Toys n Playthings March 2014

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Helping everyone sell more

2014 March No.6 3 Vol. 3

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

multi award winning designs

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CONTENTS P23

Regulars 2014 March No.6 3 Vol. 3

TEAM TnP

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Group Editor Mirella Cestaro mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

Writer

16 20 39 93 95

Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Leader with Mirella Cestaro News – what’s the latest?

Quick Coffee Break with Rachel Lowe MD of Destination Board Games Exhibition News – the latest on global fairs and shows Movie and Media News – we give you the hottest updates People News – checking in on the movers and shakers Media Charts – the latest kids TV viewing figures and toy TV advertising spend What’s New – new products that you need to get your hands on Toy Talk – the retailers have their say Trade Talk – we give suppliers the chance to talk business Licensing News – the hottest news from the toy licensing industry Step Back in Time – a slice of toy history from the industry’s longest running magazine

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

Sales Manager Ian MacFarlaine ian@lemapublishing.co.uk

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Special Report 23 38 40

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

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

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,195

Games and Puzzles – we delve into one of the industry’s most interesting sectors Outdoor Toys – toys to buy in stores to get you outdoors Large Dolls and Accessories – nurturing dolls have never been so easy Football Fever! – with the World Cup just around the corner, we take a look at some of the hottest properties out there

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Cover Story – we shine a spotlight on Mookie Toys’ ride ons the Scuttlebug and Scramblebug Dragon-i – Dave Cave from Dragon-i talks to TnP about the sensational Toy-fi Teddy The Big Interview – TnP sat down with Disney Consumer Products Executive Vice President and General Manager, Simon Philips to find out about all things Disney Toy State – as Toy State celebrate 30 years in business, they talk to TnP about their exciting new lines Toy Fair Reviews – we take a look back at London Toy Fair, Nuremberg, New York Toy Fair, Hong Kong and Spring Fair Industry Awards – the toy industry honour their finest

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Columnists 13 22 24

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The Media Whisperer – media expert Clive Crouch talks monopoly, but not the board game!

Shop Talk – columnist John Ryan gives us the latest lowdown from the high street The Independent and Secret Supplier – the toy trade’s most vocal columnists see eye-to-eye this month, read on to find out why TnP Ambassadors – The Coen and Ralhan families talk toys Licensing Opinion – LIMA’s Kelvyn Gardner talks licensing in a digital age

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1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Helping everyone sell more

LEADER

I

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

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

spoken to a number t does seem a long time ago since we published our Toy fair edition in early January. of suppliers words like Mirella Since then we’ve been to Hong Kong, London, ‘dictatorial’, ‘unfair’ and Cestaro ‘no way are we accepting this’ plus Nuremberg, the NEC Birmingham and finally far stronger and more colourful New York. language have been voiced.

Overall, the industry seems confident, with Interestingly, there is some sympathy for Argos many exhibitors telling us of excellent shows and and a few suppliers have said that at least they are orders placed or finalised. Olympia gave us the giving us a chance of discussing the situation that opportunity to meet and speak to many people is not only directed at toy suppliers, but all other and include their comments in our daily paper. categories also.

There is no doubt that Olympia is now the spiritual This is not dissimilar to other Majors in the past home of the British Toy Fair with the extra space on who have attempted to extract extra contributions the gallery put to really good use. from their suppliers. When Woolies Nuremberg again was a few years ago asked for a similar full and their move to We’d like to contribution, I well remember one attract a higher number of say a huge thank supplier saying ”We have to look baby product and nursery you for all of the seriously at this as they spend £8 companies seemed to be compliments and million a year with us.” working well. support we received Who said being a toy supplier was Whilst on the subject of from you on the easy! toy fairs, 2015 will see toy fair London Toy Fair The country seems to be in the grip dates coming thick and fast Daily Papers. We of Lego fever. Their movie grossed during a four-week period. over £8 million at box office in its first I can’t remember a similar simply loved being week-end in the U.K. David Beckham situation for some years, so at the hub of all of loves Lego Technik and plays with his we will have the situation that the action sons and their name is on everyone’s Hong Kong will kick off from lips as well as getting fantastic TV and the 12-15th January with one assumes the buyers visiting the showrooms arriving media publicity.

The Fence Club Hong Kong football match the week before. Olympia is just a week later has raised well in excess of £20,000. Joe Kissane from the 20th to the 22nd January. Nuremberg a and David Bramford would like to thank everyone week later from the 28th January to 2nd February. for their generous support of this event and Spring Fair cuts into Nuremberg running from the whilst talking of Character Group personnel, our 1st to the 5th February, no peace for the wicked congratulations on them winning ‘Toy of the Year’ in 2015! Not quite so bad for buyers who attend for Teksta the Robotic Puppy. all four shows, but for exhibitors it is likely to be a complete nightmare.

The letter from Argos’ commercial director David Robinson that was received by suppliers immediately after Olympia informing them that Argos would be amending their standard trading terms to include an additional 2% turnover rebate for orders placed after the 1st March has not been well received. Perhaps this is an understatement as the timing of the letter falls whilst selection time is in full progress. Having Team TnP with the Daily Paper enjoying their London Toy Fair experience!

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NEWS

MGA scores big with Lalaloopsy and Little Tikes MGA Entertainment is celebrating huge success in the US with its phenomenal Lalaloopsy brand and Little Tikes range after achieving a top ranking status in 2013, according to The NPD Group.

Based on 2013 point-of-sale data, products from the Lalaloopsy and Little Tikes ranges dominated some of the biggest toy categories in the US industry last year. The company also achieved three major wins for Lalaloopsy at the International American Toy Fair, where it showcased some of its newest innovations for spring and autumn 2014.

Little Tikes also stood out as the number one item in ‘Playground Equipment for 2013’ for the Jump N Slide Dry Bouncer. Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment said: “While we always appreciate accolades from the toy industry, we truly measure our success based on how many children across the world are entertained by our products each year.”

The Lalaloopsy UK range continues to expand in 2014 following the huge success of the Lalaloopsy TV series, which airs on Nick Jr.

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Major restructure at Character Options

Doc McStuffins a pre-school favourite

Reflecting a strong end to 2013 and ambitious plans for 2014, Character Options Managing Director Joe Kissane recently unveiled a restructure throughout the sales and marketing teams.

Sales Director, Mike Rowe has confirmed plans to retire in July 2015, which will see David Bramford promoted to Sales Director Designate, assuming the new role from July this year.

Additional key changes within the sales team will see Colin Rossiter take on the higher role of National Sales Manager, while Jerry Crouch has been promoted to Senior National Account Manager. In addition Anthony Thorpe and Richard Dinham have been promoted to National Account Managers. They will all be part of a new sales structure that sees Character seeking to expand the team with additional National Accounts and Area Sales Managers.

In line with the sales team promotions, key changes within the marketing department will take place with immediate effect. Mark Hunt has been promoted to Marketing Manager and will be responsible for the day-to-day marketing of all brands and the management of brand and product managers. Colin Fox will now assume the role of Marketing Services Manager, responsible for all trade fairs and exhibitions together with audio visual and creative solutions.

MD Joe Kissane commented: “I am confident that with the new changes in the sales and marketing teams, Character will continue to deliver our high level of service and fantastic products to the toy business for many more years to come.”

The pre-school team at GP Flair are forecasting great things in 2014 for its Doc McStuffins master toy collection after the range picked up awards in both the UK and US. Doc McStuffins Get Better Check-Up Centre was named Best Pre-school Toy of the Year during the 2014 New York Toy Fair. This accolade joined the UK’s recognition of Doc McStuffins with Flair awarded Pre-school Licensed Toy of the Year for its Doc McStuffins Doctor’s Bag Playset at London’s Toy Fair in January.

Speaking about the win, Kirsty MacKenzie, Pre-school Marketing Manager says: “It is so exciting to see Doc McStuffins pick up another award in the pre-school category for another of its outstanding products.

We have so much planned for the brand this year, including new plush, dolls and role-play accessories, not to mention the launch of a Mini Doc series. Doc McStuffins has been one of Flair’s most successful pre-school brands ever and we are incredibly proud to be the UK’s lead supplier of toys.”

IN MEMORY OF HENRY (BUN) HUPFIELD Henry Hupfield passed away peacefully on 3 January at the age of 89. For many years Henry Upfield’s company Springwell Mouldings were the undisputed kings of manufacturing buckets and spades. Starting in 1954, Henry was later joined by his son Paul in 1973 until the company was sold in 2005. Paul shipped the moulds to the Far East and Henry’s legacy continues through Paul’s company Palgrave Ltd.

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Take up the Dobble Challenge Worcester independent retailer Wise Owl Toys received a £1,000 cheque from Esdevium Games after a successful retail promotion. Taking on the Dobble Challenge, the team at Wise Owl Toys managed to sell 1,000 copies of the popular card game Dobble using in-store demonstrations.

Mark Stewart, Owner of Wise Owl Toys said: “Dobble is easy to pick up and play, and a real joy to demo to customers. We are delighted to have received the cheque from Esdevium and will definitely be giving it another go this year.”

The Dobble Challenge tasks retailers to use in-store demos to sell a minimum of 100 units of the card game. After the stores reach that amount, they receive an additional £1 back per unit sold, with no upper limit.

Bringing The LEGO Movie home With The LEGO Movie continuing to make waves at the cinema, LEGO has launched some must-have products to recreate the fun of the movie at home.

The action packed movie has been a huge hit and follows the story of Emmet, an ordinary, perfectly average LEGO Minifigure, who is mistaken as the most extraordinary person. LEGO has launched 13 sets, featuring different characters and scenes from the movie. Kids will love recreating scenes from the film, as well as making up their own stories and helping Emmet save the world.

The NPD results are in!

Great Britain is the largest toy market in Europe, according to NPD statistics revealed on the opening morning of Toy Fair 2014. Down just 1% compared with 2012, the overall size of the market was £2.9 billion, with 364 million total units sold, and the best-selling toy of the year was Hasbro’s Furby. A shift in consumer buying habits led to a drop of 12% in blind bags and pocket money toys priced £5 and under. NPD attributed much of the lack of industry growth to this decline in the key impulse purchase price brackets, but the upshot of this was an increase in overall average prices, from £7.52 in 2012 to £7.92 in 2013. Frederique Tutt, Global Toy Industry Analyst with the NPD Group said: “Whilst higher value toys performed well, it wasn’t enough to compensate for the high volume/low value items”. Natasha Crookes, Director of the BTHA said that despite these dips in performance, “the trade remains confident that the toy market has a good growth potential over the coming years and is really keen to start afresh in 2014.” In fact, some categories experienced growth, with the Youth Electronics and Games & Puzzles categories performing particularly strongly. Furby, the best selling toy for the year, experienced a 66% increase in sales compared to 2012. The Christmas selling period bolstered this, accounting for over a third of annual sales, at £1bn, up 3% from last year. Things are looking up in 2014, and NPD’s Frederique added that as the economy continues to improve “the UK toys market is well positioned for a rapid recovery.”

The NPD Group: Top selling toys of 2013:

The new playsets include: Getaway Glider, Trash Chomper, Ice Cream Machine, Cloud Cuckoo Palace, Lord Business’ Evil Lair, Melting Room, Bad Cop’s Pursuit, Castle Cavalry, MetalBeard’s Dual, Super Cycle Chase, Emmet’s Construct-o-Mech, Super Secret Police Dropship, Benny’s Spaceship and 16 new LEGO MiniFigures.

Hasbro LeapFrog VTech LEGO Character Options Vivid Imaginations LeapFrog Flair VTech VTech

Furby Boom!

LeapPad Explorer Tablet Innotab Minifigures Series Teksta Robotic Puppy Moshi Monsters Moshling Blister Packs Leapster Explorer Games Ninja Turtles Basic Figures Innotab Software First Steps Babywalker

Remembering Stephen Green Stephen Green passed away on 12 January 2014 after a deteriorating respiratory illness. Stephen was wellknown within the toy industry during the 1980s and ‘90s with positions including Managing Director at Ertl during the Thomas the Tank Engine prime years, Bandai UK when children went crazy for the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, and Nintendo UK during the launches of the Game Boy and Super Nintendo.

Stephen will be remembered for his excellent sense of humour, honesty and being a true gentleman. His death is a sad loss to all his family and friends.

MARCH 2014

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NEWS

LeapPad ranked top According to recently released year-end sales data from The NPD Group, the LeapPad line of learning tablets from LeapFrog was again the number one top selling children’s tablet brand in the UK in 2013*. Chris Spalding, Managing Director and Senior Vice President for EMEA and Australasia at LeapFrog, said: “We continue to innovate year after year and we’re delighted to see the LeapPad line retain its crown for the third year in a row. Last year alone, we achieved more than 23 prestigious UK industry and parenting awards for our tablet line, which is testament to the quality of our products that continue to excite, entertain and educate young active minds across the country.”

LeapFrog has also unveiled a new addition to its family y of tablets, the LeapPad2 Custom Edition tablet. This customisable extension of the number LeapPad2 will further strengthen the LeapPad family. Embracing the hottest trend in personalisation, the tablet also boasts built-in front and back cameras and video recorders, a music player, a motion sensor and an impressive 4GB memory – enough to store 20,000 photos. *Source: The NPD Group, UK 2013

Fisher Price awarded for sales excellence WBCP presents Fisher Price with an award to recognise sales excellence of its DC Super Friends Imaginext Range in the Spain and UK. Left to right: Glynn Davies, Executive Director Toys, Publishing, Stationery & Gift (EMEA) Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA; Paul Bufton, General Manager, Warner Bros. Consumer Products UK; Wendy Hill, Customer Marketing and Brand Communications Director Mattel UK; Dominic Geddes Vice President & Country Manager for UK, Ireland and Nordics, Mattel.

CATCH THE GOLD CAR WHILE IT’S HOT Hot Wheels, the world’s number one boys’ vehicle brand, has launched its adrenaline-fuelled Catch the Gold Car campaign, driving collectability and creating excitement around the new ‘Go For It’ brand messaging.

With this fantastic consumer promotion, boys can purchase ten Hot Wheels die-cast cars from any of the four action-packed segments – City, Race, Off-Road and Workshop – to claim their free limited edition gold car.

The campaign is supported with an extensive marketing programme including TV advertising and a partnership with a leading boy’s website featuring a digital game. Other activity includes an engaging boys’ digital puzzle-based competition, creative print advertorials with key boys’ magazines and an impressive collector poster promoting the mechanic and four segments.

All activity will drive traffic to the campaign URL, encouraging boys to participate in the promotion.

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Character’s hunt for the Ruby Zelf is on!

Character Options is celebrating the launch of season 2 of the popular girls’ collectable The Zelfs with a hunt for the Ultra Rare Ruby Zelf.

Taking inspiration from Miss Ruby’s deep red colouring and bright neon hair, the campaign commenced the week of Valentine’s Day and involved a high profile girls’ press campaign reaching a total of 726,000 children and parents through retail activity and social media influence.

The redemption element will echo last season’s Zelfs Miss Clover campaign and will encourage sales with a receipt collection mechanic in order to be the first to claim one of only 1000 exclusive figures available.

Andrea Smith, Character Options Brand Manager commented: “Our Miss Ruby campaign will complement the heavyweight spring TV schedule, which will be delivering 150 TVRs over the coming months. Zelfs have already become one of the most favourite collectables for girls and there is no doubt that fans will want to get their hands on an exclusive one. In addition to the redemption campaign we have also hidden some in the collector’s tins, which will create some Zelftastic surprises for anyone that is lucky enough to find her.”

Toy State marks 30 years of inventing and fuelling the state of imaginations Toy State is celebrating 30 years in the business with some outstanding new offerings! An innovator and industry leader since 1984, Toy State continues to fuel the ‘state of imagination’ 30 years after its founding. The company’s best-in-class lights and sound and R/C toy vehicle portfolio includes its signature Road Rippers product line, as well highoctane licensed toys under the iconic Caterpillar and James Bond 007 brands.

Toy State’s new products for 2014 include: Road Rippers Piston Thumper – popular licensed vehicles with an oversized engine and ‘piston popping’ action! Motorized driving activates lights and realistic sounds. Road Rippers Jumpin’ Stunts R/C – a rugged MINI Countryman licensed style with full-function R/C driving and a unique jumping feature. Trigger this exciting feature while driving, and see it perform a front flip before rolling back onto its wheels for more R/C fun!

Cat Big Rev Up Dump Truck – this huge dump truck with oversized wheels features powerful rev-up motorized driving action. ‘Power up’ the motor and let it haul its load over whatever terrain your imagination can create!

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Congratulations to everyone involved in the Hong Kong charity football match held in January. Despite a 2-5 defeat for joint managers Jeff Taylor and Terry Crew’s Toy Trade side at the hands of the Hong Kong Football Club, the event raised over £20,000 for the Fence Club!

Character Options’ Marketing Manager, Mark Hunt was also named Man of the Match.

COFFEE BREAK

Destination Board Games

How was London Toy Fair for you this year?

It was an amazing show for us. We received lots of good leads and sales contacts, which has given us an excellent base for a successful year. It was also the first time we have really shown off our Downton Abbey game and the reaction we received was fab. It is always a really fun show that allows us to catch up with old friends and meet new people in the industry.

I always find it so interesting to see what angle each company is taking for the year.

Team photo kindly supplied by Micheal Angel T’n’Ps official photographer

And what has been the highlight of all the trade shows you have attended so far this year?

Getting John Lewis and Debenhams on board at the Toy Fair and getting such a positive reception for our new Downton Abbey game. It is always a buzz when we create a new product and retailers love it.

Toymaster Show sold out in record time Exhibitor space for the 2014 Toymaster May Show has sold out in a record time of just seven days. Returning to The Magestic Hotel in Harrogate, Toymaster will welcome members of its group, and non-member independent retailers to the show on 20-22 May. Ian Edmunds, Marketing and Operations Director at Toymaster said: “All space has been filled and Toymaster would like to take this opportunity to thank those attending for their support.”

Rachel Lowe MBE, MD of She Who Dares Wins and founder of Destination Board Games, chats to TnP about the hit game Downton Abbey and more

Destination London I believe some exposure on TV over Toy Fair prompted a huge response to the popularity of one of your products, what happened there?

We received some great branding on BBC Breakfast News and, alongside articles in the Daily Mail and Huffington Post, this prompted a big surge on our online sales with Destination Downton Abbey reaching the number one ranked board game on Amazon.

THE LEARNING RESOURCES TEAM POSE AT THEIR GLAMOROUS LONDON TOY FAIR CUSTOMER RECEPTION 2014!

Destination Downton Abbey

What are your top three products for 2014?

2014 looks set to be a really exciting year for Destination. I expect Destination Downton Abbey to be our top selling edition this year, as it has continued to sell well even after Christmas! With the TV series coming back later in the year, we are excited about the potential of this edition. Destination Great Britain is also going to be released for Q3 along with our 10th Anniversary edition of Destination London. We are also reprinting some of the older editions which we have sold out of.

What will you be focusing on for the rest of this year?

The focus for this year is simply selling and marketing the editions we are releasing. We are thrilled with the retail up-take and want to ensure a healthy sellthrough.

MARCH 2014

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EXHIBITION

NEWS

Are you ready for the next London Toy Fair?

If you’ve managed to catch your breath after the marvellous London Toy Fair 2014 – now is the time to set your thoughts towards next year.

Yes, that is right! The dates for London Toy Fair 2015 have been set and the three-day show in Kensington’s Olympia will run from 20 to 22 January.

Already the organising team are taking new bookings after the success of the 2014 show. In summing up Toy Fair 2014, Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales Simon Pilling thanked all of the exhibitors: “The continued support the toy industry gives to Toy Fair is second to none. There were thousands of exciting and innovative products

launched at Toy Fair this year and it kick-started what we all hope to be a successful year for the toy industry.”

Toy Fair 2014 boasted 280 exhibitors and amongst them were 76 brand new exhibitors with the whole of the Olympia taken over by the toy industry.

There was a slight change of pace this year with the successful relocation of the Toy Industry Awards to the impressive London Science Museum. Toy Fair TV and the Demo Zone once again proved a huge hit and national media coverage gave an added boost.

Plans are now in place for London Toy Fair 2015 – so make sure you book your space before it’s too late!

Spielwarenmesse is ready to go!

As one fair season winds up, plans for another begin. The dye has been cast and the ink has dried on dates for Spielwarenmesse 2015. Dates for what will be the 66th fair have been set and Nuremberg will hum with toy industry folk from Wednesday 28 to Monday 2 February.

Speaking about the fair, Roger Sherman MD of PattExpo Ltd said: “The 2014 Spielwarenmesse proved very successful for the large contingent of British exhibitors. The 34 companies in the British Pavilion were delighted with their participation and 29 have already booked their space for next year, according to Stuart

Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair has a change of date A slight change of pace has been planned for the 2015 Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair. If you are preparing your diary in advance, you’ll certainly want to know that Hong Kong will take place a week later than 2014.

The new dates for Asia’s biggest toy fair are Monday 12 to Thursday 15 January 2015. Once again, the show will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with the Hong Kong International Stationary Fair, HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show and the HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair being held simultaneously. This year’s show, 2014, proved successful for organisers with 1,975 exhibitors and 41,340 visitors covering 57,070sq m. Hong Kong signals the start of the manic but exciting toy fair season for global industry professionals and next year will prove no different as Hong Kong is quickly followed by London Toy Fair, Nuremberg, Spring Fair and New York Toy Fair.

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Whitehill, organiser of the Pavilion.”

Roger continued: “A further 130 British companies exhibited throughout the fair, so that nearly every one of the 17 halls included British participation. UK visitor numbers were also the highest for years at 2074. Early unadjusted figures for overall attendance showed a 5% increase on 2013 at 75,888. New applicants should apply immediately to secure space.

2015 application forms are on www.toyfair.de.

Companies with questions should contact the new UK and Irish representative – Pattern Ltd on info@pattern.co.uk.”

Hurry up to Harrogate The Harrogate International Nursery Fair takes place from Sunday 23 to Tuesday 25 March and is a must-attend for those in the industry. Nursery retailers and buyers looking for the most exciting new ranges from all of the major baby brands will descend on the show, which is the UK’s only nursery trade event. All nine halls of the Harrogate International Centre will be packed with well-known brand names. And again, TnP’s sister magazine Nursery Today will proudly produce the show’s daily paper. For a full list of exhibitors visit www.nurseryfair.com

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MOVIE/MEDIA

NEWS

The Minions are coming!

Despicable Me 2 was a surprise hit for Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment in 2013, enjoying commercial and critical success with 2 Oscar nominations. The dumpy, yellow minions became the unwitting stars of the show, and with their low IQ, bold design and colour, they have become a smash hit with kids around the world.

A third entry in the Despicable Me series has been confirmed, but it has been revealed that the minions will also star in their very own spin-off film, The Minions. Speaking to film magazine Empire, Chris Meledandri, producer and Illumination Entertainment boss revealed some details on the Minions film. He said: “We start the Minions film at the dawn of time, when they’re Minion single-celled creatures and it takes us all the way up to the 1960s in London and New York.” There are no further details on the Despicable Me sequel, as it is still in preproduction, but The Minions is set for release in 2015.

MOSHI MONSTERS VILLAGE GOES GLOBAL Mind Candy has globally launched Moshi Monsters Village on the App Store after launching in the UK on iOS before Christmas.

The fun and imaginative game has already proved it’s a hit with fans, reaching number two in the iTunes app charts during December and achieving over 250k downloads with no marketing spend in its first two weeks.

In response to the succesful launch, Mind Candy founder and CEO, Michael Acton Smith said: “We wanted to create a game that sparked people’s imaginations and gave them the chance to create a Moshi Village exactly as they want. This is the first of many new mobile games we’re developing and we’re excited about launching them this year!”

BUILDING ON THE FRANCHISE Having proved a big success at the box office and with critics, the development of a sequel to Warner Bros’ LEGO Movie has garnered many fans, with strong opening numbers and critics praising it for its wacky family-friendly fun.

Boasting the talents of Will Ferrell as Lord Business, Will Arnett as Batman, and Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle, it’s unclear if any of LEGO Movie’s star-studded voice cast will return for the sequel. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the original’s co-directors’ will return however, along with new additions to the writing team in the form of Jared Stern, whose credits include the family film Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and Michelle Morgan.

Max Steel film stars revealed Dolphin Films has announced that Ben Winchell and Ana Villafañe have signed on to play the signature roles of Max McGrath and Sydney Gardner in Max Steel, the highly anticipated, live-action franchise feature film based on Mattel’s popular superhero property of the same name.

The film is being penned by Marvel Studios veteran Christopher Yost and directed by award-winning director Stewart Hendler.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce audiences worldwide to Ben Winchell and Ana Villafañe,” said Bill O’Dowd, CEO Dolphin Entertainment. “The Max Steel franchise fan base is extremely passionate about the lead characters of Max and Sydney, and we knew we needed to get the casting just right. Ben and Ana are extremely talented young actors, and we’re confident fans will fall in love with each of them the minute they hit the big screen.”

Max Steel, which is being produced by Dolphin Films and Mattel, is slated for a wide theatrical release by Open Road Films in the US and IM Global internationally in 2015.

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Sonic Boom speeds onto the scene with toy line This year, SEGA has announced that it will introduce a new branch of the Sonic universe entitled Sonic Boom, debuting a new look for Sonic and friends.

The launch will introduce a new toy line, the firstever CG animated Sonic television series, and new videogames for Wii U system and Nintendo 3DS hand-held system.

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MEDIA

OPINION

No one likes a monopoly, but?

Our media F expert Clive Crouch or all of its flaws, the BBC remains a priceless national asset, and one that is adapting to new media technologies with creative innovation for its viewers and listeners. Digital technology has removed the “licence to broadcast” process and increased access to entertainment beyond a television screen.

The word “monopoly” to readers of this magazine will first and foremost conjure up a vision of the board game. The word monopoly in broadcasting has traditionally described the exclusive control of the market privilege position granted to ITV and BBC. In the digital world those DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) broadcasters are free of those descriptions. They are not, however, free of the benefits that they have to provide to BSKYB and Virgin Media to carry their channels.

Currently ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC pay what are known as “retransmissions fees” for their channels to appear on satellite and provide them for free on cable.

This current law was introduced in 1988 to encourage the roll out of cable networks. Virgin pays nothing to public service broadcasters (PSBs) for carriage of their channels. At this point, to ensure there is no misunderstanding, what is happening here is called competition. However the established free to air DTT channels are paying to help the subscription based digital channels become stronger at their expense. To demonstrate this in terms of money, under other legislation, BSKYB last year received nearly £10m for carrying those PSB channels.

