Toyworld dec 2015

December 2015 volume 5 issue 4

December 2015 volume 5 issue 4

HORNBY UK

The business magazine with a passion for toys

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*

TV

A DVE RT I SE D

CINEMA

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A D V E RT I S E D

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*Hornby Hobbies Limited Total UK Sales October 2015 vs October 2014. Source: NPD data

The Team...

CONTENTS December 2015 volume 5 issue 4

John Baulch

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

Emily Ansell Elfer

Deputy Editor emily@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 407

Mark Austin

Advertisement Manager mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

21 Funrise Interview

38 Retail Profile: Early Learning Centre

News

Opinion

Features

07 From the Publisher

22 NPD Column

21 Funrise Interview

08 News

25 Talking Shop

30 IMC Toys Interview

15 Industry Moves

28 Star Wars: The Toys Awaken

34 Toy Trust Update

16 Marketing World

32 Viewpoint

38 Retail Profile: Early Learning

18 Licensing World

37 Lutz Muller

Centre

44 Toytopia Review

40 Salary Survey

48 Hong Kong Preview

45 Touching Base

50 Nuremberg Preview

66 Allegedly Graeme Thomas

Production Manager graeme@toyworldmag.co.uk 07792 889 919

Contributors David Ripley | Jim Hawker | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | The NPD Group

Anita Baulch

Circulation Manager anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

Clarabel Jones

Editorial Assistant clarabel@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Jonika Kinchin

Editorial Assistant jonika@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

50 Nuremberg Preview

44 Toytopia Review

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

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A from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

fter a never-ending whirl of emails and social media activity trying to drum up enthusiasm - or perhaps more accurately hype - Black Friday seemed to pass more with a whimper than a bang, at least as far as the toy trade was concerned. In advance of the event, I had speculated in the Friday Blog that consumers had been holding back their spending in anticipation of incredible deals that I feared might not live up to expectation, and the reports released in the aftermath of the event suggest I may not have been too far from the truth.

In the run up to the event, one prominent independent retailer told me: “Customers are expecting a lot more than they’re going to get.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked if all the Lego is going to be half price on Friday.” You can guess what his response was.

It’s this fundamental lack of understanding from consumers of how Black Friday works from a retail perspective that has arguably contributed to the lacklustre performance of Black Friday 2015; consumer fatigue appears to have set in just two years after the concept was imported from the States. Mind you, having seen yet more footage of appalling behaviour over in the USA this year, I think it is to the eternal credit of British consumers that it hasn’t been replicated in the UK. Interestingly, I interviewed the Tesco buying team recently and they admitted that the Clubcard points double-up promotion was far more important to them than Black Friday. I have to admit, the appeal of a promotion that boosts demand over a period of time rather than concentrates it a single day is completely understandable. We’ll be running the Tesco interview in our January Toy Fair issue: I was given great access to the buying team, and have accrued some absolutely fascinating material. I was hugely impressed with what they had to say on a wide array of subjects, and I promise it will be well worth reading.

In the meantime, there is no shortage of great material in this month’s issue: Lutz Muller explores the inexorable rise of the Hybrids, the impact they are having on traditional toy categories and where the sector may go next; Funrise’s David Martin tells us about the company’s newly- extended licensing deal with Hasbro for the classic Tonka brand; Tinderbox’s

Understanding your brand, communicating your message miprglobal

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Rowena Shorey rounds-up the remuneration packages on offer in the toy market in her annual Salary Survey and we report from the Early Learning Centre’s brand new redesigned store, which opened last month in Bristol. In addition, we present the first instalment of our two-part guide previewing the Nuremberg Toy Fair (part two will appear in the January issue), and two of the industry’s self-confessed Star Wars obsessives – Dave Middleton and Graham Hancock – give us their thoughts ahead of the launch of the Force Awakens. The article is both passionate and refreshingly honest, but written with an undeniable love for the brand; exactly the sort of ethos we strive for here at Toy World.

There have been a number of major news stories over the past month, all broken first on the Toy World website (if you haven’t yet subscribed to our daily online bulletin, visit toyworldmag.co.uk to sign up and ensure you don’t miss out on seeing the important stories before they appear on other sites). Amongst the exclusives we reported, HTi will be closing its London office, which only opened at the start of the year. With former CEO Chris Spalding and MD Paul Bennett recently leaving the company, the London office was clearly on borrowed time.

If I was a betting man, I would say that the HTi we see moving forward will perhaps resemble the HTi we knew of old and – for what it’s worth – I feel that may ultimately turn out to be a wise move.

In other news, Spin Master’s European MD Kevin Jones announced that he will be retiring at the end of the year. Frankly, Kevin doesn’t seem remotely old enough to contemplate retirement, but after a fantastic last couple of years he’s going out on a high, and there is surely no better way to go. I’m sure he’ll still be involved with the toy trade for a while to come, and we wish him all the best. Jacqueline Taylor-Foo and Phil Hopper have both been promoted as part of the reshuffle, so it’s great to see that the company will benefit from continuity at a senior level despite Kevin’s departure.

All that remains for now is to say that, on behalf of the whole Toy World team, I hope the last few weeks of sales before Christmas are stupendous, and that you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Our next issue will be the bumper January Toy Fair Preview edition, which will be landing through your letterbox with an almighty thud not long after you return from your festive break.

Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to read through what I know will be a monster of an issue; it will definitely be time well spent.

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Hornby offers update on trading and transformation plan

C.Banner completes acquisition of Hamleys

C.Banner International Holdings has announced that it has completed the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Ludendo Enterprises UK. Upon completion of the acquisition, Ludendo UK, which owns and operates leading toy retailer Hamleys, became a whollyowned subsidiary of C.Banner. The company name of Ludendo UK will be changed to Hamleys Global Holdings after completion.

Following the completion of the acquisition, C.Banner will actively explore areas of cooperation among the respective existing business of Hamleys and C.Banner, with a view to achieving greater synergy among them to enhance its comprehensive strength.

A spokesperson from Hamleys told Toy World: “We can confirm C.banner International Holdings Limited has completed the purchase of Ludendo Enterprises UK Limited that trades under the name Hamleys. Since being acquired by the Ludendo Groupe in September 2012, Hamleys has been successful with its strategies of growth, and today we have 61 stores across 19 countries, are achieving double digit like-for-like annual growth in our international businesses, and in March opened the largest toy shop in Europe. We are really excited about embarking on the next chapter in the 255 year story of Hamleys and continuing to bring smiles to families and children all over the world.”

Market & Distribute Quality Brands

Following the recent fundraising and extension of the group’s banking facilities, Hornby is to roll out the strategic reorganisation of its European businesses, whilst making further improvements to its supply chain.

In the UK, Hornby has improved its distribution capabilities by moving to modern warehousing premises near Canterbury. The group’s UK performance has been recovering and revenue for the 10 weeks from early September to 8th November increased by 9% compared to last year.

The UK business is well positioned for a strong end to the third quarter. A new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP system) has enabled Hornby to be more flexible and accurate in managing its product shipments.

Ahead of the Christmas period, new product lines including the Scalextric James Bond Spectre slot car racing sets have proved to be very popular.

The board also decided to accelerate the strategic plan to reorganise its European businesses. This involves a restructuring of the supply chain with logistics and distribution activities being transferred to the platform being managed by DS Logistics. The roll-out of a new ERP system was implemented in Spain in October, and was rolled out across Italy, Germany and France during November.

The trend in UK revenue growth since early September has been very encouraging and it is expected that the UK business will deliver a result broadly in line with expectations for the full year.

Richard Ames, chief executive officer, said: “The performance of our UK business since we modernised our distribution set up has been very encouraging and this demonstrates that the strategy to turn Hornby around is working. Since the implementation of the new ERP system, we have further improved the platform on which we can build the group’s recovery. Whilst there has been a short-term impact, we are already seeing the tangible benefits of these changes.

“We set out in detail at the time of our recent fundraising our strategy to improve the structure of the group’s operations in Europe. Buoyed by the recent improvement in UK performance, we have now taken the decision to accelerate the reorganisation of our European businesses. While this will impact upon this year’s performance, we will be unlocking significant year on year cost savings and the board is confident that the accelerated plan will leave us very well placed by the end of the financial year.”

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PlanToys appoints Little Concepts as new partner for UK & Ireland

Panini launches new collectible range

Panini’s new 3D Abatons Star Wars collectible range features classic characters alongside new ones from the upcoming movie.

Abatons are totems that can be stacked, built, collected and played with. With 70 different Star Wars Abatons in the collection, including 20 glitter Abatons, the Abatons can be mixed up to build different structures.

The Mega Starter packs include nine connectors as well as eight Abaton packs and one limited edition gold Abaton. There will also be collectors’ boxes to keep the Abatons in and a Storm Trooper tin coming in early January.

Rebecca Smith, head of circulation at Panini, commented: “The collection has got off to a flying start, polling some impressive sales figures from retail. We’re rolling out FSDUs across retail next week to maximise visibility and raise awareness of the collection, with The Entertainer, Toys R Us and various ToyMaster stores supporting with placement of the units. Star Wars Abatons is just the start of the new Abatons 3D collectible product launch, with a number of series already planned for release in 2016.”

Distributed by Click, the toys went on sale on 12th November.

Vtech reassures customers after data breach

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Alain De Rauw, director of PlanToys Europe, commented: “Building strong relations with retailers is key to communicating the ethos of our brand. PlanToys is more than a just a wooden toy, it is a way of encouraging sustainable play whilst contributing to a better world. Little Concepts aligns with this ethos greatly and has the passion and commitment to reach out to retailers who also think this way.”

Phil Nelson, director at Little Concepts, said: “Having been a fan of PlanToys for a number of years, to be working with them now is an honour. We are keen to demonstrate to retailers the quality, innovative production techniques and of course the play value of the products.”

Great Gizmos will continue serving PlanToys customers until the end of 2015.

Kidicraft has relocated

VTech has announced that an unauthorised party accessed VTech customer data housed on its Learning Lodge app store database on 14th November.

Upon discovering the unauthorised access, VTech immediately conducted a thorough investigation, and issued the following statement about the security breach: “Our customer database contains general user profile information including name, email address, encrypted password, secret question and answer for password retrieval, IP address, mailing address and download history. It is important to note that our customer database does not contain any credit card information and VTech does not process nor store any customer credit card data on the Learning Lodge website. To complete the payment or check-out process of any downloads made on the Learning Lodge website, our customers are directed to a secure, third party payment gateway. In addition, our customer database does not contain any personal identification data (such as ID card numbers, Social Security numbers or driving license numbers). The investigation continues as we look at additional ways to strengthen our Learning Lodge database security. We are committed to protecting our customer information and their privacy, to ensure against any such incidents in the future.”

As part of its business growth plans, Kidicraft has moved to a larger office and warehouse facility.

The new address is Kidicraft Ltd, Unit 11, Victoria Mill, Boot Street, Earby, Lancashire, BB18 6UX. The new telephone number is 01282 505 988.

Character Group reports record profits

The Character Group PLC has reported a record profit before tax of £12.27 million on revenues of £99.05 million.

The company states that the domestic market has traded ahead of expectations, while international sales were hampered by currency and the challenging economic climate. Gross profit increased from £29.14m in 2014 to £36.66 million in the 2015 financial year, with gross profit margins increasing to 37% (2014: 29.8%). Group revenue in the year was £99.05 million compared to £97.89m for the last financial year.

The profit before tax in 2015 is ahead of results previously anticipated and Character Group has also stated that current trading remains encouraging and in line with management expectations.

Make Time 2 Play to sponsor foyer at Toy Fair 2016 The company will be taking over the whole of the foyer at this year’s Toy Fair to create a vibrant outdoor play environment.

The BTHA’s aim is to create an exciting atmosphere as soon as visitors enter the show, highlighting the importance of play for healthy child development and the role of toys as an integral part of that wider play experience.

“We decided to sponsor the foyer at Toy Fair to help us promote the campaign to the wider toy industry. This will highlight the work we have been doing to reinforce the message about the importance of play for the healthy development of children. Toy Fair seems like such a natural fit for us to tell this important story as people are coming to the fair to select the tools of play for the coming year,” said Kerri Atherton, communications and public affairs officer for the BTHA.

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AutoLand actively assists with landing with minimal to no pilot input Holding Pattern returns aircraft to a fixed point and flies in a pattern Virtual Fence keeps aircraft within a comfortable flying range and eliminates fly-aways Instant flight recovery with Panic Recovery Mode AS3X™ automatically counters the effect of turbulence Beginner, Intermediate, and Experienced modes make learning to fly easy Compatible with the EFC™-720p HD video camera (EFLA801)

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HobbyZone products are available from all good model shops. For details of your nearest dealer look on our website horizonhobby.co.uk, contact us by telephone: 44(0)1279 641097, or by email: sales@horizonhobby.co.uk. ©2015 Horizon Hobby, LLC. HobbyZone, the HobbyZone logo, SAFE, the SAFE logo, AS3X, EFC, Dream. Explore. Fly., Serious Fun and the Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, LLC. The Spektrum trademark is used with permission of Bachman industries, Inc. Glasair, Sportsman, the Glasair logo and the aircraft body designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Glasair Aviation USA, LLC and are used with permission by Horizon Hobby, LLC. All other trademarks, service marks and logos are property of their respective owners. 48716

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Lego reveals Christmas build in Covent Garden

Hasbro’s Andrew Brown takes on endurance challenge for charity

Hasbro’s brand manager is to take on a New Zealand endurance challenge to raise £10,000 for the Toy Trust.

Four years on from his solo row across the Atlantic, Andrew will begin a bike ride covering the length of New Zealand on 23rd December.

Starting from Cape Regina down to Bluff, a distance of 1,300 miles will be covered. During the ride he will climb hills and mountains, burning over 7,500 calories each day. The aim is to cycle 130 miles daily to complete the total distance in just 10 days, not taking a break even for Christmas or New Years Day. Andrew commented: “The purpose of the ride is not only to test my own endurance, but to raise £10,000 for two great charities that do incredible work for causes extremely close to my heart. One of these charities is the Toy Trust, a charity that I have supported since starting my career in the toy industry six years ago. This year has seen a focus of bringing joy and happiness to children with severe disabilities through their Special Kids…Going Places theme. The second charity I am supporting is the Matthew Elvidge Trust which helps increase awareness of depression, its signs and the behaviours that may lead to suicide in young people.”

Foye Pascoe, chair of the Toy Trust Charity Committee, added: “Whilst every fundraising effort made by industry people for the Toy Trust are invaluable, I think we can all agree that Andrew’s own personal endeavours have been truly remarkable. I would like to take this opportunity to ask the industry to get behind Andrew’s challenge and support him over the festive season.”

To support Andrew’s campaign, donations can be made to his Virgin Money Giving page: www.virginmoneygiving.com/andrewgfbrown.

Toys R Us ditches gender categories

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The Lego Christmas display is now on show at Covent Garden Piazza.

Made with 500,000 Lego bricks, The Lego Santa Express features three carriages, the engine and driver’s cabin, a carriage full of presents and a final carriage delivering the Christmas tree. The Christmas Elf takes position in the driving seat.

The Lego Santa Express is complete with special effects, including smoke from the funnel, sounds and lights.

Lego is celebrating its fifth year of building a public Christmas scene in London.

In 2011, The Lego Christmas story started with a 30m Lego Christmas tree, with subsequent builds in Covent Garden, including a giant advent calendar, a walkthrough snow globe featuring a snowy London scene of iconic buildings and last year Santa’s sleigh and reindeer.

Once again, the build was designed by the UK’s only Lego certified professional, Duncan Titmarsh. The masterpiece has been in development for the last three months, created by Duncan and a team of eight builders.

You can find The Lego Santa Express on the North/East Covent Garden Piazza until 29th December.

Junners toy shop to close its doors

After coming under pressure from campaigners, the retailer has stopped categorising products by gender on its website.

Online shoppers will no longer find products split into boys’ and girls’ categories. Instead, customers will now be able to browse the retailer’s website according to age group, brand and type of toy.

The change is the result of a campaign by parents who have complained that the toy shop’s gender categories are sexist. The pressure group, which Let Toys be Toys, represents thousands of shoppers concerned with sexism in the toy industry and its impact on children.

The campaign group said: “We want to say a big thank you to Toys R Us UK for bringing in the changes it has so far. This shows a real effort being made to be more inclusive to all children, and the results will no doubt make a lot of children and parents happy this Christmas.”

The retailer is among many large chains such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Boots, The Entertainer and TK Maxx which have also recently changed the way they market toys.

Junners, a Toymaster store based on South Street in Elgin, is closing down after 116 years of trading.

For generations of children, the independent retailer is one of the town’s best-loved shops, having been a must-visit destination in central Elgin.

Since the announcement, customers young and old have flooded the shop’s Facebook page to share their own memories and experiences inside the shop.

Owner George Duncan said he and his wife came to the tough decision for both personal and business reasons. The couple have been in retail for 28 years, operating a newsagents in Keith, a toy shop in Buckie and the Elgin toy shop.

However, increased competition, both online and from chain outlets, led to George’s realisation that the time had come for the next chapter.

“Difficult as it is to tell the staff and to close the shop, it is the right thing for us to do at our stage in life,” George said.

He added: “Business is tough. You look at South Street and other bits of Elgin and there are empty shops, it is having a tough time. Now, there is Home Bargains, B&M, the supermarkets – everyone seems to be selling discount toys. We took a look at it two or three months ago and made the decision. We have a lot of toys to sell and we have 25% off so hopefully shoppers will come along and get some bargains for Christmas.”

The store is predicted to close in mid to late January.

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Debenhams angers suppliers with Santa tax

Award success for DreamTown

Role-play brand DreamTown has scooped six national awards for its flagship product Rose Petal Cottage.

Relaunched in July 2015 following a five year hiatus, DreamTown’s Rose Petal Cottage has landed prestigious consumer and trade award wins from Right Start, Loved by Parents, Toy Verdict, Mum’s Choice, Toy Talk and Loved by Children.

Alongside more than 96 million hits on YouTube and accolades for Best Toy, Best Stimulative Toy and Best for Pre-schoolers, the brand was heralded Editor’s Choice in Toy Talk’s 2015 awards.

Providing parents with a traditional alternative to tech products, Rose Petal Cottage is an indoor playhouse. Whilst capturing industry attention, the cottage has also been championed by mums for its overall quality of design and role-play value.

Brand and marketing director Emily Maclennan said: “We had phenomenal success when we first launched Rose Petal Cottage five years ago and we felt this was the perfect time to bring the DreamTown brand back with a new look, offering variety to the role-play category. Our multiple award wins and fantastic real mum reviews have confirmed this, and we look forward to building on our brand legacy in 2016 and beyond.”

Independent Toy and Gift Show sells out in 12 days

Now in its fourth year, the Independent Toy and Gift Show has become a firm favourite with the toy and gift industry.

There will be over 90 stands with exhibitors from across the world of children’s toys and gifts, showing their latest product ranges.

The show will also mark the first time in the buying calendar that Hasbro, Lego and Mattel can be found under one roof in the UK. Miles Penhallow, head of Toys and Children’s Gifts, said: “We are thrilled with the support the exhibitors have demonstrated for our show. We are looking forward to welcoming back suppliers who have exhibited with us before and also to welcoming new suppliers to the show.”

The Independent Toy and Gift Show takes place at the Cranmore Park Exhibition Venue in Shirley, Solihull, on 12th and 13th April and is easily accessible by car, train or plane.

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The company is requesting discounts from suppliers for the second time in three years, asking for a reduction of between 1% and 2% on bills in exchange for payment 30 or 60 days in advance to current terms.

In 2013, the department store chain caused controversy with the first Santa tax, after requesting some suppliers to cut prices by at least 2%, eight days before Christmas.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that in the letter Debenhams wrote to suppliers, it said the window for shorter payment terms will last only for a set period between 24th November 2015 and 26th May 2016.

The letter also read: “The working capital benefits associated with early payment are subject to suppliers agreeing on additional discount on the value of the associated invoices.”

