Toyworld may supplement 2016

toyworld May 2016

The business magazine with a passion for toys

The Team...

CONTENTS May 2016

John Baulch

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

03 Children’s Bedrooms

10 Bags and Lunchboxes

18 Books

21 Musical Instruments

Mark Austin

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

Graeme Thomas

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

Anita Baulch

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

Clarabel Jones

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

Jonika Kinchin

Editorial Assistant jonika@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 407

W

elcome to the 2016 Toy World ‘Have you Considered’ supplement.

As more and more toy retailers look to become a one-stop shop for children’s products and expand their horizons beyond mainstream toys, we are delighted to highlight a selection of categories which provide excellent opportunities for retailers of all shapes and sizes.

This year’s supplement focuses on four key sectors: children’s bedrooms; bags and lunchboxes; musical instruments and books. Products from each of these categories form an integral part of a child’s daily routine, from home to school. Whether a retailer is looking for products that build margin, drive footfall, offer incremental sales from licensed merchandise or simply create a point of difference from their competition, there are many advantages on offer to stockists willing to take a chance on

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

something a little out of the ordinary.

We’ve spoken to specialist suppliers in each of the categories to find out how retailers can make the most of the opportunities they provide, as well as a selection of toy retailers who are already enjoying success by stocking products from these areas.

We hope the supplement will offer you a little inspiration and present you with some options to freshen up your product selection.

Alakat Published by

Symbio Place, Whiteleaf Road Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP3 9PH

www.toyworldmag.co.uk @toyworldmag @baulchtweet

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Toy World Magazine

Room to grow

JCB

B

edtime is not the easiest of times for a child or a parent.

Having a good bedtime routine is important, and having a great bedroom that the child wants to be in is a key factor in this. Sam Johnson, general manager worldwide licensing at JCB, pointed out: “Kids want great bedrooms and parents have an increasing array of options to transform their rooms without having to spend huge amounts of time or money doing so. Retailers tapping into this trend can get great incremental sales alongside things like toys”.

Decorating and renovating bedrooms is a year round activity, and providing products for this can yield sales whatever the season. Larger items are needed for a total revamp of a room, however smaller pick up accessories can instantly refresh a child’s space. Eye-catching displays of themed products in toyshops can serve as inspiration while parents browse.

Who better to suggest the key themes and characters that will appeal to children than toy retailers? A range of items to personalise a child’s room and complement their favourite toys and character products can help their customers create an environment where a child is likely to want to spend time.

A bedroom environment that is friendly and familiar can also help overcome sleep difficulties. By incorporating favourite characters, parents may find that their children actually begin to look forward to bedtime.

Juliet Allister, senior brand manager of HelloHome, the homeware division of Worlds Apart, told Toy World: “We know bedtimes can be a difficult and stressful time for both child and parents. At HelloHome we aim to make family life easier and more fun with bedtimes being a key element to this. From a survey conducted amongst parents we found that one in six parents said that moving their toddler from a cot to their first big bed was the time they lost the most sleep. Our range of licensed toddler beds and furniture provide a practical solution for parents, have great child appeal and are toddler sized. The latest characters are always going to be on the wish lists of the majority of toddlers, and we offer a Thomas the Tank Engine or Disney Princess Carriage toddler bed. We are working closely with retailers to bring items and accessories into the toy retail space, both instore and with digital shelf presence.”

Joel Cope, managing director, JNH Europe, agrees with Juliet: “Children, as opposed to adults, always detest bedtime, however when we match their favourite characters with their bedroom theme it can make bedtime an exciting time of day rather than one they and their parents dread”, he said.

Licensing is a key part of the category and can be the answer to retailers wanting to expand their offering with themed ranges that tie in with existing toy lines already stocked. Knowing what characters are already popular with customers removes some of the element of risk, although suppliers are always ready to offer their advice.

“Disney Princess is doing extremely well, as is Minnie and Mickey in preschool. Cars is an all-time favourite and Frozen is still taking sales,” advised Joel. “Angry Birds sales are starting to hit it big in anticipation of the movie, the excitement is growing and the demand for product is increasing.”

James Kyte, UK sales manager at Pyramid Posters recognises that licensed products are popular because they have already generated mass appeal, and are instantly recognisable regardless of product format. “Marvel and DC comics continue to perform well for us and we are expecting a further boost to sales from Batman v Superman, and the imminent launch of Captain America Civil War. Minions has continued to deliver brilliant sales within the children’s wall art and associated product categories, and we are optimistic that the summer film launches of Secret Life of Pets and Finding Dory will both realise big gains in terms of category share. Star Wars has also been a standout performer over the past six months”.

Another thing James has noticed is the popularity of licences, such as Star Wars, that can be quite nostalgic for parents. “Purchasing remembered licensed product is a great way for parents to share a part of their child hood with the next generation. Based on the sales growth we have seen as a business over the past couple of years, there is obviously a real demand for this type of product,” he explained.

Stocking a range of furniture and accessories with the same licence is beneficial, and JCB has seen success with both bed products and wall art.

Sam Johnson, Worldwide Licensing Manager at JCB, commented: “Kidsaw is a long established partner for JCB and continues to invest in new products for us. Dreamtex and Walltastic back the furniture range up really well to provide all the elements required to make a dream JCB bedroom. The Joey JCB toddler bed remains a consistent top licensed seller in the market, whilst the new My First JCB wall mural from Walltastic has seen sales surge and is a top seller.”

He also acknowledges that price point is a contributing factor, and that when it comes to the furniture, it’s important to have entry level price points as well as the flagship products. Sam Johnson continued. “Kidsaw has created a 3D shaped bed with great authentic detailing. However, they have also created a much simpler Bedroom in a Box product which still conveys the boldness of the brand albeit at a price which delivers superb value for money. The range is about offering something for all price points”.

