Toy World Magazine May 2020

May 2020 Volume 9 Issue 9

The Team...

CONTENTS May 2020 Volume 9 Issue 9

John Baulch

20 Special Feature: Getting social media right

Publisher and Managing Editor john@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 408 07932 651 207

32 Brand Profile: Thomas & Friends 75th anniversary

Mark Austin

Sales Director mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Anita Baulch

Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

News 05 06 14 16 28 74

From the Publisher News Industry Moves Marketing World Licensing World Allegedly

Regulars Features 22 25 39 40 48 70

NPD column Talking Shop Touching Base Hot Properties Viewpoint Fresh

Contributors The NPD Group | Mark Buschhaus Stephen Barnes | Jonathan Chambers Asha Bhalsod | Richard Dickson Darran Garnham

20 32 34 44 47 50 51 52 54 56 58 72

Special Feature: Getting social media right Brand Profile: Thomas & Friends 75th anniversary Feature: Character Licensed Merchandise Special Feature: Stealth Learning Company Profile: Interplay Special Feature: Operation Pac-Man Retail Profile: eBay Retail Profile: BargainMax Company Profile: Lucy Locket Company Profile: Down Your Hight Street Feature: Dolls & Girls' Collectibles Special Feature: ICTI Ethical Toy Program

Rachael Simpson-Jones Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

44 Special Feature: Stealth Learning

58 Feature: Dolls & Girls' Collectibles

Lisa Currie

Assistant Editor Lisa@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Mark Crowford

Design and Production Manager markc@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

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y the time you read this, we will have been in lockdown for well over a month – now that the initial shock has worn off, I hope that you are all living your best pandemic lives. Without doubt, the world is a different place now. Just a few months ago, I was in the Javits Centre for Toy Fair New York – that seems a world away now, with the venue converted into a temporary hospital. The same thing has happened at London’s Excel, which hosted last year’s BLE (and still hopes to do so in October this year).

from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

Like those exhibition centres, we have all recognised the need to be flexible, reactive and adaptable. Pretty much every aspect of the toy market has been completely reset by this situation – everything we know has changed in an instant. We are all making things up as we go along. It is the only way – as the situation evolves and new information becomes available, changing your mind is perfectly ok. In fact, it is the only sensible course of action.

Amidst the crisis, there have been many stories of courage and fortitude, of people and companies stepping up and doing amazing things. There are clearly some hugely resourceful people within the toy community; we’ve seen that in the way they have adapted their traditional business models to make the most of the business opportunities that exist. And we’ve seen it in the way toy companies and retailers have stepped up to help by providing medical equipment and supplies to front line workers. MGA’s Isaac Larian has set up Operation Pac-Man, a non-profit organisation devoted to fight the spread of the virus and support frontline medical teams. You can read more about this ground-breaking initiative on page 50.

Isaac is by no means the only person to have gone the extra mile to support the wider community; we’ve been running a series of coronavirus roundups on our website, highlighting the fantastic initiatives instigated by people and companies across the trade. Their altruism shows what a wonderful industry we work in: people will remember the companies making valuable contributions, and I am sure their brands will benefit in the long term.

In terms of trading, none of us has ever experienced anything like this - we are truly in uncharted waters. But while the challenges are relentless, it is not all doom and gloom, as we hope this issue illustrates. One indie toy retailer told me recently that he had been working harder than ever – 16 days straight – taking and delivering

online orders. In his words, “the internet has gone crazy – it’s on a par with Christmas.” This month’s Talking Shop section highlights a host of specialist independent retailers and the steps they have taken to adapt and keep their businesses trading. The resourcefulness and resilience these people have shown is admirable. Dedicated online retailers are also inevitably reaping the rewards as consumers remain housebound, and we’ve spoken to leading online player BargainMax about its experiences over recent weeks. We also talked to eBay and Down Your High Street, two operations which are helping independent retailers to start trading online; if you haven’t yet taken the plunge, now might be the perfect time to test the waters.

Speaking to suppliers and retailers of all shapes and sizes in recent weeks, there is one over-riding objective on all sides: to still be standing when we come through to the other side - to paraphrase the politicians, “whatever it takes.”

When it comes, the likelihood is that any return to ‘normal’ will be gradual. While we would all love a sudden boom with consumers going de-mob happy and throwing money around like crazy, I fear that may be an optimistic scenario. Confidence is likely to take a little while to return. Jobs will be lost; fewer workers equals fewer customers. Firms and individuals will have built up debt that they will want to pay off. However, one factor strongly in the toy trade’s favour is that parents will want to keep their kids happy, so discretionary spend may be weighted more towards children in the short term. And when it comes – and it will - Christmas 2020 could potentially be huge. In the short term I also suspect that few Brits will travel abroad this summer (hands up who fancies getting on a plane with its re-circulated air right now…). UK retailers should benefit as a result, particularly if the current lockdown measures are lifted by the summer.

Here at Toy World, we’ve had to adapt our own working practices to make sure we can keep everyone up to date with all the key developments in this ever-evolving landscape. I won’t pretend it has all been plain sailing, but like retailers, we are adapting as best we can. And I would like to thank all those companies who have continued to support us in these testing times: more than ever before, we all need to do our best to support each other through this challenging period. I hope you enjoy this issue – hopefully it illustrates that the toy trade is still alive and kicking, despite the unprecedented challenges we are all facing. Stay safe and well.

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News Sales Partnership placed into administration

Toymaster Show moves to September The show, due to take place from 19th May, has been postponed to September. Ian Edmunds, managing director at Toymaster, released the following statement: "Firstly, I apologise if it has seemed that we have been slow in announcing the postponement of the show, this has been entirely down to contractual issues that have now, thankfully, been overcome. I am pleased to announce that the Show is now planned to be held at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate on the following dates: Set Up: Tuesday 1st September, then Show on 2nd, 3rd and 4th September.

I understand that these dates may not suit everyone, but if there is one question that has been asked over the last few weeks more than any it is “What’s happening with the May Show?” I hope you agree that we need the show to take place and help kick start the independent toy business for Members and Suppliers alike.

Please save the dates and we will come back to you nearer the time once normal service has been resumed with more details.”

UK toy distribution company Sales Partnership has been placed into administration. KRE Corporate Recovery LLP has been appointed as Administrator.

KRE was initially engaged to find a buyer for the business, a search which ultimately proved fruitless. The company circulated a sales flyer to interested parties, offering the business and assets for sale. A deadline of Tuesday 17th March was given to parties who wished to submit an expression of interest. While it is believed that a number of companies signed the non-disclosure agreement in order to receive further information, it appears that no firm offer to acquire the business was forthcoming.

Sales Partnership has therefore now ceased to trade and the Joint Administrators will be working alongside the secured creditor to maximise recoveries of the remaining assets.

KRE partners Gareth Roberts & Ben Briscoe can be contacted on 0118 947 9090 or via email gareth.roberts@ krecr.co.uk or ben.briscoe@krecr.co.uk.

Independent Toy & Gift Show rescheduled for September In a statement, the organisers said: "Following our announcement that The Independent Toy and Gift Show, which was due to take place on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd April would have to be cancelled, we received several requests to consider later dates in the year from both exhibitors and members.

We are therefore exploring the opportunity with our suppliers to host the show later this year, on Monday 28th September and Tuesday 29th September 2020 at Cranmore Park, Solihull.

We want to offer this show as a platform to launch the critical fourth quarter of trading following the forced temporary closure of stores. We will endeavour to bring together our members, members of other buying groups and other independents who will need to rebalance their stocks for the run up to Christmas at a time when suppliers will have warehouses full of stock to sell. Christmas is the one event that will not be cancelled!

We would like to wish all those that have been involved in this show’s success good health and we look forward, hopefully, to welcoming them through our doors again in September.”

For more information, contact: aimee.hill@play-room.uk.com.

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News Canal Toys celebrates two year anniversary with new innovations This year Canal Toys celebrates two years in the UK toy industry. Since launching, the company has unveiled a number of innovative, affordable products for the arts and crafts category. The DIY Slime category has been pivotal for Canal, with its So Slime DIY ranges seeing huge success, with popular sub-ranges added such as Slimelicious and So Slime minis.

Canal Toys strives to invest in new ideas to continue to offer something new for slime fans. The company’s latest innovation sees Canal Toys entry into the ready-made slime category with the introduction of Tie & Dye Slime, Slime Glam and Slimelicious minis.

So Slime Tie & Dye has a unique selection of products which allow fans to add a new twist to their slime. Set to be a hit with budding beauty fans, the Slime Glam Factory allows kids to design their own unique scents before creating the ultimate fragranced slime, adding originality and a sophisticated twist to DIY slime.

Canal is also tapping into the growing trend for geodes and crystals by expanding its So Bomb DIY range. The So Bomb Crystal DIY features a beautiful selection of crystals that fizz when they hit the water. The range includes Single, Vanity Case and Factory options and is designed to offer something new and unique to the market.

Anthony Grimaud, CEO, commented: “In a product sector that craves innovation and feeds on trends, Canal Toys is absolutely committed to keep bringing excitement into the Arts and Crafts category, while ensuring our core brands are also striving by investing heavily in marketing. With so many exciting lines launching, 2020 is set to be a bumper year for our fast-growing brand and we look forward to capitalising and building on success with all our retail partners.”

Jazwares acquires Kellytoy

Spielwarenmesse retracts ToyAward

Alleghany Capital Corporation has announced that its subsidiary, Jazwares, has acquired a majority stake in Kelly Toys Holdings. Kellytoy is a manufacturer of everyday and seasonal plush toys, known principally for its Squishmallows brand.

Judd Zebersky, CEO and president of Jazwares, commented: "Kellytoy has established a strong position and a proven expertise in the plush toy market through a range of proprietary brands, including its best-selling Squishmallows line. In February 2019, we entered into a strategic partnership with Kellytoy to reinvigorate and expand distribution of Jazwares' Russ Berrie brand, which we acquired in 2018. After working successfully together for over one year, we believe it is time to integrate and expand our partnership with Kellytoy, which will allow both companies to more fully leverage their strengths, positioning the combined entity as a leading supplier in the global plush market.

Jonathan Kelly, co-president of Kellytoy, stated: "We are thrilled to be joining Jazwares and the Alleghany Capital family of companies. I have known and respected the management team at Jazwares for a long time and believe that after years of building the company, Kellytoy's logical next stage of growth is through a partnership with a larger, yet very nimble, global platform such as Jazwares. We are confident that our combined talents and the synergies that will result from this transaction will benefit both companies."

For the first time in the history of the ToyAwards, the Spielwarenmesse is retrospectively retracting the accolade from the winner of one of its categories. The Calculix number bricks counting system had won the ToyAward in the Startup category at the 71st Spielwarenmesse. During the event, Sumblox, whose products were distributed by Calculix until recently, accused the company of plagiarism. The management of Spielwarenmesse eG has since investigated the claims. Further research and a legal review of the situation have led to the conclusion that Sumblox has been distributed on the US market since 3rd October 2014.

It has also been established that the Calculix building blocks are almost identical in appearance to the Sumblox.

The ToyAwards by the Spielwarenmesse are presented to manufacturers of genuine innovations. The originality of the product is one of the main criteria for choosing the winners.

Ernst Kick, CEO of Spielwarenmesse eG, said: “Our interest in this matter lies solely in protecting the ToyAwards. We need to ensure that they are only awarded to products that fully comply with the criteria. It appears that Calculix no longer meets these important requirements.

For this reason, the Spielwarenmesse is exercising its right, as stated in its terms and conditions, to strip the company of the ToyAward 2020, presented in the Startup category on 28th January, with immediate effect."

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News Registration has opened for The Play for Change Awards

Zappies offers route to market during lockdown

The Play for Change awards, launched by the Toy Industries of Europe, opened for entries on 23rd March. Submissions will be welcomed until 8th May, providing toy companies with an opportunity to share positive stories.

The awards will focus on environmental, societal and educational challenges with three categories: Sustainability, Empowerment and Future Skills. Play for Change want to hear from toy companies that sell in Europe, particularly those which launched a project or a product in 2019 which raises the bar in any of these areas. They are looking for toys or projects that not only provide fantastic play opportunities for kids, but that also have a positive impact on our planet, the society kids grow up in and kids’ future career opportunities.

A number of experts will judge the entries on the difference they bring in making the planet greener, making kids feel more included (in terms of gender, race, ability, etc) or nurturing 21st century skills.

The organisers are keen to stress that not all entries need to be toys, as long as a positive change can be demonstrated. You can register your toys or projects by visiting the Play for Change website: www. playforchangeawards.eu.

Zappies, based in West Sussex, distributes ranges from many of the biggest names in the toy industry, including Character, Flair, Jakks, Tomy and many more. The company, which counts a number of successful niche online retailers among its customers, has experienced a big upswing in sales since the UK lockdown began on 23rd March; online retail is proving a lifeline for families stuck at home with nothing to do, and in March alone the company was 65% up on the previous year as a result.

Zappies is keen to let suppliers know that it can provide a solution during the pandemic. Its third-party warehouse is staffed by key workers, so trading continues unabated, and turnaround upon delivery is approximately 24 hours, offering suppliers a swift and convenient route to market. Mass-market suppliers in particular are encouraged to contact Zappies - the company's experience in the online space can provide an attractive stopgap for suppliers whose usual channels have been cut off by lockdowns and the closure of major toy store chains.

Managing director Stephen Suckling commented: "I believe that products to keep kids entertained are essential. Keeping the nation's kids happy at this moment is vital, otherwise it's only going to lead to more problems."

Readers who want to find out more, or are interested in working with Zappies, are invited to email Stephen at stephen@zappies.com.

newsanalysis

Sustainability and safety Prior to a special free webinar entitled ‘Improving sustainability in the toy industry’ in June, Toy World spoke with toy and sustainability experts UL to discuss sustainability within the toy industry and the opportunities and challenges the current climate is creating.

Can you tell us about the benefits and challenges of a more sustainable business for toy companies?

The value that can be unlocked through sustainability is greater than ever before. It can bring revenue growth, cost reduction, risk mitigation and brand enhancement. From a regulatory perspective however, developing a more sustainable portfolio involves many technical aspects to consider. Some challenges can be linked to regulatory compliance when toy manufacturers decide to use recycled materials in their toys. Recycling the same materials multiple times may reduce the physical-mechanical strength of the end-product, but you still have to guarantee that all of the toys fulfil these requirements. There's now heightened attention on how the use of recycled materials can affect the chemical safety of a toy. Recycled materials are often derived from products that are usually not subject to the same regulation as toys, but the toy company is still responsible for ensuring that they comply with toy standards.

How can UL support toy companies facing these challenges?

There are multiple ways we can help. Thanks to our global network of high-tech laboratories, at UL we can help toy companies verify the recycled materials they are using to make sure they comply with global toy regulations and directives. We can assist them in getting started through a selection of issues to focus on, understanding best practices for addressing such issues, and then implementing solutions. We offer services to facilities to measure and manage their carbon footprint and also achieve sustainability milestones.

How will the current coronavirus pandemic affect toy companies’ efforts to deliver a more sustainable product range in the short term?

A global crisis reminds us how species, countries and geopolitical issues are interconnected. While there are specific sustainability tactics that might be put on temporary hold, we also see evidence that governmental officials and business leaders are recognising the importance of continuing to advance sustainability.

Every brand will make difficult trade-off decisions to meet the immediate needs of their employees, communities and customers. There is no single right answer for every company in navigating these pressures. However, the current crisis spotlights the need for agility, and this presents an opportunity for brands to build sustainability thinking into their business models and supply chains. We hope businesses will consider the opportunities - UL would be pleased provide support.

To learn more about toys and sustainability, readers can attend UL’s free webinar titled ‘Improving sustainability in the toy industry’ on 4th June 2020.

Visit CRS.UL.com to register now and email TOYS@UL.com for more information.

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News PMS details new Elves Behavin’ Badly plans and products Brand creator and owner of Elves Behavin’ Badly, PMS International, continues to enjoy success with the brand five years after its initial launch.

The company sold over 2m dolls in the UK alone in 2019, in addition to a host of accessories and add-ons.

Managing director Paul Beverley has introduced a number of new lines to the range, ready for the upcoming Elf season. The special delivery Christmas Eve box includes a pen for the addition of a child’s name, a family name or special message. At a higher price point and ideal for gifting customers, a Wooden Christmas Eve Box with a Personalisation Slate is also available.

The 500ml Elf Head Water Bottle continues to be a sell-out item, with many online sellers adding vinyl wording for a personal touch. Other additions to the product range include Elves Pooey Friends, which capitalise on the enduring success of Stretchy Poo products.

Following on from previous successful marketing campaigns, PMS will be joining forces with a top UK PR company and has a new high-profile prank ambassador lined up for its online Christmas Ad. To continue the brand’s strong social media presence, the Elf prank squad will be on the road nationwide from mid-November until Christmas. PMS has also invested in additional life-size costumes to ensure widespread national pranking coverage.

Elfie is also set to become a film-star, appearing in a well-known international kids Christmas film, set to be released in early December. More information on this and more will be announced soon.

Playmobil celebrates heroes of everyday life Playmobil has launched a special charity initiative, in aid of the NHS Charities Together campaign, to say thank you to each and every key worker playing an essential role during the pandemic.

The campaign will see a variety of everyday heroes created as exclusive figures – initially comprising a nurse, cashier and emergency paediatrician.

Jamie Dickinson, marketing and display manager, commented: “With this campaign, Playmobil will be making an active contribution to support those working on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus. As well as raising vital funds for NHS Charities Together, we have also released a series of awareness animations for children, educating them on coronavirus, the importance of social distancing and celebrating our everyday heroes.”

The exclusive figures are available immediately on the Playmobil online store (RRP £3.99), with all sales profits donated to NHS Charities Together. For more information, visit www. playmobil.co.uk.

newsanalysis

Statement from TIE's Sanjay Luthra on the power of play Toys Industry Europe’s chairman, Mattel's Sanjay Luthra, speaks about the #PowerOfPlay during the pandemic and his admiration of the toy industry’s response: "Despite the uncertainties we currently face in the world around us, one of the things I am sure of is the continued importance of play in children’s lives. Play is an essential part of daily life for children – and often adults – during this global pandemic. Play offers a multitude of benefits and opportunities for learning, entertainment, distraction and stress relief from being confined inside for hours on end.

For many, it will also be a source of comfort and happy memories of spending time together, once the pandemic has passed.

Helping children to get the most out of play is at the heart of everything the toy sector does. That’s why I am proud to be part of a sector that has responded to the crisis by providing much needed resources for the public health response. I am also proud of the work being done across the industry to support children and families to play during the confinement period.

Despite a difficult landscape, and the fears this brings for the future, it is heartening to see so many companies big and small asking what more they can do to help. Like many toy companies, at Mattel we are using our resources and technical know-how to contribute to the production of protective gear like facemasks.

National toy associations and companies alike have been busy developing a wealth of free and safe online play tools and ideas for children and families. Others in the sector have activated funding programmes to help the most vulnerable children during these difficult times. We all have an important part to play.

As Chairman of Toy Industries of Europe, I would particularly like to thank our national toy associations for the work they are doing at local level to ensure companies can keep selling toys, despite businesses being forced to close across the EU. TIE itself is working to make sure that channels of communication are kept open for members to exchange essential local insights and responses.

It’s clear that long after the public health crisis ends, we will see an impact on society, culture and the way we do business for years to come. Let’s hope that one positive that comes out of all of this is an appreciation of the difference that the magic and power of play can make in children’s lives."

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Industry Moves Alexis Delorme to head up Smoby Toys in France

ViacomCBS appoints Simon Leslie ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) has appointed Simon Leslie as vice president, Consumer Products for Southern Europe, Middle East and North Africa (MENA). He will dual report to Mark Kingston, senior vice president, International Licensing of VCP and Thomas Goller, executive vice president and chief operating officer of ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) Europe, Middle East Africa and Asia (EMEAA). Simon will split his time between VCNI’s London and Madrid offices.

In this role, Simon will be responsible for licensing revenues and managing teams across France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and Africa, which make up a subsection of the newly structured VCP team for EMEAA. He will oversee the retail sales and marketing division across the region and manage global partnership activity locally with the heads of markets, regions and categories.

Simon joins ViacomCBS Consumer Products with over 20 years’ experience in consumer products across Europe and South America in both emerging and mature markets. Most recently, he served as managing director at Hasbro Italy, responsible for leading seven functions - consumer products, sales, marketing, trade marketing, finance, human resources and IT. Prior to that, he was managing director at Hasbro Chile, Latin America’s most successful market, developing global strategic plans and spearheading all commercial functions, human resources, finance and operations. He also built Hasbro’s core brand market presence at Hasbro Portugal, after moving up the ranks at Hasbro UK.

Gareth Jones joins Innovation First as UK sales manager Gareth Jones has joined Hexbug as the new UK sales manager, as Hexbug pushes forward with plans to reinvigorate the brand with new innovative product ranges. Prior to his appointment, Gareth has most recently worked at Interplay, following roles at Character Options and Mattel during his career.

Gareth said: "Whilst it’s a difficult time for everyone at the moment, we have far-reaching plans in place for the Hexbug brand and it’s an exciting time to join."

Autumn/winter will see the launch of new lines JunkBots and Hexbug nano Flash, which will all be supported by TV, digital marketing and PR. Gareth continued: "There is a huge potential at Hexbug to develop the business in the UK and worldwide, as inventive product development continues to drive the brand. I’m looking forward to working hard and having fun with the Hexbug team."

Heath May, VP international sales & development adds: “We are delighted to have Gareth on board, he has so much knowledge of our industry and contacts within it that will help us to grow our sales in the UK in line with our ambitious plans."

Simba Dickie Group has announced the appointment of a new MD for Smoby Toys SAS, based in Lavans-lès-Saint-Claude, France. Alexis Delorme will take up his new position on 1st July.

Uwe Weiler, COO of the Simba Dickie Group, has been managing the operational aspects of the business together with his colleagues in France for the past two years and is delighted to have found the ideal candidate for this important position.

“We deliberately took our time and are pleased to have found Alexis Delorme, the perfect manager for this key role,” Uwe commented. “In addition to his substantial experience in the toy industry, including at Giochi Preziosi and Mega Brands, he offers extensive leadership skills, energy and empathy and, last but not least, we are fortunate that he even hails from the Jura. Alexis offers the perfect conditions to run an international business while being able to recognise and understand the concerns of the people in this very down-to-earth region.”

Andrew Welch is looking for a new opportunity Andrew’s main background is in marketing, product development and branding, having worked at Vivid, Flair, Bandai, VTech and most recently at Creative Toys Company as head of marketing.

At Creative Toys Company, Andrew looked after the marketing strategy for the SoccerStarz mini football figure brand and the collectible Christmas-themed, licensed mini-figure range Team Rudolph, working on branded sponsorship and TV campaigns, digital strategies, securing and managing key retail accounts and developing a range from concept through to final production.

At Bandai, Andrew looked after marketing activities for Power Rangers and Ben 10, developing new lines for the Ben 10 master toy range including figures, vehicles and role-play items.

Andrew is located in Surrey and is ideally looking for work in the South East/ London area. Having spent over five years at Creative Toys, Andrew is looking for a new challenge and opportunity to take his career to the next level and is seeking either a permanent position or freelance contract. He is happy to consider short term contract work.

Interested parties should get in touch with Andrew directly on email a_r_ welch@hotmail.com or call on 07585 877534.

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Marketing World Lego introduces #letsbuildtogether campaign Inspired by the amazing Lego creations being shared by people of all ages on social media, the company has delved deep into its archives and assembled Lego designers, STEM gurus and play experts to come up with new ways to help families stay creative, curious and connected while at home.

Daily play challenges, new play ideas and live build-a-longs will be shared on social media using the hashtag #letsbuildtogether and at www.lego.com/letsbuildtogether. Play inspiration can also be found by searching #letsbuildtogether on social media.

Over the next few weeks, hundreds of play ideas will be shared on www.lego.com/letsbuildtogether, and Lego social channels, inviting builders across the globe to have a go at daily building challenges, join live build-a-longs and share their creativity online using #letsbuildtogether.

It's also been announced that the Lego Foundation has pledged $50m to a number of NGO and charity partners to support children most in need, ensuring they have access to essential supplies and continued development through learning through play.

L.O.L. Surprise! unveils national pen pal campaign To help combat feelings of separation, L.O.L. Surprise! has launched a national BFF Pen Pal campaign. Launched on 27th March, the campaign will teach children how to stay in touch with their friends and family by sending postcards to each other. Whilst having fun and connecting with their friends, the campaign also aims to encourage children to take a break from screen time and bring back the fun of writing and exchanging letters.

