Feature - Construction Toys

Site report

Constructions toys remain a staple of the toybox, offering kids (and grown-ups) the opportunity to engage in creative, tactile, satisfying play that enhances a range of developmental skills. With major suppliers continuing to build on their portfolios for 2025, Toy World examines the myriad ways consumers of all ages can get building and why retailers should be looking to expand their Construction offering with new and upcoming brands and suppliers.

It’s almost impossible to have a conversation with an independent toy retailer without Lego coming up.

The Danish brick specialist has long been a mainstay of the global toy retail scene, but among indies in particular has become a crucial brand that is helping to insulate stores from the worst of the current economic challenges. Lego’s June launches have been particularly welcome, arriving at the end of what some have cited as one of the toughest quarters in years. Midco’s Dave Middleton says the Star Wars Y-Wing set has been the standout launch in his store, while Matt Booker of Corsham Toy Shop says the product drop has been a ‘nice boost’ during an otherwise quiet period.

One of the greatest things about Lego, according to Christian Pau, vice president & general manager, UK & Ireland, is that the range helps retailers tap into their audience’s passion points, whatever they may be. “Whether that’s space, gaming, nature and animals, cars and trains, interior design or a particular fandom such as Star Wars or Disney,” there’s a Lego set to suit every interest,” says Christian. “Whatever it is that a consumer loves, you can guarantee we offer a set that will appeal to them and captivate their imagination.”

Recently, Lego’s focus has been on one of its biggest activations of the year – Space – which the company knows is a key passion point across many audiences and age groups. And it’s not the only construction specialist shooting for the stars in 2024: Magna-Tiles’ new Space Set, which includes a first-of-its-kind Shuttle, a unique Astronaut figure and new MicroMags pieces for an enhanced, imaginative play experience, is tipped to be a top toy this Christmas.

Recently, Magna-Tiles – America’s No. 1 Magnetic Building Sets Brand according to Circana - announced that it had signed a UK sales, distribution and marketing agreement with Wow! Stuff. Christian Peterson, director of International Markets at Magna-Tiles, told Toy World the company sees significant, untapped potential for expansion of the Magna-Tiles brand in the UK and is ‘thrilled’ to be working with Wow! Stuff on making these aspirations a reality in the months ahead.

“Wow! Stuff boasts a tremendous track record, but it also shares a passion for building great/premium brands, rooted in rich storytelling and category-defining innovation,” he enthuses. “We have a solid foundation in place, and with Wow! Stuff’s partnership increasing our visibility in stores and online, we look forward to a very near future where the Magna-Tiles brand captures the hearts and imaginations of UK families, just as it has done in the US.”

Another brand from outside the UK, Australian magnetic construction specialist Connetix Tiles has been enjoying success this side of the pond for a few years. Glenn Harrison, global head of Sales, says the company has attended a number of leading industry trade shows across Europe, with successful meetings at London Toy Fair and Spielwarenmesse leading to ‘huge growth’ so far in 2024. Glenn adds: “Connetix is continually expanding as we welcome two new members to our UK and European team in the coming months, with many new additions across our global team. We still have big plans in the pipeline for the year, but our goals and ambitions are aligning well.”

This year, Connetix is launching an immersive new range that the company says ‘promises to unlock greater possibilities in construction play’. The Roads Creative Pack introduces sleek black shade tiles and a range of road inspired shapes to the Connetix portfolio, designed to not only enhance the creation of roads, but also to bring new dimensions to other architectural builds, from skateparks to cities and so much more. As a manufacturer, Connetix has always leant into open-ended construction play that allows children to be guided by their imaginations. Glenn says: “It's through these extensive open-ended play opportunities that kids develop wider skills, and the product lifecycle expands, making Connetix a more sustainable gift that appeals to both children and kidults alike and can be enjoyed for many years.”

The same is true of Magna-Tiles, which offers sets not focused on a rigid outcome. According to Christian Peterson, Magna-Tiles play is driven by a child’s imagination, not a specific set of instructions, and doesn’t require adult involvement (unless kids want their adult to join in the fun). “From Day 1, we’ve been guided by our core purpose -the promotion of Meaningful Play, which embraces the open-ended, child-led nature of Magna-Tiles building.”

Many Lego sets offer a more traditional building experiences that follow a set of structured guidelines, meaning models are often left assembled and displayed instead of being broken down and built again. While this is hugely appealing to many construction fans (especially AFOLs – Adult Fans of Lego), the company knows that others prefer a free rein when it comes to building and opt for more creative play. To cater to these builders, The Lego Group is creating new sets and brands, such as Lego Dreamzzz, which contain instructions for only 80% of the build - the final 20% is left completely up to the child’s imagination. The Lego Creator 3-in-1 sets also offer three builds in one, giving Lego fans the opportunity to mix up their creations, while also demonstrating that the bricks can be used in more ways than one.