From a retailer’s perspective, Luan Hall, owner of independent toy shop

Children’s Bedrooms

From storage boxes to posters to nightlights, the scope that children’s bedrooms can offer retailers is vast. Jonika Kinchin finds out what licensing can offer the category, and why retailers should branch out and help parents create a peaceful and welcoming bedtime environment for their little ones.

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Children’s Bedrooms

Worlds Apart

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Fairies ‘n’ Frogs, has found that night lights are easy to display in shop windows and on shelves and virtually sell themselves, due to strong visual appeal. “They’re like magnets in that they draw people in, and are more often than not impulse buys and spur of the moment purchases. When I first stocked them they were sold out within three to four weeks and I had to restock due to demand”.

Lee Parkin of Branded Distribution strongly recommends retailers should follow in Luan’s footsteps, and says that sales are 60-70% more likely when displayed on the wall. Branded Distribution supplies 3DLightFX, which come in a multitude of licences. Lee told Toy World: “We see the most success with licences that have just seen movie releases, and with retro properties such as Pacman. The Batman and Superman licences have been in huge demand recently with the release of the much anticipated film, along with our DC Comics properties. With licences such as these we tend to have two types of consumer, the younger children who enjoy the film, and the slightly older fans who are also gadget collectors”.

Night lights are a simple and distinctive way to decorate a bedroom, and JWP has made a name for itself with its 3D nightlights. “At the moment, Marvel is huge and Disney is such an evergreen brand that it is constantly popular,” said Bob Harrison, managing director of JWP. “Over the last 12 months Star Wars has gone through the roof, and Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol are also hugely in demand. Creative imaginative lighting brings a child’s bedroom to life, it personalises the room and gives them ownership, a place that is fun to be in and also a comforting place where children feel safe and are happy to spend time”.

Sales of children’s bedroom products can peak at different times, as the products aren’t seasonal. Joel Cope explained that children’s bedroom makeovers can happen anytime, all year round, including being added to on birthdays and for spring cleans. “From our customers’ perspective the beauty of a bedroom makeover is that you can start with the basics, bed, wardrobe, bedside table, and then add book shelves, toy storage, comfy seating, table and chair sets or writing desks at a later stage and as the child grows”. As Bob Harrison has noticed, consumers will tend to buy a wide variety of themed products to match, often inspired by favourite toys, but going on to add accessories such as wall lights, bedding, wallpaper and rugs.

Branded Distribution sees peaks in Q2 when people tend to have a spring clean and spruce up homes with redecorating, and at the end of Q3-Q4, not only due to Christmas but because this is the time when most of the big movie releases come out, therefore people tend to invest into a new licence.

A child’s bedroom décor is updated frequently, as the child’s tastes and likes change. Switching smaller items such as posters and accessories saves redecorating the whole room. Pyramid Posters has worked towards making

licensed wall art an everyday purchase, and believes that the category is now led by rapidly changing trends. James Kyte commented: “Pyramid Posters has strived as a business to ensure retailers can have the best licences in the world represented on premium finished wall art formats at really competitive pricing. As a company we plan ranges well in advance but always ensure there is capacity to react at short notice to the latest must have licence by manufacturing both out of the Far East and the UK.” He also believes that children’s bedroom products are a fantastic sales driver. He continued: “There has been a massive cultural change in the UK over the past couple of generations where parents have strived to give their children their own space as opposed to sharing rooms and this in turn has created huge demand for products which can personalise a space. Wall art is an amazing way of quickly and cheaply theming a room without the need to redecorate or carry out other expensive changes”.

So what can retailers do to take advantage of the category? Bob Harrison believes that the key to successfully selling children’s bedrooms product is POS. “The retailers who benefit most are those that can coordinate and site all the products together in-store and to use POS to show the consumer the finished look,” he said. “Good merchandising and coordination aids consumer’s imagination”.

As some of the products that fall under the category are rather large, they’re not always easily displayed in shops, especially where floor space is limited. Joel Cope suggests that for the biggest impact, retailers should have a bedroom setup, or failing that a large poster of a fully equipped bedroom.

Offering home delivery is a favoured option and can be a real selling point.

He also advised that “full colour boxes, with a small footprint, can make the most of even the smallest selling place”.

Another way around this is through selling online. A lot of stores operate business through online as well as in store, especially when it comes to larger products that take up too much room. Sam Johnson believes that online is a growing element for all retailers in this area. “Having great lifestyle shots which give a real visual example and inspiration to consumers is very important,” he said. “At JCB we have been very active in creating scenes where mums and dads can really get a wow from a full bedroom scene and encourage them to buy into various parts of the range. Online is the perfect place to capture this. Cross sell and cross category can also be an important element for this sector, encouraging consumers to buy across into the bedroom categories when considering toys or nightwear for example, and vice versa”.

With multiple advantages and reasons as to why toy retailers should be stocking children’s bedroom products, the next few pages display some of the leading suppliers in the category.

Award winning brand loved by parents and kids

Creates bedrooms kids love

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Beds

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Sing

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• Top home licensee • New product and licences for 2016 • Customer satisfaction 5* • Full marketing support • Product independently tested by certified laboratory

Leading the way in children’s bedroom furniture

Call the sales department on 0845 602 2119 or email tradeenquiries@worldsapart.com

www hellohome co uk Worlds Apart Ltd St Columb Major Business Park Cornwall TR SX United Kingdom T ­ F ­ E hello@hellohome co uk

JCB

01889 593 499 | www.jcb.co.uk Established partner Kidsaw offers a complete range of JCB themed furniture to create a bedroom for young JCB fans. The Joey JCB toddler bed is a first bed for toddlers progressing from their cot. Its slot together assembly (no screws or fixings required) creates a 3D digger shape junior bed with the face of Joey JCB, leader of the My First JCB team. The My First JCB range extends beyond the bed to include a 9” bin storage case, table and two chair set, bedside table, bookcase, toy box, large Playbox, Doug Dumptruck table and chair, art easel and push along Joey. For those looking for a complete all-in-one package, the My First JCB Room in a box is a great option giving customers a bed, bedside table and toy storage box as a set. When kids are ready to progress to their first single bed, the JCB 4CX bed is another option.

