Toy World Magazine January 2022

January 2022 Volume 11 Issue 5

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Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey.

Every submission generated a £50 donation to the BTHA!

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The Team...

CONTENTS January 2022 Volume 11 Issue 5

John Baulch

64 Retail Profile: Very

70 Retail Profile: Toymaster

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

Mark Austin

Sales Director mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405 07710 532 952

Anita Baulch

News

Regulars

Features

09 From the Publisher 10 News 24 Industry Moves 30 Marketing World 38 Licensing World 358 Allegedly

24 Generation Media 44 NPD 51 Talking Shop 62 Letter from Americ 324 Viewpoint

64 Retail Profile: Very 70 Retail Profile: Toymaster 74 Company Profile: Mattel 80 Feature: Showcase 106 Feature: Nuremberg Preview 144 Company Profile: Bildo 328 Special Feature: Supply Chain Challenges 332 Special Feature: Toy Industries of Europe 336 Hot Properties

Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Contributors

The NPD Group | Jonathan Chambers | Mark Buschhaus Stephen Barnes | Matthew Thorpe | Tristan Brooks

Rachael Simpson-Jones

74 Company Profile: Mattel

106 Feature: Nuremberg Preview

Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Sam Giltrow

Assistant Editor sam@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Alakat Published by

Mark Crowford

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

www.toyworldmag.co.uk @toyworldmag @baulchtweet

toyworldmag

Toy World 9

Toy World Magazine

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CONTENTS Toy Fair Preview

Interviews

151 Toy Fair 2022 Preview

186 One for Fun

154 Exhibitor List

190 Jazwares

158 Show Floor Maps

194 Just Play

164 Touching Base - Looking Ahead

198 Fabula Toys

200 Ones to watch

320 Snazaroo

204 Toy Fair Exhibitor Guide

322 Haico

314 Retailer of the Year shortlist

See us at Toy Fair in our new location Stand B23 Toy World 11

4 interchangeable plaques Light-up wheels

Switch-it tri-scooter Compact, durable, sturdy

Tilt n turn with lights Easily converts between modes

Bobble ride-on

PEPPA PIG and all related trademarks and characters TM & © 2003 Astley Baker Davies Ltd and/or Entertainment One UK Limited.

HASBRO and all related logos and trademarks TM & © 2021 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.

Peppa- Just keeps rolling!

2-in-1 10" bike

H from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

appy New Year to you all. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and, prior to that, a successful festive trading period. Let’s be honest, 2021 wasn’t a walk in the park for anyone – either on a personal or professional basis. However, despite the myriad challenges, the toy market seems to have fared far better than many other retail categories. We may have all got a little battered and bruised along the way, but I get the sense that, collectively, we made it through relatively unscathed, and we should all be grateful for that.

Nevertheless, the days following Christmas and the first couple of weeks of January still represent an important trading period for toy retailers, with many children eager to spend the vouchers and money they received for Christmas. A January lockdown would be far from ideal in that respect.

I am writing this column with only a few days to go before stores finally close up for Christmas, but such is the nature of December toy sales, it’s still impossible to know where the market will end up once the numbers are crunched. However, whether it is up or down by a few percentage points, given the hurdles that all suppliers and retailers have had to overcome this year, I think we can safely say that we made a lot of children very happy over the festive season, and we should all be proud of the way that everyone in the toy community pulled together to overcome adversity.

Despite the lack of clarity at the time of going to press, we have decided to approach this edition on the assumption that the shows will take place. Call me a sublime optimist, but we felt it was best to adopt a positive mindset and hope for the best, rather than plan for the doomsday scenario. So, as ever, there is a massive section of this edition devoted to the London Toy Fair, as well as our largest ever Nuremberg preview section. There is also a special section covering the latest launches from the companies who told us they weren’t planning to be present at any of the European shows at the time of going to press, as well as a dedicated Hot Properties licensing section, focusing on the key properties that kids’ retailers should be looking out for in ’22.

So, we arrive in 2022, with the hope that it will prove to be a little less eventful and chaotic, but the expectation that in all probability, another year of twists and turns lies ahead. I have been writing Leader columns for many years, and this is without doubt one of the trickiest I have ever had to pull together. I should be bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm for Toy Fair Season - the opportunity for the toy community to come together to celebrate the successes of last year, to thank our friends and colleagues for their support during challenging times and, of course, to see all the great new products that will be hitting the market in ’22.

I very much hope that we are still able to do that over the coming weeks. However, there has been considerable uncertainty in the run-up to Christmas; over the last weekend of December, Germany introduced a travel ban for UK visitors which will be reviewed on 2nd January, long after this issue has gone to press. Meanwhile, the UK media has been filled with debate about the potential introduction of new restrictions early in the new year to combat the surge in the Omicron virus. On the plus side, any form of pre-Christmas lockdown would have been disastrous for retailers, so they will at least have breathed a sigh of relief that didn’t happen.

Toy World 13

All I can say for certain is that the organisers of both the London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs are desperate to go ahead with the events and will do everything in their power to deliver safe shows for visitors and exhibitors. The stage is set, we just need the cards to fall kindly in our favour.

Should both the London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs go ahead as scheduled, our exhaustive round-up of the new lines that will be on show will give retailers the chance to plan who they need to visit at the events. And if for any reason it is not possible for UK buyers to visit one or both fairs, it is imperative to remember that they still need to buy, so all the product information and supplier contact details will be an invaluable aid as they start to make their selection decisions for the year ahead. Because show or no show (and I very much hope it is the former), the toy market will go on.

Finally, I would like to thank all of our fantastic advertisers for their incredible support, both for this edition and over the past couple of years. The whole Toy World team has worked incredibly hard over the past few months to bring you this amazing January issue, packed with everything you need to know ahead of Toy Fair Season. Here’s hoping that all of the shows can go ahead as planned and we can all meet up in person for the first time in a long while - I know we are all looking forward to that.

News Smyths Toys Irish business reports financial results This is the first time Smyths Toys has revealed financial figures for the Irish business, having previously been an unlimited company. It changed its status to that of a limited company in January 2021.

The results reveal that turnover and profits declined at Smyths Toys stores in the Republic last year as a result of Covid-related shop closures. A 10m dividend was paid out shortly before the coronavirus pandemic hit the Irish economy.

Revenues at the Irish operation declined by €9.7m in 2020 to €210.3m as profits fell by €1.4m to €2.6m, according to the accounts.

Directors said Galway-headquartered Smyths Toys Limited, which operates 21 stores locally, has been impacted by the Covid crisis but that all retail units have been trading strongly since reopening. The company employed 617 people in the Republic last year with staff costs totalling €14.3m. Smyths said it made use of the State’s Temporary Wage Subsidy scheme (TWSS) during 2020 but did not disclose how much it had received.

Smyths Toys operates 106 stores across Britain, seven in Northern Ireland, and 21 in the Republic of Ireland, along with a number of stores across Europe. It employs more than 2,000 people at these outlets. Combined revenues at the British and Northern Ireland units last year totalled £666.5m (€780.6m), down by £1.3m from the £667.8m recorded in 2019.

Character reveals strong set of preliminary full year financial results The Character Group has published its results for the year ended 31st August 2021. Despite the continued challenges arising from the pandemic, coupled with global supply and logistics issues, the Group traded well in the 12-month period, reporting a pre-tax profit of £11.1m. The Group’s turnover increased by 29% to £140m.

In a financial statement, The Group reported that its portfolio of products has performed extremely well throughout the past financial year and was selling through well in the lead up to Christmas. The buoyant demand for the Group’s products was sustained throughout 2021 and continued to rise in the run up to Christmas.

It was noted that the Group is well placed to satisfy anticipated demand in its markets in 2022, despite it being difficult to predict when the global logistics challenges will be fully resolved. It was also acknowledged that margins will be under pressure, due to high freight rates and increased materials and labour costs. However, the Group remains on target to meet current market expectations for the current financial year.

Speaking about the results, Joint managing director, Jon Diver commented: “Our reported results have been achieved through the determined and exceptional efforts of all of our teams across the world and the board offers its thanks and appreciation to each of them. Added to this is a product portfolio that has performed extremely well. Eight of The Character Group’s toys featured in the Toy Retailers Association’s prestigious DreamToys lists, which predicted the most sought-after toy categories in the UK for Christmas 2021.

Moving into 2022, the line-up of merchandise not only continues to feature some of the most sought-after toy products from our current range, but will be further bolstered by new exciting concepts, additions and brand extensions that the Group is developing ahead of the London Toy Fair in January 2022.”

distributor of leading brands

sales@toynamics.co.uk | +44 116 478 5230

Toy World 14

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED™ The challenger spirit doesn’t need to be taught, but it can be nurtured, channelled, and celebrated. By igniting kids’ challenger spirit, Hot Wheels® unleashes their creativity, expands their imagination and challenges them to look for new ways to approach obstacles and solve problems. And when they fall short, they don’t give up; they try again.

And again. And when they learn to take on anything through our thrilling Hot Wheels experiences, there’s no limit to how far they can go!

© 2021 Mattel.

News NPD reports that consumers waited for Black Friday to buy toys In December 2020, The NPD Group reported a year-on-year growth in demand for toys in the run up to Christmas. However, the latest research to the end of November shows a different picture for 2021. Writing in early December, NPD said that, compared to 2020, when lockdowns powered a bumper year for the toy sector, sales value to date was more muted, down 4.7%, with sales volume down 0.8%. For context, compared to 2019 - a ‘normal’ year - value sales were up 3.9%, with many consumers yet to buy their toys for the big day.

Melissa Symonds, executive director, UK Toys at The NPD Group commented: “The pandemic accelerated the changes to the types of toys we buy and how we buy them. Sales of building sets and games and puzzles continue to be strong, and the online channel has experienced a boost in sales, particularly for higher-priced items. However, despite warnings from the trade of supply chain shortages and early sell-outs, many shoppers clearly left their toy buying to the last minute and we saw a boost to the sector during Black Friday. Brits still expect price cuts and deals on toys, and we believe many are waiting until the last few weeks to buy just before Christmas.”

Black Friday 2021 posted a 4% hike in sales year-on-year with demand for the highest priced toys particularly strong. Six items in the top 10 best sellers cost over £50, and some considerably more. Overall, average sales price this year has risen 7.7% since 2019 from £9.01 per toy to £9.70.

The NPD Group has reported over the years how UK consumers have been slowly shifting to the online channel as their preferred method for purchasing toys. The pandemic accelerated that trend. Analysis of toys purchased online shows that these are focused buyers on a mission to find specific higher-priced items and then heading straight to the virtual checkout. With declining footfall in physical stores and little browsing online, impulse buys of toys priced £20 or less have suffered, explaining the decline in sales at these price points observed throughout 2021.

In contrast to the significant growth in sales of some toy categories in 2020, looking at 2021 in isolation would suggest that some have experienced a dip this year.

However, when compared to 2019, Building Sets are up 25%, Puzzles have increased 24% and Board Games 15%.

We’ve also seen the rise of a new phenomenon – strategic trading card games – where sales have doubled since 2020. This is primarily driven by Pokémon, but others are growing in popularity.

Traditionally a strong seller, sales of plush toys suffered in 2020 amidst store closures. In 2021, with shops open, sales bounced back and were up 9%. Another category on the rise wass Vehicles (+7% year-on-year), with Hot Wheels driving the category followed by Monster Jam. Melissa Symonds concluded: “It’s no exaggeration to say we went mad for toys in 2020, and as a result, comparing sales in 2021 with the previous year can skew the picture of what is really going on. The toy sector is changing as consumers choose new favourite categories, buy more online and opt for higher-priced toys. The good news is comparing sector performance in 2021 (to date) with 2019, we can see that almost half of the gains made in 2020 have been retained – and a last minute surge to Christmas offers the hope of a good year overall.”

Panini’s ‘most anticipated launch of the year’ is out now Panini is excited to announce that the all-new Premier League 2022 Sticker Collection hit shelves on Thursday 30th December. The company says this season’s collection is better than ever, with a shiny foil cover album and foil sticker packets. Paired with one of the most thrilling Premier League seasons to date, the album and official sticker collection give fans an ideal way to get in on the action.

The collection features all 20 Premier League clubs as well as celebrated Legends and Next Gen stars of the beautiful game. Collectors can kick-start their collection with a starter pack, which includes a sticker album plus four sticker packets. The sticker album is packed full of facts, stats and info graphics for collectors and fans alike, making this one to keep and share with the grandkids in 30 years’ time. For the first time ever there will also be a full digital version of the collection, which will launch on the MyPanini Digital collections App. The collection is backed by a multi-faceted marketing campaign fronted by West Ham and England star Declan Rice. This will comprise of a heavyweight TV and digital campaign, press and sampling activity, a national newspaper campaign and investment at retail across all listings.

Toymaster members welcome new website feature The Toymaster website now gives shoppers a direct link to their nearest members’ own online stores, which they can use to make a purchase.

“When a customer searches for a toy, as well as showing the customer where their nearest Toymaster stores are, it will also give them a direct link to our members’ own websites so they can go direct to an online store to purchase if preferred,” explained Brian McLaughlin, development manager at Toymaster. “Since we added this feature recently, we have had feedback from members that website traffic and orders have increased, so it is clear customers are finding it easier to search for and buy the items on their wish lists, and Toymaster members are benefitting from more exposure and orders.”

The new feature was brought in in time for the busy Christmas period.

As shown in the image, an example search has resulted in six Toymaster members’ websites showing with links for the customer.

“This is another feature that we’ve added to boost the sales of our members, by making it simpler for consumers to find their websites” Brian added. “It is just another way Toymaster is helping its members, and the feedback so far has been very positive.”

Toy World 16

Climb aboard with Thomas & Friends™ and the latest toys from the new show Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, featuring an entirely new storytelling approach, vibrant, 2D animation, and a collection of fun new characters to inspire today’s pre-school children.

The values of friendship, teamwork and empathy are central as Thomas takes on every adventure with his friends by his side.

© 2021 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. © 2021 HIT Entertainment Limited.

News BTHA presents pair of Golden Teddy Awards Paul and Mark Collinson have both worked in the toy industry for more than 40 years and have represented companies including Funko and VTech. They were described by their proposers and seconders as being loyal, well principled and highly respected by all that they worked with, and were also described as true unsung heroes of the industry.

The brothers were both presented with their awards at a special ‘Northern Toy Boys’ event in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, where they are based.

On receiving his award, Mark Collinson commented: “We were both truly humbled to receive our BTHA Golden Teddy Awards. It’s not like us to shout about our work, but we are at the end of our careers now and very proud to look back. We have been proud to work as part of this ever-changing but amazing industry over many years. Thanks to the BTHA for this special recognition.”

The Collinsons family used to run toyshops in Ripon and Harrogate, and Mark and Paul were keen to follow in the footsteps of their father, Ian Collinson, from a young age. After working in the retail side of the business for several years, the brothers eventually moved into the sales side, where they went on to work for decades with both national and international brands.

Golden Teddies are awarded by the BTHA to nominated candidates who have served the industry for more than 15 years and are designed to recognise ordinary people with extraordinary talents, people who go over and above expectations and who are known as the industry’s ‘genuinely nice people’.

Mulberry Bush celebrates 25th birthday

Mulberry Bush has celebrated its 25th birthday, stating it had come a long way since its humble beginnings in a spare room.

The Sussex-based family business, which offers traditional and innovative toys, gifts and games, was established in 1996 by Jonathan and Shirley Copeland and is now led by son and managing director Paul. In the years it has been running, the company has despatched over 2m toys to children across the UK and beyond.

“As a family business we know how important good old-fashioned service is to our customers – everyone in our team takes great satisfaction in this. Our friendly team knows our broad product range well and is always happy to help customers find the right gift for our customers’ children,” said Paul.

Since its launch, Mulberry Bush has grown steadily, acquiring a number of businesses along the way, including Letterbox a few years ago.

“We’ve come a long way since we began, when we operated out of a spare room from our old family home,” said Paul. “We continue to be operated entirely from Sussex, but nowadays in our dedicated office and warehouse. Our guiding principle has always been to select the type of toy and gift that parents remember with fondness from their own childhood and that grandparents will want to buy for their grandchildren.”

Mulberry Bush specialises in colourful toys, many of which are wooden, and a major focus recently has been its range of personalised gifts.

Summing up the achievement, Paul said: “Thank you to all our customers and to Team Mulberry Bush for 25 wonderful years. Here’s to many, many more.”

The celebrations included a stunning cake complete with scaled-down icing toys made by the company’s buyer, Tania.

Toy World 18

Lego reports exceptionally strong first-half results The Lego Group has reported a net profit of more than 6.3b Danish kronor ($954m) for the first half of 2021 – an increase of 140% on the same period in 2020, which was itself a strong period for the company, despite the lockdowns which began during this time.

Revenue increased by 46% to 23b kronor in the same period.

The company confirmed that all its market groups delivered double-digit consumer sales growth with products which appealed to builders of all ages and interests. Top-performing themes included Lego City, Lego Star Wars and Lego Harry Potter.

In its report, the group said it had opened more than 60 new branded stores in the first half of 2021, over 40 of which were in China. This brings the total number of Lego retail stores as of June 30th to 737, with 291 of those located in China.

Lego has awarded its 20,000 employees three extra days of holiday and a special, unspecified bonus after a year of bumper revenues.

In a statement accompanying the results, a company spokesperson said: “It has been an extraordinary year for the Lego Group and our colleagues have worked incredibly hard.”

THE MOST DIVERSE DOLL LINE Since 1959, as the original girl empowerment brand, Barbie has shown girls they can be anything. By providing purposeful play with over 200 careers, highlighting global role models, showcasing diversity and inclusion, and leading the mission to close the Dream Gap, Barbie continuously strives to help kids reach their limitless potential.

© 2021 Mattel.

News Toys2Market expands portfolio with Jeruel and Traditional Garden Games Toys2market was founded to provide a broad range of services to support toy manufacturers and suppliers and is delighted to widen its portfolio. Working with both British and European suppliers who seek representation within the UK, the company is well placed to oversee national and key accounts via its network of agents.

The company has now secured the exclusive UK and Ireland direct to retail distribution rights for Jeruel Industrial’s range of 3D Crystal Puzzles, as well as a distribution arrangement with Traditional Garden Games.

TGG offers an established range of outdoor games which are ideal for a summer staycation at home, or for use on the beach around the country and on holidays abroad.

James Triptree, managing director of Toys2Market, told Toy World: “Toys2Market is delighted to partner with Traditional Garden Games. The company has a winning combination of quality products, a great product range and sensible suggested selling prices. We look forward to working together.”

Jeruel Industrial’s range of 3D Crystal Puzzles will be on show at London Toy Fair on the Toys2Market stand (GH18).

James added: “This is a unique range of 3D Crystal Puzzles; it really is an exciting range. Once you have completed the puzzles, they are worthy of a spot on the mantelpiece.”

Jeremy Pateman, general sales manager of Toys2Market added: “The products and packaging are vibrant and very different from the norm, offering a unique stand out range for retailers. We will have the range on display at the London Toy Fair in and would like to invite everyone to come and view it and discover the other ranges we distribute.”

Following its set up early this year, Toys2Market has gone from strength to strength and has now established a formidable team. “We have brought onboard two well-known regional sales representatives in John Cairns and Bob Duxbury,” James explained. “Jeremy Pateman, our senior national account manager, has also agreed to broaden his role to general sales manager, due to the expansion of the business.”

To get in touch with Toys2Market, contact James at j.triptree@toys2market.com or Jeremy at j.pateman@toys2market.com.

Haico eyes US market as it expands with move into MediaCity Toy company Haico has acquired a new headquarters in MediaCity, Salford as part of its strategic growth plan, which includes the goal of entering the US market.

The Manchester-based company designs, manufactures and imports children’s toys and crafts from China and supplies them to major retail clients throughout the UK and Europe. Haico has used a six-figure funding deal from HSBC UK to expand its business, which includes relocating to a new office and showroom complex.

The company says that as the economy reopens, it is looking to grow its contracts and expand into international markets, including the USA. Set up in 2019, Haico’s products include children’s toys, slime, sand, fashion and novelty stationery, as well as arts & crafts. From concept through to completion, Haico’s teams in the UK and China work together to manage the end-to-end order process for clients, with compliance and sustainability front of mind. The business employs 15 members of staff directly and works with over 200 in the Far East.

Hayley Leacock, commercial director at Haico, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for HSBC UK’s support, which has helped us to acquire our new premises and weather the roadblocks brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. We’re looking forward to continuing to grow the business, whilst developing new client relationships and expanding into international markets.”

Reflecting its growth ambitions, Haico is launching three impressive new brands this month, each of which has been developed to offer kids play that engages and satisfies.

Leading the way is Mind-Full, a curated range of toys specifically developed for children with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). Every toy in the Mind-Full range has been developed to engage one or more of the body’s senses: sight (vision), hearing (auditory), smell (olfactory), taste (gustatory), touch (tactile), vestibular (movement and balance) and proprioception (body position/ awareness). The regulation of sensory needs is key to many aspects of learning and behaviour in children, with research showing that finding ways to either stimulate the senses or soothe those that are overloaded through imagination and play is vital to healthy development.

Mind-Full is launching in 2022 and already has the support of many retailers in the UK and Australia. The aim is for Haico to bring Mind-Full play into the mass market, and to make play inclusive for all.

Tomy announced as European distribution partner for Orchard Toys The educational, games and jigsaws manufacturer is looking to replicate the success it has seen in the UK with a company that can offer regional distribution and local infrastructure. Under the agreement, Tomy will support plans to expand the Orchard Toys Brand within GAS, Belgium and France.

The deal will ensure continued support of existing retail opportunities as well as the development of major businesses within the regions. A range of Orchard Toys products has been localised to ensure they are appropriate for these regional markets and will be available in a four-language format: French, German, Dutch and Italian specifically for France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium.

Managing director Simon Newbery said: “We’re really excited about this opportunity and feel there is enormous potential with Tomy to take the Orchard Toys brand and grow it further in these important regions.”

Jean-Christophe Bonifacj, country manager, Tomy France, added: ‘’This is a great project which will reinforce our position on games, one of our four core pillars. The Orchard brand is about Educational Games with a high level of quality. We are very proud to sell it and to build its success.”

At the beginning of this year, Orchard Toys announced the appointment of Banaghan & Co as its exclusive distributor for Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Tomy will be featuring the Orchard Toys range at Nuremberg in February and will launch products into the markets by April 2022.

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Fisher-Price might be 90 years old, but we don’t act a day over five. Because the only way you can make awesome things for babies and kids is to put yourself in their tiny shoes. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to put the fun back in functional baby gear and the play back in playtime. We’re heading back to childhood. Wanna come?

© 2021 Mattel.

News Menkind completes acquisition of Hawkin’s Bazaar and Stocking Fillers The gifts and gadgets retailer Menkind has completed the acquisition of two well-known brands in the gifting industry, Hawkin’s Bazaar and Stocking Fillers, previously owned by H Grossman Limited.

The retailer says the acquisition, which was made for an undisclosed sum, will provide customers with a significantly larger gifting range to choose from and a more seamless customer experience journey, thanks to Menkind’s 20 years of expertise.

Hawkin’s Bazaar was created in 1973 as the go-to destination for all types of gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Stocking Fillers was established in 2007 and, as the name suggests, was designed to make shopping for Christmas stockings and presents easier. The acquisition will see Menkind taking over the websites, customer data and stock. Initially, customers will have access to the existing websites but in due course will be redirected to www.Menkind.co.uk.

David Mordecai, Hawkin’s Bazaar CEO, commented: “We are delighted to have been acquired by Menkind. It is a market leader in the gifting industry and brings a world of experience which makes it truly exciting for this deal to take place. We are so thankful to our loyal customers for their support over the years and feel confident that they are in the best hands possible with Menkind.”

Paul Kraftman, CEO at Menkind, added: “We are proud to continue the growth of our business through the acquisitions of these great brands. Reflecting back to 10 years ago, we were among the three main independent gifting retailers. Thanks to our dedicated team and expertise we’ve gone from strength to strength, enabling us to acquire these businesses and offer an unrivalled proposition to our customers.”

Toys R Us opens US flagship store at American Dream Mall WHP Global, parent company of Toys R Us, has opened a new two-story Toys R Us flagship store inside American Dream, the entertainment/retail centre based in Bergen County, New Jersey. The store, which opened in December, is located in close proximity to Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park and DreamWorks Water Park.

The new store is a modern, two-level retail concept which spans 20,000 square feet and is said to be “reminiscent of the Toys R Us store customers know and love.” Visitors can purchase their favourite toy brands, meet Geoffrey the Giraffe, rediscover their love of play with interactive experiences and product demonstrations, and enjoy new branded elements such as Geoffrey’s Café, an ice cream parlour, a two-story slide and more.

Yehuda Shmidman, WHP Global and Toys R Us chairman and CEO, commented: “American Dream is a one-of-a-kind retail centre featuring massive entertainment experiences that make it an ideal destination for families. Debuting our first US Toys R Us flagship here is a no-brainer. The Toys R Us brand is big and growing fast. Today we have over 900 stores and eCommerce sites operating across 25 countries outside the USA, and now our US expansion plans are in high gear, propelling us into the next chapter of growth for our global brand.”

This development follows Toys R Us opening its digital flagship store together with Macy’s earlier this year and will join 400 Toys R Us shop-in-shops slated to open inside Macy’s stores nationwide starting in 2022.

Ultimate Squishy Human Body Lab to launch at Toy Fair New York SmartLab will be introducing the Ultimate Squishy Human Body Lab at Toy Fair New York in February.

Featuring a robust 16-inch tall human body model, realistic removable squishy organs, articulated joints and an electronic sound module, the Ultimate Squishy Human Body Lab with SmartScan Technology is said to be the world’s most advanced, complete and accurate human body discovery toy.

Campaigns director Viviane Basset said the Ultimate Squishy Human Body represented the culmination of over two years of intensive product development: “Ultimate Squishy Human Body with SmartScan Technology is a revolutionary new educational science toy for children that will set the standard for all anatomy toys and products to come. It is a beautiful, fully integrated product with so many thoughtfully designed and engineered details. Without a doubt this product will appeal to children, but it will also appeal to medical students, paediatricians, teachers and anyone fascinated with the science of the human body.”

Sculpted from a scan of a real body, the detailed, realistic anatomy model is composed of 10 removable squishy organs and 15 other removable bones, muscles, and organs. The organs have the look and squishy feel of the real thing, while the hard skeleton features hinge and ball joints that bend and rotate. The jaw opens and closes, and a transparent lung displays the inner workings of the respiratory system.

When one of the eight removable SmartParts is placed on the interactive module, the scanner recognises the part and states its name. A friendly voice then prompts the selection of one of two modes. In Scan Mode, kids can hear information about the part, the system it belongs to, and a range of fun facts. In Quiz Mode, they can have their knowledge of anatomy tested by answering 70 quiz questions. The module also produces sounds based on the organ in question, such as burps and gurgles.

An accompanying illustrated 48-page anatomy book gives descriptions and explanations of every part of the human body. There’s also an organ-izer chart, a double-sided, full-colour, illustrated assembly—and disassembly—sheet, and a quick-start guide for the sound module.

Viviane added: “Ultimate Squishy Human Body reinforces SmartLab’s foundation of Squishy products and interactive learning. And it is only the beginning. Since 2006, this best-selling toy has dominated the anatomy toy space for children and with Ultimate, we are poised to deliver even more exciting, interactive toys for kids using the same integrated approach and technology developed with this product.”

Find it at Booth 2857 at New York Toy Fair, which runs from February 19th-22nd, 2022 at Jacob K. Javits Center.

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News UL warns of regulations and compliance for smart and connected toy manufacturers UL has set out three common regulatory and compliance requirements for smart and connected toys – a market which is expected to reach $69,932m by 2026, according to Transparency Market Research.

Its report also shows the sector recorded a compound annual growth rate of more than 36% from 2018-2026, but with advanced toy technologies comes a set of risks, safety challenges, performance issue and regulatory requirements which might be unfamiliar to some toy manufacturers. Toys that incorporate wireless, AI and computing components may introduce unknown risks to users and manufacturers alike while offering exciting new potential for learning, entertainment and fun.

UL says some of the most common considerations for manufacturers introducing smart toys are: Wireless, safety and performance – Connected toys that contain wireless components or connectivity engines are subject to an entirely new set of regulatory requirements, which vary by region. As an example, the Radio Equipment Directive (RED) in the EU requires many kinds of testing to verify the safety of wireless devices. The Federal Trade Commission (FCC) oversees similar standards in the US. To sell wireless toys in these markets, companies must demonstrate compliance with regional requirements. Understanding of the relevant regulations applicable to each market is an arduous but essential step in gaining global market access.

Industry certifications – Depending on the technologies used in the toy, conformity with industry certifications will be required before the toy’s market launch and to earn brand trust. For example, toys that incorporate Bluetooth must have Bluetooth SIG to ensure the product properly connects and functions with Bluetooth. Other technologies go through similar certification testing to help ensure conformity with the same.

Cybersecurity – As is the case with any connected product, cybersecurity presents a formidable challenge to companies. A top concern among consumers is cybersecurity breaches. The prudent thing for companies is to establish healthy cybersecurity culture, including sufficient cybersecurity testing and monitoring to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

UL is a trusted name in safety and performance testing, as well as third-party certifications, and has the experience, worldwide facilities and expertise to help toy companies navigate the complexities of introducing smart toys to the market. Its wide range of testing includes electromagnetic compliance (EMC), specific absorption rate (SAR), product safety, Bluetooth conformance, cybersecurity and radio testing.

It can help position toy manufacturers for streamlined compliance, the launch of safe toys and long-term success.

For more information, contact Toys@ul.com

Touker Suleyman of Dragon’s Den to make guest appearance at Toynamics’ Toy Fair stand As its new and exclusive distributor, 2022 marks the first time Toynamics UK & Ireland will show Timio, the screen-free, interactive and educational audio and music player, at Toy Fair. To support the launch, the Toynamics stand (E46) will host a guest appearance by Touker Suleyman, one of the dragons from the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, who has been newly appointed to the board of advisors for Timio.

Timio is ideal for children aged two to six years and is positioned as a learning-through-play toy. The minimalistic Scandinavian-style design is screen- and Wi-Fi-free, making it totally portable and ideal for travel. Timio is also safe and easy to enjoy thanks to its simple and intuitive concept, so children can use it independently.

A high quality and durable unit, Timio discs that activate the audio content are stored in the player.

The Starter Kit includes the Timio player and five audio discs offering seven hours of educational content and entertainment in a choice of eight languages. Disc categories include the alphabet, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, numbers, lullabies, fruit, animals, colours, and vocabulary.

For retailers, Toynamics is introducing new demonstration counter and FSDUs which will be on show at Toy Fair. Both feature a Try Me video screen display, a free of charge Timio player and five audio discs, plus a USB cable, so the educational audio player can be demonstrated to customers in-store and online.

The FSDU will also include the new Timio foldable kids’ headphones. These plug into a jack on the Timio player and work without batteries or Bluetooth. Comfortable, adjustable, compact and lightweight, the headphones offer a number of safety features including a built-in volume limiter to protect kids’ hearing.

Toynamics is also offering retailers bespoke marketing support for Timio, including personalised video content featuring the retailer’s logo and information, branded video content, new lifestyle and influencer imagery, plus gift with purchase options. For more information, contact sales@toynamics.co.uk

The Entertainer customers donate 12,000 toys to The Big Toy Appeal Generous customers of The Entertainer donated more than 12,000 gifts to underprivileged children through the Big Toy Appeal, which launched in November.

Gary Grant, founder and executive chairman at The Entertainer said: “We are so grateful for the generosity of our customers. Each year, The Big Toy Appeal has been able to support even more families, with over 90,000 toys now donated since 2018.”

The retailer first joined forces with The Salvation Army in 2018 to launch The Big Toy Appeal, a campaign which aims to give as many children as possible the joy of opening a present on Christmas day.

Customers were encouraged to pick up an extra toy for the appeal when they visited The Entertainer in store or online. For every toy donated by a customer, The Entertainer matched their donations as well as providing extra toys to bring the total number of donations to over 33,000. The Big Toy Appeal ran in each of The Entertainer’s 173 stores. Customers at The Entertainer Bromley donated the most toys, with a huge 625 donations. Their generosity was followed closely by the Taunton, Merry Hill and White City branches, with 564, 561 and 460 donations respectively.

Covid-19 has had a huge financial impact on many of the country’s families and providing Christmas presents for children can place additional pressure when budgets are already incredibly stretched. The aim of The Big Toy Appeal is to alleviate some of this strain by providing toys for families in need, so children can have some presents to open at Christmas.

Gary added: “Enjoying the wonder of Christmas should be part and parcel of every child’s life, but the last two years have been among the most difficult that many families will ever face. Thanks to the kindness of our customers, thousands more families were able to make memories this Christmas.”

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News Embracer Group eyes Asmodee acquisition to create Europe’s biggest gaming conglomerate PAI and the Embracer Group have entered in exclusive discussions for Asmodee, which would see the board game company join the Embracer Group, the parent company of a number of businesses developing and publishing PC, console and mobile games for the global games market.

Embracer Group says Asmodee and Embracer share a ‘natural and strong bond’ in their strategy and cultures and are focused on creating the best games and experiences – and making them available to the largest audience possible on all relevant gaming and media platforms. The acquisition would mark a transformative step in Embracer and Asmodee’s strategy and would create Europe’s largest gaming group, with an established market leading position in board games. It adds that board games and video games are highly complementary, with both boasting long term appeal among global consumers.

Through the combined strengths of Embracer’s eight existing operating groups, Asmodee’s franchises would accelerate its expansion into video games, while Embracer Group’s franchises would benefit from Asmodee’s publishing and distribution expertise in board games. The envisaged groups’ collaboration and joint forces would bring impact and scale to IPs, distribution, technology, game development and transmedia projects.

As a result of the acquisition, the combined entities of Embracer Group and Asmodee would own more than 100 game development studios and over 500 owned IPs and brands, employing 11,300+ employees across 50+ countries.

Asmodee’s CEO Stéphane Carville and his management team will continue to lead the new operating group, and Asmodee will continue to operate independently, as it did before the deal, with no reorganisation expected following the contemplated transaction.

“I’m thrilled at the prospect of the project of pursuing our ambition with Lars Wingefors and the Embracer Group,” said Stéphane Carville, CEO of Asmodee Group. “Embracer and Asmodee share strong values centred on putting the best teams together to provide our players with the best experiences on the planet.”

Rebecca Deeming

The BTHA’s Rebecca Deeming brings Toy World readers up to date on the current news from the association.

Let me begin by firstly wishing you all a very Happy New Year. I hope you all got to enjoy the festive period with loved ones, and fingers crossed for a healthy and successful year.

Back in October 2021, the BTHA launched its latest online marketplace report, ‘Still toying with children’s safety’ which found of the 255 toys tested, 48% failed to comply with toy safety regulations. The BTHA has been reporting unacceptable levels of unsafe toys being sold via third-party sellers on online marketplaces since September 2018 as part of our commitment to identify and remove the sale of unsafe toys. We have been calling on the government to take further action as part of the UK product safety framework review so that online marketplaces are more accountable for the safety of products that other sellers are listing on their sites. There has been strong engagement in our report, and for the first time the dangers of online marketplaces have been publicly recognised by the government resulting in a public awareness campaign and further investigation. We will continue to work on this issue in 2022.

Looking ahead to later this month we are so excited to welcome back the toy industry through the doors of Toy Fair at Olympia London, between the 25th-27th January. Whilst we are excited to have a physical show again, health and safety of all our exhibitors, visitors and contractors is of course our top priority. This is why we have put in place extra hand sanitising stations around the show, particularly in touch point areas, mandatory Covid-19 vaccination pass or a negative lateral flow test, put on pause events such as Toy Fair TV, the Influencer Day and the Demo Zone which attracts crowds, and have opened up a second entrance in the National Hall as well as the usual entrance in the Grand Hall, to prevent bottlenecking amongst visitors when entering the show. I am writing this pre-Christmas, so fingers crossed the government guidance hasn’t changed since writing.

Elsewhere this month, the winners of the Toy Industry Awards 2021 will be revealed. Make sure you keep an eye out on the BTHA platforms as we announce all the winners including the coveted Retailer of the Year and Toy of the Year awards.

Hopefully 2022 will get off to a great start for you all and we look forward to welcoming you through the doors at Olympia once again.

VR Distribution duo makes top three on Amazon After 18 months of significant growth in the party games category, VR Distribution enjoyed a jump in sales in Q4, with two of its games in the top three of Amazon’s Toys and Games category. In December, Kids Against Maturity took the No.1 spot, while Beat That! The Bonkers Battle of Wacky Challenges was at No.3.

Kids Against Maturity was launched in the UK in September and is packed with age-appropriate toilet humour for kids and innuendos for adults, while Beat That! is an addictive, dexterity-based challenge game.

Stewart Middleton at VR Distribution said: “While we have seen our party games in terms of Cards Against Humanity in the top selling lines before, this is the first time we have seen our family/kids’ games sell at these high levels.”

For more information visit www.vrdist.co.uk or call 0330 088 0941.

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Industry Moves Shahbaz Khan to depart Clementoni UK

Character Options announces senior promotions

Clementoni UK country manager Shahbaz Khan will be leaving the business at the end of January, after nearly a decade with the company.

Shahbaz joined Clementoni in 2013 having previously spent five years at Argos as a toy buyer. In his role as country manager, Shahbaz has overseen the full UK operation and has strongly contributed to establishing Clementoni as a preferred supplier in the UK for infant and pre-school toys, STEM kits and puzzles. In this period, Clementoni has seen double digit growth each year through increased distribution, high quality, innovative products and partnerships with key licensors.

Guido Vingiani, general manager of the Clementoni Group, said: “Shahbaz has been a fantastic asset to the Clementoni family. We have experienced continuous growth since he joined – even through the pandemic – and we thank him for the dedication and passion he has always put into the brand and his job. We are certainly sorry to see him go but support his decision and wish him every success in his next venture. The UK market is incredibly important to the Clementoni group, and we are committed to long term success. We have strong plans in place for 2022 and beyond and look forward to welcoming colleagues and customers at London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs.”

Shahbaz commented: “I have enjoyed every moment of my time at Clementoni and feel proud at the achievements I have made even through the toughest couple of years. I feel I am leaving the business in a strong position, and long may its success continue. I take with me fond memories of Clementoni and the toy industry as a whole that I will forever cherish, and I look forward to my next challenge.”

Character Options has announced the promotions of Jon Elliott and Mark Hunt to director level in the company.

Jon Elliott has been promoted to R&D commercial director. In his new role, Jon will work alongside Al Dewar, creative director and Gary Parker, senior R&D manager, in Character Options’ successful in-house development team.

Mark Hunt has also been given promotion to marketing director, and will report to Jerry Healy, group marketing director. Mark’s primary objective will be to focus on the continuing development of Character Options as well as new marketing directives for Proxy, the Nordic based toy company which Character Group acquired a substantial share of in 2018.

His remit will cover all product ranges, in order to maintain their successful growth across all marketing platforms.

The new promotions were announced by managing director, Joe Kissane, who added: “I hope you will join me in congratulating both Jon and Mark on this well-deserved recognition and wish them every success in their new roles.”

Jon Elliott

Mark Hunt

newsanalysis Skill shortage in the toy industry?

Kelly Diver is the managing director of Diver Phillips Associates, a dedicated national recruitment and executive search consultancy, specialising in the toy, baby, homewares and gift industry. Here, she shares her thoughts on the current jobs market and how prospective employers and employees can better their chances of success.

A lack of jobs? No, a lack of job seekers

Don’t be afraid to browse

Last year was a turbulent one to say the least. We said goodbye to retailers like Debenhams in May, only for it to reopen its doors on a smaller scale in December, and faced what seemed to be neverending stock issues due to Brexit, driver shortages and a lack of shipping containers.

Whilst career-fear in these ever-changing times seems rational, now is actually a better time than ever to seek employment. The marketplace has become more candidate-driven: a shortage of competition and an increase in vacancies is creating speedy interview-offer turnarounds and extremely competitive packages.

Keep your CV fresh and up to date ready for when that dream role comes around.

How has that affected the jobs market within the toy industry?

How attractive is your workplace?

In short, positively - but the market is not without its challenges. DPA data shows that there were more open career opportunities in 2021 compared to the Covid-free 2019, but whilst that may seem like great news for those looking for employment within the toys and baby industry, the opposite has been true for employers.

Looking for staff can be a time-consuming and an expensive process, and during a candidate shortage it may be worthwhile assessing your workplace against competitors. Many candidates who were once office-based have now adjusted to home working and are unwilling to forfeit this, and with the ever-rising cost of fuel, employees are seeing the benefits of not having to commute. Attractive perks such as gym memberships, bonuses and health insurance can be a key decider in whether a candidate takes up a position.

The UK toy industry is facing a skill shortage, and there are less candidates looking for jobs today than there were in 2018 and 2019. Lockdown uncertainties, furlough worries, Covid fears and the rumours of vaccine passports have all created an unwillingness in staff to seek employment elsewhere. Whilst many export and import professionals have found themselves exposed to redundancy and salary freezes, many other job sectors are growing.

Following on from the predictions I shared in Toy World during 2020, eCommerce recruitment has seen the biggest increase. With wholesalers widening their understanding of the importance of an online marketplace, eCommerce professionals are few and far between when it comes to recruiting.

Marketing vacancies have seen a large uptick. Where reliance was once on TV advertising during childrens’ prime time viewing, the increasing usage of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram has created new positions for marketing professionals.

DPA’s top tips for job seekers • Keep your CV neat •D on’t be afraid to brag – figures and key achievements are essential when it comes to standing out • Include at least your postcode on your CV •A nswer that phone – three out of five positions are handled by recruitment consultancies, most of which will call for first contact •D on’t be afraid to cash out those favours - speak with ex-colleagues and contacts for a recommendation •R egularly browse the major job boards

Diver Phillips Associates is always looking to speak with candidates and employers and is happy to give advice and support. Contact 0161 543 0888.

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Industry Moves Toys R Us UK makes first senior hire with Mike Coogan Mike Coogan has joined the retailer in the role of Marketing and eCommerce director and will assist Toys R Us and Babies R Us in establishing operations in the UK. Louis Mitton, CEO and MD, Toys R Us Australia, told Toy World: “I’m very excited to welcome Mike as our first UK senior appointment to the position of Marketing and eCommerce director. With experience of 27 years within the former Toys R Us UK operation, Mike holds an intimate understanding of the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands within the UK toy and baby retail context.”

Also bringing with him experience of working for Argos, in his new role, Mike will oversee development and management of the eCommerce and marketing teams. His extensive expertise spans e-fulfilment, web development, call centre operations and digital marketing.

His previous experience with the company means that he is well versed in both the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands, and also has a track record for driving growth and maximising return on investment.

Mike started the role in December. Meanwhile, the search for the wider Toys R Us UK team is underway.

Louis added: “The year ahead for Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands globally is very exciting. At Toys R Us UK, we’re searching for senior management, planners, customer support, marketing/content generation, web development and other positions.” Interested parties can find out more by visiting http://eepurl.com/hMEbL1.

Meanwhile, potential freight, logistics, 3PL, toy and baby vendor partners should register interest at http://eepurl.com/hL38FL. Louis concluded: “Congratulations Mike, and welcome (back) to the Toys R Us family.

Bladez Toyz appoints new team members Bladez Toyz is excited to announce the appointment of three new team members. The company has welcomed Nikki Janowski as national account manager, George Leeson as assistant designer and Emily O'Donnell as QA administrator to its growing team.

Nikki brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience working within the gift, licensed gift, homewares and toy industries, with a strong sales background. Nikki said she was "extremely pleased" to re-join the toy and licensing industry. "I'm looking forward to working with the exciting and innovative licensed brand portfolio, Nikki Janowski George Leeson Emily O'Donnell helping further develop the already fast-growing business of Bladez Toyz at this exciting time," she commented.

George joins the team following his graduation in 2021 with a 1st Class Honours Degree in industrial design. He brings with him experience of the gift industry, having spent his placement year working on ranges of licenced products. George said: "I have always loved the toy industry and am very excited to join Bladez and further develop my skills."

Emily has a wealth of experience working in childcare for 10 years, gaining a good knowledge on risks, hazards and the importance of quality checking, leading her onto her previous QA role working within the oil industry alongside engineers working on large projects for clients. Emily added that she too is "very excited to join the toy industry and Bladez Toyz."

Speaking of the appointments, Iain Morgan, CEO for Bladez Toyz, commented: "I am delighted to welcome the trio on board. As Nikki, George and Emily join Bladez Toyz, the company is looking forward to another incredible year ahead."

NOW RECRUITING: Diver Phillips Associates are a specialist National recruitment consultancy dedicated to commercial recruitment within the toy industry.

With a wealth of experience in Consumer Goods & Recruitment, Diver Phillips Associates offer a wide range of recruitment solutions to both clients and candidates.

DPA are currently looking to speak with: • • • • •

Sales Directors - Nationwide Marketing Directors - Nationwide National Account Managers - Nationwide National Account Executives - Nationwide Field Sales Representatives – Nationwide

• • • • •

Key Account Managers- Nationwide eCommerce Account Managers – National Wide Digital Marketing Managers – Nationwide Finance Managers- Nationwide Operations Managers- Nationwide

If you would like to discuss your career options in confidence, please reach out to Kelly Diver, Managing Director at

Diver Phillips Associates - tel: 0161 543 0888. Alternatively, send your CV with the reference “Toy World Magazine” to Kelly@Diverphillipsassociates.co.uk

www.diverphillipsassociates.co.uk Toy World 30

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LET’S CHANGE THOSE BLAH BLAH BLAH’S INTO OOH LA-LA’S!

Our team of toy experts are here to solve your biggest media and creative challenges.

We know the problems you face: • Broken paths to purchase • Creating effective content • Juggling multiple service providers • Achieving true digital success

We love solving problems and we love what we do.

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email: toyfair@havasmg.com

CLIENT SATISFACTION SCORE F O R M A L LY A Z U R E M E D I A

Marketing World Asmodee UK launches largest ever marketing campaign with Absolute Radio The Student Housing Company is seeking to expand Asmodee UK has partnered with Absolute Radio to launch its biggest ever marketing campaign. The six-month campaign will run until April 2022, with the aim to raise awareness of Asmodee’s board games, such as Dobble, Catan and Ticket to Ride, and encourage more people to play more games more often.

In recognition of declining linear TV audiences, Asmodee UK worked with Generation Media to identify a channel and opportunity which would reach new audiences. As well as being the company’s grandest campaign to date, it marks the first time Asmodee has advertised on radio and comes as recent RAJAR figures reveal that the Absolute Radio network now reaches a record 5.2m listeners.

Recent Bauer Media research has found that 25% of people are consuming even more radio now since restrictions have eased, and 50% say they have a closer relationship to their favourite radio station now compared to prepandemic, meaning the campaign will help Asmodee UK reach engaged, scaled audiences across the country that have a strong affinity with their favourite presenters.

The games will come to life on Andy Bush and Richie Firth’s Hometime show, where the duo will bring listeners to air to play their versions of a selection of Asmodee UK games. Listeners have the chance to win tickets to Bush and Richie’s Board Game Bonanza in February at Cahoots in London, where 60 game-lovers will experience the ultimate board games night, enjoying music, food and drink, spot prizes and playing a range of Asmodee UK board games.

In addition, Asmodee UK will become the official sponsors of Saturday nights on Absolute Radio and 40” trails will also drive listeners to an online creative page on Absolute Radio’s website where they can win a party food and drink package, sound system and a bundle of Asmodee UK games.

James Arnold, head of Marketing, Asmodee UK, commented: “It’s been great collaborating with Bauer Media and Absolute Radio to create this fun campaign that spans radio, online and an incredible event. By seamlessly incorporating our games into the station’s editorial and giving people the chance to play the games themselves, this campaign will undoubtedly get people talking about games and will help our fantastic board games become household names.”

Wicked Uncle London runs Christmas tube advertising campaign After a hiatus last year, the Wicked Uncle name has been all over the London Underground once again, thanks to an extensive tube advertising campaign designed to ensure that commuters received a daily reminder to not forget Christmas presents for children this festive period.

Following a successful campaign in 2019, this year’s bright and cheery festive posters carried the tagline “Gifts kids love” and emphasised the key attributes of ordering from Wicked Uncle, highlighting the company’s range of “fun and unusual presents.” The adverts also called out the company’s next day delivery service and gift-wrapping option.

The online toy and gift retailer says it has invested “a non-trivial amount” in the activity. “We like to think we are cheering people up,” Wicked Uncle founder and director, Michael O’Shea, told Toy World, “and hopefully driving a few sales to us too.” Mike added that the company had also placed some of the bigger posters by suburban and commuter stations as far afield as Southampton and Winchester, “to catch our country brethren with the big houses.”

Mike went out and about in London himself, personally checking out the campaign, and joked that he should offer a tenner to “anyone who can make a journey though the centre of London WITHOUT seeing one of our posters.” He added: “I saw five today from Gloucester Road to Kings Cross while reading my emails. I don’t think it is possible.” (Toy World tried – it isn’t.)

Mike and brother Liam, with whom he co-founded the company, say they believe it is good for the toy industry that their company is prepared to spend big to spread the word. “We are in a great business,” added Mike. “Where else do you go to work to make children happy?”

Pokémon continues 25th anniversary celebrations with Selfridges The Pokémon Company International has taken over part of Selfridges’ toy space in three UK stores. The exciting pop-up activation, which launched on December 13th and will run until the end of January, forms part of the final celebrations of the year-long celebration of the brand’s 25th anniversary.

Special branded areas have been created at the historic Selfridges stores on Oxford Street in London, in Birmingham Bullring and in the Trafford Centre in Manchester, to promote the Pokémon range in-store and provide a fun and immersive experience for fans of all ages. In addition to a wide selection of Pokémon products, the activation also offers great photo opportunities, including costume character visits to the Oxford Street store Pokémon is offering a wide range of product across the pop-ups, including special 25th anniversary items. On display are toys from Jazwares (distributed by Character Options), including an exciting relaunch of the volcano-themed backpack playset, as well as new silver figurines and Pokémon plush. Construction sets from Mattel, collectibles from the Wand Company and Funko Pop! exclusives are also available, including silver metallic anniversary figurines.

The new launch from the market-leading Pokémon Trading Card Game is also available in store.

Pokémon TCG: Celebrations commemorates 25 years of the brand and includes remakes of classic TCG cards. Jointly featured is the newly released Sword & Shield, Fusion Strike expansion.

“We are delighted to team up once more with Selfridges for this exciting activity,” said Mathieu Galante, Licensing director (EMEA) for The Pokémon Company International.

“We have had an amazing year as we’ve celebrated our 25th anniversary and there could be no better way to conclude the festivities than with this takeover in such a prestigious store. We’re sure fans old and new will be thrilled with what’s on offer when they visit these fun and vibrant Pokémon pop-ups.”

Toy World 34

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Marketing World Baby born celebrates 30th birthday with over 20,000 children The occasion marks the third partnership between iChild and Baby born, seeing 500 participating nurseries and schools being sent a Baby born Magic Doll, a birthday banner and an activity pack, created in partnership with iChild. A further 1300 childcare providers opted to view and download the resource pack, meaning over 20,000 children have helped Baby born to celebrate its birthday milestone this year, developing their own key skills through play with the doll.

The activity pack focused on planning and preparing for a party, getting dressed for a party, party games, party friendships and saying thank you. Each activity was designed to help children develop key skills through play. Early years specialists used the doll and accompanying resource pack to discuss a range of topics with children in their care, including birthdays, growing up, celebrations in different cultures, as well as daily routines, care skills, empathy and the arrival of new siblings.

One respondent said: “Some of the children have never been to a birthday party after the last couple of years we have had. They loved being at a birthday party and celebrating with Baby born.”

Staff found that the Baby born resources encouraged the children’s imaginative play, developed their language and provided opportunities for them to add narratives into their play. One also commented: “We have been delighted that the boys in the setting have had just as much enjoyment from playing with the Baby born Magic Doll as the girls.”

Almost 90% per cent of adults caring for children with Special Educational Needs said that they believe Baby born to be a useful or very useful means to support their education.

Following these results, Baby born Magic Doll has been awarded iChild Recommends status for the next 12 months. The full range of activities from the Activity Pack is hosted on www.ichild.co.uk and available for all members, including educators and parents, to download and use at home and in the classroom.

Just Play UK teams up with Havas Entertainment and Norton PR Just Play has signed up a new team of forward-thinking agencies to support the company’s growth plans, as well as its ‘Digital First’ business strategy.

Havas Entertainment will lead Just Play UK’s media buying and is expertly placed to activate a balance of TV & digital campaigns to most effectively reach and convert todays’ consumer. Tristan Brooks, managing partner at Havas Entertainment, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working as Just Play’s Media partner as the company grows its business in the UK. We look forward to working in partnership with the team to build exciting and engaging consumer campaigns.”

Norton PR will activate brand campaigns in-store and online whilst using its extensive influencer network and digital marketing expertise to drive product demand. Emma Arthur, PR director at Norton PR, commented: “This is an amazing opportunity for us to work alongside the ambitious and forward thinking Just Play team across its licensed ranges and own IP lines. The team has a refreshingly open mind when it comes to getting creative with PR, in-store and influencer campaigns, so this promises to be an exciting time for the company.”

Katie Gritt, head of Marketing Communications at Just Play UK, added: “We’re delighted to announce our partnership with two forward thinking agencies, Havas Entertainment and Norton PR. Kids are leading change and we have selected our agencies based on their ability to not only fully understand the toy industry but also to be agile enough to adapt effectively to customers ever changing behaviour. We are confident that both Havas Entertainment and Norton will effectively support our ambitious growth plans.”

Orchard Toys initiative for preschools scores top marks Orchard Toys’ Learning Made Fun campaign saw pre-schools nationwide receive education resource packs designed to help teachers encourage children in their settings to engage with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) education framework. According to post campaign research, 83% of teachers reported that the packs really helped their class to do that.

The educational resources included Orchard Toys games and jigsaws, activity sheets, certificates and stickers. The contents centred around supporting a range of key early years development skills, including number, letter and shape recognition; sequencing; matching and memory, observation and social skills.

All pre-schools integrated the games and puzzles into everyday play in the classroom, with nearly two thirds of settings also creating dedicated Orchard Toys sessions.

Asked to rank the products for their relevance to EYFS skills, the teachers’ top five were: 1. Dinosaur Opposites – communication & language; 2.

Giant Road Jigsaw – understanding the world; 3. Dotty Dinosaurs Game – mathematics; 4. Big Number Jigsaw – counting and 5. Crazy Chef’s Game – understanding the world.

In addition to assets and products for pre-school settings, Orchard Toys also provided take home elements for the children, which were positively received by parents, according to the campaign feedback.

Simon Newbery, managing director at Orchard Toys, said: “Learning Made Fun is at the heart of everything we do, ensuring our games, jigsaws and activity books strike the perfect balance of education and fun. I’m not surprised that our Education Resource Pack was a hit with preschools, as the brand is loved by teachers, as well as parents and children, and we’re delighted that all participating teachers would recommend it to others”.

Toy World 36

SERVING DIE - CAST COLLECTORS Produced under license. Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, their distinctive logos, product markings and trade dress are trademarks of The Boeing Company.

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Opinion

Are you ready for the

Metaverse?

Jonathan looks at how brands can adopt the Metaverse into their strategic planning moving forward, being at the forefront of change and shaping it through experience.

T

he Metaverse, or Web 3.0, is coming (or is already here dependent on who you listen to). But what is it? And why should brands be paying attention?

Web 1.0 (1990-2005) was essentially an online encyclopaedia limited to little more than reading and writing functionality. Web 2.0 (2005-2020) added dynamism whereby users could interact seamlessly with content on a completely different scale, giving rise to a world dominated by video, gaming and social media content.

Web 3.0 however will function much more as a new digital economy, allowing users and brands to own currency, content, NFTs, online real estate, you name it, via blockchain. The concern is however, as much as this appears a democratic approach to building the Metaverse, the reality is that at least initially it will be formed by major corporations with the budgets to match their ambitions. Facebook’s ownership structure has recently rebranded to Meta, Disney has outlined that the Metaverse lies at the heart of its future investment strategy, and Epic Games has announced a $1 billion fund to build its own vision of the Metaverse. The good news is that, to make their visions of the future successful, they will need to create something that benefits and engages users, which brands can then capitalise on.

Perhaps one of the best early examples of Web 3.0 in action is Decentraland, a popular cryptopowered virtual world which is already creating waves through the sale of virtual real estate. One investment group recently acquired a plot for $2.43m within what is becoming the “fashion district” within Decentraland. The plan is to rent out this real estate to brands looking to house their virtual outlets for users to engage with and purchase digital (and eventually physical) items how long until toy retail follows? Other purchases have also prioritised virtual venues which can be used to host music concerts with the potential to engage more fans than could ever hope to be hosted in a physical space; Justin Bieber being

the latest in a long line of world famous artists to take to the Metaverse for live performances.

These will arguably be some of the most practical applications within the Metaverse for marketers moving forward, but what should you being doing right now your brands?

Outside of the burgeoning field of Crypto based digital worlds, gaming has been and will continue to be the gateway to the Metaverse for the majority of both users and advertisers. In practice however, early attempts at Metaverse advertising amount to little more than ingame advertising. Gaming platforms should be considered as a fundamental part of any effective advertising strategy alongside the likes of YouTube, social media and linear TV. After all there are over 2b active gamers worldwide, so placing seamless advertising (such as in game billboards) can enhance brand awareness. This is particularly important for children’s brands given that according to TGI data, 40% of Gen Z play mobile games, rising to 64% for Gen Alpha (based on Giraffe Insights Little Voices Survey, Children aged 6-12).

The key to benefitting short term within the Metaverse is understanding how it can best meet your objectives, whilst not getting caught up in the hype unnecessarily and investing over the odds on something that does not deliver. Take these two examples.

Nikeland, built in Roblox, offers players the opportunity to interact with gaming content designed specifically for the type and demographic of player Nike wants to engage with, whilst offering opportunities to build brand awareness and encourage physical purchase by styling your avatar with Nike products.

On the other hand, John Lewis recently partnered with ITV to build an online shop within Fortnite. This shop was located in a purpose-built area of Fortnite to replicate the I’m a Celebrity… set. Whilst Fortnite is of course a global phenomenon with broad appeal to all age groups (and certainly skews older than Roblox), it still remains a stronghold for youth audiences.

Toy World 38

Jonathan Chambers Director of AV Investment, Generation Media.

Tel: 0207 307 7906 Jonathan.Chambers@generationmedia.co.uk Although John Lewis and ITV were surely using it as a platform to appeal to a younger demographic, this messaging was likely largely missed by their core audiences.

The budgets required to build areas such as Nikeland are beyond most toy brands, but there are plenty of cost-efficient ways to enter the Metaverse. Do remember that, for now at least, these activations will remain little more than branded areas within pre-existing games.

The future of the Metaverse will be much more enriching for brands as big businesses increase their investment in the infrastructure required to build their visions.

Instead of being restricted to the sandbox experiences of the present, imagine instead children entering a virtual world which is procedurally generated based on their preferences and previous interactions. These worlds will not only be populated by fellow users, but also unique AI companions built on how the child chooses to interact with this world. Imagine then, that improvements in technology make 3D printing a mass consumer possibility, meaning these unique characters can be manufactured at home, thus changing the licensing and distribution market forever. Now this may seem a little farfetched to some (or not farfetched enough for others), but those adopting the Metaverse into their strategic planning moving forward will not only be at the forefront of these changes, but also able to shape them through experimentation with what resonates best with audiences. To find out how we can make in game advertising and the Metaverse work for your brand, now and tomorrow, get in touch today (or come find us in the Metaverse…).

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Licensing World IMC signs Retail Monster for Cry Babies Magic Tears IMC Toys says the new partnership is testament to the performance of the Cry Babies Magic Tears brand in the UK, which has seen phenomenal growth and success over the last 18 months.

Licensing is a huge part of IMC’s business in Spain and other territories worldwide. In less than two years, the company has entered into agreements with more than 65 licensees in 40 regions, launching more than 500 licensed products across publishing, apparel, educational games, personal care and confectionery categories.

IMC Toys hopes its licensing agreement with Retail Monster will translate into a similar success story for Cry Babies Magic Tears in the UK market, where the licensing roll-out will launch with apparel and publishing.

Gemma Witts, managing director EU at Retail Monster, commented: “We’re excited about the opportunity to develop the Cry Babies Magic Tears licensing strategy at retail and with consumer fans, and to bring added breadth and growth to a top selling brand”.

Cristina Camprubi, Licensing director at IMC Toys, added: “We’re experiencing rapid growth of our licensing programme worldwide, it’s a significant addition to our retail strategy. We’re thrilled about our new partnership with Retail Monster and the potential the team’s expertise can bring to the UK market for Cry Babies Magic Tears”.

BBC Studios and CBeebies commission fourth Hey Duggee series

Hunter Price agrees Canenco deal to expand Disney Craft range

With a global footprint in over 150 countries, Duggee and The Squirrels will return to CBeebies for 40 brand new episodes of the popular show.

Henrietta Hurford-Jones, director of Children’s and executive producer of Hey Duggee for BBC Studios, said: “Hey Duggee is so popular with both parents and children, and I’m sure they’ll be as delighted as we are that a new series is on the way. We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved so far and how much people love Duggee and The Squirrels, so we’re delighted to be working with the hugely talented Studio AKA once more. We can’t wait for viewers to see it.”

Since launching in 2014, the hit animation from Studio AKA has become a six-time BAFTA and international Emmy award-winning hit on CBeebies and was the mostwatched kids’ show on BBC iPlayer in 2020 with over 192m requests. All episodes of Hey Duggee are available exclusively on BBC iPlayer in the UK. Additionally, Hey Duggee has over 1.2m fans across its social channels, and the official YouTube channel has over a billion lifetime views. Recently Hey Duggee teamed up with The Body Coach Joe Wicks for The Workout Badges series on YouTube, following on from bespoke lockdown-themed content on its social channels such as The Handwashing Badge. Meanwhile The Parenting Badge, which debuted in December 2020, has had over 1.2m views.

Kate Morton, head of BBC Children’s Commissioning & Acquisitions 0-6 added: “Hey Duggee is a staple in households right across the UK, so we’re delighted to continue our adventure with him and The Squirrels on CBeebies. Just like his young fans, all of us at BBC Children’s can’t wait to see what he gets up to next.”

Hey Duggee has an impressive global footprint in over 150 countries with its global popularity spawning numerous licensing agreements, including Golden Bear as UK master toy partner and Penguin Books publishing under the Ladybird imprint.

Hunter Price International has teamed up with Canenco, a key European licensing partner, to exclusively develop and distribute a wide range of Disney craft and creative play products. The new, long-term partnership will maximise Hunter Price’s expertise and retailer connections to expand the market offering in the UK & Ireland.

Hunter Price says it will be working closely with Canenco to bring ‘unique and exciting’ product collections to life. Every range will combine high levels of design with eco-friendly and sustainable elements, with plastic-free packaging as standard. Key exclusive items within the range include dough, kids diamond art and scratch art, as well as make-your-own and colouring crafts.

Richard Belford, sales director at Hunter Price, explained: “Canenco and Disney are both incredible brands and we’re delighted to be able to establish this unique relationship, which will provide our retail partners with something they haven’t seen before. Our first collections, including, Disney Princess, Spidey, Frozen and more, will hit the market in time for spring/summer 2022 and we’re also already receiving some great feedback on our autumn/winter ranges.”

Jan-Bart Kolsteren, sales director at Canenco, added: “When looking for a UK partner to take Disney craft to the next level in the UK, we knew Hunter Price would be the perfect fit. It has the knowledge, passion, creativity and key industry connections, so we’re really confident this is going to be a hugely successful and longlasting relationship.”

For further information on Hunter Price and Canenco’s new Disney collections, contact sales@hunterprice.co.uk.

Toy World 42

5 NEW YEAR’S S N O I T U L RESO 2 2 0 2 R O F

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Find more new products

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Update website

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See more buyers (even virtually!)

Win more awards Lose a little weight and get a little fitter

Whatever your New Year’s Resolutions are in the toy industry make sure that you contact us so we can share what we are doing in 2022

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Licensing World Numberblocks success adds up to global master toy deal for Learning Resources Learning Resources has partnered with Alphablocks on a global master licensing agreement, brokered by Larkshead Licensing, which will see it bring the Numberblocks characters from the screen into classrooms and family homes across a wide range of toy categories.

BAFTA award-winning Numberblocks teaches children how numbers work with fun characters and engaging narratives outlining basic maths skills. While the brand originated in the UK, it has taken the world by storm. With 120 episodes available and nearly 4m subscribers on YouTube, the channel generates nearly 245m views per month, and the educational content is viewed by millions of children across a growing slate of more than 52 countries.

Under the new deal, Learning Resources and its sister company, hand2mind, will expand the popular Numberblocks content into a complete line of toys including plush, figures, play sets, vehicles and more. Next year, the companies will also launch curriculumbased and other classroom items featuring the Numberblocks characters.

The Learning Resources – Alphablocks relationship kicked off last year with the successful launch of two Numberblocks MathLink Cubes Activity Sets. Inspired by the show itself, the educational sets mirror the content of the actual episodes, providing hands-on experiences for children ages three and up.

Dennis Blackmore, managing director of Learning Resources, said: “When our initial stock of the first set sold out within a day, we quickly realised there was already an incredible demand for Numberblocks related products. Now we are thrilled to be partnering with Alphablocks to deliver even more Numberblocks fun to young learners across the globe. As our teams work together it is obvious that between us, we have – to quote the Numberblocks song – ‘So Much More to Explore’.’’

The first release under the deal will be a line of plush toys, set to launch in the UK and USA in 2022. By 2023, consumers will be able to choose from a more comprehensive selection across categories including figurines, play sets, vehicles, imaginative play, coding and electronic toys, games and more.

“As our first master toy licensing deal, this represents the growth and diversification of our company,” added Sari Winick, chief marketing officer of Learning Resources and hand2mind.

“2022 is going to be a very exciting year for us.”

HoloToyz fuels growth via new deals with Paw Patrol and Sonic Fun-tech company HoloToyz is heading to Spielwarenmesse 2022 to preview its brand-new collaborations with Paw Patrol and Sonic the Hedgehog. The innovative company will also be showcasing its core launch range of Augmented Reality temporary tattoos, stickers, books and wall decals.

All 22 SKUs come to life in impressive 3D animation using the HoloToyz App, which is free, easy to use and KidSafe certified. The animations are interactive and educational.

As the business was founded during lockdown, in May 2020, this year marks the first time HoloToyz will be able to meet with its industry peers in person. Over the past 18 months, Paul Cosgrave (cofounder), Kate Scott (co-founder and CEO) and Declan Fahy (co-founder and sales director) have managed to grow HoloToyz’s distribution in over 12 countries and are pleased to finally be able to introduce the range to global toy retailers and distributors in Hall H4A, Stand C-31.

Visitors to the Holotoyz stand in Nuremberg will be able to experience high quality augmented reality in a new and immersive way, plus snap photos and videos of some of their favourite characters from Paw Patrol and Sonic the Hedgehog.

HoloToyz will also be announcing more exciting collaborations over the coming months. For more information, visit www.holotoyz.com.

Jazwares extends Pokémon master toy rights Jazwares, the master toy manufacturing partner for Pokémon, has extended the agreement with The Pokémon Company international, to add further direct distribution rights to its existing list of territories, which include USA, Canada & Mexico.

From this month, distribution of the Jazwares line will transition from Character Options in the UK and Ireland to the local Jazwares team. From Q2 2022, distribution will transition from BOTI in Germany, Switzerland and Austria to Jazwares’ local German team.

BOTI will continue to distribute the line in Benelux.

“We are proud of the work that Character Options and BOTI have done with Pokémon over the past four years in the UK and Germany, and we would like to thank them for their hard work,” said Mathieu Galante, Licensing director, The Pokémon Company International.

“We’re excited to grow the programme with Jazwares and keep up the positive momentum in 2022.”

Jonny Taylor, SVP Europe, Jazwares, added: “It is an incredibly exciting time for Pokémon. Brand engagement is at an all-time high and the demand for all aspects of the property, including toys, is through the roof. We would like to thank the teams at both Character Options and BOTI for all the work they have done over the past few years in their respective markets. Jazwares is absolutely thrilled to begin supplying our retail customers directly on such a meaningful property. We have a phenomenally exciting line coming for 2022, which we are extremely confident the Pokémon fan base will love.”

Toy World 44

Licensing World Blackpool to welcome new Merlin Entertainments Peter Rabbit attraction Merlin Entertainments has announced a brand-new, world class, Peter Rabbit TV series attraction which will open on Blackpool’s famous seafront next year.

The £1m investment has been 18 months in the making. Developed in partnership with Silvergate Media, which produces the Peter Rabbit TV series, Penguin Ventures (on behalf of Peter Rabbit brand owners Frederick Warne & Co.) and Blackpool Council, the attraction is set to open next door to the famous Madame Tussauds Blackpool as part of a new standalone experience. The addition will join Merlin’s six other attractions in Blackpool including The Blackpool Tower and Sea Life Blackpool.

The new concept is the first time Merlin has created a stand-alone visitor attraction experience based on the animated series. The experience will give families the opportunity to hop into the over-sized world of Peter and his friends as they embark on an adventure across five themed zones.

Kate Shane, regional director for Merlin Entertainments, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming such an icon to Blackpool. Peter Rabbit is a well-loved household name for young and old and is globally renowned.

We are delighted that this new attraction concept will be created here in Blackpool first. We firmly support Blackpool’s overall ambition to be the UK’s No.1 family seaside resort, and with such a family-favourite brand joining our Blackpool Cluster of attractions we can’t wait to ‘hop to it’ and get the experience open.”

Lisa Macdonald, SVP Consumer Products and Content Sales at Silvergate Media, added: “Harnessing the multi-generational appeal of Peter Rabbit to create a unique brand experience and unforgettable day out will enhance its enduring popularity for generations to come.”

Thomas Merrington, creative director Live & Experiential at Penguin Ventures, said: “Working with Merlin on creating this attraction, pulling together ideas and new themes from the show and seeing them come to life, has been such a thrill. This really will deliver a brand-new experience and I am so excited to see how our young fans will engage with the multiple aspects of this highly interactive play attraction.”

Yoto and Disney expand partnership with new content cards Yoto, the audio platform for kids behind the award-winning Yoto Player and newly launched Yoto Mini, has worked with Disney to expand its extensive audio content library to a total of 43 family favourites that bring much-loved classics and characters to story time off-screen.

The new range of content cards includes 12 Animated Disney Classics recorded

by Yoto, and 18 Disney and Pixar tales. The audio adventures, all of which can be bought as standalone content cards, are inserted into the Yoto Player for story time to begin. Parents can find a collection perfect for every age, with content available for children and grown-ups alike from magical tales including Disney’s Frozen, Mulan, Cinderella and Dumbo, Pixar’s Toy Story, Ratatouille, Up and more. The audio cards have been created to inspire and ignite the imaginations of children and vary in length from 25 minutes to five hours. Collections of five-minute stories, bedtime stories and long stories are available too.

Yoto and Disney have also launched a new range of Marvel titles which introduce more than 10 hours of exciting superhero adventures to the Yoto content library.

Three audio packages have also been created, ideal for every type of Disney fan. Each collection contains three to six cards and features the stories of well-loved Disney characters and Marvel superheroes.

Ben Drury, CEO and founder of Yoto, said: “The team at Yoto is delighted to be working with Disney, Marvel and Pixar to produce beloved audio retellings of magical tales for children and their families to enjoy. Making childhood favourites even more accessible with screen-free listening, and using this form of storytelling to encourage independence and creativity, is of huge importance to Yoto. We are thrilled to continue having the opportunity to create content with a collaborator such as Disney.”

Moose teases first of new licensed toy range based on Silvergate’s Octonauts: Above & Beyond Master toy licensee Moose Toys has unveiled the first launch within its highly anticipated Octonauts: Above & Beyond product line. The new series, which landed on Netflix on 7th September 2021, sees the Octonauts expand their mission beyond the sea and onto land, offering licensees a host of new play patterns, habitats and themes to explore.

Created in partnership with Silvergate Media, Moose Toys’ new collection is ready to help the Octonauts team of adventurers - Captain Barnacles, Kwazii and Peso and the wider Octocrew - in their mission to explore, rescue and protect as they respond to a range of new dangers across the globe. The vehicle-based line is supported by figures and play sets which allow Octonauts fans to recreate their favourite episodes and imagine new adventures based on the hit show.

Heading up the new range is the Terra-Gup 1 and Dashi set. This tall vehicle, complete with escape hatch, can tackle all types of terrain, and has a working claw kids can use to rescue creatures and pull them to safety.

Toy World 46

NPD Insight

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.

Twas the week(s) before Christmas…

This month, Rory takes a deep dive into the sales figures for December and looks at the trends influencing 2020 Christmas sales.

I

’m writing this as we approach the end of 2021, another year that ended up being one most people will be happy to move on from. A couple of weeks away from completing December, easily the most important month for the industry, worth around a quarter of the year’s sales, the market is currently -5% in value vs. 2020 and -8% in volume. It is worth pointing out though, that it is +2% in value vs. 2019. Looking at the three weeks of December data we have, we can see that sales are -4% in value vs. the same three weeks last year.

December ended up being in decline last year at -9% vs December 2019, so we are down on a decline last year too. What trends have driven this and what have been the success stories of December this year?

The dip in December sales (up to the time of writing) represents a drop of just under £30m in overall value. December 2019 was the last time we saw any growth for the month with +1% in value vs.

December 2018. However, the last couple of years have been anything but ordinary, with December 2020 coming on the back of a November lockdown

and an increase in early shopping. This led to the -9% in December 2020 being driven by a big decline in impulse purchases, with consumers possibly not buying as many stocking fillers. But where has the decline come from in December 2021? We have seen a similar -10% volume decline, so maybe we can spot some trends by looking at price points. It is in fact the under £20 price point that has been driving the decline this year, as it was at this stage in 2020, being down -10%. The over £20 price point is in slight growth vs. 2020 at +1%. It appears to be the impulse area that has suffered again, this price point is -17% vs. the same period in December 2019. The positive trend in the over £20 category is being driven by growth in Building Sets, Fashion Dolls and Electronic Entertainment. Let’s take a closer look at some of the items that have been doing well in December.

The No.1 item in December at the time of writing is the Barbie Dreamhouse from Mattel, which has the highest average price of any item in the top 10 at £229. Sales are up on the same period in 2020 too, and it was also one of the standout items of that

UK weekly toy sales December 2021

Overall toy sales in December are -4% vs. 2020 and -9% vs. 2019

£106,822,592 £105,885,175 £102,822,675

UK weekly toy sales December 2021 £104,041,832

year. The item at No.3 for December so far is Magic Mixies from Moose Toys, a new item for 2021 and one that has appeared on many top toys lists for the year.

Combining elements of several top trends, this item has been popular since launch and, at an average price of just under £70, has been another big Christmas item in December. The list of top items reveals why the over £20 price point is the growing area of the market; there is only one top 10 item under £20: Pictionary Air from Mattel. Even outside the top 10, the list is heavily weighted towards higher priced items, with a few notable exceptions. Purse Pets from Spin Master (another new introduction for Christmas 2021) has an average price just over £20 and has performed well in December reaching No.32. Another item that has performed very well is the Polly Pocket Sweet Treat from Mattel at an average price of £13.50, coming in at No.15 for December to date. This would normally be the period where games items feature highly in the top items, but the top 50 includes only seven games, compared to 12 for the same period in 2020. Are we starting to see some games fatigue after such strong growth last year during the pandemic? Although by the time you read this, games may have featured strongly in the final two weeks of the year.

Overall toy sales in December are -4% vs. 2020 and -9% vs. 2019

£97,367,123

£106,822,592 £105,885,175

£104,041,832

£102,822,675 £97,367,123

Week 48

Week 49

Week 48

2020

Week 50 Week 50

Week 49 2020

2021

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

£94,868,922

£94,868,922

2021 Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | UK |Weekly Data

Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential

Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential

Rory Partis

Director UK Toys & EuroToys NPD

1

So, to sum up December 2021 with what we have seen so far, the toy market seems a bit behind where we would have liked to have seen it. A number of factors have been feeding into these trends; the pandemic still being with us coupled with stock and general unease at spending will have all played a part. However, with a fortnight to go, the UK toy market was +2% vs. 2019, with time potentially to still improve on that number.

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | UK |Weekly Data

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1

NPD Insight Licence Progression: Licence

Oct Rank #

Nov Rank #

WWE

48

33

Ever present in the toy market, particularly within the Action Figures category, the WWE licence has moved up 15 places in the licence rankings over the last month. A top 10 licence in the Action Figures subclass for November with sales pretty much flat vs. November 2020, the WWE Basic Figure 15cm Asst from Mattel is the No.16 item in the Action Figures subclass in November at an average price of just over £8.

Fastest growing subclasses These 10 subclasses have added nearly £70m in 2021.

The top 10 growth subclasses in toys have added nearly £70m to the UK toy market so far in 2021. The top growth subclass is Strategic Trading Cards, which has added nearly £20m this year.

This increase is driven by Pokémon, which has seen strong growth in its 25th anniversary year; the No.6 property in the market, but the No.1 growth property in 2021.

Miscellaneous Toys is the 2nd top performer and continues to be boosted by 5 Surprise, which has been one of the top collectible properties in 2021. Traditional Plush is the third best performer, driven by growth in Squishmallows, Bluey and Bing.

Mini Vehicles is also a top growth subclass with Hot Wheels and Monster Jam being the top drivers here. Both of these properties have seen strong growth in 2021 and would hope to see that continue into 2022. Finally, Action Figure Collectibles has returned to growth in 2021 after a tough period in 2020, driven by the pandemic. This increase has been driven by Funko Pop!, Marvel and Harry Potter all having a strong year.

Fastest Growing Subclasses These 10 subclasses have added nearly £70m in 2021 Sales Gained £M

Fastest Growing Subclasses

Strategic Trading Card Games These 10 subclasses have added nearly £70m in 2021 Miscellaneous Toys £10.8 Sales Gained £M Traditional Plush £10.5 Strategic Trading Card Games Non-Strategic Trading Cards/Collectible… £9.2 Miscellaneous Toys £10,827,487.7 TradiNonal Plush £10,468,463.7 Mini Vehicles £4.7 Non-Strategic Trading Cards/CollecNble SNckers £9,193,926.9 Fashion Dolls £4.5 Mini Vehicles £4,702,864.5 £4,528,129.6 Fashion Dolls Standard Building Sets £4.4 £4,396,101.8 Standard Building Sets Action Figure Collectibles £3,900,317.5 AcNon Figure CollecNbles £3.9 £1,890,018.9 Bubble Toys/SoluNon Bubble Toys/Solution £1.9 £1,251,003.9 Non-Powered Cars Non-Powered Cars £1.3

£18.1

£18,134,433.9

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD November 2021

Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | YTD November 2021 Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

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Talking Shop

The

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retail Dave Middleton -

Sam Giltrow spoke to indie retailers as 2021 drew to a close, to hear how the last few weeks of the year were going and what they are looking forward to in 2022.

Midco Toys, Burton-Upon-Trent

Christmas trading for us has been very good – up 60% on Christmas 2019, mainly driven by Pokémon, Lego and Funko. I would say Pokémon has become a backbone for independent stores, and I hope this continues in 2022.

Christmas sales in general have been spread across the store but ranges that have performed particularly well include CoComelon and Bluey. We also sold a lot of jigsaws in 2021 and they continue to sell well, with Ravensburger being the most popular across all age groups.

I bought early for Christmas this year and am pleased to say I bought the right product. There was some scaremongering about there not being enough stock, but we have done alright.

I am planning to go to the London, Nuremberg and New York toy fairs - I’m just hoping they can all go ahead. We have also been doing some previews, and it’s been fantastic to get back into showrooms.

A lot of films are due to be released at the cinema throughout 2022, such as Jurassic World, Lightyear, Batman and Aquaman, which should translate into sales for us as new product comes out. However, the pandemic has meant that we can now do just as well from streaming, which has opened up movies to a whole new audience.

I have to say I am a little bit pessimistic about 2022 and still worried about what will happen with regards to the virus. Because people were not able to get away on foreign holidays in 2021, they have been spending a lot more money on the kids this Christmas, making sure they get what they want, and this kicked in early. If the situation with the virus improves, people are likely to spend their money on going on holiday once again.

Brendan Will - Wills Toy Shop, Aberdeen Christmas was pretty good for us, with the usual best sellers such as Lego; I imagine that was the same for many shops. Pokémon seems to have been its own animal this year, and it’s been flying out the door with all the 25th anniversary activity behind it. Plush sales have been pretty good too – especially bears.

