the Harry Potter sets, and some of the Creator 3 in 1 sets. This trend has really helped bring in different customers to our stores. I would say that over a third of our Lego sales are now to adult customers, and the good news for us is that their budgets are generally larger than kids! We carry a good range of the larger Lego sets; we’ve built our reputation for having the best range, which has expanded our customer base and grown sales.

Until next time. We’re off to get an ice lolly.

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

Opinion Hit me with your Fidl Bitz

Passionate toy retailers and unlikely friends Dave Middleton (Midco Toymaster, Midco Toy Planet and Freak Treats) and Rick Derr (Learning Express Lake Zurich) have successfully completed their latest foreign exchange programme. Following Rick’s visit to Harrogate for the Toymaster May Show, Dave headed to Columbus, Ohio, for the ASTRA toy show, and upon their return sat down with Rachael Simpson-Jones to compare and contrast the two events –and what they’ve learned about the US and UK toy markets.

Letter from America

One of the other major differences between the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy and shows here in the UK is that the first day, which this year was Sunday 11th June, is dedicated to education, with a packed schedule of talks on offer for those registered for the full conference. Topics included: ‘How to Achieve Sales through Social Media’, ‘MESH for Retailers’, ‘The Science of Great Teams’, ‘Navigating LinkedIn’ and ‘Storytelling and Brand Building’, and turnout was apparently very high, testament to the relevance of the topics and the quality of the speakers.

Dave agrees that the show was excellent, though he does point out that it’s a very different type of event to the Toymaster May Show. While the latter is driven by big names – Spin Master, Mattel, Character, Jazwares, Hasbro etc. – the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy focuses on smaller vendors. Dave also tells me he noticed a marked difference between the mindset of UK retailers at Toymaster and US retailers at ASTRA.

“In the UK, we’re all about how big the box is, what’s the RRP, and how much money will it make me,” he explains. “Over there, retailers wanted to get toys out of the packaging, play with them, learn how to demo them in-store. They want to get as hands-on as possible and they’re way more outgoing than we are in the UK. We’re built different, with typical British reserve. Rick can start a full-blown conversation with absolutely anyone in his store, and they’ll join in straight away and have a good old laugh. If I tried that at home with some of my customers, and said some of the things he comes out with, I’d probably be arrested.”

He does think the educational aspect of the show could be brought to the UK though: Dave sits on the board at Toymaster, so watch this space. That said, he wonders if, again, the different retailer mindset here might prove an obstacle: “Retailers want to go to a show, buy, and come home. The education day at ASTRA was great, and the people there were very engaged, taking pictures and asking questions the whole time - but would indies over here really want to spend a day doing something like that?”

probably already have seen plenty of posts about their visit to the annual ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, the jewel in the crown of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s events calendar. ASTRA is a not-for-profit trade organisation that serves more than 1,800 independent retailers, manufacturers and sales representatives of the specialty toy industry. This year, its sold out 5-day Marketplace & Academy hosted around 400 exhibitors – which Rick says is slightly up on usual numbers – around 70 of which were new start-ups or grassroots vendors.

“Out of 5, I’m awarding the ASTRA show a 4.8,” Rick tells me over the Zoom, his background-blur filter causing Dave’s disembodied head to float in and out of view at random intervals. (He adds that his rating for Toymaster would be ‘darn near as high’, if not a 4.9.) “ASTRA’s chosen venue was terrific this year and allowed a really good number of visitors to attend. Of course, at Toymaster you can speak directly to the likes of Moose, Basic Fun and more, whereas here we have to go via distributors, which in turn raises the cost because you’re dealing with a middleman. Now I understand why my portfolio of brands is much more evenly distributed across supplier sizes compared to Dave’s.”

In terms of what they saw at the show, one product really stood out: Fidl Bitz (straight faces, people, straight faces). From Play Vision, Fidl Bitz is being sold in as a Construction toy, but Rick and Dave think this is a mistake. At the show, the company had Fidl Bitz bins for visitors to interact with, with people merrily plunging their hands into the tactile blocks in a way that makes it clear it’s far more of an ASMR toy. Contrary to my first assumptions, the blocks aren’t magnetic: they’re adhesive. Despite this, they don’t leave a residue behind, meaning playing

Clockwise from top: Santa's Kindness Ornament, Sowa Sowa and Fidl Bitz

with your Fidl Bitz won’t make your hands sticky. Hurrah.

Rick’s second product pick is Sowa Sowa (Japanese for fidgety or jittery) from My Bumpas, a weighted infinity plush kids can turn in their hands or wear over their wrist. It’s completely silent, so kids who might benefit from taking a Sowa Sowa to school won’t distract their classmates with irritating noises.

Pick number three is Santa’s Kindness Ornament from Demdaco. Where other festive toys lean into naughtiness or ‘monitoring’ kids’ behaviour in the run-up to the big day, this golden bauble, shaped like a compass, comes to life on 1st December and transmits messages from Father Christmas that are rooted in kindness and positivity. The ornament comes with a Kindness Journal that encourages kids to spread love and happiness by completing simple activities such as giving their loved ones a hug or drawing a picture for their favourite friend at school. Parents control the activities using QR codes and a special app, and the product launches in the US in August.

Although Fidl Bitz stood out for Dave too, he’s come away not with a top product to bring to his three stores, but a category: Tween Girls. The first thing highlighted by James ‘The Rockfather’ Zahn in his day two talk, ‘Trends in Toys’, the category includes hair accessories, makeup, cases, bags, lidded mugs, body butters - that sort of thing. There were three or four vendors offering complete ranges at the show, the most prominent of which was Mavi Bands, which Rick stocks at his Learning Express store. Dave describes the Mavi range as a little like Claire’s Accessories, ‘only cheaper and trendier’, and he says the category offers retailers here a huge opportunity. He’s hoping to introduce a section of these kinds of products to one or more of his stores in the near future.

“It’s taken us around 10 years of playing around with these kinds of products to really understand how they work in the toy retail scene,” says Rick. “It was only at the beginning of this year that we felt there was enough of a curated assortment from the likes of Mavi, DM Merchandising, Zoe Coco and Bewaltz that we could really lean into it. It’s been a great category for us.”

Hello Kitty came to the fore as a top performing property in the US toy market during Rick and Dave’s visit. Nat Southworth at KAP Toys has been shouting about Hello Kitty from the rooftops, particularly his excellent surprise reveal line of Hello Kitty Cappucino collectibles, but licensed toy product remains limited over here despite the success of the property. Dave feels that what retailers need is more product that skews towards tweens, and more product that centres the supporting cast of Hello Kitty rather than the erstwhile feline herself, such as Badtz-Maru, Landry, Keroppi and Cinnamaroll. In the US, he says the toys he saw have taken the niceness of Hello Kitty and made it a little more edgy, a little cooler.

“Those toys bridge the gap between the tween crowd and the anime crowd, and there was enough product on show that ticked those boxes to make a decent Hello Kitty area in-store,” he adds.

Dave also liked Intersell’s Little Wish Lanterns, a Shopkins-esque range of cute and collectible characters (Wishimals) that come with light-up lanterns to live in. The range was shown at Distoy in London this year, when it generated a decent amount of interest, while at ASTRA, the company was looking to indies like Rick to launch the range at retail. For Dave, this is one of the more frustrating elements of the UK toy industry, as he explains.

“Indies don’t get big opportunities like that in the UK: it all goes to the bigger guys, like Smyths,” he says. “And if it doesn’t work, it’ll just get marked down and that’ll kill the brand. Something’s gotta give. Indies have to be given the chance to show just what an amazing job they can do of launches.”

Rick and Dave also feel the two markets differ in terms of their economic outlook. Dave says the American retailers he met seem far more upbeat – more ‘bullish’ – about their prospects this year than UK retailers do. Is that just US optimism shining through? Are we just a miserable bunch over here? Well, it depends who you ask.

“I feel like June went pretty darn well,” enthuses Rick. “Bitzee has just landed and it’s doing great, we’ve got much more newness coming through at the moment than we usually would this time of year, the port situation out west has levelled out, and inflation has calmed down too. I’m feeling good about 2023.”

Dave, whom many readers will know to be very straight talking, says he feels the opposite is true on this side of the pond, in the short term at least. In sharp contrast to Rick’s findings, he says sales have decreased, and even launches that have done really well in the US have been something of a damp squib here. Interestingly, one of the many conclusions the pair have drawn during all their time together is that while Rick sells product, Dave sells brands – and, whether you agree or not, they say that while toys are where indies go to thrive, nationals are where they go to die. Take Bitzee, for example, Spin Master’s new interactive pet. Rick has practically done a one-man TikTok and LinkedIn marketing campaign for the toy that has helped drive awareness and excitement in a big way, and he can feed straight back to Spin Master how kids are responding to the product, what they love most about it, which features they think can be improved, and so on. In their eyes, suppliers should be falling over themselves to launch new toys with indies for this exact

With the end of our allotted Zoom time drawing near, I asked the pair what their biggest take-homes were following their experience. Rick told me that knowledge and connections lead to more opportunities for success. “I’ve enjoyed so many more opportunities to expand and improve my business since John Baulch first put me in touch with Dave here,” he says. “I think our time together has actually tripled our knowledge base.”

Dave adds: “I need to start looking at toys that aren’t necessarily from the major players: smaller items with bigger margins that I can really make my own, like Rick does with his new launches, rather than chasing down brands that are absolutely everywhere. I do see the opportunities Rick sees. Us indies just need to show suppliers how much we’re capable of.”

C4448 - Ford Puma Hybrid Rally 1

C4479 - Thunderbirds fab

C4425 - Williams FW44

- McLaren McL36

TThis year, digital pets are dominant in the category as an emerging (or re-emerging) trend. The original Tamagotchi, which was seen as a futuristic gadget when it was first introduced in 1996, has now grown and adapted to a new world where technological advances occur much more frequently than two decades ago.

Last month, Bandai revealed the upcoming Tamagotchi Uni, which will allow users to connect in a completely new way to the Tamaverse, the metaverse of the Tamagotchi world. Fans can now play together using the Tamaverse’s Tama Arena, Tama Parties, Tama Fashion and Tama Travel features, opening up the fun on a global scale. Tamagotchi Uni enjoys many new features, offering each fan their own unique experience, including DIY activities, exploration with their character and an in-device social platform.

Spin Master has unveiled its own new digital pet with the upcoming Bitzee, launching this month. An innovative toy which kids can touch, feel and interact with, the company has reimagined a once two-dimensional interaction and infused it with colour, gamification and collectability. The line was a hit at the recent Toymaster show, where it was revealed to the UK independent retail market, with many predicting success and keen to promote Bitzee on their social media accounts.

Richard Dickson, UK/ROI sales channel director at Spin Master, says: “We’ve broken the digital pet out of the screen and brought it to kids’ fingertips, offering them a totally new play experience complete with collectability and

Tech?tick!

gamification. Kids are loving how Bitzee crosses both digital and physical play, allowing them to really touch, feel and nurture up to 15 digital pets all in one pod.”

While Bitzee champions new and previously unseen technology, Tamagotchi Uni is aiming to enjoy success both with its new features for today’s tech-savvy kids and as an item with nostalgic appeal, bringing what is essentially a vintage game to millennials. Kirsty McKenzie, head of Marketing at Bandai, explains: “Tamagotchi has a duel fanbase. When it was relaunched last year as the Tamagotchi Pix, the first people to pick it up were adult fans who played with it when they were little. But then millennials were also interested because of its retro appeal and the Japanese anime trend. “

The Tamagotchi Uni has evolved Tamagotchi for the millennial market. “It can now be connected to Wi-Fi, it has new content, and it has updates,” adds Kirsty. “Kids today are impatient and always looking for newness, which is what we’re giving them with this product. We have adapted our marketing to reach the new audience through influencers and TikTok.”

Another nostalgic game coming to life digitally is Twister. In this popular party game, a spinner determines which colour spots players put their hands and feet on using a mat on the floor - the first person to fall, after players’ limbs inevitably get intertwined, loses. This year, Hasbro unveiled Twister Air. The new app-enabled game takes the classic Twister gameplay fans know and love from the mat to the screen, using augmented reality. With Twister Air, the party

moves onto the player’s smart device; players reach, clap, swipe and strike poses to music beats as they scramble to earn points by matching wrist and ankle bands to the coloured spots on the screen.

When the game launched in May, Adam Biehl, SVP & general manager, Hasbro Gaming said: “For over 55 years, Twister has been a household name thanks to the iconic polka-dotted mat that puts you, family and friends in unusual positions and hysterical situations. This new version of Twister will implement augmented reality technology to bring classic Twister gameplay that originated in the 1960s to modern-day and will give players of all ages an exciting new, music-inspired experience to make memories from.”

Augmented reality (AR) has been a recent highlight in the tech space. At HoloToyz, the newly launched AR Paw Patrol Tattoos and Stickers has become a bestseller, captivating children with the interactive and immersive experience. Kate Scott, founder and CEO says: “Partnering with Paramount to produce this range has been a fantastic experience. What sets our collaboration apart is the innovative use of our 'Awesome Reality' technology, which has revolutionised the way children engage with their favourite characters. We know that children love tattoos and stickers — what we have done is extended the play value and enhanced them in a way that’s relevant to Gen Alpha.

“Through our AR technology, we have brought the iconic Paw Patrol pups to life in a way that has never been done before. By scanning our tattoos and stickers with a smart

Living in a tech-based society, toy companies use the latest developments to create playthings which slowly introduce children to intelligent products – something that will inevitably become an important part of their adult lives. Marianna Casal takes a look at the latest from the category.

device, children can see their favourite characters jump to life and bring them into their own rooms. This interactive and immersive experience has created a sense of wonder and excitement among our young fans, allowing them to interact with their favourite characters from the big screen in an entirely innovative, modern and unique way.”

As well as enjoying items where technology is used to enhance the play experience, many tech toys provide a neat way to offer learning and skill development. Parents are always keen for there to be educational and developmental value in their kids’ tech play, but safety remains a huge factor for companies to consider, especially with tech toys which are connected to the internet. Manufacturers work hard to ensure that responsible restrictions are in place.

Rebecca Lazarus, UK marketing manager at VTech, tells

iDance

07850

779 797 | sales@sjr-associates.co.uk

us: “We prioritise safety and ensure our products provide a secure environment for children to engage with technology. The Genio Max, My First Laptop from VTech, introduces children to the multimedia world in a safe and guided way. Parents can set the days and times their children can use the Genio Max and have controls for allowing access to specific websites. By offering parental controls, we empower parents to customise and manage their child's experience, ensuring a safe and controlled play environment.”

HoloToyz’ Kate Scott backs up the importance of safety, saying: “Our products have been certified by the esteemed kidSafe Seal certification from the kidSafe Seal Program, a renowned initiative dedicated to online safety for children.” This certification assures parents that the HoloToyz app offers a secure and protected digital environment. “Our app operates as a walled garden — we don't collect any

Earlier this year, iDance recently launched a new DJ station aimed at beginner and intermediate level DJs. The Deejay Station XD301 sees iDance push the boundaries of size. Measuring 52cm wide x 25.5cm deep, this is the biggest DJ station for kids aged 5-16-years-old. Complete with two XXL turntables, plus a scratch sensor on both the left and right, the Deejay Station XD301 comes fully integrated with a range of music content ready to mix, so kids can practise DJing without needing to add any external audio sources. The contents of Player A and B let kids enjoy hip-hop, house, techno, disco, reggae, or funk audio loops. The crossfader, located in the middle, lets kids mix and blend the loops together. Two space control sensors then let young DJs start loops or play sound by simply moving their hands over the top of each sensor, as if by magic.

iDance’s Deejay Station XD301 is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery and comes with two speakers. Bluetooth is also built-in so kids can play music from their digital devices. The USB port will be appreciated by those who favour plug-and-play thumb drives. With two high quality aluminium faders for bass boost and volume control, kids can crank the music and rock the party.

To find out more about iDance’s range, contact Steve Richard at SJR Sales, official UK & Ireland distributor, on the number above.

data, there is no registration required, and there is no in-app advertising or purchase requirements,” she adds. “As a company, we recognise the importance of bridging the gap between physical and digital play, while valuing the significance of physical play for children's cognitive development. We understand that excessive screen time can limit opportunities for hands-on exploration and hinder crucial aspects of learning and growth. We believe that physical play nurtures fine and gross motor skills, spatial awareness, problem-solving abilities, and imaginative thinking. By introducing both physical and digital elements, we aim to provide a balanced play experience that promotes cognitive development and creativity.”

Toy World has collated the most recent introductions to the Tech sector over the next few pages, so buyers can ensure they are switched on to the very latest in the category.

i3i Systems UK & UAE

07789861675 | www.arpediabook.com

sales@arpedia.ae

i3i Systems UK & UAE is a distributor for Woongjin’s ARpedia brand. Woongjin Thinkbig Co. specialises in early childhood education in South Korea, developing and offering a variety of educational and cultural content targeting toddlers to primary school students.

The ARpedia interactive toy uses Spotty the giraffe to interface between an iPad or Android tablet to the series of books available. It is designed to develop the cognitive processes involved in reading, whilst having fun at the same time. Spotty has also been used in special needs/additional learning needs settings.

The books are available in three series. Into the Curiosity Q is designed for ages three to nine years and covers Dinosaurs, Weather, Transport, Milk Feeding Animals, Insects, Space, Music, Robots, Earth and Egg Laying Animals. Into the Community, for four- to nine-year-olds, has Trouble at the Theatre, Just the Right Style, Aquarium Adventure, Fun at the Dairy Farm and A Terrific Trio adventure. The AR (augmented reality) Science Lab series for seven- to 12-yearolds has 130 interactive Science experiments, including Biology 1 - Animals and Plants, Biology 2 - Humans and the Environment, Chemistry 1 - Properties of Matter, Chemistry 2 - Changes in Matter, Physics 1 - Forces and Energy, Physics 2 - Light and Waves, Earth Science - 1 The Earth and Earth Science 2 - The Universe.

The interactive experience allows the objects in the books to come alive. A combination of the camera, Spotty and artificial intelligence identifies the objects and writing in the book via image and text recognition. ARpedia uses 3D animation; the art of using motion to bring characters, vehicles, props and more to life. ARpedia paper markers create extra effects allowing children to interact and participate in the story - by setting up a profile picture, the user can become one of the main characters in each book.

This is a unique product in the market and new to the UK. It provides an ongoing revenue stream with replacement books/markers and new titles released regularly. The collection has sold in the thousands in South Korea and US. As i3i launches Spotty in UKMEA, the company is looking for retail partners. i3i can provide demos and demo kits, so customers can try out the product in store. A video guide showing how Spotty works can be found on the Arpedia website and Youtube.

Character Options

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

Character Options is introducing families to a robotic dog in its autumn/winter tech toy portfolio.

Mintid Dog-E is a ground-breaking, smart, app-connected robot dog which is unique to every owner. Launching this September, a massive programme of marketing activity will support retailers. Dog-E reacts and behaves just like a real dog as it features life-like movements, audio sensors to hear sounds, multiple touch sensors, and a POV (persistence of vision) tail that displays icons and messages to communicate.

The Dog-E companion app allows multiple family members to “mint” and save their profiles in a single Dog-E. Its owners can train Dog-E to learn names, do tricks and more –plus its movements can be programmed within the app, based on how its owner wishes to play and interact with it. Dog-E also requires care, and its needs can be tracked through the app.

Fingerlings are back and better than ever; the hit 2018 TOTY award-winning robotic animals wrap themselves around a finger, reacting to touch and sound and bring a heartto-heart connection to interactive toy play. The adorable baby monkeys know when they’re attached to a finger – their glowing heart will beat just for their owner.

Each new generation character has soft-flocked hair, is available in vibrant new colours and has a unique personality, while 70-plus sounds and reactions bring them to life. The monkeys introduce exciting new play patterns, while staying true to the Friendship @ Your Fingertips promise of the original hit toy.

Wow! Stuff

www.wowstuff.com | emma.prendaglia@wowstuff.com

The Jurassic Park franchise turns 30 this year and fans are now able to celebrate their fandom with toy innovation company Wow! Stuff’s award-winning Real FX Jurassic World collection.

Jurassic World Real FX Baby T-Rex is based on the latest box office hit Jurassic World: Dominion. Created by Wow! Stuff’s in-house team of scientists and engineers, this hyper-realistic animatronic dinosaur has more than 35 actions and sound effects. It comes to life with a Real FX hidden pistol grip controller mechanism that is built into the authentic Ranger’s handling glove, and it has multiple skin sensors, allowing it to be brought to life like no toy dinosaur ever before. Its fierce bite, roar, battle and growl actions are lifelike, and movements are intuitive. Embodying the Real FX slogan of ‘Looks Real, Feels Real, Sounds Real’, Baby T-Rex stomps into stores later this month, following in the baby dino footsteps of Jurassic World Real FX Baby Blue.

