Feature: Wheeled Toys

Free wheelin'

With summer fast approaching and staycations on the cards for many families this year, the wheeled category looks set to enjoy another strong period. Rachael Simpson-Jones considers the trends affecting the market, and the big opportunities for suppliers and retailers.

This year, skateboarding looks set to be one of the big winners within the wheeled toys category. The popularity of the sport, which is cheap and accessible to get into, as well as easy to pick up yet challenging to master, has soared in recent years, and companies such as HGL are seeing that reflected in their skateboard sales. Some have suggested the official recognition of skateboarding as an Olympic sport is to thank for this, while others believe the likes of Sky Brown, the youngest professional skateboarder in the world, is behind it. Whatever the reason, 2021 seems set to be the year of the skateboard, as Tobar CEO David Mordecai explains.

“We’ve noticed a massive uptake in the purchase of skateboards during lockdown across all age ranges,” he enthuses. “It’s too early to say what effect the Olympic connection will have on the market, but we expect that the validation of skateboarding as a legitimate sport will certainly enhance sales. Design and durability are important factors in skateboards, so ours are built to take Olympic-style stunt riding.”

Swag Distribution also says sales are ‘booming’ across its skateboarding lines, with Rampage in particular proving popular with fans of the sport. Alongside a comprehensive range of skateboards in a variety of different deck designs, Rampage also offers ramps, airboxes and grind rails so riders can create their own at-home skate parks – perfect for those who want to practise alone or whose local skate parks haven’t yet reopened.

Swag also tells me its scooter selections continue to enjoy high demand. Sales of scooters and bikes soared during lockdown as families sought fun new ways to get out the house and enjoy some fresh air. It’s been suggested that scooters became a leading choice during the pandemic because they are easier to wipe down with sanitiser after use than a bike, as well as helping to promote solo play. The former point seems a fair enough observation - but do scooter manufacturers agree with the latter?

“We do agree with this statement, but we also feel that wheeled toys are not just important for solo play, but for time spent as a family too,” said Alison Downie, global Licensing & Brand director at HTI Toys. “The pandemic has highlighted just how much time children spend looking at screens, and so we have found that parents want to encourage more physical activity and promote outdoor play. Shared experiences as a family and evergreen play patterns have emerged as market drivers during the pandemic. Learning and working from home has meant consumers have turned back to traditional modes of family engagement, which has put more focus on activities that families can take part in together, both indoors and outdoors.”

HTI’s revamped and relaunched wheeled range, Evo Reloaded, includes on-trend, high quality scooters featuring bright colours and geometric deck patterns, all at affordable price points. The line marks a substantial investment in the category for HTI, which has left no stone unturned in its efforts to fill what it perceives as a gap in the market for ‘modern, trend-leading, premium quality scooters at a unique value proposition’. Alison adds: “With our Evo brand relaunch, we are positioned to offer a comprehensive range of products offering compelling and modern styles, which in turn provide a unique value proposition across the wheeled sector. We see ourselves as a complete solution for this category, with the breadth of our clearly segmented range offering products across all age categories from toddlers to adults, from balance bikes to scooters, as well as also battery-operated ride-ons.”

In addition to push-powered scooters and bikes suitable for toddlers right up to adults, Evo will move into the lithium scooter category for autumn/ winter, which HTI hopes will open the brand to a

new audience of grown-up riders. MV has identified e-scooters for kids, youths and adults as a growth opportunity for this year, while Yvolution is also moving into this area with a completely new electric brand, Yes by Yvolution. A project that has been in the works for a few years, Dominique Chea, associate product marketing manager, says the Yes Electric Scooter was created following years of research and development, and promises to bring innovation to this burgeoning yet still young market.

It must be noted that in the UK, the debate over electric scooters rages on. Despite their huge potential to slash emissions generated by daily commutes in petrol and diesel cars and buses, the use of privately owned scooters on public roads and pavements remains illegal for now, with riders facing hefty fines, points on their driving licences and the seizure of their ride. However, e-scooter rental trials are currently taking place in more than 50 towns and cities in England, run by 11 private companies. Data from these trials will potentially be used to legalise e-scooters for private use across the country, a move that will appeal to a huge number of environmentally minded commuters looking for greener ways to get around.

