From the publisher

2021 – the year that just keeps on giving. This past month has seen parts of the UK resemble a scene from the Mad Max movies, as brave souls wandered a dystopian landscape in search of fuel, fighting with anyone who got in their way. Within a matter of days, chaos at UK ports replaced the fuel shortages in the headlines, as Felixstowe went public to acknowledge severe delays and congestion, which it attributed largely to the shortage of HGV drivers (although, like all the supply chain issues which have blighted the UK this year, there is never one single cause behind the problems, but rather a complex web of inter-twining factors). This sparked another wave of national media stories talking about potential Christmas toy shortages. Thankfully some reporters chose to speak to people who know what they’re talking about - such as The Entertainer’s Gary Grant, Toytown’s Alan Simpson and KAP Toys’ Nathaniel Southworth – who each gave a sanguine, balanced overview of the situation, and explained the challenges and potential ramifications.

Other media outlets sadly decided to go completely over the top: “Soaring bills, empty shelves and NO toys for Christmas” screamed a Daily Mail headline a few weeks back. Clearly, I am familiar with the idea of journalistic licence and the concept of hooking readers in with a hyperbolic headline – but this went more than a few steps too far. Yes, some items will be in short supply this year, and the stock situation will remain fluid and unpredictable until Christmas Eve – but there certainly won’t be empty sacks under the tree.

Ultimately, I think it’s important to keep the challenges faced by toy companies this year in perspective: the supply chain issues are affecting every consumer category, and despite the backdrop of infinite chaos, there is little point in getting too hung up on things that we as a community can’t control. Thankfully there are loads of great new toys that have managed to make their way on to shelves, and over the coming weeks, we can all play our part in helping consumers to feel excited about Christmas and their impending festive purchases.

Indeed, over the past month, retailers have been unveiling their predictions for this year’s festive best-sellers – although this year’s choices have unsurprisingly been a little different. Rather than being literal predictions of what is perceived to be hot, retailers have had to take into consideration what’s in stock (I managed to secure a container – and it has actually been delivered to store…quick get it on the list) and pricing (I only had to add 20% to the price of that line – so add it on before the price goes up).

While the ongoing supply chain issues have resulted in many retailers continuing to place orders and take in stock long after they would traditionally have closed their warehouse doors, retailers have been juggling opportunities to maximise on Q4 sales with starting to plan for Q1 2022. Undoubtedly the logistics challenges will continue to be a factor as we enter the New Year, so it’s more important than ever to be one step ahead of the game and as organised as it is possible to be. We’re delighted to play our part by keeping one eye on what’s happening this side of Christmas, and the other firmly on what lies ahead in the early part of next year.

Our two main features this month revolve around Spring and Summer, with an in-depth look at the Outdoor Toy category, as well as an exhaustive round-up of Q1 ranges, showcasing new ranges and line extensions which will be hitting shelves between Boxing Day and Easter. Supply challenges notwithstanding, new product development teams have certainly been busy, judging by the huge number of exciting new products being launched. This also suggests that the toy industry remains confident about consumer demand holding up, and also acutely aware of the importance of offering consumers fresh ideas to tempt them into store after Christmas. As ever, many kids will receive money or vouchers for Christmas; nestling in this edition are many of the items that they will hopefully be spending their money on.

In addition to these comprehensive product features, there is also an extended Licensing World section in this edition – just flip the issue over to find all the latest news from the world of licensing, including a preview of BLE, which takes place at London’s ExCeL centre later this month. This will be the first opportunity for the licensing community to meet up in a business setting for two years, so I am expecting a similar experience to every post-pandemic industry gathering I have attended thus far - where everyone has seemed delighted to be out and about, mingling with their peers and colleagues once more. If you’ll be attending, I look forward to seeing you there.