Toyworld May 2017

May 2017 volume 6 issue 8

THE 2017 STARTING LINE-UP IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! © Disney/Pixar

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CONTENTS May 2017 volume 6 issue 8

32 Fresh John Baulch

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

34 Company Profile: Bladez Mark Austin

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

News

Opinion

Features

05 From the Publisher

20 Generation Media:

15 BTHA Briefing 22 Retail Profile: The Entertainer 34 Company Profile: Bladez 36 Feature: Dolls 56 Feature: Toymaster Preview

06 News Anita Baulch

Living in a Digital World

24 NPD column

16 Industry Moves Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

28 Viewpoint

18 Marketing World

58 Talking Shop

32 Fresh

90 Allegedly

Contributors David Ripley | Jim Hawker | The NPD Group | Martin Doyle |

Rachael Simpson

Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | Lutz Muller | Stephen Woodman

Deputy Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Casey Goodman

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

36 Feature: Dolls

Mark Crowford

Design and Production Manager markc@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

56 Feature: Toymaster Preview

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s far as the toy industry is concerned, the merry month of May has become synonymous with the Toymaster show in Harrogate. This enduringly popular event gives Toymaster members and other independent toy retailers the perfect opportunity to start their Christmas ordering process. The show also serves to shine a spotlight on the independent channel as a whole, and the key role it plays within the UK toy market. A role, I would argue, which goes way beyond purely the monetary value of the channel.

It’s fair to say that no retailer has it easy in the current climate – the recent fine for the accounting scandal at Tesco illustrates the pressure that even the largest retailers are under. However, it is clear that the independents have a myriad of specific challenges to deal with: declining High Street footfall, larger numbers of consumers shopping online, parking problems, high rent and business rates – the perfect storm. Throw in the fact that consumers are spending more of their discretionary income on experiences and leisure pursuits than on consumer goods; the rise in the living wage and the whole currency rollercoaster and it’s fair to say that 2017 could turn out to be a watershed year for many independents across the country.

Yet I believe it is integral for the health of the toy market that the independents are given every opportunity to compete, if not on a completely level playing field, then at very least in a fair fight. The strengths of the indies should not be under-estimated; collectively, they tend to be much bigger risk takers compared with the majors. Many new brands would simply never have got off the ground had it not been for the support of the indies. The same is true of start-up companies, with the majors often reluctant to take on new suppliers.

If the toy market becomes overly reliant on the major accounts, when one of them catches a cold, we all suffer (who can forget the demise of Woolworths in 2008?). Equally, it is not unheard of for a multi-category retailer to lose interest in toys and give the space over to other product sectors which they perceive offer better margin returns and work the shelf space harder, especially away from the peak Christmas period.

A specialist toy retailer is a year-round supporter and passionate advocate of toys, not an ‘in and out’ merchant looking to make a quick buck.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that any further decline in the account base would hand the majors even greater bargaining power – and suppliers don’t need me to remind them of the fun they have negotiating with retailers already. If you factor in the majors’ ability to sell at negligible margin - or

even below cost - if they deem it acceptable for their overall business model, it makes for a potentially uncomfortable situation for toy suppliers.

I go back to Peter Brown’s seminal comments, made at a Toy of the Year award ceremony many years ago, when he suggested positive discrimination in favour of specialist toy retailers was the best way to ensure their survival and prosperity. After the event, I remember speaking to many suppliers who were sceptical about the idea, suggesting that there was no way they could justify such an approach internally, yet alone explain it their major customers. Indeed, Peter has admitted to me that he received a lot of flak for the observation at the time, not just from major retailers (predictably), but also from his own sales team.

And yet, all these years on, I can’t help thinking that – no matter how difficult it would be to implement in practice – Peter was essentially right. Don’t get me wrong, I completely appreciate the challenge in extending better prices to smaller accounts, but there is more than one way to skin a cat. This might just be the year for suppliers to look through their ranges and try to find a way to give specialists some weapons to at least make a decent fight of It – let’s be honest, none of us wants High Streets across the land to end up just being full of charity shops, bookmakers and pound shops.

That said, I genuinely sense that the tide is beginning to turn. I’ve been speaking to quite a few indies recently who are consciously seeking out new companies and ranges that they know the majors won’t have. They have chosen to embrace the philosophy ‘it’s good to be different.’ They have recognised that they need a different product strategy, appreciating that if they stock the same lines as all the majors, the outcome is inevitable. As one succinctly put it: “Why try to be like Argos, TRU or Smyths - they already do that very well themselves.” Quite. (I also enjoyed the same retailer’s description of the majors’ seemingly perpetual discounting as ‘the DFS approach.’).

So, this month, let’s celebrate and embrace the diversity and individuality of the independent channel.

And, sometimes, its sheer bloody-mindedness. Talking with Ian Edmunds at the recent Toymaster brand presentation, a supplier joined us and asked why head office couldn’t insist that all its members supported initiatives such as window displays. Ian laughed: “If we tried to force them, even less would actually do it. They’re called independents for a reason. They like to make their own mind up about what they want to do, and they don’t like us telling them.” I thought that was a brilliant answer. There are enough spread-sheet retailers already. Here’s to a bit of maverick spirit to counteract that. See you in Harrogate.

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News Alpha Animation partners with Import Services

Sainsbury’s pushes ahead with Argos rollout in supermarkets The supermarket chain plans to open 250 Argos outlets as it takes on low-cost rivals and Amazon, and has already opened 50 Argos concessions since taking over the catalogue retailer and Habitat for £1.4bn last year.

Argos boss John Rogers said the retailer would continue to maintain its high-street presence, but also called for “radical reform” to business rates, to help shops compete with online retailers.

Argos announced recently that it would turn 60 more of its 800 UK stores into a digital format - where customers can order on an iPad rather than a catalogue, a change which is said would not bring job losses.

A major reason Sainsbury’s bought Argos was for its delivery network, as it looked to deliver goods to customers quicker than rivals such as Amazon. But unlike Amazon, the group pays a large amount in business rates on its shops. Speaking to the BBC, John Rogers commented: “We would ask the government to radically reform business rates. It’s an anachronistic tax in this very digital world, but that doesn’t mean to say we can’t compete with Amazon.”

Successful animation, entertainment and toy group, Alpha Animation has announced a partnership with Southampton based Import Services. The long-term agreement involves Import Services facilitating the distribution of Alpha’s products to the UK and Irish retail market by providing inbound shipping from Alpha’s Far East production centres, customs clearance, storage, high volume order processing, pre-retailing services and outbound distribution to Alpha’s customers.

Mark Hyndman, country general manager, UK & Ireland, commented: “Our decision to work with Import Services is based on their impressive knowledge of UK retail logistics.

Their experience and expertise, combined with web enabled systems and their port-centric location in Southampton, presented us with a compelling business case.’’

Mike Thomas, director at Import’s Client Services, commented: “We are thrilled Alpha Animation has selected our team to underpin their continued growth. Alpha is an exciting, innovative business and we very much look forward to working together in a great supply chain partnership.”

Next wave of MGA’s L.O.L Surprise! to arrive in UK Collectible L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls arrived in the UK in February. The collectible dolls launched with no traditional marketing, channelling activity through influencers and a three-stage event launch in London. The next wave of Series 1 product is due to appear on shelves. Combining unboxing with the anticipation of surprise, each of the product’s seven layers reveals a different treat, including an emoji sticker, accessory, and a doll.

Nicola Mellor, senior brand manager, commented: “After selling out within two weeks of being on sale, it’s great to bring the next wave of product to the UK. Retailer response to the L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls has been incredible, we’re seeing extreme measures being taken to not miss out on meeting demand. We have high expectations for the arrival of Series 2 in July.”

L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls offers over 45 combinations to collect, from Rockers to Merbabies, each one complete with its own water feature, bathtub, doll stand and hangout, all doubling up as a purse.

DISTRIBUTING AND MARKETING

QUALITY CHILDREN’S BRANDS tel. 01604 678780 email. dkl@dkl.co.uk 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton, NN3 6QD, UK

www.dkl.co.uk DKL.Toys

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News

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Character’s Laser X to launch early Character Options is to bring forward the launch of its real-life infrared gaming experience, Laser X, by a month. The move comes following five star ratings from the U.S. where the game has already launched. Stock will now be on shelves at the end of June with all marketing activity and TV advertising brought forward to support the launch at retail.

Laser X creates a real laser arena at home and can be played inside or out, day or night.

Players can use their blasters to tag opponents from over 60 meters away while the receiver vest counts the hits.

Gameplay allows for an unlimited number of players so it can be played one-on-one or with the whole neighbourhood.

Laser X includes full colour lighting effects, stereo sound and music.

Mark Hunt, Character Options’ marketing manager, commented: “The key to Laser X’s success is its functionality, it performs exceptionally well, the consumer reviews are 5 star and we’ve had a blast testing the product ahead of launch. Laser X is going to appeal to all ages and we had to bring it forward to meet the demand of our retailers who are all extremely excited to get this into stores asap. TV influencer activity, digital campaigns and product placements will make this game the must have for summer.”

Adults are spending more on toys for themselves New research from NPD reveals that British adults are powering growth in the toy sector by buying toys for themselves. Last year, one in every 11 toys sold was bought by a grown-up for personal use. This ‘kidult’ market’ has grown 65% in value terms since 2012. It increased by 21% in 2016 alone.

“Millennials” (18-34 years old) account for 50% of the spend among grown-ups buying toys for themselves, while “Generation X-ers” (35-54 years old) account for around a third and “Boomers” (55 years+) account for 18%. Men are more likely than women to buy toys for themselves. More than half of the purchases by grown-ups are made online, with Amazon and Tesco the favourite destinations. Adults without children spend more money on toys for themselves than adults with kids. They are more likely to make impulse purchases of toys, for instance when shopping in the supermarket or browsing for other items online.

Frederique Tutt, global industry analyst, Toys, NPD, commented: “The trend for the not-so-young buying toys for themselves is a sign of our times. It’s now normal in Britain to

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Let me Eduk8 you Toy World spoke to Eduk8 co-founder Christine Lawson about the company’s move into the toy retail market Can you give us a little background on the history of Eduk8?

Eduk8 Worldwide was founded by myself and Roger Walker in 2002, to give schools and parents the opportunity to use specifically designed educational toys to enhance the learning process.

Eduk8 Worldwide has been a major supplier to the UK and international education sector for over 15 years, and I believe that parents and children should also have access to our high- quality range.

Tell us more about Eduk8’s move into retail Our toys have been developed to encourage learning through play, with careful research and design to meet the needs of the sector. We have also been developing STEM toys for the past few years- albeit only for the educational sector. So, although they are tried and tested, they are yet to hit mainstream retail.

In 2017 we plan to offer those products to retail, potentially exclusively. We believe that our range will appeal to retailers who are looking for something different.

Which toy retail channels do you feel your products sit well in?

We have product ranges that will suit all markets. What’s more, such is the scope of the STEM range, we could help develop this category for retailers.

How is the business expanding this year?

We have just moved into a new office to

enable the appointment of more staff, as well as providing increased warehouse space to cope with demand for our new product lines. Within the business, we have employees that have over 100 years of combined experience, knowledge and understanding of the education and toy sectors.

We have also taken on a new sales team to cover the whole of the UK and Ireland, who have a vast knowledge of the toy sector. Adrian Leafe has joined the company as UK and International sales manager, and Tom Marshall has been appointed to the board of directors.

What are your key new product introductions for this year?

We are moving into smart toys with the launch of a new 3D augmented reality playmat. In addition, we are launching our new Eduk8 n Play range including lots of great new products such as the Large Activity Play Mats (zoo, city, construction and farm). We will also be launching an extensive range of handson Science and Maths-oriented toys, ideal for encouraging STEM learning in young minds.

What are your aspirations for 2017?

Our aim in 2017 is to introduce many of our new ranges into the toy retail market, so consumers can purchase many of the products that their children play and learn with at school.

see adults playing games on their smartphones in public and recently we’ve experienced a revival in the market for board games, as families look to spend quality time together the old-fashioned way. The trend for people aged 18+ buying toys for themselves is possibly a reaction to the stress of our fast-paced lives.”

The categories where the ‘kidult’ trend is most prominent are games & puzzles (17% of sales), building sets (16%), action figures (16%) and vehicles (11%).

Much of the growth in the older audience for toys can be attributed to the rise in collectible toys and popular characters. Star Wars and Lego are favourites for the more mature toy buyer. Both these brands have spanned several decades and have been successful at reinventing themselves, most recently with films, which can evoke a feeling of nostalgia among the more mature fanbase.

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News newsanalysis

MCM Comic Con owner invests in Kidtropolis

That’s not my range…

MCM Central has taken a major stake in children’s consumer show Kidtropolis. Known for its Comic Con consumer shows and for being winner of the UK’s Best Consumer Show two years in a row at both the EN and AEO awards, MCM brings a team of marketeers and consumer focused events experts to Kidtropolis.

Kidtropolis, which will take place at ExCeL London in October half term, is a consumer event for children and families which celebrates brands through experiences. The event made its debut in October 2016 and achieved over 18,500 visitors across three days and attracted over 59 million opportunities to experience kids’ brands.

Tickets for the 2017 show will launch after Easter. Companies are being advised to secure their involvement throughout April and May in order to maximise the proposition. A line up of content, activities and talent will be announced in due course. Kidtropolis managing director, Simon Pilling commented: “We can’t wait to reveal our plans for 2017’s show.”

MCM Central CEO, Bryan Cooney commented: “We knew from just the concept that Simon and Gemma had a winner with Kidtropolis, the first show proved that there is a market for this unique offering for families and especially children age 3-12; a truly winning formula.”

Toy World chatted to Boyd Denton about Usborne’s presence in traditional toy retail channels.

How important is the toy market to the company?

We see the toy trade as an important part of route to market, particularly for growth. As we see the traditional book retailers blurring the lines and taking stationery, greetings cards, and toy lines, we would love to see more toy retailers warming to a book offering. The depth of our list really does present a strong offering for any size store.

Which particular toy retail channels do you feel your products sit well in?

We are comfortable in all aspects from online shops to the national retailers to the independents. The ability to be flexible and supply high volume or single copies if required makes us appealing.

What are your key new product introductions for this year?

This year sees the publication of the 50th That’s not my… touchy feely board-book, That’s not my unicorn…. The series is now 18 years old and has sold over 20m copies worldwide. Book and jigsaw packs, together with sewing kits, card tricks and step-by-step drawing packs head up our growing ‘books-plus’ offering. Activities remain a strong focus and joining our best-selling Fingerprint Activities books we have Rubber Stamp Activities and a series of high quality Magic Painting books.

The Entertainer grows presence in Pakistan

Can you tell us about your plans to license out your own IP? This is a new area for us and our sales and commercial director Christian Herisson is heading it up, exploring the various options.

What are your aspirations for 2017?

As always, we aim for sustained continual growth at a safe level. It’s not just about dumping stock with retailers and hoping for the best, we love to work with our retail partners, tailoring our offering to help grow sales.

British winner in global Lego Friends competition The Lego Group recently ran a global competition giving children the chance to create a concept design for the Lego Friends range.

Children were asked to design a new building set for Heartlake City, the fictional home of the five Lego Friends.

There were more than 28,000 entries from all over the world and over 3,000 from the UK. Winner eight-year old Sienna from London is the first child ever to create a concept for a Lego Friends set and engage with the Lego designers to evolve it as a final product.

Sienna and her family will now be heading to the Lego Group headquarters in Billund, Denmark, to engage with the design team who will turn the idea into a reality. Sienna’s Heartlake Playground set will be on the shelves of Toys R Us, Lego retail stores and Legoland stores in September.

Rebecca Snell at Lego UK commented: “It has been inspiring to see so many children participate and use their imagination to come up with such fun and relevant ideas for a Lego Friends set. We are delighted for Sienna; her Playground theme is the perfect addition to Heartlake City. After all, every city should have a playground.”

The Entertainer has added to its growing international portfolio with the 5000 square feet store, which opened its doors on Saturday 25th March in Lahore’s largest mall in Pakistan. Established franchise partner Sefam has already successfully launched four other stores in Lahore and one in Islamabad.

With over 30 years of retail experience, the Sefam Group strives to become the premier destination for toys in Pakistan under The Entertainer brand by providing customers a unique and exciting in-store experience.

In what has now become The Entertainer tradition, the new store celebrated its opening with a Grand Opening Day event which included costume character appearances, face painting, lucky draw activities, a photo booth and free goodie bags.

Commenting on the new store with Sefam Group, The Entertainer’s founder and managing director, Gary Grant commented: “We are thrilled to welcome families into the newest edition to our growing collection of Pakistani stores.

We are very much looking forward to bringing even more joy and wonder to the children of Lahore with our reputable partner, Sefam.”

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News Driving business in the UK Toy World spoke to Henes’ Shawn No about the company’s launch into the UK market.

Can you give us a little background on the history of Henes?

Our parent company, SS Delta, acquired Henes in 2014. Since the acquisition, we have been investing heavily in improving the quality of the product range and the service we provide.

How important is the UK market?

We initially started exporting last year, and we strongly believe that the UK is one of the most important markets for us. We are putting a huge effort behind our expansion in the UK this year.

Which particular retail channels do your products sit well in?

We have enjoyed tremendous success so far in the online market, especially with Amazon in the US. We also see department stores and high-end retailers such as Harrods as the perfect target market.

How important is safety in the electric ride-on sector?

We always think safety first. Our cars are equipped with slow start and emergency stop function to prevent injury to the child.

I think all electric ride-on cars should be equipped with these important safety functions.

Is the sector driven by price, product features, service and supply, or a combination of all of these factors?

Customers are very sensitive with price and after service; these are the two features that are the key to success in this category.

What are your key new product introductions for this year?

We have just launched a new Sports model in Korea, which will be available in UK this summer. It will be priced extremely competitively, but has same key features.

Jumbo claims top adult puzzle spot for 10th consecutive year Jumbo’s leading adult puzzle brand, Wasgij, also shared the manufacturer’s milestone of 10 consecutive years as the UK’s number 1 selling adult puzzle brand, showing continued growth in 2016 ahead of its 20th anniversary year.

Falcon de Luxe saw growth of +26% according to NPD throughout 2016. Jumbo’s Puzzle Mates range also continues to be the UK’s number 1 puzzle accessories brand in the UK, with the Portapuzzle still claiming the top-spot for consumers with the Portapuzzle Deluxe, Standard and last year’s new addition, the Portapuzzle Board. The Puzzle & Roll brand also held onto its number 2 spot in NPD. Stewart Middleton, managing director at Jumbo Games commented: “I’ve seen a lot of articles in the news lately about the rise of puzzles, and how in a digital era, people’s desire for traditional puzzles and board games are making a comeback. The proof is in the pudding, with adult puzzle sales seeing a double digit rise in 2016 according to NPD and it’s really great to see this trend reflected across our portfolio. Our Falcon de Luxe brand saw its best performing year, proving our strategy throughout 2016 to be extremely successful. I am delighted that we are in the position to report such positive results so early in the year, as we have a lot still to come for 2017.”

New dates for Tendence Toy World spoke to Bettina Bär, Tendence director, about the forthcoming show and why retailers of children’s products should consider attending.

What kind of products will visitors be able to see at Tendence?

This year’s Tendence will present the latest products for the home, decorating and giving in Frankfurt from 24th- 27th June. Of course, this includes products for children. The spectrum ranges from home accessories for children’s rooms, via festive articles for birthdays parties, to general toys, soft toys and textiles. Suppliers of children’s ranges are to be found within the individual product groups, such as Young Gifts in Hall 11.0, Gift Classics in Hall 9.1 and Lovely Home in Hall 8.0. Additionally, there will be the ‘afilii – Design for kids’ stand in the Young & Trendy segment, where creative design start-ups present their prototypes for toys, home accessories and children’s furniture. The new timing is only one of the changes that visitors will notice at the coming show. For example, the restructured fair will have a completely new look and feel, and not only present the latest products for autumn, winter and Christmas, but also those for the following spring and summer season. As our claim puts it so succinctly: ‘two seasons, one date’. Thus, all visitor target groups can be sure of finding the products they are looking for.

Will UK retailers discover new products and new suppliers at the show?

We have banked on significant growth at this year’s Tendence, which means I can answer your question with an unequivocal ‘yes’. For example, Hall 8, with the Lovely Home and Seasonal Decoration segments, is already fully booked up. Specifically, for children’s products, exhibitors include Chunkichilli Knitwear, Design & Mein, Jungle by jungle and Rex London, who are showing their products at Tendence for the first time. Additionally, the fair offers retailers a variety of sales-promotion tools, for example, new special areas such as ‘Impulse by Tendence’, an interactive platform for modern product presentations. During the fair, we will be presenting products in a completely new way and showing retailers how they can integrate these presentations in their own shops. Visitors can also look forward to the Outdoor Living exhibition area and the special show on the trend of concept stores, which are likely to be of particular interest for buyers of children’s products.

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News BTHA AGM & Industry Day 2017 This year’s event will take place on 28th June, at Great Fosters Hotel, Surrey. The day will begin with the BTHA AGM from 9.30am which will then be followed by the Industry Day from 10.15am.

The Industry Day is a great opportunity to meet and network with industry colleagues and to hear from expert speakers on issues relating to the industry. This year the BTHA is delighted to unveil two unrivalled keynote speakers for the event.

Dylan Collins, CEO of SuperAwesome, will provide an insight to current technology trends, platforms and compliance issues facing the industry. SuperAwesome’s technology and products power kid-safe advertising, parent-portals and COPPA compliance for hundreds of brands and agencies around the world.

Following this will be a presentation from the world’s first British astronaut Helen Sharman OBE. Awarded the OBE in 1993, Helen Sharman is a full-time scientist, a pioneer, and an inspiring role model for people of all ages.

The Industry Day will conclude with the presentation of a prestigious BTHA Lifetime Achievement Award to Roger Dyson.

A celebratory three-course lunch in Great Fosters’s atmospheric Tithe Barn will follow the awards presentations.

Tickets can be requested online at the BTHA website http://www.btha.co.uk

WowWee and Jazwares reveal Fingerlings UK launch strategy

YouTube stars launch Infinity Nado New battle toy Infinity Nado had its own exclusive launch event this Easter, on Monday 10th April at The Entertainer, Bullring, Birmingham.

The sell-out event, which was hosted by Fun Kids Radio presenter Bex, saw YouTube stars Tekkerz Kid and It’s Romello battle it out to see who would be the ultimate Nado Master.

After a live demo of the product, 150 fans were given the opportunity to not only meet their heroes, but have the chance to challenge them to an Infinity Nado battle. Players were awarded limited-edition gold and silver Nados and signed certificates.

As part of the campaign, the YouTube stars also posted Vlogs on their channels, showcasing the product and demoing stunts. The initial video on Tekkerz Kid’s channel reached over 150k views in 48 hours, with a further social media reach of over 40,000.

