Toy World Magazine November 2020

November 2020 Volume 10 Issue 3

ARTS & CRAFTS SALES ARE ALL YEAR ROUND NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS

Tel: +44 (0) 1423 368 888 | Email: neil@kaptoys.com KAP Toys offers incredible products from World-leading brands while operating with the speed and agility of a family business.

They have won multiple awards for the business see www.kaptoys.com for further information

The Team...

CONTENTS November 2020 Volume 10 Issue 3

John Baulch

40 Special Feature: AIS

34 Special Feature: Toymaster

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

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

Regulars

Features

05 06 14 18 24 98

16 22 26 31 48

34 40 44 54 76 78 80 82

From the Publisher News Industry Moves Marketing World Licensing World Allegedly

Letter from America Kids Know Best NPD column Talking Shop Fresh

Contributors

Special Feature: Toymaster Special Feature: AIS Special Feature: NPD Feature: Q1 Ranges Q&A: Character Options Company Profile: SES Creative Special Feature: Dolu Feature: Outdoor Toys

The NPD Group | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | Greta Bisetto-Donelan Lydia Mossahebi | Rick Derr

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

82 Feature: Outdoor Toys

54 Feature: Q1 Ranges

Lisa Currie

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

Alakat Published by

Mark Crowford

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

www.toyworldmag.co.uk @toyworldmag @baulchtweet

toyworldmag

Toy World 3

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L

ife comes at you fast these days – by the time this issue has been printed and mailed, there will surely have been several other major developments to report on.

Never has the phrase ‘correct at the time of going to press’ been more apt. Things can change in an instant, testing the reactiveness of retailers and suppliers alike.

from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

Yet whenever they have been tested this year, the good people of the toy community have risen to the occasion, time and time again. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the independent toy sector.

The word ‘pivot’ has become ubiquitous (and slightly grating by now, to be honest), but nevertheless it perfectly describes the resilience and flexibility shown by specialist toy retailers. So, I’m delighted that we have secured interviews with both Toymaster’s Paul Reader and plaY-room’s Rosie Marshall this month.

Both have landed new roles in recent weeks, with each appointment garnering widespread approval from the toy community. As the Toymaster and AIS buying groups embark on their next chapters, it’s great to hear directly from the people who will be helping their members to navigate the retail landscape.

We also have a brand new writer joining our top notch roster of regular contributors this month – acknowledging the increasingly global nature of the toy market (it really is a small world, after all), we’re delighted to welcome US retailer Rick Derr to the team.

I have long been an admirer of Rick’s posts on LinkedIn: he is clearly passionate and enthusiastic about selling toys, and his background at AC Neilson gives him an enviable analytical grounding. I very much hope his Letter from America columns will prove interesting for British retailers, many of which will be facing similar challenges and exploring similar opportunities.

As we go to press, the fate of most of the Q1 global toy shows is now in the public domain – if you need a quick overview of where we’re currently up to, you can find an update on page 8. Trust me, it makes us very sad when we have to announce the postponement or cancellation of a Toy Fair. Many people are genuinely upset that the toy community won’t be able to meet up in the first few months of 2021. But is it the right decision? I believe so – there is no escaping the fact that shows under the current guidelines would be a pale shadow of what we are used to.

It’s not just trade shows - the situation surrounding mass gatherings of any description remains in flux. It is

Toy World 5

very much a moving feast – and who knows when it will end. And yet…. this is the good part – the toy business remains in rude health. I promise I am not wearing rose-tinted glasses: as regular readers will know, the prozac journalism approach of saying ‘everything is awesome’ when it’s anything but is certainly not my style.

However, speaking to NPD, it turns out that the numbers back up what I have been hearing anecdotally…that the toy market continues to hold up remarkably well, not just here in the UK, but in some other key international territories too. As ever, the devil is in the detail - you can find out more by reading the article, which starts on page 44.

Right now, we’re all trying to get our heads around the lie of the land for 2021 – trade shows, international buying trips, previews, face to face meetings…. when will they be able to return? What will they look like when they do? How will they reflect the hybrid physical/digital model that many are suggesting is ‘the future’? We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we’ll certainly keep asking all the right questions of all the right people.

However, in the meantime, there is the little matter of the festive trading season to navigate. The toy market has had a remarkable first nine months of the year on so many levels, but we all know that the last couple of months of the year can be make or break for so many. This year feels more precarious than any other Christmas sales period any of us has ever encountered, yet there are still positive signs. I noticed a great story in the Irish press recently: huge queues had formed outside several branches of Smyths Toys, as rumours had begun to spread of an impending lockdown which was eventually introduced, with the result that non-essential stores were asked to close until early December. The first thing those shoppers thought about wasn’t toilet roll, pasta or three different types of flour: it was their kids, and the worry that they may not be able to get hold of the toys they want.

This instinctive behaviour reinforces the age-old toy community adage that parents will do whatever they can to give their kids a happy Christmas.

Above all, while uncertainty rages around us, the toy industry is just getting on with doing what it does best – spreading a little joy and happiness. In strange, unpredictable times, it is nice to hang on to that very simple thought.

News The Entertainer enters into exclusive partnership with Asda and brings toys back to Debenhams Asda has announced an expansion of its ‘test and learn’ strategy by joining forces with The Entertainer.

The exclusive new partnership will see The Entertainer turn the toy section in five trial Asda stores into branded concessions, offering a much larger range of products from leading brands such as Lego, L.O.L. Surprise!, Paw Patrol and Disney, as well as its exclusive range of value Addo Play toys. The partnership is due to launch in February 2021; The Entertainer will retain full control over ranging, pricing and merchandising in the five selected stores.

In the trial stores, outdoor toys will continue to trade as normal in the seasonal aisle as an Asda offer. Outside of the trial stores, both spring/summer and autumn/winter ranges and promotions will continue to be planned for and bought as normal by the Asda toy buying team.

Asda has confirmed that the two businesses will operate separately with their own terms during the trial, which will last for six months, and that individual terms packages across suppliers will not be shared between the two businesses.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused the supermarket to accelerate its plans following shifts in consumer behaviour, which is says indicate shoppers are looking to complete multiple shopping ‘missions’ on one trip. The jewellery and accessories retailer Claires was brought in last year; this year, The Entertainer joins Greggs, musicMagpie, B&Q and Fragrance Point.

More news in October revealed that The Entertainer is now responsible for ranging toys in Debenhams’ stores, as well as online. Debenhams will be opening ‘Toys at Debenhams’ departments in many of its stores before Christmas, overturning a decision taken at the start of the year when the retailer announced that it would stop selling toys, making its entire buying team redundant in the process.

Around 15 toy departments are being added into Debenhams stores each week. A full list of the stores featuring ‘Toys at Debenhams’ can be found via the Debenhams website.

Omni Alliance poised to help toy companies expand into the US Toy sales are increasing worldwide; according to the NPD Group, the US toy industry grew 16% in the first six months of 2020, and the growth is expected to continue through to the end of 2021. This, says Omni Alliance, which helps companies expand into the US, means there has never been a better time for companies to grow the global footprint of their toy businesses. The company tells Toy World that expansion into a new territory is currently a ‘safe bet’ – and that there is no bigger territory than the US market.

A California based company, Omni is able to bring another toy company under its wing and accelerate its business to the next level, like it did with Stomp Rocket. When Omni first partnered with Stomp Rocket, the brand sold mostly to independent shops. Utilising Omni’s expertise and support, Stomp Rocket has brought new award-winning products such as Stunt Planes to market, increased its overall brand credibility, and expanded its business both online and in brick and mortar chain stores. Stomp Rocket is now considered a shelf staple in the major US chain stores like Target and Walmart, and its Amazon business is six times larger than it was before Omni took the reins.

Toys is the category closest to CEO Mark Weiner’s heart. He explains: “I grew up in the toy business; my father and uncle were distributors who opened a chain of toy stores in New York City, and I attended my first Toy Fair at the age of 10.”

Prior to running Omni Alliance, Mark founded the successful toy & action sports company Street Surfing, which became a phenomenon called the Wave Board. This line of products has been sold all over Europe, the UK and the US since 2005.

For more information, contact info@omniallianceinc.com or go to www.omniallianceinc.com.

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News The latest updates on early 2021 trade shows As the coronavirus pandemic continues to cause disruption to the trade show calendar, Toy World brings the latest updates on early 2021 trade shows, all in one place.

Spielwarenmesse 2021, which was due to take place from 27th-31st January 2021, has been postponed until summer amidst rising Covid-19 infection rates and increasing travel restrictions.

Spielwarenmesse eG is currently in talks with NürnbergMesse to find a suitable date for the Spielwarenmesse 2021, due to be announced very soon. In the meantime, the website at www.spielwarenmesse.de will continue to provide exhibitors, retailers and buyers, as well as media representatives, with information about the toy industry. The digital platform is continually being expanded as an extra service and a complement to the physical exhibition experience.

New dates have also been announced for the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair and the Baby Products Fair, originally scheduled for 11th-14th January 2021.

In a statement on the website, the show organiser, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said: “After consultation with industry representatives and key stakeholders, a decision has been made to reschedule the above two fairs to 27th-30th April 2021 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, coinciding with the HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair.

Meanwhile, the business matching and virtual meeting features offered by the HKTDC Autumn Sourcing Week丨Online (16th to 27th November 2020) will continue to assist global exhibitors and buyers overcome some of the challenges during these trying times. When the pandemic situation improves and circumstances allow, the HKTDC will resume physical exhibitions to help global buyers and sellers do business.”

For further enquiries, readers can visit event.hktdc.com, call its hotline on (852) 1830 668 or email exhibitions@hktdc.org.

Further postponements have been made across the pond for Toy Fair Dallas and Toy Fair New York, the latter of which will take place from 1st – 4th May 2021. An extract from a statement from Toy Association president, Steve Pasierb, reads as follows: “Due to the current state of the pandemic and restrictive guidelines in place both in Texas and in states where our guests originate, our partners at the Dallas Market Center (DMC), site of the annual Toy Fair Dallas, have told us that they are unable to meet the unique needs of our fall marketplace, with its preview showrooms and crowds moving from floor to floor. The Association remains committed to the next Toy Fair Dallas show at the DMC in October of 2021.

The Toy Association has also made the decision to postpone Toy Fair New York. At the same time, we are developing with our members a Toy Fair offering in the spring of 2021 and of course the always anticipated Toy Fair in the expanded Javits Centre in February 2022. The Toy of The Year awards (TOTY) and Hall of Fame induction will go virtual for 2021. We are looking forward to sharing with you the roll out of new activities and resources in the weeks and months ahead as you plan for a successful 2021.”

The full statement can be read on www.toyassociation.org.

In other news, the ATA transitions Australian Toy, Hobby & Licensing Fair, due to take place from 28th February to 3rd March 2021 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, will now be an online-only event following investment into a new digital platform by the ATA. The digital show is set to take place from Monday 1st to Friday 5th March 2021.

At the time of going to press, there were no further updates on plans for London Toy Fair and Spring Fair. Keep an eye on the Toy World website for more information.

New BTHA report finds unsafe toys still being sold via 3P online sellers ‘Don’t Toy With Children’s Safety’, a new report for MPs, reveals more than half of the toys tested from online marketplaces could cause serious injury or death to children.

Despite repeated warnings from the British Toy and Hobby Association, unsafe toys are reportedly still being sold via thirdparty sellers on online marketplaces. The BTHA is calling on government to take action now, before a child dies.

The temporary closure of brick-and-mortar businesses during the pandemic meant many families relied on e-commerce deliveries, including marketplace sales. The BTHA is concerned more unsafe toys than ever may be finding their way into homes and wishes to raise awareness as Christmas shopping gets underway.

The BTHA took its campaign directly to MPs at a virtual round table event in October to call for urgent government action to change the law. Parliamentarians were presented with the BTHA’s findings and afforded the opportunity to learn more about the situation. The BTHA’s local MP, Neil Coyle (Member of Parliament for Bermondsey and Old Southwark), sponsored the event and was a spokesperson for the report.

Key findings from the report are as follows: • 8 6% of randomly selected toys tested failed to comply with UK toy safety laws and 60% had faults that made them unsafe to play with (compared to last year’s report which found 58% of toys to be illegal to sell in the UK and 22% unsafe).

• With many international sellers falling outside the jurisdiction of UK enforcement authorities, it is difficult to trace those responsible and hold them accountable.

• Even when products are reported and delisted by the platforms, seemingly identical products continue to be sold.

• There are no defined legal requirements for online marketplaces to check the safety of the products that are sold via their platform.

Natasha Crookes, director of Public Affairs for the BTHA, added: “Faults we have identified include access to small batteries that burn the oesophagus if swallowed, use of restricted chemicals, small parts which are a choke risk, the use of long cords with the risk of strangulation and magnets which are extremely harmful if ingested.”

The BTHA and its members are committed to making legally compliant, safe toys for children. It is calling for: • Changes to UK legislation to make online marketplaces jointly liable for third-party sales.

• Updates to consumer laws to govern the terms and conditions of online marketplaces, including a warranty as to the quality and fitness for purpose of the products you buy.

• Online marketplaces to be held responsible for enforcement of safety regulations by the sellers on the site.

• Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards to have the power to take action against marketplace platforms and remove unsafe products from sale.

• The Online Harms bill to include physical harm from defective products sold via online market platforms.

The full report is available at www.btha.co.uk/advocacy.

Toy World 8

News newsanalysis

HoloToyz partners with Intertoy for global launch of augmented reality range

F

ollowing success at Spielwarenmesse 2020, HoloToyz – a business new to the toy industry - is launching a range of temporary tattoos, stickers, childrens’ books, wall decals, watches and clocks that come to life in 3D through augmented reality technology. Created by 20year veterans of the tech and gaming industries, HoloToyz says the animations and technology used in creating the product range is ‘unparalleled’.

“Augmented reality has evolved rapidly over the years,” Kate Scott, marketing & business development manager at HoloToyz told Toy World. “We are seeing so much creative innovation on social channels, but parents and carers may have concerns about young children using such platforms. HoloToyz allows kids the opportunity to explore and grow with this magical technology in a fun and totally safe environment.”

“Intertoy is delighted to partner with a really creative team at HoloToyz to grow the brand in the UK/Irish, European & Global Toy market,” adds Jon Gregory, managing director at Intertoy. “HoloToyz has developed a range that brings the world of AR into our world with real innovation.”

The attractively priced HoloToyz range includes three interactive books, each including voiceovers, subtitles and sound effects to teach kids about sea creatures, pets and dinosaurs. The temporary tattoos and stickers come in packs of 10, with six themes to choose from - Pet Party, Jurassic Dinos, Metal Mania, Super Sea Creatures, Monster Mash and Holo Heroes. The wall decals, which can be reapplied without damaging walls or paint, include a Magical Unicorn, a Majestic Mermaid and a Mighty T-Rex, and the range of children’s watches will bring puppies, mermaids, unicorns and even an octopus to life.

Product launches will be supported by digital marketing and influencer campaigns, as well as in-store digital guides. The HoloToyz range works with a free, 100% child-friendly app, requiring no registration, available to download from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store. The app also allows users to place the characters in their surroundings, move around the 3D creatures, and take shareable photos and videos.

To see the full range of products, visit holotoyz.com.

For sales enquiries, please contact info@intertoy.biz or call 01937 586218.

Toy Industries of Europe announces winners of Play for Change Awards Toy Industries of Europe, the voice of reputable toy manufacturers in Europe (TIE), has announced the winners of the 2020 Play for Change Awards (#playforchangeawards). The awards focused on toys and practices that help kids confidently navigate the world around them in ways that show respect for themselves, for others and for our planet.

Awards were given for innovation in three categories: empowerment; environmental sustainability; and future skills. The winners are: 1. E mpowerment category – recognising activities and toys that break boundaries based on outdated ‘norms’ of social status, ability, sex, race or religion: Gold Award winner: Mattel for The Empowerment Project Silver Award winner: Twin Science and Robotics for the Twin Science Kit for the Visually Impaired Bronze Award winner: Mattel for Creatable World 2. Environmental Sustainability category – for initiatives and/or toys that educate about sustainability or deploy environmentally sustainable practices.

Gold Award winner: Hasbro for the Hasbro Recycling Project Silver Award winner: Dantoy for Bio toys Joint Bronze Award winners: Clementoni for the Sequence Puzzle and Allingham Games with The Good Life 3. Future Skills category – recognising an initiative or product that prepares children for tomorrow’s world.

Gold Award winner: Learning Resources for Artie 3000TM Silver Award winner: Chicco Artsana for Adventure Airlines Bronze Award winner: Geomag for Skyline New York Each award category had a dedicated, independent jury that represented a broad spectrum – disability rights, sustainability, education and play specialists, toy industry experts and more.

This was the inaugural year of the Play for Change Awards. Catherine Van Reeth, director general of TIE, commented: “We want the Play For Change Awards to become an annual celebration, driving further innovation and change within our industry. As the initiative gets better known and more established, our aim is that a Play for Change award becomes something to aspire to: a recognisable sign of achievement in creating toys for a better world.”

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News newsanalysis

Happy Birthday to Etopia Etopia Consultancy, which provides strategic advice to help companies grow their Amazon sales, is celebrating its 1st anniversary this month, after a year in which eCommerce has truly flourished. Toy World spoke to founder Asha Bhalsod to find out how the past year has unfolded, and what the future holds.

Looking back over the previous 12 months, has everything panned out the way you thought it would?

No - who knew that launching an eCommerce business in the fastest growing channel ahead of a pandemic would turn out to be the best thing I have ever done in my life? I feel fortunate that I can help so many businesses with the challenges they face in eCommerce, and managing Amazon in particular. Talk about being in the right place at the right time…

What has been the most memorable part of the past year for Etopia?

Creating great business partnerships and forming relationships with clients.

From my first ever client to my most recent, each has had full trust in my ability to help manage their biggest sales channel. I’ve been instrumental in building their eCommerce strategy, working with each to create opportunities for even greater success. In the first week of launching Etopia, I had so many messages of support from old colleagues and bosses, which cemented why I love the toy industry so much.

Arguably there’s never been a better time to be involved with Amazon.

Heading into 2021, what are the biggest opportunities out there?

Most Amazon vendors will either be entering Year 2, or will be pushed into Year 1, of Amazon Pan EU Management. If they want to remain relevant across all the EU markets, businesses will have to look at aligning the skills they have in managing eCommerce with how they navigate Pan EU agreements.

Many businesses are represented across multiple offices, in various locations, and they are structured differently across those locations. They will need to ensure their biggest channel has dedicated resources working across Account Management, Marketing and Operations.

The fact is that eCommerce channels will continue to grow, and this growth has been accelerated by the pandemic. Businesses are going to need to embrace change. Amazon is no longer just a sales account – it’s now also a huge marketing platform.

Looking to the medium and long-term, what are your goals for Etopia?

We are growing, and we want to grow more. We’ll continue to evolve our service offering as the eCommerce landscape adapts and changes. We are excited to work with many of the top brands, helping them establish their global eCommerce/Amazon strategy. I also want to instil in companies the knowledge that data analytics will offer the best insight into eCommerce, and that Etopia is structured and trained to help companies use their data to create valuable insights.

Will you be expanding or enhancing the range of services you offer in 2021, and how can companies interested in finding out more get in touch?

When I launched Etopia 12 months ago, it was just me. A year on, I have a team of four people and great business partners in preferred Amazon advertising experts, recruitment and with operations experience. Collectively, this is over 50 years of Amazon experience.

Etopia Consultancy will evolve on the same trajectory as that of eCommerce and Amazon. We’re in tune with how the competitive landscape continues to unfold around us, and we’re already undertaking further brand analytics training as part of our evolutionary process. It’s not enough to simply develop and implement the strategy - we need to analyse performance as well.

In 2021, Etopia will also be bringing Amazon management in-house, managing fulfilment models, order processing, content optimisation, marketing, sales data insights, product listing and reporting for any brand that wants to outsource their full Amazon business. We will offer the full suite of services. This demonstrates our ability to grow and keep up with an everevolving eCommerce market. Heading into next year - and beyond - we will continue to help even more brands with simplifying and implementing their eCommerce and Amazon strategies.

Readers can get in touch via www.etopiaconsultancy.co.uk or can email info@etopiaconsultancy.co.uk.

Balloon sales remain buoyant as consumers mark special occasions Pioneer Europe is enjoying strong sales of its Qualatex and Northstar balloons, according to Julie Dommett, head of marketing, as socially distanced celebrations take place nationwide despite the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have seen a consistently high demand for balloons all through lockdown and the summer season, showing that people are still celebrating, just in a slightly different way than before,” Julie explains. “From Zoom parties to creating social media memories, balloons are adding instant colour and fun to birthdays everywhere. Now, as we approach Christmas and customers begin making non-traditional plans, there are lots of opportunities to help spread joy with balloons. Toy stores, which play an essential role in any child’s birthday or Christmas celebration, are therefore perfectly placed to gain additional sales, either through offering balloon services themselves or by simply selling ‘decorate at home’ balloon packs.”

Julie told Toy World that numbers, letters and phrases have been particularly popular this season, as have licensed balloons, thanks to children enjoying more interaction with their favourite characters through streaming services.

To help meet demand, Qualatex offers a wide range of latex, Microfoil and Bubble Balloon options for all occasions, while the Northstar Balloons range comprises numbers, letters, phrase kits and script balloons, all of which can be air-inflated at home. The multitude of options available, says Julie, makes Pioneer and Northstar balloons perfect impulse-sale items for retailers.

For more information on ranges and how to buy visit www.qualatexeurope.com and www. northstarballoons.com.

Toy World 12

Industry Moves Anna Howard

Tom Drakett-Cain

Wilton Bradley expands marketing team

Matt Parker

Following a summer of record-breaking sales for Wilton Bradley, the company has announced three new appointments to its growing marketing team.

Anna Howard joins the team as head of digital marketing. In her new role, she will be responsible for implementing the company’s growth plans through the strategy and execution of all digital marketing activities.

Reporting to Anna, Tom Drakett-Cain and Matt Parker join as brand marketing managers, each responsible for increasing brand awareness and enhancing consumer experiences through content and social media marketing.

Golden Bear welcomes new hires Golden Bear is expanding its 50-strong team in Telford with the Becs Henchey Tracy Griffiths Saskia Hamilton recruitment of three key members of staff who will help to drive further growth over the coming years.

Becs Henchey joins as senior creative development manager, heading up a team of seven, with responsibility for overseeing the creative process across both licensed and non-licensed ranges.

Tracy Griffiths steps into the role of head of brand and licensing, leading a team of four, whilst Saskia Hamilton will be the new international sales coordinator.

“It’s a real coup for Golden Bear to attract talent of the likes of Becs, Tracy and Saskia,” commented managing director, Barry Hughes. “It’s an exciting time for Golden Bear and our recruits are going to help us immensely with the next stage of our expansion plans. We have shown how strong and robust the business is, despite all the challenges that Covid has brought about this year, and we have been thrilled with the way that our staff have responded and how our products continue to resonate with customers. 2021 is already shaping up to be another successful year for the company.”

Buyer Emma Carden joins BargainMax.co.uk BargainMax.co.uk, the specialist online discount toy retailer, has announced the appointment of Emma Carden as its new buyer.

“I’m delighted to be joining the team at BargainMax.co.uk,” said Emma. “It’s an exciting time to become part of this growing business, with a lot of opportunities to go after. I was really impressed with everything the company has achieved in a relatively short amount of time. They have a great set-up and are geared up for future growth. I’ll certainly be looking for immediate opportunities to maximise the Christmas trading period.”

The online retailer has enjoyed a stellar year, seeing impressive growth on its website in the last quarter, with sales up 118% and profit up 148% on last year.

Senior buyer Alex Woolfstein added: “We were looking for someone with great experience in the Toy Industry to come and take the lead on our own brand & product creations as well as expanding our group of suppliers. In Emma we feel we have found someone that ticks all the boxes. She has years of experience coming from Very.co.uk and has a phenomenal reputation in the industry. Everyone we have spoken to has had the most wonderful things to say about Emma and we can’t wait to welcome her to the team. Her email address is emma@bargainmax.co.uk - I know that she can’t wait to hear from suppliers interested in engaging with Bargainmax.co.uk for the first time.”

Asmodee changes include new directorial role for Coiledspring Games’ Roger Martin Roger Martin is moving to the newly created role of Hobby & Independent Channel director for Asmodee UK. Following strong growth, having doubled in size over the last five years to become the No.1 games company in the UK (per NPD data), and with a view to allowing specific focus on its products, customers, suppliers and internal systems, the company is now announcing a change to its sales strategy and structure.

Asmodee will be splitting its sales and marketing efforts into two distinct channels, one focusing on the hobby and independent trade and the other driving forward its presence in national retailers.

As part of this change, Roger Martin is moving from his current role as managing director of Coiledspring Games, which was acquired by Asmodee in 2018, to the newly created role of Hobby & Independent Channel director for Asmodee UK. Asmodee says Roger brings an ‘unrivalled knowledge’ of this market, having founded Coiledspring in 2004 with just one game and one puzzle, and grown it to become a major name in UK games distribution through exclusive relationships with market-leading publishers and a focus on supporting independent retail.