The postcards will be available to download for free from the L.O.L. Surprise! UK Facebook (@lolsurpriseuk) and Instagram (@lolsurprise.uk) pages with a range of postcard designs from popular collectible ranges Lights, O.M.G. Fashion Dolls, Boys and #Hairvibes. Each will include a fun activity, from colouring-in to spot the difference. Fans who aren’t able to make it out to the post box will be encouraged to ask a parent or guardian to share their postcards with friends digitally.

The campaign is part of a wider brand initiative to help beat boredom at home. Throughout the coming month, the brand will be sharing regular free activity content on its social media channels including quizzes, games, colouring-in sheets, dance challenges and more. Parents can follow #BBsBoredomBusters to find new activities each day.

newsanalysis Diaframma – keeping productive and positive For some people, working from home is easier said than done, but Diaframma is among those companies looking for innovative solutions to a unique set of challenges. We spoke to Alice Morisson, international sales director at the kids and family marketing agency, about how the company’s new technology can help toy companies on lockdown.

How important do you think consistent marketing and communication is for toy companies in this current situation?

Toy companies, like many industries, are thinking first and foremost about protecting their employees. Many companies in the toy industry have used their own factories, or contacts, to provide PPE to essential workers. At a time like this, we believe that there needs to be the right balance of sensitivity but also productive and positive marketing and communication. The world is seeing a lot of negative information being circulated on TV and digitally. If toy companies can counteract that by offering a little spark of happiness and positivity, we think it would be warmly welcomed at a time like this.

What services is Diaframma offering to help toy companies that find themselves unable to travel?

We recently acquired a technology which permits us to live broadcast our shoots, thus offering the opportunity for our clients to watch production live from their home or office (or wherever they may be). They can then follow the whole shoot from their computer, as if they were with us. We do of course prefer our clients to be on set with us, but this option does give us a good and safe alternative if travel is restricted. Given the business we’re in, and with children being involved, we are also looking forward and preparing for alternative solutions should severe social distancing measures remain in force. As we are all rapidly discovering, working remotely is possible and has been proven to be productive. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

What campaigns are you working on at present?

We have many campaigns in the pipeline and we expect to finalise them as soon as government decisions make this possible. We also have contingency plans for making ads if live shooting remains very difficult or impossible. This could include the use of new product stills, animation, CGI, compositing, archived footage, stock footage – there are a multitude of options. We are confident that we can still produce a beautiful spot using our talented team and deep range of assets in these uncertain times. Communication and being creative in tough situations is our job, and we take that seriously for our clients.

What type of content is likely to resonate most with consumers stuck at home with their kids?

A lot depends on the type of platforms being used. Television viewership has increased, backtracking a little from even a few months ago when digital kept on gaining ground. Targeted marketing is a fact of life now, and the extensive variety of assets produced when planning marketing campaigns make that very clear. From a content perspective, we believe that consumers that are stuck at home with their kids need engaging yet stimulating content to keep their children active and engaged. The combination of entertaining yet mind-stimulating games, activities and imagination-igniting toys is what kids need to keep them encouraged and thinking positively.

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Opinion

A captive audience

Jonathan Chambers Director of AV Investment, Generation Media.

Tel: 0207 307 7906 Jonathan.Chambers@generationmedia.co.uk

Jonathan looks at the challenges of maintaining audience share in the ever-changing media landscape, particularly as children’s viewing habits shift as a result of school closures and lockdown restrictions.

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chool’s out and has been for some time. At the time of writing, it will continue to be out for the foreseeable future. This has led to children and parents alike adopting new routines to cope with the changes imposed on us all. For many, increased screen time has formed a large part of this for educational purposes (Google Classroom for example), exercise (thank you Joe Wicks!), and communication (see Zoom’s share prices). But where does traditional linear TV fit into this equation, given that it still plays such a prominent part in marketing strategies for the toys and games market?

In the first two weeks following school closures, it is not surprising to learn that total viewing by children aged 4-9 increased by +21% year-on-year (to commercial channels). This is even more impressive when you consider that the previous two weeks had seen a -6% YoY decline, against a backdrop of double-digit decline in A/W 2019 (for the third consecutive year). The main driver of this was, particularly during week 1 of lockdown, daytime viewing. With the limitations of the school routine removed, the breakfast peak in viewing has become later during weekdays, whilst lunchtime has become an important viewing occasion with the 13:00-13:30 timeslot averaging greater than +230% growth versus March 2019.

Children 4-9 Weekday average, 23rd-27th March 2020 Total TV, total 000s by 30 minute timeslot, 06:00-21:59 700

600

Children 4-9 impacts

500

400

300

200

100

0 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 W/C 23rd March

4 week prior average

March 2019 average

However the bubble may soon be burst for linear TV as parental guilt kicks in. Week 1 of lockdown saw a +34% increase in total commercial impacts, however this fell to +10% during the second week. If this pattern continues then by the end of April, we could once again see linear TV in YoY decline.

However this only tells the story of total commercial TV viewing. What of the kids’ specific channels? To date, they haven’t actually fared as well as the total picture. Whilst viewing was up for this channel set by +12% in week 1, by week 2, commercial impacts actually fell -7% YoY. Inevitably, children’s attention is being drawn to more than just TV. Disney+ launched during this window and is gaining momentum in the UK thanks to a large media campaign (ironically on TV) and incentivised pricing. It has now passed 50m subscribers globally and we expect this to continue apace over the next 2-3 years as it aims to compete with Netflix and others.

And of course, let’s not forget YouTube where many channels are reporting huge uplifts in views. Take Cocomelon for example, the world’s largest channel for kids (based on monthly views). During the week commencing 24th February the channel reported 516m views. This had risen an incredible 46% by week commencing 30th March to sit at 716m views.

It’s important though to retain a focus on the linear TV channels because of their commercial viability for advertisers. There have of course been winners and losers, and it’s important to keep note

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of performance during this period. Channels now have an opportunity to build audience loyalty which could serve them well this A/W period, so who is it we should be taking most note of?

Top 5 channels Topranked 5 channels

by CH4-9 ranked eq.by CH4-9 eq. impacts: impacts:

Channel

CH4-9 eq. CH4-9 eq.

Channel SOCI impacts impacts

Pop Pop 99,885 Tiny Pop Tiny65,914 Pop NJR NJR 48,159 Milkshake Milkshake 47,874 Nick Nick 43,199

99,885 19% 65,914 13% 48,159 9% 47,874 9% 43,199 8%

SOCI 19% 13% 9% 9% 8%

Top 5 channels Topranked 5 channels by ranked by YoY growth in YoY CH4-9 growth eq. in CH4-9 eq. impacts: impacts:

Channel

Channel YoY %

Tiny Pop Tiny Pop 98% Nick Nick 96% Pop Pop63% Nicktoons Nicktoons 14% NJR NJR3%

Sony and ViacomCBS have emerged as the biggest winners over this period. Free-to-air Pop has consolidated its position as the No.1 channel by commanding a 19% share, especially as usual contender to the throne CITV has experienced a -27% decline during the same period (leaving it in 6th position with a 7% share). What is clear from the top 5 is that children are becoming quite focused in their viewing over this period, with this set accounting for 58% of all impacts. This is brought into sharp relief when looking at the top 5 ranked by % growth YoY, because these are actually the only channels that have grown during this period. All others have declined despite the advantages presented by children being at home (however we do expect this to change in April with NJRToo rebranding as NJR Peppa which historically has driven audience growth for ViacomCBS).

The biggest challenge for these channels will be maintaining audience, or at least audience share, once the lockdown is over. Sony (Pop and Tiny Pop) is arguably best placed to do this thanks to the reach potential facilitated by free-to-air distribution. The challenge will be harder for ViacomCBS (outside of Milkshake), however if they are able to maintain programming stunts across the estate this will stand them in good stead.

Key to this understanding however will be constant monitoring of the performance of each channel. Without this, making critical decisions about which channels will benefit your brand best is ill-advised owing to the clear volatility of the market (even at the best of times). To help with this and keep the industry up to date, Generation Media is launching a viewing dashboard on its website which will dissect the developments for all key demos and channels. To register for access, please visit the site or get in touch with a member of the team.

YoY % 98% 96% 63% 14% 3%

For more information please visit www.drivewhatyoulove.co.uk

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Special Feature

Social Media

Getting social media right Covid-19 has been causing disruption worldwide, with product launches, advertising campaigns and experiential activities affected by the virus’ impact on development, trade and shipping. Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to leaders in the social media and content creation space to find out how companies can stay engaged with consumers, turning a serious inconvenience into a communications strategy that can pay dividends.

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lobal Covid-19 lockdowns have effectively cut many of us off from the simple daily interactions we take for granted. Thank goodness, then, for social media, which is playing a huge part in keeping us connected. Toy and games companies are making good use of the various platforms available to engage with fans - Playmobil’s #stayhome challenge on Facebook, Lego’s #letsbuildtogether campaign and Epoch’s new Sylvanian Families filter for Instagram and Facebook are good examples - while many companies, especially retailers, are using social media to share information on the current state of their business, including whether or not they’re taking orders, shipping products, offering free local delivery or running competitions to keep the kids entertained.

games companies. “At the moment, there’s a big opportunity to create scheduled TV-style content on social media,” he explains. “We're seeing this a lot in the world of music; artists are going live on Instagram and commanding a huge audience. For example, a hip-hop artist called Tory Lanez now has 100,000s of people viewing his Instagram live streams, thanks to his Quarantine show. In the past, he was lucky if he got 8,000. Toy and gaming brands could consider an always-online TV show, where influencers play your games and people can win prizes. We’re currently working with several toy and games companies on this style of content, and the engagement is through the roof.”

But beyond the hashtags and pinned posts, opportunities abound in the social space. Traffic across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest has surged, and with the biggest captive audience companies are arguably likely to ever see currently sitting at home (has that term ever been more appropriate?), now’s the time to reach out.

Live streaming can offer a feeling of connection with other people, creating a bridge between lonely lockdowners and their favourite celebrities or brands. Live read-alongs for kids have taken some of the bedtime pressure off mums and dads, while Joe Wick’s at-home workout videos have attracted

Timothy Armoo, founder, FanBytes tens of thousands of viewers. For Timothy Armoo (Timo), founder of Fanbytes, a leading Gen Z agency, this is an area offering huge potential for toy and

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Founded by Timo while he was at university, Fanbytes is now active in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Norway, and currently has a major focus on helping retail brands shift their strategies online to create digital communities. The company recently launched ByteSized Talent, which manages the careers of 40 of the biggest TikTok stars in the country with over 55m fans, and is now working with clients to license their brands in a way that creates new, digital IP. For example, a recent partnership with Bandai saw Bytesized Talent develop a TikTok campaign which targeted the Gen Z audience with content featuring Yolkies, Bandai’s new edible slime and collectible surprise egg characters.

“For those who don't know, TikTok is what would

be created if Instagram Stories and Vine had a baby,” Timo says. “It’s a short video platform, where users can create amusing skits and videos. Starting off initially as Musically, the platform has morphed into a global phenomenon with over 1b installs and is currently a faster growing platform than Instagram.”

In fact, its popularity with under-25s means TikTok surpassed Facebook and WhatsApp as the world’s most downloaded non-gaming app this year. The platform has become the star of lockdown, with families stuck at home taking the opportunity to practise their dance moves, pranks and amusing skits and turn them into short videos, some of which soon rack up millions of views. TikTok’s unique algorithm presents users with new clips, rather than suggesting ones which are already popular, meaning the chance to become a viral success – arguably the biggest prize social media has to offer - is within the grasp of all TikTok creators.

Looking to leverage the platform’s potential, ByteSized Talent has created Bytehouse, an online show documenting the lives of TikTok stars. Timo adds: “We launched this at the start of April, and saw over 10m views of our content in the first week. Global games company What Do You Meme is sponsoring a regular games night in the house. This approach has been working well; we’re supercharging sales of the brands we work with during a period when many aren't able to. We're even bringing out our own game for the Bytesquad (the collective name for the influencers living in the ByteHouse). When you have 15m people at your fingertips, there's a lot you can do.”

Trends are emerging across social media as the lockdown continues; content with an educational angle saw a surge in views as soon as the school closures were announced - education videos had shot up by 14% on YouTube by mid-April, according to leading influencer management agency Viral Talent - with consumers also seeking entertaining, light hearted content which can provide a level of escapism.

“We’re seeing a lot of celebrities and influencers using this time to keep positivity up and boost morale with their content,” says Alex Chavez-Munoz, director and co-founder. “We’re also seeing a lot of ASMR content, which is really trickling into the kids’ space. Videos of kinetic sand and slime based ASMR content are being used by parents as a way of chilling out their kids, and we’re seeing this becoming really popular, especially on YouTube.”

Alex also tells Toy World that family-focused influencers are putting out a lot of new content.

“Family channels are seeing a surge in traffic and views. It’s a nice escape for people; families like to see what other families are up to, because we’re all in the same boat.”

For Viral Talent co-founder Laura Edwards, the lockdown presents the perfect conditions for working with influencers. With millions of consumers looking for content that’s entertaining and uplifting, toy and game brands in particular should find that much of their portfolio is ideally suited to fun and engaging content. After all, this industry essentially specialises in making people happy, and it’s time for brands to shine. Laura says: “Eyeballs are on social media at the moment, so it’s the perfect opportunity for toy and game companies to make morale boosting, positive content with the portfolio at their disposal. Online engagement has increased across all social media platforms and audiences are eager for new types of fun and engaging content into their daily lives. Now is the time for toy brands to turn to influencers for content creation. With influencers diversifying their content to reflect the changing times, brands will have a greater pool of talent to draw from and we can help them create fun, educational, engaging content. The online community could help some brands make it out of this crisis; as consumers look to influencers as a ‘trusted voice of authority’, brands who leverage these relationships with creators will win.”

One question toy companies need to address is whether deciding what social media platform to use should be guided primarily by the target audience a company is attempting to reach, or the product being promoted. For example, if a company is promoting a toy for kids aged 6-10, should it use the platform that appeals most strongly to that demographic, or should it go for the one which presents the best way of showing that product off, be it pictures, videos or live-streamed content? As it turns out, the key is a combination.

“I’d say both,” says Alex at Viral Talent. “For younger kids aged 6-10, YouTube is still the go-to platform and for a brand it provides more of a narrative alongside strong screen time opportunities for the product.

For 10-13-year-olds I’d say TikTok or Snapchat, because those are the most popular platforms for that demographic, while for kids 15 and over I’d say you should look at Instagram. Instagram TV is one of the most underrated tools out there - it offers so much scale. We’ve seen the best conversion to buy through Instagram Stories, compared to all other platforms.

For parents, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are all good choices. Facebook is also good for converting, especially on private groups. Pinterest offers more of a demographic push, and you can really target 25-45-year-old females there. At Viral Talent, we look at the demographic and the brief to decide which platform will work best for both, and go from there.”

Alex Chavez-Munoz, director and co-founder, Viral Talent

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Laura Edwards, co-founder, Viral Talent When creating content, it’s worth remembering that we’re currently facing a serious situation. While we’re all used to the lockdown now, Covid-19 is still a threat to many of our friends and family, and finding the right tone with your social media posts is crucial.

There’s a fine line between funny videos that will cheer people up, and tone-deaf offerings that may offend or upset. When reaching kids and families, there are obvious no-nos – foul language, crude or vulgar innuendo and so on – but the current pandemic has thrown up further areas of sensitivity which some brands may unwittingly stray into.

“Do your social media marketing in the right manner, the right way,” urges Alex. “Be sensible; social media usage is increasing, but the message must be relevant. People out there are facing a tough situation, so you have to position your message sensitively.

People need to find it engaging, without being offensive or insensitive.”

Laura adds: “We pride ourselves on recommending the right creator for the right brand. We would never recommend a creator that won’t complement the brand and help it resonate, and this really comes through in the content.”

We gave the last word to Timo, asking what advice he would offer to toy companies looking to engage with consumers on social media in the current climate. “Be bold when everyone is fearful,” he told Toy World. “Periods like this are when incredible companies are made, because they understand the context and content needed to win online. It requires a level of bravery to do this, but those doing it are reaping great rewards.”

NPD Insight The difference a month makes into the unknown As lockdowns remain in force, Melissa looks at the impact on consumer behaviour and the UK toy market for 2020 so far.

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n the last six weeks or so, everyday life in the UK has changed drastically as we adjust to combat Covid-19, save lives and realise how important it is to have a strong workforce.

At the same time, both the UK and global toy markets are adjusting, not just to new ways of reaching the consumer, but to the new demands in terms of products and needs from the consumer.

Playground Equipment, with an average price of £42.40, growth of nearly £9m and volume up +99%.

The Trampolines category in particular has grown and was four times its value in 2019, while Playsets (swings, slides, climbing frames etc.) was three times larger. Standard Building Sets is the next fastest

UK – Weekly Sales Trend

Melissa Symonds

Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD

Classic the top item in total toy market for this period.

Arts & Crafts has also seen sales doubling in this period with Craft Kits and Reusable compounds up 47% and 64%, respectively.

Week ending 11th April was the third week of lockdown for the UK with

However, this recent value growth is only a short-term phenomenon and not expected to continue as the lockdown continues and parents have already stocked up on toys.

There have already been significant volume declines in the Action Figures & Accessories, Dolls, Vehicles and Infant/ Toddler & Pre-school Toys supercategories in the last four weeks – all categories that have historically been more reliant on in-store purchasing verses online.

At the time of writing, non-essential retailers closed and week ending on Easter Saturday. we are able to see three weeks of toy sales since Sales % change versus year ago the school closures 60% were announced and Total Sales Trend Week 15: 50% parents became aware 40% Value +5%, 30% that home schooling and Units -23%, 20% entertainment for their Value Av. Price +37% 10% children was wholly on 0% -10% their shoulders. For the Units -20% four weeks from 15th -30% w/e 4- 11-Jan 18-Jan 25-Jan 1-Feb 8-Feb 15-Feb 22-Feb 29-Feb 7-Mar 14-Mar 21-Mar 28-Mar 4-Apr 11-Apr 18-Apr 25-Apr March to 11th April, the Jan Half-term UK toy market grew by First UK case School closures 3/23 (31-Jan) +23% in value compared Lock-down & non-essential stores closed 3/24 to the same period a year Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service FIRST ALERT | U.K. 2020 vs 2019 ago (Source: The NPD The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential 1 Group / Retail Tracking Service). While normally this would be cause for celebration, volume in the growth area with the average price up +37%, while same period declined by -12%. The toys that were The reduced number of physical stores that have volume is down slightly. This appears to be driven purchased were at a much higher price-point than been able to sell toys means that online sales have by kidult purchasing, with Lego Technic the number standard for this time of year, with the average price increased. Before the crisis, the UK was already one brand. Sports Activities and Games was the third paid £11.46, up from £8.21 in 2019. This increase the second largest online market for toys in Europe largest growing subclass, with garden games such as of 39% shows that the product mix of what was (behind Germany) with £2 in every £5 spent on Swingball, Wubble and Kickmaster benefitting from purchased has changed significantly. The UK toy toys in 2019 through online delivery and click and improved weather prior to Easter weekend. market prior to lock down was declining in value by collect for the UK (Source: NPD Consumer Tracking -5% and -6% in volume, so this short-term uplift has The next fastest grow categories are Family Board Service). This was already growing ahead of in-store driven the total market to a 3% increase in value year & Action Games and Adult Puzzles, with Family purchases, which dropped by -9% in value in 2019. to date up until week 15, but with volume down -8%.

Games four times larger compared to 2019 sales in With non-essential retailers closing their physical the same period and Adult Puzzles twice the size as stores and social distancing in place for the few However, this value growth in the last four weeks families and self-isolating adults look for something stores that remain open (mostly grocers), it’s fair to has benefited only a limited number of categories. to distract them within the home. Traditional board say that the way that consumers are shopping at the The largest category growth in this period is games has seen triple digit growth with Monopoly

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To monitor what’s happening in the ever-changing toy market, NPD 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.npd.com. Follow NPD on Twitter @npdgroup.

moment is very different from any other time. When the UK hits the restart and recovery phases, it will be interesting to see if online purchases remain as strong and how quickly consumers revert to physical stores.

It’s noteworthy that the four weeks available so

far for analysis were only 5% of annual toy value sales in 2019. Q2 - April, May and June combined accounted for 17% of annual toy sales last year, with 48% of sales remaining in Q4, by which time we hope that situation will very different. The continuing impact on the UK toy market for 2020 will depend on length of lockdown as well consumer behaviour

as restrictions are lifted – whether they return to their previous shopping patterns quickly or whether there will be a slightly slower build back to previous shopping habits. However, the length of restrictions and return to normal are all unknowns and we can only prepare for different scenarios.

Item Progression: Item Description

Corporate Manufacturer

Feb Rank #

Mar Rank #

Swingball New Pro 3-In-1 Game

Mookie Toys

1,422

29

Outdoor & Sports Toys usually start picking up sales in April and May – depending on the weather and school holiday calendar. However, due to the school closures in mid-March and national lockdown, much of the outdoor purchases were brought forward to March as parents look for ways of exercising and entertaining children within the home and garden. Swingball did particularly well with the New Pro 3-in-1 Game moving up over 1300 rankings between February and March as well as the Swingball All Surface moving 990 rankings and becoming one of the top 20 best-selling items for the month. The last two weeks of March also saw a huge uplift in sales of trampolines, swings and playhouses. In total the Playground Equipment subclass was just under £10m in March, 7x larger than it was in February.

Fastest Growing Licences in Toys After a challenging couple of years, licences have started outperforming nonlicensed toys. In Q1 2020, Licensed Toys grew +12% in value and accounted for 26% of all toys purchased. 2019 Disney movie releases continue to drive toy sales in the first quarter of 2020 with Disney Frozen the fastest growing licence. Fashion Dolls account for the largest proportion of Frozen sales, 21% with standard building sets and playset dolls accounting for 14% and 12% each. Toy Story continues to perform in 2020 with Action Figures the largest growth area. Star Wars growth is helped by strong Building Sets performance, which accounts for two thirds of total Star Wars sales. Action Figure Collectibles is the second largest contributor to Star Was growth. Harry Potter growth is driven by both Building Sets and Card Games such as Harry Potter Dobble and Top Trumps continuing the strong success in Q4 2019. While many more influencers are releasing toys, Ryan’s World remains the top selling influencer licence with sales up over £1m over the same period a year ago.

Fastest growing licences – Q1 2020 Frozen growth is equal to Toy Story and Star Wars combined Sales Gained £M Disney Frozen Toy Story Star Wars Harry Potter Ryan's World DC Comics Super Heroes Land Rover Disney All Other Avengers Other Pokemon £0

£1

£2

£3

£4

£5

Millions

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD March 2020 vs. 19

DocumentThe classification: Client/Third Party Confidential NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

The release of the DC Superheroes Lego MiniFigure is the driver behind the DC Comics Super Hero growth. Land Rover growth has been driven by Lego Technic Land Rover sales strong in March. Disney All Other growth has been driven by Adult Puzzles and Traditional Plush. After the massive blockbuster of Endgame in 2019, Avengers continues to grow in toys with both Building Sets and Actions Figures up double digits. Pokemon growth is driven by new card series, Hidden Fates in addition to new items in Action Figures and Plush.

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1

No. 2 Action Fi gure Brand *UK NPD, MAR CH 2020

For more information contact Laura Bull UK & Ireland Sales Manager l.bull@magicboxint.com 07748 140700

Talking Shop

All in this together Independent retailers all over Great Britain have been forced to close their doors. Some have put their business on hold, while others are finding ways to continue trading online or by offering a personalised delivery service for local customers. Lisa Currie spoke to a selection of independent toy shops to find out how they are coping.

Lisa Clay - Armadillo Toys, Leeds

I have frozen all supplier payments for now. This was not a decision I wanted to make but until I secure either the government loan or grant to pay staff wages and other ongoing costs, I have no other choice. There is no concrete date in place on when I can get a grant or loan or even how long the pandemic impact will last, which makes it incredibly difficult to judge how to proceed.

I have had mixed feelings about how to continue, my staff are furloughed but I think the message from the government is unclear. We are all meant to stay at home unless you have essential duties to undergo - is selling toys essential?

Whilst this has arguably been a very confusing time, I have been delivering to customers who are selfisolating, by safely posting items and allowing people to collect their orders after paying over the phone. I am conflicted about whether this is an appropriate action to take but customers are still contacting me, deeming toys as essential for their children, and of course it means that I still get some business which is vital in a time like this. For now I will continue.

It is also important to keep spirits high whilst we undergo the necessary measures. I have given out free rainbows and pavement chalks for passing families, so children can make their own hopscotch or write messages outside homes to cheer up local people.

I wish all my fellow indie shop keepers all the best and the strength to carry on during this tough period.