Jurassic World Real FX Baby Blue is a multiple award-winning, full-scale baby dinosaur. Named among best-selling toy lists in multiple territories, this Jurassic World branded toy is a global hit and has gained more than 90% five-star ratings from consumer reviews across all retailers. Just like Real FX Baby T-Rex, Real FX Baby Blue is super realistic and bursts to life in the user’s hands. This animatronic dinosaur roars, snarls and snaps, featuring life-like movements and original movie noises.

Both Jurassic World Real FX dinosaurs will be supported by a heavyweight marketing campaign that ties into the 30-year celebrations for the franchise. Captivating digital advertising, influencer campaigns, press and social media activations will announce Jurassic World Baby T-Rex’s arrival, driving fans in-store at launch and beyond.

Basic Fun!

0118 925 3270 | www.BasicFun.com

Tim.Ives@basicfun.com

Basic Fun! UK’s classic Lite-Brite brand will be shining bright in the tech toys aisle this autumn, with the introduction of Lite-Brite Touch.

Lite-Brite combines peg art with light, allowing children to create beautiful pictures that glow. A fun and easy activity that can be enjoyed by all ages, fresh innovation will bring Lite-Brite Touch to a new generation of children and teens. At the touch of a button, budding artists can create light designs, animate their art and save their digital artwork. They can also play three games, extending the light-up creative fun: Break, Match and Snake.

This is a key launch for Basic Fun! UK which will be supported by a huge marketing campaign to include heavyweight digital support. The pre-roll activity alone will deliver millions of views across the season to generate awareness among kids aged eight years and over, as well as retro and tech fans.

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Flair GP

0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk

The Sky Viper brand celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, having soared to success over the Atlantic. This autumn/winter the range is set to take the UK by storm. An ideal entry point into the range is The Force Gesture Controlled Drone, which offers a whole new way to experience Sky Viper Force. It flies itself with a wave of the hand, so users don’t need to have any experience in flying drones – plus it’s crash proof and has been designed to avoid obstacles.

For a more advanced drone that comes with built-in GPS, stream and record HD Video function, along with other clever functionalities such as ‘position hold’ and ‘return to home’, there’s the Journey Pro Video Drone.

Or, for those with a real need for speed, the Vector Performance Stunt Jet flies at speeds of over 40 MPH. It comes with built-in stabilisation for easy control and performs stunts at the touch of a button, plus, if something goes wrong mid-performance, has a virtually indestructible foam body.

Hasbro

0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk

Twister Air, by Hasbro, is a new app-enabled game that takes the classic Twister gameplay fans know and love from the mat to the screen using augmented reality, with no mat required.

With Twister Air, the party moves onto the player's smart device. Players reach, clap, swipe and strike poses to music beats as they scramble to earn points by matching wrist and ankle bands to the coloured spots on the screen. To get started, players download the free Twister Air app, available on Android and iOS, and place their smartphone or tablet in the provided Twister Air device stand. Players are ready for action once they put the colourful, stretchy Twister Air bands on their wrists and ankles and follow the steps in the Twister Air App to calibrate their bands to their device’s camera. As soon as the music plays, it’s time to start matching bands to coloured spots that appear on the screen. With three different ways to play – Solo, VS or Teams mode – the replayability is infinite.

In celebration of the new game launch, Hasbro also released a new original song “Twist in the Air” that will be available to play in-game, featured in advertising and available on major streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify and TikTok.

Twister has been tying players up in tangled knots since its debut in 1966 – the same year Johnny Carson, host of The Tonight Show, played a game of Twister on air that spurred a Twister craze. By early 1967, more than 3m Twister games had been sold. Since then, the brand has remained a relevant pop culture staple thanks to updated products that complement the classic game featuring modern technology, new moves and music, and celebrity partnerships.

HoloToyz

www.holotoyz.com | declan@holotoyz.com

As technology consistently evolves, the toy industry is embracing these advancements to create innovative experiences for children. Among the many brands in this space, HoloToyz stands out as a leading player in leveraging emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) to enhance children's play and learning experiences.

What makes HoloToyz unique is its exclusive focus on AR technology. By specialising in this area, it has positioned itself as the go-to brand for AR toys or ‘Awesome Reality’ as the team has recoined it. One of the key advantages of HoloToyz is its commitment to providing a seamless user experience. It has developed a single kidSafe certified app that works across the entire range, offering parents the convenience of downloading just one application for their children's AR playtime. This approach simplifies the process and eliminates the need for multiple apps cluttering devices.

Looking ahead, HoloToyz has devised a strategic plan centred around licensing partnerships. By tapping into the rich world of character IP, HoloToyz aims to bring beloved characters from the big screen into children's homes in an entirely new and immersive way. This approach not only captivates children's imagination but also ensures that they remain connected to physical play. The brand also has big plans to expand its existing range.

Additionally, HoloToyz has recently made significant strides in expanding its distribution network. Over the past three months, the dedicated team at HoloToyz has successfully entered new markets, including the UK, Ireland, North and South America, France, Spain, Greece, New Zealand and Hong Kong. This expansion into various territories showcases the brand's commitment to reaching a global audience and providing children worldwide with access to its innovative AR toys.

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Bandai UK

020

8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk | sales@bandai.co.uk

With the growth of its own IPs core to the business, Bandai continues to invest into the development and evolution of the best-selling Tamagotchi brand, appealing to a new generation of Tamagotchi pet owners alongside the retro and kidult collector fan base.

Tamagotchi, the No.1 property in robotic pets (NPD 2022), introduces a new model to its popular portfolio. A worldwide first for the brand, Tamagotchi Uni has benefitted from a synchronised global launch and perfected universal play capabilities. Connectivity and communication have been at the heart of the development process, with three major points of evolution as its focal operational pillars: universal, unique and User Network Interface.

While the original premise of the gadget remains the same – kids raise and nurture their character to determine the way they play - Tamagotchi Uni is the first Tamagotchi to include Wi-Fi. It’s also rechargeable and allows players to access the global Tamaverse, where their characters can meet and play with other Tamagotchi from around the world. Primarily aimed at children aged six and over, the Uni also comes with a wrist strap for wearability and includes a tracker for sensing movement. Players can make their character unique to them with different behaviours and personalities based on how they are cared for and played with, and reflective of each child’s daily activities. Available in two colourways, and with a plethora of activities and features, children can connect to play either faceto-face with friends or by entering the Tamaverse and accessing Tama codes.

A raft of new styles has been introduced to the Original Tamagotchi, ensuring renewed interest and collectability. Bandai UK unveils two waves throughout the spring/summer and autumn/winter periods, accommodating both Gen1 and Gen2 gaming. Latest designs for the autumn/winter period include Starry Night, Berry Delicious and, in a nod to one of Tamagotchi’s primary characters, the Kuchipatchi Comic Book.

Bandai continues to expand its Tamagotchi Nano series with the signing of new and exciting licences that appeal to collectors, gamers and the mass toy market. The current range includes 4cm Nano editions of Star Wars Mandalorian: Grogu, Tiny Tan, Jurassic World, Toy Story and Kingdom Hearts. Each Nano features a licence-customised shell, character development, gaming abilities and animated clips and content.

Zuru Toys

www.zurutoys.com

Zuru introduces two new lines to its award-winning and innovative plush robotics range, Pets Alive. The Q3 period will see the addition of Pooping Puppies and Smitten Kittens to the brand which is currently cited as the UK’s No.8 property within the Robotic/Interactive Playmate toys subclass (Source: Circana UK POS panel, Jan – April 2023, value sales).

Driving the category through theatre and value, the Pets Alive brand provides core play patterns while combining entertaining animatronics with cute, cuddly characters. Zuru expects the Pooping Puppies to be the next showstoppers within the range. Following the global successes of Boppi the Booty Shakin Llama and Poppy the Booty Shakin Pug, Pooping Puppies offer immediate stand-out on shelf, thanks to the pink poop blind capsule with boneshaped try-me features. There are three characters to collect – Dalmatian, Pug and Husky – and each makes cute puppy sounds and farts. Complete with innovative, colour-change technology, the puppies can be fed bones, and they will poop them out a different colour. Each Pooping Puppy can be unboxed to reveal bones, nappies and an adoption certificate.

With eight cuddly kittens to collect, the Pets Alive Smitten Kittens provide an affordable robotics pet collectible. The ultra-rare Rainbow Kitty offers consumers the added excitement of discoverability and ownership of a limited chaser, while the themed packaging offers exciting branding and impact at retail. Each Smitten Kitten makes over 20 cute kitten sounds, purrs when fed with its milk bottle, features glow-in-the-dark eyes and includes five surprises for children to discover.

As one of the fastest-growing youth electronics ranges, Robo Alive brings two new dinosaur-themed lines to its brand portfolio. Featuring functioning robotic pets, which move and act like they are real, focus for the second half of 2023 centres around the evergreen popularity of dinosaurs. The Robo Alive Dino Wars Mega-Rex is built with advanced robotic technology for children to perform the ultimate dino battles.

Complete with armour, lifelike roars, realistic dinosaur movement and light-up blaster with firing weapons, the Mega-Rex is the biggest character in the dino wars range.

The new Robo Alive Mega Dino Fossil Find brings 15 surprises for children to unbox and discover. Kids can dig through rock, sand and slime to find dinosaur fossils, and then assemble the fossil pieces to bring the mega dinosaur skeleton to life. Each dinosaur lights up and roars when its tail is pulled. There are two to collect – Tyrannosaurs or Brontosaurs – and both come with a fossil facts information pamphlet for children to learn about their favourite dinosaurs.

Tech Toys

Spin Master

01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

This season sees the innovative launch of Bitzee, the interactive ‘pet in your pocket’ from Spin Master Toys.

Housed inside a unique and eye-catching purple pod, Bitzee pets are the first interactive toy to break out of the screen, allowing kids to really touch, feel and interact with their digital pet. Not only does this allow for a brand-new playing experience but it will also have kids hooked as they nurture and watch their new pet grow. The unique innovation and design has pushed the boundaries of play by reimagining a once twodimensional interaction and infusing it with colour, gamification and collectability.

Bitzee pets begin life as an 8-bit puppy character and just like any pet, need love and attention from their owner to grow. Through innovative technology, Bitzee pets will respond to children’s tilts, swipes and shakes with adorable sounds and reactions. Virtual interaction allows players to feed their pets, rock them to sleep, clean up after them and watch as they blossom into an adult pets. Tricks such as the ability to roll over have been designed to ensure little ones will never be tired of caring for and playing with Bitzee.

The lightweight design and fixtures make each pet easy to carry around, meaning they are perfect to take on holiday or to play with friends all summer long, as kids bond with and care for their new Bitzee pet. There 15 Bitzees to collect, including rare characters such as butterfly and poodle.

VTech

03306780149 | www.vtech.co.uk

With Genio Max, My First Laptop from VTech, kids will be introduced to the multimedia world in a safe and guided way. With its seven-inch screen, the Genio Max is specially designed for kids aged five to 10, and they will be led through the use of a laptop that will accompany them during their primary school years. This laptop is not only useful for homework studies and online research, but also for fun with games and creativity. The word processor offers everything required to create first documents. The diary, clock and calendar apps provide tools to help develop autonomy and forward planning. For leisure time, the games will help kids relax while having fun as they learn.

Children can use Genio Max to complete their homework. The calculator, notes and word processor applications can help children get a head start with their studies. Write, add pictures, select the layout and once the document is ready, export it in pdf format using a microSD card (sold separately) to print it from another computer. There are also 20 printable revision sheets available to help children study maths, language, history and more.

The Genio Max is like a real laptop, but with kid safety controls which include a secured web browser with controls and App Permissions. Parents can select the days and times that their children can use their Genio Max, allow access to specific websites and help kids take their first steps into the multimedia and internet world.

The Genio Max, My First Laptop is the ideal laptop for kids’ first steps into browsing, coding, word processing and much more.

Golden Bear

01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com |

customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk

Golden Bear’s award-winning Smart Ball range ups the ante for autumn/winter 2023 with two new, innovative, tech driven additions. Smart Ball Kick Tracker will launch in July 2023 and Smart Ball Soccer Bot in August 2023.

The Smart Ball range has been designed to encourage players aged six and over to challenge their skills while playing alone or with friends. Perfect for younger sports fans, the range utilises the latest tech to build confidence, improve skill sets and encourage physical activity.

The original Smart Ball football - the Smart Ball Counter Ball, which counts keepie uppies - first launched in July 2019 and has sold more 330,000 in the UK to date.

Arriving on the market in July, Kick Tracker uses smart sensor technology to count kicks. With an LED display screen, it records scores even when it’s turned off and can go up to 99,999 kicks. Its pocket-sized design and retractable cord allow kids to practise their football skills anywhere, anytime.

New for August, Soccer Bot is the ultimate indoor football solution designed to revolutionise how and where kids play. With its advanced smart sensor technology, Soccer Bot can track the ball and respond to your every move, providing an unparalleled indoor football experience. With three speed modes, it caters to players of all abilities, from beginner to pro, so kids can customise the speed to match their skill level. Complete with four cones, kids can adjust the space they play in, giving them even more control. What's more, ‘Boost’ modes let Soccer Bot work on multiple surfaces so kids can play almost anywhere.

The Smart Ball Skills Ball launched in spring/summer 2022 and has proven popular at retail. Designed to build players’ key foundational ball skills with six timed activities, this item offers a quality, one-stop, value-for-money piece of training kit. As with all Smart Ball lines, the Skills Ball includes sensors so players can measure their results. The included activities are Dribbling, Juggling, Inside Feet, Toe Taps, Sprint and Passing. The kit comes complete with four cones, a bung, tool and instructions.

Autumn/winter 2023 launches will be supported with a robust PR and marketing campaign including TV, digital and influencer activity.

Reydon Sports widening the field

our mark on the toy market. Another wholesale business is distributing the brand at the moment but we’re taking over full distribution towards the end of the year. It’s the main partnership we’re focusing on in the toy sector.”

The Toymaster May Show has already proved to be a “massive catalyst” for Reydon in reaching new audiences and achieving its objective of becoming more visible in the toy industry.

Andy said: “What we learned was that a lot of toy shops probably didn’t know we exist - or that, although we are a sports wholesaler, we do a lot of hybrid rages that marry sports and toys. I think it opened up their eyes. One major product range we have been selling to them is football team merchandise; people were coming to the stand specifically asking about this range, which they hadn’t had access to before.”

In the last 18 months, the business has joined the Toymaster Group and attended its first regional toy shows in April, followed by the May show in Harrogate. Through all the changes, the company has seen its turnover more than double from £7m to £16m.

The biggest partnership for Reydon Sports as yet has been with Nerf. Its distribution of the blaster products began about a year ago, and this year Nerf is set to expand its product range and allow Reydon to distribute globally.

Andy Griffin, marketing director, told Toy World: “That includes flagship products like the Nerf Howler, as well as the sports range; with Nerf overall we have really made

Reydon’s team merchandise, from Hy-Pro, featured football team licensed goods from the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona, including items such as pencil cases and backpacks that can work well in toy stores.

Andy added: “Having access to all of those retailers and those contact details, and advertising in Toy World, has massively helped to put us in front of these guys, and we’re starting to get some really good traction. Working with Toy World has educated us massively about the toy sector. We’re now investing much more budget and time into the advertising side of things, which has really paid dividends.”

Andy also highlighted the fact that retailers can order just one product from Reydon at a time if they wish. “This

makes it easier for smaller toy retailers to work with us,” he explained. Although the company can deal with smaller orders, it has a very workable minimum carriage paid order of £200. With around 7,000 SKUs to choose from, this offers a an extremely attractive proposition for independent retailers.

As well as the trade shows and supplier events attended so far this year, in Q1 the company ran two weeks of roadshows in Ireland, where it has a large customer base. Following all this groundwork, Reydon is now entering its peak season – in the summer months, it makes its highest

Reydon Sports has spent the start of this year working its way further into the toy sector through toy shows and fairs and is already reaping the benefits.

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Funko Games proves there’s “more to Funko than Pop” through its reimagination of Cranium games

In January this year, Hasbro and Funko Games announced a multi-year partnership to introduce Cranium to a new audience of millennials and their families for the game’s 25th anniversary. The relaunch of Cranium, as well as its extension games Hullabaloo and Hoopla, officially took place at the UK Games Expo last month.

Cranium was first introduced to the market in 1998. Its clever design combines several popular party game activities across art, trivia, language and performance into one game, creating an experience where ‘everyone shines’. The one-of-a-kind game became a near-instant success at launch, becoming profitable in just six months before taking the title of the fastest-selling independent board game ever in 2001. The game and its iconic Creative Cat, Data Head, Word Worm and Star Performer characters spawned half-a-dozen other sub-brands in just 10 years before being sold to Hasbro in 2008.

Along with the Cranium boardgame reinvention, Funko Games has rebooted Hoopla and Hullabaloo and also created a brand-new puzzle game Big Brain, in which kids need to search for different Cranium characters.

Cranium: 25th Anniversary Edition had been well received by the games industry even before the launch at the Games Expo.

Stephan says: “Industry people are familiar with the original game and veterans like myself – I was a buyer in a retail store when Cranium first launched 25 years ago – are excited about the relaunch. The original game had conventional gameplay with each player was playing individually, but in our version you are playing in two teams. The original game had 15 activities, but we have activated three more to increase the fun.”

At the moment, the game is only available in English. “Our challenge is really the localisation,” explains Stephan. “You really need to adapt – some of the questions are very geographically weighted. For example, the American

version has questions about American football. We soon hope to start work on developing localisation – initially we’re looking at French, German, Spanish and Italian.”

The designers of the original Cranium game were two Microsoft engineers who played a lot of boardgames. They would get frustrated because one of them was very good at art, so when they were playing Pictionary, he would always win. They created this game with the tagline “the game where everybody shines” because the four main categories: Data Head, Word Worm, Creative Cat, and Star Performer were designed to give everyone around the table an opportunity to dominate in a challenge.

In the new version by Funko Games, the four original characters are back, but with 800 all-new questions and challenges across 18 classic and new activities. The game includes sketching, acting, humming, sculpting, picturepuzzling and word unscrambling.

Stephan says: “Because boardgames today are much more ubiquitous than 25 years ago, they are less and less confined to simple activities or rules. Friends and family getting together for games night has become increasingly popular as a social activity. That has meant we were able to adapt Cranium to an audience which is a lot more used to boardgames and introduce some quirkier activities. For example, one of them is like puppeteering, where you make another player act something out by moving their limbs.”

To support the 25th anniversary launch, Funko Games has initiated a heavyweight digital advertising campaign across different social media platforms, working closely with key influencers. Last month, a pilot event was launched with independent coffee chain 200 Degrees Coffee Shop, based in the Midlands, to host activations and demos across the cafés.

“The idea comes from the genesis of Cranium,” explains Stephan. “The Microsoft engineers who designed Cranium happened to be playing golf with Howard Schultz, the owner of Starbucks. On the golf course one weekend,

that Cranium would be put on sale in Starbucks. At the start, Starbucks was the only place where you could buy Cranium. We are going back to the roots through this partnership with coffee shops in the UK.”

Funko has an extensive catalogue of licences through its Pop and collectibles, and Stephan plans to leverage these relationships for its games portfolio moving forward. He says: “When there is a new popular movie or IP coming out, we make a Pop of the characters, and we know that consumers will snap them up because they’re limited edition. We don’t have that limited edition aspect for the games and the games market is a very competitive environment, but our knowledge and existing relationships in licensing are a unique advantage that we can use.”

Another advantage that Funko Games is proud of is the people behind the games in their game design studio Prospero Hall, formerly Forrest-Pruzan Creative; an existing studio that Funko acquired which had been designing boardgames for more than 25 years. The designers have worked with top games companies including Asmodee, Ravensburger and Kosmos, and developed multiple award-winning boardgames incorporating top-tier licences for all ages, including Disney Villainous, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle, Bob Ross – Art of Chill and Choose Your Own Adventure – House of Danger.

Many of Funko Games’ designers come from the movie industry which helps to bring games to life. Stephan explains: “We have that perfect situation where we have storytellers who have access to a great catalogue of licences and instead of telling you a story in a movie format, they tell you a story through a boardgame. Our adaptations like Back to the Future or ET or Rear Window stem from us watching the movie and deciding to make a game about it because we love it. All aspects of the games are tied to the themes and stories in the movies.”

Toy World spoke to the senior director of Games at Funko, Stephan Brissaud, about the launch and what he hopes it will bring to players, the brand and Funko Games.