Roger’s new position allows Anil Boodhoo to focus his energy into his updated role of National Channel director. Both offer valuable expertise that will allow Asmodee to continue to improve and adapt its approaches to two very different markets.

Roger’s new role creates a vacancy at the head of Coiledspring into which will step Kerrie Corrigan, who is promoted to general manager of the company and will work closely with Roger over Q4 during his transition between the two roles, which will see him fully in situ by 1st January 2021.

Toy World 14

Opinion Letter from America Finding the right piece of the puzzle to make 2021 great After 20 years working at A. C. Nielsen/D&B Research Company, Rick opened the first Learning Express Toys franchise in 1996 in the Chicago area, and then became a subfranchiser, opening nine more stores. Although leaving the corporate environment behind, he has combined his expertise in data and numbers with a passion for the toy retail space.

In the first of a series of regular columns, Rick shares his experiences as a specialist toy retailer in the US, this month, looking forward to the New Year and Q1 2021.

S

anta Claus, Hanukkah and New Year’s Day will all come around, and here in the States - and probably everywhere in the world - we all look forward to the turning of the calendar. My prediction for Q1 toy sales for indies in the US is a continuation of the positive growth trend we started to see with the reopening of shops in June 2020. Here’s why I believe the positive momentum will continue:

• We expect a very solid holiday season (+5% to +7% YOY growth), and Q4 momentum traditionally carries over from year to year.

• Easter falls on April 4th in 2021, meaning that ‘Easter’ sales will be in March (Q1), which will be compared to a slowing March and complete shutdown for most indies in late March 2020.

• The pipeline of new toys has been delayed by several months, and I expect delayed releases to be hitting shelves in early 2021, more so than in a typical year. One example of this is the CoComelon range.

• Finally, we will have learned how to deal with Covid-19 and live with it, until we all get treatments and vaccines that allow us to get comfortable again with our lives.

There is also one other very important factor that cannot be overlooked; the temporary halt and limits to the amount of birthday parties held during the pandemic. Our lifeblood, and frankly our entire strategic platform, has been built around birthdays, making them special and making a child feel very special once a year. We over-perform in the first 10 months of the year because of this focus, and then try and hold our own against Amazon and the big box retailers during the holidays. I hope that most parties will resume, and we can one again recapture the many present sales lost during this time.

So, what do independent toy stores do in the interim and how does one get information on trends, product intros and specials? There will be few, if any, major trade shows other than local show rooms open to visit for the foreseeable future, although Zoom meetings can be held and online networking can continue. Even if physical shows were to take place, would many visit? I know my wife says she would not. So, I would encourage all retailers to scour trade magazines, websites and articles. Investigate and do your own research on vendors, product category trends, social media influencers and answer the question “what do kids want”? Read up on the NPD reports, Google Trends and data gleaned from Amazon. By doing our own proactive research, we will be better positioned to fill our stores and offer the right products, in the right categories, at the right time and at the right price.

Being a numbers person, I am enjoying this challenge and will be studying many new sources as we end the year and head into 2021. Finding that one last piece of the puzzle could be the difference between having a great year, a normal year or a ‘down’ year. Our Learning Express Toys data shows a very high correlation between sales up to the Easter season and how well the entire year ends. Knowing this, it is so important to excel in the first four months of a calendar year.

Richard can be reached on LinkedIn or by email at LE45@sbcglobal.net.

Toy World 16

Marketing World Hexbug outlines 2021 marketing plans for nano Flash and JunkBots ranges Following the successful launch of new ranges to the Hexbug portfolio in 2020, the company says marketing activity will be rolled out during 2021 to further increase brand awareness for Hexbug nano Flash and Hexbug JunkBots. In addition to TV advertising campaigns, the 360-degree marketing campaign will incorporate PR, influencer outreach and digital activity.

The award winning Hexbug nano Flash has recently been recognised as one of the Top 100 Toys for Christmas 2020 by MadeForMums. Unlike previous Hexbug nano Playsets, the new nano Flash range features flexible jelly walls for open-ended play, with a range of different sized play sets hitting varying price points. The Hexbug nano Flash is also larger than the original Hexbug nano and, as the name suggests, flashes an LED light whilst moving at an impressive speed. As with all Hexbug nano environments, the Hexbug nano Flash Orbit set, Hexbug nano Flash Playground set and the huge Hexbug nano Flash Nanoplex set can be connected, meaning children have the option of expanding their Hexbug nano universe.

Hexbug JunkBots have been successful in the US, and already the range is proving popular in the UK since its 2020 launch. The collectible range features entry price points starting with the Hexbug JunkBots Trash Bin Assortment. There are 36 different JunkBot characters to collect in Series 1, and each has parts that are interchangeable with the other characters. Both the 30-piece Hexbug JunkBots Dumpster and the 50-piece Hexbug JunkBots Large Dumpster sets include at least one of three energy modules to add vibration, lights or motion to the JunkBots.

Wotch Creations’ TV campaign for Smiley Halves drives demand The first official TV advertising campaign for Wotch Creations’ collectible range Smiley Halves, which ran across Nickelodeon throughout October, has been a success for the company, driving demand and raising awareness of the innovative new collectible range.

In total, the 30-second advert, which demonstrates the collectible, swappable and colourful nature of Smiley-Halves, was shown 414 times - an average of 14 times a day - across Nick, NickJr and NickJnrToo. A shorter 20-second advert was also hosted on the Nickeldeon YouTube channel.

Holly Stafford-Smith, director of Wotch Creations, told Toy World: “The pre-launch and launch activities have been really well received, and everyone who has ordered and received their SmileyHalves has been really excited to start to ‘Collect and Connect’. We’re encouraging kids to come up with all sorts of wonderful and wacky games to play involving the Smiley-Halves, and to share their ideas with us via social media. We’ve invested substantially in influencer campaigns, content for which will be being posted within the next week or so – I’m really excited to see what content the influencers can come up with.”

The initial launch range comprises 10 blind-bagged emoticons in 22 variations, including six coloured editions of varying rarity and limited-edition Legendary glow in the dark versions. Each magnetic half can also be mixed and matched with any other to create totally new expression.

Retailers can find out more by calling Wotch on 0330 133 4392, or emailing Holly (info@ wotchcreations.com) or MD Alex (alexander@wotchcreations.com).

Award-winning Stephens & George poised to help toy companies with their printing needs Stephens & George, a fourth generation, award-winning company based in Wales (and printer of Toy World Magazine), specialises in sheet-fed lithographic printing of brochures and catalogues, offering superior quality printing and finishing to all its clients.

Independent research has found that consumers of all ages believe print content is more trustworthy than digital, says the company; 28% of people surveyed by Two Sides, an organisation it supports, admit to experiencing ‘digital overload’, while 69% say print is the most enjoyable way to read books, 61% prefer magazines in print, and 54% still prefer to read news in print. As human brains process physical and digital media differently, people spend more time with physical advertisements, have a stronger emotional response to them, and remember them better. This means that print media leaves a longer-lasting impact than digital.

At Stephens & George, the belief is very much that mailing a printed catalogue is like putting a shop window directly into customers’ homes. As markets get more competitive, quality catalogues - filled with engaging content - offer all types of retailer a great platform from which to gain a competitive edge. This is where Stephens & George comes in.

Through its knowledge of, and continued re-investment in, the latest print technology, the company produces print media to the highest standards, every time.

Stephens & George is also fully stocked with soya-based inks, FSC and PEFC accredited paper and paper mailing wrap, for companies wanting to minimise their impact on the environment. The company feels strongly that its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly materials makes it an attractive alternative to digital mediums; paper is one of the most recycled products in the world, and for every tree cut down for the paper industry (FSC and PEFC regulated), at least five new trees are planted. These trees absorb even more CO2, helping to mitigate climate change. In fact, between 2005-2015 European forests grew by 44,000 square kilometres - an area equivalent to 1,500 football pitches every day.

Readers are invited to get in touch with Stephens & George to see how it can help with their catalogue and brochure requirements. Call 01685 388888, email sales@stephensandgeorge.co.uk or visit the website - www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk.

Toy World 18

MARVELLOUS MUD

01626 835400

sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk

www.wiltonbradley.co.uk

Marketing World L.O.L. Surprise! Remix pop-ups launch at Selfridges and Harrods MGA Entertainment has launched a major takeover of the Selfridges and Harrods’ toy departments, with popup shops celebrating the new L.O.L. Surprise! Remix range.

The Harrods pop-up will showcase the range within the store’s toy department until 2nd November, while pop-ups at Selfridges London, Manchester and Birmingham will remain in place until 18th December. The takeover features the full Remix range including the L.O.L. Surprise! Remix O.M.G. Fashion dolls, Hair Flip dolls, Remix Pets, 2020 Collector doll, and two play sets; Remix Super Surprise and Remix O.M.G. 4-in-1 Plane.

Fans will be entertained and encouraged to interact with the pop-ups via giant versions of the Hair Flip and Pets boombox packaging, motion-activated displays that play the new L.O.L. Surprise! single ‘Crew Remix’, and large scale TV screens that loop a preview of the new range.

The brand’s first official L.O.L. Surprise! Remix album, including singles Crew Remix and Extra (Like O.M.G.) has also launched.

MGA will be supporting the Remix range with substantial PR and social media campaigns. On Saturday 26th September, the L.O.L. Surprise UK Instagram channel hosted a day of L.O.L. Surprise! Remix surprises featuring unboxing, influencers, celebrities and karaoke.

Opinion

Top tips to achieve YouTube success As more and more toy brands are embracing YouTube to engage with their audiences, Generation Media analyses why and when to adopt this platform.

T

he past few months have seen a significant increase in the proliferation of YouTube channels. This is testament to the power of building a virtual community. But it’s also responding to the desire of parents to have a platform that offers their child some much needed entertainment and engagement.

Indeed, YouTube is one of the most democratic platforms ever, anyone can set up a channel and have a voice. Simple, right? But how can this tool be used to deliver effective communications, engagement and persuade consumers to adopt product? There are a lot of conversations around how to make a YouTube channel successful. Here are our top recommendations for creating a successful and interactive space: D efine success Many brands think of YouTube as a sales tool, but it’s primarily a communication tool designed to deliver engagement. A successful YouTube channel drives engagement and participation around a product, makes the audience come back for more content and is designed around their passion points.

Know your audience If you are a toy brand, it is highly likely that your key demographics will be millennial parents and their kids. The parents are the most connected generation ever, living as an extension on YouTube, making this space a vital touchpoint for any brand that wants to tap into this demographic.

Kids (4-15) have made a significant migration

from linear TV in terms of content consumption and have chosen YouTube as one of the most enjoyable destinations.

So, this is a space where your audience is ready to connect and listen. This space also provides a valuable opportunity to understand your consumers and see how and why they play with their toys and buy your products. If your brand has produced any level of content, for instance a TVC, then it makes sense that you maximise it by finding ways to adapt and develop it with an online audience and create your own channel.

Develop an audience-centric content and editorial strategy However, it’s not as simple as uploading TVC footage. Good content solutions are well thought through and provide consumers and fans with an additional platform to see their favourite product in action. So, spend some time considering: do they want further instruction or how-to, or would they benefit from seeing variations of imaginative play?

Ideally, you need to develop content and story telling that incorporates their interests and passion points AND your products in the narrative.

Remember, really good content is indistinguishable from marketing, and this is what makes it so powerful.

Make it an interactive experience for consumers The relationship with your customers should never be passive and YouTube is no exception. Tools to measure, define and lead the dialogue with your audience are many. For instance, Kids can like your

Toy World 20

Greta Bisetto-Donelan Global director of Entertainment and Innovation, Generation Media Greta.Bisetto-Donelan@generationmedia.co.uk videos, share them and subscribe to your channel.

You can see, through click-through rates, how long people move through your channel and consume your content. You can also extend the relationship and cultivate brand loyalty by incorporating dynamic elements to your content, whether that’s featuring UGC content, launching competitions or hosting YouTuber collaborations and brand partnerships.

So why should a brand consider YouTube? Because this is an opportunity to listen to the audience and provide them with what they want in an agile and flexible manner without huge overheads.

Brands which use it effectively can capture the zeitgeist quickly and maximise engagement. If you want to know more about Generation Media’s communication strategies in the YouTube space, please get in touch.

NADIYA’S

BAKING AND COOKING SETS

REAL COOKWARE FOR KIDS

01626 835400

sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk

www.wiltonbradley.co.uk

Opinion

Christmas (Baby please stay home) KidsKnowBest is a leading kids digital media agency, and this month, Lydia and colleagues Liz Croughan and Estelle Dragan explore how consumer shopping behaviour may be affected for this year’s Christmas season.

T

here’s no doubt we’re already seeing the impact Covid-19 is having on this year’s run-up to Christmas, so how will consumer shopping behaviours be impacted? From our recent interviews, we’re seeing families keen to make more of a conscious effort at Christmas this year to give their kids something to look forward to amid the uncertainty. There’s comfort in knowing it’s one annual tradition that can still happen, albeit a bit differently.

As kids settle back into a new normal at school and parents adapt to the shifting rules and restrictions, Christmas is starting to come into focus and we’re seeing a change in consumer behaviours. Parents expressed concern about a repeat of the panic-buying and delivery issues that hit during the start of lockdown, so spending is happening earlier than normal. Also, what they can expect from Christmas day is up in the air, as many are unsure where they will be or who they’ll be with. This uncertainty is impacting how they’re spending; families we spoke to are prioritising gifts for close family members first, and gifts that offer flexibility for plans, whether that’s last minute travelling to see extended family or having to post gifts. We’ve also seen stocking fillers being bought earlier than normal, as these low-cost gifts are easier to justify if plans change. Even if you’re not spending Christmas with your extended family, there’s a desire to try and make the day as normal as possible.

So, what are families planning on buying and why? So far this year, we’ve already seen a shift in consumer interests. Puzzles and board games have already seen tremendous growth: from our work with Uno we witnessed sales up 116% YoY, and the trend doesn’t show signs of stopping. The families we spoke to said they would buy new games and puzzles for the family to play together over the festive season. The lack of movies out this year has left an interesting gap in new franchises, which would have usually driven high spend. With this in mind, there are three types of gifts that we think will prove popular this year.

Firstly, tech devices for kids. We surveyed 1,100 UK kids aged 6-13, and 39% said they had added a phone or tablet to their Christmas list this year.

Many of the kids we spoke to in our Youth TrendSpotter interviews told us that they have been sharing laptops or phones with their siblings.

Devices have become crucial for more than just entertainment; during lockdown they were used for home-schooling, communicating with friends and

long-distance family, and giving working-fromhome parents some respite. This meant sharing them became less of an option. Parents have responded by seeing devices as more of a necessity and less as a treat, with younger kids getting their first devices earlier. All this may have an impact on toy sales; where budget is tight, parents are likely to prioritise tech over traditional gifting. However, cancelled Christmas plans and activity this year could free up some spend to buy mid-range toys as well as tech, at least for this year.

Secondly, arts & crafts look like they will continue to have an uplift. From our research we saw an interesting rise in kids cooking, both for fun and to share the workload in the home, and also a rise in artistic crafts like painting and drawing. Gifts that encourage these new behaviours are likely to appeal to parents and grown-ups when they’re choosing presents, so there’s a real opportunity for products that support these activities.

Finally, active toys like Nerf Blasters may prove popular. From our research we saw an increase in exercise among kids as they enjoyed the chance to get out and get moving. Physical toys are proving a convenient trigger for outdoor play for kids who have spent months with a much lower level of social play than they would normally have. The placement of the product in hit games like Fortnite also adds to exposure and desire for play.

From our research, we know there are different purchase occasions. Put simply, there are three types of buying habits with families we often hear articulated. Impulse buying driven by pester power in-store; middle market occasional treats around the £20 mark, and big-ticket items that are bought around an event and centred on a shopping experience.

We’ve seen the middle market spend shifting online, perhaps more than the other occasions, even before Covid, so where does that leave the opportunities for retailers to encourage the other types of spending? Impulse buying is fun, but now customers are limited to how much time they are likely to spend in-store, it will be important to look at how this behaviour can also be encouraged in an e-commerce environment. With shopping previously seen as an experience, we would traditionally have seen families plan a day out to the toy store together as part of their Christmas build-up. Instead, we’re seeing shared shopping experiences online, with families browsing together and kids picking via wish-lists.

Toy World 22

Lydia Mossahebi editorial director, KidsKnowBest.

These shifts drive a change in how advertising can be effective in reaching consumers. Our recent campaigns at KidsKnowBest have shown the influencer marketing space has continued to flourish, with reactive campaigns that worked around the production limitations of lockdown.

It suggests that the reallocation of traditional ad spend to digital at the start of the pandemic has paid off.

So where are the opportunities for brands and retailers in this all-important pre-Christmas period? The consumer drive is still there, and there’s potentially more spend to be made as cancelled holidays and events give more financial flex to some homes. Finding ways to reach consumers online and recreating the real-life shopping experience will be key. It remains to be seen how people will budget for 2021 given the concern around austerity, but in the meantime, the desire to claw back some joy in 2020 has led families to focus their spending on creating their own special Christmas experiences in the home.

S N O E RID

01626 835400

sales@wiltonbradley.co.uk

www.wiltonbradley.co.uk

Licensing World Wilton Bradley gears up for launch of Bake me a Story range with Nadiya Hussain

Thomas & Friends feature film plus new TV series in the works Mattel and production company 2Dux² have announced plans to develop a feature film based on Thomas & Friends. Mattel Films and 2Dux² will bring Thomas & Friends to life through a four-quadrant family adventure that blends live-action and animation.

Mattel Films will co-produce the film alongside Marc Forster, who will also direct, and Renée Wolfe, co-founder and co-CEO of 2Dux². Alyssa Hill and Jesse Wigutow have penned the script. Robbie Brenner, executive producer, and Kevin McKeon, supervising producer, will lead the project for Mattel Films.

Thomas & Friends joins other Mattel Films projects in development including films based on American Girl, Barbie, Barney, Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, View Master and Wishbone.

Following this news, Mattel Television also recently announced it will enter into a co-production partnership for a Thomas & Friends series. The new content will comprise 104 11-minute episodes and two 60-minute specials animated in 2D, over two seasons.

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studio is to co-produce the series starting with Season 25, which will premiere in autumn 2021. The new production will introduce a new creative approach, bringing the series up to date for today’s generation.

The new series will build upon creative elements that have resonated with fans over the years by featuring comedic, playful stories and lessons told from Thomas’ point of view.

Wilton Bradley’s partnership with Nadiya Hussain sees the release of new product range: Bake me a Story, which contains a range of baking and cooking sets with smaller tools perfect for little hands. The range invites children to get creative with their cooking and baking skills, bringing the whole family into the kitchen. Each set -the Simple Baking Set, Savoury Cooking Set and Deluxe Baking Set - has a selection of easy to follow recipe cards created by Nadiya, which make tasty creations that the whole family can enjoy.

Wilton Bradley worked with Nadiya on a product photoshoot producing lifestyle imagery and engaging, entertaining product and recipe videos to support the range, for which Nadiya explained her ideas surrounding the product concept and why it was so important to her.

Nadiya has been working closely with Wilton Bradley from the very beginning, making decisions regarding the product concepts, designs and colours and continues to be involved as the product evolves.

Nadiya commented: “I love to cook with my family. It’s great to get them involved from a young age, teaching them a valuable skill whilst enjoying some valuable family time together. These sets provide children with everything they need to become cooking and baking enthusiasts.”

The new range is set to be on shelves in time for Christmas 2020 and is already seeing success, with the Deluxe Baking Set announced as winner of a Blog On award in October.

HTI Toys expands Peppa Pig range HTI Toys has been designing innovative new items to add to its already extensive Peppa Pig range. The roleplay category at HTI Toys has seen huge success over recent years, with popular items including tea sets, play kitchens and licensed character cases.

The key focus in recent months across this category has been to design and develop brand new items for evergreen pre-school brand Peppa Pig. Investment in new tooling has allowed the company to create new and fun designs, incorporating the Peppa Pig brand identity that children across the world adore.

HTI Toys is gearing up for the latest launch, in partnership with Argos. The newest introduction, Peppa’s Mud Kitchen, set to be on Christmas lists across the UK this year, launched online and in stores last month.

The colourful kitchen features an opening oven, three stoves and a sink. Peppa fans can write their perfect mud pie menu on the chalkboard alongside the Peppa character plaque. The kitchen comes complete with hard-wearing metal accessories including two pans, a lid, ladle, whisk and spatula.

HTI Toys has more launches to come in 2021 across the Peppa Pig roleplay, dolls prams and wooden toy categories.

For more information on the HTI collection, visit www.htigroup.co.uk.

Toy World 24

NPD Insight

You know that Santa’s on his way…

As the industry encourages customers to shop early for Christmas this year, Melissa looks at the impact this shift in shopping behaviour will have on the toy market overall.

I

Melissa Symonds

categories earlier in the year and is currently the second n the last few weeks, toy retailers have been fastest growing supercategory YTD September, up alerting consumers that shopping early for Christmas is safer, to help ensure social distancing +32%, representing an additional +£29m so far this year. However, Games & Puzzles has historically been and avoid the high numbers of people we’re used total toys in the last two weeks, in addition to ongoing stronger in December, with 40% of annual Games to seeing in store in December. But how will this growing Subclasses – Post-Lockdown growth from Frozen dolls and LOL Surprise! expansion. sales in theFastest last month of the year and 33% for Puzzles. impact the traditional seasonality of the toy market? In toy subclasses have in grown non-essential store re-openedAs well as the fashion dolls themselves, Fashion With such a62high uplift early thesince year, will December 2019, the first nine months of the year accounted for 52% Salescategory?

Gained £M Accessories such as the Barbie Camper and Barbie still have the same impact for the The latest of annual toy sales, leaving nearly half of annual sales Standard Building Sets Dreamhouse have been key sellers. These higher priced monthly sales for September in Q4. December alone traditionally accounts for £1 in Fashion Dolls continued to see Games & Fashion Accessories items usually start picking up in Q4, but this year have Puzzles growing twice as fast as the rest of the market, every £4 spent on toys across the year, with every week Scene Sets & Figures Playground Equipment done well throughout 2020. Scene Sets & Figures have and the best sellers remain classics like Monopoly, Uno in December the equivalent of a month’s worth of sales Family Board/Action Games also performed well with higher priced items such as and Dobble, as wellLarge as adult in the first nine months of the year. With 2020 already Dolls & Accpuzzles. Hopefully, this PS Figure/Playsets & Acc Playmobil Back to The Future Delorean and Playmobil means that having rediscovered Games and Puzzles breaking expectations and shattering toy industry Junior Building Sets Scooby Doo Mystery Machine Early Electronic Learning norms at an unprecedented rate, £0 £3 £6 £9 £12 £15 £18 bolstering the category. what differences can we expect from Millions the last few weeks of the year?

Higher priced items drove the toy 1 Fastest growing Subclasses – Post-Lockdown subclasses have grown since non-essential store re-opened market during lock-down and have Besides the safety aspect, another 62 toy 62 toy subclasses have grown since non-essential store re-opened continued to perform well since benefit to encouraging consumers Sales Gained £M Sales Gained £M Standard Building Sets then. In September, 13% of total toy to shop earlier is that early shoppers Fashion Dolls Standard Building Sets sales were for items priced above Fashion Accessories tend to spend more. NPD’s annual Scene Sets & Figures £50 – up from 10% in September 2019.

Fashion Dolls Christmas Gift Study in 2019 Playground Equipment Family Board/Action While most higher-priced items for showed that the parents’ average FashionGames Accessories Large Dolls & Acc Christmas are usually purchased in gift budget for early shoppers is PS Figure/Playsets & Acc Scene Sets & Figures Junior Building Sets the last week of November or the first 7% higher than late shoppers. This Playground Equipment Early Electronic Learning week of December, this year we may doesn’t just represent their spend on £3 £6 £9 £12 £15 £18 Family Board/Action£0Games Millions see a bigger impact from the loss of toys, but across a number of other Large Dolls & Acc 1 lower priced toy sales. In 2019, £55m of categories for Christmas including PS Figure/Playsets & Acc toys sales under £10 were purchased Video Games, Clothing, Books, Junior Building Sets in the two weeks prior to Christmas Money, Consumer Electronics and Early Electronic Learning - as stocking fillers or last-minute other areas. However, in 2019, only additional presents. With consumers 20% of shoppers had completed £0 £3 £6 £9 £12 £15 £18 planning their shopping trips more their shopping by the end of Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | Jun 14 2020 Oct 03 2020 vs. 19 Millions carefully this year, some of these sales November, so even if they started DocumentThe classification: Client/Third Party Confidential NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential 1 early in 2020, consumers are still on course for a strong could be at risk, particularly as online purchases at these early, many consumers still made use of the beginning seasonal uplift. price points are not very strong at the moment. of December to complete their Christmas purchases.