Tony Duffy - Duffy’s Toyworld, Dunleer After speaking to Toy World back during toy fair season, I never imagined that in just a few weeks we would be experiencing a global pandemic. I have many years’ experience in the toy industry and have never experienced quiet such turbulent times. Airlines, cinemas, theatres and restaurants have all shut their doors, along with virtually all the high streets and retail parks. Like most shops, we have had to close under government measures.

I don't think anyone can plan for this sort of scenario as the goal posts keep changing virtually every few days. As a small family business, we are coping the best we can, even with daily changes occurring. Our shop is presently closed but we are taking orders by email, over the phone and via Facebook. Our courier service is running normally and can deliver to customers around the whole of Northern Island and the Republic of Ireland, usually by the next working day. We do have an online presence but do not have a website. We like to speak to individual customers and give them advice if required, which the phone and email at least allows us to do. Customers seem to welcome such service during this time.

We stock a huge range of jigsaws of all shapes and sizes from 2-piece to 18,000 pieces, plus lots of games and educational toys; all ideal whilst the kids are off school. Our focus has always been to offer toys with excellent play value, quality and longevity and our customers need that now more than ever. We are very customer focused and want them to know we are available as usual, to offer help and expert advice, alongside our vast range of toys and games.

Lee Borastero - Kids Stuff, Wells It has been difficult to cope in the current climate because the shop is closed for the foreseeable future and we don’t have a website to process any online orders.

We do have a Facebook and Twitter presence, with a solid base of followers, and I have managed to process some sales via Facebook within the local village where we live. As I am in isolation for 12 weeks due to a health condition, my daughter is helping out and making these deliveries. She goes to the shop every couple of days to catch up on paperwork and tidying up and delivers any items requested by local residents on her way home.

As for the rest of the business, it is all in limbo until we have a clearer image of what will happen moving forward.

We have been very active on our social media accounts; posting lots of videos such as the Playmobil social distancing film, plus activities related to schoolwork, crafts and other fun activities to help keep kids occupied during this isolation period. We tend to find at least four or five videos a day that we can share with the public to try and keep spirits up during this uncertain time.

It was the shop’s 22nd Birthday on 1st April. Of course, celebrations were quite muted, but we had lots of positive comments on Facebook and on the local community page, with many customers saying how they can’t wait for us to be open again.

Not being able to go to the shop every day and see our customers is one of the biggest challenges we are facing. We miss not being able to speak to faces that we know, as well as meet new people on a daily basis. But we will be back with a vengeance! The shop is full of stock, its clean, it has had its windows changed. We are raring to go, right now it’s just a question of when.

Hazel McCarthy - Toy Corner, Galway If you’d told me when I opened Toy Corner in November 2019 that in less than five months I would be creating an entirely new business model in the space of a week, I would never have believed you. But here we are - Toy Corner is now online.

We now have games, jigsaws and gift vouchers online and we’re adding collections as fast as we possibly can. Where there are challenges, there is inspiration, and the product we’re most excited about is our Boredom Busting Box, a silver lining we’ve dreamed up in response to this time of social distancing.

We use our expertise to curate a Boredom Busting Box full of surprises for anyone, of any age or for all the family, to a value of €50. Surprises are one of the best parts of receiving a gift, and generally, the more surprises the better! When ordering, we ask a few simple questions about the recipient(s) and that allows us to tailor the contents of each box. It is time consuming, but it is the added value, whimsical kind of purchase that is perfect for people to send to their loved ones who they can’t see but are thinking about.

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Talking Shop Dr Wendy Hamilton -

Joel Meyer-Nicholas -

Amanda Alexander -

We are coping about as well as everyone else in the retail industry at the moment, which is business not as usual. We’ve obviously had to close our shop which, whilst startling, wasn’t a new experience for us. We’ve been through business disruption on this scale before, back in 2013 when our business was destroyed by fire and the shop was closed for over eight months. The difference this time is we’re not alone, the whole world is closed for business and this time there is a bigger threat of danger to life from Covid-19. The impact is huge and not having any accurate timescales as to when some form of normality might return is obviously disorientating.

My first concern has been to ensure my team and our customers are safe; closing the shop was therefore imperative. The question of online sales has however been a frustrating problem as the Scottish government’s advice has been no non-essential work should be done unless from home, which is in direct conflict to the advice of the UK government. We had to suspend online sales while we decided how to handle the situation safely and efficiently, especially as most of our team are now furloughed. At the time of writing, we are assessing our online operation to see if we can run safely. If we can, we will get back into the swing as quickly as possible because house-bound kids need toys and games.

We are open online for local delivery only. We are not posting anything out because all our usual staff must stay at home with their kids. My wife and business partner, Lindsey, is focusing on the website and social media side of things and I am doing all the deliveries and packaging. We are just about managing to cope we have been very busy with deliveries. Jigsaws have been especially popular, particularly the 1000 and 500 piece puzzles for adults and older children. Board games were also selling very well in the weeks leading up to the store closing. Before all the shops closed, we sent a selection of puzzles to older people who were already being told to stay indoors. We also put together a large jigsaw order to donate to our local food bank, as well as window pens for kids to join in the rainbow trail.

The biggest challenge has been managing our time; ironically, we have lots of jigsaws in our own house that we can’t find the time to do! Having our son at home means we have to balance home-schooling and business. Getting more stock in has also been difficult, with a lot of our usual suppliers not currently processing orders. We have, however, managed to source some new suppliers to see us through this difficult period.

Social media and the demand for puzzles has brought us a lot of new customers. Many people post what they buy from us on Instagram, which then leads to others contacting us. It is strange not seeing the kids coming into our store every day; working solely online definitely isn’t the same but we are making the best of it.

Our twice monthly board game night at local pubs will also be held online for the foreseeable future. Our local town team is currently developing a website for all local businesses, so that people can place orders on one website and get everything delivered together. It looks to be a promising initiative that will be useful if the current situation is long term.

I started putting updates on our Facebook page when the situation was changing, just before we went into lockdown.

I have since been doing local deliveries to regular customers and I am also working online; I am trading through my own website and selling on downyourhighstreet.com. Between those two platforms, business is still going steady.

Downyourhighstreet.com is an online marketplace website and is purely for Bricks and Mortar shops that are trading in the UK. It is suitable for small indie shops that have little or no online presence, or struggle to manage their own search engine optimisation. It is a great platform to use and since joining my online sales have gone up – accounting for about 15% of my total sales.

Games have been selling extremely well, especially board games and traditional titles like Monopoly and Cluedo. Lego and craft items from the likes of Galt Toys have also been popular.

Orchard Toys tick the box of being both fun and educational which is ideal whilst the kids are off school; ranges like Mama’s Maths, What’s the Time Mr Wolf? and Timetable Hero have all been in huge demand.

Continuing to run the business on my own has been the biggest challenge. To maintain social distancing, I have had to furlough staff. I didn’t think it would be fair to expect them to come in and work during the current climate. Thankfully, I have a 17 year old son who usually works a few hours in the shop. Now that it is school holidays, he is being drafted in to help me pack orders. Other than that, I have been doing a lot of this on my own, which means I am working longer days than I ever have before. Though it can be tough, I can’t stress enough how incredibly grateful I am to have the business, especially during a time like this. I have been blown away by how many orders I am getting.

Grasshopper Toys, Helensborough

Bill Deakin -

Silly Billy’s Toys, Hebden Bridge

Toyville, Bristol

Giddy Goat Toys, Manchester

On 1st May this year I would have been open for 23 years, but of course the shop is now closed for the foreseeable future whilst we undergo social distancing measures. I’m usually a seven day a week man so to be off work feels unusual - the hours are great, but the money is terrible!

We closed on the 22nd March. I took this decision because I didn’t feel it was safe to be open. Of course, it is not ideal since Easter is always an extremely busy period; I call it the start of the toy season. We lay a lot of orders down and have a large amount of stock coming in from our various suppliers at this time of the year. I could see what was imminent so I cancelled orders where I could. Those suppliers were very understanding and didn’t offer me 90 days or ask me to extend my credit; they were all very pragmatic about the situation. We already had orders delivered before the lockdown phase happened, including items from Lego and Schleich, which means I still have invoices to pay.

I’ve got staff on furlough, but I will keep paying wages until the government can step in. It is not easy at the moment as I currently have everything going out and nothing coming in.

We will not be doing local or online deliveries. Instead I took the decision to hold what we have. I think people will be eager to get back to the shops once they re-open, so I want us to have stock in the shop for when that time comes. All we can do is keep positive both in business and in life at this stage. We don’t know exactly what kind of socio and economic impact Covid-19 will have in the long term. It will be difficult, but we must keep going. I have always said it is about having the right mentality and keeping business in your head and not in the till.

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indie viewpoint Max Evans - Pandemonium, East Sheen, London In the run up to the lockdown period we saw a big spike in sales, particularly in games, puzzles, arts & crafts and outdoor toys. Before we shut up shop, we did see a drop in our Saturday sales; birthday parties are a big driver for our business and with those events being cancelled, weekend sales dropped by about 50%. We actually made the decision to close our shop before it was officially announced. We noticed lots of shops in the area were closing and didn’t feel it was safe to stay open since the store can easily get congested.

Since then we have changed our hours. I am in the store from 10am – 3pm Monday to Friday. The door is closed, but we continue to take in deliveries from those suppliers that are still processing orders. We are taking customer orders over the phone and through our website to deliver in the South London area free of charge. I have limited some orders to keep costs down as much as possible, but equally, I am trying to keep games, puzzles, crafts and outdoors toys well stocked.

We are also helping other shops in the area with local deliveries, since many don’t have their own vans to do so.

To help keep spirits up, we are looking at running competitions across our social media channels for kids in the local community, with prizes involved. Anyone ordering items for a child’s birthday will also receive an extra toy from us.

Overall, I think the speed with which things changed and the sudden drop in revenue was a big challenge. Keeping costs tight is key to keeping things running.

We are eligible for a grant which we have applied for through the council and we will be able to continue to pay our staff’s full wages, helped by the government being able to pay 80%. I absolutely didn’t want to reduce their wages during such a tough time. The other challenge has been getting stock in. The shift in demand for adult puzzles and games was very rapid - we quickly ran out and have found it difficult to get more stock. I had a huge Lego delivery due to arrive at the end March which was cancelled. It is unfortunate but we intend to make the best of the situation.

Julia Wingate - The Trading Post, Kingsbridge Bridge I am a toy shop and also a bicycle repair shop – I am still open for about an hour a day to do bike repairs which has proven popular at the moment with many using their bikes whilst on lockdown. I am also doing a few local deliveries of toys, as well as postal orders requested through my website or social media. We are still posting out nationally as well as locally.

In the first few days of lockdown and even before it was enforced, sales of craft kits, jigsaw puzzles and board games increased. From week two/three of lockdown, outdoor toys have been very popular, especially Swingball, pavement chalk and bat and ball games.

Since going into lockdown, I would say the biggest challenge has been trying to balance work with all three kids at home. Trying to understand what you can and can’t do under the government measures has also been challenging when trying to maintain a business; I don’t want to get it wrong but there have been a few blurred lines that make it difficult to know exactly how to act amid this unique situation.

We are a small town and community and I want to be doing the right thing for my customers.

It is strange not being able to see customers in the shop every day, but we are still able to speak over the phone to talk through orders – it’s just learning to communicate a different way. I’m using social media slightly more than normal to publish posts that are inspiring or funny, something to lift spirits. We are also linking with other local businesses. We are a town full of independent shops, so it is important to support other businesses by sharing their social media feeds as well as our own.

UK retailers are versatile and most independent retailers love a challenge, so best of luck to them all during this unprecedented time.

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

We’re gonna need a bigger van…

W

e never imagined we would be writing a column as toy shop owners, without any of our toy shops actually open! As I am sure most of you have experienced, it has been a rollercoaster few weeks, having to take decisions that we never thought we would have to take. As the coronavirus pandemic situation began to swiftly escalate in March, it became clear that we would no longer be trading by the end of the month, and we took the decision to close our stores on Monday 23rd. This was just before the announcement that evening by the Prime Minister that all non-essential shops were ordered to close. In the end it was a relief, as we had already decided it was not appropriate to keep trading under the circumstances, and it was safer for our customers and staff if we were not open. All Toy Barnhaus stores joined the UK lockdown on the Tuesday, and since then life has been very different.

Those of you who are familiar with our story will know that our background is firmly in bricks and mortar, and we have previously never had a presence online. However, before the pandemic even started, we had plans in the pipeline to start selling online from spring this year. The current crisis has accelerated those plans; we started selling on eBay from the week we closed and literally have not stopped since. We started with a specially selected range of products on the website, and quickly learned what sold well and what did not. We have seen success from some Lego lines, but it has been mainly about puzzles and games adult puzzles in particular. It has been a very steep learning curve, but one we have ridden.

To draw a positive from the current situation, without our shops being open, we have been able to put all our focus into learning how to trade online, seeing what works best and reacting accordingly. While still running the shops, it would have been much more difficult to be able to develop as quickly as we have. We have gone from from taking a few parcels down to the post office every day to now having a daily collection from Royal Mail, just to keep up with all the deliveries that we are sending out. We have been round our shops to remove all the stock we can sell online, and the website has really helped to generate cashflow at a time when cash is king.

One reason we have chosen to focus on games and puzzles is ease of packaging. If we were selling a wide range of items of different sizes and shapes, we’d always be looking for different sized boxes, which can be quite time consuming when you do not have any new stock coming in, and your supply of re-useable packaging is finite.

We have found that eBay has been very supportive of new accounts in the current crisis, and we now have a contact there who is helping us to grow our business and learn what we can do to improve, which is a massive help. We are now confident that when we come out of the other side, we will have a strong online presence going forward, and one that we will continue to develop to make the best it can be.

By the time you read this, the situation may have changed. It is difficult to know what to predict, but hopefully we might have a reopening date for our stores and will be able to start to move on from this. Stay safe everyone, we wish our fellow independent retailers all the very best.

Toy World 27

Licensing World Nickelodeon outlines future plans As Paw Patrol enters its seventh series, a new theme titled Dino Rescue will be introduced which will launch on Nick Jr. from the end of August and in December on Channel 5’s pre-school strand Milkshake!. The Nick Jr. launch on air will coincide with Spin Master’s brand-new range of Dino Rescue themed toys available from August. These will include Mini Figures, Dino Figures, Basic Plush Dino Deluxe Vehicles and the Dino Patroller, the first-ever motorized Paw Patrol vehicle.

Other categories in the range will include apparel, home, accessories and backpacks.

Hot off the back of winning both Licence of the Year and best Plush Toy of the Year at the Toy Association’s Toy of the Year Awards, the company expects Baby Shark consumer products to continue to perform well in 2020. A Baby Shark series is currently in development for Nick Jr. and will launch in the UK in 2021.

The UK Baby Shark product range from Wowee covers toys including plush, bath, educational, musical, novelty and ELAs, distributed by Jazwares. Other licensed partners have been signed across apparel, social expressions, games and puzzles, publishing, health and beauty, arts and crafts.

SpongeBob SquarePants’s 20th Anniversary celebrations have continued into 2020. Following a successful collaboration with Skinny Dip in September 2019, a collaboration with Happy Socks launched in April this year, including a range of different SpongeBob SquarePants socks and swimwear. Additionally, the series appears on multiple platforms with the iconic property available on Nicktoons, Channel 5, Netflix and Amazon.

Beano signs multiple new licensing deals Beano has recently announced five new licensing deals for the UK and Ireland; Smiffy’s is on board for a fun new range of paper partyware, while Rachel Lowe is creating a collection of puzzles, board games and card games for Dennis and his Beanotown friends. Beano confectionery in personalised packaging will also be created by Great Gifts, and health and beauty expert H&A is developing a creative range of Beano products. In apparel, Park Agencies is currently developing adult and kids tees and sweats. All products will launch into retail later this year.

The hit TV show Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! is currently in production for a second series following a successful debut on CBBC in the UK. The International Emmy nominated show has been sold globally to over 90 countries, including prime time slots on free-to-air public service broadcasters such as Super RTL in Germany, Rai in Italy and France Télévision, and is now available on Netflix in the UK and US. Beano’s global reach has led to a roster of agents being appointed in the UK and across Europe, with more to be announced very soon.

Beano has also used its characters to support partners, creating a special edition for World Book Day’s Share A Million Stories campaign, and will continue to support Young Minds #HelloYellow campaign for World Mental Health Day. April saw Beano continue to keep the nation laughing as it looked to crown Britain’s funniest family, creating fun and games for families to join in with as they stayed at home on lockdown. 2021 marks Dennis’ 70th birthday, and celebration plans and new partners will be announced soon.

New partners join Rainbocorns licensing programme Following a successful start to the year, Riverside Brands has announced a variety of new partnerships for Zuru’s Rainbocorns brand.

The mystery surprise plush, which features reversible sequin hearts that hide a special surprise, has been a hit with girls (3-7yrs) since its 2018 arrival.

Retailers and consumers alike continue to show their love for the brand, with Rainbocorns winning UK and Australian Plush Toy of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award at the Toy Industry Association’ 2020 Toy of the Year Awards. The recognition came as the line pulled in 147,000 votes from consumers.

New partners to the licensing programme covering apparel, accessories, arts & craft, novelty toy collectibles, magazines, back to school, puzzles, greeting cards and wrap in a variety of EMEA territories include: Fashion UK / Global Licensing, Roy Lowe & Sons, Sambro, Sinco, Redan Publishing, Kids First Group, W&O and Danilo Promotions. More partners will be announced across other key categories shortly.

Following its sell-out introduction a year and half ago, Zuru has since unveiled several iterations of the plush hatched from a mystery egg, from the giant Rainbocorns Big Bow Surprise to the miniature Rainbocorns Sparkle Heart Surprise, and even more new Rainbocorns will be coming this year.

Toy World 28

YEARS Running

for licensing: naz@sybogames.com

subwaysurfers.com

youtube.com/sybotv

touchingbase

Character Licensed Merchandise

Licensing landscape Toy World caught up with a selection of licensing experts to ask them about the challenges they are facing in the current climate.

Casey Collins Senior vice president and general manager, global consumer products at Hasbro

Phil Ratcliffe Sales & marketing director, MV Sports Within the licensing space the main challenges revolve around keeping the supply chain moving and flexible in the current climate.

The current situation has offered some opportunity for certain products. With families staying at home, kids off school and fair weather, there has been a higher than normal demand for wheeled and outdoor products from those retailers which are still able to remain open or continue trading online. However, some closed retailers are feeling the squeeze and are struggling in the face of reduced ability to service demand and/or reduced credit limits. At MV Sports, we are doing our absolute best to maintain supply but there has been a delay in supply from the Far East since suppliers were late in returning to work.

The current situation is forcing millions of people around the world to embrace a new reality and it has certainly shifted how we think, act and feel. This type of fundamental change in daily life is difficult but we are all living through this unique experience and we have an opportunity, through our beloved brands, to help families connect, play and laugh together.

Hasbro brands are resonating as people spend more time at home, including Play-Doh, as kids engage in more creative play, Nerf, as they’re looking for active fun, and games for families to play together. Within our entertainment business, Peppa Pig is now officially the most-watched series on demand in the world. We’ve been incredibly heartened to see so many people embracing our toys, games and entertainment to help them cope with the new normal of extended time at home.

Right now, creativity and innovation are more important than ever as we all look for new ways to cope with the challenges we are all facing, while remaining hopeful and positive that we’ll get through this together.

Lucy Wynn-Jones Head of Licensing, Moose Toys At this current time, the challenges would seem to outweigh the opportunities with retail doors closed, content creation halted and significant economic pressures globally. However, at Moose we are looking to the future as always, as we continue to find ways to innovate, pioneer and keep on delivering ‘wow’ inducing products. It is extremely important to be in a position to maximise opportunities as we come out of this current uncertain state and to be ready once consumer demand is back to normal. That said, we are in regular communication with our licence partners, ensuring we are supporting them through this time and maintaining relationships with licensors. We are working towards 2021 and need to ensure we have secured the strongest licences.

The increased media consumption by kids at this time can only help to build brand affinity, which will help drive sales once retail doors re-open. From our licensed portfolio, we are seeing strong sales coming through online on outdoor ranges particularly. Where the online retailers have stock, it is a good time for home lines such as beds and furniture, since families are at home and have spare time to focus on updating bedrooms.

In summary, our priority is continuing to work closely with licensors, and work in partnership to get through these tricky months, making sure Moose is in a position to go to market with the strongest licences and ranges in 2021.

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Get Ready to Celebrate Pokémon in 2021!

• Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass to launch in 2020, providing two sets of additional content!

• Master Toy Programme by Wicked Cool Toys

• Other partners include Mattel’s Mega Construx, Ravensburger, PowerA and more!

For licensing opportunities, contact: Mathieu Galante

Over 346 million video games sold worldwide!

1,000+ TV series episodes and 22 animated movies.

Over one billion downloads of Pokémon GO! Pokémon Trading Card Game:

Licensing Director—EMEA m.galante@pokemon.com

27.2 billion cards

Jade Kellman

77 countries/regions

Senior Licensing Manager—UK & Nordics j.kellman@pokemon.com ©2020 Pokémon

13 languages

Brand Profile

Thomas & Friends

Thomas & Friends celebrating 75 years With celebrations already underway for the 75th anniversary of Thomas & Friends, Mattel gears up for even more product launches and partnerships for this milestone year. Toy World caught up with Pauline de la Riviere, marketing director, to discuss what plans are in place throughout 2020 for this classic children’s brand. camera, and the videos of the celebrities are hosted on the official Thomas & Friends UK YouTube channel.

What plans/partnerships are in place for the anniversary year? Have these changed much in light of the current climate?

How did Mattel kick off the celebrations for the start of Thomas’ 75th anniversary year?

To kick off Thomas & Friends 75th anniversary, we celebrated the magic of storytelling with Reading with Friends, working with celebrity dads Peter Andre, Spencer Matthews and Harry Judd. Each read aloud a story, all published by Egmont, from the very first book to stories from the current day, to celebrate Thomas’ journey so far. Each of them was captured on

Thomas & Friends all started with a story, originated by The Railway Series stories, created by the Reverend W. Awdry. Thomas was inspired by the puffing of nearby steam engines at Box Railway Station in Wiltshire. Publishing is truly at the heart of the brand, so we are delighted to be working with Egmont to publish the perfect book, featuring the complete collection of all 26 short stories from the famous original railway series in one stunning volume. Along with the complete collection book, there will be a full programme of book releases throughout 2020 with Egmont. In addition, the brand is launching a licensing partnership with London department store Harrods, to celebrate the heritage

Toy World 32

of the brand with special branded merchandise sold online.

Later in 2020, model railroad manufacturers Bachmann will work with the brand on a two-year licensing deal to bring the world of Thomas to life.

The traditional electric trains will encompass the adventure and discovery of Thomas & Friends and provide fans of the brand, as well as railway enthusiasts and collectors, with a realistic re-creation of the adventures on the Island of Sodor through HO (1:87) scale products in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

H&M has also been signed for a Global DTR to produce a range of children’s clothing and accessories, and we will continue our successful partnership with M&S. In April, we announced a new 22” special, Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine. The special will be screened in the UK on Channel 5 Milkshake! on 2nd May and in the US on Netflix on 1st May, before it is aired in over 180 other countries this year. This

Thomas & Friends animated special features Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales as a child. The Royal Engine will see Thomas the Tank Engine travel to London for the first time and a new character, The Duchess, who is voiced by actress Rosamund Pike.

We are also excited to have launched Thomas & Friends on Netflix on 17th April, starting with series 22, which will be 26 x 11 minute episodes. Later in the year, series 23 and our specials, Digs and Discoveries and Steam Team to The Rescue will follow. Series 24 will then follow in 2021 along with Marvellous Machineries and The Royal Engine specials. This month, we will launch exclusive YouTube content called Thomas’ Magical Birthday Wishes - a new 14 x 2 minute series on Thomas and Friends UK YouTube channel which will be used to celebrate the 75th anniversary.

Global plans for the Thomas & Friends 75th anniversary include more storytelling touchpoints than ever before with new specials and episodes, a birthday music album on Spotify, podcasts for kids in the form of audio stories and all-new book titles.

Additionally, there will be 75th anniversary celebrations at all Thomas & Friends attractions including theme parks and Day Out with Thomas events, when they re-open. Due to the current situation we have had to postpone some 75th anniversary events, however we are committed to making sure Thomas still has a memorable anniversary later in the year.

What product offering do you currently have for the 75th anniversary?

For 2020 Thomas & Friends will continue to introduce kids to the bigger world around them through dynamic new content and products to celebrate the anniversary. Key playsets include the new Trackmaster 3-in-1 Package Pickup. Thomas fans can also collect the new Limited-Edition Golden Thomas and Limited Edition Metallic Motorised Engines, as well as the Small Push Along

75th Diamond Anniversary Thomas.

