Toy World Magazine November 2023

November 2023 Volume 13 Issue 03

The Team...

CONTENTS November 2023 Volume 13 Issue 03

John Baulch

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

74

46 Feature: Q1 Ranges

Company Profile: Sambro

Mark Austin

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

Anita Baulch

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

New

Regulars

Features

05 From the Publisher

20 Generation Media

22 Brand Profile: Batwheels

06 News

28 Circana

16 Industry Moves

31 Talking Shop

18 Marketing World

34 Fresh

24 Licensing World

44 Letter from America 84 Viewpoint 114 Allegedly

38 Company Profile: Clementoni 46 Feature: Q1 Ranges 74

Company Profile: Sambro

78 Company Profile: Bruder 80 Special Feature: New York Toy Fair 86 Feature: Outdoor Toys

Contributors Circana | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | Emilie Flanders | Asha Bhalsod | Rick Derr

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

80 Special Feature: New York Toy Fair

86 Feature: Outdoor Toys

Marianna Casal

Assistant Editor marianna@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

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Toy World Magazine

61 Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7DZ

W from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

ith less than two months to go before the big day, the toy community is gearing up for all the twists and turns which inevitably characterise a typical festive season. Will retailers have enough stock of the right lines? How will the supply chain cope with moving vast quantities of product from suppliers to retailers’ warehouse and stores in such a short window?

Will retailers hold their nerve, or will some panic and start aggressively cutting prices if sales are falling behind expectations?

other? Again, initial supplier reaction suggests the former, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

There are at least some encouraging early signs: I gather the UK toy market held up reasonably well in September, with Circana data rumoured to be on a par with last year, suggesting that the festive season got off to a respectable start. Talking to a few ad agencies recently, I gather that planned festive marketing campaigns are still very much ‘go’ – as one said, “no-one is panicking just yet.” Plus, there have been plenty of innovative PR activations and launch events arranged by toy companies to showcase new launches.

Of course, in addition to the focus on the festive season, toy retailers will also have one eye on the post-Christmas period. The weeks following the Big Day provide a great opportunity not just for toy retailers to clear excess stock, but to give kids the opportunity to spend the money and vouchers they received. So, one of our product features this month looks at Q1 ranges, highlighting new lines and range extensions which will be hitting shelves from Boxing Day onwards.

Retailers are doing their bit too. While we may not have the launch of the Argos catalogue to drive early sales anymore, lots of other specialist toy retailers are filling that gap with catalogues of their own – The Entertainer, Toymaster and Smyths have all launched their own catalogues in recent weeks. In addition, just about every individual retail operation has unveiled a Top Toys for Christmas list – and that’s even before the industry’s Dream Toys event presents the consensus choices of the industry’s leading retailers next week. Keep an eye on the Toy World website for news of the Dream Toys list as soon as it is announced.

And where does Amazon fit into the equation? Its Prime Big Deals Days took place in the middle of October – I wonder if that event move the dial for suppliers and retailers. I would love to hear feedback, as I don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, so I have absolutely no idea whether toys featured prominently in the deals and the communication around the campaign, or whether it centred around electronics and other categories. I understand Amazon believes that this new event is a big opportunity to kickstart Christmas shopping, so I am curious to know whether the reality lived up to the expectations – the first couple of toy people I spoke to about it didn’t seem to feel it had much impact at all but do let me know if you feel differently. There is also the question of whether this new event takes the edge off Black Friday, or whether the two events dovetail and complement each

Retailers are certainly ramping up activity to encourage consumers to start Christmas shopping - now we need consumers to respond. Some will surely see the benefit of spreading the cost of their festive shopping by starting early, but I suspect that others will have to wait until their December pay cheque hits their account before heading to the shops. No matter what happens over the next few weeks, it’s important to remember that ‘it’s not over ‘til it’s over’ when it comes to Christmas sales.

Our other feature also covers the spring summer period, focusing specifically on Outdoor Toys. This year was very much a mixed bag for outdoor suppliers; despite the fact that it was apparently the eighth warmest summer on record (really!), we didn’t get many prolonged periods of warm, dry weather, especially in July and August during the school holidays. This unfortunately dampened sales in some quarters, and some suppliers we spoke to for this feature seemed quite downcast as a result. However, plenty of other outdoor companies have put 2023 well and truly behind them and are looking to next year with renewed optimism, with a host of new launches they’re excited about sharing. Those are the suppliers you will read all about in the feature, which starts on page 86. As several of them pointed out, products like scooters and bikes are used all year round by kids, come rain or shine – and who knows, maybe the climate will be a little kinder to the category next year.

We’ll be back next month as we lead into Toy Fair Season with a ‘first look’ at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, before our monster January issue hits desks early in January, previewing London Toy Fair and accompanies by a pull-out supplement covering Nuremberg. The next two months at Toy World Towers will see us spending every waking moment pulling that issue together and immersing ourselves in all the new and exciting launches coming your way next year. It’s a frantic, intense time – just as it is for all suppliers and retailers. And I doubt any of us would change a thing.

Making lives more playful Contact us today to find out how our exclusively-senior expertise, deep market knowledge and unique FOCUS methodology ensures we deliver playful-yet-transformational results for clients. www.playtimepr.com | 01908 032 700 | tw@playtimepr.com

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News Spin Master to acquire Melissa & Doug Spin Master has announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire US-based Melissa & Doug for $950m in cash. The company said the acquisition will bolster Spin Master’s position as a leader in the children’s entertainment industry and will bring complementary capabilities in early childhood toys by adding Melissa & Doug’s high-quality offerings of open-ended, creative and developmental wooden toys.

“What excites us so much about Melissa & Doug is the power of the brand, the team’s deep knowledge in developmental play and its passion for creativity, imagination and sustainability,” said Max Rangel, Spin Master’s global president and CEO. “As a trusted brand of early childhood toys with an evergreen portfolio, Melissa & Doug will expand Spin Master’s presence in new categories, providing immediate revenue growth, broader reach in all retail channels and market coverage.”

Melissa & Doug president and CEO, Fernando Mercé, added: “Throughout our 35-year history, Melissa & Doug has helped ignite children’s imaginations by fostering open-ended, sustainable play. We are confident that by working together with Spin Master, we will be able to reach more families, inspire more imaginations and unlock greater growth potential.”

Anton Rabie, Spin Master’s co-founder, said: “We have an incredible history of pursuing accretive acquisitions to propel our growth as a company and have become trusted stewards of many renowned and beloved children’s brands,” while co-founder Ronnen Harary added: “With this acquisition, we are committed to preserving the essence of what Melissa & Doug represents for families and are confident that our investment will enable us to accelerate growth and build upon our legacy as a leader in the children’s entertainment industry now and into the future.”

Spin Master plans to finance the $950m purchase price with approximately $450m balance sheet cash and $500m in debt financing. The acquisition is expected to close early in the first quarter of 2024 and Toy World understands that both Spin Master and Melissa & Doug will continue to operate individually for the remainder of this year.

The BTHA tells Toy World how Toy Fair 2024 is shaping up Majen Immink, director of Fairs & Special Events at the British Toy & Hobby Association, details new and returning exhibitors for next year, plus how the organisation is celebrating the show’s 70th anniversary.

How are things shaping up for Toy Fair 2023?

Toy Fair is shaping up to be an incredible event. The exhibition space sold out months in advance, and our healthy waiting list demonstrates the demand to exhibit with us. Indeed, if you are interested in joining the exhibitor waiting list, please visit our website at www.toyfair.co.uk.

This year we have seen the re-booking rate reach its highest point in years. This is testament to the industry’s unwavering trust in the event and reaffirms the importance of Toy Fair in the industry calendar for all the brands and exhibitors that showcase at it.

We remain forever grateful for the continued support of the show by the UK toy industry. This year, to accommodate the high demand for stands, we have extended our floorplan space and will be using both levels of the National and Grand Halls, as well as part of the Upper West Hall of Olympia. We have a stellar line up of exhibiting companies and visitors can look forward to a buzzing and packed Olympia, with even more product showcases and immersive experience.

We are thrilled to have had such a high returnee rate of exhibitors including Lego, Hasbro, Character Options, Golden Bear Toys and Jazwares, plus many more, as well as lots of exciting new companies including Tokidoki and Skillmatics, amongst others. We are also delighted to welcome Tomy, HTI and Spin Master back to the show after a period of absence.

The 2024 show is going to a particularly special one, correct?

Yes, Toy Fair 2024 celebrates a momentous milestone: our 70th anniversary. We’ve planned an array of exciting activities that will take place throughout the event, filled with surprises and a touch of nostalgia to pay tribute to 70 incredible years of Toy Fair. While I can’t share all the details just yet, visitors should expect the perfect blend of the past and the modern cutting edge, as we honour the rich history and celebrate the remarkable journey of Toy Fair over the past 70 years.

We are also proud to mention that the Toy Industry Awards will be presented on Tuesday 23rd January, celebrating retailers and suppliers across various categories. Limited tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please contact Matt@btha.co.uk.

What preparations should people be making for Toy Fair at this stage?

For exhibitors, it is essential to finalise stand builds and designs to make a strong impression on the show floor. Standing out will ensure maximum visibility and engagement.

Additionally, don’t solely rely on footfall, but proactively reach out to book meetings in advance. We have introduced a new function on our website’s exhibitor portal, providing exhibitors with the option to request meetings with visitors.

If you are a visitor, you should register for your free visitor pass on the Toy Fair website to secure your attendance. Take the time to study the floor plan and exhibitor list and reach out to exhibitors to schedule meetings. Planning ahead will make your visit more productive and efficient.

We are looking forward to celebrating 70 years of Toy Fair and warmly welcome you to join us.

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News Smyths Toys Superstores unveils top toys for Christmas Smyths Toys Superstores has revealed a list of what its buyers consider to be the coolest, most popular toys of 2023, to help shoppers make the most of their Christmas shopping budget.

The list features some of this year’s most exciting toys, including toys from classic brands like Hot Wheels, Barbie and Lego, and also includes new releases like WWE, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many more.

“With so many wonderful toys this year, we’ve been spoiled for choice. There are some very cool new pets; new interactive Pet Bitzee is already a favourite for kids and Furby is back and cooler than ever – try out the meditation mode,” commented Sinead Byrne, European Marketing director at Smyths Toys Superstores. “We are also very excited about our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles range, perfect for fans of all ages; there’s a Turtles Pizza Van and figures of all the favourite Turtles. The list also features many other popular favourites and – exclusive to Smyths Toys – super cute Squishmallows Fuzzamallows. There’s something for everyone, and all price ranges this Christmas, at Smyths Toys Superstore”.

Smyths Toys Superstores Top Toys List: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Ninja Turtles Pizza Van and Figures (Character Options) Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Mini – Bunny (Moose Toys) Interactive Digital Pet (Spin Master) Hot Wheels Mega Garage – exclusive to Smyths – (Mattel) Double Shot Basketball Arcade with Timer – exclusive to Smyths.

R emote Control Road Rage Bumper Cars – exclusive to Smyths Toys – (Sharper Image) 7. Cool Maker PopStyle Bracelet Maker (Spin Master) 8. Barbie Pop Reveal Dolls (Mattel) 9. Heroes of Goo Jit Zu King Hydra (Character Options) 10. Squishmallows Fuzz-a-Mallows – exclusive to Smyths – (Jazwares)

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Tie-Dye Furby – exclusive to Smyths – (Hasbro) Lego Arctic Ship Explorer (Lego) Paw Patrol Skye’s Deluxe Movie Jet – (Spin Master) WWE Monster Truck – exclusive to Smyths – (Mattel) Schleich Horse Club Transporter (Schleich)

United Wheels partners with Moons toy shop to offer branded bike store

Brainstorm makes strides towards sustainability goals

In August, after trading for over 50 years on the High street, Moons Toy Store, previously Newmarket Toy Shop, moved a short distance to a larger premises. With the new premises came an increase in space and an opportunity to have a dedicated bike department.

Moons settled on partnering with Huffy - not only because of the quality of the bikes on offer, Disney licences and retail support - but also being able to offer scooters, ride-ons and green machines.

The partnership has seen an amazing instore install from Huffy which includes dedicated branded space for displaying bikes, a height chart to help guide consumers on their bike choice, dedicated training, large window display and an area to try the bikes out.

Paul Bulger, UK Sales manager at United Wheels, commented: “When we had the opportunity to partner with Moons, we jumped at the chance. Independent toy shops like Moons and other Toymaster members are perfect to showcase Huffy and Disney bikes within their stores. With the expertise and customer dedication found in store, it made perfect sense to have Moons as an ambassador for United Wheels.”

Glenn McGrath, Marketing manager at Huffy, explained the challenges faced to get the installation completed on time: “We wanted to make sure it looked fantastic and in line with how amazing the Moons store looked.” He added: “We were very keen to make sure we had everything in place for the last few months of the year. Trends come and go but the one constant over the decades is the little girl or boy wanting a bike for Christmas and their Birthday, and that’s something we don’t see changing for a very long time.”

United Wheels is open to discussions for instore opportunities; simply contact Paul Bulger or Glenn McGrath (pbulger@unitedhweels.eu or gmcgrath@unitedwheels.eu)

The company has been implementing robust practices over the past few years to ensure that its sustainability goals are met in line with its own stringent targets, and the compliance team has outlined its goals for 2024 and beyond.

Most notably, the company has reduced plastic packaging across all ranges which is evident on all new product launches as well as being implemented throughout existing lines. With the ultimate aim of eradicating single-use plastic from all of its products, Brainstorm has introduced a programme to change all of its blister packed items into a carboard pack using recycled or FSC card where possible. So far, the company has reduced its plastic importation by 30% per annum, with ambitious targets for 2024 and beyond.

Helping Brainstorm with its net zero journey is the Beyondly compliance scheme, which ensures the company meets all obligations for plastic packaging tax, waste electrical or electronic equipment (WEEE) and more. Brainstorm’s Gisburn head office, which is also home to the company warehouse, also achieved its goal of 100% renewable energy in August 2023.

Katey Greenwood, compliance manager at Brainstorm, said: “We are wholly committed to our net zero journey and are continuously looking at ways in which we can achieve more sustainability across the company to help us meet the rigorous targets we have set ourselves. Retailers will have already seen this implemented across packaging which not only benefits the environment but also thoughtfully adds to our product quality and aesthetic.”

She added: “We are enjoying this process immensely and it has had a positive impact on the business as a whole; we are consistently looking at ways to innovate to reduce our environmental impact. Since we began measuring our scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions two years ago, we have reduced GHG emissions by 18.9%. We have set a target to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 40% by 2030 against our April 2020-March 2021 baseline.”

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23 RD - 25 TH JANUARY 2024 OLYMPIA LONDON Pre-register for your FREE visitor badge at toyfair.co.uk

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ing 250 exhibit er all und companies f one roo network Chance to at & forge gre relations reviews Exclusive p new s of of thousand products s First acces st new to the hotte 24 0 trends for 2 n-site Exclusive o retail offers

@ToyFairUK *Please note Toy Fair is unfortunately not open to the public* For more information on exhibition & sponsorship opportunities please email Rebecca@btha.co.uk. For PR opportunities please email toyfair@retailpr.co

News Hamleys reveals Top 10 for Christmas Hamleys has unveiled its highly anticipated Top 10 Toys for Christmas. Meticulously curated by a team of toy experts at the UK’s oldest and most trusted toy retailer, the list includes the newest, most sought-after toys that Hamleys buyers predict will become an absolute must have this festive season.

Victoria Kay, head of Buying at Hamleys, commented: “We’ve closely observed the trends shaping the toy industry, including toys inspired by beloved on-screen characters and the continued Kidult trend. We’re confident that our choices embody the very essence of Christmas and offer everyone the opportunity to discover their new favourite toy. Given the ongoing challenges, we recognise the importance of providing parents with a range of pricing options, allowing them the flexibility to plan and purchase thoughtfully. We have also diversified our toy selection to create an additional pull-out list of Top 3 toys that collector parents or Kidults would enjoy.”

The Top Ten Toys, as selected by Hamleys, are as follows: 1. Barbie Pop Reveal Fruit Series – Mattel (RRP £27) 2. L.O.L. Surprise! Magic Flyers – MGA Entertainment (RRP £35) 3. Ty Marvel 14” Squish-A-Boos – Ty (RRP £18) 4. Harry Potter Hamley Bears – Hamleys (RRP £30) 5. Beast Lab – Moose Toys (RRP £90) 6. Hamleys Magic Moving Car – Hamleys (RRP £40) 7. Disney Winnie & Piglet’s Treehouse – Playmobil (RPP £50) 8. Hamleys Wooden Bus – Hamleys (RRP £35) 9. Paw Patrol Movie Skye Deluxe Vehicle – Spin Master (RRP £50) 10. Twister Air – Hasbro (RRP £25) The Top 3 Toys for kidult enthusiasts are as follows: 1. Ralleyz Soft Dart Blaster – Hamleys (RRP £40) 2. Anime The Cult of San Reja Neil – JoyToy (RRP £45) 3. Tamiya Lunch Box – Tamiya (RRP £150) Victoria added: “What’s not on the list, but is very much a coveted Christmas gift, is a day at Hamleys. With our magical in-store experiences, Elfie selfies and a chance to meet favourite characters offered complimentary to all visitors, a visit to Hamleys truly captures the warmth of Christmas season and crafts memories that last for a lifetime.”

Bandai to bring back Littlest Pet Shop Bandai has been appointed distributor for the relaunch of the iconic collectible range Littlest Pet Shop in the UK and key EU markets.

First launched by Hasbro in 1992, the relaunch of Littlest Pet Shop will be driven by a multi-year exclusive partnership between Hasbro and Basic Fun! As part of its distribution agreement with Basic Fun!, Bandai will bring this legacy toy collection to the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain & Portugal, and Mexico in 2024.

With over 1b pets sold worldwide since the brand’s initial launch over 30 years ago, the original collectible pet range included more than 3,000 Littlest Pet Shop pets, with the average child owning 25 pets to play with, display and trade. As a testament to its legacy status, the quirky, edgy, and undeniably cute pets synonymous with Littlest Pet Shop remain popular with kid and kidult collectors today.

Bandai’s newest distribution line will include a cross-category range of collectible figures and play sets as well as an immersive digital play experience.

The new Littlest Pet Shop collection will launch globally in Q1 2024.

Lego revises sustainability targets Lego has been exploring alternatives to plastic to meet sustainability requirements but has so far failed to find a material durable enough to last for generations. The company has now scrapped plans to make its bricks from recycled bottles, a project put forward by the company in an attempt to cut carbon emissions. Lego said in 2021 that it was targeting the production of bricks which did not contain crude oil within two years, however it has now discovered that using the new material failed to reduce carbon emissions.

Many Lego bricks are made using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a virgin plastic made from crude oil, and the company had promised that such materials would be phased out. Lego has been exploring alternative materials to plastic in order to reduce its own carbon footprint, as well as address sustainability becoming increasingly important to consumers.

One of the challenges has been finding a material durable enough to last for generations. In 2021, Lego reported it had developed prototype bricks made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, with other chemicals added, but more than two years of testing has found that using recycled PET didn’t reduce carbon emissions, because extra steps are required in the production process, using more energy. As a result, Lego has “decided not to progress” with making bricks from the alternative material.

Lego said it is currently continuing to test and develop bricks made from “a range of alternative sustainable materials”. Speaking to the Financial Times, Niels Christiansen, Lego chief executive, said: “We tested hundreds and hundreds of materials. It’s just not been possible to find a material like that.”

However, a spokesperson for Lego told the BBC: “We remain fully committed to making Lego bricks from sustainable materials by 2032. We are investing more than $1.2b in sustainability initiatives in the four years to 2025 as part of our efforts to transition to more sustainable materials and reduce our carbon emissions by 37% by 2032.”

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han

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Get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible by playing the right color, the right word, or both!

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Twisted History is an award winning, laugh-out-loud, conversation-starting party game that takes you on a journey through the seven twisted eras of history, where life and death was weird and rather gruesome.

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The past can be deadly. Can you make it out alive? Not just for history buffs, this gruesome game is for anyone

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News Argos reveals its top toys for Christmas 2023 The list covers a wide selection of toys, with 50% of the list coming in for under £30. Alongside the big-name brands appearing on this year’s list, Argos has also chosen a number of Chad Valley lines.

Fay Williams, head of toy buying at Argos, said: “It’s clear that innovation in the toy world is having a big impact on what’s hitting the shelves this Christmas. We’re seeing some exciting changes when it comes to interactive and educational toys, as well as continued evolution of toys that inspire creativity through role-play. I’m particularly excited to see how scienceinspired toys like Beast Lab and new challenge toys like My Puppy’s Home become future Christmas classics. We sell a toy every two seconds at Argos and alongside the incredible innovation in the industry, it’s wonderful to see nostalgic brands like Furby, Barbie and Lego loved by a new generation of kids.”

Fay added: “We know that the increased cost of living will be playing on families’ minds this Christmas, so we’ve made sure to include a variety of toys that offer great value whatever your budget, interest or play passion.”

Argos’ Top Toys for Christmas are as follows: 1. Beast Lab – Moose Toys (RRP £90) 2. MGA’s Miniverse Diner – MGA Entertainment (RRP £9) 3. Squishmallows Drew the Dragon – Jazwares (RRP £13) 4. Fingerlings Monkey – Character Options (RRP £18) 5. 332nd Ahsoka’s Clone Trooper Battle Pack – Lego (RRP £21) 6. Harry Potter Dobby the House Elf – Lego (RRP £25) 7. Bitzee Interactive Pet – Spin Master (RRP £32) 8. TMNT Pizza Fire Delivery Van – Playmates Toys (RRP £40, via Character Options) 9. Nerf Elite Double Punch – Hasbro (RRP £40) 10. Technic Lamborghini Huracan – Lego (RRP £47) 11. Furby – Hasbro (RRP £65) 12. Little Live Pets My Puppy’s Home Dalmatian Edition – Moose Toys (RRP £65) 13. Gabby’s Dollhouse Cruise Ship – Spin Master (RRP £65) 14. Barbie Wow House – Mattel (RRP £170) 15. Chad Valley Trevor T-Rex (RRP £9) 16. Chad Valley Pizza (RRP £11) 17. Chad Valley 2-in-1 Wooden Cafe (RRP £25) 18. Chad Valley Connie Designer Fashion Doll (RRP £30)

Halilit to represent Buki France in UK Halilit has announced that as from 1st January 2024, Buki France’s extensive collection of educational toys and craft products will be available through the popular UK distributor.

Established in 1992, the Buki France collection of toys has seen huge success across Europe, offering an extensive collection of items for girls and boys from preschool to teens. Crossing multiple categories such as outdoor toys, science and discovery, crafting and stationery sets, the popular brand spans a range of price points offering retailers a one stop collection of desirable, highquality toys and gifts.

‘With both companies being known for their focus on providing developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children, the collaboration between Halilit and Buki France seemed a natural fit’ explains Amy Wildman, Sales and Marketing director. “Buki France’s toys are developed with the utmost care and attention to detail, having thoroughly researched the retail space to ensure all products address consumer needs and thus consistently exceed their expectations. At Halilit, we’ve been toying with expanding our offering to include school aged children for some time, however wanted to be sure of the right fit, so we’re thrilled to be welcoming Buki France into the Halilit portfolio.”

The Buki France toy collection will be on display on the Halilit stand at London Toy Fair, however existing stockists or those wanting more information on the range immediately are invited to contact sales@halilit.co.uk.

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Joking Hazard teams up with M.O.B Vanguard Joking Hazard has announced a new partnership with M.O.B Vanguard in a continued effort to be at the forefront of bringing fun and laughter to homes around the globe.

Hazard began the foray into tabletop gaming with the launch of a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign to create its flagship game of the same name. This endeavour garnered support from over 63,000 backers, raising an impressive $3.2m in funding. The company’s expanding portfolio includes best-selling party games like Trial By Trolley and Master Dater, and the team is now moving into the family-friendly realm with the upcoming sausage-themed strategy game, Sosig.

M.O.B Vanguard has been involved with tabletop gaming for decades, continuing to be a stalwart supporter and nurturer of creativity within the industry. With a focus on licensing and tabletop gaming consulting, it has proudly collaborated with and served many prominent companies and figures in the gaming industry and has signed over 500 contracts and sold over 2m games.

News Obituary: Craig Mair

Obituary: Pam Dobson

Toy World is sad to announce the untimely passing of Craig Mair, a well-known and much-loved member of the UK toy trade.

Craig was well known throughout the toy industry, having spent most of his working life at The Lego Group, with subsequent periods at Wizards of the Coast, Funrise and Spin Master.

Former colleague at The Lego Group, Kerry Walgrove, has penned the following obituary: Craig had a huge heart and deep sense of compassion for others. As a colleague he was reliable, fun, creative and an endless source of energy. He loved karaoke and could always be relied on for a better than average rendition of The Gambler.

Craig was a key member of the Lego UK team during strong years of growth for the company and was instrumental in winning the Lego Group some highly coveted retailer awards. As a leader, he was an excellent coach and mentor, naturally empathetic and supportive. His tenacity and love for the brand played a huge part in many of those successes.

In his younger years, Craig was a keen sportsman. At Mark Warner holidays, he taught water sports.

He loved cricket, but his first sporting love was hockey. He was an excellent skier and diver and an ardent supporter of England rugby, which offset a rather dubious affection for Tottenham Hotspur.

Craig was a natural host and an excellent BBQ chef. Having strong family ties with South Africa, he spent years perfecting his own biltong recipe. His family parties were legendary, with his extensive music collection and natural, overflowing generosity.

Sadly, earlier this year, Craig’s second son, Jonah, passed away, which devastated both him and his family. Craig leaves behind a wife and two sons from a previous marriage.

Craig has been taken too soon and there will be a hole in the lives of all who knew him. With aching hearts, we send our love and compassion to his family and friends in this time of grief.

Toy World would like to add its condolences to Craig’s friends and family at this sad time.

Toy World is sad to report that much-loved retailer Pam Dobson has passed away. Ely’s Toys of Woodford Green was owned

by Peter and Pam Dobson for many years.

Peter passed away some years ago, and we are sad to announce the passing of Pam on 29th September.

Elys Toys, which started life in 1920, closed in 2001, at the time citing growing competition from larger toy retailers and supermarkets. Peter and Pam were members of both Concorde Toys and Youngsters and were immensely popular throughout the toy trade. Many an agent used to remark what favourites they were on the territory.

Ely’s Toys was a traditional toy shop that was a popular part of the local community. Over the years Pam, Peter and their staff become friends with many of their customers, many of whom would visit the shop, not just to buy toys, but also just “for a chat and a laugh.” When the business closed, regular shoppers were dismayed and said they were very sad to see it go.

Pam and Peter met thanks to Pam’s brother, who was a good friend of Peter’s during his national service. The couple married in 1958, and shortly moved to London. Several years later, they took over Ely’s Toys, overseeing its expansion from a very small business to a much larger toy shop, a development which involved buying up the premises next door.

Toy World would like to add its condolences to Pam’s daughter Kim and her family at this very sad time.

Obituary: Nick Hancock Toy World is saddened to share the news that Nick Hancock, the founder and senior producer of Active Pictures, has passed away. Jo Dickinson, post production manager at Active Pictures and a good friend of Nick’s, writes that after a long battle with cancer, Nick died peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family, on Sunday 17th September. He leaves his wife Sarah, two daughters, Becca and Abbie, and his two dogs.

Jo said: “Nick started Active Pictures 23 years ago.

He was incredibly hard working and very proud of what the business became. In this time, he collated a team of likeminded people who work together like a family, and he formed longstanding personal relationships with colleagues and clients alike. Since he started Active Pictures, Nick made close to 6,000 commercials, employed hundreds of freelancers, and has shouldered all of us in our progressing careers.

We will miss his strength and support, unwavering optimism and positivity, his laughter, and his way of bringing everyone together.”

Nick Saunders, Sales & Marketing director and co-managing director at Brainstorm Toys, told Toy World he was introduced to Nick Hancock by another media stalwart, Jeff Taylor. With the assistance of both men, Brainstorm was able to make its first tentative steps into consumer advertising well over 10 years ago.

He added: “We liked to set Nick and Active Pictures a challenge. In 2022, the team completed a shoot at a studio in Leeds, producing three commercials in one day. Nick had assembled an amazing team of people whom he kept motivated throughout a very long day. The cast and crew were superb, with set, lighting and costume changes from one advert to the next. There was a general feel of friendship and respect amongst his team, which I love in any working environment.”

These sentiments are reflected by Jo Dickinson’s own memories of Nick. She writes: “Nick always championed doing the best job he could for everyone involved. All of us here in the Active Pictures team want to stress that we are looking to the future and are proudly going to continue with the business alongside our loyal clients, as we have been doing on Nick’s behalf for the last year. We feel honoured to keep Active Pictures, Nick’s pride and joy, growing.”

Toy World would like to extend its condolences to all Nick’s family, friends and colleagues at this time.

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Obituary: Gill Sheppard Toy World is sad to report that the popular independent West Country retailer Gill Sheppard passed away on 7th September after a 19-month battle with cancer.

Gill and her husband Julian ran Rainbow Toys of Midsomer Norton.

Gill’s friend and colleague Keith Elmer told Toy World: “The couple were successful and immensely popular members of both Concorde and Youngsters Buying Groups for many years, and they epitomised all that was good about independent, family run toy shops.”

Keith added: “Gill will be remembered for her infinite charm and gracious nature to all customers and suppliers alike.”

Toy World would like to express its condolences to Julian and the rest of Gill’s family at this time.

Discover Icecat’s Free Product Content Solutions for the Toy Industry.

Many toy brands and retailers in ecommerce still exchange product content manually. Uploading product content manually or adding new products to your website is a task that can easily be automated. Icecat Discover Icecat’s Free Product Content enables brands and retailers to exchange product content simply and quickly to reduce manual work and timeSolutions for the Toy Industry. to-market.

Nowadays, options are available to download toy product content for free or use free software to integrate and manage your toy product Many toy brands and retailers in ecommerce still exchange product content content. manually. Uploading product content manually or adding new products to your website is a task that can easily be automated. Icecat enables brands and retailers to exchange product content simply and quickly to reduce manual work and time-to-market. Nowadays, options are available to download toy product content for free or use free software to integrate and manage your toy product content.

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There is no need to code and import your product content into your e-commerce The largest free product content catalog for toys is Open Icecat. Over 100+ toy brands, platform. To import the toy product content, various add-ons or interfaces can help. For Largest free online toy catalog such as LEGO, Bestway, Spin Master, and MGA Entertainment, use Icecat to distribute But has alsomany open-source add-onslike such as Pimcore. these add-ons, toy example, Icecat add-ons tosoftware popular platforms Amazon, Mirakl, Via Shopify, their product content to retailers.

