Toyworld june 2016

June 2016 volume 5 issue 9

June 2106 volume 5 issue 9

The business magazine with a passion for toys

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The Team...

CONTENTS June 2016 volume 5 issue 9

John Baulch

Publisher and Managing Editor john@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 408 07932 651 207

30 Licensing Expo Preview

76 Infant Toys

Mark Austin

Advertisement Manager mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Graeme Thomas

Production Manager graeme@toyworldmag.co.uk 07792 889 919

News

Opinion

Features

06 From the Publisher

32 Touching Base

20 Company Profile: Chicco

08 News

46 Touching Base: Licensees

22 Hot Properties

14 Industry Moves

70 NPD column

26 Brand Profile: Creata

16 Marketing World

73 Talking Shop

30 Licensing Expo Preview

66 Licensing World

88 Viewpoint

50 Character Licensed Merchandise

122 Allegedly

64 Retail Profile: Bargain Max 76 Infant Toys 96 Art and Craft

Anita Baulch

Circulation Manager anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

114 Wheeled Toys

Contributors David Ripley | Andy Clempson | Ruth Clement | Lutz Muller | The NPD Group | Martin Doyle | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes

Clarabel Jones

Editorial Assistant clarabel@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

96 Art and Craft

114 Wheeled Toys

Jonika Kinchin

Editorial Assistant jonika@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

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www.toyworldmag.co.uk @toyworldmag @baulchtweet

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Toy World Magazine

A from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

s I write this month’s leader column, the Toymaster show in Harrogate has just closed its doors for another year. It’s always an immensely enjoyable event – someone suggested to me that it reminded him of “how Toy Fair used to be”, and I can see exactly what he means.

It’s relaxed, friendly, close-knit and, most importantly, a very worthwhile three days from a business perspective.

130 Toymaster members pre-registered to attend this year’s show, while a further 86 non-members also pre-registered. In addition, I understand there were a number of retailers who simply turned up on the day. The vast majority seemed to be in a positive mood as well – right now the toy market is doing well, the indies generally appear to be getting their fair share and all appears to be right with the (toy) world.

The whole Trod situation seems to have largely blown over: while it looks increasingly unlikely that any individual or company will buy or resurrect the company, the fallout from the whole unfortunate turn of events has been contained and it certainly didn’t put a dampener on anyone’s spirits in Harrogate.

Talking to Toymaster development manager Will Abigail at the show, he confirmed that he and Paul Reader will be attending the Las Vegas Licensing Expo next month. Personally I think it’s a smart move: with 250 High Street windows across the UK, Toymaster has a compelling proposition to offer licensors. Will’s remit also covers attracting new members: when I asked him whether there are many more independent retailers that could realistically join Toymaster or whether the group was close to saturation, his answer was simple but emphatic: “More than you think.”

On the subject of the Licensing Expo, our preview of the event provides the fulcrum for an extended Licensing World section in this month’s edition – starting on page 21, you’ll find a whopping 50 pages packed full of licensing-related information which is specifically targeted to the toy / kid’s market.

You need look no further to find out what’s really going on in the parts of the licensing world which you’re really interested in. The

For updates & more information visit www.funfestuk.com or email info@miprglobal.co.uk the UK’s leading family-friendly blogger conference and brand ambassador exhibition

Saturday 10th September 2016

Vegas Blog will also be returning this year, so feel free to log on to the Toy World website when Licensing Expo opens on June 21st for the latest news, views and gossip from the show.

There’s plenty more on offer in this month’s edition, including features on product categories as diverse as art & craft, infant & toddler toys and wheeled toys for older children (and possibly even adults – had I been blessed with any sense of balance whatsoever, I would be throwing myself into / onto some of those products with gusto). Hoverboards, electric scooters and now even electric skateboards are all part of the landscape in 2016. Our news section rounds up all the key developments from around the trade over the past month, including the repurchase of H. Grossman Ltd by its original owners Martin and Elinor Grossman; the Character Group’s commendable half-year results; the appointment of a new CEO at Hornby and the UK Competition & Markets Authority investigating VTech’s acquisition of LeapFrog.

I can only imagine how frustrating this turn of events must be for VTech, especially when you consider that the acquisition has been given the green light in every other country across the world. Companies like VTech work on a global basis, so if one territory falls out of step with the rest of the world, the ramifications are likely to be extremely complicated. Hopefully the matter will be resolved swiftly and to everyone’s satisfaction.

Finally, I just wanted to flag up that Toy World is on the move. Our previous office building is being redeveloped into a block of luxury apartments, so we’re moving a few short miles down the road to the other side of Hemel Hempstead. The new address can be found on the contents page and also on the house ad on page 48. Our phone numbers stay the same, as does our accounts address, so no need to panic your accounts department; they can continue to send cheques large and small - but preferably large - to where they’ve always sent them. By the time you receive this month’s edition we will have moved into our new home and hopefully the transition will have gone without a hitch (I hope that isn’t tempting fate…). Feel free to drop in and experience our funky new surroundings if you’re ever passing this way – we loved our previous office and were sad to leave, but we think we’ve found somewhere where we’ll be equally at home.

news

The toy trade’s no.1 resource for news and analysis

The Character Group delivers highly credible half year results

Results show revenue is up 12% on comparative period.

The Half Yearly Financial Report, for the six months ended 29th February, shows that the company has seen significant organic growth, with international sales now representing approximately 25% of total revenue.

Revenue growth comes from its top 10 performing brands, which include Teletubbies, which launched in January 2016, and Peppa Pig. New licences acquired in the period include Stretch Armstrong. The results also show that the Main Board has been further strengthened, and that the company has a profitable and cash generative business model.

A spokesperson for the company commented: “Record results continue to underpin Character’s position as the UK’s leading independent toy company. The group continues to deliver highly credible results which is reflected in improved revenues and increased underlying profit before tax on the same half-year period last year. We are very fortunate at this time not only to have strength and depth across our brands, but also a wide spread of customers and suppliers, with many of whom we have long term trusted relationships. We are also very pleased with the progress we are making in overseas markets as demonstrated by the increased level of international sales, particularly in the US. Overall, current trading continues to be encouraging, and we remain on target to achieve market expectations for the full financial year ending 31st August.”

UK Competition & Markets Authority’s investigates Leapfrog’s acquisition

On 27th April, VTech received a request for information and an Initial Enforcement Order from the UK Competition & Markets Authority (CMA).

The RFI and Order were issued at the initiative of the CMA, which intends to investigate whether the merger has resulted or may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition in the UK market.

The Order means that Leapfrog will stop integrating with VTech, as far as it relates to activities which may impact the UK operations. The businesses will need to be operated separately, meaning that the companies will continue competing as separate businesses in the UK. The company has acknowledged the RFI and the Order and is fully co-operating with the CMA.

Hornby appoints new CEO

Previously group finance director at the company, Steve Cooke has stepped into the role.

He will take on the new role immediately while the company looks for an interim finance director.

Executive chairman Roger Canham will continue in this role, but will revert to a nonexecutive role by the end of 2016.

Roger Canham said in a statement: “I am delighted to announce that Steve will be Hornby’s new chief executive. He has made a significant contribution to the group since he joined and I am confident that he will lead the recovery in the financial performance and delivering value for our shareholders.”

Steve Cooke added: “Hornby has an excellent portfolio of much-loved brands. I am excited by the prospect of leading the business and I am looking forward to the challenge of driving Hornby forward, building on the progress that has already been made in transforming and modernising the group.”

The announcement comes over two months after Richard Ames stepped down as CEO.

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NPD reveals UK toy sales results for Q1 2016

newsanalysis Hop, skip and jump

Skip Hop is a global lifestyle brand devoted to designing innovative products for parents, babies and kids, with a core philosophy that begins and ends with ‘Must-Haves Made Better’. With a new UK head office opened up on 1st June, the company is now set for new heights.

Created with parents and children in mind, Skip Hop passionately re-thinks, re-energises and re-engineers these essentials to infuse family life with joy and ease. The company, based in New York, was founded in 2003 by Ellen & Michael Diamant, parents and experienced entrepreneurs with a combined background in art, design and technology.

Recognising the need for a better changing bag that didn’t compromise on either function or style, they created Skip Hop’s top-selling and signature product, the Duo Changing Bag, which drove on-the-go function with patented stroller clips.

These days, Skip Hop is one of the best-selling and most globally recognised lifestyle brands for parents, babies and kids. The company creates beautifully designed, thoughtful Must-Haves Made Better products - essentials that are designed for superior style and function in order to support the modern family’s lifestyle The company’s new UK office, headed up by Jon Tilley, is the first direct subsidiary office for Skip Hop outside the US. The office will initially be based in Bedfordshire, with the plan to open a dedicated showroom in early 2017. “There is a tremendous appetite for the Skip Hop brand in the UK and the time was right to go direct with brand,” Jon said.

“The UK retailers have responded positively to our new office. We will be investing in a wide assortment of products covering all our key categories and will be working on a high impact marketing plan with both our PR agency and trade customers.”

Skip Hop has a wide assortment of award-winning products ranging from playtime toys, on-the-go accessories, bath time, mealtime, playtime, changing bags and nursery to toddler that feature distinct design elements. Designed to promote learning and creativity, the company’s colourful playtime collection includes décor and development-driven baby activity gyms, Explore & More hard toys, as well as the brand’s newest innovation, the Explore & More baby’s view three stage activity centre.

ZOO is a brand which promotes toddler independence and drives imagination, with the help of a wide range of animals. Each child can choose their favourite character to keep them company throughout the day from mealtime to night time, with products ranging from backpacks and raingear to mealtime, on-the-go, bath, home and more.

Skip Hop’s assortment of bath toys and accessories are made with modern families’ safety and decor in mind. The collection includes everything from rinsers to spout covers, bath helpers and toys that highlight various water animals including the iconic Moby whale.

On top of these, the company also has a growing collection of nursery products, including baby mobiles and projectors, as well as a range of perfectly-sized mealtime products, changing bags and on-the-go accessories.

For more information, visit www.skiphop.com, or take a look at the company’s social media pages at www.facebook.com/skiphop, www.instagram.com/skiphop and www. twitter.com/skiphop.

With an 8% growth in value since the beginning of the year to 9th April, the sector is enjoying strong sales performance.

With almost 54 million toys sold since the beginning of the year, the UK is holding on to its leading position as the largest toy market in Europe. The action figures and plush categories lead that growth, up 16% and 21% respectively.

The Star Wars licence has enjoyed a 249% increase in the last three months, compared to the same time a year ago, with over 2.1 million toys sold.

Paw Patrol, Lego Nexo Knights, Teletubbies and Tsum Tsum were some of the top growth properties in Q1 2016. The Batman V Superman release has generated excitement on the superhero front, and collectibles continue to boost the market. With four products featuring in the top 10 sellers since January, Shopkins has seen sales more than double in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago. The brand is poised for continued growth this year as the range enters new categories with puzzles, collectible cards and card games.

With football related toy sales currently up by 44% compared to the same period in 2014, the UEFA Euro 2016 has been highly anticipated in the toys sector. The official Euro 2016 Panini album was launched mid-March and Topps’ Match Attax pack of 16 football cards already features in the top 10 sellers in the first quarter of the year.

Frédérique Tutt, toys global industry analyst at The NPD Group, commented: “With the combination of the Star Wars legacy, the dynamism of licensing and collectibles such as Shopkins, Tsum Tsum, and the Lego figurines, the UK market is poised for a strong second quarter. Euro 2016 is already starting to make an impact two months ahead of the start of the competition so we are confident growth is also on – and in – the cards.”

The UK toys top 10 growth properties in £ value, YTD April 9th 2016, is as follows: • Star Wars • Lego Star Wars • Shopkins • Paw Patrol • LEGO Nexo Knights • Avengers • Batman v Superman • WCS (World Cup Soccer) • Teletubbies • Tsum Tsum

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Parragon launches new trade and consumer website

Mattel to launch FC Elite range

The 12” FC Elite Football Figures were unveiled exclusively to independent toy retailers at this year’s Toymaster show.

The intricately detailed figures are created in the likeness of the world’s best football players, including Andrea Pirlo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Iker Casillas, James Rodriguez, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Da Silva Santos Jr. Each figure has signature colourful kits and 16 points of articulation for action plays. With so many football star figures, fans can build the ideal line-up.

Steve Asbey, senior national account manager at Mattel UK, commented: “The Toymaster show gave us a fantastic opportunity for independent retailers to get a first look at this exclusive range, endorsed by and featuring some of the world’s greatest players. The range will be available from September.”

Asobi unveils Elf for Christmas The company launched the latest addition to its toy portfolio at the Toymaster show.

Elf for Christmas is a plush toy and magical reward kit, designed to promote good behaviour in the run up to Christmas. With a focus on positive reinforcement, this kit has captured the imagination of parents, children and retailers alike.

The Elf is available as a boy or girl character, and comes complete with a magical reward set comprising Elf-sized letters from the North Pole, mini report cards for promoting good behaviour, reward chart and stickers, Beware of the Elf signs, Nice List Certificates, a Thank You Card and more.

The reward kit is designed to be used by up to two children, and refill kits are available for more siblings or to use the following year.

Adding depth to the magical concept, customers are invited to sign up to receive personalised emails from Santa Claus throughout December.

David Bottomley, commercial director at Asobi, commented: “The early reaction from a small group of retailers has been amazing in terms of the demand for the product and the awareness of Elf For Christmas. We are delighted and we have only just started.”

The company has partnered with website developer Supadü to relaunch its website across the UK, US and Australia.

The redesigned website will allow users to browse and discover the latest titles published

by Parragon across its children’s, lifestyle and licensed publishing and gifting divisions, and marks a continuation of the company’s strategy to amplify its key successes and strengthen brand affinity.

Dedicated product pages allow users to easily search for products featuring licensed character brands, as well as Parragon’s own brands, including Little Learners, Start Little Learn Big, Factivity and Gold Stars.

The website highlights new interactive product formats, including Olaf’s Bedtime Buddy, Sweet Dreams Libraries and Happy Tins. New additions to Parragon’s licence portfolio, including Little Baby Bum, Peppa Pig in the US, and The World of Eric Carle, will be adding new book and gift formats to the website with product launches throughout the year.

“We’re delighted with the new website and are confident that it offers users an exciting tool for discovery. We aim to satisfy and delight with every product that we create, in turn inspiring a love of learning and play in all ages. Working with Supdaü, we’ve endeavoured to ensure that those core values are reflected through both the design and functionality of the website,” said Pip Tannenbaum, digital product development director at Parragon.

The Entertainer to open in Northern Ireland

It is believed the toy retailer is looking at locations around Belfast.

The Entertainer currently operates more than 100 stores across Britain, but this will be the first store to open up anywhere in Ireland.

It is understood that the new store will open later this year, and could be the first of as many as five across the area over the next few years, generating around 50 jobs.

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The company will be relocating to new premises in Richmond from September to join other Bandai Namco Group companies.

The majority of the staff currently based in Hedge End, Southampton will be making the move.

Clive Smith, Bandai UK’s general manager, commented: “This office relocation means we will benefit from being nearer to London, as well as working more closely with our Bandai Namco colleagues. We look forward to welcoming our customers and business partners to our new home in Richmond later this year.”

More news on the move, including address details, will follow at a later date.

Toy World 12

industry moves Rainbow Designs appoints new head of marketing and licensing The company has appointed Suzie Howes to play an integral part in its marketing and licensing departments. Suzie brings with her a wealth of marketing experience, including over 15 years toy industry knowledge.

As head of marketing and licensing, Suzie will be fully responsible for the creation and implementation of the company’s trade and consumer marketing strategies, as well the development and coordination of Rainbow’s licensing function.

New team member at DKL DKL has announced the appointment of Emma Damerell to the sales and marketing team.

Emma joins the company as the new marketing and social media assistant where she will be responsible for trade marketing activity, customer support, consumer PR and social media. Emma has recently graduated and has worked in various marketing positions, so she brings with her good experience.

Re:creation announces Katy Fletcher’s promotion

New appointment for Paul Lamond Fraser Kirkwood will head up Paul Lamond Games’ Art and Craft division.

The games and puzzle specialists have brought Fraser on board with the objective of expanding the businesses’ art and craft market specifically amongst specialised art and craft retailers throughout the UK. Fraser, who has joined Paul Lamond from Eurowrap, has over two decades of commercial sales experience and extensive expertise in the retail sector.

As national accounts director with Chroma Europe for over 10 years, Fraser was responsible for maintaining and achieving sales growth in key accounts and will now be looking to champion Paul Lamond’s Crafty Kids division amongst specialised retailers.

Katy has been promoted to senior brand manager.

Having worked at Re:creation for over five years, Katy has been a driving force behind the Razor brand including the development and implementation of the successful ‘Electrify Your Ride’ brand campaign in 2015. The campaign delivered double digit growth for Razor electric scooters and Katy is set to follow up with a new campaign showcasing the brand’s new Power Core hub motor technology in the second half.

The Lego Group announces new senior appointment Inge Østergaard Jørgensen has been appointed as senior director head of sales UK and Ireland.

Inge has been at The Lego Group for over 10 years and has held a number of different leadership roles within product and marketing development, consumer marketing agency, and most recently as senior director head of marketing for the Nordic, Benelux and Baltic region.

In her new role, Inge will be responsible for further developing Lego UK’s company commercial strategy, working closely with retail partners to unlock future business opportunities.

Hasbro appoints David Henderson as country manager UK and Ireland Previously SVP sales and customer strategic marketing for Hasbro North America, David will be joining Hasbro as the new country manager for the UK and Ireland.

David will report to Foye Pascoe following her promotion to SVP of Northern Europe and Italy.

David brings with him 16 years of experience from Hasbro North America, establishing a track record of success in the US and Canadian markets. He will be overseeing the sales, marketing and retail fulfillment teams led by Malcolm Ottley (UK and Ireland sales director), Craig Wilkins (UK and Ireland marketing director) and Lorna McCracken (retail fulfilment and business process director) respectively.

Clementoni makes company changes Michele Marziliano is leaving his position as UK country manager to return to Italy to head up the domestic business at Clementoni HQ and to oversee product development in new and existing categories. Michele has made a significant impact on the UK business since joining the company in 2011, and has been instrumental in the development of branded and licensed business across all channels.

Shahbaz Khan (pictured) has been promoted to UK country manager, a move that reflects his achievements in growing the company’s portfolio within key retail channels. Joining Clementoni, having previously worked as a buyer for Argos, he brings a wealth of experience from both sides to his new role.

Stephanie Wallace joins the business as national account manager to continue development within major accounts and ensure key ranges are maximised.

She brings a solid toy background with her, having previously worked for Mookie, and her product and process experience will support Shahbaz in moving the company forward for 2016 and beyond.

Toy World 14

marketing world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for marketing news and opinion

Barbie partners with Geri Horner for new campaign The campaign which is inviting mums to write Barbie’s next chapter, will run in partnership with Netmums from 28th April to 12th June, and will include sponsorship and online banner advertising. The winner will be selected by Geri Horner and the editor of Netmums. The campaign will also be supported with a fully integrated marketing campaign across TV, digital, social and retail, and the Barbie Dreamtopia fantasy toy line is supported by visual content with long form content launching later this year.

Geri Horner commented: “This campaign is about supporting mums who want to explore their passion for writing and celebrating creativity, and it’s a great thing for mothers and daughters to do together.

Barbie Dreamtopia is a wonderfully rich setting for kids to explore their imaginations.”

Wendy Hill, brand activation director at Mattel UK, added: “We are delighted to be working with Geri Horner to invite other busy mums with a passion for writing to explore their creativity by helping to write a Barbie fairytale for their own children.”

Character Options unveils marketing strategy for Pom Pom WOW! 28th May marked the start of a heavyweight TV strategy with a 20 second TVC, which will be shown across children’s terrestrial and satellite channels until November.

The TV plan will coincide with a digital campaign, including a branded microsite and TV shout out that will run for four weeks on Popfun and Swapits. Complementing this will be a full page press campaign in top publications, reaching almost three million girls.

An extensive Pom Pom WOW! sampling event will also take place, including covermounting in two popular tween publications and a large retailer activity which will see over 400 individual demonstration kits made and distributed to stores in the coming weeks.

Character Options and Fiat UK will also be Pom Pomming a Fiat 500L and taking a tour around London landmarks during May half term, with further sampling from the vehicle along the way. The weekends following the main tour will see retailer visits, all of which will be publicised across a full spectrum of social media channels.

Mark Hunt, marketing manager at Character Options, said: “Every indication suggests that Pom Pom WOW! is going to be a huge craft craze. Our sampling, advertising and Pom Pom car stunt will ensure we create the strongest awareness possible for this brand.”

Just Play unveils Puppy in My Pocket campaign The campaign will include a robust TV strategy, followed by a high impact digital and print press campaign, consumer show awareness as well a national survey to find children’s favourite dog breed.

With FSDUs going into many stores, the Puppy In My Pocket collection launched at Easter. Complementing this was a series of print adverts, reaching nearly 700,000 readers of the core age. Puppy In My Pocket will also be making moves at the National Pet Show this month, followed by a digital programme with Popfun, where girls can play a Pocket the Puppy game.

Throughout the activity, girls will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite dog breed, culminating in an official story later in the year officially announcing the results of the survey organised by Puppy In My Pocket.

Further PR and marketing activity is planned for the autumn to ensure that the brand is supported not just at launch, but throughout the year.

Worlds Apart hires Playtime PR for UK launch of SelfieMic SelfieMic allows children to create their own music videos from home, and features a selfie stick with a working karaoke microphone, ear piece and music app. Children can record their own voice or lip sync to their favourite songs and create music videos on their smart phone, which they can then share with their friends.

Complementing the heavyweight marketing campaign in place for SelfieMic in the UK, Playtime PR’s remit will encompass launch media relations, product placement and influencer outreach targeting both parents and children.

Logan Stone, senior brand manager at Worlds Apart, commented: “The launch of SelfieMic this summer is a huge focus for us and we knew we had to invest in a strong PR campaign for 2016. Its toy credentials and expertise, paired with a dynamic proposal and wonderful enthusiasm for the product, meant Playtime PR was the clear choice to ensure a successful and exciting UK launch for SelfieMic.” Playtime PR’s managing director, Lesley Singleton, added: “We’re excited to be working with the team at Worlds Apart who have created something immensely fun and relevant. We’re confident our results will help cement SelfieMic’s position as one of 2016’s top-selling toys.”

Toy World 16

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marketing world

Living in a digital world

Children can now take their pick from bespoke VOD apps to access their favourite content. Are more touchpoints a good thing and can the potential to reach the right audience with the right content at the right time be maximized?

A

s an 8 year-old, watching an episode of my favourite TV shows like Fun House, Knightmare or Tom & Jerry was a straightforward task – tune in to BBC1 or ITV between 3.30pm and 5.30pm (pre-Neighbours, of course). We weren’t a Sky household, and not yet internet connected, so my choice was Channel 1 or Channel 3 in a two-hour window. A colleague of mine told me that she didn’t know CITV even existed until she visited a friend’s house; such was the ease with which parents could dictate content access. I wonder how many eight year olds still hunt for content by choosing their favourite TV channel as I once did. Content is now much more likely to be selected by favourite show, character or 10 second highlight – many interactive factors from YouTube search to a TV’s EPG are set up to support the latter.

Moreover, parents arguably have less say over content consumed when it is done so outside of the family living room on YouTube, via a tablet or smartphone.

UK media outlets have reacted to this, and there has been an avalanche of VOD platforms for kids in the past six months or so. Children can now take their pick from bespoke VOD apps such as YouTube Kids, Disney Life, Sky Kids and iPlayer Kids from the BBC. Formats are straightforward – each is an app that allows youngsters to search for content in a walled garden. YouTube Kids for instance algorithmically sorts content from the main YouTube universe, and adds this to the YouTube Kids library. Closed libraries please parents in the wake of recent cyber-security concerns, indeed all the apps above feature parental settings. Sky and BBC have added age-gating to ensure appropriateness. Each has unique

features: Sky Kids allows live streaming of TV content, for instance. Even better, all the new VOD apps are free, with the exception of Disney Life which has a £9.99 per month subscription cost.

One area that has been notable by its absence from such channels has been advertising. With the Beeb the obvious exception, only YouTube Kids carries any advertising, and even here it is limited to a few brands. In previous columns I have been vocal about not advertising for advertising’s sake, or purely to fill online space – and I stand by that. But to play devil’s advocate, are the media owners missing a trick commercially by overlooking this revenue stream? Having said that, Facebook and Twitter are amongst many platforms that didn’t serve their first ad until they were established players in the online space and had brands practically begging for exposure to their loyal audience.

There’s also a second, deeper question: are these traditional TV players cannibalising their commercially viable offline audience by driving them online to a commercial free zone?

The flipside to this particular coin is that the migration to VOD content will likely happen whether the traditional media owners like it or not: 82% of 7-10 year olds are watching YouTube content on a variety of devices, according to TGI. Consider also that outside of the kids’ space (but no doubt accessed by youngsters) platforms such as Spotify have launched video content, and we are looking at an incredibly noisy, crowded landscape.

A global media powerhouse such as Disney would probably argue that their brand retains enough of a halo effect to ensure that kids choose their

Netflix picks up Bratz The announcement follows the success of the brand’s YouTube webisodes.

The three minute webisodes, produced by Stoopid Buddies Studios using stop motion animation, saw views in excess of 300,000 an episode. Now all eight webisodes have been stitched into one programme that is available to stream now on Netflix in UK, US, CA, UKIE and ANZ territories.

Nicola Mellor, senior brand manager, commented: “By stitching all of the webisodes together, Bratz fans can enjoy almost 25 minutes of uninterrupted capers and adventures. It’s fantastic exposure for the brand to be on Netflix and will give new audiences the chance to enjoy this content.”

Bratz webisodes have won several awards and have been selected as an Official Honoree in The 20th Annual Webby Awards in the Online Video – Branded Animation category.

All new Bratz webisodes join the 2007 Bratz: The Movie, available on Netflix.

Toy World 18

Martin Doyle - Head of digital Tel: 0207 307 7098. martin.doyle@generationmedia.co.uk other outlets and products, and that more touchpoints is a good thing. The challenge that brands face is choosing which of these touchpoints allows them to reach the right audience with the right content at the right time and all within the confines of their marketing spend – a challenge that Generation is meeting through constantly evolving insight and effective measurement that allows for optimal campaign management.

The kids VOD market could get very interesting over the next two to three years – it’s anyone’s guess as to which players and revenue models will come out on top at this stage. One thing is for sure – I bet today’s eight year olds don’t have to run all the way home from school to catch the four o’clock showing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles like I did. They don’t know how lucky they are!

marketing world

TV campaign set to drive another milestone year for Chicco Toy World spoke to Mitch Levene, managing director of Artsana UK & Ireland, about the company’s forthcoming TV campaign

a number of integrated marketing campaigns, including in store displays and digital advertising.

We will also be running some exciting social media campaigns including a Euro 2016 themed competition to support the Fit n Fun Goal League and our popular Christmas toy giveaway at the end of the year.

How will the campaign be supported in-store?

We will be working with the key toy specialists to ensure that there is a compelling in-store message, promoting the unique features and benefits of our hero lines under the Fun of development concept through engaging point of sale. Our ‘Fun of Development’ expresses the very essence of Chicco, which is to create products that promote fun and happiness at every developmental stage and has been built around the key categories in which we can offer something unique.

What do you hope to achieve within the toy market by the end of 2016?

How has the year started for Chicco?

We have had a very strong start to the first quarter of 2016, once again achieving double digit growth.

