Toys n Playthings

toysnplaythings.co.uk

r 2015 e b m e Sept 12 4 No. Vol. 3

Helping everyone sell more

Helping a child learn to read every 16 seconds† Read Reads books out loud

Write Stroke-by-stroke writing guidance

Listen MP3 player holds 40 audio books

would recommend to parents.

Learn Vocabulary, maths, science and more.

Endorsed by teachers Praised by parents...

150+ Books

Educator Approved

Loved by children! *Based on a survey conducted by iChild of 167 teachers. These teachers used LeapReader and the accompanying products with children aged between 4 and 8 in their schools over a two month period from September 2014 – November 2014. †Shipments of LeapFrog Reading Systems since foundation as of December 2014.

Order Now 01895 202 840 or visit leapfrog.co.uk

CONTENTS P56

Regular 5 Leader - with Mirella Anstey 6 News - hot off the press

2015 mber Septe No.12 4 Vol. 3

TEAM TnP

9 Quick Coffee Break - with Interplay’s MD, Ross Ainsworth

P21

10 People News - checking in on the movers and shakers 12 Exhibition News - the latest on global fairs and shows 14 Movie News - the latest from the box office 16 Media News – the multimedia rundown

Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

17 Media Charts - the latest kids’ TV viewing figures and toy TV advertising spend 20 What’s New - new products that you need to get your hands on 22 Toy Talk – the retailers have their say 86 Trade Talk - we give suppliers a chance to talk business 87 Don’t Miss – unmissable products for all buyers and retailers

Writer Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

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

Media Solutions Manager

88 Licensing News – the hottest news from the toy licensing industry 91 Step Back In Time – a slice of toy history from the industry’s longest running magazine

Features 30 Games and puzzles – the latest and greatest from this family-fun category 56 Traditional toys – classic toys and play patterns that never go out of fashion

Bradley Mason bradley@lemapublishing.co.uk

70 Pre-Christmas TV advertising – the hottest toys on the hottest channels in the run up to Christmas

Publisher

80 Children’s books - there’s money to be made from the World Book Day-inspired reading revolution

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Special Report

P24

15 TnP TV is here! – the latest from TnP’s boundary pushing weekly TV show

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

19 Cover story - Mattel’s Hot Wheels is going full throttle this year as we find out about the brand’s success and impactful marketing campaigns 24 Retail Interview - Bents Garden & Home Buyer, Nicola Harradine talks toys

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

78 TV Advertising - Green Board Games is investing big in TV advertising this year

Columnists 18 Media Whisperer – Clive looks at how changes at the BBC will impact children’s TV

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

27 High Street Highs – the Entertainer’s MD Gary Grant shares visual merchandising wisdom 28 The Independent and Secret Supplier – our dynamic duo tread the same potentially hazardous path this month 29 Shop Talk – Christmas best-seller prediction lists are just that, predictions, says John Ryan 68 TnP Ambassadors – our ambassadors test the toys you stock on your shelves 90 Licensing – some collectable p properties beat the summer drought, Kelvin discovers g Opinion p

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

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

P30 P P19

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

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,130 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Helping everyone sell more

DISCOVER THE NEXT BIG THING AT

LONDON OLYMPIA JAN 24-26 2016

ng...

FeaturiTIONS, GOLDEN

TER OP DAI, MV CHARAC HTI TOYS, BAN ADAMS, IVID, , JOHN S BEAR, V E R D A W ISSA AN , JAZ SPORTS ND, MEL O M A L L U RENDS DKL, PA DOUG, T S, FUNRISE N W DESIG RAINBO RACCO...

D E. NY MOR AND MA

PRE-REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE VISITOR ENTRY BADGE AT: WWW.TOYFAIR.CO.UK FROM 7TH SEPT 2015

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON EXHIBITING AND SPONSORSHIP CONTACT MAJEN IMMINK, HEAD OF TOY FAIR OPERATIONS AND SALES BY TELEPHONE: +44 (0)20 77017127 OR BY EMAIL: MAJEN@BTHA.CO.UK UNFORTUNATELY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND

LEADER Mirella Anstey

W A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

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

e’ve been busy, busy, busy here at Lema Towers. September means just one thing – the industry is cranking things up in preparation for Q4 and with new launches and previews aplenty, we are truly looking forward to the busy season. Although what season isn’t busy in the toy industry?!

Irish media have made much of the fact that Toys R Us are opening ten stores in the country to rival Smyths, led by Brian obituary to James on our news Donoghue, former chief pages. Our cover story is given operations officer with Smyths over to our friends in Mattel Toys. The Irish Toys R Us If, like us, you are this month with a focus on franchise is also being backed keeping a mindful eye on the very hot Hot Wheels. See by businessman and former pre-Christmas TV spend what they have to say about senior director with Ireland’s the range on page 19. In this from the industry, you will now defunct Bank of Scotland month’s magazine we interview arm Harry Slowey, along with be interested to read our Nicola Harradine, buyer with former NCB and IIU director feature on page 70. Green Bents Garden and Home. The Chris McHugh.

Board Games are one Cheshire-based garden centre Bearing in mind that Smyths company who are investing has a huge array of toys – recently closed a branch in both indoor and outdoor, and Bray, Co. Wicklow – it will be in their campaigns it is interesting to see how interesting to see if Toys R Us Bents – as a garden and home decide to move into the town. centre treat its toy product as We are all watching this space opposed to a traditional toy shop. Turn to page with interest.

24 to find out more. If, like us, you are keeping BBC Worldwide hosted a press event recently a mindful eye on pre-Christmas TV spend from to introduce their new range of toys and gifts the industry, you will be interested to read our to the market. Golden Bear’s Something Special feature on page 70. Green Board Games are one and Hey Duggee ranges were front and centre – company who are investing in their campaigns which we were very pleased to see. I’ve spoken about my love of Something Special in the past – with Chief Executive Keith Grafham explaining: “TV advertising works well for us because we we here at TnP think it is a particularly excellent have an established, well-loved, bestselling line and given that our little ones in the office product range which appeals to both children are all absolutely mad about Justin Fletcher in and adults alike.” By investing in TV ad spend, his Mr Tumble guise, we hope this one runs and companies like Green Board Games are investing runs. Of course, there was also plenty of Dr Who in retailers so it is good to note which products merchandise with Character Options and LEGO are being pushed with consumers. continuing to impress, amongst others.

Our retail expert John Ryan poses an We were very sad to note the passing of a interesting question to indies this month too founder member of the Toymaster group, James – when it comes to prepping your shop for J Osborne. James, fondly known as Jim, passed Christmas, do you really need to put your top away after a short illness at the grand age of 83. ten toys front and centre? We’re not sure we Jim opened Osbornes Sports & Toys in Rushden agree with him, mind you! But it is a thoughtful in 1955, aged point well made – do let us know your views on just 23 and that matter for next month’s issue. You’ll find was a founder John’s column on page 29. member of Team TnP will be out in force at Autumn Fair Toymaster this September. We will be stopping by stands when the group and getting to grips with all exhibitors have to commenced offer. See you there! Don’t forget to contact trading in 1978.

Ryan (ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk) for all your RIP James, you media solution needs. will be sadly missed by many in the industry.

We feature an

“

PUBLISHING

At the heart of retail Also published by Lema Publishing

licensing T O D A Y

W O R L D W I D E

magazine

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

PICTURE BUSINESS

Featuring FRAMING BUSINESS

If you would like to subscribe to any of our other market leading titles please call Robert Thomas on 01442 289930 or email your request to robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

”

NEWS Here is a real challenge for you!

Angelina, 8, meets McKeyla McAlister from Project Mc2 from MGA Entertainment and Netflix – at a premiere screening at London’s Science Museum

The industry will be preparing for the Toy Trust’s Big Challenge fundraising day, which has been announced for summer 2016.

The event takes place on Saturday 2 July and will be based at Grafham Water and Wyboston Lakes, near Bedford with an evening celebration at the nearby Wyboston Lakes Hotel.

Plans for the fundraiser include a running event of varying distances, an 80 mile circular (flat!) bike ride, ten mile family walk and family bike ride around Grafham Water, and a much requested tandem skydive at a nearby airfield but a word of warning, the skydive will be strictly limited to 30 places.

The Big Cambridge Challenge will aim to raise over £200,000 for the children’s charities supported by the Toy Trust. There will be 280 places available for teams in the toy, licensing and retail community which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

“Next year’s Big Challenge is shaping up to be the most exciting event the Toy Trust has ever held and we sincerely hope the 28 teams that supported this year’s event will be back to support us again next July,” says Toy Trust Chair, Foye Pascoe.

Contact Matt Jones at the BTHA to Matt@ btha.co.uk as soon as possible if you wish to take part.

Smart is the new cool Fresh from the launch of Bratz, MGA Entertainment followed up with the launch of a new lifestyle brand, Project Mc2 directed at tween girls and centered around the increasingly popular STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) trend.

Along with a doll and accessories line, available in all major toy retailers, there is also a new threeepisode original series on Netflix.

Featuring the tagline ‘Smart is the New Cool’, Project Mc2 focuses on four young girls who are all smart, sassy and very stylish – a far cry from the traditional ‘geek’ image associated with STEM subjects.

In the product line, each doll comes with their own experiment to encourage science play at home. Andrew Laughton, MD of MGAE UK, said: “Everything about Project Mc2 is different. We wanted to create something that didn’t feel like a compromise between being intelligent and educational and being cool and fun.

The characters are as smart as they are stylish.

Science and technology are part of their everyday fun – and we really wanted young fans to be inspired by this.”

TREND SPOTTING: TECH TOYS Kristin Morency Goldman from the US Toy Industry Association tells us which tech toys are making an impact stateside Toys that incorporate GPS tracking, motion-sense technology, and 3D or 4D applications are among the latest cutting-edge playthings to hit the marketplace this year, providing kids of all ages with highly interactive experiences that capture their attention and spark creativity.

“Given that most two-year-olds today know how to Facetime and kids in school are now learning how to code, it’s no surprise that children today have high expectations when it comes to their toys,” says Adrienne Appell, Toy Industry Association (TIA) trend expert. “Parents and children alike will appreciate toys

6

“

Given that most two-yearolds today know how to Facetime it’s no surprise that children today have high expectations when it comes to their toys

”

that have been integrated with jawdropping technology and encourage high levels of engagement!”

The following is a round-up of trending tech toys, many of which made their debut in February at TIA’s 112th North American International Toy Fair in New York City.

From new-age robots and drones to coding and creative toys, the following examples are sure to entice children of all ages and developmental stages: Meccanoid G15 KS (Spin Master) An impressive yet easy-to-use building platform that responds to voice commands and features three programming options to challenge and entertain kids aged five to 14.

Because the Meccanoid G15 KS is open source, the experience is further enriched for older children who can program it using any code programming that exists today.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Flipsies take centre stage As VTech take their first steps into the girls collectibles market, they are making sure they give their full backing to their new Flipsies range. The team have devised a rounded campaign which will include TV, cinema, digital, social, print and PR. Speaking about the campaign, Rebecca Lazarus, Senior Brand Manager, says: “Entering the girls collectibles category for the first time, we knew we needed an impactful campaign that would give the Flipsies maximum exposure.

This multi touch point marketing plan reaches girls aged from four to seven to deliver just this.”

An extensive TV campaign with over 1,000 TVRs launched over the summer holidays putting the Flipsies on air right up to Christmas. Along with sponsoring Disney Channel and Disney Junior back-to-school mornings, Flipsies will be on the big screen too. Running in DCM’s Kids Club from 4 September to 3 December, the campaign is estimated to deliver over 1.3 million admissions. DCM’s network covers 80% of all UK cinemas including Odeon, Cineworld, Vue & Picture House cinemas.

Be kool with Kurio With the launch of its s fourth series of family tablets, KD UK’s Kurio has partnered with Windows to create the Kurio Smart. mart.

And very smart it is too!

The 2 in 1 tablet has a Microsoft Windows operating system, ystem, boasts 32GB of internal nal memory, and is compatible with th programmes such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more, allowing children to do all of their school tasks with ease.

The Kurio Smart is also the first ever Windows device to feature preloaded games and apps including Minion Rush, Sonic Dash, and lots more, with further apps available from the Windows Store. And this is merely the tip of the iceberg!

Pictured at the opening of the Our Generation boutique in Hamleys is Joe Battat with wife Erin and John Crane MD Jonathan Thorpe

Miposaur (WowWee) A playful, robotic creature that can sense and interact with its own surroundings and be manipulated with the swipe of a hand, thanks to gesturesense technology. It’s fully interactive with its predecessor, the MiP robot, as well as a Bluetooth-enabled gaming app compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Ozobot Bit (Evollve, Inc.) This handheld bot enables children to have fun “learning by doing,” as they draw mazes, tracks and playgrounds on paper and digital screens for the robot to interact with. They can also program the Ozobot via color-based code language and a block-based programming editor.

Sky Copper (Silverlit Toys) Uses a special propeller system for auto-stable technology and is

SEPTEMBER 2015

stabilised by a sophisticated built-in gyroscope, giving kids precise speed control and excellent flying stability.

Moff Band (Moff) A smart slap-on wristband that turns everything kids touch and hold into toys! Powered by an accelerometer, a wave of the arms is suddenly like hitting a drum kit, a wooden spoon becomes a knight’s sword, and an imagination is the only thing a kid needs to play tennis in the living room.

Kidizoom Action Cam (VTech) Using the two included mounts and waterproof case, kids can attach the camera to their bike, water toys,

skateboard and more, making it perfect for interactive play.

Features a 1.4” color LCD screen and can take stopmotion videos and time-lapse photos.

Crayola Color Alive (Crayola) Pairs an innovative 4D app with four exclusive Crayola coloring books, letting kids interact with their creations by scanning them with a tablet or smartphone and watching them come to life.

Visit www.TheGeniusofPlay.org to learn more about trending toys and the positive impact of play on child development … and stay tuned for next month’s column, when we explore “OpenEnded Playtime,” a top trend encompassing toys that allow kids to explore and play without any rules or limitations.

7

NEWS

Top of the charts Mookie were celebrating with the All Surface news that t Swingball topped the charts Swing July. for Ju NPD named the classic garden game the number toy in the total toy one to market. Given that Swing marke Ball narrowly missed the top spot in July, it th was even sweeter for w Mookie.

M Mookie also took second spot with sec the Smart Trike 4 in 1, which has established its self iin recent years as the must have grow-able ttrike.

YOU’VE GOT TO LOVE STEFFI

Pop starlet Pixie Lott was on hand to launch Simba Smoby’s new Steffi Love fashion doll range recently.

The event took place in Hamleys with fans on hand to see the Steffi Love by Pixie Lott: Magical Dreams fashion doll range. The Magical Dreams collection consists of four brand new Steffi Love dolls themed around princesses, fairies and mermaids.

As the creative force behind the new Steffi Love assortment of dolls and accessories, Pixie has worked closely with the toy manufacturer to create a collection based around some of her own magical moments that she dreamt of as a child. Pixie will also appear in the new Steffi Love Magical Dreams TV advert.

It’s Christmas… in Selfridges We don’t shy away from the “C” word in the toy industry – in fact, we openly embrace it!

It seems Selfridges do too. The department store opened their Christmas shop a full 140 days before 25 December. They even went so far as to proclaim to be the first department store to open their festive shop anywhere in the world.

8

Schleich ramp up presence at retail Schleich has ramped up its in-store experiential activities and POS with the company saying they have seen significant growth in the year to date.

Major accounts, including Early Learning Centre and other key multiple retailers, have seen investment in their POS, which promises to give the brand more impact on the shop floor than ever before.

Ensuring support is across the board, new display features including bespoke fixtures and POS mounted TV screens, to better communicate the Schleich range and the quality of the products, are already installed in many locations, with more being added over the coming weeks.

Additionally there has been wide ranging support for both the new DC Comics and dinosaur collections FSDU’s which have seen buoyant sales since launch. Most recently, 200 Schleich Great Dinosaur Hunt kits were distributed to independent customers across the UK and Ireland in June and the loyalty card promotion is currently ongoing.

Remembering James Osborne The toy trade was extremely saddened to learn of the recent passing of James J Osborne, a founder member of the Toymaster group. Fondly known as Jim, he passed away on Friday 31 July 2015 after a short illness.

Jim opened Osbornes Sports & Toys in Rushden in 1955, aged just 23 and was a founder member of Toymaster when the group began trading in 1978. Speaking about his old friend, John Nicholas told us: “He lived his life doing the thing he loved, buying and selling toys, right up to the end.”

He added: “As a salesman calling on Jim you always knew you would get a fair hearing for whatever products you were offering. He was a man I would trust with my last £5, and Rushden and the toy trade has lost a man I was proud to know and call my friend.”

Making dinosaurs sing We all know the dino-trend is hot, but it has just got even hotter.

Silverlit has introduced their new singing DigiDinos to retailers which will be distributed by Flying Toys.

DigiDinos are a collection of interactive table top prehistoric pets, featuring several different styles of movement, and further developing the worldwide DigiFriends phenomenon for children.

The animated DigiDinos cleverly adopt the mannerisms of real dinosaurs with captivating head, body and tail movements, while roaring or singing a song.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

COFFEE BREAK Shop till you drop… but make sure you have a list When something is good, it’s good. That’s the approach Orchard Toys have taken with the re-launch of its bestselling game Shopping List, along with two add on packs which have been re-named Shopping List Extras.

The all-new version of Shopping List has visually enhanced graphics and brand new illustrations, including some new items and the choice of a basket or trolley to put them in.

There are also new style lists, including one represented on a tablet device, to give the game a modern feel. The Shopping List Extras have also undergone a makeover, giving them even stronger visual appeal. Stock of Shopping List and the two Shopping List Extras are available for immediate despatch, with a consumer marketing campaign following in September.

Positive launch for Thunderbirds Vivid has reported phenomenal pre-sales and initial sales reads across their entire Thunderbirds Are Go toy line.

The company is celebrating rave consumer reviews for the Interactive Tracy Island Playset in the first week of launch and are anticipating that it potentially could become this year’s number one Boys Action Toy. “We’re overwhelmed by the response to the launch of the Thunderbirds Are Go toys, especially on the big ticket items such as Tracy Island at this time of the year,” says Mary Wood, Marketing Director at Vivid.

Vivid is also looking to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the cult TV series from September with a host of activities and celebrity tie-ins planned. The company is also working towards 2016 with plans to extend the range by introducing a Kayo action figure, FAB1 and additional action vehicles.

Interplay’s MD Ross Ainsworth sits down with TnP for a quick Coffee Break to talk about the company’s ranges, how they support retailers, and more How have consumers been reacting to your ranges this year?

What’s stood out for you?

Consumers are reacting well and it’s always nice to see the great reviews we receive on websites. This year we launched our new girl’s activity range FabLab, and it’s doing amazing business from a standing start.

Another range that is going from strengthto-strength is our nature range My Living World which is delivering very strong sales this year.

How would you describe Interplay’s range of products and what is different about them?

We really care about the toys we develop and we always go the extra mile to ensure they deliver quality and play value. You only need to look at the quality of our instruction manuals to see how we differ from the pack.

What incentives do you use to support independent retailers? pp p We are very keen to support our independent customers and therefore TV advertise our key lines, have regular offers, promotions and BOGOF. It’s always well worth calling our sales team for the latest deal.

What do you predict your hero product for Christmas will be?

We have a number of hero lines but two standout kits for me are Steampunk Jewellery from our myStyle range, because it’s different and edgy. Also Style Lab from our Fablab range is flying off the shelves. Both kits are being promoted with heavyweight TV campaigns.

What are your top-three selling products currently?

Top sellers are the fabulous Fairy Garden, Glitter Tattoos and Ant World, which is possibly driven

by Marvel’s new Ant-Man film.

Describe Interplay in three words?

Creating wonderful things…

SEPTEMBER 2015

9

PEOPLE

NEWS Peter joins DKL as new ranges launch DKL has added a new member to its sales team. Experienced Peter Ward has joined as Sales Executive for Southern England, selling all of DKL’s ranges.

Peter brings many years’ experience of selling toys in this area and is very well known to customers in this area. He takes the reigns from agents who previously represented DKL in the region. Speaking about the new hiring, DKL’s Sales Director David Allan, says: “I would like to thank the exiting Sales Agents for their efforts over the years and for the smooth transition to bring Peter Ward on board. DKL has brought in new ranges that need dedicated selling in new and current areas, and a Sales Executive who can secure his time only to our ranges. I am very excited to have such an experienced salesman as Peter on board and he will be contacting all his customers soon.” Peter can be contacted on 07594265531 and DKL will be announcing its new ranges shortly.

Keeping Sam in mind Sam Ferguson has been promoted to Director of Licensing and Retail at Mind Candy. Sam has been an integral part of the business since joining in 2012, most recently leading the charge with World of Warriors.

David Martin moves to Funrise David Martin has joined Funrise Toy Corporation and will begin his new role as UK Director in September.

David, who left KD Group earlier this year, will oversee all aspects of sales and marketing at Funrise.

The company has revealed that it will have a more significant presence at Toy Fair in London next January.

David says: “There will be a number of exciting new ranges launched in 2016, including a major master licensing programme which will be announced soon.”

Big new hirings Bigjigs Toys has announced three new additions to the company including Deborah Stanley as London and South East Sales Representative, Lydia Narraway as Marketing and PR Coordinator and Lucy Roud as Compliance Customer Liason. Deborah has come to Bigjigs via Epoch and Wow and is looking forward to taking Bigjigs to even greater heights in the London and South East area. Also joining the Bigjigs team is Lydia Narraway who most recently worked for Hornby Hobbies Ltd as Assistant Marketing Communications Manager. Another new addition to the team is Lucy Roud.

Lucy previously worked for Brake Bros Ltd, Ashford in a similar role. Lucy is looking forward to maintaining utmost compliance with all of the Bigjigs corporate accounts going forward.

Pioneer bolster team FINDING YOU THE BEST FIT FOR YOUR CAREER AMBITIONS, HELPING YOUR BUSINESS CATCH THE BEST TALENT. Call Rowena on 01590 674 212 or email rowena@tinderboxconsultants.co.uk for specialist recruitment in sales and marketing for nursery and toy.

For the latest vacancies and news, follow us @tinderboxjobs 10

There are two new faces on the Pioneer Europe sales team. Alan Macpherson (top) will handle Qualatex sales in Scotland and Ireland, while Charles Dyson will look after the North East territories. Their roles will include developing new business, supporting existing customers, and meeting training needs. Both Alan and Charles plan to go through the Qualatex Balloon Network (QBN) programme and earn their Certified Balloon Artist (CBA) designations in the near future.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

It’s here!

TV Helping everyone sell EVEN more!

For more details on how you could proďŹ le your company and products to 60,000+ viewers contact Ryan Horwood on 01442 289930 ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

EXHIBITION

NEWS

A splice of life

Going for green The BTHA has announced that Toy Fair’s expanded Greenhouse Area has sold out for January’s show.

The zone, located in the middle of Olympia’s Grand Hall, was originally introduced 13 years ago to create a bespoke area for new companies looking to break into the industry or those requiring just a small stand.

Since its creation it has proved to be increasingly popular and in 2016 has expanded to accommodate the growing demand for space, now housing 41 companies.

Majen Immink, Toy Fair Head of Operations & Sales: “It’s brilliant to see the Greenhouse faring so well; this year the fact that we have had to expand the area to welcome yet more exhibitors is testament to the new talent and innovation flooding the industry.”

John Bassett, Director, Music for Kids adds: “The business we’ve accumulated by being in the Greenhouse has been superb. Many key buyers walk the Greenhouse aisles to keep in touch at ‘ground roots level.’

That’s why Music For Kids has booked a space there again for 2016.”

Elsewhere on the show floor, sales are strong with less than nine percent stand space still available.

For a full 2016 exhibitor list, visit www.toyfair.co.uk. To book space or for further enquiries contact Majen or Chris on 020 7701 7127 or email Majen@ btha.co.uk. Toy Fair takes place 24-26 January 2016 at London Olympia.

THIS SHOW IS GOING TO BE REALLY MEGA Hong Kong is the place to be during October the as MEGA Show takes place.

Broken into two parts, the show takes place from 20 to 23 October and 27 to 29 October.

Part one, from 20 to 23 October, is of interest to the toy industry as the show focuses on toys, along with baby and nursery, gifts and much more.

Taking place in the Hong Kong

12

Convention and Exhibition Centre, the show will welcome over 53,000 buyers from 125 countries who will be sourcing and selecting the latest merchandise from Asia and abroad.