Open Icecat is a free catalog for toy retailers.

Icecat The largest free product content catalog for toys is Open Icecat. Over 100+ toy brands, such as Woocmmerce, and Magento.

But also open-source software add-ons such as Pimcore.

Via retailers can distribute their content efficiently. helps toy brands streamline their product content, produces and structures their product LEGO, Bestway, Spin Master, and MGA Entertainment, use Icecat to distribute their product content these add-ons, toy brands and retailers can distribute their content efficiently. to retailers.

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The users of the product content are toy retailers, comparison websites, catalog is translated and available in 60+ languages. The users of the product content are toy marketplaces, andwebsites, the brands themselves. retailers, comparison marketplaces, and the brands themselves.

But also open-source software add-ons such as Pimcore. Via these add-ons, toy brands and retailers can distribute their content efficiently.

An Icecat Product Datasheet contains different content assets, like marketing te logos,Datasheet images, contains videos, reasons-to-buy, and Enhanced Product An Icecat Product different content assets, like marketing text, Stories:

descriptions, logos, videos, reasons-to-buy, and Enhanced Product Stories: Free Product Data Management Platform An Icecat Product Datasheet contains different content assets, likeimages, marketing text, descriptions,

logos, images, videos, reasons-to-buy, and Enhanced Product Stories: Free Product Data Platform There are also free toy productManagement data delivery platforms for toy retailers.

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Icecat offers aare freealso supplier portal for retailers distributors.

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For more information, please reach out to Rene Rozendal (rene.rozendal@icecat.com), Director of Toys and Entertainment at Icecat.

An retailers Icecat Product Datasheet contains and distributors use Icecat’s supplier portal and encourage theirdifferent brand suppliers content assets, like marketing text, descriptions, to add product content to the Icecat catalog.

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There is no need to code and import your product content into your e-commerce platform. To import the toy product content, various add-ons or interfaces can help. For example, Icecat has many add-ons to popular platforms like Amazon, Mirakl, Shopify, Woocmmerce, and Magento.

For more information, please reach out to Rene Rozendal (rene.rozendal@iceca of Toys and Entertainment at Icecat.

For more information, please reach out to Rene Rozendal (rene.rozendal@icecat.com), Director of Toys and Entertainment at Icecat.

Industry Moves Cloudco Entertainment welcomes new talent to licensing team

Andrew Fernandes joins Basic Fun! UK Basic Fun! UK welcomes Andrew Fernandes, who takes up the newly formed role of senior national account manager.

Basic Fun! has seen growth across the UK and US and is now setting its sights on building direct retail relationships across Europe. With 20 years industry experience across classic brands such as Playmobil and Hornby, Andrew will have a core remit to develop those relationships as well as continuing the onward growth of the UK business in his role as senior NAM. “This senior appointment is just the latest move to bring further definition to the already strong Basic Fun! UK sales team,” commented Tim Ives, UK general manager. “The wealth of experience Andrew brings with him will be instrumental in us achieving our objectives.”

Tim added: “Growing the business in new ways is essential in today’s competitive market and by exploring more avenues through which to bring Basic Fun!’s products to the children of the UK and Europe, we will do just that. Andrew’s new role will perfectly complement our Amazon EU business that launched in October; managed by recently appointed E-commerce manager, Kevin Sharpes, who reports into Lynne Swatton-Reed.”

Zapf Creation appoints Trish Cooper as Sales manager

The company has announced the arrival of Charlotte Payne, who steps into the role of director of International Licensing, and Noelle Nuñez, who joins as manager of Retail Development.

Armed with over a decade of experience in international licensing, Charlotte honed her skills at Warner Brothers Discovery UK/EMEA. Her mission at Cloudco is to redefine brand strategies and accelerate Cloudco into the global spotlight. Charlotte will be reporting to Robert Prinzo, head Noelle Nuñez of Global Licensing, to bring Cloudco’s portfolio of beloved characters to fans around the world and will be based in the UK. “I am thrilled to embark on this new adventure with the exceptional team at Cloudco Entertainment,” said Charlotte. “As we dive into this exciting journey together, I am confident that we will not only uphold the legacy of these treasured brands but also explore new horizons, creating memorable experiences for fans worldwide.”

Noelle Nuñez’s most recent role was at Sanrio, where she served as an associate licensing manager. In her new capacity at Cloudco, Noelle will be leading retail for the Speciality retail channel along with new business development and reporting directly to Amy Sullivan, VP of Global Retail Development. Noelle will be based in Cloudco’s Los Angeles office.

Robert Prinzo, head of Global Licensing at Cloudco Entertainment, said: “At Cloudco Entertainment, we’re dedicated to leveraging the global strength Charlotte Payne of our brands and unlocking new licensing opportunities that will fuel our business’s growth. With Charlotte, Noelle and our exceptional team, we’re ready to embark on this journey and make a positive impact worldwide.”

Ellie Moore to head up Sales at MGA and Zapf MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation have announced the appointment of Ellie Moore in the newly created role MGA and Zapf Sales director for the UK and Ireland.

Previously Sales director for Zapf Creation, Ellie joined the company in January 2023. Prior to this, she was head of Sales at MV Sports & Leisure.

Having begun her new role as MGA and Zapf Creation Sales director in October, Ellie now oversees the UK and Ireland sales team and is responsible for heading up a range of brands, including L.O.L. Surprise!, Rainbow High, MGA’s Miniverse, Little Tikes, evergreen Zapf brands Baby born and Baby Annabell and the newest addition to the MGA portfolio, Fluffie Stuffiez.

Ellie commented: “Since joining Zapf Creation at the start of the year, I’ve loved bringing my wealth of skills and experience to some of the nation’s favourite brands such as Baby born and Baby Annabell. I am thrilled that my new role now includes some of MGA Entertainment’s incredible brands and look forward to working with the wider MGA team and sales partners as we prepare for a busy Q4 and a very exciting 2024.”

This announcement follows the promotion of Sara Taylor from managing director for UK and Ireland to senior vice president for the UK and FR.IT.ES in July this year. Also in July this year, Michelle Lilley was promoted to vice president of Marketing, EMEA. Commenting on the new roles and promotions, Sara Taylor stated: “These newly created positions herald a new era for MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation as we bring our different territories closer together and align our work as a truly global company.“

Trish joins the team with over 25 years’ sales experience across a breadth of industries, including publishing with Penguin Random House, stationery, gifting & homeware with Zak Designs and most recently in the toy industry with MV Sports & Leisure.

Trish will report into Ellie Moore, Sales director at Zapf Creation. She will join the sales team for much-loved brands including nurturing doll brands Baby Annabell and Baby born. As part of her role, Trish will be tasked with looking after key business accounts.

Ellie Moore commented: “We are very happy to expand the Zapf Creation sales team through the appointment of Trish Cooper.

It’s an exciting time for the brand with the volume of new product development we have seen landing in stores throughout 2023, combined with exciting plans for 2024. Trish will be looking after our key customers, and I look forward to working with her.”

Trish added: “To say I’m ecstatic to be joining the Zapf Creation team is an understatement, and I can’t wait to contribute to the brand’s ongoing success.”

Toy World 16

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Marketing World Tomy outlines UK marketing plans for The Game of Saying ‘Huh?!’

Its success in the Japanese market, where it sold over £1m pieces, means Tomy’s The Game of Saying Huh?! party game is predicted to be a favourite with UK families and millennials this Christmas.

The main aim of the games’ marketing campaign has been to get The Game of Saying Huh?! into players’ hands. This kicked off at the UK Games Expo in June, where attendees got to play the game and over 2,000 samples were handed out.

To bolster its early efforts ahead of the key festive buying season, Tomy is undertaking an extensive sampling campaign across UK universities. During Freshers’ week, the brand launched a significant student sampling initiative which saw The Game of Saying ‘Huh?!’ sample packs distributed in 10,000 welcome packs through a strategic partnership with Dig In. The sampling campaign will span prominent UK university locations, such as Glasgow, Swansea, Belfast, Sheffield and Nottingham. This will ensure that the game reaches the vibrant student community, which is always on the lookout for engaging and ice-breaking social activities.

Additionally, Tomy has enlisted sampling expert Come Round to help reach family and millennial households in October and November. The campaign is designed to encourage social sharing and showcase the game’s entertaining nature through social media platforms.

All three sampling campaigns are being further amplified through targeted paid social media advertising campaigns as well as a YouTube campaign starting from October onwards, ensuring that the game’s appeal spreads to mainstream audiences across the UK. “We are thrilled to introduce The Game of Saying ‘Huh?!’ to our UK audiences,” said Natalie Frow, European senior brand manager at Tomy.

“We want to get as many people playing this fun party game as possible, so we are investing heavily with a strong sampling programme, as well as a mass awareness campaign through YouTube to reach our target audience, which is looking for the next best game for games night.”

The Game of Saying ‘Huh?!’ is now available for the UK market.

Fans flock to see Tamagotchi go 3D in latest brand campaign Fans of the virtual pet brand and a new generation of virtual pet owners have been treated to a taste of 3D Tamagotchis thanks to Bandai UK’s ongoing marketing drive for its new Tamagotchi Uni, via an OutOf-Home targeted hologram campaign. The toy, which sparked a worldwide virtual pet frenzy in the 90s, launched its new Uni device this summer, taking its brand-transcending, nurturing virtual pet experience to a whole new level reflecting the modern digital world.

Creating a truly unique Tamagotchi experience at Westfield Shopping Centre, Shepherd’s Bush, in October, shoppers and die-hard Tama fans were taken into the Tamaverse via a 5mx5m 3D branded holographic billboard bringing Uni to life. An installation also took place at King’s Cross Station earlier in the month, kickstarting the campaign by creating a stir amongst visitors and travellers.

News of the 3D billboard event was well-received by Tamagotchi fans following the @TamagotchiUK Instagram channel. Bandai is keen to reward its loyal Tamagotchi ‘parents’, some of whom have been nurturing virtual pets since the 90s. Anyone who took a selfie or filmed a reel of the billboard and posted it to Instagram, with the hashtag #3DTamagotchi, was in with a chance of winning their own Tamagotchi Uni. Teaming up with Disturbed Media Group to create an on-the-ground immersive experience using 4K Ultra-HD 3D technology, Bandai UK’s campaign leverages 3D hologram and projection technologies to create Tamagotchi characters that appear to be real and completely afloat in a free space.

“The Tamagotchi Uni brings a completely new experience to the Tamagotchi brand and the electronic toys category,” said Priya Jadeja, Bandai UK. “The hologram campaign perfectly captures this fresh approach by creating a unique, exciting immersive encounter at ground level to directly target consumers in high footfall areas.”

For more information visit www.Tamagotchi-Official.com.

Moose unleashes Beast Lab across London Moose Toys partnered with Disturbed Media Group to showcase what it is billing as this season’s hottest toy, Beast Lab, in a series of public HyperGram holographic experiences across London during October.

Using the latest Holographic technology, Beast Lab has been brought to life using ultra-HD quality holographic projections. As part of the brand’s ‘Unleash Your Beast- Save the World’ marketing campaign, the projections reveal the Beast Lab chamber floating mid-air, with the action figures seeming 3-dimensional.

“Using new-age tech to celebrate the launch of Beast Lab was the perfect execution to add into our Unleash Your Beast marketing mix,” said Maddi Tiscoe, head of UK Marketing, Moose Toys. “Beast Lab is a toy that’s breaking new ground, using innovation to put kids at the centre of the creation process – ‘saving the world’ by creating and unleashing their own beast. Using a disruptive, effective, engaging type of media like HyperGram to bring this brand experience to life, has implemented further our ‘world saving’ initiative.

Between 9th-11th October, the first HyperGram tech activation was on show at King’s Cross Station. The next event took place at Westfield London, White City from 20th-22nd October.

Beast Lab has launched with a 360-marketing plan to bring the brand to life including: original content, TV advertising, public relations, social, influencer and digital executions. The series of UK launch events will also include a Seaboard City integration across Roblox, where kids can play exclusively in the game to create their beasts to save Seaboard City. The game integration was revealed by British gaming influencer Ethan Gamer on Sunday 22nd October.

Toy World 18

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Opinion

TikTok, TikTok; the countdown to Christmas is on!

As TikTok proves to be one of the most effective platforms on the market for reaching parents with spending power, Generation Media’s Emilie Flanders looks at how the platform will feature across the toy marketing landscape this year.

W

hile Meta and Google have reigned supreme in the digital advertising realm for over a decade, the landscape is shifting. Relying solely on these platforms is no longer the definitive path to success. The emergence of advertising channels such as TikTok, and the evolving preferences of demographics for short-form video content, have blurred the once-dominant duopoly. Contrary to popular belief, TikTok's appeal stretches far beyond younger audiences. It's not just the Gen Z playground; parents are increasingly joining the TikTok community, with a substantial 48% of UK parents counted among its users.

Due to the platform's innate discovery capabilities, 67% of TikTokers say that the platform helps them get ideas about products they had never thought of before, making them an exceptionally valuable audience to lean into in the lead up to Christmas season.

So how can toy brands make the most of TikTok? Firstly, it’s important to note that the platform does not allow direct targeting to children. Therefore all messaging should be focused on parents and building content they can engage with and relate to. To achieve this, marketers should make sure they are following some golden rules…

Native is best: Tailor messaging and creatives to TikTok: this means ditching traditional TV-like creatives for authentic, unpolished content. By adjusting to the rules of the platform, the user perceives the ad as just another form of user-generated content (UGC), which obtains positive reactions. At Generation Media, our creative tests show that running TikTok native ads yield a 115% higher six second view rate, versus campaigns that use more polished, non-native creatives.

TikTok data underscores parents’ preference for real-life reviews and valuable content that aids them in making confident, risk-free choices. In fact, 34% of parents say they want to see authentic product reviews and opinions on the platform. In the lead up to Christmas, this insight can be embraced by running ads with a personal tone, including reviews to show

products as relatable and trustworthy to potential customers.

Popular content for the target audience can be found by exploring the app, as well as using the TikTok Creative Centre, which is a great marketing tool which shows best performing hashtags, sounds, influencers and content, allowing marketers to stay on top of trends.

Zuru is a great example of a brand that has harnessed prevailing trends on TikTok for a native integration.

The team achieved this by crafting ads that play into the ASMR trend, as well as using face filters. These are all features favoured amongst TikTok’ parents, as well as general TikTok users, which enabled it to perform in the top 1% industry average. Fisher-Price is another example of a brand which has capitalised on trends by collaborating with family creators to make relatable and funny content, overlayed with trending sounds or the creators voice narrations, to promote engagement.

Trends change every two weeks, so creatives need to be updated regularly. It’s best to aim for at least four creatives per month, although this is also dependant on budget.

Let content creators create content: Working with TikTok creators is the most common native advertising tool on TikTok. TTCX (TikTok Creator Market) can be used to find creators that work with the tone and values of the brand. Micro influencers are particularly good for reaching niche communities and offer a cost-efficient solution to building a library of authentic content that can be repurposed or run as Spark Ads. Spark Ads allows the promotion of users’ posts (with their permission), mimicking the word of mouth already on the platform.

Brands should capitalise on what is already available on the platform by promoting user content for increased reach and engagement. This can be achieved by monitoring product mentions and hashtags and reaching out to creators via direct message so they can provide an access code. This process is highly valuable for brands with lower amounts of investment, as creators are often willing to have the brands they love promote their content free of charge.

As an agency, we have seen an average of a 44%

Toy World 20

Emilie Flanders Senior Digital manager decrease in CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) when running Spark Ads, meaning that clients can increase their reach without increasing their budget. This is due to the TikTok prioritising native content over other competitor bids. On top of this, engagement such as likes and comments increase due to the content being more personable and relatable.

Right people, right time: According to TikTok's internal data, the Christmas season witnesses a surge in search volume, with a steady rise starting from October, peaking just before the holiday itself. For instance, the hashtag 'Gift Ideas' garnered 4.8b views from October 2022 to January 2023.

Targeting users who have engaged with gifting-related videos and hashtags means brands can leverage this trend and harness intent peak sale events.

It’s also possible to reach users in the right environments by using TikTok Pulse, a dynamic form of contextual targeting that is strategically positioned immediately following the most brand-relevant videos that occupy the coveted top 4% slot of trending content, spanning 11 high-attention categories. This helps campaigns stand out in an extremely cluttered period, ensuring ads are being shown to audiences whilst they are at their most engaged.

Given the challenging external circumstances all brands face in 2023, reaching those who control the purse strings is critical to brand success, making parents more important than ever when it comes to toy marketing. TikTok is proving to be one of the most effective platforms on the market for this, and it will no doubt feature heavily across the toy marketing landscape this year and beyond.

If you are planning to activate on the platform and would like some more advice on what will work best for your brand, get in touch with Generation Media for advice.

Brand Profile Brand Profile

Moose

Batwheels, the first-ever animated Batman pre-school series, revs up for retail Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP) has its pedal to the metal as the light prepares to turn green on the licensing programme for Batwheels, the first ever Batman series for pre-schoolers. Here, Warner Bros. reveals more about this exciting and fresh new property and how it’s been received so far.

F

ollowing its broadcast premiere in March 2023 on Cartoonito UK, DC and Warner Bros.

Animation’s first-ever Batman pre-school show, Batwheels, is set to become accessible to viewers all over the country as it’s introduced to FTA on ITV in 2024. On YouTube, Batwheels has become an instant hit, generating over 5.2m UK content views to date.

Its popularity is accelerating and tracking positively in the US, where the consumer products programme has now launched and quickly established itself as an exciting entry amongst fans and retailers alike.

Locally, cross-category partners will pass go in January 2024, headlined in the toy category by Mattel's Fisher-Price.

Pre-school kids will be able to relive some of their favourite moments from the animated series with a range including toy cars and sets perfect for action-packed play. The toys, which encourage imaginative adventures and storytelling, will be suitable for pre-schoolers aged three years and older.

Bringing the iconic Batman universe to the youngest generation of UK viewers, Batwheels is a groundbreaking addition to the world of pre-school entertainment, offering a unique blend of engaging storytelling and character development combined with a toyetic appeal set to captivate young minds.

With the pre-school category currently ablaze with demand for fresh, dynamic content, retailers have been eagerly awaiting a new and energetic property, particularly for young boys. The success of Batwheels at broadcast perfectly positions the IP to meet this demand, offering a thrilling new format for the ever-growing market.

Batwheels marks DC and Warner Bros. Animation’s firstever Batman pre-school show and features a high-speed, vibrant CGI-animated iteration of the Caped Crusader.

The fun-filled action-adventure show combines two of a

young kid’s favourite things: superheroes and vehicles.

These are the Batwheels, an awesome group of sentient super-powered crime-fighting vehicles defending Gotham City alongside a host of DC Super Heroes. Brought to life by the Batcomputer to help defend Gotham City, the heroic Batwheels are thrust into hilarious hijinks and jawdropping action while learning important life lessons. Led

by Bam, the Batmobile, the Batwheels must navigate the challenges of being a newly formed super team as well as the growing pains that come with being a kid.

The relatable and aspirational series follows the journey of this dynamic team as its members thrill and entertain with their heroic adventures, as well as demonstrate to pre-school kids the value of self-confidence, friendship and teamwork.

The all-star voice cast includes Ethan Hawke (as Batman), Jacob Bertand (as Bam the Batmobile), Gina Rodriguez (as Catwoman) and Xolo Maridueña (as Snowy the Snowcrawler) among others. Sam Register (Looney Tunes Cartoons) serves as executive producer, Michael G. Stern (Doc McStuffins) as co-executive producer, Simon J. Smith (Penguins of Madagascar) as supervising producer and Steven Fink of Bang Zoom as producer. Based on characters from DC, Batwheels is produced by Warner Bros. Animation with animation services provided by Superprod Studio.

“The shows’ action and adventure storylines have garnered a wave of enthusiasm from partners and audiences in a remarkably short period,”says Rachel Wakley, SVP & General Manager - UK & Ireland at Warner Bros. Discovery.

“This positive reception reflects the fans’ appetite for innovative characters and narratives, which we are confident will also perform exceptionally at retail.”

Following the broadcast success and a strong start at retail, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products is now encouraging and recruiting new and existing Batwheels licensees and partners to ensure kids, families and fans who love Batwheels can get in on the action off screen as well as on.

Toy World 22

Licensing World Acamar and Sambro team up on new Bing toys Acamar Films and Sambro International have announced a new three-year partnership which will see a range of arts and crafts and outdoor toy products hit the market. These new products arriving in retailers this autumn will feature characters from the multi-awarding-winning pre-school animation, Bing.

“The Sambro Bing range includes products made for little hands that offer big opportunities for curiosity, creativity and connection,” said Katie Rollings, chief licensing officer at Acamar Films. “Sambro is a best-inclass partner, and we are delighted to be working with them to broaden our toys, games and arts and crafts offering with child-centric toys that represent the play DNA of Bing, giving young children a variety of ways to express themselves and explore their world.”

The partnership will see Sambro and Acamar work closely to develop and deliver an initial range of over 20 toy lines, which will launch with a capsule range this autumn. More items will be launched across spring/summer 2024. The range will be available in the UK as well as the Netherlands and CEE territories.

“Sambro has an incredibly strong, synergistic relationship with Acamar Films and we look forward to working with the team,” commented Clare Rix, Brand and Licensing director at Sambro. “Introducing the Bing brand is a strategic move, which further expands our arts and crafts and outdoor toy portfolios and strengthens our pre-school offering.

This partnership also bolsters our continued growth in the UK and EU in 2023 and beyond, expanding our market reach and complementing our existing portfolio.”

Messy play sand sets and first art sets along with make, mould and paint figures will form part of the arts and craft range while outdoor play items include waterfall sets, bubbles and inflatables.

Audiences around the world can access Bing through various channels including national broadcasters, streaming services and Acamar’s network of 25 localised YouTube channels. Over 1m hours of Bing is watched across YouTube every day

KAP Toys unveils new Beano range KAP has brought forward the launch of its new licensed Beano product range following overwhelming demand from retailers and recent press coverage and says it is thrilled to be working with one of the most recognisable British brands of all time.

Launching new and exciting product in time for Christmas 2023 and into 2024, the collaboration with Beano sees three newly developed lines on the way: Squishii Character Plush, the Build-a-Comic Kit and the Box of Tricks. Launching nationally with Sainsburys in November 2023, ahead of wider availability in 2024, the company is now pushing early production due to consumer enquiries and recent retail previews. KAP Toys MD Nat Southworth told Toy World he expects to have a lot more retail partners on board by the time the trade gets to World Book Day on 7th March 2024.

“We have moved mountains to be able to launch this in Q4 2023 following the retail feedback – it was supposed to be a 2024 project,” Nat added. “Our new Beano range presents an opportunity we would urge all retailers to consider. It’s an unbelievable project that has taken a real team effort to make happen, and we truly believe we’ve got a range of product that can deliver week in week out sales for Beano fans and gift givers.”

With bright, eye-catching packaging, adorned with famous Beano characters and iconic artwork, the products are expected to jump off shelf and will create an impactful display for all retail formats. The three launch products tie in perfectly to the brand, making for ideal gifts throughout the year, not just for birthdays and Christmas. Kids can unleash their comic genius with the Build-A-Comic Kit or set their inner prankster free with the Box of Tricks. KAP Toys’ new range is a fantastic everyday offering for the new generation of Beano fans.

For more information, see kaptoys.com

Stumble Guys joins forces with PMI Stumble Guys and PMI Kids’ World are joining forces to bring the beloved online multiplayer video game to life with an all-new toy line. Set to debut in 2024, the collection will offer an entirely new way for the game’s thriving and dedicated global community to engage with the Stumble Guys universe and interact with the game’s wildly imaginative roster of characters.

PMI Kids’ World creates must-have collectibles for some of the most iconic brands in the world, from top licensors including Hasbro, Paramount, Warner Bros. and many more. The company will now partner with the Stumble Guys team to transform fanfavourite characters (called “Stumblers”) into a colourful and creative toy line.

Stumble Guys is a party battle royale game known for its fast-paced, frenetic and highly social experience. It has built a massive following, staking its claim as one of the top 10 most downloaded apps in the world in 2022, and is enjoyed by tens of millions of players every week. The brand has generated over 45b engagements across channels like TikTok, YouTube and Discord, with original content, fan art and much more.

“Stumble Guys is a vibrant universe that is home to one of the most loyal communities in the world,” commented Naz Amarchi, senior vice president & general manager, Stumble Guys at Scopely. “This partnership with PMI Kids’ World marks a significant milestone that reflects our thoughtful approach to expanding the Stumble Guys brand. While we are just at the start of our journey, we believe we have an incredible opportunity to collaborate with partners and create even more ways for our player community to meaningfully engage with Stumble Guys outside of the game.”

Omer Dekel, COO of PMI Kids’ World, added: “We can’t wait to immerse our fans further in the world of Stumble Guys. The chaotic fun of the game is brought to life by the unique qualities of each Stumbler, and we’re excited for fans to bring home these collectibles not only as toys but as trophies.”

PMI Kids’ World is now the global master toy partner for Stumble Guys as the brand continues to expand into new markets and platforms. Currently available on mobile and PC, the game will soon launch on Xbox and PlayStation, and has already introduced a line of collectible trading cards, as well as additional entertainment and consumer product partnerships.

Toy World 24

WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s23)

TM & © 2023 CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© UCS LLC and Amblin

Your go-to partner for premium collectibles and merchandise

© 2023 MOJANG AB. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Licensing World The Lumistella Company introduces Santaverse to its best loved Christmas brand The Lumistella Company, home to The Elf on the Shelf, Elf Pets and Elf Mates, has unveiled The Elf on the Shelf Santaverse. The fantastical Santaverse brand will introduce myriad never-told-before stories, enchanting adventures and unforgettable characters, all to be revealed in the years to come.

Female founded and operated, the company is known for dismantling barriers, reinventing traditions and creating joyful family moments while taking its commitment to fans seriously, who have been asking for more about the origins of The Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf helpers. The build-out of this universe is set to include a massive world of new and legendary characters and the ancient, fantastical lore that make up Santa’s North Pole.

The company is also introducing new Bogie characters, some of Santa’s cleverest and most lovable friends. Making a surprise appearance as stowaways in the new Elf Pets Official Carrier and bursting onto the scene in a YouTube animated short, these creatures will enchant fans with their wit and whimsy. Santa even has his own Bogie pal.

Already a Christmastime IP giant, as a global company spanning 24 countries and five continents with 75+ licensees, The Lumistella Company’s The Elf on the Shelf Santaverse brings incredible new opportunities for collaborations with top-tier publishing, licensing and entertainment partners. Notable new partners include HarperCollins Children’s Books, to release a middle-grade novel recounting the origin story of Santa Claus; and William Morrow/HarperCollins, to publish a cookbook featuring recipes and ideas hosted by The Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf pals in 2024.

As the company moves toward its 20th anniversary in 2025, new Santaverse-branded digital content, interactive games, websites, music videos, immersive experiences, products and more will be created, ensuring the enduring magic and goodwill of Christmas for generations to come.

Visit Santaverse.com to stay up to date with The Elf on the Shelf Santaverse releases.

MGA introduces host of licences to portfolio

Peter Rabbit becomes Orchard’s first ever licensed collaboration The new range, consisting of six product lines, has been created under licence from Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co., owner of The World of Peter Rabbit and an imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s UK. Renowned for its expertise in young children’s educational games and jigsaws, Penguin Ventures says Orchard Toys was the obvious choice for developing the new range. The partners have worked closely together to bring the popular character to life in a new collection of educational games and jigsaws.

David Sprei, commercial director at Penguin Ventures, said: “Penguin Ventures has long admired the quality, fun and creativity that are synonymous with Orchard Toys products, and we are thrilled that this translates so beautifully in this stunning new range for The World of Peter Rabbit. Orchard Toys has done a wonderful job of evolving the narrative of Beatrix Potter’s original Tale of Peter Rabbit and creating a new way for families to engage with the story through imaginative play. We are delighted to be the first licensing partner for Orchard Toys.”

Simon Newbery, managing director at Orchard Toys, added: “Peter Rabbit is a trusted brand with a strong British heritage which aligns beautifully with Orchard Toys. We’ve worked with the Penguin Ventures team to develop an exclusive range of fun and exciting games and jigsaws that blends these two iconic brands to create a new Peter Rabbit range from Orchard Toys.”

MGA has partnered with Crayola on a multi-year deal for L.O.L. Surprise! Loves and Haribo for L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets, and has been named master toy licensee for Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.

MGA Entertainment and Crayola have announced an agreement for MGA to produce and distribute Crayola-inspired dolls and licensed merchandise globally under its L.O.L. Surprise! Loves brand. From early 2024, MGA will create a L.O.L Surprise! Loves Crayola collection. MGA and Crayola will also sub-licence the designs of the Crayola-themed doll line into a full cross-category programme including children’s apparel, accessories, home, beauty and party. This will be available beginning spring 2024.

MGA has also announced a partnership with Haribo, further extending its popular line of L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets.

“We are thrilled to welcome Haribo into our family of brands in the L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets segment,” said Isaac Larian, founder and CEO, MGA. “The iconic and colourful little Goldbears and the full range of Haribo confectionery are beloved across households worldwide, and L.O.L. Surprise! has gone above and beyond in delivering its signature spin on these classic treats.”

Finally, an agreement between MGA and The Jim Henson Company will cover toys based on the new Fraggle Rock series on Apple TV+. Chris Lytton, president and COO of The Jim Henson Company, explained: “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock has introduced a whole new generation to the joyful and hilarious inhabitants of Fraggle Rock. With a deep understanding of and respect for this iconic Henson property, the creative team at MGA Entertainment is the perfect partner to bring the world of Fraggle Rock to life in toys that fans everywhere will love.”

The initial line of toys from MGA will be available from autumn 2024. The agreement also includes sub-licensing opportunities for both Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and the classic Fraggle Rock IP with MGA’s brand Little Tikes, and in other categories such as children’s apparel and home, beginning early 2025.

“MGA continues to grow with our own new and existing IP and as the licensee for other important brands,” concluded Isaac.

“We look forward to bringing new, innovative and fun toys to life.”

Toy World 26

Insight

To monitor what’s happening in the ever-changing toy market, Circana 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.circana.com.

How are UK toy sales comparing to other territories?

