Toys n Playthings July 2014

toysnplaythings.co.uk

014 July 2 No.10 3 Vol. 3

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,195 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013

Helping everyone sell more

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CONTENTS P26

Regular 5

Leader with Mirella Cestaro

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News – what’s the latest?

9

Quick Coffee Break with Tim Ives, Head of Sales, K’Nex

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People News – checking in on the movers and shakers

12

Movie News – we give you the hottest updates

14

Media News – all that is happening in media

15

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

16

Exhibition News – the latest from the scene

18

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

Editor

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Toy Talk – the retailers have their say

Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Trade Talk – we give suppliers the chance to talk business

76

Licensing News – the hottest news from the toy licensing industry

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

014 July 2 No.10 3 3 .

Vol

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

Writer Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

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

Sales Manager Abi Gardner abi@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Features 26

Bikes and Trikes – riding all the way to the top

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Wooden you like to know the secret of the sector? – wooden toys get examined by TnP

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Boys Collectibles – getting to grips with the things boys love to collect

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Christmas Stocking Fillers – how to bring some added yule tide joy to little ones

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Special Report 19

Cover Story – Hasbro’s Nerf range take center stage in this month’s TnP. Read all about it!

23

Take a literary journey with Vivid’s Sparkup

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Thames & Kosmos’ Joanna Drage talks us through the magic of all things science

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Retail Interview – TnP sat down with Sarah Campbell, Sales Director at House of Marbels

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Feeling Good – we talk to Dr Amanda Gummer about the Good Toy Guide’s fantastic future

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Columnists 20

Lema Publishing Ltd

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1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

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The Independent and Secret Supplier – our two columnists are in a positive mood this month (yes, you read that right!)

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TnP Ambassadors – Our tester families try out some fun toys!

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Licensing Opinion – LIMA’s Kelvyn Gardner is inspired by the World Cup this month

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation ABC circulation of 5,195 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013

The Media Whisperer – media expert Clive Crouch indulges in some football banter (sort of!)

22 Shop Talk – columnist John Ryan wants to know what happened to the good old model shop?

At the heart of retail

Independently audited

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

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Helping everyone sell more

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LEADER Mirella Cestaro

J

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,195 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013

We certainly can’t disagree with uly has descended upon us quicker that statement. than the blink of an eye and if you are We are also still dusting the sand out of our anything like us here in Lema Towers, hair after spending a very humid few days in Las you are probably wondering just how Vegas at the 2014 Licensing Expo. We can’t deny it came about so fast! The passing of June that the show was hugely positive and kudos to also marked Frank Martin passing the reigns DreamWorks Animation for putting on a very of the BTHA Chairmanship onto MV Sports’ impressive party detailing their new launches on Phil Ratcliffe at the BTHA AGM on Wednesday the Wednesday night. Although we are still a bit 25 June in the stunning surrounds of Great confuddled as to why poor old Wally has to be Fosters, Egham. Jon Diver of Character Options known as ‘Waldo’ Stateside – maybe someone now steps into Phil’s former shoes to become can fill us in? But back to all things toys. We’ve Vice-Chair. Given that this is the association’s got a great magazine for you this month. Our 70th year, being formed on the back of WW2, cover story is dedicated to Hasbro and their we are quite sure that these fine stalwarts will brilliant Nerf range. We know see the toy industry safely into it is a hit with retailers and you its next 70 years. There were can expect a lot more coming some more movers and shakers Tongues were from the brand soon. Read all announced at the AGM also, defi nitely wagging about it on page 21. We also sat Spin Master’s Kevin Jones takes at the start of the down with Dr Amanda Gummer over the BTHA presidency from month after Vivid and Lucy Gill from the Good Toy Clive Jones with Golden Bear’s Guide to find out about their Christine Nicholls stepping into and Drumond Park expansion plans so read all about the role of Vice-President. There announced their it on page 64. was also a call to arms by the surprise union. Vivid Our feature categories this Toy Retail Association’s Alan Simpson who stood in for Gary will now manage the month are Bikes and Trikes on Grant as he encouraged more sales, marketing and page 26, Wooden Toys on page 38, Boys Collectables on page 52 company leaders to take part distribution of and Christmas Stocking Fillers in the Dream Toys event which Drumond Park’s on page 68. We would also like falls on 5 November this year.

Alan reminded attendees that a games in the UK and to wish Lindsay Hardy the very best as she joins Trends UK from seminar will be held on 17 July Ireland Flair. We’re sure she will be as to “make people aware of the fantastic there as she was with objectives” of the Dream Toys Flair. Make sure to drop us a line event. And we are pleased to say with your news, views and to be involved in our there were a lot of tanned faces in attendance August issue. Our Editor Mairead can be reached after the sixth TnP Golf Day which was held at mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk and our Writer the previous day in Goring and Streatley. TnP’s Rhys can be contacted on rhys@lemapublishing. founder and champion golfer extraordinaire co.uk, while our Group Sales Manager Ryan Malcolm Naish assures me that everyone played Horwood will be on ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk. fantastically well!

Tongues were definitely wagging at the start of the month after Vivid and Drumond Park announced their surprise union. Vivid will now manage the sales, marketing and distribution of Drumond Park’s games in the UK and Ireland. The general consensus seems to be that this is a good move for both companies with Vivid CEO Paul Weston describing the move as: “A perfect merger for both companies”.

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NEWS Openings and awards for The Entertainer

New Chairman announced at BTHA AGM There is a new face fronting the BTHA in the shape of MV Sports Phil Ratcliffe.

Phil was announced as chairman on Wednesday 25 June at the BTHA AGM and Industry Day at Great Fosters, Egham.

He now takes up his two-year tenure after previously holding the reigns as Vice-Chairman.

There were plenty of well-wishes for outgoing Chairman Frank Martin who stood down from the role and retired from the BTHA. Addressing the crowd, Frank who told TnP he will be as busy as ever with other endeavors – wished the incoming Chair all the best.

“It was an honour to serve in the 70th year of the BTHA,” Frank told the audience as he spoke of his fond memories of being involved with the organisatio, which was formed towards the end of WW2.

Frank, who has been in the toy industry for 40 years, thanked all of his friends and colleagues adding, “It has been a pleasure and an honour”.

For his part, Phil described Frank as “a great ambassador for the association” and said he was “honoured” to be taking the reigns during the BTHA’s 70th anniversary. Character Options Jon Diver will now fill the Vice-Chair seat.

Phil Ratcliffe

Frank Martin

Record-breaking fundraising result for the Toy Trust Big Challenge

The HIT Entertainment team The annual Toy Trust Charity IOW Big Challenge, which took place on Saturday June 7 on the Isle Of Wight, has smashed all records for fundraising and participation.

More than 255 people took part in the event, which is estimated to have raised a staggering £174,000, and the money will go to the Toy Trust to be distributed to charities that help disabled and disadvantaged children.

The main beneficiary is the UK charity Whizz-Kidz, which will receive £90,000

6

providing mobility equipment that fits the needs of disabled children, with the remainder going to help other smaller charities that support disabled and disadvantaged children.

Toy Trust Big Challenge Organiser, Nick Austin, said: “Given the appalling weather conditions at the start, this year’s Big Challenge event was a real triumph of human spirit in the face of adversity. We raised an incredible amount of money for the Toy Trust ….and had great fun in the process!”

Toy Trust Chair, Foye Pascoe, added, “The Toy Trust goes from strength to strength each year with more people and companies giving support and more money being raised. Our sponsors and those taking part last weekend should be immensely proud of the funding we provide every year to so many amazing children’s charities like Whizz-Kidz.”

The Entertainer has added yet more awards to its cabinet, having picked up both the Red Ribbon Family Business Gary Grant of the Year award and the Zolfo Cooper Growth Retailer of the Year 2014 Award.

The Entertainer’s awards success comes after it announced recordbreaking results and major plans for expansion. On the back of such growth, the independent retailer is bucking the current trend across the retail industry and opening a new store in Colchester – its 90th store in the UK. The 5,021 sq-ft Entertainer Colchester store, will create nine jobs.

A team of two halfs Toys “R” Us have teamed up with Hull FC in what is a first for the megastore.

The well-know retailer will partner with Hull FC for match day and supporter engagement programmes.

The partnership will see Hull FC’s family area of the West Stand become known as the Toys “R” Us Family Area, including toy giveaways at every game from their famous mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe and Hull FC mascots Airlie Bird and Girlie Bird.

Toys “R” Us will also officially partner the club’s grassroots engagement programme, known as Fanbassadors.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Merger for Vivid and Drumond Park Vivid and Drumond Park have joined forces in the UK and Ireland, with the aim of strengthening and streamlining the company’s performances.

Vivid Group will manage the sales, marketing and distribution of Drumond Park games brands in the UK and Ireland. The move will create the largest independent toy and games group in the UK market and enable both companies to expand their product development and marketing investment in the coming years.

In practical terms, a new Drumond Park sales division will operate within Vivid UK, reporting to Vivid UK Commercial Director Nick Thomas.

Customers will continue to work with their existing Drumond Park sales contacts and Vivid’s customer service team will manage orders, expedite deliveries and manage invoices. All Drumond Park marketing and advertising plans will remain intact so the transition should be seamless for customers. “This is a perfect merger for both companies as our strengths are totally complimentary”, stated Paul Weston, Vivid CEO. “We are proud to have built Drumond Park into the No.1 independent UK games business and partnering up with Vivid, a company that shares our values, passion and approach to business, brings an exciting new force to the industry. We really could not be working with a better team to continue to build the successful Drumond portfolio,” said Claire McCool, Drumond Park Sales & Marketing Director.

Hamleys Top Ten Toys for Christmas 2014 announced Hamleys opened its doors on 26 June to give a sneak peak at some of the hottest toys coming to market in the second half of the year, and to reveal its Top Ten Toys for Christmas 2014.

Talking to Eve Fifer, Category Manager at Hamleys at the event, the trend for 2014 is technology and the ubiquitous presence of sophisticated electronics presented in simple, fun ways.

From the sensor tech behind the chameleon abilities of HTI’s Barbie & Me Colour Changing Glam Bag, to speech recognition and online link-up in Vivid’s My Friend Cayla, nearly every toy on show brings a 21st century twist to a proven concept, or incorporates some form of electronics to create a new wave of innovative play patterns.

Let’s hope mums and dads have stocked up on the AAs come Christmas!

In no particular order, here’s Hamleys Top Ten Toys for Christmas 2014 in full: 1. My Friend Cayla – Vivid Imaginations 2. Kiddizoom Smart Watch – VTech 3. Teksta T-Rex – Character Options 4. Doh Vinci Style & Store Vanity – Hasbro 5. LeapFrog LeapTV – LeapFrog 6. Transformers Chomp and Stomp Grimlock – Hasbro 7. BOOMco Rapid Madness – Mattel 8. Barbie & Me Colour Changing Glam Bag – HTI 9. Frozen Ice Skating Dolls – Mattel 10. Xeno – GP Flair

JULY 2014

Thanks to Toymaster A special ‘thank you’ has been sent out to all of the suppliers who attended May’s Toymaster show.

Maureen Burns of Martin House Hospice passed on her appreciation and detailed where the toy donations from suppliers at May show ended up.

Seven charities local to Harrogate benefitted from the kind donations. In a letter to members, Maureen said that 80% of the toys were donated to children who have a life-limiting illness at Martin House Hospice for Children and Young People. The remaining 20% was shared between Harrogate Young Carers Project, Harrogate Special Baby Unit and The Woodlands Children’s Wards, the Mia Mason Appeal and the Children’s Kidney Transplant Unit and LGI, St Michael’s Hospice (bereaved children’s project), Oatlands Community Project for Toddlers and the Hope Pastures Project for disadvantaged children.

In her letter, Maureen stated: “As a result of your kind efforts, many children and their families will enjoy hours of fun which they will greatly appreciate. Your support will make a real difference to those who reply on the above charities.”

Getting creative on Toy Trust charity cycle Re:creation took part in the annual Toy Trust Charity Big Challenge on the Isle of Wight on June 7. Kevin Fowler (left), offduty policeman and husband of Naomi (second left) – proved to be hero of the day after helping out poor Tom immediately after his unfortunate crash.

(From Left: Kevin and Naomi Fowler, Kevin Johnson, Mike Lehrter, Andrew Fernandez, Stuart Picton, Linda Wood).

Creative Toys appoints new marketing head Creative Toys Company has announced the appointment of Andrew Welch as Head of Marketing. His role will be to lead the marketing activity for the SoccerStarz brand. Andrew brings over 10 years experience in the toy industry, most recently working at VTech looking after InnoTab, Kidizoom and Pre-School brands.

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NEWS

Fisher-Price’s First Birthday Benefits Fisher-Price is helping parents celebrate the special milestone of a 1st birthday with an extensive marketing and PR campaign, ahead of Prince’s George’s big day this July.

First off, Fisher-Price has launched a dedicated 1st birthdays microsite at www.fisher-price.co.uk, a ‘one stop shop’ for birthday celebrations where parents can find fun birthday features, such as free downloadable themed party packs, ideas for the perfect presents, tips for party planning, special offers and fun videos. In July, the company is also set to launch a brand-new Fisher-Price 1st Birthday, allowing parents to capture special memories from the day and then share them through social media platforms with friends and family. Finally, Fisher-Price is partnering with parenting website Baby Centre, with the aim of communicating the developmental benefits of Fisher-Price toys for this key age and stage.

HIT Entertainment appoints new senior execs As part of its continued expansion, HIT Entertainment, has appointed Karen Davidsen in the role of Director of Production, Global Content; Phil Molloy as Senior Creative Manager, Global Content; and Luca Magnani as Global Brand Director, Thomas & Friends.

Davidsen has over 20 years ofexperience, including a prior stint at HIT Entertainment, as well as being Director of Production and Original Programming at Walt Disney Company.

Molloy brings with him 11 years of experience and joins the team from Spectrecom Films where he was Creative Director.

Luca Magnani joins the team as Global Brand Director and will be responsible for developing the worldwide strategy, growth plans and positioning for Thomas & Friends.

Luca brings with him more than 15 years of experience including his latest role as Senior Director of Brand Marketing & Franchise Management, EMEA, at Turner Broadcasting.

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Dobble targets tots Esdevium has announced the release of the Dobble Kids card game. A slightly simplified version of Dobble, a game that has seen continuous sales growth since its release in 2011, this new version is aimed at bringing the fast and furious fun to children as young as four. Dobble Kids follows the same basic gameplay where players compete in one of five simple but hilarious mini-games, reliant on being the first to find (and shout out) the one matching symbol between one card and another. “We wanted something specifically tailored for younger children, without sacrificing the fun of the original game. With Dobble Kids, we have a fantastic extension to Dobble that can be enjoyed by children as young as four, whilst still being a challenge for mum and dad too!”, said Ben Hogg, Marketing Manager explained.

Britain in Bloom Pops!

GP Flair has combined a fun in-school activity and their brand new craft kits Bloom Pops with the launch of the Cool Create “Schools in Bloom” campaign!

The hunt is on to find the school with the best floral scene! Schools all around the UK are being encouraged to get the children green-fingered and enter the national Bloom Pops competition.

To be part of the Bloom Pops campaign, schools are being asked to send in the best pictures of their “School in Bloom”.

Updates will be posted on the Schools in Bloom Pops blog and once the top five schools have been chosen they will then be put to the vote!

“We are delighted to host such a relevant campaign for our new Bloom Pops range,” commented Mundip Hunjan, Assistant Product Manager, GP Flair.

“The activity also presents a perfect opportunity for Bloom Pops and other Cool Create craft kits to be known in schools all around the country.”

Schools in Bloom Pops will run from now until the end of term.

Meccano for minis at SkegEx Children in Skegness were challenged to show off their creativity at the annual 37th SkegEx, the UK’s largest annual show of models made from the construction toy Meccano, which ran from July 4-6.

Special workshops designed to give children their first experience of building with Meccano ran throughout the weekend at The Embassy Theatre.

Amongst the attractions on show this year was James May’s 15,000 piece Meccano motorbike, designed and built by Sim Oakley for the ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

COFFEE BREAK

Toy stalwarts recognised at Red Ribbon Awards Bigjigs Toys has been named Best Small Family Business of the Year at the Red Ribbon Awards 2014, fighting off 700 nominations to land the award at a ceremony in Goldsmiths’ Hall in London last month. The leading wooden toy manufacturer was recognised for Liz Irleland, Bigjigs’ Director its achievements and receives the Best Small Family contributions to the toy Business of the Year Red industry, performance of the Ribbon award business and its commitment to supporting the high street retailer.

Director Liz Ireland commented: “We are absolutely ecstatic to have won this award – to win it out of 700 nominations really is something, we are chuffed to bits! We have to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the business over the years, and we look forward to making the next 29 years of business as successful as the last.”

The Entertainer was also recognised, taking home the Family Business of the Year Red Ribbon award.

The Entertainer has been recognised across the industry for being a family business as well as one of the biggest toy retailers in the UK. The company’s awards success comes after it announced recordbreaking results and major plans for expansion.

The fastest growing toy retailer in the UK, The Entertainer posted strong annual results for 2013/14.

The independent toy retailer, which has 89 stores across the UK, has experienced its fifth year of top line and LFL growth, and reached a pre-tax profit of £5.96million, an increase of 16% from 2012/13’s £5.1 million pre-tax profit.

Tim Ives, Head of Sales at K’Nex, has a coffee break with TnP and tells us about their product lineup, hero products and more!

4 Wheel Drive Truck

Typhoon Frenzy Roller Coaster

Lee Horrobin Joins Kids@play Kids@play Ltd has announced the appointment of Lee Horrobin as Sales Executive. Lee will be responsible for the Independent retail sector, premium and promotional sector, gift sector, and some retail multiples.

Kids@play will soon present its 2015 range of Shaun The Sheep Inflatables, Including Shaun for Rugby World Cup 2015 Mascot, The Good Dinosaur from Disney, and the Kids@play Tractor and trailer range, and managing director Malcolm Evans is buoyant about S/S 2015.

Lee will work from Kids@play’s new offices in Welsh street Chepstow and joins Kids@play’s dedicated sales team, including Chris Noad and John Madigan.

You can contact the team on UK@kids-at-play.com.

JULY 2014

How have things been performing at retail for K’NEX thus far?

We have been delighted with the support we have received from the trade and this has translated to strong listings. We’ve got a great product line-up and we’re seeing positive results already, including an incredible performance from our Mario Mini Figure Mystery Bags. They’re a great pocket money buy and sales have exceeded all expectations. With this firm foundation and with the full implementation of our heavyweight marketing programme to come, there’s a lot to look forward to.

What are your professional hopes for the company for the remainder of the year in terms of sales?

We have the right ingredients in place to see some strong results this year. We’re bringing something unique to the category and the team has worked hard to develop an exciting, standout marketing campaign. With this in mind, I’m looking forward to seeing K’NEX truly make its mark on the category this year.

What are your top three hero products at the moment?

That’s a tough one; we have a great portfolio and each brings something different to the table. If I’m forced to choose then I’d say the Typhoon Frenzy Roller Coaster. It offers an incredible scale building experience and building satisfaction at a great price.

Second would be the 4 Wheel Drive Truck. This set is quite simply great value and fun to build. Finally I can’t miss out our Mario Mini Figures. They’re great to collect, build and play with.

What has been your highlight of 2014 so far?

Undoubtedly for me the trade shows stand out.

We have had some incredible reactions to both our product and our new TV ad and everyone has been pleased to see K’NEX back in the spotlight.

Super Mario Mystery Bags

Is there anything exciting in the pipeline that you can divulge to us?

In a couple of months we will be set to unveil quite literally the biggest K’NEX creation yet. We’re working with The BLOODHOUND Project and their supporter’s group, the 1K Club, to create a life-sized replica of the 13.5 metre BLOODHOUND World Land Speed Record attempt vehicle. It will be built entirely of K’NEX parts.

When finished, we hope it will smash the current world record for the World’s Largest K’NEX Structure.

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PEOPLE

NEWS

Team bolstered at MGA and Zapf MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation are expanding their UK and EMEA sales teams with three new strategic hires.

The expansion of both teams follows a successful year for all brands across all markets.

On a UK level, Maxine Rushton and Andrew Reynolds joined the MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation team as General Sales Managers at the end of May. Both have brought valuable experience to the sales team – Maxine in the consumer goods and grocer channels, and Andrew in the toy industry, having worked for companies like Galt Toys and Mookie Toys. Both will be crucial to the team, allowing for further growth and development of the company.

Ian Fitzpatrick has also become a member of the MGA and Zapf Creation family, joining Andrew Laughton to manage the EMEA sales business areas as Export Sales Manager.

“We are really pleased to welcome Maxine and Andrew to the UK sales team. They both bring fantastic knowledge and experience. We are looking forward to their contribution and to further ensuring the future growth of the business,” said Andrew Laughton, Managing Director. “Ian is an excellent addition to the EMEA team and has already made a positive impact. A consummate professional with an exceptional background – he will bring a great deal to the EMEA sales team.”

Bananagrams hires DMI Productions Bananagrams has hired DMI Productions to help boost the brand’s global image. “DMI and Bananagrams is a match made in heaven,” said Bananagrams’ Top Banana, Rena Nathanson. “Through this partnership, they’re helping us bring this voice to life in everything we do – from social media through to consumer-facing copy... Deej and Stuart have quickly become a key part of the global Bananagrams family and we’re all thrilled to have such a dynamic duo on board.”

Working closely with the Bananagrams marketing teams in the UK and US, DMI has already devised a number creative concepts for marketing stills and videos to be used over the next twelve months.

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New Head of Marketing at K’NEX UK Team The K’Nex UK team welcomes Eileen Thornton as UK Head of Marketing. As momentum continues to build for the company’s re-launch, the position has evolved into a full-time role.

With many years spent at senior level at Mattel and Tomy, Eileen brings extensive toy industry knowledge to the role. She joins K’Nex from Weight Watchers where she spearheaded the rejuvenation of the company’s social media/digital strategies.

“We are already receiving fantastic feedback and results from the engaging and creative ‘K’Nex Big Thing’ marketing campaign. Alison Hubbard, our current Head of Marketing led the development of it and she has played a critical role in our

re-launch. Her experience and enthusiasm will be greatly missed,” said Paul Fogarty, K’Nex UK’s MD. “However, our business is now growing at such a pace that with Eileen taking up the marketing reins full-time, it will enable us to realise the full potential of K’Nex. She will focus on maximising the impact of our marketing across all channels, including utilising her expertise in the digital world.”

Eileen will oversee all marketing initiatives: the roll-out of the 2000 TVR TV campaign, which begins broadcasting this month (July); the launch of the US K’NEXPERT Search programme in the UK; and the continued development of www.knex.co.uk.

That’s entertainment!

The Entertainer, the fastest growing multichannel toy retailer in the UK, has appointed Phil Geary to Marketing Director. Phil joins following a successful 10 years at Holland & Barrett, having held a variety of senior buying and marketing positions. Phil oversaw the marketing and online functions for more than 900 stores across the UK, Ireland and Holland and all of the brand’s e-commerce activities. at the right time. “We are very excited that Phil has joined us. He is uniquely qualified for the role due to his previous achievements and experience within the retail sector,” said Gary Grant, founder and MD of The Entertainer.

Nik Hallam joins Intertek Nik Halam has joined Intertek’s business development team as UK Sales Executive.

He brings with him many years of toy and nursery experience. Nik’s new position at Intertek will see him tasked with developing the testing business for the toys and hardlines division, which is based at the company’s Leicester laboratory in the UK.