Building Sets remains the supercategory adding Early shoppers tend to be more organised and plan Whatever the government recommendations are for the most value to the market this year, up +24% or to shop at multiple stores (including online), with December when it comes to socialising and shopping an additional £31m up to September. Post-national two thirds already knowing what gifts they intend to habits, it seems sure that Christmas 2020 will, like the lockdown, both the Standard Building Sets and Junior purchase. The increased messaging for early shopping rest of 2020, be rather different from what we were Building Sets subclasses reach the fastest growing means that the 2020 Christmas Study could show a very expecting at the beginning of year. What remains true subclasses, helped by the new Super Mario licence different picture. for the industry is that toys have continued to perform the Starter Course is the top selling item across total better than many other categories in the market such One of the key questions we’ve been asked regularly toys for September. Building Sets also benefited from as Clothing or Beauty. While interaction with widerpost-lockdown is which categories have picked up and strong Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lego Technic sales. family members may be limited, Santa will still find a which ones could continue to do well over Christmas.

Fashion Dolls have performed extremely well this year, way to deliver presents this year…if you’ve been good, Games & Puzzles was one of the lockdown champion with Barbie reaching the number one property across of course.

Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD

Fastest growing Subclasses – Post-Lockdown Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | Jun 14 2020 - Oct 03 2020 vs. 19

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

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | Jun 14 2020 - Oct 03 2020 vs. 19

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

Toy World 26

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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.

Property Progression Largest Toy Themes – YTD September 2020

Panini’s new Premier League trading card range, Adrenalyn, has started moving up the property rankings in September, climbing 138 places in one month, helped by the new football Emergency Services account for 3.5% of total toy sales season starting and the return to school. With less than 50% Rank Value Sales Rank £M weighted distribution, the Adrenalyn Premier League 2020/21 July 2020 Aug 2020 Total Licence Emergency Services XL Pack is the number two best-selling collectible by volume Superhero for the month (just behind Magic Box SuperZings Rivals of Adrenalyn #192 #58 Space Kaboom Secret Spiers 2x50 Pack). The return to school also Princess helped the collectibles market considerably, with the category Witches/Wizards gaining +£5m in sales for September vs. August sales, with over 3.3m collectible toys purchased. New launches also helped the collectibles sector grow – as Dinosaur well as the AdrenalynUnicorn range, Lego Harry Potter MiniFigures had a strong start and was the No.3 collectible item by both value and volume. This represents a much-neededManga/Anime boost for the collectible market after it struggled with the loss of impulse purchases during the national lockdown period.

Dogs Cats

Largest Toy Themes – YTD September 2020 £0

£10

£20

£30

Largest ToyServices Themes –account YTD September 2020of total toy sales Emergency for 3.5%

£40

Millions

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD September 2020

Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential Emergency Services account for 3.5% of total toy sales

Value Sales £M

Value Sales £M Emergency Services Superhero Emergency Space Services Princess Superhero Witches/Wizards Dinosaur Space Unicorn Manga/Anime DogsPrincess Cats Witches/Wizards £0 £10 Dinosaur Unicorn Manga/Anime Dogs Cats

£20

£30

£40

Millions

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD September 2020

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

1

£0

£10

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

1

Largest Themes in Toys

The largest theme in toys in the UK is emergency services (Fire, Ambulance, Police etc.)

This accounted for nearly £40M sales in the first nine months of 2020, growing +3%, driven by those preschool emergency heroes Paw Patrol, the top property in the theme.

Lego City and Playmobil are the next largest Emergency Services properties. Superheroes remain popular with kids and also grew, up +1% YTD September 2020. Despite it being over a year since the last film release, Avengers remains the top licence within Superheroes, with Spider-Man and Batman number two and three respectively. Batman has grown +22% so far this year.

However, the two fastest growing themes are Space (+39%) and Princess (+98%). Space growth has been helped by Star Wars, with The Mandalorian driving sales in the last few months. Lego City has also enjoyed strong growth in Space, with Character Options’ Treasure X alien range also growing. The Princess theme has been driven by Disney Frozen this year, following the release of the second film in Q4 2019. Harry Potter accounts for 91% of the Witches/Wizards theme and is still growing. Generic dinosaurs account £20 £30 £40 for 38% of the dinosaur theme, with Jurassic World the top named property. Similarly for Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD September 2020 Millions Unicorns, a third of sales are generic, with Rainbocorns the top named property.

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Talking Shop

Santa’s little helpers In a year of upheaval and uncertainty, when the phrase ”how many shopping days to Christmas?” has taken on a whole new meaning, indie retailers remain resilient and upbeat. Lisa Currie finds out more.

Tim Evans - Toys and Games of Worcester, Worcester

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020 has thrown a lot of spanners in the works, to say the least. In January we saw many store closures on Broad Street where we trade, which was concerning. This was followed by the floods in February, though thankfully we weren’t directly affected. Before those impacted by the floods could recover, we then went into lockdown for a prolonged period. We set up local deliveries early on, to keep the business going whilst our doors were shuttered. Throughout this time, it was the support of others and the right people sharing our posts online that really helped.

Consequently, throughout lockdown, we were flat out with deliveries.

It was a pleasure to finally invite our staff back from the second and third week of us reopening, once we had fined-tuned our new system and got every measure in place to ensure the safety of our staff and customers. Customers have been following the rules with no issues.

Busines has been steady since then. Towards the end of September, a rival chain toy retailer opened right opposite us. To put it into context, our store measures 1,300 square foot, whilst the new Toytown branch measures 13,000 square foot. This was a bolt out of the blue - yet another curveball thrown at us for 2020. However, we have worked really hard and believe there is no reason why the two businesses can’t co-exist.

We pride ourselves on being a specialist toy store. We are niche and have built a strong sense of community with our loyal customers, who we know on a first name basis. We have built the business to suit those customers, honing every detail over the last 25 years and will continue to do so. We are feeling confident about the future now; not only has Toytown opened, but a further eight new businesses have also opened on our street since the lockdown eased. In January things felt rather bleak, but despite everything that has happened since, the future of our high street is looking brighter. Occasional flooding

aside, Worcester is a really great place to live and do business and the recent influx of new shops can only be a good thing.

Footfall is robust, we were at least back at 70% footfall before the new restrictions came in - and this has sustained. Our sales figures remain solid and we are very grateful and relieved. The toy trade in general is doing well and we are pleased to say we are too. We benefitted from more kids being around the town when they were off school, and now we are seeing a lot of people doing their Christmas shopping early.

Purchasing habits have noticeably changed this year. Boxed product historically sells better around Christmas time but this year the boxes are leaving the shelves much earlier. I’m reminded of a time when the Spice Girls were in the charts and people started Christmas shopping as soon as kids went back to school in September, which is exactly the pattern this year.

During lockdown, our best sellers have been jigsaws and the larger Lego sets but since restrictions have eased, trading cards and smaller ticket items are selling much better. We are specialists in boardgames and hobby games, and they are performing strongly too. Licensed Lego has also become a top seller, especially the Harry Potter and Star Wars sets. Adult

Toy World 31

Lego is always in demand. The adult and activity market is really strong at present; kit building, model making and at-home activities.

2020 has seen activity-based toys and games trending, often at the expense of other categories, so we are reacting to these changes in our business strategy and reflecting the new demand in our product mix. Covid-19, like many things, has accelerated changes like this in our business - I think that is true for the toy trade as a whole.

Our shop is crammed to the ceiling with boardgames, Lego and more, which means that outdoor toys that require a lot of space to display pose a challenge. I would love to stock more scooters, trampolines and ride-ons and hope to extend this offering for spring 2021. In the summer, we have bins outside the shop with footballs and smaller outdoor items, but need to re-think how to increase our offering of big box items.

One of our biggest tests this Christmas will be having the right product volumes in store. We have been buying earlier than usual and stocking up in areas where we think there could be shortages.

We usually have most of our Christmas stock in by October, but this year we increased stock levels on key lines much earlier. We have been placing orders weekly, to ensure we are securing the right product.

Talking Shop We have always been about what’s new and current, making sure we have enough for the day of release, week of release and then again at Christmas. That is a challenge this year, but we are coping fine so far.

We are bearing in mind that this year, Christmas spending has probably been brought forward. Our late sales figures have grown exceptionally over the last few years, so much so that we had to start opening on Boxing Day. This year we probably won’t do that, and on the Saturday before Christmas, we won’t be able to hit the same level of footfall with social distancing rules in place. Christmas Saturdays in previous years saw about 25 people playing Yu-

Gi-Oh or Pokémon upstairs in our games area, and roughly 40 people on the shop floor. Now we have to limit our players to six – with the possibility of closing the games room altogether if things get worse - and limit the number of customers to 12-15. We will be opening for extended hours in order to compensate, with some late-night shopping and will continue with local deliveries in order to reach more people.

Competing with the likes of Amazon is difficult for small businesses, but that’s where our relationship with our regular customers and our personal service expertise comes in. We keep in touch via social media, and customers can order and pay over the

phone, then we will happily deliver.

I know that small towns in our area are doing well. Worcester is an average sized city, and we are by no means struggling like some bigger cities are. I am local to my store and I see my customers around everywhere. There is a sense of community and it helps get word around.

Right now, I am enjoying work, seeing my customers and those small things like a simple conversation. When the dust settles, we will be able to contemplate the long term. My advice is not to fear the future, but enjoy the present.

Janice Pattison - Ducklings Toy Shop, Marlborough and Swindon, Wiltshire

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usiness has been better than we expected.

We operated online with free local delivery during lockdown and have been fully reopen since 15th June. We have been very pleased to see continuous support from our loyal customer base.

We also benefit from our shops being situated in smaller market towns where customers generally feel safer about venturing out, rather than commuting to

bigger cities. We are seeing more customers coming to shop with us from outside these local areas too.

Government restrictions, specifically the wearing of masks and social distancing rules, have had some impacts on the shopping experience for our customers. The main difference we have noticed at Ducklings is that customers are browsing less and are less likely to take their time shopping with us.

Before lockdown, our shops had play areas where children could try out toys, as well as other areas with sensory materials such as Kinetic Sand or Playfoam Pluffle, to offer an exciting shopping experience for everyone. Unfortunately, the restrictions have meant that these attractions have had to be removed from the stores. Our usual holiday activity days and in-store competitions have also had to go temporally - a shame considering we have always encouraged touching and testing. We have always used it as a selling tool and found it beneficial for our customers. Thankfully, our staff are very experienced in what they do and are trusted by our customers to offer expert knowledge and guidance on what we sell. It might not be the same shopping experience, particularly for children, but footfall hasn’t been greatly affected for the most part. Having to wear facemasks might detract from the friendly face-to-face contact that bolsters our excellent customer service – but we continue to smile even bigger than before!

We have seen a significant rise in imaginative and creative play for all ages, particularly for older children who have had more free play time to indulge in extended role play, with lines like Playmobil, Sylvanian Families and Stikbots. Lego always performs well, with adults as well as children. Having more time at home has sparked renewed enthusiasm for jigsaws and board games, especially modern classics such as Catan and Dixit by Asmodee, mystery games like Gibsons’ 221b Baker Street, escape room games and screen free logic games. The Orchard Toys range is always a firm favourite with customers.

Traditional wooden toys for smaller children have seen a resurgence and a stand-out success has been the fantastic Eugy range from Brainstorm, which ticks all the boxes.

In general, Christmas shopping is well underway already, and presents with long term play value for all ages are at the top of the list for many people this year.

Christmas will, of course, happen. It may be different but no matter what happens, we are feeling optimistic that this year’s festive season will be just as enjoyable. Parents and grandparents are definitely shopping early this year, and we are encouraging and supporting this with instalment payments and storage help and solutions. Traditional pretend play, construction and board games are dominant categories, with craft and science kits up there as a top choice for a post-Christmas activity. Our stock levels are high, but could be better; there are still significant supply issues with several major companies, with deliveries being erratic and piecemeal, which makes it difficult for us to plan ahead. Amongst all of the uncertainties, however, the magic surrounding Christmas time will overcome any obstacles presented by Covid-19.

We are resigned to missing the spring trade shows next year, and this will present us with some problems as a result. Large retail buyers will have private previews and be able to cope better, given the relatively limited selection of products from a set supplier base they need, but we look to stock a wide range of products, which is more of a challenge.

We enjoy taking a look, and getting our hands on new ranges, as well as discovering new products we know our customers will love. Talking to our suppliers and building long term relationships with them and catching up with fellow independent retailers from around the country will certainly be missed in early 2021, but we will keep as many lines of communication open as possible, in order to keep ourselves up to date with what’s new out there.

Jonathan Rogers - David Rogers Toymaster, Banbridge and Portadown, Northern Ireland

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usiness has been very strong recently.

During lockdown we used our social media platforms to keep business going and since reopening the physical shop, sales and footfall have been very encouraging with many of our customers opting to shop local over the summer holidays. The shop has remained busy since then, as people are getting organised with their Christmas shopping early and still feel more

comfortable shopping local at present.

More customers have been investing in bigger purchases this year, compared to usual. There hasn’t been any one standout craze driving business, instead we are seeing healthy sales across the board, especially within evergreen brands like Orchard Toys and perennially steady categories like puzzles. In terms of best sellers, Lego, Galt and L.O.L. Surprise! are all performing very strongly.

Toy World 32

Summer 2020 brought some unprecedented challenges because of lockdown and its aftermath, however we were lucky to have had very good weather and ended up selling all of our summer stock as a result.

We haven’t re-stocked smaller outdoor items; now the main focus for the outdoor category is on big-ticket items like ride-ons, trampolines, go-karts and scooters, which sell well between now and Christmas. Berg Toys is popular with our customers, and its trampolines

indie viewpoint

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

Blood, sweat and tiers have generated lots of sales this year. MV Sports Li-fe Scooters have also been creating a lot of traction.

No-one can predict exactly what will happen moving forward. At present, I am happy to say we continue to trade well, although we are starting to feel apprehensive about a potential drop in November/December if coronavirus issues escalate any further. My staff are still feeling optimistic for a bumper festive season, despite the current climate, and our attitude at the moment is to maintain healthy stock levels. We need full shelves if we are to have a decent Christmas trading period, and we need to take into account that some items have been harder to get hold of due to shortages.

Looking to 2021, I think the toy industry will continue to be resilient.

Throughout this entire unprecedented period, people haven’t been able to go on holidays as planned and kids haven’t been going to kids’ clubs or even school for some months. Consequently, parents have been keen to stock up on games, jigsaws and activities to do at home to relieve cabin fever. Socialising is still restricted, but kids always need toys. Even if there are no kids’ parties for example, birthdays still happen, and parents will still buy presents.

The industry has changed in many ways recently and most of them have worked in our favour, which I never would have expected at the start of the pandemic. I understand not everyone is in the same situation, but being located in a commuter town has proved very beneficial for us. We are thriving because people are not travelling into the cities as much and are choosing to support their local high street shops. Our good fortune at the moment is an accumulation of many factors; where we are positioned, our buoyant general stock levels, our excellent customer service and our loyal customers. For this, I’m very grateful, however, the situation is changing all the time and we can’t be sure that we will always be in this position. But, as an indie retailer, we have the benefit of being very reactive. We can adapt by opening late if we need to, doing deliveries in the evenings and ordering stock as and when we need it.

We have an online presence in the form of our very successful social media platforms, but our website hasn’t been high on our list of priorities, simply because it is hard to compete with the likes of Amazon and its prices, muscle power and quality of service. We would love to do more online and I do intend to focus more on the website next year, once Christmas is out the way and the dust has settled. In the meantime, social media is brilliant and works very well for us.

Above all, we are feeling very excited for the Christmas season. This Christmas is going to be a year like no other and when looking at the way things have worked out so far, I am confident the business will do quite nicely, for which I am extremely grateful. Even if we do experience further obstacles, I think we are still on track have the best year yet.

As we are situated in Ireland, we don’t attend Toy Fairs very often, due to travel time and expenses. We rely on trade magazines like Toy World to see what’s new and up and coming across the trade. The entire team always look forward to receiving Toy World each month to keep us up to date – keep up the good work!

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s we write this, approaching the October Half Term, we are unsure what restrictions will come into play. Already, a couple of our stores have gone into Tier Two, and we are just hoping that this will not impede footfall too much. It is so difficult to predict what the half term going to look like. With many of the activities that families normally do not possible or not advised, such as going away or going to the cinema, there’s a possibility that a lack of alternative entertainment may help drive footfall into shops - but only if restrictions don’t get too severe. The lack of Halloween as a physical shared event this year could also impact footfall. There are too many variables to take into account, you just have to plan as best you can and then react when necessary.

However, sales for September were strong, and early signs for October have been encouraging. There has been less footfall, and it is getting quieter, but people are noticeably shopping earlier, and transaction values continue to increase healthily. As readers of our column will know, we welcome rainy weather as it drives customers into our stores, and it has been announced that 3rd October was the wettest day on record in the UK. That day was the busiest day we have had since re-opening post lockdown!

It was a useful experience. As well as great takings, it highlighted that, with restrictions on numbers in stores, we need to be world class on our till operation and customer service to help move customers through swiftly and efficiently. As a reaction, we are introducing specially made mobile till counters, to help make our service even quicker. The faster we can serve people, the quicker they can move out of the store and then more customers can come in. We have also reviewed space in our stores again, to ensure we are utilising it in the optimum way, giving customers as much space as possible in store. We have taken out stands and, in some cases, even counters. We have extended our trading hours, which are back to normal now, and are looking at how, when we get busier, we can still keep the shelves filled, whilst providing swift and efficient customer service, and maintaining social distancing instore.

With the lack of showroom visits, a lot of our contact with suppliers has been via zoom, phone calls and socially distanced meetings at our warehouse, where we have the space to do this. It has been a challenge to see new ranges effectively this year, and to get a realistic feel for what might sell well. Sales on puzzles and games, which have been strong throughout the year, look set to continue and we do not expect them to slow down. We have had a fantastic reaction to the new CoComelon range from Bandai, as well as the Masters of the Universe figures from Mattel and the new L.O.L. Remix range from MGA. The new Pokemon Champion’s Path Trading card expansion has been very popular with collectors, and sales of VTech have been particularly strong across the board.

The outdoor toys category has been really robust throughout lockdown and continues to sell.

The scooter range from Grossman is always among our bestsellers, as well as the ride-on range from Dolu, along with anything football related. Given potential restrictions on indoor meeting, anything to keep kids occupied and able to play outside is very popular.

More than ever this year, stock is going to be king, and the way our customers shop with us is going to be paramount. The only thing that is certain is that Christmas is going to happen, we just have to adapt to whatever form it takes.

Toy World 33

Special Feature

Evolution, not revolution Toymaster, the independent buying group, has undergone some substantial changes in recent weeks; as first reported by Toy World on 10th September, MD Ian Edmunds departed the group following more than 20 years of loyal service. The following day, Colin Farrow and Yogi Parmar were appointed interim joint managing directors, and Paul Reader was promoted to marketing director. The changes pave the way for new initiatives, stronger partnerships and better trading conditions for its members than ever before. John Baulch and Rachael Simpson-Jones sat down for their first face-to-face interview since lockdown – socially distanced, of course – with Paul, to find out his hopes for the months (and years) ahead, and how 2020 is likely to pan out after what’s been a rollercoaster year.

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oymaster has always held fast to the notion that independent retailers are reactive, adaptable and in-tune with their local communities, and this has arguably never been more apparent than it is now, amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic and all the retail disruption that’s come with it. Following the initial shock of the March lockdown, says Paul, and having got to grips with the government furlough, grants and business loans schemes, the group’s members were able to adapt, become more flexible and do what they do best – sell plenty of toys. By pivoting to online sales, kerbside deliveries and social media marketing, indie toy retailers were able to weather the storm far better than Paul or anyone else at Toymaster could have predicted back at the end of March.

“The categories that were outperforming, and are still doing so today, are those which our members are very good at,” Paul explains. “Plus, online retail prices were better than usual; there wasn’t an intense cutthroat approach, so members were making better margins than they would usually expect with online retail prices. This meant that by the end of May, most of our members

Paul Reader

Toy World 34

were in a healthy financial situation and were faring much better than first expected.”

Right now, that healthy trading remains.

Toymaster had a huge September in terms of member purchases, which Paul puts down to pentup demand and earlier Christmas planning. Basket spend is up, bigger-box sales are up, stock is selling through more quickly, and products members wouldn’t expect to be performing well at this time of year are doing just that. Paul also notes that there hasn’t been the same number of calls from members since the stores reopened, attempting to gauge the situation with other members. Instead, they are each taking the unique trading knowledge acquired during lockdown and applying it in their stores, in person, to great success.

Paul says that when it comes to sales, Toymaster is traditionally steady during September and October, while November brings with it the high street and online promotional activity which provides members with a different set of challenges. Sales over the past few years haven’t tended to take off until the 11th-12th December, when the delivery window for online orders and stock availability starts to get uncomfortably tight.

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As we know, though, the pandemic has turned everything on its head; as a result, this year has produced a far more comfortable sales curve that has started much earlier, and looks set to build more gradually than it has over the past four or five years.

“If the Covid safety measures continue as they have been, with social distancing etc. in place, consumers going to the supermarket at Christmas are going to want focus on getting their food and drink, and getting right back out again,” Paul explains. “There’s still a question mark with shopping centres and the usual seasonality with footfall, whether consumers will be comfortable visiting those places. That said, our members with stores in shopping centres do appear to be bucking the trend and experiencing good sales. I think shoppers may prefer to pop down their local high street, visiting only those shops they need to visit, and leaving again. We’re already seeing evidence of this shopping pattern from our members. We’ve also heard from members with Christmas Clubs that sign-up kicked in pretty much straight out of lockdown. With news of further restrictions possible until March, consumers are thinking much more about planning ahead and putting things aside. We’re so lucky in our industry; toys will always sell, and the current numbers are looking pretty good. If I had to predict, right here, right now, how our membership will end the year, I’d say we’ll be trading slightly up on this time last year.”

When asked about the support the group’s members have received from suppliers this year, Paul notes that it’s clear to him which ones benefit from having staff that ‘cut their teeth on indies’ – the ones that will do their best to solve problems and help members - and the ones which are simply chasing numbers. “The latter might call me once a quarter to let me know they aren’t getting much business from the indies, and to this I simply reply, ‘I’m not at all surprised’,” he says ruefully. “We’ve got a lot of great suppliers though, and without fail that’s because someone within the business really understands the independent sector. During lockdown, the members that continued to place orders were supported in kind by suppliers who really wanted to help, and we’re very grateful to

those suppliers for doing so.”

The loss of the Argos catalogue has been major news for the toy industry this year; Toy World’s story on the move, first reported right back in April, garnered tens of thousands of views and left many within the industry disappointed by the loss of what is often viewed as a festive family tradition – flicking through at home and writing out lists to Father Christmas. While Toymaster’s catalogue has never stood alongside Argos’, in terms of size and content, Paul is keen to ensure that it represents the very best of what Toymaster members have to offer. Looking to 2021, members and suppliers alike will be consulted on what they want from the catalogue, while Paul has plenty of his own ideas to inject into it too. “We launched our spring/summer 2020 catalogue on the day lockdown began, 23rd March – how’s that for unfortunate timing? We’ll always look do a catalogue, it remains our biggest marketing tool, but what we need to do now is revisit it, find out what members want, and make sure that’s what we offer. We’re entering a whole new way of retailing; it’s important to keep up.”

Toymaster’s business model has traditionally been built around the ongoing support of market town retailers, adds Paul, an area of the retail industry which is now experiencing an uplift in consumer loyalty thanks to the pandemic. As the group evolves, that business model is expanding.

On the other hand, garden centre members need a very different approach – there’s no one size fits all when it comes to toy retail. Paul explains: “We’ve identified very quickly that the garden centre model is very different to that of your usual indie toy store; the seasonality for one. There are so many ways we can work with our members, using a tailored approach to offer the best chances of success. Our garden centre members are still in the process of figuring out what works for them in terms of their toy offerings, and together we’re building strategies that provide results for the member as well as the supplier. We’re also being very careful to minimise overlap or cannibalism.

It’s not in anyone’s best interest to have destination Lego retailers too near each other, for example, so we’re keen to adopt an approach that works for all parties.”

As both a buying group and event organiser, we

Toy World 36

wanted to find out Toymaster’s thoughts on the disruption to the trade show calendar. With all the major shows now either cancelled or postponed until late spring or early summer 2021, the group’s aim is to keep clear lines of communication in place between suppliers and members. By and large, says Paul, Toymaster members want to know the detail, pack size and price, what it looks like and when will it be delivered. Beyond that, the sales take care of themselves. “Toymaster’s responsibility is to get that message across,” he says. “Moving forwards, we’ve got scope to do much more. In the past we were guilty of simply suggesting, and believing it’s the suppliers’ job to communicate with our members and sell their products, not ours. We want to change that.

Our job is to complete that circle, help facilitate that communication between suppliers and members by taking down barriers and starting conversations. It’s not radical, it just makes sense, more so in our current climate than ever before.”

The most notable loss for the group, as a result of the pandemic, has been the May Toymaster show.