Independent retail analyst, Nick Bubb, said: “It smacks of a tough trading period at Debenhams, and that they are looking to protect their margins. It’s actually outrageous that suppliers have to wait longer than 60 days at the moment.”

Tomy Europe announces leadership changes Nicolai Lindhardt, Tomy Europe’s executive vice president, has left the company.

Masayuki Nagatake, currently chief operating officer of Tomy International, will assume the additional responsibility of executive vice president, Europe.

“On behalf of Tomy International, I would like to thank Nicolai for his many valuable contributions and service over the past two years,” said Masayuki. “Nicolai has worked hard to lead our European team through challenging transitions in our industry and we wish him well in the future.”

Mothercare more than doubles its half-year profit

Mothercare’s half-year profit has more than doubled, as the British business’ turnaround plan has started to make progress.

Showing strong UK margin growth, the retailer reported that its underlying profit before tax rose 112% to £7m in the six months to 10th October.

It also revealed that sales at UK stores open over a year rose 3.8%, with total UK sales up 0.4% to £236.6m. The division more than halved its loss to £6.1m.

However, underlying profit for its international business fell 14.2% to £21.7m on adverse currency moves.

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Toy World 14

industry moves Jumbo appoints new sales agent and marketing executive

HTi announces new appointments Anthony Grimaud has been appointed to the role of vice president of global sales, beginning his role on 9th November.

The appointment is an internal promotion for Anthony, who previously held the position of HTi vice president for international sales for two years. The new role will see him head up UK national accounts and international sales teams with overall responsibility for the company’s sales function, and a focus on creating and developing relationships with retailers and distributors.

He will also be responsible for managing both UK and international teams, and providing direction for the company’s dynamic growth strategy.

The company has also announced the appointment of Colin Houlihan as executive director.

Colin brings a wealth of over 20 years’ experience and expertise in management, business strategy, customer value and brand development.

He has partnered with HTi chairman John Hutt, providing strategic leadership and direction to the entire global operation of the company.

Steven Baker has been appointed as sales agent and Daniel Nicholas is the company’s new marketing executive.

Steven has over 25 years’ experience and has worked in toy sales for a number of companies including Mookie, Spin Master, Tomy, KSG and Asobi.

Stewart Middleton, managing director at Jumbo Games, commented: “Steve brings a high level of professionalism and great experience from within the toy industry and we have every confidence that he will deliver a great result for the brand.”

In his new role of marketing executive, Daniel Nicholas will work to support the team with trade and consumer marketing strategies.

Steven Russell, senior marketing executive, commented: “We’re delighted that Daniel has joined the marketing team. He is already showing what a good asset he will be to Jumbo.”

Halilit appoints new national account manager Amy Wildman has been appointed to the role of national account manager.

Judith Stark, managing director, said: “We are thrilled that Amy is joining us at such an exciting time for Halilit, with our current brands going from strength to strength and some fantastic innovation coming through for 2016. With the unveiling of an entirely new range at the start of the next year, the company has a few busy months ahead, and we’re looking forward to showcasing all our innovative brands at Toy Fair 2016, including Halilit, Taf Toys, Battat, Edushape and Interstar.”

fulfil your career ambition

Tomy adds to its marketing team Tomy has appointed Emma Fryer as head of marketing UK, where she will be responsible for shaping the marketing strategy of Tomy brands in the UK. Severine Hemms has been recruited as Tomy’s UK trade marketing manager, where she will be accountable for creating, developing and implementing retail marketing strategies in all UK retailers.

Groupon appoints new toys buyers Nicola Beglin has moved over to the UK side of the company as toys and games buyer. Joanne Wells has joined as toys and games junior buyer.

Nicola, who has been with Groupon for two years, and Joanne will report to David Ripley, category director at Groupon UK. Their key responsibilities will involve sourcing a wide range of toys, including arts and crafts, games and puzzles and action figures.

Recruiting sales and marketing superheroes for nursery and toy.

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marketing world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for marketing news and opinion

Toot-Toot on Tour breaks VTech’s social campaigns record The campaign has featured the likes of the Houses of Parliament, the Sage in Gateshead and the Eden Project.

In September, VTech launched a daily giveaway on its social media accounts. Each day, a different Toot-Toot vehicle was pictured within a different part of the county.

Fans were then asked to identify where in the country the Toot-Toot Driver could be found, allowing 30 vehicles to be showcased each day.

The campaign attracted over 27,332 entries with a reach of over 431,866.

Toot-Toot on Tour was just one element of the Toot-Toot marketing campaign from VTech this year which featured a year-long Tiny Pop sponsorship, new above-the-line activity, web-episodes and a blogger ambassador programme.

Carla Prosser, digital marketing manager at VTech, commented: “The social media conversation has always been a central part of Toot-Toot Drivers’ success since the beginning when consumers were demanding extra track and new vehicles. The TootToot on Tour campaign shows that fans still love to engage with this range.”

Brainstorm invests in Christmas TV campaigns The TV ads include the Brainstorm Toys T Rex Projector and Room Guard, RC Illuminated Solar System and Aqua Dragons lines.

TV advertising ran from 30th November to 13th December for all three lines, followed by a further campaign for T-Rex and Aqua Dragons from Boxing Day which will run through to 3rd January.

Brainstorm has noted strong sales data for the last three Januarys as a result of kids spending their Christmas gift money. This is stimulated by Boxing Day TV campaigns which run through the beginning of the new school term.

The Brainstorm Toys T-Rex Projector and Room Guard brings realistic dinosaurs into a child’s bedroom, whilst Brainstorm’s RC Illuminated Solar System includes a full sun with eight rotating planets which are operated by a remote-control. The Aqua Dragons are real prehistoric creatures and each kit contains everything a child needs to hatch and grow their own Aqua Dragons at home.

Scrabble appears on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here Mattel, ITV and Carat celebrated a media first, a product placement in the ITV reality show.

Scrabble was integrated into the programme, which averages more than nine million viewers per episode, in a feature called The Dingo Dollar challenge: Scrabbling Around.

On Thursday 19th November, the partnership saw celebrities go head-to-head in a jungle version of Scrabble. Participants had to gather letters in the jungle swamp within an allotted time and then try to create the highest scoring Scrabble word.

The partnership, created in association with Mattel and Carat, was amplified via second screen takeovers accompanying the episode. This included a takeover of the I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here website, app and Facebook page, which received a total of 331 likes and 103 comments.

Neil Bonley, account sales manager at ITV Commercial, said: “This was a really innovative use of product placement which brought two iconic family brands together in a fun and engaging way.”

Toy World 16

Bananagrams sponsors British Academy Children’s Awards After Party The partnership continued after the success of last year’s event, creating an exclusive and engaging Bananagrams experience for all attendees of the awards.

The ceremony and after party were held at the Roundhouse in London on 22nd November.

Rena Nathanson, CEO at Bananagrams, commented: “Our partnership with BAFTA is very special to us and we’re delighted to be able to continue growing this after the success of last year’s event.”

IMC TOYS TO LAUNCH NEW MICKEY MOUSE TOY RANGE “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Mickey and The Roadster Racers” ranges to launch across EMEA in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

The highly anticipated action-packed animated series “Mickey and The Roadster Racers” follows in the footsteps of the hugely successful series “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, and is set to entertain preschoolers around the world when it makes its debut on Disney Junior in 2017.

Barcelona based, IMC Toys will be launching a brand new toy range as of summer 2016 throughout all EMEA territories. The new range will embody all the imagination of Mickey Mouse and draw upon key branding attributes. The launch will be supported with a fully comprehensive marketing campaign.

Jordi Borrell, Chief Marketing Officer at IMC Toys stated the importance and honour to be moving forward the responsibility of this Disney preschool flagship property.

Production is revving up on the animated series “Mickey and The Roadster Racers”, a madcap car-racing adventure for preschoolers featuring Disney’s #1 star, Mickey Mouse, and his pals Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Daisy and Donald.

Slated to debut in 2017 on Disney Junior channels

©Disney

and programming blocks around the world, the series takes the Sensational Six and their uniquely personalized vehicles on humorous high-spirited races around the globe plus hometown capers in Hot Dog Hills.

IMC Toys will launch a complete range of collectible articulated figures, playsets and vehicles enjoying surprising new features.

1st phase of the launch will take place in 2016 and will embrace both a total new range of Mickey and Minnie products while warming up for the arrival of a complete new line up for 2017 accompanying “Mickey and The Roadster Racers”.

Borrell commented, “I truly believe on the one hand, we have nailed down a very competitive price in our range of products while on the other delivering to children a sense of adventure and family values within a hilarious creative environment”.

IMC PR Contact Olga Comes ocomes@imc.es

licensing world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for licensing news and opinion

Golden Bear appointed master toy distributor for Oddbods Golden Bear will distribute a new range of Oddbods character plush and toy lines which will launch in summer 2016.

This appointment follows the news that ITV Studios Global Entertainment has acquired the UK licensing rights for the brand. Supporting Golden Bear’s distribution of master toy partner RP2’s toy line, ITVS GE is readying a UK consumer products programme to target Oddbods’ fan-base.

Katherine Pierce, senior licensing and marketing manager at Golden Bear, said: “Oddbods is an exciting launch for us and we are delighted to be working with RP2. It has a 360 degree approach to launching products, linking everything together from manufacture, broadcast, promotional and social activity, which is unique. To have stellar broadcast partners ITV and CN onboard is really exciting for the launch of the property.”

Oddbods debuted its new series of five minute episodes on CITV and ITV in November.

Trends UK to distribute Shopkins construction range

Funrise and Hasbro expand Tonka licensing deal to include UK market The new agreement, which also covers the Middle East markets, will take effect in the second half of 2016.

The new deal covers pre-school product from the My First Tonka series to vehicles including diecast and lights and sounds ranges, as well as classic Tonka steel vehicles. Later introductions will include the new Tonka Climb-Overs segment.

Funrise UK director David Martin commented: “We are delighted to be relaunching a brand new Tonka line for autumn winter 2016. Tonka is one of the very few classic heritage brands in the industry, and we will be bringing the massively successful US trading platform into the UK, with a clear focus on new Tonka vehicles including classic steel, lights and sounds, diecast, as well as the new Climb-Overs line which will be heavily advertised through Q4 in 2016.”

Danger Mouse is the biggest new hit of the year for kids

Trends UK has signed an agreement with The Bridge Direct to distribute a new range of licensed Shopkins toys in the UK. The new Shopkins Kinstructions range will enable kids to build their favourite Shopkins scenes and sets including the supermarket checkout, bakery, café and the town centre. Each set can be taken apart and rebuilt and includes a Shopkins character.

Trends UK is also introducing the new Shopkins Colour N’ Fashion range of purses and bags which can be customised with the colouring pens included.

Graham Spark, sales director at Trends UK, commented: “We are delighted to be able to offer The Bridge’s Shopkins lines in the UK. These ranges offer fans the opportunity to play with their much-loved characters in unique and creative ways at attractive price points.”

The new ranges are now available from Trends UK.

The new series of Danger Mouse has received top ratings, with a successful return to TV on CBBC. It has become the best performing new kids’ show of 2015 for children aged 6-12 and 4-15, based on average figures for the first 15 episodes using data from industry ratings body BARB. In addition, Danger Mouse is the number one in its time slot for boys 4-9 (across all channels) and for 4-15 year olds (among dedicated children’s channels).

A total of 2.4 million people saw Danger Mouse on TV during the first three weeks of the run, with over two million views on the BBC’s iPlayer catch-up service.

The total audience grew by 11% between weeks one and three. The increase is higher for 4-15 year olds, amounting to 14% in the same time-frame. The rise for the audience aged from 6-12 is also 14%.

Rick Glankler, EVP and general manager at FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with these ratings. We anticipated from our initial early screenings that the public were going to like the show so we are delighted to learn that Danger Mouse is entertaining millions of children and their parents across the country.”

Licensing World 18

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Tractor Ted appoints Rockpool Licensing

How successful has the book series been since its launch?

The Hairy Maclary and Friends series copies ate a sold over 10 million the gnow fhas o nd t e nt Ou throughout Hairy M of fthe for aEnglish-speaking alk w n’s Dairy . . . w o acl lds ary fr o m Do n a world, with translations into Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Slovenian Hairy Maclary’s friends join him for a walk until, with a sudden yowl, a wailOn andaa local howl, they all runin off.2014 and Maori. level, What could have caused such a scatter of paws?

Book Trust UK chose Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy to be the Book Trust book of the year. Almost “A child’s best introduction books” – The Times 730,000tochildren received a copy of Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy last year, with over 1.5 million books given away in total. We’re also lucky to have quite a high profile fan, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has said she likes to read Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy to her grandchildren. froM

DonaLDson’s Dairy

I S B N 978-0-723-27805-4

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puffinbooks.com

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Esdevium’s picture-trivia game has been named the winner of six separate awards in the toy industry. Among the awards is the Dad’s Choice Award in the board games category, and the Best Toy 8-11 years, below £20 in the UK Mum’s TV Mum’s Choice Award.

Ben Hogg, marketing manager of Esdevium Games, supplier of Disney Pictopia, said: ‘’We are extremely proud that Disney Pictopia has done so well with these awards.

To win one is fantastic, but to come through six different awards playtests with flying colours is a real marker for the game’s quality and the value it offers.”

Pictopia has been this year’s headline title from Esdevium’s range of Disney-licensed games, which includes a host of kids and family properties such as Frozen, Star Wars, Marvel and Disney Princess.

Can you tell us a little about the history of Hairy Maclary?

Hairy Maclary first came to life in 1983 when Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy was first published, immediately catching the imagination of parents and children around the world. His stories, which feature animal characters of all shapes and sizes, are written and illustrated by the award-winning New Zealander Dame Lynley Dodd. In total, there are 20 different tales within the series and the brand is now called Hairy Maclary and Friends.

Hairy MacLary

Disney Pictopia picks up awards

Toy World spoke to Penguin Venture’s Damian Treece about the classic Hairy Maclary and Friends brand.

LynLey DoDD

Following the signing of a commercial partnership with Nickelodeon, Tractor Ted has appointed Rockpool as its licensing agent.

Alexandra Heard and David Horler came up with Tractor Ted after noticing how fascinated children were by farm machines working in the fields.

The business now incorporates publishing, a plethora of consumer products, live events and two permanent Tractor Ted attractions. Today, Tractor Ted is a national favourite with 650k DVDs and 420k books sold to date.

Its commercial partnership with Nickelodeon UK will see Tractor Ted clips aired on Nick Jr., Nick Jr. Too and on Nickjr. co.uk.

Rockpool Licensing’s Vickie O’Malley said: “The business Ally and David have built through DVD and book sales and now the Nick Jr. broadcast means the time is right to appoint licensee partners and bring Tractor Ted to mainstream retail. The opportunity for this well-loved and proven property in the broader marketplace, while still being able to tap into the extraordinary depth of the established non-traditional distribution base, is clearly very appealing.”

Hairy Maclary is top dog

What is the core target age group for the brand?

In terms of product, the target age group is between 2-6 years. However, as with the majority of our portfolio of brands, there is an incredibly strong nostalgic and emotional connection that new parents and grandparents have with the brand. There is a trust and enjoyment of these characters that is being passed between generations.

Does the property skew towards girls or boys, or does it appeal to both groups?

Animals have a universal appeal and therefore the property appeals to both boys and girls equally. Additionally, the colour palette and illustrative style are soft and unique in comparison to some more modern, contemporary properties.

What do you see as the key strengths of the brand?

The rhyming quality of the stories and of characters’ names makes reading time more interactive and fun for children, so children connect with the characters on a deeper level.

Plus, Hairy Maclary embodies a sense of adventure and mischief, something most toddlers can identify and engage with.

What plans does Penguin Ventures have for the brand in 2016 and beyond?

Without wanting to sound too simplistic, growth and the reinvigoration of a wonderful, classic literary character. We’ve been busy behind the scenes during 2015 and have worked through some exciting opportunities, specifically a t-shirt and book programme with Next.

Which categories are you initially aiming to secure from a licensing perspective?

We’re very lucky to have a selection of great partners which we already work with including TV Mania Fashion Lab, which has just come on-board for apparel and accessories, Blue Island Press, which develops fantastic stationery and Ginger Fox for its Puzzle and Matching Pairs game. However, we’re really looking to grow the toy category across plush, outdoor games and further puzzles and games. We think there is also a strong nursery offer, but that will be a secondary tier to complement the main programme.

What are you looking for in a licensee?

Creativity and quality. Hairy Maclary isn’t a media driven property, but it is a classic, wellloved heritage brand that has the opportunity to offer a point of difference and engage with consumers on an emotional and familial level.

Licensing World 20

Face to Face

Man of steel

David Martin joined the Funrise Toy Corporation as a UK director in September, heading up the UK commercial function and controlling all aspects of sales and marketing. Toy World spoke to him about the relaunch of the Tonka brand and the company’s plans for the UK in 2016.

TW: What appealed to you about the role?

DM: Having previously worked at Crayola for many years and at Inspiration Works for the past decade, I like to get my teeth into power brands and licences, and I love working in a company where SKU count is not the objective, but making a tighter range work hard is. Marketing the brand effectively is the key. Funrise fits the bill perfectly. Tonka is a classic brand and I’m relishing the mission of re-launching it in the UK. TW: What’s behind the relaunch strategy for Tonka?

DM: The strategy is based on the US/Canada model, which has been a huge success. It revolves around focusing on vehicles, which is traditionally Tonka’s heartland, rather than diluting a brand into other categories. There will be four main sub-categories: Diecast, Lights and Sounds, Steel and the new ClimbOvers range.

TW: Will the range be adapted for the UK market?

DM: Yes, we think it’s important to incorporate designs which UK children are familiar with. So, for example, we’ll be producing UK specific models for all the emergency vehicles: British Fire Engines, Police Cars and Ambulances have all been added to the range, and we believe these will prove to be extremely popular.

of the new Climb-Overs range in Q4. There will also be extensive digital marketing activity and consumer events throughout the year, all aimed at highlighting the brand to parents and children.

TW: What plans do you have for the Gazillion Bubbles range?

DM: I believe we have a very exciting opportunity with Gazillion next year. It’s already an established, marketleading brand and we have a very strong order book.

Gazillion is the clear category leader in the bubble market, and I’m delighted that we have virtually every major retailer on board for spring/summer 2016. To support them, we’ll be investing in a major marketing campaign, including digital activity based around a dedicated microsite produced in conjunction with Swapits. This will run alongside a TV campaign, which will feature three main bursts between Easter and July, delivering over 500 TVRs. TW: How has the UK set-up evolved over the past year?

DM: Funrise now has a new purpose-built showroom and offices, as well as warehousing in Milton Keynes.

This has allowed us to establish a new domestic programme, so we will be able to work closely with the independent trade going forward. To allow us to

TW: What do you see as the strengths of the Tonka range versus other vehicle manufacturers?

DM: Tonka is one of a small number of active classic toy brands. The focus is on delivering a quality product and value for the consumer. The beauty of Tonka is that it is a large and versatile range, so we have the opportunity to tailor selections to suit individual channels and retailers.

The range comprises everything from collectibles, which will be great for the independent sector, through to TV promoted lines which are perfect for the majors.

It also caters for consumers of all ages, from My First Tonka up to Vintage Tonka, which comes in classic retro packaging and is aimed at fathers and grandfathers buying it for their children and grandchildren.

TW: What marketing plans do you have for Tonka in 2016?

DM: We will have a full marketing programme to support the relaunch of the brand, culminating in a high profile TV campaign to coincide with the launch

Toy World 21

offer full service to the independent channel, we have appointed a new sales force – details to be announced shortly. So in conjunction with our established FOB programme, we now have the flexibility of being able to supply on both domestic and FOB terms.

TW: What other ranges should retailers look out for from Funrise in 2016?

DM: In addition to Tonka and Gazillion, we will also be showcasing Booger Balls for the first time at Toy Fair.

This is a new range of slime toys, and it’s sure to be popular with kids who love all things gross and vile. We also have a strong selection of plush toys, including a range of My Little Pony feature plush and new Sing-ama-lings, which is a family of singing plush toys which is great for the pre-school market.

