Feature
Outdoor Toys
Outdoor toys
big T
here was always the summer of 1976. That is, until we had the summer of 2022. This summer was certainly one that will go down in history, usurping the historic heatwave that we have harked back to for decades. The constant whirring of fans in homes and workplaces up and down the country coincided with tarmac-melting temperatures on airport runways and rivers drying to little more than a trickle. The warm weather also sparked a flurry of sales in paddling pools, trampolines and garden toys as families ventured outside to soak up the sunshine, boosting the already booming outdoor toy sector, which has experienced significant growth in the past 12 months. Retailers, especially those in prime seaside locations, reported exceptionally busy school holidays and some, such as Howleys Toymaster in Weymouth, even extended their opening hours into the evenings to meet the demand for beach and outdoor toys. “Last year was fantastic with so few people going abroad, and we really didn’t think we’d achieve those numbers again this year because footfall had been down a bit,” reports Howleys’ operations manager John Bentley. “But the heatwave compensated for this, bringing so many people down to the coast.”
business This year’s heatwave meant many outdoor toy suppliers found their sales rising as quickly as the temperatures. Sam Giltrow discovers what has been popular and the trends which will be encouraging children to get active outside in 2023.
“The great weather led to some major sales in the garden games area of the business,” says Andy Griffin, marketing director for Reydon Sports, which distributes a wide range of outdoor toy and sports lines with brands such as Nerf, Franklin, Swingball and PowerPlay. “Our offering into the toy retail sector in particular has exploded in the last 12 months.” Reydon distributes over 7,000 SKUs, based around activity and sport, and Andy adds that it was great to have the return of a “normal summer” this year. “It was absolutely fantastic to see a full summer of sport back in action once again and our traditional sport product offering thriving with retailers across the globe,” he enthuses. Two of Reydon’s biggest recent successes have been the Nerf and Franklin Sports collections, which Andy believes are still yet to reach full potential in the market. Reydon has exclusive distribution for the brands, and they have helped the company secure business with major multiples, in Ireland in particular. “The 30 plus SKU launch for Nerf and 16 plus SKU launch for Franklin unveiled a superb set of sporting product lines which fit perfectly into any toy, sport, leisure or multiple retailer,” adds Andy. With a growing trend towards staycations and camping, this year Reydon has seen a big increase in demand for outdoor toys, particularly 2-4 player sets and family games such as badminton, volleyball and
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cricket. The company is looking forward to showcasing its new products at London Toy Fair in January and connecting with more retailers through now being an accredited supplier to Toymaster. “It is a sheer joy to be officially recognised by the group after supplying members with successful ranges over the last 18 months,” says Andy. “May the flourishing partnership continue into 2023 and beyond.” “Great weather always helps, and we were very pleased to see that sales remained consistent, especially after the massive increase in sales the year before,” says David Mordecai, CEO of One For Fun, which offers a wide range of outdoor toys, from pop up play tents and inflatable hoppers to scooters and skateboards. The latter is a product the company has seen a surge in, as kids tapped into the rising popularity of skateboarding, fuelled by GB’s success last year at the Tokyo Olympics. David is particularly excited about the new Mirror finish range of skateboards from Ozbozz, which come in a variety of sizes and feature a metallic, almost chrome, finish with designs including a wild goose, lion, wolf, skulls, flowers and geometric patterns. “We wanted to continue to nurture the interest in the sport,” he explains. “Our new boards are stylish and well made, covering a full-size range at a great price. We pride ourselves on introducing product which meets every
