Toys n Playthings

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Helping everyone sell more

17 ber 20 m e c De 3 7 No. Vol. 3

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,121 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017

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CONTENTS Regular

17 ber 20 m e c e D 3 7 No. Vol. 3

TEAM TnP Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Leader – with Mirella Anstey

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News – the latest toy industry headlines

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Coffee break - with Magformers MD David Kelly

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Media News – the multimedia rundown

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Media Charts – the latest kids’ TV viewing figures and toy TV advertising spend

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Retail News – the latest from across the retail landscape

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Toy Talk – retailers let us know what is selling well

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What’s New – new products that you need to get your hands on

46 Spotlight on…Ravensburger – why the American Flag Sneaker 3D Puzzle is such a hit 48 Licensing News – the latest on licensed products

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

Writer Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design and Production Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

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At the heart of retail A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited

49 Trade Talk – looking back on 2017 and forward to the new year 54

Watch Out For… – a round up of toys you really don’t want to be without

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TnP Ambassadors – our tiny testers try out products from Character, Alpha and PMS

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Step Back in Time – a slice of toy history from the industry’s longest running magazine

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Don’t Miss – unmissable products for all buyers and retailers

Features 34 Hong Kong preview – looking forward to the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair and showrooms 50 Drones – these toys that appeal to all ages are flying high in popularity at retail

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Special Report 12

Toy Fair Talk – key industry players look forward to London Toy Fair

20 Retail Interview – The Works’ Simon Joseph talks about striking the right retail balance 28

Cover Story – Flair’s new boys’ collectables Exogini are out of this world — unmissable!

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Interview – Revell’s Jamie Mabbs talks drones

44 Focus – TnP caught up with Character Options’ Mark Hunt to talk hero brands and new lines for 2018

Columnists 16

NEW! New Kids on the Block – Viral Talent’s Co-Founder Laura Edwards introduces the Kidfluencer agency in the first of a new column on social storytelling and vlogging

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Retail Opinion – John Ryan looks at why Black Friday has a dark side

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Media Whisperer – despite the rise of digital media, traditional TV still retains the toy ad spend crown

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The Independent and Secret Supplier – our dynamic duo look at big-ticket items

30 Media Analysis – toy advertising hit a five-year high at half-term – but what does this mean in real terms?

ABC circulation of 5,125 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016

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Helping everyone sell more

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Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,121 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2017

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s always the industry is brimming with good cheer and great news at this time of year.

Not only was Dream Toys a great success — chock full of some terrific toys — but the coverage in the national media and TV news was superb too.

I loved the mix of products and it was great to see some newer names in the mix — such as Alpha. After a very short time of trading this company is already making its mark. But well done to everyone who got a spot in the DreamToys list. I am sure this Christmas will be as good to you as your toys are to the kids playing with them!

Walking around the event with a large smile on her face was Mary Wood — the new GM of Tomy UK. TnP’s congratulations go to Mary and we really look forward to working with her.

And in these enlightened times — after all the Fence Club is also welcoming women among its ranks — it seems ridiculous to say it’s wonderful to see a woman at the helm of a great toy company. But it is. Not least because she is truly one of the most capable and intuitive people in the industry. Well done again, Mary!

And of course last month brought with it news of a possible merger between Mattel and Hasbro. While this is a rumour which has surfaced a great many times over the year, insiders and financial analysts and journalists felt this time the story had a bit more meat to it. At this time, not a lot is known about the deal or indeed if it is still on the table. But it is worth remembering the kerfuffle with the Monopolies and Mergers Commission that ensued after the VTech-LeapFrog takeover.

And while not wishing to take anything away from VTech or Leapfrog — both excellent companies that have shifted a great many products — they aren’t as large as these two toy titans. So even if this does progress, it will be interesting to

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Mirella Anstey

see what America’s Federal Bureau of Competition might make of it all.

The previews have been strong and joyous — as they are every year — and there is a lot happening, but I can’t help feel that the best is yet to come.

I always look forward to what comes from Hong Kong and what is in those fabulous secret rooms at Toy Fair and Nuremberg — the secrecy, the NDAs — love them all.

So, you have all done what you can for Christmas — all stock gone to retailers, and hopefully all of those have been passed into the hands of the kids — or at least the grown ups to pass onto the children.

So now our attention turns to what else can we do, and that is of course to look forward to the Toy Fair season. The (very) merrygo-round of Hong Kong, London, Nuremberg and New York — with a little Spring Fair squeezed in between for some — brings with it optimism and a bright future.

Our focus here at TnP is already on the fairs and I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that TnP puts together fabulous and comprehensive previews to all the shows — the first being in this issue for the HK showrooms. But don’t forget we get all the information to the retailers that really matter, not just with our huge January issue but also with our Daily News at London Toy Fair and also our interviews and product demos on TnP TV. So, don’t be shy! Get in touch with us now by calling Ryan Horwood on 01442 289 930 and guarantee your space!

Until next month…

I am sure this Christmas will be as good to you as your toys are to the kids playing with them!

Congrats: Mary Wood is the new GM of Tomy UK

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Hasbro was in runmoured takeover talks with Mattel

NEWS Mary Wood appointed Tomy UK General Manager Tomy Europe has appointed Mary Wood as General Manager, Tomy UK. Mary is well known in the toy industry, with a career spanning HTI, Zapf, Mattel, and most recently as Marketing Director at Vivid Imaginations.

Mark Foster, Executive Vice President, Tomy Europe said: “Right now, Tomy is playing to win, and we are determined to back our brands with bolder plans. Mary will play a key part in that transformation. Mary brings a wealth of experience and her enthusiasm and motivation I know will make a big impact very quickly.”

In her new role, Mary will be responsible for Tomy’s sales and marketing teams, and will also oversee the central marketing team, responsible for developing Tomy’s European brands, including Aquadoodle, Britains and Tomy Games, plus the company’s top licences such as Molang and Kazoops.

Here comes the bride!

Congratulations to Tomy’s Neil Saunders and Bandai’s Amy Davolls, who have just got married.

Neil proposed to Amy at the Toymaster May Show last year, and guests at the wedding included Toymaster’s very own Toby!

Mattel rejects Hasbro bid A proposed acquisition by rival Hasbro has been rebuffed by Mattel, according to reports.

According Reuters, sources say Mattel feels the acquisition proposition undervalues the Barbie and Hot Wheels maker, and does not take into account the potential interference from industry regulators.

The terms Hasbro offered are still unclear, and while some industry analysts see the rejection as an attempt by Mattel’s board to drive a hard bargain, it is unclear whether the deal is still on the table.

TOP 5 THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT NEW YORK TOY FAIR Kristen Morency Goldman of The Toy Association gives five top reasons to visit the International North American Toy Fair 2018 It’s a critical hub for the global play community As the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, The Toy Association’s North American International Toy Fair is a critical hub for tens of thousands of toymakers, distributors, retailers, licensors, and other trade guests who visit the New York City show each February.

In 2017, Toy Fair drew notable increases in attendees from outside the US, including international buyers 8

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About 1,000 exhibiting toy companies from six continents will showcase

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(up 10.9 percent year-over-year) and trade guests (up 33.1 percent), as well as attendance from foreign press (up 17.2 percent).

This year’s show, taking place 17 to 20 February 2018, will welcome an influx of international guests from more than 100 countries.

Toy Fair has it all – from bold new startups to veteran brands About 1,000 exhibiting toy companies from six continents will showcase hundreds of thousands of new toys and games. The Launch Pad area will exclusively feature first-time exhibitors, offering a rare glimpse at

toysnplaythings.co.uk

New wave Bandai UK has been appointed UK and Ireland distributor of The Original Sea Monkeys by the property’s new global manufacturer Dragon-I Toys.

Dragon-I’s recent takeover of the Sea-Monkey licence is the beginning of a new chapter for The Original Sea Monkeys, which first launched in 1960. Importantly, the formulation of the eggs will once again be created in the US to ensure the highest quality of product.

Bandai UK will launch The Original Sea Monkeys range in late spring with a full 360-degree marketing campaign behind it. AW18 will also see a new introduction to Bandai’s range, with TV advertising.

MGAE tackles counterfeiters MGA Entertainment is shutting down copycat L.O.L Surprise! imports as counterfeits increase in the run-up to Christmas.

The company is actively pursuing counterfeiters that are attempting to capitalise from the phenomenal success of L.O.L. Surprise! and other MGAE brands. There has been increased action by counterfeiters to produce and sell fake toys that look similar to MGAE products, and the company is taking aggressive steps to stop these Isaac Larian illegal actions.

“MGA Entertainment prides itself on bringing innovation to the toy industry,” said Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment.

“While fighting counterfeiters is a continual battle in our industry, it is especially disturbing when ‘competitors’ use illegal tactics rather than innovation to copy our brands. We will use every legal measure available to protect our brands and our consumers from these counterfeit products.”

never-before-seen product. In total, the hottest trends in play and youth entertainment will be unveiled across more than 40,000 net square meters at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, from the latest tech to beloved classics. Buyers and licensors will be there to do business, while global media will be on-site in search of the next big toy or game.

Educational opportunities abound From educational sessions on US and international toy safety standards to seminars on global market research, licensing, speciality retail, toy invention, and more, there is a number of enriching educational

DECEMBER 2017

programs taking place at Toy Fair.

Nearly all the sessions are free for registered attendees.

The biggest trends in toys, play, and youth entertainment come to life Helping buyers and media hone in on the hottest new toys, The Toy Association’s trend experts will unveil the top toy trends of the year during a Toy Trends Briefing on day two of the show. The experts will use product examples directly from the show floor to help illustrate.

Remembering James TnP founder Malcolm Naish remembers agent James O’Sullivan, who has died, aged 58 I am sorry to report the passing of one of our favourite toyboys.

James O’Sullivan spent 38 years as an agent in the Irish toy trade, representing such companies as Revell, Golden Bear, Posh Paws and Atlantic Toys.

In the past few years, James concentrated on FOB Agencies ex.

Hong Kong and was a regular visitor to the Far East. A very smart dresser, James quite often designed his own colourful suits and jackets and was a great supporter of the Irish Toyboys golf society. He also regularly played at the Toymaster golf day and other UK golf events.

Just 58 years of age, he was a generous and loyal friend and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Our thoughts go out to his wife Anne during this difficult time.

Palitoy honoured The Leicestershire factory of classic toy company Palitoy has been honoured with a green plaque, which marks significant sites within the county.

On Thursday, 2 November, the plaque was installed at the Coalville Business Park, where the toy factory Palitoy once stood. Bob Simpson, who was MD of the factory between 1969 and 1981, attended the unveiling, along with Bob Brechin, who was a chief toy designer for the firm.

In 1968, Palitoy was sold to US giant General Mills, and the Palitoy name was dropped in the early 1980s.

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The Toy Association’s trend experts will unveil the top toy trends of the year

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All work and no play? No way!

Show organisers have been working hard to schedule an array of special event and afterhours activities for Toy Fair guests. An International Welcome Reception on the first night of the show will help global buyers and other attendees forge new connections. Other fun activities will take place throughout Toy Fair week – including the glamorous Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards gala.

Convinced to make the trip yet? Visit www.ToyFairNY.com to learn more about everything New York Toy Fair has to offer and register to secure your ticket.

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NEWS Click welcomes Anna Sanfeliu Click Distribution has appointed Anna Sanfeliu as its new Head of International Sales.

Anna, formally General Manager at Giromax in Spain, will work closely with Click COO Luke Hillier in extending the company’s properties into new markets.

Luke said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have a person of Anna’s stature and ability on our team. I have personally known Anna for many years and have always had a great working relationship with her during her time at Giromax, and admired her work ethic and integrity.

“When I heard that Anna was moving on I immediately wanted her to be involved in our business and fortunately we were able to do this.”

Trends UK scoops awards Trends UK has picked up two awards in The Science Toy Awards.

The company’s InstaSnow won the Primary School category, and its Discovery 360° HD Microscope was a finalist. The Science Toy Awards are organised by international scientists in association with Imperial College and celebrate outstanding toys that help develop STEM skills through play.

Insta-Snow by Trends UK impressed the judges, teachers and school children because of its magical transformation from powder to snow by simply adding water.

Lindsay Hardy, Marketing Director, Trends UK said: “We are delighted to have won two Science Toy Awards. Insta-Snow and Discovery 360° HD Microscope have been given independent endorsement by scientists, children and teachers confirming that these are fantastic STEM learning toys.”

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COFFEE BREAK David Kelly, MD of construction toy company Magformers, looks back on 2017 and ahead to 2018 How would you sum up the year for Magformers?

Another fantastic year with great support from retailers.