First postponed to September and then cancelled for 2020 altogether, the Harrogate event, hosted at the Majestic Hotel, is a popular and highly social occasion which brings indie retailers and suppliers together to do business in comfortable and relaxed surroundings. As it stands, the group has every intention of forging ahead with the show in 2021 on the 18th, 19th and 20th May, and most suppliers haven’t hesitated to carry over bookings and payments from this year to secure their space.

Members, too, are understandably keen for a Toymaster show to go ahead next year, assuming it is safe to do so. Paul describes the prospect of 18 months without trade events as ‘numbing’, a sentiment numerous readers will surely agree with. Many buyers and retailers have told us of the importance of getting hands-on with products, and the challenges presented by online demos or Zoom calls. Paul also sympathises with newer or smaller suppliers trying to break into the market or expand their footprint, though he does highlight the role of Toymaster in breaking new products and the willingness of members to give new ranges a fair crack in-store. “The loss of trade shows makes a lot of what we do in the toy trade extremely difficult,”

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Special Feature he says. “Members need to see product. I need to see it too, so I can totally understand where it will fit within a store, the background to the product, what it offers. Without that understanding, I can’t be fully comfortable saying it’s a must-have toy.

And without that understanding, you must revert to tried and tested ‘safe’ lines. It’s always been hard for a new company to enter the toy market, but under these conditions it’s near enough impossible. That said, Toymaster will always be here to help where it can, as will our members.”

Despite the recent personnel adjustments mentioned at the beginning of this article, it’s a case of ‘evolution not revolution’ for Toymaster, which is firmly focused on ensuring as successful a Q4 as possible. That doesn’t mean change isn’t afoot. Here, Paul is unflinchingly honest about Toymaster’s commitment to rectifying certain issues. First up is the need to start listening more to members, noting that some have become frustrated with a perceived lack of openness to ideas. He tells us: “The ethos that it’s good to talk is important to all of us, and we must encourage more of it. We’re going back to what we do best – helping and supporting our members and retailers by really taking the time to listen and understand.

There will be things we simply can’t do, there always will be, but at the very least we can explore all the options, consider the proposal, and research the viability thoroughly and thoughtfully.

If we then conclude it’s not possible, we’ve at least come to that conclusion for sound reasons.”

Sitting and talking with Paul, it’s evident that his enthusiasm for his new role and the possibilities that lie ahead are matched only by his passion

and dedication to the success of the group, its members and its suppliers. Describing himself a kid in a sweet shop (or toy shop), brimming with ideas – not all of them, he admits with a laugh, that sensible – Paul’s approach centres on finding solutions, not problems. He recalls sitting in a meeting, way back before his Toymaster days, with a boss that shot down idea after idea, leaving an increasingly disheartened team in his wake. In his new position, this is an environment he is determined not to replicate. Instead, he envisions a future for Toymaster in which ideas are welcomed, listened to and acted upon, where possible, to the betterment of all involved.

Paul also confided that when he was first offered the role of marketing director, his initial reaction was that of surprise and trepidation. However, he couldn’t ignore the huge potential taking the role would offer, in terms of his ability to leverage the position to create positive change within the group. In that sense, Paul’s dedication to, and respect for, Toymaster’s members left him almost duty bound to step up and take it on. And the impact of his decision is already being felt.

A mere six days after his promotion, Paul sent out a rallying cry to suppliers in which he wrote: “My objective is to build on the relationship with suppliers, identify ways in which we can improve the trading facility, explore new ways of working with you to make the most of your brands and to find the best ways to help our members trade more profitably. Simply put, I would like to find time, listen and provide as much support as we can to you.” The reaction was immediate and overwhelmingly positive.

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Paul is also keen to inject some new blood into Toymaster’s selection committee, telling us: “We’re very experienced on most things toys, but moving forward we have to represent a diverse cross-section of members if we’re to remain on top of our game. I also want representation in the form of our multi-branch retailers, our seaside retailers, and our garden centre retailers. The broader the mix the better; with greater input from a more representative line-up of members, the more ideas we’re going to benefit from.”

Paul says he’s enthused by this exciting opportunity to be working with Colin, Yogi and the rest of the board to lead Toymaster through this next phase. His promotion also clears a path for other members of the central office staff to stretch their wings a bit more. The next generation of Toymaster is not only exceptionally capable but willing to step up and take more of a leading role, speaking with suppliers more and taking a more active approach to product. All in all, there’s a lot for people to look forward to.

“We’ve got a business model that works, fantastic members keen to move things along, and new ideas and development to look forward to,” Paul concludes. “I’m excited, the rest of the team is excited. And hopefully, after reading this, so is everyone else.”

To contact Paul: email - Paul.Reader@toymaster.co.uk call - 01604 662908.

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Special Feature

AIS

Life is ‘Rosie’ at Following Miles Penhallow’s early retirement after 12 years at AIS, Rosie Marshall has taken on the role as head of plaY-room, the company’s toy and children’s gift division. Previously the senior toy buyer at Boswells Department store, which had been a plaYroom member for many years before it closed earlier this year, Rosie brings more than 17 years of experience within the toy industry to the role. Toy World finds out more about her appointment, and what Rosie aims to bring to the group.

You’ve taken over at an unusual time – do you see this as more of an opportunity than a challenge?

I actually think this is an exciting time. Things are very different for both our members and suppliers at the moment, and the situation presents a brilliant opportunity to work alongside all parties as we make it through to the other side.

I’m optimistic for the future; things are changing, but not all change is bad, and a lot is for the better.

For me, it’s a case of getting on with things, dealing with issues as they arise, and making plaY-room, as well as the wider situation, work for everybody we deal with. I also think that it’s good for people, including myself, to be pushed outside their comfort zone. This provides opportunities to create new and improved ways of doing things.

How are your members faring this year? Have there been any standout performances?

At the start of lockdown, I think it’s fair to say the situation was quite tough, but we’ve definitely seen some positive trading results since stores have reopened. Some of our members are reporting that while footfall is down, the customers coming in are making bigger purchases, and the average basket spend is therefore up. I know you spoke to Alan Simpson at Toytown recently; SMF is doing really well with new store openings and is taking advantage of the fact prime retail spaces are opening up in some areas. Toytown’s new Poole and Worcester locations are both performing really well.

Some of our garden centres are also seeing success. When people were on lockdown at home, during March and April, there was a lot of renewed interest in home and garden improvements.

Now the garden centres are open, consumers are buying toys while they’re out shopping for home furnishings and garden furniture. We’re also seeing that department stores, and for

Toy World 40

that matter other stores with parking nearby, where consumers can just turn up and shop conveniently, are doing well too. That said, some department store members are in city centre locations that aren’t benefitting from the usual office-worker footfall they would enjoy in a normal year. Lower numbers of students at some of the big unis and higher levels of home working are reducing the overall visitor numbers to the high street. Tourism is also down. Department stores in these locations are likely to be struggling more than ones in less built-up areas, with convenient parking close by. That said, stores are adapting by moving to a more online presence in an effort to counteract the impact of lower footfall.

Overall, things are pretty positive since the shops reopened and the wheels began turning again. With preview dates now coming through, it’s clear our suppliers are keen to see members face to face, if possible, or set up virtual meetings if not. While everyone has had challenges to

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Special Feature overcome, suppliers and members alike are doing their utmost to ensure success for all. Suppliers need to sell their goods, and retailers need new toys to stock, and while there are restrictions, it is clear business in the toy trade is continuing apace.

What are your plans for plaY-room, both short and long term - what will you be focusing on? And what are your goals?

At the current time, adaptability is key and, now more than ever, plaY-room has to assist its members by providing the most valuable service possible. Internally, we’re looking to improve lines of communication with members, while working even more closely with suppliers too. For example, the week before I started, Miles and the rest of the team put on a successful virtual import show, the second import show we’ve held this year. Thinking outside the box and looking for solutions is key to us moving forward, rather than being hung up on the challenges the pandemic is posing. Even if we can’t see members in person, they’ll still be offered a wide range of FOB products to choose from.

How are your members reacting/ adapting to the rise in online retail? Is there an opportunity there?

Online shopping can never replace physical visits to stores, and it’s become apparent from looking at social media that the ‘use it or lose it’ message has really gained traction this year. The lockdown earlier this year really prompted a lot of our members to create an online presence sooner than they might otherwise have been planning

AIS

to, but online retail needs to be profitable and it’s tricky to strike a balance between how much you’re spending in an effort to create that online presence, and how much money your efforts are bringing in. Daniels of Windsor, for example, is working in partnership with its suppliers to create refits instore, which will bring consumers in to check out the new products. There’s a fine line for retailers to strike.

What are the plans for the 2021 Indie Toy and Gift Show, as things stand?

We’re still telling people to save the date for our 2021 event, the theme of which will be Wooden Toys (as the focus was due to be this year, before the show was called off). This taps into the ongoing trend for sustainable and eco-friendly toys. We’ve got carry-forward commitment from suppliers that took a stand at the cancelled 2020 show, and we’re optimistic we’ll be able to put on a show, but obviously this depends on what happens over the coming months. Whatever happens, we’ll be doing our very best to lay on the usual event at Cranmore Park.

Is the general feeling among your membership that shows should go ahead next year?

I think people are very keen to return to physical events in 2021. Despite all the innovation we’ve seen in the virtual space, nothing beats face to face meetings. Being together and working with people in the same room as yourself is the ideal, while getting to see new product in person at trade fairs

Toy World 42

is vital. Digital shows can’t replicate the vibe and the atmosphere you pick up from physical events.

As soon as the nation is given the all-clear to start gathering at shows, I think our members will be doing just that.

How do you think Christmas will pan out for the toy industry this year?

I’ve noticed that consumers are keen to keep independent retailers afloat, and I think Christmas will be good for the toy industry. Splashing out on the kids tends to be last cutback any adult would make in order to save money come the festive season. I’ve also noticed encouraging signs that a lot of people have already started their Christmas shopping. Customer numbers being limited and concerns about stock availability have prompted many to get cracking early this year. I sense that Christmas shopping has also been something of a pick-me-up for many following a rough period earlier in the year. Focusing on Christmas gives people something to look forward to - buying toys for the kids is always so much fun. I think the rest of Q4 is going to be really good.

Special Feature Frédérique Tutt

Melissa Symonds

NPD

Global Q4 report The coronavirus pandemic has led to some fascinating shifts in consumer behaviour, and with attention now turning to Christmas all eyes are on how Q4 may pan out for the toy industry – not just in the UK, but across the world. In this exclusive article, Frédérique Tutt, global toys industry analyst at The NPD Group, and Melissa Symonds, director UK Toys, EuroToys, tell Toy World how Covid-19 has impacted toy shopping behaviours globally, and predict how the festive season could pan out in this very unusual year.

UK Online Toys Trend by Quarter

58% of toy sales were online in the first half of 2020, up from 34% in 2019 80% 70% 60% 50%

“

As we already know, Toys has performed extraordinarily well in the UK this year considering everything that’s happened,” enthuses Mel. “When stores were closed, UK value sales on toys grew by +18%, and although that trend hasn’t continued quite so strongly since stores re-opened, we’re still seeing growth. Post-lockdown, the UK toy market is up 4%, which means YTD we’re up 6% (Week 4 of September). Some of the weeks in September were also showing double digit growth, which shows that things have started to pick up since the kids went back to school. Collectibles and other lowerpriced toys have been recovery since mid-June, whereas we were quite reliant on higher-pricepoint sales during lockdown.”

To the end of August, adds Fred, the 13 countries where POS is tracked by NPD show an overall increase of +11%. The group is confident in saying that the lack of entertainment options and foreign holidays this year has meant that the toy market has increased its share of the leisure and entertainment budget. On the face of it, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the global toy market has fared unbelievably well since Covid-19 made itself known, but it’s not quite that simple. A large percentage of these international gains - 80% - is coming from the US market. If you take the bigger European countries – UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – growth is corrected to 2%. What this does mean, however, is that the UK toy industry is significantly outperforming the rest of Europe.

“Southern Europe was more heavily impacted by the coronavirus,” explains Fred. “Italy, Spain

40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Q1 2019

Q2 2019

Q3 2019

Q4 2019

Q1 2020

Q2 2020

Source: NPD Consumer Panel | UK | Value Share % | Q1’19-Q2’20 DocumentThe classification: Client/Third Party Confidential NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

and France are currently trending negatively because the online sector isn’t as developed.

These countries, weren’t able to switch a physical purchase for an online one like-for-like so easily.

However, even in the countries that saw major declines during lockdown, there are signs of recovery. More than 80% of lost sales in France have now been recovered, and, since stores were reopened, May to September has been strong.

Consumers in these regions are shopping in stores more than they are online.”

Fred adds: “There’s also a cultural element at play. The Spanish in particular remember the financial crisis of 2009, when unemployment soared to record levels - around 20% in 2010 and 2011 - so some Southern countries are bracing themselves for a time when they may see unemployment rise again. The French, meanwhile, have confidence in the social system, but have also been saving a huge amount since lockdown, more than €80m so far. This is the complete opposite of what’s happening in America; when households received their stimulus cheques, they all went out and spent

Toy World 44

1

them. Generally speaking, Americans don’t save like those in other countries do.”

In the UK, online sales are ahead of most other countries; for the first half of the year, 58% of total toy sales took place online, and for Q2 that figure rises to three quarters. Online sales have never been that high during a quarter before, says Mel, and likely never will be again (unless there is another national lockdown in the future). Online sales during Q4, which usually comprise 40-45% of total sales, are likely to be higher this year, but it’s unlikely they’ll reach the lofty 73% heights they did in Q2. The shift to online shopping didn’t mark a massive change to consumer shopping habits in the UK because the online sector was already there, and many retailers already had some sort of digital presence. This preparedness (albeit not planned intentionally in the event of a pandemic) was what really helped the UK through the worst of the pandemic disruption.

The UK also reflected other parts of Europe in its sales of kidult toys, which Mel says went through the roof as locked-down grownups sought ways to keep themselves entertained

Special Feature whilst unable to go to pubs or cinemas. Adults are now a bigger part of the UK toy market than ever before, although this trend was already developing pre-Covid. Adult puzzles and games were a clear winner for Brits this year, as were arts & crafts and construction sets. This is a trend many of us will recognise from our own lockdown lives.

The retail landscape in the US, meanwhile, was very different, with two of America’s biggest retailers – Walmart and Target – allowed to remain open throughout lockdown, and the third, Amazon, being almost entirely online. As the specialist toy store sector in the US is relatively small compared to that of the UK, those big three have accounted for a major share of the sales this year. As a result, suppliers in markets such as Italy and Spain will have experienced a very different 2020 to those suppliers of major retailers in the US. It will come as no surprise to anyone that L.O.L. remains the No. 1 collectibles brand week after week in the UK, and while value sales may be down, the brand is still dominating that category.

It has been a tricky time for collectibles, sales of which are usually driven by kids going into physical stores. Kids have also got more money to spend because they’ve been saving during lockdown; Fred tells us that her son recently bought a toy for €40 (by saving all of his unspent pocket money), whereas he would usually opt for something around the €10 mark. NPD data shows that the average amount spent on toys this year has increased significantly, and not just due to the lack of promotions while stores where shuttered and demand for toys higher than ever.

Since stores opened back up, promotions have returned to similar levels as pre-Covid, says Mel. The change in spending habits is also likely to be temporary.

“I think we’ll see less promotions than we’re used to in the run-up to Christmas,” she notes. “I don’t think we can cope with the sheer number of people going into stores over a short period of time. This year will depend more on price promises; consistently low pricing over the whole Q4 period will be more important than flash sales or Black Friday.”

The postponement of Amazon’s Prime Day to

NPD

the 13th-14th October is something Fred refers to as a ‘game changer’ for 2020, and the online specialist’s aggressive positioning of the event is likely to have kickstarted the festive season for other retailers. Christmas shopping has started earlier this year, according to the NPD, something we’ve heard consistently over the past few weeks, and the ‘shop early’ message is one toy specialists such as The Entertainer have been keen to champion. DreamToys was likewise moved to the October half-term term, a move the Toy Retailer’s Association said would help extend the Christmas shopping period ahead of possible Covid-19 lockdowns. After all, no shopper wants to find themselves joining a lengthy queue the week before Christmas Day, just to get into the store and discover the toy they wanted is out of stock.

Some retailers are also currently investing in technologies to bypass these issues, with virtual queuing apps allowing customers to register their interest in entering a store and turn up at an allocated time, ready to go in. Although a costly investment, no one yet knows how long Covid-19 could be with us, and as they say, it pays to be prepared. The UK, meanwhile, benefits from its highly developed click & collect services, which shoppers are already familiar and comfortable with.

The shop early trend this year appears to be something of a double-edged sword, however. Mel explains: “People who start their shopping earlier do tend to spend more on their kids overall. Our Christmas study, which we conduct each year, indicates that the earlier the shopper starts, the more money is spent and the more products are bought. That’s definitely a benefit for the market, but it will very much depend on what happens with coronavirus going forward. Crowded high streets and shops may put people off physical stores, and there are already rumblings about how well online can cope with the increased delivery demand this year.”

In the last two weeks before Christmas, Fred adds, £55m of toys under £10 are sold. These are stocking fillers, smaller pick-up items parents grab while they’re out buying more Brussel sprouts. If Christmas shopping moves online this year, that £55m is at risk. This crucial period is largely going to depend, therefore, on how

retailers position it. There’s an opportunity for grocers this year to place a larger emphasis on non-food categories to help those looking for lastminute pick-up items, without having to make more trips into town.

Overall, both Mel and Fred are positive about Q4 this year, with Mel telling us that the more time goes by, the more confident she becomes.

September sales were incredibly strong, and while October, November and December may not see the double digit growth all of us would love, the market should certainly put in a strong performance – far more so than in the past few years, when December has been the only month of Q4 to show substantial growth. Last year, in fact, October and November were down considerably. Q4 2020 should be an entirely different kettle of fish.

“There are a lot of people who say that Christmas is going to be the major party of 2020,” says Fred. “Different rules apply in different countries, and the ‘Rule of 6’ is a major headache for the UK, but so many social occasions have been cancelled this year that even if things are bad, people will want to let go somehow and celebrate. Parents will want to make their kids feel good this year more than perhaps any other, and are likely to overcompensate with presents, and with so many families wanting (or having) to stay home over Christmas there’s also going to be a lot more demand for toys and games that will keep everyone entertained. This very much goes in the toy industry’s favour.”

Supporting the toy industry whatever happens

With the Q1 trade shows and international buying trips cancelled, buyers have still got to buy - and we will make sure they can read all about your new launches in Toy World. As the ONLY UK toy magazine to have published an issue every single month this year, our bond with our readers is stronger than ever.

Make sure you keep your new products in front of retailers during the critical selection period.

call 01442

For more information on our Q1 issues, contact Mark Austin:

502 405 or email mark@toyworldmag.co.uk Toy World 46

fresh FRESH THIS MONTH:

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

In November we have new releases from: Bruder, Canal Toys, Jura Toys, MGA Entertainment, Playmobil, Rainbow Eco Play, Sinco & Tactic.

Peppa Pig Mud Party

Studio Creator

Tactic is adding Peppa Pig to its licensed collection of children’s games, with Peppa Pig Mud Party launching in time for Christmas. The game challenges pre-school Peppa fans to drop their Peppa figure into the muddy puddle bowl, making the mud pieces fly. Kids collect a token for each character they splatter, by landing a mud piece on their part of the character board. The first player to five tokens wins the game. The character boards are double sided for two levels of action play.

Studio Creator is the latest innovative 2020 launch from Canal Toys. The arts and crafts brand has expanded into a new category to help children explore their creativity in new ways.

Tactic Games 07970 779842 | www.tactic.net

Peppa Pig Mud Party is suitable for children aged three and above and can be played by 2-4 players. To place an order for Peppa Pig Mud Party for December delivery, readers should contact UK sales manager Phil O’nion at phil@tacticgames.co.uk.

Canal Toys 01904 379 123 www.canaltoys.fr/en

Teenagers enjoy consuming video content and view social media as an essential part of their lives. Now, with the Studio Creator, creating content to share with friends and family is fun and affordable with everything young creatives need inside the box for creating, editing and sharing content.

Studio Creator is perfect for hands-free recording of tutorials, music videos, unboxings and reviews. Included in the box is a green screen with plenty of inspiration to help create backgrounds. The adjustable tripod holds a smartphone in LED ring light which tilts 180° to get the perfect angle, making TikTok and Instagram videos look more professional in minutes.

Studio Creator also comes with a 24-page guidebook full of script ideas, essential checklists and hints and tips for producing professional-looking content. The Studio Creator fully complies with Child Safety Compliance standards, making it an incredibly versatile product.

bworld Mountain Hut with Snowmobile Bruder 00353 67 63800 | www.bruder.de

Perfect for authentic winter role-play, Bruder’s Mountain Hut with Snowmobile set comes complete with walls to set the scene, a realistic snowmobile, a bworld figure and multiple accessories.

The background element is printed on both sides and has adjustable feet. Kids can attach the wall shelving unit to the background, and use it to hang up the snow shovel. The included bworld figure comes dressed in appropriate winter sports clothing and is accompanied by skis, snowshoes and a sledge.

The included snowmobile reflects Bruder’s ‘Just like the real thing’ ethos, featuring full suspension, rubber chains, a spring-loaded front axle with oscillating and moving skis, space for two bworld figures, two additional brackets for tools and a detachable roof rack with mounts for a tool box.

All Bruder’s bworld sets can be combined with one another to allow for open-ended imaginative play.

The Mountain Hut with Snowmobile set is suitable for kids aged four and above.

Toy World 48

h Multi-properTy licenses!

AuthentiC replica cars!

SIMBA SMOBY TOYS UK

fresh

Remix range

MGA Entertainment 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com With the new Remix O.M.G. Fashion Dolls, fans can find 25 surprises to unbox and two mix and match outfits for each doll – a full look can be completed by collecting more dolls from the range. Kids can also spin the included record to play music and help find the lyrics. To play the record, they remove from the sleeve, open the lid of the record player, pull the tab in the inner drawer out and place the record on top of the package, before aligning the needle and spinning the record with their fingers.

Remix Hair Flip: Hair Flip Surprise! has 15 hairstyle surprises to unbox. A package with a mini record plays a song to help find the lyrics. With Remix Pets, fans have nine surprises to unbox. A boombox can be made with the Hair Flip dolls and Remix Pets packaging when collected together.

The O.M.G. Remix 4-in-1 Plane comprises 50 surprises to unbox with many features, including working lights. The plane fits all L.O.L. Surprise! doll sizes and the plane wings can be folded away for easy storage.

Remix Super Surprise has over 70 surprises to unbox, with four dolls, four fashion dolls and four musical instruments that really play music. Kids can create their own sound by pressing the buttons in a random order.

Coloured Sand / Natural Play Sand Rainbow Eco Play 01749 841315 | www.rainbowecoplay.com

Rainbow Eco Play is a leading manufacturer of natural and coloured play sand in the UK; inspiring creativity in an eco-friendly way.

Rainbow Eco Play’s range of Coloured Sand can be used in a multitude of applications to support a child’s development in their early years. Sand and water trays, messy play and marking can help with learning letters and numbers, plus there are endless arts and crafts projects to enjoy. By utilising household and garden items, Coloured Sand also makes an ideal colourful base for setting small world play scenes, encouraging young minds to learn through imaginative play.

The soft, golden Natural Play Sand is sustainably sourced rounded grain, meaning which it is safer for kids and is the perfect sand to use for sandpits, digging and general outdoor fun in the garden.

The coloured sands are available in eight rainbow colours: yellow, green, orange, red, purple, pink, blue and black. They are supplied in 5kg or 15kg bags, whilst Natural Play Sand comes in 10kg, 15kg and 20kg bags.

Rainbow Eco Play only makes sand products that are of the highest quality and 100% safe for kids to use. All its sands are tested to BS71, part one, two and three, and BSEN 1177 for British Safety Standards.

Lalaboom beads and accessories Juratoys 020 8878 2133 | www.lalaboom.toys

Suitable for children from 10 months, Lalaboom educational beads support children in their psychomotor development, allowing them to work on fine motor skills, concentration, dexterity, creativity and hand-eye coordination. Kids can lace, stack, connect, mix & match the brightly coloured and tactile pieces to create wacky builds, enjoy fun games and turn bath time into playtime.

A wide range of sets is available to suit all budgets, from the 12-piece impulse purchase pouch, the 28-piece bead and accessories set, which comes with a handy storage and carry bag, to the 48-piece bag and box options. The Caterpillar Bath Toy is an educational and scalable bath toy featuring eight differently coloured and shaped pieces.

Also available are the Arches Rainbow and Beads 13-piece set, and the Lalaboom Peg Board. The latter is an activity desk that allows the child to develop manual and mental skills thanks to the beads and the different illustrated activity cards (memory game, colour game and more). The desk also serves as a building base for playing with Lalaboom beads. Further enhancing the play pattern, there are over 30 activities to download and print from www.lalaboom.toys.