Customers seem to have been buying more traditional toys this Christmas including a lot of games, although here we have sold more indie games than those from bigger companies. The range from Big Potato has been particularly popular, as well as Dobble, from Asmodee.

Basket spend has been up, particularly among the customers who use our loyalty scheme, and I’m sure this is because they prefer to physically get their hands on what they want rather than shopping online and worrying about whether things will turn up or not. We have a lot of loyal customers and it’s lovely to see the same folk week in, week out – it’s great to have their support.

We have not suffered too badly with stock shortages, though we probably could have done with more Lego. I’ve been very pleased with stock levels for Pokémon. I planned earlier for Christmas this year and had a lot of deliveries nice and early. This was a deliberate strategy as we also run a Post Office and getting deliveries in December is not ideal. With the supply issues this year, this proved to be a good move.

I’m looking forward to seeing what new lines come out for 2022, and to the Toymaster show, which I hope will happen, so that we can view the new ranges properly and meet up with other indies.

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Talking Shop Karen Sasse - J & J Wilson Toymaster, Bude Christmas sales were slow to start but they did pick up. I think a number of people were aiming to buy online, but when they didn’t get what they’d ordered or find what they were looking for, they came to us.

Because of all the recent delivery problems, I’d put off ordering any more stock for the last couple of months of 2021 until the new year. Unfortunately, this left us a bit light, and I guess our takings would probably have been better had we managed to get more stock in. However, on the positive side, Pokémon has been one of our biggest sellers - it sells out as soon as it comes in – along with Lego, Ty soft toys, anything Bluey and our range of VTech.

I am looking forward to seeing all the new product for the coming year and particularly enjoy attending the Toymaster show; for 2021, I have very much been relying on my reps, agents and catalogues.

Squishmallows is a range that will continue to do well in 2022: it has been massive this year, in such high demand all year round. I’m just waiting for a delivery of some new stock with a limited-edition Ice-Cream, which I’m sure won’t be on the shelves for very long at all.

We had an amazing summer in 2021, with so many tourists coming to Cornwall, and we hit way above our targets. We’re hoping that will continue again this year. I think with the new variant, many people will still be hesitant about going abroad. Overall, I am feeling optimistic about the year ahead – you have to be!

John Bentley - Howleys Toymaster, Weymouth We had a steady Christmas with a gradual increase in sales as we got closer to the day, however, sales did not pick up as much as we’d hoped they would.

I didn’t see much evidence of people out in force though, so I don’t think it only applied to the toy trade. Footfall has been down, and the new work from home message from the government just before Christmas hasn’t helped.

Thankfully, the reintroduction of masks has not put people off and they are quite happy to wear them again, though they do not stay as long in the shop to browse like they used to.

I think we are as happy as we can be under the circumstances, and the level of business we are doing is OK. Obviously, as retailers, we always want more, we always look to improve and we always look for growth, but I think as last Christmas was so difficult, we have to be grateful for what we can get at the moment.

This Christmas, no one line had outstanding sales. Lego and L.O.L. Surprise! performed strongly as usual, as did the Sylvanian Families, Schleich and Barbie ranges - and lots of games, but it really has been quite a mixture this year.

Price increases have been an issue and, as a consequence, we have had to cancel some orders as the prices were so ridiculous and just not workable.

We try to stay optimistic though and are lucky that our two main stores are coastal, so we can look forward to peak sales in the summer. We are planning for a good summer in 2022. The excitement for next year will start to build when we get to Toy Fair, and can meet all our suppliers once again.

Brian Bucky - Blewetts of Hayle The early part of the Christmas run up seemed to be quieter this year. I think many people were still shopping online, but they started coming into the shop as Christmas approached, worried things would not get delivered in time.

Pokémon has been the biggest seller for Christmas, and it’s been a phenomenal year for the trading cards in general thanks to the marketing surrounding the 25th anniversary. Tech Deck, from Spin Master, has also performed amazingly well – there seems to have been a huge surge since the success of the UK in skateboarding and BMX at the Olympics. I mistakenly put in a triple order in the summer but managed to sell it all easily.

Barbie has been popular this Christmas, and Playmobil has been strong too – there was a fantastic promotional period with 30% off everything, which went down well with our customers.

I would say they have spent more this Christmas, and the amount being spent on each child has gone up. Families have maybe not been able to go on holiday this year, so they’ve had money to spend, and wanted to make it a nice Christmas, with extra treats.

On the whole it has not been too bad getting the stock we wanted. As soon as our busy summer holiday period was over in September, I decided to get ordering straight away for Christmas and it really paid off.

We are looking forward to Toy Fair this year, to seeing everyone after such a long time and seeing product in the flesh – you just can’t beat it. At the Toymaster regional meeting in Swindon, it was so great to be able to pick things up and look at them properly again.

Jurassic World lines are looking good for 2022 with the release of the new film, and I’m excited about the new Lego range of minifigures – the Marvel Super Heroes minifigures went bonkers in 2021, we sold out out six boxes in just 10 days.

We are hoping we have another good summer. It was crazy for us last year with lots of families coming to Cornwall – we were about 50% up on our usual summer trade. I think people will still be a bit worried about travelling abroad, and that can only benefit us.

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Talking Shop Tim Evans - Toys & Games of Worcester Christmas trade was good for us; in fact, we have been pleased to be trading well ever since we came out of lockdown.

People seemed to start shopping earlier for Christmas this year, but this didn’t dampen demand moving into the last week. Trade was strong from the start, and we’ve enjoyed particularly buoyant sales from Lego and Pokémon. These two ranges are our stand outs; even though I’m sure all indies will tell you these are their best sellers, we have a lot of specialism in this area which gives us an edge. Board games were also strong and model kits continue to grow in popularity. Spend remained good for high ticket items, with a strong ' shop local' feeling out there and very strong customer loyalty. We work really hard to be part of the local community and our bond with our customers has strengthened throughout the pandemic.

It looks like we are facing another uncertain year with Covid, which makes it very difficult to plan. We have retail, online and local delivery options so we cover all the bases, and although we can carry on come what may, having the right product mix in an ever-changing situation can be really difficult. There are items which only have strong demand if the store is open, while other products will sell in much higher numbers if we're not and just trading online. I'm planning for every scenario which means my stores will be fuller than normal, but with the inflation rate so high, investing in lots of stock now and having good availability is not a bad thing. Whatever happens, we remain enthusiastic for the future; we've navigated these stormy waters so far and will continue to do so. We've had great support from our key suppliers to drive us forward and we still have a lot of momentum going into 2022 I had booked a holiday for January which fell on the same week as Toy Fair but with the new travel rules, we've cancelled and now intend to go to Toy Fair instead. We'll also be at the Spring Fair and probably Toymaster this year too. Hopefully all these events will happen as I can’t stand those virtual showrooms!

Dee Mellor - Salter Street Toys and Models, Stafford

Phil Heath - Heaths Toymaster, Barrow-in-Furness A lot of our Christmas trade came late this year, getting busier in the last few weeks before Christmas. It has been like that for the last couple of years because of internet shopping. I think it’s a combination of people worrying about orders turning up on time and the last-minute shoppers.

I don’t think Black Friday had as much of an impact this year. People probably just had a look to see if there was something they were going to buy anyway at a cheaper price. Black Friday has now become Black Week; I think it’s just about putting enough promotions in place to make you look attractive to your customers and discourage them from going elsewhere.

We have changed our focus in the last couple of years and are now sticking with tried and tested brands such as Lego - which has been massive for us this Christmas – and Schleich. Plastic model kits and games have also sold well, though there hasn’t been a standout games title this year. Last year we sold hundreds of copies of the Lakes Monopoly because of where we are based, as part of a promotion with a local hospice to whom we donated some of the sale price, but that was a unique situation.

People seem to be focusing on traditional games this Christmas such as Monopoly and Cluedo and even things like dominoes.

I’m looking forward to seeing the new product launches in 2022, especially Lego – it’s such a great product that appeals to all ages and tastes. We’ve been building up our model kits offering over the past couple of years; Revell and Airfix are always strong sellers and we have branched out into other suppliers such as Bachmann and Humbrol.

I think 2022 will be a steady year, due to the economy and pandemic, but we are not too worried. We also sell office supplies, so with people also now working from home, these sales should help us weather any upcoming lean patches.

This year, the Christmas rush didn’t start until much later. November was very positive, and we were up on sales from the previous year, but December started off more slowly and the build-up to Christmas has been very gradual, not like December normally is.

Some people still seem a bit wary about coming out, and from mid-December were not quite sure what was going to happen. They might also be worried about saving money because of bills going up; I think consumer confidence has taken a bit of a knock.

We have had some stock issues - some orders we were expecting didn’t turn up at all which did affect sales, but we’ve had plenty of stock of other lines.

Playmobil sold exceptionally well this Christmas, helped by a particularly attractive offer for Toymaster members for a week, which meant we could sell it for 30% less. Some customers had put Playmobil in their Christmas Club order, so we contacted them to let them know they could have the discount if they paid it that week, which helped takings.

Crystal Art, from Craft Buddy, has been a great success across the range. It’s something a bit different for our customers and there are lots of new lines in the range for 2022 which we are looking forward to.

Model kits have also sold well this Christmas. When we started 10 years ago, we stuck to tried and tested brands like Airfix, but we have moved with the times and developed our offering to include a much wider selection, bringing in many different makes. Bachmann has been the top selling brand this last few months, with some great offers.

It’s been a very strange time, and although things do seem to be getting better, I think it very much depends on what happens during the next few weeks.

We have been planning ahead, booking our trip to Toy Fair, and we really hope that can go ahead.

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Talking Shop Nigel Kemp Halesworth Toy Shop, Halesworth We’ve had a much better Christmas this year than in 2020, and we have been busy ever since we came back from lockdown last April.

I think people are very glad to have been able to come into the shop. We’re lucky to have had strong local support for a few years now, so the ‘shop local’ message has really got across.

In the lead up to Christmas, free car parking near the shop on some days during the week helped attract customers.

I managed to get most of the stock I wanted, despite all the problems, and I strategically topped up all my ranges in September and October. I packed the shop out with as much stock as I physically could, and I think it was a good move.

This Christmas, we’ve seen a huge demand for wooden toys as presents, particularly those from Toynamics’ lovely Hape range, and also Orange Tree Toys. There is a noticeable trend towards people wanting more eco-friendly toys – or toys that they know will last.

The Sylvanian Families range has also had a very good year. I like it because it encourages repeat customers. Ty and VTech have done well too; we always keep a good display of these ranges and I think it helps. Board games have been popular for Christmas, as ever, and this has been across all ranges, but games such as Articulate, Rummikub and Cluedo have performed particularly well. For customers looking for something a bit quirky, we also stock some Big Potato games which have gone down well, along with more unusual titles such as Cobra Paw, from Bananagrams.

Looking at the year ahead, I am quietly optimistic. January and February are never my favourite months, a bit flat after all the excitement of Christmas, but they often turn out better than you think. I’ve sold a lot of vouchers and people will have Christmas money to spend.

I’m hoping the success of the summer will be repeated – last year was the busiest we’d had for six or seven years, as we had so many holidaymakers and people who have second homes in the area.

Libby Osborne - Osborne Sports & Toys, Rushden We’ve had an absolutely wonderful Christmas this year. We don’t usually open on Sundays and Mondays, but we did throughout December, and we were extremely busy.

Our main customers tend to be grandparents buying for their grandchildren. I think it’s because they prefer to come into the shop and see what they are buying rather than buying online. They always take their time and have a good browse. I think this year, people have wanted to spend more and go all out, because it was such a disappointing Christmas in 2020.

We have sold a lot of evergreen toys and games, with classic ranges such as Lego and Playmobil being especially popular. Sylvanian Families has also sold very well, and I think this is because we have no competition for that brand locally. Customers come to us because they know we sell the whole range and they will have a good choice, and it’s the same with Playmobil. As long as you have a reputation as a stockist with a good breadth of range in a particular category, people will seek you out.

Diecast cars have been huge this year too, particularly Hot Wheels, and Barbie has also been a very strong range, so it seems customers are opting for a lot of non-battery toys. Games have also been popular, especially the old favourites such as Kerplunk and Connect 4.

I’m looking forward to getting along to Toy Fair and having the chance to see new product and meet the suppliers. Sylvanian Families always seems to have lots of exciting new launches such as new families, so I’m looking forward to seeing those. Playmobil is going from strength to strength, with its product getting more sophisticated and detailed. The new movies coming out in 2022 will also mean lots of exciting new product.

It’s always good to refresh my offering with new lines and I can’t wait to see them all and make my selections.

Lynda Bartlett - W & J Walker Toymaster, Ballymoney, Co Antrim Christmas has been so much better for us this year, compared to 2020.

There wasn’t a standout best-selling toy this year, but the Barbie range has been a strong seller for us, particularly the Barbie Colour Reveal dolls – I think people like the element of surprise that is involved. Being in a rural location, we also sell a lot of farm toys and Britains has been very popular all year. There were a lot of new releases in 2021, including some nice limited-edition tractors to mark the company’s 100th anniversary, and these flew out of the door.

Last Christmas, we had a phenomenal run on games. I though this might be because people knew they would be stuck at home, but I’m pleased to say the trend has continued this year (everyone must have enjoyed it!). It’s the more traditional games that have been selling, old favourites such as Connect 4 and Guess Who? and even Snakes and Ladders. Everyone seems to be craving games they know and love.

Customers spent more this Christmas, and I guess this was because many of them didn’t get to go on holiday this year. We run a Christmas Club and we had more than 500 parcels put by. When customers came in to collect them, they were also adding to their purchases with extras.

Like many retailers, we did experience some issues with stock, but they were not as bad as I was expecting, and a lot of suppliers came through brilliantly. Some stock arrived very late, but hopefully that will go in January when people have Christmas money to spend.

I’m not sure what 2022 has in store for us. I am worried about price increases; any erosion to our margins will make it all the more difficult to compete with online sales, and I’m hoping that even if things do get worse with the pandemic that shops will be able to remain open. Although we are a department store, we were not deemed to be essential in previous lockdowns.

I’m looking forward to seeing all the new product next year, and especially to visiting the Toymaster show in Harrogate in May. We missed it last year, and it has been quite a challenge to do everything online and over the phone. It’s so much easier to have conversations face to face and to see all the new products in the flesh, so fingers crossed the show can go ahead.

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Talking Shop John Testori Bambola Toymaster, St Helier, Jersey Our Christmas trade started off very positively before slowing down, however we did experience a final rush in the last week.

We did very well with Toniebox Starter Sets this year as well as the content Tonies to accompany them. Lego is a consistent seller year on year, and this Christmas we enjoyed particularly good sales on Lego Friends and Harry Potter. Pokémon has had a great year too and seems to be growing even more.

We are hoping that when we head into the second half of 2022, we will see a return to normality without the threat of lockdowns hanging over us. We begin 2022 with a positive outlook and belief that the local support we have received throughout the previous two years will continue. There has been a clear swing towards shopping locally over the pandemic, and the public have enjoyed it.

We are very much looking forward to attending London Toy Fair where it will be nice to see a wide range of new products in the flesh, as well as catch up with our suppliers and find new ranges for our stores. The Toymaster May Show is always really enjoyable, with a work hard, play hard mentality, and we will be very pleased to get back there too.

The regional meeting at Swindon we attended recently was the first show we had been to in nearly two years, and we had a fantastic time. It was so great to see real people - and be able to view lots of products properly.

Ian Bailey - Bailey’s Toymaster, Gorey, Co Wexford Christmas trade has been strong for us. A lot of people started their Christmas shopping early with many more highticket items than usual selling in September and October, and this carried through to November and December.

The Barbie range has been popular this Christmas, coming off the back of strong sales across the year. The brand is definitely back. Our younger customers are still very much into anything Paw Patrol, while the older ones can’t get enough of Pokémon. It goes without saying that Lego has continued to perform strongly for us this year, and our extensive range of farm toys always does well – especially the lines from Bruder. I’ve been delighted to see our customers’ overall spend being generous.

I am feeling positive for the year ahead, but I do think there’s a possibility that things could tighten in Q2 with the rising cost of living impacting disposable income and spending.

Hopefully the Toymaster Show will be back on track as it is our main show of the year. We’d like to be able travel to Nuremberg too, as we have a few gaps in suppliers since Brexit, particularly in the outdoor wheeled toys area, and there may be a few options there worth exploring.

Maggie Tibbenham - Imagine Toy Shop, Holmfirth Christmas trading for us was very late for us this year, only really picking in mid-December which is not our usual pattern at all. Usually, we have our best month in November and are very busy, especially on big ticket items, but November was noticeably quieter, just like any other month really. Despite all the media scaremongering about a shortage of product and messages encouraging shopping early for Christmas, I think the public largely ignored the warnings that certain lines might be hard to find. Either that or they were buying bigger things online and only coming into the shop for smaller items.

One of our biggest sellers for 2021 was the Moon Lamp from The Source Wholesale. It changes colour when you tap it and has been an amazing line that seems to appeal to all ages. The Tonies Tonieboxes have also sold well, and we sold out well before Christmas. They are always popular as they make a really nice, special gift. All the little mid-priced, collectible dolls – especially ones in blind packaging or which have a surprise element - were also moving in large quantities in December, and we’ve been pleased with sales of puzzle-type games that seem quite a trend at the moment.

I am looking forward to seeing the new product ranges in 2022 but I have to say I am quite worried by all that is happening with Covid. Although I like to think it won’t happen, I am concerned that we might go into another lockdown in early January. For this reason, I have been quite restrained in my orders for the new year so far. Normally, I would be bringing in lots of new stock for January, but I have been very cautious. However, my shop is still well stocked, so I should be OK to carry on until at least February with the products I have now.

I hope people will still have the confidence to continue to shop locally and not just click first.

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Talking Shop

indie viewpoint

Lisa Clay - Armadillo Toys, Leeds We had a very busy Christmas, with high footfall throughout December. No one product really stood out as the ‘must have’ that everyone was asking for this year, but that meant sales were spread across the store. We were getting a lot of phone calls from people who couldn’t find what they wanted elsewhere as they were selling out.

Fortunately, we had a lot of stock, which was good.

We had a lot of requests for the Melissa & Doug Super Smile Dentist Kit Play Set, and we eventually sold out of that, and Marvel Dobble from Asmodee has been hugely popular. Our Schleich range has also performed exceptionally well over Christmas, as it always does, but we could have sold even more, had we had the stock.

Games and jigsaws have also sold well, particularly all the Dobble sets and the University Games range - the What’s Up? Game, T Rex Game and Charades are always popular at Christmas.

I haven’t really had chance to see what is new for 2022 as I’ve been too focused on getting through Christmas. I’m looking forward to getting to grips with all the new releases in the new year. Everything does seem rather up in the air at the moment, and we don’t really know what will 2022 will hold. Inflation is a concern; everyone is putting prices up and people may be hit with big bills because they’ve been spending heavily this Christmas.

Overall, we have been doing very well, and we are very happy. But I never rest on my laurels and just hope that things turn out better than we fear they might.

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes

Ring out the old, bring in the new

Toy Barnhaus

In this strange world, as we put together this column each month, whatever we write is often almost immediately out of date. We sit here just over a week from Christmas, and the Ghost of Christmas Present this year is Omicron! A few weeks ago, we had never heard of this word, and it could not have come at a worse time. It is difficult to say with any certainty what will happen, as there is so much unknown – by the time you read this hopefully things will be much clearer.

Reviewing the year up until now, we have been very pleased with how trade has been. It is very difficult to know what to compare to, as last year was very disrupted with the lockdowns, but to compare to two years ago, when we were not even aware of Covid, is equally difficult.

Overall, we have taken that the view that as long as we are trading and taking reasonable money, we will be happy. November saw good sales overall, with Black Friday being strong. The early part of December has been a bit softer, but we think this is down to people having bought earlier this year, and also not wanting to come out when it gets busier. So far, we are happy with how Christmas has gone, especially given all the disruption to deliveries and items arriving late, even months late at times.

Bestsellers for us continue to be Pokémon Trading Cards, along with anything else Pokémon related – this really has been a stellar year for the brand. CoComelon has been hugely popular; everyone with very young children is asking for it. Also in the pre-school sector, Bluey has been in high demand. Lego of course continues to be very strong, trading well up year on year. We have noticed more sets being purchased for adults than ever before, which has increased sales even further in this already reliable category. After that, pocket money is our best performing category, and kids just can’t seem to get enough of anything squeezy or squishy – we have more squishy vegetables than a green grocer!

Looking forward now, we are anticipating attending Toy Fair this year, all things permitting. It will be nearly two years since we attended a trade show in person, and we cannot wait. You will not be surprised to know that we have already booked up our lunch appointments for each day.

With most suppliers having to manage numbers on their stands, we are making sure we have appointments for all the key ones we want to see, and our diary is filling up fast.

It will be great to see new products ‘in the flesh’ again, as it has been far too long. One of the hardest things this year has been ordering from a PowerPoint presentation. These presentations usually include a load of marketing information that is not too useful to us and makes the process rather long winded. Although we get to see the product too, it comes nowhere near replacing the experience of seeing, touching and interacting with a physical toy. It will be great to catch up in person with some suppliers we have not seen in person for a while, and also to see other retailers and people from the toy trade - including the Toy World team of course.

Looking at Q1, there is a lot that is still unknown, and plenty of headwinds. We have been relatively cautious when ordering stock for Q1 and have mainly been focusing on getting through the peak trading season first. Having said that, we have tried to be proactive in ordering some favourite ranges early before price rises kick in. We’re expecting increases from a lot of suppliers in the New Year, so we have been bringing several of our regular ranges in to try and mitigate this and hopefully maintain price points for our customers. In January, we will focus more on new ranges for Q1; it is always good to freshen up the store and give customers new reasons to come and visit in store. As for any independent store, the new 2022 launches for Lego will be key and will drive significant footfall in January. Kids having money to spend from Christmas, combined with the January weather, usually leads to strong weekend trade throughout the month.

Happy New Year to all, and hopefully see you at Toy Fair!

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Opinion Four reasons why January toy sales will continue strong

Letter from America

After 20 years working at A.C. Nielsen/D&B Research Company, Rick opened the first Learning Express Toys franchise in the Chicago area in 1996, and then became a sub-franchiser, opening nine more stores.

Although leaving the corporate environment behind, he has combined his expertise in data and numbers with a passion for the toy retail space. In his first column of 2022, Rick is in an optimistic mood…

Looking ahead to the new year, of course we will still have to trade alongside the usual big box retailers, Amazon and perhaps the relaunch of a new Toys R US. However, I truly believe that there is room for all of us, and that the indie sector has an important role to play in the overall toy market, meeting the needs of consumers by making our stores better than ever. Here are the reasons why I think the indies will continue to flourish:

• Gift cards – sales of gift cards are up over 180% vs 2020 and 73% higher than 2019.

As the fidget craze and Squishmallows trends exploded, many parents and grandparents let kids decide what to purchase themselves. With some items in short supply, the easy and safe answer to what to gift a child was to give a gift card.

The average value of our gift cards in 2021 was $30.80, up from $28 in prior years.

With this tremendous increase we are sure to see more traffic in the month of January, and that also bodes well for additional sales opportunities.

• Squishmallows - Jazwares, along with Kellytoy, unveiled an expansive consumer products licensing programme.

The plush brand sensation is set to expand into certain categories that favour the indie sector, namely Arts & Crafts, trading cards, pool floats, candy and others.

The trading cards are due to hit at the beginning of January and will propel sales, both amongst collectors and among newbies to the brand. This should create newsworthy events in the media and also gain traction at many retail outlets, all adding up to provide great visibility for the brand. We see indies benefiting greatly from these launches; I’m expecting it to be similar to the great years we had with the Shopkins brand from Moose Toys.

• New product launches.

There were several brands which we deal with that had planned to supply us with new product introductions in Q4 2021, but due to production issues and the supply chain crisis, were unable to do so. They now plan to launch these items at the beginning of 2022, with more excitement generated at the New York Toy Fair in February. While I would like to name a few examples, in deference to the suppliers, I will only say that 3-4 of these introductions were slated to be in our holiday catalogue and had to be pulled due to availability. As we thought highly enough of them to be selected in our top holiday items, we are still excited to see them come to market in 2022.

• Functional fidgets.

Here in the states, we are seeing the emergence of a new evergreen category of fidget type toys that are both useful and functional - not just for amusement or for making a TikTok video. These toys are genuine tools used for focusing, concentration and reminds me, as an older person, of pencil doodling. We all did it in school as we tried to stay focused, engaged and work off some energy. Now, items such as large popits (20x20 size) are being used as a math tool. The new Zzzopa Ball from P.M.I. Kids World is a dual use product, both fidget toy and play ball. In the last six weeks of 2021, we sold over 500 units from our very first shipment of Zzzopa (that’s almost $6000 USD). The consumer is embracing multiple functions for more play value throughout this growing category.

So, fellow toy owners and shops everywhere, we will take lessons learned from 2020-21 and look forward to making our shops even better as we compete with the bigger retailers. Time will tell, but I like our chances if we follow the three simple foundations of toy retailing: great teams, great product, served up in a ‘wow’ environment.

Richard can be reached on LinkedIn or by email at LE45@sbcglobal.net.

Happy New Year!

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Company Profile

A Very merry

clickmas

The Very Group has enjoyed an incredibly strong year, with its Very, Littlewoods and Littlewoods Ireland brands producing standout performances that helped increase sales nearly 25% YOY. Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to Ann-Marie Edwards, category manager – Girls & Pre-school Toys, and Nicole Sweeney, category manager – Boys & Outdoor Toys, to find out how the online department store Very approaches the toy category and what it offers its suppliers and customers.

In October we reported a strong set of results for Very - how have the past couple of months been since the run-up to Christmas kicked in?

Ann-Marie: Our most recent full year results showed record breaking growth in 2020, and in October our Q1 results revealed that The Very Group was still trading at almost 10% up YOY with growth across all categories. Electricals really fuelled this growth, driven by huge demand for new games consoles such as PlayStation 5.

With the end of lockdown we’ve seen an uplift in other categories that r eflects modified customer behaviour.

What factors are behind this performance? How much do you feel the pandemic has had an impact on your business?

Ann-Marie: The pandemic really accelerated our growth and helped drive a substantial influx

of new customers that have migrated to The Very Group’s brands for the first time. As a business we’d become more reactive to market conditions over the last 12-18 months, pivoting our trading and marketing plans to ensure our stories continue to resonate with customers. For example, our latest Christmas campaign, ‘It’s the Very Best Excuse’, focuses on the fact that we didn’t get to enjoy a big Christmas with our friends and family last year, whereas this year we have the excuse to really let our hair down and celebrate.

From a toy perspective, we’ve maintained share in a difficult market – it’s been tough. Sales this year have been erratic since August, but we are confident that we’ve outperformed the market and our pre-Christmas numbers in those final few weeks were really strong. The wider performance of the entire business reflects the resilience and relevance of our trading model.

Have you seen signs that customers shopped earlier this year than in others?

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Ann-Marie: Absolutely. We know from our data that Very customers love shopping early, so much so that we go out with an annual Christmas message just after the August bank holiday. This year we released our Christmas TV ad a month early, in the first week of October, and we’ve seen the benefits of that decision reflected by our sales.

We’ve seen a big surge in the amount of online shopping by customers, as well as the number of retailers offering an online service. What sets Very’s online shopping experience apart from a customer facing POV? Annie Marie: Two obvious things spring to mind. Firstly, we’re a ‘department store’ with a wide range of offerings in all the biggest categories, and all the best brands too. Customers love our flexible ways to pay: our Take 3 payment option on Very.co.uk is one of our most popular ways to pay. There’s a lot customers don’t see that goes into making Very what it is. We’ve invested heavily in our digital customer experience, such as our website assistant and app that can answer queries

Company Profile quickly, and embedded AI on product pages that can make recommendations based on customer browsing data. We’re also improving the copy and imagery on product pages to make it easier for customers to understand the offering and make informed purchasing decisions. We’ve also got an incredibly loyal customer base of over 4m and an excellent NPS (Net Promoter Score) which is almost double the retail industry average. This tells us our customers appreciate what we do.

One thing we’re really proud of is our Stockless Fulfilment capability, which gives us the ability to offer a very wide range within key brands by tapping into stock and sending it directly to customers. This is an element we’re really excited about for the future. We’re in talks with a couple of major toy brands with a view to expanding our Stockless Fulfilment into this space over the next 12-18 months.

What have been your best-selling toys and most popular licences during the past eight weeks, and why do you believe these have been performing so well?

Nicole: It won’t be news to anyone that stock has been a real challenge over the past couple of months. We focused heavily on ensuring we could secure stock of the biggest toy brands for our customers, especially ahead of Christmas. With our customers shopping earlier than ever this year, and with toys being such an important part of the festive season, it was crucial we kept on top of this.

We introduced initiatives with some of our key brands to bring stock in earlier in the year, including Barbie, from Mattel, and Lego. Our standout products include the Barbie Day to Night Dreamhouse, which is probably our No.1 line in Girls Toys most weeks, followed by the Barbie 3-in-1 Camper. Lego is a phenomenal brand for us.

Evergreen properties Star Wars and Harry Potter continue to grow every year. Both brands span a wide range of price points that appeal to customers and offer plenty of choice. It’s no surprise they were key in the run-up to Christmas. Around 96% of our customers are credit customers, and our business proposition allows them to trade up for what they want. Big box items have been selling through strongly this year.

We develop joint business plans that are totally aligned in terms of aim, using the vast catalogue of data and insights we have on our customers to drive traffic to exactly where it needs to be, taking into account what matters to our partners as well as to us. Bespoke, targeted campaigns fuel conversion and that’s what our partnerships result in.

that would help customers with their purchasing decisions. The stories we told included sustainable toys and how to buy something eco-friendly, toys that could help learners at home, continuing a trend that developed during lockdown, and the future of toys, which involved a lot of tech toys and innovation. We have plenty of plans that will build on this approach going forward.

What is Very’s general approach to selecting and ranging toys and games online?

What major opportunities for your toy/ games business do you feel 2022 has in store?

Nicole: Our ambition is become the online destination of choice for the latest must-have toys, so offering a diverse range of categories and best-selling brands is vital. We’re set not only on offering the most sought-after toys out there, but also catering to all ages and interests. Our planning starts 12 months out, and we use the data I mentioned earlier to help us form a picture of what’s right for our customers and what aligns with our business proposition in terms of pricing, SKUs, margins etc. As we narrow down the selection process, we always keep these two basic tenets in mind, but we’ll also have a strategic plan in place according to category. As an online business we need to remain flexible at all times.

Ann-Marie: This year is all about movies: the calendar is jam-packed with releases and there’s some hugely exciting product on the way. We’re particularly looking forward to Lightyear, Minions and Jurassic World, which we know will translate perfectly into toys. Licensing is key for us, so we’ll continue to build on our cross-category plans. Our Fashion team has built a very strong kids’ licensed offering in the past 12-18 months, and to bolster this we’ll be doing a lot more with our licensors to showcase our entire licensed ranges, giving each property more exposure and customers more choice. We also know there are some evergreen brands that resonate with our customers year in, year out, so we’re also putting plans in place to grow these ranges further as well as gearing up for the latest new content.

So would you say basket spend was up this Christmas?

How does Very support its offering in terms of marketing and promotions?

Nicole: Our insight suggests its up 6% YOY. Based upon the stock we secured, the price points they sit at and the sell-through of larger items earlier in the season, I think it’s safe to say it is indeed up.

Ann-Marie: Toys will always be featured in our overall Christmas campaign, of course, and the messaging often has a tongue in cheek feel to it.

Over the past year, we’ve collaborated with our partners to deliver fresh and exciting campaigns across all our ranges, including bespoke activity.

For 2021, we had a multi-supplier Christmas toys campaign which leaned heavily into influencer activity and social media competitions. We also landed our first ever cross-category solus kids’ campaign across social and digital media, which again utilised the influencer space. It also involved brand partnerships; we worked with Disney in March, April and May 2021 to showcase our licensed Disney offering to a wider target market.

Which toy and game suppliers do you work with most closely, and what makes Very a good partner for them?

Nicole: We have a very diverse mix of categories under our Toy remit, and a very diverse mix of suppliers as a result: over 60 across everything from Arts & Crafts and Dress-Up to Outdoor Toys and Plush. Very enjoys excellent relationships with all its suppliers; each range adds value to every one of our categories in some way. Our strategic partners, particularly Mattel and Lego, have led the way in recent years with their digital marketing investment, willingness to test things and learn along with us, and innovative approach.

They understand Very’s customers just as much as we do, and as a result can build out plans that are specifically tailored to our target market.

We also undertake on-site marketing. Our customers love being organised for Christmas, so every autumn/winter we curate a list of musthave toys – the biggest and most exciting things we see coming through – and support that with bespoke digital content that showcases each toy in a creative way. In 2021, we wanted to tell stories

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Will Very’s toy buyers be attending any of the major Q1 trade shows in person next year?

Nicole: London Toy Fair will be our first opportunity in two years to get out there and reconnect with our supplier base, and we’re really looking forward to it. Seeing the product in the flesh is key. London is the big one for us. There are probably 30-40 active Very suppliers at the show, and those three days offer the perfect chance to catch up with them. Of course, we’ve also carved out time to look for the fresh and new, and to consider ranges and suppliers we’re not currently involved with. Following lockdown, there’s some great new innovation out there, and we’re keen to go and find it.

Ann-Marie: We’re optimistic and excited for the months ahead, and we’re looking forward to working even more closely with our brands and partners. There’s a lot of new product out there and it feels like we’re in for a great year.

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Special Feature

The future is

bright for indies It’s been a challenging year for toy retailers, but, true to form, the British indie sector has enjoyed another strong trading period – in part due to the help and support offered by the hardworking team at Toymaster. In this piece, the buying group outlines what membership offers independent retailers, from access to its branded and themed window programme to its standout central invoicing system.

“

The past year has been a challenging one for Toymaster members,” notes Brian McLaughlin, Toymaster development manager. “It started off with a lockdown which affected the majority of stores and lasted until April, or May for those in Ireland, but despite this, our members found ways to keep trading. This ensured that their customers knew they were still there, ready for when they reopened, and those customers have continued to shop with them since.”

An adaptable, passionate and dedicated bunch, Toymaster’s members have worked incredibly hard over the past couple of years to both retain existing customers and attract new ones, and the buying group says many of its indies are now seeing their efforts pay off. Despite the supply chain and cost challenges all retailers (and suppliers) have been facing, Toymaster stores

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have still had plenty of stock filling the shelves and sales in the second half of the year were strong.

Brian adds: “Like its members, Toymaster worked hard throughout 2021, ensuring its retailers had the support they needed to trade well. At the heart of our support is communication: talking to our members gave us the understanding of what their needs and priorities were as the retail environment was rapidly evolving. We provide a range of services to help our members and are always looking for new ways we can support them.”

Below, Brian outlines what Toymaster membership offers independent retailers and what he feels lies ahead in 2022.

Central invoicing - TIMS I consider TIMS - which stands for Toymaster

Special Feature Information Management System – to be the biggest benefit of membership. TIMS is an internal portal which manages invoices and payments alongside many other features. The system is updated daily, meaning every supplier invoice we receive is available for our members to view at any time. This keeps all invoicing in one location, cutting out a lot of paperwork and admin hassle. Each month, Toymaster pays all the invoices due to each supplier, while the member just makes one single payment to Toymaster. The intention is to save our members time by making the payment process as simple as possible and keeping all the invoicing information in one place. This saved time can then be used to place orders and serve customers.

TIMS also lets members download data into reports for their own analysis, such as cash flow or purchase reports, which they can then use to help them with their planning and forward ordering. Members can even see what items other members are buying, which may highlight some missed opportunities.

TIMS was introduced over 10 years ago and has been updated over that time with new features suggested by our members, making it simpler and easier to use. Some of our members even give TIMS access to their accountants, so they can download the information needed to produce year-end accounts.

The Toymaster team is always looking to add new features to TIMS which will simplify it further and there are plans in the pipeline to make it even more user friendly in 2022. If any independent toy retailer wants to better understand just how beneficial TIMS is, then we recommend they speak to a current Toymaster member – all of them appreciate how much TIMS benefits both them and their businesses.

Access to suppliers The next key benefit Toymaster offers is access to suppliers. This is often the main reason independent retailers contact us to set up membership in the first place, but the service we provide extends well beyond that. Toymaster has accounts with well over 150 suppliers, meaning our members enjoy the ability to try new ranges from different sources all year round. While it’s important to have in-store presence of all the major brands and licences, independent toy shops are able to differentiate themselves from their major competitors by stocking ranges that wouldn’t normally be found elsewhere. We like to ensure we have a broad selection of suppliers to choose from so our members can offer their customers a really comprehensive and varied range of toys and games.

We also agree payment and terms on behalf of our members as we can negotiate as a group rather than each retailer having to negotiate individually. We usually get better payment terms and dates for our members by doing things this way, although we do offer a discount for early payment. We appreciate that some retailers prefer to pay their invoices month by month to help manage their cashflow.

Information Our relationship with Toymaster suppliers doesn’t end there. The Toymaster team is on hand to make sure its members have the very latest information available to them and don’t have

to spend time chasing salespeople. Last year we introduced a new feature on our internal website called the Product Hub. This is where we store the latest updates from suppliers, including range and marketing presentations, product videos and the latest order forms. By collating all this information into one location, our members can easily access what they need to place an order simply by looking down the menu for the supplier they’re after.

The Product Hub was originally intended as a replacement information service following the cancellation of the London Toy Fair and May Toymaster Show. However, based on the positive feedback we had in 2021, we’re keeping the Product Hub as a feature.

Marketing Toymaster members also enjoy great marketing support. Perhaps the most obvious examples of this are our catalogue and promotional flyers, which are available free of charge to Toymaster members and allow them to showcase all their key brands and products to their local customers.

New for 2022, we’re now giving members the opportunity to have their own store brand feature more prominently on the front cover, making the catalogue more relevant to their local customers.

The same applies to our window feature programme, which is also free to our members.

The programme means retailers can opt to take a new display which showcases new ranges and the best-selling brands every 4-5 weeks. The displays are colourful and eye-catching, and they help shop windows to really stand out in the local area. This attracts more passers-by into stores. Our members tell us they simply wouldn’t have the time to produce their own displays, and that they therefore really appreciate the fact Toymaster does all the work for them.

All our services are optional, so Toymaster members can pick and choose which ones to participate in depending on what works best for them and their store. However, the group encourages them to take advantage of as much of its marketing support as much as possible.

Everything we provide is designed to help drive footfall to our members’ stores and websites.

Support and Advice Toymaster members receive unparalleled support, both from the team at the office and the network of group retailers. We’ve spoken about this before, but it’s worth reiterating: our members love to help each other out by sharing success stories and offering solutions to the challenges they face. It really is a bit like a family.

The team at Toymaster is on hand to offer help and advice, and we’re always speaking to our members and sharing ideas.

However, it’s important to us that each Toymaster member retains their independence. At the end of the day, they decide what ranges to stock and how to present their store, because they know their customers and what works best for them in their local area.

We also use committees to help make central decisions which

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affect all members, such as cata logues and marketing initiatives, so that there will always be a retailer perspective.

The year ahead Looking ahead, many challenges remain for independent retailers. The sector is doing its best to compete with major retailers as many of the current issues, such as rising costs and supply chain delays, are expected to continue for a while. However, there are also many positives to look forward to – there are lots of new ranges to get excited about and a busy schedule of movies throughout the year with good toy ranges behind them. Consumers have embraced shopping locally over the past two years. Toymaster members have helped to drive that within their towns and are benefitting from having gained new customers that continue to shop with them.

We also look forward to the return of the Toymaster May Show, which will be held as usual at The Majestic hotel in Harrogate from 17-19th May. We’ve missed the show these past two years: it really brings our members and the wider industry together and demonstrates just how vital the independent sector is to the UK & Ireland toy markets. The show is open to all independent bricks & mortar toy retailers, not just Toymaster members, and we’re always happy to speak to independents who would like to know more about the benefits of joining Toymaster.

We’re confident Toymaster can save them both time and money and help their business to thrive.

Any independents wanting to find out more about the services and benefits available to Toymaster members can contact Brian at brian.mclaughlin@toymaster.co.uk or call the office on 01604 674 477.

Company Profile

Mattel

Hitting the

top spot

Mattel enters 2022 off the back of yet another strong year, with brands Barbie and Hot Wheels continuing to lead the way on product, new content coming through for Thomas & Friends and a major movie slate to look forward to.

Just before Christmas, Toy World sat down with Michael Hick, vice president and country manager, UK and Ireland, and Kelly Philp, UK marketing director, to look back over 2021 and find out what comes next.

We’ve certainly been hearing from retailers that Barbie has been a standout brand, which tallies with what you’re telling us. What’s behind this success?

We’re starting a new year, but let’s start our interview by talking about the previous one. How was 2021 for Mattel?

Michael: We’re very pleased with how we executed 2021: Mattel had a plan in January, and I feel as though we’ve seen that plan through to fruition. As we are speaking to you in later November, NPD has the toy market down -5% whereas Mattel is only down -2%, meaning we’re outperforming the market. And when you hold Mattel up against its big competitors, we are one of only two manufacturers in the Top 6 growing market share.

For the first time since I can remember Barbie is the No.1 brand in the toy industry: not the No.1 Fashion Doll – the No.1 brand. Mattel also has the No.1 item in Value and Units in Hot Wheels die cast,

though Barbie Dreamhouse is nipping at its heels at No.2. Mattel is really pleased with this position, especially so close to Christmas.

In 2021, the company focused on two main things: firstly, on our innovative demand creation strategy, whether that be from a brand or customer marketing point of view, and secondly, on maintaining our position as the toy partner of choice for both licensors and retailers. Our retail partners are providing some great feedback despite their fair share of challenges, and those challenges look likely to continue into Q1 and Q2.

Shoppers seemed to be doing their Christmas shopping later than they did in 2020, when a lockdown was imminent, and uncertainty remains about what comes next. In summary, Mattel is in a strong position and continues to overinvest in its categories and brands.

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Kelly: Barbie is a purposeful brand with a clear consumer message regarding what she stands for in today’s world. There were several standout Barbie moments in 2021. We know her fans love new content, so the Big City, Big Dreams tentpole and the way the movie was brought to life at retail provided something really exciting, both in terms of content and product. Mattel also tapped into important cultural moments. Last year we released a Barbie in the likeness of vaccinologist Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert. Barbie is culturally relevant, and this had a positive impact on the brand’s performance. Barbie has always been a staple within the fashion doll space, but she’s now holding her own across the entire toy space.

And what about Hot Wheels – what’s driving that brand?

Kelly: Vehicles as a play pattern hasn’t changed, but Hot Wheels product development continues to bring fresh variations on this classic theme to life.

Our innovations are based on what we know works, be that the ‘crash and bash’ play offered by Track Builder or the more imaginative play inherent in City. We’re also broadening the opportunities offered by Hot Wheels outside of the kids’ space.

At the end of 2021, the UK entered the global Hot Wheels Legends tour for the first time, and Lee Johnstone’s Volvo P1800 Gasser ended up winning.

Hot Wheels, like Barbie, appeals across a wide range of different ages and here at Mattel we’re tapping into that depth and breadth of passion with

Company Profile

Mattel well as 13 TV shows/specials, and 30 more projects in the pipeline.

If everything goes according to plan, and if the world around us returns to something resembling normality, content-based family experiences will form a large part of 2022, and Mattel is delighted to be at the heart of many of those plans.

What would you say are Mattel’s unique selling points as a licensee?

Michael: Mattel works closely with licensors to identify and track down opportunities as they arise. Challenges are tackled head on in a collaborative manner, which our partners recognise and appreciate. We have huge scale globally with impressive manufacturing capabilities, and we produce quality, innovative toys that consumers love. Mattel is lucky to boast the design team it does: the licensed products we’re launching (and the unlicensed too, of course) really are second to none.

You mentioned new content for Thomas & Friends earlier. Can you tell us more?

Kelly: Thomas & Friends has so much heritage and a huge fanbase within the UK, so I’m excited to see the brand enter its next phase. This is very much anchored in what kids today find exciting, but also remains true to what makes Thomas the brand it is – teamwork and friendship. Viewers will see all the best parts of Thomas throughout the content, just in a new way. The All Engines Go series launched on Milkshake! in November. We’ve seen great ratings so far and an immediate POS uplift. This trend should continue with the launch of the new product line this month.

our product development and marketing.

Michael: I want to mention Polly Pocket too.

This brand has done incredibly well over the last couple of years. She’s a tiny rockstar within our portfolio and worthy of a mention.

We’re sure that, like most companies, Mattel has had its fair share of hurdles to overcome over the past 12 months.

How has the company met and mitigated these?

Michael: Mattel performed well from a supply chain perspective. Globally, our aim was to mitigate the risk of supply chain issues as much as possible, and of course it’s been tricky.

I strongly believe in being open and honest with our retail partners. Many retailers are in the same boat and there’s nothing to be gained by letting communication falter. We’ve had to tweak our plans here and there due to inventory coming in later than planned, but on the whole we’re pleased.

Cost pricing is another area we’re keeping a close eye on. While we’re doing everything in our power to lessen the impact rises might have on our retail partners and we sometimes need to adjust costs, but we always keep consumers in mind.

How has Mattel been supporting its retail partners, and what might this support look like going forward?

Michael: Firstly, we make sure we have tight business plans with all our strategic partners, each of which is treated very differently according to their consumer base and needs. Mattel works closely with its retail partners to ensure we’re

aligned on KPIs and vision, and that’s what makes the company a best-in-class supplier. Sometimes being a good partner can be as simple as being at the other end of the phone, ready to help with any issues that may arise by putting forward solutions quickly and transparently. There were many such conversations at the tail end of last year, but being open, building trust and overcoming problems only makes relationships stronger.

Coming into 2022, what do you think are the biggest opportunities on the horizon?

Michael: Well, there’s more than a few movies coming through. The toy industry has done surprisingly well over the last two years with low levels of new content and brands. It’s really had to lean into core, evergreen brands, and while it hasn’t disappointed on that front, I am really looking forward to seeing new films, TV series and brands. Mattel is obviously thrilled to be a licensing partner for some of the most exciting feature films due to hit the big screen – The Batman, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Lightyear and Jurassic World: Dominion amongst others. We’ve got product partnerships in place for the biggest movies of the summer in addition to our core brands, and we believe that puts us in a strong position.

Mattel has also partnered with 9 Story Media on Karma’s World, created by Ludicrous. This is a Netflix based content programme that we’ll be bringing to life in toys. We’re also producing toys based on Tiny Pop’s Gus, the Itsy Bitsy Knight, which will introduce a new core pre-school thematic. And, of course, we have our own content development slate with 14 films in development as

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The pivoted Thomas direction stems from the summer cinematic release of Race for the Sodor Cup, so we’ve known for a while that this transition would be taking place and have a solid plan to ensure its success. Early

Company Profile

Mattel However, the toy industry itself is incredible resilient during tough times and even if the wider economy struggles on spending, our professional community will come through it. After the two years we’ve all had, I really would like to think sunnier days lie ahead. If it was a low movie year, I might be worried, but there are so many movies coming through and, now more than ever, families understand what makes toys so special. In focus groups, parents are talking about how important physical play is to child wellbeing and development and toys will therefore remain a vital purchase for families. It’s also worth bearing in mind that Christmas 2021 saw a lot of grandparents reunited with grandkids they perhaps haven’t seen for a while; they would have been able to watch as that child opened toys on Christmas Day and be reminded of how important they are.

We’ve talked about Mattel’s new content, but what can you tell us about new product for 2022?

Kelly: As you might expect, there’s plenty of exciting new product on the way from across our entire portfolio. Starting with the youngest age ranges, our Fisher-Price Rainbow Showers Bedside Mobile and 1-2-3 Crawl with Me Puppy will be key items in the infant space. Thomas, as mentioned earlier, will have a whole new look. We’re launching a Race for the Sodor Cup play set, which will be exciting for fans that enjoyed Mattel’s animated content last year.

indicators suggest that it’s the right move for the brand and that it’s hitting the spot with consumers.

How is Mattel approaching the marketing space over the coming months?

Kelly: I’m always talking to the Mattel sales team and others in the marketing arena about how the space is changing on what feels like a day-to-day basis. Credit must go to the Mattel marketing team, which is doing a superb job keeping pace with a rapidly shifting landscape. TV remains a staple, but when you dig into the kids’ space you see that that ecosystem is becoming more and more complex.

Gaming is great for Mattel, not only from a product development perspective, with properties like Minecraft and Pokémon, but also as a place to target our audiences. YouTube has become an everyday platform for many kids, and so naturally must become an everyday part of our marketing.

Complexity arises when you’re talking to a consumer that might be three, four or five years old, say, knowing the person actually buying the toy is an adult parent or gift-giver. In that space, we need to build campaigns around mobile, social and audio elements. The Mattel ethos is very much to invest in where the consumers are, in many cases to overinvest, and to dial into new spaces as early as possible to get an advantage in emerging landscapes.

Speaking of ethos, Mattel has previously spoken of its intention to increase its slice of the toy market ‘pie’ while also making the pie itself bigger. Is it fair to say this is still the company’s approach to business?

Kelly: Absolutely. Mattel is a marketing-led organisation and is a massive investor in the space, which keeps consumers buying toys. From the company’s point of view, the hope is that those consumers think of Mattel as their go-to for toys, but a side effect of our overinvestment is that we drive growth in the areas Mattel is biggest in: Dolls, Vehicles and Pre-School. This benefits our retail partners and licensing partners alike. We don’t view the market just through a Mattel lens.

How willing have retailers and buyers been to visit your showroom in person?

Michael: In the first couple of weeks after we opened visitors were lining up to pay us a visit, but then Omicron was announced and we saw a few take a step back, either pushing back their appointment or opting for a digital preview instead.

And we did see people becoming more cautious as Christmas got closer. The nice thing is that we have that flexibility and adaptability; we can accommodate our customers however they would prefer. No one needs to miss out.

Earlier we spoke about the opportunities presented by 2022, but what about the challenges that lie ahead?

Michael: I like to think that the major challenges we experienced during the back end of 2021 are fading - the pandemic, supply chain disruption, cost pricing etc. - but inflation remains an issue. I think there’s some macro-economic issues lurking with universal credit, disposable income, fuel prices etc., all of which would suggest some groups within our society may face their own challenges.

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In Construction, our Mega Bloks Green Town range taps into the sustainability messaging we have coming through as a business. Mattel has made a number of pledges on sustainability, and these will be reflected this year, both in product and marketing for Barbie, Mega Blocks, Matchbox and more. Uno, meanwhile, welcomes a new gameplay format, Uno Wild, and we’ve also removed all the plastic from our Uno packaging.

Mattel Playback, which we launched in 2021, invites consumers to send their preloved toys back to the company to be responsibly recycled. This initiative will be expanded this year with a schools’ programme and more.

Barbie Dreamtopia is launching a new Twinkle Lights Mermaid: this is a proven platform for us but as Michael said earlier, we’re always looking for new opportunities. We entered the Nurturing Dolls space in 2021 with My Garden Baby, and we’ll be expanding that with a new thematic and new product.

Michael: We are all very pleased with where Mattel is. There are always areas we look to improve upon and as a team we’re constantly raising the bar. Mattel hasn’t been in such a strong position for a while, and it means we can continue to invest into all the areas we’ve got a presence in. There’s so much going on and plenty more to look forward to.

Feature Sh wcase

Sh wcase special This special section includes details of new lines from companies that have taken the decision not to exhibit at any trade shows in the early part of 2022 or were not able to confirm participation at the time of going to press.

T

he show must go on…but not for everyone, at least not in 2022. Toy Fair Season 2021 was inevitably a wipeout, with every major January and February toy fair – Hong Kong, London, Nuremberg and New York – cancelled. Some shows attempted to postpone until later in the year, but their attempts to run an event at a later date did not prove fruitful.

As the year progressed, several trade shows were able to take place: here in the UK, the Independent Toy & Gift Show and the Autumn Fair both went ahead in September, while November saw BLE, the European licensing trade event, successfully run a show at Excel. Over in France, Pre-Show Noel occupied its traditional November time slot, and at that stage, hopes were high for Toy Fair Season 2022.

However, things took a nasty turn with the spread of the Omicron Covid variant across the world.

Suddenly governments were faced with difficult decisions in the face of the most transmissible variant yet: should they ban international arrivals, while also reintroducing restrictions for their own citizens? The delicate balancing act between virus control and economic devastation returned to the fore, and there was inevitably a knock-on effect for the major toy shows.

Looking at January 2022, parts of the picture have been clear for some months, while other elements could change between when this article is written and you reading it. Let’s start with the ‘known knowns’: Hong Kong is definitely off limits for January and may remain so for many more months to come. Optimists point to the possibility of a summer re-opening of the borders, while others believe it could be as late as November before international visitors are welcomed back.

At the time of going to press, the Toy Association is adamant that the New York Toy Fair will be going ahead at the newly-expanded Javits Centre in the

middle of February. Masks will need to be worn (strictly no exemptions), and vaccination status will be checked everywhere – if you are unvaccinated, there is literally no point in even attempting to travel.

Back in Europe, the picture has been changing on an almost daily basis over the past few weeks.

Here in the UK, I have been reassured that the BTHA is monitoring the Covid situation extremely closely and working hard to ensure that everything possible is being done from its perspective to allow the London Toy Fair to go ahead safely. A further announcement will be made on January 5th, and we’ll keep you updated via our website with any further developments as soon as we have them.

However, there has been less encouraging news on the international travel front: after France banned UK travellers from entering the country, Germany followed suit on 18th December. What made the timing of the announcement all the more ironic was that a mere 48 hours earlier, the organisers of the Nuremberg Toy Fair had announced that following a review of the situation, they could confirm that the Spielwarenmesse would be going ahead as scheduled.

Life certainly comes at you fast these days…

So, where are we now? For those who missed our online article on the new travel restrictions applying to Germany, UK visitors are currently banned from entering Germany for the next two weeks. That decision will be reviewed on 2nd January – at that point, the ban could either be extended or rescinded.

There is no way of knowing which way the German government will go with this; it will largely depend on how Omicron case numbers evolve both here and in Germany over the festive period.

The uncertainty leaves Nuremberg’s 130 or so of UK exhibitors in limbo: if the ban stays in place, can they find a German partner to run the stand on their behalf? Or should they cancel the stand and risk not being there if the ban is lifted. It’s a tough call, but

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the Nuremberg organisers are being remarkably decent by offering a safety net. I was told that there is a special right of termination clause for exhibitors who are prevented from leaving their home country or entering Germany. Officially, any such cancellation would have needed to be exercised by 31st December, but incredibly generously, the show organisers decided to extend that deadline until there is firm news from the German government.

One of the Spielwarenmesse’s new board of directors, Christian Ulrich, sent me the following email: “After our phone conversation yesterday, we discussed internally how we can support our UK exhibitors in their decision-making process. I can confirm that we can extend the special right of termination until 13th January for UK exhibitors.

We hope that the travel/quarantine situation will get better and that UK companies will be able to participate in Spielwarenmesse 2022.” I am sure we all hope that – but if it isn’t possible, it is reassuring to know that the Nuremberg organisers won’t exacerbate the situation.

As a result of all this turmoil, some toy companies have taken the decision not to exhibit at any trade shows in the early part of 2022, while several others were not able to confirm participation at the time of going to press.

However, we didn’t want them to miss out on the opportunity to highlight their new products for ’22, so retailers can see what exciting new ranges will be launched over the coming months. So, we created this special Showcase section, where you will find details of a host of new lines that will be hitting shelves this year. Enjoy our Showcase round-up, which is followed by our extensive previews of the Nuremberg and London Toy Fairs. Let’s hope that we will all be able to visit these shows over the coming weeks – Zoom has been a lifesaver, but it will never replace seeing new products in the flesh.

Sh wcase Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk New to the Pre-School category this year from Spin Master is the Paw Patrol Rescue Knights range. The new content theme sees a baddie pup, riding a dragon, descend upon Barkingburg, meaning it’s up to the Paw Patrol pups to protect the kingdom. Clad in suits of Dragon Knight armour, the team must take to land, air and moat to stop the trouble-making dragon knight, Claw, and his mischievous dragon, Sparks. Featuring authentic dragon graphics and details, the Rescue Knights Hero Pup & Dragon Assortment and the Knight Themed Deluxe Vehicles make a perfect gift for kids aged three and up. Also available from the new range is the Sparks the Dragon & Claw set.

This set comes with an exclusive figure of Claw the pup and a large-scale Sparks the Dragon with wings, two projectiles and a saddle for Claw to ride in.

Ideal for those looking for the ultimate adventure, Spin Master has also launched the new Rescue Knights Castle HQ play set, a formidable 50.8cm-tall fortress that looks just like the castle from the show. The set features a mini dragon, throne, ladder, table, and an exciting rising tower transformation to enhance at-home storytelling.

Perfect for any follower of fashion, the fluffy and fabulous interactive Purse Pets Fluffy Fashionistas are packed with ‘purse-onality’. Each responds to touch, blinks its eyes and features over 30 all-new sounds and reactions. Available in two styles, Cattitude or Llamalush, the new Fluffy Fashionistas are a must have fashion accessory for stylish kids on-the-go.

Spin Master will also expand its Hatchimals CollEggtibles collection this season with the all-new and adorable Hatchimals Families. Each family has its own unique look and theme inspired by its favourite activities and hobbies. Kids can discover and reunite eight Hatchimals Families, including the Cat Dancers, Lion Artists, Bat Musicians, rare Dog Pilots, super rare Fox Pageant Stars and more. Also available from the range is the Sibling Pack, which comes with a new Hatchimals egg full of fun surprises: one big sibling, one baby sibling, a pair of wings and a reusable egg that becomes a cool hangout. With over 60 new Hatchimals to collect, Hatchimals Families are ultimate surprise toys that make an ideal gifting option for kids aged five and up.

Spin Master’s ever popular brand Kinetic Sand also welcomes a number of new launches this season, all of which join existing favourites such as the Sandisfactory play set. Complete with fun moulds used to shape, transform and create unique designs, the Sandisfactory play set comes with red, blue, yellow and rare black Kinetic Sand. New for 2022 is the Kinetic Sand Treasure Hunt play set. Tipped to be a new favourite among lovers of the tactile compound, this engaging set is packed with six layers of secret reveals and features nine hidden treasures to discover. Kids can dig through the sand to uncover three more surprise tools: a pirate sword to cut the sand, an octo-shaper to transform it and a roller that stamps secret messages. Then they can solve the clue that unlocks the panel on the bottom of the chest to find rare gold Shimmer Kinetic Sand in an exclusive shark mould. Perfect for kids three years old and above, Kinetic Sand sets offer endless hours of entertainment through tactile, independent play.

Following the success of Spin Master’s first Harry Potter range, the new Wizarding World Classroom and Friendship sets will launch in spring, giving young witches and wizards and the chance to take their storytelling play to the next level. The new Classroom Playset transforms from the Training Room of Dumbledore’s Army into the Room of Hidden Things, bringing this secret Hogwarts room to life. The new Friendships Set features two 7.6cm collectible dolls of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, plus figures of Harry’s Stag Patronus and Ginny’s Horse Patronus.

Mojo Fun

+44 07971 268054 | www.mojofun.eu | james@mojofun.eu Mojo is looking forward to being back at Nuremberg so it can showcase its new range of animal figurines to its many international customers.

Operating out of Hong Kong, the company’s product is sold in over 38 countries with a UK office and distribution recently established to satisfy British clients. Sales this year alone are up 40% and are expected to reach a similar figure next year. Designed and sculpted in the UK and manufactured in both China and Portugal, Mojo develops core ranges that are specific to each market.

At Nuremberg, Mojo will show off its many 2022 product launches as well as 2021 releases which have not had much exposure due to the pandemic.

New figurines for 2022 include a Woolly Mammoth, Arctic Wolf, a Peregrine Falcon, Lusitano Horse, Red Panda, a Coelacanth (the world’s oldest fish), Fennec Fox, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Gypsy Vanner horse, Tasmanian Devil and a Brumby Mare and Stallion.

Many of the designs are driven by children’s interest in nature and there are also annual trends for certain animals.

The company is currently working on making its products more environmentally friendly; from spring 2022, all figurines will come in compostable poly bags, with paper tape and labels instead of laminated ones.

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Sh wcase MGA Entertainment

0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com MGA is gearing up for another strong year across its raft of much-loved, innovative and award-winning brands.

Spring will see the launch of new products and themes across brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!, Rainbow High and Little Tikes, which the company says will drive both growth and market domination within the sector.

The L.O.L. Surprise! range of fashion dolls and collectibles will be showcasing yet more exciting product innovation throughout 2022, with never-before-seen themes set to wow both existing and new fans plus range expansions on popular lines. Spring will see the launch of a new World Travel theme, including three new O.M.G. Fashion doll characters complete with fierce fashions and fun travel accessories, 12 fan-favourite collectible dolls and a showstopping Travel refresh of the O.M.G. Plane play set. Each collectible combines L.O.L. Surprise!’s iconic layers of unboxing, packaging that transforms into themed play sets, and stylish accessories.

The successful fashion doll brand Rainbow High, which encourages fans to collect the rainbow and is one of the fastest growing new properties on the market, will start the new year in style with a new summer-themed line. The Rainbow High Pacific Coast launch will transport fans to the beach with six new fashion dolls and a play set.

Each doll comes with stylish and colourful beachwear and accessories such as hats, towels, beach bags and more. The dolls even have their own stand which doubles up as a surfboard. The cool beach club play set comes with a colour change pool, loungers and palm trees, making it the perfect place for the Rainbow High crew to kick back and have fun in the sun. The Pacific Coast line will launch in January, ahead of more new themes that will drive major developments for the brand later in the season.

For over 50 years, Little Tikes has maintained its position as a leader in the Outdoor Toys category, consistently creating products that have gone on to become family favourites. For spring 2022, the brand will be unveiling its latest outdoor must-have; the Little Tikes Foamo 3-in-1 Water Table for kids aged two and up. Little Tikes’ new Foamo 3-in-1 Water Table features both a bubble machine and a foam machine with a motor. The centre tower fills up with foam, which overflows out of the openings.

Cool water play accessories, including a ferris wheel that spins while picking up foam as well as a foam clapper, offer even more fun. Making play more accessible and affordable, any soap or bubble solution will work with the machine and hand pump.

The Little Tikes Dirt Diggers Excavator Sandbox has a construction theme and a lid that doubles as a truck ramp. The excavator really works; kids can scoop, dig and dump real sand as they play. With six sand accessories, including the Dirt Digger, little ones will have more than enough tools to keep playing and digging. While the sand is not included, the Little Tikes Dirt Diggers Excavator Sandbox can hold up to 46kg of it.

The Foamo Foam Machine brings the party home, with everything kids need (bar water) to start making mountains of foam within minutes.

The unique, non-toxic foam solution creates stacks of foam that leave little to no residue behind and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Foamo is perfect for birthdays, holidays and everyday play.

For many children, outdoor play begins in the garden. Thanks to the Growing Garden range, this can include learning about the natural world and helping adults to look after an outdoor space.

Each product in the range includes a Gardening Tips Book to help make gardening easier, and most product boxes can be turned upside down to transform them into planters.

The Growing Garden Large Tool Set includes a shovel, rake and garden hoe, sized for young gardeners and made of durable and lightweight metal and wood. Elsewhere in the range, the Growing Garden Hand Tools & Bag provides durable and lightweight metal tools for endless hours of use, and the child-sized tote bag is perfect for storing and carrying tools. The Growing Garden Wheelbarrow & Shovel makes it possible for children to get stuck into big jobs, thanks to their small size and lightweight, durable metal design.

All items will be supported by a robust media campaign, with products appearing on screens ahead of the summer season.

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Sh wcase Rex London 020 8746 1700 rexlondontrade.com info@rexlondon.com

eflecting the increasing popularity of STEM toys in recent years, Rex London is continuing its mission to provide engaging, screen-free educational toys with its current offering of construction kits.

STEM toys are ideal for developing creativity, curiosity, problem solving and hand-eye coordination in children, by amalgamating playtime with learning: kids feel more comfortable exploring on their own and can learn very well without the pressure of an overly structured environment. Scientific studies have shown that by exploring and satisfying curiosity, the brain floods the body with dopamine, which increases happiness. This reward teaches people to develop curiosity about the world around them, and this is especially important for children. By allowing kids to develop their own curiosity and satisfy it, Rex London is allowing them to find enjoyment through the process of discovery and learning.

The 4-in-1 Construction Kit contains all the pieces and tools kids need to build four completely different vehicles as well as detailed instructions. Also in the range is a fire engine construction kit, a tank kit, a 2-in-1 kit (robot and dune buggy) and lastly a 5-in-1 kit which lets children make and remake an open-back lorry, an excavator, a plane, a glider and a snowplough. The aim of each set is to inspire children to think beyond what is expected, and to bring creativity and imagination to an analytical practice such as engineering. The contents of the sets may look like plain metal pieces, but the build process encourages kids to see beyond the obvious and discover the limitless possibilities.

Panini 01604 877 888 www.paninigroup.com Panini’s most anticipated collectibles launch of the year, the all-new Premier League 2022 Sticker Collection, hit shelves on Thursday 30th December. This season’s collection is better than ever, with a shiny foil cover album and foil sticker packets making it one of the most thrilling Premier League seasons to date.

The collection features all 20 Premier League clubs as well as celebrated Legends and next-gen stars of the ‘beautiful game’. The sticker album is packed with facts, stats and info graphics for collectors and fans alike, making it one to keep and share with the grandkids in 30 years’ time. In addition, a full digital version of the collection will be made available for the first time ever. This will launch on the MyPanini Digital collections app.

The collection is backed by a substantial and multi-faceted marketing campaign fronted by West Ham and England star Declan Rice. This comprises a heavyweight TV and digital campaign, press and sampling activity, a national newspaper campaign and investment at retail across all listings.

Collectors can kick-start their collection with a starter pack, which includes a sticker album plus four sticker packets.

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Sh wcase Beehive Toy Factory 01460 241800 | www.beehivetoyfactory.co.uk | info@beehivetoyfactory.co.uk Beehive Toys offers fair prices, good margins and fully stocked shelves ready for dispatching. At the heart of the company’s mission statement is its continuous investment in creating beautiful designs that provide maximum fun, safety and educational benefits. Beehive’s new wooden toy line fulfils this mission by introducing a carefully curated range of popular wooden designs, with toys boasting many educational benefits for young toddlers and pre-school aged children. The collection has sturdy designs that are built to last and perfectly sized for little hands to hold and explore.

The range includes the Zoo Play Table, which has already proved popular with consumers since the launch in September 2021. Featuring various zoo habitats to inspire imaginations, the table is the perfect height for toddlers to play at, either independently or with friends. The Creative Toolbox consists of 72 pieces including tools, nuts and bolts for DIY fun. The endless possibilities of this construction kit make it great value for money perfect for encouraging creative and imaginative play.

Wooden toys have soared in popularity over the last few years, not only because of the many beautiful designs available but also thanks to their durability and ecofriendly materials. Recognising that they can be passed along from child to child, Beehive Toys has embraced the opportunity to replace some of its plastic products with more sustainable wooden options. A wooden Balance Bike was introduced to the range in Summer 2021, alongside the expansion of the wooden toy range with 19 new products.

One addition is the award-winning, bee-themed Memory Matching Game. Designed to improve memory skills, this fun game challenges both adults and children alike, so parents can enjoy playing along too. This wooden game is just one of the new educational toys that can help develop problem solving, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills amongst toddlers and pre-school aged children.

Beehive Toys prides itself on offering attractive RRPs while also providing great margins to trade customers. With 5-star business support available, such as free next day delivery and a friendly customer service person at the end of the phone, the company is always happy to help with queries or ordering assistance.

Low minimum order values and no minimum quantities mean Beehive’s smaller retailers are able to order little and often, ideal for those with smaller shops and limited space. For online retailers, high resolution images and product descriptions are available upon request, as well as the same high-quality support offered to more traditional retailers.

Creative Toys Company 0208 664 3476 | www.mimiconz.com | mimiconz@creativetoyscompany.com | conor@creativetoyscompany.com Creative Toys Company’s new venture is Mimiconz: 20cm tall PVC plastic figurines of the most famous people on the planet. The range has started with the World Leaders Collection which includes Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

The quirky collectibles offer excellent quality and likeness plus the unique packaging design which displays iconic locations associated with each leader. They also make a great, if at times unconventional, gift with many millions of fans adoring these politicians and Creative Toys Company says it is already experiencing strong sales from political enthusiasts.

The company says there is huge potential for Mimiconz within the tourist brick and mortar retail market, as well as in gift and toy shops throughout the USA and England where the product will stand out.

Each figure has a likeness that is uncanny, thanks to the company’s use of experienced sculptors, famous and for their intricate work on the SoccerStarz brand, with which Creative Toys Company already has years of experience in creating figures.

Mimiconz is heavily backed on all social media platforms, Google shopping and Amazon marketing campaigns which are helping to grow awareness every day. Creative Toys Company is also working with several highly followed Boris Johnson fans on social media.

The company’s wholesale pricing policies allow retailers to obtain around a 40% margin - and any large retailers who offer significant support in the coming months can expect to be looked after longterm, potentially with targeted marketing campaigns and even with the possibility of UK product exclusives.

This is just the start for Mimiconz, with a pipeline of new figurine launches underway, each concentrating on a different theme such as Boxing and ‘80s Pop.

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Sh wcase Bachmann Europe www.toyway.co.uk sales@toyway.co.uk The team at Bachmann Europe is looking forward to attending trade shows again at the start of next year, starting with the Giving and Living Show in Exeter and the Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. At these shows, visitors will be able to find a display of outdoor toys from the company’s new distribution line, Günther, which Bachmann will be distributing in the UK and Ireland from the start of 2022.

For over 65 years, Günther has been developing and producing ‘Anything that Flies!’ – classic children’s kites, dynamic stunt kites, model aircraft, gliders and a variety of airborne toys. Many of the products are made in its Günther’s very own factory in Germany. The brand ethos is to encourage families away from screens and get back to enjoying the great outdoors.

A highlight on the stand will be a range of colourful licensed children’s kites that feature characters from Disney and popular children’s animations, such as Paw Patrol and PJ Masks. The kites are made from robust PE foil and are very easy for young children to fly, even in the lightest of winds. There will also be a range of fun and vibrant glider toys on display, from chuck gliders to rubberband powered options, which are made of durable materials and are suitable to use all year long. For budding sailors, a selection of small sail boats will also feature on the stand. They are capsize-proof and seaworthy, thanks to a weighted keel and well-balanced rigging.

Bachmann Europe can be found at Stand 620 at Giving and Living, and Stand 5G24-H25 at Spring Fair.

KAP Toys 01423 368 888 | www.kaptoys.com | orders@kaptoys.com KAP Toys’ 2022 licensed portfolio will be kicking off right from the start of the year, with the team looking forward to a major boost in sales of its existing Wizarding World lines from the release of the upcoming Fantastic Beasts movie in April 2022. The company is expecting strong sell through for its retail customers in the run up to the all-important Easter period. With prices maintained, and a good selection of price points ranging from £9.99 up to £39.99, there is something to suit all budgets, and KAP Toys recommends that retailers talk to the team early to avoid disappointment.

The Among Us lines will benefit from the game’s arrival on the Play Station format in December 2021, resulting in holiday and social gaming increasing over the school holidays. KAP Toys will be introducing new items in the soft toy category and new waves of the sought-after capsules that continue their popularity as a key component of the toy line and are set to continue to do so throughout 2022.

Brand new, unseen and embargoed at the time of writing, KAP Toys will also be adding Stranger Things merchandise into its portfolio. The cult TV show will enjoy another boost in appreciation from the launch of a new series on Netflix, however, spectacular consumer awareness metrics have already made the property an accessible everyday merchandise opportunity. KAP Toys will be unveiling a new Stranger Things mystery capsule programme.

KAP Toys is aiming to beat its 2021 performance on all KPIs and says it is confident it has the products to do it. Retailers are invited to get in touch with the team in order to arrange a meeting, to discuss all of the company’s opportunities for 2022.

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Beautiful toys at beautiful prices Hall 4 Stand G60-H61

RexLondonTrade.com

Sh wcase Airfix 01843 233525 | www.airfix.com | sales@hornby.com Airfix firmly believes that fun is to be had in the journey and not necessarily the destination and it has taken this philosophy into redesigning all of its new Starter Sets. As always, the priority is on the build, and each kit has had its construction process completely streamlined with young modellers in mind.

Airfix Starter Sets such as the Sherman Firefly and the Tiger I tanks encourage children to learn coordination and spatial awareness while they piece together their models, as every kit is aimed at an audience of 8+. The kits come with easy to model tracks for the tanks to sit on, adding an authentic feel to the finished piece. Each of the Starter Set aircraft and tank models comes in a 1:72 scale, allowing beginners to perfect the art of the detail before committing to something more time-consuming. They are also the perfect way to learn a little bit of history and the helpful painting guides, which are included in every kit, allow modellers to build and decorate an iconic piece as they see fit.

The RAF Red Arrows Hawk Starter Set features the dual control BAE Hawk T. Mk.1 model, which was born from the RAF's advanced trainer and has been used by the Red Arrows since 1979. The aircraft is essentially the same as those flown by RAF Advanced Training Students with the exception of the smoke generators and a slightly uprated engine giving a faster response time to changes of power setting.

Airfix Starter Sets are also models made to last, as each aircraft set comes with a stand to proudly display the finished product. Things haven’t changed too much however; in every box, modellers can still expect to see the iconic Humbrol trio of a tube of poly cement, a paint brush and acrylic paints: everything a first timer will need to launch themselves into the hobby of scale modelling.

Following on with the theme of construction, the Airfix Quickbuild brand has a whole host of licences, all designed to contribute to the enhancement of cognitive skills and the promotion of independent learning in younger people. The Quickbuild range is a collection of simple, brick-based model kits ideal for kids which are quick to build. Complete with stands, stickers and rolling wheels, they make toys which are designed to last, with no gluing or painting involved. Once built, they are smart enough to display on a shelf. Quickbuild models are aimed at an audience of 6+ and are firmly at the beginner skill level, so anyone new to the hobby can give them a go.

One of Quickbuild’s newest models is the F-35B Lightning II. Its inspiration is a single-seat, single-engine supersonic jet with the most advanced computers and networking abilities yet to take to the air, and stealth capabilities designed to make it hard to pick up on enemy radar. The F-35B variant has a lift fan mounted behind the cockpit giving the jet short take-off and vertical landing capabilities, meaning it can hover like a Harrier. The F-35B is very detailed and contains 38 pieces within the box.

Developed as a street-legal counterpart of an off-road racing vehicle, the Quickbuild Ford F-150 Raptor is optimised for off-road use, with four-wheel drive, all-terrain tyres, and an upgraded suspension system. These real-life features translate to the Quickbuild model’s cool design, creating a durable yet stunning finished product, which can be constructed in 43 pieces.

Airfix has also collaborated with another car company, Bugatti, for the Quickbuild Chiron, which is based on the fastest, most powerful and exclusively produced super sports car in Bugatti’s history. The iconic super car features sophisticated design and innovative technology, and this Quickbuild kit comes in 44 pieces.

Hornby Hobbies have produced a toy catalogue which features hero toy lines from its portfolio of brands.

To get your copy call 01843 233525 or email sales@hornby.com.

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At the upcoming 2022 Spielwarenmesse show, Guidecraft is proud to showcase a variety of toys that support the connection between children and their environment through authentic materials, textures and nature-based activities. The Big Branch Block Builders set features real, notched branch pieces and structural boards. The unrefined bark textures provide a unique tactile and architectural experience, layered with lessons of how a material can evolve depending on where and how it is used. This extensive set includes 125 pieces and 10 double-sided concept cards.

Big Branch Block Builders G6778

www.guidecraft.com Hall 4, Stand D50

Sales Rep: Lorna Smith (EMEA) Email: lsmith@guidecraft.com

- 125 pc. set

Phone: +44 (0) 7725833273 Skype: lorna.smith966

Sh wcase

Scalextric 01843 233 500 | www.scalextric.com | sales@hornby.com Scalextric is gearing up for another year of exciting new product releases which will join its evergreen favourites. Scalextric is a system-based product that offers something for everyone regardless of their age or racing skills. My First Scalextric is ideal for first time racers aged three and over. The simple figure-of-eight track with coloured arrows and magnetic cars makes this the ideal entry point to the brand, offering ease-of-use and a positive experience right from the first race. My First Scalextric will continue to be supported by combined TV and digital marketing campaigns.

A natural evolution from My First Scalextric, Micro Scalextric uses the same 1:64 scale track system, meaning the two brands can be combined, and is powered by either battery or mains electricity. Micro Scalextric taps the sweet spot for 4–6-year-old racers: while the cars have strong magnets that help keep them on the track, the larger circuits mean the cars can reach greater speeds and provide an even more thrilling race. These elements, coupled with stunt track options, invite kids to bring that little bit more skill to the track and encourages the building of creative track layouts around the home.

New Micro Scalextric sets for 2022 will introduce fresh themes to the line-up. The Street Race set includes two licensed hyper cars: a striking red Porsche 911 Turbo and green Lamborghini Huracan Evo. The second new set brings motorsport action to kids in a Formula E race format. The set comes complete with two of the allelectric Formula E racing cars. Both sets are battery powered and have speed limiter hand-controllers, plus 3.5 metres of track providing nine different circuit options.

The booby trap lap counter allows kids to race up to 50 laps, at which point the losing car is ejected from the track.

The latest addition to the world of Batman movies, The Batman, is scheduled to hit the big screen in 2022. Fans looking for licensed Batman product will be pleased to hear the ever-popular Batman vs Joker Micro Scalextric set will continue to be available, with its two cars and four meters of track with a single loop-the-loop and nine different circuit options to build. In addition, there is a new Batman vs Joker – The Race for Gotham City set. This includes Batman and Joker cars, plus an impressive 5.7 metres of track with two loop-the-loops and 12 different track layouts to discover at an alternative retail price point. Both Batman sets will be supported with TV and digital marketing campaigns that capture the excitement they offer young racers, alongside separate influencer-led campaigns targeting purchasers.

Elsewhere in the portfolio, Scalextric is going back in time with something perfect for bigger kids or the whole family. The brand has been producing racing sets since 1957. During these years, it has put smiles on millions of faces, offering hours of competitiveness, excitement and fun. Now many of those first fans have children or grandchildren of their own with whom they want to share their childhood experiences of Scalextric. To cater to this, Scalextric is producing two retro themed sets. Both will sport branding from the period, such as the famous 1980’s Scalextric logo, but offer today’s quality and detail. The box designs will evoke memories of childhoods long past, and will no doubt trigger some happy recollections.

The first set, Grand Prix, contains two Lotus F1 cars from the 80s and 90s in the iconic black & gold and yellow liveries from the period as driven by the hero of the time, Ayrton Senna. The second set brings to life two of the most popular TV and film franchises of the period: Back to Future vs Knight Rider (or to be more specific, the Time Machine vs KITT or Marty & The Doc vs Michael Knight). Partnering with Universal Brand Development, Scalextric has managed to combine these two famous franchises in one box, something consumers won’t often see in consumer product outside of the digital space. Tipped to be every kidults’ dream, the set contains a circuit of Scalextric track and two detailed cars with working features including a working the DeLorean’s Flux Capacitor light and KITT’s strobing red front grill light.

Both retro sets will be supported by a mass awareness campaign starting in the summer targeted at millennial parents, fans of motorsport and pop culture.

The full Scalextric line-up of new products will be available to view from the 11th January at the website as well as on Scalextric’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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For over 65 years, Günther has been developing and producing ‘Anything that Flies!’ – classic children’s kites, dynamic stunt kites, model aircraft, gliders, and a variety of airborne toys.

Make sure to visit Stand 620 at Giving & Living or Stand 5G24-H25 at Spring Fair to see the full range.

For more information email sales@toyway.co.uk Guenther_JAN2022.indd 1

Don’t just say your toys are green. Prove it.

Consumers are looking for safer, more sustainable toys for their children to cuddle, snuggle and love. Adding validated sustainability attributes to product labels helps brands build consumer trust and avoid greenwashing claims.

UL’s Environmental Claim Validation program can help you provide reassurance around: • Biobased content • Mold resistance • Recycled content • VOC content • Waste diversion To learn more, contact us at toys@ul.com or visit ul.com/services/environmental-claim-validation.

www.toyway.co.uk 07/12/2021 16:25

Sh wcase Hornby 01843 233 500 www.hornby.com sales@hornby.com The Hornby Playtrains range was introduced in the beginning of 2021, following several years of research and planning, with the aim of introducing a younger audience to the hobby and brand. Playtrains products started to arrive in the summer of 2021, allowing children to set off on a special railway adventure. Only a few months later, the Playtrains range is on track to expand even further.

