Toyworld November 2017

November 2017 Volume 7 Issue 3

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The Team...

CONTENTS November 2017 Volume 7 Issue 3

38 Brand Profile: Sylvanian Families

42 Feature: Outdoor Toys

John Baulch

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

Mark Austin

Sales Director mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Anita Baulch

Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

News

Opinion

Features

05 From the Publisher

24 NPD column

38 Brand Profile: Sylvanian Families

06 News

27 Talking Shop

42 Feature: Outdoor Toys

14 Industry Moves

32 Viewpoint

60 Feature: World Book Day

16 Marketing World

36 The science of warehousing

64 Feature: Q1 Ranges

20 Licensing World

40 Touching Base

30 Fresh

82 Allegedly

Contributors Rachael Simpson

Deputy Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

David Ripley | Tristan Brooks | Nat Southworth | Matthew Thorpe | The NPD Group | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | Martin Doyle

Casey Goodman

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

60 Feature: World Book Day

Mark Crowford

Design and Production Manager markc@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

64 Feature: Q1 Ranges

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

Alakat Published by

61 Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7DZ

www.toyworldmag.co.uk @toyworldmag @baulchtweet

toyworldmag

Toy World 3

Toy World Magazine

T from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

oys R Us continues to dominate most toy conversations. Having received numerous calls from suppliers and retailers in recent weeks, I have found myself following the situation forensically, reading every article and email I can find on the subject (and trust me, that is a vast amount of information and opinion – some accurate, some spectacularly ill-judged and wrongheaded). I suspect that the age-old swan analogy applies to TRU right now: calm on the surface, paddling furiously beneath the water. On the plus side, a short-term $3.3 billion loan has given the retailer the opportunity to build its inventory as it approaches Christmas…providing, of course, that suppliers are happy to play ball. While the US suppliers have court protection, the same is not true for UK / European suppliers, who are being asked to put their faith in TRU and support them in their hour of need. As for how that is panning out in practice, there are probably as many answers as there are suppliers - each has a decision to take, and some of those will be tricky calls to make. But I am sure they will all make the best call they can, based on their own circumstances, the information they have, the level of risk they are prepared to take – and ultimately, whether their corporate governance allows them to supply an account without credit insurance.

Indeed, I’m hearing that not all UK toy companies have complete autonomy when it comes to managing the Toys R Us trading relationship; in some instances, I understand that the decision on whether to ship stock to TRU in Europe is ultimately being driven by the international parent company, based on what is in its best interest back in the States. There is no doubt that American companies are hugely invested in the situation; without the sort of specialist competition which Smyths, The Entertainer and our thriving independent retail channel provides here in the UK, a US toy market without TRU would be a very different proposition indeed. One US supplier told me he estimates that product development would be cut by as much as 30% across the board, as other major toy retailers such as Wal Mart and Target carry a massively smaller SKU count. And that is just one reason why the American companies will continue to ship, and do all they can to help TRU make it to the next base.

The cost of shipping to TRU may have increased between 2-5% in the short-term, but people are

Toy World 5

thinking about the long-term consequences.

Nevertheless, there have been some encouraging signs from both sides of the pond; I heard tales of US investors buying one of the debt packages at 85 cents to the dollar, which would seem to indicate a degree of confidence. Closer to home, TRU UK still seems to be placing orders, and I’m not hearing of any short-term payment issues. However, I also spoke to one prominent specialist retailer who told me that his sales have gone through the roof in the past couple of weeks. I suspect that is not pure coincidence. The fact that he seems to have been able to secure additional stock of high profile, short-supply lines will undoubtedly have played a significant part in the upswing. But there is also the distinct possibility that some consumers – concerned about the potential post-Christmas return situation at TRU – may have decided it is safer to shop elsewhere, at least for now.

While the next two months will, as ever, be crucial not just for Toys R Us, but for the toy community as a whole, most of us already have one eye on 2018.

Our two main features this month cover a selection of the hottest new products which will be hitting shelves in the first few months of the New Year.

In addition, we have an exclusive interview with Epoch Toys’ CEO Michihiro Maeda, talking about the launch of the first major addition to the world of Sylvanian Familes in 30 years - the new Town range, which will be arriving in April.

There is much to be said for the old adage that ‘product is king’ (as our extensive product features illustrate), but as the toy trade’s leading magazine, we like to explore all aspects of this vibrant industry.

Hence, I was delighted to accept an invitation to visit The Entertainer’s warehouse in Banbury, in the company of new commercial director John Driscoll and CEO Gary Grant, to witness first-hand some of the challenges which the retailer faces on a daily basis. It was fascinating to see how toy suppliers and their logistics providers can make such a difference in helping to support the smooth running of the business, by addressing anomalies in the supply chain process. It would be great to hear from suppliers, logistics companies and indeed other retailers, with their thoughts on this subject. As Gary says: “Supply chain efficiency is low-hanging fruit.” In times when every penny counts, it does seem that there may potentially be some easy wins in this area. All feedback gratefully received.

News Character Group releases latest trading update As reported in the trading statement issued by the Character Group on 19th September 2017, conditions in the group’s markets remain challenging. The board notes, however, that the portfolio of brands serviced from the company’s UK base continues to trade well, with domestic sales holding up at levels

comparable to the same period last year and against the year to date trends of the toy industry as a whole.

Character’s international and FOB sales have been adversely affected by a combination of several factors, not least of which is Toys R Us entering into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada, which has had subsequent knock-on repercussions in every market where it trades (including the UK). The company’s international customers are also taking a conservative approach to purchases.

Based on the latest sales and market data

Toy Fair 2018 sold out The British Toy and Hobby Association has announced that Toy Fair 2018 has sold out its entire floor space at London’s Olympia. The exhibition has sold out almost four months prior to the doors opening on 23rd January.

Majen Immink, director of fairs and special events, commented: “It is an exciting time for toy innovation. Toy Fair selling out this early shows that there is huge demand in the toy industry at the moment.

I am looking forward to seeing the products set to be launched in January.”

As the UK’s largest toy, game and hobby trade show, Toy Fair 2018 will be looking to emulate the success of last year’s event, which attracted more than 250 exhibiting companies. Floor plans can be viewed on the Toy Fair website.

The BTHA has also announced the new toy showcase for Toy Fair 2018 – Toy Fair Heroes. Highlighting exceptional toys across all categories, Toy Fair Hero awards will be bestowed upon toys and games deemed to be a cut above the rest. The 25 winners, as selected by toy experts and the BTHA, will be announced on the opening morning of the show.

The showcase will take centre stage at the front of the press office, allowing visitors to see these exemplary toys for themselves. The press office is located upstairs in Room 158.

Paul Lamond acquired by University Games University Games and Paul Lamond Games have announced the acquisition of Paul Lamond Games by University Games.

The acquisition adds to the UK presence of University Games Corporation, a US based game company. University Games is currently active in the UK and is trading as University Games UK. Richard Wells, managing director of Paul Lamond Games, commented: “I am delighted that we will be part of University Games and this is a great transition for the company. University Games is a great fit for us and has a similar business model in the US to the Paul Lamond way of doing things here in the UK." Bob Moog, president of University Games added: “I am so excited to finally be part of Paul Lamond Games. Now when I play classics like Yes/No, Perudo, Who’s In The Bag and What’s Up! I will have great pride that we have added some truly great party games to our range.’’

University Games plans to operate Paul Lamond as a stand alone entity and does not anticipate any changes in management or staffing. “This is another step in our efforts to find talented management and strong product lines to build University Games into a global player in the games and puzzle market” said Bob.

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available to them, the group’s performance for the year ending 31st August 2018 is now expected to be below current market estimates, according to the board. Nevertheless, the directors stated that they believe this to be a temporary downturn and the group anticipates returning to its previous growth pattern during the second half of the 2018 calendar year.

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Toy World 6

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News newsanalysis

Zing when you’re winning ToyWorld spoke to Ben Harper, UK & Ireland director at Magic Box Toys International, about the new SuperZings collectible range, and how the company intends to its ensure success in the marketplace.

In such a competitive market, what are the key elements that help a collectible range stand out from the crowd?

First and foremost, the products themselves must be compelling and genuinely collectible. A lot of products are categorised as collectibles these days, but are they genuinely collectible?

Collectability comes from a wide range of factors; the physical product itself, the concept and the world, the product range, the price, rare characters - the list goes on. We believe that we have the correct balance of these elements with our new range, SuperZings.

How important is it to get the price points right in this category?

Price is particularly important for us. We are looking to create a collectible range with prices that start at true pocket money levels. If the price is right, then children and parents will be more willing to get involved in the process of collecting. With SuperZings, we have a starting price point of just 80p and complementary products at £1.50 and £2.50. The range extends further than this, but these entry price points are crucial.

What was the thinking behind the new concept?

To create the next big collectible craze. That is always what we are thinking about. SuperZings is all about turning everyday objects into super hero vs. super villain rivalries. Creating the concepts for our rivalries - superhero orange Mr C battling the villainous squeezer Jack The Juicer, for example - was a lot of fun, and gave us a great platform to build from.

Do you feel that your history of strong performance in the sector helps to secure retail support for new launches?

It certainly helps to be have had a very consistent level of success over many years with multiple products. We have proved that we can deliver time and again in this category. With so much competition, retailers are probably a little fatigued with ‘another’ new collectible, but we have been able to point to a unique and fun new concept, and to our own track record.

What would constitute success for this latest introduction?

Success would be conducting an interview to talk about the launch of SuperZings series 6! In all seriousness though, we have very high hopes for this launch. It will get a huge marketing investment from us and we are very optimistic that kids will love the concept.

Paw Patrol becomes No. 1 Toy Property for September

Barbie Dolphin Magic launches in cinemas

Spin Master is celebrating the news that Paw Patrol has been named the No. 1 Toy Property for the month of September (NPD EPoS September 2017).

Paw Patrol’s latest success follows the July launch of the new Sea Patrol range of toys, which was followed by a 26-minute special episode that premiered on Nick Jr. UK on 4th September. This marked the commencement of Season 4’s new Sea Patrol themed programming, featuring the Sea Patroller for the first time.

As well as the Sea Patrol Transforming Vehicle, which features lights and sounds, the Sea Patrol toy range also includes new Sea Patrol Vehicles and Light Up Pups, so kids can recreate the Paw Patrol’s underwater adventures at home.

Phil Hooper, Spin Master UK’s commercial director marketing, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled that Paw Patrol was the top toy property in September. On the back of the new content that has premiered on Nick Jr. this year, including Sea Patrol and Jungle Rescue, we have launched our strongest product range to date.”

Phil added: “The Sea Patroller and new Sea Patrol Vehicles performed particularly well in September, and we anticipate they will be very popular this Christmas.”

The new feature length film, which sees Barbie on an underwater adventure, premiered in cinemas nationwide mid October.

The new Barbie Dolphin Magic entertainment theme is supported by a product range so kids can re-create their favourite scenes at home. Key products that will feature on TV include lead doll Barbie Dolphin Magic Snorkel Fun Friends, and the new vehicle Barbie Dolphin Magic Boat.

Wendy Hill, brand activation director Mattel UK, commented: “The theatrical roll-out is part of an exciting new content strategy for Barbie that sees the brand engage with even more children, with over 1300 minutes of content in 2018 – three times more than in 2017. The new strategy puts Barbie directly where children are watching, whether that is through traditional TV, theatrical releases or on mobile, tablet or online.”

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26.12.17 A range of sweet scented plushies packaged inside an iconic lollipop... liolipop... the ultimate surprise based unboxing experience!

Heavyweight multiplatform marketing campaign and unique lollipop FSDU!

For more information visit www.flairplc.co.uk/pikmipops

News Spielwarenmesse unveils 2018 Trends

newsanalysis

Smashing it Toy World spoke to Zuru Toys’ creative director, Adam Woods about its new Smashers range.

What are the key elements that will help Smashers to succeed?

Our Smash Ball is vital. The market has a proclivity to demand innovation and we didn’t want to just produce another plastic figure in a pack. Developing the Smash Ball has given our brand a unique and dynamic wow factor. Launching with a new sports theme is also somewhat unchartered territory too.

The reveal element is a nice touch – how difficult was that to achieve?

The Smash Ball has taken some time to perfect. One aspect that amazed me is how kids love to throw them, smash and find their surprise inside – yet also reassemble their Smash Ball and do it all over again. It’s cool to see that kind of natural interaction and genuine excitement for the product.

What are the challenges when it comes to blending sports and ‘physical’ collectibles (as opposed to trading cards and stickers)?

Localisation has been something of a challenge as kids enjoy different sports depending on which country they live in. It’s also been fun to tailor our creative and marketing to appeal to those regions as well.

However, humour is one of the most important common denominators, and our detailed characters are funny to play with.

What are you hoping to achieve with the Smashers range?

We are a fast-paced, innovative company that likes to be disruptive. If Smashers can continue and even surpass the previous collectible success we’ve had with brands like Disney Tsum Tsum, we’d be very excited.

Irrespective, we will continue to be imaginative and keep creating.

The international Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee has identified Explore Nature, Team Spirit and Just for Fun as Trends for 2018. Covering an area of around 1,000m², the TrendGallery at the Spielwarenmesse, which is scheduled to run in Nuremberg from 31st January to 4th February 2018, brings these identified trends to life, offering trade visitors the chance to experience them first hand, along with products that reflect them.

The Explore Nature trend brings children closer to nature, encouraging them to step outside and discover it in all its glory. Products that fall within this trend include such things as magnifying glasses, binoculars and planting sets.

Products reflecting Team Spirit are all about solving problems together. In doing so, communication is key, as is dealing with the opinions of others and reaching compromise.

Victory is only possible within the group.

The Just for Fun trend places the emphasis on fun and on playing as an end in itself.

Products that encapsulate this trend often have simple rules and, with a little imagination, can easily be adapted and modified.

Exhibitors at the Spielwarenmesse can now apply for their related products to appear in one of the three trends – visit the show website for further information.

Registered trade buyers will be able to buy ticket for the show when the advance sales open on 6th November.

Vernon Franklyn’s retirement celebrated After a long career in the toy trade, Vernon Franklyn is now retiring. His Bridport store, Frosts Toymaster, has been acquired by Howleys. MD Ian Moore also runs Toymasters in Weymouth and Dorchester. Vernon, who has been selling toys for over 60 years, was joined by friends and family at a surprise party.

The celebration, organised by friend and industry colleague Marcello Rossi, was held at Highlands End in Bridport. Twenty seven guests attended the event, including, Marcello & Helen Rossi, Phil & Ian Moore, James Mowlam (Howleys Toy Shop), Adrian Franklyn (Vernon’s brother), Tony Jones (agent), Andy Robertson (retired agent) Roger Dyson (Toymaster), Mark & Mike Edwards (agents), Barry Morris (agent), Jeremy & Jane Walwin (previously of Ellenbray Toys in Frome), Jonathan Swallow (Ty Soft Toys), Ian Veitch (retired sales director), Robert & Diane Gliddon (Toymaster Sidmouth), Kelvin Vaughn (toy agent), Lee Edwards (retired toy agent), Craig Richards (Mattel), Matt & Clive Brown ( Toyshop Melksham & Trowbridge ), Dave Ross (toy agent ), John Bently (toy buyer for Beales ), and Tony Ryan (retired toy agent).

Toy World would like to wish Vernon the very best for a long and happy retirement.

TKC Sales appoints Fizz TKC Sales has appointed Fizz Communications to handle the PR and communications for key brands across trade and consumer channels.

Fizz Communications will support TKC sales in raising the business profile through PR across trade and consumer platforms including social media and influencer marketing.

Matt Woodruffe, director at TKC Sales, commented: “Bringing Fizz Communications on board to help raise the awareness and communicate our brand associations and partnerships is key to the next stage of development for TKC Sales.”

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News BTHA Briefing

Rebecca Deeming The BTHA’s Rebecca Deeming brings Toy World readers up to date on the current work being carried out by the ever-busy association.

I

t is nearly the end of the year, which means just a few weeks of peak season, two months until Toy Fair and just six months to go until the new General Data Protection Regulation comes into effect next May. The BTHA has been working hard to ensure members are prepared and understand the actions they need to take to meet the requirements of the regulation. Through weekly GDPR updates in our e-newsletter, we have been breaking down the different sections of the regulation in more detail. As well as these updates, we also organised a series of free GDPR webinars exclusive to members over the past month. Hosted by our lawyers DLA Piper, these webinars focused on the key areas of the regulation most relevant to members, as well as answering questions and addressing any concerns members have.

The end of last month also saw us host our latest seminar for members on ‘Responsible Marketing’. Welcoming speakers from the Committee of

Advertising Practice (CAP), Media Smart and Toy Industries of Europe, amongst others, the seminar provided members with emerging trends and concerns for the industry regarding marketing and advertising, as well as information on new or developing selfregulation codes.

We have also recently published a new guidance document for members on combating counterfeit toys. The ‘Routes to enforcing against counterfeit toys’ document details how companies can protect their rights regarding counterfeit toys, as well as outlining the various options available for working with enforcement authorities to remove counterfeit goods. This new guide can be accessed in the Advice for Members section on our website, where members will also find our guidance document on connected toys which we released in September.

The BTHA is continuing to have conversations with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on issues impacting members regarding Brexit and future

arrangements. We also hope to help develop our relationship with MPs further at our first parliamentary reception taking place at the end of this month, where we will provide an overview of the work of the BTHA and its members in the context of the importance of the toy industry.

Having already been to many previews, and with a few more to go, it has been exciting to see the new toys members will be launching in 2018.

It’s always exciting at this time of year, as we learn more about the new trends for the year ahead and move towards Toy Fair in January. We can’t wait to welcome back familiar faces to the show in 2018, as well as new and first-time exhibitors, which you can read more about in our article on the Greenhouse area on p.40 in this issue.

For more information on the content in this month’s column or on the benefits of BTHA membership, please contact me on 020 7701 7271 or Rebecca@btha.co.uk.

Industry Moves Rob Fort joins Tactic Games UK as sales director

New appointments for HTI’s UK sales team

Finnish board game company, Tactic, has appointed Rob Fort who will work alongside country director, Jeremy Pateman. Rob joins from John Adams Leisure, where he held the position of national account manager, and more recently international sales manager, for almost eight years. In his new role, which encompasses all UK sales and marketing, Rob is responsible for reinvigorating and growing Tactic’s entire UK sales force as the company prepares to embark on a busy year, with multiple new product launches and revamps slated for 2018.

Tasked with opening new accounts and developing existing retailer relationships in the UK, Rob commented: “Joining Tactic at such a crucial time in the company’s growth is incredibly exciting. There’s a real opportunity to build the brand in the UK and I’m confident that our ambitions to attract new retail partners in both the mass and independent spaces will be achieved, especially with the addition of some really interesting new launches. I’m thrilled to be on board and looking forward to a busy year.”

Jeremy Pateman, country director, Tactic Games UK, commented: “We’re preparing for our most ambitious year of growth yet, with an array of innovative new products launching next year in the toys and games categories. We’ll also be breathing new life into a number of existing products in 2018 as we aim to secure new retail partners, so I’m delighted to welcome Rob who joins us with unrivalled sector experience and industry knowledge which I’m confident will be of immense benefit to the company.”

Marvin’s Magic welcomes Tom Hudson as commercial director Former retail director Tom Hudson has returned to the business as commercial director. Tom, who founded distribution company Toy Buddy in 2015, will be amalgamating some of his existing assets and relationships within the Marvin’s Magic brand.

Tom commented: “I am incredibly excited to be working with Marvin and his talented team again.

Marvin’s Magic is an iconic global brand with over 30 years of promoting innovation within the toy industry. We are working on some incredible new projects which will further confirm our position as number one for magic worldwide.”

Prior to his time with Marvin’s Magic, Tom worked as an actor appearing in television programmes. He is best known for his role as Paul Clayton, the grandson of Coronation Street’s Jack and Vera Duckworth. Sadly, his on-screen grandmother, played by the actress Liz Dawn, passed away recently. Following on from this, Tom began his career with Marvin’s Magic demonstrating in Hamleys, Regent Street. Ascending through the ranks, he ran global in-stores sales teams in Harrods, Selfridges as well as FAO Schwarz and Toys R US Times Square.

Working closely with Marvin Berglas, he assisted in the development of the award-winning Marvin’s iMagic, a collection of magic tricks that combine traditional magic with smart devices. Marvin added: “Tom will be a great addition to our dynamic team and shares our passion and vision to further develop and drive the business.”

Former Tesco senior buying manager John Carlaw has joined HTI as senior national account manager. John (pictured) has spent the last 3 ½ years at Tesco as one of the senior buying managers on Toys for the UK and central Europe, and previously held roles at M&S, Virgin Megastores and Woolworths. As HTI’s new senior national account manager, John’s 17’s of years retail experience will add extra strength to the company’s existing UK sales team.

Clare Finley (centre) has returned to the team as national account manager after previous roles at Worlds Apart and The Design Company. With more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, Clare will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to HTI. Andrea Lenehan (left of image) has been promoted to senior national account manager, in recognition of developing her account base within the national account team.

Further additions to the product team include Danielle Gorner, Hannah Booth and Lily Chadwick. Danielle will support the design team as junior photographer after working freelance for seven years. Hannah has joined as product assistant following her previous role as office manager for online personalised novelty goods retailer, Party People, while Lily is acting as marketing assistant on her placement year from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Emma Pilgrim, former assistant product manager for Wheeled Toys and Role Play, has been promoted to junior product manager for Wheeled Toys. Finally, Leanne Haslam has also been promoted to the position of junior product manager for HTI’s Licensed Pocket Money and Bubbles ranges.

Cartamundi appoints Dan King as UK general manager Dan will be responsible for the sales and marketing of Cartamundi’s three UK business unit activities. The first, Consumer Products, includes the playing card and card game ranges Royal Flush, Shuffle, and the brand new educational range Fundels; Games Manufacturing Services provides a world class card games and board games manufacturing service to games publishers; and finally, Promotional Services takes all of Cartamundi’s retail & manufacturing experience to make innovative and class leading promotional products using gamification.

Commenting on his appointment, former Mattel and Tomy executive Dan told Toy World: “I am delighted and proud to be joining Cartamundi as it’s the undisputed world leader in its field. The games and puzzle market is booming and through many successful partnerships, Cartamundi is continuing to drive this growth. We have some really exciting innovation across all business units; from the award winning Fundels & Shuffle ranges in consumer products to the revolutionary My Cards in promotional services.”