Over 4,000 exhibitors are expected to participate in the event which also covers stationery and homeware. MEGA Show is a regular fixture of the autumn Southern China sourcing circuit.

With Brand Licensing Europe just around the corner, exhibition organisers have teamed up with The Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence (SPLiCE) to present a new series of panel discussions in the Licensing Academy this year. It is the first time SPLiCE has brought its insights to BLE, and the first time some of its members have been represented at the event.

The three panels will address Anti-Counterfeiting; Social Accountability and Direct to Retail. The panels break new ground for BLE and promise to offer fascinating and important discussion about issues that affect us all as consumers and as licensing professionals.

Kimberly Kociencki, CEO at SPLiCE, says: “For years now we have been sharing best practices in the US. It’s a significant pleasure to be opening up the floor at BLE and to the European licensing industry.”

Kimberly will moderate the 45 minute sessions which will feature top level presenters, and host a question and answer opportunity at the end of each.

On Tuesday 13 October at 2.15pm there will be an anti-counterfeiting roundtable featuring experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Customs Organisation, World Trademark Review and 24IP. This will be followed at 3.30pm by a talk on Social Accountability featuring brands and industry thought leadership including Insight Licensing Services.

On Wednesday 14 October at 2.15pm, visitors can look forward to a talk on Direct to Retail which will feature brands and retailers including Chupa Chups, PBS, and Sainsbury’s.

Darren Brechin, BLE Event Director, says: “We are delighted that SPLiCE is bringing such eminent speakers and lively debate to Europe. The topics are new for BLE and we can look forward to top level discussions that will offer a new level of insight and expertise for our visitors.”

Fresh faces at Autumn Fair With less than a fortnight to go until Birmingham’s NEC opens its doors for Autumn Fair 2015, Bhavika Pattni, the show’s Children’s Gifts, Toys & Gadgets Account Manager, has revealed that this year’s show is welcoming a huge variety of “great new companies” to the show floor.

Among the new exhibitors are Asobi, Bizzy Bitz, Alex Bands, Indigo Jamm, Little Bird Told Me, Tractor Ted and Cicada Education.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MOVIE

NEWS

The king of fantasy returns Dungeons & Dragons is returning to the big screen after a legal back and forth surrounding the film’s rights has been settled. Hasbro disputed Sweetpea Entertainment’s efforts to produce a new D&D film after it failed to follow up its 2000 effort within five years. Hasbro said failure to do so put the rights back into its hands, although Sweetpea claimed it had met this with a straight-to-DVD release in 2005.

The dispute went to court and the parties were urged to settle.

Hasbro and Sweetpea Entertainment have apparently now agreed a deal. Partnering with Warner Bros. Pictures, the three studios will proceed on a feature picture.

A big movie is coming A MY LITTLE PONY feature-length film is in the works at Hasbro, as the toy company continues to add to its content stable. The movie will be Hasbro Allspark Pictures’ first animated feature, and the company has partnered with Lionsgate to handle global distribution, except in China.

Meghan McCarthy, writer and producer on MY LITTLE PONY: Friendship is Magic, will write the screenplay, and Emmy award-winning

Kristin Chenoweth will voice a character that’s brand new for movie.

“We are thrilled to expand the MY LITTLE PONY story to the big screen, and take these beloved characters on a new and unexpected journey that will delight fans of all ages,” said Stephen Davis, Chief Content Officer at Hasbro.

“It’s an honour to add Kristin Chenoweth to the cast as the voice of an all new, never-before-seen MY LITTLE PONY character in the film.”

Genie in a bottle Aladdin is the latest Disney animation tipped to receive a live-action makeover - but this time with a slight twist.

Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella was a big hit for Disney earlier this year, but unlike that straight retelling of the animation, the new Aladdin film will be a prequel to Disney’s 1992 classic. Robin Williams voiced the effervescent blue Genie in the original, capturing the imaginations of fans and bumping the eponymous hero p g And it seems from the spotlight.

Disney has taken its cues from this for the prequel, which will actually be called Genie and potentially set up a live-action retelling of Aladdin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Damian Shannon and Mark Swift are reportedly working on the script for the film, although no director has been attached as yet.

The next animation-to-live-action Disney film will be The Jungle Book, out next spring.

D23 RECAP Official Disney fan event D23 took over the Anaheim Convention Centre in August to share lots of news about some highly anticipated sequels and brand new films.

Looper director Rian Johnson will direct the eighth core Star Wars movie, and the ninth will be helmed by Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow, it was announced.

Disney Pixar CCO, John Lasseter also took to the stage to unveil lots of details about the animation studio’s slate. The main takeaways were: new movie Zootopia will launch next March; Finding Nemo follow up Find Dory will release 17 June, 2016; Jack and the Beanstalk retelling Gigantic will hit cinemas in 2018; Dwayne Johnson will star in coming of age story Moana; and Lasseter will codirect Toy Story 4.

New director digs in for Minecraft Minecraft’s wacky fan base will be happy to hear that Warner Bros. has brought on a director with similarly irreverent credentials for its film based on the best selling video game.

Rob McElhenney, best known for It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, will make his feature directing debut with the Minecraft movie.

Fast fact: Inside Out has become Pixar’s seventh film to cross the $600 million threshold at the global box office. As well as a strong performance in the studio’s domestic US market, movie goers in the UK have taken to it with similar gusto; it opened at number one and amassed £7m in its first weekend.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

50 EPISODES OF TNP TV TV We reflect on the success of TnP TV as we reach a milestone episode

53

T

nP TV is closing in on a milestone episode this month - the big 50 - so to mark the occasion, we’ve taken a look back over the first phenomenal eight months on air.

Since debuting at London Toy Fair in January with a very special set on the show floor, more than 50 toy professionals - from MDs and Sales and Marketing Directors, to the BTHA’s Director General, Roland Earl, Toymaster’s Ian Edmunds, and even Mr Tumble - have appeared on the show.

With guests representing 40 of the industry’s leading companies, TnP TV Mirella catches up with has been keeping you up to date with Toby at Toymaster the latest product launches, demos and developments. nies compa Combining regular episodes from the studio with on-location specials, TnP TV has been the only place to see more than 100 new and best-selling products in action, and find out from the people behind them how and why they could help you sell more.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to Roland Earl from the BTHA was a guest MV Sports Phil Ratcliffe has a laugh with Mirella break new ground this year with TnP TV,” said TnP Editor-in-Chief and TnP TV presenter, Mirella Anstey.

“Each episode we bring our viewers a unique look at the sheer diversity of product and opportunity in this incredible industry. It’s just one way that TnP is helping everyone sell more, so here’s to the next 50 an More th episodes!”

Judy Murray demonstrates VTech’s Rebecca Lazarus poses for a snap!

TnP TV airs every week and is Mookie’s Tailball delivered directly to your inbox ts! produc as well as bring available on www. toysnplaythings.co.uk.

The only way to be a part of TnP TV is to get in touch with Ryan Horwood now on 01442 289930 or ryan@ lemapublishing.co.uk.

indus try guest s

40

100

Amanda and Mirella get into the spirit of things!

SEPTEMBER 2015

TnP TV regular Dr Amanda Gummer with her new book

15

MEDIA

NEWS

Angry Birds 2 is ready to play With new towers to topple, pigs to pop and missiles to master, Rovio has launched Angry Birds 2, a sequel to the most downloaded mobile game series of all time.

While retaining the much-loved slingshot format, the visuals and gameplay of Angry Birds 2 have been overhauled from the ground up and new characters have been introduced. Alongside familiar faces Red, Chuck, Bomb and the infamous King Pig, is Silver, a dazzling but strange young bird rescued from Pig City, who joins the flock.“Design technology has evolved dramatically since the original game launched in 2009,” said Rovio Co-Founder Niklas Hed. “With Angry Birds 2 we wanted to bring a level of expressive depth and detail seen previously only in a console game or animated series – and create a new game that kids and adults alike won’t be able to put down.”

Angry Birds 2 is available now from the App Store or via Google Play. Slingshots at the ready!

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers assemble this January Marvel’s most famous superhero team is coming to home consoles early next year with the release of the LEGO Marvel’s Avengers videogame.

Players will go toe-to-toe against the Avengers’ foes next January with the release of the first game to feature characters and storylines from Marvel’s The Avengers, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and more.

Brand new screenshots were revealed in honour of Europe’s biggest videogames conference, Gamescom, revealing Bruce Banner, Hulk, Ms Marvel Kamala Khan, Speed, Thor, Jane Foster and the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl will be among the characters to make it into the game.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will launch 29 January 2016 in Europe on all modern gaming platforms.

Mars Pop blasts off Outfit 7’s first new app introduction outside of its highly successful Talking Tom and Friends franchise transports players of all ages to the future city of NeoMars on the red planet. The newly launched mobile game, Mars Pop, brings multiplayer bubble-shooting fun to smart devices, and lets players compete in thrilling competition against friends or other people from around the globe.

This is the first departure for Outfit7 from its Talking Tom and Friends series, which boasts over 2.8 billion downloads and 250 million active users per month, Mars Pop is available now on iOS, Android and Windows.

16

Clementoni debuts on UK TV Clementoni has launched its first ever UK television advertising campaign, which aims to generate and drive consumer awareness of its Baby Clementoni and Science and Play ranges.

The Baby Clementoni advertisements are airing on prime slots on Channel 5’s Milkshake in addition to popular children’s channels Nick Junior, Nick Junior 2, Tiny Pop, Cartoonito, Disney Junior, and Nick Junior and Nick Junior 2 in the Republic of Ireland.

The Science and Play range advertisements are being shown on top rated channel CITV, Disney Channel, Disney XD, ITV, Nick, Nicktoons, Pop, Pop Girl and Kix.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

3000

MEDIA

2500

CHARTS

2000

On the up!

W

elcome to the July media report. As mentioned in our last report we will be reporting on Boys 10+ years, Girls 10+ years and Housewives with Children.

The good news is the viewing levels for Boys 10+ years are up by 17.9% when compared to July 2014. The Cartoon Network continues to dominate this target market. We see other stations showing increases too, such as Pop, Tiny Pop and Kix. We are not seeing too many negatives, most of the stations are showing increases.

Looking at the viewing levels for Girls 10+ years we see that Nickelodeon has just been pipped at the post by Pop. Pop has received its growth from being on the Freeview platform, as has Tiny Pop. Disney is doing well too. This market is showing an increase of 32% in viewing levels compared to July 2014, again increases with most of the stations.

As mentioned in our last report we continue to look at CITVB and as the chart shows they are showing growth, as are Tiny Pop, Pop and Nick Junior. This market is up by 17.6%, and again success for Pop and Tiny Pop is coming from the Freeview platform. Nick Junior is doing well too, in fact, until the success of Pop and Tiny Pop, Nick Junior was market leader.

We should mention Nick Junior, Disney Junior, and Tiny Pop are very much pre-school stations and their programme schedules confirm this.

Reported toy expenditure shows a massive increase for July of over 300% for the top ten advertisers, and a similar figure for the total reported expenditure for July. This is an amazing increase, looking at the tenth position in 2014 was Spin Master with £53,044, in tenth position for 2015 is VTech with £405,294, the sheer volume of money is quite breath-taking.

The TV market is showing a decrease in revenue of 11.7%, and the overall Satellite market is down. However the Sky Media stations are up by some 23%. Sky Media as a single buying point has the majority of the Kids’ stations.

1500 1000 500 0

Housewives & Kids TVR’s July 14 vs July 15

Jul-14

Jul-15

5000 4500 4000 0 3500 0 3000 0 2500 0 2000 0 1500 0 1000 0 500 0 0

Boys 10 Plus TVR’s July 14 vs July 15

Jul-14

Jul-15

4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

Girls 10 Plus TVR’s July 14 vs July 15

Jul-14

Jul-15

July 2014 Toy Company TV Expenditure

July 2015 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Hasbro (UK) Ltd LEGO UK Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Insectlore Europe Character Options Ltd Tristar Products UK Ltd VTech Electronics Ltd Zuru Toys (USA) Tottenham Hotspur FC Spin Master Toys Ltd

£665,795 £321,344 £303,505 £136,697 £130,172 £116,412 £106,214 £81,588 £56,188 £53,044

LEGO UK Ltd Hasbro (UK) Ltd Character Options Ltd Thinkway Toys IMC Toys UK Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Golden Bear Prod Ltd Mattel Uk Ltd John Adams Leisure Ltd VTech Electronics Ltd

£689,417 £456,345 £350,158 £260,047 £236,742 £213,131 £204,285 £177,136 £161,214 £149,569

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

All graphs and information supplied by Global Media Services

SEPTEMBER SE S EP PT TEMB EM E MB BE ER 2013 2013 20 13

17

MEDIA

OPINION

Spending the public purse How will changes in the BBC affect children’s TV?

L

ast month I wrote about the BBC ahead of John Whittingdale (Minister for The Department for Media, Culture & Sport), announcing his green paper for the future of the BBC. My concern was for the likely impact on CBeebies and CBBC. Let’s put to one side the excellent value that all BBC services represent for just £2.80p per week, although, other channels are of course available such as Amazon Prime featuring Top Gear with Clarkson and cohorts for just £79 per year.

However, despite the price and value of all those BBC TV and radio services, there has been unrest for some time among some in the BBC about the responsibility and accountability in spending the public purse.

The BBC management has not helped themselves with their failed Digital Media Initiative that wasted £100 million of the BBC public purse.

The impact of the above and other BBC plans could have a negative effect on Children’s BBC programme budgeting, along with every other programme genre.

Allow me to identify how the BBC bosses are tackling the current negative perceptions coming out of Westminster.

John Whittingdale announced his plans on Thursday 16 July, just three weeks past his party’s election victory.

The BBC ten-year charter expires at the end of 2016, the consultation opened on 16 July and closes on 8 October with a new settlement effective from 2017.

The government will put further proposals out for consultation next spring.

The contents of Mr Whittingdale’s paper have been widely published but to give you an idea of the size of the BBC – it is 93 years old and has had no meaningful investigation into the license fee principle for over 70 years. Twenty years ago the BBC broadcast two TV channels and five national radio stations.

Today the BBC has nine TV channels and ten radio stations.

Meanwhile, as this industry knows, the digital age has arrived and the internet increasingly competes with television.

As users of these services we do not make the distinction

“

between broadcaster and publisher, and why should we? The consultation’s findings are sure to address this matter.

Ninety seven percent of Britons access BBC services for an average of 18 hours a week; worldwide BBC services online reach nearly 300 million people every week and all this makes the BBC a very powerful organisation.

Finally, before moving on to how all of this could relate to children’s TV, the BBC set the stage for their response immediately prior to their News at Ten broadcast on 16 July. Ahead of the opening sequence for the News at Ten BBC viewers watched a short trailer all about the BBC and everything it does so well.

This “haven’t we done well” approach has continued on BBC radio channels with an audio version that proudly promotes its CBeebies app.

Children’s BBC will want to maintain its brand position in multichannel TV, here and worldwide. Budgets and creativity will be essential to maintaining the quality of content and developing BBC license properties worldwide.

Meanwhile, as the BBC sorts its laundry, let’s catch up with children’s television and the commercial broadcasters.

Firstly, the autumn and 2016 market for Milkshake and Channel 5 Kids has now opened for trading through Sky Media. That’s good news for media buyers and advertisers; as ever, sales policies will remain confidential.

Mike Penfold’s Global Media page in TnP early 2016 will make interesting reading to see who is spending, how much and on which channels.

Linear TV viewing is essential to commercial broadcasters as it is the most measured medium. The majority of children’s viewing still comes via linear, estimated to represent no less than seventy-eight percent. However, as we all know, that figure was bigger pre-digital. We are not directly comparing like for like here; the division of monies will increase towards the digital offerings in the UK as it has already in the US. The television measurement system, BARB (British Audience Research Bureau), is currently developing a new hybrid measurement system called Dovetail. This is really encouraging; the UK has the best independent measurement of television viewing provided by BARB, and more data will help quench the thirst for this information.

Twenty years ago the BBC broadcast two TV channels and five national radio stations. Today the BBC has nine TV channels and ten radio stations

”

Clive Crouch can be contact on: www.clivecrouch.com, info@clivecrouch.com, mobile: 078 31 670 453

1

toysnplaythings.co.uk

COVER FEATURE MATTEL

Full THROTTLE! Mattel’s Hot Wheels is in for one hell of a ride.

So far, the market-leading property has had a fantastic 2015 with a powerful brand campaign and more impactful marketing initiatives planned.

TnP finds out more from the team at Mattel…

H

ot Wheels is going full throttle as it continues to have a stellar year, leading the market as the number one Vehicles Property (NPD – July 2015 – Vehicles Property) and number one SKU in the Vehicles Category (NPD – July 2015 – Top 20 Vehicles).

The property is supported with an actionpacked brand campaign and impactful marketing initiatives to amplify the product range and engage with kids.

The Connectors brand campaign The 2015 Hot Wheels brand campaign began with the Hot Wheels Black Car collector promotion which encouraged kids to collect five Hot Wheels diecast cars to get a limited edition Black Car. Overall, the promotion has achieved an impressive 200% uplift on redemptions year-on-year.

The next phase of the campaign saw the launch of The Connectors, a series of videos representing four boys who each have their own racing personality.

The content is designed to excite and challenge kids to become track masters by designing, connecting and customising their own Hot Wheels track systems.

This autumn will see the launch of a further five new video releases

SEPTEMBER 2015

Wendy Hill

“

As you can see, Hot Wheels has had a fantastic year so far with lots of impressive content and brand activations.

Performance for the brand is strong and we are really excited about what is yet to come in 2016

Wendy Hill, Director of Brand Activation

”

featuring even more adrenaline-fuelled challenges.

To date, the videos have received an impressive 4.5 million impressions.

The Connectors are being brought to life through a year-long partnership with the Scout Association, the largest co-educational mixed youth and family movement in the UK, to engage with over 300 Beavers and Cub groups.

The partnership kicked off with an Epic Hot Wheels experience at the summer Beaver and Cub Fun Day, where boys and girls were tasked with timed challenges to create Hot Wheels track systems and put their racing skills to the test, inspired

by The Connectors. Additional activity includes the creation of a unique new branded activity pack that amplifies the brand in a fun and educational way and editorial in Get Active magazine and online. Additional marketing and PR will support Hot Wheels this autumn including amplification of The Connectors through a yearlong partnership with leading boy’s magazine, Toxic. PR also continues to drive to the popular UK website featuring games, video content and activities, as well as the Hot Wheels social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Starship assortments.

Building on the success of 2015, Hot Wheels will further empower kids in 2016 to Make It Epic by challenging them to go bigger, faster, higher and cooler with Hot Wheels. The new My Epic Collection promotion will drive collectability while YouTube will play a more prominent role to engage with today’s generation of kids. An exciting product range for spring/summer includes the Split Speeders Playset, the Track Builder Starter Set and the popular new Diecast Car Assortments. Check out the Hot Wheels website www.hotwheels.com!

Super-fast toys A first-class toy range for autumn/winter includes the continuation of TV advertising for the Hot Wheels Super Speed Blastway Trackset as well as the launch of the TV advertised Nitrobot Attack, a giant robot made out of cars, and the Track Builder Volcano Blast, where kids can crash through fiery lava. The impressive range of tracksets across City, Race, Workshop and Off-Road themes allow kids to build the ultimate Hot Wheels World. The range also includes the new Porsche Anniversary and James Bond Diecast Car assortments and Star Wars fans can now collect the new Hot Wheels Star Wars range including Character Car and

FAST FACT….

The Connectors’ characters and challenges will be highlighted at the ultimate Hot Wheels Epic Race experience at Westfield Shopping Centre, London during October halfterm. The Epic Race experience will be supported with local advertising, local PR and blogger outreach including social media sharing.

19

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

Ahoy! Get on the boat A GOLDEN BEAR G 0 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com ww Packed with innovative play features, the pull-along Big Red Boat from Pack Golden Bear’s Twirlywoos range reflects learning patterns from the show.

Gold Cleverly designed to combine developmental learning with imaginative Cle play, the Big Red Boat reflects the educational content of the show itself, p providing children with reinforcement through simple word learning.

The side panel of the boat opens up to showcase the many hidden play features within the playset, as well as the Great BigHoo and Peekaboo figurines.

P The Big Red Boat will benefit from a strong TV advertising programme from launch and will be supported by a PR campaign which includes a partnership la with Immediate Media, blogger outreach and extensive social media. wit

Powering imaginations LEARNING RESOURCES 07872 337 322 www.learning-resrouces.co.uk

Get your game on ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com Just in time for the busy Christmas season, Orchard Toys has announced the launch of not one but two new games and a new jigsaw.

The Big Alphabet Jigsaw has 26 chunky pieces, each showing a different letter of the alphabet, with fun, colourful illustrations that are synonymous with Orchard Toys.

The new game launches are Farmyard Heads and Tails and Robot Run. Aimed at very young children, aged 18 months and over, Farmyard Heads and Tails features 12 farm characters and objects to match and encourages observational and memory skills. Robot Run is an addictive family game, which involves players taking turns to match their robot cards by type or colour with the last card played.

20

Learning Resources is powering up imaginations with its Design and Drill Construction range.

This year the company has seen three exciting new additions to the range including the Brightworks Activity Centre, Flower Power Studio and Dazzling Creations Studio.

The Brightworks Activity Studio comes complete with an illuminated black activity board, 80 multi-coloured plastic bolts, a power drill with two drill bits and a guide with 12 design patterns. Bolts can be screwed in and out of the board, depending on the drill function selected.

The Flower Power Studio provides the tools to grow imaginations.

The set is complete with 60 colourful plastic bolts, six designer plates, activity guide and flower-shaped design board. Children can arrange and design their very own garden by drilling designer plates and bolts into the flower-shaped board.

The Dazzling Creations Studio has four activity boards, children can choose from the enchanting castle, beautiful crown, darling dress or magical unicorn to create their designs. Sparkly bolts can be screwed in with the ratchet screwdriver and gem caps can be added for extra razzle dazzle. This set includes a star-shaped screwdriver with real ratchet sounds and action, 30 translucent sparkly bolts, eight clear faceted gem caps and four mini activity boards.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

NEW Talking with w dinosaurs SILVERLIT 01923 606147 www.silverlit.com

DigiDinos is the late latest addition to the DigiFriends range and is sure trend for all things prehistoric. The T. rex, to excite with this year’s y Stegosaurus and the Apatosaurus DigiDinos each come either in individual packs, in their habitat set, or the unique three individ environment playset. Highly collectable, each Dino is unique environ with its own name and story. They all move in different ways, can talk and sing along with one another, and kids can even record and repeat a what they say to them. It’s a complete adventure.

DigiDinos join the rest of the DigiFriends in the range, which includes DigiChicks, DigiBirds, DigiOwls and DigiPenguins. All D other so kids can now complete DigiFriends interact with each o DigiFriends choir. their collections and create the ultimate u

Top of the charts!

WOW TOYS 02074710980 www.wowtoys.com WOW Toys is proud to introduce the first ever magnetic Reward Chart including three toy rewards and a magnetic Star Tracker.

The WOW Reward Charts is designed with children, parents, and carers in mind to create the complete solution in chart and reward toys. They are a fun way to help encourage positive behaviour and to help practice new skills such as brushing teeth, tidying toys or potty training. The easy to use magnetic chart keeps children motivated along their journey, as well as inspiring imaginative play.

There are relevant, fun toddler themes in the range including dinos, fairies and racers and each set includes three WOW toy rewards and a WOW magnetic star tracker (which can later make a great fridge magnet too!). All the toys are compatible with the wider WOW Toys range.

WOW Toys products are designed in the UK; the product designers treat safety and quality as paramount to develop safe, durable toys that provide endless play without the need of batteries. No PVC, small parts or toxic paint are used in the manufacturing process.

WOW Toys values engineering expertise to ensure all toys in the range have magical WOW features and to overcome the use of any batteries, giving parents peace of mind and children fabulous toys. WOW Toy Reward Charts are available from September 2015 and the company will be showcasing Reward Charts at Autumn Fair, stand number 5D70

SEPTEMBER 2015

Shield yourselves!

GREEN OWL TOYS 020 8851 9904 www.greenowltoys4trade.com Green Owl Toys is extending its range and offers bespoke colourful wooden shields to its customers.

The company has the facilities to offer a bespoke service allowing it to create shields with a design or picture of the customer’s choice.

