Company Profile - Magicbox

Magicbox Toys the story so far

A year after she took up the position of UK managing director at Magicbox Toys, Nicola Bergot invited Toy World’s John Baulch and Rachael Simpson-Jones to the company’s UK office to meet her new team, learn about upcoming product launches, and discuss the company’s plans and aspirations for the future.

Magicbox’s new UK office, we discovered soon after arriving, lies directly beneath the Gatwick flightpath. You wouldn’t know this from standing inside Gatwick House – it’s got a level of soundproofing those of us with bassloving neighbours can only dream of – but peer out of the window long enough and you’ll see the underbelly of a passenger plane soaring not far overhead. It’s a fitting location for a company that’s going places under the leadership of Nicola Bergot, who accepted the position of UK managing director at Magicbox in September 2021 after two decades at Flair GP.

When coming into the role, Nicola took a little time out to assess the scope of the work to be done and whether she was ideally placed to take it on. She first accepted a position in July 2021 and then spent a few months as business consultant, supported by Foye Pascoe, before ultimately taking up the mantle of MD. During this period, Nicola was able to evaluate what Magicbox UK’s Spanish owners wanted to get out of the partnership: what did they need to do, and how did they want to do it?

Among Nicola’s first tasks were finding and setting up a UK office, devising new processes and systems, and creating the Magicbox UK team. “Initially, I was on my own, in a UK company that had real business momentum, and I was aware that I had knowledge gaps I needed to fill,” Nicola explains. “I put a plan together with the Spanish office detailing what we needed - someone talented in sales, a marketing specialist, and a person who could oversee customer service – and through a couple of specialist recruiters, we found and hired the right people.”

John and I were lucky to meet ‘the right people’ during our visit: Head of Marketing Suzie Howes, Senior National Account Manager Denise Carr, and Natasha Moore, the company’s new Customer Services & UK Office coordinator. The only one missing was Marlon Groves (referred to as ‘the Bosley to our Angels’ by Nicola) who handles the company’s existing News Trade business in the role of National Account Controller (Press and Wholesale). It’s been a boon for Nicola to build a team from the ground up. She’s been able to choose people she already knew, or knew of, who work well together, who understand the toy industry and who bring complementary, sometime surprising skills to the table. Natasha, the youngest of the group, shared a very amusing anecdote – which sadly I cannot repeat here – about her role in ensuring the English translations of Spanish character names won’t raise eyebrows among British parents.

Magicbox Toys has been around for nearly three decades and has made a name for itself in the collectibles space with its hugely popular Superthings brand. Spanning a wide range of price points, from 90p RRP to £49.99, the brand is welcoming new characters, vehicles, robots, play sets and themes that will continue its expansion into the broader toy space, rather than just the pocket money collectibles category. KookyLoos, a doll range that lets kids change their doll’s facial expression with a simple swipe of a finger, is also set to benefit from new play sets and themes, plus the introduction of two boy characters in spring. Much more will be revealed about upcoming launches in due course, but the take-away for now is that Magicbox has set its sights firmly on being far more than ‘just’ a collectibles company.

“For a company that has been going for 26 years, and that has momentum with a hugely successful collectibles/impulse business, we’ve never really been known as a toy company,” Nicola says. “I think many in the industry still see the company as an impulse products supplier to the News Trade channel, and while this remains important, the reality is that we sell quality toys that offer value for money and excellent play value for kids, plus good retail margins too. And they’re all developed by a passionate and experienced team in Spain that genuinely cares about what it’s creating.”

Nicola says the Spanish head office, which itself moved to new premises in Barcelona earlier this year, has been incredibly supportive - and also refreshingly hands-off about her development of the UK business. David Bella, the company’s owner, and Jose Vicente Savall, the company’s Global Commercial and Marketing Director have been clear that there are no unreasonable demands, unattainable goals or lofty expectations. Instead, the company is happy to support Nicola and her team as they shape the UK business, listen to feedback and enjoy any wins, be they big or small. Speaking of which, John and I were party to quite a big win while on-site: just before we headed out for our lunch, Nicola found out that Magicbox had just ranked 40th in NPD’s Top 50 Toy Manufacturers for August – the first time the company has ever appeared within the Top 50. That was worthy of a celebration and the delight among the team was evident for all to see.