Playtrains toys run on a battery-operated remote-control system and feature working lights, multiple sounds, three speeds in forward and reverse, easy to clip together track and much more. With additional products available such as solo locomotives, rolling stock and track packs, there are endless ways to expand and build a Playtrains world.

Far more than just a range of toy trains, this character-led brand is headed up by Flash, Bolt and Thunder. Each has stories to tell, adventures to go on and friends to make. Short Playtrains stories bring the characters to life, allowing children to connect even further with them as they join them on their travels and encouraging a love of reading. The stories are hosted on the Playtrains Portal, a one stop shop for all things Playtrains which can be located via the Hornby website. Alongside the stories, featured educational activity sheets support STEM learning by promoting the core subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as well as English and Geography.

Within the portal, children - with the help of parents/guardians - can enjoy the Kids Zone, watch the latest Playtrains videos, meet the Playtrains Heroes and download the special Token Sheet, which encourages kids to collect the full range. Each Playtrains product (excluding the solo controller) contains a collectable token which can be stuck to the Token Sheet. Once all the tokens have been collected and the sheet delivered to Hornby HQ, children will receive an exciting surprise goody bag - just one of the reasons so many kids are diving into the world of Playtrains.

Corgi 01843 233 500 | www.corgi.co.uk | sales@hornby.com Following a bumper year of product releases, 2022’s Corgi die-cast product ranges will enjoy a different style of launch announcements - three separate catalogue and range launches held at staggered, four monthly intervals across the year. This decision has been made partly to offset the lingering perception among customers that products are delayed following announcements very early in the year, but also to allow additional development time that will benefit the quality of the final product when it is revealed to the market. The aim is for every product announced to be at the pre-production stage by the time it is made available for pre-order, rather than having to rely on early and potentially inaccurate rendered imagery of new items that remains in the marketplace for several months before release.

Newly tooled products for 2022 will include two new 1:72 items and a new 1:48 item in the Aviation Archive range, four new 1:43 scale vehicles in the Vanguards range, and the first releases from a newly signed multi-year licence agreement featuring beloved British characters. Corgi is also entering the collector-focused market of 1:12 scale die-cast motorcycles for the first time with an officially licensed rendition of the Triumph Scrambler 1200. The motorbike stars in the thrilling opening sequence of the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. The accurate Corgi model features working details including sprung suspension and a removable rear wheel stand. The core Corgi ranges - Aviation Archive, Vanguards, Original Omnibus and Military Legends – will also welcome plentiful new releases throughout the year, with some long-absent product tools making a highly anticipated return to each sub-brand.

Following the initial product reveals this month, new additions to the range will be announced in May and September, with the launches for each bolstered by a new 32-page catalogue highlighting the releases due in that quarter. The catalogue will be available in print as a free pack-in with every order made direct from Corgi, and as a free digital download from the website.

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Sh wcase Edx Education

+44 20 7097 5173 | www.edxeducation.com anna@edxeducation.com Edx Education toys allow a child to explore and experiment with many different learning concepts through play. The range has been designed to develop key early skills, focusing on the main areas of STEAM education, with toys that stimulate children’s imagination and creative thinking skills, while also encouraging children to collaborate and problem solve.

2022 is going to be an exciting year for Edx Education, with the introduction of many new educational toys to the range.

The company will be increasing its STEAM offering with new constructions sets, extending the award-winning Rainbow Pebbles collections and bringing the Junior Geostix ranges to life with more retail choices. There will be a big focus on new sustainable options, including using recycled plastics, certified sustainable packaging and much more.

One of the many exciting additions to Edx Education’s product line is the new My Gears collection, which has been inspired by the company play philosophy: 'Play, Learn, Create'. The My Gears construction kits provide hours of engaging hands-on learning, and are perfect for developing early engineering skills, encouraging creative thinking, curiosity and problem solving, while also developing fine motor skills.

As with all Edx Education collections, the new ranges have been designed to support both classroom and home learning play. The new Monster Counters activity sets are perfect for teaching essential maths basics and are great for little hands to learn to count, while also learning about addition, subtraction, sorting, patterning, matching and measuring.

Edx Education’s award-winning extensive home learning ranges aim to support parents and caregivers in all aspects of play-based learning and development.

From early years active play to maths, the ranges are built to encourage children to be creative, learn and have fun with interactive counters, outdoor play collections, award-winning Rainbow Pebbles, construction sets and STEAM sets. The home learning sets are packed with activities to keep children engaged, encouraging creative play, problem solving, the development of fine motor skills and critical thinking.

As an additional resource, Edx Education now provides expert advice on its play blog and podcast, with advice from educational experts and downloadable resources for the extension of its educational toys, including activities for parents, caregivers and teachers available at www.edxeducation.com.

Contact us for a virtual appointment to view all the new products and educational toy offerings.

The OffBits

(97) 250 666 2007 | www.theoffbits.com | sales@theoffbits.com The OffBits aims to create new play patterns by designing products that spark imagination among kids of all ages, encourage creativity and turn the familiar ‘bits and pieces’ all around us into next-gen toys. The OffBits were created

by Roy Barzani, a father of two, designer and graduate of the prestigious University of Design in Bezalel.

The OffBits STEAM construction toy system is based on build-it-yourself kits made from proprietary connectors and standard hardware components. Each kit includes brightly coloured robot characters with inspiring backstories, as well as custom-designed vehicles, extension packs, tools, and accessories. The kits can be combined to allow infinite building possibilities, and additional parts can be added from any home toolbox.

As part of The OffBits DNA and product development, the company is launching a new product line that will allow more play options and variety, as well as being greener and more environmentally friendly.

The folding suitcases combine new OffBits series with a modular cardboard folding activity. Each kit includes more than 200 parts, a supertool, instructions, a step-by-step guide and colourful cardboard parts that can be folded into large structures. The new suitcase will launch in three themes: Farm, Space Station and Garage.

The OffBits is also launching two other kits, the magical UnicornBit and the Family kit. The latter includes more than 1,000 colourful custom-made bolts and nuts.

As part of the company's expansion and investment, The OffBits is looking for distributors and local partners to open new territories.

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Feature

Nuremberg Preview

Coming up at

Nuremberg

Spielwarenmesse 2022 opens its doors from 2nd-6th February after being postponed and ultimately cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Firmly still on the calendar come late December, Toy World sums up what’s on the agenda for the leading German trade fair.

A

t the time of going to print, the latest from the organisers of Spielwarenmesse 2022 was that the show would be going ahead as planned, with strong support from exhibitors indicating the depth of feeling surrounding the importance of this event to the trade fair season. Uncertainty remains, particularly following the announcement on 19th December that Germany was to ban travellers from Britain in an attempt to slow the spread of the Omicron variant – a ban which may or may not have already been extended or rescinded. But for now, Toy World is going by the information provided, which is that the show must go on.

It’s been a tough couple of years for all those involved in the toy trade, but arguably even more so for young companies and start-ups, with a lack of trade shows and other opportunities to present their products to buyers in person. To rectify this and provide additional support, Spielwarenmesse 2022’s New Exhibitor Package was designed to help companies showcase their portfolio at this year’s event at particularly attractive rates.

Hall 8 will play host to the Start-Up Zone, highlighting German and international start-up companies, and is also the location of both the Trend Gallery and an area showcasing the winners of this year’s ToyAwards.

The ToyAwards welcomed a new category this year in Sustainability, reflecting the increased demand for eco-friendly/sustainable/recyclable/biodegradable toys and games. Further highlighting this growing sector is the Toys Go Green Area (Hall 3A), where visitors can find out all there is to know about this topic on four themed islands, discover and try out products, and deepen their specialist knowledge at the daily sustainability presentation in the adjacent Toy Business Forum (Hall 3A). On Wednesday 2nd, Belgian

consultant Joeri Van den Bergh will tackle the question of how sustainable sustainability is for a brand, while US toys and trends expert Reyne Rice will turn the spotlight on sustainability and innovations. Thursday 3rd sees speakers including Axel Dammler of Iconkids & Youth discuss sustainability in toys and games.

The Toy Business Forum will be hosting a plenty of presentations on other topics, too, with top speakers lined up from across the globe and all sectors of the industry. The new Live on Stage programme kicks off with LicenseTalks from Wednesday to Saturday from 10.30 -11.30am. From 1-3 pm each day, the focus shifts to the changes and challenges facing retail in general and the toy sector in particular. In the late afternoon, in the Live on Stage programme allows companies to present their businesses, product portfolios and new products to visitors in handy 20-minute slots.

All presentations, which are free and do not require registration, will be live-streamed for those that cannot attend in person, and will be simultaneously translated into German/English.

Games fans, meanwhile, have welcomed the news that the Bavarian Games Archive will take place on the Friday of Spielwarenmesse as the Internationale Spieleerfindermesse – Game Inventors Convention.

Games developers will present their prototypes at individual tables in front of their target audiences, and a networking event to follow will allow participants to continue their conversations with games critics, publishers and trade journalists in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Tech2Play area (Hall 4A) has been expanded for 2022 and now houses more tech and electronic toy specialists than ever before. This highly interactive area is a popular and much-frequented part of Spielwarenmesse, inviting visitors to discover a wealth of technological innovations Robot Toys, RC Toys, Virtual Play and Electronic Learning. Service

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providers for retail and industry will also benefit from their own exhibition area for the first time, with the Service Providers’ Area (Hall 3A). Here, companies will showcase the solutions on offer in areas such as marketing, production materials, packaging, shopfitting and stand construction. Test and inspection institutes will also present their services, while the Future of Exhibition stand will highlight new, futureoriented technologies suited to our post-Covid world.

From mid-January, ticket holders will be granted access to the show’s new platform, Spielwarenmesse Digital. The platform offers assistance to retailers preparing for their visit to the fair, providing targeted searches for companies and product groups, as well as helping to manage contacts and arrange meetings – whether virtual or in person at the fair itself. Owing to the current situation with Covid, trade visitors can only purchase one-day tickets online - there won’t be any ticket counters at the exhibition centre itself. Admission screening and sanitiser stations will further increase on-site safety and testing will be offered too, while frequently used surfaces will be regularly disinfected.

On site catering services will also adhere to stringent legal requirements. Visitors are assured that all safety and hygiene measures are being frequently updated as the situation evolves: the latest information can be viewed on the Spielwarenmesse website.

Christian Ulrich summarises: “The hygiene concept we have developed with the health authorities and venue operator NürnbergMesse will ensure that the Spielwarenmesse is held under safe conditions. Given the precautions and measures we are taking, we firmly believe that we can host a successful Spielwarenmesse that will serve to further boost the industry.”

Over the following pages, Toy World takes a look at some of the ranges set to be showcased at the 73rd Spielwarenmesse. Hope to see you there.

Nuremberg Preview

HTI Toys

01253 778888 | www.htigroup.co.uk Hall 12.2, P.09 HTI Toys is delighted to be returning to Nuremberg to showcase its 2022 ranges and the stand will feature a host of new products, as well as new brands, with some significant changes since the last show in 2020.

The Teamsterz brand has seen huge growth in recent years, with the additions of new sub-categories and new toys. The newest addition to the portfolio, Beast Machines, will take pride of place at the February show.

Teamsterz is famous for its high-quality diecast vehicles, and this range features an array of beast creatures to collect, including a dinosaur, rhino, scorpion and more. These diecast vehicles are available as singles, or assorted packs, along with beast-inspired play sets. The Serpent Strike features a slam launcher and a flexible serpent body track which can be played flat or curled to create a loop. Also new is the Triceratops Transporter, with its dinosaur shaped cab, and the Robo Shark Transporter, packed full of features including light and sounds, a built-in speed ramp and missile launcher, plus many more.

The hero line for this year is the Monster Mayhem garage. This awesome play set features a giant dinosaur which ‘eats’ the cars, before shooting them down the racetrack, a dinosaur skull and ribcage tip launcher and a working tarantula lift.

Teamsterz is also introducing its My First JCB range at Nuremberg. This includes chunky, soft, characterised vehicles and two RC toys, Doug Dump Truck and Joey JCB. The Construction Site Garage, featuring character cranes and a rubble shoot, has already received amazing feedback at previews.

The Evo brand will have new additions to its line-up and is introducing three new models into its stunt scooter range. With attention to every detail, from design to materials and performance, the new additions offer something for everyone, from novice to expert riders.

Keeping in line with the stunt trend, Evo is bringing out a tight, value-focused range of skateboards under the brand’s umbrella, comprising five distinct models with custom Evo designed decks.

Evo has also re-envisioned its battery-operated product range. Incorporating trend driven style and branding, the offering now comprises of six new design themes across 27 items. Evo is also introducing two brand new items to the market: a 4x4 and a mini quad.

HTI Toys has been the role play partner for evergreen pre-school brand Peppa Pig for numerous years, and the extremely popular range has grown rapidly, with a focus on tooling investment to create bespoke Peppa toys. 2022 will see the introduction of Peppa’s Camera, which is packed full of interactive features, perfect for little hands. Children can lift the lens cap to hear the Peppa Pig theme tune, take the perfect selfie with the mirrored lens and press Peppa’s snout to produce a photograph, whist the clicker spinner creates a colourful changing world through the viewfinder.

Children can also be introduced to the concept of time with Peppa’s clock, shaped just like the iconic house from the TV programme. Features include a turning chimney that switches from daytime to night, moving clock hands and colourful turning cogs. Characters George and Suzy dance as time goes by and Peppa will ‘peekaboo’ from the window, just like a real cuckoo clock.

Baby Shark has become a global phenomenon, with the song being the No.1 most watched video in YouTube history. HTI Toys is pleased to showcase its new range of Baby Shark toys at Nuremberg, including character cases and musical toys. The under-the-sea inspired toys include Baby Shark, Mummy Shark and Daddy Shark characters and feature the famous theme tune.

After the huge success of My Little Pony: A New Generation on Netflix, HTI Toys will be displaying its new styling head toys at Nuremberg, based on two of the main characters, Sunny Starscout and Princess Pipp Petals. Children can style the beautiful, long manes of the ponies with the beauty accessories including cutie mark stickers, hair brushes, beads and hair slides.

HTI Toys has partnered with nursery brand Chicco as part of its Baby Chic dolls pram business, and 2022 will see new introductions to the range including the Cozy Twin Pushchair and Nursery Playset. The complete range of 10 nursery toys will be showcased at Nuremberg.

Epic Fun is a new brand for HTI Toys in 2022. With investment in bespoke tooling and a focus on key trends and themes, the Epic Fun range of games has something for everyone, from the magical Fantasy Feast and Unicorn Surgeon to the scary Dino Dentist and colourful Marble Run.

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Nuremberg Preview

IMC Toys

01904 720908 | www.imctoys.com info.uk@imctoys.com Hall 12.2 Stand P-26 IMC Toys will be showcasing its latest innovative, creative – and technologically advanced - ranges while exhibiting at Nuremberg International Toy Fair 2022.

Continuing the company’s long-term strategy for growth across its core brands and development within its cross-category portfolio, IMC will be unveiling new product lines and planned marketing activities for the business in all territories.

Committed to innovation as a catalyst for development and to ensure the steady growth of the company, IMC will be unveiling new lines and brand extensions for its own IP ranges, including Cry Babies, Cry Babies Magic Tears, Bloopies, and Club Petz. These range expansions come following a successful year with award winning products across multiple international territories, and a strong Q4 period with stand-out hero items including the new-look nurturing doll, Cry Babies, and the latest series of the Cry Babies Magic Tears collectibles, Cry Babies Magic Tears Dress Me Up. Newly developed IPs including Bubiloons, and the company’s first boys’ collectible, Lucky Bob, will receive a global platform during the show, alongside the business’s wider portfolio of games, electronic toys and licensed collections.

Content remains a key driver for IMC, and the company has made substantial investment in producing new material hosted on its official YouTube channel, Kitoons. An annual programme of new animated episodes and series for Cry Babies, Cry Babies Magic Tears, Bubiloons, Bloopies and Lucky Bob has been scheduled throughout 2022, with the new storylines and characters reflected in each of the new toy range launches.

In addition to YouTube, content will be aired via key broadcast partners across each of the international IMC divisions, plus IMC’s groundbreaking, new Kitoons Over-The-Top (OTT) platform. Launching with Samsung and LG, the Kitoons OTT platform combines content with eCommerce, enhancing the consumer’s brand experience and purchase journey. Setting the Kitoons OTT platform apart from other streaming services, and making it the first of its kind from a toy brand, is its ability to suggest products based on the video being watched and drive viewers directly to retailers.

Alpha Group Europe

+31 20 301 2170 | www.alphatoysglobal.com Hall 12, H4-5 Alpha Group is excited to be returning to Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2022 to showcase its extensive portfolio.

The company’s flagship pre-school property, Super Wings, will be revealing new products to support the extensive content slate airing through leading broadcast partners on both linear and on demand platforms. Season 6 will launch in 2022, with a brand-new theme: World Guardians, which tasks the Super Wings crew with protecting the environment. The new storyline will be shown across 40 episodes, introducing new characters along with the Super Balls which are based on key elements such as fire, water and wind. The master toy range includes new transforming characters, updated collector packs and new play sets, including a transforming world aircraft that converts into a huge robot.

Alpha’s long-term commitment to the Super Wings franchise is demonstrated through its continuous investment in fresh new content, with Season 7 greenlit for development. The property is supported with significant marketing investment across multiple platforms for 2022.

Alpha Group will also continue its master toy partnership with Herschend Entertainment Studios on Chuggington. Now in its sixth series, content is available on both linear and VOD platforms. Following the initial toy launch in AW 2021, an extended portfolio will be showcased for AW 2022 featuring new character trains and a variety of track sets including a colour change playset and ice cream factory play set.

Alpha’s pre-school portfolio is further complemented through its successful in-house brand Auby’s extensive product portfolio for babies and toddlers, ranging from rattles through to walkers and activity tables. Offering high quality educational toys incorporating key learning and development milestones at competitive prices, Auby ranges can be tailored to local market requirements including language specific product and packaging.

Alpha will also be enhancing its boys’ portfolio through a broad range of properties.

Legends of Spark is a new action-based property supported with a CGI animated series encompassing key themes of racing, speed and stunts. The product range consists of vehicles and launchers to propel cars onto cool track sets which are all based on the animation.

Infinity Nado offers an extensive range of customisable spinning tops which require strategy and skill to successfully battle opponents. Based on animated content now in its 5th Series, the range is differentiated through high quality product and premium materials at competitive prices, and now includes stackable ranges, launchers and battle arenas.

Giant Saver is a boys action range based on 3D animated content, now in its 4th Series.

The toy range is based on key characters with the ability to transform from figures into beasts. Two figures combine into a large robot, and four beasts combine collectively into a huge Giant Saver to offer collectability across the range and enhanced play value.

Alpha will also be showcasing its in-house Feature RC products under the new Terra brand, which includes a transforming flying drone and RC Skater with cool balance mode.

Finally, Alpha’s construction brand, Wise Blocks will be introducing a new segment with the launch of remote-control building sets with a variety of themes and difficulty levels.

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Nuremberg Preview

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V 01753 271737 | www.yugioh-card.com/uk Hall H10.1, Stand D-14

Set for release on 27th January, The Grand Creators wills three new strategies into existence and features a new World Premiere Spell Card for Inzektors, the winner of the 2020 Create-A-Card Project selected by the Yu-Gi-Oh! community. In addition, 15 more cards, a mix of old and new, will become Collector’s Rares in this 60-card booster set.

Yu-Gi-Oh fans can expect art that comes alive. These monsters pour their blood and sweat into their craft to create their masterpieces. Players can use as many Level 3 Psychic monsters in their deck as they can to maximise the destructive potential of their Level 11 Synchro Monster, as they gather their fellowship and become the hero of their own duel. The Grand Creators also lets players summon a brave protagonist to the field as a Token and meet powerful new friends who will aid them on their quest. The deck also invites Yu-Gi-Oh! fans to explore beautiful new Field Spells, arm themselves with mysterious Equip Spells, and unleash a Trap Card that can summon heroic monsters to join the cause.

Dutiful Xyz Monsters save souls by teaming up to protect the Graveyard. If a player’s opponent moves any card out of either Graveyard, their Level 4 Spellcasters unleash their true power and become Rank 4 Xyz Monsters.

The Grand Creators will also contain the card resulting from the 2020 Create-ACard Project, a powerful Spell Card that will take Inzektor decks and strategies to a whole new level. Players should make sure their Inzektor deck is sleeved up and ready to go: this powerful Spell Card can pull an Inzektor monster or Equip Spell and either Special Summon it or equip it to an Inzektor monster.

Inzektors were chosen by fans via a series of single-elimination polls, emerging victorious out of the 16 themes that formed the project. Participants were asked to choose which theme should receive a World Premiere card, as well as what card type it should be and what kind of product it should be released in. An Inzektor Spell Card was chosen to be released in a 60card booster set, and fittingly, The Grand Creators is the stage this new card will debut on.

The Grand Creators booster set contains 60 cards: 10 Ultra Rare cards, 15 Super Rare cards and 35 Rare cards, while 15 cards in the set are also available as Collector's Rares.

On 24th February, Yu-Gi-Oh! players can then learn the legends and experience the story from the beginning with Hidden Arsenal: Chapter 1. It’s been over a decade since the Hidden Arsenal era began, and now, duellists can obtain historic cards they’ve never been seen before from the first four Hidden Arsenal and learn the stories behind them.

During a duel, players can bolster the Ice Barrier strategy from Structure Deck: Freezing Chains with even more Ice Barrier cards, flooding the field with the army of the Ice Barrier.

They can also fortify their Fabled Deck with core cards integral to any Fabled strategy, capitalise on discarding cards from their hand and gaining powerful effects, or utilise the new Fabled cards that were featured in Blazing Vortex.

With plenty of new additions in Ghosts from the Past, Dragunity duellists won’t want to miss their chance to find some of the most sought-after Dragunity cards from the Hidden Arsenal era and unlock the legend of this powerful Wind-Dragon Synchro strategy.

All the cards in the original Hidden Arsenal series were either Super Rares or Secret Rares. However, in Hidden Arsenal: Chapter 1, some of these epic cards can be obtained as Common or Ultra Rares with the Duel Terminal Technology that has been unavailable on any cards for many years. These cards used to be extremely popular with duellists, with some of the most powerful cards in the game’s history receiving this treatment, and now players have another chance to get their hands on this style of card once again.

Each Hidden Arsenal: Chapter 1 box contains a total of: one Secret Rare Card, six Duel Terminal Technology Ultra Rare Cards, two Duel Terminal Technology Common Cards, 28 Standard Common Cards and one Special Collectible Dice.

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Making Science

Fun!

At SmartLab Toys, each kit comes with a kid-friendly learning guide packed with solid science. The concepts presented are based on established scientific principles and fact-checked by experts.

Better yet, our science-based activities make science FUN!

SmartScan

Voice Tech Teaches You All About Your Body!

NEW from SmartLab Toys!

View our full range of SmartLab Toys at SmartLabToys.com.

To contact SmartLab sales, please email salesuk@quarto.com.

Nuremberg Preview

Mattel

01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com Hall 12.2, P.15 Barbie continues to drive momentum in 2022, by continuing its mission to show girls “You Can Be Anything”. Barbie will kick off an exciting Q1 with more unboxing fun thanks to the new Color Reveal Mermaid series for Barbie & Chelsea. Barbie Extra continues to expand with three new dolls added to the range in Q1 and the first ever Barbie Extra Car. New in the Careers segment is the Barbie Bakery Playset and Doll, while adding magic is the Dreamtopia Twinkle Lights Mermaid doll.

A new camping play set for Malibu Barbie and Brooklyn Barbie Camping dolls is inspired by It Takes Two, an upcoming Barbie series following on from the 2021 movie Barbie: Big City Big Dreams.

Mattel’s Dolls’ portfolio continues to expand its product range. Polly Pocket adds the Teddy Bear Purse to its large wearable compact assortment, along with all new themed compacts in the Pocket World Assortment. Mattel’s Spirit range continues to grow with the new Lucky’s Nursery Playset and the Spirit Core Doll & Horse Assortment moves to rooted manes and tails in 2022. My Garden Baby continues to encourage kids to cultivate an appreciation for the world around them, welcoming the My Garden Baby Brush & Smile Little Bunny Baby Doll range. New characters are also being added to Mattel’s Harry Potter doll assortment, including Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius Black.

Fisher-Price continues to delight parents with new solutions in Baby Gear as well as the Infant range which introduces the 123 Crawl with Me Puppy and Let’s Connect Laptop, while Little People welcomes the Little People Big ABC Animal Train.

Fisher-Price Imaginext adds the Bat-Tech Bat-Signal Multipack and Gotham City Jail: Recharged to its DC Super Friend range for more adventures.

New products for Thomas & Friends include the Race for the Sodor Cup Playset, inspired by the movie and new look content.

Thomas fans can also create more of their own adventures with the new, interactive Fix’em Up Friends Playset.

Mega continues to expand the range in 2022 in both Mega Bloks and Mega Construx. The Mega Bloks Paw Patrol Chase's Patrol Car will be among the new additions, alongside the new Green Town line, including the Sort & Recycle Squad and Grow & Protect Farm. This range will help little builders learn green behaviours such as waste sorting and recycling, buying local produce and protecting honey bees. Mega Construx is introducing Pokémon Build & Show Eevee into the range, which is poseable in different battle-ready positions.

The new Hot Wheels City range will feature a brand new backwards compatible system of play, allowing kids to connect the new tile pieces and track together to unleash their creativity and create their own personal Hot Wheels City. The new products will feature QR codes on packs which illustrate the Hot Wheels City in digital format. New to the city range is the Hot Wheels City Nemesis Lab Assortment, Hot Wheels City Super Twist Tire Shop and Hot Wheels City Dragon Drive Firefight. New to the Track Builder segment is the Fuel Can Stunt box, which lets kids build, stunt and boost. The Hot Wheels Monster Trucks range continues to expand with the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Blast Station Playset and the new Glow in the Dark range which includes 1:64 assortment and Epic Loop Playset.

With the release of kids’ content He-Man and The Masters of the Universe on Netflix, The Masters of The Universe franchise will be unveiling a new line of kid targeted product in 2022. Highlights include the He-Man and The Masters of the Universe Action Figure Assortment, the Battle Cat Action Figure and the Power Sword. The Mattel WWE toy range continues to grow with the new Bend n Bash Figures, and the refreshed Wrekkin’ segment has everything needed for a Superstar battle, with the Wrekkin ATV with Big E. The Minecraft toy range continues to grow with new Minecraft core figures, the Minecraft Transforming Turtle Habitat and Minecraft Fireball Ghast. In 2022 Mattel’s Disney Pixar Toy Story range continues to expand with Large Scale Figures, Karate Chop Buzz and Pull String Woody. For fans of Disney Pixar Cars there is the new Radiator Springs Race & Carry Playset and, for Mattel Plush, the new Marvel City Swinging Spider-man Plush is due in early spring.

Mattel continues to strengthen its games portfolio in 2022 with an extensive offering, expanding iconic favourites.

Leverage the success of the Uno brand, the range will be expanded in 2022 with Uno All Wild. It plays just like normal Uno, except every card is wild. Additionally, three new Wild action cards have been added to the game, including Skip 2, Target 2 and Forced swap. There are also more Uno licences coming in 2022, with properties including Lightyear and Jurassic World: Dominion, both tied to next year’s movie launches. Each licensed Uno will feature a special move that is unique to the licence.

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AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2022 *Date subject to change

©2020 Studio Dice/SHUEISHA, TV TOKYO, KONAMI

YuGiOhCardEU www.yugioh-card.com/uk

AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2022

©2020 Studio Dice/SHUEISHA, TV TOKYO, KONAMI

*Date subject to change

AVAILABLE JANUARY 2022 ©2020 Studio Dice/SHUEISHA, TV TOKYO, KONAMI

*Date subject to change

Nuremberg Preview

I’m A Girly

+41 (0) 76 564 92 93 | www.imagirly.com email sales@imagirly.com Hall H1, E-16 I’m A Girly (Finfin AG) will be exhibiting at in Nuremberg with its flagship product lines I’m A Girly, I’m A Stylist, and I’m A Wow. The female-led fashion toy producer is all about sustainability, co-creation and educational values.

The company will present a wide range of innovative fashion dolls and styling heads, the very first-of-its-kind upcycled doll outfit - using rescued and reused fabrics from international luxury fashion houses - and a neverseen-before mobile game.

Celebrated by stars and their children such as Madonna, the Beckhams and Kylie Jenner, the brand’s dolls and styling heads all come with unique features like interchangeable wigs, UV-reactive colour-changing hair or glowin-the-dark elements, but they all have one important value in common: they are created by the Kids4Kids community that tell the brand exactly what the consumer wants. Nothing gets produced without the approval of the Kids4Kids community, which ensures a prefect product-market fit.

The I’m A Wow line not only features hair colours that instantly change with sunlight, but the body of the 14inch fashion doll is made of recyclable materials. The UV reactive features of I’m A Wow motivate kids to play outside to experience a surprise-effect repeatedly without generating additional waste, and with varying skin tones, different hair colours and outfits, every child can find a favourite companion. Due to the high popularity, the line has expanded from three to five dolls wearing pyjamas, ballerina outfits and accessories such as cat ear hairbands and tiara headphones.

Dressed in animal-inspired outfits and with glow-in-the-dark features, I’m A Wow Glow Edition dolls, featuring Ruby, Taylor and Jamie, are made from recyclable plastic and draw attention to endangered animals with their outfits. Part of the sales proceeds will go to the preservation of endangered species.

Co-created by children, I’m A Stylist styling heads are 13inches high and come in different models with varying skin, hair and eye colours, interchangeable wigs in exciting colours, face gems and hair accessories. Additional wigs can be purchased separately and fit on the heads of children as well.

There are also seven different I’m A Girly collector dolls with varying skin tones, diverse hair colours and textures. The many stylish accessories ensure lots of styling and play possibilities. The dolls’ hair can even be cut without worrying about mistakes; because of the interchangeable wig system and additional wigs in different colours, the hair can simply be exchanged.

Amscan Europe

+49 (7021) 926-0 | www.amscan-europe.com | sales@eu.amscan.com Hall 9, Stand A-55 C-58 Amscan Europe is excited to return to Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2022 and present the latest developments and highlights from its portfolio.

2022 is expected to be a big year for weddings due to many ceremonies being postponed because of the pandemic. Amscan Europe’s latest wedding range will lend an elegant yet rustic charm to upcoming celebrations.

There will be a spotlight on the Everts Decorator latex line at the toy fair booth. With almost 100 years of experience, Everts offers a high level of expertise, quality and innovation, making it a top choice for professional decorators. Amscan Europe’s own balloon artist, Hans-Peter Bulant, will have a space dedicated to decorator balloons, showing different techniques for the multitude of shapes and finishes. Hans-Peter will also be introducing the best inflation equipment for each balloon.

As a one-stop shop for all things party, Amscan offers not only balloons and party items, but also a growing costume assortment, and a big focus at the show will be licensed dress up in a dedicated area. Children’s favourites like Paw Patrol, Pokémon, and Warner Bros have joined the dress up portfolio, plus a plethora of styles from various franchises such as Harry Potter and popular DC superheroes from Batman to Wonder Woman. These are available in designs for all ages, from toddlers to adults.

As part of its goal to be at the forefront of progressing sustainable initiatives, Amscan has also launched a new instalment of sustainable costumes for DC heroes. These styles are made from recycled materials, are machine-washable and even come in a recyclable cardboard packaging.

For Halloween, there are costumes from Horror franchises, such as Freddy Kruger, Jason and Pennywise.

Amscan offers not only the right items for every kind of party but also the matching sales solutions. For seasonal events there are free-standing displays that highlight key products in retail environments, an easy and effective way to draw attention. Visitors to the stand will be able to see a selection of FSDUs including a new spinner rack, which is an ideal complement to the successful BalloonTower and a great space saver that can fit more than double the items compared to a standard wall.

Another brand-new POS solution has been designed for the eye-catching Anagram AirLoonz mega-sized foil balloons which are 154cm tall and can now be promoted perfectly in stores.

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We have everything you need to celebrate!

Head online now to check out our juvenile ranges!

©Amscan 2022, ©Anagram 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Check out Amscan Europe’s licensed ranges at Nuremberg Toy Fair 2-6 February 2022!

Booth No: Hall 9 / A-55, C-58.

Visit Amscan Europe’s website amscan-europe.com to view their full range of party, costumes and balloons ahead of your visit!

Bring the party to life with Amscan’s collection of some of the world’s most loved and in demand licenses.

Our ranges of party products, balloons and costumes create great excitement for all ages!

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Rubies

01491 826500 | www.rubiesuk.com customerservices@rubiesuk.com Hall 9 Stand D-14/ Hall 12.2 Stand p24 Rubies will have a strong presence at Spielwarenmesse 2022, with both a permanent 365 stand in Hall 12.2 (stand p24) and a brandnew stand in Hall 9, stand D-14. The offering at Nuremberg will be the latest in a series of showcase displays from Rubies in 2022; the company also has plans to run its own roadshows, along with attending Spring Fair at the NEC and making the company’s first ever appearance at London Toy Fair.

Showcase products will include future Warner Brothers releases such as DC blockbusters Black Adam and The Batman. For those interested in the latest instalments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the newest costumes for 2022 are set to be presented to special guests at the Hall 12.2 stand. Family favourites from Zag, Mattel and Universal return on both stands boosted by the expanding ranges for both the pre-school and toddler age groups. These will include some of the biggest household names in pre-school entertainment, including Spidey & His Amazing Friends, CoComelon, Numberblocks and Oddbods.

Both stands at Spielwarenmesse will cater to new and returning customers, combining industryleading products with a wealth of knowledge from Rubies trade experts who will be on hand to answer any questions or queries. Attendees will be able to view both upcoming products and the company’s wide selection of evergreen lines, which remain highly sought after across the globe.

The team is looking forward to welcoming customers to its stands, but strongly advises booking in advance as there will be limited appointments due to new regulations at the show.

PMI

(+) 972 52 4614444 | www.pmi.co.il | omer@pmi.co.il Hall H12.0, Stand G-05 PMI Trading & Enterprise has inked a deal with Australia’s Mejjjet that effectively signals the company’s entry into the world of fidget toys.

PMI has acquired The Original Zzzopa Fidget Spinner Ball brand and plans to distribute Zzzopa globally from this spring under two different lines — ‘sports’ and ‘fun’. The Original Zzzopa and Mini Zzzopa are touted as ‘The Ball That Does It All’ as kids and adults can bounce, spin and throw them.

The Original Zzzopa, and the compact Mini Zzzopa version for smaller hands and/or higher agility, have been designed to deliver a lot of bounce. Engineered for both indoor and outdoor play, Zzzopa encourages social activity, group and team play, physical activity, offering endless play, game, challenge and trick options.

Playing with the Zzzopa can also improve cognitive capabilities, hand to eye coordination, physical fitness, agility and even help develop imagination. In addition, there are also the many benefits that fidget spinners offer, with their calming effect in fighting stress, anxiety and boredom.

As part of its big plans for this line, PMI has already signed a deal in collaboration with Angry Birds, as well as with some of the major football teams around the world. The company promises that further big licences will be announced in 2022.

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The Desi Doll Company 07769 694 655 | www.desidollcompany.com farzana@desidollcompany.com Hall 1, Stand B-11 The Desi Doll Company has seven exciting new SKUs for 2022, adding to its already extensive range of over 40 products. All are expected to appeal to buyers looking for something different as well as those aiming to capture a new and growing customer base.

The Desi Doll Company’s toys make learning about Islam fun for kids. The company is expecting another peak selling season during Ramadan, which this year begins on 2nd April 2022. The festival of Eid-ul-Fitr falls on 1st May 2022.

The Desi Doll Company is more diverse than ever with its new range of dolls representing darker skin tones and a variety of clothing options. The new talking Ballerina dolls are sure to be a hit with all budding ballerinas, who will enjoy pressing the doll’s right hand to hear a beautiful rhyming poem about ballet. The left hand gives kids a cool new feature to enjoy as they create up to 60 recordings of their own voice or other sounds.

The flagship talking Aamina doll has also had a refresh, and now comes with a removable hijab under which is beautiful plush hair. The Desi Doll Company is also launching Princess Amira, its new singing princess doll, which sings 10 popular songs about Islamic culture in the Arabic language.

The Desi Doll Company is looking to expand its presence on the UK high street.

It is therefore pleased to announce that a selection of its range will be available to purchase from Morrisons Supermarkets across the UK from February 2022. The supermarket is taking advantage of the Ramadan season, during which Muslim parents are searching for special gifts for their children to mark the festival of Eid. The Desi Doll Company has seen sales double YOY for the last few years and, despite the pandemic, achieved record number of sales in 2021. Having started in the UK over 13 years ago, The Desi Doll Company is now selling into 25+ countries and growing its presence internationally, with distributors in the USA, Australia and South Africa.

The company has also established key retail partnerships throughout the GCC territories and Europe. The company has been honoured with The Queen’s award for Enterprise in International Trade. In addition, Farzana Rahman, the founder and MD of The Desi Doll Company, was recently awarded Entrepreneur of the year 2021, by The Muslim Women Awards, as well as being one of three finalists in the National Natwest Everywoman Awards. Farzana attributes the success of her business to the simple fact that her toys cater to the needs of Muslim parents wanting their children to learn about the Islamic faith in a fun and interactive way.

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Rainbow Colours

07899 865778 | www.rainbowcolours.com | info@rainbowcolours.com Hall 12, Stand C-01 Rainbow Colours started with a musical rage of toys, designed to present the easiest possible approach to playing an instrument by matching the colours in the booklet or song cards to the coloured strings or stickers on the instruments. The products are designed for ages 3-12 years, as well as students with learning difficulties or dyslexia.

During lockdown, the company found time to develop more products and has since broadened its offering with a wider range of children’s products to be launched at the show.

Working with the same technology as its popular Piano Mat, where children can step on the different coloured keys to play songs, the new Boxing Bag is an inflatable musical and interactive punch bag.

Connected to Bluetooth via a tablet or smart TV, children punch the different colour sensors to play music and hear various sound effects. It features eight programmed demo songs, hit and play function, record/playback, games, educational mode and colour coded song cards. As well as being entertaining, it provides great exercise for the whole family.

The new LED Transparent Ukulele tunes and plays like a real ukulele and features several different lighting modes with different colours and functions.

Also new for 2022 is the Pop Up & Play range of foldable fabric vehicles and creatures, which children step into and attach over their shoulders using straps, so they can move around dressed as a car or whatever they choose.

The range includes Young Drivers (cars) and Young Flyers, which comprises a rocket, plane, Pegasus and dragon.

A Young Heroes range comprises a police car, ambulance and fire engine.

Rainbow Colours is excited to launch the Kidzice ice luge in Nuremberg. Children can create ice luges, chocolate sculptures and fun jellies with moulds that are easy to use and reusable. The range consists of licensed characters as well as numbers and special ages. Included are the mould and tube for the ice luge, while a drip tray and LED lights are available separately to incorporate into the sculptures.

The company has branched out into the Games category with three new family games.

Monkey Climb challenges players to press their button as fast as they can to get their monkey to the top of the tree first. The winner takes a bunch of bananas to place in their basket and whoever has the most bananas in the basket wins.

The whole family can also have fun with Battle Squirt, featuring a unicorn and dragon, where two players press their button as fast as they can to splash their opponent before they splash them, while What’s in the Mouth sees players choose an animal, then put their hand into its mouth and try to guess what’s inside.

Rainbow Colours will be promoting its existing portfolio, including the Piano Mat which measures 12ft long x 2ft5in wide and features record and playback functions, instrument sounds, play along songs and song cards. It has 1, 2, 3 and 4 player modes, input to play along with a mobile or tablet and an input to sing along with optional microphone.

Rainbow Colours would like to hear from potential distributors as well as retailers interested in the new range.

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Nuremberg Preview

Eolo Toys

+852 2363 1998 | www.eolo.com sales@eolohk.com Hall 12 Stand H-03-01 Eolo Toys is looking forward to Spielwarenmesse where the company will be highlighting its latest innovations and new brand additions.

Jiggly Pets, the company’s most successful brand to date, will be showcasing three amazing new electronic pets; the Party Pets feature plush brand will have a new Disco Ball surprise, supported by a new musical animation series and visitors will be able to discover several new additions into the Poppets, Zippetz and Sprint ranges, to name just some of the brands that will be on show.

The Party Pets, a collection of cool and innovative electronic feature plush, confirms a strong global roll out for the second half of 2022. The company is pushing the brand to a new level with the new series and the release of a new product line that will be supported by a 360º marketing strategy where content plays a key role.

Eolo has renewed its partnership with Disney for the popular Marvel Battle Cubes range and will be unveiling new developments in the novelty space.

The company is excited to present Super Masked, which it says is Eolo’s most ambitious brand to date; a superhero franchise with a great twist and a 360 content programme, including a fight game App and an animation series. The innovative boys’ brand will include a full toy programme containing a revolutionary Stretch character.

Not forgetting its roots, Eolo Toys will be also presenting a full refresh of its outdoor range, including the famous Kites Ready2Fly, Disney and Marvel PoGo!, Aqua Trendz water fun and other company classics.

There are also other surprises to be revealed at the show. International distributors or retailers visiting the show are invited to make an appointment with the sales team on the email above.

Cai Po Products International Co. Ltd (852) 2312 0610 | www.msztoys.com | sales09@caipotoys.com Hall 7 D-66

Hong Kong based die-cast manufacturer, Cai Po Products International, will be showcasing a selection of different series of new car models in Nuremberg, under its own brand MSZ (Metal Speed Zone).

The 1:32 scale vehicle collection is the company’s bestselling series. More than a simple, traditional diecast toy, the models have inventive light and sound features; when kids open doors or press the car to activate the pull-back function, the headlights and taillights will turn on, together with realistic engine or horn sounds. These additional functions enhance play value, bringing the models to life. The series has more than 80 models and the latest introduction has been unveiled, just in time for the Nuremberg show. The authentic BMW M4 coupe model is licensed from the classic German manufacturer BMW and will be joined by another up to the minute, new generation iconic vehicle to be displayed during the fair - the BMW X5M SUV. The 1:43 scale line (which measures about 4.5”) is another best seller for the company. An excellent choice for pocket money purchases, with opening doors and pull back function, the range welcomes several new models for 2022 including the Audi R8 Spyder and Suzuki Jimny.

Cai Po Products has also developed a range of motorcycles in 1:18 scale, having secured a licence with classical Italian brand Vespa and famous Japanese counterpart Kawasaki. The company expects the motorcycles to be a key line for 2022.

To continue its commitment to authenticity, the company is in discussion with several global brands of gas station in order to explore co-branding opportunities. A new series of new co-branded products is expected to be launched in Q2 2022.

Behind the scenes, the company continues to strive to produce the highest quality, realistic die-cast vehicles enhanced with official licences and creative product innovation, and buyers can expect more exciting products to be added to the range in the future as product development continues.

Cai Po Products looks forward to welcoming visitors to its stand at the show, and they are also invited to contact Sam Chung for more information on all the company’s ranges on sales09@caipotoys.com.

Toy World 132

Music, toys & games New for

LED Transparent Inflatable Electronic Drum Kit

2022

Eco Giant Piano Mat

LED Transparent Ukulele

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e m a G New

On your marks, get set, and press your button as fast as you can to splash your opponent before they splash you.

www.rainbowcolours.com

Press your button as fast as you can to get your monkey to the top of the tree first. The winner takes a bunch of bananas to place in their basket.

Who ever has the most bananas wins.

Fun for the whole family - choose an animal mouth to put your hand into and each tries to guess what’s in the mouth.

POP UP & PLAY

PEGASUS Imaginations run wild with these fantasy popup characters.

CAR

DRAGON Please the most fierce pre-schoolers by unleashing this fiery beast for them to tame.

POLICE

2

Chocolate Ice 1

FIRE ENGINE

Dragon

3

Jelly

Birthday numbers

Pumpkin

You can make iceluges, chocolate sculptures and fun jellies with these easy to use, reusable moulds.

Snowman

Penguin

Elephant

Unicorn

Worldwide distributors and retailers please contact Chris Poole on 07899 865 778 email chris@rainbowcolours.com for more information.

Nuremberg Preview

Hauck

info@hauckuk.com Hall 12.2, P-19 With almost 100 years of experience in the nursery and toy sector, Hauck has recently set new goals: the expansion of its product portfolio and of European markets as well as the strategic building of digital brand intelligence.

In the past, the toy segment and the brand “Hauck Toys for Kids” was located in and managed from Switzerland. Alongside the structural changes, the nursery business segment with its brand “Hauck Fun for Kids” and the toy segment are now merged under the roof of Hauck’s location in Sonnefeld, Germany.

The Nuremberg Toy Fair 2022 will provide the perfect opportunity for Hauck to introduce its new products in the toy section. The product ranges from ride-ons for toddlers and newly designed dolls’ pushchairs and accessories, to the cruiser Twist-It which promises racing fun for kids from pre-school onwards.

The special feature of the Twist-It is its mechanism of locomotion controlled by simultaneous rowing movements of the arms. This unique form of movement helps to build children’s strength and stamina and at the same time trains their coordination skills, motor skills and dexterity while they race with their friends.

The Twist-It’s 360 degrees range of motion allows for every turn and easy manoeuvring, while smooth-running comfort wheels muffle driving noises and guarantee fun even on uneven ground. The four-way adjustable seat ensures maximum seating comfort, growing with the child, while sturdy grips on the handlebar and rubber-covered footrests prevent smaller racers from slipping off when riding at high speeds. The Twist-It can carry up to 50kg.

Alongside the Twist-It, Hauck’s toys portfolio will be enhanced by the 1st Rocker, a 3-in-1 toy with a fox design that allows children to use it as a rocker, a ride-on and a balance board. Furthermore, Hauck will present two vehicles for very small children: the 1st Ride Three that will be available in three animal designs for toddlers from 12 months, and the 1st Ride Four that comes in three colours for toddlers from 18 months. Hauck’s 1st Tent is especially developed for playful babies and comprises a cosy and colourful blanket and a moon-shaped pillow as well as accessories that stimulate the senses of children.

Hyper Toys

07775 706929 | www.hyperbicycles.com | www.hypertoys.com | www.riprail.com | james@hypertoys.com Hall 7, A-47 Hyper Toy and Bicycle Company has been creating fun for over 30 years, starting with Hyper Bicycles which was established in 1990 by former Pro BMX Racer Clay Goldsmid.

Since that time the company has produced millions of bicycles and has brought the same expertise and design capability to the toy business. It now has a successful range of bikes, scooters, ride-ons and RC vehicles, and 2022 will see the range increase with more exciting and innovative new products.

Hyper is known worldwide for its Jet Fuel finish, which emulates the high-end finish on BMX pro components. This has been hugely successful in 2021 on the Hyper 20inch Jet Fuel BMX and the Riprail Jet Fuel scooter, and this success has been expanded to include skateboards and hoverboards for 2022.

Available now, and flying off shelves, is the Cyberspin, a flying toy which features a lithium battery and LED lights, and performs aerial stunts.

The Hyper Electric Drift Kart 24V has also been a huge success. Designed for a more extreme ride for older children with a high top speed and rear drift function, the Kart has a steel frame for durability and comes complete with seat belt and racing steering wheel. 2022 will see it expand into hot new colours.

Hyper is already a very established electric bicycle supplier with strong global sales and on the back of this success, is now expanding its Emobility offering to include Hoverboards and Electric Scooters, first launching at CES Trade Show in January.

Hyper supports sales with dedicated websites, regular social media coverage, sponsored events and high-profile BMX athletes.Not only does the company market from the grass roots upwards, it ensures it gives back to the sports it started in by helping up and coming riders worldwide.

The company will also be exhibiting at New York Toy Fair - Level 3 Exhibit Hall, Booth 3353.

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Nuremberg Preview

The Noble Collection

020 7580 4442 | www.noblecollection.co.uk Hall H5, Stand A-72 Over the past 17 years, The Noble Collection, under licence from Warner Brothers, has become established as a premiere brand for quality licensed merchandise. The company’s flagship range of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts collectibles has gone from strength to strength alongside perennial licences for Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, DC, Jumanji and many more.

The Noble Collection’s dedicated UK team, based in London’s Covent Garden, offers bespoke supply solutions for any size of retail operation. Last year saw the company form a number of new licensing partnerships: in addition to its longstanding relationship with Warner Brothers, it added Universal City Studios, CBS Studios and Dreamworks to its roster of partners, with more to be announced in 2022 Though the Covid pandemic prevented in-person meetings or public displays of its many new offerings, initial sales have been strong. Of note are figures from the Noble Toys range, Bendyfigs. These posable figures sit on branded bases and are approximately 7.5” in height. Available in four colour blister pack cards, retailers can opt to display them on Euro hooks or leave them free standing on-shelf.

The first releases in this range were four figures from the Lord of the Rings, followed by four from the Harry Potter movie series, released in late 2020. More figures have been added to the range throughout 2021, not only as a result of The Noble Collection’s long-standing partnership with Warner Brothers but also from new partnerships with Universal City Studios and CBS Studios. The company has also created eight figures from the classic black and white movie franchise Universal Monsters, Star Trek (both the Original Series and the Next Generation), and cartoon favourites such as Looney Tunes and Space Jam 2, all suitable for fans and collectors aged seven and over. Many DC Comics heroes and villains have also been added to the range, with more to be released in 2022.

Characters from Universal Monsters and DC Heroes have also been released in The Noble Collection’s Bendyfigs Minis format. The collectibles come mounted on card without a base and measure approximately 5.5” in height.

The Jurassic Park dinosaur chess set proved very popular throughout the second half of 2021. The set is created in the same format as The Noble Collection’s tried and tested Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth chess sets, which have PVC chess pieces on a card playing board, all presented in a four-colour branded box. More additions to the Jurassic Park range will be announced shortly.

Complementing the Star Trek: The Original Series Bendyfigs range, the company also now offers Mr Spock’s favourite recreational activity, the Tri-Dimensional Chess set.

FPO

Quarto

FPO

020 7284 9300 www.smartlabtoys.com salesuk@quarto.com Hall 5, Stand B-82 In the five years since its launch in 2018, the Tiny Science! Range has enjoyed success with six best-selling Tiny! products, and now many more are in the pipeline.

To celebrate Tiny Science’s fifth birthday, SmartLab is introducing four new Tiny! titles, to make a total of 10 products in the line-up: Tiny Art! Tiny Sports!

Tiny Solar System! and Tiny Food Truck!

Tiny Art! is an art kit that delivers the tools and techniques needed to make miniature masterpieces and comprises artist-quality components, including imported watercolour pencils, wood brushes and textured watercolour paper.

Children can discover the science of colour and the history of watercolour art in one tiny set.

Tiny Solar System! brings the wonder of space in a miniature model which lets children arrange the tiny planets around a light-up sun. The accompanying Earth and moon model interact with the LED-powered sun to demonstrate day and night, the seasons and both solar and lunar eclipses. An illustrated foldout sheet is packed with information about space and our place in it.

With Tiny Sports! kids can play a match of finger soccer, challenge friends to a game of tabletop pickleball, putt onto a tiny golf green, toss tiny cornhole bags and shoot hoops on their kitchen table. It Includes miniature equipment for the fingers and hands to take on the challenges.

Tiny Food Truck allows kids to cook up miniature versions of delicious street food from around the world. They can make and decorate tiny donuts, press and shape tacos and tortillas, stuff and bake empanadas and pot stickers or mix up both sweet and savory crepes. Tiny Food Truck teaches the basics of everyday cooking using real science.

Other Tiny! Titles include: Tiny Ice Cream! where kids can create miniature treats using tiny versions of real ice-cream-making tools including ice cream churn, waffle cone mould and recipes; Tiny Gardening! - a miniature desktop greenhouse complete with tiny gardening tools which allows kids to learn about the plant life cycle; and Tiny Science!, which is a metal storage container filled with miniature working versions of test tubes, beakers, flasks, a balance scale, magnifying glass, pipette, funnel and petri dish. Includes book with 20 science experiments.

There’s also Tiny Baking! which features tiny culinary tools and recipes to make tiny creations, and Tiny Robots! a mini robotics kit with everything kids need to design and build miniature working machines from an assortment of real mechanical parts. Tiny Circuits! is a miniature version of Smart Lab’s best-selling Smart Circuits electronics kit and features a microprocessor, speaker, two push buttons and hookup wires to build 20 electrifying circuits.

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Nuremberg Preview

Waboba

01380 872950 www.virtual.waboba.com sales@tkcsales.co.uk Hall H7, Stand E-21 Waboba is set to release two new backyard games in early 2022 which will build on the success of its newest best-sellers — the Airlyft glider and the silicone Wingman disks. Both items will be shown at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in January.

Driven by the knowledge that consumers are spending ever more time outdoors, Waboba created Throwback and Backnine to further grow its portfolio. The company is also using its current products to put a spin on classic games.

Throwback recreates the classic Velcro paddle game from the early 90s and introduces a new version of the Airlyft hollow glider. This next generation Velcro catch game features two soft, flexible paddles and an Airlyft glider with Velcro around the ring. Flying over 30 meters, the Velcro paddles make it fun to run, jump and stretch in an effort to catch the Airlyft on impact. Waboba will be supporting Throwback with a 90s-style social media campaign, with images, product information videos and social clips inviting retailers to take part in the fun.

Backnine is a 1-4 player outdoor game that combines the best bits of bocce and disc golf. This nomadic disc golf game set includes one flying target ring and four different coloured Waboba Wingman discs. Simply throw the target ring and play from where it lands, throwing far or close to set the course challenge level. Each player then takes turns throwing their Wingman disk, trying to land it on or in the ring in the least number of throws. A scorecard is included to keep track of the throws, and the ring features three zones so players create their own fun rules that apply when a disc lands in a certain area. Backnine comes packaged in a carry bag, making it portable and lightweight for travel, and can be played on grass, sand and even snow.

Smiffys

01427 619 799 | www.smiffystrade.com Hall H9, Stand D-29, E-28 Spielwarenmesse is a highlight in the dress-up and party calendar and Smiffys is pleased to be returning to the show.

The company has a raft of new and exciting childrens’ licences to highlight to visitors.

Based upon the hugely popular Disney+ series, Smiffys will be showcasing its new Disney Descendants 3 collection. The range will feature costumes and matching wigs for the main characters Mal, Evie, Audrey and Uma. Aimed at older and tween girls, exciting new signing L.O.L. Surprise will also debut at the show. The first launch features deluxe costumes that let kids dress like one of four of the well-known doll characters.

Smiffys’ newest pre-school licences will also be previewed. Launching in the new year, the company’s Teletubbies costumes will be on show including plush onesies of all four main characters. In The Night Garden favourites Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy will also be available to view before their release early next year. Another favourite from the world of pre-school animation, costumes and a full range of partyware will both be available next year for Masha and the Bear.

Adults are catered for too, as Smiffys’ new costume ranges let grownups become instantly recognisable stars. The company’s collection of deluxe Elton John costumes has made for a strong addition to its Legends range; Spielwarenmesse will give visitors the opportunity to view the iconic Sequin Baseball and Feather Jacket costumes. Expanding the TV & Movie range, the new Mean Girls line features iconic looks from the film as worn by Karen, Gretchen and Regina and makes for the perfect group costume.

New additions to Smiffys’ Stand Out Suits range will be on show, including Pink Panther and Ghostbusters. Following the success of this range, the company has a truly impressive new product line to reveal at the show featuring all its best-selling licences.

Following 2021’s major Halloween celebrations, Smiffys offers all the new product retailers will be looking for in 2022. A new range of costumes and accessories lets the whole family get in on the dressup action. With over 100 new SKUS, Smiffys has everything from updates on classic designs to new and innovative costumes, as well as terrifyingly good Halloween licences to reveal.

Decade costumes are always in demand at Smiffys, which has updated its 80s range for 2022 with glitzy metallic cocktail dresses and matching ‘mini me’ shell suits, sure to be a hit at any 80s party.

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Toy Fair February 2nd-6th, 2022 | Nuremberg Exhibition Centre

BOOTH 12.2 – P19

TWIST-IT The Twist-it ride on allows your child from 4 years onward to train coordination, motor skills and agility, while drifting around with friends.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING

you !

Please contact us info@hauckuk.com

In 2021, we brought laser cats, butterfly-chasing pugs and acrobatic pterodactyls to over 12 countries.

Weʼre looking forward to meeting new distributors and retailers to preview our new licensed ranges and product lines.

Scan here to meet the team and find out more.

COME SEE US AT SPIELWARENMESSE, HALL 4A, STAND C-31 NOW SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS Contact Declan: declan@holotoyz.com | +353 86 8600252 | www.holotoyz.com

New for 2022!

©&TM Spin Master Ltd. All rights reserved.

For information, contact Declan declan@holotoyz.com | +353 86 8600252 | www.holotoyz.com

Nuremberg Preview

Guidecraft

07725 833 273 | www.guidecraft.com lsmith@guidecraft.com Hall 4, Stand C51, D50 This year, Guidecraft plans to highlight a variety of new toy offerings and furniture collections designed to span the education and consumer markets.

In particular, Guidecraft will showcase a selection of toys that organically connect children to their environments through the use of authentic materials, textures and activities rooted in nature. Additionally, Guidecraft’s booth will also feature a variety of wooden, STEM-based toy systems.

Building sets with large piece counts, such as the Tabletop Notch Blocks Western and Eastern sets, inspire collaborative, creative projects and help children develop problem-solving and teamwork skills. Other products such as Big Branch Block Builders reveal real life cause and effect behaviours plus natural evolution through authentic bark materials. The durable, natural materials of many Guidecraft toys, specifically Little Pavers, combine with natural materials such as sand, water, mud and dirt.

A new toy that Guidecraft will feature at the show is the 40-piece Unit Block Marble Run set. This rubberwood building set encourages children aged three and up to explore physics and learn basic STEM principles and architectural relationships as they build, deconstruct and reconstruct intricate designs for the included four acrylic marbles. The 36 blocks, scaled to standard unit block size featuring unique bumps, slopes and routed paths, enhance traditional block play and allow for limitless arrangements. Teachers and parents can supplement lessons using the 10 double-sided inspiration cards included with each set. These oversized, durable cards further a child’s play experience by introducing them to real-life examples and relevant vocabulary.

In addition to highlighting an array of nature-based and wooden toys, Guidecraft will be presenting the Nature to Play furniture collection, a comprehensive assortment of activity tables, kid-sized seating, loose parts and tables designed for use with messy materials. The Nature to Play collection speaks the playful language of childhood while encouraging children to engage with nature. The weather resistant furniture in the Nature to Play line, made from thermally modified wood by Thermory, stands up to rough-and-tumble fun and unpredictable outdoor elements, growing with children as they develop.

Eduk8 Worldwide

The team from Eduk8 will be showcasing a host of award-winning ranges, including Playmats products, the new Junior Rainbow Wave from the Outdoor parachute collection, as well as Bounce ‘n’ Catch, Mark Makers, and the Aquascope and Cargo ship product ranges.

A special Chalkboard feature will also be showcased on the stand, giving an example of how the UK designer can create bespoke cut-out chalkboards to clients’ specific requirements.

Also fresh to the stand will be Eduk8’s collaboration with Incredible Husk International – inventors of a fibre-based, negative carbon alternative to plastics and bioplastics.

CEO Keith Ridgeway will be available in person throughout the show to answer questions on the World Green Apple Environment Award-winning material, which provides a plastic-free, real, durable alternative for toys and other products.

Eduk8 is the UK distributor for educational toys made using the naturally biodegradable and chemical-free rice husk material and will have initial product ranges on show. The Incredible Husk biodegradable toy material marks a significant step in delivering sustainability within the educational toy sector.

The company will be launching its exclusive Electronic Noise Management System in Nuremberg this year. An easy-to-understand traffic light noise warning system, Alertz can be used in a variety of applications such as classrooms, libraries, hospitals and special needs settings. With seven different sound level settings, adjustable from as low as 15 decibels, the product has been years in development.

The product’s flexible design allows the use of both audible and/or visual warnings depending on the use setting and can be used across indoor and outdoor settings in mounted or free-standing positions. The design of the LED warning lights mean that they are visible at more than 180 degrees and the full system can be operated by remote control. Users of the system can even record their own warning messages.

Due to the simple traffic light and audible warning alerts, it is a system easily understood by a wide range of audiences, including those with additional needs or auditory/visual impairment.

01661 831 080 | www.eduk8worldwide.com Hall 12, Stand C-03-01

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Nuremberg Preview

Tomy

01271 336155 | response@tomy.com Hall 12.2, Stand P11 Following a successful 2021, Tomy will be showcasing a host of new ranges across its portfolio of brands at this year’s Nuremberg Show. Tomy’s new launches continue to tap into the brand’s key strengths and hero categories, including nursery, pre-school, arts & crafts, wheels and licensed ranges, all of which will drive the brand forward into 2022.

Kickstarting the new year for Tomy will be the launch of its Sing 2 portfolio, in partnership with NBCU, in its second biggest franchise. Ahead of the eagerly anticipated movie premiere on 28th January, the new range will bring the characters of this well-loved Universal Pictures musical sensation to life. The range features five products, including a variety of collectible figures, plush interactive toys and a sing-along microphone.

Ever popular with mums, the Lamaze brand will see a complete refresh in 2022, supported by a new campaign: It’s Time to Play. A new launch and hero line for 2022 will be the brand’s innovative Heartbeat Plush, which will feature a physical heartbeat that can be felt by the child to help comfort them if feeling anxious or unsettled. It also includes soothing melodies to offer additional ways to help calm and soothe young babies. The brand continues to focus on creating products that support development and sensory play, with new launches including the Squeeze Beats First Drum Set to encourage budding musicians from a young age, as well as further new additions Stack n Roll Lock n Blocks and Peek n Puff Elephant.

Following Tomy’s launch of Fat Brain Toys in the UK in 2021, the range will expand for 2022.

Leading with the Dimpl range of products – a craze that took the nation by storm – new lines and innovations will include Spiroku, Rock n Roller Piano and Dimpl Pops Deluxe. Jixelz will also be a major new launch for the brand in 2022, featuring a range of pixelated creative puzzles for kids to solve.

As a key brand under the Tomy portfolio, Toomies has a host of licence-based launches for 2022, which will be showcased at the Nuremburg Show. SS22 will also see the launch of the 3 in 1 Batmobile and the 2 in 1 Batcycle, both perfect for younger superhero enthusiasts.

With 2022 marking the release of the latest Jurassic World film, Toomies will be expanding its popular Jurassic World licensed range with NBCU which originally launched in 2021. This expansion will include two brand new items for toddlers including the Ankylosaurus, as well as the Jurassic World Activity Centre. Also in partnership with NBCU, and in celebration of the 35th anniversary of ET the Extra-Terrestrial, Toomies is launching an ET Plush, bringing the beloved character to life for the next generation. Adding to another of its existing lines, the Toomies Peppa Pig range of bath toys will also be expanding after a successful year.

The arts & crafts category will see a number of new product launches and extensions to existing ranges within the portfolio in 2022. The popular Aquadoodle range will see the addition of a licensed CoComelon pack, as well as a refreshed Classic Colour mat – helping children to explore their creativity without the associated mess. Megasketcher will also see a refresh in 2022, with a brand-new colour variant.

Having secured the distribution rights, Tomy will also launch compound-based brand Hey Clay to the UK market in AW22. Originally developed in 2018, Hey Clay marries creativity with technology, enabling children to learn how to roll, squish and mould clay into various shapes and figures via a downloadable app featuring step by step ‘how to sculpt’ guides for each character creation, complete with beautifully illustrated animations. The range features six mouldable characters within each of its themes – animals, dinosaurs, monsters, bugs, birds and aliens – and unlike other types of modelling clay, Hey Clay leaves no traces and doesn’t stain hands or clothes, is non-toxic, eco-friendly and safe for children.

The Club Mocchi- Mocchi- brand is expanding beyond its gaming franchises for 2022 with two new lines including Transformers, with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee products, as well as Power Rangers. The Optimus Prime and Bumblebee products will also be introduced by Monster Treads, launching in AW22.

The growth of the games category continues to be a key focus for Tomy in 2022, continuing its partnership with Drumond Park. The ever-popular Logo games series will see a brandnew launch for 2022 with Link Logo, which will be available to trade from AW22. Tomy’s own game portfolio continues to grow in 2022 with the launch of two new additions - Shake Your Stories and Pop-Up ET – a new twist on the much-loved Pop Up Pirate in celebration of its 35th anniversary. Tapping into the continued demand for retro games, Tomy Games is also relaunching an old classic in the form of Rumble in the Jungle. In addition, Tomy will also be bringing a variety of new games to the UK market from the Fat Brain portfolio, including GibGab, Triggle and Peek a Doodle Doo.

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Special Feature

Bildo

Bildo a passion

for creation

Founded in 1989, Greek toy company Bildo has grown from a domestic manufacturer and supplier of building blocks to a globally distributed and highly respected maker of quality licensed toys spanning blocks, roleplay, dough and cosmetics. Toy World spoke to Georgios Fotopoulos, commercial director, and Savvas Mouratidis, CEO, whose father George founded the company more than three decades ago.

How did Bildo start?

Bildo is a family-owned toy business, one of very few in Greece. It all started back in 1989 when George Mouratidis, Savvas’ father – who was always very interested in toys despite having trained professionally as a pharmacist – decided to take the bold step of starting his own toy company in partnership with his son. His first ever product was a bucket of building blocks.

When you launched, what were the strengths of the company and its core ranges?

What makes us stand out, and the reason we’ve weathered all the challenges thrown our way, is that George Mouratidis is a very hard worker. He never quit or backed down because he loves what he does – he’s 75 years old now and still spends a lot of his time playing with Bildo toys. His passion for toys has never wavered, and that passion has filtered down and through to other members of the family too, who have joined him in the business and grown up with it.

The family is heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the business, and not purely from a managerial ‘oversight’ aspect. Each member of the 65+ strong Bildo team is considered part of the family and treated as such, and this helps bring out the best in them. When it comes to business, there’s no ‘us and them’ mentality and the atmosphere is very

welcoming as a result. When we look at company growth and strength, this is vital. We’re in an area of Greece that’s quite rural, Veria, and Bildo has made the conscious decision to remain here - where it all started - supporting the local community and providing employment. It could have been easier for us to move to somewhere like central Thessaloniki, which is a big, densely populated seaside city, but our team has been selected from the local area and leaving them would mean losing that talent: our ‘newest’ employee has been with us six years. We value loyalty, from their side as well as from ours.

How has the company evolved since the early days?

From its earliest days, when George and Savvas were simply producing blocks, Bildo now has presence all around the world and boasts some huge licensing collaborations with the likes of Mattel, Hasbro, MGA Entertainment, Disney and many more. It’s been an intense and exciting journey for Bildo. Our original generic blocks were a big success; our customers could see their retail potential in terms of enhancing their toy offering with new play patterns. This success ultimately opened the door to the world of licensing.

Our first licensing deal was inked with Disney in 1991, starting with Disney Princess, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Frozen and more. For a young company that was also new to licensing, this was a massive deal for us and really helped kickstart the licensing side of the

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business. Sanrio followed with Hello Kitty, Hasbro with Peppa Pig, and Mattel came on board in 2017 with Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher Price.

In 1992, Bildo entered into Girls Role-Play toys with categories like cooking, baking and beauty, with Boys Role-Play following suit in 1995, and more recently the company invested in tooling to start manufacturing dough and cosmetics. Factory capacity doubles each year, from machinery and moulds to production and output, and now we’re entering a new year off the back of aggressive +40% YOY growth.

Bildo’s expansion is set to continue, too. We’re always looking for new categories we can move into, as well as new territories. Our products are now in retailers across EMEA, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, giving us a truly global footprint in over 620 stores, and this year we’re also exploring North America further.

What have been the key developments that led to the company growing from a domestic supplier to the Greek market into a major global supplier?

In the early years, our licensing deals were limited to local activity in southeast Europe – Spain, Italy and Greece – but in 2017 we struck up a major collaboration in the Middle East. The year after, we saw dramatic growth and that has continued apace for the past three years despite the many challenges

Special Feature

Bildo

When our international expansion took hold, Italy was the first region we moved into, followed by Spain, the Middle East, the UK, Mexico, Australia and so on. Since 1991, Bildo has turned into a global player in toys with distribution in over 55 countries, and our customers understand and appreciate the many reasons why buying from a Greek manufacturer makes business sense.

How have the Bildo production facilities and processes changed in recent years?

Bildo always looks for what’s new and has a passion for creation, meaning constant, rolling upgrades to (and expansion of) our facilities. We invest in our manufacturing and tooling every year, and continually examine our warehousing capabilities and speed to market to ensure we stay ahead and offer our customers both quality and rapidity. We have a set six-stage process for developing toys from ideas to final product, which helps increase production efficiency while also keeping quality and attractive pricing at the heart of what we do. We also have a dedicated in-house team of five R&D specialists that works collaboratively with an expert design agency to bring our ideas to fruition. However, whether to push ahead with a concept is a decision the entire team has a say in.

the entire toy industry has faced. We’ve doubled the strength of our manufacturing base, with not one but two factories now producing Bildo’s products, and we’re already looking at opening a third, so each can be dedicated to one of our core three offerings: roleplay, dough and blocks. In total, our manufacturing and warehouse premises offer floorspace of 50,000sqm.

During the company’s history there were maybe three key item developments that really helped accelerate our growth. We tapped into classic play patterns while producing toys more quickly and at a better price. At the same time, we still maintained the high quality our customers had come to expect from Bildo. These items are our kitchen play set, our workbench playset, our pre-school building block sets.

More recently, we’ve seen the introduction of dough take our growth to new levels.

Ten years ago, half of our production was in China, and half was in Greece. Currently, it’s 90% in Greece, 10% in China, and in the next two years the goal is to have 100% of our production based right here in Greece. From 2022 we’re also investing into new technology that will speed up the process even more; injection moulding so we can make toys out of any kind of plastic, larger machines capable of making items like slides and ride-ons, and upscaled dough production lines. We hope to be able to cater to any request from any customer.

Rather than maintaining a very rigid production model, we listen to the market and the needs of our customers and aim to stay flexible and adaptable. We actually have three interchangeable business models, including distribution and direct to retail according to what’s required of us. In some countries we also operate a model that focuses very much on new business opportunities across new regions. Agents identify early areas of interest which we then explore further. From 2022, we’ll also be introducing a directto-consumer model.

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How important is it for Bildo to develop ‘green’ initiatives across its product range and manufacturing facilities?

We’re bringing a tangible ‘green philosophy’ to Bildo by starting the switch to new, eco-friendly materials across both our toys and packaging. We want to wholeheartedly embrace sustainability, not because it’s a trend but because, as a toy manufacturer that produces plastic items, we feel it’s an obligation to do everything we can to improve our environmental footprint. This year, we expect to be using biodegradable or eco-friendly materials in 40% of our toys, but by 2025 this will increase to 70%.

Even our dough will be made with majority bio-based materials. We’re also looking at bringing in new play patterns that help kids learn about sustainability, the environment, endangered species and anything else related to safeguarding and protecting the planet.

What are the advantages of manufacturing in Greece, especially over the past year?

Your readers may be aware that over the past 10 years there’s been a lot of economic uncertainty in Greece, and keeping the Bildo manufacturing base here has been challenging at times. That said, making our toys here means we can ship all over the world, from Latin America to Australia, with European delivery in under a week.

European compliance regulations, which are more stringent than Chinese ones, also make our manufacturing a major plus point for customers, who feel that we provide an additional safety net.

Since striking up global distribution partnerships all over the world, we’ve also partnered with Intertek for safety testing services and have an in-house quality team too. This is a real rarity. Long-term, we’d also like to build our own lab within one of our factories so we can carry out some of the testing on-site.

How were you able to support your retail customers during the pandemic?

It’s been a very interesting couple of years. The pandemic obviously had an impact on Bildo as it did so many other companies, but paradoxically it also presented several major opportunities we couldn’t have anticipated. Covid-19 brought many positives for the business, even while it was sweeping Europe, causing economic and social chaos.

Keeping our workers safe and healthy was of paramount importance. We immediately shut down our factories and Bildo HQ for six weeks, so we had time to learn more about the virus and put measures

Special Feature in place to safeguard employee welfare. Our retail partners completely understood and supported our decision; compared to companies that manufacture in China, our six-week shutdown was tame by comparison. When we returned to the factory, it was in shifts that meant everyone had plenty of space to work, and we focused only on a selection of larger accounts instead of trying to cater to all needs.

We didn’t rest on our laurels during this period.

We sat down daily with our design and product development teams, our technicians and raw material providers, to ask what could be improved, streamlined, made more efficient. It was a hugely creative time for us. We identified our strengths and weaknesses and pulled together as a team to adapt our processes to the new normal.

We also found that our global distribution model was a huge benefit to us. When Europe was facing strict lockdowns and stores were closed, Latin America and Australia were open for business and ready to be supplied. As each area closed another opened, so our production never stopped – somewhere in the world, our customers had open stores and needed our toys on their shelves. We don’t feel that 2020 was a blow to us, but in 2021 we began to feel the after-effects of the pandemic: shipping disruption, raw material price increases etc. Again though, we saw some definite upsides. New customers were coming to Bildo because they were struggling with shipping costs on containers sent from China: a $25,000 container sent from China to the USA would cost only $5,000 if it came from Greece. Pricing wasn’t the only factor influencing decisions either.

Companies able to afford the steep container rates still had to find ships to carry them, and there was a shortage of those too. In Greece, carriers were always available.

Finally, post-pandemic, we could offer very fast delivery on orders: a maximum of six months from start to finish. For some customers, delivery was down to two weeks. For any senior buyer in these times, Bildo became a very smart choice.

How have you expanded your operation into a global business? Can you tell us about the distribution partnerships across the world.

Bildo

When Bildo began to make its way out of Spain, Italy and Greece, it was initially with the help of experienced agents with deep knowledge of their individual markets. We then fleshed this out to exclusive distribution deals with carefully selected distributors that benefit from full penetration into their marketplace, wherever it may be. When targeting Europe, we identified respected and professional partners that we were confident could help our business, sitting down to share our goals and sales targets, and to find out how they can help us achieve them. One of the European distribution partners we settled on in the UK during this process was Hunter Price. The other was Sinco. Hunter Price aligns brilliantly with our strategy, as does Sinco, even though the basis of each relationship is quite different.

We now have distribution partners across the globe, including with the hugely respectable Samaco Toy in the Middle East. Latin America is a vastly growing market. In EMEA there’s a diverse retail landscape spanning supermarkets, toy specialists, indies, franchises, majors and so on, and all are strong in their own space. In LatAm, retail presence is very centralised. Coppel, which has 600 department stores in Mexico, is a big player on toys, and Falabella is a department store franchise in LatAm with stores in Colombia, Chile and Peru. If you can secure presence with those players, your business in that region is sorted. There aren’t many small retailers, meaning the few big names have a lot of negotiating power in terms of placement and pricing etc. Talks can be trickier.

This is where local distributors within each country really are worth their weight in gold: they know the lay of the land and can have conversations on your behalf.

How have you strengthened your partnerships with licensing companies?

What is the big advantage for them in working with you?

Our approach to investment in tooling and processes means we can make unique products for each partner depending on their requirements. We also invest in people who understand the brands we currently work with as well as the brands we want to work with. When we design a product, we know that our team completely gets what the end result should be. We’re also very communicative. We want to know what partners desire from us and in return we outline exactly what we can offer, at a price consumers find very attractive.

We also have existing relationships with major retailers across the globe, including those typically tricky to gain a foothold in, such as supermarkets and eCommerce specialists. It’s hard to gain entry to these sectors, but Bildo is already there and has proven success in the marketplace, from Lidl and Walmart to Argos, Tesco and Carrefour. In EMEA, our retailer network includes Smyths, Mothercare, ELC, Hamleys, Toys R Us, Maxi Toys, King Jouet and more. This year, we’re also working on a pan-European deal with Amazon: we’ve hired a dedicated eCommerce agency that will oversee the logistics of uploading, listing and promoting our products on Amazon EMEA. Our relationship with these retailers is a major plus point for our licensors, and we’re proud to be able to differentiate ourselves in this way.

Retail relationships are obviously paramount for all toy companies – what are the main benefits for retailers to work with you and how can you support them?

One of Bildo’s USPs is the fact every new deal, partnership or development will result in very attractively priced toys. Retailers can also look forward to a swift turnaround, consistent product availability, strong commercial deals with flexible

Toy World 152

payment terms and discounts (where appropriate), and tailormade product. There aren’t many licensees in Europe that can offer localised packaging in 10 different languages – but Bildo can. If a retailer says it needs something quite particular, our strong and talented internal development team is usually able to come up with a solution that ticks all the boxes.

We have the manufacturing ability and experience to create bespoke toys for retailers, and even to help develop generic own-brand lines. Our categories are also expanding all the time, meaning buyers can opt for mixed containers that cover several the most popular bases.

What are going to be the biggest challenges for retailers in ’22 and how can Bildo help them?

We’re all aware of continued challenges in logistics, raw materials and supply chain disruption. It will take a long time for things to return to normal, if indeed they do at all. It also remains to be seen how price increases and inflation rates will impact the toy industry, and we’re already seeing many forced to put increases onto retailers because they can’t absorb the entirety of them themselves. We’re working hard to understand where the balance lies for us in order not to put too much strain on our customers. Of course, some cost prices will have to go up due to untenable materials hikes of 35% or 40% in some categories.

What we’re agreeing with our customers, for now, is that we will rest certain lines for a year. One of Bildo’s major USPs is its competitive pricing ,and we have no wish to be forced, due to external situations outside of our control, to lose sight of what makes us special by increasing prices. We have already started finalising the ranges that will sit 2022 out, and have updated our key partners accordingly, letting them know what else is available to fill any gaps with something new, innovative – and attractively priced, of course. Our customers really appreciate this.

This year, we’re also welcoming power brands to our licensed portfolio including Ricky Zoom, Play Doh, L.O.L. Surprise!, Rainbow High, Little Tikes and many more. So even though pricing remains a challenge, Bildo is ready and able to offer supreme licensed lines in new categories not offered by these brands before.

It's worth bearing in mind that Bildo, as a Greek company, is used to facing and overcoming economic challenges – and has grown regardless. We’re here to listen and learn so we can be the best partner possible in this part of the world, and our roots are fundamental to that. We’re proud of who we are and what we do: an honest Greek company producing quality toys at great prices.

Special Feature

2022

Bursting with excitement Toy Fair makes its long-awaited return from January 25th-27th at Olympia London, with a new floorplan welcoming back a raft of familiar faces and first-time exhibitors alike. Toy World finds out what there is to look forward to, while Majen Immink, director of Fairs & Special Events at the British Toy & Hobby Association tells us how the show organiser is approaching the event this year in light of recent events and continued uncertainty.

“

The old saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ certainly seems to be ringing true: there’s definitely a sense of anticipation and relief that the UK toy industry’s premier event is back,” says Majen. “Of course, the excitement at every Toy Fair is delivered by our exhibitors. As in previous years, there will be more than 260 companies showcasing their ranges, from the biggest brands in the business including Character Options, Moose Toys and Jazwares, right through to start-up companies exhibiting for the very first time such as Ezy Rollers, Mecismo and Deltaco.

Everyone involved can’t wait to get back together and we look forward to visitors getting hands-on with the products that will be the big-sellers and trend-setters for 2022. It will be great to see all the familiar faces and the new ones too.”

Since the 2020 show, Olympia has been undergoing redevelopment works as a result of a £1b investment plan that aims to transform the iconic 135-year-old venue into a ‘cultural hub’ with an extended high-end events space, communal areas and co-working spaces, as well as new leisure facilities, on-site accommodation and food offerings. Work is ongoing, thanks in

no small part to the pandemic, meaning the 2022 iteration will have a substantially different floorplan for the first time in many years, with much of the show moved to the National Hall and National Gallery from the Lower and Upper West Halls. Majen tells Toy World that the exhibitor reaction to the move has been very positive, that the plans for the redevelopment work look fantastic, and that she ‘can’t wait’ to see the finished site once it’s complete.

She adds: “I must say thank you to all those exhibitors whose stands are affected and have had to be moved from the Lower West and Upper West Halls, which are unavailable to us at the moment.

The National Hall and National Gallery are side by side with the Grand Hall and Grand Gallery, meaning the rejig will actually open the show up really nicely. I think the reaction we’ve had also reflects everyone’s excitement at returning to the show following the disappointment of last year. The new floorplan has allowed us to add a second entrance to the show in the National Hall too, which is particularly useful to help prevent bottlenecking and over-crowding.”