Green Owl Toys say this is a first for the wooden shield offering in the UK. Along with its own line, the UK-based company also distribute a range of Gruffalo wooden toys and are the agent for the Bajo range. The company’s size and location means they are always quick to respond to customers.

21

RETAIL

OPINION

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

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

TIM EVANS Toys and Games of Worcester, Worcester, Worcestershire Tim opened the family-run store 21 years ago as a VHS and later DVD shop called The Videodrome.

Licensed toys crept into their offering, and when physical media sales slowed to a trickle, he reopened as a specialist toy shop five years ago.

What’s selling well in general right now?

I have to say, Spin Master’s Kinetic Cra-Z-Sand Sand and Character’s Cra-Z-Sand have both been very popular over the summer holidays, as has the Top Model range from Depesche. LEGO remains an evergreen for us.

What products do you sell that aren’t strictly toys, but work well in your shop?

We do party hats and some party dress up, which sell decently. We also do well with small gadgety things like selfie sticks, which we’ve sold loads of this year. We do some licensed sports bags too.

How important is pre-Christmas TV advertising to you?

TV advertising is very important to us, and not just at Christmas. We carry the new Thunderbirds products and that is very well supported on TV. We also check the TV activity before ordering new brands: Uggly’s Pet Shop was a good example from this year.

Is Halloween something you take advantage of, or if not is there another seasonal celebration you do?

Halloween is such a short period that we don’t order anything in specifically. We will try to make a Halloween section out of the stock we already have, however.

Summer is the main seasonal period for us.

DAWN COLLINS Manager, Bricknells Toy & Nursery Shop, Penzance, Cornwall Dawn opened the store originally in 2006. It was subsequently bought

by Bricknells Toy & Nursery and stayed on as the store manager.

What’s selling well in general right now?

Paw Patrol Lots! LEGO, Peppa Pig, Arts and Crafts, Dressing Up, Schleich horses and wild animals, Paw Patrol, Octonauts. TY beanies have been particularly good this summer.

What products do you sell that aren’t strictly toys, but work well in your shop?

We have the nursery side of the business, which does well. We sell general nursery: potties, changing mats, moses baskets and strollers, for example.

How important is pre-Christmas TV advertising to you?

Our owner Graham Matthews does all the buying, actually. But I know a lot of what we sell for Christmas will be TV promoted. Lots of the big brand stuff like Frozen, Barbie, Monster High, Zelfs, Shopkins and all the film licensed toys.

Is Halloween something you take advantage of, or if not is there another seasonal celebration you do?

Halloween is not that big from our point of view. We tried and it didn’t work as lots of other shops do it too. We do take advantage of the summer though, with paddling pools in the window to attract people.

22

toysnplaythings.co.uk

JANE POWELL Owner, Over the Rainbow Toys, Sheepmarket, Leek, Staffordshire Jane has been stock taking ever since she could count.

Born into a family with true entrepreneurial retailing spirit, she has sold everything from children’s clothes to pine furniture over the years. She celebrated the seventh anniversary of her own shop, Over the Rainbow Toys, this April.

What’s selling well in general right now?

We do really well with Playmobil and have been expanding our offering over the last few months. We’ve also pushed into new territory with VTech’s Toot-Toot range this year, which has proved very popular, having never sold electronic toys before. Top Model is always strong for us and is great for repeat sales.

What products do you sell that aren’t strictly toys, but work well in your shop?

I think us independent retailers are really lucky to have the freedom to try new things. If they work, that’s great; if they don’t, you can always revisit them in the future. Most recently we have moved into baby products with some smaller items, particularly Hippychick’s bibs and mattress protectors, and Sock Ons.

VTech Toot-Toot Animal Farm

How important is pre-Christmas TV advertising to you?

It’s not massively important for us as we don’t tend to sell products that are advertised.

Having said that, it’s still important to stay up to date with what’s out there, and will often order in more of whatever brands like Playmobil are promoting on TV. Is Halloween something you take advantage of, or if not is there another seasonal celebration you do?

We don’t order anything in specifically; the local multi-category chains have that covered. We do dress our windows around these theme, however, and will do a spooky one in October. This weekend I’ll be adding Union Jacks to commemorate V-J Day.

LEGO Minecraft

CHRIS ENTICKNOP Owner, Pplumz Ltd, Pershore, Worcestershire Chris has been running Pplumz in the market town of Pershore for 16 years, offering good quality toys with traditional play values What’s selling well in general right now?

TY has been popular recently - they’ve done a fantastic job of adding to their range to make it more exciting. LEGO and Orchard toys are staples for us, as are The Puppet Company. They’re all very good brand names with quality toys.

What products do you sell that aren’t strictly toys, but work well in your shop? We do some Top Model, which comes in more on the stationery side of things. We also carry a small number of balloons for last minute birthday purchases, but they’re not a significant part of the business.

SEPTEMBER 2015

How important is pre-Christmas TV advertising? Does it impact your ordering decisions and do you find it has a big impact on your sales?

TV advertising isn’t something that we follow. We try not to focus too heavily on Christmas, and tend to stay clear of toys aimed solely at the Christmas market. Having said that, we will order in larger quantities of LEGO, Playmobil, The Puppet Company and other suppliers we work with throughout the rest of year.

Is Halloween something you take advantage of, or perhaps another seasonal occasion?

We’d love to, but we have some speciality shops and a large supermarket nearby that cater well to the Halloween crowd.

We will often bring in some extra product for the Easter holiday though.

23

RETAIL INTERVIEW BENTS GARDEN & HOME

Garden glory Bents Garden & Home has taken a fresh approach to what they offer their consumers. Everything from toys to gifts to homewear, and of course gardening, is catered for from their Cheshire base.

Buyer Nicola Harradine gives TnP an insight Tell us a little bit about Bents Garden & Home?

The Bents story began over 75 years ago when Alfred and Margaret Bent started growing and selling roses from their own front garden. Since then Bents has evolved into an award winning lifestyle destination and complete day out for all the family. Despite growing in size we want to retain all the great things we already do,

keeping the feeling and ambiance we have worked hard to create, but in a bigger store.

While never forgetting our gardening heritage we’ve worked hard to create a destination that is no longer just focused on the garden but also encompasses home, lifestyle, leisure and a day out and we feel our new retail departments help us achieve just that

We asked…

What are your top tips for a novice toy buyer?

Plenty of research into brands, comp shop to ensure you’re competitive, keep on top of the latest film releases and children’s programmes, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

24

“

Despite growing in size we want to retain all the great things we already do, keeping the feeling and ambiance we have worked hard to create, but in a bigger store

”

New shops include an extensive Food Hall with everything from fresh, daily produce, continental deli counter and Honeywell’s butchers to an extensive wine and beer collection from Reserve Wines. A Cook Shop, Children’s Boutique, The Pet Place with its own pet café (where your four legged friend can choose from its own delicious menu) are joined by leading arts and crafts retailer C-Crafts and outdoor specialists, Nevisport|Trespass.

And what about your own history, how did you come into buying?

After doing a Textile Design degree at university and working in retail part time I decided I wanted to pursue a career in buying, my first job was with Debenhams in their Menswear buying division, I’ve also

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Top selling licences: PAW Patrol Pup with Vehicle Frozen pocket money lines

Do you find toys complement the other products you offer in Bents?

Yes they definitely do, we are attracting more and more families to the centre, we have a large restaurant with children’s play area, a manmade beach, and large craft concession. It really is a destination for the whole family.

worked as a Product Developer for the Adidas Group and now I’m a Multi-Category Buyer for Bents Garden & Home.

Give us an idea of the type of toys you stock?

We stock everything from pocket money to educational toys and we also stock selected licensed toys.

When did Bents’ toy department come to life?

There has been a Children’s Boutique at Bents for a number of years, but the current Boutique opened in November 2014 in conjunction with the opening of our exciting new retail development.

“

A lot of the ranges we stock are also aimed at grandparents and parents who are buying toys from us as gifts

What does a toy have to have for Bents to carry it in-store?

We always look for quality, and traditional toys are an important part of our range. Current licenses are also a consideration.

How do you keep up-to-speed on what is happening within the toy industry?

I attend trade shows regularly, agents and reps are a good source of knowledge, and I read industry publications such as Toys and Playthings.

”

And what inspired Bents to start stocking toys?

Predominantly we’re reacting to our customers’ needs. Bents is very much a day out for the whole family, so it seemed a natural growth area to cater for our youngest customers. A lot of the ranges we stock are also aimed at grandparents and parents who are buying toys from us as gifts.

NICOLA SAYS… We always look for quality, and traditional toys are an important part of our range.

SEPTEMBER 2015

25

RETAIL INTERVIEW BENTS GARDEN & HOME

Top three selling lines overall: LEGO minifigures PAW Patrol Frozen

“ Talk us through your toy offering, because it is not just outdoor toy?

No, outdoor toys are just a small part of our range. Pre-school ranges from VTech and Little Jellycat work well for us, LEGO is an important part of our offer and we also sell more traditional toys from Bigjigs and Le Toy Van. What about licensed product, is that something you sell?

Yes we do, we currently have PAW Patrol, Home and Frozen licensed products.

What are your top-selling licensed products?

The PAW Patrol Pup with Vehicle has been our bestseller, we’ve also done really well with Frozen pocket money lines.

Most popular licences: Shopkins Minecraft Despicable Me PAW Patrol How To Train Your Dragon

26

And what are your topselling toy lines overall?

LEGO minifigures are our top selling line along with PAW Patrol and Frozen.

You have a website, is online something you find consumers are using?

Our website is still in its infancy, but it’s something we’re working on. We have big plans for our online business.

How do you merchandise the toy department to make it stand out from your other products?

We have a fantastic retail team and visual merchandising team who create wow displays. Our toy department is now also in its own separate unit in store so it has its own identity with shop fit and lighting.

We always look for quality, and traditional toys are an important part of our range. Current licenses are also a consideration

”

footfall into the toy department.

What is your biggest challenge running a toy department within a garden centre?

Keeping on top of trends within the toy industry is probably the biggest challenge.

If you had to choose a favourite toy from your current range, what would it be?

Charlie Bears are my favourite toys in our range.

Do you utilise in-store theatre to attract customers?

Yes, we do. We regularly have in-store demos and activities to create a buzz and drive

toysnplaythings.co.uk

HIGH STREET

HIGHS

Eye for retail There’s no trick to visual merchandising, but anyone can learn and build on the basics. Gary has been fine tuning merchandising in The Entertainer shops since the 1980s, and we found out what works and why

I

n today’s culture of online convenience shopping and next-day deliveries, consumers want more from their trips to the High Street. Visual merchandising is key for retailers and plays two vital roles: creating an inviting and easily navigable environment, and displaying products at their very best. Shoppers expect certain experiences from their trips to the local toy store, and Gary Grant says cramped shelving, drab slatwalls and overflowing bins simply won’t cut it anymore.

In 2015 The Entertainer is a first port of call for many consumers on the hunt for toys. But what you see when stepping into one of Gary’s shops today is the result of hard work, experience and fine tuning since the 1980s.

Luckily, basic developments has made visual merchandising simpler and more effective than ever before. Speaking of the differences between now and when he started, Gary says: “We now have fixtures and fittings that suit the product, not generic supermarket shelving. Manufacturers have over the years developed modular packaging and the introduction of CDUs to improve shelf fill and display have all made improvements to our merchandising standards and makes it easier for staff and customers.”

The team at The Entertainer are passionate about giving their shoppers the best experience possible. Clarity is key when properly merchandising products, and although there is no definitive right way to go about it, Gary says it all begins with the basics: “a clean environment, a full display, clearly priced.”

Position, position, position Something that should govern every merchandising decision is position. If property is all about location, location, location, then Gary says position, position, position is retail’s mantra.

“The position in the shop, the position within the category, the position with the range,” he adds. “Ensure TV hero lines are in the best space, and the basic standards and disciplines are completed.”

Window displays

Do: Don’t:

Theme windows around product launches, film releases and a promotional calendar.

Clutter windows, they don’t make you stop and take in the messages we as retailers are trying to get across.

Keep it clear and keep it simple.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Beyond this, it’s all about judging a retail space on its individual needs and circumstances: some things will naturally work better in one shop than it will elsewhere. Gary believes that while natural flair is definitely beneficial, anybody can learn some critical guiding principles. “The basics of space management are instinctive and come naturally,” he says, “but merchandising principles and brand guidelines can be learned.”

This is why everyone at The Entertainer has the opportunity to learn the basics through visual merchandising training, as Gary explains: “We have a ‘merchandising knowledge base’, which is available to all staff in every store that has our guidelines and disciplines clearly set out. All store staff have the opportunity to pass a merchandising module which is then linked to improved salary on completion.”

This training means every The Entertainer shop is a visual merchandising power house, and the group as a whole is able to be dynamic and flexible from week to week, and month to month.

“Our stores follow a monthly promotional changeover in key areas such as windows and end bays,” Gary says. “These changes are communicated by our operations team who plan the moves in advance and provide rovide example images of ‘what good looks like’. The store will ill remerchandise weekly to change the focus on individual lines and when working a delivery to ensure we always have a fresh sh and relevant offer.”

“

The basics of space management are instinct and come naturally, but merchandising principles and brand guidelines can be learned

”

Sounds great Merchandising doesn’t end there here though. The look and feel of a shop is important, but tapping ping into shoppers’ other senses can work wonders. Music is hugely important across all The Entertainer shops and Gary iss happy to share some of his secrets.

“We have in-store music delivered elivered though a hard drive with the playlist changed ed monthly. The content is rigorously checked by our suppliers to ensure all music complies with our brand nd values,” he reveals.

“We are able to make instantt changes to the content to support a specific promotion tion or event in-store.

The content could be an hour ur of Disney to support a promotion, or we could play ay the Thunderbirds theme tune each hour in store. re. Changes are instant and consistent in every store e throughout the estate.”

Visual merchandising is hugely ugely important, and Gary’s closing advice is: “Customer space, lighting, displays and value for or money are all vital, but customer service and product oduct knowledge will ultimately be the difference in making the sale.”

1

THE INDEPENDENT

OPINION

It’s nearly time…

The Independent worries about second-guessing his buying decisions as we near Christmas. Is he right to worry?

A

nd here we go again everyone.

The start of our main season is here, and all of that work beginning as early as August last year (thanks to LEGO being so organised with their previews) starts to become a reality.

Our selections from the vast number of products on offer start to hit our shelves and we try to gauge the reactions of our customers to see if we have, in the main, hit the mark.

This time of year I find it really interesting comparing my initial thoughts

Best sellers VOLUME: 1) Shopkins 2 Pack – Flair 2) Shopkins 5 Pack – Flair 3) Simpsons Minigfigures – LEGO VALUE: 1) Shopkins 2 Pack – Flair 2) Shopkins 12 Pack – Flair 3) Shopkins 5 Pack – Flair

on products to what is actually on my shelves. I tend to give myself a slap on the wrist and a hard time for missing opportunities so I like to look at my purchase commitments from two sides.

First is the accuracy of my first impression in a showroom or at a fair to my reaction when I actually take the item out of its cardboard box and look at it in detail.

Second is how close to the mark I have been when I speak to my customers about the ranges we present each season.

I am sure there are those of you who will sympathise with me and who also study product in detail after it arrives.

At the end of the day, my job is to see a product range, in the flesh when possible, and pick the best items which I feel present good value for money, play value and quality. However, when you are at a fair or in a showroom you actually get very little time to look at a product properly to see what their content is.

I can see why a lot, if not all, of the majors can afford to ensure they see product a number of times. They will also require samples of each item before

they place orders because some product images can be misleading, to say the very least.

I found this to be true with a certain doll range a couple of years ago. It looked as if it might be good value until I realised that most of the content of the box was air and cardboard!

Sometimes I have to say I am pleasantly surprised when I open up that cardboard box. For example when I saw the Avengers product from Hasbro when it was first on show in November last year, I was surprised to see that they had moved away from 3.75” and moved down to 2.5” figures, but we supported them and the product came in. I then compared the £9.99 two-pack to a single-figure pack from another license and realised there was good value for money and the detail was fantastic. It will be extremely interesting to see what our customers have to say about the ranges we stock and I meet with my store managers at the end of the year to discuss this feedback.

It is only then I can find out if I can give myself a pat on the back.

THE SECRET SUPPLIER You’re not the only one who has it tough The Secret Supplier knows the angst associated with product selection all too well

T

he worries and uncertainties of new product selections, which this month The Independent so eloquently describes, is precisely the same testing process we suppliers have to endure. The key difference is that for us is that the process takes place in Hong Kong some 12-18 months earlier.

Like The Independent, we suppliers sit in front of handmade prototypes, and within a few minutes, we have to theatrically give the product a thumbs up or thumbs down!

And not only do we have to make the crucial decision on the product we also have to commit to a specific forecast and, in some cases, an opening order, all within a few minutes of first seeing a new product. What a gamble!

In some cases the product is still a non-functioning prototype powered along solely by the endless enthusiasm of a very slick, often American-accented presenter.

So in the challenging product selection process described by The Independent, retailers and suppliers tread a common path.

The ability to pick the winners from the dogs is a skill desired by many and only possessed by a few.

Some products tick all the must-have boxes but fail to live up to expectation while others come along and blow everything else out of the water. Be it Loom Bands, Frozen or Shopkins, these products have surpassed even the most optimistic forecasts, and in a way that no one could foretell.

28

So the challenge is not only picking the winners but also getting the numbers right – an impossible equation.

Some companies have a canny knack of being able to pick the winners, and in this context the Character Group come to mind, and indeed when The Independent is making his tough decisions doubtless he will be taking into account the track record of the supplier.

Of course the other side of the coin is how does the supplier deals with those new ranges that turn into huge dogs? Sensible suppliers will build into their P&Ls a generous stock obsolescence because experience tells us that even dogs can be big sellers at suitably discounted prices.

But what The Independent is armed with is years of experience based both on actual results and observation of his customers attitude to new product. Is it becoming more difficult? It certainly is as consumers now react to the whole new world of social media in an entirely unpredictable way. Take Pie Face as an example. In all probability, if suppliers where shown that in Hong Kong most would have happily given it the thumbs down but after a homemade video got nearly one million hits on YouTube, Hasbro sensibly stepped in to take the product rights.

So like The Independent at the end of December we will all collectively be able to add up our product score card in the hope we all picked some of the winners and not too many dogs!

toysnplaythings.co.uk

RETAIL

OPINION

How to not follow the herd H

ow good are you at predicting what will sell this But does this mean that everything you may have Christmas? If you’re any sort of merchant, the bought for your shop that does not appear on the deals will already have been done and the stock Hamleys, Argos or Amazon lists has been a waste of will be on its way from wherever it’s coming from. If this time and effort? Does the red pen beckon, probably isn’t the state of affairs, then we might as well all go before the red-coated one heads down the chimney? home, because Christmas toy buying is something that is Well, possibly not. planned and planned and then there is hope.

The fact is that it is perfectly possible to shift toys at Yet, to judge by the lists that have appeared from Christmas providing you are prepared to accept the fact the likes of Amazon, Hamleys and Argos, you’d be that you may have to do a little work. The toys that are forgiven for thinking that the season of goodwill was among the must-haves will sell themselves, if you have already sealed and delivered. Each of these commercial them - it’s those that may be more impulse buys that institutions has produced a list will require a little selling and of toys that it predicts will be the You do actually have the for the most part this will be bestsellers this Christmas and where they are placed in capacity to set the agenda via about somewhere along the line this will your shop. your shop – the die is certainly be the case.

Laying out merchandise The fact that some items appear not cast. Whether you choose in a store involves a series of on several of these lists means that to do this may equally be the pretty tough decisions. Have the predictions become something you got enough faith in your difference between a good of a self-fulfilling prophecy. sure-fire winners to put them in year and a very average one If enough of the things have a secondary position, or do you been bought, then at least some of still obey the old mantra that them will sell and the outcome will you put your bestsellers at the be a bestseller. front. If you adhere to the latter The other point is that for the most part, the topposition, then it is likely that you have just consigned selling toys become top sellers owing to pester power. much of your stock to the discount bin – it will sell, just Children will have encountered the stuff of their dreams not at the price that might want it to. long before they get their hands on them owing to films, If, however, you are prepared to take a few risks, online activity and word of mouth from their then putting some of the toys in which you had faith playground friends. when you signed that order close to the front, with a This in turn means that parents will also be aware little point-of-sale collateral, might be one of the better of the existence of Elsa and her ilk because they will things you will do this season. probably have been endlessly informed about them by And then there are the windows. It’s pretty easy to their nearest and dearest. put everything you’ve read about on those lists into Lists of toys that are going to be on the shelves of the the window, to the exclusion of much else. This sector’s biggest players therefore are going to exert a would be fine in itself, but the same principle trickle-down effect on the many independent toy shops applies to the window as to the store interior. up and down the land. The problem for this tranche of If you want to let the world know that you retailers is that budgets do have a nasty habit of being have a few things other than that which they limited and therefore are you are going to be looking at already know about, then you have to make these lists and wondering why you’ve got so few of the a bit of noise. things that are iterated, or perhaps why you’ve even got We’re now into the final run-up to a completely different line-up.

Christmas and, as ever, more or less The power of mass merchandising should not be everything depends on what happens in underestimated when it comes to shaping children’s the next 16 or so weeks. You do actually desires and populating Santa’s wish list. have the capacity to set the agenda via your The bestsellers of 2015 are, to a large degree, already shop – the die is certainly not cast. determined thanks to integrated campaigns that Whether you choose to do this may culminate in everything merging in the six or so weeks equally be the difference between a prior to 25 December. good year and a very average one.

“

Christmas approaches and you may have seen toys on lists that will be bestsellers in 2015, but what to do if you don’t have them all?

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.

SEPTEMBER 2015

29

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Drumond Park

The game of puzzling Games and puzzles are a perennial favourite with families. The category, particularly games, is having a bit of a moment thanks to some great licenses and even better content. TnP finds out more

I

t is up, up and away for the games and puzzles sector, if stats from the NPD Group are anything to go by. The total games and puzzles supercategory is up +6.6% in value, and up £33 million year to date June 2015.

So what does that mean? Well, it means things aren’t looking too shabby for anyone lucky enough to have their hands on a topselling property.

Hasbro alone scooped the top five positions in the family board/ action games category during the first six months of 2015.

Between January and June, Monopoly really did have a monopoly with Monopoly Standard and Monopoly Empire securing the number one and two spots respectively, followed

by Cluedo, Monopoly Electronic Banking and Trivial Pursuit Family.

The top five sellers in the puzzles category is equally interesting and dominated by

“

Looking forward to autumn/ winter we have a number of exciting new products and we are looking to expand our success in adult puzzles Stewart Middleton, Jumbo Games

”

NPD Stats The following information is all Year to Date June 2015: • • • •

Total Games & Puzzles supercategory is up +6.6% in value, and £33M Total Games (excluding trade card games) is up +8.4% Family Board/Action Games subclass is up +9.9% Total Puzzles is down -0.8%

Supplied by global information company The NPD Group

30

Jumbo and Ravensburger. Jumbo Games’ Portapuzzle de luxe posted in the top Vivid/Drumond Park’s Logo Board Game spot followed by two has sold over two million units to date – a Ravensburger offerings in staggering one million units alone in the UK. the shape of Disney Frozen 4 in a Box and Disney Frozen 3D Puzzle 72 licenses combined with traditional Pieces. Jumbo came in fourth games, both driving sales growth in with Jigroll Compact 500/1000 the first half of the year.” pieces and Ravensburger made another appearance in fifth Keeping good company position with Big Ben 216 Piece One business embracing the sector 3D Puzzle. is Vivid Imaginations. It has been a Speaking about the sector, Jez year since they merged with games Fraser-Hook, Executive Director, specialist Drumond Park.

The NPD Group says: “The games Marketing Director Mary Wood category trend is due to a tells us more: “I’m pleased to report combination of current hot a buoyant time across our portfolio.

Coming into the key autumn/winter Cartamundi season, we have received tremendous support across the retail trade resulting in extended distribution, with which we are delighted. Our stock position is considerably better than at this time last year - if you remember, Drumond Park and Vivid only came together mid-year 2014 so sales are in great shape. We have multilayered media, promotional and PR plans in place so have high expectations for the main selling period.”

Jumbo Games has a new MD at

FACT!

FACT! Cartamundi produce two playing cards per person on this planet each year. In 2014 they produced 14.751.000.000 cards!

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FACT!