Although the total UK Toy market performance remains aligned with other countries thanks to global economic challenges, there are some notable differences in areas such as licences and collectibles, as Melissa explains

T

he UK Toy market has declined -4% in value YTD September 2023 as the cost of living continues to impact disposable income spending for consumers, while poor summer weather affected sales in Q3. However, this is in-line with the rest of the European performance, which is also down -4%. In addition, Europe is significantly ahead of North America, which is down -8%. The Global toy market, worth $107b in 2022, had been growing since 2019, but is now adjusting as consumers find less money in their pockets due to inflation and a changing social media landscape; consumers now tend to discover new products in different ways. Out of the 13 countries where Circana tracks toy sales, only three are in growth in 2023 – Mexico, Netherlands and Italy.

Collectibles also have a higher share in UK compared to the rest of Europe, with 16.4% value share and growing +9%. This is still behind the US, where Collectibles has 18.7% share, but ahead of EU5 average of 11.5%. Pokémon is the top Collectible property for UK and Europe, with the Trading Cards driving sales. Squishmallows has been key to the growth of the collectible market across Europe this year, with double the share of collectibles in UK compared to the rest of Europe. Similarly, L.O.L. Surprise! and 5 Surprise also have a higher share in the UK versus the rest of Europe. While growing double-digits in the UK, the overall share within Collectibles for both Disney Doorables and Yu-Gi-Oh is still behind their share in the US, showing remaining potential for both properties.

Melissa Symonds

Director UK Toys, EuroToys Circana

in the UK toy market, as it breaks into mass retailers and raises consumer awareness. One of the other strongest themes in toys is Superheroes, which has a higher share in the UK vs rest Europe, with Spider-Man growing four times faster in the UK this year and Ninja Turtles having a higher share of the market. Star Wars’ strong share of the UK toy market means Space has a higher share in the UK versus Europe, but the UK has also seen strong growth of the NASA licence, up +34% so far this year. Dog Animals and Characters also have a higher share in the UK, with pre-school properties such as Bluey and Hey Duggee showing a strong performance.

Overall, the total UK Toy market performance remains Yu-Gi-Oh! and Anime/Manga themed toys are aligned with other countries as the current economic In the UK, certain elements of the toy market are showing strong growth in the UK market, up +34% YTD challenges are global. That said, even in challenging performing better than the rest of Europe. Licences September as properties such as Dragon Ball Z, Naurto, times, the toy market has opportunities to grow with continues to enjoy a very strong presence, growing My Hero Academia and One Piece are driving growth. themes like Manga and Transportation, while retaining +4% in the UK Toy market vs. +1% in EU5 (UK, France, Despite this healthy performance, the Anime share in the strength that licences and collectibles are currently Germany, Italy & Spain). Licences have a higher share the UK, at 4.9%, is behind the European share of 5.5% ,so bringing to the market. of the UK toy market compared to other European there is still plenty of potential for expansion for this area countries: they currently have a 31.5% share of UK value sales, similar to the 31% share in US, but much higher than the 24.3% licensed share in France, which has the ;FQZJ f – >9) &ZLZXY [X lowest share in Europe. Licences *: :0 are outperforming non-licensed toy

sales across all countries. Known IPs Toy Themes Share of Total Toys: UK vs EU5

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Toy World 28

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Item Progression:

Item Description

Corporate Manufacturer

Aug 23 Rank #

Sept 23 Rank #

Match Attax UEFA Champions League

Following the start of the new football season, the latest Topps 520 23 2023/24 Edition Mega Tins Match Attax range has jumped up the top sellers’ list, with the UEFA Champions League Mega Tins the best performer. Panini’s Adrenalyn XL Premier League packs and starter packs are also growing this month, as sports related licences continue to perform well. Overall, Collectibles continues to grow in the UK toy market, up +9% so far this year and gaining share in September compared to the summer months, with Back to School helping to encourage the collectability of these items.

Top 10 Fastest Growing Subclasses - UK Toys Top 10 Fastest Growing Subclasses - UK Toys Ranked by value gained 7FSPJI G^ [FQZJ LFNSJI

Despite the UK Toy market declining -4% YTD ;FQZJ 8FQJX ,FNSJI >9) 8JUY [X fR September, there are several subclasses that have grown this year, adding value to the market. The 9WFINYNTSFQ 5QZXM Top 10 Fastest Growing Subclasses - UK Toys f fastest gaining subclass is Traditional Plush, where 7FSPJI G^ [FQZJ LFNSJI 8YWFYJLNH 9WFINSL (FWI ,FRJX Squishmallows growth continues to be strong. There f ;FQZJ 8FQJX ,FNSJI >9) 8JUY [X fR is also good growth from Keeleco. Licensed Plush 8YFSIFWI 'ZNQINSL 8JYX f is enjoying a strong performance with Pokémon 9WFINYNTSFQ 5QZXM f 3TS 8YWFYJLNH 9WFINSL (FWIX (TQQJHYNGQJ 8YNHPJWX f 8YWFYJLNH 9WFINSL (FWI ,FRJX and Disney All Other (including Disney 100 lines) f 8YFSIFWI 'ZNQINSL 8JYX f as well as Bluey, Paddington Bear and Care Bears 2NSN ;JMNHQJX f 3TS 8YWFYJLNH 9WFINSL (FWIX (TQQJHYNGQJ 8YNHPJWX f growing. Strategic Trading Card Games is the next 2NSN ;JMNHQJX f 2NXHJQQFSJTZX 9T^X f largest gaining subclass, with Pokémon the number 2NXHJQQFSJTZX 9T^X f one property driven by the new Scarlet and Violet 3TS 5T\JWJI 9WZHPX 3TS 5T\JWJI 9WZHPX f f range launched this year. September also saw the 7FINT 7JRTYJ (TSYWTQ &NW f 7FINT 7JRTYJ (TSYWTQ &NW f launch of Disney’s Lorcana in this category, which has 58 9FQPNSL 8TZSI f performed extremely well.

58 9FQPNSL 8TZSI f *QJHYWTSNH -FSIMJQI 9FGQJYTU 5QZL 3 5QF^ ,FRJX f Standard Building Sets is showing growth, driven *QJHYWTSNH -FSIMJQI 9FGQJYTU 5QZL 3 5QF^ ,FRJX f by licences such as Star Wars and Marvel. September also saw double digit growth for the Harry Potter 8TZWHJ 7JYFNQ 9WFHPNSL 8JW[NHJ a :0 a >9) 8JU (NWHFSF .SH FSI (NWHFSF ,WTZU 1 5 a 5WTUWNJYFW^ licence in Building Sets. Non-Strategic Trading Cards & Stickers growth is driven by Match Attax, as well as the Adrenalyn range from Panini. Both Mini Vehicles and Non-Powered Trucks HTSKNIJS categories have growth through the Hot Wheels and Monster Jam ranges.

Miscellaneous Toys growth has largely been driven by newness, with MGA’s Miniverse adding value to the category as the top new property in the UK Toy market so far this year.

Miscellaneous Toys has also seen growth from Oosh, LankyBox and Scentos.

Talking and Sound growth is from both TonieBox and the Fisher Price Chatter Phone, both growing double-digits this year, while Electronic Handheld Games growth is through Bop-It and Character Options Tap Tap Smart Fidget Assortment.

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Premium Scenery for Miniature Worlds

Many gamers already know and use the extensive line of Woodland Scenics products for their miniature bases and gaming mats. However, All Game Terrain offers a more concise product line suited just for tabletop gamers.

• Pre-blended products • Smaller economical packaging • Easy to use scenic materials • From the makers of Woodland Scenics

www.bachmann.co.uk Toy World 29

Talking Shop Santa Claus is coming to town This month’s indies are getting in the festive mood as the busy Christmas selling period kicks in with a vengeance.

They also recap how recent trading has been and tell us which lines are catching customers’ eyes.

Mike O’Shea - Wicked Uncle – online

A

t Wicked Uncle, we offer a carefully curated selection of children’s presents via our fun and user-friendly website and are pleased that orders have held up well in 2023. At the start of the year, the whole cost of energy and then cost of living crisis seemed to be all over the news and suddenly everything seemed to be terribly expensive. This hit everybody, and we have been very conscious of inflation. We have aimed to be as conservative on prices as we can, so as not to add to the problem.

During the summer, the situation seemed to ease a little, and it’s a time of year when people always feel more optimistic anyway. Of course, in a really hot summer, everyone is enjoying the weather rather than sitting on their computer, but the good news is that we sold lots of outdoor toys. Popular lines include a whistling boomerang that really does come back and The Wingman foldable disc from Waboba. We stock a Jumbo Octopus Kite that has been in demand and Golden Bear’s Smart Ball was one of our strongest sellers during summer. Sales continued into autumn as the weather stayed warm, and it’s still going as a great present purchase. The Smart Ball counts your keepyuppies and you can also use it as an ordinary football.

As soon as we saw it, we knew it was going to be a big success, We gave our sample to the warehouse team to test; they played with it in their lunch break and refused to give it back. We like to test everything to make sure it works properly and see if we think children can use it easily and have fun. Then we are able to give each product a genuinely positive review.

We are always looking for new, interesting, fun products. As we are online only, a lot of our customers come to us to buy for a nephew, a niece, a godchild or a grandchild – or even cousins who live on the other side of the country. Often, they don’t know what the child wants and maybe don’t see the child regularly, so our aim is to help by providing a fun selection of presents that the child most likely does not already have. At toy fairs, this means we are always on the lookout

for fun, unusual products and great new ideas that aren’t mainstream. Our range is sourced across a wide breadth of suppliers, and some of them we use for just one or two products.

We offer a great selection of lines from Marvin’s Magic and we also stock some fantastic lines from Wow! Stuff, Smart Toys and Professor Puzzle. We love University Games, which has some really interesting games such as Stinky Pig and Who’s in the Bag, which sit nicely alongside fun games from companies like Cheatwell and PlayMonster. We’re also very keen on the Upside Down Challenge game from Ravensburger which is great for families – players have to wear goggles which turn everything upside down, which means adults don’t have an advantage and everyone can join in the fun.

October started as a lovely month with the sun shining, not quite so good for sales, but the weather helped to make everyone feel more optimistic.

Customers seem to be a bit more settled now as prices have stopped rising so fast and energy prices have fallen. We have brought in some great new products for Q4 which has helped keep the website interesting – anything that will make people smile is always a winner.

Meanwhile we have been updating our website to make it smarter; there are various design tweaks and we’ve improved the speed and the user experience.

The site directs customers to recommended products for specific age groups and types of recipient. We don’t sell on Amazon or anywhere else and we have never believed in slashing prices dramatically or trying to undercut everybody. There is a fair price for every toy and cutting prices can indicate to the customer that you don’t value the product. Most of our lines are going to be a present for someone, and we think they are worth it, or we wouldn’t sell them.

Last year, we were heavily affected by the Royal Mail strikes which made everyone very nervous about getting their deliveries in time for Christmas, but this year, deliveries are going very well. We are using Royal Mail

Toy World 31

Tracked 24 and almost everything gets there the next day, so we get lots of positive comments about speedy delivery. We like to get everything to the customer as quickly as we possibly can.

For those who want the complete service, stock will be available on our website right up to the last minute - and we offer lots of choices for gift wrapping. We can put in a handwritten birthday or Christmas card too, meaning the parcel can be sent directly to the child - almost half of our parcels are sent out like this. We also include a pre-printed Thank You card so there’s no excuse for children not to send out Thank You letters in January – we know how they hate that!

This year, Christmas is on a Monday which gives us extra selling time in December, which should make a huge difference and be positive for business. We are expecting to have a great final quarter.

indie viewpoint

Talking Shop Lisa Clay - Armadillo Toys – Leeds

A

rmadillo Toys is celebrating its 20th birthday on November 1st and this month will be filled with customer rewards to thank them for getting us to this milestone. I’m really proud to have been in business for all this time and to have come through two recessions and a pandemic. We have been faced with many hurdles, but I’m overjoyed to have overcome all of them.

To celebrate the occasion, we will be rewarding customers with three prize draws which are worth between £1,500 and £2,000. Without our customers, we wouldn’t be here – they’re the most important part of the shop. We’ve got 100 goodie bags which are filled with supplier-donated gifts and some of our own stock, and each one includes a Ty plush. They can be won through a treasure hunt around Chapell Allerton during our birthday week. There will be another draw to win four cash prizes to spend instore, from £10-£50, and we are holding a colouring competition in partnership with Orchard Toys.

Customers have been shopping for Christmas since September; once the kids go back to school, many parents are very organised and start to pace themselves with gift shopping – or want to get in before the Christmas rush. We offer free gift wrapping and this is something we’ve already begun.

There hasn’t really been a standout product this year – sales have been right across the board, from plush to games to jigsaws and construction. We recently brought in Plus-Plus which is selling really well and the lovely display unit they supply is a huge help in driving sales. Our most popular sellers come from Ty, Orchard Toys, Craft Buddy’s Crystal Art, Orange Tree’s Woodlands Range, IMC’s Cry Babies Magic Tears - and we sell a lot of Slime Putty.

For birthday gift shopping, we put together our own gift bags with readywrapped gifts. A card shows customers what’s in the bag, and there are different bags for different ages. These are very popular, and we sell a lot of them, so we are offering Christmas ones too. It helps customers and it also helps us too; we can speed through the queue as each bag has a product code rather than scanning each item individually.

In recent years we’ve seen a shift in when we are most busy with Christmas shoppers. It used to be November but now isn’t really until after Black Friday.

People are much more sceptical about Black Friday deals nowadays, but they still want to see if they can find anything discounted. The rush really kicks in from December.

Another change has been that people are less likely to invest in big ticket items and seem to prefer lower price points. We used to sell a lot of expensive doll houses around Christmas – we’d sell one daily and customers were willing to spend £200-£300 on them. However, in recent years, independent retailers have been hit with the Amazon effect and now people are looking for cheaper versions. In our store, there aren’t currently many products which cost more than £50.

The majority of the lines we stock have an emphasis on educational toys with good play value. We like toys that will last a lifetime and can be played with in different ways as kids go through different stages. However, in preparation for Christmas, we have increased our selection of licensed products, and I have brought in a few lines featuring popular characters such as Spide-Man, My Little Pony and Peppa Pig. Following our birthday celebrations, we’ll be saying “bring it on” to Christmas. Over twenty years’ trading, I can honestly say I’ve had a wonderful time, and here’s to many more.

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

And the roast is history…

A

s we write this, we are travelling back from the Toymaster Regional show in Swindon, and still cannot believe we are into the final quarter of the year now. This is the last stop for us to catch up with some of our suppliers before the rush really happens. There were some worthwhile deals to be had, with a good mix of special offers and clearance; let’s just say it was enough to tempt us, even though we thought we had done most of our buying for the year. It was good to catch up with other members we had not seen since Harrogate. May we also say, the lunch was exquisite, a delicious three-meat roast that even came with pigs in blankets!

Trade through September did feel tough early on, especially with the 30 degree heatwave we had the week the kids went back to school. However, sales came back strongly towards the end of the month and overall, we were pleased with September’s takings. The launch of Pokemon 151 was a big success and exceeded our bullish expectations. This followed the huge success of Lorcana; we are completely sold out of that now and looking forward to Chapter 2 later this year. Some of the new Lego releases have been popular, with the Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle & Grounds being the standout. The new themed releases from Squishmallows have been in very high demand, including Halloween and Harry Potter house animals.

The Little Live Pets Mini Mama Surprise from Moose has shown very strong sales already.

The Miniverse range from MGA is still growing, with new launches adding to the range. With the football season now in full swing, the Premier League Adrenalyn XL cards have also been popular. We have seen big growth in Hot Wheels over the past year. By ensuring we have a good supply of the diecast single cars in stock, we sell over 200 a week. The collector lines have been popular too, and by focusing on these when they are released, we are becoming well known locally as destination stores for them.

Over the last couple of months, we have noticed that our average transaction value has dropped by about 5%, which we think is reflective of the general cost of living challenges that our customers are facing. In light of this, we have looked hard at our pricing, and have decided to home in on key price points: £9.99, £19.99, £29.99. We are not looking at having products at £10.99, £21.99 etc. In some cases, we will reduce the margin to keep to the price - customers really are looking at prices carefully, and we need to be seen to offer good value for money.

We are just putting the finishing touches to our Black Friday plans, which will launch later this month. This is our biggest promotional push of the year and is spread over a whole week. We have been sourcing products to include in our promotion over the last few months and will add a few lines that we have excess stock of nearer the time. Although it is often said there is a degree of fatigue over the event each year, we still notice a massive uplift in sales.

Timed to coincide with one of the final paydays before Christmas, and always getting a lot of coverage in the news, it does encourage people to come in store. Sticking to selected lines in our promotion, rather than discounting across the whole store, works wonders. When you are located in malls like we are, with promos from other retailers all around you, if you do not have a Black Friday presence in store, you will be missing out.

Toy World 32

fresh FRESH THIS MONTH:

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

Here are new releases from: Canal Toys, Haico, Heelys, Konami, Lumistella Co & Zapf Creations.

25th Anniversary Rarity Collection booster pack

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. 01753 271 737 • www.yugioh-card.com/uk

This November, Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG fans can finally get their hands on two new card technologies which have only been available overseas until now.

The 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection is a spectacular all-foil set with 79 of the game’s most popular cards, each available in seven different rarities, including two brand-new rarities. The first of these is the Prismatic style Collector’s Rare; made with extra sparkle, this is the same as the Japanese Collector’s Rare technology previously available only in Asia. The second is the Prismatic style Ultimate Rare.

With a raised 3D varnish effect, this is the same as the Japanese Ultimate Rare technology, again only previously available in Asia. In a special twist, the structure of the 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection is like nothing seen before. Each pack has a chance to have one, two or even three of the new luxury rare technologies.

Each pack will contain: • 2 Super Rares • 1 Secret Rare (with a 1-in-4 chance of being upgraded to a Platinum Secret Rare or Quarter Century Secret Rare) • 2 Ultra Rares (each of which has an individual 1-in-6 chance of being upgraded to a new Prismatic style Collector’s Rare or new Prismatic style Ultimate Rare) With every card available in every rarity, Duelists can collect matching copies, or mix and match the rarities of their favourite cards.

This unique Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG booster pack launches in the UK this November.

Noorah picture book and toys The Lumistella Company lumistella.com lewis@babyrepublic.co.uk The Lumistella Company is home to some of the world’s most beloved Christmas brands including The Elf on the Shelf as well as Elf Pets and Elf Mates. For the 2023 holiday season, the global IP company reveals the legend behind a fan-favourite character, Noorah, Santa's enchanted and extraordinary arctic fox.

With a vibrantly illustrated picture book and Noorah toys hitting the market this holiday season, fans who know Noorah from the animated special, Elf Pets: A Fox Cub’s Christmas Tale, will be delighted to discover how Noorah became one of Santa’s oldest and most trusted friends and can take inspiration as they play and create their own adventures.

Extraordinary Noorah by Chanda A. Bell recounts the story of an ordinary fox - just like every other fox in the arctic circle. With a swish of her tail, Noorah learns she can spark the northern lights and pause time, a gift that will shield Santa’s sleigh so he can travel the whole world in one night. Already being met with enthusiasm from reviewers, this 32-page picture book is a fantastical tale of enchantment, perfect for young readers and anyone who believes in the spirit of Christmas.

Additional product offerings include cuddly companion, Noorah Plush, a deluxe, huggable plush toy, the perfect size for hugging and travelling. An articulated Noorah Action Figure Set comes complete with Santa’s Great White Owl and Noorah’s snowy den for hands-on, imaginative and portable play.

These releases will be accompanied by the debut of a Noorah music video featuring Noorah in a new, original song on the official The Elf on the Shelf YouTube channel. A marketing campaign to support the brand will include social media and influencer support.

Heelys HO23 collection

Shiner • 01172 020 120 www.heelys.eu.com sales@shiner.co.uk Heelys, the original two-in-one wheeled shoe that launched in 2000, rolls into the Christmas gifting season with its new HO23 range.

Ideal for encouraging children to be active over the festive period and into the new year, the collection consists of 12 new SKUs with a predominantly dark colour scheme perfect for winter.

Design choices include black with neon pink, metallics, foil, camo print and unicorn graphics.

A new silver-grey/black/grey colourway in the Rezerve Low builds on the popularity of this SKU, with its Y2K inspired chunky sole and grunge aesthetic. The Pro 20 X2 in cyan/neon pink/white taps into the ongoing trend for unicorns, while the brand-new Classic EM in black and pink will add festive sparkle to the holidays.

A new advert on TV, cinema and YouTube, emphasising Heelys’ longevity as the ‘original’ and best shoe with a wheel, supports the launch. Broadcasting across the UK, ROI and Spain, then advert features classic and new Heelys designs.

Available in the UK and Europe on the Heelys website and retailers, the collection comes in sizes C11-5 for two-wheeled designs and C12-7 for single wheeled styles.

Toy World 34

h

fresh

Squidgems Milkshake Cup and Trash Can Haico • 0161 457 8085 • www.haico.co.uk sales@haico.co.uk

The newest additions to Haico’s Squidgems brand are the Milkshake Cup and Trash Can. They are both multi-functioning toys that can double up as a storage item, as well as a fun shaking machine to create the perfect squishy.

Users just add gloop, imagination and the squishy into the milkshake or trash can, and watch the creation come to life. The washable nature of the gloop allows the product to be reused again and again. The slow-rise foam material also offers a tactile stress-relief element, as children can squeeze the foam which promotes relaxation.

Both products are equipped with two Squidgems characters, three gloops, three pens and one bag of foam balls to use for each unique creation. The compact size of the individual squishy makes them easy to carry on the go. The decorating accessories included come in a variety of colours, opening up a variety of creative designs for each character.

The Squidgems brand is known for its loveable squishy characters that come in two themes: Pets and Monsters. Lulu the Panda and Fifi the Dog are the characters included in the girls’ Milkshake cup, whilst Tyred Tyler and Tommy Trash can be found in the boys’ version.

Both the Milkshake Cup and Trash Can have a cartoonesque design element to them, with the cup being created with a sky-blue base, magenta whip topping and embossed smiling animated face. A muted grey, vibrant green and embossed angry face has been used to characterise the trash can.

Both of these products stand out due to their re-usability features as well as their key affordable price points, making them perfect for gifts or a rainy day indoor activity.

Baby born Minis

Zapf Creation • 0845 0533 333 • www.mgae.com Launching this autumn, Baby born Mini comprises 20 characters to discover, each with an array of interchangeable accessories and play sets. Children can collect them, create adventures and have fun designing their own world of miniature play.

Perfect for children to play with on the go and launching under the Minis tagline ‘Play together every day’, the 7cm Baby born Minis Babies have either an exciting colour change feature or a metallic colourway, and each comes with their own pet companion. The 7cm Baby born Sisters and Brother dolls come with an interchangeable hair accessory, and all dolls have moveable arms, legs and heads.

Aimed at children 3+ and available to buy as a standalone product or as a twin pack online, the Baby born Minis Babies, and Sisters and Brother dolls, come with new Showbox Open packaging, allowing children to see inside and choose their favourite character. A collectors sheet helps children add all characters from the range to their collection.

The new collectible range opens up a world of imaginative play opportunities, with eight play sets available including a Highchair, Bathtub, Deckchair, Scooter, Horse Fun Set, Working Stroller, Birthday Table and Furniture Set. The majority of play sets come with an exclusive doll.

The Baby born Minis Campervan comes with the exclusive Jasmine Minis doll. The Campervan is highly detailed and opens up to reveal a decorated kitchen, seating area, bedroom and bathroom. Stickers allow children to decorate the Campervan however they wish, and a range of fun miniature accessories is included, such as a bike, table and stools, and grill.

Scrapbooking 3 in 1 Station Canal Toys • 01904 379 123 www.canaltoys.fr/en

Canal Toys, renowned for its innovative and exciting product offerings, has unveiled the Style 4 Ever Scrapbooking 3 in 1 Station, the latest addition to its popular Style 4 Ever range.

This scrapbooking station is an absolute essential for anyone looking to craft their own distinctive scrapbooks and add stylish customisations to their favourite accessories. Children can embark on hours of creative fun and kickstart their artistic journey with the notebook included in this fun kit.

Featuring an array of creative tools, including embossing paper, colourful and design-centric stickers, customisable adhesive tapes and an impressive collection of over 150 accessories, each kit comes complete with everything kids need to let their creativity run wild and bring their scrapbooking visions to life: crafting unique and unforgettable scrapbooks has never been easier.

Early feedback from Canal’s social media campaigns suggests the Style 4 Ever Scrapbooking 3 in 1 Station is poised to become a standout addition to the Canal Toys line-up. This product launch will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign encompassing digital promotions, influencer collaborations, public relations efforts, and dynamic social media engagement.

Toy World 36

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Company Profile Moose Brand Profile

The Italian job Publisher John Baulch visits the headquarters of Clementoni as it celebrates its 60th anniversary to see what makes the company such an enduring success story.

Pierpaolo Clementoni

Giovani Clementoni

I

the San Remo Music Festival, after which the company moved on to developing a range of games based on TV shows. One of the company’s earliest success stories was Sapientino, the game based on ‘two pins’ which was launched in 1967 and is still in the range today.

Travelling to the company’s long-term base in the Recanati also gave me the chance to spend time with Clementoni’s leadership team, a healthy blend of experience and new blood which has steered the company to its current position as the fourth-largest company in the Italian market. Headed up by CEO Giovani Clementoni, the company’s experienced management of MD Guido Vingiani, who has been with the company for 26 years, and export sales director Flavia Verducci, who has spent 21 years in the export division, are ably supported by more recent additions in the form of product marketing director Alessandro Roberti and chief marketing and R&D officer Guido Sciascia.

Their collective passion for the business is evident, as is the enthusiasm of all of its staff across the R&D, manufacturing and sales departments which are based at head office.

Since those early days, the company has branched out considerably and is now a leading player in a variety of categories. Throughout its distinguished history, there have been a series of fundamental elements to the company’s DNA, including the ‘learning through play’ philosophy which underpins everything it does. After initially focusing on the domestic market, Clementoni has also developed a strong international focus over the past two decades, with a particular emphasis on Europe. Back in 1996, international sales made up around 29% of the company’s turnover. Today, that figure is almost 70% - the highest it has ever been.

have always found that the best way to truly understand a company and what makes it tick is to visit its headquarters and see how it operates first-hand. I had the opportunity to do just that this summer with Italian toy specialist Clementoni, which is celebrating its milestone 60th anniversary in 2023. The company was originally founded by Mario Clementoni back in 1963, and the third generation of the Clementoni family is already working in the business.

The company started out as a games supplier: its very first product was a board game produced to coincide with

A move into licensed products was another early milestone; in 1971, Clementoni signed its first licence with Walt Disney for board games, followed two years later by a deal for puzzles. To this day, Clementoni maintains one of the longest partnerships with Disney in the European toy arena.

Clementoni has a strong manufacturing heritage; all of its products are conceived and designed in-house and, wherever possible, manufactured in Italy – at its base in Recanati, a beautiful but relatively unknown area

Toy World 38

on the East coast of Italy. The company, which remains privately-owned, employs 700 people and sold 30m toys last year, 85% of which were made in Italy. Like many toy companies, Clementoni explored Far Eastern production for a while, before reshoring commenced in earnest in 2010. Purchases from China have been halved in the past decade, a move which really paid dividends during the pandemic. The ability to maintain a steady, consistent supply chain stood the company in great stead, while after Covid, the ‘Made in Italy’ concept became more important than ever for consumers in Italy and other key territories.

Last year’s strong performance secured Clementoni the number 11 slot in Circana’s EU8 chart, which is a significant achievement when you look at the major global companies which occupy the top 10 slots. While it has a little way to go to replicate that position in the UK Circana list (the company is currently nestled just outside the top 30 suppliers), the company certainly intends to grow its share here in the coming years and has a firm plan to speed up growth not just in the UK, but also other key territories such as Germany and Benelux. In particular, the Infant, Science and Puzzles categories have been identified as major opportunities for growth.

In tandem with taking a conscious decision to expand its export business in the late 1990s, the company also decided to extend its product range into new categories.

Up to that point, it had primarily focused on the same

Company Profile Moose Brand Profile categories that the business was founded on – Puzzles, Educational Toys and Board Games. However, a new focus on innovation saw Clementoni branch out into new sectors, including Art & Craft, Science, Infant and Digital toys – and those categories now make up around 70% of the company’s turnover, with Infant Toys and Science its two largest segments.

According to MD Guido Vingiani, it was important to move into categories which were consistent with Clementoni’s core values – and that strategy clearly worked. Not only did the new portfolio strengthen the company’s position in its home market, but it also allowed it to grow across Europe, where Clementoni is now the number one supplier in the Science category and number two in kids’ Puzzles.

A crucial move in supporting the company’s European growth was the opening of dedicated subsidiaries in key territories. Initially, the company used distributors to enter the international market, but as the range grew, the need to localize products became paramount, especially in areas such as ELAs and Educational Toys. With different cultures and approaches to education, tailoring products to suit the local market became a pivotal strategy and while it made the business far more complex – with the need to make and stock thousands of additional SKUs – it was deemed essential to offer product that was appropriate for each individual market.

And how those markets can differ. There are the inevitable cultural differences - Eastern Europe and parts of Southern Europe are apparently still rather conservative, while the UK, France and the Nordics are considered more progressive. Even box sizes can be a bone of contention, with buyers in some countries reluctant for sizes to shrink, lest parents think they are buying a “less important” gift, despite the SKU efficiency on shelf and the cost savings for both the retailer and the consumer. The company believes the best approach is to deliver appropriate product for each individual market, rather than adopting a ‘one size fits all’ approach – and Clementoni’s in-house design and manufacturing capabilities allow it to do just that.

The UK office opened in 2010, and the business has grown consistently here over the past decade and a bit. Science and Puzzles have been consistent performers, and leading retailers such as Smyths, Argos and B&M have all been

valuable customers from the beginning. The UK arm has also bolstered its sales team over the past six months, with Kingsley Li and Nick Karmy bringing extensive experience in their channels to the operation. In addition, Clementoni UK opened a new logistics hub in July, with the principal aim of supporting and driving independent retail business.

So how does the company plan to grow its presence in the UK market? According to Paul Fogarty, who was appointed as country manager for the UK & Ireland back in June 2022, the key is to encourage the widest possible cross-section of retailers to support each category Clementoni specializes in. “Becoming a major player in the market with broader distribution across our core ranges is our ultimate aspiration,” Paul explains. “If we can help retailers to appreciate the depth of our ranges and support them accordingly, then there is considerable scope to grow Clementoni in the UK market. We have a huge range, and product and category management will be essential; we want to develop a core offering which focuses on the areas where we have a competitive advantage. And with the opening of our new warehouse this year, we have the ability to be both reactive and proactive in supporting our entire account base.”

In terms of product, there is certainly no shortage of opportunities for UK retailers to go at. The range is extensive and constantly refreshed to stay on top of the latest trends. Overall, around 600-700 brand new SKUs are developed every year, to bolster the core range of carry forward lines that have proved enduringly successful.

