From the publisher

By the time you read this month’s issue, we should hopefully know when toy stores in the UK will be able to re-open. Naturally, most of the toy retailers I have spoken to in recent weeks have indicated a strong preference for being allowed to open in time for Easter weekend. However, I suspect that most are pragmatic and sanguine enough to know that this may or may not be achievable. Patience really has become a virtue over the past year.

There are many areas in which I disagree with our Prime Minister, but I do agree that this should – in an ideal world – be the last lockdown. Of course, the virus may yet disrupt that aspiration; unlike Dido Harding, I remember enough of my Biology O-Level from 40 years ago to know that viruses do not act in a linear or predictable way. Nevertheless, with vaccinations continuing apace, there is genuine hope that we may finally be able to see some light at the end of what has, at times, felt like a very long tunnel.

I can understand why retailers – especially specialist toy stores – have been frustrated. So many livelihoods are at stake. However, I have nothing but admiration for the flexibility and resilience of the toy community, and its willingness to keep looking and moving forward. Retailers have embraced new ways to sell product (ring or click and collect, online sales, kerbside delivery), while for one year only (hopefully), Toy Fair Season has been replaced by Virtual Toy Fair Season, which is still in full swing.

I am sure that many retailers reading this will have attended far more virtual previews than the Toy World team, so I’m curious to know how you have found the experience. What worked well? What could companies have done better? What should be avoided at all costs? All feedback gratefully received, because I have a sneaking suspicion that virtual previews aren’t going away any time soon – not that I see them replacing physical trade shows and previews (heaven forbid), but I can see a future where the two strands complement each other to offer a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario.

Once stores are given the green light to re-open, there should hopefully be plenty of pent-up consumer demand to get them off to a strong start – and retailers will want their shelves to be looking full and attractive. All of which points to this month seeing a welcome increase in order writing. If you’re looking for inspiration on new lines to excite your customers, we have three comprehensive product features to whet your appetite: this month, we take an in-depth look at the Science and Nature, Action Vehicles and Outdoor Toy categories.

Science and Nature dovetails neatly with current educational and home-schooling needs, while Action Vehicles is a perennial sector which always brims with innovation. And, of course, Outdoor Toys is coming off the back of a stellar year and looks set for another strong performance over the coming months. All the evidence points to foreign holidays continuing to be problematic for much of this year, so another year of staycations looks increasingly likely - and hopefully that will result in more sales for UK toy retailers and more investment in outdoor items as the back garden becomes the focus once more.

We also continue to bring you all the latest news and opinion from around the trade – because the pandemic certainly hasn’t stopped the toy market from generating plenty of new developments and talking points. A few weeks ago, I even managed to do something which I haven’t done for quite a while: I left my house to visit a shop selling toys, where I stood in the aisles talking with a bunch of people I knew from the toy community.

The store in question was Watford Asda, chosen as one of the trial stores for which The Entertainer will manage the toy department over the next six months. I met up with some of the good folk from the Entertainer team to witness first-hand the fruits of their labour - you can read my thoughts how it all looked on p.8

Coming in the middle of what would traditionally have been Toy Fair Season, the opportunity to catch up with people in the flesh and talk about toys felt good. It felt… normal. I am looking forward immensely to being able to do this more often - to visit toy stores, toy companies, toy trade shows and events. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer. Onwards and upwards…