“

Point as it’s had a great response so far.”

We Cartamundi’s Head of continue to Marketing and Licensing Trudi grow steadily Bishop agrees and says each year by licensing can add another thrill to a game. introducing Gibsons Director of both Marketing Kate Armitage innovative agrees: “There’s no denying new products that pairing a big license with a and heritage great concept makes a really strong product. We’ve explored brands this avenue ourselves this year Simon Pilkington, with five new puzzles in shaped John Adams gift tins that are set for release in October. The licenses include Volkswagen, Marmite, Love Hearts and Mr Men, for which we have very high sales expectations.”

However, Kate adds: “In saying that, the majority of what we do here at Gibsons focuses on those traditional products which have been popular for decades, even hundreds of years in some cases.

Games like Chess and Backgammon are certainly still in high demand and our puzzlers can’t get enough of landscape scenery and nostalgic scenes that don’t carry a license.”

Jumbo’s MD Stewart Middleton points out that a license can be a “powerful influence as licenses really shape the puzzle market”.

Taking that mantle, Drumond Park say they will now be stepping into the children’s licensing arena.

“For autumn/winter ‘15 we will be offering a Frozen Spot the

”

the helm in the shape of Stewart Middleton. What he has to say will be music to the ears of many indies.

“We are going through a period of re-focusing, getting back to our core values and focusing on the independents,” he tells TnP. “Looking forward to autumn/ winter we have a number of exciting new products and we are looking to expand our success in adult puzzles, with new launches from Thunderbirds, Game of Thrones and Coronation Street, as well as new releases from Disney Frozen, The Furchester Hotel, and some exciting new products within our Peppa Pig portfolio, all in the children’s market.”

Gibsons have been in the puzzle and board game John Adams business for quite some time now; in fact they are MD Simon only four years away from their centenary.

Pilkington is also reporting a good year: “We Difference game – it’s a strong continue to grow steadily each year license, a great impulse price point by introducing both innovative new and a well-known play pattern. products and heritage brands.”

Don’t forget that Drumond Park also run a number of licensed TV License this games and we are proud to have As a category, Games and Puzzles Family Fortunes, Catchphrase and is one which sits comfortably with Million Pound Drop in our portfolio.” or without a license attached to it – and this is something which is to The gift of giving its benefit.

Given that the sector is renowned “Yes,” says Simon. “We’ve seen for having mass appeal - families, great success from licensing with adults, children, it hits all bases, it is the likes of The Chase and The no wonder that games and puzzles Cube, and we’re optimistic about falls into the gift-giving category the latest introduction Tipping

Sales of Jumbo’s Wasgij Election themed products actually predicted the outcome of the UK general election before it was announced; the Conservative puzzle was the most popular jigsaw in the range by far.

too. So do suppliers take this into account when marketing and communicating their brand message to retailers and consumers?

The answer seems to be a resounding yes.

Suppliers know that games and puzzles hits toys and gifting – and they want to make the most of it.

And savvy toy retailers will surely plan on taking advantage of the sector too as we near the festive season.

Gibsons

FACT!

SEPTEMBER 2015

Retail Comment…

“Games are a good portion of our overall business, and we’ve found real success with those on the hobbyist end of the spectrum: classics like Carcassonne and independent games. I think TV programmes like The Big Bang Theory have put board games back in the spotlight. They sell really well for us, and we have plenty of regular customers who come in specifically to see the new games we have in stock.”

Tim Evans, Owner, Toys and Games of Worcester, Worcester, Worcestershire

31

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Game on HASBRO 020 8569 1234 www.hasbro.co.uk Watch out, Loopin’ Louie is about and it’s up to players to protect their chickens from his dizzy diving! Every time he flies by in his aeroplane, he’ll be out to knock another chicken into the chute below. The player with the last chicken standing wins.

For a game experience that combines friends, skill, suspense, laughter, and maybe a little luck, there’s the Jenga Quake game. Players will be on the edge of their seat as they pull out their blocks, knowing that the tower can start to shake at any time. They have to finish their turn before the tower totally comes crashing down!

The hilarious Crocodile Dentist game challenges players to watch out for Silly Jock Croc’s sore tooth. When pressing down on a tooth, he’ll chomp if it’s sore! Players lose if he chomps them, but if their daring dentistry is better than anyone else’s, they’ll win.

The exciting Pie Face game is filled with fun and suspense, and somebody’s bound to get splatted. Just put some delicious whipped cream or a wet sponge on the hand of this hilarious game unit and start turning the handles. It could go off at any time, so players need to keep their fingers crossed.

Own the world’s favourite cities in the Here & Now version of the fast-trading property game, MONOPOLY! The jet-set gameplay will be epic as players race around the globe to visit the world’s most exciting places and buy locations.

In celebration of the MONOPOLY brand’s 80th anniversary, Hasbro teamed up with social news and entertainment company BuzzFeed to ask fans to choose which great cities around the world will be featured as property spaces in the new MONOPOLY HERE & NOW: World Edition. Around four million votes were cast in 182 countries and the final list of cities were revealed on the MONOPOLY brand’s official birthday and the first ever World MONOPOLY Day. Both London and Belfast made it onto the final board, featuring on the orange and red property groups respectively.

Challenge yourself GREEN BOARD GAMES 01494 538999 www.greenboardgames.com This year has proved to be another anothe great one for Green Board Games… and it’s not over yet!

With a raft of games set to entertain rtain the whole family, iincluding Family Board ard Games, and Strategy Board d Games, Travel Games mes an nd the award-winning BrainBox range, range Games’ innovation is reaching new heights.

Green Board Games New BrainBox BrainBo titles include Space, Science, On the Farm and Cities of the World, all of which have been real hits in 2015. Mr Men Little Miss BrainBox, w GBG’s star licensed product of 2015 hit the shelves recently. After a daily lice countdown on social media and continued in store marketing support, it’s set to be a real winner. wi Just on the th horizon is the launch of a brand new concept, BrainBox Bounce, developed to extend the BrainBox phenomenon even further. This new game is a rapid recall memory game where players have to study a different card at re the same time.

Play is bounced from player to player until all players have ti one of the card they’ve studied. Those that have answered answered question q in the game, incorrectly answered cards must be placed in a correctly remain re pile for the winner of the round to collect. Players can play as many rounds as they like or until one player has all the cards! The first two titles are Dinosaurs Animals, followed by two other additions consisting of Mr Men and Little and Animals Miss. ever-popular BrainBox Board Game is once again available and flying The ever-p shelves. Gameplay is fun but simple: the winner is the first to collect a off the shelve card from each ea category, which are entertainment, people, places, sport, food and drink. It’s a great family game with endless fun, so don’t miss out!

32

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Happy campers GIBSONS S 020 8661 8866 866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk nsgames.co.uk

Mega fun!

CLEMENTONI 0208 782 1134 www.clementoni.com Kids are guaranteed hours of playtime with the 7 in 1 Mega play set, a briefcase full of family fun featuring fan-favourite characters from the hit Disney films Cars, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo.

The compact case includes a variety of beautifully illustrated games including a classic memory game, dominoes, blocks, three puzzles ranging in difficulty from 30 pieces to 60 pieces, and Clementoni’s best selling Quizzy and Quizzy pen.

The set will encourage all those Disney fans out there to use their memory and problem solving skills, not forgetting building on their fine motor skills with the Quizzy.

34

et to Gibsons is set launch five quirky new products from om big licenses this September.

Each puzzle zle comes in shaped aped gift packaging, ng, which can be e kept and treasured ed long after the puzzle zzle is complete.

The iconic c Volkswagen Campervan is s loved by young ung and old. Perfect rfect for any camper-fan, -fan, Gibsons’ brand new 500-piece jigsaw puzzle comes in a beautiful tin replica of the much loved vehicle. Not only is the puzzle fab, but the tin is sure to take pride of place on desks and mantels across the UK, as a reminder of lazy days puzzling by the coast.

Love it or hate it, there are few things more iconic than Marmite. A larger than life replica jar in all its yummy glory is home to Gibsons’ new fiendishly difficult, double-sided 500-piece puzzle, sure to challenge the lovers and haters alike. After use, the nifty jar with its screw-top lid makes a cracking storage pot suitable for all manner of knick-knacks.

Love Hearts and their messages have captured hearts for over 60 years. The immediately recognisable Love Hearts packet lends itself perfectly to a cute tin with a heart-shaped 250-piece puzzle inside. It features Love Hearts with all the favourite, corny captions… the ideal gift for sweet lovers, but without the calories!

Two licensed Mr Men and Little Miss puzzles are also due for release. The miserable little Mr Grumpy tin contains a 250-piece puzzle, perfect for a grumpy dad, husband, boyfriend or brother – in fact any of the grumpy guts in our lives who we all know and love. On the other hand, Little Miss Sunshine is always cheerful super-duper and bright even on a cloudy day. Her super duper tin contains a 250-piece puzzle, perfect for any happy lady.

ttoysnplaythings.co.uk ys playthings o.u41 k

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Rummikub celebrates 40 years of fun times

Family favourites JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk Well known for its established games and puzzles portfolio, John Adams is boosting its collection with some classic brands and innovative new products for 2015.

First up is family favourite, Triominos. A triangular take on the traditional dominoes game, the range will contain three new products under this heritage brand in its 50th anniversary year, across a range of price points. The range will be led by hero product Triominos Classic Deluxe, which will feature the recognisable triangular packaging, with other items including Triominos Excel and Triominos Travel.

John Adams will also be expanding its action games category with two new additions, The Greedy Sheep and Elly Fountain. Greedy Sheep has a simple format: players take it in turns to feed grass to the sheep, and he keeps eating and bleating until finally his woolly fleece flies off! Elly Fountain is the game where being sprayed with water is a good thing. Players take it in turns to feed Elly and press her paw; if she sprays a player with water, they get to take a splash coin. The first player to get three splash coins wins. Both products will be supported

by TV advertising and PR. The popular Shopkins license also joins the games collection with an exciting range inspired by the popular fun foodie themed collectables line. The Shopkins Puzzle Tin, Supermarket Scramble Game, Pop ‘n’ Race Game and Big Roll Bingo, will all be released in the autumn and will offer exclusive Shopkins collectable figures for added play value.

Continuing to build on its successful TV games portfolio, John Adams will be adding Tipping Point to its collection this year. Based on the popular daytime ITV quiz show hosted by Good Morning Britain’s Ben Shephard, the game will come complete with a table top electronic Tipping Point machine with moving base plate, as well as question cards and counters.

36

The Rummikub range has also been expanded for 2015 with exciting new additions rolling out under this nostalgic brand. New introductions include Rummikub Xpress, Travel Rummikub, Rummikub Prime, Rummikub Junior and Rummikub Word which will sit alongside Rummikub Classic. The Rummikub UK Championships will take place in September where the winner will go on to represent the UK at the World Championships in Berlin in November.

Following on from Linkee - the hugely successful crowd sourced game as seen on Dragons’ Den - comes Dinkee Linkee, a slightly easier version of the original game for kids.

Aimed at children aged eight plus, the game still features the same simple game mechanic of ‘four little questions, one big link’.

Following a very successful 2014 celebrating its 40 Anniversary, the company’s Rubik’s range will continue to offer a strong product range based on the iconic cube.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Š 2015 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Far from bog standard VIVID / DRUMOND PARK 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

New in children’s games are two in-house developed brands for children in the four to nine-year-old age target in the form of Og on the Bog and Rattle Me Bones. Plus, given its previous success in the market, expectations are high for the re-vamped and hugely addictive Shh!..Don’t Wake Dad game.

All will be supported by strong TV campaigns and new TV commercials.

For younger children, Drumond Park is introducing the pre-school game, Barbeque Party, which had a phenomenally strong performance in France last year.

Sizzling sales are expected as a result of fun game play, and a heavyweight TV and promotional plan.

Within the magic segment – another NPD chart topping success for Drumond Park in 2014 - not only is there a new set for younger aspiring magicians in Gee Wizz, but new tricks have been added to Gross Magic, along with a packaging facelift which is sure to make it stand out on children’s wish list for Christmas 2015.

With an aim to maintain Drumond Park’s number one position in adult games (NPD, full year 2014), not only will there be a new TV commercial to support the highly successful Logo Board game which has one million UK sales to date, but Logo Lite will be added to the stable, providing new game play and cards that can become additional cards for the original Logo game.

Early EPOS sales indicate that Logo Lite is going to be another winner in the Drumond Park portfolio.

38

toysnplaythings.co.uk

An innovative

range targeted to

toddlers:

educational electronic

toys

cognitive and manual skills and to amuse them while teaching to develop children

numbers, letters, colors and shapes

12 - 36 M 18 + M

Baby T-Rex

World Cup Winner

2+ Y

9+M

Lewis Racing IR Car

Interactive Shape Sorter Car T. 0208 782 1143

-

Clementoni UK

-

uk@clementoni.com

-

w w w.clementoni.com

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

A to Z of play ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com Orchard Toys has added three exciting new lines to complement its educational range for autumn 2015.

With the lead-up to Christmas drawing ever nearer, Orchard Toys has ensured its new lines include a variety of games and jigsaws to suit alll ages and abilities abilities.

Farmyard Heads and Tails is a fun, first matching activity for children as young as 18 months, which develops into a game as children grow in confidence and ability. Featuring 12 farmyard characters and objects to match, this simple game encourages observational and memory skills. The large, wipe-clean pieces are easy to hold, making them ideal for little hands.

Robot Run, suitable for ages three plus, is an addictively fun colour and shape matching game for all the family. Players must match their robot characters by type or colour in order to play all of their cards before the other players. Deceptively simple, this is a game that the whole family will want to play again and again.

Big Alphabet Jigsaw is a colourful, 26-piece jigsaw, aiding language and literacy skills for children aged three to six. Each piece of the jigsaw shows a different letter of the alphabet, decorated with characters synonymous with Orchard Toys.

The recognisable characters and objects can be used to promote educational learning and discussion.

Picture perfect play time ESDEVIUM

01420 593593 ww.esdeviumgames.com

40

One of the top focuses for Esdevium is the brand new range of Disney-licensed family games, headed up by the ultimate picture-trivia game, Disney Pictopia.

In Pictopia, players test their knowledge of decades of Disney magic, from animated classics to blockbuster movies and dazzling theme park destinations. Along the way are guess-my-answer questions that reveal just how much players know about one another. The game will be supported by a comprehensive marketing plan with exposure from online, TV advertising, wide-reaching reviews, and demonstrations at events across the entire Q3-4 period. There will also be an optional interactive app to maximise the fun, offering new ways to play.

After its successful launch in 2014, the newly-established Hotel Tycoon will be another important game this Christmas.

The family board game of high stakes for budding real-estate magnates encourages players to jet around the board looking to invest in hotels - and to bankrupt their opponents! The visually-stunning 3D design is a big selling point for the game and Esdevium will go all out to show this to consumers with a huge TV advertising campaign. The TV ad will also feature in considerable targeted online advertising to reach a family audience.

The well-established Dobble Card Game is expected to comfortably be Esdevium’s top-selling game for 2015. Dobble has seen incredible success over the last couple of years with huge jumps in sales and awareness of the game at an all-time high. Esdevium is offering a brand new, free FSDU to retailers to increase in-store visibility and with it, sales. Retailers should contact their account handler for more information. Dobble is also the central product of Esdevium’s demonstration programme and will further be supported by YouTube advertising on family content, Christmas gift guides, reviews and wide-spread PR.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

A Jumbo helping of fun JUMBO GAMES 01707 289289 www.jumbo.eu

This year is piecing together nicely for Jumbo Games and is set to continue through to Christmas. Looking to autumn/winter, Jumbo Games has already announced a UK licensing deal to produce a range of Poldark jigsaw puzzles. This new license is a fantastic acquisition for Jumbo’s strong adult puzzle portfolio and the range will launch with a 1000-piece puzzle in November.

September marks the 50th Anniversary of hit British TV classic Thunderbirds, and to celebrate, Jumbo has released a special edition Collector’s Box Set Vol.1 that includes three 500-piece jigsaw puzzles, a 1000-piece Puzzle and a brand new 100XXL Puzzle - available in November.

After releasing its first 1000-piece Game of Thrones Map of the Known World puzzle in 2014, Jumbo has extended the range with two Special Edition Collector’s Box Sets. The pair feature montages of the smash-hit show’s most famous characters from both sides of The Wall – so there’s something for every Game of Thrones fan with this collectable puzzle range.

To top off Jumbo’s impressive adult portfolio, the Coronation Street True or False Trivia Board Game will test fans’ knowledge of all things Coronation Street, with over 750 True or False questions to answer as players make their way around the famous cobbles. Suitable for two to six players or teams, this game is sure to be a family-favourite this winter. And don’t forget the new 1000-piece Double Acts jigsaw puzzle, which will take fans down memory lane as they piece together 38 famous Corrie double acts, old and new - perfect for all Corrie fans!

Jumbo Games is also the number two* manufacturer in the children’s puzzle market, with a portfolio of licenses including Peppa Pig, Disney Frozen, Furchester Hotel, DC Comics and more.

The brand new Peppa Pig Tumble & Spin Memory Game is an awardwinning classic and is back better than ever before! Spin the giant Peppa Pig figurine (16.5cm tall, which children will love!) and watch her spin round playing her popular theme tune and listen carefully to what she says when she stops.

Players need to collect all their matching memo cards while following Peppa’s instructions. The first player to do so is the winner! Suitable for two to four players aged three plus.

Look out for the Spinning Santa Tumble & Spin Game that is coming in November – it’s sure to be top of the Christmas wishlist for Santa’s little helpers!

42

Jumbo facts Established in 1853, The Royal Jumbo Group is one of the oldest toy companies in Europe.

Jumbo Games is the number one manufacturer of adult puzzles in the UK*, producing Wasgij the leading adult jigsaw puzzle brand, Falcon de luxe the high quality traditional puzzle range and Puzzle Mates, the one stop shop for all puzzle accessory needs. *NPD FY 2014.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES Z ZZLES

Who will take the throne?

WINNING MOVES 0207 298 9507 www.winningmoves.co.uk Winning Moves has new arrivals to its games and puzzles portfolio. Game of Thrones Monopoly is finally here and features famous locations like King’s Landing, Winterfell and Castle Black. The game includes beautifully crafted playing pieces as well as tokens such as a Dragon Egg, Three-Eyed Raven and White Walker. Another game from the popular HBO series is Game of Thrones Risk Deluxe, which allows players to choose from seven houses of Westeros or Essos and battle for the Iron Throne across two maps.

In time for the end of the year are two picturesque Christmas puzzles: a round 500-piece puzzle featuring a beautiful Christmas scene, and a snow globe 1000-piece puzzle. Another perfect game for under the tree this year is Christmas Monopoly, which includes six festive tokens such as a reindeer, snowman and Christmas pudding. Take a trip around the board and visit squares such as Santa Claus and a Christmas tree.

A new addition to the Adventure Time range is Guess Who?, where players have to guess which crazy character from the Land of Ooo their opponent has picked. All the favourite Disney Pixar characters are reunited in the new Pixar Top Trumps Tin. Players can relive all those fantastic adventures and challenge opponents to find out how Nemo is superior to Buzz Lightyear. Marvel Universe Top Trumps is also about to hit the shelves. Players will discover who the top Marvel hero is, from the likes of Thorn, Iron Man and Captain America.

44

Go green GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221 www.greatgizmos.co.uk Great Gizmos offers a huge variety of games and puzzles for children and adults from its brand new animal range from WWF and eco-friendly wooden toy range, Plan Toys.

The leaders in conservation, WWF, offer a range of games and puzzles that incorporates game play with beautiful animal patterns. The 1000-piece puzzles are available in an amazing eight themes: Panda, Owls, Marine, Wild Cats, Tigers, Penguins, Birds and Wolves. Each puzzle is made of thick cardboard and features striking and engaging images. The WWF Floor puzzles are new in this autumn and feature designs such as Sea Life, Wild Cats, Polar Region and Madagascar.

The Miombo Tumble Tower is made from FSC wood and features patterns from Africa’s Miombo woodlands including a giraffe, zebra and cheetah.

The 48 wooden blocks are built into a tower with children taking turns to remove a single block while aiming to keep the tower’s balance.

For games to help with memory, the Reptiles Memory Match contains 24 wood tiles that feature images of reptiles from across the globe that must be paired up in order to win. This cool game is also available in mammals, birds, marine and family themes.

From Plan Toys, the classic game of four-in-arow in a monkey theme, Monkeys in a Row, has children place the correct coloured monkey face in order. The Balancing Boat will test balancing skills while helping to tell the biblical tale of Noah and his ark.

More toppling fun can be had with the wooden Balancing Tree game that challenges children to place brightly coloured birds onto the trees branches without them falling off. Children can learn about the weather and appropriate clothing with the Weather Dress-Up Puzzle.

The Animal Puzzle includes six different animals such as a tiger, elephant and monkey that children must match together using the wooden tray as a guideline. Kids can even mix and match to create their own wacky creatures.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Scratch that DKL

© 2015 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.

01604 678780 www.dkl.co.uk

Order now!

And get it delivered on time for Christmas sales

Sales@Cartamundi.co.uk Ph: +44 (0)12 68 51 15 22 www.shuffle.cards

46

DKL distribute a variety of games and puzzles from across several quality brands.

From the newly launched Scratch range comes the amazing Magnetic Darts, reversible hanging darts boards which are packaged in unique tubes. Not to be missed is the Magnetic Darts FSDU which holds both the small and large sized dartstubes for effective merchandising.

Also look out for the sea-themed Button Puzzle, and the Classic Fishing Game which is packaged in an original and quirky fish-shaped box. Scratch offers over 30 games and puzzles, all with amazing designs and competitive prices.

Miniland’s new On the Go collection of travel games feature six fun fold-away games which include magnetic pieces – and all six are packed in a perfect CDU. On the Go boards are an attractive option with fun themes such as Crazy Faces and Crazy Zoo. Wonderworld’s ecofriendly Trix Tracks games continue to be a best seller. The exciting collection of wooden ballruns is a must-have game for children. The unique brick locking system makes these easy-to-build and durable! Choose from eight different sets, all of which can be collected and combined to make the ultimate Trix Tracks game.

All DKL ranges are supported by a full marketing programme including dedicated planograms, in-store campaigns, and social media and PR activity to drive consumers into stores.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

T MUST HE CHRI -HAVE ST PUZZ MAS LE!

150

3x

PERFECT STOCKING FILLERS!

250

For more information and to see the full range, visit

100

www.wasgij.com

6285&( 13' )XOO <HDU

CONTACT YOUR JUMBO SALES REP FOR MORE INFORMATION Jumbo Games &DUWHUV 5RZ +DW¿HOG 3DUN +DW¿HOG 8. $/ 1% 7HOHSKRQH (PDLO XN VDOHVKRWOLQH#MXPER HX www.jumbo.eu

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZ PUZZLES ZZLES

Just zip it!

BANANAGRAMS 020 7298 9500 www.bananagrams.com

Movies, magic and more CARTAMUNDI 01268 511522 www.cartamundi.com The year to date has been a busy one for Cartamundi and it promises to get even busier, with films such as Minions, James Bond Spectre, Disney’s the Good Dinosaur and many more launched or on the way.

But it’s not just about producing children’s card games adorned with stills of Bob, Kevin and Stuart the Minions, or 52-card decks of film posters from 50 years of the Bond franchise, massively popular though these are.

James Bond output also includes a high-end professional poker set in a presentation case.

Meanwhile, the Minions have come together with a major Hasbro brand for the Shuffle Guess Who Minions card game, in which a famous game and a hit film are combined and enhanced with an optional downloadable app.

This digital extra is a unique aspect to the Shuffle range concept, which now extends to nearly 20 games inspired by brands like Monopoly, Transformers and Frozen.

The arrival of Carta Magic taps expertly into another major trend — the popularity of magic tricks. Carta Magic offers four kits and sets of instructions designed with the help of a professional magician to turn anyone into a Derren Brown or Dynamo (well, almost) in their own home.

Style of course never goes out of fashion, and the stunning design of the Pitch Black, Death Poker and Calavera card packs add an eerie but amazing edge to the traditional deck of cards. That said, Royal Flush — the cards familiar to us all from childhood — continue to sell well and are guaranteed to fly off POS displays into stockings at Christmas, as they have always done.

48

Bananagrams, Inc. has unveiled a complete redesign of its travel word game, ZIP IT. The ‘Small Space Word Race’ returns to the UK market with a vibrant new look, created with customer and retailer feedback from both sides of the pond in mind.