New characters will also be available in Trackmaster Small and Large Push Along Engines. For younger fans, Birthday Wish Thomas is a push-along Thomas engine decorated with special birthday balloons, featuring a light up birthday cake and birthday music.

Can you tell us about the marketing/PR plans in place for this milestone year?

Exciting licensing partnerships will launch across the year, whilst dynamic PR and marketing campaigns will create noise around the birthday on May 12th and continue the momentum throughout 2020. New product including engines and playsets will be introduced across the range, with fun limited-edition items to celebrate the birthday, all supported with fantastic product from our licensing partners.

Thomas and Friends spans generations – what have been the highlights over the past 75 years and to what do you owe to the brands longevity?

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Mattel is committed to building on the brand’s unprecedented pre-school heritage. The values of Thomas & Friends are as relevant today as they have ever been and continue to resonate with children and parents alike. The brand continues to evolve to make sure this is reflected in everything it does, to bring to life those stories that Reverend W. Awdry wrote so many years ago. The emotional connection and strength of the brand still resonates with each generation of children and parents.

As a classic brand, how has Thomas and Friends developed over the years to complement ever-changing trends in the industry in order to suit kids today?

Thomas & Friends has never been more relevant for families and pre-schoolers. Through inclusivity, gender equality and a global outlook on life, the brand continues to resonate with children as they create friendships to explore and discover the world around them. 2020 will continue to pave the way for the next generation, with break frame moments that spotlight Thomas as the beloved British heritage brand that embraces modernisation as the world continues to change.

Feature

Character Licensed Merchandise

I’m with the brand Over the following pages, Toy World presents a selection of the latest character licensed products and ranges that are due to be hitting shelves (and websites) very soon.

Bandai 020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk Bandai brings one of the most successful manga and anime series to life with the extensive range of Dragon Ball action figures. The first time that Dragon Ball licensed toys have been available in the UK, the range includes everything from super-sized Limit Breaker figures to mini-blind bag collectibles.

The Limit Breaker figures stand at 30cm, each featuring a show-inspired design and five points of articulation. Characters include Goku, Vegeta, and Golden Frieza. Super-size Broly Limit Breakers figures are also available at 33cm. Kids can choose from two Broly designs, both based on his guise in the latest film and TV series.

All-new Dragon Stars are highly detailed and poseable 17cm figures. With 17 or more points of articulation, the figures can be posed in over 9,000 positions. Each comes with a second set of hands and/or accessories. Available in surprise foil bags, 5cm collectible figures offer 10 Dragon Ball Super Characters to collect, plus a stand inside to display each mini figure.

Evolve Action Figures bring 12.5cm versions of Super Saiyan characters to Dragon Ball play. A triple pack including Super Saiyan Broly, Super Saiyan Vegeta, and Super Saiyan Goku is also available.

Miraculous small dolls include Ladybug and Marinette figures with accessories, while an assortment of fashion dolls includes Ladybug, Cat Noir, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee. As UK distributor for McFarlane Toys, Bandai UK will be launching highly detailed figures for properties including Cyberpunk, DC Universe and My Hero Academia.

In celebration of Pac-Man turning 40 this month, Bandai has unveiled the Pac-Man Tamagotchi Nano. Bringing together two nostalgic brands, Pac-Man Tamagotchi is available in yellow and black colourways, with or without the iconic Pac-Man character case. At just 4cm in size, the Tamagotchi includes characters from the original arcade game, including Pac-Man and the ghosts. Depending on how well the Tamagotchi is cared for and fed, users can achieve different Pac-Man characters. Fans may even recognise references to the ‘level 256 glitch’ which plagued the original arcade version.

Continuing the Pac-Man theme, Bandai’s Pac-Man Connect n Play includes 12 classic Namco titles. Pac-Man Connect n Play comes in an iconic Pac-Man games case and merges digital gaming with the iconic video game.

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.com Tomy will retain its title as Master Toy Licensee for Ricky Zoom, partnering with Entertainment One, and has also been appointed Bath Toy Licensee for Peppa Pig, with new Peppa Pig products in the Toomies and Aquadoodle ranges.

Lights and Sounds Ricky is a 6x7 inch large scale Ricky Zoom that includes an articulated front wheel for multi-directional movement and an etched light-up visor with sounds. Superior stability means that Ricky can stand unaided, and eight different sounds and phrases straight from the TV Show add to the play value.

The Ricky Zoom Speed and Stunt Playset features three different ways to play. In Stage One, kids load Ricky into the super launcher and watch him zoom into action.

By adding the adjustable track, they then can move to Stage Two: Super Race and Stage three: Super Jump. Super Race is a straight-line speed dash while Super Jump sees kids move the track and send Ricky up the ramp and flying through the hoop towards the target.

The Peppa Pig Pull and Go Pedalo features Peppa and Daddy Pig. Kids simply pull the ring and watch as the pedalo paddles its way through bath time. The pedalo comes with removable, exclusively dressed Peppa Pig and Daddy Pig squirters and does not require batteries.

The refreshed Peppa Pig Aquadoodle mat enables mess free play whilst adventuring around the mat with Peppa. The product features new graphics and colours on its borders that children can copy and includes a star stamp, along with a Peppa Pig pen.

The newly re-vamped Peppa Pig Doodle Bag is perfect for keeping kids entertained on the go, with none of the mess of paints, pens or watercolours. The padded bag opens out to provide an easel with two drawing areas for double the fun – kids can doodle on one side, then switch to the other while the first lot of doodles dry.

The whole thing is then easily folded back into bag form for storage or transportation.

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Mattel 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com For 2020, Mattel’s Pixar range incorporates Toy Story and Cars and will introduce Pixar classics The Incredibles and Monsters Inc. The range will include action figures, minis and role-play items.

WWE fans can capture the action of WWE Superstars with the 6” Wrekkin’ Figures. Kids can also create their own entrance or destroy someone else’s with the WWE Raw Wrekkin’ Entrance Stage, a new play set featuring scaffolding, a large breakable sign, a breakable entrance screen and a breakable ramp.

The Jurassic World toy range continues to expand in 2020, introducing fans to Jurassic World dinosaur battle play in a whole new way. New for spring, the Jurassic World Control and Conquer Carnotaurus has articulation and dual-button activation, while the Sound Strike Range offers realistic movements, attack activation and sound.

The Minecraft range welcomes new Boost Mini Figures.

These give fans extra powers in the new Minecraft Earth Mobile Game, where the world of Minecraft meets our own. There will also be a range of new figures based on the Dungeons game, which is set for release on 26th May. Younger fans can play out their favourite DC moments with new additions to the Imaginext DC Super Friends range throughout the year, including the DC Super Friends Batwing. Kids can place the figure in the plane's cockpit, then squeeze the trigger to open the fabric wings, while pushing the Power Pad will launch disk projectiles.

Shimmer & Shine introduces pre-schoolers to magical genie adventures. New Teenie Genies rings have a genie hiding inside, with over 150 genies to collect.

DEMAND MORE On-demand product across our full range of licenses.

With in-house production for a fast turnaround and low minimum order quantities.

Ranges include:

Call: 0114 276 7454 or email: enquiries@gbeye.com

www.gbeye.com

Character Licensed Merchandise

Zappies 01273 977440 | www.zappies.com Distributor and importer Zappies works with partners in the UK and across the globe.

The company has introduced a range of unique products and its portfolio has increased significantly with over 4000 lines now available. The company’s top 250 lines are on display in its new show room premises near Brighton on the south coast. All major licensed products are on offer including Frozen, Frozen II, Avengers, Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts, Star Wars, Sonic and Ghostbusters (new 2020 movies), plus many more. The ranges are constantly evolving.

Zappies’ Banzai range – the company’s own outdoor summer games range including waterslides, sprinklers and garden games - is enjoying its third successful year. The company’s Sonic range has shown an equally strong performance over the past year, and new additions are available for 2020, including a remote-control Sonic Skateboard.

The company’s board games opportunities have expanded considerably, as the UK lockdown has seen home games entertainment for families increase in popularity.

Prominent amongst the titles available has been the classic property game Hotel Tycoon, which is now exclusive to Zappies.

For further information and to expand distribution in the UK or across Europe, email sales@zappies.com.

Toynamics 0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.co.uk Nanoblock, the original micro-sized building block range featuring blocks as small as 4mm, recently highlighted the success its licensed Pokémon range has seen since it launched in the UK. Toynamics UK & Ireland, Nanoblock’s distributor, has now announced that it plans to bring five new Pokémon Nanoblock characters into the market this year. Nanoblock will also be bringing out a range of Sonic the Hedgehog models. The range will include popular characters such as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Dr Eggman. All Pokémon and Sonic models come in packs containing between 120 and 150 pieces, while retailers can make use of a handy CDU to catch customers’ attention.

The Nanoblock range has also made the change from plastic packaging to cardboard to be more environmentally friendly. A dedicated UK website for Nanoblock is under construction, with the aim of helping customers find their nearest Nanoblock stockist.

Toynamics UK & Ireland can offer a large range of SKUs and lines to choose from, as well as display units including FSDUs and CDUs. To learn more, contact sales@toynamics.co.uk.

Posh Paws 01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Amscan International 01908 288500 | www.amscan.co.uk

Trolls World Tour launched on TV screens last month and, celebrating the SVOD release, Posh Paws’ range of brightly coloured, highly detailed, soft and cuddly plush toys has already been a hit with fans. The new movie collection plush includes fan favourites Poppy, Branch, Cooper and new movie characters, Tiny Diamond and Queen Barb, in a variety of small to large plush sizes and varying price-points to meet all consumer and retailer needs.

From YouTube and TV comes the giggling sensation, Sunny Bunnies. The Posh Paws collection of feature plush toys includes a variety of different sizes and actions, such as the small Sunny Bunnies slammers that give out an infectious laugh when thrown; medium sized toys that giggle and wiggle at the press of a button and large bunnies that giggle and hop.

Posh Paws’ BBC Earth range of Blue Planet and Planet Earth soft animal toys is ideal for animal lovers and young children. There are 12 animals in the existing range and, new for this year, Posh Paws has introduced six brand-new BBC Baby plush animals, offering 18 soft animals to choose from.

The Swizzles Love Hearts range combines animals, fruit and food small plush characters, with entertaining and positive messages printed on the instantly recognisable love heart sweets. With over 15 to collect, there’s a saying and character for everyone and every occasion.

Amscan International continues to be a licensee of L.O.L. Surprise! as the ever-popular collectibles range continues to be a market leader, with sales going from strength to strength.

With Amscan’s wide range of balloons, kids can celebrate birthdays with a L.O.L. Surprise! theme. The range comprises Standard Shapes and Orbz designs with all over print of key L.O.L. icons, plus a Supershape die-cut L.O.L. Diva Doll and a Bouquet combining them all. There is something to suit all fans in the range; from impulse buys, such as dress-up of favourite L.O.L. characters, right through to decorations for any child’s party.

The full range is in stock and available to order now. Email sales@amscanuk.co.uk for more information.

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Character Licensed Merchandise

MV Sports 01217 488 000 | www.mvsports.co.uk

The MV Sports range offers a wide variety of must have properties, including L.O.L. Surprise!, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Disney Princess, Batman, Spiderman and Frozen II. New licences Bing and Ricky Zoom will strengthen the portfolio for 2020.

The Ricky Zoom line features a bespoke 3D 6V battery operated ride-on with easy to use foot pedal control, forwards and reverse gears and authentic Ricky Zoom moulded face and jet packs engines, making it the ultimate ride on for Ricky Zoom fans.

Bing is already a classic with pre-schoolers and MV Sports has created a pre-school wheeled range to suit the capabilities of this age group. The range includes a tri-scooter, ride-on, balance bike, trike and 2-in-1 bike, which easily transforms from balance bike to pedal bike as the child grows in confidence. All items are brightly coloured and decorated with the show’s favourite characters.

Nerf blasters are as popular as ever, and now kids can scope out targets on the move with the new Nerf Blaster Inline scooter. Featuring a Mini Nerf blaster attached to the handlebars, which easily clips off, there is also a dart holder on the stem of the scooter.

Evergreen properties Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Frozen, Disney Princess, Batman and Spider-Man still prove popular, with a full range of wheeled toys as well as MV’s innovated Dream Dens; the 2 in 1 sleepover and den solution with decorative fairy lights and integral inflatable mattress.

L.O.L. Surprise! also remains sought after, and MV Sports’ range for 2020 has been revamped with bolder colours. Featuring a fixed inline scooter, 14” and 16” bikes, the range boasts glitter accents, bold character graphics and a sticker sheet for customisation. MV also offers a complementary range of L.O.L. Surprise! outdoor toys including, scooters, skates, tepee and My Dream Den.

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com Wilton Bradley and Nadiya Hussain have announced a new partnership on a licensed cooking range for kids: Bake me a Story. Nadiya Hussain rose to fame after winning the sixth series of The Great British Bake Off and since then has released both cookbooks and fictional books, presented a number of different television programmes and has recently released her memoir.

Bake me a Story is a range of baking and cooking sets with smaller tools perfect for small hands. The sets invite little ones to get creative with their cooking and baking skills, bringing the whole family into the kitchen. Each set has a selection of easy to follow recipe cards created by Nadiya, which make tasty creations that the whole family can enjoy.

Nadiya has been working closely with Wilton Bradley on the product concepts, designs and colours from the very beginning and continues to be involved as the product evolves. There are three boxed Baking Kits in the range: Simple Baking Set, Savoury Cooking Set and the Deluxe Baking Set. X Factor products are a growing licence within Wilton Bradley’s Mi Mic range. The company has now launched an Official Licensed X Factor Disco Cube Speaker, and this summer will see the addition of the Mini Cube Disco Speaker which allows kids to create a karaoke disco in their own home.

The Mi-Mic Karaoke Microphone Speaker with phone holder is a compact, karaoke microphone system that lets young musicians perform anywhere. Developed with an official Bluetooth licence, kids simply connect a phone, tablet or computer to play their favourite music and sing over the top. The item is complete with echo function, USB charging and seven LED light functions.

The Volkswagen camper is an icon of British summertime and Wilton Bradley’s VW licensed range of outdoor products is going from strength to strength. The VW brand has been combined with Wilton Bradley’s most popular outdoor products resulting in an appealing range that includes cool-bags, camping chairs, flip flops and kids’ tents.

Flair 020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk New for spring/summer from Flair Just Play, the Ryan’s World Mystery Playdate range reflects scenes and accessories from the Nickelodeon TV show. Each item is inspired by moments from the show, which stars YouTube Ryan, his family and a cast of engaging characters. Kids will love guessing who’s behind Ryan’s Mystery Playdate Surprise Door; to find out, they can press the button to reveal the Mystery Playdate figures or place the hint coins and try to guess who the playdate is.

The Ryan’s World collection will also grow with new mystery figures, surprise boxes and more. A new Mystery Surprise Vault will be ready for fans to crack, while a new season of Build a Friend Eggs will set their own challenge.

Ben Tennyson, the ultimate boy-hero who can transform into countless alien alter-egos, will get his very own three-wheeled action vehicle this spring with the launch of the Ben 10 Transforming Omni Cycle. The Transforming Omni-Cycle can drive across any off-road terrain or zip through the skies. Complete with a Rust Buggy Ben action figure, the vehicle makes land-to-air adventures a breeze; simply collapse the wheels to change it from cycle to flight mode. Joining the Omni-Cycle will be whole new waves of figures for autumn plus the ultimate accessory, the Omnitrix Creator Set. Fans of PJ Masks can look forward to the new Save the Sky range, which launches in autumn and includes Romeo’s Flying Factory Playset: a new flying base for the show’s anti-hero. The heroes can also take to the sky with the PJ Masks Air Jet, which features expanding wings, an opening cockpit and lights and sounds, while completing the theme will be core vehicles and Save the Sky gliders. From the core collection, the hero of the range is the PJ Masks 2-in-1 Mobile HQ. This impressive Seeker vehicle transforms into a multistory HQ from which the heroes can launch their missions.

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Character Licensed Merchandise

Lego 01753 495 000 | www.lego.com Launching on 1st August, the new Lego Super Mario product line features an interactive Lego Mario figure that collects coins in real-life game levels created with Lego bricks. Details of the Lego Super Mario universe have been unveiled, starting with the Mario Starter Course. This entry point set is needed to unlock expansion sets and features seven action bricks for different interactions with the Lego Mario figure that are only included in this set. The Lego Mario figure itself has LCD screens in his eyes, mouth and belly to display a wide variety of instant reactions to movement, colour and action bricks. Also included is a speaker that plays iconic sounds and music from the video game series.

Kids aged six and above can build levels and play their own way, with action-packed challenges. Lego Mario can be used to collect virtual coins as he runs and jumps from the Start Pipe to the Goal Pole via Lego bricks, cloud platform and clashes with the Goomba figure and Bowser Jr. figures.

The Starter Course can be combined with Lego Super Mario Expansion Sets, each of which unlocks unique challenges and characters to play with solo and against friends. The first Expansion Sets include the Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion Set and the Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set. Fans can also use the free Lego Super Mario app by the Lego Group, which keeps track of scores to encourage continuous rebuilding, as well as providing digital building instructions with zoom and rotate viewing tools to make building easier. The app also offers a safe forum for users to share ideas with friends.

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Kids can take the world of Pokémon with them wherever they go with the new Pokémon Carry Case Playset. Featuring a bouncing boulder, a treetop trap door, battle area, hidden caves, a spinning whirlpool and more, the opportunities for adventure are endless. The Pokémon Carry Case Playset is scaled for any 2” Pokémon figure and folds up easily into Ash’s iconic Kanto Region backpack, making it ideal for safely storing Pokémon figures while adding to the Pokémon role-play experience.

Fans can test their Pokémon knowledge to the limit with the new Pokémon Trainer Trivia Game. With 1,000 questions about all things Pokémon, and three levels of play - Beginner, Advanced or Expert - the game promises to turn players into true Pokémon experts. Up to four people can play at a time in multiplayer mode; the Trainer with the most points at the end of the game wins. Players can also try to beat their top score in single player mode. The virtual game master takes care of everything, from reading the rules to asking the questions and keeping score.

GB Eye 01142 767 454 | www.gbeye.com GB eye would like to reassure customers that the company is working hard to continue to provide the same great products and high levels of customer service as usual. Its in-house manufacturing systems are ready to support the fast-moving changes in retail. With low minimum quantities and fast turnaround times, GB Eye can continue to supply its large licensed range. This includes standard mugs, carabiner mugs, posters, wall art, frames and much more; featuring an extensive list of properties including Pokémon, Fortnight, Dragon Ball Z, Harry Potter, Wonder Woman, DC Comics, Peaky Blinders and PlayStation, to name just a few.

The company continues to work on new products and its eco-friendly tote bags made from sustainable materials and environmentally friendly inks, which will be available from summer 2020. It will continue to release products with strong environmental credentials over the coming months and customers can keep up to date via the website to see the newest designs from GB Eye’s biggest properties.

Ahead of the gifting season, GB Eye is forging plans to bring a range of products to market, and a selection of ever-popular gift boxes, breakfast sets and espresso mugs can all be pre-ordered with its sales teams now.

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NADIYA’S

BAKING SETS

REAL BAKEWARE FOR KIDS

01626 835400

sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk

www.wiltonbradley.co.uk

Hot

Properties

Subway Surfers Sybo Games

As Sybo Games celebrates Subway Surfers’ 8th birthday this month and revels in the brand's sustained success, the company readies for a new range of merchandise to hit retail shelves, while the widely popular animated series has premiered on national television in Russia.

Named the Most Downloaded Game of the Decade from App Annie in late 2019, the game has a long list of record-setting accomplishments in its eight-year history. It is the first and only game to cross 1m downloads, as well as the most downloaded game in Google Play's 10-year history, and the most downloaded endless runner game in the App Store's history. Today, Subway Surfers has well over 2.8b downloads worldwide.

Russian television network, Karusel, premiered Subway Surfers: The Animated Series during evening primetime in mid-April. Toy distributor Rosman and manufacturer Alpha Group are working hand-in-hand to ensure a range of merchandise will be available at retail for summer and autumn 2020. The network has confirmed it will re-run the 11-episode series in July and September. Marking the first free-to-air channel in the world to broadcast the episodes, the series will also soon be available on Russian VOD platforms and YouTube. The broadcast deal was brokered by Mega License, Sybo’s licensing agent in Russia.

The Consumer Products team has a broad range of style guides which depict assets and characters in various forms in order to showcase brand elasticity. From character art to the minifig style, to the animated style and even an authentic graffiti gallery created by professional graffiti artists, there is a wealth of creatives for partners to choose from.

Offering toys, apparel, accessories, wheeled goods, home tech and more, the property’s consumer and lifestyle merchandise brand, Subsurf, will arrive at retail this summer, on top of a wide range of t-shirt designs which debuted on HotTopic.com in mid-February.

Pokémon The Pokémon Company International Pokémon has evolved from its three enduring pillars of animation, video games and the Trading Card Game, adding live-action movies and apps to further increase the brand’s global reach. The 360-degree approach means Pokémon is available on all the main entertainment touchpoints that fans interact with, allowing multiple opportunities to engage with the brand.

With a broad and universal appeal, Pokémon is popular among children and adults alike, and especially with millennials who grew up playing the video and trading card games as children and have maintained their affinity for the brand.

Following the success of the latest video games titles Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield – the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch titles ever – are two new expansions: June’s The Isle of Armor and Autumn’s The Crown Tundra, while a sequel to 2019’s Detective Pikachu is in development for Switch, following the success of the live action movie. Meanwhile, the first Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Trading Card Game expansion, released in February, has maintained its world-leading status.

The new CGI animated film Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution premiered on Pokémon Day (27th February) on Netflix globally (outside Japan/Korea), and the new seven-part online series Pokémon: Twilight Wings launched in January on Pokémon’s YouTube channel.

The Pokémon Company International has already signed all major categories for the brand. Leading European partners include master toy partner Wicked Cool Toys (distributed in UK and Ireland by Character Options) whose new autumn/winter line includes an innovative backpack play set with figure, seasonal plush, a new Clip n’ Go Pokeball Belt Set, Snooze Action Snorlax, an 18” Sleeping Charmander, new additions to the Vinyl Figures and much more. Mattel’s new Mega Construx construction toy line is now available in Europe.

Other key pan-European signed categories include puzzles with Ravensburger; plush (DTR) from Build-A-Bear; videogame accessories from Hori and Power A; Trading Card Game accessories with Ultrapro; electronics (lights and alarm clocks) from Teknofun; headphones by OTL; party goods with Amscan and lunchware by Zak UK (UK) and Stor (Continental Europe).

Pokémon works with its licensees and leading retailers to create immersive crosscategory campaigns including a raft of engaging Pokémon activity in Harrods and Hamleys to coincide with the release of the movie Pokémon Detective Pikachu and, more recently, a month-long pop-up in Harrods this February.

In addition, Pokémon successfully collaborates with leading food and beverage companies to create innovative new products and appealing promotions, such as regular Pokémon Happy Meals at McDonalds (most recently in January this year), an on-pack promotion with Cadbury’s in Co-op stores across the UK and a range of Pokémon Pez candy dispensers.

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For UK and international licensing opportunities please contact: Angeles Blanco | T: 0207 400 1071 | E: angeles.blanco@beano.com

Special Feature

Stealth Learning

Undercover teachers

If you’re caring for kids, and you live in an area affected by Covid-19 lockdowns or school closures, the chances are that by now you’ll be some weeks into homeschooling. With enforced time at home likely to continue for some time yet, parents will be trying to find the perfect balance between learning and play – while others are finding that the two can be combined to make education fun. Rachael Simpson-Jones speaks to some leaders in the educational toy space to find which toys and games are ideal for the home classroom.

S

ocial media is currently brimming with all manner of serious (and not so serious) homeschooling ideas; a standout favourite of mine combines colour recognition, counting and shape sorting - tasking kids with matching an assortment of lids to their correct Tupperware counterpart. Elsewhere, heated debates have been raging over exactly how long young learners should be spending poring over their school workbooks each day, as opposed to playing or simply relaxing. Multiple daily homeschooling planners have surfaced, while some education professionals have urged parents not to overthink homeschooling - especially if they themselves are trying to work remotely - instead encouraging caregivers and kids to learn together through exploratory play and creative projects.

When the lockdowns were on the horizon, and schools had been closed, online sales of games, outdoor toys, arts & crafts kits, building sets and stationery began to spike. NPD data shows that in the first official week of lockdown (commencing 23rd March), Outdoor & Sports took 18% of all

sector spend, up from 12% last year. Sales in the Arts & Crafts category almost doubled (up 97%) with slime, dough and craft kits all making it into shopping baskets, and sales of Building Sets rose 59% year-on-year. By now, many will have realised that kids stuck at home aren’t all that open to the concept of learning in a school-style environment – so how can these sorts of toys and games bridge the gap between fun and learning?