Among the standouts are the Clemmy Infant range, which Paul describes as “a real point of difference in the category. The soft block system enables children from a very young age to develop their dexterity and cognitive skills in a completely safe way. The proprietary material used in Clemmy is ideal to explore new toys that encourage multi-sensory development.”

Other highlights are in the Science & Play STEM line which covers traditional Science, Construction and Robotic themes, with Paul adding: “Clementoni is the category leader across Europe and our ambition is to develop and lead this category in the UK. We work very closely with the Science Museum on many of the toys in this line, another example where the company adapts locally to improve its offering.”

Puzzles will always be a focus and Clementoni has transformed its line to meet increased consumer demand for

Toy World 40

a more sustainable range in the new space friendly “compact” range. The company will also be eliminating single use plastic from the start of next year.

A new entry for the UK in 2023 is The Idea arts & crafts line, featuring the Pen Creator Studio, which is already showing early signs of success and will receive strong marketing support in Q4. Paul is confident this is just the start: “We are very much planning for the Idea range to expand and create a real presence in the arts and crafts category. “ Educational products also remain part of Clementoni’s heartland, and the bridge which connects the Infant range with other categories such as Science and Art & Craft. The company has huge experience in this area: Pierpaolo Clementoni, who leads the company’s educational efforts, explained that “educational products are now much more about helping parents to understand the different talents and attitudes of individual children.

It is just as much about emotional intelligence as a rigid definition of ‘education’ – the new generation of parents wants to interact with their children, and we want to give them products that are enjoyable, fun and engaging for both kids and parents. The product development team works closely with educational professionals to help them understand what children need from the ages 0-10.”

Licensed products make up around 30% of the company’s sales and Clementoni has strong long-term partnerships with leading global and local licensors including Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal, Hasbro, Netflix and Disney.

As well as licensors, Clementoni also prides itself on its strong relationships with its retail partners, and on its values, taking a clear stance on important issues. The company is addressing sustainability issues by increasing its use of recycled plastics in its product line and recycled cardboard in its packaging. It has also partnered with UNICEF for the past three years, donating products to children who are either hospitalized or in foster homes.

It has even worked with Pampers on an experimental partnership to collect used nappies to convert into raw material for toys and is also developing a range of inclusive products which children of all abilities can play with. As Pierpaolo explains: “We don’t want to make a range of products just for children with different abilities – toys and games should be the same for all children, whatever their abilities.”

I will leave the last word to CEO Giovani Clementoni: “I am feeling optimistic about what lies ahead. Christmas will come – it always does – and I feel confident about 2024; there is plenty to go after and we are targeting growth in key markets, including the UK. Our goal is to make Clementoni bigger and stronger than ever: we have set ambitious targets, but we will be working together as a team to respond to the demands of the market and deliver great ranges to our retail partners and consumers across Europe and the world.”

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Opinion

Rick Derr

The future

of indies Letter from America After 20 years working at A.C. Nielsen/D&B Research Company, Rick opened the first Learning Express Toys franchise in the Chicago area in 1996, and then became a sub-franchiser, 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. This month, Rick looks ahead to predict what a profitable Indie Toy Shop might look like in 5-10 years’ time.

B

ig retailers and major companies pay consultants a lot of money to predict the future. Do they know any more than those of us that are in the business and have actually been in the trenches every day for years? I think not. So, without charging you any money or fees, here is my vision of the future…

Let me first set some background before diving into this vision. Suppliers estimate that the US indie toy market has dwindled over the years from several thousand pure toy stores to less than 1200. This does not include gift shops, museum stores, value channels, drug stores and convenience stores, all of which also sell toys. In fact, toys have sprung up everywhere, including in home improvement stores and truck stops selling food and petrol. Everyone wants toys!

As we ended 2019, the toy market in the US was soft. Then, in a weird way, we were all helped by the pandemic shutdown. The aftereffects have also been strong and, as I have stated before, this is the longest consecutive run of strong monthly sales performance that I have experienced in 28 years. So, while indies remain a small sector of the toy market, it’s a sector which is in a stronger position postpandemic. Now is the time to position ourselves for a future which will include more competition, not less. I feel we have a once in a generation opportunity to strengthen our position as a local community resource that children and parents need and will continue to need. But we need to act now.

Prices rise, prices fall, hot products come and go, retail competition intensifies and then slows down, fads come along occasionally that we hop on, but we can control none of that. So, my vision focuses on what we can control. Indies have a lane and when we follow very simple, clear strategies, we can compete profitably by creating the best teams and curating a product mix that suits our local customer while operating in a world of ‘wow’ - both instore and online. This in itself is not easy to sustain at a high level over time. So, I see us adding another key element that raises the bar even higher in terms of customer service, by investing in our teams as play experts.

We know that play is critical to child development and all the way through to the end of life. We need to be experts in the field of play and help kids build the skills to become more resilient to the challenges they face. By investing time and money in learning about and understanding play and its benefits, we are meeting kids (and parents) where they are today. We can reap huge benefits from being trained not only in the science and history of play, but in mental health as well. A store needs to communicate with its customers and recognize when they need help with

recommendations for a comfort toy or to build skills that take practice over time. It will be a balancing act to interact in an empathetic way, while also making sure the shop is profitable and growing.

Investing in team members as Certified Play Experts means associates will feel better about their retail job and the higher purpose of making an impact in their community, child by child. Sharing with customers that your store is a Certified Play location gives credence to your expertise.

These CPE’s (certified play experts) then act as a firewall against the outside forces of competition, especially online. If you help a mother or grandparent just one time to find that perfect item or recommend toys and games to build skills in the future, you will have a customer for life. This expertise and service defends against pricing ups and downs, hot products going away or even a supplier not allowing you access to products. You are protected by your expertise, because you have built a core of customers which values your expertise. As I have learned over the years, what is good for customers is generally good for business.

I see a day when my store is the safe and trusted shop to go to for everything from comfort toys to strategy games, from science toys to craft kits, or just joyful pick me ups for a treat. The customer values us and our expertise and we will be their trusted source. Our toy offering can grow but it will take investment in people and time to grow and meet kids (and adults) in a whole new way. I have already started on this journey and feel even more connected to my customers and community; consider where you want to be in 5-10 years!

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

Toy World 44

Feature

Q1 Ranges

So, what else is new?

Arguably not the most glamorous time of the year, Q1 is nonetheless a vital time for toy retailers: a time to reinvigorate their stores and shelves with exciting new product launches and tempt in shoppers with Christmas cash to spend. Toy World takes a look at some of the upcoming ranges arriving between Boxing Day and Easter and asks a selection of leading suppliers how they’re supporting their retail partners during the period.

F

ollowing all the excitement of the festive season, you’d be forgiven for thinking that toy retailers and suppliers would be taking some time for themselves, polishing off the forgotten ‘spare’ Christmas pudding usually found lurking at the back of the cupboard and planning their summer holiday.

But that’s not the case. Q1 sees our nation’s toy community embrace the New Year with new ranges galore – and consumers are more than happy to snap them up.

Traditionally, the best performing ranges in Q1 sit firmly within the Collectibles category, and as we all know, there’s been no shortage of those recently. Accessibly priced pocket money items don’t just offer kids plenty of bang for their Christmas buck (usually in the shape of cash or a gift voucher from grandparents or extended family), they also provide cash-strapped parents with some great options for treating the kids on a smaller budget.

Will Collinson, general manager UK & Ireland at Zuru, says that whilst the company will be introducing its usual raft of exciting new additions across its entire product portfolio in Q1 2024, the team remains mindful of lower discretionary spend during the first half of the year. This combination of innovation and value, he tells Toy World, is precisely what retailers are looking for - and Zuru looks set to deliver it with what Will is calling ‘arguably its strongestever spring/summer 2024 line-up’.

“The launch that truly has us buzzing is Mini Sneakers,” he enthuses, when ask which range he’s most looking forward to seeing in stores. “It's a significant nostalgia trip, tapping into a prevailing trend we've noticed on social media and featuring iconic brands such as New Balance and Reebok. We're excited to give our loyal ‘Miniacs’ exactly what they've been looking for.”

Epoch Making Toys’ Sylvanian Families brand will be welcoming a new nursery range that’s bright, cheerful and packed with features: it will also expand on the company’s ever-growing baby offering, which, according to MD Phil Hooper, taps into the current trend for all things little.

He explains: “In addition to the two core products - the Sunny Castle Nursery and the Rainbow Fun Bus (which seats 28 babies and cradled babies) - there will be two complementary add-ons, a Nursery Swing and Nursery Sandbox and Pool, plus four entry price-point Nursery Friends sets. Designed to complement and connect to the core sets, these new products will enable consumers to expand their collections at an affordable price point.”

Hunter Price is launching new ranges within its Toys & Activity product pillar, one of three areas of the business which have shown real growth potential over the past 18 months. Richard Belford, sales director – Toys & Activity, tells us he’s most excited about Hunter Price’s new FloraBricks and Snuggle Club ranges. The former allows

Toy World 46

kids to build their own floral displays using innovative connecting blocks, with the whole proposition built around letting both creativity and collectability blossom, while the latter will bring premium-look plush to market at an affordable price point. “Our ranges will always offer quality and value – it underpins everything we do,” says Richard. “When consumers are tightening their belts, the ranges and products we have in the market need to cut through and connect with the consumer.”

Hunter Price’s Stationery, Arts & Crafts and Home & Lifestyle pillars will also be launching new product in Q1, including the next phase of Crayola creativity and the licensed Gabby’s Dollhouse hair accessories range.

We’ve heard from a number of retailers that hair, beauty and self-care ranges for kids are showing healthy add-on sales potential in toy stores, particularly when time has been taken to curate a dedicated section showcasing a nice variety of goods. With Gabby’s Dollhouse currently one of the fastest growing properties in the market, Hunter Price’s new range will surely be one to watch and will offer an ideal cross-category addition to any Gabby’s area in-store.

Meanwhile, Q1 will see MGA Entertainment introduce additions to existing best-selling ranges. Series 3 of MGA’s Miniverse Make it Mini Food Diner and Café will be joined by a new spring ‘24 small plush assortment for Fluffie

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Stuffiez. Both brands arrived on the scene earlier this year and have proven immensely successful, including on social media. Given the current economic climate, MGA Entertainment is focused on ensuring every brand offers a range of products at entry price points. To this end, L.O.L. Surprise! - which in Q1 will welcome seasonal new additions that promise to enhance collectability - will continue to build on its £9.99 proposition, whilst Fluffie Stuffiez will extend its £14.99 range, in which each product offers three ways to play. For the very first time, MGA will also be launching its first sub-£20 fashion doll: readers can find out more about this in due course, as MGA is keeping things under wraps for the time being.

Away from pocket money toys and collectibles, there’s no shortage of new games for Q1. The Epoch Games portfolio is expanding further with not one but two hugely popular licences joining the line up for 2024, both of which will tap in to new and existing film and TV releases. Cartamundi is re-introducing the best-selling Color Addict card game to the market for 2024 with a handy new package design, and in time for the 2024 Euros in Germany, Winning Moves will be updating Top Trumps Specials, Top Trumps Match and Monopoly with a football-themed new look.

There’s a lot to look forward to in licensing too. Rubies is launching new costumes based on the world of David Walliams, Spin Master welcomes the new Paw Patrol Jungle Pups toy range, Posh Paws is poised to celebrate the April release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire with new plush, and Tomy’s Toomies brand is bringing through Bluey bath toys for pre-schoolers. Galt, meanwhile, is releasing the first products under its new licensing collaboration with the Natural History Museum: Let’s Learn Dinosaurs and Let’s Learn Tiny Creatures.

Of course, it’s not enough simply to create new products.

Suppliers must also raise awareness of them among target consumers, convert views into purchases, and support their retail partners throughout the crucial Q1 period to ensure their relationships thrive throughout the remainder of the year. Michelle Lilley, vice president Marketing – EMEA at MGA Entertainment, says the

company continues to invest in its toys’ on-shelf presence and standout, clever packaging, both of which drive sell through, as seen with MGA’s Miniverse sidekicks. New CDUs for L.O.L. Surprise!, Fluffie Stuffiez and MGA’s Miniverse, meanwhile, will allow consumers to see exactly how much play value is in each package, and the company is also investing heavily in marketing support spanning everything from high-impact media spend to influencer content and PR. She explains: “Consumer-first marketing is key – from high reaching, on-brand TikTok content to in-person experiences across shopping centres and high footfall locations. Our strategy is to ensure we have a strong presence and are competitive in the early months of the year, right from Boxing Day, when we know consumers will be spending post-Christmas. We lead on innovation as much at the start of the year as we do in Q4.”

Like MGA, Magicbox Toys has also been uplifting its toy ranges for Q1 with fun new packaging tweaks. For example, the new KookyLoos window packaging allows consumers to try out the unique face-flip feature of each doll, highlighting the USP of the brand and showing off the expressive characters available to collect. The new packaging is just one of the ways Magicbox’s ongoing commitment to range development comes through at retail, as well as its passion for product deployment. As Suzie Howes, head of Marketing at Magicbox Toys, puts it, the work that goes into enhancing the company’s KookyLoos, Superthings and T-Racers ranges shines through season after season. “The first quarter of each year always see significant changes to some of our product development and it’s therefore a consistently exciting time within the business,” Suzie tells Toy World. “I like the fresh start of a new year and can’t wait to see our 2024 ranges on-shelf.”

Suzie goes on to explain that while Magicbox’s retail partners are supported with good margins and a flexible attitude year-round, they are further supported during key periods such as Q1 with direct and personal marketing plans. “We consistently push to drive traffic both in-store and online and support all our retailers no matter how

big or small they are,” she says. “We’re also always open to ideas and conversations about new ways to work with our partners and like to keep our plans fluid, so we can suit all retailers’ needs.”

Zuru’s Will Collinson says the company stands out in the supplier landscape due to its unique setup; while Zuru operates like a domestic supplier in many ways, it works on an exclusively import-only basis. This approach enables Zuru to offer very strong margins to its retail partners, which Will says ultimately translates into ‘worldclass pricing for consumers’. He adds: “We also provide extensive targeted and customised marketing support, tailored to the specific needs and requirements of each retailer. Additionally, we offer comprehensive out-of-aisle programmes, delivering incremental business by utilising off-fixture space. We also partner during key sales events, to maximise as much traffic as possible. Our unwavering focus is on delivering excellence and compounding improvement, both internally and externally. From spring onwards we’re adding stability and innovation to our best-selling ranges, including Rainbocorns, X-Shot, Mini Brands and Robo Alive. As Zuru is arguably the home of value, we're dedicated to solidifying our position and continuing to provide unmatched products and experiences for our customers.”

Driven by a ‘partnership-mindset’, Hunter Price aims to build ranges in collaboration with retailers and provides scalable retail solutions, from variable price points to packaging and PR support to offer consistent quality and value. As explained to Toy World by Richard Belford, the company also invites partners to work with its product development and design teams, as well as its in-house marketing team, which helps bring to life the ranges through engaging content and campaigns. “At Hunter Price, our service and support is truly personal, and we believe it’s this approach which helps build lasting relationships,” finishes Richard.

Over the coming pages, Toy World brings you a comprehensive overview of the newest toys and games that will have kids heading to the toy shops once Christmas is out of the way.

Eco-Wood-Art

Flair

www.ewaecowoodart.com sales@eco-wood-art.com

0208 643 0320 | www.flairgp.co.uk sales@flairplc.co.uk

Eco-Wood-Art (EWA) is pleased to introduce the Grain Harvesting Combine GH800. This beautifully crafted wooden puzzle is perfect for those who love a good challenge and appreciate the beauty of farm machinery.

The Grain Harvesting Combine GH800 puzzle is made from highquality wood. The puzzle pieces are intricately cut, making it a challenging yet enjoyable experience for puzzle enthusiasts. Once completed, the puzzle forms a stunning replica of a modern grain harvesting combine in action.

EWA’s Grain Harvesting Combine GH800 puzzle is the epitome of wooden 3D puzzles, being made from high-quality wood that ensures durability and longevity. With 864 pieces in total, this expert level build provides a challenging yet enjoyable experience for those who love a good puzzle, and its four speed settings set it even further apart from the competition. The combine is a great gift for anyone who loves puzzles and farming or simply appreciates the beauty of machinery. It is also an excellent addition to any home, adding a touch of rustic charm to any room and blending seamlessly with any decor.

The Grain Harvesting Combine GH800 wooden jigsaw puzzle is not only a stunning work of art but also comes beautifully packaged in a stylish black box. The sleek and sophisticated packaging makes it an ideal gift for any occasion, from birthdays to Christmas or even as a housewarming present.

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While Monsterverse enthusiasts anxiously anticipate the 2024 release of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire this coming Spring, Flair's new toy line ensures ongoing excitement for the monstrous clash. This collection boasts a wide array of characters and SKUs to explore, featuring new concepts and new action figure characters to collect. Flair’s success with the current Monsterverse collection has expanded from the children’s market to film memorabilia collectors and continues to be a strong line for the company, enjoying great feedback, reviews and repeat orders.

Q1 Ranges

KAP Toys 01423 368 888 www.kaptoys.com orders@kaptoys.com KAP Toys will be starting 2024 strongly with new products from Beano, Hello Kitty, Fuzzballs, Marvel Mission Arena and the national rollout of Holo Toyz.

For Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary, Somerset House will celebrate with an exhibition and there will be a flurry of marketing activity.

KAP Toys has four SKUs, building on the success of Hello Kitty Cappuccino which has been a sellout in 2023. Squishii plush, little bags and purses are all beautifully displayed in full colour CDUs and gift packaging. At pocket-money pricing, they offer an everyday treat for Hello Kitty fans both young and old.

In March, KAP Toys is expecting a surge in sales as it marks World Book Day with Beano. KAP Toys will have a gifting solution for this event for all retailers. There will be Squishii Beano characters for Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie; a Box of Tricks which includes everything needed for a day of mischief including an all-important whoopee cushion; and the Comikit Beano which includes three blank comics, four stencils, stampers, ink and pens so kids can create their own comics.

Ax well as the Hello Kitty and Beano brands, KAP Toys will continue to offer new introductions from Fuzzballs, Marvel Mission Arena and, at Toy Fair, there will be a live demo from Holotoyz.

Rubies UK 08453 070 707 | www.rubiesuk.com customerservices@rubiesuk.com Rubies will be releasing its brand-new The World of David Walliams dress-up, becoming the sole licensee for the property across the category. David Walliams has become one of the most influential children’s writers today. Since the publication of his ground-breaking first novel, The Boy in the Dress (2008), he has seen unprecedented growth with global sales exceeding 53m copies and his books translated into 55 languages.

The range features new characters and re-imagined styles, full dress-up of David Walliams’s latest creation, Spaceboy, who is a massive hit already with schoolaged readers. Featuring a metallic jumpsuit with a cape and out of this world helmet, it joins a collection of accessory sets including Fing, Billionaire Boy and Gangsta Granny. With costumes already in production, product will be available to pre-order early next year, perfect for trade retailers looking to stock up in time for Book Day. In addition, Rubies is revealing a new collection of Barbie costumes and accessories to fuel kids’ imaginations and play possibilities. One of the highlights of the upcoming Barbie additions is the Barbie Cowgirl Costume, available for both children and adults.

The costumes come complete with fringed tops and accessorised hats and are ideal for reliving fond childhood memories or exploring new adventures with a touch of Western flair.

To complete the transformation into a real-life Barbie, Rubies offers a range of accessories. The Barbie jelly shoes are a must-have addition to the dress-up collection, providing comfort and style as fans step into the shoes of this iconic doll. Additionally, the Barbie accessory set consists of a tutu skirt, a printed headband, Pegasus armbands and a necklace, allowing wearers to create unforgettable Barbieinspired looks that reflect their unique personalities.

Just Play www.justplayproducts.com | uksales@justplayproducts.com Just Play is preparing to launch its line of interactive pets from the beloved FurReal brand next spring. The range features old favourites as well as new innovation to continue the legacy of pet and nurture play. The lifelike animals inspire kids to care for and nurture their plush pets by providing magical interactions that help develop an emotional bond between children and their furry friends.

The realistic pets include the adorable FurReal My Minis, which make their debut in spring. This collection of palm-sized pets includes a loveable puppy, kitten and piglet. With super cute animal sounds, these furry friends fit perfectly into a child’s hands and move their heads and tails just like real pets.

Children will also be able to give FurReal Newborns a forever home. When given their feeding accessories or booped on the nose, these lovable pet pals respond by closing their eyes and making happy, contented sounds. Kids can choose from a puppy or kitten or add both to their collection.

The much-loved FurReal Walkalots collection continues with the all-new Bernadoodle. This pup comes with a simpleto-use automatic lead that children use to push him along. As he moves forward, his head wobbles and he shows off his signature bouncy walk. He also makes puppy sounds and funny noises, making the walk feel that much more real for kids.

Perfect for cat lovers, the new Wagalots Ragdoll Kitty will swish her tail as she is walked along while making funny cat sounds, bringing much delight to her owner. Autumn/winter will see the launch of even more innovative and imaginative pets that will surprise and delight children and parents alike.

The FurReal range of interactive pets is intended for children aged four years and over and will be available from February 2024. Just Play will be supporting FurReal with a dynamic 360-degree marketing campaign, including digital activation, influencer partnerships and PR activity.

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Mattel

Q1 Ranges

01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com To celebrate Barbie’s 65th anniversary in 2024, the 65th Barbie Fashionistas collection lends a modern twist to the classic dolls, while new to careers is the Figure Skater Doll and fairytale welcomes the Colour Change Mermaid. There are more family adventures on the way too with the Chelsea plane.

Fisher-Price continues to delight parents with new solutions in the newborn range.

The first sustainable range, Planet Friends, is made of 80-95% post-consumer recycled plastics, and the sensory segment Sensimals has been updated for the new year. The Newborn range will also be refreshing the iconic Glow & Grow Kick & Play Gym. Launching in Infant is the Count & Stack Crane, Shapes & Sounds Vehicle Puzzle, Push Along Vehicles and Cuddle & Chime First Babydoll. The Laugh and Learn range adds the Play Along Earbuds, Wake Up & Learn Coffee Mug, Play & Go Activity Keys and Counting & Colours Smoothie Maker to the line-up, and Little People introduces the Everyday Adventures Airport and Disney Princess Cinderella Carriage.

Thomas & Friends continues to help kids navigate life’s experiences through friendship and stories. New products linked to the TV show include the Topsy Turvy Paint Delivery Playset and talking engines.

Hot Wheels is driving the Challenge Accepted ethos even further with the new Skate range, which comprises the Fingerboard & Shoe assortment, Multipacks, Hot Wheels Skate Rippin Tricks 8 Pack, Tony Hawk’s Cereal Skate Pack and Hot Wheels Skate Drop in Set. New to the City range is the Ice Cream Shop, Bat Loop Attach Playset and Snake & Pizza Shop. The Monster Trucks collection expands with Monster Trucks Monster Rigs 1:64 Assortment plus Arena Smashers: Shark Trap and Rhinomite’s Chargin Challenge.

Matchbox is enhanced with moving parts as well as the Tow & Repaid Service Truck. Polly Pocket adds the Sloth to the large wearable compact range as well as new themed compacts, and Monster High expands with new dolls including Toralei, Venus and Ghoulia, plus new Creepover Party dolls. Unboxing fun is on the way with the Skulltimate Secrets Neon Frights theme.

Disney Princess welcomes the new Singing Rapunzel, Storytime Stackers Jasmine’s Palace and Frozen Magical Skirt Anna. The Wish range, meanwhile, includes the Cottage Home Playset, Rosas Castle Playset, Asha of Rosas Adventure Pack Fashion Doll, Singing Asha of Rosas Doll and much more.

The WWE range grows with new packaging and increased articulation of the basic figures plus Knuckle Crunchers Figures and Wrekkin’ Boneyard Slam Cycle. Jurassic World introduces Wild Roar Assortment plus Gigantic Trackers, Allosaurus and Mega Roar Blue. Flippin Figs join the Minecraft portfolio alongside a refresh of the Basic Plush and Enchanted Sword, and Mattel Plush adds Star Wars Moodiverse to its plush line-up.

Fisher-Price Imaginext launches the Batman Insider & Black Exo Suit Robot Playset plus the Track & Transport Dino Truck to Jurassic World. Mega introduces Pokémon Machamp, the Pokémon Paldea Region Team Poke Ball bundle and Pokémon Pixel Art Pikachu. Mattel Games is also adding to its classics with Uno Show ‘Em No Mercy and Pictionary vs AI.

Warlord Games

Cartamundi

0115 978 4202 | www.tradehub.warlordgames.com karl.boucher@warlordgames.com

01268 218 052 | www.cartamundi.com karen.parkinson@cartamundi.com

January 2024 sees Warlord Games launch its highly anticipated new A.B.C. Warriors tabletop skirmish game range.

From the world of the legendary British comic 2000 AD comes A.B.C. Warriors: Increase the Peace. Sitting alongside the iconic Judge Dredd – I am the Law! and the swords and sorcery of Slaine – Kiss my Axe! tabletop games, this new frontier of A.B.C Warriors comprises robots designed to withstand Atomic, Biological and Chemical warfare. The gameplay sees the warriors arrive on Mars to help fight off the Volgan threat, whilst delivering their own brand of justice to those who would defile the Red Planet.

The ABC Warriors: Increase the Peace tabletop skirmish game allows players to take the role of either A.B.C Warriors or their robotic Volgan counterparts to see who can gain control of Mars. This starter set allows existing gamers, 2000 AD fans and newcomers alike to get straight into the action. This great value set comes with all the figures needed for gaming, scenery, dice, rulebook and a quick start guide.

Players can recreate storylines from the 2000 AD comic strips or to generate their own alternate histories.

Cartamundi continues to develop and expand its own IP games with the hugely successful Color Addict and Twisted History experiencing a packaging refresh, revised price point and increased marketing support for Q1 2024.

With more than 250,000 sold in 2021 when it first launched, the company is reintroducing the ever-popular Color Addict card game to the market for 2024 with new, handy package design enabling people to play on the move. With 110 cards in play, this game is a colour-coded conundrum waiting to unravel. Each card sports a colour name, but the background colour of the card might not match the word – enough to make players second guess. This fast-paced, brain-teasing adventure is great for the whole family.

Tailored for 2-6 players, it's the go-to for family game nights, a quick play with colleagues during lunch, school breaks or lively parties.

Twisted History is an award-winning, laugh-out-loud, conversation-starting party game that sold out when it first came to market in 2022. Taking players on a journey through the seven twisted eras of history, where life and death was weird and rather gruesome, the aim of the game is to stay ahead of the executioner while answering multiple choice questions about bizarre and gory forgotten bits of history. Nine wrong answers, and the player is dead. Twists introduce strategic choices to get ahead or fast-tracking opponents on their way to execution.

Not just for history buffs, this gruesome game is for anyone and early 2024 will see a full re-launch programme of activity including review and podcast sampling alongside paid social and influencer campaigns.

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Q1 Ranges

One For Fun 0141 613 2525 | www.oneforfun.com | sales@oneforfun.com There’s plenty to look forward to in 2024 from One For Fun’s awardwinning brands. The Tobar brand will continue to expand its ever-popular Scrunchems range, with Q1 welcoming a number of great new themes. An enhanced emphasis on sensory play sees the introduction of new lines such as Liquid Timers: desk toys to calm anyone’s world.

Even more exotic animals are joining the Animigos World of Nature family. Consumer awards keep rolling in for this plush range thanks to its realistic appeal and attractive price points. All the Animigos in the range include an information booklet packed with facts on each animal.

HGL is adding to its pocket money line-up, with lots of squishy, squeezy, stretchy impulse buys on offer. Micro Fidgetz has been a massive success this year, adding gold awards to One For Fun’s cabinet. Q1 will see the launch of a new combination sensory squish set and strange yet wonderful squishy axolotl products.

New lower pricing across the Ozbozz scooter and pogo stick range will boost Q1 sales of the brand’s best-selling lines, while the backing of consumer awards will further push sellthrough. New distribution partner Dino Collecto is on board for Q1 with its amazing range of plush dino-themed toys. These cute collectibles with added play value are set to create a buzz at London Toy Fair.

There will also be new additions to the company’s licensed Max Verstappen F1 range, while Maisto and Bburago, leaders in farm play, continue to roll out new farm vehicles and farm sets for the new year.

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com | sales@charactergroup.plc.uk Character Options’ Heroes of Goo Jit Zu is now a cornerstone property producing excellent sales, with continued investment into marketing and product development bolstering its success for 2024. The latest series sees the squishy, stretchy heroes submerged into the depths of the Cursed Goo Sea. As a result, they’ve developed colour-changing features. Kids can dunk their Goo Jit Zu figure’s head into cold water to reveal the curse as half their head changes colour. In this season, Thrash and Blazagon are joined by all-new creatures: Ill Eel, Graplock and Ultra Race Rockjaw, who has not one but two different types of hidden goo. There’s also a cool Versus pack to collect, which sees the exclusive Pantaro takes on Squidor in the ultimate battle of the Cursed Goo Sea. Craft-loving kids are catered for with new IP Stringalings.

Creative children can braid, plait, loop and knot the stretchy coloured strings to make their own wearable, sharable accessories. Giving kids the ability to make bracelets, necklaces, lanyards, bag charms, keychains and more, Stringalings is the perfect activity for a slumber party, playdate or quiet day indoors.

Stringalings follows the same relaxing play pattern that made loom bands so popular but offers even more crafting possibilities.

Character Options’ Q1 portfolio will be supported with substantial PR and marketing campaigns.

Wow! Stuff 01902 390 428 | ww.wowstuff.com | charlotte.smith@wowstuff.com Wow! Stuff continues to innovate for Q1 with the launch of a brand-new property, and a new character licence for its popular Nano Pods range.

Big news for spring/summer 2024 is the launch of Squash Pops, delightful collectibles packed full of surprises. Available in Marvel, Sonic and Wizarding World options for Q1, each Squash Pop ball can be popped open to reveal fun putty, a character stamp, stickers and a secret bonus item. With four to collect from each world, kids will love hunting for new characters and discovering the special putty feature that is unique to each Squash Pop character. From Hermione and her glowin-the-dark putty to Iron Man and his awesome heat-activated colour changing putty, Squash Pops are available in CDUs of 24.

Wow! Stuff will also shake up the collectibles aisle with its all-new Wednesday Nano Pods. Joining the line-up of iconic licensed characters in connectable, collectible form, Wednesday is the smash-hit property that kids simply can’t get enough of. There will be 12 characters to collect including everyone’s favourites, Thing, Morticia and Wednesday herself.