Retail solutions include colourful FDSUs with ‘try me’ shelving that can hold an assortment of beads and accessories, and composition displays that come with up to 12 units. To see the full range of Lalaboom toys and accessories, visit the website or contact Juratoys to find out more - sales@juratoys.co.uk.

Toy World 50

TV &AL

DIGITORT SUPP

e h t t a s r e n n i w b Horse Clu ! w o h S e s r o H g i B w Ne 42466 Big Horse Show

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For more information please contact your Schleich® representative, or contact the office on 01279 870000 | orders@schleich-s.co.uk

fresh

Harry Potter Magic Wand Keyrings

Electric Scooter range

MGA Entertainment 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com Viro Rides hit the market in autumn 2019 and experienced resounding success. The introduction of the innovative and unique Viro Vega 2-in-1 minibike to electric scooter gave the brand a foothold in the kid’s electric scooter market, proving itself to be the perfect gift for Christmas.

A successful Tik Tok campaign supported the launch of the brand. With reach over 5m, the brand connected directly with the tech savvy Gen Z audience and the campaign highlighted the fun aspects of the Vega but also reinforced the importance of safety.

This year’s challenges have seen continued success for the brand, with parents looking to keep kids entertained during lockdown and beyond.

2021 will see product enhancements across the brand as well as the introduction of new models and new colourways.

The electric scooter range from MGA, which includes the Vega and VR550E, is suitable for kids aged eight and above.

The Vega 2-in-1 electric scooter gives riders the option to convert from scooter to minibike with the push of a button – no tools are required. Equipped with a rechargeable 24v battery, the Vega gives approximately 40 minutes or six miles of continuous riding. LED lights can be switched on to illuminate the bike when it’s being used and it easily folds away for transport and storage, making it one of the most convenient scooters around. The Vega is available now.

The VR550E has seen a new graffiti colourway introduced for F20 for additional standout. The VR550E has a thumb-control throttle for variable speeds of up to 10mph.

LED lights provide eye-catching ground lighting so riders can be seen easily. The VR550E, which is available now, runs on a 12v rechargeable battery and is suitable for children aged eight years and older.

Sinco Creations 0161 737 7464 daniel@singletontrading.com Building on the success of its current Harry Potter collectibles range, Sinco Creations has announced that it is extending its offering to include an assortment of Magic Wand Keychains. Partnering up once again with PMI, the range will be available in the UK just in time for Christmas. Each die-cast metal keychain is presented in a blister pack and will be the perfect addition to any Harry Potter fans collection. With 16 different designs to collect, these highly detailed 12cm keychains will make the ideal stocking filler for witches, wizards and muggles.

The initial launch range was rolled out across the UK earlier this year and was extremely well received. The line features stationery collectibles under the world-renowned and much-loved Harry Potter brand, all attractively priced for an impulse purchase. The offering includes various blind-bagged and blister pack Stamper figures, pencil toppers and 2D keychains. The assortment of 24 self-inking Stampers, each featuring a favourite character’s image, are made from soft PVC, are washable, and include enough ink to last around 200 stamps. Each 2.4” Pencil Topper doubles as a playable figure for total immersion in the magic of the Wizarding World. The 2D Keychain assortment comprises 12 different designs, each of which can be attached to keys, bags or other accessories.

To place an order for stock or to find out more, please contact daniel@ singletontrading.com.

Garden Toys

Little Tikes 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com Iconic and compact, the Little Tikes First Slide gives children their first experience of sliding fun and promotes fitness balance and co-ordination. The slide is available in two colours, pink and blue, perfect for any mini adventurer.

Helping children to create a home from home in the garden is the Cape Cottage. Encouraging role play and imagination, little ones can imitate grown-ups in their very own mini abode, available in tan, red and pink.

The Fountain Factory Water Table inspires children to build endless combinations with 13 interchangeable pipes and fittings for pumping, spraying and endless playing. Water can be pumped through the main tower to create splashing fountains.

The Gas ‘n Go Mower is complete with realistic sounds and adjustable throttle, letting children help their parents keep the lawn tidy.

Looking forward to 2021, Little Tikes is set to continue to innovate and explore with new lines set to be unveiled from January including gardening toys, a new feature water table and a new ride-on, additions that will bolster a strong 2020.

As well as new product development, the World’s Biggest Play Date will be back in May 2021, encouraging the nation to use its imagination, get creative and explore the endless opportunities of play. A brand new Little Tikes campaign launching in March will build on the trend of playing at home, encouraging families to continue to enjoy play within the new lifestyles that have been born out of 2020.

Little Tikes anticipate continued growth throughout 2021 in outdoor toys and beyond, supported with heavy TV advertising and continued investment in PR, digital advertising and social channels.

Toy World 52

Feature

Q1 Ranges

Let’s do launch Usually something of a kick start, propelling the toy industry into a period where everything is shiny and new (and shoppers are full of vim, vigour, and New Year’s resolutions), Q1 2021 may look a little different. Rachael Simpson-Jones considers how evolving consumer habits may affect the initial few months of next year, and how companies are positioning their ranges in response.

W W

hile the UK toy market is enjoying a period of strong growth (+6% YTD), as outlined in our two exclusive articles this month from the NPD Group, the way we purchase toys has changed – and this may in turn see new categories become the strongest performers of the season. At the time of writing, Boris Johnson has announced his 3-Tier local controls system, while multiple scientists and government advisors are calling for so-called circuit breaker lockdowns.

Week by week (or day by day, even), it’s very difficult to predict how we’ll be doing our shopping once Christmas day is over.

This time in 2019, I wrote confidently that new waves of collectibles and pocket money ranges were sure-fire winners for Q1. A year later, staring down the barrel of 2021, can the same be said? I asked Mary Wood, UK & Ireland general manager at Tomy, for her thoughts. She explained: “In the past, Boxing Day has been a good time for the launch of collectible ranges, when children have their Christmas money in their pockets. However, this only works if families are out and about in stores, where lower priced pick-up purchases flourish. It’s anyone’s guess how Covid-19 will be affecting all of our movements in a few months. We’ll be thinking long and hard about how we plan from a sales and marketing perspective, given this uncertainty.”

2021 marks the 100th anniversary of Tomy’s muchloved Britains brand. Launching from January will be a number of celebratory products, kickstarting of a year of activity around the brand. Noting that January is usually a very good month for adult games, Mary says Tomy will also be launching the new card game Active Snap as well as Pirate Ahoy, an

additional SKU to the successful Pirate Pete brand.

Amscan, meanwhile, is tapping into the continued eco-friendliness drive by becoming the first supplier to bring a sustainable licensed dress-up range to the UK market. This will include a selection of everyday career costumes and new licensed Warner Bros. styles made from recycled material. Each of the six designs is also packaged ready to ship, in large letter size recycled boxes.

While many companies are unveiling brand-new properties for 2021, others feel it’s perhaps not the best time to do so. Interestingly, the pandemic has given some suppliers the opportunity to bring to the forefront brands that have been quietly ticking along in their portfolio for years with a slew of new product extensions, while elsewhere, existing familyfavourites are seen as a recipe for success at a time when families may be more choosy about the toys their money goes on. Retailers, too, are reportedly more cautious this year than they have been in previous ones. Bandai’s strategy for the period is to launch new product for best-selling ranges that were launched this year – such as CoComelon and NuzzyLuvs – or relaunched, in the case of Harumika, while new ranges have been pushed back to autumn/ winter 2021. Lockdowns and TV viewing habits mean Bandai’s Miraculous range will also benefit from an injection of new product for Q1, as Nic Aldridge, Bandai MD, explains.

“Our strategy is all about planning for success, developing brands that are already working well, and harnessing their full potential,” he told Toy World. “We’ve had Miraculous in our range for four years, but for Q1 we’re launching a new range from Playmates Toys. The show has been on Netflix and Pop for years, but it’s now on Disney+, and with

Toy World 54

kids at home more due to the lockdown, awareness and popularity have soared even further. Only now are we able to maximise a brand that’s been huge on the continent for years, but has only just started translating in the UK. This year, although challenging, has offered us great new opportunities such as this. With new toy launches, the failure rate is much higher than the success rate– the same can be said of all consumer product launches, in fact – and although we’re enjoying some great results with our brands, we’re being sensible and strategic as we enter the new year.”

Q1 2021 may also be interesting not just in terms of the varied approach to product launches, but for changes in consumer spending, too. We’ve been told repeatedly over the past few months that kids have more spending money, higher-ticket items are selling more strongly and basket spend is up – does this potentially mean that the first quarter will be more profitable than usual for retailers? Only time will tell, but some things are certain; there’s plenty of new product, and there are plenty of people willing to buy it. “Preview invites have been going out left right and centre, so even with the disruption we’ve seen this year, especially to the movie calendar, I see no reason why Q1 shouldn’t be the healthy kick start to the year it usually is,” says Rosie Marshall, the new head of plaY-room (read more from Rosie on pages 4041). “I get the impression that everything is moving through well. Stock for Q1 will be readily available and demand is high, so I see the period being very positive overall.”

Over the next few pages, Toy World brings you the latest new products and range refreshes that, whether in-store or online, will be driving sales in the first quarter next year.

Q1 Ranges

Alpha Toys

01293 804599 | www.alphatoysuk.com Launching in spring/summer 2021, Super Pets are lovable, comical puppy-like pals able to transform on command into gadgets the Super Wings can use on their missions.

Each Super Pet features lights, sounds and interchangeable expressions. With four to collect in wave one - Jett Pet, Donnie Pet, Paul Pet and Dizzy Pet – Super Pets marks an engaging new addition to this popular range.

Season 5 of both Transform-a-Bots and Transforming Vehicles sees the introduction of three new characters; Golden Boy, Sunny and Leo. Golden Boy will also be available as a limited-edition character within the Transforming Vehicles range, in a metallic finish to suit his name.

Based on the success of novelty item High Flying Jett, Mini Hover Jett will hit shelves in Spring. Jett will bounce off any obstacles in his path and will glide along surfaces with a push. Simple yet surprisingly fun, Mini Hover Jett also comes with lights and sounds.

For more information on Super Wings or any other ranges, contact customerservices@alpha-animation.com.

Simba Smoby Toys UK 01274 765 030 | www.simba-dickie-group.de/en

Amscan 01908 288500 | www.amscan.co.uk

The new year will see Simba Smoby Toys UK make several new introductions to its extensive Jada portfolio.

This popular collectible die-cast range, which already benefits from a strong slate of licences, is set to grow yet again in 2021 with the arrival of 1:32 scale Batman vehicles. Each pack contains a metal Batman figure and die-cast vehicle. The six designs in the range are modelled on Batman’s appearances since he came onto the scene over 80 years ago. In addition, the postponed release of the F9 movie in May 2021 means this year’s autumn/winter Fast & Furious release is bound to enjoy greater traction. There’s more to come from Jada in 2021 too, including models inspired by Marvel superheroes, Back to the Future, Scooby-Doo, Transformers, Harry Potter, Stranger Things and Knight Rider.

Steffi Love goes from strength to strength.

New for spring is a glamorous line-up of dolls and blister pack outfits. With Steffi’s fully articulated body, and a raft of on-trend fashions and accessories, kids can enjoy hours of imaginative play. The Steffi Love Baby Doctor comes complete with a facemask-wearing Dr Steffi doll and a baby doll with a colour change feature. Warm water washes away the baby’s fever. The Steffi Love Shimmer 2 doll comes dressed in a glitter top and trouser combination, complete with trainers and a diamond watch, while the Steffi Love Koala pack takes imaginations Down Under as kids help Steffi - who comes dressed in a safari outfit – care for mother and baby koalas at the Koala rescue centre.

Simba will also be making new introductions within its Disney plush collection. The range of 20cm Classic Beanies includes a series of six fanfavourite characters to collect, each fashioned in a classic Disney style. The upcoming release of the new Cruella movie means the Dalmatian should prove popular, as well as the new 25cm plush pups from 101 Dalmatians.

Q1 2021 sees a raft of new additions, generic and licensed alike, join the Amscan portfolio, with modern takes on classic evergreen themes.

Kids can join the Squirrel Club and achieve their Party Badge as the preschool favourite Hey Duggee is added to the Amscan line-up. A full complement of partyware, balloons and costumes launches in January. In Q1, Amscan will also offer a one-stop-shop range of partyware, balloons and costumes based on Ryan’s World.

Amscan has also enhanced its costume line with additional generic and licensed designs.

With more characters than ever before, the range offers something for everyone including new lines such as Willy Wonka, additions to the PJ Mask line and a new licence, all launching early 2021. The company has also added additional sizes to key ranges including an enhanced Dr. Suess portfolio, arriving ready for Book Week.

Retailers should also look out for additions to Amscan’s sustainable costume portfolio.

Following the success of its Halloween range, the company will launch phase two at the start of the year. This will include a selection of everyday career costumes and new licensed Warner Bros. styles made from recycled material.

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Q1 Ranges

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com New Peppa Pig lines include the Peppa Pig Doctors and Nurses Figure Pack comes with medical bag packaging in which kids can store and carry the character figures. Suitable for children aged three-plus, this themed figure pack includes Nurses Peppa Pig, Suzy Sheep and Mandy Mouse, Doctors Zoe Zebra and George Pig, and Pedro Pony with a plaster cast on his leg. The set also includes two doctors’ bags.

The Peppa Pig Dr Hamster’s Veterinary Plane includes a fixed Doctor Hamster Figure and articulated Peppa Pig figure, both in their vet outfits. The propellor rotates, and the pet carrier hides a tortoise inside.

Character is breaking into a new category for 2021, with the launch of Peppa Pig Eco Plush. This highquality range of soft toys is made from 100% recycled materials. Two lines will launch initially: the 6” plush, available in an assortment of Peppa and George toys, and the 8” Red Dress Peppa, which is supplied in its own individual box.

Stretching up to three times their size, Goo Jit Zu Heroes are more durable now than ever before. Kids can stretch and squish the figures as much as they like; they will always return to their original shape. There are seven new Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Dino Power Heroes to collect. Every character has a unique mess-free goo filling with a different texture and feel - stretchy, gooey, squishy, and even crunchy – while Chomp Attack jaws add to the battle play. In addition to the single Hero packs are the Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Dino Power Versus Packs. Two exclusive characters in each pack mean kids can battle straight out of the box.

Spring 2021 will introduce two new Treasure X series. The hero of the all-new Ninja Gold collection is the Shadow vs. Light Battle Pack Playset, featuring two exclusive hunters and three different dig experiences. Kids must first remove the Sabres and find the hilt to forge their sword, then hunt through the ‘dark magic’ foam and glow-in-the-dark foam to uncover the hunters hidden within. Next, treasure seekers slice through the wax to reveal a chopping block, which may contain real gold-dipped treasure.

Also available will be The Ninja Gold Hunters Pack, which comes in an 18-piece CDU. Featuring 10 levels of adventure, there are 16 characters to collect and six different elements to find, each with a different coloured wax compound, sword or treasure. The larger scale Dragon Pack offers six dragons to collect, each representing a different element.

Tomy

01392 281927 | www.tomy.com A key Ricky Zoom launch for 2021 is Maxwell’s Transforming Trailer. Available in March, the product converts Maxwell’s trailer into a mobile repair station. The set includes Maxwell and Ricky bikes, along with six interactive features. Once playtime is over, the station can be closed back up, ready for Maxwell to tow away.

Also new for Q1 is the Ricky Zoom Wind and Launch assortment. Easy to use, kids simply place a figure into the launch pod, wind it up and set it down. The launcher then sends the bike racing away. Feature toys Fix it DJ! and Super Rev Loop also join the range as 7” figures. Super Rev Loop features expertly designed tyres so he can stand upright, and his front wheels are articulated so kids can steer him left or right. The Fix it DJ! Figure comes with a screwdriver and socket wrench that kids can use to take him apart and put him together again. The screwdriver attaches to DJ and the socket wrench is stored easily underneath him.

Toomies is launching two new products. The Stacker Decker Bus can grow into a double-decker, a triple-decker or even a double-double-decker, made up of four colourful floors. A friendly conductor is included; pressing down on his head makes him cheep. Perfect for babies from 12 months, the toy grows with the child as they develop fine motor skills. The 2-in-1 Transforming Tractor is brightly coloured and transforms from truck to tractor with a mix & match ability.

Spring/summer 2021 will see the launch of the Lamaze Garden collection. Having already been received positively at retail, this collection includes Candy the Carrot, Bea the Banana, Bitty Bug Book, Archer the Apple and Olive the Orange. Each product ties into healthy eating patterns for both parents and babies. Multiple textures and sounds will engage babies, and some of the products have hidden surprises too.

Celebrating its 100th year anniversary next year, Britains will see the launch of two classic models as part of its heritage collection - the Case IH 1066 and the Case IH 4894. Other new additions to the range for 2021 include the Claas Xerion 5000, marking a new licence for Britains, and the Case IH Maxxum 150.

Learning Resources 01553 819 386 | www.learningresources.co.uk Kids can build, drill and play with Design & Drill Bolt Buddies, a simple construction toy range developed to inspire young minds. Children assemble the brightly coloured snaptogether parts, insert the bolts, and drill them in place using the real working power drill. Pop in the Bolt Buddy and kids are ready for an adventure. The Bolt Buddies range is designed to help young children learn the basics of 3D construction, improve spatial perception, and develop fine motor skills. The drill features a peekaboo window so children can see gears turning, while each Bolt Buddy doubles as a wrench and can be used to twist, turn, and assemble. The inside of the eco-friendly packaging converts into a themed backdrop for hours of open-ended imaginative play. The range includes a Rocket, Race Car, Pick-It-Up Truck, Fire Engine, Police Motorcycle and Rescue Helicopter.

Big Feelings Pineapple from Learning Resources is the newest addition to the company’s growing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) category. This bright and fun tropical friend has 28 changeable expression pieces children can use to make faces while learning about expressions and emotions, for a fun, hands-on way for SEL learning through play.

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For sales enquiries please call +44 (0)1293 804599 or visit www.alphatoysuk.com

Š 2020 Alpha All rights reserved.

Q1 Ranges

Zuru 01604 401 719

Vivid 01483 449944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

info@zuru.com

Crayola has announced a new range of colourful fashion dolls, built on the success of the popular Washimals range. Each doll comes with its own clip-on clothing accessory, while kids can also use the mess free markers to add fun patterns and designs. When finished, kids simply wipe the body and clip-on clothes, and rinse the hair with water, so the doll is ready to design all over again.

There are four different options available - Jade, Sky, Violet and Lavender.

Ryan’s World Tour includes new collectible figures and play sets from all four corners of the globe. Kids can collect 80 different versions of Ryan and his friends, each with a unique style and flag sticker for the country they represent. The World Tour Globe and Hot Air Balloon both include the Ryan’s World Tour passport, which shows the different figures and has a place for the stickers too.

The star of YouTube’s Kids Diana Show is a top global creator, with over 5b views a month. Vivid is launching an all-encompassing product range focused on four key categories; collectibles, playsets, fashion dolls and role play and cosmetics.

Vet Squad’s launch campaign has aided strong brand awareness, with the dedicated Vet Squad channel now hitting over 1m views. The channel includes a variety of content including 10 toy-play style webisodes as well as real-life vet content with brand ambassador, TV’s James the Vet. Two new lines join the range for spring/summer. The Animal Family Assortment offers kids a cute animal family with three babies to care for. Dog, cat and rabbit families are available. Each comes complete with a bed, food bowl and two accessories. Also new is the Sunny Plains Playset. The set includes Robin in an exclusive Sunny Plains outfit, cheetah figures, a sculpted tent and vet accessories.

Launching Boxing Day 2020, 5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands offers over 60 miniature toys and accessories to reveal and collect, including rare glow in the dark and shimmery minis, plus super rare gold minis.

The collectible mini versions include some of the most popular toys from Nickelodeon, Zuru, Rubik’s, Crayola and more. Children can collect and display them within the Mini Toys Collector’s Case, or create their own mini toy store.

Robo Fish is an impressive robotic swimming pet. When put in water, the fish will swim in five different directions and dive up to 6ft as Zuru’s advanced water-activated technology brings them to life. There are six colours to collect, each with water activated colour-change capabilities. Kids can watch the scales change colour before their eyes, then pull the fish out of the water and rub a hand over it to see the scales change back to their original colour.

Oosh Potions Slime Surprise adds a dash of magic to DIY slime making. There are four different magic potion bottles, each with two surprise potions to create inside.

Every potion comes with its own gooey or powder base, three different accessories to add, storage bottles and an easy to follow magic recipe. There are eight magical potions to discover and collect; each includes a magic pot, magic wand, potions bottles, beads, sparkles, an instruction sheet, magic dust, a spell activator and liquid glitter.

All brands will be supported by PR and marketing campaigns including global television commercials, plus digital and social media content across all channels.

Flair

020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Following another strong year with Ryan’s World, Flair will be introducing a second property from pocket.watch - Love, Diana. Launching in spring, Flair’s fun role-play collection includes Love Diana’s Adventure Set, a backpack which comes complete with a transforming wand hairbrush, an interactive phone, a map to help navigate the Land of Play, and more. The Surprise Deluxe Trunk has with many compartments for kids to discover for the ultimate unboxing experience. There’s also a Light-Up Bubble Wand, and an unlockable collection of Love, Diana Mini Mystery Trunks.

The 11” Doc McStuffins Wash Your Hands Doll sings a song about washing your hands. Fans can also enjoy the Light Up Microphone and the five-piece Doctor’s Dress Up Set. The customisable craft range Sneak’Artz is new for spring. Each Sneak’Artz Shoe Box pack contains one of 24 collectible shoe styles ready to be designed with washable pens, charms, stickers and an attachable key chain. Also launching in 2021 is the Sneak’Artz Bumper Set, which comes with an exclusive spray can, glitter pen, stencils and two shoes.

Spring will see the arrival of Season 2 of I Dig… Monsters! A host of new characters is available to collect, which come hidden in cute ice cream cups, buried within a fluffy new compound.

Kids can dig through the compound to find one of 28 monsters in the range while also creating colourful treats, thanks to the included colour pods and glitter.

Flair will be introducing a new selection from Jelli Rez. The Surprise Packs include everything kids need to create two Jelli Res jewellery designs, and the Shaker Pack allows kids to create attachable crafts with a snow globe appeal.

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TOP NEW LICENSES

CLAAS Xerion

JCB 1CXT

BRINGING BACK THE CLASSICS

NEW TO THE CONSTRUCTION RANGE

FIND THEM IN-STORE

JCB 6T Dumper Case IH 1066

BUILD YOUR FARM

Find all retailers here: www.britainsfarmtoys.co.uk

Contact us today to find out more Phone 01392 281928 Email ukcustomerservices@tomy.com @BritainsFarmToys

Facebook.com/BritainsFarmToys

Q1 Ranges

Toynamics

0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.co.uk Hape has announced a raft of new products set for release in January, which join its existing range of quality toys.

Featured in the line-up is the DJ Mix and Spin Studio, which features multiple play modes, a tempo controller, a piano and a turntable scratcher, so children can unlock their musical potential. Bright lights and fun sounds make for hours of fun mixing new beats and tunes.

Also featured in Hape’s Q1 releases is the Musical Whale Fountain Bath Toy. Adding musical entertainment to bath time, kids can watch as the water sprays and the whales dance to music. They can also make their own music by pressing down on the whales like piano keys; when one whale is pressed its spray will stop, and the sprays from the other keys will get stronger. The fountain also sticks to the bottom of the bath with an attached suction cup.

All Hape products are exclusively distributed by Toynamics UK & Ireland. For more information email sales@toynamics.co.uk or call the number above.

IMC Toys 01904 720 908 | www.imctoys.com A new series of VIP Pets will be unveiled for spring 2021. Six characters from series one now come with new styles. Three new characters will also be introduced, each available in two different styles and with different personalities and hobbies. Children aged three plus can reveal their VIP Pet from the glittery blindpackaged shampoo bottle and pour water onto the doll to discover her hair colour and style, before using the glittered accessories to create different looks.

VIP Pets Mini Fans each has a favourite VIP Pet and they form six different squads. Children aged three plus submerge the blind-packaged heart-shaped comb in water to watch the rainbow water reveal, where a host of surprises are discovered including a Mini Fan character, styling accessories, collector sheet and a sticker sheet to create a mini hair salon. Each character has 20cm long hair and include accessories for styling.

Q1 2021 introduces the new world of Cry Babies Magic Tears Tutti Frutti for ages three plus. There are 13 fruit scented characters to collect, including a rare-to-find Tutti Frutti. Kids open the blind-packaged Smoothie beaker to discover the dolls complete with two accessories: a magic bottle and a dummy. There are also four personalised accessories for each fruit: a spoon, bowl, sunglasses and a dress. Each doll comes with a unique accessory, a personalised sticker sheet and a backpack.

Q1 also brings the new Cry Babies in fruity pyjamas and a matching scent, suitable for children aged 18 months and above. There are three characters to collect. As with all Cry Babies, they cry real tears and make realistic baby sounds. Each Cry Baby Tutti Frutti doll comes with a dummy and an interchangeable fruit print onesie.