Our sales are 178 per cent up year-on-year, which makes us one of the fastest-growing toy brands in the UK, so I’m delighted.

What are you most proud of from this year?

Our retail promotions, led by a huge commitment to in-store product demonstrations, have been very well received by retailers and consumers. I believe we really set the trend.

What have been your biggest sellers of the past year Our Magformers 30 and Wow sets continue to be massive sellers, but we’ve also started to see significant growth in sales of bigger boxes, like the Magformers 62-piece set, as our fanbase grows.

Also, the accessory packs we introduced this year have been very popular as top-up packs and presents for children who already own Magformers sets.

You’re well known for supporting retailers. How you’ve helped retail partners sell more in 2017.

A combination of live demonstrations and extremely visual POS material has elevated our presence in-store. We introduced a smaller, corrugated FSDU and this went down well with independent retailers and Toymaster members.

We also installed play tables and chairs in multiple locations and this helped retailers to stage ‘try before you buy’ promotions and events.

Without giving too much away, what does 2018 hold for Magformers, and why should retailers be taking note?

We are launching a fantastic new vehicle set with an RRP of around £20, which is a very attractive price point. We are currently exploring ways to expand our demonstration team so that it becomes even bigger and stronger in 2018. And we will be re-energising our My First Line (aimed at children aged 18-plus months) with bespoke POS and a much clearer toddler-friendly focus. We will also be launching a sister brand to Magformers called Clicformers, which is non-magnetic and offers some fabulous sets at extremely good margins for retailers.

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Toy Fair Talk Show business!

Returning exhibitors reveal why the London Toy Fair is such a pivotal event, and how first-time exhibitors can get the best out of the show Majen Immink, Director of Fairs and Special Events, BTHA:

“We are very pleased to welcome back so many returning exhibitors to Toy Fair, as well as to see a number of new faces too.

For companies of all sizes, the show is a fantastic opportunity to launch new products and meet with all corners of the industry.

We would encourage every company, whether brand-new or a show veteran, to contact the team at any stage of the planning process for assistance and to take advantage of the many PR opportunities in order to maximise their presence at the show.”

Yuki Otsuka, Marketing Manager, Epoch Making Toys Do you have any advice for first-time exhibitors?

Making sure your stand represents your brand through the design and creative aspect is really important. We won Stand of the Year 2015 with our Cosy Cottage structure, which is our iconic introductory product, and this year our stand is even bigger and better.

How does Toy Fair UK compare to other events that you exhibit at, both in the UK and abroad?

Toy Fair is an ideal size for us as you don’t get lost in the crowd and having it over a 3-day period makes it easier to get round and see everything. Toy Fair TV is also

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Phil Ratcliffe, Sales & Marketing Director, MV Sports Do you have any advice for first-time exhibitors?

touch and try products for themselves.

Make sure that sales and marketing people are all fully briefed and communicate a consistent and compelling message both about the company and the products. Trawl for sales leads and appointments well ahead of the show and follow up immediately afterwards.

As a returning exhibitor how have you seen Toy Fair change over the years?

How does Toy Fair UK compare to other events that you exhibit at?

Toy Fair is our main show and is the one place that customers and licensors can see the entire range. In a sector where products and concepts are presented well in advance on screens, it is essential that customers can see,

Susan Journeax, Marketing Services Manager, GP Flair Do you have any advice for first-time exhibitors?

If you’ve never exhibited some practical personal tips would be to have plenty of water on your stand, wear trousers / dresses with pockets to store your lip balm (the aircon and constant talking take their toll) and phone on (for when you go off stand and have to rush back) plus the essential comfortable shoes. On a commercial basis try to make as many appointments as possible before the show, and take advantage of the media services offered by the Toy Fair PR team.

How does Toy Fair UK compare to other events that you exhibit at?

Toy Fair is the largest show we exhibit at. Due to the size compared to others we exhibit at it’s the only show we are able to show our depth of range in a fully branded environment.

Toy Fair was once an ordering fair, whereby customers would actually visit the stand and place orders which were then immediately faxed back to head office for processing/despatch. Also there was much more theatre around products.

Nowadays Toy Fair is at the end of a long sequence of presentations and is now more professional and business like offering an opportunity for buyers to consider final selections and last

Darrell Jones, Marketing Director, Vivid Do you have any advice for firsttime exhibitors?

I have been involved in over 20 Toy Fairs and it’s all about planning!

Make sure you do as much as you can before you arrive at Olympia on the set up day. Simple things such as unboxing products and putting them into zip lock bags can save you lots of time.

As a returning exhibitor how have you seen Toy Fair change over the years?

The visual appearance and location of the Toy Fair may have changed over the years, however the spirit remains strong and Toy Fair is still one of the most fun packed weeks in the toy industry calendar. I’d certainly miss it if I wasn’t there.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

NEWS

PAW-some new mission

Gelli Baff hits Netflix Zimpli Kids’ Gelli Baff features in the new series of Haters Back Off on leading streaming service Netflix.

The show, which features YouTuber Colleen Ballinger — well known for her Miranda Sings persona — follows the story of a girl trying to go viral online.

Gelli Baff and Slime Baff products have garnered more than 3.3 billion views on YouTube since October 2015 from independent reviewers worldwide, and the figures don’t appear to be slowing down. The Zimpli YouTube campaign gets an average of 6.5 million new views every day — that’s 75 new views a second.

Gelli Baff makes its debut in episode seven of Haters Back Off, when Miranda tries to create her own theme park – as it makes the perfect dunk tank.

Hama Beads heats up TV campaign DKL Marketing is pushing a major marketing and PR campaign for Hama Beads in 2018, with a TV campaign at its heart.

The TV ads will run over the Easter 2018 period and feature on Channel 5, Nickelodeon, Disney Junior, Boomerang and Nick Jr, delivering more than 100 TVRs. More marketing and PR will take place across the entire Hama Bead range — including kids press and influencer outreach — supported by recentlyappointed PR company, Norton PR.

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Kids can get to the heart of PAW Patrol missions in a new adventure game on nickjr.co.uk.

Pre-school gamers can create avatar versions of themselves and join forces with the pups from the TV series to tackle a number of fun and engaging missions.

PAW Patrol Pawsome Missions can be found at nickjr.co.uk/ Pawsome.

Young fans can also look forward to the PAW Patrol Christmas special, due to air on 11 December on Nick Jr. at 5pm. In The Pups Winter Wonder Show, the Adventure Bay Snow-Show is in trouble when Mayor Humdinger escapes with the feature act: Cap’n Turbot’s performing penguins. Can the PAW Patrol save the day so that the show can go on?

Galloping online

Build up to Christmas The LEGO Group has brought a Christmas campaign to mainstream TV for the first time in four years.

The Christmas ad was first broadcast during an episode of the X Factor on ITV and will appear during other shows including I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Ninja Warriors.

The campaign is dubbed Give the Gift of Imagination, and taps into the sentiment of children being at the heart of the festive season. The ad features young children with a wrapped gift box — they shake it and automatically know it’s LEGO, before going on to talk excitedly about what they will build with it.

Fans of Hasbro’s My Little Pony: Equestria Girls can now catch up with their favourite horsey friends on YouTube.

The first episode has premiered and there are more than 45 new episodes from the series in the pipeline. Each new episode will go live every Friday on the My Little Pony YouTube account.

Hasbro has also stamped a new partnership with popular YouTube influencer and up-and-coming singer Angelic. As well as singing the opening theme song of the new digital series, Angelic will sing on Equestria Girls Forever, an original dance-pop track that pays tribute to the brand’s core message of friendship and celebrates the special bond shared between best friends.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

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CHARTS

3500 3000 2500 2000

Spoilt for choice

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All Children Oct 16 vs Oct 17 Oct-16

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elcome to the Media Report for October, the second month of the autumn. We are reporting viewing levels for all Children, and Boys and Girls 4-9 years.

As the chart shows for all Children, the stations are down except for Boomerang. The total market is down by 11.9 per cent. It is also fair to say children are looking for something else other than watching TV. When we look at research, which is not shown here, we can clearly see the peak viewing time for all kids is between 4pm and 7pm Monday Friday, and across all dayparts at the weekend.

During this time their options for entertaining themselves are vast, ranging from consoles, mobiles and tablets to laptops and TV. The research would suggest they spend over two hours on the console and maybe just 30 minutes watching television in this NG time band. It should be no LOOKI 10 surprise that we are seeing P TO television suffer because of AT THEERS FOR these other options.

D SPEN ER 2017, When we look at the OCTOBE THERE viewing levels for the Girls 4-9 years, Pop and Disney WE SE ME Junior are the only stations ARE SO MERS O showing a viewing increase NEWC in viewing when compared to October 2016. Most of the others are down, with the total market down by nearly 12 per cent. The biggest fall coming from TinyPop with a drop of 55 per cent followed by CiTVB, down 40 per cent.

Looking at the viewing levels for Boys 4-9 years, the overall market is down by nearly 13 per cent. Again, Boomerang is the only station showing a positive increase compared to October 2016. Most of the others are down, and the biggest drop is Nicktoons, down 52 per cent, followed by CiTV, dropping 34 per cent.

Looking at the top 10 spenders for October 2017, we see there are some newcomers in the shape of Playmobil and Ravensburger. The top 10 spenders are down 9.6 per cent compared to October 2016, while the total market is down by 9.8 per cent.

Next month we will again look at both Girls and Boys 4-9 years and Housewives with Children Pre-School.

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2000 1000 0

Boys 4-9 TVRs Oct 16 vs Oct 17 Oct-16

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Girls 4-9 TVRs Oct 16 vs Oct 17 Oct-16

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Oct 2016 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Oct 2017 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Jakks Pacific LEGO UK Ltd Vivid Imaginations Ltd Character Options Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd John Adams Leisure Ltd VTech Electronics Ltd Spin Master Toys Ltd Mattel UK Ltd Hasbro (UK) Ltd

671,187 920,495 968,289 1,005,369 1,465,279 1,518,011 1,550,699 2,431,995 2,798,477 3,761,506

Playmobil UK Ltd Ravensburger Toys Ltd Zapf Creations UK Flair Leisure Prod Ltd VTech Electronics Ltd Character Options Ltd John Adams Leisure Ltd Mattel UK Ltd Spin Master Toys Ltd Hasbro (UK) Ltd

718,684 717,938 743,631 1,008,259 1,256,083 1,281,473 1,335,182 2,053,241 2,827,706 3,594,592

For more information on viewing levels please contact Mike Penfold. mike@globalmedia.me.uk Tel: 01494 763178.

All graphs and information supplied by Global Media Services

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NEW KIDS ON

THE BLOCK

Think outside the box The rise of the Kidfluencers has been the talk of the industry in the past year or so. In the first of our new columns, Laura Edwards – co-Director and Founder of Viral Talent, one of the world’s leading kidfluencer agencies, gives insights about how her team of specialists help international brands tell their stories on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Musical.ly and PopJam

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V

iral Talent is a full service influencer agency. We specialise in Kidfluencers. We work not only with brands to ensure high engagement and measurable results, but also with the influencer and their families, providing management consultancy and top tips in growing their channel and monetising their platforms in the most effective way. We help them stay on the right side of advertising law and navigate the complex area of promotional marketing. Not only do we ensure professionalism at all times, but safety online is paramount in the kids’ space.

Myself and Alex Chavez Munoz are the co-Founders and Directors of Viral Talent with more than 30 years of media experience between us, having worked extensively in media within film, video game and toys.

Over the past two years we have seen children who have been watching their YouTube idols take on the role of influencers themselves and launching their own channels with incredible results. These Kidfluencers are taking YouTube by storm, and generating their own community of loyal fans. But without appropriate guidance from an agency such as ours, the risks are high for the talent themselves and the brands they promote. The enjoyment of “kids

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“ watching kids” is very prominent in the way children are now consuming content. This is highlighted via viewership figures, a key example of this being Tiana from Toys AndMe, an international talent we manage. She has generated 4.8 billion lifetime views on her channel since April 2015.

With the rise of toy channels, kids’ parodies and kids’ gaming channels, these young Kidfluencer stars are now generating huge interest from brands to expose their products through a story to their fans via vlogs and other social channels, as either alternatives to traditional forms of advertising or as complementary activity within a 360 ad campaign.

Businesses are rapidly learning the advantage of partnering with social media influencers to showcase their brands, which is where we step in.