Given the 25% sales increase we achieved in 2015, we are delighted with the continuing progress we’re making. With an exciting second half of the year planned in terms of marketing support for key ranges, such as TV advertising and social media campaigns, we are confident 2016 is going to be another milestone year for the Chicco brand.

When will the new 2016 lines be coming to market?

Fit n Fun Jungle Rugby will be available from the summer and the rest of the new 2016 range including Robo Chicco, Rodeo, Happy Shopper and Disney Princess Cinderella Carriage will be available from September.

What role will the forthcoming TV advertising campaign play in driving sales of the new ranges?

The advertising campaign is designed to help bring the toys to life for consumers, as many of the products in our new range have unique features and benefits that are best communicated on TV. The TV ads are also designed to raise awareness of both the Chicco brand and our new toy range in

the lead up to Christmas, a key sales period for our retailers.

When will the campaign start, and how long will it run for?

The first phase of advertising begins in August for three weeks and focuses on our new Fit n Fun Jungle Rugby and Goal League. We will then be promoting the Fit and Fun Jungle Rugby, Goal League and the 2 in1 Robo Chicco in the lead up to Christmas, beginning in November.

Which channels will you be using, and what is the format of the TV ad?

The Fit n Fun advert is a 20 second format and will feature Fit and Fun Jungle Rugby and Goal League. We will also be running a 10 second advert for Robo Chicco.

Both will be advertised on Children’s TV channels, including CITV, Milkshake, NickJR, NickToon, TinyPop, Boom and Cartoonito.

Will you be supporting the TV campaign with additional marketing activity?

We will be supporting the TV ads with

Toy World 20

Our TV campaign and supporting integrated marketing plan will help consumers really understand the essence of our Fun of Development concept, making it synonymous with the Chicco brand. The campaign will also help promote our key position within the market as being able to offer expert advice and product innovations in both nursery and toy product categories. This will be followed up with new innovation moving into 2017 and the continued growth of the Chicco brand, further cementing our position as the UK’s most loved and trusted baby brand.

licensing world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for licensing news and opinion

W

elcome to an extended Licensing World section – the largest we’ve ever published to coincide with the Licensing Expo. Over the next fifty pages, Toy World is delighted to bring you the latest information from the world of licensing – or at least all the interesting content which is relevant to the UK and European children’s market.

So rather than spending ages wading through what’s happening in Australia or Singapore, or trawling through pages of adult, art and brand licensing, you can focus in on the things which really matter to

you. Whether you’re a licensee or a retailer, there is plenty here to get your teeth into: we’ve highlighted a number of new and emerging brands in the Hot Properties section; pulled together an exhaustive selection of the latest character licensed product ranges being launched into the UK market over the coming weeks; rounded up some of the licensing-related news stories which have caught our eye in recent weeks and interviewed a growing online retailer (Bargainmax.co.uk) whose product selection is heavily-geared to licensed merchandise.

Last but certainly not least, there is an extensive preview of the forthcoming Las Vegas Licensing Expo.

Licensing World 21

In addition to covering the key licences which exhibitors will be promoting at the show, we’ve spoken to a number of licensors and licensees about what the show means to them and to gauge their thoughts on what’s happening in the licensing field at the moment.

We’ll be adopting a similar approach in October for our Brand Licensing Europe preview, so we’ll be delighted to talk to you about how you can be involved with that special edition. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy our June Licensing World special, and keep a look out for the popular Vegas Blog, which will be returning again this year.

licensingworld

Hot properties Toy World highlights a selection of new and classic characters which we believe licensees and retailers should keep an eye out for

Blue Zoo

07879 487 940 | www.blue-zoo.co.uk Digby Dragon is a nature-inspired comedy animation for children aged between 4-6 years.

Set in the colourful Applecross Woods, Digby Dragon follows Digby, a fledging dragon, as he learns to fly. With his best friend, Fizzy Izzy the fairy, Digby takes on adventures in the woods encountering characters including train driver Grumpy Goblin and Chips, the squirrel.

Digby was created and based on original work from Sally Hunter, creator of the celebrated pre-school property, Humphrey’s Corner. It’s being produced by Blue Zoo Animation Studio entirely at its central London facility.

Aardman Animations has acquired international TV, DVD and digital sales rights. The show, comprising 52 episodes x 11 mins, has been sold to Nickelodeon in the UK, Nick Jr. in the US, Australia and Latin America, S4C in Wales, ZDF/KIKA in Germany, BBC Kids and Tele Quebec in Canada, MTVNA in Hungary, HOP in Israel, MBC in the Middle East, Panda in Portugal and SVT in Sweden.

Digby will be launching on Nick Jr. in the UK in July 2016, and later in the year on Channel 5’s Milkshake.

Nickelodeon plans strategic marketing for the series, making the most of its digital, on air and social channels - as well as competitor channels - to ensure that audiences are aware of and excited for the show. The series launch will also be supported with PR outreach across TV and partner press, as well as bloggers.

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products has acquired consumer products rights in the UK and Ireland. It believes that ranges such as forest playsets, vehicle and plush would work well with the property. Dress-up and role-play would also lend themselves well, along with sleepwear and select apparel.

Magic Light Pictures

0207 631 1800 | www.magiclightpictures.com Published by Scholastic in 2008, Stick Man is the picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The animated film from Magic Light Pictures premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day, and garnered 41% audience share (9.3 million viewers) making it the fourth most watched programme over the season.

The licensed range has now launched with plush from Aurora, puzzles from Ravensburger and t-shirts from Fabric Flavours.

There are currently 23 Stick Man activity trails across the UK at Forestry Commission sites. These self led trails aim to encourage children to engage with the natural forest environment, and this summer the key Forestry Commission sites will be hosting Stick Man sports day activities. Outdoor play and independent learning are important elements of the brand direction, and the company is looking to continue building this area of the brand.

A partnership with Eden Project saw a Stick Man takeover at its site in Cornwall during February half term. The event was attended by 24,000 people during the week-long event, a 30% increase on the previous year.

Stick Man sits alongside other family favourite brands including The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child and Room on the Broom.

First published in 1999 by Macmillan Children’s Books, The Gruffalo has been translated into over 75 languages. A second book, The Gruffalo’s Child, was published in 2004 and together they have sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

An animated half-hour film produced by Magic Light Pictures premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day in 2009, and was nominated for both an Oscar and BAFTA Film Award. A companion film, The Gruffalo’s Child, premiered on BBC One over Christmas in 2011, and both films continue to be shown at event screenings across the world each year.

Magic Light Pictures manages a high quality-merchandising programme that shares the charm and wit of the storybooks. The programme has 27 licensees and five Direct to Retail relationships, and is gradually building internationally. Key categories are plush, games, stationery, gifting and apparel ranges for both boys and girls.

A partnership with Forestry Commission England has been building since 2014 when 28 Forestry Commission sites launched Gruffalo trails to celebrate the Gruffalo’s 15th anniversary. This partnership has grown over the last two years and the sites became Gruffalo’s Child trails in the winter. There are now plans to bring back The Gruffalo for 2017.

Licensing World 22

TM

An original animated series inspired by the songs made famous by the Beatles, sung by Eddie Vedder, P!nk, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams and many others.

Coming To Summer 2016

LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES OPEN

For licensing enquiries for EMEA please contact :

11:11 Creations Pty. Ltd. is the Owner of all Trademarks and ©2015 relating to BEAT BUGS and the BEAT BUGS Characters.

Darren Epstein, CENTA IP darren.epstein@creata.com (+44) (0) 7831 583 411

licensingworld Those Licensing People 0845 901 1657 | www.thoselicesningpeoplc.com

Zou the zebra has become a household name over at Disney Junior, with two 52-episode series featuring continuously on the channel. In addition to this, the end of the year will see the launch of the third series.

Having excelled across continental Europe as well as on home shores, it’s been necessary for European licensees to export Zou merchandise to the UK. Zou has charmed the rest of the world too, including the US and New Zealand, on channels such as Hulu, NBC Kids and Sprout.

The French creators have entrusted Zou to Those Licensing People after waiting to find the perfect partnership to bring it to the UK market.

Zou is already at home across multimedia and digital channels, and his episodes are available on YouTube. The programme has been viewed 1.4 million times by children in the UK alone, and the numbers for Latin America exceed 25 million views.

Those Licensing People will introduce Zou to UK children firstly through publishing, followed closely by toys and apparel. The company also plans to bring Zou opportunities to each and every licensing platform available. Discussions with premier publishers have been fruitful, and leading plush toy manufacturers are also keen to discuss Zou joining their lines.

GP Flair looks forward to a roaring success with Lion Guard

GP Flair has enjoyed success with licensed properties across both girls’ and boys’ sectors, and more recently in the pre-school sector with Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins franchise. Now under the banner of the firm’s Just Play Division, another Disney preschool property has entered the portfolio and is promising to be a big hit with the age group. Toy World spoke to GP Flair’s managing director Simon Hedge and marketing director Nic Aldridge, together with Claire Peacock, commercial director from The Walt Disney Company UK, about their hopes for this new venture and the launch plans around it.

What do you feel makes Lion Guard stand out?

Simon: You only have to look at the heritage. Ask any young adult - and indeed most children - which Disney films stand out for them and you’ll invariably find the Lion King in the top part of the list. There is something truly magical about it. Lion Guard is the brand new spin off TV series from Disney and none of that timeless magic has been lost. The appeal to a new generation is instantly there, with a fantastic combination of music and adventure that we are so familiar with from the original movie.

When will the toy range be launched?

Simon: The range will be launched in July. The Lion Guard characters will be available to collect in a variety of ways. The foil bag minis at RRP £2.49 are a great entry price point. From there, collectible figures and accessories will create perfect gifts and are compatible with the hero product, the Defend the Pride Lands Playset. The Pride Lands are the focus of The Lion Guard and the playset brings them to life with a waterfall, motorised vine lift and a boulder launcher. A range of high quality talking plush and feature plush will add to this the collection, including the Leap n Roar Kion Animated Plush with motion sensor and push activated roar and pounce features.

What can the toy range offer fans of the TV show?

Claire: Just Play and GP Flair have done a tremendous job in bringing the launch series to life, just as in the Disney Junior TV show. The figures represent the characters well and all the main

characters are there to collect. The play sets create a perfect backdrop for kids to recreate their own adventures.

What has been the reaction from retailers?

Simon: Support is strong across the board. The industry is ready for an exciting new pre-school property and this has a completely different feel about it. We are having to work hard to fulfill orders for the launch.

What marketing plans do you have to support the launch?

Nic: The great news is that Disney has paved the way with their own Lion Guard campaign meaning awareness of the property is already huge. Anybody in Westfield in recent weeks would have been able to see the amazing Lion Guard Interactive Experience in one of the main event spaces. Disney’s bought media and online activity has been really strong. Now it’s our turn to ensure we give the toy launch as much exposure as possible. We are sampling 80,000 of the collectible figures through the Lion Guard magazine, complete with inner magazine space to highlight the brand with the fans. We have a huge social media drive with mummy influencers and of course TV will play a big part. Our TV schedule will start from 2nd July and target 800 TVRs.”

Licensing World 24

Do you hope to replicate the success you have had with Doc McStuffins?

Nic: That and more. This is a very special property with a great heritage behind it; our success with Doc McStuffins is great experience for when this brand launches. By working closely with Disney we intend to leverage every opportunity to ensure fans are aware of what’s available.

This is Disney’s number one marketing priority in the Pre-School category and we have received an unprecedented level of support so far. With the underlying level of awareness for Lion King, it’s a natural evolution for families to move into the Lion Guard property.”

© 1999 & TM Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.

Contact Daryl Shute, Brand Director Magic Light Pictures +44 (0) 207 631 1800 daryl@magiclightpictures.com

licensingworld

BEAT THIS Beat Bugs, a new, original Netflix series from creator, writer and director Josh Wakely, is a fascinating combination of 3-D animation and the music made famous by the Beatles. Beat Bugs will feature original characters living in an overgrown backyard, learning lessons and going on adventures, with a song tied to the theme of each episode. Children can experience the episodes in short bursts of 26 11-minute episodes or view 13 half-hour episodes, depending on their preference. The first season will be available this summer, with another coming this autumn. Toy World spoke to Darren Epstein from Creata IP, who will be handling the UK and European licensing for this exciting new property.

How did you get involved with Beat Bugs?

With over a 25 years’ experience in the toy and licensing business, I have been connected with the owners of Centa IP for the last two years, helping to develop a number of areas that the business is working of on. The principals of Centa IP heard of Beat Bugs through their Australian connection and loved the idea behind the show and the opportunity to work with producer/director Josh Wakely was also a hugely important factor in getting involved.

Why do you think Beat Bugs will be a successful property?

Beat Bugs has the winning combination of amazing story-telling and characters that children can relate to; world class 3D CGI and the music library of the greatest band of all time, with sixteen of the fifty three tracks performed by today’s hottest artists. In my opinion it’s the most visually stunning kids’ TV show in the marketplace, bringing the same rigour, quality control and craft of a live-action movie to the small screen. Everyone involved in the series has worked for more than five years to bring about a show that we believe will last for decades to come.

Why did you choose Netflix as the broadcast vehicle to launch the series?

One of the key factors behind the decision is the incredible global reach which Netflix can offer.

When the show is ready, Netflix presses a button and it goes out to 190 countries around the world on the same day, at the same time. Furthermore, Netflix allows the budget, resources and power to

do things that can usually only be seen in cinema.

We are in a golden age, where we can bring filmquality animation to television. The people behind the show wanted to bring that same level of storytelling craft and that same level of quality to children, and Netflix is the best way to do that.

How integral is the music to the show?

Northern Songs is the greatest music catalogue of all time. We’ve taken songs from that catalogue, made them really child-friendly with incredible animation and the musical storytelling of the Lennon/McCartney songs. It is a beautiful combination.

What are the licensing plans for Beat Bugs?

The opportunity that exists with the show to create unprecedented stories that resonate with children is the same one that exists with licensees and retailers. Extending this world into highquality merchandise across a range of products is a huge opportunity for everyone. I don’t believe there is any other children’s property that has so many winning elements to it. The biggest win is that we have secured the rights to use the music recorded for the programme within a significant range of our products.

What are the attributes of the brand that you plan to emphasize in the licensing developments?

Story-telling through music, friendship, humour, adventure and empowerment. It’s gender neutral and each episode reads like a children’s storybook with subtle lessons.

Licensing World 26

What products are being licensed and in what categories?

Beat Bugs is shaping up to having an extensive licensing programme: initially we’re looking to sign deals for toys, apparel and accessories, consumables, stationery, party, art & craft, consumer electronics, publishing, seasonal, digital games and ‘toys to life’.

When will the products be launched at retail?

We will launch in the UK and North America in Spring 2017, with global roll out taking place throughout 2017. The response from retailers has been very strong, with requests to launch either exclusive or first to market product.

What are the long-term licensing plans?

We believe Beat Bugs will become an evergreen property. It has a strong content plan: Netflix premiere with transactional and free-to- air to follow.

How would you sum up the opportunity for licensees and retailers?

Beat Bugs is different and innovative; there is nothing on TV like it. It has a revolutionary relationship between amazing content, animation and storytelling with the music made famous by the Beatles. I don’t believe there is any other children’s property that has so many winning elements to it. It also has inter-generational appeal: while Beat Bugs is primarily targeting 3 - 7 year-old children, it uses songs that parents and grandparents will undoubtedly connect with, sung by today’s favorite artists.

WE MUST BE BARKING! WOOF

Home of “woofalicious” clothing, Zuma the Dog is all about lifestyle clothing for little pups. Made from only the finest materials, full of quality and love, these pieces stand up to and embrace the relentless rambunctiousness of being a kid. Named after the designer’s zealous pal, Zuma the Dog will be your child’s best friend too.

SEND FUN PHOTOS OF YOUR BEST FRIEND WHICH WE CAN SHARE IN ZUMA’S NEW SHOW ON KIDSCAST IN THE FALL.

THOSE LICENSING PEOPLE

For the A to Visit zoutv.com

With an emphasis on Zou’s fabulous publishing heritage this is just the start of a plan to bring Zou opportunities to each and every licensing platform available. With his cutesie, unique appearance and the family values which the show promotes; these aspirations are definitely in sight. Discussions with premier publishers have been fruitful and they can see Zou’s potential as a joyful character for their extensive repertoire. Not to forget, leading plush toy manufacturers are keen to discuss hopes of Zou joining their lines.

© Cyber Group Studios

ZOU IS ABOUT TO MAKE HIS BIG BREAK INTO UK LICENSING

y 104 Currentl h 52 s wit episode e ming lat more co 16

For All Licensing Enquiries Contact Nick Lee +44 (0)845 901 1657

info@thoselicensingpeople.com

www.thoselicensingpeople.com

The world of licensing Toy World presents a round-up of the forthcoming Licensing Expo in Las Vegas

T

he global licensing community will shortly be heading to Las Vegas for Licensing Expo, the largest licensing show in the world. Numerous licensees and retailers from UK visit the show every year, and this year will see representatives from Toymaster attending the event for the first time.

Development manager Will Abigail told Toy World that part of his remit is to engage with licensing companies and tell them more about Toymaster and the benefits of working in partnership with the retailer: “Toymaster has 250 High Street windows across the UK, which provides licensing companies with

an excellent opportunity to highlight their latest properties. Our windows are already sold out for the rest of this year and the first four months of next year, but it’s important to look ahead and see which licensors and brands would be a good fit further down the line. We’re looking forward to meeting up with licensors in Las Vegas to hear more about their plans for 2017 and to discuss potential collaboration.”

Toy World will be present too, seeking out the latest hot properties which will be vying for attention over the next 12-18 months.

This year’s show runs for three days (21st – 23rd June), however presentations and meetings start on Monday 20th, the day before Licensing Expo officially opens. Next

Licensing World 30

year the show moves forward by a month, when it will take place from May 23rd – 25th.

The selection of properties over the next few pages will hopefully give you a flavour of what can be seen at the show, but from previous experience, a number of brand new licences are kept under wraps until the exhibition opens, and others will emerge as ‘ones to watch’ over the course of the week. So for an eye-witness report of what’s happening at Licensing Expo 2016, visit the Toy World website (www.toyworldmag.co.uk) from 10th June to read John Baulch’s daily Blog from the show. In the meantime, Toy World presents a round-up of some of the key licences of interest to the UK toy and kids’ licensing community....

FOR LICENSING QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT: EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA: Jason Rice Email: jason.rice@sega.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 4568

US, CANADA & LATIN AMERICA: Anoulay Tsai Email: anoulay.tsai@sega.com Tel: (747)400-2410, ext. 203

REST OF WORLD: Rika Shirai Email: rika.shirai@sega.com Tel: +81 3 6871 7122

www.sonicthehedgehog.com @sonic_hedgehog /sonic

© SEGA / Technicolor Animation Productions

S25A_TW_SP_240x315_APRIL2016.indd 1

09/05/2016 16:29

touchingbase

Showing off In this month’s edition of Touching Base, Jonika Kinchin speaks to companies attending the Las Vegas Licensing Expo to find out what they have in store for this year’s show.

Richard Hollis Dreamworks

DreamWorks Animation’s main focus for this licensing show is Trolls, which will be released in the UK on October 21st and looks to be a huge movie for us. We’ve got a full licensee list, dozens of products developed, strong retail listings and a heavyweight marketing campaign, so it is looking really exciting. The movie has an all-star cast, great songs and really cute characters, meaning this Autumn will be all about big hair.

For pre-schoolers we’ve just launched the new version of Noddy for television called Noddy, Toyland Detective, which recasts him as an investigator, helping solve everyday problems in a vibrant and colourful Toyland.

We’re also seeing big success from Dinotrux, our boy’s TV franchise that combines dinosaurs and monster trucks. It’s a very funny series with inventive animation and it has translated perfectly to toys, thanks to Mattel.

Our newest property is Voltron, a retro-styled sci-fi TV animation airing on Netflix this summer. Voltron: Legendary Defender, is a colossal robot warrior constructed from five separate robotic lions, piloted by teenagers. There is already a strong fan following for Voltron and the series is ideal for toys and collectibles.

The Vegas show is all about scale, when the world’s biggest licensors are going all-out to showcase their most dynamic properties in one place, it automatically creates an exciting, competitive and energetic atmosphere that is very inspiring. Attendance is good too, every year seems to see a stronger showing of top retailers, so it is a productive week for DreamWorks.

I think the diversity of entertainment platforms is a challenge. Every successful brand needs to be multilayered now. Just producing great TV or great movies isn’t enough – we have to be at the centre of consumers’ lives wherever they are. That means cutting through the competitive noise. Only the biggest and best brands are going to survive and it’s why we think in terms of franchises rather than just characters alone.

Trudi Hayward ITV

ITV will be highlighting key licences at the show, including Thunderbirds Are Go, Thunderbirds classic, Super4, Village People, Playmobil and new for Vegas this year will be Oddbods, Poldark, Combatabots, Newzoid and Village People Attendees from all around the world make the show such a success, from the licensee, retailer, to the Licensing Agent fraternity making it easy to cover off all discussions in one place with a global business.

The biggest challenges presented in the licensing community are the lack of retail space for new properties and the amount of TV properties competing against the noise around movie releases.

Matt Galante Pokemon

Pokémon is one of the world’s leading single brand licensors. With three main pillars, video games, trading card games and animation, the property continues to flourish with over 279 million video games sold worldwide and over 21.5 billion trading cards shipped to 74 countries in 11 languages. Pokémon is respected for its quality and attention to detail and the themes of collecting, battling and trading runs through every product, which translates well into licensing. Following a recent determined licensing expansion across Europe, the market development team is keen to share further details with current and potential new partners at BLE - particularly across secondary toy, apparel and accessories categories.

2016 is the brand’s 20th anniversary and we are launching a series of exciting activations including a brand new game Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon which feature a new world, new Pokémon and new adventures to discover. In addition, the highly anticipated Pokémon GO, will also launch later this year, a ground-breaking new mobile game that will allow fans to travel between the real world and the virtual world. We are really excited about opportunities linked to both of these releases.

What makes the show such a success is the number, strength and breadth of international visitors, which is great for the market development team. As we work across Europe, Licensing Expo gives us a chance to meet a large number of our key partners across a number of territories in a condensed period of time - which makes it a highly effective and productive few days.

Licensing World 32

Johanne Broadfield

Rikesh Desai

There will be lots of Powfactor at Vegas this year, as The Powerpuff Girls will be flying high. We will also be highlighting Ben 10 and Adventure Time. We will be launching new properties, however more will be revealed at the Cartoon Network summit.

The calibre of the exhibitors and visitors are the key to what makes this show a success for sure.

In terms of what challenges that the licensing community faces, keeping close to the end consumer and the pace of change are always at the front line. It’s a challenge – and an opportunity.

This year at Licensing Expo, we will be showcasing a range of strong diverse brands across all genres including drama, natural history, lifestyle and children’s. Our unique, captivating and exciting brands in Doctor Who, Sherlock, Top Gear; BBC Earth; Hey Duggee and Go Jetters offer opportunities to deliver products through global partnerships that appeal to a wide segment of audiences and propel our licensed brands into new territories.

This year we will introduce a fresh new children’s show with Go Jetters, expand Hey Duggee into new territories, release a new BBC Earth landmark taking audiences closer to our planet than ever before and Top Gear will be back with a brand new cast but with all the familiar fast cars, crazy stunts and high production values.

The show is an excellent opportunity to highlight the time and effort that goes into the programmes that we make. In regards to Go Jetters, the appeal of the show not only lies in its characters, vehicles, gadgets, clean bright animation or catchy theme tunes, but for me it captures the natural curiosity in children.

In regards to the challenges the licensing community face, personally I believe it’s how we continue to delight the fans through new and exciting partnerships. Fans expectations and market dynamics evolve so quickly, keeping up with this can be challenging, so with this in mind, it’s important we identify suitable partners that have a track record of delivering quality and are as passionate about our brands as we are. An example of this is our recent partnership with Fisher Price for Go Jetters, for me this sets the benchmark in terms of ambition in the way we bring content to our fans and how we continue to deliver innovation.

Cartoon Network

BBC

Mark Caplan

Sony Pictures Consumer Products We are excited to present our key initiatives for the next couple of years, starting with Ghostbusters on July 15th, 2016. Our programme is very comprehensive and encompasses adding over 45 new movie partners to the already extensive list of 100+ classic licensees. Also new on the horizon for our consumer products team is Dark Tower, based on Stephen King’s successful book franchise. Also new are the fully computer animated Smurfs: The Lost Village, which will arrive just in time for Easter, and the new currently untitled Emoji movie, hitting theatres in summer 2017.

Other Sony Pictures’ releases include Jumanji, and a new TV-animated show based on the successful Hotel Transylvania franchise. Rounding-it up is the classic portfolio featuring The Fifth Element, Easy Rider, and Talladega Nights, among others.

The Licensing Show is a tool for us to connect with our partners and retailers; especially our international partners whom we don’t get to see in person as often as we’d like. Simply being able to sit down and talk in person with a close partner that maybe we’ve never had a chance to meet face to face makes it a success for us. There’s nothing like doing business in person. Licensing people are smart, creative, passionate and driven people; many of whom have known each other for decades. I think you can talk with almost anyone in the licensing business and they’d agree, this business is so exciting and fun because of the people, so it is such a pleasure to be able to see them in person.

Entertainment licensing in particular has become a super competitive space with the number of properties increasing, while dedicated retail space is either flat or declining. Consumers also get to be more demanding and the value proposition is always evolving. The properties that are successful are the ones that are based on solid content, but can also deliver an engaging value proposition that also allows them to interact with the product or the brand.

Finally, I would say that technology is also a fastly evolving landscape. The millennial generation has been continuing to keep us on our toes. From apps and streaming entertainment to social media platforms that seem to emerge every day.

From Facebook and Twitter, to Instagram and Pinterest, and now onto Snapchat and Periscope. No one can really predict what’s next on the digital horizon, or how it will affect brands and entertainment, but for sure, no one wants to be left behind.

Marianne James Nickelodeon

All of our licences will be at Vegas but we are especially proud to be highlighting our pre-school properties. We currently have our widest range of pre-school properties, from Paw Patrol to Shimmer and Shine, to Blaze and the Monster Machines and everything in between. We’ll be revealing the new opportunities and themes around our more established properties as well as showcasing our new UK IP such as Lily’s Driftwood Bay and Digby Dragon.

There are no plans to launch any new properties at Vegas but we will be unveiling plans for our previously announced shows in production such as Rusty Rivets, as well as existing hit brands such as Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines and Shimmer and Shine. These properties are a priority for us and we ae excited to show licence partners how the brands are developing to remain front of mind with audiences.

Vegas really is a key appointment for licensors, licensees, retailers and promotional partners, and what makes the Expo a success is the number of people that attend. Coming to Vegas ensures that you’ll be meeting with all of your key partners and making new contacts, which is integral for our business and the industry as a whole.

Breaking through with new IP remains a challenge, especially with so many established movie brands in the market. The competition is good though; it encourages us to make the most of the brands we have and to work with partners on creative launch and sustain campaigns to get cut through.

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ITV Studios Global Entertainment Stand R226 020 7157 6163 | www.itvstudios.com/merchandise

ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) will return to Las Vegas hot on the heels of the US and Canadian launch of its TV series Thunderbirds Are Go. Thunderbirds Are Go is the highly acclaimed boys’ action adventure that launched in 2015, 51 years after Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic 1960s TV series first debuted on TV screens. The reinvention of the show spearheads a presentation slate that will also feature Classic Thunderbirds, Playmobil, Super 4, Village People, Poldark and Oddbods, and the company will also soon reveal new additions to its brand portfolio.

