Feature: Infant Toys

Baby boom

With analysts predicting something of a post-pandemic baby boom, there’s arguably never been a better time for retailers to beef up their infant toy ranges. Rachael Simpson-Jones asks what goes into creating a leading infant brand, and the importance of gift-ability when it comes to securing sales.

While many people enjoyed a slower pace of life during the lockdowns, others were slightly busier; since September, the numbers of people booking their first antenatal appointment has gone up by nearly 7% on the previous year. That’s a lot of babies on the way, and a lot of gifts to buy. Gifting accounts for a substantial proportion of the sales of infant toys – there’s a reason you’ll see references to gifting scattered liberally throughout the following pages - and with pre-birth celebratory events now very much an unmissable part of the pregnancy journey, consumers are buying more than ever before.

“There are so many gifting opportunities now when it comes to pregnancy and babies,” says Mark Standen, sales manager at Rainbow Designs. “From gender reveal parties and baby showers to celebrating the arrival, naming days and first year celebrations, there is always an occasion that requires a gift. Rainbow, the Home of Classic Characters, has 50 years of experience in developing and creating high quality, joyful toys featuring nostalgic and much-loved characters such as Peter Rabbit, Paddington Bear and Disney’s Winnie the Pooh. We believe it is the magical combination of these adored characters, all of which have stood the test of time and appeal to all generations, coupled with Rainbow’s expertise and knowledge in crafting beautiful forever toys, which appeals to gift buyers.”

David Allan, Toynamics UK & Ireland MD, says that when it comes to toys for babies, trust lies at the heart of purchasing decisions. Consumers want to see brand names they know on products that are safe, age-appropriate, and attractively priced, all qualities that make Toynamics’ Skip Hop and Hape collections particularly popular. Hape’s infant portfolio covers categories including bath, music, pull-alongs, ride-ons, railways and much more, while Skip Hop’s Infant range covers areas such as soft toys, backpacks, books and music, all crafted in the brand’s unique style.

The importance of gifting is reflected in the packaging of infant toys. Juratoys, whose Kaloo brand sits particularly well within toy and nursery gifting sections, says it has seen a rise in sales of products displayed in gift boxes, which it is putting down to increasing numbers of baby showers, while Clementoni is careful to produce beautiful packaging containing products in neutral colourways that offer a complementary fit with any décor – perfect if you have absolutely no idea what colour the nursery walls are going to be. In the era of social media, with our lives photographed and shared more than ever before, aesthetically pleasing toys that look good in a variety of settings once out of the box will always be welcome.

Regardless of who’s buying the toy, the nature of the intended recipient means developmental benefits are a key consideration when designing infant toys, whether that’s in the form of mirrors and rattles for sensory stimulation of young babies, interactive features for cause-and-effect play as kids get a little older, or movable, stackable parts that hone motor skills throughout the major developmental stages. With this in mind, the design team at Juratoys’ HQ constantly invents new toys to make growing up fun. The company’s Lalaboom collection is ideal for improving hand-eye coordination and motor skills, while the Janod range comprises educational games, puzzles, magenti’books and role play toys. The French brand has signed a new licensing deal with WWF that has resulted in the creation of a range of charming toys made from FSC-certified sustainable wood and waterbased paints. Each of the 30 new WWF Janod toys invites infants and toddlers to engage in a different way, either by stacking the wooden pieces, pushing or pulling the toy along, balancing fun animal characters, or sorting them according to shape and colour, aiding infants on their developmental journey through play.

“We understand that play promotes children’s physical, cognitive and emotional development,” says Neil Montgomery, UK commercial director, Juratoys. “We help children develop their skills and gain self-esteem and confidence by respecting their preferences, while letting them explore and experiment freely. Children also need opportunities to have exchanges. Without relationships or sharing they cannot grow and build their identity. Via our three fantastic brands – Kaloo, Janod and Lalaboom - Juratoys encourages this sharing through play to create happy moments.”