Over lunch, Nicola continued chatting with John and I about the past year and her ongoing work in extracting Magicbox from the collectibles pigeonhole it’s found itself in. “Without doubt, one of the biggest challenges continues to be getting a foot in the door and opening new accounts,” she says, when asked what hurdles remain. “There’s a preconception about what we offer among some retailers, while we’re trying to set up direct accounts for the first time with some of the others. I know I’m not alone because I’ve spoken to other ‘new’ toy businesses in the same boat. The reality is that previews don’t always translate into listings, which has been a learning curve for all of us, including the Spanish office. Liking the product is just the first step in the journey to trading with a retailer: there’s a lot more that follows, which is where the work really starts. However, I’m pleased to say we are getting there – many retailers are supporting us and trying our products for the first time, having given us the opportunity to put our products in front of them. And those that trust in us, and our products will be very well supported. We send out around 3,500 FSDUs a season, for example. We don’t do things by half.”

In February, Magicbox announced the start of its plastic packaging phase-out. The shift away from plastic elements includes the likes of blister packs and foil bags, means the company has been able to design an attractive new on-shelf look for Superthings which has carried through into KookyLoos (and doubtless future ranges too). This commitment to reducing its plastic footprint is just one of the ways in which company owner David Bella’s passion for toys and the kids that play with them shines through; the team tells us that David thinks it’s just as important that children enjoy playing with the toys his company creates as it is to look after their futures.

So, what does the future hold for Magicbox? Lots, without doubt, but for Nicola, it’s early days and there’s no hurry to start hitting the high notes until the basics are just right. For example, the company’s UK warehouse operation has been slimmed down from five separate sites to just two: one for News Trade and one for Toys. Growth of the business is vitally important, of course. Nicola says Magicbox would not have invested in the UK office and its experienced new team if the Spanish office didn’t have ambitious expectations for the business, and she clearly wants to make it pleased to have invested in Nicola and her team. “This is a serious commitment in the UK,” she notes, adding that for any serious player, a spot in the Top 20 is desirable – getting into the Top 10 even more so.

That said, she also wants to develop a business that has a great reputation, a business that excels and does things well: “A business where people enjoy working, flourish, feel appreciated, listened to and supported, and can develop their skills and careers.” It was evident from spending time with the team how well Nicola, Natasha, Suzie and Denise get along. This camaraderie is integral to Nicola’s vision for Magicbox. She, along with some of her colleagues, have spent time in challenging workplaces, giving them a clearer view of what’s important in business.

“Ultimately, you need a good team that you’re happy to work with: you may go to work at 9am and finish at 5pm, but if it’s awful between those hours then you could be in the Top 5 and you still won’t enjoy what you’re doing,” she says. “Maybe it’s an age thing, not letting ambition outweigh what’s important? But I want my team to remain with me for many years. There’s so much to be said for developing talent that’s been with you since the beginning. Ultimately, I want the people here, that took this ‘risk’ with me, to oversee their own teams and be fulfilled and happy. You can see when you visit the Spanish office that there’s absolutely no one-upmanship or detrimental competitiveness. We all work bloody hard, of course, we’re not living in a fantasy world. It’s fair to say David won’t be content if we’re simply enjoying our jobs but not selling any toys. But if we can produce the results we all want by creating a culture of support and teamwork, then it will be to the benefit of everyone involved.”

Nicola also says Magicbox has been very fortunate in being able to call on and garner support from a number of personal industry and business contacts, Evolution PR, Generation Media, Toy World and Foye Pascoe among them, along with many supportive retailers and buyers.

“Numerous friends and colleagues have played a role in getting us to where we are today,” she notes. “And what’s most exciting is that where we are is just the story so far – there’s so much more to come from Magicbox.”