At Viral Talent, we offer a full service ensuring our influencers are supported legally and professionally — and from a brand owner’s perspective we ensure the correct codes of conduct are followed. It is important that we have a dedicated team who take the time to mentor the talent, and their families, across best

DECEMBER 2017

Over the last two years we have seen children who have been watching their YouTube idols now taking the role of influencers themselves and launching their own channels with incredible results

practice, ensuring they are aware of the pitfalls of operating online and well versed in the standards for advertising and marketing — an example being the complex world of advertorial and product placement. Videos have to be clearly labelled and promoted, and we walk through all aspects of influencer marketing with our clients, ensuring best practice and safety always. As we work end to end with the families we mentor, we also offer and recommend complete media accountancy and business management services, advising on trademark registration and brand development, both on and off-line.

At Viral Talent we take a partnership approach to managing our talent; forming strong business relationships with the talent and parents is key to mutual success. We take a long-term approach to the brands we work with. Working as brand managers we take a bespoke view of every campaign, recommending tailored packages of the right talent, appropriate channel positioning and campaign creative. Even if all you have is an idea, or an outcome, we can make influencer marketing work for you — whatever the size of your

”

brand or your budget.

Working with us will ensure the perfect fit for delivering your message to the right audience, and at the right time.

We have many young influencers on our books, such as Toys AndMe, Tekkerz Kid, Emily Tube, Ruby Rube and Gorgeous Movies, some of which rank in the top 10 on Social Blade in the UK. Zenith Media’s new Advertising Expenditure Forecasts report has predicted the fastest growing component of internet ad spend will be social media, which is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 20 per cent a year to 2019, when it will hit £43.8bn, with Kidfluencers very much a part of this.

Never has there been a better time to talk to us about how we can help raise awareness in your branded category.

Alex Chavez Munoz Laura Edwards

Contact Viral Talent We are here to help grow your profile in a hugely impactful area of the industry.

Whether for advice or campaign planning we are here to offer advice relevant to your needs. We are available to chat at laura@viraltalent.co.uk.

17

Retail

news

Top shops It’s time to blow your own trumpet and nominate yourselves for the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards 2017.

Retailers can nominate themselves or other industry professionals for the awards, which this year have a newly expanded category for independent retailers.

The BTHA will continue to give independent and smaller multiple retailers the chance to include short testimonials from their suppliers.

Categories include: • • • • • • •

Independent Toy Retailer of the Year (under 150 sq feet) Independent Toy Retailer of the Year (over 150 sq feet) Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year Online Toy Retailer of the Year Best Overall Toy Retailer of the Year for UK and Ireland Special Recognition Award

Shortlisted retailers will be announced in December, with winners being unveiled alongside the Toy of the Year awards on Tuesday 23 January 2018 – the first night of London Toy Fair.

To enter, simply visit: www.btha.co.uk/awards/ toy-industry-awards.

Roaring into retail Shoppers might be surprised to see huge lions appearing at major stores such as the new Toys R Us in Brent Cross and the Smyths in Dublin’s Airside Retail Park.

The giant felines are part of major POS activity across the UK and Ireland from Schleich UK, demonstrating the company’s commitment to in-store support.

Paul Dearlove, Trade Marketing Manager at Schleich UK, said: “We look forward to seeing many more of our lions popping up.”

Playmobil jingles all the way to intu centres Playmobil has teamed up with shopping centre operator intu for a second Christmas campaign.

The campaign follows the successful introduction of Playmobil play zones at intu centres over the summer. Playmobil aims to reach thousands of young families heading to the retail destinations over the festive season.

Visitors to Christmas grottos at six intu centres will receive a Playmobil gift and also be invited to take part in a competition to win the whole Playmobil range. To be in with a chance they will need to post a letter to Father Christmas into special post boxes at 14 intu centres across the country.

Bug grub Tobar is launching its I’m a Celebrity Bush Grub range with a tour of Hawkin’s Bazaar retail locations.

The range, which is the official merchandise of ITV’s primetime show I’m A Celebrity, includes some weird and wonderful edible creepy crawlies, including salt and vinegar-flavoured crickets, barbecue mealworms, buffalo worms and locusts.

The range has been revealed to coincide with the 17th series of the show, which is hosted by Ant and Dec. The tour kicked off in November and will run throughout December.

Yes to Co-op The members of wholesaler and convenience retail specialist Nisa Retail have voted to take the Co-op Group’s offer to buy the business for up to £137.5m.

The vote result was 75.79 per cent in favour and 24.21 per cent against. It is subject to clearance from the CMA. Nisa Chairman Peter Hartley said: “We are delighted that our members have chosen in such significant numbers to vote in favour of Co-op’s offer.

We as a Board are firm in our belief that a combination with the Co-op is in the best interests of Nisa’s members.”

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Toys N Playthings Page MSU 2018 315x240.pdf

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28/11/2017

10:45

RETAIL

THE WORKS

Works wonders

Savvy retailers these days recognise the importance of combining clever e-commerce strategy with a strong high street presence, and The Works is certainly a leader with this business model. TnP spoke to Simon Joseph, the retailer’s Multi Channel Director, about striking the right retail balance…

What’s your business background and how did you come to work at The Works?

Many moons ago I trained as a lawyer, but just didn’t find the year I spent in chambers inspiring. I’d been a bit of a Del Boy since early childhood, and the world of business had always attracted me, so I decided to go into the corporate market.

I started out at Dixons on their graduate programme in the late 1990s when the importance of the web was just emerging. After three years I moved to an exciting start-up, Jungle.com, which launched at the same time as Amazon and

“

As the parent of young children I remember being amazed at what we could buy at The Works for a tenner

” 420+ The number of The Works stores across the country

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Lastminute.com. I only spent a year there but learned a huge amount, and that was the first contact I had with toys and games as a retailer.

Next I joined Argos, which was invaluable in terms of learning about being ahead of the game when it comes to trends. We’d be picking out Christmas best sellers in March!

Then I worked in Leeds as the director of e-commerce at Asda, before joining The Works three-anda-half years ago.

I’d been introduced to the brand as the parent of young children – now aged four, eight and nine – and I remember walking out of a competitor aghast at the prices, while being amazed at what we could buy at The Works for £10.

As Multi Channel Director I’ve seen us grow rapidly from 330 stores when I started, as well as investing heavily in e-commerce. It’s been an exciting time for the company.

How important are toys to The Works’ overall sales, both instore and the online operation?

The Works really has been on a

business journey, and while we’ve protected our books heritage we also made a conscious decision to enter other markets, such as toys, stationery, arts and crafts. Customers know us for the quality of our books, but also now our toy selection and toys are a big piece of what we are.

Stores such as Smiggle and Tiger have made stationery popular with children and we’re very much in that mix, along with craft items.

Roughly how big a sales chunk do toys represent for you?

I’d say toys make up between a fifth and a quarter of our revenue, and our strapline "What will you discover?" has never been more true.

As a company, you have a massive high street presence.

Can you tell us a bit about how you see the importance of toys and games to your stores?

On the high street we introduce newness on a weekly basis, and we always make a noise about our new products – both in store and online – which is of course important in terms of toys. We refresh things very

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Simon’s top trends

Unicorns Pineapples Princesses

regularly, and while some might see this as The Works playing the discount market, it’s actually a magic that’s very hard to replicate for other companies.

What sells well for us are traditional games, wooden sets, science and educational toys and children’s activity products.

In terms of current trends, unicorns, pineapples and princess-themed items have been huge.

Slime has been really big for us over the past year, and of course we’ve led the way with fidget spinners and the wider fidget category.

How do you balance online and in-store retail?

As a company we’re truly committed to doing what’s right for the customer, and what our customers tell us is that they want to shop in different ways. It used to be about using their feet, now it can be easier to turn to their tablets or mobile device.

How does seasonality affect online trade, or is this something you experience more at bricksand-mortar?

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As a company we’re truly committed to doing what’s right for the customer, and what our customers tell us is that they want to shop in different ways

”

As we come into the Christmas trading period we see huge volumes of online traffic. Peak trading times tend to be Sunday night and Mondays, after the weekend. Our customers like that they can buy online and collect in-store, and with more than 400 outlets, one of our branches is never far away.

On the retail side we have shops in retail parks, garden centres and concessions, as well as a big presence on the high street.

Do your kids help you test the waters when it comes to what’s hot and what’s not on the playground?

Being a father of three gives me really valuable insight into this job, as well as the importance of pocket money pricing The Works is known for. My eldest daughter is now a huge Harry Potter fan, my middle girl loves all things princess and the current trends for unicorns, flamingos and pineapples. My son is

four and he absolutely loves pirates and anything superhero-based.

Fidget Spinners were a massive toy story in 2017. Can you tell us how this craze played out for you?

In terms of toy trends, it’s something we take a very strategic approach to.

We look at the latest intelligence and data and we speak to our suppliers and the marketplace in general.

With fidget spinners our buying teams out in China were telling us how popular they were, so we were actually ahead of the game in terms of volume of product – and now still cubes and tumble teasers as well as the whole fidget category are still big news for us.

How does Christmas affect your marketing plans and visual merchandising?

Seasonally, the look and feel of our stores and the website changes. One of our best offers is our two-for-£10 deal, and that’s very important during the festive season. Customers can select their multi-buy from up to 250 different products.

We also produce a gift guide that’s very important in terms of sales, and this year we’ve printed three million copies.

Finally, what toy trade events are important for you as a business? What are the ones you never miss?

Spring Fair at the NEC is always big news for us, as is London Toy Fair, alongside the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair.

We are also really led by our customers at The Works though — they tell us where we need to be, and that’s why we are constantly finding and sourcing toys and games from new places.

DECEMBER 2017

21

RETAIL

OPINION

Black Friday’s dark side A

Retail expert John Ryan says there is more to selling toys in the run-up to 25 December than reducing everything in sight

t the time of writing, unusual times. Let’s put Black Friday another way: it Black Friday is still a is seen as sound commercial sense to reduce prices week away, although for a brief period and then to put them back up again it is difficult to be more precise as if nothing had happened. as increasingly the term means Back in the day, the expectation was that you’d sell anything but a single day — and may your stock at full price until Christmas and then the be up to a week long if electricals retailer January sale would begin on or around December Currys PC World is anything to go by. Whatever 27. This was what shoppers expected and the crowds your view, it is big enough to make a fair dent in flocked, still full of turkey and Christmas pudding, revenues in the run-up to Christmas. but determined to bag a bargain. And they did, and For toy retailers it’s a case of seeing who blinks retailers were in the happy position of being able to first. The logic of Black Friday is that by offering work out, by history, what percentage of stock was discounts on merchandise ahead of the late likely to sell at full price.

The rot started when a few retailers began reducing December/January sales, turnover will be given a their stock in the week before Christmas. Then came boost and things will be better when the period is Black Friday, and now the gloves looked at as a whole. really are off. The so-called golden Maybe so, but the fly in this Take a look at quarter now looks anything but, and particular ointment is that you know there’s trouble afoot when Germany, where sale those who don’t take part you exit the tube at Piccadilly Circus periods are still restricted worry that they are missing and somebody is offering 20 per out. Eventually it becomes a by law and where, it cent off vouchers for Hamleys. feeding frenzy when everybody appears, retail is doing So what is to be done? The feels obliged to cut prices, for a rather better answer is to be found in mid-market limited time, and shoppers who clothing retailer Next. It has always would have been prepared to held sales at ‘sale time’, maintained pay full price get an early Christmas present. its nerve when all around are losing theirs, and The winner is the consumer and the loser is the proved the beneficiary. retailer. There are those who would say that shoppers A few less sales at higher margin equates to a are asked to pay enough as it is and this is just mountain of stock sold at a discount and you are in payback. Yet at a time when things are set to cost control of your own destiny. If all of this sounds like more, courtesy of Brexit, rents and business rates are cloud cuckoo land, just take a look at Germany, where on the way up, and shoppers are wondering whether sale periods are restricted by law and where retail is to spend quite as much this time round, the pips doing rather better. may have been squeezed just a mite too hard.

And if you reduced over Black Friday and are now Christmas is a time of joy, we are often licking your wounds, perhaps you might consider not doing so next year… death by a few hundred cuts is informed, and it’s a time of no-holds-barred never pretty. spending. But there will come a point when the outlook is just too bleak to be ignored.

The best-selling toys look pretty good in the two or three weeks prior to the big day and will probably still sell out, but Black Friday notwithstanding, here’s a prediction: the dog days of January and February will seem even more quiescent this time round and the graph that shows rising sales will peak at least a week prior to 25 December.

And before you say that your Next has always done grandmother has no need to be shown Christmas sales right how egg-sucking works, we do live in

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”

John Ryan is Stores Editor at Retail Week. He has worked for the magazine for more than a decade covering store design, visual merchandising and what makes things sell in-store. In a previous life he was a buyer.

DECEMBER 2017

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RETAIL

OPINION

Toy talk Retailers are important to us here at TnP. We love chatting to them each month to get industry insights into what is selling well and we ask some key questions...