For 2021, MV Sports has added several new kids’ properties to its comprehensive wheeled toys portfolio. The company offers products which sell in volume all year round, incorporating the best in own-brand innovation with the most sought after childrens’ licences. Although MV has always boasted a very strong licensed portfolio, it has found its ride-ons in higher demand than ever in recent months, as Phil Ratcliffe, commercial director at MV’s parent company, Tandem Group, explains: “We know that Covid affected some entertainment release and production schedules, and during lockdown we could see that there were far more kids viewing content via on-line platforms using various digital devices. In response, we looked at the viewing figures for properties such as CoComelon and Baby Shark, and - knowing that there must be a huge pent-up demand for product - we enhanced our licensed portfolio. Paw Patrol and Nerf, meanwhile, are proven classics guaranteed to drive sales, and we’re pleased our offerings for these properties are continuing into this year.” 8th Wonder, meanwhile, is also bolstering its own ranges with new licensed ride-ons launching for autumn/winter, suitable for younger kids and toddlers. Made from FSC-certified wood to be both aesthetically pleasing and planet-friendly, the company’s charming new wheeled toys include the Paw Patrol Chase and Marshall Foot to Floor Ride Ons, Peppa Pig’s Wooden Campervan Ride On, and the Peppa Pig Wooden Ride-On Scooter. Each features the high level of detail consumers have come to expect from 8th Wonder’s products; Peppa and Daddy Pig sit in the front seat of the campervan and the lid lifts off to reveal a handy storage compartment, while the Paw Patrol ride-ons are tailored to reflect each character’s role within the show. Chase and Marshall sit at the front of each, to oversee the fun.

Away from licensing, emerging trends are also making their presence felt. Tie dye is apparently making a comeback, reflected by the sales of HGL’s tie dye themed scooters, while bright neon colours are proving a top choice for summer skateboarding. We’re also seeing innovative new wheeled toys joining the space alongside more traditional bikes and scooters. Carerra Revell, which was recently announced as the new distributor of Rollplay within the UK, Benelux, Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Austria, has unveiled its hero line for autumn/winter, the Pedal Drift. Channelling the spirit of an airplane into the body of a bike/go kart, the kid-powered ride-on offers younger children from two years of age their very first taste of the excitement on offer from the likes of the bigger and faster Turnado, an electric drifting kart suitable for ages eight and above. And a special mention must go to Little Tikes for producing what is up there among my personal favourites in this issue - a ‘dinosaur-powered’ ride-on, the T-Rex Truck. It’s roarsome.

The majority of toy retailers are now open once again across the UK, but for many, the need for social distancing means floorspace is at a premium. Phil Ratcliffe at MV is keen to highlight that not all wheeled toys come in bulky packaging, meaning even the most bijou stores shouldn’t be shy of stocking them ready for summer. “It is not the case that all wheeled toys are big box,” he says. “Scooters, trikes and skates are all surprisingly compact and sell year-round, and the majority of our Hedstrom outdoor range fits on a 1-metre-wide shelf. When it comes to larger products such as Go Karts, if floorspace is limited then setting a display model out in the window or within the shop can help drive consumers towards online ordering.”

Dominique at Dublin-based Yvolution says the company remains keen to support smaller UK retailers, having last year lowered its minimum order value for free carriage to just £300. She also tells me that Yvolution doesn’t insist on a high minimum order quantity per SKU, which allows smaller retailers to try a variety of different colours and models. She adds: “We also have great new displays coming soon to the UK, which take up little floor space while showing off a good variety of products, and we support smaller retailers with drop shipping and flexible payment terms. At Yvolution, our mission is to champion kid’s health and happiness by making fun new toys that help them explore the world and develop through every stage of their life. It’s important for us to keep this mission resonating by getting our products in front of the nation’s families.”

As its major launch for this year, HTI will be placing significant investment behind Evo that it says will create an engaging, collaborative brand relationship with its clients. The company will be providing traditional, digital and POS content and direction to enhance sell-through strategies. In addition, it has produced a highly detailed brand guideline document for retailers, which offers everything from info on how to position the logo and the colour palettes available, to downloadable marketing assets. Demo videos highlighting the key features of some of HTI’s higher-spec lines will help raise awareness among consumers, while instructional videos for lithium products will be created with the aim of helping consumers set up their scooters easily at home. These videos can be accessed via a QR code on the instructional leaflets included with each product.

“The autumn/winter 2021 relaunch of Evo is just the beginning,” finishes Alison Downie. “HTI is looking to the future and is excited to develop even more game-changing product lines.”