The eye-catching pouch features a fresh new colourway, clearer logo and brand new strapline to more explicitly position the game as a compact plaything that’s perfect for travel. The unique scoring zippers remain, however the 1-10 points scales have been moved to the sides of the pouch to give the game an altogether slicker look and feel. The fast-paced two-player game features 24 lettered cubes and these too have been given a facelift with the lettering colour changed to match the new blue pouch design. Finally, a striking new CDU featuring high quality product and component photography completes the overhaul.

ZIP IT joins Appletters, PAIRSinPEARS and Fruitominoes under the “Games Grown by BANANAGRAMS” brand umbrella, which is due to become even more prominent in both tradeand consumer-facing materials and communications in the coming months.

Keeping the range fresh, Bananagrams, Inc. has also added a brand new version of the hero BANANAGRAMS game to its portfolio this year – BANANAGRAMS WildTiles. After a successful sales phase in the USA as a Target exclusive, BANANAGRAMS WildTiles is now available to UK retailers. The game includes six unique monkey WildTiles – players can pick up a WildTile and play it as any letter as they race to complete their grids. Adding a new dimension to the game-play, this version is a must-have for existing BANANAGRAMS fans who want to try a new spin on the classic, as well as those who are completely new to the game.

Bananagrams, Inc. has also just announced The BANANAGRAMS Challenge 2016. The word game tournament for UK primary schools returns after a hugely successful first year and this time it’s open to twice as many schools. Aiming to attract 1000 schools, the free-to-enter Challenge will see around 30,000 children aged 7-11 years old (from school years three, four, five and six) ‘Go Wild With Words’ by playing a series of BANANAGRAMS games with classmates.

Participating schools will be provided with a Welcome Pack containing two BANANAGRAMS games plus an array of other useful tools. Through a simple process of elimination, each school finds its champion, or ‘Best of the Bunch’ who then competes in a range of online word-based games – built around the Key Stage 2 spelling lists – for one of 12 places at the Grand Final in London, in April 2016. The eventual winner will be crowned Top Banana 2016 and will win £1,000 for their school.

toysnplaythings.co.uk toysnplaythings co uk

Accent-ric fun ACCENTUATE 0330 400 4162 www.accentuategames.com Celebrating a year since its creation, the team at Accentuate has been hard at it behind the scenes – and on TV screens - as they evolve their existing product and extend its gameplay. Fresh from securing a £45,000 investment from Peter Jones in the BBC2 Dragons’ Den in July, the guess-theaccent game’s inventors have released the first expansion pack and announced plans for further global editions of the game. The first Accentuate expansion pack focuses on Film Quotes.

BRAND NEW CHRISTMAS PUZZLES!

3x 00 0

1

Looks mint GALT 0161 428 9111 www.galttoys.com Playmoney, suitable for children aged four to eight years, is a traditional favourite that has been reintroduced by Galt this year. Children will enjoy learning about money with this playset of quality coins and notes. The set contains over 100 pieces and an eight-section tray with coin stickers for sorting and imaginative play. The set includes a play guide with helpful tips and fun games.

NEW PUZZLES TO ENTERTAIN THIS WINTER!

Life’s a game MATTEL 01628 500000 www.mattel.com It’s game on for Mattel as it continues to provide fantastic entertainment with an impressive portfolio of family favourite games. Top-sellers include Scrabble, the number two Family Game (NPD, Family Games, June 2015); the number one Card Game, UNO (NPD, Card Games, June 2015); the latest new addition, Minecraft; top drawing game, Pictionary and Bounce Off. The Mattel Games portfolio will be supported with an extensive, multi-platform marketing programme under the umbrella communication of ‘Play the Game’. The programme will drive demand and awareness of the games portfolio during the key sales period leading up to Christmas.

The campaign will be supported with TV and radio advertising, social media, in-store POS and PR outreach including competitions and blogger reviews. In addition, the digital Facebook communities for Scrabble, UNO and Pictionary will continue to engage current and new brand advocates through creative and engaging content.

Scrabble in autumn/winter sees the launch of a major new initiative which will position the game as the ‘Smart Choice for Festive Fun’ and the favourite game for mind and educational challenges. Key lines for A/W15 include Scrabble Original and the Deluxe, Travel and Junior editions.

Additional Mattel favourites in the games portfolio include the UK’s much loved card game, UNO, supported with a strong A/W15 range including the TV advertised UNO Extreme, UNO Cards and the Dare and Junior editions. Other games include the TV advertised Bounce Off, the ultimate in headto-head competition, and the popular Pictionary, the game of quick sketches and crazy guesses.

The impressive Card Game from Minecraft allows fans to create their own missions with endless opportunities where fans can enjoy building and creating using strategic methods to mine resources and craft tools.

SEPTEMBER 2015

00

2x5

500

GN=J *( F=O >9D;GF HMRRD=K GN=J GN= J *( *( F=O F=O >9D >9D;GF ;GF HMRRD HMRRD=K =K

Jumbo Games

49

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

League of their own WHO’S GOT RON? www.whosgotron.com paul@whosgotron.com

Games galore HTI 01253 775544 www.htigroup.co.uk HTI is the name of the game with one of the biggest character license brands and great value own design games and puzzles ranges.

HTI has a fun range of Peppa Pig wooden puzzles and toys to encourage early learning and development.

The Floor Puzzle is a 49-piece jumbo jigsaw featuring a fun Peppa Pig classroom scene. The chunky 3D Clock Puzzle helps little ones learn to tell the time as they have fun placing the shaped numbers in the correct spaces or take them out to reveal Peppa party images. Other puzzles include a Peppa Pig Dress Up Numbers and Muddle Puddle Peg Puzzles, offering number learning and shape sorting activities with fun Peppa designs.

HTI’s in-house games range provides an extensive selection of traditional board, family and strategy games from Draughts, Chess, Ludo and Snakes & Ladders to Bingo & Lotto. The games range also includes compact magnetic compendium travel games that offer four classic board games in one. All the magnetic play accessories can be stored away in pocket-sized locking cases – ideal for game play on the move.

HTI’s own Wood Works range of traditionally crafted, premium quality wooden toy lines includes puzzles for children of ages 18 months upwards. The Wood Works pre-school offering comprises colourful chunky shape sorters, a learning clock, alphabet and number puzzles, dominoes, an abacus, chalk board and jumbo floor puzzle. Assorted peg puzzles provide little ones with hours of shape sorting fun with pegs that are perfect for little fingers.

All Wood Works pre-school puzzles have been designed to help develop recognition of numbers, letters, shapes and colours as well as enhance hand-eye coordination, cognitive abilities and stimulate visual development.

All are supplied in fully branded display CDUs, the Wood Works range provides fantastic margins to retail partners and great value for consumers.

50

Who’s Got Ron? is a footballthemed game like nothing else on the market. The game is played around a live football match on TV, bringing football lovers and THE THAT THE FOOTBALL FOOTBALL BOARD GAME THAT non-believers together to enjoy the experience.

YOU PLAY AS THEY PLAY The game starts when the football game starts. One player is nominated to hold the marker, and when a decision is made by the referee of the live game, the marker-holder pays into the cash UP TO 8 PLAYERS AGES 8 – 80 pot and then passes the marker onto the next player. The group can decide the decisions which affect the board game, so a free kick, penalty or corner and so on.

The marker passes on with each decision and the cash pot increases. The person holding the marker when a goal is scored collects the cash pot and the game restarts.

It’s a fun gambling game with paper money included that the whole family can get involved, even if they’re not football fans!

Zappers at the ready!

GOLDFISH & BISON 020 8568 6398 www.goldfishandbison.com The Megableu portfolio continues to be a phenomenal success for Goldfish & Bison. The Megableu range features exciting games with cool working features and strong visual recognition. The range includes ever-popular titles, such as Ghost Hunt, Creepy Hand, Cobra Attack and Spiderman Chase Rhino game.

Goldfish & Bison is introducing innovative new Megableu games into the range for 2015. Continuing the success of Ghost Hunt, Goldfish & Bison is launching the new Ghost Hunt Evolution game. Wearing 3D glasses, players have to zap hordes of bats flying at them from all directions as well as shoot the ghost appearing on the walls and ceilings.

The new Alien Mission is a thrilling game featuring new innovation.

Aliens have invaded the world and players must eliminate the off-world visitors to win. Put on the goggles, activate the gun and sneak around the house to zap the aliens with the infrared gun.

In Trickin’ Camel desert stranded players must compete to win thirst quenching bottles of water from the camel’s back, but if players can’t beat the camel’s challenge, he will trick them.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Use your head SPIN MASTER

1(: 38==/(6 $9$,/$%/( 1(: 38==/(6 $9$,/$%/(

01628 535000 www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Spin Master’s strong portfolio of fast and furious games has once again continued to perform strongly in the market this year, and the portfolio of Hedbanz games has proved to be a popular choice with families and children.

The extended Hedbanz range, which now includes Act Up, will be available throughout the year along with the refreshed Disney Hedbanz, which now includes characters such as Elsa and Olaf from Frozen, Dory from Finding Nemo and other popular characters. Hedbanz will be the TV advertised driver from midAugust through to Christmas.

There are two new Paw Patrol games to look out for on the back of the popular range of toys and plush. Reflecting the storylines in the cartoon series, Look-a-Likes Matching Game and the Adventure Game, which launched in the spring of 2015, will be joined by two further PAW Patrol games. Pup Racers and Beach Patrol will be released in the second half of 2015 and are bound to be winners with the huge following of Paw Patrol.

TV’s greatest GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com

Become a legend THAMES AND KOSMOS 01580 212000 www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk Thames and Kosmos’ second release of board games will arrive in October.

The new titles will be available alongside the first collection of Kosmos games which includes the popular two player card game Lost Cities and spherical stacking game Dimension.

The games include long awaited titles such as Kahuna, Legends of Andor and brand new game Tumult Royal.

Legends of Andor will be released alongside two expansion packs (New Heroes and Star Shields), which will be compatible with existing versions of the game.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Golden Bear focuses on top TV hits for its games and puzzles, including Peppa Pig, g, Something Special and CBeebies Bugbies. bies.

The Peppa Pig Dominoes is designed to o help develop children’s recognition and manual nual dexterity skills. A fun, engaging game, the Peppa Pig Dominoes come in a wooden n storage box for safekeeping.

Based on the popular Something Special characters, the Mr Tumble and Friends Wooden Puzzle includes six chunky wooden pieces, each with a coloured peg to help pick up the pieces.

The new Wooden Dress Up Mr Tumble gets little ones mixing and matching. An entertaining and fun puzzle, children can create their favourite interchangeable Something Special characters.

Golden Bear’s CBeebies Bugbies range of toys includes the Toppling Bugbies. Consisting of 30 stackable blocks, each one features an iconic character from the CBeebies channel. With three different combinations of play, children aged from three years simply roll the dice and take it in turns to remove the blocks until the Bugbies tower comes tumbling down. Toppling Bugbies also teaches pre-schoolers about cause and effect, encourages dexterity and promotes social play.

2x

0

3x

0

100

100

FREE &RORXULQJ %RRN LQFOXGHG

SPECIAL EDITION!

0

100

500

$9$,/$%/( 129(0%(5 $

6XLWDEOH IRU SX]]OHV XS WR SLHFHV

-XPER *DPHV

51

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Piece and quiet COILEDSPRING GAMES 020 3301 1160 www.coiledspring.co.uk

Family fun FLAIR 0208 633 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk Flair has a fine portfolio of fun-filled, competitive games including classic action games for all the family and a traditional range of wooden games featuring the favourite Thomas & Friends.

For classic action gameplay, kids must have nerves of steel to be the masters of Tumblin’ Monkeys and Ali Baba. The aim of the Tumblin’ Monkeys is to take it in turns to pull out the sticks one by one and watch as the monkeys begin to fall.The player with the least amount of fallen monkeys wins. Stacking them high is the strategy behind Ali Baba where players must add their 15 playing pieces to the camel’s saddle one at a time. Whoever upsets the camel first and makes it buck will lose as Ali and all the pieces go flying.

Freaky Franky provides stretchable fun that brings the ultimate competition of strength to gameplay. For children aged five to seven, this flexible character allows players to play solo or against an opponent.

Perfect for children aged 18 months plus, Flair has a collection of quality wooden games with both new and familiar play concepts to enhance learning while playing. The Wooden Dominoes and Track Puzzle has 28 dual sided dominoes and four engines pieces. Children can either play the traditional game matching the images or turn the pieces over to create a wooden train track for a new experience.

The range also includes the Block Cart, Tic-Tac-Toe and a Wooden Clock Game with 12 double-sided self-correcting puzzle pieces, two jumbo time-dice and a clock stand. Learning to tell the time has never been so much fun. Better hand-eye coordination is the name of the game when it comes to the Sorting Box and Hammer and Peg toys.

All the essentials TOY ESSENTIALS 01285 762039 www.toyessentials.com

52

Have you ever picked up a 1000-piece puzzle without it falling apart? With the latest in puzzle innovation from Schmidt you can.

From autumn onwards, the 1000-piece puzzles will be the highest quality available.

The fantastic range includes new images from bestseller Anne Geddes and Colin Thompson.

The 1000-piece jigsaws are great value, and plenty of in-store POS support is available.

Other piece counts will follow so that the full range is premium quality by 2016.

Produced on improved 2.25mm cardboard, pieces are individually shaped for a greater variety of forms. The new quality allows jigsaws to be completed many times without loss of structural integrity. A fine punching knife gives an accurate fit so that once the puzzle is completed it can be lifted up vertically. These elements combined ensure a truly satisfying puzzle experience.

Toy Essentials now offers a one stop shop of games and puzzles for children aged from one upwards. with the recent addition of Classic World Toys to its ever-expanding portfolio.

Classic World is an eco-friendly collection of wooden toys. Puzzles form an integral part of the UK Classic World Collection and the range covers a variety of themes including gardens, wild animals and transport, as well as a colourful and fun breakfast puzzle, with pieces that include toast, a fried egg and even cutlery!

The Learning Journey, an award-winning manufacturer of children’s interactive educational products also offers a wide range of games and puzzles for early learners. Retailers can select from high impact Jumbo floor puzzles or Match it Puzzle Cards to help with learning words, numbers and animals. My First Puzzles with four in a box are easy to handle and Puzzle Doubles offer added value with a puzzle and activity in one.

Popar signals Toy Essentials’ entry into the electronic toy market. With the Popar 3D Puzzles kids will welcome the challenge of constructing a physical puzzle. When this is complete, they can then hold their electronic device up to the puzzle and it instantly comes to life in the form of a game, offering several layers of interaction and entertainment.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

NEW RANGE

The all-play rapid recall memory game

• Single or multi player • 2 games to play in each pack • Perfect stocking filler

See ourr full range at: www.greenboardgames.com

Call: 01494 538999 01494 538646

sales@greenboardgames.com

FEATURE

GAMES & PUZZLES

Play time!

HALILIT

01254 872454 www.halilit.co.uk There are currently 24 different games, puzzles and activities in the brightly coloured and beautifully illustrated Scotchi range. The pieces are not only washable and flexible but have a clever hook and loop fastening, are large and easy for little hands to hold, and are a fun way for children to learn about everything from recognising first colours to understanding the world around them, playing on their own, with other children, or with their parents.

Many of the Scotchi products are safe from 18 months up.

Some of the games and puzzles are based on traditional favourites, such as Let’s Go Fishing and Opposites Lotto, while others have a more modern theme, like Create An Animal and In Our House. All of them help develop children’s language skills, colour recognition, hand-eye coordination, visual perception, memory, fine motor skills and creativity.

The latest additions to the range include Around The Table, Farm Activities, Lace And Match All The Way and Good Morning. The Scotchi range is distributed in the UK and Ireland by Halilit.

Explore on the floor KIDKRAFT +31203 058620 www.kidkraft.com KidKraft has a fantastic new range of floor puzzles in a variety of themes to keep kids puzzling for hours.

The themes include Underwater Friends, Outer Space, Safari, Princess, Farm, and Emergency Rescue. All of the new floor puzzles has bright, colourful artwork and thick pieces that firmly lock in place. Measuring 91.5 cm x 61 cm, pieces are large and thick for young hands, and packaging doubles as storage. As soon as kids finish piecing one of these puzzles together, they’ll be ready to take it apart and start all over again.

Can’t argue with that logic SMART TOYS AND GAMES 01903 885669 www.smartgames.eu www.smartmax.eu Smart Toys & Games has made great headway during its first year as a direct UK operation, with both its Three Little Piggies and SmartMax Lighthouse winning awards at this year’s Right Start Best Toy Awards. Three Little Piggies is a wonderful logic game with a familiar theme. The award-winning game will intrigue young children by the way the piggies fit inside the houses, look through the windows, and then escape the wolf. SmartGames is a worldwide leader in multi-level logic games. The award-winning games have multi-level challenges from the very easy to the very challenging, perfect for players of all ages. Each has a unique and innovative game mechanic with themes that appeal to both boys and girls. They come in travel, compact and table top editions in plastic or a premium wood range, with a range of price points.

It’s all a charade!

CHEATWELL GAMES 02392 524098 www.cheatwell.com Cheatwell Games has expanded the successful IQ Busters range to include three compelling wooden tile puzzles and a set of four Noggin Workshops - challenging big format card-based challenges from logic puzzles to word puzzles and geometry riddles. For family gatherings there are two new board games, a Charades board game and an updated version of Humm Bug. For festive stocking fillers look no further than Cheatwell’s mini games in a tin like Table Top Teasers.

54

toysnplaythings.co.uk

NE

New from Orchard Toys

rst A very fi vity ti c a g matchin ame and g

A fun, addictive game for the whole family

Learn the letters of the alphabet

For sales contact your local rep/agent or contact the sales admin team on 01953 859525/859530 sales@orchardtoys.com

ZIP IT & GO!

The

Wo r d R Ac e .

" $ " $ " $ $,# $ $$ " % ! ( !

LQWR D FRPSDFW WUDYHO SRXFK ZLWK XQLTXH VFRULQJ ]LSSHUV %H Ë&#x2030;UVW WR ]LS WR

+$ " & "

# # ' & # % ''' " #

W!

FEATURE

TRADITIONAL TOYS

John Crane

Traditional values Traditional toys are an absolute favourite with families across the globe. But just because they are traditional doesn’t mean the category isn’t dynamic

W

alk into Hamleys – arguably one of the best-known toy shops in the world and what do you see? Shelves of plush Paddington Bears, reams of puppets

by The Puppet Company, dolls and obviously, the obligatory bubble blaster!

The point being, a healthy portion of what is on show falls into the traditional toy category – and that says something.

“I don’t think traditional toys will ever go out of fashion,” says Louise Heard of Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop. “There are times when parents are more conscience of them and they become more ‘in fashion’ - like organic food.

Grandparents do like to buy traditional toys as an alternative to the electronic ones.”

Louise says she finds “parents who are often design and ethically conscience tend to like traditional toys, and children, once they have a chance to play with a traditional toy, will find the play value in the classics. The younger generation who have grown up with tablets are now often attracted

to the traditional so no, they won’t ever go out of fashion.”

We mentioned The Puppet Company who happily class themselves as traditional toy specialists.

In terms of performance this year Director Peter Lockey tells us that sales are on the up. “Last year was our biggest-ever sales Generations year and this year we are of children have already nine percent up.”

Peter attributes this growth grown up being to the success of their US entertained by Mr. puppet company while sales Punch or the continue to grow in Europe.

Muppets and the Schleich’s Marketing fascination of a Manager Laura Bull says so far the company is showing good puppet has “significant growth” adding, not diminished “the majority of Schleich’s ranges are traditional toys Peter Lockey, The and results have been great Puppet Company so far this year.”

“

”

Schleich

Enduring appeal Although we operate in a fast-paced industry where innovation and technology are harnessed traditional toys are by no means overshadowed by their sometimes flashier cousins.

“There is something to be said for the feel of traditional toys,” says Sam Ireland, Operations Manager with Bigjigs Toys. “Wooden toys in particular.

Wood has a warmth to it that you don’t get from other materials.”

Describing the category as an “evergreen”, Laura explains that from Schleich’s perspective traditional toys form the foundation of a child’s learning and development, whether it’s learning to count or recognising colours.

Keep it fresh Outlasting fads and crazes is a particular strength of the category but that doesn’t mean traditional toys have to become stale, and in fact, manufacturers work exceptionally hard to make sure the products they bring to retail are worthy of being on the shelves next to other categories.

For The Puppet Company, design is key – Peter says the company have a rolling development programme

DID YOU KNOW...

56

•

A Schleich figurine is sold every 2 seconds!

•

John Crane say they were the first wooden toy company to appear in NPD data.

•

The Puppet Company have over one million puppets in stock in their North Hertfordshire warehouses and on average receive one 40ft high cube container of puppets a week from China or Indonesia.

•

Last year Bigjigs shipped product to customers around the world that would fill more than five Olympic sized swimming pools

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Two minutes with…

Louise Heard of Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop Why do you think traditional toys remain so popular?

Parents are keen to get their children away from tablets and play in ‘real life’. Classic toys are always a variation on a theme or idea and so capture the imagination of every generation.

A tablet or an electronic toy is usually an expensive purchase made for a child, many traditional toys are relatively cheap compared to a computer game.

What are your best selling traditional toys?

We specialise in toy theatres and paper models so these are our best selling items along with music boxes and puppets and classic pocket money toys like yo-yos, kaleidoscopes and spinning tops.

SEPTEMBER 2015

based around finger puppets, glove puppets and body puppets.

“We change shapes, sizes and colour but the essence of what makes a great remains the same - it has to function well and that’s the hard bit!”

Agreeing, Sam says: “Design is key to making sure we have the right mix between being traditional, but also being relevant. It’s all about using the right colours and the right themes.”

CONSUMER COMMENT Suzanne is mum to three-year-old Cliodhna, a little girl who loves her traditional toys. She tells us why.

“Cliodhna is a huge fan of anything wooden and in particular, she adores her wooden doll’s house from Le Toy Van. It’s a lovely product and has really opened her eyes to different types of toys.”

Connecting with retailers Helping retailers sell more ultimately benefits everyone, so what do these companies do to help retailers showcase their traditional Use our POS. products in the very It really is the best light?

“Our sales teams are optimum way to regularly visiting our customer showcase our base providing an all-round products as it is service package, from taking purposely orders, to checking stock, to designed and ensuring the products are promoted in the best possible manufactured we light,” explains Sofia Pheasey, have a solution for PR and Marketing Manager, every type of John Crane.. Given the nature retailer of their product, The Puppet Company have slightly Laura Bull, Schleich different issues to other suppliers, as Peter points out.

“There is no doubt that

“

”

puppets can be a problem to display because unlike a soft toy they have no stuffing inside to make them stand.

However, we have a large range of display stands that can hold a lot of product in a small area.”

Laura says that Schleich products look best when displayed with their POS. “Use our POS,” she encourages.

“It really is the optimum way to showcase our products as it is purposely designed and manufactured.

We have a solution for every type of retailer.”

Bigjigs say they want to get their products out of the box to showcase the quality. Sam adds: “We supply a range of point of sale materials from train tables to ceiling signs to help retailers get the most out of our range.”

57

FEATURE

TRADITIONAL TOYS

Building blocks BIGJIGS 01303250400 www.bigjigstoys.com A brilliant new collection of building blocks, available in an assortment of colours and shapes, is a wonderful addition to the Bigjigs Baby range for 2015. It’s a popular choice this year so far and shortlisted for awards owing to its traditional appeal.

Many parents would agree that building blocks is a popular toy of choice for toddlers, because they develop skills vital for childhood, including construction skills when building and dexterity skills for gripping the blocks.

This is a traditional toy with modern design made of sustainable rubber wood with the added functionality of the ‘click’ feature, which helps to build towering designs.

The Click Block range comes packaged in recyclable boxes. The range consists of three sets: basic, primary basic, and intermediate. Both the basic sets include 20 pieces each, available in primary or pastel shades, and the intermediate set has double the amount of pieces, 40 in total, available as a mixture of vibrant colours.

When combining all three sets, there is a multitude of colour combinations which encourages creativity during play, and even higher towering designs can be made! The blocks are the perfect size for little hands to grasp and stack on top of each other and ‘click’ together firmly to create all sorts of building projects. They can easily be detached to start a new design, encouraging imaginative play and development of fine motor skills.