Thunderbirds Are Go is co-produced by ITVS GE and New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures in association with Weta Workshop. Since its UK broadcast premiere, the show has been watched by more than 2.5 million across the UK on ITV and CITV. The series has also achieved strong ratings in Australia, New Zealand, France, Middle East and the recent Amazon Prime launch in the US has exceeded expectations.

The company is making significant strides in expanding the global footprint of Thunderbirds Are Go, and has now sold the show to over 40 markets including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil and the Middle East.

The broadcast is supported by a comprehensive global licensing programme that has attracted over 75 licensees. ITVS GE is now gearing up to the launch of the second series of Thunderbirds Are Go that will roll-out from Q4, and the show has been greenlit for a third season. The licensor will be presenting licensing opportunities to new and existing partners for these next instalments at the show.

The firm is celebrating success as a full service licensing agent for a diverse line-up of third party brands. The licensor’s most recent achievements include a recent UK launch of Playmobil’s Super 4 toy range and the signing of a number of partners for Oddbods.

ITVS GE is one of few licensors that can offer a strong broadcast platform, in addition to content production, consumer products management, brand support and distribution.

Bulldog Licensing

Stand E214 02083 255 455 | www.bulldog-licensing.com Shopkins, represented by Bulldog Licensing, currently has more than 40 licensees on board, across a wide range of categories. These include Flair, Aykroyds TDP, Blueprint, Bonnier, Character World, Gemma International, H&A, Icon Live, Kinnerton, Lightbody Ventures, MV Sports, Sambro, Spearmark, Topps, VMC and Winning Moves.

This property is expanding rapidly, becoming the number two toy brand in the UK in March according to NPD figures. The Shopkins two pack was the number one best-selling toy by value, and new fashion doll Shoppies was in at number 11. Online content, including webisodes and fan videos, boasts over one billion views to date. On top of this, licensed lines ranging from stationery, clothing and homewares are topping sales charts around the world.

This rapid ascent is set to continue, with Flair promoting the toys heavily on TV. In addition, Bulldog works closely with retailers and has a number of cross-category and category promotions planned throughout 2016 and beyond.

With each season outperforming its predecessor, and new content and product lines on the way, Shopkins is currently one of the most exciting opportunities for potential partners and retailers.

Another hot property is Yo-Kai Watch, managed by VIZ Media Europe and represented in the UK by Bulldog Licensing. The hit anime series has already enjoyed huge success in Japan, where it dominates the television, merchandise, gaming and toy markets, generating retail sales of over €2bn 2bn in less than two years.

Cartoon Network currently broadcasts the show on weekend mornings and evenings, supporting it with trailers and bumper competitions on its website. Marketing campaigns from Cartoon Network, Nintendo and Hasbro all launched this year, providing exposure across TV, kids and gaming press, digital and beyond.

Hasbro, Nintendo, Centum, Panini and Egmont have already signed up for the licensing programme, with several deals yet to be announced. Best in class partners are set to launch product this year and next, and talks are also ongoing with potential partners in food, puzzles, craft and activity and accessories.

Garfield is responsible for book sales in excess of 135 million copies to date, two feature-length liveaction films, and three CGI animated movies, as well as thousands of lines of licensed merchandise.

Current licensees include Five Mile Press (publishing and puzzles), Sambro (bags and stationery), Smiffys (dress up) and Wicked Cool (toys).

EA is one of the biggest games companies in the world and is behind major franchises including Battlefield, Need for Speed and Sims.

Angry Birds has nearly 26 million Facebook followers, whilst the cartoon series boasts two billion YouTube views and five billion views through the Toons TV site. The Angry Birds movie, released in May, will boost the brand’s profile even further. The various games in the franchise have been downloaded over three billion times in total making Angry Birds a massive property with a reach across the generations.

Licensing World 38

Pokémon

Sega

On 27th February, Pokémon celebrated its 20th anniversary with a host of events, announcements and new product launches.

Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow were relaunched on the Virtual Console for systems in the Nintendo 3DS family.

Meanwhile, the Pokémon Trading Card Game: XY—BREAKpoint expansion launched in North America and Europe, and Pokémon TCG: Generations is being released in special products throughout the year.

In February, Pokémon aired a Super Bowl commercial which has now been enjoyed by over 24 million fans. On 26th February, the next generation of Pokémon video games were announced, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, which are coming out for systems in the Nintendo 3DS family later this year.

A tent-pole retail program kicked off in February and will run throughout the remainder of the year. Each monthly release focuses on one Mythical Pokémon from throughout the history of the series. At the start of the initiative, Pokémon Mew could be found at Game stores in the UK and Spain, Micromania in France, and GameStop in Germany and Italy. This included a giveaway of the character for Pokémon video game players, plus Mew-themed TCG products and toys from Tomy.

The 19th season of Pokémon animation, Pokémon the Series: XYZ, is now being televised across Europe, and the Pokémon TV app has recently been updated.

Another highlight is the upcoming release of Pokémon Go, the mobile game coming to iPhone and Android later this year.

Celebrating the brand’s 25th anniversary this year, Sega will showcase its rapidly evolving franchise Sonic the Hedgehog alongside its catalogue of retro brands from the Genesis/Mega Drive era.

With the hit CG TV comedy action show Sonic Boom, continuing its worldwide roll-out this year, momentum is set to grow.

Sega is looking to continue to build on its existing portfolio of partners, anchored by master toy partner Tomy. In the US, Sonic is running across various product categories with leading partners including Concept One, Bioworld, Han Cholo, Vandor and many others. Already strong in the UK with apparel, toys and gift, Sega is now looking to emulate this success across other European markets. The company is also actively cultivating opportunities in the Latin American markets.

The Sonic brand also celebrates its milestone birthday this year with the ultimate fan event during San Diego Comic Con and a range of consumer activations. In addition to this, the classic Sonic licensing programme continues to grow for consumer products for both adults and children, with a multitude of new partners recently on board from adult streetwear, premium collectible toys, to mass market prints.

In addition to Sonic, Sega will also be showcasing games from the Genesis/Mega Drive console. The collection includes fan favourites such as Golden Axe, Altered Beast and Streets of Rage.

Stand G188 020 7381 7000 | www.pokemon.com/uk

Stand F188 020 8995 3399 | www.sega.com

DreamWorks Animation Stand U200 818 695 3517 | www.dreamworksanimation.com

Continuing its evolution into a global branded entertainment company, DreamWorks Animation will arrive at Las Vegas with a vast franchise portfolio of new and classic properties for film, television and digital platforms.

Led by a global network of veteran consumer products executives, the company is poised for an unprecedented run at retail for years to come. Highlighting the roster is Trolls, the upcoming feature film poised to be the company’s biggest and most expansive consumer products effort to date.

Additional highlighted theatrical releases are 2017’s The Boss Baby and Captain Underpants. On the television side, DreamWorks Animation will continue to support its ground-breaking slate with support at retail for Dinotrux, as well as two upcoming series, Voltron and Trollhunters.

DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon franchise is also going from strength to strength with the hit television series, Dragons: Race to the Edge. DreamWorks Classics will also be highlighted, led by Noddy.

In the digital space, AwesomenessTV, the multi-platform media company, continues to captivate an enormous audience with short and long form content, led by an ever-expanding roster of talent including more than 90,000 content creators.

Shopkins a small ch re the super cut e, fun, aracters that live in a BIG shopping world #1 girls' collectib le THE UK M AND #2 BRAND IN ARKET OV ERALL Over 240 million S hopkins sold wor ldwide SHOPPIES IS Fashion D THE Top selling oll in th e UK* Shopkins 2-pack is total ma #1 by value in rket* cross-ca tegory licensing programm e with ove r 40 licensees

Š2013 Moose. All rights reserved.

www.bulldog-licensing.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 8325 5455 Email: info@bulldog-licensing.com

*MARCH NPD

BBC Worldwide

Stand 0192 Jason.easy@bbc.com | www.bbcworldwide.com BBC’s Doctor Who first premiered in 1963 and has since become a global phenomenon. Key products for the brand include the Twelfth Doctor’s Second Sonic Screwdriver. This new toy is a recreation of the Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver, which debuted in the season nine episode, Hell Bent. This is the first Sonic Screwdriver toy to have four light modes and four sound effects.

Launched on CBeebies in October last year, Go Jetters is a comedy adventure series weaving accessible geography concepts into engaging and child-relatable stories. The series is packed with comedy, teamwork, action and facts about new places. Geographical features and concepts will drive and inspire the plot, dialogue, and scenes. The series was an instant hit for the channel, consistently winning its time slot amongst all multi-channel broadcasters in the UK, with over 7 million views on BBC iPlayer. The first toys from Fisher-Price, the global master toy licensee, will launch summer 2016, alongside publishing from Penguin, magazines from Immediate Media and puzzles and games from Ravensburger.

BBC and Hartswood Productions’ Sherlock is a global phenomenon, engaging audiences from all over the world. The show has been sold to over 240 territories worldwide, won seven Emmys, 12 BAFTAS, and a prestigious Peabody Award as well as accolades at the Edinburgh TV Festival and the Television Critics Association. Key lines include vinyl figures, bobbleheads, and keychains from Funko and Funko Playmobil, with vinyl figures from Titan.

Hey Duggee, due to air in the summer on Nickelodeon in the US, has been a huge hit in the UK and regularly attracts more than 22 million views on BBC iPlayer. The brand has signed multiple licence partnerships with master toy partner Golden Bear, and Penguin under the Ladybird brand.

In 2015, BBC Worldwide and Scary Beasties also launched the first Hey Duggee pre-school app which rocketed to number one in the kids’ app chart. The official game Hey Duggee: The Big Badge and Hey Duggee: The Tinsel Badge has been downloaded over 150,000 times.

Sony Pictures Consumer Products Stand 0214 + w818 839 1461 | www.sonypictures.com

This July, Ghostbusters makes its return with a cast of new characters, 30 years after the original franchise.

The Ghostbusters logo remains one of the most recognisable elements of this franchise, followed by Slimer, the Ecto 1 and the Proton Packs. All these elements are part of an extensive merchandise programme set to appeal to a new generation of fans.

The movie’s licensing programme features over 45 partners across all major licensing categories, including digital and gaming, toys, apparel, fashion accessories, publishing and collectibles. These categories include a roster with Mattel for action figures, die-cast vehicles, playsets, and role-play toys; Lego for construction sets; Funko for Pop Vinyl figures, Underground Toys for plush, computer accessories and housewares; Fab Starpoint for backpacks, totes, messengers and lunch bags, amongst others.

Master toy partner Mattel’s line includes action figures, vehicles, playsets and role play toys that capture details of the film’s heroes. The new proton pack, board game and blasters make great gifts for fans of all ages.

New friends from Ghostbusters will also be arriving at Build-A-Bear Workshops and at buildabear.com from late June.

Also on the horizon for Sony is Dark Tower, based on Stephen King’s bookfranchise; Smurfs: The Lost Village, and the new Emoji movie, hitting theatres in summer 2017. Other releases include Underworld: Blood Wars, and a new television series based on the Hotel Transylvania franchise. Rounding it out is the classic portfolio featuring Ghostbusters Classics, The Fifth Element, Easy Rider and Talladega Nights.

Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products Stand 0180 0203 580 3016 | www.nick.co.uk

All of Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products’ (NCVP) properties will be at Licensing Expo this year, with special emphasis on pre-school brands. Following the success of Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines has launched, with the toy line performing strongly and other categories set to roll-out across the year.

Shimmer and Shine will be a focus for the UK team as Nickelodeon takes potential partners through the season two plans of the newest Nick Jr. hit. The series debuted in the UK in November, and the master toy line from FisherPrice will launch in shops with licence partners being lined up for other categories. The themes of magic and imagination and the strong visuals of the series make it perfect for creative campaigns at retail. Overall, the property provides a perfect counterpoint to Blaze and The Monster Machines, Half-Shell Heroes and Paw Patrol. Shimmer and Shine rounds out NCVP’s pre-school offering, ensuring there is a property suitable for every child.

The NCVP team will also be showcasing the new UK-originated properties, Lily’s Driftwood Bay and Digby Dragon. Lily has proven to be a huge success with audiences and critics alike, and its animation style makes it ideal for pre-school products. Series two of Lily’s Driftwood Bay will premiere across the summer with a couple of special guest stars set to garner significant press attention. Digby Dragon is a series launching on 4th July with a 360 marketing and PR campaign.

Licensing World 42

Visit us at

BOOTH

B196

© 2010 – 2016 Outfit7 Limited. All Rights Reserved.

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TT & F Licensing Company LIMITED, talkingfriends.com For licensing opportunities, please contact: info@ttflicensing.com

26. 05. 2016 08:13:51

Turner Broadcasting Stand D170 020 7693 1000 | www.turner.com

Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Network returns to Licensing Expo with a colourful portfolio of brands that are setting the trend for original and funny licensed properties. Hot on the heels of a global launch, the major revival of The Powerpuff Girls will spearhead the line-up alongside a fresh take on Ben 10 that will re-introduce the energetic 10-year-old to a new generation of fans.

Adventure Time will also feature on the presentation slate alongside multi award-winning family sitcom The Amazing World of Gumball, new animated show We Bare Bears and new digital-first Mighty Magiswords.

Cartoon Network prides itself on placing its fans at the centre and connecting with them through humour and heart. The channel’s shows offer licensees and retailers an opportunity to connect with their young audiences, whilst also forming a committed long-term connection with the entire family.

Topps Europe

Stand D74 01908 800 100 | www.topps.com Topps will be exhibiting its extensive range of licences at this year’s Licensing Expo, where it will announce a number of new licensing agreements. Visitors to the booth will be the first to hear about new brands that will be launching across both sticker and trading cards later this year.

The company’s 2016 launch calendar has something for everyone, and its latest brands fit in with a strong entertainment portfolio that already includes Shopkins, WWE, Marvel and Star Wars.

Topps will be showcasing its English Premier League, Bundesliga, MLS and UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League ranges. Last season the company partnered with over 70 stars of European football including Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller, Eden Hazard of Chelsea, Luis Suarez of Barcelona, Ruud Gullit, Roberto Carlos and Oliver Kahn, to bring collectibles to fans around the world.

With an extensive range of both stickers and trading cards, including Match Attax, based on the leading global football brands, there are business opportunities for retailers, distributors and promotional partners in all markets.

Outfit7

Stand B196 + 386 3099 8224 | www.outfit7.com Talking Tom and Friends is coming to Licensing Expo this year. After racking up 3.6 billion app downloads, reaching out to 250 million active monthly users hailing from more than 230 different countries and territories, Outfit7 has announced that Talking Tom and Friends is now ready to take over TV on Cartoon Network in the UK, Asia and Pacific.

It‘s a new milestone for the brand, which has already become a YouTube sensation with over 470 million views of animated series.

Talking Tom and Friends is expanding rapidly with an array of new licensing deals. Chen Co., Klaus Herding, A&A Toys Co., Ljubljanske mlekarne (Lactalis Group), YBM Japan, Dema-Stil, MOS Servis d.o.o. and Startrade Italia ensure a steady stream of new Talking Tom and Friends products on markets all around the world. These range from sportswear, pillow cases, pajamas, bathrobes and windows curtains to plastic toys, golf accesories, notebooks, pencil cases, table top games, ice creams and many more.

From July 27th, fans can find Talking Tom and Friends in McDonald‘s Happy Meals in Latin America, and in North America from 30th August. Outfit7 has also announced that the new app, Talking Tom Gold Run, is coming out this July.

NEW! SUPERSIZE THUNDERBIRD 3 WITH SMOKE TECHNOLOGY

AROUND THE WORLD SUMMER 2016...

On air in 40+ territories Launching merchandise in 13 territories in 2016 / Early 17 Thunderbirds Are Go app launch with Miniclip Amazon Prime US launched April 2016

RADIO CONTROL THUNDERBIRD 2

SERIES 3 in production for 2017

2016 EXTENDED TOY RANGE 7 - 14 NEW SKUS

BLAST UP TO 10M HIGH!

For licensing opportunities please contact global.kids@ITV.com Visit us at Vegas LIE - Stand R226

touchingbase

Viva Las Vegas Toy World spoke to a selection of toy licensees who will be heading to Las Vegas to find out what they think of the show and to get their thoughts on the current state of play in the licensing world

Andrew Barrett VTech Electronics Europe

The Licensing Expo is a great place and time of year for us to consider our future licensing plans and directions.

As a truly global licensing exhibition, it gives me the opportunity to team up with my USA colleagues and do the show together. We plan in advance and prioritise our time so we can squeeze in as many meetings and presentations as possible. It’s a very valuable week to concentrate our minds on our licensed toy business.

Licences that are performing well for us this year include Frozen and Peppa Pig, which both had a great year last year and have continued so far this year in the same way.

We are excited about Teletubbies and Paw Patrol, especially for the back end of the year, as they are hot properties and hit our target market for toddlers and pre-schoolers respectively. We are continuing to develop new products for these properties for next year as well, as we see these products staying in the market for some years to come.

VTech covers a product age spectrum from birth to children of 6+ years. This gives us the scope to do a variety of licences from infant through pre-school to 6 - 10 years.

Given the large number of strong licences available this is a positive, as it gives us the opportunity to segment our range and product types with licences which are spot on for that age of child.

The main challenge we face with so many licences available, is trying to spot the top licences in each age category relevant to our product, which will hopefully work across borders on the European stage as well as globally.

Lucy Wynn-Jones Worlds Apart

As a licensee, the Licensing Expo is important to us. I think it is fair to say that we do not see anything we are not aware of, but it reinforces that we are backing the right things. In terms of licences that are performing well for us so far this year, Paw Patrol continues to go from strength to strength, in UK and Europe. My Little Pony is our rising star, and we continue to do well across the Disney portfolio. The brands we are excited about this year include Teletubbies, as the response from retail seems to be very strong. Whilst our portfolio is broad, we are still selective in which licences to sign, ensuring they add something to our range, allow for differentiation at retail and fit our core strengths.

The biggest challenge facing us as a licensee is probably Star Wars, as sell through continues to be slower than sell in. We are confident that this will pick up with the amazing amount of content in the pipeline, and the support from Disney.

Nikki Samuels Sambro

We always attend Licensing Expo as it’s a great place to not only meet potential new licensors but also for catching up with people who we already work with. As well as meeting our licensors it’s good for us to meet other licensees working worldwide to share knowledge. Expo is always on such a large scale and it’s great to also explore other licensing sectors, as we are always looking to extend the categories we create product for.

We have some brilliant licensed ranges for 2016 including products on the back of film releases including Finding Dory which has been really well received. Paw Patrol continues to be a huge success for us and we have added some really innovative products.

The much-anticipated Trolls animation from Dreamworks is due out at the beginning of November and we expect this to perform really well. However, during Q4 all of our licensed ranges do consistently well as they are at such varied price points which suit the consumer spending habits during that period.

Having a broad portfolio of licensed products presents challenges in that we always need to keep our ranges fresh and unique. As we have been doing this for many years now though, we have been able to develop our own tooling so that we can replicate successful lines. We have also extended our design department who work closely with our HK office. This means we can create and develop lines extremely quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.

As a licensee we always have to keep in mind our end consumer and kids are a sophisticated bunch who won’t be satisfied with a product simply because it has a character licence. Therefore we have to make sure that we up our game year on year to come up with products that not only excite our licensors but ultimately the audience.

Licensing World 46

licensingworld Alison Downie

Phil Ratcliffe

HTI

MV Sports & Leisure Limited Apart from being able to meet with all the major licensors in one place over a short period, the show is important as you get content updates on global licences earlier in the U.S. Many of the bigger licensors also hold separate summits which are also a good source of additional information on properties which are already licensed and new properties which are of interest.

So far this year, Shopkins Paw Patrol and Finding Dory are all new properties which have sold in well. Toward the back end of the year, I’m excited about the next Star Wars movie and the impact that it will have on core Star Wars sales. Also Trolls is attracting a lot of interest for the end of 2016.

Having a broad range of licensed products does present challenges, however I think it is important to have a broad portfolio across classics and hot properties as it makes FOB container consolidation easier for our customers and indeed ourselves when stocking product in the U.K. Grey imports are an issue for us at the moment, and some companies are flagrant repeat offenders to which some licensors turn a blind eye.

In addition, higher royalty rates are increasingly a big issue in today’s competitive market where prices are being driven down and margins squeezed.

The Vegas Licensing Expo is extremely important to HTI. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet with all major licensors in one place to find out about new up-and-coming licences. It’s also a chance for the licensors to re-present licenses to us where master toy partners have already been confirmed and there may be initial sales reads to indicate the market strength of demand for the brand. This allows us to review our portfolio and identify the best opportunities to sign new licenses across our key categories.

The My Little Pony brand is performing fantastically well. With a multi-territory licence partnership with Hasbro for role-play sets, HTI has introduced several exciting new My Little Pony lines into its toys range for 2016.

JCB also continues as a strong performing global brand within HTI’s portfolio.

Looking ahead, we are really excited about Teletubbies. HTI is launching a range of roleplay and musical toys internationally for autumn/winter 2016.

We’re also expecting success with our new Blaze and the Monster Machines range, which includes wheeled and musical toys as well as battery operated bubble toys.

Our broad selection of licences gives HTI the opportunity to offer retailers the licence brands that work best for their customer demographics and supports the partnerships that certain nationals have with particular licensors.

The biggest challenge facing HTI as a licensee is ensuring that we support the licensors’ brand strategies whilst also satisfying the full spectrum of our retailer customer base. Through strategic channel management and targeted product development, we aim to achieve a relevant depth of distribution to maximise the longevity of the licences within our portfolio.

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

Toy World is on the move From 1st June our new office address is 61 Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7DZ Please note that our accounts address will not change (6 New Road, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Herts, WD3 3EL) Our direct dial phone numbers will also stay the same John Baulch - 01442 502408 Mark Austin - 01442 502405 Clarabel Jones/ Jonika Kinchin - 01442 502406 Licensing World 48

licensingworld

Character Licensed Merchandise Over the following pages, Toy World presents a selection of the latest character licensed products which will be hitting the toy market over the coming weeks

H. Grossman

01416 132 525 | www.ozbozz.com H. Grossman is introducing a whole host of merchandise from the Ghostbusters movie, which will be released in the UK this July. As a brand, Ghostbusters has a high recognition factor, and the new movie will introduce the famous “Who you gonna call?” tag to a new generation of fans. London’s Toy Fair saw the company introduce a comprehensive line-up of scooters, skateboards, pogos, helmets, bikes and a range of pocket money items from whoopee cushions to wobblers. Alongside this, the company has also introduced Slime, complete with collectible figurines immersed in the goo.

Another winner for 2016 is The Secret Life of Pets and Grossman has the licence for wheeled goods and pocket money toys, with a full selection from scooters to sand sets on offer.

Gibsons

020 8661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk

Just Play

Gibsons’ Mr Men Iconic Brands Collection includes two jigsaw puzzles in gift packaging with characters from the stories. The Mr Grumpy and Little Miss Sunshine gift tins both contain a 250-piece puzzle.

The company also has two Sherlock-themed games: 221B Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes the Card Game. A best-seller for the company, 221B Baker Street is a board game with a new story to be told each time the game is played.

Packaged in a luxury compact box with silver foil finish, Sherlock Holmes the Card Game is ideal for the gift market.

0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar premiered with success in February and was followed by the Lion Guard series, which launched in April. Launching next month, GP Flair’s Just Play division is excited about the buzz it has already received for its range.

The Lion Guard characters can be collected in a variety of ways, with foil bag minis and collectible figures and accessories which are compatible with the hero product, the Defend the Pride Lands Playset. A range of talking plush and feature plush will add to this collection, including the Leap n’ Roar Lion Animated Plush. Just Play will support the range with a heavyweight marketing campaign.

Just Play also has a collection to inspire a new generation of Trolls fans, and its Kate and Mim-Mim master toy collection will launch this autumn.

Posh Paws

01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Posh Paws’ character licensed ranges span across categories, from plush toys to backpacks and accessories. Whilst the company has lots of brands to shout about, there are two major movie brands that are just around the corner.

Finding Dory is out this summer and Posh Paws will have a full line-up of Finding Dory plush characters available in a variety of sizes.

For The Secret Life of Pets, Posh Paws has created a range of back to school bags and novelty plush bags that feature key characters from the film including Max, Gidget, Duke, Snowball and Mel.

Licensing World 50

licensingworld Golden Bear

01952 608308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Following the success of Golden Bear’s Run-along Fun Sounds Twirlywoos, Dance-along Peekaboo will join the range this autumn. Interactive Musical Chickedy and Chick are also new.

The In the Night Garden range continues to grow with new products including the Musical Activity Pinky Ponk, which offers a whole host of features. My Best Friend Igglepiggle features lullabies and glowing lights, as well as stories. Also joining the portfolio is the Musical Makka Pakka with Light Up Friends which features a glowing light-up tummy. The Igglepiggle character will also feature in the new Sleep Tight All Night range, launching in July.

Duggee Talking Soft Toy and a small sized Duggee and Enid the Cat launched this spring, and the Woof Woof Duggee Soft Toy continues to be popular.

The Mr. Tumble Something Special brand is being refreshed this autumn with a new look for Mr. Tumble. A refreshed Talking Soft Toy will sit alongside a new Mr. Tumble with Lights and Sounds, a Mr. Tumble with Fun Tumble Tapp, plus a Fun Sounds Musical Car, which includes a Mr. Tumble figurine, four Makaton Cards and interactive features.

Also new is Justin’s House Playset which includes two figurines: Justin and Robert the Robot.

Golden Bear’s pre-school construction range, My First JCB, will see the addition of Stacking Stanley Mega Truck this autumn. Measuring 44cm, the truck features five shape-sorting stacking blocks and a manual tipper.

Oddbods’ characters will appear in stores this July. The range will feature the show’s characters as collectibles, vehicles and plush.

Character Options

0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.com The autumn roll-out of Character’s new Classic Peppa range reflects instantly recognisable elements from the show.

Peppa’s House & Garden Playset includes figures, furniture and accessories for imaginative play. Other favourites include Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat, Miss Rabbit’s Train, the free-wheeling Air Peppa’s Jet with new moulding, plus many more. Classic playsets such as Outdoor Fun and Peppa’s Party will also be available.

Another addition to the Classic range is the 2016 Princess & Sir George range which is back to delight a new generation of fans. The hero of the collection will be Princess Peppa’s Palace, and also new are Peppa’s Rose Tower and Princess Peppa’s Carriage.

The line-up of Peppa Pig Plush is also to be extended.

Released in autumn, the Laugh with Peppa animatronic feature plush is set to be the star of the show.

GP Flair

0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows will be released in cinemas on 3rd June, with special previews from 30th May. To celebrate, fans can collect Flair’s new movie-based figures, including Bebop and Rocksteady. Also included is a figure assortment, plus a Deluxe series of figures which come with additional features, sounds and battling actions. The Super Deluxe figures come with multiple points of articulation and stand approximately 28cm tall.

The Half-Shell Heroes range saw the addition of a Turtles and Dinosaur theme earlier this year. Blast to the Past was a TV special that aired on Nick Toons in January, and young fans can now collect all their favourite characters from the show with a twin pack of figures and dinosaurs.

Also set for release this autumn is the 26” tall Headquarters Playset which comes with Raph and Bebop figures.

Dreamtex

0844 499 8465 | www.dreamtexltd.com Dreamtex has recently launched its new Ghostbusters Home Textile collection in time for the movie launch on 15th July. The range includes bedding, cushions, fleece blankets, towels and washmitts.

Strong sales are expected for the long awaited return of the beloved franchise, especially the Glow in the Dark version of the signature design single duvet cover, which highlights the classic logo.