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Marketing World Baby Annabell teams up with Olympian Rebecca Adlington The UK launch of Zapf Creation’s Baby Annabell Learns To Swim doll was marked with an exclusive event at London’s Olympic Pool on 23rd September. A limited number of Baby Annabell fans were given the chance to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime swimming lesson hosted by Rebecca, as well as receiving a Baby Annabell Learns To Swim doll to take home from the Olympian herself.

The Baby Annabell Learns To Swim doll is a fully functional doll with realistic sounds and movement. Once placed in water the doll will move her arms and legs to simulate swimming. Promoting imaginative role play, Baby Annabell encourages the development of key nurturing and social skills from a young age.

Rebecca commented: “As a mum, I’m excited to be working with the Baby Annabell brand. I am passionate about getting children swimming from a young age – it can help to instil confidence and be a powerful bonding experience between a parent and child."

Rebecca is also supporting the brand with further PR activity including the provision of exclusive swimming tips, promotional material, media interviews and social support. Heavyweight TV, PR and social media campaigns will support the launch to maintain momentum through to Christmas.

Hasbro announces partnerships with Bella Italia and Weetabix Hasbro’s partnership with Bella Italia Restaurants will see the launch of 200,000 My Little Pony and Nerf Nitro co-branded Kids Menu Activity Sheets in 108 Bella Italia restaurants across five weeks. The sheets appeared in restaurants from 19th October, and will be offered until 24th November.

To celebrate the launch of Bella Italia’s New Kids menu, all children eating in its restaurants during the promotional period will receive a four page menu including activity sheets featuring immersive My Little Pony: The Movie and Nerf Nitro themed activities and games, along with the opportunity to win a range of prizes.

Meanwhile, Hasbro’s deal with Weetabix will see Nerf Nitro co-branded Weetos packs appearing at retailers until mid-December. The Nerf Nitro co-branded Weetos packs come with a free cut out stunt ramp for children to enjoy. These packs give children the opportunity to create great visual play experiences from their everyday breakfast cereal.

Vivid Imaginations appoints Threepipe to launch Who’s the Dude?

Tactic Games launches TV ad campaign for Life in the Coral Reef The advertisement will be broadcast across a variety of channels during October and November 2017, including Cartoonito, Disney Junior, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Junior, Boomerang, and TLC. The creative will be 20 seconds in duration, achieving 400 TVRs. The campaign will be supported by social media activity on Twitter and Facebook, including competitions and blogs.

Life in the Coral Reef is suitable for children ages four and over, and the object of the game is to find creatures hiding in the ocean. The game comes with a unique puzzle-like board which is different each time it is put together and played. It also comes with 15 sea life figurines.

Jeremy Pateman, country director at Tactic Games, commented: “The game has been extremely well-received. It is a very colourful and vibrant game which creates great interaction between families."

Threepipe will be creating an integrated campaign in the run up to the Christmas. The campaign will include Snapchat Geofilters targeting universities and a media and influencer partnership with Unilad. This will be further supported by an innovative display advertising campaign and traditional press office support.

Who’s the Dude? is a party game using a life size inflatable Dude, used to act out a series of charades.

Jim Hawker, co-founder, Threepipe, commented: “The aim is to bring the personality of the Dude to life and connect him with the student community, before reaching out to wider family audiences towards the Christmas period.

We have chosen channels and created a content strategy which will really communicate the fun that you can have with this unique game.”

Mary Wood, marketing director, Vivid, commented: “We were impressed by Threepipe’s approach to building the personality of the Dude, but also the way in which they have thought about driving sales through our key retail partners.”

Toy World 16

NEW

Mode Adjustable 1.35m/4'5" stand

Ever wanted to be a Super Star?

Sing to your favourite tunes without the main vocals using Music Magic! Built-in microphone voice effects, rhythmic games, tongue twisters, record yourself singing and more!

8 Built-in Songs

Built-in Recorder

Sing along to 8 great songs and train to become a Super Star! Once you are ready, use Music Magic mode to remove the main vocal track and sing the songs all by yourself!

Record yourself for up to around 5 minutes, so you can listen back and enjoy your performance!

Music Magic Mode

Discover and enjoy music, rhythm and memory games on your way to becoming a Super Star!

Plug in an external music player and press the Music Magic button to remove or reduce the main vocal track of your favourite songs (works with most studio recorded songs).

Disco Light create a great atmosphere for singing and dancing! The Disco Light also twists 180 degrees!

change the sound of your voice!

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

Games & Tools

Like in a real concert, add applause and cheering sounds while singing!

External Music Player Connection

Plug in an external music player to listen to your own music and sing along with your favourite music!

NOTE: 3.5mm jack audio cable included.

Mobile Phone and External Music Player not included.

Opinion

Living in a digital world

With fond memories of visiting his favourite toy store as a child, Martin considers whether physical toy stores still need to live up to expectations.

L

ife can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards. So says the philosopher Kierkegaard. It was something that came to my mind recently whilst reading about the issues facing Toys R Us in the US. Toys R Us has long been a source of great excitement for youngsters, thrilled to be able to get hands on with their Christmas lists and birthday desires.

I myself used to get incredibly giddy about trips to a certain other toy store: some of you may remember it - Children’s World. For the uninitiated, it was a chain set up by Boots in 1987.

The store that I remember had a door for adults to enter by, but a slide for kids. What a treat! Despite being arguably the most kid-friendly store I can

ever remember, the chain disappeared, never to return.

The question – something that can only be opinion - is whether the tangible element of toy shopping is dead, and whether this is a recent phenomenon or whether it has always been an issue?

I dug out an old article from The Telegraph dated January 1996, and found that Children’s World never turned a profit, and was eventually sold by Boots to Mothercare. There are interesting differences and parallels between Children’s World in 1996 and Toys R Us, nearly 22 years later.

The most obvious difference from my perspective is technological. We can categorically rule out the rise of the internet from the factors that killed Children’s World – at that time less

Martin Doyle

Head of Digital, Generation Media.

Tel: 0207 307 7908 martin.doyle@generationmedia.co.uk

than 4% of the UK had internet access. Yet, go to Hamleys and you would be forgiven for thinking that the physical toy store is booming.

Does YouTube Kids now do the job of the physical toy store? For the older generation this may seem hard to grasp, but I feel it is no coincidence that participation in physical activity amongst kids fallen whilst sales of FIFA 17 exceeded 1.3m units in the UK.

Licensing World Mattel and Simba partner on Bob the Builder Mattel has sealed a multi-territory deal with the Simba Dickie Group as its new master toy partner for Bob the Builder products. The deal follows the success of the Fireman Sam brand, which is also produced with Simba Dickie.

The partnership will see Mattel continue to lead and invest in brand management across the world and Simba Dickie Group will simultaneously produce high-quality toys and consumer products. Additionally, Mattel will continue to work with content and distribution partner DHX Media to produce content for the Bob the Builder property, including Season 3 of the show which was green-lit earlier this year.

Nicolas Houssin, VP marketing Europe for Mattel, commented: “We are adapting our strategy for this brand modelled on the success of the Fireman Sam business, which continues to grow year on year with great results. We are delighted to be working with our esteemed and trusted partners, The Simba Dickie Group.”

Uwe Weiler, COO for Simba Dickie Group, added: “This partnership will strengthen the success of Bob the Builder in the toy market, which we’ve had with our current Bob the Builder role-play range in the past two years. Now, as master toy partner, we are thrilled to work together with Mattel and to develop new categories.”

The first playsets of new Bob the Builder toy range from Simba Dickie Group will be available from February 2018 with the partnership deal effective immediately.

Paddington animated TV series to air The announcement of the animated series, based on Michael Bond’s Paddington Bear, comes a few weeks before the global premiere of Paddington 2, which opens in the UK on 10th November, and in the US in January. Aimed primarily at preschoolers, though designed for a broad audience, the TV series will launch late 2018 or early 2019.

The first Paddington film became the most successful nonstudio family movie of all time, grossing nearly $300m at the worldwide box office.

The 52 x 11 series is part of Vivendi’s strategy to further expand the Paddington franchise, and follows the recent announcement of Paddington Run, the official Paddington game on mobile, produced by Studiocanal and Gameloft. Both companies are part of Vivendi, which also owns Paddington Bear intellectual property rights (except classic publishing rights) via Copyrights Group.

Didier Lupfer, chairman and CEO of Studiocanal, commented: “This is such an exciting project. Paddington is one of the best-loved children’s characters in the world, and we aim to increase his already huge popularity with the new series.”

Sinco Toys' Christmas Disney plush range now available Now available is Sinco Toys’ new range of licensed Disney Christmas toys. Having hit the shelves in October, the seasonal collection is proving popular with fans both old and new in the run-up to Christmas. The range includes Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Winnie-the-Pooh.

Each character plush is available in a medium size, measuring approx. 18", and a large size, measuring approx.

25". This range is suited to both younger and older girls and boys, as well as seasoned collectors.

Each toy is themed with a festive hat for a Christmas feel, and are soft to touch making them ideal for playtime.

Toy World 20

Licensing World Nickelodeon signs 19 UK licence partners for JoJo Siwa Multiple UK licensees have been announced for the 14-year-old singer, dancer, performer and social media influencer. The 19 partners cover a wide range of categories with initial product lines in stores now, and further lines to launch in the lead up to Christmas. More agreements are at the contracting stage with NVCP hoping to announce over 20 JoJo licensees by the end of the year.

Just Play (distributed by Flair) will be producing dolls, role-play and plush, Spin Master is on board for creative play, Cardinal has puzzles and games, with Sambro getting involved across role-play, creative play, accessories, footwear, arts & craft, stationery, and social expressions.

Worlds Apart will license consumer electronics and furniture, and HTI has signed for role-play, cosmetics, and consumer electronics. Kid Designs takes on consumer electronics, whilst Addo Play has signed on for plush and health and beauty with its line at The Entertainer.

Rubies will produce a range of costumes.

Sambro announces raft of new licences Sambro’s deal with eOne will see the manufacturer create a range of arts, crafts and stationery based on popular pre-school property P J Masks. Featuring the three main characters Connor, Amaya and Greg, and their alter egos, the collection will have appeal for both boys and girls.

Continuing the superheroes theme, 2018 will also see the launch of a Power Rangers collection of arts, crafts, stationery and bags.

The Jurassic World franchise continues apace in 2018 with the release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in June next year. Sambro is set to develop a number of key categories that will resonate with the explorative theme of the movie.

Sambro is also introducing new Hatchimals lines for 2018. The line extensions will include pocket money and plush, offering extended play possibilities as well as the collectability factor which appeals to Hatchimals fans.

In addition to its new signings, Sambro has also been announced as a key partner on Littlest Pet Shop by Hasbro. The deal will see the Sambro create cross category solutions ranging from bags, stationery and arts & crafts products based on the consumer products range of Littlest Pet Shop. The range will launch in autumn/winter 2018.

Toy State named as master toy licensee for True and the Rainbow Kingdom As master toy licensee for the Netflix Original preschool animated series True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Toy State’s toy line will bring to life the show’s characters so fans can create the adventures of True and her friends at home.

A product line featuring figures, role-play, plush, playsets and dolls will hit shelves in autumn 2018, marking a major expansion into new product categories as part of the company’s overall global growth strategy.

True and the Rainbow Kingdom was produced by Guru Studio in collaboration with Pharrell Williams' creative collective, i Am Other, and Home Plate Entertainment. The series follows the adventures of warmhearted True and her best friend, Bartleby the cat. True and Bartleby explore the world of the Rainbow Kingdom solving problems with the powers of the wishing tree. The show premiered in August 2017 and has already been renewed by Netflix for two more seasons.

Toy State president Andy Friess commented: “Audiences have fallen in love with True and the Rainbow Kingdom, and we’re elated to be partnering with Guru Studio to create an innovative new toy line with the same magical quality that makes the series so special. We’ve long been category leaders at retail, and we’re excited to be delivering toys inspired by the worlds of play and imagination found in True.”

Vivid signs worldwide deal with YouTube’s Tiana from Toys AndMe Vivid has signed a worldwide deal with the nine-year-old YouTube celebrity Tiana and her channel Toys AndMe. The UK star has amassed 6.3m subscribers and generated over 4.2b views in just over two years, ranking 5th on YouTube in the UK. She also has a huge following in the US and Australia and a growing fan base in many other countries.

Tiana has become a celebrity in her own right, with her meet & greets attracting thousands of fans at a time.

Mary Wood, Vivid’s marketing director, commented: “We are fast-tracking development to launch a range of Tiana mini dolls and unboxing surprises along with playsets and a fashion doll in AW18. During previews, we will be unveiling the full line backed by an innovative marketing programme that we believe will make these the must-have toys for 2018.”

Toy World 22

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NPD Insight Will the Christmas season surprise us this year?

NPD’s Gabriela Rydzik examines toy sales in Q4.

W

ith Christmas around the corner, the hottest season in the toy market has just begun.

Will it be as big as last year or continue to grow at the same pace as the last couple of years? What toys will be the best sellers in the biggest gift-giving period this year? We all search for answers to these questions at this time of the year.

With the UK toy market down -2% in value YTD September 2017 and volume down -11%, some may argue that British consumers are being more reserved with toy purchases this year. However, with the peak selling period still to come, the full year market performance could be very different with certain key new lines already selling well. So what are the early market indications?

Looking at The NPD Group historical data, we can see that Q4 in toys on average accounts for 50% of the annual sales. However, share of peak season sales varies by Supercategory, from 31% in Outdoor & Sport Toys to 66.6% in Games/Puzzles.

For Games & Puzzles manufacturers, this makes the final three months of the year particularly important. The Games/Puzzles Supercategory grew by +24% last Christmas, adding +£31M to the market and has been the fastest growing area in toys every single month this year. YTD September data shows that fun & innovative games, pushed or inspired by social media, have driven continued sales growth, with the category up by +16%.

However, the Christmas season is not all about games. It’s the time of the year when the greatest volume of high priced toys is sold. Looking at the £100+ items and their share of sales within The NPD weekly data, we can see that week 47 (w/c 20th November) was the biggest. That is driven by the fact that most consumers tend to buy the most expensive gifts after the last pay day prior Christmas.

During that time, tech toys – robots, electronics, and interactive plush are hot. Also big playsets / boxes are more visible on shelves and this season doesn’t seem to be different in that respect.

Looking at best selling items in September, Collectibles are still driving the market. However, more expensive items such as the Luvabella Doll from Spin Master & the KidiZoom Duo from Vtech are moving up the ranking. Not far behind are assortments of Hatchimals and the Paw Patrol Sea Patroller from Spin Master with average price from £50 to £75 price bracket. Also worth mentioning is the Cozmo robot from Anki, which has appeared on almost all Christmas top toys lists published by toy retailers.

2/3 of all Games & Puzzles are sold in the last quarter of the year

Value £M – September 2017 Sales in £M

Q4 % of total toys Youth Electronics Plush Vehicles Arts & Crafts Dolls Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys Building Sets All Other Toys Action Figures & Acc Outdoor & Sports Toys Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

31.0%

In terms of top properties by size and value gained in the last quarter of 2016, Paw Patrol was the fastest growing and continues to perform well this year. YTD September data shows this property at #3 in terms of value sales, however not the

fastest growth we’ve seen this year. DC Comics & Pokémon are growing the fastest in 2017, together adding over £33M to the market.

Movie related properties can also do well during the Christmas season. Last year the Trolls movie added +£12M in the last three months. Despite the below expectation performance of movie related toys so far this year, we have a few movie releases still to come that may impact sales in Q4 – My Little Pony, Justice League, Thor and Star Wars.

Will any of these properties surprise us? Or will it be collectibles that will continue to drive the UK toy market over Christmas? Only time and NPD data in January will reveal that …

Top items in September 2017

Share of Christmas sales by Supercategory Games/Puzzles

Gabriela Rydzik

Senior Account Manager, NPD

L.O.L. Surprise! Doll Assortment / MGA

66.6% 60.1% 55.6% 55.1% 54.8% 52.5% 51.7% 48.6% 47.3% 44.0%

£1.84 £0.80

L.O.L. Surprise! Lil Sister Assortment / MGA

£0.80

Fingerlings Monkeys Assortment / Jazwares

£0.63

Ninjago Series 3 Minifigures Blind Pack / LEGO Paw Patrol Vehicle and Pup / Spin Master Cars The Movie Character Cars ... 1:55 / Mattel Luvabella Blonde Doll / Spin Master First Steps Babywalker / Vtech KidiZoom Duo / Vtech PJ Masks Vehicle Assortment / Flair

£0.48 £0.43 £0.43 £0.40 Source The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | Sep-17

Source: The NPD Group | Retail Tracking Service | Q4 2016 vs. 2015 1

£0.57 £0.51

Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

Toy World 24

2

Item Progression: Item

YTD Sep 2017 Rank

YTD Sep 2017 Rank

Hatchimals Pengualas Pink Egg Asst

#4087

#17

There’s No Other City Like New York and No Other Show Like

Following the successful launch of Hatchimals in 2016, the popularity of this property is not fading this year. The NPD Group Retailer Panel YTD September 2017 data shows that the property grew in range and continues selling well. Since January, Spin Master has launched 15 new Hatchimals SKUs in the UK, including the collectible range, which brings the Hatchimals line to 19 toys in total vs. four last year. Hatchimals Pengualas Pink Egg Assortment is still the best-seller from the entire range and holds #17 position in terms of the value sales YTD September.

•More than 1,000 exhibitors •150,000+ products including 7,000 world debuts 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

Toy World 25

•4 days, 1 location— in the heart of New York City

Saturday-Tuesday February 17–20, 2018 www.toyfairny.com

Featuring: Golden Bear Products, Micro Scooters, Funrise, Brainstorm, Dracco, Big Potato Games, Casdon & many more ...

Sponsored by

Talking Shop

New year, new ranges This month, Toy World caught up with a selection of independent retailers, to find out what is selling well at the moment, as well as to discuss the outdoor toys category, their plans for World Book Day and how they are preparing for Q1 2018.

James Colclough - Newark Toymaster Business has been very good this year. We have five Toymaster-branded toy shops; in Melton Mowbray, Retford in Nottinghamshire, Newarkon-Trent, Bridlington, and one in York, which has only been open a year. The Melton Mowbray store, which was our original shop, has just moved into a bigger unit in the high street, so we are seeing growth year on year. Our like-forlike businesses are also showing positive growth, which is good because this is not an easy market.

We stock outdoor toys, but the problem is that we don’t have a huge amount of space in our shops for the larger products, such as go-karts, slides, and swings, so those items are limited and we stick to smaller items such as Super Soaker water pistols, paddling pools, hula hoops, and diabolos. The Little Tikes ranges perform well for us, especially the rockers, water tables, and sand pits. We choose our stock through the Toymaster FOB programme which allows for more variety, and allows us to buy in bulk. The Bridlington store performs particularly well with outdoor toys, as you might expect being in a seaside location, but actually our ethos in Bridlington is to be a toy store for the town, rather than being a seaside shop, as there are already plenty of other shops selling toys for the beach. With outdoor toys, we find that people tend to prefer the option of home delivery, particularly for the larger products. The challenge is offering a hands-on experience with outdoor toys.

Looking ahead to World Book Day, we will be promoting the event for the first time. Up to now, we have always struggled a little bit with World Book Day because of our locations and the competitors in the towns where we are located. If we are going to do something, we want to do it properly, and again available meterage is limited. However, it is an area

that we will aim to continue to grow. I see Book Week as an opportunity for us, the first thing we will do in January is plan ahead for it, trying to get involved with local schools.

In January, we will be going to Toy Fair, although it might be different for us this year, as it is has become largely a planning and researching event.

Digesting the previous year and Christmas, whilst

Toy World 27

talking to the suppliers, poses a challenge. We go to Toy Fair with an open mind about new ranges, and we aim to visit some new companies in the Greenhouse. This year we saw Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, which has performed really well for us. I would prefer to spend a few hours seeing what the newer companies have to offer, rather than spending it with the same larger companies as before. I think Toy Fair is very important for the industry and for independent retailers, and we are approaching it in a slightly different way this year, as we are changing and growing as a business.

I don’t see movies or big events such as the World Cup driving as much business as the crazes. For example, Trolls has performed well, but the volume can’t compare to fidget spinners. I would like to think that there will be another craze next year. In Q1, we will be refining our profitable ranges, as well as finding out which ranges haven’t worked for us over Christmas and replacing them.

I think, in the toy industry, Christmas pretty much plans itself. As a business, we are hoping to come out as clean as we can, and are obviously keeping a close eye on what’s happening with Toys R Us. But in-store, it is a case of sticking to what we are good at; our excellent staff push promotions around Christmas, especially as the towns put on big events, such as the Christmas lights switch-ons and Christmas markets, and we also try not to diversify too much.

Talking Shop Dr Wendy Hamilton - Grasshopper Toys, Helensburgh Business has been good this year, it has been very competitive out there, but the strongest ranges have been L.O.L Surprise!, Kinetic sand, and Lego. Melissa and Doug has also performed very well, and always does, as we have a strong focus on traditional toys.

Spinners, Beanies, and other collectible products have also sold very well.

In regards to outdoor toys, the summer was very strong for us. Being based in a seaside town in Scotland, we would usually expect a slight dip, but this year we actually saw an increase in sales, something which we think is down to ‘staycations’; people not going abroad but visiting seaside locations and going on local British holidays. Paddling pools and Nerf blasters have been our most successful ranges, but traditional toys such as buckets and spades have also been popular, due to our location.

We sell a variety of role-play and dress-up products - everyone wants to be a doctor at the moment – and of course Halloween items are always in demand in October. We find that our role-play and dress-up items work well with our book section in store and

Jon Amphlett - ToyTastik, Chepstow Paul Lamond Games and Big Potato have been key ranges for us this year; I met Big Potato at Autumn Fair, and the products have been very popular since I started to stock them. It’s the time of year where people start to look for games for the Christmas period.

Overall, I think sales have been helped by the interactive play area which we have in store. Parents, grandparents and playgroups have really bought into it, and we have found that being able to interact with our customers is a strong USP, allowing us to compete with the bigger toy shops. Opening boxes and playing games with the customers has proved to be very successful for us.

In terms of outdoor toys, the DidiCar and Walk ‘n’ Ride have been big hits over the summer months. We have also started to stock more first scooters, with Janod products performing well for us. Among the toys that prove to be popular all-year round for us are dinosaur toys. Our mascot is Malcom the T-Rex, who we take to various locations around the country, and even has his own social media pages. As a social

media tool, he has his own huge following, and he sells incredibly well.