Based on the 4CX Backhoe Loader Digger, the bed features authentic detailing and the front bucket doubles as a storage unit.

Licensee Dreamtex has created a 3D shaped single duvet featuring Joey JCB from the My First JCB team. The duvet offers something different from standard duvets, featuring the big wheels of Joey which overhang on each side of a single bed. The duvet is made in 100% cotton. Dreamtex have extended the range to include a Joey JCB fleece blanket and beach towel.

Building on the success of its original My First JCB wall mural, licensee Walltastic has recently introduced a brand new wall mural featuring the famous yellow diggers. The 12 panel wall mural features Joey JCB and team busy at work in the quarry, on the roads and in the fields on a sunny day.

Walltastic also offers a My First JCB Room Décor set featuring 65 wall stickers covering JCB machines, road signs and other construction graphics.

JWP

JNH Europe

JWP Character Lighting has announced a new sales and distribution partnership with Philips to launch a series of Philips/Disney imaginative lighting products that create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.

The partnership with Philips, which has the exclusive licence for Marvel lighting throughout Europe, will see the June launch of a new and exciting range that combines fantastic design with affordable pricing. The quality and diversity of these lights offers scope and potential for retailers right across the bedroom, lighting and toy sectors.

The range of products to be released this year includes wall lights featuring Darth Vader, Spiderman, Iron Man, Lightning McQueen and Elsa. Each comes complete with impactful packaging that features a ‘Try Me’ function, allowing consumers to test the light for themselves in-store.

Projector night lights let children project scenes from their favourite movies onto their bedroom walls, providing a soothing, interactive element. Also available is the Softpal range which has a warm comforting glow that gives children the chance to cuddle up to their favourite characters at bedtime.

The full range also includes Disney themed table lamps, night lights and torches, and is only the first phase of the plan, with even more lighting products to come in the months ahead.

The company’s new Angry Birds range will include furniture pieces including beds, playhouses, table and chair sets, moon chairs, foam sofas, outdoor patio sets, folding chairs and more, which are all currently being produced.

This is in addition to existing product licences including Frozen, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Disney Princess, Cars, Avengers, Spiderman, Doc McStuffins, Winnie the Pooh, Sofia the First and Star Wars.

JNH Europe’s products are suitable for either bedrooms, playrooms or the outdoors. They are easy to clean and are made with lasting and durable materials. Furniture pieces come assembled or are easy to assemble, with clear instructions, and are designed with special care for the child’s safety and comfort. The company’s growing team, based at the head office in Manchester, are always ready to help with any after sales queries.

The Foam Flip out Sofa has been a consistent best seller since launching in 2014, and is still a firm favourite amongst pre-school and primary school children today whilst sales of the Upholstered Chair have rapidly increased.

With a wide and ever growing range of designs and colours, it is fast becoming the new best seller of the season.

The company has once again passed all the criteria for Internal Social Audit in China. The company’s main factory has just been rebuilt and redeveloped, and now has brand new state of the art painting facilities. The showroom has been redesigned to allow much needed space for all the new product samples available.

Children’s Bedrooms

01282 688 088 | www.jwpltd.co.uk

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0161 737 1881 | www.jnheurope.com

advert2.indd 1

19/04/2016 17:02:10

Branded Distribution 01228 586 100 | www.brandeddistribution.co.uk

Children’s Bedrooms

Branded Distribution has gone from strength to strength with new licences and launches ranging from Minions, Star Wars and DC Comics. The company revels in the popularity of these properties and the impact of events such as movie releases. The release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has seen strong demand for merchandise and Branded Distribution has seen strong sales since the products debuted at Spring Fair. Licences are vital to the company, which aims to invest further in the right licences.

July will see the launch of a new My Little Pony range of nightlights, with a different approach to the traditional design. The initial designs such as the Star Wars and Minions ranges have a cracked wall design which makes it appear as if the character has broken through the wall. The My Little Pony range appears as if the characters are jumping through the wall, as the cracked wall theme doesn’t lend itself to all licences. Also launching in July will be a range to coincide with the release of the new Ghostbusters movie which will hit the market just after.

3DLightFX are not just for children and children’s bedrooms. The range also includes retro property, Pacman. The Pacman ghost lamp has seen great success since launching, and the Pacman wall light will be available in June, with more to be unveiled at Autumn Fair.

With new staff employed to take charge of social media, the company will be focusing on competitions and more social activity to boost brand awareness and reach a larger audience.

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Pyramid Posters

01162 843 682 | www.pyramidinternational.com Marvel and DC comics continue to perform well and the recent release of Batman v Superman and the imminent launch of Captain America Civil War are both expected to deliver a further boost to sales. Minions have continued to deliver strong sales within the wall art and associated product categories, and Pyramid is optimistic that the summer film launches of Secret Life of Pets and Finding Dory will both realise big gains in terms of category share.

Star Wars has also been a standout performer over the past six months, both on children’s bedroom products and posters. The new signing of Paw Patrol will form a part of the children¹s offering for this year.

Pyramid strives as a business to ensure retailers have the best licences in the world displayed on premium wall art formats such as canvas at competitive prices. It plans ranges well in advance but always ensures there is the capacity to react at short notice to the latest must have licence by manufacturing both out of the Far East and the UK. Wall art is an ideal way of quickly and cheaply theming a room without the need to redecorate or carry out other expensive changes. Stocking a range of price points across a licence such as posters, canvasses and framed prints means that that retailers can offer products suited to all budgets, in order to maximise sales.