Changing gear

Role-play, along with dress-up, puts kids into a creative mindset where they can become whoever they want to be whether that is a chef, hairdresser or superhero. With a whole range of toys and accessories to chose from in the sector, Marianna Casal finds out more.

The world of role-play allows kids to explore activities they’re curious about without any of the dangers or responsibility they may be faced with ‘in real life’. A vast array of replicas of reallife objects lets children join in with everyday activities and learn life skills as they copy their grown-up role-models. Role-play also helps kids build empathy and understanding as kids step into someone else’s shoes.

Casdon recently unveiled an exact replica – in miniature form – of the De’Longhi La Specialista Barista Coffee Machine. Phil Cassidy, managing director at Casdon, tells us such items remain firm favourites in play scenarios: “What is considered a chore to many grown-ups appears magical to little ones. Children develop their sense of independence from an early age – often mimicking what their role-models at home do on a daily or weekly basis, making it a natural way to learn through play while also developing those all-important core motor skills.”

He adds: “Role-play is, and will continue to be, a vital component of children’s learning and development for the future. One of the key messages which came out of the market research we conducted last year is that adults and parents of children aged 3+ years place significant value on the benefits of role-play and often utilise our Casdon toys to engage in play with their children. While there is always a time and place for screens and games, nothing beats good ‘old-fashioned’ role-play. It stimulates young minds and really does give parents a feel-good factor.”

Casdon’s bestsellers, which have stood the test of time, are its Henry and Hetty, well as Dyson, vacuums, proving that parents enjoy giving their children a product that they once played with when they were kids.

Kitchen toys are a major trend in the role-play sector, as cooking and food preparation is something kids see every day and an ideal way to interact with other people. Casdon’s licensed Joseph Joseph range continues to grow, and the company is looking to launch a new Joseph Joseph salad set later this summer.

HTI has introduced popular characters to its role play

offering with a licensed Hey Duggee Mini Kitchen and Peppa Pig Kitchen as well as a Bluey Kitchen Trolley set. The company’s pre-school licensed ranges are some of its most popular items and also include My Little Pony, Baby Shark and Paw Patrol. Peppa's Keys and Peppa’s Boombox are brimming with interactive elements ideal for small hands and there’s a Bluey Camera with LED flash for capturing adventures. For budding emergency service officers, HTI also has a popular selection of police and firefighter equipment.

Two leaders in the dress-up category, a key aspect of role play, are Amscan and Rubies which each create both generic and licensed costumes all year round; everything from superheroes to animals and popular characters from page and screen. Despite Halloween being the peak season, sales are also high in the lead up to Book Week and Carnival, although kids (and adults) enjoy dressing up throughout the year.

Sophie Greenbank, product manager at Amscan, says: “Everyone loves a party and especially children, who will often take the opportunity to dress up, so this is an area that has continually performed well for us. Plus, there’s always the next generation of children wanting to have fun with dress up. Even through Covid, children loved to dress up as it was a great form of escapism. Whether it’s at home, school, for a party or given as a gift, dress up never fails to bring joy."

Pete Silver, head of Sales at Rubies, adds: “Dress-up and costumes are all about the power of imagination. Although the characters may look different to the ones children were choosing ten, twenty or even fifty years ago, the imaginative play and developmental benefits that dressing up delivers to little ones will never change.” Pete stresses that the consumer is at the heart of everything Rubies develops. “We’ve got our eye on the ball of pop culture and use our great relationships with our licensors to provide us with unique foresight into what’s going to be popular in the next quarter or even year. All of this feeds into the conception of our designs.”

New movies can have a huge impact on dress-up sales

as children seek to become their favourite character. The companies continue to grow their portfolios of licences each year to bring in the latest TV and cinema favourites.

Key licences for Amscan include Harry Potter and DC Superhero characters – most recently The Flash. For Book Week this year, the Roald Dahl range, including Matilda, was very popular. New costumes for the Paw Patrol Movie have been released and Wednesday costumes have been a big hit following the hit series on Netflix this year.

Sophie explains: "We begin the process by researching and finding gaps in the market to make sure we have something unique to offer our customers. We also like to make the most of exciting opportunities such as new movie releases or key events to lead our inspiration and costume decisions. We try to bear in mind the global trends that are influencing consumers so we can strive to be innovative and always leading in the market. Sustainability is always part of our development considerations too, continuing to lead the way in the industry."

At Rubies, Spidey and His Amazing Friends, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and classic Avengers characters continue to perform strongly, year on year. On top of that, the company has had an amazing reception on its collection for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, following the recent movie launch.

The go-tos for parents, who are the biggest consumers for Rubies, are the heroes that inspire their little ones. Batman, the Avengers and Miraculous Ladybug always sell well as they are at the forefront of pop culture, as well as new and updated franchises like Monster High. Acting out movie scenes – or even everyday jobs - can teach confidence and communication skills and provide kids with inspiration for what and who they could one day become.

Both dress-up companies are also seeing accessories rise into their bestsellers lists and are looking at new ways of incorporating a wider selection of accessories for future ranges, so children can expand their dress up possibilities.

Over the following pages, Toy World takes a look at the latest offerings from the dress up and role play sectors.

Dress up & Role Play

Disguise

www.disguise.com | info@disguise.com

To celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary, Disguise has released a 100 Years of Wonder princess costume collection including Belle, Cinderella, Tiana, Ariel, Aurora, Rapunzel, Snow White or Elsa.

Belle’s costume is a yellow satin dress featuring iridescent platinum foil print and sequin trims on the front bodice. Draped sleeves have an organza overlay and a character cameo. The full satin skirt has character art and floral details at the front, and an overlay of organza with silver metallic merrow edges and foiled silver peplum roses. The dress also features a platinum sparkle trim at the waist with a red satin rose.

To act out Cinderella’s night at the ball, there’s the iconic blue satin dress. The dress has white organza puff sleeves with bows at the shoulder, and a character cameo. The full satin skirt also has character art and floral details at the front, and an overlay of organza with silver metallic merrow edges. The dress also features a blue satin rose at the waist.

The Tiana dress, in green and yellow satin, features iridescent platinum foil print and sequin trims on the front bodice, with a character cameo. The full satin skirt has an overlay of leafy-green organza with platinum foil print with character art and floral details, finished with silver metallic merrow edges.

Ariel’s costume features a purple satin bodice with iridescent platinum foil decorative print and silver sequin trims on the front panel. A character cameo has lame shells on either side with short organza cap sleeves. The dress also features a platinum sparkle trim at the waist with a silver starfish.

Aurora’s pink satin dress features iridescent platinum foil print and sequin trims on the front bodice, similar to that of Belle and Cinderella. The dress has white and pink organza sleeves and a character cameo, and features a platinum sparkle trim at the waist with a pink satin rose.

Disguise’s Rapunzel dress in purple satin has satin puff sleeves, and a character cameo. The satin skirt has an overlay of purple organza with iridescent platinum foil print of character art and floral details at the front. The dress also features a platinum sparkle trim at the waist with a pink satin rose.

The Snow White costume has a blue satin bodice with iridescent platinum floral foil print and sequin trim, puff sleeves and a character cameo. The dress also features a platinum sparkle trim and a red satin rose at the waist, a high collar and full, yellow skirt with a platinum treatment. The skirt has an organza overlay with foil print border details of flowers, animals, the Snow White castle, dwarves and character art.

Finally, the Snow Queen, Elsa, has a dress featuring a satin bodice with silver and ice blue sequins. The satin waistband and skirt has silver foil hem detailing and two organza cape panels are detachable and have details of ice white, iridescent glitter.

Rubies

www.uk.rubiesmasquerade.com

customerservices@rubiesuk.com

From entirely new licences to those that have been given a complete make-over to bring them to the forefront of the kid’s toy market, Rubies is offering a range of dress-up collections.

Mattel’s Monster High costumes, available now, are ideal for fans of the doll range. With a recent explosion in popularity following new media releases, including YouTube videos, the dress-up includes favourite characters such as Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura and Frankie Stein. The costumes come in both standard and deluxe editions with matching wigs also available, making them perfect for Halloween.

In time for a summer of Barbie, with the launch of the Barbie Movie this month, Rubies has brought to life the magical world of Barbie with a collection of costumes designed to add the brand’s signature sparkle to every child’s world. Rubies’ Barbie costumes include an Astronaut with a jumpsuit, a Ballerina with a dress, headband and necklace, and a Princess with a headband. The costumes are available in a range of children’s sizes and the Ballerina and Princess dress-up feature reversible sequins on the chest, creating two looks in one.

Amscan

www.amscan.co.uk

Amscan has families covered for their trips to the movies, themed party or kids wanting to dress up as their favourite hero.

The company has a costume collection for the latest instalment in the DC universe: The Flash, which means fans can celebrate the movie launch by dressing up as the main hero. The new Movie Flash costume features a padded jumpsuit and headpiece and is available in child and adult sizes.

There are also Supergirl and Batman costumes, also available in kids and adult sizes, so groups can celebrate the launch together dressed as different characters from the movie. The Flash movie Supergirl kids and adults’ costumes comprise a printed jumpsuit and long cape. For toddlers, a Supergirl classic costume comprises a printed dress, Velcro release cape and a gold printed chest logo.

The Batman classic comic book costume is available in kids and toddler sizes; the outfit comprises a jumpsuit, cape and mask. There is a full range of Batman styles in available in all sizes including adults.

Head to Amscan to choose from our party, foil balloons & NEW costumes, to

celebrate PAW Patrol’s 10 year anniversary! Available online at amscan.co.uk now!

Bring the Party to Life with Amscan’s collection of some of the world’s most loved and in demand licenses.

Our ranges of party products, balloons, and costumes create great excitement for all ages!

“Come on Barbie, let’s go party!” New range available to pre-order now!

Partyware

Balloons

Costumes

Over 85 Licensed Properties

Dress up & Role Play

Melissa & Doug

0800 731 0578 | www.MelissaAndDoug.com

Melissa & Doug inspires children to act out real-world experiences with its dress-up and role-play sets. With the usual attention to detail and high quality expected from the brand, the ranges encourage children to mimic the scenarios they see around them.

As pre-schoolers enter the world of pretend play, Melissa & Doug’s best-selling range of ‘future job role’ inspired play sets are well known for their thoughtful, real-life details and multiple accessories, providing hours of fun for wannabe doctors, dentists and vets.

This year sees the range expand with a new set for aspiring barbers. Launching in August, the Barber Set – one of London Toy Fair’s 2023 Hero Toys - inspires realistic, pretend play for kids aged three years and over. Ideal for those who want to run their own barber shop from home, this set everything from a pretend shaver and foam to a mirror and menu card. For mobile visits, all 16 accessories can be packed neatly into the included cosmetics bag.

The Super Smile Dentist Set was a huge hit for the brand in 2022, with features on This Morning’s Top Toys for Christmas and Amazon’s Top 10 Toys for Christmas. Melissa & Doug has seen its popularity continuing throughout 2023. The set includes oversized pretend teeth and multiple dental tools, offering kids a fun way to learn about dental hygiene as well as helping them overcome fears surrounding visits to the dentist.

Also new this year is the Wooden Work & Play Desktop Activity Board, which lets a toddler mimic their parent as they ‘work from home’. To keep the child busy while having fun, the desktop includes a pretend laptop with rubber buttons to press and a mirror instead of a screen, a slidable ‘mouse’, rolodex address book, number and letter dials, and a pretend coffee/juice mug.

Melissa & Doug’s accessory dress-up sets help promote narrative thinking and creative expression, along with independent and cooperative play. Each set has authentic details to encourage pretend play. A core SKU in the range is the Doctor's Role Play Costume Set. It includes a doctor’s jacket, reusable name tag and mask, plus a range of medical instruments such as a stethoscope (with realistic sound effects), reflex hammer, ear scope and syringe.

LeapFrog

01235 555545 | www.leapfrog.co.uk

LeapFrog has new additions to its role-play range this autumn/winter that are perfect for pre-schoolers.

The LeapFrog Build-a-Slice Pizza Cart includes 30+ role-play pieces that allow aspiring pizza chefs to learn about numbers, colours, shapes and more as they cook up hours of pretend play fun. Kids can begin by ringing the bell on the pizza cart to hear a customer's order, then follow the instructions to create a slice of pizza with the topping they would like. There is an interactive spatula to scoop up the pizza slice. The oven door can be opened and there is an oven dial to cook the pizza. Little ones can enjoy fun sounds, songs, Italian phrases and more while the pizza is baking. Once the pizza is ready, it can be taken out of the oven and placed in the pizza box. Finally, they can sprinkle on some cheese with the pretend cheese shaker and collect payment by pressing the till button.

Aspiring star bakers will enjoy using the LeapFrog Rainbow Learning Lights Mixer. When the mixing bowl is switched on, there’s an amazing array of magical colours and star projections. Kids can be creative and make their own treats by adding the pretend ingredients or can build confidence following the recipes which introduce simple counting, numbers, colours and more. These are selected by pressing the five number buttons or the chef hat button. When all the ingredients are added, kids can learn all about opposites by lowering and lifting the paddle.

Simba Smoby Toys UK

01620 674 778 | www.smobytoys.co.uk | sales@simbasmoby.com

The Smoby Beauty Salon can provide hours of imaginative playtime by combining three fun activities in one convenient playset. The versatile table combines three different play areas: a dressing table with tilting mirror, shampoo area with basin and merchant counter with a cash register. Kids can display the salon's products on the shelves and countertops and their clients can choose from the salon treatment card. Children can play the role of salesman, hairdresser or makeup artist.

The Smoby Black + Decker replica range offers little builders all they need to get to work on big construction plans. Designed to look just like the real thing, the Black + Decker Bricolo Ultimate Workbench comes equipped with 90+ accessories, including a mechanical drill to assemble the free-wheeling buildable car, as well as a mechanical saw with sound effects. Once play has come to an end, the accessories can be neatly stored away in the large storage compartments.

Dress up & Role Play

Casdon

01253 766 411 | www.casdon.com | toys@casdon.com

As a third-generation family-focused business, Casdon believes in the power of play, creating miniature versions of real-life household items, and making them the perfect companion for connecting adults with children through play.

Known for being a trusted partner by several household names including Dyson, Joseph Joseph and Kenwood, Casdon is further building on its position as a leading pre-school role-play manufacturer in the UK by expanding its De’Longhi range with a new barista style coffee machine. Launching in July 2023 for ages three and older, the Casdon De'Longhi Barista Coffee Machine is the second De'Longhi product in the range, preceded by the De'longhi Microwave which launched in 2022.

The Casdon De'Longhi Barista Coffee Machine is an exact replica, in miniature form, of the De’Longhi La Specialista Barista Coffee Machine, bringing the trend for bean-to-cup brews at home into pre-school role-play and allowing little ones to safely join in on the morning routine. Complete with a portafilter, two glass cups and milk jug, the Barista Coffee Machine caters for all tastes with both Americano and Cappuccino options. In addition, the toy coffee machine has realistic sounds to mimic grinding beans as well as milk-frothing; similar to a real functioning De'Longhi Barista Coffee Machine, nurturing children’s coordination, imagination, social and motor skills and helping them learn through play.

Little Tikes

0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com

For more than 50 years, Little Tikes has firmly established itself as a leader in UK role-play toys, consistently creating ranges that have gone on to become firm family favourites.

Little ones can pretend to wash and dry clothes just like the grown-ups with the realistic Little Tikes First Washer-Dryer. This modern role-play washer-dryer with realistic sounds is packed with interactive features: a tumbling drum, a sliding detergent drawer, a tabletop for folding clothes and built-in slots for storage baskets. Pretending to do laundry and other chores helps kids gain a sense of responsibility, an important part of socialemotional learning.

Little ones can go shopping with the Cozy Coupe Shopping Cart and all their favourite toys. The seat is big enough for a doll or plush toy and has space for toys and other small items, so children can take their dolls for a ride while imagining a trip to the grocery store – perfect for both imaginative play and active play.

Little ones can imitate mum and dad and keep the lawn around their Cape Cottage playhouse trim with their very own mower. The Gas ‘n Go Mower looks just like the real thing, with mechanical sounds such as the clicking key and adjustable throttle. Beads pop as the mower is pushed along, for added excitement.

As a leading UK outdoor toy brand, Little Tikes has the right toy for every stage as children grow, helping them to develop their minds and bodies through both indoor and outdoor play.

Flair GP

0208 643 0320 | www.flairgp.co.uk | sales@flairplc.co.uk

Flair GP’s exclusive distribution deal with Bildo toys sees a multitude of fun, licensed role-play items added to the range this autumn/winter.

Little L.O.L. Surprise! fans can jet off into the world of imaginative play, with the L.O.L Surprise! Born 2 Travel Glitzy Suitcase. This pink and turquoise, L.O.L. themed case opens with a heart-shaped catch, revealing 13 beauty accessories inside. It comes with all the pretend play items a young fashionista could need: toy make-up, hair styling tools, jewellery and more.

More beauty-inspired role-play comes in the form of the L.O.L Surprise! Glam Make Up Set. This glam case opens to form a table-top beauty set-up, complete with mirror, toy jewellery and real cosmetic lip glosses and eyeshadows.

Also available this autumn is the My Little Pony Express Yourself Beauty Case. The large pink and purple case comes with 13 styling accessories: a toy hairdryer, comb, child friendly make-up, jewellery and more. Budding stylists can welcome customers to the salon - including their pony friends - for the best makeover.

The Little Tikes Cozy's Toolbench is a licensed workbench which lets little ones play with one of their favourite ride-ons - Cozy Coupe - in a brand-new way. The bench height is 53cm tall – ideal for ages three years and over, and comes with more than 34 pretend play tools and accessories, including a hammer, saw and screwdriver.

Dress up & Role Play

Theo Klein

www.klein-toys-shop.de/en | L.brace@klein-toys.com

Theo Klein brings licensed Caterpiller (Cat) toys into the role-play world with a range of construction vehicles and equipment for kids.

The Cat Tool Truck Set 4-in-1 rolls powerfully on wide tyres. On its low trailer, it transports a box that can be used as a tipping trough on the construction site, and when its pulling power is no longer needed, it can quickly be converted with a screwdriver into a digger. Smaller construction vehicles can also be used to move building materials back and forth, as kids recreate the activities of a building site. The dumper and loader may only be half the size of the big truck, but they are nimble and manoeuvrable, and can be used wherever little construction site fans want them.

The 42-centimeter-high Cat Building Site Crane is ideal for youngsters to role play being a crane operator. Standing stably on four feet, kids can manoeuvre the boom around and back again, and if they want to lift heavy construction loads, they can load them into the silo, let the gripper enclose the handle and crank everything up. With the boom, they can push the load backwards and forwards, choosing exactly where to unload it. These realistic actions make building play fun, at the same time developing all the senses, spatial thinking, gravity and balance.

Theo Klein has more role-play toys to offer in categories including Outdoor, Dolls & Beauty, Professions, Household, Kitchens, Shopping, Tools and Parking Garages. To find out more, get in touch on the contact details above.

KidKraft

www.kidkraft.com | mark.inett@kidkraft.com

For over 50 years, KidKraft has been crafting toys and furniture to amplify and enrich childhood through spaces and places for kids to live, learn, play and explore. Its items value classic imaginative play with nods toward technology to embrace a well-rounded, modern-day kid’s needs and wishes. KidKraft has a wide range of kitchen and cookingrelated role play offerings to help kids enjoy role play as far as their culinary dreams can take them.

An endless variety of culinary combinations can be created with the 65-Piece Tasty Treats Food Accessories Set, which features safe and durable pretend food from every food group.

Aspiring cooks can reenact tasks they see in the kitchen everyday with wooden kitchen accessories like the Pastel Toaster Set and the Pastel Blender Set. Both feature interactive designs that re-create the real thing, fun detail pieces for lively play and retro-cool pastel styling.

From a practical standpoint, role play can help kids learn real life skills. One of those skills, and one of the most common role play experiences kids want to explore, is cooking. The Surprise Sweets Play Kitchen is a space designed to put a smile on a young chef’s face, with interactive features that deliver wow moments and accessories designed to delight any sweet tooth.

Zapf Creation

www.shop.zapfcreation.co.uk

This year, Baby Annabell officially marks its 25th anniversary, with loyal customers returning to the brand generation after generation. Extending the nurturing play of the Baby Annabell doll range, the Baby Annabell Day & Night Changing Table is launching – an interactive play accessory which comes with a light-up day and night wheel with sounds, creating a fun window illusion for children. The changing table fits all Baby Annabell dolls and has a host of storage possibilities including three hangers. Children can also enjoy the products’ fun sticker sheet to personalise their changing table.