Reflecting the current situation surrounding Covid, other sensible decisions have also been

Toy World 155

taken to reduce crowding and ensure everyone can enjoy a safe event. To this end, regular Toy Fair features, such as Toy Fair TV, the Influencer Day and Demo Zone, will be on hiatus for 2022.

The BTHA is stringently following government guidelines and has introduced a set of ‘Covidcombating protocols’ including enhanced cleaning operations, multiple hand sanitisation points – located at various touch points around the show- and the adoption of mandatory Covid status checks for all participants. Olympia also now boasts an improved ventilation system.

On top of these measures, Majen explains, the BTHA is continuing to track local and national guidance, including any mandated changes in restrictions such as compulsory mask wearing.

Updates will be issued over the coming weeks as soon as they are available.

The most popular aspects of Toy Fair remain, of course. The winners of the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards will be revealed during the fair, as will the Toy Fair Hero Toys 2022, a line-up of the top must-see toys the BTHA believes will fuel the toy business and generate headlines in 2022 and beyond. The trolley dash is back too, with KidsOut will once again the show’s official charity

2022 Special Feature partner. In its sixth year at the show, KidsOut will be collecting toys kindly donated by exhibitors at the end of Toy Fair 2022, all of which will make their way into the hands of disadvantaged children via the KidsOut Toy Box service. Toy Box ensures children rehoused after spending time in a Women’s Aid refuge receive a new box of toys to call their own. Many exhibitors will also be hosting small events on their own stands throughout the annual trade fair: readers are advised to keep an eye out for announcements at the show.

The rebooking rate for this year’s Toy Fair has been stronger than expected, according to Majen, resulting in the decision to provide additional exhibiting space in the National Gallery as well as the National Hall. The level of interest in exhibiting is a testament to how keen the toy industry is to return to meeting in person again, she adds: “I think it’s also reflective of the importance of Toy Fair that many of the biggest names in the industry are returning. Family favourites like Character Options, Lego, VTech, LeapFrog, Bandai and Playmobil are back, and we can’t wait to see what they will be revealing.”

“As well as a strong rebooking rate, we were delighted to see how many brand-new exhibitors we will have at the show in January,” Majen continues. “We have between 30-40 first-time exhibitors including GoGo Gadget, iDisplayit and Heathside Trading. You can find firsttime exhibitors all around the show. Many are located in the fully booked Greenhouse Area, where visitors can discover innovative start-up companies. Everyone attending Toy Fair should take time to visit the Greenhouse, where you can get a first look at toys and brands that could go on to become household names.”

Alongside their latest new product ranges, Toy Fair will also provide a launchpad for companies announcing or unveiling company developments.

As discussed on pages 194 and 196, Just Play UK began trading in the UK & Ireland on 1st January, making the timing of the show, and the access it offers to in-person networking, absolutely ideal.

“We’re leveraging everything we can to ensure we make an impact at Toy Fair,” Anna Chapman, VP marketing EMEA at Just Play UK, told Toy World. “We’ve offered in-person previews since

September but many of our customers have opted for online meetings instead, which we fully respect and have been able to offer too. However, there’s no denying that most buyers are product people, and it’s so hard to replicate the hands-on, see and do nature of an in-person preview. From behind a screen, there’s a level of detachment that’s simply too hard to overcome.”

Elsewhere, the company formerly known as H. Grossman Ltd will be exhibiting under its new name, One For Fun. David Mordecai told Toy World what was behind the name change, which was unveiled in late December, in an exclusive interview on pages 186 and 188. The company will be exhibiting under its new name on stand E39, meaning existing and prospective customers alike will be able to drop by, say hello, and find out about the toys it offers. The plan had originally been to finalise the rebrand in time for Autumn Fair, but, as One For Fun CEO David Mordecai notes, Toy Fair is a superior show at which to make such an announcement, both in terms of scale and timing.

The traditional toy company Fabula Toys heads to the show for the first time, having been inspired to start creating alternatives to screen-

Toy World 156

time nursery rhymes by a research paper revealed at Toy Fair 2018, while fellow first-timer Heathside will be showcasing its assortment of licensed toys based on the hottest pop-culture properties.

Toys2market, which launched in 2021, will also be making its debut with a selection of garden games, 3D crystal puzzles, construction toys, toy vehicles, novelty puzzles and more from its distribution partners.

Visitors should also expect to see a huge number of toys and games for the very first time, as well as guest appearances from famous faces: Amsodee will be hosting Matt Edmondson and Stephen Mulhern, who will be demoing the Format Games range as well as Rolling in It and In For a Penny respectively, while Toynamics UK & Ireland welcomes Touker Suleyman, one of the dragons from the BBC’s Dragon’s Den. Touker has been newly appointed to the board of advisors for Timio, Toynamics’ new screen-free, interactive and educational audio and music player.

“While it may feel different to previous years, Toy Fair will still offer plenty of things for exhibitors and visitors to see and do,” enthuses Majen. “Toy Fair is the UK’s largest dedicated trade show for toys, games and hobbies and is the first chance for retailers, licensors and media to get first looks at the products that will be the best-sellers and trend-setters for the year ahead.

It’s always exciting to take that first lap around the show and see the toys that are going to be making waves over the next year for the first time, but I’m mainly excited to see everyone again. It has been so long for us all and Toy Fair has always been the place to catch up with old friends and colleagues and make new ones. Our exhibitors and visitors have been incredibly supportive of the show, and we just can’t wait to welcome them back.”

Over the following 180+ pages, Toy World brings you the most comprehensive and in-depth look at look at the new ranges on show at Toy Fair, speaks to a number of exhibitors about their latest news, and asks senior figures from within the industry what they think the future holds – meaning readers can head to the show with all the information they need to make the most of the three busy days.

Available

March 2022

70514 Collectible Icelandic Pony

70515 Collectible Lewitzer Pony

70511 Car with Pony Trailer

www.playmobil.co.uk

70516 Collectible Connemara Pony

70512 Adventure Pony Ride

70510 Pony Shelter with Mobile Home

2022 Exhibitors List Exhibitors

1 Two Kids 66BMSBRANDS 8th Wonder A.B.Gee of Ripley Alley Cat Games Alpha Toys Andiamo! Language Services AR Products Asmodee Aurora World Bandai UK Basic Fun Big Potato Games Bigjigs Toys Bladez Toyz Bliss Distribution Limited Boglins Brainstorm BTHA Exhibiting Members Lounge Bubblegum Stuff Buena Onda Games Button and Squirt Canal Toys CanOff! Carrera Revell UK Cartamundi UK Casdon Cepia LLC/Exploding Kittens Character Options Cheatwell Games Clementoni Click Distribution UK Coiledspring Games Craft Buddy Deltaco DKB Toys and Distribution DKL-Beysal Dolu Toy Factory Eduk8 Worldwide Elf on the Shelf Epoch Making Toys Eurofins Ezy Rollers Fabula Toys Felix Europe Fiesta Crafts Flair GP Forest Hill Distribution Fountasia Funko Funrise Funville Games Workshop Geomagworld Get.Retro.co.uk Gibsons GoGo Gadget Golden Bear

Stand Number F70 Upper Level 218 N11 B40 GH14 N20 Upper Level 126 UN16 N5 D35 N17 D11 B20 H39 F18 E100 UN9 E79 Upper Level 205 H36 GH11 GH6 F90 UN18 Upper Level 100 H1 E30 Upper Level 110 N16 E20 N14 Upper Level 120 E35 B92 UN6 Upper Level 128 E66 B100 F1 H46 N7 GH8 UN17 GH9 GH1 G25 E39 GH16 GH12 N3 G90 B85 N1 D34 H94 E15 UN13 E69

Exhibitors

Stand Number

Red Robin Toys Redlands Distribution

F36 F72

Good Art Gosh Great Gizmos Limited Hachette Boardgames Halilit Hasbro Heathside Trading Hexbug House of Marbles iDisplayit IMC Toys Indigo Jamm Info Desk Insect Lore International Compliance Workshop James Galt Jazwares John Adams Leisure Jonathan's Toys Juratoys UK Just Play Keel Toys Kidicraft KidsOut Laurence King Publishing LearnBots Learning Resources Lego Lisciani Magic Box Toys UK Marvin's Magic Max Publishing Mecismo Meet The Pods Melissa & Doug Micro Scooters Mojo Fun Mojo-Nation Mood Bears Mookie Toys Moose Toys Mozabrick Mr Hullabaloo MV Sports & Leisure My Little Worlds N.Smith Packaging & Display National Gallery Lounge National Hall Lounge One For Fun Orange Tree Toys Orchard Toys OTL Technologies Paper Engine Papo Pavilion Distribution Pen Paper Gift Plasticant Mobilo Playmobil UK Playmonster UK Plum Products Posh Paws International Press Office & Toy Fair's Hero Toys Display Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles Rainbow Designs Rainbow Eco Products Ravensburger

Toy World 158

Upper Level 143 F50 G20 Upper Level 141 E16 Gallery Suites F22 F66 H50 UN5 E94 G23 E70 G30 H40 E9 N8 N6 B80 N2 B60 F10 B19 Upper Level 202 GH3 G65 D36 Olympia Room Upper Level 123 E45 H65 B39 UN20 UN14 E21 B45 Upper Level 144 B38 UN7 N10 N15 UN2 GH5 E75 GH10 Upper Level 124 UN50 N4 E49 F65 E10 B75 Upper Level 191 Upper Level 197 UN15 GH20 GH4 Upper Level 210 G10 F20 D90 Upper Level 160 Upper Level 102 B21 N23 N13

Available April

2022

70112 Sunbather with Boat 70614 Crepe Cart

70611 Children's Pool

70610 Small Pool with Water Shooter

70612 Paddle Boat Rental with Juice Bar

70613 Climbing Swimming Island

70609 Aqua Park with Slides

www.playmobil.co.uk | Contact your sales representative for more info. 01268 548111 / sales_uk@playmobil.de

Exhibitors

Reydon Sports Ridley's Games Room Copenhagen A/S Rubies Masquerade Sambro International Schleich Scrunch SES Creative Simba Smoby Toys UK Sinco Toys SJD Games Skyrocket Toys UK Smart Toys & Games Smart Zone (HK) Limited SnapDragon Monitoring - Brand Protection Snazaroo Star-Images Tactic Games UK Thames and Kosmos The Den Kit Company The Generation Media Café The Happy Puzzle Company The Insights People The London Toy Company The North Pole Race The NPD Group The Source Wholesale The Watering Hole Café by Giraffe Insights Theo Klein TKC Sales Tonies Toy Trust Coffee Lounge

Stand Number Upper Level 152 UN3 UN11 N25 F16 Upper Level 175 GH7 B35 B50 UN21 H23 Upper Level 140 F42 Upper Level 142 Upper Level 145 N24 E40 F25 F15 GH2 E113 G22 Upper Level 200 B52 B91 Upper Level 146 Upper Level 147 N18 B25 E90 C42 Upper Level 180

Exhibitors

Toy World Magazine Toymaster Toynamics UK & Ireland ToyNews Toys 'n' Playthings (TNP) Magazine Toys Unite Toys2market ToyTopic Tree Toys Trends UK Ty UK UL VS United Wheels UK University Games Vivid Goliath VR Distribution UK VTech/LeapFrog WarnerMedia Kids Café Wild Card Games Wilton Bradley Wilton Bradley Wind Designs Winning Moves Women in Toys Wotch Creations Wow Toys Xplora Yookidoo Yoto Zappies Limited Zimpli Kids

Toy World 160

Stand Number B23 Upper Level 149 E46 GH15 E1 UN8 GH18 G94 UN1 H42 Upper Level 119 E42 B90 E50 B70 N9 N19 Upper Level 130 B37 E89 E98 H52 F40 UN19 Upper Level 153 GH13 UN4 Upper Level 190 Upper Level 162 Upper Level 105 D2

Available February

2022

70917 DUCK ON CALL Fire Rescue Action: Cat Rescue

70915 DUCK ON CALL Police Emergency Vehicle

70914 DUCK ON CALL Fire Brigade Emergency Vehicle 70918 DUCK ON CALL Police Action: Police Chase

70830 DUCK ON CALL Mobile Operations Center

70916 DUCK ON CALL Ambulance Emergency Vehicle

70919 DUCK ON CALL Ambulance Action: Help the Racing Driver

www.playmobil.co.uk | Contact your sales representative for more info: 01268 548111 / sales_uk�playmobil.de

9.5 OTL TECHNOLOGIES

Funville

303

2.5

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6

72

2

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2.17

31.5

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322.75

210

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N16

12

10.5

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17.4

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19.5

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16.5

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GALLERY LINE

19

3.5

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11.5

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322.75

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6

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15

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5.5

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7.5

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19

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12

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THE TOY FAIR British Toy & Hobby Association BTHA House 3 Rubies Masquerade 142-144 Long Lane 48 London SE1 4BS United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 20 7701 7127 E-mail: Majen@btha.co.uk Web: http://www.toyfair.co.uk 16

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19.5

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5.5

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7.5

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2.5

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184.72

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83

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17

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35

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159.75

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8

10

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20.5

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Magic Box Toys UK Limited

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GH01 Felix Europe Bv GH02 The Den Kit Company STAIRS TO GH0310.5Laurence King Publishing GALLERY 3 GH04 Plasticant Mobilo GH05 Mr Hullabaloo 4 GH06 Button and Squirt 0.5 GH07 SCRUNCH 12 GH08 Eurofins GH09 Fabula Toys GH10 My Little Words GH11 Buena Onda Games 160.48 GH12 Fountasia GH15 GH13 WOW Toys 4 3 Alley Cat Games GH16 GH20GH14 GH18 2 GH15 ToyNews10 10 5 10 GH16 Forest 5 Hill Distribution 2.5 5 2.5 2 2 2.5 GH18 toys2market 2 2 2.5 4 3.5 PAPER GH01 GH20 PEN GH03 GH08 GIFT LTD GH12

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Width 3.08m Headroom 2.25m

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N15 Ltd

STAIRS TO

STAIRS TO GALLERY

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12

Venue column

Toy World 162

Void

VISITORS ENTRANCE

142-144 Long Lane London SE1 4BS United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 20 7701 7127 E-mail: Majen@btha.co.uk Web: http://www.toyfair.co.uk FIRE EXIT FIRE EXIT

GOODS LIFT GR1

GOODS LIFT GR2

FIRE EXIT

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3.25

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UL102

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8.5

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Carrera Revell UK Ltd

12

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ENTRANCE TO PILLAR HALL CANTEEN

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UK’s No.1

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Ty, the UK’s No 1 plush brand is excited to welcome the newest addition to the family: Squish-a-boos! Made from colourful, cosy fabric, Squish-a-Boos are available in a larger size of many of your favourite Beanie Boos plush characters and includes the official Ty Heart with name, birthday, and poem.

Get in touch with us: E: Sales@tyuk.co.uk T: 02393 876 600

touchingbase

Looking ahead

Forward thinking Rachael Simpson Jones caught up with leading suppliers to find out what they are most excited about for 2022, what challenges lie ahead and how they feel the next 12 months will pan out, both for their business and the wider toy community.

Mary Wood

John Briggs

General manager UK & Ireland, Tomy

Commercial Director, Epoch Making Toys

Coming into 2022, the two things I am most excited about are: People and Product.

Hopefully we will be able to get out and about more and see customers and partners.

Zoom/Teams meetings can be really efficient and effective, and will have their place in the foreseeable future, but physically seeing people face to face will be very welcome after so long.

From a product perspective, we are continuing to focus development within the core categories where Tomy has real strength: Infant & Preschool, Arts & Crafts, Farm (via Britains) and Games. We added Fatbrain to the Tomy portfolio in 2021, but due to stock shortages will really only see that brand coming into its own in 2022. Within Arts & Crafts, we are launching the beautiful, design driven Hey Clay brand in spring, and a really engaging Fatbrain developed brand, Jixelz, in autumn. Autumn will also see the launch of a freshly designed Lamaze range which has had amazing feedback from previews. Toomies is going from strength to strength with an extended Jurassic World range and a Peppa Bath line next year, plus we have an amazing ET Feature Plush for toddlers under the Toomies brand that will appeal to grandparents and parents who remember the film as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. We hope to maintain our strength in kids’ games with more new games, including my personal favourite: Rumble in the Jungle.

From Drumond Park, we look forward to another new title under the Logo Family, called Link Logo. There’s a lot going on and plenty to get excited about.

I think the rising costs of raw materials, availability of ICs and freight costs are going to be three key challenges going forward, not just for Tomy, but the wider toy community. ICs we can and will buy ahead but the other issues are harder to handle. We have already allowed for freight costs within our 2022 pricing but if raw material costs continue to increase, we may be forced to review pricing again later in the year.

Over the next 12 months, a concern for us all will be the amount of disposable income everyone has, given the rising costs of fuel, consumables and utilities. We are fortunate that our industry is generally recession resistant but with other household costs rising, consumers are going to be even more sensitive and responsive to promotions, which means a squeeze on margins all round if we are to meet these needs.

Tomy has growth plans but equally important is profitability, which means some tough decisions about where best to invest and where to hold back.

One thing of which I can be sure is that we will continue to innovate; bring amazing, well priced products to market via brands that consumers trust like Lamaze, Toomies, Aquadoodle, Britains and Tomy & Drumond Park Games – and we will support those brands with the right levels of investment and the right types of marketing activity.

This year sees Sylvanian Families move into a more hands-on role play environment for the first time with the launch of an exciting new Style & Play theme, featuring a selection of ponythemed sets – the first ponies to appear in the range – and a new play pattern with the brushing and styling of hair and adding accessories. Additionally, 2022 will see the expansion of our highly popular Sylvanian Amusement Park theme, with four new lines released during the year.

2022 will be a big year for Epoch Games, thanks to the new Mario Bros movie which will be released in December. Our Games division increased +300% in 2021 and with new games to add to the portfolio, we’re excited for our best year yet.

Our new Aquabeads portability range has been developed as a result of extensive consumer surveys which revealed kids want to be able to take their Aquabeads sets with them when visiting friends or family. Making and playing with Aquabeads together is a key attraction of the toy, and something our fans really missed during the Coronavirus lockdowns.

Increased costs and the fallout from a very varied 2021 still account for sizeable challenges going into 2022. We held our costs in AW21 to help and support our retail partners in a very difficult selling environment but, like most other toy companies, we have had to review some costs going into 2022 as things are no longer sustainable at 2021 levels.

A key Q1 priority for us is to build stock, as we know historically this is always a busy period for collectible brands like ours as children spend their Christmas money. We’ll continue to work hard to ensure the full range of what they want will be available at retail.

In 2021, Brexit meant exporting to Ireland seamlessly was a challenge (I suspect this was hard to achieve by all) but 2022 will allow for stock to be shipped more efficiently and enable consumers to receive their items sooner.

2022 is planned as another growth year for Epoch; investment in all our brands will inevitably continue to drive sales in each category, while recent consumer surveys have revealed there is continued demand for perceived premium brands such as ours.

Changes in our marketing plans have driven our brands into more homes via even more channels than ever before and we’ll maintain and increase our focus on these in 2022.

We’re hopeful that retail will have a ‘normal’ year with a whole 12 months of being fully open. The high-street and its independent retailers has proved it can endure challenges and overcome them; for us, this sector remains a vital part of our business. We’ve grown year-over-year in this sector and will continue our support in 2022.

Toy World 168

10 NEW Schleich® Animal Figures in January. 6 NEW Playsets in July

NEW

E WE HAEVD MOV

9 NEW Schleich® Animal Figures in January. 4 NEW Playsets in July London Toy Fair, Upper Gallery, Stand 175

Schleich UK Ltd, Hercules Way, Leavesden Park, Leavesden, Watford, WD25 7GS For more information, please contact your Schleich® representative, or contact us on 01279 870 000 or orders@schleich-s.co.uk

touchingbase

Looking ahead

Jamie Dickinson

Sue Barratt

Marketing communications manager, Playmobil Playmobil is really looking forward to 2022 and the year ahead, we have some fantastic new launches.

This includes our classic blue box items which have continued to be a big part of children’s lives for over forty-eight years now. Play themes like our classic horse and pony farm themes are set to return with new and updated features, alongside some fun new ranges like the Playmobil Aqua Park.

The last five years has seen Playmobil make big strides into the kidult market, and this is set to continue next year thanks to exciting partnerships with the likes of Knightrider, Asterix and some classic car brands. I think the thing we are most excited about is the new owned property themes launching; the first of which brings the exciting world of emergency services to a younger audience and includes a fun character to help keep children engaged. Duck on Call launches in February for ages three to five and will be supported with animated content on YouTube and YouTube Kids. There will be seven products at launch and a further six in July. The theme and play concept really fit into the Playmobil ethos of imaginative play and we cannot wait to introduce Ducklus, Freddy Fire, Polly Police and Mikey Medic.

The challenges brought on by Brexit in 2021 have affected the whole toy market. Looking forward to 2022, the issues surrounding drivers and shipping look like they could continue to cause Playmobil, and the industry as a whole, problems. But plans are in place to overcome these issues as best we can.

The next twelve months is a really exciting time for the toy industry. It was great to see retail open back up in 2021 and to trade again in a normal way. We look forward to continuing this, helping retailers create in store experiences that will draw consumers in and keep them engaged with the physical shopping experience. In store theatre will be so much more important going forwards to make sure customers can engage with the retailers and brands alike.

Phil Ratcliffe Joint managing director, MV Sports & Leisure

UK country manager, IMC Toys There’s so much going on at IMC and we have lots of exciting new launches for 2022. Our success over the last 18 months has been amazing, often bucking industry trends, and we’re excited about our growth trajectory for 2022 as we broaden both our brand portfolio and distribution at retail.

There are top secret reveals later in the year, a new collection of IP brands as we unveil Lucky Bob and Bubiloons, and line extensions to our best-sellers Cry Babies and Bloopies – a mix of innovative product development in evergreen brands and in new categories.

For Cry Babies, we’re launching new dolls in the core range. There’s Fun & Sun Ella to engage toddlers and smaller children aged 18 months+ and Cry Babies Tiny Cuddles, which is a value-driven line offering smaller, soft-bodied versions of Cry Babies at a pick-up price. Plus, there’ll be new characters in the Cry Babies Dressy and Kiss Me ranges, and Cry Babies Magic Tears collectible ranges for pre-schoolers and younger children, as well as new play sets.

Content is king for IMC and we’ll be promoting the Kitoons OTT platform from the start of the year as its roll out continues, the first of its kind from a toy brand to suggest products based on the video being watched and drive viewers directly to retailers.

New animated episodes will be aired throughout 2022 with new product launches to reflect the latest series and storylines, so children who follow the animated adventures of Kitoons on YouTube and Nick Jnr will recognise the characters in our toy lines, such as the new Cry Babies Magic Tears Little Changers collection, providing eco-friendly collectible mini dolls to reinforce the messaging of taking care of the planet which can be seen in new episodes from summer 2022, and product to reflect our Icy World themed content.

We’re also thrilled to see the UK licensing roll-out for Cry Babies Magic Tears and are hoping it will duplicate the success seen in other IMC territories.

In terms of the year ahead, freight and driver challenges might be out of our control, but they’ll continue to be an issue, so our production planning and forecasting means we’ll continue to pull out all the stops to get our stock to retailers and on shelves for consumers. We’re expecting to see escalating raw material costs and continued rises in the cost of living have an impact on consumer confidence and disposable income. But we’ll continue to provide great products and entertaining content to engage consumers.

Consumer confidence will be a key issue and one of the questions for the toy industry is whether, after everything consumers have missed out on in Covid times, they will be spending more on experiences than at retail. We certainly hope that great toy products, from us and from others, will have consumers wanting more and shopping for more.

Our retailer relationships and distribution have improved beyond all recognition over the last 18 months and with products in new categories, we are in a great position to grow our business again in 2022 – it looks like it’ll be a good year ahead.

As we come into 2022, I’m excited at the prospect of returning to faceto-face meetings and showcasing all our new products at the toy fairs (all things permitting). We have several exciting new licences to showcase such as Lightyear, CoComelon and Bluey, plus some important refreshes such as Peppa, Disney Princess and Batman alongside perennial classics like Barbie, Spiderman and Nerf Our licensed business has had a very strong year, as have our own brands; in particular Hedstrom outdoor play, uMoVe, Stunted and our E-scooter brands Li-Fe and Wired have all enjoyed tremendous success.

Our immediate challenges are the same as the majority of our customers and competitors, i.e. rising cost prices, ridiculously high freight rates and extended lead times on some components. We have been managing these as best we can and focusing on products which are more freight friendly or items which are less price sensitive.

The increased move to direct delivery and online sales has accelerated during the pandemic and is something that I think is set to continue. Mindful of this, we are investing in better content and extra storage capacity in Birmingham in order for us to carry a broader range of items available ex warehouse.

Longer term, we are committed to offering greener and more sustainable products; for example, our growing e-mobility business has been earmarked as an area for expansion. We have been solar powered at our Birmingham HQ for many years now and our increased focus on a greener, cleaner operation dovetails neatly into our e-mobility product strategy, incorporating both human and lithium powered mobility; both as a form of play but also as a mode of transport.

Over the next 12 months we expect most of our products to continue to be in high demand, as they are right now. For the industry as a whole, it remains to be seen as to how much the rising cost of living will affect household disposable income. The toy and leisure industry is known to be resilient though, and I remain optimistic.

Toy World 170

5 NEW Schleich® Dinosaurs in January. 2 NEW Playsets in July

8 NEW Schleich® Horses in January. 5 NEW Playsets and Accessories in July E WE HAEVD London Toy Fair, Upper Gallery, Stand 175 MOV Schleich UK Ltd, Hercules Way, Leavesden Park, Leavesden, Watford, WD25 7GS For more information, please contact your Schleich® representative, or contact us on 01279 870 000 or orders@schleich-s.co.uk

touchingbase

Looking ahead

Nancy Fielden Marketing manager, HTI Toys As we enter 2022, here at HTI we are hoping for a more ‘normal’ year in terms of restrictions and are excited to be launching an array of new product lines for our multiple brands. 2022 also marks the company’s 70th Birthday, and we will be recognising and celebrating the huge strides the business has made since the company was founded in 1952. Originally established as a supplier of UK manufactured toys and fireworks, 70 years on HTI can boast the ownership of five global brands, a licensed product portfolio that includes some of the world’s most recognisable properties, and offices and showrooms in five countries.

HTI will have also gone full circle in 70 years, bringing back part of our manufacturing to the UK. The opening of the UK Bubbles factory in 2021 marked a significant point in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and we are delighted that this enterprise will receive further expansion in the New Year.

Following the surge in spending in 2021, as money typically spent on travel was spent on other things, like home improvements and consumer goods, 2022 brings a degree of uncertainty in that consumer spending may normalise. I think 2022 will also see more retailers having to adapt to the new retail landscape and focus on offering conveniences and experiences that cannot be replicated online – at the same time becoming more digitally aware to remain competitive online. HTI will assist in driving these changes and provide support for both instore and online sales.

With the increased adoption of online sales and new technology, content is king and must reach the customer quickly and stand out from the competition. At HTI, we plan to accelerate our digital initiatives, increasing our marketing budget to address the growing demand for content in 2022.

Keeping costings competitive will be testing with the issues affecting manufacturing: rising material, labour and freight costs, and the adverse movement in exchange rates. Only time will tell the impact that these will have on the toy market.

Socio-economic trends will influence business growth through 2022. Toys made of wood and recyclable materials will be of huge importance to consumers, as will be the manufacturing and delivery process. I’m expecting traditional wooden toys to enjoy a surge in popularity not only for their green credentials but also to balance out the over-sophistication of the digital age.

As we spend more and more time on digital devices and social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, the emergence of new trends is heightened, creating a demand for new product and speed to retail. HTI will remain quick to react to these key trends and we will continue to invest in tooling to build ranges full of new and exciting products.

2022 will also see the launch of multiple movies at the cinema, which should help to increase the popularity of licensed goods throughout 2022. It will be interesting to see whether consumers are enthusiastic about the return, or whether they prefer movie launches on digital platforms such as Netflix.

David Allan Managing director, Toynamics UK & Ireland I am so looking forward to being back at shows, meeting customers and colleagues as well as being able to show our collection in its best setting. The world of toys is everchanging; consumers are looking for new ways to buy their goods, so being back at trade shows helps us to track and identify opportunities via our new business programme. I’m hoping that 2022 will be very much a normal trading year - one in which we can work with our customers to grow our business and introduce them to all the amazing new products and ranges that Toynamics is distributing. At this year’s shows, we’ll be presenting exciting new items from Hape’s Sustainability programme, an amazing new bike range, Nebulous Stars, Dinosart, Skip Hop, Nanoblock, and a new range of educational teaching aids from Timio.

We continue to maintain a focus on keeping our customers happy with the right products at the right prices. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Hape, Toynamics is very fortunate to have its own manufacturing and can plan its stock requirements and containers in advance. The biggest challenge is costs, particularly container costs. Planning the right things at the right time is crucial; raw materials and labour costs are increasing in Asia all the time, but being supported by the Hape Group means that these increases can be minimalised. As a result, we’re able to hold our prices for spring/summer 2022.

I think the first six months of 2022 will be very tough. Consumer spending is reduced, thanks to the inevitable interest rate and utility services increases, and concerns surrounding the everchanging pandemic remain. However, consumers will be looking at more traditional, trusted companies which care about the environment and offer long term play, like Hape. Toynamics’ quality product ranges are linked to the gathering of pace of the Hape Sustainability Programme, which involves materials, packaging and sourcing, and as we show these credentials our position will only become stronger, especially by summer. This is all linked to a very high-profile marketing campaign, and I am confident our messaging will resonate among consumers.

Toy World 172

TV & DIGITAL

NEW Series 2. 13 Eldrador Mini-Creatures and 4 Robots in April

12 Baby Dragons and Kittens in March. 7 Candy Unicorn Foals in January London Toy Fair, Upper Gallery, Stand 175

E WE HAEVD MOV

Schleich UK Ltd, Hercules Way, Leavesden Park, Leavesden, Watford, WD25 7GS For more information, please contact your Schleich® representative, or contact us on 01279 870 000 or orders@schleich-s.co.uk

touchingbase

Looking ahead

Sarah Dayus

Nick Thomas

Sales director, Great Gizmos

General manager, Vivid Goliath

At the time of writing this, Toy Fair is going ahead, and I am really looking forward to being back at Olympia with our fantastic industry.

It will be great to see our customers face to face again and physically showcase all our new products and ranges. So much has happened over the past months so there is plenty to catch up on. I’m also really excited for what 2022 might bring. I feel as though we are still very much in unchartered waters post pandemic, although 2021 has been particularly good for us so I hope for this will continue. We are very lucky that our products have been in high demand, and we’ve been able to keep on top of stock in quite challenging circumstances. No doubt these challenges will continue into 2022 but I look forward to tackling them head on.

I’m expecting manufacturing capacity and shipping problems to be our biggest challenges for 2022 but we have processes in place to keep these challenges at bay. We have already planned the majority of our stock for the entire year well in advance so our suppliers can meet our demand. We have had to increase our prices slightly to help offset the unavoidable extra shipping costs we all face. I think the whole toy industry would agree the biggest challenge for 2021 was getting stock into the country and I don’t see next year being much easier, but we have learned from this year and will adjust accordingly.

Looking to 2022, I anticipate another successful year, and really hope the same is true for the wider toy community. I’m confident that that if we can keep on top of stock and are able to fulfil orders then we should be on track for another strong year. We’ve got some great new products and ranges coming through which we are really excited to showcase at the upcoming shows. We have fantastic support from our customers, and we are always looking for new opportunities. I hope that Toy Fair brings some new faces our way and I really can’t wait to see our existing buyers - and also our friendly competition.

2022 will be our third year as part of the Goliath family, and we have a lot to look forward to as we diversify and expand into even more games categories. We will be showing 20+ new games to our retailer partners during Toy Fair covering innovative Kids Games through to new introductions across the Family, Party, Adult and Crime genres.

The most recent acquisition of Endless Games allows us to unlock even more strong performing US games for the UK, and Floor is Lava gets an upgrade into a Family Edition for this year. It has been hugely rewarding to see retailer reactions to the new portfolio and in particular, learning more about the ever-popular True Crime category and just how many people tune into podcasts around this theme. I believe Casefile will drive category innovation with its infinite re-playability, you just have to piece together evidence to crack the crimes. I feel we are now a true destination supplier for Games to meet all retailer needs across price points, formats and play patterns.

Another highlight for this year is the launch of the Wahu Outdoor range in the UK. In Australia, Wahu is an established and market leading brand with a wide portfolio across multiple categories. Off the back of continued success of Phlat Ball, we will be broadening into a Wahu Sports category with striking new aspirational packaging across a performance led range. A Wahu Garden range of toys to transform everyday sprinklers into a range to splash through over the warmer months is sure to be popular.

I think as an industry, we will all be glad to start afresh in ’22 and hopefully put the major logistical challenges behind us. As I stepped into 2021, I never believed I’d become such an expert in containers and logistics!

The costs of containers has been well documented and we are doing everything we can to mitigate the increases and ensure that our logistical operations run smoothly. Despite these challenges, we have remained ahead of sales year on year with power brands such as Crayola, our Games portfolio and Ryans World.

Looking back, we are very proud of what we achieved in 2021, growing our business YOY. Our Toy portfolio has gone from strength to strength with brands like Ryan’s World and Animagic into double digit growth and we are excited to be partnering with Headstart to launch the Recyclings range. We are also delighted to be working with Lansay to launch Sky Dancers to a new generation and are building a multi-layered marketing plan based on the heritage and nostalgia of this classic toy. Crayola has also grown year on year, and we will be driving an even broader Back To School campaign with new marketing and partnership initiatives. Bluey will be the latest addition to the Crayola Colour Wonder portfolio, there’s a new Glow Station whilst Colour n Style Dolls take a dive into the world of Mermaids. There’s lots to be excited about this year.

Martin Whitaker Managing director, Simba Smoby Toys UK

To echo a response that I’m sure you’ll hear throughout the industry – what I’m most excited about coming into 2022 is London Toy Fair. The show was really missed last year, and the whole team is really looking forward to seeing our retailer partners in person again, and keen to make new connections too. I expect 2022 to be a year of continued growth for the UK business, so that target is high on the agenda, and I can’t wait to roll out all of our plans for the year ahead. Of course, like everyone else, I’m also eager for the start of a fresh year, in the hope that it’ll offer a greater level of normality.

The biggest challenges at present, which are likely to continue into 2022, are with freight and with planning – but I’m not sure that either of these things are within my power to solve completely. However, the team at Simba is continually adapting to the situation to ensure that we overcome as much of this as possible. Of course, who knows what the pandemic might throw at us next?

Over the last couple of years, we have worked hard to build strong foundations within the business. And I honestly believe that we have done this very successfully. So, looking ahead to the coming 12 months, I’m confident that the strength of these foundations will allow us to deliver the firm’s biggest and best year to date. Simba Smoby has a brilliant portfolio, which includes Smoby, Jada Toys, Masha and the Bear, Disney Plush and more, as well as new IPs, such as B-Kind. Every year, our ranges continue to build momentum with both retailers and consumers alike. Of course, the retail partnerships that we have created will be invaluable in enabling us to grow the business and deliver a successful year for all. I’m confident that toys is a resilient industry, and I have no reason to believe this won’t continue to be the case.

Toy World 174

Take crea coding to tive the max!

Don’t miss our exciting new 2022 launches!

Come and meet us in 2022 at London Toy Fair and Spielwarenmesse

New

EI-1126

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My Feelings Rainbow Fidget

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Dottie the Fine Motor Cow

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HM94746-UK

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To book your appointment or for more information, contact your Learning Resources Sales Manager call 01553 819380 email sales@learning-resources.co.uk www.learningresources.co.uk

touchingbase

Looking ahead

Anthony Grimaud Managing director/CEO, Canal Toys It will be great to have the opportunity to meet up face to face with our retail partners again during trade fairs in 2022. In my experience, it’s the most effective way to showcase our brands, gauge instant reactions, answer questions and connect with the buyers. Canal has some amazing new developments for 2022 and the team can’t wait to be exhibiting at the London Toy Fair.

From a brand perspective, I am particularly excited about the Studio Creator brand. We know just how quickly the Kidult market segment is expanding, and there could not be a better time to introduce this brand to our customers. Ever since we launched back in August 2020, sales have been phenomenal, and we anticipate another year of growth which will elevate the brand even further. I really cannot wait to show off our exciting new brand developments and help customers tap into this lucrative segment.

The past 20 months of the pandemic have demonstrated how resilient our industry can be. Coping with the global supply chain disruptions together and working through post Brexit, last year we often felt like we were riding an insane roller-coaster. Whilst we hope the worst is now behind us, we must also recognise there is no magic wand to make all the supply chain and labour issues disappear. Realistically in the medium term, we should remain flexible and prepare ourselves for adapting however we can to more challenging times ahead.

We’re expecting the uncertainties around the dollar exchange rate and the effects of the highest inflation in the past decade to create significant margin pressure across the board. To overcome these challenges, Canal will do everything it can to support its channel partners; focusing on bringing to market brands supported by strong marketing campaigns, setting strategic price points and putting a huge emphasis on domestic stock and service levels.

Despite last year’s extremely difficult trading circumstances, the support Canal received from all retail partners has been incredible. We must all stay optimistic and hope for a lockdown free year which should generate some growth by itself.

The pandemic has accelerated the importance of eCommerce and most of the industry has shifted to a digital first approach - which constitutes the largest opportunity for growth yet.

From Canal’s perspective, I have been really pleased with the performance of our brands last year. Seeing the amazing new developments we have in store for next year, I feel very confident that 2022 should be another bumper year for Canal Toys and all its partners.

Working Together to Keep Bad Toys Away

Contact us to discuss how we can help ensure the safety and quality of your products. MTS can help you mitigate risks whilst offering cost effective solutions.

• UK toy laboratory – physical, flammability & chemical testing • UK Approved Body for toys • Global laboratory locations • Europe & Asia inspection services • Factory auditing • Consultancy & risk assessments

For more information email us at:

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MTS TOY ADVERT.indd 1

16/12/2020 12:20

touchingbase

Looking ahead

Clive Wooster Managing director, Geomagworld Coming into 2022, I’m keen to get back to Toy Fairs. We experienced a vibrancy at the AIS show in September, and at the Toymaster regional meetings, which came from presenting our line in person and the interaction from doing so. Having said that, let’s hope the situation is such that fairs can go ahead in 2022. I’m also excited about the way our range with 100% recycled plastic is gaining traction; initially seen as a "nice to have" it’s now developing into something of a "must have" for many retailers. There’s a host of new products in our Magicube, Geomag (including the much-loved Glow & Glitter, now using recycled plastic) and Mechanics ranges which I’m dying to show off at Toy Fair.

In terms of challenges, of course supply chain issues and rising costs continue to affect us all. It does seem an inevitability that prices will have to go up and supply will continue to be an issue until at least 2023 – although Geomag has been able to offset some of that thanks to our Swiss Manufacturing base and relatively free passage of goods post Brexit from Switzerland.

Quite apart from the human cost of the pandemic, there are financial hurdles coming. If, for example, mortgage interest rates go up, that is a huge cost that most people have to bear and their spending will inevitably be impacted. Having said that, toys are traditionally very resilient in tough times, so let’s see.

Looking to 2022, I think we will see cautious and modest growth across the toy industry. At Geomag I expect our progress to continue as we widen our distribution at retail and consumers discover how much fun and how educational the product is.

In other areas, I think we all welcome the planned re-introduction of Toys R Us to the UK, whatever shape that comes in. I think online retailing will continue to grow with lots of new players joining the market to challenge the established ones. The emergence of eco stores certainly fits well with our product line and I expect to see more of those coming along too. Finally, we've seen our independent retailers weather huge storms but coming through with most of their rigging intact. We look forward to supporting them even more in 2022, as a vital part of our business.

Damien Collett Head of sales UK & Ireland, SES Creative 2022 is a massive year for SES Creative as we celebrate 50 years as a company. We continue to be proud of our carbon neutral achievement and to design, manufacture and bring to market our products from the Netherlands.

This year we are releasing our biggest ever range with over 450 products covering nursery, pre-school, hobby, crafting, outdoor, science and roleplay. We continue to invest heavily in new product innovation and technology and have been proud to receive product awards recognising this. As usual, all our products prioritise child safety and offer a wide range of educational, environmental and health benefits such as gluten free dough and paint, PVC free plastic, Eco recycled products and a range of crafting products safe for under-3s. Now in our third year trading directly into the UK and Irish markets, we are really excited to be available across a wide variety of retail spaces, and we want to continue to build upon this in 2022.

The biggest challenge we have faced is the rise in demand for our products across Europe due to lockdowns, our rapid retail expansion and logistic issues causing a lack of supply in the market in general. As a company that manufactures on site, our biggest challenge has been meeting increased customer demand. To ensure we have the flexibility required to service our growing customer base, we have invested in further warehousing that will allow us to maintain the service levels that our customers have come to expect.

The recent rise in Covid related restrictions, continued disruption in logistics and the risk of continued cost price increases will continue to be challenges facing the industry in 2022. Clarity of lead times and stock availability are more important than ever, and it is vital to have the ability to react quickly to these issues - and that this flexibility is built into retail strategies. Here at SES Creative, we remain confident that our business model can meet the challenges of the current climate, proving the strength of local manufacturing both for our business and our customers. As such, we remain optimistic for the year ahead as we continue to grow.

Andrew Hardwidge Sales manager, A.B.Gee As we approach the start of a new year, the thing I’m most excited about is being able to present the fantastic new products we have and introducing our customers to ranges they won’t have seen before. In 2022, our product range will be bigger and better than ever. Joining some of the long-standing distribution agreements we have with companies such as Mattel, Hasbro, Character Options, Playmobil and others, we signed several new distribution deals during 2021 including Spin Master, Moose Toys, Jazwares, Cats vs Pickles (Cepia) and Lisciani. These have all started off well, and we’re looking forward to growing our business with them throughout 2022. We have more new distribution deals in the pipeline too and will be able to tell our customers about them soon. They’ll certainly make 2022 a very interesting year.

As we are all aware, 2021 was blighted by huge increases in shipping costs which caused cost prices to fluctuate wildly.

We have worked hard to make sure that our exclusive ranges from Tooky Toys, Jar Melo and Wild Planet still offer great value for money and strong trade margin opportunities. Brexit brought us very unwelcome additional charges and red tape, but by working closely with our suppliers we’ve managed to automate most of the things we’re now required to provide. This means we can continue supporting our valued overseas customers.

We’re confident that the coming year will be our strongest ever. We currently offer over 6,000 toys from many of the best manufacturers in the world and the new product introductions for 2022 look fantastic. We can be fairly sure that we’ll have all the most sought-after lines available for our customers whenever they need them, supported by a straightforward service that makes it easy to find everything under one roof. We can’t wait to see how all the new product ranges perform throughout the year and look forward to meeting new and existing customers on stand B40 at the upcoming London Toy Fair.

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Looking ahead Anil Boodhoo Director, Asmodee UK

While 2021 was an incredibly challenging year for everyone as the Covid situation evolved, one thing that didn’t change was the human desire to play and interact. Quite simply, 2021 proved that games of all types are a mainstay purchase for customers. They lift spirits in all circumstances but perhaps even more so in the current environment.

Games have always been a part of people’s childhoods but where the UK market has lagged behind some of our European counterparts, with gameplay perhaps dropping off as consumers get older, we have seen an increase in adults of varying ages investing in quality board games as home entertainment. From an Asmodee perspective, beyond the perennial record sales of our hit titles including Dobble, we have seen very strong growth in titles such as Catan and Ticket To Ride.

Looking ahead to next year, we have some phenomenal new titles coming to market and a real focus on getting our most loved games into more homes. While we cherish every loyal gamer, a key opportunity is to push further into other segments. This started in 2021 with some major sponsorships of CITV and Bauer radio (Absolute Radio) and media partnerships with WHSmith and John Lewis, and we will develop this further in 2022. We believe we have a role to play in helping to drive footfall in store and online and, for retailers willing to work with us, we now have the team, plans and willingness to invest to make a difference. Covid permitting, the final piece of support will be a return to our fantastic demonstrators who we hope to have back in full swing.

We live in interesting times and, like everyone, have been navigating supply, logistics and inflationary challenges. We have met some obstacles in 2021 but for the most part have remained well stocked throughout and I don’t see this changing in 2022, which we know from discussions is a key reassurance for retail customers.

Asmodee’s exciting new games and respected heritage titles will continue to help us forge ahead in the toy and games sector. With the nation’s enduring love for quality family time as a welcome antidote to increased screen time, along with a busy media calendar ripe for the next childhood trend, I am thoroughly optimistic for a thriving 2022.

Annie Sullivan General manager, UK/Northern EU & MEA, Funrise After a challenging 2021, Funrise is ready to enter 2022 with optimism and excitement. We will be adding to our team here in the UK with both sales and marketing roles. Funrise’s growth is a key initiative for the team, and we are excited to be adding a new role dedicated to growing our business in the UK and Ireland even further. Benn Bramwell will be joining as the marketing manager for Europe beginning January 2022. We are excited to have him on board to help drive our global brand strategies and execute on a local level.

From a portfolio perspective, we are quickly expanding with new items in existing lines like Cat and Gazillion, as well as new brand launches, such as our collaboration with Rocket League.

Funrise recently announced a new partnership with video game developer Psyonix which I am very excited about. We have worked closely with them and IMG to create a brilliant collection of customisable and remote-controlled Rocket League replica cars that bring the video game to life. The range will feature varying price points and scales of RC vehicles and is launching in autumn ’22.

One of our carry-forward brands, Fart Ninjas, has been a remarkable success and we will be launching Series 5 later in the year. Meanwhile, the Cat range will be introducing some new and exciting vehicles and sets to help drive imaginative play; from the high performing Massive Mover RC to the Roarin’ Rexcavator.

One of the things I’m looking forward to the most in 2022 is being able to meet with people in person again. I’m so excited to re-connect with our partners and industry friends at upcoming key trade shows. Our showroom at our UK HQ in Milton Keynes has recently undergone a transformation and the team is very much looking forward to hosting in person events there as well.

Going in to 2022, I think it’s obvious that supply chain challenges will continue to be an issue. Increased freight costs and chip shortages will unfortunately cause disruption.

Our procurement and operation teams have done an excellent job during these very challenging times and adapted well to the changing conditions. Our inhouse manufacturing capabilities in Vietnam allows us to react quickly to suit changing market conditions. Sufficient stock supply will be key, and we are well positioned to manage supply constraints.

The silver lining from the past couple of years is the desire for families to have fun and spend more time together. The demand for toys has continued to grow and we are prepared to offer new and exciting products for kids of all ages across multiple categories.

Another important initiative for Funrise has been our commitment to sustainability. You will see a change in the types of materials used in packaging and the elimination of plastics used wherever possible. We will continue to stay committed to this initiative and do our part to add to a more sustainable future.

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Looking ahead

Kate Gibson Managing director, Gibsons Games It’s been a tough couple of years for all businesses, but one of the realisations we’ve come to is the difference it makes to connect with people in person. We are hugely excited for the return of trade shows, to see our customers in the flesh and for them to be able to touch and feel our new products. With demand for jigsaw puzzles and games growing in the last two years, we’ve worked hard to increase production capacity and improve our processes and systems across the business. The months ahead will see us launching a raft of new and exciting products at the shows. We therefore envisage a strong start to 2022 as we look forward to fulfilling our customer’s requirements and growing new markets.

There’s no doubt that cost increases are having a big impact. Seeing this reflected at retail is a reality for us all next year. The uncertainty concerning container prices will make it doubly difficult to plan for things in the early part of 2022. We also can’t ignore the renewed concern regarding the Omicron variant, and the impact on shops and businesses as people work from home again and have a more cautious attitude to heading out and spending money. Of course, this will have a positive impact on online spending. On a micro level, Gibsons has adopted a successful hybrid approach to home and office working. No one wants to see us back where we were, behind screens all day, every day.

We’ve all been put to the test in the last two years and have learned an incredible amount. One word that keeps cropping up at Gibsons when we mention 2022 is ‘smoother’. A recent planning session left me with nothing but enthusiasm for the opportunities that lie ahead next year and admiration for the strength of our team and its ability to deliver on those plans. In addition to our core business - getting great puzzles and games out to our customers -we are fully focused on our sustainability strategy and building on the work we have done so far. This is central to developing a successful business for the future.

The toy community has excelled at adapting and rolling with the punches in the last two years and I believe it will continue to do so throughout 2022.

Innovation and play are at the heart of our industry, both of which are more needed than ever.

Phil Cassidy

Nic Aldridge

Managing director, Casdon Toys

Managing director, Bandai UK

I'm hopeful that we'll be able to get out to the trade shows this year, which I am most excited about as we have so much coming up to share with our customers. Our clients and partners will be treated to a first look of our innovative new launches as well as meeting the new team members who have been part of our exciting expansion plans.

For the past six months, the team has been working hard behind the scenes and we look forward to revealing Casdon’s new look. We will be rebranding with a refreshed colour palette, brand logo and company tagline. All these changes have been designed to reflect the company’s ethos for toys to always capture a sense of fun and excitement while exploring new ways to live playfully.

Forever expanding, we will continue to build on our heritage, and 2022 will see us welcome a completely new licence as well as unveiling new products across the portfolio.

This year, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our exclusive licence partnership with Dyson, it is timely for us to reveal three brand-new SKUs to our best-selling range of vacuum cleaner toys. The new addition brings together Dyson hair- and role-play in the form of the Dyson Supersonic and Corrale Styling Set. These toys include miniature versions of the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer and Dyson Corrale Hair Straighteners.

We also have a fresh new licence joining the Casdon portfolio; one of the world’s leading houseware brands with a global presence spanning over 100 countries, Joseph Joseph.

We will be launching six products in the range, including the Joseph Joseph Extend which takes water play to a whole new level.

As always, the toys will be designed and officially licensed to look just like the real thing.

Another new product is the Joseph Joseph Bake set which comes with fantastic contents for young bakers.

The biggest challenge we are facing is freight costs, a hurdle which seems impossible to overcome, so stock management will be of the highest importance. Despite the little control we have over this, our new team is doing a fantastic job with logistics, and we are confident in the solutions they will find.

With our line-up of new products and updates on our current ranges I believe we will have a storming 2022, but that won't come without inevitable margins suffering, which we are prepared for.

There's so much lined up for 2022 from Bandai that it’s hard to pick out some highlights, but I’ll try. Firstly, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Tamagotchi within the UK market. I can’t believe that 25 years have gone by already.

Our retailers and consumers can expect to see continued expansion of our Japanese anime and Manga portfolios, which I know fans of these sectors are already very excited about. Our hugely successful Miraculous and CoComelon ranges will also welcome new products, and I think it’s fair to say that we’re all looking forward to life returning to some sense of normality.

One of biggest challenges we face as we head into 2022 will actually be managing our growth. Bandai is fortunate to have brands within its portfolio that are both wildly successful and hugely popular, making ours a most privileged position. Keeping up with continued high demand will remain a challenge as the global supply chain problems are not yet resolved, but we’ll be working hard to do so and have plans in place that will best support our retailers. Our retail partners are very important to us and we don’t take their support for granted.

Very exciting times lie ahead during the next 12 months.

We have a robust portfolio that is performing well, and, in addition to our core toy business, our collector business is booming.

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Looking ahead

Nathaniel Southworth Managing director, KAP Toys I love thinking ahead to the new year, focusing on the possibilities it may bring. I look forward to drawing a line under the unrelenting Christmas run in for 2021 and the quiet before the storm of Christmas 2022. Having just cancelled a holiday at Christmas, the biggest thing I am looking forward to in 2022 is a holiday. To be able to truly go on holiday’though, I am really keen to implement a number of strategic plans at KAP Toys, which will set our business up for many years to come.

The biggest challenge to our business outside of freight rates, Covid, exchange rates, inflation, kids getting older younger, the weather, legislation, changing retailer strategies, increasing prices in China, and whether or not we can travel for business is probably internal pressures.

Everywhere we look we see opportunity and we have something in our range that we believe will work with every committed retailer to toys.

Our challenge is delivering on our professional goals in terms of quality service and living up to our name as the dynamic toy company. We need to recruit some exceptional talent to reinforce the efforts taken to secure our business and continue to deliver for the retailers who have trusted us to provide great products for their stores.

The toy industry always adapts to whatever is thrown at it but in 2022, the impact of well publicised freight rates will start to manifest at the consumer end. In one of our favourite categories – battery powered ride-ons – you will see items that formally retailed for £29.99 having to retail for closer to £99.99 as the freight cost is recognised in budgets/plans. This will decimate volumes for this type of product and reduce the number of customers. The category will evolve but it will be a tough year. I expect to see the continued trend of mini or capsule ranges, shrinking the product and consequently squeezing more in a container. You will see innovation whatever challenges are presented.

Nick Saunders Sales and marketing director, Brainstorm Toys The new year signals a raft of new and exciting products launching at Toy Fair, and it will be brilliant to return to Olympia after everyone’s enforced hiatus. The Brainstorm product team has once again created some unique products, all of which are rooted in STEM play and learning. Our ‘My Very Own’ range will be expanded with My Very Own Cloud, a lovely 3-in-1 nightlight shaped like a floating cloud, while Zoetrope is based on the classic 19th century animation toy. My Super-Fun Voice Changer will no doubt be fun to demonstrate at the show, with its cool effects including two robot voices.

Eugy’s growth has been phenomenal: the brand is fast becoming a collectible craze. Phased launches of new models throughout 2022 will offer kids (and adults) more than 50 animals to collect. Its eco-credentials are popular with people looking to make more sustainable purchases, while one of our customers described it as an ‘intelligent collectible that draws kids away from the online environment prevalent in modern society.

StikBot and KlikBot have established themselves as Brainstorm evergreens since we partnered with Zing Toys back in 2016. Customers will love the new Mutant StikBots and KlikBots Guardians.

We’re facing inflationary pressures from our product supply chain, horrendous freight costs, increasing UK operational expenses, and a shift in how consumers access broadcast media – so we need to ensure that every product continues to deliver fantastic value. We will continue to support retailers by investing heavily in a diverse marketing plan, be that linear TV and online campaigns or eye-catching in-store POS solutions.

Like many in the toy industry, we are feeling very positive and budgeting for growth. Brainstorm is rapidly transitioning to plastic-free packaging and working towards a net-zero target by the end of 2022, while Eugy will become fully FSC certified across both product and packaging. For the team here, it’s really inspiring to be able to bring this brand’s products and ethos to the UK and Irish markets.

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touchingbase

Looking ahead

Neil Bandtock Managing director, MGA Entertainment UK & Ireland We have exciting developments and innovation in our current portfolio and are launching two completely new brands that promise to disrupt the dolls’ and girls’ markets for 2022, including a new doll brand early in the year which is like nothing else on the market. We’re also making substantial investment across all MGA’s brands, with a particular focus on product development, our forte, as well as innovative marketing campaigns. We have big news on our fashion doll lines L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High too, with two huge tentpole launches to be announced for spring/summer 2022 and further development of our viewer content and strategic partnerships On an operational level, our move to Wincanton will change our supply structure and warehousing solutions. This should mean a quicker turnaround on shipping products (to less than a week) and enhanced capabilities on the eCommerce side of our business.

One a personal level, 2022 will be my second full year as MD at MGA. I’m looking forward to a year that is (hopefully) more business as usual, with retailers open and more consumer events. I’m also very much looking forward to implementing changes and developing our team.

Our whole industry is hoping for a much calmer and more predicable year, one that is less turbulent and with fewer stock and operational issues. The current challenges won’t disappear in January, though: we know there may still be some challenges when it comes to meeting consumer demand in the early part of 2022. We’ve put in measures to address this, such as our new warehouse and delivery structure.

All in all, 2022 should be much bigger and better for MGA UK. We have huge product developments across the board and our objective is to grow our L.O.L, Rainbow High, Little Tikes and Zapf properties with NPD. The aim is for L.O.L to continue to dominate the doll category as No.1 in the market and the No.1 fashion doll. Rainbow High is currently the No.2 fashion doll property and the fastest growing Top 10 property in the market, and its success will only continue. Little Tikes is already a best-selling outdoor brand and one of the best-selling pre-school brands. Innovation within the Little Tikes portfolio will continue to deliver further growth. Similarly, Zapf baby Born and Baby Annabel are No.1 in Nurturing dolls, with many product developments planned for 2022 that will keep them front of mind with consumers.

Away from product, we’ll continue our focus on being a digital leader while also investing in bricks & mortar retail experiences, from attention-grabbing in-store takeovers to VIP customer experiences. Our new B2B portal will also build our business with our independent retail partners.

Darran Garnham Founder, Toikido Toikido had an incredible 2021 which saw our lines hit over 100 markets and win multiple awards, and we finished the year with the Netflix hit Back to the Outback launching internationally.

The 12 months ahead will be just as exciting, as Toikido continues its global development partnership with Innersloth on our No.1 selling line, Among Us. Fans can look forward to plenty of exciting Among Us expansion thanks to the recent game updates and the announcement of the brand’s move into VR, both of which will offer us new areas to explore in terms of product development.

In 2022 we will also be bringing to market products for the multiaward-winning game Gang Beasts, from Boneloaf Studios. Not only is this a game with a very strong and loyal fanbase, having been No.1 on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam, but it’s also set to welcome more game and brand expansion throughout the year.

Toikido will support Gang Beats with cross-media marketing TV, print and socials. The product range will include action figures, collectibles, play sets, dress-up and unique brand related SKUs. I am very excited about our partnership with Boneloaf: our highly collaborative discussions are going to lead to some very special cross-promotional opportunities.

Later this year will see the launch of Smighties in the form of collectibles, plush, play sets and more. This unique opportunity has really brought the digital and physical worlds together. Everyone in the Toikido team is a digital native, having worked in mobile, gaming and platform development, so this has been a fun partnership. And the products are looking amazing.

2022 will also see Toikido unveil two own-IP launches. More details on that will follow soon.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to the growing Toikido team: recent hires Neil Porter, head of Creative, and Lucy Pearce, head of Product Development, have expanded the family. I am proud that we not only added IP, onboarded people, ramped up our development and our expanded planning last year, but also kept up our speed to market objectives and supply levels. All signs point to this performance continuing into 2022 and beyond.

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Company Profile

One for Fun

Introducing One for Fun

Nearly four years after acquiring H. Grossman, Tobar has unveiled a major rebrand, complete with a name change and new logo, that will bring all its best-selling brands under one roof. Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to David Mordecai, CEO of what is now One for Fun, about what the move means for the business, its past challenges and future opportunities. customers,” David explains. “So, we sat down and came up with a new name that we believe completely mirrors who we are and what we do as a company. We’ve also shut the Norwich office; Glasgow is our HQ now, that’s where our showroom is and all our products. All along, I’ve been saying we’re one company, and I’m pleased our name now reinforces that too.”

That name, One for Fun, also tells customers what they can expect from its brands and products. It was no mean feat coming up with a name the company felt ticked all the right boxes: David tells me with a laugh that the rebrand would have been announced much (much) sooner had the team been able to narrow down its many ideas earlier in 2021. But all’s well that ends well, and One for Fun was chosen for its encapsulation of what the company offers.

Having decided on a name, the strapline ‘The fun starts at one’ soon followed, as did a colour scheme and a corporate logo that would further enmesh all its brands - owned brands HGL, Ozbozz, Tobar and Kit for Kids, and distribution brands Maisto, Bburago and Zuru - under the new One for Fun banner. Keen to avoid the bold primary colours often used by the brands it sells or distributes, One for Fun has opted for teal, giving it a point of difference. The logo will appear on product packaging but won’t replace the logos of the brands being sold.

“

It’s fair to say there’s been some trials and tribulations over the past four years, but now, with this name change, we feel we’ve taken a massive step in what we’ve wanted to achieve for a long time now,” says David.

The change stems right back to the acquisition of H. Grossman in April 2018, a move bolstered by the purchase of educational company Kit for Kids in March the following year. The three companies had spent the past few years continuing to trade as individual entities, but with Martin Grossman, founder of H. Grossman, leaving the company in 2019, Tobar began to look in earnest at bringing

them all under one roof for the first time. The first big step towards achieving this was taken at the start of 2020, when the companies moved under the H. Grossman Ltd. trading name. But while the name is well known within the trade, David felt that it didn’t reflect what the company stood for or where it was going.

“Ultimately, we had a name that didn’t represent us the way we want to be seen, brands that didn’t quite sell themselves the way they should, team members with completely different endings to their email addresses, two offices, one in Norwich, one in Glasgow – and added up, that created a lot of confusion for our

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“We’re now a company that sells brands,” says David, drilling down into why the name change and company overhaul has been so highly anticipated. “Everything is properly registered, and we have the domain name and website too.

The landing page features all our brands, so again, it’s very clear what’s what and who’s who.

We hope that going forward there will be much less head-scratching. I can’t tell you how nice it is for everyone to have the same ending to their email addresses.”

The amount of time it took for the name change and rebrand to be finalised has ultimat ely proved to be fortuitous for One for Fun, bringing the big reveal right to the doorstep of London Toy Fair. The company will be exhibiting under its new name on stand E39, meaning existing and prospective customers alike will be able to drop by, say hello, and find out about the toys it offers. The plan had originally been to finalise the rebrand in time for Autumn Fair, but, as David notes, Toy Fair is a superior show at which

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Retail Profile to make such an announcement, both in terms of scale and timing.

In terms of timing, Covid-19, in hindsight, though challenging from a business perspective, gave One for Fun the breathing room it needed to implement internal changes ahead of the rebrand. Arriving as it did shortly after Martin’s exit from the business, the team needed to sit down and examine how things would look and work going forward; the necessary slowdown enforced by the pandemic allowed it to do just that. As a result, 2021 turned out to be the company’s best year yet.

Many readers will be aware that the HGL brand very much led from the front on the Pushpoppers trend, as one of the first to import the tactile popping mats in volume to the UK. This, says David, was always one of Martin and H. Grossman’s great strengths – tapping into emerging trends early, and riding the wave that followed. In fact, H. Grossman has won more Craze of the Year awards than any other toy company, which is a testament to its ability to seek out the latest thing and corner the market with its products. Following the 2021 fidget frenzy and its incredibly strong performance, it’s fair to say One of Fun has shown it will continue this legacy. The team that oversees the trend side of the business is highly experienced in spotting trend and crazes, sometimes before they’ve technically even become one. David recounts how, at the very beginning of the poppers craze, things seemed ‘a little slow’. The team told him simply to give it time, wait and see. And boy, did we see.

I was keen to find out if the events of the past 18 months have shaped the way David wants to run his business going forward. When working with Chinese partners, he says, you’re always aware that you may need to deal with price increases, currency issues and supply disruption; there’s always going to be something that comes along and throws a spanner in the works. “We have begun looking into moving some or all of our manufacturing to other countries, examining whether it reduces the risk of having all our eggs in one basket,” he adds. “As a country, China could be considered quite volatile. No one knows where the political landscape will lie in 12

One for Fun

months, especially given the tensions between China and the USA, so as a company we’re quietly looking into manufacturing options in India, Turkey and some other locations in Eastern Europe. We’ve not moved anything yet though. All those countries have their own challenges that we must bear in mind, and some of the pricing isn’t where we would want or need it to be. But they’re certainly on the table.”

He continues: “Unfortunately, onshoring our manufacturing here in the UK is not something we’re in a position to do at the moment. We have quoted for several things to be manufactured here, but it would be cheaper to manufacture in China and then pay the inflated shipping rates we’re seeing.”

Looking ahead to new product coming through for 2022, fidgets will remain in focus for One for Fun, with new items in both Tobar and HGL including small and squishy, pastelcoloured collectible animals that come in handy tubs. Three themes will be available, with each tub holding 18 animals. These will be heavily promoted at Toy Fair, and a big reveal on the stand will also unveil the latest innovative offering from Zuru. The perennially popular dinosaur range will also be bolstered with the addition of tubs shaped like either a T-Rex or Triceratops head, each containing six dinosaur figures.

Over the coming year (and beyond) One of Fun’s aspiration is to grow its UK business and expand the ranges that fall under each brand. At the same time, the company is keen to develop its export business, with which it is already seeing success. The USA is firmly on the map as a territory waiting to be tapped, as it’s one where One for Fun currently doesn’t have a large presence.

As David neatly summarises, the rebrand will stop customers feeling lost, making now the perfect time to get out there and explore what comes next.

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Please note our new address details: Head Office: One For Fun Limited 3-5 Cambuslang Way Gateway Office Park Cambuslang Glasgow G32 8ND Warehouse: One For Fun Limited Building 7 Eye Airfield Industrial Estate Ipswich Road Brome, Suffolk IP23 8AW

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Company Profile

Squishful thinking As Jazwares looks forward to celebrating its 25th anniversary and the 10th year of its UK office, Toy World catches up with senior vice president, Europe, Jonny Taylor and managing director of UK & Nordics, Holly Oldham, to chat about the year ahead, the runaway successes of Squishmallows, direct distribution of the Pokémon range and further European expansion.

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azwares enjoyed a recordbreaking year in 2021, fuelled by its phenomenal portfolio of brands and with a host of new launches in the pipeline, another bumper year is on the cards for 2022.

ultimately attributes Jazwares’ success to “having the right brands with some great products.” She adds that much of the company’s growth in recent years has come from acquisitions made by the company, with Wicked Cool Toys in 2019 followed

by Kelly Toy in 2020, a move which brought the Squishmallows brand into the fold.

“Pokémon is an absolutely phenomenal brand which is on fire at the moment,” says Jonny. “We have a very exciting product range coming for 2022 and onwards, and we are excited to now be working with retailers and servicing their needs directly, with one of the most exciting properties on the planet right now.”

“A real highlight for us has been growing the business every year in the UK over the last nine years, and we are confident, based on the product portfolio we have, and traction at retail, that next year will be our 10th growth year in a row,” adds SVP Jonny Taylor.

Pokémon will be one of the main focuses for London Toy Fair at the end of this month and Jazwares is also hugely excited for the continued success of Squishmallows and Squishville in 2022.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, increased sales and expansion of the UK office have seen the Jazwares team nearly double in size. Bringing in resources to support the growth, which will continue as the range carries on expanding, has been a huge focus for the company.

“The thing that I’m probably most proud of is the quality of product that Jazwares has been making, right from when the company started 25 years ago – and the product is getting stronger and stronger. We are adding more and more innovation, and I feel we are delivering the right play value in the properties that we are managing for every single brand.”

Holly Oldham, managing director UK & Nordics, says that the pandemic has undoubtedly driven an increase in demand. However, she

Over recent years, Jazwares has enjoyed particular success with properties related to the video games space with brands such as Roblox and Fortnite. Another phenomenal success has been Pokémon, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and for which Jazwares is master toy manufacturing partner. As of this month (January), the UK office will bring the distribution rights for the UK and Ireland in-house and will also take over distribution for German-speaking territories.

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“Squishmallows has been a phenomenal success and I think 2022 is when we are really going to see it ignite in the marketplace,” says Holly.

Last year, Jazwares launched its squishy brand extension, Squishville, introducing the UK’s first all-plush play sets.

The brand releases product every 12 weeks to keep the line fresh and ensure it is driving high engagement with the collector base, maintaining a steady flow of fans visiting toy stores and purchasing online. Another key component of the brand’s marketing strategy is social media and with 5.5b posts across social media platforms, this has also been pivotal in driving sales.

“The advantage of social media is that we are able to learn from it and obtain real fan data, which is now coming through in some of the new product ranges,” says Holly. “For instance, we are introducing a new Food Squad, which the fans seem to love.”

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Company Profile

Jazwares will also be launching a number of licensed collaborations for Squishmallows in 2022 and says more will be revealed at Toy Fair.

dialling up the marketing,” says Jonny, adding that Jazwares works with best-in-class distribution partners right across Europe.

There’s also more to come from the Spidey & His Amazing Friends range, along with Jazwares’ video game based brands which are enjoying continued growth and innovation, as Jonny explains: “It’s our fifth year working with Roblox in 2022, it is a high performance growth brand, which still has a lot more to offer. For Fortnite we are also launching, for spring/summer, a micro range, with 2.5inch action figures with scaled vehicles and playset environments, which complement our core 4inch scale, targeting s slightly lower age group.

Holly adds: “We ensure we are working with the right partners for the right brands and are maximising all channels. It’s a massive year ahead, both for Jazwares and for our distribution partners.”

Looking forward to 2022, Jonny adds that the company is greatly encouraged by its previews that have all gone incredibly well; as a result, the team is confident of a strong year ahead.

“The business has a lot of forward momentum,” says Jonny, explaining that there are three layers to Jazwares’ business which will be fuelling growth. The first is that it has a strong licensing portfolio where the brands are all performing well; the second is that the company is investing heavily in developing its own private IPs, working on broader IP propositions, which will come to fruition from 2023 onwards.

The third area for growth is expansion of the company with more acquisitions. “We will continue on our acquisition trail, finding interesting businesses that allow us to scale the business and complement our broader offering,” Jonny adds.

As well as expansion of the UK business, Jazwares is also anticipating strong growth across Europe, as well as globally, and the company says its business model in Germany and Germanspeaking regions is also expected to increase sales in 2022. In December 2021 Jazwares announced the opening of a new sales office in Paris to service the French market.

“We already work with every major retailer in France, however, what is going to take things to the next level is having talented professionals in market who can work closely with retailers, so we can service their individual demands, really engaging with high calibre retail executions and

Integral to the ongoing success of the company, Holly and Jonny stress, is the team of dedicated, talented professionals who continue to innovate and produce high quality product. “We have such a fantastic team and in 2021 they really pulled together,” says Jonny. “From a cultural standpoint, it’s a business that generates teams which are young, dynamic and have true accountability. We have a culture of success with a strong bond and team spirit, which makes Jazwares an exciting place to work; everyone is proud to enjoy the success and growth together.”

Holly adds: “Some of the talent we have brought in is absolutely exceptional, and with so many new people, the feedback we are getting is that Jazwares is a brilliant place to work because talent attracts talent. We have fantastic people all with the same goal, which is to do the best job they can.”

One big change for the UK office in 2022 is the doubling in size of its existing office space to cater for a team which has nearly doubled to 40 people in the past year alone. While Holly says the team has performed an amazing job of working remotely throughout the pandemic, the company is looking forward to welcoming back to the office as many people as possible. “Now it’s about designing the office to work with the modern way of working,” she says. “We are investing in technology to make sure we can have a hybrid model.”

Summarising Jazwares’ position for the year ahead Jonny is confident it will be a case of onwards and upwards. “Overall, we are confident of being in a position to have a really successful and enjoyable year,” he says. “There really is a lot more to come over the next 12 months and beyond.”

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Company Profile

Just Play UK

a strong start Just Play announced the creation of its first European subsidiary last year, and on 1st January it officially opened. Six months after Toy World publisher John Baulch and editor Rachael Simpson-Jones paid a visit to David Allmark, executive advisor, and Anna Chapman, VP marketing EMEA, we caught up with the pair alongside other members of the Just Play team to find out how things are unfolding.

David Allmark

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t’s been a busy few months for Just Play UK, locking down the final operational elements needed to begin trading and bringing its team, which was five strong in the summer, to eight, ready for launch. Katie Gritt, whom many readers will know from her time at The Entertainer, has joined as head of marketing communications UK, while Charlotte Rogers has brought her knowledge of the Just Play business from Flair, taking up the role of licensing manager EMEA. The pair join Ami Dieckman (VP sales EMEA), Amy Saunders (UK sales director), as well as Ryan Coyle (national account manager) and Rachel Thorley (operations and customer service

manager), with the team likely to expand further during 2022. Anna and David are resolute in their belief that a company is only as good as its people and are clearly delighted to have onboarded the talent they have, at the levels required, to hit the ground running at the beginning of this month.

The timing of Just Play’s UK launch has been incredibly fortuitous for the company, and retailer reaction during previews has only cemented the team’s belief that its first full year will be a strong one. The Just Play portfolio includes Mickey and Minnie, which both enter 2022 off the back of strong Disney+ subscriber numbers and a raft of new content, while Blue’s Clues and CoComelon also continue to hit the sweet spot with viewers.

Disney Doorables also remains a firm favourite, having undergone a facelift for the new year and the collectibles market enjoying something of a comeback after the trials of Covid. David tells me retailers are open to fresh ideas for these brands, regardless of whether they are considered classic or new, and that Just Play’s customers appreciate the smart and innovative approach the team takes to activating the brands at retail and driving sales.

Amy Saunders, meanwhile, says the company is particularly excited about the launch of Just Play’s new ownIP, Sensory FX, which is ‘going to revolutionise the Wellbeing and ASMR segment’.

She adds: “There is nothing else quite like it on the market and it’s already on sale in the US. The best thing I hear in our sales meetings is that ‘stock hits and evaporates’. I just

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can’t wait to be able to say the same thing this year for the UK market. In the same space we also have our very own original Slinky, which we consider the original fidget toy. Slinky has a fun suite of digital assets behind it, whilst remaining a classic toy every child should have in their toy box.”

Amy continues: “The support of our retail partners has been overwhelming at times, but when you have the calibre brands and own-IP that Just Play has, you can see why, without hesitation, they have agreed to partner with us. We’ve also started a wonderful journey with our licensing friends. Together we’re planning to execute some incredible collaborations during 2022, during which we’ll not only be creating never-before-seen digital activations but also going back to basics with lots of in-store experiences and high street window displays.”

Elsewhere in the business, Delamode International Logistics (whom many readers will have previously known as Import Services) is on

Company Profile board as logistics partner. This collaboration will no doubt prove reassuring to both Just Play and its customers during the ongoing trials and tribulations of shipping and Brexit red tape. “There were so many unusual goingson last year, what Katie Gritt with port closures, Covid, driver shortages and more, and cost remains a key issue too,” David muses. “It’s been a remarkable year to be in an industry like ours and we’ll be navigating these challenges for months to come but having a 3PL logistics partner is a huge benefit to us and our team is keeping a very close eye on raw materials pricing to mitigate that where we can.”

Just Play’s portfolio of product will be supported by a comprehensive suite of marketing options that taps into the latest available data to reach consumers wherever they consume advertising content. As Katie Gritt explains, Just Play professes that ‘kids lead change’ and that consumer media consumption has changed dramatically in recent years; factors that have become the driving force behind the company’s marketing communications strategy. “With that in mind, and to reach both kids and parents, we are taking a ‘digital first’ approach as we support our portfolio of brands in 2022,” she tells us. “Our focus will be via digital channels such as YouTube and TikTok as we know that this is where kids now consume most of their content, whilst traditional media, including TV, will

remain an important part of our overall marketing plan. Data shows us 58% of children visit YouTube once a day or more and spend an average of 2.5 hours on the platform, and that TikTok has 21.3m monthly average users in the UK - up 3m year-on-year. TikTok is therefore an increasingly important platform when it comes to reaching our target audience. We will focus on delivering strong content and relevant campaigns to cut through the millions of pieces of content that are uploaded to digital platforms daily. We’re also excited to be working with our two newly appointed agencies, Havas Entertainment and Norton PR, to effectively support and implement our digital first strategy.”

Like most out there in the UK toy industry, The Just Play team is hugely excited for the return of Toy Fair, with Anna noting that many will have enjoyed Brand Licensing Europe in November 2021. For a company launch, the timing couldn’t be much better, and the return of the London trade event to the halls of Olympia is considered timely for Just Play’s grand entrance to

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the UK marketplace. The company has a message to get out and plenty of people to meet - and what better way to do that than attending UK Toy Fair.

Anna also tells Toy World that the Just Play stand (B60) will host a number of new lines not seen before, which deserve to be appreciated in person.

“We’re leveraging everything we can to ensure we make an impact at Toy Fair,” she adds. “We’ve offered in-person previews since September but many of our customers have opted for online meetings instead, which we fully respect and have been able to offer too. However, there’s no denying that most buyers are product people, and it’s so hard to replicate the hands-on, see and do nature of an in-person preview. From behind a screen, there’s a level of detachment that’s simply too hard to overcome.”

David is of the same opinion. While the chance to reconnect with friends, colleagues, customers and more under one roof is undeniably lovely, he’s also aware that for Just Play, Toy Fair marks a pivotal moment in what will become the UK operation’s history.

“We’re an industry that survives on innovation and prospects, and while many retailers will have had a good 2021, I suspect stock levels will be lower than they would normally be,” he notes. “Retail partners will very much be ready to not only look at product but to place commitment too, and now we’re officially trading, we look forward to becoming a major force within the UK industry. We can’t wait for visitors to our stand to get a taste of what Just Play has to offer, not just this year, but for years to come.

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Q&A Onestowatch

Fabula Toys

Fabulous Fabula Toy World spoke to Nazneen Yasin, founder of the start-up traditional toy company Fabula Toys, about why creating screen-free play is at the heart of everything she does, and what sets her toys apart in the marketplace.

Tell us a little about your company. What are its core ranges, and what is the ethos behind your brand?

Fabula Toys, named after the Latin word for fables or stories, produces toys that facilitate play using a universal language every child is fluent in even before they can comprehend actual vocabulary – nursery rhymes.

The company is built on the ethos that if young children are to stop spending time in front of a screen, it’s imperative they’re offered an alternative. Any alternative must explore the same thing they adore on-screen, but in a traditional way. The most viewed digital content among young children continues to be nursery rhymes. That’s why each Fabula toy focuses on a single popular nursery rhyme, exploring the characters, the story and sometimes even the actions involved to help young children visualise and engage with the rhyme in the physical environment. True to it’s meaning, each Fabula toy has storytelling at its core.

Fabula products are also designed around the Early Years Learning Goals set by the UK Department of Education, ensuring that children engage both their hearts and minds every time they interact with Fabula. Learning is a key purpose for the brand, so the educational benefits of each toy are explicitly highlighted across the website as well as the product packaging.

Fabula Toys is quite a young company. How has it been performing so far?

of my generation actively looking for ways to minimise (or at least balance) the screen-time our children are regularly exposed to. I honestly feel there isn’t enough innovation in this space. While some other toys in the market might offer active play options, absolutely no one actively asks why very young children love screen time. Fabula Toys doesn’t just ask that very important question, but also replicates the magic formula of nursery rhymes/story/music/unending play within each of its toys, making it an instant hit among children by substituting screen-time with active play.

Secondly, Fabula Toys as a brand focuses solely on bringing nursery rhymes to life. This approach carves out a clear niche for our products. Nursery rhymes transcend cultures, languages and generations, which makes our toys ideal for grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and, of course, children. Fabula toys need no explanation; no complicated manual needs to be read before play can begin. Everyone relates to and loves our toys immediately, making them incredibly easy to sell.

As I mentioned earlier, all our toys are designed around the Early Years Learning Goals. These goals are clearly shown on the packaging, helping retailers display exactly why and how our toys support the development of children. We don’t just claim to be educational - we prove exactly how we’re educational.

And given the educational nature of Fabula’s toys, they can be sold to parents and gift-givers as well as institutions such as nurseries and primary schools.

The target market is vast.

Indeed, we’re only a year into trading and already have over 500 customers across the UK including many retailers currently in their second and third rounds of ordering from us. Although we might be new, we offer proven sell-throughs.

All our toys are storage-friendly too: they can be compressed and stored in the accompanying bags and boxes, which makes them ideal for use both indoors and outdoors, as well as on trips and overnight stays with grandparents etc. They’re also extremely wellsuited to our post-Covid world, as they can easily be washed or wiped clean after each play.

What do your products offer from a retail perspective?

As a supplier, what makes Fabula Toys a good partner?

There are quite a few things I can proudly say are unique to Fabula. Firstly, I am one of the many parents

I am a hardworking and ambitious founder with big plans for the business, and my enthusiasm and

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drive are on offer to anyone looking to work with a new brand. I’m not just an email address to send orders to - I give 110% to driving sell-through. Perks of partnering with Fabula Toys include: no minimum orders, campaign support, marketing materials, visual merchandising tools, in-person availability for in-store demos and plenty of great PR for the brand and it retail partners.

What do you hope to achieve at Toy Fair?

Our primary purpose will be to meet retailers and secure new accounts, spreading the word of Fabula Toys as far and wide as we possibly can. I’m thrilled simply to be part of this amazing industry and I am so looking forward to the exhibiting alongside all the inspiring brands registered for London Toy Fair.

Given that I was inspired to start Fabula Toys after reading a research paper on screen-time concerns published at Toy Fair 2018, attending the show in 2021 is like coming full circle. I couldn’t miss it; signing up just had to be done. I owe the inspiration for my startup to the BTHA and Toy Fair.

Finally, what one thing should our readers know about your company?

I can’t pick just one thing, that’s too hard. I’d want them to know that we are young, award-winning, innovative, agile, ambitious and very hard working.