We also offer role-play, and pretend play items, with Melissa and Doug offering one of the most popular ranges we stock. Our customers are becoming more environmentally-friendly and sustainably-conscious, and are always looking for greener products.

Therefore, greener brands such as Lanka Kade have been popular.

In 2017, the first quarter was tough, but business has certainly picked up, consumer confidence has improved and as a result we have seen a large growth in sales. Our plan for Q1 2018 is to develop our relationships with nurseries and play groups, and to increase social media output to raise awareness of our shop. 2017 has been about developing local awareness and brand knowledge, and we hope to go further afield next year. January is a big month for us with Toy Fair and Spring Fair providing good opportunities to see new ranges, but as an independent toy retailer we buy all year round, so every month is important in that respect.

Toy World 28

are a good draw for customers. With World Book Day coming up, we find that children come in wanting to dress up as their favourite characters. As well as being able to buy the book, they can buy the costume, and often they also buy add-on product such as hand puppets.

We are looking forward to Toy Fair to see what’s new, so that we can refresh our stock offering. I personally always look forward to the seeing the science toys, as an ex-scientist myself it is always exciting to see the new STEM ranges which offer something different to traditional products.

The first quarter presents a range of opportunities, but for independent retailers it allows us to move quicker to change our ranges around. We can look out for new stuff and try new products quicker than perhaps the big boys can. We are also looking forward to Christmas where we will have a Santa Claus and Grotto, along with a letter posting service with a real Royal Mail post box in store. Children can post their letters and will receive a reply, which is lovely.

Sponsored by

indie viewpoint Bill Deakin Silly Billy’s Toy Shop, Hebden Bridge

We are based in Hebden Bridge, but we have a catchment area that stretches all over Lancashire, Manchester, Liverpool, and Yorkshire. We’ve been in business for 20 years now, and this year, the only disappointment for us has been the weather. I always say a good summer will normally give us plenty of capital to springboard going forward for Christmas. However, this summer was a bit of a wash out. Usually, we would expect a lot of tourism and visitors coming to the area, but those customers have been absent, therefore summer trading has not given us quite as much cash as we would have liked for the Christmas buying season.

This year, the standout lines for me are Epoch’s Sylvanian Families, Schleich, Aquabeads, Shopkins, Peterkin Dolls, Kaloo, Lego, and Playmobil. Although we don’t stock many licensed ranges, we do cater for the film and television market by offering posters, gift wrap, and cards, featuring characters such as Peppa Pig, Pokémon, Thomas and Friends and Paw Patrol.

We’ve always found that licensed toys do not perform successfully in this area, and the margin is poor.

I’m not licensing averse, but it’s just not what my customers want. I stock what sells, as long as it is good quality

and makes me margin. The only licensed products that we have are the Playmobil and Lego ranges. We leave licences to the likes of Smyths and Toymaster.

Lego continues to sell very well, and the Lego Star Wars and other licences have been successful lines this year. We have also stocked Playmobil for a long, long time, and it is having a very good year - it has sold well all year round. From speaking to my friends in retail, they are also expecting to have a very good year with Playmobil. I saw Ghostbusters at Olympia, and thought maybe it would be popular, however there was some doubt there, because it was not linked to a new movie release. Actually, it has been very successful. We have brought in a Playmobil Dragons 10ft FSDU, and before that we had a similar Ghostbusters FSDU. We’ve got a big Ghostbusters replacement of every single line that was on the FSDU for Christmas, and have replenished the Dragons stand three times over.

We use social media to promote ourselves, and have a dedicated gentleman who runs all of our Facebook, Twitter, and online marketing. Every product that comes in will be put on social media, using interactive and creative resources like adding videos. We utilise social media as much as we can to encourage as much footfall as possible. It’s all very well having online “likes” going through the ceiling, but what counts is if it turns into people actually coming into the shop.

We haven’t actually tried any World Book Day promotions yet, as the event is not something that has been on our radar, but with its growing popularity, it may be something to consider in the future as there is good margin in dress-up products. We have stocked role-play and dress up ranges from Rubies and Smiffys.

Our plan for Christmas is to replenish our best-performing products this year. Going into Q1, so far the only product we have planned to order before we go to London Toy Fair in January is Lego. Everything else I select at Toy Fair. I can’t understand why people in the toy trade wouldn’t go to Toy Fair. Once I’ve been to Olympia, I’ll be looking at further orders from there.

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

Lots to get behind

A

s we write this, we are just taking a breather. Over the last two months, we have relocated two of our shops, increasing both of them significantly in size. On top of that, the Christmas deliveries have started to arrive thick and fast. We must admit that we are looking forward to a quieter two weeks. We have learned from our shop fits over the past two years that giving the customer space really works.

We used to cram as much stock as we could in, while keeping the aisles clear.

However, by widening the aisles, reducing the gondola heights, and allowing the ranges to be merchandised more effectively; thus allowing customers to be able to browse properly, the store looks like a different place. We also use LED panel lighting, which provides a fantastic bright and even light, without being dazzling.

These have come down in price massively over the last few years, and also have a significant power saving. The most important outcome is that feedback from customers has been fantastic, with so many positive comments and new customers visiting us. We finished both these refits by the end of September, and find ourselves all ready for peak trade.

Sales for September have been good, even up against a strong month last year. Looking at our bestsellers for this month, the Toymaster catalogue promotion lines have all performed really well, along with a lot of our clearance lines. The new Star Wars BB8 from Lego has been popular; that is clearly the standout product from the new Episode 8 launch. With the launch of the new Hatchimals imminent, we are still selling a lot of the original ones. The Playmobil Ghostbusters range continues to be in high demand, as is Cry Babies from IMC. Along with all the putty and slime lines still flying out, there is lots to get behind at the moment.

September started for us with Autumn Fair at the NEC. It was an early Sunday start to beat the traffic, but a bacon roll when we arrived helped us get going. For business reasons, we took both our vans up to the show, and it was a nice bit of advertising in the Midlands for us with the two bright yellow vans on prominent display. The show was a great success for us, as we found some good deals, and great new products. After having a throne for his spinners at Toymaster show, Martin Grossman had ditched that and his stand was all about slime and putty.

Even with his face on the product, it still looked good! We also discovered some fantastic licensed stationery from Anker International, which will be a great fit for our stores. With licensed colouring sets and stickers at attractive price points, it is an ideal range of stocking fillers. We also picked up a few extra games from Esdevium, to complete our range, with the Game of Thrones themed titles being particularly nice presents.

We have started to see some Q1 2018 ranges. The Lego ranges looked very promising, with strong licences. We aim to pick up some more over the new few weeks. As regular readers will know, at previews the lunch forms a significant part of the experience and can influence our decision making on the products. After Flair won our inaugural Lunch of the Year Award last year, we are looking forward to seeing what is served up over the next few months – did anyone say roast dinner for lunch...?

By the time you read this, half term will be gone and the Christmas rush should be upon us in earnest. Happy trading.

Toy World 29

Fresh

FRESH THIS MONTH:

Each month Fresh sets out to find the latest products that will have toy retailers reaching for the phone.

In October we have new releases from: Added Smile, Big Potato and Elf on the Shelf

Cognisaur

Added Smile 07796 175 764 | www.addedsmile.com Heralded as one of the best inventions of the year by Time Magazine, the Cognitoys Dino has received high levels of press and consumer attention in the US. Developed

by Elemental Path through a Kickstarter project in 2015, the toy utilises IBM Watson and speech recognition software to deliver engaging conversations with children.

Likened to a Siri or Alexa for children, parents connect the toy to a home Wi-Fi network, and through the app, provide their child’s name, birth date, and bed time.

The child gives their dinosaur a name, and the interaction begins. The dinosaur answers questions, tells jokes, sings songs, tells stories, and parents can monitor the engagement through a parent portal.

A Cognisaur TV campaign, in partnership with Arena Azure, went live in September to support the arrival of the multi award winning interactive pre-school toy into the UK. Nathaniel Southworth, director of Added Smile, UK distributor for Cognitoys, commented: “With our first product to market we wanted to test response early in the Christmas season. We have an outstanding product with an incredible award winning pedigree and we aim to learn a lot from this initial burst of activity. Any retailers wanting stock should contact us directly or reach out to our partners at A.B.Gee. I’d like to thank the teams at Elemental Path, Arena Azure, Neam TV, AB Gee, and Norton PR for their support in getting our first project live.”

The Elf on the Shelf Claus Couture Collection

Games Chest

Baby Republic

Big Potato

0800 009 6177 | www.elfontheshelf.co.uk

07472 824 526 | www.bigpotato.co.uk

The new Claus Couture Collection from The Elf on the Shelf is a clothing and accessories range created especially for Scout Elves and their Elf Pets.

Families can dress their Scout Elf in an outfit before he or she heads off for their nightly flight back to North Pole to see Santa. In the morning, children will be excited to see their elf sporting a new look.

The collection features a range of items, including the Jingle Jam Hoodie, a hooded sweatshirt complete with headphones. Families can also choose the Scout Elf Superhero outfit, featuring a superhero bodysuit, candy cane-striped cape, mask and boots. With the Ha Ha Holiday Costumes, Scout Elves can dress up in the Christmas tree costume - adorned with foil, pompoms and button trimmings - or the candy cane costume, embellished with an oversized bow.

Scout Elves can don a twill apron with a front pocket and red satin trim, and accessorise with a plastic mixing bowl and a faux wooden spoon thanks to the Sweet Shop Set, while the Twirling in the Snow Skirts come in two designs - a candy cane-striped skirt with red satin bow at the waist, and an arctic ice blue polka dot skirt, also with a red satin bow. Finally, the classic Snowflake Skirt and Scarf set is embellished with red snowflakes and polka dots.

Children can also dress up their Elf Pets Reindeer and Elf Pets Saint Bernard puppy in pyjamas. Each set features a woven plaid nightie with knit sleeves and matching nightcap with pom-pom finish.

The Games Chest is a handcrafted wooden box, which doubles up as a games storage box, and features ten of the best Big Potato games plus a potato plush toy.

From family quiz games to adult party games, there’s something for everyone in the Games Chest. It features best-sellers such as celebrity rhyming game Obama Llama, scenario game Bucket of Doom, and the official Channel 4: First Dates adult board game as a newcomer.

Big Potato is also meeting the demand for customisation by offering customers the chance to personalise the lid of their Games Chest, adding an extra touch to a Christmas present or wedding gift.

The idea to sell the Chest stemmed from a Big Potato marketing campaign last year, in which influencers were sent a crate filled with Big Potato games, sparking interest from both the recipients and their fans. The Games Chest will be sold on its own e-store in the UK, and is available to pre-order now.

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Viewpoint Media shifts

Tristan Brooks

Tristan is client services director at Arena Azure, a specialist media planning and buying agency focused on child markets

I

n our fast-paced media world, it pays to try to understand behaviour as it happens, so ad campaigns are best placed to reach the right audience, in volume, to deliver effective marketing campaigns. As broadcast TV viewing decreases, it makes sense to keep a measured head.

A frustrating habit in marketing meetings is to use our own media behaviours and choices as a reflection of the world around us. Sample sizes of one are a dangerous way to plan.

Only too often have I heard, “My child doesn’t watch kids’ TV, only Netflix”. To put this in context, around 26% of households in the UK with children aged 0-4 years have access to Netflix, which means that around 74% don’t (Nielsen Media Research TGI Q3 April 2016 to March 2017). That’s not to say significant media shifts aren’t happening, but it helps if we don’t exaggerate through our own bias. It’s surely better to make decisions based on robust data sources than instinct.

The Childwise Monitor Pre- School Report (research undertaken in July 2017 from 1011 parent surveys with children aged 0-4) is one such survey that offers just that - robust data that casts light over current media trends, allowing us to view the state of change. I’ve selected a few of the key insights from the latest 2017 report which I hope you find useful.

Pre-school access and ownership of devices is beginning to plateau:

Ownership and consumption is slowing down. In this report, the number of pre-schoolers using a tablet or computer has actually decreased from 70% to 69% year on year. Although the decline is nominal, it’s notably still a decline. Although tablet ownership has grown from 35% in 2016 to 37% in 2017, using a mobile phone has also decreased from 33% in 2016 to 32% in 2017. These yearly percentage changes are low, indicating that access and ownership is slowing after several years of significant growth. There are a considerable number of parents who are less likely to both provide access to, or buy, digital devices for this young age group. We may be starting to see the effect of these parents’ decisions slowing growth.

More pre-schoolers passively watching content When pre-schoolers are using digital devices, increasing

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numbers are passively consuming TV and video content (up from 69% in 2016 to 75% in 2017), with fewer actively engaging and interacting with content such as playing games (declining in reach from 61% in 2016 to 55% reach in 2017). With more pre-schoolers watching TV and video content, they’re now participating less in other activities on their devices (e.g. viewing content which helps learn/educate down from 39% to 38%, looking at photos down from 30% to % 26%, listening to/watching music down 21% to 18%). As more pre-schoolers passively consume video and TV programming, there’s more chance they’re looking to find their favourite programming online.

The number of pre-schoolers using on demand services has risen slightly from 79% in 2016 to 81% in 2017. To put this in context, this reach figure was at 35% in 2012, which shows the rate of growth has slowed considerably. Time spent viewing either TV or on-demand programming content has remained static for the past three years at 2.6 hours per day in total, so even with growing access to digital devices, time spent watching content has not increased.

YouTube dominates with YouTube Kids app on the rise: Although YouTube leads pre-school on demand services used at 33% reach, this is down from 38% in 2016. There seems to be a migration to YouTube Kids, with the app growing from 17% in 2016 to 22% in 2017. Parents of pre-schoolers seem to be increasingly looking for safer ‘walled’ content within YouTube.

Netflix growth has also slowed, growing just 1% from last year to 21% reach. Amazon Prime has shown some growth from 8% to 10% year on year but this is still off a low base. Sky ondemand continues to struggle to provide a compelling offering to this age group, with reach decreasing from 18% in 2015 to 16% in 2017 - although new entrant Sky Kids’ reach at 8% has no doubt helped maintain viewing within the Sky platform.

Interestingly the number of favoured apps quoted by over 2% of the respondents has decreased from ten in 2016 to seven in the 2017 survey. Either children are spending more time with fewer apps, or spreading themselves more thinly across an increasing number of apps which are not being picked up by their parents or this survey. The overall picture from this report indicates to me that they’re more than likely to be spending increased time on YouTube, Netflix and other video platforms, which is decreasing their time spent with other apps. This is not to say they’re not using multiple apps, it’s just that fewer apps are achieving greater reach.

Broadcast reach in slight decline Traditional broadcast channels watched have seen a slight decline in reach. One notable decline has been for CBeebies, decreasing from 74% reach to 69% from 2015 to 2017; however it is still the No.1 pre-school channel. The CBeebies website has also seen a decline from 34% to 27% from 2015 to 2017.

The BBC have recently committed to increased investment in their children’s broadcast and digital content, promising an additional £34 million across the three years to 2019/20, which couldn’t come sooner. Overall, the declines in reach figures across the broadcast channels are relatively small, which is encouraging with some posting small increases.

viewpoint

Good news, as affinity with key programme licences seems to have stabilised (see chart). In the face of growing competition from other video platforms, that is no mean feat.

Peppa Pig remains static, leading with Paw Patrol as the most favoured pre-school programmes. PJ Masks has been a notable new entrant in 2017.

Even with CBeebies seeing a decline in reach, Teletubbies has actually increased in favourability with ITNG remaining static for the 3rd year in a row. If we were seeing declining affinity with broadcast pre-school programming licences due to audience migration to other video content, this should be more evident in this research. Brand owners now recognise that to build strong programming properties they must extend the reach of this content beyond broadcast to ondemand and video platforms, as they follow their audience to where they are going. In time we may see decreasing affinity with TV programming brands

"Retail is going in a crazy direction"

David Ripley David is currently EMEA category director for Toys, Nursery, Sporting Goods & Pet Care at Groupon. His long career as a toy buyer has included stints at a number of the industry’s largest retail accounts.

as the power of broadcast TV to create, build and maintain mass brands is increasingly challenged by declining viewing. Can YouTube and Netflix create and grow brands to the same scale and value as broadcast TV has done? Only time will tell.

Stability is good but all eyes on Christmas...

As growth slows and pre-schoolers seem to be consolidating their media behaviour into more passive viewing, increased media stability can only be a good thing for advertisers and the industry as we approach Christmas.

Knowing where your audience is and in volume is half the battle. Then there’s the challenge of getting noticed and wanted. All eyes will be on the TV viewing data post-Christmas as tech presents are unwrapped and put to use. If this data is anything to go by, growth of digital devices will be limited for pre-schoolers. It’s where they go to view content that will set the course for advertisers in the year ahead.

T

he headline sounds like a statement of fact, but it's actually the latest commentary on the state of the UK High Street from rapper A$AP Rocky who has just opened a pop-up shop in Selfridges.

I like the ambiguity of the statement and it perfectly captures the fact that, whilst lots of new retail concepts are pushing the boundaries, many old ones continue to fade. Once upon a time, ordinary folk actually left their homes to drive through traffic and inclement weather to reach a congested car park, to do battle with crowds in confined spaces in search of products that were often out of stock.

If they were lucky enough to find it in stock, they then had to queue ten deep to be served, by a 'customer service’ assistant that provided an experience that often fell way short of average.

The reality is that, although this was in recent memory, we now live

in a different era of consumerism. As a result, we are seeing the continued and accelerating decline of some of Europe’s proudest and longest established general merchandise retailers. Too many warning signs of the structural shift in buying failed to convince the remaining ecommerce laggards to invest in the channel, and it is now simply too late for action.

It would appear from the latest round of profit warnings and administration activities, that there will be no fairy-tale ending to this story for the toy industry. Despite the long-term trend being evident, none of the large traditional general merchandise retailers will continue to exist in their current form in the medium to long term.

There is still hope for retailers who took the switch in shopping behaviours seriously, and invested - ahead of the curve - in a platform with continuing innovation and awareness of specialism, such as the rise of social selling. Like modern

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warfare, the retail war will be won by the fastest moving companies with the smartest tech and not those with the largest armies of workers and selling space.

Christmas looms large once more; for the record this is my 20th Christmas trading season, and it was encouraging to see the wave of predicted top toy declarations come much later this year, coinciding with the start of the fourth quarter, rather than the start of Q3, making them much more relevant.

For those of you who are blissfully unaware of the MGA vs. Mattel vs. Lego banter on Linked-in, I encourage you to link in with Isaac Larian and read the posts - it is genuinely funny as an outside observer and somewhat fittingly makes one LOL. For the record, I am a big fan of every toy brand in the market, only favouring those brands that offer the best retail margins….

Viewpoint Total recall

Matthew Thorpe Account Manager at MTS Global: a consumer product QA services provider - testing, auditing & inspections

“If you don’t go you’ll never know”

Nat Southworth Nat is founder of marketing company Added Smile Ltd, and is completing an Executive MBA at the University of Leeds.

He has bought toys for Asda, and held sales & marketing positions with Vivid, HTi, and Hornby.

R

ecalls can make big headlines and be damaging to the brand concerned. The biggest media-reported recall of 2016 came when a well-publicised new phone was recalled days after the global launch due to the battery overheating and catching fire. Key findings of the 2016 EU dangerous products statistics reveal that, of the 2044 recall notifications, the highest category (26%) was toy products and remained fairly consistent with the 2015 numbers.

The key licensing areas of toys, clothing and children’s articles accounted for nearly 50% of all notifications. Despite an ever-increasing legislative landscape, particularly for children’s products, the number of recalls are not decreasing.

What does this tell us? Opinions differ depending on your perspective. You could argue that the systems in place to catch dangerous goods are working, or you could argue that there is a correlation between increased regulation and increased recall numbers. Whilst the removal of any unsafe product from sale is a good thing, the main problem is that it is often a reactive event - when goods are already on sale - or even worse, after there has been an incident.

In the UK, levels of market surveillance have dropped as Local Authority budgets and resources have been stretched – a situation not just in the toy sector, but across all consumer products. Following the tragic events of Grenfell Tower and the reports that the cause of the fire was a faulty domestic appliance, there have been calls for improvements to

T

hese words of wisdom I attribute to my Mother, but as I’m at University every six weeks currently, I am challenged to reference any quotation. Those who remember the joy of the Harvard referencing system will feel my pain. My default is to google the quote and see who the internet thinks originally said it. No surprises, it didn’t come up with Theresa Southworth, it came up with Robert De Niro.

So, thanks Robert, for giving my Mum these words of wisdom that I have been reminded of this year.

This column will focus on forming a new company from scratch in the toy industry.

I’m not exactly starting from scratch, but I’ve gone from a company of 240 to a company of one. This month’s piece focuses on the fact that “if you don’t go you’ll never know”; you can interpret that as, ‘if you don’t try selfemployment’ or you can take it as, ‘if you don’t visit trade fairs or licensing shows you won’t know’.

What won’t you know?

Unless you go it alone, you won’t know the true value of your time, and how in employment it gets vaporised by other people.

“Yes, I’m extremely busy in meetings” - what exactly are you busy doing? When you are selfemployed, you are busy trying to find billable work, and then comes the joy of chasing payment. It isn’t a bed of roses but if you don’t go and try it you’ll never understand what I’m talking about.

market surveillance – even as far as having a national body to oversee consumer protection issues. But if there is to be any change, funding will be needed and I would not anticipate any significant movement on this in the near future.

Sales of consumer goods such as toys are on the up, while enforcement action is curtailed – not an ideal situation. There are many manufacturers doing the right things, whether having a stable supply chain, designing safety into the development process, performing testing at manufacturing and in some cases running due diligence checks – buying their own products in store to check that goods on sale are compliant. Retailers are also fulfilling an important consumer protection role by asking for up to date certification and running their own checks. Of course, not all goods are sold through traditional retail channels and crazes often bring additional safety concerns.

We saw this with fidget spinners, loom bands and I am sure when the next craze hits us it will be accompanied by similar concerns.

Working for a test house, it would be easy to suggest that the way to protect yourself from a recall is simply to test, but there is more to it than that and it can appear expensive. Testing is important and frequently obligatory, but there are many ways a laboratory can reduce testing bills. If necessary, challenge them to show that they are providing value (that will make me popular in my industry). The point is to make sure any money spent on QA activity is actually helping minimise the potential of recalls, rather than merely ticking a box.