Home comforts LE TOY VAN 0208 979 2036 www.letoyvan.com What could be more traditional than a wooden doll’s house?

The Daisylane Collection from Le Toy Van is home to 12 different doll’s houses, two starter packs of furniture and two collections of room set furniture.

These are all complemented with additional accessories, from a fun car to a laundry set to a choice of doll families. The icing on the cake is the detailed fabric playmats which present a soft and inspiring play base for the painted wooden toys. Cherry Tree Hall is the crème de la crème, measuring a grand 92cm in height, and painted and decorated in soft elegant colours.

Each room is decorated differently to define room space. It features numerous window styles and has functioning windows and shutters. It also includes chimney stacks and staircases with banisters that work as room dividers. All of Le Toy Van room sets and accessories are scaled to fit all of the doll’s houses, offering all of the benefits of collectability.

A fire-engine, hospital and ambulance provide young children with playsets to explore the themes of emergency and medicine.

With castles, farms, pirate ships, arks, play foods, kitchens, garages and doll’s houses, Le Toy Van offers an amazing breadth of classic traditional wooden toys for today’s discerning consumers.

For those wishing to find a quick-pick wooden toy, the Pel Mel pocket money assortments present the ideal solution. Each Pel Mel pocket money toy is merchandised in a co-ordinating CDU for easy stylish display in store.

58

30 years of heritage EPOCH MAKING TOYS 08435 574062 www.epochmakingtoys.com EPOCH making toys has launched a brand new Sylvanian Families autumn range, the latest products in the highly collectable, classic toy brand that is attracting a whole new generation of fans as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

The Field View Mill is the hero item in the autumn range and includes three tiers, over 40 accessories, plus a workable sail and porch swing. The product boasts circular balconies, a rooftop conservatory as well as moveable windmill sails and a welcome mat.

Also in the range is the Halloween Set, which introduces Baby Crème Chocolate and Ambrose Walnut dressed up as a witch and ghost. The set comes fully spooked with an orange and black slide and baby Halloween toys.

To add a festive touch, a Christmas Set will be introduced with iconic character Freya Chocolate Rabbit wearing a special Santa-style dress and Christmas ear-hat. The set comes complete with all the trimmings: a Christmas tree, decorations, gifts, snowflakes and even a mini Cosy Cottage.

The Sylvanian Families new autumn range is available to order now.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Tons of

traditional toys and gifts to choose from

Our latest catalogues are now out!

Get in touch with us TODAY to order a copy!

01603 397105

sales@tobar.co.uk

www.tobar.co.uk

FEATURE

TRADITIONAL TOYS

Make it authentic REVELL GMBH 0845 459 0747 www.revell.de/en

Sticking with tradition

With a wide range of trueto-the-original plastic model kits, from Easykits for beginners to sophisticated kits for professional model builders, Revell has been a leading name in the model hobby sector for over 60 years.

The significance of traditional toys and role-play in early years development has long been recognised. To broaden the appeal of the hobby in an increasingly electronic world, Revell is introducing a new concept in model building for children aged six and above, Build & Play.

This range of authentic, easy-to-assemble 1:25 scale model kits is as easy as child’s play, with a small number of pre-coloured parts fitting together without tools. The sturdy parts and rolling wheels means that, upon completion, each motoring icon is ready to hit the road and becomes a durable, fully functioning toy. The satisfaction of building each sporty-looking model kit combined with the subsequent hours of entertainment will leave children wanting more.

The launch range includes the sporty American classic Ford Mustang GT (12 parts, 190mm), the turbo-charged supercar Audi R8 (15 parts, 177mm), and the iconic Ford Police Car (17 parts, 215mm).

TOBAR 0844 573 4299 www.tobar.co.uk Tobar has a superb selection of traditional toys including gorgeous wooden planes, sturdy car transporters, and colourful trucks.

For active little ones the colourful pull-along collection includes owls and ducks.

The new Schylling range includes musical instruments, tin toys, spinning tops, ferris wheels and retro robots. Outdoor fans can enjoy space hoppers, pogo sticks, wooden bows and arrows, and foam shields for great role-play fun.

Tin tea sets are ideal for dolly tea parties, and come in a range of designs including cupcake and butterfly.

Musical boxes with fairy and princess designs look fantastic in any little girl’s bedroom.

60

Have a wild guess GREAT GIMZOS 01293 543221 www.greatgizmos.co.uk The range of traditional toys from Great Gizmos focuses on encouraging children to sit down and play together to help develop their social skills, while also encouraging families to play together.

They also help to build other skills such as concentration, fine motor skills and hand eye coordination.

From the leader in conservation, WWF, there is a fab range of puzzles and games that will keep kids and adults entertained for hours. The WWF Wild Guess is a new take on a traditional game.

Kids take turns to ask questions to try to guess who their opponent’s favourite animal is.

From the perfectly priced Pocket Money collection are lots of fun toys with a traditional twist, such as Pick Up Sticks, Cat’s Cradle, and Egg and Spoon, the traditional sports game with a twist: these eggs are unbreakable!

By still moving with the times but keeping the traditional message clear, Great Gizmos aims to keep children interested for long periods of time allowing them to investigate the toy fully and discover and experiment with it, learning while still having lots of fun.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

New rolling stock, rail accessories and complete sets are in stock and ready to order.

6FDQ WR Ă&#x20AC;QG RXW PRUH

trade.bigjigstoys.co.uk

bigjigstoys

@bigjigstoys

bigjigstoysltd

FEATURE

TRADITIONAL TOYS

Classic cool DKL 01604 678780 www.dkl.co.uk DKL distributes a variety of traditional toys from across several quality brands. Don’t miss the Memory Dinosaur game from the newly launched Scratch range, which gives the traditional pairing game a quirky twist with its egg-shaped box, original designs and beautifully crafted wooden pieces. Also from Scratch is a traditional shape sorter in the form of Activity Wagon Marie, a fun cow-shaped pull-along toy.

All traditional toys from Scratch are competitively priced with superb quality.

Hama, is a traditional craft toy with exceptional play value. Available in generic, themed, or licensed sets, there is a huge variety to choose from. The fantastic new Disney Frozen sets are a brilliant modern addition to any traditional toy offering. Available in a Large Gift Box size or Hanging Box Size, Disney Frozen Hama beads are not to be missed!

The iconic Breyer brand of model horses continues to offer quality traditional toys with exceptional authenticity and detail. The new Best of British models include the collectible Traditional Scale Highland Pony and Irish Draught, and the Classics Scale Shire Stallion and Corgi Dog, which is brilliant for younger children aged four and above.

DKL supports all brands with a full marketing programme, including planograms and in-store campaigns, and extensive PR and social media activity.

Tinkering with Tidlo JOHN CRANE LTD 01604 774949 www.john-crane.co.uk It’s Tidlo time! Working hard to keep play time fun, Tidlo is a collection of traditional toys designed in the UK by John Crane ltd. Derived from the Danish word Tidlos, which means timeless, this classic collection of toys keeps children smiling, laughing and learning all the time. Tidlo has been created to inspire new parents, keep children curious and provide fun toys for an educational environment.

The Tidlo workbench provides any budding craftsman hours of fun. A solid working bench on four legs allows multiple play from all sides.

There are 43 fantastic accessories to complete the set, so kids can hammer, saw and fine tune those all important motor skills. It even has a working vice to clamp the coloured panels of wood.

A deep tray fixed to the legs not only keeps the workbench stable but it also provides great storage for all the parts. The Tidlo workbench is ideal for any pre-school environment where children get the chance to feel like a grown up creating their own magical creations.

Smartly designed and of solid construction, this workbench can be passed onto generations to come. If it’s wood, it’s good!

62

A flair for tradition FLAIR 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk When it comes to toys you don’t get much more traditional than Flair’s wooden games range, while Plasticine, reportedly the worlds’ oldest creative play brand, comes with over 100 years of history!

Perfect for children aged 18 months plus, the Thomas & Friends collection includes the Wooden Dominoes and Track Puzzle, which has 28 dual-sided dominoes and four engine pieces. The range also includes the Block Cart, Tic-Tac-Toe, and a Wooden Clock Game.

Plasticine remains as popular today as ever.

This year is a landmark year for the brand as a new formula Plasticine will be added to the classic packs and tubs that kids and their parents know and love.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

TRADITIONAL TOYS

Refreshed classics ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com Orchard Toys has been making traditional British games and jigsaws for over 40 years. The company has undergone significant change recently, but its core values remain the same - to make fun, traditional learning games and jigsaws. One of Orchard’s favourite traditional games is Pirate Snakes and Ladders and Ludo, a fun combination of two family games in one. Using a double-sided board, players can either play Snakes and Ladders or the classic counter game Ludo, pirate style.

Rockets and Comets is another great twist on a traditional family game. In this spacethemed Snakes and Ladders game, players will zoom up rockets, slide down comets and get stuck in black holes as they race other players to be the first to reach the moon.

All creatures great and small SCHLEICH 01279 870000 www.schleich-s.co.uk There’s nothing more traditional in the toy world than Schleich with its collection of animal and fantasy figures, all of which promote the purest of imaginative play.

The simplistic and traditional nature of Schleich’s toy range is what makes it stand out. Without technology children can express their imaginative sides and take themselves to their own reality.

Schleich’s highly detailed figures and playsets have been collected for generations, and farm life has always been a favourite. New items this year include additional breeds of cows, a pig and piglet, the much loved donkey, plus a black sheep for the family. Each animal can be collected one by one until a farmyard full of livestock is created. Couple this with ready-to-play sets and accessories, and the Horse Stable and outbuildings, and the scenario is complete.

Another key theme for children is the Wild Life collection. The Watering Hole creates enormous scope for imaginative story making and provides a meeting place for all of the creatures in the Wild Life range. The new Safari Animal Rescue Truck set is the perfect companion to the Watering Hole. In addition to the truck, with transportation box, the set also includes a range of animal figurines to get playtime started without delay.

2015 is also the year that even more mystical dragons landed in Schleich’s World of Knights. With intricate modelling, detailed hand painting and moveable parts, these dragons harness a child’s imagination and can create active role-play scenarios.

With affordable price points perfect for instant purchases or major collection building, imaginative play will carry on for years to come.

64

Double the fun!

GIBSONS 020 8661 8866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk Producing traditional games since 1919, Gibsons is renowned for delivering timelessly entertaining games with a high quality finish.

The company will be launching a new Snakes & Ladders and Ludo set, which will be available this October.

Both games have been solid, family favourites for decades, and this set combines the two on a double-sided board. Fantastic for all ages, it will teach children number, communication and competitive skills but also how to be a good loser! With an appealing woodland critter theme, and lots of characters that children will love, this set will provide hours of fun for the whole family.

Also in the range are a whole host of other traditional children’s games, perfect for little ones aged four and up. With bold, bright boxes and colourful artwork, these games are bound to be a hit and will encourage them to use their hands and minds.

The whole family can come together for some quality time with classic games such as Jacks, Pikastyk and Beetle Drive, while a good competitive game of Chess or Draughts will challenge and engage their strategic skills.

Gibsons also offers a large variety of wooden games, which are tried and tested favourites that have been enjoyed all over the world for decades.

Games include Shut the Box, Chinese Chequers and Tiddlywinks.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

NEW Games & Puzzles

DKL Marketing Ltd 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton NN3 6QD, UK tel 01604 678780 • fax 01604 678787 • email dkl@dkl.co.uk • web www.dkl.co.uk

facebook.com/DKL.Toys

twitter.com/DKLtoys

FEATURE

TRADITIONAL L TOYS

On a role CASDON 01253 608428 www.casdon.co.uk

Pulling the strings THE PUPPET COMPANY 01462 446040 www.thepuppetcompany.com Fabulous Dinosaur Puppets with moving mouths and very realistic materials and shapes is a popular new release from The Puppet Company.

Every puppet has access under the chin so kids can get some wonderful opening mouth effects, particularly with the Diplodocus. Children love dinosaurs and those who remember The Puppet Company’s wonderful dinos from a few years ago are going to be delighted with these new beasts! Puppets really like having somewhere to come out from and go into, and the Hideaway Collection gives them just that – a place to live.

The fabulous Rabbit in a Lettuce is a good example of this as is the Woodland tree trunk. The company is now introducing Rabbit Hill, which is a green hill with three little rabbit burrows and three charming finger puppet rabbits to live in them. Then there is the Coral House, complete with a finger puppet clown fish, starfish and a purple Octopus.

Director Peter Lockey’s favourite is the Tree Trunk with Bird Nest and Pond. This spectacular piece includes the following finger puppets: Frog, Mallard, Robin, King-fisher, Blackbird, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Barn Owl. The collection gives kids diurnal and nocturnal birds, birds that feed on fish, a reptile and a duck. The Puppet Company is already working on new styles and packaging for 2016, plus a re-vamp of all existing ranges. To whet your appetite, it revealed that the team is developing huge flying birds; puppet sets in sacks; a new doorway theatre; large, dressed glove puppets; and a huge dragon.

Casdon’s collection of traditional wooden and roleplay toys, including top brands such as Dyson and Morphy Richards, promises to open up a world of fun in 2015.

Perfect for children aged 18 months plus, The Woodplay collection of quality wooden role-play toys includes both playsets and construction vehicles that are ideal for little ones.

Within the Woodplay brand is the Boxset collection, comprising 10 self-contained playsets with carry handles that come in a variety of scenes such as Pirate Island, Beach Villa and Fairy House.

Each set includes everything needed for imaginative play, and opens up to reveal magical worlds for children to create their own stories.

For role-play fun, Casdon combines pretend play with household names to bring replica kitchen appliances and role-play accessories to the play room. Kids can cook up a storm with the new Morphy Richards Microwave, Kettle and Toaster Set, which features appliances that look just like the real thing.

Stacking up POSH PAWS 01268 567317 www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Posh Paws’ Disney Tsum Tsum collectable plush are the very latest craze in soft toys. The Tsum Tsum range is utterly adorable, and with new characters being released regularly, it means there’s always something new for fans to collect and stack. Just launched this month in retail are some of Disney’s most classic characters from Winnie the Pooh and Minnie to Aristocats and Dumbo. As these characters hit stores across the country, Posh Paws is already gearing up for the release of brand new waves of characters. Each month it will launch Tsum Tsums from Disney’s biggest blockbuster movies, including Frozen, Big Hero 6, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story and Inside Out. In addition, Posh Paws will be introducing a selection of super-sized Tsum Tsums, plus medium and large Tsum Tsums which are huggable, stackable and the perfect accessory for kids’ and tweens’ bedrooms.

Currently with over 40 mini Tsum Tsums available, they’re generating enormous excitement among Disney fans, letting them build a collection of their most adored characters.

7 70

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Going with the grain INTERPLAY 01628 488 944 www.interplayuk.com Wood Worx from Interplay is a range of wooden construction activities that are excellent examples of how traditional toys can deliver great quality play value. With projects appealing to both girls and boys aged five years plus, the wooden models are glued together, painted and decorated, providing kids with a perfect introduction to DIY wooden construction.

The kits are great fun to build and the results are something a child can be very proud of. Interplay currently stocks six titles at pocket money prices, plus lower priced impulse lines that deliver all the same qualities as the bigger kits, and come attractively packaged in a CDU.

Perfect as presents APPLES TO PEARS 01453 826759 www.applestopears.com Giving youngsters a zoo experience without stepping foot out the door is Apples to Pears’ new Zoo in a Tin from the acclaimed Gift in a Tin range.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s award-winning Farm in a Tin, the Zoo set includes all the animal favourites you would expect plus an illustrated felt mat, all neatly contained in an attractive tin presentation.

From perky penguins with their own pool, to cheeky monkeys swinging on a Zoo sign, the set will engage youngsters in hours of interactive play and storytelling games.

SEPTEMBER 2015

67

TNP

AMBASSADORS

So what is Pebli?

Pebli is a first for Mookie Toys as it launches into the Electronic Learning Aid market with the introduction of the Toys Alive brand. The aim of the Toys Alive brand is to successfully bridge the gap between physical and virtual toys, offering children the opportunity to play with traditional toys which interact and come to life in a virtual world.

The first product to launch from the Toys Alive range will be Pebli Town and Pebli Safari. Pebli is a multisensory, connected pre-school learning toy where traditional play figures have fun in a virtual world. Pebli offers children a huge amount of entertaining and education content with over 300 activities available in both Pebli Town and Pebli Safari.

Frank (aged six) says…

“It’s fun and friendly. I’d like to live in Pebli Town”

The toys are in town Sonia Dean, busy working mum of Frank, six, and Ruby, two, reviews Mookie’s Toys Alive Pebli Town starter pack, Meet The Pebli Town People

“

I’m often torn when choosing Then I children’s toys for the undersaw exactly sixes as I still try to allow my little ones as much imaginary what the app play as possible, without a did, battery or a charger in sight. dispelling my So when presented with a toy that needed both a tablet fears that it and two AA batteries I thought: would take “ooh, what’s this all about?” away the But I decided to sit on the fence until further investigation. child’s I opened up the box, which imagination. was a good size – and found In fact, it did the product was very tactile the opposite and good quality.

The play figures were really and brought weighty and you can see they the whole were made to a very good thing to life standard. All the pieces slotted together nicely with a chunky click and no flimsiness in sight.

Ticks all round so far.

Now came the techie bit. I had to download the app which is free, thankfully and then open it so it could upload. There is a feature called Spot The Difference while you wait. Nice touch.

With that, we were ready.

After a few taps and a bit of info

”

68

required – all easy-peasy stuff – the game was in full ‘go’ mode.

At that point my six-yearold Frank took the reins, well, grabbed the reins to be fair, as he couldn’t wait to get started.

Frank picked it up at alarming speed and I didn’t get a look in – I suppose it is a child’s toy after all! It’s worth mentioning that even though Pebli Town is marketed as aged from three, I can see kids up to 10 years enjoying it, as did I. I was initially dubious as without the app, the town on the tablet looked really basic but I then saw exactly what the app did, completely dispelling my fears that it would take away from the child using their imagination.

In fact, it did the opposite and brought the whole thing to life.

There are four play modes, Story Teller, Game Player, Story Creator and Video Room, Frank really enjoyed being the Game Player when he had to move the pieces at strategic times and the level of difficulty increases, I think we got to level 20.

The Story Teller was fun and allowed you to make choices at each level which involved Frank in the story and the outcome was great as you can literally write the story with their interactive capability and it has no less than 22 endings.

The Story Creator lets youngsters’ imaginations run wild as they can write their own script, while the Video Room has some great little movies, including Fireman Sam, and all are fun, harmless and vetted for their age.

At just two years Ruby was happily playing with the pieces when the Pebli wasn’t connected via Bluetooth so I have a great toy that she can grow into.

Even Jack our dog was intrigued!

All in all, Pebli Town is a fab little toy, top quality and a wonderful way to blend the traditional with ever-changing new technology.

Well done, Mookie.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Test a publisher’s statement of circulation. In today’s business climate you can’t afford not to.

Our ABC Certificate provides accurate, independently verified circulation figures, giving you confidence in your advertising investment.

If you want to reach 5,130* total average net circulation, then call Ryan Horwood on 01442 289945 or email ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk *. Circulation figure relates to period from 1st July 2013 to 30th June 2014

For more information visit www.abc.org.uk or email info@abc.org.uk

FEATURE

PRE-CHRISTMAS TV

TV dreams Like it or not, the lead up to Christmas has begun and with that comes a slew of TV advertising as suppliers target consumers

T

“

V advertised toys are a favourite. They are The kids a favourite with advertising children and with retailers, although maybe not a market favourite with parents as pester-power comes to the generally fore once their darlings spot follows the the latest must-have toy on TV screens. trends seen by Along with pouring over the wider TV the Argos catalogue, part of the joy of Christmas has to be advertising watching those fantastic toy market and adverts showcasing the very best of the industry.

2015 has seen “We started TV advertising uplifts across in August 2008,” Interplay’s MD Ross Ainsworth says. all sectors “That was a baptism of fire Dave Murphy, Kids considering the financial Controller for CITV crash and Woolworths going Breakfast bust just as our first adverts aired. I’m not quite sure how we survived, but we got through it and had a fantastic turnaround in 2009.”

HTI first dipped their toes into the

”

RETAIL SPEND Mike Penfold of Global Media Services spoke to TnP about retailers advertising spend in 2013 and 2014, looking at Smyths and Toys R Us

TV advertising pool back in 1999, explains Global Marketing Director Jenny Watson who said the company opted to advertise their Mamas & Papas Pliko Argento dolls pram.

What’s the appeal?

So what is it about TV advertising that appeals to suppliers so much?

What is it that makes them buy up those TVRs? Is it on the behest of retailers, or consumers or just because it works?

“TV is a tried and tested approach to generating demand among kids... There are lots of factors at play when it comes to sales success but we are confident that we’ll see a spike in sales following TV advertising for a line,” says Jonathan Kirkley, Marketing Director, Re:creation Ltd. Jenny says HTI has a responsibility to drive awareness and consumer engagement with toys.

“TV advertising is a primary tool to do this and leads to an increase in the rate of sale. Ultimately rate of sale is critical to a retailer’s profitability and success.”

Ross agrees pointing out: “TV advertising creates demand and

Character Options

gives you the biggest marketing bang for your buck.”

Encouragingly, the advertising industry is looking buoyant on the kids TV front at the moment.

Dave Murphy, Kids Controller for CITV Breakfast explains more.

“The kids advertising market generally follows the trends seen by the wider TV advertising market and 2015 has seen uplifts across all sectors. There generally seems to be a much more positive outlook from most advertisers.”

Dave adds that from his perspective, there appears to be an

It is very clear from the outset that Smyths are dominating the toy retailer market place. Smyths are active in every month for both 2013 and 2014.

Toys R Us advertised in November and December in 2013 and outspent Smyths in November. It is very clear that Smyths strategy is to be active in every month of the year. We suspect this is linked with toy company promotions, and possibly linked to price or availability of new product going into store. This strategy for Smyths continued in 2014, they are simply out spending TRU at every point. TRU promote in more months in 2014 than 2013, but Smyths are going from strength to strength and we believe this will continue in 2015.

The big months for both these companies are October – December in both 2013 and 2014.

Vivid

70

toysnplaythings.co.uk

WE ASKED… What do you need for a TV campaign to be effective?

“You need three things, firstly a fantastic product. The best advert in the world won’t sell a poor product. A great media buy to ensure the right level of exposure and repeat viewing and finally, great creative. Impactful, engaging to the target audience and focused on one or two key benefits.”

Jenny Watson, Global Marketing Director, HTI “While it depends on a number of different variables, initially, the most important thing I like to have is an extremely detailed marketing brief so that everyone involved in the process knows what needs to be achieved for the product or brand.”

Ross Ainsworth, MD, Interplay “Strong and catchy creative, the right channel mix and timing as well as strong distribution and good product. TV might be able to drive footfall to store but if the consumer can’t find the product or doesn’t like it when they can touch and feel then any benefit of awareness is lost.”

Jonathan Kirkley, Marketing Director, Re:creation

upward shift in demand for preChristmas advertising.

In fact, he says, “we are seeing increased activity from the majority of our toy clients, as well as other advertisers outside the toy market.

There has been an increased confidence since Toy Fair and this has continued throughout 2015.

After a number of tough recessionled years with decreased advertiser spend it is very encouraging to have this positivity back in the market.”

Impact on sales This has to be taken as good news for the industry. But what impact does a TV advert have on sales? We asked suppliers.

“It’s a bit like licensing,” Ross explains. “Not every ad campaign works and you have to be prepared to takes heavy losses, but when it works it can have a fantastic effect on sales. One of our lines had a 15-fold YOY increase and still sells in volume today.”

From her background in FMCG, where “you would be ecstatic to achieve a five per cent uplift from a TV campaign”, HTI’s Jenny says she is amazed by the huge impact TV has on the toy category.

TV advertising is tried and tested way to generate demand among children, says Jonathan.

“Space in store is at a premium and competition is tough so the confidence that comes in knowing a product is supported with TV is always welcome. Investing in TV also demonstrates to the retailer our own confidence and backing of the product and is proven to drive

SEPTEMBER 2015

demand among kids at the key selling periods.”

So does it work?

“

TV advertising creates demand and gives you the biggest marketing bang for your buck

through the roof resulting in a complete sell out by early December. Likewise, TV has proven to be very effective in driving demand of Razor Electric Scooters.”

He adds that the company often see immediate results following a TV advert but this is on the back of a layered campaign involving ground work in PR, events and online marketing campaigns.