TW: Which exhibitions will you be showing at in 2016?

DM: We’ll be unveiling the new lines in our Hong Kong showroom in the TST Centre, Kowloon in January. We’ll then be taking our largest-ever stand at the Toy Fair in London, where retailers can see the full range on stand G90. We’ll also be exhibiting in Nuremberg, on stand P21 in Hall 12.2. Retailers can arrange to see us at any of these shows, and we’re already taking customers through the new showroom in Milton Keynes.

NPD Column Battle of the sexes in 2015

The NPD Group’s Rory Partis analyses sales in the boys and girls aisles so far this year, and asks whether the perception that 2015 has been a boys’ year holds up in reality

A

s we are just about to enter the final - and all important - last month of the year, thoughts start to turn to just how the year will finish up. Regardless of just what the year on year figure is I think it’s safe to say that it will be a great year. Having visited many clients and spoken to numberous people over the last few weeks, the general consensus seems to be that the year has been driven by entertainment. This is a pretty accurate assessment as, for YTD October, the UK market was +5% in value with the licensed part of the market growing at +10% - so movie and content based properties are driving the market.

With some of the biggest movies this year having somewhat of a boys’ theme too, we could say that it has been a boys’ year for toys. But is this jumping to an inaccurate conclusion? With Star Wars soon to hit our screens, that could certainly have a pretty big impact on the boys’ side for the toys market. So has 2015 not been quite as big for girls?

Looking back on 2015’s movie releases there is definitely more of a tilt to boys, with Avengers being a big hit as well as James Bond, while The Minions movie proved a hit with both boys and girls. With Star Wars being one of the biggest licences in the UK market in the last few weeks and the film still to be released, it could be one of the best years for a long time for the Action Figures category, a very boys focused category. If we look at the top properties then Star Wars, Nerf, Avengers and Despicable Me are all in the top 10 and mainly boy-focused brands, however the number one spot is still taken up by Disney Frozen. Frozen has been the number one property in the UK toy market for the whole of 2015, and one of the big factors of the UK market positive growth. This is certainly a property that would fall into the girls’ bracket – consumer data tells us that Frozen as a property was in fact 97% purchased for girls. So that’s a property which is number one in the market and almost all of it is for girls, maybe not so much a boys year after all? Infact, when you look down the list of top properties the more traditional boys properties often have a higher percentage being purchased for girls than you would expect.

Girls growth stronger than boys in 2015 Total Toys Sales by Gender Recipient Value (£M) 12M Jun 2015 vs 14

Boys

Girls

Multiple Recipients

+5%

+3%

1,311

1,349

1,421

1,529

1,568

1,632

2013

2014

2015

Document classification: Internal Only

For example, Star Wars has 4% of value purchased for girls, Minions has generated high volume sales across both boys’ and girls’ categories and Nerf has just under 30% of its value purchased for girls, though the launch of Nerf Rebelle obviously helped that figure. Looking at the total toys market in fact we can see that purchases for girls have grown slightly stronger in 2015 than boys, girls’ growth is +5% vs boys at +4%, so you could even say that girls are driving the market this year.

I think we’ve shown that 2015 hasn’t necessarily just been a boys’ year, but there are some toys that don’t quite fit simply into either boys or girls.

Looking ahead to December, the games category is set to have a great year, games has grown +11% with the latest data to October. With a large share of games sales coming in the final month of the year these results could be even better, and this is one

+4%

Source: NPD Consumer Panel

category where it’s neither boys or girls driven with an even split between both genders. I think there is a lot of evidence there to prove that the toy market growth in 2015 is not coming from one area, it’s down to a number of factors making a strong year. Whether that be licences, movies, boys, girls or crazes let’s hope that continues into 2016.

The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food/food service, home, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, video games, and wireless.

To monitor what’s happening in the ever-changing toy market, NPD 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.npd.com. Follow NPD on Twitter @npdgroup

Toy World 22

+5%

Rory partis

executive director

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talking shop New Year’s resolutions Toy World’s Jonika Kinchin asks independent retailers about their New Year’s resolutions and what plans they’ve got for 2016.

Louise Heard Co-owner, Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop Covent Garden, London Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop is one of the only residents left in Covent Garden Market from when it was converted into a shopping area in 1980. With our history and reputation, we are recognised as being a small but magical London institution. I think it would be hard to replicate all

this to sustain an independent business outside of Covent Garden. The continuity and knowledge of toys and toy customers over the last 30 years means Pollock’s is the link between toy history and a modern day thriving independent toy shop.

2015 has been a good year for us, I think because we are getting the mix of buying, our own products, customer service and digital content right. We are selling our products and have sourced antique toys for the Fortnum and Mason Christmas department this year, as well as supplying Claridge’s guests with gifts. We produced

a pop-up toy theatre for Madness for Record Store Day, as well as doing an impromptu performance with Sandy and Sandra from Gogglebox on our Cinderella toy theatre at the West End Live event in Trafalgar Square.

With Christmas on the way, our traditional toy theatres, puppets and music boxes are what people come to us for during every festive season.

Shadow puppet kids have also become popular recently, as well as traditional novelties.

In 2016 we have plans to produce more of our own products and for exciting collaborations with

Connectable & Collectable making toys Limited For more information call:

0843 557 4062

4 Ramsay Court, Hinchingbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6FY

or email:

sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Toy World 25

artists for new paper theatres and models. We are always looking at new and innovative ways to promote what we do, like our free digital app of a toy theatre for example, rather than conventional marketing offers. We will be looking at what presents itself to us in 2016 to get excited about.

We don’t exhibit at any trade shows but we appear at public events such as West End Live and Wilton’s Magic of Music Hall family event.

We are excited for the new Girl for All Time range, as we admire what Frances Cain is doing

with acknowledging that girls are interested in dolls, but through the GFAT dolls, they can learn about history and engage with healthy gender stereotypes.

We are an independent toy shop, and our point of difference is that we have been selling traditional toys for such a long time that being traditional in itself is not a challenge for us.

The challenges we face are the same for any conventional toy or gift business, which is that one has to stock a shop well but with generally

lower priced items with smaller mark-ups. We also have to compete with high street brands and the internet, and it’s a lot of work to maintain our position. Logistics, rent, rates and keeping top notch staff in Central London (which we do) are also challenges we face.

Our New Year’s resolution is to run a tight ship whilst maintaining the essence of what the shop has been about for years.

plenty of in stock. We will also run various adhoc promotions supported by social media and tying in with the news of the day.

As an independent retailer, the biggest challenge has to be the internet. Only this week I had some very heated discussions with a supplier whose cost prices to us (ex. VAT) were considerably higher than I could buy the same products at retail from Amazon and the big box shifters. That said, we believe that a toy shop is about far more than just price, so where we try to win is on service, value and flexibility. Of course we’ve embraced the internet ourselves,

and much of our business is generated via social media. We always encourage customers to pay us a visit in person whenever possible so that we can really give them the best possible service, which the large multinationals just can’t compete with.

Our New Year’s resolution for 2016 is to make ourselves packing neutral, so that all the packaging we receive is reused for our internet and telephone orders. We want to do our bit for the environment that our young customers are growing up in.

Marc Faulkner Owner, ToyWorld North West St Helens 2015 hasn’t been without its challenges. As with all small retailers, we’ve felt the pressure of the economic struggles the country is facing, which have taken their toll on our customers’ ability to spend with us. That said, by offering a comprehensive range to suit all pockets, and taking a flexible approach to orders and payments, including a very active Christmas club and the option to spread the cost of any purchase over and up to 12 weeks interest and fee free, we’ve weathered the storm.

I’d have to say that opening our very first shop in St Helens was the highlight of this year. Before this we traded at outdoor markets, and we don’t miss the cold and the rain at all.

Expanding into larger premises in October came a close second.

As well as being a highlight, our move into larger premises at Unit 2 St. Mary’s Market has been the biggest challenge for us. We’ve also invested in a new computer system, allowing us to offer our entire range both in store and online, and of course we are talking to new suppliers and manufacturers all the time. We are currently exploring plans to extend our games range via Esdevium Games, and we’re talking to some fantastic up and coming toy brands too.

We’ve also strengthened our partnership with a small local company, Weasel and The Bug, which specialises in high quality traditional wooden and educational toys. We’re seeing a big demand for the more traditional toys, perhaps as people look for durability and longevity to add value rather than just bargain pricing.

With January comes a sale, and we look forward to offering deals on items we hold

For more information call:

making toys Limited.

0843 557 4062 or email: sales@epochmakingtoys.com

4 Ramsay Court, Hinchingbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6FY

Toy World 26

indie viewpoint

Lisa Penn-Bourton and Adam Alton-Nee Owners, Fergus and Fogg’s Tamworth, Staffordshire We have had a great 2015 so far and hopefully the best is still to come. The figures are showing a 5% profit, which seems to be bucking the trend published in the news over the summer.

A real highlight of the year for us would be winning the start-up business of the year award for our region. We were also awarded the Let Toys Be Toys Award, an award given to shops for being gender neutral.

We have decided to close the shop for a week in January 2016 so we can paint, decorate and do a stock take – our shop is very small and we have over 1700 products in it. We will also go through the product lines to see what to remove to make way for new products. Tin toys are a passion of ours so we will definitely be looking to expand this collection further. We can’t change the layout much but just changing where products go can make a huge difference.

We’re really excited about tin toys, especially for next year. We found a supplier from Germany at the Birmingham trade fair and we will definitely be expanding. Also, we are soon going to be stocking Pelham Puppets which have recently come back into production.

In terms of promotions and offers, we look at what is happening during that week or month and do what feels right for that moment. Last month we had a pirate day with a treasure hunt through the street and a 10% discount offer with a flyer. We try and keep offers fresh and come up with a new idea each time. We will be having a post-Christmas sale and we will continue to do our monthly competition/give away on our Facebook page.

As an independent retailer, I would say keeping the prices competitive is one of the biggest challenges that we face. We try hard to compete with the online retailers like Amazon and check our prices against them regularly. As we have bigger overheads and less buying power, it can prove tricky but customers are happy so far and we manage to keep the majority of or products in close alignment with bigger companies.

Our New Year’s resolution for 2016 is to not be persuaded by toy salesmen that come to the shop and tell us what will sell as usually it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s hard as you are serving customers and dealing with reps at the same time. We actually prefer to choose ourselves in the evenings with no pressure. We can put everything we want in a basket then trim it to fit our budget, which you can’t do when reps come in.

If you would like to get involved with next month’s Talking Shop, please get in touch with Jonika: 01442 502 405, jonika@toyworldmag.co.uk

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

To the Christmas period, and beyond

A

s we write this, we are deep into November’s Christmas trade. This is always the month where we have our fingers crossed, hoping that trade will happen earlier this year. After a strong October and half term, we’re hopeful that it’s going to be a good Christmas.

So far, no single product is standing out, but there are lots of good sellers that have sold well all year round. We have noticed how our weekday trade is heavily loaded in the mornings, tending to slow down in the afternoons. This is even more apparent than in previous years, and means our mornings are spent focusing on excellent customer service, whilst the afternoon is dedicated to restocking. We have done more planning for this November than in previous years, with Black Friday a major opportunity to boost trade. Also, with Asda having just announced that it will be pulling out of this year’s Black Friday event, we have just been offered a load of TVs. After the Christmas peak, we will put plenty of planning into our January sale. The footfall through our shops after Christmas into the New Year is massive, and although not as large as Christmas, our sales in that week will not be beaten until November next year. For an independent, it’s important for us to keep a good supply of key ranges for this period, including Lego and Sylvanian families, as kids will be wanting to add to their Christmas present collection with their holiday money. We always run a January sale, where we sell a mix of slow selling lines and stock brought in especially for the occasion.

Looking back, we were expecting 2015 to be quite a tough year, with 2014 being the year of Frozen and Looms. However, it’s been a pleasant surprise how strong this year has been. Several standouts throughout the year have been Shopkins, Paw Patrol, Lego and Ty Beanies. This has probably been the best economic climate we have had since we’ve been around, and people seem to have more money in their pockets to spend. We know this won’t last for ever, but we plan on making the most of it while it lasts. Other highlights of the year for us include the Toymaster show in Harrogate, where it’s always a challenge balancing the business requirements with the social scene in the evenings.

2015 has also been an impressive year for supplier lunches. As we seem to mention it quite often, the standard this year has been very high. Particular highlights include the honey glazed sausages from Mattel, the afternoon cakes from Hasbro and the cookies at Lego. It has been so close this year that we cannot award an overall winner, but we look forward to starting it all over again at Toy Fair, with our lunch appointments already booked!

Looking to the future, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic for 2016. We’re looking forward to the relaunch of Teletubbies from Character Options, which coincides with the recent launch of the new TV programme. The first month of the year is usually dominated by the Lego January launches, and Nexo Knights looks to be a very strong concept and will surely be one of the bestselling ranges. We should also see the full effect of Star Wars sales in the early part of the year, as people will see the film and hopefully come in to buy the toys. As always each year, we tend to wonder what will help us achieve the same sales next year, but something invariably comes along to fill the gap.

With that, we are signing off now as tonight we are off to the first of two Toy Barnhaus Christmas meals. Merry Christmas to you all, and happy trading.

Toy World 27

Opinion

The toys awaken

Will the new Star Wars range ignite the passion of fans old and young, leading to a new golden age of retail success? Two of the industry’s biggest Star Wars afficianados David Middleton and Graham Hancock give us their thoughts.

W

hen the deal was announced that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm and would be releasing a Star Wars movie each year for the rest of time, the toy industry collectively began to salivate at the possibilities this could offer. If ever a licence is right for toys, it is Star Wars. Almost 40 years ago it kick started a revolution in the way that toys were manufactured and marketed. The promise of new movies meant the promise of new opportunities. But is this going to bring the success of 1978 or the agony of 1999?

Star Wars has always had innumerable licensed products coinciding with a movie release. Of course there are the traditional action figures, role play, vehicles, die cast toys and board games. Beyond that there are toothbrushes, backpacks, umbrellas and a whole array of extended lines. It’s always been milked for revenue through consumer products, but with the release of The Force Awakens it’s happening on a whole new level.

When the first Star Wars prequel movie was released in 1999, the hype was building in the way that it is now, with the world waiting to return to a galaxy far, far away. But the nature of toy licensing was different, with one company holding a master licence and producing the bulk of the product. The Force Awakens product launch is a reminder of just how much things have changed, as each category has been sub divided between many licensees vying for shelf space.

This is particularly acute in what has traditionally been the anchor of the Star Wars toy line, the action figure. Since 1978, the 4” scale has consistently been the standard size for a Star Wars action figure to foster collectability and allow compatibility with vehicles. Other scales have been released over the years, but 4” has been treated consistently as the main event.

With the release of The Force Awakens product, consumers can still choose the 4”line from Hasbro. But Hasbro is also offering the collector 4” line, the 6” line, the budget 6” line and the 12” line. Jakks meanwhile has 18” action figures, 31” action figures and 48” action figures.

Offering consumers too much choice in this instance is more likely to hurt than help the longevity of Star Wars toys. By splitting the action figure market into multiple segments, some scales will lose sales at the expense of others. Retailers will have to choose which scales to support. Gift buyers will be confused – the grandparent who heads into the toy shop uncertain of which character they are looking for will also have to identify which style and scale they need.

This is not just true of action figures. Both Spinmaster and Thinkway are offering flying Millennium Falcon products. Mattel and Hasbro both have different lines of die cast vehicles. Posh Paws and Underground Toys both have plush ranges (in the USA so does Comic Images). Having multiple ranges of the same product reduces the benefit of the product line.

Retailers cannot stock all of the different ranges, the manufacturers and distributors are getting a smaller share of the pie and consumers are left baffled.

The timing also makes things difficult for the toy sector, as only limited product has been released on 4th September, with designs selected from the first third of the movie. To maintain the interest of those who are eager to buy the new toy lines, a steady trickle of product is needed – up to and beyond the movie’s release on 17th December. Getting new waves or ranges to toy store shelves in January tends to be difficult, with many not bringing in new product until Easter. If fans don’t get toys of the movie’s core characters – namely Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia – during its release window, they will almost certainly lose interest.

The Disney Store has created an impressive

Toy World 28

in-store presence for Star Wars, with the best product range displayed well. If product categories have already been split too much, the exclusive lines for the Disney Store split them further still. It’s the only place to buy voice changer helmets of new movie characters such as Kylo Ren. There are also 6” die cast metal action figures at a lower price point than the Hasbro 6” plastic action figures. The range includes die cast vehicles, role play products and a popular remote control BB-8 – staple items at the right price points with the benefit of exclusivity.

The launch for the new merchandise came with the well-trailed Force Friday event, which kicked off with midnight openings at select retailers. These were predominantly toy retailers, the core of Star Wars merchandise due to the age range it is targeted at and the nostalgia adult fans get from indulging in it. Building up to Force Friday, Lucasfilm created an ‘official unboxing’ marathon. For the uninitiated, many toy fans have taken to YouTube to film themselves opening a toy package. Rather than rely on the fans to do it of their own volition, Lucasilm co-opted unboxers such as Dollastic – who tends towards opening Littlest Pet Shop blind bags – to build hype for the new merchandise.

The danger with focusing attention on those who spend a lot of time in the social media echo chamber is that just because they will express excitement about the £129.99 Sphero BB-8 product, it does not translate to sales. Faux fans on social media do not have as deep pockets as seasoned fans or the parents of excited children, and will lose interest once the hype from this first film has died down. Disney needs an

audience, and consumers, who will come back year after year.

The group that must be looked after are the fans who grew up with the original trilogy, and now too those who grew up with the prequel trilogy. Not only are they willing to buy toys and collectibles for themselves, many have families now and will buy toys for their children.

Many of the American TV adverts seem to be aware of this, with Toys R Us and WalMart both producing commercials that focus on the intergenerational appeal of Star Wars.

Unfortunately the goodwill of such fans was tested at the midnight opening and Force Friday product launch events, when the longawaited 4” and 6” action figures sold out within the first hour, leaving fans with less desirable product to choose from. Previous midnight events had plenty of stock to go around, meaning the short shipping of stock left fans disappointed. Those who were back after a 10 year hiatus didn’t queue up at midnight to buy another edition of Star Wars Monopoly.

In this year of resurgence, it is vital that Star Wars builds a loyal consumer base to give the brand longevity. By focusing the selection of products on the core lines and then building additional sensible product ranges around it, fans will continue to support the brand. The Star Wars logo does not need to be on multivitamins or bags of apples.

Overextending the brand will lead to too much product lying around months after the movie has come and gone, until it is time for the next movie to hit cinemas.

Despite the massive oversupply of action figures in 1999, initially they were the most popular product line. The electronic money banks, Dancing Jar Jar Binks, Watto Koosh balls and Darth Maul Rubik’s cubes sat piled high until they were ruthlessly clearanced. The abundance of peripheral products led to retailers and manufacturers being extremely cautious with the Star Wars licence, leading to a muted launch for Attack of the Clones in 2002. With Disney releasing a film every year, it cannot afford for The Force Awakens to end up causing the same backlash.

When the final Star Wars prequel was released in 2005, the merchandise was ramped up a level, but not to the impossible levels of 1999. Hasbro released a core range of action figures that served as the centrepiece of the range, with a healthy selection of Lego and logical product offerings from other licensees. Both Hasbro and Lego managed to maintain healthy sales for several years after that movie was released because the supply level was correct and the market had not been oversaturated with irrelevant product. Star Wars was still welcome.

Part of the solution is for licensees and retailers to be fully involved with the process, as they would usually be. Such was the shroud of secrecy around The Force Awakens that retailers were ordering blind, taking their pick from products such as Hero Vehicle 1 or Alien Mask 2 – and some suppliers would not even take orders until 4th September, the product’s on-shelf date. Of course it is understandable for Disney to protect its movie, but with previous Star Wars releases it was possible for retailers to see what they were ordering. Keeping retailers in the dark has not stopped it from being one of the leakiest film sets in movie history, with the plot and secrets only a Google search away.