“Many of us are worried about homeschooling the kids,” notes Nick Saunders, sales manager at Brainstorm. “After all, teachers train for years and are brilliant at enthusing children about different subjects. People who know me will be familiar with my mantra ‘I love my kids, but I don’t like them much’, and the thought of teaching them fills me with dread. (By the way - they don’t like me much either!) Brainstorm products appeal to kids as they’re entertaining while educational in a way that’s fun and engaging; the term learning by stealth could have been coined to describe the Brainstorm portfolio.”

Among those products proving popular, Nick tells Toy World, is the eco-friendly crafting

Toy World 44

line Eugy. Ideal for creative downtime, each cardboard creature is assembled using a numerical sequence and comes complete with fun facts. Brainstorm’s 2-in-1 Globe Earth & Constellations teaches geography alongside what can be seen in the night sky, while See the World Through Others’ Eyes adds a different dimension to learning by bringing subjects to life. Nick adds: “We’re also seeing huge demand from internetonly retailers for our Magnetic Dry Wipe Board, perfect for the parent-teacher in all of us.”

With many public places either temporarily shut or off-limits to visitors unless trips are essential, role-playing can offer some great opportunities for family learning. Setting up a supermarket at home using Learning Resource’s Pretend & Play Cash Register, which can be complemented by a UK Money Pack, lets kids have fun whilst developing their maths skills and money recognition. (For added realism, be sure to maintain the one-way traffic flow and stick tape on your floor for proper social distancing.) In fact, Learning Resources’ entire portfolio is ideally suited to home-learning, as Simon Tomlinson,

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Special Feature head of marketing, explains.

“We are an education company; homelearning is part of our DNA and has been for over 25 years,” he says. “Every product is designed for use in schools and many cross-over into the home, so we’ve seen huge demand in recent weeks. Our products are exclusively of the highest quality and are noted for their innovation and creativity, and this extends to the calibre and depth of our educational content, giving parents the confidence that our products will supplement and develop the home learning environment.”

Learning Resources has seen particular demand for its Mathlink Cubes Activity set.

The 15 doubled-sided activity cards and 100 colourful, stackable Mathlink cubes allow children to learn about patterns and sequences, sorting, arithmetic, shapes and measuring through hands-on play, either alone or with their parents. Another sought after product is Tacklingtables, a game-based way for children to learn their times tables and division facts by heart.

Games in general, be they competitive or collaborative, can be utilised in myriad ways to aid learning from home. Orchard Toys is recognised for its quality educational games, which mix entertainment and education to offer kids and parents an attractive home-learning experience. We asked Simon Newbery, managing director, what would be recommended for KS1 and KS2 children from the Orchard portfolio.

“For Key Stage One children we would recommend Match and Spell, Mammoth Maths and First Times Tables” he says. “These games offer a fun introduction to several essential, key learning skills, including letter recognition, word building and basic addition and subtraction.

First Times Tables can be used as a fun learning resource that introduces children to the concept of multiplication and to 2, 5 and 10-times tables. For Key Stage two children we would recommend Magic Spelling, Magic Maths and Times Tables Heroes. These games help children to practise skills such as spelling and solving more challenging addition, subtraction and multiplication problems, as well as practising times tables from 2-12. All these games cover a range of essential learning skills and are everything you would expect from Orchard Toys – fun, engaging and educational. We’re seeing particularly high demand for these products right now as these are overtly educational and have been teacher tested, giving them the perfect

Stealth Learning

stamp of approval for home schooling.”

“Games like Scrabble and Boggle are brilliant for spelling; in fact, I play Boggle every morning with my Year 5 class to see how many words they can make,” adds Lucy McMann, a primary school teacher and mum of two. “When it comes to maths, Monopoly is a good choice and card games are fantastic. There are so many different games you can play with a normal pack of cards, which many households will already have lying around.” Readers who do have a pack lying around – in our house, we’ve amassed five somehow – might be interested to know that Cartamundi, together with Intracto, is working on stayandplay.cards, a platform on which traditional playing card games from all over the world are brought together. The platform will provide easy access instructions, game rules and how to play videos. The goal of both companies, according to an official press release, is to help people ‘enjoy being together and making the most out of this difficult time.’ The site will include popular card games, alongside countryor culturally specific games. Initially launching with the rules of 100 card games, new options will be added regularly.

Lucy also tells Toy World that creative activities shouldn’t be overlooked. “I’ve been buying seed growing kits for my three-year-old to make sure he’s kept busy and engaged, and home baking together is a really lovely idea too. Get the kids involved with weighing out and measuring ingredients – plus, everyone can enjoy the finished products!” Testament to this is online specialist toy and games retailer BargainMax. co.uk reporting that Interplay’s My Fairy Garden range is a sell-out success at the moment (read more from BargainMax.co.uk in our exclusive article on pages 52 and 53). Home bakers, meanwhile, might want to take a look at Wilton Bradley’s range of cooking and baking sets for kids, which have been created in partnership with Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.

Somewhat easier on the waistline, slime, sand and dough kits are a big hit with kids across the nation. Providing soothing ASMR play (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response for the uninitiated) and STEM learning, kids can create their own slimy, sandy or doughy creations to show off to parents or other loved ones.

“Most parents are finding it challenging to encourage their children to balance schoolwork with playtime,” explains Anthony Grimaud, CEO of Canal Toys. “To help counteract this, our So Magic DIY and So Sand DIY kits combine science, art and fun. Firstly, So Magic DIY is a STEM toy which gives children the chance to combine creativity and science; children simply add water and then wait for their unique creation to come to life as the crystals grow. So Sand DIY promotes the ASMR trend and lets children develop their dexterity skills for a unique arts & crafts experience. Kids who love developing their slime skills adore the innovation we bring to our ranges. The new Slimelicious Mini Shops are a 2-in-1 play experience, a brilliant scented slime solution with a fun role-play element which will give them hours of fun, while the Tie & Dye line brings something completely different to slime fans who will love using the Washing Machine to mix things up.”

Toy World 46

As well as which of their products they would recommend, we also asked our contributors what advice they would offer parents who may be struggling to get to grips with home-schooling.

“Divide the day into manageable and realistic timeslots, offer a reward for work and then give them the freedom to get creative,” suggests Anthony. “Show off their new Canal Toys creations to grandparents and family members via video calling so they can get praise for their new creativity; rewarding kids for hard work is an excellent way to balance this new way of learning at home.”

Simon Tomlinson at Learning Resources directs readers to the company’s website and blog, to which have been added several free resources to help parents. Through the Learning Resources blog, families with kids as young as 18 months old can discover a wide variety of easy-to-implement, hands-on activities, whether they’re working on their ABCs and 123s, trying to keep up with classwork, or focusing on learning language/reading. “These tools will allow those impacted by school closures to foster playful learning at home during this difficult time,” Simon says. “My other advice would be to keep believing in what you are doing during this extraordinary time and use the resources available to you to keep your home learning relevant, focused, rewarding and fun.”

Orchard Toys offers a range of free downloadable activity sheets that cover everything from literacy and numeracy activities to crafts, recipes and colouring sheets. The company has also put together a list of top tips to help parents who have found themselves home-schooling their children, available at www. orchardtoys.com/homelearningtips.

Brainstorm’s Nick Saunders, meanwhile, emphasises taking time out to make educational activities fun, and not putting too much pressure on your kids or yourself. “This is an unprecedented time, and being together at home and staying safe is the most important thing,” he says. “Learning in a creative way that brightens everyone’s day is a must - children will remember the fun you created, not whether you knew what a fronted adverbial was.”

Interplay

Company Profile

Interplay - rising to the challenge In response to the unprecedented lockdown situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Interplay has created the Play Together with Interplay project. Toy World spoke to Adrian Whyles, managing director, about how this initiative and the company’s portfolio of creative products is helping families stuck at home.

Coming out of 2019, what were Interplay’s aims for this year? How have these changed?

2019 was a challenging year for the toys and games industry. For 2020, we have several new initiatives in the pipeline and remain confident they will play an important part in the growth of Interplay. Yes, we are currently facing new challenges, but our investment remains substantial and we’re confident our business will both remain strong and achieve growth in 2020.

How adaptable is Interplay able to be when it comes to coping with the rapidly changing Covid-19 situation?

It’s crucial that Interplay continually adapts to any challenges. We have always been a business that is flexible and adaptable, but Covid-19 has presented different challenges and - like many – we’ve had to make some difficult decisions in order to best address a situation that has no definitive answers.

Currently, the expectations and requirements of our consumers have changed considerably and as a business we’ve been able to make the necessary adjustments in our media strategies and marketing communications. Our marketing programme, now tailored to the Covid-19 crisis environment, has already been implemented and is currently reaching out to families through TV, digital and print platforms, with messages designed to support families with children in this unprecedented time.

How will you be approaching the months ahead, given that there is such uncertainty at the moment?

As a global company, we’re constantly reviewing

the situation and will take any actions necessary to protect our employees and their families, as well as support our industry and the consumer, in any way we can.

Global lockdowns mean that many children are home from school, and in need of toys and games that are both entertaining and educational. How do Interplay’s latest products fit the bill?

We’re able to offer the market a wide range of creative activity sets, such as the My Fairy Garden and Fuzzikins science and nature kits, and My Living World play sets which provide wholesome growing and crafting play, while also helping children learn about the environment in which we live, and how to play a part in its preservation. We have several games for children and their families, such as Orangutwang and 5 Second Rule, which can provide great fun along the way. Through our web site, we’re working with some of our retail partners to provide free downloadable activities such as colouring sheets, games, and outdoor activities, to help make fun and learning available to everyone.

What can you tell us about the Play Together with Interplay initiative? How is the company raising awareness of it?

The Play Together with Interplay project was initiated as a response to the (then potential) school closures in the UK, with the aim of supporting parents and keeping children happy and entertained during the lockdown. We’re able to offer toys and games that are wholesome and fun, and that deliver a positive learning or creative experience for children.

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We are raising awareness through TV advertising, extensive PR, social influencers, digital advertising and email marketing.

What three products/brands from within the Interplay portfolio would you recommend most to home-schooling parents at the moment?

For pre-school and Key Stage 1, we’d recommend our Fuzzikins range, which offers an array of creative play sets that fuel children’s creative development and imagination while keeping them happy for hours.

Our My Fairy Garden range is perfect for the season and allows parents to spend quality time with their little ones. My Fairy Garden encourages children to learn about nature through imaginative play. Growing plants is an activity that brings joy and hope to each day, which is much needed right now.

The My Living World range has been successfully offering the very best nature study kits on the market for 20 years. My Living World kits allow children to discover the wonders of nature in a fun, safe and stimulating way. The instruction booklets, video tutorials, activity guides and teacher’s notes are packed full of information for home-schooling families.

How is Interplay supporting retailers at this time?

Recognising how incredibly important each sale is right now, we’re looking to ship product at reduced lead times. We are also working with a number of online sites to provide help and guidance to parents looking for ways to entertain and educate their children at home.

Viewpoint A change is gonna come

A Darran Garnham Darran is CEO of MTW Toys S.A., the exclusive distributor for Thinkway Toys across EMEA. He has previously held roles at Universal, Mind Candy, Kidz Entertainment and 4Kids International.

t this time, we should be thankful to be working in an industry with people who are not only supporting each other but also doing some amazing things for the wider community. Watching MGA (#OperationPacMan), Zuru, PMI, Vex Robotics, The Entertainer, Smyths and many others rally round makes you proud to be part of such a wonderful trade. Maybe we could find a way of recognising these exceptional stories of support at this year’s Toy Awards?

This time will make us question many things, but can we carry those learnings forward? The numerous shows we visit and extensive global travel - is it all needed? Which trips could be cancelled or condensed to maximise productivity and reduce waste? Do we need endless large meetings and to spend hours commuting to offices? Platforms like Zoom, House Party, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp and a little Skype have allowed communication to continue seamlessly.

News from retail, for the most part, is tough. Many shops have been closed; staff laid off or furloughed and others rightly prioritising items required at this time. Yet there are also some great stories from smaller direct-to-consumer online companies and for many, this is a time to support local shops and business owners. It also allows for innovation on classic distribution models - such as teaming up with Uber Eats and other home delivery services.

NPD has shown some great wins

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toyworld toy world The business magazine with a passion for toys

For advertising enquiries, contact Mark Austin (07710) 532952 mark@toyworldmag.co.uk

- outdoor, puzzles, board games and publishing (physical and audio). Categories promoting kids being outside, learning, creating and playing with each other, something positive to continue post lockdown. However, tech companies are winning too. If the Garnham household is anything to go by, Minecraft and Roblox will have a great 2020, joined by EA, Sony Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, Epic, Bandai and more. I am fascinated to watch the rise of eSports and how this develops into partnerships and physical products. With the Olympics, Euros, Wimbledon, F1 races and all other big sporting events cancelled, we have seen professional clubs and players competing online. This will build out the eSports business and bring it more mainstream.

Technology is also a leading light for mental health. It was great to see Apple recently highlight applications for children’s mental and physical health, with my old team at Moshi leading this space for kids and Calm for adults. However, do not underestimate what a simple email or call to a friend can do at this time.

Please reach out.

Positivity is also seeping, slowly, from licensors. Licensees are being offered extended deals or some contract relief. Some companies will not survive. Most will lose a big chunk, if not all, of 2020 revenue and there will be a knock-on effect into a fragmented 2021 retail landscape. The licensors stepping up and leading these discussions are displaying incredible leadership and will benefit from industry support and long-term partnerships.

It’s a ground-breaking period for content creators, with viewers having more time to consume. The content class of 2020 will see some new breakout personalities. Joe Wicks has been around for a number of years, but his morning PE sessions has seen brand Wicks explode; 900,000+ live-streamed a hit session with Joe dressed as Spiderman, surely a boost for Rubies, Smiffys and others in the category. There are many others: David Walliams free audio books, Jamie Oliver free home cooking, the National Theatre streaming free shows on YouTube - and how many have drawn the Flaming Marshmallow or Pizza Steve from the YouTube Channel Art for Kids Hub? Even the big creators have adapted models; movie studios bringing movies to fans in different ways while cinemas globally are closed: Universal’s digital-only release of Trolls breaking records could see another model shift.

Statistics show a rise in TV viewing, allowing some IP which maybe wouldn’t have broken through to have better penetration.

The rise in streaming / gaming during this period should see an IP boom. Amazon-Twitch, TikTok and YouTube have seen viewership and subscribers increasing, great for the likes of Moonbug. Personally, I would buy a Tiger King Onesie immediately.

Finally, on a personal note I have been grateful for the added family time. Yes, home schooling makes me want to reach for the wine by 10am, but when will we have an opportunity again to have prolonged one to one time with our families and loved ones?

Category features on

Art & Craft Wheeled Toys Infant Toys •

•

Plus all the latest updates from the toy market, new products and news of how toy retailers are continuing to trade through the crisis

For editorial enquiries, contact Rachael Simpson-Jones rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk or Lisa Currie lisa@toyworldmag.co.uk

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If you would like to have the magazine sent to your home address temporarily, contact Anita Baulch anita@toyworldmag.co.uk

Bring it on(line)

W

hile the coronavirus epidemic continues to wreak havoc across the world, the rules in place to encourage people to stay at home and selfisolate have caused a substantial increase in online sales with people flocking to the most trusted online player, Amazon. Everyone is changing their behaviours in a massive way and that includes shopping more online.

Over the last month we saw Amazon prioritizing the stocking of essential products and the trend continued into the latter half of March and into early April. Instead of relying on its typical algorithm, Amazon has been awarding the Buy Box to products that can fulfil orders fastest.

In the Toys & Games category, the most searched for terms during March were “puzzles”, “arts & craft for kids”, “board games” and “outdoor toys”. These keywords ranked in the top 200 search terms on Amazon which shows the huge opportunity for suppliers in these categories. As Amazon's traffic isincreasing every day, investing in Amazon’s search is a huge chance to increase ‘new to brand’ customers.

With so much uncertainty occurring in product supply, Amazon's bestsellers have shifted

quickly and products that have been in top 100 positions for long periods of time have lost their high rankings, due to demand. This reveals potential for brands with ample stock to secure a position in the top 100 bestseller list, which will result in increased views and conversion that eventually leads to further sales So, what are some quick strategies brands could adopt to win on Amazon?

• Content Optimising content couldn’t be more important right now. Good quality images with detailed product descriptions will help convert more customers leading to improving demand. Enhanced content will help convey a brand value, providing customer relevance and increasing customer engagement.

• Reviews Customers are now spending more time reading reviews online.

Reviews not only have the power to influence consumer decisions but can strengthen a company's credibility. They have the power to gain customer trust and encourage consumers to interact with the company. During this time, it’s important to read your own reviews and help answer customers queries in the Q&A section.

• Amazon Advertising Shift product and budget focus,

evaluating any recent changes in campaign performance and re-allocating spend to the most efficient products and campaigns.

Understand which products are seeing increases and decreases and tailor budgets accordingly. Is now the time to double down on advertising to capture channel switchers?

Prime Day With rumours of Prime day moving to August, will Prime day be as successful as it has been in the past? It takes time for the business to return to normal and for brands to stabilise. Regardless of the reprioritized shipments and modifications to purchase orders, Prime Day will not be feasible in July, with huge supply chain challenges and brands unlikely to be able to replenish inventory by then.

This is a challenging time for brands and marketplaces. But I encourage you to view it as an opportunity and to consider how your brand can position itself for long-term success. There will be some casualties from this pandemic, but brands that have not had much success on Amazon historically should see greater opportunities from the shifting focus to trading online. The demand and consumers are there, and Etopia is here to help brands fine-tune a successful strategy.

Asha Bhalsod Asha has 10 years eCommerce account management experience, including at Amazon and managing the Amazon/eCommerce businesses at Tomy UK and Melissa & Doug. She now runs Etopia Consultancy, to help brands create their eCommerce strategy and grow their Amazon business, and can be contacted on asha@etopiaconsultancy. co.uk for guidance with selling on Amazon.

Now, more than ever, play is essential

T

his is an extraordinary time, marked by new rules, strange routines and plenty of boundaries.

A cultural moment that feels, by necessity, culturally empty.

Around the world, and at every age, people are united in feeling isolated, restless and out of sorts.

That’s why play is so important right now.

Whether you’re playing peek-aboo or building a pillow fort, play is a powerful force that comes in many forms to exercise the mind, body and

spirit and keep us engaged.

In the best of times, play encourages us to be curious. It helps us develop and hone important skills, from social to analytical.

And, right now, play can be even more valuable, helping families and caregivers navigate tough times by offering reasons to smile and bringing moments of joy to lives young and old. Everybody can play, and it’s important that we all do.

Begin with simple steps. Make time throughout the day, every day, to play. Build new games and

challenges around favourite toys and activities. Create new ways to interact as a family and new routines that everyone will want to keep.

At Mattel, we champion the power of play because we know it can make the world a better place. To help you harness the incredible power of play, we are introducing an all-new online resource for parents and caregivers called the Mattel Playroom.

Inspiration, discovery and joy are at our fingertips, so let’s #keepplaying.

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Richard Dickson Richard has been president and chief operating officer of Mattel Inc. since April 2015, following multiple senior roles at the company.

Special Feature

Operation Pac-Man

Operation Pac-Man:

MGA steps up Never one to shy away from a challenge, Isaac Larian, founder of MGA Entertainment, has spearheaded Operation Pac-Man, a non-profit organisation to help fight the spread of Covid-19 worldwide. Toy World spoke to MGA’s UK senior vice president, Andrew Laughton, about Operation Pac-Man and how it’s making a difference.

C

ovid-19, the highly contagious novel coronavirus which currently has no cure, has been making its way across the globe since late December 2019.

The exponential rise in cases has caused crippling shortages of the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required by frontline medical staff such as paramedics, nurses, doctors, surgeons, cleaning staff and careworkers. In the UK, the situation has become so dire that NHS staff have threatened to quit unless the government can urgently secure gloves, visors, masks and gowns to protect them from the virus – a move that will sadly come too late for the doctors and nurses who have already lost their lives.

When Isaac Larian, founder of MGA Entertainment, saw what was happening, he immediately began planning, and within a matter of days, Operation Pac-Man was born.

“Operation Pac-Man donates these necessary supplies to our frontline responders, who heroically risk their lives to provide the care that our communities desperately need,” says the new Operation Pac-Man website. “We are using our distribution connections to gain access to supplies, buying them at cost and donating them to medical workers. We communicate with hospitals and medical practitioners directly, arranging drop offs so that these supplies go directly to them, avoiding hold up from complicated logistics and red tape where possible.”

The scheme has two main aims; raise money and buy supplies. Following an injection of

Isaac Larian

$5m straight from the coffers of L.O.L Surprise!, Operation Pac-Man will use donated funds – all of which will be matched by Isaac – to purchase PPE such as the N95 facemasks, which will then be donated to hospitals and medical centres.

Readers can donate as an individual or as a business, regardless of where they are in the world; suggested pre-set amounts are given for convenience, while supporters can also donate an amount of their choosing. Health professionals can request supplies on behalf of their facility, detailing what is needed and when it is needed by. Operation Pac-Man will then take care of the rest.

In its first week, Operation Pac-Man delivered more than 65,000 masks (surgical, N95 and KN95) and face shields to 40 hospitals across the USA, and supported the 250-bed, makeshift hospital in the Los Angeles Convention Center. The scheme is now set for international roll-out; in the UK, MGA’s UK senior vice president, Andrew Laughton, is overseeing the operation. “When Isaac sets his mind to something, he gives it his all,” Andy told Toy World. “It’s very inspirational.

Word of Operation Pac-Man is spreading; a friend of mine from within the toy industry, who used to run Little Tikes in Europe but now runs a medical supplies company, has already donated 10,000 face masks in his local area, and he’s given me a further 2,000 which I’ve donated to a local hospital. A further 10,000 are on the way too; these will go to hospitals in Milton Keynes and Northampton, where MGA’s UK operations are based.”

In addition to PPE, alarming shortages

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Andrew Laughton

of ventilators – machines which breathe for patients who can’t – have seriously complicated matters. In hospitals across the world, medical professionals have been forced to make agonising decisions regarding which patients are put on ventilators, and which must be left without. Here too, MGA is seeking a solution.

“We might not be a Formula 1 team, but we have some incredibly talented designers working at Little Tikes and MGAE, as well as injection moulding machines and 3D printers,” explains Andy. “The team in Hudson, Ohio, where the Little Tikes manufacturing is based, has created a prototype ventilator which, after a few modifications, has been approved for use and is now being manufactured for a fraction of the cost of some others.”

Those reading this will already be aware of the toy community’s enormous generosity of spirit, but Operation Pac-Man serves to further highlight the creativity and ingenuity of leaders within the industry. It’s unlikely that many out there won’t be in some way affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, be it from job losses and financial hardship to losing loved ones, so it’s reassuring and welcome that, once again, toy manufacturers are rising to the challenge.

Isaac has implored the global community: “I ask everyone to please help in any way you can to support this or other causes and together defeat this terrible virus. Any donation amount to this cause will provide more funds to purchase PPE and distribute them.”

To find out more or to donate, visit www.magecares.org.

eBay

Retail Profile Nouman Qureshi

a lockdown lifeline With SMEs struggling to keep their businesses running through the coronavirus crisis, online marketplace eBay UK has pledged a major cashflow boost by offering payment holidays for all sellers and any new businesses joining the site. It’s an attractive offer, and during the lockdowns the site is certainly offering a lifeline to retailers, including regular Toy World contributor Toy Barnhaus. We spoke to Nouman Qureshi, category manager - Toys & Games at eBay UK, about the business opportunities on offer.

Tell us about the free ‘online shop window’ being offered by eBay at the moment; what can SMEs expect, and how will this help toy and game retailers in the current climate?

Eligible new UK business joining eBay UK will not have to pay fees to list or sell until 31st May 2020. The offer will apply to 250 product listings each month and is expected to help 99% of every new business-to-consumer seller listing on the site.

While the offline world is in lockdown and consumers shift to online spending, a move to trading online provides a real growth opportunity and a vital lifeline to toys and games retailers that rely on bricks-and-mortar stores. eBay is giving businesses the opportunity to get online and start listing their stock for free. I’ve had many positive conversations with toy retailers and companies over the past few weeks; selling on eBay has provided them with a solution for excess stock that has occurred as a result of the closure of their stores.