Ultimately, people look for personalities that are compatible with theirs, and it’s the same in business - only when we find brands and people as committed and sincere as we are can we build a successful partnership. If you walk past the Fabula Toys stand at Toy Fair 2022, I promise you won’t miss either the toys or me. We’re bringing all our energy and enthusiasm to rope you in.

Fabula Toys will be on stand GH9 at Toy Fair. For more information, call 020 3633 9684, visit www.fabulatoys.com, or email play@fabulatoys.com.

Onestowatch Kay Glennie Managing director, Scrunch The idea for Scrunch developed 18 years ago whilst on holiday with my two young sons. Carting clunky sandy plastic buckets home after beach trips or leaving them behind in overseas resorts felt wasteful. The concept of a bucket (and other beach toys) that could scrunch up and fit into a beach bag or suitcase with ease was born and became an obsession. I was intrigued by the silicone bakeware that had started to arrive in the UK; new synthetic rubber which was made of plain silicon (found in abundance in rock and sand) and oxygen.

After many prototypes, the original Scrunch bucket made of 100% recyclable and reusable eco-friendly silicone was born and “Roll it, fold it, scrunch it!” became my strapline.

The same bucket is at the core of the range which has expanded over the intervening years. Last year the Scrunch watering cans and seedling pots became very popular during lockdown as children pootled about in gardens and allotments.

With a lot of hard graft, the Scrunch marketplace has expanded and is now distributed worldwide. We are represented in 40 countries, and still growing.

At the start of 2021, we brought the UK distribution back in-house, to Scrunch HQ in West Sussex. We now deal directly with our growing number of UK retailers which is a joy and delight; being able to listen to their feedback, particularly regarding shape and colour requests.

2021 was a fantastic year for Scrunch, despite the pandemic, and we devoted a lot of time and energy to product research and development for 2022. The worldwide success of the original Scrunch-bucket provided us with the perfect platform to come up with exciting and innovative new shapes and products which all complement each other within the range. All our products remain made of 100% silicone, an important feature as the world at last rejects single use plastic. Each new product has been well designed, extensively prototyped and developed, with fun, creativity, functionality and a hint of educational purpose at its core.

Colours for the UK have been inspired by talking closely to our stockists, and we will be presenting a rainbow of colours from pastels to funky brights at the upcoming Toy Fair. Scrunch remains the original, and the attention to detail that we are obsessed with makes us stand out.

We can’t wait to meet both our existing and new customers at the Toy Fair in January 2022.

Andy Griffin Marketing Director, Reydon Sports This will be Reydon’s first time exhibiting at Toy Fair, so we are very much looking forward to networking with suppliers within the industry along with showcasing our products and ethos to an array of retailers across many sectors.

We aren’t a brand showcasing a new range every other quarter, we are a 7000+ SKU wholesale company offering industry leading products, brands and service to an array of sectors on a B2B level all year round.

Established in the 1970s and based in Nottingham, we are a leading supplier for sports, toys, leisure and outdoor, offering a complete range via our own van delivery service from both our Nottingham and Scottish branches. From educational supplies and sports equipment to garden games and toys, we have everything covered. Some of our top brands include Nerf, Sportcraft, Waboba, Franklin, Precision Training, Urban Fitness, Nike, Adidas and many more.

Purely a B2B wholesale company, we service retailers across the world, providing industry leading products at the click of a button at discounted trade pricing. Our team of over 60 includes a full assortment of buying, sales, marketing, accounting and logistics specialists, servicing our huge B2B customer base all year round.

Keith Finch Studio and Innovation Director, Build Your Own (Paper Engine Ltd) Paper Engine Ltd are the creators of Build Your Own, an award-winning range of eco-friendly children’s toys you can build yourself.

Made from sustainable cardboard, our growing range of kits – both original kits and our new smaller-sized Mini Builds - is suitable for children 8 years+ but best enjoyed as a family experience. We love to inspire curious young minds and encourage learning through play.

Our planet-friendly, STEM-inspired kits offer retailers an exciting range of innovative toys that both children and grownups love. As a young brand, we are proud to be accessible to our customers and are striving to build our community of Build Your Own ‘STEM-gineers’ so that we can develop the best possible kits. We are highly creative, agile, and able to stay connected with our audience from concept stage, through to manufacturing and on-sale. We manage all of this from our HQ in Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Our kits are designed in the UK by a team of brilliant paper engineers with decades of experience designing and producing innovative products, pop-up books, direct mail pieces, packaging and more. We love working with paper and board.

Our award-winning kits are high-quality and eco-friendly; we are always striving to be more planet-friendly with our designs. Our technical understanding of paper and cardboard (and the parameters of what can be created from these materials) has come from 25+ years’ experience as paper engineers. We will continue to push the boundaries as we develop our range of sustainable products and bring exciting paper mechanics (along with an educational/STEM element) to the market. We thrive on creative challenges.

We will be launching multiple new kits in 2022, each supported with solid marketing campaigns. These kits will expand the STEM element of our designs as we continue to bring fresh, exciting innovation to the toy industry.

At Toy Fair, we are looking to strengthen and build B2B relationships and to grow our retail and wholesale distribution. We are keen to meet with people interested in collaborating with us on a creative basis (e.g., to discuss licensing opportunities), retailers, potential customers and stockists.

As Build Your Own is new to the toy industry, we are keen to share and learn as much as possible at Toy Fair; we are also looking to network, make new connections, and to catch up with people we met in 2020 at our first fair.

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Toy Fair Editorial Index Company

Page number

Company

Page number

Company

Page number

8th Wonder

270

Great Gizmos Limited

300

Posh Paws International

268

A.B.Gee of Ripley

256

Halilit

246

Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles

306

Asmodee

304

Heathside Trading

312

Rainbow Designs

284

Bandai UK

272

Hexbug

278

Ravensburger

232

Big Potato Games

274

IMC Toys

218

Reydon Sports

296

Bladez Toyz

226

James Galt

248

Rubies Masquerade

310

Brainstorm

204

Jazwares

206

Sambro International

294

Bruder

250

John Adams Leisure

242

Schleich

212

Canal Toys

270

Jumbo

240

Scrunch

272

Carrera Revell UK

260

Juratoys UK

308

SES Creative

254

Cartamundi UK

298

Just Play

312

Simba Smoby Toys UK

220

Casdon

226

Keel Toys

276

SJD Games

296

Cepia LLC

240

Kidicraft

210

Smart Toys & Games

262

Character Options

228/230

Leapfrog

264

Smart Zone (HK) Limited

258

Cheatwell Games

282

Learning Resources

234

Tactic Games UK

290

Click Distribution UK

266

Lego

238

The Source Wholesale

276

Coiledspring Games

254

Lisciani

242

Toynamics UK & Ireland

208

Craft Buddy

286

Magic Box Toys UK

302

Toys2market

292

DKB Toys and Distribution

252

Marvin's Magic

274

ToyTopic

252

DKL-Beysal

288

Melissa & Doug

298

Trends UK

262

Dolu Toy Factory

304

Mojo Fun

290

Ty UK

276

Epoch Making Toys

280

Mookie Toys

310

United Wheels UK

284

Exploding Kittens

286

MV Sports & Leisure

244

University Games

300

Fabula Toys

282

One For Fun

224

Vivid Goliath

222

Flair GP

248

Orange Tree Toys

294

VR Distribution UK

280

Funko

266

Orchard Toys

258

VTech

256

Funrise

292

Paper Engine

246

Wilton Bradley

214

Funville

278

Playmobil UK

236

Winning Moves

244

Geomagworld

268

Playmonster UK

308

Yoto

288

Gibsons

260

Plum Play

264

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Rainy Day Paddington

Collectible Figures

Small Soft Toy

With

2

Chef Paddington

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4 Figures

Rescue Set

Figures!

Exciting new lines for Autumn 2022!

Visit us at London Toy Fair, Stand B21

Space for 6 Paddington figures!

Play Bus

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Removable coat!

Phrases!

Talking Paddington

Deluxe Paddington PA1845 Giant Paddington RRP £24.99

2022 Brainstorm Toys 01200 445 113 www.brainstormltd.co.uk Stand E79

Brainstorm introduces an array of innovative new products for 2022 that underpin the company’s core educational toy values while incorporating unique new lines never seen before.

My Bedtime Story Projector will make bedtime storytelling more enjoyable for both children and parents. Featuring six different stories, 16 large scale images per story can be projected onto bedroom walls.

Using the QR code in the box, stories can be unlocked on the Brainstorm Toys website with the secret code, then a soothing voiceover will read the narrative, flicking through images as the story unfolds. As children become familiar with the stories, they can use the projector to tell them themselves, using their own descriptions and imagination. Each story comes on colour coded disks to make them easily identifiable and can be stored easily in the sturdy box.

Children (and adults) will have endless fun with the new My Super-Fun Voice Changer. The chunky handheld device looks like a megaphone and will allow children to hear their voices like never before. With eight different voice effects; echo, slow, low, high, weird and squeaky, as well as two fun robot voices, kids will be able to record and play back their voices for hours of laughter.

The Amazing Balancing Unicorn defies gravity and will astound friends as kids balance the cute unicorn on the end of their finger or on the tip of a pencil. A great product for fans of all things unicorn, users will be able to watch as people wonder how they do it.

Zoetropes are classic animation toys that have entertained people for many years and Brainstorm’s own version is set to fascinate a new generation. By placing an animation strip into the Zoetrope and spinning it, kids can see images come to life. There are 18 different animation strips to watch, and children will love creating their own version thanks to six draw-your-own strips also included in the set. Fun facts about the classic toy and the science behind it can be unlocked on the Brainstorm website using the secret code in box.

The Eugy range has been a phenomenal success for Brainstorm; as well as being sustainable it spans several categories making it a popular collection for retailers.

The eco-friendly arts and crafts collectible has captured the imagination of children who continue to grow their collections, clamouring for new additions as they are launched in phases by Brainstorm throughout the year. Created by New Zealand brand Dodoland, the 3D models are built using a simple number sequence to create sturdy animals and creatures with recycled card and non-toxic glue. New for 2022 are Hedgehog, Rhino, Bumblebee, Chameleon, Unicorn Sky, Raptor, Crocodile and Kangaroo. More phases will be added throughout the year.

The ever-popular Klikbot range continues to amass a huge fanbase in the UK with the Zing Toys creation becoming a hugely successful product for Brainstorm. As well as TV advertising and digital campaigns throughout the year, Klikbot will also see the introduction of new characters; Klikbot Guardians from the new series launched on the YouTube Channel StikBot Central. The sci-fi action adventure features animations created with Klikbots that children can replicate using the new characters. A range of Klikbot Guardians singles will launch featuring a character, a weapon, interchangeable hands and the all-important Klik Separator which allows kids to swap up their characters and create unique characters by interchanging limbs with their existing collection.

A new Klikbot and Kreature Combo Pack featuring a Klikbot Hero or Villain will also be launched and will include a mystery Klikbot Kreature to collect. There are eight different mystery characters in the range including a rare gold Klikbot Kreature.

New Mutant StikBots come in crazy colourways and feature wacky facial expressions, and new Eco Pack plastic free packaging for the StikBot and Klikbot ranges is being phased in for 2022.

The licensed Torch & Projector range which was introduced during A/W 2021 featured Paw Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You! and this year a magical new Wizard and Dragon Torch & Projector will be added to the brand. Each hand-held projector projects 24 colourful images up to one metre wide onto walls and also doubles as a handy torch.

Both Night Sky and My Very Own Fairy Jar have been best sellers throughout last year. The products continue to inspire the imagination as well as educating children about the world around them. Night Sky projects awe-inspiring, pin sharp images up to nearly four metres wide. Images include the Moon, Solar System, Constellations and 20,000 stars in the night sky.

My Very Own Fairy Jar has a host of features that set it apart from competitors. Complete with everything a child needs to create their own fairy habitat, it includes a secret compartment that makes a sparkle sound when opened. Inside, a secret code unlocks fairy inspired games and activities online. As well as providing hours of play, the My Very Own Fairy Jar doubles as a night light with comforting LED colour changing lights.

Aqua Dragons and The Original Glowstars Company collection are also expected to have another bumper year. Key products in the Brainstorm range including My Very Own Solar System, T-Rex Projector & Room Guard and My Very Own Rainbow will be supported by TV ads and digital campaigns in key selling periods throughout 2022. Aqua Dragons and StikBot and Klikbot will also feature on TV and Digital in bursts throughout the year, culminating in continuous campaigns pre-Christmas 2022.

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2022 Jazwares

www.jazwares.com | uksales@jazwares.com Stand N8 Jazwares celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with a powerhouse portfolio of brands. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Jazwares UK office and with another successful office also in Germany, Jazwares will expand its footprint within the EMEA region in 2022, opening an office in France as a key strategic territory for expansion.

Jazwares is poised to continue the momentum in this milestone year, with new product introductions starting with Jazwaresowned Squishmallows, which launched in 2022. In just five years, Squishmallows has grown into a global phenomenon, selling more than 100m units.

With multi-generational appeal, the brand has inspired millions to collect and share their squad of Squishmallows across TikTok, with over 5b organic brand posts to date. On show at London Toy Fair will be original and licensed characters in sizes ranging from 5 to 24 inches. The popular collectible will be supported by robust digital and social campaigns, whilst expanding into a fully-fledged lifestyle brand across an array of consumer products categories, including metaverse gaming, film, television, publishing, live touring and more.

Fans can build out their world of Squishmallows with new additions to the Squishville line. At London Toy Fair, visitors can see the refresh to the 2-inch Squishmallows with fashion, vehicles, multipacks and new play sets including the Squishville Academy, Darling Diner, Rock & Roller Disco and Sweet Shop. The key driver for AW22 is the Squishville Ski Chalet.

With brand engagement at an all-time high, Jazwares is excited to showcase its Pokémon master toy line. The 2022 line-up includes a refresh to the 8-inch, 12-inch and 24-inch plush, new styles of the adorable 18-inch sleeping plush, refreshed 2-inch and 3-inch Battle Figures, 4.5-inch Battle Feature Figures and 12-inch Epic Figures.

These are joined by new lines within the electronics, role-play and seasonal segments. Jazwares is also adding extensions to the Pokémon Select line for collectors, with Environmental Figure Packs and Select Evolution Multipacks. Key Drivers for 2022 comprise 6-inch Interactive Fly & Fire Charizard, Electric Charge Pikachu and the Desert Carry Case Playset.

Expanding digital gaming beyond the screen into physical play, Jazwares will be presenting new Micro Legendary Fortnite series of 2.5-inch highly articulated action figures and accompanying Micro Feature Vehicles, including the Durr Burger Food Truck and Micro POI (Point of Interest) Sets. Alongside refreshes to the Solo Mode 4-inch action figure line are further additions to the successful Fortnite vehicle segment with refreshed Joyride Vehicles.

The ever-expanding Roblox metaverse is brought to life by Jazwares’ line, inspired by the hottest games on the platform. Refreshed offerings to the best-selling Mystery Figures, Deluxe Mystery Packs and Game Packs will be introduced. New feature vehicles include the Jailbreak: Drone and Legends of Speed: Velocity Phantom, while new playsets for 2022 include Welcome to Bloxburg and the Brookhaven Bank. Connecting physical play to the digital platform, every Roblox toy includes an exclusive redeemable item code.

Following the successful launch of Jazwares’ line of Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends plush and vehicles, more of Spidey’s friends including Iron Man, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Elektra and Sandman will be introduced to the line of Blind Vehicles and Disc Dasher Vehicles, whilst Miles Morales joins the assortment of transforming vehicles with the Quick shot 2-in-1 vehicle. The Web Spinning Hauler spins to reveal three favourite heroes with web dart shooters, while the Hulk Demolition Hauler Track Set transforms into a racetrack with lights and sounds. New items in the plush segment include 4-inch mini plush, new characters in the 8-inch scale, a 9-inch Web Slinger assortment with projecting light effects, a 16-inch Miles Morales Feature Plush with sounds and a 20-inch Spidey Super Plush.

Pre-school continues to be a key growth area in 2022 as Jazwares joins the Dino Ranch round-up with the ultimate prehistoric meets Wild West master toy line. The range expands on the dino-themed world of play from the popular animated children's series. Joining the round-up of Dino-Mite Blinds, plush, Dino Ranchers figure packs, feature vehicles, Dino Action Packs, Deluxe Dino Packs and play sets including the Hatchery Playset and the iconic Clubhouse Playset.

There’s also Blippi product innovations for 2022 reflecting new content from the popular entertainer. Alongside refreshed figures, vehicles and play sets, are new introductions inspired by the animation Blippi Wonders. Hero items include the Spinning Go Kart, The Blippi Mobile and the Monster Truck Mechanic: a 6-inch vehicle with removable covers to activate unique sounds.

As the global master toy manufacturer for The Smurfs, Jazwares will showcase a line inspired by the new animation. Reviving the franchise for today’s generation of children, the range includes collectible figures, plush, vehicles, action sets, and the iconic Papa Smurf’s Lab Playset.

Further unstoppable brands will be showcased at the fair. The AEW Unrivaled Collection brings the action of All Elite Wrestling to retail, with more wrestlers brought to life as 6.5-inch articulated action figures. The Nerf Nation will be back to battle with the Jazwares range of Nerf eyewear, vests and targets including the Target Range Challenge with five multi-function targets. Halo, the sci-fi videogame series, returns with new World of Halo figures, game packs, vehicles, environment sets and roleplay items reflecting the new Halo Infinite release.

The Jazwares product portfolio will be supported by TV, digital, influencer, PR, experiential and retail campaigns throughout the year.

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2022 Toynamics UK & Ireland 0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.co.uk | sales@toynamics.co.uk Stand E46 Toynamics UK & Ireland will be unveiling new launches for its brands Hape, Skip Hop, Nebulous Stars, DinosArt, Timio, Beleduc and Nanoblock at Toy Fair 2022. With hundreds of products to choose from, at multiple price points, and for children from birth to eight years, the company offers a one stop shop for retailers.

Toynamics will be showcasing the breadth of the Hape range, including its sustainable wooden toys. Categories include baby toys, music, educational, walkers, puzzles, railway, kitchen, outdoor toys, arts & crafts and more. New balance bikes on show will include first balance bikes and new explorer balance bikes. These will be joined by 11 new products and playsets in the expanding and best-selling railway category, additions to the popular collection of musical learning toys with the launch of the Learning & Lights Piano, plus a new addition to the Baby Einstein collective.

The new Hape My First Balance Bikes are suitable from 12mths+. The three-wheeled adjustable bikes feature quick assembly with no tools required, a lightweight aluminium frame, slide proof tyres that make little noise and don’t scratch floors and are available in a choice of colours: light pink, light green and light blue. For children aged 3yrs+, a range of four Hape Explorer Balance Bikes is great for developing a child’s balance and sense of direction and encouraging muscle coordination and development.

The Hape City Train Bucket Set joins the Hape family of stylish wooden railway products. Like the best-selling Bucket Builder Set, the City Train packaging is part of the toy, printed with a city scape and a rocky lid cover that both become part of the scenery, plus it’s embossed with railway tracks so trains can travel over it. The clever packaging also doubles as a handy storage box. The set contains 48 pieces - lots of accessories including track pieces, bridge, station, trees, taxi, signs, conductor, passenger and three train cars. The set encourages role play and helps children learn to collect, organize and sort things independently.

Hape Learning & Lights Piano is a play-along, 25-key electric piano with light- up keys for children to follow, as they learn how to play. It’s great for encouraging creativity and building confidence in younger musicians and preparing for advanced musical learning. The piano features 15 demo tunes and a smart play function; any key a child hits will play the correct note, so children can pretend to play along. A record and playback function also lets children hear what they've played. The electric piano can be used plugged into the mains or with batteries and reverts to rest mode when not played.

The Hape Rock & Slide House is an open sided play house which features eight separate play areas, each containing sound effects to entertain children for hours – there’s guitar playing, movie soundtrack clips, talking pets and flushing toilets. There’s a music, TV, kitchen/diner, bathroom and bedroom, and three outdoor spaces. With a host of furniture and accessories, the house also includes two play figures. The interactive sound effects are triggered by standing the play figures on the floor LED lights.

For lifestyle brand Skip Hop, the product focus will be on Explore & More Pop N Play, with surprise peek-a-boo characters and sounds; a new 4-stage activity walker that grows with the child, from seated play to cruising, walking and role play as it converts to a fabric doll and shopping trolley; and a new cute and colourful mealtime set with the Skip Hop signature Zoo characters.

Arts and crafts brand Nebulous Stars introduces an out of this world Best Friends Bracelets jewellery craft set, new bamboo wind chimes to decorate and assemble and additions to the range of stationery products including a diamond pen assortment. There are four colourful pens to collect, each filled with gems and topped with charms and a big diamond.

As the new exclusive distributor for Timio, 2022 will be the first time Toynamics is showing the range of screen free interactive and educational audio player and the new Timio foldable kids’ headphones at Toy Fair. The company will be joined on the stand by one of the dragons from the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, Touker Suleyman, who is newly appointed to the board of advisors for Timio.

After a hugely successful first year distributing DinosArt, Toynamics will be debuting its expanded range of dinosaur themed stationery and creative activities at Toy Fair, including 3D prehistoric figures to paint and dinosaur character colouring pens.

Toynamics will be showcasing the best-selling hand puppets from educational play brand Beleduc, as well as announcing new puzzles including body puzzle girl and body puzzle boy – expected to be a top seller. On show for Nanoblock, the world’s smallest micro-sized building block that allows children to construct amazingly detailed and realistic three-dimensional creations, will be best-selling Pokémon and new Sonic the Hedgehog licensed creations.

Toynamics has enjoyed a successful 2021, expanding and developing both its brand portfolio and sales team.

With eight brands and hundreds of products at Toy Fair, the team believes it has something for all retailers and is looking forward to sharing its growth potential with them.

The company is also pleased to confirm that it will have no price increases for spring summer 2022.

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2022 Kidicraft

01282 505988 | www.kidicraft.com sales@kidicraft.com Stand B19 Kidicraft is kickstarting 2022 with a wealth of new product ranges. The company is launching over 30 new product designs this January, featuring both Premium and Prime 3D Jigsaw Puzzles. New ranges for 2022 include Star Wars, Marvel, Discovery Space and Discovery Monuments.

These follow on from the huge success the company has enjoyed with Discovery Dinosaurs, Harry Potter and DC Comics.

Kidicraft is pleased to announce a brand-new Star Wars range which brings the force of Prime 3D to puzzles. Fans of George Lucas’s epic franchise can now create the galaxy’s most memorable Star Wars scenes with an impressive 500pc puzzle range. It features the most iconic Star Wars characters of all time, from the Mandalorian to Grogu, known to many simply as ‘the child.’ The Prime 3D puzzles are 61 x 46 cm and are suitable for ages 6+.

Following on from the great success and huge popularity of DC Comics, a new range of Marvel 500pc Prime 3D jigsaw puzzles has been released. From Hulk to Thanos and Spiderman to Black Widow, there is something to suit every Marvel fan, with more Marvel characters and images to choose from. Well-known superheroes include Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Wolverine, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, She-Hulk, the Vision, the Falcon, the Winter Soldier, Ghost Rider, Blade, Daredevil, Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales, the Punisher and Deadpool.

Kidicraft will be continually releasing extensions to this range throughout 2022, including additional twin box sets and 300pc Prime 3D puzzles.

The Harry Potter 3D Puzzles collection continues to be one of the company’s most successful ranges and three new puzzles launched in September 2021 round up the extension to this range. The new additions are from the 500pc, 61cm x 46cm collection and feature the characters Voldemort and Harry Potter. There is also a Slytherin group puzzle featuring Professor Snape, Bellatrix Lestrange and Draco Malfoy. Now using the new Prime 3D lens, these puzzles have great sharp 3D imagery with superb clarity that really stands out and is extremely eye catching.

Kidicraft’s Kevin Walsh Nostalgia range has gone from strength to strength and now the range is being extended yet again. Five new designs include Baker In The Village, Cotswold Village, Station Buffet, To The Rescue and Westminster. These stunning 1000pc Jigsaw puzzles are 70cm x 50cm in size and take this everexpanding range to thirty-three designs in total.

Kidicraft launched a charming Christmas themed range of 1000pc Jigsaw puzzles in August 2021. These included festive designs Nearly Home, Christmas Post and Skating By The Church, titles that will be joined by three additional Christmas designs launching in August 2022. These form part of the broader Kevin Walsh Nostalgia range and are 70cm x 50cm in size.

Kidicraft's new Discovery range of 150pc Prime 3D jigsaw puzzles and 1000pc prime jigsaw puzzles features famous historical monuments of the world and an astronaut up close. There will initially be three designs in each range, with more to follow during 2022.

From Big Ben to The Eiffel Tower, the Discovery Monuments of the World 1000pc, 70 x 50cm puzzle range also features the world’s largest amphitheatre, the Colosseum. Equally impressive is the 150pc Prime 3D Discovery Space range. A Mars rover is the feature of one of the latest puzzles, while another from the range depicts an astronaut flying in outer space. These puzzles are 46 x 31cm and are suitable for ages 5+.

Kidicraft has specially designed floor units which are perfect displays for the Kidicraft ranges. The Kidicraft 3D Floor display can hold a selection of puzzles with various planograms available. This display is supplied with a 3D header for maximum retails impact and is free with a Super 3D puzzle order of over £300. The company can also offer Harry Potter, DC Comic, Marvel & Star Wars 3D Floor Displays and a Kidicraft Jigsaw Puzzle Floor Display. These come free with an order of 48 puzzles.

Having recently moved into a larger warehouse facility with capacity to meet demands on all ranges and bolstered the sales team to ensure an exceptional level of customer service to customers, the Kidicraft team is looking forward to a positive 2022 and the future product development which is yet to be released.

As well as exhibiting at London Toy Fair, Nuremberg and Spring Fair, Kidicraft will be showcasing all its new products at the company’s offices in Nelson, Lancashire from 12th January 2022. Please contact the office if you wish to make an appointment.

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2022 Schleich

01279 870000 | www.schleich-s.com/en schleich@schleich.co.uk Upper level 175 2021 has represented the eighth consecutive year of growth for Schleich and the company is equally optimistic about the year ahead thanks to a strong portfolio across its six key franchises, plus an exciting new franchise.

Tapping in to current toy trends for collectibles and family play while drawing upon the trust Schleich has earned after more than 85 years, all products will be supported by the company’s biggest-ever marketing investment.

The popular and diverse pre-school Farm World range will see a host of new animals launched in January, each meticulously designed as a story starter to inspire little imaginations. Additions include a powerful Ram with eye-catching spiral horns; a Lop-Eared Rabbit; a Stork; Pig and her Piglet; a Belgian Draft Horse and a selection of four-legged friends incorporating an Afghan Hound, Bull Terrier, Goldendoodle and Ragdoll Cat, catering to demand for the pet theme. Play sets include the Friendly Dog House complete with Australian Shepherd Dog and her Puppy; Mobile Chicken Coop; the trio of Chicken Friends; and three Western riding themed products: Western Riding Adventures, Cowboy Team Roping Fun and Cowgirl Barrel Racing Fun. Ranger Tom is also back for more adventures, with several new novelties being introduced to Schleich’s Wild Life offering. Launching in January, new figures include a colourful Flamingo, Iguana, Cougar, Beaver and an Emperor Scorpion. Exotic additions also include a Tapir and Baby Tapir; a Slow Loris famous for his big eyes and a Mandrill, considered the most colourful mammal in the world.

Launched in 2021, Schleich’s partnership with National Geographic Kids will be further expanded with an assortment of five new action-packed Wild Life play sets available from July. Featuring several exclusive figures as well as newly developed accessories, the new sets will comprise Koala Mother and Baby; Outback Adventures featuring a Ranger complete with backpack and binoculars; Antarctic Expedition with opening igloo, penguin slide and sled and Danger in the Swamp featuring Schleich’s best-selling Alligator and an Anaconda, the brands first bendable animal.

Schleich’s fantastical Eldrador Creatures range will be further enriched with a new creature joining each of the four worlds: the Stone Dragon with movable jaw and rotating tail; the Jungle Emperor with rotating head and moveable lower body and arms; the Ice Tiger and the Lava Tiger. July will see the introduction of a new, fifth world: The Shadow World. Three new products, the Shadow Wolf, Shadow Lion and Shadow Dragon, all feature transparent purple crystals. Also adding to the collectible concept will be the Eldrador Master Robot. Boasting impressive functionality including a secret storage compartment in his chest, cannon with shooting function and removable transparent crystals, fans can simply pop their mini creatures in to his cockpit and attack. Following the success of Eldrador Mini Creatures, Series 2 and 3 will launch in April and August, each featuring 13 new collectible mini creatures complete with small collectible poster. These will be supported by four new world Robots and four new Shadow World Robots. The franchise will receive extensive marketing support.

Schleich’s other collectibles range, bayala, also sees a considerable number of SKUs added to the assortment. Additions include the Marshmallow Unicorn Family, hand-painted in pastel shades inspired by candy; the Rainbow Love Family which follows on from previous best-selling rainbow SKUs; and the Sunrise Pegasus and his Sunrise Pegasus Foal with transparent crystal wings. Other magical creatures include a Llamacorn and a majestic Rainbow Dragon with impressive moving wings. Finally, seven cute collectible foals with candy markings will launch in January and another seven in July as well as Schleich’s first mystery collectible eggs featuring Hatching Baby Dragons and Hatching Winged Baby Kittens. There are 12 to collect including two rare transparent, sparkling figures and each comes in its own egg with collector’s poster.

As well as the continuation of a number of AW 2021 SKUs including Horse Adventures and Trailer, January will also see the TV advertised Horse Club range expanded with several well-known and great breeds sure to delight keen collectors including a Trakehner Foal; Oldenburg Mare, Stallion and Foal; Criollo Definitivo Mare and Foal and a complete remodel of the brand’s popular Icelandic Ponies. These will be followed by three new beautifully detailed sets launching in July, an Animal Care Accessories Set; Stable Picnic Accessories and the first ever modular offering, a Riding Centre with optional add-ons including a Horse Stall Extension and Horse Shop. Another exciting extension to the brand will also be revealed at Toy Fair.

Finally, in this stellar dinosaur movie year, Schleich’s much-loved Dinosaurs range, which will again be supported by digital and TV marketing, welcomes five new authentic dinos – Majungasaurus, Styracosaurus, Amargasaurus, Parasaurolophus and Nothosaurus. As well as the interactive Volcano Expedition Base Camp which launched in autumn 2021, new play sets include the Dinosaur Transport Mission and Parachute Rescue.

The full portfolio will receive the company’s largest investment in PR and marketing support including a robust online campaign providing rich, detailed content designed to bring the collections to life in the digital world.

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2022 Wilton Bradley 01626 835400 www.wiltonbradley.com sales@wiltonbradley.com Stand E89 / E98

This year, the main Wilton Bradley stand will be showcasing the company’s core ranges, while an additional stand will be dedicated to the display of the Xootz wheeled toys collection.

Wilton Bradley has been creating a real buzz around its new Xootz wheeled toy range. The range delivers the full package with superb specification and features, competitive pricing and highly rated consumer reviews, and visitors will be able to admire the new Venom Go Kart and the Comet Electric Go Kart, as well as new additions in the licensed Electric Ride-Ons category.

The Venom Go Cart is a new development based on the award-winning Viper GoKart. With its front ‘pincer’ mouldings giving the go cart a distinctive look, the ride features a tough steel frame, ERVA tyres and forward, reverse and freewheel (coasting) gears. Catering for a range of sizes from 5 to 10 year-olds, two adjustable seat positions mean the go cart is suitable for riders up to 50Kgs. Taking karting up a level, the Xootz Comet Electric Go Kart is a high-torque, maintenance-free hub motor powered by two rechargeable 12V batteries and delivering speeds of up to 16km/h for an adrenaline fuelled ride. Riders can pivot, spin and drift by putting their foot on the throttle, turning the wheel and cornering to their heart’s content. Dual speed setting, a seat belt and automatic braking function ensure that they will stay safe and in control. The Xootz Comet is available in a stealthy black exterior with white Xootz detailing and alloys.

The new BMW Z4 Roadster is tipped to be as successful as the award-winning BMW X5 launched this year. This impressive, officially licensed BMW electric ride-on makes a powerful statement, featuring all the details of the full-scale powerhouse: kidney grille, sculptured bonnet and unmistakeable working front lights.

With a slow start function, 3-speed drive and reverse gear, little ones can practise their driving in the ultimate driving machine. For the youngest of drivers, an included carry handle stowed under car head, training wheels under the rear bumper and a remote control allow parents to take control.

The Xootz BMW Z4 Roadster features an MP3 player with AUX input, plus a rechargeable 12V battery beneath the bonnet. Designed for use both indoors or outdoors, the classy vehicle will make light work of carpet, garden terrain or smooth tarmac thanks to its front wheel suspension.

In the music categories, Wilton Bradley has added new lines to the successful Mi-Mic and Academy of Music brands.

The team at Wilton Bradley wanted to build on their range of outdoor interactive toys and looked at how to bring some of the most fun and exciting activities from school and nursery play areas back to family homes and gardens. The company will unveil exciting innovations within the outdoor category under the popular Playhouse brand, including Water Wall, which will be supported with a media campaign, and the Ice Cream Van. Both lines will be introducing additional designs for 2023 and beyond.

Littles ones will enjoy role playing as they pretend to scoop ice cream with the Playhouse Ice Cream Truck. Including a selection of accessories and a blackboard menu to write on, they can play at creating their own delicious ideas before serving them from the serving hatch. Then, stepping inside and taking control of the steering wheel , they can pretend to drive to the next destination.

Once parked up, they can return to the back and get back to work in the onboard kitchen.

Between the ages of 3- 8, kids see a whole host of developmental landmarks such as the emergence of language, motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills. As new skills develop children can participate in more complex activities and the Playhouse range has been designed to assist children in developing these essential range of skills. Wilton Bradley is proud to presents the newest product in the Playhouse range: Waterwall.

Teaching kids about gravity, angles and water flow, this wall is packed with limitless combinations for them to enjoy a different creation every time they move the pieces. With a range of modular accessories included, kids can have fun creating their own water flows and seeing their problem-solving skills come to life as they pour water from the top.

Made from quality sustainably sourced wood, Waterwall also blends perfectly into the garden. The weather resistant Waterwall can be used outdoors or indoors thanks to the included bucket which catches the water when it reaches the bottom. The innovative design is a totally new concept which the company believes fills a real gap in the market. The unique design and concept are currently under Design Registration and is Patent Pending.

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E66 VISIT US AT TH

OLYMPIA LONDON 25-27 JANUARY 2022

For more information please contact: 01604 678780 / sales@dkl-beysal.uk

2022 IMC Toys

01904 720908 | www.imctoys.com | info.uk@imctoys.com Stand E94 Following a period of re-establishing and realigning its UK portfolio, London Toy Fair will see IMC unveiling top secret reveals alongside its new collection of IP brands and line extensions to some of the company’s best performing ranges.

IMC continues to invest heavily in the Cry Babies brand, evolving both its core dolls and new product development, to provide retailers with an extended line at a selection of price-points, and offering brand longevity for consumers. New to the core range is Fun & Sun Ella, with interactive and surprise features to engage toddlers and smaller children aged 18mth+. As with all Cry Babies, Ella cries real tears and makes realistic baby sounds, but will magically stop crying once she has her dummy. Q2 2022 will see the introduction of Cry Babies Tiny Cuddles. This quality, value-driven line offers smaller, soft-bodied versions of Cry Babies, that still cry real tears, thus offering brand consistency at an alternative, and widely accessible pick-up price.

Content remains key to the company’s Ips, and new Cry Babies animated episodes will be aired throughout 2022 with new product launches to reflect the latest series and storylines. Three new characters will be introduced to the Cry Babies Dressy range, alongside a further two Cry Babies Kiss Me characters, recognisable to children who follow the animated adventures on YouTube and Nick Jnr. With a range for all ages and stages, children can grow with the brand and progress onto the Cry Babies Magic Tears collectible ranges, appealing to pre-school and younger children. Providing an extension to the successful 2021 Dress Me Up range, further waves are planned for 2022 to introduce new characters, outfits and play-based packaging, reflective of the animated content. Offering extended role-play opportunities, new playsets have been introduced, including Jenna’s Wardrobe, Elodie’s Crystal Castle and the ultimate Cry Babies Magic Tears adventure – the Mega Bottle House.

SS22 focuses on Cry Babies Magic Tears Happy Flowers, while Q3 onwards will see the launch of Icy World themed product as featured heavily within the Autumn/Winter content schedule. As with all Cry Babies Magic Tears, the new dolls cry real tears once fed with their magic baby bottle and their bellies are squeezed. Their tears also have ‘magic’ properties and provide a surprise reveal with each new wave. With a move into a longer-term sustainability strategy, IMC will unveil its new Cry Babies Magic Tears Little Changers collection, providing eco-friendly collectible mini dolls to reinforce the messaging of taking care of the planet which can be seen in new Cry Babies Magic Tears episodes from July.

Taking doll collectibles to the bath/water play category, Bloopies continues to be a large focus for the company, with Toy Fair providing the platform to launch the new Mermaids Magic Tails and Fairies Magic Bubbles lines.

The balloon-blowing Bubiloons will have its UK debut at Toy Fair. Already proving a huge success across several European territories, this content-driven property introduces children to a colourful candy world of cute animal characters who navigate their way through day-to-day experiences and challenges using their imagination and blowing bubbles. Short-form animated episodes can be seen on IMC’s official Kitoons YouTube channel, introducing children to the characters which they can continue to enjoy through the toy range. Each collectible character is hidden in a themed capsule, only discovered once children take on the surprise reveal which forms part of the packaging design and creates immediate stand-out on shelf.

Entering the boys’ collectibles category, and bridging content with physical product, and mobile gaming, IMC introduces Lucky Bob, a range of 60 figures, with a focus on empathy, friendship and kindness. A regular boy, Lucky Bob finds himself in all manner of comical situations, in which he navigates with his sense-of-humour and cheerful disposition. Supported with a dedicated Lucky Bob YouTube channel at launch, plus short form content and toy play episodes for series 1, longer-form content has been produced to run throughout 2022. Lucky Bob collectible characters are available in single, dual and multi-packs, which include figures complete with unique accessories to recreate fun mishaps, plus character cards for scanning and linking to content and the Lucky Bob app.

Aligning with the business’s plush category expansion, the popular interactive plush range, Club Petz, will see a refresh with the introduction of Artie the Polar Bear. Featuring over 20 sounds, the cute cub is super soft and even shivers when he’s cold. Extending its plush portfolio, the launch of PeekaPets brings the wholesome peekaboo play pattern to life for younger children. Available as peekaboo bunnies in two colourway options, the super-soft PeekaPets provide fun and visual stimulation. By squeezing the Pets’ tummies, their ears pop up to fully reveal their faces. Interactive versions with additional features are planned for later in the year.

Robust marketing campaigns will be implemented for all UK launches, including TV, sponsorship, digital, social, PR, bespoke content creation and strategic partnerships. Plus, the roll out of the Kitoons Over-The-Top (OTT) platform continues. Launching with Samsung and LG, the platform combines content with eCommerce, enhancing the consumer’s brand experience and purchase journey, suggesting products based on the video being watched and driving viewers directly to retailers.

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2022

Simba Smoby Toys UK

01620 674 778 / 01620 674 778 www.simba-dickie-group.de/en sales@sisotoysuk.com Stand B50

Simba Smoby Toys UK will be launching a raft of new products across its catalogue of brands in 2022.

In the doll category, the B-Kind collection has been designed not only to be eco-conscious but also to promote positive messages of kindness, creativity and compassion. Available from January, the dolls are produced to be eco-conscious, made from recycled materials and dressed in eco-fashions, and the packaging is environmentally friendly too. B-Kind dolls come boxed in reusable packaging; a ribbon that serves as a box handle can later be used as a bracelet, and families can use the packaging to construct their own Kindness Board - a space to share kindness goals through drawings, photos and more. The range launches with five characters: Brianna, Koral, Ivy, Nora, and Daisy (B.K.I.N.D.). Each character encourages creativity through DIY play that reflects the dolls’ passions which include going green, saving the oceans and ending bullying. Each B-Kind doll features a DIY craft activity, such as making an upcycled outfit for the doll or creating a set of BFF bracelets.

The latest launch from the firm’s trusted Smoby brand, FleXtreme, promises to turn the imagination around, inviting kids to connect the flexible track pieces to build exciting new circuits for motorised vehicles to race around. The track pieces easily fit together and are designed to be super flexible, allowing families to run tracks all the way through the house: over chairs, beds, desks and more. A perfect starter set is the FleXtreme Discovery Set which comes with 184 pieces of track, to build a circuit measuring 4.4 metres long. Each Discovery set also comes with one vehicle, an additional car body and an entry/exit track. To build bigger and expand the FleXtreme universe, FleXtreme Track Refill Packs, which each contain 72 pieces of track to add an extra 1.72m of circuit, are also available, along with additional FleXtreme vehicles: a green SUV, a blue truck and a yellow truck.

Jada Toys’ Hollywood Rides range celebrates the best in action film merchandising with scaled replicas of the most memorable wheels. With The Batman movie scheduled for release in March, fans can look forward to new 1:32 and 1:24 scale replicas to add to their collections come SS22. Plus, there is plenty of newness within the Fast & Furious die-cast collection: a fleet of popular cars from the eight-film, multi-billion-dollar franchise is already available to collect, and 2022’s fresh additions will include the new RC 1:16 scale lines - Dom’s Dodge Charger and Brian’s Toyota. These will be joined by the never-seen-before Light and Sound 1:18 scale die-cast cars with light-up headlights and engine sounds: Brian’s 1995 Toyota Sypra and Dom’s Lykan Hypersport. The Jada Toys range will also see an all-new 1:24 scale DC Comics Bombshells collection, as well as more new additions from the world of Marvel.

The company’s trusted Smoby brand is a one-stop shop for tots, with its large collection of playhouses, ride-ons, outdoor activity toys and more. New for 2022 will be Smoby’s Sweet Corner Playhouse. This themed set looks just like an ice cream parlour and comes packed with features to make roleplay as realistic as possible, a Sweety Corner sign with sprinkles, plus a sliding exterior sign to draw up the menu. With the Garden Kitchen, kids can host their own barbecue summer parties in the outdoor kitchen set-up. A grill, fryer and sink with water pump mean children will have all the tools and accessories required to pretend play at cooking up a treat. Smoby’s 2022 roleplay range will also include licensed lines from the magical worlds of Disney Frozen and Disney Princess; a Frozen Playhouse, Tea Trolley and Dressing Table are joined by the Disney Princess Porcelain Tea Set and Tea Trolley.

Meanwhile, Smoby’s 2022 spring launches offer a stylish introduction to the wheeled-toy category. The Rookie Ride-On is ideal for ages 12-months-plus, with a carefully adapted design and limited steering angle that helps to maximise safety and stability. Little ones will develop motor skills, agility and confidence, as they use their feet to push themselves along. For ages two-plus, there is the three-wheeled Rookie Tricycle, which has a sleek, retro design. Easily steerable, with soft silent wheels, kids can enjoy free-wheeling, independent fun.

The full brand portfolio also includes Disney Cars, Toy Story, Steffi Love and Evi Love, Masha and the Bear, and Disney Plush, all of which benefit from full marketing support. More information will be available at the show or by using the contact details above.

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N8 ©2022 Pokémon. ©1995–2022 Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc.TM, ®, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo.

2022

Vivid Goliath

01483 449944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Stand B70

Vivid Goliath had a bumper 2021 and the group expects to grow further in 2022 fuelled by new product innovations across all key categories.

Sustainability is at the forefront for Recyclings, a new launch in the collectibles sector which sees a range that is made from 70% recycled plastic, stopping seven bottle caps going into landfill for each character made. Collectible characters range from Dumplings to Dragons, Hotdogs to Handbags and Popcorn to Pandas, with over 100 to collect. The range will be supported by equally innovative digital marketing and TV advertising.

YouTube sensation Love Diana has seen a strong launch at retail in ’21.

Building on the success of the 2.5inch and 3.5inch mini figures and play sets, there will be a Series 2 refresh and a new Mermaid Magic theme supported by seas of content on the Love Diana channel which now celebrates 113b lifetime views, cementing her as the No.2 most popular YouTuber behind Ryan’s World.

Animagic aims to delight young children, offering lifelike pets and play patterns. Mum and baby gorilla duo, Tiki and Toko, enjoyed a celebrity press event that delivered high levels of national press with coverage generating over 338m impressions. Adding to the gorillas and pup Waggles, Goliath is launching Get Along Gecko, a palm sized best friend that offers lights and sounds.

Goliath will also be unveiling a new launch of the historically successful brand, Skydancers, reimagined from the ‘90s classic. The marketing campaign includes PR, a celebrity launch event along with TV and Digital campaigns.

1 in 3 pre-school kids in the UK now own a Ryan’s World toy; with over 65b lifetime views, 2021 saw the strongest year yet in sales for the property, up 20%+ year on year.

Moving into Series 9 for AW 2022, there will be more newness across the core range along with a new theme: Titan Universe, which includes a limited edition collection of heroic Ryan’s World figures and those all-important Eggs as well as a Titronic Treasure Chest.

On the back of the fidget toy and TikTok craze, the ever-popular Science4You range will be launching a DIY Fidget Toy kit allowing children to make their own fidgets and learn about the science behind them. Two other new introductions for AW include the Super Rocket Launch and Ocean Rescue Set. Goliath will be bringing the sun to Toy Fair with Australian outdoor range, Wahu, on display with products such as the top performing Phlat Ball, Wingblade, Zoom Ball, Super Wubble, Wubble Rumblers and a new range of wet and wild Garden Fun. New party game You Had One Job is one of four new introductions into the party category, along with Say Less, Don’t Draw the Short Straw and Rainbow Pirates, which has already sold out in the US. On the back of the success of the True Crime genre in TV and podcasts as well as strong sales of new games Unsolved Case Files and There’s Been a Murder, Goliath is extending its dedicated range for AW ’22 to include four new games, including Casefile and deluxe murder-solving game The Night Terror. The range will also include puzzles where the mystery is unveiled as the puzzle is put together.

Having been forecast to sell over 150k units of The Floor is Lava in ’21, the game continues to garner celebrity endorsements on social channels and will be joined in ‘22 by The Floor is Lava Family Edition where players will find more obstacles, more challenges and more ways to play together as a family.

The kids’ skill & action category also welcomes a range of new concepts alongside its proven winners. Chompin’ Charlie, featuring a determined squirrel gathering nuts for the winter, was a sell-out success in the US last year and will be added to the UK line-up for AW’22, and will be on display at London Toy Fair along with One Trick Pony, Chicken Poo Bingo and Trash Stash.

Crayola continues to ignite the imaginations of young artists through a colourful range of stationery, kits and toys. The hugely successful Colours of the World range launched in 2021 will continue into ‘22 with the crayons, pencils and markers bolstered by a new colouring book.

Colour Wonder introduces the much-anticipated licence Bluey from Q1 to an already strong portfolio of pre-school character favourites as well as the new Adventure Pups theme for Paw Patrol. Colour 'n’ Style Friends will dive under the sea with a range of magical mermaids that allow kids to enjoy even more hair play and stylish mermaid themed creations that can be redesigned again and again, including a play set.

Washimals sees the introduction of a super salon with five different ways to customise the pets including new pearlescent paint, washable stickers and scented spray within a large-scale salon play set. The gravity defying Paint-sation range sees the introduction of a new Flip 'n’ Spin Artists Pallet and Paint ‘n’ Stamp studio to allow budding artists to paint anytime, anywhere with this spill proof painting system. Meanwhile, the Crayola Super Glow Art Studio will create art that glows in the dark using just rays of light, with no ink or paint required.

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The Global Collectible Phenomenon Over 180+ New Squishmallows for 2022 Join the Squad on Booth #N8

©2022 Kelly Toys Holdings, LLC. Original Squishmallows and Squishmallows are trademarks of Kelly Toys Holdings, LLC.

2022

One for Fun www.oneforfun.com Stand E49

It’s been a big year for One for Fun - the supplier previously known as H. Grossman Ltd. and its main brands, Tobar, Ozbozz and HGL, as well as distribution brands including Maisto, Bburago and Zuru.

With Pushpoppers leading the way, the company has produced millions of fidget innovations and continues to provide new line extensions to cover all price points. This year sees even more lines added to this category. The Bumper Fidget Box, which contains a selection of best-selling items, is ideal not only as a Christmas gift but also as a way to keep party favours on the go throughout the year. Toy Fair will see the introduction of the new Squishy Cute Animal Tub, which is filled with adorable, squeezable and unputdownable squishy friends. Each tub contains 18 cute animals in nine individual designs, in pretty pastel colours. The Dinosaur head tubs, available in large or small, open to reveal a collection of mini dinosaurs. The heads are available in T- Rex or Triceratops form.

Stretchy, squishy, spikey, shiny, sparkly and scary are the themes for 2022’s pocket money lines, spanning everything from stretchy strings to glow in the dark insects, colour change lizards and creatures of all descriptions. These additions strengthen and consolidate the company’s reputation as the one stop shop for all things pocket money.

Tobar is introducing even more fidget lines. With its Squish Ball range proving a hit, 2022 will see new introductions at great price points and with more unique designs than ever before: glow in the dark, textured sensory noodles, fashionable neons, colour change, glitter and rainbow. All products will come in eye-catching packaging, and many will be available as multipacks. More than 100 non-fidget pocket money lines will also be introduced across the HGL and Tobar brands.

Tobar’s award-winning Animigos range continues to grow with the addition of the Flipping Panda, the Walking Cockapoo with Lead, the Walking Maltese Dog and the Walking Elephant. In 2022, the Animigos World of Nature range will welcome a koala and cub, a hanging lemur, a hanging sloth and hanging chimpanzee. Other additions will include a non-animated cockapoo puppy, a Westie, a rat with a squeak, a budgie, a red panda and a black and white guinea pig.

Tobar’s gadget range continues to grow. The Lumez lamp range is multi- functional, acting as a comfort night lamp for children but boasting designs fit to grace any home, from nursery lights in dinosaur and unicorn themes to teen and adult offerings. This year’s introductions include a rose gold Glitter Lumez, a black matte Glitter Lumez and a rainbow Lumez. A spherical glitter colour changing shell lamp also joins the range. This glowing globe sits like a pearl inside a large white seashell.

Tobar continues to improve its eco-friendly status. A lot of non-recyclable plastic has already been removed from its products and now the brand is enhancing its wooden range.

At Toy Fair, the brand will unveil an FSC update within its wooden pocket money and classic collections.

The Ozbozz range of scooters and outdoor toys welcomes new outdoor lines including bigger-wheeled scooters, pogo sticks and generic skateboard designs, plus a soccer goal with a ball, cricket set and badminton set. A new set of sky fliers is launching too. This 4-in-1 pack of throwing and catching Frisbee-style toys is designed to get everyone up and running.

Poppy the Booty Shakin’ Pug is bound to cause a stir at Toy Fair. The latest addition to Zuru’s Pets Alive range, Poppy twirls her head and shakes her booty. Bubble Wow allows kids to create bubbles with gloves simply by dipping them in the bubble solution and waving. Toy fair sees the introduction of a Paw Patrol version.

Dino Fossil Find, from Robo Alive, invites kids to find their inner dinosaur hunter. These large dinosaur eggs contain dinosaur bone dig kits, a digging tool, prehistoric slime, rock and sand. Kids find the bones and fit them together, then watch them come to life with light and sound. Robo Alive’s other additions include new colours for the Robo Alive Lurking Lizard, and the new Crawling Cockroach and Spider. In addition, Zuru will be introducing new colourways within the Robo Fish range and unveiling an exciting new product that remains strictly under wraps until Toy Fair.

The new BB Junior Range makes its debut at the show. This pre-school range combines artistic style and engineering to create a unique concept for the nursery space. Key lines for this year are the Junior Drive & Rock collection of chunky, robust and colourful vehicles with a removable musical component. Options include the BB Junior Drive & Rock Fire Truck with Keyboard, the Cement Mixer with Drum or the Tow Truck with Guitar. Each musical instrument has two different game modes and pre-set melodies plus a free game variant. Made to withstand heavy duty handling from toddlers, and designed to aid hand/eye co-ordination, this range is ideal for kids aged 12 months and up.

Bburago is extending its popular farm vehicle range. Toy tractors are a perennial best-seller, and the Massey Ferguson is a brand everyone knows and loves.

This year there will be new additions to the Massey range. The hero product is the new Massey R/C Tractor and Trailer, due for release Q3 2022.

Maisto’s die cast vehicles have been updated with new liveries and fresh brands. Last year, Maisto launched its Emergency Vehicle Set exclusively in UK livery, and it became a sell-out item. This line and many others will continue into 2022. The brand also offers RC and this year introduces new additions to its existing Cyklone range. The Cyklone Buggy and the Cyklone Monster both have forward and back movement and can drift at the same time. Finally, Maisto is introducing an RC version of Lewis Hamilton’s latest F1 vehicle in its 2021 colours.

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2022 Casdon

01253 766411 | www.casdon.com UK@casdon.com Stand E30 In attendance for the 67th year at London Toy Fair, Casdon is a third-generation, family-focused business which manufactures best-selling role-play toys for pre-school age children.

Continuing to build its successful heritage within these categories, this January will see Casdon welcome a completely new licence as well as unveiling new products across its portfolio.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its exclusive licence partnership in 2022, Casdon will reveal three brand-new Dyson SKUs to its best-selling range of vacuum cleaner toys.

An addition to this licensed portfolio which brings together Dyson Hair and role-play will be the Dyson Supersonic and Corrale Deluxe Styling Set. The duo includes miniature versions of the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer and Dyson Corrale Straighteners, perfect for mini-me styling sessions. Incorporating a range of enticing features to keep little ones occupied for hours, the set comes complete with two interchangeable nozzles, a barrel brush and detangling comb.

There will also be a fresh new licence joining the Casdon portfolio - one of the world’s leading houseware brands with a global presence spanning over 100 countries – Joseph Joseph. Casdon will be launching six products in the range, including the Joseph Joseph Extend which takes water play to a whole new level.

Designed and officially licensed to look just like the real thing, the Joseph Joseph Extend set comes complete with a wash bowl and tray to capture small spills while water can be pumped from the bowl through the dispenser and back again for endless play. Includes cleantech brush, extend dish rack, cutlery, plates and bowls which change colour when added to water for added play value.

Another new product which will be launched at the show is the Joseph Joseph Bake. This colourful set features four interlocking measuring cups, a large mixing bowl, twist whisk, egg spatula and ergonomic rolling pin Following a period of growth, the company will also be showcasing the brand’s new-look with a refreshed colour palette, brand logo and company tagline which reflects Casdon’s ethos for children’s toys to always capture a sense of fun and excitement while exploring new ways to live playfully. Attendees will be treated to a first look of the company’s innovative new launches as well as meeting new team members who have been part of the brand’s exciting expansion plans.

Casdon celebrated its 75th anniversary last year and as well as developing and manufacturing its own intellectual property of role-play toys, the Casdon portfolio also includes licences for many more well-known household names such as, Morphy Richards, Kenwood and Henry. These child-sized versions of much-loved products make pretend play realistic and fun.

Bladez Toys

02392 658 255 | www.bladeztoyz.co.uk | Stand F18

Bladez Toyz returns to London Toy Fair with a new stand and numerous product launches across brands that continue to go from strength to strength. The innovative Barbie Make Up range’s clever design combines quality organic cosmetics made in Italy with the Barbie play pattern using fun role play applications that interact with the doll. A backpack with eyeshadow and lip gloss can be worn by Barbie, while a pet carrier, complete with a cute cat on board, becomes a lipstick. The summery Freak-Shake Set has a beach towel and umbrella for Barbie; eyeshadow, lip gloss, blusher and a mirror are all hidden in the Barbie-scale pool accessories. Role play applications for kids are also included, as the Fashion Glasses reveal eye shadow, a mirror and even a Bluetooth speaker.

The hero line is the Ice Cream Shop Playset, a cool hang-out for Barbie decked out with LED lights which contains a full cosmetics set including nail boards, a blusher, eyeshadow, lip gloss and more. It’s also compatible with the speaker from the Fashion Glasses Set. Launching at Toy Fair, the range will be available for spring/summer 2022. Also new to Bladez Barbie Range are STEM toys with fun play patterns designed to inspire future scientists. The Crystal Ballgown Science Set comes with two printed card Barbie characters to make. Adding the magical formula causes sparkly multi-coloured crystals to grow in just a few hours, transforming Barbie’s dress into a true crystal ballgown. Other lines include a Make Your Own Bath Fizzers Set in novelty packaging and a Barbie’s own allotment potting shed with planters and window boxes that come to life as they bloom with real mustard cress. All these lines join the Make Your Own Dreamhouse and Radio Control Dream Car, completing a comprehensive cross-category Barbie range.

In RC, Bladez launches its new Batman Radio Control range. The giant 1:10 scale Gotham Racer can hit speeds of up to 30kmph and has cool LED wheels. The Stunt Racer features 360º spin capability and can pull off stunt flips illuminated by its LED headlights, while the RC Helicopter has gyro control and an LED searchlight. A 1:28 scale RC Racer is also available. Combining high speed action with lights and sounds, Bladez adds Maker Kitz tech to its Hot Wheels range.

Awesome sounds and pulsing LEDs bring the engine and headlights to life.

Bladez also continues to expand its Harry Potter activities range. Following the successful Light Up Hogwarts Kit, new additions for 2022 include the Light Up Weasley Burrow, Activity Sets, Make Your Own Hogwarts Scarf Kits and more.

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Come and see us at: London Toy Fair Olympia 25th - 27th Jan Stand E69

New hero lines for 2022

Wake me up...

Let’s play!

I talk & blow you kisses!

I talk & blow you kisses!

I sneeze & curl up!

Introducing the new Smart Ball Skills Training Football!

GOLDEN BEAR

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I sneeze & curl up!

I sneeze & curl up!

Come and uncurl the cuteness of Curlimals!

Squirty Gertie is the must have family action game for 2022!

We can’t wait to see you!

Transforming Duggee Space Rocket Playset “I'm the most Bitey Biteysauru ist s ever!”

WITH GLOWING LIGHTS!

For more information email customerservices@GoldenBearToys.co.uk

Brand new Windy Bums characters!

“I'm the most Bitey-ist Biteysaurus ever!”

“Biteysaurus will capture you!”

Talking Biteysaurus Bing

2022

Character Options

0161 633 9800 | sales@charactergroup.plc.uk Stand N16

From electronic pets and creative toys to mini collectables and action figures, Character Options has a catalogue of new and best-selling brands to showcase at Toy Fair this year.

2022 is going to be a major year for ChillFactor following Character’s acquisition of the property last year. Retailers can expect new lines, refreshed packaging and a strong marketing campaign that will drive sales. Remaining central to the range is the Neon ChillFactor Slushy Maker, which turns drinks to slushy treats in under a minute. Meanwhile, all-new for spring, the Poppin Dots Frozen Dot Maker lets kids make edible frozen Dots by simply filling the trays and freezing them. Children can use their imagination to create different flavours using juice, milk or yoghurt.

Significant extensions are planned for the second half. New additions include the ChillFactor Smoothie Maker, which makes milkshakes and smoothies, and the ChillFactor 3-in-1 Fruit Factory, which lets kids make a variety of drinks as well as ice lollies. The ChillFactor Ice Cream Maker produces spaghetti ice cream, which is currently trending on social media.

InstaGlam, one of Character Options’ fastest growing brands and a leading toyetic make-up brand, already includes several waves of fashion dolls with hidden makeup reveals and on-the-go beauty sets packed with content. Several new lines will be launched over the coming year, starting with the Series 4 On the Glo InstaGlam Dolls in spring/summer. This theme sees the characters modelling fashionable new styles and bringing all the make-up elements under one doll for the first time: lips, eyes and nails. All make-up can be neatly hidden inside the doll, but at retail will be visible front of pack for maximum shelf impact. The ever-popular InstaGlam All in One beauty sets benefit from refreshed colours. Retailers should also look out for the InstaGlam Pets with Polish. The heads of the pets twist off to reveal eye-catching nail colours.

There are four to collect and each comes with an extra bottle of polish. Later in the year, kids will also be able to get their hands on new higher-end beauty sets featuring an array of make-up palettes and accessories. All are fully portable to reflect InstaGlam’s ‘Glam on the go’ message.

Autumn/winter welcomes the arrival of the Series 2 InstaGlam Glo-Up Girls. This range is all about empowerment and confidence and aims to inspire children to be who they want to be. The latest wave brings with it a new Glo All Out theme. Each 10” articulated doll in this wave comes dressed in a funky and fashionable outfit. Kids will love taking their Glo Up doll through a series of beauty makeovers and transformations. With 28 fashion and accessory surprises to discover, they can also enjoy a fun unboxing experience as they reveal items including a spa robe, hair towel wrap and slippers, so their Glo Up Girls can chill out when party time is over. With a new on-trend play set also available in the second half, this range is tipped to attract an even larger following in 2022.

From the successful world of Jiggly Pets comes Jiggly Pets Elephant. This walking, trunk-lifting pink/blue elephant features full body movement, music and sound effects. Kids can watch him move and jiggle to the beat of his tunes. He also features head and rear sensors, so he reacts to touch. Jiggly Pets Elephant joins the portfolio following the introduction of Tan-Tan the Orangutan - which featured on multiple Top Toys for Christmas retail lists - the Jiggly Pets Koala and the Jiggly Pets Pups, which, from autumn/winter, will be available in a beautiful pearlescent finish with matching packaging.

There’s plenty more to come from the brand in the second half including the palm-sized Jiggly Pets Lovables. Available at an entry price point, the range offers something for every budget. There are four characters to collect: puppy, kitten, piglet and bear cub. Each Lovable jiggles and glows when tapped. Rex the Dino and Gigi the Disco Giraffe, new additions to the Jiggly Pets collection, come in packaging cleverly designed to look like their habitats, enabling it to be incorporated into the play. Rex the Dino dances and shakes his arms and spikey, stretchy red hair to the beat of a tune, while Gigi the Disco Giraffe shakes his booty to the beat of his three jungle tunes and wiggles his bobble head in a comical manner.

Heroes of Goo Jit Zu remains a top priority for Character Options, with the brand now available globally in more than 50 territories. The company will continue to invest in extensive marketing support in 2022 as it releases new themes that drive collectability. Launching this year, the Dino X-Ray theme sees the existing Heroes go X-Ray following the discovery of a new meteor. These Dino Heroes are extremely gooey and feature a cool X-Ray bone filling kids can see.

New for autumn/winter comes innovation in the form of the Ultra Goo Heroes of Goo Jit Zu. Each hero comes with a concealed Ultra Goo Orb that can be crushed to power-up the Heroes and activate their Ultra Goo transformation. There are seven characters to collect in the series; every figure has a unique Ultra Goo Orb and the limited-edition Corruptagon even has a light-up core. The line-up continues with the Ultra Goo Primal Packs. These large-scale figures feature chomp attack jaws and Ultra Goo Orbs to unleash. From summer, kids can collect the Ultra Goo Versus Pack: Shadow Orbs Scorpius vs. Liquid Gold Pantaro.

Set to be a major focus in the next instalment of the Goo Jit Zu webisode series, the Ultra Goo Stretch

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2022

Character Options

0161 633 9800 | sales@charactergroup.plc.uk Stand N16

& Strike Thrash Mobile is arriving at stores from autumn/winter. This set of wheels transforms from Cruise Mode to Shark Attack Mode and includes a Race Suit Thrash plus three projectiles to blast at opponents.

With 2022 set to be a monster movie year, there will be a host of licensed on-screen characters to collect in Heroes of Goo Jit Zu form: from licensed collaborations across the DC, Marvel, Jurassic and Lightyear universes, there’s something for everyone.

Responding to the ever-increasing demand for family-friendly activities and toys, Character Options is to launch Stay Active, a range of family-inclusive toys that can be played inside or outside while enjoying active play. From spring/summer, the Stay Active line will include new items as well as last year’s hit toys - Moon Shoes, Jump It and KickerBall - which will be rebranded to sit within the Stay Active range. A new addition to the portfolio is Splash Out, which requires players to throw the ball on to another person to avoid getting splashed. The Splash Out ball contains a water balloon and features a wind-up timer. When the timer runs out, the water balloon is punctured and whoever is left holding the ball gets splashed with water. Other sure-fire hits include the Hip Hoppa, a jumping ball toy with handle and tether that squeezes the fun of a pogo stick into a smaller format, and Sling Ball, which lets kids hook the ball and launch it up to 60 feet for a friend to catch. The Electronic Jump-It Wipeout game offers the greatest jump skip challenge yet. Families can choose from three modes of play; tension builds with each level of increasing difficulty as the music and lights change with the speed and height of the skip bar. The skip bar is made of foam and designed to detach easily to avoid tripping, making this game both fun and safe to play.

Peppa Weebles returns for 2022, as Characters Options reintroduces a beloved and proven toy that presents retailers and buyers with a strong sales opportunity. Supported with TV, PR and a digital campaign, the spring/summer product range will feature refreshed new styling and exclusive decoration. There will be eight cute wobbly characters to collect in series one, as well as 2-figure packs, a 4-figure pack that comes with Peppa and Friends, and the Wobbly House Playset. The Weebles can wobble up the stairs, across the wobbly floor and down the slide, before spinning around on the roundabout and swinging on the swing. Vehicle sets are also available, including the Push-along Wobbly Car and the Pull-Along Wobbly Train. Range extensions will be coming through for the second half, as the company readies itself for the addition of some of the hottest and most on-trend licences in the pre-school market.

Character Options’ Morphle collection, which is inspired by the animated comedy series following a girl named Mila and her magical morphing pet Morphle, the range covers all core categories including plush, figures, vehicles and activities. The range has been scaled for growth from the very beginning. With mini vehicles already available, autumn/winter will welcome the arrival of the Big Musical Bus. With music and character sounds, kids can roll the bus along and sing a song.

Off-centre cam action results in a Shake and Roll feature and the bus also comes complete with a Morphle character. Central to the autumn/winter line-up is the Magic Morphing Pet Shop Playset. Kids will be able to transform their Morphle figure into another shape with the transforming cloud and visit his friends in the other rooms.

This multi-zone play set features familiar pets and fun effects. Fans can also look forward to the addition of the talking, glittery Mila Feature Soft Toy. The activity line also welcomes fresh ideas, with the Morphle Foam Sticker House Carry Case. The carry case opens to reveal the inside of Mila’s house, ready to be customised with the foam cut outs and stickers.

For more information about the entire brand portfolio, including Morphle, Stay Active, Treasure X, Squeakee, and a packed games portfolio, get in touch with the Character team using the contact details above.

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2022

Ravensburger

01869 363 830 | www.ravensburger.co.uk Stand N13

Ravensburger will showcase more than 200 new products across the breadth of its portfolio as well as detailed extensive marketing plans and PR support for 2022.

New additions to the award-winning GraviTrax interactive track system will continue to provide a multitude of ways to challenge GraviTraxers and enhance construction and STEM learning skills. GraviTrax C (working name) will launch in the second half of 2022, bringing coding to construction and is all about connecting with an electronic element.

This allows tracks to communicate with each other while kids discover programming and gravity.

The Adult puzzle portfolio continues to perform strongly. New launches commissioned by the UK based product development team include a debut piece by Yorkshire-based artist Sven Shaw: 1000pc Around the UK and Ireland, showcasing famous buildings and sites of interest from 5000 years of history.

Other introductions include Happy Days No.5 Royal Residences, a nod to the Queen who will be celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year, an addition to the popular My Haven Range; No.9 The Tea House by Essex based artist Steve Read and special commissions from Steve Cummins with A Fisherman’s Life and Disney Princess Heroines No.3 - The Little Mermaid, commissioned from the UK based Disney approved art studio. There will be activity on spending quality time with Ravensburger puzzles, focusing on themes such as nostalgia. January will also see a strong focus on the #positivelypuzzling campaign in time for national puzzle month in the UK. Strong momentum in the games category continues to build, with a solid portfolio across licensed, children’s, family and immersive games coming through throughout the year. Immersive games continue to grow in popularity and there will be exciting new launches and expansions in 2022. Licences showcased in 2022 game launches include the much-anticipated movie Minions – The Rise of Gru among other licences such as Paw Patrol, Blues Clues & You, Batman and Disney Princess. 2022 will also see the re-launch of the hugely popular Memory games with refreshed designs of the bestsellers. ThinkFun Gravity Maze continues to be hugely popular in the games category and will be supported with marketing campaigns. Zingo will see a packaging refresh and be supported by high profile marketing, while #UpsideDownChallenge Game continues its massive success from 2021. Extensive marketing campaigns are planned across classic titles including Bugs in the Kitchen and Labyrinth.

A raft of new puzzles will join the children’s licensed 2D jigsaw puzzle portfolio, many of which have been commissioned by the UK-based product development team. There is an extensive range of 2D puzzles including Minions – The Rise of Gru, and leading licences such as Room on the Broom, Miraculous, Winnie the Pooh, Mandalorian and Scooby Doo will also join the company’s line up for Spring Summer 2022.

The range and licence portfolio will continue to grow even further in Autumn Winter 2022, with even more leading licences such as Pip & Posy, Dino Ranch, Minecraft and New Look Thomas & Friends. More movie related products will also join the range for autumn/winter, with the introduction of Jurassic World Domination and Disney Pixar Lightyear adding up to over 40 licences in the Ravensburger puzzle portfolio.

Ravensbuger’s market leading 3D puzzle range continues to expand and will benefit from new additions during 2022. 2021 saw the launch of popular licence Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Castle, a magnificent design with fantastic attention to detail. An extension to this licensed product for 2022 is the Astronomy tower, with the ability to connect the two together to form one striking 3D puzzle. A Dodge Challenge will also join the supercar fleet of 3D vehicle puzzles. Other licensed 3D puzzles include the Minions puzzles as well as Miraculous, Pokémon and Super Mario 3D puzzles.

In response to a surge in demand and after extensive consumer research, a new range of Painting by Number products has been introduced under the brand name CreArts. The launch of children’s Paint by Numbers, for ages 7+, has both traditional and modern designs and some new licensed Harry Potter designs, all supported by PR and marketing activity, including a TV advertising campaign. This will be joined by a new launch of CreArts Adult, for ages 11+, with 11 new designs forming the adult range for spring/summer, with a mix of colourful designs and a nod to pop-art and gift card styles. Later in the year there will be further additions to the range, including some fun landscapes.

Brio raises the bar even further for wooden railways in 2022 with its My First Light Up Rainbow Set – an early age sequencing toy using colours and simple sequencing to understand cause and effect. Brio Smart Tech Sound innovation delivers exciting new products for 2022 with the Smart Tech Sound Adventure Set and, in time for Halloween, a spooky station addition. Following on from the popularity of the Steaming Train in 2021, a Steaming Train set will be launching, a classic figure-8 set including a steam train with realistic steam effects, wooden tracks and railway accessories. In time for the festivities next year, a new Christmas Steaming Train set will launch autumn/winter. This adorable set is sure to get anyone into the Christmas spirit with a festive steaming train producing real steam from water vapour.

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Tel: 01773 570444 - sales@abgee.co.uk - www.abgee.co.uk

Come and see us on stand B40 ■ Exclusive Ranges ■ Major Distributions ■ Top Brands

2022 Learning Resources

01533 762276 | www.learningresources.co.uk sales@learning-resources.co.uk Stand D36 Learning Resources has been providing educational toys, games, and teaching resources since 1984 and is the home of the hand2mind and Educational Insights brands. Its comprehensive range focuses on key skills and curriculum areas including early years, maths, literacy, STEM, coding, outdoor play, creative play and social-emotional learning (SEL).

All products are developed in collaboration with experts to be fun and engaging for children and have an educational benefit. With over 1,000 products to choose from, the company offers customers a broad product mix that can be customised to the unique needs of different markets and across the education and consumer sectors.

Learning Resources recently secured the Numberblocks global master toy licence. Children know the Numberblocks from the BAFTA award-winning CBeebies TV series and, under this agreement, Learning Resources will expand its best-selling and multi award-winning MathLink Cube Numberblocks range into a complete line of toys including plush, figures, play sets, vehicles and more for the consumer and education markets.

Visitors to the stand will have the chance to see the current Numberblocks MathLink Cubes products and find out more about the new launches coming in 2022.

Numberblock One will be appearing in the costume character parade and attendees will see large-scale Numberblocks One, Two, and Three characters on the stand.

The best-selling Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog range is now bigger than ever and includes a new pink version of classic Spike. This range of early years developmental toys helps young children build fine motor skills through fun play activities. Visitors to the stand can see other new additions to the range including the best-selling and award-winning Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog Fidget Friend. There are six ways to fidget with this early years toy, including spinning the wheel, turning the crank, pressing the button, twisting the knob, pushing the plunger and moving the switch, developing essential fine motor skills through tactile and fidget play.

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog Puzzle Playmate is a two-in-one puzzle and shape sorter toy that offers five ways to learn while playing: fine motor skills, logic and reasoning, and shape, colour and number recognition. The puzzle board has different shapes and textures and is great for sensory, tactile play.

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog Rainbow Stacker is a colourful stacking toy that children can stack vertically or horizontally. Each of Spike's stacking toy cups comes with tactile ridges that promote pre-school sensory skills, and the toy can be used for water play.

Children can sort the five hedgehogs in the Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog Sensory Tree House by texture and colour as they play. The back of each of these adorable hedgehog toys has a different colour and texture and offers several ways to play and learn.

The colourful packaging has instant shelf-appeal and makes the range ideal for engaging in-store and online displays, and the competitive pricing makes them appealing to consumers.

Learning Resources offers a range of award-winning coding robots that make STEM learning fun and accessible for children starting at age four, with options for older children up to the age of 12. All of the coding robots which are suitable for young children are 100% screen-free and build STEM skills through traditional hands-on play.

The Coding Critters range of interactive robot pets introduce coding to children aged four years up through fun, play-based activities that appeal to their imaginations.

This makes the Coding Critters ideal for introducing STEM learning to young children.

Learning Resources has now launched new Coding Critters MagiCoders Blazer the Dragon, and Skye the Unicorn: fantasy robot pets which make basic coding concepts such as sequential logic, algorithms, and debugging come to life for pre-schoolers through engaging activities and imaginative play.

Each MagiCoder robot pet comes with a coding wand, spell book, and play set. Children use the directional arrow buttons on their coding wand to cast simple coding spells from their spell book to code Blazer or Skye move, light up, dance, make fun sounds, follow the wand, and more. Children can also play out adventures using each robot pet’s matching play set.

To increase brand awareness, Learning Resources runs continuous brand marketing activity, showcasing its brand campaign, Building Someone Amazing. This campaign highlights how buying a Learning Resources toy helps build amazing kids by helping children love to learn and discover more about the world through play.

This integrated multi-channel campaign includes print and online advertising, in-store display and activations, social media collaborations, PR activity, and more.

This always-on brand campaign is supported by seasonal sub-campaigns developed to keep the marketing messaging fresh and interesting, and boost audience interaction through engaging content.

To support customers, Learning Resources offers access to the global online Marketing Resource Centre. Here customers will find in-store retail and online marketing assets, campaign assets, and best practice guidelines. This portal is regularly updated to support our customers and help them grow their business with Learning Resources.

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Please come and visit us at London Toy Fair, Stand Number - N14 National Ground

www.clementoni.com

For more information please contact: uk@clementoni.com NASA photo, Source: International Space Archives LLC NASA graphic, Source: International Space Archives LLC International Space Archives logo: ©International Space Archives LLC. Licensed by LMI

2022

Playmobil

01268 548111 | www.playmobil.co.uk sales_uk@playmobil.de sales@learning-resources.co.uk Upper Level 210 Playmobil will be launching a raft of new products at Toy Fair 2022 including a line of engaging new play sets. The new Playmobil horse and pony ranges contain everything kids need to care for their equestrian friends. March 22 will see the release of Pony Farm, a range which includes 13 new sets and six collectible horses perfect for building a dream farm. The first launch within the company’s new World of Horses range, meanwhile, hits shelves in July. World of Horses comprises six sets to either choose from or mix and match including the Riding Lesson with Stable and the Childrens Birthday Party on the Horse Farm. Both new equestrian themes will benefit from in-store support with sales stands, window displays and POS solutions available. They will also feature in comprehensive media campaigns including TV and digital from the beginning of the year.

In April, the Playmobil Aqua Park theme will debut.

With this new theme, children can enjoy fun in the sun and play by the pool year-round. The new and exciting range features seven sets based on a day at a water park with accessories such as a spiral slide, free-fall slide with trapdoor launch and a diving board. All the pools in the play sets can be filled with water and can be combined to offer expansive options for swimming, playing and relaxing. The numerous original features in each set will help inspire creative ideas for new stories time and again. Starting from Easter, Aqua Park will be supported by a cross channel marketing campaign featuring in-store material and TV, social and digital placements.

Playmobil is also excited to introduce its brand-new own-IP, Duck on Call. For the first time in a Playmobil theme world and animated series, an animal hero takes centre stage as Ducklas - a badly behaved boy in the body of a duck - sets off on exciting missions with a young rescue team. The new Playmobil Duck on Call play sets are packed with innovative features and are aimed at children from 3-5 years of age. The play functions of all Duck on Call sets have been specially developed for the age group; for example, integrated tilt steering facilitates one-handed control of the emergency vehicles, while easy-to-use features such as a water cannon, turntable ladder or slides, as well as interactive light and sound effects, ensure hours of engaging play.

When an emergency strikes Playmoville, Ducklas’ hometown, Freddy Fire, Polly Police and Mikey Medic can be on-site in a flash thanks to their cool emergency vehicles. The modular vehicles can also be easily transformed by swapping out the attachments, so they are suitable for every mission.

Rescuers receive their instructions from the foldable, mobile operations centre. The innovative theme world will be expanded in summer with additional gadgets for more complex missions, including a large headquarters with a freefall slide and elevator where Ducklas and his friends receive incoming emergency calls from Playmoville. Powerful fire brigade, police and emergency doctor trucks, as well as two fast mini-cars, ensure the team is well equipped for every operational situation.

Child ergonomics have been considered throughout the development of this new range, meaning kids can start enjoying Duck on Call play as soon as each box is opened. All individual parts in the high-quality play sets are contained within bags made of environmentally friendly, recycled PCR film (post-consumer recycled material), while small accessories have been reduced or avoided entirely owing to the target demographic of the theme. As with most Playmobil products, Duck on Call sets can be combined and expanded with other figures and accessories from within the range. w A separate series crafted in high-quality CGI animation takes fans to Playmoville and follows the adventures of the lovable rescuers with plenty of humour. The pilot episode, which introduces Ducklas and the young rescue team, is planned to coincide with the February launch of the first sets. Via the Playmoville stories, children will learn about the importance of friendship, helpfulness, team spirit and self-confidence, and the role play inspired by the innovative new play sets promote social, cognitive and motor skills development. In addition, a free Duck on Call knowledge booklet provides information on the subject of fire and rescue services.

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2022 Lego

01753 495 000 | www.lego.com Olympia Room The Lego Group has announced the latest addition to its popular Lego Super Mario universe, with three new expansion sets based on the iconic Nintendo series, Luigi’s Mansion. Fun new features have been designed to inspire creative play, featuring King Boo, Polterpup, Bogmire, Toad, Boo and many more characters from the series. Kids can use a Lego Luigi (or Lego Mario) interactive figure from one of the Starter Courses to bring the sets to life, with new immersive sounds and music which will enhance the fun and interactivity.

The Lego Super Mario Luigi’s Mansion Lab and Poltergust Expansion Set lets kids suit up with the Poltergust and attach a normal nozzle or the Strobulb accessory.

Pressing the button activates the Poltergust, which can be used to catch the Gold Ghost and collect a coin reward. Kids can also have a chat with Professor E. Gadd and check out the potions. By exploring the Lego Super Mario Luigi’s Mansion Entryway Expansion Set, kids can manoeuvre their way into the frightful mansion, where they'll need to find a creative plan to defeat Bogmire, search for the Golden Bone to give to Polterpup, and watch out for Boo. Within the Lego Super Mario Luigi’s Mansion Haunt-and-Seek Expansion Set, players can create a gem-hunting, ghost-battling level with rotating hallways to explore and hidden gems to uncover. Builders can also connect all three new sets or build out their Lego Luigi’s Mansion levels with other Lego Super Mario sets and characters to take the play experience to the next level. All new sets come with their own series of unique challenges, giving fans a chance to dive into the world of Lego Super Mario with a Luigi’s Mansion twist, role-play new storylines and complete challenges to collect as many coins as possible.