TnP loves to hear your views. This month we chat with retailers around the country to see what’s selling well and what their outlook on 2018 is...

PHIL HAWKINS

BRENDAN WILL Will’s Toy Shop, Aberdeen Will’s Toy Shop is a family-run shop selling toys and gifts including pocket money toys and party bag gifts How would you sum up the year?

I think it’s been a good year for us — we joined Toymaster in August and since then we have had loads of new ranges that we have never carried before, and as a result kids and parents are loving it, so of course that’s good!

What have been your best sellers of 2017?

Probably still the fidget spinners; we sold so many in May and June it was unbelievable — we couldn’t keep up.

Another favourite is Crazy Aaron’s Putty, which flies out! Every Saturday kids are coming in for a new top-up – it is incredible! We have only had it six weeks and it’s just so popular.

What has been the year’s biggest surprise?

The biggest surprise is probably the fidget spinners actually. At the beginning of April someone rang up and we weren’t sure what they were, so I started looking for them then and they just blew up. We have had a lot more footfall because people have been looking for them, too.

HARRIET ATKINSON Toymaster York, York, Yorkshire Selling traditional toys from a number of well-known brands, the independent Toymaster in York has just celebrated its first year of trading How would you sum up the year?

Amazing! It has been our first year of opening in York and especially these past few weeks in the start of the run-up to Christmas, it’s just getting busier and busier. We are up on last year, and all the feedback we are getting is that it is really good to have a toy shop in the city centre. We are also next to Disney Store so we get lots of footfall from there as we stock different things to them.

What have been your best sellers of 2017?

Difficult question — the top toy and one of the

24

Toys UK, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire Toys UK prides itself on a superb level of customer service both in-store and from its website How would you sum up the year?

Quieter than previous years! I just think there is a lack of cash around in general and so many more online purchases.

I think it’s the biggest problem in all industries, not just in toys, but for everybody.

What have been your best sellers of 2017?

Probably LEGO, Star Wars is always very popular, and also the new releases for The LEGO Ninjago Movie. They are still our core, most popular products.

What has been the year’s biggest?

The biggest surprise for us would have to be Fingerlings — we have been caught short this year and we can’t seem to get hold of them for love nor money and everyone wants them!

What’s your outlook on the year ahead — and is it different from this time last year?

I personally think things will get even quieter next year so our marketing is going to have to be even better. We are going to have to change our image of the store.

most popular is the artificial intelligence doll Luvabella; they are ridiculously popular as they learn with the child as they begin to talk and walk.

LEGO is also a bestseller for us, and Hatchimals also does well.

What has been the year’s biggest surprise?

How fast trends spread. I was reading that fidget spinners were the first toy ever to spread solely on social media; every other product has been supported with some form of marketing or advertising, whereas this kicked off on social media without it and then the marketing followed after it had taken off. Customers will hear about things before we know we’re getting them!

What’s your outlook on the year ahead — and is it different from this time last year?

Positive! We are looking to do more in the community. We hope to do more with local nurseries, such as organising play days for the little ones to come in and see what toys we have.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

media

opinion

Net gains I

n my last TnP article, Digital Media is Starting to Bite, I promised I would elaborate on the subject of Video on Demand (VoD).

However, nothing stands still in the world of media for long, and a recently published report

by Zenith Optimedia on the global advertising expenditure forecast is worth sharing first. The Sir Martin Sorrell, head of WPP, the world’s largest forecast predicts a 4.4 per cent growth in 2017, a advertising company, spoke at the London Tech Week positive position. Taking the forecast to 2019 there is a earlier this year. major shift in the make-up of the expenditure pie.

“I happen to be in the camp of people who think that For the first time ever, the internet is forecast to technology disrupts and will destroy jobs,” he said. represent the largest slice of the ad pie, replacing Google and Facebook control 75 per cent of digital television. The projected percentages by category are advertising and more than 20 per cent of the world’s global mobile at 26.7 per cent and desktop at 14.7 per cent, trillion-dollar advertising market. Sir Martin added: “They are for a combined 41.4 per cent. With TV accounting effectively states. They are very powerful organisations; we for 32 per cent of the market, this have been warned.” forecast amounts to a nine percentage Within the multimedia spectrum of point lead for mobile and internet over digital media and its dominance, the actual An expenditure the small screen. Given the weight spread of expenditure on toys, games and swing to the same of money being spent across digital toy retailers not placed on a screen still extent as has media it is difficult to imagine that amounted to a healthy £7.3m in the year TV could ever return to its former ending 2016. As a rule I do not normally happened in the lead status. global advertising pie cover figures to this extent in TnP, however So, let’s take a local market view to the figures here really tell the story. is highly unlikely in see what the expenditure trends are Earlier this year I wrote about The Kids the toys, games and for toys and games advertising here Digital Media Programming Awards, which in the UK. Taking the period 1 presented the judging panel with a host toy retail advertising September 2016 to 31 October 2017, of original creative content. Personalised sector the total expenditure on TV for toys, targeting is key to making VoD advertising games and toy retailers was reported more effective, and hopefully more to be £206.9m – a market share of lucrative for all parties.

97 per cent for TV. Digital expenditure was second to According to Ampere Analysis, the UK ad-supported television, reported to be £7.08m, representing a 3 per VoD market was worth £700m in 2016, and is forecast cent market share. to grow to £834m this year. That report puts toys, If we take all media expenditure in this category it games and toy retailers at 1 per cent of the market totals £225m and the television share comes down to spend in 2016. Expenditure on digital will increase 92 per cent. The remaining spending was attributed to as the money follows the audience. cinema (£5.5m), press (£4m) and others.

Viewers have plenty of choice as programmes There is clearly an expenditure commitment into are delivered and are easily accessible on a digital media, which has already been proven to screen, from a platform or, lest we should have an effective role to play — as the £7m would forget, a broadcast. In the first three months of suggest. However, I think we can conclude that this year Netflix added 4.5 million subscribers, an expenditure swing to the same extent as has taking its business to a bewildering reach of 100 happened in the global advertising pie is highly million subscribers. unlikely in the toys, games and toy retail advertising However, while mobile and the internet may sector. Digital expenditure will continue to grow, but be gaining ground now, will the younger right now and for some time to come, the upper hand population of today still be watching remains with television. short viral clips on an iPhone and As advertising expenditure on mobile and internet Snapchatting in their adulthood? This increases, it creates a mood of opinion by its sheer story could be continued but I don’t dominance to follow that momentum. This in turn can know what the outcome may be. If you impact on other smaller media sectors as well as TV. do, answers on a postcard to the editor.

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With overall digital advertising spend poised to overtake TV for the first time, TV will be tough to top in the toy industry for some time to come, says Clive

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Clive Crouch www.clivecrouch.com, info@clivecrouch.com, mobile: 07831 670453

December 2017

1

THE INDEPENDENT

OPINION

Christmas cheer?

The Independent will end his year with an air of satisfaction but is already concerned that 2018 will bring a lot less joy

C

hristmas has come. It is finally here and the excitement of being in the toy trade, knowing that every item we sell to our customers will be played with less than the box that it currently holds, and bring many seconds of joy to children, brings that simple magic of being a toy retailer back to life. None more so than this year.

It has been many years since my

Best sellers: VOLUME: 1) LOL Surprise Tots Dolls - MGA 2) Cra-Z-Slimy – Character Options 3) Unicorn Poop – H. Grossman VALUE: 1) Blond Luvabella – Spin Master 2) LOL Surprise Tots Dolls – MGA 3) LEGO City Advent Calendar – LEGO

kids were young enough to be bought Christmas presents, but one thing I always loved about Santa from years ago was that Christmas was always built around one big present, and many other little addons and bits and pieces.

I have missed this trend as over the past number of years it seemed that most toys on offer were in the “mainstream” arena, with price points for the hero items at well under £100.

2017, however, has brought with it a myriad of higher ticket items, and the best thing about it is that we bought into these heavily this year and are selling through all of them with great success.

Without this becoming an exhaustive list, I am chuffed to bits to find items

“

2017 has brought with it a myriad of higher ticket items, and we are selling through all of them with great success

”

THE SECRET SUPPLIER

Thank heavens for Christmas The Secret Supplier highlights the investment and influence the toy industry wields in response to The Independent's cynicism

26

generous to all retailers and suppliers despite the political and economic mess we seem to be in!

However, I detect a worrying degree of cynicism in some of his comments this month when he talks about “the many seconds of joy” that children get from toys.

This worrying comment of course contrasts strongly with The Independent's own aspiration to own a LEGO Technic 6X6, so let’s assume his earlier comments were very much tongue in cheek!

Retailers or suppliers who are successful in this industry all seem to have a common characteristic

“

I detect a worrying degree of cynicism in some of his comments this month when he talks about “the many seconds of joy” that children get from toys

“

I

t is great to learn from The Independent that after 12 months of hard work, Santa has been good to him. Let’s hope that Santa has been similarly

and that is a passion and enthusiasm for our industry.

Supplying toys to children is a hugely worthwhile task despite its many challenges. Toys are really profoundly beneficial to children’s early development, and we should all be proud of being a part of such a wonderful industry.

I am sure each of us can remember our favourite toys when much else from our early childhood is forgotten. And also let’s not forget the joy of giving that parents and family have, in choosing and delivering a special

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Bottoms up! The Independent loves a Christmas whisky

like the Power Rangers Lion Fire Playset, Imaginext Batrobot, FurReal Tyler Tiger, Luvabella, Air Hogs Drone Racer, Thomas Super Station and Melissa & Doug's Unicorn Plush to name a few. These are amazing to sell to customers.

So much so that I decided to join the party this year, throw my (relatively) old age to the wind and buy myself the LEGO Technic 6x6 All Terrain Tow Truck.

With my shaky hands, age and the amount of whiskey I tend to consume over the festive season, this could well end up being too big a task to undertake, but what the hell, we only live once and as soon as I saw this item I fell in love with it.

Anyway, it is nothing short of fabulous to see these higher ticket items on my shelves (or should I say flying off my shelves) this year. And I don't think it is specifically about the price of the items; that isn't the point I

gift for a young child. Is there anything better?

But children are a mysterious group and who could have spotted the outstanding success of a girl called JoJo? Such an amazing phenomena makes the toy industry so unpredictably exciting!

am attempting to make here. It is more about the size and sheer impressiveness of the toy itself. My favourite item is the FurReal Tyler Tiger. This item is one, for me, that will be hard to beat as a toy retailer for a number of years to come. Everything from packaging, size, presentation, and play value is all covered here, and I have sold enough of these in my stores to know that it is a really good toy. What's better than that is that we have sold them all at full RRP, which means I have actually made a bit of profit on the sales too which is like having your cake and eating it!

I have been to various previews and to be honest, it doesn't shout to me that there will be the same level of excitement in 2018, with many suppliers facing the pressure of exchange rates among other things. But for this year I will put my feet up on Christmas Eve night, enjoy that I seem to have done a good job on the products I have purchased and more importantly, put my money on the right items.

I also jested when speaking to my colleagues in the trade about

“

The FurReal Tyler Tiger will be hard to beat as a toy retailer for a number of years to come

”

how much times have changed recently. If I told people that there would be an internet site with millions of videos on it that kids would sit and watch for hours instead of watching TV, and there would be this girl who wears big bows and dances and sings to songs who would sell more dolls than we could possibly get our hands on, I would have been told to close my shops because I had gone absolutely loopy. But here we are, and in this world, that seems to have been, from my experience this year anyway, the most asked for item.

Happy Christmas to everyone. I trust Santa will be as good to you as I have made

“

The value our industry brings to children and their families is best captured by the success of the Paddington Bear film

”

That is why, almost uniquely, suppliers in our industry can have an outstanding year after a less than successful year.

Let’s not talk down the value of toys or the huge investment that we all make in bringing such great characters as those in Paw Patrol to the market and the joy and pleasure they give to children.

The value our industry brings to children and their families is best captured by the success of the Paddington Bear film in as much as it highlights the joy and happiness that this toy brings to children. The story wonderfully highlights how children think about their favourite toys.

Happy Christmas everyone!

27

COVER FEATURE GP FLAIR

Outer space and into stores The countdown is on for GP Flair’s illuminating new boys’ brand Exogini, launching into stores on Boxing Day

G

P Flair has a strong hold on the boys’ market with some of the most exciting properties around. The firm is not resting on its laurels, however, and with the powerhouse of Giochi Preziosi behind it, in-house development of its own IPs is integral to its plan.

At the heart of this new offering are the Exoginis, an exciting and innovative collectable boys’ brand that is set to light up the aisles for 4-7 year olds.