Floaties are Bloopies little sisters that wear animal floats to swim, bringing more fun to bath play for children aged 18 months plus. Kids simply place the Floaties in water and pull the rope on the back of the float to make them swim. There are four characters to collect.

For more information contact info.uk@imctoys.com.

Craft Buddy 0203 417 6565 | www.craftbuddyltd.co.uk The Crystal Art Frameables Kits have been designed to help children aged six years and over to create a masterpiece featuring beautiful crystal elements. The rhinestone craft kit options include Cosy Owls, Cool Tiger, Giraffe and Friends. Each comes complete with a picture frame for displaying the finished artwork and has been carefully developed to help children improve their motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Equally appealing to children of this age are the Crystal Art Greeting Card Kits and Sticker Sets, both of which will provide affordable gifting and pocket money options at a time when increased demand for creative play solutions is driving this competitive market.

Using symbolism within her pictures to convey meaning, Anne Stokes’ creations have long been widely acclaimed. A new collection of Crystal Art Notebooks featuring her striking designs and life-like portrayals of fantasy subjects allow anyone to bring these designs into beautiful, sparkling reality. Bridging the Stationery and Arts & Crafts markets, the awardwinning 26 x 18cm Notebooks are perfect for everyday use. Each contains 50 lined pages and is available in a variety of front cover artwork options.

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Q1 Ranges

Schleich

01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com/en Schleich’s Wild Life theme brings the animal kingdom into the playroom, helping kids learn about the amazing animals that live on this planet. New Q1 arrivals include the Manatee, Platypus, Warthog, Desert Fox and more.

Farm World remains a popular choice for both children and their parents. Schleich is keeping the collection fresh for spring, with the release of several new single figurines and play sets. From January, kids can add the Sunny Day Mobile Farm Stand to their collection, complete with poseable farm workers and Poppy the horse, who, thanks to her detachable bridle, can pull the Farm Stand along. This set offers play potential straight out of the box, and comes with a selection of accessories to get creative juices flowing.

Also new for 2021 are a selection of domestic pet figures as well as some bigger farm friends, including the Llama, the Highland Bull, and the Sorraia Mustang Stallion.

Schleich’s magical bayala world will continue to grow in 2021, with six glittery new unicorn foals to collect. The mini figurines come wrapped in pouch packaging and are presented in a 24-piece CDU for pocket money appeal.

The Schleich portfolio will be supported with extensive retailer support alongside PR and marketing campaigns for 2021. For more information email schleich@schleich-s.co.uk.

Winning Moves 0207 298 9507 | www.winningmoves.co.uk

8th Wonder 01942 829 811 | www.8thwonder.co.uk A number of range extensions from brands including Hey Duggee, Bing, Paw Patrol and In the Night Garden will expand 8th Wonder’s comprehensive portfolio. New partnerships will also take centre stage; Paddington joins the company’s successful pre-school offering with products suitable for kids aged 18 months and over, while Little Tikes will lead the way in the pretend play/ role-play category. The company is keen to develop both new partnerships moving forward, tapping into the wealth of opportunities on offer. All current and new wooden toy ranges are made from 100% FSC certified wood and carry the key sustainability message so important to retailers and customers alike.

Yet-to-be-announced additions are on the way for 8th Wonder’s plush character chairs range. The chairs are vibrant, soft and cuddly, and make a great addition to any room in the home. Made from a quality plush fabric, the chairs have non-slip bases and are suitable for kids aged from 18 months.

The heatable Mr Men and Little Miss plush range has proved successful since launching in 2019. Based on this success, new partnerships have been secured that will see brands such as L.O.L. Surprise, Minions and Jurassic World added to the range.

Following the success of the existing World Football Stars product range, Winning Moves is overhauling the packaging. Die-hard fans who have been accustomed to the gold chrome casing of the World Football Stars Top Trumps, Top Trumps Quiz and Top Trumps Match, will now be able to enjoy the same products in an opulent seablue chrome.

Each product will be updated to reflect the changing nature of the sport, as well as the changing world of football. New stars, new heroes, new facts and figures will join an overhaul of the questions featured in its Top Trumps Quiz; there will be at least 40% new content. This change in design has been inspired by the upcoming 2022 Dubai World Cup, meaning the products will have longevity in sales both before and after the event.

In addition, Winning Moves is set to release several more product lines in its expanding puzzle range during Q1. New lines include Mario Space Odyssey, Only Fools and Horses, James Bond, Doctor Who and Friends.

This influx in product will see Winning Moves’ offering in the puzzles exceed 30 puzzles, an increase of nearly 300%.

The Waddingtons Number 1 brand has seen Winning Moves able to help thousands of households up and down the country enjoy activities at home with its playing cards range. For early Q1 2021, the company is looking to add to the range, with the introduction of Rainbow Playing Cards, a homage to the LGBT community, and a sleek Black and Gold deck. Each pack is made from high-quality materials that are durable and long-lasting.

Making use of existing and new licences, Winning Moves is adding to its arsenal, with the likes of James Bond, featuring his greatest gadgets and cars, through to the recent revamp of Spitting Image, all the way up to a redesign of the Friends pack; players can now go back to Central Perk with a new cappuccino style case.

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Q1 Ranges

Tactic Games 07970 779842 | www.tactic.net In partnership with teachers from Finland, reportedly one of the top nations for education, Tactic has developed a new collection of educational, ecological and ethical games called Let’s Learn, to help make learning fun for pre-schoolers. The Letters and Words game includes four engaging activities that will help kids learn the alphabet and the correct order of letters. Let’s Learn Numbers, meanwhile, invites children to solve tasks, think logically and work their way through a number of difficulty levels using eight different game boards.

The Nature game teaches children about the environment and will test memory skills using pictures. Colours and Shapes is the fourth game in the series, and will help boost early observational and fine motor skills. The Let’s Learn games are all suitable for players aged three and above and will be available from February.

Children of the World will inspire players from the age of five to learn about new cultures and understand more about natural wonders, landmarks and traditions. Covering categories from flags and buildings to food and animals, players travel around the world map board, collecting cards along the way.

Tactic is also expanding its popular ‘Of The World’ games collection to build on the global success of Flags, Wonders and Animals of the World. A new packaging format is being introduced to challenge older players on their general knowledge, with each game including 50 cards, a pencil and a scorepad. Players can choose from Architecture, Pop Culture and Brands, as well as the intriguing OMG of the World game. This offering will get players thinking about bizarre customs and traditions during family games nights.

For more information or to place an order, contact phil@tacticgames.co.uk.

Basic Fun 01189 253 270 | www.knex.co.uk A new fleet of Tonka construction vehicles are rolling out for 2021. The Pullback Power Metals may be mini, but they’re Tonka tough. Kids can pull the wheels back along the floor to launch the vehicle into action. There are eight styles to collect.

Cutetitos Pizzaitos are adorable stuffed animals wrapped and hidden in a pizza blanket. Series 5 Wave 2 Pizzaitos are on their way for spring, with eight new animalitos in fun new pizza wraps to collect. Fans can also look out for other new additions including a new series of Cuteitos Taste Budditos, which come wrapped in all-new packages inspired by food pairings. Cutetitos Taste Budditos contain two 5” stuffed animals and a pet collector card, enclosed in a two-piece heartshaped wrap. Each wave is supported by TV and pre-roll to ensure fans know what is next up for this collection.

Having re-introduced the iconic Care Bears brand in autumn/winter, Basic Fun’s 14” plush range, launching in spring/ summer, will benefit from strong TV support. Each Care Bear in this range comes with a collectible coin which kids can share with a friend to show how much they care. Meanwhile, the 9” super-soft Care Bears Basic Bean Plush features the beloved characters in new colours, styles and details to choose from. Suitable for children aged four and over, kids can collect all eight of the plush characters in the range, including Love-a-Lot-Bear, who believes in the power of love, and Wish Bear, who makes wishes come true.

Basic Fun will also continue to build on sales growth in the K’Nex range in 2021, introducing new educational STEM building sets for all ages and abilities. The entry-level Kid K’Nex sub-category is perfect for young builders aged three-plus, while the vehicle construction kits offer something to really get the cogs turning – and the wheels moving. The K’Nex range promises hours of construction play value, and is now available for both educational suppliers and retailers.

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Brainstorm

01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk Kids can create their very own fairy world with My Very Own Fairy Jar from Brainstorm Toys.

After setting a woodland scene using coloured stones, grass-green felt, flowers, toadstools and a cute fairy, kids can write a special letter to their favourite fairy with the five included mini notes and envelopes. At bedtime, or outside at night, the colour-changing LED turns the jar into a nightlight. An auto shut-off feature saves battery life.

New to the best-selling torch range, the Funny Animals and the cute Puppy Torches and Projectors are handy LED torches that are also photo projectors, displaying colourful images up to one metre wide onto walls and ceilings. Each torch includes three discs featuring 24 full-colour images. The Unicorn-shaped head torch can be pressed once for light and again for a pleasing sparkle sound. Two angles allow for outdoor adventures such as walking or camping, as well as bedtime reading, and an adjustable strap makes it suitable for children of all ages.

Brainstorm Toys’ Light-up Crystal Lab teaches kids how to make their own crystals and transform them into a night-light by placing them on the included LED. Kids can also transform their room into an outer space light show with the Night Sky Solar System, Constellations and Starlight Projector. Images are ultra-sharp and project to over 3.5m wide on walls or ceilings. Three discs are included.

UltraFlyers are soft foam, big loop, returning stunt planes suitable for use indoors and outdoors, while the Outdoor Adventure Paracord Wristbands include eight buckles in different sizes, two with built-in compass and whistle. With these wristbands, kids can learn three fun knot techniques.

The Original Glowstars Company Glow Window Art lets kids choose a design, copy the outline with liner paint and colour it in with glow paint. Once dry, the design can be simply peeled and displayed on any glass. The kit also includes two glow suncatchers with stands. Glow Stars and Dragons is another addition to The Original Glowstars Company range, introducing 35 high-quality glowin-the-dark glitter stars and eight glow dragons.

KlikBot Kreatures come in blind capsules in a 12-piece CDU. Fans simply click together their Kreature, use them with KlikBots or combine them to make four larger Kreatures. A rare gold Kreature will drive repeat purchase.

TM and © 2020 Sesame Workshop. © Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved. © UCS LLC and Amblin. Swizzels and Love Hearts are registered trade marks of Swizzels Matlow Limited.

Sunny Bunnies © 2020 Digital Light Studios LLC. Swizzels and Rainbow Drops are registered trade marks of Swizzels Matlow Limited.

BBC logo © and TM BBC 1996. BBC Earth logo ©and TM BBC 2008. Licensed by BBC Studios. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World © 2019 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

+44 (0) 1268 567317

sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Gloucester House Basildon Essex SS14 3BX UK

Q1 Ranges

Jazwares UK 020 3598 5119 | www.jazwares.com Squishmallows will continue into Q1 with the introduction of Squad 5, as the range expands to include 5” Flip-A-Mallows, plus 24 new characters from 7.5” through to 20”, and brand extensions will also launch in 2021. Pocket-sized plush animals Petooties will welcome new themes and accessories.

Range refreshes to the line-up of Fortnite 4” Solo Mode, 6” Legendary and 12” Victory series figures and accessory sets will be unveiled; new developments include the Choppa Feature Vehicle, a 20” helicopter with light features, pop out engine and exclusive figure.

Wave 9 of the Roblox toy line will see refreshes to the Mystery Figures, 3” Core Figures, 3.75” Imagination Figures, Game Packs, 4-Figure Packs and Multi-Figure Packs.

Jazwares will continue to drive kids and collectors to ‘Think Big and Play Small’. New developments to Micro Machines will be revealed, with new micro vehicles to collect. A refresh of The AEW Unrivaled Figures Collection will bring the excitement of All Elite Wrestling to retail with 25 points of articulation, authentic ringwear and accessories.

The FGTeeV family of Youtubers and cast of characters will be brought to life with the Season 3 line of figures and collectibles, while in YouTube-based pre-school toys, the Q1 Blippi line will feature refreshes to the popular ballpit blind figures, vehicles, surprise boxes, and the introduction of new plush.

WowWee will expand its successful Pinkfong Baby Shark line. From 2021, the line, distributed by Jazwares, will encompass more variety, including new interactive plush, plus baby and toddler toys. There will be new lines from Cabbage Patch Kids, with the introduction of Rainbow Garden themed Cuties.

Jazwares will also introduce new additions to the exclusive Blackpink collection. Inspired by the edgy aesthetics of K-Pop superstars, the collection will be refreshed with new dolls and collectibles. The company will also introduce Hug-a-Pet, the perfect cuddle companions, and Cuddle & Co by Russ, a range of 12” and 16” plush dolls suitable for pre-schoolers.

Interplay UK 01628 488 944 | www.interplayuk.com Interplay UK is introducing a new Forest Friends Grow & Play collection into the My Fairy Garden brand for Q1 2021. Product development has been based on extensive global market research, talking to parents and kids to identify the key strengths of this successful brand and what consumers wish to see. Connectable via garden fences and bridges to create an enchanted fairy village, the range invites children to play with the fairies and their cute forest friends, which live in beautiful treehouses complete with fairy gardens where they can grow edible plants from the included seeds.

Following the successful launch of the licensed Peppa Pig Grow & Play range, Interplay UK is adding two new products to the range range from Q1; Peppa’s Garden Playhouse and Grandpa Pig’s Greenhouse.

Interplay’s creative play brand Fuzzikins is getting a new look from Q1 2021, with pastel coloured flocking, refreshed packaging and new play features to appeal even more to kids three years and over, as well as their parents. New Fuzzi Babies Floaties are also a strong addition to the range, offering hours of creative fun and imaginative play.

Posh Paws 01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk July 2021 will see the release of Minions 2: Rise of Gru, and Posh Paws will be on hand to support the movie with a new range of its cuddliest Minions toys to date.

The range will feature Bob, Kevin and the newest Minion on the block, Otto, in a variety of sizes. The 6” assorted characters come in a CDU, while medium 10” and large 18” characters will also be available ahead of the movie release.

The Jurassic World franchise remains popular, and Universal’s hit new show, Camp Cretaceous, is already rating highly on Netflix. Posh Paws will be launching a new soft toy range focussed on the iconic T-Rex, as well as fan-favourite dinosaur Blue the Velociraptor. Both will be available in a 6” assorted CDU plus 10” and 18” sizes, offering variety for retailers and consumers alike.

Having been announced as the new plush partner for Sesame Street, Posh Paws will launch with a range of basic plush toys in a variety of sizes.

Interactive learning plush toys will include consumer favourites such as Tickle Me Elmo, which giggles and wiggles when kids tickle him. The launch of this plush range will be supported with heavyweight consumer marketing and PR campaigns to engage fans and drive sales throughout 2021.

Expanding its partnership with the Swizzels licence, for which Posh Paws already boasts an extensive collection of fun Love Hearts character plush gifts, a new range of scented Rainbow Drops soft toys will be launching. The new toy and gifting range will consist of six scented characters, each with their own personalities, flavoured scent, and on-trend squidgy and stretchy fabrics. Available in small and larger sizes, fans can pick up, cuddle and smell Susy Strawberry, Ollie Orange, Bobby Blueberry and more.

With its Sunny Bunnies feature plush proving popular, and strong sales resulting from its pre-Christmas digital marketing campaigns across social media platforms and influencer partnerships, Posh Paws will also be adding to its range of feature plush toys in 2021.

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Q1 Ranges

Bandai UK 020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk

For Q1 2021, additional character figures, plush, vehicles and a new musical toy line will be introduced to the CoComelon licensed toy range. The new Alphabet Figure Packs are small CoComelon cases which include an articulated figure and caterpillar disk with a letter on either side. The disks can be connected, and encourage learning as kids collect the letters of the alphabet. The character figures included are also fully compatible with the Yellow School Bus. The Musical Tractor, which includes an exclusive removable JJ figure wearing Grandpa’s hat, can be pushed forward to hear the Old MacDonald song. A refreshed assortment of 20cm plush characters features JJ in Dog, Cat or Duck outfits. The new music range offers two ‘first’ instruments; the Keyboard, programmed with the ABC song and Music song, and the Musical Xylophone, which allows children to play along to their favourite CoComelon tunes.

A host of new styles will be unveiled for Harumika’s Single Torso Sets. The sets allow kids to channel their creativity without the need for gluing, sewing, or cutting. Nature Mood and New-Age Tie-Dye provide the inspiration for the new themes.

Tamagotchi is back, and new styles to join the Gen1 and Gen2 lines include Plaid, Tie-Dye, Stone, Marble, and Spring Stripes designs. Leveraging the nostalgia appeal, two new Hello Kitty themed nano-Tamagotchi are being introduced with surprise characters to reveal and new mini games to play.

The Anime Heroes: One Piece collection offers affordable, highly detailed and fully poseable figures. Spring 2021 brings three new character figures - Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Sanji. Each has over 17 points of articulation and stands between 15-17cm tall.

With Miraculous set to make its feature film debut in Q4 2021, Bandai UK introduces new Kwami collectibles for spring. The Kwami collectibles are housed in Miraculous blind boxes. Pearlescent and glitter packaging finishes create stand-out appeal on-shelf.

New National Geographic Large Kits for spring/summer 2021 include the Explorer Science Sensory Kit, Explorer Earth Science Kit, Glow-In-The-Dark Mega Science Kit, and Ultimate Gemstone Dig Kit. The Original Sea Monkeys brand has contributed to early science learning and play for decades. A new blister pack contains everything needed to bring the brine shrimp to life: Sea Monkeys eggs, food pouch, water purifier, feeding spoon and handbook.

Nuzzy Luvs brings a range of sound and movement responses to palm-sized plush pets. Four new characters will be added to the range - a unicorn, giraffe, rabbit and leopard.

Wave 6 of Crushies introduces singles and three-pack bunches. Featuring funny-face skins, each Banana includes a collectible character, ring, stickers and a collector’s sheet. A new series of Baby Bananas is set for launch as a triple pack featuring miniature Bananas with Crushie Babies and accessories.

Tobar

01603 397105 | www.tobar.co.uk Tobar is entering 2021 with a number of new additions its ever-growing pocket money range. All-year-round selection boxes comprising Tobar’s most popular toys and activities will contain 20 items, and will retail for between £15 and £20.

New distribution lines from Zuru will be announced soon, alongside a new range of Atomic Light Up Tangles and additions to the best-selling Tangle Pets range.

Tobar is betting big on its new Magnetic Spinners as a craze item for the next few months and beyond. Neon colours and light up versions are on their way for 2021, with higher stock levels available after a sell-out first consignment.

HTI Toys 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk Bubbles continues to be an ever-popular play pattern and 2021 will be a big year for the product category for HTI Toys. 2020 has seen huge investment for the bubbles category, with the newly completed state of the art manufacturing facility, meaning that HTI’s bubble products can be produced at the company’s headquarters in the North West of England.

HTI Toys has expanded its range of bubbles, featuring multiple product lines across its own popular brand, Bubblz, and also across several licensed pre-school brands. The company has also announced a licensing partnership with pre-school brand Hey Duggee for the bubbles category. The CBeebies TV show has enjoyed increasing popularity throughout 2020, becoming the most watched children’s TV show on BBC iPlayer during lockdown and regularly reaching over 1m unique viewers weekly on YouTube.

Launching in early 2021, just in time for the spring/summer season, HTI Toy’s new Hey Duggee range of licensed bubbles is bright and colourful, and features images of the main character, Duggee, the friendly leader of the squirrels. The range includes traditional favourites including bubble wands and themed bubble solution, as well electronic bubble machines and a bubble mower. Children can have fun outdoors with the push along bubble mower or watch the Hey Duggee Bubble Machine produce some serious bubbles.

The range offers varied price points to suit fans of all ages. For more information on the HTI collection, visit www.htigroup.co.uk.

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Q1 Ranges

Mattel

01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com Barbie will kick off Q1 with diverse new additions to the Barbie Fashionistas range, a new Color Reveal series and two new fashion-forward dolls. The Barbie & Chelsea Story set and Chelsea Jungle River Playset are inspired by the new Barbie special, while Puppy Party brings pet play to life, and the Dreamtopia Colour Change Mermaid adds some magic to the range.

The Fisher-Price newborn range welcomes the Calming Clouds Mobile and the innovative Lumalou. The Infant range sees expansion to the 2020 TOTY winning Linkimals line, with the Sit-to-Crawl Sea Turtle, Eco Rock-A-Stack, Game on the Go and Busy Beats Boombox. The Little People Food Truck is also new for Q1.

Thomas & Friends continues to introduce kids to the world around them through dynamic new products, including the new Bridge Lift Thomas & Skiff. Thomas fans can create their own adventures with the new rainbow-themed push-along engines and vehicles, and ideal for younger fans is the new Stack and Wobble Train. Young conductors can build their own Tidmouth Sheds at home with the Thomas & Friends Connect & Go Sheds.

Q1 sees the Hot Wheels City Toxic Snake Strike and City Speedway Hauler join the range. New to the Track Builder segment is the Infinity Loop, which lets kids build, stunt and boost.

The Hot Wheels Monster Trucks range continues to expand with the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Stunt Tire Playset.

Polly Pocket, the original micro doll, adds the Koala Purse to the Large Wearable Compact Assortment, along with all-new animal themed compacts in the Pocket World Assortment, while Cave Club introduces new characters Bashley and Rockelle.

Mattel’s Disney Pixar range grows with Interactibles, talking action figures that not only recognise characters from their own movie but from across the Pixar Universe.

The Jurassic World range continues to expand following the recent launch of Camp Cretaceous on Netflix, and from the hit series The Mandalorian comes the new The Child 12” Feature plush with motion and sound features.

New to the Mattel Minecraft toy range are Mini Elementals, characters created with the games signature pixilated designs, while fans of Disney Pixar Cars will love the new Dinoco Car Wash and Minis Crash Course. Finally, Fisher-Price Imaginext introduces new characters to its DC Super Friends and Jurassic World ranges.

Moose Toys 01637 882200 | www.moosetoys.com Moose Toys has a whole host of new ranges and brands launching in Q1.

Hot off the heels of a successful past three seasons, Moose will be launching season four of the highly acclaimed Kindi Kids range with a line-up of new dolls and brand-new segments, further building out the World of Kindi with new segments, characters, themes and price points.

The pre-school dolls range has gone from strength to strength since its debut in 2019, including maintaining the No.1 spot in Large Dolls in UK NPD. Season four sees two new dolls joining the Kindergarten as well as a lower price point segment with the introduction of Kindi Pets. The Kindi Kids world will also expand into new mini doll play with Kindi Minis.

Q1 will also see the launch of Moose’s first master toy range in partnership with Warner Bros. The Tom and Jerry toy range will be launched at the beginning of the year in the lead up to the theatrical release in March. The range – featuring the renowned cat and mouse duo – includes figures, plush and a board game, bringing to life the classic, beloved characters as well as iconic scenes from the feature film.

Following the company’s first foray into the vehicle category with Boom City Racers in 2020, Q1 2021 will see the release of series two of the brand, launching in stores from January. Series two includes new unboxing features and themes as well as the introduction of motorbikes into the range.

Further new ranges and brands launching throughout 2021 include the master toy range for the hotly anticipated Space Jam: A New Legacy, as well as new pre-school property, Bluey.

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Sambro 0845 873 9380 | www.sambro.com The award-winning Manchester-based business Sambro international continues to expand its brand portfolio for 2021, with Pinkfong’s Baby Shark joining the line-up. The range will consist of a broad selection of Outdoor, Arts & Craft and Novelty products including inflatables, play tunnels, bubble blowers, water blaster back-packs, dough and Sambro’s best-selling Puzzle Palz. The Sambro Baby Shark range is due to hit shelves in spring 2021.

Awareness of Sambro’s new range will be further heightened by a new animated Baby Shark series, which will air on Nick Jr in 2021. ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show’ features an array of new characters, a humorous script and songs that are just as catchy as the original.

Q1 Ranges

VR Distribution 0330 088 0941 | www.vrdist.co.uk Following on from a year of strong growth, specifically with its instant hits What Do You Meme and Cards Against Humanity, VR is kicking off a year of unprecedented new releases.

Geek Out! is a game of mind-challenging fun that finds out once and for all which player is the reigning authority on favourite geeky pop culture subjects. These social interaction and bluffing party games are suitable for two or more players, and each game lasts 30 minutes on average. The box comes with 70 cards, 20 tokens and a game board. Available in 80s, 90s and 00s editions, Geek Out! will have players geeking out and feeling nostalgic about their favourite decade.

Mint Works is a light and straightforward worker placement game. Its compact size makes it easy to take it anywhere, while its simple rules make it an ideal introduction to the genre of worker placement games. The ‘big game in a tiny tin’ Mint Series expands with Mint Cooperative, a co-op game that fits in a mint tin. Players work to deliver Mintopia City and the other towns of Mortimer County from the periodontal peril that is the Dominion of Halitosis.

There’s plenty more on offer from VR Distribution. To find out more, email sales@vrdist. co.uk or visit the website.