Furthermore, the viewing of those PSB channels in Sky households accounted for more than fifty per cent of all viewing in Sky homes.

This year the PSBs are joining forces to challenge the forthcoming Intellectual Property Bill. The aim and direction of the PSB lobby will be to reverse the current laws that mandate the PSBs to pay for “retransmissions” on satellite and cable.

I have intentionally laboured this detailed process to set the scene and pose the question by way of comparison. I cannot think of another industry that would have to provide content/product and cash to subsidise their competition’s commercial distribution networks with whom they directly compete with for viewers. While I trust you too are searching for an answer, allow me to expand on what’s at stake for the PSBs. ITV are the biggest commercial broadcaster and analysts have suggested that “success” in removing the “retransmission fees” could add as much as £100m to their revenues at little extra cost. The Bill which is mostly concerned with copyright and patent systems had its second reading last month (February), prior to the going to the committee stage. My role for TnP is to write about media, however while the IP Bill is now closer to becoming law its contents and the benefits would not have passed unnoticed within the toy industry.

The optimism that has followed the process of the IP Bill has clearly been reflected in the share price of ITV, peaking at over £2 a share at the turn of last year and continuing to

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move up this year. The government have made it clear that it favours a system where no payment is made in either direction. It may not come to that but the PSB companies that operated their broadcast licenses in a privileged position prior to Digital Switch Over (DSO), have paid their way and continue to operate successfully in the digital world.

On that note allow me to report further on the dedicated digital services. Early into a new year, I always collect a calendar year end of relevant market statistics. As sad as that may seem these figures talk to me about performance.

The year-on-year benchmarking is not difficult to follow so here are a few conversation stoppers for your interest.

Given that sadly text has replaced conversation to some extent, I was personally delighted that after 20 years of texting, the number of messages sent in Britain fell for the first time last year. In 2013 “original” text messages fell from 152bn to 145bn (Source: Ofcom). Nokia produced the first mobile phone capable of writing text in 1993. Coming up on the rails are webbased instant messaging services that in 2013 accounted for 160bn instant messages in the UK... OMG ! In 2014 instant messaging is expected to double to over 300bn as “original” texts are forecast to decline again to 140bn. (Source: Deloitte Estimates). I could continue but I find myself switching off with data overload, GR8 it may be but I do not want to lose your interest at this point, LOL. Moving swiftly on, product device development has increased mobile usage, with users spending more time on smart phones and tablets, but has this increased mobile advertising? The answer is a big yes. Figures from EMarketer tell us that mobile advertising in Britain is forecast to rise by 126% to £1.2 billion. They say total digital ad revenue in the UK leapt 15.8% to £6.27 billion while digital now accounts for almost 45% of total media ad spend in the UK, and is forecast to reach 50% by 2015. Given the frequency of mentions by TV and radio for Twitter, Facebook and to a lesser extent Google, it is no surprise that these three dominate the market. Twitter’s ad revenue from the UK, (its biggest market after America) tripled to £44 million and should more than double again to £97 million in 2014. Facebook grew 50% to an estimated £333 million in the UK and Google remains Britain’s online ad giant, growing 18% with over £3 billion in sales.

The occasional conciliatory message reminding viewers and listeners that there are “other social media networks” pales into insignificance compared to generous free messages that they receive. That may also appear to be unfair from a competition perspective. However, for now, that’s another story…

talks monopoly – but not the board game!

At this point, to ensure there is no misunderstanding, what is happening here is called competition

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

MARCH 2014

”

13

PEOPLE

NEWS

Years of experience with vibrant sales team EPOCH making toys Limited are delighted to announce the new members of their sales division. David Livingstone joins EPOCH making toys’ rapidly growing team as a Sales Agent for Ireland. With over 16 years experience within the toy industry, Livingstone will bring a wealth of valuable knowledge. Livingstone, currently also represents Bandai, Spin Master, Trends, and University Games. He will be a valuable asset to EPOCH making toys in growing the iconic Sylvanian Families brand together with Aquabeads and Charmies within Ireland.

With an impressive 30 years experience within the Toy Industry, Graham Crawford also joins EPOCH making toys as a Sales Agent for Scotland.

Crawford, currently also represents Playmobil, VTech, MGA, Mookie and MV Sports. Crawford’s vast experience will significantly contribute to developing EPOCH making toys brands in Scotland.

Alison Blake is joining the company with over 22 years experience in sales within the confectionary and book trade industries. Blake will be managing Wales, west and south west territories. Deborah Stanley will also be joining the company and will be managing the north and Midland territories. Coming from South Africa, Stanley has over 12 years FMCG sales experience in South Africa. Since then, Stanley has been working in the UK within the hygiene industry. Samantha Taylor has over nine years of sales experience within the construction and retail industries and is joining EPOCH making toys to manage the east and south east of England territories.

The new members are thoroughly looking forward to helping build EPOCH making toys exciting brands.

14

Suzie Howes joins Winning Moves Winning Moves has appointed Suzie Howes as Head of Marketing. Suzie brings with her a wealth of knowledge and years of experience working for Vivid Imaginations across numerous brands - most recently on Moshi Monsters. The company is growing across multiple territories and is building an ever growing product portfolio of

some amazing brands.

“It’s a really exciting opportunity to work with some of the best known family games in the world like Monopoly, Guess Who and Top Trumps,” said Suzie. “We then have the unique opportunity to combine these products with the hottest licenses around, to create the must have products!”

New Hobbico sales team Following the announcement that Revell GmbH will handle sales and marketing of Hobbico products within the UK, a dedicated sales team from the hobby RC industry has been employed.

Andrew Rawlinson will be responsible for Product Marketing and Communications, Hobby RC. Peter Addyman joins as Regional Manager for the Midlands and south of England, while Stuart Bird joins as Sales Agent for the north of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Daniel is sales director for Spielwarenmesse Daniel Pein is the new Sales Director of Spielwarenmesse eG. Daniel is to control the global sales network as Sales Director. At the beginning of 2014 the international trade fair and marketing provider is thus creating its own sales division as Ernst Kick, CEO, Spielwarenmesse eG explains:

“We reviewed our sales structures in the light of Spielwarenmesse eG’s growing international focus, and have decided to set up our own sales division to work the market more efficiently. We are delighted to have Daniel Pein join our team.”

Ray seeks new role Ray Hughes is looking for a new role within the toy industry following 20 years in the trade.

Ray has moved on from Bandai after 3 years.

Ray has held a variety of senior roles in sales management, most recently as sales manager for Argos and the grocery sector, and previously with a wide variety of accounts during his seven years at Vivid Imaginations, covering the whole of the trade. Ray is based in the East Midlands. Interested companies can take a look at Ray’s LinkedIn profile, you can email him at: hughes.raymond@btopenworld.com or call his mobile on 07884 655322.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

CHARTS

The ups and downs of the business 4000

3500

3000

W

elcome to the Global Media report covering the TV market for January 2014. Before we look at January I think it’s worth finishing 2013, as at the time we went to print in the previous issue not all the information was available.

The TV market for Kids TV expenditure for 2013 was down by 12.8%, with December showing a 3.0% shortfall compared to December 2012.

For January 2014 we are reporting on all Kids, Housewives with Children Pre-School and All Housewives with Children 0-15 years.

As the chart for All Kids shows there are some dramatic drops in the viewing levels, for example Pop Girl is down by 58.66% and Kix is down by 58.22%, Cartoonito down by 45.15%, CiTV down by 23.48%, a major contributing factor was the weather, conditions were very bad last January with schools closing and kids being at home, this inflated the viewing levels for this period. There is also an element of poor programming for this January. However, on a positive note, we see Disney is holding their own in this market.

When we look at Housewives with Children PreSchool, again we see a massive drop in viewing levels for Nickelodeon down 81.19%, Nicktoons down 55%, Tinypop down 51.57%, down CiTV – 66.12%.

Nickelodeon Junior although down, is still the market leader for this target market. Again, we see Disney delivering reasonable TVR levels, although there is no direct comparison we can still see that their audience levels are doing well.

Moving on to Housewives with Children 0-15 years we see the same picture as the two previous Charts, we can also see that ITV Daybreak is still market leader and is marginally down.

As mentioned in the previous report, ITV Daybreak is a life style station and has a very loyal following.

The TV expenditure for the top ten spenders for January is up by 10%, which is encouraging; bearing in mind the total TV market for January is some 15% down. We can see that Hasbro in 2013 was in first place now dropping to eighth place for 2014 and Flair Leisure moving from second place in 2013 to the number one slot in 2014.

2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

Housewives with Kids TVR’s January 2013 vs January 2014

Jan-13 Jan-14

4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

All Kids TVR’s January 2013 vs January 2014

Jan-13 Jan-14

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Housewives with Kids Pre-School TVR’s January 2013 vs January 2014

Jan-13 Jan-14

Jan 2013 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Jan 2014 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Company Name Hasbro UK Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Character Options Ltd Lego UK Ltd VTech Electronics Ltd Leapfrog Toys UK Ltd Mattel UK Ltd MGA Ent Bandai UK Ltd Vivid Imaginations Ltd

Company Name Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Lego UK Ltd Mattel UK Ltd VTech Electronics Character Options Ltd Vivid Imaginations Ltd Bandai UK Ltd Hasbro UK Ltd Topps Europe Ltd Leapfrog Toys UK Ltd

TV Expenditure £477,468 £412,552 £292,798 £285,076 £105,216 £101,520 £99,516 £99,062 £64,946 £35,147

TV Expenditure £394,831 £333,602 £331,757 £281,678 £248,068 £198,790 £163,092 £90,032 £89,772 £53,740

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

WHAT’S NEW

NEW LAUNCHES TO HELP YOU SELL MORE

Minion madness!

H. GROSSMAN LTD 0141 613 2525 www.ozbozz.co.uk

Zomlings – In the Town ESDEVIUM GAMES 01420 593593 sales@esdeviumgames.com Magic Box Int’s brand new pocket money collectible, Zomlings, is finally available after a brilliant reaction at London Toy Fair! The collection of mysterious miniature monsters can be purchased from Esdevium Games.

Zomlings offers more than 100 different characters to collect targeting genuine pocket money price points. Kids will be searching for the rare Gold and Silver Zomlings, but they will be able to do so at prices that start at just 50p. A 50p blind bag will deliver one Zomling character and a collectable leaflet and it offers exceptional value and real impulse purchase potential. A £1 blind bag will offer one Zomling plus a Zomlings Tower.

The Towers are available in two different designs and in a variety of bright collectable colours. The Towers are stackable and kids will be challenging each other to construct the tallest and brightest structures.

At £2, kids will be able to choose between four differently coloured Zomlings Houses with each house containing two Zomlings characters.

By combining Towers, Houses and the Zomlings themselves, kids can create their own Zomlings Town, play games and build their collection.

Zomlings is a fresh approach to a busy collectables market and the launch will be supported by a substantial marketing campaign. This will include 840 TVRs throughout March and April and a huge sampling initiative to get 100,000 Zomlings into the hands of children nationwide.

Arguably the most popular characters to come from any recent movie are The Minions from Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2. These are the small, yellow, cylindrical creatures who have one or two eyes.

They are impulsive creatures with little self control but their wide eyed wonder and odd innocence makes them really endearing. They have their own language and have become so popular that they are scheduled to star in their own film due out in 2015.

This year they are starring in the HGL range which includes a whole range of outdoor products, scooters, bikes, skateboards, trikes, inline skates, pogo stick, and even a balance bike. There are even helmets featuring Minions with one eye and Minions with two eyes! Also coming is a whole host of pocket money items including yo-yos, bubble wands, balls, wobblers and fingerboards.

Tipped for the top item are the Despicable Me Stacking Sets. These sets allow fans to mix and match Minions in a ‘Russian doll’ way. Each minion is unique and there are hundreds of combinations to create.

Fun on the farm ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525 / 859530 sales@orchardtoys.com www.orchardtoys.com Building on the success of Post Box Game - launched last year - Orchard Toys have strengthened their offering in the 2 yrs+ market with the launch of Farmyard Friends. This fun matching, sorting and posting game, featuring friendly farmyard characters, offers up to four ways to play. This allows the challenge of the game to increase with the child as they learn and develop.

Farmyard Friends can be played as a single player activity, a non-competitive game, or a competitive game for 2 - 4 players. This flexibility in game play makes Farmyard Friends suitable for children from 2 - 5 years and beyond.

In common with the rest of the Orchard Toys range, Farmyard Friends has strong educational credentials, promoting observation and matching skills, encouraging knowledge and understanding of the world by teaching about different animals and their habitats.

16

toysnplaythings.co.uk

WHAT’S NEW

NEW LAUNCHES TO HELP YOU SELL MORE

Playing doctor KIDS@PLAY 01291 635551 UK@kids-at-play.com www.kids-at-play.com Kids@play has launched a new model to its Emergency Bikers range, the Paramedic Response Bike with accessories. This 6v powered bike has a working headlight, plus flashing blue lights and a siren.

The stethoscope accessory fits into the rear medic box, which is fitted to the back of the bike. Other features include a foot accelerator, a 6v battery (which guarantees at least 300 recharges), a re-charge pack and tinted front visor.

Hubble bubble TOYS TALK +44 7804 181645 www.toystalk.com

Jelly belly!

EDUK8 WORLDWIDE www.eduk8worldwide.com 01434 672336 Launched at Toy Fair, Nuremberg and Spring Fair this year, Belly Bump Balls are new and exclusive to Eduk8 Worldwide. These durable inflatable balls are a great, fun way to encourage the whole family to be more active. Just step inside these translucent red balls and let the full-bodied fun begin!

Kids have a blast with this robust play ball that gets them moving and laughing, bumping and bouncing off each other. And bigger kids and adults have a ball too!

Available in two sizes, the junior belly bump ball measures 54cm and is suitable for children of three to eight years. The larger balls measure 92cm and are suitable from ages 6 to 106. Available in packs of two – well one just isn’t enough!

MARCH 2014

Toys Talk, the global entertainment company developing high tech toys, will launch Aremi the Magic of Gaia, for autumn/winter 2014. Toys Talk products amalgamate physical and virtual worlds bringing together technology, content and smart toys to enhance the child’s world of imaginative play.

Aremi the Magic of Gaia enhances brand new technology and delivers a unique play experience combining tablet and smart phone interaction.

Instead of using technology to bring figures to life on a console, Aremi reverses the play to the physical world.

Into the smoking cauldron, you add mysterious ingredients, stir with a magical spoon, watch it light up and seal the spell with the touchsensitive wand. And as your potion changes, it starts to work on your mobile device too! With over 50 ingredients and hundreds of spells and challenges to choose from, children can engage with the world of magic, unlock adventure worlds, learn spell making, tell fortunes and experiment in the laboratory. The ingredients are sold in blind packs but if you have more than one of the same ingredients, never fear as the power is doubled!

The first cauldron to launch in the UK will be the fire cauldron with additional versions being planned.

17

IT’LL JUMP OFF YOUR SHELVES JUMPS OVER 40cm HIGH! DOES FRONT FLIPS! FULL FUNCTION R/C WITH 180° SPINS INCLUDES RECHARGEABLE BATTERY & CHARGER

TOYSTATE.COM

0LFKDHO $QJHO ³ 7R\ 6WDWH 8. 2IÀFH Phone: 020 8440 5060 E-Mail: msangel@toystate.com The MINI logo and the MINI wordmark are trademarks of BMW AG and are used under License. All Rights Reserved.

JUMPIN’ STUNTS R/C

THE STATE OF IMAGINATION

RETAIL

OPINION

Toy talk

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

TnP talks to retailers about how our feature categories are selling, and we asked how they found the myriad of fantastic Toy Fairs which have been taking place recently SIMON SEDDON Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop, Covent Garden, London

EMMA WARMAN

Simon Seddon works at Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop in London’s Covent Garden Market, originally established in the 1880s by their namesake, Benjamin Pollock. The shop continues to sell a wide selection of traditional toys for both children and adult collectors.

Fun Learning have five shops in Kingston, Guildford, Brighton, St. Albans and Northcote Road. Emma has been with Fun Learning for 10 years and is now responsible for managing their online site.

What toy shows have you been to this year and what has been your highlight?

We went to the Olympia fair. There being a real buzz at the show but we are a very specialist store. We did make orders with people we have existing long-term relationships with, which is great.

What is currently selling well for you?

What sells well always depends on season, but at the moment paper products are very successful. We have a broad clientele from children to adult collectors of nostalgic toys and both always appreciate anything with a dolls house element. A Girl for All Time sells very well at Pollock’s and we were in fact one of their first stockists with their Elizabethan doll. Products from House of Marbles also do well, as do those by Ernest the Bear.

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

There is so much to choose from!

I would be nagging my mum for something craft-orientated. I would definitely want a toy theatre or a marionette by The Puppet Company.

20

Fun Learning, Kingston

What toy shows have you been to this year and what has been your highlight?

We went to the NEC Spring Fair, and of course, London Toy Fair.

What new products or ranges stood out for you?

Both the ‘Discover with Dr. Cool’ range and the Magformers magnetic construction range really stood out. There were some new items from Learning Resources that we really enjoyed and we loved the range by Educational Learning Mats Ltd. What is currently selling well for you?

There is predominantly an educational focus at this time what with school going back since Christmas. Roll & Play by Thinkfun, a neat little game for youngsters, is currently very popular. The Zoob range by Great Gizmos is also doing well.

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

I would absolutely want the Learning Resources Primary Science set as when I was little I was always in the kitchen messing around with my mum’s stuff!

MANDY RICHARDS Honiton Toy Shop - Honiton, Devon Manager Mandy Richards has been with Honiton Toy Shop for 16 years. This year the shop will be celebrating its 30th birthday.

What toy shows have you been to this year and what has been your highlight?

We went to the NEC Birmingham show this year. We tend to go to the NEC because we are a traditional toy shop and so are looking for something a little bit different – something the NEC is always great for.

What new products or ranges stood out for you?

We ordered some very nice sensory toys by Halilit. We have sold their products in the past; they have since broadened their range and we were very impressed by them.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

CLAIR LETTON

PAUL GALLAGHER

Wigwam Toys, Brighton

Mrtoybox Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Artist Clair Letton and partner Jesse Marshall bought Wigwam in March 2013 following the sad death of the shop’s previous owner.

Important to the local community of children and parents alike, the idea of Wigwam closing was too sad to face. Nearly a year into business, their feet have hardly touched the ground since and they plan to begin trading online come June.

What toy shows have you been to this year and what has been your highlight?

This year we visited Top Drawer and Toy Fair. We have been in business just under a year, so it was the first Toy Fair we have attended. It was a really enjoyable experience and lovely to put faces to names, meet existing suppliers and make contact with potential new ones. It was nice to meet Ella from Handlebar Heroes, our kids love their own and we are looking forward to stocking them.

Paul Gallagher is the store manager at Mrtoybox, which opened physical premises seven months ago after previously existing solely as an online retailer.

What is currently selling well for you?

Peppa Pig is always a top seller with us. All ranges are popular, but the Helter Skelter set from the Character Options theme park range has done especially well.

Has the adverse weather we’ve been having affected what is selling well?

We are luckily on the top of a hill so have not been flooded but the bad conditions have kept people indoors, so yes, we have suffered the past couple of days.

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

If I was 7 or 8, I’d definitely want some Lite Brix as they are easy to build and put together and all children like flashy things!

What new products or ranges stood out for you?

There were some great new products that really stood out for us, including Electric Paint from Bare Conductive. The great fun Helix from Inti Games also caught our eye, this one had us doing volleys in the aisles at Toy Fair! Pl-ug was also a product we would definitely be interested in stocking.

What is currently selling well for you?

Since its arrival in store last September, Lottie from Arklu has been performing consistently well for us.

Other consistent performers for us are puzzles, particularly from Djeco. Playmobil carry cases, especially the firemen city action set and the police set also do well.

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

As a big kid I am keen to get my hands on Laser Pegs and a box of Crayon Rocks. Our son loves the Schleich fantasy knights collection and is looking forward to the new dinosaurs coming in May.

What is currently selling well for you?

Lego always does well for us and we take all their new ranges. Products by Orchard Toys are also flying out.

Has the adverse weather we’ve been having affected what is selling well?

No, not really. Of course it has affected footfall, but not particularly what people are buying. Obviously, after Christmas people are already stocked up on puzzles and games.

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

The Depesche TOPModel range is brilliant and really hits the 5-12 ages spot. I’d want one of those.

MARCH 2014

KERSTIN PRICE Playfull Toy Shop, Bristol Playfull Toyshop was set-up by Kerstin and Nigel Price in the summer of 2002 and specialises in children’s wooden toys, crafts, books and music.

What toy shows have you been to this year and what has been your highlight?

We went to the Spring Fair in Birmingham.

Unfortunately it was a bit of a mad journey up there so we did not have as much time as we would have liked to see all the suppliers.

What is currently selling well for you?

That is a question I ask myself every day! It really fluctuates. We are very independent and stock lots of books, arts and craft kits. Our products cater to children aged up to ten years old, but really the 4-5 year old and primary school age ranges are our bestsellers. We sell a lot of Penguin, Walker, Templar and Barefoot books.

Has the adverse weather we’ve been having affected what is selling well?

We are selling a lot of indoor activities such as games and sticker books.

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

As a child, I always needed something creative to do, like colouring-in books.

Colour Me In’s range is fantastic.

21

RETAIL

OPINION

On being confident This month John Ryan takes a look at putting on a show and being a confident retailer

W

e’ve all seen it and some of us may actually be that person.

You watch somebody arrive at a social gathering and they know nobody. For some this is intimidating, but not this individual. Instead, he or she seems to gather people, all of whom seem to sparkle at the overtures that are made and before you know it the newcomer is the talk of the room.

Sound familiar? For most of us, this is something of a dream and the reality is a little different. Walking into the same room you are consumed by a sense of mild panic. You don’t know anybody and you head for the booze and whatever food is available on the basis that this will make you look busy. And that’s about it. If you’re lucky you may meet a couple of other outcasts hovering close to the fodder, but nothing can be taken for granted.

What’s the difference? It’s all a matter of confidence.

If you’ve got it, things are a breeze. If not, then what has been outlined is the equivalent of one of the outer rings of Dante’s hell. And (you have, gentle reader, probably been wondering where this is going) so it is with retailing: whether it’s toys or anything else for that matter. If you want to make an impact, it helps to be confident, but how is this to be achieved? Is it a matter of natural panache, or is it a mask that can be donned?

The truth is probably closer to the latter than the former and the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. But what is actually involved and what is it about a store that beams the kind of social ease that makes for the ultimate party animal, at ease in all situations and in front of anyone? Simple: outward show. The smoothly confident partygoer probably hasn’t always been that way, but has attained a patina of confidence by looking the part.

And for a retailer, looking the part is, initially, about the windows. A retailer that just shoves all of the new stock that’s just arrived into the window and hopes for the best is the polo and chinos-wearing incomer who is going to make no kind of social splash. Aim instead for a ‘curated’ look, a trimmed-down appearance where it is evident that every item has been considered and will be taken into account by the onlooker.

‘Less really is more’, should generally be the axiom when creating a display that will be eyecatching.

There’s rather more to making an impact than the cut of your gib however – there’s the matter of what lies behind the facade. In a toyshop this equates to what’s in stock and the way in which it’s displayed – in another world, it might be called ‘character’ and yet another ‘content’. Whatever the choice of name, being a confident retailer means knowing what you’re about and letting customers know it.

This can range from demonstrators, whose sole purpose during the working day is to engage shoppers and make them see what lies beyond a static display, to displays that really do speak for themselves. If you were once more the notional partygoer, rather than the kitchen outcast, this is the kind of thing that might mark you out. And there’s really not a great deal to it, other than having the courage of your convictions.

A word of warning however. There is a massive difference between having confidence, as a retailer or an individual and forcing yourself on people – it’s just not the British way. In a store, this means getting a crowd to watch a demonstration of a toy by force of personality – a good demonstration should have them craning their necks…and the choice of toy, as well as the demonstrator will have a lot to do with whether this is successful or not.

If selling by showing (off) really isn’t your thing, the retailer can still function confidently providing the art of the visual merchant is cannily deployed. This does not mean throwing everything that you have at the shopper.

Sometimes the best stores make you look as much by what you don’t show as what you do. This equates to ‘editing’, a word that has been massively overused by the fashion industry, but which still has validity as far as the toyshop retailer is concerned, because it hasn’t really been considered across the sector.

All of which is much easier to say than to achieve and which probably brings this column full circle and back to where we started. There is in fact no straightforward route to being confident, but it is something that can be realised with practice and by giving things a go. And the more you maintain this objective in mind, the more probable it is that you will be the person that all admire and envy in equal measure.

Do not therefore expect things to fall into place immediately. They won’t. But do take stock of the way in which you present yourself to the shopper and gradually your store will change…for the better. As the saying goes, and it is hackneyed but still worthy of consideration in spite of this - “it’s better to be looked over than overlooked”. Start today.

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.

1

35 toysnplaythings.co.uk

COVER FEATURE MOOKIE

Scuttling and scrambling to the top Unique toddler ride ons from Mookie with Scuttlebug and Scramblebug

T

he fantastic Scuttlebug and Scramblebug ride ons from Mookie Toys have sold nearly 400,000 units across the last three years. They continue to be a huge favourite with mummy bloggers and parenting websites.

Mookie Toys had an exceptional year in 2013 with both of these products as shown by NPD figures.

Scuttlebug was in the top 5 properties YTD Dec 2013 and Scramblebug in the top 10 items YTD, both in the non-powered ride ons category.

Toddlers will just love to scuttle around on these friendly cute insect character ride ons from Mookie Toys.

The Scuttle Bug is a unique ride on with three wheels for added stability and is ideal for toddlers aged 1 year and over. The 3-wheel design is stable and allows loads of fun and freedom.

These innovative toddler trikes are also designed with convenience in mind. As well as being fun, bright and funky

“

We love the Scuttlebug. It is fun for Freddy to play on and is developing skills which will help him to eventually ride a two wheeler when he’s a bigger boy, such as balance and steering!’

Inside The Wendy House blog

”

MARCH 2014

they have front wheel steering for greater manoeuvrability and a clever but simple three-click folding system, making them portable, easy to store and practical for the modern family. The Scuttle Bug is an ideal toddler toy that will help children burn off some energy whilst developing their balance and steering skills. They are quiet, smooth and easy to ride, ideal for a child’s first ride on.