The cause of a recall could be anything from

poor design, materials changes in production, legislation changes, stock degradation or any number of other causes. Solely testing at pre-production will not catch a material change in production, or spot that a welding is going out of alignment. Indeed, changes in material or production could potentially invalidate any CE certification for the toy, since it is a pre-requisite of the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC that all such changes are controlled and that systems are in place within manufacturing to ensure that the change does not compromise the safety of the product. Pre-shipment inspections and in-store sampling may help spot things that are not in specification before they become a problem. Ensuring your suppliers know what regulations your goods must comply with is another essential, as is respecting any Restricted Substances Lists you or your customers maintain and in particular compliance with relevant EU chemical safety legislation such as REACH (EU Regulation 1907/2006).

In the past week (at the time of writing) there have been 21 recalls of toys across Europe which is twice the average from 2016 - enforcement action is still occurring. These current recalls may not have the size and impact of last year’s exploding phones, but still serve as a reminder that things can go wrong and the potential business impact that a recall can cause. It is always worth taking a look at your current processes to see if you are minimising your risks and make changes where needed.

If you don’t go to trade shows/licensing shows, you won’t understand the value/ benefits you can derive from them. If you are quick to judge from afar, then you’ll close doors before you experience the opportunities they present.

This year I’ve tested this theory out. In an effort to reconnect with people I haven’t seen for a few years, I’ve attended as many events as possible in our trade calendar. There are some who say you can simply use technology to reconnect with people, but I truly believe that nothing beats face to face.

Results Thankfully my business has been successful in finding some great clients who have helped me begin, but I’ve got a long road ahead to replace or even match the joys of my employed lifestyle. Everyone should appreciate that monthly payment that comes through like clockwork, and recognise that someone in the history of the organisation took an almighty gamble to create the enterprise that now pays you. Its often too easy to look at their ivory tower, and not appreciate what they had to do to get there.

When we read of the great entrepreneurs, they paint a great picture, but I can assure you that when you set out, you experience highs and lows that can’t be replicated in employment. Once you are out there on your own, it is only then you realise the value of things you’ve taken for granted while employed.

My current favourite miss is the Operations Department - the guys in the warehouse or logistics team who just make stuff happen. If you don’t go on your own, you’ll never realise what magicians these people are.

I look forward to sharing further progress over the next 12 months. In locating the source of my Mother’s wisdom, I found another quote allegedly attributed to Robert De Niro, and I think this sums up what it feels like right now “Now is now. Then is then. And the future will be what the future will be. So, enjoy the moment while you're in it. Now is a great time.”

How do you get appointments?

I’ve used LinkedIn and my old black book, but physically being where the action happens is the best way. In January I went to Hong Kong, and ended up running alongside one of the leading American toy company CEOs at 6am along the TST waterfront. At the other end of the spectrum, I met some interesting toy people from Ireland and Australia in a bar late into the night. Both encounters were followed up, and lead to work opportunities.

You must make it happen!

When you go on your own, you need to be prepared to put the time and effort in.

Networking is the lifeblood of your business and, ultimately, developing these relationships pays the bills.

Toy World 34

Dive into the world’s largest toy store and discover new inspiration for your business.

10 reasons to be there: www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/2018 David Owen, Pattern Ltd · +44 203 3758230 · spielwarenmesse@pattern.co.uk

Win an MSC cruise Info and conditions of participation: www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/competition Entry deadline: 4.2.2018

Opinion

The Entertainer

The science of warehousing Publisher John Baulch visits The Entertainer’s Banbury warehouse in a bid to understand how the way in which suppliers ship their goods can help – or hinder – the logistics process.

F

ew would deny the pivotal role which good supply chain management plays in maximising the efficiency of a retail operation and optimising its cost structure, especially in today’s economic climate. But what exactly does it take to keep a chain of more than 140 stores fully stocked, especially during the busy season?

And what can toy suppliers and their logistics providers do to help support the smooth running of the business?

To find out, I visited The Entertainer’s warehouse in Banbury, in the company of new commercial director John Driscoll and CEO Gary Grant, to witness first-hand some of the challenges which the retailer faces on a daily basis.

The Entertainer moved into the new purposebuilt warehouse three years ago. While it was designed to address the retailer’s needs, it was equally important not to make the facility ‘Entertainer-specific’, so that anyone involved in bulk distribution is able to use it (to illustrate this point, the first consignment we come across on entering the warehouse consists of a large pile of aid boxes heading to Syria).

As you can imagine, I’ve been in plenty of warehouses in my time (oh the joy!), but this one is big – very big. And high – so high, in fact, that a key part of the training of new forklift truck drivers involves a lesson in abseiling. Unlike many other warehouses I’ve been in, this one is fitted with cutting edge technology (electric currents in the floor guide the forklift trucks, in the manner of a giant slot racing set).

The warehouse is open 24 hours a day, six days a week (as you would expect from The Entertainer, it does not open on a Sunday, even in peak season). Fifty permanent staff are based here, with the ranks swelled considerably by a large number of temps as the busy period approaches. My visit in mid- September takes place just before things ramp up: as Gary explains, “By the end of September, we’ll be shipping double the volume we handled in July.

What we are currently moving in a week, we will

move in a single day in the run-up to Christmas.”

Gary’s warehouse manager – who accompanies us on the tour – describes the whole operation thus: “It’s like a relay race. We pass the baton from one function to the next. If anyone drops the baton, the whole team is affected.” It strikes me as being an excellent analogy, which neatly encapsulates the importance of getting every aspect of the logistics process right. And there are many ‘handovers’ where a baton can very easily be dropped…

The retailer runs a fleet of its own Entertainerbranded trucks, which tend to carry between 16 and 26 pallets – articulated lorries aren’t suitable in all locations, because some of the retailer’s sites can’t accommodate them. Filling one of the trucks is like a giant, real-life game of Tetris.

It frustrates Gary that many of the trucks only run up to 90% capacity, with one of the main problems being the height of the pallets supplied by toy companies and their logistics providers.

“Sending out a lorry with air in it costs money,” confirms Gary: “If pallets were supplied two metres high, we would save a lot of money on handling costs, which in turn would benefit both our customers and our suppliers. Currently, the way they arrive in our warehouse often means more double-handling and more loads.” To illustrate his point, we reach a stack of pallets which – if they were stacked at 2m height rather than 1.5m – could reduce the nine pallets to six, with savings all round.

I ask Gary whether he has ever considered fining suppliers for the way they supply goods, as many major retailers do? His reply is candid:

Gary Grant CEO The Entertainer “It’s in our contracts that we can issue fines, but we never do. We prefer companies to be receptive to our suggestions and to appreciate that if it’s efficient for us, it’s efficient for them.”

You might have been forgiven for thinking that something simple like the height of a pallet wouldn’t make much difference. In fact, you’ve probably never given it much thought at all.

Labelling on boxes is probably another area that hasn’t cropped up in business planning meetings recently. And yet it is another area that, as I have seen first- hand, can cause major headaches.

When you’re taking in products from up to 300 suppliers and every box has a different set of markings, it is easy for confusion to arise.

It would seem logical to assume that the box should be clearly marked with the key information which the picker needs to know, such as how many individual items are in a box. So, what does 12DZN mean – especially to a temporary worker for whom English may not be their first language? Furthermore,

"Sending out a lorry with air in it costs money..."

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Entertainer TheToyShop.com

The Banbury Warehouse. many boxes have large sets of numbers and letters on the box which may mean something to the supplier, but nothing to the retailer and its warehouse staff.

Gary is keen not to single out specific suppliers unfairly, but - in the spirit of clarification illustrates his point with a few examples: Lego Minifigures are shipped in a box which says ‘Quantity: 1’. In this instance, the ‘1’ refers to 1 outer carton containing 60 Minifigures. You can see how easy it would be for a store to end up with 60 cartons rather than 60 Minifigures – or to put it another way, 3,600 Minifigures rather than 60.

In fact, I learn that this is not just a theoretical issue; it has actually happened. No wonder The Entertainer puts its own stickers on each box, just to make it clear to warehouse pickers. If, for argument’s sake, there was a universally-adopted system that meant the number on the outer carton related to the number of individual items in the box, that would certainly make life easier for all concerned.

So how many minifigures is that exactly?

The key target seems to be the avoidance of ambiguity across the supply chain. That can even be impacted by something simple such as

the product name itself: “If it says ‘Two-Shot’ on a carton, that could mean two items, or it could just be the product name.,” explains Gary.

Right-sizing of cardboard boxes is another area where Gary suggests that improvements could be made: “We all know that cardboard prices are doubling, and in many respects, retailers’ needs are at odds with keeping costs down, However, we want to manage the cost of waste, both from a cost and environmental perspective, and I believe that, as an industry, we can do things better. For example, it would help many retailers if the quantity in the outer carton was in line with the pickable quantity. A lot of product is supplied with an unnecessary outer carton.

The big sheds may be happy with higher pack quantities, but any retailer which needs to supply individual stores would prefer smaller quantities.

Otherwise, if we send out loose items, we just end up with mis-picks or damages. Plus, the bigger you make the box, the stronger the outer carton has to be; if you reduce the size of the box, you can downgrade the weight of the cardboard. I am convinced that more independent retailers would buy certain lines if they were packed in 2’s rather than 4’s, or 4’s rather than 8’s, especially when it comes to higher-priced items.”

During our tour of the warehouse, Gary stops frequently to talk to the warehouse manager, often discussing potential improvements and ways of increasing efficiency as we go. Clearly the whole logistics area is one that will never be perfect, and one which can constantly be improved upon.

Nevertheless, I ask Gary how things could be made better not just for The Entertainer, but for the toy industry as a whole? “A universal system would be great, but I suspect that would be very difficult to get all retailers to agree on it. But as a starting

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Forklift drivers are given a lesson in abseiling as part of their training. point, I wonder when the last time most suppliers visited a retailer’s warehouse, or even just asked them if there was anything helpful they could do to with their own delivery arrangements? Supply chain efficiency is low-hanging fruit: errors have a cost to them for everyone in the chain.

How can we make picking faster? How do we use cardboard packaging correctly? How do we maximise pallet movements? I’d love suppliers to come and talk to us and start a conversation.

I’m sure many independent retailers and store managers would also be delighted to share their own thoughts and ideas on the subject – they will have their own challenges, and they too will have a unique perspective which can only come from being hands-on at the sharp end.”

"

Supply chain efficiency is low-hanging fruit: errors have a cost for everyone in the chain.

"

Brand Profile

Sylvanian Families

Going to town Following the news that Sylvanian Families is launching a new Town range, Toy World’s Rachael Simpson interviewed Michihiro Maeda, CEO of Epoch, about the enduring success of the brand, why the time is right for the new introduction, and when retailers can get their first look at the new products.

Sylvanian Families has enjoyed tremendous success for over 30 years – when the range first launched, could you have imagined it would be still be so popular after all this time?

In the beginning, Epoch was making a name for itself with its games. Our first product was a baseball game, followed by soccer and other sporting games, and then toys. Even after entering the toy market, our success in Japan was down to our games. When we launched Sylvanian Families in Japan our strength didn’t lie in the Girls category, so we were unsure how the range would perform, and we certainly had no idea how enormously successful it would go on to be. The positive reception from our Japanese consumers made us realise that there was scope for the range to achieve the same success in other countries, and so we turned our attention to the global market – but we never anticipated the level of success we see today.

What do you think is the secret of the range’s success?

The product is very cute, and the figures are also very detailed; when we develop the toys, we are careful to ensure that they will appeal to adults as well as children. We want them to see the beauty and detail in our toys, as well as the cuteness. If the parent has an emotional connection to Sylvanian Families, stemming from playing with them in their own childhood during the 80s and 90s, they will pass on that love and connection to their own children. Over thirty years the range has evolved into an evergreen, traditional product, from being passed down from one generation to another.

In terms of business success, we have set up our

own sales companies in Europe as well as in Asia.

In 2012, we set up a sales company in Germany, followed by France in 2013, and the UK in 2014.

In 2016, the German office began to oversee the Nordics, Netherlands and Poland, and we have opened Russian and Spanish subsidiaries this year. In Asia we have Chinese, Singaporean and Malaysian subsidiaries, and, of course, one in the US as well. This means we have globally connected business strategies in place, and that we are in full control of our own marketing budget. Distributors choose how much financial backing to put behind a campaign, depending on their own position and capability, which means that our products may not necessarily be their priority. With our own sales companies across the globe, we have a cohesive, one-direction strategy, allowing us to grow the business our own way.

From 2008 we have also had our own Chinese factory, meaning that we can increase production to keep up with demand. We can then gradually reduce the retail price, which increases sales, and spend more on marketing, starting a positive cycle for the business and for the Sylvanian Families range.

Was the need for evolution the primary thinking behind the new Sylvanian Families Town range?

When we introduced Sylvanian Families to children in the 1980s, the range reflected the times of their grandparents – the ‘olden days’.

Now, 30 years on, the introduction of the Town range reflects how times have changed since then.

When we first started thinking about a new destination for the residents of Sylvanian Village, we knew that not only would we change the location, we would also have to introduce something fresh and new. When children are playing with the Sylvanian Village they are most often role-playing a character’s daily life.

In Japan, children are aged 3-7 when they start playing with Sylvanian Families, which is a slightly younger age than in other countries.

When we originally introduced the product, we were competing with Japanese fashion dolls, so we intentionally pitched the toys at a younger age group. Older children were not so interested in playing with them, most probably because video gaming is very big in Japan and they were playing that instead, but we still identified a need to involve older children in the Sylvanian world too.

The Town range is deliberately aimed at an

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older, slightly more sophisticated child. We want to get children thinking about what they want to be when they grow up, which is a very different concept to the Village. With the Town range, we ask the question – ‘what does today’s girl dream of doing?’ A good example of how we have answered this is a new character called Stella, who is the older sister of Freya Chocolate Rabbit. She is an independent young woman who has her dream job as a fashion designer, with her very own corner in the department store.

How long have you been working on the new range?

We started developing the Sylvanian Families Town around three or four years ago. Back then the idea was quite ambiguous, but at its heart was the need for a new location. The village of Sylvania is all mapped out, and we began to wonder – where do the villagers go at the weekend? Where do they go if they want to visit a big shop? Where do they enjoy a day out? The answer is, of course, to town!

What were the main challenges when putting the range together?

One of the most important aspects of Sylvanian Families is connectability - Beechwood Hall can connect to the Cosy Cottage, for example – and it was just as important to carry this connectability through into the Town range; ensuring this was done correctly was vital. However, we also had to be innovative in the design, and in the introduction of new elements.

When we introduced the Family Saloon Car and

Bluebell Seven Seater to the original Sylvanian Village range (after some very big discussions) they performed brilliantly – previously the only mode of transport in the village was a bike. The introduction of the cars, and also of the Log Cabin and the Treehouse, was also the point at which we saw many more boys become fans of the range.

The cars and the treehouse introduced a more adventurous feel to the range which appealed to boys, but in this day and age Sylvanian Families is a gender-neutral offering which appeals to both boys and girls.

At a later stage in the development of the Town range, we made the decision to include a vehicle, based on our previous success with the cars.

With such a different feel to it, we had to think carefully about the right type of vehicle for a town setting, but one which would also fit in with the traditional look of the range; one that would inspire nostalgia. And so, after plenty of R&D and design discussions, we came up with the idea for the Tram. Developing a range like Sylvanian Town is a constant work in progress, and we never feel comfortable until we know that the feel and message of the toy is completely right for our consumers.

You speak of nostalgia. Sylvanian Families fans are often very traditional, and are drawn to these nostalgic elements; how do you think they will react to the new addition?

It’s important to note that this a not a city – it’s a town. You may still be able to find trams in small cities, perhaps in European countries, but

they aren’t regularly seen in bigger, metropolitan cities. The Ride Along Tram, if you like, is the symbol that represents the nostalgic feel of the range. Although the new range is more modern than the village, it’s still modelled upon the past and is very much the Sylvanian version of a town.

There is only one product that requires batteries – the streetlamps, which flicker as if they are old gas lamps.

The R&D we use in the design and production is very advanced, and requires plenty of advanced technology. We have to use the most advanced technologies, which we are investing in, but the product itself is very traditional, and offers that escapism and relaxation that we all need in today’s modern world.

Sylvanian Families is very much an analogue toy for a digital age, a fact we are very proud of.

These are toys which kids have to touch, feel, play with. If you look at the NPD data, the categories that are doing the best currently are Girls and Board Games. The success of board games shows that families are looking for ways to interact and play together, not just to sit looking at screens all day. There has been a movement back towards traditional play, and we are riding that wave.

Digital is great, but Sylvanian characters are furry and tactile – and you can’t feel fur on a screen.

In an age when many toy ranges are based on movies or TV programmes, do you think it's important to provide toys that allow children to use their imaginations and make up their own narrative and stories?

When we developed the Sylvanian Families

Toy World 39

range, we knew it was important to leave room for children to play freely. Our toys provide 85% of the story, but the child has to bring the other 15% themselves. I feel this is the best way of providing a play pattern, offering an idea which the child can take and expand upon using their own imagination. We can provide many different stories to choose from, but it is far more interesting for children to be able to create their own stories too.

Children tend to see themselves in the characters, regardless of whether they are playing alone, with their parents or with friends. They can enter the world of Sylvania, become a resident of Sylvania, and create their own story. And because it’s so personal to them, the emotional connection is very strong – it’s their own version of the Sylvanian world.

In the longer term, this play pattern helps to develop children’s creativity and imagination.

Becoming an adult is a long process, and kids learn a lot through play along the way. Parents in the UK are particularly aware how beneficial imaginative play is, and they are keen to pass this on to their children.

When will the range arrive in the UK market, and when will retailers be able to get a look at it?

The official launch is April 1st, Easter, with deliveries landing in stores in February and March supported by launch displays and other activations. The range will be shown at Toy Fair and in previews, so retailers will be able to get a proper look at this time.

Touching Base

Toy Fair

Toy World spoke to a selection of exhibitors in the Greenhouse area of Toy Fair, to find out what visitors can expect from their stands and how they see their business developing over the next few years.

Sue Shackleton

director, EasyRead Time Teacher Stand GH5 We are a new company to Toy Fair. On our stand we will be showing the ideal educational gift –the EasyRead Time Teacher Rainbow Watch. We’ll also be introducing our full range of time-teacher clocks and watches to the UK toy trade.

In five years we aim to be a household name among parents of children age 4-8, and we hope to be very much the ‘goto’ brand for parents looking for a first watch for their child. Helping children to learn to tell the time is of paramount importance to the company. As trends go, I still favour traditional non-electronic toys and games - but maybe that’s a feature of my age.

Ahrani Logan

Euan Lind

Visitors should come to our stand to experience the wonders of Space with our hero product, the Augmented Reality (AR) Space Cards Quiz Game. Toy Fair is a great place to introduce visitors to our Play to Learn concept, with our AR STEAM toys that grow with the child.

In five years we see ourselves as a global company with an award-winning range of AR STEAM learning products loved by parents, teachers and kids.

Using technology to combine physical and digital play, in order to make educational toys fun, is definitely an emerging trend to watch out for.

We're really excited to be introducing Stems, a completely new type of construction toy, and look forward to seeing the reaction from people in the industry.

We have a host of further products up our sleeves that really extend the scope of the Stems system. It is one step at a time at the moment - the first of which is ensuring this version is a success - but if we can do that, then we see ourselves becoming the second biggest construction toy company within five years.

I'm really excited about STEM toys. As an inventor, I aspire to create trends rather than follow them.

CEO, Peapodicity (exhibiting as the brand AugmentifyIt) Stand GH30

Jayne Bromfield founder, Bildy Stand GH46

We’ll be exhibiting new, imaginative and innovative construction kits for kids at Toy Fair. Being a newcomer to the show, I'm incredibly excited about showcasing our products - bringing them to life by demonstrating how imaginative and fun they are. I'm also relishing the opportunity to see the more established brands in action as well as meeting lots of new customers.In five years I expect that we will be having fun creating exciting new product ranges that are enjoyed by kids around the globe.

Leeson George

founding inventor/ CEO, Splatform Limited (StemsR) Stand GH50

Nathaniel Southworth director, Added Smile Stand GH09

At Toy Fair we’ll be presenting Time Magazine’s invention of the year – Cognisaur. We urge visitors to stop by our stand and see this remarkable toy for themselves. Toy Fair presents a great opportunity for start-up companies to get their lucky break with a major buyer, and in five years we predict that our stand will be 10x as big as it is now. What’s more, we’ll have appointments with all the major buyers. Judging by current trends and the interest shown in products like Cognisaur, I think voice and virtual technology will emerge as a more mainstream toy experience within the industry, and I’m interested to see how this develops over the coming years.

Nikki Garner

marketing director, Inside Out Toys Stand GH25/26 Adam Hargreaves, the son of original Mr Men illustrator Roger Hargreaves will be on our stand at Toy Fair, and visitors can see him in action as he draws Mr Men illustrations. We will also be showing toy buyers our new range of Jumini wooden toys, including the Mr Tickle Bead Maze.

In five years Jumini will be a recognised wooden toy brand, known for its quality and value. Over the coming years we definitely expect to see non-technological toys and retro brands being refreshed and reinvented for a new generation to enjoy.

CEO, Push It Games Stand GH24

Visitors to our stand at Toy Fair will be able to play Push It, the quick to learn, addictive and portable table top game.

We are excited to share our wooden table top flicking game with Toy Fair attendees, and we really look forward to seeing how well the game is received.

In five years, we hope to be a publisher with a big line-up of amazing, easy to play and highly addictive games, supporting new games designers and the UK toy industry as a whole. Augmented reality is definitely the next big trend within the games industry, especially for board games.

Toy World 40

Feature

Outdoor Toys

A breath of fresh air

Rachael Simpson looks back at how the outdoor toys category has fared this year, and what we can look forward to next year.

T

he UK Met Office has confirmed that the summer of 2017 was the ninth wettest summer experienced since 1910, with the best of the summer weather occurring before most schools had broken up. Sales of outdoors toys were down during the summer months, especially higher-priced items such as trampolines and large play units.

Despite this, many outdoor suppliers have successfully bucked the trend. Phil Ratcliffe, sales and marketing director at MV Sports, says the company has enjoyed growth: “Although outdoor sales as a category are down, most notably in July and August, our sales in and out of retail are in double digit growth even during those two months,” he explains. “It is important not to assume that because the outdoor sales category is down that all suppliers are suffering.”