Disney acquired Lucasfilm to profit from Star Wars, of course. But if licensees and retailers don’t also profit… to quote Han Solo, ‘this will be a real short trip’. If longevity is not built into the Star Wars brand, if it does not stand for a degree of quality then consumers will lose interest and fans will stop buying the merchandise. There is a legacy to protect – people have a strong emotional connection to these stories, which is the foundation for this entire merchandising enterprise. Star Wars is only a licence to print money with the right product, at the right time, to the right standard.

The Force Awakens Top Five Toys 1. Sphero BB-8 There are a number of high-end products available intended for the young at heart, but this BB-8 captures the spirit of the new character in miniature form. The charm and fun of the ball design proved irresistible to fans from its first reveal, and this is as close as they can get to the droid being around. Sphero promise more functionality to be added when the movie hits via the app that controls it.

2. Lego Millennium Falcon The iconic ship is back with subtle updates to show the passage of time – and less subtle changes with the aged Han Solo minifigure, only included in this set. Providing plenty of room for play inside the ship (something Lego doesn’t always provide) and also being a sturdy vehicle makes this the stand-out from the Lego range.

3. Hasbro 4” Kylo Ren action figure Each action figure from Hasbro captures the likeness of the characters from The Force Awakens, with 20 years of modern action figure production paying off. With Star Wars, it’s always about the villain and packed at the same ratio as his case mates make Kylo Ren the most desirable of the bunch.

4. Hasbro Kylo Ren Lightsaber There is nothing more satisfying for children than swinging lightsabers at one another and reenacting the dramatic duels from the films.

The traditional lightsaber has been released many times, but this new villain’s weapon features the unique crosshilt blades.

5. Kotobukiya ArtFX+ Captain Phasma This character’s design has captured the imagination of fans, perhaps making her a contender for the new generation’s Boba Fett.

Kotobuhiya have been producing high quality, superbly detailed Star Wars statues for years. This will not be released until March 2016, but is likely to be popular with collectors.

Toy World 29

Face to Face

Taking the Mickey Toy World speaks to IMC Toys’ managing director Terry Crew about the highlights of 2015 and the year ahead. themes of the brands but given them an innovative twist. For instance, some of the figures within the play sets will incorporate a play feature called MIT (Magnetic Interactive Technology). This basically means the magnet inside the figure creates a sound or light reaction when placed in the play sets. The IMC philosophy is all about creating toys which children will be excited by and want to play with, and I really think that the team has excelled itself with this new range.

What will be the key lines in the range?

Without doubt the play sets will be the driving force on both Mickey and Minnie. The concepts are extremely creative and I think they bring something original to an extremely competitive category. All the themes in the range are taken from popular play patterns of preschool children and embody all the key elements which make Mickey and Minnie such special characters.

How has 2015 been for IMC? We have had a fantastic year, with the business going from strength to strength. We successfully launched our Miles from Tomorrow toy range at the start of the autumn/winter season and the sell out so far is really encouraging, with confirmed spring summer selections with all of our major customers. We have also enjoyed incredible success with our Club Petz range, which was ranked as the number one Feature Plush brand in June and August according to NPD. I believe we are now in the top 10 fastest growing companies in the UK, which is brilliant for IMC Toys.

Can you tell us about the changes you’ve made to the UK office and showroom?

At the end of 2014/15 IMC UK was up 40% year-on-year.

In order to accommodate for this extra growth, new staff members have been appointed and significant investment has been made into expanding our premises. In this process we have created a brand new showroom which we have been utilising for our autumn winter 2016 previews. I’m delighted we now have a showroom which is representative of our UK operation and the tools we need to drive our ambitious growth plans.

What have been your stand-out products this year?

We have some great new products this year, it’s actually quite challenging to narrow it down to a few. As always Lucy the Dog and Blu Blu the Dolphin have been fantastic products for us, they continue to sell in high volumes and are at the forefront of the success of Club Petz. Chrono Bomb has been a strong new entry into the games category. This line is already over performing and we aren’t even fully into the back end of the traditional games season. Baby Wow, which only launched in October, has got off to an excellent start. Unfortunately we are limited on the volume of stock we can bring in on this line, so we are urging our customers to get their orders in early to secure their share of stock. The Miles from Tomorrow Stellosphere has been a real stand out line for us as well, despite it being at the top end of the price-points for the range. In fact the demand for this line has been so strong, customers are now choosing to list it in their spring/summer range.

You’ve recently been appointed as the master toy partner for Mickey and Minnie for 2016 – what impact will that have on the company in 2016?

This is huge for us and we are extremely honoured to the partnering with Disney on these iconic pre-school properties. Our marketing and R&D departments have developed a wide range of amazing products which have been extremely well received during our previews.

To be honest, the response at previews has exceeded our wildest dreams. We have already starting mapping out our extensive marketing campaign to coincide with the launch in June.

How have you approached product development for Mickey and Minnie?

The approach for Mickey & Minnie has been to create something new and different to what is out in the market at the moment. Our R&D and marketing department have embodied all the key attributes and

Toy World 30

When will you be launching the new Mickey and Minnie range, and what advertising plans do you have for the brand?

We are planning for a June/July product launch and TV advertising will be central in our marketing campaign.

In recent years IMC Toys has been among the top 10 TV spenders in the UK and we believe this has played a key role in the success of items like Lucy the Dog and the overall growth of IMC Toys in the UK. In addition, we will also be investing in online and print advertising, working with key retailers and Disney to drive the success of these ranges.

Are you happy with the performance of Miles from Tomorrow in 2015?

We are extremely pleased with the sales of our Miles from Tomorrow range, we have enjoyed some real success stories with the Stellosphere, the Deluxe Figures and the Action Figures 5 pack. A demonstration of this success is the extent of the confirmed listings and store distribution plans which our customers have in place for spring/summer 2016.

Will you be extending the ‘Miles…’ range next year?

We have several new novelties that will be available from as early as June 2016. We want Miles from Tomorrow to be a top five infant and pre-school brand next year, and I think with the range we have in place for the autumn/ winter season, this goal is more than achievable. We have already seen Miles from Tomorrow beating other top infant and pre-school brands in October sales (NPD October data), which is extremely encouraging.

What other new licences will you be introducing in 2016?

We have a number of exciting new new additions to the portfolio. We have an exciting new range of DC Superhero products which represents something a

little different from more conventional girls toy offering including a lovely range of Peanuts toys, as well as products featuring Doozers and Masha & the Bear.

Plush has remained a strong category for IMC for many years - what plans do you have to expand your plush range?

Next year we have a possible seven new additions to the Club Petz range. As always, we will be looking to support the launch of these lines with comprehensive TV and marketing campaigns. One of my favourite new items is Lola the Puppy, Lucy the Dog’s little sister. This clever little dog responds to five voice commands and interacts with Lucy the Dog, creating five additional functions.

We plan to launch Lola in the early part of 2016 with selected customers.

You’re also growing your doll rage next year – can you give us details of some of the new introductions?

I’m afraid this is top secret information at the moment, only privy to our customers. All I can say is we have some fantastic new additions to our doll range and if these are anywhere near as successful as Baby Wow, then we’ll be absolutely delighted. We will also be supporting these new launches with TV and marketing campaigns, to find out more come and visit our stand at Toy Fair – E129.

What plans do you have for your games portfolio?

Following the success of Chrono Bomb, we are gearing up for another strong year on this line as it establishes

itself in the games category.

In addition, we also have some fantastic new lines which we will be looking to support with heavyweight TV campaigns.

My particular favourite features a Turtle, again I can’t say too much, but all will be revealed in Hong Kong and at Toy Fair.

As a large part of your range consists of licensed merchandise, how important is it to have a selection of non-licensed products in the portfolio?

It’s extremely important; although we massively value our licensing partners, one of the key areas driving our growth is our own brand products such as the Club Petz range. Our innovation department does a fantastic job of creating new and exciting toys which prove to be very successful. Thanks to them, I can proudly say IMC Toys is amongst the top Feature Plush manufacturers and the company is now looking to extend into new categories.

ghts availa i r bl ew

Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy

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Where do you feel all these new developments will take IMC in 2016 and beyond?

We are targeting further huge growth for 2016/17 and I am confident we will soon be one of the top 15 toy manufacturers in the UK. We are currently tracking 30% up for 2015/16, this will be the third year in a row we have grown over 30%. We are now a major player in some of the most competitive categories in the toy market, a million “Miles” (excuse the pun) from where we started 11 years ago. I’m really proud to be part of this story and I feel very happy about the future of IMC UK.

For licensing information email: penguin.ventures@ uk.penguingroup.com

Hairy Maclary and the Hairy Maclary and Friends logo are registered trademarks. © Lynley Dodd, 20xx

www.hairymaclary.com

Toy World 31 HMC Ad for Toy News.indd 1

26/11/2015 10:39

viewpoint Toy World shares insight and opinion

Jim Hawker co-founder of Threepipe PR and digital marketing agency.

Cyber security is key to consumer trust

As I write this column, the media attention focused on TalkTalk shows no sign of slowing down. Two teenagers have now been arrested for stealing customer data and attempting to bribe the company for its return. In the same week, hackers stole customer data from British Gas and also from T-Mobile in the USA. In a recent CEO survey that I

David Ripley Groupon

Black Friday trading

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Grey Thursday, White Wednesday and my personal favourite Turquoise Tuesday all met with a flurry of activity at retail. Once again, toys and consumer electronic deals led the customer offers, and are often the main categories for driving footfall for these types of trading events.

John Lewis had previously questioned the

read (before the TalkTalk incident became apparent), one of the key threats cited to business was cybercrime.

Trust is key to building growing and profitable businesses, and without trust there is no business. Most companies I know hold data which is valuable to them, whether that is customer data or not. I wonder now how secure that data really is.

The CEO of TalkTalk was unable (and quite rightly so) to assure customers that this couldn’t happen again. The impact of this erosion of customer trust has been clear to see, with the share price dropping like a stone. Rightly or wrongly, I imagine many TalkTalk customers will leave the company for another, which probably cannot provide any more stringent security guarantees.

Many toy companies are moving into new product areas which create more direct engagement with customers, rather than passing the relationship onto the retailer and responsibility for it as well. In many previous columns, I have talked about the need for toy companies themselves to build

a more engaged relationship with customers through eCRM and Social CRM programmes as this data is too valuable to leave with retailers themselves. However, with capturing, storing and using customer data comes obligations to protect the customer.

That means firstly understanding what data your organisation is collecting from your customers, and putting the right safety nets in place. The explosion in the number of channels being used to communicate with customers, and the data that is being collected, is of huge potential risk. One of the interesting points that came out of the TalkTalk incident was that the company itself didn’t have a clear understanding of what its own data security policy was. This should be used as a warning to every company that could easily find itself in the same position.

HR, customer service, marketing and sales teams will all be collecting customer data on behalf of toy companies. What is becoming clear is that cyber security is no longer the responsibility of just the IT department.

wisdom of the Black Friday event timing, and many commentators including HVO Search and Retail Week released articles which debated whether Black Friday was good or bad for retail. They also examined the long term effects of the changing shape of the Q4 sales curve, which has transformed from a hockey stick to more of a bell curve.

Few would have expected Asda to announce that it would be one of the rare mass UK retailers which would not be supporting Black Friday trading. This was almost like a Flappy Bird moment, whereby it was insinuated that the money made and the footfall the event drives across its stores is all simply too much hassle.

Anyone following the performance of the UK grocery retail sector over the past year would know that virtually all of the Big Four have struggled to find sales and margin growth for a few years. I would have liked to have been privy to Asda’s trading strategy discussions with its parent company Walmart, where it was challenged about its

plans to drive sales growth, which lead to Asda pitching the solution of not supporting Black Friday. This is even more bizarre when you consider the spike in sales that the 2014 event drove for Asda, and the fact that its customers would have flooded to its competitors who were supporting the event.

I would not disagree that the 2014 activity was bordering on unsafe in some stores, where fights in the aisles were widely reported in the press. There was certainly a job to be done this year with robust operational delivery and planning to ensure customer safety, but these can all be managed with effective operational control in store. Tesco has ably managed the anticipated high customer footfall by breaking with standard trading hours in its larger 24 hour stores, and instead setting up and reopening them at 5am with tighter control.

Just like Halloween, US exports, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here to stay.

Toy World 32

@TheToyTrust

FUNDRAISING 2015 Message from Foye Pascoe, Chair of the Toy Trust Charity Committee; Thanks to a huge industry wide effort, the Toy Trust has raised over £325,000 so far in 2015 through numerous events and activities, bringing comfort and relief to disadvantaged children both home and abroad. This year has been another fantastic year of fundraising for the Toy Trust, and this would not have been possible without the steadfast support of the industry. We have seen some exciting new fundraising initiatives take place along with our annual fundraising events and I would like to say a big thank you to all those involved in fundraising on behalf of the industry in 2015. The money raised has enabled us to award some very deserving grants to children in the UK and overseas. There are some great opportunities for the industry to get involved again in 2016, and we look forward to continuing the good work of the Toy Trust.

Big Thames Challenge Toy Trust Big Thames Challenge Raises a Record £205,000 for Disabled Children This year’s Big Thames Challenge event smashed all records and raised £205,000 for a number of children’s charities supported by the Toy Trust across the year.

As a result of Saturday’s fundraising, more than 120 special needs children across the UK will shortly be presented with a life-transforming custom-fit trike or wheelchair via three nominated UK based charities; Action For Kids, Cyclists Fighting Cancer and Handicapped Children’s Action Group.

The event was blessed with wonderful weather as 290 people in 26 teams from all sectors of the UK toy industry ran, walked, cycled and “triathloned” a total of 14,321 miles to achieve the record-breaking funds.

“The Toy Trust Big Challenge has become a fantastic annual event that unites people from all corners of the toy industry to generate amazing amounts of money for the 50+ small children’s charities that we support across the year,” said Toy Trust Chair Foye Pascoe. “It is wonderful to see toy-makers, licensors and retailers all pulling together for such a brilliant cause. Thank you to everyone who supported the event; either participating, stewarding or donating to the overall result – your contribution highlights what a big-hearted, philanthropic industry we are!”

As well as the efforts of the athletes, the total was achieved with the support of five platinum sponsors; Import Services, NHA Pursuit International, AA Thornton, Seven Towns and Generation Media.

“The Toy Trust team would like to thank all the teams, stewards, the BTHA support crew and sponsors for making last Saturday such an amazing success “, stated Nick Austin, Big Challenge Event Organiser. “The event is a fantastic example of how we, as a group of individuals and companies, can all pull together and make a big and positive difference to the lives of so many special needs children. “

BTHA / Toy Trust Golf Day Industry turns out for BTHA/Toy Trust golf day The 2015 BTHA/Toy Trust golf day took place on 28th May and was once again a huge success. The event saw over 30 toy industry professionals take part and this was the 17th time that the event has been held at Sonning golf course in Berkshire. More than £3,000 was raised for the Toy Trust. A new event format saw an 11-hole Texas Scramble competition introduced to the morning session and individual and team Stableford competitions in the afternoon. The morning competition was won jointly by Anthony Temple, Tony Mace, John Bolton, Mike Barratt with a winning score of 31 points. The afternoon Stableford competition, which was sponsored by Argos, was won by Craig Kidd from Craig Kidd Agencies with a score of 40 points. As winner, Craig was presented with the Chad Valley Bowl. Thank you to everyone who played this year and to all the generous sponsors of the event.

Hasbro Football & Netball Tournaments Hasbro’s annual 7-a-side football tournament took place alongside a brand new Netball competition on July 3rd at Brunel University, Uxbridge. The event this year raised £4,000 for the Toy Trust. 15 football teams and 5 netball teams competed with Hasbro UK winning the Cup, Generation Media winning the Plate and The Marketing Store winning the inaugural Netball trophy. Thanks and well done to all the teams for their support for the event. Also a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making the tournament yet another great competition (including the weather gods). Special thanks to the backroom staff, the refs, and trade publication Toys n Playthings for their generous publicity of the day.

Annual Fundraising Activities Media Auction Each year the industry is offered the opportunity to bid for generously donated media slots, including online, print and broadcast advertising opportunities.

t l y, 0 5 K g g l r e t e n y

The auction will go live in December on the BTHA website and will culminate in final bids being placed at the Industry Awards taking place at Olympia on 24th January 2016, the first evening of Toy Fair.

This year the auction raised a fantastic £81,700. For further information contact matt@btha.co.uk

2015 RECIPIENTS African Women of Substance Action Coalition Action for Kids Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Group

Christmas Card Initiative

Anglo Peruvian Children’s Charity Mission

The industry is invited to forego sending out Christmas Cards and instead to participate in Christmas advertisements both print and online, donated by the toy trade magazines. This is both environmentally responsible and raises approximately £10k annually for the Toy Trust.. For further information contact

Change of Scene

Ashford Family Nursery Bag Books (CHAT) Children, Health and Therapy Children with Cystic Fibrosis Dream Holidays Christian Resource Ministries Clearvision Project Club United Community Action Norwich Cyclists Fighting Cancer

NEW Events For 2015 Toy Trust Big Bake Off From Monday 13th to Friday 17th April the Toy Trust saw industry companies putting their delicious homemade cakes on sale to raise money for the industry’s charity. Companies were encouraged to host their own cake bakes with many presenting some incredible culinary treats.

The Toy Trust presented the inaugural toy industry Cupcake Awards where five category winners were crowned the toy industry’s baking champions.

Toy Trust Big Toy Sale The Toy Trust Big Toy Sale is an opportunity for companies to take part in a fun and engaging event which aims to raise funds for the Toy Trust through hosting a tabletop sale within your own company where existing, returned or unsold stock is sold to staff before Christmas.The 2015 Big Toy Sale takes place in November 2015 with 15 companies taking part and the event is expected to raise over £9,500.

Dame Vera Lynn Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy Derby Toc H Children's Camp East African Playgrounds Edinburgh Direct Aid Educate for Life Friends of Castledon School Friends of Chernobyl's Children Friends of Five Acre Wood School Friendship Works Handicapped Children's Action Group Health Prom Heartline Families Hearts & Minds Home-Start Redbridge Keech Hospice Care Krazy Kat Theatre Company Lennox Children's Cancer Fund Lichfield Little Explorers Lively Minds Mad-Aid Movement Foundation Noreens KidsA38 Nottingham Central Women’s Aid

If you wish to organise your own event in aid of the Toy Trust, you can download an ‘Event Manual’ from the Toy Trust section of the BTHA website to guide and

The Toy Trust receives many requests for donations on a weekly basis. Each request is evaluated against a set of criteria.

All applications should: 1. Be supported by a registered Charity Number 2. Have supporting up to date financial accounts 3. Come from a charity that has been running for a minimum of one full year 4. Be in support of disadvantaged children aged below 13 years 5. Be for less than £5000 unless a compelling case can be put forward 6. Show real benefit for relieving hardship and suffering to beneficiaries 7. Not be for individual cases without compelling reasons 8. Be for equipment and services but generally NOT for salaries, wages and research 9. Demonstrate effective fund raising effectiveness by the applicant 10. Not be for books or publishing unless for compelling reasons 11. That applicants accounts must show a ratio of administration and overhead to income of less than 30% 12. The applicants accounts must have unrestricted net assets 13. Should the applicant not provide a set of accounts by the time the applications are submitted to the committee for approval the application will be declined 14. Applications are accepted from organisations based in the UK and Ireland but applications will also be considered from organisations around the world that have a UK based office 15. Successful applicants cannot reapply for funding for 2 years. This in turn will allow the Toy Trust to distribute funds fairly given the large volume of applications we receive 16. The Toy Trust reserves the right, when funds are available, to make a larger and longer commitment for special projects

One in a Million Outreach Focus Project Mala Riding for the Disabled - Henley Shooting Star Chase

CREATE YOUR OWN EVENT

CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY

Stepping Stones The Bradford Toy Library & Resource Centre The Chiltern Centre for Disabled Children Thomley World in Need Wyvern School Foundation Trust Zambia orphans of Aids

If your charity fulfils the above criteria and you wish to make an application for funding, visit www.btha.co.uk/toytrust to download the application form

CASE STUDIES Since its foundation in 1990 by the BTHA, the Toy Trust has made a real difference to millions of children and their families in the UK and worldwide. Thanks to the support of the industry, over £4.5 million has been raised since the charity’s inception.