Ideal for use with the Changing Table, a range of cute Baby Annabell clothes and outfits is available for dressing the dolls. New launches include the Baby Annabell dress which comes in a soft blue or pink, and an adorable soft Deluxe Sheep Onesie.

The launch of the brand-new Baby Born Bear this September will also open up dual play opportunities as the Bear can interact with and wear all of Baby Born's clothing and accessories. The brand is launching a Deluxe clothing range which includes a stylish Jeans Dress and Rain Set, plus dress-up outfits such as a Ballerina, Birthday and Princess.

Dress up & Role Play

HTI Toys

01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk

HTI is offering more possibilities this year than ever for little ones to take on the world of role-play with its ever-growing range of pocket money dress-up lines.

The Western Rider range of role-play toys includes the Twin Holster playset with two pistols, gun holsters and a sheriff's badge, providing all the right equipment to keep any town safe. Western Rider also offers a Cowboy Hat in two colours, completing the cowboy look, and a Sharpshooter and Cap Rifle for extra security. Children can also practise their archery skills with the Western Rider Archery Set, perfect for garden play.

For budding emergency service officers, the Police Helmet and Handcuffs guarantee a peaceful neighbourhood, and a Fire Rescue Helmet is available in two colours. HTI also offers an all-in-one solution for police or fire rescue emergency dress-up with the Smart Fire Rescue and Smart Police cases. The Smart Police carry case is packed full of products including a walkie talkie, hand cuffs, a police badge, note pad and a police officer megaphone, perfect for on-the-go dress-up fun.

Medieval dress-up possibilities include HTI’s Knights and Warriors collection. From the Warrior Sword, complete with shield, to an Archery Set and Battle Swords, HTI has something for any child keen to slay a dragon in the back garden. For the ultimate defence against mystical prey, the Castle Defender set includes an ornate metallic sword, protective sleeve and a magnificent archery set and is ideal for budding Knights or Warriors wanting to get the full dressup experience.

HTI continues to develop toys in its role-play category that allow children to pretend play numerous scenarios. The ranges feature some of the biggest licensed names in pre-school, including Peppa Pig, Hey Duggee, Bluey, My Little Pony, Baby Shark and Paw Patrol. Peppa's Keys and Peppa’s Boombox are brimming with interactive elements ideal for small hands. Complete with a microphone for sing-along fun, Peppa’s Boombox features a tuner which can be turned to hear different songs and colourful buttons that add musical layers to the songs playing. Peppa’s Keys encourage the imitation of adults in children as young as 18 months. Three colourful light-up buttons produce fun sound effects, including the Peppa theme tune, and the keys also double as a soothing teether.

HTI’s Hey Duggee’s Adventure Case has a pretend fire and accompanying marshmallow on a stick, plus all the accessories required for an expedition. Children can take along the Hey Duggee Medic Case for first aid emergencies, and the new Hey Duggee Camera is perfect for capturing the fun. Kitchen role-play remains popular too with Hey Duggee’s Mini Kitchen. New for SS24, in the infamous Bluey tones, are Bluey’s Camera, Bluey’s Adventure Case and Bluey’s Kitchen Trolley. Fans of the show can cook up a feast with the Bluey Kitchen Trolley; this pack away set comes complete with all the necessary kitchen accessories to produce an array of culinary delights and can also be adapted to use on a tabletop. The no fuss Bluey’s Camera is easy to use; kids simply point, shoot and watch the instant photo film picture pop out. Complete with LED flash and a multitude of fun features, this fun camera is simple and educational.

Wow! Stuff

www.wowstuff.com

emma.prendaglia@wowstuff.com

With the first ever Harry Potter television series in production, Wizarding World fans can celebrate with Wow! Stuff’s award-winning Real FX Wizarding World collection of Invisibility Cloaks and Spell Master Wands.

The Real FX Spell Master Wand is the latest innovation to be added to the Harry Potter range. Available in Harry and Hermione styles, with three modes of play to master, the Spell Master Wand will amaze kids with its magical and intuitive features. Embodying the Real FX slogan of ‘Looks Real, Feels Real, Sounds Real’, the Spell Master Wand pushes the boundaries of role-play and imagination with its realism. It promises a spellbinding pretend play experience, authentic to the Wizarding World franchise. Children can practise 14 fan-favourite spells; the wand coaches its user through the experience, using voice detection to decipher if the young witch or wizard has the magic touch. Each wand comes with an instruction booklet and spell book, as well as a USB charger to keep playtime extended.

The Real FX Invisibility Cloak is available in standard and junior sizes. Winner of a Toy of the Year award for innovation, this official Warner Bros. Invisibility Cloak replicates the original cloak’s magical effects, allowing fans to magically vanish from view. Potterheads of all ages can dress-up, role-play and even Cosplay with this amazing costume. It’s easy to use; simply download the Android or iOS app, don the cloak, then photograph or film the wearer through the app. The cloak will render its wearer invisible in seconds. It’s perfect for recreating iconic movie scenes, making it look as though anyone or anything has disappeared into thin air. The cloak features authentic patterning and a green silk style interior that is true to the movie prop. It comes with a foldaway stand for holding a smart device to capture the cinematic magic perfectly every time.

The Real FX Wizarding World collection will be supported with a heavyweight marketing plan to cast a spell over consumers and drive them in-store. All part of the plan will be digital advertising, plus a fan-based launch event that will promote peer to peer endorsement.

Tomy 01392 281 927 | www.tomy.com

Later this year, Tomy’s is to launch its Pretendables range. Resonating with the modern consumer, the Predentables range is made using high quality, sustainable materials and features vivid colours and bold designs. Offering a fully immersive baking experience for kids, the launch later this year will include the Pretendables Pizza Set.

The pizza-baking set is perfect for inspiring imaginative play and encouraging fine motor skills and role-play. With a realistic oven that doubles up as a box for easy storage, kids can create their very own pizza shop. Featuring an opening lid with an elastic clasp and a clicking dial, the oven is both easy and fun to use. Simply organise the felt toppings into the slots of the storage tray and watch as they stick to the hook-and-loop spots of the pizza slices.

Made from high-quality materials, this pizza set is built to last and is sure to provide

Basic Fun!

0118 925 3270 | www.BasicFun.com | Tim.Ives@basicfun.com

This year, Basic Fun! UK’s classic Tonka brand is offering kids the Tonka Tough! experience, with its role-play collection.

Having launched this spring, with the popular Tonka Tough! Hard Hat and Building Blocks Set, there are two additions to the range this season. The Tonka Tough! Toolbox comes with three tools, accessories and a buildable workbench which can all be stored away in the handy carry-along toolbox.

The wearable Tonka Tough! Toolbelt allows budding builders to take their favourite tools with them wherever they go. It comes with 11 tools and a hard hat.

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: Brainstorm, Bruder, Cheatwell, Funrise, Guidecraft, Panini, Playmobil, Topps & Zuru.

Playmobil1.2.3

Playmobil | 01268 548 111 www.playmobil.co.uk

Playmobil now has even more to offer from its popular Playmobil 1.2.3 range. This range of toys is specifically designed for toddlers and is based on three interconnected learning stages. Parents can closely follow their child's progress and help them learn with the toys, which offer an interactive way for toddlers to explore the world around them while also developing their cognitive and motor skills. Imaginative play is also encouraged, making Playmobil 1.2.3 an ideal choice for a fun and educational summer.

Key new lines include The Doughnut Truck. The Stacking and Sorting Feature offers plenty of stimulation for active toddlers, who can sort the nicely decorated doughnuts into the trailer. When the rear door opens, the doughnuts roll out across the room, providing fun for everyone. The doughnut stacking feature on the truck's rear end also strengthens fine motor skills. The Adventure Tower with Ice Cream Booth has a lot of fun features of its own. Turning the handle sets the ferris wheel in motion, and there is a hidden double function: when a figure is placed on the platform, it is gradually moved towards the slide until it slides down by itself. Understanding these cause-and-effect relationships helps cognitive skill development, while matching the figures to

Travel Wild Guess

Cheatwell | 02392 524098

www.cheatwell.com

sales@cheatwell.com

Cheatwell’s new game of fantastic facts and fascinating figures challenges players to give their best guesses in response to trivia questions.

Mind-boggling facts and figures await players in Wild Guess. From mind-blowing statistics to unbelievable information, this game offers a treasure trove of knowledge that will leave participants in awe. Unlike traditional trivia games, Wild Guess doesn't require players to know the exact answer. Instead, players compete to see who can make the closest guess. Those taking on the game need to use their intuition, follow their hunches and take a stab in the dark to earn points and claim victory. With each card presenting a new question and a range of possible answers, Wild Guess keeps players on their toes. The game is filled with unexpected twists and turns, ensuring that every round is a thrilling

Travel Wild Guess is suitable for players of all ages, making it the perfect game for family gatherings, parties or game nights with friends. It’s also perfect for on-the-go holiday play this summer.

Modern Home Dollhouse Guidecraft | 07725 833 273

www.guidecraft.com

A creator of imagination-inspiring educational toys since 1966, Guidecraft emphasises the importance of open-ended play and the significance of hands-on learning via meaningful experiences with quality materials. By developing products that are inherently educational, Guidecraft enriches children’s lives through play and encourages them to use their imagination in the classroom and beyond.

Part of its 2023 collection of products, Guidecraft has introduced a large-scale Modern Home Dollhouse that encourages authentic pretend play. When children engage in play using the multiple levels of the dollhouse, connected by handy staircases, they can act out common social situations and develop all-

TOYS

LAUNCHING

SEPTEMBER

70+ FIGURESCOLLECTTO

HUGGABLES

PLAYSETS AND MORE

PLUSHIES

FIFAWomen’sWorldCup2023stickercollection

Panini | 01604 877 888 | www.paninigroup.com

Panini has revealed the Official Sticker Collection for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Featuring all 32 nations competing to lift the coveted trophy, the new sticker collection will give collectors and fans an exciting lead-up to the action-packed tournament.

Celebrating the women’s game, this vibrant and jam-packed sticker collection features 580 stickers to collect including 68 special stickers, some of which feature incredible motivational stories from some of the world’s best female footballing talent.

Collectors can kick-start their sticker collection with a starter pack, which includes an album and 31 stickers. In addition to the highly-anticipated official sticker collection, this FIFA Women’s World Cup will also see the launch of the first ever trading card collection dedicated to the event.

The Panini FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Adrenalyn XL hit retailer shelves on 29th June, starring the world’s top female players and icons of the game for the first time ever. These trading cards include all the classic Panini AXL features and categories such as Rarity Icons, Top Masters, Fans’ Favourites and more for exciting football challenges.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Adrenalyn XL starter pack includes a collector’s album, three packets,

Crushie Fluffies

Funrise

Crushie Fluffies is a one-of-a-kind plush toy that combines everything kids love about soft and cuddly toys with a unique and interactive sensorydriven element, all packaged in a unique ice lolly concept. Transforming from crunchy to cuddly, Crushie Fluffies promises the ultimate unboxing experience. There are 12 different plush characters plus an ultra-rare collectible character to look out for.

Crushie Fluffies launches this month and are available in a ready-to-go ice cream van CDU solution for retailers. The launch will be supported by with a robust TV campaign during July, followed by a large investment into YouTube digital airtime to drive awareness and support sell through at retail. The brand is also partnering with Gabi Faye (@gabifaye on TikTok) who has a following of 11m.

For more information, readers are advised to contact their Funrise account manager or email the team on the details given above.

Modelfireengines

Bruder | 00353 67 63800 | www.bruder.de

Impressive and robust, the Scania Super 560R fire service ladder truck joins the Bruder range this year, bringing realistic and exciting firefighting play to all fans of the brand. In addition to all the details kids would expect, such as opening doors and folding mirrors, the vehicle also features a built-in water tank that can be easily filled. The water hose can be wound up, held by Bruder figures such as item no. 60100 (sold separately), or attached to the ladder basket. It has a fully functional nozzle. The turntable ladder with rescue basket can be extended and adjusted in height using a hand wheel. In addition to two seats in the cab, there is an additional seat for the bworld figure on the fire service ladder. Four extendable stabilisers ensure the vehicle is stable in any situation while a large storage compartment with hinged door provides additional space for storing tools. The Light & Sound Module has four different functions including engine noises, flashing lights and siren noises, further enhancing the play value of this elaborate vehicle. The bworld Fire station (item no. 62702) is the ideal addition to this exciting model.

Bruder’s extensive range of models includes the latest MB Sprinters in a wide range of designs. The New Bruder Mercedes Benz Fire engine is a truly multifunctional vehicle perfect for rescue operations. The crew cab can accommodate up to four bworld firefighters, while the fully functional water cannon with water tank and pump extinguishes fires in no time. There is also a second hose for further firefighting operations.

This detailed vehicle includes a ladder, shovel and besom for recovery and rescue, and can be expanded with a plough blade (item no. 02581/02582) or a cable winch (item no. 42545).

SensoryMotionBubblers

Brainstorm | 01200 445 113

www.brainstormltd.co.uk

Brainstorm has gained a reputation for introducing new and original STEM concepts to the UK via innovative distribution partnerships. The company’s newest product range, Sensory Motion Bubblers from the Australian toy specialist Toymonster, continues this tradition and was received very positively at the Toymaster May Show.

This soothing sensory range will launch with an initial three products that hit impulse price points and have huge appeal among children of all ages (and even adults).

The Sensory Motion Bubbler can be used at home or in the classroom and features colourful, soothing droplets that fall when the timer is flipped. It is also a fun way to help kids keep time while studying or tidying their room. It helps promote visual awareness and tracking skills while creating calm. An assortment of colours is available, in a perfect travel size.

The Bubbler Pen comes in lots of colours. As well as having all the sensory benefits of the Bubbler Timer, it also makes a comforting fidget toy that allows children and adults to take time out while watching the relaxing, colourful droplets.

Sensory Motion Bubbler Stairs, meanwhile, is a chunky, highly visual sensory toy that sees the droplets travel as if downstairs when flipped. Like a lava lamp or an hourglass timer, the whole range offers great gifts for all ages.

The items have already launched in Australia and the USA, where retailers have been extending their range following excellent sales. All the products come in colourful, eyecatching displays that attract attention and encourage interaction.

Following this initial launch, Brainstorm has promised range extensions in time for its 2024 catalogue.

F1 Turbo Attax 2023

In its fourth year of partnership with Formula 1, Topps has now launched its stunning new F1 Turbo Attax 2023 collection. As well as over 400 trading cards to collect, including the prized Limited Editions and Exclusive cards, Topps has revealed that Exclusive Autograph cards will be introduced through an expanded events programme which includes the Silverstone Grand Prix. Parallel cards make a return in this season’s product, allowing fans to experience the thrill of finding rare variations in lucky packets, while - for the first time ever - F1 Turbo Attax 2023 will feature Legends, paying tribute to iconic figures who have shaped the sport’s rich history. These include Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

Starter Packs offer guaranteed Charles Leclerc Diamond and George Russell Gold Limited Editions, while Mega Tins include a guaranteed Ayrton Senna Limited Edition. Mega Multipacks come with the chance to find Ultra-Rare Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton Limited Edition cards. Jumbo Boxes, exclusively on sale in the Official F1 store, are packed with three guaranteed Limited Editions: Max Verstappen Platinum, Lewis Hamilton Platinum, and Lando Norris Quartz. With a new ‘Accelerate into the Next Generation’ strapline, F1 Turbo Attax 2023 invites fans to embrace the future of racing with the best Speedster and Hero drivers from Formula 2 and Formula 3. Exciting new cards for this season include Radio Messages, Pit Crews, Sprint Superstars, Milestone Moments, Gladiators and Topps Awards. Signature Style cards feature digital autographs from all 20 drivers competing in the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Topps created an impressive presence at the UK Silverstone Grand Prix last month for the third year running, allowing the publisher to sample promotional packs, sell the new F1 Turbo Attax 2023 SKUs, box-break premium Topps F1 products from its fanzone stand, and offer highly sought-after competition prizes including an Exclusive George Russell Signed card.

Founded in 1938, Topps is the global leader in trading cards and collectibles, and is part of Fanatics Trading Cards: a next-gen physical and digital trading cards company that was launched in 2021 and is a subsidiary of Fanatics, Inc.

Snackles

Zuru Toys | zurutoys.com | sales@zuru.com

With licensing a key mainstay of its overall business growth strategy, Zuru unveils Snackles, a new range of cute and collectible plush featuring some of the world’s hottest licensed snack brands.

The award-winning toy manufacturer has collaborated with new partners and licences, tapping into the expanding plush trend to develop a line-up of super-soft velour characters featuring a real moulded mini replica snack. Available as Super-size and Small versions, both lines offer 11 characters to collect. The blind-packaged capsules provide a surprise reveal for the smaller line, while the Super-size styles are available as non-blind for consumers attracted by collectible animal characters and favourite household brands.

Froot Loops, Reese’s, Mike and Ike, and Chupa Chups are just some of the brands to be given the Snackles treatment, paired with cuddly characters. Each character comes with its own backstory and includes a comic strip to show how it fell in love with its snack, further increasing brand connection and the desire to collect.

KATY KOALA Peggy Pug ALLY AXOTL Sammy Sloth BRADY BAT RUBY RED PANDA

Step 2: CRUSH

Step 4:

Construction Toys

Feature Piece by Piece

The Construction category is arguably one of the most varied. While bricks, blocks and pieces lie at its heart, finished creations range from military air and sea vehicles to mechanical marble runs, and core play patterns span everything from STEM learning to artistic creativity. Toy World speaks to some leaders in the space to find out how they are building on their ranges this year.

The recipient of Silver, Gold and Platinum accolades in the recent Loved by Parents awards, and a finalist in the 2022 TOTY Awards, Australian company Connetix says it has seen its STEAM-certified Connetix range become a first choice among parents, educators and allied health professionals since its launch in 2019. With a focus on creative innovation, and made from non-toxic, food grade plastic, Connetix has become known for its internationally safety rated product line, which includes the signature Pastel Range, best-selling Ball Run Packs and the Transport Pack with its large, reversible transport base.

The company tells Toy World that the building process with Connetix magnetic tiles comes naturally and intuitively, allowing children to become leaders of their own play and take it in any direction they choose. Strong magnets and a unique bevel design inspire kids to build bigger, more elaborate designs as they design vehicles, ball runs, castles, coin drops, mandalas, animals, robots, rockets and much more. A spokesperson adds: “Connetix tiles are inclusive and accessible to all abilities, meaning everyone can experience the joy of construction while gaining exposure to the benefits of open-ended play and STEAM learning.”

While open-ended construction play encourages kids to build anything they like, any way they like, other construction specialists engage kids with structured, step-by-step builds. Designed to encourage families with children aged six and over to immerse themselves in the world of models, Airfix is loved by families seeking fun

and rewarding construction experiences. The company continues to bolster its expansive product range with new additions. This year alone has already seen the introduction of the Folland Gnat T.1, Messerschmitt Bf110 Trop, Messerschmitt Me262A-1a/2a, de Havilland Vampire FB.5/FB.9, Vintage Classic Auster Antarctic, Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero, Brewster Buffalo, and Fokker Dr.1 & Bristol F.2B Dogfight Double (those are all aircraft, if you didn’t already know).

Airfix model kits are available at a range of skill levels, making the brand popular among kids and kidults of all ages. Airfix is also committed to providing a platform on which modellers can connect, share their work and inspire one another. The brand leverages forums, social media engagement and events to create a welcoming environment that encourages active participation from enthusiasts of all levels. This inclusive approach is particularly beneficial for beginners who can seek guidance and advice from experienced modellers, while seasoned enthusiasts find a space to showcase their skills and inspire others.

Fans of military models are also likely to enjoy Cobi’s range of scaled military brick models, which includes tanks, planes, ships and other vehicles spanning everything from WWI and WWII to modern day military within its Armed Forces range. This unique line, according to UK & Ireland country manager Lee Crocker, is ideally placed to help retailers bridge the gap between plastic model kit brands and mainstream brick brands. Like Airfix kits, they also appeal to a wide age range, from kids to older military enthusiasts and

everyone in between.

“Historically, the licences held were focused on WWII, but more recently we’ve ventured into other areas and properties such as Top Gun, with Paramount; Company of Heroes 3, with Relic; and Maserati, Opel, Skoda and Citroen,” explains Lee. “But we’ve not moved away from the areas that we’re best known for. Our partnerships include Boeing, The Tank Museum in Bovington, Brooklands, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, The Imperial War Museum and many more. Cooperation with museums is a very important to us. On the one hand, it's a stamp of approval in terms of the historical accuracy of Cobi military brick models. On the other hand, licence fees help historical vehicles survive into our times for the enjoyment of this and future generations.”