The Entertainer stores nationwide hosted live demos of the products throughout Easter and will continue over the May half-term holidays. A special Infinity Nado unboxing event took place on Saturday 15th April across all Entertainer stores and attracted hundreds of consumers across the UK.

The April launch of the the animated robotic monkeys was supported with a TV campaign, in-store demonstrations, social media and PR. Bolstering consumer awareness further, YouTube star Tiana from Toys And Me will be featuring Fingerlings on her channel this summer. The Fingerlings product range will also expand later this year to include playsets.

The launch of Fingerlings ties into WowWee’s strategy of launching cutting edge cool robotic toys at an affordable price – Fingerlings retail at £14.99.

WowWee’s Michael Yanofsky commented: “Initial sales have exceeded both WowWee’s and all of our retail partner’s expectations. We aim to carry this momentum through Q4 and beyond with product refreshes, exclusive colours, new form factors and playsets. We are hopeful that this will become a marquee brand for years to come.”

Working closely with WowWee to launch the range in the UK is its distributor Jazwares, whose managing director Jonny Taylor commented: “We are delighted with Fingerlings sales to date, consumer demand has been exceptionally strong.”

Ray Hughes appointed business development manager at Epoch Toys Ray has over 20 years toy industry experience, having previously held successful senior national account positions with Vivid, Bandai and Mookie.

Commenting on his appointment, Ray said: “I am delighted to be joining the Epoch UK and Ireland team. The business is growing rapidly, with some very exciting product and brand developments in the pipeline. I look forward to helping the team continue building their growth, throughout all business sectors.”

Neil Bandtock, managing director, commented: “We are delighted to have Ray on board, he has just the right mixture of enthusiasm and experience to help us take the Epoch business forward even further across the UK and Ireland.”

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News Mothercare posts quarterly sales decline

Mothercare plc reported a 12.2% drop in total group sales in the fourth quarter as a weak performance in its international business offset growth in the UK. The retailer said that international sales in constant currency fell 1.7% in the 11 weeks to 25 March, although factoring in the benefits of a weaker pound, international sales increased by 15.4%. While the international division saw strong sales in China, Indonesia and Russia, economic conditions in the Middle East are said to have remained challenging. The company opened 144 stores and closed 116 abroad, ending the quarter with 1,338 stores, marking a 0.9% increase in space by square footage.

In the UK, there was a different picture: total sales rose 3.2%, while on a like-for-like basis the increase was 4.5%, driven by online sales growth of 13.6%. Online sales now account for 41% of Mothercare’s total UK sales. The group ended the quarter with 152 stores in the UK, which represents a 5.9% decrease in space. Over the past two years the company has refurbished 70% of its stores and the customer database now has more than three million people.

Chief executive Mark Newton-Jones commented: “Following a solid final quarter, our overall group performance remains broadly in line with market expectations for the year. We continue to export our learnings from the UK and as a result, have launched ten new websites this year, bringing our total to 21 countries now trading online. We still see many opportunities in existing and new markets around the world that are open to us.”

Toy trade stalwarts celebrate Richard Beecham’s 92nd birthday A group of toy industry veterans gathered for lunch in late March to celebrate the milestone.

Richard Beecham is a toy industry legend, having made his name with seminal toy companies and brands such as Dunbee Combex Marx, Triang and Hornby. He only retired from the industry in 2008 when Flair was sold to Giochi Preziosi. Amongst Richard’s guests at the birthday lunch were Alan Hassenfeld, Ralph Erhmann, David Lipman, Robert and Clive Beecham, Phil Shayer, David Rurka, Michael Angel, Peter Brown, Alan Munn, Hugh Clarke, Jerry Reynolds and Gary and Cath Grant.

Over lunch, the toy veterans – who cumulatively have a combined toy history of over 500 years – shared anecdotes relating to Richard Beecham’s life and career. Alan Hassenfeld reminded the guests that the thread that bound them together was a common love of the toy industry and a mutual respect for competitors.

Richard’s wife, Patricia, read an amusing and moving rhyming address written by Richard in response to the many kind words from his guests.

Independent Toy & Gift show hailed a success According to Miles Penhallow, manager of the AIS toy division Play-Room, this year’s event drew its best-ever level of member support, while the number of non-members attending the show also grew.

Miles told Toy World: “We were very pleased with the show, especially the first day. The support from suppliers has been amazing; our top thirty suppliers by turnover were all present. The new reward card initiative we introduced this year proved popular; it certainly encouraged attendees to visit a large number of stands.”

From a product perspective, Fidget items were one of the most-talked about lines at the show, with many Play-Room members already reporting strong sales and consumer interest.

PJ Masks is also said to have got off to a strong start since its introduction earlier this year.

Clintons launches new Party Delights stores Card retailer Clintons has opened two standalone party-focused stores, one in Manchester and one in Romford, as the retailer seeks to diversify.

According to Retail Week, the venture is in partnership with Amscan, and aims to position Clintons as an expert in the party market. The stores will stock party accessories, tableware and fancy dress items. The newly-opened stores are said to be trading well so far, and Clintons will be exploring the possibility of further retail openings this year, as part of the company’s ongoing store portfolio review. Specialist party shop-in-shops have also been installed in two Clinton stores.

Tim Fairs, Clinton’s vice chairman of e-commerce, commented: “Not many people do party well on the high street. The supermarkets take a decent share, but in terms of a specialist dedicated party retailer, it’s a massive opportunity for us.”

Toy World 14

News BTHA Briefing

Rebecca Deeming The BTHA’s Rebecca Deeming brings Toy World readers up to date on the current work being carried out by the ever-busy association.

W

elcome to the British Toy & Hobby Associations’ new column. I’ll be giving you a roundup of the work carried out across the Association over the past month, on behalf of our members and often the wider industry.

In the upcoming columns, you can expect updates on public affairs, events, our Make Time 2 Play campaign, and everyone’s favourite topic, Brexit – which will give an insight into what it is we do at the BTHA. It’s been a busy month for the BTHA, so let’s start with our own update on Brexit; a topic at the forefront of the industry’s minds. Since the UK voted to leave the EU, we have had engagement with the department for business (BEIS), sharing the industry’s immediate concerns about moving away from Europe, the impact on current product safety regulation (TSD), the impact of UK businesses not having an economic operating status within Europe, and expressing members’ opinions on maintaining easy and competitive access to the European market and workforces. We will continue to closely follow government discussions as they take place over the next two years

and will remain responsible for talking to stakeholders in Westminster and Whitehall, to put members’ priorities forwards. We are encouraging our members to get in touch with the BTHA with any thoughts or concerns on Brexit, to help us to best represent their views when in discussions with policy makers.

Here at the BTHA, all members sign a strict code of practice which includes responsible marketing to children. Over the past few months the Committee of Advertising Practices (CAP), who write industry advertising codes, have been working on their new guidance: “Recognition of advertising: online marketing to children under 12”. The BTHA has been in communication with CAP and the Advertising Standards Authority throughout this process to best understand what this guidance will mean for members. The guidance will come into force in June 2017, with a six-month informal action period. It will outline requirements for enhanced disclosure, to ensure children understand the commercial intent behind online adverts.

To help train and develop members’ understanding of the wider CAP remit and the new guidance, the BTHA organised for members to attend an industry training

session kindly hosted by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) last month.

The session received a great deal of interest from members, which helped them to adopt the new practices.

Finally, we have moved into a new office

by London Bridge which we hope will act as a central hub for members. Whether you want to catch up with someone whilst in the city, or want to host a much bigger meeting, we have a whole floor of dedicated meeting room space available for members to book out for free. We are also currently planning to use this space as a training centre for developing members’ awareness of pressing industry issues. We have a training seminar on combating counterfeit toys planned for members this month, which we hope will provide them with the tools they will need to fight the fakes. Fighting counterfeiters is key to the BTHA, given that we only represent reputable toy companies – whether a retailer or a consumer, anyone buying from a member of the BTHA can trust our toys.

To get in touch with me at the British Toy & Hobby Association feel free to email Rebecca@btha.co.uk.

Industry Moves Nic Aldridge joins Bandai UK Bandai has announced the appointment of Nic Aldridge as the company’s new general manager. Nic joined the Richmond based business on the 24th April.

Clive Smith, who will be stepping up to the position of managing director, commented: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Nic to Bandai UK at what is a very exciting time for us. The latest March NPD data has revealed that Power Rangers is currently the number 1 Action Figures brand, +113% for the month. In addition, we have a number of exciting new projects in place for the coming months. Nic has many years of industry experience which we are sure will help us to meet our growth ambitions for the future.”

Furthermore, Tess Parsons-Broome has recently been promoted to the new position of marketing manager. Clive commented: “Tess’s work on Power Rangers over the past three years has been invaluable and this is a well-deserved promotion for her”.

Pretend to Bee welcomes new sales manager

David Westnedge bolsters marketing team

Kate Skitt will lead further development into Pretend to Bee’s own label products. She has over 16 years’ experience within the retail sector having worked for companies including M&S and Arcadia.

Harrison Palmer, sales & marketing director at Pretend to Bee commented: “It’s brilliant to have someone like Kate joining the team. She has a wealth of experience not only in sales but has also worked in buying for some fantastic organisations. We look forward to working with her to drive forward the own brand side of our business which is a key part of our growth plan for 2017 and beyond.”

David Westnedge has announced that Stephanie Davies will be joining its marketing team. Stephanie hails from Queensland, Australia, and has been in the UK for almost ten years. She has previously written copy for clients including UNESCO, the British Council, and The Magazine of the English Subject Centre and has previously worked with Waterstones, Appleseed Bookshop and Global Tolerance, the ethical communications agency. Stephanie brings with her a wealth of background knowledge, and experience in retail, marketing and the media which, according to a company spokesperson, “will be invaluable to the management team”.

Tomy expands senior team Tomy has signed Nicola Jenkins as head of UKI marketing to expand the growing senior management team at the toy and games giant. Nicola joins from Electronic Arts where she was International Marketing Manager for eight years, working with The Sims, SimCity, Hasbro and Harry Potter, among other franchises.

Her career to date spans over 17 years working in the home and family, tech and licensing sectors.

With a strong track record in both retail led and direct to consumer sales across a broad spectrum of industries including video games, FMCG and consumer durables, Nicola has strong digital, analytical and strategic planning credentials. Her background and skills will be crucial to Tomy as it develops in new toy and game arenas.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Tomy,” she commented. “Obviously Tomy is one of the world’s leading toy companies that has historically concentrated on pre-school. Now, however, there are very exciting plans to increase the trading footprint and market share. We have some outstanding new products that I believe will really shake up the marketplace. And, of course, our traditional ranges continue to go from strength to strength.”

Beano Studios appoints Chris Rose Beano Studios has announced that Chris Rose will be joining the team as director of development and production.

Working with CEO Emma Scott, Chris’s role will see him lead the development and production of long form television, film and theatre productions for existing Beano characters and new IP. Chris joins the company from ABC in Australia, having previously held the position of commissioning editor for Children’s Television. He will also work with Beano Studios development and writing teams to develop new characters and reinvigorate some Beano favourites for a range of new platforms.

He commented: “Beano is one of the best-loved children’s brands in the world and Beano Studios has such an ambitious and forward-thinking vision for its future, so it’s amazing to be able to catapult the characters to the next level as well as introduce the world to some news ones.”

Toy World 16

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Marketing World Tomy isn’t playing around with its games range Tomy enjoyed a strong year with its games range in 2016, with Greedy Granny securing a place as one of the top six new children’s games of the year. Tomy also saw impressive sales of its classic games, including Screwball Scramble and Pop Up Pirate.

Having achieved a 20% increase in sales between January and March 2017, Tomy now ranks within the top three manufacturers in children’s games. Tomy will continue to drive the children’s games category by adding five new games to its portfolio this year. New games set for release in July include Tickle Me Feet, a Pirate themed game which challenges players to win the treasure by completing tasks during the allotted time, while having their feet tickled by the other remaining players, as well as Phil the Fridge, a fast-paced game which challenges players to get their coloured food shapes into Phil’s fridge before he decides to pop open.

Tomy is aiming to follow on the success of Greedy Granny with Fizzy Dizzy Hippo, which won an award for best new game in the BTHA’s Best New Toy Awards at Toy Fair.

The company will also be adding two new licensed Pop Up games to its collection: Pop Up Minions will launch in July and Pop Up BB8 in September.

Pedro Sousa, UK brand manager, commented: “The range will be supported with an integrated heavyweight marketing campaign with TV, online video, social media and PR. We will also be hosting experiential events with the aim of attracting and engaging with new consumers.”

Sinco Toys unveils marketing plans for Wobbleez and Zookiez Sinco has launched innovative plush brand Wobbleez, a range of novel, collectible plush dogs which use momentum to walk behind a child as it pulls the lead. With no batteries required, the impulse-priced collection features popular dog breeds such as Dalmation, Golden Retriever and German Shepherd.

Companion feature plush range Zookiez comprises a range of collectible characters which feature ‘snap band’ technology, allowing them to cling to a child’s arm or bag.

Zookiez and Wobbleez launched at retail this Easter, supported by a heavyweight TV campaign with 30 second slots across free to air and pay TV channels (combined 640 TVRs) during a month-long campaign. Both ranges are being supported in store by eye-catching packaging, point of sale and promotional solutions, including shelf banners and toppers.

Sinco Toys is working with Mi PR Global to manage its consumer PR activations and social media channels for the brands. Consumer marketing activity will build over the summer months following a nationwide campaign of demonstrations, play days and unboxing events with The Entertainer. Further activity will include a series of blogger online events and social media parties, where kids will be able to share their love of Wobbleez and Zookiez with their friends via the launch of a dedicated Sinco channel on Popjam, a content-sharing free app for kids, which has over 1.2m subscribers.

Sinco’s Daniel Smith commented: “Zookiez and Wobbleez lend themselves perfectly to consumer marketing activity – I am delighted they have hit the market with such momentum. We have further launches planned, including an exciting new blind bag collectible range launching in the summer.”

Toy World 18

Easter launch for Animagic Surprizamals Vivid’s number one in-house brand has entered into the world of collectibles, with the launch of Animagic Surprizamals this Easter.

Animagic Surprizamals are collectible plush pets. There are 12 different animal characters in each series, including one rare mystery Surprizamal. Each pet comes in their own Surpriza-ball, ready to be unwrapped, so kids can discover the character inside.

Series 1 was introduces in time for Easter, supported with TV advertising from launch and throughout the season. Surprizamals Series 2 will be available from autumn/winter 17, adding another 12 collectible plush toys to the range.

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Opinion

Living in a digital world Martin has seen the future, and reflects on whether the constantly evolving space of the media landscape is the stuff of science fiction which should scare advertisers, or excite them?

“F

acebook’s Zuckerberg developing ‘Mind Control’ brain interface!” screamed the tabloid headline that I read recently. Plenty of big words, maximum dramatic syntax and a sprinkling of subtle pathos in my opinion. It’s the stuff of science fiction; the powerful inventor goes insane and creates technology that can control the minds of world’s population. Or maybe not. In fact, the story goes that Facebook is experimenting with internet browsers that can be controlled purely by thought. I’m quite excited about that – whilst I might have imagined a day where it was reality, I certainly wouldn’t have predicted it was genuinely on the way even a month ago.

That said, had we predicted a 2017 in which a global TV channel was watched by 1.3bn people worldwide – 30m on any given day – we would have been met with derision. Even more so, had we suggested that we would be the content producers ourselves, because this channel sees 300 hours of videos added globally every 60 seconds.

I’m sure you realise that I am talking about YouTube, and I also expect some are mentally correcting me. Because YouTube is not a ‘global channel’ – instead it is a network of millions of channels in which anyone can become a global superstar. Take Tiana, AKA Toys And Me, the enterprising nine-year-old who has amassed a

subscriber base of 4.9m worldwide at the time of writing. Sticking with those born in the late 2000s, what of the audience; the toys & games consumer on YouTube? Is it a safe place for them to be? I discussed this in depth in my previous article on brand safety, but I do feel that Google is taking this seriously. Its move to introduce the YouTube Kids app seems to be a step in the right direction; an innovation mirrored by the likes of BBC, Disney and Sky in the UK. Aside from safety, which will always be up for debate, it is an almost undeniable trend that, increasingly, those born after the Millennium will pull more and more of their content from YouTube. A survey popularised by Google claims that by 2025, half of under those aged under 32 will not subscribe to a pay-TV service. This sounds less far-fetched to me than Facebook’s brain interface. We’re already seeing a shift of preference to pull content. You may think that this is a distant prediction and one for the older generation, but this is not true. Right now, 37% of 3-4 year olds are using the YouTube app or website. By the time kids reach eight years old, three quarters are watching content on the network.

Does this spell the end for TV? We don’t think so: kids’ TV viewing may be in decline, but not at a terminal rate. Reconsider the coverage figures: YouTube may reach a third of 3-4 year olds, but this doesn’t match a commercial TV channel mix including Disney Jr. Tiny Pop or Nick Jr. This

Toy World 20

Martin Doyle

Head of Digital, Generation Media.

Tel: 0207 307 7908 martin.doyle@generationmedia.co.uk

is not the first, or last, time that I will state in this column that TV remains king for any media plan, but digital, VOD and YouTube specifically are increasing in importance in achieving both reach and cut-through to this screen-stacking audience.

So what should an advertiser be considering?

Well, if you are making a video for consumption on YouTube, remember that you will lose one in five viewers almost immediately. If you’re pushing the video as an ad via TrueView for instance, that figure immediately jumps higher; sometimes less than a quarter will reach the 30” mark. So you need to make an instant impact.

Front-weight your message – like a turbocharged TV ad, because you may only get a very brief chance to make a good impression.

Who knows what will happen next? The media landscape is a constantly evolving space, and an exciting one at that, driven not only by youngsters’ consumption but also their creativity. Maybe Mr Zuckerberg’s “Mind Control Brain Interface”, once it shifts from the pages of science-fiction to the pages of reality, will reveal all…

Update May 2017 It’s never too late to support the challenge

Coming Dates

At the time of writing this feature, The Toy Trust’s Big Cotswold Challenge is imminent.

But it’s never too late to do your bit and donate to the cause, in recognition of the efforts of your industry colleagues. Whether they are running, cycling, or doing the ultimate challenge - the Tough Mudder – please show your support and make a pledge.

Big Cotswolds Challenge 6th May 2017

More than 200 people are expected to be involved, and many will have endured months of training, so help them over the last hurdle and remember that the aim of the challenge is to raise funds and “Give the Gift of Play” to 19 dedicated children’s hospitals.

Hasbro Football & Netball Tournament 7th July 2017

This is the Toy Trust’s 25th anniversary year and we have set a tough but achievable target of raising over £180,000 through the event. All you have to do is visit the Just Giving page https://mydonate.bt.com/events/bigcotswoldchallenge where you can donate.

Alternatively, most of us know someone who is taking part, so you can add to their individual total with a donation.

Toy Trust Golf Day 29th June 2017

Next month we will report on the results and include some personal stories along the way.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures from last year’s event to remind you of what’s taking place.

Charity Focus In addition to the overriding cause being supported by the Big Cotswold Challenge, the allocations committee recommends grants to be given to Charites that apply for them. The criterion is stringent and while many are turned down, there are success stories to share. Here’s just a few of the recent successful bids to demonstrate where the funds go and what all the hard work is for.

Hop Skip and Jump

Children in Hunger

Listening Books

With three large centres in Cheltenham, Bristol and Swindon, this charity provides a flexible and immediate respite centre for children and young adults with special needs. The Toy Trusts’ donation of £2,278 will provide an LED Bubble Tube corner for a brand new White Space Unit in the Cheltenham facility.

This is a great example of an overseas project for the Toy Trust. The donation of £2,500 was agreed to help the unpaid volunteers provide subsistence to children in the poorest area of Brazil. The funds will also help support an ongoing education programme at a school that opened to cater for 80 children in the region.

Providing audio books for visually impaired children is the aim of this charity, which wants to help bring the imaginative power of stories to nearly 4,000 children. The Toy Trusts donation of £5,000 was seen to be a truly cost effect project that will help many. The funds will bring 80 new titles aimed at the younger generations to the library.

Toy World 21

Company Profile

Entertainer

Entertainer TheToyShop.com

Easy does it Toy World spoke to The Entertainer’s marketing and e-commerce director Phil Geary about the role that online sales play in the retailer’s strategy.

Online sales are becoming increasingly price-driven – how does The Entertainer/ The Toyshop react to this?

Price is certainly of paramount importance, especially when selling on Amazon. The reality is that you’re only ever two clicks away from finding someone selling the product cheaper. If you can’t be the cheapest, you have to be the best. It’s important to get the basics right: you need to have a site that is fast. You need to have a site that consumers can search quickly and easily. The website is currently trading +28% so far in 2017, and that increase has been driven by the ease of navigating and using the site.

It’s also important to talk to the right people at the right time, and make the right recommendations. By using a customer’s browsing history to personalise both the home page and direct communications, you can target them very accurately and effectively. Our CRM programme has played a huge part in our recent growth by letting us send relevant messages to fans of particular brands.

We focus on first to market (preorder is the fastest growing part of the online business) and brand fans respond really well to this - they’re less price sensitive, so discounting is less of a factor.

How important is it for your website to be mobilefriendly?

Let’s be crystal clear, it’s all about mobile. 80% of our online traffic now comes from mobile. What does the customer want? They want more delivery options, more pick up options, more payment options and they want it cheaper and faster. Of course, there is a danger that it doesn’t all add up from a cost perspective, so you have to go through carefully and make sure the sums work.

What role does the Click and Collect facility play?

Aside from price, convenience is also crucial. Outside of mobile, Click and Collect is the next largest area of growth for us, representing around 40% of our online business. Picking direct from store is key; although we say we offer a 30-minute Click and Collect service, in practice it’s more like five minutes. Later this year we’ll be introducing a really important new initiative: collection from Hermes Parcel shops. There are 4,500 of them across the UK, and it means we’ll no longer be restricted by High Street opening hours – early morning, evenings and Sundays will all come into play. We believe this will give us a real point of difference.

Given the associated delivery costs – even with Click and Collect – can The Entertainer make the equivalent profit from online sales as it can with store sales?

costs, but the overheads are lower once you get to a certain scale. No shop can successfully transact £500k of business on Black Friday, but our website does.

work hard to get past that. Our staff check what’s in the bag before they hand it over. That gives them the opportunity to make incremental sales, such as batteries.

Do you foresee a time when you will have to charge for Click and Collect orders, as some retailers have already done?

What new features are you looking to introduce to your online strategy to boost your sales?

The simple answer is no - there is a customer expectation that Click and Collect is free. Tesco introduced a charge last year, but then had to scrap it. It’s helpful that the majority of our orders are fulfilled in less than 30 mins using stock that’s already in store, which helps to minimise costs.