The Scramble Bug is a unique footto-floor ride on that moves in all directions as all four wheels have 360 degree movement. Backwards, forwards and sideways, children will love the Scramble Bug’s easy to use steering and manoeuvrability. A child can move in any direction to learn pushing & steering skills. Quiet non-scratch wheels for tiles or floorboards makes them ideal for indoor as well as outdoor fun and like the Scuttle Bug they fold down to a compact size making them great to take on days out and holidays.

Speaking about the range, Melda Gokceli, Brand Manager at Mookie Toys says: ‘The exciting, vibrant new designs will add to the already successful Scuttlebug and Scramblebug range. They will be backed by an extensive summer TV and PR campaign and we are looking forward to another successful year at retail.’

The issue is the not whether to buy one of these unique Mookie ride ons, but which one to choose!

Both the Scuttle Bug and the Scramble Bug have won awards across the globe for their great designs. In the UK the Scramble Bug has won a Silver Award in the Practical Pre-School Awards and a highly commended in the Sit and Ride category in the Right Start Toy Awards 2010. Similarly the Scuttle Bug has also been recognized in the Practical Pre School Awards and won the Gold Award in the category Toys and Games 0-3 years. It was also voted the best toddler toy £20-£40 in the Practical Parenting & Pregnancy Magazine awards.

2014 will see new colour ways introduced to both ranges and Mookie are investing in a fresh new TV campaign starting at Easter and rolling out over the summer which will showcase these fantastic products!

Established in 1987, Mookie Toys is an outdoor toy manufacturer and distributor, supplying all major accounts in the UK and internationally.

Known in the industry for innovation, development and manufacturing of its own brands such as Swingball and TP Toys.

Mookie also manages and distributes products in the UK for a wide variety of outdoor, nursery, licensed, plush and wheeled toys from global manufacturers. Mookie are known for top brands such as Smart Trike, Pillow Pets, Mr Men Little Miss, Hello Kitty and many more, all distributed from their HQ and warehouse in Bedfordshire.

Make sure to visit Mookie’s websites to find out more: www.mookie-toys.co.uk, www.swingball.co.uk, www.tailball. co.uk, www.pillowpets.co.uk.

23

THE INDEPENDENT

OPINION

It’s not what you know...

The Independent talks about the constant strive for perfection for him and his fellow shop owners

I

am deeply and truly thankful for my ability to have good working relationships with our suppliers. For all the moaning we do about the state of the economy, and the nightmare that relentlessly presents itself to us all by starting off a trading year with the insurmountable task of trying to turn a profit when we look at our accounts 12 months later, I still am so thankful for the fact that I can pick up the phone and give someone a call to see if, together, we can muster up a solution to whatever issue there is going on in my business.

And I want to make this clear to everyone out there, from the smallest toy store in the UK and Ireland, to our “wonderful friends” the majors, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I could be the best retailer in the world, but if my attitude stinks when I deal with people, I can guarantee you, no matter how “good” the deal is, it would be better

The Independent’s top-selling toys for January 2014 VOLUME: 1) Lego Minifigures Series 11 - Lego 2) Minecraft Figures - Character Options 3) Hot Wheels Basic - Mattel VALUE: 1) Minecraft Figures - Character Options 2) Tamagotchi Friends - Bandai 3) Disney Frozen Dolls - Mattel

if I took a different approach with people. I hear so many stories about retailers that are expectant of every demand they make to any supplier, without the slightest thought to working on building a relationship that may benefit them more in the future.

Realistically, does the small independent have the authority to make demands from the suppliers? And, is it considered okay for a larger retailer to use this authority to make ridiculous demands? I know there must be many arguments on both sides of these questions. Looking at it from my own point of view, I would say there are far too many people, no matter what side they pitch themselves on, that are in the wrong with this use of their authority.

I can speak from experience, and you all know I have worked in this industry for many years, that to demand the world from someone without any back up to warrant it is laughable. And to have a huge amount of back up at your disposal and use it for your own benefit is arrogant and puts people in an unfair position.

I have built very strong relationships in this trade, and not because I wanted to gain an advantage over time, but because it was the right thing to do. A deal is not a deal unless both sides of the table will make a profit. If we all started to live by rules like this, business may be a bit more enjoyable for us all.

The suppliers that have a solid understanding of this relationship (and

while listing out I am basically saying a big thank you to them for their support and understanding) are Lego, Hasbro, Flair, Character Options, Bandai, MGA and most of the smaller suppliers. It is because of them that we are still in business. We work together for a mutual benefit, and I am forever thankful for their efforts to understand my business.

I will take one unnamed supplier as the guinea pig. They are an amazing company, and unique in many ways. But I have seen this supplier in the past use their authority as a negative thing, demanding certain amounts of space in my stores, trying to bully me into doing things they wanted to do their way. Fast-forward a few years, and we now see the same heavyweight supplier investing a huge amount of time and money in making the “in-store experience” second to none. These guys need to be applauded for their efforts and a lot of the other top suppliers could learn a thing or two from them. I think it would be beneficial to sit on the “other side of the desk” for once, to see what our demands look like when they are pitched at us. Of course this leaves us open to the other party taking advantage of you.

This is never a good thing, but I would go as far as to say that, if we know what we are doing, we can be reasonable, and know when someone is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

THE SECRET SUPPLIER BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE As usual The Independent is spot on with his astute observations of our industry My own experience confirms that good positive relationships between suppliers and customers are a key factor in establishing a successful business. The toy industry seems almost unique in enjoying such positive relationships “on all sides of the fence” as our colleagues in The Fence Club would confirm. However, all this sweetness and light is challenged in the tough and demanding relationship between retailer and supplier where an understandable point of conflict exists. Suppliers and retailers must juggle increasingly difficult trading terms where the supplier is boxed in by ever increasing costs and the retailer is stuck with ever more competitive retail prices. Sales Directors are under huge pressure to come up with creative solutions to solve this almost impossible conundrum. How that “solution” is achieved depends in many respects on how the “ask” is made. One sided arrogant demands 24

by either the supplier or the retailer ignore the basic fact that we sink or swim together. A degree of flexibility and give and take on both sides can deliver a workable solution. The retail sector is under huge margin pressure and we suppliers have to recognise that if we want bricks and mortar outlets to display and merchandise our products, then those products have to deliver an acceptable retail margin. The basic point that The Independent makes is that for all of us, it makes good business sense to invest time in developing positive relationships with our retailers and suppliers. No supplier can work successfully with a retail partner if they don’t have a good understanding of the dynamics of that business. In the same way successful retailers who develop strong personal relationships with key suppliers are likely to benefit from more positive supplier support.

21 toysnplaythings.co.uk

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FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

It is all a game With a growing market, strong sales and a beloved category, what is not to adore about games and puzzles?

S

trolling along the aisles of any toy store, be it a small independent or large retailer – you’ll always find one section particularly busy. And that is Games and Puzzles. Its unwavering popularity is testament to the sector’s strong retail performances and interestingly, sales have been as buoyant in 2013 as ever with NPD reporting that the total games market grew by 5%.

One company agreeing with those statistics is Drumond Park, with Co-founder and Marketing Director Claire McCool telling us: “Last year was the fifth in a row where Drumond Park’s sales have exceeded the previous year’s performance, in both real terms and market share.”

This positivity is echoed by Jumbo Games Ltd MD Gray Richmond who revealed that the final quarter of 2013 was Jumbo Games’ “best ever”.

When asked why the sector continues to be so popular, some of the leading companies have varying opinions.

For Cartamundi’s Trudi Bishop staying relevant is important, as is the fact that the sector brings families together. “Our company

philosophy — ‘Sharing the magic of playing together’ — sums it up: it’s about bringing together families and friends... cards remain relevant even in a digital age but we can also adapt some of their elements to digital technology.”

And Orchard Toys MD Simon Newbery, points out that face-toface communication and a bit of nostalgia works wonders: “Despite the ground breaking technology of the 21st century, people still appreciate the value of communicating face to face, rather than through electronic devices.”

Licensed board games and puzzles have had somewhat of a renaissance recently, helping to push the category further into the consumer psyche. Speaking about this element of the sector, Drumond Park’s Claire McCool says: “We have been very successful in this segment over the years, and until now have concentrated our efforts on quality board game versions of popular and long-running TV shows, such as Family Fortunes, Deal or No Deal and the Million Pound Drop. Last year, we launched All-New Catch

NPD Top 5 items for 2013 in value for Puzzles Big Ben 216 pieces 3D Part Puzzle Deluxe Jigroll compact 500/1000 Tower Bridge 3D Eiffel Tower 216 pieces 3D

“

Ravensburger Jumbo Jumbo Ravensburger Ravensburger

Phrase – which sold extremely well over Christmas, and seems set for good future sales over a reasonable period of time. We aren’t interested in ‘one-year wonder’ licenses... For that reason we very rarely look at producing games which link to ‘of the moment’ children’s TV series or even popular toys – as often these crazes don’t last that long.”

Speaking about licensed puzzles, Jumbo’s Gray Richmond says: “Children’s licenses had a tough year last year and sales were probably the worst in the category.

Fortunately I think that is just a blip and with some really strong new licenses around such as Something Special and Doc McStuffins, for example, I think we will see growth resume in 2014.”

Driving the games and puzzles sector forward is vital and one element of that is merging the traditional with technology. When asked if the integration of technology and apps is the way forward, Orchard Toys’ Simon Newbery says: “We certainly feel there is a case for technology and apps, however we see them as a support to the category rather than replacing traditional games and puzzles.”

Likewise, Cartamundi’s Trudi Bishop says that while technology will add “something new and exciting” to their range, cards will continue to exist.

We recommend retailers stock a wide range of games and jigsaws, because our own experience tells us when they do stock a range as opposed to one or two lines they achieve healthier sales

”

Drumond Park

26

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Be a brain box!

Green Board Games

01494538999 www.greenboardgames.com BrainBox Colour and Create is set to be a big hit! A brilliant collaboration between the increasingly popular Mister Maker and the multi-award winning BrainBox has produced this Colour and Create edition. The game was recently crowned the BTHA Game of the Year in the games and puzzles category and won Game of the Year in the Toy Talk Awards. Green Board were also lucky enough to have the making man himself help launch the product at Toy Fair. This unique BrainBox offers the 10 second brain challenge with a mix of creative play, by providing the opportunity to colour the cards to your own specification along with a chance to write one of the six questions posed on the reverse. The more you colour the more the game develops and the more the game becomes unique to you. Keith Grafham, CEO says: “We knew it was a good synergy between extending our BrainBox range and entering the arts and crafts category, however we are delighted with the positive response and how well received it has been.”

To play, simply study a card for 10 seconds, and then answer a question on the reverse of the card, decided by the roll of a die. If the question is answered correctly, the card is kept; if not, it is returned to the box, and the person with the most number of cards after 5 or 10 minutes is the winner. This simple concept can be played by all ages and in large groups or just as a one person game.

28

This will be a giant hit!

ORCHARD TOYS 01953859525 www.orchardtoys.com New additions into the Games and Puzzles market include Orchard Toys’ Pirate Race Game and Giant Town jigsaw. Pirate Race Game, for children aged 3 plus and 2-4 players, incorporates a number of different skills including matching, memory, colour recognition and counting in one box. The popular Pirate themed board game requires children to travel around the exciting island, using memory and colour matching skills to collect pieces of their pirate picture. Giant Town is a large jigsaw playmat, which can be interlinked with the Orchard Toys’ existing On the Farm and Giant Road Jigsaw playmats for extra play value. Following on from the success of Giant Road and On the Farm, the designers also set about extending the Orchard Toys Giant Road system. Each of the Giant Town, Giant Road and On the Farm can be used as a standalone product, but they also work perfectly together, due to the inclusion of clever interlinking pieces.

Shuffling to the top CARTAMUNDI 01268511522 www.cartamundi.co.uk Through the coming together of the companies that formed Cartamundi in 1970, the playing card and packaging giant can boast over 200 years experience in the production and sale of playing cards and cards for games.

The 2014 Cartamundi range sees a strong focus on licensed children’s and family games in partnership with major brands like Disney Cars, FIFA, Angry Birds and Star Wars. Licensing also underpins the new Shuffle range. This brings together traditional playing cards and the Shuffle app, downloadable from the Apple and Google Play stores. Shuffle is supported and boosted by a partnership between Cartamundi and Hasbro. For example you can bring the Chance cards to life in Monopoly Deal, get creative with Playdoh, animate a shopping mall in Littlest Pet Shop, set up the app to act as mission control in Transformers or create customised pictures of your friends and family using the Guess Who imagery. Shuffle allows you to do all this and more, adding to the fast, fun and truly immersive experience that great games can offer.

Cartamundi is proud of its creativity and forward-thinking approach — but it doesn’t forget its history. As well as specialist, licensed and enhanced games there will always be the company’s core product: its traditional Royal Flush playing cards.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Award winning games goodness John Adams 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk Well known for their established games portfolio, John Adams is boosting its collection with some innovative new introductions for 2014. Following on from award winning Doggie Doo (the number one best-selling children’s game of 2013 – NPD) and Gooey Louie (‘Action Game of the Year’ at The Toy Industry Awards), comes Pig Out – the game where being a greedy pig wins! Players must roll “Pig Out” on the dice and strap

on their pig noses. The player who collects the most food wins!

Leading the way in the electronic board games category is Reflex, which brings the thrill of the BBC TV game show to life. This fast paced game focuses on testing competitors’ reactions. Reflex will be hitting shelves in June.

Chosen as one of the Best New Toys at Toy Fair 2014 in the Games & Puzzle category, Think Words also joins the company’s offering from June. Based around the tried and tested concept of word association, this easy to play game is designed for the whole family to enjoy. Joining the ever-popular Rubik’s brand for 2014 is Rubik’s Void – the puzzle offers players a ‘hole’ new challenge. The Void is available now

Going for Galt!

Honouring the greats

GALT TOYS 0161 428 9111 www.galttoys.com

GIBSONS 020 86618866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk

To commemorate the centenary of the First World War, Gibsons have released a selection of military puzzles.

The first 1000 piece puzzle is Nicholas Trudgian’s Normandy Breakout while D-Day Landings by Bill Perrings also commemorates the historic event. Finally, Preparations for D-Day is yet another beautiful 1000 piece jigsaw that remembers the struggle British troops endured to win the Second World War.

30

and sits within the Rubik’s range, which remained at No.1 in the Brainteaser Games Category for 2013 (NPD).

Rubik’s Race also continues to be popular taking the No.1 spot in the Family Strategy Games category for 2013 (NPD).

Linkee, also becomes part of the John Adam’s games range.

With refreshed packaging and new questions, the set even includes some special celebrity cards!

Feel the tension!

Galt Toys launches two new fun and engaging puzzles for children aged 3+. Funny Face Sticker Puzzles allows children to make funny faces by putting together the face puzzles of a clown, a pirate and more with reusable stickers.

First Puppet Show is an extra long floor puzzle featuring a traffic jam with different vehicles and a horn. Children will love the horn sound when their traffic jam is complete!

CHEATWELL GAMES 02392524098 www.cheatwell.com

Hours of fun for little ones

Cheatwell Games’ Tension is to be supported in 2014 with a TV advertising on ITV2. Three editions of this Top Ten manic naming game are available covering all ages and interests. Stand Up Sit Down! is a trivia quiz for kids. Players don’t shout out the answers - they simply stand up or sit down to show their choice.

GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.co.uk Little ones will have hours of fun with the Matching Bugbies Game.

Including 36 different cards with 18 different designs, this simple game encourages dexterity and memory. Golden Bear has ‘Something Special’ in the games aisle with Mr Tumble’s Sound Puzzle. Children must match the image to the background to hear fun phrases and sounds familiar with Mr Tumble and friends.

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FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Because craftsmanship counts...

BRAND NEW

Something to Shout about!

Drumond Park 01473 322000 www.drumondpark.com

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Drumond Park, the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading independent games company, has some new and refreshed games coming onto the market this summer.

Shout! is a completely new simple-to-play team game, the centrepiece of which is a combined stand/ timer/ scorekeeper ensemble. Players are divided into two teams and sit on either side of the stand, on which huge randomly shufďŹ&#x201A;ed Shout! cards are displayed. Each card depicts nine themed images, words or ďŹ gures which when all nine are identiďŹ ed in turn lead to the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completion of that cardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total Challenge. In true Drumond Park tradition, a large proportion of the cards come as clever and quirky â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;of the momentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; picture puzzles. As play begins, everyone on the team starts shouting out as many answers as they can in a frantic race against the timer. The winning team is the ďŹ rst one to reach 99 points.

LOGO GRAB is the seventh in the highly popular LOGO series of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, family and adult board games, LOGO Grab will get the whole family laughing hysterically together. The box contains eight dice and dozens of different colour-coded brand cards in four categories - portraying such famous UK brands as Tetley Tea, Pot Noodles, Marmite, the Vauxhall Corsa, the Volkswagen Beetle, Jelly Tots, Rolo and Black Magic. The aim of the game is to be the ďŹ rst to collect two sets of three brand cards in any one colour category. But players are not grabbing the famous name cards, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re grabbing the dice! Two of the dice have a bell hidden inside. Shake the dice youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just picked up, and if it goes ting-a-ling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; disaster has struck! Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no escaping itâ&#x20AC;Ś youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to hand back the card!

Bring the action FLAIR

Boom boom

www.ďŹ&#x201A;airplc.co.uk 0208 633 0320

01628535000 www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Flair has an exciting portfolio for action based games for the year ahead including Freaky Franky, Tumblinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Monkeys and Ali Baba. Freaky Franky features a large ďŹ gure that provides classic, stretchable fun. The ďŹ&#x201A;exible character allows players to play solo or against another opponent. New for autumn is the two player phenomenon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tumblinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Monkeys. The aim of the game is to take it in turns to pull out the sticks one by one and watch as the monkeys begin to fall. Tumblinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Monkeys will be joined by Ali Baba. With Ali Baba you add your 15 playing pieces to the camelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s saddle one at a time, but whoever upsets the camel ďŹ rst and makes it buck will lose as Ali and all the pieces will go ďŹ&#x201A;ying.

SPIN MASTER LTD Hedbanz and Boom Boom Balloon have both had a strong start to 2014. Disney Hedbanz is popular with younger children who aspire to their favourite Disney characters. Beat the Parents puts kids and adults head to head to prove who is the most knowledgeable generation once and for all!

Hapes of fun MARBEL LTD 08456000286 www.marbel.co.uk Hapes traditional wooden toys extend into the games and puzzles category. Hape offers everything from Jack and Jill wooden stackers to Ladybird Shape Sorting games and Farm Animal Block puzzles in the Early Explorer range.

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Fun learning games and jigsaws 01953 859525/859530

sales@orchardtoys.com

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

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Driving you bananas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but in a good way Bananagrams

020 7298 9500 www.bananagrams.com

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Fresh from being named Amazonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-selling toy of all time, BANANAGRAMS continues to prove popular with players of all ages. BANANAGRAMS requires no pencil, paper or board and comes in a small portable banana-shaped pouch. Ideal for players aged 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 107 years-old. The Good Toy Guide rated word game beat off ďŹ erce competition to scoop the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;overall winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; accolade in the Toys & Games category of the Primary Teacher Update Awards and also collected a Gold Medal in the ToyShopUK Awards (Board & Card Games category). BANANAGRAMS is also available in a series of puzzle books, and foreign language editions include Hebrew, Spanish, French, Norwegian, Dutch and German. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even a larger version, Double BANANAGRAMS, for up to 16 players, and a supersized outdoor version Jumbo Bananagrams, the perfect word game to liven up family barbecues, day trips to the seaside and beer garden lunches.

Superb family fun

Get tangled!

01420 593593 www.esdeviumgames.com

01483449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk es.co.uk

Esdevium Gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; range of board games for 2014 is the most exciting to date. New for 2014 is the beautifully presented Hotel Tycoon; a superb family board game where players attempt to become real estate magnates. A roaring success in 2013, the Dobble Card Game saw excellent growth throughout the year, helped by Esdeviumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independent retailer initiative, the Dobble Challenge. Esdevium will be extending their range of Disney-licensed games for 2014, including the SoďŹ a the First - Magical Tea Time Game. The collection already includes Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Disney Princess and Doc McStufďŹ ns. Esdeviumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other exciting new releases scheduled for 2014 include a whole new range of Timeline games, a re-design of the popular Dixit, and the hilarious Pie Face!

Vivid are introducing Moshi Monsters Tangle. Get all ll tangled up in this game e of Moshi Madness!

Next up is Peter Rabbit - Vivid has oversized Game Cards and 3 in a Box Puzzles.

Out in the summer is the Vegetable Patch Dash Game where players ers race to be the ďŹ rst to pick ick radishes from Mr McGregorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s egorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vegetable patch.

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VIVID IMAGINATIONS IONS

Classic characters RAINBOW DESIGNS 01329227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk New for Rainbow Designs this season from the Peter Rabbit collection are the beautifully illustrated stacking blocks, wooden peg puzzle and wooden dominoes.

Also new this year is a beautiful Guess How Much I Love You peg puzzle.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Play like the Crawleys and get lost in the Abbey DESTINATION BOARD GAMES

Party puzzles

023 9270 4040 www.destinationboardgames.com Destination Board Games is proud to announce their latest edition, the fast moving board game that transports you into the world of Downton Abbey.

As a maid or footman, you have to complete the tasks you are given as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Starting in the Servants’ Hall, each player is dealt Destination cards, which have varying values indicated by the number of bells on the card.

This relates to how important or difficult the task is. The player must then navigate their way around the corridors and stairs of the Abbey, throwing the dice to determine how many moves they can make.

Once they reach the destination of a task, they collect their bell tokens, and the next player throws the dice to set off for the next job. But nothing is that simple! Along the way, a player can land on a ‘Carson Card’ space and have to take a card, which could either help or hinder them. On other spaces, the players may have to collect a ‘Letter’ that could call them away from the Abbey, slowing them down, or costing them bells!

And which route will they take? A short easy-looking one to get a job done earning only one bell, or a longer route with the possibility of collecting a higher reward? The winner is the player who has completed all their jobs and collected the most bells.

HASBRO 02085691234 www.hasbro.co.uk Hasbro has a huge range of exciting games lined-up for release this summer. First up is Trivial Pursuit Party Game which is available in August. Get into a challenging battle of wits with this updated version of the classic Trivial Pursuit game! Twister Dance Game is out in July and allows players to follow the digital dance teacher to learn all the moves to the hottest songs.

Cranium Party Game is available in August and you can show off your humming, drawing, sculpting or impersonating skills to win!

Scattergories is also out in August and players have to team up in this fun, fast-paced game and rack your brain for items that fit the category.

That gives me an idea!

01494 538999

Colouring vided pencils pro r te to crea you s rd ca n ow

For F orr full fful range visit: www.greenboardgames.com Twitter: @brainboxgames

MARCH 2014

35

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Inspiring minds ASOBI 01628200077 www.asobi.co.uk Last year, Asobi was thrilled to announce an exclusive distribution deal with traditional iconic brand Vilac.

The much loved and traditional brand creates toys that promise to inspire the mind and stand the test of time. Vilac has some fantastic puzzles in their collection for a range of different ages to enjoy. Each puzzle has been beautifully designed with iconic bright colours. From lift out puzzles for preschoolers to educational puzzles for older children, Vilac has something for everyone!

‘Wood’ you like to play a game with Plan?

GREAT GIZMOS www.greatgizmos.co.uk 01293 543221

Game on!

Jumbo Games

Great Gizmos’ new collection of wooden preschool games and puzzles from PlanToys are perfect for educational game play. Little ones can practise the art of balancing with the wooden Balancing Boat, Balancing Tree and Balancing Monkeys. PlanToys also has an exciting range of puzzles. Children can learn about the weather with the Weather Dress-Up Puzzle while the Chicken Puzzle features the life cycle of a chicken and encourages hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

01707260436 www.jumbo.eu Wasgij (jigsaw backwards!), the number one adult puzzle brand, launches Wasgij Original 21: Football Fever in time for the World Cup 2014. Included within the soccer themed double-pack jigsaw is a free 2014 Wasgij football wall chart, so puzzlers can track the progress of the tournament. Jumbo Games is expanding into the children’s market with the launch of Wasgij Junior No 1. Following the continued success of the adult puzzle range and based on the unique concept of building an image that is different to that shown on the box, the new Wasgij puzzle specifically designed for children is set to take the puzzle market by storm. Wasgij Junior 1: Scrooge’s Surprise (100 piece) launches in June 2014 and allows younger puzzlers to use their imagination and the clues provided to piece together what they think will happen next in the image printed on the box. Building on the strong heritage and highly addictive Wasgij range, Wasgij Original 22: Studio Tour will launch in June 2014.

This brightly coloured jigsaw is the first 1,500 piece puzzle for Wasgij. Puzzlers use their imagination and clues to build the opening scene of the World of Wasgij studios. Another popular brand for Jumbo Games is the well-established Falcon de Luxe range. And new to the licensed range is the Forever Friends 500 piece puzzle, a perfect addition for special friends, family and loved ones.

An additional touch is the Hallmark Forever Friends card included with the puzzle, ideal for any gift.

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Hang onto every game LEXIBOOK www.lexibook.com 07501770855 The classic game of Hangman is now available in an exciting electronic version for hours of entertainment!

The famous Hangman game has been revisited by Lexibook to provide the perfect fun packed electronic game for all the family!

Complete with great light and sound effects, and featuring four different skills levels based on the in-built electronic timer!

Your game of Hangman will never be the same again!

Puzzling fun JOHN CRANE LTD 01604 774 949 www.john-crane.co.uk John Crane Ltd’s new portfolio for 2014 includes a brand new range of puzzles in the Trudi range. These puzzles are bright, cheerful and colourful. Trudi has introduced a small collection of flock puzzles including a Domestic Animals set and an Exotic Animals set. The flock puzzles are tactile and contain three different puzzles of six, nine and twelve pieces depending on how much children want to challenge themselves.

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UNO you want to play MATTEL 01628500000 www.mattel.com It is game on for Mattel with an impressive portfolio of family favourites. Top-selling staples include #2 family game Scrabble*, #2 card game UNO* and top drawing game Pictionary. In 2014, Mattel Games is supported with an extensive marketing programme of activity. Adults and kids will be inspired to spend quality time together by participating in family game nights whilst the digital communities for Scrabble, UNO and Pictionary will continue to grow and engage.