Can you outline the specific benefits of working with eBay rather than, for example, Amazon? eBay is a global marketplace. In the UK alone, it offers businesses a shop window to 27m customers that’s 60% of the UK adult population. On eBay, sellers can build brand identity and compete fairly, and with 180m active users globally, trade is fast.

What people don’t know is that 81% of items sold on eBay are brand new. That said, we still provide a niche for used items and collectibles, with the option to use our own auction-style model. eBay is powered by SMEs and - unlike other platforms - we do not undercut our sellers.

Have you seen an increase in toy retailers and companies joining up since lockdown?

I’ve received an overwhelming response from both

games and kids’ products, an issue commonly reported by Amazon users?

toy retailers and companies looking to set-up shop on eBay, especially after the announcement of our free ‘online shop window’ for SMEs. It’s amazing to hear that some businesses are exploring the marketplace channel for the first time and have successfully navigated eBay’s user-friendly platform to continue to drive business during these challenging times.

Are certain toy categories being searched for more since the lockdown began?

Interestingly, our hobby-based categories are witnessing increased demand from consumers. As eBay functions as a marketplace, we have inventory on-site from all corners of the toy market that attracts various buyer segments.

Like the wider toy market, we’ve seen an unprecedented demand in categories like outdoor toys & activities, jigsaws, puzzles and board games.

The growth in these categories can be explained by the lockdown and the seasonal changes that have happened in the past few weeks, and I do expect this trend to continue.

Is eBay taking any special measures to protect consumers from counterfeit toys,

Toy World 51

We invest significant resources into creating a safer marketplace for our customers. As our policy states, we don’t allow counterfeit items or unauthorised copies to be listed on eBay. eBay runs several anti-counterfeit initiatives, including the Verified Rights Owner Program (VeRO) and we continually introduce new proactive measures to combat the global trade in counterfeits while also taking enforcement action against any seller found to be in breach of our policies.

We want our customers to shop with confidence, and our eBay Money Back Guarantee programme is there to protect them. We encourage all eBay users to report listings they suspect to be counterfeit.

Is there anything else you’d like to add, which our readers ought to know about? eBay prides itself on being there for its network of sellers and charities and we’re aware that the current crisis has affected both retailers and the vulnerable in the community. We’re working with our charity partner Age UK – the UK’s leading charity helping older people – to supply its members with puzzles and other items to keep them entertained during these troubling times.

I’d also like to take a moment to reiterate how easy it is to set-up on eBay. Sellers like PJ Scott and Eddie Latham, who run Velocity Electronics, have been able to build companies up on the site from a grassroots idea into a million-pound turnover business. For PJ and Eddie, using eBay was key for access to a large potential market, which they used to turn clearance electrical stock back into something profitable, and have now ventured into the toy market with great success. Understandably, the online channel is new territory for some toy retailers and companies, but that’s why the team is here to help you.

Retail Profile

BargainMax

BargainMax the show must go online The Covid-19 pandemic, and the global lockdown measures to control it, have resulted in unprecedented online traffic and sales of toy, games and arts & crafts supplies. Toy World spoke to Alex Woolfstein, senior buyer at the specialist UK online retailer BargainMax.co.uk, and Daniel McKay, head of digital, to find out how this unique situation has been affecting sales.

In a recent press release, BargainMax. co.uk revealed a surge in online orders for board games and other toys. Was this something the company saw coming, given that news of the virus first emerged back in December, or have the figures taken you by surprise?

Alex: If we said we knew, we’d be stating a better case than any government in the world. Even two weeks ago, no one could have anticipated where we are today.

We’re reacting day-to-day; every morning we have a call amongst ourselves to decide how the situation has evolved and plan how best to go about the days ahead.

We’re agile enough to be reactive and decisive, which places us in good stead to handle things going forward.

Alex Woolfstein

Dan: The current situation also means that any marketing plan for the next fortnight have gone out the window. You’ve got to move quickly, depending on the latest news update or Boris’ most recent press briefing. We’ve always operated like this anyway; from a marketing standpoint, we’re only ever thinking a couple of weeks ahead most of the time. In November it’s a bit different, for example, as we know what is going to happen with Black Friday, but in March we’re never months ahead with our marketing plans. The coronavirus pandemic has pushed this to the extreme though, taking our planning from weekly to daily, with all key members involved in decision making. Each day we look at which promotions are working well and whether we need to do anything more to push a product or line.

Is BargainMax well-placed to deal with this increased traffic and sales? Has the company had to make any changes to its operations in order to cope?

Dan: We were in a good place as a business anyway when this all began, with a futureproofed business model, a refreshed website and a server that can handle much higher levels of traffic than our previous one.

Daniel McKay

Alex: In our warehouse though, we’re having to balance two things. Firstly, our massive increase in volume compared to what we would usually anticipate, and secondly, the potential decrease in staffing levels.

We’ve introduced several measures to the warehouse to ensure our workers stay safe; we really have to be on top of their health and welfare at the moment. Making sure they’re aware how much we appreciate their support

Toy World 52

is important, as is making it clear that they won’t be pressured into coming into work if they feel unwell.

BargainMax.co.uk employees will keep their pay regardless. This means that our staff are working if they feel they can and they are comfortable doing so, rather than feeling forced into working because they’d miss out financially if they didn’t.

How is BargainMax working with its suppliers to ensure products are available?

Alex: At the moment, all suppliers are likely to be concerned by the current situation. Although online retail plays a large part in the toy industry, most sales are through bricks & mortar. Even with physical stores that don’t have a strong online presence, you’re still talking a 70/30% split. This is obviously a worrying time. We’re making sure that we’re staying in close contact with all our suppliers, letting them know that we are open for business and always looking out for stock. We can offer a very quick turnaround on things, so if a supplier has a particular line they want us to take a look at, which needs to be moved on swiftly, then we’re urging them to get in touch – we’re taking deliveries as quickly as we can. We’re aware that supplier’s warehouses are a lot fuller than they should be, so we’re keen to maintain an agile, mutually beneficial relationship with them.

You’ve already removed the £14.99 spending threshold for free delivery, but how else are you planning to help consumers during this time?

Dan: We’ve seen a massive uplift with the free delivery, so at the minute we’re just going to keep that running. There are a couple of other buttons we can push, such as next day delivery for people who want their toys as quickly as possible; for example, if uncertainty about the possibility of a stricter lockdown sets in. It’s mostly a case of balancing the perks out.

We’re happy with the performance of the free delivery offer, and we’re working hard to ensure that all our board games, arts & crafts supplies and other indemand toys are priced well. Alex is reviewing pricing across the range every few days.

Our standard returns window is 30 days, as with most retailers, but because of the lockdown we’re extending this to 60 days. We’re aware that people have been advised to stay indoors because of the virus unless it’s totally essential, so consumers will be avoiding trips

to the post office where possible. The last thing we want anyone to be worrying about right now is a toy or game they’ve bought from a website, so we’re trying to relax everything a bit and take the pressure off where we can.

Alex: Customer engagement has always been something of a cliché, though we’ve always tried to be as genuine with it as we could. However, engagement really has become essential now. I think a lot of companies used to look at it like a box-ticking exercise, with engagement being one of those classic buzz words, but we’re taking what was already a very engaged community and ramping up our platform even more.

We’re all very similar to our customer demographic; most of us are isolated at home with young kids, and no idea what to do with them. We empathise with and understand those customers because we’re in the same boat! One thing we’re looking at doing is linking up with live-streamers across our platform.

Dan: Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are changing in light of what’s going on, with people now live-streaming a lot more than they were before. Livestreaming technology has been waiting for something to come along that will really bring it into its own, and we’re now seeing it being widely used to connect with people in their homes. And it seems to be working really well. As Alex says, it’s an area we’re looking at too, not just in the toy space. For example, if Joe Wicks is running one of his very popular live-workout classes, we might make our site visitors aware. For us, it’s about helping parents to keep their kids occupied and happy at home.

Are there any identifiable trends in terms of the type of game or toy parents are looking for?

Dan: Painting is proving a popular choice; our Paint Station line is performing really well. Classic board games were always going to be a winner in a situation like this, as well as sticker books and colouring activities.

Alex: We’ve noticed that lower-priced lines are selling very strongly, most likely due to pressures on income and the potential length of time kids may need to be at home for. A lot of consumers appear to be buying £1.99

sticker books and not spending a penny more. This is great, as they’re getting exactly what they need with free delivery too. We’re also seeing sales of products with added value content, like science kits, Canal Toys’ DIY slime sets or Interplay’s Fairy Garden products.

These products offer a progressive style of play with something to be kept and enjoyed at the end. The Fairy Garden range offers continuity; every day, kids can go and check on the growth of their seeds and flowers.

We’re also seeing a massive surge in outdoor toys. We carry a huge range of Hedstrom toys and Kickmaster, plus licensed bikes and scooters, all of which are proving extremely popular. Combined with the lovely weather we’ve been having, it’s a great time for this category.

Do you think that this current situation might serve as a wakeup call for retailers which, until now, have resisted incorporating an element of online retail into their businesses?

Dan: I would tell any retailer who doesn’t already have a website to set one up, right now. There’s a lot of agencies that will help with this, at prices to suit a range of budgets, so even the smallest shop owners should find that a professional and smooth-running website is within their grasp. Retail is only going to become more online as the years go by, so now really is the perfect time to get started. By going online, you can start to really build your brand, and I can guarantee that your customers are already there. With a good website, marketing activities can be tailored to your customer demographic. In a bricks & mortar shop, customer engagement can often begin and end with a basic meet & greet. Online, you can tell a story.

Alex: I think it’s important that independent toy retailers don’t just throw up a website and hope for the best. You have to offer something unique, whether that’s a range of products you can’t get elsewhere or a story like no other. Multiple indies in the marketplace doing the same thing is a recipe for failure. It won’t work. You need to offer something different, even if it’s as simple as free delivery to the local area. In a situation such as the one we all find ourselves in, customers can

just visit the website and carry on buying their toys from you. If you’re set up for online and phone orders, there’s no reason why this lockdown should impact you too disproportionately.

Is there a chance that our current dependence on online shopping will permanently alter consumer perception of the necessity for bricks & mortar retailers?

Dan: Once this is over, I think we’ll see people going back to the high street, for the novelty of being allowed out again and for the social element, but ultimately, I think that will die off again. We still have a generation of people who don’t use online much and prefer to go out shopping instead, but the younger generation knows how convenient it is, and how attractive competition makes prices. The high street was taking a battering as it was; a pandemic was the last thing it needed, and it’s my opinion that online retail is only going to get bigger following this.

Alex: I echo what Dan’s saying. I also think that we’re going to find that many people who weren’t used to shopping online, or were resistant to it, will emerge from this lockdown with new online shopping skills.

Many might find they even prefer it. There’s a lot of support coming through from younger generations during this crisis, teaching parents and grandparents how to shop online, and I think we’ll see a large number of older shoppers maintain this going forward. Despite the support from the government, there are retailers out there who won’t be able to recover from this.

Covid-19 will be the final nail in the coffin for many, but bricks & mortar is still essential. Shops offer consumers a touchpoint. We need to be able to see toys and games in real life; if we can’t, it will be a huge loss for the whole industry.

Company Profile

Lucy Locket

Tearing up the rule book

Online retail is in the spotlight for several reasons at the moment. With the UK under lockdown conditions, along with many other countries, people are turning to the online channel for products that might have ordinarily been purchased in person. While this is hugely useful and convenient for many, questions are being raised about the necessity of some products as well as the safety of workers. Toy World spoke to Paul Edwick, CEO of the specialist online children’s retailer Lucy Locket, to gauge his thoughts on the current situation.

S

tarting out in 1994 as a wholesaler, Paul’s company then began designing its own costumes, pretend-play accessories, stationery, jewellery boxes and other products a few years later. For the last five years the company has been purely B2C online, retailing its own products under the trademarked brand names Lucy Locket and Wobbly Jelly. Currently working alongside Paul at the Lincolnbased family business are his wife Sarah (product design) and their daughters Sally (logistics and consumer safety) and Lucy (marketing); everything else is outsourced.

Amazon is Lucy Locket’s largest route to market, with listings in eight countries as of the end of April. The company also sells directly through its website, www. lucylocket.com, and says it is making big investments in mobile technology to keep things up to date. Paul is also developing a streamlined product management system that will complement Lucy Locket’s accounting needs. “The key objectives will be to build efficiency in the ordering cycle with factories through to delivery to the end consumer at as low a logistics costs as we can manage, as well as managing listings and orders in many different countries,” he explains. “Once it has been fully road tested by us, we intend launching this as a SAAS product.”

Things are changing day by day, notes Paul, when asked how the Covid-19 crisis is affecting him. Similar issues arise – panic buying at supermarkets, difficulties accessing basic healthcare and obtaining medicines. But as a successful online retailer, Paul is also having to balance the needs of his customers, many of whom will have young children, with the needs of his business. While the company was still taking orders as of the final week of March, the looming threat of an extension to the lockdown, and the possibility of stricter enforcement, means Paul is poised to change his strategy.

“We’re looking at orders that are comparable to Christmas volumes, while managing with only skeleton staffing levels to ensure our workers are as safe as possible,” Paul explains. “For now, we have to take the orders; I’ve seen many a website recently

with pop-ups telling the customer that the company is closed for orders or fighting a major backlog. We aren’t in that position, and we’re very much aiming to fulfil all orders that come in, but this approach carries with it the inherent risk that, one afternoon, we’ll have to write an email explaining that the warehouse has been closed for worker safety, or overwhelmed by the number of orders, and that while we took the order

in good faith it’s going to take longer to process. That said, in a little over a week I think many people have become more tolerant of a level and speed of service they would usually be very intolerant of.”

When we spoke to Paul, the UK was halfway through its second week of lockdown. Only those stores deemed essential remain open, and online retail has suddenly become the only way many people can get hold of items they urgently need. One topic which has cropped up as a result is what constitutes essential goods and services, and what we can all make do without - as demonstrated by Mike Ashley's insistence that Sports Direct is an essential retailer due to the fact it "helps keep the nation fit". (Mike has since apologised and closed his shops). But it's

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an interesting consideration. For a nation of parents suddenly expected to home-school their children for weeks (or months), often while trying to balance their own jobs at the same time, the fact toys and games have remained obtainable online will have provided a lifeline. But if you’re not a parent, and you aren’t expected to teach children in your home, these products probably aren’t essential – and this is where the debate continues, especially as many online retailers will have staff in their employ which are expected to continue working during the Covid-19 outbreak.

"I would class toys and games as essential, but I'm sure there are plenty of others who wouldn’t,” says Paul. “We have a lot of parents out there trying their level best to home educate their kids from a standing start, and I tip my hat to each and every one of them. I have a friend with six-month-old twins and two primary-age children who’s always been very careful with what they’re bought; the kids aren’t over-indulged in any sense. But with the whole family stuck at home for some time, the older kids now have a tablet each to help them engage with schoolwork. This is a good example of the reasons behind the initial splurge many retailers will have seen in mid-March; consumers seemed to be kitting up with the stuff they need to get through this. The most significant uplift for us has been our stationery items, with our writing sets selling out shortly after the start of the lock-down – two to three months earlier than expected.

Jewellery boxes and tea sets are also performing better than they did last year, but with a steadier level of volume increase. I think this rush of orders will settle down, but the fundamental issue during the lockdown will remain keeping your kids happy. It looks likely that stricter restrictions on movement and activities will be put in place and UK houses are quite small many will have four or more people in them round the clock. If we can’t keep the kids happy, we’re going to have an awful lot of people climbing the walls."

The lockdowns are also hitting pockets hard.

With most physical stores and restaurants shut, and their usual visitors only allowed out for hospital appointments and food shopping, some retailers have been cancelling stock orders, refusing to pay

outstanding invoices, or attempting to extend their payment terms from 30 to 90 days. Others are unable – or unwilling – to pay their rent, and are now being threatened with legal action. While an arguably understandable knee-jerk reaction, this is placing serious strain on other businesses, not just retailers – some of which are particularly vulnerable to the sudden loss of income, as Paul explains.

“This is a slightly oblique example of what might happens when a retailer cancels an order, but bear with me,” he says. “We’ve all heard of several major clothing stores cancelling large orders in recent weeks. Let’s say you’re based in Bangladesh, and that your company specialises in the production of organic cotton garments for babies. The moment your clients cancel their orders, you don’t have any work for your staff. Now, most of Bangladesh’s cotton comes from Turkmenistan, where it’s harvested both using machinery and human labour. Now that your customer has cancelled their order, you must contact your cotton supplier and tell them that you don’t want any shipments for a while. Unfortunately for them, you can’t stop cotton growing – immediately, that one cancelled order has created a big issue. Your client's need not to buy your product, in order to protect its own interests, can roll all the way down the line to small operations which suddenly find themselves without any income, leaving them with an inability to pay workers which, in all likelihood, desperately require their wages for survival. This is therefore a situation we’re very keen to avoid at Lucy Locket.”

When the UK lockdown started on 23rd March, Paul tells Toy World, people were quick to complain; even two weeks later, the railing against what many saw as

the removal of their liberty continued. Now, though, it seems as though a level of acceptance and community spirit is coming into play. And with lockdown-anxiety settling down, attentions can now hopefully turn to contingency planning for the coming months.

“I’m impressed with how far we’ve come as a nation,” he says. “My hope is that we can start thinking about what things are going to look like moving forward. We’d usually see some uplift in activity at Easter, followed by a small slow-down, but this year? Who knows! And what do we do about Christmas? Sure, we can look at last year, at what worked and what didn’t, what to do more of and what to cut out, but this year the rules have changed and this is causing a lot of uncertainty, especially at the wholesale end. Things are changing rapidly, and we have to monitor the current climate closely, though I’m sure we will see some real leadership from people within the toy community.”

The biggest risk facing global economies at the moment, Paul adds, it that posed by stalling spending almost in its entirety. If lockdowns run on too long, and everything remains closed down, not only are consumers stopped from spending money, but retailers and service providers are prevented from having an income. And if all non-essential online retail ceases, as some commentators are suggesting it should, what economic activity have we got left?

“If we cut out all the retail we possibly can, we will end up with no economic activity with which to get going again” states Paul. “This is where the debate and our collective attention as business leaders needs to lie; what might the future of retail look like

in three months, and how do we get consumers as engaged as they were at the beginning of March? All economists’ predictions on the reduction in global growth this year - which is all they can countenance, whether they be World Bank, IMF, etc. - are built on models that assume normal activity and responses across the world. As we are very definitely in a period of abnormality, those models are misleading and of no use. It will surely have a huge bearing on what sort of economy we re-emerge into in a few months’ time.”

Company Profile

Down Your High Street

When one door closes, another one opens Daniel Whytock

With the UK on lockdown, the high street has had to close most of its doors to the public. As consumers turn to the internet to shop, Lisa Currie spoke to co-founder and CEO of Down Your High Street, Daniel Whytock, to discuss how independent retailers can utilise this online platform to sell their products.

What is the main concept behind Downyourhighstreet.com and how did the idea come about?

Downyourhighstreet.com is an online marketplace. We are a website that has over 675 different independent retailers all on one platform.

This is a unique proposition as all of our sellers are independent stores, so they all have a physical presence but not necessarily an online one. Currently, it is a testing time for retailers, so our platform has seen huge growth in retailers joining, as well as increased numbers of customers who no longer have access to the physical high street. Footfall on the high street had declined anyway in recent months, but the outbreak of the coronavirus has had an even bigger impact, so offering an online retail opportunity for customers is more important than ever.

The business was set up a few years ago, but it was after we successfully funded a platform on Crowdcube that we received huge interest from investors and had many people supporting the business. Our ethics and excellent team of individuals has allowed us to really push the business into the next level of growth, which has led to a new website and more retailers benefiting from sales on our platform. Our ultimate goal is to help drive sales for bricks and mortar – that’s why we exist.

that offer something different for customers across a variety of categories.

We have also had some of our independent retailers featured on ITV – particularly in the fashion sector.

We have had about six or seven featured so far, and presenter Mark Heyes from ITV’s Lorraine show goes out of his way to make sure that indie retailers we support on our website are mentioned. This is something we prize highly because it can have a huge impact for these stores. During the Easter holidays in April, we managed to get some of Giddy Goat’s Orchard Toys on Lorraine. Giddy Goat’s director and owner Amanda Alexander created a profile with us in August 2019 when our new platform launched and is one of our best sellers for toys.

How have toys performed since launch and has this changed since the outbreak of Covid-19?

Toys is one of the best-selling categories on the website. It is currently second behind the computer games category; unsurprisingly, both categories are enjoying high demand as people find ways to occupy their time while staying at home. Consistent best-sellers include L.O.L. Surprise! dolls and Lego.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, we have started seeing an increase in sales of educational and creative toys.

Giddy Goat Toys has taken a high volume of orders for products such as the finger paint sets from Galt Toys.

The website features many great educational toys that follow the guidelines of the school and early years curriculum, making them ideal for home-schooling whilst offering fun and creative play value. This type of product is one on which we are focusing heavily at the moment.

What challenges and/or opportunities are there in the online sector?

What benefits does your website offer to indie retailers?

As well as toys, we also cover homeware, fashion, gifts, food and electronics, with around 45,000 products on offer across these categories. Around 60% of the products sold on our platform can’t be found on other websites like Amazon, because a lot of our retailers feel that selling on that type of large platform would devalue their brand. This means that we support a unique pool of retailers with product ranges

Amanda Alexander

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The lockdown period has proved difficult for many, and we have faced significant challenges as well as opportunities. There are two key stats to note; there has been a 10% decrease in the existing retailers that we work with, as some have been forced to deactivate their profiles with us. Given the situation, some have struggled to get stock and cannot fulfil orders at this time. But most retailers have managed to continue processing orders either from their closed store or from home – thankfully all the logistic networks are still running which means deliveries are still possible.

As a result, we have seen a 30% sales increase in March compared to February. We had forecast 20% growth, so at least an additional 10% has been added due to the lockdown.

The retail world is evolving, and for years people

have been talking about the necessity of providing an online opportunity for customers. But it’s not a top priority for many physical retailers, whose time is taken up with the running of their stores, and this is where a platform like ours can help. I used to be a market trader myself, selling furniture, and I found it was easy to miss out on opportunities or not have the right product in stock at the right time. Having an online presence gives retailers an opportunity to attract more customers and with what’s happening in the world right now, I think there is a huge opportunity for retailers to give it a try.

Retailers can get a shop platform set up quickly and easily and integrate their website (if they have one) to ours. They don’t have to worry about actioning updates – everything is automated.

How can independent retailers seeking an online presence get involved with Downyourhighstreet.com?

Any readers interested in setting up a profile with us can go to www.downyourhighstreet.co.uk. On the top banner on the website there is a link titled ‘become a seller’. When visitors click through, they are presented with two options. The free option has no joining fee and involves 15% commission on sales. There is also an integration option where, for £10 a month, a retailer can use multiple different integration methods such as order fulfilment warehouses, plus more. Sellers need only fill in one simple form with personal and shop details, which takes just two minutes. Our team will then receive the notification and issue approval, before

getting in touch to help them get started.

When a retailer joins the platform, product listings are imported and matched into the right categories before going live. That can all happen within one or two hours. There are opportunities out there for high street retailers to utilise the online sector if they know where to look, and we only hope we can help a few more, particularly through this difficult time.

As shops remain closed due to Covid-19, Downyourhighstreet.com has an exclusive offer for Toy World readers, to help indie retailers through this unprecedented period. The company has offered to waive the usual £10 per month integration offer to retailers interested in creating a selling platform with Downyourhighstreet.com while high street shops are closed. Contact details are on the company’s website.

Feature

Dolls & Girls' Collectibles

You got it, girlfriend As the UK continues to stay at home, toy companies are working hard to supply kids with the latest toys and games to keep them engaged and occupied whilst off school. Girls dolls and collectibles remains a sought-after product category and Toy World spoke to suppliers in this sector to find out what’s new and how they are coping as lockdown persists.

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oys and the value of play have become more important than ever since the outbreak of Covid-19. Girls dolls and collectibles remains a popular category that has seen many new additions since the start of 2020, as well as innovative new trends taking the industry by storm.

Since launching in 2016, Swiss brand I’m a Girly’s main mission has been to create ‘sustainability with style’, as well as representing other key trends in the girls’ category. “Currently, it is all about having a surprise element,” explains marketing and communications manager, Karin Brönnimann. “This could be during the unpacking stage or through a magical transformation; either way dolls and collectibles must have a surprise feature, and, at the same time, be sustainable and foster creativity.”

Having enjoyed a successful end to 2019, which involved hosting a styling party with the Beckham family, Karin reveals more about how the brand has been designed to reflect current trends and be relevant to today’s consumers. “This summer, we are launching our ‘I’m a Wow’ 14-inch dolls that combine all the

previously mentioned trends. Created by children from our target demographic, the dolls reflect children’s immense creativity, plus they are made from recyclable materials and of course encompass the all-important surprise element. The colourchanging hair and pattern-revealing outfits are activated over and over again by daylight, meaning that the range offers sustainable surprise without waste.”