Polish construction brand Cobi, which throughout its history has focused primarily on historical military vehicles and aviation, prides itself on creating detailed scaled models – not just toys – that, when finished, don’t look as though they’ve been built using bricks. The company has built up quite a fanbase and, with demand for product continuing to soar, is now branching out into new areas for 2024. This includes rally cars such as the Lancia Delta HF and high-performance vehicles such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Always looking for new ways to engage its audience, this year sees Cobi sponsor several family friendly festivals including We Have Ways Fest 2024 and Norfolk Tank Museum’s Armourfest 2024. The aim is that the sponsorship enhances Cobi’s brand awareness and increases sales within the museum/retailer/festival it’s working with - and that this ultimately disseminates into the wider audience. As a smaller construction brand in a category dominated by one or two major players, Lee Crocker, country manager UK & Ireland for Cobi, feels strongly that the indie sector has a major role to play in the success of smaller brand - and vice versa. “I believe that the independent market is very important, and that smaller, up-and-coming brands and independent retailers should be working together to ensure that everyone benefits,” he explains. “Yes, it is difficult Plus-Plus UK & Ireland managing director Claire Coekin tells Toy World that including Construction products from smaller, up-and-coming brands allows retailers to offer a richer, more diverse shopping experience and helps build a loyal customer base. She explains: “We are hearing feedback from retailers that listing Plus-Plus can enable them to differentiate themselves in the competitive construction category: Plus-Plus has a tactile quality and when connected together, the pieces are secure yet flexible enough to bend, which sets it apart from other brands in the category. We know that more and more customers are going into stores and asking for Plus-Plus, and that customers love when they find it on shelf. This can increase their loyalty to the retailer stocking it.”

At the Toymaster May Show, Plus-Plus unveiled a striking new packaging playbook which Claire says injects more excitement and fun into the brand’s aesthetics. “The bright, eye-popping ombre effect on the packaging is designed to get our ‘freedom of play’ story across to the consumer,” she says. “We also want to convey that Plus-Plus is an oasis of colour. With over 55 colours in the range, there is a wide spectrum of tones to explore. We’ve enjoyed a very positive response to the new packaging design and, interestingly, retailers have fed back that it will stand out amongst other brands on shelf in the Construction aisle, as well as work equally well in the Creative Play/Arts & Crafts aisle.”

In addition to new 2024 launches discussed thus far, it’s worth noting that Vivid Goliath is introducing a brand-new range to the construction sector this year, suitable for the youngest of builders. Combining construction fun with tactile and sensory exploration, Jelly Blox are filled with an array of squishable, squeezable, squashable pieces. Toy World was lucky enough to see these first hand at Vivid Goliath’s autumn/winter preview earlier this year and can attest that the blocks were very difficult to put down. Also suitable for very young kids, Smart Toys & Games is introducing SmartMax My First Explorers and SmartMax My First Stacking Rings to its existing, bestselling SmartMax My First… range, which continues to pick up awards from parenting websites including Loved by Parents.

Newness for the slightly older child hails from the Dark Side. Launched in 2018, Ravensburger’s Gravitrax brand welcomes its first ever licensed set this year - the GraviTrax Action Set: Death Star. Based on the iconic planetdestroying space station from the Star Wars franchise, the primarily black and grey set includes over 200 track pieces, tiles and action elements, as well as TIE Fighter and X-Wing spaceships. Suitable for ages eight and above, Bandai introduces Plannosaurus, a brand-new line of constructible dinosaur kits based on real scientific research. Build-ityourself modelling fans can also get creative with Hornby’s latest Airfix launches, including the 1:72 RNLI Shannon Class Lifeboat.

When it comes to retail support for stockists, our contributors all see the value of providing ways for kids and families to get hands-on with their construction ranges while in the toy store. Connetix says it is working to create play experience zones within its core retail partners, providing families an opportunity to discover the fun of Connetix together before they go home, while Cobi is trialling play days with free demo product in a selection of its stockists. Alongside its standard POS solutions (posters, shelf strips etc.) Cobi has also started rolling out display models to stores, and later in the year will be introducing light boxes and window display POS to build awareness and help entice customers in off the street.

Plus-Plus, meanwhile, is expanding its demo event programme for 2024 following strong retail uptake. Claire says the programme connect more kids to the joys of playing freely with Plus-Plus. “Demo ‘play day’ boxes and demo days supported by trained demonstrators helps to drive footfall to store and our Easter, summer, and Spooky Season themed play events have been particularly popular,” she enthuses. “We provide printed and digital event posters to draw customers into store on the demo days - and feedback shows that this is leading to increased sales on the day and repeat buys thereafter. All retail partners receive a box of free sample bags to giveaway to customers: Plus-Plus for 5+ or Plus-Plus Big for 10 months and above.”

She adds: “Our most popular and productive merchandise unit, the spinner display stand of assorted tubes, incorporates a tray table of mixed colour loose pieces, offering kids the opportunity to get hands on and enjoy the tactile Plus-Plus open play experience. Ultimately, we aim to extend a warm welcome to all customers who want to build on their retail success with Plus-Plus.”