As online sales grow, how does a bricks and mortar retailer replace the lost impulse sales from consumers not coming into the store?

Some customers see Click and Collect as a closed purchase, but we

We’re constantly looking at the channels we operate in and which items we can afford to offer through each channel. Outdoor toys are a good example of this. Of course, it’s important to manage delivery costs, and you have to take into account what your competition is offering.

However, as a specialist retailer, we have to prioritise the bottom line over the top line, which is very different to some major accounts.

To answer your question specifically, yes - you can certainly make a good profit. However, it’s a different model: online has more direct

Toy World 22

We have two big focuses this year - improving site speed and search.

They’re not the most glamorous aspects of a website, but they help to make the shopping journey friction free and easy. We’re also looking at international courier costs at the moment; the highest volume of traffic on our website from outside the UK comes from the US, and we’re working on how to deliver parcels to the States cost-effectively. There are other challenges; it’s not set up for dual currency, so we can’t sell in Euros. It’s not dual language either.

But there is definitely strong potential in shipping overseas, so these are areas we’ll address.

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NPD Insight UK vs. rest of the world NPD’s Melissa Symonds looks at how the UK toy market follows licensing trends from overseas, while at the same time creating unique propositions for the domestic market. As the largest toy market in Europe, the UK also provides opportunities for other countries to follow

I

n the UK, we like to spoil our kids, spending £329 per child a year on toys. While the US is the largest toy market in the world, we in the UK spend 4% more per child than our American cousins, helping to make the UK toy market the fourth largest in the world and the largest toy market in Europe, 35% larger than France (Source: NPD/ICTI Global Toy Market Report). In addition, the UK was the fastest growing toy market in Europe last year with sales up +6%. However, we can’t rest on our laurels, particularly as the first quarter of 2017 has seen the market decline by -2%.

While the first three months of the year will have been heavily impacted by the movement of Easter, sales in the first few months often sets the tone for the rest of the year, so are there any new properties or trends in other countries that could be opportunities for the UK market?

Like the UK, France remains keen on Pokémon in 2017, with Pokémon now the #2 property across the total toy market, and still growing double-digits.

Games & puzzles remains a key growth category with similar trends, but one of the hot new licences of 2016, continuing strong into 2017, is Disney’s Soy Luna with her skates. In Italy, one of the fastest growing supercategories YTD is Infant/Toddler & Pre-school Toys, up +15%, while the UK market is up just +1%. One of the key properties driving this growth in Italy is new pre-school licence Super Wings from Alpha. This was the #1 new property across total toys in Italy YTD March 2017 and #4 in

Pre-school toys – just behind Paw Patrol.

Spain has always been a country that takes to new licences quickly and is one of the strongest performing countries in Europe YTD March 2017, with sales up +5%. Dolls has been the fastest growing area, up +20% with Pinypon the top dolls property and still growing. However, a new entry within the doll offering is Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. It’s currently #2 New Property (behind Yo Kai Watch) across total toys and #6 property in Dolls, with a 4.5% share.

As well as our European neighbours, the UK toy market also borrows a lot from the US market.

Towards the end of 2016, the L.O.L Surprise! Dolls Assortment was a top seller in the US and has been performing strongly in the UK since launch in February. With both a collectible and unboxing element, this toy has successfully combined two key trends over the last 12 months. At the other end of the pricing scale, Anki’s Cosmo continues to be a top seller, even in the post-Christmas purchase season. One property which has wide appeal in the US that hasn’t hit these shores with any significance yet is Five Nights at Freddy’s. While this particular property is aimed at an older demographic, the continued growth of teenagers and adults purchasing toys in the UK means that the cult appeal of this property could travel.

The UK toy market is in a unique position, with one foot following US trends and the other following those of Europe, while at the same time creating

Top 10 Fastest Growing Subclasses across total Toys Ranked by value gained - YTD March 2017 vs. 16

Melissa Symonds

Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD unique propositions for our own market. One new launch which the UK seems to have picked up first in 2017 is WowWee’s (Jazwares) Fingerlings Monkey Assortment – for March it was in the top 40 items across total toys based on only a couple of weeks of sales.

While the UK can share trends and hit properties with other countries, and the popularity of some licences like Star Wars and Paw Patrol are universal, in the end our market is unique and truly reflective of the mix of people and cultures that make up toy buying consumers. With the UK toy market remaining the largest in Europe, perhaps there are also opportunities for other countries to take a few hints from the UK market… after all top pre-school properties Thomas and Friends and Peppa Pig are both examples of properties that started here.

2016: Global Toys Growth

UK Toy Market out performs most other countries

Subclass Playset Dolls & Collectibles

France

Standard Building Sets

1.0% 4.7%

US

Non-Strat Trade Cards/Collectible Stickers PS Vehicles

4.8%

Italy

Playset Doll Accessories Action Figure Collectibles

5.0%

Germany

Reusable Compounds

6.1%

Spain

PS Figure/Playsets & Acc Blasters/Shooters & Accessories

6.3%

UK

Action Figure Plyst&Acc

0

2

4

6

8

10

Value Change YR/YR

12

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service

Sales Gained £MM The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

Source: NPD EPoS Retail Tracking

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

1

Toy World 24

1

Property Progression: Fastest Growing Subclass: Total Property (Brand + Licence)

Feb 2017 Rank

Mar 2017 Rank

Tatty Teddy & My Blue Nose Friends

#313

#96

Rising an astonishing 217 positions in a month, Tatty Teddy & My Blue Nose Friends was the fastest property progression in March 2017. Sales for the property were up +154% in value on March 2016 with the new range of Mothers Day related traditional plush items driving the growth and making Tatty Teddy the number three property in Traditional Plush for the month. This success of Tatty Teddy to capture a largely ignored occasion demonstrates potential for the toy market to increase sales during other occasions throughout the year outside of Christmas and birthdays with Easter, Halloween and other occasions.

YTD March 2017, the UK toy market has 40 toy subclasses that grew verses 2016 performance and six subclasses gaining over £1M in the first quarter of the year.

Collectibles is still a key driver, with the largest growth coming from Strategic Trading Card Games, up nearly £7M, driven by the latest Pokémon Sun & Moon series release. Playset Doll & Collectibles is the next biggest, with new properties adding value, particularly Trolls, Num Noms, L.O.L. Surprise! and Twozies. AF Collectibles performance is driven by the continued success of Mash’Ems and Funko Pop, as well as new series of Zomblings and The Grossery Gang. Both the Pre-School Vehicles and Pre-School Playsets increase is helped by the popularity of Paw Patrol and PJ Masks, as well as the appeal of superheroes becoming younger with the Imaginext Batman & DC range.

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

Viewpoint Crisis management

Jim Hawker Co-founder of Threepipe PR and digital marketing agency

Very interesting times

David Ripley David is currently EMEA category director for Toys, Nursery, Sporting Goods & Pet Care at Groupon. His long career as a toy buyer has included stints at a number of the industry’s largest retail accounts.

I

t’s not just the rise of connected toys that has been sparking concern recently, but more traditional toys that also seem to have manufacturing issues or concerns. Over a career spanning twenty years and working across multiple industry sectors, I have had to deal with more crises in the toy business than any other sector.

Of course, any product designed for children which can potentially harm them is bound to be of high media interest and that is why it is fascinating to see a lack of preparation for these unfortunate eventualities.

One of the first things we do when working with a new company is to ask to see the crisis PR plan.

Unsurprisingly we are often met with blank expressions. So much time and money is spent on building brands and yet so little thought is given to how to protect that brand.

“L

ike it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also the most creative of any time in the history of mankind”.

That quote was made by Robert F Kennedy in 1966, at a time when the US was fighting on many fronts including the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War. The quote can be applied just as fittingly today with the various events that are occurring on a seemingly weekly basis.

Whilst it is stretching to make a direct comparison between the global uncertainty and occurrences in the corporate world, the latest happenings at Toys R Us, Hornby and Jaeger show that we are still facing rapid change within firmly established retail and supplier organisations.

If you don’t have a plan in place then you will be on the back foot straight away. In today’s socially connected media world it is becoming harder and harder to control a crisis because of the sheer pace that information (true or not) can spread around.

Organisations need to invest in a plan that provides clarity about anticipated crisis scenarios and appropriate levels of response. Even defining what actually constitutes a crisis and understanding which stakeholders are key, takes planning time to consider. Allocating responsibility and providing individuals with the right training is crucial to success.

Even when a plan has been created, it is imperative that the plan is reviewed at least every six months.

People come and go, and new products come into the mix, which demands a fresh perspective. A good crisis PR plan

Historically, times of conflict have seen a spike in demand for combatrelated toys such as buckets of toy soldiers, army role-play items, GI Joe and Action Man; indeed, in 1964 a paper was published on the subject of the war toy craze and its parallels. The website War-Toys.com is dedicated purely to this genre with a very impressive 4,000 toys on sale, although not as impressive as Amazon, which currently has over 39,000 war related toys in stock.

However, with radical changes to how wars are fought in the 21st century, I am not sure what equivalent toys will be deemed popular in the genre of modern warfare, with the possible exception of army drones.

With today’s society significantly more in touch with itself I did take the liberty to research peace, antiwar and conflict resolution toys and

Toy World 26

is never finished, it merely evolves.

As I write this article, I am seeing more and more brands being caught out in their marketing plans. Programmatic placement of advertising next to inappropriate content and poorly thought out creative which upsets minority groups are just a couple of examples this week.

The reality is that brands are under far more scrutiny than ever before, and it’s getting harder to harder to hide from these mistakes.

Brands need to accept that mistakes will happen, but also ensure that they plan ahead for these eventualities.

They will happen, the question is whether you will be on the front or back foot when they do.

it throws up some interesting results.

Hug-a-planet (an inflatable beach ball) polls highly on Google as does the Thumball range of general conflict resolution balls used in child therapy.

Surprisingly there are no real stand outs in this area, which translates into an opportunity for product. For now we just need a company to do a PR stunt sending a truck full of Finger/ Fidget Spinners to the White House to keep those itchy trigger fingers busy.

On the subject of immature leadership, Boss Baby looks to be another Dreamworks sleeper that has managed to strike it big at the box office whilst having virtually zero toy products to support, with the exception of the Funko lines and some basic plush – roll on Boss Baby 2.

viewpoint

The Chinese Toy Market

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

I

t is my considered opinion that most companies fare better internationally if they establish their own company, instead of going through distributors.

However, this is not true for all markets and I tried to demonstrate this in my recent articles on Sweden and India.

Another such market is China.

The cultures of Chinese and Western businesses are fundamentally different.

A lot of words are used to describe the Chinese way of doing business and how this differs from Western practices.

What foreigners do not understand is that Chinese social mores are still governed by Confucian thought which dates back 2500 years. In its most simplistic form, the Chinese way of doing business is based on societal mandates, whereas the Western approach is mainly transactional.

In China, the relationship you have with the party you do business with is more important than the monetary result, whereas in the West it is the other way round. What this means in practice is that the building of trust and kinship is the bedrock of any long-term relationship, and this trumps contractual and other non-societal ties. Any negotiation between a foreign entity and a Chinese institution is unlikely to prosper unless this difference is fully recognized and bridged, either over time or via the intermediary of a trusted go-between, such as a distributor or a very muscular and trusted legal firm.

China is incredibly large and diverse.

China has the world’s largest population: 1.4b compared with 325m in the United States. China also has a multitude of languages, the most important of which is the Han language, commonly referred to as Chinese. 92% of the Chinese population and more than 97% of the Taiwanese population speak it. However, the Han language is divided into eight dialect groups that differ from each other to a degree where they are not understood by the speakers of different dialects.

China is complex.

To start a business in China is a task that is almost impossible. To begin with, there are a total of 11 procedures to complete in order to legally found a company in China. That compares with an average of 4.8 for OECD countries.

This is compounded by the fact that there are a host of hidden barriers to market entry; language, complicated red tape, inordinate delays, difficulty in obtaining or maintaining trademark and patent registrations. Conducting business as a foreign entity in China is riddled with problems.

Levels of IP infringement are at historic levels and growing.

Interpretation of IP laws by administrative and judicial authorities is often out of sync with international standards. The ability to secure adequate remedies for infringement, although improving, remains a critical challenge and there remain substantial barriers to market access and commercialization of IPs, particularly for foreign companies. As a result, knock-offs of toys continue to be a major problem for Western toy companies.

China is two countries.

In 1960, 84% of the Chinese population lived in rural areas. By 2016, this number stood at 44%, around 615m people. However, of these, some 280m are in fact rural migrant workers considered part of the urban population, but without the benefits to which the urbanites are entitled.

They leave their village for months at a time, leaving an estimated 60m children behind. In reality, the true urban population hence numbers 500m and the rural remainder 940m. There is a major difference in incomes. In 2016, the annual per capita disposable income of the urban population (not including the migrant workers) was 33,616 Renminbi or about US$5040, whereas their rural counterpart (including migrants) amounted to 12,363 Renminbi, or US$1854.

The Chinese government is making a major effort to increase the number of people living in cities and to extend social benefits to the migrant workers. However, in the short term, the trend is for the migrant workers to go back to their villages and to stay there, because wages in the cities are dropping and job opportunities declining as a consequence of slowing economic growth. To all intents and purposes, the rural population survives on subsistence level and their toy purchases represent at best 20% of the total Chinese toy market.

As a consequence, there are also two Chinese toy markets; urban and rural.

The urban segment in 2016 is estimated

Toy World 28

at US$ 9b, or 80% of the total, and the remainder, the rural segment, at $2.1b, or 20%. In terms of units, however, proportions are markedly different and it is estimated that the urban population buys 40% of the toys sold nationwide and the rural population the other 60%.

In terms of pricing, there is a huge gap between locally-made toys and international brand-name toys. As a result, locally-made toys maintain a strong edge in the medium to low end segments of the market and practically monopolize sales channels like the wholesale market and individually-run retailers, such as grocery stores.

The impact of the big five US companies.

Of the five major publicly quoted US toy companies: Mattel, Hasbro, VTech, Jakks and Spin Master, three have opted for close third-party arrangements with Chinese manufacturers. Hasbro went with Guangdong Alpha; Mattel has just entered into an agreement with Ali Baba (and with Babytree, China’s largest online parenting community); and Jakks with Meisheng Cultural & Creative Corporation. Spin Master is expected to use the Guangzhou office of Swimways, a company it acquired last year, as its operational base in China, while VTech is a Hong Kong company with its own infrastructure in the country.

In the case of Hasbro, the company entered into a strategic co-development partnership for China and major markets with Guangdong Alpha in 2012. Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Co. Ltd is not only the largest Chinese toy company, but also the largest animation group and a leading pan-entertainment platform in China.

2016 revenue is estimated at just shy of $1b. Established in 1993, Alpha has transformed from a toy-oriented company to an entertainment focused enterprise. It possesses a strong content ecosystem featuring novels, comics and animations, as well as movies. This provides a solid foundation for activities spanning mass media, toys, consumer products, education, and theme parks.

Owning more than ten animation studios, Alpha has been taking a multi-dimensional brand strategy to foster original properties and products.

My sources in China tell me that this partnership between Alpha and Hasbro has so far shown relatively few tangible results in the market place, but it is early days.

Construction Permits 177 42 39 36 185 138 25 Registering Properties Getting Electricals 97 62 36 26 44 6 Getting Credit 2 Registering Properties 42 123 36 41 138 13 10 Protecting Minority Investors Getting Credit 62 131 2 36 44 172 75 Paying Taxes Protecting Minority Investors 123 9 41 35 13 143 19 Trading across Borders Paying Taxes 131 5 36 20 172 172 28 Enforcing Contracts Trading across Borders 9 53 35 5 143 136 17 Resolving Insolvency Enforcing Contracts 5 20 172 22

Resolving Insolvency 53 5 136 19

This is how the Chinese traditional toy market for the urban segment is estimated for 2016:

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10 75 19 28 17 22 19

The Chinese Toy Market ...cont.

Mattel had its own company in China for many years and at one stage even entered retail themselves with the Barbie Palace in Shanghai, which opened

in 2009 and shut down two years later. Up to now, Mattel has made modest progress in its effort to crack the Chinese toy market. However, this is now likely to change given its recently concluded alliance with Ali Baba which gives the company an extremely strong entry into both the eCommerce space as and bricksand-mortar retail. The partnership with Babytree, China’s largest online parenting community, will allow Mattel to develop China-specific learning products under the Fisher Price label.

Jakks has never been a factor in China and the arrangement it just entered with Meisheng Cultural & Creative Corporation is not going to change this in the foreseeable future. Meisheng was founded in 2002 and is thought to have sales in the $200m area. The company engages in the animation and festival apparel business. Its products are divided into the Animation Apparel and Non-Animation Apparel categories. The Animation Apparel category manufactures Disney, traditional festival, and TV inspired costumes. The Non-Animation Apparel division provides decorative head scarves and

accessories such as stockings, gloves, and armor.

Meisheng has taken an equity position in Jakks and its animation technology may well be used by Jakks for their disguise business in the US. My sources in China tell me that Meisheng is a company respected for its skill in bringing innovation to the apparel business. While they do have a foothold in the Chinese toy market, this is very specialized and it remains to be seen whether it can be successfully used to enhance Jakks’ position in China.

VTech is a Hong Kong company with a relatively minor presence in China. In fact, Asia overall only represents about 6% of its worldwide toy business.

Finally, Spin Master has a Hong Kong sales office and a minor presence in China. The acquisition of Swimways, which has a presence in China, is likely to be used as a springboard for the company to expand its business there. What the company does have though is legal issues. In March 2017, it filed a civil proceeding against Dongguan Moral Region Co. Ltd, the manufacturer of Fuzzy Wonderz and Hibou Egg. The suit alleges patent infringement against one of Spin Masters patents covering technology behind the popular Hatchimals toy.

Toy World 29

As the example of Mattel and Hasbro demonstrates, even the most accomplished and strongest of toy companies find China to be a major challenge and this is why they went the route of allying themselves with established companies.

This would suggest that going the distributor route is the most sensible one for any company wishing to enter into the world’s second largest and fastestgrowing toy market. However, it is arguably better not to go in at all than to go in badly. Entering into any relationship with a Chinese partner must be based on complete mutual trust, established over years, and underpinned by strong contractual and financial ties. There is always the alternative of a phased approach. Start off with Amazon and then take it from there, if the numbers warrant doing so, recognizing that there are lots of potential downsides to even the most promising relationship.

viewpoint

Product, people and service how the independents can win

Stephen J Woodman Stephen Woodman is managing director of Recent Toys UK, home to a range of fascinating brainteasers. Whilst a relative novice to the toy and gift industry, Stephen has over 30 years of experience in retail. For more information on Recent Toys, visit www.recenttoys.co.uk

I

read with interest the articles in Toy World and the Friday Blog on the challenges for independent retailers, who continue to face fierce competition from the majors and online retailers. Like most, I am sad to see my local high street filling up with coffee bars and charity shops. I make a point of shopping at my local fishmonger and the farmers’ market each week, to try to help keep those institutions going, despite the higher prices.

Personally, I am convinced that it is not purely about price, yet that is where I feel the discussion on the toy retail market focuses almost entirely.

There is one inescapable fact; price is the one area that independents cannot win.

For me, the challenge is to focus on the areas where retailers can differentiate from the big boys product, people and service: Product – The comment in a recent Friday Blog was spot on; ‘why try to be like Argos, TRU or Smyths?’ Yet this is the trap that when I visit stores, if feels like too many independent retailers fall into. Naturally it’s important to stock some of the major brands to encourage footfall, but there is a huge world of quality products out there that the majors do not stock at all. A case in point from my own past experience would be Rory’s Story Cubes. Other than Waterstones and Eason, the majors missed this amazing product completely at the time, yet it sold incredibly well across the independent sector.

People & Service – For me, one of the critical differences between an independent and a major store is the staff. When I walk into my local supermarket, my only interaction with a staff member is when I go to pay for my goods, or if I need to know where a certain product is. If I use the self-service tills I have none at all. I

happily pay a little extra at my local fishmonger every Friday, because I enjoy the conversation with the owner; he’s keen to chat about what recipe I used for the fish I bought the previous week and I always leave with a smile. I know he faces a challenge every week to keep his shop running, but I find myself sharing our conversations and his jokes with other friends, advocating a visit to his shop.

I doubt he has been professionally trained in sales and yes, if his fish was not fresh, I would not buy it, but he is a people person and I like that.

I think we sometimes forget that the majority of people walk into a store having little or no idea what they might buy when they enter. Some will have decided in advance and some will quickly gravitate to the branded areas they know. However, most don’t and a shop assistant welded to the chair behind the counter is not going to help solve that. Wise Owl Toys regularly features in articles on ‘best independent toy shop’ and there is a reason for that; when you walk into the store, you are greeted by a friendly smiling face, they strike up conversation immediately and ask questions to help them understand what the customer might need. They know the products, have copies open to show you and will often stand and play the game to help enthuse the customer. You don’t sell the volume of Dobble they achieve by sitting behind the till.

The same pleasurable experience occurs in Present Planners in Skipton and Whirligig in Brighton: you are greeted by a smile and staff who are keen to interact with you and help you find the right gift. This is an experience you are unlikely to get in the big stores. There is a whole plethora of free information on the internet about improving customer service and developing staff. I know budgets and time are

tight , but spending as little as fifteen minutes a week with a staff member, teaching them about body language, questioning techniques or simply improving their knowledge on one product would make a real difference.

When I worked in retail banking, I took a gamble and removed all the traditional sales targets from the staff.

Instead, I set targets on customer service and product knowledge and rewarded staff for that – as a result, our sales went up by 70% that year. It is also the reason some banks open at 9.30 instead of 9.00 one day a week: they use that half hour for training or team building, reviewing the past week’s successes or what is new for the week ahead. I wonder how busy the your average toy shop is between 9am and 9.30am most days and why none think of closing once a week for half hour to do the same.

Another example would be the growth in hobby games. We have seen Esdevium and Coiledspring Games help expand the audience for hobby games such as Ticket to Ride, Catan and Forbidden Island. But dedicated hobby games stores and cafes are cropping up all over the country and despite not offering the prices available online, the public still gravitate to stores like Eclectic Games in Reading, because the people and their knowledge make for a great service experience and the peace of mind that you will walk out of the store with a game that suits you.

As a new supplier, the reality is that I cannot forsake the majors entirely.

One success in that channel can set me up for the year, and it can even help finance new products or better prices for the independents. However, I can also offer majors different products or different packaging, leaving a whole range of exciting products almost exclusively for the independents.

If you would like to contribute an article to the Viewpoint section, email Rachael @toyworldmag.co.uk for further details.

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Toy World 31

Fresh

FRESH THIS MONTH:

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

In May we have new releases from: Carte Blanche, Zuru UK, Schafer Toy Company GMBH and Hasbro.