Anna Kislevitz at Evolution Evolution Europe has appointed Anna Kislevitz to the newly created role of Senior Licensing Manager. Anna has ten-plus years of account management experience, including five of licensing, with recent tenures at Twentieth Century Fox. Anna will work across Evolution Europe’s entire licensing portfolio, which includes Subway Surfers and McLaren Junior.

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Š 2014 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

MOVIE

NEWS

Turtles take to Twitter In the run up to its 8 August release, Paramount Pictures asked its fans to vote on social media in order to reveal new posters for the forthcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, with a new trailer to be released if all posters were unlocked.

In a video to promote the campaign, Megan Fox, who plays April O’Neil in the movie, said: “Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is your favourite? Vote by using hashtag #TEAM and then the name of your favourite turtle on Twitter to help reveal their exclusive new character poster. When all four have been unlocked, you’ll get access to the new trailer.”

With fans young and old, it didn’t take long to unlock all of the artwork and bonus trailer – less than two days in fact. Pictured is the poster of party dude Michelangelo, Megan Fox’s apparent favourite, for whom she gave two thumbs up in the video.

Fans given new look at Paddington movie The second teaser trailer for the long awaited and much anticipated Paddington movie gave fans a few extra details last month. With a new look at Paddington’s bigscreen adventure, the trailer shows the eponymous bear getting into all sorts of trouble in everyday situations, before donning his trademark red hat.

Scheduled to premier in the UK on 28 November, and in the USA and Canada on Christmas Day 2014, Paddington is the first-ever live action film inspired by Michael Bond’s best-selling books. The film has a stellar cast with Nicole Kidman as the villain and Colin Firth as the voice of Paddington.

Maleficent to the top 2014 continues to be a big year for Disney as Maleficent, the company’s latest theatre release, stepped into first place at the international box office last month. The Angelina Jolie-fronted family film crossed the $500 million mark in the back end of last month.

The film is yet to open in key territories, including Japan, so figures are likely to see a significant boost throughout this month.

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New Yu-Gi-Oh movie in development 4K Media has announced that a new Yu-Gi-Oh! Movie is currently in development in Japan. The company is now shopping for a distributor for all territories outside of Asia.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters back to theater screens for their enthusiastic fan base,” said Kristen Gray, Senior Vice President Operations, Business and Legal Affairs, 4K Media. “It’s a major piece in the robust resurgence of the brand that will have significant implications moving forward.”

BEWARE, YOU’RE IN FOR A SCARE! Scholastic Media has taken the wraps off a comprehensive licensing initiative for the highlyanticipated Goosebumps motion picture, based on the Scholastic book series by R.L. Stine.

Goosebumps makes its big-screen debut in August 2015, with an eagerly-anticipated feature film starring Jack Black. The movie is produced

by Scholastic Media President Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz, and was showcased at Licensing Expo 2014 in Las Vegas last month.

“We are delighted to provide our worldwide fan base with fresh opportunities to enjoy Goosebumps in frighteningly fun new ways,” said Leslye Schaefer, SVP Marketing and Consumer Products, Scholastic Media, the media and entertainment division of Scholastic.

“We’re particularly excited to introduce Goosebumps to a new generation of devotees who can immerse themselves in the brand’s thrilling, edge-of-your-seat appeal.”

The big-screen release of Goosebumps creates a merchandising opportunity that Scholastic Media, working with Sony Pictures Consumer Products as licensing agent for the brand, will develop into a collection of must-have products.

Key licensed categories include: toys, games and puzzles; mobile, social and console gaming; collectables; gifts and novelties; costumes; social expression and party goods; and apparel.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

NEWS

THEY’RE BACK!

Mind Candy sees success with World of Warriors Mind Candy, makers of global kids’ phenomenon Moshi Monsters, officially unveiled their upcoming new franchise ‘World of Warriors’ at the recent Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. World of Warriors will be an epic battle strategy game launching on iOS and Android later this year with the family audience in mind. The game will feature a host of historical warriors summoned to the hostile Wildlands from a mindboggling array of cultures, tribes and civilizations. “Mind Candy had many meetings at the Licensing Expo with key international partners and retailers about the possibilities that exist for the game and the brand,” said Chief Commercial Officer, Darran Garnham, “With the game launching globally across multiple platforms, Mind Candy can plan multiple market launches simultaneously which is super exciting for us.”

This will make you happy!

Run to the shops Egmont Publishing has signed a deal with Imangi Studios for global publishing rights to Imangi’s successful mobile game series, Temple Run. Lisle International Licensing negotiated the deal on behalf of Imangi Studios. Egmont UK, Egmont USA and Hardie Grant Egmont (Australia) will simultaneously launch a publishing program this autumn.

Publishing will kick off in all three territories this August, with the first two titles in a brand-new fiction series, Run for Your Life! The UK and US will also publish an activity title in August and the UK will publish two more titles in the fiction series in November, which the US and Australia will release in early 2015.

14

Entertainment One Licensing (eOne) has unveiled its plans to expand SO SO Happy.

Currently in production are 13 x 2 minute long comedy shorts due for delivery spring 2015 which will be hosted on social media sites and a new website that is set to launch at the same time. On top of this, there are also plans in the US for a SO SO Happy cosmetics and skin care line which will be introduced to the market in Spring 2015.

The Powerpuff Girls are back! The Cartoon Network recently announced the worldwide debut of the iconic girls’ brand in 2016 with an all-new television series and licensing program planned.

Slated for a 2016 launch, the reimagined Powerpuff Girls will include an all-new television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios and a full licensing program that will roll out across all regions. The announcement was made recently

by Rob Sorcher, to kick off the 2014 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. One of Cartoon Network’s most enduring original series, The Powerpuff Girls has earned two Emmy Awards along with five nominations, as well as countless animation honors throughout its 78-episode run. The Powerpuff Girls debuted in 1998.

Your monthly fix sorted FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment recently announced a deal with independent publishers DJ Murphy for an official monthly magazine and a digital version of the magazine in app form for its awardwinning breakout kids’ comedy series Strange Hill High.

Released in summer 2014, the 40 page monthly magazine and app will launch with a bumper issue for the school holidays.

Pindy O’Brien VP Brand Licensing and Retail UK FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment said: “We are very excited about the new magazine which will be a great brand extension to the show. DJ Murphy are the perfect partner to translate Strange Hill High’s distinctive look and laugh-out-loud storylines into a must have publication.”

Strange Hill High is continuing to engage with tweens through various initiatives. CBBC’s exciting new 3D platform game, “The Merchant of Menace: The Lost Episode”, has just launched at the CBBC website and will also follow as an iOS and Android app in July. The toy range from Vivid launched in May with window displays in all Entertainer stores for three weeks, accompanied by high-impact TV advertising. The UK publishing from Carlton hits shelves this month, and the first DVD of the series, entitled– “King Mitchell”, is being released in the UK in July.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

CHARTS

May marks rollercoaster ratings

W

elcome to the Global Media Report covering the TV market for May 2014.

As you are probably aware by now, the viewing figures for TV have been going through some interesting times – a real rollercoaster, in fact – and the figures for May are no exception.

For this month’s report, we are looking at All Kids and the older Kids 10+ years for both Girls and Boys viewing data.

Looking at the All Kids viewing figures, there are increases of 70% on the Pop channel and decreases of 54% on the Kix channel, for example.

The kids appear to be dancing from one station to another, chasing programmes they find of interest.

We know from last month’s report that boys are into gaming and we have seen a decrease in their overall viewing figures, so looking at All Kids, it is the boys that are bringing down the rating for All Kids. However, when we look at the total rating delivered, there is an increase of 2.0% when compared to May 2013. So, the overall Kids viewing figures are not as bad as it first appears. Good news!

Looking at the Girls 10+ years, we are seeing a better picture, though there are dramatic ups and downs. The total market is running 12.7% up compared to last May and again, they appear to be following programmes that this age profile finds of interest.

We must be mindful, of course, that for May last year, Disney and Disney Junior were not in the commercial market, so there is no comparison measurement available for them until July of this year. It is clear that these Disney stations have taken viewers from other commercial stations, rather than increase the total viewing market. Initial thoughts suggest that Disney may take viewers from the BBC Kids, but this has not happened to date.

For the Boys 10+ years’ market, there are also ups and downs, with the total market running on par with last May, making it look more stable than the younger end of the Boys’ market. This is surprising. At the moment, looking at the viewing data, we can say that Gaming is having a bigger effect on Boys 4-9 years than on the older end of the Boys’ market, though this is certainly something we need to look at in more detail.

The Toy expenditure for May 2014 shows an increase of just under 5% when compared to May 2013, and as the chart shows, most of the main players are there. The reported TV revenue is up by 1.5%.

Next month, we will report on the viewing data for all Girls and Boys and Housewives with Children.

4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

All Kids TVR’s May 2013 vs May 2014 May-13 May-14

3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

Boys 4-9 TVR’s May 2013 vs May 2014

May-13 May-14

6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0

Girls 4-9 TVR’s May 2013 vs March 2014 May-13 May-14

March 2013 Toy Company March 2014 Toy Company TV Expenditure TV Expenditure Company Name Hasbro MGA Ent Mattel UK Ltd LEGO UK Ltd VTech Electronics Ltd Character Options Ltd Playmobil UK Ltd MEGA Brands Inc Bandai UK Ltd HGL

TV Expenditure £787,071 £458,610 £443,413 £372,063 £378,438 £261,329 £162,431 £155,307 £105,990 £87,122

Company Name Hasbro Mattel UK Ltd LEGO UK Ltd Bandai Uk Ltd MGA Ent Character Options Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Epoch Making Toys Ltd Panini Playmobil UK Ltd

TV Expenditure £860,945 £779,937 £307,662 £263,049 £235,899 £229,437 £212,868 £200,004 £195,367 £146,580

For more information on viewing levels please contact Mike Penfold. mike@globalmedia.me.uk Tel: 01753 889630.

All graphs and information supplied by Global Media Services

15

EXHIBITION

NEWS

Retail happy at BLE Retailers are keen to get to grips with all things licensing, if the latest figures from the BLE team are anything to go by.

They recently announced that a record numbers of retailers are taking part in their 2014 Retail Mentoring Programme. In fact, participation has increased by over 60% since 2013.

Ten leading retailers including Lakeland, Debenhams, Boots PLC, J Sainsbury PLC, Tesco PLC, Miniclub, and for the first time Marks and Spencer, are taking part in the scheme compared to six retailers last year. Launched five years ago with just two retailers on board, the initiative offers delegates a deeper understanding of the licensing industry. Over 50 buying professionals from nominated

retailers take part in workshops and seminars, including the LIMA Licensing Essentials Course and Spring Fling in May in partnership with LIMA UK, culminating at Brand Licensing Europe in October.

Matthew Canwell, Director of Buying at Lakeland, said: “We decided to join the mentoring scheme last year as it gave our buyers an opportunity to get a 360 degree picture of how the industry works. Clearly to make a licence work well, you need to ensure there is collaboration between licensor and licensee – and this scheme enabled us to understand how to make that possible. Our participants found it extremely valuable, hence our involvement again.”

Get the hottest ticket in town with LIMA! LIMA UK has announced details of its new UK Rising Stars Award, designed to recognise and champion excellence among upcoming junior licensing industry professionals. The winner will receive one year’s mentorship from LIMA UK Managing Director Kelvyn Gardner.

LIMA will hold the Rising Stars Award ceremony at its annual Young Professionals Network party, which will this year be hosted at the offices of Mind Candy in East London on the evening of Thursday 24 July and sponsored by Dependable Solutions.

LIMA invites nominations from senior licensing professionals for the junior rising star/s in their team from today until Friday 18 July.

Rising Stars nominees must have one through seven years of licensing experience; exhibit a commitment to and passion for the UK licensing industry; and demonstrate innovation, initiative and leadership in their careers.

The Rising Stars Award will be presented by former LIMA board member Bettina Koeckler, SVP, EMEA, Fox Film Entertainment 20th Century Fox and LIMA board member and Chief Commercial Officer at Mind Candy Darran Garnham. The winner will receive one year of mentoring support from LIMA UK’s Managing Director Kelvyn Gardner, which includes four career development meetings, and the Rising Stars trophy.

The event will begin at 6pm with a practical career advice session and Q&A with Koeckler and Garnham. This will be followed

by Rising Stars Award ceremony and peer networking. Both the Rising Stars Award and networking party have been designed by LIMA UK to support young licensing industry professionals.

Ticket Price will be £10 entry per person – (nomination for the award is free) with drinks included on the night. Log onto www. licensing.org for more information.

16

Educating the Children’s Media Conference Fans of Channel 4’s award winning Educating Yorkshire were surely riveted with the keynote address at the recent Children’s Media Conference.

Jonny Mitchell, head teacher of Thornhill Community Academy which featured in the acclaimed series delivered the keynote speech at this year’s Children’s Media Conference (CMC), which took place from 2 to 4 July 2014 in Sheffield.

The keynote took place on Wednesday 2 July and organisers said the teacher’s high-profile presence at the event helped to underscore the important connection between education and kids’ content.

Currently in its 11th year, the CMC is the premier event in the UK for supporting children’s media and hosted a global delegation of creatives, producers and distributors of kids’ content across all media. The Creative Keynote for 2014 was given by acclaimed writer and Waterstones Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman on 3 July.

This year’s CMC had a general theme of Child@Heart and included an impressive array of 50 conference sessions and masterclasses featuring leading children’s media executives from around the world.

miPR opened the doors to mi-Christmas Open House Christmas came early this year with the miPR organised mi-Christmas event which took place on Thursday 3 July in London. The Entertainer used the event to reveal their much anticipated top 10 Christmas toys and games. Other exhibitors included Carte Blanche who showcased its Blue Nose Friends, Tatty Teddy and Moshlings range; Jumbo Games who exhibited its range of children’s and adults’ puzzles; Clementoni launched its gorgeous Disney Baby range, plus products from its Science Museum range. Vivid also used the event to demonstrate two of its Toy Fair success stories: My Friend Cayla and SparkUp The Magical Book Reader. The event was deemed a great success by delighted organisers, miPR.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

WHAT’S NEW

NEW LAUNCHES TO HELP YOU SELL MORE

Big fun with Littlest Pet Shop!

HASBRO 020 8569 1234 www.hasbro.com There’s a whole new way to play with Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) this autumn/winter with brand new pets and sets that reflect the TV show on POP. They connect together so girls can build their very own, personalised Littlest Pet Shop world. With the LPS Singles Combo pets come with a unique accessory and feature the cute and quirky bobble head motion. Scan in the paw print at the back of each pet to activate and play in the LPS app! LPS Scene Style Sets let girls create, decorate and style the stackable, half-size Scene Style Sets with 35+ pieces, including unique transparent wall panels, reversible scene backdrop, Deco Bits and more. Each Style Set includes one pet.

The next generation of LeapPad LEAPFROG 01895 202840 www.leapfrog.co.uk LeapFrog has unveiled LeapPad3 and LeapPad Ultra XDi, the latest additions to its awardwinning line of LeapPad tablets. LeapPad3 and LeapPad Ultra XDi provide access to LeapFrog’s Learning Library of world-class digital content, all designed or approved

by LeapFrog’s team of gaming and learning experts. LeapPad3 is the fastest, highest-performance five-inch tablet ever from LeapFrog. With kid-safe web, Wi-Fi and a new capacitive touchscreen, LeapPad3 is the perfect combination of performance, durability and safety. LeapPad3 has 4GB of memory - enough to store 20,000 photos – two mega-pixel front and back cameras and video recorders, and a built-in lithium ion rechargeable battery so the exploration and creativity never ends.

Parents also have the choice to go large with the LeapPad Ultra XDi, LeapFrog’s seveninch Wi-Fi tablet. LeapPad Ultra XDi builds on the success of the award-wining LeapPad Ultra. LeapPad Ultra XDi offers the ultimate multimedia experience kids and parents want with a high-resolution touch screen, 8GB of memory and access to hundreds of downloadable apps. LeapPad Ultra XDi also includes front and back megapixel cameras and video recorders, a rechargeable lithium ion battery and an on-board MP3 player so kids’ music is right at their fingertips.

Perfect for kids 3-9 years old, LeapPad3 and LeapPad Ultra XDi will be available in green and pink from 28 July 2014.

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C’est Chic!

VIVID 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk From the B to the E to the A to the R, Club Chic girls are who we are! From this July Vivid will be introducing the world of Bear Valley Hills, home to the Club Chic girls. The initial launch range will include a collection of five super chic dolls, each with their own unique personality and style that will encourage girls to ‘bear’ to be different.

Characters include Candy, the international supermodel who is never shy of the beararazzi; Crystal, the fabulous movie actress who is a firm believer that diamonds are a bear’s best friend; Lil’ B, the hip-hop dancing super star; Violet, the worldrenown master of spook-tacular art; and young Pippa, the blogger who makes geek look chic.

Each bear is sized at eight inches tall with fully posable bodies and real hair ready to be styled up however fans wish.

Fashion and individuality is at the heart of this brand and to help portray this each bear comes with a quirky oversized handbag to wear or share and authentic cutting edge outfits.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW

NEW LAUNCHES TO HELP YOU SELL MORE

Animal care GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221 enquiries@greatgizmos.co.uk Great Gizmos is celebrating an amazing new friend to the NICI wonderland collection in the shape of Veterinarian Minilina, a wonderfully soft plush doll who loves to care for her animals. Minilina is a 30cm doll who wears a veterinarian tabard and comes with a whole host of accessories to help care for the animals. Her plush pink bag folds out to show all her medical instruments including a stethoscope, thermometer, syringe, bandages and plasters. Also included are a mini plush kitten, puppy and bunny so little ones can practise their skills and learn how to be a vet. Minilina Veterinarian joins other plush dolls in Wonderland such as Minilara, Miniclara and Minilotta, who join together with beautiful accessories, to create a wonderful play experience.

High-ďŹ&#x201A;ying tech SILVERLIT 01923 835018 www.silverlit.com New from Silverlit this year, Digi Bird has taken off like a speeding bullet. This interactive toy will give kids the opportunity to collect Digi Bird and have their very own Digi Bird chorus. Digi Bird will be launched in the UK in late July with a roll out to 40 other countries in August. The initial launch will be an assortment of 12 birds followed by a further assortment of three Digi Birds in cages and, later in the year, a Digi Bird playset. The new website, www. digibird.com, will go live this month.

Nurture nature VTECH 01235 555545 www.vtechuk.com VTech is entering the doll category with the launch of Little Love Baby Talk. This voice-activated doll can speak over 100 words, say over 80 adorable phrases, sing 10 melodies and is a perfect way to introduce children to nurturing role play. Kids can learn to love and care for her by responding to her requests. Use the three colourful baby books to teach her to read and listen to her as she coos and sings along to nursery rhymes.

Little Love Baby Talk also interacts with accessories such as a dummy, bottle and the VTech Little Love 3-in-1 Pushchair. This interactive pushchair includes three modes of play and easily transforms from a pushchair to high chair to cot. Children can also listen to fun rhyming stories, explore fun food facts and hear baby care reminders for more role play fun! This adorable pushchair includes over 90 fun sounds, phrases and songs to enhance and encourage play.

JULY 2014

Also coming from VTech, children can look after their very own pet with the new KidiPet Friends.

It features a new backlit screen, touch sensor for patting pets, and a desktop stand to play in desktop mode. Kids can take their pet to the pet centre for training, to the vets for health check ups and out to fun places for walks. It includes four fun games, extra bonus games, missions and pet trick training. Children can record fun phrases for their pet to say when they are hungry, want to be played with and want a wash. Connect to other KidiPet units and send e-cards, emotions and even challenge them to a balloon race! Both of these ranges will be supported by TV campaigns during the second half of the year.

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MEDIA

OPINION

Back of the net!

This month our media expert reveals his passions – football and comic books.

Clive takes a look at the World Cup’s influence on spending habits

I

am the proud owner of a 1964 Football League Ladder, covering all clubs from Division 1 to Division 4; plus two Scottish Divisions. This came free with The Lion comic as a collectable over a number of weeks.

I was too young at that time to understand the mechanics of a promotion gaining new sales for the publisher. My weekly pocket money diverted from The Beano and The Dandy to buy The Lion. Once I had collected the full football ladder set, my loyalty returned to Desperate Dan & Co. These days, football and football related products, make up a very different proposition. I must stress that the forecasts that follow contain a number of variables; like any other business, they are based on performance and reflect England at three levels of achievement.

These are, in the group stages only, the last sixteen and the final stages.

At the time of writing, Roy Hodgson described the defeat

by Italy as, “a victory but for the goals”. After just one game, England were closer to the departure lounge than they were to the final in Rio De Janeiro on July 13.

Meanwhile back home, Wayne Rooney is receiving more column inches in the UK press than events in Iraq, including Tony Blair’s attempts to rewrite history.

The retailers are pushing behind all football related products: some offer “collectables”, others “football collectables” and yet others, “football consumables”.

This chart reflects the estimated purchase value at retail.

The figures are huge and both brands and retailers are spending big on TV to drive traffic.

I am impressed by the sheer size of the numbers. However, I am a great believer in the “sample of one” theory to test the credibility of the forecasts.

From the top down Voucher Codes.co.uk predicted that if Hodgson’s team made the final, the nation’s retailers would have benefitted with a spend of £2.58bn.

Taking that research down to a sample of one, the research suggested that over 23 million of us would splash out on souvenirs and sportswear during the World Cup, as well as new televisions, food and drink.

The theory produces an expenditure spread from the group stages of £56 per person, rising to £112 if England had made it to the final.

Online retailers are also expected to share in the spending spree, forecasting a net £1,74.71 m if England reached the second stage, rising to £367.49m had England surprised the critics and reach the final match.

“

Clive’s very impressive ‘64 football league ladder Consistent with the continued commitment of advertiser spending on mobile, this sector is expected to make up around 20% of the total spend online.

Moving back to fact. This time last year, the new “Football Collectable” was BT’s emergence as a sports broadcaster, with Premier League football rights. BT Sport channels succeeded in reversing the defection of broadband customers to Sky, and helped increase its market share from about half to three quarters in the last set of BT results.

BT Sport made further gains, consolidating its broadcast position in football when outbidding Sky last November in the auction for Champion League football rights for next season.

The price of TV rights has been a huge entry cost into sport for BT. Meanwhile, Sky’s share price is still bearing its wounds since losing those Champions League rights, thereby making the next Premier League auction a real “six pointer.”

However, not all is lost; Sky had a sharp rise in football viewing last season, with average audience figures up 7% year-on-year despite BT’s challenge. Add to the audience gain a 74,000 overall rise in TV customers in the last quarter, January – March, presenting a good business position for Sky commercially.

On the flip side, this achievement came at a cost to Sky in terms of an increased spend on a marketing reported at £83m year-on-year in the nine months up to March.

In the broadband market Sky had its lowest number of new broadband customers since 2006, perhaps not unnatural that it should slow under pressure from BT Sport for those same customers.

Competition in these markets is good for consumers and good for sports TV rights holders, as live viewing becomes an increasingly special viewing occasion. Of course, it is interesting to note that the jewel in the Premiership rights income is not about being the best league, it is about the KO times being a prime collectable export!

Closer to home, Francis Mathews, the voice of one of the toy industries iconic characters, Captain Scarlet, passed away last month. Matthews voiced Captain Scarlet in all 64 episodes, with a maiden episode in colour on BBC in 1969.

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons; great TV, great collectables and he never kicked a ball.

The research suggested that over 23 million of us would splash out on souvenirs and sportswear during the World Cup

Clive Crouch www.clivecrouch.com info@clivecrouch.com mobile: 07831 670 453

1

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

COVER FEATURE HASBRO

Blaster Master Hasbro is taking all the fun and excitement of its Nerf range to the next level this year with the launch of four new explosive blasters, a highimpact roadshow and more!