What you need to do We asked CITV’s Dave what he thought a toy company needs to grab a consumer’s attention. His answer is interesting.

“It really starts with a great product that appeals to your audience. This combined with fantastic, effective advertising creative that helps sell this product and grab the attention of your audience. This advertising should then reach your audience through as many types of media they’re consuming as possible, be that on TV, online, in print, in-store and even through special events. It must help provide cut through in the busy pre-Christmas market and create as much awareness as possible.”

Well, suppliers surely wouldn’t invest otherwise.

Interplay, for example, say they see an instant spike in sales with a successful Ross Ainsworth, MD, campaign.

Interplay “TV advertising is still extremely important in the kids market,” agrees Dave. “It is a highly effective Golden Bear shop window to showcase products, build awareness, interest and excitement. TV plays a major factor in helping to introduce products to potential customers, giving them that spark of motivation to learn more about the product either online or in-store.”

In terms of sales success following a TV advert, Jonathan says a lot of factor coming into play for Re:creation.

“We are confident that we’ll see a spike in sales following TV advertising for a line,” he explains.

“TV advertising is still extremely important in the kids “We saw some market. It is a highly effective shop window to showcase great TV products, build awareness, interest and excitement. TV plays responses last a major factor in helping to introduce products to potential Christmas customers, giving them that spark of motivation to learn more about the –Stretchkins for product either online or in-store. However, TV makes up only one part of an example effective marketing mix that should all work towards effectively reaching launched on TV your target audience.” last year and demand shot

”

DAVE SAYS…

71

FEATURE

PRE-CHRISTMAS TV

TV gold GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear is investing heavily in TV advertising this year with double the spend compared with 2014. The extensive TV advertising programme will see the company’s brands promoted across both satellite and terrestrial channels targeting the preschool age group.

The Twirlywoos toy collection will have a constant stream of TV support through to December, featuring three ad formats highlighting plush, feature plush and Golden Bear’s hero product; the Big Red Boat Playset.

The company’s Hey Duggee collection will also benefit from TV advertising with two commercials showcasing the plush range, the Woof Woof Duggee Feature Soft Toy and the Clubhouse Playset.

The ever-popular In the Night Garden range will be supported with a strong TV campaign across Disney Jr, Milkshake, Nick Jr and Cartoonito with three new commercials featuring the Explore and Learn Musical Activity Table, Explore and Learn Musical Carousel and Musical Ninky Nonk Track and Train set. The Ninky Nonk Musical Activity Train was a huge hit in 2014 and will also continue to be TV advertised throughout autumn/ winter.

A brand new Something Special commercial launched this July to showcase the Textured Mr Tumble with Fun Sounds and the Mr Tumble Sensory Activity Centre playset.

Finally, the highlight of the season for boys will be Go MINI, with the brand new Night Challenge Raceway; the excitement of this amazing track set is demonstrated within the TV commercial.

Scoot to the small screen RE:CREATION 01189 736222 www.recreationltd.co.uk Re:creation is set to make its mark on the festive season this year with a huge seven brands to be showcased on TV throughout the final quarter. The winning ‘Electrify your Ride’ formula that saw the Razor E90 and E100 electric scooters rocketing in sales in 2014 has continued to deliver results throughout 2015, and Re:creation will build on this further with extensive TV in the charge towards Christmas. The new FireTek range will benefit from a powerful TV push in the run-up to Christmas highlighting the blazing LED technology of the new launches. All this and plenty more.

Colour and style HTI

01253 778888 www.htigroup.co.uk This autumn/winter, HTI will TV advertise three exciting new toy lines. The Disney Frozen Colour Match Snowflake Bag, My Little Pony Rainbow Dash Style & Groom, m, and Mamas & Papas ‘Armadillo’ Dolls olls Pushchair will bring colour, style and nd nurturing role-play to life and to TV screens.

Making a real impact VIVID 01483 449944 www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Crayola will ignite children’s love of colour and imagination this holiday season with nearly 3,000 TVRs across the key selling period.

Following on from its sell-out success last year. Marker Maker will again be a key focus for this holiday period, alongside the new Paint Maker, which allows children a mess-free approach to magically create their own custom colour paints. Sketch Wizard will be showcased throughout the season, providing children with a mystical way to turn any object, picture or image from their tablet into their own sketch. Tweens can join #ThreadNation with the all new Thread Wrapper from Creations, allowing girls endless possibilities of items they can upcycle. Finally, My First Crayola will be showcasing the Doodle Magic Mat during key pre-school slots.

Vivid has 16 brand new TV creatives airing this season across boys, girls, outdoor and preschool. Campaigns will run across October half-term and into the peak Christmas season on key brands such as Thunderbirds, Real FX, Cayla, iQue, My Friend Freddy Bear and Peter Rabbit. AniMagic sees its strongest support yet with the new Fluffy Goes Walkies and Alfie My Training Puppy being TV advertised throughout the autumn season. AniMagic Rescue Hospital will also showcase two new creatives with Puppy Play School and Bluebell Stables. There will be more TV activity for other new brands, such as the Chocolate Pen, the crazy loud mouthed Bubba Dubbas, and the cheeky Dave the Funky Monkey.

Drumond Park games is known as a heavyweight advertiser in the pre-Christmas season and 2015 will be no different with 21 games on air across the Adult, Family and Children’s portfolio. Strong TV support will be in place to drive sales of Adult games Articulate, Logo, the new Logo Lite and Shout!, with an aim of keeping Drumond Park at number one in this segment. Rapidough, Wordsearch and Best of TV & Movies start their campaigns in October and the 13 children’s games all hit the TV screens from September.

72

toysnplaythings.co.uk

www.interplayuk.com

TV

ADVERTIS IN

HEAVYWEIG

G

HT TVR’S

...toys & gifts designed to inspire

TV Promoted activities competitively priced for volume sales with marg margin good margins.

TV

TV

HEAVYWEIG

ADVERTIS IN

G

G

G

HEAVYWEIG

HT TVR’S

ADVERTIS IN

HEAVYWEIG

TV

ADVERTIS IN

HT TVR’S

HT TVR’S

o r e H

y a l p r e t n I m o r f s e n i L TV

TV

TV

ADVERTIS IN

HEAVYWEIG

G

HT TVR’S

ADVERTIS

ING HEAVYWEIG IGHT TVR’S

TV

ive Explos ial oc TV & Sd Me ia ns! ig Campa

TV

ADVERTIS IN

HEAVYWEIG

ADVERTIS IN

HEAVYWEIG

G

HT TVR’S

G

HT TVR’S

tel: 01628 488944

email: sales@interplayuk.com

FEATURE

PRE-CHRISTMAS TV

Style it out INTERPLAY 01628 488944 www.interplayuk.com FabLab, Interplay’s new range of creative activity kits, is already proving to be a great success for retailers who will benefit even further this autumn from a 500 TVR advertising campaign and a POP TV microsite campaign.

Launched in January, Glitter Tattoos, Hairlights and Nail Art are delivering exceptional sales.

The good margins deliver solid profits for retailers and the competitive pricing offers great value for consumers. A new addition to the range launched this summer is Style Lab, which combines all three kits into a great value pack. All four kits will be featured in a fabulous new TV advert that cleverly reflects kids’ viewing habits for online and digital content.

Staying ahead of the trend and recreating the very latest High Street fashions has propelled Interplay’s myStyle range into a top selling craft brand. Following on from past successes, Interplay continues to provide heavyweight support for this award-winning brand with TV advertising through the year and especially through the run up to Christmas.

Exciting new introductions to myStyle this year include Shamballa Rainbow Jewellery and the attention grabbing Steampunk Jewellery, a kit for creating the latest vogue in vintage style accessories.

Both kits will feature heavily on TV this autumn in a brand new advert and 500 TVR campaign.

30 years of heritage EPOCH MAKING TOYS 08435 574062 www.epochmakingtoys.com EPOCH making toys has launched a brand new Sylvanian Families autumn range, the latest products in the highly collectable, classic toy brand that is attracting a whole new generation of fans as it celebraties its 30th anniversary this year. The Field View Mill is the hero item in the autumn range and includes three tiers, over 40 accessories, plus a workable sail and porch swing. The product boasts circular balconies, a rooftop conservatory as well as moveable windmill sails and a welcome mat.

Also in the range is the Halloween Set, which introduces Baby Crème Chocolate and Ambrose Walnut dressed up as a witch and ghost. The set comes fully spooked with an orange and black slide and baby Halloween toys. To add a festive touch, a Christmas Set will be introduced with iconic character Freya Chocolate Rabbit wearing a special Santa-style dress and Christmas ear-hat. The set comes complete with all the trimmings: a Christmas tree, decorations, gifts, snowflakes and even a mini Cosy Cottage.

The Sylvanian Families new autumn range is available to order now.

74

Watch it kids CHARACTER OPTIONS 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.com This autumn/winter season Character Options will deliver one its strongest marketing plans to date.

Core brands such as The Zelfs, Disney Princess Palace Ze Pets, Ben and Holly, and Sc Scooby-Doo will benefit from key scheduling as will Peppa Pig. schedu Also for the pre-school portfolio, a major majo investment has been placed in the sponsorship of Nick Jr and Nick Jr 2 for spon a full fu four months from August. The Fireman Sam Die-cast range, The F World of Clangers toys, and Bright W Eyes Pets will all have their own E 10-15 second idents sponsoring key 1 kids programming on the channels. k Late September sees the launch of Clever Keet who will star in his own TVC and print advertising campaign.

Tumbling onto TV LITTLE TIKES 0845 0533 333 www.littletikes.co.uk

Tumble Train is a runaway toy which twists and turns across the floor, encouraging children to chase and catch the wackiest toy in town for hours of unpredictable fun!

To promote this product at its best (in motion!) eye-catching TV ads have been designed to grab the attention of both children and parents. Running from August to November 2015 the Tumble Train TV ad will primarily be focused on children’s channels.

This includes CITV, Disney Junior, Five, Nick Junior, Tiny Pop, Boomerang and RTE 2.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

New Seaside Range Available Now

45

25

2015 Christmas TV campaign

20

Follow us: /SylvanianFamiliesUK

/SylvanianUK

/SylvanianFamiliesUK

FEATURE

PRE-CHRISTMAS TV

Stars unveiled MATTEL 01628 500000 www.mattel.co.uk Mattel continues to heavily support TV in the preparation for Christmas with extensive marketing campaigns throughout quarter four.

Laugh & Learn innovation takes centre stage in FisherPrice’s pre-Christmas TV advertising with the Smart Stages Scooter and BeatBo. City Skyway will also be supported along with the Disney Princess Twirl & Songs Palace. Imaginext will feature in the Milkshake sponsorship with TV spots for the new Transforming Batcave and the new Power Rangers Morphing Megazord. The Fisher-Price Disney Junior ranges will be supporting Silly Wheelie Mickey and Captain Jake’s Mighty Colossus High Sea’s Adventure playset and Octonauts GUP I and Octopod playsets.

The new range of Dora & Friends will have a TV campaign for Dora & Perrito!

Thomas & Friends continues TV support with the Milkshake sponsorship every weekend and campaigns for the new My First Rail Rollers Spiral Station and Remote Control Thomas. Inspired by the Thomas & Friends movie, the TrackMaster Thomas’ Shipwreck Rails Set and portable playset Take-n-Play Daring Dragon Drop both feature in new TV campaigns.

Barbie will be supported with an increased TV and marketing spend plus an on-air presence from August through to December with a multi-platform programme of activity. TV will support Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals, including a partnership with Nickelodeon supporting the girl message of ‘Raise Your Voice’ that will be amplified through a major partnership and competition with the leading girl brand. Further TV campaigns include Barbie Twirling Ballerina, Barbie Bubble-Tastic Mermaid, Barbie Ride ‘N Spin Pups and Barbie and Tawnie Horse, along with the Barbie Malibu House, Barbie Glitter Hair and Barbie Airbrush Studio.

Extensive TV campaigns will support Monster High Boo York Boo York, including a major on-air partnership with POP, and a partnership with a leading singer to support the ‘Sing to Win’ competition. Additional TV campaigns include Monster High School and the AstraNova Flotation Station plus Monster High Freak Du Chic and Monster High Fright-mares. The Disney range continues with TV support for Frozen with Singing Elsa and Anna, and Ice Magic Elsa plus Sofia and Minimus, and Twirling Doll Cinderella.

A first class toy range from Hot Wheels includes the Super Speed Blastway and the TV advertised Nitrobot Attack and Track Builder Volcano Blast. The Hot Wheels Star Wars range includes the TV advertised Starship Playset. For Disney Pixar’s Cars, TV campaigns include Design and Drive Lightening McQueen, while Disney Toy Story campaigns include Rocket Blast Buzz and Bull Ridin’ Woody.

5

Storming the set FLAIR 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk This September sees the launch of the much anticipated World of Warriors toy line from GP Flair. A major focus will be the collectables with 120 Warriors to collect, along with Deluxe Action Figures and Role-Play. The range will have a heavy hitting 1000 TVRs and will be additionally supported by an FSDU programme, huge sampling campaign, character costume tour and press campaign. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection has seen growth this year with successful launch of the brand extensions of Mutations and Half Shell Heroes in addition to the existing Animation range and over 3000 TVRs will support the range. It’s a big year for Doc McStuffins as she will now be moving into the realms of Pet Care with the new Pet Vet with on channel promotions and new episodes.

Star performer The Doc Mobile will also continue to be a key focus and will be supported by over 2750 TVRs. The Shopkins phenomenon continues into A/W ‘15. Season 3 of the collectables launched in July and sees a heavyweight TV campaign of over 2500 TVRs plus a major retail programme of swap clubs and interactive viral marketing.

As seen on TV V JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk John Adams Leisure is continuing to invest heavily in TV advertising across its key lines in the run up to the festive season.

New items within the company’s creative play collection will receive strong support. Sands Alive, the company’s brand new modelling sand range, has its own TV ad, highlighting key products within in the range.

Bangle Blitz, the range which h enables kids to create their own bangles and funky wraps will also benefit from TV advertising, alongside the licensed Frozen craft kits collection which includes the popular Snow Globe Maker, the all-new light-up Snow Glowbz, and a range of Jelly Stickers. The new Mini Make Cupcakes set from the company’s expanding food craft range will also have TV support, alongside the new Mixubbles range which allows kids to mix their own wacky candy flavoured drinks.

Well known for its Ideal games range, John Adams will be putting TV advertising behind its new introductions including The Greedy Sheep, Elly Fountain, and Othello, which also sees its 39th World Championships taking place at Cambridge University in October.

Rummikub, another popular game with lots of heritage, will also be supported by TV advertising and will see the UK Championships taking place in Central London in September.

Sparkle Science – a science kit which enables kids to conduct glittering experiments whilst learning through play heads up the company’s science portfolio this year and will have its own TV advert, as will the innovative RC Dragon, which is made from super strong plastic, and features flapping wings across its 40cm wingspan when in flight. The Pip Ahoy! range of pre-school toys will also continue to be supported with a heavyweight TV advertising campaign.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

These ads are sew cool

TV town

SPIN MASTER

01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk

MOOKIE

Spin Master’s Sew Cool and Knits Cool will be covered from September to November in a joint TVC with Sew Cool continuing on into December, while Kinetic Sand will be running throughout September and October promoting across all of the magical sand range. An uber-cute Chubby Puppies TVC focuses on the single pups and small playsets, merging into the larger playset during the second half in time for Christmas purchasing. The Amazing Zhus TVC highlights the Disappearing Box, Magician Pets and Playsets either side of the October half term. Zoomer Dino and Chomplingz ads run from September and ramp up in November in line with the date of the DVD launch with digital pre-roll from September to Xmas on Disney and Nick. Joint Kitty and Zuppy Love advertising started in August to support the launch with a second burst coming midOctober through to mid-November. Dreamworks: Dragons, Dragon & Rider advertising airs pre-October half term and spills over into November.

With several big launches this autumn/ winter, Mookie’s TV commercial campaign this year is set to be its biggest yet. Mookie is looking to establish its new lines with several heavyweight TV campaigns. 3D Magic, Pebli Town, FluffiMals and Skwooshi are all launching this Christmas with TV an important area of their marketing plans. All four launches will be appearing on TV from launch right through to December with over 3550 TVRs spread across the new lines.

Pebli Town began airing in July, with 40 and 20-second adverts running in conjunction as part of a multi-platform programme which includes a full PR campaign, launch event, blogger activity, pre-roll and social media support.

3D Magic is appearing heavily on TV with a 30-second advert as Mookie looks to establish it as the best-selling 3D-producing arts and crafts toy. FluffiMals and Skwooshi, Mookie’s other new arts and crafts lines will appear with 20 and 10-second adverts as part of their full marketing campaigns In addition to the new launches, Mookie will also continue to support its established brands. Dream Lights and Glow Pets have always proven hugely successful TV lines over the last three years and this will continue to be the case in the build up to Christmas 2015. Mookie ride-ons will be featured on TV this autumn/winter. ScuttleBug and ScrambleBug, the top-selling footto-floor ride-ons have always responded very positively to TV.

xtens TV

ive

Pl aytime is fun with

E

01628 535000 www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Adve rtisin g Features light up waistcoat & theme tune!

Mr Tumble’s Sensory Activity Centre

Textured Mr Tumble with Fun Sounds

Fun spinning picture windows!

Twist the cogs to work the lift!

To see the full range visit...

www.goldenbeartoys.com

SEPTEMBER 2015

77

TV ADVERTISING FOCUS GREEN BOARD GAMES

The big game Green Board Games are TV advertising a whole host of their range on Turner and CITV channels – they tell us more

T

“

wenty-five years ago Gary Wyatt, TV founder of Green advertising Board Games, left the world of corporate works well for finance with a dream to enrich the world of education us because we by finding a means of have an encouraging learning through play and fun. established, He established himself as a well-loved, board game inventor in 1991 with his first game Alpha bestselling Animals which is still sold product range internationally today.

Back then, it did not seem an which appeals achievable goal to have a to both product on TV, nipping at the heels of the likes of Monopoly children and or Trivial Pursuit. adults alike Yet here we are nearly ten years after the launch of one Keith Grafham, of his subsequent success Green Board stories, BrainBox, which has Games Chief sold nearly four million copies Executive worldwide in over 60 countries and in 28 different languages having done just that!

Green Board Games dipped their

”

178

toes in the “TV water” in 2006, and have been gradually using this platform to invigorate the consumer since, creating awareness of their extensive games portfolio.

In order to support independent, major and on-line retailers Green Board Games has used TV advertising as a means of helping sell products, while further encouraging the consumer to try additional options from the extensive Green Board Games range of over 400 different educationally-driven games.

Green Board Games Chief Executive, Keith Grafham says: “TV advertising works well for us because we have an established, well-loved, bestselling product range which appeals to both children and adults alike; the ads can therefore engage our customers and then subsequently their consumers on a multitude of levels.”

Aiming to provide all of their customers with comprehensive marketing support, one of Green Board Games’ key aims is to increase consumer awareness so as to underpin product promotion.

TV advertising, having a proven positive impact across the board, further demonstrates how completely committed Green Board Games are to all retailers stocking their product.

This year Green Board Games is further supporting their TV campaign with well-planned, consumer-focused online activities and social media campaigns, aimed to help align and consolidate their approach as part of a coordinated marketing strategy.

Keith Grafham adds: “There are a number of international distributors who are keen to utilise these advertisements and have plans to

run independent campaigns in their countries... it will be fun seeing our adverts on Peruvian, Czechoslovakian and French TV screens, to name but a few!”

Understandably excited with their plans for TV this year, this a reflection of how significantly Green Board Games has matured as a company, determined to continue to improve and grow as an established key supplier of games in the UK. Karen Nunn, Marketing Consultant for GBG over the past five years, highlights the immense support that Turner Media has provided Green Board Games across their channels, along with the opportunities offered by CITV. “It is the support that these immensely well-respected media partners have given us that facilitated the confidence and wherewithal to push forward into the above the line arena in the first place. It takes a great deal of courage to take the TV plunge; they undoubtedly made it easier for us to make that call and for this we are extremely grateful. Our latest TV advertisements have been created by ex-Turner Media Creative Brett Davey and his team at Content Creatures, we would encourage anyone looking for an exceptional job to give them a look in.”

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Heavyweight A/W 15 TV Campaign Social Media Support

Across Turner Channels and CITV For the full range visit: www.greenboardgames.com

01494 538999

sales@greenboardgames.com Est. 1991

01494 538646

Twitter:@brainboxgames

FEATURE

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Volume sales Print copies of children’s books remain as popular as ever, despite the rise in e-readers. With World Book Day continuing to grow, a healthy helping of page turners could be a real earner for toy retailers

A

Looking at the larger picture, great deal of symbolism it’s clear to see that this strong is bound up inside the performance isn’t an isolated humble children’s book. case. According to Nielsen Book Simply put, the stories Research’s 2014 figures, which and pictures printed within offer takes into account all books, the all those wholesome things that print market was worth around parents have come to expect from £1.7 billion last year, while the entertainment they want for e-books counted for around £393 their little ones: enrichment, education, good-hearted fun, a message to discover.

In a bid to offer their customers this type of play and to expand their offering in a cost and space-efficient way, an increasing amount of toy retailers are turning to the children’s books sector. Leading publisher, Usborne Publishing, is becoming a popular Rubie’s fixture in more and more toy shops, and Boyd Denton, Territory Manager for Northern England and North Wales, believes this is because books have “a strong perceived educational value.”

“We have found that most customers are looking to broaden their offering in a high street environment that is becoming more and more competitive,” Boyd adds, and although the proliferation of books on the shelves of toy shops is a widespread trend, he says no specific book or category is driving this.

“Interestingly, the ranges tend to change from shop to shop - some do well with activity and sticker product, while others sell more with baby and pre-school books,” he says.

“Everything we supply is on a sale-orreturn basis, so retailers can have the confidence to try new ranges without risk.”

Usborne’s sales have been “in a word: excellent”, according to Boyd, and despite much being made of the undeniable rise of the e-reader, the market for hardcopies is holding its own.

80

“

million. And while e-books continue to make their mark, there are signs that this growth has peaked; Waterstones, for instance, experienced a five percent leap in physical book sales last December.

Sales of physical books remain very strong - particularly A world of possibility with regard The demand for books remains to children’s strong, and introducing just a small library of them in-store can open books -

Boyd Denton, Usborne Publishing

”

new doors for many retailers.

“They educate, make even the longest journey into pleasurable experience, entertain on a wet afternoon, settle kids at bedtime, provide help with homework projects or simply inspire children to discover something new,” says Boyd, and to illustrate this he highlights just a small portion of Usborne’s most popular books.

“Our Peep Inside series goes from strength to strength – that’s a great non-fiction series with flaps to lift and explore,” he says. “Other favourites include the Sticker Dolly Dressing books and the famous That’s not my… boards. That’s not my… books actually outsold the Frozen books in 2014 and we are expanding this series with the introduction of two gift sets this autumn – each includes a touchyfeely board book and a luxury plush toy.

“Other successes include activity books such as Fingerprint Activities

WORLD BOOK DAY 2016 FACTS • 3 March, 2016 • 14 million book tokens • One free book or £1 off any full price book • www.worldbookday.com

toysnplaythings.co.uk

VTech

“

With the rise in popularity of events like World Book Day… it’s a growth area for dress-up

Struan Robertson, Rubie’s

” and our innovative Write Your Own Story Book.”

World Book Day One event that has snowballed over the past few years is World Book Day. This celebration of all things literature aims to get young people interested in reading, offering them a book token to pick up one book from a handpicked selection for free - or receive £1 off of any full-price book. It has also been picked up by many schools across the country, who use the occasion as a charity fundraising event, as students come into school dressed as their literary hero.

Not only does this lead customers to shops that sell books to pick up their free or discounted book, but it drives sales of costumes and accessories as kids step into the shoes of their favourite book characters. Struan Robertson, Trade Marketing and Digital Manager at Rubie’s Masquerade says this is an occasion that offers lots of opportunities for retailers.

“Children’s books are a great source of interesting and popular characters which kids love to pretend to be whilst also being able to imagine themselves in the worlds and situations they read about,” he says. “With the rise in popularity of events like Children’s Book Day, World Book Day and school Book Weeks, it’s a growth area for dress-up.”

Boyd says that getting involved in World Book Day can be of huge

SEPTEMBER 2015

benefit to retailers.