My Dinky Bear joins the Me to You family Building on the loyal following of the iconic Me to You plush range, Carte Blanche’s My Dinky Bear is the latest addition to the family, set to appeal to a whole new group of fans. While the original Blue Nose Bear is targeted primarily at tweens, teens and adults, and companion range Tiny Tatty Teddy focuses on the infant market, My Dinky Bear is aimed at 4-9 -year-old girls, with a secondary audience of young boys and collectors of cute products.

Designed with a strong emphasis on the ‘aah factor’, My Dinky Bear embodies the key values of friendship, imaginative play and the heartfelt connection of a child to their favourite toy. The classic grey and blue colour scheme of its sister brand has been maintained, so the new addition will be instantly recognised as part of the Me to You family My Dinky Bear also taps into the current trend for personalisation and choice,

through the choice of novelty character hats which each bear comes with. Each bear has magnetic paws, which means they can not only clip to other My Dinky Bears, but can also attach to pretty much anything.

The initial range will launch mid August, with six different hats for consumers to choose from in the first wave. The range also includes drawstring bags with a kangaroo style pouch, so a child can carry My Dinky Bear around wherever they go, as well as three sticker packs in seaside, sleepover and adventure themes.

A further collection of six is already planned, with seasonal launches to follow.

Carte Blanche has also started to license the new brand: a major grocery retailer will be introducing a range of licensed merchandise in Q4, while there will be a range of cards available in the summer to support the launch of the toy range and drive awareness of the new brand.

Toy World 32

Shnooks Zuru UK 01604 401719 | www.zuru.com When it was originally launched back in 2008, Zuru’s Shnooks was one of the first toys to combine plush and hair play. The range became the number one girls toy at Argos for four straight weeks and was also named The Sun’s number one girls toy for less than £10.

Zuru is now aiming to capture the imaginations of a new generation of girls by re-launching the Shnooks brand in the UK in July, with newly revamped characters, a supporting TV series, and innovative bubble pack packaging - a vacuum bubble that, when opened, sees the Shnook inside grow to eight times its size. There are six Schnooks to collect, at a suggested retail price of £7.99 each.

Renee Lee, marketing manager, Zuru Toys, commented: “Right now kids are obsessed with unboxing and that instant surprise. We spotted this trend and recognised that Shnooks would be perfect to re-launch. Watching a Shnook grow from its unique vacuum pack is magical and we are seeing great support from our retail partners, who love the space- friendly and protected nature of the packaging.”

To further support the re-launch, Zuru has partnered with New Zealand animation studio Huhu Studios, to produce a new Shnooks TV series set for worldwide distribution later this year. The series will include adventure, magical hair tricks, friendship lessons and a whole lot more in the 26 seven-minute episodes, which will be supported with online content. A content-rich marketing plan is also in place to support the brand.

Geemac Sales & Marketing is handling all sales enquiries for Zuru in the UK.

Brixies

Egged On

Schafer Toy Company GMBH

Hasbro

02684 9570 291 | www.brixies.de

0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk

Brixies provides individual mini building kits, part of a portfolio of construction sets that can be assembled to create a collection of animals, world famous buildings, and other objects.

Hasbro Gaming released Egged On to encourage people to try a new game this Easter.

The game is designed to build suspense as players take turns selecting plastic eggs from the container, trying to avoid the ones that are filled with water. Participants use the spinner to follow simple commands, tasked to egg themselves or their opponents, and are ultimately eliminated once splashed.

Participants are also invited to share videos on social media using the hashtag #EggedOn.

Depending on the complexity of the model, each set is categorized between five levels of difficulty, helping the user to choose the right product. All sets are accompanied by an illustrated instruction sheet.

Additionally, subject to pre-agreed minimum order quantities, Brixies can develop customized products to cater for individual customer projects. All products have a warranty of five years.

Toy World 33

Company Profile

Bladez Toyz

Bladez of Glory -

10 years of Bladez Toyz Bladez Toyz specialises in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of radio control helicopters, drones and licensed character inflatables. The company is based in Portsmouth, and was founded in 2007 by Iain Morgan and Emma Costello (now Morgan) who married in August 2016. To mark the 10th Anniversary year of Bladez, John Baulch spoke to Iain Morgan, CEO, and Keiran Peoples, sales manager, about the company’s beginnings on reality television, and what the future holds.

Can you give us a little background on the history of Bladez?

IM: I had the idea to start a toy company whilst I was backpacking in Australia in 2004 and working as a demonstrator of radio control cars in shopping centres at Christmas.

On returning to the UK after our travels, Emma and I started researching factories, pulling together a rudimentary business plan and trying to find ways of raising money. A year later we bought our

first container from China and set up a market stall. I wanted to replicate what I’d loved demonstrating in Australia and our stand-out items were a micro RC car, RC helicopter and a battery operated vehicle puzzle set.

In February 2007, we attended a business show in Birmingham and randomly met Peter Jones at a seminar. I asked him how to scale up a business to sell to retail without any money and he invited me to pitch the idea formally in London for the TV programme Tycoon. With the help

of some of our first retailers such as MenKind, Red5, Debenhams and Argos, I made the most money across the series and was fortunate enough to reach the live final. I won the public vote and Peter’s investment.

Bladez Toyz was officially born and the rest, as they say, is history.

What were the advantages and disadvantages of the company being formed as the result of a reality TV programme?

Toy World 34

IM: Being featured on the TV show was great commercial exposure for us and we obviously benefited from all the PR opportunities of being crowned winners of the series. One of the downsides of reality TV in the business world is that another company can copy your idea or try to piggyback your IP, so we had to be mindful of that. It was also a rapid learning curve going from a market stall to mass retail in just 12 months.

With only two people in the company that was quite a challenge.

How difficult was it to break into the toy market initially?

IM: We were lucky in that we received support early on, because customers saw a gap in the market for radio control helicopters. The challenge as a new company though was understanding the retailer buying cycles and combining that with production lead times. Getting stock into the country doesn’t happen as quickly as you would like.

What have been the biggest product successes for Bladez to date?

IM: We are famous for the Bladez brand of radio control helicopters, so we’re incredibly proud of our roots and how it all started. Equally, our number one selling item now is the radio control inflatable Star Wars R2-D2. We have sold this to the US, Brazil, Europe and as far afield as Australia.

How has the company evolved over the past decade?

IM: In those early days it was just Emma and I working out of a tiny office in Portsmouth, juggling everything that had to be done to get a company off the ground.

Daniel Abdelmassih, now our product development director, had been helping with some graphic design tasks in the early years whilst finishing his studies and by 2010 he joined us full time. Daniel’s creative input has been invaluable over the years, as we continue to strive for innovation within the world of RC. 90% of the toys we launch are our own design and Daniel now heads up a

talented team of product and graphic designers who work hard every day to come up with new concepts and ideas. We have grown into a team of 25 internationally and we manage a diverse product range which caters for all ages, from nursery through to tween and kidult. We have something for everyone.

How important is the Bladez team to the company’s success?

IM: I have built a team around me to cover all the key foundations for growth and each staff member is supportive, dedicated, loyal and determined to see the company succeed. In the last 18 months to two years we have strengthened the team further by recruiting toy industry professionals to head up key departments. We now have Keiran Peoples as sales manager (previously HTI), Vicki MarlerHausen as marketing manager (previously Bandai) and Chris Burt as senior product designer (previously Hasbro). We can draw on all their experience and truly benefit from their knowledge and contacts. Additionally, we work closely with the local Universities and enjoy nurturing talent via student placements and inspiring the next generation of product designers.

Which particular retail channels do you feel your products sit well in?

KP: Due to the diversity of our product range and target markets, from pre-school to gadgets and geeks, there is no one definitive channel for us. We enjoy working with all of our retailers and exploring the

opportunities to grow our business with them. It works best for us where we have partnerships with retailers who allow us to focus on our marketing activity. Toy specialists have been key to this, with product demonstration in stores and it’s important we continue to implement this as we move forward with our new ranges. With the Independent shows also now in full swing, we are keen to demonstrate to these retailers how we can work together.

What are your key new product introductions for this year?

KP: We are incredibly excited to be launching Hot Wheels Bladez Drone Racerz this summer. The reaction we have had at all the trade shows tells us we are on to a winner with this new flying play pattern and we’d like to thank Mattel and all our retailers for their support. With increased marketing investment for this year, we are really looking forward to seeing how Drone Racerz performs and to developing the range for 2018. Other highlights include our Despicable Me 3 radio control Fluffy Unicorn as a stand-out character from the new movie and the Thomas & Friends tile playset. Also, we’re introducing new Star Wars characters into our radio control inflatables range ahead of the release of The Last Jedi, including a new life size BB-8.

What are your aspirations for 2017 – do you see it as a year of growth for the company?

Toy World 35

IM: Following our most successful and busiest trade show season to date we are incredibly optimistic about the year ahead. We are trading in new territories including India, China and Russia, and I recently returned from the Melbourne Toy Fair as we are now working with industry veteran Meyer Diamond in Australia and New Zealand.

Where do you see Bladez in ten years’ time?

IM: I’d like to see Bladez Toyz become one of the major players on the UK and global stage where we are recognised for innovation, creativity and quality. We have more short term plans to secure a master toy licence of a global property and ultimately we would also like to license out our own IP to other toy companies.

What has been your favourite memory of the first ten years?

IM: It’s actually a very recent one which may surprise some people.

Seeing my vision and all our years of hard work come to fruition in the groundbreaking and totally innovative Hot Wheels Drone Racerz launch is very rewarding. We can see the excitement Mattel is feeling about it too and that is real validation of our efforts. I’m really proud of the team for all the work they are doing to make this happen and Drone Racerz signals the start of a very exciting next chapter in the Bladez Toyz story.

Feature

Dolls

Dolly mixtures Toy World looks at the doll market and the impact of the rise of collectibles on the category.

T

he positive performance of the doll category has mirrored that of the overall toy market in the past few years. A healthy increase of 7% in 2015 was followed by further growth of 8% in 2016. However, it’s fair to say that the fortunes of the individual segments which make up the super-category have ebbed and f lowed in recent years. The release of movie juggernaut Frozen at the tail end of 2013 led to a major resurgence in the fashion doll sector, but as the brand inevitably waned, Playset Dolls and Accessories has come to the fore.

In 2016, Playset Dolls and Collectibles was the fastest-growing subclass in the whole UK toy market, accounting for 84% of total Doll category growth – if indeed you count collectible product as a doll per se (the brands are often referred to as mini-dolls, but I think it’s fair to say that some ranges fit the description better than others). With a turnover in excess of £126m, the sector which incorporates ranges such as Shopkins, Sylvanian Families, My Little Pony and Num Noms – overtook Fashion Dolls (£111m) to become the largest individual segment. The Nurturing Dolls sector has also enjoyed two

years of growth, and is now worth almost £64m,

equating to 20% of the overall Doll market.

Acknowledging the strong performance of the other sectors, Mattel’s brand activation director Wendy Hill commented: “In the last few years there has been a resurgence in Playset Doll, Large Doll and Nurture Doll sales. However, this followed several years of record-breaking growth in Fashion Dolls, due to franchises such as Frozen and Monster High. We are pleased to see that Barbie has continued to grow share in

a challenged category; the Barbie Dreamtopia range, which is aimed at the younger end of the market, has performed particularly well since its introduction last year. We also continue to tailor our offering to the ever- changing play patterns of consumers, as evidenced by our successful launch of DC Superhero Girls - the 12-inch doll assortment is currently the number one fashion doll product year-to-date. Across Barbie and DC Superhero Girls, Mattel currently has ten of the top 20 fashion doll products.”

Elsewhere in the Doll category, the Large & Nurturing Doll sector remains a consistent

concept and some strong new lines helped to deliver sales growth of 24%, leading to the brand’s best-ever year in the UK market. VTech also enjoyed success after entering the category for the first time last year with Little Love Baby Talk doll, especially after it took the decision to position the doll within the infant aisle (18 months+).

Another company which has successfully entered the doll market in recent years is IMC Toys, whose Baby Wow range is now being stocked by all the major retail players. Having initially launched Baby Wow Charlie in only three accounts in 2015, the line went on to sell over 60,000 pieces last year, driven by a heavyweight TV Sterling Sterling Share 12 Months (Jan'16 - 12 Months (Jan'16 - advertising campaign. With followDec'16) Dec'16)

on release Baby Wow Emma hitting

shelves this summer, and the Cry Total Dolls £326,514,132 100.0

Babies range selling out in 2016, the Playset Dolls & company has gone from 1 SKU to Accessories £126,654,358 38.8 having an established range of dolls Fashion Dolls/Accessories in a very short space of time, and is & Role Play £111,236,771 34.1 now a key player in the category.

Nurturing Dolls & Accessories £63,937,327 19.6 Looking ahead to the autumn winter Large Dolls & period, Spin Master’s new Luvabella Accessories/Furniture £24,685,677 7.6 doll, which made its debut over Toy Fair season, will introduce the latest cutting-edge technology into the performer, spearheaded by long-term market sector. With a price point which is expected to leader Zapf. However, there is no shortage be around the £100 mark, it will be fascinating of competition; new high-profile own-label to see the impact it has on the sector, which brands such as Argos’ Design a Friend and remains as fiercely competitive as ever.

Tesco’s Sindy are presumably taking a share of Over the following pages, Toy World presents the market, although as NPD doesn’t include a selection of the latest dolls and accessories such ranges in its data, it is difficult to assess which will be arriving on shelves over the the precise impact. Peterkin’s dollsworld coming weeks. brand enjoyed a positive 2016: a new packaging

Toy World 36

Dolls

Arklu 0203 773 2716 | www.lottie.com Lottie Dolls’ Inspired by Real Kids brand mission and integrated marketing campaign for 2017 will see the company roll out international promotional activities to reflect the brands core values, based on the importance of childhood, and real-kid involvement. Six Lottie dolls and accessories to date have been inspired by real children from the US, UK and Canada. In 2017, key partnerships and targeted digital, television advertising and PR campaigns will aim to significantly amplify brand awareness.

Lottie recently launched Facebook Global Pages, the brand’s content marketing is now localised, and the company recently doubled the workforce to twenty employees, including recent hires in the areas of sales and marketing. Club Lottie is set to grow to 120k members this year as a result of the targeted regional marketing strategy.

Arklu is investing in a TV advertising campaign for two consecutive slots in 2017; summer/back to school (July – September) and autumn/pre-Christmas (October – December). The advertisements will be directed by award-winning Italian filmmaker, Elena Rossini.

Lottie Dolls has created a merchandising plan for stores, to promote the Inspired by Real Kids campaign.

FSDUs, header boards and dioramas, as well as the opportunity to have a dedicated window display, will be designed and guided by the Lottie visual merchandising team. The campaign will provide free Lottie, Finn and Friends Outfit Design colouring templates to retailers.

The Lottie publishing partnership with Puffin/Penguin will launch on 18th May with the first fiction title Lottie Solves a Mystery, which will also feature in May’s Scholastic UK book club, and a sticker/stargazer themed activity book.

A three-year licensing agreement with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts will launch with Lottie Brownie dolls and accessories in July, along with a major PR campaign with Playtime PR, running from April to December 2017. This will include an influencer campaign, a crowdsourced competition, Lottie – Dream Den Design, and targeted social media content marketing.

Finally, the Mia Wildlife Photographer Doll will launch summer 2017, in collaboration with journalist Rebecca Atkinson, founder of the #ToyLikeMe campaign. To launch this collaboration and doll, a press and social media campaign will run to promote differently-abled representation in the toy box.

Hasbro 0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk

Kaloo 0208 878 2133 | www.Kaloo.com

This autumn sees the arrival of three new interactive dolls in Hasbro’s Baby Alive range; Sweet Tears Baby, Snackin’ Lily, and Snackin’ Noodles Baby Doll.

Baby Alive Sweet Tears Baby has interactive features and accessories, plus facial animations, which alert children that she needs care. Her nose turns red when it’s stuffy, and she cries tears that can be wiped away. Sweet Tears Baby comes with a drink, thermometer, stethoscope, bandage and more. Using a switch in her back, children can choose whether she’s speaking to “Mummy” or “Daddy”, and the doll features over 35 sounds and phrases to communicate how she’s feeling.

With Baby Alive Snackin’ Lily, kids can get creative and make different kinds of pretend food, using the reusable doll food and snack shaper. Once the food is ready, it can be scooped out of Lily’s dish with her special spoon and fed to her. She’ll need her nappy changed once she’s finished eating.

The Baby Alive Snackin’ Noodles Baby can’t wait to be fed her favourite food, noodles. Kids can create the noodles themselves with the reusable doll food and extruder, fill up her bowl, start feeding her and she will eat in a realistic fashion.

All three dolls provide hours of pretend parenting roleplay. The launch of the new dolls will be supported by a marketing and PR programme.

Suitable from birth, the Tendresse range from Kaloo offers dolls in a variety of colours, outfits and sizes. Perle, Rose, Fleur, Azure and Lise are available as 25cm or 32cm dolls, and all come in a floral box with a ribbon handle.

The dolls outfits correspond to their names - Fluer wears a floral print dress, and Azure’s is pale blue - and each also features a securely stitched-on ribbon along with soft fabrics crafted with newborn safety in mind.

Toy World 38

ÂŽ

Available Autumn / Winter 2017 TV Advertised

Puppy Pal Teach puppy new fun tricks

Take care of your baby doll and her cute little puppy

For more details please contact 01235 555545 trade_sales@vtech.com

Dolls

Jakks 01344 638900 | www.jakks.com Jakks Pacific introduces new Disney Princess feature dolls, a singing Glow ‘N Style Rapunzel with light up hair and wearable accessories and Colour of the Sea Ariel whose tail creates a light show while she sings. These dolls will be backed by TV campaigns reaching 450 TVRs each.

Jakks also starts autumn/winter with a new brand - DC Super Hero Girls. This line includes 18” action dolls with 12 points of articulation and 14” toddler dolls dressed in super hero outfits with accessories. The launch will be strengthened by PR initiatives.

2017 also sees the continuation of Jakks’ 14” Disney Princess toddler dolls featuring classic princesses in royal dresses and tiaras, including a Beauty and the Beast Belle dressed in her gown from the live action film.

Vivid Imaginations 01473 322 000 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk FlipZee Girls are soft bodied dolls from Vivid. Launching in July with a TV campaign, each has her own style, with a detailed dress and soft hair. When kids flip her bonnet and swaddle, she transforms from baby to girl.

Genie Girls will be back for autumn/winter with the launch of Collection 2 Genie Girls. The second wave of figures will be available in the new Mini Chest two-pack which come in a miniature chest that opens to display the Genie Girls, as well as the Genie five and ten packs. As with series one, every Genie will have a secret colour change as well as a new style and strong marketing support.

Peterkin 01162 543 645 | www.peterkin.co.uk 2017 sees the introduction of new dolls and playsets. The new bathtime play set includes a 15” bathable doll and all the accessories needed for bathtime, including a bath and a rubber duck. The baby travel set includes a 12” talking doll in her own baby carrier, whilst the new Catherine dolls are 16” soft bodied dolls with shoulder length hair.

The deluxe accessory set contains 20 pieces for looking after favourite dolls. As well as these new additions, plans are at an advanced stage for the launch of a brand new, multifunctional doll.

These new additions complement the existing products, such as Dolly Doctor, Little Treasure and Talking Tammy, to ensure that dollsworld offers a comprehensive range of nurturing dolls, accessories, buggies, prams and furniture.

Halilit 01254 872 454 | www.halilit.co.uk Lori Dolls is a collection of 15cm soft bodied dolls and accessories designed for young children. Each doll comes with her own outfit and matching accessories, with additional outfits and ballet-themed dolls available too.

The range also features a convertible car, glamper and dolls house with furniture that will suit any other 15cm doll.

2017 sees the introduction of horses, stables and a horsebox alongside new dolls and outfits to complement this new theme. Lori Dolls are sized with little hands in mind and are portable so they can be used as travel companions too.

Toy World 40

TV Campaign ÂŁ100k Committed Spend Tv July to Sept Tv Oct to Dec

Other Campaigns 2017 Inspired by Real Kids Girl Guides - 500k UK Members Toy Like Me

Range Overview

Publishing (May 2017)

Apps (June 2017)

Based on a 9 year old character, inspired by Real Kids.

Targeted age group - Kids aged 3 - 9 years Established on the market for 5 years 2017 new introduction of playsets and buildings to complete play-pattern / price points

Ave 4.5/5 on Amazon Reviews

Publishing 3 year book deal

Shortlisted

2 TOTY Awards 17

Animation (June 2018)

sales@arklu.com

UK: +44 2037 733 2726

IRE: +353 74 91 165 91

I found out about Lottie through Facebook last May, in our children’s department we are keen to promote and support slow learning and STEM toys and so my research on Lottie led me to believe I’d found the right toy. After meeting with the team I was blown away with the concept and idea behind Lottie. I love that she stands on her own two feet both as a doll and also in her actions. I also really liked the diversity behind all of the dolls and outfits.

When we met to discuss launching the product in the department we all agreed that we needed a dedicated area and stand so that the product would really stand out. The Lottie Team designed a fantastic house that held all of the stock and was also a fun and attractive space for kids. This definitely helped to raise the profile of the brand in the store. We then decided to hold a “Lottie day” to help promote the brand further. It was important that this day would incorporate learning, and be a family activity. It was a really successful event in both attracting new Lottie customers and connecting with existing Lottie fans.

Lottie is an important part of our department and we will continue to support and grow with the brand as it embarks on all of its new exciting adventures.

The Lottie dolls have been a fantastic brand for us at the Museum. Fossil Hunter Lottie was created in association with TrowelBlazers, a group representing pioneering women in archaeology, palaeontology and geology, two of whose members have worked at the Natural History Museum. We launched the doll to coincide with the birthday of Mary Anning, 'the greatest fossil hunter ever known' who discovered the fossils of an Icthyosaur and Plesiosaur on the Dorset coast.

Any toy that makes science fun for kids is always an asset to the Museum brand, and a toy that encourages all children to delve into STEM projects is something that we fully support. We also stock Butterfly Protector Lottie who has gained the endorsement of the Museum's senior lepidoptera curator, Dr Blanca Huertas and most recently we started stocking stargazer Lottie, the doll that went into space with Tim Peake. The fact that each doll comes with its own backstory and a pack of educational cards related to the doll's edition helps to bring science alive to young children and hopefully encourage them to continue learning about core STEM subjects.

We've been aware of the Lottie Doll range for a little while having seen it at Toy Fair, and felt that the opening of our new store in Bridge of Allan was the perfect time to introduce the range.

Local customers have been delighted that we stock the range, and as a mother of a young girl I appreciate the positive body image message that is clear in the Lottie Doll range.