Mattel’s Mega brand also leans heavily into licences, targeting kidults just as much as kids. Pokémon continues to enjoy both a loyal kid following and strong interest from collectors, so the company is expanding the Pokémon range with the Pokémon Dragonite. This 388-piece set, once complete, comes to life thanks to an innovative Motion Brick: turning the crank activates the Pokémon’s flapping wings. Other licensed Pokémon builds include the Pokémon Piplup and Sneasel Chill Out set and the Pokémon Windy Town set, which comes with Pikachu, Pidgey and Wooloo figures.

Kelly Philp, marketing director, Mattel EMEA, adds: “We’re really excited to also be launching a new Mega Barbie range, timed to the July launch of the upcoming Barbie movie, which introduces three new kid-targeted

Connetix Signature Pastel Range

Feature Construction Toys

through our dedicated, world class Support Team, while also having access to assets to assist their individual marketing needs.”

They add: “Further to this, Connetix nurtures relationships with retailers by taking the needs of small retailers into consideration when making business decisions; this includes ordering stock and stock quantity. With over 1,000 resellers across 70 countries, Connetix also welcomes and encourages feedback to help guide its trajectory and maintain the value of the brand.”

For Cobi, the onus is also on service. Lee tells Toy World service is the first ‘rule’ when it comes to supporting the company’s retail partners. That rule is applied across the board, from him travelling solo in the UK to the whole Cobi team back in Poland. He says: “Our service has to be of a high standard, and we have to be willing to change along with the landscape to ensure we continue to add benefit to our customers. There are hurdles to overcome, especially as we ship our product directly from Poland, but we face everything head on.”

Lee continues: “For many years, we didn’t work with traditional toy retailers, but since the beginning of 2023, when we started engaging with Toymaster and independents, we’ve pulled together a range of new marketing support from traditional posters and shelf strips to display models and dioramas. We can tailor our marketing support to the customer: a great example of this is the Tank Museum in Bovington.”

play sets and the first ever Mega Barbie collector item. The new sets let kids use their imaginations to build, create and customise Barbie’s most iconic themes in brick form. A refreshed brand look and feel has been worked into the latest releases, with new buildable Barbie micro dolls featuring more articulation and customisation plus fresh Barbie fashions and accessories. The launch of Mega Barbie will benefit from our own Barbie Franchise marketing activity, including a tag of our Mega Barbie DreamCamper on kid-targeted Barbie campaigns this autumn/winter.”

It's not all about licensing though, of course. EcoWood-Art (EWA) produces high-quality wooden classic and mechanical 3D puzzles for the wholesale market, based on generic evergreen themes such as vehicles, animals and gadgets (think gramophones, globes and planetariums). EWA models are eco-friendly and don’t require glue for assembly, meaning builders can started on their construction immediately. Most of the models can also be set in motion after assembly thanks to the inclusion of clever little rubber-mounted motors. The company says the beautiful design, engaging assembly process and quality of its models have already attracted customers from six continents and counting. Part of EWA’s success is also due to its great customer service: the company’s Customer Support Team is available 24/7, while lost and broken parts are replaced free of charge to anyone who needs them.

Vehicles is a strong theme throughout this feature, with Construct It debuting its range of vehicle model kits to Toy World readers this month. The Construct It range covers a variety of price points and piece counts, from the collectible Miniature Constructables to the Platinum X Pro range, where kids can find the company’s most intricate builds. Spin Master is also launching new vehicle builds from Meccano, while Tomy introduces buildable new Johnny Tractor toys and Pat Avenue brings the strongly vehicle themed Biobuddi range to market. Like EWA’s range, the Biobuddi line is also eco-friendlier than construction toys made from virgin plastics, being made from unusable residues of the sugar cane plant.

Other new launches, as with Connetix, keep play open ended by encouraging kids to enjoy free-form building or

creative experiences more akin to art than construction. One for Fun has unveiled its highly collectible new Pocket Builds range of egg-shaped capsules containing miniature building blocks and bricks, while Character’s Simbrix range invites kids to create beautiful pixelstyle artwork and Plus-Plus’ Puzzle by Number brand combines paint by number artistry with the satisfaction of puzzle solving, all using its distinctive double-cross shaped pieces. No matter what kind of construction play kids are after this year, there’s no shortage of options to get stuck into.

Clearly, Construction is an increasingly competitive category. With this in mind, we asked Connetix how it goes above and beyond to support its retail partners. A spokesperson told us: “Connetix strongly values and prioritises the relationships it builds with its retailers and supports these relationships in a number of ways. Maintaining open and consistent communication, a balanced pricing model and involving resellers in planned annual sales are just a few of the ways Connetix has garnered a loyal and valued retail network. Retailers can easily find accessible support for all things Connetix

Airfix, meanwhile, says it understands the significance of marketing support in driving sales for its trade accounts. The brand’s dedicated sales team is not only based in the field but also works diligently out of its headquarters to ensure its trade partners receive the assistance they need. The brand has developed a comprehensive weekly report system that provides crucial information on the latest product arrivals, stock availability and immediate shipping options. By sharing this information promptly, Airfix says, its partners are empowered to make informed decisions, optimise their inventory and meet the demands of their customers effectively.

In addition, Airfix really takes flight at prominent family-oriented events and air shows across the UK. During Q3, the brand will be back on the road offering engaging demonstrations and encouraging children to participate in hands-on make and paint activities.

Over the coming pages, Toy World takes a look at the newest model kits and construction sets building out the category this year, as suppliers lay the foundations for yet another strong annual performance.

Cobi retail display at the Bovington Tank Museum

Airfix Auster Antarctic

MEGA™ Barbie® Malibu Dream Boat™

MEGA™ Barbie® Dream Camper Adventure™

MEGA™ Barbie® DreamHouse™

Company Profile

The brick that makes everyone tick

How has 2023 been for The Lego Group so far?

Back in March, we reported strong global earnings for the full year of 2022. Revenue for the full year grew +17% compared with the same period last year. 2022 was a milestone year for the Lego Group as we celebrated our 90th anniversary, with lots going on to mark the milestone birthday.

The first six months of 2023 at the Lego Group have been just as busy, with a number of exciting launches, partnership announcements and more. Imagination, creativity and fun continue to remain at the heart of Lego Play, ensuring that it is as culturally relevant, for builders of all ages, today as it always has been.

Isabel Graham, head of Marketing at the Lego Group, talks to Toy World about the company’s latest toy and entertainment launches, its approach to experiential retail, and what new ranges we can look forward to this year.

To spotlight some of my personal 2023 highlights to date: March saw us launch a Lego Botanicals Flower Stall in Waterloo station, to drive awareness and consideration of the Lego Botanicals range as an alternative to real flowers for Mother’s Day gifting. In April we celebrated Easter with Lego brick treasure hunts and in May we launched Lego Dreamzzz, a new homegrown entertainment IP inspired by the creativity of children’s dreams. In May we opened our first store south of the river, in Battersea, and launched the latest series of Lego Ninjago Dragons Rising by inviting families to a viewing party at Lego Store Leicester Square. Finally, most recently, we announced that we’ve teamed up with the stars of women’s football to inspire children to ‘Play Unstoppable’.

Which major new product launches have been generating the most excitement and why?

We’ve strengthened our already strong portfolio with new launches that offer creativity for all ages and interests whilst keeping the brick at the heart of everything we do.

The launch of Lego Dreamzzz has been a really exciting one. As a leading player in the toy industry, innovation is always at the core of what we do and it’s important to us to stay at the forefront of the future of play. Lego Dreamzzz broadens our portfolio with an increased focus on storytelling, imagination and experimentation – this isn’t just the launch of a new franchise of products, we are introducing a new entertainment IP for our biggest

Lego fans: kids. The products, coming soon, will be totally different to anything you’ve seen from the Lego Group, mashing together the real world and the dream world, resulting in models that look like no other Lego set that’s come before.

Another very special launch this year was that of the re-imagined Lego Friends universe, which arrives a decade on from its initial launch. Including an all-new line up of characters and accompanying TV-series, it forms part of our mission at The Lego Group to help kids and parents navigate friendship in the modern world.

We’ve continued to drive excitement amongst motoring fans with our diverse portfolio of vehicles, which in the last six months includes everything from a Lego Creator Land Rover Classic Defender, aimed at builders aged 8+, all the way up to a Lego Technic 2022 Ford GT and Lego Technic Peugeot 9X8 24H Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar, celebrating 100 years of racing at Le Mans in 2023.

We also launched the new vintage Lego Icons Pac-Man Arcade set. Ideal for any gamer or Lego fan, as it really is one of the most famous and nostalgic games of all time, it’s a product which has generated lots of excitement.

Retail expansion and innovation is an important

The Lego Group’s recently opened Battersea store sees the company continue to place emphasis on experiential shopping. Why do you believe this to be so important?

Company Profile

of physical retail experiences as we know that an inspiring and engaging shopping experience remains a powerful tool to drive brand engagement.

Consumers are seeing their expendable income squeezed this year. Is the Lego Group focusing at all on bringing down RRPs or offering more low- to mid-priced options?

With the rising cost of living, we’re well aware that families are being squeezed more than ever. At the Lego Group we’re proud to offer a large range of products with price points to suit a range of budgets. Lego products are created to offer endless and timeless play experiences for kids of all ages. Our focus is to deliver great play experiences to children all over the world, offering the opportunity to rebuild, recreate and assemble whatever their imagination dreams up, offering plenty of play value for decades.

That’s why I am so excited about the Lego Dreamzzz range, with the option to build and rebuild that final 20% of the product, and with that endless storytelling opportunities.

What big opportunities does The Lego Group plan to capitalise on throughout the remainder of this year and into 2024?

area that we will continue to invest in. Our physical store experiences are becoming more immersive and entertaining. Our research has shown us that shoppers want more engaging retail experiences, and that despite the growth in eCommerce, physical retail remains one of the most important platforms for discovering new products.

Like our other stores, our new Lego Store Battersea includes several hands-on play experiences that will immerse fans of all ages. The Battersea Power Station Big Build pays homage to the local community, featuring 14,500 Bricks and taking 160 hours to build, while the Interactive Lego Brick Mosaic Wall features a stylised depiction of the Battersea Power Station. Users are guided to push a button on the console which activates sequential lighting, culminating in the illumination of the light bulb atop the console to represent the ‘spark of imagination’. It features 108,291 bricks and took 336 hours to build.

What’s the reaction to Lego Dreamzzz been like?

Reactions so far have been overwhelmingly positive, with kids (and adults) loving the new characters and narrative, which explores what happens when dreams become real, ordinary kids become extraordinary and creativity is a superpower. New characters, including Izzy, Mateo and more (Zee-blob is already a much-loved character less than a month after launching), all have relatable qualities and personality traits that children of all ages are identifying with.

I believe it’s been so well received because children helped to shape Lego Dreamzzz. It was tested with over 30,000 kids from around the world to ensure it truly reflects the way their creative imaginations work whilst dreaming. We launched Lego Dreamzzz very differently too, from a celebrity attended premier event to viewing parties that anyone could join, with kids favourite influencers including Amazing Arabella, Jaadin the Kyd and more. There was also the opportunity to become a Chief Dream Creator and visit Billund to meet the makers of Lego Dreamzzz: we’ve made this as inclusive and accessible to as many kids as possible. In August, we’re launching a new range of 10 products. To reflect the two worlds in the new franchise - the Dream World and the Waking World - each product contains the best of both universes, mashing up different passions and resulting in models that look like no other Lego set before

it. The ambition is to encourage kids to build their dreams into reality. Initial reactions to the product range have been really positive, and we’re excited to launch on 1st August so more Lego builders can bring their wildest dreams to brick-built life.

The Lego Dreamzzz product builds are a hybrid of formulaic step-by-step and free building. Is this based on consumer feedback regarding the nature of most Lego builds these days?

Lego Dreamzzz as an IP is all about inspiring kid’s limitless creativity, which is why the SKUs have been designed to offer endless building opportunities and allow kids to explore their dreams and creativity through Lego bricks.

The Lego Dreamzzz product builds give children more freedom to build and rebuild. About 80% of an initial Lego Dreamzzz build is completed by following instructions. This section now looks almost like a comic book, featuring missions to complete as you build, to help kids feel like they are truly building a story. For the final 20%, however, the choice of what to make is left up to them. The aim is that kids will be in the mind frame to continually build and rebuild during their play.

How does the Lego Group go above and beyond to support its retail partners, from big-box chains to single-store indies?

Our retail partners are key in achieving our joint business objectives and we work very closely with them on a day-to-day basis to create and execute the best possible campaigns. We have been, and will continue to, invest heavily across all channels for nationwide campaigns as well as retailer specific occasions.

As part of the Lego Friends Universe re-launch, this year we’ve launched pop up Lego Friends stores in Harrods, hosted Make and Take events at Smyths where consumer got to take their Lego Friends builds home, run competitions with retailers to win Lego Friends Bundles, we had a Lego Friends Hamleys window takeover – plus tonnes of online takeovers too, with homepage banners, dedicated landing pages and more.

We work closely with retailers to deliver the right type

Back in May we launched Play Unstoppable, a new initiative focused on celebrating the endless potential of girls when they are given opportunities to play without limits. The Lego Group has partnered with some of the biggest change makers in Women’s Football in support of this movement: former USA Women’s team Captain Megan Rapinoe, the multi-talented Yūki Nagasato, world-class striker Sam Kerr and global superstar Asisat Oshoala. We’ll be activating the campaign on a local level as well with some exciting partnerships and activity due to be announced soon.

What kind of product launches can we expect for Q3/Q4?

The Lego Dreamzzz range, launching in August, will see products based on the new TV show including the Nightmare Shark Ship, where Mateo, Izzie and Nova battled the Nightmare King, plus Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot, a brick-built, robot version of everyone’s favourite character Z-Blob and Izzy and Bunchu the Bunny, which can be built in roller-skate or bee mode.

Our IP range continues to bring brick-built versions of favourite fictional characters and scenes to life. These are always very popular as we look ahead to the festive season. For Harry Potter fans, we’ve launched the first ever Lego Brick model of Dobby. He is such a beloved character from the Wizarding World, so we’re excited for kids to be able to recreate magical moments and create their own stories with the set, alongside the wider Harry Potter SKUs.

Older Lego builders can explore the world of Middleearth with The Lord of the Rings Rivendell, recreate Darth Vader’s personal flagship, and capture every detail of one of the largest Imperial starships ever created with the Lego Star Wars the Executor Super Star Destroyer.

And for our core ranges, we have a number of exciting launches for Lego fans of all ages. The Lego Friends Universe continues to grow, and new for Q3/4 we’re launching a multicoloured Community Center representative of all the things kids love to do. The levels of the building can be rearranged so kids can tailor their build. There’s a recording studio, an art studio, a chill-out zone for gamers and a pool, so loads of opportunities for storytelling.

Lego City has a strong portfolio that launched in June for kids who have a wide array of hobbies. The Lego City Ski and Climbing Centre is packed with facilities for fun winter activities, while the Lego City Custom Car Garage is the perfect play set for kids who love cool automobiles

Construction Toys

VTech

01235 546 810 | www.vtech.co.uk

VTech will launch a total of three new Marble Rush sets in 2023. Spring saw the launch of the Double Drop set and the Fun Fair set, while the Magnetic Magic set will be on shelves this autumn/winter.

The Marble Rush Magnetic Magic set combines out of this world stunts and challenges with magnetic action. Kids can either aim for the stars or drop the marbles into the gravity vortex and make all the marbles zoom down ramps and around turns. They can also use the orbital launcher to blast the metal core Mega Marbles into the shuttle and prepare for lift-off or send them to the UFO for the aliens to carry up. The incredible stunts are enabled through magnetic swings, a magic U-turn and a UFO lift that propel the Mega Marbles into action and keep them moving.

The Magnetic Magic set has three build levels, from beginner to advanced, outlined in the easy-to-follow levelled building guide. The Magnetic Magic set includes 120 building pieces and 10 marbles, five of which are special Mega Marbles that react with the magnetic modules. The Magnetic Magic set will be TV and digitally advertised this autumn/winter.

The Marble Rush Double Drop set is full of thrilling stunts and challenges. Kids race around hairpin turns and drop through tumbling barrels to the finish a course of their own design. Challenging family and friends to see whose marble finishes in first place enhances the fun. The Double Drop set includes 47 building pieces and five marbles with two build levels: beginner and intermediate.

The Marble Rush Fun Fair set is packed with non-stop action. The marbles zoom through this fun filled track and are brought back up to the top by the two Ferris Wheels which create a never-ending circuit of fun. With 26 building pieces and five marbles, there are multiple beginner-level sets to create.

All Marble Rush sets are compatible with each other, so kids can collect and connect for endless building possibilities.

Eco-Wood-Art

www.ewaecowoodart.com | sales@eco-wood-art.com

Since 2016, Eco-Wood-Art (EWA) has earned itself a worldwide reputation as a manufacturer of highquality wooden classic and mechanical 3D puzzles for the wholesale market. EWA’s realistic mechanical construction kits are developed by the company’s team of hardworking designers. By assembling these models, children and adults can improve their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills and develop essential critical thinking, problem-solving and logical reasoning skills, all of which can be applied in other areas of life.

EWA 3D puzzles are made from high-quality plywood and are designed to be both challenging and entertaining. Almost all the mechanical puzzles move after assembly.

In addition to its mechanical puzzles, EWA Eco-Wood-Art also produces classic wooden puzzles. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from simple jigsaw puzzles to more complex puzzles. Most of them are made in collaboration with famous German artist Andreas Preis.

The latest addition to the product line is the mechanical Trike 3D-puzzle. This model of a threewheeled motorcycle is equipped with a wind-up rubber-band engine and is sure to provide hours of challenging entertainment during assembly. Once completed, puzzlers will have a stunning display piece that showcases their love for motorcycles and mechanical engineering. The mechanical Trike 3D-puzzle is a perfect gift for anyone who enjoys puzzles and motorcycles and is also an excellent way to introduce children to the world of mechanical engineering. Assembled without glue, the finished model size is 226x111x111mm.

EWA’s unique Tractor puzzle features a classic agricultural machine design complete with a visible 4-piston engine under the hood and a 4-speed gearshift system. This puzzle features a rubber-band engine that makes the model move forward and back at two speeds. Additionally, the tractor includes an opening hood and door mechanism, adding to the realism of the model. The finished model is 315x173x207mm and doesn’t require glue to build.

Construction Toys

Cobi Toys

07584 858 978 | l.crocker@cobitoys.co.uk

Poland is known for its invaluable contribution to the Allied war effort and, more importantly, the airmen who helped Great Britain and Europe defend against the air raids of Germany. In Southern Poland, the city of Mielec is the home of the Cobi factory, which pays tribute to these heroic people.

Cobi was established 36 years ago as a producer of board games and puzzles and a distributor of toys. For the past 26 years, the company has also been producing construction blocks predominately focused on military vehicles including tanks, planes, ships and other vehicles spanning everything from WWI & WWII to modern day military in its Armed Forces range.

New launches for 2023 include one of the most famous aerobatic planes to grace the sky worldwide. The Red Arrows BAE Hawk T1 (the official aircraft of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team) has been produced in a 1:48 scale that complements the rest of the Armed Forces collection. There are 386 pieces in the set and the blocks have durable pad prints on them. The cockpit can be opened to seat the two pilots. A display stand featuring the name of the aircraft and emblem of the aerobatic team is also included. Another aircraft being launched is the Eurofighter Typhoon, a modern twin-engine multirole fighter produced by a consortium of three European aircraft manufacturers. The four new brick models are designed in 1:48 scale to match the rest of the Armed Forces collection and feature high-quality prints and country-specific weaponry.

In April, Cobi saw the biggest and most important launch in its history: a brick replica of the most recognised tank from The Tank Museum in Bovington, the Tiger 131. This impressive and iconic vehicle has been turned into an amazing 1:12 scale model comprising almost 8,000 pieces. With an impressive length of 70cm when complete, and weighing 6kg, this replica has many new features designed especially for such this large and realistic model. Features include new wheels and tracks; a detailed, removable engine; a detailed interior and suspension components waiting to be discovered during construction.

Cobi’s best-sellers list remains dominated by WWII planes and tanks including the Supermarine Spitfire, Sherman Tank and Messerschmitt, plus new entries including the Top Gun Ranges of the F14 Tomcat and Super Hornet. More recently, Concorde and the Battle of Arras sets have also proven popular.