“Flag up the date of World Book Day to customers, stock a range of books, and create a great window display,” is his advice. “The large grocers are all in on the act now – this year many had big displays of fancy dress, books and related toy lines – so it’s important for independent traders and smaller chains to compete in that area.”

Rubies offers a huge selection of products inspired by some of the most popular characters from children’s fiction that are perfect for this.

But which are the most popular?

Struan explains: “Ever since the huge success of the Harry Potter books and subsequent movies, Harry Potter has consistently been our most popular book character, although there are plenty others that do well. Our Horrid Henry and Mr. Fox costumes are also popular, as are Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, Mary Poppins and Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmations, while Dennis the Menace sold well last year too.”

So how can retailers make the most of children’s books? Boyd says to speak to your suppliers, who can often help compile a balanced selection.

“We can suggest new ranges to complement other book and toy lines that are selling well in store. We also supply high quality wooden display stands to help showcase our products, as well as a number of cardboard CDUs and FSDUs to offer a display solution whatever the size.”

Capitalising on complementary toys and dress-up ranges is also integral. Happily, Struan says Rubie’s can offer plenty of materials and tools to help.

“Point of sale stands, which we supply free to our customers, have proven to be an effective way of promoting dress-up, and we supply large window posters as well around peak times like Halloween and Book Week,” he explains. “Rubie’s has also produced bespoke vinyl in-store wall displays which can be quite spectacular and have a great impact.”

Green Board Games

CONSUMER COMMENT Granny Margaret snuggles up with Cian and Tadhg “My grandchildren and I love nothing more than snuggling up and enjoying a good book together. They love to run around and play with a whole range of toys, but sometimes it’s just nice to sit down for a while and get lost in a story.

Books make a great gift as they’re something special you’ll want to hang on to for years. They’re also a wonderful way for families to spend time together.”

81

FEATURE

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Turn over a new leaf USBORNE 0207 430 2800 www.usborne.com/uksales This collection of B-format paperback books from leading children’s book publisher Usborne is perfect for till-point displays and pocket money purchases.

Each book is packed with brain-bending puzzles that will test children’s maths, memory, logic, word and number skills, and at pocket money prices each of these pocket-sized books represent excellent value.

Not only will they keep kids entertained for hours (especially useful during those long holidays) but young puzzlers will also be learning and reinforcing essential skills that will help them with their school work.

The sturdy countertop display unit comes free with a stock order of 20 or more books and, as with all Usborne stock, the books come with a generous trade discount and on a saleor-return basis.

For more information or to place an order, contact your Usborne Territory Manager.

On the same page

Bringing books to life LEAPFROG

GREAT GIZMOS

01895 202840 www.leapfrog.co.uk

01293 543221 www.greatgizmos.co.uk New for autumn from Great Gizmos and Meadow Kids is a fabulous range of interactive books that focus on having fun while learning.

The Jigsaw Books allow kids to piece together a puzzle on each page to complete the story. Titles include The Timid Dinosaur, Fiona The Naughtiest Fairy, The Biggest Ears in the Jungle, The Short Sighted Owl and Terry the Terrible Tractor. The My First Words books help children to learn a selection of simple first words across various topics: counting, animals and words. Each book features colourful illustrations and 20 cards for interactive learning.

Bringing books to life, LeapFrog’s interactive LeapReader offers three literacy experiences in one: Learning to Read, Learning to Write and Learning through Listening, as well as a range of content for all ages and abilities. Suitable for children aged four to eight years, there is an extensive library of interactive content for LeapReader devices, all educator approved thanks to LeapFrog’s unique team of in-house learning experts. This lets parents easily personalise their child’s learning journey by choosing titles based on reading levels, favourite characters, and learning style.

Story time with Pooh!

TOMY 020 8722 7300 www.tomy.com Make story time interactive with Listen and Discover with Pooh from TOMY. Listen and Discover with Pooh is a cuddly Pooh Bear, ready for cuddles day and night, but attach the special soft-touch book to his paw and watch the magic of storytelling come to life.

The enchanting Hide ’n’ Seek story comes alive on each page. Listen as Pooh talks, with more than 30 different phrases. At bedtime, Pooh loves to snuggle and will play soothing lullabies, and when on the go, simply detach the book to discover its many colours, characters and textures perfect for in the car, at play group or on holiday. There’s also a hoop to hook it on to pushchairs and highchairs. Suitable from 10 months plus.

All TOMY toys are cleverly designed to develop children’s core skills while they play. Manufactured to the highest standards, this collection of reliable toys continues to be a family favourite, building on the heritage and core values, which parents associate with TOMY.

82

toysnplaythings.co.uk

FEATURE

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Page learner GREEN BOARD GAMES 01494 538999 www.greenboardgames.com The range of learning books created by Green Board Games and Dr. Maths are not only great fun but help to improve learning, dexterity, observation, maths understanding, and overall problem-solving ability.

Crack different codes within the quests of the Logical Learning range to unlock the answers in nine different book options, two of which are new this year: Decimal Explorer and Algebra Explore. The Green Board Games selection of Colour and Learn books allow children to use their own imagination to colour beautifully illustrated pictures from a wide range of different titles including animals, under the sea, art and landmarks, to name a few. Each picture has two ‘did you know’ facts, reinforcing knowledge of the particular subject.

Extreme Dot-to-Dot, and more basic Dot-to-Dot Stained and Glass Windows are also available.

Getting into character

Soak it all in

RUBIE’S

VTECH

08453 070707 www.rubies.com

01235 546810 www.vtechuk.com

Rubie’s has an impressive range of children’s costumes themed around stories, books, films and much more. From generic astronauts, firefighters, Vikings, Romans and period dress to licensed costumes and accessories inspired by some of the world’s best-loved literary heroes. Licenses include the hugely popular Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Dennis the Menace, Disney, Marvel, Horrid Henry amongst others.

Bath time can now also be reading time with the help of VTech Baby.

The interactive VTech Splash and Sing Bath Book is a fully waterproof bath book featuring three soft and pliable pages that are easy to wipe clean. Babies will feel at ease turning and touching them. Within each page are buttons that trigger great sing-along songs and sounds that will help baby discover more about early bathing experiences and to learn about numbers one to five. Pressing the engaging light-up music button on the book’s spine will play exciting melodies that can be sung by the duck or monkey.

Well-rounded reading HOUSE OF MARBLES 01626 835358 www.houseofmarbles.com/ trade Known for its toys and games, House of Marbles has grown to become a leading supplier of books too. The company offers a wonderful selection of children’s books. From charming and beautifully illustrated board books, to great value activity packs filled with entertainment, there’s plenty to choose from. Each has been carefully handpicked to ensure retailers are offered something different from everyone else.

84

Celebrating the classics WALKER BOOKS 020 7793 0909 www.walker.co.uk Walker Books is celebrating 20 fantastic years of the iconic picture book Guess How Much I Love You, written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram, with an anniversary paperback, pop-up sweetheart edition and licensed toys, apparel and giftware galore.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

29 cm

42cm

9781409595434

A book about life in a Victorian house

Out October 2015 in time for Christmas

RRP £25.00 inc VAT

18.5cm

A sturdy foam board doll’s house which slots together without the need for glue

For more brilliant toys and gifts, speak to your Usborne Sales Manager – contact details at www.usborne.com/uksales

INDUSTRY

OPINION TnP loves to hear ar your views. This month nth we speak to key wholesalers olesalers and suppliers to o learn what’s on their minds. inds. We explore this month’s onth’s hottest topics ics

Trade talk This month we ask key toy industry stry personnel personn rsonnel sonnel about Chris stmas, how their operations as they prepare for Christ Christmas, re... companies are performing, and mor more...

SIMON PREST Sales Director, Orchard Toys What toy do you predict will be e a hit this Christmas?

With a much-anticipated Star Wars film set to launch in December, I suspect a massive massiv ve Christmass hit for the toy industry will be Star Wars LEGO LEGO. The e blend of two iconic brands is most certainly a recipe for success at Christmas.

DAVE KELLY

What changes do you make to operations to prepare for the busy Q4?

We commence stock building very early, around April Q2. Our stock is matched to Christmas forecasts but also bestsellers and new lines to make sure they will be in adequate supply for Q4. We also take on a large number of temporary production and dispatch staff for Christmas to ensure that we are creating as much stock as possible to be able to deliver and dispatch immediately.

How is the company performing compared to this time in 2014?

It’s generally a slower time of year for us, but this is on trend with previous years. July and August are always quieter months for games and jigsaws as everyone’s buying paddling pools and slides! We are confident this will change come September, with sales souring in the lead-up to Christmas.

DAVID BOTTOMLEY Commerical Director, Asobi What changes do you make to operations to prepare for the busy Q4?

The only changes in our operation are an increase in our warehouse staff to cope with a busy Q4.

How is the company performing compared to this time in 2014?

The company is performing ahead of same stage in 2014. This is 86

What toy do you predict will be a hit this Christmas?

It’s nice to see plush toys making a really strong comeback again, Underground Toys have some very nice products being launched in this sector combining electronics and with strong licenses like Marvel and Star Wars, so these should be a real hit this Christmas.

What changes do you make to operations to prepare for the busy Q4?

For the UK and Ireland this is Engino’s first Christmas so our focus is on good stock availability, new FSDU displays and exciting in-store promotions to help drive consumer awareness.

What is your hero line at the moment?

Shopping List is undoubtedly our hero line, it’s our bestseller by far and a game which is synonymous with the Orchard Toys brand. We are delighted to have just relaunched Shopping List with a modern facelift, along with partner packs Shopping List Extras.

What do you find is the most effective method of communicating your brand message to consumers?

There’s not one single most effective method. We find POS initiatives in stores another great way to communicate our brand message to consumers.

Sales Manager UK & Ireland, Engino

How is the company performing compared to this time in 2014?

On a global basis very well - we have entered new markets like the UK and Ireland, and we are seeing some major retailers now looking at working with us which is incredibly encouraging.

What is your hero line at the moment?

Our Engino Inventor range is a popular range and we are expecting a real buzz around our multi-motorised sets like the 120 in 1 models kits. In October we see our launch of our new STEM (Science, technology, Engineering, Maths) range which comes complete with learning booklets and 3D interactive apps which helps support build instructions.

down to a better than expected early part of the year when our ORB Factory Disney Frozen line was filling gaps created after a strong Christmas 2014. This year a number of retailers have taken autumn/winter stock earlier than before so this has helped numbers and coupled with a number of good account distribution gains we have made as a business.

What is your hero line at the moment?

Our hero line is a beautiful craft range called Buttonbag which we launched at Toy Fair in January and it has gained us entry into many types of retail accounts, but all our ranges are important to Asobi, and we give each the same focus.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

DON’T MISS… We bring to the fore a selection of the hottest and newest products that will help you sell more.

Buyers and retailers, get in touch with your sales contacts!

Product: Irish Fairy Door Company: The Irish Fairy Door Company (Ackerman International - UK distributor) Tel: 0127 9408 208 Web: www.theirishfairydoorcompany.com

Product: GeoSafari Jr Science Utility Vehicle Company: Learning Resources Tel: 0155 3819 386 Web: www.learningresources.co.uk

Product: Playmoney Company: Galt Toys Tel: 0161 428 9111 Web: www.galttoys.com

SEPTEMBER 2015

Product: Star Wars Roar & Rage Chewbacca Company: Underground Toys Tel: 0170 8372 727 Web: www.underground-toys.com

Product: Shopkins Folding In-line Scooter Company: MV Sports Tel: 0121 748 8023 Web: www.mvsports.co.uk

Product: Marbo Company: Lexibook Tel: 0750 1770 855 Web: www.lexibook.com

Product: Disney Frozen Hama Beads Large Gift Box Company: DKL Tel: 0160 4678 780 Web: www.dkl.co.uk

Product: Annabel Karmel Ultimate Bakers Set Company: Casdon Tel: 0125 3766 411 Web: www.casdon.co.uk

Product: Aquabeads Beginner Studio Company: EPOCH making toys Tel: 0843 5574 062 Web: www.aquabeadsart.com/uk

87

LICENSING

NEWS

It really is all go

It is an exciting time for Thunderbirds – not only have ITV Studios Global Entertainment announced a raft of new partnerships to celebrate the TV series 50th anniversary, Meccano have also come on board produce a Thunderbirds Are Go construction toy line.

Launching at retail in the UK from this autumn, the new range will allow fans to build a replica Thunderbird 2 from Meccano.

The new Thunderbird 2 model is built from over 650 metal coloured Meccano parts with its realistic features including a cargo bay pod, thrust nozzles, and foldable landing legs. Builders can also construct ‘The Mole’ which deploys into action from a replica Pod 5.

In addition, to celebrate classic Thunderbirds 50th anniversary this September ITVS GE have signed a raft of new partnerships.

Amongst the licensees coming out with new product is Winning Moves who will launch a Limited Edition Thunderbirds Monopoly set for the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Panini will also produce a 50th Anniversary classic Thunderbirds one-off magazine for the UK and Ireland while Smiffys are on board for a line of adult dress-up costumes.

Deeper into the mine

Global LIMA report shows character and entertainment licensing dominates A global survey of the licensing industry carried out by LIMA spells good news for the toy and entertainment industries.

According to the report, the licensing industry continues to be dominated by the five major sectors of Character & Entertainment, Corporate Trademarks, Sports, Fashion, and Collegiate. Together, they represented 89% of all licensing revenues in 2014.

Character & Entertainment is by far the most dominant category with more than $107 billion, accounting for forty-four percent in retail sales. The report also identifies the latest trends and offers forward-looking analysis of the $241.5 billion global licensing business.

Keep it cool...

West Design has got Christmas all sewn up with the launch of their Disney-licensed Frozen Duck Tape.

Perfect for gift-wrap and crafting, there are two iconic designs - sisters Anna and Elsa or everybody’s favourite snowman, Olaf.

The rolls measure 1.88in (5cm) x 10yards (914.40cm) each, have high performance strength and adhesion qualities, tear easily without curling and work well on uneven surfaces.

A collectable conversion Topps launched its first-ever trading card series for rugby fans in August.

As an official partner of the England rugby team, the inaugural Rugby Attax trading card game is the only official 2015 England

LEGO has released four new Minecraft playsets.

Based on the popular digital property, the playsets include The Dungeon, The Snow Hideout, The Desert Outpost and The Nether Fortress.

LEGO says the new range allow fans to venture into new worlds, along with rebuilding thier surroundings and add other biomes for an even bigger Minecraft adventure.

88

rugby card collection available in the category. The all-new England collection, which will be the only licensed product in the trading card sector, has been created to celebrate this year’s rugby extravaganza played on home soil.

Brought to you by

licensing T O D A Y

W O R L D W I D E

Shopkins with flair GP Flair is supporting the Season 3 launch of its number one girls’ brand Shopkins with a multiplatform marketing campaign that is set to reach millions of consumers.

The campaign will encompass TV advertising and digital microsites alongside a whole host of other activities.

A major retailer tour will see Shopkins Swapkins days head in-store allowing children to swap figures and take part in fun activities. Over 20 Club Days have been planned throughout August, September and October, which will see children participate in the Swap days, taking home gifts including posters, stickers and Shopkins Foil bags.

In addition, national parties were held in all Hamley’s stores across the UK during the last two weeks of August, with over 500 children invited. Standees, costume appearances and photographic opportunities will add to the event plus on the day competitions to win Shopkins prizes.

Verity Groom, Shopkins Brand Manager, says: “Shopkins is an incredibly important brand to us at Flair, which is why we are really ramping up the support this autumn! The Shopkins roadshow will reach thousands of girls of the correct target age and showcase the latest Season 3 toys to them, while the parties are a great opportunity to engage with children and watch them interact and play with other Shopkins fans.

“Further support such as the Swapkins kits, print advertising and digital microsites will raise more awareness throughout the year - so as you can see, it’s a very busy year for the Shopkins brand!”

Bing to retail!

The first wave of Fisher-Price’s range of Bing-inspired toys has launched at retail.

The new toy range includes key interactive plush ‘My Friend Bing’, plus a wide collection of figures, vehicles, playsets and bath toys.

Acamar Films and its licensing agent The Licensing Company (TLC) has also signed two key partners for its award-winning pre-school property.

Woodmansterne for greetings cards and Rainbow Productions for costumes join Harper Collins for publishing; Ravensburger for games and Studiocanal for home entertainment.

SEPTEMBER 2015

THE GOOD CARD GAME Cartamundi is launching a three-in-one gift box of card games inspired by The Good Dinosaur, Disney•Pixar’s epic journey into the world of dinosaurs.

The game is available to pre-order now and arriving at toy shops, gift shops and supermarkets in October.

Aimed at a core market of children aged four and up, it will contain a Happy Families game, a pairs game and a puzzle, all illustrated with images from the adventures of Arlo the Apatosaurus and his unlikely friendship with a little cave boy named Spot.

Both the packaging of the three-in-one gift box and the cards will contain artwork featuring the leading characters — Arlo, his family and Spot, as well as some of the friendly (and notso-friendly) creatures Arlo and Spot meet on their travels.

Pull together My First Crayola has partnered with HUGGIES Pull-Ups for an on-pack promotion as part of the brand’s ongoing strategy to recruit parents into the My First Crayola educational brand.

“Partnering with HUGGIES Pull-Ups fitted perfectly into our overarching brand strategy to communicate with mums of very young children and make the Crayola brand more relevant in their eyes,” says Leon Jarmolowicz, Head of Marketing, EMEA - Crayola Division. “It was a natural step in the development of the My First offering; the two brands have great synergy and we look forward to seeing the response.”

The promotion, which launched last month, ties into HUGGIES Pull-Ups own educational programme, which provides mums with potty training advice to help support them through the development of their toddler. Money off coupons can be found in packs across the whole My First Crayola product range which are redeemable against any HUGGIES Pull-Ups purchase. The partnership will be supported by various marketing and PR initiatives including sampling at The Baby Show in May, with further plans to extend this to the Baby & Toddler Show in October, as well as blogger outreach and promotion in parenting press.

89

LICENSING OPINION KELVYN GARDNER

The curiosity of summer Summer trading can be a conundrum, as Kelvyn found out when he was at Merlin Publishing

A

few years ago when I was part of the management team at Merlin Publishing which is now part of the Topps group, we used to see some unusual trading patterns in our sticker sales once the summer holidays kicked in.

Generally speaking, the school holidays are not the best time for selling collectables. Kids not being at school, the dayto-day interactions so vital for a successful collection thin out, or even go through a complete summer pause. Collectors aren’t meeting at school in the playground at break times, so they aren’t swapping, and aren’t even passing by their local shop twice a day on the way to and from school, which is when they are more than likely to make their purchases.

Collectors don’t stop altogether in the summer of course.

Historically, soccer has brought us many a World Cup in June/ July, and a collection started in the final weeks of a school term is likely to be continued in the weeks to follow. The summer 2015 phenomenon, Minions, is following in this tradition through July and August before it’s time to walk through the school gates again in September. What we did find, though, were some quirky effects on distribution patterns. Newsagents in the coastal towns got a boost from collectors’ upping sticks (and stickers)

from home and carrying on with their hobby at the seaside.

More remarkable, though entirely understandable, were orders received from French, Spanish and other continental retailers in holiday regions of those countries for English Premier League stickers (morphing to Match Attax cards in more recent years) or WWE or whatever other collectable was strong in the UK that particular summer. Clearly, your itinerant collector won’t give up the hobby entirely if the opportunity presents itself to ‘carry on abroad’.

“

More remarkable, though entirely understandable, were orders received from French, Spanish and other continental retailers in holiday regions of those countries for English Premier League stickers

”

I suppose that the FIFA World Cup is the ultimate in ‘territorially transferable collectables’, but some of the entertainment properties of the past give it a run for its money. Back in the halcyon days of Pokémon, we published collections in thirty-three different countries and twenty-three

different languages.

So a series of Japanese pocket monsters united children on a truly international scale. Is it entirely coincidental that, for all its varied colour pallet, the most prominent hue associated with Pokémon was that of the iconic lead character, Pikachu, resplendent in bright yellow?

And what do we have in 2015 in bright yellow: the seemingly ubiquitous Minions, indeed, riding an even more yellow-coloured wave of popularity. The Minions yellow colour, and passion for bananas, has even allowed food licensee, Yoplait, to launch for the very first time a banana flavour within their range of Frubes fromage frais tubes.

The digital age may change this odd distribution phenomenon for many retailers, unfortunately. If you sell paperback books, you’re bound to be hit by traveller’s ability to top up their Kindles and other e-book reading devices over the internet. Good news for voracious readers in reducing their luggage, bad news for the impulse sale of print versions of the latest J.K. Rowling of even E.L. James.

For the toy trade, this may not be so much of an issue, as I think that most kids (and their parents) would prefer a real book over a digital version. A book is a proper present, after all, to go with the action figure or beach badminton set. Let’s hope it stays that way.

LIMA the trade association for the licensing business www.licensing.org/uk email rbeaird@licensing.org

toysnplaythings.co.uk

TNP T

LOOKS S BAC BACK

Step back in time TnP MD Malcolm Naish looks back at some of the events and news stories that made the pages back in September 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2010 September 10 Volume 29 Number 12

SEPTEMBER 2010 • In this month we are talking up the forthcoming January show highlighting exhibitors coming back such as MV Sports, Hornby, Marbel and Jakks Pacific. IMC Toys announce that Terry Crew has been appointed MD of their UK company and Vikki Elmer joins Bandai as product manager for girls toys.

• The Fence Club celebrates its 60th anniversary with a splendid dinner at The Ivy restaurant.

• Recently filed accounts reveals that discount retailer Ethel Austin collapsed owing a whopping £55 million, of which £33 million was owed to suppliers.

SEPTEMBER 2005 • China is making the news in autumn 2005 with big staff shortages, meaning that production is going to be affected. Not helped by the fact that local currency is no longer pegged to the dollar, many expect a devaluation of up to 10 percent to follow.

• The NPD August charts herald Vivid Imaginations as their top company, helped by brilliant sales for Bratz and the Fantastic Four. This is the first time a British company have held the top spot for 30 years • Rainbow Designs is sold by Mike Mutters to Anthony Temple, whom up until then is well known in the toy trade for his licensing company DRi. • I am very sad to publish the news of two obituaries for long-standing toy personalities. John Towse – S. Oppenheimer Ltd, and Allan Graham whose family business was Thomas Salter Ltd and he was involved with it for many years.

• We feature Gary Grant and the latest on his acquisition of The Gadget Shop. Interestingly, in September 2005 they had 36 shops. The decision had been made to run Gadget Shop strictly as an online retailer.

SEPTEMBER 1995 • I am sad to record the death of Bob Scott – Bob joined Toymaster in 1981 remaining with them until 1991 and was very much involved in persuading Toymaster to get the various regional buying groups to act as one voice for the good of the independent.

• I have to eat humble pie as in the previous month I had criticized the BTHA for creating their ‘Lifetime Achievement’ awards. At the time of going to press they had sold 25 of the 28 tables which at over £100 per ticket was quite a feat. As all our readers know, 25 years later and this award is still a much coveted award to have received in recognition of the movers and shakers in our toy industry.

• We run a feature on ‘Football Fever’ quoting that it is 30 years since we won the World Cup and that Euro ’96 is beckoning. Well, at least we made the semi-finals of that particular competition, but World Cup winners? In our dreams!

SEPTEMBER 1985 • Toys R Us open five stores which are very well received by the public. We run a four-page editorial on the opening highlights and we include some of the comments from toy shops in these five areas as to how sales have been affected. Most were not very complimentary, particularly as David Rhurka was widely quoted as stating that he did not believe that local Indies would be affected by their openings. General opinion from these retail luminaries is that this was a lot of old tosh!

• Hamleys open up their third store in Birmingham’s Bull Street with 40,000sq.ft. of toy magic and as their spokesman stated, totally different to the toy experience to be had at TRU. • Cliff Metcalfe retires as toy buyer at Rackhams with Janice Marrs heading up the newly created National Central Buying Department, based in London. These changes do not effect Harrods where Bob Marchant continues to reign supreme.

• With the launch of Toys R Us, Ward White the business conglomerate whose activities span Halfords and the Focus footwear chain, launch a a bid for Maynards, much of the reason being that Maynards own the Zodiac chain of 77 toy stores. They believe that they can match the new American threat and bring a British feel to toy retailing at this level.

• I note that we announce the birth of Colin and Chris Lisle’s daughter Franchesca. This young lady is now an integral part of Colin’s licensing and travel company and jolly good she is too.

SEPTEMBER 2015

91

“Green”