The company’s WWE collection continues to impress with new designs including the Legends range, which features 15 of the biggest names in WWE history. The bedding is available in singles and doubles. There are also big expectations for the new WWE gaming chair and John Cena poncho towel this autumn/winter, whilst the foam hand-shaped cushion is already proving to be popular with retail buyers.

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©Disney/Pixar Visit the Finding Dory website at www.FindingDory.com

licensingworld DKL

01604 678 780 | www.dkl.co.uk Distributed by DKL, Scento Scented Stationery has recently launched a collection of licensed Disney lines.

New for 2016 is the Finding Dory range, which includes Smencils, Smens, Smarkers and more.

Disney’s Tsum Tsum Smencils CDU holds 24 gift tubes, each with three Smencils included. Tsum Tsum Smencils are also available in a CDU of 18 packs or as five packs. Tsum Tsum licensed Gel Crayons and Smens complete the range. The licence also includes the new Scentco Squeezables, a set of six collectible Disney characters which release a scent when squeezed.

Disney Frozen’s scented stationery range includes Smencils, Smens, Smarkers and Gel Crayons, and the FSDU allows retailers to merchandise different lines from across the collection.

The Disney Princess range offers five different princesses and scents to collect.

Each scent from across the Disney range lasts two years and is released from recycled newspapers.

DKL also offers Disney Hama ranges, including Disney Frozen, Disney Cars and Disney Princess.

The company supports both ranges with a full marketing campaign, including in-store events, social media, PR and planograms.

Jumbo Games

01707 289 289 | www.jumbo.eu Jumbo’s range of Finding Dory puzzles and games includes seven puzzles and a bath game. The range comprises a variety of the company’s most popular formats, such as the 4-in-1 Shaped Bath Puzzles and the Bath Memo Game. Also available is a 4-in-1 Shaped, 4-in-1 Bumper and traditional 4-in-1 Puzzle Sets, an Assortment, Giant Floor Puzzle and 100XL Puzzle.

This month Jumbo will also release two new products in its Peppa Pig portfolio. Its new Hero line, Peppa Pig Party Time Race Game, is an adaptation of the classic Snakes and Ladders format, with a wider and more interactive gameplay.

Also new is the Peppa Pig Puzzle & Build jigsaw puzzle. Children can complete the 2D puzzle and then turn it over to find shaped puzzle pieces which can be used to construct a 3D model of Daddy Pig’s Car.

Marbel

0845 6000 286 | www.marbel.co.uk Licenced figurine manufacturer Bullyand has released a new range of collectible Finding Dory characters to coincide with the film release in June. These characters are all hand painted and are made from PVC-free material. Also available under the licence is a four character gift set, a two character twin pack and a 24-piece assortment POS set.

Bullyand has won numerous awards for excellence in its design and quality over the years, including the German Spiel Gut certificate.

There are hundreds of other popular character figurines in the range such as The Good Dinosaur, Frozen, Cinderella, Snow White, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Lion King and Zootropolis.

Autumn/winter 2016 will also see the launch of characters from the new Disney Junior Lion Guard, Disney Fairies and Disney Moana movies.

JNH Europe

01617 371 881 | www.jnheurope.com JNH Europe has a wide range of products featuring everyone’s favourite Angry Birds characters.

The range comprises bedroom products, playroom and outdoor furniture, including beds, table and chairs sets, moon chairs, gazebos, tents, folding chairs, practical shelving units and drawers, pull-along toy boxes, coat and bag stands, work desks, storage benches, upholstered chairs and more.

At the top of the favourites list is the pull-out sofa.

All of these products feature the company’s existing licences including Disney Frozen, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Princess, Cars, Avengers, Spiderman, Doc McStuffins, Winnie the Pooh, Sofia the first, Star Wars and more.

JNH’s products are easy to clean and are made with durable materials. All furniture pieces are easy to assemble, with clear instructions, and are designed with special care for children’s safety and comfort.

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Over 50 million dynamic books and gifts created every year featuring favourite licensed character brands

PAW PATROL Fastest Growing Preschool License of 2015

MARVEL

FROZEN

Innovative book and gift formats driven by popular licenses to complement toy strategies

Visit www.parragon.com | Tel: +44 (0)1225478888 | Email: uk_info@parragon.com Connect with us @parragonbooks

licensingworld HTi

01253 775 684 | www.htigroup.co.uk HTi offers character shaped cases featuring Captain America, Iron Man, Spiderman, Disney Princess Belle, Frozen’s Elsa and Minnie Mouse. Character cases are also available with Thomas & Friends, Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, Ben & Holly and Minions. Each case contains novelty toys and accessories.

HTi provides a selection of licensed pocket money toy and bubble ranges including Disney Princess, Frozen, Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends, Spiderman, Avengers, Star Wars and Finding Dory, as well as Blaze and Paw Patrol battery-operated bubbles.

The company has launched its Teletubbies role-play and musical instrument toys, including a My First Kitchen and Tea Set, a guitar, xylophone and keyboard. The Peppa Pig House Kitchen comes complete with a fridge, cooker, flipping pancake pan, toaster with pop-up toast and a clock.

The company’s My Little Pony range includes the new Tea Pot Palace.

New wheeled ranges feature character licences such as Bing, Blaze, Twirlywoos, Care Bears, Disney Descendants, Frozen, Fairies, Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Minnie Mouse, with dolls prams with Disney Princess, Frozen, Minnie Mouse and Sophia the First.

Enesco

Pretend to Bee

With millions of fans on social media, including over 9.2 million Facebook likes, 108,000 followers on Twitter and 160,000 followers on Instagram, Pusheen the cat is the star of its own successful animated web comic series.

As the only official licensee of Pusheen soft toys, Gund uses its vast experience in creating high quality toys to bring fans a product range of accessories, back pack clips and characters.

New for June 2016, and expanding the theme of previous launches, Pusheen can now be seen licking the whipped cream off the top of her hot chocolate while wearing a festive Santa hat. Christmas is celebrated further with a Pusheen peeping out of a fluffy green Christmas wreath, complete with red pom-pom baubles.

Pretend to Bee is renowned for producing children’s dress-up costumes of the highest quality, and its licensed portfolio reflects this attention to detail.

Thunderbirds are Go continues to be a hit, and the company’s dress-up collection has been extended to include two new characters: Alan and Virgil. The new characters join Scott Tracy, and each includes a soundchip featuring the famous blast off sequence.

The Natural History Museum collection features realistic T-Rex, Steggy and Triceratops costumes.

Made from 100% polyester plush, the all-in-one suits comprise a lifelike character hood and embossed scaly skin. Each costume also comes with fun facts about each breed.

The licensed collection from Pretend to Bee also includes CloudBabies. Each character in the range comes with their own individual accessory.

01228 404 022 | www.enesco.co.uk

0115 921 5690 | www.pretendtobee.com

Mattel

01628 500 111 | www.mattel.com Series one of Bob the Builder continues to enjoy TV ratings success on Channel 5’s Milkshake and Cartoonito, as the brand prepares for the launch of its Fisher-Price and Smoby toy and role-play lines this summer. In addition, a second series of new content is also set for launch in July, and production continues for the upcoming special for 2017, Bob the Builder: Mega Machines – The Movie.

The new Fisher-Price range includes vehicles from Diecast and Talking Friends to the fully interactive RC Super Scoop that features movement, motorised digging action and theme song sounds. The range also includes the 17-piece Bob’s Ultimate Toolbox for role-play fun, and the Mash & Mould Sand Playset, featuring Bob and Wendy figures and kinetic sand.

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licensingworld Trends UK

01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk

Schleich

01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com Schleich has introduced new figures from the new Batman V Superman film. Further characters have also been added to the Justice League collection.

Film versions of Batman and Superman became available in a scenery pack in January, along with single figurine packs of Batman and Wonder Woman. Fans can also add classic versions of Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg to their collections.

January saw the introduction of Batman vs Harley Quinn, and Batman vs Bane and Superman vs Lex Luthor Scenery Packs will be available in July.

The DC Comics collection will be supported by a full marketing and PR campaign for 2016.

Trends UK is launching a new range of Peppa Pig electronic learning toys featuring the characters from the successful Peppa Pig TV series. The range is designed to help pre-schoolers develop early learning skills including understanding colours, phonetics and numeracy through interactive play features.

The hero item is the TV line, Peppa’s Alphaphonics Campervan, plus a Flip & Learn Phone, a Singalong & Learn Microphone and a laptop are also available.

Available from summer 2016, Trends will support the launch of the new Peppa Pig electronic learning range with strong marketing campaigns, including TV advertising and a wide range of PR and social media activities targeting parents of pre-schoolers.

Access All Areas 01355 228 028 | www.accessallareasmusic.com

Access All Areas’ character licensed musical products are proving to be a sell-out success for gift and toy retailers. With a strong range of licences, including deals with Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers and eOne, key character brands are the driving force behind strong sales figures.

The company’s Peppa Pig Fun to Learn ukulele is continuing to sell well. With maracas, egg shakers and tambourines, retailers can also benefit from the company’s profitable pocket money products that are easy to integrate into existing Peppa Pig selections.

Batman is another key licence for Access All Areas, with the launch of the new Batman Rooftops ukulele. A Batman guitar will also be launching in autumn/winter, adding the company’s most requested product option to a sell-out character range.

There are also accessories such as Batman plectrum sets and guitar straps which offer retailers the chance to add more character lines. Access All Areas’ Adventure Time guitar plectrum sets are a further option.

Listening to retailer feedback, Access All Areas will continue to expand its offering, adding new licences to its portfolio.

Re:creation

0118 973 6222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk Re:creation is set to launch the Paw Patrol Inkredibles Activity Set, featuring two puzzles and colouring books with a range of proprietary ink effects. The sets come with marker pens, magic ink pens and a double-sided write and wipe board. Also in the line-up is the Thomas & Friends Inkredibles Activity Set. The Minions added their touch to Re:creation’s special edition Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory kit in 2015, and the licence is continuing to prove its strength. Also in the brand’s line-up for the second half is the My Little Pony Make-a-Bar kit. Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory Kits contain templates, moulds and three different colours of Belgian chocolate.

The brand will be supported throughout the second half with digital and PR activity.

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HALL 1 1D-B26 & 1D-C25 BRAND NAME GALLERY

The Secret Life Of Pets © 2016 Universal Studios

licensingworld Parragon

01225 478 888 | www.parragon.com

Spearmark

01480 213 633 | www.spearmark.co.uk Spearmark’s brand of novelty comfort lighting, Illumi-Mates, has expanded with the introduction of new characters from Paw Patrol, Shopkins and Star Wars.

The Paw Patrol range launched in autumn/winter 2015 with key characters Chase, Marshall and Rubble, with a new female character set to debut into the collection towards the end of 2016.

The Shopkins range of Illumi-Mates also launched in autumn/winter 2015, and currently features characters including Apple Blossom, Strawberry Kiss and Lippy Lips. New characters in this range are also in the pipeline due to a surge in popularity of the children’s licence.

Spearmark’s Star Wars character Illumi-Mates have already proved their popularity amongst grown-ups as well as children, with the Storm Trooper winning first prize in the Electronics category for the Dad’s Choice Awards in 2015. Other IllumiMates include the Millennium Falcon and Chewbacca, with new character additions due in 2016 and beyond.

Illumi-Mate licensed 3D character shaped lights are no bigger than the size of the average adult’s hand. They change colour when they’re switched on, and also stay cool to the touch.

Licensed Illumi-Mates come with batteries, making them portable and perfect for packing in overnight bags or suitcases when comfort lighting might be required.

This year Parragon will continue to add to its successful Happy Tins range.

Each collectible tin is packed with activity books, colouring books, posters, stickers and felt-tip pens. New additions include Disney’s Frozen with Northern Lights, as Disney Pixar’s hotly anticipated Finding Dory. There are also new licensed additions from Hasbro’s My Little Pony as well as Marvel Avengers, Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol and the World of Eric Carle.

There will also be refreshes to Parragon’s 2-in-1 Jigsaw range supporting key licences including Tangled from Disney Princess, Pixar’s Finding Dory, Disney Junior’s The Lion Guard, The World of Eric Carle and Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol. Each 2-in-1 Jigsaw set comes with a storybook, double-sided jigsaw and colouring crayons. Kids can read their favourite character story, put the jigsaw puzzle together and turn it over for colouring fun, using the colouring crayons included with each set.

Also launching in 2016 are the Storytelling Adventure Tins across Disney Princess, Disney Pixar, Marvel and Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol. Ideal for the whole family, each collectible tin is packed with five storybooks, story dice and character cards and press-out characters, which will stimulate the imaginations of children and encourage family play. The Storytelling Adventure Tins along with the company’s Happy Tins and 2-in-1 Jigsaws will all be supported with a strong social media presence across Parragon’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Further driving Parragon’s gifting range is the Sweet Dreams Library, again supporting key licences including Disney’s Frozen and Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol.

The library includes five bedtime stories, whilst the carousel gently turns as it plays a night-time lullaby and projects a soft light show.

Also launching is the Bedtime Buddy range. Parragon’s Finding Dory Bedtime Buddy helps to create a relaxing bedtime routine for parents and their little ones.

Each set comes with a storybook with a 10-step bedtime routine and a 10-minute story. The box packaging transforms into Dory’s bed and comes with a Dory plush toy. Disney’s Frozen Olaf Bedtime Buddy will also launch in 2016.

Pyramid International

01162 843 682 | www.pyramidinternational.com Pyramid International is backing many of this summer’s biggest film releases with a full range of products.

Pixar’s Finding Dory has been hotly anticipated for 13 years, and Pyramid International’s product range will include posters, wall art, mugs and gifting lines, including pocket money products. With a focus on the main characters and key phrases from the film, this range is set to be a hit with both new and existing fans.

The Secret Life of Pets is another box office hit from Universal Studios, and Pyramid International will be backing the film launch and subsequent DVD release with a wide range of products, all of which have been expertly designed to ensure the broadest possible customer appeal. The range includes posters, wall art, mugs, rubber keychains, badge packs and other associated merchandise.

The company will also be supplying ranges for upcoming films including The BFG, Trolls, Moana, Marvel, DC Comics, Star Wars and Harry Potter.

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17/05/2016 10:30

licensingworld Blue Sky Studios

Big Chief Studios

Blue Sky Studios is looking forward to a bumper summer this year with the launch of its Finding Dory stationery and activity range. The company has 25 products that will be hitting the high street in July to coincide with the film’s release.

The range of liquid filled stationery for Finding Dory has created a lot of interest at retail, and Blue Sky Studios also has notebooks with floating characters, a liquid filled pencil case and light-up liquid filled feature pens.

Star Wars continues to go from strength to strength, and Blue Sky Studios has added a range of novelty desktop products into the range, including a USB mug warmer, a BB8 USB light and a gadget pen with multiple functions, all of which sit alongside the company’s hero product: the Bluetooth Storm Trooper speaker.

The company’s Rogue One range, is currently in development, with some new product formats coming through later this year.

Big Chief Studios, the UK-based manufacturer of collector figures from hit TV series including Doctor Who, Sherlock and Penny Dreadful, has announced a licensing deal with ITV Ventures to produce a range of high-end collectibles based on Thunderbirds and other series from the Gerry Anderson portfolio.

Initial product offerings will include highly detailed 1:6 scale character replica figures of the puppets used in the making of the series. These will include the Tracy brothers: Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan, as well as International Rescue’s most formidable agents, Lady Penelope and Parker.

The figures promise to be the best representations of the characters produced to date, with movable eyes, hand-tailored costumes and authentically styled accessories.

In addition to the replica figures, Big Chief will also release a range of cross-section vehicle replicas, offering fans an opportunity to collect a range of models with special removable panels that reveal the inner workings, engines and cockpits of the classic vehicles.

The range will be extended with characters from a number of Gerry Anderson’s other popular shows including Stingray, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet at a later date.

0121 667 8194 | www.bigchiefstudios.co.uk

0113 387 9670 | www.blueskydesigns.co.uk

D’arpèje

Sambro

0478 796 050 | info@darpeje.com

08458 739 380 | www.sambro.co.uk The Paw Patrol range has proved a big hit, and the collection now includes plush character backpacks as well as EVA and lenticular bags.

Sambro has developed art and craft products focusing on each character including Paint your own Paw Patrol Figure as well as a My First Scribbler.

The chunky brightly coloured scribbler includes a puppy shaped pen and four shaped stampers.

The new Tsum Tsum range includes 3D erasers. The 20-pack of moulded character erasers also includes two secret character erasers.

Boys character licensed ranges continue to grow, and include Marvel Avengers, Captain America, Batman v Superman and Star Wars. As well as featuring bags and arts and crafts products, various pocket money lines are available which allow retailers to select full ranges according to price points.

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This year D’arpèje is celebrating its 21st anniversary.

The company has announced its extended licenced portfolio following the acquisition of strong properties such as Paw Patrol, Descendants, DC Comics, Trolls, Yo Kai Watch and many others.

Its outdoor collection features children’s favourite heroes including Spiderman, Captain America and Frozen’s Elsa and Anna. Each licence has its own complete range featuring scooters, skateboards, balance bikes, helmets and pads.

D’arpèje develops safe, high quality and fun products for pre-schoolers all the way up to adults, with ranges which can be adapted to all ages.

PMS International

01268 505050 | b2b.pmsinternational.com Gosh Designs! offers a one stop shop for The Secret Life of Pets, just in time for the summer holidays. The range includes kites, skipping ropes, a selection of bubble options and beach sets. There is also a bright collection of gliders, skimmers and skittles, and kids can collect their favourite characters across sticker sheets, fashion bracelets and other collectibles.

From outdoor fun to creative play indoors, across favourites including DC Originals, Batman, Superman, Mister Maker, Adventure Time and Animal Planet, Gosh Designs! offers unrivalled customer service including options for next day delivery.

Vivid Imaginations

01473 322 000 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk Vivid relaunched its Care Bears soft toys in 2014, and sales have been bolstered by the Welcome to Care-a-Lot TV series on FTA channel, Tiny Pop, and the Netflix exclusive series, Care Bears Cousins, which launched last November.

The core assortments of Bean Bags and Medium Plush with DVD are being refreshed this autumn to include Cousins alongside favourite Care Bears, and the Large Plush Assortment will also be refreshed. The interactive Sing a Long Care Bears will be TV advertised in the second half.

Articulated figures were introduced to the range in spring. The five pack will continue into the autumn, and the twin pack assortment will be refreshed with new characters. Blind Bags also join the range this year, following great success in the US.

PRESENTING TWO SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATIONS…

Pusheen and Boo are taking the world by storm — with millions of fans each across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Take them home with you in adorable plush form!

we’ve got giftware all wrapped up Enesco Limited, Head Office & Customer Services, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0EN Tel: 01228 404022 Fax: 01228 404041 email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Tel: +44 1228 404066 Fax: +44 1228 404080 email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk © Boo and his likeness are property of Buddy Boo Inc. All Rights Reserved. © 2016 Pusheen; Pusheen®

en6406-toyworld-half-page-ad-jun16.indd 1

See the full range at:

Autumn Fair International NEC, Birmingham 4th–7th September Hall 3, stand 3W04–X03

11/05/2016 15:11

licensingworld

Everyone Loves A Bargain (Max) The unfortunate demise of Trod / Buy-for-Less earlier this year will inevitably have an impact which stretches beyond the Toymaster group. There are already reports from some online retailers suggesting that certain toy suppliers are showing a marked reluctance to open accounts, even for those that can demonstrate strong trading credentials over the past few years. Yet there are many internet-only traders which it would arguably be foolish to ignore, such is their growing influence and trading performance.

One such operation is BargainMax.co.uk, a fast-growing online retailer which focuses on high quality service and sells purely licensed and branded product. The retailer currently works with a broad selection of major toy suppliers and is enjoying a burgeoning reputation in the market. Toy World spoke to buyer and e-commerce director Alex Woolfstein, to find out more about the company and its experience of the toy market.

When did BargainMax.co.uk launch?

What role does price play in your overall proposition?

Bargain Max initially launched four years ago, when we were mainly trading through Amazon. Our early trading on this platform was strong and it allowed us to establish ourselves in the market. However, with the growth of Amazon it became more challenging and short-sighted to have all our eggs in Amazon’s virtual basket. So we decided two years ago to launch our own dedicated website, whilst maintaining a strong presence on Amazon.

“Obviously we always like to be competitive, but our angle definitely isn’t just about being value for money. It’s about the consumer having confidence in the whole transaction process and the value of the service we provide: the speed of delivery, reliability, ease of ordering via the website, the ability to track a delivery and, ultimately, the convenience – the fact that you can order an item today and have it delivered tomorrow.

Features such as one-step checkout has also proved a huge success, ensuring we didn’t lose consumers at the point of purchase. We are also about to introduce Amazon Payments on our checkout to make purchasing even easier, faster and more secure”.

What do you perceive as the biggest challenge to being a third-party trader on sites such as Amazon?

“The biggest challenge is that it appears that Amazon doesn’t care if it makes a loss on an item, so you’re fighting to make a profit while they’re fighting for market domination - whatever it takes! You have to find niches, such as clearance merchandise to be successful and profitable, but we are looking to build a sustainable business for the long-term. Moving onto the web, you’re competing against other retailers who are running their businesses in a similar way, so you’re fighting fire with fire – you can create a business which can compete with what they have to offer and be successful on a level playing field.

Do you feel that some suppliers struggle to differentiate between online retailers?

“Some do - it’s important to remember that not all web traders are the same. If you fight purely on price, you end up in a Trod- like situation, which, as we have seen, is just not sustainable. Some suppliers have created blanket rules which stop them serving online-only retailers. Rather than blaming retailers for not selling their product in the way they would have liked, I believe that suppliers should blame themselves for not

Licensing World 64

being able to differentiate between a good retailer and a bad retailer. We’ve worked incredibly hard to deliver a website which consumers will enjoy visiting. It’s colourful and fun, and we’ve created a site that offers an excellent customer experience, so they will return repeatedly to it and, most importantly, purchase regularly from it.

Assigning value to customer experience is something that retailers should not be scared off. ”

How is visitor traffic shaping up so far this year?

“We’ve had 1.5 million visitors to the site already this year, which we’re delighted with. But it’s not just about attracting a quantity of visitors, it’s important to attract the right quality customers. The company has invested a huge amount of money in bespoke software technology, so we have the very latest stock control, product management and analytics tools – we see ourselves at the forefront of this area, which is critical in delivering competitive pricing and retaining customers. Customer retention is absolutely vital for us; once we have got a customer on board, it’s paramount for the future of our business that we keep them.”

What is the key to retaining customers?

“Service, service, service. For a website,

one of the most valuable marketing channels is your own customer base.

If they’re happy, they will share their experience with their friends and family, and also leave positive feedback.

Nothing works better than personal recommendation. “

How important is regular communication with your customer base?

“A key component of the BargainMax.co.uk strategy is to engage with parents via social media by providing interesting content. It’s not enough to use social media as a place to announce special offers: we view it as an opportunity to interact with customers to help us find out what they want and how we can improve our site and our product offering.

We’ve recently launched on Facebook and Twitter, and we also launched our own Blog this year, which we’ve populated with content which is of interest to parents, not just sales messages. We want to create a community and pass on interesting information, not just sell to them constantly. It’s essential for us to become an authority on the toy market through our social media. We want parents, grandparents or whoever is purchasing toys to come and look at what we have to say”.

What growth are you looking for this year?

“We’re targeting 100% growth for 2016.

There is literally no limit on a website – we currently just sell to UK customers; our aim is to supply the whole of Europe. There is a huge opportunity online: the web moves so fast, just because someone was a leader yesterday, doesn’t mean they will be a leader tomorrow.”

How can toy companies help you to achieve your aims?

“Product is key, so having a close relationship with our suppliers is absolutely essential. Since we launched the company, the whole team has worked incredibly hard to establish strong partnerships: when they have stock to allocate, or an offer or a clearance deal, we want to be their first port of call and ready to provide a quick answer. Our accounts department has never missed a payment deadline. Whatever

terms we agree, we stick to religiously. We are more than happy to share our buying strategy, so suppliers can see we have a solid, sustainable business model: we are definitely not a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ operation, we are very much in it for the long-term.”

Which products have performed particularly well for you?

“Paw Patrol has been amazing for us: Spin Master has done an incredible job with the brand and the company has been a great partner, they have taken time to find out about us and how they can help. MGA have also been fantastic partners. We are now looking forward to building our relationship with Mattel; they have some superb new product launches for autumn winter.

Thomas and Friends continues to perform really well, Mattel has done a great job refreshing the brand and keeping it popular.”

Bandai has done a fantastic job with the new range, I can’t wait to get it on our theoretical shelves. I’m also interested to see how The Secret Life of Pets performs, although we’ve been disappointed with Minions this year; there is a huge amount of clearance in the market and sales are down. But I’m sure they will do a great job with Secret Life, even though I have heard that some buyers are concerned about the categorisation of the brand.

Which non-licensed lines have been successful for you?

“The majority of our product range is character licensed merchandise, but we do well with a number of non-licensed lines; two that spring to mind are Spin Master’s Kinetic Sand and Interplay’s My Fairy Garden. Interplay has done a great job building a brand around the hugely popular My Fairy Garden line.”

Which new launches are you most excited about in 2016?

How difficult is it to pick the winners?

“I’m looking forward to Finding Dory.

Because the original Finding Nemo movie was so good, there is already great awareness of the brand, so I believe the product will sell well in the run-up to the launch of the movie. Then, providing the film is great, that will give it extra momentum and turn it into a brand that sticks around for a while.

“The toy market is all about the pure perception of kids – it’s a beautiful thing and you can’t alter that. If it’s good, they’ll like it. If not, there is nothing anyone can do to change that.”

Toy suppliers who wish to contact Alex can email him at alex@bargainmax.co.uk

licensing world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for licensing news and opinion

New partners on board for Go Jetters

HTi signs deal with Chicco The company has signed a multi-territory licence deal to manufacture Chicco dolls’ prams and pushchairs for EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Anthony Grimaud, HTi’s vice president of global sales, commented: “With 90% brand awareness in evolved countries worldwide, the Chicco name is globally respected by parents. This licence deal will enable HTi to expand international business, in terms of gaining additional sales in existing markets and also penetration of new markets, by offering a range of dolls, prams and pushchairs that are inspired by and fully branded with this internationally well-known nursery brand name.”

HTi’s junior collection of Chicco dolls prams and pushchairs will feature a pink and grey fabric colourway. Available from autumn/winter 2016, the range will offer a selection of designs across price points with features and styling that are inspired by the real-life Chicco nursery models.

The Chicco 3-in-1 Deluxe Pram offers front and rear facing pram and pushchair options in one. It also features swivel wheels, an adjustable hood, soft grip height-adjustable handle, under seat shopping basket and is supplied with a matching changing shoulder bag.

BBC Worldwide has announced a range of new partnerships to create an array of products for the hit CBeebies show.

Launched on CBeebies in October last year, the series is packed with comedy, teamwork, action and facts about new places.

Geographical features and concepts will drive and inspire the plot, dialogue and scenes.

A new deal with Aykroyd and TDP sees the launch of products including nightwear, underwear and swimwear. Blue Sky Designs will also be creating a range of art and stationery and activity products, for both Go Jetters and Hey Duggee.

Jason Easy, head of licensing soft lines at BBC Worldwide, commented: “Go Jetters is a fantastically fun show which has inspired our new partners with its jet setting adventures set to a disco beat. I know that our fans will love these new products.”

The first toys from Fisher-Price, the global master toy licensee, will launch this summer, alongside publishing from Penguin, magazines from Immediate Media and puzzles and games from Ravensburger.

My Little Pony joins Re:creation’s range

In partnership with Hasbro, the My Little Pony Twin Bar pack has been added to the Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory range.