Demolisher 2 in 1 – First ever Nerf 2 in 1 blaster!

The Nerf N-Strike Elite Demolisher 2 in 1 This August, Nerf N-Strike Elite Demolisher 2 in 1 blaster will launch, taking Nerf shots to the next level with darts and missiles that are certain to dominate missions. The new Demolisher 2-in-1 has unprecedented, impressive firepower, projecting darts up to 90 feet with integrating semimotorised blasting, 10-dart banana clip, and all new missiles.

W

hen the sun is shining, there is nothing boys love more than getting outdoors for some blaster action. This summer, Nerf has four exciting Blaster launches coming up, and a huge autumn/winter campaign to get boys wanting nothin’ but Nerf! Hasbro has something new for N-Strike, Mega and Zombie-Strike fans, which will take the Nerf experience to new levels. So, what’s new?

The Nerf Zombie Strike Slingfire Blaster Zombies best beware with this impressive new blaster coming to the Zombie Strike range.

Zombies will be no match for the new Zombie Strike Slingfire blaster. The blaster’s leveraction allows for quicker reloads on the run and lends an authentic feel to any Nerf zombie attack. The blaster comes complete with one six-dart clip and six Zombie Strike darts which can be fired up to 75 feet. Kids and blaster fans will have those zombies on the run in no time!

The Nerf Mega Thunder Bow Like nothing you have seen before, the first-of-its-kind Nerf Mega Thunder Bow storms its way into the Nerf Mega range.

With real bow action, the bow’s dynamic arms and traditional pull back system can fire five Nerf whistler darts in a row, travelling up to an amazing 75 feet.

But wait, there’s more!

Mega Thunder Bow – Furthest firing Nerf bow ever!

This O October sees the launch of the Nerf Cam, a super smart Nerf blaster with a built in camera that allows you to film your missions and replay all the action! And if the weren’t enough, Nerf is embarking on its new launches la biggest media plan to date, with a massive TV and online bigge digital campaign. And the excitement doesn’t stop digit there; Nerf blasters are hitting the road this autumn th with an experiential Nerf Vault tour. The Nerf Vault w will journey the w UK, offering consumers the opportunity to get their hands on all the latest Nerf Blasters, including the Thunder Bow, Demolisher and D Zombie Slingfire. Nerf Zomb is also continuing its relationship as the title sponsor of the Junior Premier relatio League. With over 200 teams across the country, football Leagu players and fans will have the chance to engage with player the Nerf Ne brand at weekly matches and tournaments all throughout the new season. For more Nerf news go to throug www.nerfelite.co.uk. www.

21

FOCUS VIVID

Bright sparks Igniting a passion for reading, Vivid’s Sparkup enables children to take loved ones on an incredible literary journey with a new familydriven, interactive reading experience

A

revolutionary new way to engage children in reading, Sparkup The Magical Book Reader brings families together to experience the magic of reading aloud.

Using a tiny camera as its eye, and a tiny computer chip as its brain, Sparkup simply clips onto any picture book and reads it aloud in a chosen voice.

Parents, relatives and friends can record the book themselves in any language, adding personal touches. If they aren’t around, a child can listen back to them reading the story aloud.

Creating a 3D magical world around every story, Sparkup ignites the child’s imagination using sound effects and music, building their reading confidence and taking them away from screen-based reading.

While recording, Sparkup’s tiny camera takes a picture of the book’s cover and each page so that when a child connects Sparkup to the book, it immediately recognises the front cover. Following the child’s own reading pace, Sparkup reads the story aloud as they turn the pages even out of order.

Numerous studies and research have highlighted the important part family and friends play in encouraging pre-school children to read. Sparkup integrates both the need for a child to hear and experience the spoken word and also enforces the emotional bonds knitting families together.

Sally Goddard Blythe, director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology in Chester, believes “the essential ingredient in preparing children for reading is the engagement of an involved adult in the process, irrespective of the medium used for reading.” Sparkup facilitates this involvement even when mum and dad aren’t at hand.

Working in partnership with Dr Amanda Gummer, Head of Fundamentally Children, as an Independent Literacy Consultant for Sparkup, Vivid is passionate about communicating the qualities of Sparkup as a literacy aid for pre-school children,

JULY 2014

and also as a reading tool for older readers’ development.

“Reading is such a great leveller as children who can read can access information on any subject,” explains Amanda.

“The recent research showing a dramatic decrease in the number of children receiving bedtime stories is worrying, and anything that can help children develop a love of books and reading is hugely beneficial. Having observed children using Sparkup in the Good Toy Guide play clubs, it’s amazing to see how much they enjoy engaging with the books.”

Certainly parents see the benefits Cate Cain, Daily Express, 31 May 2014

“

and importance of reading from an early age. A recent Netmums survey revealed that two thirds of parents claimed bedtime reading provided important bonding time, while three quarters said it helped relax their child ready for sleep.

More than half of those questioned said they thought bedtime stories helped encourage creativity in children.

Mums and bloggers with firsthand experience of Sparkup have also universally praised it.

Here’s what they had to say: “Very impressive, easy to use book reader for families with toddlers and school kids,” said Angela Cheung blogger, @Ang_thisislife.

Danielle Parker blogger, @ blogbybaby added: “To be able to record your own familiar voice for your child to follow the story is delightful… a stroke of pure brilliance for little readers.”

Helping a child to find the right key to unlock their door is vital…I wonder if electronic reading devices, and the ongoing developments to make them more interactive and personalised, might turn out to be the digital saviours of children’s literacy

”

1

RETAIL

OPINION

Whatever happened to our model shops?

Once the domain of boys and men, the model shop business looks like it’s falling apart.

John Ryan explains what’s happened.

A

t what stage did model shops cease to be attractive? In a different time, these were places that little boys, I was one such boy, would visit to drool over 1cc engines that would power balsawood and tissue constructions that would be airborne for a few brief seconds before ploughing into a tree and smashing.

There were of course older men, and oddly males always peopled these shops, but much of the business was posited upon boys and things that could fly.

That was then, and at the time it was hard to see this ever changing. But it did. As time progressed there were fewer and fewer younger customers and the radiocontrolled high rollers in model shops were men reliving their youth with a bit more cash in their pockets. This meant fewer shoppers and, increasingly, model shops – for that was how these emporia were generally labelled – began to disappear from our high streets. That these were always destinations, as far as retail is concerned, was beyond doubt – shoppers visited because they knew what they wanted.

Little has changed in this respect, except that where there used to be a model or ‘hobby’ shop on every high street, now there are very few left and they do seem to keep closing. And in 2013, the final straw was probably when national chain Modelzone headed for the offices of the administrator and was no more.

The obvious question is, why? Have we stopped spending our spare time making things? Does leisure today just mean eating or going to the cinema, or have other distractions come along that compete directly with the matter of making small versions of big things?

There are in fact plenty of ‘hobby’ shops, with the most obvious being Hobbycraft, a national chain with branches in all of our major towns and cities. This is not a place where forlorn model makers are going to be able to satisfy their craving, however, as the hobbies purveyed are of the ‘craft’ variety, with quilting, papier mache and knitting all featuring. There are models – trains and Airfix kits both feature – but if it comes to actually building something complex in the way that things used to be done, this is not fruitful stamping ground. On this basis, the accusation made against Hobbycraft that it has, to some measure, been responsible for the demise of many high street model shops would seem a mite exaggerated.

The next potential culprit in the death of the model shop is probably digital. This is an easy accusation to level. Back in the day, anything that was radio-controlled involved clunky and expensive bits of kit, lots of batteries and a real eye for electronic engineering. Now, of course, it’s all miniaturised and you can pick up a toy helicopter that will whizz around at your command for under £20.

The romance of controlling things at a distance has gone and is as much a part of everyday life as changing the channel to see something else that you don’t want to watch. There is also the point that materials have changed and preformed hulls for boats and fuselages for aircraft have taken all the love and skill out of something that frequently used to involve months of labour. Consumers will always love the easy way out; this is perhaps evidence of that trait.

The model shop is emblematic of a theme that runs through all forms of retail. As technology and new ways of doing things are introduced, the old becomes marginalised and, more tellingly, niche. Follow this line of thinking and the fate of the model shop is just something that happens. If you can find a specialist shop that sells kit boats that need to be built from bits of wood, then it’s a fair bet that you have entered the domain of the specialist model maker. This is a long way removed from the shops of old and really does fit the niche label, but it’s pretty much all that’s left of what was once a flourishing sector.

Why has this happened? The answer is that many of the model shops that remain have morphed over time into quasi toyshops – places that certainly had scale models of trains, planes and automobiles, but which involved no effort on the part of the purchaser to make them come to life. Such has been the impact of consumer electronics and all things digital that we now expect more of our models, in spite of the fact that our ability to create has not advanced one jot.

By this reckoning, we reach a point where in-built disposability is the norm. And while we may like the radiocontrolled scale model of an autogyro that we unwrapped yesterday, by tomorrow we will crave something else, because no work has been involved. Good news if you happen to be a toy retailer; imagine for a moment trying to grapple with an electronics kit that would result in a ready-to-use Furby – it would be a non-starter – it’s all about the ‘I want it now’ generation.

Sad perhaps that we regard disposability as innate in almost everything we buy, but there it is. For retailers, the reality is that things are in fact no easier. Where kits that could be built used to be sold and then all the accessories necessary to complete the construction would keep things ticking over nicely – today’s hobby, toy or model retailer has to choose from an almost infinite number of options, and only a few of them will be a bestseller.

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.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

RETAIL

TnP loves to hear your views. This month we chat with retailers around the country to see what is selling well and how they are finding consumers on the ground

AMANDA RANFORD, Trumpety Trump, Heathfield, East Sussex Amanda Ranford owns Trumpety Trump with husband Tristan. The couple opened the shop after a traditional toy store they stumbled upon on a holiday in Cornwall sparked their imaginations.

What’s your current best seller?

Djeco’s arts and craft products do particularly well for us. The Paint by Numbers are popular, as are the stickers, stencil packs and the selection of their puzzles that we stock.

Has the current spell of good weather had a positive impact on your outdoor toys?

Yes, I think it has. It certainly makes people happier when the sun is out and gets them spending.

What’s your top tip for making the most of the summer holidays?

I don’t actually have anything planned yet.

We closed the shop recently as I had a baby, so we’re still getting back into the swing of things. I’m aware it’s creeping up on us though!

Do Christmas Top Ten Lists affect what you look to stock over the seasonal period?

We don’t tend to sell the types of toys that the nationals and chains do. I do most of my ordering for Christmas around October time, so time will tell!

If you were a child today, what toy would you be nagging your mum for?

I like the craft kits where you arrange pegs into a board to create a nice colourful picture.

OPINION

Toy talk TnP talks to retailers about how our feature categories are selling and we ask about there top tips for a productive summer and their views on Christmas Top Ten lists...

AMANDA ALEXANDER Giddy Goat Toys, Didsbury, Manchester, Lancashire Amanda has been at Giddy Goat Toys for closet to three years. She uses Twitter and a blog to drum up business and interact with her customers.

What’s your current best seller?

It’s definitely Loom Bands for us. We sell the Little refill packs in the pocket money price points and they hugely popular with both boys and girls.

Has the current spell of good weather had a positive impact on your outdoor toys?

Yes, we’ve certainly seen a pickup in water squirters, paddling pools and other summer bits. We sold a fair few footballs as well, which I’m sure was influenced by the World Cup. What’s your top tip for making the most of the summer holidays?

We tend to be quieter over August as our locals head off on holiday. But I will be drumming up some business with a HAMA beads day and Depesche Top Model competition. I stock up on lower priced craft kits as well - they’re great for parents to nip in and pick up over the summer holidays.

LAURIE SMITH Jake’s Toys, Petersfield, Hampshire Laurie has been the shop manager at Jake’s Toys since it opened two years ago. She’s still an avid construction toy fan, and continues to collect in her spare time.

What’s your current best seller?

It has to be LEGO, it’s selling really well for us with both with boys and girls.

We just can’t go wrong with it.

and when the kids break up in July, things really kick off. We rotate all our outdoor stock to the front of the shop where they sit through the drizzly months.

Has the current spell of good weather had a positive impact on your outdoor toy sales?

Yes it’s definitely helped things pick up a little before the summer holidays begin. We have paddling pools and badminton and tennis rackets, which are taking off slowly.

Do Christmas Top Ten Lists affect what you look to stock over the seasonal period?

Not really. We tend to just get a feel from our customers and go from there. At the moment Loom Bands are going fantastic for us, so if that craze is still going- and I think they will for a little while yet at least - we’ll be looking to stock up on them.

What’s your top tip for making the most of the summer holidays?

We always try to move things around the shop for each season,

JULY 2014

If you were a child today, what toy would you be nagging your mum for?

I still buy LEGO for myself now!

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FEATURE

BIKE & TRIKES

Spoketacular sales TnP’s Rhys Thomas looks at the continued sales growth of bike and trikes, and why they remain so popular with both kids and parents.

He also takes a ride down memory lane with some of the categories biggest players

I

want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike; so goes the famous song by Queen (you’ll invariably have that song stuck in your head for the next 20 minutes) and for Brits, it’s true. Over the past few years, cycling has given us two knights: Sir Chris Hoy, for his world records and impressive Olympic gold medal tally, and Sir Bradley Wiggins, for his Tour de France victories and Olympic golds. So, with the knowledge that yes, British people can achieve greatness in cycling, the nation has taken the sport under its wing and a bike saddle under its bottom.

It’s in the public conscience; more people are cycling to work, taking part in charity bike rides – our own Toy Trust Charity Big Challenge on the Isle of Wight included – or just taking to two wheels for fun. But it’s when we are kids that most of us learn to ride a bike or trike, and all that effort to stay balanced and get peddling can play an important role in our development.

This makes them popular not just with kids who seek the freedom and speed, but also with parents, who are always looking for ways to give their little ones a leg up. Phil Ratcliffe, Sales and Marketing Director at MV Sports,

believes that parents make an association between bikes Bikes and and trikes and the next step in trikes are seen their children’s growth.

“Bikes and trikes are seen by parents as by parents as essential to essential to a a child’s development,” he child’s says. “They offer physical health benefits and enhanced development coordination skills while Phil Ratcliffe, providing children with a sense of independence and Sales and freedom to explore their Marketing immediate surroundings.”

Director at MV Little Tikes’s products Sports are all designed with this development in mind. Michelle Lilley, Marketing Manager, says that each of their trikes are carefully considered to support growth and development.

Michelle explains that there are practical applications as well. “Trikes are so popular for a range of reasons. We think a key reason is because they are not only fun for little ones but

“

”

NPD Top 5 items for Pedal Ride-ons / Tricycles – ytd 24 may 2014 in £ Thomas & Friends Trike – MV Sports & Leisure Peppa Pig My First Trike - MV Sports & Leisure Smart Trike Recliner Black - Mookie Toys Gm Tractor With Trailer - Simba Little tikes 3 In 1 Trike Purple - MGA Entertainment Supplied by global information company The NPD Group

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Little Tikes

they are a great safe and practical al alternative to buggies and prams… s…

I also believe that consumers are investing in quality and durable trikes like ours for their children, as they see that they are investing in n the future play value and not justt a season.”

On top of the benefits of balance nce and promoting healthy play, they y teach kids tenacity and give them m their first tastes of freedom. And learning to ride a bike is a defining ng moment for many.

“Bike riding is now more than just a hobby or a sport,” says Ying g Pickavance, Senior Category and Brand Manager at Hy-Pro. “It is a skill which children naturally develop p as a life skill and can be seen as one of life’s milestones.”

These things combined make them a favourite for kids and a big hit with parents, and the strong performance being reported in this category is an indicator that they’re as popular as ever.

“Our ever-growing Little Tikes Trikes range has been performing really well over the last 12 months and we are up significantly

TAKING A RID RIDE MEMORY LANE DOWN MEMO

MV Sports & Leisure

Grazed knees and a few tears are all part and parcel when learning to ride a bike. But when summer days whizzing we think back of hot sum it’s the good times we round on two wheels, it’ remember… childhood bike-riding What’s your favourite ch memory?

Ying Pickavance, e Senior Category Cate and Brand Manager, Hy-Pro: “One of the designer designers confessed that as a child she used to put a peg in th the back wheel of her bike and attach a piece of card ca so when she would ride her bike it sounded like li a motor bike.”

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year on year,” reveals Little Tikes’ Michelle. “To support the growing consumer demand and increasing appetite for variety and style, we have launched a range of new and 4-in-1 exciting trikes including the 4 in 1 Deluxe Edition in Neons and the 4-in-1 Sports Edition.”

And MV Sports has seen similar growth. “We have had a very good last 12 months with double digit growth in A/W 2013 and S/S 2014,” Phil tells us. “This has been across our license and own brand businesses and customer branded ranges.”

Of course, like any good outdoor product, the weather can be a double-edged sword - when it’s hot and sunny bikes all but ride themselves out of the shop, but rain can put a dampener on sales.

Ying believes getting consumers hands-on is a good way to take advantage of sunny spells.

“Allowing children and parents to be interactive with the bikes throughout the summer will help sales as the summer is a key time for outdoor toys. Use the good weather and any space you have available to allow the bikes to be tested.”

But high summer isn’t necessarily prime sales season.

Ying says: “The Christmas season has the strongest sales throughout

JULY 2014

Phil Ratcliffe, e Sales and Marketing Director, MV Sports: “We h had a bike shop two blocks away on our road and I chose a red Puch Maxi racing bike because it had metallic paint. I used to go everywhere by bike… until a car knoc knocked me off it!”

Michelle Lilley, y Marketing Manager, Little Tikes: “How can anyone forget their first proper bike? I re received mine from Father Christmas! It was wrapped in tinsel and hidden in the garage. garag I remember I didn’t take off the tinsel for quite some time, so I had a slightly stained lilac an and silver effect frame. I remember riding around the local green with my clickyclack neon wheel accessories and my dolly in her seat on the back.”

“

Consumers are investing in quality and durable trikes like ours for their children, as they see that they are investing in the future play value

the year for bikes and wheeled goods.”

And Phil has noticed that the peaks and troughs of seasonal sales in this category have diminished. “More and more we are seeing a flattening of the demand curve, especially this year as we have been having good weather.”

So if it’s not the side effect of a heat wave, or Michelle Lilley, the feel-good factor of Marketing the jolly summer holidays, manufacturers and Manager, Little distributors find that variety Tikes is key to keeping consumers interested and demand high.

“We keep ranges fresh by introducing new licenses, refreshing existing licenses and launching brand new product concepts,” says Phil.

And Hy-Pro, Ying says, keeps

”

its design team very busy. “To keep ranges fresh the Zinc team at Hy-Pro incorporate innovation into all things,” she says. “The team at Hy-Pro put a lot of thought and planning into products, they always achieve their best by keeping up with the latest trends as customers needs and wants are always changing. Products need to be improved and updated continuously through designs, product specifications, innovation as well as being competitive whether it be licensed.”

With an abundance of new product coming through to market, and the gradual repositioning of this category as a cross-season seller, bikes and trikes could be the way forward for retailers looking for higher-ticket stock. And who knows, each bike sold could set the wheels in motion for the UK’s next cycling champion.

27

FEATURE

BIKE & TRIKES

Stylish ride HY-PRO 01582 500846 www.hy-pro.co.uk

Zinc has an increasing range of graphically design–lead bikes for the most active kids. Zinc provides products so that every child will be happy on their wheels, and with a successful launch in 2012, Hy-Pro will look to extend the range further for 2014 and 2015.

The Zinc 16-inch bikes are designed for children 5-8 years. There are two stylish designs, both of which have fun and vibrant graphics. For safety, the bikes are equipped with front and rear calliper breaks, and include a fully enclosed chain guard and removable stabilisers for additional stability.

When venturing into the great outdoors, dual suspension mountain bikes are perfect for all types of terrain. Available in sizes 20 and 24-inch, these particular models are for ages eight plus. They have front and rear calliper brakes to allow easy braking and 6-speed twist gear settings, which is perfect for beginners. Also for additional comfort adjustable handlebar and saddle height features on both models.

The Zinc Rival is one of the newest additions to the Zinc bike range. Promoting fitness this 20-inch BMX style bike has an 11-inch steel frame with chromoly downtube and forks for improved strength and durability - perfect for kids who like to perform impressive tricks at the skate park. The 20-inch Rival BMX also includes a three piece crank and a 28T Micro chain wheel for lower gear ratio to improve take off speed. The rear alloy U-Brake benefits from minimal cable exposure and reduced protruding parts so there is no interference with the rider’s body.

Whizzing along BIGJIGS TOYS 01303 250400 www.bigjigstoys.com Bigjigs Toys’ My First Balance Bikes are the perfect way to get youngsters started on their journey to pedal-powered mobility. The simple design allows riders of three years and upwards to easily push forwards and enjoy their first bike ride while feeling safe. The nature of controlling the bike also allows for improved hand-eye coordination.

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Speed freak UPCOMING MINDS 01702 329866 www.upcomingminds.com The Scoot & Ride Highwayfreak is a 2 in 1 push bike and scooter combination specially developed for kids aged between three and five years. The ‘transformer’ adapts to the growth of the child and makes sure they have fun at every age, enabling them to practice the sense of balance in early life as well as being able to rest while riding the push-bike. A simple onehand mechanism allows the user to easily twist between the two functions.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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FEATURE

BIKE & TRIKES

For the fashion conscious LITTLE TIKES 0800 521 558 www.littletikes.co.uk Little Tikes offers a fantastic range of trikes that have been designed especially for safe and fun play. All Little Tikes’ trikes have been specifically designed to accommodate four key stages of growth: Guided (9 months+), Learning (12 months+), Developing (18 months+) and Independent (30+ months). Little Tikes’ huge selection of Trikes and Ride-ons is its largest range to date, 2014 has seen the introduction of further new toys and the appearance of trikes on TV, in a Little Tikes TV advert!

The 4-in-1 Basic Edition trike is a classic Little Tikes trike that comes in four fantastic colourways, Primary, Pink and Blue. The sturdy frame and ergonomic design will give little ones the confidence to ride off on their own having mastered the basics with parent’s right by their sides!

The 4-in-1 Deluxe Neon Edition Trikes have also been specifically designed to evolve and grow with children. The adjustable push handle allows parents to take control of their little one whilst they ride with their feet up on the footrests.

Perfectly suited to any budding sports star, its trendy and cool styling, makes the newly launched 4-in-1 Trike Sports Edition the desired mode of transport in 2014. Striking in design and colour, these cool rides help encourage children’s balance, push along and steering skills. With detachable handles for parent control, these vibrant trikes leave parents and children spoilt for choice – on more than just eye catching colour!

Customise their ride CHICCO 01623750870 www.chicco.co.uk The Pelican Trike from Chicco is a fun addition to outdoor playtime as a familiar, bright and quirky character. The trike has been developed with a number of features, which allow parents to customise the trike as their children grow.

Suitable from 18 months, these features ensure a pleasant ride for young ones and provide peace of mind for parents.

The trike comes with an on/off system, handling the steering block to give the option for the child to operate the steering with a free wheel. In addition, the removable telescopic handle means parents can assist children while riding or, as they grow older, take it off to give them free reign for pedaling and control.

The adjustable seat can be easily altered while the 3-point safety belt keeps riders secure once strapped in. Pelican Trike also comes with a large front basket in the beak, a handy addition for storing anything from favourite toys to a snack or a drink while taking the trike out for a spin.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

BIKE & TRIKES

Fan favourites MV SPORTS 0121 748 8000 www.mvsports.co.uk

MV has an expansive line-up of trikes and bikes which include classic licenses and new characters, all of which are contributing to significant retail sales growth in 2014.