For USA sales, contact sunny.walia@wowstuff.com.

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Q1 Ranges

Posh Paws 01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk Inspired by the growing trend of Japanese inspired designs, Posh Paws has developed a brand-new range, Kawaii Kuties and Sushi & Fruity Kuties, which combine popular and trending animals and foods with soft squishy plush fabrics. Suitable for all ages, the collection is available in January.

The Kawaii Kuties collection will launch with twelve cute, collectible animals for plush lovers to cuddle up to, including a Shiba Dog, Cat, Axolotl, Japanese Tanuki Dog, Penguin, Turtle, Dinosaur, Panada, Sloth, Unicorn, Hamster and Bear. These adorable squishy animals are available in 9-inch and 13-inch sizes, and as 5-inch Bag Clips in a beautifully decorated CDU to offer retailers various price-points for their customers.

The Sushi & Fruity Kuties combine the most popular animals from the Kawaii collection, with adorable sushi and fruit body wraps which consumers can remove or keep the animals snuggled up inside. The Sushi Kuties assortment includes an Axolotl hosomaki sushi, a Shiba Dog sake sushi, a Penguin prawn tempura, Panda tamago sushi and a Sloth ebi sushi, while the Fruity Kuties collection offers the Pineapple Axoltl, Apple Bear, Banana Koala and Strawberry Hamster.

Godzilla vs Kong returns to cinemas in April with the second instalment in the MonsterVerse blockbuster movie franchise: The New Empire. Posh Paws will be ready to meet the demand from fans for movie product with its new plush toys.

A new basic plush range that will be released ahead of the movie will include Godzilla, Kong and a brand-new character. Demand for Godzilla toys remains high and Posh Paws also has an 8-inch Godzilla assortment in a CDU that is perfect for low-entry price points, plus a 10-inch and 17-inch feature plush Godzilla with roaring sound effects.

Kung Fu Panda returns for the fourth movie in the successful animated franchise in March and Posh Paws has developed a Squashy Podgie Po 8-inch plush and 4-inch Bag Clip.

New additions to Posh Paws’ popular Swizzels Love Hearts plush gifting collection are the adorable Soy Sauce & Sushi, Avocado & Stone, Lemon & Lime, Rainbow & Cloud and Bacon & Eggs Pairs. Especially designed to help spread positivity with their cute characters, fun and sentimental messages, these Love Hearts plush are the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones.

Brainstorm 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk The Erupting Volcano Lab joins the Brainstorm Toys portfolio, giving children the chance to learn about the science of volcanos. By combining two safe chemicals with water, children can create realistic red lava that will ooze down the volcano. A secret code is included so children can find out more facts about the natural phenomenon. The kit includes chemicals to carry out the experiment, a volcano base, safety goggles, measuring cup, spoon and syringe, and is suitable for ages eight and up.

Brainstorm’s new Pocket Torch measures 11.6cm long and features a white LED light that can be used in the dark or for night-time reading. It also comes with a useful keychain accessory, making it great for school trips and outdoor adventures.

The Paw Patrol Room Projector & Nightlight projects images of the Paw Patrol pups up to one metre wide on walls and ceilings. At the touch of a button, it also becomes a comforting Paw Patrol Night Light. The Paw Patrol Glow Shapes & Chase, meanwhile, will be a must-have for children who love the property. Parents and kids can decorate rooms and accessorise their belongings with glow-in-dark stickers in Paw Patrol designs. When exposed to a light source for a few minutes, they will glow once the lights are turned out. The set includes 30 iconic plastic Paw Patrol shapes as well as eight colourful Chase and Friends glow-in-the-dark cards.

The Original Glowstars Company will now feature a Glow Stars 24-piece CDU perfect for gifting. Each pack includes eight high-quality plastic glow-in-the-dark stars to create a magical night sky on walls and ceilings. They can also be used to accessorise schoolbooks, bags and furniture.

The multi-million-pound eco-friendly phenomenon Eugy continues to soar. New additions will join the 59 strong line-up for Q1 including Tortoise, Badger, Sasquatch Bigfoot, Stingray, Armadillo and Highland Cow.

Funko 020 3376 3223 | www.funko.com | NewTradeEnquiries.EMEA@funko.com In 2023, Funko introduced its latest creation – Bitty Pop! These miniature collectibles have taken the world by storm, proving that good things really do come in small packages.

Funko’s Bitty Pop! journey began earlier this year with an enchanting first wave of iconic characters from the Wizarding World. For Disney fans, Mickey & Friends joined the Bitty Pop! family, featuring adorable mini versions of the beloved Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and the gang. Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Princess Leia also shrunk into perfectly pocket-sized collectibles.

Now, Funko is unveiling the upcoming wave of licences that will keep the Bitty Pop excitement rolling. Fans will be able to experience the adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr Potato Head and the whole gang as the Toy Story get the Bitty Pop! treatment. Also coming soon from Five Nights at Freddy’s: Foxy, Cupcake, Chica, Ballora and many more characters will both frighten and delight fans of all ages.

Bitty Pop! comes in both a four-pack with one hidden mystery character or as an individual character sold in a mystery bag.

Since launching in July in EMEA, Bitty Pop! has enjoyed unprecedented success across the EU5 with particularly impressive rises in the Action Figures and Collectibles category, reaching the No. 6 best-selling brand in the last three months to August 2023. Bitty Pop! also hit the No. 3 position for the month of August in Value Sales. Bitty Pop! is the No. 4 new brand in the total toy market in YTD 2023 and the No. 1 gaining brand in YTD August 23 vs. 22 in Action Figures Collectibles.

Funko's Bitty Pop! boasts full scale marketing and retail support, ensuring these miniature collectibles reach fans far and wide.

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To find out how you can join the celebration talk to your Territory Manager or the UK office on sales_uk@playmobil.de

Q1 Ranges

Playmobil UK 01268 548 111 | www.playmobil.co.uk sales_uk@playmobil.de Playmobil is gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024. To mark this milestone, the company will be launching a full 360 campaign, encompassing various marketing initiatives and special events. Playmobil fans can look forward to a year-long celebration that will pay tribute to the brand's rich history and success.

As part of the anniversary campaign, Playmobil will be creating unique limited-edition sets and collector's items. These exclusive products will be highly sought after by both collectors and Playmobil enthusiasts alike.

The company aims to engage and delight its loyal fanbase while also attracting new customers through these special commemorative items.

In the spring of 2024, Playmobil will be adding more exciting toys inspired by popular Disney characters to its Toddler portfolio. This will include four new educational play sets for children aged 1-4 years old. The new Playmobil 1.2.3 Aqua sets will feature Disney's Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as well as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet. In January, a new Pirate range will be launched, starting with three new sets and a new adventure that will pit the heroes of the high seas against a new enemy.

The first wave of Pirates will include the Battle with the Giant Octopus set, which will be joined by a further launch later in the year. There will also be five new additions to the classic Fire theme under the new Playmobil theme Action Heroes. The new fire sets will include heroic scenarios children can use to play out new exciting stories, or combine with existing fire and emergency sets from the Playmobil universe. This will include the Firefighting Seaplane.

To promote these key themes, Playmobil will roll out 360 marketing campaigns including TV, digital, influencer and social support, as well as in-store support for retailers to take advantage of. Additionally, there will be new additions to volume drivers, such as Playmobil Special + and a new series of the popular Playmobil Fi?ures.

Throughout the year, Playmobil will be using the slogan ‘Join the party’ in all its communications. The aim is to remind parents of their fond memories with Playmobil toys and to encourage children to learn and have fun through play experiences for years to come.

Magicbox

Gibsons

01293 222 500 | www.magicboxint.com | sales@magicbox-toys.co.uk

020 8661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk

Magicbox will be starting the new year with the launch of brand-new themes for each of its best-selling collectible ranges SuperThings, KookyLoos and T-Racers.

SuperThings now sits at the No. 2 spot in Collectibles YTD, and will introduce a new theme and 90 new SuperThings to collect. The Evolution series launches mid-January, taking the collection to another dimension where some SuperThings glow in the dark. The Ultra Rare SuperThing Galacticool is a bright comet star which flashes with power and moves at supersonic speeds.

New vehicle playsets are also part of the mix in the SuperThings spring/summer 2024 line-up; the Wild Vehicles come in two options: Eagle Jet and Scorpio Truck. The former has a villain-capturing beak, firing mechanism and wings that move up and down, whilst the Scorpio Truck captures heroes with the rotating claws and shoots with its stinger. Each vehicle set comes with an exclusive Kid and Thing.

KookyLoos, the dolls with three unique faces, has an exciting new look for 2024, now coming in individual window boxes which not only allow customers to see the colourful and expressive characters, but also lets them try out the fun of switching each dolls face.

Momentum will continue with spring’s Pet Party Series. There are eight new characters which are slightly larger than in seasons before, each with its own BFF pet as well as the KookyLoos signature glittery hairstyles and fashion outfits. The Pet Party BFFs have changeable expressions and dolls’ faces can be switched with a swipe of the finger.

T-Racers all-new Mix ‘N Race Series will introduce a unique system that retains T-Racers’ status as the only collectible vehicles with Mix ‘N Race function. New sleek car designs will have an even cooler feel as kids interchange the pieces to customise their own racing cars. The new series is available as single and triple car blister packs.

As with all new series launches, Magicbox’s commitment to deliver means high-impact marketing throughout the spring across all three brands.

Gibsons, the family-owned jigsaw puzzle and games company, continues to bring joy to the market with a range of new puzzles for 2024. All new designs will be available to view and order at Toy Fair at stand E15.

The iconic Gibsons design has seen a refresh for 2024, modernising its style to ensure that the artist and imagery is at the forefront of the consumer’s mind. This refresh encompasses feedback from consumers and includes the addition of an actual piece size imagery, as well as imperial and metric measurements.

The new collection sees a revamped XL range, designed for puzzle fans who have limited fine motor skills or visual impairments. The large, easy to handle pieces and beautiful images have been carefully designed to be appropriate for adults, yet accessible for all. These ranges will be refreshed each year with new imagery, so once they are gone, they are gone.

Launching in January, the new Jokesaws range is designed for those who like a cheekier puzzle. Q1 launches see designs from talented artists Andy Tudor, Phil Dobson and Gerald Como, with more to follow later in the year as new designs and new artists will be welcomed to the range. These colourful 1000-piece puzzles are jam packed with hidden detail and are sure to entertain.

The more traditional multi-box 4x500 puzzle adds three more designs, from Trevor Mitchell, Janice Daughters and Elizabeth Blustin.

The Q1 launches will be supported by a wide range of marketing activities, including POS, digital activities and event support.

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Q1 Ranges

Epoch Making Toys 0208 049 1377 | www. supermario.epochtoys.com sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Sylvanian Families is welcoming a host of new products for the spring/ summer 2024 season, including the bright and cheerful nursery range, which will further expand the brand’s baby offering. The Sunny Castle Nursery Set offers lots of fun features including a rainbow bridge, cloud stairs and a weather window where children can change the weather with the slider to inspire different play scenarios. Multi-use furniture, including a drawing board which changes into a cradle and swing set as well as a reversable table which changes into a slide, offer great play value. The set also comes with exclusive character, the Flora Rabbit Baby. Characters can travel to nursery in the three-storey Rainbow Fun Nursery Bus which seats 28 babies and cradled babies. It can be opened into a playset while the seats can be removed and used as strollers, seesaws, swings and a merry-go-round. The Bus and Nursery can be connected to make an even bigger playset. Add-ons to the range include the Nursery Swing with Milk Rabbit Cradled Baby and Nursery Sandbox and Pool with a slide, sandbox, swimming pool and Flora Rabbit Cradled Baby. Also available will be four Nursery Friends Sets – Walk Along Duo, Rainy Day Duo, Pool Fun Trio and Sleepover Party Trio. Designed to connect to the core nursery sets, each comes with a different set of characters and accessories.

Also new for 2023 will be two new families. The on-the-go Latte Cat Family, complete with shopping bag, coffees and treats in their paws, and the Flora Rabbit Family. The latter will be available as a five-figure family pack featuring triplet babies, and collectors can complete the Flora Rabbit Family by purchasing the Flora Rabbit Twins and the Blossom Gardening Set. New furniture sets launching in January will include a Bath and Shower Set, Toilet Set, the Sweets Party Set and Triple Bunk Beds which can be configured in multiple ways with two ladders and a slide.

Volume 14 of the brand’s Baby Collectibles, the Baby Forest Costume Series, will hit shelves in January. Available in a blind bag, there will be eight different characters, each in a unique woodland themed outfit, one of which is a secret figure.

Elsewhere in the Epoch portfolio, Aquabeads, the original stick-with-water craft brand will see two new products launch in the New Year. Featuring 1,500 beads, the Ocean Splash Scene set will allow fans to make a variety of sea creatures that they can showcase on their mega Creation Display. Or ideal for beginners, the Pretty Pets Craft Kit includes 500 beads in 21 colours.

Epoch Games also has more exciting additions for the new year with two new licences to be announced, which will coincide with the ever-popular Super Mario range of games.

IMC Toys 01904 720908 | www.imctoys.com | info.uk@imctoys.com The 2024 Q1 period sees IMC Toys introducing new lines to its best-selling Cry Babies Magic Tears, and Bloopies ranges, a glow-up for the BFF by Cry Babies fashion dolls and expansion plans for popular new IPs, Baby Paws and Cutie Climbers.

Content remains the mainstay of the Cry Babies business with the Cry Babies Magic Tears animated series available to view across multiple platforms. The toys reflect the content, and the new Q1 collections are a continuation of the Talent Stars series which is currently airing. Wave two of the Cry Babies Magic Tears Talent Babies includes eight new characters, each dressed in silicone suits inspired by their talents. Each doll includes six personalised accessories and surprise reveals. Once fed using the magic baby bottle, kids can squeeze their bellies and the Cry Babies will cry real tears.

Six new characters join Cry Babies Magic Tears Jumpy Monsters, direct from Planet Tear. Each collectible Jumpy Monsters doll cries slime tears, and comes with its own cute silicone monster outfit, accessories and personalised jumpy scooter for added play potential.

IMC has unveiled a newly themed collection of its popular Cry Babies Magic Tears Keyrings. The latest blind-pack collectible keyrings include 13 Talent Babies and Jumpy Monsters characters, providing a pocket-money priced option with a treat and repeat-purchase appeal.

BFFs, the grown-up versions of the Cry Babies and Cry Babies Magic Tears characters, bring a new, innovative way to play for 2024. New BBF Grow Ups join the fashion doll range for Q1, a collection of four character dolls that grow from 10cm to 14cm. From a tween to a BFF teen, the dolls’ necks and legs lengthen to make the characters grow up and include personalised accessories, 8cm long hair for styling and waterreveal make-up on the doll’s face.

Leading bath/water play brand, Bloopies introduces Series 2 of Shellies. With 12 new miniature mermaid characters to collect, each can float, make bubbles and squirt water. Four new characters join the Bloopies Shimmer Mermaids; they blow bubbles and squirt water, and their removable tails reveal hidden charms which float and move when the tails are filled with water. A new Jungle theme has been added to Floaties.

There are six animal characters to collect, each in colourful floats with designs inspired by favourite foods.

The string mechanic makesthe Floaties move across water and squirt for added play value. Wave 2 of Floaties Puppies will also be available for the Q1 period, including six new pup characters as a refresh to the current line.

New nurture plush pet brand, Baby Paws has seen a stellar performance since its launch this summer, and IMC will build on this success with the introduction of Mini Baby Paws for the Q1 period. With three mini versions of the original puppies to collect, the Mini Baby Paws make sounds, include a dummy and accessory and can be wrapped in blankets that pull out from their backs. The blankets come with detachable straps, allowing children to take their Mini Baby Paws puppies wherever they go.

A new Fantasy range will be introduced to Cutie Climbers with the Cutie Climbers Candy Tree Packs. The Candy collection is comprised of three themed families – the Marshmallows, Candies and Lollipops – and includes a total of 12 Cutie Climbers to collect, each housed in a colourful Tree Pack tube.

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Q1 Ranges

MGA Entertainment 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com MGA Entertainment has an abundance of new and exciting launches and product development across its brand portfolio for 2024.

MGA’s Miniverse will continue its success in the miniature collectibles category next year as MGA launches the third series of the hugely successful Make it Mini Food collection in January. Fans will be able to get their hands on new Gen Z favourite and on-trend dishes and drinks they haven’t previously been able to create, including DIY ice lollies and sushi rolls.

Also new for the brand in January will be the Make it Mini Diner: Valentine’s collection. Designed with the season of love in mind, mini enthusiasts can collect three cute culinary dishes including heart cookies, heart shaped chocolates and a velvet heart cake. Some lucky fans may find a rare mini roses collectible.

Global sensation doll brand L.O.L. Surprise! will continue to surprise fans with new, innovative unboxing experiences, offering an extended play pattern and added value. Driving collectability, L.O.L. Surprise will launch an exciting new seasonal line; the new L.O.L. Surprise! Mix & Make Birthday Cake Tots collection is set to hit shelves in late December and will feature 12 new characters and a new DIY element for the first time ever.

Additionally, fans can expect to see high profile and iconic licensed collaborations including a partnership with Crayola to create Crayola-inspired dolls and licensed merchandise under the L.O.L. Surprise! Loves brand.

Following its successful launch this year, Fluffie Stuffiez will launch its new spring assortment in early 2024, introducing even more characters for kids and fans to #pullthefluff. The unique toy features patent-pending fabric fluff in large and small character versions. The huggable plush toy combines collectability and ASMR, and next year MGA will build on the range’s appeal with a new collection of lovable, fluffy characters with big personalities. With the same three ways to play as the current small and large collections, after removing the Fluffie Stuffiez from its soft, squishy pouch, kids can pull out the outer layer of its fluff to reveal the surprise character underneath. Then, they simply stuff the pulled-off fluff back into the squishy bag, which becomes a second toy made from the loose fluff for squishy, tactile fun.

Winning Moves 020 7298 9515 | www.winningmoves.co.uk | sales@winningmoves.co.uk In the past eighteen months or so, the world football category in the toys and games industry has become one of the fastest growing properties, thanks to the recent successes of the Premier League teams, the superstars within it, and the England Women’s successes. Winning Moves is perfectly poised for retail partners looking to enter this market.

For the past two years, the company has grown its World Football Stars range, which includes some of the best players across the world, and features the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe, Sam Kerr and many more. Best-sellers include World Football Stars Top Trumps, Guess Who, Top Trumps Match and Monopoly. In time for the 2024 Euros in Germany, Winning Moves will be updating Top Trumps Specials, Top Trumps Match and Monopoly. with brand new content and a brand new look. Each game will feature new players on the packaging as well as new superstars inside. The new editions of these best-selling games will land toward the end of Q1.

Last year, Winning Moves released Super Mario WHOT, the original British favourite card game from the thirties. The game has been a huge success at retail, and for Q1 2024, an officially licensed Sonic the Hedgehog version will be released. Players race to get rid of all their cards by matching either the number, colour or the icon on the card, and the game can be enjoyed by more than two players, aged 5+. In addition, Winning Moves will be launching a Sonic the Hedgehog version of Top Trumps Match. With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hitting cinemas in November 2024, and a spin-off Knuckles television series launching at a similar time, these products will be perfect for the movie hype.

Melissa & Doug 0203 911 7483 | melissaanddoug.co.uk Melissa & Doug is gearing up to unveil the Sticker Wow! range for national release in Q1 2024. Specifically curated for children aged 3-7 years, this new arts and crafts range delivers elements of fun, surprise, creativity and collectability at low price-points. Each use of the stamper delights children with a random sticker, and for parents, the re-peelable nature of the stickers ensures their furniture and walls will stay sticker-free.

The Sticker Wow! collection is launching with four different character themes: Dinosaur, Tiger, Dog and Unicorn. For those seeking a comprehensive play experience, the themed dispenser offers a rich assortment of 300 stickers paired with a 24-page activity book, available at a sub £10 price-point. Additional refill packs, containing 300 stickers, can be purchased.

While the Sticker Wow! collection is launching initially with four character themes, there will be additional character and themed sets introduced throughout the year, offering even more collectability and play possibilities.

Sticker Wow! is a testament to Melissa & Doug's commitment to innovative play experiences and this launch is the beginning of the innovation and expansion of the range. The dedication to this product line will be evident through robust marketing campaigns throughout the year, beginning in Q1 2024.

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James Galt & Co 01614 289 111 | www.galttoys.com | SalesUK@jumboplay.com Galt Toys has been designing imaginative toys that readily support a child’s development since 1836, and prides itself as a key destination for buyers and retailers looking to source quality toys delivering plenty of play value.

For 2024, the firm is proud to be launching a brand-new licensed range developed in partnership with the Natural History Museum.

Let’s Learn is a new collection of educational kits packed full of activities to encourage early STEAM learning in kids aged four years and above.

Launching in spring is Let’s Learn Dinosaurs and Let’s Learn Tiny Creatures, both featuring six projects to inspire a love of the natural world and help develop vital skills for future scientists. From building a model of a Tyrannosaurus and completing a dinosaur memory game, to understanding the life cycle of a butterfly, bee and frog, there is so much to learn and discover in each kit.

Packaged in vibrant and engaging boxes, the Let’s Learn range has been designed to stand out on shelf and, with the Natural History Museum branding and stamp of approval, parents can be confident the activity kit delivers on its educational promise.

Each box is made with FSC certified materials and, after hours of fun with the themed activities, kids can find one final activity printed on the inside of the box to complete before recycling.

Simba Smoby UK 01620 674 778 | sales@simbasmoby.com The colourful, new Bloxies collectibles is made up of cool, cube-shaped animals that make the ultimate impulse purchase. Pocket-money priced, they’ve got two-in-one functionality and wide-reaching marketing support. In Series One, kids can discover 27 characters, including exclusive and rare styles to enhance collectability. Each Bloxie has its own funny little movements; users push the top to see arms move, a wagging tail, moving eyes, an opening mouth and more. Kids will want to add to their collection and check out each animal’s unique movements. Then they can stack Bloxies on top of each other, press the top and watch Bloxies perform their different movements in sync.

Smoby will also have plenty to offer this spring as families can look forward to new launches including the incredible Spidey and His Amazing Friends Playhouse, complete with character images, windows, shutters and half door. Another significant development is the Smoby Green launch – a collection of outdoor products made from recycled material. Eco conscious families will love the spacious Friends Evo Playhouse, with its peephole, half door, mailbox and six windows.

2024 also sees Majorette, the popular diecast vehicle brand, turn 60. There’s plenty to keep fans coming back for more in the first quarter, including the special anniversary edition packs. The First Ever 1:64 scale assortment offers six classic numbered cars to collect, with the five-piece Giftpack ideal for die-hard, die-cast fans. The Deluxe Assortment comes with branded metal tin boxes and feature all the intricate detailing one has come to expect from the Majorette brand, including suspension and rubber tyres.

The Godzilla Vs Kong Walking RC, from Jada, is a big Q1 release. This awesome figure literally walks and his tail and eyes light up before he attacks with his atomic breath. Fans are sure to love this feature along with the tail whip action, roars and stomp sounds.

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Zuru www.zurutoys.com | sales@zuru.com Zuru will introduce new lines for some of its best-selling and most popular brands, including range extensions and development from recently brokered licensing partnerships. Mini Brands, Bunch-O-Balloons, X-Shot, Rainbocorns, Smashers, Robo Alive and new collectible plush brand, Snackles, will all see significant launches between postChristmas 2023 and Easter 2024.

Mini Brands continues its mission to make all things mini with the launch of Mini Brands Sneakers. With 30+ iconic Minis to collect, the new range includes some of the world’s most-loved footwear, such as global giants, Reebok and Sketchers.

Award-winning plush IP Rainbocorns introduces a new spin with Rainbocorns: Monstercorns, a collection of six cute, cuddly monster characters, each with 35 surprises to uncover such as glow-in-the-dark features, wearable accessories and a light-up Monstercorn horn. New webisode content, produced in partnership with Moonbug, will further increase the brand experience and consumer reach.

The Smashers Dino Island Mini T-Rex Battles brings a new battling-play and surprise collectibles unboxing experience to the long-standing Smashers brand. Housed in T-Rex skull packaging, complete with removable and fireable dino eyeball, younger children are encouraged to dig their way through sand and slime to find the dinosaur pieces to construct two dinos ready for battle. Driving mass reach for the brand, a new pre-school line – Smashers Junior – hits shelves from the New Year, with the Smashers Junior Dino Dig Large Egg providing surprise unboxing alongside construction and sensory play for children aged 18m+. With 18 surprises housed inside the cute dino egg, youngsters are encouraged to problem-solve while digging through soft coloured dough to discover the pieces to build their own dinosaur characters.

With Youth Electronics a key category pillar for the business, the new Robo Alive Volcano Dino Fossil Find includes four excavation patterns and three compounds, taking children on a journey to discover dinosaur fossils for them to construct and bring to life with lights and sounds.

Finally, the Q1 period sees licensed, collectible plush IP Snackles welcome three new characters to its current lineup of cute, collectible soft toys featuring real replicas of some of the world’s hottest licensed snack brands. The three new characters and their paired snacks include Haribo Gold Bear, Subway and Pez, as well as all-new snack-swapping combinations. The new characters will be available as 14-inch super-sized versions and within the smaller, blindpackaged capsules collection.

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Bruder (353) 676 3800 | www.bruder.de Bruder Spielwaren starts 2024 with the motto ‘sporty on the road’ in the UK and Ireland. The German manufacturer of 1:16 scale model toy vehicles is launching three versions of the Range Rover Velar for children aged four and up.

In 2018, a jury of international motoring journalists voted Range Rover's then new SUV model World Car Design of the Year, and the design, efficiency and innovative technology of the real world has now been translated to the miniature version. Bruder is now bringing the Velar to children in three versions: as a leisure version in elegant blue, as an emergency vehicle and as a police vehicle.

With its all-terrain sprung axles, the Velar from Bruder is equipped for all playtime missions and adventures. The newly developed rims stand out visually, while the front axle can be turned thanks to the typical Bruder steering wheel extension. All four doors and the tailgate can be opened and offer plenty of space for passengers and equipment, and the rear seat can be folded down for additional storage space in the vehicle. The emergency vehicle and the police vehicle each come with a thematically matching bworld figure; either a paramedic or a police officer.

Vivid Goliath 01483 449 944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Hot on the heels of the successful launch of Animagic’s Let’s Go Gecko and Let’s Go Bunny, Vivid Goliath has revealed Let’s Go Axolotl, which features stretchy fidgety fins, floats just under the water surface, glows in water and a has a water-bead, soft filled body. The Bubble Reef playset is an Aquarium home for the Axolotl with a host of different features; users can also press the Starfish to create bubbles inside the reef.

New to the Collectibles aisle is Baby Secrets with a range of price points for every gifting solution. These babies have a new scale and super cute new look. Bathtime Babies offer the entry price point, sub-£5, and come with a bath to dip and reveal the Baby’s Secret with water reveal nappy colours, a removable outfit and the all-important birth certificate. There are more than 26 to collect. Merbabies also have a secret surprise – water reveals their colourful tails which can be wound to make them swim. Fashion Secrets have wash and wear fashion surprises with their very own washing machine to reveal outfit colours. Marketing plans include a mass influencer gifting programme, reengagement with existing fans and collectors as well as cute unboxing videos to introduce new fans to each of the Baby Secrets characters.

Crayola Licensing continues to grow and Q1 sees the start of the celebrations for Peppa Pig. Crayola will launch a new version of its Peppa Pig Colour Wonder to celebrate Peppa’s birthday this year. Paw Patrol will refresh into the exciting new Jungle Pups theme. New additions to Crayola’s Giant Colouring Pages include Gabby’s Dollhouse and Spidey and His Amazing Friends. Marketing activity for the Colour Wonder range will be in full swing in Q1 with Meta and YouTube activations.

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Spin Master Toys 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Paw Patrol is heading to the jungle in spring 2024, with the launch of Spin Master’s new toy range, Jungle Pups. The new collection includes Jungle Hero Pups, Jungle Themed Vehicles, Jungle Pups Figure Gift Pack & Marshall’s Deluxe Elephant vehicle.

Jungle Pups brings brand-new Jungle themed rescue missions to pre-schoolers’ screens, with the reappearance of fan favourite pup, Tracker, as he helps the pups navigate the dangers of the jungle, whilst also leading the Paw Patrol pups to discover a lush oasis filled with unique and amazing wildlife. The Jungle Hero Pups Assortment includes two variations, each including two pups, a jungle animal and two accessories.

Paw Patrol fans’ imaginations can also run wild with the brand-new Jungle Pups Themed Vehicles Assortment. Each has both one spring loaded and one manual feature leading to an exciting transformation from vehicle to animal mode, from Tracker’s vehicle transforming into a monkey to Chase’s transforming into a tiger, there are six animal themes to collect for imaginary jungle play.

Perfect for gifting, the Jungle Pups figure gift pack contains the pups in their jungle uniform along with Ryder.

Marshall’s Deluxe Elephant Vehicle also makes a perfect gift, complete with oversized wheel, elephant tusks and three water projectiles, which can be launched when saving the day in imaginary Jungle rescues and also stored in the back of the vehicle while racing to the next mission.

The new Jungle Pups range will hit shelves from January 2024.

Amscan UK 01908 288500 | www.amscan.co.uk Amscan has new characters joining its portfolio, with an all-new Monster High party and balloon range available to pre order from January. Filled with classic icons and a palette of pastel and iridescent finishes, this range is sure to be a big all year round, and especially for Halloween 2024.

Miraculous also joins Amscan’s licensed assortment, with both balloons and partyware. Ladybug and Cat Noir still take the design lead, but those all-important Kwamis have been added to the design, which leads to a perfect synergy with toys and apparel.

With Peppa Pig’s 20th birthday in 2024, there is a new range for the occasion, comprising party, balloons and a party dress costume style. Amscan is also launching a new Pokémon party range in January which co-ordinates with its extensive costume mix, as well as a new My Little Pony design, again complete with co-ordinating character costumes.

The children’s category will see two new ranges. It’s a Goal is a football range, perfect for parties as well as Euro 2024 this coming Summer.

Meanwhile, Global Explorer takes its participants on a journey throughout the world complete with backpack loot bags, animal continent matching games and a whole host of décor items. What’s more, all of Amscan’s designs are SUP compliant and sustainably sourced.

Amscan is extending its Harry Potter costume range, introducing two new styles including Luna Lovegood and Hogwarts house robes, complete with an interchangeable badge.

Perfect to team with the party range or to mark Book Week 24.

Also for Book Week, an exciting new Tom Gates tabard costume has one side in full colour print and the other side outlined ready to colour in with the supplied pens.