We contacted Arklu and they were very helpful in making suggestions as to their best sellers in the range as well as providing the perfect display solution with their beautifully designed FSDU. This now has pride of place in our store. They've been right that Muddy Puddles in particular is a very popular design. The matching gift bags have been a great addition as well, and the perfect finishing touch for people purchasing the dolls as a present.

Outfit Design

Developed in partnership with Toylikeme, Wildlife Photographer Mia has a cochlear implant, #ToylikeMe is a not for profit organisation celebrating diff:abilty.

sales@arklu.com

UK: +44 2037 733 2726

IRE: +353 74 91 165 91

Dolls

IMC Toys 01904 720 908 | www.imctoys.com Following on from 2016 with products including Cry Babies and Baby Wow Charlie, IMC have confirmed plans to expand their doll portfolio. New additions will include BabyWow Emma, Cry Babies Katie and Bloopies.

Baby Wow Emma is an interactive baby who is learning how to talk. Emma learns in 3 stages. At first she will only be able to say vowels and simple words, before she progresses to saying more complicated words, and finally onto phrases and sentences. The more she is spoken to the more words she will learn, up to 150 words and phrases in total. Emma comes with a toy phone, and she will talk when this is held to her face. She laughs when you tickle her and can move her head and mouth like a real baby.

Katie is the newest member of the Cry Babies family. Katie is larger than the other Cry Babies and has new functions, such as drinking water from her bottle, crying real tears and making realistic baby noises when her dummy is taken away. Stroking the back of Katie’s head will calm her down.

IMC also introduces Bloopies bath time friends. They squirt water out of their mouth and snorkel when their belly is pressed. The Bloopies can blow bubbles when played with in the bath. There are six different characters to collect, each with their own swimsuit, diving fins and snorkel.

All dolls will be supported by TV campaigns running right the way to December as well as online YouTube influencers and print support.

Simba Smoby 01274 765 030 | www.simba-dickie-group.de Simba Smoby’s dolls portfolio includes Masha and the Bear, with a 23cm Masha Doll styled on the show. Feature dolls also come in the form of Singing Masha and Tickle Me Masha to provide interactive options, along with a pocket money assortment of four collectible Masha mini dolls.

Also on show will be products from the Wissper licence. The toys capture the essence of Wissper and her animal friends. An 8.5” Wissper and Peggy doll set includes an articulated Wissper doll and comes with an array of accessories such as her panpipe, bag, mirror, binoculars and hair brush. For autumn, a new 15” feature doll will also be available with three different sound phrases, music and Wissper’s catchphrase, “shhhhh.”

John Adams 01480 414361 | www.johnadams.co.uk First launched in the 1960s, Tiny Tears was the first fully functioning feeding, crying and wetting doll with closing eyes, moveable arms, legs and head.

The Classic Tiny Tears doll has all of the features of the original product with a modern look for today’s kids, including a dress with patterned fabric only seen on Tiny Tears dolls. Classic Tiny Tears comes complete with accessories, including bottle, potty, pacifier and hairbrush.

The Classic Tiny Tears Interactive Doll is a fully functional doll that feeds, cries, tears, wets, and makes sounds. Tiny Tears laughs, cries or says ‘mama’ when her tummy is pressed. The interactive doll set includes bottle, bib, potty and nappy.

Also part of the range is the Teeny Tiny Tears soft bodied doll, which has dual function packaging that can be turned into a cot. Tiny Tears Best Friends is a set of two twin soft-bodied dolls, each with their own co-ordinating fleece dungarees, hat and dummy. All dolls are available now and will benefit from TV advertising and PR support throughout the year.

Toy World 46

Just Play 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Just Play will be expanding its dolls collection with an all new Jo Jo Siwa Line for autumn. Inspired by the 13-year-old social media personality, the collection includes a 25cm singing Jo Jo Doll, which sings one of Jo Jo’s songs and wears an outfit inspired by that worn in the music video for the song Boomerang.

The Jo Jo Singing Doll will come in a rainbow coloured window box, and the launch of the new collection benefits from a strong marketing plan

by Nickelodeon.

AVAILABLE IN ORIGINAL, TALL, CURVY AND PETITE EVEN MORE DIVERSITY IN 2017, OFFERING MORE CHOICES THAN EVER BEFORE!

19

HAIRSTYLES

© 2017 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

11

SKIN TONES

4

BODY TYPES

Dolls

Mattel 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com Barbie will introduce new launches for autumn/winter 17 including Barbie Dreamhorse, an interactive pet companion who can communicate with Barbie for the first time ever. Also for autumn/winter 17 is the new look Barbie Fashionistas range, and new additions to the world of Barbie Dreamtopia as Sweetville kingdom is brought to life with the Sweetville princess doll, carriage and castle.

A new feature film, Barbie Dolphin Magic, will have its theatrical release before premiering on TV, and is supported by a full underwater adventure themed range including the Barbie Dolphin Magic Snorkel Fun Friends doll and a fun Barbie Dolphin Magic Ocean View Boat.

Other products include the Barbie Camper, which transforms from RV to a playset, the new Barbie Pet Care Centre playset, and the Barbie Crimp & Curl doll. The brand’s marketing plans include consumer brand messages, content, TV, PR, digital and retail activations.

Mattel introduces brand new property Enchantimals in autumn/winter 17, a woodland-themed doll brand that celebrates friendship and the bond between girls and their animal friends. Each character has her own pet friend in the Enchantimals doll/animal assortment. The brand will be launched with a marketing plan including content, TV, PR and in-store retail support.

DC Super Hero Girls will see new faces, stories and adventures with new character Starfire in 2017 and Monster High introduces a new thematic with Garden Ghouls including the 14.5” Garden Ghouls Treesa Thornwillow Doll, the tree girl doll that becomes a tree monster play set.

Casdon 01253 766 411 | www.casdon.co.uk Casdon presents a range of doll accessories in its Baby Huggles portfolio.

The Baby Huggles brand offers a range of accessories for any 46cm doll.

2017 has seen a refresh to the design, bringing a contemporary feel to the collection. The new colour scheme has been applied to the range of car booster seats, changing mats, high chairs and more.

A year round social media strategy is in place to ensure that the Casdon brands are seen by the firm’s core consumer: parents and grandparents.

Included in this will be reviews of the new Baby Huggles range with the UK’s top parenting influencers.

VTech 01235 546 810 | www.vtech.co.uk VTech’s Little Love family gets a pet in 2017, with the introduction of Little Love Puppy Pal. Through independent and imitative play, children can learn how to take care of the doll and her puppy. The more Little Love interacts with her puppy, the more the puppy can do. To start, the puppy is a brand new pet, who will only respond to Little Love with puppy sounds and react to simple tricks. After the doll and dog play with each other for a longer period of time, they will become friends and the puppy will do even more. For example, the dog will start off barking as the dolls sings, but as they interact further the dog will start singing back.

Little Love encourages nurturing role play as she takes care of her puppy, learns about its feelings and develops a basic understanding of pet care concepts. When Little Love feeds her puppy a dog biscuit, this will elicit phrases, real-life sound effects and there are 12 singalong songs and melodies to discover.

There will be two Little Love dolls advertised on TV in 2017: Little Love Baby Talk, followed by Little Love Puppy Pal.

Toy World 48

Dolls

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com From the world of Little Live Pets, the new Bizzy Bubs dolls range brings youth electronics to the dolls aisle, whilst still offering a traditional nurturing play pattern.

Crawling Babies Poppy and Primmy crawl around just like real babies while Walking Babies Polly Petals and Snowbeam will toddle around. Each baby will make baby sounds, feed from their bottles and suck their dummies.

Also available as part of the range are two Bizzy Bubs playsets. Bouncing Gracie bounces in her crib and will then need to take a nap. Swirly will play peek-a-boo and comes with carrier for easy transportation.

Bizzy Bubs will launch with a full marketing campaign including TV adverting, kids’ press and digital campaigns plus influencer activity.

Epoch Making Toys 08435 574 062 | www.sylvanianfamilies.net.uk Sylvanian Families is releasing a series of new products to expand its Holidays range.

The Starry Point Lighthouse has over 25 pieces included and, using one of the three contained slides, starry scenes can be projected onto walls. It won the Best New Toy Award (playsets category) in the British Toy and Hobby Association Toy Fair Awards in 2017 and will be launched in July.

The Sky Ride Adventure is the first flying machine to be introduced to the Sylvanian world and will also be available from July. The balloon comes with a trunk, and both products can be used in conjunction for increased play possibilities.

Trends UK 01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk With mermaid and seaside themes being very much in vogue, Splashlings is a summer toy range of collectible characters from under the sea. Including mermaids with movable tails and sea creatures, the collectibles also offer shells, treasures and gems.

Fans can also follow the underwater adventures in animated webisodes viewed online.

Retail support includes homepage brand features and in-store point of sale. Supported by TV, online and girls’ press, the next series will reach the UK later this year to offer something new in the very active collectibles sector.

WowWee 0203 598 5119 | www.jazwares.com New for spring 2017 are the Fingerlings Baby Monkeys, which hang onto kids’ fingers and know when they’re being touched, spoken to, and even hung upside down. These primate toys come to life with 40 ways to play and 50 sounds to let their owners know how they are feeling.

Fingerlings make realistic monkey sounds, blink their eyes, turn their heads, have hands that grip and a curly hanging tail. There are six different versions to collect in a range of colours with contrasting hair.

Distributed by Jazwares in the UK, the Fingerlings are supported with marketing, TV and PR campaigns.

Toy World 50

Dolls

HTI 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk HTI’s portfolio includes new Baby Annabell and Baby born ranges, as well as ranges featuring Chicco, Mamas & Papas, and Peppa Pig. Many designs are inspired by real-life nursery range models and include up-to-date fabric designs.

Following a multi-territory licence deal with Zapf Creation, HTI’s Baby Annabell and Baby born dolls prams, pushchairs and accessories feature fabric colourways and iconography for each brand. Both collections are designed for Baby Annabell and Baby born dolls. The Baby Annabell Carriage Pram is a large vintage style pram with a pink and blue colourway, rose floral patterned fabric and the brand’s lamb graphic. The carriage also features a sprung chassis, adjustable hood, removable apron and matching bedding.

HTI’s Chicco dolls prams feature a pink and grey fabric colourway. The Chicco 3 in 1 can be used as a front or rear facing pram or pushchair. The detachable pram body can adjust from flat to angled, and has a reversible frame.

It also features swivel wheels, an adjustable hood, height-adjustable handle, under seat shopping basket and is supplied with a matching shoulder bag, providing opportunities for role-play.

The Mamas & Papas collection features block colours across different lines. The Mamas & Papas Ranger is a classic dolls pram with a shopping tray, adjustable handle height and coordinating shoulder bag. The new Cruiser stroller includes a shopping basket and adjustable hood.

HTI’s Peppa Pig dolls prams have been refreshed with a new pink and turquoise brand fabric. The range offers children a variety of designs including the Play and Go Travel Set that comprises a pushchair, 3 in 1 swing/ highchair/car seat, play gym and feeding accessories.

MGA Entertainment 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls arrived in the UK in February this year. Each of the product’s seven layers reveals a different surprise, including an emoji sticker, accessory, and finally the L.O.L. Surprise! Doll. From Rockers to Merbabies, each L.O.L. Surprise! comes with bathtub, doll stand and hangout, all doubling up as a purse. The mix and match aspect offers an opportunity to swap and create different styles. Each doll has its own water feature and some of the dolls change colour when placed in water.

Project Mc2 is a team of girls who use their love of science and spy skills to undertake missions for top-secret organisation, NOV8 (pronounced innovate). The doll line and accompanying Netflix original entertainment supported British Science Week 2017 with a digital campaign.

This autumn will see a range of new products which continue to offer science-inspired play, including a new line of STEAM accessories. The Experiment Dolls include new experiment accessories which can be performed and re-used at home, just using household ingredients. The doll’s outfits are aligned with the characters from the show and feature articulated legs and arms, hair, glass eyes and rooted eyelashes.

This spring saw Lalaloopsy launch its own Netflix Original animated series We’re Lalaloopsy! to encourage further imaginative role-play. New for autumn, the brand will see a refresh including new glitter and hair play features for additional role play value, plus new large entertainment dolls reflecting the core cast of characters. The brand will also be launching collectible blind bags with multiple themes.

Brands will be supported by TV campaigns, major influencer support, PR and digital activity, and social media activity.

Zapf Creation 0845 0533 333 | www.zapf-creation.com This autumn, Baby Annabell will launch several additions to its Baby Annabell Newborn and core ranges, including new themes and accessories. The Baby Annabell doll has lifelike functions including making realistic sounds and movements, drinking water, crying real tears, and wetting her nappy. Promoting imaginative role play, she encourages the development of social skills from a young age.

The core Baby Annabell family will introduce a refresh to the Baby Annabell Learns to Walk doll this autumn, as well as a brand new swimming themed doll. A Sweet Dreams theme introduces a range of accessories and friends, whilst new additions to the accessories and deluxe clothing ranges will also be a focus for autumn/winter 2017.

Baby born encourages both nurturing and fantasy role play with a range of dolls and accessories proven to help develop social skills and values. For autumn, there will be a number of new product, fashions and accessory launches within the brand’s established play themes.

The My Little Baby born range will see the introduction of a new feature doll, complete with voice activated functions. The Baby born Bathtime range includes real water functions and sounds, ideal for interactive role-play with both the Baby born interactive and Sister dolls, while the Baby born Wonderland theme will see new product additions, including new doll and fashions with light up functions.

TV and marketing campaigns will support the above launches to maintain the brands’ momentum throughout autumn/winter 2017.

Toy World 52

NEW July Launch!

Starry Point Lighthouse Switch on the light to project night skies on your ceiling!

R Support during the summer/Q4 Full TV/P Includes fun features to guarantee hours of play!

Extensive Digital Marketing

For more information, contact us at sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Š 2017 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

Feature

Toymaster

Independent thinking Timed to enable Toymaster members and other retail attendees to view and select Christmas lines from over 100 suppliers, the Toymaster May show has become a pivotal fixture in the toy calendar.

O

ver 100 Toymaster members traditionally attend the threeday show, along with a healthy sprinkling of independent toy and hobby retailers who are not Toymaster members, but who nevertheless have been welcome at the event for many years.

Speaking to Toy World ahead of the event, Toymaster managing director Ian Edmunds commented: “We’re looking forward to another productive and successful May show, attended by a good mix of Toymaster members and other independent retailers. All the rooms at the Majestic have already been sold, which is a good sign.

Suppliers will always get good, honest feedback at the event – our members are never shy to offer their opinion. 2017 has got off to a respectable start, and our members enjoyed a good Easter trading period.

Several new lines are working well; Spinners and Fidget Cubes, Thinking Putty and Fingerlings amongst others. And Pokémon is still selling incredibly well; Esdevium was the group’s second largest supplier at the end of March.”

The concept of a buying group for the independent toy trade was originally conceived in 1977, when the nascent Unigroup was initially formed. The operation changed its name to Toymaster in 1981, while the various regional buying groups were amalgamated into a central organisation in 1989. Toymaster’s members are all equal shareholders, and each remains an independent entity; Toymaster branding is voluntary, as is participation in the various elements that make up the marketing programme such as window displays and point of sale.

Toymaster currently has over 150 individual members who operate over 250 stores across the UK and Ireland (and one in Malta). A team of 18 people works from the head office in Northampton, controlling the group’s marketing activity; importing FOB stock from the Far East; handling the accounts function and, ultimately, helping to facilitate trade by linking together its members with toy suppliers. Managing director Ian Edmunds has been with Toymaster for 18

years, while the average length of service across the whole team is 15 years.

Even Toymaster mascot Toby is 25 years old this year (albeit he wasn’t given a name until 2012, when it was chosen in a Facebook competition).

Toymaster has eleven Toby costumes, which it lends out to members for in-store visits. Toymaster also gives away around 28,000 bean toy versions of Toby each year, and this year will see the biggest giveaway ever. Toby has become established as the public face of the Toymaster brand, and the focal point for much of its promotional activity.

The head office team also works hard to encourage Toymaster members to talk more to each other; the umbrella ‘it’s good to talk’ initiative encompasses a variety of individual elements such as the members’ forum, the members lounge at Toy Fair, dinners at the regional meetings and, most importantly, the May Show in Harrogate.

Earlier this year, in response to another specialist retailer stating that it would be increasing its shelf space for own-label toys, Toymaster’s Ian Edmunds responded by clarifying that Toymaster would never establish an ownlabel programme of its own. It is clear that Toymaster wants its members to maintain their independence, and it also wants to work with suppliers to help them build their brands with its members and customers. As Ian said at the recent brand presentation in Swindon: “We want your brands to succeed and grow.”

Toymaster offers suppliers a range of options to increase exposure, including promotional giveaways, gift vouchers, two annual consumer catalogues (spring summer and autumn winter), window features and point of sale, as well as a selection of online and social media opportunities.

Over £300,000 worth of promotional vouchers were redeemed in Toymaster stores last year, while the group and its members printed and

Toy World 56

distributed over 4m catalogues in 2016. The latest spring summer catalogue has just been sent out to members, featuring images that are significantly larger than some other catalogue pages, thus offering far greater exposure for the featured products.

Window features remain popular with a significant percentage of the Toymaster membership. The 2017 window calendar is already finalised, and work on the 2018 calendar is already underway. Window promotions can be combined with a social media campaign and website takeover to maximise impact. A window campaign with Toymaster can offer huge potential reach across the country; last year, one member’s footfall exceeded 80,000 in December alone, while the potential reach across the entire membership in the month before Christmas is over 15 million people.

To add extra in-store impact, Toymaster offers a range of point of sale options, including shelf strips, wobblers and even loyalty cards. Point of sale material can be taken away from the regional FOB shows by members.

There are four key pillars of Toymaster’s social media presence, where promotional giveaways and competitions have proved particularly popular: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The company also runs a successful website with key features such as Ring and Reserve and a Store Finder. Toymaster is always happy to work with suppliers on social media campaigns to coincide with launches, new products, anniversaries or any other events.

Over the following pages, we present a selection of the products which suppliers will be focusing on at the show.

TM

e g n a r 7 1 0 2 r u o e Come and se

Visit us at the Toymaster Show in the Marquee

es n li d e is rt e v d a V T d n a s e m a g Hot licences, new www worldsapart com T

F

E tradeenquiries@worldsapart com

Talking Shop Ahead of this month's Toymaster show, Rachael Simpson spoke to a selection of Toymaster members to gauge their thoughts on the event and how 2017 is shaping up so far Lee Borastero Kids Stuff, Wells Business so far this year has been excellent for us. Our main big sellers are Lego and Paw Patrol, and Playmobil sold very well at the beginning of the year.

Lottie Dolls is also performing really encouragingly; they are outselling Barbie four to one this year and are proving really popular – my own youngest two children are 11 and 5, and both think their Lottie dolls are fantastic. We are all looking forward to the Girl Guide doll coming out later this year.

My 11 year old also has a fidget cube. We don’t stock them, as we have a gadget shop not too far from us which sells them, but they seem to be selling really well.

However, I think fidget toys may already be reaching a point of saturation. They are all over the internet, in gadget shops and in games shops. We took the decision not to stock them as someone else in our town is already doing so, and there’s little reward in simply duplicating products that other retailers already have. We are more of a traditional toyshop; we focus on what we do best - toys.

We have been Toymaster members for eight or nine years, but due to childcare commitments we haven’t been able to attend a show before.

This year will be our first year and we are looking forward to attending, as well as socialising with other members. We are located in Wells, where toyshops are few and far between and the nearest toy shop is over 20 miles away. It’s nice therefore to have the opportunity to meet up with and communicate with other Toymaster members. We have been to the London Toy Fair, but that’s more about simply business, and we don’t attend the evening events. Toymaster, however, has the masked ball and the wig dinner, which we are looking forward to.

We have highlighted several ranges which we don’t currently stock that we are looking forward to seeing at the show. We have never dealt with Character Options before, so are hoping to meet them, and we have heard lots of positive things about Engino, so we look forward to viewing that range too. We also welcome the chance to see Hasbro, as they weren’t showing at the London fair.

It will also just be good to reconnect with a few other suppliers we haven’t seen for a while. We have been selling Magformers for just over a year now, and it’s a great product which really sells itself, so I am excited to see the new offerings from that company. One of our latest new stockists is Orchard Toys. We have Orchard products at home from when our oldest two children were young. They are now 22 and 25, yet our five-year-old is still playing with them and having a great time.

From the outside our shop window looks really small, but once you’re inside, the space doubles in size, and the further you go back the bigger the store gets, including a dedicated Lego room. We find that construction toys is one of our most successful areas. We have a Magformers table out with two sets on it. My wife comes in every morning and builds it up and then the kids arrive, take it all down and start building their own shapes and models. It’s lovely to see them actually playing with it. Since we started to stock it I’ve noticed that parents will pick up a small set to begin with, then come back a few weeks later to buy a second set, and before long the kids are coming in to tell you what they have built.

I really like the idea of toys like Magformers, as kids need to use their imaginations, and a certain amount of trigonometry comes into it too. It’s a lovely bright, colourful product and virtually indestructible too; I don’t ever think I’ve seen a broken piece.

As well as traditional toys, we stock well-known licensed product; Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig for example. We stock a bit of plush and a few action toys.

We don’t carry dress-up items, as we don’t have space in the shop to display them properly. We are slightly wary of a lot of the movie lines, as their success depends largely on whether the movie is massive or a flop, which can be difficult to predict. I have lots of Minions left over from the Minions Movie last year, for example, so this year I am planning an offer to coincide with the Despicable Me 3 movie, which we are finalising at the moment. We have a little cinema around the corner from us, and if customers come in with a cinema ticket for the film, they will get a special offer on a Minion.

I would say that around 15-20% of our stock is licensed. We have Disney Princess dolls and Trolls for example – if a line takes our fancy we will stock it. My cousin runs a toy shop in Gibraltar where they generally sell a huge amount of licensed products, but their maximum price point is only around £15.

They stock Shimmer and Shine, Paw Patrol, and he’s just got a lot of Power Rangers products in to coincide with the release of the film. Their clientele includes a lot of tourists in the summer, from now until October, which is when the trade becomes more local. In this off-season, through the winter, they sell more traditional toys. We keep an eye on what they are selling, and if it’s successful for them then we will stock it too. We use that store very much as a guinea pig.

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Linda Robinson Grovers Toymaster, Northallerton

Girls toys such as Shopkins are very popular with our customers at the moment, and we have a lot of people coming into the store asking for Grossery Gang products too. Wooden toys, including the range from Melissa & Doug, always perform well. We also stock Melissa & Doug’s dress up range, which is very good quality.