Released just before the blockbuster hit Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Lego Marvel Spider-Man at the Sanctum Workshop features the superhero's cellar and includes four minifigures: Spider-Man, MJ, Wong and Doctor Strange. The set also includes accessories to inspire imaginative role play including tools, bicycles, a game controller, candelabra, boom box and a mystical glowing stone. There’s also a buildable, giant bug monster with gripping claws.

Also new is the Lego Sanctuary II: Endgame Battle set featuring the four-winged Sanctuary II spaceship with its menacing array of six stud shooters. The spacious cockpit opens to reveal a pilot’s seat and instrument panel from where Thanos controls the ship, while below in the cargo room sits the Infinity Gauntlet. The set contains three minifigures: Iron Man, with blue power blasters and a shooter; Captain Marvel with fiery power blasters and a shield; and Thanos, with a golden helmet and doublebladed sword. Solid side rails make it easy for kids to grip and manoeuvre the large craft as they recreate scenes from Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame.

With the Lego Marvel The Eternals In Arishem’s Shadow set, kids can join forces with four Eternals to defeat a Deviant bat. The set also includes a posable Celestial figure that can hold an Eternal minifigure in its hand and features the Ajak and Kingo minifigures.

Ideal for older kids and kidults, Lego’s DC Batman Batmobile Tumbler is a buildable 2,049-piece replica of the battle-ready superhero vehicle seen in Christopher Nolan’s films. The set features a cabin that can be opened, as well as two miniature figures of Batman and Joker. The car features an opening roof that gives access to the driver and passenger seats and control panel.

Lego recently unveiled new additions to its licensed Star Wars and Technic ranges. The Lego Star Wars AT-AT set marks the latest launch in the Ultimate Collector Series set (UCS) line-up for fans of Lego Star Wars. This new Lego model of the gigantic vehicle, used at the Battle of Hoth in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, is impressive both in scale and detail. It features 6,785 pieces, a movable head, spinning guns, adjustable legs and side panels that open to reveal detailed interiors.

In addition, the set comes with nine minifigures and accessories, including Luke Skywalker - along with a wire so fans can recreate the scene of the Jedi swinging from an AT-AT’s underside in an attempt to thwart the Empire's attack - General Veers, two AT-AT drivers, a Snowtrooper Commander and four Snowtrooper minifigures, as well as two speeder bikes and an E-Web cannon set of accessories, plus plenty of interactive elements and Easter eggs. Ideal for display or action, the set can also fit an army of Snowtrooper minifigures inside – 40 in total.

The unboxing also offers a rewarding experience, as the packaging displays beautiful imagery of the final set from all angles. All the pieces are stored in four internal boxes, which combined depict the famous Battle of Hoth scene.

Lego Technic, meanwhile, has unleashed the ultimate street and track champion motorbike with the Lego Technic BMW M 1000 RR set. This incredibly detailed 1:5 scale set is a faithful replica of the supremely fast, technologically advanced BMW M 1000 RR motorbike. The set is the latest in a partnership between Lego Technic and BMW Motorrad and gives fans the opportunity to own the first ever BMW ‘M’ bike, a coveted badge that’s steeped with heritage and synonymous with motorsport, engineering excellence and attention to detail.

The Lego Technic BMW M 1000 RR has several key features recreated in brick, making it technically accurate but also aesthetically stunning. These include a new and fully functional three-speed gearbox, front and rear suspension, front steering, a gold chain, three different screen dashboard options and a printed windshield. The 1,920-piece immersive build also comes with a racing stand and display plate.

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www.ses-creative.com Please visit us at stand B35 to see more For more information please contact sales@ses-creative.co.uk or call 01304 746 030

2022

Cepia LLC

0767004585 www.Cepia.com Paul@allin1products.com Upper level 110

In 2022, Cepia will build on its brand portfolio of “in real life” (IRL) iconic character match-ups, which are core to the firm’s “Versus World” concept. There will be more from the world of Cats vs Pickles, as well as the introduction of the all-new Dogs vs Squirls universe, where dog characters defend their property against mischievous Squirls. Each property is supported with short-form animated content to run on YouTube, streaming and social media.

As Cats vs Pickles enters its second year, the brand continues to win the hearts of collectors, with its messaging of love and friendship resonating with fans on social media. The CvP soft, bean-filled plush now have more than 365 designs in the range, offering collectors a host of characters to hunt and trade. This year will see the addition of Reversibles; perfect for fans struggling to pick a side, the 6-inch Reversibles offer the best of both. Tapping into the reversible trend, the two-in-one collectible plush can be flipped from Cat to Pickle by turning them inside out. Meanwhile, the CvP Chonks 6-inch Collectible Plushies deliver the fun of the original plush on a larger, chunkier scale. Two inches taller and that extra bit plumper, Chonks come in a vibrant choice of styles and are available as an open assortment or as mystery blind bags. These lines will be added to a growing range of 8-inch Jumbos and Blind Bag Singles, with an all-new Gold Wave coming in Q3. More customisable, stackable Kitty Condo Habitat playsets join the range for kids to build their own kitty city, with exclusive CvP beans and mini food.

AW22 will see the launch of Dogs vs. Squirls, which brings two entirely new teams to the fore. Kids will love the Mystery Bags that each contain one bean-filled character; there are a variety of different characters, as well as sizes, to collect: 4” beans, 6” chonks and 8” jumbos.

Cepia also offers the world of Pop Art Soft featuring fantastic elephants in vibrant pop art designs and super soft plush.

The Versus Worlds and hot new collectibles from Cepia are distributed by Two-In-One Direct. For more information, get in touch with Paul Fogarty as above.

Jumbo (James Galt)

01614 289 111 | www.galttoys.com/jumbo | mail@jamesgalt.com Stand E9 To begin 2022, Jumbo is releasing a new series of board games designed to test the wits of even the most daring players. Jonathan Eaton's Houses of Treasure is a series of Escape Quests based on the challenges of popular escape rooms and brimming with brain teasers. Players can start the quest to discover Jonathan Eaton's business empire's inheritance with The Beginning: Ascalon's Fury and then continue the journey with the thrilling Itzamna's Eye. For puzzle fans, new additions to the vibrant Falcon Contemporary range include The Tour, Carnival Culture and The Coffee Shop. These 1000-piece puzzles shine a spotlight on the finest in modern artwork and designs, featuring carefully selected artists representing a wide range of styles. The range uses only 100% recycled cardboard, has been developed with smaller, more compact boxes and is free from plastic shrink wrap to create a more sustainable way to puzzle.

The exquisitely illustrated Falcon de Luxe range is expanding in January with new releases including the 500-piece Moving Day and The Wedding, and the 1000-piece Knitting Club, The Drawing Room, and The Queen's Platinum Jubilee plus many more.

In January, the Disney Pix Collection is spreading magic throughout the adult puzzling world with a charming 1000-piece jigsaw featuring Winnie the Pooh.

Wasgij is the original brainteasing jigsaw that challenges puzzlers to use humorous illustrations and imagination to piece together the solution to what's on the box. In 2022, Jumbo is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Wasgij brand, and a special puzzle release later this year will mark the occasion. In January, Jumbo is releasing three new 1000-piece Wasgij puzzles, including Wasgij Original 39 – Chinese New Year!, Wasgij Mystery 22 – Wasgij Winter Games!, and Wasgij Destiny 24 – Business as Usual! Wasgij is also adding three 1000-piece puzzles to their Retro range, releasing Original 6 – Blooming Marvellous!, Destiny 6 – Child's Play! and Mystery 6 – Camping Commotion!

Jan van Haasteren is the leading puzzle brand in The Netherlands with a growing UK fanbase, and there will be some JVH news coming later this year.

Jumbo accessories include the Portapuzzle and Puzzle and Roll ranges, which provide tidy storage solutions that conveniently allow puzzlers to save and transport their favourite jigsaws.

Stratego is the legendary strategy game where stealth and secrecy are critical. In the special edition Stratego Assassin's Creed, players are transported back in time to twelfth-century Jerusalem to commence battle between the legendary Assassins and their nemesis, the Templars.

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2022 John Adams

01480 414361 | www.johnadams.co.uk Stand N6 John Adams Leisure will be at Toy Fair 2022 with a range of new products across all key categories.

Continuing to build on its hugely successful heritage within the creative play category, John Adams has many new additions within its core brands.

A new licensed Peppa Pig Magicolour set lets kids colour in, using the special sheets and pens provided, before loading the colouring sheets into the Magicolour unit to see the Peppa pictures magically come to life. Meanwhile kids will be also able to create their very own Horrid Henry stories using the new official Bookeez book making studio.

The ever-popular Blopens range has also been extended with new sets at all key price points. Joining the range is an all-new Silhouette Stencil Set, Artist’s Studio and Tie & Dye Set as well as a Barbie Activity Workshop.

The Cutie Stix range gets additional sets with the Cutie Compact assortment and Crystal Jewellery Set, which allow kids to create sparkly, glow-in-the-dark jewellery pieces.

Aqua Gelz are magical liquids that transform into colourful, squishy creations and joining the range is the Starfish Lagoon play set which makes 37 Aqua Gelz creations and opens up to create a 140cm 3D water playpark including pop-up roller coaster. There’s also the Glowz limited edition set, which includes everything needed to create 36 glowin-the-dark Aqua Gelz Creations.

Based on the hit property CoComelon, three new sets are joining the award-winning Fun Bricks range. The kits include everything little ones need to make their own CoComelon world, including vehicles and CoComelon brickman figurines. Also new for 2022 is the Fun Bricks Tub which includes 100 bricks and characters.

Tiny Tears is back with a relaunch for 2022 and a new range which delivers at all key retail price points. Brand new dolls have boutique packaging, fashionable outfits and accessories, providing a contemporary twist to one of Britain’s most loved classic dolls.

Feisty Pets is a collectible line of brand new interactive plush that go from cute to ferociously fun with just a gentle squeeze of the toy’s head. Glenda Glitterpoop, Princess Pottymouth, Sammy Suckerpunch, Sir-Growls-a lot and the rest of the squad surprise with hidden ‘Stuffed Attitude Emotions’ that suddenly appear with raging fangs.

Following the success in 2021 at DreamToys with Gassy Gus, Ideal Games continues to grow in strength and volume with four new action games.

The TV show collection is also added to with Race Across the World, a fun competitive board game based on the popular BBC TV Show.

Joining the family games range is SpinParty, a cunning trivia game of shifts and twists where players don’t need to know it all to win, and an all-new remake of the classic Don’t Panic game as well as a Don’t Panic Junior version ideal for younger players.

Rubik’s has lots of new additions to complement the core range. The Rubik’s Apprentice has been designed as an introduction to the cubing range, while the Rubik’s Phantom delivers a new level to the original 3x3 with thermochromic technology. The cube looks black until the tiles are touched and temporarily reveal colour. There’s also a range of new Rubik’s games including Rummikub, which has been extended with a luxury Alpine edition featuring premium mini tiles and a handy travel tin.

The Scrabble range has new additions including a large print version featuring a bigger board. Also joining the range is a special Glass Edition Scrabble, which features stunning design and innovative features. The heavyweight rotating board is manufactured in tempered glass for added safety while the specially moulded tiles have a silicon coating on the rear so they won’t slip.

All key new launches will benefit from a mix of TV, VOD, Adsmart and digital advertising as well as full PR, influencer and social media campaigns.

Lisciani

0767004585 | www.liscianigiochi.com Paul@allin1products.com Stand 123 Gallery Family-owned Italian toy company Lisciani will be making its UK debut at London Toy Fair 2022, with a spectacular showcase of innovative, licensed toys, creative sets and games and puzzles, as well as a collection of own-brand lines.

Retailers can discover the world of Barbie at the Lisciani stand. The Barbie Dough collection lets kids collect colourful and glittery play doughs, and each heart-shaped tub comes with a Barbie mould. Barbie Dough also comes in multi-packs, playsets and creative kits. The Barbie Glitter Dough Fashion Show boasts packaging is shaped like Barbie’s wardrobe, which opens-up to reveal stencils and glittery play doughs that can be used to create clothes and accessories for the models. The range also includes Barbie Tattoo Dough Balls.

The Barbie compounds line-up continues with the Barbie Magic Glitter Sand range. The hero line in the collection is Barbie Sand & Surf, which comes with several colours of glittery play sand – a tactile toy that not only looks great, but also helps to make imaginative play more realistic. The dough can be sculpted with the tools included for hours of sensory play.

Also included with the set is a play tray for kids to create a luxury Malibu Beach set-up, beachside accessories and a Barbie doll.

The Lisciani portfolio is also packed with pre-school appeal, thanks to its range of licensed and unlicensed games and puzzles. This wide selection includes fun games with an educational slant, double-sided puzzles that can be pieced together and then flipped over to reveal a black-and-white picture for children to paint or colour-in, and much more.

For more information about the Lisciani collection, which benefits from extensive marketing and PR support, get in touch with Paul Fogarty from Two in 1 Direct (details above).

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2022 MV Sports

01217488000 | www.mvsports.com | info@mvsports.com Stand E75 MV Sports is excited to be back at Toy Fair after last year’s pandemic postponement and, following another successful trading year, says the timing is perfect to showcase its new selection of licensed products.

Its portfolio of licences has been further strengthened with the addition of several new properties such as pre-school phenomena CoComelon and Bluey.

These collections have been very well received by retailers and meet the growing demand from consumers for successful new pre-school wheeled toys. The new line-ups for these properties feature ride-ons, tri-scooters, bikes and pop-up tents.

There’s also a new Lightyear range, bringing to life the new Disney movie through an array of scooters, skateboards and bikes featuring vibrant colours and superb graphics.

MV Sports’ popular Nerf range has expanded to include the extreme Nerf Go Kart complete with two blasters and 10 darts, which are held in holsters on a removable printed wrap. There’s also a brand-new Nerf skateboard, which comes with skateboard backpack, blaster and five darts for the ultimate Nerf experience, and a Nerf target rebounder, perfect for kids to practise their aim. This comes with holster belts, blasters and darts.

The Spiderman range will be expanded with the new 6V Blaster Quad, featuring fun lights and sounds, realistic Spidey moulded features and disc-slinging action, while Batman has been revitalised with a refreshed look, featuring distinctive bat logo and paint-drip effect.

In the evergreen arena, Disney Princess, Paw Patrol and Peppa are having a makeover for 2022, ensuring the product ranges stay relevant to successive generation of fans.

Each property has also been strengthened with the addition of a playhouse tent for Peppa, a 6V motorbike with sidecar for Princess and a pop-up tent for Paw Patrol.

There are also two new e-scooter ranges, which will be supported by increased marketing. The Li-Fe 350-HC features a 350W motor, with speeds of up to 25kmh and a highquality maple wood deck. For the younger enthusiast, there is the 120 Pro Kids E-Scooter, available in a variety of colours and featuring a 120W motor, thumb throttle with push start and cool LED display.

With a fresh new look for 2022, Hedstrom has been revitalised from the logo to new packaging. Exciting new introductions to the extensive range include Triton Multiplay: a swing, goal and basketball hoop combo; Musical Toddler swing complete with 20 pre-set lullabies and phone connectivity and the 3 in 1 swing which grows with the child, converting easily from toddler to child to junior mode.

Further expanding MV Sports’ own brand ranges, Stunted has seen a slick, new refresh incorporating the concept of precious metals, while E-moto incorporates real-world style battery ops into the range, such as the big, green recycling truck, an ice cream trike complete with sidecar and a bright red bumper car.

MV Sports’ pioneering Kickmaster range of goals, balls and accessories has a new addition of football tennis. The set includes a two-way ‘X net’ for both two and four player games, adjustable height for various age ranges and court marker strips for real-world play. Extra newness for 2022 – the year of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar – includes Kickmaster Football Swing Ball, Pass Master, Pressure Shot Scoreboard and a variety of rebounder goals.

Winning Moves 020 3920 8164 www.winningmoves.co.uk sales@winningmoves.co.uk Stand F40

Winning Moves is excited to be back at London Toy Fair following a lot happening over the last two years.

Over this time, the company has launched a multitude of board games and card games, across several brands and even more licences and has split up and restructured its Top Trumps brand to better fit it into the markets, and also partnered with some of the world’s biggest organisations.

To keep up with the increased demand that surged during lockdowns, Winning Moves has increased its puzzle offering four-fold, from less than 10 SKUs to over 50, featuring some of the latest and hottest licences, as well as old favourites and some seasonal editions. These include puzzles like its Elf 1000 piece, Only Fools and Horses 1000 piece, and the Among Us puzzle range (of which Winning Moves is the chosen puzzle supplier).

The company is also finding new and innovative ways to develop and diversify its brands. During the summer of 2020, it launched Pass the Pugs, an update to its popular and much-loved Pass the Pigs game. 2022 will see the release of a giant inflatable version, perfect for the summer holidays and pool parties.

It has also teamed up with some of the biggest companies in the world. At the beginning of 2021, Winning Moves partnered with McDonald’s in a nationwide campaign to spread awareness about the Top Trumps brand and product. Millions of packs were produced and placed into Happy Meals up and down the country. This was repeated in the summer, focusing on a licensed edition of Top Trumps, with Minions 2: The Rise of Gru going into several million Happy Meals. The activity will be repeated, this time diversifying and innovating by using other Winning Moves brands such as WHOT!, Pass the Pigs, LexGo! and Top Trumps Quiz. Variations of these games have been turned into playable card games and will also appear in Happy Meals during spring 2022. In addition, in preparation for COP26 in Glasgow, Winning Moves partnered with NatWest to run a promotion for school children featuring COP26 Top Trumps designed by kids to make world leaders to sit up and take note of Climate Change issues.

Winning Moves has a whole host of games it is excited to announce for 2022, including a product the company is very excited about: the brand-new Super Mario WHOT!, arriving in the summer. The company invites buyers to find out more by visiting its stand at Toy Fair.

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2022 Halilit

01254 872454 | www.halilit.co.uk | sales@halilit.co.uk Stand E16 Halilit is eager to get back to London Toy Fair, having grown its Taf Toys range over the past 18 months, added a whole new brand in Dodo craft and puzzles, moved offices and undergone an entire company rebrand.

At the fair, Halilit will unveil its new look, reflecting the company’s pre-school focus in fun, playful colours. The rebrand coincides with the start of a major digital push to offer retailers the ability to order through a trade website at any time of the day or night and reaffirms Halilit’s position as a one stop shop for classic baby, toddler and pre-school toys.

Halilit music will take centre stage on the Toy Fair stand, with the highly respected brand now available in a vivid, refreshed packaging style. New additions include the Savannah Rhythm Pals – animal themed tactile shakers, and the Melody Tubes which are perfect for schools and music classes to practise their notes.

Having brought Dodo to market amidst Covid lockdowns, Halilit is also excited to reveal this expansive puzzle and craft range. Offering both impulse purchase and gifting price points, the collection starts with puzzles designed for children from just 18 months old and encompasses a fantastic variety of puzzles for every age and developmental stage. This great value puzzle range not only features adorable designs, but also offers learning opportunities and additional play value, wrapped up in delightful gift packaging.

Adding craft lines into the portfolio, Halilit is also looking forward to showcasing the Dodo Scratch cards, Wall Stickers and Colouring Posters which make fantastic pick-up purchases for till points.

The Taf Toys nursery range continues to go from strength to strength, with on trend product development supported by an extensive marketing and PR campaign. The highquality design collections have been enhanced through 2021 with over 20 new items such as the Savannah Adventures Activity Toys, Foam Playmat and Sort & Stack, whilst the Koala Daydream Tissue Wonder Box has captured the imaginations of babies and parents with its innovation and tactile nature. New for 2022, Halilit is proud to be showcasing Taf Toys’ My First Magnetic Fishing Set: an early learning toy that aids motor development and which grows with little ones, and an infant Domino Rally alongside the My First Tummy Time Cards – interchangeable cards and holders designed to gain and retain babies’ attention whilst they strengthen their key muscles.

Edushape’s sensory toys offer tactile and developmental play for little hands, and Halilit will be showcasing this full range alongside Edushape’s popular bath toys at Toy Fair.

For 2022, Edushape has added further wooden toys into its offering such as the Mix & Match Twisting Cubes and Who’s Hiding In The Forest? Puzzle, available to view and preorder on the stand.

The team is taking appointments now and looks forward to meeting both current and prospective customers.

Paper Engine

023 8062 5855 / 07484 543387 | www.buildyourownkits.com | Jason@paperengine.com Upper level 191 Paper Engine is the creator of Build Your Own, an award-winning range of eco-friendly children’s toys you can build yourself. A fresh and fast-growing start up, Build Your Own will be showcasing all its new product launches at Toy Fair. Made from sustainable cardboard, the innovative, STEM-inspired kits are fun to build and provide hours of entertainment.

The company invites visitors to its Toy Fair stand where they will be able to enjoy the range of fun-filled, eco-friendly kits, including new introductions Binoculars, Pirate Ship, Pinball Machine and Periscope.

In the new Series 2 Endangered Animals Mini Builds, there are four to collect: White Rhino, Mountain Gorilla, Snowy Owl and Hawksbill Turtle. A percentage of the profits from the Endangered Animals Mini Builds kit sales will be donated to the World Wildlife Foundation. Visitors are invited to come and meet Gary, the company’s super-sized 3D Mountain Gorilla, and to find out more about the 100% plastic-free range of Mini Builds. The Endangered Animals kits are a strong addition to the hugely successful Series 1 Minibeasts Mini Builds kits, which launched in summer 2021.

The new Pinball Machine is an eco-friendly take on the traditional arcade game, a tabletop machine that will provide hours of entertainment, made from 100% sustainable cardboard. Players simply load glass marbles into the spring-loaded launcher, aiming to keep their marbles in play for as long as possible and get the highest score. There are five targets to aim for in the addictive, fast-paced, action-packed game, which can be played alone or used to challenge a friend.

Each new product launch will be supported with marketing campaigns in 2022 including digital, PR, social media activity plus much more. The new kits will expand the STEM element of the company’s designs as it continues to bring fresh, exciting innovation to the toy industry, inspiring curious young minds and encouraging learning through play.

Build Your Own’s growing range of toys is suitable for children 8 years+ but can be enjoyed as a family experience. Assembled using simple slot-together techniques, there’s no glue, no mess and no fuss with everything needed to complete the builds provided in the kit.

All kits are made from high-quality, sustainable materials, with minimal plastics. The ecofriendly packaging is 100% recyclable, in keeping with the company ethos: ‘less plastic, paper fantastic!’ The team promises to continue to push the boundaries in 2022 and beyond with further developments to the range, bringing exciting paper mechanics to the market.

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Worldwide Education

Lisciani is a Worldwide Educational Company, which has been designing, developing and manufacturing educational toys that can improve the lives of children and their families for the last 30 years. The company has a publishing background which is unique in the European industry because it was founded as a publishing house in the field of pedagogy and education. Our search for innovative teaching methods has never stopped and today it is still the true driving force of every game.

liscianigiochi.com For further information: Mr. PAUL FOGARTY COUNTRY MANAGER UK Ph +44 (0)7967004585 paul@allin1products.com

2022 Flair

0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk email sales@flairplc.co.uk Stand E39 From a new line of minifigures to an eye-catching arrival in the dolls’ aisle, there will be plenty of new product to see on Flair’s stand.

New action figure brand Action Heroes are interchangeable mini figures which have double-sided faces with different expressions. Kids can collect a variety of characters, and then pop and swap the head and body pieces. One character is the Police Officer on the Segway, who comes with a dog and weapon and there are larger sets too, including the Police Truck and Police Station. Other themes include a dinosaur range, with a figure and small accessories pack which comes with one explorer and two dinosaurs. There are also special vehicle packs, which come with explorer and dinosaur figures and a quad or pickup, and Dinosaur Attack Camp play set, the hero item of the range.

The dolls’ aisle will have the upcoming launch of Unique Eyes: dolls with magical eyes which follow the gaze of those observing them. There are three core characters – Amy, Sophia and Rebecca – who come with soft, brushable hair and realistic, articulated bodies that will stand alone. Each character is available to purchase individually, styled in one removable outfit. Alternatively, the characters can be bought as Total Look sets, which come with an additional outfit option. New for AW is the Beauty Day Playset and Fun Ride Scooter with Exclusive Doll.

Endorsed by football legend Lionel Messi, the Messi Training Collection is designed to inspire kids to improve their skills with a professional training method and equipment.

Printed with an image of Messi, this size-2 Soft Touch Training Ball is ideal for younger players, thanks to the height adjustable cord. For older kids, the Pro Training Ball S3 has the benefits of the Soft Touch Ball, but with a size-3 ball. Kids can also brush up on fancy tricks with the Tricks & Effects Ball and, for a high resistance ball with quality rebound, the Flexi Ball Pro is designed to support better control. The collection will feature a range of accessories, including the Messi Large Foldable Goal, which comes with a ball and pump, as well as the Small Pop-Up Goal.

A host of launches will be unveiled in the MonsterVerse range. In spring there will be new themes released in the 6-inch Monster range, based on key movie scenes: Hong Kong and ocean battle. There will also be a summer launch of the Deluxe Transforming Godzilla & King Kong Figure, as well as the City Battle Diorama and figures set. From AW22, collectors will be able to get their hands on three new Toho Classic 6.5-inch figures: Shin Godzilla, Classic Godzilla 1973 and Classic Gigan 1972. There will also be new additions to the 6-inch Basic Figure Monster collection: Godzilla from 2014’s Godzilla movie and Ghidorah from the 2019’s King of the Monsters.

James Galt

01614 289 111 | www.galttoys.com mail@jamesgalt.com Stand E9 Galt Toys is eagerly anticipating the new year when the company will be launching two brand new ranges, Classic Galt and Create and Discover, adding new products across its ranges and unveiling the redesign of many existing favourites.

Inspired by vintage Galt Toys products, the Classic Galt range gives a new lease of life to traditional games adored by generations, including Picture Dominoes; Remember, Remember; Find It and Picture Lotto. Featuring bold colours and charming illustrations, this collection of family favourites, suitable for ages 4 to 5 years and up, is sure to continue to bring joy to customers of all ages.

With the innovative Create and Discover range, children can explore a world of knowledge as they craft with these bumper sets. These kits for young creative thinkers all include a full-colour project book with themed activities. Create and Discover Craft Kits for children aged 5 to 8 years will encourage early STEAM learning, problem-solving and creativity.

New additions to the Activity Packs range include Fluffy Friends, Lucky Laces and Monster Magnets which all promise plenty of rainy-day fun. More confident crafters can enjoy the expanded Creative Cases range with Creative Cards, Fun Felting and Creative Templates – Safari Animals. The fiendishly fun Horrible Science range, based on the bestselling books written by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles, is also growing in 2022. The Sneaky Spies kit for ages six years and up will hone sleuthing skills as kids discover how to lift fingerprints and memorise facial features.

Aspiring artists will also love the new products in the Stationery range. The Colour by Numbers book includes 24 cheerful pictures, while the Reusable Sticker Book – Sports provides mess-free fun with 150 stickers that can be used across eight scenes.

Younger children will enjoy the new releases in the First Years range, with the colourful Fill & Spill Fruit Basket, Post and Play Barn and Shape Sorter Train launching in 2022.

Not only will they provide hours of fun, but they also encourage imaginative play, hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity for little ones aged 9 to 12 months and up.

For the perfect introduction to puzzling, the latest jigsaws to be added to Galt’s colourful Puzzles range include new Giant Floor Puzzles. An exciting Space theme also contains a Solar System frieze to go on the wall, while Fruit and Veg Puzzles feature 22 two-piece puzzles designed to encourage word recognition and matching skills.

The Play and Learn range is also growing for 2022 with the Magnetic Reward Chart, which encourages good behaviour in children by creating a system of tasks and rewards that is adaptable for up to three children aged three years and up.

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deluxe, hand-painted figurines VISIT US!

@mojofuneu Mojo Figurines www.mojofun.eu

London Toy Fair Stand 144 Upper Gallery

Let your store get wild!

MOJO FUN LIMITED 303 The Chapel Scout Road Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire Tel: 01422 413674 Mob: 07971 268054 sales@mojofun.co.uk

MOJO (HK) Limited Suite 1102, 11/fl Two Chinachem Exchange Square 338 Kings Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel: +852 25257381 Sales +44 07971 268054 sales@mojofun.eu

2022

Golden Bear Toys

01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk | Stand E69

London Toy Fair will see Golden Bear kickstart the reveal of its new licensed, IP, and distribution ranges for the year ahead.

Continuing its long-term partnerships with the BBC, WildBrain and Acamar, Golden Bear will unveil new product lines and planned marketing activities across its Baby Club, Hey Duggee, In The Night Garden and Bing ranges.

Signed as plush partner for hit CBeebies show, The Baby Club, Golden Bear will launch a plush family of characters as featured on-screen with presenters Giovanna Fletcher and Nigel Clarke. The Baby Bear soft toy is an exact replica of the show’s star and will be a popular addition to the company’s licensed portfolio.

Extensions to the Hey Duggee, In The Night Garden and Bing ranges come following a successful year with award-winning products across multiple international territories. Standout hero items include the new Hey Duggee Transforming Duggee Space Rocket, Explore & Snore Camping with Duggee and Secret Surprise Take and Play Sets. All SKUs include fun features, surprises and a nod to the Hey Duggee humour, plus iconic phrases, sounds and songs from the show.

New to the In The Night Garden range is the Igglepiggle Super Soft Blankie Bundle: a cuddly Igglepiggle comes with a detachable comfort blanket to snuggle up with while sleeping. When not in use, the blanket attaches to Igglepiggle with Velcro. New Bing lines have been designed to recreate popular scenes, storylines and characters from the show. The new Bing & Biteysaurus soft toy comes complete with Bing in dress-up costume to match his toy dinosaur, Biteysaurus, while the Bing Figurine Play packs allow pre-schoolers to bring Bing and his companions to life through themed role-play sets.

Award-winning IP Windy Bums will introduce two new characters during the show. The fun trumping plush range welcomes Donkey and Pig to join the already popular family of Unicorn, Monkey and Panda.

Brand-new IP Curlimals makes its debut at this year’s show. The cute woodland creatures form a range of entry-level interactive plush which respond to touch, with over 50 sounds and reactions. Initially launching with three colourful characters – Higgle the purple hedgehog, Bibi the pink bunny; and blue Badger, Blue, - each has its own unique sounds to reflect their personality. A stroke on the head will awaken each Curlimal, who giggle, sing, hum, sneeze and burp until they are tired again.

Golden Bear continues to extend its Smart Ball football challenge and training range with the launch of the high-tech Smart Ball Skills Ball. This latest version of the talking football helps young players to develop key foundational skills across six timed, essential training exercises. As they practise, they can listen as the Skills Ball counts each kick up. The Skills Ball includes an in-built sensor, bung, marker cones, instructions and an adjustment tool which allows the ball to be used as a normal football.

With a long-term business strategy to develop its family games offering, the company will also be showcasing own IP, Squirty Gertie, an interactive game for all ages where the aim is to avoid getting wet. Including two modes of play, players compete to beat their opponents by remaining dry throughout the game.

Bruder

+353-6763800 (Alpha Toys Ltd.) www.bruder.de info@alpha-toys.co.uk Stand N20 The Bruder team is excited to be heading into the 2022 Toy Fair season and will be displaying its entire range of products on its stand at London Toy Fair.

The company says it is looking forward to strengthening existing partnerships, the opportunity to meet people in person and sit down with key decision-makers and the chance to establish new clients.

Bruder will be presenting the new MB Sprinter series with a cabin facelift on all existing MB Sprinter vehicles. This will start in 2022 with the high-volume municipal Sprinter in stable municipal optics followed by further top-selling models: the fire engine – new with white ladder; the transporter – new with the blue metallic shining Roadster; the ambulance – new with an even more attractive colour and label design; the light blue animal transporter as well as the UPS truck within the company’s well-established licensing layout.

Adding to the already successfully introduced play theme sets Bruder is also now launching a licensed bworld DHL Shop which includes many accessories and complements the DHL Sprinter. In line with the company´s steady, strategic and long-term focus on the bworld theme sets, further exciting additions will also be made to the range.

Bruder will also be exhibiting at Nuremberg Toy Fair: Hall 6, C-31/C-37.

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2022 ToyTopic

sales@toytopicgroup.com | Stand G94 ToyTopic is going from strength to strength with exciting new launches being introduced at London Toy Fair. Progressing well with establishing itself as a noteworthy player in the toy market, the company’s strategic partnership with WowWee and strong relationships with leading licensors has developed into an impressive portfolio of high-profile brands for 2022.

ToyTopic’s partnership with WowWee continues to flourish. The company is expanding its product ranges and introducing hot new brands for 2022. Partnership announcements across the games and entertainment sector are also in the pipeline, which will introduce new and innovative play models into the marketplace.

The highly anticipated Got2Glow Fairy Finder, a best-selling hit in the US and already on most-wanted lists for UK consumers, will be launched in the UK in February 2022. Got2Glow Fairy Finder is a magical new toy that enables kids to find, collect and share over 30 unique glowing virtual fairies with each jar. The new launch, from the makers of Fingerlings, will be supported by enchanting marketing, social media and PR campaigns planned through the year.

Meeting the increasing demand for the hugely popular Nickelodeon Baby Shark phenomenon, ToyTopic’s portfolio of plush, pre-school, learning and bath toys is wideranging, with something for every little fan, including the highly anticipated new Baby Shark Mix and Match swimming bath toy which is set to be released in Spring 22. The No.1 most watched video in YouTube history with over 9.4b views and the biggest launch ever on Nick Jr. UK with Baby Shark’s Big Show, the series is anticipated to reach an even wider audiences in 2022, airing on Freeview TV channels. ToyTopic will also be launching a new toy range based on ViacomCBS Consumer Product’s hit show, Paw Patrol.

The company will also be showcasing a range of tech toys based on WowWee’s iconic and much-loved robots remixed with the latest innovation, bringing classics such as Robosapien back into play for a new generation.

Making waves in the outdoor toys category, ToyTopic is introducing Hasbro Splash Games by WowWee for Summer ‘22, which takes classic gameplay into the garden with supersized family games and added water fun. Classic Hasbro games such as Twister Splash can be connected to a water hose for hilarious, drenched play. Even more waterbased sports and play accessories will be available under the Nerf Super Soaker brand, including the rotating Roboblaster machine, which leaves no person standing dry.

ToyTopic’s multi-territory license agreement with Hasbro has proven to be a highly successful partnership, with best-selling toys already in the marketplace. ToyTopic and Hasbro will be expanding the relationship with new licensed toys based on a selection of the company’s top pre-school licenses, including Peppa Pig. Expanding the company’s fantastic relationships and partnerships, ToyTopic will be announcing even more high-profile partnerships at Toy Fair, where the company is looking forward to welcoming visitors to its stand to view the full extent of its ranges.

DKB Toys & Distribution

0207 432 7101 | info@dkbtoys.com | Upper Level 128 A relative newcomer to the industry, DKB Toys & Distribution is looking forward to 2022 as it announces new distribution partners and range developments will which carry through its momentum into the new year.

Continuing to strengthen its recently announced partnership with Melissa & Doug, DKB will be showcasing some of the company’s key product lines at London Toy Fair. Customers of both DKB and Melissa & Doug are invited to come and experience the new ranges on-stand.

Uncanny Brands has proven very successful for DKB in the UK. Of 10,500 pieces brought in to test the appetite within the UK market, DKB has announced a sell-through rate of 92% - with some ranges not even in the country yet. The licensed portfolio for next year promises to be even bigger, with the launch of a new line based upon popular Pokémon characters. The full range will be available to view at the London Toy Fair, with orders being taken in January for the autumn/winter 2022 line-up.

The exclusive distributor of NMR in the UK for 2022, DKB will be featuring key lines at Toy Fair ranging from the company’s popular Puzzles in a Tube to truly unique puzzles from franchises such as Friends, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and more.

Continuing to grow and gain momentum in the UK, Crazy Forts has developed a stronghold in the market, having sold more than 7000 pieces since stock arrived in the country in October. With a range of different designs, DKB is experiencing excellent sales across the board from small independents to online specialists and major retailers. Designed to enhance any play space, large or small, visitors to the DKB stand can experience Crazy Forts for themselves.

DKB now offers UK retailers a selection of six different bath toys from its Alex Brands range, in addition to a mix of craft lines. With limited stock currently available, the full 2022 range will be available to view at Toy Fair.

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2022 SES Creative

sales@ses-creative.co.uk | Stand B35 SES Creative is proud to be celebrating its 50th year in 2022 and will have have a fantastic range of products on display at London Toy Fair, all made in the Netherlands.

Its ranges cover many areas starting with pre-school and nursery, with categories My First and Tiny Talents including products such as the award-winning My First Crayon Beads and Family Hugs Photo Book. There are many new products this year in these ranges such as the Eco Fingerpaint Set featuring an apron made from recycled bottles, Eco Dough with wooden tools and the brand-new indestructible pre-school crayons. All of the products in this range are safe and feature benefits such as gluten-free products and PVC free plastic. SES Creative is one of the few pre-school suppliers with paint and dough ranges suitable from the age of 1+.

SES Creative’s hobby range includes ever-popular casting and painting products with dinosaurs, unicorns, animals and more. This range also includes a wide variety of both new and traditional activities, from weaving, embroidery, tie-die, blow airbrush and fingerpaints to woodwork sets and many more. New products launching in 2022 include products such as I Learn English and I Learn Numbers, I Learn to use Scissors Step by Step, and a whole range of jewellery making products including Easy Diamonds - Letter Jewellery, Casting and Painting Jewellery and more.

There’s also a wide range of iron-on bead products including Glow in the Dark Universe, Cute Animals, Dinosaurs and Princesses. New products in this range this year include Unicorns in 3D, Flower Love Perfume and FunPins Glitter Animals.

The company boasts a wide range of outdoor products covering fun with bubbles, such as the Standing in a Mega Bubble product. New bubble products include the Bubble Cube to allow the creation of square bubbles, Bubble Foam Elephant and more. An ever-expanding range of fun-filled activities for outside covers items such as the hugely popular Animal Yoga activity set, which is complemented this year by even more fun filled activities such as Animal Bingo XXL, Street Domino and an assortment of outdoor games including bowling, ring toss, petanque and the Scandinavian classic Finntoss.

For the curious minded, SES Creative also offers a range of inspiring products in its Explore range such as excavating fossils, hatching dinosaurs, building your own bird feeder station, glow in the dark solar system for the bedroom and the ever-popular insect hotel.

Finally, the Petits Pretenders range has a wide variety of fun-filled role-play activities such as doctor costumes, kitchen and supermarket play sets and portable hospital and supermarket play suitcases with playmats.

SES Creative is socially and environmentally responsible, being fully 100% CO2 neutral, with in-house testing and development facilities to ensure compliance and safety, and all of its wooden toy products are FSC certified.

Coiledspring Games

020 3301 1160 www.coiledspring.co.uk sales@coiledspring.co.uk | Stand E35 Toy Fair 2022 will not only see the launch of the new Coiledspring Catalogue, packed with exciting new releases and family favourites, but also a brand-new stand for the company including a jigsaw wall featuring 18 eye-catching designs. Drawing in visitors with a large Hogwarts display from the Wrebbit3D range, the Coiledspring stand will also be showcasing new releases from key partners such as Iello, Blue Orange, NSV, Gamewright and Wrebbit3D, all of which are expected to be popular titles as Coiledspring enters 2022.

With its ever-expanding range continuing to meet the demand for puzzles, Schmidt Spiele will be releasing new titles including an extension of the Thomas Kinkade Disney range, which welcomes the additions of Aladdin and Donald Duck. New for the UK market, the Thomas Kinkade licence now also offers a landscape range full of stunning paintings sure to brighten up any puzzler’s table.

Toy Fair 2022 will be playing host to the official Coiledspring Heroes range. Launched in 2021, these best-selling titles head-up the entire Coiledspring range. The carefully curated Heroes assortment comprises fun, family friendly games that can be picked up and played in under an hour. Including criminal-catching Bandido from Helvetiq, brainbusting Anomia and the delicious Sushi Go! from Gamewright, the Coiledspring Heroes benefit from enhanced marketing support which will continue into 2022 and beyond.

Coiledspring will have fantastic games to demo at the show including the quick thinking, tile tugging game Word on the Street. Players battle their opponent in a race down the street, brainstorming the best words from a category card and collecting eight letter tiles to claim the chequered flag. Joining the Kingdomino range from Blue Orange, meanwhile, is the highly anticipated Origins. Taking this range back to prehistoric era, Origins offers four modes of gameplay.

The King of Tokyo range welcomes the release of the Monster Box, featuring the King of Tokyo base game, Power Up, and Power Up: Halloween all in one box. This new instalment also features the exclusive Baby Gigazaur monster and 11 new cards.

Coming soon is Anomia 2.0, the sequel to best-selling card game Anomia. Featuring brand-new category cards, Anomia 2.0 is a standalone game that can be combined with the previous version for the ultimate Anomia experience.

The 3D stylings of Wrebbit3D continue to surprise and delight fans all over the world. This year, the company is celebrating its 30th birthday. Exciting new releases will mark this milestone, starting with an addition to the Harry Potter: Diagon Alley collection, Gringotts Bank. This detailed puzzle is sure to be popular, as it comes complete with the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon, used to guard the vaults, perched atop the building.

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2022 A.B.Gee

01773 570 444 | www.abgee.co.uk | Stand B40 Always looking to enhance its portfolio, A.B.Gee will be heading to Toy Fair with some great new brands after striking up partnerships with Spin Master and Jazwares. Top sellers from Paw Patrol, Kinetic Sand, Squishmallows, Roblox and Fortnite will join new lines from other big-name partners the distributor supports, including Hasbro, Mattel, Playmobil, MGA Entertainment, Zapf Creation, Moose, Make it Real and many more.

Continuing to build on the success of its wooden range of educational toys, pre-school toys, role-play toys and puzzles, A.B.Gee will be unveiling new additions to its exclusive Tooky Toy collection. The 23-piece kitchen and BBQ set is perfect for little chefs. Slide the brightly coloured wooden meat and vegetable pieces onto the skewers to make kebabs, or flip over to the kitchen side to bubble them up in a pan. The coffee set, mixer set and toaster sets, meanwhile, encourage creative play. Each set comes in soft pastel colours and features moving parts and accessories.

Wild Planet should have made its Toy Fair debut in 2021, but whilst the official launch has been delayed the range is still proving to be a success. A.B.Gee is looking forward to finally being able to share this line of over 150 handmade plush characters, keyrings and pens, all manufactured with premium quality fabrics that are soft to the touch. Wild Planet comprises two collections. All About Nature offers kids an array of realistic cuddly animals, each with fun species facts on the tag. Kids can find out the distinctive features of the beluga whale, the conservation status of a sloth, the size of an emperor penguin and the diet of a hermit crab. Orbys, the second collection, are brightly coloured, fun collectibles with large glittery eyes. Each range comes in a variety of sizes and styles, from a full set of farmyard friends to a selection of sea life creatures and everything in between. Collectors can also clip and go with the Orbys keyring pals, which are perfect for school bags, and a matching Orbys pen is also available. Retailers can make use of some excellent display options for this range.

Successfully growing its arts & crafts range, 2022 will see new arrivals from Jar Melo, an exciting brand for little hands and a great introduction to early creativity. The new 3D working model kits are an ideal activity for parents and kids to do together. Available in two designs, Fairy Tale Adventures or Little Figures, each kit includes five figures to create. The pieces are simply pressed out, folded and assembled to craft a pumpkin carriage, a herculean champion or a man doing sit ups. The Rock Painting kit has also remained a best-seller.

A.B.Gee customers can benefit from attractive introductory offers on a variety of these exclusive products, plus regular special offers and daily deals. The company will be promoting its full ranges going forward with regular marketing material and a strong social media presence. Visit the website for more details.

VTech

01235 555545 | www.vtech.co.uk | trade_sales@vtech.com | Stand N19 VTech is pleased to be able to meet customers once again at London Toy Fair 2022, where it will be showcasing a number of highly anticipated additions to its current ranges as well as product innovation in new categories. The VTech stand will be at a new location, N19, on the Ground Level of the National Hall.

To keep the VTech Baby range refreshed for 2022, VTech will be unveiling new introductions set to arrive at retail in both spring/summer and autumn/winter. The Kick & Score Play Gym Kick, available in spring/summer, will help get little feet active. Babies can start with lay-down play, kicking at the ball and patting at the giraffe mobile, or enjoy tummy time with colourful characters, a dumbbell rattle, twist-and-click kettle bell and textured red and yellow cards. The detachable, interactive learning panel teaches colours, shapes and animals, further enhancing the play value.

Consumers can celebrate new arrivals with VTech’s latest gift set, which is suitable from birth. Joining the popular My 1st Gift Set from the VTech Baby range, the beautiful Fox and Friends Gift Set includes a soothing, snuggly fabric fox with squeaker, which stimulates tactile development with its crinkly ears, embroidered tail and ribbon tags. The cute interactive koala rattle has twistable, soft textured ears that are perfect for teething, while flashcards aid the development of visual stimulation and come attached to a C-ring for on-the-go play.

VTech’s well-known and much-loved Toot-Toot Drivers brand will benefit from a refresh for 2022. Retaining the classic signature Toot-Toot DNA, the new vehicles and garage will still offer kids the manipulative features, light-up buttons, sing-along songs and effects they love, but will boast more detailed features, more dynamic expressions and a new colour palette. The garage will continue to provide gravity track features and integrate play patterns that aid motor skill development. Both the cars and the garage are compatible with previous cars and tracks.

Marble Rush, which launched in autumn/winter 2021, welcomes three exciting new additions to the range in 2022. The colour coded modular play sets are easy to construct, and the included marbles can be launched over stunts and jumps or dropped or spiralled down, for uninterrupted, engaging marble fun. Electronic pieces play music, trigger sounds, or feature other cause and effect entertainment that enhances the play experience. All Marble Rush play sets are compatible with each other, meaning kids can enjoy each set individually or combine them for even more fun.

VTech will be showing numerous new products in addition to the above at Toy Fair 2022, across a variety of different ranges, and is looking forward to meeting with retailers keen to see the line-up for themselves.

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2022 Orchard Toys

01953 423 422 | www.orchardtoys.com Stand E10 Orchard Toys will be adding 12 new products to its award-winning range along with a refresh of its jigsaws collection at Toy Fair 2022. The new additions offer something for all ages and interests, with ‘Learning Made Fun’ at the heart of each product.

Goose on the Loose headlines the range this year as Orchard’s fun family game, followed by two core educational heroes: Number Bears and Slimy Rhymes. Dress Up Nelly secures the spot within the line-up for best in pre-school, supported by two staples: Shape Aliens and Rainforest Match.

Dress Up Nelly is a fun, first colour matching game, designed to be played as a fun and simple activity to introduce children to colours, with the option for a shorter or longer game to suit different abilities. The game features 30 bright and colourful, chunky, wipe clean cards which are perfect for little hands.

Slimy Rhymes is guaranteed to have children laughing as they match rhyming pairs to make silly sentences whilst holding their nose, with their teeth together or in a squeaky voice, before feeding their cards to the slimy alien.

Number Bears is the perfect introduction to addition and subtraction that helps teach number bonds in a fun way. Players race their bear safely home to its cubs by turning over number cards and solving mathematical problems. Number Bears can be played as a game or teaching aid to help develop addition and subtraction skills.

In 3D boardgame Shape Aliens, players take turns to match their shape cards to aliens before launching them onboard the 3D spaceship ready for blast off. Shape Aliens helps to develop colour matching skills, encourages shape recognition and promotes observational skills.

Goose on the Loose features 3D geese to collect. Players shout ‘Honk’ when collecting their geese as they make their way around the board, but if they lose a goose they must shout ‘Goose on the loose!’. The gameplay is guaranteed to be a firm favourite for young families with lots of laughs.

To round up its new games launches, following high demand for its seasonal lines, Orchard Toys is launching three new seasonal options: Egg Surprise, Snowman Snap and a new edition of Christmas Eve Box. Egg Surprise an Easter-themed counting game, Snowman Snap a festive favourite featuring fun snowmen and following huge success over the past two Christmas seasons, a new edition of Christmas Eve Box features a game, jigsaw and colouring book.

In puzzles, there are four additions featuring two beautifully illustrated 150-piece jigsaws, At the Museum and Animal World, as well as redesigns to Orchard classics. All jigsaws in the range include posters and learning guides to offer added value and extend learning. At The Museum is a detailed 150-piece jigsaw featuring different exhibits from the Romans to the Vikings, Dinosaurs to Space, Human Biology and more. Animal World is a 150-piece jigsaw featuring over 117 animals and their habitats around the world.

Smart Zone (HK)

+1 508 439 9715 | www.smartzone-HK.com Upper level 142 Smart Zone was founded in 2010. After several successful years in the United States, expanding worldwide is the next natural step for the company, and visitors to London Toy Fair will be able to view the company’s range and discuss supply.

Smart Zone (HK) Ltd is the ODM division of parent company Great Performance Ltd, located in Lian Ping, China and servicing the toy and housewares industries with onsite quality control ensuring the highest safety and quality standards.

The company has several key licensed brands, including Kenya, an established and well-loved ethnic doll brand which also includes the dolls Ebony, Kenya’s older sister and Keyara, her baby sister. This range sits alongside the Original Rub A Dub Doggie, Pretty Kitty and Flatsy lines in the company portfolio. In 2017, the company acquired Mighty Wheels, a line of real steel and plastic vehicles available in four different size scales.

New products for 2022 will include multicultural styling heads; available in Kenya, Korinaؑ, Keiko, Zarah and Karlee options, as well as a range of 11.5” Fashion Dolls and a 16” Princess collection.

Also on display will be the new Mighty Wheels line of Monster Trucks, the Race ‘N Chase Carry Case, Magic Egg Dinomytes and My First Mighty Wheels with push along handles. Following the success of the Mighty Wheels brand, Smart Zone (HK) is proud to introduce the all-new Mighty Mag Force range; a line of construction vehicles and playsets all with Magic Touch ‘action reaction’. When the child places the hand of Mag-Man on certain key spots, the action reaction is activated: the dump truck dumps, the front loader bucket raises, the garage door opens, the wrecking ball goes up and the elevator takes Mag-Man to the second floor.

SmartZone has developed a full 12-episode animated series featuring Mighty Man and the Mighty Wheels team, which is available on YouTube and ROKU, as well as on the website at MyMightyWheels.com.

With its own manufacturing facilities, Smart Zone is able to offer lower prices and higher quality, direct from its factory. OEM inquiries are welcome, and international suppliers are invited to get in touch via the contact details above.

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Gibsons

020 8661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk | Stand E15

Gibsons, the family-owned 102-year-old puzzle and board game company, is launching an array of traditional jigsaw puzzles designs at Toy Fair 2022, alongside additions to the Little Gibsons range and contemporary White Logo Collection, plus a new licence.

Having secured the licence for Original Stormtrooper from the Star Wars franchise, Gisbons is launching its new 1,000-piece jigsaw, Troopers on Tour. The eye-catching and colourful design depicts Stormtroopers in their imposing and iconic white armour, off duty and visiting famous places around the world. From the Eiffel Tower and camel riding at Egypt’s Giza pyramids to a camping trip and exploring the sights in Las Vegas, the captioned post card style pictures depict the Stormtroopers’ adventures on planet earth.

Sherlock Holmes is the first design to launch within Book Club, a new range of jigsaws for 2022. Gibsons’ Book Club series celebrates timeless literature and treasured stories which have enthralled readers and captured their imaginations for years, earning a place on must-read lists.

The 1,000-piece puzzle shows a collage of objects, places, clues and street names associated with Victorian London and the world’s most celebrated fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. The new jigsaw complements Gibsons’ portfolio of Sherlock Holmes inspired games, including the bestselling 221B Baker Street.

Gibsons will be adding to its Little Gibsons range of fun and quirky childrens’ puzzles with three new designs available to view for the first time at Toy Fair. Adventures on the London Underground is the latest addition to the Gibsons Transport for London franchise. The 250-piece puzzle comes with extra-large pieces ideal for little hands. On the colourful London Underground map design, the stations are brought to life with fun illustrations of iconic venues and things to see and do.

The White Logo Collection of design-led jigsaw puzzles is being expanded, with Gibsons set to launch 10 new designs this month. The recent wave of young adults seeking digital detoxes from their devices means puzzling has become a popular pastime, offering a way to relieve stress and bring the present moment into focus. The White Logo Collection is perfect for this new wave of puzzlers looking for contemporary designs instead of traditional puzzle scenes. There is No Planet B, a stunning new 500-piece circular puzzle, shows animals under threat due to climate change and its environmental impact around a central globe of word art sustainability messages. These highlight the importance of reusing and recycling, conservation, planting trees and loving our planet.

As well as planet-friendly themed puzzles, Gibsons’ Green Game Plan means more than 75% of its products have gone through a process to improve their environmental credentials. The process involves removing plastic shrink-wrap, making boxes smaller and using 100% recycled puzzle board, FSC paper and vegetable-based inks.

Finally, visitors to Toy Fair are invited to head to Gibsons’ stand and play a round of the company’s latest party game, Out of Order, which was launched in September 2021. A laugh-out-loud trivia game with a twist for teens and adults, players answer the quirky questions to score points. But there’s a catch: they must give the answer to the question before. Perfect for a games night or as an after dinner party game, this cheeky quiz will catch out even the nerdiest of players.

Carrera Revell UK

01296 660291 | www.carrera-toys.com office.uk@carrera-revell.com Upper level 100 Carrera Revell UK offers a range of product across the toy and hobby categories for all age groups within construction, RC vehicles, slot car racing and electric ride-on vehicles.

Visitors to the stand can expect a huge array of licensed products including Paw Patrol, Minions, Mario Kart, Disney-Pixar Cars, Hot Wheels, Peppa Pig and Sonic. Carrera Go battery-operated, licensed slot racing sets will also be included in the 2022 line-up, as well as all major race car manufacturers from Formula 1, GT, DTM, Super Cars, and the latest integration of slot racing and the world of building bricks - Build ‘n Race, all in a wide variety of formats, sizes, scales and set-ups for ages 3+.

The Revell pre-school range includes Revellino RC and Mini Revellino pull-backand-go ranges that combine Revell’s proven technical know-how with soft, huggable, machine washable plush characters that children will love and also that won’t damage the furniture.

Revell 3D Puzzle for ages 10+ includes famous vehicles and landmarks from history - some with included LED lighting, including licensed products from Coca-Cola, AC/DC and Queen, with 2022 marking the addition of unique items from Back to the Future, Jurassic Park: Dominion and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Build ‘n Race for ages 6+ comes to Revell combining fully licensed clip-together bodies that attach to pull-back-and-go chassis. The chassis too can accept generally available building bricks to create unique designs whilst stimulating young minds, and it’s even possible to fit Revell bodies to Carrera Build ‘n Race slot car chassis and vice versa, so the possibilities are endless.

Carrera Revell UK’s vast Model Hobby selection offers everything from planes to cars, ships to tractors (and tanks), plus famous space and science fiction items from brands including Star Wars, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett and Star Trek. Based around a five tiered Skill Level system, products are available to suit ages from four years up, staring with First Construction and ‘easy-click’ sets for levels 1 and 2, followed by more advanced glue kits in levels 3 to 5. Many are offered in gift/ model set format with accessories including glue (where required), paintbrush and water-based acrylic paints, making them ideal all-inclusive gifts.

Carrera and Revell Control RC products cover the full spectrum of on-road/off-road vehicles, stunt vehicles, amphibious vehicles, helicopters, stunt drones, camera drones, speedboats and cruisers of all shapes and sizes, with something to cater to all tastes. Ride-on items from premium brand Rollplay include vehicles in the Ride, Drive & Perform categories including Push Cars that convert to Foot-To-Floor rides as the child grows, motor trikes, quadbikes and junior stunt vehicles for ages 1 to 4, multi-feature, electricpowered motorbikes, quadbikes, cars and SUVs (some featuring built-in FM radios, MP3 connectivity and Bluetooth) for ages 3 to 6, and fast-running, electric-powered, multispeed performance vehicles for ages six to pre-teen.

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2022 Smart Toys and Games 01903 885 669 | www.smartgames.eu uk@smart.be | Stand F42

Smart Toys and Games, the worldwide leader in multi-level logic games, unveils its new spring 2022 collection as it prepares to launch several new additions at Toy Fair. Benefitting from Smart’s experience in designing truly unique games, the upcoming launches offer fun and exciting themes as well as innovative mechanics, to engage the minds of children and adults alike.

Horse Academy invites players to saddle up and gallop to the gymkhana. Suitable for ages seven and over, this charming game requires players to create a path over the jumps from start to finish, while making sure their horse is leaping in the correct sequence. Equestrian puzzle fans simply need to complete the course to solve the game, working through the 80 challenges, from easy to expert, as they go.

In Grizzly Gears, players from the age of seven can do battle with bears. Rotate the trees to help guide the explorers through the forest - but beware of the bear lurking within.

This original puzzle game will keep players on their toes thanks to a literal twist, and no one is out of the woods until all 80 challenges have been solved.

Using logic and deduction, players eight and over can go on an exciting quest as they search for an ancient temple on Treasure Island. The adventure is complicated by the fact the pieces on this mysterious island move. To complete each challenge, players need to find the right combinations in which to place the pieces in order to locate the temple. With 80 challenges to work through, Treasure Island will keep everyone guessing for hours on end.

IQ fans will be able to enjoy two new releases, IQ Love and IQ Stixx. IQ Love centres on 10 colourful gemstones, which players must fit into the double-sided board. The game offers a whopping 120 challenges for puzzlers to solve. IQ Stixx is a fun addition to the best-selling IQ collection. Simply put, the game asks players to stack up the sticks: five horizontal pieces need to fit on top of five vertical ones. The challenge lies in discovering if they can criss-cross the pieces of this travel-friendly puzzle game to work through all 120 ‘sticky’ challenges.

Last but by no means least, 2022 will also welcome SmartMax Roboflex. Introducing kids to early STEM principles, Roboflex lets children from the age of just three get creative as they make their own flexible and fun robots. The unique magnetic parts bend and extend for hours of play and work seamlessly with the core SmartMax range, adding an extra dimension to the wider play set. The 12-piece and 20-piece sets include an inspirational poster, but the play options are endless: kids can create robots that fly, jump, grab, wobble or drive, all the while developing their fine motor skills and imagination.

Trends UK

01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk | salesadmin@trendsuk.co.uk Stand H42 Trends UK’s top-selling Peppa Pig portfolio will be expanded with a new shopping-themed learning toy. Shop With Peppa encourages kids to learn about numbers, colours and objects as they use special interactive keys to pay the right amount at the till.

The company’s Hey Duggee learning toys continue to be in demand. The existing range is joined for spring by the Hey Duggee Sing & Learn Microphone, with four songs and an interactive quiz mode, while Hey Duggee Gameshow follows in autumn. This exciting new toy format is based upon a popular episode of the show. Kids answer questions to win five different Squirrel badges; getting every question right will earn them the Gameshow badge.

Joining the award-winning Paw Patrol ELA range, Chase’s Flip Up Learning Pad will delight fans with the interactive keypad hidden under the cover.

The highly-anticipated Numberblocks Number Fun & Alphablocks Phonic Fun learning toys will launch in late spring. These ELAs are packed with interactive activities to develop numeracy and literacy. The Numberblocks and Alphablocks award-winning learning programmes are incredibly popular in schools and at home, with a huge following on social media, and fans can now continue learning off-screen with Trends’ new ELAs. Trends UK’s proprietary new range of Colour Pop Paint Sticks is bright and colourful, with no mess. Colour Pop Paint Sticks are a chunky shape kids find easy to hold, and the smooth, glide-on paint works without water or brushes. Kids simply twist the stick to paint, whether at home or on their travels. The range includes a wide variety of colours and finishes plus practical storage solutions. The Colour Pop Fun Tub, containing 20 paint sticks, has a handy carry handle and lid, while the Colour Pop Giant Storage Tube contains 30 paint sticks in all the available colours. Supplementary packs keep the creative fun going. Trends UK is supporting the new range with major 360 marketing plans and year-round activity.

The popular Nerf Bunkr range is expanding with all-new Nerf/Bunkr storage and transport solutions. The range of kid- and parent-approved tactical Nerf accessories, bags and cases offers useful and stylish solutions to store blasters, bunkers and ammo at a price point for every budget. The Gear-2-Go-Pouch has an integral carry handle and belt loop, while the Ready Reload Bag has a mesh side pocket and integrated flip-up target for skill development. The Lock & Load Case has room for blasters, ammo and more, while storage on the outside enables quick access to ammo.

Trend UK is introducing Moonlite for 2022. Turning bedtime stories into a magical light show, Moonlite projects vivid images onto a wall, complete with sound effects, by combining the torch function on a smartphone with an app. The parent reads the story, and together with their child can enjoy a wonderful light show. Moonlite gift packs include the projector (which clips easily onto a phone) and five showreels. Further individual showreels can be purchased separately. Titles include Classic Fairytales, Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Ryan’s World, the latter of which features fun games and activities.

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2022

Plum Products

0344 880 5302 | www.plumplay.co.uk Enquiries@plumproducts.com | Stand F20 From trampolines and climbing frames to ride-ons, scooters and more, active play specialist Plum Play is launching new outdoor innovation on its Toy Fair stand.

With over 30 years experience designing and developing toys, and over 2m trampolines sold worldwide, Plum continues to bring new ideas to the trampoline category. Spring/summer 2022 will see the introduction of print, sounds, lights and water, with a focus on the Junior range and best-selling trampolines.

Plum’s Junior Bouncers and 4.5ft Trampolines with Enclosures welcome Ocean and Jungle themes, each of which features four themed interactive animal sounds that are activated when children bounce on the character printed mat. Perfect beginner bouncers aged 18 months and over, the Junior Jungle and Junior Ocean Bouncers with Sounds offer an excellent bounce and come with soft-grip handles for added safety.

The battery powered sound box is easy to install and has a pocket to keep electronics away from little fingers, while the low height frame allows children to easily climb up and down from the jump space.

Older kids aged three years and above will enjoy the 4.5ft Junior Trampoline with Sounds and Enclosure, also available in Jungle or Ocean themes. The trampolines come with Springsafe enclosures that separate jumpers from the springs and frame parts, and the galvanised steel frames and weatherproof soft materials ensure durable, safe play.

The 4.5ft Interactive Lights Junior Trampoline and Enclosure brings lights to bouncing play. Interactive sound activated LEDs encircle the top rim, where they flash in time with music and voices thanks to a builtin audio sensor. The battery-powered lights have colour and speed settings.

As the official UK distributor of Globber scooters, Injusa ride-ons, Happy Hop inflatables and Lil’ Monkey climbing frames, Plum also offers a selection of outdoor toys and wheeled products. Selected lines will be on display at London Toy Fair.

Plum Play has been the UK Globber distributor for over five years and stocks an extensive range. From a child's first scooting experience to an adult's daily commute, Globber scooters are ideal for everyday use. The Globber Explorer Trike 2-in-1 is designed to help children develop essential skills, including balance, before transitioning to their first push-pedal bike. The scooter is compact, adjustable and comfortable for little ones, and features a 100% screwless design.

The Globber Junior Foldable Scooter has a three-wheel structure and low-ride foot deck, while its fiveheight adjustable T-bar can be altered as children grow. A simple to use side push button will switch the scooter to trolley mode for handy storage. With a patented fold system which quickly switches into trolley mode, ideal for commuting, the Globber NL205 Scooter has a three-height adjustable T-bar and folding handlebars and is suitable for kids aged eight and over all the way up to adults.

Unmissable products from Injusa Ride-Ons include a range of battery-operated vehicles for children.

The Injusa Monster Car 24V has room for two riders and plenty of power for fun. An acceleration pedal and electric brake give young drivers a ‘real car’ experience, and it comes with seat belts to keep children safe during use.

LeapFrog Toys

01235 555 545 | www.leapfrog.com Stand N19 LeapFrog, a leader in innovative developmental solutions for children, will be returning to London Toy Fair this year to showcase a new toy range to help the company build further on its success to date.

The range will see 18 new LeapFrog Learning Toys released throughout 2022: four in spring/summer - the Ironing Time Learning Set, 100 Things That Go Book, Colourful Counting Red Panda and the A-to-Z Learn with Me Dictionary - and the remaining 14 in autumn/winter. All the new additions will help boost the LeapFrog Baby range, which is currently the No 3 brand in the Early Electronic Learning subclass and growing at 1.4% YTD. New to LeapFrog’s much-loved role play range, and suitable for ages 18 months and over, kids can learn about shapes, colours and counting with the motion-activated Ironing Time Learning Set. This interactive iron plays songs, silly phrases and sound effects when kids move it back and forth, inviting them to join in the 10+ learning activities. As they iron the included play clothes, kids can count to five or sing along to the alphabet song. Turning the temperature dial teaches them about colours, fabrics, and low, medium and high heat, and three buttons show numbers, colours and shapes. When pressed, interactive phrases and questions are triggered such as ‘Can you find the red shirt?’ and ‘Now iron something with three circles’. The iron also lights up with the colour it names to help kids learn which is which.

LeapFrog will also expand the popular ‘100 Words Book’ range with the 100 Things That Go interactive book. Kids aged 18 months and over can hear 100+ words about modes of transportation, from dog sleighs and dumper trucks to skates and school buses. Six double-sided, touch-sensitive pages feature vocabulary in English and French for bilingual learning: simply flip the language switch to hear words, phrases and descriptions in either language. Three play modes offer triple the fun as kids learn words, sounds and fun facts on every page. The light-up star also plays two educational songs in English and French.

Spring/summer will also see the release of the Colourful Counting Red Panda. This soft red panda has a sweet personality and teaches colours and counting with songs and dance beats. The A to Z Learn With Me Dictionary will also be launched. This product encourages children to explore 200+ words via touch-sensitive pictures, sounds and music while building vocabulary and early dictionary skills.

Autumn/winter will see another new role-play toy join LeapFrog’s expansive portfolio, an expansion to the Magic Adventures range, and plenty more great new items roll out.

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Funko

020 3376 3223 | www.funko.com Stand N3

Funko Europe will once again return to the UK’s largest toy fair for the fourth time this January. Funko is renowned for its ever-evolving products, Pop! collectibles chief among them. This year the range will grow to astonishing proportions, giving retailers and Funko fans more to celebrate than ever before.

Front and centre for 2022 is Funko’s unique collaboration with Netflix, which sees the company leverage its speed to market capabilities to keep pace with the world’s most prolific streaming platform. This year sees the arrival of product ranges aligned with the mammoth Korean hit TV show Squid Game, alongside long-time fan favourite Stranger Things. Anime remains a major focus for Funko, which will introduce new lines for Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia plus many more. The Batman, new Wizarding World lines, Jurassic World: Dominion and the ever-expanding Marvel and Star Wars collections will also take centre stage, cementing Funko’s position as a company that offers one of the most impressive collectible portfolios in the business.

New to the family in 2022 is a new line: Popsies! Dropping in mid-2022, this innovative new direction for the company sees Funko branch out into a fresh line of collectible interactive greeting displays featuring celebratory messages of excitement and love.

Another exciting addition sees a selection of premium new vinyl figures hit shelves. The first wave of the latest range, Gold, will feature both 5” and 12” figures of some of the world’s most beloved Music, NBA and NFL icons, with many more to follow across the entertainment, music and sporting landscapes.

Funko Games delivers products featuring top licences across a range of categories. The fan-favourite card game Something Wild reaches the next level in 2022 with more cross-property opportunities than ever before. Strategy games also continue to impress, with Funkoverse adding more collections to its growing roster alongside other titles such as Pan Am, The Goonies: Never Say Die, Fast and Furious: Highway Heist and Disney Hidden Mickeys.

Pop! Albums continue to bring masterpieces to life including AC/DC’s Back in Black and the pop classic, self-titled ‘N’Sync, while Pop! Comic Covers see historic Superman and Batman issues restaged in all their glory. Mini Moments dives deeper into its showstopping collection of unforgettable TV and film moments with new offerings from WandaVision, Harry Potter and workplace comedy, The Office.

Loungefly’s quality bags and wallets are always talking points, and the brand now offers a larger than ever collection of products. Expansion into the European marketplace continues as new consumers discover these must-have bags and accessories. Further apparel from Funko celebrates an array of designs within its extensive ranges of wearable and decorative Pop! Pins, and unique Pop! Tees featuring stylised bespoke artwork.

Click Distribution

0330 123 2559 | click@clickdistributionuk.com Upper level 120 Click Distribution is delighted to be welcoming in the new year with a number of new properties for 2022.

PhatMojo’s Piggy continues to go from strength to strength: the game now has over 9b plays and is a Top 5 game on the entire Roblox platform. Piggy Intercity was recently launched and a further six chapters will be released throughout 2022. The product offering includes all new action figures, plush, mini figures, head bundles and construction sets, launching now and over the coming months.

Click Distribution is also proud to be the exclusive distribution partner in Europe for five brand new master toy properties in 2022, which include: Wacky Wizards, Bee Swarm Simulator, Timmeh and the highly anticipated master toy for Yu-GiOh! The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game was launched by Konami in 1999 and has gone on to be one of the highest selling TCG of all time. Over 35b cards have been sold worldwide and grossed over $9.64b. More than 50 Yu-Gi-Oh! Video games have been released on over 20 different gaming platforms, with more games in development. This June, Click Distribution will be introducing Yu-Gi-Oh! action figures, plush, mini figures, collector bundles and electronic role play items featuring accessories, plus exclusive trading cards. All of these lines will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign kicking off from launch.

Click Distribution’s most recent distribution acquisition is the double award winning Pet Simulator X: a game made by Big Game Simulators. Players start with a dog or cat as a pet and collect coins and chests throughout the map to buy new areas to explore or new eggs to get more pets for trading or collecting. The master toy collection will hit shelves in June and will include mystery pet collectibles, bundles, plush and play sets, all based around the latest instalment of the game Pet Simulator X. In sticker and trading cards, Panini’s Premier League Collections continue to maintain the No.1 spot. Premier League Score, Panini’s first ever dedicated hobby product for Premier League, launches this month, aimed at the huge collector market. There are also new trading card and sticker collections for Warhammer, Paw Patrol, Minecraft, Fortnite, Marvel, Harry Potter, the highly anticipated Lightyear movie and, new for Panini in 2022, WWE sticker and trading card collections. These will be joined by the Women’s Euro 2022 sticker collection and, closing out the year, a brand-new season of Premier League and official FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar trading card and sticker collections.

Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the official Premier League Trophy.

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2022 Posh Paws

01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk | Stand D90

For one of 2022’s biggest blockbuster movies, Jurassic World: Dominion, Posh Paws has a range of realistic dinosaur soft toys ready for fans to cuddle up to. The collection’s T-Rex and Raptor soft toys have been the topperforming characters throughout 2021 and are set to remain firm favourites in the build up to the new movie.

There will be new dinosaurs added to the range across a variety of small and large sizes, including Bumpy and a brand-new Dino Egg line.

Gabby’s Dollhouse is the latest pre-school sensation to join the Posh Paws line up and is already one of Netflix’s leading programmes claiming the No.1 Kids Show spot when its first three seasons launched in 2021. New for this autumn, Posh Paws will be releasing a cute and colourful range of soft toys, leading with the shows popular characters, Gabby, Cakey Cat, Kitty Fairy and Pandy Paws in best-selling 10 inch and 7 inch sizes.

One of the most iconic movies of all time, E.T the Extra-Terrestrial, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2022 and Posh Paws will be bringing the cult classic to life with new soft toys. The range will include E.T plush, either wearing Elliot’s red hoody and without, both featuring the E.T initials embroidered on his foot for authenticity.

Minions: Rise of Gru will see the return of everyone’s favourite yellow henchmen when the movie is released in cinemas this July and Posh Paws’ soft toys will feature among the must-have licensed products for Minions fans. The range includes 7 inch and 10 inch soft toys, collectible squishy Minions and other costume characters that can be seen in the new movie.

New this spring for Posh Paws’ Sesame Street toy range is the Talking Cookie Monster: a soft toy that includes 15 fun and iconic phrases for kids to interact with. A new range of super-soft and squidgy Sesame Street toys will be launching at Toy Fair featuring Cookie Monster, Elmo and Big Bird, as well as small beanie toys in a CDU and 10 inch plush characters.

Posh Paws’ Swizzels Love Hearts plush gifting range continues to be a popular choice for teens and adults and with growing demand for licensed Love Hearts products, Posh Paws will launch a range of branded mugs, keychains and plush and mug gift sets at Toy Fair, alongside all-new loveable plush characters, increasing the popular collection which has seen sales double throughout 2021.

Other brands and licences on Posh Paws’ stand will include its eco-friendly BBC Earth animal plush collection, British designed Ragtales gifting range and new own-brand plush Dinky Dinos, Humphrey Bear, Unicorns and a range of TikTok inspired Reversible Character soft toys.

Geomagworld

07831 886997 | www.geomagworld.com | clivewooster@aol.com | Stand D34 Starting out with the original classic construction system with its magnetic rods and metal spheres, Geomag has now developed three platforms, designed around the magic, simplicity and strength of magnets, all with different play activities that cater to all types of intelligence and sensibility.

Although each Geomag magnetic construction platform has its own age target, products have been developed for all ages, and the company has completed its move to sustainability with the use of recycled plastics for all three platforms.

Magicube is a building system made up of magnetic cubes that attach to each other on all six sides. Just playing with a few cubes, even the youngest of children begin to develop their first manual skills. The new Magicube Recycled collection with 100% recycled plastic has the same bright colours and high-quality standards as all the original Geomag sets.

The desire to create a new magnetic world has gone as far as building vehicles with actual wheels that magnetically attach to the blocks.

With Geomag Classic, kids can build endless 3D structures. The magnetic rods, steel spheres and panels of different shapes form the magnetic construction system. The Classic range consists of different product lines (Color, Panels, Rainbow, Spin, Glitter, Pink, Glow) that, thanks to the panels and different colours, allow the builder to create bigger and more stable structures. The Classic Recycled collection, with 100% recycled plastic, again features the same bright colours and high-quality standards as all original Geomag sets.

2022 sees the super-stylish Glitter line dedicated to fans of sparkly colours and the magical Glow range now in 100% recycled plastic. The brand-new Emotion range has also been introduced – kids will be able to use the strength and energy of the Geomag magnets and spheres to build crazy spinning tops and suspended models that will spin for ages.

The Mechanics construction platform combines the forces of magnetism with a world of mechanical construction, to stimulate creativity, inventiveness and ingenuity. In addition to the classic magnetic rods and steel spheres, Geomag Mechanics adds mechanical elements within the constructions, expanding the play possibilities; some parts of the structures can rotate, triggering chain reactions from the magnetic attraction and repulsion.

Meanwhile, the Easy Combo System will allow kids to combine different boxes and build bigger circuits with a maximum of three moves. Each building set can be combined with the rest of the Gravity line, for an endless play experience.

2022 also sees the introduction of the redesigned version of Geomag Mechanics Challenge in which children can play against friends in a game of speed, precision, and strategy.

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Four great new products from the company that cares about game play!

www.cheatwell.com

Zensū: the perfect blend of strategy and skill!

Brain Ache: picture puzzles that will baffle your brain!

Top It: the family game that’s packed with tantalising topics!

Snappits: the fantastic game where it pays to make a match!

Come and see us at London Toy Fair: Stand E20, NEC Spring Fair: Hall 4 Stand E25, Nuremberg Toy Fair: Stand 10.0 A-03.

For further information on our great range of games and puzzles, please call our company offices for details; or call Steve or Joe on the numbers below.

Contact: Steve Asbey, 07770 651670, Joe Rushworth, 07763 053466, Office: 02392 524098 Cheatwell Games Ltd., Unit E2 Heritage Business Park, Heritage Way, Gosport PO12 4BG, UK.

2022 8th Wonder

01942 829 811 | www.8thwonder.co.uk sales@8thwonder.co.uk | Stand N11 2021 has been a huge year for 8th Wonder with new licences and partnerships formed with Barbie, Fisher Price, Peppa Pig, Nerf, Little Tikes, Jurassic World, Paddington, Minions and LOL Surprise! whilst also strengthening its key brand portfolio which includes Paw Patrol, Hey Duggee, Bing and In the Night Garden. The team will showcase a further range and brand expansion in 2022 at Toy Fair.

Loved by so many children, CoComelon has taken Netflix by storm, and 8th Wonder has partnered with the property to create two new products for 2022. The CoComelon plush chair is shaped like the CoComelon yellow bus s,o children imagine they are riding on the bus with JJ and his friends on the back rest. The seat is super soft, so children can relax while singing along to their favourite songs from the show. Also from CoComelon is the JJ Character Warmer Heatable. Baby JJ features in his favourite Babygro on the front of the cloud shaped warmer.

With the Junior show about to air its 7th season, 8th Wonder has also designed a new range of wooden toys for the Great British Bake Off. The wooden pretend play range consists of five lines including a wooden tabletop cooker with proving drawer, four different baking sets for different bake weeks: a cake week set, a pastry week set, a bread week set and a dessert week set. 8th Wonder has also created The Great British Bake-Off Real Baking Set that children can use to bake in the kitchen. Created for little hands to use, the real bake set comes complete with a Bake-Off apron.

Barbie has been an amazing brand for 8th Wonder in 2021 and there will be new Barbie Plush Dolls for 2022. They come in three beautiful designs - a Mermaid, a Fairy, and a Best Friend – which children can cuddle as they sleep. The bright and colourful designs have long hair which is great for hair play during the day.

New for Jurassic World is the pre-school range of wooden toys. Building on the suspense of the upcoming movie Jurassic World: Dominion and the hit Netflix series, Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, the chunky wooden range is ideal for younger dinosaur fans. There are three different sets of three packs of wooden dinosaurs, and each dinosaur comes with movable legs and mouth. There are also two vehicle sets, the 6x6 vehicle (with Blue Dino figure) for cross terrain adventures or the mobile Vet Unit with Triceratops.

Canal Toys

01904 379 123 www.canaltoys.co.uk sales@canaltoys.uk | Stand F90 Canal Toys' best-selling brands Studio Creator, Airbrush Plush, So Slime and So Bomb will all showcase fresh, innovative product lines at London Toy Fair 2022.

Studio Creator continues to tap into the fast-moving trend of creating unique content to share with friends and family. Both the Colour LED Video Maker Kit & LED Deluxe Kit with 5m of LED strip lights make it easy to design video content with a professional air. A new extension to this content creator range will be the stylish and fun Photo Creator Instant Camera. With over 250 prints in each pack and perfect for scrap booking, school projects or fun with friends, budding photographers can personalise and edit shots on the camera with filters, frames and fun effects, then print instantly and customise with stickers and marker pens.

The Airbrush Plush collection looks confident to continue its success of 2021 as the range extends in 2022, introducing a Puppy and Wildcat. Each plush comes with easy-to-use stencils, chalk-based washable pens and a battery-operated airbrush so kids can decorate, wash and re-decorate again and again.

So Slime will introduce Fidget Slime, offering all the slime fun Canal has become synonymous with plus a fidget toy twist which allows children to immerse themselves in the latest trends, combining two in one. Also new to 2022 is Magical Slime – with a big reveal on the stand. As always, So Slime products are tested to the highest standards to ensure consumer confidence.

So Bomb continues to build on the success of 2021 with even more Aroma lines to create a sensory bath time experience. Special product features in the range include aroma bottles, mini spa mixing spoon and handy aroma guides to help kids create scented bath bombs. A great solution for mental well-being, combining relaxation with the fun of design, So Bomb Aroma lets kids design bath bombs for the ultimate sensory experience.

The Style 4 Ever Fashion Designer Studio is compact, innovative and perfect for budding fashion designers, packed to the brim with design accessories and materials.

Kids can use the templates, stencils, fabrics, diamantes, pens and more to create mood boards and then design their own catwalk collection.

Art Lab Watercolour Studio is another addition to Canal Toys’ Spring/Summer ’22 range. Following the success of the Pouring Art Studio, this set mirrors the same concept and makes creating stunning watercolour art easy, fun and relaxing.

Included in the set is high quality watercolour paper with both plain and pre-printed designs, a special water-pen, a paint palette, sponge and other accessories, plus the studio acts as handy storage for the art and supplies in between use.

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2022 Scrunch

07788 547836 | www.scrunchkids.com kay.glennie@scrunchkids.com Stand GH7 The Scrunch brand turned 18 last year. Originally inspired after lugging clunky, sandy plastic buckets home after beach trips, or hating the wastefulness of leaving them behind in overseas resorts, the concept of a bucket and other toys that could scrunch up and fit into a beach bag or suitcase with ease became an obsession, then a reality.

The original Scrunch bucket is made of 100% recyclable and reusable eco-friendly silicone, doing away with the need for single use plastic. Scrunch’s strapline is “Roll it, fold it, scrunch it!”

