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Retail News - what’s happening on the retail scene
New appointments for Toys R Us UK team
L-r: Lukasz Jajinski, Mike Coogan, Diane Lee, Katie Ellis, James Ford
Dr Louis Mittoni, CEO and managing director of Toys R Us ANZ, has recruited new staff for the Toys R Us UK team, which will lead the relaunch of the brand back into the UK market in the next several months.
He said: “We have ecommerce and marketing director Mike Coogan, who rejoined UK Toys R Us in December 2021, having spent the last 27 years of his career in the same role. In fact, Mike started the ecommerce business for Toys R Us in 1996. He began his career at Argos and spent some time at Peacocks, and his wealth of experience is a huge asset to us as the brand begins its next adventure.
“Diane Lee started in January as buying director, having spent over 30 years in buying and merchandising with brands such as Top Shop and Laura Ashley Home, and 20 of those years in the toy and baby business at Mothercare, Early Learning Centre, Hamleys and later with Babies R Us.
“James Ford comes to us as a senior buyer with 20 years of buying experience at Debenhams - seven of those in toy. He also gained valuable experience at the pure play etailer Boomf, where he launched a toy and gifting proposition in just six weeks!
“Katie Ellis joins as senior buyer on Babies R Us, having spent the last 20 years buying in all areas of the babies business, starting her career at Tesco and then at Babies R Us and Mothercare.
“Finally, Lukasz Jajinski started his career on the shop floor gaining valuable customer insights and worked his way up to area manager before deciding to head into buying. He learned the ropes at Argos on infant and preschool, where he quickly climbed the ladder from buyers admin to buyer, and will now transfer those commercial skills to the baby industry within Babies R Us.
Pokémon sales soar in 25th anniversary year
The Pokémon Company International celebrated a ‘fantastic year’ at retail in 2021, seeing a significant increase in sales across Europe for its Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and toy ranges as it celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Named Best Gaming Licensed Property at the 2021 Licensing Awards, Pokémon saw the highest year-on-year sales increase across all listed properties in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, according to figures recorded by NPD Group.
Simon Benton, VP Pokémon TCG Sales Europe, said: “Pokémon TCG sales were simply sensational in 2021, breaking all previous records. We would like to thank our retail partners and distributors for their continued support in showcasing the products to consumers. With increased TCG distribution set to launch in Eastern Europe, we look forward to expanding our reach in 2022.”
The new Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield-Brilliant Stars expansion, which introduces the Pokémon VSTAR mechanic, launched in February.
TM
Toy sales top £1.7 billion over Christmas
New figures from data analytics company Kantar have revealed that toy sales hit £1.7 billion in the three months leading up to Christmas, an increase of 1.0% on the previous year. Growth was driven by physical stores, up by 16%, while online sales declined by 11% as consumers made the most of festive shopping without restrictions.
Smyths, Amazon, and Argos held over a third of the total toy market between them over the 12 weeks to December 26, while a long tail of retailers competed for the remaining slice of spend
Joanna Parman, strategic insights director at Kantar, commented: “Our research shows the enduring appeal of physical shops, and highlights just how important a compelling bricks-and-mortar offer remains for the toy sector. Despite strong performances from online channels and digital retailers, there’s a clear opportunity for toy stores that can get customers back into their high street shops. It’s likely that shoppers aren’t going to swing between purchasing online or in-store but will establish a more stable balance between the two.”
OnBuy
celebrates World Book Day
To mark World Book Day, UK-based online marketplace OnBuy compiled a list of its favourite children’s books and characters for costume inspiration, in collaboration with Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown (pictured).
He said: “World Book Day is a fabulous celebration of everything that’s wonderful about books and reading. It’s been shown that reading for pleasure is one of the greatest indicators of a child’s future success. And it’s fun. So, dive into a book - and maybe dress up as one of your bestloved characters.”
The list comprises: Gangsta Granny by David Walliams; The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl; Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pieńkowski; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak; Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford; and Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren.