Likewise, other outdoor suppliers enjoyed success in various sub-categories. Little Tikes was named Top Toy Property (NPD) in June and July, and the company’s Fountain Factory Water Table achieved the accolade of Top Toy in June. Ying Pickavance, senior brand and category manager at Hy-Pro, also draws attention to Hy-Pro’s NPD ranking: “We’ve had a great year so far, and NPD shows that we are now the number one manufacturer for the skates, skateboards, scooter category, with Zinc being the fastest growing boys brand in the category,” she says.

At Hy-Pro, emphasis has been placed on pushing the company’s outdoor toy portfolio for Christmas purchases. “We have extensive marketing plans for this Q4, including VoD through CITV, ITV Hub and YouTube, Premier League pitch-side advertising, and a lot of PR campaigns in the run up to Christmas,” explains Ying. “We are hoping that this will give us good brand recognition and exposure, and encourage further sales.”

Hy-Pro’s Christmas-focused approach is mirrored by other outdoor toy specialists in the run up to Christmas. As many outdoor toys tend to sit within the higher price bracket, they are often a Christmas purchase, and retailers can expect to see sales pick up in Q4. “At this time of year, we find our trike category begins to build momentum, ready for the Christmas peak,” explains Michelle at Little Tikes. “New launches such as our Fold ‘n Go 5-in-1 Trike, with its innovative folding capabilities, brings a new dimension to the category and we expect this product to appear on many Christmas wish lists.”

Michelle adds: “The Cozy Coupe family remains a key driver. The latest addition to the range, our Princess Horse & Carriage, is featured in many consumer top Christmas toy lists, so we expect this to be a high performing toy for the brand this autumn/winter.”

Phil Ratcliffe sees similar potential for festive sales: “The wheeled toys sector is still heavily

Toy World 42

skewed towards the Christmas season and therefore isn’t as badly impacted by weather as some other outdoor segments,” says Phil. “A bike is still the ubiquitous Christmas present and kids will still want to get out and about on their new wheels whatever the weather.”

With Toys R Us’ American arm filing for bankruptcy protection in recent weeks, we asked Michelle what impact, if any, the situation was likely to have on the outdoor sector. “Toys R Us is of course a key outdoor retailer for us and many others, and it is business as usual from a Little Tikes point of view,” she states. “The retailer provides a great seasonal space for consumers to touch and see outdoor products, and this is important for giving consumers a place where they can see a full category offering in person, in addition to viewing the breadth of range online.”

A raft of new launches will be expanding the outdoor toy category for Christmas and into 2018. MV Sports has new licences in the pipeline including Rusty Rivets, L.O.L. Surprise!, and Nella the Princess Knight, and has refreshed its own brand offerings with new introductions to the Electrick and Stunted scooter ranges. Little Tikes is introducing Fun Zone, a water and ball play range for both indoor and outdoor use, which Michelle is confident will combat the concern around weather dependency. And sales of Hy-Pro’s Flyte casescooters remain strong, as do those of its recently expanded Zinc range of electric scooters and hoverboards.

New suppliers are also looking to make their mark on the sector. Simplay3, set up by Tom Murdough, the founder of Little Tikes, has entered the category with products designed to give children “less screen time and more green time” by promoting interactive, unstructured play patterns. Simplay3 products include the Super Coupe Pedal Trike, In & Out Activity Table, and the Caterpillar Play Box. Commenting on the company’s commitment to retailers, Tom says: “The Simplay3 distribution plan and pricing structure has been crafted to offer retailers the ability to offer customers a well-made play product that can retail at a price providing both value to the consumer, and a profit margin for retailers.”

With outdoor play comprising an important part of a child’s development, and with the rise in “staycations” leading consumers to invest more in garden toys for their families, benefiting UK tourism and boosting the outdoor toy category at the same time, this will continue to be a key sector for the toy market– come rain or shine.

Over the next few pages, we look at a selection of the new outdoor ranges being launched for the 2018 spring summer season.

3 OUTDOOR TV SPOTS FOR SPRING 2017!

+ HEAVY WEIGHT DIGITAL, SOCIAL AND INFLUENCER CAMPAIGN.

Call 0845 0533 333

MGA Entertainment UK Ltd 50 Presley Way Crownhill Milton Keynes MK8 0ES

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Web www.littletikes.co.uk

Brand Profile

Little Tikes

Big plans at Little Tikes Toy World spoke to Michelle Lilley, marketing manager at Little Tikes, to find out how 2017 has been, and what new introductions are being launched next year.

How did Little Tikes perform in the outdoor category in 2017?

It’s been another year of growth for the brand.

I joined Little Tikes in 2013, and it’s been the first year since I started that we have featured our outdoor lines on TV. In fact, we were the only brand to support the sand and water category on TV this year. Underpinned with Trikes and Infant & Pre-School TV lines, and together with a heavy weight digital advertising and influencer drive, this approach has resulted in us gaining a large share of voice in the category. We were delighted to achieve Top Toy Property (NPD) in June and July.

What were your best performers?

The Fountain Factory Water Table achieving the Top 20 Toy List for NPD was a huge accolade. This product brought something a little different to the category in terms of STEM, and proved so popular that we struggled to keep up with demand. We are confident that year two will be an even bigger success, especially with the repeat of TV advertising for spring/summer 2018.

The Princess Horse and Carriage further underpinned our dominance in the non-pedal ride-on market and brought the wow factor to our core category. The trike category remained resilient, while new introductions within our Perfect Fit line have helped maintain innovation and satisfy the fashion side of this category.

It has been a challenging year for the outdoor sector; why do you think you were able to ‘buck the trend’?

By providing a mixture of classic, much-loved lines and bringing real innovation to the market.

We also invested significantly in marketing this core category to consumers, with the intention of keeping Little Tikes’ outdoor brand awareness high on the agenda.

The Fountain Factory Water Table brought a new play pattern and value to this segment, which helped to drive the whole category for the brand.

We invested significant energy into our social and influencer activity to ensure the brand and our products remain relevant. With items such as the Turtle Sandbox and Cozy Coupe, now an outstanding 38 years old, we have a nostalgic edge, with many consumers recalling playing with the toys during their own childhood and wanting the same great memories for their own children.

What are your key 2018 launches?

Our key new launches for spring 2018 are our Fun Zone line, Pack ‘n’ Go Trike and Build a House Playhouse. The Fun Zone concept combines water and ball play, which are both suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The Dual Twister is a seated spinning sensation; children can spin on their own, or with a friend, and water can be added for additional

Toy World 44

revolving fun. Water will spray from the centre wheel or outside edge, so wet or dry, kids will get dizzy with excitement. The Drop Zone is a larger item providing all the fun of a water park at home, but which doubles up for ball play use inside the house.

To underpin our growth in the pedal ride-on market and capitalise on the success of our folding trike, we are launching the Pack ‘n Go trike, which delivers parent convenience and child play value in one. To support the new launches and build on the success of the Fountain Factory Water Table, we will have three dedicated outdoor TV spots (Fun Zone, Trikes, Fountain Factory), plus significant social and digital advertising, on top of our core and Infant & Pre-School TV investment.

How can retailers maximise sales in the outdoor category?

Catching the early bird spenders has worked for us. Consumers are making considerations earlier in the year to get the greatest value out of their investment for the whole spring summer season.

The trend to give alternative gifts at Easter, other than chocolate, is also growing, so toys can provide a great alternative gifting option during this time of year. Making the brand front-of-mind early on can see a company reaping the rewards later on down the line.

If space allows, building the product to show its value and creating inspiration and impact at retail helps. For example, water tables and My First slides look much better built than in their box and don’t take up too much footprint.

What other challenges does the outdoor category face?

From a supplier point of view, getting the quality and play value across to consumers is key. Some products are a significant financial investment, so it’s important to help consumers understand the longevity, quality and features. Many items are on the large side, which can present trade marketing challenges from an indoor retail display point of view, so it’s my job to work with retailers to provide research assets and content to help the consumer purchasing decision. Quality is at the heart of

Little Tikes and our products are built to last, so getting consumers to touch and see what they are paying for is invaluable. Partnerships with places like Butlin’s (which will continue in 2018) and experiential events such as The Big Feastival ensure we provide over 100 live activity days throughout each year to help consumers to get hands-on with our toys.

How difficult is stock management when the category is dependent on unpredictable factors such as the weather?

Little Tikes has been in the industry for almost 50 years, and with this heritage we have a vast amount of data and planning expertise to ensure we are ready, whatever the weather. We are also fortunate that many of our key drivers are desirable items all year round; for many products we hold UK and EU stock to cover demand spikes. Lines that tend to be more seasonal (Turtle Sandbox, Anchors Away and Cape Cottage, for example) are manufactured in our EU production site, so we can react quickly to meet weather and consumer demand. After seeing

a trend in our water table growth, we are moving four new models from Hudson, Ohio, to our EU production facility to ensure we maximise capacity.

What are your key aims for Little Tikes in the outdoor market next year?

Our key aim is to inspire our consumers and continue to drive innovation alongside heritage lines in the category. We want to grow the core, build on last year’s successes and shake up the market with our innovation, giving retailers and consumers a compelling reason to buy multiple items across the many categories we operate in within outdoor.

Real user content and social marketing will play a key part in underpinning our brand strategy in 2018. This is also key to help consumers see how our products provide development and play time for children, together with showing how they will slot into their lifestyle.

Outdoor Toys

Chicco 0208 953 6627 | www.chicco.co.uk A modern version of the classic children’s game hopscotch, Chicco’s Jump ‘N Fit is an electronic mat with lights and sounds. It features two game modes; kids can toss the coin to play hopscotch, or throw the dice to play in fitness mode. Fitness mode instructs them to complete a certain exercise depending on which side the dice lands on, whilst hopscotch mode allows kids to simply enjoy the classic game.

Mr. Ring gives the traditional hoopla toy a modern new look. With a rotating base that can move at two different speeds, the hedgehog features five spikes that children can try to hook one of eight plastic rings on to. Mr. Ring plays one of six different melodies as he spins, and can be set to one consistent speed, or he can be set to change speeds as he turns.

The rugby match format, training mode session and stacker toy function of Jungle Rugby work together to create a toy that any young rugby fan will love. For football lovers, Goal League is an electronic net complete with flashing lights, 25 different melodies and sounds, and a soft play ball. It offers three different modes of play - Penalty Shots lets children challenge themselves to score as many goals as they can, Golden Goal mode is a race against the clock, and Challenge mode allows children to battle it out with a friend to see who can be the first to score five goals. The net also comes complete with a slider to keep track of the scores.

Rounding out Chicco’s outdoor offering is the Red Bullet Bike, which helps a child acquire the necessary balance on two wheels before they move onto a real bicycle with pedals. Made from ultralight metal, it has height adjustable handlebars and an ergonomic toddler-saddle.

GP Flair 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk The Messi Training System range is a fun skills range for budding footballers.

Heading up the range is the 4-in-1 Training Station. This multi-feature goal has four modes of play for young footballers to practice their accuracy, shooting, ball control, touch and precision. Kids can aim and shoot at the targets to enhance their goal-scoring skills. The curved surface lets kids learn ball control and touch, the net improves passing skills, and the large target allows them to show off what they’ve mastered.

In addition to the full Training Station, aspiring footballers can work their way through the range to master specific Messi talents. The Auto Trainer lets children perfect ball control and touch skills by placing the ball on the scoop then pushing down on the paddle to launch it.

Learning how to volley and head the ball is also made easy with this range. The 2-in-1 Foot Volley allows children to teach themselves how to head balls over the volley net, and accurately volley balls through the target holes. The Foot Volley also doubles up as a regular goal for friendly matches.

Children can also master speed with the Training Speed Set, improving speed and reflexes by running between the two cones, creating drills and dribble challenges. Afterwards, children can connect the two cones and practise jumping over it as fast as possible. In between training exercises, aspiring Messis can add style to their football skills with the Gold Edition Pro Training Ball, featuring the authentic Messi signature.

Melissa & Doug 0800 731 0578 | www.MelissaAndDoug.com Known for its wide range of toys that encourage open-ended thinking and its brand message of “Countless Ways to Play,” Melissa & Doug is pleased to spotlight its Active Play & Outdoors category. The hallmark of the category is the Sunny Patch line, where engaging characters and designs inspire children to take their imaginations on the move and discover the world around them.

The broad line includes toys such as binoculars, torches, and tents developed to get kids out and about exploring science and nature. For lawn and garden play, kids can choose from the Chameleon Watering Can and Petals Watering Can. With their fun designs, both will encourage an interest in the natural world, and help build confidence as kids help with this household chore.

In addition to a wide range of beach and sandbox play items such as buckets, sandmoulding sets, scoops, and sifters, there is also a line of products children will enjoy playing with in the pool. A crew of playful characters brings fun to the imaginative line of pool games and water toys. A perennial favourite is the Lobster Claw Catcher.

Children squeeze the handle to close the claws and catch the three included creature sinkers. This product also helps kids build hand-eye coordination skills as they play.

Toy World 46

THE UK’S #1 SCOOTER BRAND

LITHIUM SMART RANGE

The Smart range is the next generation of two-wheeled travel. Feel the force under your feet with Zinc’s new lithium powered scooters and hoverboards; the ultimate way to ride.

Zinc’s Smart hoverboards meet all industry standards for user and electrical safety, and all our hoverboards are fully UL certified.

For further details contact ying@hy-pro.co.uk or call 01582 670100 www.zincsports.com

Outdoor Toys

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk The SwimWays Reactorz Soccer Balls from Spin Master are great for encouraging kids outside.

Featuring reactive light technology, the balls emit a burst of light with every touch, bounce, throw or kick, making outdoor play, on its own or with friends, novel and fun. The Reactorz Soccer Balls use bright LED lights, so they’re visible during games in the dusky evenings. The textured shield means the balls are easy to grip and throw yet soft to kick, making them suitable for younger children.

Spin Master’s SwimWays Spring Float pool lounger is the only float on the market with a patented inner spring, and is available in a range of colours, patterns and designs. The soft mesh seat suspends the user’s lower body just below the surface of the water. Users can prop themselves up on the oversized, integrated headrest, backrest and ottoman, and store their favorite drink in the cup holder. The fabric covering on this inflatable pool float adds durability, and the patented inner spring sewn into the outside edge of the float provides stability and comfort while floating, with no uncomfortable poking or prodding. When folded, the Swimways Spring Float twists into a compact, flat ring, making this a great pool float for storage and travel.

MV Sports 01217 488 000 | www.mvsports.co.uk

Wilton Bradley 01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.com

MV’s range of Paw Patrol wheeled toys is headed up by the award winning 6v battery operated Chase’s Cruiser, which features flashing lights, sounds, and forward and reverse gears. The 6v battery operated Ryder’s ATV features fun graphics and a foot pedal for easy control, and new to the range for 2018 is Marshall’s Fightin’ Fire truck, which features a bubble machine hose, forward and reverse gears and flashing lights, perfect for fans of Marshall.

Also joining the range this year is a multi-character tri-scooter, trike, in-line scooter, triinline skates, and toddler skates. Expanding the scooter range is the 2-in-1 scooter, which converts from a ride-on to scooter in one simple step and has chunky puncture proof tyres to aid balance. Kids can also get around on the 3-in-1 Scootin’ Suitcase, which converts from a scooter to carry case, ideal for carrying favourite Paw Patrol toys.

Finishing off the core range is a selection of bikes, ranging from a 10” balance and training bike to 12” bikes which feature removable stabilisers, front and rear brakes, and adjustable handlebar and seat heights along with a paw print design. Kids can also stay safe when riding with Paw Patrol with the 48-52cm safety helmet, which includes quick-release buckle and extra padding for a comfortable and secure fit.

The Viper pedal go kart is available in a matte black colouring with a venom green Xootz logo, making it one of the most eye-catching pedal karts around. Children can feel like they are really driving due to the addition of a gear stick and free wheel movement. Also available is the Xootz Retro Racer, a pedal go kart that resembles a classic racer. Despite its retro look, this kart is capable of reaching impressive speeds thanks to the easy access pedals and durable rubber wheels.

The JSF Urban Sprinter Electric Scooter is ideal for commuting and inner city travelling, since it is capable of traversing up to 12km on a single two hour charge. With a max speed of 25 km/h kids can tackle a distance of 10km in less than half an hour. It has all the features expected from a top of the line electric scooter, including electric handle bar and rear brakes, thick durable tyres, front and rear lights and an LED strip light, plus it folds up for easy transportation.

Toy World 48

Super Coupe

Pedal Trike

3-7

years

In & Out

Activity Table 1½+ years

Caterpillar

Play Box

1+

years

It’s Simple. Play.

Dreams become reality when little imaginations are sparked with simple, basic play products. Innovative designs and a built-to-last process combine to offer toys with timeless appeal.

From the creators of Little Tikes® and Step2®, The Simplay3® Company launches in the UK Spring of 2018.

Visit our site at www.Simplay3.com

Follow us:

MADE IN THE USA

Outdoor Toys

H. Grossman 01416 132 525 | www.ozbozz.com The Ozbozz range from H. Grossman includes the award winning Trail Twist Scooter, a stylish scooter available in three colourways, with four wheels and height adjuster that folds away. The award winning revamped Light Burst scooter features a flashing light up deck in multiple colours, providing good visibility. My First Scooter, the Ozbozz classic for pre-schoolers, offers three scooters for the price of one, as it evolves from a sturdy four wheeler to a trike, and then to a two wheeler. The Torq brand, available in a number of colourways, offers options for the older, more accomplished scooter rider.

Emojis remain popular worldwide and Grossman has introduced a wide range of licensed outdoor products including scooters, pogo sticks, a satchel skateboard and a spiral ball. The Emoji fun hopper proved popular throughout the summer months along with the outdoor/indoor bowling set, which has won several consumer awards.

Superheroes are well represented by Power Rangers, and HGL has a range of outdoor items to test kid’s superpowers. From play tents to pogo sticks and inflatable Power Rangers characters, the company even has a full set of Power Rangers inflatable weaponry for kids to add to their armoury.

Unicorns are currently on trend, and the Ozbozz Unicorn scooter is creating interest in the fourth quarter of the year. Finally, the generic range of Ozbozz pogo sticks, playtents, scooters and skateboards, both small and large, offers a wide choice of colours, materials and designs, with the neon coloured skateboards proving as popular as ever.

Re:creation 01189 736 222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk Bringing skateboarding firmly into the 21st century, the RazorX Cruiser electric skateboard combines sleek design with lithium power, and is capable of achieving speeds of up to 10mph with the help of the handheld remote.

Hovertrax 2.0 continues to be a big focus for Re:creation, with its Everbalance technology. Featuring both training and normal modes, this auto-levelling board is ideally positioned to attract both new and experienced riders. Appealing to fans of carting, the UK’s first dedicated Crazy Cart Drift Zone, in partnership with Flip Out Wandsworth, now offers bespoke party packages featuring Crazy Carts as part of the action.

Razor’s Power Core hub motor technology powers the high performance electric scooter range, incorporating E90, E100 and E100S rides in a variety of colourways. The technology, developed in-house, has delivered increased ride times and speeds as well as reduced maintenance. The latest addition to this range is a pink colourway, which has been introduced to the E100 line-up.

A growing demand for larger scale kick scooters has seen Razor develop new additions to join its A5 Lux scooter. The latest additions incorporate anti-rattle design ensuring there is no compromise to the ride as a result of foldability. The A5 Air features chunky pneumatic tyres, ideal for less than perfect pavements, while the extra-large wheels of the A6 Prime deliver impressive speed. The S Sport push scooters and Beast stunt scooters continue to deliver strong results and offer value coupled with quality and performance.

Zuru 01604 401 719 | sales@geemac.biz

A.B.Gee 01773 570 444 | www.abgee.co.uk

Zuru’s award-winning Bunch O Balloons creates over 100 waterfilled balloons in 60 seconds with its patented design. Over the past three years, Bunch O Balloons has gone from being one of the most widely crowd-funded products on Kickstarter to launching globally in a number of territories where it now has a global presence among other best-selling outdoor items.

The 2017 line included Minions Bunch O Balloons and the Filler Soaker, which fills up Bunch O Balloons without the need for a water hose, and doubles as a water blaster that shoots water up to 30 feet. Zuru plans to build on the success of the line with new launches for 2018 including a Marvel licence. The new Avengers Bunch O Balloons will be available next year, when they are launched to coincide with Marvel’s biggest movie launch yet, Avengers Infinity War. Bunch O Balloons will continue to be supported in the UK with a marketing and PR campaign which will include a global TV and digital campaign with new TVC from March 2018.

A.B.Gee has one of the most comprehensive ranges of outdoor toys in the UK, with offerings such as Hasbro’s Nerf Super Soakers, buckets and spades, sand moulds, rakes, balls, water pistols, kites, paddling pools, inflatables, sand and water tables, and much more.

The company carries a wide range of buckets and spades, available in a wide range of colours, sizes and designs from the traditional, such as bright red, green and yellow, to the not-so-traditional, including marble effect options. The eye-catching Frog and Pirate outdoor designs will inspire children’s imagination and role-playing activities.

A.B.Gee also offers bespoke designed FSDU units, available free of charge when £250 or more of outdoor stock is ordered from the company’s comprehensive 60 page outdoor catalogue. Retailers can choose from two designs both standing 1.4m tall, ideal for those looking to present a striking and cost-effective point of sale display.

The company has more than 40 years’ experience, and offers a range of retail focused products, backed up by excellent customer service and low carriage paid charges, ideal for the independent or larger retailer alike.

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CHASE’S CRUISER

2-IN-1 TRAINING BIKE

Get your paws on these!

© 2017 Spin Master PAW Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved. PAW Patrol and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Spin Master Ltd. Nickelodeon and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

SAFETY HELMET

TRI-SCOOTER

Outdoor Toys

Little Tikes 08450 533 333 | www.littletikes.co.uk

Learning Resources 01553 819 386 | www.learningresources.co.uk Even the youngest children can explore their world with the multi-award winning GeoSafari Jr. range. Designed specifically for small hands and big imaginations, this bestselling range encourages young explorers to investigate the world around them using colourful and functional tools.

The fully-functional My First Telescope provides up-close lunar exploration for young astronomers. Focus-free viewing with 10x magnification satisfies children’s natural curiosity about space and the solar system. Featuring the range’s signature two-eye goggle piece, viewing is comfortable and accurate with a wide field of vision. The adjustable tripod allows for table-top viewing and is collapsible for easy storage.

The set also includes a guide to showcase the phases of the moon, helping to contextualise learning.