The main functions of the Toy Trust are to:

Children’s Heart Federation Thank you again for the £500 grant to support the CHF Molly’s Dollies Programme – it has made a real difference. The grant ensured 10 children facing surgery in the last year be sent a Molly’s Dolly, giving their parents the tools to prepare their children for what was to come.

59 children have received a Molly’s Dolly since July 2014. These dolls are many things for the children. Primarily they give the tools to parents who want to prepare their children for coming surgery, and possible scarring that may come with it. Often children give their own name or project their feelings onto their dolls, allowing them to articulate often difficult and complex emotions by talking about how their doll is feeling and what their doll is doing through. Although simple, this can be a very powerful tool for small children. The dolls also act as simple comforters and companions, a constant in the hospital, which can be a period of often changing rooms, faces and experiences.

We were so glad that the doll had been such a help to Simon, and we are grateful to the Toy Trust for making that possible.

• Co-ordinate and organise various fundraising activities for BTHA members • Make donations only to charities for children • Provide emergency aid in any crisis involving children

Hearts & Minds Clowndoctors Special Branch is part of the Hearts and Minds charity and aims to bring fun and interactive Clowndoctors sessions to 10 regions in the UK. In particular, its Special Branch division works specifically with children at four hospices and residential respite units. The children referred have chronic or life limiting illnesses and are often not expected to live into adulthood.

The organisation’s therapeutic work normalises the care and environment through promoting play, creativity and positive interactions. Issues of; feelings of powerlessness and frustration, anxiety, low selfesteem or difficulties with communication, social or physical skills are addressed and improved. The results are staggering: • Physical signs of relaxation and increase in verbal / non-verbal communication 83% • Increase in attention and alertness 75%

On behalf of Stepping Stones I would like to thank the Toy Trust very much for your fantastic donation of £1,200 you have made to us.As was detailed in the application the funds have gone towards the cost of a Speech and Language Therapist coming into Stepping Stones and supporting the needs of all of our children.

I have included some pictures of the Speech and Language Therapist that we use, working with some of our children.

She helps the children in a number of different ways, including help with their feeding. One of the main areas she focuses on is communication, as a number of our children are unable to communicate or struggle to communicate, she is able to come in and work with the children and their parents and teach them how to communicate with PECS cards (picture exchange communication system). She provides workshops for the parents to help them with PECS and also Makaton sign language. It is very important that she is able to come into Stepping Stones to work with the children here, rather than the parents having to see her in a hospital, as it is much more relaxing for the children to work in an environment that they already know so well.

Money raised through fundraising events and other initiatives is distributed by the Toy Trust committee that meets five or six times each year to allocate grants to children’s causes in need of support.

All projects and charities, whether local, national or international, will receive consideration from the committee.

Toy Trust funds help disadvantaged children and their families to: • Alleviate suffering

• Increase in child confidence 63%

• Support children through awful experiences

• Increase in cooperation and interaction with staff 54%

• Encourage achievement through adversity

• Children self-reporting happiness 50%

• Purchase vital equipment

• Smiles and laughter 100%

Stepping Stones

100% of the funds raised for the Toy Trust go directly to children’s charities, as all administration costs are covered by the BTHA or supported by no charge volunteer activity.

The Toy Trust’s donation of £500 for the 2014/15 year helped to fund these sessions, but of course the fundraising is a never ending task. This is a project the Toy Trust supports and it fits perfectly with the charities own criteria. Even small amounts make a difference which is why the Toy Trust’s donations Committee works hard to bring many causes into the donation pool. A spokesperson from the charity said; “On behalf of everyone at Hearts and Minds, and the children and families across the units we visit, thank you so much to the Toy Trust!”

• Provide care • Bolster existing initiatives • Initiate brand new projects • Satisfy basic needs

Follow the Toy Trust on Twitter!

Stay up-to-date with Toy Trust news, events and connect with fundraisers from the industry @TheToyTrust

CONTACT US

For information regarding events please contact Matt@btha.co.uk For queries regarding grant applications please contact Tracey@btha.co.uk The Toy Trust c/o BTHA 80 Camberwell Road London SE5 OEG Tel: 020 7701 7271 Charity No. 1001634

Opinion The continued advance of the Hybrids

By Lutz Muller CEO of Klosters Trading Corporation, a provider of competitive insights in the mass retail space in the USA and Europe.

A few months ago I wrote an article for Toy World with the headline, Disney’s Long Term Strategy for its Brands. Within this article I looked at the key part of the company’s long term strategy, Disney Infinity.

Disney Infinity is a member of the Hybrid (toys-to-life) category, a combination of video game consoles, games and toy figures which continue to successfully invade the traditional toy market. The major impact these Hybrids have had on the toy industry is being felt by the action figures category, but also by the pre-school category and more recently the vehicles category.

Activision started the trend with its Skylanders release in October 2011, but it was not alone in the sector for long. The table below shows how the Hybrids came onto the scene.

Hybrid

Developer

Licensee

Release date Latest version

Toy category target

Skylanders

Activision

Activision

10/2011

Vehicles and action figures

Superchargers

Infinity

Disney

Disney

08/2013

Star Wars

Action figures

Fusion

TT Games

Lego

08/2014

Same

Construction

Amiibo

Nintendo

Nintendo

11/2014

Mario

Pre-school toys

Sick Bricks

Brain Zoo Studio

Spin Master 02/2015

Same

Construction toys

Dimension

Warner

Playmation Disney

Lego

09/2015

Batman

Action figures

Hasbro

10/2015

Same

Outdoor toys

Hybrids typically work on all major video game consoles, except for Fusion, Sick Bricks and Playmation which depend on smart phones and tablets.

Amiibo is only compatible with the WII U console.

Expected to capture 5% of the total US toy market by the end of this year, there is no doubt that the Hybrids are an incredibly successful concept, and this is borne out by their sales history.

Source: Klosters Retailer Panel

An interesting aspect of the Hybrids is that, according to the national buyers, they don’t appear to compete against each other, but rather against traditional toys in the product categories which they are targeting. Lego

Dimensions for example, which features the iconic Batman character, competes with traditional action figures whilst Skylanders Superchargers threatens the vehicles category. The most interesting competitive situation exists between Disney’s Infinity Star Wars and the Star Wars action figures sold by Disney’s licensee Hasbro.

The Hybrid figurines have started to become collectibles, and my contacts in the game and hobby channel have reported that they are gaining traction.

Between them, the Hybrids now occupy more shelf space at Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us than the entire action figure category.

Not so surprisingly, the two heavyweights, Skylanders and Infinity, have captured the predominant part of this space. However, Lego Dimensions is close behind despite being the most recent entrant into the scene, which bears testimony to the clout Lego has with all toy retailers.

Interestingly, NPD has counted the Hybrids as part of the video game space, whereas the national buyers consider them part of the toy category.

This is largely because an estimated 85% of national buyers’ sales are in the toy figurines. In fact, Skylanders is reported to be the fifth largest action figure brand at Wal-Mart in the US and the third largest at Toys R Us in France. The Klosters Retailer Panel considers the Hybrids as part of the overall toy space.

What is equally interesting is the disparity between the relative strength of the various Hybrid brands at the leading retailers. Whilst Skylanders is clearly top dog at Toys R Us and Amazon, Infinity is a bestseller at Target and Amiibo has been topping the charts at Wal-Mart. Overall, as of 30th October, Disney Infinity is the leader of the trend, followed at some distance by Skylanders and Amiibo. The most recent arrivals, Dimensions and Playmation, register around 5% of the total, whereas the Sick Bricks don’t register at all.

The 5% for Dimensions and Playmation is slightly misleading, in that both brands are of very recent vintage and have, after a somewhat slow start, started to assume a very steep trajectory.

There is little doubt that the Hybrids will play a very major role in consumer purchase decisions this Christmas. Lego Dimensions, Disney Infinity Star Wars and Skylanders Superchargers are all included in the top toy lists of Target, Toys R Us and Amazon with the exception of Wal-Mart, oddly enough.

Buyers believe that the Hybrid concept will continue to make inroads into traditional toy categories over the next few years. They also expect considerable growth spurts as the Hybrids expand into other toy areas, for example fashion dolls and other girl-orientated categories. This makes sense since the current Hybrid products are predominantly either boyfocused, with action figures, or non-gendered pre-school products. As Lego Friends and Nerf Rebelle have shown, girls are a potent consumer group for traditional boy products and there is no reason why the Hybrids should not also go down this road.

The question is, who will spearhead such a venture? Obviously, Mattel or Hasbro come to mind seeing as one has an existing major stake in fashion dolls and the other is about to acquire one with the takeover of the Princess range. However, to do so successfully, both companies will need to find a partner in the video game space, as they themselves don’t have the required technological expertise. So far, all Hybrid products were developed either by established video game publishers or in collaboration with them. Activision made Skylanders, Disney developed Infinity and Playmation, Nintendo created Amiibo, TT Games made Fusion, Warner produced Dimensions and Brain Zoo Studio developed Sick Bricks. This means that there are only a few remaining video game companies that could enter the ring; for example Microsoft, Takara Tomy, Bandai Namco and Electronic Arts.

Some buyers believe that the Hybrids will be overtaken by new technologies, similar to the way the Hybrids are now overshadowing traditional toys. Products imbued with artificial intelligence have been mentioned as such possible successors, with the example most often mentioned being Hello Barbie and its future iterations. However, no one thinks that the Hybrids will go away this decade or beyond, and they will most likely stay an important part of the overall play experience for a very long time.

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Retail profile

A whole new world The Early Learning Centre has undergone a major store-in-store redesign which is being rolled out across the UK. Toy World’s Emily Ansell Elfer took a tour of the new Bristol store...

A

s Toy World arrived outside the new Mothercare and Early Learning Centre store in Bristol’s Cribbs Causeway, it was immediately clear that the shop was causing some major excitement among the community.

Hundreds of parents and children were queueing outside the doors and throughout the retail park for the chance of a glimpse inside.

The Mothercare and Early Learning Centre team estimate that around 1,000 people attended the opening event, which included a visit from Father Christmas, balloon modelling, free coffee in the café and free indoor play for the first 300 visitors.

The Bristol Early Learning Centre site is the second in the UK to undergo a major new store-in-store design created by strategic design consultancy 20.20. With a focus on imagination, discovery and interactivity, the brief was to re-imagine the feel of the Early

Learning Centre stores, creating a concept that could be incorporated into Mothercare units whilst retaining its own identity.

Interactive play zones are a core element of the redesign and the centrepiece of the Bristol store is a huge hot air balloon, which children and parents can climb in and out of. Hands-on play and learn fixtures have been incorporated throughout the store and other play zones include two playhouses, a spelling arch and a solar system arch for children to walk through, as well as an indoor soft play area from Jellybeans. There is also a café within the store and regular activities will be hosted on site for parents and children, such as reading and craft sessions.

While showing Toy World round the new store, Early Learning Centre trading director Ryan Murray explained that the company is refurbishing its entire retail estate, creating a contemporary, fun environment while still retaining the essence of learning that is so central to its brand identity.

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Ryan said: “When Mothercare bought the Early Learning centre in 2007, the rationale was to make it the toy division of Mothercare and have the two brands working together while keeping their own identities. We are moving the Early Learning Centre stores to out of town locations where mum and child can enjoy some quality time rather than just popping into a shop that’s stacked up with boxes. We’ve brought in third party concessions and we’re creating a real sense of community – we expect to see groups of mums meeting in the café every week. The high street has changed and there’s a real demand for bigger store environments where children can play and learn.

“This is the second store to have gone through this treatment, the first was Manchester, and the new shop-in-shop redesign is now being rolled out into each of Mothercare’s new stores across the UK. The plan is to refurbish every store in the estate over a three year period with the new design brief – some stores are bigger than others,

so it will be incorporated into each store in a different way: some will have mezzanines with new features while others will have dedicated soft play areas. However, we still have 10 standalone stores and there is no strategic plan to close these at the moment – we judge each store on its own merit.”

Toy World also took the opportunity to ask Ryan what the Early Learning Centre looks for when selecting stock and which suppliers it is currently working with.

He said: “Alongside our beautifully designed and developed Early Learning Centre and Mothercare ranges, we look to enhance our product range with selected branded and character ranges. Learning, play value and quality are always the important considerations. A large part of our range is own brand but we are extending our mix where it complements and adds to our existing products. From a branded perspective, we have seen strong sales from brands such as VTech, Fisher Price and Lego. Our specialist buying team is always

reviewing and investigating the market for new suppliers of great toys.”

When it comes to pricing, Ryan says the company believes in offering great products at a compelling price which reflects their quality: “For branded products we price at RRP, or the market price where this is necessary,” he added.

When asked what interesting things he sees happening in the toy sector at the moment, Ryan said the deep level of price discounting is an interesting but scary development.

“The toy sector is in danger of following sectors such as consumer electronics and sportswear into a world where customers rebase price expectations and refuse to buy at full price,” he explained. “The ultimate result is that not every retailer and brand survives these low margin price wars, and the winners are those companies which can create a point of difference.”

Ryan says the Early Learning Centre is looking forward to a successful Christmas

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led by strong licensed products.

He commented: “The market continues to be dominated by the mega licences, with Star Wars on every wish list this year, alongside the phenomenal success of Frozen. From our perspective, our great strength is our wide selection of both Early Learning Centre and Mothercare branded toys as well as key items from the big brands.”

Toy World was also able to catch up with Mothercare and Early Learning Centre CEO Mark Newton-Jones at the event.

He added: “We’ve had a fantastic turnout today of around 1,000 people – more than we had for the recent Manchester opening. The key thing about the new design is that it has been created with the child in mind rather than just the parents. We are moving the Early Learning Centre away from the high street and into out of town locations where families can come for a whole experience instead of quickly popping in to pick up a toy. We’re really excited about the future.”

Opinion

The going rate Back by popular demand, the annual Salary Survey for the toy and nursery markets. By Rowena Shorey of Tinderbox Consultants.

F

rom the start of 2015, the jobs market became a lot more buoyant and I have noticed a considerable increase in the number of vacancies being advertised online with trade press as well as being briefed out to agencies. It certainly feels like the tide has finally turned and, whilst things will never be the same as prior to 2008, hopefully we are through the worst of it. One role which I have had a lot of call to find people for this year is the position of key account manager. This level of role had been largely disbanded after the recession first bit, forcing many toy and nursery KAMs to seek employment elsewhere, unless they were fortunate to be morphed into other areas of their existing business. It is good to see the renaissance of the KAM. Similarly there is a rise in demand for sales reps, but due to the independent toy and nursery retail market suffering on the high street, many of my clients have been forced to go down the route of handing the independents over to sales agents, or they have been consolidated into key accounts with smaller customers looked after by an internal sales team. The morphing and amalgamating of these roles over the past few years has led to a shortage in the trade of key account managers and sales reps. Hopefully over the next couple of years as more companies look to recruit at these levels and are willing to consider candidates from outside of nursery or toy, the headcount will re-strengthen. Another role where I am seeing growth – at least from Tinderbox’s perspective, is that of international sales manager, UK based with foreign language skills. With more companies looking to move away from overseas distributors and selling directly to retailers in Europe or elsewhere, there is a strong sense of needing someone in their team to converse fluently in a language such as German, French, Spanish or Italian. If I’m being

honest, I have struggled to winkle out many people based here with foreign language skills. Thankfully I have had a modicum of success but if you are someone reading this who speaks German or French or Italian or Spanish fluently and specialises in international sales, I want to hear from you.

Cutting to the chase, salaries have crept up over the past year however I do find myself having to manage expectations sometimes; it is not about me trying to leverage a higher fee from the recruitment process, it genuinely is about market standards and expectations. When a client calls wanting to discuss a particular national account manager’s role, the conversation gets under way with a positive start; Client: “I really do need someone who has experience with managing some of the larger toy retailers and grocers; they do need to be P&L accountable and have experience with joint business planning. Ideally I would like them office based daily or at least 2-3 times a week if not daily.” So far so good. Then comes the sound of my heart sinking; “In terms of salary I am looking at a budget of around £35,000 to £40,000. Do you have anyone good on your books that could do this role for me?”

Me: “Yes I do have excellent candidates however unfortunately for the level of role you are looking to fill, these types of candidates are already sitting on basic salaries north of £45,000 and in some cases around £50,000 or more and the best people for the job are not always located on your doorstep.”

At that point my sentences become studded with expletives but in the end the right candidate is sourced and hired thanks to a little bit of compromise.

For now, I wish you a peaceful and happy new year.

2015 Salary Survey – toy and nursery industries

This survey is based on salaries earned by sales, marketing, product and senior management employees within the toy and nursery industries, the figures are averaged out across the sector in general.

Salary trends by individual role Sales representatives Salary £25,000 - £30,000 + commission (0.5% - 2%) and company car or car allowance (c£400 p/m) The average basic salary range is from £25,000 up to £30,000 but some companies pay from £22,000 up to £33,000. The factors determining these variations are location – i.e. London and South East areas command a higher rate of pay; length of service where salary has risen in line with inflation; or where a rep may have responsibility for key accounts or managing sales agents or e-tail business. Notice period is generally one month on either side.

have autonomy for their own P&L, management responsibility for a more junior sales person such as a KAM or national account exec and to what extent they are involved strategically across the sales function. A NAM salary is typically around £45,000 as a basic whereas a SNAM salary starts around £52,000 as a basic. Notice period tends to be three months.

National sales managers/national account controllers

Salary £30,000 - £40,000 + 10-15% bonus, car or car allowance (allowance c£400 p/m) A key account manager will deal with smaller turnover group accounts e.g. Fenwicks, Kiddicare, Amazon, JoJo Maman, Harrods, smaller grocery accounts or e-tail business. They may also have some large independent retailers such as Winstanleys, Glasgow Prams, The Entertainer. Invariably a KAM will not have responsibility for P&L. Notice period will invariably be a month on either side.

Salary £60,000 - £80,000 + bonus 15%-30% + car or allowance (£700-£800 p/m) National sales managers or field sales managers, or national account controllers will ultimately be responsible for managing a team of reps or account managers.

Invariably they have their own customer base to nurture and in some cases a national account controller will look after the top house accounts which have the greatest turnover. The salary range is wide, depending more on the size of organisation the employee works for and exactly what the remit of responsibility is. The most significant difference at this level is the notice period required to give which can be up to six months on either side. There are also expectations for a higher grade of car or allowance (around £750 - £980 per month). Also a contributory pension scheme and family healthcare are expected, if these are not available through the business then the salary will be packaged up accordingly.

National account managers/senior national account managers

International sales managers

Key account managers/national account executives

Salary £42,000 - £52,500 + 15-20% bonus + car or allowance (£500 - £700 p/m) NAMs and SNAMs assume greater overall responsibility for their customers and their salaries are indicative of whether they manage Tier 1 or Tier 2 type accounts,

Salary £40,000 - £65,000 + car allowance (£450-£600 p/m) + bonus 15-20% Responsible for certain countries or regions, where foreign language skills are required the salary level tends to be upwards of £50,000 as a basic salary + car or car

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allowance + bonus. If no foreign languages are required then the salary ranges from £35,000 - £45,000. International sales managers take on responsibility for selling direct to retail or managing distributors and managing their own customer base.

General managers Salary £85,000 - £120,000 + benefits Responsible for the business unit as a whole including financial control, strategic planning, team management across all aspects of the business. Salaries vary depending upon the size of an organisation’s turnover, product range, headcount.

There will be bonuses of up to 30% as well as company cars or a car allowance along with pension contribution, healthcare, increased holiday entitlement and possibility share options.

£35,000 however this does vary quite significantly from £25,000 upwards to £50,000 depending on level of experience and size of organisation, also where the business is located. Reporting to a marketing director or product development director they generally don’t have team management responsibility. Company cars are generally not provided at this level. Some companies do provide a bonus scheme of around 10% based on profitability of the organisation.