With Peppa Pig celebrating 10 years of muddy puddles, MV Sports offers a range of trikes and bikes for pre-schoolers including the My First Trike, featuring an adjustable handlebar and removable parent handle, to three bike options catering for children throughout their riding progression! The range has also received a brand new fresh and fun look. Still a firm favourite, Thomas and Friends keeps growing with MV picking up Licensee of the Year for continued investment in the Thomas, Fireman Sam and Mike the Knight ranges. This season sees an updated, sporty design for Thomas, featuring a trike and three bikes: The 10” Balance Bike, 10” 2 in 1 Training Bike and 12” Bike. To coincide with the new Postman Pat movie a full range of pre-school trikes, bikes and accessories have been launched featuring colourful classic designs and a functional Postman Pat bag for enhanced role playing. The Grow and Go range offers items such as the 2 in 1, 10” Training Bike and 3 in 1 Steering Bike which convert from beginner to more advanced modes and are perfect for pre-school children as they improve in ability. For older children, the One Direction range has proved a huge hit with the girls and the boys love the range of Simpsons BMX style bikes.

Flying without wings ASOBI 01628 200011 www.asobi.co.uk Radio Flyer is a well-established American brand that has been manufacturing toys for the past 95 years. After nearly a century of capturing the hearts and entertaining children in the States, the hugely successful brand has decided to invest in increasing its presence in the UK and Ireland. Radio Flyer is passionate about toys and is committed to creating beautiful and safe products to inspire children. The complete collection includes trikes and bikes, which captures the brand’s mission to encourage adventure.

Having established themselves as experts in manufacturing toys, Radio Flyer not only produce great products, they have a solid commitment to creating great childhood experiences. The brand is developing tomorrow’s innovative toys whilst ensuring they still maintain the same classic quality, incorporate the tradition of the outdoors and sense of adventure that has been the brands trademark since the beginning.

The Radio Flyer range promises retailers an opportunity to offer their customers a brand that has ‘family’ at its core, promising toys that capture imagination time and time again.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

Learn… Grow… Go! Steer your sales with our brand new Trikes range Our 4-in-1 trikes are: • Designed to develop physical, balancing, and steering skills.

• Adapts from a parent guided stroller to infant powered trike.

ge of styles n a r l l u f C h o o s e f ro m o u r

t gh i e w ia n y av ed paig e H Mm Ca

Visit www.littletikes.co.uk to find out more Call us: 0845 0533 333 | Email us: Little.Tikes@zapf-creation.co.uk MGA Entertainment UK Ltd, 50 Presley Way, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0ES

FEATURE

BIKE & TRIKES

Wheeling out the big brands HTI 01253 778888 www.htigroup.co.uk When it comes to bikes and trikes, HTI wheels out the big brands with ranges for children of all ages. New for pre-schoolers with the BAFTA award-winning CBeebies flagship live-action series, HTI launch Something Special wheeled toys including a non-pedal training bike and 10” and 12” Bikes. All bikes feature the bright, eye-catching, primary colours from the show as well as the instantly recognisable presenter character Mr. Tumble, sure to appeal to both boy and girl fans of the popular pre-school programme.

From the no.1 rated show on Disney Junior channel for kids 4-9, enjoying fantastic international viewing figures across territories, HTI provide Doc McStuffins wheeled toys with 10” and 12” Bike and Protection Gear. Featuring pretty pink and blue colourways and Doc character imagery, the bikes provide little ones with the perfect first set of wheels to speed to imaginary emergencies.

A global toy and fashion brand, HTI’s consistently popular range of Hello Kitty wheeled toys includes 10”, 12” and 14” bikes as well as a full compliment of protection gear, covering ages from pre-school to six years. The Hello Kitty Trike features chunky wheels, easy grip handles, a rear storage bucket and handy adjustable parent handle for push-along fun. As part of a 2014 range refresh, the bikes and trike features new eyecatching colourways and packaging artwork.

Get riding first and best! Light the GALT TOYS 0161 428 9111 www.galttoys.com The Galt Active Play range of high quality outdoor toys is perfect for active toddlers and young children. Included in the range are four bright red ‘first bikes’, designed with fun and safety in mind. Galt’s Tricycles are one of the best learning instruments for improving a child’s motor skills and Galt’s sturdy metal framed wheelers provide complete safety for children to ride around freely. Galt also offers a Tricycle with a fixed loading platform, which is a favourite with young children as they are able to carry around their most treasured toys while pedalling around the garden or house. The Galt Bike Runner is perfect for children who are not yet ready for a bicycle.

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Fuze!

RE:CREATION 0118 973 6222 www.recreationltd.co.uk Re:creation are set to speed-up the Bikes and Trikes aisle with another hot new gadget from Fuze that allows kids to customise their wheels. The Mega FX Speedometer sits neatly on the handlebars and comes with 11 different high-tech sounds that change as the speed of the bike varies. The faster the rider pedals, the faster the sound sounds! Ideal for both boys and girls who love to monitor their pedal power, the Speedometer clearly displays the speed on the digital display as kids ride along.

Re:creation will support the launch of the Mega FX Speedometer with TV and PR in the run-up to Christmas.

Easy rider INDIGO JAMM 01483 201075 www.indigojamm.com The award-winning Jamm Scoots, are ideal for the younger, confidently walking child to scoot around on. Multi directional casters give free flowing movement in all directions for hours of great fun. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even a little compartment under the seat to transport a cuddly soft toy passenger.

Designed in the UK, the Jamm Scoot makes a perfect indoor ride-on toy, as children donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need too much of a turning space to zoom around in.

Available in Aqua, Pink and Racing Red, all aged 12 months plus, they are a great choice a first or second birthday present.

The Jamm Scoots have also picked up some great awards and have been recognised for their top-quality performance by Junior Magazine when they won Best Toy design 0-2 Years. They also won the Right Start Awards overall winner 0-3 year and the Right Start Gold Award Sit & Ride.

The pleasure of riding... ...the true American way 93A: Ranger Wagon

510: Red Little Scooter

433A: Classic Red Dual Deck Trike

contact us... info@asobi.co.uk

follow us...

Facebook: Asobitoys | Twitter: @Asobi_toys

www.asobi.co.uk | T: 01628 200077 JULY 2014

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COMPANY

FOCUS

Stars of science!

In just a few years, Thames & Kosmos have made a name for themselves as a go-to distributor of science kits and educational fun. TnP’s Rhys Thomas sat down with the UK Director, Joanna Drage, to find out about new ranges designed with the UK market in mind and expansion plans for the near future Thanks for sitting down with us Jo. First off, how has 2014 treated Thames and Kosmos so far?

We’ve had a great year so far. It seems that retailers needed a few years of seeing our company around before they trusted the brand, and as we have made it through some of the hardest trading years in history, I think we have earned their trust. It helps that we have the support and 100year history of KOSMOS behind us.

And what about this year’s trade shows been?

We’ve had a lot more interest at trade shows than we expected this year. We have struggled with manpower, and as a result we’re looking to expand now and train staff up for next year. We exhibited at Spring Fair for the first time this year, which was interesting. Our most exciting introduction was to a big Australian company – and we’re waiting to see where it leads.

What has been your show highlight this year?

It has to be being a winner of the best creative toy award at Toy Fair.

We realise that we are still considered fairly new in the UK, so it’s great that our kits have been taken seriously along with the other more established brands. We also took our biggest ever order at Spring Fair (at that point).

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Do you have plans in place for next year’s shows?

We have signed up to exhibit at both London Toy Fair and Spring Fair next year. We will be moving location at both fairs – at Toy fair we will be more central, but at Spring Fair we will be moving into the Gift Hall.

Joanna Drage

“

New ranges being introduced in 2014 have a very different feel to them than our previous offering, which shows the way the company is heading

that arrived a couple of weeks ago sold out in no time, so we are really pleased so far. With more arriving soon, I think this will definitely find itself in the T&K 2014 best-sellers list.

What are you hoping to achieve with this move?

This year we were new to Spring Fair, and ended up in the Party section.

We had a good show, but it probably wasn’t the best spot for educational products. It wasn’t possible to move us into Toys, so we have moved into Gifts. Our products can be considered gifts as well as toys, so it’s not a bad thing, and hopefully it will put our brand in front of buyers who otherwise might not have found us.

And what exciting things can we expect next from the Thames and Kosmos labs?

We are looking forward to the arrival of the new Spark and Geek ranges in September. The Spark Line are small kits in blister packs with our lowest price point to date. The Geek Line have some fabulous new ideas and funky packaging. We’re anticipating a great response to both ranges, as they are very different to our current offering, and that of any other manufacturer.

I think we’ll have even lower price point products in 2015, which will appeal to the nationals.

Your Glowing Chemistry set won an award at Toy Fair this year and was just released a few weeks ago, how has that been received?

We have had a great response.

It’s an age 10+ forensic science kit which contains a non-toxic form of luminescence, so the user really gets the Forensic Scientist experience.

I think that blood and guts really appeal to children of this age group, but there is still quite a serious amount of education packed into the kit. A relatively small number of kits

Who are you hoping to appeal to with these new products? If I were a retailer trying to market the Spark Line, I would suggest that they are a great alternative to a party bag. My children come home from parties with either plastic toys that invariably end up in the hoover, or a book. These kits are somewhere in the middle – still fun, but educational. They are also great impulse buys, as the price point is low, and they would be great stocking fillers or an educational supermarket distraction toy.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Is this part of a larger development and expansion for the whole company? KOSMOS, our manufacturer, recruited a new MD in 2013, and the company has seen significant changes since, with the focus of the range becoming more modern and, therefore, commercial.

Naturally this resulted in a need for a Thames and Kosmos restructure and expansion.

What new things will this bring to the table and what changes are you looking to implement for the UK market? I think that anybody familiar with our range will have noticed that the new ranges being introduced in 2014 have a very different feel to them than our previous offering, which shows the way the company is heading. As a result of our continuing expansion, we are looking for a National Account Manager, which will free up some of my time. If we recruit in time, we are hoping to get involved in a TV advertising campaign later this year.

And how do they complement the existing Thames and Kosmos lines?

Each Spark line kit is a fast, fun, easy and inexpensive entry level educational kit. A parent can dip their toe into this genre of toy, to see whether their child is interested in science, without making a huge financial commitment. We have an amazingly low return rate due to our European manufacturing, and I think that the quality and content is such good value, consumers come back for more or higher end kits.

You have plans for a more localised, UK focused T&K - what will this entail? Until now we have chosen our offering from the kits available in the US. While this approach has been successful to date, and we’ve seen very good growth in the company, I believe we could be more successful if we got involved earlier in the process. This enables us to ensure our offer is truly unique in the UK. This year we have been involved in the R&D of the 2015 kits, and I hope this will give us a more dynamic, fresh approach.

JULY 2014

How are the US and UK markets different? What’s the impetus for this? Thames and Kosmos products have been sold in the US for 14 years and are a well-known household brand. The UK is a lot smaller than the US market and we are only just into our third year here. Also, customer habits vary. While there is a great market in the US for high-end specialist kits, the lower price point items seem to do better here. This could be because end-users have to know a brand well before they spend big cash on a product, but I suspect it’s because the US population is

so vast, kids need to become more specialised in their area of expertise in order to really become successful.

For that reason we don’t offer all high-end kits here yet.

And how has your relationship with the big chain retailers changed over the past 12 months? Year on year, we gain at least one national account, and expand shelf space in our current major retailers. To date we haven’t lost a national account, which I believe is due to our company keeping large stock level in the UK. We are (nearly) always able to provide more stock than has been forecast at short notice. We did run out of two products last Christmas, but only because they were more popular than we ever could have anticipated!

What about online?

We recently changed our third party website policy as our kits sell very well in independent shops and we need to protect this market. Retailers are welcome to sell our products on their own sites, but we informed our third party website retailers at the end of March that we needed to cease all third party website selling.

Non Fulfillment by Amazon retailers had until the end of May, while FBA retailers were given until the end of September to run through stock.

Tell us about what this policy change means in the long term.

Well, it was a bit of a gamble, and we lost some customers - which we knew would happen - but in the main, our customers have been happy about the changes, and understand the benefits. We’re not the first to adopt this strategy, and I suspect that we will not be the last. We’ve already seen growth from independent shop orders, and I have no doubt that we gained some of our more recent customers as a result of this policy change.

So the impact has been positive for the future health of T&K? Definitely. We’ve always had steady growth, continuing right through this year to date. With lots of positive changes due in the company, I think the future is rosy.

You can contact Thames & Kosmos on 01580 212000 37

FEATURE

WOODEN TOYS

Wooden you like to play?

Wooden toys are a perennial favourite with adults and children alike. TnP takes a look at this all-time classic sector, which is still as popular as ever, to find out how the sector is performing

L

ong before children were communicating through phones, tablets, computers or the myriad of wonderous technological appliances that exist in toy land today – there were other toys.

There were toys in the traditional sense of the word. The flick of a switch or wave of a hand didn’t turn them on, imaginations did.

This is where wooden toys came to life and have done since our ancestors first discovered the multiple uses for a very simple block of wood.

These days, the premise behind using a wooden toy is most certainly the same but a lot has changed in the industry. Now, sustainability and being ecofriendly are vital parts of the sector which is ever-evolving.

Speaking about their Plan Toys wooden range, Great Gizmos’ Judith Dayus explained how she sees the sector developing.

“We have a really exciting time ahead with Plan Toys. Planwood is made from sawdust, natural vegetable dyes and 1% ecofriendly glue and is then moulded like plastic. This allows us to introduce a whole range of designs and shapes, which were not previously possible from wood.”

John Crane is another company that champions the cause of wooden toys with Amy Russo telling us: “There are many ways that this sector can develop, it’s just keeping up with the times and the new trends. Although wood is

38

traditional, there are many different ways to keep this sector looking modern with different colours, shapes and designs. Our Country Play Kitchen is a great example of how you can keep traditional toys still looking vintage yet modern at the same time.”

But how are these toys performing at retail? Is the consumer still engaging with them? The answer appears to be a resounding yes.

“Our stand out product from

“

Planwood is made from sawdust, natural vegetable dyes and 1% eco-friendly glue and is then moulded like plastic.

This allows us to introduce a whole range of designs and shapes, which were not previously possible from wood Judith Dayus, Great Gizmos

Christmas last year was most definitely the Country Play Kitchen which completely exceeded our already very high expectations for this line,” Amy tells us. “It was loved by our retailers as much as us and we hope our new lines for Christmas this year, such as our new workbench and the

John Crane

” toysnplaythings.co.uk

WE ASKED: Children are so tech-orientated these days, why should retailers and parents see value in wooden toys?

“Children love to play and discover! Our wooden toys teach various stages of child development such as hand eye co-ordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play and problem solving to name but a few!”

Judith Dayus, Great Gizmos “Tech is a very strong category in todays society with so many children’s tablets being made widely available but I still believe there is a certain aspect of a wooden toy that almost makes it incomparable to a techy toy. ‘Wood is good’ as the saying goes…”

Amy Russo, John Crane

looking at how we can do this new Tidlo Fire Series, perform and so have come up with just as well if not better!” products like the Country Play Likewise, Judith says that Plan Kitchen and our new Toys is performing extremely Workbench and Fire Series for well.

2014 and smaller lines such as “We have developed a the Tea Set and Pizza Set.” range of items with very keen And while we can talk at price points to suit all pockets, length about wooden toys which is proving to be very needing to stay relevant, there popular. Musical instruments is no denying they are blessed and food items have with a timeless longevity that performed well this year in other sectors just don’t have. particular. Parents are not afraid to spend on larger items Their popularity cannot be understated. “Parents however if it is good quality.” absolutely love And while there wooden toys is no denying that because they are wooden toys are a so traditional,” stock, go-to Judith says. favourite with “Time and time parents – the again we hear onus is on that this is what manufacturers to they want to buy stay ahead of the for their game and pump children.” While invigorating ideas Amy points into the market. towards “We are always Amy Russo, John Crane “nostalgia and looking for new timelessness” as ideas,” says contributing to Judith. “Planwood the sector has helped us to remaining strong within the create many new lines and market. Judith voices a similar exciting opportunities. We sentiment, telling us: “Parents even have wooden bath toys see wooden toys as good made from Planwood which wholesome toys that remind make an excellent alternative them of their childhood. With to plastic bath toys!” the new designs bringing Plan When asked how John Toys into the current era we Crane keep reinvigorating the have the perfect mix.” category, Amy told us: “This is And it is this ‘perfect mix’ where I believe the design which will see the wooden toy team have a tough time. How sector continue to be popular do you keep a wooden toy’s at retail. Parents love it, vintage feel but make it look grandparents remember it and modern to fit in with the children want it – what more current trends? Our in-house can you ask for? design team do a great job

“

How do you keep a wooden toy’s vintage feel but make it look modern to fit in with the current trends?

”

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FEATURE

WOODEN TOYS

Varooming their way into shops CASDON

01253 608428 www.casdon.co.uk Casdon is looking forward to presenting their new ‘WoodPlay’ toys this year, aimed at 3+ children.

Varoom is an appealing collection of wooden vehicles with a building site theme. Perfect for little hands, they have interchangeable parts so that larger or bigger vehicles can be created, and no batteries are required for the ‘Push, push…go’ action.

There’s a digger, excavator, cement mixer, crane, tip truck, roller, bulldozer and truck – all available as single packs. There will also be two different 4-packs to keep budding builders happy.

Boxset is a range of 10 brilliant playsets in a painted, portable wooden box – all with individual themes that will appeal to both girls and boys. The side lowers down to create an imaginative world with all the different elements and accessories. There’s Pirate Island, Barn House, Train Set, Fairy House, Beach Villa, Dolls House and Castle plus Beauty Set, Tool Kit & Kitchen Set.

All have carry handles and are ideal for on-the-go play. They’ll keep parents happy too, because everything tidies away neatly inside the box.

All Casdon WoodPlay toys are made with sustainable plantation wood and water-based paints are used to decorate them. They bring a traditional feel to role play fun and their classic design means they are sure to be treasured by future generations, too.

These new wooden toys are in addition to Casdon’s existing range including Dyson, Henry & Hetty and Morphy Richards branded miniature replica toys – as well as shopping, cleaning and cooking role play toys!

It’s a wonderful wooden world

A home fit for a doll

DKL

LE TOY VAN

01604678780 www.dkl.co.uk

0208 979 2036 www.letoyvan.com

Amongst DKL’s great portfolio of brands are Wonderworld Toys, offering an exciting collection of wooden toys for children aged 18 months onwards.

DKL and Wonderworld’s most exciting new product launch to date is the innovative Wonder Trix Tracks.

Brand new for 2014 are four new sets that incorporate even more fun into track and balls. Featuring the fun animal themed Safari Track, Glow and Roll, Magic Switcher and the free standing Tower Launcher. The Trix Tracks unique brick locking system makes it incredibly stable, each piece is calculated to scale so children can mix the eight different sets and construct the ultimate Trix Track creation! The bestselling Mini Vehicles range continues to gain popularity with seven new additions to the collection.

Also new are the job themed vehicle which can be taken apart and put back together – great for hand eyes coordination! To aid children of the pre-school age Wonderworld have a fantastic selection of educational toys.

The Daisylane Collection from Le Toy Van is home to 12 different doll’s houses, two starter packs of furniture and two collections of room set furniture, all further complemented by a cornucopia of additional accessories (from a fun car to a laundry set to a choice of doll families). The icing on the cake is the detailed fabric playmats which present a soft and inspiring play base for the painted wooden toys.

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How wood you puzzle Peppa?

HTI 01253 778888 www.htigroup.co.uk HTI provides a fun range of Peppa Pig Wooden Puzzles. An evergreen license for HTI, the new wooden puzzles offer a selection of colourful Peppa designs across classic lines that have been designed to encourage early learning and develop hand eye coordination. The Floor Puzzle is a 49 piece jumbo jigsaw featuring a fun Peppa Pig scene. The Clock Puzzle helps little ones to learn to tell the time with Peppa and friends. Watch this space for some exciting additional Peppa Pig wooden puzzle lines that will be added to the range for SS15.

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Plan Toys from Great Gizmos

Making learning fun!

www.ggtrade.co.uk Plan Toys - building creativity!

Growing imaginations!

New wooden toys making a splash this season!

FEATURE

WOODEN TOYS

Letting imaginations s develop CHICCO 01623750870 www.chicco.co.uk

Planning for greatness GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221 enquiries@greatgizmos.co.uk Great Gizmos’ eco-friendly collection from Plan has a vast array of ethical wooden toys that are suitable from birth and promise to open up a world of fun in 2014.

Plan Toys has an inspirational collection of naturally coloured wooden toys that appeal to both boys and girls from birth. In addition to using solid rubberwood, Plan uses all the parts of a tree that would usually be discarded to make the unique Planwood. This is made from compressed sawdust, which is bonded together with just 1% eco-friendly, non-toxic glue.

For traditional play, the Plan Dollhouses and accessories make an ideal first play home for little girls.

The Chalet Dollhouse is made of two separate units and includes a skylight, a moveable staircase and a houseful of furniture for kids wanting to play house.

There are also great outdoor accessories available, from Patio Furniture that includes deckchairs and a parasol to a Playground that features a slide, seesaw and a sandbox.

Plan Toys also has a range of puzzles suitable for children from the age of two. All things weather related can be learnt with the Weather Dress-Up Puzzle that has separate segments to slot together to form an outfit. Alternatively the Chicken Puzzle has everything needed to learn about the lifecycle of a chicken, including an egg and baby chick and the Vehicle Puzzle allows children to identify and match the drivers of each vehicle including a spacecraft, helicopter, car and submarine.

For outdoor play, the Croquet Set is a family favourite and will delight children for years to come. The colourful set includes wickets, mallets and four wooden animal balls. The Full Set of Mini Golf can be played indoors or out and consists of wooden golf clubs, wooden balls and three challenging tracks.

Babies and young children can grab onto smaller items such as the Baby Car, Roller or Butterfly Mirror that are chunky and brightly coloured and ideal for tiny hands.

When baby reaches 12 months there is a collection of wooden animals and vehicles that wiggle when pulled along the ground. The Dancing Alligator moves its jaws and tail and makes a ‘click-clack’ sound, whilst the PullAlong Snake creates hours of fun for children as it slithers its colourful body from side-to-side.

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Chicco’s range of wooden toys has been developed in line with the changing focus of many parents towards simple and natural products for their baby. The Chicco wood range features a host of different cognitive toys suitable from 12 months onwards. For 12 months plus, there is a choice of animals and vehicles that can be pulled along or dragged – perfect for little ones to explore their environments and start to move objects on their own. Moving to 18 months and upwards, the Chicco Wood range offers a stacker, a puzzle and the Chicco Cottage, all designed to help understanding of shapes and dimensions.

Completing the range, for children aged 2 years plus, Chicco has developed simple musical instruments to develop imaginative skills and experiment with sounds and music.

The wooden toys promote spontaneous play through their simplicity. The range encourages children to use their imagination, giving free rein for creative games and playtime.

A trail of happiness ASOBI 01628 200077 www.asobi.co.uk

First time fun GALT TOYS 0161 428 9111 www.galttoys.com Galt Toys has teamed up with leading parenting guru Dr Miriam Stoppard to launch a range of wooden First Years toys for babies and toddlers.

The new Dr Miriam @ Galt range of seven wooden toys is designed to encourage learning through play.

Last year, Asobi announced an exclusive distribution deal with French toy brand Vilac and the team are delighted to offer this exquisite range to retailers across the UK and Ireland.