Kidnoculars are child-friendly binoculars designed specifically for small hands and growing imaginations. Focus free with 2x magnification, they are ideal for bird watching and outdoor discovery. Large eye-pieces with rubberised goggles provide easy positioning and comfortable viewing. They are built to last with rubberised drop points and a breakaway neck strap to withstand outdoor play.

New for spring/summer 2018 is the Build-A-House, which allows children to build and customise their own playhouse. The range also includes the Go Green Playhouse, designed to teach children about the environment and the importance of thinking green. The stylish Cape Cottage Playhouse features modern windows with working shutters, an arched door and brick detailing.

Fun Zone is the new range for spring/summer 2018. The Drop Zone pool brings splash park entertainment to the home, as children fill the overhead bucket with either water or balls. With the new Dual Twister children can spin on their own or with a friend, and add water which will spray from either the centre wheel or outside edge for extra fun. The Fountain Factory Water Table includes interchangeable pipes and fittings for hands-on learning. Water can be channelled through the pipes and in to three water fountains, supporting STEM learning.

The Fold ‘n Go 5-in-1 Trike features a foldable, adjustable sun shade, reclining seat and folding pedals so it can fit into a car boot. With the adult front steering, parents are completely in control until kids are ready to take the lead. There is also a 3-point harness for the child’s safety.

The adjustable and detachable parent-push handle of the Little Tikes Perfect Fit 4-in-1 Trike lets adults control direction with one hand, while kids stay secure in the five-point seat belt harness, with protective safety bar, until they are ready to pedal on their own. The trike also includes a storage bucket, drink holder and adjustable shade canopy.

Available in six colours, the Lean to Turn Scooter features a three wheel design, easy-touch brake and soft rubber handlebars.

These scooters have an extra wide base for better control, a low to the ground deck for easier balance, and a quick release handle for easy storage. Leaning to steer teaches children balance and co-ordination.

Finally, The Princess Horse & Carriage is the latest addition to the Cozy Coupe range. With a white horse at the front for imaginative play, this Cozy Coupe also comes with reins, which can be used by parent or child.

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.com

Vivid Imaginations 01483 449944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

Ideal for outdoor play, John Deere Monster Treads from Tomy combine the look and power of John Deere tractors with monster truck styling. Hero product Lightning Wheels is a heavy-duty truck. A best-seller in the USA, Lightning Wheels is an off-road vehicle which encourages imaginative play for young children.

The truck features motion sensor green spinning lights and engine sounds.

Available from the same range is Mega Monster Wheels, a monster truck made from strong durable plastic.

Designed to appeal to preschoolers, this vehicle comes with expanding wheels and features mechanical sounds that can be activated by pressing down on the tractor cab.

Vivid’s outdoor success Phlat Ball is back for spring/summer 2018. Winner of the 2016 Outdoor Toy of the year Award at London Toy Fair, Phlat Ball V3 transforms from a 9” disc to a 6” diameter ball when thrown, making it ideal for active outdoor play. Following its success at retail, the brand has introduced new versions to the range. The new Phlat Ball V3 range comes in green, orange and purple, and includes a variety of games and play ideas.

Also available are Phlat Ball Flash, which lights up and flashes for both day and night play, Neon Jnr, and a new product, Phlat Ball Mini Emoji’s. Mini Emoji’s are the smallest Phlat Ball ever, and are available in four different colours and emoji designs.

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Outdoor Toys

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com Character Options is illuminating the outdoor toy market with new launch Night Ball, the inflated football which shines when it’s kicked, giving footballing tricks even more of an impact. The ball glows both during the day and at night for around the clock light-up play, and the tough material ensures a long pitch life. Kids can choose from white, yellow, blue or green styles.

Since launching this summer, Character Options’ Laser X has enjoyed good sales and has been named a top Christmas toy by several retailers.

The game lets children and adults alike blast their opponents with light and sound effect laser guns. Laser X is now available in 2 Player Packs which include everything required for two Laser X players. Players can select either Team Red or Team Blue, or Go Rogue and blast anyone.

Peg Perego 07743 878 084 | www.pegperego.com Peg Perego’s new John Deere Gator HPX 6x4 has 4-wheel drive and can tackle a slope up to 17%. Kids can drive in two forward speeds or in reverse, and the pedal accelerator acts as a brake when released. It has two adjustable seats so it can grow with the children, a working horn and extreme traction wheels with knobbly tread, whilst the dumping bed can hold up to 30kg.

Suitable for younger children, the Polaris Slingshot is Peg Perego’s newest range to come to the UK. For peace of mind, a remote control, operated via wireless Bluetooth or mobile app, lets parents keep control while a three point seat belt keeps kids safe. The Polaris Slingshot RC comes with LED lights, brake lights, reverse lights and indicators, as well as realistic sounds. The two-seater Slingshot 12V features a dashboard with lights and instruments, a working horn, FM radio and audio jack for an MP3 player (not included).

The Polaris Slingshot range is completed in 2018 with the two-seater 24V Slingshot. This larger and faster model is powered by an LG Lithium battery.

Suitable for older children, simple controls ensure a feeling of comfort and control from the start. This model also includes all additional accessories, plus long lasting and noiseless-tread rubber wheels.

Peg Perego’s ride-on Vespa, a reproduction of the Grantourismo, features a lifelike dashboard and bodywork. A twist grip accelerator, working horn, removable stabilisers, kick stand, storage box, adjustable rear view mirrors and matching helmet (sold separately) complete the look.

The Polaris Ranger will take on most terrains at speeds of 3½ to 7 mph, featuring two adjustable bucket seats, working rear suspension and an FM radio with date and time display, plus MP3 input. The high traction tread wheels, with a central strip made from patented rubber, ensure perfect grip. This model also features shoulder harnesses, cup holders and a windshield roll bar.

Rounding out the range is the Gaucho Superpower. Its rack steering provides precise and safe navigation. The spacious cabin offers two adjustable seats and safety belts, while the opening hood reveals an imitation engine and toolbox.

Golden Bear 01952 608308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear’s My First JCB range is a construction vehicle range based on real life JCB vehicles. Joining the My First JCB line for autumn/winter 17 is the My First JCB Rolling Diggers. Tough and durable, these mini diggers are designed to fit into little hands and feature a simple push along mechanism, so kids can just push and play. Also joining the line up are the Muddy Diggers Water Squirters, available in three different characters and featuring mud splats that vanish in warm water. Both new items sit alongside the Big Wheelers range, led by the award-winning Stacking Stanley Mega Truck.

Juratoys 0208 878 2133 | www.janod.com With the Janod Little Gardener Play Set and Metal Wheel Barrow, kids can emulate their parents as they spruce up the garden with the children’s size trowel, rake and watering can, or use the real, working wheelbarrow to transport toys and other goods back and forth across the yard. The wheelbarrow, measuring 24.5in x 11.5in x 12.5in, is specifically designed for the enjoyment of kids. Bright green so it’s easily visible, it features red handles and has a rugged plastic wheel which doesn’t require inflation.

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Outdoor Toys

Hy-Pro 01582 670100 | www.zincsports.com Hy-Pro has expanded its leading Zinc offering with the Smart range. Debuting with the Smart A hoverboard, Zinc’s venture into the hoverboard market opens up a new price point for the brand; with new advances in technology, the company has focused on broadening its product selection whilst still maintaining the popularity of the Zinc brand.

Throughout 2016/2017, Hy-Pro worked closely with trading standards and is now launching its range of hoverboards with the reassurance that safety has been taken seriously, and that the company has gone above and beyond industry standard requirements. All hoverboards are fully UL certified and electrical safety assured.

The Zinc Smart range features new technology including a lithium powered battery to aid efficiency and power the products for longer. The Smart X hoverboard, launching Q4, offers a refreshed design. Users can glide along at speeds of 7.5mph and travel up to 20km on just one charge.

The Smart Astrum, Hy-Pros newest electric scooter, is slimline and stylish, and features a longer-lasting lithium battery.

It can reach speeds of up to 15mph and offers 90 minutes runtime, while the rear footbrake ensures safe braking. Hy-Pro has further plans to expand the Smart range with more models coming in 2018.

The new launches will be supported throughout Q4, with video content in the pipeline to showcase the Smart range.

VOD and pre-roll campaigns starting in October will broadcast on mainstream channels to reach families across the UK. Premier League pitch-side advertising has also been secured.

HTI 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk HTI offers a range of outdoor activities with its selection of wheeled toys, battery operated vehicles and bubbles. The company offers a wide choice of well-known licences along with its own in-house brands, Evo, Volt and Double Bubble, suitable for children from preschool age upwards. HTI’s outdoor range has eye-catching graphics and provides value for money, for hours of outdoor fun.

The Evo My 1st, Evo Jnr and Evo+ range of scooters offers varying specs, from entry level for pre-schoolers up to the top of the range 200mm commuter scooter for adults. The Move’N’Groove or Electric 3-wheel are ideal for beginners, while the stunt scooter or dirt rider will suit more accomplished riders.

Kids can ride along on HTI’s range of Volt battery operated outdoor toys.

The selection of includes the quad bike, retro style Vespa, realistic motorbike, outdoor tractor and a range of cars. All the batteryoperated ride on vehicles in the Volt range feature colourful graphics, pedal or button acceleration and reverse control, and multiple sizes to suit a variety of ages.

New Double Bubble lines for spring/summer 2018 include Bubbliser, Fish Bubbliser, Electronic Bubble Blower, Electronic Bubble Blaster, Dino Bubbliser, Electronic Bubble Machine and Bubble Buddies.

Powered by batteries or the pull of a finger, these products are ideal for outdoor enjoyment whatever the weather.

TKC Sales 01380 872 950 | www.tkcsales.co.uk TKC Sales enters 2018 with a portfolio of outdoor toy brands including Eolo, Wham-O, Aerobie, Stomp Rocket and Ogo. New from beach brand Eolo is Disc Jock-E, a flying disc with a built-in speaker. Its waterresistant Bluetooth speaker allows beach-goers to play their music by pairing the product with any compatible mobile device. The Wham-O range features the iconic Frisbee in Classic, Ultimate and Pro designs, the Orbiter boomerang can fly up to 90 feet, and Aerobie Superdiscs offer impressive aerodynamics and a rubber grip for strong throwers.

Kids can stage a water battle with Aqua Creatures, a new range of animal water shooters and masks, while new Aqua Gear offers hydro chargers, splash shields and vapour shades. The original garden water slide Slip ‘N’ Slide lets kids see who can slide the fastest, before they choose their water battle ammo from the Aqua Force range of balloon launchers and slingshots.

For those wishing to take to the skies, the new crash proof Real Flyers can soar up to 25 metres in distance, while new Pop-Up Kites are quick and easy to assemble. The award-winning Stomp Rocket launches rockets up to 400 feet in the air, and no fuel or batteries are needed.

Kids can also compete against friends with global footbag brand, Hacky Sack. Rounding out TCK’s range of outdoor offerings is the Ogo Sport range of kid-friendly active toys for indoors and outdoors, including the award-winning hand trampoline Ogodisk Mini and the original Ogodisk Soft Ball.

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Outdoor Toys

Simplay3 +1 (0) 866 855 0100 | www.simplay3.com Getting kids up and moving while encouraging imaginative, social play in the great outdoors is something all parents like to encourage. Universally, there is a growing trend towards providing traditional play opportunities for children, with less screen time and more green time. The Simplay3 Company offers solutions for parents wanting a back-to-basics approach to stimulate not only their child’s motor skills, but imagination as well.

The Super Coupe Pedal Trike has a large curved roof with easy access openings for visibility and offers shade while cruising. Easy grip handle bars and a large front wheel make this trike easy to manoeuvre, while the adjustable seat allows younger riders to reach pedals easily, gradually moving back as they grow.

The multi-purpose In & Out Activity Table opens up to reveal two deep wells, ready to fill with any playtime medium. A large table top with moulded-in recesses and track provides added play value. The table top flips to reveal drinks holders for snack time and allows for more creative arts activities.

The styling and colours of the Caterpillar Play Box are attractive to young children, and the elongated shape and size make it an ideal fit for any space, whether indoors or out. Durable resin construction provides years of playtime experiences, and the box can contain sand, water, building blocks, balls, puzzles, and more. After playtime is over, the toy box provides convenient storage for toys or materials.

Funrise 01908 555 640 | www.funrise.com The formula used to create Funrise’s Gazillion Bubbles solution has been shown to create bigger, more plentiful bubbles, especially when used with Gazillion Bubbles machines and blasters. Two new additions will be joining the range in 2018, further expanding the bubble fun opportunities.

With new Gazillion Crazy Wands, kids can blow bubbles using the photo booth prop style wands that transform the blower’s mouth. There are three duo sets to collect, including rabbit teeth and Dracula’s fangs. Sets include two wands, a dipping tray and an 8oz bottle of premium Gazillion solution.

Also ideal for parties is all-new Gazillion Bubble Pong. With this table-top game, players take it in turns to throw their ping pong balls into their opponent’s side. It’s a race to hit the target first and blast the losing player with a face full of bubbles. Bubble Pong has removable trays and bumpers that can be adjusted for difficulty, making the game fun for the whole family. When the game is over, the console can be switched to Bubble Machine mode for a bubble party. Both additions to the Gazillion collection are available at an affordable price point, to complement the other items in the range.

Continuing with the outdoor theme is Funrise’s Tonka range. The Tonka Steel collection, made from real steel, is ideally suited to sandpit play, and offers a variety of construction vehicles to choose from.

John Adams 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk John Adams Leisure continues to expand its Intex outdoor toys range, adding a selection of new products to its portfolio. The new play centres and inflatables will sit alongside Intex’s existing range of above ground pools, ride on toys and games.

New for 2018, the Mystic Unicorn Spray Pool is ideal for outdoor family fun and keeping kids cool in summer. The brightly coloured spray pool can easily be emptied via the drain plug. For younger children, the Lazy Snail Shade Baby Pool allows little ones to splash around whilst being sheltered from strong sun by the built-in sunshade, which provides partial protection from harsh sunlight.

Summer will see the introduction of a range of inflatables with realistic sweet treat designs, available as Donut Tubes, Popsicle Floats and Ice Cream Mats. The Candy Zone Play Centre continues the theme, with a candy inspired land that includes a mini waterslide, two inflatable lollipops, six balls and rails to roll the balls down.

A water sprayer can be attached to a garden hose to keep everyone refreshed when playing in the sun.

The Shootin’ Hoops inflatable basketball set is ideal for both indoor and outdoor play. Kids can take aim with the two inflatable basketballs included, and score hoops against their friends and family. The Shootin’ Hoops set measures up to 6ft tall, and the base chamber is easily filled with water to anchor the hoop with the backboard.

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Av In ail Sto ab ck le No w Sand & Water Play from A.B.Gee of Ripley l

u Includes 20 play accessories Pirate Ship Sand & Water Table Item: 827 8808 Size: W: 60cm x H: 28cm x D: 38cm

Sand Box 2 in 1 Game Item: 827 8809 Size: W: 50cm x H: 30cm x D: 48cm

abgee First Choice in Toy & Hobby Distribution!

l

Suitable for Indoor or Outdoor use!

Square Sand & Water Table Item: 827 8812 Size: W: 40cm x H: 59cm x D: 40cm u Includes 21 play accessories

Pirate Ship Sand & Water Table Item: 827 8810 Size: W: 51cm x H: 58cm x D: 31cm u Includes 24 play accessories

Fantastic range of Indoor and Outdoor Toys, Games and Beach Goods A .B.Gee of Ripley Ltd, Asher Lane Business Park, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3SW. Tel: 01773 570444 www.abgee.co.uk Email: sales@abgee.co.uk

Feature

World Book Day

In the good books Now in its 23rd year, marked by activities and recognised in over 100 countries across the globe, World Book Day, taking place 1st March, is an annual celebration of authors, illustrators, books and reading. As a key part of the day, children are encouraged to dress as their favourite book characters, and with so many to choose from, from the classic - Dr Seuss, Mr Men and Little Miss - to the slightly more modern, such as Katniss Everdeen, the heroine from The Hunger Games, manufacturers and retailers alike are seeing for themselves the opportunities the event provides. Rachael Simpson finds out more about what’s on offer for next year’s event, and how retailers can make the most of their sales efforts.

D

epending on the character their child wants to dress as, consumers can either opt for licensed costumes, or something more generic which can be reused for other events, an approach that Harrison Palmer, sales & marketing director at Pretend to Bee, thinks is beneficial for the company. “We find that keeping it generic works better for Pretend to Bee as there is less call for specific book characters throughout the rest of the year. Nearly all of our generic ranges can lend themselves to the World Book Day event - giraffe, orang-utan, crocodile and tortoise, for example - but the quality of them ensures that they are durable enough to withstand the rigours of all dressup days.”

Other suppliers, however, are seeing

success with licensed ranges. “We expect Harry Potter to perform well again for Book Day 2018,” enthuses Tracey Devine, head of licensing & marketing EMEA at Rubie’s Masquerade. “Sales of Harry Potter as a Book Day line have increased massively year on year, with 2017 being a record breaker for sales. There are still huge amounts of Wizarding World activity, such as the Fantastic Beasts films, The Harry Potter West End play The Cursed Child, plus the successful range of Harry Potter products in Primark, and with the support of the incredible fan base, who have loved the books and films for the last 20 years, we expect this success to continue.”

Rubie’s Horrid Henry, Dennis the Menace, and Disney Princess lines including Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are also performing well for the company. “Even though she is not strictly a book character we noticed this year that Moana performed particularly well,” notes Tracey. “This could have been due to the movie release, but we expect her to continue to do well into 2018.”

With new licensed products available for 2018, including Elmer the Patchwork Elephant and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Amscan is also expecting its range to be well received in the approach to World Book Day. “Globally famous children’s books The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant surely feature in every child’s book collection, so we expect our licensed costumes to go down well this World Book Day,” says Sam at Amscan. “Other storybook characters also remain popular, from Mad Hatter styles to Queen of Hearts. We see a good focus on these styles; however, we are expecting the unexpected with demand for themes varying from Pirates to Animals, and even Halloween Witches.”

Regardless of whether retailers choose to focus on generic costumes, licensed costumes, or a mixture of both, World Book Day throws up some interesting retail angles that may boost sales in the approach to the day itself. “Most retailers are fully aware of World Book Day now and understand the huge sales spike we see during this period,” says Tracey Devine. “Some retailers can use this as an opportunity to expand their costume ranges and can choose to cross merchandise with books and

Toy World 60

have point of sale to help promote the area. Schools vary the theme of World Book Day each year, and often it is just a chance for kids to dress up as any of their favourite characters rather than one specific to a book – such as Moana.”

When talking to Toy World, several suppliers pointed out how late the 1st March event is publicised to parents each year. For this reason, retailers could benefit by stocking not only early, but also by carrying lines through until late February to cater for the panic buyers. “My advice to all retailers is to stock early, order enough, and maximise as much as you can – World Book Day sells all the way through till the last minute as a lot of parents find the letters at the bottom of their child’s schoolbag, so be prepared,” advises Sam. Tracey at Rubie’s seconds this, but offers a slightly different approach. “Create window displays and use POS to pre-sell the event to parents,” she says. “We also advise that retailers expand their costume ranges in store, promote them on websites and work with local schools to offer incentives for the pupils that drive them to their retail outlet. Also, try to understand what themes may be followed and what the best-selling children's books are, and offer wigs and accessories to be bought alongside the costumes to complete the look.”

At Pretend to Bee, Harrison thinks that a range’s strength very much lies within its capacity to be re-used and re-worked for more than one dress-up occasion. “We understand the pressures parents are under when it comes to events like World Book Day, and we also understand it’s an exciting time for children who love to dress up as their favourite characters,” he states. “Retail success boils down to having a strong range of generic costumes that will work all year round, but can be pulled together and merchandised under the World Book Day banner. Parents don’t mind parting with their cash so much if it’s for a costume that can be worn time and time again.”

Over the next few pages we take a look at some of the options on offer for World Book Day, from some of the industry’s leading dress-up and role-play suppliers.

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ALWAYS. NEW STAR WARS COSTUMES FROM RUBIE’S

08453 070707 www.rubiesuk.com

World Book Day

Amscan International 01908 288500 | www.amscan.co.uk From licensed options, to classic fairy tale and historical costumes, plus careers, adventure and animal themes, Amscan has a varied collection of costumes and wearable accessories to provide a comprehensive fancy dress offering for World Book Day celebrations, events and activities.

World Book Day is becoming an increasingly important dress up occasion in the calendar and Amscan is continually developing and expanding its range of quality costumes. As part of its licensed offering, sitting alongside the existing Disney Baby, Trolls, and Barbie costumes, Amscan is launching The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Elmer costumes ready for World Book Day 2018.

The World Book Day collection also features an array of career inspired accessory kits and costumes including kits.

Police, Vet, Doctor, Firefighter, Chef, Astronaut and Builder are available, all of which contain a selection of wearable items suited to both girls and boys. Fairy tale also remains a favourite dress-up choice for World Book Day, and with this in mind Amscan has a varied collection of fairy tale offerings, including princesses, fairy wing sets, Mad Hatter styles and more.

Amscan also has a selection of costumes and wearable accessories ideally suited to animal lovers such as the Ride On costumes, which feature straps that allow children to move around freely.

Pretend to Bee 0115 921 5690 | www.pretendtobee.com Pretend to Bee creates high-quality costumes in a diverse range of genres which sit perfectly within a school setting. The company’s World Book Day offerings reflect this diversity and are ideal for retailers wanting to appeal to a wide age range, yet are also generic enough to lend themselves to role-playing a variety of characters from the most popular children’s books.

The collection includes a Caterpillar Tabard, a Red Dragon, an Arabian Princess, a Knight, a Lion Zip Top, an Owl Cape and much more.

Sizes range from 3-9 years, and work well for KS1 and KS2 activities. The durable quality of the products means they can be worn time and again, so customers can be sure they are getting value for money from each costume.

Rubie’s Masquerade

08453 070 707 | www.rubiesuk.com

Rubie’s provides a range of dress-up options for World Book Day, allowing kids to become their favourite character for the day.

With his 80th anniversary being celebrated throughout 2018, Dennis the Menace is expected to be a popular choice for the next World Book Day. The character will also be featuring in next year’s Summer Reading challenge. This outfit includes the character’s recognisable red and black striped top, along with black shorts and a mask.