Exoginis are collectable alien figures from outer space who gain their powers from the stars with a special electronic light-up feature!

From launch on Boxing Day, Exoginis will be available for kids to hunt and the key line driving collectability will be the Single Pack. With up to 12 characters to discover and a collectable price point, the Single Pack is the perfect impulse buy while the Triple Pack will make for an exciting purchase.

With a growing collection of Exoginis, boys will turn to the Ufogini spaceships for play and display and if that wasn’t enough excitement, the Exoship Playset launches in February with Jeeno the ExoBoss in tow!

The brand lifts off with a great marketing plan to propel it into consumers’ hands. GP Flair’s Marketing Manager Anne-Marie Noon takes up the story: “We have covered so many bases in making sure that this launch is a success,” she says.

“13-week TV campaign starting Boxing Day is planned and promises to deliver over 800 TVRs to boys four to nine.

Accompanying this will be a full digital microsite campaign on Tiny Pop complete with TV drivers encouraging kids to take part in Exogini activities.

Preceding this, however, will be a teaser campaign complete with countdown to the launch including pre-roll on the younger Super Awesome boys’ networks and with social media influencers. Of course, there will also be lots of boys’ print press coverage in the form of competitions and full page advertisements too.

“We also have to bear in mind that this is a European roll out and activities such as crossterritory influencer kits, and 10 x 60 second webisodes are also in place to ensure we have lots of Exogini content on YouTube.”

“

A 13-week TV campaign starting Boxing Day is planned and promises to deliver over 800 TVRS to boys four to nine

”

How will Exogini look in-store?

“We believe Exogini’s visibility will be highly impactful and fresh for the New Year. We have FSDUs all ready to go into stores which includes a TV Screen and Diorama to show kids what Exogini is all about.”

Anne-Marie Noon, GP Flair

Exogini launches Boxing Day. Contact Flair on 0208 643 0320 or email sales@ flairplc.co.uk for more info, or see this exciting new brand at Toy Fair stand E39.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk toysnplaythings co uk

Dive into the world’s largest toy store and discover new inspiration for your business.

10 reasons to be there: www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/2018 David Owen, Pattern Ltd · +44 203 3758230 · spielwarenmesse@pattern.co.uk

Win an MSC cruise Info and conditions of participation: www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/competition Entry deadline: 4.2.2018

028_GreatBritain_Toys_and_Playthings_240x315_Anschnitt3.indd 1

25.07.17 08:46

MEDIA

ANALYSIS

Half term high The number of toy and game advertisers on TV over the October half term hit a fiveyear high, but what does this mean in real terms, and how is TV stacking up against digital?

T

he month of October is traditionally the month we see an influx of toys and games advertisers investing in the kid’s commercial TV channels.

This year is no different, with a plethora of campaigns starting at the crucial time when the allimportant Christmas wish lists are written. This month, we look at the week of October half term and how it stacks up versus the past five years.

While there have been reports that suggest fewer advertisers are investing in traditional TV campaigns, consolidated data for October half term week indicates that there were more toy and games advertisers on air over this week in 2017 than in any other of the five previous years, with 60 advertisers vying for kids’ and parents’ attention.

October Half Term 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013

Number of T&G Advertisers 60 52 59 59 50

Largest T&G Advertiser Hasbro Mattel Hasbro Hasbro Hasbro

“

There were more toy and games advertisers on air over this week in 2017 than in any other of the five previous years

”

category only represents 16 per cent of airtime deployment.

This is in part due to Drumond Park only deploying three campaigns over this period, with delivered TVRs totalling 1.1CH TVRs over three products.

This strategy is clear evidence of an attempt to avoid the cluttered half term week, deploying heavier weeks closer to the gifting season.

In comparison to last year, the largest toys and games advertiser of half term

Number of T&G Largest T&G Campaign Campaigns 320 SPIN MASTER HATCHIMALS SURPRISE 350 EPOCH SYLVANIAN FAMILIES 345 EPOCH SYLVANIAN FAMILIES 300 EPOCH SYLVANIAN FAMILIES 231 HASBRO STAR WARS ANGRY BIRDS GAME

The largest campaign was from Spin Master for Hatchimals Surprise, delivering 75 CH4-15 Actual TVRs from 23-29 October 17, while Hasbro regained its number one position as the largest toys and games advertiser following a fall to second place last year.

Looking in more detail at the categories that saw the largest footprint over this week, we can see that, unsurprisingly, girls-targeted products took the largest 23rd October - 29th October 17 share of delivered CH Actual TVRs, as6239 around 30 per cent 24th October - 30th October 16 6189girls’ products.

1% of all toys and games commercials were 6th October - 1st November 15 This is no shock given the knowledge that seven out of the 7th October - 2nd November 14 20 girls' products were collectable brands, with the aim to 8th October - 3rd November 13 deliver higher weekly weights in attempts to provide high share of voice in a cluttered market.

While this week in the year is also key for games and puzzles advertisers, it is interesting to see that this

delivered 41 per cent fewer TVRs compared with the previous year’s winner. There were also 18 fewer toys and games campaigns on air, which resulted in a 13 per cent decline in Actual TVRs across the half term week.

One of the key reasons for this is the decline in viewing of kids’ commercial TV channels following an 18 per cent decline in CH4-15 Eq. Impacts across January-October. Despite this, kids viewing of kids’ 7710 commercial channels did increase week-on-week, 8910 with 36 per cent more kids watching the kids’ -13% commercial channels compared with the previous week. However, when compared with 2016, the half term week saw a four per cent decline year-on-year, illustrating the decline in TV viewing experienced in October 2017.

Looking to other media, unfortunately no one tool encompasses all digital spend, however we are under no illusion that investment in digital online over this week increased, with homepage takeovers, influencer videos and in-app games aplenty.

For more information about how to select the optimal media mix using our proprietary planning tool – The Media Aggregator – please contact myself or another member of the team using the details listed below.

Source: BARB, 2012-2017

Generation Media is the UK and Ireland’s largest independent media buyer of toys and games advertising. Visit generationmedia.co.uk or call 0207 307 7900 to learn more.

toysnplaythings.co.uk1

WHAT’S N Brand spanking new launches from top toy companies to help you sell more!

Thomas steams ahead MATTEL 01628 500000 www.mattel.com New for 2018, the My First Thomas & Friends Railway Pals range will feature the Track Pack, which expands existing playsets with 32 pieces of track to create exciting new configurations. Destination Discovery has nine track activation points and more than 40 pieces of track, while Mountain Adventure brings the Blue Mountain Quarry to life and includes a James engine.

Also in the range is the Railway Pals Rescue Tower starter set. The engines feature a cute new look to make them more appealing, and the chunky design makes them suitable for little hands.

My First Thomas & Friends Railway Pals range is the first entry point to the world of Thomas, delivering fun-filled, educational play to little ones from 12 months-plus.

Book smart JURATOYS 020 8878 2133 www.juratoys.co.uk Janod Magnetibook Shapes will boost children’s creativity and fine motor skills while they’re having fun! This activity, which is perfect for home or on-the-go play, contains 30 different pictures and 43 different magnetic pieces.

Parents simply put up the card that contains the design their child would like to match then find the pieces in the box to make it. Or they can use their imagination to see what fun and crazy images they can dream up.

The Magnetibook comes in a box disguised as a book that, once opened, creates the perfect canvas — and when little ones are done for the day, it’s easy to pack it away and stash it on their bookshelf for the next day.

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Did you know...

Track activation points in the playsets trigger fun sounds and sayings from cheerful songs and destination-themed content, to phrases that encourage children to learn.

Skip, hop, jump!

SKIP HOP 01582 434250 www.skiphop.com Skip Hop continues to add to its collection of nursery gear with the new Explore & More Jumpscape Jumper!

With a light-up cloud bounce counter to track baby’s jumps, the Jumpscape rewards baby with lights and music and even breaks into applause at 100jump milestones!

The 360-degree rotating seat lets baby sit, swivel and bounce for maximum exploration. Clipon, moveable toys encourage development and allow for customised play. When playtime is done, the Jumpscape folds flat for storage and travel.

For babies four-plus months. Available to retailers in early 2018.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

NEW Feel the force RAVENSBURGER 01869 363 800 www.ravensburger.com

Fact!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is released on December 15 As everyone eagerly awaits the December release of Star Wars: 2017 in the UK. The Last Jedi, Ravensburger is launching two colourful film-related Star Wars jigsaw puzzles. What the film will reveal in terms of story is still anyone’s guess, but these jigsaw puzzles are sure to entertain any Star Wars fan!

The XXL100 puzzle measures 49 x 36cm when complete and is ideal for puzzlers aged six and up.

Featuring a bright and colourful montage, it has been developed specifically to be a pleasure to puzzle. For three times the fun, look no further than the 3x49pc puzzle featuring three 49-piece jigsaw puzzles in one box. Perfect for children aged five and up, these jigsaws are marked on the back to help fans sort and puzzle them, and relive all the fun of the film, over and over again.

Both puzzles feature favourite characters, villains and scenes from the latest film, and are sure to awaken a force within Star Wars fans everywhere.

Bear hugs

POSH PAWS INTERNATIONAL 01268 567317 www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Ahead of a very exciting year for Winnie the Pooh, the classically styled Posh Paws Winnie the Pooh vintage collection will be the perfect gift for bear lovers and a great way to introduce little ones to “The most Famous Bear in the World”.

The vintage look brings Pooh seamlessly to life in his classic red jumper and a lovely heritage colourway. Available in 7” or 10” sizes in a stunning gift box, he is classically styled and inspired by the iconic character, in premium plush form. Super soft and fluffy he is perfect for little hands to play and cuddle.

Smoother ride RE:CREATION LTD 0118 973 6222 www.recreationltd.co.uk Razor has stepped up its offering with the launch of Hovertrax 1.5. This lighter-weight, streamlined model has silent, dual-hub motors with gyro-sensor technology, which deliver a cruise speed of up to 6mph and continuous run time up to 45 mins.

Anti-slip, rubber traction pads keep riders in perfect balance for foot-controlled, seamless manoeuvring, while the steel frame and shatter-resistant polymer body offer maximum durability. Two riding modes — training and normal — make this an accessible ride for both beginners and experts.

Hovertrax 1.5 is ideal for riders from age eight and up and is UL 2272 listed for safety.

DECEMBER 2017

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FEATURE HONG KONG

Eastern promise Come January all the big names in the toy trade head to Hong Kong for the networking heaven that is the world’s second-largest retail extravaganza of its kind – and the city’s toy industry showrooms…

H

ong Kong has sometimes been called The Pearl of the Orient, and it’s certainly a precious gem in the crown of the international toy industry.

If China is the world’s biggest manufacturer of toys and games, then Hong benjamin chau, Kong is undoubtedly its Hong Kong Trade hub, which explains why and Development every January thousands of council global exhibitors spanning the licensing, design, manufacture, distribution and retail aspects of the industry flock to this world-

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“

This is the largest fair of its kind in Asia

Essentials What: Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair Where: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre When: 8-11 January Why: First glimpse of new ranges More: www.hktdc.com leading city for Asia’s flagship toy trade fair.

Next year, from 8 to 11 January, the 44th edition of the Hong Kong Games Toys & Games Fair will throw open its doors, and it’s expected to exceed all previous shows, which considering that January 2017 attracted 46,000 buyers from 126 countries, is a pretty tall order.

The 13 toy categories open to visitors include: Educational Toys and Games, Electronic and RC, Outdoor and Sporting Goods, Soft Toys, Festive and Party Items and even Pet Toys.

Show product zones for 2018 will also include Kidult World, showcasing toys targeted at adults, a STEM toys product display and the unmissable Smart Tech Toys Zone.

Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of show organisers the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, says: “This is the largest fair of its

kind in Asia and it’s also the very first trade event of the New Year.

It offers an ideal one stop platform for trade buyers to preview the product trends in the coming year.”

Show and tell Of course, the other thing that Hong Kong is known for in terms of the toy market is that it’s the glittering location for major offices and showrooms of many of the major players in the industry, including Mattel, Hasbro, Mookie, HTI and Toy State.

“All the top toy manufacturers have showrooms in the city and January is a tremendously important time for the industry,” reveals Michael Angel, Toy State’s Country Manager, UK and Ireland.

“We don’t show at the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair, as all the major UK buyers come to see our products and brands at the showrooms. It just so happens that their visits in January coincide with the trade fair.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Fact!

Toy State has increased the footprint of its Hong Kong showroom by 25 per cent

“We actually started our previews back in October, and I was out in Hong Kong for three weeks during that time. Ten of the major UK buyer from companies like Smyths, John Lewis, Argos and Asda came out to visit our showroom then, and many will then follow that up with another trip in January.