Rainbow Designs 01329 227300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Kids@Play 01635 255725 | www.kids-at-play.com The Harry Potter Magical Capsules range is fresh from securing the awards for number one licensed toy and number one collectible toy in the BlogOn toy awards 2020, and moves into 2021 with Series Two. Further series are set to launch through the new year.

The series offers increased collectability and brings fresh new characters into the hands of fans. The repeat purchase pattern, and the fan excitement, following the launch in 2020 has firmly cemented this product as core line for any Wizarding World portfolio.

Kids@Play’s arts and crafts offering has grown throughout 2020, and further releases from the Kid Made Modern portfolio will be available. The range features beautifully curated craft supplies for children and adults to enjoy, with year-round price points starting from £8, through to £50.

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Rainbow Designs is welcoming back the Peanuts brand and adored character, Snoopy, to the Home of Classic Characters family for Q1 2021. The Everyone Loves Snoopy range features high quality classic soft toys of Charles Schulz’ iconic characters including a Snoopy Soft Toy, a Cuddly Lying Down Snoopy and the Cuddly Snoopy and Woodstock Soft Toy. A beautiful My First Snoopy collection is also scheduled for launch next autumn.

Rainbow Designs will be introducing a series of new wooden toys to its popular Guess How Much I Love You and Fun with Spot collections. There will be colourful new Wooden Shape Peg Puzzles and Wooden Blocks as well as a new Spot Wooden Pull-along and a double-the-fun Guess How Much I Love You Wooden Pull-along, which features both Large Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare. There will also be a colourful new Spot Wooden Bowling Set and a Guess How Much I Love You Balancing Toy with printed wooden pieces.

Set to join the Rainbow Family this spring is the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt brand, with the introduction of a Cuddly 20cm Bear soft toy and a colourful Wooden Shape puzzle featuring the animals from the children’s storybook to play along with.

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COMING SOON 2021

For enquiries call 0208 569 1234

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Q&A

Character Options

Ready for launch At the end of September, Character Group released a trading statement in which it expressed confidence as the company heads into 2021. Toy World caught up with Mark Hunt, marketing manager at Character, to find out how the company will be approaching the Q1 period and about the new ranges that will be launched.

Have trading conditions in 2020 impacted your plans for new Boxing Day and early New Year launches this year?

Lockdown was a challenging time for all, but the toy sector has proven to be very resilient.

Despite the pandemic, Character Options’ product development programme continued on schedule, and we are well prepared for a full portfolio of new launches in spring/summer 2021.

What are the advantages of introducing new ranges to the market at this time of the year?

Every year, Character Options introduces a series of exciting new range extensions, together with fresh new brands for spring. This year will be no exception. Spring launches enable us to introduce products into a less cluttered market and provide the perfect platform to stand out from the crowd.

Have retailers been as keen as ever to have new brands on shelf over this year’s festive and New Year period?

Many retailers are looking forward to the new spring launches. Innovation and development of brands is the backbone of the toy industry, and the new products that launch in spring will be just what is needed to attract the customers into stores.

What are the key new ranges you’ll be introducing this year?

Heroes of Goo Jit Zu is one of the faster growing brands on the market, so we’re really excited about the Boxing Day launch of Series 3 Dino Power Goo Jit Zu. We’re also gearing up for the eagerly anticipated launch of the licensed DC range, ahead of the February half-term.

Q1 will also bring with it the arrival of Dream Seekers, an all-new range of beautifully crafted, soft dolls with posable long arms and legs. The unique Dream Mark, which can be found on every Dream Seeker’s wrist, represents the doll’s personality and the dream that they seek. The idea is that these magical dolls listen to children’s dreams and help them find the courage to make them come true by sharing their own aspirations.

We will also continue to expand our offering of sustainable products with extensions to our Wooden Toy range. The Peppa Pig World of Wood, which launched in autumn/winter 2020, received excellent feedback from retailers and consumers, so we expect these lines to remain popular in 2021. We’ll also be adding Disney Princesses and Fireman Sam to the line-up. Another exciting, environmentally friendly launch for us is a new selection of licensed Eco Plush, which is made entirely from 100% recycled materials.

What marketing campaigns have you put in place to support these new introductions?

At this time of year, TV is a competitive medium.

Our main focus will be on building awareness of

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our ranges, but we will also be utilising our pool of Character Kidz influencers to amplify the noise around our new launches.

Do you have any other new introductions planned for Easter ’21?

In the Easter period we have two key launches that are perfect for the unpredictable British weather at this time of year, as kids can play with these products both indoors and outdoors. Jump It is a fun jumping and skipping game. Featuring a digital counter, the Jump It rope records up to 1,000 skips.

We’re also bringing back an iconic 90s concept, Moon Shoes.

These fun antigravity boots are basically mini trampolines for your feet. Both products are sure to be a hit with our team of influencers, who will help to build brand awareness and create a bit of hype around their respective launches.

Helping to create an even stronger pull at retail, we’ve also secured some fantastic TV spots ahead of Easter and leading into the May half-term.

sales@ses-creative.co.uk or call 01304 746 030

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www.ses-creative.co.uk

Company Profile

SES Creative

Creative development SES Creative has been producing arts & crafts, pre-school and outdoor products since 1972, and with the strength of soaring demand behind it, the company is set for further growth. Toy World speaks to Damien Collett, head of sales, UK & Ireland, to find out more about the company and what there is to look forward to in 2021.

Can you tell us a bit about SES Creative?

SES is a family run toy company specialising in a variety of products, but with a strong offering in arts & crafts, pre-school, outdoor and nursery. We have been making toys since 1972, and we design, develop and manufacture all our products in our bespoke 20,000m2 site in Holland. We’re passionate about introducing children to the joys of crafting.

Each year we aim to refresh a third of our range, ensuring we remain abreast of current trends and keep introducing new products for children to enjoy.

How do SES products stand out in the marketplace?

As the manufacturer as well as the brand owner, quality and social responsibility are very important to us. They are also totally within our direct control.

For example, all our plastic is PVC free, our paints and modelling dough are gluten free, we have an extensive range of plastic free and eco-friendly products, and in 2021 we will become 100% carbon neutral as company. We want to inspire kids of all ages to enjoy crafting, which is why SES is one of the few arts & crafts brands to offer paint and modelling dough suitable for kids aged one year and over. We continuously seek to innovate and develop new and exciting products for children to use in a fun, safe and educational way.

us that more children than ever are crafting, and demonstrates the importance of products for this age group that offer interesting, varied and safe activities moving forwards.

How does SES Creative support its products in the marketplace?

We support our products with a wide range of marketing activities including TV, social media advertising, influencers, etc. Social media is extremely important for SES Creative, as it allows us to engage with the end user directly. We also work very closely with retailers to offer a wide variety of in store promotional displays. Our full range and all product content is also freely available to download via our partner website, allowing retailers to access assets in minutes for use on their websites.

Looking towards Q3/4, what are the company’s main aims?

As we move into the final part of 2020, our main aim is to ensure our existing customers have a successful end to the year. We also want to continue building our brand presence in the UK so that we keep building momentum into 2021. We’ve had an eventful and successful 2020, which saw us receive several product awards and enjoy exceptional growth with our retail partners. We’re excited to continue this into the end of this year and beyond.

Has Covid-19 affected sales of your craft and educational lines?

What product development will we see in 2021?

We’ve witnessed a huge increase in demand across all our ranges, but our biggest increase came from those specifically aimed at 1-6-year olds. This tells

As usual, we will have an extensive range of new products for 2021 covering all our main product categories. We will continue to grow our under-6

Toy World 78

product range to support the growth in this area, while our other product ranges will be refreshed to ensure they reflect current trends and offer something new and engaging. This year saw over 100 new products added to the range, and we introduced our new nursery range, Tiny Talents, as well. Next year will see yet more activity, as we continue to add to our ranges and create new product categories, to meet retailer and market requirements.

What does your product portfolio offer retailers? And how should retailers interested in finding out more get in touch?

Our product portfolio offers flexibility and plenty of choice, so our customers can match their product selection to their retail requirements. The rage offers a selection of innovative new crafting products not readily available from other arts & craft brands. We’re also a responsible brand.

Ensuring all our products are safe is at the core of what we do; we want children of all ages to safely enjoy the various activities our products offer and the many benefits they bring.

Any retailers interested in finding out more should email our sales office sales@ses-creative.co.uk or call 01304 746 030.

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Special Feature

Dolu

Factory reset

Steve Richardson of SJR Associates, UK distributor for Dolu, details plans for the company’s new factory which is opening in 2021, and tells us how this will enhance Dolu’s offering going forward.

Ria & Steve Richardson

D

olu’s toy factory, established in 1975 in Istanbul, Turkey, is counting down the days to its move to a new, modern facility in 2021.

The first phase of production will be up and running in January 2021, with additional machines ordered to support the growth in capacity that the new facility will offer. The plan is to have all existing machines and offices moved into the new facility by July 2021.

The new factory is located close to the Bulgarian border, situated on the main route to Europe with easy access to the main ports. The closed area will measure 55,000 square metres in total, which includes brand new offices and a purpose built 1,000 square metre showroom. This makes the capacity of the new factory five times greater than the current production facility.

With significantly increased capacity, the company plans to expand its product offering across both its toys and baby ranges.

Last year, Dolu was awarded the title of ‘Largest

Toy Exporter in Turkey’, and it anticipates that productivity will be increased even further by the new factory. In addition, the company will be integrating state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable technologies into the brand-new facility, including the latest solar energy power solutions, which will result in it being one of the lowest emission factories in the whole of the toy industry.

Speaking exclusively to Toy World about the new factory, Steve Richardson of SJR Associates, UK distributor for Dolu, commented: “Due to the increased demand for Dolu products this year, we have pushed ahead with the building and development of our new factory in Istanbul. We are looking forward to seeing the first phase opening for production in January 2021, and also to seeing our new permanent showroom in action. Alongside the growth and expansion of our production facilities, we plan to broaden our range of toys and baby products, while we are also working on options for sustainable products, set to launch in 2021.

“It was while we were at the Toy Fair in Nuremburg this year that Wuhan initially went into lockdown.

Our entire range is manufactured in Turkey, so our goods were not affected by the shutdown. As a result, we saw demand grow from that point, as buyers were looking for alternatives to Chinese manufactured ranges. We pride ourselves on having highly competitive pricing, coupled with the high quality associated with European-manufactured products.

We also benefit from shorter lead times than goods coming from the Far East, and all without the MOQs required by most Far East factories.

“As well as opportunities, the pandemic still

Toy World 80

presented us with some major challenges. As a team, we worked tirelessly in the spring to assess the potential increased demand for our goods: we then created a focused list of products, which saw around 60 key lines (from a SKU count of around 180 items) being prioritised in production to allow continuous supply.

“Turkey had its own covid-related issues: we battled against local restrictions, which saw a complete lockdown, with people not being able to leave their homes for any reason for days at a time. Nevertheless, we adapted to reduced working hours in the factory, putting stringent measures in place to curb the spread, including rigorous testing for staff. We also liaised directly with freight forwarders and shipping lines – the entire team put in a huge amount of time and effort to make sure we could fulfil the additional demand that we had seen.

“Thankfully, the many hours of planning were all worthwhile - we have been able to meet the demand throughout this year, and we’re confident that the new facility will give us even greater capacity in 2021.

Clear winners for us in 2021 were the outdoor items, including slides, playhouses, tractors, ride-ons and sand & water tables. It was also encouraging to see demand continue for these items long beyond the summer season into the autumn winter period, and we are confident that many of these lines will sell well in the run-up to Christmas. That will set us up for an exciting year in 2021.”

For more details on Dolu’s 2021 range, please contact UK representatives Steve and Ria Richardson of SJR Associates on 07850779797 or 07877443733, or email sales@sjr-associates.co.uk.

1.

Printed catalogues put your products directly in the hands of your customers.

2.

Printed catalogues provide a different sensory experience adding brand recognition to your company.

3.

You can tailor your short run printed catalogues to different market sectors.

4.

Customers take their time and look through a printed catalgoue unlike when they’re bombarded by ads and rushed when shopping online.

5.

6.

Combine a physical printed catalogue with an on-line digital campaign to maximise reach and sales.

Your industry promotes playing with toys, so why would you expect your customers to ‘play’ online.

*Source - Royal Mail

Six reasons to promote your brand and products through print...

74

%

63%

...of our audience said it can be easier to browse lots of products using a printed catalogue*

...agreed catalogues give them ideas of things to do or buy*

86%

...said they keep catalogues for a period of time*

Please get in touch to see how we can help with your catalogue printing requirements.

T: 01685 388888 | E: sales@stephensandgeorge.co.uk | W: www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk

Feature

Outdoor Toys

Alfresco adventures Lisa Currie spoke to a selection of outdoor toy suppliers to discuss how the category has performed following an encouraging UK summer period, as well as their expectations for this year’s festive season.

W

hilst 2020 has been no walk in the park, figuratively speaking, the summer holidays were an uplifting time for many; with lockdown measures easing, staycations aplenty and very favourable weather across the UK, suppliers and retailers of outdoor toys were left feeling positive across the board.

“The outdoor category fared exceptionally well over the summer,” comments Phil Ratcliffe, commercial director, Tandem Group, owner of MV Sports. “We struggled at times to keep items in stock, such was the demand for outdoor play and kids wheeled/sporting items. Since then, the upsurge in demand has continued, and we are pushing our supply chain to replenish stock as quickly as possible.

Our Hedstrom range of swings and slide sets and our Kickmaster range of football related products have both performed particularly well. Our stunted range of trick scooters has also been exceptional, especially our new range of Li-Fe e-scooters, with demand outstripping supply.”

Independent retailers have been seeing encouraging results in their outdoor toy sales. With 2020 triggering a new-found appreciation for the great outdoors, consumers have chosen to invest more in outdoor play. Paul Reader, marketing director, Toymaster, adds: “Outdoor has been one of those categories that has performed above expectations this year. There has certainly been a strong appetite for wheeled goods and skateboards, and our indie retailers have also had a great season with paddling pools; everyone sold out. Having spoken to a number of outdoor paddling pool

suppliers, there may even be a shortage of pools for 2021 if the weather is as kind to us as it was this year.

For Christmas 2020, there is certainly an indication that more higher ticket items will sell well this year.”

Indeed, with the summer season proving to be a big hit for suppliers and retailers of outdoor toys, Christmas should help to bolster this success, as big-box outdoor items are consistently a popular choice for gift givers in the run up to Christmas. Plus, with a raft of new launches across varied price points, the category has lots to offer. Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles has plenty in store for Q4 and early 2021, all in keeping with this season’s trends.

“The My First Bubble Kit remains our best seller to date, and with DIY birthday parties and more parents encouraging outdoor play, we have also seen a jump in sales across our Jumbo and Party Kits,” enthuses Paola Dyboski-Bryant, creative and managing director, Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles. “There has been a substantial increase in demand in customer searches for plastic free and environmentally friendly alternatives, which fits perfectly with the launch of our coconut bubble buckets this autumn.

We have also launched a scented bubble range, with a Pumpkin Spice scent, perfectly encapsulating the autumn season and all of its delights. For 2021, there are new ranges in the pipeline, including learning kits for maths and physics and an expansion of our bubble painting range.”

With the push towards environmental awareness ever-growing, Razor has observed an upturn in electric scooter sales in recent months, and has responded by expanding its electric range for Q1

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2021. James Dobson, Razor EMEA sales director, explains: “Feature items for us are always within the manual, electric scooter and electric ride-on categories – kid’s electric scooters continue to dominate our categories and the launch of a further five new electric items for 2021 will ensure we maintain a leading position globally. Our exclusive UK and Ireland distributor, Robbie Toys, has invested in substantial stock to meet localised demand; under our hybrid distribution model, we are well placed for Q4 and Q1 business.”

As new launches enter the marketplace, Paola reveals how Dr Zigs will be supporting retailers following an unprecedented year for high street trading: “We are offering our retailers complimentary display bubble kits to attract customers into their shops and we have added Google Maps to our website, to display all our stockists for customer ease.”

She concludes, “This last year and the next few months are proving to be interesting times for many of us, and we feel that success will be based upon adapting to demand and socio and environmental changes. As well as supporting our retailers to boost high street sales and footfall, we will continue to give a percentage of our profits to our Bubbles Not Bombs projects, working with disadvantaged children in the UK and beyond. We raised over £8,000 for our local ICU unit during the first lockdown and plan to continue this initiative.”

Over the next few pages, Toy World outlines the latest outdoor products set to hit shelves in the run up to Christmas or in early 2021.

TRAVELS UP TO 4 MILES ON A SINGLE CHARGE

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Outdoor Toys

Casdon 01253 608 428

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com

www.casdon.com

Wilton Bradley’s new Xootz electric wheeled toy range features its Range Rover SVR Electric Ride On/Push car, which won the Top Wow Factor award in the Active category for the Right Start Awards 2020. This officially licensed car is lets kids enjoy an authentic driving experience in their very own vehicle. Combining on-trend SUV styling and great performance, the car features a push handle which provides extra control and safety until kids get the hang of driving the car for themselves.

Also part of the Xootz range, the officially licensed Audi TT RS Plus Electric Ride-On Sports Car has sporty looks, rear spoiler and shiny bright red paintwork. The included 6V rechargeable battery gives a powerful and fun top speed of 2.5 km/hour, controlled by kids themselves with a foot accelerator pedal. This will power the car for 1-2 hours on one charge, depending on terrain. The car can go forwards and backwards, has working headlights, an adjustable seat belt, working wing mirrors and a musical steering wheel. There are even six songs pre-installed, so kids can listen to music whilst they drive.

Wilton Bradley has further introduced a selection of new Playhouse Kitchens to its Toyrific brand. The Playhouse sub-brand introduces a collection of interactive lines imitating every-day items used by grown-ups. The Playhouse Marvellous Mud Kitchen will provide hours of fun for all kids who playing in the garden. This high quality, ready varnished, solid FSC Canadian Hemlock wood play kitchen will last for years and is ideal for year-round outdoor play.

Kids simply add water to the fitted sink and mix up some mud for pretend cooking fun - with the added excitement of mud. The set includes three stainless steel pans for cooking up a variety of mud pies using the two stainless steel utensils. There is a preparation area at the side and storage tray above and below the sink, providing plenty of space for storing all ingredients and utensils.

Casdon has much to offer for outdoor pretend play, using renowned household names to bring replica appliances and role play accessories to kids’ playtime.

Kids can help their parents with the gardening with the Flymo Lawn Mower, an authentic replica model from Casdon Toys. The Flymo features a foldable handle for easy storage and a mechanical click when the mower is on the move, plus the iconic orange base.

For more information call Casdon on +44 (0)7951 033234 or email roger@casdon.com.

Character Options

01616 339 800 www.character-online.com KickerBall is coming into a league of its own for 2021, building on strong retail sales since its summer 2020 launch.

Suitable for kids aged six plus, KickerBall’s unique design sets it apart, with special panels that channel air in ways a standard football can’t. Made with revolutionary aerodynamic materials, budding football freestylers can learn to swerve, bend and curve the ball with ease.

Kids can master a whole new portfolio of epic tricks with this Size 4 football, taking their skills to a new level. They can kick the side of the ball from the left to swerve the ball right or strike the ball gently from below to bump it to other players, plus much more.

KickerBall will benefit from springtime TV advertising and other marketing and influencer activity. For more information about KickerBall and other ranges from Character Options email sales@charactergroup.plc.uk.

Vivid 01483 449944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Vivid is launching a new brand in 2021 called HydroClash, for next-level water fights. Using the slingshot, kids can fire the water ammunition at their opponents or the targets. The colour reveal vest will show where the shot hit and players can defend themselves by using a shield. The range consists of three different sets: Target, Elite and Combat.

Back for 2021, Phlat Ball is perfect for outdoor active play; the Phlat Ball V4 transforms from a 9” flying disc to a 6” diameter ball when thrown, while Phlat Ball Junior transforms from a 5.75” disc to a 4” ball.

Super Wubble is the bubble ball which is super squishy and lightweight. Super Wubble is available without pump or with pump in either blue or pink. There are two new launches for Wubble in 2021; Wacky Wubble and Wubble Rumblers, which inflate to a gigantic three feet tall - chose between a Wrestler or a Ninja.

Australia’s leading outdoor brand Wahu is now available in the UK, and kids can experience high performance air slicing action with Ryzr. This new blade not only flies impressive distances, it also rises during flight thanks to its ingenious design. The range also includes the Wingblade, a 10” flying ring; Wingblade Pro, a 13” flying ring and the Triblade, a three-sided flying ring. All are available in three different colourways: pink, green and yellow.

All brands are supported by TV advertising from March throughout the whole of summer.

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Video available

BATMAN and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics.

WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. (s18)

Contact: Malcolm Cook

malcolm@mc-international.co.uk Mobile: +44 (0)7770 68 88 58

www.hauck-toys.com

Outdoor Toys

Hauck 0)7770 608858 | www.hauck-toys.com German design, engineering and quality are all hallmarks of Hauck’s outdoor line-up. The indepth range features outdoor products that appeal to boys and girls of all ages - from one-year olds to adults. It features go-karts, infant foot to floor ride-ons, balance bikes, scooters, trikes, electric cars, wagons and three Playmobil playhouses; princess castle, fire engine and police station.

With features such as rugged steel frames, powder coated to withstand the elements, as well as patented automatic drive chain tensioning and tool-free adjustable seats, Hauck ride-on toys are built to last. To maximise consumer uptake, all are presented in sturdy eye-catching full colour packaging and an efficient UK based after sales service is provided for peace of mind.

The range offers a wide selection of Hauck branded ride-on toys, featuring strong character licences such as Batman, Nerf, Paw Patrol and Hello Kitty.

For 2021, Hauck is adding seven new ride-ons including an innovative scooter and three sizes of go-kart from pre-schoolers, to ages 4-8 and up to ten years.

Illustrated is Hauck’s new Skootie, which can easily transform into a sit and ride for boys and girls aged two plus. Stability is assured by three wheels each with motion activated flashing coloured lights (no batteries), and a wide foot plate. Skootie features lean-to-steer steering, whereby leaning the handlebars either left or right turns the front wheels in that direction.

This steering is child friendly and aids balance, co-ordination and motor skills. Stopping power is provided via the foot brake to the rear wheel.

Joining Hauck’s popular Batmobile and 6v Batman E-Car is the new Batman Tornado, a pedal go-kart designed for taller Caped Crusaders up to 10 years old.

Joining established go-karts in the Hauck range are two pre-school go-karts for boys and girls aged two plus, and the Racer and Hurricane go-karts for kids aged up to eight and up to ten year olds respectively.

For further information, contact Malcolm Cook, sales manager UK and Ireland, at malcolm@mc-international.co.uk or call the number above.

Tobar 01603 397105 | www.tobar.co.uk Tobar has a vast number of outdoor products for all ages including a wide range of pogo sticks, pedal racers, stilts, hula hoops, bungee bouncers and various hoppers.

Tobar has hoppers of all shapes and sizes including the best-selling Retro Space Hopper, Sally Space Hopper and Junior, as well as its Unicorn Hopper, allowing the whole family to get involved.

Consumers can hop for charity too with the Hop for GOSH Hopper, where for every purple hopper sold, Tobar will donate 10% to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

For those wanting to practice their balancing and train their skateboarding skills, the Rock n Hopper is the ideal tool; the ball comes witch a balance shelf for it to stand on and keep upright.

Tobar’s Flashing Outdoor Range comes in eye catching packaging. The range includes a Flashing Skip Ball, the Flashing Space Hopper with pump, Flashing Hula Hoops and the Flashing UFO Swing Seat, which attaches to any existing swing set or zipline. The Rainbow Streamer is over two metres long and has proved popular this year.

Tobar’s website gives full details of all the products in its outdoor range including a full gamut of garden games from rounders and golf to quoits and a giant noughts and crosses game.

Contact sales@tobar.co.uk for more information.

Dolu 07850 779797 | www.dolu.com Following a productive and positive toy fair season in early 2020, Dolu is now looking forward to Christmas and 2021, with new products in the pipeline and a new factory based in Istanbul, Turkey, in production.

The company has been adaptive and reactive to the obstacles of 2020 and despite facing challenges, the Dolu brand has grown considerably during the year, with sales in the region of 40% up year on year.

Due to increased demand, the company has expanded its popular ranges, including its unicorn themed outdoor line and its unisex/primary colour offering, which appeal to consumers looking for a matching set of toys and outdoor play items. Dolu prides itself on having competitive pricing and high-quality products, with shorter lead times compared to factories based in the Far East, all without MOQs. Clear winners across its outdoor product range includes its slides, playhouses, tractors, ride-ons, and sand and water tables, with more items recently launched in time for the Q4 season.

Dolu is currently working on its 2021 offering, with some of the new lines already receiving encouraging responses – notably the 4 in 1 Gardening Table. On top of its new outdoor releases and expanding ranges, Dolu also plans to launch a range of sustainable products next year.