Worlds Apart

0800 389 8591 | www.worldsapart.com Worlds Apart’s children’s bedroom furniture brand HelloHome creates bedrooms kids love through imaginative furniture solutions. From toddler beds that are ideal for transitioning from cot to first big bed, to storage for stashing toys away after a day’s play and single beds, HelloHome creates rooms ideal for little ones.

Worlds Apart has a broad licence portfolio to suit consumers’ and retailers’ needs. The company works with carefully selected partners to provide top-notch brand and marketing opportunities with key licences and characters to capture kids’ imaginations.

Frozen continues to be a global phenomenon and the Frozen Sleigh Toddler Bed has been particularly successful, including winning a Gold Loved By Children Award for Best New Product to Market 2015, also gaining great awareness through the Argos Christmas TV advert.

Star Wars and Spider-Man themes also continue to flourish with the Star Wars X-Wing single bed and Spider-Man toddler bed being key products. Paw Patrol, Finding Dory and Disney Princess are key licences for 2016 and will see a range of compelling new product launches, including stackable storage, mix n’ match cube storage and new toddler beds.

2016 will see the launch of new furniture, storage solutions and toddler beds featuring evergreen licences Cars, Thomas and Peppa, which all continue to feature in kid’s bedrooms all over the globe.

Packing on the pounds Whether it’s during the back to school rush, or as add-on purchases all year round, bags and lunchboxes are a great tool for bringing customers into toy shops on a regular basis. Clarabel Jones spoke to a handful of toy retailers and suppliers to uncover the many benefits of the categories.

Bags and lunchboxes

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s the licensed market continues to grow in both size and diversity, children are increasingly finding new characters and role-models from their favourite films and TV programmes to identify with. Luckily for retailers and suppliers, these heroes are changing constantly, a key factor in driving repeat purchases of licensed products in the back to school sector. When coupled with the high turnover that products such as bags and lunchboxes offer the retail market, stockists such as Toy Barnhaus are convinced they have a winning combination.

“At Toy Barnhaus, we only stock licensed ranges of bags and lunchboxes,” the retailer’s co-owner Stephen Barnes explains. “This is because of the way in which kids are constantly identifying with brands, properties and children’s programmes around them. Seeing as nearly all UK children wear school uniforms, one of the only ways youngsters are able to express themselves visually at school is through their bags and lunchboxes. For this reason, licensed products sell in huge volumes as kids are always growing out of their latest hero, aspiring to be like the newest character they see on TV.” Nikki Samuels, licensing director at Sambro, agrees that many retailers are missing a trick by not capitalising on this growing category. “We all know that licences are king, with children now wanting everything relating to their favourite character,” he says. “Sambro’s bag collections are the company’s fastest growing category as we hold a large number of licences. We’re particularly excited about our new lenticular bags which show some of our best characters as holographic images. Massive film launches are always a real driver for retailers, so we’ve seen great demand for the Captain America and Batman V Superman ranges.”

Some companies are taking licensed products a step further. Jordan Price, managing director Boyz Toyz, commented: “This year we have a selection of exclusive 3D moulded lunch bags that we are excited to be distributing.

Our current lines such as our insulated lunch bags and lunchboxes with an internal tray are already a hit, including those which feature Star Wars, Avengers, Spiderman and Minions”.

However, it’s not just the characters they see on TV that kids are looking up to. Sandra Vanstan, head of licensing at Trade Mark Collections, has noticed more and more children wanting to look like their parents or older siblings.

“Girls especially want to be more like their mums, so fashion bags are a key area for us,” she said. “At Trade Mark Collections, we also have a growing plush bag offering which works well on certain licences. We’re really excited about these, as they’re beautifully made and also very functional.”

Despite the prevailing strength of the licensed market, some parents may be more inclined to buy a distinctive school bag which their child won’t

necessarily grow out of in a matter of months, and that’s where Swag Distribution’s one-of-a-kind unlicensed products shine. Offering a range for both boys and girls, Bixbee’s bags provide a collection of innovative bags which are guaranteed to make their owners stand out on the playground.

“At Swag Distribution, we noticed that at least once a year children are asking for a new bag to take to school or nursery, and outside the usual licensed mass product there wasn’t much choice,” said Nathan Ridgard, director at Swag Distribution. “Bixbee’s Spearmark children’s bags have the ability to bring a shop area to life with the colourful Animal and Flyer backpacks that simply hang from hooks. They make a huge impact in store, as staff members can interact with customers at peak seasons by wearing flashing LED Flyers to demonstrate Bixbee’s unique selling points, or can play an animal game with visitors.”

Harrods and Fenwick Department stores have had a lot of success with these selling techniques this year, and Cuthberts Toys, which also currently stocks Bixbee’s bags, has also noticed the benefits of the bags’ interactive features for pushing sales in store. “With bags such as these, the key to sales success is merchandising and the use of shop displays,” Natalie Underwood of Cuthberts Toys told Toy World. “We use filled bags in our stores, and the Bixbee range is always demonstrated in innovative ways.”

So how exactly can toy retailers benefit from stocking bags and lunchboxes alongside their existing toy ranges? Sandra believes that offering additional items focusing on the same key characters as core toy ranges can only result in incremental sales. “At Trade Mark Collections we have such a wide range of characters to choose from, that most toy shops will probably already stock, in toys and other categories, so bags are the perfect complementary offering,” she explains. “They form a key part of the core back to school offering, and therefore give retailers a good way to up the basket spend for customers during the back to school period.”

Lunchboxes are key to encouraging mealtimes, and Jordan Price believes that retailers should consider integrating licensed lunchboxes into any range, helping maximise sales. “Strong licences and character branding are key. With a child’s tendency to be attracted to their favourite programmes, films and characters, our products would sit perfectly alongside associated toys and products of the same licence”, he commented.