Re:creation rebranded the range of chocolate bar making kits following an acquisition deal in 2014, introducing the Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory brand name and new packaging.

Re:creation marketing director, Jonathan Kirkley, commented: “My Little Pony is a great complement to our Make-a-Bar line-up. The franchise is ever popular and the imagery lends itself perfectly to the easy-to-use format of our kits.”

The My Little Pony Edition Make-a-Bar kits will contain character templates and everything children need to design and make their own bars of chocolate, including three types of Belgian chocolate. They are expected to hit shelves in July.

Golden Bear adds Thomas & Friends to portfolio The range will feature plush, interactive play mats, felt sets and magnetic drawing toys, to launch in autumn/winter 2016 and beyond.

“Working with Mattel to introduce a host of new products based on one of the world’s most recognisable brands is an exciting prospect,” said Katherine Pierce, senior licensing and marketing manager from Golden Bear. “This property complements our preschool portfolio and we’re delighted to be launching some exciting and fresh ideas for Thomas and his friends.”

“We are delighted to be working with Golden Bear,” added Jo Gunn, consumer products category manager at Mattel. “Its reputation for beautiful plush is renowned and we’re really excited to be bringing Thomas & Friends to life in this category with a great new collection.”

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licensingworld Comcast to acquire DreamWorks Animation

The parent of Universal Pictures has agreed to buy the company for $3.8bn. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2016, subject to approvals by the US and abroad.

The studio will become part of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which also includes Universal Pictures, Fandango, and NBCUniversal Brand Development.

Following the closure of the transaction, Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation’s CEO, will become chairman of DreamWorks New Media, as well as a consultant to NBCUniversal.

He commented: “Having spent the past two decades working together with our team to build DreamWorks Animation into one of the world’s most beloved brands, I am proud to say that NBCUniversal is the perfect home for our company – a home that will embrace the legacy of our storytelling and grow our businesses to their fullest potential.”

HTI signs deals with Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products

HTI has signed licence deals to manufacture and supply Blaze and the Monster Machines, Paw Patrol and Shimmer & Shine toys across various categories. The company will supply the toys for UK and Ireland until the end of 2018.

HTI’s deal for Blaze and the Monster Machines covers wheeled toys, 3D character cases, battery-operated bubble toys and real musical instruments.

Paw Patrol toys from HTI will comprise real musical instruments and battery-operated bubble toys.

The new CG animated TV series following Genie twin sisters, Shimmer and Shine, launched on Nick Jr. Q4 2015. HTI’s licence contract provides the firm with rights to develop wheeled toys, 3D character cases and pocket money toys.

Alison Downie, HTI global licensing & brand director, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the rights to develop toys for three such strong new children’s licence brands from Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products. It is so exciting to be forging a new relationship with such a well-respected and creative licensor. With HTI’s expertise in these product categories coupled with Nickelodeon’s strategic brand marketing support, we are looking forward to a long and successful collaboration”.

Moose Toys continues to grow in the UK

Distributed in the UK by Flair Preziosi Group, Moose Toys has followed its banner year with massive growth so far in 2016. The Shopkins 2-Pack is the hottestselling product in the overall UK toy market year to date, according to data from The NPD Group (March 2016).

Shopkins collectibles also claimed the fourth and sixth position among the top six best-selling items in the UK for March, for the 12-Pack and 5-pack, respectively. Shopkins has also become a licensing juggernaut, holding the number two toy property in the UK for March.

Simon Hedge, managing director, GP Flair added: “We are delighted with the continued success of Shopkins. We are just weeks from the official UK launch of Season 5 and the growth in popularity and fans sees no sign of slowing down. The sales data coming through, together with the huge amount to unveil for the second half of the year, only adds to the prospects for this exciting brand.”

The Shopkins Season Five online reveal campaign drew more than 2.5 million views of its video series in less than five days. The custom video content offered an exclusive look at Season Five features such as backpack vessels, charm bracelets and glow-in-the-dark characters, bringing Shopkins fans more of what they love, with fresh new twists.

Sonic Boom adds to UK licensing programme

Sonic Boom is a new TV series currently rolling out across EMEA, packed full of high-adrenaline action and comedy.

New partners on board for the UK include Oceania Trading Limited for headphones and speakers, and PMS International Group for a range of giftware including mugs, pocket money items, key chains, money banks and more.

Smith and Brooks has also signed for children and adult’s apparel to supply Sports Direct.

In support of these new licensees, a new style guide for Sonic Boom will launch this month. This guide provides numerous new character assets from the show capturing the dynamism and interplay between characters, as well as providing partners with the latest trend graphics.

Jason Rice, director of brand licensing for EMEA, said: “These deals come hot on the heels of a fantastic TV launch on Boomerang. We now look to continue the momentum as the show is rolled out in other markets within EMEA this year”.

These newly appointed licensees join an existing UK licensing programme anchored by master toy partner Tomy, which broad range of action figures, vehicles, role-play and plush are already receiving great support from major retailers including Toys R Us, The Entertainer and Smyths.

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NPD Column The rise of click and collect (how terribly British) The NPD Group’s Rory Partis examines the rise of online sales and the impact on the toy market as a whole.

The rise of click and collect is also quite interesting to Since 2010 Online sales have grown by £600M, 2X as much. analyse. It might surprise some to learn that the popularity of this online delivery 1,400 option is actually a 1,200 UK phenomenon. In the UK in 2015 around 1,000 £566m was spent on 800 online click and collect; 600 no other country even 400 comes close to that.

200 France was the second most popular country 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 for click and collect, but the amount spent Source The NPD Group | UK Consumer Panel 12 ME Sept 2015 was 234m, less than half that of the UK. The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential 1 And the combined total for Spain, Italy and Germany was 191m, so you can see that the UK is way ahead of the rest.

Online in general in the UK has a higher share of the total market and it does appear that we have embraced click and collect in a much bigger way. It will be interesting to see whether the trend across Europe catches up with the UK or if it will remain a peculiarly British buying trend.

Buying online is very much viewed as a good mix between value and convenience, which are becoming increasingly important when consumers purchase anything these days. With two thirds of all online purchasers in 2015 stating that the main reason for choosing the particular method they did was either convenience or value, we can see that online is perfectly placed to fit with modern buying habits. Whichever way you look at it, online is becoming an increasingly important part of the toy market each year, with growth for every year we have been tracking it as a buying option in the toys consumer data at NPD.

UK Online Sales Increase

Value Sales £M

2015 was a bumper year for toys and 2016 has also started very well. NPD EPOS Data for YTD April shows that the toy market for 2016 is currently +6% in value and +8% in volume, on top of 2015 which was also +6% in value. So far, signs are encouraging and there are a number of reasons why. A main assumption is that the rise of online and digital is one of the key drivers of this performance. So for this month’s article we are going to discuss all things digital and whether the impact on the toy market is as significant as everyone assumes.

A good place to start is the impact of online sales.

As NPD data has shown over the years, online sales form an increasing percentage of the UK toy market.

As recently as 2008, online purchases accounted for around 15% of all toy sales according to NPD consumer data. In 2015 that figure was 37%, a huge increase over the past seven years. In fact, the value spent online on toys in 2015 is nearly three times larger than in 2008, around £1.1bn compared to £420m. And it’s arguably the range of options for buying online that have made the difference; over £500m was spent on home delivery online purchases in 2015, but even more was spent on click and collect. That covers a range of options - whether it be picking up in store or getting the item delivered to local pick up stations, which alone was worth £140m in 2015. As well as the boost from online sales, in the last couple of years we have also seen a sizeable increase in toy sales from purchases in-store. 2014 actually saw the first increase in sales for six years. The growth was repeated in 2015 with +4% increase in value for in-store purchases, a big factor in our market when you consider that offline transactions still account for around two thirds of toy purchases. So online is strong but the high street, though possibly not quite booming, certainly still constitutes a huge part of toy retail, and is continuing to grow. So rather than just assuming that it is online that is driving the market’s growth, we should remember that ultimately it is multichannel which is driving the market.

Document classification: Internal Only

Rory Partis

executive director

The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food/food service, home, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, video games, and wireless.

To monitor what’s happening in the ever-changing toy market, NPD collects point-of-sale information from all major toy retailers. This information, combined with our analysts’ industry perspectives, delivers a comprehensive view of what’s selling and where. We also field over 12m consumer surveys annually to help industry leaders understand why consumers shop where they shop and why they buy what they buy.

For more information visit www.npd.com. Follow NPD on Twitter @npdgroup

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talking shop Master of all shows

May’s main event for the toy trade was the Toymaster show, a must-attend show for members from all over the country. Clarabel Jones caught up with a few independent retailers to find out whether the show was a success, and what key products or ranges grabbed their attention.

Adrian Kelly director, Kelly’s Toymaster, Tullamore, Ireland The show was a huge success for us this year. There’s a real sense of community there, and it feels much more relaxed than the larger shows such as the Toy Fair in London and Birmingham’s Spring Fair and Autumn Fair. It’s so helpful meeting other Toymaster members, as everyone has different opinions on what’s hot and what’s not. We get used to coming to Harrogate each year where we meet the same familiar faces and end up building up long-lasting relationships which are always helpful for getting the best advice and sharing one another’s top tips for success.

We saw so many products that we’re excited about;

we ordered from nearly every stand that we visited!

It’s a very different show in comparison to London’s Toy Fair where we tend to spend more time browsing rather than buying; we actually do most of our ordering at the Toymaster show. Part of the reason for this is that we like to take advantage of the great deals that suppliers put on for members. This year, we’ve made the most of plenty of half-price catalogue deals, as they all go towards helping our margins.

One of my favourite things that I’ve seen at the show this year has to be the helicopters, which we generally tend to do very well with at Kelly’s. Last year, some of the remote control products from Flying Gadgets, such as the drones, did amazingly well for us. It certainly helps that they’re getting a lot of TV coverage recently. Before, there often used to be problems with the helicopters having weak propellers, but these newer drones that suppliers are bringing out can bounce off the ground and are

Jenny Cross co-owner, Geoff’s Toymaster, Coalville, Leicestershire The Toymaster show treated us well this year; we find that it’s always a good show for placing new orders in time for the Christmas period. I’ve lost count of the amount of orders that we’ve made, but Magformers’ stand was particularly popular with us this year.

We were fairly surprised with the abundance of collectible blind bags this year, which seem to be steadily growing in popularity. We made the most of this trend by ordering some of Jakks Pacific’s Tsum Tsum collectibles, and we also ordered some products from Character Options. The year so far has been good for us at Geoff’s Toys, and we’re expecting this to continue after a successful show in Harrogate.

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generally more likely to withstand the test of time.

At Kelly’s we stock a vast range of products from swings, slides and trampolines down to smaller things such as blind bags and nursery products. The best all year round seller for us toys-wise is usually farm toys, as being based in Tullamore, most of our customers are part of a large farming community.

Outdoor toys such as ride-on tractors and pedal tractors usually fly off the shelves. Other than that, Lego is always a big seller for us. Lego’s Super Hero range is selling well at the moment on the back of big movie releases such as Batman V Superman. It’s unpredictable sometimes with the movies, as often everyone thinks a movie will be a big hit and it ends up being a bit of a flop. Generally, as confidence has grown, people are investing more into the big blockbuster films. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was a huge success a few years back, and it’s looking as if the new film will follow along the same lines.

So far 2016 has been good for us; our profits are back up after being down in previous years so things are looking a lot brighter for Kelly’s. On the back of this, we now have the confidence to come to shows such as this one and placed larger orders, and hopefully things will continue to improve in years to come.

As for the rest of the year, we’re working to improve our online presence. We don’t do a huge amount IT-wise at the moment apart from maintain our Facebook page, but our plan for the remainder of the year is to set up a functioning website where customers and suppliers can find out more about us.

Gerard Gourley co-owner, Toy Hub, Dunblane The Toymaster show has been great for us, there’s so many new products out there and the atmosphere is buzzing. Out of all the toy fairs across the industry, this show is definitely the friendliest. There’s the opportunity to talk to other members to discuss what’s been working for them, and to bounce ideas off one another, which is exactly what we all need to grow.

There are plenty of show offers at the Toymaster show but as a rule we tend not to buy from offers, as it’s easy to get drawn in despite the products not necessarily fitting our business or our customers.

We like to walk around, and if anything catches our eye that we don’t think will be stocked by the major toy retailers, we’ll pick it up. We normally like to back our new products up with a social media campaign to create a buzz around it.

Lots of products have grabbed our attention this year, but the new StikBot Pro-Studio from Brainstorm is something which Helen and I are very excited about. It has the green screen and blue screen built into it, and we think it’s going

to be massive with our StikBot fans in Dunblane.

However, the star of the show for us is Asobi’s Elf for Christmas. We absolutely love the reward aspect of it, which is there to promote good behaviour in the run up to Christmas – a genius idea. The elf also comes with Elf-sized letters from the North Pole, mini report cards for promoting good behaviour, a reward chart and stickers, Beware of the Elf signs, Nice List Certificates, a Thank You Card and more, so customers are getting a lot for their money. The The start of this year was fantastic for us, but April saw a slight decline in sales which we think occurred across the whole of retail. We’re not entirely sure why this was, but we think it may have been partly due to the split in the Easter holidays and the upcoming referendum which could be making people slightly more cautious with their money. Despite this, May has started off well for Toy Hub, so it looks like April was just a blip.

We’ve been doing very well with Ty’s Beenie Boos which are fantastic, so we’re in talks with the company to get the character costumes for later on in the year. We love these products as they’re always high quality, the margins are fantastic, and the brand itself is super popular. We’re also in the process of talking to Flair to get a Shopkins suit to go alongside

series five of Shopkins, which we’ve just ordered, and we’re hoping to get hold of a Toby Toymaster suit for a bit of fun. Kids love the character suits; they all want to have their photo taken. This is great for us as the photos then go up on social media and the products just go through the roof.

Present Planners. Last year was our best year ever, and the way this year is looking, I think we’re going to continue along that trend. We’re currently based

in Craven Court Shopping Centre in Skipton, and having moved from upstairs to downstairs last May, we’ve seen a huge increase in our footfall.

Lisa Dyson The Present Planners, Skipton The Toymaster show is very local to me, so it’s quite an easy one for me to attend. Having sold toys for 10 years now, I’ve been to quite a few of these shows in the past. This means that, over many years of attending, I’ve come to know all of the exhibitors, most of which always have lots of show deals on offer for us independent retailers.

For this reason, if the store needed something two or three weeks ago, we find that it’s often worth waiting for the show because you get a better deal.

We also obviously prefer to see products in the flesh rather than in a catalogue, as it enables us to get a better feel of them. This way, we can also find out all the facts and figures so as to know whether products will truly fit into our store.

I didn’t find anything at the show that I didn’t already know about from previous toy fairs such as London’s Toy Fair and Birmingham’s Spring Fair, but there were plenty of products that I wanted and ordered, so it was definitely worth attending.

Alex So far we’ve had a really good year at The

If you would like to get involved with next month’s Talking Shop, please get in touch with Jonika: 01442 502 406, jonika@toyworldmag.co.uk

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indie viewpoint

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

John Testori owner, Bambola Toys, St. Helier, Jersey We’ve done a lot of Toymaster shows in the past, 26 to be precise, so we’re quite used to the layout. The Toymaster guys always do a great job of putting on a good show for us members, and the Christmas-themed evening event was a lot of fun. Toymaster must be the only company which can celebrate Christmas in the third week of May - and do it well!

I’ve only missed one show out of the 27 years that I’ve been a member, and it’s a mistake to do that, as when you take your eye off the ball, business inevitably drops. The Toymaster show is an intimate event that mixes social and professional; there’s always lots of work being done there, but there’s also a whole lot of fun being had as well – and not many industries would be able to say the same.

In terms of products, I’d say that Lego is my favourite. Like everyone else, we’re also doing very well with Paw Patrol, and Spin Master has been very good at keeping products in stock for us.

Flair’s Shopkins products are another craze that’s been selling well at the moment, and we’re also doing very well with Underground Toys’ Pop! Vinyls. I’ve got a couple of mid-twenty year-old ladies who work for Bambola Toys who buy the Disney Pop! Vinyls all the time, and that’s important to us as it gives us a customer demographic that we wouldn’t normally have. We also do well with Dickie Games, which is another category where the customer demographic is a higher age group than we’re used to. We’re also lucky enough that we get offered some of the Lego Hard to Finds at Bambola, which generally tend to be higher ticket items. The GDP in Jersey is fairly high, so we don’t tend to shy off those higher priced items.

There’s lots of new product coming through at the moment, and we’re seeing more of that now. We saw products that were perhaps in their infancy back at London’s Toy Fair in January, but by now everything is much firmer. Some ranges which were going to be TV advertised in January now aren’t, and we’re seeing price reductions and many products which have completely dropped out of companies’ ranges. On the contrary, we’re also seeing other items which have been put forward for TV coverage, so everything has the ability to change in those four months between the shows.

For this reason, the Toymaster show is ideal for making firmer decisions based on what we know is certain, whilst shows earlier on in the year are perhaps best for just having a little look around.

If we had to choose between the two shows, the Toymaster event would definitely be more important to us. This is because our catalogue is our main marketing tool for the back end of the year, which is our most important trading period.

We do like to be beside the seaside

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i all. As we write this, we are cruising down the M6, coming back from a visit to the HTi showroom. After many years of going there, it is the first time it has actually been warm and sunny up in Blackpool. We go once a year, to view the HTi range in its entirety, and always find it a worthwhile trip (and not just because they have a nice in-house café that does fantastic chips!) Our goal was to increase our range of non-branded lines, including the Teamsters and Pocket Money ranges. It is always worth spending time really looking at range, and this time of year is a good chance to do it. After that, we had dinner with another retail team who were up to view the showroom, Dave and Alison from D & A Toys, who we had never met before. It is one of the great pleasures of working in this trade; meeting different people who share the same passion for their business. We had a fantastic evening sharing ideas and experiences, and they put us on to the Sambro Trade show. So on our way back, we popped in to Manchester for our first visit, and definitely found it worthwhile. There were some great gems, including clearance deals. Most importantly, they lay on a nice lunch.

Overall trade for April was good, even with Easter being earlier this year; we found the holidays to be a lot stronger than last year. The cool, wet, weather certainly helped us being in malls, driving strong footfall. The bestsellers for the month continue to be Paw Patrol and Shopkins. One new introduction that has gone well for us is Num Noms from MGA, we were asked for these prior to them being released, and our first order sold out within a week. In addition, Tsum Tsums really seems to be developing as a licence, with not just the plush, but also the collectible figures from Click, proving popular. The new Magiki Mermaids have been another winner, following on from the Bunnies earlier this year. Collectibles is definitely our biggest growth category at the moment. May saw the launch of the Disney Lego Minifigures, and this has probably been the strongest launch ever.

Another growth area for us so far this year is Art and Craft. After the loom craze of a couple of years ago severely disrupted sales of other craft lines, the category has well and truly recovered. Aquabeads has been really strong for us with all the marketing Epoch put behind the brand; the Beginners Studio is our best-selling line. The Fairy Garden range from Interplay has been very popular, it is a really attractive product that is well packaged, and clearly delivers for our customers. The Butterfly Garden from Insect Lore has moved into our top sellers as it always does at the same time each year.

Looking forward, we have the launch of Pom Pom Wow from Character Options, which has the potential to be a bit of a craze.

The one thing we would say about this year so far is there is a lack of one standout product or licence that is taking the market by storm. There is lots of potential, certainly in character licences from films coming later this year, with Finding Dory, Trolls, and Moana. Character licensing seems to become more important each year.

With the amount of films being produced, being successful at the box office and being accompanied by strong merchandise ranges, it is certainly not going to decrease.

By the time you read this, we will have had the Toymaster show, where we are hoping to finally get a drink from John Baulch!

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Feature

Infant toys

Small beginnings From the first word to the first steps, successful infant toy brands take into account developmental stages and follow key play patterns. Jonika Kinchin looks at infant toys and how to appeal to babies, parents and gift purchasers alike.

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hildren aged 0-12 months are most likely to pick up a toy that is bright, tactile and that they can put in their mouth. Parents, who do the buying, know what their offspring like and are looking for something which will help their child’s development, preferably will have an attractive price point, and which will not immediately wear out. Toys for infants are also often bought as gifts so, as well as practical considerations, items must have strong visual appeal and be high quality, in order to inspire purchases from relatives and friends.

“Parents are looking for long lasting infant toys with lots of activities and developmental benefits that their babies are going to love playing with”, stated Judith Stark, managing director at Halilit. Suppliers and retailers have to target parents and adults effectively.

“Developmental benefits should be highlighted when retailers are selling infant toys directly to parents and family friends; it must be easy for purchasers to see the appeal of the toys”, Judith continued.

In contrast to other toy categories, infant toys are not as widely affected by the growing popularity of technology in toys, and usually stick to more traditional and simple designs. Clare Hurlock from Orange Tree Toys explained that the company focuses on brightly coloured and stimulating products for the age group, with an educational side: “We have looked at what parents, grandparents and friends would want

to buy for a child of that age, and have found that they are looking for functional, stimulating and brightly coloured toys,” she explained. Clare also highlighted that testing for this category is particularly rigorous, which must be taken into account when developing new items.

Infant toys enable companies to present parents and families with the opportunity to be part of important milestones in child development. For both suitability and safety reasons, the toys must be age appropriate and it is important for retailers to categorise them clearly. Parents can then discover the best toys for their child’s current age, cognitive, social, emotional and language development, identifying the products that will help support and encourage their developing skills and key play patterns. Judith Stark gives the following advice: “Having distinct areas within the shop for the infant category clearly shows the toys that are designed and marketed for babies from new-born, then the store can lead from this into those for pre-schoolers, as the child grows. Retailers can also use informative POS material including product videos”.

Sam Wilson, head of product and marketing comms for EMEA LeapFrog, stressed the importance of a brand creating a presence amongst the vast range of products that are available, adding: “It’s also key to highlight which products are best sellers or have received top reviews, to highlight potential products to new parents.”

Companies that specialize in the category help

both retailers and consumers discover suitable lines in a number of ways, from consumer insight-based product development and positioning, through to lifestyle photography and clear age grades on pack.

Emma Fryer, head of marketing Tomy UK commented: “In store activation really brings a range to life and we focus on clear strategic planograms and engaging POS assets.”

A cohesive range of well-designed products that go well together can be appealing for parents to have in their home, and they may well become loyal to a specific brand as they appreciate its features and reliability. Emma Fryer commented: “Tomy’s Lamaze brand is known to parents as a name they can trust during baby’s first year, and the range of toys can be used from birth. The range is specifically designed with features that encourage bonding and two-way play between parents and babies.”

According to Sam Wilson, LeapFrog has recognised that: “Most toys provide at least some opportunity for children to learn, however if brands get those products right, they are able to go the extra mile, engage a child’s senses, spark their imagination and encourage them to interact with others. By delivering on this promise, brands are able to create a connection with parents and in turn those parents will continue to stay loyal to the brand throughout the rest of the child’s development, returning regularly to purchase further products”.

Jonika Kinchin speaks to Charlotte Drake about the latest addition to the Toot Toot range Why should retailers be excited about the arrival of the Toot-Toot Drivers Gold Mine?

The collectability for Toot-Toot shows no bounds; the range has seen an increase in popularity each year since its initial launch in 2011. Now in its 6th year Toot-Toot Drivers still shows no sign of letting up. The performance growth has remained constant and whether it’s the 1st January or 1st November Toot-Toot is still selling.

With the most sold item of all time within the Toot-Toot Range being the individual car (RRP £7.99) and the most popular set being the garage (refreshed garage RRP £49.99), it’s clear the varying price point allows the Toot-Toot Range to be appeal to all. With the notion of either a large gift for Christmas or as simply an impulse buy retailers and consumers alike are aware of how highly collectable this range has now become.

The growth of the Toot-Toot Drivers range stems from VTech’s passion to introduce technology into everyday play patterns. The Toot-Toot Drivers range enables children to have fun whilst they learn with sing-along songs, sound effects, fun phrases and light up buttons to help hand-eye coordination and cognitive development. The Toot-Toot Drivers Gold Mine will spark your child’s imagination as the play set contains 32 track pieces as well as a tough motorised mining train which chugs it cargo up and down the tracks as well as going in and out of the mine, through the gate and through the cargo loader! With the clever Smart Point Technology within the

all Toot-Toot items, children can build learn and create their very own TootToot World.

How has the Toot Toot brand performed over the last 12 months and where do you want the brand to be come the end of the year?

Having sold an item from the Toot-Toot range every 22 seconds in 2015 (NPD Full Year 2015) VTech aim to build on their current success, by adding even more exciting new additions to the Toot-Toot Drivers, Toot-Toot Animals and Toot-Toot Friends ranges throughout this year.

‘At VTech we’re always looking to enhance our offering and we feel that the new Toot-Toot Drivers Gold Mine will continue to interact, educate and captivate young children just as previous Toot-Toot playsets have proven to do.”

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No.1 infant plus*h property

Sparking little triumphs Lamaze delivers moments of joy to babies and parents with two ways to play: together time and independent discoveries

Introducing The Freddie Collection

TOP SELLER

Freddie the Firefly Clip n Go

Freddie the Firefly Rattle

Freddie the Firefly Highchair Toy

Freddie the Firefly Gym

Call the sales department on 01392 281928 or Email: UKcustomerservices@tomy.com TOP SELLER

Lamaze endorsed by

Celebrity mum Coleen Rooney *Source: NPD 2015 EPoS Value sales

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Infant & toddler toys

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com

GP Flair 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk The Stickle Bricks brand was created in 1969, and has seen success with its bricks that make it easy for children to stick, stack and construct. This heritage brand is a major focus for Flair in 2016.

Stickle Bricks promotes development of dexterity and imagination with the easy to hold bricks that stick together easily. Children can use the brightly coloured bricks to build cars, robots, houses and more, providing a way for children to express themselves before they can speak.

The 2016 range includes a Big Red Bucket filled with lots of assorted bricks. Doubling as a handy storage container, it’s ideal for little hands.

Alternatively, the Stickle Bricks Beginner’s Box is the ideal start to a young one’s collection. The stickled lid doubles as a play base for added play value, and is an ideal platform from which to build assorted bricks in the brightest of colours.

For the launch in July, Stickle Bricks will be supported with a multiplatform marketing plan including parents’ press, social media outreach with influential mums, and a full sampling campaign with 100 UK nurseries.

Joining the company’s In the Night Garden range is My Best Friend Igglepiggle which features lullabies, glowing lights, stories and phrases.

Also joining the portfolio is the Musical Makka Pakka with Light Up Friends which features lullabies and a warm light-up tummy. When Makka Pakka’s hand is pressed, lullabies play whilst Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy softly glow in different colours.

Part of the current In the Night Garden collection is the Explore & Learn Musical Activity Table which features three key In The Night Garden characters, plus a host of interactive features such as stories, songs and imaginative play, all packed into a standing base and multipurpose play table/storage unit. The removable activity station can also be placed on the floor to accommodate younger children.

The My First Forever Friends nursery collection from Golden Bear includes products made from soft-to-touch fabrics. Hero items in the range include the My First Forever Friends Bedtime Lightshow and the multi-sensory Sweet Dreams plush bear. The range also includes little Squeakers, Jinglers and Chime Bears, as well as the Musical Softie and Snuggle Blankie.

Character Options 0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.com Plush is at the heart of Character’s World of Teletubbies collection with the 6” Supersoft Collectibles, which are suitable for all ages including babies. The signature plush 8” Talking Soft Toys come with their own sayings and phrases.

Feature plush is also high on the agenda with Tickle & Giggle Po and Laa-Laa, Jumping Po and a Lullaby LaaLaa night-light toy, while for playsets and accessories the Superdome Playset is modelled on the Home Dome where the Teletubbies live. Also new for autumn is a Giant Pull and Play Noo-Noo activity centre.