Product development directors Salary £60,000 - £85,000 + car allowance + benefits Responsible for managing the product team and having overall P&L and budget responsibility. Generally reports at board level so has strategic involvement with the business.

Sales directors and commercial directors

Quality assurance managers and directors

Salary £70,000 - £90,000 + bonus, car + profit share Fully autonomous for P&L, budgets, team management and reporting to the general manager, or managing director or CEO of the company. The salary difference falls to the size of organisation and the value of the business in terms of sales generation.

Bonuses of around 10% to 36% are paid annually and some directors will receive share options or profit related pay. Where the position is a board level role with strategic involvement in the business salary will be at the top end.

Salary range £40,000 - £60,000 + benefits + car Responsible for the QA and QS function possibly with responsibility for a Hong Kong team.

Marketing managers/brand managers Salary £35,000 - £60,000 + 10% bonus + car or allowance Fully responsible for the marketing or branding function of the company and managing a team of product managers or marketers.

Salary range is due to the level of responsibility and the size of the brands involved. Bonuses tend to be on average 10% based on personal and business performance and larger organisations may provide a company car or allowance for the marketing manager.

Marketing directors/brand directors Salary £60,000 - £100,000 + bonus + car Overall responsibility for driving the marketing or branding function, generally a board level role requiring a greater degree of commercial acumen and strategic involvement with the business perhaps on a global scale.

Product development managers and product designers £30,000 - £50,000 A product developers or product designers salary is on average

Benefits Company pensions With the government now making it mandatory policy for employers to contribute towards employees’ pensions, employees will begin to reap these rewards by 2018 when pension contributions will have risen from a minimum 1% to a minimum 3% by the employer. Minimum contributions are based on a band of gross annual qualifying earnings, currently £5,715 up to £38,185 per annum – this includes salary, commission/bonus and over time. Currently pensions vary from 3% up to 15% depending upon the level of seniority of the employee. The new pension schemes are being rolled out depending on the number of staff in organisations so where there are 49 or fewer employees, these companies will not be affected by the pension system straight away.

Holiday entitlement Most companies offer 23-25 days annual holiday with some days required to be taken over Christmas shut down periods.

Company cars The majority of people still have company cars and would elect this over a car allowance scheme if they incur high mileage. Company cars are generally more desirable because • • • • •

It is a necessary part of the benefits package in recruiting and retaining quality staff.

It is a visible reward and confirms status.

It is more convenient and removes worry of break down or servicing.

Despite tax implications it has financial value which is independent of salary limitations.

Generally it is what sales professionals expect.

Should you wish to discuss any salary or benefits packages or have any queries arising from this information, please call Rowena Shorey on 01590 674212 or email Rowena@tinderboxconsultants.co.uk. Follow us on twitter.com/tinderboxjobs

Toy World 41

All of these companies will not be sending out Christmas cards this year. Instead, they have generously supported the Toy Trust by donating their Christmas Card budget to the Industry’s charity.

In 2016 The Toy Trust will again be inviting the Industry to get involved with a number of exciting new events as well as the annual fundraising activities. Details and dates will be publicised in the New Year and updated on the BTHA website www.btha.co.uk/toy-trust

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Show review

Toytopia takes off with a bang Two years ago Nigel Warway and Simon Pilling had their first meeting to discuss Toytopia, their first consumer show. Now, exhausted but enthusiastic, they sit back and talk to Toy World about how the show went and what could be improved for future years.

How and when did the idea for Toytopia come about?

It’s always been our intention to do a small-tomedium sized show. We wanted to use our family expertise and close contacts to test the waters and to help support the financial structure for our first event. Before planning the show many questions were raised: Would we achieve the numbers? Would our visitors enjoy the show and would our exhibitors be happy? Will we have enough momentum to build the show? We both worked very hard on our business plan, making sure that on a weekly basis we held stringent planning days and budget reviews.

How did you decide on the venue?

For our first show, we had to find a venue that was cost effective with a low risk base which we could build a foundation on for the Toytopia brand. Additionally, we needed a venue that would fully support us and that we felt comfortable with. At the time, the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool had only been open for eight weeks and Toytopia, which was the fifth consumer show to be held there, received one of the highest visitor numbers so far. It’s a fantastic venue, but we believe we’ll need another year before it becomes fully recognised and established as a national event destination. Its business potential will make it a strong location in the UK, but it needs time to grow.

What did you learn from putting on your first Toytopia show?

For the first show, it was so important for consumers to be able to understand, feel and touch everything there is to experience at Toytopia. Every first show has to build its brand, understand what’s under its roof and engage with its content, memories and touch points. For the visitor, Toytopia was a feast of fun and interaction. Once inside, the atmosphere was fun and happy with children dragging their parents

to whatever stand they could find first to play and engage with the products on display.

We are yet to receive any comments from the large list of visitor feedback which say that Toytopia’s tickets were too expensive. On the contrary, we were overwhelmed with responses which say that the tickets were great value for money, and that the contents of the goody bag far outweighed the ticket price. We also received so many fantastic comments about our stage area and the value of the prizes which we were giving away. Now that families have visited Toytopia, they understand its content and the high value of entertainment it provides. Interestingly, whilst promoting Toytopia at other shows, such as the Family Pet Show in Manchester and the Southport Air Show, we never received any resistance to the ticket prices, and we actually met many visitors from these two past events at the show.

Did attendance match your expectations?

Both Saturday and Monday were busy but Sunday saw fewer visitors than we expected. Overall however, the numbers were more than satisfactory and we will no doubt build on them for our next show. We are considering reducing the child ticket prices and we believe a family of four ticket price might be more favourable for the next Toytopia event. However, we need to ensure this meets our business targets before it becomes set in stone.

What feedback have you received from exhibitors?

Many questions have been raised from the show, particularly surrounding the targeted age group of the products on display. It has also been suggested that we have a Toytopia destination shop or retailer on board next time. This is because some toy manufacturers who were selling products from their stands sold out too soon. Flying Gadgets, for example, sold all of its battery powered cars within hours of

Toy World 44

opening, and Epoch Sylvanian Families saw its stock fly off the shelves on the first day, and were completely overwhelmed with demonstrating its Aquabeads. We even heard that some exhibitors were considering taking an extra trip back to the warehouse to restock half way through the show due to being so popular, so it’s a good job there’s the option of online ordering.

In general the feedback from our toy exhibitors has been good, but we need to improve together so that we can cater for all age groups within our target range of two to 12 years. We also need to identify the content required for the show with new and existing exhibitors, and we need to decide whether we categorise and zone our Toytopia floor plan by age groups. In general, our toy exhibitors were fantastic and the engagement with children and parents was a joy to see. The show helped toy manufactures understand how best to market their products to consumers, and feedback from visitors and exhibitors has been extremely positive. One child who had recently visited Disneyland even stated she had a better time at Toytopia!

What are your plans for the future of the show?

We are currently in the process of reviewing Toytopia, where we will be talking to everyone involved to improve upon every area in preparation for our next show in 2016. The destination for the next Toytopia event is yet to be announced.

As organisers, we want to again say a huge thank you to everyone who supported Toytopia, and we look forward to further support from the industry to lift Toytopia to the heights that we know it can achieve.

Our first Toytopia show has been a learning curve for all of us in the toy industry. Our next phase is to make Toytopia a leading toy show for consumers, to bring together much stronger toy brands under one roof and to ultimately reach the heights of Kidexpo in Paris within the next two years.

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Heading to Hong Kong With the Hong Kong January trip fast approaching, Toy World’s Clarabel Jones spoke to a selection companies about the challenges they may face in the year ahead.

David Martin

Malcolm Evans

Funrise

Kids@Play

Availability and serviceability will always be the challenge for FOB suppliers. The China market in toys is now booming. Some Chinese manufactures are openly looking to trade less with Europe and the US as it is becoming much easier logistically, and substantially more profitable, for Chinese makers to supply their ever increasing and developing home market. When coupled with the ways in which some toys are produced, for instance plush being produced in southern India as opposed to China, this shows exactly how the China market is rapidly changing. Chinese factories are investing heavily in rural areas of southern India, where salaries are far lower than those of Chinese workers.

The main talking points during Hong Kong will be aggressive price points, opportunities for exclusive deals and marketing contributions. Retailers are looking to really drive businesses and are demanding many more contributions than in the past. These contributions are helping to finance aggressive pricing, with some products being sold at a third off, and sometimes half price. Trading down has always been an issue, especially at key times of the year such as Easter, the summer period and Christmas. However as each season approaches profit creation gets harder, and 2016 will be no exception.

We are really excited about our Thunderbirds range of inflatables, which includes the Thunderbirds 1 and 3, which stand at five feet tall; Thunderbird 2 and 4 paddling pools and ball parks and a Tracy Island Climbing Wall. We also have the launch of Animal Planet branded giant animal inflatables, including a giant giraffe, elephant and shark. Another star will be the 12v Black Panther battery powered car, which has real engine sounds recorded into the dashboard, a radio, an mp3 player socket and a separate computer chip capacity to hold 30 tracks of recordings. The car also comes with forward and reverse gears, working headlights, flashing lights which pulsate back and forth throughout the front grill and scissor doors.

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Toy World 45

Funrise offers its customers the opportunity of trading on both FOB and domestic terms, meaning we offer total trading flexibility.

Retailers may choose to be bolder on FOB deals when the freight rates are good and the pound is strong, but outside of essential product there is still an air of caution and emphasis on smaller and more frequent quantities which the domestic route offers.

NPD stats are generally healthy and we’re getting into superhero mode. Action figures and superheroes are very strong, and I expect to see that trend continue. I think the merchandise opportunity from the new Batman v Superman movie is massive, and of course the fact that Bulldogs is now a Gordon Ramsay restaurant is big news.

Without a doubt, the line we are most excited about unveiling in Hong Kong is Tonka, which will be back with a very large bang in 2016. Expect to see lots of trade and media publicity very soon. The re-launch of a new Tonka vehicle line-up from Q3 2016 will include a variety of sub-categories including Diecast, Lights & Sounds, Steel, My First and the new Climb-Overs line which will be subject to huge media activity through the second half of 2016.

Phil Ratcliffe

Terry Crew

I think volume orders will be the challenge for FOB suppliers next year. Many FOB customers now want to buy little and often, as opposed to making big bulk one shot purchases for lower prices. This presents a challenge for suppliers in negotiating with factories for the best pricing.

I think pricing will be a key talking point during the Hong Kong trip this year, as raw material costs have been falling whilst labour costs have been consistently increasing.

At MV Sports, we have a huge programme of fantastic new products for 2016. In particular I am looking forward to presenting our new Finding Dory and Teletubbies ranges in Hong Kong.

The main challenges that FOB suppliers will face in the New Year will primarily be exchange rates, longer lead times and MOQs. These, I believe, will encourage more customers to go with tried and tested lines, with little room for speculation.

At the Hong Kong trip this year, I would love to think that everyone will be discussing the successful Fence Club football team. However, I think the main talking points will be the usual discounted price promotions during peak sales time and the continued success of Smyths Toys Superstores in the UK. At IMC, we have many great things to discuss at the show. These include the new Mickey and Minnie master toy product line alongside our new introductions to the Miles from Tomorrow category. We will also be showcasing some new additions to our very successful Club Petz product range.

IMC

MV Sports

Vance Withers Worlds Apart

As was the case this year, currency will remain a challenge due to the volatility in the market. Also, as buyers become increasingly cautious regarding new lines, their initial season estimates and opening orders will put continuing pressure on production, MOQs and container fill. At Worlds Apart, our production capabilities mean that we can offset some of these challenges by consolidating orders over a number of different products.

Main talking points for Worlds Apart will be the development of new and exciting products within the toy arena. Worlds Apart has strong credentials in the home, outdoor and toy categories, and these new toy developments will allow retailers to invest in new product development from a trusted supplier with strong TV, digital and media support.

One of the other key talking points for a large number of suppliers will be the ongoing performance of key licences such as Frozen, Minions and Star Wars, and the development of new licences such as Finding Dory, Good Dinosaur and Teletubbies.

Nikki Samuels

Mark Walls H. Grossman

With the possibility of US currency becoming stronger, it is possible that this could have a very negative effect on the toy industry.

I believe the Segway will be the main talking point for Grossman in the Far East this year, with many different opinions circling around it. It will be interesting to hear what everyone has to say.

With regards to any new lines that Grossman will unveil during the show, you’ll have to wait and see what we have to offer and come and see us in January.

Dave Cave

Sambro

I think all the usual challenges apply year in year out for FOB suppliers. These include issues surrounding timings, pricing and many more. However, our operations team has worked extremely hard behind the scenes over the last two years, and are really adept at handling any issues that we as a company may face.

For Sambro, our brand new showroom will be the main talking point of this year’s Hong Kong trip. We have relocated key personnel to Hong Kong and they have worked extremely hard to create a showroom which enables us to showcase all our brands and products to potential buyers. The space has a real flow to it and buyers will find it easy to focus on their preferred products, categories and licences. What’s more, the panoramic views looking out of the showroom over to Hong Kong Island are amazing.

We just hope they don’t distract the buyers.

We have so many new lines that we’ll be showcasing during the trip that there are simply too many to mention. We have lots of new licensing deals to announce and we are expanding our distribution lines. We also have some great products which will be TV advertised in 2016. We don’t want to reveal too much as we want the buyers who visit the showroom to see for themselves. However, we think visitors will love our brand new Little Tikes collection, an arts and crafts range for pre-schoolers which features all of the iconic products synonymous with the brand. We are really excited about it.

Dragon-i Toys

Prices should remain stable in 2016, as the local currency (RMB) should stay around 6.35-6.40 over the next six to 12 months, our banks tell us. However, many factories are closing down, as they are unable to make any money.

This will be the main issue facing 2016 vendors.

New products are what buyers are looking for, but sell through from last Christmas is also very important.

Skeleton Cowboy, a great target shooting game off the back of the hugely successful Zombie Blast, both of which Character Options will advertise on TV in 2016, is a line which we are very excited to reveal in Hong Kong. We also have two music/sound activated products, called Dancing Princess and Boppin Zombie, both with TV ads. They dance to whatever beat the music is playing, and are currently retailing at £19.99 and £14.99, both hitting the retail sweet spot. We also have the best electronic Dino/Dragon line which, after this year’s big movie, has seen a sales increase of around 50% year on year. 2016 is looking great.

Toy World 46

Feature

Hong Kong

Asian adventure As the New Year dawns, so Toy Fair season opens. The first mass gathering of the global toy community takes place in Hong Kong over the course of the first two weeks of January. The focus of the first week is on the myriad toy showrooms in Tsim Sha Tsui and the surrounding area, while the official Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair takes place the following week (11th -14th January) in the Convention Centre in Wanchai.

During this period, buyers from across the globe - especially those who buy a significant volume of product on an FOB basis – will be looking to shore up their autumn winter selections. Toy World will be reporting back from Hong Kong, highlighting some of the most interesting new product developments in a series of Hong Kong Blogs. For now, here is a sneak peek at a handful of new lines which will be unveiled in the Far East in January.

Hauck Toys 07770 608 858 | www.hauck-toys.com With leading character brands such as My Little Pony, Nerf, Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joining established top sellers such as the Classic Pram, i’coo, Lightning Go-Cart and EZ Rider balance bikes, Hauck’s 2016 range is its strongest ever.

Hauck’s new My Little Pony range is extensive and offers everything from doll buggies and strollers to prams, playsets and more. In addition, there are many new non-licensed girls’ toys.

Hauck is also launching a host of new go-carts. Hauck’s ride-on selection covers all ages and, in addition to go-carts, features both licensed and non-licensed trikes, balance bikes and a wagon.

Creating a stir worldwide is the Nerf Battle Racer, which carries up to four Nerf blasters and a large supply of Nerf darts. This go-cart has ball bearing hubs for friction-free running, forward and reverse gears, automatic freewheel, handbrake and a tool-free adjustable seat.

To celebrate Batman’s two major film releases, Hauck will also be unveiling its new Batmobile.

Joining Batman with a new movie out next year is TMNT. These half-shell megastars feature on four Hauck ride-on toys, two go-carts, a big wheel trike and a new child’s first go-cart. This go-cart also comes in a non-licensed version.

KD UK 01727 827 194 | www.kdplanet.com/uk | www.kurioworld.com/uk KD UK will be showcasing new own brand ranges at Hong Kong, as well as licensed ranges which include Paw Patrol, Fireman Sam, Thomas & Friends and Disney Princess.

For Paw Patrol, there will be several new products which will extend the range from the existing Walkie Talkies, all of which are interactive with music and Paw Patrol sounds.

Also new is Fireman Sam’s Smart Gadget, a watch shaped gadget which teaches children fun facts about Fireman Sam and his friends, coming with two game modes and a motion sensor.

KD’s own brand ranges will diversify into new categories including board games and lighting. There will also be animal themed electronic learning aids such as keys, a remote control and a phone.

There will also be new additions to the Kurio range with the release of its fifth generation of products since launching in 2012.

Eduk8 Worldwide 01434 672 336 | www.eduk8worldwide.com Eduk8 Worldwide has a range of exclusive toys to showcase at Hong Kong, including many never-seenbefore products.

An independent family company established over 13 years ago, Eduk8 is committed to creating unique high quality educational toys and resources which help engage children’s imaginations.

Amidst all the tech-enhanced toys that feature heavily, Eduk8 offers a range of traditional toys with an educational twist.

As well as the popular Belly Bump Balls, a range of exclusive wooden toys and a hands-on science range for inquisitive minds, Eduk8 will be launching an exclusive range of giant outdoor playmat games with the unique large Dice Dome.

Joining Eduk8’s giant outdoor games are mini board games with dice domes, which offer all the same features as their larger siblings and are offered at pocket money prices.

Also new for Hong Kong is the Premium Trike range, which is made up of four types of high quality trikes in white. These trikes are stylish, well-built and represent great value for money.

Toy World 48

Dragon-I www.dragon-itoys.com Earlier this year, Dragon-I acquired the slot car racing brand, Artin. It is now the global supplier of all Artin brands and will be working to expand its licences and bestselling ranges into 2016 and beyond, serving its growing customer base in over 60 countries worldwide. The Artin brand is set for a refresh under the Dragon-I influence and is ready for its next chapter of growth.

With over 3.1 billion app downloads under its belt, Outfit7’s flagship brand Talking Tom and Friends is moving at pace. Five years since launching the first Talking Tom app, it has been downloaded in over 230 territories, and boasts over 250 million monthly active users.

Airing on YouTube, millions of users have access to Talking Tom and Friends content, as well as the ability to interact with other fans through social media. User-uploaded videos on YouTube have surpassed over one billion views, catching up to the 2.2 billion views amassed on the Talking Tom and Friends channels.

Garnering a social media presence of over 33.5 million Facebook likes and 550,000 followers on Twitter, Outfit7 is expanding its social media and localised content across the globe, reflecting the diversity of the 13 languages into which the apps are translated worldwide.

Outfit7 now works with over 50 licensing partners, 20 of which were signed this year alone, to produce a growing range of products including plush toys, school supplies and apparel.

Dragon-I holds the worldwide toy licence for Talking Tom and Friends.

Its Talking Back plush toys in small, medium and king-size have proved successful with its global distribution. Dragon-I and Outfit7 will be boosting the animated plush line with a Christmas TV ad.

contact us at

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Flying Gadgets 0844 209 2626 | www.flyinggadgets.com Flying Gadgets boasts an extensive portfolio of ride-on cars, copters, drones and more.

The company will be showing its extensive range of new and innovative products for 2016, offering products which are largely available for full OEM. Customers can order mixed or full FOB containers directly from Flying Gadgets via the UK office.

The brand is also offering an entirely new range of miniature and seven channel quadcopters, further establishing its credentials as a leading innovator of these popular flying machines.

Flying Gadgets also specialises in made-to-order toys and can manufacture bespoke radio controlled products in its factory in Shantou China.

The company’s FOB capabilities mean that customers can purchase entire containers of new tech toys, which can be fully-prepped and ready for retailers to arrange shipping. The company can also arrange for mixed containers of the latest ride-on ranges, including Broon and the fully licensed BMW and Ferrari ride-on cars, can also be ordered in this way and containers can consist of mixed product.