“As well as buyers buying branded products from Toy State, we also supply own brand products to major retailers. And in fact, three of our toys feature in this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert!

“I’d say we’re expecting to see around 25 customers from UK/ Ireland in January and it’s always a great event. Our offices overlook Hong Kong harbour so we’re in a great setting, and we’ve also expanded our showroom floor this year by something like 25 per cent. We set it up by brands, so visitors can expect to see Hot Wheels, CAT, Barbie, Marvel, DC Comics, TMNT, Road rippers, Nikko Rc and Nikko Air showcased in a very inspiring setting.

Mayur Pattni, Head of Marketing and Licensing for the Simba Dickie Group, says the company’s city showroom enables them to display of all their products to full effect.

“We’re famously known for having a wide and crosscategory product range, comprised of own IP and

December 2017

licensed collections,” Mayur says.

“Our showroom set-up means that buyers can see how the licensed and Simba’s own IP ranges can work for them.”

Simba’s showroom, located in Kowloon, is an extension of the brand’s existing threestorey showroom located at the company’s HQ in Nuremburg.

Gemma Lewington, “Simba’s 1:24 Lighting Mookie McQueen is currently the top selling item in the RC sub category, and we’re hoping to keep this momentum going for the Disney Cars license as they showcase their new 1:24 Turbo Racer RC themes.

Buyers will also get to see the new Transformers Bumblebee movie range which includes radio control, light up vehicles and die-cast.

Plus we’ll be revealing an exciting new girls’

“

The HK Toys & Games Fair drives huge numbers of industry people to the city for January

collectable range called Safiras, and a fun new monster-themed plush range, Furlocks. Core Simba ranges will also be showcased including new developments for Steffi Love, Evi and Chi Chi.” Mookie Toys has a major office in Hong Kong. Gemma Lewington, the company’s Head of Marketing, says the city is a great place for the company to catch up with influential distributors and buyers from across the world.

“The HK Toys & Games Fair drives huge numbers of industry people to the city for January,” she says. “Mookie have a permanent showroom on Mody Road which takes advantage of all the visitors to the show and allows us to showcase all our available brands.

“It’s in the perfect location for previews or meetings with retailers.

Over 10 days in January we would expect to see at least 150 buyers, following previous successful meetings in October.

“For next Christmas Aqua Crystals will be our focus. It’s an innovative new product allowing children to create jewellery and accessories by adding water to the magic crystals provided. Plus Mookie’s outdoor toy lines, including TP Toys and Swingball, also have some very exciting upcoming innovations that will be showcased in January.”

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FEATURE HONG KONG

Taking off!

ALPHA ANIMATION & TOYS 01293 804599 If innovation and excitement get your juices pumping, Alpha Animation & Toys’ Hong Kong Showroom is the place for you. Visitors to the company’s showroom will be given the opportunity to view Alpha’s full product offering across girls, boys, pre-school and RC. Super Wings continues to evolve into 2018 with some fantastic new products for autumn. At over 14in tall, Jett’s Super Robot Suit transforms from a free-wheeling vehicle to a free-standing figure. With lights, sounds, and a Transforming Jett Vehicle included, this item should be a hit with any Super Wings fan. Jett’s Take Off Tower is also new to the range, and last but not least is Robot Ready Jett, offering interaction, lights and sounds.

Screechers Wild will bring exhilaration and newness to the boy’s aisle. Launching in spring, the brand development steps up a level for autumn with deluxe battle Screechers and the ultimate Flip ‘n Morph Playset. With more to come for 2019, Screechers Wild will be heavily supported with 60 x 2-minute digital shorts, TV, sponsorship and digital partnerships throughout 2018.

Another highlight of Alpha’s portfolio is Miximals. The collectable range will expand with new characters, mobile mix-up vehicles, and playsets.

In 2018, Alpha will launch new products, strong content, licensing partnerships, creative brand initiatives and integrated marketing campaigns.

Movie magic RAINBOW DESIGNS 01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk Rainbow Designs will have a host of fresh and exciting new collections on display at the Hong Kong Toy Fair.

Rainbow Designs has brought to life Disney’s muchloved and iconic characters in two new collections of high-quality baby products.The innovative new Winnie-the-Pooh collection celebrates the heritage of the brand in an array of beautiful nursery plush essentials including ring rattles, comfort blankets and character plush toys.

Hot on the heels of this inaugural release is a fun and exciting new Disney collection set for launch this spring. Disney Baby is a colourful collection of character-led developmental toys featuring Disney’s most iconic characters; Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Tigger, Dumbo and Winnie-the-Pooh.

36

Getting crafty MOOKIE TOYS 01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk Next year is set to be big for Mookie Toys, launching new and exciting brands as well as building and developing already successful lines.

Tybo is a unique, mess-free tie-dye experience that children can enjoy with great results every time. The Tybo Tidy Tie-Dye Design Studio comes with a unique patented easy-to-use magic mixing orb, which uses a one-way valve system. Tybo will have a heavy media presence in 2018 including more than 1,200 TVRs and a range of social media activities.

Aqua Crystals is an innovative new product for AW 2018 that lets kids create jewellery and accessories by adding water to the provided magical crystals. The Aqua Crystals Creation Station comes with moulds to create sparkly rings, hair accessories, dream charms, and more.

Mookie’s Outdoor Toys lines will also be showcased in the Hong Kong showroom, including TP Toys and the new addition to the range, Spiro Spin. Alos look out for the next big thiung from Swingball.

Visit the Mookie Showroom at: Newton Enterprises Ltd, 7th Floor, 702 Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road, TST, Kowloon, HK, 23113626.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE HONG KONG

A smashing time WILTON BRADLEY 01626 835400 www.wiltonbradley.com

Racing into 2018

Wilton Bradley will be showing the latest line extensions to its award-winning Monster Smash Up range of remote control vehicles. In addition, there are exciting new developments for 2018 in the Mi-Mic Bluetooth microphone line. Visitors to the vibrant, light and spacious Hong Kong showroom can take an in-depth look at the new ranges and take a more relaxed opportunity to discuss specific requirements.

The HK showroom further improves the offering for high-volume customers. The office also enhances sourcing capabilities, improving our pricing and quality for both domestic and FOB customers.

TOY STATE 020 8440 5060 www.toystate.com In 2018, Toy State plans to dominate new toy categories with high-tech racing drones, dolls and more.

The company will also release new vehicles from iconic brands that fans love.

Next spring, Nikko RC celebrates its 60th anniversary with a special edition of its popular Turbo Panther vehicle. In autumn, you can drive, spin and drift to the finish line with the Omni X and fly into action with the Nikko Air Race Vision 220 Pro 2.0, which leverages the latest technology in drone racing to deliver the ultimate immersive FPV experience in real-time.

Can you handle the heat? Toy State’s key brands, Hot Wheels and Cat, will unveil new lights and sound vehicles in autumn. One of these new vehicles, the Hot Wheels Flame Thrower, will feature simulated pulsing engine flames, exciting light and sound effects and motorised drive.

Toy State’s magical toy line for Netflix’s original children’s series, True and the Rainbow Kingdom, will be another exciting autumn release. Fans of the show will eagerly anticipate entering True’s fantastical world, and Toy State’s line will delight with figures, playsets, plush and feature dolls.

Toy State’s commitment to innovation and imagination, coupled with its iconic brands, delivers a winning combination.

4 38

Hot properties HTI 01253 775544 www.htigroup.co.uk HTI’s Hong Kong showrooms preview new and refreshed lines for 2018, including both licensed and inhouse brands.

HTI’s main showroom is based in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Novelty category in Kwan Tang.

Key lines in vehicles, wheeled, role-play, prams and pushchairs, and novelty are presented across the two showrooms. They feature industryleading brands, while previewing new and exciting ranges for PJ Masks, Power Rangers, Trolls and In the Night Garden. HTI’s Hong Kong showrooms open in January 2018 and the experienced sales team look forward to welcoming even more buyers and guests in the New Year.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Simba.indd 1

13/06/2017 10:02

Featuring: Epoch Making Toys, Hornby Hobbies, Papo, Clementoni, Jazwares, Marbel, Gibsons, Kooshi e ... & many more

SPECIAL FOCUS

“We’ve had a magnificent year!”

Jamie Mabbs, Head of Sales UK and Ireland for Revell, sits down with TnP and takes us through some of the company’s highlights and the progress the team have enjoyed in the past year

R

evell’s Jamie Mabbs is ebullient — he is about to say goodbye to a fantastic 2017 and is brimming with confidence for the year ahead.

So what has been behind Revell’s success? Jamie sums it up easily: “Relationships. We have worked very hard to improve our existing ties with the majors while at the same time deepen and in some cases create new alliances with independents too. The strategy we have implemented and the effort we have made to develop our brands further has really paid off.

We are a prominent RC brand in

DECEMBER 2017

“

Argos — that’s a huge accomplishment.”

And aside from these new partnerships being built, Jamie explains why Revell is such an important partner for retailers.

“We hit a great price point and it is something that we really invested a lot of thought and energy into — rightly so. Our drones are priced from £20 to £100 and work well in toy, gift and also touch into hobby — so this makes us attractive.

Couple that with our engineering and the quality of our product and the service we provide to customers and consumers alike, we are a huge asset to retailers.”

Jamie and the Revell team have also put some of their retail wins down to improving the packaging — really bringing it in line with the great product it contains but also reinforcing the brands which Revell produces. Highlighting the separate categories that form Revell was hugely important to Jamie and all at Revell as it clearly displayed the cross-category and age appeal of the products. This brand reinforcement has undoubtedly added to the awareness and therefore the establishment of newer marques, such as Build & Play and Junior Kit.

We hit a great price point and it is something that we really invested a lot of thought and energy into – rightly so

”

“Retailers see Revell as a requirement on their shelves — that is hugely significant. It really adds to our credibility,” Jamie says of these advancements.

While great gains have been made on the RC side of the business, there has also been a significant stepping up of growth in the plastic kits and accessories, Jamie reveals.

“The change has been really strong and very positive. We are doing very well in specialist hobby shops of course, where real connoisseurs buy into out quality and terrific moulding, and they really appreciate the larger, more detailed and intricate models.

But we deliver more than that: our starting ranges for children such as the Build and Play have taken off wonderfully and in part that is down to our license choices and offerings.

Additionally, we have some great retail partners on a national scale, such as Hobbycraft, which means we are in 90 stores nationwide.”

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Jamie Mabbs on Argos: “Argos is the number one drones mass retailer and has a dedicated drones buyer. Clearly they see that this category is not only huge but will become even more important. Our products are such a great fit for them that they stock our full range. This can only make our relationship with Sainsbury’s even stronger and provide Revell with even more opportunities.”

Jamie admits that while the hobby side of the business is profitable it’s the toy side that is driving the upstep in plastic kits.

“As I’ve highlighted, our starter kits have great play value. Kids can build on their own or perhaps with a parent or grandparent.

The satisfaction of putting a toy together and then being able to play with it — rather than just have it on a shelf to look at — is immense. Couple with that our licenses such as Star Wars and Cars 3 and that really makes it a winning combination.”

The Revell business is unusual in the industry in that consumers can really buy into the brand and stay with it for many years — even forever! Jamie explains that the toy side is so important to this aspect of Revell: “Because people can be Revell consumers until very old age with our more detailed enthusiast products, I’ve always been very vocal that the Revell brand really needs to capture the imagination and hearts and minds of the kids and parents at as young an age as possible. And while

42

I think that the licensed side of the business is tough, it has certainly paid off for us in Junior Kit and Build and Play.

And yes, the plan is that once they love this side at four-plus, and then six-plus that they stay and start to enjoy the ranges for older kids and adults and then delve into RC products.”

“

The independent is Revell’s here and now, and our future too

”

It is true to say that the licensed products have been a tricky sea to navigate, but Jamie also knows that Q4 will be a super quarter for Revell. “Our Star Wars ranges sell well and consistently throughout the year, but when we hit Q4, we sell in huge numbers. And that’s across the board — indies, nationals and online retailers such as Amazon too. In fact, the Amazon Star Wars featured products curated section is superb and really drives sales.”

So, which are the breakout Star Wars products for Revell? Jamie explains: ”Everything Star Wars has performed well for us, so we are delighted and also grateful of the support and opportunities our retail partners have afforded us. But if I had to choose a stand out, the Rogue One vehicles really went off the charts. Rogue One was all about the phenomenal vehicles and our range mirrored that expertly. Frankly, we cleaned up with that — great news for us and our retailers.”