Last year’s Toymaster show was an eye-opener, as I have recently taken over the toy department here at the store, and it was my first time attending. Seeing all the stands and new toys under one roof was fantastic. I love the Fisher Price range, and Hasbro and Mattel always have a good, wide selection of products. We are only attending the show for one day, so are planning carefully to ensure we fit everything in, with appointments booked throughout the day. I am planning on handing in order forms where applicable, to give us enough time to have a good

Business is good, and PJ Masks is selling well at the moment. We sold our initial order within two weeks and can’t get hold of more stock yet, even though it’s in the spring/summer Toymaster catalogue. We are looking at stocking fidget toys as we have been asked for them recently, but much like PJ Masks we cannot seem to get hold of any. MuddleIt sent out an email listing the fidget toys they were offering, but were out of stock when I contacted them. Character is bringing out a fidget toy in May priced at £4.99, so it will be interesting to see if it will be able to compete price-wise with existing product available on Amazon, even though it will be better quality.

We are looking forward to the upcoming Toymaster show as we like to see everybody’s new products. We are still waiting to see what’s going in the Toymaster catalogue, as this has a lot of bearing on the orders that we place. There are a lot of new movies coming out, but we are always careful what stock we get in, and tend to aim for a limited selection of movie-related products on our shelves. I haven’t seen anything that particularly stands out for me, but seeing the new lines in person, as opposed to viewing them on a printed list, makes such a difference. If it’s

look around and see all the products we want to look at. I’m expecting to see some fidget toys at the show as I am hearing a lot about them, but it’s difficult to predict how popular they will end up being.

Our shop is actually up for sale at the moment, so I’m having to think carefully about the stock I am ordering in, as we don’t know when it will sell. At the show we will be looking at the new products from our usual providers, and stocking up on a good variety of items. We are looking at Hatchimals again, but it will be interesting to see how popular these will be this year after the massive rush at Christmas. Games like Speak Out and Pie Face were really popular last year too, but we found that stock was limited due to their popularity. Hopefully this year it will be easier to get hold of them.

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a range you order every year you know what it is, you know what it does and you know if it will sell, but with new lines there isn’t that same security of knowledge. Holding a product in your hand and seeing for yourself what it does is key. We didn’t think Hatchimals would take off in quite the way it did, but there seems to be a product like that every year, one that just shoots to number one.

We are doing our own Top 10 Toys list this year.

Ordinarily we look at the national Top 10 Toys lists; Argos’ list, and also Hamleys’, but we have decided to do our own this year, once we’ve been to Harrogate and seen what’s available, which is something to look forward to.

In terms of licensed properties, Paw Patrol is still selling well, plus Lego Batman, and PJ Masks when we can get hold of the product. Beauty and the Beast is starting to take off now due to the film release, whereas Frozen has died a death.

We don’t know yet which licences we will be looking at later in the year, but that is where the Toymaster show really comes into its own. We don’t stock a large amount of licensed products; the section of our shop dedicated to licensed products isn’t a great deal of space in terms of our entire store, so we need to be selective.

Shelley Hardy T&G Allan, Morpeth

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indie viewpoint

Jane Wallis The Pavilion Toymaster, Hunstanton As we are situated in a seasonal seaside town, we’re now approaching our busiest time of the year. The last few months have been OK business-wise, but we know that it’s going to get increasingly busy for us all the way through to July and August.

We’re attending the Toymaster show to have a look at the new stock from companies like Hasbro and Mattel, and a lot of other suppliers we use. It’s a really useful show for us as, with the summer season approaching, we tend to find a lot of visitors looking for up to date products and ranges that are being advertised on television.

We’re looking forward to seeing Peterkin, Jumbo, DKL, Lego, and Hasbro. Toymaster brings all the major suppliers from the toy trade we want to talk to under one roof, to showcase their new products for Christmas and the months ahead. It’s also a fantastic social event where all Toymaster members can get together, have a few drinks and discuss business under pleasant and relaxed circumstances. We’re all friends at the end of the day, and we help each other out.

When thinking about ranges to stock in our shop, I think perhaps we should be going down the wooden toy route, so I’ll be seeking out some suppliers of that type of product whilst I’m at Toymaster, especially suppliers of traditional wooden toys like trains, vehicles, early learning items, and wooden clocks. I’m looking forward to trying something new and seeing how it works out. Wooden toys last for a long time and they’re classic toys - people remember wooden toys from their childhood - so I’m expecting them to be a success.

I have visited the Toymaster show every year for the past ten years, and I always look forward to attending.

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes

In a spin

Toy Barnhaus

Easter has been and gone, and it certainly does pay to have Easter a little bit later. We have had a cracking time at Toy Barnhaus (sorry about the pun). The growth has been driven by many new lines. Fidget Cubes have proved really popular and Finger Spinners are also absolutely flying out; when our initial delivery arrived, we sold 100 on the first day. The product seems in short supply in the market in general, and we have them on order from several suppliers now. As we write this, Mark is demonstrating his Finger Spinner skills at the till.

Unfortunately, like his golf, his skills need a bit of work. Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty has been another winner for us. We have been using the stands and the TV displays, and it has been selling through consistently. Anything that you can play and fidget with using your hands seems to be very popular at the moment.

Just in time for Easter, we had a delivery of Hatchimals, and it is good to see they are still selling well, as they are an appropriate product for the season.

Another licence that is still performing strongly for us is Trolls. Although the film came out last year, there is still great demand for the products, and with the multiples probably winding down their ranges this presents a fantastic opportunity for independents.

The biggest seller in the dolls category so far this year has been the L.O.L Surprise! dolls. We are looking forward to getting more stock in soon, as the demand shows no sign of letting up. We are also looking forward to the new waves later in July, with smaller dolls to add collectability. The rest of the dolls market is a bit slower for us at the moment. The fashion doll market seems to have declined for several years after hitting the heights with Frozen. Although Disney Princess is still strong, and has been helped by Beauty and the Beast, other ranges such as Monster High and Barbie have been a lot slower recently.

In the baby dolls category, Peterkin’s Dolls World range has been a huge success, providing a wide range of dolls and accessories at reasonable prices. Baby Annabell and Baby Born make up our branded range. We see much more volume from the lower priced dolls, as the feature dolls are very price sensitive.

Dolls accessories is an important area for us in terms of sales. The accessories provide a good margin and keep customers coming back for more, meaning lots of repeat visits.

Our favourite time of the year is now upon us, as the Toymaster show approaches. For the independents, we consider it the best show of the year, and perfectly timed for buying for Christmas. When we arrive in Harrogate, the highlight is invariably seeing Martin Grossman setting up his stand in the foyer, and trying to make some early sales on the Monday. The show is always a great opportunity to catch up with other members; it is a more intimate event than Toy Fair, and spread over a smaller area, so everyone bumps into each other easily. Harrogate is a beautiful location too. The bar in the Majestic must have its best week of the year, given the amount of people still in it at 1am on some of the nights. Of course, this is Mark’s favourite time with the arrival of the bacon and egg rolls. But it’s not all “networking”. During the day, a lot of business takes place too. With catalogue selections already made, and having collated the first half sales figures on new ranges, there is a good amount of information available to us to make informed choices on our orders for the second half.

Another huge advantage of attending the show is that there is an expectation for suppliers to offer some form of deal to members, and happily almost all will. It is always fun trying to find the best one, and there are always some great offers to be had. See you in Harrogate.

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Ghostbusters™ & © 2017 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

9221 Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

9224 Spengler and Ghost

9219 Ghostbusters™ Firehouse

@PlaymobilUK Phone: 01268 548111

9220 Ghostbusters™ Ecto-1

9222 Slimer with Hot Dog Stand

9223 Venkman and Terror Dogs

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Paul Lamond Games 020 7254 0100 | www.paul-lamond.com Paul Lamond Games moved into the world of magic this year in partnership with Jamie Raven. The Magic Range features four magic sets: Card Magic, Magic of the Mind, Street Magic and Sleight of Hand. Each of the sets features a secret web link where Jamie teaches the tricks and offers performance tips.

Board games Now That’s What I Call Music and Who Dares Wins arrive this autumn. The Now That’s What I Call Music board game will test music fans’ knowledge with questions, and players will also have to sing covers and mime song titles.

The Who Dares Wins board requires teams to bid and challenge on how many items they can name from a category. The team which most holds its nerve wins.

New this year are four Spicy Games: Salt & Pepper, Chilli Chilli, Sugar Cubes and Coffee Shop. Each game comes packaged in a condiment shaped jar. A counter top CDU containing a mix of all four games is available.

Silly Spaghetti, Colour Cube Sudoku and the Roller Coaster game are new titles that will also join the games and puzzles portfolio this autumn, along with new Murder Mystery Game, A Slice of Murder.

Now available in Paul Lamond’s preschool games and puzzles portfolio are The Tiger Who Came to Tea 4-in-1 games cube and memory card game as well as a We’re Going on a Bear Hunt 4-in-1 games cube, a memory card game and a jumbo floor puzzle featuring artwork from the animated film.

The Puppet Company 01462 446 040 | www.thepuppetcompany.com This will be The Puppet Company`s eleventh year of exhibiting at the Toymaster show.

The company will be showing many new collections this year, including Baby Monsters and Basic Birds. Also present will be Cuddly Tumms and new Large Creatures.

The Puppet Company is also introducing over 80 innovative styles of soft toys and animals into its Wilberry brand. From naturalistic and detailed palm-size animals to some that are notably different, The Puppet Company has products suitable for a range of soft toy enthusiasts. The company has exclusively designed Wilberry floor display stands and supporting graphics to help promote the range.

The new Wilberry toys website launches on May Day.

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Leading the new introductions to the Golden Bear range is Bush Baby World, a range of plush featuring a patented system that enables children to wiggle the eyes and waggle the ears. Based on a new series of animated webisodes set for release in late spring, the Bush Baby World range launches in autumn/winter 17 and also includes the Sleepy Pods which come with Dreamstar Bush Baby plush. The hero product is the Dream Tree which has space to hang up to five Bush Baby Sleepy Pods.

Paint-Sation takes the company into the arts and crafts arena in 2017. Paint-Sation uses anti-gravity technology so it doesn’t drip or spill even when upside-down, and the paint pods are compact and stackable for easy transportation.

A new line up of In the Night Garden pre-school toys includes a Pull-along Ninky Nonk Wobble Train, a Twinkling Lullaby Igglepiggle and My Friend Upsy Daisy plush as well as a Walking Makka Pakka soft toy. In the Night Garden Baby, a collection of nursery toys featuring Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka, can also be viewed at the show. As well as soft toys, the range includes blankies, rattles and hanging chimes.

Golden Bear will also be showing the new Mr Tumble Adventure Track Set as well as a new feature plush in the form of Sing Along with Mr Tumble. Key lines from the Thomas & Friends range will also be present including the new Fly With Me Harold plush which features a spinning propeller.

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Radio Control / Flying Tech / Action Toys / Inflatable RC / Pre-School

Bladez Toyz is proud to have been making fun, groundbreaking toys for 10 years! Come and see our latest range of Hot Wheels RC Drone Racerz at the Toymaster Show in the North Lounge

22 00 17 17 ©2017 Mattel. All Rights Reserved.

© 2017 Bladez Toyz. All Rights Reserved.

orders@bladeztoyz.co.uk / +44(0)2392 658259 / www.bladeztoyz.co.uk

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Learning Resources 01553 819 386 | www.learningresources.co.uk

Brainstorm 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk The new Aqua Dragons in Space range features eggs flown to near-space, and the set features an authenticity certificate showing metrics of the space flight and links to YouTube so children can watch their Aqua Dragons’ journey above Planet Earth.

The Rocket Projector and Room Guard features 24 images of planets and astronauts on three interchangeable discs. Switch the rocket to room guard mode and a motion sensor will trigger bright lights and space launch sounds whenever an unwanted visitor enters the room. It also features flight sounds when in play mode. The Room Guard can be hung on a wall, or kept on the launch pad stand that comes with it.

Brainstorm’s new games division will launch in May with four games new to the UK: Igloo Mania, Safe Breaker, Big Beard Battle and Dynamite Dare.

Igloo Mania features Parker Pete who balances on top of the Igloo. Players take turns to pull out slabs of ice and lose the game if Pete falls. Big Beard Battle is a test of memory, in which players are required to pick up coloured pieces and grow the longest beard before another player cuts it off. Safe Breaker and Dynamite Dare challenge players to either break the safe’s code or diffuse the stack of dynamite before it explodes.

Addict a Ball also continues in 2017, and Maze 1 and Maze 2 will test both children and adults.

StikBots are poseable figures that come with a free app to shoot stop-frame animation videos.

The new StikBot Action Packs offer retailers the opportunity to add value to their existing range. The Hairstyling pack features a selection of wigs to affix to the StikBots, and the Weapons Pack transforms any StikBot into a warrior for animated fight scenes.

Choose from medieval swords, crossbows and more.

2017 also sees the launch of the StikBot Pets. The initial range will include dogs, cats and monkeys that are available in different colourways.

The company’s Primary Science range will take pride of place on its stand with hands-on exploration tools and pocket money lines.

Big View Bug Jars are perfect for collecting specimens and learning on the go. Open the wings of the ladybird jar to reveal a 3.5x magnifying lens for in depth inspection of insects and other small finds. A screw-on cap and air vents keep the specimens safe and secure before they are released back into their natural habitat.

Jumbo Magnifiers encourage observation on a grand scale. The chunky design is easy for little hands to hold and the built in stand allows for hands-free viewing at 4.5x magnification.

Magnifiers come in six different colours and feature an 11cm diameter viewing area. Big View Bug Jars and Jumbo Magnifiers are available as a set of 12 point of sale display or a set of six refill pack.

The GeoSafari Jr. range will also be displayed at the show, featuring tools and activities for children to explore magnification. From microscopes to bug viewers, the range has been ergonomically designed with two-eye goggle pieces and chunky features.

Interplay 01628 488 944 | www.interplayuk.com My Fairy Garden range has new additions such as Unicorn Garden, Fairy Watering Can, Fairies and Friends, and Magic Bean Pots. My Fairy Garden playsets include collectible pieces and are designed to encourage a love of nature through play.

My Fairy Garden is TV advertised on a number of kids TV channels all year round to maximise brand awareness. The brand sponsored Disney Junior’s Fairy Tale time in 2016 and Interplay has planned another TV campaign this year in the UK and Ireland.

The children’s cosmetic brand FabLab is in its 3rd year. Following the sell through of the Glitter Tattoos in 2016, Interplay will be showcasing the brand new Glitter Tattoos and Sparkly Nails Mega Pack at the show. FabLab will be promoted with a TV campaign this autumn/winter on a number of kids TV channels.

Interplay will also be presenting the new My Mermaid Lagoon range at the show, which will also be promoted on TV. My Mermaid Lagoon products are collectible figurines and playsets that also include creative elements such as moulding and sculpting the sand.

Following the soft launch in 2016, Fuzzikins Craft range has now secured its place on many shop shelves. Feedback and sales data have shown that the range worked particularly well in the independent sector. The creatures of the Fuzzikins Craft world will appear on TV and other platforms in 2017.

Bertoy 07748 150 906 | www.bertoy.com Exclusively distributed by Bertoy for the UK, Snails Nails makes nail painting fun, safe and mess free. Other water based polishes still require harsh chemical makeup removers, while Snails Nails lets kids decorate their nails without touching potentially harmful substances, and without staining clothes or carpets. Snails Nails dry in just three minutes and are non-toxic, hypoallergenic, biodegradable and free from preservatives.

Crocodile Creek has an extensive range of great play-balls and junior soccer balls to suit all ages. The balls come in many different sizes and materials, even the tiniest of toddlers can join in with the baby soft balls.

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Toymaster

Bladez Toyz 02392 658259 | www.bladeztoyz.co.uk Rainbow Designs 01329 227 300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk Rainbow Designs is launching the brand new TV Peter Rabbit toy collection this summer and the complete range will be on display at the show.

The range not only includes a soft toy assortment of the characters, but also two feature plush lines. The 24cm Talking Peter Rabbit and Lily Bobtail characters say five different phrases when their tummies are squeezed. The collection also includes the 40cm Talking and Hopping Peter Rabbit and Lily Bobtail feature plush toys, which giggle, waggle their ears and hop up and down.

Another collection on show this May will be the new Elmer for Baby collection. The collection features the little patchwork elephant and will include a full range of nursery toys as well as a Soft Toy Elmer and feature plush Trumpeting Elmer. The 21cm big-eared elephant trumpets when his distinctive long trunk is pressed.

Rainbow Designs will also have the new TV advertised Paddington Movie Range on display alongside renowned collections including My First Thomas & Friends, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Guess How Much I Love You and Peppa Pig for Baby.

In its 10th anniversary year, Bladez Toyz is presenting the new flying toy range Hot Wheels RC Bladez Drone Racerz. Focusing on a fly, race, drag and drift message within the marketing campaign, the quadcopter is set to launch later this summer and members will be offered an FSDU for in-store display.

With the release of Despicable Me 3 and Star Wars – The Last Jedi also fast approaching, Bladez will promote movie lines within its radio control inflatables range. New Minions being introduced include Tom and Mel and they will be joined by a radio control Fluffy the Unicorn. Bladez is now offering different sizes for its Star Wars inflatables, including a new Stormtrooper and R2-D2, as well as a new 1:1 scale BB-8. Continuing the movie theme, there will also be a promotion on Disney’s Olaf, Dory and Nemo radio control inflatables.

Within the pre-school category, visitors to the stand will see the 20th anniversary range of Teletubbies, the arrival of RC George to the Peppa Pig collection and the addition of RC James, and a new tile playset with motorised Thomas engine to the Thomas & Friends offering.

Bladez is also offering members a drone-focused show deal on the Mycropodz Quadcopter, the Stunt Quad and the RC X Bladez Vision and Mega Drone, which both come with an integrated camera.

Jumbo Games 01707 289 289 | www.jumbo.eu Jumbo Games will be showcasing over 50 new product releases, including the Disney Cars 3 Piston Cup Race Game, which features a rotating race track and sound activated Piston Cup. The range will also include the giant floor puzzle, 4-in-1 bumper pack, 4-in-1 shaped and creative puzzle and colour box sets. Also new to Jumbo’s licensed Disney range is the Disney Princess Glass Slipper game, with a light up glass slipper that plays sound effects when pressed down.

The Peppa Pig Puzzle & Colour and foam bath puzzles were released earlier this year, and now the Flip & Find matching game and Giant Muddy Puddles floor games are added to the range. Other licensed children’s highlights include the Thomas & Friends foam floor puzzle and foam 4-in-1 shaped puzzles, as well as the new Bob the Builder Puzzle & Colour, foam bath and large foam floor puzzles.

Wasgij continues to celebrate its 20th Anniversary and to commemorate this Jumbo have released 10 new puzzles, including the Special Edition Wasgij Original 27: The 20th Party Parade and Wasgij Christmas 13: Turkey’s Delight! 1,000-piece puzzles. The Wasgij Retro range has also been re-released.

There are 20 new releases in Jumbo’s Falcon de Luxe range, including the Falcon de Luxe Santa’s Christmas Helpers 1,000-piece puzzle and the 200XL The Christmas Journey puzzle. As well as showcasing their Falcon Christmas puzzles, an additional 18 new releases will cover the traditional Falcon themes across varying piece counts from 200XL to 1,500 and up to 4x1,000-pieces.

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Specialists in traditional wooden toys and games

2017 collection

Over 100 new products available, come and see us at Toymaster

32 High Park Road, Kew Gardens • Richmond TW9 4BH • United Kingdom Tel. : +44 (0)20 8878 2133

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H. Grossman 01416 132 525 | www.ozbozz.com Grossman will be showing a wide variety of products at this year’s show, including pocket money items. The Ozbozz range of outdoor products sees a selection of new lines for 2017, including a revamped scooter offering with over 50% of the range updated with new themes and packaging. The Twist and Fold Scooter, which is available in three colourways, has four wheels, a height adjuster and folds away. The company also has a full range of outdoor Emojis products for 2017 including scooters, pogo sticks, skateboards and spiral ball.

The Grow Alien range of Alien Eggs is designed in-house and is the latest addition to the Alien Egg range. Children can immerse the eggs in water and wait for a little alien to be born.

The pocket money range has been doubled with lots of new items including yoyos, water wrigglers, bubble wands and skipping ropes, encompassing a variety of products from the traditional to the more modern.

HTI 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk New Toymaster catalogue lines from HTI include the Paw Patrol Skye Character Case, which contains musical instrument toys that pack away inside. There’s also the new Peppa Pig House Tea Set which is modelled on the house in the TV series. The interactive teapot plays the theme tune and features various brand sounds and light up windows. The Baby Annabell Roamer Pram is a classic dolls pram with a handy shopping tray, adjustable handle height and coordinating shoulder bag. The catalogue line is the perfect fit for the Baby Annabell doll.

A selection of Teamsterz, HTI’s own range of collectible diecast vehicles, garage playsets and track sets, will also be on display at the show. The new Teamsterz Light & Sound range comprises 10 different themed vehicles each with its own light and sound effects, moving parts, opening doors and play accessories. Products include a fire engine, garbage truck, rescue helicopters, themed 4 x 4s, tow truck and a skip lorry.

There will be a representation of the firm’s toys across brands including Paw Patrol musical, roleplay and battery operated bubble toys, as well as walkie talkies, My Little Pony roleplay toys and styling heads, Peppa Pig role-play toys, music and dolls prams, JCB vehicles, plus in-house scooter brand Evo. HTI will have a selection of its licensed pocket money toy and bubbles ranges at the show including My Little Pony, Transformers, Cars, Disney Princess, Frozen, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Thomas & Friends, SpiderMan, Avengers, and Shimmer & Shine.

K’Nex 01189 253 270 | www.knex.co.uk This year, K’Nex is bringing STEAMagination to life with new products that create a universe where engineering, art and fun click. The K’Nex Intro Assortment offers an introduction to the range with three models to choose from. A rocket car, stealth plane and motorcycle can be bought separately, or kids can collect all three to create a helicopter combo build.

The brand’s STEM Explorations sets allow children to explore STEAM skills while they play. Two kits offer three experiments each, gears or levers and pulleys, while the vehicles set has five experiments and seven different models to build. The STEM Explorations Roller Coaster and STEM Explorations Swing Ride allow children to explore the science of theme parks, including three suggested builds, each with an experiment idea.

Super Mario Series 8 Mystery Bags are a pocket money treat timed to coincide with the launch of the new Super Mario iOS game. The Plants vs.

Zombies line will also be refreshed with new mystery bags and playsets.

New for July 2017, the K’Nex Thrill Rides Web Weaver is a motorised coaster set which comes complete with 399 parts and pieces plus a spider coaster car and glow in the dark track. With instructions for an alternate build on knex.com, kids can build, play and then build a whole new way.

The company will also launch a My Little Pony range in July 2017, offering a variety of buildable figures and playsets.

Vivid 01473 322 000 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Fluffy Goes Walkies heads into autumn/winter 17 with her own light up lead and new wagging tail. As well as going for a walk, Fluffy can bark. Penny, My Cute & Curious Puppy is a brand-new introduction. Penny listens to her owner and will tilt her head and wag her tail.