Andy Turner, marketing director at Spearmark, understands consumer demand for increased co-ordination between products and the desire for a wide variety of available options to choose from, as well as how retailers want their bags and lunchboxes to co-ordinate with other licensed categories. “It’s the supplier’s role to work across categories and across companies to facilitate this consumer and retailer requirement for joined up ranges,” he explains.

“Designs need to be co-ordinated by the age and gender of the ultimate consumer which is acceptable for parents. Here at Spearmark, following a consumer research programme, we have established a design framework that helps us achieve these commercial requirements.”

In addition to this, the ways in which both lunchboxes and bags are used every day means that children are constantly needing new ones. Very few products sold in toy shops are used quite so frequently, which has led

Bags and lunchboxes

retailers such as Toy Barnhaus to capitalise on the tendency they have to bring customers in on a more regular basis: “Lunchboxes and bags are great for repeat purchases. They naturally get grimy fairly soon, so selling them certainly helps drive people into our store every few months to pick up new items,” Stephen said.

And that’s not all that has proven to drive repeat purchases. Andy has noticed an increase in purchases of backup lunchware, for when items are lost at school: “Parents know that lunch is important to kids. Lunch bags are therefore key to them as it powers them up for the rest of the day. At Spearmark, we’ve noticed that parents are also happy to invest in multiple items, such as bottles, which can so often be misplaced or forgotten to be brought home in the mêlée of collection time,” he explained.

James Price added: “Lunch boxes are an essential part of a retailers back to school range, along with the picnic ranges throughout the spring/summer”.

With this in mind, it’s clear to see that bags and lunchboxes aren’t simply one month wonders, but have actually been proven to sell consistently all year round. “The obvious seasonal opportunity revolves around the back to school period,” Andy explains. “However, another key period for lunchboxes and bags revolves around Easter, as this is the time where the original new school year lunch box has endured six months of usage - and there’s only so much bleach can do. By this time, and with the weather improving, many parents see this as the perfect time to freshen up their children’s bags and lunchboxes, either by replacing the same one or using it as a chance to update. Parents can often self-validate this decision through the need to use it for days out during the forthcoming school holidays.”

From this it’s evident that bags and lunchboxes possess strong selling power throughout all seasons, but how exactly can retailers maximise the impact that they make in stores? Sandra believes that merchandising is key to making the products stand out on shelves and in boosting linked purchases. “The bags need to look good in store, and should have excellent images if online,” she says. “Where possible, products should sit alongside other products of the same character to encourage upsell.”

Andy agrees that synchronisation between different types of licensed products is integral: “As co-ordination is paramount, having the snack boxes and drinkware next to them in store is key to increasing total basket sales per

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Boyz Toys

shop visit,” he advises. “This remains particularly true for the younger licences where co-ordination is equally important.”

In addition to this, keeping daily essentials such as bags and lunchboxes at the front of stores is a good way of making sure customers know you’re the one stop toy shop for all their children’s needs, as soon as they walk through the door. “The advice I’d give to other retailers is to not hide these products in the back of the shop, as many people won’t expect toy shops to sell them,” Stephen advised. “They need to be in a prominent place in store, in an area with reasonably high traffic, preferably alongside complementing toy ranges.”

All in all, it’s clear that children’s bags and lunchboxes are in many ways a natural fit for toy shops big and small, as they offer parents the ease of being able to pick up all their child’s necessities in one place. Forming a key part of the core back to school offering, both categories offer retailers a good way to increase footfall during the summer period, whilst also driving repeat purchases all year round. Over the next few pages Toy World presents an array of bags and lunchboxes from a selection of suppliers working in the categories.

www.bixbee.co.uk Become a stockists contact SWAG Distribution nathan@swagdistribution.co.uk 07799600097

Boyz Toyz

01530 810870 | www.boyztoys.com

Sambro

Bags and lunchboxes

0845 873 9380 | www.sambro.co.uk

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Sambro is one of the industry leaders in the licensed bag sector with an unrivalled collection of properties including Marvel Avengers, Batman v Superman, Finding Dory, Frozen, Disney Princess, Paw Patrol, Shopkins, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Blaze, Masha the Bear, SpongeBob Squarepants and many more.

The bag category is Sambro’s fasting growing due to the company’s consistent innovation and refreshment of products in line with licences. This year sees the launch of Sambro’s brand new lenticular bags which feature holographic images across multiple licences. The Batman v Superman range is particularly standout as the lenticular styling displays both characters.

The plush bag ranges have also been extended. The Paw Patrol plush character backpacks are available in each of the characters from the animated series and the new Shopkins plush are an addition to the existing range. The EVA 3D bags bring each character to life and the hard wearing material also makes them a hit with parents.

Retailers are able to choose various styles of licensed bags including varied sized backpacks, purses, wheeled bags, and lunch bags etc. These multiple price points allow retailers who have never stocked bags previously to cherry pick key lines to complement their existing licensed offering.

Distributing over 300 lines from several different well-loved brands, BoyzToys, in partnership with Stor, supplies tableware, drinks and gift products designed to celebrate the latest animated movie releases, such as Finding Dory and Secret Life of Pets.

The tableware range is ideal for children’s lunchtimes. Lunch boxes and bottles come in a variety of styles featuring different characters.

Insulated lunch bags keep food at a preferred temperature, keeping snacks fresh throughout the day, and have zip openings and an integrated carry handle. Lunch boxes that come with an internal tray are ideal for separating lunchtime food from daytime snacks.

Each item comes with character designs to encourage children during meal times. Alongside the range of lunchboxes, a wide selection of drink, tableware and stacking meal sets are also available. A tumbler, plate and bowl set when stacked up creates a character from a variety of children’s favourite movies. The range of tumblers and bottles comes in an assortment of styles, from straw bottles with 3D figurines to classic sports bottles.