Harry Potter is also expected to perform well again in 2018, and Rubie’s is adding extra sizes to its range of wizarding costumes and accessories in the form of 9-10 years and 11-12 years robes.

As the mischievous Horrid Henry, kids can form their own Purple Hand Gang and go on the rampage. This costume includes a printed top, trousers and mask.

Rubies also offers a range of Disney Princess options, including Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Fans of Aurora can choose from a number of pink dresses with pretty detailing and contrasting features, while Cinderella dresses come in blue. Accessories are available to complete the princess look.

The Mad Hatter Boy’s outfit, which features a green mock jacket and lapel, yellow trousers and a hat, captures the madness of Lewis Carroll’s original character. The Mad Hatter Girl’s outfit includes a tutu dress with a yellow mock jacket and a hat.

Rounding out the World Book Day offerings is the Mr Fox costume, which features a jacket with faux fur chest, a neckerchief and a mask.

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Celebrate World Book Week 2018 with Pretend to Bee. Discover our wonderful range of Dress Up Costumes.

For more information, support@pretendtobee.com

Feature

Q1 Ranges

Ringing in the new With many children receiving money or vouchers for Christmas, first quarter launches present a great opportunity for retailers to get the year off to a good start. Casey Goodman finds out what lies in store for 2018.

T

he first quarter presents a range of opportunities for both suppliers and retailers. Trade shows and supplier previews make Q1 an exciting time in the toy industry, as Paul Reader, product manager at Toymaster revealed: “I personally get quite excited at this time of year, as we start to preview suppliers’ new products for next year. It is an important time to re-stock shelves with new and exciting lines. These days, getting new product to market in front of your competitor is so important, and independents are far better placed to react to new introductions. Suppliers often overlook the opportunity that they have in delivering to independents early.”

Toy Barnhaus seconds Paul’s opinion. Stephen Barnes, Toy Barnhaus director, told Toy World: “The first quarter always presents a good opportunity to bring in new listings, and some suppliers even bring out new products in early December, just to get it out before Christmas.

For independents, the first quarter is a fantastic opportunity to pick up lines that the multiples do not fully get behind until late January or February.

If suppliers have new products launching, it’s a great chance for retailers to get new stock in ready to refresh the shelves for next year.”

Early year launches can set the tone for the season. With traditional advertising coming in at a relatively low-cost, it is an opportunity to drive early cut through and traction. If key retail partners experience a positive start, they can really get behind a new brand, and this can provide impetus and confidence to wider customer bases, as Alpha Animation & Toys’ general manager Mark Hyndman explains: “A strong start to the year gives everyone a boost. It is always better for morale to be ahead of, rather than chasing, the curve. A strong Q1 land-grab at retail also provides a positive end to Q4. At Alpha, our ambition is to produce and introduce differentiation, along with excitement, to the market.

Alpha has strong IP and contentbased properties coming down the pipeline, so as part of our ambitious growth plans, it is important for us to be launching

new ranges and properties in both spring and autumn, as you will see over the next few years."

Although the first quarter covers the period between Boxing Day and Easter, most of the preparations start much earlier in November. Paul told Toy World how Toymaster prepares for the Q1 period well in advance. “The preparations for a successful first quarter start two months before, with the act of balancing busy Christmas sales with New Year planning being a huge challenge.

A successful Christmas equals sell through, space availability, and the necessity to restock, so Christmas sales are an important factor. Suppliers shipping product for Boxing Day launches helps independents, as we are able to take goods direct into store later than our major competitors; early sales allow members a second bite by the end of January. Suppliers working with Toymaster to ensure best communication to our members is sometimes overlooked. If they tell us, we can tell all members simultaneously.”

“With independent retailers so focused on the run up to Christmas, many feel that they can only start to look at new spring ranges in January.

The Toymaster team previews many of our key suppliers before Christmas and informs members of what is coming through, helping with their workload. Many then take the time to visit Toy Fair and start placing orders.”

“We do like to have all the basics covered very early in the year, with the support of suppliers and Boxing Day launches. We make sure we have enough new stock early, but it can be quite challenging when there are so many brands that launch simultaneously. We need to be mindful that January, February, and March sales each represent around 5% of annual sales, so too much too soon can have

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an impact on cash flow – especially if a launch includes higher ticket items. It is all about getting the balance right; by working closely together and sharing information, both suppliers and members can make the most of the New Year opportunities,” Paul added.

Stephen explained to Toy World how Toy Barnhaus takes a similar approach in starting the Q1 preparations early: “Toy Fair and Spring Fair are very important, but too late for January, so selecting stock over the next few weeks through previews is a much more successful strategy.”

2017 has seen a number of crazes perform well, including fidget spinners, slime and putty. There is already talk of “squishy” products coming through as one of 2018’s early crazes; huge in the USA and the Far East this year, a number of suppliers have moved swiftly to adapt the product for the UK market. Bandai has already seen strong retail support for its new Smooshy Mushy range, and is pulling out all the stops to ensure product arrives before Christmas. New launches like this help to keep toy stores fresh and appealing, as Paul explains: “New toys make toy shops exciting places to go and new products within our key brands, at the price points that best suit independents, are critical. The modern digital era has meant that children are much better informed, and now tend to come to toy stores to find a specific product that they are all looking for. A successful craze line will always be a great start to Q1, and if 2018 delivers a similar number to 2017, then I am sure we are all going to be very happy with the start to the New Year.”

Stephen also revealed to Toy World what he thinks will be popular in the New Year. “In January, children usually have money, and have been given big toy sets for Christmas, so they might want the extra add-on products to go with the main sets, such as new characters and new vehicles. But you never know, all of a sudden a trend can come out of nowhere. Putty and slime were not exactly revolutionary products, but they have performed very well for independents this year, and hopefully will continue to perform well into the start of next year.”

Bandai, Smooshy Mushy

© 2017 Alpha All rights reserved.

Q1 Ranges

Mattel 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com Barbie will strengthen its fashion credentials in Q1 with new Barbie Fashionistas, licensed fashion partnerships, new packaging, and the Barbie Colour Surprise Doll. Barbie Dreamtopia will introduce increased body and ethnic diversity, along with the Barbie Dreamtopia Brush ‘n Sparkle Princess.

Barbie also expands nurturing play with the Chelsea Treehouse Playset, the Barbie Sisters Babysitters Playset Assortment, and the Barbie Bakery Chef Doll and Playset.

2018 will bring new Enchantimals characters and animal friends, and DC Super Hero Girls will introduce new heroes throughout the toy range. Also available for younger children will be the Mega Bloks Take Along Builder, while Imaginext introduces the DC Super Friends Battle Batcave and Power Rangers Morphin Megazord. Another new range will be the Justice League 6” Basic Figures, and the Justice League Mega Cannon Batmobile Vehicle.

Hot Wheels reaches its 50th anniversary year in 2018 with new brand campaign Challenge Accepted. The Hot Wheels Stunt N’ Go Truck, Hot Wheels Track Builder Rocket Launch Challenge playset will be available, as well as a new look for younger fans with Hot Wheels City.

For fans of Disney Pixar Cars, there is the Disney Pixar Cars Mini Racers Range, including Mini Racers Mack Truck, and the Mini Racers Crank & Crash Derby Playset.

Fisher-Price continues to nurture development in children with its extensive range, including the BabyGear 2-in-1 Sit-to-Stand Activity Centre and Newborn Kick & Play Piano Gym. The infant range expands with the Laugh & Learn Sweet Manners Tea Set and Smart Stages Puppy Walker, as well as the popular Bright Beats. Monsters introduces the Walk & Whirl Monster, while new for preschool is the Think & Learn Seek & Spell Penguin. Fisher-Price’s Bing launches Bathtime Bing, while Octonauts introduces the Peso Medical Kit, and new from Go Jetters is the Jet Pad & Mini Vroomster.

Thomas & Friends introduces My First Thomas & Friends Railway Pals Track Pack, TrackMaster Twisting Tornado Set, Minis Boost ‘n Blast Stunt Set, Adventures Robot Rescue, and the re-launch of Thomas & Friends Wood with new look engines.

Shimmer & Shine also expands with Zeta’s Scooter and interactive Rainbow Dolls, while Blaze and the Monster Machines introduces Tune & Jump Garage and Tow Truck Blaze.

GP Flair 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk GP Flair is preparing to launch some of its most exciting ranges yet with a host of new properties and plenty of additions to its popular licensed collections.

The Ben 10 toy line launched earlier this autumn with a complete range of action figures, role-play, playsets, and vehicles. New to the range this January is the Alien vehicles assortment which offers the Diamondhead Power Tank and the Heatblast Rocket Flyer, each with an exclusive Heatblast or Diamondhead action figure. The vehicles are highly articulated and detailed, with features such as the burning molten missiles which fire out of the Heatblast Rocket Flyer.

Added to the collection are the new Omni Launch Battle Figures. Using the omnitrix launcher included in the pack, kids can watch as the Battle Figures transform into aliens mid-air and land on their feet, ready for battle. Wave 3 of basic figures will also launch alongside Wave 2 of the Power Up Figurines and Wave 2 of the 11” Super Deluxe Figures.

Launching in Q1 is GP’s new property, Exogini. The Exoginis are collectible alien figures with an electronic light up feature. 23 Exoginis will be available, and the key line driving collectability will be the Single Pack. With up to 12 characters to discover and a collectible price point, the Single Pack is the perfect impulse buy, while the Triple Pack is ideal for extending the collection. The UFOgini spaceships provide added play value, and can also be used to display growing collections. The Exoship Playset launches in February with Jeeno the Exo-Boss in tow.

Also launching in Q1 are the new Mega Headz range, Pikmi Pops, Shopkins Season 9, and a Jo Jo Siwa Bodacious Bow assortment.

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Re:creation 01189 736 222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk The first quarter brings new ranges for the Re:creation portfolio with Splash Out, while new additions refresh Razor and Snuggables offerings.

Magic Tracks has lived up to its reputation in the UK, delivering strong numbers throughout the year. Into spring, Re:creation is set to roll out new track sets and themes to enable fans to grow their collection and create even bigger and brighter Magic Tracks worlds.

2018 will be the year of the big wheel when it comes to scooters, and Razor will showcase its growing line-up of scooters, addressing older kids and commuters. The sleek A5 Air, with its pneumatic tyres, and the A6 with its 10 inch wheels, are among the heroes of the offering and will feature heavily in marketing activity throughout the first half of the year. There is news to come too in the hoverboard arena in the first quarter with developments for the brand’s Hovertrax line.

Feisty Pets with their Jekyll and Hyde personalities have been a popular hit for Re:creation’s Snuggables collection in the run toward Christmas. Into spring, new characters will refresh the crew, including Sparkles Rainbowbarf, the winged Pegasus and Junkyard Jeff, the very grumpy goat.

© 2017 Alpha All rights reserved.

Q1 Ranges

Alpha Animation and Toys 01293 804 599 | www.audleytoys.us Alpha Animation and Toys will launch new ranges in Q1, which will complement its brand portfolio. The first is Miximals; a silly, fun, and humorous collectible brand allowing kids to imagine, create, and share. There are 40 characters to collect in Series 1, with products across key price points.

Each Miximals Surprise Pack features one Miximal character, a mixed-up accessory, and collector file. Also available is the Surprise Triple Pack enabling kids to grow their collection of Miximals even faster. For spring, there are two vehicles to collect; Whalekey’s Banana Submarine and Kittony’s Cattractor. Each vehicle comes with an exclusive character and accessories. Also available is the Collector Pack with eight Miximals to grow collections.

Screechers Wild will transform the way kids race with vehicles that drive, flip, and morph into beast mode. This new transforming property targets fans of action, as Screechers are part hot rod and part mechanised avatars. The Screechers range has a variety of vehicles including street cars, rescue trucks, and military vehicles, which all morph into predators, insects, beasts, and birds of prey when contact is made with flying discs. There are three vehicle levels to collect, and two different launchers, bringing even more action to the morphing vehicles. With 60 x 2-minute animated shorts launching in spring, Screechers Wild will also be supported with TV and a digital campaign.

Super Wings, the popular pre-school TV Show, continues to go from strength to strength. The new spring/summer range features new characters from Series 2, and all five new characters will launch across two different SKUs; Transform a Bots and Transforming Vehicles. Transforming Jett, Dizzy, Paul, and Jerome will also launch in a limited-edition X-Ray finish. Flip 'n Fly Super Wings shoot out from their portable pocket station when launched. Bath time is a brand-new segment launching for spring. Highlights of the range include Water Wheelies and Bubble Blast Jett.

Casdon Toys 01253 608 248 | www.casdon.co.uk

Schleich 01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com/eu From Schleich’s core pre-school ranges, Farm World and Wild Life, comes a host of new figurines and playsets. There will be new additions to the evergreen Dinosaurs range, and there will also be a new introduction of characters to the Horse Club brand.

Schleich’s Farm World range will also be expanding next year, as the single figurines will continue to be a key offering and from January, children can add an array of new breeds to their collections. In addition to single figurines, new boxed sets will be available with a variety of detailed figurines and accessories, including a rabbit hutch and chicken coop. The Wild Life lines include new figurines and playset, which will enhance the collection as kids can enact jungle adventures with an array of exotic animals.

Since being repositioned in 2016, Schleich’s Horse Club brand is also going from strength to strength with the upcoming introduction of new characters, and the new Horse Club world. Central to the new range will be four Horse Club characters with their own respective playsets. New breeds will also become available in January along with a new CDU of assorted foals which will be the ideal offering for impulse pocket-money buys in-store.

Following a successful year of additions across its extensive portfolio, Casdon will continue to build on its role-play collections for spring 2018 with new product lines, whilst heightened consumer marketing and social media will ensure shoppers are equally inspired.

Casdon combines pretend play with household names to bring replica appliances and role-play accessories to the play room. Launching in January 2018 from the award-winning Dyson collection is the Dyson Cord free Vac. This cordless vacuum is a direct replica of the life size Dyson and has been specifically designed to be true to life, right down to the last detail.

The model features working suction, realistic sounds, and twist and turn action just like the real thing. The spinning beads will mesmerise children, and will be instantly recognisable.

Designed with the same bright colours as the real-life vacuum, kids will be able to feel grown up, by pretending to clean the house just like their parents as well as developing essential life skills.

A further addition to the Little Helpers collection is a fresh shape for the Hetty and Henry Vacuums. These robust multi-purpose vacuums have everything needed to help with day to day chores. Each vacuum works, and will pick up small bits of paper from the floor, storing them in a removable drawer that is quick and simple to empty. Supplied with a host a T shaped nozzle, the accessories pack away neatly at the back of the vacuum.

Also available is the Flymo Turbo Lite Lawnmower.

The Flymo features a foldable handle for easy storage and a mechanical click when the mower is on the move. It also features the iconic Orange base.

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Q1 Ranges

Magic Box Toys 01403 251 286 | www.magicboxint.com Available from January 2018, the SuperZings are everyday objects brought to life in a fun, comic hero vs villain rivalry theme. There are more than 80 multi-coloured characters to collect, each with a matching rival, which adds a new dimension to the collectible mechanic.

There are 36 regular characters available in two different colourthemes, plus six Silver and two Gold Rare, and one Super Rare SuperZing. The figures all have their own superpower and profile, and there are eight colourful pocket-money-friendly Supercars, as well as eight Hideouts. The Hideouts can also be used to launch characters into the air.

SuperZings Series 1 will be supported by a significant launch marketing campaign including TV, digital, social, unboxings, PR, and webisodes to introduce the characters and their rivalries.

The core collectible range includes blind bags, containing one SuperZing, Hideouts including one SuperZing, and Supercars, including one SuperZing.

There is also a Starter Pack, plus a Blister Pack containing four SuperZings, two Hideouts, and an exclusive SuperDisc Blaster. In addition, there’s an even wider range of toys for fans to expand their collection with, such as the Kaboom Trap to imprison villains that comes with two exclusive SuperZings plus a Mission Pack, which provides hours of play potential for children.

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Following a successful launch in autumn/winter 2017, the Bush Baby World collection will be expanding further in 2018 with the introduction of the Blossom Meadow Bush Babies, featuring patterned fabrics and accessories.

Sitting alongside the current Dreamstars and the Shimmies from the wider Bush Baby World collection, there will be six Blossom Bush Baby characters to collect along with two scented characters – each with its own blossom fragrance. Easter will see the introduction of Princess Blossom Bush Baby with her own Sleepy Pod and accessories.

The Build-a-Bot joins the company’s portfolio in 2018 and sees the company moving into the STEAM arena. Designed to enable kids to build and personalise their own colourful robots, every pack contains all the necessary pieces including a full sheet of stickers and a build certificate to record the creation date. With three Build a Bot designs to choose from - Bunny, Fox, and Dino – and a further three Build a Bug characters, Scatter Ant, Buzzy Bee and Ladybug.

Paint-Station is a washable kids’ paint that never spills, which includes stackable paint pods in a range of colours. The range will continue in 2018 with a selection of new lines being introduced in the first quarter.

This washable, no-spill, creative play solution enables children to paint mess free, anytime and anywhere, while parents can relax as the paint pods are proven not to drip - even when held upside down.

Building on the strength of its In the Night Garden pre-school brand, Golden Bear will also be refreshing the plush lines in 2018 with a new look collection based around core characters Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, and Makka Pakka.

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmaster.com Spin Master will relaunch Tech Deck, including the Tech Deck Transforming Sk8 Container. It transforms from a simple container to the ultimate skatepark for miniature skateboard fans, with six different obstacles ranging from quarter pipes to rails, and more than 80 skate park combinations. The set measures over two feet long when folded out, giving plenty of room to practice moves, either skating solo or with friends. Kids can also add to their fingerboard skateboard collection with the included Paul Rodriguez pro board, and neatly store the rest of their fingerboards in the board holder.

For Paw Patrol fans, the Mission Cruiser vehicle includes Robo Dog and his Mini Vehicle, plus it has room for other characters and their Mini Vehicles (sold separately) in the container, in the back of the cruiser, and in the driver’s seat.

Children can use the pop-up screen and animated mission card to view missions, or load the mission card into the new Mission Pup Pad (sold separately).

Since Spin Master’s global launch of its new Hatchimals range at the end of last year, the response has been phenomenal and by summer 2017, Hatchimals had been named the fastest growing property not supported by TV, digital, or film content across the G12 countries. The Hatchimals franchise continued through 2017, with new introductions capturing kids’ imaginations globally. For the first quarter of 2018, there are more exciting introductions on the way for Hatchimals CollEGGtibles.

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Q1 Ranges

Posh Paws 01268 567 317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Posh Paws reveals its new range of Disney collectible plush, which includes cute and glittery plush toys of fan favorites from Disney’s back catalogue and latest films.

Characters launching in January include Cinderella, Marie from the Aristocats, Minnie Mouse, Dumbo, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Tigger. In wave two will be Bambi, Snow White, Mickey Mouse, Simba from The Lion King, Patch from 101 Dalmations, and Eeyore. The fresh, new, and stylized look and feel offers kids, teens, and adults alike plush to collect. New ranges will continue to launch throughout 2018.

The range launches in the UK with a host of social media, influencer and PR activity to drive the product presence throughout 2018.

LeapFrog 01895 202 840 | www.leapfrog.com

KD Toys 01727 827 194 | www.kdplanet.com/uk

LeapFrog Enterprises has announced five new learning toys for spring/ summer 2018. These toys expose children to important skills including literacy, mathematics, and problem solving.

The Rainbow Lights Ladybird is suitable for pre-school children, and teaches colours and letters in a fun and imaginative way. With every push of the toy, the Ladybird changes colour and introduces the letters of the alphabet. Letter songs expose young children to the sounds that letters make and lay a critical foundation for their developing language skills.

Also suitable for pre-school children is the Popping Colour Mixer Truck which offers fun, guided, pretend play that builds early colour and counting skills. With each drop of a colour ball, children explore colour names and colour mixing. As they push the truck along, they exercise their developing motor and hand-eye coordination skills.

The Hug & Learn Bears Book introduces infants to an early exploration of books and reading basics. This book about family, colours, and shapes is designed to help develop motor skills as children flip through the pages and play with manipulative features to exercise hand-eye coordination.

Other new ranges include Tad’s Fridge Phonics, which is a refresh of the Fridge Phonics designed to reinforce alphabet knowledge, letter names, and sounds as children play with the letter tiles. The tiles can also now be personalised with photographs.

Also new is the Dino’s Delightful Day Book, an interactive storybook where children explore every letter of the alphabet along with words associated with these letters.

Pairing early phonics with a playful reading experience helps children make the connections between letters and the sounds they represent—a critical foundation for future reading skills.

KD Interactive’s Kurio range of child safe technology will be a core focus for the company in 2018. With high demand for safe technology designed for children, Kurio has further expansion plans for its key Kurio lines including the Kurio Watch 2.0, a smart watch for kids, and the Kurio Snap, a children’s digital photo booth camera.

The Kurio brand aims to offer something different to traditional toys, and will continue to build innovative products based on strong demand into 2018.

The Kurio Smart Watch 2.0 is adult technology for children that delivers gaming, education, and social communication through a multi-function touch screen. The technology allows multi-player gaming via Bluetooth within a 20-metre radius and comes with over 20 pre-loaded apps to choose from.

Users can customise the interface, take selfies using the forward facing camera, and listen to music. Children can also send messages, photos, emojis, drawings, and voice notes to their friends via the Kurio messaging app. The Kurio Watch 2.0 has four different watch straps available, two of which change colour, offering children a colour to match their outfits and mood each day. The watch also features an SD card slot, giving users the option to add up to 32GB of extra memory.

Kurio Snap is a children’s portable digital photo booth and allows children to take fun pictures anywhere, anytime. Children can have lots of fun taking selfies, group shots with friends, and can edit/apply filters to their creations and play interactive games. Photos and videos can then be shared via Wi-Fi. Rather than younger children having unfiltered access to the internet, Kurio products offer a closed platform to keep children safe, and communication is only through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (direct) connectivity for peer to peer communication.

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Q1 Ranges

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com One of Character’s hottest brands of 2016 was the Stretch Armstrong collection.

Moving into 2018, the Stretch Armstrong portfolio is stretching even further with two new launches in the pipeline for spring. Another villain will be revealed with the launch of the transparent baddie, Stretch X-Ray. Also joining the range is the miniature 8-inch Vac-Man; this new version of the classic villain. Kids can vacuum all air out of his body and transform him into a rigid and knobbly beast.

Inspired by baking and blended with a fun, surprise and cuteness, Cake Pop Cuties is the new range of collectible characters joining the Character portfolio.