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Tomy

Q1 Ranges

01392 281 927 | www.tomy.com In February 2024, Tomy Games will be releasing 5 Up, its addictive new push-your-luck dice game. Suitable for 2-4 players aged six and over, 5 Up offers hours of fun. Its unique set up allows the game to be played differently every time while keeping players on their toes. Priced at sub-£10 and perfect for travel, 5 Up is a fun dice game that includes counters, dice and a pouch which transforms into the game board.

Tomy’s leading baby brand Lamaze will be releasing five adorable new Clip and Go products suitable for babies 0-24 months including Arty Says Cheese, Buzzy the Bee, Lovey the Pug, Alise the Axolotl and Carson the Clydesdale. The new designs have been inspired by popular animal trends and will be available from January 2024.

The products have contrasting textures that encourage sensory discovery as well as surprise features perfect for capturing attention.

The Toomies Bluey line will also be expanding in January with the release of the new Bluey Splash & Float Assortment, which features both Bluey and her sister Bingo as pouring cups with floats equipped with water wheels and shower holes for endless bath time fun. In Q1, Toomies will also be launching Bluey Family Pourers, which sees the full Heeler family come together to form a set of stacking, nesting and pouring cups. Each family member has a water feature and can be stacked, nested, or played with individually.

In March, Toomies will be introducing an update to its best-selling Peppa Pig bath floats assortment. The refreshed Peppa Bath Floats range will feature a new signature Duck & Peppa Bath float, plus a new Unicorn and outfit for the Princess Peppa squirter. These additions will join George and his dinosaur for this new bath float assortment, each of which is suitable for 18 months and over.

Another exciting edition to the Toomies range is the new and improved Foam Cone Factory Deluxe, bringing even better foam and greater choice of accessories.

Club Mocchi Mocchi will be welcoming the new year by releasing several exciting additions, including a Super Mario Junior Assortment of 6” plush toys at the end of December. The range will include Chain Chomp, Goomba, Bowser Shell and Mushroom.

Club Mocchi Mocchi lines arriving in Q1 will include Inhaling Kirby Mega 15” Plush, Kirby Warpstar Mega and Halo Master Chief Helmet Mega, plus the brand will be introducing new Teenage Ninja Turtles Megas with Michelangelo and Leonardo. In addition to this, fresh from the Japanese market, a brand-new style of plush will be joining the range with the introduction of the Nuiguru-Knit Kirby Assortment.

Basic Fun!

Alpha Toys

0118 925 3270 | www.basicfun.com Lynne.Swatton-Reed@basicfun.com Presenting affordable price points across favorite brands is high on the agenda for Basic Fun! this spring, plus the introduction of cute new characters into the world of the Care Bears, which will bring a touch of flower power to the portfolio.

The Care Bears master toy range has grown season after season, and it will blossom even further with all that’s new for spring. Kids and adults alike can “say it with flowers” with the latest 35cm Flower Power Bear. With her rainbow flower belly badge, this bear is truly unique and has a pink and blush swirled fabric outer that resembles little roses throughout her plush fur. Joining Flower Power in the 35cm line-up are Friends Forever and Good Vibes Care Bears, each with their own colourful characteristics and multi-coloured fabric designs.

All three new Care Bears are also made from 100% recycled materials, with 12 plastic bottles being repurposed in every item.

Adding to the spring Care Bears collection is a variety of 22cm dress-up Care Bears that bring even more personality to these colourful characters. There is a Grumpy Chick in his yellow chick get-up, a Cheer Bear in a lamb onesie and a Share Bear in her Easter Bunny outfit to complete the springtime theme.

After seasons of success, Cutetitos introduces the new spring theme: party. The much-loved surprise reveal cuddly character has now hit a pocket money price point, but the collection has kept the same features and rarity that children love.

New for 2024, the Misfittens are finding themselves in even smaller spaces than ever before.

Promoting a smaller collectible size at a spring price point, the new Misfittens Kitten Fishbowls are comical cats that come in a 6-inch scale and feature bright solid designs squeezed inside their fishbowl capsules.

Finally Lite Brite will be turning the world pink with the Barbie Lite Brite Super Bright HD. The high-definition grid will add more detail to designs, while double the LEDs will add more light. A guide, 900 mini-pegs in multiple glowing colours and five LED lite-modes with micro-USB port are all included.

Basic Fun! UK’s Q1 portfolio benefits from the support of a huge programme of marketing activity.

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00 353 67 63800 info@alpha-toys.co.uk (UK) info@banaghans.ie (Ireland) Siku is a high-quality German range of die cast vehicles covering many categories from farm and construction to emergency services and recreational. Whilst traditionally best known for its 1:32 models, particularly in the farm category, there is now tremendous interest in the pocket money blister models range.

With retail prices ranging from £3.99 to £9.99 and with a wide array of models and many new launches, the Siku blister models range has become a staple for many stores and has fans eagerly awaiting the newest models at affordable prices.

The optimal way of displaying the Siku blister range is on a robust Siku branded spinner stand. These come in different sizes and Alpha Toys can recommend the best solution for each retailer.

The Siku boxed range also stirs up excitement for Siku enthusiasts with die-cast models available in three scales: 1:87, 1:50 and 1:32. Whether customers are looking for a pocket-money pick up or to spend a little more on a gift, there is will be something in the Siku range for everyone. As new releases, limited-edition lines and combination gift sets feature across the year, there is always something new for collectors to look out for too.

A spread of vehicles is covered - cars, trucks, planes, trains, buses, diggers and tractors - and all the main licences are included: Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley, Range Rover and Jaguar in cars and New Holland, John Deere, Massey Ferguson and Fendt in tractors, along with construction favourites such as JCB, Liebherr and Volvo. In Farm models, there are new and limited-edition models launching in 2024.

Q1 Ranges

Eolo Toys 34 985 090 130 | www.eolo.com | sales@eolohk.com The best-selling Jiggly Pets range of electronic pets with soft skin, bouncy hair and entertaining songs and dances has seen huge success since first launching. Building on this success, Jiggly Pets will introduce the adorable Jiggly Bugs from spring 2024. These cute running bugs are set to capture the imagination of kids as they run around in playgrounds full of accessories and decorations.

The super-sized mega plush line, Biggies, has taken the online world by storm and continues to revolutionise the plush market. In the coming months, the Little Biggies range promises an exciting expansion and even more fun.

Gummymals combines rubbery and soft material with electronic features. The gummy-bear-shaped toy brand welcomes the Gummymals Singing Stars for Q1, a new line of mini rubbery singing characters that come with accessories and surprises. There will be three different gummy-superstars to collect.

Bedtime brand Glowies offers kids the ideal nighttime companion, helping them drift off to sleep peacefully, surrounded by lullabies and relaxing sounds. Each Glowies includes a timer that can be set to 15 or 30 minutes, meaning parents, don’t have to enter the room to turn off the lullabies. The brand is now introducing the Glowies Magic Touch, improving its value proposition by adding a new price point with additional features.

Feature plush brand Furry Tails is making its grand entrance into the marketplace. Complete with more than 30 reactions and sounds to discover, Lily the unicorn dances to the rhythm of music and is sure to become a new favourite in the world of interactive plush toys.

Eolo Toys is also showcasing its commitment to fun and adventure in the field of outdoor play. Reflecting the company’s roots, the well-established Kites Ready2Fly brand continues to soar in popularity, gaining significant traction in the US market. Additionally, the Hot License Water Line offers a wide range of inflatables and water toys featuring Disney and Marvel designs.

Hunter Price 0161 653 1306 | www.hunterprice.co.uk | sales@hunterprice.co.uk The first of many new launches in the new year for Hunter Price is Block Mania’s FloraBricks. The innovative new connecting bricks brand, which allows children to unleash their creativity and build their own floral wonders, is available in a range of pack sizes, including single stems, bonsai tree and succulents. Each FloraBricks block has been designed to interlock seamlessly, enabling the builder to construct stunning arrangements that bloom.

Next year, the Hunter Price team will be ramping up play in the plush market with another new brand, Snuggle Club. The category has been a huge area of growth for the business in the past few years, therefore the launch of the new brand seeks to fulfil increased demand for premium look plush at an affordable price. The first collection will be an expandable plush range with a fruit and vegetable theme.

For more information for on opportunities, contact Richard Belford, sales director – Toys & Activity – Richard.B@hunterprice.co.uk

Bandai UK 020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk | sales@bandai.co.uk Recently appointed distributor in the UK and key EU markets for the relaunch Littlest Pet Shop, Bandai UK’s new line includes a cross-category range of collectible figures and play sets as well as an immersive digital play experience.

From Q1, fans can collect the cute, bobble-head characters as pocket-money-priced Pet single blind-packs, Pet Pairs 2-Packs, and Pet Trio Collector Tubes, all including varying quantities of collector cards, personalised accessories and virtual redeem codes. Collector Packs, themed play sets and Petfluencer Packs complete with social props, photo backgrounds, collector cards and redeemable codes complete the initial collection.

As master toy licensee for Pip and Posy, Bandai has developed and produced a cross-category range inspired by the friends’ colourful world. Initial lines include collectible Figure Packs and soft toys ranging from Clip-on Plush characters and 20cm collectible Plush Friends to 26cm Feature Plush complete with sounds and phrases from the show.

Bandai increases its foothold in the Arts & Crafts category with the launch of Diamond Dotz, a diamond painting range for children aged six and over. The Diamond Dotz Dotzies range comprises pocket-money and impulse-purchase priced kits such as the Bracelets and Stickers assortments. Treat and gifting solutions include Dotz Box canvas painting sets and Activity and Art Kits.

Zap Chef, a new food-play brand, is launching with the Ice Cream Tray. The ice cream van packaging opens to reveal a magic tray, utensils and recipe booklet, and gives youngsters the autonomy to create their own ice cream in minutes while developing an understanding of food preparation.

Following the 2023 launch of own IP, Pinky Promise, 2024 sees the introduction of series 2: wearable Gemmy Friends with 87 characters to collect. A new party-themed collection includes the blind-pack Gift Box and Surprise Carriage assortments, Party 8-Pack, Party 12-Pack, Party Cake Playsets and collectible party-themed plush.

Bandai UK’s new range of Pudgy Penguins collectible figures and plush includes QR codes so consumers can play within the branded digital experience for which the Pudgy Penguins are known. Hero lines include Igloo Mini Figures blind packs, 11.5cm Collectible Figures, and 30cm Huggable Plush Penguins. The Collectible Figures and Huggable Plush Penguins include four characters, each based on a unique NFT design.

Bandai UK continues to expand its Miraculous range. Q1 will see newly themed mini, collectible Chibi Playsets unveiled, inspired by Miraculous Chibi shorts and leading to a new Chibi Division within the range portfolio. The new High School Playset features Alya & Nino Chibi Figures in stylised play areas with surprise elements. The award-winning Miraculous Magic Heroez Reveal Doll welcomes two new characters: Vesperia and Carapace. Each look remains a mystery until water is added to the capsule packaging, which then uncovers the doll’s outfit. A surprise-reveal bag is also included with each doll, dissolving once placed in water to reveal a Kwami character and superhero accessories.

Tamagotchi introduces six new shell designs to its Original Gen 1 and Gen 2 styles. Anime Heroes focuses on anime IP, including the popular One-Piece series. The range offers anime accuracy alongside dynamic play and display options, with mass appeal among pre-teen and kidult audiences. Chibi Masters centres itself as a core brand for fans of all ages. The Spy Family Chibi Masters line will be launched for Q1, providing fans with cute and collectible figures of the Forger family.

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®

Company Profile Moose Brand Profile

Sambro from value to value +++ Publisher John Baulch visits Sambro’s Bury headquarters to speak to CEO Paul Blackaby about the company’s quiet (r)evolution. operations, Brexit had a profound impact on the business, leading to some operations moving to an EU location.

The company now operates a 3PL facility in Rotterdam and an office in Amsterdam, with Paul admitting: “In the past, all of the stock for mainland Europe came through the UK. Now it goes through Rotterdam. We’re big in Benelux, as well as the UK & Ireland of course – but we are very much focused on expanding our sales across the whole of Europe. Ideally we’d like to sell directly to major retailers, although we are very much open to distribution partnerships in certain territories.”

Licensing has always been a key element for Sambro, although the business has become far more focused on properties from key partners in recent years, as Paul details: “First and foremost, we focus on our ‘big 4’ licensing partners – Paramount, Mattel, Hasbro and Disney. Then we look to build out a broader portfolio

I

t had been a few years since I last visited Sambro’s UK office - the large, imposing building in Bury it has called home for many years. My trip saw me meet with CEO Paul Blackaby, the man at the helm who has been quietly transforming the company from its pure value roots into a company that still offers great value across all of its product ranges, although now combined with far more exclusive product development and an ambitious environmental strategy.

Paul has been at Sambro for just over three and a half years, having previously worked in the chemical industry: “I’m an accountant by background, and have spent most of my career in the manufacturing sector, running companies and helping to turn them around. But I must say, I have fallen in love with the toy industry.”

110 people work from the Bury headquarters, which is the hub of the company – according to Paul: “The business is all about people and product. Co-operation is key. We don’t own factories, ships or trucks – we rely on many different partners, and it’s a massive effort to co-ordinate them all.” However, like many other British-based

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through partnerships with key licensors which have properties that align with our product ranges and our retail customers. We are happy to take calculated risks on successful new and emerging properties, as well as some brands which have proved that they have staying power, such as Acamar’s Bing.”

In terms of the product ranges, Paul describes Sambro’s ethos as “unashamedly value driven. Our core strength lies in the value retail and grocery channels, although we look to supply retailers across the spectrum. We are constantly being challenged by our retail partners to bring something interesting and different to them. If we can deliver great product at great value, they’ll buy from us.”

One of the key changes which Paul has made to the business is to put greater emphasis on design and product development – that team is now the largest within the overall business. Headed up by John Mallet, who spent

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Company Profile economic headwinds by making sure our product is on shelves at the right price. We want customers to buy our product and think ‘wow, we got a great product there for a great price.’ It’s not just the UK that has been affected: right across Europe, many people are spending less. Our task is to make sure it is our products that are in their baskets.”

You will see that ethos continuing in 2024, when Sambro has some key new developments to unveil, including a completely revamped outdoor range for Spring Summer.

The selection will feature a new range of inflatables, plus many other popular outdoor lines such as bubbles and goggles. Look out for new licences too, including Barbie and Hot Wheels, together with tier-one properties from Paramount and Disney. The packaging of the outdoor range has also been completely redesigned: out go plastic bags, to be replaced by board boxes. The new designs will not only make for a much stronger on-shelf presentation, but they will also be better for the environment.

many years at Disney prior to joining Sambro, the design team works in tandem with the leadership team, which also includes Clare Rix and Ed Whieldon, to develop successful new ranges.

I visited Sambro in the middle of what Paul describes as “our best year ever, even when compared to the peak years when Frozen boosted the business from 2016 onwards.”

The company’s financial results for 2022 have just been released: group sales in 2022 were £61.4m, an increase of 20.4% over the 2021 figure of £51.0m. Gross margins also increased from 20.0% in 2021 to 24.7%, driven by significant internal efficiency improvements.

Of course, as a business heavily predicated on licences, turnover can tend to ebb and flow according to the life cycle of the properties Sambro is working with. But one of the ways in which this unpredictability can be mitigated is to blend the licences with a greater degree of own-IP development, as Paul explains: “We do have some own brands, even though 80% of our product range is licensed.

However, half of our licensed range is based on our own-IP product development, adding a licence. That’s the direction we have been trying to steer the business in – the key is to come up with great ideas of your own that can be

enhanced by a licence, which gives us an important point of difference to our competition.”

Another major introduction for Spring Summer comes in the form of a new Stationery range, featuring a selection of hot properties such as Disney’s Stitch, Wish, Spidey and Friends and Minnie Mouse, plus Paramount’s Paw Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Nevertheless, it hasn’t been an entirely straightforward journey to get to this point; just prior to the Covid pandemic, the bank was keen for Sambro’s investment backer to put more money into the business. Then the pandemic struck, although in many ways that actually helped Sambro, as Paul admitted. “It gave us the time and space to sort things out which needed to be sorted,” he explains. “We had too much stock, too many licences and too many people. We needed to refocus the business and put some fundamentals in place.”

Looking ahead to autumn winter ’24, Sambro is looking to unveil a major new plush range with a host of new licences – although these were all still under wraps when I visited.

The company set about reorganizing the way it worked, and the new approach paid dividends. Investor Elysian is still very much involved, owning two-thirds of the business. Paul is pleased with the relationship: “We’ve worked well with private equity for many years. Elysian is very patient and hands-off, allowing us to get on with the task of running the business unhindered.”

Indeed, as Sambro refines its product offering and the way it conducts business, Paul believes the company is “transitioning towards the more legitimate toy company that the investor thought they had bought in the first place.”

The range is constantly being refined and improved, but Paul is adamant this has to be done in the right way: “These days, we focus on less, but all of the products we launch reflect our DNA – and we feel that gives us the edge.”

A key element in that transition is the company’s strong environmental message: Paul believes that in this day and age, “from a private equity perspective, every company needs to have an ESG story,” ESG referring to environmental, social and corporate governance.

Sambro has invested considerable time and resources in recent years to develop its environmental strategy, and the hard work has paid off. Paul states that: “We have made real progress. It’s something we all feel passionate about. We try to do our bit in literally everything we do.

We constantly ask ourselves ‘are we doing the best we can from an environmental perspective, both in terms of product and packaging’. As we operate predominantly in the value arena, we have to be mindful of certain limitations, but we are fully committed to continuing to improve in this area – plus it really differentiates us from our competitors.”

Many would assume that being focused on the value channel has given Sambro the perfect opportunity to grow in recent years, with the perception that value retailers were ideally placed to benefit from the global cost-of-living challenges, However, it isn’t quite as straightforward as that, as Paul outlines: “you have to remember that it is the kind of consumer that shops in value stores that is really being squeezed at the moment.

We’ve got to produce the best product we can at the best value we can. We have to respond to the prevailing

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In addition to the new licensed ranges, Sambro’s new product development team has also been hard at work on its own-brand lines. Highlights for 2024 include the Love and Hugs brand which encompasses cosmetics, jewellery and arts & crafts; Puzzle Palz, a range of stylized collectible erasers and Bops n Tops, another stylized collectible range, this time featuring pencil toppers.

Visitors to London Toy Fair and Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg will be able to see the full Sambro 2024 line-up, while the team is also happy to welcome retail buyers to Bury to view all of the ranges in its expansive showroom.

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Company Profile

Bruder’s miniature vehicles drive the company forward Toy World speaks to Julia Meyer, Marketing manager at Bruder Spielwaren, to find out how the proudly German manufacturer is bringing its reputation for quality and attention to detail to even more customers.

B

ruder Spielwaren is best known for its 1:16 scale model vehicles, and the company has seen demand rising steadily in recent years. The business has expanded both its production and distribution to meet this demand, and Bruder toys are now available in more than 60 countries around the world.

In the UK market in particular, changes have been put in place to improve the company’s service to its retail partners. In 2020, Bruder’s Irish distributor,

Banaghan & Co., took over the distribution for the whole of the UK, under the Alpha Toys name. Director Colm Banaghan has enjoyed a partnership with Bruder for over 40 years now, and his experience in working with the company means the Alpha Toys sales team can capitalize on a tremendous level of expertise.

Bruder’s growth is steady and healthy,

according to Marketing manager Julia Meyer. She told Toy World: “Investments are made continually from our own resources. In new product development, which accounts for a large percentage of our annual investment, we always strive to be in tune with the spirit of the times. We have introduced bworld sets and new accessories to add play value to our core range of model vehicles. Their success, and the demand for them in the market, confirms that our strategy to develop the range is on the right path.”

Julia adds: “Our classics are not going out of fashion though and are still immensely popular: tractors, fire engines, ambulances or excavators are always highlights in children's rooms.”

Exclusively manufacturing its entire product range in the European Union, the company hosts all stages of development, from idea to production and marketing, under one roof at its head office in Fürth, Germany. This is where its toy vehicles are developed and designed using cutting-edge CAD computer programmes and 3D design workstations, before they are passed on in-house to mould making. Finally, the vehicles are “parked” in appealing packaging before they are shipped; the eyecatching packaging is designed to provide protection during transport as well as product information for the end consumer to digest prior to making a purchase.

Bruder attaches particular importance to the quality of its products. High-quality plastics and a sustainable use of resources are crucial elements of the development and production of all its toys. These factors are highly valued by parents, many of whom are willing to spend more money on high-quality toys made in the EU, rather than cheaper, competing goods from the Far East.

The company currently uses primarily recyclable engineering plastics in the manufacture of its toys. All plastics used meet or exceed the requirements of the chemical section of the toy standard for Europe and North America. Around 98% of internal material used comes from recycling, which means that there are few waste materials, and the company has been operating a certified energy management system since 2015.

Bruder specialises in the development of accurately

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detailed model toys in a scale of 1:16. The authenticity, realistic appearance and details are what children love about the products. Julia explained: “In the development of our vehicles, we pay a lot of attention to the look and functionality. The authentic features are the highlights; sometimes our developers spend months working on a certain feature until it works just like the original in the real world.”

An example of this attention to detail is the lifting platform of Bruder’s new Sprinter, which will be available in the UK from December. The lifting platform can be extended to a height of 70cm, and the basket remains in a completely horizontal position – meaning the bworld figure standing in it cannot fall over. Julia says the MB Sprinter is one of Bruder’s highlights for 2023.

The Bruder collection has also welcomed a newly developed Scania driver’s cab. The new bworld construction set, with vibratory plate, mortar mixer and – one of the most important features on any building site - a portable toilet, is expected to be a popular addition to the construction line for Bruder fans.

In 2024, beginning in the UK and Ireland, Bruder will be launching a classic model British car in the form of a Range Rover Velar. The original was voted as the most beautiful car in its launch year, 2018, and the new Bruder Velar model will have many realistic features including spring-loaded axels and a foldable rear bench seat. This is just one of the many new products set to be revealed at the toy fair in Nuremberg next year.

Bruder toys remain in strong demand, and Julia believes this is largely because their high quality and durability offers true value for money. The company will continue to focus on realistic play value, under its mantra “Just like the real thing” as it expands its collection, maintaining the high quality and attention to detail that children love and which means they can get the very best out of role-play.

“In terms of Christmas business,” Julia added. “Alpha Toys expects that the full potential of the Bruder range will be reached in Q4 this year. After struggling at times last year with supply, this year we are in a strong and positive position and are looking forward to increased success.”

Special BrandFeature Profile

New York Toy Fair Moose

Back in the New York Groove Publisher John Baulch reports from this year’s New York Toy Fair. And he thought it was going to be a quiet trip….

T

his year’s New York Toy Fair was the first – and as it turned out, the last – to be held in September. The move from February to a new autumn timeslot had been made based on feedback from a couple of years ago, which suggested that the pandemic had altered retail selection and ordering patterns. In hindsight, these new timescales turned out to be temporary, rather than representing a permanent shift. More of that later…

Before we consider what will happen with future events, let’s look back on what happened at the first North American Toy Fair to be held for over three years. Many had cited the weather as a key advantage to moving the show to September – however, the Universe wasn’t playing ball.

Media reports of an apocalyptic flood in New York greeted our arrival at Newark, although thankfully by the time we reached Manhattan the storm had passed. To be fair, it did look pretty horrendous in the boroughs and outlying districts, and the storms saw many flights cancelled, including that of Walmart team, who I understand sadly never made it to the show.

The TOTY awards once again provided the Friday night curtain raiser for the Toy Fair. It was a hugely successful night for Mattel, who took home no less than seven awards, followed by Lego with five and Jazwares and Playmates with two apiece. You can find a full list of winners below.

One thing which came over loud and clear from the award ceremony was the sheer sense of elation from the US toy community that it was able to come together for the first time since February 2020 – exactly as we had seen at the London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs, when they returned post-pandemic.

The following morning saw the storm clouds disappear and Toy Fair open. If the aisles seemed marginally quieter than usual, that was perhaps to be expected – the LA toy event had been taking place for the preceding six weeks, while media and investor attendance may have been impacted by the new timing. Nevertheless, the audience still comprised a healthy blend of the domestic and international toy communities, with many retailers (major and specialty) and distributors making the trip.

Many had wondered in advance how the change of date would affect the show. It was no secret that some of the biggest toy companies wouldn’t be exhibiting: Mattel, Hasbro, MGA, Zuru and more. However, over 1000 exhibitors did take space on the show floor, around 10% more than were showing back in 2020. That figure also included 300 first-time exhibitors, who arguably would have had a better chance of meeting with retail visitors with some of the ‘big boys’ not present. In terms of overall visitor numbers, we were told that the attendance figure was likely to end up around 20,000, which was essentially back to pre-pandemic levels.

Some exhibitors chose to showcase ‘holiday’ ranges, which certainly worked for US specialty retailers and media visiting the show – speaking to our US contributor Rick Derr during the show, he found several new lines that he placed immediate orders for. For me personally and I suspect most of the US and global major retailers who attended, we were hoping to catch a glimpse of ’24 ranges.

Some exhibitors kept these lines firmly under lock and key, but many others had some great new lines which we were given a sneak peek at.

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Exhibitors had gone to great lengths to design their stands to align with the goals of the ‘Toy Fair Reimagined’ initiative, with many opting for a more open look and feel to stand design and presentation. Of course, there were still secret rooms on a number of stands, but overall, the majority of stands had a more welcoming feel than has often been the case in the past. Despite some initial reservations about the autumn timing, I was genuinely coming round to the idea that there were decent foundations to build on for future years. Then came the bombshell(s)…

We were invited to attend a press conference on Sunday morning. There had been rumours on Saturday of an announcement about future plans for the show. One by one, twists and turns were revealed. No show in 2024.

Then back to New York in March 2025. We were just trying to process this information when the real bombshell was dropped; from 2026, we were told that the show would be moving to the second week in January …and relocating to New Orleans. We certainly didn’t see that coming; in fact, a few of the international journalists turned to me to check that they had understood correctly what had been said.

Once the news spread, there was inevitably much debate about these new arrangements. Most accepted the logic behind not running a show in ’24, the Toy Association having decided that Q1 is the right timing for the event, rather than Q4. Clearly, two shows held a few months apart wouldn’t work.

Some questioned the March timing for 2025, especially as the reason the show moved from its traditional February timeslot to September was because February was deemed

too late – although we were told that this was the earliest available slot in New York that year.

That said, the real bone of contention was the move to New Orleans in 2026. There were two principal concerns: the new timing and the location. In terms of timing, the plan would see the show falling in the week after Hong Kong and before London Toy Fair. With Nuremberg the week following London, that theoretically meant some people would potentially have been visiting four shows in four weeks. No-one was relishing that punishing schedule – especially Brits and Europeans, for whom London and Nuremberg are key events.

As for location, it quickly became apparent that the lack of direct flights – both international and domestic – was going to be a significant challenge. Ultimately, it turned out to be a challenge the toy community won’t actually have to face. Several weeks after the show, an email was sent to exhibitors and Toy Association members by Arron Muderick, chairman of the board of Directors, announcing that New Orleans will no longer host the event from 2026.

Following a March event in New York in 2025, the show now intends to head back to New York – ideally in its original February time slot – from 2026, although exact dates are yet to be agreed with Javits. Intriguingly, the Toy Association also said it will be exploring how it can support members with activity in LA in autumn ’24.

The email stated: “I’m writing to you today not just as the chairperson of The Toy Association’s Board of Directors, but as someone deeply embedded in this industry, just like you. Our board is a mosaic of twenty voices from all facets of the toy world: manufacturers of various sizes, retailers, licensors, sales representatives, and more. Though our perspectives may differ on specifics, our common goal is unwavering: the prosperity of the toy industry and the growth of our businesses through healthy play.

Feedback received is that last week’s Toy Fair was a resounding success, testament to the strength and unity of our community. Beyond the bustling trade show floor, it was a hub for learning, networking, and celebrating the vibrant creativity that propels our industry forward.

Feedback, not nearly as positive, was also received about future January show timing and relocation of Toy Fair away from New York City. In 2022, in response to consistent decade-long industry feedback and further fuelled by unique challenges posed during the pandemic, Toy Fair was shifted to the fall with a goal of aligning to evolving dynamics in the industry. However, as it became clear that travel and business behaviour was returning to more

historical patterns, new feedback was received that would result in a tradeshow returning to the beginning of the year, ideally in January. Because the newly requested timeframe could not be accommodated in our current location, a comprehensive nationwide review of cities was launched for a site that could host us in January.

While we aimed to adapt to the perceived shifts in our industry, the announcement of that change was met with strong feelings of tradition and enduring memories of toy business conducted in New York. We were swiftly reminded of our industry’s passionate bond to a place that no amount of research, conversation and learning had sufficiently surfaced.

As a board we have heard clearly that this change was the wrong choice for our members.

It has become abundantly clear through the passionate reaction, that the PLACE holds as much or more importance than the DATE, and that the industry’s desired location for the great industry-wide coming together remains New York City. Thus, we have recommitted to New York and the Javits Center. We will return to the first available opening (March 1- 4, 2025) and are working with Javits Center leadership to confirm dates in February for 2026 and beyond.

While February may not be completely perfect for all, given

that Toy Fair has been held during this time for nearly a century, we expect that it can be perfectly imperfect for the vast majority of members, exhibitors and buyers. We are confident that this incredible industry, representing tens of thousands of people sharing a collective goal of enabling play and happiness will, without a doubt, come together and make it amazing — as we always have.

It has also become abundantly clear that it is not in the best interest of the industry to wait until March 2025 for our next gathering. We have been exploring what meaningful role the Association can play around Los Angeles, which has emerged as a hub for early fall previews. We are actively exploring ways to support members there, starting in August/September 2024.

We must extend a sincere ‘thank you’ for the wonderful turnout and your invaluable support for the recent New York Toy Fair event. We also offer kudos to your dedicated Toy Association team for executing this complicated and comprehensive trade show with excellence.”

Toy World will keep readers up to date with further developments on the timing of the future shows in New York, and how the Toy Association approaches activity in LA – and, of course, any further changes to the plan. For now, if this was the one and only New York Toy Fair to be held in September…at least we can say ‘we were there’.