Whilst unboxing and the surprise element remain a key trend for this year, there is still plenty more to get excited about in the girls’ dolls and collectibles category. This summer, Moose Toys is launching a new collectible brand, Oh! My GIF, to complement the ever-expanding digital trend. “Children are consuming content and engaging on digital platforms more than ever, yet the joyful simplicity of physical toys remains a constant in their lives, so a need to blend these two worlds has never been more appropriate,” explains Emily Maclennan, European sales and marketing director at Moose Toys. “This is a trend Moose has been championing for a while now and will continue to embrace. The Oh! My GIF brand was inspired by digital GIFs and meme culture.

GIFs have become the new emojis and are almost a language for social expression, resonating with kids and tweens. Oh! My GIF is essentially GIFs gone live, offering the humour and movement you’d expect from a digital GIF, along with the surprise, delight and fidget factor from a truly unique collectible toy.”

Remaining positive, planned brand launches are set to go ahead in order to keep the toy market fresh. “We are launching another brand later this year, “added Emily, “but our lips are sealed for now!”

During the lockdown period, companies have been seeking alternative ways to get products in front of children. Taking to social media and utilising online

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platforms to unveil product launches has enabled brands to go forward with marketing projects. “In the current climate, online retail and digital marketing has proved to be incredibly important in how we as brands communicate with our consumers,” said Emily. With most of the world’s children now at home and digital screen time significantly increased, there is currently a huge opportunity for brands to speak to an engaged audience across platforms that now have an even wider reach. Emily adds, “Families are also spending more time together, so not only do we have increased opportunities to reach kids – but parents as well.”

I’m a Girly is also considering ways to host its celebratory events and product launches through an online platform. “We usually love to organise events where children can play with our products directly,” explains Karin, “But because of the current situation, we have had to adapt and bring the celebrations to the digital world. We are using social media more than ever and continue to find new ways to bring the joy of I’m a Girly to online platforms. For example, we plan to host our usual events online, such as our Kids4Kids design sessions, where kids actively influence the design of the range.”

“Covid-19 has certainly posed unprecedented challenges”, echoes Emily, “but everyone here at Moose is optimistic about the autumn/winter season.

We have a really strong portfolio of products coming through and exciting marketing plans to back them up, so once stores are open, we will be ready and waiting to support our retailers to ensure our brand launches are a huge success.”

Over the next few pages, Toy World brings you the latest from the girls’ dolls and collectibles category set to delight and entertain kids at home over the coming months.

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Dolls & Girls' Collectibles

Mattel 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com The diverse new Barbie Fashionistas launched this year; a doll without hair, a doll with a gold prosthetic limb, a doll with vitiligo and a Ken doll with long rooted hair joined the line-up along with other additions. The latest introductions to the Barbie Sports Career Dolls include a core assortment featuring Tennis, Swimming, Boxing and Football, while the official Barbie Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 range highlights the new Olympic sports - Karate, Skateboarding and Sport Climbing.

Barbie Colour Reveal dolls let kids unbox seven surprises, with an impressive water-based doll reveal. The packaging is part of the fun; pulling the strip removes the outer layer to unveil a clear tube.

Inside is a mystery pink Colour Reveal doll and four bags containing surprises. Kids remove them all and fill the tube with warm water, then insert the doll and swirl her around. The water turns pink, and when the doll is pulled out her features are revealed. New themes will launch in autumn/winter, including mermaids and nature.

Barbie Wellness is a new theme this year, introducing girls to the benefits of self-care through play. The collection teaches girls daily routines that promote emotional wellbeing and includes three key themes: meditation, physical wellbeing and self-care.

Barbie Princess Adventure is an all-new musical singalong long-form content, with product debuting in autumn. Fans can follow Barbie and her Dreamhouse Adventure friends on an adventure to the country of Floravia to meet Princess Amelia. The Barbie Deluxe Princess and Feature Horse are inspired by the content.

New to Barbie’s world of play sets is the Barbie Food Truck, which features multiple play areas to prepare and serve food, 25 accessories and a smoothie station. The Barbie Dreamhouse with Elevator, Barbie Dreamplane and Barbie DreamCamper sets continue at retail.

Cave Club is a colourful new brand launching for autumn/winter. The toy range includes Cave Club Core Fashion Dolls, which help spark storytelling with neon soft fashion, bold rooted hair, ferocious mini pets and themed accessories. A new and exclusive online content series will bring the world to life on YouTube, with over 140 minutes of owned content for 2020, including an animated series.

Polly Pocket introduces ‘tiny fun in the sun’, an all-new theme which includes Popsicle Cruise, Ladybug Garden, Owl Camping and Cactus Ranch large compacts. The Polly Pocket Large Wearable Compact Assortments are cute, wearable compacts that each open to reveal a different theme. Pineapple or Rainbow options are available; each compact has two micro dolls, eight features and two accessories. An attachable strap lets kids carry the compact as a handbag.

Cloudees is an innovative collectible that lets kids discover a surprise pet in a soft cloud. Adding water to the large cloud case and shaking will create a fluffy cloud substance that reveals the Cloudees character and six surprises. Each character comes from a different weather-themed land, and for every Cloudees pet there's a matching Cloudees Minis pet. There are 14 to collect in series 1.

Fisher-Price character brand Shimmer & Shine introduces Teenie Genies rings. Each Genie Jewel features a genie hiding inside, with over 150 genies to collect in a variety of themes.

Hasbro 0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk Hasbro’s Baby Alive Magical Mixer Baby Doll comes with a real working toy blender. Kids simply open one of the two included powdered doll food packets (additional powdered doll food sold separately), pour it in the blender with 15 ml. of water, and press down on the button to mix up baby’s food. This doll also comes with a spoon for feeding and a comb for brushing her hair, and offers interactive play features too; she drinks, wets, and ‘poops’.

The Baby Alive Mix My Medicine Baby Doll assortment lets kids get to grips with nurturing play. First, they can find out what’s wrong by using the special interactive thermometer, then choose one of the two medicine packets to make the doll better. The medicine is mixed with water and administered using a special dropper. Bandage stickers are included, and the doll’s nappy can also be changed. The Mix My Medicine doll and Magical Mixer doll are both available in blonde, brunette and black hair colours.

The Baby Alive Sweet ‘N Snuggly Baby Doll is an adorable first doll, making her a great gifting option for kids aged 18 months and up. With packaging designed to look like a crib, this soft doll has a cuddly body and is dressed in a candy-themed print onesie plus a securely attached peppermint headband bow. The doll’s bottle is filled with multi-coloured beads that rattle, so kids can enjoy added sensory play. The doll can also be posed by putting her thumb or toes into her mouth, just like a real baby.

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Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk The Hatchimals Vacay Style Pixies are dressed in outfits inspired by their destinations. The initial Pink Passport Series sees the Pixies visit five international cities including London and Paris, while the Purple Passport Series follows them to five US locations. Each glittery suitcase contains a Pixie, a surprise accessory, a display stand and themed stickers, while the Pixie’s carry-ons contain mystery accessories.

The Hatchimals Colleggtibles Pet Obsessed HatchiPets 2-Pack lets kids crack open the printed heart to reveal one Colleggtible and its cute matching pet. The new duos can be put into BFF poses. Once kids have hatched and connected their pairs together, they can use the heart as a nest or flip it over to display their duos on top. There are 60 Pet Obsessed Colleggtibles to collect. Also available is a Pet Obsessed Pet Shop Multi-Pack and the Secret Surprise Playset.

Candylocks Pets are scented collectible surprise pets with colourful cotton candy-inspired hair wrapped around them.

There are over 20 Candylocks Pets to collect, including one ultra-rare, each with a different scent, fun name and tropical treats theme. Candylocks Dolls also provide fun hair play and can be added to any collection.

Collectible surprise unicorns hidden inside clouds, the Unicorns of Uni-Verse offer a magical unboxing experience.

Kids dunk the emoji-inspired cloud in warm water and watch as it dissolves, changing the water’s colour and hinting at the world the unicorn is from. Inside is the unicorn figure and surprises including two accessories, plus a unicorn Toot or Tear-shaped friend which matches each character’s theme. Kids can collect over 40 Uni-Verse unicorns from seven worlds including Funtasyland, Sweet Treats Landing and Glam-a-Ganza Land.

Spin Master will support all new lines with a strong mix of TV advertising, digital, PR and social campaigns.

Magic Box 01403 251 286 | www.magicboxint.com MojiPops comprises everyday objects brought to life as unique, fun-loving characters with an array of colourful emotions based on popular emoticons. From an ice cream to a cactus and a television to a pillow, each blind-bagged character has a removeable double-sided face; kids can flip it over to switch between emoticon-based expressions depicting a variety of sentiments, or even swap faces completely with another character in the collection. They can also switch their character’s mood from sleepy to happy, and from sad to cool.

MojiPops Party Series is a collection of 90+ characters designed within different themes - Gardeners, Foodies, Fruttis, Homies, Cuties and Crafties - all with a special finish in either gold, pearl or glitter. There are also six Pearlised characters and the exclusive and rare Poppy the Celebrity.

To add to the Party collection, several play sets are available. The 12 Club Room sets have interchangeable speech bubbles, while the six themed Club House Sets can be opened out to create a dancefloor for the MojiPops. Each themed Club House can be stacked together to create the ultimate Moji Club. The popular I Love play sets see new themes added for 2020, including I Love Food Truck and I Love Sunny Beach.

Value packs also continue with a £5 Megapack, plus a £5 Starter pack which includes an activity guide and blister packs containing exclusive characters.

ABGee 01773 570 444 | www.abgee.co.uk The time honoured and classic Rag Doll collection from A.B.Gee illustrates quality and variety.

With over 28 dolls in the range, girls have the choice between traditional or a more modern dolls.

The collection includes Maisie and Steven, 12” sailor siblings with a blue nautical clothes and matching hats as well as the Rainbow Hair girls. With five in the collection, each doll is clad in a sparkly dress with matching multi coloured hair. Evelyn is a more traditional choice, a large and cuddly doll with woollen plaits, a floppy hat and pink stripy dress.

This extensive range of dolls makes an ideal gift for any child and is manufactured to a premium standard with attractive price points. Visit the A.B.Gee website to see the full range.

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Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com Character Options introduces Shimmer and Sparkle’s InstaGlam range, a new mash-up in which fashion dolls meet cosmetics. Kids can glam their doll with the secret sparkle reveal and then use the hidden cosmetics compact inside to glam themselves too.

There are four dolls to collect, each with their own unique style and make-up colours. InstaGlam will be the major focus of a cross-platform marketing drive including high profile Instagram stars.

Bubble Trouble dolls are squishy cuties that come to life from inside gumball machine packaging. Each doll has unique features and is scented.

They also have tactile and stretchy hair, can strike a pose and their clothes can be swapped. There are four dolls to discover in series 1; Bubblegum Kitty, Watermelon Slice, Pineapple Crush and Sundae Funday each come with stretchy, scented hair and soft, squishy outfits, plus a Bubble Buddy bestie.

From the makers of Ballerina Dreamer, Call Me Chloe is a large-scale interactive doll that loves to chat on her phone. She comes with two phones, one for her and one for her new owner. Kids can call her any time they like; she will raise her hand to her ear and take the call. Her lips move as she talks, and kids can decide the topic of conversation. Press the weather button and she’ll talk about the weather, while if it’s shopping kids want to discuss then they can simply press the shopping button. With over 30 phrases and nine topic buttons, Chloe is never stuck for words.

Zuru 01604 401 719 | sales@geemac.biz Unicorn Squad Series 2 (Glitter) brings surprise toys and super rare character figures to collect. Children unwrap, peel and reveal each capsule to find a member of the glitter Unicorn Squad, which comes with scented glitter unicorn ‘poop’ and surprise accessories for styling and swapping. There are 13 to collect including the rare platinum unicorn.

Plush collectible brand, Rainbocorns, unveils its third series for Summer.

Rainbocorns Wild Surprise brings six new characters to collect plus a rare Silver Starred Slothcorn. Each Rainbocorn Wild Surprise egg hatches to reveal 10 surprises including wild-themed Boo-Boocorns, nail decals, hair accessories, stickers, gems and sequin heart.

Rainbocorns Sparkle Heart Series 2 offers new mini Rainbocorns complete with a sparkly heart that is peeled to reveal a hidden surprise. The soft and cuddly Rainbocorns come with new colour changing Boo-Boocorns, transforming when dipped in cold water. Rainbocorn glitter ‘poop’, stamp, a collector guide and adoption certificate are also included with each character.

Available from September 2020, Rainbocorns Itzy Glitzy Surprise miniature characters come in surprise multi-packs. In two or four-pack combinations, each Rainbocorn egg includes a collectible Itzy Glitzy Rainbocorn, ring, hair clip, heart gem and wings which can be swapped to create customised characters. A rare Swarovski heart charm can be found in the four pack.

Zuru’s Sparkle Girlz Radio Control Car is controlled by a wand for 360-degree movements. Wrist action tilts the wand from side to side to turn the car from left to right, and buttons manoeuvre forwards and backwards. Perfect for both indoor and outdoor play, with a range of up to 25 metres, the car has room for two dolls.

Bandai 020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk Bandai UK continues to evolve its collectibles portfolio and 2020 will see the unveiling of new ranges and extensions to its best-selling brands.

New interactive pet range, Nuzzy Luvs brings a range of responses of sound and movement combinations to offer a collection of cute plush characters which fit in the palm of a child’s hand. With eight styles to collect, including a unicorn, giraffe and monkey, Nuzzy Luvs respond to one another and their owners, letting kids know when they feel happy, frightened, tired or simply wanting attention.

The Bananas collection continues to grow with a wave of new series launching throughout the year. The peelable, collectible fruits include Bananas bunches and singles with new Crushie collectible characters to collect. This year’s themes include the Selfie series and Huggers with all new hugger Crushie, crushie mask, stickers and collector sheet. A triple pack of Baby Bananas has also been developed to further extend range appeal. Each Baby Banana includes a Baby Crushie and accessories.

Yolkies combines edible slime with collectible surprise toys encased in mystery eggs. It captures popular trends while bringing a delicious extra and additional play value. With 12 ‘egg’ characters to collect in each series, the edible sugar-free slime egg will be available in additional flavours as the line grows.

Harumika gets a fresh new-look with kits including mannequin torsos, fabric and accessories to inspire creativity and appeal to budding fashionistas. Starter Sets are an affordable option and include four styles inspired by French fashion-house, NelliRodi, with whom Bandai has collaborated for brand currency.

Superhero Miraculous gets a makeover for 2020. Small dolls include Ladybug and Marinette figures with their own accessories, while an assortment of fashion dolls includes Ladybug, Cat Noir, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee. The new Ladybug Feature doll stands at 27cm and includes light and sound effects along with an outfit with wings and accessories.

With 14 points of articulation, the Marinette Superhero Secret Fashion doll comes complete with accessories to transform her into her Ladybug alter-ego. A new plush collection includes favourite Kwami characters Tikki, Plagg, Trixx and Pollen.

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Moose Toys 01637 882200 | www.moosetoys.com Moose Toys has continued to maintain a strong foothold in the doll’s category with new additions to the popular pre-school Kindi Kids range. Since hitting the shelves in Summer 2019, the Kindi Kids have made the ideal companion for children who are invited to join in the adventures at the Rainbow Kindergarten.

Rainbow Kate is the most recent addition to the range, and Summer Peaches is set to join the range later this year. With her rainbow coloured hair and glittery eyes, Rainbow Kate comes with interactive accessories and changeable clothes. Summer Peaches also comes with two accessories including a Peach Smoothie and Peaches 'N' Cream Popsicle.

Alongside the dolls, there are also three new Kindi Fun playsets for kids and their Kindi Kids to enjoy. The playsets include the Delivery Scooter that Kindi Kids can ride on, the Backpack that Kindi Kids can wear and the Lunchbox with a stackable sandwich and magic spoon.

Parents and children can also join in with the Kindi Kids’ adventures at home with brand new episodes on the official Kindi Kids YouTube channel. The series features storylines of imagination, discovery, friendship and humour for girls aged 3-5 years. The Kindi Kids have their own dance – the Bobble Dance - for girls to have fun and join in with at home. Since launching, the YouTube channel has garnered over 47.6m channel views with 1.6m hours watched.

Viewership in the UK is also continuing to grow with strong results for season two.

Moose plans to continue to grow the Kindi Kids range with new launches for autumn/winter 2020, including Doctors Corner, which was announced as a London Toy Fair Hero 2020.

For more information about Kindi Kids please contact uko.tradeenquiries@moosetoys.com.

Wow! Stuff 01902 390 428 | www.wowstuff.com

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

Wow! Stuff has recently launched a new collectible for young fans of character brands that is brought to life with light. Wow! Pods features a unique ‘Swipe to Light’ function which reveals a mystery image either on the character or on the inside of its pod. The pods also incorporate a smart interlocking system that allows kids to construct incredible displays of their collection.

Wow! Pods are targeted for children and tweens aged 5-15 who are fans of character brands from the media they follow and the characters they enjoy.

Whether it’s a Netflix series, or a major Hollywood franchise brand, there will be a Wow! Pod with a mystery light reveal that fans can collect and connect, to then display in an imaginative way.

Each character lives in their hex-shaped pod with built in UV lights. Kids simply swipe to light their Wow! Pod using their hand. They will then see their chosen character, along with a hidden mystery feature or image, instantly revealed with light. The Wow! Pods can quickly be connected and arranged into a unique design, with the size and shape of a display only limited by the imagination. Kids can create a wall of Wow! Pods, or start smaller and build over time, or even create their initials with the pods.

Playmobil has introduced a fresh new concept for 2020, building up a digital and real-world universe targeting the collectibles market. Suitable for ages seven and over, and available now, EverDreamerz provides a completely new way for young adventurers to immerse themselves in creative storytelling based upon the power of friendship and aspirational dream worlds.

Tweens and pre-teens are invited to join new characters Viola, Rosalee, Clare, Starleen and Edwina, five best friends with their own unique qualities which open new and engaging stories and adventures. The five teenage girls discover a magical amulet which allows them to enter their dream worlds and meet new friends along the way. Each box comes with collectible cards, a bracelet, beads, charms and accessories, as well as stickers to complete a free sticker booklet, making the unboxing part of the experience.

The first series sees the five friends venture to Rosalee’s colourful Candy World dreamscape, where the evil Lady Nightmare tries to turn the girls’ dreams into nightmares. Several supporting characters can be discovered along the way, all of which are found in the EverDreamerz Series 1 Figures range. There are 12 additional characters to collect, from Mrs Milkshake to Mr Cookie Bear, and Kimby to Karmela.

Fans can also look out for the ultra-rare Balloon Lady and her Golden Muffin charm.

Posh Paws 01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk The Ragtales Ragdolls range from Posh Paws features an elegant collection of handmade toys for young kids. They can choose from Tilly, Sophie and Tommy Ragdolls to enter the world of fun and nostalgic imaginative play that each Ragtales toy evokes.

Sophie the Ballerina Ragdoll is dressed for dance classes and wears a pink dancing skirt with soft voile petticoat, together with a matching cardigan and velour slippers.

The Tilly Ragdoll is dressed in a soft, traditional floral dress, stripy tights and purple velour shoes, ready for adventures with her friend, Tommy, who is dressed in brown corduroy dungarees and a tiny beanie hat.

Each Ragdoll measures 35cm from top to toe; each with a beautiful embroidered face, traditional outfits and velour hair.

Ragtales is a British designed toy collection and the range will be supported by an extensive social media and online influencer campaign to bring children’s imaginations to life with the beauty of classic, British inspired soft toys.

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Dolls & Girls' Collectibles

Funrise 01908 555 640 www.funrise.com Bright Fairy Friends (BFF) is a new range of collectibles that promises a magical light up experience and lots of hidden surprises. Each 6” BFF doll is packaged in an on-trend mason jar which doubles as a fairy home and magically lights up when motion is detected.

With two modes to pick from, the jar can be switched from motion sensor mode to room light mode and will stay lit for 30 minutes, acting as a beautiful room decoration.

With 12 characters to collect, each jar includes multiple surprise accessories for both child and doll including stickers, hairclips and a miniature hairbrush.

The new Bright Fairy Friends range will launch with a global influencer campaign to mark BFF Day as part of a wider marketing strategy. For more information on the new brand, email SalesUK@funrise.com.

Epoch making toys 08435 574 062 | www.sylvanianfamilies.com Epoch has enjoyed a successful start to 2020 with encouraging Q1 sales for Sylvanian Families, which celebrated its 35th birthday on 20th March.

Sylvanian Families is still as popular as it was when it originally launched in 1985 with just one house, 11 pieces of furniture and nine animal families. Today the range has expanded to over 200 buildings, furniture and accessories and 25 different families, plus the Town series which launched in 2018.

2020 sees the launch of the new Sylvanian Families Family Adventure range, which encapsulates the brands’ core values of wholesome family fun, love of nature and outdoor adventure. There are five new products in the range, with the hero play sets being the Lakeside Lodge, launching in spring, and the Adventure Treehouse, which launches in summer. Both items include a host of new interactive features such as secret underground branch tunnels, swings and slides.

Within the Family Adventure range are two new baby-themed products, which offer a lower price point and younger entry point to the brand. The Baby Ropeway Park and Baby Hedgehog Hideout, which complement the existing Nursery range, each come with a baby Sylvanian character, creating an ideal starter option for new fans.

H Grossman

0141 613 2525 | www.hgltoys.com HGL has something for everyone at pocket money prices this year. Accessories abound too, and new for 2020 is a range of collectible coin purses in cute designs from kittens to ladybirds.

Fairies are always popular and Grossmans range of four-inch fairy dolls with differing hair and costume colours is a great pocket money favourite. For those who prefer a fashion doll, the Sweet Girl range offers a collection of dolls available in packs of 12, with each 17cm doll sporting her own outfit. These make the perfect party pack fillers at a cost-effective price.

Grossman has introduced a multitude of new pocket money lines this year aimed at the girls’ market. The Mermaid Grow Eggs are a popular choice and give girls the chance to grow their own mermaid. The range is pocket money priced and there are three mermaids to collect.

I’m a Girly +41 (0)41 558 19 47 | www.imagirly.com At the core of the I’m a Girly brand are the Kids4Kids design teams which co-create all of the I’m a Girly products. From the dolls’ facial and physical features to outfits and accessories, everything is created together with boys and girls aged 8-14 to ensure only contemporary toys are produced, which meet the demands of today’s fashionconscious kids. Three product lines ensure broad appeal from ages 3-14 years, offering a trendy twist on a traditional product to bridge the gap between childhood and teenage years.

The I’m a Girly fashion dolls are 48 cm tall (18”) and are available in seven options with different skin and hair shades, from cotton candy pink hair and fair skin with freckles, to olive and dark skin tones with long, curly hair. With over 150 accessories, plus interchangeable wigs in many different colours, there’s a doll to suit every child.

The doll’s packaging can also be repurposed as a wardrobe.

The I’m a Stylist styling heads offer endless styling possibilities. The 33 cm (13”) tall styling heads are available in three different models and come with magnetic eyelashes, earrings, interchangeable wigs, face gems and hair accessories. Additional interchangeable wigs are also available. Accessory boxes and a photo studio can be crafted out of the packaging.

For summer, the brand is launching its third product line – I’m a Wow 14” dolls. Aimed at slightly younger kids, there are three different I’m a Wow dolls to collect. When touched by sunlight, the doll’s hair changes colour in an instant. Additional accessories and outfits are available, some with a secret pattern reveal. The dolls’ bodies are made of recyclable plastic and kids can create decorative accessories from the packaging.

Alongside styling events for children, I’m a Girly regularly runs contests through social media and encourages its fans to share their doll styling creations using #imagirlybrand.

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Dolls & Girls' Collectibles

Flair 020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk

The Hairdorables Hairmazing Fashion Dolls collection now features Bella, Harmony, DeeDee, Noah, Willow and Kali as 27cm fully poseable fashion dolls. The highly detailed and on-trend clothing will appeal to Hairdorables fans and older girls, while the range’s peel and reveal element means that six surprises can be found inside each pack. The packaging is all part of the play pattern as it transforms into a catwalk after opening, providing a display space for a Hairmazing doll.

Also available is the Prom Perfect collection featuring all new outfits and dressy hairstyles.