Flying Gadgets is also one of the exclusive distributors for the DJI brand in the UK, one of the world’s leading brands of drones and quadcopters.

Toy World 49

Feature

Nuremberg Toy Fair

Spielwarenmesse 2016: More than just toys Spielwarenmesse will be held from 27th January to 1st February 2016. Toy World takes a look at what visitors can expect from next year’s show.

N

ext year’s Spielwarenmesse will feature more than 2,800 exhibitors from over 60 countries –including 940 exhibitors not present at any other fair. There will be a whopping one million products on show and 75,000 of those will be brand new.

Spielwarenmesse follows immediately on from Toy Fair next year (Toy Fair finishes on the Tuesday and Nuremberg starts on the Wednesday) and suppliers in Nuremberg will be meeting buyers and distributors from every continent, with an estimated 70,000 plus specialist visitors from 126 countries. Trade visitors looking for the newest products and trends are advised to visit Hall 3A’s Trend Gallery.

There, Spielwarenmesse eG introduces the trends which the international trend committee sees as the 2016 sales drivers. Members of the trend committee will also provide further background information in trend presentations at the affiliated Toy Business Forum. In the daily conference programme from 1p to 3pm, speakers will present the important marketing and online activities for dealers to generate customers and ensure their loyalty.

A new matchmaking feature will help exhibitors and industry visitors to find the right contacts for establishing business relationships.

To take advantage of this service, exhibitors can set up an account and book further options in Spielwarenmesse’s online service centre. With ticket purchase, trade visitors can activate a premium account at no extra charge.

Visitors will be able to use their Matchmaking Account to make appointments and receive contact suggestions that are individually tailored to their profile. Users can log in to the service via Spielwarenmesse’s website –www. spielwarenmesse.de/en/matchmaking.

Show exhibitors can still register their products for the Toy Awards. Spielwarenmesse eG presents the coveted award in four age-group-specific categories: Baby & Infant, Pre-school, School Kids and Teenager & Family. A panel consisting of educationalists, market researchers and trade representatives will rate the registered products for enjoyment, novelty, safety, finishing, quality, clarity of concept and potential commercial success.

Toy World spoke to British section organiser Stuart Whitehill to find out what visitors can expect from the pavilion this year.

He said: “We have managed to get a bit more space off the organisers, which is always a good thing. Big names including Casdon and Brainstorm will be showing in the pavilion as well as some new companies showing for the first time such as Wicked Vision, Phoenix Sporting Goods and Fox Puzzles. It will be a great mix of old and new.

“There will also be a slightly different design to the pavilion this year. We’re hoping to have illuminated balls suspended above the pavilion as a way of literally showing Britain in the best possible light. We’ll also have a media wall, where Toy World will of course be present, and the BTHA will be using the pavilion as a base.”

Stuart says there is no show that rivals Spielwarenmesse when it comes to international visitor numbers.

“Spielwarenmesse is the leading international event of its type,” he commented. “A lot of toy companies do Toy Fair and the various other

Toy World 50

UK shows, with more and more also going over to New York and Hong Kong. However, none of these events capture the global audience that Nuremberg does – I believe more than half of the show’s visitors come from outside Germany.

It allows companies to meet with all the key international people – it’s literally a magnet for drawing industry professionals in from all over the world.”

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Nuremberg Toy Fair

Hornby

01843 233 500 | www.hornby.com Hall 4a, Stand E-250 – F-250 Hornby’s launches for 2016 include its new range of Corgi Thunderbirds models. The selection comprises International Rescue’s fast actionresponse vehicles and Thunderbird 1, 2 and 3 as well as the pink customised six-wheel Rolls Royce.

007’s most famous car chases can be recreated with the Corgi DB10, a 1:36 miniature of the Aston Martin DB10 as featured in the movie Spectre. Also launching in 2016 is the new Corgi Thunderball DB5.

Thomas the Tank Engine and Hornby are teaming up to relaunch Hornby’s Thomas the Tank Engine collection of train sets, locomotives and rolling stock.

The Scalextric brand will be extended to include new race enhancement systems plus recruitment driver sets to introduce new consumers to slot-racing.

The new Scalextric ARC AIR Powerbase can be added to any existing Scalextric track. With an app that can calibrate the cars teamed with vibrating wireless controllers, the new system can even recreate wet weather driving conditions.

Scalextric ARC Pro is a new ARC Digital racing system being introduced next year, allowing up to six cars to race with lane changing and race modes from the app. Scalextric Micro Mania is for younger racers and offers special track features.

New categories in the Airfix brand include Quick Build, Dinosaurs, Construction and Emergency. Airfix Engineer is a new build concept introducing six new models such as the V8 Automotive Engine and the V12 Aero Engine.

New licences within the Corgi ranges for 2016 will include Corgi Downton Abbey, Pocher Mercedes 300SL and Corgi Top Gun. More traditional sets on offer will include the Lima Toys Wooden Train System, new Lima Toy Train sets and Heico Fire Engines.

Brainstorm 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk Hall 12, Stand B-03-2

Bladez Toyz 02392 658 255 | trade@bladeztoyz.co.uk Hall 6, Stand C-36 Bladez Toyz will be launching a range of Peppa Pig pre-school products, including an RC Peppa with sounds, a Peppa Pig nightlight, a Peppa Pig pogo and a Splash and Play Muddy Puddle.

The show will also be the first to see Bladez Toyz’s new summer 2016 lines of RC Inflatable Minions from the new Universal shorts, Minions Paradise. Bladez will be launching its new character, Phil, along with some old favourite Minions in their beach wear.

Another launch Bladez is looking forward to unveiling is the RC Inflatable Thunderbirds lines, starting with the T2. Batman and Superman product will also support the upcoming 2016 movie.

Bladez’s marketing plans include TV advert investment throughout the year, as well as strong promotion of all of the range.

Brainstorm is introducing the new Rocket Projector and Room Guard. This high-quality rocket shaped projector has 24 colour space-themed images that can be projected up to one metre wide onto bedroom walls and ceilings.

The Rocket becomes a guard for children’s rooms and bursts into action with each unwanted visitor. A built in trembler alert and motion sensor detects movement and the rocket will light up and make up to five different sounds including a countdown function and blast off noise.

When the rocket is picked up and moved to a different angle it will also activate the light and sound effects. Suitable for table top or wall mounted display, the rocket includes a separate launch pad enabling children to display the rocket at varying angles.

The Rocket Projector and Room Guard is a room decoration and will include a secret code to unlock online space facts to accompany the slide show.

There are new additions to the Brainstorm Toys projector torch range including the Most Deadly Torch and the Fairy and Unicorn Torch. Each of these popular, pocket-money torches is supplied with three discs to project 24 colour images, up to one metre wide.

The new 30cm diameter inflatable Animal Globe details 172 animal illustrations showing where they are located on the world map. This colourful design includes animal names and also has game ideas.

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Nuremberg Toy Fair

HTi

01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk Hall 12.2, Stand P-09 For 2016, HTi will launch a range of Teletubbies role-play and musical instrument toys, which include a First Kitchen, a Tubby Toaster and Tea Set with sounds and light effects, and a Guitar, Xylophone and Keyboard.

Having secured the Chicco baby care brand, HTi will launch a targeted range of dolls prams and strollers.

HTi will showcase new role-play case designs featuring Avengers, Spiderman, Star Wars, Disney Princess Belle, Frozen, Minnie Mouse and Thomas the Tank Engine.

With a multi-territory licence partnership with Hasbro for My Little Pony role-play toys, HTi is also offering the new Fluttershy Pet Care Carry Case, a Kitchen, Tea Set and Tea Pot Tea Set. Following the launch of six new 1:64 scaled vehicle packs for spring/summer, eight new die-cast designs and vehicle types will be added to HTi’s Teamsterz range from autumn/winter. The vehicles include the Coupé, Truck, Grand Tourer, Hot Rod, 4x4, Hot Hatch, All-Terrain Buggy and Racing Car and will be available as single, double, five and 10 packs. Also new to the range are track sets and garage playsets.

The Smart toys range has been refreshed with a new colour palette across all products, contemporary packaging artwork and logo redesign. New to the range is the compact and fully functioning Smart 360 Kitchen.

JCB continues to be supported through a range of toys inspired by the real life brand. New for autumn/winter are 7” sand play construction vehicles and a Metal Dump Truck and Front Loader.

HTi will also launch the new JCB Pop-Up Workbench which comes with a host of accessories.

New role-play toy lines to HTi’s Peppa Pig range include character shaped cases. HTi continues to offer Barbie and Hello Kitty role-play toys internationally whilst its Disney Frozen offering includes a new Elsa character case, the Colour Match Snowflake Bag and a range of pocket money toys.

HTi’s scooter brand Rïpp’s R500 and R900 Pro Series and Dirt Rider offer solutions for both track riders and all-terrain. The company also continues to offer its EVO range of non-licensed wheeled toys.

New to HTi’s Bubblz and Double Bubble ranges are the Magic Bouncing Bubbles Set and the Double Bubble Exhaust which combines bubble fun with wheeled play. The new Bubble Ball is a spinning bubble machine which comes with built-in spinning fans and over 60 spinning wand dispensers.

Casdon 01253 608 248 | www.casdon.com Hall 12, Stand C-04 Following a successful year of new additions to ranges across its portfolio, Casdon will continue to build on its roleplay collections for 2016.

Casdon combines pretend play with household names to bring replica kitchen appliances and role-play accessories to the play room.

Launching in January 2016 from the award-winning Dyson collection is the new Dyson Hand Held. The Hand Held Vacuum features real suction and the same cyclonic action as with a real Dyson. Further additions to the Little Helpers collection of role-play toys are the new Hetty and Henry Household Cleaning Sets.

These sets include everything needed to help tidy up at home including a dustpan and brush, mop, sweeping brush and more.

New to the Little Cooks range is the exceedingly good Mr Kipling Birthday Cake Set which allows little ones to treat friends and family to cake without the added calories. This brightly coloured cake is easily sliceable and includes candles, plates and cutlery.

Eduk8 Worldwide 01434 672 336 | www.eduk8worldwide.com Hall 12, Stand C-01-2 As well as Belly Bump Balls, a range of wooden toys and the hands-on science range, Eduk8 Worldwide is launching an exclusive range of large outdoor playmat games. The Snakes and Ladders and Ludo game mats are 180 x 160cm, and feature a Dice Dome, making it impossible for dice to go missing. Also launching are the Crocodile Hop and Large Numbers games, each supplied with large jumbo inflatable dice. All playmats are water and heat resistant with UV protection. Mini versions of these are available in the style of mini board games with dice domes.

Also new for Nuremberg is the Premium Trike range which includes four types of trikes in white. The Baby Trike has many features including full 360 degree adjustable seating positions with reclining facility. It also includes a cantilever hood, seating and rear basket in hard wearing fabric. The Twister Trike’s has a sliding action, and the rear 360 degree Caster Wheels enable quick turns and sliding moves. Finally, the Retro Trike has shaped handle bars and a wide three position adjustable seat, as well as the large, inflatable wheels and rear passenger footplate.

Toy World 56

Nuremberg Toy Fair

Hy-Pro

01582 670 100 | www.hy-pro.co.uk Hall 7, Stand C-25 Zinc is making its first foray into travel toys with Flyte, the case scooter which converts from a cabin sized case into a pull along trolley and a scooter. Since launching in Q3 of 2015, it has been a huge success in store and online. Moving into 2016, Flyte has launched five new designs which will be previewed at the show.

Due to the success of Flyte, a new range has been developed to target a younger audience. The Mini Flyte range includes colourful designs and is a miniature design of the existing Midi Flyte model.

Also being previewed is the new Zinc Volt electric scooter range. The Volt range has evolved through the years and will now expand further with new lines for the adult and junior market.

For 2016 the Volt range will feature lithium batteries, which will provide a reliable power source and an increased battery life, whilst also making the scooter more lightweight.

The Volt range for adults includes a commuter scooter which only weighs 7.5kgs and is one of the lightest electric scooters in the world. It also features maintenance free tyres and can be folded away for easy storage when not in use.

Another addition to the Volt range is the Volt Junior, a two-inone design for toddlers to use whilst on the go. Equipped with three wheels, the Volt Junior also has a removable saddle and can reach speeds of up to 2mph.

Engino Hall 4, Stand E-30 0800 988 7065 | www.enginotoys.co.uk Engino will be launching two new series of construction toys. The first is targeted at girls and will include new pink and glittery models. The second range is a pre-school range with larger cubic parts and beams, suitable for ages 18 months and over.

The patented design of Engino parts allows connectivity in all directions of the three-dimensional space, and enables children to build more and bigger models than traditional building systems. Since 2012, the company has manufactured all of its toys in Cyprus, protecting its IP while ensuring top quality and short lead-times. The company’s bespoke range is the inventor series, which has a multi-theme approach and is designed for a maximised number of models per set.

The company also offers a more educational range, the Discovering STEM series, which includes a book with theory, activities and experiments in each set. The series covers subjects like mechanics, structures and solar energy. The STEM series also includes more premium projects such as the London Eye and Eiffel Tower. The ultimate set of the range is the Engino Robotics Platform which has a controller with Bluetooth communication, sensors, activators and user programmable software. All Engino products now incorporate the latest technology in virtual reality and AR software, with free apps for smartphones and tablets.

Hauck Toys 07770 608 858 | www.hauck-toys.com Hall 2, Stand B-05 - C-04 With leading character brands such as My Little Pony, Nerf, Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joining established top sellers such as the Classic Pram, i’coo, Lightning Go-Cart and EZ Rider balance bikes, Hauck’s 2016 range is its strongest ever.

Hauck’s new My Little Pony range is extensive and offers everything from doll buggies and strollers to prams, playsets and more. In addition, there are many new nonlicensed girls’ toys.

Hauck is also launching a host of new go-carts. The company’s ride-on selection covers all ages and features both licensed and non-licensed trikes, balance bikes, go-carts and a wagon.

Creating a stir worldwide is the Nerf Battle Racer, which carries up to four Nerf blasters and a large supply of Nerf darts. This go-cart has ball bearing hubs for friction-free running, forward and reverse gears, automatic freewheel, handbrake and a tool-free adjustable seat.

To celebrate Batman’s two major film releases, Hauck will also be unveiling its new Batmobile. Joining Batman with a new movie out next year is TMNT. The turtles feature on four Hauck ride-on toys, two go-carts, a big wheel trike and a new child’s first go-cart. This go-cart also comes in a non-licensed version.

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Ravensden Plc Ravensden Farm, Bedford Road, Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 0SQ England.

Telephone +44 (0) 1933 356221 Fax + 44 (0) 1933 410108 Email office@ravensden.co.uk www.ravensdenonline.com www.ravensden.co.uk

Nuremberg International Toy Fair Hall 1 Stand D-04

Nuremberg Toy Fair

Ravensden

01933 356 211 | www.ravensden.co.uk Hall 1, Stand D-04 Ravensden is experienced in product sourcing, importing and exporting, specialising in the zoo, aquarium, leisure and promotional markets. A family owned and operated company founded in 1975, Ravensden’s aim is to supply quality products and to continually develop and introduce new lines enhancing the retail offering of attractions.

Products can be created based on customisation of existing designs or a complete development of a product or character to suit particular requirements.

Many of Ravensden’s standard products can be branded to the customer’s attraction. Options include embroidery on soft toys, dressing of soft toys with personalised t-shirts, bespoke swing tags promoting the brand and message or pad printing onto a number of stock items. Designers and a production team carry out all artwork origination and printing on Ravenden’s own site.

The company has over 200 new lines being introduced for 2016 including many new styles in the Ravensden and Suma Collection ranges of soft toys and a new range of 3D notebooks, posters and magnets.

IMC Toys 01904 720 908 | www.imctoys.com Hall 12.2, Stand 26 IMC Toys will be unveiling its new Mickey & Minnie product range in 2016.

The company will also be expanding its Miles from Tomorrow range. After a successful launch in autumn/winter 2015, IMC will be introducing some new novelties which embody all the key attributes of the hit TV series.

IMC will also be introducing new characters into its Club Petz range. For spring/summer 2016, the company will launch the hotly anticipated new line Lola the Puppy. Lola is Lucy the Dog’s little sister and responds to five voice commands. Key items such as Lucy the Dog and Blu Blu the Dolphin will remain in the range. As always, IMC will invest heavily in TV campaigns and marketing support across the whole of the Club Petz portfolio.

As well as IPS and plush, IMC has some new innovations within the games category. After a successful year launching Chrono Bomb, IMC has some new interactive games which it will be unveiling.

JNH Europe 01617 371 881 | www.jnheurope.com Hall 5, Stand D-16 JNH Europe will be launching its new range of children’s furniture designs.

These products and designs will feature Star War Rebels, Masha and the Bear and others, with new products including practical shelving units, pullalong toy boxes, coat and bag stands and more.

There will also be additions to JNH’s much-loved bestsellers, including Mickey, Minnie, Princess, Cars and Winnie the Pooh, throughout its range of indoor and outdoor products. These include the new pull-out sofa, table and chair sets, moon chairs, gazebo tent, folding chairs and much more.

JNH’s products come flat packed in full colour boxes and are easy to assemble with a UK helpline number should anyone have any difficulties.

Its foam flip-out sofa has now entered a new stage of its development and is available flat packed. Once opened, it will regain its solid form within the hour. This packaging allows retailers to hold plenty of stock to satisfy demand without taking up valuable storage space, and is also easy for customers to carry away.

JNH has a showroom in Manchester with all its products on display which is available to visit by appointment.

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N

a R ew

n g i s e D w Preview Show in Hong Kong by appointment only Jan. 04 – 10, 2016 Nuremberg Toy Fair Hall 2/B05-C04 Jan. 27 – Feb. 01, 2016 Contact: Malcolm Cook malcolm@mc-international.co.uk Mobile: +44 7770 60 88 58 www.hauck-toys.com

Nuremberg Toy Fair

Rainbow Colours 0121 449 8181 | www.rainbowcolours.com Hall 12, Stand B04-6

Rainbow Colours will be introducing its range of colour coded instruments at Nuremberg. The initiative started with a guitar, and now ranges to a violin and ocarina. With the aim of making it easier to learn, instruments such as the ukulele and guitar are armed with coloured strings and numbered fret stickers to simplify the learning process.

Rainbow Colours presented a prototype of the colour coded piano mat at Nuremberg 2015, and will bring the finished product to this year’s show.

The full range includes the guitar, ukulele, drums, bells, ocarina, violin, fife, recorder, electric guitar, piano mat and percussion table, which includes a xylophone. All instruments come fully packaged, with most of them accompanied by full information and basic instruction books, and some products such as the bells and piano mat coming with song cards, making it easier for users to play songs such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Mary Had a Little Lamb without complication.

The packaging has seen a redesign, with a new basic white background to make the products stand out. The website has also undergone a redesign, with a new logo and plans for further marketing on social media sites. Rainbow Colours is on the lookout for distributors and retailers to get on board.

Little Tikes 0800 521 558 | www.littletikes.co.uk Hall 12.2 Stand P08

Funrise 01908 555 640 | www.funrise.com Hall 12.2 Stand P-21 Funrise is taking Tonka to a new level for 2016 with many vehicle options for retailers to choose from. High on the agenda will be the launch of the new Tonka Climb-overs, the 4x4 motorized off-road vehicles which can climb over almost anything. There’s a number of playsets to choose from, all of which interconnect using a Click N’ Climb track system to configure countless obstacles.

Gazillion Bubbles has been the bubble brand of choice for kids, with many blaster machines to choose from. 2016 will be no different, with many new Gazillion Bubbles gadgets to unveil including the Bump N Go Robot. Also available will be handheld blasters such as the Handheld Hurricane which will add to the bubble blowers such as the Gazillion Tornado and 3D Bubble Blaster.