Jamie is focused for the year ahead and reiterates that great product is noting without great retailers who believe, support and ultimately push the ranges. But Revell is not a company that solely believes in trading with the majors and nationals — on the contrary, the independent

toysnplaythings.co.uk

SPECIAL FOCUS

retailer features heavily in Jamie’s continuing business growth plans.

“For me, it is vital to keep working with the numerous excellent independent retailers we have in the UK and Ireland. The independent is Revell’s here and now, and our future too — it is after all where we sell the lion’s share of our plastic kits and accessories. So, for me, I work with everyone and create a level playing field. And I think we have a lot of opportunities for the independent that, by working together, will help grow both our businesses.

We support them; we give them lots of good reasons for buying our products besides our excellent quality and ranges. We want to help them increase their turnover and ours too! As long as it is fair, and they see what great margin Revell offers, we know there are great opportunities to be had for all of us.”

It certainly is an exciting phase for the company and one which retailers should benefit from greatly.

As I leave the Revell HQ Jamie sends us off with one final and poignant thought: “The truth is, we like to grow and we like to work with good people — we are interested in them and want to make it happen for them. It’s going to be a good 2018 for us all.”

Jamie on indies: “The independent trade is an area of great opportunity for Revell and for the retailers themselves. We can offer twice as much margin as many suppliers — even those who have traditionally always been strong for the Independents.”

DECEMBER 2017

43

FOCUS

CHARACTER OPTIONS

Bright f TnP caught up with Character Options Marketing Manager Mark Hunt to review the performance of the company’s key brands in 2017 and what to look out for in 2018

Stretch Armstrong Our fastest growing brand with significant sales across both large and mini formats, 2017 has been another year that Stretch Armstrong toys have captured the imagination of boys and girls across the globe. The brand is iconic, the play pattern is great fun, and most of all everyone just can’t resist playing with Stretch Armstrong; as a result we picked up a DreamToys top 12 place recently, which was fantastic. This year also marked the return of Stretch Armstrong’s arch-enemy Vac-Man, which has been a huge hit. Not to mention a whole variety of mini Stretch toys such as Stretch’s much-loved best pal, the Octopus, and classic Monster.

Peppa Pig

Mash’ems & Fash’ems Voted Pocket Money Toy of the Year last year, our weekly sales are phenomenal and are consistent 12 months of the year. The introduction of hot new license such as Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, and innovative new products like Hatch’ems, has seen the range grow even further in 2017. Justice League, The Incredibles 2, Star Wars and Power Rangers are just a few new introductions that should drive further growth in 2018.

Character’s Peppa Pig toy range has had another great year, the launch of the classic collection has been a huge success, revitalising the Peppa brand within a very competitive market and will continue to be the focus. The Peppa vehicles and primary character figures, which are instantly recognisable to pre-schoolers and parents have been extremely popular — they are commodity items and have a great value offering. Our new Family Home launched in July and it’s proved a success. Our collectable plush and, more recently, the Peppa Pig Mash’ems have driven volume at a lower price point. Peppa Pig has undoubtedly become a true evergreen license. Fresh content and consistently high broadcast viewing figures for the show year after year demonstrate that the property continues to win over new fans with each generation.

future h new at Character wit ction ar ye g n ti ci ex other d introdu “2018 will be an r key brands an . In Spring u o n o t en m p o categories product devel ss a number of able ranges. Mine It ro ac es g n ra llect of new or gold ng three new co we are introduci day and consists of a diamond iscover g to d launches boxin away with tools s is a range ip ch to e av h s heeki Mee block that kid hidden inside! C their own name, es n o st s u o ci re with real p eeky characters es are of collectable ch nique hair play. Cake Pop Cuti aracter u ch personality and reveal a slow-rise foam cutie d an ” capsules. very on trend able Cake Pop ct lle co e d si in hidden cter Options hara

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keti Mark Hunt, Mar

Little Live Pets Little Live Pets has performed extremely well. Stand out successes have been the Surprise Chicks and Ladybugs in spring and sales of Snuggles My Dream Puppy and Kitten are currently very strong. The launch of Bizzy Bubs in November has added another dimension to the world of Little Live and has given the brand a further boost. The interactive baby dolls have got off to a fabulous start.

Teletubbies Plush is the core focus of the range. The sales of the 8-inch talking plush have been incredible and is one our best volume pre-school lines again in 2017. We expanded the range to include Clip-on plush, which are very suitable for pushchairs, floor gyms, car seats and other more parent-orientated areas. In addition, the delightful and super cute Tiddlytubbies joined the range this summer, and have had a fantastic reception from parents. They really are making a splash with Supersoft giggling and even a Crawling version. They add to the collectability and have driven incremental sales.

Laser X We knew Laser X was something special but it’s exceeded all expectations.

Laser X, our laser tag blaster game, went on sale at the end of June and has been one of our stand-out successes during the summer. It is now one of the most in demand toys this Christmas following its inclusion into the DreamToys list. Laser X has exceptional play value; it’s extremely functional, easy to use and has impressive features which set it apart from the competition. We plan to continue our marketing drive, with activity in place to push Laser X right through to Christmas.

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FEATURE DRONES

Flying high

Mookie

The remote control category has long been successful, but drones are bringing an innovative new niche that’s reaching new heights of popularity…

N

ever has there been a better time for toy lovers to get ready for There is a take-off. Technologically lot of clever advanced toys with a technology built magnetic pull for both retailers and consumers into our drones, alike are where the smart which makes them money is at these days, so a good choice for it’s little wonder that drones people of all ages are currently enjoying huge and skill levels levels of success.

And as these types of Jamie Mabbs, Revell toys become easier to fly and increasingly accessible to customers right across the age spectrum, so it fuels their upward trajectory. According to figures from NPD, the drones market was worth £3.4 million from 1 Jan to 11 November this year, translating to a nine per cent sales increase compared with the same period in 2016.

But striking the right balance with drone design and marketing can be tricky, as Tom Bennie, Senior Brand Manager at Vivid Toys, explains: “One of the biggest challenges is making sure that we keep a techie and aspirational feel to our drone products, to keep the older

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“

end of the market interested — but at the same time ensuring that we’re not moving too far away from what is acceptable and suitable for a toy,” he says.

“We’re conscious that there is a clear difference between drones suitable for the toy market and more hi-tech, powerful models.”

Beginner’s luck One of the biggest draws for drones is not only are they becoming simpler to master but also increasingly popular with younger children. In addition, swift progress in how responsive and easy to fly they are is only adding to their extremely wide appeal.

Jamie Mabbs, Head of UK Sales for Revell, reveals: “Revell has seen a marked growth in terms of sales of all kinds of drone product in recent years, and the in-built technology in such toys makes them the easiest of flying machines to master and in fact ideally suited to the beginner.”

Tom Bennie agrees that drones are playing an ever-more significant part in not just the RC toys sector, but also in the industry as a whole.

KD UK

“For Vivid, it’s a relatively new area of the market to get involved with,” he says. “We’ve launched the Sky Viper range in the UK this year. It’s our first foray into the drone market but we have been extremely pleased with the level of interest and sales we’ve seen both from our retailer partners and consumers.

Revell’s Jamie adds: “There is a lot of clever technology built into our drones, which makes them a good choice for people of all ages and skill levels. Many feature multiple speed settings, so that you can dial up the power and sensitivity as your flying skills improve.”

Candid camera According to industry experts, camera drones have never been more popular.

“Our Spot 2.0 and Demon drones stream live video via WiFi to a smartphone for a virtual reality experience,” says Jamie. “Plus we also have dedicated selfie drones, such as our C-me and Flitt designs, which will take pictures or video and instantly upload them to social media for you.”

Vivid’s Tom adds: “We have cameras incorporated into two drones as part of our main product range. Our Streaming Drone has a camera built-in, and is capable of streaming and recording footage in HD direct to a linked smart device or directly to a micro-SD card.”

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE DRONES

Snap happy REVELL

0845 459 0747 www.revell.de/en The perfect selfie has never been easier, thanks to the Flitt drone, which is small, convenient and portable. Photos and videos can be instantly shared with friends via social media.

The Flitt folds small enough to fit into a pocket and can connect to an Android smartphone or iPhone via WiFi and a free app.

It can take and store photos and video and has features including: altitude hold, auto take-off and land, three speed settings and camera timer.

The Flitt also takes multi-picture burst photos, has a useful audible low-power warning and an emergency land function.

Hand, signal, manoeuvre KD UK 01727 827194 www.kdplanet.com/uk KD UK has introduced Aura, the first flying drone that uses cutting-edge Gesturbotic Technology to control its movements. The Gesturebotics Aura drone, which is aimed at children aged eight-plus and adults, does away with the traditional joystick controller.

Instead, it is controlled by an intuitive hand-gesture control system, which makes it easier for children to pilot the drone.

A wearable glove and control module communicates with the drone using patented wireless technology, allowing the user to control Aura with the wave of their hand, creating a magical experience emulating those of superhero movies.

A protective frame shields the robot from crashing, while auto take-off and auto-hover allow children to manoeuvre the drone with ease.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

Flying made easy MOOKIE

01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk The partnership between Mookie Toys and Silverlit is set to continue and expand in 2018.

Mookie has had great success with My First Drone, launched this year. My First Drone is the perfect introduction into the world of drones for young flyers as it can be operated with just four buttons and a controller with sound effects. Mookie hopes to build on its 2017 success with My First Drone, using various marketing strategies and campaigns throughout the year.

Silverlit is set to launch Bumper Drone for 2018. A state-of-theart new drone with a protection ring design and materials able to withstand bumps and bounces, it also has a water-resistant body, three-speed control and built-in pressure sensors for precise auto hovering. Bumper Drone lets kids play on their own or with an opponent, bringing another aspect to drone flying.

Mookie is also launching Silverlit’s Bumper Drone Mini, an indoor version of Bumper Drone with a single hand control transmitter, which is easy to use and allows more manoeuvrability.

Mookie will be showcasing Silverlit at London Toy Fair with a dedicated hands-on experience and demonstration area where retailers and press can get the opportunity to understand and test the range.

Silverlit will be heavily supported with TV advertising throughout the year, targeting key school holidays and the buildup to Christmas, along with PR, online and in-store activity.

SEPTEMBER 2017

Stunt flyers VIVID IMAGINATIONS 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk This winter Vivid launches Sky Viper, the US’ number one drone and flying R/C brand, into the UK for the first time. Sky Viper gives you the chance to experience high-performance drones at accessible price points. With their customisable flight assist controls you can tailor the challenge to suit your ability; from one-touch auto-take off, hover and land to fully-manual flight controls.

Perform awesome stunts, including flips, barrel-rolls and spins at the touch of a button with the Sky Viper Stunt Drone. The Sky Viper Streaming Drone lets you take to the skies, streaming and recording HD photos and videos direct to your smart device, or Micro-SD card (sold separately).

Or get fully immersed with the Sky Viper Streaming Drone w/FPV using the firstperson view headset to feel like you’re flying on-board. Finally, the Spider Drone, official merchandise for the recently launched SpiderMan: Homecoming movie, lets fans fly just like Spidey, with an exact replica of the drone featured in the movie.

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S R O D A S S A B AM

e r u t a e f r e h c e e r c S rother b s i h d an lpha’s A f o s Latimer n a re mad f Edison a hey, and T . d l i W res s why u l Screatu l e t , b cle Ro their Un

These are really brilliant little gifts for the boys. I didn’t spend that much on them but they play with them an awful lot - which is really good! It’s sort of a race game-cum-battling game but with a twist.

The characters transform and they pop up really fast and unexpectedly which adds a touch of drama to the proceedings! All up, I think the toy is clever, fun and well-made and great value: it must’ve only cost half a penny a day the amount they’ve

played with it so far — always good!"

Latimer says: “Me and my brother Ed tried these toys out and at first I thought it was just a car, but it’s not! So we battle against each other to pick up these discs without cars and when the car picks it up it transforms into a monster or animal.

So mine is a dragon and Ed’s is a bear.

It’s cool and I have told my friends to get their mums to buy them too, so that we can have massive battles!”

Stretch the imagination Five-year-old Latimer tells us why he loves Character Options' Stretch Armstrong When I first saw Stretch Armstrong in the shops my mummy bought them for my friends’ birthdays — but she never bought me one! But then my dad saw how much I loved watching the Stretch Armstrong TV show on Netflix and so he got me my own one too!

Me and my brothers saw some adverts on TV. Did you know they have also got a Batman Stretch, a Superman one and other Justice League ones. But we like the Scooby one too — so I am hoping S. Taylor was thrilled with her purchase, that Santa will bring us all of those ones. giving it five stars: I like Stretch because you can pull “Bought this for my son’s seventh birthday him really far and make him very long, and he loves it. Mr Armstrong has been or you can twist him up. He feels funny and squishy too. Plus the show is good stretched good and proper, and the smile is too. I like playing with my Stretch when I still on my son’s face. Excellent product.” watch him on Netflix.