Following the striking re-brand of Scrabble in 2013, Scrabble Original is still a strong contender within the family game category. The UK’s much loved card game UNO, will be supported with a multi-platform marketing programme in spring/summer including TV advertising support and promotional sampling. All of which will drive awareness of the new UNO 24/7 brand message, encouraging families to play UNO whenever and wherever.

Pictionary, the game of quick sketches and crazy guesses continues to perform well, whilst family strategy game Blokus, can now be played on the move with the impressive new Blokus Digital App, new for 2014. *NPD December 2013

Going big on games BIGJIGS TOYS

MARCH 2014

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

MONOPOLY © 1935, 2014 Hasbro TRIVIAL PURSUIT © 1981, 2014 Hasbro TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, PLAY DOH © 2014 Hasbro.

The Bigjigs games collection features all of the classic traditional games including wooden dominoes, chess, solitaire and ludo. New for 2014, this classic wooden Snakes & Ladders board is highly decorative and family friendly. Also new for 2014 are a selection of eight, 48 piece wooden puzzles; all hand cut to precision.

This colourful collection includes Ballet School, Enchanted Fairies, Picnic in the Park and Once Upon A Time.

© 2014 Cartamundi MONOPOLY © 1935, 2014 Hasbro. All rights reserved. © 2014 Hasbro. All rights reserved.

01303250400 www.bigjigstoys.com

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BRAND FOCUS DRAGON-ITOY

TOY-fi Teddy from Dragon-i hits the TV screens TOY-FI TEDDY TV AND MEDIA CAMPAIGN TnP hears about Dragon-i’s exciting new interactive Teddy which is set to be a huge hit and more about their upcoming lines

M

ost of our readers know Lord Cave from his years in the U.K. with Makro and his forming of Dragon-i Toys and the Chatimals range of toys. Operating out of Hong Kong for the last 10 years, TnP spoke with Dave both at London Toy Fair in the Olympia (where he hadn’t shown since 1989) and also at Nuremberg. As usual he was buzzing and very excited about his latest

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sensation Toy-fi Teddy – a cloudbased messaging system that allows kids to send and receive messages from anywhere in the world instantaneously through Toy-fi Teddy.

Dave describes this as “Facebook for three year olds”. With parental control enabling Mum and Dad to decide exactly who has connection to Toy-fi Teddy, reaction has been phenomenal.

The TV campaign will start in July with the main push coming through October, November and December.

Retailing at around £29.99. and available in f.s.d.u. (floor standing double units) in eights and twelves.

Dragon-i are building a world-wide reputation where all their products are exclusive to them for global distribution. U.K. sales are in the hands of Andrew Hardwich and his Zappies company.

Now in their fifth year, the company have enjoyed rapid growth during this time and are currently distributing their products in 40 countries and reached a $30 million turnover in 2013. All of their products are developed inhouse, working with such famous toy inventors as Mark Tilden of Robosapiens fame. To cope with all of this success, Lord Cave recently opened a 3,000sq.ft. facility in T.S.T. Kowloon. Proud of his achievements, Dave told us that they had sold 4 million of their Chattermals since their introduction in 2010. At a time when many toy companies have at best matched their previous year’s performance, Dragon-i seem to have bucked the trend. Mighty Megasuar, Dino and Dragon are also products of Dave’s

Dragon-i will be utilising a channel mix that provides positive conversions to kids aged 4 to 6 including Disney Jr, Milkshake (Kids daypart on C5), Nick Jr, Nick Jr 2, Tiny Pop, Pop, Kix, Boomerang, Cartoonito and CITV. The campaign is planned to deliver over 680 kids 4-6 TVRs targeting approximately 76% 1+ kids 4-6 cover against providing an opportunity to see the commercial nine times across the July-December period.

Toy-fi Teddy will be seen more than four times by nearly 50% of kids aged 4-6.

Irish activity to run alongside the UK bursts providing 50% 1+ cover against kids in Ireland with an opportunity to see it nearly five times across the campaign period.

Digital presence targeting mums will use a dual strategy. Firstly, by using an ad exchange driving almost 45,000 clicks to retail. Secondly, focusing on a single, specific parenting site to build a strategic partnership; mums would review the toy and thus create a trusted buzz about the site, which would be supported by standard advertising plus a competition to win the product, therefore engaging mums with the product itself.

“

Now in their fifth year the company have enjoyed rapid growth during this time and are currently distributing their products in 40 countries

”

that have enjoyed impressive global sales and he is convinced that with Jurassic Park 4 in 3D due to launch in 2015 that this category will continue to prosper.

As previously published in Toys ‘n’ Playthings, the company have added to their key personnel with Alex Saussol as Sales and Marketing Manager. Alex cut his toy trade teeth at Hamleys and now resides in Hong Kong where his enthusiasm and commitment is already paying dividends.

For further details contact dave@ dragon-itoys.com or alex@dragonitoys.com or log onto www.dragon-itoys.com. U.K. domestic sales are available through Zappies on 01273 467624 or sales@zappies.com

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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 the wonderful Toy Fair season went for them and what they have IAN HAM planned for the next UK Sales Manager, Kiddimoto few months GEMMA PORTER Marketing Manger, Interplay What trade shows have you attended this year?

Toy Fair was the single show for Interplay. The highlight for us had to be the excellent reception to new ranges and new lines. Plus it was great to be complimented on our new-look stand this year! All the brands had a great reaction from our customers, but what raised most excitement was the brand new look to Wild Science and GoldieBlox.

What is the general outlook, from those you’ve spoken to at fairs, for the industry in 2014?

Overall it all seemed really positive! Most customers seemed buoyant and very up-beat, reporting a successful Christmas trading period.

Other than your own, what products caught your eye at any of the fairs?

The white ride-on remote controlled car from Flying Gadgets: apparently it can carry a 6 foot man!

With fair season largely over, what’s your focus for the next quarter?

Continuing with R&D. Interplay is constantly developing new products to keep a fresh flow of innovative kits for our ever-expanding ranges!

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

The new ChillFactor Ice Cream Maker from Character Options.

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What trade shows have you attended this year?

This year we have attended Toy Fair, Motorcycle Trade Expo, Nuremburg and New York. Highlights this year include seeing all of our long standing customers and introducing ourselves to some fantastic proactive retailers, proving that the industry is doing very well.

What is the general outlook, from those you’ve spoken to at fairs, for the industry in 2014?

The outlook has been positive. Confidence in our category, wheeled toys and safety accessories has improved dramatically; it is now a very sought after area of the shop. We have seen orders pick up on this time last year.

Other than your own, what products caught your eye at any of the fairs?

Although not a new product, I was introduced to Dobble the snap card game from Esdevium Games – it is very addictive.

With fair season largely over, what’s your focus for the next quarter?

Our focus will be the new Super Junior range, which we launched to the trade at Toy Fair, and will launch to consumers across the country in May. If you were a kid today, what toy would you be nagging your mum for? Aside from a new Super Junior Max, helmet and gloves, it would have to be the VTech Smart Watch or a LeapPad Ultra.

MARK HILLIER Managing Director, Click Distribution What trade shows have you attended this year, and what have been your highlights?

London Toy Fair is our big focus and was incredibly successful for us. We will also be attending Spring Fair.

What is the general outlook, from those you’ve spoken to at fairs, for the industry in 2014?

Very optimistic with a dash of reality! We have a lot to look forward to with the launch of Panini’s World Cup collections and Topps’ England collections; the volumes involved in these are staggering.

Other than your own, what products caught your eye at any of the fairs?

Character Options’ Minecraft products will be a massive hit and in heavy demand. I also loved their ChillFactor Squeeze Cup, genius! I’m a massive fan of LEGO, as well.

They refresh their ranges perfectly to keep existing consumers happy while attracting new ones.

With fair season largely over, what’s your focus for the next quarter?

World Cup, Minecraft and England!

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW DISNEY

Getting into Disney Consumer Products Executive Vice President and General Manager, Simon Philips, sat down with TnP at Nuremberg Toy Fair to chat about the magic of Disney and how they keep the brand’s vast portfolio alive and kicking

Simon Philips

Simon, Disney has such a huge franchise portfolio. How do you choose the licensees behind the Disney product range?

First and foremost we have to look at the franchise and what sort of products work with that franchise. Take Doc McStuffins, which is incredible, a massive hit. You look at the essence of what that show is about, a little girl who is an imaginary doctor who works on her plush toys. Then you look at what the right product for that show is,

Doc McStuffin by Flair

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it wouldn’t be a remote control car in the shape of Doc - that doesn’t stay true to the essence of the show. It is about understanding the show and making sure we proactively work with our licensees so that they develop the right product.

We have a phenomenal creative group in DCP in Europe, who are actively working with our partners to make sure the products they develop are true to the shows. What I don’t want to see is what I call ‘label slapping’. You can see one product but with lots of different stickers on it but the product is the same. Kids are clever, they want something which is true to the show and when you think about some of the biggest success stories in licensed d toys – light sabers for example - the light saber from Star Wars is true rue to Star Wars. It is not a sword that at has been stickered to look like a light ght saber, it is a light saber. The web-blaster b-blaster from Spider Man is another her one, these are products in which ich the kids experience the continuity inuity of the franchise. The doctorr set from Doc McStuffins, which ich was one of the best products ducts over Christmas, it was sold ld out, because it is true to the essence of the show.

We make sure that the products we licence and the partners we choose share e that vision.

How important is brand protection to Disney? How ow important is it to make sure that the products you are re putting out there are true ue to what Disney stands for? ?

The products we licence are extensions of each of the properties. After you have read the book, seen the movie, watched the TV show – however you consume the content and

Iron Man by Hasbro

Star Wars Rebels concept art and show logo

you want to own something from it, there is an obligation from Disney to make sure that the experience is extended through those products and the play-pattern. It could be from something as basic as a t-shirt to something as complex as a moulded toy. We take that obligation extremely seriously and I think you just have to walk through some of the stands (at Nuremberg) to see that. You walk through the Lego stand, the Mattel or the Hasbro stands, the Flair or the Simba stand and when you see the products that we licence, there is something special about that product and it is not just down to having great content. It is down to choosing the right toy partners and the right fashion partners as well.

In choosing your you partners, do you have a list of cr criteria that they have to meet before you agree to work with them?

Creativity is h high on the agenda as is distribution capabilities. There is no point licensing a fantastic li product and that company having no way to get the product produc out. With that being said, Disney has some D incredibly strong retail incred relationships – we have relatio a very ve large retail team across acro Europe, country by country, so if we find co a product we think is pro absolutely incredible that abso is incubated, something inc that is coming from a company that may not com have strong distribution but has a strong product, we can assist in that.

We look at the creativity of a company, we look at distribution and obviously make sure they are financially stable, are they going to develop product that will be true or are they just about label slapping?

That is important because

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character Princesses from Frozen

by Mattel

sure we provide the very best product and the very best experiences.

you see so many of the same product, something has to stand out. We want an experience to be a unique experience. The kids who consume our content, who love Jake or Doc or Sophia, who are fans of the Princesses, or Frozen or Star Wars or Spider Man, they all experience that content in unique ways and we want to make sure that we really work hard with our licensees that the product they deliver is true to that experience.

That then comes back to the Disney ethos, could you tell us what that is, how would you describe it?

The Disney Consumer Products ethos is about delivering the very best product interpretation around our product content. It is about extending and expanding the storytelling into product. As a dad, I watch my kids and how they consume content and I watch what they play with. They are very clever, they don’t want to play with something which doesn’t have any relevance back to the show that they are into at that moment in time. They want a play pattern which is true to the show and we have an obligation to make

MARCH 2014

How do you keep Disney fresh, relevant and what is the secret to keeping people wanting more?

Disney means different things to different people. When you look at consumer products you have Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and when you say to people Marvel or StarWars they also smile. It transports them back to a different world, to a time of innocence on the Disney side, on the Marvel side they remember the superheroes and on the Star Wars side they remember the light-sabers and ‘Luke I’m your father’ – all these different emotions come to mind. We have an incredible array of content which helps us continue to engage with fans. We have the Disney channels, Disney online, we have the Infinity games which engage.

We have the parks – they are magical! However old you are, when you go to a Disney park, you can’t help but smile and from Walt’s early vision to today it is all about the magic and being able to just entertain. And it is

“

We look at the creativity of a company, we look at distribution and obviously make sure they are financially stable. Are they going to develop product that will be true or are they just about label slapping?

Sophia

not by chance, these characters don’t just come and go, these are characters which are created to connect through TV, publishing, trans-media, cross-media, everything! And they do connect because they have an innocence to them, especially the Disney Junior characters and the Disney Princesses. Frozen, for example, was one of those movies which just wowed people. From the beauty of the animation, the music and the delivery for adults to the awe of the story for children, the innocence and relatability of it. Everything that you see here is relatable.

How do you balance Disney’s new character with making sure your evergreen characters are still to the fore? Is there friction?

It’s about planning and planning very well! We had a meeting recently with the retail heads from Europe and we were talking about this. The solution that Disney can offer today to retailers and licensees is complete from infant and baby with Winnie the Pooh, through to pre-school with Jake and Doc and Sophia to girls with Disney Princess and Disney Fairies to boys with Disney Cars and Disney Planes and Star-Wars and Spider Man and Avengers to tweens with Violetta and The Muppets through the adults with the Marvel characters and Star Wars characters and even the Princess characters. And of course,

”

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW DISNEY

Cinderella, the live action movie coming in 2015

to deliver the very best from our content. The very best extensions of our content, true product which is true to the essence of the content and that is what the consumers want. They want something that ties back to the content, the books that they have read or the apps that they are playing or the shows they are watching.

across all of the consumer groups, our classic characters of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy – they are all there. We plan with our licensees and our retail team so that we can ensure we maximise each and every opportunity. So we can go to a retailer and we can say “Let’s do a 12 month programme” and “hey, you don’t need to work with another company because this is a total solution that we can offer you”. And that is the same with our licensees, the ranges that are able to be developed out of the characters that we have and the new characters that we continually introduce are incredible.

Franchises have a tendency to come and go but what separates Disney is that we are all about sustainability with our characters.

I’ve had an opportunity to work on some of the biggest toy based franchises ever and these come and they go and come and they go, but with Disney we sustain because we look at our characters as extensions of our brand. We invest an incredible amount of time and energy and resources in bringing these characters to life and great characters, great storytelling will stay forever. We have a Cinderella movie coming out in 2015, a live action film and I saw part of the movie the other day and I smiled because I was so happy to see something which was such an emotional part of everybody’s life growing up. It is a story that everybody knows and we are going to bring it to life in a live action movie in the Spring of 2015, directed by Kenneth Brannagh but we’re going to bring it to life with a contemporary view and girls, everybody, will reconnect with it.

There was an expression used in the Spider Man movie and comics, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’, and we do have a responsibility at Disney

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“

From Walt’s early vision to today it is all about the magic and being able to just entertain.

And it is not by chance, these characters don’t just come and go, these are characters which are created to connect

”

Jake and the Neverland Pirates

If you were to make a prediction for success stories in 2014, name three Disney licenses that you think you are onto a winner with?

Spider Man – we have The Amazing Spider Man 2 movie coming out in April of this year and new episodes of the Ultimate Spider Man television series, so I would safely predict a stand out performance. And as we get towards the end of the year, Rebels which is the new animated series from Star Wars. I would say with Frozen we haven’t even scratched the surface with this. In 2014, Frozen will continue to go from strength to strength. We have an amazing summer programme around Frozen which you would not believe because when you think Frozen you think winter and snow but in the movie all Olaf wanted to do was go to the sun. We’re going to have such fun with this and great fun interpreting the products with our licensees.

Consumer buying patterns have changed, particularly in the last five years, how have Disney responded to that in store?

Our in store activation is unique within the industry because what we find in bricks and mortar stores is when you bring together strong franchise offerings, as a retailer you maximise your space but also the return on your space, the value and sales per square foot increases. We started to see that in our Disney stores where instead of having a

product focused Disney store, we started to have franchise offerings – so we had all the Disney Cars products together, all the Princess products together. We took that to heart and over the last few years we have been really actively working with retail partners to bring that franchise offering to life and we have some incredible activations. You go to Asda and you see the Disney presence in Milton Keynes in Asda and it is amazing. It brings entertainment to retail and that is key for retailers and Disney can provide that because it has the ability to excite and the ability to entertain. We look for the same in our e-commerce offerings as well, how do we excite on what is a very two-dimensional offering on a screen, what do we do to get people engaged? I think it is more about what the future is because everything is changing now and technology is rapidly changing. How we interact with consumers, how we work with retailers on what consumers want.

Kids today are very up-to-date with what is happening, they find it online immediately, they know more about content than ever before and they have access to content in ways that we could never have imagined when we were kids and we have seen in the last ten years how technology has disrupted industries, and disruption is not always a bad thing! We have seen how the music industry has been disrupted through MP3 players and the iPhone and the iPod, we’re about to go through a transformation where 3D printing will disrupt everything. At London Toy Fair, there was a stand presenting a 3D printer for a kid’s bedroom! Things will change and that is exciting because we are continually creating new content and continually evolving existing content into new areas. What will really separate the industry going forward will be how companies accept, embrace and challenge technology. I don’t think it is about trying to reverse engineer that technology into an existing toy because that is gratuitous use of technology and kids don’t want that, they are very clever – they want to see that technology is central to a product. The technology comes first and the toy is built around that and what an opportunity for everybody in the industry but especially for us at Disney because we have content that people love so we can embrace technology and find ways to incorporate technology into our character offerings.

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The Puppet Company

The Puppet Company design and wholesale over 900 fabulous puppets and finger puppets of all shapes and sizes.

Have a puppet - have Fun! Telephone: 01462 446040

www.thepuppetcompany.com

FEATURE OUTDOOR

A breath of fresh air!

With spring just around the corner, there is plenty to get excited about from the outdoor toys category this year. TnP takes a look at some of the hottest new lines

F

amously, the rain in Spain falls firm family favourite year after year,” mainly on the plain, but here he says. “Mookie Toys will continue in the UK it has been pouring to nurture and develop this classic everywhere. Hopefully, by the time brand so that families can continue you read this, the weather is to enjoy great fun that looking up and the great Swingball has to offer for years lake once known as to come!”

Somerset is starting to dry And there’s certainly a A demand E D I and return to its former for new outdoor toys R G TO BIKE as well. The sector is looking N I N glory.

R A LEA One thing is for certain, healthy moving into 2014, ER OR T O O C S HE T however, as the sun starts and there are plenty of new T U to poke back through the ride ons and outdoor toys WITHO ISERS IS A L I B clouds, kids will be itching for kids to get active with A T S R T to get back in the garden this year - from O N J E MA ISHM D L or on their bikes, scooters trampolines and giant P M O ACC ERY PROU D garden games to bikes and skateboards to head outside for some active and AND V OR THE CHIL ,” and stunt scooters for healthy play. those looking to go TIME F RENT ALIKE A The outdoor toy category adventuring further P D AN , UK Y R has always been a big winner afield.

E F AT JEF AGER NIKKI N A with kids and parents, and Visitor feedback at M ETING Swingball - a childhood favourite Toy Fair is usually a MARK A of last year’s Wimbledon good barometer as to FAMOS champion, Andy Murray – is what is popular, and this year testament to that. Celebrating 40 buyers at the show were eager to years as a staple of any selfsee all the latest products from respecting garden or beach trip, many of UK’s top outdoor suppliers.

Mookie MD, Guy Orr believes that MV Sports’ Sales and Marketing Swingball’s popularity will continue Director, Phil Ratcliffe says the well into the future. company had an “amazing “Celebrating Swingball’s 40th response” to its latest mix of anniversary proves that this licensed and own brand fantastic product continues to be a product, showcased at Toy Fair in January. “We are coming off the back of a good year with growth in licenses and own brands,” he says. “This year we have also launched a lot of innovative new products in each category which will drive further growth.”

Similarly, Hy-Pro kicked off the year with the launch of Ignite - the new addition to the Zinc feature scooter range, as well as Flyte and new pre-school brand Rollers. “The response at Toy Fair was phenomenal, and Hy-Pro will be fully supporting all these lines with full marketing plans and activity for 2014,” says Hy-Pro’s Senior Category and Brand Manager, Ying Pickavance.

But what drives the demand for outdoor toys, and why are they a favourite with kids and parents? For a start, children of all ages relish the freedom of getting out and about.

Little Tikes

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Wheeled toys give kids the opportunity to explore and whizz around on their own, and Nikki Jeffery, UK Marketing Manager at Famosa says the added satisfaction of learning a new skill can be a real confidence boost. “Learning to ride a scooter or a bike without the stabilisers is a major accomplishment and a very proud time for the child and parent alike,” she explains. “By enabling children to enjoy a certain adventurous and creative freedom, even the very youngest will gain in confidence and independence.”

The potential health benefits are obvious as well. Parents are always looking for ways to balance their children’s playtime, and MV Sports’ Phil Ratcliffe says that the active, healthy play ride ons promote is a major draw for parents. “I would imagine that the majority of parents would rather see their kids outside and active as opposed to being stuck in front of a screen all day.”

Hy-Pro’s outdoor offering is designed to nurture this love of active play and all things outdoors.

Ying explains that the company’s products are “innovative and child friendly to keep them motivated to want to play outside.”

But surely the size of outdoor toys can be prohibitive for smaller independent retailers? Not so, according to Famosa’s Nikki who sees the multitude of smaller and collapsible products as the perfect way to offer outdoor play and maximise display space. “Whilst some of the boxes do admittedly have a large footprint, there are many key lines that are much smaller. With many must-haves in the range they will turn quickly and provide a great return for the shelf space they take up.”

Phil also adds that the majority of large outdoor toys can “crunch down into surprisingly small packages; for example mini ride ons, folding in-line scooters and adjustable skates.” So for every shop, no matter the size, outdoor toys could be the perfect remedy for a dreary and damp start to the year.

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12v Electric Scooter

Battery Powered Bat Bike

Battery Powered Train and Track Set

Charge up your sales!

FEATURE OUTDOOR

Rolling out the licenses MV Sports

0121 748 8000 www.mvsports.co.uk MV’s collection of exciting and innovative wheeled toys , includes a combination of strong, dependable properties, hot new licenses and own brand solutions to cater for all customer needs. With an array of new and ‘first to market’ products, they are strengthening their position as the UK’s number one wheeled toy supplier.

MV’s range of pre-school wheeled toys is going from strength to strength with the addition of some key revolutionary products. The irrepressible Thomas & Friends range is enhanced with several new feature driven lines.

The new Chuff Chuff range features realistic engine noises whilst the new 3 in 1 Scooter, Ride On & Trailer is a totally new concept which converts easily from one mode to another. The fabulous collection of Peppa Pig products have been redesigned with new products added to the mix.

The new Peppa Pig Hopper is just the ticket for muddy puddles and is decorated with cute Peppa graphics perfect for developing core balance and co-ordination skills. The One Direction range has proven to be on the top of every girl’s wish list! New products for 2014 include an electric scooter and a Dance Mixer Dance Mat complete with MP3/AUX source input allowing all 1D fans to dance to their favourite songs. For older boys, tried and trusted favourites such as Batman, Transformers and Power Rangers will continue to innovate. For example the new Bat signal in-line scooter comes complete with an awesome Bat symbol torch, and the Transformers mask Scooter combines a 3D plaque with a realistic Optimus Prime face mask! MV’s own brands performed exceptionally well last year with growth of over 60%. Spearheading this growth was stunt scooter brand Stunted, which gained market share as a direct result of intensive brand advertising. This year will also see further brand promotion throughout spring/summer with the roll out of exciting new models and designs. Outdoor brand Hedstrom is renowned for its quality and value for money. Groundbreaking new products are set to lead the way, including a funky new Tyre Swing, See Saw Roundabout and a Mini Multiplay which packs a lot of play value into a small footprint.

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Make a splash this summer JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk The market leaders in Above Ground Pools and Inflatables, Intex continues to set the benchmark for innovation and excellence.

Heading up the baby pools category for 2014 is the Lazy Fish Shade Baby Pool. Measuring 124 x 109 x 71cm when fully inflated, this fun pool can hold up to 53 litres of water and features a builtin sunshade. This new addition to the range joins the 114cm Sunset Glow Pool, which features three rings and a soft inflatable floor for maximum comfort. Expanding the Deluxe Pools range is the Clearview Aquarium Swim Center, which comes decorated with colourful fish and underwater creature graphics. Also available is the Swim Center Family Pool with a water capacity of 749 litres. Fun Goals Game is perfect for little football fans and can be used either in a pool or on dry land! Featuring anchor bags and an inflatable ball, this compact set also includes grommets which can be used as anchor weights within the pole base if required. Flying into the Disney Inflatable Collection in spring 2014, featuring the characters Dusty and El Chupaccabra, are the Disney Planes 61cm Beach Ball, Planes 61cm Swim Ring and also the Planes Deluxe Armbands to keep little swimmers afloat.

HTI lets Rïpp!

HTI 01253 7788 778888 www.htigroup.co.uk www.htigro For the outdoor market, HTI out wheel out tthe big brands.

Targeted at a boys aged 5-11 years, HTI h have secured a deal to manufacture m Max Steel and distribute distrib goods across sporting g The full wheeled Europe. Th toys range of bikes, scooters, sstreet board, skateboard, skates and skateboard awesome helmets features fe and use of cool metallic colours! graphics a have got serious about the high spec scooters and HTI hav market with their own new in-house developed range skates mar Rïpp. The cutting edge collection includes a cool Dirt called Rïpp scooter along with the Rïpp R900, R700 and R500 Rider scoo Scooters.

Stunt Scoo

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FEATURE OUTDOOR

Little Tikes have garden fun Little Tikes 0800 521 558 www.littletikes.co.uk

Brand new from the Little Tikes range this spring is a collection of children’s furniture – including cute and colourful Garden Chairs.

The Children’s Garden Chairs are perfect for any discerning little one looking to take a load off and relax.

The contemporary garden design, made of lightweight plastic, provides comfort with high-back seating and wide arm rests and comes in four signature colours – pink, orange, red and green. A great look for the garden this summer!

Compact and easy to store due to their stackable design, the chairs are suitable for children aged 12+ months.

Offering its most extensive range of Trikes to date, Little Tikes also introduce its brand new vibrant pink and blue versions of the 4-in-1 Trike Basic Edition for children aged 9+

Let’s all go to the seaside!

MARBEL 0845 6000 286 info@marbel.co.uk www.marbel.co.uk Marbel continues to distribute great brands within the UK toy market, in particular the Hape brand of outdoor toys.