Their wide range includes building blocks and tea sets, all beautifully made and hand-crafted using highquality wood and unique lacquer.

Using timeless designs in bold colours, this classic brand creates a quaint and nostalgic appeal. One range from Vilac that is perfect for fans of wooden toys is the eye catching pull toy range, a gorgeous collection of colourful pulla-long companions.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Constructing their own

fun!

NEW f o r4 !

201 These great little push-along construction vehicles are going to be loved by budding builders and earthmovers! With interchangeable parts, the different vehicles are great on their own or for building into a bigger range of construction site diggers, cranes, cement mixers, trucksâ&#x20AC;Ś.and more. Made from sustainable plantation wood, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also just right for little hands to get their hands dirty with some realistic construction role play fun!

Inventors of Fun & Play!

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

FEATURE

WOODEN TOYS

To the kitchen!

A fiery way to play

PLUM PRODUCTS 0844 880 5301 www.plumproducts.com

JOHN CRANE 01604 774 949 www.john-crane.co.uk In 2011, John Crane Ltd used its quarter of a century experience in wooden toys to create a new range. They created a captivating collection of stunning wooden toys that encompassed role-play, educational toys, preschool toys, small world collections and much more.

Tidlo is a made up word derived from Tidlos, the Danish for timeless.

In 2014, the collection expanded yet again with many more traditional wooden lines such as the all-new Fire Series.

The collection consists of the Fire Station Set featuring a fire fighters pole, ringing bell, fire training tower, sloping ramp and swing open doors. The set also includes a control desk and chair, two lockers, bunk bed, antenna and three fires to put out.

Also available is the Fire Engine Set. This highly detailed fire engine encourages imaginative play and will be sure to set imaginations alight.

The fire engine features an extendable ladder, two side hatches and a repositionable steering wheel. The set also includes two full fire hoses with nozzles, two traffic cones, two barricades and two fires.

To complete the set are the Fire Fighters. This set of four fire fighters all have bendy arms and legs and come complete with an axe, megaphone, fire extinguisher and breathing equipment.

The fire station, fire engine and fire fighters are all available separately.

Get active!

EAST COAST NURSERY 01692 408802 www.eastcoastnursery. co.uk The Activity Cube from East Coast Nursery is a 5-in-1 activity toy that offers hours of fun. The irresistible, chunky sliding bead coaster and tactile peg maze will amuse younger children while the brightly coloured xylophone and chalk board will bring out the creativity in older children. Moving the hands of the colourful clock face will begin as a fun activity, but can later become a useful learning tool. Solidly made from wood and using child friendly, non-toxic paint, the Activity Cube is sure to be an instantly popular toy.

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Active role-play becomes interactive with the Plum Snowdrop Interactive Wooden Kitchen!

For even more creative cooking fun, parents can add interactive animation, sounds and lights to the kitchen’s microwave by inserting their tablet device (not included) into the secure door compartment and downloading the free Plum app. Inserting a tablet device will add animation, sounds and lights, extending the child’s imaginative play into interactive fun. Simply download the Plum free app to turn the tablet into an animated microwave screen, simulating realistic cooking experiences - children can choose their meal, set the timer, watch and listen as their food cooks (or burns)!

Also new for 2014 is the Plum Cook-a-lot wooden kitchen range, which includes the unique Plum Trolley Wooden Kitche, a portable kitchen with a pull along handle and 360° play, the Plum Cook-a-lot Chive Kitchen and the Plum Cook-a-lot Brunch Kitchen which boasts a curved design and integrated handles.

A world of wonder BIGJIGS 01303 250400 www.bigjigstoys.com Bigjigs Toys has a wealth of experience to call upon when it comes to wooden toys. New for 2014 are a range of wooden Mini Playsets, including Mini Farm Playset complete with farmer and wife figurines. Also in the range are Mini Mushroom House Playset, Mini Pirate Ship Playset, Mini Hospital Playset, and Mini Fire Station Playset.

A very clever clock JUMBO 01707 260436 www.jumbo.eu The brand new Goula Calendar Clock is a simple but clever wooden clock and calendar all in one. Children from 1+ can start to learn the different months and seasons in the year, weather conditions, days in a week and time of day.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Get bugged!

GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308 customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk Golden Bear has a selection of traditional wooden toys to choose from. Brand new to Golden Bear’s portfolio for 2014 is CBeebies Bugbies! The collection includes a Pick ‘n’ Place Bugbies Sorting Puzzle; a bright and colourful wooden puzzle that encourages coordination, along with a traditional Wooden Dominoes set. Additionally, children can have hours of fun with the Toppling Bugbies. Play in three different ways – throw the dice and remove the Bugbies character from the tower, choose a character and take it in turns to remove or simply take it in turns to remove a character.

The game is over when the tower comes tumbling down!

Hip-hip hooray for toys HIPPYCHICK 01278 434440 enquiries@hippychick.com The wonderful Moover range, available from Hippychick, takes the most loved classic toys of the past and gives them a stunning ‘styleover’ to transform them into the classics of the future. There are five eye-catching designs to choose from Baby Walker, Baby Truck, Dump Truck, Doll’s Pram and Rocking Horse. Four of the styles are delivered in an innovative self-assemble form and all come in elegant, clean and stylish packaging, perfect for creating a visually striking display. The Dolls Pram is also available in a super cute Mini Pram version, perfect for the very smallest dollies and cuddlies!

JULY 2014

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FEATURE

WOODEN TOYS

Wooden you like to play outside?

LITTLE TIKES

A jammy selection INDIGO JAMM LTD 01483 201075 www.indigojamm.com Indigo Jamm, now in its third year, continues to design and produce durable fun toys in their own very distinctive and attractive style.

Their emphasis continues not to be on the quantity of lines that they develop but in making sure that the products they introduce are well designed and appealing for the age range intended.

They continue to design all of their wooden toys here in the UK. Their products are made from solid wood and durable plywoods, resulting in a range of very high quality wooden toys with a retro feel that are particularly appealing to the UK customer.

This year they have continued to build on their very successful range of wooden toys that include peg people specifically designed for younger children aged 12 months plus in mind. With the introduction of Freddie Fire Engine Indigo Jamm now have five great toys which include peg people for customers to choose from when deciding on a first, second or third birthday present.

Indigo Jamm have also added both a pots and pans and dinner plate sets to complement the Kitchenette Diner, which was one of their first products introduced that continues to sell very well in a very competitive part of the wooden toy market.

Ride the Thomas fun train FISHER-PRICE 01628500000 www.fisher-price.com It’s full steam ahead for Thomas & Friends in 2014 with the continued roll out of Fisher-Price’s Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway line. The range complements the key autumn tent pole of Tale of the Brave with Thomas’ Fossil Run, a play set that sees Thomas travel from the clay pits to the Sodor Museum with his fossil cargo in tow. The play set includes a wooden Thomas engine plus Timothy engine, two fossil cargo pieces and boulders.

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0800 521 558 www.littletikes.co.uk Wooden toys appeal to kids of all ages; not only do they look and feel great but they add a different dimension to any kids pay area, whether inside or out.

Little Tikes’ range of wooden toys spans both these areas and gives kids and parents alike fun attractive, long lasting and imaginative toys. Little Tikes has recently expanding its range of innovative wooden outdoor toys making it the largest wooden collection to date. Offering a playhouse, swing sets, slides, sand boxes and playtime picnic tables all in solid weather resistant wood, parents and their little ones will be spoilt for choice; whether looking for an ideal gift, treat or perfect excuse to spend more time in the garden!

Brand new to gardens is the attractive Woodside Cottage. Offering a picture-perfect blend of wood and plastic, this high-end playhouse is the ideal home for little ones who love pretending to be grown-ups.

The Buckingham Climb ‘n Slide is the perfect all-in-one garden activity play centre that will give kids nonstop entertainment any time of the year. This activity tower playhouse comes packed with features including three different types of swings, a slide, a climbing wall and a sandpit.

The Cookin’ Creations Premium Wood Kitchen is a beautifully constructed and engaging toy that provides little ones with years of roleplay fun. With plenty of moving parts for realistic play, this kitchen is the ideal learning toy for tots that are quickly growing up and ready to become little chefs!

toysnplaythings.co.uk

8

The award winning classic toy

Soaring to success GREEN BOARD GAMES 01494 538999 www.greenboardgames.com Green Board Games are up, up and away with their wonderful wooden range this summer. The Build & Drive range features a Truck, Tractor and Bulldozer. These kits allow you to create your very own masterpiece that is great to construct and play with.

Simply slot the FSC wooden pieces together, without any glue or tools needed, minimising mess. Zoom along to the super range of solar-powered planes. These great construction kits are available for a Biplane, Triplane and Helicopter. To enjoy these cool kits, simply slot together the FSC wooden pieces to form your very own plane with pre-designed skins on for extra fun. The brilliant Build and Learn range has been a roaring success, which has led to the creation of Green Board’s fourth range of lovable, build it yourself animals. The new Farm range includes Sheep, Cow, Pig and Chicken. Simply slot the wood together and learn fun facts along the way to create your favourite animal!

Perfectly puppets THE PUPPET COMPANY 01462446040 www.thepuppetcompany.com The Puppet Company is the largest designer wholesaler of puppets in Europe and was originally set up to manufacture beautifully finished, wooden puppet theatres. The Puppet Company founders, husband and wife team Sue and Peter Lockey, soon responded to customer demand for well designed, affordable puppets by producing their own exciting range! The Puppet Company recently added the Wilberry Wood range, which includes the versatile ‘3 in 1 Puppet Theatre’ designed to be used in three different ways: firstly as a full height, free standing theatre suitable for two children, secondly as a table top theatre and thirdly as a top access marionette performance stage.

JULY 2014

Now in two sizes and eight styles

Explore wooden toys MARBEL LTD 0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk Swedish wooden toy brand BRIO celebrated its 130th anniversary of producing good quality, safe and fun toys for toddler’s right through to school age this year. The spring/summer season saw the arrival of the safari sets, explorer jeep, monorail battery train and airplane sets.

Autumn/winter will see the launch of a new range of products including a travel ferry set, rollercoaster set, tram engine, a gantry crane, a mega crane and load kit plus many more. Another wooden toy from BRIO is the 1950’s ride on dachshund. With its rubber wheels to prevent slipping and the comfortable wooden seat and handles it’s a perfect push along for any toddler. It even has a wagging tail whilst in motion for extra fun.

w w w. h i p p y c h i c k . c o m 0 1 2 7 8 4 3 4 4 4 0

Wheelybug

THE INDEPENDENT

OPINION

Taking some time out to reflect The Independent espouses the value of business reflection

W

hat a tremendous first half of the year it’s been! I’m just back from my holidays where I was able to find time to reflect on just how much of an improvement there has been in my stores over the last six months.

The stock on my shelves is much improved on what it was this time last year, and there have been more deals around to help smaller guys like me compete with the relentless price promotions of our friends, the Majors.

On top of that, as I mentioned a couple of issues ago, the movies are set to continue throughout the year, so there will be little spikes to keep us all on our toes.

Every so often, I try to lift my head up from the mountains of paperwork and look

The Independent’s top-selling toys for May 2014 Volume: 1) Simpson’s Minifigures - LEGO 2) Mixels Wave 2 - LEGO 3) Minecraft Figures - Character Options Value: 1) Simpson’s Minifigures - LEGO 2) Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Car - LEGO 3) Frozen Toddler Dolls - Jakks Pacific

at what’s going on with my stores. And I’ve always found this is best done when I’m out of the office – to see what I’m doing right or wrong when I have no other distractions.

I spend so much of my time looking at sales reports, or at individual items or ranges in order to make sure that my stores are stocked with what is selling at that time, that sometimes I forget to make sure that my regular customers are seeing new stuff all the time, thereby maintaining their interest in spending money with me.

From this aspect, I suppose we have a lot to thank our suppliers for, as it is they who create the new items and therefore constantly keep things fresh.

But it’s also clear that we owe a lot to our Buying Groups, who work tirelessly to offer members new items/ranges each season, so the Import Programmes don’t get boring.

This, I feel, has been one of the best changes from this time last year. For me, 2013 felt boring – simple refreshes, with most of the new ranges poor.

In contrast, 2014 has seen the LEGO Movie stock, Disney Frozen stock, Minecraft stock and the CraZloom sales read off the charts, which has a bonus effect on customers coming into our stores. And if we don`t have exactly what they want, they usually see something else and make a purchase anyway. I’m happy to report that

we bought quite a lot of the above ranges and they have worked well for us, though I’m still confused about what happened with Disney Frozen?

I’ve had almost zero stock and many of my customers have said they’ve been looking for it everywhere but it’s been out of stock.

My team and I are looking forward to what the second half of this year has in store. I base a lot of what we do as a business on the relationships I have with our suppliers, and one of the most exciting developments is the Autumn/Winter line-up from Flair.

It’s really great to see the number of new ranges they have now after Sylvanian Families, and I look forward to getting some of this stock onto my shelves.

I also have to take my hat off to Character Options – they have been excellent with their supply so far this year and sales are unbelievable.

And while other suppliers have had great ranges, these two have impressed me.

My advice is to make sure you take time out of your busy schedule to reflect on where things are. I’ve always found midyear the best time to do this is – you have enough of a track record from the first six months of trading, yet it’s by no means too late to make changes for the most important six months of trading.

THE SECRET SUPPLIER BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS! Suppliers and Retailers will both share The Independent’s views on the benefits to be gained by a break

W

hen we are fully engaged in our day-to-day business, it can be difficult to step back and think strategically or creatively about the future, with the minutiae of everyday work clouding our ability to see the bigger picture.

A while back, John Harper reminded us that the definition of madness was, “doing the same thing and expecting different results”.

While obvious, I suspect we’re all guilty of falling into this trap.

It was the founder of a well-known US toy retail chain who famously claimed he could wander the aisles of any of his stores with his eyes closed, knowing exactly what he would see when he opened them. In those days, it was an admirable claim, but in today’s fiercely competitive retail scene it might not be such a positive attribute.

The wonderful thing about this great industry of ours is that, as suppliers, we can survive an absolutely terrible year followed by our best year ever! Character and Bandai are companies that have demonstrated this ability better than most. Character is having a

48

brilliant year after two dull years and we all know that Bandai has the ability to pull rabbits (or Tamagochis) out of the hat!

As The Independent points out, 2014 is an especially exciting year full of opportunities for us all. There is no doubt that both Toymaster (the Harrogate Show was great!) and AIS provide helpful strategic advice as to what are likely to be the winners in the dash to Christmas and also point out the opportunities that are there to be had in everyday trading!

I endorse absolutely the message from The Independent that we are fortunate enough to work in a vibrant, changing industry, with its conveyor belt of great products. Who would have thought Disney’s Frozen would be such a hit? I suspect even Disney were surprised!

To succeed in this industry, we have to be open to new ideas, new opportunities, and we need to be prepared to embrace change.

Getting your head around such opportunities needs space and time and, in my case, a large G&T and sunshine. Bring on the holidays!

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RETAIL INTERVIEW HOUSE OF MARBLES

Marble City TnP chats with Sarah Campbell, Sales Director at House of Marbles, to find out more about the company’s highlights over its 40 year history and its aims for 2014 Tell us a bit about your store, how long have you been open? House of Marbles began over 40 years ago in 1973 where one man started making wooden board games in Town Mills, Chudleigh which he then sold at craft fairs and county shows. House of Marbles was properly born when he began looking for marbles to use as playing pieces on the board games and realised there was a gap in the market! So the retail and the trade sides of our business have always grown together side by side.

Tell us a little bit about the target audience for the House of Marbles? Our target audience? Anyone with a love of fun and an appreciation for our wonderful history and heritage. Our products are aimed at the young or the young at heart!

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“

It is such a huge advantage to have our own retail operations as well as a trade business as it gives us a direct insight into the everyday issues faced by retailers all over the country.

”

What have been the highlights of the store’s history since you first opened?

Our shop began as a very basic retail outlet in what was basically a shed in Teignmouth, Devon where we sold our factory seconds from the trade range.

In the early 1990’s we had outgrown Teignmouth and The Old Pottery in Bovey Tracey was purchased. It’s an amazing, 17th century building with the original pottery kilns and it was practically derelict when we bought it, so it needed a great deal of restoration work. We have now been trading here in these beautiful buildings for almost 25 years and today the site is comprised of the wonderful retail outlet, museums, glassworks, games garden and restaurant as well as our Trade Sales offices and warehouses.

Plus, we opened another site some years ago in the beautiful

grounds of Powderham Castle, so I guess we can now be classed as a multiple retailer!

What’s the most exciting part about your job?

It is such a huge advantage to have our own retail operations as well as a trade business as it gives us a direct insight into the everyday issues faced by retailers all over the country. We know how frustrating it can be when a new range arrives with half the product missing and we are keenly aware of how every product selection is a judgement based, not just on product appeal but also on available shelf space and profitability. Running a shop is a wonderful thing to do but as we know, there are many headaches along the way!

How do you manage the floor space in store?

We have a pretty enormous floor

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space and we have to manage it constantly. Our Retail Director, Teresa Bavin, selects products with a very careful eye – choosing products to complement and contrast with our own House of Marbles range of traditional toys, games, books and gifts which reflect the very unique fabric of our building and the history within it. The mix is hugely eclectic; of course there is a big emphasis on children’s products, fun and games – but we also have our own glassworks and sell lots of high end homewares to supplement our own pieces. In 2000 we expanded the shop to another floor and diversified into women’s fashion and accessories which has been a fabulous new development. We stage a fashion show twice a year for our local customers and it has grown into a wonderful event.

How did your product offering grow? What are the distinct difference in marbles and is it largely collectors who are interested?

The variety and choice of marbles available is quite incredible. We offer over 170 different styles in our House of Marbles trade range and of course we stock all of these in our own shop. Additionally we buy in fabulous Art Glass marbles from glass artists and makers all over the world and we produce replica Victorian glass marbles in our own glassworks. Prices range from a few pence to hundreds of pounds and our customers can be of any age. Children absolutely love marbles, but so do grown-ups!

There is an enormous collectors market as well, which is why some of the more intricate designs can fetch a lot of money.

“

We are seeing a great many more customers from abroad finding us through the internet – consumers and retailers are all increasingly using the web as a sourcing tool be a great way of finding marble and glass collectors all over the world. It’s a very small part of the business though, as we prefer to let our own customers do the internet retailing.

How far in advance do you plan products and new marble ranges that you are going to stock?

We have lots of plans for the future in both the retail and trade areas of the business. We are planning a major refurbishment of

Have you noted any consumer habits when it comes to marbles?

What percentage of your business comes through online sales?

We are seeing a great many more customers from abroad finding us through the internet – consumers and retailers are all increasingly using the web as a sourcing tool.

Our trade website has a fully interactive ordering service now and lots of our trade customers are using this as a wonderfully easy way to do their ordering in the calm of the evening with a glass of wine rather than during a frenetic day in the shop! And our small retail website is proving to

”

our glassworks to offer even more interest to our visitors and on the trade side there will be some very exciting new ranges happening very soon. We have to plan new ranges at least a year ahead, so it really is a labour of love. Watch this space…

What are your hopes for the rest of 2014?

2014 is looking very good so far for the House of Marbles trade range and we are offering our customers the biggest and best range we have ever produced. The dreadful weather in the early part of the year has caused heartache for so many retailers in the South West, so our biggest hope for the rest of 2014 is for some decent weather and lots of happy tourists flocking to enjoy all that Devon has to offer.

And finally, the Harrogate Home and Gift Show is soon approaching, how important is this UK trade show to you?

We will be exhibiting at Harrogate and we do see this as a very important trade show in terms of showcasing new product for the second half and also for getting early indications of everyone’s expectations for Christmas. On the retailing side, it’s a wonderful chance to find new product in a rather calmer and less hurried environment. Plus, we couldn’t bear to miss out on all the fun – it’s certainly the most social show of the year!

The beautiful House of Marbels base

JULY 2014

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FEATURE

BOYS COLLECTABLES

Collectamania!

TnP’s Rhys Thomas finds out what boys are swapping on the playground, how collectables can increase footfall and incremental sales for retailers, and why TV still rules when it comes to what’s hot and what’s not. Read on to find out more...

T

nP took a look at the girls collectables market in June and found that there are some key distinctions between the way the sexes collect. While girls view collectables as their own fragments of fictional worlds or their favourite TV shows and movies, boys obsess over one thing: swapping.

While this is a blanket statement, and not true of every boy, toy manufacturers and distributors certainly believe that variety – a big range of low-price, high-impact trinkets and figures to swap – is integral to success in this category.

The coveted ‘craze’ range - with excitement of the hot new thing bubbling across the playground - is the ultimate goal. The top collectable ranges become the playground staple that dominates excitement, fun and importantly for retailers, pocket money spend for the year.

Many of us can identify certain periods of our childhood by what we were swapping at the time – for TnP’s Rhys Thomas, the late 90s and early noughties are a blur of Pogs, Premiere League football stickers, and Pokémon Cards, and while each of these had games or activities attached to them, the main draw was swapping and building up the collection.

“The need for a variety of price points and product choice remains the same across boys and girls collectables,” says Golden Bear’s Vice Chairman, Christine Nicholls.

“However, boys in particular enjoy fast action play and love the idea of swapping to create the best collection.”

With ‘got, got, got, need’ echoing around playgrounds across the nation, some toy companies are returning to this sector as the economy stabalises and impulse buys are back on the menu. For Re:creation, these pocket money products have historically been good earners, and Rebecca Clark, Assistant Brand Manager, says that the company is returning to its roots.

“Right now we are putting a heavy emphasis on moving back

into the craze of boys collectables.

They have the perfect price point for ease of purchase and are The appeal ideal for engaging groups of friends as well as for solo play. of collectable The appeal of collectable lines lines just just seems to get stronger over seems to get time.”

The company’s new Zip Stix stronger over collection brings together all time the key components of a top Rebecca Clark, boys collectable: low price Assistant Brand points, diversity and an inbuilt Manager, Re:creation competitive angle. “Kids don’t need complicated or complex toys to keep them hooked. In fact, it’s often the simplest of products that have the most appeal,” says Rebecca. “Boys in particular really enjoy the concept of ‘teams’ and this is why we’ve introduced four different coloured teams in our new Zip Stix collection.

It gives them the chance to pick ‘favourites’ and helps to build-up some fun competition amongst friendship groups.”

“

”

Re:creation

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Marbel

As seen on TV Away from the playground, TV remains the primary influence on what’s in and what’s not. From hit cartoons to advert spots, boys take their cues from what’s on TV, making it an important part of brand messaging. By all accounts, it’s important to be seen on the small screen.

For Flair, the popularity of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series gives them a good fan base to work with. “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures are highly detailed and very articulated and this makes them very desirable toys for fans,” says Anne-Marie Noon, Flair’s Boys Marketing Manager. “This is also supported with the high success of the TMNT TV programming, which converts them into our bestselling boys collectable.”

The natural flow of TV series releases also works particularly well to punctuate the launch of new collectable waves and drive excitement. “Variety is the key for keeping kids engaged with a brand,” adds Anne-Marie. “With The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles we always follow the programme schedule with brand new waves of figures and playsets and lots of engaging TVCs, so that kids are up to date with the latest collection of toys from their favourite TV show.”

Golden Bear’s Go MINI collection is a best seller for the company. “Each MINI has a unique design and offers exciting high speed fun along with some super-cool stunts,” Golden Bear’s Christine Nicholls tells TnP.

JULY 2014

“Boys love vehicles and to be able to equate this type of play with a world renowned brand that is instantly recognisable is perfect.”