In its third year as part of Character’s pre-school portfolio, the Weebles line-up is to grow once more with the arrival of Paw Patrol. Seven new Weebles, based on the main Paw Patrol characters, are newly available and in July, a hero playset will join the range, complete with the exclusive Marshall Pup Weeble. The Pull & Play Seal Island Playset will be the setting for the Paw Patrol crew and comes with a host of features that only Weebles can offer.

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New addition to the Award Winning Range

Gold Mine Train Set Over 1.3 meters Wide Shape and colour sorter

32 piece track included

1x Motorised Train Included 9 SmartPoints

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

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12-05-2016 12:05:14 PM

Infant & toddler toys

LeapFrog 01895 202 840 | www.leapfrog.com Parents can give their child’s learning a personal touch with My Pal Scout and Violet, the award-winning soft and interactive plush pups.

Developed by LeapFrog’s in-house team of learning experts, My Pal Scout and Violet can be easily personalised with a child’s name, favourite foods, animals and colours with an iPhone, Android or computer.

My Pal Scout and Violet introduce children to words, counting and feelings through 14 activities. Both friends come pre-loaded with five songs, and parents have a choice of over 30 additional learning songs to personalise their child’s puppy pal. With soft fur and five touch points, My Pal Scout and Violet encourage children to interact and lead the way in learning and nurturing activities. There are two modes of play: daytime fun or night-time mode which can be used to set 5, 10 or 15 minutes of soothing lullabies.

Winner of numerous key parenting awards, My Pal Scout and Violet take personalisation to a new level, offering every child a unique learning companion.

Halilit 01254 872 454 | www.halilit.co.uk Halilit is the exclusive UK distributor for Taf Toys’ developmental baby toys, Edushape’s sensory, bath and water play toys, and its own range of award-winning musical instruments.

Taf Toys is continuously developing toys for babies and toddlers, and the latest additions for 2016 include the BANTA award-winning Musical Boat Cot Toy and the Musical Car Toy Owl. The Playful Cloud Shade is the launch product in a new category area for Taf Toys, and offers a versatile UV protected pram, pushchair and car seat sun shade. It features colourful hanging toys which fold away into the cloud-shaped pouch for storage.

Another new launch in 2016 is the Rainbow Soft Ball from Edushape, a sensory toy filled with mini balls which tumble inside when the ball is thrown or rolled.

Halilit’s instrument range includes simple rattles, bells, drums and xylophones, with new designs planned for 2017.

This year the company is significantly increasing investment in an integrated marketing strategy concentrating on increasing social media engagement, enriching online content through bloggers, optimising the in-store presence of each brand and consumer print advertising. The company will continue to enter products for recognised trade and consumer awards, and the marketing team is planning to collaborate with stockists to support sales with targeted social media campaigns.

Little Tikes 0845 053 3333 | www.littletikes.co.uk Little Tikes is introducing a new pre-school range for autumn with Light ‘n Go. The characters, including a monkey, tiger and panda, each have their own interactive play elements, whilst the 3-in-1 Activity Walker and Activity Garden Treehouse are packed with features to keep babies entertained.

Lil’ Ocean Explorers continues to cement its place in UK homes as the range discovers and celebrates babies’ milestones. Using eight sea creatures, the toys help develop babies’ motor skills, coordination and confidence. Character favourites include Catch Me Crabbie, Pull ‘n Chatter Lobster and Crawl ‘n Pop Turtle. Topping these is the award-winning 3-in-1 Adventure Course, which entertains babies throughout three key developmental milestones: sitting, crawling and standing.

Tumble Train is the runaway toy that has been a success for Little Tikes. It will be supported by a heavyweight TV ad campaign, digital activity and parent website partnerships.

This range will be underpinned by significant TV investment with six commercials planned through the year and doubling year-onyear TV support. This, plus major PR and social media activities, is designed to support the launches.

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Beautifully designed,

traditional wooden toys

+44 (0)1242 244500 sales@orangetreetoys.com www.orangetreetoys.com

Infant & toddler toys

Rainbow Designs 01329 227 300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.co.uk In autumn/winter Tomy will expand its Lamaze range with new product development that combines sounds, colours and textures.

The company will also introduce new characters to its Clip and Go sector, including Munching Max. Lamaze will also introduce the soft plush penguin Symphony Oscar to the range. Parents and infants can push Oscar’s tummy to hear his musical tunes and add instruments to the symphony. Infants will also be able to explore Oscar’s other features including the rattle and squeaker, as well as his crinkling waistcoat.

Tomy will continue to tell the Lamaze story with a high impact marketing communications strategy. The brand’s partnership with Coleen Rooney has already driven brand awareness, which will continue with a nationwide competition and media partnership. The brand will also offer an engaging experience to parents through new look social media channels.

Also under Tomy’s infant category is the Tomy Toddler range, which already has 81% brand awareness in the UK and a portfolio balancing evergreen lines with innovation.

The company will follow on the success of the Foam Cone Factory with the Remote Rescue Boat that uses technology to activate the boat into forward drive. As children grow, they will be able to use the remote control themselves, aiding in developing coordination and motor skills.

Tomy will continue to support its Toddler line with TV, video on demand and online digital media support in key periods. The company will maximise awareness with multiple campaigns for toddler and bath that will air from August to November.

Rainbow Designs has a plethora of infant toys available this year from leading nursery brands including Thomas & Friends, Peppa Pig for Baby, Guess How Much I Love You, Paddington, Miffy, Peter Rabbit and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

New this summer is the My First Thomas & Friends Nursery collection which includes a Comfort Blanket, Chime Ball, Ring Rattle, Activity Cube and a plush My First Thomas. The collection will also include a My First Thomas & Friends Tummy Time Activity Playmat and a feature plush Thomas Activity Toy. The Character Tummy Time Activity Playmats are part of Rainbow’s new Big Box initiative, and are packed with activities to help stimulate babies’ senses. They include a detachable mirror, removable shaped teethers, a peek-a-boo flap and a multitude of textures and sounds. The Activity Playmats are also available in Peter Rabbit, Guess How Much I Love You, Peppa Pig for Baby and The Very Hungry Caterpillar collections.

Another new addition to Rainbow’s Guess How Much I Love You collection this summer is the Peek-a-Boo Nutbrown Hare.

The company has also brought to market three new collections in the baby and nursery category. Paddington now features as a variety of nursery products in a Paddington for Baby collection which includes a My First Paddington Plush, Comfort blanket, Activity Cube and Ring Rattle.

Spring saw the launch of a Miffy for Baby collection which includes 25cm Plush Toys, Ring Rattles, Comfort Blankets and an Activity Cube.

Also new for autumn will be The Snowman and The Snowdog My First Christmas collection which includes a plush collection featuring My First Snowman and Snowdog Comfort Blankets, Ring Rattles and Jingle Bell Booties.

Skip Hop 01482 434 250 | www.skiphop.com Skip Hop is opening a direct office in the UK and is launching several new products and line extensions that have not yet been seen in the UK market.

The brand’s Explore & More range, introduced in 2014, continues to garner praise and success in the market, starting with its awardwinning Roll-Around Rattle. The range fully supports babies’ development.

The most recent launch, The Amazing Arch Activity Gym, builds on the brand’s baby gym leadership and takes the baby gym to a whole new level. The arch adjusts to extend the life of the gym beyond tummy time to sitting, with interactive sensory activities and toys that support growth. Musical hedgehogs, hooting owls and a sound-activated dancing fox feature, and there is also a parent phone pocket tucked behind the mirror.

Skip Hop will also be launching extensions to the Explore & More line in the UK this year, from soft books to stroller toys.

The brand’s celebrated Zoo portfolio, recognised for its signature animals and toddler independence tools, features new products in new categories. Zoo Pull & Go Submarine and Zoo Rev Up Wave Rider join the bath toys segment. Two new characters also join the Skip Hop Zoo Crew, Chameleon and Raccoon, which are featured in products including the signature Zoo Backpack, Lunchie and Strawbottle.

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Infant & toddler toys

Hape 0845 600 0286 | www.marbel.com The Hape wooden toy range offers something for every child, from new-born rattles, wooden books, stackers and shape-sorters to musical items. Spring/summer saw the arrival of the Roly Poly Ralph Rattle, which helps children understand the concept of balance.

Another new line for spring/summer is the Bug About, which has antennae for handles and a storage area in the bug’s belly for the child’s favourite books and toys.

Hape has also released a Rocking Boat. Children can sit on the boat deck, grab the handles and rock back and forth.

Later this year, the company will be launching a new railway range which will include a nursery railway set and some original accessories. Back by popular demand are the George Luck puzzles.

They will be making a return later in the year with some animalthemed designs in both large and smaller, less complex puzzles.

Mattel 01628 500 111 | www.mattel.com Orange Tree Toys 01242 244500 | www.orangetreetoys.com The company has announced it is moving to new premises in Gloucestershire. The building will enable the company to have more stock and take on more staff.

In autumn, there will be new additions to the Peter Rabbit range, and the Paddington Bear range continues to go from strength to strength.

The company has seen a strong performance from its Animal Puzzle range, particularly the Alphabet Crocodile Puzzle. The Pull-Along range has also seen success, particularly under the Peter Rabbit licence with the Peter Rabbit Pull-Along and the Jemima Puddle Duck Pull-Along.

Fisher-Price continues to lead the way in early childhood development with new product launches building on the success of BeatBo, and new additions to the Smart Stages range.

New introductions include the Bright Beats Learnin’ Lights Dance Mat, BeatBelle and BeatBowWow. The Bright Beats Learnin’ Lights Dance Mat features motion sensors, and is designed for sitting, crawling and dancing. Four light-up buttons activate learning content, and infants can play with the BeatBo character in the centre to hear phrases and learn numbers and letters.

BeatBelle features songs, learning content and dance moves, while lights and colours help stimulate babies’ senses. The Sing-Along mode lets parents record a phrase which is remixed into a song.

BeatBowWow is a four-legged companion of BeatBo, also featuring music and lights.

Also new is the 3-in-1 Stride to Ride Lion which takes babies through key developmental milestones with Sit-at Play, Walker and Ride-On modes.

Other launches in the Laugh & Learn range include new toys featuring Smart Stages technology, which allows the content to adapt as babies grow.

The Smart Stages Daily Routine Sink encourages imaginative play through three interactive learning levels. Infants can also use the spinning Smart Stages Globe. With three interactive levels, they can press the buttons or turn the flip book pages to learn new greetings, animals, colours, modes of transport, music and continents along with songs and phrases.

Vivid Imaginations 01473 322 000 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk Vivid’s My First Crayola MessFree Sand Scribbler lets little ones draw in the sand. Kids can use the magnetic easy grip stylus to scribble in the sand, and can then shake the unit to start again. With endless drawing and 12 different coloured background lights, little ones will be kept busy for hours.

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Infant & toddler toys

Chicco 0121 454 9707 | www.chicco.co.uk The Chicco Disney Princess range features Disney’s princesses in a collection of four stimulating toys.

The Cinderella Dancing Spinner features Cinderella in her ball gown, and when babies press Cinderella down the transparent balls spin, creating a swirl of colours. The balls also feature mice and bird characters.

Chicco’s Cinderella Dream Highchair Toy uses key themes from the classic story. A pumpkin transforms into a carriage by spinning it, creating twinkling sounds.

Hearts, crowns and a picture of Cinderella all add to the theme.

The range is added to with a Snow White Magic Mirror, complete with melodies and an interactive electronic Snow White Cottage with lights and sounds.

Clementoni 0208 782 1134 | www.clementoni.com Sandy Cuddle and Learn Bear will be TV promoted, and parents can also download an app. With the Sandy Cuddle and Learn Bear, there are five interactive buttons through which children can learn A, B, Cs and numbers as well as develop their hand/eye co-ordination. This talking teddy comes with lots of nursery rhymes and songs.

Baby T-Rex, which was a huge success for Clementoni in 2015, is now available in a pink version. The interactive dinosaur is an electronic toy which speaks, sings and moves. By pressing the three shaped buttons on its back the baby T-Rex will respond by walking forward and turning around. Baby T-Rex is an educational electronic toy which introduces children to numbers, first words and animal sounds. This comes complete with a matching rattle which interacts with Baby T-Rex to make it move.

AC T IV I T Y P L AY M A TS

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NEW

Also available

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Learning Resources 07872 377 302 | www.LearningResources.co.uk Young learners can stack and match with Puzzle Blocks; two new illustrated sets include Number & Shape and Alphabet. Numbers and letters match with shapes and images, ideal for building early counting, vocabulary and colour matching skills.

Rhyming Pups is a new addition to the Snap n Learn range. Featuring 10 plastic two-piece pups, each head features a beginning letter and each tail features a two-letter word ending that can be mixed and matched to create over 55 rhyming words. With two levels of play to choose from, these pups encourage literacy skills, colour recognition, imaginative play and fine motor skills.

New additions to the Playfoam range include Undersea Adventures, Vroom & Zoom, Dino Pals and Fairytale Friends. Playfoam is mess-free and doesn’t dry out.

The sets can be shaped and sculpted multiple times, and won’t stick to clothes or carpet.

VTech 01235 555 545 | www.vtech.co.uk 2016 sees the introduction of new additions to the collectible Toot-Toot Drivers range. Having already introduced four new individual drivers for spring/summer, VTech is now introducing a Toot-Toot Drivers Gold Mine Train Set, spanning over 1.3 metres wide. The playset also includes a motorised mining train which chugs its cargo car up and down the tracks and though the mine. The Gold Mine also houses nine Smartpoint locations which trigger fun sounds and responses to each Toot-Toot Drivers vehicle.

VTech Baby is highlighting the Push and Ride Alphabet Train. This 4-in-1 alphabet train includes modes for sit-down play, walker, pullalong wagon and ride on. It includes 13 double-sided letter blocks and a magic tunnel to load the blocks into the wagon, and also features a removable walkie-talkie and number pad, light-up piano keys, turning book and manipulative beads and cogs. Also, teaching objects, animals, phonics, letters, colours, weather, numbers and much more are featured.

It also includes four sing-along songs and 10 melodies. The Push and Ride Alphabet Train from VTech encourages discovery and exploration, language development and motor skills.

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viewpoint Toy World shares insight and opinion

John Baulch publisher and managing editor, Toy World

Has Lego really ruined the world?

Ben Fogle recently publicly criticised Lego, at the annual conference of the Boarding School Association. In mirroring Lego to the education system as a whole, he described Lego as having “…transformed into a rigid box-ticking discipline where children are encouraged to build by conformity.” Rather than focus on the very real issue that he was trying to highlight, that of strictly dictated and limited curricula, with not enough emphasis on development and learning through play, the media seized on apocalyptic and perhaps ill-judged comments such as “How Lego ruined the world.”

Journalists were quick to defend Lego, mostly with a succession of “when I were a lad” tales of unbridled creativity with the Lego sets of their youth, albeit giving the distinct impression that, deep down, they would really rather be building a Millennium Falcon than creating their own designs. One pundit claimed that having successfully completed the ambitious model, users would take it apart and build something else.

I’m not entirely sure an enthusiast would, but many children certainly enjoy pulling the bricks apart, then starting a new build of their own. It was also rightly pointed out that Lego supplies many sets which are “boxes of bricks”, plus a huge range of components, to build anything and everything, as well as the sets that encourage recreating the image on the packaging exactly, which cause Mr Fogle such consternation. Perhaps

remembering that he had in the past been a brand ambassador for Lego City, he later explained on Twitter: “For the record. I love @LEGO_Group. It’s brilliant. I just wish there were more bricks and less kits.”

Many construction toys, as well as other toys such as craft kits, include careful instructions in order to produce foolproof, and therefore satisfying, results. Although a certain degree of skill is required even for this, there are also numerous sets which foster creativity and imagination by allowing the user to add variance to the end result.

Indeed, the whole premise of the Lego Movie centred on following - or not following instructions, quite cleverly highlighting parents as being the unbending obsessives.

As Harry Wallop asked in The Telegraph, if your child is having a meltdown over a missing Lego brick, who’s to blame?

This leads us to question whether toys, and not just Lego, are imposing boundaries and limits on the children who play with them, stifling imagination rather than inspiring it. It could be argued that many toys today seem to be extremely prescriptive, with a TV series or film backstory behind them.

Increasingly, there is a heavily promoted online universe, which suggests much of the gameplay and leaves little room for imagination. But there will always be children who deviate, perhaps sending an action figure into a fantastical realm, astride a dinosaur, to rescue an unfortunate collection of minifgures that have found themselves in an impossible situation, and I for one applaud them. Plus there is, of course, a whole raft of less prescriptive toys available, around which wonderful games can be invented.

Watching MasterChef (bear with me), I find that I enjoy watching the contestants’ own inventions far more than them recreating famous chefs’ dishes under ridiculous time pressure. But by putting themselves through the rigours of working this way, they are forced to focus on new technical skills and original ideas which they are then able to integrate into their own cooking. Even if that’s only “plating up” or serving the sauce on the plate in more

Toy World 88

inventive ways. They take something from the experience that may not otherwise have occurred to them.

I always find it interesting to understand how other writers developed their style. The writer Alan Bennett admits that he started writing by imitating: “art comes out of art; it begins with imitation, often in the form of parody, and it’s in the process of imitating the voices of others that one comes to learn the sound of one’s own.”

Life is a learning process. It is necessary to understand and experience rules in order to break them, or at least to determine which of them are important, in any walk of life. This is valid as long as there is the opportunity to go on and use what was learned from these rules or suggestions. In education, the fear is that there are very real time constraints and too many restrictions on subject matter, with the result that the next step - developing basic knowledge into something more is never carried through, and therefore lost. Perhaps Ben Fogle has a point there.

But playing with toys does not have that disadvantage and I personally think he was misguided to imply so. Even a toy with rules is not limited to them, it’s a starting point, an inspiration. With the vast and varied range of product that toy companies provide, as long as kids are given the opportunity and time to play, creativity, active imaginations and sheer enjoyment will naturally follow.

Ruth Clement Full Steam Consulting

The future of play in all its many forms

In 2011, I was fortunate to be a part of Play England’s working group of experts, tasked with exploring the effects of diminishing play opportunities for children, in an article entitled: A world without play – an expert view. In recent research I conducted for Full Steam, I revisited this topic and explored diminishing play time with 1500 UK mums. The research reveals that our expectation of what traditional toys and play can deliver is shaped by our own changing relationship with the world around us as adults, and an emerging blind spot of the importance of learning through real-world experience in a child’s development.

Risks and rewards Adults who are just embarking on parenthood are clear in their desire to encourage an active, outdoor and wholesome childhood, with an idyllic vision of what that childhood entails, including climbing trees, riding bikes, imaginative and creative self-expression, and freely exploring the real world.

The reality of childhood is often far from that idyllic dream. The statistics speak for themselves.

Hands up how many of you reading this article remember going out on your bike as a kid, roller skating, making dens, marble runs or mud pies with your mates? In England, the average child over five years old rides a bike just once

David Ripley Groupon

The convergence of Toy and Tech

It would be too simplistic to attribute the decline in play time involving traditional toys or open ended play initiatives wholly to screenbased technology. Indeed, digital content often actually generates fantastic off screen play ideas.

Conspiring to squeeze out unstructured play time is the increase in time spent on organized,

extra-curricular activities. A large proportion of children between the ages of three and ten attend at least one club, usually several clubs each week. A third of mums of children aged 3-10 believe that clubs for children should be all about rewards and attainment (medals, grades, league success, end of term performance) rather than about the physical, social or emotional benefits of simply taking part.

Research shows that the more extra-curricular organized activities a child participates in, the narrower their range of interests, play and attainment. With less unstructured time available to play, children tend to seek “downtime” in the form of bite-sized activities, screenbased games or broadcast entertainment. A little girl who goes to dance classes three or more times a week, will tend towards more screen based down-time, with content which relates to those activities she is enrolled in (The Next Step, Strictly Come Dancing). She is less likely to play imaginatively with toys or to initiate unstructured indoor or outdoor play than children who are more accustomed to instigating their own off-line games with more unstructured time available for them to do so. Fun, fulfilling play, instinctive though it may be, also increases with practice.

The toy trade has a challenge on its hands. If, like me, you think that the value of playing with traditional toys needs to be re-asserted, then we could all do with a bit of clever marketing and ingenuity to get the right message across as an industry, increasing parents’ understanding of the value of screen-free playtime in cognitive, social and emotional development. Take initiatives like BTHA’s Make Time to Play.

Most toy companies will be preparing for media sign offs in the coming weeks. Those media laydowns are likely to focus on generating kids’ demand for individual toy lines and increasing share of individual toy brands. As part of your marketing strategy, and thinking beyond the sales driven by a single item, how will you compel parents to champion traditional toys and play above other activities?

Tech and toys have been combined for centuries, ever since Leonardo da Vinci created a wind up Lion as a gift for Louis 12th when he visited Italy in 1509. The wind up mechanism was the tech of its day, taking a static object and creating movement was an incredibly exciting advancement. Just over 500 years later the rate of tech acceleration in connected toys is moving faster than ever and this functional convergence is further blurring the lines between tech and toys.

The Fisher Price Code-a-Pillar is a bold move considering its target market, but ultimately the next logical step into taking tech to the preschool market as many toddlers can navigate tablets and smart phones easier than most adults. So much PR and hype accompanied the launch of the Code-a-Pillar, interestingly

showcased at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, that this product is seen as pioneering launch in the area of coding for toddlers.

Surely that honour was either Speak & Spell from Texas Instruments, launched at CES back in 1978, or Big Trak, launched in 1979 by Milton Bradley – a vehicle that could follow up to 16 pre-set commands before dumping its cargo. The significant difference being that Big Trak was targeted at children aged eight plus, versus the Code-a-Pillar which is targeted at three year olds and of course is a connected toy, easily hooking up to a computer via a USB. The first true mass market PC, the Sinclair ZX81, did not hit shelves until 1981 so Big Trak had no chance of being one of the first truly connected toys.

a month, with only 3% of children aged 11+ proficient enough to then cycle to school. 1 in 3 children have NEVER climbed a tree. 35% of parents admit that they have prevented their child from climbing trees in order to avoid any form of risk. The opportunity to learn from the real-world experience of climbing trees, riding bikes, playing with friends in the park, assessing risk and return in the process, has declined faster than the green open spaces in which adventures arise.

Screen time The majority of mothers of infants surveyed believe that their child will grow up to have a greater understanding of the real world thanks to the internet and it is a mainstream belief that the internet will ultimately make children more resourceful in that world, thanks to the accessibility of information on line. 25% of mums reject both these assumptions and appear to be more attuned to the less visible cognitive benefits of traditional forms of play. In their view, the definition of resourcefulness is not based on information handed out by others or found in the virtual world of the internet. It is based on the knowledge their child will gain from interactions and experiences had in the real world.

More than 30% of mums of children aged 3-10 also claim that their child would prefer to play with a screen based device rather than a traditional toy, and 36% of mums of preschool children agree. The survey reveals that many parents feel ill-equipped, or lack motivation, to impose parental controls on their child’s internet and screen use, with some confusion as to what tools are available to them.

Organized activity

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So it is the targeting of tech to the younger user that is changing. Being born into an advanced technological environment gives a natural advantage and usage becomes instinctive.

The school curriculum has been rapidly changing in a bid to keep up with the demands of the new economy where computer coding and data science will be essential skills in the ‘future now’ era. Many pre-schools have for many years included an Information Technology suite and, talking from experience, it is not uncommon for infant school children to complete their homework on PowerPoint. I’m sure that it’s

Andy Clempson Toy industry sales and commercial expert

Life: one long negotiation…

Picture the scene, a Saturday morning family shopping trip to the supermarket, with mum promising a trip to the toy aisle if the kids behave and help with the food shopping first.

The kids, spotting an opportunity, suggest extra pocket money to spend in return for their cooperation. And so the negotiation begins. Many of us have been there - I know I have. From an early age we are all negotiating and kids are some of the best at it, whether pestering parents in the toy aisle or getting bed time pushed back by 15 minutes.

For toy suppliers, most negotiation is centred around commercial benefits: pricing, financial investment levels, promotional support, listings, catalogue space, in store placement, revenue generating rebate targets, on line support and the like. Often the stakes are high and getting it right is a valuable skill.

There are obvious basic principles of being a good negotiator, such as creating a win-win position, building trust for the long term, being efficient and creative as well as keeping a positive attitude. These principles can be used together with six basics steps: 1. Preparation: understanding the personalities you are dealing with and making sure you are very clear on your O.D.E. - that is an Optimum, Desirable and Essential result you want to achieve.

The minimum you have to achieve is your Essential position.

2. Opening: a summary with questioning and positioning so both parties understand what is important and what is - and is not - negotiable.

great for parents who never get close to the MS Office suite in their daily routines.

It’s great to see Fisher Price continuing to pioneer amongst the traditional non-tech led pre-school brands. Those that can remember back to 1984 will recall the link-up between Spinnaker software and Fisher Price, again announced and showcased at CES, and revolutionary for the era. The R&D teams at Playskool, Little Tikes and Tomy will be working hard to come up with equivalent coding related products. And of course the recent (yet to be finalised) Leapfrog and V-tech partnership is yet to launch a co-range, which I am sure will be close to the pioneering

3. Pitch: outlining your proposal.

4. Bargaining: This should be conditional, such as “if you do X then then we can do Y.” You should never bargain with your Essential outcome and aim to give concessions that are low cost to you but have perceived high value.

5. Closing: resolving the deal with a desirable conclusion.

6. Follow up: managing the agreement to make sure it actually happens.

As in most things in life, having a plan and some structure improves your chance of getting a decent result.

My involvement in toy industry negotiations has also led me to make further observations, including: •

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If it’s a team negotiation then be clear on who plays what role. Who will lead things, who is an advisor, and who will be the summariser or note taker?

Listen carefully for key indicators when you are bargaining e.g. “our toy department promotional terms and conditions are not negotiable” can really mean “everything else is negotiable” Keep your eyes open and check for body language - it’s not always 100% accurate but can often help tell you if you have touched a nerve, good or bad!

Start with an “extreme position” as you know it is likely that you will need to concede some points during the negotiation.

Be prepared to compromise and ultimately meet in the middle. But remember that willingness to meet halfway works well only if we are able to judge distance accurately, so try and work out the other persons Essential position from the start.

Take a “time out” if you are under pressure. This can actually save time overall by enabling good decisions through clearer thinking. I have also seen this tactic used to force a quick agreement from a Supplier e.g. “we will

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‘Lesson One Computron’ - the first Vtech learning aid back in 1980.

If the pace of change in toys is set to match that of technology, we will continue to see accelerated advancements in this industry as each toy company seeks to take market share in this hot product area. If anything is known about tech disruption, don’t assume that it will be the existing toy companies leading the advances; Sphero and CogniToys, both companies relatively unknown in the toy market, are making rapid advances in this area. What can we expect to see in the near future with tech product launches in 2017 and beyond? Duplo Mindstorms anyone?

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leave the room for 15 minutes and then we will be back for your final answer”.

However don’t get pressured into having to give an instant answer that you may regret.

Show patience and do not expect to conclude negotiations quickly. Toy suppliers and their customers can both play the long game of small concessions and counter offers that can take several meetings over several weeks, often at different management levels.

Expect the unexpected. Suppliers and customers can add random negotiation points to their proposals as a diversion or to use as a concession that may have no real value.

Know when to stop negotiating and realise when you have yourself a decent deal. I have seen people keep pushing to such an extent that the deal collapses.

Be clear where your bottom line is and when to walk away.