Since those early days, Scrunch has expanded to be distributed worldwide; it is now available in 40 countries and growing. The company now distributes the brand itself within the UK, from a converted barn in West Sussex.

2021 was a fantastic year for the brand despite Covid and, despite competition from a launch by a former distributor, Scrunch remains the original. The company believes that a combination of attention to detail, innovative new products and its excellent customer service makes it stand out in the market.

Toy Fair 2022 will see the launch of exciting new products, all designed with small hands in mind, and still in 100% silicone. These are available in a rainbow of colours, from pastels to funky brights.

The team is looking forward to meeting both existing and new customers at the Toy Fair.

Bandai UK

020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk | sales@bandai.co.uk Stand N17 Continuing some of its most successful long-term partnerships, Bandai will be unveiling new product lines and planned marketing activities across its Miraculous, CoComelon, National Geographic and Vlad & Niki ranges.

As a top 3 pre-school property, extensions to the CoComelon range come following a successful year with award-winning products across multiple international territories.

Innovative design has been injected into new lines including musical vehicles such as the Musical Family car, as well as character figures, dolls and play sets. All SKUs include fun features, and many enjoy iconic phrases, sounds, and songs from the show. New hero items include the My friend Cody plush doll, JJ’s best friend.

Miraculous continues an upwards trajectory for the business. With a new animated series and feature film planned for 2022, and follow-up movie in the pipeline for 2023/24, Bandai UK will introduce a new cross-category collection of fashion dolls, collectibles, play sets, plush and role-play accessories at varying price points. Refreshed packaging and display for in-store executions will also enhance the overall brand experience. A focus will be new styles for the sell-out collectible Kwami Surprise figures, character additions to the innovative Fashion Flip Dolls and a new Transforming Scooter compatible with the 26cm Fashion Dolls.

Bandai has invested heavily in its latest Tamagotchi and Dragon Ball ranges. Bandai UK celebrates the 25th anniversary of Tamagotchi in the UK market and will unveil a limited edition 25th anniversary version of the virtual pets. New styles continue to be introduced to the Original Tamagotchi, ensuring renewed interest and collectability. The latest Tamagotchi – Tamagotchi Pix – sees new colourways, games and characters planned throughout 2022 with the Tamagotchi Pix Party. New licences for the Tamagotchi Nano series will also be revealed, starting with a Star Wars version, and followed by releases throughout the year in both collector and mass toy.

Bridging the collector and mass toy markets, Bandai’s Dragon Ball range expands throughout 2022. With an increasing presence across digital and TV channels, plus a theatrical movie planned for 2023, the business has invested in extensive marketing support for the brand to include TV, Pop sponsorship, CrunchyRoll and YouTube pre-rolls, alongside PR, social and retail activations. The company introduces popular role-play to the range with a new Super Saiyan Goku Head Gear and a new collection of 4” figures will be available with character refreshes across both the collectible Dragon Stars series, and highly durable Limit Breakers.

The National Geographic and Sea-Monkey’s kits remain an evergreen go-to within the company’s STEM portfolio, with a new packaging refresh to remove all plastic and a commitment to give back 27% of all licensing proceeds to the National Geographic Trust. The sets offer children aged 8+ the opportunity to engage and experiment with reallife specimens while learning through hands-on edutainment.

Bandai UK will also be using the show to launch its latest licensed property – True and the Rainbow Kingdom – including a range of character figures, plush, dolls, and playset, reflective of the four seasons currently appearing across SVOD, VOD and TV channels.

In addition to its core toy lines, the company will be unveiling a wide range of specialist ranges to cater for the high target collector market. Licensed ranges include a new Star Trek collection of highly detailed action figures and play sets. As UK distributor for McFarlane Toys, Bandai UK will also be displaying new action figures for some of the most iconic licences including DC, Warhammer, My Hero Academia, Spawn, Avatar, The Last Airbender and The Witcher.

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2022 Big Potato

020 3620 9495 | www.bigpotato.co.uk Stand B20 Big Potato is well known for its family party games, a category it calls its ‘bread and butter’ and remains passionate about. These games align perfectly with the company’s ethos of creating games that are easy to learn, quick to play, and good fun for all ages.

Last year Big Potato launched Herd Mentality. This ‘moovellously’ silly game went down well in the UK and US, selling over 500,000 copies worldwide. In 2022, the company has two new family party games launching: Shoot for the Stars and Sounds Fishy.

Shoot for the Stars sees players answer random questions with a number. The question might be: ‘How many Pringles are there in a tube of Pringles?’ Going around the table, each player makes a guess that is higher than the last. If they think the previous guess was too high, they can jump ship or stick around for the ride. Points are awarded for getting close to the answer but not shooting past it, or for wisely abandoning ship if it turns out the guess was too high.

Sounds Fishy is a game of ridiculous questions, such as: ‘In France, what is it illegal to call your pig?’ One player doesn’t know the answer while the rest do. The players that do know it each invent a fake answer, while the one that doesn’t tries to pick out the fakes without turning over the real one. This push-your-luck game lets players bank their points at any time, but if they keep going and hit the correct answer, they lose everything. (You can’t call your pig ‘Napoleon’, by the way.)

Big Potato’s two biggest family party games from last year, Herd Mentality and Colourbrain, are still going strong. This year, both titles will benefit from the company’s biggest ever UK marketing campaign, which aims to get these fun games into the hands of more players than ever before.

While there’s plenty to look forward to, What Next? is Big Potato’s most highly anticipated launch. Billed as what would happen if the TV show Crystal Maze and a Choose-YourOwn-Adventure book had a board game baby, Big Potato says What Next? is the world’s first action-adventure board game. Players work together to complete the adventures, taking on mental and dexterity challenges along the way to avoid collecting pieces of peril. If the Tower of Peril collapses before they reach the end, it’s game over.

Finally, Big Potato has also been trying its hand at some scientific research; studying the science behind people’s attitudes and behaviours towards board games. Readers wanting to discover the findings are invited to drop by the company’s stand – Big Potato’s biggest and best yet – where the team will be happy to get out the pie charts. Email trade@ bigpotato.co.uk to book in a meeting.

Marvin’s Magic

www.marvinsmagic.com | tomh@marvinsmagic.co.uk Stand H65 Entering its 35th year, Marvin’s Magic will have more tricks up its sleeve than ever before to show visitors to its stand.

This includes the Signature Collection which launches worldwide at Easter 2022: an assortment presenting some of the best-selling magic items that have been enjoyed around the world over the past 35 years. For the first time, the magic tricks will be presented together in a premium, collectible range.

Magic Made Easy introduces magicians as young as five years old to the wonderful world of magic and is great for boosting youngsters’ confidence, self-esteem and communication skills. This year Marvin’s Magic will further add to this range with the introduction of two new wooden sets. The Treasured Tricks are perfect for young hands, presented in a beautiful keepsake box, and are the perfect gift to be passed down to future generations of magicians. They will be available from summer 2022.

Sustainability continues to take centre stage in many consumers’ buying habits and alongside the wooden sets will be further innovations in product and packaging that promote the environmental ambitions of the brand. Marvin’s Magic Showcase is an example of how great packaging can double as a prop; the box instantly folds out to create a performance table and it even has a backstage compartment where young magicians can keep their secret, magic props. Available for FOB orders now.

The Marvin’s Magic App will also be in the spotlight showcasing top-tech-wizardry, Augmented Reality, Hidden Video Instructions and cutting-edge Smart Magic for Smart Devices. The App now includes access to the Marvin’s Magic Academy, where magicians can view hundreds of videos as well as hints and tips from Marvin himself. Some special, promotional magic sets will even include an Access All Areas pass to the Marvin’s Magic Academy for an extra, added bonus.

An expanding range this year is Marvin’s Magic Art which delivers arts and crafts products with a touch of magic. Designed to inspire imagination and creativity, the Magic Art collections include Magic Colour Change Pens, 3D Writers, fabulous Rainbow Stickers and much more. The range is available now with additions launching summer 2022.

Visitors to the stand can meet the man behind the magic, celebrity magician and Creator of Marvin’s Magic, Marvin Berglas, and enjoy amazing demonstrations and sneak peeks of all the new ranges.

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2022 The Source Wholesale

01306 646 885 | www.thesourcewholesale.co.uk sales@thesourcewholesale.co.uk Internationalenquiries@thesourcewholesale.co.uk Upper level 147 The Source Wholesale is excited to be launching new brands as well as new products for 2022 at the London Toy Fair. As well as new products in its existing brands, RED5, #Winning and Ingenious, the company will be launching the Xtrem Bots range for 2022.

This range of robots is designed for development and fun, with four main categories: My First Programmable Robot; Build & Play; Programme & Play and Build, Code & Play.

The company will have stock for the first quarter of 2022 with further introductions and development planned for the second half of the year.

The Source Wholesale has also been busy updating and improving its website, which is now live, and details the full range of products and categories on offer. Customers can also now order through the online portal at their leisure. The company will be exhibiting at multiple shows in 2022, both in the UK and internationally - a full list is available on the website.

Ty

02393 876 600 | Sales@tyuk.co.uk Upper Level 119 Ty Squish-a-Boos are the newest addition to the Ty family, which already includes the worldfamous Beanie Babies and Beanie Boos.

Squish-a-boos are the soft, huggable friend a child can take with them wherever they go. Made from colourful, cosy fabric, Squish-a-Boos are available in a larger size of many of the favourite Beanie Boos plush characters. These large Beanie Boo squishy plushies have enormous glittery eyes and adorable smiles.

Ty Squish-a-Boos are perfect for children’s naptimes or as squishy bedtime pillow animals, and each Squish-a-Boo has colourful, soft fabric and includes the official Ty Heart with name, birthday, and poem. These collectible soft toys are suitable from birth.

The Squish-a-Boos collection will be on display at Toy Fair alongside the rest of the Ty range.

Keel Toys

01233 506363 | www.keeltoys.com Stand F10

Since the launch of Keeleco in 2020, Keel Toys has used the equivalent of more than 14m water bottles in the manufacture of the range. The company has now announced that in 2022, just two years after launching Keeleco, it can offer its business partners a complete sustainable soft toy collection, including traditional Wild, Farm, Dinosaurs, Teddy Bears, Nursery and a new fashion range.

The original Keeleco range has been extended to over 120 products including new larger sized toys (up to 70cm) in Wildlife, and extensions into more British Wildlife and Farm designs. Keeleco Dinosaurs come in four different styles and two sizes, featuring innovative fabrics and finishes.

Keeleco Nursery launched in 2021 and has been an instant success with a new Unicorn character to be added in 2022 to the FSDU collection of Lamb, Koala, Giraffe and Zebra.

The nursery range also features a teddy bear and bunny in variations of pink, blue and white.

Dougie is a beautiful traditional style teddy bear brought up to date using recycled polyester materials making it the best of both worlds. There is also a new sentiment bear range featuring a Graduation, Happy Birthday, Thank You and Get Well Soon bears in the collection.

Keeleco Adoptable World is the newest part of the sustainable soft range and the first fashion eco soft toy collection. With happy expressions and wide, expressive eyes, there are 12 characters to collect.

The luggage label featured on the toy and supporting point of sale depicts sustainable world travel by sailing boat, hot air balloon and bicycle.

Keel Toys will also be exhibiting at Nuremberg Toy Fair (Hall 1, Stand C09) and Spring Fair 2022 (Hall 5, Stand G20-H21).

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2022

Hexbug

01925 453144 | www.hexbug.com | eusales@hexbug.com Stand F66

Hexbug is celebrating 15 years of innovative robotic technology in 2022 and is delighted to return to London Toy Fair to showcase a range of products, from best sellers to new launches, that encourage children’s creativity through interactive play.

The Hexbug brand ensures STEM principles are at the heart of its product portfolio with toys designed for kids of all ages, from pre-schoolers through to teenagers.

New for 2022 is Hexmods Pro Series Elite and Pro Series Elite Raceway: a reinvention of the RC tuner car, which children can personalise with over 100 combinations of aesthetic and performance modifications. With one racing chassis, children can add street-legal lights, hoods, side skirts, engine covers, spoilers and more. The car’s performance can be upgraded with all-wheel drive, swappable suspensions, steering, tyre grips, gear configurations and motors to reach speeds of up to 18mph, controlled by a customisable remote.

With the original TV series now showing on Netflix, there is a renewed interest in Battlebots, which will be a key range for 2022, featuring everything required to create a battle-zone, from RC robots to a Battlebots Arena, which is modelled on the TV show. Children can choose from scale-models of TV favourites like Witch Doctor and Tombstone and customise with detachable pieces. The Arena features realistic protective walls and fold-out game board. Additional Battlebots are sold separately.

Junkbots is a range of collectibles which launched in 2021 but keeps growing. From Trash Bins to large play sets and over 60 characters to collect, the selection at Toy Fair will include the all-new Junkbots Metro Sewer System – with over 285 pieces and 15 stages of fun.

Following the successful launch of Real Bugs in 2021, the range, which is suitable for 3+, is expanding to include a 5-pack, 3-pack and Singles - new for 2022. From the Micro Ant to the Dragon, the Micro Robotic Creates range offers many different autonomous and RC creatures to play with. Featuring realistic, scurrying motions, the collection includes a variety of bugs in a rainbow of colours with their own personalities and quirks.

The full Nano range will also be at Toy Fair, featuring the Nano Flash which is bigger and faster than the original nano, glows with a coloured LED light and is powered by nano vibration. From singles to play sets, one of Hexbug’s best sellers will be introduced to a new generation, age 3+. Meanwhile, the Mobots range welcomes the Speed Shot: a game for two where players throw the ball and the Speed Shot moves closer to victory with each successful shot.

This STEM education inspired VEX Robotics by Hexbug is designed to inspire interest in engineering, mechanics and construction and suitable for 8+. The range starts with simple kits of around 30 pieces up to complex builds which operate using a VEX brain, allowing children to apply STEM principles to their imaginations. Each kit comes with a STEM instruction flyer and the award-winning Construction Zone will be on display at Toy Fair.

Funville

www.funville.co.uk info@funville.co.uk Stand B85 Funville has a history of creating long-lasting, value driven brands, and the Funville Game Time brand offers numerous classic games titles at attractive prices.

Kids can now enjoy a prehistoric adventure with Funville’s Dinos Unleashed. The company continues to develop and market its popular range of toy dinosaurs, which first hit shelves over the Christmas period. Designed for kids aged three and up, the new additions to the Dinos Unleashed range ensure the brand covers all play patterns and price points for a range of budgets.

The Mini Dino Collectible includes 16 cute dinosaur characters and a surprise compound inside. With plenty of accessories to discover, dinosaur fans can enjoy an entertaining unboxing experience as well as hours of imaginative play with the assortment of dinosaur figures.

The all-new and interactive Pterodactyl Jr flaps its wings, nods its head and roars just like the real thing. It’s bright and colourful look ensures it will stand out just as much at retail as it does in kids’ bedrooms. Finally, the Giant Walking & Roaring T-Rex, which occupies the upper end of the Dinos Unleashed range, walks, roars, rotates its giant head and even has light up eyes.

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2022 VR Distribution

0330 0880941 | www.vrdist.co.uk sales@vrdist.co.uk Stand N9 VR Distribution will be at the London Toy Fair for the second time since coming to the UK three years ago.

The brand is behind such party games as Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme. The popularity of both games is still growing, driven by expansion packs, extending the base game play.

The biggest growth area the company saw in 2021 was in family party games, with some huge distribution deals acquired by VR including Kids Against Maturity, which in just over 12 months has gained over 22.6k reviews on Amazon and has become a No.5 top seller within all toys. Family versions of What Do You Meme and Cards Against Humanity offer the original fun gameplay, but in a family friendly way. Beat That! Game is now in its second year, enjoying ongoing success after being heralded as Amazon UK’s No.1. selling party game & activities line in December 2021.

At this year’s Toy Fair, VR Distribution is launching family versions of Incohearent and New Phone Who Dis. As well as family party games, it also has a range of over 30 children's games including Fruit Punch, which has sold over 11m copies worldwide, and other children's games including Llama, Eco System, Saboteur and Harry Potter Strategy Games.

The company’s big push for 2022 is taking it in a different direction, but one that has been successful for its parent company, VR Australia.

The Duncan pocket money range includes a wide selection of yoyos, outdoor toys and brain puzzles - all with distinct USPs and strong packaging. Another new area is the Master Piece brand; a major manufacturer/supplier of puzzles in the US, that will supply a UK focused range launching with almost 200 lines including different sized puzzles, puzzle roll mats and glues.

Thanks to significant growth over the past 18 months, VR Distribution is increasing its marketing investment for 2022, with activity on its platforms and a large amount of influencer activity and social media. Incohearent has been a big hit on TikTok, while in just 12 months, Kids Against Maturity went on to be one of the best-selling toys in 2021.

For London Toy Fair, the company will be offering split pack sizes, low minimum order value and significant savings on bespoke, retailer specific packages which, while giving strong retailer margin, will have a range suited to the type of retailer.

Epoch Making Toys

0208 049 1377 | sales@epochmakingtoys.com | Stand N7 London Toy Fair will see the launch of Sylvanian Families Style & Play– the first time this play pattern has featured in the history of the 37-year old evergreen collectible.

Alongside this launch, a raft of other ranges will be revealed across both Sylvanian Families and Aquabeads. For the first time, the company will also be showcasing its third toy brand, Epoch Games, comprising a range of Super Mario tabletop board games.

The Sylvanian Families Style & Play theme offers fans the chance to brush and style the characters’ hair, using a mix of accessories included within the various play sets in the new range.

The Style & Play launch also introduces pony figures to the Sylvanian Village.

Launching in spring/summer is the Pony’s Hair Stylist Set, which introduces Serafina: a mobile hairdresser and make-up artist whose own hair can be styled in multiple ways. The Pony’s Stylish Hair Salon follows in autumn/winter, introducing Sally, the Pony Girl and including a doublestorey, fully furnished Sylvanian salon plus over 30 accessories. The Pony Friends Set also launches in autumn/winter, comprising two more pony figures with interchangeable hair styling and additional clothing accessories. Epoch has designed the Pony’s Stylish Hair Salon to be connectable with the Pony’s Hair Stylist Set and the Princess Dress Up Set. Two new Sylvanian character dress up sets are also launching: the Princess Dress Up Set which includes the Persian Cat with two dress options and accessories, and the Party Time Playset – Tuxedo Cat Girl.

Four new families are moving into Sylvanian Village in 2022. The Husky Family will be released to reward Sylvanian Families’ fans from across the globe who voted the father of this family, Vincent, as the new Mayor of Sylvanian Village. Following the success of the Elephant Family, the Highbranch Giraffe Family brings another exotic animal family to the village, and a new Sheep Family and Goat Family will also be introduced.

To extend the popular Amusement Park theme from 2021, two new concession stands are launching in autumn/winter: the Ice Cream Van which includes ice creams that can be held by the figures, plus accessories to allow the ice creams to be personalised to look like various characters; and the Popcorn Delivery Trike which has an interactive popcorn machine. The set includes the Sheep Mother figure.

Aquabeads will unveil a new range of carry cases that fans can decorate with their own creations.

The Beginners Carry Case launches in spring/summer and has everything needed to start an Aquabeads collection, while the Deluxe Carry Case follows in autumn/winter. Both sets include the Creation Display which allows children to make scenes and signs with their bead creations.

Other launches include the Mega Bead Trunk, with over 3000 beads of different colours and shapes contained in a handy trunk.

Epoch Games, a range of tabletop games launched over the last two years, will be displayed for the first time at Toy Fair. Featuring Super Mario, the seven SKUs currently in the range will be carried into 2022 given their strong sales to date, as well as to support activities surrounding the upcoming release of the Super Mario movie in December 2022. On the stand will be Mariokart Racing DX, Epoch Games’ launch for Christmas 2021. Shaky Tower will also be on display, featuring fans’ favourite characters as figures.

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Cheatwell

02392 524098 | www.cheatwell.com | Sales@cheatwell.com Stand E20

Cheatwell is delighted to be back at Toy Fair with a great new range to present to the industry.

Leading the charge is Tension Junior, a crazy naming game for kids of all ages. Based on the company’s top-selling board game, the game is a race against the clock to find solutions to given topics – which could be anything from 10 Spotty Animals to 10 Peppa Pig Characters. The categories have been specially crafted to suit kids aged eight and above, which means there’s now a Tension to suit every age and interest.

Meanwhile, edge-of-your-seat party game Top It sees players race to place cones on letter discs whilst calling out examples of teasing topics. Any other player can top each cone with another answer, however. Only the last cone counts and bags all the points. In Brain Ache, players race to identify familiar catchphrases or words represented by perplexing pictures, of which there are hundreds to try.

Spot The Intro makes use of players’ preferred music streaming providers and challenges them to name tip-of the-tongue tunes from just a snippet of a hit song from the 60s to the 2010s and more. Snap decisions are the name of the game in Snappits, where a player picks a card and reads the topics, then everyone writes down their answers at the same time. Points are scored by making 'snaps' - matching one or more responses with only one other player. It's simple to find the answers but tricky to match them.

Zensu is a Japanese strategy game that’s simple to learn but harder to master. The game can be played many times, but players will never experience the same game twice. Brain cells are also needed to test powers of deduction in the game Sleuth. Taking place aboard the Oriental Express, where a deadly crime has been committed, players each take on the role of a famous detective - from Sheerluck Homes to Missing Marbles – and move from carriage to carriage solving clues in an attempt to catch the criminal.

Snippets requires players to reach into the corners of their mind to complete the tantalising tag they’ve been given. From movies to TV, adverts to comedy and music to famous figures, there’s a snippet for every taste and interest. Finally, analytical deduction game Psychobabble tasks players with entering into a group discussion about their dreams and nightmares. Most will know what happened in last night’s shared vision, but one is genuinely insane - and does not know it. It’s up to the Psychoanalyst to make sense of the statements in this game of suspicion, accusations and self-doubt.

Customers are welcome to view the entire Cheatwell range on stand E20.

Fabula Toys

020 3633 9684 | www.fabulatoys.com | play@fabulatoys.com Stand GH9 Popular start-up Fabula Toys is preparing to showcase its range of educational toys at Toy Fair 2022, all of which help discourage young children from indulging in too much screen time. The social enterprise will also be sharing its exclusive findings on the topic ‘What Attracts Young Children to Digital Screens’ with media representatives and trade visitors at the event.

Founded in 2020 by Nazneen Yasin, the London Toy Fair is the first toy trade event Fabula Toys has exhibited at. It’s a particularly special event for the company: Fabula Toys was built almost entirely upon BTHA findings unveiled at the 2018 London Toy Fair, following a study looking at growing parental concerns about the effect of screen time on children. Additional data showed parents are actively seeking for alternatives to screen time, something that struck a chord with founder Nazneen. Determined to provide parents and kids with a solution to screen time worries, Nazneen quit her job, moved her family to the UK and launched Fabula Toys.

Fabula will be exhibiting all five of its innovative toys at the stand. The toys help kids enjoy their most-viewed digital content – nursery rhymes – by visualising and engaging with them in traditional play. Each toy explores the characters, the story and sometimes even the actions involved, to recreate the mix of story telling, music and sense of control streaming platforms can offer young children. All the toys are also designed around the Early Years Learning Goals set out by the UK Department of Education, ensuring that children engage both their hearts and minds every time they interact with Fabula.

Incy Wincy Spider is an ideal way for parents and caregivers to form an early bond with children still getting to grips with the world around them. A ‘wearable storybook’, the washable gloves – one representing the friendly spider, and the other depicting the rain and sun - can be used anytime, anywhere, for developing sensory recognition, imagination, and vocabulary, and deepening the bond between child and adult. The Finger Family, meanwhile, is a tool to help children take their first steps towards recognising their loved ones. A first for the toy industry, this charming selection of finger puppets offers the scope to represent multicultural, adopted/ foster, same-sex and mixed-age families, as well as pets including cats and dogs. Finger Family also promotes Early Years learning goals: association, family, imagination, inclusion and observation.

The 5 Little Monkeys board game encourages kids to develop an interest in STEM by teaching numbers and colours, as well as essential social skills. By playing this fun game, based on the popular nursery rhyme, kids develop their communication, observation, coordination and group play skills, and learn how to take turns. The large Wheels on the Bus play tent provides hours of engagement based upon the classic rhyme as kids play alone or with friends, and supports the development of imagination, association, vocabulary and group play.

Finally, If You’re Happy & You Know It is an inflatable and easy-to-carry dice that offers a fun way to exercise, as well a group activity for toddlers. Perfect for indoors, outdoors and even the pool, kids can enjoy playing with their friends and family as they move around and fuel their imaginations.

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2022

United Wheels UK

01525 664041 | www.huffybikes.co.uk | salesuk@huffy.com B90 This month, United Wheels UK will be introducing its new licensed lines across Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm. Buyers and retailers will be able to take an exclusive first look at the Huffy premium launch at Toy Fair. The range will include all sizes of children’s bikes, from balance bikes through to 12”, 14” and 16” wheels, scooters and battery-powered ride on toys. Featuring characters from the studio’s top-rated properties, the line includes family favourites from Disney Princess, Frozen, SpiderMan, Cars, Star Wars and Minnie Mouse.

Disney and United Wheels’ affiliate, Huffy Corporation, have worked together in the US since 1996, and this agreement between United Wheels and Disney expands their partnership to include EMEA. United Wheels bring Disney’s Frozen to life with its 12” firstride bike. Ideal for learning to ride with or without stabilisers, the bike is suitable for children aged three years plus. This bike is made with an easy stepover tri-tube frame in accents of sky, Nordic blue and mulberry to remain true to the property. The comfortable, padded seat is beautifully decorated, and the handlebar also boasts a deluxe storage container designed with Frozen crystals. Front and rear calliper brakes and 16-spoke alloy-wheels allow for a safe and smooth ride. It is also lightweight, making it easy for parents to carry when out and about. Available from January, Huffy 12” Bikes will also be

available in Disney Princess, Cinderella, Spider-Man, Avengers, Star Wars, Cars and Minnie Mouse.

The Huffy Spider-Man 6V Battery Ride-On Bubble Scooter offers pre-schoolers character fun based on one of Marvel’s highest-rated superheroes. The scooter’s 2-in-1 design means it can be used as a battery-powered ride-on or kid-powered scooter with just the flick of a switch. Each battery charge provides 40 minutes of fun and a top speed of up to 2mph. This innovative scooter also makes bubbles as kids ride, and has a wide, non-slip deck plus a stable 3-wheeled design for scooting confidence and safe play. Available from autumn 2021, the Huffy 6 Volt Battery Ride-On Bubble Scooter is available in Disney Princess, Frozen and Cars, as well as Spider-Man. Also available from autumn, the Disney Princess Horse and Carriage is easy for kids to start and ride thanks to its simple foot pedal accelerator. Kids can take control with an in-carriage steering wheel and forward/reverse controls. The pink design also features images of Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Rapunzel, Snow White and Tiana. Phrases from three Disney Princesses play when the heart-shaped button on the steering wheel is pressed. The carriage has openable doors, a cupholder and a glovebox, and the horse has a brushable mane and tail.

Direct ship and exclusive product opportunities are available, and the United Wheels team is making appointments for in-person showroom viewings and online previews now.

Rainbow Designs

01329 227300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk Stand B21 Joyful and inspiring pre-school toys based upon much-loved evergreen characters will be on display at Toy Fair, courtesy of Rainbow Designs. The company will be kicking off 2022 with the addition of 50 new lines to its best-selling product range. ‘The Home of Classic Characters’, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, will be launching exciting additions to ranges such as Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, Paddington Bear and Disney’s Winnie the Pooh.

The popular Paddington pre-school toy range, based on the award-winning TV series The Adventures of Paddington, includes the Talking Paddington plush, which says five of Paddington’s much-loved phrases, and the Deluxe Paddington Soft Toy, which has a removable coat for extra play value. The range also features the best-selling Play Bus Set. The set comes complete with two Paddington figures including Paddington as a bus conductor. Other new launches will include the Rescue Set with Dr Paddington and Pigeonton, and a Multi Figure Set containing the stars of the show, Paddington and Jonathan. This autumn, three new play sets will also be added to the range: Paddington’s Campervan, Football Set and Treehouse.

Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit is commemorating its momentous 120th anniversary this year. To celebrate the occasion, Rainbow Designs is adding a beautiful new wooden toy collection to its best-selling Once Upon a Time range. New to the range will be a Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny Pull along, a colourful Wooden Building Blocks Set, a 5-piece Wooden Shape Puzzle and a 28-piece Domino Set, all featuring Beatrix Potter illustrations of Peter Rabbit and his friends.

Colourful new wooden toys join both the ever-popular Very Hungry Caterpillar and Elmer ranges. The Wooden Building Blocks, Domino Sets and Wooden Shape Puzzles introduce new and educational play patterns to these popular branded ranges. A vibrant Wooden Balance Toy joins the Elmer range too. Kids can enjoy plenty of fun as they try to balance Elmer the Patchwork Elephant and his animal friends on the vibrantly coloured wooden moon. When the blocks tumble, even more entertainment is provided.

Now available is the exquisite new Classic Pooh Always and Forever collection. This range features beautiful Winnie the Pooh heirloom toys for babies that can be treasured for years to come and includes soft toys, a Comforter and Ring Rattle. All have been designed to last a lifetime with a focus on sustainable materials, such as FSC certified and reusable packaging, stuffing made from recycled plastic bottles, and recycled plush fabric.

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2022 Exploding Kittens

(31) 646 437 146 | www.explodingkittens.com sales@explodingkittens.com Upper level 110 Tabletop game creator Exploding Kittens will be showcasing at Toy Fair with its best-selling ranges and newest launches for 2022.

The brand’s three best-selling franchises are a major focus for development in 2022, including the Exploding Kittens core game, Throw Throw Burrito and Throw Throw Avocado, and Poetry for Neanderthals. These lines are being developed further to cater specifically for the UK market and consumer needs. As each of these core brands continue to grow, expansion packs are planned for launch in Q1, such as new variants of the classic Exploding Kittens game, including a brick-and-mortar store exclusive, and a smaller 2-player pack at a lower price, perfect for packable play.

Arriving in February 2022 comes Exploding Kittens: Cat Burglar Edition, the brand’s first ever UK-only product launch. Cat Burglar is the latest extension of the Exploding Kittens range, the brand’s biggest IP franchise. The Exploding Kittens card game, a Russian roulette style party game for ages 7+, broke crowdfunding records as the most-backed project in Kickstarter history.

When a player draws an Exploding Kitten card, they lose the game. All the other cards in the deck help them avoid or mitigate the risk of drawing an Exploding Kitten - and if they don’t explode, they win.

The new Cat Burglar expansion features an adorably sinister Cat Burglar squishy figure and rulebook for the new version of the game, which adds a level of thievery, strategy and hilarity to the original. When the squishy cat figure is played, it allows a player to steal cards from their opponents, to better their chances of winning. Spanning a wide and varied audience, the game is family friendly, as well as being fun for a grown-up games night. Cat Burglar will be a brick-and-mortar in-store exclusive, and the UK-only launch is designed to enhance the brand’s international offering, as the UK market is the biggest territory for sales outside the USA. In addition to bolstering the top three franchises, there will be more fun new games launching in spring 2022. These include Mantis which draws on the artwork of The Oatmeal’s viral comic strip “Why the mantis shrimp is my favourite animal”.

Fans of Matthew Inman’s digital comic will remember the array of special abilities of the Mantis Shrimp, including spectacular colour vision. The simple, yet addictive game can be learned in seconds and played for hours. The aim of the game is to collect Mantis cards, and Mantis shrimp cards can be added to a player’s tank by stealing them or scoring them by making a match. The first player to 10 points wins. Mantis features 105 cards plus a rulebook, is aimed at players aged 6+.

Further launches are also in development throughout 2022, which will continue to redefine the Exploding Kittens brand and content.

Craft Buddy

0203 417 6565 | www.craftbuddyltd.co.uk

trade@craftbuddyltd.co.uk | Stand B92

Craft Buddy will be exhibiting at London Toy Fair with its biggest stand to date, on which the company will be showcasing new developments from its standout Crystal Art range.

Crystal Art is based upon the on-trend practice of diamond painting. Appealing to all ages, this fun and rewarding hobby allows children and adults alike to create beautiful, sparkly creations with great end results.

Building on the successful launch of its Disney and Disney Christmas ranges last year, spring sees Craft Buddy release further Disney products with new Raya & Sisu, Dumbo and Aristocats 30x30cm Crystal Art Kits. Also available will be a Jungle Book Friends 40x50cm Landscape Crystal Art Kit and a 101 Dalmatians 40x50cm Portrait Crystal Art Kit. These larger Crystal Art Kits look impressive when displayed on a wall.

Craft Buddy is also adding exciting new licences to its portfolio for 2022, including Peter Rabbit. Developed to celebrate the brand’s 120th anniversary, the range lets fans bring to life this famous rabbit and his friends with sparkling Crystal Art Kits available in a variety of sizes and price points. Launching in February, the new line-up includes 18x18cm Crystal Art Card Kits featuring Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle Duck and iconic scenes featuring Peter Rabbit Under the Fence. Other Peter Rabbit items include 30x30cm and 40x50cm Crystal Art Kits, a Picture Frame Kit, a Crystal Art Wreath, a 3D Crystal Art Scene and a Peter Rabbit Crystal Art Sticker Set. Once complete, these stickers can be peeled off and applied to any surface.

The company is also preparing to launch its Marvel Crystal Art Collection. This product range features iconic superheroes from across the Marvel universe including the Avengers. Fans can enjoy making Crystal Art designs with the new Spiderman, Captain America and Iron Man 18x18cm Crystal Art Card Kits, or opt for one of the Iron Man and Spiderman Crystal Art Notebooks. These popular notebooks let children create their own Crystal Art front cover, while the pages inside are ideal for making notes, scribbling ideas or drawing sketches. Larger Crystal Art kits featuring Spiderman and the Avengers will be previewed on Craft Buddy’s London Toy Fair stand in addition to those listed above.

The Smurfs has also received the Crystal Art treatment, resulting in an array of different Crystal Art items for Smurf fans to enjoy.

Paint By Numb3rs is a recent brand launch from Craft Buddy. Each kit includes three different sizes of brush, a set of acrylic paints and a pre-mounted canvas design for children to paint and display at home. A range of animal- and fantasybased designs are available.

A raft of other exciting Craft Buddy product developments will also be showcased during the upcoming trade fair season. For more details on the Crystal Art range and Craft Buddy arts & craft ranges, readers are invited to email the team.

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DKL Beysal

01604 678780 | www.dkl-beysal.uk | sales@dkl-beysal.uk Stand E66

DKL-Beysal is excited to be back at Olympia and exhibiting its extensive range. This year, DKL-Beysal will be exhibiting at stand E66 and would like to welcome everyone to see what makes the company unique.

The company will be showcasing a variety of products across its portfolio of brands, including Hama Beads, Plus-Plus and Breyer Model Horses, as well as several new ranges from the company’s in-house product line. All ranges will be supported with marketing campaigns to include in-store activities, dedicated planograms, influencer collaborations and extensive social media and PR activity.

DKL-Beysal manufactures and distributes a variety of fun and unique products ranges. From eco-friendly plush animals to outdoor ranges featuring 3D helmets, the extensive in-house ranges promise to ensure the wow factor for retailers. The 2022 ranges include K3yriders, Ecoplush, EcoToyland, Mascutties, Luna Babies, Fashionery Vibes, Lil Kampers and The Dancing Army, DKL-Beysal’s first interactive dance set.

From its early days with DKL-Beysal, Hama Beads has grown steadily and continues to go from strength to strength. The arts and craft brand will showcase a mixture of new and core lines at Toy Fair. Hama Beads is a fun and popular arts & crafts option for creating wonderful 2D and 3D artwork. The brand’s aim has always been to encourage creativity and imagination in children and adults alike. The colourful beads are arranged on pegboards to form unique patterns, and are then fused together using heat to form physical works of art.

With one shape and endless possibilities, Plus-Plus encourages children and adults of all ages to create fantastic mosaics and 3D designs, limited only by their imagination. The unique construction toy has a high play value and a multitude of holistic benefits including functioning as a STEM resource for educational development, stimulating fine motor skills and encouraging creativity, focus and patience in children and adults alike. PlusPlus has a variety of new and exciting concepts making an appearance in 2022, which will be available to view on the Toy Fair stand.

Breyer model horses are handcrafted and painted under the watchful eye of the world’s leading equine experts, ensuring precision and accuracy in each horse model and playset. Breyer’s commitment to high quality materials and handcrafting means that just like in nature, no two horses are exactly alike, so collectors can truly have a horse of their own. As well as being renowned for producing equestrian collectibles, Breyer now offers a variety of arts & crafts options, including painting kits to personalise and decorate Breyer horses.

Yoto

www.yotoplay.com Upper level 162 Yoto Mini is the new kids’ audio player from Yoto, the audio platform behind the awardwinning Yoto Player. The petite and portable Yoto Mini allows kids the freedom to safely enjoy their favourite audio on the move.

As with Yoto Player, Yoto Mini is controlled using physical cards and has no screen, no microphone, no camera and no ads. Kids can enjoy a personal listening experience by plugging in 3.5mm headphones or start a party with Mini’s size-defying sound.

Yoto Mini is the perfect audio companion for long car journeys, flights and family days out. It’s small enough to fit into kids’ hands and has an all-day battery life which is recharged by the included USB-C cable. Yoto Mini is built for family life, so it’s durable and can be easily packed in bags or stowed away in jacket pockets.

Yoto Mini also comes with free audio including the Yoto Daily podcast, Yoto Radio and Sleep Sounds which can help families relax and fall asleep. Parents can also use the Yoto App to enjoy monthly free audio, podcasts and radio.

Alongside Yoto’s 400+ Yoto Card collection, parents can make their own cards out of voice recordings, MP3s, podcasts and radio streams. Whether they’re enjoying grandma’s bedtime stories, making mixtapes or tuning in to their favourite radio stations, families will be able to enjoy audio that’s unique to them.

Yoto curates and creates inspiring audio with a world of stories, music, educational audio, mindfulness and more letting kids of all ages and stages discover what inspires them. Together, Yoto Player and Yoto Mini give kids and families flexible ways to enjoy the audio they love wherever they are, whatever they’re doing.

Yoto Mini is available with a range of accessories including Yoto’s own kid-safe headphones and seven colourful Adventure Jacket cases, complete with matching wrist straps.

Yoto will also be exhibiting at Nuremberg Toy Fair (Hall 4A, Stand B-31).

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2022 Tactic Games

07970 779842 | www.tactic.net phil@tacticgames.co.uk Stand F25 Tactic is growing its popular educational Let’s Learn series in 2022 with four new lines joining the existing collection of ecological and ethical games developed in partnership with Finnish teachers and manufactured at Tactic’s factory in Pori, Finland.

Arriving in spring, Let’s Learn to Read is a card game for early readers which teaches fun facts about pets, while Let’s Learn Memorize invites children to learn about letters and initial sounds of words. During the second half of the year, the range will be boosted by the addition of Let’s Learn Carousel and a Counting Puzzle about life on a farm.

A highlight for younger players will be Seek & Find Flowers and Bugs, where children look for bugs shown on the cards and point them out on the game board. The quickest player to spot the bug is rewarded with an animal figurine.

Rainbow Gardens is a weather inspired game where the everchanging conditions will let children grow amazing plants and flowers. Players pick seeds and then roll the dice to see if the weather will change and if their prediction is correct. Literacy enthusiasts aged eight and over will also enjoy the fun and fast paced Word Bingo.

Also launching in spring is Metro Domino, a dominoes game with a Double-9 set where players open new stations along the open underground lines as they plot their way to victory. They will initially be able to choose from London or New York themed games.

New for autumn 2022, My First Ludo sees forest animals compete over who gets to their home nest first. The game features the familiar pop-o-matic mechanic in the middle of an illustrated game board and comes with cute wooden animal figures. In Treasure of Monkey Island, there’s a grumpy captain to do battle with and treasure to be stolen in a desert island game of chase.

New games for older players include Transporters where players take on the roles of owners of competing transport companies needing to deliver goods globally. The challenge is to be faster, greener and smarter than competitors. In Trivia City, players get to know the residents and second guess the questions they may ask in order to create their own city. Joining popular party games Faces and No Way Jose is truth or dare game Crazy Maze, where players have to draw their way out of a hilarious labyrinth.

Continuing the popular escape room theme, Tactic is also introducing a new experience game from Gamestorm Studio, the creators of 15 Minutes to Self-Destruct, 15 Minute Heist and Hack My Password. In Escape Run Alcatraz 2034, players work together to escape, but must flee the island independently and use all their wits to succeed.

Throughout 2022, Tactic will continue to promote its popular Of The World series, its award-winning word explanation game Alias, the collaborative detective experience games Crime Scene and culinary inspired MasterChef after-dinner games. Also famous for Molkky, the No.1 outdoor game in Europe, the company’s wooden classic will be a key focus for the summer season.

Mojo Fun

07971 268054 | james@mojofun.co.uk Upper Level 144 Mojo Fun, which offers a wide range of animal figurines, is looking forward to exhibiting on its own stand for the first time at this year’s Toy Fair. The company, which first launched in Hong Kong, is going from strength to strength, opening a UK office last year and this summer taking charge of its own distribution within the UK. The London event will be used to showcase all of its 2022 new releases as well as its 2021 releases, which many people may not have seen because of the pandemic.

Mojo Fun develops core ranges that are specific to each market, and new for the UK in 2022 are a Golden Eagle, Barn Owl and British Bulldog, which it says embodies the British spirit which has been seen throughout the pandemic.

The figurines are hand-crafted products and capture the spirit and personality of every animal. Every figurine is designed and hand-sculpted in the UK, before being expertly handpainted by the production team using quality materials that ensure the highest global safety standards are exceeded.

Mojo Fun says that now it has its own distribution across the UK, it can offer a quick order turnaround and excellent customer service from its headquarters in West Yorkshire, where it also has its warehouse.

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2022 Toys2market 07747 024 391 | www.toys2market.com j.pateman@toys2market.com J.triptree@toys2market.com Stand GH18 Service provider Toys2market is making its Toy Fair debut with several new ranges from its growing portfolio, including garden games, 3D crystal puzzles, construction toys, toy vehicles, novelty puzzles and much more.

Toys2market was founded by James Triptree with the aim of providing a broad range of services to toy and games manufacturers and suppliers.

In addition to those listed above, the company also works with suppliers of indoor/outdoor toys, dolls, creative and educational toys, models, toy vehicles, science kits and more.

Toys2market oversees both National and General Trade accounts and can provide advice on opening a UK operation to include accountancy, legal and banking. With the new regulations now in force, its also offers advice on navigating Brexit Import Rules and can arrange warehouse and distribution facilities to suit individual requirements. The company works closely with an American distributor to provide access to the US market.

Toys2Market is currently distributing Traditional Garden Games, Jeruel 3D Crystal Puzzles, Bontempi, Boosterbox, Wader and Eureka. Enquiries from interested parties are welcome; both James and Jeremy Pateman, senior national account manager, will be available to speak to on the company’s stand.

Funrise Toys

01908 555 640 | www.funrise.com | salesuk@funrise.com Stand G90 Funrise Toys has partnered with video game developer Psyonix and will be showcasing the much-anticipated Rocket League remote control replica vehicles set to launch in autumn 2022. Rocket League enthusiasts will appreciate how customisable these replicas are, with over 100 detail options designed to make them look just like the fanfavourite vehicles from the game. Adding to the fun, the vehicles have souped-up features that allow them to perform stunts with ease so players can re-enact their top races, stunts and scenes over and over again.

The feature item, Octane ZSR Smoke RC, is a fully functioning remote control replica vehicle from the game, modelled with realistic game-inspired features such as sounds, under-glow lighting and an illuminated smoke boost option that leaves opponents in the dust. This feature packed 2.4Ghz vehicle has instant torque and acceleration with a top-scale speed of 128kph. A Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery is included so kids will be able to charge their vehicle right out of the box via USB and get racing in no time.

In addition to the Rocket League Octane ZSR Smoke RC, Micro RC, Micro RC Competition Pack, Light Blast Racer and Custom Racer RC vehicles are also available.

New from Cat for autumn 2022 is the Little Machines Store ‘N Go Playset, which comes in a classic tin package that doubles as a carry case and play set. Opening the box of this 16-piece playset reveals two Little Machine vehicles, ramps, accessories and even a working crane. Also new, the Little Machines Jumbo Crane Playset features a transforming crane worksite, a large freewheeling crane, accessories such as boulders, road signs and cones, and comes with two Little Machine vehicles.

In spring, Gazillion Premium Bubbles will release a Twirlin’ Bubble Wand with an adjustable handle perfect for spinning wand action. The Light Show Bubble Wand releases bubbles with a glowing light show in five different light patterns.

Rounding out Funrise’s line-up are the latest offerings from the company’s small doll collectible lines. BFF Bright Fairy Friends is adding more collectability and magic with new series in both the Woodland Fairy and Mermaid Fairy segments. Each character comes housed in fairy jars featuring motion activated lights sure to create a magical experience at retail.

Launching in 2022, Gla’more asks kids: What’s Your Fashion Passion?

Funrise’s newest doll brand, which features a fashionable twist, comprises dolls in beautifully styled dresses that transform into the ultimate gla’morous closet. Gla’more also includes 13 mix & match fashion and accessory pieces and a light up runway on which kids can hold their very own fashion shows.

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2022

Sambro

08458 739 380 www.sambro.co.uk sales@sambro.com Stand F16

Manchester-based toy company Sambro will be showcasing its comprehensive portfolio, spanning both licensed and own-brand products, when it returns to Olympia for Toy Fair 2022.

Since 1996, Sambro has steadily built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of licensed arts & crafts products and novelty toys. Following its inception, the business has expanded its product categories into outdoor toys, inflatables, stationery and plush, and has developed a stable of own-brand ranges and IPs. Supplying multiple retail channels, Sambro enjoys an extensive reach within the UK, as well as in Europe and beyond.

Sambro is expanding its popular Barbie range.

Building on the success of its Sew & Style Machine and Fashion Plate Designer, the company will be unveiling new food play and fashion craft lines which will soon be arriving at retail. As the Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig franchises go from strength to strength, the Sambro team continues to develop its licensed ranges. These include Felties, exclusive crafting lines, outdoor toys and inflatables, in addition to its successful arts & crafts collections. Disney continues to be a key arts & crafts and novelty partner, with Sambro’s Plush range, spanning both Disney and Marvel, already gaining momentum in the market. Visitors to Toy Fair should look out for Sambro’s new plush range, where it will be proudly on display. Care Bears Baby is growing strongly, in time for the brand’s 40th anniversary, while Cosatto has already been well-received in previews.

As well as an impressive stable of licensed brands, Sambro also has an ever-growing portfolio of own-brand products. The Love & Hugs range includes fixed cosmetics, DIY bath and body products, nail stations, nail art and hair chalks. Sambro’s iconic Puzzle Palz range continues to be a firm favourite with children across the globe, with new Puzzle Palz Vehicles launching recently. These character-based erasers, which can be taken apart and rebuilt, have already sold over 19m units worldwide. The range includes characters from Paw Patrol, Avengers, Barbie, Mickey Mouse and Friends, Baby Shark, Disney Princess, Frozen, Spiderman, Toy Story and Disney Classics. The standard Puzzle Palz capsule is supplied in a convenient counter display unit, giving retailers maximum flexibility. In addition to the standard capsule, Puzzle Palz are also available as a gift pack and in giant format for maximum fun and collectability. The range is already enjoying a strong following online with fans of the franchises the brand covers. Sambro’s new Bops & Tops range is coming soon and will bolster sales further.

Orange Tree Toys

01242 244500 | www.orangetreetoys.com Stand F65 2022 is expected to be another exciting year for Orange Tree Toys as it moves into the next chapter in its story, introducing some new ranges and having reviewed and redesigned all of its packaging. All plastic has been removed, making it 100% recyclable, and by the end of 2022, all its toys will be produced using FSCcertified wood.

The aim of Orange Tree Toys has always been to provide long-lasting childhood classics, keeping them bold, bright and stimulating for all ages from birth. Products from the new Spring Garden range and additions to the Peter Rabbit collection encourage children to embrace the great outdoors with the new addition of role play toys, including a table top allotment, a wooden flower cart and a Peter Rabbit wheelbarrow. The company is also introducing some great toys for older children, including a variety of wooden board games such as tic tac toe, ludo, dominoes and hoopla, plus a wooden flower press.

For younger children, Orange Tree Toys is introducing numbered stacking wooden cubes in both the Peter Rabbit and Emergency range, which will include a selection of buildings such as a fire station, fire engine and police station, along with the vehicles to match. To complete the nursery, Orange Tree Toys is also bringing back its popular wooden mobile in both Spring Garden and Peter Rabbit designs, and there will also be a new set of bookends.

Further new additions in 2022, will be Peter Rabbit and Emergency Services Road Tracks, as well as an extended musical selection which will introduce a piano and ukulele, creating an opportunity to get children into music at an early stage of their development.

Orange Tree Toys will also be at Toy Drawer (Stand K41) and Spring Fair (C14-D15).

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Reydon Sports

0115 938 6444 | www.reydonsports.com sales@reydonsports.com | Upper Level 152

Reydon Sports is working alongside Franklin Sports for 2022, exploring the hybridisation of sport and toys with an innovative set of Franklin Sports products that Reydon will be distributing via its UK hub. Reydon’s B2B model allows the company to supply and service the world of retail across many sectors, making a huge splash in Europe on behalf of its strategic partner.

The 16+ SKU launch for Reydon introduces a superb set of sporting product lines which fit perfectly into any toy, sport, leisure and multiple retailer. Products include the new versatile Spyder Pong, a recreational game combining table tennis, volleyball and 4-square into a single action-packed game. The perfect sport to stir up a crowd at any social event, picnic or party, the Spyder Pong set includes one large Spyder Pong table frame, a net, two balls, two paddles and one mini pump with needle. Players can also use their imagination to create new and exciting games of their own with the unique Spyderball net, making the gameplay possibilities endless.

Available alongside the innovative Spyder Pong and Spyderball, the traditional Jumbo 4 in a Row game is designed on a much larger 24" scale with an extra-large wooden game board for super-sized fun. Other products within the range consist of various family-friendly sports sets. The Fun 5 Combo set includes five fun activities: badminton, volleyball, flip toss, ring toss and flying disc. The set comes complete with everything needed for play including poles, a net, badminton rackets, birdies, a volleyball, flip toss scoops and ball, a ring toss, a flying disc and a ball pump and needle. The Croquet Set offers families a classic outdoor game that will guarantee hours of fun for all ages. The set includes four coloured wooden mallets, four coloured croquet balls, two coloured wooden stakes and nine all-weather wickets.

Suitable for youngsters right through to adults, other lines from Franklin Sports include the Inflatable Dart Ball, which tests players’ throwing accuracy and is ideal for challenging friends both inside and out. A family favourite, the Field Day Tug of War is 20 feet long and perfect for birthday parties, backyard barbeques, beaches and gifting.

Franklin leads from the front on American sports, with the MLB Foam Baseball Bat & Ball being a perfect example of its presence in the space. Great for any beginner player, this is an effective way to teach young players hand-eye coordination.

Reydon Sports, in close collaboration Franklin Sports, has devised a long-term business strategy that will further develop its range of sports offerings with a toy-like spin.

Going forward, both companies expect their innovative approach to result in an unparalleled offering of unique products that cater to the entire retail sector.

SJD Games

01296 583 315 | www.2way.games | Stand H23 In December 2021, SJD Games successfully launched 2 Way Words into the UK marketplace, and at Toy Fair visitors will be able to view and play this range of innovative games.

This exciting new range offers strategic, educational and action-packed family fun, and once the Battle Grid has been purchased along with 2 Way Shapes or Words, all further games are effectively half price. This makes the range an attractive option for retailers looking to secure repeat purchases. This fun range offers a totally new concept of gameplay which SJD Games is confident will revolutionise the gaming market. Play can be adapted for younger children so all the family, from 8 to 108, can enjoy playing together.

The unique 2 Way Games concept means the four Expansion Packs - Animals, Flags, Arrows and Numbers - can be used on the same Battle Grid while each game features its own distinct set of rules. All 2 Way Games take the form of duels between two players or teams. The winner will be the first player or team to fill their red or blue tray with runs/sequences which can be made horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Once a run has been made, the tiles involved are removed from the Battle Grid and the dynamics of the game change dramatically.

The 2 Way Words Main Game is a great learning tool for inquiring minds, while the 2 Way Shapes Main Game offers players many permutations given the four options, with two colours and two shapes on each side of the tiles. Tactics are particularly important in these games.

The 2 Way Animals Add-on is a fun educational game which incorporates various animals with differing numbers of limbs, wings and tails. The 2 Way Flags Add-on will help players become more knowledgeable about the world, and the colours and structure of each country’s flag, while the 2 Way Numbers Add-on introduces the multi tile, which can be used in sums for plus, minus, multiply, divide and equals. Finally, the 2 Way Arrows Add-on gives players eight directions to move in and many missing arrows. Think compass points; a winning run could be one where all the tiles point northeast.

During 2022, a further four Expansion Packs will be unveiled.

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Welcome to the

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2022 Cartamundi

01268 511 522 | www.cartamundi.com | Stand H1 Cartamundi is back at Toy Fair 2022 with a stand fit to excite even the biggest games fanatics as it shares all the exciting board and card games the company is set to launch this year.

The company will be showcasing its Bicycle brand of playing cards, which will be making waves in 2022 with its UK expansion. The iconic cards are bringing together the worldwide magic community and the mass public to cement its place as a top brand.

Bicycle cards are known within the magic world as go-to cards which inspire intrigue and deepen the mystery surrounding tricks. The classic Rider Decks will be showcased at Toy Fair, highlighting the quality and air-cushioned patented technology that make them so suitable for long-term use.

After the successful launch of the Into The Wild range in 2021, the existing line will see an expansion with four new games. Into The Wild Let’s Match includes five exciting puzzles and is aimed at developing matching, coordinating and social skills in kids as they match the images in the honeycomb puzzles. Seek & Spell is split into three fun-filled games that will help youngsters spell the names of their favourite animals in no time.

Animal Seek adds a competitive element as kids race to be the first to fill the Animal Map board with all the animals. The final launch is the 3-pack of games including Wild Families, Wild Snap and Wild Pairs. Cartamundi’s Into The Wild brand will be continuing its partnership with The Aspinall Foundation by donating 7.5% of its proceeds to the conservation charity.

Another of Cartamundi’s hit 2021 product ranges, Play & Learn, is also expanding with the addition of Clock Reading and Numbers. Clock Reading invites kids to use both analogue and digital clocks to practise reading and identifying the quarter-hour, the half-hour and the hour, while Numbers will help them learn how to recognise and pronounce numbers between 0-999.

The Games Emporium brand builds on its successful launch in 2021 by targeting the rapidly growing kidult market with quirky and on-trend games. One of the key lines, Spit A Rhyme challenges players to keep up with rhyming phrases in the allocated time. The person who keeps rhyming the longest wins the round and the card, and the first to collect six cards wins. The hilarious Say it Back features a working turntable and microphone. It’s simple enough for players to guess the answers but the twist is that they are read phonetically in reverse. Fun retro titles are also on the way for 2022, including E.T, Jaws and Back to the Future, as well as new range of horror games including The Exorcist, IT and Chucky.

Toy Fair also provides the launch platform for Cartamundi’s new Perfectly Puzzled range, which helps with cognitive development skills as kids construct their very own 3D puzzle of a Tyrannosaurus or a 5D Monkey puzzle.

Finally, boardgame fans can look forward to new licensed launches based upon some truly iconic franchises: Marvel, Jurassic World and Harry Potter. The new Marvel Home Sprint and Race Home games feature highly detailed 3D figurines and plenty of twists and turns to bolster the advanced gameplay. Two titles will also be released to support the highly anticipated Jurassic World: Dominion movie - Dino Chase and Dino Tracker. Building on its highly successful Harry Potter range, Cartamundi is adding three new Harry Potter games to its portfolio. Hogwarts Hallways, See The Snitch and Hogwarts Quest all bring a little magic to game time.

Cartamundi will be supporting its full line-up with an extensive PR and marketing campaign including influencer engagement, social media activity and product placement.

Melissa & Doug

0800 731 0578 | www.MelissaAndDoug.com service@melissaanddoug.com | Stand E21 Melissa & Doug has announced that child psychologist Dr Sam Wass, the expert from the hit TV show The Secret Life of Four/Five/ Six-Year-Olds, will be on its stand during this year’s London Toy Fair press day to endorse the company’s extensive portfolio of existing and new ranges.

Dr Wass is a professor of Early Years Neuroscience and heads up the Baby Development Lab at the University of East London. On Melissa & Doug’s stand, he’ll explain to retailers and the media how and why Melissa & Doug toys support a child’s brain development thanks to the company’s ethos of designing timeless toys with endless possibilities. Dr Wass became a brand ambassador for Melissa & Doug in 2021 and his appearance at London Toy Fair marks a continuation of the role into 2022, as the company further expands its presence in the UK and Europe while also strengthening its mission to encourage open-ended play.

Melissa & Doug’s stand at Toy Fair will showcase the very best of the company’s portfolio of 500+ toys spanning key play categories: Developmental, Arts and Crafts, Pretend Play, Puzzles and Active Play.

Alongside its best-selling core lines, the Melissa & Doug licensed ranges for Paw Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You!, which launched last year, will be on display at Toy Fair for the first time, including the hero items in the range: the Paw Patrol Rescue Mission Wooden Dashboard and the Blue’s Clues & You! Tickety Tock Magnetic Clock. Many other exciting new products will also be unveiled across each category, all of which can be viewed either in London or at Nuremberg, where the company can be found in Hall 6, stand A-34.

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Come and join us in 2022 as we showcase our latest bikes, ride-on toys, scooters and much more.

Get an exclusive first look at our assortment of Disney, Marvel and Lucas Film licenced range of kids bikes and ride on toys

Stand B90

Grand Hall - Ground Floor

Stand B390 Hall 7

To book a meeting please contact the team at: sales@unitedwheels.eu | Tel : +44 (0)1525 664041

2022 University Games

020 7254 0100 | www.university-games.co.uk Stand E50 The games, puzzles and gift specialists University Games and The Lagoon Group are heading to the London Toy Fair to launch over 80 new lines, celebrate a 75th anniversary, introduce an exciting new STEAM range and unveil a major brand release.

University Games has announced that Star Wars, The Mandalorian, Marvel and Disney will be joining its best-selling 3D puzzle range in 2022, with 20 new 3D offerings from the UK’s biggest and most iconic collection of properties offering puzzle fans a raft of new options to choose from. These highly detailed and realistic 3D models of some of the most iconic ships, buildings and characters in movie history offer incredible collectability for fans of these epic blockbusters. The range includes a 50x40 cm Millennium Falcon, a huge 80x40 cm Imperial Star Destroyer and a 45x50cm Arendelle Castle, plus many more.

This exciting new series of 3D puzzles joins the ever-popular Harry Potter 3D puzzle series, which includes the magical home of the Weasley Family, the Burrow, the transforming Knight Bus and Hagrid’s Hut, the home of Hogwarts’ Keeper of the Keys. The University Games 3D Puzzle collection also includes the Game of Thrones series and its best-selling range of football stadiums. Visit the company’s Toy Fair stand to see the complete, assembled 3D puzzle portfolio in all its glory.

The iconic and evergreen Subbuteo brand celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. With both the World Cup and Women’s World Cup tournaments scheduled for 2022, it’s going to be a huge year for football and the sport’s associated products. The Subbuteo range includes both the Official England and Official England Lionesses Main Games alongside the Original Main Game, as well as a host of teams and accessories including the new VAR Set. Other new product launches are also lined up for the anniversary year, all supported by a multi-layer and heavyweight media campaign in the second half of 2022.

This year will also see the launch of a new educational science range, which joins the children’s portfolio, as well as a new range of tins from Lagoon alongside a collection of gifts and travel games. The successful Murder Mystery range will also welcome fresh additions as well as fun new Icon Photography launches in the puzzle portfolio and two new titles for the Puzzle Plus category.

These additions will join the highly successful autumn launches Five Star Review, a game that draws out those inner critics, and Anti-Monopoly, a real-estate trading game for the 21st century. Judge Your Friends is a brilliant party game packed with questions you might not want to know the answer to, while Pathagon, Quadefy and Eternas are the first launches within a new series of strategy games.

Great Gizmos

01293 543221 | www.ggtrade.co.uk Stand G20

The popular 4M range from Great Gizmos is expanding once again with new additions to both the Science and Craft categories.

Mould & Paint continues to be one of the company’s most popular craft ranges. New for 2022 is the 3D range, available in Dinosaurs, Unicorns and Dragons. Each kit contains everything needed to mould and paint two impressive 3D dinosaur statues.

KidzMaker welcomes new introductions for 2022, including the Paint Your Own Glitter Unicorn Bank, Paint Your Own Garden Frog and Paint Your Own Flowerpot. The kits contain everything kids require to decorate their own masterpiece.

There are plenty of new additions to the KidzLabs range. Kids will love building the Roaring T-Rex Skull and watching it roar ferociously. KidzLabs Colour Mixer lets young scientists learn about water science and experiment with colours and lights to create cool effects. With 18 scientific projects to enjoy, this popular product offers a wealth of STEM learning. Meanwhile, the KidzLabs Creepy Crawly Digging Kit is ideal for bug lovers; digging through the plaster rock unearths a selection of creepy crawlies, and children can mount the bugs on the included specimen cards as well as learn facts about them.

The KidzLabs Gamemaker series is expanding with the addition of Magic Circuit Games.

This fun product conducts currents with pencil graphite, copper tape, fruits and even fingers.

Children can have fun creating unique and interesting games to be played with friends and family. Also new to this range are Dig & Play Treasure Island and the Chess Designer Kit. Each kit is designed so children can create their own boards and pieces, before playing the finished game.

The Green Science range welcomes the addition of Paper Making, which lets kids master this traditional art. They will also learn how to recycle their paper to make environmentally friendly, science-based craft projects. Kids will also be fascinated by the Hybrid Crabot. Once constructed, this clever hybrid robot crawls along using solar power and also takes batteries so play can continue even when there’s no sunlight.

New to the STEAM Powered Kids collection is Space Exploration. This bumper kit is ideal for the budding astronomer. Children can build and paint a solar system planetarium, construct a space projector and enjoy a spectacular space-themed slideshow. Also included are glow in the dark stars, a giant poster and more. The Earth Science and Knitting & Crochet kits, meanwhile, include multiple creative projects for children to follow at home.

Great Gizmos’ junior range of Thinking Kits continues to grow with the addition of Light’n Sound Art Pad, a feature packed doodle kit with flashing eyes, sound effects and colouring pens that lets kids create their own designs. Alternatively, they can build a Paper Cup Robot. The finished robot performs like an acrobat and moves around a table without falling off. Finally, the Vibrating Doodler takes drawing to the next level. The kit includes a 16-page activity booklet.

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2022 Magic Box Toys

01403 251 286 | www.magicboxint.com | Stand E45 SuperThings is now in its fourth year, and this month Magic Box is introducing Series 9, Guardians of Kazoom. The new team captains of this series are the result of an explosive mixture of Kazoom hero and villain energy, as well as the power of Kazoom Blast, the ultra-rare one in the series: each one is a different colour and has an amazing glass effect look.

The SuperThings range is made up of series-related items plus various play sets including two new mid-priced articulated robots, Superbot Kazoom Power and Superbot FuryStorm. Coinciding with this launch, Magic Box is introducing a new sustainability strategy by significantly reducing the use of plastic in its packaging. In July, the company will then introduce Series 10, Rescue Force. This series will see two new Superbots and the ultimate play set, the SuperThings Rescue Truck, join the brand’s current product line-up.

Magic Box introduced its new T-Racers concept in late 2021. The brand aimed to revolutionise the way kids play with cars as each collectible vehicle can be taken apart and put back together, providing over 500 Mix & Race combinations.

In April, the company will substantially boost this range with a full line-up of 16 collectible cars plus six complementary higher-priced play sets, each with an exclusive car and racing driver. A full marketing programme will support the range with TV, YouTube and webisodes including new cartoon episodes on the Magic Box YouTube Channel. In autumn/winter, the range will see the introduction of a further eight collectible cars plus two impressive new play sets including the new X-Racer Turbo Truck and the Ultimate Race set. Both come complete with an exclusive car and racing driver to fuel their collectability.

April will also see the launch of KookyLoos, a new range of mini dolls. The brand is launching with two fun and on-trend themes - Best Friends Forever and Sunday Funday – each of which offers kids 12 KookyLoos dolls to collect and play with (24 in total).

Each doll has three different facial expressions that can be changed with a click plus a selection of mix & match accessories hidden in little paper envelopes. Children rip these open to discover the surprises inside and then use them to create each doll’s fashion look. Every doll has its own personality and hobby and belongs to a squad made up of the other dolls to drive repeat purchase. Four play sets complete the launch range, two fashion wardrobes and two pop-up sets that turn into a bakery and a spa. Each comes with an exclusive doll.

Kookyloos will expand in autumn/winter 2022 with the addition of Party Time themed dolls and six new play sets including the cool Kooky Kamper Van, Sports Car and Kooky House.

A full marketing campaign will support the spring launch including TV, social, digital and POS material.

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NEW COLLECTION Visit us at London Toy Fair, Stand F20 For an appointment please contact: Bradley Wild, Head of UK Sales: bwild@plumproducts.com plumplay.co.uk

Award winning innovative scooters for all ages. Patented designs and systems deliver convenient, safe and high-quality scooters, balance bikes and tricycles for all members of the family.

2022 Dolu

07850 779 797 | www.dolu.com sales@sjr-associates.co.uk | Stand B100 This year marks Dolu’s 10th anniversary of supplying its popular indoor and outdoor toy ranges to the marketplace. Noting the challenges facing transport and supply over the past 12 months, the company says its grateful for the support and understanding of its customers, which enabled it to have its best ever year in the UK & Ireland.

The company will be introducing an impressive range of 25 new products to its range, bringing the total SKUs on offer to more than 250, all made in Turkey. Perfect for spring/summer, the company offers a bestselling line of high-quality play houses, slides, play gyms, sand and water tables, sand shells, picnic tables, football goals, tractors, trikes, ride- ons and much more, most available in both unisex colours and a pink unicorn theme to suit all tastes and outdoor spaces.

Much more than just an outdoor toys company, Dolu also manufactures play kitchens, desks and easels, garages, train sets with track, vehicles starting at pocket money price points, pre-school items, blocks and more. Many of the above will be presented at Olympia for the first time thanks to a stand that is three times bigger than the company’s previous Toy Fair appearances – 108m3. In Nuremberg, the stand is even bigger at 160m3. In 2022, as in previous years, Dolu aims to offer the highest quality of product with some of the most competitive prices in the UK. Dolu has now completed the move into its new factory, which has increased its capacity by 500%. As a result of the move, the company expects to be preparing its largest orders to date. Dolu hopes to dispatch all orders within 28 days of the order being received, with shipping to UK taking place within 21 days.

The London Toy Fair is expected to be a busy three days of catch-ups and networking, so UK distributor SJR Associates advises readers to get in touch ASAP using the details above to book their appointment with Steve or Ria Richardson.

Asmodee

01420 593 593 www.asmodee.co.uk Stand N5 Commencing in 2021 and carrying over well into 2022, Asmodee will continue its exciting partnerships with both CITV and Absolute Radio. The media sponsorships cover some of the company’s top kids’ titles including Dobble, Brainbox, Bananagrams and The Sock Game, as well as the best-selling Catan, Ticket to Ride and Azul.

All these games will benefit from significant seven figure investment throughout the year. From TV and radio to digital and PR, Asmodee is really upping the ante on its games advertising. Anyone wanting to find out more about the company’s approach to marketing investment and what a partnership might be able to offer is invited to visit the stand.

Asmodee is excited to welcome Stephen Mulhern to its Toy Fair stand on press day (Tuesday 25th January).

Stephen will be demonstrating both Rolling in It and In for a Penny. Meanwhile, radio presenter turned games designer Matt Edmondson, from Format Games, also be on hand to demonstrate his games Ansagrams, Egg Slam and Noggin, as well as So Wrong It’s Right.

Following an exceptional year for Dobble, the game will be taking part in Tuesday’s character parade alongside beloved fan-favourite Pikachu from Pokémon.

A dedicated Pokémon stand, which will be appearing within the Asmodee stand, offers visitors an opportunity to become their very own unique Pokémon card. The stand will also feature a giant Brainbox game, giving visitors an unmissable chance to test their knowledge against that of friends and colleagues at the show.

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2022

Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles www.rachellowe.co.uk Upper Level 102

Rachel Lowe MBE is an entrepreneur and board games developer known for creating the best-selling Destination games series. She is also the founder of Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles and is one of the UK’s leading games creators, specialising in creating and distributing licensed board games, jigsaw puzzles and card games.

Rachel will be on hand to showcase her latest launches and existing best-sellers at the London Toy Fair 2022.

During a career spanning almost 20 years, Rachel has discovered a love of licensing evident in her showstopping new lines for this year, several of which are exclusive Toy Fair releases.

Based on Channel 4’s hit comedy show Friday Night Dinner, the new 500-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring Jim and Milson will keep any fan entertained. It’s a ‘something smells nice’ treat and a great souvenir for fans of the decade-long sitcom. A brand new 1,000-piece Puzzle featuring the whole Friday Night Dinner cast will also be launched at the show.

Mr Bean, another comedy favourite, has made his way into the Rachel Lowe portfolio in the form of a hilarious 1,000-piece Mr Bean Jigsaw Puzzle. Mr Bean is one of the most popular comedy acts of all time with a staggering 129m Facebook followers, and this puzzle would make an ideal gift for any of them. Other new licensed releases include two more Mr Bean Puzzles which will be unveiled for the first time at Toy Fair.

Elf on the Shelf and Beano were major successes for Rachel Lowe in 2021, with both again set to be a popular choice among retailers this year. Demand for these properties saw the warehouse emptied of stock

by September 2021, but plenty more is now available. The company has just signed a new two-year deal with The Lumistella Company for Elf on the Shelf. The festive licensed board game, puzzle and Snap range is set to expand with new product releases giving retailers a broad selection for their Elf on the Shelf displays.

Rachel Lowe has also just signed a further two-year deal for Beano after a successful initial partnership with the brand. Beano celebrated the 70th anniversary of Dennis in 2021 and the board game, puzzles range and Snap game proved popular among fans looking to celebrate the landmark year. Beano’s heritage within the kids’ space is second to none and its fans span generations, making this an all-time family favourite brand with product that sells through year after year.

Call the Midwife fans were delighted by the BBC’s announcement of Season 12 and Season 13, which, together with the Christmas specials, will take the show through to at least 2024. Rachel Lowe’s Call the Midwife Board Game is a perfect fit for the festive season. Visitors the to stand will be able to see the company’s latest new releases and find out more about the plans for this family favourite.

The games designer has one more new release up her sleeve, but this will be kept under wraps until the show.

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2022 Playmonster UK

01628 488 944 | www.playmonster.co.uk trade@playmonster.co.uk Stand G10 Playmonster will continue pushing its successful growth strategies across new and expanding categories with a focus on its Discover, Grow & Play brand as well as games, fashion, arts & crafts, and educational toys.

Making the most of family game time, the successful pocket-sized Pop-A-Tops range continues into 2022 with the fact-packed Dinoscore and Pet Factor, fast-paced Bake-A-Cake and speedy observation game Match a Martian. Players wanting to find out who in their family knows the most history, even if it means potentially being outsmarted by the youngest player, will enjoy the latest Pop-A-Tops introduction, Heads of History. This fastpaced knowledge testing game sees players race to find the famous figure with the nearest birthdate or iconic moment. All Pop-A-Tops titles make for great self-contained travel and stocking-filler games and are priced at an affordable RRP. 5 Second Rule has delivered another year of double-digit growth and continues to be a key household game, with 5SR Electronic, Mini (travel), Junior and Uncensored delivering strong numbers across the board. Spring/summer welcomes four unique educational pre-school games; Puzzled is a new range of 3-in-1 race around the board game-puzzle hybrids, while Whose Nest, Flippity Frog and Off the Rails further expand the games offering. New additions will follow in the Kids, Family and Travel Games categories for autumn/winter 2022.

Playmonster’s Discover, Grow & Play drive continues with a focus on improving awareness of nature and preservation of the natural world, and teaching children about the importance of the future of the planet. This successful category welcomes new launches from Peppa Pig, My Fairy Garden and the hugely popular My Living World.

The company has inked a deal with the WWF to bring Wild Scenes to the UK market. This licensed range teaches children about conservation and the importance of protecting the habitat of endangered species as they enjoy growing their own animal home. Each pack will include a highly detailed animal, a pack of edible plant seeds, natural habitat elements, a fact booklet and a WWF Donation Certificate. Playmonster’s aim is to create a fully sustainable and recyclable range. Kids can collect Orangutan’s Treetop Adventure, Tiger’s Hideout, Panda’s Bamboo Forest and Elephant’s Watering Hole, all of which are available from launch.

The evergreen My Fairy Garden play sets continue to capture the magic of enchanting fairy worlds and the wonder of nature, creating unique and imaginative play experiences.

Following extensive consumer research, Playmonster will introduce a new low price point offering in autumn/winter, Make-A-Fairy Wish, to drive collectability and bring a new creative to the market. Fuelled by the successful launch of the refreshed My Living World creepy crawly brand in 2021, families continue to invest as they seek affordable, educational play ideas to entertain kids at home, in the garden, or at the park. Ant World, Worm World and the latest edition to the range, the Bug Photography Kit, will be a major focus throughout 2022.

Fab Lab continues to develop sustainable, environmentally friendly products and packaging. The brand introduces the new Glow in the Dark Nail Art kit in spring/summer, while Nail stickers and the Glow and Glam Nail studio will hit shelves in autumn/winter. Extending the crafting range, Fab Lab is also launching a new special Shrink Jewellery kit.

This engaging and innovative new product allows kids to create unique and fashionable bracelets, keyrings, necklaces and rings using an on-trend technique called shrink art.

Big news is also on the horizon for Fuzzikins. The Homemakers range performed exceptionally well in 2021, so Playmonster will expand the theme with the new Unicorn Sleepover set. The set includes three cute tents and sleeping bags for the three unicorns to sleep in. The Homemakers modular range continues, allowing children aged three and above to decorate and build their own fuzzy world of imagination and play.

Juratoys

020 8878 2133 | www.lalaboom.toys sales@juratoys.co.uk | Stand N2 Suitable for children from 10 months, Lalaboom educational beads support children in their psychomotor development, allowing them to work on fine motor skills, concentration, dexterity, creativity and hand-eye coordination.

Kids can lace, stack, connect, mix and match the brightly coloured and tactile pieces to create wacky builds, enjoy fun games and turn bath time into playtime.

A wide range of sets is available to suit all budgets, from the 12-piece impulse purchase pouch; the 28-piece bead and accessories set, which comes with a handy storage and carry bag; to the 48-piece bag and box options. The Caterpillar Bath Toy is an educational and scalable bath toy featuring eight differently coloured and shaped pieces.

Also available are the Arches Rainbow and Beads 13-piece set, and the Lalaboom Peg Board. The latter is an activity desk that allows the child to develop manual and mental skills thanks to the beads and the different illustrated activity cards (memory game, colour game and more). The desk also serves as a building base for playing with Lalaboom beads. Further enhancing the play pattern, there are over 30 activities to download and print from www.lalaboom.toys.

New for 2022 are the Farm Animal Beads, a line that introduces kids to Bob the pig, Bill the sheep, Jo the rabbit and Chuck the chick. These chunky, fun and friendly animal beads can be screwed, clipped, stacked and laced together to create endless tactile combinations. The Farm Animal Beads Maxi Set comes complete with 41 colourful pieces.

Lalaboom retail solutions include colourful FDSUs with ‘try me’ shelving that can hold an assortment of beads and accessories, and composition displays that come with up to 12 units. To see the full range of Lalaboom toys and accessories, visit the website or contact Juratoys.

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2022 Moose Toys

01637 882200 | www.moosetoys.com uko.tradeenquiries@moosetoys.com Stand N15 Following a successful launch of the master toy range in July 2021, Moose Toys has brought together one of the hottest new licences of the year with its top performing home, outdoor and lifestyle ranges for all Bluey fans.

Bluey is fast becoming one of the biggest pre-school brands of the year, and Moose has expanded its licensed range offering with a range of character merchandise at price points to suit all budgets.

From toddler beds and play tents to night lights and ReadyBeds, the additions to the range are sure to put smiles on the faces of Bluey and Bingo lovers. The licensed offering features a homewares range, consisting of two toddler beds, a table and chairs, sling bookcase and a handy storage unit for littles ones to tidy away their favourite Bluey toys, while the ever-popular Pop n Fun outdoor offering includes a Pop Up Tent, Wendy Tent and a stand-out Feature Tent so kids can climb into Bandit’s 4 Wheel Drive and act out scenes from the show.

There is also a range of night lights to help children feel safe and secure at bedtime, with GoGlow Pal and GoGlow Buddy. The GoGlow Buddy, which is available in both Bingo and Bluey designs, launched in Australia last year and has consistently been a Top 10 Bluey line. Adding to a great night’s sleep, Moose’s beloved ReadyBed range features a Junior ReadyBed with bright and colourful Bluey and Bingo design, which is perfect for sleepovers.

For spring 2022, Moose Toys will also be launching its new Outdoor Sports range exclusively to the UK market, featuring three fun and active outdoor games: Bowling, Basketball and Football.

Rubies

08453 070 707 | www.rubiesuk.com | Stand N25 Spider-Man: No Way Home swung into cinemas on 17th December, and Rubies has unmasked its latest costume designs from the superhero. Multiple costumes are available now in children and adults’ deluxe variations, to tie-in with the outfits seen in the film. The dress-up collection is inspired by three different costumes worn by Peter Parker’s Spider-Man in the film, including a classic edition, an Iron Spider and a Stealth Spider-Man. The release of the official Spider-Man: No Way Home costumes is the latest collaboration between Rubies and Marvel and adds to Rubies’ extensive catalogue of costumes from the film series.

Rubies has also introduced a raft of new licences and fresh products for the youngest members of the family, including global brands and household names such as CoComelon, Sesame Street and Numberblocks.

Moonbug Entertainment’s internationally acclaimed series CoComelon has become the latest addition to Rubies portfolio of licences, with children able to dress up and recreate the magic of the TV hit show as well as singing along with Baby JJ and his siblings.

Another new addition is Numberblocks, the BAFTA award-winning revolutionary maths programme which uses humour, music, inventive animation and delightful characters to bring maths to life children under the age of six.

Also available in the brand-new Marvel and Disney Junior series are costumes for Spidey and His Amazing Friends, based on the animated TV series which features Spidey teaming up with Ghost and Spin to defeat bad guys. The trio’s superhero suits are available in pre-school sizes so little ones can become the superheroes.

Elmo and Cookie Monster from the iconic Sesame Street series have also arrived in stock, along with the YouTube sensation Oddbods, featuring two of the quirky lead characters in Pogo and Fuse.

The costumes for CoComelon, Dino Ranch and Numberblocks will be available across EMEA and Australia in 2022, whilst the Spidey and his Amazing Friends costumes will be available soon. Both Oddbods and Sesame Street costumes are available to order now.

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2022 Just Play

www.justplayproducts.com uksales@justplayproducts.com Stand B60 Just Play is renowned for its award-winning quality and innovation. Having won numerous accolades in the US over the last 11 years of trading, the company’s 2022 UK line is built on proven results from the US sales performance.

Mickey and Minnie continue to go from strength to strength in the US. The introduction of Mickey and Minnie to the UK range aligns perfectly with the raft of strong new content coming through, which has been made more accessible than ever via Disney and Disney+’s enhanced digital strategy for the beloved characters. The toy range includes figures and play sets incorporating core themes such as farmyard and firefighters. All Mickey and Minnie toys will be supported with digital and TV campaigns through to ‘show to shelf’ concepts including the new Mickey Funhouse. With an extensive range of role play lines, children can learn through play whilst having fun with Mickey and Minnie. In addition to Just Play’s current 3” figure scale, the company is introducing a 6” Minnie figure with fashion accessories kids can use to dress and customise Minnie. Complete with a handy carry case, the line offers reusable packaging which brings added value and storage solutions to playtime. The company will also TV advertise its Minnie Bow-Tel Hotel. This hero line is a large 2-sided play set featuring Minnie and her friends.

Just Play welcomes exciting additions to the Blue’s Clues & You! range, including a new feature plush line for autumn/winter 2022, Blowing Kisses Blue. This adorable Blue plush blows kisses and makes a great add-on line alongside the much-loved and award-winning Peek-a-Blue. The line will be supported with a digital marketing campaign as well as TV advertising for autumn/winter 2022, with a targeted PR campaign developed in alignment with the media plan.

