Feature
Playground Crazes & Pocket Money Collectibles
Finger on the
impulse
It’s no secret that over the previous 18 months, collectibles, pocket money and impulse toys have suffered perhaps more than any other category due to the marked change in consumer purchasing habits brought on by the pandemic. However, there’s an increasingly strong whiff of normality in the air, and we may be about to witness a major reversal of fortunes. Rachael Simpson-Jones speaks to a selection of suppliers to find out what’s on the way in the months ahead and which trends are driving sales.
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or MGA, whose L.O.L. Surprise! brand has arguably been the queen of the collectibles space for several years, September marks a turning point – the moment when kids, many of whom enjoyed just a brief taste of school before the summer, return in earnest for a new year in the classroom. Neil Bandtock, MD UK & Ireland, MGA Entertainment, explains: “There’s no doubt the playground marketplace can make or break a brand. We have a tonne of lines launching this month to coincide with the back-to-school period, which
makes a lot of sense from a strategic viewpoint. It’s also great that retailers are properly back in business now too. Consumers love to see product on-shelf. We all know the convenience offered by online, but there’s nothing better than going into your local toy shop and seeing all your favourite toys right there in front of you. Impulse purchasing drops off when you’re dealing entirely in online channels, but that element of the sales landscape has returned now, and sales are really picking up.” Paul Dearlove, trade marketing manager at Schleich,
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is likewise enthusiastic about the retail landscape now lockdown has been eased, telling Toy World that it’s ‘great to see kids and their families returning to stores and enjoying shopping for toys again, particularly for collectibles which rely so heavily on that footfall’. While multiple other collectible brands suffered from the closure of stores last year, Schleich very much bucked the trend, with strong sales throughout the period of upheaval. “Schleich has grown into an evergreen brand and is a hugely well-trusted amongst consumers, who