2017 is the 35th anniversary of Care Bears so the year will be marked with birthday celebrations. With six Care Bears characters in the assortment, each medium sized Care Bear with DVD comes with a full length Welcome to Care-a-Lot episode DVD. Flip-a-Zoo introduces four new 2-in-1 toys for autumn/winter 17. The selection includes walrus and dolphin, bulldog and cat, penguin and seal, or giraffe and hippo.

New for Q4 2017 is Disney Emoji, small collectible Disney toys and character plush. There are lots of Disney characters to collect, and each character comes with four different emoji expressions as well as different finishes including limited edition squishy and rare gold figures.

Continuing into autumn/winter 17 are the Genie Girls. Each Genie Girl has a colour change feature and there are lots of new Genies to collect in series 2.

With Ooshies, kids can collect all of their favourite DC, Marvel, Disney Princess, Disney Cars, TMNT and WWE characters, all to go on the top of pencils. Two new licences will be introduced for autumn/winter from Dreamworks and Disney Pixar.

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Funrise 01908 555 640 | www.funrise.com Funrise has a new Giant Gazillion outdoor play collection for 2017. New lines include a Giant Bubble Mill which blows giant bubbles. Coming complete with an 8 oz bottle of giant bubble solution, key features include a rotating wheel that blows giant bubbles continuously with no pump and no wait time. Big bubble play is also provided by the Giant Bubble Palm Juggler and the Giant Bubble Power Wand.

Also new from Funrise is a range based on new Netflix original series, Luna Petunia, which brings the world of Luna and her friends to life as they embark on adventures in Amazia. The Funrise range will feature the main characters and key moments from the show, including an assortment of figures, mini playsets, plush, and large dolls, all available this autumn.

Rounding out the line is the Petunia Manor Playset, with figures, lights and sounds from the episodes In addition to big bubbles and a brand-new licence, the Funrise stand will be home to the expanding Tonka range. The Tonka brand returned to the Funrise portfolio last year and includes a variety of products, from Tonka Tinys to the Tougher Tonka steel range. 2017 is a big year for the brand with a 70th anniversary to celebrate.

Puzzles and Play 01354 669733 | www.puzzlesandplay.co.uk Puzzles and Play is now an official UK distributor for King International. Licensed Disney products include Frozen, Toy Story, Cars, The Lion King, Disney Princesses, Nemo, Winnie the Pooh and The Jungle Book, as well as classic Disney characters.

Other ranges include Strawberry Shortcake, Bubble Guppies and Fireman Sam, which is expected to do well this year with its 30th Anniversary. Children’s puzzles include sets of two or four puzzles with differing numbers of pieces, together with the standard single puzzles with piece numbers ranging from 24 to 1500. A counter top display is available of assorted Disney mini puzzles, and there are two floor displays for the larger Disney puzzles.

Older children are catered for within the range with 1000 piece puzzles.

Sets of three or five puzzle collections include images of racing cars, animals, landscapes and the Dominic Davison cottage scenes. A collection of comic cartoon style puzzles finishes off the collection with images based around the cities of the world.

New releases are expected throughout the year from Eurographics including a 1000 piece portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Other titles include garden birds, several Van Gogh images, Japanese ladies, city skylines and a new selection of countryside scenes by Dominic Davison. Heye Puzzles has announced new products for 2017 with art designs and portraits, landscapes, animals and cartoon jigsaws. New titles include landscape photography by Alexander Von Humboldt, comical cartoon images including a Funky Zoo, and Flowers Life.

Ravensburger 01869 363 830 | www.ravensburger.com Ravensburger’s new selection includes the Cars 3 4-in-Box Puzzles, one of seven new Disney Cars 3 movie related jigsaw puzzles, all available six weeks before the film release in July. Also available are the PJ Masks 4-in-Box Puzzles. Ravensburger will have three additional jigsaw puzzles and three children’s games to complete their PJ Masks range.

Once complete, the Graffiti Sneaker 3D Puzzle Pencil Holder, a 108-piece puzzle, builds into a desk tidy for everything from pencils, pens and craft items to make-up and paint brushes. For Christmas there is the Limited Edition 1000-piece Christmas puzzle Which One’s Santa?, the 21st limited edition Christmas puzzle.

The Brio My First Railway Beginner Pack features patented ramps, age-appropriate bridge and tunnel accessories, as well as an interactive train engine and trailer to encourage imaginative play.

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Exciting new games and a touch of magic!

Come and see us at the Toymaster Show PAUL LAMOND GAMES LIMITED 31 Newington Green, Islington, London N16 9PU Tel: 020 7254 0100 Fax: 020 7254 3400 Web: www.paul-lamond.com

Toymaster

Esdevium 01420 593 593 | www.esdeviumgames.com Esdevium will showcase a range of products, including key catalogue lines Dobble, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Rory’s Story Cubes.

The Dobble Card Game is set for further growth in 2017 with the new summer version, Dobble Beach, launching just before the Toymaster Show. Dobble Beach features laminated cards for waterproof play. Retailers can take advantage of one of the two show special offers, including receiving a free FSDU and demo copies to give Dobble in-store presence.

Rory’s Story Cubes is under the stewardship of Esdevium for 2017. At the show, the company will offer stores an in-store display solution with a free CDU to display a range of different versions. Stores just need to ensure they buy enough stock to fill the CDU, which they can select as they see fit.

The show will be the first public appearance of the new May expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sun & Moon – Guardians Rising. The expansion introduces over 140 new cards, including 12 rare Pokemon-GX cards and three super-rare full-art Supporter cards.

Simba Smoby 01274 765 030 | www.esdeviumgames.com

Vivid - Drumond Park 01473 322 000 | www.drumondpark.com Vivid has a range of new games launching from July which will benefit from TV advertising at key times throughout the season.

For pre-schoolers there is Gassy the Cow, in which players have to walk their welly boots up to Gassy’s bottom and lift up her tail to see if she will either moo or poo. Players are out once they have two poos stuck to their wellies.

For older kids there are three new games launching in autumn, Shark Bite, Snotcha and King Pong. In Shark Bite, players must save their catch using the fishing rod before the shark’s jaws shut. A dice roll will decide how many need to be retrieved, and the player with the most fish at the end of the game wins.

Snotcha is the sneeze spraying action game that sprays water in your face. Players take turns to press down on Snotcha’s snotty nose. If he needs to sneeze, water will spray from the nostrils directly into the player’s face. Snotcha comes with sound effects. In King Pong, players need to bounce their coloured balls into the unit at the same time. The first player to bounce all of their balls inside will be crowned the winner.

For young adults, Who’s the Dude is new for autumn/winter 17.

Players must act out charades with the help of the Dude against the clock. Digital activity and TV advertising is planned throughout the autumn/winter 17 season for this game.

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Simba Smoby has a whole line up of movie toys to exhibit at this year’s show.

Ahead of the Cars 3 film debut in July, Simba’s new movie range lets kids bring the movie to life. A full range of radio control cars including Lightning McQueen and new characters from the film start with the 1:32 up to 1:24 scales, and end at a 1:16 scale.

At scale 1:24 are the RC Turbo Racers. In stores from this month, Lightning McQueen, Cruz and Jackson are all available with full driving function, a turbo speed function and multidirectional control. The RC Feature Lightning McQueen is 1:16 scale, complete with light and sound effects, a drift function, doughnut spins feature and smoking function for burning rubber effects on the track.

Transformers: The Last Knight releases in cinemas on the 23rd of June, and will be supported by a range of diecast radio control cars and feature mechanic. Robot Warriors include light and sound and can transform from vehicle into robot form, and features Bumble Bee and Barricade. Ultimate RC Bumble Bee is a larger 1:12 scale and transforms from a radio control vehicle into Bumble Bee robot using a smartphone app. Consumers will be able to take photos and videos using the app, which they can upload onto social media.

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Mattel 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com Hot Wheels will introduce the new Roto Revolution Trackset plus the Hot Wheels AI Street Racing Starter Set. The release of Disney Pixar Cars 3 brings a host of new products, with the Transforming Mack Truck and Classic Diecast collection. Inspired by the new movie, Movie Moves McQueen joins the range with Transforming Willy’s Butte and The Florida Speedway Playset along with new Diecast vehicles.

WWE Tough Talkers 6-inch figures bring sound recognition technology along with the Tough Talkers Interactive Ring playset. Imaginext expands with DC Super Friends Arkham Asylum and The Joker & Harley Quinn Battle Vehicle.

The Fisher-Price range includes BeatBo Buggies and Bright Beats Juniors plus the Monsters range with Hungry Monster Maze, Press n’ Go Monster Vehicles and Fun Feelings Monster. The new Servin’ Up Food Truck introduces kitchen and vehicle role play. Smart Scan Colour Chameleon and Teach n’ Tag Movi, join the pre-school learning range, while Little People introduces the Sensory Farm.

The Shimmer & Shine range includes Float ‘n Sing Palace Friends, Talk & Sing Shimmer and Shine Dolls, Magic Flyin’ Carpet and Floating Genie Palace, while Blaze and the Monster Machines introduces RC Blaze, Hyper Loop Playset and Wild Wheels Stunts and Jumps Jungle Playset. Go Jetters expands with Kyan & G.O Roll, Souvenir Selfie Camera and Jet Pad Headquarters, while Octonauts launches Gup-A-Great Adventure and Bing introduces Toilet Train Bing.

The Thomas & Friends range includes My First, featuring a new design with My First: Day to Night Projector and Railway Pals Destination Discovery. Adventures launches Shark Escape and Misty Island Zipline, and Trackmaster introduces Demolition at the Docks and Scrapyard Escape. A key introduction is the Super Station.

To support the launch of Mega Machines the Movie, the Bob the Builder range will include diecast and figures. Mega Bloks introduces the ABC Learning Train and Lil’ Vehicles Assortment. Thomas & Friends is now available in maxi-bricks.

Posh Paws 01268 567 317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Marvin’s Magic 01582 849 000 | www.marvinsmagic.com

Posh Paws will be showcasing new movie plush, collectible ranges and backpack designs. Highlights for show visitors will include the Despicable Me 3 soft toy and backpack collection.

Lightning McQueen will be back on shelves this July following the release of Cars 3. The Cars 3 plush range from Posh Paws features Lightning McQueen, his closest pals and a new generation of racers. At the show Posh Paws will be revealing its new Tsum Tsum character range which is launching over the coming months.

The company also has a range of Spiderman products to support the release of Spiderman Homecoming this July.

From the small screen, the latest pre-school brands Mickey and the Roadster Racers and Tangled the TV Series will be on show, plus characters will be back from Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess, and Mickey and Minnie.

New for 2017 is Magic Made Easy 30 Pocket Tricks, a starter magic collection suitable for children aged six and upwards.

Each set contains 30 magic tricks to learn with access to video instructions and augmented reality interactive tricks.

Following the success of its award-winning iMagic range, Marvin’s Magic has introduced three iMagic Micro Sets. Each set contains magic props which combine with the Marvin’s iMagic app to unveil smart magic for smart devices. Wicked Pranks & Jokes, is a collection of jokes, stunts and pranks.

Toymaster members will receive a 10% discount with Marvin’s Magic’s Best Sellers Bundle Deal.

Casdon 01253 766 411 | www.casdon.co.uk Casdon’s brands such as Little Helpers and Little Shoppers combine household names with pretend playthings to bring replica kitchen appliances and role play accessories to the play room. The Casdon Morphy Richards range was created for pretend play kitchens. The Microwave, Kettle and Toaster Set comprises of a microwave with a realistic looking touch pad and lights, plus a kettle and pop-up toaster. Each set is modelled upon the real kitchen appliance.

A social media programme reaching parents is already well established and will continue with a strategic timetable of top influencer’s reviews throughout 2017, furthering the awareness of the company’s toys.

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Clementoni 020 3206 1397 | www.clementoni.com Clementoni is placing strong focus on the Infant category with Baby Clementoni. The 2017 range includes new Musical Elephant, a musical activity center with songs, melodies, sounds and instruments, which also helps development by teaching babies from 10 months letters, numbers and colours. The new Interactive Football Table, a 2 –in-1 game, teaches first letters and numbers, shapes, colours, and English and Spanish words, plus counts goals and communicates the score. The players move just like on a real football table, and the flags move with every kick of the ball.

The company is bringing robotics to the pre-school category for the first time with DOC. DOC introduces children to Educational Robotics in a creative way and will accompany the child as they learn logical reasoning and problem solving skills, letters, numbers, colours, and the names of animals. Children learn through play by programming commands from game cards, an effective way of enhancing eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills.

The Science category range increases for 2017 with a tiered approach offering retailers variations on themes at different price points. The range covers experimental and exploration products from Perfume and Crystal Labs to Human Body kits. The company also continues its Mechanical and Robotic offering with the all new Aerodynamics Kit and Evolution Robot, which allows children to programme the robot to pick up and transport objects. The free app allows a further five different play modes: Programming, Real time, Selflearning, Dancing and Memo.

Puzzles continue to be a strong foundation of the company’s business and the adult category continues throughout 2017. New launches for children are tied into licences from Nickelodeon, Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks including key theatrical releases such as Despicable Me 3 and Cars 3, plus trending properties like Num Noms and Shimmer and Shine.

Re:creation 01189 736 222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk Re:creation is welcoming two new plush brands to its portfolio: Feisty Pets with evil alter-egos and Talk Back Zoo puppets with talk-back technology, available in four characters. In 2017 the Lego Keylights line-up will be expanded, as Batman Movie and Ninjago Movie editions join the range.

Engino 0800 988 7068 | www.engino.com Engino currently offers seven toy series: Qboidz, Inventor, Inventor Girl, Eco Series, STEM Heroes, Discovering STEM and Robotics. All these series will be presented at the show.

Adding to its range of products within the construction and STEM education categories, Engino will be entering the pre-school market with the launch of Qboidz. Qboidz cubes can be stacked and easily snapped together with the patented Engino Toy System. Engino ranges are designed to guide children throughout their formative years, and to provide them with the foundations to excel in the STEM and robotics fields after primary education.

Geomag 07831 886 997 | www.geomagworld.com Geomag is launching a number of new ranges and updates for 2017. Updates come in the shape of new packaging in the Colour and Panels ranges, together with increased piece counts. New product includes Pro L, a hobby scale range of rods and magnets that allows for bigger and more complex building opportunities.

The company also presents the launch of Magicube - a pre-school range of magnet play for younger age groups.

Featuring a migrating magnet system, the brand allows younger children to build, play and learn with a classic play pattern.

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Bandai 01489 790 944 | www.bandai.co.uk Bandai will be showcasing its range at this year’s show, including new products from the latest Power Rangers series, Ninja Steel. The new range will be available from July, covering a range of action figures, role-play toys and Megazords, all of which will be on display at the show.

The Lion Fire Fortress, the biggest Megazord playset ever made, at over 75cm tall, will be on show. In addition to this, the Power Rangers Movie product line will be on display, supported with a DVD show deal across key items. Girls action toy range, Miraculous, will be a highlight with all-new products, including the Ladybug Scooter, the Butterfly Compact with sounds and Ribbon Baton, which features the show’s theme tune.

Also on show will be the Monchhichi dolls, which have been a household name for three generations. 2017 will see new models introduced including Macaroon Bib Pink, Flower Print Girl, Tartan Cape and Ladybug Raincoat.

Finally, the new doll collections distributed on behalf of Famosa will be exhibited on the Bandai stand, including the new collectible fashion doll range, P.I.N.Y, which consists of four fashion student dolls with accessories. The core Pinypon and Nenuco lines will also be shown.

GP Flair 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk The company’s Ben 10 range launches in July, and heading up the range will be two Ben 10 Omnitrix watches.

The Basic Omnitrix watch has lights and sound effects. The Deluxe Omnitrix allows users to select one of 10 aliens on the screen, has over 100 sounds and phrases, motion sensors and times out just like Ben’s Omnitrix on the show. Added to this will be role play products, action figures and a Rustbucket playset.

New to Flair’s portfolio this month is the first Despicable Me collectible range from Moose. The new Mineez collectible range has over 75 collectible figures and includes rare, ultra-rare and limited edition characters for kids to collect.

GP Flair will also be exhibiting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles WWE Mash Up collection of action figures.

Mikey, Leo, Raph and Donnie can all be collected as classic and contemporary stars of the ring. The new Turtles Micro Mutants are debuting too, and this new sub-brand gives kids the chance to collect action figures in miniature form. An articulated Turtles action figure is included with each of the new Transport Vehicles.

A further new introduction to the collectibles sector will be Grossery Gang Season 3 with a new rotten theme. The girls’, creative and pre-school categories will be represented at the show with brands such as Shopkins, IDO3D and Stickle Bricks.

Click Distribution 01604 877 888 | www.clickdistribution.co.uk Key lines at the show this year include Thinkway Toys Despicable Me 3 collection, Eolo’s brand new outdoor toys and the company’s own range of licensed jewellery featuring Paw Patrol, Shimmer and Shine, Despicable Me 3 and Trolls. The jewellery ranges go on sale in June and will be on display for the first time.

The Despicable Me 3 collection from Thinkway Toys features mini and micro figures along with plush and role play products, all of which support the movie release in June. The new Eolo outdoor toy range also features Despicable Me 3 as well as Cars 3, Star Wars and Marvel.

Gibsons 0208 661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk Gibsons has released six new puzzles. Among them is Afternoon Angling, a 500 piece puzzle that shows a Steam Foden filled with wheat. Heading Home depicts a carthorse in a village.

Two new 1000 piece puzzles in the spring range are painted by Beryl Peters and Steve Read. The Racing Game shows a montage of cars, bicycles, aeroplanes and motorbikes, whilst Feline Frenzy portrays a clowder of kittens. Finally, there are two harbour themed jigsaws. Mevagissey Harbour and Newquay Harbour both depict the Cornish coast.

Gibsons is offering a free stock to deal customers who place an order of £450 or more.

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Usborne 0207 430 2800 | www.usborne.com

Tobar 08445 734 299 | www.tobar.co.uk

Usborne will be showcasing a range of children’s books and toys, including two ranges of books for babies: the Baby’s Very First Books and the That’s Not My… touchy-feely series including That’s Not My Unicorn.

Also on show will be new sound books, fingerprinting books which come with a non-toxic ink pad, Magic Painting books which transform from black and white to colour with the use of the included water-pen, the Sticker Dolly Dressing series and a new range of Usborne Jigsaws, each of which is packaged in a sturdy box along with a paperback picture book.

Usborne’s wooden floor-standing spinner unit comes free with a qualifying stock order and the company is offering an additional 6% discount on the stock to fill it. Smaller orders placed at the show will still receive an additional 5% discount off standard terms.

The Rock Crawler Junior is Tobar’s top remote control off-road car, perfect for younger radio control enthusiasts looking for an entry level vehicle. This radio-controlled vehicle features front and rear suspension, allowing greater manoeuvrability across rough terrain, and it includes a tri-channel transmitter to allow up to three people to operate RC cars simultaneously.

VTech 01235 546 810 | www.vtech.co.uk VTech will be introducing Chase me Casey, this little monkey skates across the floor, encouraging kids to dance with and chase the monkey. As Casey is approached, sensors detect that someone is near, and Casey respond with sounds and motion. Casey has five shape buttons that teach letters, numbers and more. There are two modes of play: Catch Me mode and Dancing mode.

Rock & Pop Turtle spins around on the floor, popping balls whilst playing music, phrases and four sing-along songs that encourage kids to interact and learn. Placing the balls into the turtle’s tummy develops motor skills and triggers the turtle to spin around and pop out the balls. Pressing the buttons on the turtle teaches numbers, turtle facts and more through phrases and sounds.

Trends UK and Wind Designs 01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk Zing Toys introduces Thumb Chucks and SpinZipz. There are over 100 tricks to learn with Thumb Chucks, and SpinZipz can be spun around either in the hand or on a table and light up as they spin.

New products for the Thomas & Friends ELAs range include the Thomas Flip & Learn Phone and Thomas Learn & Play Alphaphonics, with new activities and sounds. Peppa Pig fans can join in with Peppa Pig Laugh & Learn Alphaphonics and the new Peppa Pig Play Mat with sounds, graphics and activities.

Splashlings from TPF Toys is a new collectible range, featuring mermaids, sea creatures and collectible shells, treasures and gems, kids can choose from the Splashlings two piece Collector Shells or the Splashlings Coral Playground set.

Paint Sticks from Little Brian twist up and down like a glue stick, are quick drying on a variety of surfaces, and are available in a six or twelve pack. See the new POS displays at the show.

The new inflatable Pops Up City play-scapes provide safe, imaginative role-play.

Suitable for indoor and outdoor play, they inflate to double-sided play areas over one metre high. Themes include: Princess Castle and Emergency Rescue Centre.

The Discovery 30mm Telescope, Discovery Bug Barn and Discovery Digital Walkie Talkies are on offer for budding scientists. Offering educational benefits relating to the STEM curriculum, the Discovery range will be extended in 2017 with the new Discovery Galaxy Tracker Smart Telescope.

New Megableu games on the stand include TumBall and Beat the Flush.

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Marbel 08456 000 286 | www.marbel.co.uk At May’s show Marbel will be presenting its new products and ranges, including the new Hape London Bus and Disney Princess Deluxe Set from Bullyland.

The wooden pull along London Bus Playset can transport multiple passengers on the top deck while kids explore. The Disney Princess Deluxe Set allows kids to create fairytale stories with well-known princesses, whether it’s under the sea with Ariel, or up a tower with Rapunzel.

Green Board Games 01494 538 999 | www.greenboardgames.com

Artstraws 01792 796151 | www.artstraws.com

Green Board Games has introduced products from Fat Brain and Mindware, as well as new games Froggy and Catch a Roo. Both are fast paced, strategic, memory based games that are quick and easy to play.

New entries into the world of BrainBox include the licences Peppa Pig and Marvin’s Magic, while an updated Roald Dahl BrainBox, including The BFG, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, will follow later in the year.

Artstraws has updated its Creation Station spinner display stand. The spinner display has proved to be popular and profitable for independent retailers for more than 10 years now, and has been refreshed this year with eight new lines.

The Creation Station range of art and crafts for kids consists primarily of materials that children use at school. The materials are consumable, meaning that kids and parents return to the store for repeat purchases.

This year’s new lines are Metallic Pony Beads, Natural Feathers, Buttons and Large Peel & Stick Gemstones. There are also four new additions to the Creation Station Kids Kits range: Knit These!, Sew These!, Knitting Nancy and Cool Crowns.

At the May show, Artstraws will be detailing support for Toymaster’s Independents Day and Black Friday promotions as well as having separate show deals available.