Hape’s Sand and Sun range encompasses all the toys that make going to the beach fun for children. For the older children, Hape’s accessory sets allow them to role play with the Ice Cream Shop set or use the Bricklayer set to build the Mayan Pyramid.

Hape have a range of role play outdoor toys where children can emulate their parents cooking.

Hape’s Gourmet Grill allows children to cook the burgers and start to learn how food is prepared and cooked. The Gourmet Grill BBQ comes with two wheels, a side counter, lid and temperature controls.

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months. These colourful rides are perfect for the youngest movers!

With adjustable and removable sun canopy, 5-point seatbelt harness and protective safety bar, convenient beverage holder and durable, quiet ride tyres both parent and child will be happy.

Changing with a child’s development, the 4-in-1 Trike grows with a child through four separate learning stages.

Guided (9+ months): Parents can push and control. Infant footrest is active and safety harness in place, so

the child is unable to turn the wheel.

Learning (12+ months): Infant footrest is inactive and the safety harness is in place.

Child is unable to turn the wheel but can start to learn how to pedal and get used to the movement motion.

Developing (18+ months): Both child and parent powered.

The fixed handle bar support is removed so the child can pedal and turn the wheel, whilst parent also has steering control. Independent (30+ months): Full child control as the guided handle is removed.

The power of the Nikko Nano!

Nikko 00 31 (0)765480500 00 www.nikko.eu When Nikko introduced uced the first two Nano Radio Control items Nano o VaporizR and Nano BlasteR, it was no surprise that they ey were big successes from the e first day they hit stores.

The Nikko fan and Radio Control enthusiast loves the idea of a small action packed d vehicle with all the features of their “bigger brothers” ers” such as four-wheel drive, two motors, high speed and super strong quality.

After the huge sales success of the Nikko SlammR during Christmas 2013, it may come as no surprise that a new Nano is presented during Nuremberg Toy Fair: the Nano SlammR. The Nano SlammR is an action packed vehicle with four-wheel drive, two motors and a spectacular “slamming” function.

Both SlammR and Nano SlammR will be advertised on TV in nearly all EU countries during the coming Christmas season. Be sure not to miss this one!

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FEATURE OUTDOOR

Ignite the fun!

Hy-Pro

01582500846 sales@hy-pro.co.uk www.hy-pro.co.uk

Hy-Pro International showcased their new products for the forthcoming year at Toy Fair Nuremberg and ISPO Munich.

Ignite, the newest addition to the Zinc Feature scooter range, has raised the bar and impressed many buyers with its feature of releasing harmless steam once the brakes have been applied. Using refillable oil cartridges to generate the smoke, this innovative product has never been seen before.

Hy-Pro also received a phenomenal reaction from their new product Flyte at Nuremberg Toy Fair and will be supporting this product with full marketing plans and activity in 2014. This product is a 2-in-1 scooter and is the first children’s product to have a suitcase attached to a scooter.

The new Rollers range was a big success at Toy Fair Nuremberg and Rollers can expect exciting things to happen for the year 2014. This brand is a pre-school focused range with its core products helping children develop their core motor skills.

The main products in the Rollers range are the R1 and the R2. The R1 is for children aged 18+ months and easily converts from a Tricycle to a Tri scooter once the child has improved balance and confidence. The R2 is aged for 2+ years and converts from a balance bike to an inline scooter.

Hy-Pro International attended their second year at ISPO Munich for four days in January; they showcased their newly updated range of BMXs, Team Series stunt scooters Chozen and Zycho, in addition to dirt, commuter and electric scooters including the New Lithium powered scooter E-Glide. Zinc took two of their team riders to ISPO – brothers Jay Simpson, aged 10 and Darren Simpson, aged 12. Taking part in the competitions organised for three of the days, Zinc’s riders were up against pro riders. Excitingly, Jay ranked second place in the general scooting match and Darren ranked third place in the best trick competition.

Hy-Pro have had an exciting January, and with big plans for their new products lines, look forward to phenomenal success in 2014.

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Feel energized outdoors FLAIR 0208 643 0320 enquiries@flairplc.co.uk www.flairplc.co.uk Flair is taking playtime outside with a whole host of new additions to its portfolio for 2014.

Spearheading Flair’s entry into the outdoor category is a unique offering of products under the umbrella brand - Energize!

Energize is based on providing children with exciting and innovative products that focus on active play outdoors.

To introduce this exciting range in Flair’s expanding portfolio the hero product is the Jump Dancer. This unique battery operated skipping rope doesn’t require anybody to hold it, so provides endless fun for everyone involved. With two speed settings to choose from and three time settings, kids can improve their skipping and don’t even have to take it in turns for who holds the rope.

With heavy PR and TV support, this hero product for the Energize brand is set to be a real hit for getting the kids outdoors and keeping active this summer. Also available under the umbrella brand for summer 2014 is a 2 in 1 skipping rope called Jump Stik.

Catch of the day VIVID 01483 449944 info@vividimag.co.uk www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Introducing Phlat Ball - the original transforming disc ball!

Targeting kids aged 5+ years, boys and girls can have hours of fun throwing a disc and catching a ball. There are two great sizes and a range of colours to choose from. Phlat Ball Metallic is small in size allowing for quick flings and one-handed catches and is available in three cool metallic colours - purple, yellow and blue.

Phlat Ball V3 transforms from a 9” flying disc to a 6” diameter ball when thrown. Its soft plastic, flexible material provides a comfortable grip for active play. Available to collect in red, yellow and blue; which one will you choose?

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Having a blast!

HASBRO 020 8569 1234 www.hasbro.co.uk Coming for autumn 2014 is a new range of Nerf blasters from Hasbro, perfect for children eight years and up. Take Nerf shots to the next level with the Nerf N-Strike Elite Demolisher 2-in-1 Blaster that dominates missions!

The Demolisher 2-in-1 blaster is impressive in size and power firing up to 85 feet, featuring semimotorised blasting, a 10 dart banana clip and all new missiles.

Blaster includes two missiles and 10 N-Strike Elite darts.

Awesome Nerf Mega performance transitions from blaster to bow with the addition of the N-Strike Mega Thunderbow toy.

The bow’s dynamic arms and traditional pull back system can fire five Nerf whistler darts in a row up to an amazing 85 feet. Includes 10 Mega Whistler darts and holds up to five Nerf Mega darts at a time. Zombie hordes are no match for the Nerf Zombie Strike Slingfire Blaster! The blaster’s lever-action allows for quicker reloads on the run and DIY-style designs lend an authentic feel to any Nerf zombie attack. Blaster comes complete with a six dart clip and six Zombie Strike darts which can be fired up to 75 feet.

To the deck!

BROOKITE 01837 53315 www.brookite.com The Brookite Tacker range of sailing boats have had a makeover for 2014. They look very similar to their predecessors but now feature smart printed sails and a decal with the name of the boat. Choose from the large Tempest or the smaller Topper and SeaSkull.

Although intended as toys, these models look and sail like the real thing. With two sizes to choose from, Tackers will provide hours of sailing fun and excitement both indoors and out. The Tacker boats are great for teaching the basics of sailing. Just as a real yacht, you can adjust the trim of the sails and watch how the boat reacts to different settings. The sturdy keels are weighted so that the boat will self right if it should capsize! The Tacker range will be available from the beginning of March, so why not stock up now?

Bug hunt!

INTERPLAY 01628 488944 sales@interplayuk.com www.interplayuk.com Following a hugely successful re-launch in 2013, Interplay’s awardwinning My Living World range has even more to offer this year, as Butterfly World joins the collection.

As with all My Living World kits, Butterfly World is a hands-on nature study kit that contains all the equipment required to observe and study the fascinating life cycle of butterflies; from a tiny bead of an egg that hatches into a leaf munching caterpillar, to the flying work of natural art that is the adult butterfly.

With the addition of Butterfly World, there are now nine My Living World kits to choose. Endorsed by TV nature specialist and wildlife authority Nick Baker, My Living World is the brand that nature lovers prefer. Each kit includes a highly informative guide written by Nick himself, plus professional quality instruments and equipment inside allowing children to uncover a whole new world.

Other kits within the collection include favourites Ant, Worm and Triop Worlds, plus Bug Safari and Pocket Microscope. With a full PR and marketing campaign behind it, My Living World is the ideal choice when making outdoor toy selections.

MARCH 2014

Funky ride JOHN CRANE 01604 774 949 sales@john-crane.co.uk www.john-crane.co.uk John Crane Ltd has given its outdoor toys a little facelift ready for summer 2014! The My First Bikes in Tidlo have a brand new design and are available in pink and blue with funky graphics. Also in Tidlo is the Outdoor Kitchen. This kitchen is especially designed for outdoor play and the attractive natural look will fit in beautifully with the environment. The Outdoor Kitchen is made from pinewood and treated with a non-toxic natural preservative. The feet also have an alloy coating for extra durability and the kitchen set is easy to move around too!

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Rocky roll star Famosa

07919 541116 www.famosa.es famosauk@famosa.es One of the stars of the Famosa stand at Toy Fair was the new Rocky Feber. The innovative rock and walk system from Feber, the Spanish outdoor toy specialist, is cleverly designed to make it easy for young kids to take their first steps towards individual mobility. Sitting astride the bright yellow dog, young children soon discover that, by rocking the dog, Rocky Feber starts moving forward. To add to the fun, lights and music come on as they cross the floor! Suitable from 12 months old it will be available from September.

The second new toy launched in the foot to floor category is the new My Feber ‘balance’ Bike aimed at instilling confidence in young kids as they contemplate riding a bike for the first time. And unveiled in the tricycles category was the new Feber BabyPlus with Music tricycle, which is designed to grow with young kids in two easy stages. The Famosa team behind Feber has identified five hero products for 2014 – the battery operated Ferrari FF and Minnie Car, the Motorfeber Cars 2, Motorfeber Minnie Mouse and the Fantasy House.

Overall, the Feber product range has been rationalised to make it more focused and relevant for the UK market and trade support will include print advertising and PR. Currently, a totally revamped UK-dedicated Feber website is being designed and, to build brand awareness, a highly targeted online consumer campaign is starting in the spring. Later in the summer, Famosa is planning participation at selected high profile consumer outdoor events to highlight the outdoor nature of the Feber toy range.

Jumbo fun!

Bananagrams

020 7298 9500 sales@winningmoves.co.uk www.bananagrams.com The must-have outdoor games for summer 2014, Jumbo BANANAGRAMS and Jumbo ZIP-IT promise hours of wordplay fun, whatever the weather. Jumbo Bananagrams is a giant version of the original international word game phenomenon, while Jumbo ZIP-IT is a large-scale edition of the fast-paced two-player crossword race that can be played in as little as 20 seconds. Both games have been recognised and highly rated by the Good Toy Guide. Both games were awarded a Gold Award in the Outdoor Toys category in the last round of Primary Teacher Update Awards, as well as the top prize in the Family Play category of the Outdoor Toy Awards 2013 among others.

Jumbo Bananagrams features 144 waterproof, three-inch square tiles packaged in a funky giant yellow banana-shaped tote bag. Requiring no pencil, paper or board, Jumbo Bananagrams is addictive fun and educational play for kids age five to 105 at home or on the go. Players race against each other to build giant crossword grids and use all their letter tiles. Jumbo ZIP-IT is an exhilarating high-speed crossword race featuring 24 beautiful wooden lettered two-inch cubes and coloured scoring zips that come built into the pouch. To play, each person takes 12 cubes and races to form their own crossword grid using any side of the cubes. The first player to use all their own cubes calls “ZIP!” and marks a point by moving their own zip up the pouch. The first person to score 10 points calls “ZIP-IT!” and wins the game!

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We’ve got all you need for summer

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Visit the full range at www.littletikes.co.uk

Heavyweight media plan including TV 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

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FEATURE OUTDOOR

Ride like you’re crazy!

RE:CREATION 01189736222 sales@recreationltd.co.uk www.recreationltd.co.uk Re:creation introduces the biggest, coolest and most exciting outdoor toy portfolio in its 14 year history! Razor, the number one ride on brand, witnessed strong demand on the electric ride on/scooters last year. Sales soared, particularly in the summer months, resulting in the Razor E100 ranked in the 30 top selling toys. Once again displaying their talent for constant innovation, Razor introduces the new Crazy Cart: an electric powered ride on that rides like no other. Already a global social media sensation and nominated for Toy of the Year in the US, the Crazy Cart is a totally unique drifting machine for kids aged 9+ years. Re:creation are supporting the award-winning electric ride on/scooter range with a 360 degree fun fuelled marketing programme later this year. Air Storm is one of the top performing brands in Sports Activities and Games. The hero Z-Curve Bow launches foam arrows over 40 metres. Hot new brand launches include Sky Ripperz, suitable for children aged 8+ years. They are supersonic whistling rockets that travel up to 250 feet (76 metres) - that is longer than a jumbo jet! Already launched in the US and seeing similar value sales as the Z-Curve Bow, Sky Ripperz are a must for spring/summer. Great value and presented in an impressive retail pack, Sky Ripperz will be supported heavily with a zany stick-in-the mind TV commercial throughout spring/summer 2014. With bike sales on the increase, Fuze has seized the gap in the market for fun bike accessories. The brand offers a range of unique and clever technology that allow kids aged 8+ to pimp up their ride. The innovative technology on the Wheel Writer transforms a bike wheel into a real working speedometer, plus 12 different pictures scroll though as they pedal with the super bright LEDs. Marketing support includes TV advertising and in-store FSDU programme complete with a ‘try me’ demo unit to drive immediate sales. Plus there are loads more exciting new Fuze developments on their way in 2014! Lastly, VideoHead is the new helmet to be seen in! Truly unique, with a patent pending built-in camera and 4 clickable lens positions, kids aged 8+ can record their favourite BMX, scooter or skateboard moments with the built-in memory. Plug, film, upload and share - and everything comes in the box. This is a retail opportunity not to be missed.

Bouncing around GALT TOYS 0161 428 9111 www.galttoys.com Galt Toys launches the Nursery Trampoline, a fun smiley tortoise trampoline to develop a young child’s confidence, as well as encouraging co-ordination and balance. The Nursery Trampoline is suitable for children aged 12 + months, both indoor and outdoors, with a tough weatherproof mat and a tubular steel frame. For additional safety, a cushioned friendly tortoise face attaches from the frame to the handle. The Nursery Trampoline also features a detachable handle and rubber feet for ease of storage.

The Nursery Trampoline joins the popular Folding Trampoline in Galt’s range of Active Play toys, which are designed with fun and safety in mind. Galt has introduced the Nursery Trampoline through popular demand from parents.

The dimensions of the Nursery Trampoline are 60cm from floor to handle, 82cm diameter frame.

Maximum weight 20kgs.

Forever blowing bubbles DULCOP +39 051 625 0711 info@dulcop.com www.dulcop.com Founded in 1938 and with over 300 licensed and generic products, Dulcop is the largest manufacturer of soap bubbles and bubble toys in Europe. Dulcop premium soap bubbles are present in over 50 countries through a consolidated and historical sales network, highlighting the company’s reliability and the quality of the range of soap bubbles. Dulcop’s mission has always focused on fostering premium quality products combined with the highest safety standards conceivable. Dulcop’s regular customers are those who understand the importance of this safety value. Dulcop soap bubbles have been manufactured free of Kathon - a harmful preservative that may cause allergies already banned in the pharmaceutical field - for several years. The bubble solution already complies with 2015 Standards required by the CLP (Classification on Labelling and Packaging) and only uses micro-filtered purified water.

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Yearly over 1,600 microbiological tests are carried out by European independent and accredited certification bodies of International Standards (IISG, a UL/ICQ company). Nowadays, there are no other soap bubble manufacturers in the world able to offer as comprehensive a level of safety as Dulcop. It is a guarantee for consumers and traders - safety first!

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MADE IN ITALY

THE WORLD OF THE 1ST SOAP BUBBLE BU MANUFACTURER

Dulcop International S.p.A. +39 051 625 0711

www.dulcop.com

FEATURE OUTDOOR

Garden fun and frolics Traditional Garden Games 028 7776 8742 www.traditionalgardengames.com The Traditional Garden Games range reaches across three categories including Garden Games, Fun & Games and Sports & Fitness. The selection of games is known for quality and value for money.

The Garden Games range features products such as Croquet, Rounders, Skittles and the company’s quality Garden Wooden Dominoes. Other traditional games in the range include Hopscotch and a Fairground target game, which are popular in the summer months but can be played indoors all year round. The Five Big Games in One set includes a Giant 3ft2 Snakes & Ladders game with giant dice, Giant Noughts & Crosses, a 3ft Draughts board, Ring Quoits, and a 3ft Snakes & Ladders puzzle all in one box.

The Fun & Games range features the Jamanga Coloured Tower and Monster Dice and is a challenge for all ages. It has been developed by Traditional Garden Games to make leisure time more enjoyable for all the family.

In the Sports & Fitness range, Monster Badminton and Jumbo Garden Tennis can be played one-on-one, whilst the Sports Day Set and Penalty Shootout can be played in groups. This range has seen exciting growth this year with the addition of the Junior Foldable Football Goal,

Outdoor fun SIMBA SMOBY 01274 765 030 sales@simbasmoby.com www.simbasmoby.com French toy giant Smoby, a member of the Simba Dickie Group, has been providing high quality outdoor and ride on toys for over 40 years. The great range of Smoby outdoor toys available from Simba Smoby includes a variety of garden slides, all with a built in water feature, as well as trikes, tractors, ride ons and a collection of fantastic garden play-houses for which Smoby is rightly famous. The BIG Bobby Car is the world’s top selling children’s vehicle, having sold over 18 million units since launch. Manufactured in Germany, BIG products place a high premium on quality and durability - all of which carry the ‘tested for safety’ GS mark. And there are even Porsche 911 and MercedesBenz SLS AMG variants available as well! With Smoby and fellow Simba Dickie Group subsidiary BIG, the Simba Smoby UK can provide unbeatable quality EU manufactured outdoor toys at prices comparable to the Far East with delivery available in only a matter of weeks or even days. In addition, many of the Smoby and BIG items are warehoused in the UK and all are available on a dropship or home delivery basis.

Pop up Goals and Junior Football Training Set, all in preparation for the World Cup. Not only is it the World Cup this year, another big question is can Andy Murray do it again at Wimbledon? To help children prepare we have introduced our foldable Tennis net, which can also extend so they can play volleyball and badminton too!

Traditional Garden Games also offers themed play tents, space hoppers and play sets. We have just added four new exciting play tents to the range: the Fairy Tale Princess tent, the Knights Play Tent, the Princess Play Tent and this year’s star the Wigwam Play Tent, all of which received huge interest at the shows.

While Traditional Garden Games’ focus is mainly on classic games such as Giant Snakes and Ladders and Giant Noughts & Crosses, the company is continually adding new giant games to the range.

Garden favourites PLUM 07866 370 336 www.plumproducts.com Plum, the market leading activity play specialists have a reputation for quality and innovation. And 2014 will be an exciting year for Plum, with plenty of key new product launches planned within their outdoor range.

The Junior Jumper, specifically designed for younger children, has a lower height frame and colourful plastic legs for stability and durability.

With safety in mind, Plum have used their patented SpringSafe technology, giving the jumper complete protection from the springs and frame.

Easy rider KIDDIMOTO 01749 871 175 info@kiddimoto.co.uk www.kiddimoto.co.uk Beginning its second decade with a bang, Kiddimoto is developing yet more colourful balance bike and helmet designs to complement their best-selling range to date. The latest offering is the Rainbow Union Jack. Rainbow Union Jack hits shelves this month and offers retailers a bright option to sit alongside the best-selling Union Jack range. Available as both a helmet and Kurve, Rainbow Union Jack will add a splash of colour to any store.

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Going big on outdoors BIGJIGS TOYS 01303250400 www.bigjigstoys.com Bigjigs outdoor toys are designed to encourage children to enjoy and explore the great outdoors. Included within this range are a selection of sturdy and colourful Balance Bikes – each with solid tyres and an adjustable seat to ensure a comfortable ride for the teeny tot. Available in three colours including ‘fiery’ red, ‘pretty’ pink and ‘bold’ blue! The Bigjigs outdoor range also includes a selection of gardening tools and equipment perfect for the little explorer. New for 2014 is a Garden Bug Keeper, which allows children to catch and study creepy crawlies from the safety of a built in magnifying glass and pot. The sturdy carry handle ensures that children can transport their findings easily and safely. Suitable for youngsters aged 3 + years, these Garden Bug Keepers are available in red and green.

For those looking for something more active, the Bigjigs swings offer plenty of play. With four swings, suitable for all different ages, youngsters can climb and cradle till they’re content. The range includes the Cradle Swing, The Flat Swing, The Rope Ladder and the Triangular Rope Ladder.

Bigjigs are also exclusive distributors of Twigz and Green Toys in the UK and EU. The Twigz gardening range provides children with

the right tools and resources to enjoy gardening. Each item from the Twigz range is ergonomically designed for children to use in the garden and to function the same way adult tools do too. There is a wider variety of tools on offer, suitable for all ages from 3 years+ including watering cans, buckets, hand tools, wheelbarrows, plant labels and gloves.

Green Toys is an environmentally conscious toy line using 100% recycled plastic to make their toys, with the primary source being recycled milk bottles (over 15 million to date!) – making them perfect for outdoor play!

The Green Toys range includes a collection of vehicles which are perfect for sand, water or general outdoor play. Included in this collection are tractors, trucks, rockets and planes! This best selling Green Toys Dump Truck is ready to get working straight away! This durable and reliant truck is designed for all terrains, helping little ones to haul their loads around easily; and comes with a workable dumper (with no metal axles).

Designed for children

by Nature Experts

When it comes to outdoor activities, ark rk Interplay’s nature kits set the benchmark

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NEW FOR

2014

Designed by wildlife guru Nick Baker Great sales with healthy margins

tel: 01628 488944 email: sales@interplayuk.com

…all the quality you would expect from Interplay!

MARCH 2104

Introducing ‘Butterfly World’ …new for 2014

...toys & gifts designed to inspire

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FEATURE OUTDOOR

Sky-high fun Great Gizmos 01293 543221 enquiries@greatgizmos.co.uk www.greatgizmos.co.uk that attaches to children’s wrists and fires three mini rockets using a hand pump.

Ride ons and pedal cars make for traditional outdoor fun and Great Gizmos’ latest models for 2014 enable little ones from the age of one to become mobile.

The Classic Pedal Car has a new powder pink colour that is ideal for girls and is made from the same strong steel as other vehicles in the collection. The range expands further with models such as the Ride On Aeroplane, Rocket and Retro Racers in green and red.

Finally, Great Gizmos’ okiedog range sees a fresh injection of travel accessories to the Wildpack collection of backpacks, suitcases and trolleys. Ideal for school trips, holidays or just a sleepover at a friend’s house the Wildpack range has something to suit all and are perfectly sculpted into animal shapes with cute faces.

Outdoor fun for both tots and older children is more than catered for by Great Gizmos with traditional ride on toys for the little ones and a sky-high collection for the big kids.

Blasting onto the scene is Geospace, a collection of pump rockets that lets kids have fun indoors and out. The patented thrust booster included in all rockets allows kids to shoot the foam rocket up to 150 feet into the air!

New for 2014 is the Geospace Air Thruster, an aerodynamic rocket plane that will fly 50ft into the sky.

For fast paced action on the go.

The Pump Rocket Micro Wrist Shotz will make even James Bond envious of this convenient and inconspicuous device

Can you dig it?

Nice car!

TOMY

TOY ESSENTIALS

01392281900 www.tomy.co.uk

01285 762039 www.toyessentials.com

The Big Scoop John Deere Excavator joins the sandbox toy line-up in 2014. Fully equipped to tackle sandy terrain, this excavator has a strong plastic body, thick durable tyres and a hinged arm with bucket for extra deep digging. The massive free-rolling wheels and swivelling cab for all-round access means this vehicle will never be stuck in the sand. Ideal for outdoor sandbox play, the Big Scoop John Deere Dump Truck features easy tipping action and free-rolling wheels for simple transportation of goods! Durable plastic means it’s built to last tough sandbox fun!

When it comes to getting kids into the fresh outdoors to play, there’s no better way to persuade them than with PlasmaCar, the ride on vehicle suitable for children aged from three upwards.

PlasmaCar, now available exclusively from Toy Essentials, the newly founded retail arm of Education Essentials.

The beauty of the PlasmaCar lies in its simplicity. Requiring neither batteries nor pedals, PlasmaCar is propelled by a combination of aerodynamic design, movement of the steering wheel, friction, centrifugal force and gravity which drives the car both forward and backward.

Stylish rides!

H. GROSSMAN LTD 0141 613 2525 www.ozbozz.co.uk H. Grossman specialises in outdoor products and 2014 has seen the launch of some fabulous new ranges including some of the most successful licensed product. Arguably the most popular characters to come from any recent movie, The Minions are the leading lights from Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2, and will star in their very own film in 2015. This year the Minions are starring in the HGL range which includes a whole range of outdoor products, scooters, bikes, skateboards, trikes, inline skates, pogo stick, even a balance bike. There are even helmets featuring Minions with one eye and Minions with two eyes! Joining

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the Minions licensed products is the How to Train your Dragon 2 range from HGL. Launching to coincide with another blockbuster summer movie, HGL have a full range of Dragon merchandise including scooter, trikes, bikes, skateboards, inline skates, helmet and pogo sticks. There are also tents and chairs and lots of outdoor pocket money toys including skittles, yoyos, discs, gliders and fizz pods.

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BRAND FOCUS CRAYOLA

Crazy for Crayola Putting the magic into making with over 110 years experience in the industry

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hen Crayola burst onto the scene over 110 years ago in 1903, creators Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith probably had no idea that they had the makings of an industry giant. Crayola’s ethos encompassing originality, safety, education and creativity, is the same today as it was then and the brand name – which is distributed in Europe, the Middle East and Africa by Vivid Imaginations – has grown to such iconic standards that homes and schools which Crayola’s ethos are not filled with Crayola are a encompassing rarity rather than a rule. originality, The brand has constantly safety, evolved to stay fresh and relevant over its illustrious education and history so it is no surprise that creativity, is Crayola’s expansion plans for the same today 2014 are as impressive as ever. as it was then Fans of the brand can look forward to ranges like Doodle Magic, Marker Maker, Hot Heels and Beadola Charm Maker.

