From the publisher

Welcome to the May edition of Toy World – another bumper issue bursting with all the latest news, business developments and new products from the world of toys. With Easter now well and truly in the rearview mirror, I very much hope that trading over the Easter holidays lived up to expectations. In our neck of the woods, we had just about every kind of weather imaginable (from getting sunburn on an Easter Sunday walk to a nasty sleet storm just three days later), so whether you are a retailer who believes footfall is better in either good or bad weather, there was literally something for everyone. And whatever the weather, I think we can all agree that brighter days are now most definitely ahead, as the toy community gears up for the second half of the year.

As you can tell from this month’s eye-catching front cover, Mattel has designated 2023 as ‘The Year of Dolls’, and it is rather fitting that the company’s extensive doll range should occupy this month’s cover slot, as we delve deeply into the doll category in a comprehensive feature which starts on page 60.

In addition to Mattel, there are plenty of other suppliers with highly successful doll ranges that are making sure the category is more vibrant than ever in 2023 – including of course the powerful combination of MGA and Zapf, plus IMC and more. We’re delighted to bring you the latest launches from all of these companies, plus a selection of new suppliers to the category, where we’re seeing representation and inclusivity really coming to the fore via the likes of the Desi Doll Company and Bibinee.

This month’s issue also includes a preview of the Distoy show, which takes place in London at the end of the month. The event has long been a fixture on the global toy community calendar and in a few weeks’ time, we will see hundreds of toy distributors heading to London to start negotiating distribution deals for new launches that will be arriving at the end of 2023 and into 2024. Our interview with Distoy owner David Potter and a sneak peek at some of the companies who will be unveiling new ranges at the show starts on page 48.

We were also delighted to sit down with Hasbro’s new president EMEA, LATAM & Asia Pacific Joao Nielsen Sebastian at Stockley Park last month, to hear about his vision for the future of the company as it starts to implement its ‘Blueprint2.0’ strategy. You can read what Joao has to say about the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for Hasbro in our exclusive piece, which starts on page 42.

Then, last but not least, if you flip this issue over, you will

find our exhaustive preview of the forthcoming Toymaster May show. It really is a fantastic event, and the whole Toy World team is looking forward to catching up with exhibitors, Toymaster members, other specialist retailers and, of course, the Toymaster head office team, at the show.

Before they head to Harrogate, retailers can dive into our preview feature, which rounds up many of the exciting new products you’ll see there from the leading toy suppliers and offers a glimpse into what the show means for both exhibitors and Toymaster members.

Toymaster’s recent trading record has been extremely encouraging; in 2022, when the total toy market declined by 3%, Toymaster members’ sales grew by 14% versus 2021, and they were up by 22% when compared to 2019, the last ‘normal’ trading year. 76% of Toymaster members traded up last year, and that trend is continuing this year; in Q1, when the total market was deemed flat, Toymaster’s sales increased by 10%.

With such a strong ongoing performance, members should be actively looking to place orders and seeking out new ranges to stock while they’re in Harrogate. And our preview section will be a great place for them to start planning who they want to see and which new launches to look out for.

Ahead of the May show, a host of toy companies travelled to Swindon recently to attend the first Toymaster supplier meeting for six years. Toy World was honoured to be invited to join the meeting, which outlined Toymaster’s strong trading performance and highlighted opportunities for suppliers to engage further with the group and its members.

The retail group believes its members have many strengths which are contributing to this performance, including the ability to be reactive and flexible; not being governed by a rigid buying calendar; product knowledge which is second to none and having a strong social media presence. Consumers looking to support local businesses post-pandemic is another trend that has worked in Toymaster members’ favour.

As well as being invited to attend the meeting, Yogi Parmar also gave a personal thank you to the whole Toy World team by name, for the partnership we have developed in recent years – and like suppliers, we are absolutely delighted to continue that close working relationship with the Toymaster team and its members going forward. A healthy specialist independent channel can only be good for the toy market as a whole, and Toymaster plays a major part in facilitating that. See you in Harrogate!