The diverse product ranges spans bakery, gifts and accessories. All lines come in a range of brands and styling and the range of products spans all ages, meaning there is something for everyone.

Hy-Pro

01582 670 100 | www.hy-pro.co.uk Hy-Pro has a range of products that are suitable for children when travelling.

Flyte is any child’s perfect companion for every journey, whether it’s a jaunt to the park, a trip round the world or just tackling the school run. It combines travel and play to turn every journey into an adventure.

The newest offering to the range is the Flyte Mini, which had an exceptional response when launched at Nuremberg Toy Fair in January. The case has a small frame while still being capable of holding up to 5kg and has a capacity of 21 litres.

Flyte Midi is designed for older explorers. The original Flyte can hold a capacity of up to 25 litres, which is a perfect size for children to fill with all of their essentials and favourite toys.

The Flyte models are a great way to get through busy crowds and boarding queues, as it alternates from a compact piece of cabin-sized luggage, a swift pull-along trolley and a sturdy rock ‘n’ roll scooter. Flyte’s best feature is its easy to fold footplate which fits securely into the back of the case. Underneath each design is a PU foam case making it ideal for storing any child’s travel essentials. The soft, bouncy surface also makes the cases impact resistant and easy to keep clean.

For older adventurers, the Flyte Maxi range will be joining the family in autumn/winter 2016, and to broaden the range even further, Flyte will be branching out into backpacks. The Flyte Backpack Scooter allows for the dismantled scooter to fit inside the backpack with their belongings, so kids can take it anywhere.

Swag Distribution 07799 600 097 | www.bixbee.co.uk

Swag Distribution has identified a gap in the UK market for young children’s backpacks that combine imagination and fun with practicality and quality in the mid to high end sector. Bixbee children’s bags were launched at the London Toy Fair and Birmingham’s Spring Fair this year after a successful trial at Harrods in December. Bixbee looks to celebrate kids’ imaginations with products that encourage play and creativity.

Bixbee supplies stores with a range that caters for children at nursery all the way up until they finish primary school, starting with its small Animal Packs and Rocket and Butterfly Flyers for young children. The company’s hero product for autumn/winter 2016 is the LED Space Racer & Fairy Flyer. For slightly older children, Bixbee has the Sparkalicious backpack range for girls, and the Zombie Camo backpack print for boys.

Each bag is roomy, with space for everything kids need for school or travel.

Backpacks feature a patented horizontal design that keeps supplies within easy reach. The cover flap pocket opens to a main compartment with plenty of space for a folder, storybook, small blanket or sweater. Two interior slip pockets hold small necessities such as pencils and crayons. Even when packed to the brim, the backpacks rest comfortably on children’s shoulders, thanks to contoured shoulder straps with padding. There are also four exterior pockets plus an ID holder under the flap.

Through the company’s One Here, One There social mission, Bixbee seeks to equip kids across the globe with opportunities to learn, play and embrace their imaginations. For every backpack purchased, a charitable donation of a backpack and educational supplies is made to help less fortunate children around the world with their education.

Spearmark

01480 213 633 | www.spearmark.co.uk

Bags and lunchboxes

Spearmark has a wide selection of blockbuster film and television licences on board in its lunchboxes and backpacks range, including Marvel and Trolls. The company’s hero products are its standard lunch bags which are accompanied by co-ordinating snack boxes and drinkware.

Another key line for Spearmark is the decorative lunch bags, with the use of EVA or lenticular panel options which are proving to be highly popular. The company is also looking to expand its hydration category to an older age group with its decorative and practical bottles.

Boys’ licences for 2016 are all supported by major film releases and include Marvel and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in lunch bags, snacking and hydration formats.

Girls’ licences include Shopkins and Trolls, and Spearmark has also developed a range of fashion-inspired school lunch bags which resemble fashionable handbags that will feature in the forthcoming season.

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Trade Mark Collections

01799 599 899 | www.trademarkcollections.com Trade Mark Collections holds most major children’s licences and, for each one, carries a selection of high quality bags and umbrellas.

Girls’ options include the popular Frozen and Peppa characters along with Minnie, Disney Princesses, Shopkins and many more.

The boys’ options include Star Wars, Batman, Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam, Marvel Avengers and Spiderman.

Many of the major blockbuster movies hitting screens this year are also supported, such as Civil War, Finding Dory, Zootropolis and Moana. The company already has a large range of Star Wars bags, umbrellas, wallets and accessories, and later in the year will be adding Star Wars: Rogue 1 to its portfolio.

The Trade Mark Collection portfolio features a selection of bags including backpacks, messenger bags, fashion bags, wheeled bags, trainer bags and swim bags, as well as wallets, purses and umbrellas.

New introductions include plush bags, flashing lights and sound chips. The company’s development team are always looking to create the most vibrant, innovative designs and its focus is on high quality.

THE UK’s LARGEST SUPPLIER OF LICENSED DRINK AND TABLEWARE

Website: www.Boyztoys.com Phone: 01530 810870 opt 1 Email: sales@boyztoys.com

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SEE US

The Official Distributor of Stor Products.

A new chapter Once upon a time, children’s books were scarcely seen in UK toy shops. Recently however, toy retailers have started to notice the benefits of stocking books to complement and expand upon existing ranges. Clarabel Jones reports.

N

ot only do books provide great educational and entertainment value at reasonable price points, but they also offer retailers the chance to offer attractive impulse purchases. Peter Allinson from Whirligig Toys has been selling books in his South Eastern stores for three and a half years now, and has been completely taken aback by the results he has seen. “Books are 20% of our turnover now,” he explained. “They’ve been the biggest surprise for us; we could never have anticipated the success that we’ve had from them.

We mostly sell books that make great gifts for people to buy other people’s children – books which are essentially toys. Many people come in looking for toys, but end up with books instead. They also make great add-on purchases.”