Designed in the style of a cake pop, the blind capsules will be the driving collectible line. Hidden inside each capsule is a memory foam Cutie character to collect, squish, and display. Combining the ever-growing trend for squishy with the blind collectible, series 1 will include 36 Cutie characters and 12 Sweetie characters.

At retail, Cake Pop Cuties will be displayed in an eye-catching CDU to discover, or alternatively the Multi Pack blister comes with one cake pop and three foam characters.

Other new ranges include the Cheeki Mees – a range of collectible characters with their own name and personality, and from Little Live Pets is the new Lil’ Precious Pups. New for the pocket money category is Mine, a product consisting of a diamond or gold block with a real precious stone hidden inside, so children can search for surprise treasure, and another new range is Night Ball, an inflated football which shines bright when kicked.

Rainbow Designs 01329 227 300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk Following the inaugural release of Rainbow Designs’ new Classic Winnie the Pooh collection, the company has announced two new Disney collections that will be launched next spring.

Disney Baby is a colourful collection of character-led developmental toys featuring Disney’s most iconic characters; Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Tigger, Dumbo, and Winnie-the-Pooh. The plush toys, with an attachable hoop, feature a variety of developmental activities including hoops, teethers, tags and squeakers, along with multiple fabrics, textures and crinkles to entertain inquisitive minds.

The new Disney Baby collection will also include a series of Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet plush toys with crinkle and rattle features. There will also be a new set of fun and tactile Mini Jinglers starring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Dumbo.

In addition to the developmental collection, Rainbow Designs will also bring to market, in spring 2018, the Disney Floppy collection. This beautiful and stylish array of large and small super soft plush toys, comforters, and ring rattles featuring Disney favourites; Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore.

Learning Resources 01553 818 063 | www.LearningResources.co.uk Children can look, listen and learn with new talking additions to the award-winning GeoSafari Jr. range from Learning Resources. Featuring the voices of wildlife warrior Bindi Irwin, and former NASA employee, Emily Dawn Calandrelli, the range brings learning to life for young scientists.

The only talking microscope available for pre-schoolers, the GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope features audio from Bindi Irwin, 5x magnification and two eye pieces for an easy, focus free viewing experience. A collection of 20 prepared slides each feature three photo quality images of animals, plants, insects, and more. Children can set the microscope to fact mode to learn more about the items on the slide, or switch to quiz mode to test scientific knowledge, perfect for independent learning.

Audio is available in four different languages and lasts for up to 60 minutes. All slides store neatly inside the microscope for easy clean-up and storage.

The GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope allows children to choose between fact mode or quiz mode to learn about outer space, as audio from Emily Dawn Calandrelli guides them through 24 images of planets, stars, and space. It is easy to operate, as children simply look through the two-eye goggle piece and turn the dial to switch between images. Audio lasts for 45-60 minutes and is available in four different languages. The telescope features a tripod with soft rubber feet for easy assembly and sturdy viewing.

Also available is the GeoSafari Jr. Talking Globe. Children can simply press the smart pen to any spot on the globe to hear facts or quiz questions from the voice of Bindi Irwin. Over 12 hours of audio informs children about continents, countries, states animals, and more. Children can touch two cities to find out the distance between them, and it also includes advanced, smart pen technology and thousands of facts.

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Q1 Ranges

Vivid Imaginations 01483 449 944 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk

Clementoni 0203 206 1397 | www.clementoni.com

Vivid is launching its master toy range for Nella the Princess Knight from January 2018, which will be rolling out globally during the year. The comprehensive launch range includes role-play, plush, dolls, and figures, centring around Nella as a Princess and a Knight, and, of course, Trinket, her unicorn BFF. Role-play in particular is an area which presents opportunities for a pre-school girls’ property. Vivid has created the pretty Pendant & Tiara with lights and sounds, and The Sparkle Sword is an essential for every young adventurer, with a wearable tiara which plugs into the sword unlock more lights and phrases from the show.

The brand will be supported with two TV spots for spring, and backed up by a comprehensive marketing plan.

Stickits is a new concept from Vivid for this spring, combining the popularity of stickers with urban vinyl style licensed collectible characters. Each character dispenser contains 100 stickers, including shiny specials to collect. The first wave includes Disney Princess, Disney Frozen, and My Little Pony. Stickits is supported by TV advertising, and a targeted influencer campaign.

Clementoni will launch a new range of Ben 10 puzzles from January 2018 – a deal which sees Clementoni as the exclusive puzzle partner for Ben 10 in the UK. The range of SuperColour Ben 10 puzzles especially designed for children, with captivating images in bright and shiny colours. With seven products available, the Ben 10 puzzles accompany children as they grow, offering different levels of difficulty. From a 24 piece maxi piece set to 104 pieces in Maxi, Standard and Neon designs, the puzzles are a great way to keep little minds occupied with the scope for collectability.

The quality of materials and the use of an exclusive printing technique makes for beautiful, lively and bright images. All puzzles are available for pre-order now.

Bandai 0208 324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk With a new licensed range for the digital generation, squishy collectibles, a heritage boys’ brand and more, Bandai’s Q1 portfolio promises to be one of its most advanced yet.

Launching on Boxing Day is the new Zak Storm range. Based on the boys TV series, Zak Storm toys offer not only play value but also a digital experience when unlocking extra content through a synchronised Zak Storm app. Packaged within each SKU is a collectible treasure coin with a unique QR code for kids to scan on their smart device, level up, and receive rewards. The app also synchronises to the TV show for bonus content. A CDU of Zak Storm Collectible Treasure action figures, vehicles, and playsets all make up the launch range.

The Smooshy Mushy captures two trends: slow rise squishy foam and surprise packages. Smooshy pets arrive onto shelves in fun food containers, and include eight surprises for kids to unveil: a Smooshy pet, a mystery bestie, a name tag, a Smooshy bottle, a mini bottle, and stickers are all hidden inside, along with games and recipes. Series 1 will launch with over 25 characters to collect in total, including two super rare characters.

Joining the Power Rangers Ninja Steel collection is The Gold Ranger’s Battle Gear and Megazord. The Gold Ninja Battle Morpher is a weapon and Mopher in one, which features a double barrel blaster for action packed fun, and also features exclusive new sound effects. The Rockstorm Guitar Blaster includes 3-in-1 features: Power Up, Blaster mode, and Sword mode, while the DX Ninja Steel Bullrider Megazord combines five zords to create a Megazord.

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Q1 Ranges

Little Tikes 08450 533 333 | www.littletikes.co.uk New to the Little Tikes line is the Waffle Blocks Steam Train. Designed especially for small hands to connect and build, children can create their own 3D track, train, and station, and with fun characters, creative play is further enhanced with real steam and train sounds.

Created especially for pre-schoolers, The Little Tikes My First Drone can be easily controlled by little hands, with its simple, one-touch control pad. Introducing children to their first lesson in flying drones, the one-touch remote means that it is super easy to take-off, land, turn and stop. Plus, the clever auto-hover technology keeps the drone suspended in mid-air for easy flying. LED lights and sounds add even more fun and to ensure maximum playing time, with a quick charge time.

The Swim To Me Puppy is suitable for bath time, and comes with goggles, lead, and adoption certificate. The Just Born Spaniel, Beagle, Mutt, and Chocolate Lab are interactive pups which bark when they are happy, close their eyes when tired, and gently snore as they fall asleep.

Each comes with its own feeding bottle and birth certificate.

Following the huge success of the 2016 Tyre Twister RC, this line now includes the new Tyre Twister Lights. The product features police car lights and sirens, 360 degree spins to back flip inside or outside the tyre, and LED lights.

The pre-school Light ‘n Go range uses lights to inspire babies from 6-36 months to walk, cruise and dance. Now available in pink, the Light ‘n Go 3-in-1 Activity Walker allows babies to learn to stride and chase after the lights, or have downtime by playing at the activity table in sit and play mode. With over 70 ways to play, babies will be kept busy for hours.

Headu www.headu.com Taking a holistic approach to playtime this spring is Headu, a new collection that brings with it educational play that never compromises on fun.

The founders of Headu have more than 20 years’ experience in the edutainment markets of toy, publishing, licensing, and television. Drawing from this experience, a launch collection of over 30 different educational play products have been created with the core market spanning children from 2 - 10 years. Each kit has everything needed for a complete educational play experience, focusing on specific intelligences and developmental areas.

Headu is a system of intelligences and competences whereby consumers can match skills either to a child’s area of strength or to where they may need development. Each pack comes with easy-tofollow symbols on pack to find the right product for each child.

Explore the Forest is a scientific puzzle. Once complete, the child can explore the forest and find all the hidden animals within, marking off each discovery in the included notebook. There’s also a UV light that will help them along the way with other hidden gems to find that can only be seen under ultraviolet.

Another new product is Coding. This original and enjoyable game for older children is played in a simple way and will spark players’ interests in computer programming as they use the tools provided to problem solve.

Orange Tree Toys 01242 244 500 | www.orangetreetoys.com Orange Tree Toys has an array of new toys launching in 2018, including the anticipated Winnie the Pooh collection.

The range was recently launched at Autumn Fair, and was well received by customers who came for a first glimpse. The collection includes additions to all of the popular toys, such as a set of skittles which features Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Roo, and Rabbit, a range of push-alongs and pull-alongs, nursery items, and vehicles. With the range already proving to be a successful addition to the company’s collection of toys, pre-orders are now being taken ready for Christmas.

On the theme of classic childhood favourites, there will be several additions in the New Year to the popular Peter Rabbit Collection. The range will include a further selection of toys for preschool children.

Following on from the continued success of the Crocodile Alphabet Puzzle, a new range of toys will be launched in 2018. The range is painted in bright colours and made from chunky wood, and includes new toy products as well as the usual favourites.

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Q1 Ranges

Jumbo Games 01707 289 289 | www.jumbo.eu

Q1 2018 will see Jumbo Games launching a new and refreshed range of Disney Princess puzzles its children’s licensed portfolio. The range will feature well-known Disney Princesses that are core to Disney’s Explore your World campaign theme, such as Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Snow White, and others. New releases are the Princess 4-in-1 Puzzle Pack which includes four brightly illustrated puzzles to piece together, ranging from 35 to 100 pieces; the Giant Floor Puzzle; 4-in-1 Shaped Puzzles and Puzzle and Colour.

Jumbo will be launching a new range of Disney 1000-piece puzzles that includes a Mickey 90th Anniversary puzzle, and a selection of classic Movie posters for Snow White and Bambi. This will be the first time Jumbo will be releasing larger piece count puzzles within its Disney portfolio and is a move to meet growing consumer popularity.

Having launched the Dessineo Learn to Draw and received extremely positive responses from consumers, Jumbo will be expanding its educational arts & crafts range in January with the launch of four brand new Dessineo Learn to Paint items. Children will be able to learn to paint by stencils and paint by numbers with these new additions to the Dessineo range. Using the specifically designed step-by-step picture stencils to build a painting in four easy steps, children can create and paint five different pictures.

New in Jumbo’s Falcon de Luxe range will be 24 new puzzles. These new puzzles cover the traditional Falcon themes of nostalgia, scenery, cottages, animals, and transport, across varying piece counts from 200XL to 1,500 pieces, including Driving the Dales 2x500 piece puzzle and The Gardener’s Cottage 1000 piece puzzle.

Jumbo’s Premium Puzzle Collection will also see 28 new releases that will be available in January, covering piece counts from 200 to 1,500-pieces, depicting themes of sightseeing, cities, animals, and more.

Epoch Making Toys 08435 574 062 | www.sylvanianfamilies.net.uk

Tomy 01392 281 928 | www.tomy.com Tomy is working towards another exciting year in 2018 with the expansion of global licences as well as developing its heritage brands with innovative new releases.

Lightseekers from PlayFusion will launch a second wave of exciting new characters, weapons, flight packs and shields, allowing fans to unlock new content and areas of the game. Tomy will support retailers with a TV campaign, online brand pages, and eye-catching merchandising, as well as experiential in-store events allowing shoppers to truly immerse themselves in the Lightseekers collection.

As master toy licensee for CBeebies pre-school series, Kazoops, from Cheeky Little Media and Fusion Agency, Tomy will launch its first vehicle and assortment of figures in Q1 with the popular Monty and Jimmy Jones, as well as several imagination characters. The brand will be supported with an integrated campaign, including TV, digital rich media, PR and social media for a full consumer experience.

Tomy’s Molang collection from Millimages will grow with the addition of a basic core figure assortment and the Molang Home Playset. Each product reflects a scene from the popular TV show and allows fans to relive episodes whilst encouraging collectability between friends.

Lamaze will expand its popular line of Clip & Go and gifting & activity toy segments with exciting new characters.

Johnny Tractor from Tomy’s John Deere collection remains a farming hero for preschoolers with friendly characters for children aged 18 months plus, including Build-a-Johnny Tractor and Learn and Pop Johnny Tractor, helping little-ones develop their colour matching, numbers and shapes skills.

Tomy will continue to push its evergreen brands by strengthening and refreshing key items. Tomy Toomies will be taken to new territories as it sets to unveil a new collection of innovative constructible products which are set to be revealed at Toy Fair London.

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30 years since it first arrived in the UK, Epoch’s toy range Sylvanian Families is expanding with the largest product launch in its history – a new town – which will be unveiled at London’s Toy Fair.

The launch of the new Sylvanian Families Town, with 25 product lines, allows fans to set up and play with an alternative setting to the countryside – an urban destination for the characters to visit on a day out, and where the older sister characters work – doing their dream jobs.

Dominating the Town’s main street is a Grand Department Store, complete with workable lift and revolving door, where the latest fashions can be displayed alongside a beauty cosmetics counter and Chocolate Lounge.

Also available is the new restaurant, the ice cream parlour, the chocolate lounge, and the restaurant terrace. Children can also listen to a classical concert with the grand piano, violin, and cello sets.

The red and gold tram, which takes characters to all of the main destinations is also available, and there are workable street lights to throw a warm glow over the pastel-coloured buildings.

Launching alongside the Town buildings and interior accessories are various dress up sets, including elegant dresses, hats, and handbags for key characters.

There are also new characters living in the Sylvanian Families Town: Stella, Lulu, and Laura are the older sisters of existing characters and depicted as independent working women. The Maple Cat Family comprises of Father, Mother, two children and twins.

Knex 01189 253 270 | www.knex.co.uk

Q1 Ranges

In 2018, K'nex will build on the success of the last year, which saw the brand hold its place as number two in standard construction in the UK. The K'nex range, including theme park inspired Thrill Rides roller coasters and K'nex building tubs, will be widely refreshed for autumn/winter.

2017 saw the launch of Kid K'nex at retail, offering children their own K'nex sets for the first time. The range is designed to support cognitive development with chunky, brightly coloured pieces, easy for little hands to snap together. New additions for Q1 include Kid K'nex Zoo Friends, perfect for animal loving kids, and Kid K'nex Flyin' Pals which creates planes, helicopters, gliders and more.

A variety of new lower priced K'nex building sets will be revealed this Easter.

The new K'nex Get Started Assortment offers a choice of three sets sold separately – Ready Racer, Robot Friends, and Dirt Digger. These products come with at least 30 micro K'nex pieces, and two suggested builds for strong play value. A new K'nex Beginner Fun Assortment offers a choice of two sets sold separately - Fast Vehicles or Fly Away - each with 100+ pieces and 10 build suggestions.

The new K'nex Power and Go Racers building set contains 166 micro and regular pieces to build 15 different models one at a time.

Chicco 0208 953 6627 | www.chicco.co.uk The First Dreams Baby Bear is part of the Chicco First Dreams range that helps children have the best night’s sleep. An addition to the night time routine, Baby Bear is a soft teddy that comforts and reassures babies as they drift off to sleep. With three different functions, Baby Bear is a soft plush teddy, nightlight, and soothing sound projector all in one. With the press of a button on the soft projection tummy, a soothing goodnight message can be played to comfort babies before they go to sleep. Not only that, but gentle melodies and a calming lightshow can be played to help children sleep before automatically turning to standby mode after 20 minutes.

Available to order now for Christmas!

sales@orangetreetoys.com

+44(0)1242 244500

www.orangetreetoys.com

Visit www.orangetreetoys.com for the full collection! © Disney Based on the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ works by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard

Allegedly

If 2017 has thrown us a few curveballs, some things don’t change: last month saw the annual toy retail discount party start in earnest. It was predictable that Argos would fire the starting gun; its ‘3 for 2’ promotion prompted Smyths to enter the ring with a 20% discount and naturally Tesco couldn’t resist joining in, launching a half-price toy sale of its own. But there are a few subtle differences in approach this year; Tesco’s sale featured only 225 items, many of which were exclusive to Tesco - and therefore presumably bought specifically to retail at 50% off.

Smyths insisted on a £50 minimum spend to get the 20% reduction (which I believe wasn’t the case last year). And Argos…well, fair enough, the sale was far broader (over 2,000 lines). However, it soon generated controversy, with suggestions that Argos hiked the price of toys just before the sale started. Although Argos attempted to refute the accusations by saying the toys had been part of a promotion that had not been flagged due to a ‘technical issue’, consumer website Money Saving Expert still reported the retailer to the advertising watchdog…

My Friday Blog which touched on the lack of hot stock in the Argos sale led to an interesting exchange with a group of independent retailers, who identified another intriguing angle. For example, if someone wanted to buy two Large LOL Surprise! dolls from a branch of Argos, it was fine. But if you tried to buy three, it was mysteriously unavailable.

So, did Argos set the stock limit to two per customer - or even two per store? And, if so, is that a good thing? On one level, at least it will restrict people buying up bulk stock of scarce lines to sell on eBay for extortionate profit. That said, I gather that one retailer was told by their rep that it would be best to buy their stock from Argos rather than trying to order through the company – once VAT was added to the trade price, it was the same cost anyway, and the suggestion was that Argos was more likely to have stock available to sell them than the company itself. It does raise the question as to what percentage of these ‘3 for 2’ sales are to consumers, and what percentage are to other retailers or resellers…

BLE once again took place at Olympia in October.

Unfortunately, things did not exactly get off to the best of starts - the first hour of the opening day was like finding yourself in the middle of the worst episode of The Apprentice ever. Queues stretched right back to the main road as front desk systems apparently failed, leaving thousands of frustrated visitors waiting for one solitary printer to spit out their entrance badge. In the ensuing chaos, some enterprising exhibitors sent staff out to hold meetings in the queue, while other stranded licensees and retailers were ‘rescued’ by exhibitors bringing out their stand staff’s badges to smuggle them in. Nevertheless, many people missed their first two or three meetings, and feelings were still running high days later. One disgruntled licensee told me: “They were passing a tin of Celebrations along the queue. It was hardly cause for a bloody celebration!” (If you read that in a Bolton accent, as I heard it, it’s even funnier) …

I gather that Tesco’s new commercial director Deborah Rabey was amongst those doing the rounds at BLE; while I understand she doesn’t have specific toy experience, having previously worked on the party and greetings category for Tesco, Deborah is clearly well versed in the Far East production process, having spent the past few years in a sourcing role in Hong Kong. So, one would assume that she is pretty clued up when it comes to factory pricing – I suspect that will make for some interesting conversations in the coming months…

There is finally some good news on the Star Wars front; a product from the movies is actually red hot. Although hands up who thought that, when it came, the breakout product would be a weird looking creature that looks like the result of an experiment to mate a penguin with a

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guinea pig? Nevertheless, Porgs (careful how you google that) do seem to be in huge demand – those licensees who are struggling to make the minimum guarantee are no doubt frantically trying to work out if they can salvage things with the addition of a Porg or two…

The Sainsbury’s half-price toy sale has achieved nearlegendary status among the more ardent bargain hunters.

It arrived early this year, launching well ahead of halfterm. The sale takes place in-store only – meaning that frantically refreshing the website at three seconds past midnight to secure the prime stock is not an option - and as a quarter of the entire toy range is available at the full 50% headline discount, it always attracts what might be termed a lively crowd. Amongst tales of trolleys piled high, blocking the aisles (and even entrances of smaller stores), causing food shoppers to give up and go elsewhere to avoid the carnage, one report stood out: Essex Live highlighted the apocalyptic scenes in Chelmsford, which epitomised the madness. Described as a “bun fight”, one woman was quoted as saying: “Someone nearly broke the shoelace on my Converse in a scuffle to get to the Barbie section.” It really is all kicking off in Chelmsford…

With recent news that retail spending dipped in September as rising inflation eats into disposable income, it is inevitable that consumers are going to be aggressively seeking the best possible deals (literally), and heaven help the person in Converse who gets in their way. Against that backdrop, there is good news from the Far East, as reports filter back from those in Hong Kong that vendors are dropping their prices next year. Only joking, of course they’re not – factory prices are going up again. Sorry if I got your hopes up there. I suppose it was inevitable: raw materials, paper and board prices and wages all continue to rise, while the RMB has been going the wrong way against the dollar. While more robust, stable currencies (and indeed economies) may be in a slightly better to position to weather these increases, the fragility in the UK economy makes the news even less welcome. More challenges for the toy community to grapple with…

I’m sure plenty of you saw a recent episode of The Apprentice, which had a strong toy presence. Tasked with selling robots, the teams were presented with a number of options, including WowWee’s Coder Mip and Alpha Animation’s Angler Attack drone. Having secured temporary distribution rights, they headed off to The Entertainer, where they were met by a friendly face who was happy to place an order there and then, with no lively, protracted negotiations over terms or margins. No doubt there are a few toy sales people who would love to know the secret to achieving that result. And I don’t know who the new, fresh-faced Entertainer buyer was, but he seemed a jolly reasonable chap, he should go far.

I am still reading a lot of nonsense about the TRU situation; it is amazing just how many retail ‘experts’ have suddenly sprung up, all with amazing insight into why TRU finds itself in this situation and what it should do to turn things around. If I read one more ‘expert’ talking about how “a bit of retail theatre” could have saved them… please! I am sure that TRU knows only too well that some of its stores could do with being spruced up, just as its website needs to be improved. But if you make a tidy profit, and every single penny of that profit – and a lot more money besides - is taken away from you to pay off interest on a massive debt, which you were loaded with by a group of vulture capitalists twelve years ago, just how are you supposed to pay for these improvements…with magic beans? And as for the toy magazine which presumably thought it was being funny by using the giant headline “Toys R Bust,” words fail me – to so spectacularly misjudge the mood of the entire global toy community really is a special talent. Some subjects just aren’t suitable for sixthform humour.

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