Coming under the My First Crayola banner is the hugely successful Doodle Magic which allows kids to indulge in worry-free o y ee creativity c eat ty because their creations wash away with water. Launching in June of this year is the Doodle Magic Colour Roll which is designed for use at home and contains four markers, a colour eraser, wipe cloth and colour mat.

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An added feature with the product is that the accessory storage makes tidying up much easier and there is a loop to hang the mat on a door or wall. Doodle fans can also look forward to the Doodle Magic Travel Pack, Lap Desk and Accessories Pack.

Crayola are also upping the ante by allowing children to create their own markers with the brilliantly innovative and award winning Marker Maker. Available from July, children can mix their own colours thus creating an crea assortment of assortm markers. markers The product produc has already alrea seen great g success and is Crayola’s bestt selling line of sel 2013 in th the U.S. The Crayola he U. U S. Th Creations range, a dedicated d

fashion brand for girls, has some exciting new additions for 2014.

Amongst them is the easy-to-use Beadola Charm Marker which allows you to create high-end style beads.

Series 2 of the ever popular Hot Heels range also promises to be even more glamorous with new shoe styles and each pack is filled with glitter effect styling tape, ribbons, stickers and gem stones giving fans even more scope to create unique shoes.

Excitingly, Crayola have also just announced that they have teamedup with Aardman Animations and ODEON Cinemas in the UK and ROI to offer a brilliant consumer engagement program this summer.

Essentially, Crayola users are being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create their own animated short film through the MyCrayolaMovie.com website.

From the dedicated website, anyone can download a free seven day trial of Aardman’s Animate It! software, making it really easy for budding animators of all ages to transform any Crayola pencil or marker doodle into an animated short movie. The winner will then see their movie on an ODEON big screen! To support the promotion, Crayola will be introducing its first ever UK on-pack promotion. Across all 12 and 24 Coloured Pencils and Supertips packs, the brand’s four highest volume stationery lines, there will be a token offering kids to go free at ODEON cinemas with any full paying adult. This is just a snap-shot of all that Crayola has to offer and these ranges will be teamed with an integrated marketing strategy which will utilise on-pack promotion, PR and TV and online with Crayola.co.uk taking a more centre stage.

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FEATURE

Peterkin

DOLLS

You’re a doll!

Large dolls and accessories are a staple in the toy industry. Encouraging role-play, nurturing and imagination is as important now as it has ever been

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constant companion, someone to play with, interact with, explore the world with and love unconditionally. We don’t speak of a best friend, or at least a human best friend – we’re talking about a child and their doll.

Regardless of a child’s gender, dolls offer endless opportunities for creative and imaginative play and this is something Marian Davis, Marketing Manager at MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation agrees with. “Whilst traditionally dolls have been a gender specific sector, childhood is the most creative and imaginative stage of life so we should free them from the subconscious shackles of gender conformity. If boys want to play with dolls and girls want to play with cars then they should be left to make that choice for themselves.”

When asked why dolls and accessories play such an integral part of the industry – often being the first thing one thinks of when the word ‘toys’ springs to mind, Marian revealed: “Dolls and accessories can appeal to a wide age range of children from 0-8+, and for most parents they are looking for soft and cuddly toys for babies and then dolls which stimulate a child’s imagination during the formative years.”

For his part, Peterkin’s Head of Sales and Marketing Andrew Moulsher says: “Nurturing dolls are one of the all-time classic role play scenarios – always have been, always will be!”

But in an era where tech toys could be seen to take prevalence, how do manufacturers keep imaginative play alive and relevant?

Peterkin’s Andrew Moulsher says: “While children are increasingly engaging with tech toys at a younger age, the values and principals of traditional role play are timeless and will always play a key part of any child’s natural development. Nurturing dolls have always, and will continue to, engage children in some key developmental role play scenarios. Tech toys are showing some fantastic innovation, but I just don’t think the joy of a child cuddling and caring for their very own baby doll can be replicated by a tech toy.”

And this is something Marian Davis agrees with: “We all know that toys can help to nurture the imagination and smart parents will recognise that traditional toys like dolls and plush animals and a corner filled with household objects like cardboard boxes and pans will spark a pre-schooler’s imagination.”

In terms of what retailers can expect, MGA both Peterkin and MGA/Zapf have some exciting things lined-up.

“We have recognised that

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while nurturing play still has the strongest appeal for younger children, the older children want play patterns that are more engaging for them,” explained Marian who added: “With this in mind we have developed a line of BABY born themed segments that offer dolls and accessories to engage the child such as bath time, doctor and fantasy role play.”

Likewise, Peterkin say retailers can also expect new things from them. “Retailers can certainly expect changes from our dollsworld range – we have some beautiful new introductions for 2014!”

Peterkin’s Andrew revealed that the development of the dollsworld range is ongoing. “We are now starting to see the real benefits of the rebranding exercise we went through two years ago. Little Treasure was one of our stand out new dolls last year and we have invested heavily in new tooling for 2014 and have some very exciting feature dolls for our retail partners – a couple of highlights would be Baby BooHoo and our new Megan styling head playset - we’ve had a fantastic reaction to both items and they are destined to fly off the shelves!”

In terms of exciting retailers, MGA and Zapf have equally interesting news, with Marian Davis telling us: “Baby Annabell and BABY born ranges continue to perform well at retail and accessories such as the Baby Annabell Lullaby Bed and BABY born Bathtub are proven sellers. For autumn we are launching some fabulous themed accessories including the Baby Annabell Rocking Bed and BABY born Vanity Unit, Medical Laptop and Princess Bed with interactive features.

Within our Lalaloopsy range we have launched the new soft-bodied Babies, which are “sew cute” and offer a nurturing dynamic within the whimsical world of Lalaloopsy.”

Nurturing dolls are one of the all-time classic role play scenarios – always have been, always will be!

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NPD Top 5 items for 2013 in value for Nurturing dolls & Acc Baby Annabell Baby Born Interactive Cabbage Patch Kids My First Baby Annabell Mamas & Papas Urbo pram

Zapf Creation Zapf Creation Jakks Pacific Zapf Creation HTI

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FEATURE DOLLS

Pretty through the ages Asobi 01628 200077 www.asobi.co.uk

Creative dolls Zapf Creation 01908 268480 www.zapf-creation.com Zapf Creation has several new product launches taking place this year, including a whole new brand.

Mooshka is a new and wholesome line of dolls that aim to create a sense of nostalgia for mums. The fabric dolls are targeted at children aged two to four years old. Each of the dolls comes with a free downloadable eBook. Autumn launches for this new line include an interactive singing themed doll that continues to focus on the friendship theme of the brand. Continuing its success as the UK’s number one nurturing doll brand, Baby Annabell has launched My First Baby Annabell Let’s Play. The new doll comes with a bottle for feeding, which brings interactivity and joy to understanding baby meal times for children. My First Baby Annabell Let’s Play is suitable for ages two years and above. Autumn will continue to excite, as Baby Annabell will be refreshed and will include a brand new rocking function. The brand will also welcome new accessories into the range, including a rocking cradle to complement the new doll. Baby Annabell will also be introducing a new function doll in autumn. Following the successful launch of Baby Annabell Brother Baby George in autumn 2013, the brand will be introducing a whole new line of accessories designed especially for use with the commemorative doll. Market-leading brand BABY born has launched My Little BABY born Bathing Fun. The doll is 32cm tall and has a quick-drying, soft and cuddly body, which means children won’t have to be without their companion for long. My Little BABY born Bathing Fun is suitable for ages one year old and above.

Georgian Girl added to winning range A Girl For All Time 020 7060 6151 www.AGirlForAllTime.com Lydia, Your Georgian Girl is the latest addition to the multi award-winning range of historical play dolls, books and accessories from A Girl for All Time. Created by British boutique toy company Daughters of History Ltd., the age-appropriate, educational companion dolls have been designed to appeal to modern, young girls aged 7+ years. With the addition of Lydia, there are now four dolls in the range: Matilda – Your Tudor Girl; Amelia – Your Victorian Girl; Clementine – Your 1940s Girl and Lydia – Your Georgian Girl.

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Founded in 1860, Petitcollin has built up a wealth of expertise in manufacturing dolls.

Many people have grown up playing with Petitcollin dolls and they now want to buy them for their children, so that they can enjoy them too. For those who like the idea of their children playing with traditional dolls wearing locally-made traditional clothes, Petitcollin’s lovely dolls are sure to be a hit!

Innovative play Famosa www.famosa.es 07919541116 Nenuco, the innovative doll and playset brand from Famosa, rolls out plans to extend the range following the massive 2013 success of the Sleep with Me Cradle and a scoop for Best New Toy at this year’s Toy Fair with the 2014 launch Nenuco Learn to Eat. 2014 will see huge brand progression with a new lower priced accessories range to complement the main doll sets. Mummy Bag changing set, Coloured Nappies, Basic Clothing and a Nenuco Highchair all add weight to the brand message of giving little girls the closest experience to playing ‘mum’.

Fresh off the catwalk HTI continues to consolidate HTI 01253 778888 info@htigroup.co.uk www.htigroup.co.uk

its position with premium Silver Cross and Mamas & Papas Junior collections – both of which have been refreshed for 2014 to visually stunning effect. Based on the contemporary models available in ‘real life’ nursery ranges and featuring up-to-the-minute stylish fabric designs, HTI provides little girls with the ultimate large doll accessory – their very own set of wheels!

HTI also offers dolls prams and pushchairs with evergreen brands Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty and Minnie Mouse.

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FEATURE DOLLS

Cosy Companions GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221 enquiries@greatgizmos.co.uk www.greatgizmos.co.uk Brand new to Great Gizmos’ NICI collection is Miniclara, a beautiful ballerina 100% plush doll who joins already firm favourites Minilina, Minilotta and Minilara in NICI Wonderland.

Ideal as first time play friends, all four dolls are made from the softest of plush and have their own unique identities. All NICI dolls are machine washable and suitable to use from birth.

New to the collection is Miniclara, a blonde-haired doll that comes with a pink tutu, ballet pumps, pretty floral headband and cute little kitten to complete the look. Miniclara is a keen ballerina and loves to twirl and dance.

There are cute additions to accompany Miniclara such as a wide variety of reversible clothing and accessories including a Musical Jewellery Box and soft plush Suitcase. There is also a cute cushion perfect for her owner’s room.

As mentioned, Miniclara is joined in NICI Wonderland by Minilina, Minilotta and Minilara, three soft dolls that are the perfect companion for any little girl. Minilina is a soft blonde-haired doll that can be accessorised with reversible clothing that allows for both day and night time play. Minilotta is the brunette of the family and has the added value of being able to venture underwater so playtime doesn’t have to stop at bathtime whilst Minilara is a ginger-haired doll who is a keen gardener and spends her time tending to her plants.

Become Best Friends BIGJIGS TOYS 01303 250400 www.bigjigstoys.com Bigjigs have an extensive range of cheerful and traditional plush dolls with accompanying accessories to extend play.

These wonderfully crafted, cuddly dolls come in a variety of different sizes including 38cms, 35 cms and 28cms, perfect for youngsters aged 1+ years.

Each doll comes complete with a highly decorative outfit that can be easily taken off and replaced with another.

Bigjigs Toys have introduced six new dolls for 2014, including Pippa and Arthur, both who are sporting their pyjamas, perfect for comforting children at night-time.

To complement the plush range, Bigjigs Toys have also introduced their own range of furniture, allowing little ones to take role play with their dollies to the next level. The Daisy Doll High Chair, Daisy Doll Cradle and Daisy Doll Pram are all made from high quality wood and finished with child friendly paints and lacquers.

No tears here!

She’s a know-it-all!

JOHN ADAMS

VIVID

01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk

01483 449944 info@vividimag.co.uk www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

2014 sees the much loved Tiny Tears brand getting a makeover with the introduction of the Classic Tiny Tears Interactive doll, which combines the traditional doll with the latest technology. Girls aged 3 years and over can press her belly to hear her laugh, cry or say ‘mama’. The doll can also be fed her with her drinking bottle and makes drinking sounds. When the doll has finished feeding, take the bottle away to hear a satisfied burp! Classic Tiny Tears Interactive will cry real tears when the button on her back is pressed.

When it is time for potty training, sit her down on her potty to see her ‘go’. Classic Tiny Tears Interactive comes complete with all the accessories children need for nurturing role play.

Winner of a ‘Best New Toy’ Award in the doll category at London Toy Fair, Classic Tiny Tears Interactive will be available in July.

This summer Vivid will be introducing a doll with a difference! My Friend Cayla is 18 inches tall, with a funky outfit and long brushable hair. Girls can also chat with her like their real best friend, sharing stories and playing games with the help of a smart device.

Cayla has a vast database full of knowledge, stories, jokes and lots more. She can even answer general-knowledge questions with the help of speech-totext technology over an internet connection. It’s amazing what she knows! Launching in July, My Friend Cayla will be supported with a full multimedia marketing campaign.

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FEATURE DOLLS

Woohoo for Baby BooHoo! PETERKIN UK LTD 0116 2543645 sales@peterkin.co.uk www.peterkin.co.uk Peterkin’s dollsworld brand continues to go from strength to strength, both in the UK and in over 60 countries around the world!

It is now widely regarded as one of the leading nurturing dolls brands, becoming a “must have” brand for all credible toy shops and now there are several beautiful new dolls and accessories for 2014.

One highlight is Baby BooHoo, an 18” soft vinyl doll who cries real tears, compete with a deluxe hat and outfit, bottle, bib and dummy. Baby Tinkles is a new 15” drink and wet doll, complete with deluxe outfit and hat, bottle, potty and fabric nappy, whilst Bonny Baby is a stunning new 18” soft-bodied doll with vinyl limbs, deluxe outfit and accessories.

Other highlights include Phoebe, a new

12” interactive soft-bodied doll and Megan, a brand new styling head play set.

Accessories and outfits are an integral part of the dollsworld brand and there are also some fantastic new items in this part of the range. A twin pack of 12” romper suits is set to be a favourite, as will be the new 3 pack of deluxe baby bibs. A brand new quilt and pillow set has been added, along with a new pack of 4 pairs of dolly socks. There are also now 2 beautifully packaged boxed gifts sets – a pair of booties with two pairs of socks and Peterkin’s nappies, sourced from a real nappy factory, have also been updated and are now available as a blister carded 5 pack.

As always, the dolls and accessories are complemented by a high quality range of strollers, buggies, deluxe prams and wooden furniture.

These new additions perfectly complement the existing items and ensure that dollsworld offers the complete nurturing dolls solution of dolls, accessories, buggies, prams and furniture.

Going loopy for Lalaloopsy MGA ENTERTAINMENT 01908 268480 www.mgae.com MGA Entertainment has several new Lalaloopsy additions coming to the range this spring, including the launch of the Lalaloopsy Babies.

Supported heavily by TV, the new Lalaloopsy Babies are an exciting addition to the Lalaloopsy brand, with some of the favourite original characters now transformed into babies. Dolls available in the range include Crumbs Sugar Cookie, Pillow Featherbed, Jewel Sparkles and Mittens Fluff N Stuff. Each doll has a soft, huggable body and comes with a bottle, dummy and hat.

For autumn there will be further product expansion to the Lalaloopsy Babies range with a nurturing doll that includes a surprise charm feature.

Also adding to the collectability of the range is the new large mermaid feature doll – Lalaloopsy Bubbly Mermaid. Each doll comes with a bubble solution to place in the doll and when you squeeze its tail magical bubble hair grows. The ‘hair’ can then be sculpted into lots of styles.

The colourful dolls can be played with in or out of water and each comes with a pet that squirts water from its mouth.

Characters available in the range are Pearly Seafoam and Ocean Seabreeze.

Proven seller Lalaloopsy Loopy Hair doll has welcomed two new characters to the range this spring – Pix E. Flutters

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and Tippy Tumblelina. The dolls have amazing hair made out of real yarn, which girls can curl, twist, braid, brush and straighten into loads of different styles.

Additionally, 12 new characters will be joining the Lalaloopsy large doll range this year - taking the total number of dolls to collect to over 50. Each doll brings new and exciting whimsical looks to the range. MGA will continue to grow its Lalaloopsy Littles range with new characters, taking the number of dolls to collect to over 24.

Lalaloopsy dolls are suitable for ages four plus.

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minilina

Perfect for her first doll!

miniclara

Each little lady has a selection of outfits and accessories available and is made from the softest plush! the softest plush! minilotta

Come and see us at Harrogate Nursery Fair Stand A7

All outfits fit all dolls minilara

www.ggtrade.co.uk

All machine washable & suitable from birth

FEATURE DOLLS

Everyone’s favourite Doc Doll!

FLAIR 0208 6430320 enquiries@flairplc.co.uk www.flairplc.co.uk When searching for a large doll complete with accessories there is only one name on everyone’s lips – Doc McStuffins! Following on from last year’s success, the Time For Your Check Up Interactive Doll features Doc McStuffins and her trusted friend Lambie the sheep and comes complete with a host of interactive features such as songs and phrases, and a stethoscope through which you can hear Lambie’s heartbeat.

Last autumn saw Yogurtinis, the coolest kids straight from the fridge become a new favourite doll for many girls. The new Yogurtinis mini collection will be launched in spring 2014 featuring 12 miniature scented dolls with fully poseable head, arms and legs.

Continuing on from the strong response to the range is the new Forest Fruits Yogurtinis. There will be six sweet smelling dolls in the family, each with their own super soft woodland onesie outfit: Paul Apple, Angie Oranges, Noa Cocoa, Scott Carrot, Tony Honey and Li-Chu Bamboo. The whole collection is TV promoted.

Let’s talk love VTECH 01235 555545 www.vtechuk.com Introducing your child’s new baby best friend, the VTech Little Love - Grow With Me Baby Doll, suitable for ages two years and above! Teach this adorable doll to talk as she responds to a child’s voice - the more your child talks, the more the baby doll will learn and grow with them. In fact, the baby can develop from infant to preschooler by talking more and more. This voiceactivated baby doll can speak over 100 words, sing 10 melodies and speak over 80 phrases, which she has learned from the illustrated learning books which come included. There are four activity buttons to play with on baby’s bib which help to teach music, role play and nurturing skills and four pretend play activities for hours of fun. She also interacts with accessories such as the dummy and bottle, which promote interactive caring play as well as the VTech Grow With Me 3-in-1 Pushchair. The VTech Little Love - Grow With Me 3-in-1 Pushchair is made for the VTech Grow With Me Baby Doll and is also suitable for ages two years and above. The 3-in-1 stroller transforms into three learning play modes – a high chair, walker/stroller and cot which recognise movement and respond.

The interactive components encourage fun pretend play as it teaches numbers, food names, counting, music and fun facts.

The finest dolls travel first class SIMBA SMOBY TOYS 01274 765030 www.smoby.com Urban, stylish, contemporary; these are the core values of the Quinny brand that have made it a household name. With the Smoby range of Quinny prams and pushchairs, kids can now be just as stylish as their parents.

The key products in the Quinny range are the 3in1 Quinny Pushchair & Pram, which can be converted easily from one to the other and alongside that the Quinny Twin Pushchair, allowing kids to transport two dolls at the same time. Both influenced by the ground-breaking Zapp stroller, they are instantly identifiable by their striking modern design.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

u c o n e ba b y N n s r a to e a t ! e l TV Advertised

With the Nenuco rango of dolls and playsets you can have the closest experience to being a ‘real’ mum.

275 TVR’s for Spring/Summer

New Extensive range of Nenuco dolls and accessories to compliment the range

www.nenucofamosa.com www.nenucofamo

BRAND FOCUS TOY STATE

Toy State hits the TV highway With their ROAD RIPPERS Radio Control Jumpin’ Stunts MINI Countryman Car

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ow celebrating their 30th year Toy State is increasing their heir U.K. presence with a big 20 second TV campaign in the Autumn across all major channels through gh to pre-Christmas. as.

Leading the U.K. charge is Michael ael Angel who, as Senior Director ctor U.K., has been responsible forr U.K. sales for 11 years now. From a very solid U.S. base, TnP caught up with Andrew Friess their Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Michael at Nuremberg to learn more of their plans to ensure that Britain’s kids and their dads will be clamouring for Toy State’s Road Rippers.

Andy told us: “As a company we are focused on increasing our international business and investing heavily to achieve this aim. The U.K. is a very important part of that plan.

Michael has been doing a great job selling our brands and this year’s TV campaign will hugely

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increase consumer awareness with back up across digital channels and social media.”

Road Rippers is a big brand in the States (and a growing ‘player’ globally) where they have worked with wor all the t major retailers over the reta years yea to build a very solid soli reputation an innovator as a and industry leader. lea Toy State’s To new Radio Jumpin’ Control Ju Stunts car, with its MINI styling, will be retailing Countryman styling at around £49.99. The toy features full-function radio controlled driving with an exciting ‘jump and flip’ feature that truly sets it apart from the competition! Backing up this collection are some fantastic ‘Light & Sound’ road machines that will retail at between £5 - £20. These best-inclass ‘Light & Sound’ cars fuel a ‘state of imagination’ in children with ‘tryme’ packaging to showcase the most realistic sounds, lights and action that boys just love.

Toy State has longstanding relationships with a number of major car and road making brands where they have built up an enviable reputation for developing innovative, creative designs for these major marques. Wherever possible Toy State has concluded

global licenses that will stand them in good stead as they increase their sales across Europe.

The Caterpillar brand has been part of the Toy State family since 2002 and their product portfolio for the mighty Cat starts from 12 months upwards in its most distinctive yellow and black livery.

For us Brits you can’t get better than the various James Bond 007 Aston Martin DB5 vehicles that have been part of the James Bond success story from the very beginning. Living just round the corner from Aston Clinton, where Mr. Martin created his very first car hence the name Aston Martin, you could say that I have quite an interest in this famous marque.

Toy State’s range of these famous cars are packed with play appeal where at a touch of a button Bond’s various hidden weapons are revealed.

Features include motorised driving action with lights, realistic vehicle sounds along with the classic James Bond theme music. Like their Road Rippers relations, Bond’s vehicles all come with ‘try-me’ packaging.

A final word from Andy Friess: “Recognised as a best-in-class partner, the iconic global brands that we offer are a testament to Toy State’s continued success and the high quality and innovation of our toys. We look forward to expanded dealings with our current key U.K. customers, as well as forging new account relationships as we sharpen our focus in this key territory. 2014 is such an important year for Toy State and we want your readers to share in our vision and success.”

For full information contact Michael Angel on 020 8440 5060 or email msangel@toystate.com

toysnplaythings.co.uk

PREVIEW

FOOTBALL FEVER

Back of the net!

With competition heating up in this year’s Premier League, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in just four months, don’t be caught offside from this year’s football football fever

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hether or not the ref is indeed blind is an endless topic of conversation across the world - everyone knows a football fan. From the born and bred, local side die-hard, to the fan from North Yorkshire, who loves nothing more than a trip to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, admirers of the beautiful game can be found everywhere.

For many in the UK, supporting their favourite team is a life long pursuit, and starts in early childhood.

It’s a universally accessible sport, and with an opportunity for all levels of player to get involved it has garnered a fierce following unlike any other sport in the world.

As such, Gary Jacobson, Brand Licensing Manager, Tottenham Hotspur says that football fandom represents “a ‘cradle-to-grave’ opportunity for retailers.” And this is evidenced in the popularity of football collectables, a passion that begins in the playground and can become a lifelong ritual.

Panini, a name synonymous with football collectables, has been creating football sticker albums for

Cartamundi

“

While children love the playground currency of the official collection, parents and adults get swept away with the nostalgia of collecting stickers.

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Hy-Pro

decades, including the FIFA World Cup sticker albums since 1970. Rebecca Smith, Head of Circulation at Panini explains that collecting every sticker from your favourite squad has become a big part of any season, for both children and adults. “While children love the playground currency of the official collection, parents and adults get swept away with the nostalgia of collecting stickers.”

And let’s not forget that 2014 is World Cup year. The World Cup is one of the biggest and most popular sporting events in the world, and brings football fever to even the most casual of fans. With 32 teams qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, everyone has their team to back.

That means big business, with a reinvigorated audience eager to support their team until the final whistle blows. As Hy-Pro’s Cherelle Dwyer explains: “Fans want to participate, be involved and feel part of their team’s progress throughout the tournament.”

In the wave of excitement that accompanied the 2010 World Cup, Panini’s sticker collection skyrocketed in sales and popularity.

“In 2010 the Official FIFA sticker collection polled as the number one toy line for a number of weeks,” explains Rebecca. “Sales are very intense over a relatively short period of time so retailers must capitalise on this incredible opportunity from launch.”

This year’s World Cup is hosted

by Brazil, a nation that is no stranger to the global tournament and international football. But Brazil

THE WORLD CUP IN NUMBERS There can be only one team that claims the World Cup in Brazil this year. Will Spain hold on to the title, or will it be a wild card?

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: •

12 June – 13 July

•

19th World Cup tournament

•

64 Matches

•

32 Teams from 6 continents

•

1 World Cup

is also one of the party capitals of the world, famous for its annual Rio Carnival.

Hy-Pro has worked hard to capture this party atmosphere, as well as the colour and spirit of the host nation, in its World Cup range says Cherelle: “Understanding the licence and the product to ensure that a good product is made, we have captured the feel of the World Cup in many of our designs. We use bright colours associated with Brazil so that fans engage with the party spirit of the Brazilian nation.”

Hy-Pro also hold the iconic and fan favourite Three Lions licence.

“World Cup fever will benefit all of our football licenses. We hold the official Three Lions licence which is always hugely successful in years in which the England team play at major sporting events,” adds Cherelle.

So, with the World Cup on the horizon and millions of domestic league fans, don’t get caught offside, strap on your boots and get stuck in with the beautiful game!

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Stickers of your favourite football kickers PANINI www.panini.co.uk 01892 500100 Panini are proud to bring you the only 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Licensed Sticker Collection for this celebrated event. In this stunning collection all 32 teams are presented with eye-popping graphics and amazing images of the world’s highest profile soccer superstars. Collectors will find special glitter stickers featuring badges, official emblems, the official FIFA World Cup trophy and Brazuca stickers. There are 640 stickers to collect including 40 special stickers to look out for. Collectors can kick start their collection with a starter pack which includes an album and 31 stickers! Don’t miss out on the world’s most famous footballing event! Get stuck in with tips, dedicated team pages and Panini stickers!

Score great sales with Star Cutouts STAR CUTOUTS 01613 445839 www.starcutouts.com

Card games with a kick!