2023 Toy of the Year Award winners

People-focused category winners

•

Action Figure of the Year: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem by Playmates Toys

•

Collectible of the Year: Squishmallows – Pokémon Collection by Jazwares

•

Construction Toy of the Year: Lego Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ House by Lego Systems

• • •

•

Creative Toy of the Year: National Geographic Hobby Pottery Wheel by Blue Marble

•

Doll of the Year: Barbie The Movie Dolls by Mattel

•

Game of the Year: 5 Second Rule Relay by PlayMonster

•

Grown-Up Toy of the Year: Lego The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell by Lego Systems

•

Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Laugh & Learn Mix & Learn DJ Table by Mattel and Lego Duplo 3 in 1 Tree House by Lego Systems

•

Licence of the Year: Barbie Franchise by Mattel

•

Outdoor Toy of the Year: Monopoly Splash by WowWee

•

Playset of the Year: Paw Patrol Mighty Aircraft Carrier HQ by Spin Master and Playmobil My Figures: Pirates’ Island by Playmobil

•

Plush Toy of the Year: 16” Squishmallows by Jazwares

•

Pre-School Toy of the Year: Magna-Tiles Downhill Duo 40-Piece Set by Magna-Tiles

• •

Ride-On Toy of the Year: Extreme Drift Go-Kart by Radio Flyer Specialty Toy of the Year: KAI: The Artificial Intelligence Robot by Thames & Kosmos

•

STEAM Toy of the Year: Lego Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance by Lego Systems

•

Vehicle of the Year: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Pizza Fire Van by Playmates Toys

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•

Champion of Diversity & Inclusion: Brent Bell, Art director at Moose Toys Champion of Sustainability: G.B. Pillai, founder at Wild Republic P ackaging Designer of the Year: Suzanna Lakatos, director of Packaging Design at Mattel P R/Marketer of the Year: Lisa McKnight, executive vice president & chief brand officer, Mattel

Campaign-focused category winners • • • •

Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative: Gold Winner: First Barbie Doll with Down Syndrome by Mattel Silver Winner: Playsponsible Campaign by Spin Master Bronze Winner: Lego Replay by Lego Systems

Marketing Campaign • • •

Gold Winner: Barbie the Movie Marketing Campaign by Mattel S ilver Winner: Moose Toys Makes Marketing Magic for Reveal of Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball by Moose Toys Bronze Winner: LankyBox Secret Mission Toy Launch by Bonkers Toys

AVAILABLE 7 DECEMBER ©2020 Studio Dice/SHUEISHA, TV TOKYO, KONAMI

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COMING SOON! *Date subject to change

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

asha@etopiaconsultancy.co.uk for guidance with trading on Amazon.

Leading into Black Friday, is Prime Big Deals Day all it’s cracked up to be?

I

n recent years, the retail landscape has seen a significant shift in the lead-up to the holiday shopping season. Traditionally, Black Friday has been the undisputed king of discounts and deals, signalling the official start of the holiday shopping frenzy. However, the emergence of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days (or Prime Fall event as it has historically been called), has challenged this long-standing tradition. What has the impact been over the past few years to the retail world - and does this event live up to the hype?

Prime Day, introduced by Amazon in 2015, quickly became a global shopping event known for its exclusive discounts and deals for Prime members. Initially held in July, it paved the way for other retailers to host their own sales events. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon postponed Prime Day to October, dubbing it "Prime Day Fall." The move proved to be an ingenious one, as it marked the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season, pre-dating the traditional Black Friday sales.

Prime Day in October has gained traction for several reasons – but is it all that is cracked up to be?

• Early holiday shopping: By launching in October, Prime Day encourages consumers to start their holiday shopping early, thereby spreading out the holiday season's retail demand. This not only benefits consumers but also helps brands to manage their inventory more effectively. With Christmas sales in toys coming later and later, this event has kick started holiday shopping early – a move which many brands will not argue with.

• Extended sales period: While Black Friday typically offers a single day of deals, Prime Day in October creates an extended and prolonged period of discounts.

This prolonged shopping window allows consumers more time to browse and make informed purchase decisions. The products that are reviewed highly and have a good price discount will no doubt be favoured by consumers.

• Competitive pricing: Amazon's competitors, both online and brick-and-mortar, have jumped on the bandwagon, offering their own discounts and promotions during Prime Day October. This competition drives prices down and ensures consumers have multiple options to choose from. This surely isn’t healthy for any brands with deep promotions in the market for a prolonged period of time.

Black Friday made its way to the UK & EU market around 2010. While it had been a predominantly US shopping event taking place on the day after Thanksgiving, it started to gain popularity in the UK as retailers and consumers embraced the concept of Black Friday sales and discounts. It has since

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become a significant shopping event in the UK & EU. With Prime Day in October gaining prominence, the future of Black Friday is challenged. With limited budgets to invest in promotions, which promotional event is more significant and which event do brands need to invest in?

This year, Prime Day's Big Deal Event featured robust promotions in the Toys & Games category. Many items were available at discounts exceeding 40-50% off their recommended retail prices, and notable brands put substantial efforts into this event. It will be intriguing to see if similar promotions are repeated during the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Initial indications suggest that this October's Prime Day was Amazon's most successful one to date. This event encouraged consumers to begin contemplating their holiday shopping in advance, even though the unusually warm October weather might not have naturally steered thoughts toward the holiday season. Typically, Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season, and many brands have sat in anticipation on orders as Christmas shopping felt like it was getting later and later.

Does this Prime event pave the way to kick start Christmas shopping?

Whilst Prime Day in October has gained traction and investments from brands, Black Friday has not lost its significance entirely. It continues to draw crowds, both online and in physical stores, thanks to its deep discounts and iconic status. However, the shift toward online shopping and the convenience of Prime events have reshaped the way consumers approach their holiday shopping. Consumers are waiting for these deal events and if their desired products are not on promotion at one event, they will wait for events such as Black Friday & Cyber Monday to catch a bargain.

Prime Day in October has undeniably disrupted the traditional holiday shopping calendar. While it may not replace Black Friday entirely, it has become an essential milestone in the lead-up to the festive season. For consumers, this means more opportunities to snag great deals and get a head start on holiday shopping. And for brands, it means adapting to changing consumer preferences and ensuring their sales strategies align with the evolving retail landscape.

Whilst some brands will prefer not to be a part of both events, promotions are just one way to drive brand awareness in the constantly evolving Amazon world. Consider that in peak events, as traffic is high, there are creative investments in Amazon Advertising or other wider marketing that could perhaps get the same results - and maybe even more profitably.

As we navigate these changes, one thing remains certain: the holiday shopping season will continue to be a thrilling time for both shoppers and businesses alike, with Prime Day and Black Friday at the forefront of the action.

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Outdoor Toys

The ins and outs of Outdoor Toys With the nights drawing in, a noticeable drop in temperature and Christmas right around the corner, it’s nonetheless time for Toy World to take its second look at the Outdoor Toys category, with spring summer ’24 in mind. Here, we speak to a number of leading suppliers about our ‘great British summers’, emerging trends, and how they are supporting their products and partners.

T

he summer of 2023 was one of contrasts. One minute it was bucketing down – July was one of the wettest on record – the next it was sweltering: it might surprise you to learn that the overall season was the eighth warmest on record. However, the highly changeable weather conditions were tricky for some retailers, not knowing from one minute to the next whether to stock paddling pools or blow-up dinghies. This was reflected in data from Circana released at the beginning of October, which showed that sales of Outdoor and Sports Toys declined by -16.5% YTD and -15.5% for June to August, the three summer months in which they represent no less than 16% of European toy sales.

Yet suppliers of outdoor toys feel strongly that our increasingly unpredictable summers won’t keep the category down for long, as consumers continue to adapt to adverse conditions and manufacturers come up with innovative new ways to enjoy outdoor toys whatever the weather. August saw the opening of Europe’s first Nerf family entertainment centre, Nerf Action Xperience (NAX) in Manchester. This thrilling indoor Nerf activity centre boasts a variety of action-packed activities and themed arenas spanning Nerf training, epic blaster battles and sports challenges, all of which have been designed to immerse fans in the exhilarating world of Nerf and boost sales of Nerf products.

Of course, some outdoor ranges are designed for daily

use whatever the weather. Scooters and bikes, for example, are a year-round purchase and for many, a necessary part of getting from A to B. This is why Micro Scooters sees itself as an anomaly in the Outdoor category; its products are not just used for outdoor fun, but are an everyday essential for the school run, work commute, weekend adventures and everything in between. United Wheels, which distributes the popular Huffy bike range, takes a similar view. Glenn McGrath, eCommerce Digital Marketing coordinator, tells Toy World that kids want to ride their bikes all year, in all weathers, and that bikes are consistently one of the most popular Christmas gifts from parents and grandparents.

The company has seen great demand over the last year for both its licensed and non-licensed bikes (as well as its Disney battery-operated ride-ons). He adds: “Bikes are a staple part of most kids’ childhood, and we want to continue to support them, come rain or shine.”

The rain might explain why Vincent Laciofano, commercial manager at Hy-Pro, is seeing increased demand for outdoor travel products such as the company’s Zinc Flyte Scooter Suitcases – perfect for families with kids heading to warmer climes. The company has introduced a number of playful new products this year, including Luna the Unicorn and Sammie the Spaceman, both of which have been in huge demand over the summer months.

All Zinc Flyte Scooter Suitcases have storage space in the handy 25-litre front-mounted zip-up case, which kids can fill with clothes, books, toys and much more.

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Hy-Pro is just one of a number of suppliers introducing new offerings to the competitive scooter category this year.

Micro Scooters says it is particularly excited about its new glitter, neochrome and flux finishes on its best-selling kids, teens and adult ranges, while HTI is introducing exciting new items to its Stunt Scooter ranges. One For Fun’s Ozbozz brand welcomes its impressive Three Wheel Scooter with Parent Pole this Q4, which joins the best-selling Unicorn, Dino, Tye Dye and Rainbow Flashing Wheeled scooters, the My First Scooter range, Big Wheel Torq Ruff Scooter and Vyper scooter. Pat Avenue’s Keyriders range currently offers kids two scooter designs, Draky and Perrycornio, and MV Sports is launching a hugely on-trend new Lilo & Stitch Deluxe Tri-Scooter and matching Safety Helmet (sold separately). The latter is part of a wider licensed range that also includes a 2-in-1 Balance Bike and Bobble Ride-On. Sticking with ride-on outdoor toys, Wilton Bradley has seen big success this year with its Xootz Bumper Car, which has been one of the best-selling new products across the group in 2023. For autumn/winter, the company has added a new 2-seater Big Bumper Car to the range.

This was recently on display at The Big Christmas Press Show, where it enjoyed plenty of attention from media, influencers and bloggers, who particularly appreciated its appeal among families with two children (no more squabbling over who gets a go in the bumper car first).

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Outdoor Toys

refreshed its iconic Cozy Coupe with new eyes and wheels.

After the summer of 2023, some parents will doubtless be hoping they can make more use of their gardens and outdoor spaces next year. KidKraft, a leader in kids toys and outdoor furniture, offers a wide range of swings, slides, playhouses, active play centres and more, suitable for a range of ages and spaces. The clever Cozy Escape Playhouse, for example, has two-storeys that encourage the fun up rather than out, making it suitable for families with smaller gardens or patio areas. The Ainsley Swing Set is also suitable for more bijou backyards, yet can accommodate up to six boisterous kids at once. Dolu, meanwhile, continues to produce a great-value range of swings, slides, playhouses, sand & water tables and much more, including Mattel licensed products spanning Barbie, Fisher-Price and Hot Wheels.

There are also new outdoor games on the way from Character, with its Stay Active Jump-It Wipeout fitness game, Brainstorm is launching a kids’ metal detector for budding young detectorists, and Tomy is welcoming new outdoor role-play toys to its John Deere range. Little Tikes is also launching something new for the role-play category, the Gas ‘n’ Go Mower.

Elsewhere, new partnerships are bolstering the Outdoor category for the year ahead. Reydon Sports remains an exclusive B2B UK & Ireland wholesaler for Franklin Sports, which includes distribution of its Nerf Sports range through support from licensor Hasbro. In 2024, Reydon Sports will significantly extend its Nerf product offerings and trading with nationwide key accounts under this partnership, adding further hero products into the range based on global demand. The 20+ additions to the Nerf product line showcase a superb assortment of sporting products, which fit perfectly into toy, sport, leisure and multiple retailers. Reydon’s most significant best-seller has been the Nerf Vortex Howler, a volume driver sold in the thousands. Going forward, unrivalled availability and distribution will come through Reydon.

Ensuring its products can get into the hands of kids everywhere is vital to Hasbro’s Nerf brand, which continues to stand by its values of innovation, inclusivity and socialisation via playful, competitive activities. Tim Maas, VP Country Marketing at Hasbro, explains: “We take pride in producing the coolest, most innovative active play toys and experiences. For us, Nerf or Nothing is not just a tagline: it embodies what sets Nerf apart in the category - our credibility, quality, range, drip and crew.”

“Nerf has been an inspiration for generations for over 50 years,” Tim adds. “By understanding our consumers' needs and insights, we have continuously invented and reinvented categories through Nerf innovations and aim to bring joy and promote active play through our toys. From being the original creators of the indoor ball to developing the Nerfball sport, we have defined and redefined the industry for half a century.”

Hasbro is strengthening its position as a leading active play brand with a fresh new approach to fostering Nerf love among kids and families. Its new, always-on marketing approach is complemented by best-in-class tentpole events and collaborations with top influencers, aiming to make a lasting impact on consumers during critical buying periods. And the focus goes far beyond blasters, with the company striving to showcase the entire Nerf Franchise.

The company is also working closely with its retail partners to create significant, tailormade category solutions that highlight the overall Nerf experience online and in-store, catering to the diverse interests of its consumers. Tim notes that the Nerf range caters to all its target consumer age groups and their interests.

He says: “We are constantly reviewing insights into the category and aim to create impactful displays to educate consumers on the various blaster segments, utilising retailer data and external in-store experts to drill down specific opportunities.”

In October, United Wheels unveiled a new partnership

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with Moons Toymaster, resulting in a dedicated branded space for displaying Huffy bikes alongside staff training, a large window display and an area to try the bikes out. Paul Bulger, UK Sales manager at United Wheels, commented: “When we had the opportunity to partner with Moons we jumped at the chance. Independent toy shops like Moons and other Toymaster members are perfect to showcase Huffy and Disney bikes within their stores. With the expertise and customer dedication found in store, it made perfect sense to have Moons as an ambassador for United Wheels.”

One of the company’s key marketing drivers in 2023 this year has been building the Huffy brand through experiences. Glenn McGrath tells Toy World that United Wheels has attended a number of events with its innovative Kids Demo Zone, which lets kids come along, ride the bikes and experience the joys that cycling can bring. The company plans to continue this activity throughout 2024. In terms of marketing, United Wheels supports the Huffy brand on its social platforms with exciting content and giveaways that tie in with activations from its licensing partners. It has also recently created its first TikTok account, which will be updated regularly: readers can follow the journey @huffybikesEMEA. Micro Scooters, meanwhile, is highlighting its position as a trailblazer in ‘helping people get from A-B in a cleaner, greener, healthier, quicker and more fun way’. To this end, the company is going beyond simply supporting its new product launches by ensuring it is a rallying voice when it comes to attracting people into the category.

Ben Gibson, managing director, Micro Scooters UK, tells Toy World: “We want more people to scoot because we know it is better for people and the environment to do so. It’s why we work in collaboration and/or support leaders in the field such as Transport For London, 1% For The Planet, Sustrans, David Lloyd and many more to spread the message and benefits of active travel. As well as growing the category, we also provide a wealth of specific, tailored marketing support to our retailers including SEO optimisation strategies, events, influencer and ambassador word-of-mouth campaigns plus in-store POS support and promotions.”

With that, it’s time to scoot on over the page into our product focused feature on Outdoor Toys, where we bring readers the latest products that’ll have kids enjoying the great outdoors – whatever the weather.

Outdoor Toys

Zuru www.zurutoys.com | sales@zuru.com Outdoor Toys remains a mainstay of the Zuru business, and its innovative and best-selling Bunch O Balloons and X-Shot brands continue to dominate the market.

2024 sees further additions Bunch O Balloons. Made from recycled plastic, the self-sealing water balloons can be filled and tied in less than 60 seconds. As part of the business’s conservational strategy to remove 2,000 tons of virgin plastics from entering the environment, the Bunch O Balloons brand has surpassed this figure by +54% for this year alone.

The Bunch O Balloons Tropical Party 3-Pack includes more than 100 brightly coloured self-sealing water balloons, complete with innovative O-Ring technology and Rapid Fill capabilities. Users simply connect to a tap or a hose and fill to make hundreds of water balloons in 60 seconds with no hand-tying. The new Bunch O Balloons Reusable Water Balloons' innovative magnetic technology allow the water balloons to be used multiple times and have up to 1,500 reusable splashes per balloon. Made with soft rubber material and safe-seal magnetic technology, users just open, dunk, close and splash the lightweight balloons.

A new Bunch O Balloons Tropical Party Splash Pool complete with three stems of Bunch O Balloons, offers a 1.3m wide pool for children to dip in and cool off during the water-balloon fun. The Shark Bite Slide allows children aged five+ to slip and slide their way down a 4.8m slide into the shark’s mouth and comes with three Bunch O Balloon stems for added fun. With the 1.6m Octopus Splash Pad, users attach a hose to activate the circular sprinkler system and fill the three included Bunch O Balloons stems for more ways to play.

Taking bubble play to the next level, Bunch O Bubbles introduces the Large Bubble Blaster, a motorised blaster that blasts 15,000 bubbles every minute. The only non-dip no leak bubble blaster in the market, the Bunch O Bubbles Large Bubble Blaster boasts a continuous flow of bubbles without stopping and dipping, plus three exhaust ports, easy-to-use trigger and a lightweight design.

Zuru’s X-Shot Water ranges continue to drive the water-blaster category through its innovation and value-driven approach. Available from January, the new X-Shot Fast-Fill Hydro Cannon has a 1,000ml water capacity and can blast to distances of 10m. Suitable for ages five+, the blaster comes complete with a shoulder strap for increased portability and assisted use.

As with all X-Shot Fast-Fill models, the Hydro Cannon comes with patented fast-fill technology enabling users to refill the blaster in just one second.

Bringing water blaster play to younger children, the company has launched the X-Shot Junior Fast-Fill range which is suitable for ages three+. These blasters are designed for small hands, with an easy grip design and Fast-Fill technology for quick and easy refill. With six sea-themed designs to collect and play, each holds 150ml of water and can blast up to 9m.

Hy-Pro

Wow! Stuff

01582 670 100 | www.zincsports.com

01902 390 428 www.wowstuff.com mark.cooper@wowstuff.com

With half term and Christmas holidays just around the corner, parents will be looking to investing in a new Flyte: the scooter suitcase kids can ride, pack and carry. These 3-wheeled scooter suitcases come in a variety of different eye-catching designs, including new Sammie The Spaceman, Frazer The Fox and Penni The Panda, meaning little travellers will stand out from the crowd.

Flyte is aimed at four- to eight-year-olds and has a 25-litre travel capacity, ample for small toys and clothes whilst they travel. Tilt-nlean steering teaches little ones balance and coordination whilst remaining simple to control.

Thanks to Flyte’s patented material, which is extremely strong yet flexible, the Flyte Scooter Suitcase makes the perfect companion for travelling. Flyte allows children to scoot around the airport and on days out without their parents having to step in.

Using the Flyte IP, Zinc has also recently launched the Zinc Flyte scooter. This new ride-on was born from the observation that kids work too hard to push scooters, meaning they often aren’t really enjoying themselves. The Zinc Flyte scooter is suitable for kids aged three and upwards and is proving to be a real favourite with consumers. It has a simple and easy to use 2-height adjustable T-bar which grows with kids up to three feet and seven inches.

Zinc Flyte has been ergonomically designed and includes innovative features such as comfortable silicone hand grips, which provide a much better grip for little hands. The handlebars, which lean back, provide kids with the optimum scooting posture, meaning more stability and less energy required to glide. As a result, riders quickly become more confident and experienced.

The lightweight scooter also folds up for convenience and its wheels are five times stronger and brighter than its rivals, with class-leading bearing delivering a silky-smooth gliding experience.

From water-blasting Pogo hoppers to the highest flying stomp style rockets, toy innovation company Wow! Stuff’s unique, multi-patented Hypr collection continues to achieve in the outdoor category.

The new Hypr Pogo Squirter has been a huge hit at this year’s toy fairs. Hypr takes the already best-selling foam pogo jumper and incorporates a patented water pump. Now kids can soak their friends whilst they bounce. This super-fun active play toy squirts water up to 30 feet, and the refillable tank holds 500ml, so there’s plenty of water for drenching battles.

Meanwhile Hypr rockets continue to soar, having successfully launched at retail this spring with the Hypr Rocket 500 – the revolutionary, fastest flying toy rocket in its category which flies up to 500 feet high. Launched by stomping on the included air pad, Hypr rockets come with a patented Turbo Switch that allows maximum height blasts to 500 feet or a switch to non-Turbo mode. The Hypr Rocket Expansion Platform allows users to connect multiple rockets for massive multi-player action at the park. Setting up the rocket platform takes only 30 seconds, making it speedily ready for action.

For USA sales, email sunny.walia@wowstuff.com.

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Outdoor Toys

Toynamics UK & Ireland 0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.co.uk | sales@toynamics.co.uk

Toynamics UK & Ireland is enjoying success with the ever-growing outdoor toy range from Hape, which offers a raft of products for kids ranging from 12 months to six years and over. Each toy has been designed to encourage children to explore nature and the outdoors in a fun and sustainable way.

The Off-Road Balance Bike has been the standout product of 2023 for Hape. The bike is packed full of innovative features, such as 12” no-puncture tyres, rubber suspension to soften the bumps while riding off-road, cork handle bars and a steering limiter to help children aged three plus learn how to control a bike. Another best-selling item, the My First Balance Bike is the perfect accompaniment for any toddler or child learning to walk or simply get around. Available in three different colours and weighing only 1.8kg, the lightweight aluminium frame makes it easy for children aged 18 months and over to move around and grow their confidence while learning to ride a bike. The adjustable seat height, steering limiter and slide-proof tyres mean the bike can be used indoors or outdoors.

Hape Nature Fun is a best-selling range of sustainable, eco-friendly outdoor toys made from bamboo, bioplastic and PET materials. New for this year is the Garden Tool Set. Suitable for ages four and up, the set comprises all the tools needed to get involved with gardening, including plant bamboo labels. This is a great set for encouraging adult-child bonding time outside while also developing a child’s love of nature and fine motor skills.

A perfect enhancement for time spent in the garden, the Pocket Swing comes in its own bag, can be easily set up between two strong trees, and used as either a hammock or a swing. It can also be used by adults, thanks to its maximum load weight of 110kg, and is made from recycled PET fabric.

The extensive range of UV resistant Sand and Water toys from Hape won’t fade in the sun, is phthalatefree, and all toys come with a 5-year warranty. New for this year is the Construction Sand Toy Dumper Set. Featuring a shovel, scoop, dumper cone (which doubles up as a sand mould) and work sign, children aged three and up can role-play while at the beach or sandpit as they create spectacular sand construction projects. Other best-selling lines from the category include the 5-in-1 Beach Set, which comes with a bucket, two sand moulds and two shovels with compact storage features. The wide variety of unique Hape sand moulds on offer also work as great pick-up lines. The Famous Monuments collection lets children can create their own Leaning Tower of Pisa, Roman Colosseum, Taj Mahal and much more out of sand.

As with all Toynamics’ brands, Hape outdoor lines are supported with display solutions from CDUs and FSDUs to creative point of sale.

Simba Smoby UK 01620 674 778 | sales@simbasmoby.com Simba Smoby Toys UK’s trusted Smoby brand presents families with everything they could need for lots of outdoor fun. With continued significant investment into the range, this is a premium outdoor offering that retailers can bank on.

Smoby’s playhouses and activity items are the perfect way to encourage fresh air play. In spring/summer 2024, the Smoby Four Seasons Playhouse will be introduced. This home features functional accessories to record weather conditions and observe the seasons. There’s a rain gauge, a fitted wind vane, and a chime to signal the intensity of the wind.

Perfect for families with less outdoor space, and also new for spring, the Smoby Activity Wall is a vertical two-sided play space that features different activities on one wall. Kids can play alone or with friends, including a throwing game, a sports activity wheel and noughts and crosses. The reverse side has a circuit style activity, with gutters, a reservoir, rocker and paddle wheels that children can modulate, then watch as water washes down, or balls roll down the wall.

Meanwhile, the Smoby Nature Playhouse with Kitchen has a bright, cheery design and cute shuttered windows. Kids can open up the small barn door and slide open the panel to let in all the loveliness of nature. The Smoby Garden Playhouse also brings the natural world into the role-play world, and budding gardeners will love watching the guttering filter rainwater to fill up the water butt. Also included is a watering can so kids, a plant trellis and a detachable worktop which can be attached to the inside or outside of the house.

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Outdoor Toys

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

Walt Disney's beloved Stitch is experiencing an unprecedented resurgence in demand, and MV Sports has carefully crafted a line of bespoke products with a range of scooters, ride-ons and outdoor play items that cater to the growing popularity of this endearing character.

The new deluxe tri-scooter has fully a printed anti-slip foot plate which not only ensures safety but features iconic Stitch graphics. The adjustable handlebar height ensures comfortable riding as the child grows. The fully decorated stem wrap is covered in Stitch themed graphics. The puncture proof wheels with deep tread ensure both optimal grip and stability for riders getting the hang of scooting. For additional safety and durability, the forks are protected and the rear axles are covered to prevent injury. The scooter comes together with a bespoke shaped plaque with Stitch at the forefront.

The folding inline scooter is festooned with a pastel palette of colour and detailed graphics. Inspired by the Hawaiian Islands, the scooter has a patterned, fully decorated stem and an entirely printed anti-slip footplate of Stitch on the Island. This scooter helps children develop core co-ordination and balance in style and comes ready with soft touch grips. A reactive rear footbrake and the fully printed anti-slip footplate provide additional safety.

The bobble ride-on is perfect for little ones finding their feet. This ride-on is not only designed for comfort with its moulded seat and soft handlebar grips, but also for safety with its sturdy steel frame and double rear wheel design, which provides extra stability and strengthens the anti-tip. The pastel colours are delightful and the bespoke shaped plaque features graphics of Stitch. The Bobble ride-on develops co-ordination and balance due to its easy grip handlebars with responsive movement making this product ideal for beginner riders.

The 2-in-1 10-inch training bike is the perfect first bike for any Stitch fan, with thrilling character graphics and its pastel palette. The training bike easily converts from a training to balance bike in minutes. The bike has two modes, the first is the pedal bike where riders get used to pedalling and steering with the aid of rear stabilisers. The second is the balance bike mode where pedals and stabilisers are removed as core co-ordination, strength and skill improve to allow ‘push off’ and balance using freewheeling. The wide EVA moulded wheels with deep tread provide extra stability, strong grip and a comfortable ride. Both the soft saddle and handlebars provide additional comfort, and they are also adjustable in height to grow with the rider.

Kids can ride in style with the Stitch safety helmet. The safety helmet has a ventilated shell, adjustable size dial and lightweight EPS inner for optimum comfort. The quick-release buckle adds convenience, while the colourful flower patten and character motifs amp up the style.

Hasbro 0208 569 1234

| www.hasbro.co.uk

Kids aged eight and over can double their dart blasting fun with the Nerf Elite 2.0 Double Punch motorised blaster, with its double barrels and double clips. The Double Punch dart blaster features two rapid alternating barrels that move back and forth as kids blast darts. The Nerf automatic blaster includes two clips, each with 10-dart capacity, so users can unleash 20 darts in a row. This blaster includes an impressive 50 Nerf Elite 2.0 foam darts, giving kids more than enough darts to reload both clips twice with darts to spare.

Fans can power into fast motorised blasting with this Nerf blaster as the barrels pump back and forth during the dart-flinging fun.

With exciting features and cool styling, electric Nerf blasters are considered one of the best outdoor toys for boys and girls looking for high-energy, active play.

New from Nerf this summer, Nerf’s Pro Gelfire range of blasters gives teens (aged 14+) and kidults the opportunity to charge into battle with hydrated rounds that burst on impact. These massivecapacity blasters deliver high-performance blasting to ignite competitive advantage. Nerf Pro Gelfire rounds come hydrated in the box and fire from the blaster at a high velocity, bursting when they hit a target.

The Nerf Pro Gelfire Mythic fully automatic blaster includes a high-capacity 800-round hopper and 1,600 hydrated Nerf Pro Gelfire super absorbent polymer projectiles. The blaster’s innovative design combines exceptional quality and style. It has full-auto and semiauto modes, a removable barrel and extendable stock, protective eyewear, an easy slide-in slide-out rechargeable battery, and a universal USB-A to USB-C charging cable.

The Nerf Pro Gelfire Legion blaster features spring action priming with no batteries needed. Slam fire action releases rounds in a continuous stream. This garden blaster includes a 130-round capacity hopper and 300 hydrated Nerf Pro Gelfire soft super absorbent polymer projectiles. Players can use strategy and skill to challenge the competition and grab the advantage in outdoor games.

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Outdoor Toys

KidKraft www.kidkraft.com

| mark.inett@kidkraft.com

For over 50 years, KidKraft has been creating toys and furniture to amplify and enrich childhood through spaces and places for kids to live, learn, play and explore.

KidKraft products are sold in more than 90 countries, the United Kingdom included.

Children’s outdoor swingsets inspire active, imaginative play and enable kids to be outside and get fresh air while experiencing hours of fun and physical activity. Whether parents are in search of outdoor swing sets, outdoor playhouses, active play accessories or kids’ chairs or table & chair sets, KidKraft has them covered.

The brand promises earth-friendly materials and strives to create items that are sustainable, safe and always fun.

Thoughtfully designed to fit all families, homes and gardens, Kidkraft’s items are design-forward and available at a variety of sizes and price points to fit a range of consumer needs. With UK consumers in mind, the company has created outdoor sets that lend themselves to smaller garden spaces and expand vertically for ultimate play value. Kids can always expect to have a blast swinging, sliding, climbing, hanging and engaging in all kinds of active play for hours on end while playing on one of the curated swing sets.

Kidkraft’s Cozy Escape Playhouse is an ingenious two-storey set that lets the fun go up, instead of out, taking up less yard space. With almost 50 square feet of play space and the addition of a twisty slide, this double-decker structure can entertain multiple kids all day.

Ideal for smaller backyards the Ainsley Swing Set can entertain up to six active kids at once. The Ainsley packs in loads of fun features like a high-rail wave slide, a multi-coloured rock wall for climbing and a shaded upper-level clubhouse with chalkboard tarp. Underneath, kids can play to their hearts’ content in the spacious sandbox.

The sturdy Canyon Ridge Wooden Swing Set is built to take whatever a dozen rambunctious kids can dish out. Each all-in-one activity centre and playhouse features two durable slides: an extra-deep high-rail wave slide and a rugged 12” Twist N’ Ride tube slide with crow’s nest lookout.