With 75 years of heritage behind it, Just Play is excited to now own the iconic original Slinky. The company has plans that will see it build upon the popular brand and add a modern twist to its marketing plan. After so many years in the marketplace, Slinky remains in high demand, and it’s phenomenal US 2021 sales are proof that it’s a timeless classic.

Just Play is also bringing something completely new to the market with its Sensory FX range, a unique ASMR experience. The unboxing experience offered by this tactile line is designed to create an ASMR response in addition to the toys themselves, which are designed to be both collectible and connectable to create an even bigger ASMR encounter. The Recorder Cube enables kids to record unique sounds and replay the ASMR fun. Marketing activity will focus heavily on the ASMR trend through YouTube and TikTok, with PR activity focused on the positive impact of ASMR on wellbeing.

CoComelon continues to grow. Just Play’s range of ELA toys brings all the fun of the CoComelon characters from the screen to real life, supporting children’s learning and development through play. From the JJ Learning Doll, which teaches colours, numbers and shapes, to the entry price point JJ’s Learning Phone, which features over 50 learning and development sounds and phrases, plus new CoComelon construction toys, there is something for every young learner in the collection.

Disney Doorables has had an incredible sales performance to date in the US. This collectible range, which invites kids to enjoy an unboxing experience along with a host of classic Disney characters, is flying off the shelves and delivering an extremely positive performance in the UK soon after arriving at retail. Just Play is expecting big things from Doorables when its marketing activity kicks in. This will be heavily focused on digital platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to support the brand’s increased distribution and expansion into 2022.

Just Play counts several other strong licences in its portfolio including Barbie, Disney Princess, Frozen, Harry Potter, DC Superpets, Batman, Ryan’s World, Disney Stitch and The Lion King, so retailers can be assured of a comprehensive choice.

Heathside

01282 775778 | www.heathside.biz | sales@heathside.biz Stand F22 Exhibiting for the first time at Olympia, Heathside will be showcasing an extensive range of innovative and exciting products with a focus on toys, games and collectibles to suit all ages.

The show will see the introduction of Heathside’s new imprint Khadou, featuring ranges based on hot pop culture properties including Terraria, Among Us, Minecraft, Sonic, Astro Boy, My Hero Academia, Squid Game, Rilakkuma, Dr Who, Only Fools & Horses, Dads Army, Peaky Blinders and more.

The Mego action figure range continues to prove hugely popular with specialist and mass retailers. In 2022, the range will be expanded with the introduction of The Batman movie and other properties sure to be popular with pop culture fans. Spring will see a strong line-up including a host of new characters from classic TV, movie, music and horror properties.

This year, Heathside will continue building upon its comprehensive portfolio of board games and puzzles which is based on a selection of leading character licences including Harry Potter, Dr Who, Friends, Only Fools & Horses, Dad’s Army, Monopoly, My Little Pony, Transformers, Power Rangers and many more.

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Special Feature

BTHA Toy Retailer of the Year

2021 finalists

The British Toy & Hobby Association has announced the finalists for the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards 2021.

A

s usual, nominations were invited from BTHA members, sales directors, toy agents and national account directors, as well as toy retailers nominating themselves. The shortlist was created by industry-wide panels including members of the BTHA Council, toy agents, sales and national account directors from around the UK and the toy industry press.

The winners of the prestigious Toy Retailer of the Year Awards including Overall Toy Retailer of the Year will be announced, along with any other special BTHA awards, during Toy Fair 2022 with the Toy Retailers Association (TRA), who will also announce the Toy and Supplier Award winners for 2021.

Further information on the awards presentation arrangements will follow in due course. Over the following pages we present details of the nominees in the independent Toy Retailer of the Year and Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year categories.

Independent Toy Retailer of the Year (single store) • Toys & Games of Worcester, Worcestershire • McGreevy's Toys Direct, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland • Giddy Goat Toys, Manchester Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (Multi Store) • Midco Toys • Howleys Toymaster • Toy Galaxy

Online Excellence Award • Smyths • Amazon • Very

Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year • B&M Stores • Tesco • The Entertainer Omnichannel Toy Retailer of the Year • The Entertainer • Smyths • Argos

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Yoto Mini

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Special Feature Independent Toy Retailer of the Year (single store) Toys & Games of Worcester, Worcestershire Toys & Games of Worcester is run by Tim Evans, wife Vicky and a small team, with help from the couple’s children Laura and Ieuan. Over the last year, the team has worked incredibly hard to survive another extremely challenging 12 months, and has not only survived, but has thrived. The store managed to trade throughout all lockdowns, engaging with customers through social media and the telephone to processing and deliver local orders, before moving quickly to convert its website to an online shop. Although this proved popular, the business remains focused on its bricks and mortar store, though it still engages and communicates with customers through Facebook and has increased its followers from 2,000 to 6,000. The store took advantage of the lockdown to carry out work in its 170-year-old building, installing new energy efficient LED lighting. The team has managed to negotiate the use of empty offices at the back of the shop for trading card events, which it managed to welcome back once restrictions eased. The store works closely with local charities Worcester Food Bank and Worcester Children’s First and is also a sponsor of Worcester City FC. It also has an eye-catching delivery van that is now famous around Worcester.

McGreevy's Toys Direct, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland McGreevy’s Toys Direct is a fourth-generation family-run toy shop, which opened in 1904. As well as having a loyal local customer base, it is an attraction for many tourists, partly due to its “99” ice-cream cones which have been voted best in the country by the Irish Times newspaper. Under the charge of Don McGreevy, who took over the running of the shop 51 years ago, the shop has gone on to stock a wide variety of well-known brands. Like most businesses, the shop had to adapt rapidly to meet the challenges of the pandemic and it now runs a successful online business alongside the physical store. Donard McGreevy, wife Laura and his father, Don, are all involved in the shop every day, helping customers with their years of experience and product knowledge. The shop takes great pride in offering the best service it possibly can, whether this means replying to emails that come in at 11pm, or hand-writing customers’ birthday and Christmas messages in a greeting card being sent with a gift.

Giddy Goat Toys, Manchester Giddy Goats Toys entices customers in with fun window displays created by one of its longstanding employees, Ruth. Owner Amanda Alexander says she puts a lot of thought into choosing products that offer play value and value for money and stocking a wide range for all ages and budgets. Like other independent toy shops, Giddy Goat Toys is a key part of the community, being part of the local loyalty card scheme and traders’ network and contributing to local initiatives such as flower planters and Christmas lights, as well as donating to school PTA raffles and charities. Amanda actively seeks out new opportunities to strengthen the business and ensure longevity such as joining the Down Your High Street scheme, which she describes as a turning point and generated a whole new sales channel. This year the shop was chosen as one of the Small Biz 100 retailers and has enjoyed taking part in events and activities including a meet and great event at the House of Lords in November.

It has also looked to technology to help streamline processes, and is now on an EPOS system, enabling the linking of online inventories. Giddy Goat Toys is listed on the Clearpay directory, has added Klarna to its payment options for customers and has also joined OnBuy.

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Toy Fair Olympia 25-27th January Stand: G20

KidzLabs Roaring T-Rex Skull 403399

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STEAM Powered Kids Space Exploration 405537

KidzMaker Paint Your Own Unicorn Bank 404778

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Special Feature Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (Multi Store) Midco Toys Midco Toys has risen out of the global pandemic stronger than ever with a new Burton-Upon-Trent store opening the day the national lockdown lifted in April.

The shop is much larger than the previous store and has allowed the business to expand its selection and ranges and also highlight main suppliers with point of sale and specialist areas and departments. This has involved creating a mini Lego store. Owner Dave Middleton strives to bring in the latest crazes first, as well as investing heavily in the latest hot products such as Squishmallows and Pokémon. The shop works closely with suppliers and licensing companies to fund window displays for its stores and Dave says this has helped hugely with driving sales. It has also implemented a seasonal promotional area in store, changed on a four-weekly basis. Because of the pandemic, in-store activities have been limited, but Midco has signed up to become a Pokémon organised play centre with dates in the calendar for character visits and in-store activities partnering with leading suppliers. As well as still using catalogues, Midco Toys has embraced social media and now has 20,000 followers across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. A savings club operates all year round, as well as a home delivery service and a loyalty card. Midco supports local charities, recently partnering with Derek's Tree, which helps bring toys to kids at Christmas.

Howleys Toymaster In 1986 Howleys Toy Shop in Weymouth was acquired by Philip Moore, when the previous owner could see no way to compete with the might of the new Argos showroom that had recently opened in the high street. 35 years later, Howleys Toymaster operates over four combined units in Weymouth together with branches in Dorchester, Bridport and Paignton in Devon. A member of Toymaster for over 25 years. Howleys has stood the test of time thanks to the simple mantra of outstanding service and great value. Now with Philip’s son, Ian, at the helm, the business continues to deliver exceptional value over a wide range of toys, game and models, with a team including four members of staff who have been with Howleys for many years. As Weymouth has always been a popular summer holiday destination, the growth of the Weymouth shop has gone hand in hand with the strength of the outdoor offer, while sticks of rock and boxes of fudge have developed into a standalone sweet shop trading as Toymaster Candy Planet.

The Dorchester shop is well established in the town and has a loyal, long serving manager, while Bridport trades under the name Frosts Toymaster and is still watched over by Vernon Franklin, the previous owner and respected toy trade veteran. Paignton, which was acquired in February 2020, is a large store with a highly motivated ex-ELC team and is also a strong performer in the summer. As the group has grown, so has its online presence with a dedicated internet team supported by a warehouse/distribution centre.

Toy Galaxy Toy Galaxy prides itself on its customer service and delivering a friendly environment in which to shop. The team of instore staff is dedicated to helping its customers, which they feel they get to know very well. In November, the Toymaster member opened its latest store in the Atria shopping centre in Watford, just in time for the peak Christmas shopping period and bringing the Toy Galaxy store estate to five outlets. The Watford branch joins existing stores located in Barnet, Ealing, Hatfield and Witney. This year, Toy Galaxy also produced an advert highlighting the importance of supporting independent retailers, a subject close to the company’s heart.

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Retail Profile

Colart

Face value

with Colart’s

brand

Dan Sugrue, mass channel director at Colart, outlines how Snazaroo – the Colart-owned face and body paint brand which has been making its products in the UK for over 30 years – ignites a love of creative play and what the year ahead has in store.

We recognise that creativity promotes positive emotions, and that is extremely important to all of us right now, adults and kids alike. It sparks the imagination and inspires grownups, children and everyone in between to learn and create, while enabling them to experiment and express themselves safely.

What sets Snazaroo apart from other face paint brands in the marketplace?

Are you seeing a lot of interest among consumers in face-painting at the moment?

We’re seeing a huge resurgence in popularity for all things art, connectivity and creativity across our artistic brands, from Winsor & Newton, due to consumers either re-discovering or developing a new passion for art, through to face painting, as a result of parents and children using Snazaroo Face Paint to inspire imaginative play. Parents find that when they invest a little time in face painting, it sparks hours of family fun and creativity.

Why do you feel creative play is so important?

Snazaroo is a global name and the most trusted face paint brand in the UK. We have built up that trust by really listening to our consumers and understanding what is important for them when choosing a face paint brand for their children.

From our consumer insights, we know that safety is an important factor for parents looking for face painting products. They want to know the paint is safe to use on a child’s delicate skin. Our products are proudly made in the UK to the highest quality standards, are fragrance-free and specially formulated to be gentle on sensitive skin. Our products go through extensive testing by independent dermatology and toxicology experts, and we have never tested on animals.

Being easy to use is also important to our customers. This is why our face paint is waterbased and easy to wash off. We make the face painting experience a fun and simple one to follow with clear, easy-to-follow instructions and 3-step guides inside our face paint kits. In addition, we also offer online tutorials on our website so that the looks can be easily re-created at home.

What are your best-selling products?

Our Brush Pens were developed with the young

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child in mind, so that children can use them on their own and be as creative as they like. The Snazaroo Ultimate Party Pack has always been a best-seller for us. This kit that contains sponges, a brush and everything else needed to get started with some creative face painting fun. Consumers come back time and time again to buy this product.

It is the perfect party gift, and a go-to for all childrens’ celebrations.

What are your plans for the year ahead?

In 2022, we can see consumers wanting to celebrate the big face painting events in the diary, beginning with World Book Day through to the Queen’s Jubilee, family festivals and sporting events, and the FIFA World Cup. In 2021 we moved our production facilities to larger premises in Somerset, giving us even greater production capacity. We are expecting great things from 2022 and from our new factory in Rainbow Way - yes, that is really the name of the street. We’re also seeing increased consumer optimism and a desire to come together and celebrate not only big occasions, but small ones too.

What can visitors expect to see at Toy Fair?

We’ll be on Stand N24, where – alongside our range of Snazaroo facepainting products – Colart will also be offering visitors a sneak preview of Lefranc Bourgeois Enfants. This exciting range of childrens’ arts & crafts products performs well for Colart across its global markets and offers UK retailers a strong opportunity.

To see our full range of products, visit www.snazaroo.com.

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Q&A

Creative thinking

at Haico

Haico’s Katie O’Neill, buying director, Ravelle Leacock, creative director and Hayley Leacock, commercial director, tell Toy World what it was like to launch a company at the start of the pandemic, and what its goals are for 2022 now a raft of new product launches are taking place. are completely re-usable. Each child can create their own arts & craft masterpiece which they can either keep or wash clean, and then play with over and over again. Included in every product is a new compound that we’ve developed, Squidgems Gloop. Our gloop is a non-transferable, completely water-based toxinfree compound. It is safe and fun for children to use when playing with our products and it has had brilliant feedback from retail.

Can you tell us about your backgrounds and why you decided to start Haico?

Hayley: Establishing Haico has been a natural progression for everyone in the team. We’ve all been in the toy and creative industries for over 10 years, and our aim with Haico was to provide an outlet for all the creativity and innovation we wanted to share with the world. The team also wanted to work in a business in which the company’s culture and its successes stemmed from giving people the freedom to thrive in their own unique way.

Do you think your experience in the toy market has been a big help in getting the company established?

Hayley: Our experience has allowed us to build a robust, tried and tested infrastructure that supports retailers globally. Our skills as buyers and product developers have also enabled us to combine these two critical areas and build a business that is intuitive and flexible to the ever-changing landscape.

Not that you appreciated it at the time, but what a period in which to launch a new company: how have the last two years been?

Katie: We were as shocked as anyone to see how the pandemic hit our sector and the global markets.

However, we’ve been able to use our infancy as a business to our advantage and avoided a lot of the major issues. We took time to develop and train our teams, establish our infrastructure, and nurture our supply base, meaning we were 100% ready and firing on all cylinders for when our much-missed customers were ready to buy again.

How challenging has it been to open new accounts when you couldn’t meet face to face with retailers?

Hayley: Great buyers are always looking for great product, so it hasn’t been a challenge. We’ve had really positive results and founded many new relationships which we’re sure will flourish into 2022 and beyond.

How is the range expanding for ’22?

What products have you focused on and what do you see as the key strengths of the range?

Ravelle: We’ve looked at the toy and stationery markets cross-category and identified gaps which we’ve exploited to launch our own IPs and ranges, delivering product that was much needed and underdeveloped. A perfect example of this is Haico’s new MindFul product range, which is specifically developed for children with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder).

We know demand for this type of product is very high, especially post-pandemic, but sadly it’s not readily available in the market. From next year we want to make sure that everyone has access to this type of product should they need it. Each one of the MindFul products provides sensory feedback for each of the seven senses: Sight (vision), Hearing (auditory), Smell (olfactory), Taste (gustatory), Touch (tactile), Vestibular (movement and balance) and Proprioception (body position/awareness).

Developing product with a true purpose is a core principle of Haico.

What have been the most successful lines so far?

Ravelle: Our Squidgems product range. This brand is unique because it brings toys, sensory play, compounds and arts & crafts together in one product. Most importantly, the items in this range

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Katie: Haico will be launching no less than five new brands in 2022. All the new ranges will be an extension of the successes we’ve had so far but with exciting new concepts and play patterns that are unique to each brand. All the magic has already taken place behind the scenes: all that’s left to do is present them to retail in product previews from this month onwards.

Where can retailers see the new products?

Hayley: All our products can be viewed at our showroom in Media City. Buyers are invited to visit for either a face-to-face appointment or a virtual link if they are unable to travel. We’re also always on the road and will be all over the country meeting buyers throughout January and February.

What are your aspirations for 2022 and beyond?

Katie: We can’t wait to see Haico’s brands launch in stores this year. We’re also looking forward to launching in new territories such as the USA and Australia, and to growing our team by inviting more like-minded people to become part of the incredibly exciting adventure we’re all on.

Hayley: Our personal aspirations are very much part of our core belief as a business. We know that if you put people at the heart of everything you do and you care about - your impact on them and our planet the business will flourish in its own unique way.

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Viewpoint Key themes for the year ahead in advertising Looking ahead at how the media landscape for 2022 is likely to develop, here’s what companies should take into account, in order to maximise their advertising strategy.

Tristan Brooks Tristan is head of Client Services and managing partner at Azure Media, a leading youth and family specialist media agency.

He can be contacted on tristan.brooks@havasmg.com

Be prepared for the unexpected If recent times have taught us anything, it’s to be prepared for the unexpected, and this is certainly true for toy advertisers. It’s important to make sure that within your campaigns you have the flexibility to be reactive and amend your plans at short notice as required. Your agencies should have built flexibility into your plans for the coming year, giving the ability to adapt to changes with minimal disruption and cost. On the flip side of this, you should also be prepared to take advantage of opportunities like soft pricing in the market if advertising demand suddenly drops.

Think digital first Move away from starting campaigns from a kids’ TV perspective. As kids TV reach continues to decline, this may well limit your approach and ability to invest effectively where your audience is. It was refreshing to hear from a new toy client of ours that it’s a ‘digital first’ company. It’s a statement of intent from a toy company that’s empowering, relevant and embraces the present and the future. Through this mentality, it’s the learnings that will be captured that will help shape its future marketing campaigns and ultimately aid growth.

Don’t isolate, collaborate Delivering an effective and engaging campaign requires a 360 approach with your marketing partners.

Collaborate and integrate more by

bringing the right people together from different disciplines at the right time, to give your campaigns the best chance of success by widening the creative input. Egos and conflicts of interest will need to be left at the door. This is easily done if you agree the role of your agencies based on their competencies to best deliver the campaign objectives. If your agencies are working with your best interests at heart, this shouldn’t be an issue.

YouTube is THE Kids TV channel Your approach to YouTube may well make the difference this year for the effectiveness of your campaigns.

This channel is central for kids yet still it doesn’t have the same level of investment as kids’ broadcast TV. Pricing is comparable, it offers highly focused targeting, can be optimised faster, the reach is higher and the ability to engage with longer advertising messages is unparalleled.

Advertisers need a balanced approach to YouTube that maximises the engagement potential of the platform whilst being cost effective.

Creating connected content journeys to conversion Digital video platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram offer to drive both engagement and direct traffic to retail, giving advertisers the ability to connect the path from exposure to conversion. Creating the right content journey, for the right audience at

the right time is crucial to building an effective content strategy that connects across the customer journey not just delivering upper funnel awareness.

2022 is the year of cinema As long as cinemas remain open, 2022 is set to be one of the strongest years in kids’ cinema in with Minions: The Rise of Gru, Lightyear, DC League of Super-Pets and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to name but a few of a stellar release line up. So far, since cinemas reopened, footfall has been strong so maybe this is one to have on the plans - but be prepared to reinvest budget elsewhere if they are forced to close.

Data, data, data There’s an ever-growing amount of data available to advertisers across the customer journey. Agencies should help you unpack the insights from this data to give you a greater confidence in investment decisions and how you’re going to measure success.

Innovate And finally, try and test something new. Innovation in an ever-evolving market is a fundamental to learning, evolving and ultimately driving growth. Think about the present and the future, don’t get bogged down by the past and you’ll already be going in the right direction.

Good luck!

at the heart of Visit Toy World on our new Stand at Toy Fair B23 Located in the walkway between the two ground floor halls Toy World 328

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For more information on the two ranges and others visit: www.dkbtoys.com or contact info@dkbtoys.com for more information

Viewpoint Changes to toy safety and compliance Matthew Thorpe brings readers up to date on the very latest from the world of toy safety.

Matthew Thorpe Matthew is global account manager/ business development manager at MTS/Eurofins He can be contacted on Mat@mts-uk.co.uk

The effects of Brexit are starting to shape the compliance landscape for toys and will become more pronounced next year, however the good news is that not everything is changing. The general approach to compliance remains the same in terms of information gathering, technical files, safety labelling and so on.

The date for the mandatory application of the new UKCA compliance mark has been extended by a year until 1st January 2023.

Until then the CE mark is still acceptable, providing that the EU requirements remain aligned to the UK. This shouldn’t affect the toy industry too much except where Type Examination is required, but is a big help to industries where mandatory 3rd party assessments are required; if you supply oven gloves or Christmas crackers (among other things) then this extension will be a welcome relief.

MTS UK is an Approved Body for toys and, following the acquisition by Eurofins, is now also able to provide EU Notified Body support for toys.

Some significant changes will take effect during 2022 in the EU that are not being matched in the UK. A number of new toy standards have been harmonised by the EU and are currently in a transition period, with older versions being withdrawn over the next few months. As such, the current editions will cease to provide a presumption of conformity with the Toy Safety Directive.

The UK government has not yet announced any changes to their list of Designated Standards meaning there will be a difference between the EU and Great Britain. Our guidance is not to rush out and test to both versions of the standards (although

MTS will do so if requested) however if you are moving to the new standards and your customer is demanding to see an older version of EN71, then please get in touch and we will try and help. Generally speaking, if the newer standards include the same requirements of the older standard, then this should still be sufficient to show compliance. For example, if the newer standard only amends the requirements for costumes and you are making a soft toy, then nothing will have changed in terms of safety obligations for your product.

If you are only selling in Great Britain, these changes won’t impact you; although it is anticipated that the UK will adopt the revised toy standards as designated standards in due course, there are not expected to be many companies solely in this subset. If you are selling into the EU or Northern Ireland (Brexit again) and using EN71 to show presumption of conformity, then this could have an impact in terms of testing in the laboratory and the details on your Declaration of Conformity. You can choose to apply the requirements of the new editions of the standards even before they are formally harmonised even though the presumption of conformity has not yet granted by the harmonisation process. This is because the new editions represent an increase in safety standard over the previous editions.

New standards for finger paints and nitrosamines took effect in late November but the upcoming changes in 2022 are likely to have a wider impact across the industry.

An ongoing impact of Brexit is the names and addresses on products.

Since the Brexit transition period

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ended in 2020, organisations based in Great Britain have been legally unable to place goods on the EU market (not just toys) without having an EU name and address on the product. Conversely goods placed on the GB market require a GB name and address. Anecdotally, this has not been widely enforced so far but it appears there is an increasing focus on this for EU customs and enforcement authorities. It can be expected that there will be an increase in awareness/ enforcement activity around this area as time progresses and as the deadline for those regulations requiring conformity marking (31st Dec 2022) approaches.

Post-Brexit, the UK is now free to start developing its own legislation and develop new requirements targeting specific areas of concern or emerging issues, although it still remains a member of CEN which is the organisation that develops standards such as EN71. The EU has announced the start of the process to fully update the Toy Safety Directive to address some of the current gaps and limitations. This development is likely to take some time to complete, but MTS and the wider Eurofins group will continue to monitor this and flag any significant changes in the future as this will inevitably widen the compliance gap between Britain and the EU. The MTS/Eurofins team will be exhibiting at the London Toy Fair and will also be in Nuremburg in February so please come and see us if there are questions about product compliance.

For any immediate compliance questions then please get in touch at Mat@mts-uk.co.uk.

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Special Feature

Supply chain challenges

It’s time to build resilience into your supply chain

Suppliers will face ongoing higher container rates, but they can do more to help themselves overcome supply chain issues, a webinar co-hosted by Toy World has heard.

T

he free event, attended by over 280 suppliers and retailers from across the UK and worldwide, also heard from a logistics expert who believes that, despite many suppliers feeling they were being held over a barrel with increasing freight costs, the shipping industry was not acting as a cartel.

Entitled Supply Chains, Transportation and Toys: thoughts into the future, the session was a collaboration between Toy World, the British Toy & Hobby Association and The Toy Industries of Europe.

Attendees heard from panellists Professor John D Mangan, who holds the chair in Logistics at the School of Engineering, Newcastle University and Iain Prince, who heads up KPMG’s Supply Chain team. Both pulled no punches about the challenges that still lie ahead, while also suggesting the worst of the volatility, poor service and huge price rises may at least be behind us.

However, anyone hoping that shipping costs will return to pre-pandemic levels any time soon were soon disavowed of that notion: it was generally felt that container prices will fall slightly in 2022, but would settle quite a way above the low rates that suppliers enjoyed back in 2019.

And it is a real worry for many suppliers: a survey carried out by KPMG of over 1,000 CEOs in

the retail and consumer sector globally, revealed that supply chain issues is one of the top three items on the agenda of the board, and also in the top three risks.

companies, the webinar heard that new shipping capacity would not be coming on stream until 2023, making any significant rebalancing in the ‘supply and demand’ equation unlikely next year.

“I know you are suffering, and you have suffered,” Prof Mangan told the webinar, adding that it had been a “perfect storm” earlier this year with the blockage of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given and port closures and congestion due to Covid-19.

Compounding the situation, Clarksons, which provides data for the shipping industry, has predicted container trade to grow by 6% in 2022.

He told the webinar: “Realistically, container rates are not going to drop down to pre-Covid levels of £1,000 - £2,000 per TEU. However, they probably won’t stay as high as they are; they’ll moderate down a bit next year.”

Prof Mangan pointed out that the shipping sector is notoriously slow to change, and that global pressure for the logistics sector to reduce its carbon footprint would ultimately have to be funded by the companies using the shipping services, rather than the shippers themselves.

“It’s a huge transition that will have to be funded and unfortunately when it comes to who funds it, the simple answer is it you – companies that use shipping services. The shipping industry isn’t a charity.”

Reinforcing that the problems of increasing costs and unreliable service have affected all consumer goods importers, not just toy

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“The shipping industry is notoriously cyclical – new capacity comes and demand falls,” said Prof Mangan. “Containerisation is set to grow further – it has to – but we need to mitigate risk, and I think this has to start at supply chain level.

We can’t just blame shipping. Shipping does what markets do – react to supply and demand – and our job as importers and exporters is to work around that.”

Iain Prince added: “China is building some huge ships; capacity will increase in 2023/24 and they are actually starting to take control of their own logistics. Amazon is doing the same thing.

Logistics is going to become a commodity, so everybody has got to watch that and change their 2022 budgets and plans.”

He told the webinar how one major shipping line had seen its profit increase five-fold on the same revenue during the pandemic, despite providing patchy service to its customers. “It is not going to change for the next year or two,” he warned.

Special Feature

Both men agreed that labour shortages across the entire supply chain – not just in the UK, but in Europe and the US too – would continue to be an exacerbating factor, hinting that it could take three or four years for the global labour market to rebalance.

Here in the UK, an HGV driver who would have expected to earn around £35,000 a year ago can now easily command £50,000 or even more. The shortage of drivers has not only led to a steep rise in their remuneration, but has also had a knockon effect across other areas of the supply chain: for example, warehouse workers now expect to be paid more as a consequence of the increase in drivers’ pay.

However, despite the gloomy prognosis, both panellists said companies could do more to make their supply chains more resilient, including taking a far more proactive role in assessing daily developments.

Prof Mangan urged suppliers, when being told by their freight forwarders that their stock was stuck on a ship in the Straits of Malacca, for example, to use tools which are available such as marinetraffic.com where the position of vessels around the world can be seen in real-time. “Ask what the name of the ship is,” he urged, “because this free tool can identify any vessel, anywhere.”

He said companies should set up supply chain ‘control towers’ to gain resilience, while Iain urged suppliers not just to think about the product, but to think of all the indirect items, when making the product. “One of the biggest automated warehouses in the UK stopped because they had no boxes,” he said.

Iain also warned of the need for supply chain visibility, saying it was “absolutely key”. “You might outsource your supply chain or give it to a third party, but never ever abdicate responsibility

Supply chain challenges

for your supply chain. That’s where all the problems happen,” he said. “Get a map of the world on a screen and actually use it in your business. It is invaluable.”

There was also a consensus amongst the panellists that companies should take this opportunity to review their business and operating models, looking at where their suppliers are located, possibly spreading the risk by extending the manufacturing base, or even by importing components and assembling them here in the UK. Reshoring was discussed, with an acceptance that exploring factories in countries closer to home could prove beneficial in certain cases, with extra labour, shipping and distribution costs from China potentially offsetting traditional savings made by sourcing in the region.

“People are diversifying their geography.

We’ve seen a big increase in North Africa and South America – it might have been 20-30% more expensive two years ago, but as soon as you add on distribution costs it brings an equilibrium back,” said Iain.

“Look in your wider supply chain, map that out, understand the risks and any issues you have got there and put in some mitigating elements.

Finally, understand wider external government and economic factors that you can’t impact, but you will need to make some mitigating actions for, such as Brexit.” He added: “Engage your board and engage the finance function, so you can budget for it. It is a business issue.”

Retailers will also have a key role to play in maximising supply chain efficiency: ‘just in time’ ordering, which has become increasingly prevalent amongst certain major accounts, may no longer be a viable strategy. In addition, weak initial estimates that bear no relation to the likely quantities which will ultimately be required by

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a retailer are likely to cause huge problems; we saw this year how difficult it was to turn the tap on and off quickly, and pro-active ordering was infinitely more successful in securing stock at the correct time than reactive buying – the days of ‘jumping on’ lines late in the day may be over, at least in the short term.

Looking to the future, Prof Mangan said chartering smaller feeder vessels was not the answer, as has had been done by some larger companies at one UK port. “That is cost prohibitive – it’s like flying to China in a 20-seater aeroplane,” he said.

Along with more regulation that comes at a cost, will be geopolitical risks (the developing tension between China and Taiwan was specifically cited), biothreats, accidents, piracy, increased digitalisation bringing more risk of cyberattacks and extreme weather which causes parametric rolling.

When asked if he thought shipping was acting as a cartel, Prof Magan said he thought not and it was just simple economics. “There is no need to act as a cartel at the moment – it’s back to supply and demand,” he said.

One thing is for sure: the supply chain challenges we have seen this year are not going to disappear overnight, and suppliers and retailers will need to continue to look at managing their supply chains and planning carefully – especially with regard to how much is bought and when orders are placed.

With the situation likely to remain in flux for some while, Toy World, the BTHA and the TIE have all agreed that further webinars next year may be helpful to keep the toy community abreast of future developments, and we will keep you posted on future activity on this subject.

Special Feature

Toy Industries of Europe

The power of play a real opportunity for toy companies in 2022 Catherine Van Reeth has worked in EU public affairs for more than 25 years and now leads TIE in promoting the toy sector with policy makers at the EU level. toy makers who want to equip children with the necessary skills to adapt to the demands of 21st Century life and make them resilient for what the future holds. The Awards’ Future Skills category recognises the pivotal role the toy sector can play in helping children thrive. The judges consider entries that aim to improve literacy and ITC skills, communications and collaboration as well as enhancing children’s analytical reasoning, problem solving, adaptability and initiative taking.

T

he TIE’s goal is to ensure the toy sector can thrive and continue to bring safe and fun play experiences to children. It provides information for stakeholders, members and policymakers and offers a platform for discussion and exchange, working for fair and proportionate regulation. Catherine Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) works closely with the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) on issues impacting toy companies on European issues.

The BTHA is an active member of TIE. Toy Industries of Europe is at the heart of toy policy discussions in Europe to try to ensure new regulations will be fair – to consumers as well as the companies that contribute to the success of Europe. That is increasingly important given the heavy scrutiny politicians give the toy industry. As our products are for vulnerable consumers, it is only natural that we meet strict regulations. But children’s worlds are made up of many other, non-toy products that are not treated with the same intensity of scrutiny, posing difficult dilemmas for policy makers and industry professionals alike.

There is an interest both policy makers and the toy industry have in common: they both want to ensure European children have the skills they will need to thrive in the future and to compete and prosper on the international stage. And in that shared interest there is a real opportunity for innovative companies to shine.

Never before have children lived in such a fastchanging world. With the Play for Change Awards, Toy Industries of Europe wants to celebrate those

The Awards have recognised a number of fantastic ideas over the past two years. The most innovative initiative we saw this year, winning the Gold Future Skills Award, was the Lego Education Spike Prime Set by The Lego Group. This toy combines Lego building elements with hardware and coding to afford children the opportunity to engage in different learning activities that help them develop criticalthinking skills, expand their creativity and further explore real-life STEAM themes such as engineering and computer sciences. The judging panel was impressed with the variety of challenges proposed to children which could be adapted to different learning levels.

The Silver Future Skills award in 2021 went to Cyborg-Hand made by Franckh-Kosmos Verlags.

This large-scale robotic hand teaches children about hydraulics as they build the hand through play. Once built, children can then test the hand by making it write or pick things up. The toy teaches mechanical skills and introduces children to hydraulics in a fun way. The jury welcomed the open-ended play possibilities the toy offered to children.

The Bronze Future Skills prize went to Amazing Inside from Miniland, a little plush monster that lets young children recognise and locate their body organs. The augmented reality cards provide surprising facts and even the sounds the organs make – a fun and slightly gruesome introduction to the human body.

The brilliant ideas behind these toys, and the skills they are teaching children made them the outstanding winners of 2021, but the range of entries was inspiring to see. Could you be our change-maker 2022? If your company has a toy (launched in 2021) that is inspiring the next generation of mechanical engineers, scientists, doctors or programmers, we want to hear from you. We also want to hear

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from companies that help children to explore their feelings, improve their communication skills or help them to collaborate, as we wish to recognise the essential role that toys play in developing good mental health – particularly given the toll that Covid disruption has had for many children.

Indeed, the last few years have been difficult for many, both personally and in business. A silver lining has been the positive refocusing of many families on the benefits of play. Whilst the world went into lockdown and families played, learned and socialised within the same four walls, the role of play in a child’s life was shown to be more essential than ever. Often play is seen as a trivial pastime, when in fact, it develops the skills children need for life, and toys are the essential tools that elevate and prolong the play experience. TIE, and its national association members, are all trying to emphasise that important message to families and policymakers across Europe. We hope the Play for Change Awards will contribute to that by recognising some of the best new initiatives.

The Play for Change Awards aim to highlight the good work of the toy industry in the areas of environmental sustainability, empowerment and inclusion, and encouraging the development of future skills. Entries will be invited in February for the 2022 awards. Visit www.playforchangeawards.eu to find out more. There is also a link where you can register your interest so you will be notified when the awards open and to read about more of the initiatives that received commendations from the jury.

If you would like to keep up to date on policy news, find out more about the topics in this article or join the discussion on future legislation, please get in touch to find out about membership – www.toyindustries.eu or contact info@toyindustries.eu.

If you would like more information on UK policy or how European issues impact UK companies, please contact the BTHA at

admin@btha.co.uk.

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Advert Index

Company

Page number

Company

Page number

Company

Page number

Golden Bear

227

Playmobil

153, 155, 157

8th Wonder

265, 267

Great Gizmos

317

Playmonster

329

A.B.Gee

233

Guidecraft

124

Playtime PR

9

Aardman

355

Haico

68, 69

Plum Products

303

Alpha Animation

107

Halilit

55

Posh Paws

257

Amscan

120, 121

Hasbro

84, 85

Quarto Group

113

Asmodee

193, 195, 197

Hauck

137

Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles 259

Bacchmann

53

Havas Entertainment

28, 29

Rainbow Colours

130, 131

Bandai

173, 175

Heathside

291

Rainbow Designs

203

BBC Studios

337

Holotoyz

138, 139

Ravensburger

199, 201, 202

Beano

341

Hornby

31, 33, 35, 36, 37

Reydon Sports

216, 217

Beehive Toys

83

HTI Toys

111

Rex London

79

Big Potato

331

Hunter Price

95

Rubies

159

Bildo

144-149

Hyper Toys

135

Sambro

283

Bladez

162, 163

I'm A Girly

126

Schleich

165, 167, 169

Brainstorm

71, 73, 75, 77

IMC Toys

211

Scrunch

156

Bruder

279

Innovation First

319

SES Creative

239

BTHA

4

James Galt

271, 273

Simba Smoby

225

Canal

237

Jazwares

219, 221, 223

Smart Games

313

Carrera Revell

323

Jeruel Industrial Co

89

Smart Zone HK

177

Cartamundi

289

John Adams

261, 263

Smiffys

141

Casdon

213

Juratoys

333

Snazaroo

255

Character Options

45, 47, 150, Outside Back Cover

Just Play

43

Spin Master

Front Cover

Cheatwell

269

KAP Toys

81

Tactic

297

Cai Po Products International

133

Keel Toys

301

The Noble Collection

122

Clementoni

235

Kidicraft

21, 23, 25, 27

The Point.1888

349

Click Distribution

253

KidsKnowBest

6

The Source Wholesale

281

Coiledspring

335

Konami

115, 116, 117, 118

Toikido

90, 91

Craft Buddy

19

Leapfrog

311

Tomy

109

Creative Toys

99

Learning Resources

171

Toynamics

48, 49, 50

Desi Doll

129

Lego

93

Toys2Market

306

Diver Phillips

26

Lisciani Giochi Spa

245

Toytopic

277

DKB Toys

325

Lisle Licensing

351

Trends UK

307

DKL-Beysal

215

Marvin's Magic

305

Ty

161

Dolu

285, 287

Mattel

11, 13, 15, 17

UL

53

Eduk8 Worldwide

143

MGA Entertainment

101, 103

United Wheels

299

EDX Education

97

Mojo Fun

249

Universal

339

Eolo

123, 125, 127

Moonbug

347

Viacom

342, 343

Epoch Making Toys

229, 231

Moose

67

Vivid Goliath

205, 207, 209

Exploding Kittens

243

MTS

172

VR Distribution

293

Fabula Toys

295

MV Sports

8

VTech

309

Funko

321

One For Fun

57, 59, 61, 63, 65

Waboba

104, 105

Funrise

39, 41

Orange Tree Toys

327

Warner Bros

357, 359

Funville

302

Orchard Toys

275

Wild Brain

353

Generation Media

2, 3

Panini

87

Wilton Bradley

180, 181, 183, 185, 187, 189, 191

Geomag

251

Paper Engine (Build Your Own)

179

Winning Moves

247

Gibsons

241

Penguin Random House

345

Yoto

315

Toy World 338

Hot

Properties

Toy World publisher John Baulch takes a look at the properties that have been contributing to the growth experienced by the licensed sector last year, as well as the new properties that are expected to do so in the coming months.

2

021 proved to be yet another unpredictable year for the licensing community: there were highs and lows, winners and losers – and I suspect few would bet against 2022 seeing those twists and turns continue.

First, let’s look at the positives. Up to the end of October, sales of licensed toys grew 7% in value across ‘21, comfortably outperforming the overall toy market. There is no reason to suspect that the last two months of the year would have seen any great divergence from that strong performance, so we can safely assume that sales of licensed toys saw highly respectable growth last year. September saw 30% of all toy sales coming from licensed product, which is the highest percentage we have seen for some years.

These numbers are all the more impressive when you consider last year saw a hugely underwhelming contribution from movie-related properties.

Admittedly, ’21 was not a vintage year for new children’s and family movies, especially from a licensing perspective. I am sure that some of them were perfectly enjoyable movies, but Shang Chi, Venom, Black Widow, Encanto, Jungle Cruise and Eternals were never going to shift huge volumes of product in the toy space.

Thankfully, ‘22’s movie slate couldn’t provide more of a contrast – virtually everyone is predicting a massive year for movie merchandise, and with the latest Batman, Jurassic World, Minions, Fantastic Beasts, Sing and Sonic movies, together with new blockbusters such as Lightyear and DC League of Superpets, it would be a brave person who would bet against a major resurgence in sales of movie ranges this year.

That said, there will inevitably be nervousness about the ongoing impact of the pandemic on theatrical movie-going audiences, especially in the very early part of the year – if Christmas ’21 taught us anything, it is that we are still not out of the woods as far as the virus is concerned. And the jury is still out

on whether a new movie being streamed moves the dial in terms of product sales in the same way that a theatrical release can.

Retailers will also have some big decisions to take; there will be periods of ’22 when a major new movie will be released every few weeks. It is nigh on impossible to move brand new ranges in and out every two or three weeks at retail, so buyers will need to prioritise the releases they feel will perform best for their customer base.

Hopefully the virus situation will at least have calmed down by the summer, when the movie release schedule reaches its peak. I am sure many of us have

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Character Options now signed up as master toy partner for the UK market, I fully expect the brand to grow its presence in the toy market in ’22.

Computer games will also continue to provide a rich seam of opportunity for toy companies to mine; classics like Super Mario, Minecraft and Roblox have been joined by the likes of Among Us and Gang Beasts to offer toy retailers the chance to attract older kids and kidults into their stores.

And, of course, toy brands themselves remain a crucial component of licensing in the kids’ space: Barbie enjoyed a stellar year in ‘21, while My Little Pony, Transformers, L.O.L. Surprise! and many other toy brands offer ample scope for other licensees to join the party. One of ‘21’s hottest toys, Moose Toys’ Magic Mixies, is about to launch a licensing programme, while the collaboration between Character Options and Moose for Heroes of Goo-Jit-Zu is following the same path. IMC Toys is also taking Cry Babies Magic Tears into the licensing realm, and I am sure that we’ll see many more toy brands extend their reach in this way.

missed the opportunity to enjoy a full cinematic experience, and the teasers for some of the new launches have done a great job of whetting our appetite.

This year’s crop of summer films won’t even have a major football tournament to compete with, due to the World Cup moving to a new November / December time slot as a result of being held in Qatar.

With football remaining a rich source of licensing potential, especially in the collectible sticker and outdoor toys sectors, it will certainly be interesting to see what effect the new World Cup timing has on sales in the run up to Christmas; usually demand peaks in the spring and summer, with a decent tail into the autumn if England does well in the tournament. This time round, a similar showing by the England team would surely create a halo effect over the festive season and into the early part of ’23.

Away from the movie and football genres, there is plenty more evidence to suggest that ’22 will be another strong year for licensing in the toy arena. The pre-school space hasn’t been this competitive in years: both Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig continue to deliver strong performances, resonating with each new generation of children that comes through. Both brands benefit from those key qualities essential in a modern classic brand: they have longevity and are fundamentally toyetic.

Another area of licensing that has flourished over the past couple of years is the classics – brands which have endured the test of time and are now appealing to a new generation while being instantly recognisable to their parents and, often, grandparents. It’s the 25th anniversary of The Teletubbies this year – it certainly doesn’t feel like a quarter of a decade has passed since these ground-breaking characters first burst onto our screens. Many of the children who were so captivated by the Fab Four are parents themselves now, so expect plenty of nostalgic purchases this year. Strawberry Shortcake and The Moomins are back too, while brands like The Beano / Dennis & Gnasher, Peter Rabbit and Paddington never really went away. But what they all have in common is brand new content to introduce a new generation of children to the worlds of these timeless classic properties.

As ever, some licensors have been in a better position to share details at this stage of the year than others. So, over the next 20 or so pages, you can get taste of what to look out for in the licensing arenas over the year ahead. But there will be plenty more to be unveiled as the year progresses, so keep an eye on the Toy World website and future print issues for all the latest information from the licensing world that is relevant to the kids’ market.

With BLE having returned in person in November last year, everyone is hoping for the return of the Las Vegas Licensing Expo in May, while this year’s BLE event moves forward in the calendar to a new timeslot in September.

We’ll be publishing special licensing focused editions to coincide with both events, while keeping you up to date with all the latest from the licensing sector in our monthly Licensing World section.

Let’s hope ’22 turns out to be another successful year for licensed toys – enjoy our initial round-up of some of the brands to look out for over the coming months.

In addition, last year saw the emergence of some key new pre-school brands to challenge their dominance in the form of Moonbug’s CoComelon and BBC’s Bluey – both brands have made major inroads into the pre-school aisles, and with a host of new top-tier licensees coming on board for both properties this year, their respective stars should rise even higher over the coming months.

Pre-school exemplifies another licensing-related success story of the pandemic era; namely the fact that more content is being consumed than ever before, and how there are now many more routes to success beyond the scope of traditional terrestrial TV. Digital content, especially on platforms like YouTube, now draws immense viewing numbers, and with brands like CoComelon proving the link between success on YouTube and success in-store, more properties are bound to break out from that realm to enjoy commercial success. Moonbug will be hoping its new property, Morphle, follows in CoComelon’s footsteps and establishes itself as a leading brand in the pre-school field.

Licensing clearly has a major influence on sales in the infant and preschool category, but equally the same is true at the upper age levels: Pokémon has been an enduring success and while it’s 25th anniversary year propelled the brand to even greater heights in 2021, there is nothing to suggest that momentum won’t continue this year. It is not the only brand from the trading card world that appeals to an older toy-buying demographic; Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh has been enjoying a healthy resurgence in recent years, and with

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Hot Properties

Baby Shark ViacomCBS Baby Shark has made quite the splash at retail since it joined the ViacomCBS portfolio, and now the brand owner is taking the classic YouTube character into new territory, demonstrating how humour, a wealth of new characters and great story narratives can take this property to the next level.

Baby Shark’s Big Show launched on Nick Jr. in May and had already received over half a million views as of June 2021 YTD (BARB). The series follows the adventures of Carnivore Cove and introduces a school of new friends, plus new Baby Shark music. The results reflect the strengths of this property: Baby Shark’s Big Show became the biggest launch on Nick Jr. since Blue’s Clues and You!, securing the coveted No.1 commercial kids TX of 2021 spot, as well as the No.2 spot in the kids’ market (BARB). Q1 2022 will see further amplification of the new series as it rolls out on the FTA channel Milkshake!, a children’s programming block on Channel 5. Baby Shark’s Big Show consumer products will also be launching in spring/summer 2022, supported by a robust marketing programme to drive sales.

Blue’s Clues & You! ViacomCBS The revival of Blue’s Clues as Blue’s Clues & You! in May 2020 has proved a winning formula with pre-schoolers and parents alike. The curriculum-driven interactive series features new CG-animation, a new host and an engaging interactive narrative that gets pre-schoolers involved with the show by helping Blue to crack clues and solve problems along the way.

Blue’s Clues & You! viewership continues to strengthen. The show also has a strong hold across the FTA platform Milkshake! where millions are reached each quarter.

Blue’s Clues & You! Season 3 launched on Nick Jr. in October, and performance and reach across the Blue’s Clues YouTube channel continues to build. The brand has a strong multi-platform approach developed to meet kids where they are, playing out across key VOD platforms.

The UK consumer products roll out of Blue’s Clues and You! is underway. Master toy partner Just Play has developed an exciting line of toys aimed at pre-schoolers aged 2-5 years old. Innovation and key brand attributes have been leveraged to translate the property’s success from screen to shelf. Licensees including Fashion UK, Blues, Aykroyd TDP, Character World, Kid Designs, Melissa & Doug, Ravensburger, MV Sports, Basic Fun, Amscan, Sambro and Harper Collins will continue to roll out product into 2022.

This year, Blue’s Clues & You! will hit the road to meet and greet fans across the UK in the nationwide Milkshake! Tour.

Paw Patrol ViacomCBS The hit pre-school property Paw Patrol maintains its dominance and strength in the UK market with evolving content and a diversified retail offering spanning all categories, much to the delight of the brand’s steadfast fan base.

Summer 2021 saw the Paw Patrol pups take on their biggest mission yet in the highly anticipated Paw Patrol: The Movie, which arrived at cinemas internationally in August. The film, a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, and distributed

by Paramount Pictures, showcased the pups like never before using hyper-real CGI animation, and included exciting missions, high-stakes rescues, amazing new vehicles and a star-studded voice cast.

A gold level marketing programme and consumer products programme was put in place to support the release of Paw Patrol: The Movie, with over 20 partners signed in the UK covering a wide range of categories to create movie specific lines. In 2022, Paw Patrol’s thematic versatility will once again be on show in the form of new themed content and consumer products to further cement Paw’s evergreen franchise and No. 1 status. Look out for more information over the coming months.

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Hot Properties

Robin Robin Aardman Robin Robin is a beautiful 30-minute festive musical short, created by its directors Dan Ojari and Mikey Please. The stop-motion film was produced

by Aardman, launched on Netflix on 24th November, and features the voices of Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant, Adeel Akhtar and Bronte Carmichael.

The film, which is hand-crafted and timeless in feel, has received a very positive reception since its launch on the streaming service, with many heralding it as a new Christmas classic. The Sunday Times called it a ‘sweet, beautifully crafted tale’ and predicted that the winter story ‘is going to be popular for years to come’.

With strong licensing deals in place across core categories including Macmillan Children’s Books for publishing, Aurora for toys and Lakeshore Records for music publishing, alongside strong campaign partnerships with the RSPB and Twinkl, the property is ideally placed to develop into a sustainable long-term brand.

Macmillan Children’s Books has acquired worldwide rights in all languages for a collection of children’s books associated with the new film. The publishing range includes a classic picture book, film tie-in picture book, audiobook (narrated by Adeel Akhtar) and a range of activity books and novelty books. The release of the book range and audiobook provided a solid start to the programme in 2021 and further releases are planned for Q4 2022 to further establish Robin Robin as a children’s favourite.

Alongside the publishing programme, Aardman has appointed Aurora World as master plush partner. The company has developed a plush version of Robin to be launched early in 2022 and is planning further range extensions.

This festive season, the RSPB invited families to celebrate their inner robin with a series of Robin Robin themed adventure trails on over 30 of its nature reserves around the UK as well as exclusive activity packs. Young adventurers were able to learn to sing like a robin, find their very own superpower and use all their senses to connect with the robin within. Other activities on offer included nest building, storytelling events and robin-themed crafts, while RSPB nature reserve cafes also offered Robin Robin-themed food and drink. Further activations are in the pipeline for 2022.

Aardman and Netflix have also partnered with Twinkl, a leader in educational publishing, to create exciting new Robin Robin learning materials to use at school and home. Twinkl is providing the official resources for young viewers aged 3-11. From writing to maths activities, these educational materials link learning directly with scenes from the animated short, so children can engage with everything they experience off the screen as well as on. Children can also step behind the curtain, whether it’s exploring scientific facts about robins, composing music, or even learning how to create a stop-motion animation.

The team at Aardman has produced a beautiful style-guide which has the same hand-crafted and timeless qualities as the film, featuring Briony May Smith illustrations. The studio continues seek partners for high quality, sustainable licensing products and ranges targeting children and families.

Lloyd of the Flies Aardman Lloyd of the Flies follows the adventures of Lloyd B Fly, a housefly and the middle child of 453. Lloyd lives with his parents, his little sister PB and their myriad maggot siblings.

In the series, Lloyd and PB are often accompanied by Lloyd’s best friend, Abacus Woodlouse, and eccentric tag-along, Cornea Butterfly. Together they explore the strange world beyond their home, where there is no shortage of lessons for Lloyd to learn.

CITV has acquired 52 x 11-minute episodes, created using a mix of CGI and 2D animation. The production is a first for Aardman, as it’s the first CGI series the studio has produced entirely from its creative hub at its Bristol headquarters.

Broadcast is slated to begin in September 2022.

Lloyd of the Flies is created and directed by Matt Walker (winner of a jury award at Aspen Shortsfest, Jury Special Mention at Clermont-Ferrand and best graduation film at Annecy Animation Festival 2006), while Aardman’s Sarah Cox will act as executive creative director.

A talented voice cast will lend its talents to the show’s characters. Tom Rosenthal (Friday Night Dinner, Plebs) will voice Lloyd. His best friend Abacus will be voiced by Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World, Black Mirror), while Lauren Patel (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) will take on the role of PB. Teresa Gallagher will play Cornea Butterfly, with Callum Scott Howells (It’s A Sin) voicing Lloyd’s nemesis, Berry.

Pearl Mackie and Rob Rackstraw will provide the voices of Lloyd’s parents, Gena and Malcolm. Completing the cast are Ayesha Antoine, voicing Julie and Libby, and Marcel McCalla, who plays Ampersand and Bob. Lloyd of the Flies offers strong licensing opportunities in toys and kids’ publishing. The large and varied cast of amusing characters make it an ideal candidate for the collectibles sector, while the entertaining dialogue and unique concept should make it a hit with young readers.

Aardman will be bringing its full strength to bear on Lloyd of the Flies, with a comprehensive launch programme that will envelop the 52 x 11 series before, during and after its CITV broadcast. As a global business, Aardman will be looking to take Lloyd worldwide, meaning a bigger audience and even more opportunities for the adventures of Lloyd B Fly to really take off.

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© Frederick Warne & Co., 2022

© Snowdog Ent., 2022

Hot Properties

Creature Cases Silvergate Media Silvergate Media’s new animated series Creature Cases invites audiences to join the adventures of a detective agency specialising in solving animal mysteries using science, fact and investigation. The first series will debut on Netflix from spring 2022.

Aimed at children aged 4-7 years, Creature Cases is an original series co-produced by Silvergate and awardwinning French animation studio, TeamTo, which has a strong track record of animating hit kids’ series including PJ Masks, Mighty Mike and Ricky Zoom. The first series introduces a winning combination of education and entertainment, and includes real-life nature footage as well as real science facts. In each episode, Sam Snow and Kit Casey, lead agents of CLADE (the Covert League of Animal Detective Experts) solve animal mysteries by exploring animal habitats, behaviours and characteristics, plus the environment around them. Armed with top-secret intel from their contacts on the Mice Squad, these brilliant animal sleuths travel a world populated exclusively by animals, solving mind-boggling animal mysteries that mix real zoological facts with wild detective action. Silvergate will be seeking potential partners for the brand in 2022, with retail launch slated for 2023.

Octonauts Above & Beyond Silvergate Media The first series of Silvergate Media’s allnew Octonauts spin-off series Above & Beyond debuted in September 2021 to strong ratings on Netflix. In Octonauts Above & Beyond, the beloved team of explorers takes its adventures beyond the sea and onto land. At the heart of the series is a new flying HQ, the Octoray, supported by a fleet of new land vehicles, the TerraGups. The new land-based missions introduce new play patterns and offer numerous opportunities for product development. A second season is set to follow in spring 2022, maintaining a pipeline of fresh content.

New global master toy partner, Moose Toys, is readying an extensive new toy line for retail launch worldwide from June 2022, showcasing a full range of Octonauts toys including figures, vehicles, play sets, plush and more. Its entry into market will spearhead a fresh licensing programme for the brand in multiple markets, with more partners due to be announced.

A global partnership with Merlin Sea Life Centres continues to bring the brand to life through interactive attractions at Sea Life centres worldwide. With new content on-screen, product rolling out at retail and live events on the ground, the stage is set for Octonauts to extend its brand and licensing programme in multiple territories, including the UK, from 2022.

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No.1 Kids Show in the World!

No.1

Kids Channel on YouTube

No.1

Kids Brand on Spotify

“Netflix wants more CoComelon, its most popular show for kids” Bloomberg 2021

“Moonbug Entertainment’s rocketing success is disrupting the kids pre-school space”

Most Wanted Xmas Toy 2021 For all licensing enquiries please contact adam.steel@moonbug.com | International joan.grasso@moonbug.com | North America

Source: YouTube, Spotify - November 2021 Toy Retailers Association, November 2021

Licensing.Biz 2021

“CoComelon is absolutely dominating Netflix and YouTube” Forbes 2021

CoComelon™ Copyright © 2021 Moonbug Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

Hot Properties

Masha and The Bear Lisle Licensing Masha and The Bear had an outstanding 2021 and is now an established property in the UK with a licensing portfolio which grows year on year.

Six years on since first premiering in the UK, Masha heads into 2022 with Season 6 in the pipeline, plus four new specials including a seasonal Christmas episode.

Masha and The Bear has proven itself to be a brand which shows no sign of waning, hugely popular with licensees and consistently selling through at retail. The brand’s licensing agent in the UK, Lisle Licensing, signed several new partners in 2021 including Smiffy’s, Star Editions and Tonies.

The brand has adventurous growth plans for the year ahead. Under Simba Dickie, the toy line continues to be popular, and expectations are that it will be particularly strong at retail in 2022 backed by the new series and specials. For the coming year, Lisle Licensing will continue to build the Masha and The Bear licensing programme, expanding the property into new categories including outdoor toys and games & puzzles, as well as food.

Milo Lisle Licensing Milo, the adventurous cat who uses role-play to explore the amazing world of vocations, burst onto Channel 5’s Milkshake! last May in a prime breakfast slot, winning over young viewers thanks to its bright, colourful and contemporary graphic style.

The show was recently shortlisted for a prestigious Broadcast Award for Best Pre-School Show Of the Year, and a master toy partnership is expected to be confirmed early in 2022.

Created by Fourth Wall, a multi-award-winning UK producer of animated kids and family entertainment and children's book publisher, the series is produced in association with European entertainment company DeAPlanetaEntertainment.

The production was supported by the UK Government’s Young Audiences Content Fund which, managed by the BFI, supports the creation of distinctive, quality content for young audiences.

DeAPlanetaEntertainment appointed Lise Licensing to manage the UK licensing programme and attended Brand Licensing Europe in London last November where it held a full three-day agenda of meetings which are expected to result in some strong licensee appointments for the year ahead.

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M OOM E H T IN D N

S

A

G, N I D A ING T I E R R W

350+ K followers @Moomin

304+ K followers @moominofficial

70+ K followers @MoominOfficial

© Moomin Characters™

Reading, Writing and the Moomins is a new initiative by Moomin Characters Ltd which aims to strengthen the importance and joy of reading and writing in the life of children, youth and adults.

Being able to express yourself is one of the most important things in the world: it allows you to communicate your hopes and dreams, relate to others, engage with the big issues of our times, and create change. To express yourself, you first need to learn to read and write.

That’s why Moomin Characters Ltd are on a mission to spark a love of reading and writing – and we would love for you to join. #MoominABC

Interested in a licensing collab?

Hit us with your idea by sending an e-mail to:

Katie Wilkinson katie.wilkinson@thepoint1888.com Sophie Fennessy sophie.fennessy@thepoint1888.com

Hot Properties

Moomin The Point.1888 It may be 77 years old this year, but world-renowned brand Moomin is showing no intention of slowing down. In 2020, as well as celebrating its milestone anniversary, raising €1.1m to save the Baltic Sea with its charity campaign #OurSea and launching a second series of its TV show on Sky Family, Moomin continued its global brand licensing programme with master agent Rights & Brands and UK sub-agent The Point.1888.

Moomin is, and always has been, a brand on a mission. Its creator, Tove Jansson, inspired adults and children alike to read and write more, and today the Moomin brand is reigniting that passion with its ‘Reading, Writing and the Moomins’ ABC initiative. The team behind Moomin believes that being able to express yourself is one of the most important things in the world, saying ‘it allows you to communicate your hopes and dreams, relate to others, engage with the big issues of our times and create change.’ To help children express themselves through reading and writing, Moomin has launched a literacy and learning programme. Within this, the brand has created beautiful hand-drawn alphabets and produced a range of downloadable resources that parents, guardians, teachers and businesses are using all over the world to encourage and inspire the children in their lives. To increase awareness of the initiative, the ABC artwork has been used in a collection of clothing, homewares and stationery, just some of the 14,000 branded Moomin products available to buy today.

The sheer number of products created from Moomin brand licensing makes it impossible to mention them all, but the brand is keen to highlight Moomin’s partnership with Aurora World. Thanks to its global expertise in creating high quality plush toys, Aurora’s Moomin range offers fans young and old a range of cuddly toys depicting all the Moomin characters, as well as keyrings, backpacks and finger puppets.

The programme has gone from strength to strength, with significant success over the last 12 months resulting in expanding listings. The range will launch next year in Dufry and JoJo Maman Bebe, having already had successful launches In John Lewis, HMV, Waterstones, WH Smith and official Moomin stores.

Moomin's values are as relevant today as they were when the Moomin books were first published, highlighting respect for nature, kindness, friendship and adventure, qualities The Point.1888 says should be kept top of mind heading into the new year.

Moonbug outlines plans for Morphle, CoComelon, Blippi and Little Baby Bum With a fanbase of almost 250m across kids’ entertainment brands Morphle, CoComelon, Blippi, Little Baby Bum and others, licensees and retailers are keen to get their hands on a piece of the Moonbug action. Despite the challenges of the last 18 months, Moonbug has thrived, delivering content where and when consumers want to watch it as well as compelling licensing and retailer programmes.

Supported by a carefully orchestrated programme focused on each of its brands’ own values, mission and target audience, Moonbug’s properties are enjoying bumper licensing programmes, CoComelon in particular. In the summer, Moonbug announced that the company’s EMEA Agent network, led by The Point.1888, had secured over 70 licensing partners for the brand, ensuring that products in publishing, health & beauty, apparel, footwear, luggage & transportation, accessories, party decorations, puzzles & games, fancy dress, toys, lunchware, fragrance, homeware, bedding, confectionery and arts & crafts would be hitting stores very soon.

At the same time, broad programmes are also in place for Blippi. The property goes from strength to strength, having signed Jazwares as master toy partner with a view to a full EMEA product roll out in 2022 including branded play sets, plush, vehicles, figures, bath toys and dough. Christmas also saw a huge front-of-store activation with CoComelon take place in Asda. Success has also been seen with Morphle, which last year celebrated signing Character Options as a master toy partner in EMEA and Australia.

Building on its previous successes, Moonbug continues to look forward. This year is set to be even bigger for its properties. Duncan Tate, head of Hardlines at Moonbug, commented: “As our brands evolve and grow, we’re focusing on impactful partnerships that inspire and entertain our millions of fans in meaningful ways – there’s so much planned for each of our brands. CoComelon, for example, will be expanding its product ranges across retail, with many new and existing licensees supporting the ramp up including Jazwares, Just Play, Sinco Creations, Ravensburger, RMS International and many more.”.

As the target audience is of pre-school age, dress-up will be an important category for the brands’ programmes, blending imagination, creativity and play.

Moonbug announced in October this year that it had brought on board the world’s largest costume designer and manufacturer, Rubies, to create CoComelon costumes for 2022. Since then, it has signed Amscan for Blippi and products will hit stores early next year.

Blippi remains an area of focus for 2022 with a range of new content that includes specials and two new series - Blippi Wonders and Blippi Treehouse offering new ways for fans to interact with the brand. Alongside this will be a product rollout for apparel, publishing, toys, home & gift and FMCG.

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e preschool show in th * ar ye is th r fa world so

Top Performing UK TV show on:

UK Licensees recently signed include:

Where your brand deserves to be.

350+ Global Licensees

Hot Properties

WWE WWE A recognised leader in global entertainment, WWE creates and delivers original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. Its Consumer Products portfolio covers numerous categories, offering fans year-round access to a broad assortment of licensed goods, and retailers an evergreen property that consistently sells.

An accessible and far-reaching property, WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 900m homes worldwide in 28 languages. Programming continues to air on BT Sport and Paramount in the UK. WWE has more than 380 diverse WWE Superstars, Legends and on-air talent signed under contract that can be used on Consumer Products, including Roman Reigns, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, King Nakamura, Big E and Tyler Bate. WWE also has a strong social media presence, with more than 1b total followers worldwide.

Due to the pandemic, WWE had not been on UK shores since November 2019, but returned to the UK for a hugely successful four-city UK tour in September 2021. Back by popular demand, WWE Live returned to the UK again in November for eight shows across the UK which fuelled demand for licensed product. Fans attending WWE Live were able to see their favourite WWE Superstars bring the action to Brighton (Brighton Centre), Sheffield (Utilita Arena), Birmingham (Utilita Arena), London (SSE Arena Wembley), Liverpool (M&S Bank Arena), Leeds (First Direct Arena), Nottingham (Motorpoint Arena) and Manchester (AO Arena). The 2022 live event schedule will be announced over the coming months.

WWE has more than 150 licensees with products on-shelf in more than 85 countries. The property’s licensing programme remains hugely successful and has thrived over the past two years. Many of WWE’s partners, including Mattel (action figures) and Topps (trading cards), have seen substantial growth during this period, and there are plenty of new licensing opportunities yet to be explored.

Dino Ranch Boat Rocker Dino Ranch has been a huge hit in the US where it was the No.1 show among kids aged 2-5 from launch, airing on Disney Junior, Disney+ and Disney Now. Dino Ranch also airs on Disney+ in Australia and the UK. The hit show has been renewed for a second season of 52x11’ episodes at Disney, set to debut in 2022.

A fresh and unique pairing of two of pre-schoolers’ greatest loves – dinosaurs and ranchers – the 3D animation features dino-driven adventures in the great outdoors. Dino Ranch is also building a strong profile across social media, including on its YouTube channel where views are over 45m.

Toys from Global Master Toy Partner, Jazwares, launched in October in the US, online at Target, Walmart and Amazon, following the immediate sell out of the Blitz plush during its soft launch on Amazon in the summer. Jazwares secured an exclusive toy launch in Australia at Big W in October, and in the UK, toys will roll out across all retailers from spring ‘22. In the UK and across Europe, CP partners include a global partnership with Scholastic, Rubies, Ravensburger, Global Brands Group, Character World, Immediate Magazine and Kennedy.

Alphablocks and Numberblocks Larkshead Licensing With a raft of licensing partners on board for the BAFTA award winning hit pre-school series Numberblocks and the BAFTA nominated Alphablocks, both shows are reaching an ever-expanding international audience as they delight and entertain children across the globe. Recent licensee signings include Rubies for dressup costumes, while Sweet Cherry recently renewed its publishing agreement and launched a range of new book formats in autumn 2021.

Featuring songs, silliness and plenty of learning, Numberblocks and Alphablocks have a combined total of over 5m YouTube subscribers.

Content is available on a wide range of platforms including CBeebies, YouTube, Netflix, Noggin, Kabillion and Kidoodle. A host of new product ranges are launching throughout 2022.

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Hot Properties

Peter Rabbit Penguin Ventures The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was first published in 1902 and since then the iconic rabbit has gone on to win the hearts of millions of families around the world. The original Tale has sold over 46m copies globally and has been published in 48 languages including Braille and Hieroglyphics.

The mischievous Peter Rabbit has captivated generations of children with his antics in Mr. McGregor’s garden, so Penguin Random House Children’s will be celebrating Peter’s 120th birthday with a suitably adventurous, fun-filled campaign, creating a wealth of opportunities for families to party with Peter throughout 2022.

The Owned Brands team at Penguin Random House Children’s will be paying tribute to the enduring legacy of Beatrix Potter’s original Tale whilst engaging family audiences with Peter’s trademark mischievousness. The team will launch a purpose-driven PR and digital campaign, working with high profile partners and ambassadors in the outdoors space to reaffirm Peter’s continued relevance and appeal to young families. Peter Rabbit’s role as children’s ambassador for the Queen’s Green Canopy will see Peter supporting tree planting initiatives throughout the year whilst celebratory Picnics for Peter will take place during the summer supported by key partners at locations throughout the UK. Penguin Ventures, the licensing team at Penguin Random House Children’s, will be growing several existing product ranges throughout 2022 in the UK including new apparel collections with expanded retail placement from Dennicci as well as new gardening lines from Jardinopia. In addition, DNC is confirmed to launch picnicware and online retailer My First Years is signed for personalised infant product. Several special commemorative ranges will launch across plush, apparel and gifting categories. Penguin Ventures has also confirmed a programme of experiential activations in the UK offering families immersive events throughout the year.

A new Peter Rabbit Story Time Trail will launch in March and tour libraries and gallery spaces across the country, with venues booked up until July 2023 offering kids the chance to step into The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The first Peter Rabbit themed entertainment parties, meanwhile, will launch in 2022, in a new deal with children’s party entertainers, Captain Fantastic, combining party games, magic and plenty of Peter Rabbit’s trademark mischief.

In addition, Happy Birthday Peter Rabbit, a brand-new stage production, will be launching at the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction in the Lake District next summer. The show encompasses music, puppetry and live action offering audiences an exciting and memorable theatrical experience. Outside of the UK, celebrations will include a major touring exhibition of Potter’s original Peter Rabbit artwork in Japan with exhibition partner Toei, marking the first time the collection will have left the UK. The exhibition, which will tour three major cities from March to November, is expected to attract over 160,000 visitors and will be supported by a national media campaign. Additionally, a new permanent Peter Rabbit English Garden will open at Fuji Motosuko Resort in a deal brokered by Sony Creative Products with Fujikyuko Co. The attraction will include a café, shop and museum. A new Japanese publishing partner, Hayakawa, has also been confirmed, reflecting Penguin Random House Children’s strategy to bring the World of Peter Rabbit publishing to family audiences in this key territory for the brand.

In Australia, a collectible 120th anniversary stamp pack will be produced by Australia Post and consist of 12 commemorative stamps. The pack will be available in around 1,000 Australia Post stores across the country. In addition, plush partner Jasnor will be launching a range of a special edition Peter Rabbit plush to commemorate the anniversary.

Finally, Penguin Random House Children’s will be launching a range of commemorative publishing throughout 2022 including a beautiful picture book edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, featuring Beatrix Potter’s original text and iconic illustrations. This large format will be perfect for families to share together, helping new readers discover Peter at his most adventurous. The Tale of Peter Rabbit will be released in picture book format in April 2022, and will be supported with a creative and high-profile publicity and marketing anniversary campaign.

Dennis Beano 2021 was very much Dennis’ year. The mischief maker, who is forever 10 yet has been entertaining generations of children since 1951, enjoyed being the focus of Beano’s licensing programme throughout the year. The celebrations started with the release of a special edition of the comic, guest-edited by life-long Beano fan Joe Sugg, while the birthday boy Dennis trended socially on his big day. Families could enjoy the celebrations at an Easter event at Kew Gardens, or with new board games and puzzles from Rachel Lowe. Fans could also get their hands on their own piece of Dennis history with a special birthday stamp collection from Royal Mail, anniversary coins from Tower Mint and bespoke Dennis tartan produced by Scottish mill Prickly Thistle. Last year also saw a new collection of Boomics - a unique book x comic hybrid - published by new licensee Farshore, plus fresh jokes and colouring books from Bonnier, a range of new kids’ décor products from Arthouse and Dennis and Gnasher smoothies from Happy Monkey.

An ongoing partnership with Gullivers Theme Parks featured Dennis and his friends in themed activities across Gullivers attractions, and a recent collaboration with Wimpy saw Dennis and Gnasher birthday parties take place in restaurants across the country. New partnerships with Hollywood Bowl and Planet Ice brought Dennis in the winter at numerous venues, welcoming fans of all ages to join in the fun.

Dennis’ 70th anniversary is also commemorated by a major exhibition, currently open at Somerset House in London. Beano – the Art of Breaking the Rules features archive material and contemporary art signed by Phyllida Barlow, Simeon Barclay, Jann Haworth, Ryan Gander, Holly Hendry, Sarah Lucas, Peter Liversidge and Mark McGowan, amongst others. Ideal for all rule-breakers and mayhem-makers, the exhibition, curated by Andy Holden, is open until March. Exhibition visitors will be able to buy products from the Radley London x Beano limited collection of leather handbags and accessories, launched this autumn, plus other Beano merchandise. The Radley London x Beano collection features iconic Beano characters such as Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie the Minx.

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Hot Properties

Strawberry Shortcake WildBrain First launched over 40 years ago, Strawberry Shortcake came to be adored by generations, who cherished the little dolls with their signature strawberry scent. Now, WildBrain has announced that Strawberry Shortcake is back, with a new look and confident, savvy attitude for today’s kids in a new animated series, Berry in the Big City.

The new digital-first Strawberry Shortcake series, produced by WildBrain’s Vancouver animation studio with renowned showrunner Mike Vogel, has launched exclusively on the WildBrain Spark AVOD network on YouTube, where it will be initially available in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese by territory. Season one of Berry in the Big City delivers 40 all-new four-minute adventures in 2D animation for kids aged 3-6. A second 40-episode season of Berry in the Big City has already been greenlit, and WildBrain Studios is also in development on a slate of new CG-animated 44-minute Strawberry Shortcake family specials for a major streaming platform.

Berry in the Big City also features 10 original songs that will be released next year on WildBrain Spark’s official Strawberry Shortcake channel. WildBrain Spark is one of the most popular networks of kids’ and family content on YouTube and YouTube Kids, generating billions of views per month.

A new global franchise programme has been specially designed to inspire and bring joy to today’s kids, featuring new toys, apparel, books and more, plus celebrity spotlights, social media activations, brand partnerships, baking demonstrations and friendly competitions.

WildBrain has appointed Moose Toys as master toy partner for Strawberry Shortcake. The toy company will be working with WildBrain’s Franchise Brands team and licensing agency WildBrain CPLG on developing new Strawberry Shortcake toys and play sets, to be unveiled in 2022. Parents who loved Strawberry Shortcake when they were little will be pleased to learn Strawberry Shortcake’s signature scent is set to return in a line of collectible dolls.

In a first for Strawberry Shortcake, she’ll also feature in her own Roblox game, Baking with Strawberry Shortcake. The game invites fans to dive into an interactive 3D adventure in which they can play with each other and engage with Strawberry and her friends in a digital world not available anywhere else, customising food trucks, creating baked goods and competing in baking contests.

Additionally, WildBrain CPLG has expanded its existing Strawberry Shortcake partnership with Penguin Young Readers Licences, an imprint of Penguin Random House, for a range of new Berry in the Big City story books, board books and sticker books, set to launch in 2022 in North America.w Other household-name brands launching new Strawberry Shortcake partnerships at retail beginning in early 2022 include Naturipe (strawberries and blueberries), Sunkist Growers (oranges, lemons and limes), Envy Apples (apples), Langers (juice), Zolli Candy (dentist-approved lollipops), Dippin’ Dots (ice cream), Snip-Its (kids hair salons), Challenge Butter (butter) and more.

Bluey BBC Studios Since its debut in 2018, Bluey – which follows the entertaining adventures of a six-year-old Blue Heeler dog – has picked up an International Emmy, been praised for its portrayal of parenting, and has become one of the biggest new children’s brands.

Despite a late summer launch for its Moose Toys range, Bluey ended the year as the UK’s No.1 new toy brand (according to NPD data), while a successful first Christmas at UK retail was underlined by inclusion in the coveted Dream Toys Top 12 list as well as recognition in the MadeForMums awards.

In autumn, BBC Studios was preparing for growth throughout 2022 by announcing a raft of deals covering EMEA. Licensing agent Maurizio Distefano was appointed to cover Italy, with a free-to-air broadcast deal later announced with Rai Yoyo. Licens was also appointed as agents for the Nordics, Baltics, and Central and Eastern Europe. Multi-territory licensing deals were struck with Crayola and Stor, while Character Options (Weebles), Danilo and Amscan all signed UK deals towards the end of 2021.

As a result, spring will see much more product available at retail in the UK and EMEA, building on successes in the Americas and Australia. Crayola launched product at Walmart in the US in the run-up to Christmas 2021, with its initial limited range selling well. This will be followed by new product lines and retail launches in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in early 2022.

Bluey toys from master toy partner Moose Toys will be available in 14 new territories in EMEA from spring, including France, Italy, Greece, Nordics, Romania and Israel, following earlier launches in the UK and Denmark. This will be supported by further FTA broadcast deals and an expansive AVOD strategy which reflects BBC Studios’ global ambitions for the brand. New products set to launch for spring include Bluey and Bingo talking plush toys and a Bluey caravan, the latter of which has spawned a hilarious spoof advert from Ludo Studio.

BBC Studios tested the water with clothing ranges in the UK, selling out at supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons. The licensor is set to launch an expanded range in 2022.

On screen, Bluey remains a huge hit with children and parents alike. The animation hits the sweet spot in that adults appreciate the show as much as preschoolers do. This is reflected by its many celebrity fans including Hollywood A-listers such as Eva Mendes and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Series three of Bluey debuted in its home country on ABC in autumn 2021, with Disney Jr and Disney+ set to follow.

On FTA channels, series two will be made available in 2022, furthering the brand’s reach in countries including the UK, where Bluey is one of the top shows on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer. In addition to the Rai Yoyo (Italy) agreement, recent FTA deals include ERT (Greece), RTÉjr (Ireland), DR Ramasjang (Denmark), SVT (Sweden) and France 5 in EMEA, as well as deals further afield such as with EBS in South Korea.

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Allegedly

Most people anticipated a quiet and uneventful Black Friday week this year – it just goes to show how wrong you can be. There was plenty of ‘lively’ industrywide discussion after Argos instigated an apparently last-minute Black Friday deal which saw 20% wiped off the price of pretty much all toys in its range. Yes, even the ones that had already been heavily discounted (some by as much as 50%) and, crucially, the ones out of stock – which was apparently quite a large portion of the range. The indiscriminate nature of the reductions seemed to catch a lot of people off guard, even (allegedly) the Argos toy buying team. Ahead of Black Friday, most people had assumed that toy retailers would cherry pick their discounts and offer limited deals on a focused selection of lines, taking into consideration stock levels and the need avoid margin erosion at a time when cost increases have either been introduced or are impending. However, there was also a nagging suspicion that the public has come to expect Black Friday deals, and with UK toy sales figures proving to be lacklustre in October and inconsistent throughout November, some had begun to wonder whether consumers were holding back their festive spending in the hope that there would be attractive Black Friday deals on offer. It seems that either Argos lost its nerve and blinked first or was determined to take the opportunity to bolster its market share at the expense of profit margin. Either way, most toy suppliers we spoke to were both mystified and disappointed, while other retailers were almost certainly forced to look at their own pricing proposition and react accordingly. You have to feel sorry for some of the more experienced members of the Argos buying team: they must be wondering what on earth is going on sometimes.

Although, I was quite pleased to get this reaction to the whole fiasco from Midco’s Dave Middleton: “All our ‘out of stock’ lines were 20% off on Black Friday weekend too.

Mind you, all the lines in-stock were full price, and we had the best weekend of the year.” Who do you think is the better trader, Dave or Argos?

At the start of December, NPD revealed that festive sales patterns were once again changing, making yearon-year comparisons tricky and illustrating just how important the last couple of weeks’ trading would be.

Compared to 2020, when lockdowns led to a bumper year for the toy sector, sales value at the start of December was lagging slightly behind, down 4.7%, with sales volume down 0.8%. However, comparing those figures to 2019, value sales were up 3.9%, with many consumers yet to buy their toys for the big day at that stage. Black Friday apparently provided a nice kickstart to the ‘last push for Christmas’, especially for higher priced toys. It seems that despite all the attempts to encourage consumers to buy early, many chose to wait to see if there were any deals on offer. The NPD report suggested that “Brits still expect price cuts and deals on toys” and while we – and

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I use the royal ‘we’ here – keep giving them what they want, it’s no great surprise that consumers keep their hands in their pockets until the offers arrive…

I’d like to offer my congratulations to the Collinson brothers Paul and Mark on being presented with Golden Teddies recently – richly deserved for two members of one of the UK toy trade’s most successful family dynasties. And it was great to see so many industry friends and colleagues at December’s Fence Club Christmas party, which raised a fantastic £25,000 for the kids’ charities supported by the Club. I’m not sure the massive conga was quite the epitome of social distancing, but a good time was certainly had by all…

Covid has been rearing its head in China again recently - new Covid cases were reported in Tianjin and Guangzhou in December, including the Omicron variant, but the outbreak in Zhejiang, another major manufacturing heartland which is also home to the Ningbo port, remains the most serious, forcing many companies operating in the region to suspend operations…

The supply chain seminar which we ran in conjunction with our great friends at the BTHA and TIE in December touched on the possibility of further Covid-related disruption next year, along with many other facets of this complex subject. If you missed it live, you can view a recording of the seminar online, while there is a handy summary of the discussion on page 330. There was, however, a fascinating postscript to the seminar: a few days after it aired, I was contacted by an anonymous person from the shipping industry…to all intents and purposes, a whistle blower. I had never heard from him before, but in fairness he seemed to know what he was talking about. He had listened to part of the webinar talking about what may happen with container pricing next year, and he had a very different take on it to our panellists: please take this in the spirit I offer it (it’s the opinion of an insider, sure, but he doesn’t have a magic crystal ball any more than anyone else), but in his view, we could see container rates reach as a whopping $25,000 at some points next year. He was also pretty scathing about the behaviour of certain individuals and companies within the shipping sector, suggesting that some pretty nefarious activity is going on behind the scenes. One thing I think most people agree on: next year’s supply chain will remain volatile and unpredictable, with the potential for major swings in terms of pricing, capacity and quality of service. It is something that everyone will need to keep a very close eye on – in fact, on almost a daily basis, just as you would if you dabble in stocks & shares or play Fantasy Football seriously (whatever your poison is).

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