News Re:creation builds portfolio with Engino Re:creation has entered into an agreement with Engino to exclusively distribute its range of high quality construction sets in the UK. The Engino brand is a globally established player in the world of STEM play, and Re:creation will leverage its expertise in sales and marketing to grow distribution and awareness for the brand in the UK. Re:creation marketing director Jonathan Kirkley commented: “The quality of the Engino product shines through and this well-thought out range more than delivers on its promise to introduce children to core STEM principles while having fun. The strong theming offers stand out at retail and it is clear there has never been a better time to shine the spotlight on this brand in the UK. Kaye’s of Cardiff will continue to be sole UK wholesale supplier for the product range, supplying independent buying groups such as Toymaster and AIS and supporting Re:creation in growing the UK distribution of the Engino brand, which is now available in around 50 countries. Designed and manufactured in Cyprus, the patented construction play system enables children to build large scale creations with relatively few pieces. Among the themes available in 2018 are Jurassic Earth, Greenhouse, Sea Exploration and Safari Park, as well as a JCB licensed collection.
Juratoys sells majority share to Argos Wityu Juratoys, a specialist in educational wooden toys, has announced that Argos Wityu has taken an 85% stake in the company. All Juratoy shares had been owned by American company Alex Brands since 2015, and the management team now holds a 15% stake in the company following recent negotiations. Juratoys, founded in 1970, has developed the Janod brand of wooden toys, and bought the plush brand Kaloo in 2011. The workforce has grown to 140, with turnover reaching €52.5m in 2017. The new shareholders are expected to continue the growth of the company, particularly in the US market. Juratoys’ operating strategy is based on strong development of its ranges, with approximately 200 new products released per year. The company does not sell in supermarkets, focusing instead on toy shops and other specialist retailers. Juratoys also has a direct presence in export markets, with subsidiaries in the United States, the United States, United Kingdom, Asia, Germany and Spain. Neil Montgomery, UK commercial director at Juratoys, commented: “From a UK perspective, this announcement is excellent news for Juratoys UK and we feel extremely positive about the future. With Argos Wityu, Juratoys will have increased financial resources to accelerate its growth in the developing market for high-end and educational toys. We look forward to seeing the development of new products and will of course continue to keep selling the great ranges across our current brands.” Neil added: “I would like to reassure the trade, that it is ‘business as usual’ for Juratoys UK and we will continue to service our customers in the normal way.”
Golden Bear to be master toy licensee for Waffle the Wonder Dog The creator of the new BBC children’s series Waffle the Wonder Dog has announced Golden Bear as master toy licensee. A range based on the popular CBeebies series will launch in October. The brand-new BBC live-action comedy drama by Darrall Macqueen Ltd achieved the No.1 spot in the top ten shows for children aged 4-15 when it launched in February with 30 x 11min episodes. The show is currently on air and more episodes are in the pipeline. A Christmas special is also in discussion. Golden Bear’s toy range will launch in October with a Talking Waffle Soft Toy, which features the show’s theme tune ‘Waffle Doggie’. Barry Hughes, managing director of Golden Bear commented: “We were immediately drawn to Waffle because the show looks so much fun and knew instantly that it would delight the CBeebies audience. The kids in the show beg to keep Waffle in the household, and we think parents will be happy for their children to adopt a lovely replica Waffle toy as a practical alternative to the real thing!” Billy Macqueen, managing director of Darrall Macqueen said: “We are delighted to appoint Golden Bear as master toy for Waffle. The company’s knowledge and experience in the pre-school sector is unparalleled and with an enviable reputation for the highest quality plush established over nearly four decades, they will be a wonderful asset for our new Waffle plush lines. We are looking forward to our first launch in the run up to Christmas and know that the new Talking Waffle will really capture the essence of Waffle and be hugely popular with children who want their very own wonder dog.”
New toy website ToySeek.com unveiled GameSeek went into administration in May this year, but former owner Stephen Staley has now returned to a project which he had initially conceived to run alongside the video game marketplace. Speaking to Toy World, Stephen explained more about the new site: “ToySeek.com is a specialist toy online retail website. Predominantly, we will be all about toys: we aim to offer a diverse range of specialist toy products on the site. We will also be selling arts & crafts, fancy dress and video games. We would like to work closely with all UK toy distributors and manufacturers, building long-term successful relationships starting from today. “We have a very knowledgeable team and know how to make a company move quickly online. We are also very passionate about what we do, and I believe this passion, experience and knowledge should set us apart. We have very high expectations for ToySeek. “The site has been optimised for mobile and will offer a variety of payment methods from day one, so that we can take orders from over 100 countries. Payment methods include debit and credit card, Paypal, Apple Pay, Amazon payments and a host of international payments. In the near future, we will also aim to take store credit cards and have a rapid one-click checkout. Importantly, ToySeek has no minimum basket spend to qualify for free delivery.”
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