Character Options

01616 339 800

www.character-online.com

sales@charactergroup.plc.uk

Simbrix appeals to the inner artist, inviting kids to create and customise their very own pixel art. The unique building system allows kids to connect, create and play one ‘brix’ at a time. Simbrix play is totally mess free and does not require any ironing, gluing or water: kids simply interlock Simbrix to construct amazing 2D and 3D designs. Simbrix pieces are also reusable for endless creative play.

The Simbrix range has been designed for kids of all ages, helping them reconnect with their imagination, encouraging creative thinking and allowing for engaging play experiences. Simbrix also combines elements of STEAM learning, providing educational benefits as kids play.

The range comprises starter packs, themed packs and special feature packs with over 3,000 pieces. The Simbrix Maker Studio, meanwhile, is the ultimate set for young artists. This carry case holds 4,800 Brix in 16 colours and the easy to unclip lid doubles as a building platform.

Educational toy brand Edx Education has extended its learning through play toy offering with the launch of the My Gears construction toy range. My Gears is a hands-on learning resource which combines science, mathematics, engineering and art in fun and engaging construction sets designed to appeal to primary school aged children. The My Gears collection has launched in the UK with four themed sets: Junior Set for ages four and over, and Animal Set, Machine Set and Transport Set for ages six and over, with an additional Starter Set for children aged six and over launching later this year.

The My Gears construction toy range has been designed to teach the basic principles of gears and mechanics whilst also encouraging creative thinking, reasoning, problem-solving and fine motor skill development. The sets come with a wide selection of gears, shafts, chains, wheels and connectors, as well as a clear picture instruction booklet that shows how to build numerous

moving models. The models gradually increase in difficulty and as children develop their confidence and understanding of the basic mechanical construction principles, they can use their imaginations to create their own unique designs. The sets can also be paired with Edx Education’s 2cm linking cubes and 4cm bricks, extending the play potential and creative possibilities.

The engaging My Gears collection has been made from robust colourful plastics, with 8-13 models in each themed set designed to appeal to a wide range of interests to maximise interactivity. The Junior, Machine and Transport My Gears sets offer a large choice of moving machine and transport models, while the Animal Set includes a selection of animal models complete with moving legs, arms and tails.

The My Gears Transport, Animal and Machine Sets have all been awarded STEAM accreditation by the Good Play Guide. The ranges were praised for their easy-to-follow instructions, and extensive play and interest potential.

Construct It Toys

01442 239 402 | www.constructittoys.com | jay@constructittoys.co.uk

Construct It Toys offers retailers a fantastic range of over 100 different construction models to choose from.

The company promises to take construction play to a whole new level. Construct It focuses on the principles of STEM learning: each set includes real metal pieces and real tools so kids can bring all kinds of exciting things to life. Its aim is to develop quality products that are fun, affordable and educational for children around the world.

The company also aims to build long-term, lasting relationships with its customer base and to exceed service expectations by listening and reacting to their needs.

The Construct It product range spans a number of SKUs that together cater to a range of ages, skill levels and interests. Flexibles, suitable for kids aged five and over, have an educational focus and lean into colour and shape learning, while Miniature Constructables are aimed at kids aged six and up. The smaller piece count makes these fun sets a great introduction to the company’s more advanced Originals and Platinum ranges.

Originals, as the name suggests, is Construct It’s first range and remains a best-seller to this day. Suitable for kids aged eight and over, each set includes real tools and metal pieces. Options include motorbikes, tractors, fire engines, planes, race cars and much more. The Platinum X Pro range is where kids can find the company’s most intricate builds. Suitable for kids aged eight and up, and made from stainless steel pieces, the range includes vehicles, dinosaurs and more.

New for 2023, Build-ables has been developed to cater for a younger audience of kids aged just three plus and offers fun, interactive build and play experiences for parents and children alike.

The Build-ables series offers the same kind of fun kids can expect from the Construct It Originals series: the big difference is that this range of six models is aimed at children who are not quite ready for the full-size Construct It sets. Each Build-ables kit contains two different vehicles for kids to assemble. The pieces snap together easily, meaning that the vehicles are complete after just a few steps. The instructions are simple to follow, which will help children improve their confidence when it comes to construction toys. Consumers know and love the Construct It series because it teaches children about the basics of engineering. The new Buildables range offers a great first step into this arena.

With over 800,000 kits sold worldwide, Construct It continues to develop new offerings and will be extending into licensed offerings and special projects. The company has another 30 kits in development for 2023 and hopes to extend its full offering to over 200 models by 2024.

Construct it also offers marketing support, with POS displays available for both the Miniatures and Originals series.

Construction Toys

Hornby Hobbies

01843

233 500 | www.hornby.com | sales@hornby.com

Paving the way as a market leader in plastic model kits, Airfix has established itself as standout family-choice brand with a wide portfolio of products and licences under its belt.

From ships to supercars, the brand’s extensive and diverse product portfolio provides trade partners with a wide range of options to cater to the varied interests and demands of their customers. From historical to contemporary subjects, Airfix offers a comprehensive selection that appeals to different age groups and skill levels. The breadth of product choice across all product categories enables retailers to curate a well-rounded inventory that meets the needs of their specific customer base.

Coming into Q3, Airfix continues to enhance its portfolio of exciting Starter Sets. One standout addition to this range is the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Starter Set. A family favourite aircraft frequently seen at air shows, this iconic plant is now available in 1:72 scale. Specifically designed with beginners in mind, these sets cater to children aged eight and over and serve as an ideal entry point into the world of modelling.

In May, the brand revealed the reintroduction of the Airfix A01005B Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero. Initially tooled in 2011, this kit has been part of Airfix’s Classic kit range, Starter Set range and even the Pearl Harbour 75th anniversary Gift Set. This re-introduction to the 1:72 scale range matches the previous 2017 release, including the same parts and decals. Ranked at skill level 1, the Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero offers 47 parts and one build scheme and has an overall length measuring 126mm and a wingspan of 166mm.

New Vintage Classics, the A02050V Brewster Buffalo and A02141V Fokker Dr.1 & Bristol F.2B Dogfight Double, are also available.

The Brewster Buffalo (A02050V) is ranked at skill level 1 and offers 42 parts and two build schemes, which are the only schemes that Airfix has ever produced with the Brewster Buffalo. It has an overall length measuring 112mm and a wingspan of 148mm.

The very first Dogfight Double kit introduction into the Vintage Classics range, and returning to the nostalgia filled territory of genuine Classic Airfix model kit releases, the 1:72 scale pairing of the Fokker Dr.1 & Bristol F.2B showcases two of the Great War’s most distinctive fighter aircraft and machines from the very early days of aerial warfare.

Ranked at skill level 2, the Vintage Classic Fokker Dr.1 & Bristol F.2B Dogfight Doubles kit was first tooled in 1957. The Bristol F.2B Fighter includes 33 parts, with an overall length measuring 110mm and a wingspan of 167mm. Along with Manfred von Richthofen’s Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker, which includes 24 parts, the kit allows a complete build to measure 79mm in length and 110mm in wingspan.

Airfix has made significant strides in ensuring that modelling remains accessible and enjoyable for all ages. A key approach to this involves forging strategic partnerships and collaborations with like-minded organisations which share a mutual passion and synergy for modelling, such as Sega's Company of Heroes 3, an immersive WWII combat console and PC game. These types of partnerships open doors to new audiences, pave the way for innovative opportunities for engagement and ultimately expand the reach and appeal of the hobby. The latest news is always communicated to the rapidly growing modelling community to fuel excitement and engagement.

Tomy 01392 281927 | www.tomy.com

John Deere's construction range boasts an impressive collection of toys perfect for any young construction enthusiast.

A new introduction for John Deere this year is Build A Yellow Dump Truck. This 13-piece construction toy offers two ways to play. Kida can use the drill to dismantle and reassemble the dump truck, promoting critical thinking skills. The chunky parts are perfect for little hands. Once built, Build A Yellow Dump Truck becomes a push-along toy with a working dump bed.

Also launching in 2023, John Deere’s BuildA-Johnny Tractor will be a favourite among young tractor fanatics. Kids will love assembling Build-A-Johnny Tractor with the provided drill and bits, which is made with chunky parts for easy handling. Once assembled, Johnny can be enjoyed as part of some push-along playtime. Kids can also disassemble and rebuild Build-A-Johnny Tractor, enhancing their fine motor skills and creativity.

These lines join new launch for 2023: the Key-n-Go Johnny Tractor. This interactive toy has 15 exciting features that inspire curiosity and creative play, giving children the opportunity to unlock endless playtime fun. By inserting the included key, five tractor sounds and lights can be activated. By turning the key, kids can witness Johnny spin his eyes and pull unique expressions or make Johnny drive in four patterns. Each turn produces delightful sounds plus a light-up engine and headlights.

Construction Toys

The Lego Group

01753 495 000 | www.Lego.com

The Lego Group has revealed the new, merged realms of Lego Ninjago with brand new characters, products and an animated TV show created with Epic Games' Unreal Engine. The products and show launched in June.

Kai and Ras’s Car and Bike Battle features a dragon car, an all-terrain vehicle, Kai and Lord Ras minifigures, a piece of blue lightning in a display holder and two flame elements for kids to play out exciting moments from the TV series. Also designed to inspire imaginative play, Nya and Arin’s Baby Dragon Battle features two dragons, a jet plane and a hideout cave with energy crystals, plus three minifigures. Kai’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Flip, Nya’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Drift and Lloyd’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Spin let fans master Spinjitzu skills with interactive flipping and spinning toys.  Imperium Dragon Hunter Hound features a monster toy and three minifigures in a set that lets fans travel to Imperium for a daring mission with Jay and Lloyd, as they take on the Imperium Claw General, who is riding a fearsome Photac Beast. Zane’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Race Car features a ninja car, two hover flyers and four minifigures. Fans can push down the car’s spoiler to activate its dragon power and launch a stealth spinning attack.

For ages eight plus and nine plus, Sora’s Transforming Mech Bike Racer features a mech, a dragon and three minifigures. Fans can re-enact jumping into the mech’s cockpit before transforming it into a souped-up bike to enter a high-speed chase with Rapton on his glider. The Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon features a ninja dragon, a hovercraft vehicle and five minifigures. With Kai, Lloyd and Wyldfyre, fans can transform Heatwave into battle mode and fight back by firing its purple dragon power element at the dragon hunters. Lloyd and Arin’s Ninja Team Mechs features two battle mechs and five minifigures. Fans can help master Lloyd and Arin jump inside a pair of awesome mech suits or combine the two mechs to create one larger fighting mech.

Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores is a Ninjago Temple set which features six minifigures including Cole, Kai and Nya. The set will bring fans on a trip into the World Forest to explore the Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores, while the Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech features a dragon, mech, ninja flyer and six minifigures. With this set, fans can team up with baby dragon Riyu, Sora, Zane and Jay to battle Lord Ras, Empress Beatrix and an Imperium Guard.

Destiny’s Bounty – Race Against Time will take fans to the skies to fly above the merged world. The set features the Ninja Airship, two Dragons and six minifigures.

For ages 14 and over, Lego Ninjago City Markets is a highly detailed set featuring 6,163 pieces. This is Ninjago’s biggest ever building set with four floors and includes: A cable car, a bakery, a boat, apartments, an elevator, a rooftop food court and more. Standing at 50cm high, the set comes with 21 minifigures including Blacksmith Kai, Urban Sora, Urban Arin, Detective Zane, Hounddog McBrag, Gayle Gossip, Chamille, Miss Demeanor and Dareth. Fans who love a large and intricate build can experience all the colour, excitement and vibrancy of Ninjago City.

Ravensburger

01869 363 830 | www.ravensburger.com

Ravensburger continues to build on the popular GraviTrax track-building system, growing the brand’s fanbase through engaging marketing programmes and innovative new introductions and expansions.

The interactive marble track system invites children to explore their creativity as they design and construct exciting marble run courses, combining track pieces and tiles with a wealth of action Elements that bring trickshot action to the fun. With its open-ended format, the GraviTrax system offers unlimited discovery and showcases the power of gravity and other STEM learning principles in a truly captivating way.

Hero product, the GraviTrax Starter-Set, remains an evergreen best-seller, having sold over 5m sets globally since launching in 2017. Fans continue to discover this exciting and versatile system. The GraviTrax Starter-Set includes over 120 pieces and contains everything children need to start out in the GraviTrax universe. Included track-design blueprints provide inspiration for first builds. Then children can let their imagination go wild as they create ever more elaborate tracks. The recent introduction of GraviTrax Pro and GraviTrax Power collections, which are fully compatible with the GraviTrax core system, add further ways for children to explore their marble run skills. GraviTrax Pro takes the action to the next level, opening up opportunities for higher and more complex builds, and GraviTrax Power introduces coding, putting players in control with automated actions.

While Starter-Sets provide a gateway to the GraviTrax world, a growing collection of Elements and Extension sets across core, Pro and Power ranges offer the chance to expand the GraviTrax universe in countless ways. Leading examples in the Elements line-up include the Zipline, which transports the marble cable car-style for real wow factor, and the incredible GraviTrax Power Elevator, which literally takes the action to the next level with its motorised lift action.

Children can experiment further with building GraviTrax tracks thanks to the free GraviTrax app, which offers design tutorials and the chance to experiment with track layouts by trying them out in the virtual world.

A year-round, heavyweight marketing programme will support this impactful brand, including TV, digital, event and influencer outreach.

Construction Toys

Magicbox

Smart Toys and Games

01903 885 669 | www.smartgames.eu | uk@smart.be

SmartMax is an award-winning pre-school magnetic construction system that provides children aged one year and over with the chance to explore the fascinating world of magnetism in a fun and safe way. New for 2023, Smart Toys and Games introduces three new SmartMax sets to its ever-growing portfolio, which are sure to have little ones constructing in no time.

Launching this summer are three new My First sets. This best-selling range introduces young children between the ages of 1-5 to the world of magnetism, encouraging logical thinking, motor skills and imaginative play from the very beginning. The simple yet effective design of the My First sets enables children of all ages to engage with the product and allows them to build their own unique constructions in a multitude of ways. The brand has just unveiled its first two new SmartMax sets, My First People and My First Pirates, while the dynamic new My First Build & Drive will launch towards the end of summer.

My First People lets toddlers aged 1-5 create a chef, a builder, a gardener and a firefighter, or mix & match the funny faces with the different hats and bodies to create their own imaginative combinations. This enchanting set encourages young children to discover colours and shapes as well as practise fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

My First Pirates invites kids to a pirate party. Whether they wobble on the deck of the pirate ship or go on a treasure hunt on the desert island, the included picture story leaflet helps kids act out the story adventure, encouraging language and communication skills. The metal playbox doubles as a play area and can be used to store everything, making this a handy set for kids who like to enjoy magnetic play on the go.

My First Build & Drive gets creative journeys rolling. This 2-in-1 play set lets toddlers as young as 18 months build and play, while pre-schoolers from the age of 2-5 can enhance their skills as they try to build one of the constructions shown on the 24 picture challenge cards. For more difficult building challenges, they can turn the vehicle upside down.

All these new sets can be combined with all other SmartMax sets for hours of magnetic play, offering a great way for little ones to practise fine motor skills, balance and imaginative play. Hours of fun construction play are guaranteed.

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

T-Racers mix-and-race vehicles offer kids an innovative way to enjoy construction play. Kids can build their own cars by mixing and matching parts from the T-Racer vehicles they’ve collected. Each T-Racer is made up of five interchangeable parts, including a driver, which can be mixed and matched to the max.

From July, children can collect the eight new vehicles in the Color Rush series, unlocking 500+ new vehicle combinations. The more kids collect, the more car combinations they can create. A key chase item in the Color Rush Series will be the ultra-rare, colour-change Tagmalion.

Kids can take the mix-and-race fun further with the Power Trucks Turbo Digger and Mega Striker vehicles, which come with an exclusive T-Racer vehicle and driver that can be snapped onto the monster wheels chassis. Kids that fancy a change will enjoy the fact the monster wheels chassis is compatible with any T-Racer, which means all T-Racers can become Power Trucks.

Pat Avenue

01604 678 780 |

www.patavenue.co.uk |

enquiries@patavenue.co.uk

Distributed by Pat Avenue, BioBuddi is a new addition to the construction aisle. Designed to build a better tomorrow, BioBuddi is a sustainable range of biobased building blocks made from the unusable residues of the sugar cane plant. The range offers families a new choice that is not only environmentally friendly but also interchangeable with other brands. There are Big Blocks for ages 18-months-plus and Small Blocks and Dominoes for children aged four and over.

With BioBuddi Small Blocks, kids can choose from a range of sets that allow them to build pull-along vehicles of all shapes and sizes, including an Off Road SUV, Jeep, Police Car and Truck. There’s also a set that builds a BioBuddi electric plane. Each kit comes with between 56 and 141 building pieces, and all include pieces that glow-in-thedark. There’s also Domino Race 360, which comes with 22 dominoes and 30 small blocks for building a unique racetrack and vehicle. They can also be used for a game of dominoes.

An ideal place for kids to start with the BioBuddi Big Blocks range is the Shape It Safari Big Blocks set, which comes with 22 toddler-friendly blocks that can be assembled to create four animals. The Police Chase and Fire Engine Big Blocks sets allow kids to join the force and construct either police vehicles or a fire truck. The vehicle fun continues with the Race Truck and Number Train Big Blocks sets. Each comes with 38 blocks, with the latter including numbered bricks to help young builders learn early number skills.

Construction Toys

Simba Smoby

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

The Smoby brand welcomes new Spidey and His Amazing Friends licensed toys that combine the fun of construction play with role-play.

Key to the range is the Spidey and His Amazing Friends Bricolo Workbench, which allows kids to build their own Spidey Crawler vehicle. Once complete, it’s ready to launch down the ramp and chase after baddies. There are more Spidey Crawlers to be built with the Spidey and His Amazing Friends Workshop Cart, as well as the DIY Buggy Box. The latter makes a strong entry point into the range. Compact and easy to store and carry, this set is perfect for families with limited space or those looking for construction fun to take on the go.

Smoby brand awareness will be at an all-time high this year thanks to significant investment into marketing, to include celebrity ambassadors, sponsorship of a family festival and more.

Spin Master

01628 535 000 www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

New from Spin Master’s iconic brand

Meccano is the Meccano Maker’s Toolbox, a 437-piece intermediate STEAM model-building kit designed for open-ended play and endless creativity.

Sure to be a hit with young builders and parents alike, this engaging and educational toy is perfect for boys and girls aged 10 and above, inspiring them to tinker and learn as they build amazing realworld creations.

The Meccano Maker’s Toolbox features over 400 interchangeable building pieces that spark children’s imaginations, while promoting skill development and problem-solving abilities. The set comes with a handy instruction manual to help guide them when creating three fun, moveable builds: a race car, the world-famous Eiffel Tower, and a robot.

Alternatively, kids can let their imaginations run wild and create their own mechanical masterpieces. The open-ended design of the building kits mean that the possibilities are limitless, encouraging kids to explore their own unique creations.

Parents needn’t worry: staying organised is a breeze thanks to the compact toolbox, which makes it easy for kids to keep all the parts in one place and transport their inventions wherever they go.

The Meccano Maker’s Toolbox is the perfect gift for budding engineers, robotics enthusiasts or kids who just love to build and innovate.

Basic Fun! UK

01189 253 270 | www.basicfun.com | Tim.Ives@basicfun.com

Having marked 30 years of K’Nex last year, Basic Fun! UK continues to create new models which will always build bigger than the box they come in.

The K’Nex Classics range offers a next-level building challenge for kids aged 5-99. This season, children can bring the Jurassic Era to life with the K'Nexosaurus Motorised Building Set. Two builds in one, kids can build a K'Nexosaurus Rex and a Megasaurus dinosaur using the 255 parts and pieces included in this set. The K'Nexosaurus Motorised Building Set also includes a battery-powered motor to operate the dinosaur structures.

The new K’Nex 3-in-1 Marble Run with Motor Set allows families to flex their creative muscles as they build a fully functional marble coaster from the ground up. With over 500 pieces and three template builds to discover, this model kit is perfect for all skill levels, from beginner to pro. Kids can hook up the coaster to the working motor and watch as the creation comes to life with exciting movements and chain reactions. With its sleek blue and yellow colouring, this coaster will look great in any bedroom, game room, living room or office.

The Kid K’Nex subcategory is an evergreen performer in the pre-school aisle. The new 62-piece Kid K’Nex Farming Friends set offers 20 farm-themed models to build including a scarecrow, chicken, barn and more.

The K’Nex range benefits from targeted digital advertising and YouTube pre-roll.

Construction Toys

Plus-Plus UK & Ireland

0333 050 0144 | www.Plus-Plus.com | info.uk@plus-plus.com

The Plus-Plus range, aimed at children over five years, includes differing sized tubes and boxed sets suitable for beginners and experienced builders. With an abundance of different themed and coloured tubes to choose from, there’s something for everyone looking to get creative.