And even with this leading vehicle license, the small screen still plays a key role for promoting the range. “TV advertising is of utmost importance to our Go MINI collection, as is extensive PR support and world of mouth, to help grow the brand even further,” says Christine.

We’re all going on a summer holiday With the summer holidays looming, boys will be looking to spend there hard earned pocket money on something cool to play with, and frugal parents will look to the pocket money aisle for a great value treat to reward their kids – or perhaps something to keep them quiet! This makes boys collectables a sound business proposition for retailers of any size – from the supermarkets and national chains all the way down to independent specialist toy shops and small family multiples.

“Craze products tend to come at pocket money price points and they often prove to be quick wins,” says Re:creation’s Rebecca. “They are low risk, but come with

“

We regularly refresh our girls and boys collectibles to ensure that kids keep coming back for more Anne-Marie Noon, Boys Marketing Manager, Flair

”

proven success, which makes them ideal candidates for small and independent toy retailers.”

The refresh of ranges means there is always something new for boys to pop into their local toy shop for. And with the hard bit already done – getting eyes and purses through the door – collectables can be a good source of consistent customers who might pick something else up off the shelf.

“With the continual refreshing of ranges kids keep on coming back for more and the added advantage of affordable price points for the consumer creates a steady footfall and incremental sales,” explains Christine.

Flair’s Anne-Marie agrees.

“We regularly refresh our girls and boys collectibles to ensure that kids keep coming back for more,” she says. “The most important thing for retailers is that the collectibles are sold for pocket money prices; this creates a steady footfall and increasing sales figures.”

So what’s next?

What will be the next big craze, and what will boys be spending their pocket money on in the back half of 2014 and into the new year.

Well, in a move that admittedly seems naïve in hindsight, TnP asked some of the key players in this category what new ways they will be drumming up a craze in the near future.

Anne-Marie wasn’t giving anything away about the next big thing from Flair: “That’s a top secret,” she told us. And Christine remained similarl y tight-lipped: “Now that’s a secret.”

But Rebecca gave us a teaser for what’s to come from Re:creation. “Watch this space,” she said. “With our new ‘craze’ product launching spring/ summer ’14 we are mixing it up throughout the launch with traditional marketing methods and new marketing techniques, both online and offline to drive the craze status.”

Watch this space indeed!

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BOYS COLLECTABLES

Driving sales GOLDEN BEAR

01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear has much to offer for the boys collectables market with a fresh new look for My 1st JCB, new additions to the Go MINI collection plus the introduction of a new vehicle brand, VDubs.

Go MINI shows no signs of slowing down as 2014 sees speedy new vehicles added to the line-up. The new Turbo Pullbacks Stunt Set consists of two cars, two interchangeable upper bodies, one ramp and three sets of tyres. Simply pull back, let go and watch as the car zooms along at super speeds. Power Boost Racers are exciting new motorised MINIs with bright graphics and colours.

Press the Power Boost button to select the distance and hear the engine revs grow louder as the LED’s light up! Watch as it speeds away and finishes with a cool handbrake turn! Plus, existing vehicles, Go MINI Crew-zers and Stunt Racers, will each see new characters added to the collection ensuring there is a car for every MINI fan.

Golden Bear’s new pre-school collection V-Dubs is based around the world class brand, Volkswagen. Set to launch this month, the collection features fun and quirky collectable Beetles and Campervans for kids aged 3-6. This brand new range has been designed to offer excitement, speed, style and each vehicle comes with a range of stickers to allow children to customise their ride.

The My 1st JCB range has seen a major refresh for 2014 with new colourful products and packaging appealing to a younger preschool audience. With a whole host of new vehicles to collect and new “KID TOUGH” styling, the 2014 collection continues to feature favourite characters, Joey JCB, Doug Dumptruck and Marty Mixer.

The My First JCB Pullbacks are the perfect entry level purchase.

Available as four different characters, these chunky plastic vehicles are perfect to start off the collection. In addition, children will love the JCB Talkies. Complete with flashing lights, fun phrases and moveable play features, each vehicle also has its very own personality.

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All aboard BIGJIGS TOYS 01303 250400 www.bigjigstoys.co.uk Bigjigs Rail is a collection of over 150 wooden railway toys that have inspired young minds since 2005.

It is one of the most extensive and complete wooden railway systems on the market with a wide range of accessories, buildings, vehicles and even road pieces. All elements are made from high quality materials, which are responsibly sourced, ensuring they are long lasting and can be passed down from generation to generation. What’s more, other major wooden railway brands are compatible with Bigjigs Rail, making it easy for children to add and build upon any existing wooden railway system.

In April this year, Bigjigs Rail underwent a complete re-brand; new look packaging, merchandising and POS have strengthened instore presence and attracted a mass of positive feedback from customers. Modular packaging has been introduced, along with 4-5 selling faces to ensure maximum impact no matter which way the boxes are merchandised. Important consumer information has also been highlighted, such as safety, developmental factors, and features.

New addition, Bigjigs Rail Choo Choo Train (a miniature locomotive that emits real life locomotive noises at the push of a button) joins best-selling item Bigjigs Rail Car Carriage and new-design Bigjigs Rail Blue ABC Engine.

Also new for 2014 is the bustling City Train Set and Table which comes complete with high rise buildings, a helipad and helicopter, bridges and a unique metro train, all working in unison to create a mini Bigjigs City. This busy train set and table all fit in one box and comes flat packed with easy assembly instructions.

On top of these fantastic additions Bigjigs have 150 other wooden railway items to excite mini-rail enthusiasts.

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FEATURE

BOYS COLLECTABLES

Minecraft madness!

CHARACTER OPTIONS 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.co.uk With a brand new Doctor set to take our screens, there is a lot for fans to get excited about.

Spring saw the release of the Wave II of the 3.75-inch Doctor Who’s Action Figure Collection with seven authentic, fully articulated figures featuring a Zygon, a brand new Clara Oswald, Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor, a Weeping Angel, an Assault Dalek, an Imperial Guard Dalek and of course the newly regenerated Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi).

These will be followed in early autumn with Wave III, which includes the very first sculpt of the Twelfth Doctor in his own outfit and then, as the new TV series launches, this will be followed with a Wave IV featuring new villains the new Doctor encounters.

Virtual world joins real world with Character’s plastic, plush and paper craft collections, inspired by Minecraft. A top choice for fans of the online gaming phenomenon is the super cool Action Figures, which are highly detailed and fully articulated 3-inch scale versions of popular characters such as Steve, Creeper, Enderman and Zombie, each with its own Minecraft accessory. The 30 and 48 piece Paper Craft Sets bring artistic creativity with cut out card pieces that create the ubiquitous Minecraft building blocks to bring any Minecraft experience

alive. The truth is collectors have gone Minecraft mad for the entire collection and will be pleased to hear that new waves of figures are to be released throughout the summer – more news will be revealed soon!

Boys love gross toys and the more disgusting the toy is, the more they love them. Character has released a new level of gross with the Stink Bugz. With nine characters, there are plenty of foul smells to discover and collect. Give them a squeeze to release an obscene, wretched stench that kids can mix with other scents to create a whole load of different stinks.

Just Zipping to the shops!

RE:CREATION 0118 973 6222 www.recreationltd.co.uk

Re:creation will have kids zipping up and down the boys collectable aisle this autumn with the hot new Zip Stix collection. Set to invade playgrounds around the country as they lock, load and launch into action, Zip Stix are made with snap band technology helping to provide a highly addictive play pattern.

Boys will have hours of fun challenging their friends to zip for speed, for distance, for stunts or to crash into obstacles. Encouraging collectability, there are 18 designs in each team and four different coloured teams Zillla, Blaster, Wild and Turbo - perfect for the pocket-money purchase.

The range includes single and twin packs along with a Stunt Pack and the Mega Pack, which comes with launchers, cups, a kicker ramp and a quarter pipe for endless zipping tricks. Zip Stix will be supported with heavyweight TV and PR throughout the autumn.

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Battles and brawls

De nnis the Me na ce Far ting Footba ll

FLAIR 0208 6430320 www.flairplc.co.uk There’s to be even more action for Turtles fans with a whole host of role-play lines including Inflatable Turtles Fists, which allow hands-on but safe Ninja combat and a Turtle Dojo Bag which will challenge boys to see if they have what it takes to become a Ninja. Action figures remain at the very core of the collection but new waves are coming, including the launch of the new Battle Shell Turtles, with shells that open up to store the heroes’ favourite weapons.

A new hero product for Turtles fans are the Zip-line Playsets. Ninja Turtles will now be able to zig-zag their way down their high flying zip-lines to recreate some Ninja action. Flair’s new WWE StackDown construction sets will offer young fans an exciting way to build their very own WWE Universe. To commence the action there are four WWE StackDown Starter Sets which each include one WWE Superstar and over 70 pieces to build, making them perfect for starting a WWE StackDown Universe.

The starter sets can be attached to additional ring sets expanding the exploits of the WWE stars. The Trash Packs’ Rotten Eggs will make their debut in the summer and include some smelly dinosaur inspired characters such as T-Wrecks and Rat-O-Saurus. Once again the creative license put into each character knows no bounds, which is just one reason why these squidgy collectables are so popular. The Rotten Eggs will add to the Trash Pack Wheels series which sees the Trash Packs take to the tracks with themed playsets and accessories such as the Wheels Crash ‘n’ Junk Yard.

Gormiti has returned with a vengeance to the toy shelves this year and includes a whole host of figures and vehicles for boys to collect and swap. The 10cm Articulated Figures of the Princes of Gorm come complete with a holographic collector’s card and QR codes that enhance the game play of the new downloadable Gormiti app. The Deluxe Lord Agrom figure transforms into a rock ball and zooms along flat surfaces when the ripcord is pulled, just like his character on TV.

s H il a riou u e tr in s ou nd s en ace M e th D e n nis y le! st

Gross fun for all H. GROSSMAN LTD 0141 613 2525 www.ozbozz.co.uk H. Grossman has one of the hottest licenses around with Horrid Henry. The programme has been recommissioned by CiTV for another 52 brand new episodes bringing the total number of programmes to 208, making Horrid Henry one of the biggest animated children’s shows ever in the UK. Production is underway on the 52 x 11 minute programmes with broadcast predicted later in 2014.

This three times BAFTA-nominated TV show has been a huge success for CITV and now kids can buy into the brand with a full range of tricks and jokes from H. Grossman. There are terrible teeth, fake noses and ears, spiders, warts, maggots, bogeys, bugs and parking tickets. Everything horrible and hilarious is covered in this very high profile Horrid Henry range, and at pocket money prices, kids can buy them themselves.

K ic k o r c atc h to a ctiv at e lots of fu n fa r ting n n y ois es

c S oft fa b ri fo r t c e rf e p b a ll y! la p ind o o r

Tel: 01952 608 308 customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk

The Beano and Dennis the Menace and Gnasher ® © DC Thomson & Co. Ltd. 2014

JULY 2014

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FEATURE

BOYS COLLECTABLES

Top collectables!

TOPPS 01908 800 123 www.toppsdirect.com This summer, Topps is on hand with a series of new collectable cards for boys to. An all-new Transformers Trading Card Game; exclusive Transformers Collector Cards featuring genuine setworn costumes; and the very latest summer superhero collection, the Marvel Hero Attax Trading Card Game June saw Autobots take on Decepticons as Topps brought to market an explosive, all-new Transformers Trading Card Game. Fuelling the excitement surrounding the launch of the latest Transformers 4: Age of Extinction movie this month (July), the brand new set of cards offering engaging and impressive game play.

There are over 170 cards to collect, including special mirror-foil and rainbow cards. Topps is also excited to present an all-new Marvel Hero Attax Trading Card Game for 2014, which launches a week before the new Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, hits the big screen.

Your own piece of history!

SCHLEICH

Planes, trains and automobiles MATTEL 01628 500303 www.mattel.com Number one die-cast brand Hot Wheels (NPD April 2014) continues to drive excitement in the collectables market with its range of cool die-cast cars, including the awesome 75th anniversary Batman Assortment. The cars are brought to life with the exciting Track Builder System, allowing kids to design, create and customise their own track challenges. The range includes innovative track sets including the Super Loop Chase Race, featuring a three foot tall loop and the Total Turbo Takeover with a two-speed booster. Also featured are the Stunt, Deluxe and Speed Accessory Assortments that work together or connect to other sets. The brand is supported with a dynamic and fully integrated marketing campaign.

Coming to the big screen in August is Planes 2, supported with the Die-cast Assortment, where kids recreate popular scenes from the film with their favourite characters. Established property rty Disney Cars continues its impressive Character Cars Assortmentt and introduces the Cars RS500 Die-cast Assortment. All Disney y ranges are supported with an extensive marketing programme in collaboration with Disney.

Classic Matchbox continues to create countless adventures with ith die-cast vehicles, planes and helicopters available in five worlds..

Choose from Construction, Adventure City, Heroic Rescue and Explorers vehicles and SkyBusters planes and helicopters.

Wrestling favourite WWE continues its innovative Super Striker ker Figure Assortment and popular Core Superstar Figure range. The he mighty Batman continues to shine with the four inch figure assortment.

58

01279 870000 Schleich@Schleich-s.co.uk Schleich captures the imagination of boys with its exciting new portfolio of Knights and accessories, plus prehistoric favourites and much more.

May saw the World of History Knights collection extended with six new knight figures, each modelled in a dynamic fighting position, wielding their weapons and wearing armour. The new knights have moveable arms and wrists, and horse riders will be magnetised to their horses for added play value. Central to the collection will be the new Big Knights Castle, made with modular walls so kids can create their own style of fortress. The castle has a large working drawbridge, a dungeon with trap door and a secret entrance and can be tailored to each of the orders of knights by changing the corresponding emblems and flags. With Dinosaurs being evergreen, Schleich’s collection just keeps on growing with the addition of four new prehistoric monsters, the highlights of which are the Therizinosaurus and predatory Velociraptor, which both feature moveable arms and lower jaws.

toysnplaythings.co.uk toysnpla aythings co uk

Building your collection!

MEGA BRANDS 01844 350033 www.megabrands.com/ www.megabloks.com New for autumn 2014, build an under-the-sea universe with Mega Bloks SpongeBob SquarePants collectable figures and buildable playsets, including Mega Bloks Spongebob Squarepants Krusty Krab Attack and Invisible Boatmobile Rescue!

Mega Bloks Hot Wheels includes Mega Bloks Hot Wheels Turbo Tubes with new buildable vehicles, collectable figures and custom parts, plus monster trucks Mega Bloks Hot Wheels Baja Bone Shaker and Dune It Up! The Mega Bloks World Builders construction toy line features four globally recognised brands that kids and parents love.

Harvest crops with Mega Bloks John Deere, build cities with Mega Bloks Caterpillar, recreate outdoor adventures with Mega Bloks Jeep, or be the hero with Mega Bloks NYPD. The Mega Bloks Skylanders line will reveal buildable Mega Bloks Skylanders Spinners that twist and smash to win, and buildable playsets including Mega Bloks Skylanders Cut Throat Carnival and Pirate Cove!

Go

MINI

...for LITTLE hands with BIG Imaginations....

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FOR 4 A/W1

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TWIN TURBO RACEWAY

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JULY 2014

PLAYTIME JUST GOT TUNED UP.

© THE MINI TRADEMARKS ARE USED UNDER LICENSE

BY BMW AG.

GB Toys is a division of Golden Bear Products Ltd. Email: customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk Tel: 01952 608308 Visit www.goldenbeartoys.com to see the full range.

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FEATURE

BOYS COLLECTABLES

Oi! Let’s swap!

Best Budkins!

MARBEL

LE TOY VAN

0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk

Marbel toys has recently launched OiDroids, the newest brand in its portfolio. These are collectable, buildable, and pop out robots that don’t require any glue or tape to assemble. They come in either a four, 12 or 40 pack and are set to be the newest playground craze as they can be traded in order to gain missing cards or one of the ultrarare cards. Also available to download is the OiDroid App which is a virtual reality game enabling children to drive a robot around the screen. Due to the price point these cute little robots fit perfectly as a pocket money impulse line and come in large robot display units which will look great on shelf.

Japanese micro size building blocks Nanoblock continue to do well, with new products set to launch later this year.

New launches will include Christmas lines and a new large Titanic boat with over 1400 pieces, which will continue to challenge Nanoblock enthusiasts when it’s out in September.

To coincide with the release of the new Planes 2 movie, figurine brand Bullyland are launching an assortment of Planes characters in a lovely counter display unit.

8

0208 979 2036 www.letoyvan.com Budkins are the friendly, bendy, poseable characters from Le Toy Van. Summer sees the arrival of two new triple packs, Knights & Buccaneers, meaning that now there are 109 individual characters and 17 triple packs to collect.

The collection includes over 60 boy characters, ideal collectables that can be popped into a pocket for play anywhere. Each character is around 10cm tall with a wooden head and feet, and flexible limbs all beautifully adorned with bespoke hand-finished fabric clothes.

With themes ranging from pirates and princes to fire fighters and footballers, there is a vast choice of pocket money friends to be made.

The full set of characters is illustrated in the handy consumer mini-catalogue and the updated website. Each Budkin has multi-purpose packaging which can be used to display them either hanging or standing. To further maximise merchandising options there are wooden counter display units and large merchandising stands available.

All Budkins are perfectly scaled to complement Le Toy Van’s painted wooden playsets including castles, farms, pirate ships and the everpopular London Bus, styled on the retro classic Routemaster bus.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

For the gamers!

K’NEX 01189 497000 www.knex.co.uk K’Nex will launch two highly anticipated licensed ranges this autumn. Offering a range of price points, K’Nex has translated the fun and excitement of the Plants vs. Zombies online game to a range of building sets and collectable figures. Perfect for pocket money buys, the K’Nex Plants vs. Zombies Mystery Figure Bags enable fans to collect their favourite Plants and Zombies characters. Among the line-up of eight characters in Series 1 are Basic Zombie, Mummy Zombie and Peashooter. Building sets in the range include the K’Nex Plants vs. Zombies Pirate Ship Building Set, Pirate Seas Plank Walk Building Set, and the Jetpack Zombie Attack Building Set. Autumn will also see K’Nex launch the first line of building toys based on the new action-packed and explosive Titanfall video game. Already attracting much media attention, the K’Nex Titanfall collection will allow gamers and builders to build the Titanfall Frontier in their own homes. The Titanfall MCOR Ogre Titan Building Set and Titanfall IMC Atlas Titan Building Set each include over 160 K’Nex pieces to build an impressive Titan figure.

Other collectable figures supporting the extensive range of building sets from K’Nex include Angry Birds Mystery Figure Packs, PacMan and Friends 2 Figure Mystery Bags and Super Mario Mystery Figure Bags.

Collectables with a kick JUMBO 01707 260436 www.jumbo.eu Football collectables, SoccerSuckers, from Jumbo Games have been in demand this summer, no doubt fuelled by football fever sweeping the UK. SoccerSuckers is a series of collectables for football fans that appeal to kids and parents alike. The product includes a 3D caricature figure football player from one of the five leading English teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur – and is contained inside a football capsule. There is one player per capsule and there are 40 players to collect in total. On the reverse of each player is a sucker which can be stuck to clean and glossy surfaces.

SoccerSuckers are sold in blind football capsules to create the element of surprise and make the players collectible and tradeable. This is a fun, addictive craze for any school playground or any wannabe ‘manager’ look to build their dream team.

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RETAIL

OPINION

Trade talk

TnP loves to hear your views. This month we speak to key wholesalers and suppliers to learn what’s on their minds. We explore this month’s hottest topics.

This month we talk to some of the industry’s finest to find out how which products work well over the summer period and the challenges they face in SALLY PLUMRIDGE the run-up to Christmas International Marketing Director, LeapFrog KATHERINE PIERCE Senior Marketing Manager, Jumbo Games How can retailers, in your view, capitalise on big global events like this year’s World Cup? The World Cup has certainly fuelled sales for footballthemed products – as media coverage increases, so does consumer demand. We’ve been really pleased with the growth in sales of our football collectables, SoccerSuckers and our Wasgij Football Fever puzzle. Sales of Wasgij have been driven by the Peter Shilton promotion – one lucky winner watched the England / Uruguay match with the former England captain himself!

Which of your products work particularly well over the summer holidays? – Jumbo Games’ new range of EVA giant floor puzzles are durable so they can be enjoyed both inside and outside – perfect for summer holidays whatever the weather.

And the new Q Pootle 5 giant playing cards are really good for travel as they come compact in their box ready for play on the move.

How can retailers, in your view, capitalise on big global events like this year’s World Cup? It’s a feel-good time, with people wanting to get behind the national team. This represents a great opportunity for retailers to gain some incremental business. And since the start of 2014, sales of World Cup-themed toys have been rapidly growing, with one toy in every nine sold linked to the competition. A big part of this business is driven by the collector cards – and we all know these aren’t just being collected by kids!

Which of your products work particularly well over the summer holidays?

We’ve opened up a whole new category with our latest innovation, LeapBand, the first wearable activity tracker for kids. Inspired by the trend of wearable fitness technology, LeapBand is designed to get kids moving. It features 50 different activities and challenges encouraging them to be active.

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

Between now and Christmas, expect a range of fantastic new launches from LeapFrog. The Christmas sales period is a short but packed window to deliver results but the LeapFrog brand is perfectly positioned for this growth. Given the volume of launches and the competitive environment, it’s an exciting challenge!

NIKKI JEFFERY UK Marketing Manager, Famosa

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

The run-up to Christmas is always exciting, and keeping up with demand is the biggest challenge we face. We’re running our biggest promotion yet for this year’s Wasgij Christmas puzzle release, with a cash prize that will make one lucky winner’s 2015 special!

If you had to buy one product for a child, what would it be?

It would have to be a JCB digger for my nephew as he’s mad about any construction toy.

How can retailers, in your view, capitalise on big global events like this year’s World Cup? With a lull in kids’ TV advertising expected, retailers will, I’m sure, step up their own direct consumer dialogue over the next few weeks to ensure consumers are still visiting stores! I’m sure there will be a certain amount of bribery/rewards happening between the mums and dads and their kids so they can watch the games in a bit of relative peace!

Which of your products work well over the summer holidays? Pinypon is a pocket-size item and with just a couple of purchases, girls can have hours of fun creating their own characters and stories due to every part being interchangable. Perfect for travel!

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas? As always, we face the agonising wait for the buying to begin – we know Christmas wish lists are getting written early but savvy shoppers will wait until they know they are getting the best deal. Our aim is to ensure we have that ‘must-have’ toy on the list bought sooner rather than later!

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THOMAS RANDRUP

MARK HILDER Product Development Manager, Aurora World How can retailers, in your view, capitalise on big global events like this year’s World Cup? Big global events have the awareness factor and specialist product sales, like the World Cup sticker book. If the products are not licensed, then the answer is to focus on generic products linked either to countries or to the colours – Union Jack or Brazlian yellow, green and blue, for instance. These are relevant, but won’t date quickly.

Which of your products work particularly well over the summer holidays?

Our sparkly mermaid range, Sea Sparkles, which has seen great growth over the past two years. Our popular YooHoo & Friends brand has regular launches and we have some striking characters for the summer. We also have new range extensions due to customer demand, such as Candies – a colourful Cat range. The Gruffalo is also celebrating its 15th Anniversary with fun activities during summer.

Country Manager UK & Ireland, Revell

Which of your products work particularly well over the summer holidays?

The Summer Action handlaunch gliders and rockets from Revell are perfect for the kids during the summer holidays. Meanwhile, the versatile Revell Control Mini Boats are ideal for small ponds, paddling pools and even bath tubs.

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

Correct product quantity forecasting and intake plans.

If you had to buy one product for a child, what would it be?