On a softer side there’s a chance to see the new plush Sing-a-ma-lings and Stackins. Sing-a-ma-lings are the tuneful characters that love to sing. When children press their tummies, their mouths will move in time with the tune they sing. Stackins are collectible pocket money friends which have over eight different animal characters to choose from. Once a child has more than one the stacking can begin.

Finally, the range of My Little Pony feature plush continues to grow and will be available in many options, ranging from 3’’ ponies with clip to 20’’ large ponies.

Little Tikes will be showcasing its extensive product portfolio.

Based alongside MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation, Little Tikes’ stand will showcase hero products and highlight new brand developments.

From unveiling its brand new Lil ‘Ocean Explorers range to welcoming Dino to the Cozy Coupe family, it’s been a year of new product highlights for Little Tikes. Scooping 27 accolades in 12 different awards, both old favourites and new releases have seen recognition. Visitors will see first hand the brand new 5-in-1 Ride and Relax Trike and 2015 best sellers including Lil ‘Ocean Explorer’s 3 –in-1 Adventure Course and the Fish ‘n Splash Water Table.

This Nuremberg sees the unveiling of new ranges in the newborn and infant pre-school categories. As the largest developments to date for the brand, they are not to be missed. Alongside this sits its latest ride-on products plus innovations in the role-play category.

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Nuremberg Toy Fair

Rubie’s Masquerade 08453 070 707 | www.rubiesuk.com

Golden Bear Hall 5, Stand 15

Hall 12, Stand I-29

01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com

Rubie’s will be displaying its new range of kids’ costumes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens including Rey, Finn, villain Kylo Ren and new-look Stormtroopers, as well as plenty of other characters from the original trilogy. Star Wars is looking to be one of the must-have dress-up lines for 2016, but with the new Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War superhero movies due for release in March and April, these could be close contenders for the spring/summer season. Rubie’s is also set to unveil its corresponding DC and Marvel licensed dress-up ranges at the show.

Owing to the enduring popularity of Rubie’s Disney Princess range for girls spurred on by the phenomenal success of Frozen, Disneylicensed girls dress-up will feature prominently on the Rubie’s stand, including a new range from Disney’s popular Descendants TV show which will be on display for the first time alongside new costume ranges from Finding Dory and The Good Dinosaur movies.

There will be plenty more new licensed ranges to see on the Rubie’s stand including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers Dino Charge, Paw Patrol, Minions and much more.

Golden Bear is heading into 2016 with new additions to its Twirlywoos collection. This year’s toy range will be headed up by the Run-Along Fun Sounds Twirlywoos, which will be available in all four characters, Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy and Chick. The line will launch in January and will be supported with a campaign across TV and digital platforms as well as PR activity.

The Twirlywoos range will also see new introductions in the form of the Quacky Bird Soft Toy and the Fun Sounds PeekaBoo complete with sounds and textured fabrics.

The In the Night Garden range will continue to expand with new products including the Explore & Learn Musical Pinky Ponk, which offers a host of features for pre-schoolers.

Heading up the plush collection is My Best Friend Igglepiggle, and Igglepiggle’s Bedtime Boat, which offers features including music, stories, light show and a soothing night light.

Super Duggee joins the autumn/winter collection dressed in his superhero outfit and featuring superhero sounds. A further Duggee Talking Soft Toy is being introduced, along with Enid the Cat. New items include the Push and Go Fire Engine, which comes with a Duggee figure.

The Go Mini range will see the launch of the Light up Twin Turbo Raceway. New vehicles will also be introduced to the range in the form of the Key Racers and the Stunt Racers Twin Pack.

The Mr Tumble Something Special brand will see the 2016 collection refreshed. Feature plush includes Mr Tumble with iconic Tumble Tap and a Mr Tumble car joins the range with its many features.

The company’s Kid Tough pre-school construction range, My First JCB, will see the Stacking Stanley Mega Truck join the range in summer 2016. Also new will be the Big Wheelers Action Team pack, which includes popular characters Joey, Doug and Freddie.

The new Oddbods toy range consists of plush, collectible figures, vehicles and playsets and the toy range will launch summer 2016.

Underground Toys 01621 854 654 | www.underground-toys.com Hall 5, Stand A-72 With this year’s highly anticipated film fast approaching and collectors already choosing their favourite new characters, Underground Toys’ Star Wars BB-8 Medium Talking Plush will be a key product on display at Nuremberg Toy Fair.

This Star Wars Premium BB-8 Talking Plush stands at 9” tall, with Underground Toys also launching 15” deluxe and 4” mini clip-on versions. Capturing the character’s iconic ball shape, this high quality plush toy features BB8’s beep sounds.

Also rolling into Nuremberg this year is Underground Toys’ Star Wars Death Star Premium Talking Plush, which stands at 12” tall.

Featuring iconic phrases from the Star Wars original trilogy, the plush also includes Death Star’s superlaser sounds. A green LED light is turned on when each sound is played.

Underground Toys will be showcasing these products along with a host of other Star Wars talking plush. The company will also be displaying a huge array of other entertainment-based licensed products from brands such as Marvel, Ghostbusters, Doctor Who, The Walking Dead, Peppa Pig and more.

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Nuremberg Toy Fair

Horizon Hobby

01279 636 353 | www.horizonhobby.co.uk Hall 7A, Stand B-165 Leading RC company Horizon Hobby is unique in the toy industry, designing and producing its own products and brands whilst also specialising in distributing and importing its own technology.

Having been a major player in the hobby sector for 30 years, the company has now entered the toy arena with its range of high-tech and easy-to-use products. Carrying over 24,000 lines of RC product from micro quads to petrol cars and drones, the company works with many licensors, including Audi, that refuse to work with anyone else in the market.

The company keeps on top of trends in all its product categories, releasing three to five new products a week to meet changing and rapid demand. Its dedicated customer service team also means that if a consumer has a problem with a part, they can contact the company direct rather than the retailer.

Horizon Hobby uses the same technology in its toy products as in its hobby models. The tech has been reverse engineered so that children can easily access the products and experience a few crashes along the way. Its toy products also have an educational factor, whereby kids can open all the cars up to see the mechanics.

The company’s range of light-up minis offer affordable fast-paced RC action for beginners. This particular range includes the ECX Outburst 1/14-scale Motorcycle, the ECX BeatBox Monster Truck, the ECX Outburst 1/14-scale Motorcycle, the ECX 1/36 KickFlip Desert Truck V2, The Blade Inductrix Drone, the HobbyZone ZUgo ZMP Camera Quad and The HobbyZone Faze Ultra Small Quad.

The Hobbyzone Sport Cub S RTF RC Airplane with Safe Technology is another standout product which scooped first place in the Teenager and Family Category at this year’s Nuremberg Toy Fair. It can take numerous crashes and the parts and components are available separately.

The company is currently working with over 400 hobby retailers in the UK and is expecting to build a similar number of toy accounts.

MGA/Zapf 01908 268 480 | www.zapf-creation.com | www.mgae.com

Worlds Apart 0800 389 8591 | www.worldsapart.com

Hall 12.2, Stand P-08

Hall 7, Stand C21 2016 will see Worlds Apart reinforce its reputation for launching new licensed product platforms, as well as innovation in outdoor and novel promotional toys.

Head Phone Hats is a new range of licensed characterised beanies with built-in headphones. These 3D character headphones have limited Db, meaning that ears are protected. Licences include Finding Dory, Paw Patrol, Frozen, My Little Pony, Star Wars and Avengers.

Limbo Hop is a new concept supported by a heavy weight TV advertising plan, and extensive digital marketing support.

Pop Out Tramps, the instant set up and fold away trampolines are fully patented and endorsed by Change4Life.

The GoGlow brand is reinforced by three new launches, each supported by a comprehensive licensing programme. GoGlow FlashCaps is a brand new development from the GoGlow brand team and the character beanies feature a hands-free head torch. GoGlow My First Torch is the only licensed torch of its kind for kids and is made for toddlers, with its durable, soft design.

Go Glow Character Light FX demonstrates its commitment to taking novelty bedside lighting further into the toy aisle. The 3D character transitions from a torch to a night light and projector through touching the rechargeable base unit.

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Following a successful relaunch in summer 2015, Bratz is back.

Spring 2016 will see a number of new themes added to the range, inspired by the current trends in technology and style that influence today’s tween.

Many products within the range will also have a CIY feature, allowing children to personalise the dolls.

Project Mc2 is a team of four girls who use their love of science and their spy skills as they go on missions for secret organization, NOV8.

The products are inspired by the Netflix original series with the tagline Smart is the New Cool. New spring 2016 lines will continue the brand focus on STEM subjects and encouraging children to take an interest in science.

Lalaloopsy will encourage collectibility in spring 2016, as key drivers will include a new range of dolls and playsets that offer mix and match fashion play.

Baby Annabell, the doll brand from Zapf Creation, will include a number of refreshes and new product launches in spring 2016 across dolls, clothing and accessories.

Baby Born is celebrating its 25th birthday in 2016. A number of PR and marketing initiatives will be planned around the anniversary.

New product launches along the popular Bathtime and Wonderland themes will also be added.

Nuremberg Toy Fair

Kids@Play 01291 429 007 | uk@kids-at-play.com

Revell 0845 459 0747 | www.revell.de/en

Hall 8, Stand A-07 In 2016, Kids@Play will launch its new range of Thunderbirds inflatable products, including the 5ft Thunderbird 3 which lights up with over 64 LED lights built inside it to brighten up any child’s bedroom.

Other products in the range include Thunderbirds 2 and 4 paddling pools and ball parks, Thunderbird 1, the 5ft tall rocket and a Tracy Island inflatable double walled climbing frame with slide.

The previews were well received and interest in the product range is well beyond expectations. Kids@Play is already scheduling large production runs to meet the huge demand.

Hall 12.2, Stand P-13 (All ranges) Hall 7A, Stand D-160 (Hobby RC sector)

LeapFrog 01895 202 840 | www.leapfrog.com Hall 12.2, Stand P-19 The autumn/winter 2015 season saw the LeapFrog reveal its new LeapFrog Ahead, positioning in a host of multi-channel campaigns across its product categories. Born out of consumer research, the LeapFrog Ahead campaign was created to address the evolution in needs and wants of millennial parents and is the start of a new age of LeapFrog marketing communications and product development.

LeapFrog’s heritage remains a key driver and the 2015 20th anniversary celebrations were kicked off with a campaign which nodded its head to this. LeapFrog also launched its 30 ways in 30 days guide, which offered parents solutions to tackle reading with their child at home as part of their everyday family routine. The campaign was led by a robust PR, social media and ECRM programme.

2015 was also a pioneering year for LeapFrog in the world of product development with the launch of its first Android based tablet, Epic. The family of pre-school tablets was expanded in 2015 with the launch of the seven inch LeapPad Platinum and three Imagicard games.

Number Loving Oven and Scout’s Build & Discover Tool Box round out the role-play toys, and Word Whammer encourages word building skills to help get four-year-olds ready for school. To celebrate the launch of Number Loving Oven, the company used PR and social media and partnered with family favourite food guru, Annabel Karmel, for its kitchen kids campaign.

Revell Control’s position as a major player in the radio controlled sector is ramped up with the Quadcopter Steady Quad Cam. The product features an automatic height setting function and onboard camera. There is also a range of off-road cars, pick-ups, rock crawlers and buggies. 1:24 scale licensed RC cars include the Porsche 918, Audi R8 and BMW Police Car. Hobbico offers a range of RC brands. Flyzone features versatile aircrafts and the AquaCraft RC boats include entry level racers up to full-spec speed boats and scale models. Arrma is a range of RC cars and Axial RC vehicles are rock crawlers, rock racers and race buggies. Dromida offers a range of drones and buggies.

Revell Junior Kit is a new concept that bridges the gap between playsets and model kits, whilst ultimately broadening the appeal of the hobby. This range of detailed, easy-to-assemble construction toys includes large parts which are simply snapped together and connected by screws and child-friendly tools. Once completed, each race car or fire truck transforms into a durable, fully functioning toy.

Cartamundi is bringing out a two-in-one Finding Dory game box that offers a Pairs & Donkeys game.

There will also be a new Disney Princess game box, which includes six perfumed Princess cards, and a Disney Pixar’s Cars game box that features four buildable cards to make characters for the racing game. Zootropolis has also inspired a two-game deck of cards, including rules for a Happy Families and an action game.

Hall 10.1 Stands B-06 and C-11 Papo’s wild animal collection will increase further with new figurines such as a scorpion and tarantula. To complement the dinosaur collection, the Baryonyx will be introduced.

A new mini dinosaur set will also be launched in 2016, along with a medieval and fantasy set.

Hall 5, Stand C-24, D-19 New to Rainbow Design’s nursery portfolio will be the Miffy for Baby collection, which features nursery products including 25cm plush toys, ring rattles, comfort blankets and an activity cube.

Also new are the large activity playmats which will feature in the Guess How Much I Love You range. Other additions to this collection include a set of illustrated stacking blocks and the Peekaboo Nutbrown Hare feature plush.

Rainbow’s Air Puppy collection and Hedgerley Farm collection will also feature at Nuremberg.

In celebration of 2016’s centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth, Rainbow will launch a plush series featuring Matilda, the BFG and Willy Wonka and a feature Whizzpopping BFG. Hall 1, Stand E-22

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The long-rumoured Hamleys acquisition – by Chinese footwear retailer c. Banner International Holdings Ltd – has finally been confirmed, which will presumably come as a huge relief to everyone there, not to mention all its suppliers. According to well-positioned sources, Hamleys was on “financial closure” for much of November: i.e. buyers were not placing orders and invoices were not being settled. One can only imagine how much business the company potentially lost while stock was not being replenished at such a crucial time of the year, but presumably this fiscal lockdown has now been removed and Hamleys can start trading properly once again….

Allegedly

Allegedly understands that Neil Bandtock has moved on from his role at Merlin Entertainment, while Kate Griggs has taken on the role of senior buying manager for the girls and pre-school categories at Asda. Elsewhere Andy Clempson has left his role at Mattel, while Katie Rollings recently parted company with Chuggington owner Ludorum….

Congratulations to regular Toy World contributor David Ripley, who has officially been appointed as category director EMEA for toys, sport, pets and nursery at Groupon, after initially joining the company on a consultancy basis earlier this year. I think it’s a great opportunity for David, who tells me that he would welcome direct discussions with all toy and nursery suppliers who are not currently working with Groupon. David told me: “I may be biased but I think the new Groupon Goods initiative represents one of the largest retail growth opportunities for toy suppliers in the EMEA territory.” David can be contacted at dripley@Groupon.com, and you can read more about how Groupon is evolving in the January issue of Toy World….

Throughout 2015 Argos has been facing a series of ongoing technical problems which have been attributed to ‘systems issues.’ Until recently, it was only suppliers who were aware of the situation. However, last month it was the consumers’ turn to discover the scale of the challenge which Argos is facing in transforming its business into the digital arena. When customers logged on to the Argos website on the opening morning of the latest ‘3 for 2’ promotional offer, they were faced with the message ‘Sorry, this offer has already closed.’ Things didn’t get any better: the website was down for most of the following weekend, with some customers claiming that money had been taken from their account whilst Argos were denying that an order had been placed. Customer service lines quickly became swamped, with thousands of people were left in limbo, not knowing if they were going to receive their order or not.

The Daily Mail called it a ‘meltdown’, and the whole thing was blamed on – you guessed it – ‘a systems error.’ I’m certainly not without sympathy for their plight: glitches happen in the digital arena, and I’m sure we all know how frustrating it can be when things go wrong, especially at such a crucial moment.

But nevertheless, maybe Argos shouldn’t throw away its stash of little pencils and bits of paper just yet….

It wouldn’t be Christmas without the John Lewis Christmas ad. Last year’s ad resulted in a surge in interest in Penguins, so this year’s ad had a lot to live up to. There was no need to worry: shortly after the ad first aired, a number of retailers and suppliers got in touch, excited about the prospects for science and moon-related items. Brainstorm swiftly reported a healthy increase in demand for its Moon Globe, while Toytown Seaford’s Ginette McGee pointed out that not only was the girl in the ad not wearing pink or dressed as a fairy, but more importantly the ad represented a major retailer promoting the fact that science toys are for girls as well as boys. Maybe John Lewis just had a greater impact on the gender debate than a whole host of pressure groups could ever hope to achieve, i.e. they just made it look cool for girls to play with science toys, rather than turning it into a philosophical debate….

Some people believe that Sainsbury’s has outdone even John Lewis in the quest to deliver the best Christmas ad this year,

creating huge demand for Mog books and toys in the process.

We used to read the books to our daughters when they were young, and it’s great to see a whole new generation of kids discovering this charming character. Suggestions were made that Sainsbury’s deliberately under-produced stock, with toys being purchased and resold on eBay at a profit by some greedy individuals (as the range raised money for Save the Children, it makes the practice even more nefarious). As both Lego and Hasbro have recently found out, the media love to trot this argument out to suggest cynical behaviour, but Sainsbury’s is surely just as innocent as the aforementioned toy companies – sometimes things just turn out to be more popular than predicted. But nevertheless it’s probably good news for stockists and manufacturers of grey plush cats (cue retailers taking their stock of white cats to the back of the store to ‘dirty’ them up) ….

The dates for next year’s BLE have caused consternation after it was revealed that the show will clash with Yom Kippur in 2016. Attempts to move the show to avoid the clash were unfortunately unsuccessful: organiser Advanstar has confirmed that the problem will be rectified for 2017, but it will inevitably have some impact on next year’s event. I guess it just highlights the paucity of options available to exhibition organisers in London since the closure of Earl’s Court, and the relative failure of ExCeL to establish itself as a viable alternative….

Debenhams made headlines for all the wrong reasons last month, after approaching suppliers to ask for an additional 1-2 % discount in return for earlier settlement over the next six months. One analyst commented that “it’s outrageous that suppliers have to wait longer than 60 days to get paid,” which seems a fair assessment to me. But I heard of another retailer this week which has arguably surpassed Debenhams, by introducing new lifting fees which are multiplied by the number of stores the product is stocked in. The supplier who told me about the scam – sorry, scheme – had calculated that these additional fees would exceed the volume of turnover the company had done with the retailer in question this year.

It would appear that the retailer hadn’t taken the trouble to conduct the same exercise – unless they’re deliberately basing their new terms on levels of extortion rarely seen outside of Sicily and New York….

I’m not usually one to plaster pictures of myself over social media, but I’ll make an exception just this once. Except, it’s not really a picture of me, rather a 3D model which Nickelodeon kindly facilitated through its partnership with Asda on the 3DME initiative. I’ll be honest, I was initially a bit sceptical: having seen some previous models that have come out of 3D printers, my expectations were modest. But the final result is uncanny: not perfect (unless I really do have one pointy ear like Spock and a slight blue tinge to my hair), but spookily accurate – to the degree that I will be spending a lot more time in our office gym over the coming weeks. So here I am in all my glory, along with my good friend Leonardo the Turtle (with the addition of my Golden Teddy for scale). Maybe the 3D Printer Revolution – of which I have previously remained staunchly unconvinced – is far closer than I imagined.

I was also sorry to hear former VTech MD Sid Heyde passed away recently. Known to many as ‘Hissing Sid’, he developed a fearsome reputation in some quarters, but I have to say that as a young person making his way in the trade when Sid was at the height of his career, he was nothing other than friendly and charming in all his dealings with me. I’m sure he will be greatly missed.

Learning Music Made Easy Rainbow Colours continuing to extend the range of instruments using the magical colour coded method.

Introducing new instruments at Nuremberg the Violin, Ocarina, Electric Guitar, Flute, Recorder, Bells, Percussion, Drums and Harmonica Rainbow Colours is designed to present the easiest possible approach to learning a musical instrument.

Using the coloured musical notes with the coloured strings or stickers, learning is simple. The visual style of the book is great for ages 3-15 years, as well as students with learning difficulties or dyslexia. The system is a wonderful opportunity for parents and teachers to interact with their children while teaching them to play a new instrument.

Looking for distributors and retailers around the world Chris Poole, Shades CP LImited (Rainbow Colours), 214-218 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8EY 0121 449 8181 www.rainbowcolours.com info@rainbowcolours.com