Shoppers say…

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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Edison sa ys:

“These ar e very cool, and when I brought them into pre-s chool for show and tell, every bo liked them dy .E girlfriends ven my liked them got them and now t too. I play h against th ey’ve when I go em to their ho uses for p dates. Me lay an against ea d my big brother p ch other b la ut we don y our little b ’t rother pla y because let doesn’t p ush them h properly t e the discs. o catch My police car turns bear whic int h is good because it o a big and st ’s v ro cheetah n ng. I want them to ery make a ow too be cuase it's fast.”

Best behaviour Carmela is grandma to little two-year-old Austin and decided to get the PMS’ Elves Behavin’ Badly to keep the little man on the straight and narrow in the run-up to Christmas Austin is very cute and very lively, but at this age it’s a good thing, in my view, to introduce the idea of Father Christmas and his elves keeping a watchful eye over the little boys and girls to ensure they do get some presents delivered. So, I ordered from Amazon the Elves Behavin’ Badly by PMS. I know there is a lot of elf choice out there but I like this because they look classic, almost vintage. They have an innocence and a cheekiness combined — a bit like Austin — so I thought they were perfect.

My husband and I do pose the elves up but at Austin’s age we use the elf as more of a friendly threat about behaviour and reporting back to Santa rather than all the funny things I’ve seen on Facebook.

To be honest though, he loves the elves and so do his brothers and actually I’ll probably buy more — although we already have four. I can see in coming years they could be very comical indeed.

Austin says: nny “I love Elves. They are fu and fun and I am always good at Christmas or they tell Father Christmas!”

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Brought to you by

licensing T O D A Y

LICENSING

NEWS

W O R L D W I D E

GET THE BARBIE LOOK A new limited edition fashion collection from Barbie and Missguided launched in November.

Staying true to Barbie’s iconic aesthetic, the collaboration is reimagined for the new season. Barbie’s signature logo is updated across tees, hoodies and jogger sets in a colour palette of pink, black, grey and khaki with pops of camo and bandana prints.

Leading on from the leisurewear-inspired pieces from the first collection, the latest drop also introduces statement faux fur pieces, accessories and a range of nightwear just in time for the gifting season.

Designed exclusively in-house, the collection sees Barbie revisit the Missguided world, offering an easy-towear range that the Missguided girl can mix and match with her everyday wardrobe.

Fireman Sam turns 30 Mattel is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its globally successful children’s brand Fireman Sam with a special Royal Episode.

Mattel and DHX, which distributes and co-produces the show, created The Prince in Pontypandy episode to honour the show’s heritage with a nod towards a certain little Royal fan — Prince George. The one-off episode will feature a kind Prince who visits Pontypandy on official royal duties but ends up having to use his helicopter rescue skills to save the day.

The episode will be aired on Cartoonito and Channel 5’s Milkshake.

Super Wings lands on Tiny Pop Alpha Animation and Toys’ hit pre-school animation series Super Wings has landed on Tiny Pop. Season one of the action-packed series is aimed at children aged three to six, and is showing twice daily on weekdays and weekends.

The series revolves around an adorable jet plane named Jett who travels the world experiencing different cultures while delivering packages to children.

With every delivery, Jett encounters a new problem that he and his friends, the Super Wings, must work together to solve.

The Super Wings brand, which since its international take-off has clocked up millions of global sales following its launch in the UK in July, is expected to hold the position of one of the top 10 new properties in 2017.

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Perfect 10 Cartoon Network’s hugely popular franchise Ben 10 is back in action following the launch of an all-new series in October 2016, with the signing of a new UK deal with licensee Sambro.

The partnership marks the first-ever deal to be signed onsite at Sambro’s new southern showroom in High Wycombe.

Targeted initially at the UK market, this cross-category deal with Sambro will cover pocket money toys, creative play, stationery and backpacks, and will see Ben 10 enter new aisles and retail channels.

TRADE

Trade talk This month, Team TnP catches up with some of the industry’s finest to discover their thoughts on trading in 2017 and what's on the horizon for 2018

OPINION TnP loves to hear your views. This month we speak to key wholesalers and suppliers to learn what’s on their minds.

We explore the hottest topics

NEIL BANDTOCK Managing Director, Epoch Making Toys

DANIELLE WEST Junior Product Manager Toys and Nursing, Chicco How has trading been for you in 2017, and what is your view on the health of the industry?

It’s been another highly successful year at Chicco, with activity really ramping up during the golden quarter as we head towards Christmas. Highlights include the return of the much-loved #12DaysofChicco Facebook campaign, our annual Christmas giveaway where we give our Facebook fans the opportunity to win Chicco goodies as we approach Christmas.

We’re also making substantial investment in key consumer titles.

The industry has had a difficult end to the year following the announcement that Toys R Us is filing for Bankruptcy Protection, just as we’re approaching Christmas. However, this hasn’t impacted Chicco’s growth and we’re on target for another successful year of trading within the toy sector.

What has been your stand-out moment this year?

Our First Dreams category has seen substantial incremental sales growth thanks to our effective communication of the interconnectivity between sleep time products and our number one best-seller, Chicco Next2Me. We’re now in a position where for every Chicco Next2Me purchased, consumers are buying 1.4 Next2Stars night lights, and for every three Next2Me cribs sold, one Boppy nursing pillow is sold too.

Looking ahead to January, which products are you most excited about?

Our 2018 releases include some very exciting licensing partnerships, including the brand new Chicco Vespa! As an Italian brand, we’re thrilled to be partnering with such an iconic Italian company.

We’re also extremely excited about the strong interconnectivity between Chicco Next2Me and the First Dreams & Boppy ranges, and look forward to seeing continued sales growth as a result. The First Dreams family is designed to perfectly complement the crib to provide the most soothing and comfortable sleep time experience for little ones. A new addition to the family for 2018 is the Next2Stars cot mobile, attaching to Chicco Next2Me to soothe babies to sleep.

DECEMBER 2017

How has trading been for you in 2017, and what is your view on the health of the industry?

We’re having our fourth year of consistent double-digit growth, so this has been another good year for Epoch.

Undoubtedly this has been a challenging year for the industry though, but toys is a very resilient market — and Christmas always happens.

What has been your stand-out moment or biggest achievement this year?

Having thousands of children totally engage with our Sylvanian Families and Aquabeads products at the incredibly popular Kidtropolis exhibition over half term. We had to courier in extra toy supplies many times over the event and seeing how children played and enjoyed our brands gave us very valuable feedback.

Looking ahead to January, which products are you most excited about?

I’m very excited about our new Sylvanian Town Series, as this will be the biggest new Sylvanian product launch for 20 years!

PHIL RATCLIFFE Sales & Marketing Director, MV Sports How has trading been for you in 2017, and what is your view on the health of the industry?

Trading has been good — if not a little challenging.

MV is still growing and over-indexing against both the industry and the outdoor sector. I think there may be some inclement weather ahead but the industry is ever resilient. There’s always something exciting around the corner!

What has been your stand-out moment or biggest achievement this year?

We have won several product awards this year which is always encouraging and Innovative Hardline Product Range of the Year from Nickelodeon on for Paw Patrol which was a fantastic accolade given the universal success of the property.

Looking ahead to January, which products are you most excited about?

PJ Masks has got off to a very strong start and we’ve had a great reaction to both L.O.L and JoJo Siwa licensed wheels. The new Avengers Infinity Wars Movie looks incredible and we are also really excited to unveil some great licensed and own brand products at Toy Fair.

We’ve got newness in practically all our ranges — so lots to shout about.

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TNP

LOOKS BACK

Step back in time A rather personal look back through time beginning with December 1987, 1997, 2007 and 2012 by TnP Founder and MD Malcolm Naish

December 2012 December 2012 Volume 32 Number 3

• Customers of The Entertainer Group help to raise £250,000 for four children’s hospitals through their electronic ‘spare change’ electronic charity box scheme. Says founder Gary: “People are inclined to be generous and we have seen them display this generosity since the launch of the partnership with Pennies.”

• Disney finalise their purchase of Lucasfilm – May the force be with them!

• We were sad to report the death of Gerry Anderson, creator of the Thunderbirds TV series. When it launched in 1965 its impact was huge and has continuously been reintroduced over the years with huge toy sales resulting.

• Total TV spend for 2012 was headed by Hasbro with a £12,225,918m, at ratecard, followed by Mattel on £7,978,759m.

December 2007 • I warn that the year’s trading has been very flat, with a lousy summer, and very late Christmas buying by the public. There is no obvious ‘must have’ toy this year, which also accounts for flat sales in the build-up to Christmas.

• I mourn the death of two toy industry stalwarts, Carl Schelhorn and Jack Samuels. Carl came to England in the thirties with his father and founded the very successful ‘Telitoy’ brand as well as having time for BTHA matters and was a past Chairman and Council member.

• Jack was a great raconteur and was indeed the toy trade’s ace joke teller as well as being a most successful sales director. I ran his jokes column in the magazine for many years in the Eighties.

• Here’s one of them : A man went to the psychiatrist and said, “Doctor I’ve got a real problem – everyone ignores me”. The psychiatrist replied, “Next”.

• Nick Austin unveils ambitious growth plans for Vivid, looking to grow turnover to £250m by 2010.

• As far as we are aware, the toy trade saw its first civil partnership when Character Group’s Colin Fox tied the knot with his long term partner Alan Moore.

December 1997 • As if to prove the longevity of a strong character licence, back in 1997 we announce that Thomas the Tank Engine will enjoy his 5th series in 1998. Move on to 2018 and Thomas is still a force to be reckoned with.

• Toy Options (forerunner of the Character Group) announce turnover up to £41m, and profits before tax up by 29% to £4.73m.

• They are introducing Buzz Lightyear at 1998 Toy Fair so look out for even better results at the end of 1998.

• Teletubbies from Golden Bear and Tamagotchis from Bandai are tipped to win in the Toy of the Year awards next month.

December 1987 • Proving that nothing seems to change much with regard to pricing at retail, back in December 1987 I am imploring major buyers to make a New Year’s resolution to stop selling toys at silly prices. Of course my pleas went unanswered as they are still doing the same thing 30 years later!

• Proving how important our trade association is, the BTHA is called upon to give verbal support to those members who sell toy guns. Earlier in the year the Hungerford massacre brought this subject sharply back into focus. Moving on 30 years and we have even worse atrocities on our streets around the world and I guess that today there are very few retail sales with toy guns.

• Among the toy companies still supporting Toys ‘n’ Playthings today, 30 years ago were Mattel, Bandai, Rainbow Designs, Galt, Tomy, Toymaster, Paul Lamond, Casdon, Hasbro, Gibsons and Golden Bear to name but a few.

• A few of the companies who have either disappeared from the toy scene or been swallowed up by one of the global toy operators include: Wells-Kelo, Cowan de Groot, Icarus, Waddingtons, Dekkertoys, Toy Brokers, Zapf, Tom Smith, Corgi, Tri-Ang (Sharna), Merit, Kiddicraft, Anglocentrop, Airfix, the list goes on.

• I also suggested that one of the Toy of the Year categories could be named Best Margin Supplier. Sadly, not taken up by the TRA of the time!

62 1

toysnplaythings.co.uk

DON’T MISS… We bring to the fore a selection of the hottest and newest products that will help you sell more. Buyers and retailers, get in touch with your sales contact now!

Product: Screechers Wild Company: Alpha Animation Tel: 01293 804599 Web: Coming soon!

Product: Disney Guess the Film Game Company: Jumbo Games Tel: 01707 289289 Web: www.jumbo.eu

Product: Lightseekers Tyrax Starter Pack Company: Tomy Tel: 01392 281 928 Web: www. tomy.com

DECEMBER 2017

Product: Zak Storm – The Chaos Company: Bandai Tel: 020 8324 6160 Web: www.bandai.co.uk

Product: Scootiebug Company: Mookie Toys Tel: 01525 722722 Web: www.mookie.co.uk

Product: AniMagic Little Light Ups Company: Vivid Imaginations Tel: 01483 449944 Web: www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

Product: Sam the Mole Company: Chicco Tel: 020 8953 6627 Web: www.chicco.co.uk

Product: Bubble Octopus Company: P&C Tel: +852 9067 4260 Web: www.pnctoys.com.hk

Product: Grow N Glow Terrarium Company: West Design Limited Tel: 01303 297888 Web: www.westdesignproducts.co.uk

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