Micro Scooters 0333 320 1030 | www.micro-scooters.co.uk Premium scooter brand, Micro Scooters, was founded 20 years ago by two mothers, who run the company to this day. Over 1m children now scoot to school on a Micro on a daily basis. Thanks to its uniquely broad range, designed by an expert Swiss team, there is a Micro for every age, life stage and occasion: from toddlers' first taste of independence to the morning commute or weekend adventures as a family. Every Micro Scooter is built to last, with premium materials, smart designs that grow and adapt, and a suite of replaceable parts. Micro is proud to be the only B-Corp scooter brand, part of the 1% for the Planet network and Carbon Neutral certified.

Predicted to be a 2023 Christmas best-seller, Micro is launching its new Mini Micro Glitter LED scooter. The company’s designers have taken the Mini Deluxe LED that's loved worldwide and sprinkled it with glitter, resulting in a sparkling, light-reflecting new scooter. The deck and brake all sport the new glitter finish: even the wheels are glittery and have a unique pearlescent glow. The ingenious glitter wheels also turn the energy kids create as they scoot into bright glitter-filled light, with no batteries and no fuss.

Micro says its Mini Micro scooter is safer, stronger and superior than its competitors. An anti-slip reinforced footplate, strong brake and thermoplastic tough yet soft grips combine to provide the safest of rides, while three-wheeled stability, lean-to-steer ease and lightweight manoeuvrability make the Mini Micro loved by millions of children worldwide. Engineered around the specific needs and proportions of 2-5-yearolds, Micro’s biomechanist-approved design helps pre-schoolers develop the critical skills that will help them move well as they grow, from gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination to spatial awareness, core strength and muscular coordination. The slick adjustable handlebar means riders can start earlier and keep going longer, and the chrome stem, built to survive the toughest of knocks, stands out from the crowd. The reinforced fibreglass footplate is strong yet flexible and finished with an anti-slip Micro-branded silicone logo to help keep children's feet firmly planted. The innovative rear braking system responds to the slightest touch by gently bringing the scooter to a halt, and the polyurethane light-up glitter wheels guarantee endless puncture-free adventures. All of this comes with the reassurance of a suite of replaceable parts for a lifetime of scooting adventures.

The new Glitter Mini Micro range is available now in sparkling pink and purple. Micro is supporting the product with a range of imagery, videos and content, backed up with a marketing campaign encompassing digital, influencer, print and PR activity.

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Europe's Number 1 Sports, Leisure, Toy & Outdoor Wholesaler

Reydon Sports continue their Partnership with Franklin Sports to Increase NERF Product Offerings in 2024!

Reydon retain their status the exclusive B2B UK & Ireland wholesaler for Franklin Sports, which includes distribution of their NERF Sports range through support from licensor Hasbro.

Exploring a hybrid of Sports Gear and Toys through an innovative set of products from NERF, the ranges are supplied through Reydon’s UK distribution center based in Nottingham. Our B2B model allows the company to supply and service the world of retail across many sectors, making a huge splash in key territories for Franklin Sports and NERF with a whole array of Marketing programs to support.

In 2024, Reydon will significantly extend their product offerings and trading with nationwide key accounts, adding further hero products into the range based on global demand.

Reydon’s 20+ additions to the NERF product line showcase a superb set of sporting products, which fit perfectly into any Toy, Sport, Leisure and Multiple retailers. Of note, Reydon’s most significant bestseller has been the NERF Vortex Howler, a volume driver sold in the thousands with full availability and distribution coming from Reydon going forward.

For over 50 years, NERF has remained an unrivalled category leader, and the brand continues to expand through innovative products, digital and gaming offerings, licensed products, sports expansion, in-person experiences, talent partnerships and much more--turning NERF into the social, active play lifestyle brand it is seen as today.

www.reydonsports.com

sales@reydonsports.com +44 (0) 115 938 6444

Over 40+ NERF lines!

Contact us for more information and catch us at various shows across 2024!

Justine (Managing Director)

Andy (Marketing Director)

Tristan (Head of Sales)

Outdoor Toys

Little Tikes 0845 0533 333

| www.mgae.com

First released in 1979, the now iconic Cozy Coupe has become a playtime staple. The Cozy Coupe range features a selection of durable, timeless and iconic ride ons including the classic Cozy Coupe and Princess Cozy Coupe, which both recently had a refresh with new eyes and wheels. Cozy Coupes are often passed down through generations, which is a testament to the range’s durability. All Cozy Coupes in the collection feature a removable floor, working horn, realistic clicking ignition switch and spinning durable front wheels. Perfect indoors or out, the Cozy Coupe encourages active play, imagination and the development of gross motor skills.

Little Tikes water tables are designed to enhance play with easy-to-use features and surprises. The Little Tikes Splash Beach is designed for little ones to sit in or around the edge making it perfect for collaborative play. It bends at the centre and closes for easy storage in small spaces or to keep clean of dirt and leaves if left outside and also features an easily attachable hose function for its water fountain. For imaginative play, multiple fun accessories include a scoop and pour cup, floating submarine, sailboat, octopus and turtle. The Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Water Table features a spiralling ball drop, and the spinner creates a lazy river effect in the pool.

Kids can drop the product’s colourful characters down the spiral to see them spin into the lazy river as they scoop, splash and play. There are three accessories including a boat, water cup and a funnel plus three fountains, interchangeable pipes and a water pump which fills a water tower that flows to the fountain. Little ones can move the plumbing pipes to a variety of places to be used with multiple taps, encouraging STEM learning.

Parents can bring the excitement of the seaside to their garden with Little Tikes’ sand range. The instantly recognisable Turtle Sandbox features two seats moulded into the outside of the sandbox for collaborative play and has capacity for up to 68kg of sand, or doubles up as a ball pit for rainy days. The innovative, construction themed Little Tikes Dirt Diggers Excavator Sandbox has a working excavator that scoops, digs and dumps sand, and includes a Dirt Digger, six sand accessories and lid that doubles as a truck ramp.

The Little Tikes First Slide is a durable, sturdy and simple but perfected outdoor toy that promotes fitness, balance and coordination. For the next step in little ones’ development the Easy Store Large Slide is perfect for when little ones grow.

The Little Tikes Gas 'n’ Go Mower is designed to look just like the real thing. Sounds and hands-on features encourage kids to get moving and mowing, supporting the development of motor skills, balance and coordination. The lawn mower sounds are mechanical, meaning no power source is needed. With a key that clicks and colourful beads that pop as it moves, the Gas 'n’ Go Mower also features a realistic movable throttle and a role-play fuel can.

The Little Tikes Adventure Rocket gives little ones the opportunity to pilot their own starship. This 4ft tall rocket features a crawl through escape hatch, look through telescope, realistic lights and sounds, swivel chair and star viewer screen, control centre and wires to fix on the exterior maintenance panel.

One For Fun 0141 613 2525 | www.oneforfun.com | sales@oneforfun.com In Q4, Ozbozz is launching its impressive Three Wheel Scooter with Parent Pole. This cleverly designed scooter combines convenience with practicality, eye-catching style and flashing wheels. The screwless design has produced a scooter which grows with kids by incorporating height adjustable handlebars. As scooting ability improves, the seat and parent pole can be removed in safe areas. The scooter has been designed to offer superior value for money.

Going into 2024, consumers can expect to see new Ozbozz scooter designs that will build on the popularity of the best-selling Unicorn, Dino, Tye Dye and Rainbow Flashing Wheeled scooters.

My First Scooter, which is now a classic range, has won many consumer awards over the years. This cost saving scooter transforms from a sturdy four-wheeler to a three-wheeler and then a two-wheeler as kids grow. Available at a strong RRP and perfect for younger children, this little scooter has outlived many of its rivals. The Unicorn and Dinosaur My First Scooters continue for 2024 along with other colourways. The award-winning Balance Bike for younger children is also available, while the Trail Twist three-wheelers and award-winning folding scooter range continue to provide great quality at a great price.

Older children are catered for with the Big Wheel Torq Ruff Scooter and the Vyper scooter. These sturdy scooters are suitable for both on- and off-road scooting, with large 200mm wheels at the front and back of the Torq Ruff and 145mm wheels on the Vyper. The bigger wheels allow these scooters to traverse rougher terrain more easily. Torq Ruff also features a handy kickstand for when riders reach their destination. Both scooters have a convenient folding design that makes them easy to store and transport.

Ozbozz has introduced new generic skateboards in a range of sizes and a variety of materials, from the smaller ‘satchel’ board to full size adult boards. The brand’s neon skateboards continue to be popular too, thanks to their bright, eyecatching colours. Mirror finish skateboards are also available in a variety of sizes and designs. These highly crafted skateboards have a metallic, chrome-like finish with designs that really shine through and are available in 17”, 22”, 28” and 31” sizes. The designs include a wild goose, a lion, a wolf, skulls, flowers, and geometric patterns.

Other outdoor toy offerings include space hoppers, pogo sticks, pocket money boomerangs including the 4-in-1 Sky Flier and fun throwing toys. One for Fun even has a range of play tents that let kids embrace the great outdoors from the comfort of their own gardens.

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Outdoor Toys

SES Creative 01304 746 030 | wwww.ses-creative.com sales@ses-creative.co.uk In the upcoming expansion of the Outdoor collection of SES Creative, the company is focused on stimulating physical activity and curiosity in nature and the outdoors.

With the introduction of different games and toys, made from innovative and sustainable materials, children can experience outdoor fun and quality time with friends and family.

Acrobat Animals is a new fun game that brings joy and encourages players to work together as a team. It comes with 27 different tasks that kids can imitate, after rolling the wooden dice. It’s the perfect game to play with two or more players and will guarantee to make the children laugh while they try to re-enact the animals.

The new Ring Toss offers families a fun game made of wood and colourful illustrations. Using the strong rope rings, the game can be played for hours outside.

SES is also launching exciting new products for its Splash water balls range such as the Splash water slingshot that will guarantee a great water fight.

In the Explore collection of 2024, kids can focus on scientific experiments and activities that let them explore nature and their surroundings. The collection includes a new butterfly hotel which children build themselves out of wood. They can decorate it with a variety of butterflies and explore nature while finding material to put in the hotel. This is an ideal way to be creative and explore the outdoors.

HTI Toys 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk Evo is dedicated to its customers' evolving needs and continues to develop a wide range of scooters and wheeled products for all age groups and interests. As the brand continues its journey, its mission remains focused on delivering a unique value proposition characterised by quality and exceptional design. In keeping with this commitment, Evo is set to raise the bar once again with innovative additions to its autumn/winter 2024 line-up.

This season, the product range is expanding in specific areas of innovation, introducing exciting new items to the Stunt Scooter ranges, BatteryOperated Ride-Ons and rejuvenating the Junior Balance Bike range. Alongside these innovative additions, the brand is introducing new trenddriven colours to selected products to ensure the range stays fresh and on-trend.

Evo is introducing numerous new additions to the balance bike range for the upcoming season, featuring fresh colours and enhanced features.

Two standout products in this range are the Glider Balance Bike with a new range of colours and the addition of a basket for versatile use, and the Explorer Bike, offering a convenient solution for on-the-go fun, available in multiple colours.

In the realm of stunt scooters, Evo is launching new and revamped models. The Evolution, Viper and Kraken Stunt Scooters have been revitalised with eye-catching designs, from the T-Bar to the grip tape details, for autumn/winter 2024. The Neo Chrome Stunt Scooter, HTI’s latest addition, boasts a stunning neo chrome finish and top-notch specifications, catering to serious skaters.

Under the Evo umbrella, a value-focused range of skateboards with custom-designed Evo decks has been developed. These skateboards cater to both experienced riders and those just starting out. Joining the line-up is the penny board range, featuring designs like Cosmic, Tie-dye and Flame. These 22-inch penny boards come with light-up wheels, perfect for cruising.

Evo continues to enhance its battery-operated product range, aligning with current trends in style and branding. The line-up now includes the Dino Quad Bike, featuring a unique T-rex body design with sound effects and a chomping mouth for prehistoric adventures, and the Dream Coupe, a stylish pink convertible designed to spark imaginative play.

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Outdoor Toys

Spin Master Toys 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Spin Master’s range of outdoor toys includes the Aerobie Sonic Bounce Ball and the Aerobie Pro Sprint Flying Ring.

Loved by adults and kids alike, the Aerobie Sonic Bounce Ball is a uniquely shaped bouncy ball with a high-density foam material that can reach seriously impressive heights. The spikes on the ball act as conduits for kinetic energy compared to traditional sphere-shaped outdoor play balls, providing kids with a great challenge on who can bounce the ball the highest or perform the coolest tricks. The balls are 66mm in diameter, making them easy to carry or ideal to slip into backpacks or goody bags as party favours.

The Aerobie Pro 10-inch Sprint Flying Ring is suitable for ages seven and over. The sleek ring features a compact thin design that creates longer-distance flights versus conventional flying discs, making it the perfect toy for the garden, park or school playground. It comes in three funky colours and the open centre allows each player to personalise their throwing and catching style - they can catch the edge with their hand or use the centre to catch it with their arm or foot.

Pat Avenue 01604 678780 | enquiries@patavenue.co.uk Children from the age of three can get outdoors and explore the world on wheels with Pat Avenue’s fun Keyriders range of scooters and helmets.

Keyriders currently offers kids two scooter designs to pick from: Draky and Perrycornio. Both feature a plush character, as well as lights in the wheels that look great and support visibility too. The scooters are extendible and foldable, meaning they’ll grow with children, later fitting away neatly under a bed or in a cupboard.

Style and safety travel hand-in-hand as this creative collection offers kids a host of characterful helmets to pick from, which can be stylishly paired with either of the cool scooters in the range. The 2-in-1 Plush 3D Helmets give kids two different looks; they can choose between the printed graphic or add the plush cover for a 3D effect. The 3D Helmets will inspire the imagination, with amazing 3D elements. There are two designs: Dino and Besties.

Contact Pat Avenue for its brand portfolio and information on full marketing support.

Reydon Sports 0115 938 6444 | www.reydonsports.com | sales@reydonsports.com Working alongside Franklin Sports, Reydon is an exclusive B2B European distributor for the brand including its Nerf Sports range with full support from Hasbro UK. Exploring a hybrid of sport and toy through an innovative set of products from Nerf, the ranges are distributed via Reydon’s UK distribution centre based in Nottingham. The company’s B2B model allows it to supply and service the world of retail across many sectors, making a huge splash in Europe for Franklin and Nerf with a whole array of marketing support on offer.

The 30+ SKU launch for Reydon showcases a superb set of sporting product lines which fit perfectly into any Toy, Sport, Leisure and Multiple retailers. Reydon exclusively distributes the Nerf Vortex Howler; the original long-distance football. This foam ball has a flight-optimising tail to make it fly far and is designed for ultimate distance. When users throw it through the air, it makes a howling whistle sound. The handgrip helps users to get a firm hold on the ball and it has an aerodynamic design with finger grip zones to help the Vortex Howler spin faster for greater accuracy. Soft and safe for easy catching the Vortex has been thrown over 90 meters.

With a long-term business strategy to develop its sports offering with a toy-like spin, Reydon Sports is working closely with Franklin Sports to open up a superb offering of products to retailers.

Brainstorm 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk The Outdoor Adventure Metal Detector will be added to Brainstorm’s Outdoor Adventure range for 2024. An ideal beginners detector designed for budding treasure hunters aged six plus, the detector features light and sound alerts, is 795mm long, lightweight and hand-held.

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01522 737126 | www.globber.co.uk | sales@plumplay.com

Outdoor Toys

John Adams 01480 414361 | 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. There’s a whole new range of Intex inflatables, Aqua Quest SUP Boards (Stand Up Paddleboards), pools and ride-on toys.

Summer 2024 can be enjoyed by the pool with the realistic Intex Ride-Ons in Great White Shark, Stingray, Mystical Dragon and Sea Turtle styles. Featuring a super realistic vinyl print and two heavy-duty handles, the Intex Ride-Ons are the perfect summer accessory. In addition, summer can be made even sweeter with the Sprinkle Donut Tube.

The Rainbow Ring Play Centre can also be used to splash around in style. The play centre has a built-in sprayer that attaches to the garden hose and a landing mat for extra padding, to keep little ones cool during the hot summer months. The centre includes a waterslide, wading pool, water sprayer, ring toss game (with four inflatable rings), ball roller game, toss ball game and Fun Ballz.

Families can cool down from the heat in the Swim Centre Family Lounge Pool, which has four built-in comfy seats with backrests, perfect for relaxing or supervising little ones. The Swim Centre also includes two drinks holders.

The new ride-on toys, SUP Boards, inflatables and play centres will sit alongside the existing Intex range of market leading above ground pools, PureSpa range, airbeds, inflatable furniture and pool games.

United Wheels 01525 664041 | www.huffy.co.uk sales@unitedwheels.eu United Wheels UK will have several new Huffy products for 2024.

As well as new Huffy bikes, new ride-ons and bikes from Disney will be introduced.

To coincide with Disney’s new movie Wish, Huffy has produced a 10inch balance bike for little ones first starting out on their bike adventures.

This colourful balance bike features plastic mag rims, a handlebar plaque featuring an image of Asha and an easy step over frame to aid and inspire confidence.

There will be a refresh on selected Disney 12-inch,14-inch and 16-inch bikes for 2024, including Spiderman, Frozen and Disney Princess designs.

With easy step over frames and comfy child-specific padded seats, these bikes will have a super cool graphic refresh and sport new features such as themed pedals, grips and accessories.

Huffy will add three new ride-ons for 2024 starting with the Spiderman ride-on Motorcycle. Featuring red webbing covering the tires, footrests and frame as well as an animated Spider-Man mask, this motorcycle ride-on also features a slow start feature making it easy to drive. With a 2mph maximum speed, automatic headlights and sturdy training wheels, the Huffy Spider-man ride-on Motorcycle will be perfect for any budding superhero.

Huffy is introducing Disney Frozen and Princess ride-on bubble quads.

These 6V ride-on quads are ideal for ages 2-5. Featuring push button lights & sounds, bubble maker, traction wheels and themed accessories, these quads are perfect for a child’s first ride-on.

New for 2024, Huffy 20-inch Vintage bikes are retro looking with a nod to United Wheels’ popular adult cruisers. With a front storage basket, an adjustable comfortable seat, durable training wheels and a full colour display carton with carrying handle, these cool looking bikes come in soft vanilla and iris colourways.

Lastly, the company is introducing a new full suspension mountain bike for 2024. The Huffy Oxide 20-inch will feature front and rear disc brakes, seven speed micro shift gearing system, lightweight alloy wheels and a green to blue fade colourway. This bike will perfect for off road fun.

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Outdoor Toys

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com Wilton Bradley’s new Xootz Magical Unicorn Electric ride-on introduces a whole new way for kids for get around in style.

This pink and white unicorn has purple hair and a long, shiny mane that kids can brush and style with the included hairbrush before they take to the saddle. The direction of the unicorn can be controlled with the reins while interactive sounds and a light-up horn enhance the experience. The saddle lifts to reveal a handy storage compartment. The 6V battery gives a run-time of up to one hour and a top speed of 1.2km/hour.

The new Xootz Big Bumper brings all the fun of the fairground to gardens across the country. With room for two, the Xootz Big Bumper is the ultimate ride on for young children and comes complete with LED lights and stickers for customisation. This bumper car has a parental remote control and a simple to use steering wheel, making it perfect for little ones aged 18 months and over. For added safety, there are two adjustable seatbelts and a rubberised bumper. The Xootz Big Bumper spins, twirls, and delights with thrilling 360-degree manoeuvres, ensuring endless giggles and excitement.

Wilton Bradley’s new WaterWall WaterBalls is a fun variation on the company’s hugely popular, award-winning WaterWall. As well as refreshing water, kids can also watch pre-soaked gel balls, available in a handy tub, make their way down the wall’s transparent ramps and wider obstacles. A special cup catches the balls safely at the end of their run, so the fun can start all over again from the beginning.

Tapping into the growing demand for all things anime, the company’s Xootx brand is also welcoming licensed Dragon Ball Super skateboards for 2024. Available in a choice of three eyecatching deck designs, including protagonist Goku, Saiyan prince Vegeta and the extra-terrestrial Jiren, the skateboards are suitable for kids aged five and over and have wheels that match the overriding colour scheme of the board artwork.

Dolu 07850 779 797 / 07877 443 733 www.dolu.com sales@sjr-associates.co.uk For spring/summer 2024, Dolu is introducing a number of new items including an affordably priced entry level sand & water table with a lid that doubles as a handy desk for creative kids.

Also launching early next year is a first slide complete with a fun water feature. The product is the result of a totally new mould and is available for 30% less than Dolu’s first slide offering from this time last year. New playhouses, both with and without fences, are also on the way, with all models benefitting from additional features that enhance play and inspire kids to embrace adventures in the great outdoors.

Dolu manufactures over 300 outdoor play items, including 57 Mattel products under licence. Of these, 21 are available for the UK market including a Barbie playhouse and picnic table, a Fisher Price playhouse, sand & water table and first slide, a Hot Wheels 4 Wheel pedal ride on quad and moto, and many more.

Everything Dolu manufactures is made at its factory in Istanbul, Turkey, and there are no MOQs. Everything is delivered direct. Due to the free trade agreement between the UK and Turkey, Dolu can offer delivered prices in GBP. Feedback indicates that 90% of Dolu’s product range can be delivered for less than buying from China while a container can be as little as £10,000. Due to reduction in raw material and freight pricing, this year’s trade pricing is similar to that of 2020.

Dolu customers can benefit from ease of supply and quick turnaround, meaning they can bring in items quickly when forecasts improve. Dolu holds stock of 75% of its entire product portfolio at all times, with no overstock of spring/summer product.

Dolu will be presenting its full range at global trade events including Hong Kong, London Toy Fair (Olympia) and Spielwarenmesse (Nuremberg). Readers wishing to make an appointment with Steve Richardson, of official distributor SJR Associates, or his daughter Ria Richardson, are invited to get in touch using the contact details above.

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RIDING ITS WAY THROUGH THE UK & EU FOR 2024

Outdoor Toys

Basic Fun! 0118 925 3270 | www.basicfun.com | Tim.Ives@basicfun.com From the sandpit to the lawn, the driveway to the beach, the possibilities are endless when it comes to Tonka toy play.

It’s all about fun on the farm this season, with the addition of the Tonka Steel Classics Farm Truck and the Tonka Steel Classics Farm Tractor. Whether hauling hay bales, transporting animals or delivering produce, the Farm Truck is up for the task. Little ones will feel like a real farmer as they load and unload their cargo with the foldable tailgate. Meanwhile, the classic yellow Tonka Steel Classics Tractor has authentic detailing which is sure to delight budding farmers and tractor enthusiasts alike. Little ones can tend to their imaginary crops, haul supplies around the farm or drive through the countryside with this fun farm vehicle.

The Tonka Steel Classics Car Carrier is perfect for kids who love to play hard and imagine big, both indoors and out. Children can transport their Tonka trucks in style with this large, yellow double-deck truck. They can fold down the tailgate to drive their vehicles up onto the carrier, then fold it back up to hit the road.

Basic Fun’s Tonka portfolio benefits from major PR and marketing support.

Tomy 01392 281 927 | www.tomy.com Spring sees Tomy release Band-It Ball, its new 3-in-1 active outdoor toy. Suitable for ages five and over, the all-new soft and flexible ball comes in two bright neon colour variations, allowing it to stand out on grass, water and sand. With its soft shape, Band-It Ball can be simply adapted thanks to its colourful wrist band. The band wraps around the toy, transforming it from a round-ball into a disk or rugby ball shape and making it one of the most unique outdoor toys on the market.

Three new products will be arriving in February under Tomy’s John Deere licensed Kids range including the John Deere Sandbox Tractor with Bucket Play Set, which comes with a front loader tractor, a bucket and a shovel, making it the perfect set for endless outdoor play. Perfect for budding gardeners, John Deere will also be releasing the Lawn Strimmer and Hedge Trimmer role-play outdoor toys.

Plum Play 01522 737 126 www.globber.co.uk sales@plumplay.com

Character Options 0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.com sales@charactergroup.plc.uk Character Options’ popular Stay Active Jump-It Wipeout game is perfect for families looking for a fun and inclusive activity for indoors or out.

With this fun, fast and musical jump challenge fitness game, players test their skills by jumping the rotating soft foam jump bar. The last one standing wins, so to be in with a chance of taking the crown, players must jump the bar until the time is up, avoiding being wiped out along the way.

The game is ideal for outdoor play and has proved popular with celebrities, high-profile influencers and regular families alike. It remains in high demand, thanks to the addictive play pattern and Character’s strong marketing support for its Stay Active collection.

Plum Play’s Globber is the first and only scooter brand in the world to use recycled plastic across a collection: not just in one but in over 100 wheeled items.

This environmentally friendly collection of premium scooters and wheeled ride-ons is tailored for movement, adventure and fun for all. Globber’s new Go Up Foldable Plus Ecologic is an eco-conscious all-inone scooter for kids aged 15 months to seven years and up and offers maximum fun and planet friendly play.

The Go Up Foldable Plus Ecologic is one of the first all-in-one transformable scooters to be made with 100% GRS plastic and biodegradable wheat-straw.

Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international protocol that verifies recycled content in final products. Using GRS plastic saves tonnes of waste from landfills and mitigates the environmental impact of manufacturing. Wheat-straw is a bioplastic that’s a 100% biodegradable and renewable. A by-product of wheat harvesting, it diverts from the waste stream, helps surrounding materials decompose, and minimises environmental impacts of production.

The 100% tool-less design and 3-height adjustable T-bar make it easy to transform this sustainable scooter into a ride-on, walking bike and scooter. The tool-less design allows parents to easily switch between different modes without the need for tools or screws, seamlessly transforming the scooter with its easy-to-use spring-loaded buttons and knobs.

Go Up Foldable Plus Ecologic’s unique folding system features a push-button to allow parents to fold the scooter and pack it down into trolley mode, making it easy to transport and store after playtime. Available in two trending colours, this is a must have scooter this season.

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Spin Master has announced its intention to acquire Melissa & Doug for a cool $950m. It’s a bold move that will expand Spin Master’s portfolio in what it describes as “the early childhood play arena”. Spin Master has a pretty decent track record with acquisitions, and the agreement is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2024. Until then, the two companies will continue to operate separately, although whether that will still be the case once the deal is signed and sealed remains to be seen. In addition to bolstering the company’s pre-school line, my good US retail friend Rick Derr pointed out that the acquisition should also strengthen Spin Master’s business with the independent channel and Amazon even further. And after his impromptu performance at the TOTY awards, I am awaiting Spin Master co-founder Ronnen Harary’s musical interpretation of the news any day…

There has been a ‘conscious uncoupling’ between SuperAwesome and its previous owner Epic Games.

Although this will sadly result in some good people losing their jobs, I definitely see an upside for the toy community: essentially, SuperAwesome will be returning to its roots, becoming independent once again and doubling down on its core under 18s business. To my mind, having SuperAwesome fully focused on kids as an independent business is good news for everyone…

Looking at many of the retail top toys lists released so far, there seems to be a higher percentage of own-brand lines and exclusives than ever before. This approach make even more sense if you read Midco Toys’ owner Dave Middleton’s recent LinkedIn post, in which he bemoans the aggressive pricecutting activity of the grocers and other large retailers, which traditionally kicks off in October and is largely focused on high profile, higher priced lines. As Dave says: “We get told by suppliers to build stocks as supply will be short, and the next thing you know many of the products we have stockpiled are £10-15 cheaper in the supermarkets in their big toy events.”

I am not sure this is an easy dilemma to resolve – it happens every year, so there must be some economic viability in the sales volumes driven by this activity. But does it ultimately discourage the indies (not to mention many other retailers) from chasing sales of hot toys in the £30+ category? I wish there was a simple solution that would work for everyone, but I’m not sure there is – although I doubt I would be pushing the lines that are going to be price cut to other retail channels (unless, of course, toy companies have literally no idea which products will be affected). It also explains why some toy companies secretly breathe a sigh of relief if they don’t make the top toy lists, as these are often the lines that cost-cutting activity is built around…

Lego has also been making headlines recently, after announcing it would be scrapping plans to make its bricks from recycled bottles. Some media outlets interpreted this as “a blow” to the company’s ambitious sustainability goals, but I just think that is incredibly lazy journalism. Based on my understanding, this is 100% the correct decision and

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in no way should be interpreted as Lego rowing back on its commitments…quite the opposite in fact. Having established after two full years of testing that this approach doesn’t actually reduce carbon emissions, going ahead with it would simply have been greenwashing – and Lego is far better than that. I think we will see quite a few companies pivoting on their approach to sustainability, as more information becomes available and, crucially, new technologies and options become viable. I have spoken to many toy companies about sustainability, and there is absolutely no question that the collective will is there to meet the challenges head on – but it has to be done in the right way, and not impact the quality and integrity of the product. Make no mistake, Lego will get there – but it won’t cut corners or compromise its impeccable quality in the process. The quote from chief executive Niels Christiansen to the FT says it all: “There is no magic material.” Quite…

It’s encouraging to see the UK’s leading specialist toy retailers thriving, as is evidenced by the financial results recently released by The Entertainer and Smyths. The Entertainer made a £7m profit and increased sales by 1% last year, which strikes me as a thoroughly respectable performance in what was certainly not a ‘business as usual’ year. The numbers compare favourably with the pre-pandemic results from 2020, even allowing for the far higher energy costs, increases in the minimum wage (+20% versus 2020) and the expansion of the senior leadership team over the past year. Meanwhile Smyths’ hugely impressive financial numbers saw its turnover exceed 1b Euros for the first time in a "record sales year" for the retailer, as revenue surged by 16% …

Disappointed though I was to miss the Play for Change award ceremony after contracting Covid last month, I am delighted that the event went well and hearty congratulations to all the winners. When Mattel’s Sanjay Luthra first came up with the idea of a set of industry awards predicated not on sales, but on rewarding companies that were driving change in the toy industry, I knew he was on to something. I notice that some other global toy awards have now integrated similar ideas into their own categories, which is usually a sign that someone is on the right track…

In addition to the Play for Change awards, TIE has also been working tirelessly with the EU to put forward the toy community’s perspective as the EU Commission considers revisions to the Toy Safety Directive. For anyone in the global toy community who sells toys to EU countries, it is worth reading the interview with Catherine Reeth and Sanjay on the Toy World website to get some insight into some of the potential challenges ahead. Decisions have yet to be locked down, meaning companies will probably have at least four years to comply. Nevertheless, if the EU pushes ahead with a proposed ban on a wide range of chemicals, the implications for the toy market – and especially smaller players – could be significant. Definitely a situation to keep an eye on.

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