NUREMBERG TOY FAIR
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INTERNATIONAL S tage
Inset: Eduk8 Worldwide will be showcasing new launch, The Mark Makers range.
For many preschool companies, exhibiting at Spielwarenmesse is vital, with the show giving them access to buyers from all over the world to further facilitate the growth of their businesses. PPS chats to a number of exhibitors about the new launches they will be showing and just why the annual trip to Germany is so important.
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he 71st edition of Spielwarenmesse will run from 29 January to 2 February in Nuremberg, and a host of toy companies with preschool product are getting ready to make the trip over to Germany. And the overwhelming message from the exhibitors which PPS spoke to, was that the true international nature of the show makes it a winner. “Nuremburg gives us much more global exposure to prospective customers and allows us to meet our international customers,” explains Simon Prest, sales director at Orchard Toys. “We expect to see different people to those that we saw at the London Toy Fair the previous week. It is also a good opportunity to follow up with customers that we have seen at the Hong Kong Toy Fair at the start of the month.”
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The preschool market is key for Orchard Toys’ business, says Simon, with the company having been recorded as the number one manufacturer in preschool games. New games include Sleepy Sloths, a first performance game, and First Sounds Lotto, an interactive sound recognition game. For Christine Lawson, md of Eduk8 Worldwide, the fair is the company’s “international shop window’. “For a company like ourselves, the platform Nuremberg provides is priceless,” says Christine. “It gives us the opportunity not only to meet
2020 CHALLENGES “Brexit has massive implications on consumer confidence and spending, as well as logistics of importing from Germany for us,” says Schleich’s Paul. “Continued decline in the high street and the toy market remain concerns, but against that Schleich had another record year in 2019, with even greater ambition for 2020. It’s not getting any easier, but with a strong brand, great product development and continued marketing support, this gives us a great advantage.” Eduk8’s Christine believes there’s no doubt that Brexit has had an effect on European business. “That, coupled with the fluctuation in the pound, made 2019 a challenging year,” she says. “We’re hoping that 2020 will finally see a resolution to the Brexit issues and that exchange rates will therefore settle down.” Orchard Toys’ Simon concurs: “With such uncertainty, Brexit is of course a challenge for all.”
PROGRES SIVE P R E S C H O O L
03/01/2020 16:47