Follow up a concluded negotiation in writing and, ideally, get a signature on the agreement. A handshake is all well and good, but what happens when that person then leaves the business?

Practice makes perfect. There is nothing like the experience of a full blooded price negotiation with a Hong Kong market trader, punching his best offer into a calculator, to practise your bargaining skills and your “walk away” technique.

Likewise a company finance department is also a rich practice ground when you are looking to get a special price or extra investment agreed, and often even more challenging than the customer negotiation.

In negotiation, there are many tactics involved.

They can be fair, foul or something in between, depending on the competitive or collaborative style of the people involved and the seriousness of the outcomes. Just remember that we are all born with the ability to be good at it and we start practising very early.

Action Figure Movies and shelf space – three problems

The Toy market in the U.S. is driven to a large degree by licensed brands and in particular, by movie-based properties. Last year, the U.S. toy market grew by 8.7% according to the Klosters Retailer Panel. However, movie-driven toy sales grew by a staggering 11%. No toy category benefited from this development more than Action Figures.

While box office numbers are readily available for any of the movies that propel toy sales, the effect of these movies on toy sales or the extent of shelf space granted to these toys by the mass retailers is not generally known. However, the Klosters Retailer Panel has been tracking toy shelf space changes and sell-through performance at the major retailers since 2007 and has found a correlation between shelf space occupied by a given brand and its sell-through velocity.

This now allows us to look at the impact a movie, as measured by its U.S. box office results, has on a movie-driven brand such as G.I. Joe or Spider-Man. First, G.I. Joe. The most recent movie – G.I. Joe Retaliation - was not a particularly successful movie. Between its release in the U.S. on 3/28/2013 and its final demise on 7/18/2013, it racked up a total U.S. box office result of $122 million.

From the chart below you can see how Box Office results and shelf space, and hence sell-through, interacted. The trailer was widely shown as from early February and significant sell-on occurred early March. Sales of the toys were very strong from about March 25 onwards and stayed on a high level until end of July when box office, toy sales and shelf space dropped off the chart.

Source: Klosters Retailer Panel and Box Office Mojo We can see a virtually identical picture for the two recent Spider-Man movies – the Amazing Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man 2. Both lasted for exactly 3 ½ months – the first from 7/3/2012 to 10/14/2012 generating $262 million and the latter from 5/2/2014 to 8/17/2014 generating $202 million. This is how shelf space and sell-through developed:

sell-through reflected this.

Obviously, studios are fully aware that movies that drive toys also generate very attractive royalty income from toy licences. Hence we should not be surprised that the number of these children-orientated films is increasing. This is the development of Action Figure movies between 2014 and 2018:

Source: Box Office Mojo and Klosters Retailer Panel

Thereby lie three problems.

The first problem is that that toy movies tend to cannibalize themselves if there are too many of a given genre. Just looking at the movie numbers shown in the chart further above tells you that something will have to give. Also, nine of the total 15 Action Figure movies this year will be bunched into the three months between May and July, compared to four last year. There is no way that parents will let their kids go to watch double the number of movies in 2016 compared to 2015 nor will they let them buy double the toys either.

The second problem is that movie sequels in the U.S. typically do worse than their predecessors if they are too close together. As a rule of thumb, any movie that comes in three years or less after its predecessor tends to disappoint both in terms of box office as well as in terms of toy sales – see the Spider Man chart above as an example of this. In 2016, five out of the total fifteen action figure movies fall into this closesequel category whilst in 2015 there was only one out of a total of five. The trouble with close movie sequels is that their toys run up against what is already in the kid’s toy box from the previous movie.

The third problem is that whilst the number of toy focused movies may increase, the shelf space available to accommodate them is pretty much fixed.

In the case of Wal-Mart, Target and ToysRUs you look at a little more than two aisles and that is it. Yes, there is a degree of flexibility in terms of end caps and aisle caps but this is somewhat limited and tends to be costly. What this means is two things. One is that any Action Figure not driven by a major movie right there and then will get cut back or bumped altogether when a major release comes along. The second is that the time which the retailer gives a toy-driven Action Figure to prove itself is also very limited.

Obviously, Action Figures are the most extreme of all movie-driven categories. I cannot think of any major brand that has not had a movie recently or will have one soon, except WWE which is backed by a very popular and ongoing TV series. The conclusion to all this is that you better stay away from the category unless you have two things going for you – you have a very strong movie to back you AND you have the clout to get the shelf space you need.

By Lutz Muller

Source: Klosters Retailer Panel and Box Office Mojo You will notice two things. One is that both movies triggered major shelf space increases just before the movies broke. The sales of the toys associated with both pretty much fell off a cliff once the movie had gone away but the earlier movie, Amazing Spider-Man, revived shortly thereafter due to the impact of Christmas shopping. However, what is interesting is that the shelf space and sell-through patterns are consistent with the box office performance of both movies – Amazing Spider-Man 2 had approximately 30% less box office and hence its shelf space and

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CEO of Klosters Trading Corporation, a provider of competitive insights in the mass retail space in the USA and Europe.

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Full PR & TV Campaign Press & Media Launch Digital Programme Experiential Marketing Plan

Feature

Art & craft

Art for art’s sake In a category that has such a broad audience, it can often be a challenge for retailers to choose exactly what to stock as trends come and go. Jonika Kinchin finds out what is popular in the art & craft category this year.

C

hildren always enjoy creating things and sites such as Pinterest and Etsy have inspired people of all ages to get crafting, encouraging parents to get their kids involved. NPD Data shows that the value of the art and craft market was boosted to £154million in 2015.

Traditional crafts continue to be popular. Phil Hooper of Spin Master has noticed that sets, where children can start to make something straight from the box, are increasingly in demand. Additionally, new introductions are gaining traction in the sector, such as reusable compounds. Since launching Kinetic Sand, Spin Master has seen a significant growth in market share in the category, with the Sandbox being the top selling item for the month of March.

Speculating on where he expects the category to go in the coming year, Phil commented: “A growing trend is stuffing machines, with the licensed Build-A-Bear stuffing station coming in the second half of this year, and other items launching to market. We expect to see a continuation of growth in sand compounds for 2016, along with other craft kits”.

Leon Jarmolowicz, commercial director of the Crayola division for Vivid, is also predicting exciting developments: “Innovation will certainly play a part, particularly as suppliers continue to try to find the right way to commercialise augmented reality and physical/digital hybrid products,” he commented. “3D printing is something of a revolution and will become even more prominent in the future as its applications start to become cheaper, practical and thus more commercial”.

The popularity of the art and craft category shows that consumers are looking to take on a wide variety of creative projects. This means that the retailers who will enjoy the most success will be those that can become a one-stop shop for all creative needs, from basic activities right through to more innovative items.

Roy Greenwood, managing director at Kidicraft, points out: “Parents don’t want to have to spend ages going to different stores to find all the different items needed for an activity such a painting, which is why having packs in which everything needed is included is vital for retailers to stock”. Savvy retailers have also recognised the demand for value-added products in the category, and that stocking stationery and craft accessories - such as an aprons, tubs, and table covers - can provide useful add on purchases.

Spinmaster

The adult colouring book craze was a highlight of 2015 for Vivid and Crayola, with the additional benefit of driving sales of colouring pens, pencils and other stationery. Leon Jarmolowicz commented: “The trend for adult colouring in 2015 has gathered even more pace into this year and has now had a positive effect on core stationery as consumers re-discover the fun of basic creativity play that’s in all of our DNA, no matter how old. This is certainly reflected in our sales, with the Crayola brand up by 22% in Q1”.

Leon believes that adult colouring will eventually find a more stable level but should lead to a higher base value for the category for years to come. The trend for adult colouring is expected to whet consumers’ appetites for basic art and craft supplies and other trends that they can follow.

In such a hands-on category, in-store demonstrations and items that can be picked up and tested out are a huge advantage. Peter

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Allinson, owner of Whirligig Toys in Brighton, encourages his staff to try out and create the products to go on display themselves. “If we haven’t made it ourselves, then we don’t know if it works, and often we get the team members’ children to have a go as well,” he explained.

“This means that the shops are full of examples of the end product and we can all talk about how that was achieved. We have many models in the shop that show what the child is going to get involved in, and they are the focal point of our window displays”. Alongside in-store demos, Peter encourages his customers to send in pictures of their children with the end product that they have made, or bring them back into store. “We like to encourage children to finish a craft project so that they get the full enjoyment out of it and experience pride in what they have finished.

We are just about to relaunch our ‘I made this’ competition where our favourite photo wins a

Art & craft prize each month, a great way for children to have an audience for their crafting outside of the family”.

In an era of online shopping, the impact that hands on interaction and in-store demos can have is substantial, as Leon Jarmolowicz has found: “Although consumers are very tech-savvy, innovative items often require a much deeper level of understanding that packaging or catalogue images cannot fully provide. This makes instore demos or hands-on experience even more critical. The demonstrations Crayola organize in store allow children to have a quick go at a new painting technique or to experience the type of construction that is required”. Spin Master has also found in-store demonstrations and hands-on activities to be extremely important, with planned

activity on Sand in-store and the distribution of Bunchems samplers through various events.

As Phil Hooper points out, though: “Demo days work well for those retailers who can hold them, but other ways to maximise in-store sales could be branded POS or off-fixture displays”. Leon Jarmolowicz emphasised that increased demand in the sector, and consumer desire for a greater range of art and craft tools, make it important to be able to clearly segment ranges in-store by type of need, as well as visibly cater for all ages from pre-school and upwards.

Brand awareness and building a relationship with consumers is key. Spin Master has recently seen higher brand awareness, with brands such as Kinetic Sand and Sew Cool becoming household names. Phil added: “We hope to see the growth of

more traditional play patterns such as our Pottery Cool, that provide safer and simpler ways for young kids to learn new creative skill”.

The category has seen an increase in licensed items; a trend which offers retailers huge potential for cross category sales. Roy Greenwood keeps an eye on the media and children’s TV to keep ahead: “It’s difficult to predict what will come next, and what will pick up popularity. Licences in general seem to be making a comeback in the category, and Kidicraft keeps an eye out for where the gap in the market is, and plans accordingly”.

Over the next few pages, companies with products in the art and craft category have displayed their hottest and most recent products.

Paul Lamond gets crafty Toy World spoke to sales director Richard Wells about the company’s move into the art & craft sector As the company established its reputation in the games and puzzles category, what is the appeal of the art & craft sector to Paul Lamond?

“The arts and crafts sector is definitely a complementary addition to our core Games and Puzzles business. There is an obvious synergy between the games and puzzles sector and art and craft market.

Board Games encourage imagination and creative thinking which is exactly what the art and craft sector is all about. Utilising our extensive experience, we are looking to bring fresh and exciting new products to this market through our new Crafty Kids division. As well as providing our existing customer base with new and innovative products it will enable us to grow in the specialised art and craft retail market too.”

What does Paul Lamond bring to the category?

“The successful and renowned licenses we have in our core games and puzzles business are easily transferable to craft, as is our extensive knowledge and many years of experience in product design.

We also have an excellent track record of strong sales and exceptional customer service, delivered by our in-house sales team. The dedicated team enables us to provide fantastic customer relations and continuity to our customer base throughout the UK.” How will Paul Lamond be approaching its art & craft business?

“We will be looking to establish strong and unique art and craft ranges that will provide longevity and stand the test of

time in an already well established sector.

There are certainly some areas in craft that are already very well covered so our vision is to offer new and innovative, quality pieces into this sector such as our original Brain Noodles range.”

Will there be new appointments to champion the category within the Paul Lamond portfolio?

“We have appointed Fraser Kirkwood to lead our Art and Craft division. Fraser has joined Paul Lamond from Chroma Europe and has been brought on board with the specific objective of expanding our craft market across the UK. Fraser has many years experience and expertise in this sector and will be looking to champion our Crafty Kids division in amongst specialised art and craft retailers.”

What are the key lines in the art & craft range for 2016?

“We already have a number of successful and established ranges in our craft offering including our make and play Crafty Kids Puppet sets, 3D Paint By Numbers sets, Washable Activity Tablecloths and our colourful Brain Noodles collection where you can make Dogs, Kittens, Dinosaurs and finger puppets out of jumbo, bendy, silky fibre noodles. This summer we are launching a fantastic range of craft activity sets for the new star of CBeebies, Boj. There will be Plate Craft, Tube Craft and Box Craft sets available featuring the little Australian Bilby. We also have a number of exciting new craft lines in the pipeline for 2017.”

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Will licences play an important role in the art & craft area for Paul Lamond?

“Licenses will certainly play an important role in our art and craft sector. There is an obvious synergy between craft and many of the children’s and preschool licenses and the combination provides good added value for consumers. We will definitely be looking to take some more of our existing licenses into the craft sector just as we have already done with our successful licensed range of 3D Paint by Numbers sets for Rainbow Magic, Dinosaur Roar and Thomas & Friends.”

Art & craft

DKL 01604 678 780 | www.dkl.co.uk DKL offers a variety of arts and crafts ranges to inspire creative play. The newest addition is PlayMais, which complements the company’s Hama and Scentco Scented Stationery ranges.

Each PlayMais kit contains natural maize pieces which are used to make colourful 2D and 3D creations. PlayMais One kits contain over 70 pieces. The company is currently offering retailers all the materials for hosting a PlayMais event, to showcase the creativity of the product.

Also on offer from DKL is the Hama range, offering a large range of bead-craft sets and accessories in both generic themes and popular licences such as Disney Frozen, Disney Cars and Hello Kitty.

Hama offers a range of different sets to suit all ages of creative play, including Maxi Stick and Hama Mini.

Scentco Scented Stationery has grown from strength to strength, from pencils to notepads. The best-selling Smencils collection is a range of scented pencils in various themes, scents, colours and merchandising options. There are several scents available to try from Cola and Strawberry Cupcake to Jelly Bean and Watermelon.

The scents last for two years and all materials are biodegradable and/or recycled.

DKL supports all its ranges with a full marketing campaign, including bespoke planograms, extensive social media and PR activity.

Character Options 0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.com Fans will be able to make their own collectibles with Poppits, the mini clay creations that can be pieced together and decorated. Each set contains the Poppit clay, crafting tools and moulds while refill packs of clay are also available.

Also part of the collection is Shopkins Poppits.

Gemmies takes working with beads and jewels to another level as they hook, loop and create collectible jewelled figures and decorations which can be displayed or used to decorate key rings, bags and more. Top of the range is the Gemmies Design Studio which comes with a design mat, design book, bead storage unit and pre-assembled ring mounts.

Character’s Peppa Pig portfolio now boasts a creative collection too. The recent addition of a Peppa’s Arts & Crafts range introduces a wide array of Softee Dough sets together with a Magna Doodle.

Other new brands include Pom Pom WOW!, Magic Dip Pom Pom WOW! is set to open up a whole new style statement, as girls can decorate accessories.

It takes just seconds to create a decorative pop pom which can also be dyed or decorated with glitter. Magic Dip is also about creating a statement with accessories. A colourful marble effect will be instantly transferred and can be applied to anything from jewellery to shoes, phones cases and photo frames.

Asobi 01628 200 077 | www.asobi.co.uk The company is fully entering the art and craft category for the first time in 2016. Asobi is now the exclusive UK distributor of the Australian art and craft brand, Micador. With vibrant packaging and product design, the range has been safety tested for 18+months. The range focuses around sensory and creative play, and many independent traders have already provided positive feedback.

The range aims to make art accessible for everyone, with a lot of the products designed for small hands, such as the chunky triangular marker pens. Products expected to do particularly well in the range include the Sensory Creating Pack, the Sensory Drawing Pack and the Sensory Painting Pack, which include the textured materials needed for little ones to get artistic. The Painting Pack is also set to be a best-seller and includes art stencils, painting paper, packs of brushes, no drip paint and much more. Also in the range are two art smocks, in blue and pink, with the recognisable giraffe character feature.

The Splash Mat also enables mess free art sessions.

Marketing and advertising plans are due to be put in place, which will feature a strong focus on social media.

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Art & craft

Epoch Making Toys 0843 557 4062 | www.aquabeadsart.com New in the Aquabeads range for 2016 is the complete Beadtastic Set as well as various theme refills such as the Animals Friends Set and Crystal Charms Set. There are two varieties of Aquabeads: Solid Beads and Jewel Beads.

The colourful beads are ideal for those who want creative fun without the mess of glue. Simple and easy to use, children can just arrange the beads into a pattern on the specially designed layout tray, spray with water and then watch their design dry in seconds.

Available from retailers now, the new Beadtastic Set is an all-in-one kit ideal for both new and established Aquabeaders.

Responding to customer feedback, Epoch has created a set which comes with over 2,000 beads in 20 colours and comes with everything needed to get started, including eight templates designs, a layout tray and spray, complete with a Shooting Star Case.

John Adams 01480 414361 | www.johnadams.co.uk John Adams has expanded its creative play portfolio for 2016 with the new eZee Beads range. The eZee Beads small sets come complete with 400 coloured beads with a choice of Garden Bugs & Flowers, Pets and Under the Sea assortments. Large sets include 800 beads and larger designs in Butterflies, Charms, Princesses and Ponies options. Joining the collection in the autumn is the eZee Beads 3D Animal Friends set and the eZee Beads Studio set.

Playstuff Sands Alive will see two new themed sets introduced for autumn. New for this year are Sands Alive Glow, featuring glow-in-the-dark sand, and Sands Alive Sweet Treats.

The company’s Bangle Blitz range is growing with the introduction of Neon, Glam and Glitzi Girl sets. The sets include wooden bangle sticks, a bangle maker tool, lots of wrap designs and stickers to personalise the designs.

The BloPens range will also see a new introduction for autumn/winter in the form of a Disney Princess Creative Case. A new Star Wars Activity set, alongside refreshed Animal and Super Activity sets will also join the collection.

Also set to join the company’s craft portfolio later this year is the Disney Princess Jelly Stickers Light & Sparkle Fairy Lights set. The kit comes complete with six Jelly Paints, Disney Princess Jelly Stickers, a string of 10 soft glow battery powered LED lights and 10 Jewel Castings. Also joining the range will be the Disney Princess Jelly Stickers Light & Sparkle Night Light & Projector.

All ranges will be TV advertised and will benefit from heavyweight digital and PR plans.

GP Flair 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Cut it Out is a new concept joining the range of products under the Cool Create banner. This new tool colours and cuts paper at the same time. The Design Set is the ideal starter set, including everything children need to create countless designs.

For more serious crafters, is the Design Studio comes packed with four special markers and a carry along workstation that doubles up as storage.

Launched in autumn/winter 2015, and named as a DreamToys Top 12 winner, IDO3D reinvented drawing for kids. This year sees the introduction of IDO3D Vertical. The new vertical spotlight clips onto IDO3D pens allowing kids to draw vertically, horizontally and any other way. Autumn will also see the introduction of new themes and bright neon inks.

Flair also offers highly recognised heritage brands such as Etch a Sketch and Plasticine. New in spring/summer 2016 was the launch of Spirograph, including the new Spiro-Putty that holds the classic pieces securely so designs can be created without holes in the paper.

After his comeback in spring, Mr Frosty offers kids the chance to make their own ice cream at home in minutes with the help of the Mr Frosty Ice Cream Factory.

Another of Flair’s classic craft brands is Cool Cardz. The brand is welcoming the new Cool Cardz Scratcheez, a bigger set including additional contents and play patterns. Launching in autumn with TV promotions, the set features scratch-off stickers which kids can use to reveal patterns and create their own top secret mess.

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AGE

Metallic & Fluorescent Poster Paints

3+

Canvas Set with Watercolours & Brush

AGE

3+

Coloured Pencils 12 Assorted

AGE

AGE

3+

3+

Paint By Numbers Kit

Poster Paint Tubes in 22 colours with two Brushes and Palette

AGES

AGE

4-8

3+

SIX THEMES IN COUNTER DISPLAY

Children’s AntiStain Plastic Sleeved Apron

100% FSC WOOD ELASTICA TED

SLEEVES

AGE

3+

Air-Dry Modelling Clay 500g

AGE OFF CAPS S Y A 5D

3+

Fibre Pens 24 Assorted Colours

Junior Washable Ready Mix Paints

AGE

2+

AGE

4+

Textile Paint Kit

Jumbo Paint Brushes AGE

3+

SIX STENC IL INCLUD S ED

Fantasia Art Set

AGE

3+ ®

Kidicraft Limited Tel : +44 (0)1282 505988 Email : sales@kidicraft.com

www.kidicraft.com

Art & craft

MGA Entertainment 0844 561 1899 | www.mgae.com

Kitfix Swallow Group 01760 721 390 | www.sequinart.com The company has announced that its new Diamond Art products will be shipping from July. The products received a positive reception when launched at this year’s Nuremberg show, and additional designs are already being developed in response to requests for a wider range.

July also sees the launch of the new Craft Teen ranges, including the Baboushka Russian Dolls which children can paint and decorate with glitter.

Soy Wax Candles feature Soy Wax flakes which are microwaveable.

The new Pug design in the Painting by Numbers range has recently achieved best-selling status at a major chain, and is now its number one best-selling picture across the category.

Lily Pug has also seen strong sales in the Sequin Art range. With 15 new designs across the range for this year, and TV advertising from October through to Christmas, the company is expecting to see strong sales across the brand. Other top sellers include Pepino Penguins, and the Snowman and the Snowdog.

Gel-a-Peel is the new craft brand from MGA Entertainment that allows kids to customise and create accessories.

Featuring a number of craft kits, each with bright and bold Gel-a-Peel tubes, the brand combines fashion and design.

Fans can pick their coloured tube and trace along the design templates provided with each set. Once the gel has air-dried, kids can peel away their mess-free design to reveal their accessory creation.

Having launched earlier this year in the US, the sell-through data shows that the brand is off to a strong start.

Supported by a strong TV campaign, plus PR, digital and social media, Gel-a-Peel will be available at leading toy retailers from July.

The product range includes the Starter Kit, which includes a designer tip and eight design templates, with colours including sparkle pink, sparkle purple, neon pink and pure gold. The Accessory Kit is also included, which features three Gel-a-Peel tubes, five tips, 16 design templates, two pieces of accessory hardware and is also available as a neon kit with neon colours.

The Deluxe Kit has the widest array of colours and accessory hardware. The Design Station features a 3D design work station, 3D design templates, four Gel-a-Peel tubes, four designer tips and hardware.

Kidicraft 01282 505 988 | www.kidicraft.com The Primo Arts and Crafts range from Kidicraft comprises of chalks, crayons, pencils, fibre-tip pens, modelling clays, brushes, craft tools and a range of paints from watercolours through to oils. These high quality products, made mostly in Italy, are designed for both children and adults alike.

The range features white and coloured chalks alongside multi-coloured wax crayons, standard or jumbo sized, in boxes or storage buckets. A box or tub of 48 wax crayons contains 48 different colours. Coloured pencils also come in standard and jumbo sizes, and both versions are available in school boxes as well as retail packs, for easy storage in the classroom. The Primo fibre-tip pens have a five day ‘cap-off’ period before they dry out, and Primo watercolour paints are made from a compacted paste that makes them denser than average, meaning they last longer.

Among new products for 2016, the painting by numbers range features six different theme sets, each with six assorted designs. The sets come in a handy CDU containing 18 pieces, three of each topic.

Primo also manufactures an anti-stain apron with pockets and elasticated sleeves, suitable for younger children.

The range of poster paints are water-based and have a thicker than average consistency, plus the junior paint is completely washable. Finger paints, textile paints and poster paints in both metallic and fluorescent colours complete this range.

Six Primo products currently feature in the Good Toy Guide, all of which have achieved outstanding star ratings.

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Let’s get creative!

PAUL LAMOND GAMES LIMITED 31 Newington Green, Islington, London N16 9PU Tel: 020 7254 0100 Fax: 020 7254 3400 Web: www.paul-lamond.com

Craft 2016 Advert Toyworld.indd 1

17/05/2016 10:00

Art & craft

Re:creation 0118 973 6222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk Re:creation is set to continue to grow its Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory range offering in the second half, and the Rainbow Art Kit will also join the company’s Re:creatables line-up.

The Minions added their touch to Re:creation’s special edition Make-aBar Chocolate Factory kit in 2015 and continue in 2016 with strong results.

Joining them in the brand’s line-up for the second half is a My Little Pony edition Make-a-Bar kit, capitalising on the evergreen popularity of the licence. Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory Kits contain everything children need to design and make their own themed chocolate bars including templates, moulds and three different colours of Belgian chocolate. The brand will be supported throughout the second half with digital and PR activity.

Joining the Re:creatables line-up, Rainbow Art’s art kit features a selection of colourful, interchangeable paint pads. The Rainbow Art paint dries in seconds for a no-mess, no fuss way to play. Each set includes five moveable paint rolls, dip tray and four paint brush sponges. Rainbow Art will be supported with TV, online activity and PR.

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Spin Master’s Bunchems will launch in the UK in the beginning of July, giving kids the opportunity to build, squish and connect 3D creations. The launch is being supported with a direct response campaign and heavyweight TV to follow.

2016 also sees the growth of Kinetic Sand with Kinetic Sand Build, a new building formula. The core Kinetic Sand range is being developed further to introduce new and licensed playsets, including an updated sandbox set with new moulds and tools.

This autumn, Sew Cool will introduce a new play pattern to the world of sewing. Kids will be able to transfer metallic designs onto their Sew Cool fabric to customise their creations.

Pottery Cool also hits shelves in autumn, and is another traditional craft made-easy for kids. Its patented core system helps to create pottery upsidedown. The Pottery Cool studio includes everything needed to create and customise six clay projects. Additional projects kits and refills will be sold separately.

Kids will soon be able to create their own furry friends with the Build-A-Bear Stuffing Station, which contains everything needed to bring two characters to life. Additional friends’ skins, outfits and accessories can be purchased separately, all available in autumn.

Paul Lamond Games 020 7254 0100 | www.paul-lamond.com This summer, Paul Lamond is introducing new licensed craft sets to add to its range of creative products.

Available this June will be a new range of craft sets for CBeebies star, Boj. The range will include the Let’s get Boj-ing Box Craft, Tube Craft and Plate Craft activity sets.

Paul Lamond’s make and play Crafty Kids Puppet range features six puppets to choose from including a ballerina, princess fairy, horse, knight, dinosaur and a pirate. The sets contain everything needed to create a colourful puppet, including paints, brushes and glue.

The company’s craft collection also includes the Brain Noodle range. The range features bright and flexible 18” jumbo, silky fibre noodles that can be bent in any direction. There are six Brain Noodle sets to choose from including bugs, kittens, puppies, finger puppets, flowers and dinosaurs.

In addition, Paul Lamond also has three 3D paint by number sets from Dinosaur Roar, Rainbow Magic and Thomas & Friends. Each set contains paints, backgrounds, glitter paint, sticker pads, frames and seven items to paint.

Ideal for pre-schoolers, the original double-sided Activity Tablecloth and Thomas & Friends Activity Tablecloth are packed with games and activities to colour in. Each Tablecloth comes with five washable marker pens to complete the activities, and once finished the tablecloth can be washed and used again.

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Craft lines for the shelf – they won’t stay there for long

All with Creation Station’s excellent margins and low MOQs www.artstraws.com . sales@artstraws.com 01792 796151 . Swansea SA6 8RB

Art & craft

Artstraws 01792 796 151 | www.artstraws.com Creation Station has a successful range of art and crafts products ideal for shelf display. The range complements its spinner display of kits and materials and, like all Creation Station products, has been tested and approved by children in school art and craft classes.

The range features patio chalks that wash off easily but also produce dense colours on paper, and come as either giant chalks or chunky little chalks. There are also screw top stacks of wiggle eyes, in every size and colour including peel and stick. Acrylic gemstones and confetti and sequins also come in screw top stacks. High quality glitter in 100g shaker jars and barrels of craft buttons and all kinds of beads also feature.