CARTAMUNDI 01268 511522 www.cartamundi.co.uk The official FIFA card range from playing card giant Cartamundi gives England fans the chance to have fun and show their support for their team at the 2014 World Cup with three special card games.

Older children and adults can play classic card games with a pack of playing cards branded with the England colours.

Younger fans can play Pairs with the FIFA memo game, pairing up identical cards from a specially designed circular pack whose cards are decorated with colourful Brazilian-style images — including Fuleco the armadillo, the official mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Everyone can have fun with the FIFA facts game cards.

There are 32 — one for every team in the tournament.

Available for order now, the FIFA games will be at retail in time for the world’s biggest footballing spectacle.

Whether you are a football fan or not, you cannot ot escape the building hysteria eria around the World Cup. With the balmy summer heat and the e emotional turmoil created by the event Star Cutouts predicts an enormous spike in party retail sales for this period. With this in mind, Star Cutouts has launched its new Football Party range of masks and stand-ins. The England flag face masks are available in single and 6 packs. And with the Contenders Flag and Football World Stars face masks both available in 6 packs, they are perfect for any football occasion and goal scorer stand-ins - great for a themed party. Star Cutouts is on target to achieve its goals of scoring great sales this summer. Now is the time to get on the football train and celebrate the upcoming summer with the team at Star Cutouts !

MARCH 2014

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PREVIEW

FOOTBALL FEVER

Super SportsStars CHARACTER OPTIONS 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.co.uk

Football loving robots!

Character Options’ SportsStars collection now boast teams like Manchester United F.C, Arsenal F.C, Manchester City F.C and Tottenham Hotspur F.C to name but a few, with all of the most famed stars amongst the 100+ figures to collect. This year sees even more teams to hunt for with European giant, FC Barcelona added to the fixture list. All figures now come in the unique Display Brix format which does away with the foil bags and introduces a usable, displayable clear display box that can be built into wall of footballing superstars. In addition to micro-figures, the SportsStars collection remains a complete pac kage of constructable football fun with many play-sets to choose from. This includes the 4 in 1 Mega Stadium which can be built into not just one but four of the UK‘s most famous footballing venues.

Score!

BEEWI www.bee-wi.com BeeWi’s miniature football crazy robots connect to all Apple, Android and Windows devices, enabling users to play football wirelessly, controlling the players with the touch screen on a smartphone/tablet. Each KickBee package contains a mini robot (in black), a goal frame, a ball and customisable ‘shirt’ stickers. Football players of all levels can come together and play a game of miniature football.

After downloading the free BeeWi BotPad application and pairing both devices, the KickBee becomes a fun navigation device that allows users to twist, turn, tackle and shoot with the flick of a finger or tilt of the wrist. Powered by two AAA batteries that provide users with up to eight hours of continuous playtime, the KickBee can be used when within a 15 metre range of a phone or tablet.

The KickBee Mini footballers do more than just play football, the toys can also be used to race or take part in a Sumo match.

The BeeWi website also has fun kits to transform the KickBee into different scenarios.

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HY-PRO 01582 670 100 www.hy-pro.co.uk

World Cup fever!

JUMBO GAMES 01707 260436 www.jumbo.eu Jumbo Games is looking forward to the World Cup this year and has already begun celebrating by expanding the number one adult puzzle range, Wasgij, with the launch of Wasgij Original 21: Football Fever!

The football themed jigsaw launched in February 2014 with support from former national football goalkeeper, Peter Shilton. Jumbo are running an on-pack promotion to offer one lucky winner the opportunity to watch one of the England group matches with Shilton himself and up to twenty friends.

Jumbo also has SoccerSuckers which are are available in footballshaped capsules for fans of all ages.

Each capsule includes a 3D life-like premier league player.

In 2014 Hy-Pro International will continue their strong relationship with some of Europe’s biggest football clubs - Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham.

Hy-Pro’s striking portfolio also includes FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions league.

The product range includes Size 1 & 5 replica footballs, football accessories and luggage items.

With the most exciting finish to a Premier League in recent history, combined with the building anticipation of the World Cup in Brazil, 2014 is promising to be another extremely successful year.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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TNP

AMBASSADORS

Living, learning and playing This month our TnP Ambassadors, the Coen and Ralhan families, are battling rainy weather but in proper trooper style they learn to entertain themselves!

A bright spark!

The weather might be chilly but the Coen girls love being Frozen.

Martina Coen is mum to Orlaith, (5) and Sorcha (1) and runs her own childcare business in Enfield, Middlesex.

So this never-ending wet, windy and cold winter has dragged on long enough. We have made full use of our rainy day hamper, there’s not a bit of Play-Doh that still has its original bright colour, every page of our Disney colouring books and Peppa magazines have been personalised and the Aquadoodle mat has its own allocated drying space near the radiator. But there is one bright light on the horizon bringing us lots of joy…Frozen!!

Disney’s latest adventure has Orlaith hooked; she loves the

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beautiful princesses, the fabulous tunes and the enchanting story and I have ve to confess, I love it too.

Based on the Ice Queen tale ale written by Hans Christian Andersen which was one of my favourite stories as a child, Disney have re-worked ked it for the next generation and have done a fantastic job. Orlaith plays with her Anna and Elsa dolls for hours and nd has them performing her favourite urite tunes and she puts on shows ows for us all belting out the words while copying the dances. We have even

WHAT THE KIDS SAY Favourite Toy: Orlaith – Mattel’s Anna & Elsa dolls Sorcha – Posh Paws Disney Minnie Mouse soft toy Most Wanted: Orlaith – Disney Frozen DVD Sorcha - Fisher Price Little People Disney Castle Favourite Film/Programme: Orlaith – Disney Frozen Sorcha – Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

downloaded the soundtrack on my phone and we listen in the house and in the car so there really is no escape. We are currently counting down the days until the DVD is released and then she will be able to enjoy every moment again, and again, and again! Frozen is a bit beyond Sorcha’s level just yet but it is interesting in seeing how her tastes and interests have developed recently. Her television interests have evolved and she happily watches programmes such Mouse Clubhouse and as Mickey Mous Show Me Show Me, both of which were favourites of Orlaith favou when she sh was a similar age. Sorcha loves the music mus and singing and can be caught shaking ca some moves to the so Hot H Dog song. She has h also discovered Orlaith’s Mickey O Mouse and Minnie M Mouse figures and M walks around the w house with them ho before befo settling down to watch the programme.

Orlaith is happy to sit Orla with her and watch for a wh while and then she wants her turn to pick a “big girl” programme so Sorcha will toddle off to find something new.

It’s lovely that they can enjoy the story and songs together and shows how some of the programmes never seem to lose their appeal, even to “big girls” like 5 year old Orlaith!

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Daddy cool - We could be Heroes!

Paul Ralhan is dad to Jaik (5) and Harry (3) and runs Glasstec Automotive, his own mobile luxury car windscreen replacement in London and the surrounding home counties. You can contact him on 084 565 86545.

The Ralhan boys have impressed their dad this month with their organisational skills – all demonstrated through the art of play!

Two track sets combined make for higher jumps. This was no ordinary stunt launch ramp set; this was Hot Wheels Mega Jump, dad style.

A longer runway enables a greater elevation which, in turn, generates more speed. This obviously means higher jumps.

With all this excitement and innovation bouncing off the living room floor, Harry discovered a great law in physics namely kinetic energy - in that releasing two cars down an incline increases the velocity of the lead car – accelerated by the one behind - enough to send it even further off the hill (although three cars wasn’t as awesome). Whilst all this was going on, Jaik continued with his world tour itinerary: “We’ll go

MARCH 2014

to Germany to find Max Schnell; then we’ll go to Brazil to find Carla Veloso and then to Mexico to find Miguel Camino”. No matter what’s new in the house, or who comes for a play date, Disney Cars are always in his thoughts.

This inquisitiveness is very much becoming a feature of Jaik’s personality, just as (like his dad) attention to detail is.

Every play session invariably ends with a tidy up. Following on from the kamikaze car crash contest, Jaik tidied up in the most impressive way. He was left alone to carry out two instructions: put ‘all the cars away’ and, ‘leave the room looking tidy’. I left him to it, and he appeared to be taking his time (which I liked). When he came to tell me he’d finished, we went straight up to bed (without checking so that he understands the concept of trust). When I came back down, I had a quick peep and was, at first, disappointed to see that he hadn’t put the cars away.

The cars were still on the floor, but my disappointment quickly turned to admiration for his truly remarkable thinking. Just like I did

WHAT THE KIDS SAY Night-time Toy: Jaik – Jakks Pacific Batman Harry – Disney Spiderman rucksack full of cars Favourite Toy: Jaik – Porsche 911 1/18 scale model Harry – Mattel Disney Cars Most Wanted: Jaik – Car race tracks Harry – Peppa Pig toys Favourite Film: Jaik – The Croods Harry - Disney Cars and Disney Cars 2

with the two Hot Wheels sets, Jaik had combined his two instructions and created something quite beautiful. He had parked the cars around the rug. All cars were facing in the same direction. I also noted that the gaps between each car were uniform - as if he’d left enough for each car to exit easily!

Keeping on the subject of combining, Harry is curious how things are held together.

This research can sometimes involve a degree of dismantling.

Conversely, and luckily for him Jaik quite enjoys putting things back together… properly!

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REVIEW

LONDON TOY FAIR

Fair play!

This year’s Toy Fair was the perfect start to a trading year full of early optimism, determination and exciting new toys! Team TnP looks at the highlights from the show

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he 61st annual Toy Fair started as it meant to go on - with a bang. Pop stars Union J kicked off the proceedings on the Vivid stand, unveiling their very own doll range and awakening the inner boy band fanatic in everyone on the show floor.

At the same time, NPD results revealed that despite an industry drop of 1% compared with 2012, Great Britain is the largest toy market in Europe and the average price of products is up by 40p.

That was all before 10am on the first morning, and things didn’t slow down thereafter. Spirits were running high on the back of a Christmas selling period that exceeded the expectations of many, and with plenty of new ranges being unveiled for the first time across Olympia, stands big and small were awash with visitors.

CBeebies’ creative maestro, Mister Maker (aka Phil Gallagher) stopped by to demo the latest products to bear his name, including Green Board Games’ new Mister Maker BrainBox Colour and Create.

Sooty and his right-hand man Richard Cadell were spotted on the Golden Bear stand. England football legend Peter Shilton stepped onto the Jumbo Stand to talk about Wasgij Original 21 Football Fever. Celebrity art expert and Bargain Hunt presenter Tim Wonnacott unveiled a masterpiece

by Ed Chapman on the Galt stand.

And somewhere in between, thousands of new products were shown and order forms were signed.

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Bigger, better, busier The show floor expanded into Olympia’s Upper West Hall this year, bringing the total exhibitor count to over 280, including 76 brand new exhibitors. But despite this added space, many exhibitors commented that it felt like the busiest show in years. And with all the new products, celebrity appearances, and visitors it’s hard to refute that sentiment.

“More exhibitors have come back to the show and the move to Olympia over the last few years has made the show a key date for the trade to attend,” said Graham Canning, Sales Director at VTech.

“This was our second year back after a five year break and we found the show to have a good atmosphere.”

“

We had back-to-back appointments throughout the show and, as we now have 450 different leads to follow up, it is fair to say that Toy Fair 2014 was a real triumph Thierry Bourret Asobi MD

”

Vivid MD and Toy Fair veteran, Neil Bandtock said that this year was his busiest opening Tuesday ever. “I’ve been coming here for a long time and the buzz this year has reminded me what Toy Fair is all about. The response to Union J was unbelievable, and all of our new lines have been very well received.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, MiniMaster Sports were exhibiting for the first time in the Greenhouse – a space for start-ups and smaller businesses.

Their golf themed executive toy raised a lot of smiles, along with their full golf-gear get up and stand, which was designed as a golf course writ small.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Looking towards next year’s show

Commended for their creativity, MiniMaster Sports won the accolade of Best Use of an Economy Shell Scheme Stand, awarded by BTHA Chairman Frank Martin and Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales Simon Pilling. Green Board Games’ stand was also praised, awarded Best use of an Exhibition Space, with its American-diner inspired look.

But they weren’t the only ones to pick up an award. The prestigious Toy Industry Awards - a highlight of every Toy Fair, hosted this year at the Science Museum - returned to cap off the first day of the show. Celebrating excellence and creativity from across the industry - from manufacturing and supplying through to retail there were plenty of winners on the night. Character Options took home the crown for Toy of the Year with its robotic canine Teksta, and Bentalls (part of the Fenwick group) was awarded Toy Retailer of the Year.

Down to business The rest of the show was all about meetings between new and existing customers, order form signing, partnership building and business deals – the meat and potatoes of any successful toy show.

Asobi MD and Founder, Thierry Bourret was particularly pleased with the amount of new connections he made throughout Toy Fair, which was the company’s biggest show to date.

“The feedback we received about the presentation of both the Asobi and

MARCH 2014

Simon Pilling, Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales said: “We are extremely grateful for the effort of all our exhibitors which once again ensured a visually spectacular, lively and successful show. We have had some great feedback thus far, both from exhibitors who had a very productive three days and also visitors who commented on the fantastic array and quality of exhibitors present. I was particularly pleased to see the Upper West Hall prove to be such a busy and vibrant area since we took the decision to expand fully into the space for this year’s fair. We look forward to receiving further feedback and discussing any ideas or issues with a view to improving the show for 2015.” So that’s Toy Fair for another year. Toy Fair 2015 seems like a long way away, but Team TnP can’t wait!

Seedling display was fantastic and it worked really well. We had back-toback appointments throughout the show and, as we now have 450 different leads to follow up, it is fair to say that Toy Fair 2014 was a real triumph.”

In the gallery, the Traditional Garden Games’ stand, with its eye-catching jumbo lawn games, tents and wigwams, was the perfect place for retailers and buyers to find traditional outdoor toy and games with a twist. “We had a fantastic show this year,” said Richard Smyth from Traditional Garden Games. “Our stand-out products had to be the new wigwams and tents which incorporate role play with added accessories like masks and other dress up items. It’s a nice twist on a classic favourite, with some real added value.”

And with a win under their belt at the TIAs for Pre-School Toy of the

Year with Toot-Toot Drivers Train Station, the VTech team was busy showcasing their latest kid-friendly tech. “The Kidizoom Smart-Watch and our new interactive feature doll were just two product highlights on our stand that were very well received,” said Sales Director, Graham Canning. “I cannot see any reason why we will I’ve been not be back in 2015.” coming here for Epoch making toys a long time and Limited will certainly be returning next year, having the buzz this taken their first order just 20 year has minutes into the first reminded me morning. Putting their money where their mouth is, what Toy Fair is Epoch took the first all about. The exhibition space for Toy Fair response to 2015, booking before this Union J was year’s fair was even over!

“We are really pleased and unbelievable, it’s exciting to already be and all of our signed up for next year,” said new lines have MD Graham Brennan. “We been very well will also hopefully be able to take some more space if it received becomes available, so yes, it’s exciting.”

Neil Bandtock

“

Vivid MD

”

Toy Fair will return to Olympia next year between 20 – 22 January 2015

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AWARDS TIA

Cream of the crop Team TnP looks at the winners of this year’s Toy Industry Awards; an evening of celebration with good food, good company and the best toys!

- including a few antique toys in a nice nod to the industry’s roots. With a theatrical, Gatsby vibe in the air, it was the perfect environment for catching up with industry friends, sharing gossip from the first day of the show, and building up to the main event, the awards ceremony.

Moving into the IMAX theatre, Frank Martin, Chairman of the BTHA, and Alan Simpson, Chairman of the Toy Retail Association kicked off the proceedings with th a few words on the industry’s try’s performance and E TO happenings in 2013.

TH Y Foye Pascoe, Toy y Trust Chair commended the charitable efforts of

Toy Retailer of the Year: BENTALLS (FENWICK GROUP) Collectable Toy Range of the Year: Robo Fish from Zuru, Geemac Action Toy of the Year: Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18, Hasbro Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO Friends Dolphin Cruiser, LEGO

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Toy of the Year: Teksta Robotic Puppy and Lifestyle Toy of the Year: ChillFactor Squeeze Cup Slushy Maker – Character Options, David Bramford, Jerry Healy, Joe Kissane,

Toy of the Year: Teksta Robotic Puppy, Character Options Supplier of the Year : John Adams

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his year’s Toy Industry Awards saw toy industry veterans and newcomers alike heading to the Science Museum for an evening of food, drink and celebrations.

After last year’s on-site award ceremony, this year’s Toy Industry Awards were hosted at the Science Museum, just five minutes from Olympia. After travelling in convoy to the event by coach, attendees were treated to an array of drinks and food in the museum’s Modern World room. This proved an impressive milieu, which saw attendees flanked by cars, boats, printing presses and other icons of early industrial Britain

TRA Awards:

Pre-School Toy of the Year: Toot-Toot Drivers Train Station, VTech Pre-School License Toy of the Year: Doc McStuffins Doctors Bag Set, Flair Action Game of the Year: Gooey Louie, John Adams Board Game of the Year: Monopoly Empire, Hasbro Innovative Toy of the Year: Furby Boom! Hasbro Outdoor Toy of the Year: Smart Trike, Mookie Toys Fashion Doll of the Year: Monster High 13 Wishes Dolls, Mattel Lifestyle Toy of the Year: ChillFactor Squeeze Cup Slushy Maker, Character Options

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

the industry in 2013, showing just how the Toy Trust has improved the lives of children over the past 12 months. Next year the funds raised will be split between two main charities, Disability Africa and Whizz Kidz, as well as a number of smaller donations to other charities.

And then it was time for the awards ceremony proper. Described by his proposer and seconder as “one of the most helpful and supportive people you are likely to meet,” Keith Thompson from Schleich was awarded this year’s prestigious Golden Teddy – a real badge of honour in the toy industry.

Every major toy category is recognised in the TIAs – from collectables to construction – but there can be only one overall Toy of the Year. This year that accolade went to Character Options for its Teksta Robotic Puppy and MD Joe Kissane was delighted.

“We believed we were certainly in contention but with the strength of Hasbro’s Furby Boom! we knew it would be tough,” he said. “We are very proud of awards that are given to Character, they are a testimony to all the hard work and dedication by our employees and suppliers to bring great toys to the market place.

“I think we won because Teksta was different in that it appealed to both boys and girls encouraging children to look after and nurture their very own special friend.”

Bentalls (Fenwick Group) was named Toy Retailer of the Year, having scooped General Multiple Retailer of the Year earlier in the evening, with Argos earning the Judges’ Special Recognition Award.

Alan Simpson closed the ceremony, summing up the evening perfectly when he said: “This is a great industry with great people and great products. Every good wish for 2014.”

BTHA Awards: Golden Teddy Award: KEITH THOMPSON, SCHLEICH Independent Toy Retailer of the Year: RAMSDEN SUPERSTORE Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 5 stores): CUTHBERTS TOYS Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 30 stores): SMF TOYTOWN

Golden Teddy Award – Keith Thompson, Schleich

Pre-School License Toy of the Year: Doc McStuffins Doctors Bag Set – Flair, Nic Aldridge, Kirsty MacKenzie

Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (over 30 stores): SMYTHS TOYS General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year: BENTALLS (FENWICK GROUP) Online Toy Retailer of the Year: SHOP DIRECT Judges’ Special Recognition Award: ARGOS

Fashion Doll of the Year: Monster High 13 Wishes Dolls – Mattel, Wendy Hill, Michael Hick

Pre-School Toy of the Year: Toot-Toot Drivers Train Set – VTech, Graham Canning, Clive Richardson Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO Friends Dolphin Cruiser – LEGO, Rebecca Snell

Action Game of the Year: Gooey Louie, and Supplier of the Year – John Adams, Simon Pilkington, Bruno Gallone

Action Toy of the Year: Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18,

Toy Retailer of the Year and General Multiple

Board Game of the Year:

Outdoor Toy of the Year: Smart

Toy Retailer of the Year: Bentalls (Fenwick

Monopoly Empire, and Innovative

Trike – Mookie Toys, Guy Orr

Group) – Graham Hook, Harry Marchbrook,

Toy of the Year: Furby Boom! – Collectable Toy Range of the Year: Robo Fish

Hasbro, Nieve Cavanagh and Kay

from Zuru – Geemac, Gerald McKay

Green

Matthew Taylor

Toy Fair will return to Olympia next year between 20 – 22 January 2015.

MARCH 2014

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TOY OF THE YEAR AWARDS JOHN ADAMS

And the winner is… John Adams!

John Adams picked up two awards at the Toy Industry Awards 2013. Here TnP take a look at their fantastic win for Gooey Louie in the th Action Game of the Year category and their Supplier of the Year win

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Bruno Gallone, Sales Director and Simon Pilkington, Managing Director collect their award

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s far as industry awards go, there are none more prestigious than the Toy Industry Awards. Held on the first evening of the London Toy Fair, these the awards honour the very best industry. The beautiful surrounds of in the in London Science Museum played host to year’s event and some of the bestthis yea companies in the toy industry were known c honoured for their sterling performances honoure the past year. It is no surprise then over th that John Adams Leisure Ltd scooped tha not one but two honours as 2013 n marked their fourth successive year of growth.

BTHA Chairman Frank Martin and Alan Simpson, Chairman a of the Toy Retail Association, o both presided over proceedings bo with Mr Simpson announcing the wit nominations in the Action Game nom of the e Year category.

Gooey Louie faced G ttough competition in tthe category facing Hasbro’s Chasin’ H Cheeky, Spin Master’s C Hedbanz and another H John Adam’s favourite Jo J Doggy Doo. “This is a D area of activity,” lilively v quipped Mr Simpson as q u he e announced the winner.

“But “B Bu John Adams has again ag ga shown what cheeky really ll means with the sequel to Doggy Doo.” Accepting the award were Bruno Gallone Sales Director, and Simon Pilkington MD, who complimented Gooey Louie saying it is a “fantastic, classic product”.

It was not long before Simon and Bruno found themselves on their feet again when John Adams was named as Supplier of the Year 2013. This honour bears testament to the company’s outstanding relationship with retailers and is one of the most prestigious at the Toy Industry Awards.

Introducing the award, Mr Simpson said:

“

We are overwhelmed by the support shown to us by our industry colleagues.

Winning Supplier of the Year is the culmination of a fantastic year for John Adams and we look forward to what we hope to be an equally fantastic 2014 Simon Pilkington MD

”

“Suppliers come in all shapes and sizes, as do retailers, but retailers know a good supplier when they see one and the biggest tree doesn’t always bear the sweetest fruit. Please step up the retailers’ unanimous choice for Supplier of the Year 2013 John Adams!”

Speaking about John Adams wonderful wins, MD Simon Pilkington said: “We are overwhelmed by the support shown to us by our industry colleagues. Winning Supplier of the Year is the culmination of a fantastic year for John Adams and we look forward to what we hope to be an equally fantastic 2014.”

23 toysnplaythings.co.uk

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VTech was recognised for its innovation and excellence at this year’s Toy Industry Awards.

Here TnP take a look at their fantastic win for Toot-Toot Drivers Train Station in the PreSchool Toy of the Year category

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t is one of the most highly anticipated evenings in the Toy Industry calendar and a win at the Toy Industry Awards is the ultimate accolade in the UK toy trade. Capping off the opening day of London Toy Fair in style, these awards honour the very best creative and business talents in the industry.

The beautiful surrounds of London Science Museum played host to this year’s event and some of the

“

We are honoured that our TootToot Drivers Train Set has been awarded the Best Pre-School Toy at the Toy Industry Awards. The Toot-Toot Drivers range has shown fantastic performance throughout 2013 Graham Canning Sales Director

VTech’s Graham Canning and Clive Richardson recieve the award

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”

best-known companies in the toy industry were honoured for their sterling performances over the past year.

In the hard-fought Pre-School category, VTech’s Toot-Toot Drivers Train Station was named Pre-School Toy of the Year. With three products in the top 10 best sellers in the UK last year (NPD Group UK) – the most of any company – this win cemented VTech’s position as a leader in the Pre-School market.

VTech faced stiff competition in the Pre-School Toy of the Year category from two other industry giants, LEGO and LeapFrog. LEGO were facing down VTech with their Duplo Number Train while LeapFrog were standing tall with their offering, Read with me Scout.

A delighted team at VTech reigned supreme with their TootToot Drivers Train Station.

Handing out the awards on the evening were BTHA Chairman Frank Martin and Alan Simpson, Chairman of the Toy Retail Association, who both presided over proceedings with Mr Simpson announcing the nominations in the Pre-School Toy of the Year category. In announcing the winner, Mr Simpson told the packed auditorium: “Pre-School has shrunk slightly as a category as the age group is served by a wider range of products over several categories. But at its core the redevelopment of classic ideas generates sales.

None better

than VTech and the new entry to the Toot-Toot Drivers range.”

VTech’s Sales Director Graham Canning and Marketing Director Clive Richardson were on hand to collect the award.

Speaking to TnP after their win, Graham Canning said: “We are honoured that our Toot-Toot Drivers Train Station has been awarded the Best Pre-School Toy at the Toy Industry Awards. The Toot-Toot Drivers range has shown fantastic performance throughout 2013 with an impressive value growth of 70.5% (Full Year 2013 NPD). The highly collectable brand that includes an Airport, Train Station and a Construction Site, to name a few, has consistency featured in the Top 10 Infant Toys YTD.” Continuing, Graham said: “The growth of the Toot-Toot Drivers range stems from VTech’s passion to introduce technology into everyday play patterns. The TootToot Drivers range enables children to have fun whilst they learn with sing-along songs, sound effects, fun phrases and light up buttons to help hand-eye coordination and cognitive development.”

He added: “With a market share of 24.1% and a growth of 1.9% in Infant Toys (Full Year 2013 NPD), VTech aim to build on this success, by adding exciting new additions to the Toot-Toot Drivers family throughout this year. This will include a new Toot-Toot Animal range with a treehouse, safari park and forest play set, eight new individual Toot-Toot Drivers cars to add to the vehicle collection, a parking tower, a police station and a new fire station. At VTech we’re always looking to enhance our offering and we feel that the new Toot-Toot Drivers additions will continue to interact, educate and captivate young children.”

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Thank you for the Pre-School Toy of the Year Award!

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Toot-Toot Drivers i FFire irre ire re St Station Sta ta a Toot-Toot Drivers Police Station

Toot-Toot Drivers Big Fire Engine

For more details please contact 01235 555545 trade_sales@vtech.com

Toot-Toot Drivers Parking Tower

REVIEW

NUREMBERG 2014

Let us tell you about the fair!

