Feature - Outdoor Toys

Outdoor toys big 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.

There 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.”

“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 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 price point and appeals to a wide age range too.”

David has been pleased to see trade shows opening up again this year and says One For Fun is keen to showcase all of its ranges to customers in the coming months.

“It is no surprise that licences are taking an increased share of the market,” says managing director Phil Ratcliffe. “Notwithstanding our unparalleled line up of classic licences, the toy market is notoriously trend led, and we have supplemented our portfolio of classic licences with the latest hot and in demand properties such as Bluey and Encanto.” Phil explains that the growth of streaming services has impacted the launch and longevity of new licences - and revitalised existing franchises. For 2023, MV Sports will be introducing a host of new properties including Gabby’s Dollhouse, My Little Pony, Transformers and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The e-mobility category is experiencing major growth and Phil adds that MV Sports has plans to expand its lithium electric ranges. This will include beautifully decorated, limited edition licensed e-motorbikes, as well as a range of Electric Life e-scooters and e-bikes.

With MV Sports offering many larger ticket items, does Phil foresee challenging times ahead with the cost-of-living crisis impacting sales, particularly at Christmas when parents usually spend more? He doesn’t think so. “Parents are less likely to cut back on spending on their kids for Christmas than perhaps other areas, so while there will be some impact, it will not be as marked as in other sectors,” he replies. “If a child wants a licensed scooter for Christmas, then I am confident that’s what they will get.”

For retailers, he says MV Sports will remain flexible in terms of when and how to buy, and the company will be running various incentives towards the end of the year to enhance its overall proposition. It will also be focusing on providing the best possible content for bespoke marketing plans for customers. This will include emphasising the company’s green credentials; the majority of products are either human or clean energy powered. MV Sports is proud to have been fully solar powered for many years and with expansion plans for its new warehouse well underway, it will be incorporating solar panels into the building.

Also offering an extensive range of new licensed toys, including ride-ons, Wilton Bradley says its products inspire innovation and help to create a point of difference. The company offers a wide variety of outdoor toys, from go-karts and scooters in the Xootz range to educational toys, such as the Water Wall, in its Playhouse brand.

A new introduction which is exciting design director Scott Eden is the new Xoots Bumper Car, which launches in 2023 and is said to be the first of its kind in the toy market. “We’ve found the innovative products we’ve developed, which offer a point of difference from the competition, are being very well received by consumers and are now driving the direction that we’re taking our range in.” He adds: “Our focus is on developing the range in line with recent successful product launches. The market remains strong and, despite increased competition, there’s a place for unique products to enter and succeed. With current global conditions, consumers will be looking for ways to make every pound count, so value for money and new to market features/products will be crucial to inspire the purchasing decision.” Scott acknowledges though that this innovation and uniqueness needs to be communicated effectively to the end consumer, which is why Wilton Bradley will be supporting these products with engaging content and using influencers to give a hands-on view of the product to a targeted audience.

HTI Toys will also continue to use social media platforms and work with influencers to promote its products and recently joined TikTok to deliver high engagement videos. The company has enjoyed a buoyant year and though demand for its bubbles products was, as always, sky high during the summer months, it was able to keep up with orders thanks to its cutting-edge manufacturing facility in the Northwest of England, which enables a quick turnaround. “The increase in our bubble production, together with a wide variety of product lines under our Bubblz brand, means we were well-prepared for the busy summer season,” says marketing manager Nancy Fielden.

Additionally, the hot weather gave a huge boost to HTI’s licensed ranges of patio furniture, including those themed with Peppa Pig, Hey Duggee, Baby Shark, Bluey and Paw Patrol characters. The company’s Evo range of scooters and wheeled products continues to perform way beyond expectations, and Nancy says the company is particularly proud of its new character lines and the ever-evolving range which appeal to various age groups.

Evo is expanding the range for AW23 with targeted areas of innovation. Research identified that characterisation and light-up features were popular drivers for online sales both in the UK and overseas, so new unicorn and dinosaur patterns are being introduced into the pre-school and early years ranges, along with the development of a new light-up scooter.

Echoing other manufacturers, HTI can see challenging times ahead in the current global climate, but Nancy says the company has taken every precaution to reduce the likelihood that economic conditions will have a negative impact on its entire operation. “To ensure that we provide value to the consumer while managing to meet and maintain margin expectations, we are prepared. We have reconciled pricing to meet consumer affordability, and we will continue to pay close attention to the needs and wishes of the market. We will also grow our skills in people, systems and technology to improve our capabilities and ensure HTI stays ahead of the curve.”

Over the next few pages, you can check out the latest outdoor toys from a range of leading suppliers.