The LEGO product developments look great, especially the Simpson’s house.

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

The main challenge for Aurora is to keep the best stock holding.

There is a fine margin between over stocking and out of stock, the result of which means happy or disgruntled customers and sales team.

PHILIP JAMES Director of Sales, Plum Products

How can retailers, in your view, capitalise on big global events like this year’s World Cup? There are natural synergies for some retailers’ sporting lines and an event such as the World Cup. Products like footballs, goals and flags will all be in demand, and here at Plum, we haven’t ignored that with our new range of Wooden Football goals.

in. The challenge is making sure that we are geared up and ready for one, while also trading the other.

If you had to buy one product for a child, what would it be?

As a father of two girls, anything Sylvanian Families!

Which of your products work well over the summer holidays?

We see a definite shift during the summer holidays towards more pick up lines, rather than the considered purchases you see at the beginning of the season. If consumers are looking for something to entertain the kids for six weeks, they don’t tend to want to spend time putting it up, only to take it down a few weeks later.

What challenges do you face in the long run-up to Christmas?

Luckily at Plum, the long run-up to Christmas is not so long! Once the S/S season starts to slow, our A/W ranges tend to kick

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INTERVIEW

Professionals at play...

TnP sat down with Dr. Amanda Gummer and Lucy Gill to talk about the exciting developments being made within the Good Toy Guide family. With the launch of a new website and the Good App Guide, there is plenty to get excited about!

Amanda, firstly thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Before we begin, tell us a little bit about the Good Toy Guide?

We provide independent expert advice on play, toys and child development. We have several accredited play clubs who test toys for us and provide us with a wonderful way of getting reliable, robust feedback from children on all aspects of play and toys.

And explain your ethos to us, because we know that is quite an integral part of the Good Toy Guide.

We believe that children should have the right to play and that parents should be supported in understanding the benefit of play in healthy child development. We believe that toys and play should be accessible to all children and we particularly champion the rights of children with additional needs to have access to play.

Your background is as a play and parenting psychologist, what can you tell us about that and how does it help the Good Toy Guide?

It gives me an insight into how children develop. I’m able to train the play club staff on doing research with children so we make sure they are acting naturally and are not being asked leading questions or think there’s a ‘right’ answer. It has definitely helped me with the design of the research, both for the

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I’d encourage all retailers to do their homework when buying toys and not just go for the bigger suppliers - Dr Amanda Gummer

general toy testing and the more bespoke research. It means that we’re able to do more than just standard market research or user testing; we can put the findings in context and that’s really valuable both to parents and the toy companies we work with.

A lot of the work you do at the Good Toy Guide encourages social development and appropriate play, how mindful do you think toy companies are and should be of this?

I think all toy companies should develop toys that encourage children to have fun with their friends and family. I’d say this is more important than the more ‘educational’ toys that help children learn skills such as reading, writing or numeracy

- although there’s room for all types of toys in a healthy play diet. Social and emotional development is the key factor in preventing mental health issues and with the increase in anxiety disorders and other mental health conditions, it’s even more important today that children are given every opportunity to make friends and form mutually rewarding relationships that will help them throughout their lives.

Would you say the ‘appropriateness’ of toys is as high on manufacturers’ agendas as it should be?

I’d say it depends on the manufacturer.

I’d like to see all toy companies and retailers making sure the toys children play with are suitable for the age of children in their target market.

However, within any one group of parents, you’ll find differing definitions of appropriate.

Dr. Amanda Gummer gives us her top three tips to parents who might be a little over-whelmed by the process of toy buying.

1. Do your research and don’t just buy what your child has seen on TV: the latest, expensive toys on the top 10 lists at Christmas are not necessarily right for your child.

2. Balance your child’s play diet: try and buy toys that encourage a range of different skills and suit different moods or situations.

3. Don’t over-stretch your own finances to buy your children expensive

toys: lots of fun can be had with simple activities, and children’s imaginations benefit from not having everything handed to them on a plate, so try and avoid competitive present buying.

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Lucy Gill reveals what the Good App Guide is looking for with her top three tips for app safety 1. Look for tablets with inbuilt parental security, ensure your children don’t know your password and that all the parental gates in the apps are properly managed.

2. Don’t let children have access to their tablets or similar devices at bedtime.

3. Don’t use apps as a babysitter. Enjoy playing with apps with your child to ensure you stay up to date with technology and can talk to your children about tech play and apps. This will keep everything out in the open and prevent some of the negative consequences of too much solitary screen time.

We know you work a lot with toy companies and parents, but what about retailers – what advice would you have for them when it comes to buying toys?

I’d encourage all retailers to do their homework when buying toys and not just go for the bigger suppliers.

The retail membership scheme we offer gives retailers access to the latest toys to be accredited as good toys, and can be used to train staff to ensure they are able to provide excellent customer service.

You also run a research consultancy called FUNdamentals, which we know just celebrated 10 years, what can you tell us about this and how does it link with the Good Toy Guide?

It was the work I did with FUNdamentals that lead to me setting up a play advice site (I originally called it My 2 Front Teeth, but that suffered from a branding issue - we got confused with dentists!). Through the work I was doing with toy companies it was also apparent that there was a real need for more consumer insight, but that most companies didn’t have the R&D budget to commission big studies.

Using our established play clubs, we’re able to offer access to large numbers of children of different ages and demographics. Because of this, we don’t have the recruitment or venue hire costs that make traditional research so expensive, but we have the credentials to carry out robust research and this, combined with the psychological expertise, has resulted in a really popular service.

I was also running parenting seminars and I realised that, while parents were bombarded with products, children were using pester power and ending up with

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toys that lasted five minutes. There was nowhere for parents to find independent advice on how play and toys help children develop.

And we understand that The Good Toy Guide is in for a very exciting period with the launch of your new website this month – what are your plans there?

Absolutely! The new website is the result of a perfect storm. The success of the Good Toy Guide website and evaluation service was begging to be replicated across other industries, and there has been a huge increase in the use of apps and screen-based toys, especially in the under 8s. I was also being increasingly asked to help with product development and more bespoke research that was difficult to balance with working on the Good Toy Guide. Lucy Gill approached me to initially ask for advice on setting up an app version of the Good Toy Guide, and with her background and expertise it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

So we decided to pull it all together under a single umbrella brand to expand and relaunch all in one go.

Our new website is www. fundamentallychildren. com and will be the home of both the Good Toy Guide and Good App Guide. It will also bring in the parenting, child development, special needs and free play ideas all under the one roof. The Good Toy Guide and Good App Guide will be brands in their own right but will all sit within the

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The success of the Good Toy Guide website and evaluation service was begging to be replicated across other industries - Dr Amanda Gummer

one website to maximise usability and allow us to explain and promote good toys, good apps, and provide a one stop shop for all things related to child development and play! It’s really exciting.

You also have more developments along with the launch of the Good App Guide, what can people expect from you over the next 12 months?

We’ve got lots of exciting plans, from TV to international conferences.

The Good App Guide will be a key focus for us, but we’re championing traditional play through our balanced play diet campaign. We’re also continuing our Fun4All campaign to make play more accessible to children with additional needs.

We’re also expanding our network of accredited retailers and helping independent toy shops compete on something other than price.

So Lucy, you’ve been working with Amanda on the new website and vision for the Good Toy Guide and Good App Guide. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be involved.

My background is in user experience and I have been working in research, running focus groups and enhancing digital offerings for large clients for over 10 years. It was while on maternity leave with my second child that I reassessed my career. As a parent I found it frustrating trying to find apps for my son, so, considering my skill set and background, I decided to look into setting up an app review site. I had read something Amanda had written in a local family magazine and really liked the approach of the Good Toy Guide - the branding is strong

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and I completely believed in Amanda’s vision and ethos. We immediately hit it off and decided we were stronger working together than in competition. Amanda asked me to carry out some user testing on the Good Toy Guide site and as I became more involved with the business, I realised it was somewhere I could really see myself long term. We explored a range of options and decided that the Good Toy Guide and Good App Guide needed to be in the same site, as there was an increasing amount of crossover between the two, so we spent the next few months sorting out how that would work.

The new website is due to be launched this summer, what can people expect from it?

It’s the ultimate online designation for parents (or other adults involved with children) to find expert advice and independent information about play, toys, apps, and children’s tech.

While we’re launching the new website as fundamentallychildren. com, we’re still very much focused on the individual Good Toy Guide and Good App Guide brands. This gives us the unique opportunity to provide parents with an independent buying guide as well as all the expert advice and information. We have lots of information around wider subjects, such as behaviour and special needs, that parents will find really useful. I’ll be responsible for the children’s tech, tablets and e safety sections of the website, which parents tell us they really want to know more about.

Why do you feel there is a need for such a website?

There are two needs. Firstly, consumers and parents need somewhere to go for advice on toys, apps, play and child development - there isn’t anywhere that has all the information in an easy to access format. Secondly, toy and app developers need help with their products, whether that’s evaluation of toys to help with product development, or a trusted accreditation that an app developer can use to promote a ‘Good App’.

The toy and app industry really benefit from some quality control and those that produce quality products rightly get our help to shout about them.

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The Good Toy Guide gives Great Gizmos’ 4M Green Science Weather Science four thumbs up for fun, and five stars for educational value!

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As a parent I found it frustrating trying to find apps for my son, so, considering my skill set and background, I decided to look into setting up an app review site - Lucy Gill, Good App Guide

Today’s toy industry is increasingly leaning towards all things ‘tech’, what benefits are there to children becoming accustomed to tablets at an early age?

Children are digital natives and despite many parent’s reminiscing of the halcyon summers of their childhood - where they went out and played with friends without so much as a text to let parents know they were ok - our children are growing up in a digital world and they need to understand it. Tablets are great at helping develop a range of skills as part of a balanced play diet, and we’ve got lots of help in the Good App Guide for parents wanting support with how best to manage screen time and which apps are suitable for children of different ages and abilities.

And for retailers, do you feel they should be up-to-date on the capabilities of these tech toys?

The retailers of app toys definitely need to be on top of the trends.

Apart from very niche, traditional toy shops, I’d suggest that retailers embrace the good tech toys and make the most of this growing trend.

However, there are a lot of good toys that have poor apps associated with them and vice versa, so it’s really important that the retailers do their homework - that’s where we can help.

How do you see The Good App Guide benefitting parents?

In all sorts of ways! On it’s simplest level, it’s an independent buying guide for apps and tablets, with impartial reviews and detailed explanations of how the apps

promote children’s development.

It’s much more than that, however, and with information on e safety, managing screen time and balancing a child’s play diet, there’s a wealth of advice and information that helps parents feel more confident about their family life. The link to the toys in the Good Toy Guide is also a major benefit to parents. They can find toys that provide offline, social play that are linked to online worlds that the children are really engaging with.

In terms of the website itself, will it follow the same premise as The Good Toy Guide, like testing apps for example?

Yes, exactly. The play clubs are really enjoying testing the apps and we’re treating all our accredited play clubs the same, whether they test toys, apps or both, so the quality of feedback is comparable, although the testing methodology has to adapt to be appropriate for screen based play.

What are you biggest concerns about children using apps?

I have the same concerns as most parents - are they age appropriate?, will the kids run up huge bills?, how will this help them develop the skills they need in later life? and are they spending too much time on a screen?

This is why we provide all this information on every app we test.

We clearly show whether there is in-app purchasing available and we identify an appropriate age range.

Our experts explain how each app promotes childrens’ development, and we give links to related play ideas and toys to help balance the play diet.

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REVIEW

VEGAS

Livin’ la vida Vegas The great and the good of the licensing industry arrived in the world’s playground last month for the 2014 Licensing Expo. TnP were there to see what was going on

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ormally, they say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But when the world’s licensing industry descends on the City of Sin each year – what happens in Vegas spreads worldwide.

Visitors to the 34th Licensing Expo were, firstly, greeted with a wall of incomparable dead heat when they stepped off their respective global flights, then they met with the bright lights of the Vegas strip and then… they met the endless possibilities of the licensing community. For three days from Tuesday 17 June to Thursday 19 June, the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre became home to 412 exhibitors and over 5,000 brands.

The event opened with a keynote address by DreamWorks Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg which was followed later in the day by “The Big Interview” with Nicole Richie.

It was estimated that a whopping 15,000 people attended the show over the course of the three days with the atmosphere on the ground decidedly positive.

“There was an incredible buzz around DreamWorks Animation at the show- right from Jeffrey’s Katzenberg opening keynote presentation to the unprecedented attendance at the stand- we definitely achieved our objective of making an impact,” Richard Hollis, DreamWorks Animation’s Head of International Consumer Products told TnP. “Many productive conversations were had with retailers and licensees,

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Many productive conversations were had with retailers and licensees, and the fruits of those discussions will come to light very soon Richard Hollis, Head of International Consumer Products UK, DreamWorks Animation

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and the fruits of those discussions will come to light very soon.”

Reporting a similarly successful visit to the Licensing Expo was Jumbo Games MD Gray Richmond. “We had a very successful show in Vegas this year,” Gray told TnP. “We had some really valuable meetings and have got lots of exciting plans in place… watch this space!”

And there was more positivity from Hasbro’s James Walker, who told us: “Hasbro was extremely pleased with its presence at the International Licensing Expo. We presented our vision and strategy to revolutionise play via rich and immersive story telling platforms through film, television and digital gaming.

The message resonated loudly with licensees and key retailers who are excitedly bringing to market innovative and on-trend compelling product around our key brands such as Transformers, My Little Pony, Littlest Pet Shop, Nerf, PlayDoh, Magic: The Gathering and

Monopoly. ” One of the most exciting aspects of the show was the announcement of the Licensing Excellence Awards.

The LIMA organised annual awards ceremony honoured the best and the brightest within the industry and the winners were culled from a record 360 entries which was pared down to 118 nominees and then voted on by LIMA members.

Amongst the winners relevant to the toy industry were LEGO, for Best Character or Toy Brand Licensee in Hard Goods for the second year in a row. Mattel picked up an award for Best Property of the Year with Monster High and Jazwares picked up Best Licensee of the Year for their Minecraft range.

In addition, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collected two prizes for Film, Television or Entertainment Licensee in both the Hard and Soft Goods categories; and Angry Birds from Rovio, received the prize in the new Digital/New Media category. Next year it is understood that the 35th Licensing Expo will take place from June 9 to 11, so make sure to slot that date into your diary.

PUT THE DATE IN YOUR DIARY… What: Licensing Expo 2015 When: Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 June 2015 Where: Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, Las Vegas, Nevada Why: To make licensing deals!

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FEATURE

CHRISTMAS STOCKING FILLERS

Gimme, gimme, gimme yule time joy!

TnP’s editor Mairead Wilmot remembers Christmases of yore when presents from Mr Claus were trumped only by a brimming Christmas stocking. Here TnP takes a look at the sector

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“Some buyers will be attracted by bargains, some Christmas will be suspicious of low prices may be a very and others will want an item brief shopping that looks right or has certain period but it is associations whatever the price,” advises Trudi Bishop, a busy and Head of Marketing and profitable Licensing, Cartamundi. one. It’s also New to the stocking filler market are Thames & Kosmos highly who will be releasing their first competitive range of compact, pocket so catching money products in September. the eye of the “As a distributor I am new to consumer isn’t this market, but as a Mum, I think that price point is very easy important,” revealed Joanna Trudi Bishop, Drage. “Unless it is an item that Cartamundi my child particularly wants, I wouldn’t spend over £10, and probably wouldn’t pay over £7.50, unless it was educational.” ed Merchandising must also play a part when it comes to these smaller lines of toys but both smalle Joanna and Trudi have varying Joann Cartamundi opinions on whether this plays a opinio part iin an items popularity.

“Getting an item as near to the “Ge as possible in a very crowded POS a shop on Christmas Eve is

ealousy – that is what I remember most. As I hark back to days of Christmases yore, I remember only being consumed by jealousy. Sure, the man in red came to visit our house but the most exciting and competitive element of a festive morning was the Christmas stocking. The contents of said stocking varied from child to child and coveting your sibling’s presents was de rigueur in our house. In the eyes of a five-yearold the glamour and excitement of unveiling your pocket-money gifts was second to none and not much has changed in 25 years. Or has it? What role do these ‘stocking fillers’ play in the market today? Are price-points important? And what about merchandising?

Thames & Kosmos

obviously important, but it should be distributed more widely around a store at less frantic times,” says Trudi. “We aim to merchandise our products on clip strips to allow the retailer to maximise space in store and attract consumer attention at more than just the busy till points.”

Joanna takes the view that: “As with any product group, small toys that are displayed close to the till are likely to get more attention from customers, and they are therefore more likely to sell through.”

But when does demand for these items start to pick-up? Are they really the result of a last minute dash to the nearest toy store?

Not so for Thames & Kosmos with Joanna telling us Top 5 items < £5 – ytd 24 may 2014 in £ that demand for LEGO Minifigures - LEGO Group their smallest 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil Official Album Stickers items such as the - Panini Little Labs products starts Hot Wheels Basic Car Asst - Mattel to “seriously Moshi Monsters Moshling Figures Blister Pack - Vivid pick-up” from Imaginations mid-September.

Moshi Monsters Blind Bag Asst - Vivid Imaginations

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NPD

Supplied by global information company The NPD Group

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For Cartamundi, Trudi says they

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see a definite pick-up around Christmas: “Many of the smaller pick-up products are very popular for birthdays and special occasions, that’s an inbuilt strength of the card game market. However, the entire toy and game industry sees a massive upturn in demand at Christmas and we are no exception.”

And with such a myriad of products out there, how important is marketing to attract buyers in this category?

“Christmas may be a very brief shopping period but it is an exceptionally busy and profitable one. It’s also highly competitive so catching the eye of the consumer isn’t easy,” says Trudi.

“In-store and POS advertising as well as the right TV, magazine and increasingly online slots are important. However, they have to be chosen and timed with care.

There’s no point trying to attract impulse buyers on the first of December.” But one thing is for sure, now that the run-up to Christmas has begun, the stocking filler market is on the up!

As with any product group, small toys that are displayed close to the till are likely to get more attention from customers, and they are therefore more likely to sell through Joanna Drage, Thames & Kosmos

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WE ASKED...

Which of your range do you anticipate selling well this Christmas?

“All of them of course! More seriously, the standalone card packs — traditional like Royal Flush, popular brands like Disney or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or cutting edge like Shuffle — will be the obvious stocking fillers rather than the boxed game sets, which we see as more personal presents.

Shuffle, in particular, is likely to be a popular choice as a stocking filler that stands out; it brings together card games, with optional downloadable apps and a range of family-friendly characters and brands like Monopoly, PlayDoh, My Little Pony and Transformers.”

Trudi Bishop, Cartamundi “We have added two new ranges this year, our Spark line and our Geek line. There are some unique products in these lines, and I think that the Plasma Reactor, Slime Time and Neon Light Writer kits in the Geek line will do very well, along with the Musical UFO. I think that the whole Spark line will sell well, as it’s a range of 10 science kits that have very affordable price points.”

Joanna Drage, Thames & Kosmos

Speeding ahead this summer with the New Cars Neon Range! view our complete range at

www.cartamundi.com Units 8 - 17 Sandhurst, Kings Road, Charfleets Industrial Estate, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 0QY. Tel: 01268 511522, Fax: 01268 513109 or e-mail retail@cartamundi.co.uk become a fan at www.facebook.com/CartamundiUK

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FEATURE

CHRISTMAS STOCKING FILLERS

Snap ‘em up!

CARTAMUNDI 01268511522 www.cartamundi.co.uk In the lead-up to Christmas, toy and game manufacturers and suppliers expect a surge in demand, and companies like Cartamundi more than most. There will be strong demand for both their ‘big ticket’ items, like the Disney Planes Wings Around the Globe game box and for ranges of games like Shuffle.

There will be a lot of interest in single games with branding specific to an age group or interest, like The Beatles or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They will also expect our promotional card business to do well as businesses gear up to entertain clients for Christmas.

However, many of their single-pack games will also be popular last-minute or impulse purchases.

Here the advantage is size, attractive price points, striking packaging, well-known brands (like Disney, Monopoly and Transformers) and varied target

markets like preschool, teen, adult and family. There’s also the new Shuffle range, which includes major entertainment brands and offers optional interactivity through ha downloadable app. This makes it a stocking filler er that is also a little bit different.

Of course Christmas is also a time for playing g traditional card games like Whist, Snap and Cribbage and, as many readers know, there’s often ften a frantic attempt to find a traditional pack of cards ards somewhere in the house. That may be one reason son why the Royal Flush range is often a very welcome ome addition to any stocking. It certainly enjoys a massive uptake in sales close to Christmas!

Firm favourites s SCHLEICH 01279 870000 www.Schleich-s.co.uk Schleich’s wide range of collectable ectable figures make the perfect gifts ts with low price points. There are 14 new horses ses added to the collection this year, including g an adorable Shetland Pony and a Donkey y Foul.

Another firm favourite to fill Christmas stockings this year are the brand rand new Schleich Knights. The new additions dditions are the Dragon and Griffin magicians s and berserks, each modelled in a dynamic fighting position and all wielding lding their weapons.

Collect them all POSH PAWS 01268 567317 www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Posh Paws plush and plastics at pocket money prices offer the perfect Christmas Stocking Fillers. Here’s their must-haves! PP Pals is available in two different ranges, the Farm Animal collection and the Wild Animal collection.

Next is PP Ponies, the collection includes six bright, fun and friendly ponies and come in a variety of colours.

The Disney Mystery Eggs are available in some of Disney’s favourite brands including; Star Wars, Cars, Disney Princess, Planes and Minnie Mouse. Each plastic egg includes a keychain, sticker and removable tattoo. The Minnie Pocket Lock-it collection includes four shops, Clarabella’s Boutique, Café, Beauty Salon and Grocery Store. Collect them all and create your own Minnie village.

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This is hot!

Th MATTEL MATT 016285 01628500303 www.mattel.com www.m Mattel offers kids a fantastic range of toys fantast some of the bestfrom so that are loved brands b perfect for filling the stocking Christmas. Number one diethis Ch brand Hot Wheels*, provides cast br parents with the ideal pocket-sized stocking filler with a range of o cool die-cast cars.

From Disney Planes, kids can recreate popular scenes the new Planes 2 film this Christmas with the Planes from th Single Die-cast Assortment, featuring all of the popular characters. Established property Disney Cars continues its impressive Character Cars Assortment.

Classic Matchbox provides kids with countless adventures this Christmas with die-cast vehicles, planes and helicopters available in five Worlds. Choose from Construction, Adventure City, Heroic Rescue and Explorers vehicles and SkyBusters planes and helicopters.

Ideal stocking fillers from the action figure category, include the innovative Slam City Singles Assortment from wrestling favourite WWE and the four inch figure assortment from the mighty Batman.

NPD April 2014*

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The Puppet Company

The Puppet Company design and wholesale over 800 fabulous puppets and finger puppets of all shapes and sizes.

To see our fantastic range, please visit us at:

Have a puppet - have Fun!

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What stockings should be filled with

A little gift

H. GROSSMAN LTD

LITTLE TIKES

0141 613 2525 www.ozbozz.co.uk

0800 521 558 www.littletikes.co.uk Little Tikes has lots of perfect Christmas stocking fillers.

The Touch N Go Racers are fantastic battery operated cars. Designed as a police car, sports car and truck, little ones will want to have the whole set to enjoy and play with over the holidays. These are the perfect gift for any car and racing enthusiast. The Glow ‘n Speak Animal Flashlight is fun and functional and sees little one’s favourite cute and friendly animals come to life and lighting the way for adventure! The Wiggimals Assortment has four styles including a cow, sheep, lady bug and bumble bee. These cute farm Wiggimals start as adorable cuddly characters suitable for any little one. But with just the flip of a switch they become wiggling, jiggling balls of musical fun that can be enjoyed by everyone! A Christmas Day essential!