The Hairdorables collection has seen the launch of the Scentables Series this spring. Presented in stylish carrycases, there are three themes to discover; Garden Party, Beach Party and Carnival Fun. With 39 dolls to collect, each pack comes with 11 surprises inside and brand-new scented and printed hair elements. For autumn, further special collections will be revealed with Hairdorables Loves, which combines the JoJo and Trolls licences with the core doll line, plus the HairDUDEables will have their own standalone series, introducing single Dudes and accessories.

The Spirit Riding Free collection launched in 2018, and this year the series unveils the Riding Academy, featuring new specialties including Dressage, Racing and Horse Therapy. There is also a new Vet Set and The Spirit Riding Free Deluxe Spirit Walking set, which features Lucky and her wild mustang Spirit. Kids can press the button and see Spirit come to life with realistic sounds and movement.

The Totally Tiny range is a miniature collection of small treats that are ideal for kids and their dolls. There are both sweet and savoury sets available.

For more information email sales@flairplc.co.uk.

Vivid 01483 449944 | vividtoysandgames.co.uk

Eolo Toys 07772 482 255 | www.eolo.com

Vivid has launched its latest vet-themed brand for girls, Vet Squad. The range of figures, vehicles and playsets focus on perennial nurture and care play patterns and vehicle play with added adventure. Starting from RRP £3.99, products include animals with colour change injuries, a fleet of rescue vehicles and four vet characters; Ava, Emily, Robin and Yara.

The Vet Squad have their own signature vehicles.

Ava’s Forest Rescue quadbike comes complete with elephant and safety accessories, and Emily’s Reef Rescue lets kids accelerate through the water with the Speedboat, complete with a stethoscope, turtle friend and accessories.

Robin’s Air Adventure lets kids complete rescues with a working winch and kit box. They can use the sling to save an injured pony, before putting the kit box on the back of the copter. Yara’s Safari Expedition 4x4 turns from vehicle to vet unit and is fully equipped with treatment areas, x-ray machine and shower.

The Vet Surgery playset lets children care for injured animals in a state of the art medical centre and comes complete with working weigh scales, an x-ray machine and a heart-shaped hydro bath.

The range will be launched in autumn/winter 2020 with a marketing plan including a 1,200 TVR campaign and bespoke brand and digital content. Vet Squad will also be partnering with a charity, with an on-pack donation to support in the charity’s mission around animal care and rehabilitation.

September will see Eolo Toys launch the new Popetz family of cute, soft and lively jumping animals.

Kids can push their heads and watch them jump.

Made with cuddly plush materials, each Popetz features unique motionactivated sounds to bring a point of difference to the collectibles aisle.

There are 10 different Popetz to collect including a Monkey, Unicorn, Sloth and Koala. The range, which is suitable for kids aged three years and above, will be supported by a strong marketing campaign.

Customers can place orders by contacting: uksales@eolohk.com (UK), usasales@eolohk.com (US and Canada) and sales@eolohk.com for all other territories.

Schleich 01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com/en This year, the introduction of the Show Season will offer new horse figures that have highly detailed manes and tails, plus playsets.

Schleich’s TV advertised Horse Club has become a top equine brand of choice and 2020 will see many new horse breeds and playsets to choose from. The Big Horse Show playset will take centre stage for the collection and features a marquee, arena, horse and accessories. This is joined by the Pony & Trap, which features Horse Club figure Clara and a Connemara pony to pull it along, plus many other accessories.

The range already has a dedicated following of collectors and is updated year on year with new breeds and playsets. Horse Club will continue to be supported with a year-round schedule of TV and digital advertising, and a dedicated Horse Club microsite: www.horseclub.com.

The Schleich bayala range includes a host of fantasy equine figures, with new additions for 2020 including a collection of unicorns to collect and treasure.

For more information about Schleich’s Horse Club collectibles, call the number above or email Schleich@Schleich-s.co.uk

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fresh FRESH THIS MONTH:

Each month Fresh sets out to find the latest products that will have toy retailers reaching for the phone.

In May we have new releases from: Canal Toys, Hexbug, Learning Resources, Magformers, Toynamics, Wilton Bradley & Tobar.

So Sand DIY range

Canal Toys 01904 379 123 | www.canaltoys.fr/en So Sand DIY, the latest launch from Canal Toys, is a range of innovative 100% AMSR DIY magic sand kits. AMSR has been proven to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety, which may prove helpful for youngsters on lockdown, while the creative sand play pattern will help keep them entertained.

Aimed at children aged eight and over, the So Sand DIY line expands the magic sand into a more advanced segment, offering fun arts & crafts DIY kits which make satisfying sounds as kids cut and mould their own unique sand creations.

So Sand DIY Sensory Studio is the hero product in the range. Complete with 10 tools, three bags of brightly coloured sand and three bags of decorations, the studio offers the ultimate AMSR experience as kits cut, crush, mix or mould the sensory sand. So Sand DIY Tool Case offers the signature storage case along with three sets of sand compound, decorations, seven tools and moulds.

The handy kit makes it easy for kids to create fun sushi-style magic sand designs with AMSR to add to the pleasure of getting crafty.

So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Ball Case is an ideal way for magic sand fans to try something new. The innovative ball shaped moulds make it possible to create unusual patterns and designs with the added benefit of AMSR satisfaction when creations are set free from the mould.

The So Sand DIY range will be available from 1st June.

JunkBots

Hexbug 01925 454 093 www.junkbots.com Hexbug will launch its new collectible JunkBots for autumn/winter, in line with a US launch. There will be 36 JunkBots characters released in the first series, with each packaged in its own trash bin or dumpster. Each of the figures in the blind assortment of JunkBots can be taken apart and combined with other JunkBots parts to create unique, original characters.

As well as static JunkBots figures, the range features JunkBots power cores that include a vibrating mechanism, a motorised rotating part and light up cables that give the product a truly authentic feel. Children will love collecting them all; the more JunkBots they collect, the more creative they can be. The trash bin packaging can also be used to display JunkBots creations, while the unboxing experience involves opening the trash bin or dumpster and removing all the parts that make up each character, before piecing them together.

There will be three SKUs in the initial range, including a Single Trash Can with one JunkBot, a Dumpster Set with two JunkBots, and a Large Dumpster Set complete with four JunkBots. Both the Dumpster Set and Large Dumpster Set guarantee power cores to bring the JunkBots to life.

Stellar Stones collection

Toynamics 0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.co.uk Nebulous Stars has unveiled its Stellar Stones collection, which offers 12 different stones to collect. Kids can collect the Stellar Stones for each of their favorite stars, discovering their characteristics, beauty and strengths along the way. Each stone comes with a card which helps promote positivity in a unique fashion.

To complement the range, a special collection box is also available. Each Stellar Stone has its own drawer for safekeeping, and the box comes with two stones and their unique cards to kick off the collection.

The Nebulous Stars range also offers various arts & craft boxes designed around the different characters and their pets; a new fifth character was recently unveiled on Nebulous Stars’ social media channels.

Toynamics UK & Ireland is the distributor of the full Nebulous Stars range. To learn more, contact sales@ toynamics.co.uk or call 0116 478 5230.

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h

GeoSafari Jr.

Learning Resources 01553 819 386 | www.learningresources.co.uk GeoSafari Jr. from Learning Resources is a range of science-inspired exploration toys designed to get kids excited about STEM. The range is aimed at children between ages 3-8 and developed to make science learning fun. Products in the GeoSafari Jr. range come in bright, eye-catching colours which look attractive in both bricks and mortar and online retail environments.

The company continues to invest in targeted marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness and grow sales.

Now Learning Resources has launched new hot pink versions of three top-sellers in the range: GeoSafari Jr. My First Microscope, My First Telescope and Kidnoculars. The toys allow children to explore objects, wildlife, and scenery up close, just like using real scientific equipment, but are also kid-tough and designed to be enjoyed as playthings. They serve a dual purpose, introducing scientific discovery and concepts through play, but also allowing children to be creative and imaginative during pretend play.

The range is designed to be comfortable for young children to use; dials and knobs are chunky and easy to grip and manipulate; focus-free eye caters for a young child’s pupillary distance and comfy eye pieces are designed for easy positioning and so that kids can keep both eyes open when viewing. Activity guides encourage further exploration and independent learning.

Stick-O sets

Magformers 01270 446 250 | www.magformers.co.uk Having introduced fresh innovation to the magnetic construction toy category five years ago, Magformers has now set its sights on the pre-school market with Stick-O.

Made It

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com Wilton Bradley has introduced a selection of new creative products to the Made It arts and crafts brand. The brand is expanding with a new Marble Art range, in addition to the existing Yarn Animal lines.

The Made It range encourages kids to express their imaginative and creative side in multiple ways. The Yarn Animals kits are a unique concept which allow children to use any colour combination to create a design, using a variety of animal templates including a unicorn and llama.

New for this year is the range of marbling kits; three brand new kits including a photo frame, a canvas and a paint kit, giving kids complete control over their unique designs. A great gift idea, this collection encourages kids’ creative side and helps develop their craft skills.

The company has also developed two new sewing machines in its Sew Amazing range, plus two sizes of knitting machines in its Knitting Circle sub-brand. All kits come with everything that young creatives need to get started.

Stick-O comprises chunky, easy-tohold magnetic sticks, balls and other solid shapes, making them ideal for children aged 18 months and above.

Just like Magformers, each Stick-O contains the Rotating Magnets System (RMS); the strong magnets sealed in every piece can spin and will therefore always connect when two pieces come together. This frustration-free design feature encourages younger children, especially toddlers and pre-schoolers, to develop their motor skills through fun and creative construction play without the limitation of having to build set models.

Stick-O has been designed and manufactured to the same stringent global safety standards as Magformers, and sets are priced from £14.99 RRP. Nine different boxed versions are available, with three Stick-O Basic sets containing 10, 20 or 30 pieces in up to nine different ‘standard’ magnetic Stick-O shapes.

Then there are six different Stick-O themed sets to choose from, with the most popular being the Stick-O Cooking Set featuring giant magnetic pieces in a baking and cooking theme. The Stick-O Forest Friends Set comes with 16 magnetic pieces in a cute wildlife theme, while the Stick-O City Set features 16 pieces – a combination of five different magnetic shapes, plus add-on wings, accessories and wheels – so kids can make cars and planes with pull-back-and-go propulsion.

Stick-O is available now from Magformers UK, for more information, email sales@ magformers.co.uk.

Collectible ranges

Tobar 01603 397105 | www.tobar.co.uk Tobar’s rainbow range includes pom pom pens, slime and putty, snap bracelets, rings, hair slides and bows. As well as rainbows, the unicorn trend continues to be popular, with money banks, finger puppets, fizzers and balloon balls, plus a brand new jellyball, pens, keyrings and pencils. Tobar’s range also includes flamingos, llamacorns, mermaids and sloths.

Tobar’s new Squiggle Bandz are multi coloured bands that can be worn as bracelets or knotted together. When not stretched, they form a squiggly animal shape. Available in an assorted CDU and in neon, glitter and glow in the dark colours, Squiggle bandz are expected to a be a playground favourite.

The Tangle range is distributed by Tobar for Zuru. Tangle Pets are a must have for girls, with collectible blister packs. There are six pets to collect and connect.

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Special Feature

ICTI Ethical Toy Program

Lifting the lockdown While China slowly returns to something resembling normality, much of the rest of the world is still under lockdown conditions. We caught up with Carmel Giblin, CEO & president of the ICTI Ethical Toy Program, to find out what effect this is having on Chinese toy manufacturers, and what the non-profit organisation is doing to help.

Where are Chinese factories with regard to production backlogs?

In general, factories have addressed all backlogs and production is up to date. We’re seeing a divide when it comes to the current status of factories, though. Around 30% are very busy with orders, these being the ones manufacturing particularly soughtafter products.

However, these factories report labour shortages and challenges in recruitment, for two reasons.

Firstly, ongoing travel restrictions linger in some areas, and secondly, some workers are nervous about returning to work. There’s a very real fear of future

illness, or another wave of the virus coming through.

Toy World readers may have seen from the general press that China is going to extreme lengths to make sure Covid-19 doesn’t return. The low number of cases reported is surprising and at odds with reported cases in other countries especially when you consider the number of people who live there and their proximity to one another. Workers who have returned tell us they are worried about getting ill. Factory management needs to understand and respond to their concerns and show that the factory is doing everything in its power to minimise the likelihood of infection.

Other industries are also incentivising worker uptake, so workers in an area containing factories from several sectors may well decide to jump ship.

With some paying signing-on bonuses, factory competition for workers remains high.

At the other end of the scale, around 70% of our factories have very few or no orders at all, and are really struggling. Closing a factory in China is a complicated and costly business, and to do it correctly is far from easy. Usually, the business will be slowly wound down with worker numbers naturally reducing over an extended period of time, but in more extreme situations sometimes the owner will just flee. The workers will turn up at the factory for their shift as usual, but after a couple of days it’ll be

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noticed that the owner has run away. The local labour bureau will be called in and will take over, deciding to either shut the factory, or coming to an agreement with the workers and their management to continue operations. It’s criminal offence for the owner to flee a factory, so law enforcement will try and pursue them, but they’re usually long gone by the time their absence is noticed - and finding them is rare.

Factories that find themselves in a difficult position can’t just lay off their workers or shut down, because they won’t have the income to pay their workers compensation. This is a legal requirement, and the pay-outs can be substantial. With no overtime available because there aren’t any orders coming in, workers in these factories are only getting very basic wages and the pay may not be enough for them. This is where the age-old discussion about living wage versus legal minimum wage comes into play, and one of the reasons workers in China desire overtime so much. As a result, we’re seeing workers leave for busier factories, which may be outside the toy industry.

There’s a new cost to production now too, put in place by the Chinese government as part of the effort to control the pandemic. Factories must provide facemasks for all workers, far more robust cleaning regimes have to be put in place (deep cleaning and disinfectant etc.), and all workers must have their

temperature taken at least twice a day for central reporting. Aside from the worries about staying in business, these new measures have placed additional financial strain on factories during an already challenging time.

We ran a story recently about companies looking to shift production away from mainland China. Is this something that looks likely, and what will the impact be?

Last year there was much talk about diversification outside of China. We did a few seminars on it and there was a lot of interest, predominantly focused on Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India - but we’ve not seen this escalate. At the moment, everyone is just trying to keep things stable. Some Chinese factories are looking to relocate within the mainland, where there are less restrictions on travel or greater worker availability, and we expect that reduced reliance on a single country will be an ongoing strategy for buyers. That said, coronavirus is a global issue and there are lockdowns pretty much everywhere that manufacturing takes place, so it doesn’t really make sense for anyone to move locations imminently.

The toy industry, from the factory right up to the biggest brands and retailers, is trying to respond to Covid-19 as best it can. There’s a lot of good work being done in terms of donating equipment, logistics, ventilator manufacturing and so on, and a number of factories – more out of a need for survival than any philanthropic act – have diversified into medical production. Realistically, I think we’re going to see disruption of some form until the at least the third or fourth quarter of 2020, but hopefully, as consumer demand returns and the lockdowns are behind us, the industry will then see some really healthy numbers. I’ve read that following the 2009 economic recession, and also after 9/11, there was an increase in toy sales. When times are tough, parents, grandparents and caregivers want to indulge their kids, to insulate them and keep them safe from the big bad world. The toy industry is well-placed to help kids through the huge challenges we’re currently facing.

What is the ICTI Ethical Toy Program doing to help its certified factories and their workers at this time?

We don’t want to contribute to any uncertainty or risk; it makes no sense for us to audit factories when they don’t have orders and fewer workers are on site.

It’s not a good reflection of how that factory operates.

Initially, we extended all factory certification by two months, due to travel restrictions which made it difficult for IETP to physically get to the factory.

At the beginning of April, we reviewed the situation and announced that certified factories could receive a six-month extension to factory certification until 1st October, which will be kept under review. This decision means a couple of things. Firstly, the factory doesn’t have to incur audit costs at a time when income is a massive concern, and, secondly, it helps us keep the factories in our programme. It would be very easy for factories to opt out until things return to normal and they’re busy again, but helping them stick with us means we still have engagement with them and their workers. Right now, this is critical.

We’re continuing to highlight the availability of our helpline. Our stats to the end of March show the same level of calls we would usually expect within that period. However, we expect the second quarter to reflect the challenges we’re facing. For Q1 2020, the workers were largely at home, and when they did return to the factories, they were kept very busy clearing backlogged production. Q2 will be much tougher, so we expect calls to the helpline to significantly increase.

The number one inquiry we’ve been receiving is holiday arrangements. This relates to the extended Chinese New Year holiday; workers were asked to take some of this from their annual leave rather than it being at a cost to the factory. While it may seem unfair to some readers, it’s perfectly legal. The Chinese government has issued very clear guidelines on how much of a worker’s holiday they can take, and we’re advising all our factories to comply. Not complying would inevitably cause them some difficulties. We’ve also had calls from both workers and management regarding the process for termination of employment.

Some workers didn’t want to return to their factory after Chinese New Year, even after the restrictions were lifted, so we’ve been providing advice about whether they’re still due compensation, for example.

Over the past few years, we’ve developed several programmes that support factory workers with children. We recognise that a lot of workers don’t get to return home outside of Chinese New Year, so our most successful programme, Family Friendly Spaces, brings parents and their kids together within the factory campus during the summer holidays, in a setting which is fun, safe and supportive. It’s very unlikely that we’ll be able to run that programme this year, and if we do it’ll be at a much-reduced capacity.

On a related note, those workers who have returned to the factory probably won’t take any holiday this year, partly because of the extended New Year holiday, and partly because when production returns in earnest the demands on workers will be significant. As a result, we’re growing our Migrant Parent Training programme, with a bigger focus on delivery through technology rather than going into factories in person.

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The programme helps parents and caregivers to maintain positive relationships with their children at a distance, imparting skills and knowledge such as how to have a good conversation remotely and how to build a bond, especially now when things may seem unusual or even frightening for a child.

What might the long-term outlook be for Chinese manufacturing? What can the industry to do help?

We’d encourage the whole toy industry to work with us, and with the factories in our programme, to avoid duplication of effort or additional cost. At a time when the industry really needs clarity, effective communication, support and reduced financial outlay, collaborating on the common goals of protecting workers and supporting industry recovery would be a big help to all involved, including us. IETP is a relatively small not-for-profit organisation, and our main income is from factories. When factory numbers go down so does our income, but we need to ensure we can sustain ourselves for the benefit of the entire toy industry. We’re not asking for handouts, but the toy industry can certainly help us by asking their factories to join our programme – in turn, this helps the factories, the workers, their families, and the buyers themselves. From a labour standards perspective, this means we can continue to be the trusted voice of the global toy industry.

Everyone understands that there’s huge pressure on toy companies and retailers, not just factories, and that as a result it might not be possible to maintain an existing commercial relationship or agreement.

However, we’re concerned by reports from some of our factories about the lack of communication from buyers. We’re hearing that factories are getting very little by way of an explanation, or even the most basic information, if an order is cancelled, reduced or delayed. The factories with the most positive outlooks are the ones being kept abreast of exactly what’s going on at the buyer’s end. Commitment from a customer to return when all this is over, however loose that commitment might be, is greatly reassuring. Failing to communicate with a factory means they can’t formulate a survival strategy for themselves, and pulling an order without explanation is hugely concerning for that factory. Is that order gone forever? Has the toy company in question gone out of business? Communication is key. And if you can, placing even the smallest of order would be greatly appreciated by the factories. We know demand for toys will come back, but if the factories that make them haven’t made it through the pandemic, then life for toy companies will become very difficult.

Find our more on our website www. ethicaltoyprogram.org or email us on info@ ethicaltoyprogram.org

Allegedly

AIS is exploring the option of running the Independent Toy & Gift Show in late September, rather than waiting until 2021 as had initially been announced. Toymaster has also postponed its May Show, with proposed new dates of 2nd-4th September.

A little bit of context about the Toymaster decision; it has been evident for weeks that the May Show wasn’t going to happen. Quite rightly, Toymaster wanted to ensure it had weighed up all the options before deciding on the best course of action. Having ascertained that most of its members and suppliers were broadly receptive to postponing rather than cancelling the show outright, a variety of different dates were apparently under consideration. It was eventually decided that August would be too early, with school holidays likely to restrict attendance.

Relocating the May Show to October alongside the traditional FOB event was also considered but rejected for being too late. The first week of September does seem the most logical slot from a timing perspective, despite the resultant fixture congestion - the show will now finish a couple of days before Autumn Fair starts, while AIS’s Independent Toy & Gift Show has elected to choose a date towards the end of the month. While it may force some retailers and suppliers to choose which of the shows to visit, I’m reliably informed that less than a couple of dozen Toymaster members traditionally visit Autumn Fair anyway, while there will be a three week gap between the Toymaster and AIS shows. With Toymaster’s Autumn Winter FOB programme cancelled, members will be reliant on domestic stock to carry them through the key preChristmas trading period. There are reportedly still plans to publish an autumn winter catalogue, so if retailers can re-open and trade through the summer holidays, early September should see them relatively clean in terms of stock, ready and raring to place Christmas orders. Suppliers should have fully worked through their own stock holding issues by then, so should be able to offer immediate delivery on orders placed at the show. In theory, everyone is a winner…

At the start of the UK’s lockdown, a network of accountants predicted that 20% of small and medium-sized UK businesses would run out of cash over the next four weeks. Or to put it another way, between 800,000 and 1m companies were at risk which made the government’s offer of loans to tide businesses over a welcome initiative. Unfortunately, in practice, the reality struggled to match the rhetoric.

Four weeks after the scheme was first announced, 4,200 loans, worth a total of £800m, had been given to firms seeking cash to survive the coronavirus crisis. However, that number represented a mere 1.4% of the 300,000 enquiries thought to have been made. Business secretary Alok Sharma said banks were working "at pace" to issue the loans, although to be fair, he didn’t say precisely what pace he was referring to. Toy retailers probably have their own view of whether the pace is acceptable - speaking to one specialist retailer recently, he told Toy World: “I have applied for a loan, but my bank hasn’t even replied or acknowledged my application as yet. I spoke to another retailer yesterday who was refused a loan because they don’t make enough profit, and another was refused because they made a small loss last year – but surely that applies to a large percentage of independent retailers? The government has to step in to sort it out and make sure the money is there for retailers who need it to survive.”

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Despite the incredible challenges of trading through the crisis, there are mitigating factors; one indie toy retailer told me that he had been working harder than ever – 16 days straight – taking and delivering online orders. In his words, “the internet has gone crazy – it’s on a par with Christmas.” Dedicated online retailers have inevitably reaped the rewards, as have grocers – and crucially Argos, which rather fortuitously has outlets in Sainsbury’s stores, and thus has been able to remain open for business when other general merchandise retailers have been forced to close. However, realistically, these accounts can’t shift the volume of product that a fully operational toy retail channel would be turning over, despite what some rather optimistic media articles have claimed (a Forbes story in particular made it sound as though we are in a golden era for toy sales, rather than the ‘making the best of a tricky situation’ reality)…

One saving grace for the UK is how sophisticated our online sales channel is – bear in mind that 38% of toy sales in 2019 were made online. Southern European countries are nowhere near as developed in this area, which has been reflected in a far greater decline in short-term sales as stores shut. If the UK figure for last year was 38%, one wonders what it will be at the end of this year…

Inevitably, many retailers across the globe have been postponing or cancelling orders and deliveries, largely as a result of uncertainty and an inability to plan beyond the immediate future. Some have been asking for (hugely) extended credit terms for gear which has already been delivered - and in many cases, presumably sold. As one supplier pointed out, retailers have the same grants and furlough opportunities as suppliers – and toy companies still have bills to pay, staff to look after and suppliers of their own which they owe money to (as do those suppliers….the chain is a long one). Some tense stand-offs are developing; shopping centres are threatening tenants with legal action over unpaid rents, while negotiations between retailers and suppliers are at a delicate stage.

Somehow, I doubt that Debenhams and Cath Kidson will be the last retailers to go into administration to protect themselves from legal action from creditors…

Am I the only person who finds it mildly ironic that toy suppliers are now complaining about some online retailers taking advantage by selling certain products at inflated prices, rather than bemoaning the fact that they are undercutting bricks and mortar retailers?

How times have changed…

As the toy community starts to focus on what happens when the lockdown is lifted, one area that people will be watching closely is that of credit insurance. I am hearing rumours that some pretty big toy retail names are having cover removed. There will be many challenges in getting the industry back to full speed, including the capacity of Chinese factories which have had their own major challenges to contend with, but widespread withdrawal of credit insurance has the potential to derail the recovery more than most other factors. Let’s hope credit insurers are more generous in their approach than banks have been in recent weeks: as we highlighted in a story on the Toy World website, less than 2% of applications made for emergency government-backed loans were approved within the first month of the scheme being announced. As Liz Truss would say, “Now. That. Is. A. Disgrace.”

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