Also new to the range is a stack of four Non-spill Paint Pots with Stoppers.

Creation Station’s air-drying clay in 500g and 1 kilo packs is soft and smooth, ideal for the professional modeller but easy for children to handle too. The 1 kilo tub of Plaster of Paris sells constantly throughout the year.

The Artstraws modelling straws range has excellent margins and low MOQs.

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.co.uk Tomy’s Aquadoodle range saw growth last year following the launch of the Super Colour Deluxe, which introduced new colour technology to the existing range. In 2016, Tomy has continued to produce breakthrough products with top property licences including Thomas & Friends, which will see a Thomas-themed mat and roller. Later this year Tomy will also unveil the Paw Patrol Aquadoodle which will be available in autumn/winter and includes a mat, pen and Chase-themed roller.

Tomy will continue to support the Aquadoodle portfolio with two TV campaigns in August and October.

Over a 12-week air, each campaign will highlight the Super Colour Deluxe and licensed Aquadoodle mats and will drive visibility to consumers. Tomy will continue to drive the growth of the Aquadoodle portfolio by launching a further online video campaign. The company will also launch a PR and social media campaign over the summer which will highlight the benefits of travelling with the Aquadoodle Travel Bags.

To drive consumer visibility, Tomy has also reviewed its in-store presence and has implemented a targeted marketing strategy to bring Aquadoodle to life with POS. In addition, Tomy is also set to launch new in-store demonstration areas, competitions and events to drive further engagement.

Vivid Imaginations 01473 322 000 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk Vivid’s Cling Creator lets kids create clings that stick and peel on many surfaces. Also new for 2016 is the Twirl & Whirl Turtle stamp and the Marker Maker with Emoji Stampers.

The Crayola Easy Animator gives kids all the tools they need to create and share custom animations quickly and easily. Children can create animated videos up to 12 times faster than traditional stop motion animation, and can capture it on a device with the free app.

3,2,1 Draw! is ideal for on the go entertainment with a variety of play options in one stowaway set.

Scribble Scramble is a team game where children have to guess drawn clues before they disappear.

Doodle Delirium is a game against time with creative challenges to complete on the Doodle Delirium board: Paper Mashups, Model Madness, Scribble Riddles and Doodle Dummies.

Art & craft

Interplay 01628 488 944 | www.interplayuk.com The myStyle range has seen a complete makeover this year with new packaging design and products. The new additions include the Hashtag Bracelets and Dreamcatcher Jewellery, to create the trendy bohemian look, and Keepsake Lockets, a fast growing trend on the high street and a new way to display miniature keepsakes and cherished items.

Interplay has done extensive research to understand myStyle’s target audience, and to find the best channels to engage with them. All the aspects of this range, from product and packaging to the marketing channels and messages, reflect the latest trends in user and buyer behaviour.

The research suggests that 90% of teens or pre-teens have access to mobile devices, watch YouTube and visit Instagram every day to always be informed about the latest fashion trends. At least a quarter of all teens are looking for content to teach them new skills to create fashionable items.

MyStyle ticks all these boxes with its cleverly targeted online marketing campaign with engaging videos in 2016 and by offering young girls the opportunity to learn jewellery making skills and create jewellery they will be proud to make, wear and share.

Puzzles and Play 01354 669733 | www.puzzlesandplay.co.uk Puzzles and Play is pleased to announce that as of July it will be the official importer of the Dimensions Embroidery range. Dimensions is one of the best known names in the craft market worldwide. The range includes small to large kits, with varying degrees of difficulty to cater for the beginner to the more experienced crafter. The sets cover a vast range of subject matters from Christmas favourites to countryside scenes to animals and teddy bears. The kits are not only great as a craft project but can be used to make gifts with items such as cushion covers, Christmas stockings, personalised keyrings, drinks coasters and book covers.

The embroidery range sits alongside the Dimensions Paintworks range.

These quality paint by number canvases can be framed to make a personal piece of artwork for the home. As with the embroidery range, the Paintworks range covers an extensive range of subject matter.

Plush Heart DIY soft toys has announced the new Christmas lines. The preexisting lines of teddies, dollies and animals have proved very popular, and the new Christmas items are set to follow suit. The new items include snowmen, Santa and reindeer.

Five Stars +852 3692 5032 | www.fivestarshk.com Qolor is Five Stars’ newest brand in paint items. The brand has a wide variety of paint formulas, including Paperpaint, Fingerpaint, Windowpaint, Magicpaint and Chalkpaint.

In the Paperpaint line, Five Stars has developed a new press-and-paint brush pen. Children can press the soft pen and use the brush to spread the paint that comes out. This line concentrates on creations in drawings, spray art, canvas tape art and monster air art.

The Fingerpaint pot has two special functions; the integrated sponge helps young children make the perfect fingerprint, and they can then explore little shapes inside the paint. The Fingerpaint is combined with several additions such as a 30-page fingerprint book or sponges that can be put on fingers.

The Windowpaint can be directly put on glass, or children can use special templates to make stickers.

Magicpaint is special 3D paint that is suitable for plastic, textile and more.

Chalkpaint spray guarantees outdoor fun with the specially designed four layered stencils.

Five Stars believes it is important to stimulate kids’ sense of creativity and ability to construct something from scratch. With Qolor, it focuses on finding ways of playing to make children real artists with simple materials. Throughout the Qolor line, one special paint pen is recognisable and in combination with fitting add-ons, is ideal to use in the different paint formulas. Extra attention has been given to the package style, adding clear tutorials for ultimate play value.

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Creative Craft Kits

Just add water!

from

DKL MARKETING LTD 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton, NN3 6QD, UK tel. 01604 678780 email. dkl@dkl.co.uk web. www.dkl.co.uk

facebook.com/DKL.Toys twitter.com/DKLtoys

Asobi half p toy world ad Micador April:Layout 1 06/05/2016 14:37 Page 1

The ‘early stART®’ range from Micador, fun & safe for young children!

• T: 01628 200077 • www.asobi.co.uk • info@asobi.co.uk

Art & craft

Hape 0845 600 0286 | www.marbel.com The arts and crafts products come as complete sets with the accessories needed to undertake various art projects such as paper craft, sand art, embroidery, painting and mosaics.

New sets released for spring/summer this year include three dinosaur mosaics in stegosaurus, triceratops and t-rex designs.

Other sets include the Penguin Pouch where children can sew together their very own pouch bag, and the Brave Lion Paper craft set with which children can create a lion mask.

Another popular set in the range is the King of the Jungle Sand Art set, which also won a Right Start Toy Award in 2015.

Clementoni 0208 782 1134 | www.clementoni.com Children can discover the chemical reactions of salts with the Create Your Own Crystals set, and can create lots of different animal-shaped crystals. There are many activities for children to do to make their own sparkling crystals with this Science Museum approved kit.

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear is introducing new creative products this year including Mr Tumble’s Felt Fun, part of the refreshed Something Special range, and the Thomas and Friends Felt Set. Designed to encourage creative play, the sets include a flocked board and over 50 felt pieces to mix and match.

Also new for autumn is the newly designed Thomas & Friends Mini Sketcher. The Mini Sketchy Fun is colourfully decorated and encourages children to get creative and use their imaginations. Children can draw their favourite characters on the screen then use the swiper to wipe clean and start again.

Trends 01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk

Hornby Hobbies 01843 233 500 | www.hornby.com

With the new FairyLane Sparkletopia range, kids can create fairy-themed characters, charms and jewellery creations with no mess and results every time. TV promoted, the range is available through Trends UK from spring 2016.

The range features creative sets to make sparkling charms, bunnies, kittens, diaries and fairies. The hero item, the Fairy Designer Studio is a practical play station for kids to create with no mess. The set includes 47 different charms, 12 sparkle sheets and a fairy play scene with the three FairyLane fairies to decorate.

The RAF Red Arrows Hawk includes 59 pieces to create a 1:72 model that measures 163mm x 130mm when complete.

The Fokker E.II/BE2c Dogfight Doubles Gift Set includes 79 pieces, eight acrylic paints, two brushes and one poly cement to create a 1:72 Fokker and 1:72 BE2c.

Acting as airborne ambassadors for Great Britain, the Red Arrows perform a schedule of displays all over the world, effectively displaying the precision and professionalism of the modern Royal Air Force. Following the completion of the team’s 50th display season in 2014, the distinctive Hawks of the Red Arrows are now wearing a smart new livery, which enthusiasts will be seeing at events all over the UK throughout the 2016 display season.

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Feature

Wheeled toys

Let the good times roll As we finally wave goodbye to the UK’s notoriously chilly first quarter, it’s officially time for the wheeled toys category, and the weather, to shine. Clarabel Jones examines the trends and developments of the sector, and what retailers can do to turn up the heat this summer.

W

ith the weather now warming up, children from all the over the country are taking to their trusty wheels to get them to school with speed and style, or to ride for fun. Wheeled toys targeted at older children are continually advancing, with the development of new technology assisting the growing demand for the coolest and most up-to-date set of wheels on the market.

Re:creation is at the forefront of this trend, with its Power Core hub motor technology continuing to impress both parents and children alike. Jonathon Kirkley, marketing director, spoke to Toy World about how such developments in technology are working in the company’s favour: “Electric scooters and ride-ons are hugely in demand, and new developments in this area are always coming through,” he said. “Razor has invested years in developing its patented Power Core hub motor technology which delivers doubled ride time, increased speeds and reduced maintenance. This is now available in our new Power Core E90 electric scooter, which has already started selling really well.

Advances in technology like these are really exciting and have the potential to keep consumers in the category for longer, as well as to bring new ones in.”

Nowadays, kids growing up in this rapidly evolving technological era are looking for more than just a scooter. Older children in particular are looking for innovative products which they can show off to their friends. Phil Ratcliffe, sales and marketing director at MV Sports, has also noticed that kids are demanding scooters and skateboards which they can use for purposes other than travel. “For older kids, the trends have been towards more fun lifestyle-based products such as twist and tripod scooters, electric scooters and hoverboards. Licences still play a big part obviously, but older kids are more discerning and often look for specification and performance as well as the hottest licences.”

However, that’s not to say that more traditional scooters and ride-ons are weakening their hold over this growing market. John Testoni, owner of Bambola Toys in Jersey, has noticed how people often tend to fork out more money for a durable, quality product from an established and reliable brand. “At Bambola Toys, we have a range of more high-end scooters which tend to do very well. We used to sell a larger variety of cheaper models, but we’ve figured that Jersey has a relatively wealthy population so people are happy to spend more on a reliable model. MV Sports’ fold-up scooters and Stunted scooters have been selling particularly well recently, what with the sun beginning to finally poke out its head from behind the clouds.”

Re:creation

Fortunately for retailers and suppliers, it’s not just the summer months which show a spike in sales for wheeled goods. “Some people may be surprised when we say that our scooters sell all year round, but we’re finding that there is a growing concern around the amount of time kids are spending indoors in front of a screen,” John explained. “This means that parents are now encouraging their children to get outside, whatever the weather. Wheeled toys make great gifts too, and there’s obviously a peak around the Christmas period.”

The prospect of all year round sales is a tantalising one, and one which many suppliers of wheeled toys claim to provide. Jonathon explains how Re:creation’s implementation of impactful marketing strategies is one way in which the company hopes to achieve consistent sales throughout all seasons. “Some of the higher ticket price ride-on items get a bounce at Christmas, and of course there is always a sales increase when the sun shines,” he said. “However we don’t tend to see seasonality played out too heavily for Razor. We keep our pedal to the metal throughout the year, and this delivers consistently high sales all year round. This year we’ll be rolling out a Power Up Your Ride campaign in the second half, with heavy TV investment and extensive PR.” So how can retailers make the most of wheeled toys in stores? It’s no secret that the awkward shape and size of scooters and bikes can often make them a problem to display effectively, particularly in smaller stores.

This is an issue often raised by stockists, who have expressed concern about leaving shop floors looking cramped, with products too densely packed. Phil however, believes that this problem can be resolved by making sure product offerings are small and impactful: “Independents can work around the problem of space, storage and display of wheeled toys by retaining a clear focus on the top licences and brands; keeping the offering tight but relevant. Most wheeled toys pack down into very small boxes anyway, and are therefore not as space hungry as is often perceived.”

Jonathon has also recognised the importance of choosing products which can be presented easily,

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both in store and online, with eye-catching packaging and visual branding. “My advice would be to consider products that are folding or compact that can be merchandised on shelf easily,” he said. “At Re:creation, we’ve invested substantial time into developing packaging and POS material that clearly communicates product benefit to the consumer. Some even feature open style boxes that enable the consumer to touch and feel before purchase. While there may not be the space to showcase product out of packaging, independents can make the most of impactful visual branding or screens showcasing ride videos or TV ads to bring the product to life. Retailers should also consider how to build on that through their website, perhaps offering a wider range online backed up with compelling content.”

One retailer which has worked around these issues is Kerrison Toys, which utilises a showroom as a way of keeping the shop floor clear, whilst also showing off their best stock in a space where kids can interact with and test products. “We have a showroom upstairs where we have all of our outdoor products on display for customers to have a feel of,” explained Steve, owner of Kerrison Toys. “We also have a warehouse nearby where we keep a lot of stock, so storage is never really an issue for us.”

In addition to this, John from Bambola Toys has decided to make use of window displays as a way of showcasing his store’s best wheeled toys. “In terms of storage, our scooters are stored in boxes on the top shelf in our store, but we always have five or six in the window display just so our customers are aware that we sell them,” he explained.

Therefore, whether it’s through impactful POS or eyecatching showrooms and window displays, the display and storage of wheeled toys is not as problematic as first glances may suggest. With the ever-evolving technological advancements in the category and the heat of the sun now on our backs, there’s no better time to invest in some new wheels. Over the next few pages, Toy World presents a selection of wheeled toys for older children from a range of different suppliers.

Stunted Inside Cover - june 2016.indd 1

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Wheeled toys

Hy-Pro 01582 670 100 | www.zincflyte.com The summer will see an exciting season for HyPro with the expansion of its Flyte brand.

The Mini Flyte, launched in May, follows in the footsteps of the Midi by combining the fun of a rock ‘n’ roll scooter with the functionality of both a compact piece of luggage and a pull-along trolley case.

This new model is ideal for tiny travellers with its smaller frame and 20 litre case capacity, and contains plenty of room for travel essentials.

The new model features a soft EVA foam case which makes it impact resistant and comfortable to sit on. There’s also a new line up of designs, such as the little monster, Sid the Cyclops, and the classic camper, Jack of all Journeys.

The brand also has plans for teen travellers with its Maxi model.

Arriving later this year, the Maxi model will be a bigger, grown-up version so kids can keep scooting around the world well into their teens.

In addition to this, Flyte will be expanding its standard case style and branching out into backpacks. Kids will be able to travel with their backpack on the front of their scooter, and can then dismantle it and pack it inside. With plenty of room for all of their belongings, the backpack scooter will be perfect for all kinds of trips, including the school run.

Flying Gadgets 0844 209 2626 | www.flyinggadgets.com From licensed ride-on machines to an extensive selection of high specification drives, Flying Gadgets’ range continues to impress.

The company has seen growth across all of its ride-on ranges, including the licensed BMW, Mercedes and Ferrari vehicles and the high-end Broon machines, all of which can be controlled by the rider or via an RC unit held by the parent.

The technology inside the Broon F830 supercar and the T870 four-wheel drive is advanced, each with a tablet as the interface for the driver to control all aspects of the ride. As well as displaying speed information and controlling the lights, the tablet is at the heart of both cars’ on-board entertainment systems, from controlling the music output to acting as a display for games controlled by the cars’ foot pedals.

The entry level ride-ons also boast high quality specifications, including speakers and digital music inputs as well as remote controls to put either the rider or the parents in full control of the cars.

Also in the range is the retro Beetle ride which comes with a battery operating time of 1.5 hours.

HTi 01253 775 684 | www.htigroup.co.uk Rïpp is HTi’s own in-house range of high spec, high detail scooters and accessories for kids aged six-years-old and upwards.

The R500, R900 Pro Series and Dirt Rider offer solutions for both track riders and all-terrain. With a spec to match that of its class leading rivals, Rïpp scooters provide excellent value for money, making it a high-end range to be reckoned with.

As a specialist wheeled manufacturer in the UK, HTi offers a broad portfolio of high profile children’s licensed brands for pre-school ages and upwards. Disney’s Descendants is a new tween franchise featuring classic Disney characters reimagined for contemporary girls. The company will launch Disney’s Descendants wheeled toys for autumn/winter 2016 with a range that is targeted at girls aged 9 to 12 years of age. The collection includes a 16” Bike, Skateboard, Inline Folding Scooter and Inline Skates.

Featuring the sixth biggest film franchise of all time, HTi’s Ultimate Spiderman wheeled toy offering features impactful graphic imagery of the classic superhero character. Older kids can choose to go for a spin on the 14” Bike, Skateboard and Inline Folding Scooter.

From the UK’s most successful Disney animation, HTi is providing a range of Disney Frozen wheeled toys. For older kids there’s a 14” and 16” Bike, Inline Scooter and Inline Skates, all featuring striking brand imagery.

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STEP UP TO THE NEW RIPSTIK ELECTRIC

LAUNCHIN AUGUST G

2016

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13/05/2016 15:00

Wheeled toys

Re:creation 0118 973 6222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk

MV Sports 01217 488 000 | www.mvsports.co.uk MV Sports has a wide array of established licences for older boys such as Star Wars, Marvel’s Avengers and Batman, alongside its own brands which include Stunted and Bored.

Shopkins continues to in popularity, and MV’s range of wheeled toys comes complete with on-board baskets and authentic Shopkins collectibles.

The Angry Birds film was released in May, and MV’s range includes a red inflatable hopper, a skateboard and a folding inline scooter.

Another blockbuster film release comes later in the year in October with the Trolls movie, and MV has the vibrant Trolls In-line Scooter.

Twista is a new concept which will be hitting the streets this summer. This durable range of hip-swinging self-powered scooters offers two different ways to ride and glide in vivid colour, and comes with light-up wheels and abec 7 bearings.

The company’s exclusive lithium powered Electrick IO Glideboard is the original patented product, fully tested to the latest safety standards and packed with lots of features to ensure the rider a safe and fun ride.

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.co.uk Xootz is set to take the wheeled toy market by storm this year with its fresh take on skates, scooters, skateboards, ramps and safety gear. The Xootz brand represents safe and fun wheeled toys and accessories, designed for active children. With Xootz’s commitment to quality, its growing popularity in the wheeled toy market this year comes as no surprise.

The Xootz brand is owned and distributed by Wilton Bradley, a company which has a wealth of experience when it comes to sourcing quality wheeled toys for its action sports brand, Osprey. From Quad Skates to Folding Scooters with LED wheels, and from Racing Go Karts to Large Skate Ramps, Xootz has developed a comprehensive range which offers good margins for retailers.

The new Quad Skates have been popular since hitting the market, with strong sell through and top rated consumer feedback. Designed with beginners and intermediates in mind, the new Xootz Quad Skates have safety and stability at their core. The padded cushioned boot and secure boot strap buckle ensure that children’s feet stay secure, supported and comfortable. The flexible sizing and adjustable straps give plenty of room for little feet to grow into, ensuring maximum use from the skates.

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Re:creation’s new Razor Power Core E90 and Power Core E100 and E100S electric scooters offer doubled riding time and higher torque, thanks to new hub motor technology.

The company will roll out a heavyweight marketing programme throughout the year that will demonstrate the company’s commitment to TV investment and online marketing.

Announced earlier this year, Crazy Cart Shift is set to join the Crazy Cart family. Crazy Cart Shift will see riders use the steering wheel and the variable speed accelerator pedal to achieve the drifting action that fans now expect from Crazy Cart rideons. Powered by the new Power Core hub motor, this new launch will benefit from heavyweight PR activity and TV throughout the second half.

Another new launch is RipStik Electric, a powered skateboard/snowboard hybrid ride-on. Powered by lithium battery, this two-wheeled ride is set to complement the RipStik caster board, which has already sold over three million units worldwide.

Also launching this summer, RipSurf is a new creation from the inventor of Crazy Cart. This ride-on employs caster-board technology to deliver a ride that promises the closest experience to real surfing, but on land. RipSurf will benefit from ongoing extensive PR and marketing support.

Jetts are one-size-fits-all easy clip-on heel wheels which come complete with spark cartridges. Available in two colourways, this practical design is packaged for maximum impact in store and at a great value price point.

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Wheeled toys

Yvolution www.yvolution.com Yvolution has plenty for teens to discover this autumn with new additions across the board, plus a new development for the Fliker series.

With the Y Fliker Lift, riders can carve, drift, 360 and pop wheelies. Thanks to the scooter’s revolutionary lift technology, all kids need to do is pick up speed, then simply lean back and lift to pop wheelies forward and sideways. The Y Fliker Air series is another three-wheeled lightweight scooter with a sleek design. A quick response hand brake offers increased control and ensures a safe and fun ride.

The Fliker scooter range will soon see the introduction of the new Flyer that brings with it a groundbreaking stepper movement to scooter action. Mastering the art of stepping while scooting will provide motorised pedal power and a forward projection. The Fold and Go system is easy for transporting from one place to another, while a hand controlled brake adds to the safety features.

Another autumn/winter launch is Jyro.

Jyro Trax is a single platform hoverboard with aligned wheels and a patented ski motion control. The Jyro Board is a single wheeled motorised skateboard with foot placement being either side of wheel to create a selfbalancing system with upgraded software control.

With so many additions, autumn will see awareness for Yvolution reach a height with TV, digital, print and social media campaigns, as well as a fully branded stand at the Gadget Show Westfield. More news of the marketing drives behind each range will be released soon.

Fiik 353 87 123 6780 | www.fiik.com The Mini Fiik is the world’s lightest electric skateboard at 3.6kg. It’s easy and fun to ride, and can carry adults as well as children.

The Mini Fiik features the world’s first 70mm hub motor and can travel up to 16km per hour.

It comes with a modern bamboo surf-style deck with grip tape, and a stylish digital remote. With a smooth ramp up speed and the ability to reverse as well as go forward, the skateboard is both efficient and stylish.

Fiik is a family company with Australian originations with a team of pioneers and world leaders in electric skateboards. The company is currently developing the European market for Fiik, and Ireland has been named as the hub for European distribution.

The Mini Fiik comes in retail ready packaging.

D’arpèje 0478 796 050 | info@darpeje.com In 2016, D’arpèje unveiled its patented product, the Funbee Family scooter. Since 2000, D’arpèje has developed a complete outdoor range with its own brand Funbee, offering high levels of creativity, quality and finishing.

D’arpèje prides itself on its developments, and the flagship Family scooter is an illustration of this. With its 2-in-1 function, it has been designed for daily use by parent and child together. Thanks to its double deck and four handles, the parent and child each have their own place and enough space to skate safely.

H. Grossman 01416 132 525 | www.ozbozz.com HGL is renowned for outdoor products under its Ozbozz brand. New for 2016 is the Galaxy Burst Scooter which has three light-up functions. The new Light Burst scooter, which will be the subject of a TV advertising campaign, has an array of lights on the deck.

The Cosmic Light and Lightning Strike scooters have been updated with new decks.

Torq is a robust, tidy and tough range for older scooter fans. The high strength steering bar is fitted with a triple stacked clamp for extra strength, and has a 360 degree rotational mechanism.

Also new is the Mannix Stunt Scooter which comes in a variety of colourways.

The Elektra brand is a co-ordinated range designed in neon colourways, and includes matching safety gear.

Grossman is also introducing a host of merchandise from the Ghostbusters movie.

2016 sees a comprehensive line-up of scooters, skateboards, pogos, helmets, bikes and a range of pocket money items.

Grossman has The Secret Life of Pets licence for wheeled goods and pocket money toys.

Toy World 120

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Allegedly

The biggest retail news of the past month saw BHS being placed into administration, which was followed swiftly by tales of wanton corporate vandalism which, frankly, beggar belief. There are suggestions that Sir Philip Green may lose his knighthood over the whole affair, but presumably he can always console himself with the £100m yacht he’s just taken delivery of (his third luxury super yacht, it should be noted). Mind you, Sir Philip wasn’t the only villain of the piece: new owner Dominic Chappell was accused of transferring £1.5m out of the business the week before the company folded. Thankfully he got ‘caught’ (by his own people no less) and told to hand it back, which he did - minus £50k for ‘money transfer fees’ (and we moan when the bank takes a few quid off for foreign currency payments!). You really couldn’t make this stuff up….

Another retailer has been flirting with controversy recently, writing to certain suppliers to warn them not to supply a long list of its competitors, and threatening dire consequences if they do. Suppliers have even been asked to disclose if any of the retailers on the ‘banned list’ approach them. Now I’m not a real lawyer, but I’m not entirely sure this would hold up in a court of law. Interestingly, the retailer in question has ‘previous’ in this area: a bit of googling turned up a Media Week story from 2010, referencing a similar letter. However, the 2016 version features a dramatically elongated list of retailers that suppliers are warned not to have any contact with. Suffice to say that recipients of the letter don’t seem particularly thrilled to be threatened in this manner, nor especially enthusiastic about complying with the request….

of an item to rise by double digits, what impact would that have on the number sold? Of course, the answer would vary depending on the individual item, but most believe that it would just be a case of seeing how far it would decline, rather than whether or not there would be a fall at all. Quite the conundrum for suppliers and retailers to wrestle with, although at least the dollar hasn’t fallen to the basement levels that some were predicting a few months back….

Across the pond, Build-a Bear Workshop has announced that it has embarked on a ‘strategic review’, which is believed to infer that the company will potentially seek a buyer after posting disappointing financial results. The fact that its stock rose significantly in the aftermath of the announcement meant it did its job in the short term: now the question is whether or not it will carry through with the plan to sell up. At $215m, there are those who have suggested it would be a brave purchase….

There have been a number of changes in the buying team at Hamleys, with Claire Smith being perhaps the most surprising name to depart….

Disney has announced that its much-hyped Infinity ‘toys to life’ range is being discontinued, and the company will be taking a $150m writedown in the process. Ouch. I have wondered for some time whether the market could support all the different ranges that sprang up in the wake of Activison’s initial success with Skylanders. While it seemed at first that the new sector might benefit the toy market, I’m not sure it really panned out that way. Toys and video games have long been uncomfortable bedfellows, and while the basic ‘toys to life’ concept is still fantastic, I’m not sure that many of the companies distributing the products truly understood the toy market and its foibles.

It’s probably good news for other players in the market such as Skylanders and particularly Lego Dimensions, but I suspect the ignominious end to Infinity may dent the confidence of retail buyers in the sector as a whole….

Argos recently released its final set of results before the Sainsbury’s takeover. The overall picture made for pretty grim reading – like-for-like sales at Argos fell by 2.6% over the past year, while operating profit for the Home Retail Group as a whole was down by a whopping 28%. However, on the positive side, the toy sector was quoted as one of the growth categories, which is probably what matters to people reading this column, rather than how few TV sets it sold. Now all eyes are on Finally, I am continuing to receive emails and even read the what will happen under the new occasional article featuring a particular phrase which, in my stewardship, with both suppliers humble opinion, should be made an offence which carries a and retail competitors keen to heavy fine. Please note: see what impact the change of ownership will have….

People returning from Chinese factories in recent weeks are reporting that they’re having to pay anything up to 14% more for their goods than they did a year ago. It’s a particular problem for carry forward items, where a price point is already established. Quite apart from the fact that retailers remain as resistant to price increases as ever, there is also the correlation between the price and sales volumes to consider: even if retailers were happy for the price