Books are products which are particularly important to promote in store, with interaction and eye-catching displays essential for driving sales. “Books don’t sell themselves,” Peter added. “They can be difficult to display as they don’t sit well on toy shelves, and can end up looking messy without some thought and care. At Whirligig Toys we mostly sell books that encourage creativity with cut-out parts, arts and crafts and things to make and do. For

this reason, our shop staff need to know how to demonstrate them in new and innovative ways.”

However, here is where suppliers can help. Darren Witherall, President of EMEA for Parragon, told Toy World: “Parragon publishes an extensive array of interactive book and gift formats including board books, storybooks, novelty books, educational workbooks, activity books, picture books and gift box sets. – meaning that our books sit well within the toy aisle as they have similar hands-on play elements. We can provide retailers with shelf solutions, offering key formats and price-points for both licensed and own-label titles across all of our ranges; from colour-sticker-activity books to Happy Tin and the Sweet Dreams Carousels”.

Helen Gourley from Toy Hub also agrees that presentation is crucial for making an impact in store: “Usborne has offered us support with a choice of display stands. We have a spinner right next to the entrance so that everyone walks past it on their way in and on their way out.”

Giving books a prominent location in store and making sure customers know that books are stocked is important, advised Boyd Denton, Usborne’s territory manager for Northern England and North Wales. He said: “Usborne can help maximize book sales by working flexibly to cater for individual retailer needs. We can also offer additional terms for money off and value added promotions, and supply display POS. All our stock is supplied on a sale or return basis, removing the risk element for stockists”.

Stocking children’s books offers another service to a toyshop’s customers and creates a different retail environment. It also offers toyshops the ability to widen the scope of its educational offering. A sale or return facility, small pack sizes and high margins are attractive advantages.

As with the rest of the toy market, trends, themes and genres of books can come and go. The category offers a wide ranging host of opportunities from traditional fairy tales and story time books, to factual or instructional titles, as well as books featuring well-loved characters that present buying relatives will recognise. Boyd Denton confirmed that books which require interaction and participation are on the rise. “The new miniseries Little Sticker Dolly Dressing is ideal for toy retailers, as are stand-alone titles like Lift-the-Flap Computers and Coding and Fingerprint Activities. Lift the flap series such as Peep Inside (non-fiction for the very young), Look Inside and See Inside (reference titles across the ages) are also performing really well”.

With display solutions on offer to suit all, and the prospect of healthy margins without too much outlay or risk, now is an ideal time for toy retailers to embrace all things books.

Parragon

Books

01225 478 888 | www.parragon.com

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As master publisher for Disney and Marvel, Parragon continues to drive innovation across evergreen franchises including Disney Junior, Frozen and Disney Princess with new format releases and refreshes, as well as a range of titles and formats to support new movie releases including the already successful Zootropolis, The Jungle Book and this summer’s Finding Dory.

2016 sees the launch of an all-new book and gift format with the Bedtime Buddy range. This new introduction combines a storybook with a plush toy, supporting both Frozen and Finding Dory. With the help of favourite characters Olaf or Dory, children can follow ten easy steps to get them ready for bedtime.

After a successful Disney Book Week promotion in 2015, there will be another anniversary celebration for 2016. Running from 23rd May until 12th June, an even bigger retail promotion will seek to encourage parents to help children develop a love of reading from an early age via price promotion on Disney Movie Collection storybooks. This year additional retailer support has been secured as well as an extensive digital and press campaign, including TV advertising on the Disney channel.

Parragon is pleased to continue its partnership with Nickelodeon and its award-winning pre-school property Paw Patrol. 2016 sees another year of new formats being released to support the licence as it goes from strength to strength across all categories. Parragon will extend its book and gift range with the addition of Storytelling Adventures, a premium version of the successful Happy Tins format, offering the Paw Patrol fan additional book and toy content.

The company is also extending its licensed partnerships further for 2016, partnering with the award-winning educational YouTube channel, Little Baby Bum. In 2016 there will be a range of children’s story and activity books bringing the content to life, and extending the range further in 2017 will be a broader range of board books, sounds books, activity books and more. Coupled with the launch of Little Baby Bum toys in the same year, this brand will achieve standout at retail.

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

Usborne 0208 636 3740 | www.usborne.com

Highlights of 2016 include the publication of a second interactive fairytale Peep Inside a Fairytale Cinderella, following the success of Peep Inside a Fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, which was published October 2015.

Children can build their own theatre and put on two plays with the Slot Together Theatre, choosing from The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Included in the box is an Usborne book with instructions on how to build the theatre, the play scripts, and QR codes which allow children to access music for both plays.

A new seasonal offering to add to the best-selling generic board book series will be That’s Not My Elf, whilst That’s Not My Snowman Book and Toy is a gift pack containing the complete That’s Not My book and a charming plush snowman.

Sticker Activities allows children to create pictures using the different coloured and shaped stickers, and is a craft book to follow on from the success of Fingerprint Activities (April 2015) and Fingerprint Activities: Animals (March 2016).

All of the titles will be submitted for national and local press coverage and advertised in relevant trade publications.

Books

That’s not my elf.

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Its buttons are too rough.

One of the fastest growing markets in the UK is real music for children. The popularity of colourful role-play musical instruments in toy shops is being challenged by entry level versions of the real thing.

Toy World’s Jonika Kinchin finds out the benefits of toy retailers stocking musical instruments, how to make the most out of their display value, and what the category has done for retailers that have had success with the products.

L

ong gone are the days when musical instruments were for the elite of pre and primary schoolers, but has the recorder that every infant and primary schooler learned to play on run its course? Sean Kelly, managing director of Access All Areas, which distributes the Freshman Guitars range, told Toy World: “Entry level instruments are starting to be integrated into the national curriculum. Ukuleles and quarter sized classical guitars have replaced the traditional recorders and violins, as they are more appealing to kids. What else is so appealing about them is that they are not difficult to learn. You can play a lot of songs on the ukulele with the same four chords, which are ideal for little fingers.”