To discuss product ranges or to arrange a meeting, Dolu welcomes buyers or toy industry professionals to reach out via email or phone. Call Steve Richardson on 07850-779797 or Ria Richardson on 07877-443733, or alternatively readers can email sales@sjr-associates.co.uk.

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Outdoor Toys

Razor +44 (0)1884 254110 | www.razor.com Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, Razor is introducing a range of new items this season, both kid-powered and electric. All Razor products deliver the quality, safety, service and style for which the company is renowned.

Parents and kids alike have a continuously strong and, because of recent events, renewed interest in premium quality, active indoor and outdoor wheeled goods that keep them engaged whilst encouraging physical movement.

While Razor’s name is ubiquitous for scooters in many countries, the company has continued to establish itself in multiple product categories across the globe; notably with the MX125 Dirt Rocket, Crazy Cart Shift and Black Label Turbo A. The MX125 demonstrates Razor’s ability to scale down aggressive action sports to an affordable, durable product for kids as young as seven, that meets high standards of safety and yet loses none of the authenticity from the original inspiration. The newest and smallest addition to the electric powered Dirt Rocket family has a high-torque chain-driven motor, knobby tires, twist-grip throttle, and actual motocross dirt bike geometry.

Crazy Cart Shift is the electric, drifting, go-kart derivative of the original Crazy Cart and Toy of the Year winner. The revised, reengineered Shift puts a focus on the drifting experience for smaller kids while putting parents in the driver’s seat, so to speak, when it comes to the top speed. A parental speed control switch securely located in the battery compartment assures parents that the product can be easily and safely manoeuvred by youngsters.

Turbo A is the smallest and lightest electric scooter Razor has ever made and is modelled on the original A kick scooter. Packing a ton of features into a tiny package, the Turbo A is powered by a lithium ion battery pack, and the hub motor turns on automatically via a foot-activated, pressure sensor - no push button or twist throttle necessary.

HGL 01416 132 525 | www.ozbozz.com The Ozbozz brand from HGL continues to be a go-to brand for outdoor products. Unicorns remain a popular trend and HGL has a wide range of outdoor products for unicorn fans, including its Unicorn Scooter, skateboards and pogo sticks. The generic range of Ozbozz pogo sticks, play tents, roller skates, scooters and skateboards offers a wide choice of colours, materials and designs.

The competitively priced skateboard range has seen increased demand this year.

For 2020 there two brand new balance bikes join the line-up, with adjustable handles which make them perfect for pre-schoolers.

The bikes have also just scooped a Right Start consumer award.

Available in two themes - dinosaur and unicorn – the balance bikes are sturdy and safe for kids to use.

My First Scooter has a new design and offers good value for money for its three-in-one scooter USP. My First Scooter can change from a four-wheeler to a trike, to a two-wheeler. Magical creatures abound for HGL this year with the ever-popular Unicorn Scooter and a brand-new Dino Scooter with flashing wheels. Pop-up tents are also available in the dino and unicorn theme.

John Adams 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk John Adams Leisure continues to expand its successful Intex outdoor toys range, adding a selection of new products to its portfolio of inflatables, pools and ride-on toys.

The Intex Dinoland Play Centre paddling pool comes with six colourful Fun Ballz and three Dino Hoops, perfect for outdoor games with or without the paddling pool. The Play Centre is easily inflated.

The 200 Explorer Pro inflatable boat is fun for the entire family during the summer season. The boat folds to a compact size for travel and storage, with the quick fill fast deflate Boston valve on the main hull chamber, three air chambers - including inner auxiliary chamber inside the main hull - and an inflatable floor for comfort and rigidity. The boat has a grab handle on the bow, an all-around grab line and welded-on oar locks.

The Sprinkle Donut ring is ideal for leisurely floating in the pool. Or kids can splash about in the Pineapple Splash Pool set. The fruity inspired pool comes complete with a beach ball, swim ring and repair patch.

The new play centres and inflatables join the existing Intex range of leading above ground pools, ride-on toys and games.

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Outdoor Toys

Dr Zigs 01248 670090/ 07447 688122 | www.drzigs.com Dr Zigs is approaching its 10th anniversary, and promotes eco and ethical fun. The company is working harder than ever before to reduce the use of plastic in the manufacturing of its products. Dr Zigs is about eco-ethical fun - an ethos that runs through everything it does. All of its toys are vegan, phosphate free, palm-oil free and fully biodegradable in sunlight. The bubble kits can be used as an alternative to balloons as well as a way for families to run DIY and socially distanced bubble parties.

Dr Zigs distributed 10,000 litres of its popular bubble kits during the coronavirus lockdown – that equates to 10m giant bubbles. The bubble kits are suitable for ages three plus. Instructions with a tips, tricks and ideas sheet are available in multiple languages. The kits are manufactured in North Wales, but Dr Zigs European business also allows companies to buy from a French legal entity.

Moving forward, the company wants to continue its goal of creating a viable, sustainable and innovative organisation with a minimal carbon footprint. It is working with a firm in Thailand to introduce sustainable rubber wood, as well as a community farm in Vietnam. Dr Zigs is also replacing its buckets with coconuts, and will soon be delivering bubbles overseas via sailboat; a completely carbon-neutral shipment. Customers can send the bubble kit bottles back to Dr Zig to get them refilled in exchange for a discount voucher, in order to further encourage re-use and recycling.

The company has just launched in Australia and South Korea and will also be launching in the US in due course.

Learning Resources 01553 819 386 | www.learningresources.co.uk The GeoSafari and GeoSafari Jr. ranges from Learning Resources are designed to get kids excited about heading outdoors to play and learn. Each product is developed to offer kids a real working science tool that will encourage children to learn about their world through hands-on discovery.

GeoSafari Jr. is aimed at children aged three and above. Designs are robust, knobs and features are chunky and easy to grip and use, and viewing is done through dual eye pieces developed for a young child’s pupillary distance, so they don’t need to close one eye to view.

GeoSafari is aimed at children aged eight and above and offers older children a crossover between early learning toys and working with adult-sized scientific equipment.

GeoSafari has been designed to prompt independent inquiry, and all products in the range - such as the Vega 360 Telescope and Micropro Microscope - are easy to use, portable for on-the-go discovery, and come with activities to encourage independent learning.

Hy-Pro 01582 670 100 | www.zincsports.com The Zinc Beam Lithium Electric Scooter from Hy-Pro makes the perfect first electric scooter for kids aged six years and above. Featuring two wheels, a rear footbrake and an anti-slip footplate, youngsters simply step and hold their foot down on the sensor pad whilst pushing away with the other to reach speeds of up to 8kph.

The Zinc Beam requires six lithium batteries (included) and a quick 2-3 hours of charging time, but can also be used as a manual scooter for non-stop adventures. The handlebars can be adjusted to a suitable height and are covered by soft touch foam grips to ensure comfort. The scooter also features a colour changing deck and light up front wheels.

Hy Pro’s Zinc Folding Identity Scooter suits beginners as young as five years old and comes in a choice of metallic colours. It features a lightweight aluminium frame, a sleek design and a safe folding mechanism for easy storage. The soft foam grips, anti-slip footplate and adjustable handlebars provide a safe and comfortable ride.

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Outdoor Toys

Waboba 046735016584 | www.waboba.com Waboba’s best-selling Wingman flying disc can fly far outside and is still safe to throw around inside because of its silicone material.

The patent-pending, silicone Wingman disc is flexible and soft, making it easier and safer to throw and catch than traditional hard, plastic discs. Its engineered design allows the disc to fly over 40 meters outside.

With its small 150mm size, Wingman fits in pockets, school bags and just about anywhere because it is foldable, making it the perfect companion for anytime play and an ideal Christmas stocking filler.

Waboba also has a light up Wingman version for when the sun goes down. The Wingman UFO features a green LED light, changeable batteries and has three light modes: solid, blinking and strobe.

Waboba works with artists to create the Wingman disc designs and there are a number of design options and assortments to choose from, which can all be viewed on the website. There are also new Fly Pies coming to the range soon, with more information to be released in due course.

Simba Smoby Toys UK 01620 674 778 | www.simba-dickie-group.de/en

Flair 020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Juggleezz Ball is set to launch in January 2021. This elastic, super-stretchy and versatile ball is ideal to get the whole family moving and practising tricks.

With its innovative texture and feel, the Juggleezz Ball can be wrapped into different shapes, making it fun to throw and catch. Designed to be put through its paces, Juggleezz is perfect for tricksters and fidget toy lovers alike, who can master old tricks and invent new ones.

Thanks to its entertainment value, the Juggleezz Ball offers plenty of opportunities for the YouTube, Instagram and TikTok crowd to create original content and set new challenges for others to try.

Available in yellow and green, Juggleezz will launch with a 360-degree marketing plan, including TV promotion and influencer activity.

For more information about Juggleezz, email sales@flairplc.co.uk or call the number above.

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Simba Smoby Toys UK’s Smoby brand has a large collection of playhouse real estate for little ones, including a new teepee, ride-ons and more.

Following a successful summer from this year’s hero playhouse line, the Smoby Chef House, Simba Smoby UK is getting ready to launch a number of new garden playhouses.

For 2021, the company is introducing the first plastic Teepee on the market. With its simple design and a neutral colour palette, the Teepee has a minimalist, modern, Scandinavian appeal. This new launch also evolves as children grow, transforming in height from 159cm to 183cm, making the Teepee suitable for kids aged 2-10. The Teepee can be pitched both indoors and outdoors, thanks to its UV resistance and sturdy foundations.

The new Garden Playhouse brings the natural world into the role-play world for lots of green-fingered fun. The playhouse comes complete with 15 accessories, including guttering to filter rain water, watering can and a detachable worktop, which can be attached to the inside or outside of the house. Sturdy and secure, the playhouse is UV resistant and suitable for children aged two years and over.

The fully-customisable Neo Friends House, with its six windows and shutters, functioning doorbell, secret door compartments and picnic table, can be purchased individually or with a kitchen extension. The Neo Friends House is compatible with individual accessories, allowing little ones to customise their house.

Smoby’s ride-ons offer little ones a stylish introduction to the wheeled-toy category. For spring 2021, there is the Foldable Robin Tricycle, the Be Move Tricycles and the City Ride On Tricycle.

For more information about these and other outdoor toys in the Smoby collection, contact sales@sisotoysuk.com.

Outdoor Toys

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk The new Launch & Defend Batmobile RC from Spin Master is a sleek 1:16 scale remote control vehicle featuring a 10cm Batman action figure that can be launched into action from the cockpit. With 2.4GHz frequency, players can race up to six vehicles at once and control their Launch and Defend Batmobile from up to 75 metres away with the easy to use joystick controller.

The official Monster Jam Megalodon Storm RC is perfect for all-terrain performance. With its ability to drive on land and on water, thanks to its a water-resistant body and lightweight custom tyres, this is the ultimate RC for outdoor play. With 2.4GHz frequency, Kids can race up to six vehicles at once and control the Megalodon Storm RC from up to 30 metres away, with 2.4GHz frequency.

Also from Monster Jam, collectors can enjoy the 1:24 scale Collector Die Cast Trucks., featuring more details and graphics than ever before.

DreamWorks Dragons fans can care for their very own DreamWorks Dragons Flying Toothless.

Toothless can fly high and display his mood through sound effects and changing eye colours. Kids just place Toothless in the included nest, give him some encouragement and watch as he spreads his wings and flies. With multiple sensors, Toothless responds to touch and interacts with sound effects.

The collectible Bakugan Season 2: Armored Alliance range provide hours of competitive and creative play, whether in the playground or the back garden. Kids roll their Bakugan across the metal BakuCores (two included) to see it transform with pop open Baku-Action. They can also weaponise their Armored Alliance Bakugan with Baku-Gear, which is sold separately. With new and returning characters, Season 2 Bakugan features strong detailing and faction symbols.

Tech Deck Ultra DLX Four Pack brings authentic 96mm fingerboards from real skate companies. Each one features graphics from the biggest skate names in the world, including Blind, Baker, Primitive, Finesse, Santa Cruz, Plan B, Sk8mafia and Toy Machine. The four-pack includes authentic graphics that kids can build any way they want and compare online with Tech Deck’s interactive collector’s tool.

HTI Toys 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk Evo by HTI Toys has seen huge success in recent years, with strong retail. The product team has been planning a complete branding refresh and designing new products, set to launch for autumn/winter 2021. HTI Toys has developed a modern and on-trend brand identity, with a dynamic new Evo logo and up to date product designs, whilst still keeping the unique value proposition of the Evo brand.

The Evo range features over 50 products and spans scooters, balance bikes, lithium scooters and battery-operated ride on toys. HTI has ensured that there is an item to suit all budgets and ages, with an age range of two plus, to adults.

The range has been segmented into three categories - pre-school, children/teenagers and urban – and the evolution of design is clear throughout this segmentation.

To increase brand DNA, HTI Toys has invested in the tooling of new wheels and handle grips, along with the design of new, on-trend geometric patterns for scooter decks. HTI Toys has also created dynamic new packaging, to grab consumers’ attention on the shelf.

For the pre-school range, the team has refreshed the designs of its staple items including the 3-Wheel scooter, Move N Groove and Cruiser. High quality has remained a key focus with steel and alloy frames, as well as anti-slip footplates to ensure safety whilst riding. Fun light features are available as an additional option on products including Move N Groove scooters and Cruisers, with contrasting colours for the light-up versions of these items. There are multiple offerings for older children and teenagers such as Inline scooters, V-Flex, Dirt Riders and Stunt Scooters.

In addition to standard scooters, HTI Toys has designed a complete range of lithium scooters. Sleek designs and high specifications mean the lithium range is likely to be popular with adults as well as children and teenagers. Handy folding mechanisms make these items perfect for storing.

The Evo battery-operated ride on toys range has also been updated with new graphics on already-popular items including quads, trikes and cars. Electric motorbikes, fire engines and tractors are just a few of the items available, as well as licensed designs for construction brand JCB.

Zuru 01604 401 719 | sales@geemac.biz Zuru remains committed to the outdoor toy market with new range launches and sustainability initiatives announced for 2021.

The immersive Bunch O Balloons programme, in partnership with TerraCycle, will prevent an estimated 800 tons of single-use plastic from entering the supply chain each year and enable consumers to recycle all elements of the product. From August 2020, the company began to produce all Bunch O Balloons plastic stems and caps from 100% fully certified and traceable post-consumer-recycled plastic.

The TerraCycle partnership allows consumers to ship Bunch O Balloons parts, balloon pieces and foil bag packaging at no cost. The programme is currently offered in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The balloons are made of natural latex rubber and biodegrade, delivering 360-degree environmental measures: from consumption of recycled plastic to recycling and repurposing of used materials into new items.

The innovative design of the balloons allows users to fill and tie 100 water balloons in less than 60 seconds. The product range consists of balloon packs, water blasters and accessories, and encourages children to get active and play outdoors.

New brand, Wow Bubbles also provides sustainable solutions with its Glove A Bubbles and Wing A Bubbles product and packaging, which have been made 100% recyclable with TerraCycle from 2021. Perfect for pre-schoolers and younger children, the gloves and wings make bubble creation quick and easy. Kids simply dip their glove or wings in to bubble solution and then wave to make hundreds of bubbles. A Big Bubbles Blaster is also included within the range which creates extra-large bubbles when the trigger is activated.

Both Bunch-O-Balloons and Wow Bubbles will be supported by PR and marketing campaigns for spring/summer 2021, including global television commercials and social media content across all channels.

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MV Sports 01217 488 000 | www.mvsports.co.uk MV sports has an array of wheeled and outdoor toys across both own-branded and licensed categories. Its licensed portfolio comprises a wide variety of popular properties such as Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Disney Princess, Batman, Spiderman and Frozen II. New licences Bing and Ricky Zoom will strengthen the company’s licensed wheeled offering for 2021.

Peppa, Paw Patrol and Disney Princess have new additions to their 2021 ranges. The new Bobble ride-ons combine a sit and ride and mini balance bike in one. Easy to steer and manoeuvre, the sturdy steel construction and bicycle style seat are a new way for toddlers to get around.

For older riders, Batman and Spiderman remain strong with Nerf also seeing encouraging growth this year. MV has expanded its Nerf collection with a Nerf Assault Go-kart, featuring two blasters and ten darts integrated into the front fairing. There is also a 16” BMX style bike with the same configuration integrated into the frame of the bike.

Premium wheeled range uMoVe will be expanding to include sparkle, neon, floral and fashion finishes, whilst extending into new categories such as ride-ons, balance bikes, skates and lithium scooters, all incorporating premium componentry and unique designs.

MV’s fast growing e-scooter brand, Li-Fe, has had a strong year of sales already. With an expanded range of kids and adult commuter models, its lithium range offers an eco-friendly form of transport in a lightweight, compact and on-trend format.

The use of lithium ion (Li-Fe) batteries provide long range potential off a single charge, whilst the battery delivers immediate torque straight to the wheels for maximum acceleration and a smooth, exciting ride. Large wheels ensure that Li-Fe scooters can handle bumps in the road and each model is tested and conformant to the latest safety legislation.

Hedstrom has a co-ordinated range of quality metal play equipment including slides, swings, trampolines and multiplays. New category innovation has been well received this year in the form of the unique 3-in-1 Swing with a comfort moulded seat, which converts easily into three different configurations as a child grows. There is also expansion into wooden play, with sustainably sourced wooden sandpits, ball pits and water tables.

Kickmaster is still hitting all the targets with the comprehensive and core range of balls, goals and football sets. With the new football season underway and the Euros looming for 2021, now is a good time to stock up on best-sellers such as the Close, Control Trainer, Quick Up Goals and Premier Goal sets.

SES Creative 01304 746030

Kids@Play 01635 255725 | www.kids-at-play.com

www.ses-creative.com

Kids@Play Toys can trace its roots to outdoor toys and has a real strength in the understanding and developing of ride on lines. The company is the UK distributor for Falk and there will be continued development in the collection of JCB licensed items moving forward.

The company also saw its own developed Clever Trike recognised in the Blog On toy awards 2020. The Clever Trike will be supported throughout 2021 with enhanced marketing efforts, and there will also be two further introductions to support the demand in the outdoor play market next year, with details to be revealed in due course.

SES Creative offers a wide range of outdoor products covering everything from bubbles to play mats. The company constantly introduces new and innovative products, ensuring children can continue to have fun, learn something new and be creative whilst outdoors.

New for 2021 is the Safari Play Mat and Storage Bag 2-in-1, where children can go on an adventure using the play mat, which features five safari animals. Thanks to its handy storage function, the play mat with its special themed print can be taken anywhere.

Also on offer is Mega Bubbles with a dino surprise. Perfect for dinosaur fans, kids can blow big bubbles and discover a dinosaur hiding inside the large 200-ml bottle of Mega Bubbles.

Other products in the range includes Mega Multi Bubbles, where kids can produce a multitude of different sized bubbles at one time with just one swipe.

The Standing in a Mega Bubble kit lets kids inflate the soap bath and fill it with the soap solution, before slotting the bubble ring parts together to create a large hoop. With specially developed super-strong soap solution, the bubbles produced are so big that kids can stand inside them.

The new Xtreme Tornado Bubble Machine blows more than 1000 bubbles a minute. The bubble machine features a tornado design, 12 rotating bubble blowers, a powerful motor and super-strong soap solution.

With Animal Yoga, kids spin the wheel and take a card to see which pose they have to do.

With 27 yoga poses including a varied mix of balance exercises and power moves, this product is ideal for supporting a child’s confidence and concentration, as well as being a relaxing and active source of fun.

The Parachute Flying Toucan lets kids see how high the toucan can fly through the air.

Measuring 2.5 metres in diameter, there are endless opportunities for games.

SES Creative Playground Chalks features six high-quality and brightly-coloured chalks, perfect for drawing on a variety of surfaces.

For more information on SES Creative’s products, email sales@ses-creative.co.uk or call the above number.

Toy World 96

an for l p g n i t e k r a m Heavyweight lobal leader in g 2021 from the for all ages s wheeled good

For direct sales enquiries, contact: Robbie Toys Limited +44 (0) 1843 604448 sales@robbietoys.co.uk

For sales, media and PR enquiries, contact: Razor USA EMEA Headquarters +44 (0) 1884 254110 sales@razoremea.com

Allegedly

In the ongoing saga of Brexit and ‘Freight Britain’, it has emerged that drivers will need a ‘Kent Access Permit’ to get into the county after December 31st, creating a de facto internal border….in Kent.

Maybe our government has been following Trump’s lead: “We’re going to build a wall…and Maidstone is going to pay for it!” The sad thing is that while we joke about it, this whole fiasco could have a profound impact on retailers and suppliers next year: we’re creating borders where there were none, inflicting cost where none was previously levied. Last month, Michael Gove admitted that a 7,000-strong lorry queue could easily follow in the wake of the new arrangements: to put that in context, last year it was suggested that a queue of between 1,200 and 2,724 heavy goods vehicles would lead to tailbacks lasting six days. Now multiply that by six…thank goodness January is not a key month for toy stock to arrive in the UK. Hopefully, the wrinkles will be ironed out by the time toy shipments start to arrive in earnest…

The postponement of the Nuremberg Toy Fair came as a shock to some, as the show organisers had issued a statement only a month or so ago, stating that the show would be going ahead.

However, ‘real world’ events clearly overtook the situation. It was a fairly open secret that a number of major multi-national toy companies wouldn’t have exhibited in Nuremberg in January: I even received a statement from one company, although I was asked not to release it, which I respected. It was obvious why: not only did they not want to be the first company to announce that they would be pulling out, but I suspect they hoped all along that they would never have to go public at all, should the show be cancelled. Another big clue came when the organiser of the Frankfurt shows announced it would be postponing until April: at that point, it seemed entirely logical that if Frankfurt deemed postponement necessary, other German shows were likely to follow suit. There is talk of the Nuremberg Toy Fair being delayed until the summer, which would undoubtedly have its merits: walking around the Messe showground or the old town in the evening in just a shirt, rather than thermals, two jumpers, a heavy coat and fetching gloves/scarf/wooly hat combo certainly appeals.

On the flip side, many toy retailers will have finalized their autumn winter selection process by the summer – it’s a tough one to call…

The Hong Kong Toy Fair has moved from its traditional slot in early January to a potential new date at the end of April. On the one hand, it was a logical (unavoidable?) decision to give up on January, with the existing quarantine regulations making the trip all but impossible – unless you were prepared to travel before Christmas and spend the festive season on your own in a hotel room (and I couldn’t see too many takers for that). The proposed new date would see the show coincide with the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, which has a certain logic to it. Unfortunately, the dates (27-30 April) immediately precede the proposed new dates for the New York Toy Fair (1-4 May), which is less than ideal. Time will tell whether virus conditions allow either or both events to take place, and to what extent the consecutive dates would impact people’s ability to attend both shows…

Toy World 98

In the absence of trade shows, there will be challenges for retailers and suppliers to face. We coped relatively comfortably this year, as retailers saw all the new products at last year’s previews and shows. And while spring summer previews had to be conducted digitally, it is not an insurmountable problem, given the modest level of new launches for that period – previewing for autumn winter is a whole different ball game. I spoke to a couple of suppliers this week who admitted that a sense of ‘zoom fatigue’ is beginning to creep in. I’m hearing that some suppliers are looking at live, interactive broadcasts as a way to inject some pizzazz and create more engagement into proceedings, while there is also talk of socially distanced physical previews potentially making a comeback in January / February, virus conditions permitting…

The next Jurassic World movie has been delayed from summer 2021 to summer 2022. So, if you harboured hopes that consumers will be flocking back to cinemas in the early stages of next year, it seems that movie studios don’t necessarily share your conviction. We had already seen the James Bond movie postponed yet again, this time from November to April 2021 – and who would bet against further postponement? Turns out James Bond’s licence to kill has been extended to British cinemas, as major chain Cineworld announced shortly afterwards that it would be temporarily closing all its UK cinemas, with the loss of over 5,000 jobs. Odeon has also proposed weekendonly opening at just a quarter of its 120 UK sites. In fairness, you can’t really blame them, when they don’t have anything new to show. It would also be pretty awful if you were a major retailer which had selected two key movie-driven properties to support heavily on a cross-category level in 2021 and both movies ended up getting moved back to the following year – although maybe that is just one of the pitfalls of making early decisions in the current climate…

The BTHA reminded everyone last month that the problem we have seen with unsafe products being sold by third-party sellers on online platforms is not going away…in fact, evidence shows it is actually getting worse, which is hugely disappointing. Online platforms have played a pivotal role in keeping the toy market buoyant in this most unusual of years, so I can understand why some suppliers might be reluctant to be seen to be ‘sticking the boot in’ at the moment. But, come on – 60% of the toys tested by the BTHA had serious safety failures and 86% were illegal to sell in the UK. That is simply not good enough. Online platforms have had plenty of time to get their house in order, and despite the weasel words, it appears that little or no genuine action is being taken (or if it is being taken, it is largely proving ineffective). I genuinely hope that MPs aren’t too distracted with covid and Brexit to be able to introduce legislation to tackle the problem. Time to earn your wage increase, MP chaps and chapesses…

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