Grossman has everything to pad out that Christmas stocking from a wide array of pocket money toys to satchel skateboards, Megasaur gift sets and brand new window boxed collections designed to retail at pocket money prices.

The Horrid Henry joke range which is s available in an assortment of 12 is designed to retail at £1 each. More e traditional items such as Gliders (Fairy Gliders for girls too) are re now available in packs of four.

Clockwork toys abound as do a new range of window boxed Wild Animals, Farm animals, Sealife and Dragons. Don’t forget the everpopular Megasaurs. The smaller gift sets represent great value for money and complement the larger individual Megasaurs and larger gift collections. Alien Eggs and Fizz Pods ds continue to sell in quantity and are best selling Christmas items.

Pocket-money princess ICON LIVE 01444240000 sales@iconlive.com

The price is right!

INTERPLAY 01628 488344 sales@interplayuk.com New for 2014, Interplay’s myStyle introduces new fashion jewellery kits to their collection with Festival Jewellery, Shrink It Jewellery and Super Loop Bands.

Other affordable kits ideal for gifts this festive period includes the new Dangly Phone Charms and the ever popular Friendship Bracelets, Dangly Charms, Wire Craft Rings and Bead Rings. Craft Box is new to Interplay’s craft portfolio for 2014, and with great price points, they will be ideal for a crafty stocking filler.

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Blopen your presents!

Icon Live is feeling ’Frozen’ in the run up to Christmas. Retail is going crazy for the award winning, record-smashing brand! With no signs of Frozen slowing down, the Icon Live range has amazing stocking fillers. Check them out!

JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk John Adams have the perfect stocking fillers for creative kids this year. The Classic Five BLO pens set is the ideal BLO pens starter set, offering great value for money with five bright colours and a bonus stencil included. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, the Rubik’s Cube is also an ideal stocking filler.

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You want them!

FLAIR 0208 633 0320 enquiries@flairplc.co.uk

Have a Mario Xmas K’NEX 01189497000 www.knex.co.uk Continuing on their promise of ‘Building Worlds Kids Love’ the K’NEX range of building sets delivers on a range of pocket money and stocking filler price points. The Cosmic Quest Building Set includes 120 K’NEX pieces and five different space themed building ideas perfect for ‘out of this world’ construction and imaginative play. The K’NEX RoboCreatures assortment of three building sets provides exceptional value for money and strong play value. The Plants vs. Zombies Mystery Mini Figure bags are highly collectable and complement a range of building sets. Fans of the ever popular Mario Kart and Super Mario will also love the incredible K’NEX Mario Kart Pullback Kart building sets.

Fill up on top fun DEPESCHE 07760 305321 www.depesche.co.uk TOPModel and My Style Princess by Depesche are the ideal choice for retailers looking to introduce a wide range of high-quality, keenly-priced stocking fillers. Much of the beautiful arts and craft products and small plush toys and gifts from both brands have RRP’s under £10, making them the perfect addition to any child’s Christmas stocking.

JULY 2014

When it comes to stocking filler treats Flair has some of the most sought after properties for retailers to get their hands on, including the brand new Sofia the First micro collection, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, plus the ultimate affordable creative compound, Plasticine Squidgems. The Sofia the First new collection of jewel themed micro play sets is to be launched by Flair in summer and will make the ideal stocking fillers for girls.

Go, go, Golden!

GOLDEN BEAR 01953 608308 customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk Golden Bear’s iconic vehicle brand Go MINI is one of the most established pre-school car collections and features new Crew-zers and Stunt Racers.

Meanwhile Golden Bear’s new V-Dubs collection combines laid back motoring charm with excitement, speed and style.

You won’t know yourZelf CHARACTER OPTIONS 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.co.uk From realistic little pets to crazy haired dolls, Character Options has a huge affordable collection to choose from when it comes to filling Christmas stockings. Little Live Pets is a hot new property.

There are six birds to collect which are responsive to your touch and will tweet and chirp as you pet them. They also feature a repetitive recording device that copies whatever you say to them. Six beautiful butterflies complete the range. The Zelfs were introduced last year and are now a firm favourite amongst girls, so for pocket money prices collect all the brand new Zelicious Scented Medium Zelfs.

A marbellous offering MARBEL LTD 0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk For all the Disney fans out there, Marbel has a range of plastic figurines to suit most Disney tastes. Perfect for stocking fillers these low price point figurines are hand painted, PVC free and are manufactured to the highest international standards for safety.

The range includes everything from Winnie the Pooh, Doc McStuffin, Disney Princess through to Frozen, Cars, Monsters University and the Jungle Book so there should be something for everyone.

Especially for Christmas Bullyland have developed an advent calendar that replaces the chocolates for small figurines and props from a theatre stage, so that when the calendar is finished and all the windows are opened the calendar transforms into a stage with all the

props and figurines creating a play set.

Japanese micro sized building block brand nanoblock has a large range of small mini collection bags that can be built into various animals and instruments. These are also small enough with a low price point to fit nicely into a stocking.

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TNP

AMBASSADORS

Fun is on the cards!

Sonia Dean, mum to Frank (5), tells us about Frank’s fun with two Green Board Games Company games: Brainbox – pictures edition and My First Colour and Shape Snap Frank is a typical, lovely yet lively five-year-old boy with a passion for crashing around and making as much noise as possible, so getting him to sit down for two minutes, let alone ten minutes, was a challenge I initially felt quite apprehensive about.

The presentation of the beautifully bright box with sturdy packaging and magnetic opening (nice touch) was met with great interest and quickly opened.

Packaging makes a huge difference in our house – if it’s even slightly flimsy and things don’t go back in the way they came out, then their days are numbered. I was pleased therefore that

this was packaged in a ‘I’m here to stay’ kinda way. It is also compact and not particularly big, so can easily fit into a drawer or on a shelf.

The game didn’t start immediately as Frank was a little obsessed, if not mesmerised, by the egg timer. If I had realised earlier that an egg timer could keep him more amused than most of his (more expensive) toys then I could have saved a fortune.

The object of the game was to pick any one of the study and colourful picture cards and memorise it for the duration of the sand timer. Then a dice is rolled and another game player reads out the corresponding question to that given number.

The card has been put down at this point, so there’s no consulting.

Questions could include, for example, ‘Is the drink can red?’ or ‘How many sheep did you see?’ If you answer the question correctly, then you get to keep that card; if incorrect, then

My First Colour and Shape Snap Snap is a firm family favourite in our house, so five-year old Frank was a little resistant to playing it with a pack of cards that was different to his usual character set. This game of snap makes the kids think a little harder as not only can you snap by colour but you can also do so by shape.

On the back of each of the cards are different shapes in different colours – and some have

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the card goes back in the box. The concept is really simple but it works.

Bright, colourful and fun, the game is great as everyone is on an even playing field. Frank was hungry for more and more cards and the game kept a fast pace. I couldn’t quite believe that he sat still and focused for an entire ten minutes!

This game would be ideal to take on journeys - I can imagine taking it camping, or using it in any on-the-go situation where you have to sit and wait with young children.

WHAT THE KIDS SAY! FRANK’S FAVOURITE TOY: Star Wars LEGO MOST WANTED: Star Wars LEGO Millennium Falcon patterns on them too.

Frank really enjoyed playing with the cards and it was good to have an added dimension. We played a few times and I know for sure that this little pack of cards is going to show its face again!

FAVOURITE FILM/ PROGRAMME: Disney’s Cars

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Counting made easy Counting caterpillars & pushing pigs Step mum and dad to four-year-old Kieron, Tabbiye Spence and Alan Day tell us about Kieron’s experience with the Counting Caterpillars game from Orchard Toys

The counting caterpillars The Counting Caterpillars game from Orchard Toys is wonderfully easy to use and simple to play. The pieces and board itself are thick and sturdy, and the bright colours of the game caught Kieron’s attention immediately.

The aim of the game is to be the first to complete the numbered caterpillar jigsaw puzzle by picking up the coloured and numbered

pieces by fitting them into the slots in the correct order.

Kieron thoroughly enjoyed “building the captilla” – he couldn’t quite manage “caterpillar” – and the big, bold numbers were easy for him to see, so easy for us to teach him which written character goes with the word he already knows.

The game definitely meets the educational aims of developing colour recognition and personal and social skills, while encouraging number, counting and observational skills.

Overall, Counting Caterpillars is simple, easy and fun to play – and there was plenty of laughter, especially when Kieron didn’t win and said: “No like captilla no more!”

WHAT THE KIDS SAY! KIERON’S FAVOURITE TOY: Anything with wheels!

MOST WANTED: A paddling pool FAVOURITE FILM/PROGRAMME: DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar

Peppa Pig Weeble Wind and Wobble Playhouse Proving that Peppa Pig is always a winner, Kieron loved his time with Character Options’ Peppa Pig Weebles Wind and Wobble Playhouse. Straight out of the box it has all the characteristics of Peppa, from the green trees to her signature muddy puddles just waiting to be splashed in.

The play set looks great, and with bright colours and bold designs, it really brings all the fun of the show out of the TV and into the living room.

Playing with the toy is fun and simple. Taking Peppa to the park, you can put Peppa on the steps of the slide, turn a handle which brings her to the top, and then watch as she slides all the

JULY 2014

way back down and falls off the bottom.

It’s really quite funny watching her wobble down the chute, and then getting ready to go once again!

When Kieron had splashed in the puddles and slid Peppa down the slide a few times it was then on to the swing. Tucked neatly away under the slide, you tuck Peppa in and swing her back and forth. The best bit is a roundabout, with the twisty handle that spins it around cleverly hidden in a colourful daisy nearby.

Kieron really enjoyed his time out with Peppa. It’s a great toy,

and perfect to pull out when the weather outside is horrible and you can’t get to the park for a go on the slide and swings yourself!

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LICENSING

NEWS

Holy smokes!

Mattel and Warner head to the bat cave Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), with DC Entertainment, and Mattel are all set to continue their relationship.

The new multi-year agreement grants Mattel rights to continue as master toy licensee for the entire universe of DC Comics characters. Under the terms of this strategic alliance, Mattel is granted unprecedented access to the complete breadth and scope of the DC Comics vault of characters, which includes more than a thousand world-famous DC Comics Super Heroes and DC Comics Super-Villains, such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and The Joker.

The deal continues Mattel’s support of the universe of DC Comics characters across its entire portfolio of core brands, including Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Barbie, Mattel Games and Fisher-Price.

In addition to the rights to utilise existing DC Comics characters and existing content, the extension includes Mattel’s rights to produce toys based on future DC Comics films, animation and television projects that are developed and produced during the term of the agreement. Mattel is set to develop toy lines for two of Warner Bros.’ most highly anticipated theatrical releases summer 2016 release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the recently announced Justice League film, to follow.

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Guess who is back, back again?

Prepare yourselves – the Teletubbies are back.

DHX Media has just announced plans to produce 60 brand new Teletubbies episodes for CBeebies. The new series will feature the same well-loved characters and styling but will be visually enhanced.

A global phenomenon Teletubbies launched in March 1997 and became one of the most successful children’s brands of all time. It has reached over 1 billion children to date and the original episodes have aired in over 120 territories in 45 different languages. Kay Benbow, Controller, CBeebies said: “Teletubbies is an enduringly popular series with our youngest viewers, although no new episodes have been made for over ten years. I think that now is the right time to create new episodes of this much-loved, iconic show for the current CBeebies audience. I’m sure they will engage with and delight in the activities of Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa and Po.” Let the licensing commence!

A first for the Beano!

Beano fans will be rejoicing with news that a new line of toys is now proudly carrying the brand’s logo – but they are not for children!

DC Thomson Consumer Products announced a partnership with pet accessories specialists Rupert’s Pet Shop for the launch of the first range of Dennis the Menace and Gnasher dog toys. Marking the brand’s entrance into the pet sector, the partnership will see the new Dennis the Menace and Gnasher dog toys launch at all 405 Poundstretcher and 55 Pet Hut stores across the UK this summer.

Designed and developed by Rupert’s Pet Shop, the range will consist of five different dog toys covering all play patterns which encapsulate the fun and

iconic appeal of The Beano characters. A must-have for fans of all generations, the line is also ideal for gift purchasers and pet owners and features a Comic Fetch squeaky fabric toy, the Gnarly Gnasher hairy soft toy, a Whoopee Whiff cushion, a Rough and Tough Menacer fetch toy and Sock Slinger.

SOOTY HITS THE BIG SCREEN Redan Alchemy have announced that a Sooty Movie is in development, to be filmed next year, for release in 2016. Owner and presenter Richard Caddel has always planned to make a move and now, with the licensing programme taking off, a top rated TV series on air and a sell-out live Tour under his belt, seems like the perfect time. Cadell is currently working on the big screen adventure for the lovable bear and his canine friend Sweep, in which they seek to rescue their panda friend Soo, but has commented: “She has

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W O R L D W I D E

Get Gruffalo ready

PEPPA GETS HER RUSSIA ON Entertainment One Licensing have announced that Peppa Pig’s reign continues to gather momentum. Russia and the Ukraine are their latest targets with the appointment of Megalicense International as its licensing agent in the region.

Peppa is broadcast on Russia’s No. 1 dedicated children’s TV channel Karusel and PlusPlus in the Ukraine. Licensing is already underway with Rosman on board for toys, publishing and arts and craft categories in Russia and Kiddisvit for toys in the Ukraine. Rosman is planning an extensive mass-market, television advertising campaign in October 2014 with own brand products including plush, wooden toys, bath toys and mini world of Peppa Pig collectible products in addition to the core plastic lines from Character Options.

Other early adopters to the Peppa licensing programme include publishing giant Panini, Perfetti Van Melle for confectionary and Alisa for E.L.A. Kidstime for watches and Hamley’s has committed to a programme of retail promotions for in the run up to Christmas 2014. Apparel, footwear, accessories, housewares and publishing part works will be added in 2015.

been kidnapped by an evil showbiz impresario who will pull every trick in the book to turn her into a global superstar and Sooty and Sweep need her back,” explains Cadell, who was handed control of the puppet in 1998 from Matthew Corbett, the son of Sooty’s creator, Harry Corbett. Richard has also stated that the shoot will have extremely high production values, with a budget that befits the big screen debut of the world’s longest running children’s TV character. It will be packed with stunts and special effects that will delight Sooty’s many fans, both young and old.

JULY 2014

Aurora World have announced that they are extending the current licensed ‘The Gruffalo’ range of soft toys to help celebrate the 15 year anniversary of the children’s character. The new extended range will feature new versions of the ‘The Gruffalo’ character and friends.

Aurora Travel Retail Sales Manager Garry Stoner says: “We are delighted to help celebrate the 15 year anniversary of The Gruffalo. The plush toy area has room for development and licenced merchandise like this will help Aurora push itself to the forefront of becoming the plush soft toy company of choice in travel retail.”

Aurora has seen a positive start to its travel retail journey, securing listings with a number of retailers including; World Duty Free Group, Dufry, Nuance, Thomson Airways, P and O Ferries and more recently Brittany Ferries. “The plush soft toy category is built upon impulse purchasing.

Offering travellers an opportunity to buy a limited edition gift for loved ones should result in an increase in this impulse due to the limited time frame the item is available for. Limited editions are always popular, and the new ‘The Gruffalo’ plush toys will prove no different,” added Stoner.

White Christmas from Esdevium coming soon Esdevium has announced the forthcoming release of a licensed game for the hit Disney movie, Frozen. Set to hit shelves towards the end of Q3, it will coincide perfectly with the end of year surge in demand for board games.

Not content with just one game, the Frozen box will contain six classic pre-school games including Crazy 8’s, Bingo and Pairs, all featuring beloved Frozen characters and beautiful artwork from the popular film. The game offers great value for money, making it the ideal stocking filler.

“We’re absolutely delighted to offer the Frozen 6-in-1 game to our customers,” said Ben Hogg, Marketing Manager at Esdevium Games. “Frozen combines a terrific license with fantastic value and will be available when parents are actively looking for games for Christmas”.

Esdevium adds the Frozen 6-in-1 to their existing range of Disney-licensed titles across a host of franchises, including Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sofia the First and a number of Disney Princess games.

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LICENSING OPINION KELVYN GARDNER

Top of the swaps As MD for collectables giant Panini in a former life, LIMA MD, Kelvyn Gardner, knows a thing or two about the allure of swapping. He tells us more about the staying power of collectables and neologises the philosophical teachings of Descartes for the ‘got, got, need’ crowd

“Through it all, sticker collections have generally ruled the roost, though trading card games (TCGS) are currently giving them a run for their money”

F

ootball has been getting all the headlines recently due to the World Cup (both the one being played in Brazil and the one shrouded in controversy in Qatar). Given this level of attention, it’s no surprise that even the official merchandise has received some coverage.

Last month BBC Radio 5 Live did some ‘analysis’ of collecting Panini’s football World Cup sticker collection. Their conclusion? If you don’t do any swaps, it might cost you £450 to collect them all.

‘If you don’t do any swaps’. If you don’t take any breaths when swimming breast-stroke you won’t be doing too well, either. Swapping is what collectables – sticker albums included – is all about. To declare an interest for new readers, I was once Marketing Director for Panini in the UK, and went on to be one of the founders of Merlin Publishing, famous for Premiere League soccer stickers, so I know a thing or two on the subject.

As far back as the 1980s I was interviewed on Granada Reports by a young Richard Madely about the cost of sticker albums, so it’s not exactly a new topic. He was comparing the cost to that of a football book. Again, if you want a book, you’ll buy one; a collector is after a very different benefit when he or she starts buying stickers. Fast forward to the 21st century, and we have lots of pocket money collectables in the market, including miniature toys, and items from companies as diverse as Lego and Vivid Imaginations – comparative newcomers to the field but enjoying great success.

Over the years we’ve also had POGS (remember them?); Go-Gos, around for years but a real craze not so long ago; and the re-birth of mass-market trading cards when Pokémon cards ruled the world for a while. Through it all, sticker collections have

generally ruled the roost, though trading card games (TCGS) are currently giving them a run for their money.

Panini’s long association with the World Cup is enjoying an especially nostalgic feel in 2014, and, indeed, football has always tended to be the ‘first among equals’ of all collectables every year.

Premiere League stickers were the big thing in my time at Merlin, now part of Topps, for whom Premier League Match Attax TCG is currently the daddy. Swapping the cards/stickers/figurines is a huge, essential part of the fun.

The big sticker and card publishers even hold organised ‘Swap Shops’ where thousands of collectors congregate to swap amongst each other and with the teams of staff fielded on the day by the publishers themselves. That these events are so popular just shows that, to somewhat egregiously borrow from Descartes, ‘Colligo ergo mercabimur’ – I collect therefore I swap.

I was at a Swap Shop at Norwich City some years ago, and the crowd gathered was higher than the average attendance that the team attracted to matches! What is also true about collectables is that most of them are licensed by brand owners, so you have Panini with Brazil 2014 at the moment, Topps with England F.A. official stickers, Vivid with Moshi Monsters and Strange Hill High, and so on.

I reckon people will be collecting for a while yet. Good news for the trade, as margins, especially when analysed against the small footprint they make on any display, are very good on such products. In days of yore, I once swapped an Airfix model of the Graf Spee (a WWII German battleship) for an elusive black and white football card of George Best. As far as I was concerned it was g reat bit of business. If you can’t beat ‘em, swap ‘em.

LIMA the trade association for the licensing business www.licensing.org/uk email rbeaird@licensing.org

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TNP T

LOOKS S BAC BACK

Step back in time TnP MD Malcolm Naish looks back at some of the events and news stories that made the pages back in July 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2009

JULY 2009 July 09 Volume 28 Number 10

©2009 The LEGO Group

• The much awaited Argos catalogue arrives at the end of the month and for a change a press release precedes the publication by a few days telling us that prices have been increased by around 5%. This makes a change from the norm, when Argos have constantly striven to cut prices to the bone. Also only in London and around the M25, Argos have published a much smaller catalogue in terms of page size, their thinking behind this is that in these areas there are far more bus, tube and train journeys, where carrying a heavy catalogue can be a pain.

• I am sad to report the passing of Eric Robinson. Eric had spent most of his working life in the toy trade and was the founder of Red Robin Toys.

• Figures are published that show that the various administrators handling Woolworths demise pocketed between them £14m, including Deloitte and Hilco. No doubt the 23,000 ex-Woolies employers were mightily peed off about this?

• Sadly, research by ‘The Times’ shows that 7 out of 10 of the Woolworth stores are still empty and those since occupied by new tenants include the likes of Iceland, B+ M Bargains, Poundland, 99p stores and Home Bargain – we state that a pattern seems to be emerging here.

JULY 2004 • With three big blockbuster movies about to be released – Shrek 2, Thunderbirds and Spiderman - we hope that these will help with toy sales.

• Galt announce the purchase of the Living & Learning brand. They believe the strong science bias will complement their ranges perfectly.

• Hy-pro sign a five year licensing deal with Manchester United.

• More and more retailers are moving to chip and pin. Steve Kerrison of Kerrisons of Norwich is not entirely convinced that this is a good idea and says “We’ll just have to wait and see”!

• We visit Worlds Apart in Cornwall. Simon Birchenough is quoted as saying “We innovate or die – that’s what we are all about.” How true, and haven’t they done just that moving forward to 2014!

• Our Off the Record column notes that as it is the BTHA’s 60th anniversary in 2004, the Association started life on the same day that a failed attempt was made to assassinate Adolph Hitler! Not a lot of people know that!

JULY 1994

The 2004 Worlds Apart team

• Mattel buys J.W. Spear, paying £11.50. per share, valuing the company at £62 million and Peter Brown leaves Tomy to take on the Presidency of K’Nex. • The BTHA are 50 years old and we include a 24 page supplement to celebrate this fact. It is an interesting fact that of the original 50 members in 1944 only five were trading in 1994. Move on to 2014 and only one – Gibsons Games are still trading.

• I loved a quote from Dennis Britain that appeared in the supplement “As the Japanese buy my toys, I suppose it’s OK to buy their cars.”

• The European parliament increase the Chinese stuffed toy quota to 24%, but other affected categories remain the same.

• Bandai’s Power Rangers are flying out, so much so that some retailers are experiencing difficulties with deliveries.

• Biker Mice from Mars debut on Channel 4 and there are plenty of toy licensees to promote the series.

JULY 1984 • Star Wars products are the most popular toys in Britian in 1984 with a Mintel report telling us that Palitoy had 8% of the U.K. toy market with Mattel showing at 4%. How times have changed!

• Whilst Toys “R” Us have not released any information as to where the sites of their first stores will be, they have told us that a certain Mr. Phil Shayer will be leaving Tesco to join them as General Merchandise Director.

• I attend a marvelous lunch that celebrates Joan and Steve Hughes retiring from the toy trade. They were a lovely couple and Steve spent 38 years in the toy industry.

• Our U.S. contributor reports that Hasbro, who were rated 6th in size in the 1984 USA toy makers list have agreed to buy games maker Milton Bradley, who were currently 5th in the league table. I loved his final quote concerning home computers: “It seems certain that the home computer will eventually find its place in every home – much as television did.”A wise man indeed.

• The A-Team is still very popular with viewing figures indicating that the last show to go out in the spring achieved the quite staggering viewing figures of 15.8 million, almost as high as for the Cup Final. A new series is due to start in August. Another very popular TV series is of course ‘Knight Rider, again enjoying big TV ratings plus plenty of successful toy product on the shelves.

JULY 2014

79

Features

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