The German city of Nuremberg played host to another fabulous Spielwarenmesse. Thousands of exhibitors and visitors from around the globe descended on the world’s biggest toy fair and Team TnP joined them for a memorable week

“

We are fully booked and have 150 companies on our waiting list.

There is a positive mood in the industry and we have better footfall than last year Ernst Kick, Spielwarenmesse’s CEO

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They came, they saw, they conquered. The world’s biggest toy fair – Spielwarenmesse –was simply heaving with toy industry professionals from around the globe who made their annual descent on the German city of Nuremberg. The week long fair opened on Tuesday 28 January and ran until Monday 3 February.

Over 76,000 trade visitors from 112 countries made their way through 14 enormous halls over the course of the “must attend” show. At more than four times the size of the Hong Kong trade show (170,000m2 to be exact!) and packed with 71% of international visitors – Spielwarenmesse is a sight to behold.

Organisers reported an increase in attendance compared to 2013 when 72,595 trade visitors arrived in Nuremberg and revealed the extra

buyers and traders came from major retail markets such as America, Asia and Europe.

With the 2014 show boasting 2,748 exhibitors from 61 countries – Spielwarenmesse is unquestionably the largest and arguably the most dynamic of all toy fairs.

“We’re really pleased,” Spielwarenmesse’s CEO Ernst Kick, told a gathering of international journalists at an early morning meeting during the fair. “We are fully booked and have 150 companies on our waiting list. There is a positive mood in the industry and we have better footfall than last year.”

And that mood was evident through the halls.

Simba Smoby’s Marketing and Licensing Manager Alex Kovacevic told TnP: “The Nuremberg Toy Fair this year was extremely positive, with everyone we saw being hugely

enthusiastic about the ranges. The Simba presence at Nuremberg is incredible, and having our huge HQ and showrooms just down the road is massively beneficial. There is certainly a sense of home field advantage - and anyone who jumped in a taxi that week will have seen the impact!”

“The show is becoming more and more important to us each year,” revealed Casdon’s Chairman Paul Cassidy. “The company has been attending Nuremberg for 53 years and this is my 43rd year here. 30% of our turnover is export out of the Hong Kong port and we see our Russian clients here and those from all of the satellite countries.”

Reporting a similarly good show was EDUK8’s MD Christine Lawson.

The company’s inflatable Belly Bump Ball has been a huge hit. Speaking from her stand in Hall 12, Christine

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“

It’s been fantastic, we’ve had lots of interest in our new range and our position is great

Winners of the Spielwarenmesse ToyAward 2014:

Marian Trench Triqo

Baby&Infant (0–2 years) Heros Building Block Chain / Simba Toys GmbH & Co. KG PreSchool (3–5 years) Playmobil Leisure Park / geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co. KG

”

SchoolKids (6–10 years) Cartoon Workshop p / Dorling g Kindersley Verlag GmbH Teenager&Family (11 years plus) Revell Control Nano Quad / Revell GmbH

told TnP: “The show has been fantastic.

Footfall has been very good and the Belly Bump Ball has been a huge draw which has stimulated interest in the rest of our range.”

This sentiment was echoed by Chicco’s MD Mitch Levine, whose stand in Hall 12.2 was practically humming with clients: “Nuremberg has been above expectations.

“

The company has been attending Nuremberg for 53 years and this is my 43rd year here. 30% of our turnover is export out of the Hong Kong port and we see our Russian clients here and those from all of the satellite countries

Paul Cassidy Casdon's Chairman

” MARCH 2014

Retailers have been so positive about what we are doing as a brand and they have reacted very well. It has been a strong year for us and we are building on that strength.”

Speaking about their third year at Spielwarenmesse, Triqo’s Marian Trench applauded the show. “It’s been fantastic, we’ve had lots of interest in our new range and our position is great.”

Indigo Jamm’s Mark Roake also reported a “steady footfall” at the show, with this being the second time the company has exhibited.

“Nuremberg is really interesting, there has been steady footfall and it is the most important show to keep in touch with what is going on in the toy industry. The reaction to our range has been hugely positive and it is about building brand awareness, the interest in Jamm Scoot has been great.”

This year’s Spielwarenmesse went above and beyond in their effort to keep visitors and exhibitors up-to-date with trends in the industry with the introduction of the hugely successful Trend Gallery in Hall 3A. Nine experts from different countries decided on four main topical trends including Fit4Life – toys which promote life skills

“

Nuremberg has been above expectations. Retailers have been so positive about what we are doing as a brand and they have reacted very well

Mitch Levine Chicco’s MD

”

and health awareness. Retromania well-known toys which have had a new lease of life. Mini is King – the trend towards making toys smaller and Tech Toys where technology meets tradition.

With news mid-way through the show that 92% of exhibitors had already booked for 2015, we’re sure we will see you all in Nuremberg next year for another great Spielwarenmesse!

Spielwarenmesse 2015 takes place 28 January to 2 February 2015

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REVIEW

NEW YORK TOY FAIR

A New York state of mind The 111th American International Toy Fair was positively heaving with excited exhibitors, buyers and retailers from across the USA, Europe and beyond. The British contingent were out in force at the show, as were TnP! Singer Alicia Keys opening the 2014 American International Toy Fair

W

ith Empire State of Mind being famed singer Alicia Keys most iconic song, it was probably fitting that she opened the 111th American International Toy Fair in New York.

It was also fitting given that the Grammy award winner was on site to launch her new interactive children’s app Mookey The Journals of Mama Mae & LeeLee which she co-created.

And while the opening of the fair

by Alicia Keys was undoubtedly a highlight, it most certainly was not the only draw.

The show, which ran from Sunday February 16 to Wednesday February 19 in the Javits Convention Centre boasted 30,000 industry professionals from 100 countries who explored a record-breaking 412,000 net square feet of exhibit space.

Upwards of 1,150 toy companies – 285 of which exhibited for the very first time – were on site to unveil the year’s hottest trends in toys, games and youth entertainment products in front of around 14,000 global buyers.

But before the excitement of the actual show, toy industry devotees packed into the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the Oscar worthy 14th Annual Toy of the Year Awards and Toy Industry Hall of Fame organised by the Toy Industry Association. By the end of the evening, there was just one thing on everyone’s lips – Rainbow Loom

by Choon’s Design LLC. Creator Cheong Choon Ng was visibly stunned as his hit arts and crafts toy picked up four awards on the night including Toy of the Year, Activity Toy

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of the Year, Girl Toy of the Year and Specialty Toy of the Year.

On the show floor, Dave Williams, Sales Director with Wooky Entertainment – who have a fantastic dual licensed property with Disney and Style Me Up – said: “This is our sixth year at New York Toy Fair and the show has been really good, it is well supported. We had a fantastic London and Nuremberg too and there are big changes at Wooky this year. We have some pretty juicy deal propositions for all of our retailers so they can capitalise on minimum investment for maximum return.”

Bigjigs Toys Ltd Company Director Liz Ireland was also at the fair and told TnP: “New York has been busy, it is a great fair. Our rebrand was launched this year at London Toy Fair which was a great platform to start 2014.”

First time exhibitors at New York Toy Fair were Kiddimoto, with MD Simon Booth revealing the decision behind showing at the fair: “The USA has great potential for us to expand as the reach is fairly huge. As the leading balance bike and accessories supplier to the European market, we really want to break into the American market, the timing is right for us.”

Another company looking to expand even further into the American market is Galt Toys with MD John McDonnell telling TnP: “We’ve had a good start to the show, it has been very positive with potential to grow the business. We are seeing the people we want to see in the American domestic market.”

“

It's the perfect opportunity to meet with key buyers, but also it’s a chance for the entire US and UK teams to get together and discuss plans for the coming year

Rena Nathanson Bananagrams

”

One stand which was easily identifiable from the huge banana hanging overhead was, of course, Bananagrams. Rena Nathanson, Top Banana at Bananagrams told TnP: “New York Toy Fair is always an exhilarating one for the Bananagrams teams. Not only is it the perfect opportunity to meet with key buyers, but also it’s a chance for the entire US and UK teams to get together and discuss plans for the coming year. We have some exciting projects in the pipeline on both sides of the pond and there’s nothing quite like all being together in one place.

Especially when we’re under cover of a giant inflatable Bananagrams pouch! The show itself was as busy and entertaining as ever, with some excellent and very productive retailer meetings, and we very much enjoyed our prime position in the toys and games area of the centre.”

The final word goes to Marian Bossard, Vice President, Meetings and Events at the TIA who told us: "International participation in Toy Fair has grown every year for the last number of years and this year is no exception. Toy Fair 2014 has seen an increase in international attendance overall (up 9 percent) and an 11 percent increase in international buyer attendance specifically. With 94 countries attending this year's marketplace, those who question whether the NY Toy Fair plays a key role on the international stage have their answer."

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REVIEW

SPRING FAIR

Spring into action Ready-for-business buyers and exciting new products were the words on everyone’s lips at Spring Fair 2014. Team TnP were at the NEC to check out the hottest ranges

T

he exhibitors were blown away with the quality of visitors who were on the show floor, looking to do real business, sign order forms and develop existing and new working partnerships. And the visitors were bowled over by the quality and creativity of this year’s product line-up, from plush and outdoor toys to innovative licensed products and inventive modern originals.

Hall 3 was the place to be for all things toys, with buyers and independent retailers all looking for something new.

Fizz Creations’ Dominic Boon, said that this year’s show had surpassed 2013’s in every way. “We signed more orders on the show floor than last year, and the vibrancy and buzz on stand really

“

Spring Fair has been about getting people on stand to promote our brands, and the traffic has been incredible

Steven Le Van, Le Toy Van International Sales Executive

”

MARCH 2014

drove business throughout.”

This was a sentiment shared with many exhibitors, including Carol Bradshaw National Sales Manager at Bigjigs. Carol told us that the show had been a great opportunity to meet new customers, with many looking to place orders on the show floor.

Over on the Marbel stand, Marketing Manager Phil Nelson said the stand was awash with new customers throughout the show, drawing a good mix of buyers from toy, gift and book stores.

“I met a lot of new customers throughout the show; people who were looking to make the most of their time here, signing order forms and taking advantage of our new point of sale and display packages,” explained Phil. Similarly, Michael

“

We see a lot of people at Spring Fair that we otherwise wouldn’t

Michael Papé Ravensden, Director

”

Papé, Director of Ravensden, was particularly pleased with the diversity of retailers in Hall 3.

“We get to connect with a lot of different people, and that can lead to good things. We have taken two orders with companies that I didn’t even know existed prior to the show, for example, and of course it’s a great chance to showcase our new ranges to existing clients.”

But Spring Fair isn’t all about order forms. For some companies, Spring Fair is the perfect opportunity to promote their brand, showcase their latest wares, and connect with a wide variety of retailers.

“For us, the show has been about promoting our brand and showing everyone what we’ve been working hard on behind closed doors,” explained Steven Le Van, International Sales Executive at Le Toy Van, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2015.

“Next year is a real milestone for Le Toy Van, and we’ve worked hard to produce a diverse range of price points and play styles throughout our product offering. Spring Fair has been about getting people on stand to promote our brands, and the traffic has been incredible.”

Brookite's Director Mandy Harrison told TnP: "The show has been very positive for us. It's been a great way for us to show our latest and updated ranges to retailers in both toys and gifts."

Spring Fair returns to the NEC next year between the 1 – 5 February.

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REVIEW

HONG KONG

Look East...

January is an exciting time of the year in Hong Kong, as the Hong Kong International Licensing Show and Hong Kong Toy & Games Fair kick off trade fair season

At a glance 13th Annual Hong Kong International Licensing Show 2014 Exhibitors: 238 Visitors: 18,082 Brands and Properties: over 700 talks with industry leading brand owners and licensing professionals.

A variety of topics are covered across the two-day conference as speakers share insights into areas such as brand extension, entertainment licensing and retail distribution to name just a few.

A family of events

T

he Far East is at the centre of the modern licensing industry. Chinese manufacturing hubs are key to the production of licensed consumer products for companies around the world, and increasingly the region’s vast capacity for creativity is inspiring and influencing the licensing landscape.

In January each year, the licensing industry heads to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong International Licensing Show (HKILS). The show gives visitors the chance to see the latest licenses, and a unique opportunity to check out Asian properties that aren’t represented at similar shows overseas.

This year was the 13th edition of the show, held 6-8 January. Over 18,000 potential licensees, buyers, distributors and more – both domestic and from 100 countries and regions around the globe – hit the show floor to see the latest and greatest licenses.

That’s 6,643 sq.m of exciting licenses and properties, from animation and character to digital

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entertainment and everything in between, with more than 700 brands and properties from a total of 238 exhibitors.

This year’s show was a big success across the board, with 85 per cent of exhibitors reporting that they either achieved or far exceeded their objectives of generating business and establishing new contacts.

A highlight of the event is the Asian Licensing Conference – the largest event of its kind in Asia.

The conference offers visitors the chance to sit in Judith Dayus of Great Gizmos with President on seminars and of Plan Toys Vitool Viraponsavan

Visitors to the show are also able to take advantage of several other trade shows, held concurrently with the HKILS. The Hong Kong Toy & Games Fair in particular brings the best in character and kids’ entertainment properties to life, with thousands of toys and consumer products on show. With 838 exhibitors from Hong Kong and 1010 from outside Hong Kong, there’s a real opportunity for new business, with a good mix of home-grown and foreign exhibitors.

While many from Europe and the US will be looking for new product to buy at the Toy & Games Fair, there are also plenty of opportunities for companies to sell into these new markets overseas. A number of European exhibitors this year were continuing to look for Asian distributors and partners to gain a real foothold in these emerging markets, as well as showcasing to the thousands of buyers.

Similarly, the HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and Hong Kong International Stationery Fair are held alongside the HKILS, where visitors can find fresh products and opportunities for their respective markets.

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LICENSING

W O R L D W I D E

NEWS

ACTIVISION JOINS FORCES WITH CRAYOLA

Constructing a MEGA assassin MEGA Brands Inc and Ubisoft have announced a global partnership to create a new line of collector construction sets based on the critically acclaimed Assassin’s Creed entertainment franchise.

The MEGA BLOKS Assassin’s Creed Collector Construction Sets will add to the award winning MEGA BLOKS collectors’ series, which already features some of the worlds top video game franchises.

“We are thrilled to partner with Ubisoft and look forward to launching the Assassin’s Creed Collector Construction Sets later this year,” said Vic Bertrand, Chief Innovation Officer of MEGA Brands.

“The millions of fans of the game will love the attention to detail and authenticity of the micro action figures and builds in this collection.”

“Working with a partner like MEGA Brands allows us to bring new experiences to loyal fans of Assassin’s Creed and introduce it to new audiences,” said Geoffroy Sardin, Chief Marketing and Sales officer - Europe, Middle East & Africa, Ubisoft Entertainment.

Activision Publishing, Inc has announced an impressive roster of global licensees for its

award-winning Skylanders franchise. There are landmark new relationships with Crayola and General Mills, with Activision’s licensing portfolio now boasting more than 175 licensees.

“The relationships we have formed with Crayola and General Mills showcase how strong Skylanders has become in just 27 months,” said Ashley Maidy, vice president of global licensing and partnerships for Activision Publishing.

Activision and Crayola will introduce unique Skylanders-branded colour and activity formats.

The specialty line will include Crayola’s signature formats including Color Wonder, Giant Coloring Pages and Xtreme Coloring, among other new platforms and will be available this holiday at top retail channels worldwide. Starting in June, a new promotion with General Mills will release Skylanders-shaped Fruit Flavored Snacks to fans all over North America. Skylanders figures outsold all action figure lines worldwide in 2013 for the second consecutive year, beating out the top three action figure lines combined. Having surpassed the $2 billon mark in sales, including 175 million toys sold worldwide in just 27 months, Skylanders is now in the top 20 video game franchises of all time and continues to set benchmarks for the toys-to-life category.

Subway Surfers skate ahead Evolution Europe have revealed that Subway Surfers has collaborated with Fashion UK and Skyjack Publishing.

Fashion UK will create a range of licensed apparel for boys aged 5-12 years, including daywear, swimwear and socks, with items in retail from September 2014.

Skyjack Publishing are producing two Subway Surfers magazines as part of their new one-shot title launching in June 2014, which will feed the interest and imagination of Subway Surfers fans throughout the UK & Ireland.

“We’re thrilled to announce these two licensed partnerships with Subway Surfers” commented Natasha Dyson, VP of Licensing at Evolution Europe, “Fashion UK and Skyjack Publishing are both excellent licensees.”

Subway Surfers is one of the top three most played apps in the world and has exceeded an

astonishing 370 million downloads since launching last year. Brand licensing agency Ink represents Subway Surfers globally with a growing network of sub agents internationally. There is a Subway Surfers TV series confirmed, with further plans currently in development.

ZODIAK KIDS SECURES TOY PARTNER FOR MISTER MAKER Zodiak Kids has appointed PMS International to produce the first-ever range of Mister Maker toys and MV Sports have signed a deal for wheeled products.

The Mister Maker toy range will include plush, talking plush and bath toys as well as plastic and rubber figurines and key chains. The deal, which covers the UK and Ireland, will see Mister Maker toys on shelf across retailers and in holiday parks and amusement arcades from summer 2014.

MV Sports have also signed and

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are producing a range of wheeled goods with a ‘creative twist’ for kids aged 3-7 years. The range will be available from July.

In a further agreement, Zodiak has appointed Trademark Collections, the leading supplier to UK retailers of a range of licensed children’s accessories. Trademark’s Mister Maker range will include backpacks and rucksacks as well as swim bags, gym bags, purses and wallets and umbrellas. Products will launch at retail in summer 2014.

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LICENSING OPINION KELVYN GARDNER

Keeping an eye on the digital world LIMA MD Kelvyn Gardner casts his eye towards digital platforms and offers Vietnamese developer Dong Nguyen, a shoulder to cry on in these testing times

W

hen it comes to licensing, there’s no more enthusiastic an advocate than your correspondent. Name me a business situation, and I can usually find a solution that enhances prospects for all concerned by involving some aspect of my profession. I like to point out that licensing can offer opportunities to retailers that look, on the surface, a million miles from being phenomena from which they can profit.

A fantastic, current example of this is how licensing has created revenue for toy retailers out of digital platforms, and especially from smartphone technology. Smartphones, tablets and other digital platforms, on the surface, are a threat to bricks and mortar retail. If the product is digital, if you can take delivery of the product by doing nothing more strenuous than pressing the touchscreen in the palm of your hand, and fully enjoy it without moving so much as five feet, that’s not the sort of transaction environment to encourage a visit to the high street. What the licensing industry has done, however, is to turn these digital products into physical items that do still need to be acquired from your friendly local shopkeeper.

Thus Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Moshi Monsters and others have spawned hundreds of consumer products from dozens of licensees, many of which fall within the typical stock selection of toy retail. A casual glance at the NPD toy charts for 2013 shows how Topps with trading cards and Vivid with blindbag collectable toys were ever-presents in the top ten with their respective Moshi Monsters licensed products.

We can expect to see further growth in n these properties in 2014, and also anticipate pate new and powerful entrants, like Minecraft, aft, transferring seamlessly from digital to physical with the assistance of the licensing ensing industry. It’s sad, therefore, that one opportunity for us all seems to have been snatched away almost before itt came alive. Angry Birds, say hello (and nd goodbye) to Flappy Bird. I’m certain n you will have seen coverage ge of the almost instant rise e to fame and popularity y of this simple avian challenge lenge game from young

Vietnamese developer, Dong Nguyen.

From the game’s launch for Apple and Android in May last year, the game has been downloaded 50 million times in eight months. (As a small aside here, Nguyen had to follow the ‘free download’ model as many consumers now expect not to pay for digital content – in exactly the way that many of today’s youth don’t expect to pay for music. Fair enough, apart from the fact that the death threats that have followed his withdrawal from the market of the game look even more paranoid when no consumer has been ‘ripped off’ by it).

It seems that Nguyen was simply not prepared for this mix of instant success and fame, and all the pressure that came along with it. You can hardly blame him. He couldn’t ask to be paid for his game, newcomer that he was, by would-be consumers, so he gives it away, expecting a little advertising revenue. When the ad money starts streaming in, his fan-base goes ballistic, starts to condemn the game as stealing from other digital creations, and refuses to have any sympathy for the embattled creator.

I wish we’d been able to give him a shoulder to cry on. Of course, he probably does not want to further commercially exploit his creation (independent games developers can be like that, artists first, business people last). LIMA members could have done a fantastic job taking over the business side, and those of you reading this may well have very shortly seen a range of tempting Flappy Bird toys available to give you your next exciting new opportunity to do business with the digital world. No Flappy Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover, then. A pity, but it just shows how close an eye we all need to keep on the digital world.

LIMA the trade association ociation for the licensing business www.licensing.org/uk /uk email rbeaird@licensing.org rbeaird@licensing org

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TNP T

LOOKS S BAC BACK

Step back in time MD Malcolm Naish looks back at some of the events and news stories that made our pages in March 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2009

MARCH 2009 March 09 Volume 28 Number 6

Join Noddy for a new generation of fun!

And d jjust llook k what h h heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got planned... l d New â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Noddy in Toylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; TV series starts on Milkshake in April!

New toy line available Autumn 09, including playsets, vehicles and plush ďŹ gures High-proďŹ le cross-media consumer marketing and PR campaigns from Chorion Join in the 60th anniversary celebrations of this iconic childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand

www.noddy.com NODDY IN TOYLANDâ&#x201E;˘ Š 2009 CRL.

Bandai UK Limited t: 01489-790944 e: general@bandai.co.uk

7Q3)&1RGG\ LQGG

â&#x20AC;˘ The Competition Commission publishes a draft Groceries Supply Code of Practice Order which aims to prevent supermarkets transferring excessive risks and unexpected costs to suppliers. One interesting clause states â&#x20AC;&#x153;Supermarkets should pay in accordance with the terms of the supply agreement and not impose a retrospective variation of the supply contract or require the supplier to pay the retailerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing costsâ&#x20AC;?. I wonder if this document ever became law! â&#x20AC;˘ Halsall strike a deal with Tomy and Bandai enabling these two companies to use Halsallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distribution network to reach new customers and channels. â&#x20AC;˘ Brio secure the necessary ďŹ nance to put the company back on track that includes some restructuring. â&#x20AC;˘ The fact that Baugur Group had ďŹ led for bankruptcy in Iceland made it necessary for Hamleys to conďŹ rm that this would not affect their business as they were very much self-funding. Baugur were Hamleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest shareholder at the time. â&#x20AC;˘ In our â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Toy Talkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feature, the Indiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best selling product to date appears to be Bandaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ben 10, followed by Gogoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crazy Bones with Sylvanian Families featuring strongly for the girls.

MARCH 2004 â&#x20AC;˘ I report that after many years as a buyer for Hamleys, Audrey Barnes leaves the company. Joining Hamleys will be David Pope, buying controller at The Entertainer. â&#x20AC;˘ Golden Bear are celebrating their 25th year. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great double for John Hales as his horse Azertyuiop also wins the Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase. â&#x20AC;˘ Bandai tell us that they will be reintroducing Tamagotchi. First launched in 1997, the latest models will be slightly larger and have even more state-of-the-art technology than their forebears. â&#x20AC;˘ Julian Page, now of Mega Bloks, takes his ďŹ rst job in the toy trade with VTech having joined them from Hallmark Cards. â&#x20AC;˘ Amongst the toys doing well back in early 2004 are Alien Eggs from Grossman, Spider-Man merchandise and Yu-Gi-Oh. â&#x20AC;˘ Toy agent and legend â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ian Kenyon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; appears on Anne Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Weakest Link and so it turned out to be that Ian crashed out in the third round when he said â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;passâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; when he actually meant to say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Maybe he should have said â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;f..kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;! â&#x20AC;˘ Power Rangers have also made a ďŹ&#x201A;ying start to the year with Bandai having to ďŹ&#x201A;y stock in to keep up with demand.

MARCH 1994 â&#x20AC;˘ The China toy quotas have now been completed with a 75/25 split between traditional importers and newcomers. The whole thing presents a big pain in the bottom for all importers. â&#x20AC;˘ Woolies who have not been the toy supplierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friend of late have asked a certain Phil Green (2014â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fence Club Chairman) to move over from logistics to become head of buying for toys. â&#x20AC;˘ In January the BTHA announced their move back to Olympia for 1995 from Earls Court. Two months later and the move seems to have universal appeal for the exhibitors. (Now where have I heard this before?) â&#x20AC;˘ Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing what a difference 20 years make in the toy trade. The following companies were trading as separate companies in the UK back in â&#x20AC;&#x2122;94. Matchbox, TSR (Dungeons & Dragons), Bluebird Toys, Majorette, Spears, Peter Pan Playthings, Waddingtons, Falcon Games.

MARCH 1984 â&#x20AC;˘ In the Eighties we still had a British Toy manufacturing industry, although some of those PLCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s were ďŹ nding it very tough.

Mettoy who had recently gone into receivership had managed to ďŹ nd a British buyer in the form of a management-led buyout from the Mettoy company plus ÂŁ860,000 of the ÂŁ1.2 million purchase price being supplied by Electra Investment.

For good measure Lloyds Bank provided ÂŁ500,000 for a working capital facility. Their big brand â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Corgiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; were hoping to create 200-400 new jobs down at their Swansea factory. â&#x20AC;˘ The scented eraser ban that took effect a few months earlier and affected quite a number of importers is really beginning to bite. A number of importers intend to ďŹ ght the ban by taking legal action. I run a complimentary full page advertisement urging the trade to pledge ÂŁ25 each to help with their legal fees. â&#x20AC;˘ Richard Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rainbow Toys (the forerunner of the Character Group) are going great guns with the A-TEAM. They are the UK distributor for Galoob of America and are about to move into swish new ofďŹ ces in Wimbledon. â&#x20AC;˘ Woolworthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-tax proďŹ ts for the year ended 28th January 1984 are ÂŁ29.4 million, up from ÂŁ6.1 million in 1983. Oh how the mighty are fallen! â&#x20AC;˘ Our U.S. Male reporter Art Taylor reports from New York that the three major trends are in his opinion for 1984 the lessening inďŹ&#x201A;uence of electronic games, the return of the importance of traditional toys and the emergence of robotics as a category. Newly introduced by Mattel are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rainbow Brite, Colecoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabbage Patch dolls and the launch of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Trivial Pursuitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

by Selchow Righter.

MARCH 2014

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