Mattel’s 90+ year old heritage brand Fisher-Price has plenty of experience under its belt when it comes

to creating toys that fuel growth, yet constantly seeks new ways to improve its products with innovative technology that will enhance development. Kelly Philp, Mattel UK’s marketing director, explains: “Fisher-Price understands that playtime is essential for learning and development, with each fun-filled milestone a steppingstone to new discoveries and new skills as children begin to explore the world around them. Our successful Linkimals range, which continues to expand, aids development with innovative technology that enables the products to link together, combining sounds, songs and phrases that teach numbers and colours while developing motor skills. Our new 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot, meanwhile, offers four interactive toys in one to keep playtime going as babies grow from infant to toddler to pre-schooler, offering great value for money and a strong assortment of developmental benefits.”

Like Fisher-Price, Clementoni also makes technology and interactivity a core aspect of many of its infant toys. At the same time child emotional development is taken into account, as well as the potential to improve parent-child interaction by helping them strengthen bonds through play. “Our premium-quality products come with a built-in road map for both emotional development and general education, as well as a particular focus on parentchild interaction,” explains Shahbaz Khan, UK country manager, Clementoni. “These products have been designed to create a ‘well-being zone’, in which children and their parents can strengthen the deep feelings of affection that exist between them, just by playing.”

Leaning far more towards traditional than tech, Rainbow Designs’ infant toy collections have been designed to work beautifully at retail when presented as a whole, which creates in-store theatre and offers the customer more than just a few stand-alone products would. Rainbow’s new Always and Forever Winnie the Pooh collection, launching this summer, features a beautiful Special Edition Soft Toy, as well as individually gift-boxed Ring Rattles and Comfort Blankets. When ranged together, Mark Standen tells me, they create an eye-catching display that will draw consumers over and tell a story. He adds: “Our Baby Bays have also proved extremely successful in stores where floor space allows. These beautifully designed bays allow for the optimum display of several different ranges along with character branding, making them both visibly and accessibly easy for the customer to shop.”

Stockists of Juratoys’ brands can make use of a wealth of display and POS materials. Neil tells me the team is passionate about helping retailers create effective in-store displays of its products, ultimately increasing store footfall, and that the company’s team of salespeople use their expertise to guide retailers towards the best display solutions for Janod, Kaloo and Lalaboom, regardless of the size and style of their store. He adds: “From attractive wooden display stands to temporary floor standing display units, options to create in-store theatre, interactive screens and much more, there is something to suit everyone.”

Toynamics offers a wide variety of in-store display solutions for all store sizes, working with each customer on an individual basis to create an eyecatching display across all its brands. As readers who attended Toy Fair 2020 may well have seen, Hape’s shop-in-shop solutions, from light-up railway tunnels children can walk through to unique Hape wooden wall display units, offer a great way to create in-store magic, at a time when consumers are returning to toy stores in search of the much-missed physical shopping experience. All displays are tailored to fit the customer’s range and include colourful floor graphics and wall panels too. Stockists of Skip Hop can also make use of the brand’s selection of display options, which range from CDUs to high quality wooden spinner units. Window clings and branding blocks are also available to enhance the space. As with all its brands, Toynamics also provides bespoke planograms and FSDU options along with additional marketing support available. Promotions, gift with purchase initiatives, in-store play tables and fun days are always a big hit with retailers too. MD David Allan says that this year sees Toynamics’ biggest ever marketing campaign, covering in-store, social media and direct PR. Consumers, meanwhile, will this year enjoy fun days, promotions and offers via Toynamics’ key retail partners that will highlight the USPs of Hape and Skip Hop and drive footfall to stockists of both brands.

Shahbaz at Clementoni, meanwhile, highlights that the company’s varied infant portfolio, covering different topics and themes across multiple price points and ages, provides an easy solution when retailers want to take a range regardless of how much space they have. He adds: “For retailers to maximise the opportunities our baby and infant ranges offer, we would suggest taking a good number of products that will have in-store impact and offer a point of difference to consumers. We also have great POP and branding which can be used by retailers to shout about the range and individual toys within it.”

Over the following pages, Toy World brings readers everything they need to know on the latest infant toys and details the developmental benefits that will help the next generation grow through play.