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com Character Options and Moose Enterprise launch new collectible range Crossy Road, with Series 1 offering over 40 Disney and Pixar characters in an 8-bit pixelated style. The core line is the Mini Figures single pack which is blind boxed in a CDU. The four pack and seven pack assortments include exclusive figures, with some hidden to increase collectability. Visitors can also view the Gumball Machine Playset. Insert the token to dispense a mini figure, and open the doors to display the full collection.

A variety of 6” pixelated plush toys completes the range.

The Stretch Armstrong range is expanding this autumn as Stretch Vac-Man and Stretch Monster return. Vac-Man turns rigid when the air is vacuumed out so he can then be stretched and posed. Re-filling his air returns him to his original size and shape. The green Stretch Monster is in 7-inch scale.

New games will also be exhibited. Boom Blast Stix requires players to stack as many pieces as possible before they explode. Five Nights at Freddy’s brings the jump-scare mobile game to life in 3D form, and the new FlipSlide game tests players’ memory, speed and skill, as players flip and slide the blocks to solve the puzzles.

The Teletubbies range includes a new collection of 8-inch talking Party plush, and Peppa Pig adds a new Play Days School Days theme with playsets and plush to launch in autumn. Ben & Holly toys are also introducing a new Royal Limousine and newly-styled Thistle Castle Playset. Finally, Thomas and Friends, Cars 3, Disney Emoji, Guardians of the Galaxy and DC Super Hero Girls Mash’ems and Fash’ems expand the collectibles offering.

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Big names for little people!

New colours for old favourites!

Inventors of Fun & Play!

Casdon Ltd. Cornford Road, Blackpool, Lancs FY4 4QW Tel: +44 (0)1253 766411 Fax: +44 (0)1253 691486 Email: toys@casdon.co.uk www.casdon.com

See us at the show in the marquee!

Toymaster

Schleich 01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com Schleich will showcase new lines for Horse Club and Dinosaurs as well as pre-school ranges Farm World and Wild Life at this year’s show.

The pre-school offering for Farm World and Wild Life will expand for 2017. Key to each of the ranges will be new Starter Sets with the highlight for the second half of the year being the Croco Jungle Research Station, which includes a crocodile skull and hiding place, research centre and viewing platform. The Tractor with Trailer and Hay Conveyor are additions to the Barn and Farm Buildings from the Farm World range.

Further horses and playsets are being added to the Horse Club collection. For Q3,there will be four new playsets including the Mobile Vet Van, complete with portable X-ray machine, a Hanoverian foal and doctor’s bag.

The Riding School with riders and horses will be introduced to the Horse Club range this year.

Alongside the horse stall with Lusitano mare, a set with Pintabian mare, foal and groom will be added.

These playsets can be connected with each other, as well as with the Riding Centre set, to create a large complex. Accessories include a saddle, jumping crop, bridle, a hay rack, trough and apples.

Finally, the Dinosaur collection will see feathered pre-historic creatures added to the collection with a Feathered Raptors set, complete with three dinosaurs, one of which has moveable arms and jaw.

The Stegosaurus has also had a redesign and will be joined by Utahraptor and Acrocanthosaurus figures for 2017.

World’s Apart 0800 389 8591 | www.worldsapart.com Ahead of what is set to be a huge movie year, Worlds Apart’s licensed product range has new properties across all its core categories. From feature tents and Readybeds to night lights and headphones, licences include My Little Pony, Cars, Spider-Man, Paw Patrol and Shimmer and Shine.

New product launches include a Cars GoGlow Pal and Disney Princess GoGlow Magic, both of which will be TV advertised throughout autumn/winter 17. New additions to the Headphone Hats brand will be Spider-Man and Cars Lightning McQueen, while the company’s outdoor range will feature a new Mack Truck feature tent and Shimmer and Shine castle feature tent.

Worlds Apart will also be showing its two new games at the show, Spin to Sing and Woofy Whoops.

Spin to Sing merges singing and performance with technology and humour, making it an ideal party game for Christmas. In Woofy Whoops, kids pat the dog until he can’t hold it in any longer and has to wee. The slow motion ‘wee-play’ built into Woofy Whoop’s app sets this game apart in the market. Both games will launch with TV advertising, consumer marketing campaigns, influencer activity and social media marketing.

The SelfieMic will also be on show, with its second year benefitting from TV advertising and social media marketing.

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.com Tomy will be returning to Toymaster with Britains as a key focus, the relaunch of its bath and toddler toy brand Tomy Toomies, and new TV animated properties. Last year saw another expansion for Britains, which is set to continue in 2017 as the brand launches licensed hero products including the Kane Classic Trailer, on sale now, and the JCB Hydradig, set for release in July. The brand will also unveil a new line of implements including the NC Rear Discharge Manure Spreader and NC Power Tilt Dump Trailer 400.

To support Britains, Tomy has developed a marketing programme that sees the inclusion of the collector poster 2017 in the farm consumer catalogue, available on Tomy’s stand; the release of the first Britains branded website; a busy editorial calendar on the Britains Facebook page and a significant number of product reviews and consumer ads in specialist magazines and journals throughout the year.

Last year Tomy invested in bringing Britains to life in Toymaster stores under the theme “Build your Farm”. Tomy supplied POS to all Toymaster stores and introduced the Farm in the Shop concept in selected flagship Toymaster stores. In spring 2017, Tomy will also host an exclusive promotion across Toymaster’s Facebook page offering followers the chance to win an exclusive Britains bundle featuring JCB Hydradig Kane Classic Trailer and JCB 3230 Fastrac Tractor.

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Tactic 01483 332 070 | www.tactic.net

Alex Brands 0208 878 2133 | www.Alexbrands.com Alex Brands will be presenting a range of products at the show including Janod wooden toys. The new Mini Stories range offers eight different themed sets of wooden characters and accessories. Kids can choose from Princesses, Knights, Circus, Riding School, Firefighters, Safari, City or Farm sets, and each can be expanded with the addition of wooden accessories, vehicles and buildings. Retail is supported with an FSDU capable of displaying 48 units.

A new collection of Air Warriors dart blasters is being introduced in September. The existing range includes the Master Tek which features clip-fed bolt action firing and can fire darts up to 72 feet, and the Ultra-Tek Night with night vision. Water Warriors water blasters include the Shark, which features a power pump and 970ml capacity and the Python 2, which can blast up to 12 meters in distance and hold 1.55 litres of water. The new Air Warriors and Water Warriors ranges being previewed benefit from redesigned packaging and refreshed graphics as well as innovative new product features.

Backyard Safari products encourage educational outdoor play for kids, including the Wet and Dry Field Kit, Jungle Vest, and 6-in-1 Field Tool. Many products come with exclusive collectible patches that can be ironed on to the vest upon completion of adventures.

Finally, the company’s range of bath time toys will be on display.

The new World Map For The Tub comes with 29 stick-on foam pieces and a mesh bag for storage, and the Tub Tunes range brings music to bathtime. The keys of the Water Xylophone can be played both in and out of the bath, while the Water Flutes create different sounds according to the amount of water they are filled with. Both come with waterproof song sheets. Alex Brands is currently offering a free metal FSDU with orders over £390 for its range of bath toys.

With a bolstered sales team, Tactic has increased its reach to Toymaster members, and in addition has partnered with AB Gee to provide an increased service to the membership. Members who wish to place smaller orders, including top up orders, can do so via AB Gee. The company will be presenting new games and best sellers at the show, including Life in the Coral Reef. Players must look for the marine animals shown on the two cards and point them out at the same time. The player that does this before the others is rewarded with an animal figurine. The game comes with a doublesided game board, consisting of giant puzzle pieces which can be put together differently for each game. Any orders placed at the show are eligible for an extra 15% discount from the trade price.

Just Play 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk For autumn 2017 the launch of Jungle In My Pocket will offer jungle pets for children to collect. As with the rest of the In My Pocket range, the Jungle SKUs will include pocket money blind bags, carry cases, multi-figure packs and playsets.

Just Play’s Mickey and Minnie lines offer classic Disney. The Mickey and the Roadster Racers collection has role play items including the Pit Crew Workbench with lights, sounds and moving features. Alongside this will be the Mickey Custom Car Kit and Mickey Talking Tool Belt.

Alternatively, the Minnie Happy Helpers collection includes tea party sets and dress up accessories that mirror the new series. Included is the Bowtastic Pastry Playset, which allows kids to cook and customise their own treats with colour changing and moving features. Other lines include the Happy Helpers Headquarters Phone and the Happy Helpers Bag Set. Brand new to the portfolio, show visitors will have first look at the Jo Jo Siwa range.

Following Jo Jo’s YouTube success, the collection includes a 25cm singling doll, a Lights and Sounds Microphone that hooks up to an MP3 player, and a signature Jo Jo hair bow complete with a colourful hair extension.

DKL Marketing 01604 678 780 | www.dkl.co.uk DKL will be showing all of the brands it distributes including Hama Beads with new 3D Hama models, Disney licences with new Cars 3 sets, and Scentco scented stationery with assorted generic and licensed pens, pencils, and books.

The SmartLab range will also be presented at the show, with key science products and the products including Squishy Human Body, Brain and more. Breyer model horses has introduced new lines with Starry Night leading the way.

Fashion Angels is growing in popularity with sketch sets, emoji pads with stickers, and Tapeffiti coloured design tape. Playmais tubs and creative mosaic sets allow kids to make models and the Scratch range offers a mix of wooden, traditional, retro and furniture items.

DKL will also be showing the Toymaster Christmas Catalogue lines from Hama Beads and Scentco scented stationery.

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Eduk8 Worldwide 01434 672 336 | www.eduk8worldwide.com Eduk8 Worldwide is offering a free outdoor game with all orders of ÂŁ300 or more placed at the show.

Historically the company has focused on supplying the education sector and has now expanded its range to create products for the retail market. 2017 saw it become an official new supplier to Toymaster.

Eduk8 will be showcasing its ranges, which include STEM products, to members and independent retailers at the show.

Melissa & Doug 0800 284 394 | www.melissaanddoug.com Melissa & Doug believes toys should be a launch pad to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in children. Its wooden play sets and vehicles are designed to inspire imaginative thinking.

The Town Play Set, with its buildings, street signs, and greenery, allows children to create a busy town, block by block. The Wooden Car, Construction, and Town Vehicle sets keep playtime moving.

All of these items can be used with Melissa & Doug’s assortment of activity rugs.

Toymaster

Winning Moves 0207 298 9507 | www.winningmoves.co.uk Winning Moves presents new 2017 licensed products including the Harry Potter Top Trumps Match. This game of skill sees Harry Potter characters such as Dumbledore, Draco and Dobby matched against each other to decide the ultimate wizarding champion. Further 2017 licensed releases include Shopkins, Despicable Me and Star Wars Top Trumps Match.

Top Trumps is also introducing further new licensed products for 2017. Licences will cover Gru and the Minions from Despicable Me 3, Kit and friends in Animal Jam Top Trumps, Yo-kai characters Jibanyan, Blazion and Walkappa, including special foiled cards, and Num Noms Top Trumps including Raspberry Cream, Cassie Cola and Frenchie Fries. All packs are in portable plastic cases.

Visitors to the show can receive 5% off a £500 order or 10% off a £1000 order, based on a one-drop delivery made by end of June 2017.

IMC Toys 01904 720 908 | www.imctoys.com IMC Toys’ new expanded dolls will be showcased at this year’s Toymaster show.

Following on from the success of Baby Wow Charlie and Cry Babies, IMC will present its new dolls; Baby Wow Chatty Emma and bath time dolls, the Bloopies. Baby Wow Emma is capable of learning over 150 sentences and words. The Bloopies blow bubbles and squirt water through their snorkel. Both lines will be supported by heavyweight TV campaigns along with online and print marketing.

IMC also has a new addition to the Club Petz range; Bianca. Bianca is a soft cat toy that can turn its head when called, purrs when stroked, and hums a tune when playing with its ball.

Magformers 0800 385 195 | www.magformers.co.uk

Spin Master 01628 535000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Alongside an expanded range of products, Magformers will show new in-store play tables and retail merchandising stands.

Magformers supports retailers with a choice of POS material and options for retailers to demonstrate products in store. This year, the company has added a corrugated card FSDU to its merchandising kit which comes with a 10” video card screen on the header panel.

The screen is activated by pressing a button and plays a Magformers promotional video. The screen is detachable and rechargeable via a supplied usb cable, so retailers can keep it charged and upload new video content.

Also new for 2017 is a line-up of play tables and chairs. The chairs come in the brand’s triangle and square shapes and colours, while the table houses a secret central storage section. All are assembled through a click-fit system, and are ideal for retailers looking to create a Magformers demonstration area, or play zone.

The latest merchandising kit sits alongside the company’s existing large metal FSDU, pop-up card play tables, metal shelf video screen and shelf bus stop signs.

Magformers will also be promoting several new lines at the show, including the Neon LED Set, the 12-piece accessory boxes of popular shapes like pentagons, hexagons and triangles, plus the Monster Set Dino line.

Magformers has also committed to a spring and summer TV advertising campaign, with a new ad featuring the Neon LED set as a hero product. This is being aired through April and May on ITV, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

Independent toy retailers visiting the show can look forward to seeing Spin Master’s most diverse portfolio of toys, games and entertainment properties to date, and enjoying show offers of up to half price on selected products.

Spin Master’s 2017 line-up features developments in advanced robotics, STEMbased products and a wide range of toys across multiple categories.

Meccano is a key focus, melding engineering and robotics into one with new TV advertised lines including M.A.X., a personal A.I. Robot, and the MeccaSpider. Core lines include the traditional multi-model sets with new introductions of the 5-in-1 model set, Motorcycles, and 10in-1 model set, Race Truck.

Since the global launch of Hatchimals last October, the response has been phenomenal and there have been millions of successful hatches around the world. The new Hatchimals Colleggtibles are creatures that come inside small, speckled eggs and need a nurturing touch to hatch.

The latest from Spin Master’s Paw Patrol range will also be on display, and visitors may get the chance to meet Marshall who will be attending the show on one of the days.

Spin Master will also be showing its new breed of Zhu Zhu Pets, the latest from Spy Gear with its Ninja theme, Kinetic Sand’s Kinetic Rock and Rock Crusher Playset, plus the Bunchems Bunch Bot.

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Toymaster

Kidicraft 01282 500 899 | www.kidicraft.com Kidicraft will be showcasing its spinning and frictionpowered Stunt Jaxx collectible creature range. A FDU deal, complete with live video screen for Stunt Jaxx, is on offer.

There are more new Jigsaw Puzzles, all of which feature ‘magic motion’, as well as a further Selfie puzzle. The Super 3D range now features children’s wipeable table mats, wall posters, A6 notebooks, collectible postcards and bookmarks with images from National Geographic, along with products from Howard Robinson. Stunt Jaxx animals and two Animal Selfie puzzles will feature in the Toymaster autumn/winter catalogue.

Playmobil 01268 548 111 | www.playmobil.co.uk

Halilit 01254 872 454 | www.halilit.co.uk

Playmobil brings to the market the Ghostbusters crew in miniature, including characters such as Raymond Stanz, Louis Tully and Egon Spengler.

The company has created six new sets that allow kids to act out scenes from the films in their own home. Visitors to the show can view the full range of miniature toys, including the famous Firehouse Headquarters and Ecto-1 vehicle, plus the Ghost Containment Unit, for catching and containing ghosts.

Halilit introduces TrueDough, a creative activity that allows children to make their own modelling materials. Children simply mix the powder with water using the measuring spoon and child-friendly bowl, before going on to play with their dough. The contents are all organic food ingredients, which means that the creations can be baked as gifts or keepsakes. With pack sizes ranging from pocket money purchases through to gifting options, as well as good margin opportunities, Halilit will also be supporting retailers with a variety of marketing activities.

Science4you +35191 172 8690 | www.science4youtoys.co.uk Science4you believes in experiential learning as an essential tool to make learning easy, enjoyable and effective, and as such provides a hands-on experience that makes learning fun through their educational scientific kits. For 2017, the focus of the company’s marketing strategy will be on digital investment by producing new and relevant content.

The Water Science kit includes 34 different experiments. The materials include, a Pasteur pipette, a Petri dish and test tubes. With this kit, children will be able to understand what the main properties of water are, make soap bubbles, and produce sounds by creating a water xylophone. Children can also discover that they can turn a glass of water upside down without spilling it.

With Explosive Science, through elements like sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, salt, iron powder and different food colouring provided with the kit, children will learn how to make rockets from a chemical reaction and how to create fizzy “bombs”. In total, there are 28 different experiments to learn.

The Perfume Factory, from the Pink Science line, includes 13 different experiments. With this kit, children will learn what fragrances are and the main techniques required to produce them. With some creativity, children can produce their own perfumes and bath salts with the fragrances of lemon, peach, vanilla, jasmine, apple, cinnamon, and red fruits.

Infantino BKids 07557 640 097 | www.bkidsfun.com Visitors to the show can look forward to viewing Infantino BKid’s full Sensory Toy Collection, including brand new items from the autumn/winter 17 range. The Sensory Toy Collection has products suitable from newborn, and features a variety of characters, materials, textures, sounds, lights and colours, designed to stimulate baby senses.

In addition, the company will be exhibiting its full range at the show, including the Infantino Classic Collection, which includes products such as play mats, soft toys and nursery essentials

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Amazon is apparently becoming increasingly difficult for suppliers to work with. The latest development - not in the UK as I understand, but in the US – is that Amazon is apparently refusing price increases because - wait for it - the system can’t accept rises as the feature has been disabled for the first half of the year. Literally, computer says no! Except, of course, that if the widget has been disabled, presumably the same person could simply re-enable it? Unless that person has gone on a six- month sabbatical, generously subsidised by Amazon….

Allegedly

Indeed, some suppliers appear to have reached the end of their tether with our friends at Amazon, and are suggesting to other retailers that if they commit to ordering a certain volume, they won’t supply the product to Amazon. I wonder if this tactic will become more widespread if the difficulties in dealing with Amazon persist?

A few suppliers have been grumbling about not hearing back from major buyers about selections. Now, I know just how frustrating it can be if people don’t ever return phone calls or emails. However, if suppliers think that this just applies to retailers, they might like to ask me whether their own marketing team is a paragon of virtue in this respect – I suspect a few might be mildly surprised at the answer. But, more importantly, a former buyer who is well known to me being my wife – used to tell me that selections would probably have taken half the time if they didn’t have to answer all the calls asking when selections would be confirmed. I guess the simple answer is that everyone just wants to know where they stand, whatever business they’re in. Admittedly, there are far more communication tools at buyer’s disposal now than there were when my wife was a buyer (it was pre-email for starters), but I can see there are definitely two sides to this story…

Another talking point around the trade in recent weeks is the impending Argos / Sainsbury’s structural changes, which I am told should be announced any day now. With two very different cultures, not to mention geographical locations, there will be implications whichever route they go.

The broader grocer channel continues to be a conundrum for suppliers: there is no denying that grocers can shift huge volumes, yet people who know far more about these things than I have suggested that all the grocers appear to be cutting toy space back, as well as ‘cutting the tail’ (i.e. focusing on a tighter product range from less suppliers, with apparently greater emphasis on the big toy companies). One grocery account has been singled out as being particularly disappointing so far this year (all guesses welcome)…

I like to foster debate – it’s part of the privilege of being a trade observer / commentator. Mind you, there is sometimes a fine line between creating a talking point and absolute madness: I was recently reading a competitor’s magazine and came across an article by Euromonitor, which appeared to be suggesting that there should be an online re-seller of toys.

I had to re-read it to make sure I hadn’t misinterpreted them, but no, they really were advocating a ‘professional’ facility to enable the public to buy and sell second-hand toys. In a trade magazine!! It even used the phrase “…parents reluctant to spend huge amounts of money on potentially short-lived licensed toys.” So that’s the toy and licensing businesses told then – thanks for your support Euromonitor…

After last month’s Allegedly drew attention to the growing ‘skimming’ problem at a certain online retailer, BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 both recently featured news items drawing attention to the practice, albeit focusing on the grocery market and food suppliers – so clearly we’re certainly

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not the only trade suffering (and it’s not just one retailer who is guilty). These news items also revealed the existence of the Groceries Code Adjudicator, a hitherto hermit-like person whose remit is incredibly broad (well worth looking up), yet whose success rate is - I would suspect – negligible: think HMRC with serial tax avoiders like Google and Amazon / Ofgem / other ‘Chocolate Fire Guard’ bodies. Rather like last month’s coverage of the ‘tea money’ scandal, it really is no great secret that these things go on. But how to stop them is another matter entirely…

By the way, on the tea money subject, if anyone thought it was just obscure local Chinese operations being implicated, the name that has been mentioned most frequently is arguably one of the world’s largest testing houses, and one with links to official toy industry bodies to boot. As is often the case, the biggest operators perhaps feel they are somehow ‘outside the law’ and can get away with it…

In the past few weeks, I finally managed to get to the bottom of a story I first picked up in Nuremberg, where a rumour stared to circulate that Dr Wolfgang Link, the president of Toys R Us Europe since 2013, would be leaving the business. As Toys R Us is only marginally less clandestine than the Knights Templar, the Masons and the Mafia combined, getting to the bottom of the story was not easy. However, it was finally revealed that he will be joining department store group HBC Europe this month, so the rumour turned out to be accurate. As for who will be replacing him, we’ll probably find out some time next year if we’re lucky…

What we do know about Toys R Us is that it has merged its Japanese and South Asian operations. The HQ of the newlycombined business will be based in Hong Kong. In fairness, the Asian market has been one of TRU’s success stories in recent years, so although on one level the move may well be about reducing costs, I very much doubt the retailer would do anything to harm business in one of its best-performing territories…

Tesco finally put its accounting scandal to bed by agreeing to pay a cool £235m to settle its case with the Serious Fraud Office (I wonder if there is a Not-So Serious Fraud Office for lesser offenders?). Joking apart, it does illustrate the immense pressure that even the largest retailers are under in the current climate. The fact that Tesco recently announced its first sales growth in eight years suggests that perhaps the worst is now behind. That said, if the rumour is true about Tesco trying to retrospectively charge suppliers for the heavy discounts it gave away in the run-up to Christmas, maybe they’re not quite ready to join the ‘whiter than white’ club just yet...

Last year, many people were predicting that 2017 would be a huge movie year. Now I’m picking up slightly less bullish vibes. While it was a truly wonderful movie, the live action Beauty and the Beast didn’t appear to shift the volume of toys that an animated movie typically would – perhaps that would explain the half-price gondola end in Sainsbury’s the week the movie was released. I suspect that products targeted at a slightly older consumer – such as Make it Real’s excellent sketch book – probably fared better. For now, all eyes are turning towards the battle of the movie heavyweights in the summer, when Cars 3, Transformers and Despicable Me 3 will be slugging it out for supremacy. Product starts arriving in stores over the next couple of weeks, so it will be interesting to see how initial sales stack up.

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