Plus-Plus can be used to construct in 3D or 2D. The double-cross shaped pieces fit together by gently pressing them into place, holding together without the need for glue, water or heat. The firm structures can be hung or stood and then broken down to be re-used over and over again.

Plus-Plus tubes contain basic instructions for getting started with open ended play or exact build instructions for specific 3D character assembly. PlusPlus can be used with pieces of the same size from other sets so that kids can expand their creativity and produce anything they can think of, large or small. Plus-Plus Big is the perfect brick for younger children starting their journey into the world of construction. Suitable from the age of one year old, the pieces are large enough for small hands to hold as kids explore solo play or work with a parent or sibling to get started on their first builds. Options include cute animals such as penguins, rabbits and flamingos, or tubes of bright colours perfect for open ended play.

Puzzle by Number combines paint by number artistry with the satisfaction of puzzle solving and is available in three sizes: 250, 500, or the more challenging Butterfly, Earth or Peacock 800-piece puzzles. Each set contains 10 colour varieties of brick along with easy-to-follow instructions. Combining creativity and STEM based learning, these sturdy, bright creations, when built, are strong enough to be displayed and even hung with no glue or heat required to keep them together.

Learn to Build focuses on open-ended play for creative minds. Each themed set is accompanied by an inspirational guidebook ahead of exploring further free play. Three new sets available from autumn are the 1200-piece Super Set, 500-piece Glow set and the 600-piece Sports set, which features Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey and American football.

A number of seasonal tubes will also be available in Halloween and Christmas themes. The 600-piece Advent Calendar contains 25 builds to keep kids entertained right up to the big day itself.

The Travel and Storage suitcases are available in soft shell or metal in both regular and Big. Packed with either 100 or 600 pieces, the regular suitcase also includes two baseplates and doubles-up as handy storage for on the go play.

Plus-Plus is a socially and environmentally responsible company. The factory and headquarters in Denmark run on 100% green energy from wind power and all products and packaging are 100% recyclable.

Connetix

www.connetixtiles.com

|

wholesale@connetixtiles.com

Connetix Tiles is an award-winning magnetic tile brand that creates open-ended STEAM accredited products designed to spark imagination. Having launched in 2019, this Australian business has experienced rapid growth and is quickly becoming a global leader in STEAM and educational toys. With a passion to champion learning through play, founders Brea and Dave have combined their expertise as a masters’ qualified educator and mechanical designer to bring to market unique, open-ended toys that support children as they learn and develop.

Connetix are uniquely beveled magnetic tiles that offer clearer refractions and encourage children to explore STEAM learning concepts in a hands-on way. Manufactured with high-quality, food grade plastic and the inclusion of extra rivets and ultrasonic welding, Connetix tiles are internationally safety rated, ensuring they are strong and safe for little hands.

In just four years, Connetix has grown exponentially and is currently stocked in over 1,000 quality retailers in 70 countries worldwide. During this time, the brand has expanded its product catalogue to include innovative designs such as the signature Pastel Range, best-selling Ball Run Packs with exclusive pieces, and one-of-a-kind Transport Pack with reversible motion bases.

Connetix continues to add to its award-winning range with a number of new products set to be released this year, starting with the highly anticipated Shape Expansion and Rectangle Packs launching this summer.

Establishing itself as a thought leader in a competitive space has garnered the company global recognition and seen it receive nominations and several coveted awards within the toy industry, including a recent finalist place in the 2022 TOTY Awards. Underpinning this success are the core values of the brand. These include inspiring a passion for learning through open-ended play, providing high-quality toys the whole family can enjoy, incredible customer service and fostering valuable relationships with retailers. Surpassing expectations in these areas has seen Connetix amass a loyal customer and retailer base, along with a significant organic following on social media.

Parents take comfort in knowing that through Connetix play, they are providing the gift of connection whilst fostering enriched learning experiences. Able to grow and adapt with children, Connetix bring families together, becoming a treasured toy to be enjoyed for generations.

Readers can learn more at the website or head to social media to see the community Connetix has inspired.

Construction Toys

Mattel

01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com

2022 was another great year for Mega. The brand remained the No. 2 Manufacturer in the Building Sets Supercategory, with the iconic 60 Piece Bag retaining its position as the No. 1 item in the Junior Building Sets Class and the ABC learning Train sitting at No. 2. This strong performance has provided a solid foundation for continued growth into 2023.

Mega Bloks continues to expand the range in 2023 by introducing a new sensory line that acknowledges and reflects the importance of sensory skills for children’s development. The Mega Bloks Move N’ Groove Sensory Caterpillar encourages young builders to move and groove alongside this adorable caterpillar train. This sensory building set, developed for toddlers aged 1-3, includes 30 big building blocks and special pieces with eight sensory features to discover as kids develop tactile, visual and auditory skills.

Also new to the sensory range are the Mega Bloks Squeak & Chomp Dinos, which let kids build, play and explore their senses. With six sensory features to discover, kids can touch and feel the Pterodactyl’s textured wings, shake the rings up on the Brontosaurus’ neck, spin the gears on the Stegosaurus’ back and press down on the T-Rex to get it squeaking and chomping. Finally, the Mega Bloks Rock N’ Rattle Safari joins the range: toddlers can build an elephant, giraffe and lion.

Mega continues to expand its fan-favourite Pokémon line with the Pokémon Dragonite. This 388-piece Dragonite building set features the innovative Motion Brick for built-in motion. Kids can build and pose Dragonite, then turn the crank to activate the Pokémon’s flapping wings.

The range also includes the Pokémon Piplup and Sneasel Chill Out set. This 171-piece building set lets Pokémon fans build the snowy environment, then turn the crank to see Piplup and Sneasel skate around the winter wonderland. Finally, Pokémon Windy Town is a 240-piece set. Kids can build the windmill and country environment, then turn the crank to see Pikachu, Pidgey, and Wooloo come to life.

The Mega Barbie range unveils a new look and feel ahead of the anticipated Barbie Movie. The 225-piece Mega Barbie Convertible & Ice Cream Stand set includes two buildable Barbie micro-dolls, one pet puppy, and fashion and food accessories: an ice cream machine, different scoop flavours, a table, chairs and more.

The range also includes the Mega Barbie Malibu Dreamboat, which invites kids to join Barbie and her friends on a beach splash adventure. The 317-piece set includes three buildable Barbie micro-dolls and two pets, plus fashion and beach accessories. The Buildable Malibu lifeguard tower includes an outdoor shower and a long surfboard to ride the waves. New for autumn/winter 2023 is the Mega Barbie DreamCamper. This set includes two Barbie micro-dolls, three pets, 123 building bricks with special pieces and accessories, and a heart-shaped baseplate to build on that transforms into a campsite.

One For Fun

0141 613 2525 | www.oneforfun.com | sales@oneforfun.com

Brand new for this year are Tobar’s Pocket Builds. These fun and creative eggs are the perfect way to get kids building. Each egg contains a variety of colourful building blocks in different shapes and sizes, which kids can use to construct anything their imagination can dream up. The compact size of the eggs makes them perfect for on-the-go fun, so kids can bring their creativity with them wherever they go.

Junior Engineer’s Workshop, also from Tobar, is a multi-award-winning range of construction kits graded in difficulty to test the metal of any budding engineer. Using real nuts and bolts as well as real steel, these kits allow all kids, no matter their age or skill level, to design, build and play.

Each kit’s difficulty rating helps consumers choose from the easy to the more challenging. The sets are available in a variety of sizes and price points too.

Smaller sets include a helicopter, a plane, a racing car and a motorbike. The Pull Back and Go Digger introduces simple mechanics to the build. The various pieces screw together using the spanner and screwdriver included, and affix to a motor that makes the Digger move.

The kits can also be combined to make bigger models with more parts, further enhancing the collectability and play value. Other items in the Junior Engineer’s Workshop range include an award-winning aeroplane, which also has moveable parts. The whole range has a quality finish and evocative, vintage-style packaging.

BRAND NEW KIDS RESEARCH REPORT

The Precise Advertiser Report: Kids (PARK) provides valuable insights into the impact of video platforms, coviewing habits and brand preferences on kids’ purchasing decisions. With YouTube’s dominance and the influence of TikTok, advertisers can leverage these trends to create engaging and impactful campaigns that resonate.

Further insights include:

• 9 in 10 kids are watching YouTube

• 66% are watching YouTube on a Connected TV

• 7 in 10 kids have asked for a product they have seen advertised on TikTok

• 82% of parents plan to spend the same or more on gifts this holiday season

“These findings support a trend we’re experiencing where brands are shifting TV dollars to social video to grab household attention and drive business outcomes,” said Christian Dankl, Precise TV Co-Founder and Chairman. “For advertisers marketing to families, it’s now table stakes to have an advanced, contextual, video-level digital ad targeting strategy.”

Precise TV is the world’s first and leading kidSAFE+ COPPA certified YouTube advertising platform using contextual intelligence to deliver brand safe, relevant and privacycompliant video campaigns reaching young audiences and families to drive business outcomes.

Backcool to school

Stationery has written its way into the books of many a retailer as an essential product category, providing much needed impulse and bolt-on sales as well as strong opportunities for cross-category merchandising in-store. Toy World speaks to a number of leaders in the Stationery space to find out where they draw their inspiration from and which of their ranges will rule this year.

Stationery might not be the most glamorous category we focus on throughout the year, or the most exciting or high tech, but pens, pencils, colouring pads, erasers and more are undeniably staples in homes, playgroups and schools up and down the country. For toy retailers, this makes Stationery a vital part of a well-rounded store offering, and one that enjoys a huge peak in late summer, as attentions turn to the all-important Back to School season.

According to Lianne Fletcher, head of Marketing at Maped Helix, the company has become a household name in Stationery thanks to its innovative and functional designs, whether they be the trusty Oxford maths tin, the Maped rotating eraser or the Helix bendy ruler. These products - which take knowledge about how children learn and combine it with creative design flair - have injected a sense of fun into classrooms nationwide. This, in turn, inspires children to participate in their learning on a more profound level, which greatly improves the quality of their education in the process.”

Maped Helix has extended its popular Maped Color’Peps range this summer with new products such as the Maped Infinity Colouring Pencils, winner of Children’s Stationery Product of the Year at the recent Stationery Matters Awards 2023, and Lianne says she’s excited about the launch this year. “These coloured pencils offer a twist on the traditional colouring pencil and are already creating a stir in the market. The innovative design means that they last 10 times longer than standard colouring pencils, don’t ever need sharpening and produce zero waste.”

Stabilo, meanwhile, says it’s known for producing ‘pens with cult status’. Vanya Hunter, UK marketing manager, tells us that the company is a ‘pioneer of innovation’ with a huge range of products spanning writing to colouring (and everything in between) in an extraordinary variety of colours. She adds: “Stabilo champions creativity and this is reflected in the breadth of its offering, which is highly sought-after throughout the world and makes the life of millions of people a bit more colourful each and every day.”

Staying true to this ethos, Stabilo is launching six new colours for the iconic Stabilo Boss highlighter. “It is exciting for us to see such a longstanding and wellloved product stay fresh and relevant while continuing to lead the marketplace,” Vanya enthuses.

Relative newcomer Haico leans into colour when it comes to its packaging, which is designed by the company’s in-house team to ensure it really stands out at retail. Haico’s two stationery brands, KIWI and Mindful, cover everything from classic Back to School collections to specialist sensory stationery. All the company’s stationery sets are made from high-quality materials, and the team works hard to maximise the content of every product, making the KIWI and Mindful ranges great value for money. In vibrant shades of pastel and neon, the KIWI range include stackable highlighters, erasers and lockable pencil cases with built in calculators that are ideal for the classroom.

While Maped Helix, Stabilo and Haico offer

IG Designs

Maped Helix

Ferocious Dino sets

generic stationery ranges, our next contributors specialise in licensed stationery. Blue Sky has a very broad portfolio of licensed goods that offers something to a variety of demographics. So, broad, in fact, commercial director Gavin Holden tells us there are too many items to list: “We offer everything from early years properties such as Peppa Pig to core, evergreen Back to School licences including SpongeBob and Harry Potter. And older, Back to College groups are catered to with properties such as South Park, Beetlejuice and Emily in Paris.”

Gavin explains that when working with licences, Blue Sky aims to cater to both older and younger consumers at the same time. For example, the company has designed what he describes as a very bold, energetic and colourful new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kids’ range for the new Mutant Mayhem movie - and has also developed a retro 16bit gaming range, perfect for older fans of the franchise.

“We have a reputation for product innovation, design and quality,” says Gavin, when asked what makes Blue Sky’s products stand out in the marketplace. “With every licensed range we bring to market, we strive to design unique, exciting product formats that specifically fit the brand. We invest a lot of time and resources into the early stages of product development when we sign a licence and really dive deep into the brand to make sure we extract all the best assets and make them work. Retailers come to us for that bit of magic, and consumers have come to rely on Blue Sky for innovative and interesting licensed products. It’s vital to have that point of difference in a competitive marketplace. Of course, it also helps to have a talented design team which really immerses itself into our licences and tries to get into the head of the end consumer. We’re all about figuring out what stationery a tween Wednesday fan, or a kid who aspires to be Batman, would want.”

RMS International counts properties such as Barbie and Harry Potter among its own extensive licensed stationery portfolio, while the company’s knowledgeable product development and design teams work closely to develop highly giftable stationery sets. Options range from mini stationery collections to innovative diary sets and scrapbook bundles. RMS’ Joanne Cunliffe says the company’s range of licensed stationery stands out for its creativity, tremendous value for money and rapid market availability. The latter is a key benefit of working with RMS, according to Jo, who adds: “We consistently deliver trendsetting product, developed in collaboration with leading licensors, with remarkable speed, year after year. Our efficient supply chain and streamlined processes minimise lead times and ensure timely delivery of products,

something that is vital for retailers today.”

IG Designs, meanwhile, has a licensed stationery line-up that connects across all consumer segments, with ranges carefully curated to offer age-appropriate activities: the younger the target audience, the more likely it is the stationery will lend itself well to art, for example. The company has a dedicated licensing design team that will help create unique ranges as and when required. It also places a very strong emphasis on sustainability, as Carl Franks, Licensing and Sales manager, explains.

“We design all our products with the environment in mind,” he tells us. “We continuously research and implement ways to reduce the amount of single-use plastic used in our products to reduce the waste and pollution that our business is responsible for. We’re also leading the way in tackling unsustainable packaging: we’re committed to reducing the amount of packaging used, enhancing the recyclability of it and increasing the amount of recycled material used to make it.”

Maped Helix is likewise sensitive to the impact of its products. While it already supplies an Eco Range of stationery, the company has also implemented additional methods to reduce its environmental footprint and is working diligently to reduce emissions and develop new, more sustainable ways of creating its products. According to Lianne Fletcher, this stems from a passion for preserving the natural world for future generations. “This passion carries over into the one-of-a-kind products that Maped Helix has created since its inception,” she adds.

Stationery might not be the primary reason kids visit a toy shop, but the category offers huge opportunities for cross-category promotions and impulse sales. Generic stationery ranges can be tied into key periods within the year, such as Back to School/College/Uni, while licensed lines can be timed to coincide with movie releases.

Gavin Holden at Blue Sky recommends that retailers create in-store theatre to drive sales. His tips include stocking a healthy range of at least 6-8 products that together form a strong visual display for the brand in question, and being aware of key dates in the licensing calendar. “The upcoming TMNT movie, Mutant Mayhem, is out this summer, while a strong ‘Back to Hogwarts’ message always works really well for our Wizarding World range,” he suggests.

“We supply the majority of our stationery ranges in fully branded counter display units, making it easy for retailers to build their displays but also ensuring the product is displayed as best it can,” he adds. “It’s always a good idea to position licensed stationery in key selling positions during the Back to School period. Blue Sky is happy to discuss with retailers how we can support them in terms of Point of Sale material, from window posters to Floor Standing Display Units.”

When building ranges with its retail buyers, RMS International’s account managers identify complementary product lines that can be cross-promoted to build upon the licensing presence in-store. The company also works hard to create cross licensed products for assortments, which in turn build a strong message in-store that consumers are more than willing to buy into. Jo Cunliffe also says that RMS works closely with each of its key retailers to provide bespoke support based upon the ranges they’re purchasing. The team collaborates with the retailer on in-store activations, offering products that

perfectly meet marketing demands.

Haico’s advice is to offer a good variety of products at a range of price points, so retailers can hit two key benchmarks: value for money and a good quality offering. Ravelle Leacock, creative director, notes that knowing the pricing expectations of their target audience helps retailers set price points that align with market realities and meet customer expectations at the same time, and says a dedicated POS display with themed and interactive elements will engage shoppers of all ages and drive engagement.

“This year, our products will benefit from the generous partnership support of the National Autistic Society (NAS), in association with Mindful, our sensory stationery range,” Ravelle tells Toy World. “Our collaborative partnership with NAS enables us to cross-promote the Mindful range through joint marketing initiatives, reaching wider audiences and new customer bases. We will also be working with various influencers across Manchester using social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube shorts. Establishing a strong presence on social media, and sharing visually appealing content showing our ranges, will enhance our products’ visibility, brand awareness and engagement. Some retailers will be working with us across their socials too, so that we can collaborate for content creation, which can then be shared on both of our platforms. We also plan to get more involved in interacting with the public and engaging with them in-store to help the promotion of our products.”

Stabilo is also hitting the campaign trail to raise awareness of its Stabilo Boss highlighters. Kicking off in time for the Back to School season, the ‘Highlight What Matters’ campaign is centred around Stabilo Boss Original, which celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago and continues to be a firm favourite around the world. Stabilo has used the iconic Boss highlighter to draw attention to important personal and emotional views shared on social media. The campaign seeks to highlight five heartfelt, relevant topics that people feel strongly about, from fighting for tolerance to living sustainably.

Over the coming pages, Toy World takes a look at the newest generic and licensed stationery that’ll be making its way into kids’ pencil cases this year.

Stationery

Maped Helix

www.mapedhelix.co.uk

Scott.Goodman@mapedhelix.co.uk

From colouring to writing and everything in between, Maped Helix has got kids covered this Back to School season. The company offers a comprehensive range of stationery covering all items on a school stationery list, allowing retailers to offer a one-stop stationery shop.

Oxford Eco is a range of environmentally friendly Oxford stationery made from recycled materials for less impact on the environment. The pencils are FSC-certified so consumers can be confident in the knowledge that the wood has been obtained from sustainable sources. Packed in recycled card packaging, Oxford Eco is available in two bright colours, making bland eco stationery a thing of the past.

Combining traditional stationery items with a stylish geometric design, the Oxford Geo range is available in vibrant green and orange designs guaranteed to make a statement. Including stationery essentials such as pencils, erasers, folding rulers and pencil sharpeners; along with the iconic Oxford Maths Set, kids will have everything they need for school or college.

Maped Helix has extended its popular Maped Color’Peps range this summer with new products such as the Maped Infinity Colouring Pencils - winner of Children’s Stationery Product of the Year at the Stationery Matters Awards 2023. These coloured pencils offer a twist on the traditional colouring pencil. The innovative design means that they last 10 times longer than standard colouring pencils, and as there is no wood or resin casing, they won’t ever need sharpening. Other eye-catching products in the Color’Peps range include Maped’s Glitter, Magic and Window Felt Pens, all offering children a new experience when colouring and being creative.

Ideal for the youngest children in the family, Maped’s My First range gives parents the perfect opportunity to immerse their toddler in creativity whilst developing their fine motor skills and love of art. Aimed at those aged one to three years, the range features products specifically designed for little ones that are both easy and safe to use.

Maped’s Pastel range welcomes exciting new additions to the on-trend collection, including pastel glitter highlighters. These join the best-selling pastel range of highlighters, pencil sharpeners, erasers, felt pens and pencils.

Also new for this year is Maped Smiling Planet. This collection offers children and teenagers essential Back to School accessories while remaining responsible and committed to the planet. The plastic components used in the Smiling Planet range are mixed with 50% FSC-certified wood fibres, to reduce the plastic content by half. Each product in the range is packed in plastic free, recyclable card packaging.

Haico

0161 457 8085 | www.haico.co.uk | sales@haico.co.uk

Haico understands that in today's competitive market, establishing a strong brand presence is crucial for success. With this in mind, the company is dedicated to crafting stationery that captures the imagination of consumers yet remains practical. Haico carefully curates its products, so each range resonates with its target audience. The company’s brands feature vibrant and engaging designs that encourage children to explore their thoughts and ideas, whilst incorporating innovative and educational elements throughout.

