Feature
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.
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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). Other ride-ons are available from Little Tikes, which has