Adam Alton-Nee, co-owner of Fergus and Fogg’s, has enjoyed successful sales of instruments. “The pre-school and baby areas do very well, and we are seeing more and more requests for different instruments.

We stock traditional tambourines, shakers and maracas, which you can often get in packs of six from companies such as Orange Tree Toys for a very reasonable price.

We tend to order in more of the smaller items - for example we ordered in four accordions and they have sold well. We stock up every few weeks because of the demand.”

One of the key factors when it comes to selling musical instruments is the way in which they are displayed in store. Sean Kelly thinks that any retailer who does not encourage shoppers to

Music for Kids

Musical Instruments

Thank you for the music

interact with the products would be at a massive disadvantage. “I would advise retailers to make sure there are products on display that can be picked up and played by the customer,” Sean commented. “They are more often than not impulse buys, and children love to touch and pluck the strings. Ukuleles often come pre-tuned so it’s better for children and parents to envision using the product by actually playing the instrument in store. A lot of music shops have display areas dedicated to entry level musical instruments, so there’s definitely no shortage of demand from customers.”

Children are always immediately attracted to things they can reach, touch and that make a noise, so placing instruments accordingly is essential. “We have an educational music sector in store, and as our store is themed we have musical instruments set out according to their theme, and make sure they are always accessible for kids to touch and find for themselves,” commented Adam.

Unlike other toys, playing a musical instrument properly requires skill, and some parents do come in looking for a quality instrument for their child to learn, rather than just a toy. John Bassett, managing director of Music for Kids believes that some retailers may be cautious about stocking musical instruments due to a lack of musical knowledge believed necessary to sell to the customer. “The store representative doesn’t necessarily have to play the instrument to the shopper”, he said. “A lot of the products come with how-to books or these can be purchased additionally. Real instruments are outweighing plastic, pre-school toys and parents are purposely searching for their children to learn skills at a young age. Many schools across the country are now replacing the classic recorder with the soprano ukulele, which is just another reason for the increasing popularity of instruments such as the ukulele and quarter sized guitar.”

With such instruments being integrated into schools, sales can peak at certain times. Sean Kelly indicates that musical instruments do particularly well in the third quarter, with the summer holidays and the August/September back to school period. “They also sell well in the Easter half-term, however we are yet to experience any noticeable dip, as they are constant sellers for us.”

Some retailers are wary of stocking musical instruments in competition with other local music shops. However, John Basset believes that toy shop customers are potentially perfect for the category. He said: “Think about who will walk into your store, and then think about who will walk into the music shop around the corner. They are different shoppers”. Sean Kelly agrees that whoever is buying the product is more likely to feel comfortable in a toy shop than a formal music shop. “Music shops can sometimes be a bit intimidating, whereas toy shops are generally more welcoming. For someone looking for their first instrument, even a parent would be more at ease in a toy shop when it comes to an entry level instrument”.

With these and many other suppliers offering a selection of products, toy retailers are in an ideal situation to present their customers with a host of opportunities.

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Music for Kids 07971 909259 | www.musicforkids.com

One of the fastest growing markets in the UK is real music for children. The popularity of the colourful role-play musical instruments in toy shops has been left behind due to the demand for the real thing.

Music for Kids presents good quality instruments in an ‘open & play’ pack and also supplies a range of colourful music books, some with activity stickers and a CD. Music for Kids products are fast becoming an ideal present/gift solution for all potential purchasers, whatever their musical ability. An entry-level ukulele or colourful recorder can make a thoughtful Christmas or birthday present for a young person.

Products such as the popular ukulele are lightweight, petite and ideal for little hands. Most come with a zipped carry bag and are fitted with non-metallic strings which are easily tuned using the geared machine heads, similar to those found on a guitar. There is also a wide variety of entrylevel ukulele songbooks on the market to choose from, covering everything from chart songs to Disney classics.

The company offers an ideal starter promo-pack for toy retailers intending to add Music for Kids to their stores. Best sellers can be displayed together on a Music for Kids free standing metal easel. Music for Kids is now also a Toymaster member.

Access All Areas

Musical Instruments

01355 228 028 | www.accessallareasmusic.com

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Access All Areas is the UK’s leading distributor of licensed music products. With over 15 years of experience designing award-winning lines, its portfolio of brands includes Peppa Pig, DC Comics, Scooby-Doo, Adventure Time and more. Bridging the gap between toy and instrument, the products have proven to be a success for toy stockist customers.

Ukuleles are a main priority for the company, and are offered at tempting pocket money prices.

New for 2016, the Batman range is already flying off shelves. The Batman Ukulele offers creative superhero fans an easy instrument that sounds great whether you strum for fun or want to learn real music. Aimed at the collector, the premium Batman Leather Guitar Strap and Batman Guitar Plectrums are amongst the most popular lines.

A continual best seller, the Adventure Time ‘Oookulele’ and plectrum sets have repeatedly sold through in toy and gift retailers up and down the country.

A Peppa Pig range is available for pre-schoolers and includes Peppa’s Splish Splash Tambourine, Peppa’s Fun to Learn Ukulele, and Peppa’s Musical Maracas.

The Scooby Doo range, including the Scooby and Shaggy Ukulele, is proving popular even among the most serious guitar players and also includes accessories and percussion Access All Areas also offers a range of affordable non-character instruments ideal for toy retailers. This expanding range includes student guitars, ukuleles, accessories and more.

Bringing real music to young children Contact Kevin Mitton 07971 909259 Kevin.Mitton@musicsales.co.uk www.music-for-kids.co.uk Music For Kids Music Sales Limited Head Office: 14-15 Berners Street, London, W1T 3LJ Distribution Centre: Newmarket Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YB

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16/04/2015 16:29