KIWI (Kids in the World of Imagination) is Haico’s children’s stationery brand. KIWI has been created to include a wide assortment of product ranges that blend creativity and functionality together. The company has incorporated a variety of colours and themes across the different stationery lines, made up of vibrant illustrations and playful designs sure to inspire young minds. Celestial motifs set against a backdrop of beautiful pastel shades, cartoon-esque designs with holographic prints, and neon greens alongside football motifs are just some of the stand-out styles.

Haico is passionate about children's stationery and wants to make a positive impact with its ranges by nurturing their creativity, imagination and self-expression. Haico understands that the early years are crucial for shaping a child's cognitive abilities and fostering a love for learning.

By closely following industry trends and staying up to date with emerging themes and patterns, the company is able to keep refreshing its best-sellers with each new season. Different artistic styles and new materials are experimented with to enhance the appeal of its products. By consistently developing these new ideas, Haico is able to breathe new life into its KIWI brand. Social media platforms also serve as sources of inspiration, allowing Haico to stay updated on the latest trends. The company actively engages with its audience on these platforms, seeking feedback and suggestions, and even collaborating with influencers who share the team’s passion. By constantly looking for inspiration from a wide mix of sources, the company’s stationery ranges stand out with creativity, innovation and value.

Some ranges have been expanded to include complementary lunchware including compact lunch boxes, water bottles and backpacks, making them ideal for kids that want to match their stationery to their other everyday school items. Haico has also added a customisation element to some of its backpacks and pencil cases, meaning consumers can personalise their items.

The KIWI collection is recommended for kids aged five and over, making it a brand of choice for the Back to School season.

Stabilo is an expert in stationery, making it the perfect go-to brand for any parent looking to stock up during the Back to School rush. Stabilo has a range of products that support kids as they unleash their creativity as well as aiding educational development.

Supporting its iconic Boss highlighter range, Stabilo recently launched its eye-opening ‘Highlight What Matters to You’ campaign to underpin the true meaning behind social media messages while demonstrating the relevance of highlighter pens. Stabilo will be adding new colours to the existing 23 currently in the range.

Highlight What Matters to You sees the brand’s classic Stabilo Boss Original highlighter draw attention to heartfelt, authentic topics, from fighting for tolerance and acceptance to living sustainably. Stabilo used social media listening tools to identify these key topics, which were then displayed on travelling digital screens in London, as well as featuring on SoMe channels and YouTube for the 10-week campaign period.

The instantly recognisable design of Boss Original highlighters complements every user, whether they are highlighting important notes or creating a work of art. The diverse Stabilo highlighter range also features the slimline Stabilo Swing Cool and Stabilo Neon, all available in a wide selection of shades. Working with different retailers is important to Stabilo. The brand works closely with stockists to provide support and a reliable stock supply. Stabilo does not believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach to retail. Instead, it tailors its relationship and marketing support to ensure that each retailer achieves its sales goals, deploying strong POS displays and hands-on support from the Stabilo team.

Stabilo also has a range of products designed to support children in their handwriting development. The Easy product range includes standouts such as the EasyOriginal refillable rollerball, which is perfectly designed to help children develop their handwriting skills. Ergonomically shaped for little hands, the EasyOriginal is available for both left- and right-handed children, helping them learn to write without stress and develop a love of writing. Older children will enjoy Stabilo’s pointMax and point 88 pens. The point 88 is the perfect tool for creating stylish handwritten notes while the 65 different colours allow children to differentiate and order study notes. If the point 88 is too narrow, then the pointMax felt tip is perfect for the job. With its tough nylon nib, the pointMax offers an unbeatable, comfortable writing experience in an array of colours.

With hundreds of products on offer for children of all ages as well as adults, Stabilo’s stationery offers a one-stop-shop for every writing and drawing need.

Depesche 01159 475 200 | www.depesche.com office.uk@depesche.com

For fans of dinosaurs and deep-sea creatures, Depesche’s Dino World + Action includes cool three-compartment pencil cases, school accessories, colouring pencils, ball point pens, sticker books and dinosaur-powerful toys. The T-Rex, triceratops and brachiosaurus stickers let kids discover the Underwater World.

T-rex & Co. can be brought back to life with Depesche’s range of colouring books, with eight matching crayons, colouring templates and a cool sticker sheet.

Kids can sticker by numbers with the Dino World sticker book with 16 pages of images and 395 stickers. Each image is divided into sections and each section has a number. To complete the image, kids have to find the right sticker, which is also marked with the same number, to bring the Dinosaur images to life.

Also within the Dino World range, Depesche has Puffy Sticker books containing 84 cool dinosaur stickers: four pages of paper stickers and two pages of foam puffy stickers that bring the 20 primeval background pages to life sticker by sticker.

The dino fun continues with the Dino World Magic-Scratch Books, Dino World Diary with sound and 4-digit secret code, Dino World Multi Colouring Pencils, Dino World Magic Markers, Dino World Glitter Roller Pens, Dino World Jelly Erasers, Dino World Mechanical Erasers, Dino World Scissors, Dino World Pencil Toppers and Dino World Ball Pen with six different colours.

Stationery

Vivid Goliath

01483 449 944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

Crayola has been inspiring children since 1903 thanks to its mission to help parents and educators raise creatively-alive kids. Driven by a belief that Crayola can unleash and celebrate the colourful originality in every child, the core range of stationery offers a colourful array of tools for every budding artist’s needs.

Recent shopper research showed that Crayola was the No. 1 non-candy brand in Easter shopping baskets, demonstrating that the brand remains giftable as well as an everyday essential.

Spanning classics from the best-selling SuperTips through to traditional Pencils, Markers and Crayons, Crayola continues to innovate and diversify in the stationery aisle. The hugely successful Colours of the World, a range dedicated to reflecting the diversity of skin tones around the world, now sits alongside Colours of Kindness, a new collection of bright, vibrant and unique colours with positive statements on each pen, crayon and pencil to help enhance positivity and wellbeing.

With Back to School season rapidly approaching, Crayola is working on a new campaign to encourage children to get creative over the summer holidays and spread the message that every child has the power to be an artist. More details are soon to be announced on an exciting new media partnership and a celebrity host: the campaign is set to drive more footfall into retail and grow Crayola stationery over the summer months.

IG Design

Group

01908 618 811 | www.igdesigngroup.uk | info@igdesigngroup.com

IG Design Group’s licensed Character Bumper Stationery Folders contain all kids’ essential stationery items in a sustainable, reusable box folder. An ideal Back to School stationery set, the Bumper Stationery Folders are available in two fun options: a bold red cartoon Spider-Man design or a colourful Disney Princess design.

Each folder contains high-quality stationery including an A4 notebook, six fibre tip pens, a ruler, pen, pencil, sharpener and pencil case, making them a great, cost-effective give for all Spidey and Princess fans returning to school In September. The folders are suitable for kids aged three and over, which also makes them a handy option for younger kids including those spending weekends with grandparents or going on trips. They are great for carrying around stationery, paperwork and artwork with ease.

IG Design’s licensed Character Bumper Creativity Folders, meanwhile, contain everything needed to help bring a child's creativity to life. Available in a fun, colourful Peppa Pig design or a stylish blue Paw Patrol design, each folder includes a colouring pad, pencil, eraser, sharpener, three crayons, an ink pad, three stampers and three mini pencils.

The Bumper Creativity Folder makes a great Back to School gift for Peppa and Paw Patrol fans or will help keep kids entertained over the holidays.

IG Design Group designs all its products with the environment in mind, continually researching and designing ways to reduce the single-use plastic content of its products to reduce the waste and pollution that the business is responsible for. At the same time, the company champions reductions in unsustainable packaging by cutting down on the amount of packaging used, increasing the recyclability of it and increasing the amount of recycled material used in its production.

Moose Toys

01637 882200 | www.moosetoys.com

The Real Littles collection of micro collectibles is aimed at girls aged 5-9 and comprises cute, colourful, real mini collectible surprises that really work. Across the core collection, Real Littles have upheld the ‘Cute’ aesthetic and functionality USP and have become a fan favourite in the ever-popular miniature subsector.

This month introduces a miniature, functional plushie backpack to the core collection. Unzipping the backpack reveals four surprise miniature stationery items. There will be six mini backpacks in different animal themes to collect, with finishes and colours including a bunny, hamster and uni-pup. Other additions to the core range include a surprise-indisguise mini stationery-filled Fridge and a new series of popular secret journals.

Summer welcomes a new collection of new Disney journals, as the company celebrates Disney’s 100th anniversary. Real Littles has created a collection of Magical Journals in the theme of household favourite films both old and new (Frozen 2, Encanto, Tangled, Mini Mouse, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) which, during Disney’s 100-year anniversary period, will be more popular than ever. The innovation with this line has been taken further than the journals from the core collection: within each journal is a magical bookmark that unlocks a secret compartment, where four micro, functional surprises are waiting to be discovered.

Hunter Price

0161 653 1306 | www.hunterprice.co.uk

Aiming to support its retail partners with bespoke collections developed with the target consumer in mind, Hunter Price International has released the details of its first collections with Crayola, which will launch from August.

A capsule collection will debut in 200 Tesco stores for brand-new range Crayola Kraft, which has been created by the team at Hunter Price in collaboration with the creativity icon. Crayola Kraft is a predominantly paperbased range that has the environment at heart and aims to inspire kids to craft with kindness. The first range is plastic free, recyclable, printed with vegetablebased inks and FSC certified.

Key lines include the Crayola Kraft Activity Case, which comes with 12 colouring pencils, sticker sheets and a 30-page activity book containing colouring sheets, craft activities and paper sheets. The Crayola Kraft Scrapbooking Kit includes a 40-page kraft paper scrapbook, sticker sheets, patterned and coloured paper sheets, tissue paper, decorative tape and raffia paper ribbon. Other products in the collection include a Card Making Kit and a 3D Wooden Animal Kit. The latter comes with five assorted animals which can be coloured and decorated.

The second new collection concept is Crayola Everyday, a range of 19 products designed to encourage crafting and creativity everyday, which will launch in more than 400 Poundland stores nationwide. The range combines Crayola quality product with fun themes and characters including monsters, unicorns and under the sea.

With a target demographic of children aged 3-11, the Crayola Everyday range features a variety of create-your-own items from puzzles to metallic canvases to a map of the world, as well as scratch art and paper pads. Most lines also include Crayola crayons, which are ideal for craft sessions with kids and adults alike.

In the coming months, Hunter Price will be unveiling additional retail product concepts in the UK and European markets.

For all the latest updates, follow @HunterPriceInternational on Instagram or LinkedIn, or visit the website.

RMS International

www.rmsint.com | sales@rmsint.com

RMS is investing heavily in its licensed stationery portfolio, growing the range across key brands for spring/summer 2024. This strategic move is a direct response to the growing demand for value-driven licensed stationery expressed by retail buyers.

In response to the upward trend in miniatures, RMS has unveiled an exciting addition to the Barbie stationery collection this summer. The highly anticipated Barbie Extra Miniature Stationery Vendor Set is a key highlight of this range. Building upon the success of the Barbie Extra miniatures products, this playful stationery set combines an assortment of tiny stationery items with appealing packaging inspired by vending machines. With Back to School season just around the corner, and the launch of the much-anticipated Barbie movie taking place later this month, RMS is expecting huge demand for the Barbie range, particularly the Barbie Extra Miniature Stationery Vendor Set.

Consumers can also look forward to an exciting new gifting option in licensed stationery with the upcoming release of both L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High Stationery Handbags. These handbag-inspired storage folders offer a delightful blend of style and functionality, complete with an adorable carry chain. Included with each folder, kids will find a highly sought-after fashion designer art pad, making it a perfect combination for kids with a love of both fashion and creativity.

Stationery pouches are an evergreen top performer within the licensed RMS portfolio. The company’s branded zip-lock pouches are not only reusable but also come packed with a convenient notepad and a carefully curated selection of stationery essentials. Designed to easily fit into school bags or accompany kids on long journeys, these pouches offer both practicality and style. Consumers can choose from a range of exciting brands including Rainbow High, Barbie, Harry Potter and more.

Flair GP

020 8643 0320

www.flairplc.co.uk

sales@flairplc.co.uk

CapStars, Flair’s licensed range of purpose-built collectibles, are an ultimate back-to-school brand that has seen kids rush to collect the cool, character-inspired pencil toppers from across the range.

The CapStars range is tipped for success thanks to its sustainable brand ethos. The first collectibles to be made from 100% recycled materials, each CapStar prevents at least seven plastic bottle caps from going into landfill. Kids can collect pencil topper characters from across the DC and Marvel universes and others from the Disney Kingdom. All are pocket-money-priced and perfect for kids aged five-plus, as well as older fans.

Each CapStar comes blind packaged in sustainable paper packaging, offering a fun reveal experience with a heroic, eco-conscious twist, while limited-edition characters drive repeat purchase.

Commotion Company Profile has a notion

Commotion, wholesale distributor of educational resources, hopes to expand further into retail across Europe following a positive start to the year for the company.

with London Toy Fair and Nuremburg. Since then, the company has had more presence than previous years in UK trade shows and educational fairs. “We hadn’t traditionally attended a lot of those,” explained Honor. “But we’ve started spreading our wings. It has been really useful to find out where we sit in the marketplace, where we can go and how we can push more into retail. It’s been both useful and exciting.”

difference, helping turn today’s children into tomorrow’s innovators.

The company’s marketing manager, Honor Davidson, said: “We’re seeing a growth in parents looking for toys that are fun and also stylish and attractive. Parents love anything that’s exciting and engaging, but that also has educational purpose. Toys that are made to last also have added appeal - then they can be handed down.”

TickiT educational toys are designed and developed by a dedicated in-house team which works with specialist advisors within early years, primary years and special educational needs. Its focus is on producing a wide range of high quality, engaging and open-ended learning resources for inspiring children’s natural curiosity, broadening their knowledge and aiding their development as they learn through play.

The range offers sensory products to soothe and aid relaxation, creative play resources that are unlimited in their learning potential, a selection of toys suitable from birth, products for understanding the world, communication and language resources, as well as hands-

To support customers, Commotion has a dedicated sales team to provide them with resources. Honor added: “We have expert photography, and we provide videos and lots of very detailed descriptions of our products that retailers can use when they’re promoting our products to their customers.”

The team is always on the hunt for new distributors and retailers to work with, and this year has had a particular focus on growing Commotion’s European customer base and seeing where it can improve to be attractive to even more retailers. There are currently strong and positive relationships with all its customers, and the team values their feedback. Honor explained that customers approach the sales team regularly suggesting more products for specific areas, then the sales team works with product development to fill in those gaps.

She said: “We design and create a lot of our products in house and that’s often based on the feedback we get. I think we’re very good at maintaining a personal level of communication with those we work with; we treat our customers as extended family. We’re a small company working with lots of people around the world and our sales team is doing a sterling job to maintain great relationships with them all. I’m proud that we have a very personal approach to how we look after them.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the sales team set up Zoom meetings with customers to provide presentations straight from the live show room, with the whole range

behind the presenters. They have continued to do this, which means that customers can find out about products before they go live on the Commotion website.

Honor said: “This method has worked well and enables us to showcase all our new and upcoming products. We can explain which products go well together and show retailers how they work together. This is all part of how we look after our customers, and keeping these lines of communication open helps in between the fairs and visits. It’s an immersive experience, and reactive because we can give immediate answers. We find it useful for connecting with new customers who might not know our range very well or perhaps even trying to get prospective customers onboard.”

The company mission now is ensuring it has the right products to fit into the retail market. Having already developed and brought out several TickiT products in Q1 including Sensory Reflective Colour Mystery Balls, last month there was a further release including the Woodland Set, Wooden Building Gem Blocks, Gem Cube Mirror Tray and Wooden Treasures sorting set.

Retailers interested in finding out more about working with Commotion should contact info@commotion.co.uk or

Allegedly

Having spent several days at last month’s Distoy event in London, let’s put one ridiculous rumour to bed: I don’t think it is any great secret that there were ‘mutterings’ in advance of the show, with some concerned about a gradual drift towards LA. Some people even went so far as to claim this would be the last ever Distoy. I can quite confidently say – without fear of contradiction – that this suggestion turned out to be complete and utter nonsense. In my experience, shows don’t die because of what one or two keyboard warriors say on LinkedIn – they die because they stop fulfilling the objectives of exhibitors and visitors. The primary focus of Distoy is for toy companies to show new lines to potential new distribution partners from across the globe. So, did distributors find new lines to add to their portfolios? Yes they did (confirmed by some of the largest UK and European distributors I spoke to). Did exhibitors get the opportunity to engage with potential new partners? Yes they did. As the show delivered on these two key metrics, I would deem that a success. While exhibitor numbers were similar to last year (although, admittedly, a few big names were missing), visitor numbers were down. Usually, when that happens, it results in a lot of very unhappy exhibitors. But here’s the funny thing…. just about everyone I spoke to didn’t really mind. Many told me that they had longer, more productive meetings – the ‘speed-dating’ craziness of previous years gave way to less frantic, more meaningful discussions. People also suggested that the visitors who came were ‘serious’ – and we are back to the ‘quality over quantity’ argument. Indeed, some of the original exhibitors have complained to me in recent years that the show had got too big and had lost its roots – so presumably they are happier with a more selective audience? One final observation on Distoy: there were a few companies piggybacking (the kind way of putting it) on the official show this year. I find that a bit disappointing, and I know that many people I spoke to this week feel the same. But while setting up round the corner could be construed as a bit naughty, booking a ‘hooky’ room at St James Court (one of the official Distoy hotels) is another level of brazen entirely. I hope the few quid they saved was worth the reputational damage the company in question suffered after it became known what they had done…

Talking to many international visitors at Distoy and in Las Vegas, there is a growing belief that the January trip to Hong Kong is very much back on the agenda. More on that in the weeks to come, but one point to ponder – is there any real reason why everyone has to jump on a plane the minute Big Ben’s bells have stopped ringing in the New Year? The Hong Kong Toy Fair runs from 8th-11th January – would it make sense to focus showroom activity along a similar timeline (especially now fewer Americans are likely to make the trip) …

I also bumped into Jo Hall in Las Vegas, who tells me that she will be ‘retiring’ from Toys R Us Asia at the end of September and relocating to Phuket. However, I suspect it won’t be the last that we see of Jo in the toy arena – I am sure there will be no shortage of advisory / consultancy offers for someone with her considerable knowledge and experience. But after 39 years in the corporate retail world, she has certainly earned the chance for a change of pace…

To kickstart a summer of blockbuster toy movies, we recently went on a Toy World team outing to a preview screening of the new Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie, which was a real thrill ride. Tremendous energy, bags of exhilarating action, some smart humour, a few clever hat tips to other toy brands (including one very intriguing set up of another Hasbro spin-off towards the end…) and a banging rap soundtrack. It felt like this is the Transformers movie that Hasbro has been trying to make for a while. A great opportunity to reset the brand, get a whole new generation of kids excited and sell plenty of toys. Judging by the strong box office performance, many people agree, although Toymaster’s Paul Reader made a very pertinent point on my LinkedIn post about the movie merchandise: “Why do retailers decide that the best way to launch the brand in-store is to take 20% off? Before even attempting to give the brand a run for its money. The investment to bring a brand to market is huge. Mr. Retailer - give the brand a chance. Mr. Supplier - partner up with retailers that want to grow your brands.” I wasn’t initially sure who he was referring to, but only hours later I received an email from the Mr. Retailer in question, highlighting the discount it was offering across the entire range. A smart way to capitalise on the movie launch, or an unnecessary erosion of margin from a retailer which is well-known for having very particular margin requirements? I’ll leave you to decide…

Ravensburger has been rightly excited about its upcoming Disney Lorcana trading card game launch, only to find out a few weeks ago that it may now have to fend off a proposed lawsuit from Upper Deck, which is alleging that Lorcana is based on a game that it had paid the designer to create while he was working for them. Ravensburger has issued a robust denial, saying that it will fight the claim vigorously. With the launch scheduled for August and a full programme of support activity already in place, this is definitely one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks…

We announced the dates for both Licensing Expo and BLE for ’24 and ’25 online recently – and for those who like to plan ahead, there are some notable changes from this year's dates. Licensing Expo returns to a mid-May timeslot for both years (unfortunately for us, clashing with the Toymaster May show at least for next year, and potentially both years), while BLE moves from early October this year to late September next year and then mid-October the following year. It can’t be easy finding suitable dates that work across so many different industries without there being clashes, while country and religious holidays, as well as venue availability, only exacerbate the situation. So, there is always going to be one group of people or another for which the date presents challenges – just one of the joys of putting on a cross-category, multi-territory event.