Feature
Sambro
Northern Star
Toy World spoke to Sambro’s Nikki Samuels about the company’s licensed ranges and how 2017 is shaping up. TW: Which licensed ranges have performed well for Sambro so far in 2016? NS: Paw Patrol has been a real success story: products have sold phenomenally well across all the categories we hold the licence for. We have some great new additions coming up and expect the brand to continue to perform well in 2017. Frozen is still one of the hottest Disney properties and our refreshed 2016 ranges have proved popular with both retailers and consumers. Tsum Tsum has been a phenomenal success across the board – our products have perfectly complemented the collectible and stacking element of the craze, the 3D erasers have sold particularly well. TW: Which new properties do you think will be successful in the run-up to Christmas? NS: There have been some huge film releases this year and we expect our Finding Dory collection to perform really well. We also have a brand new Trolls range launching in time for Christmas. TW: Which new licensed ranges coming through for 2017 are you excited about? Star Wars will be huge again next year and our range will be extended across a variety of categories including novelty, arts & crafts and outdoor. The Despicable Me 3 movie will also launch in 2017; our Minions range has led the way in terms of innovation within the stationery sector. The new products will span stationery, bags and novelty toys and it looks set be very successful. We will be also introducing a selection of Pokemon bags and stationery. Pokemon bags were huge the first time around and we hope to replicate that success with this new take on the craze. In addition, we will launch a braod range of Cars 3 merchandise including bags, stationery, arts & crafts and novelty toys. There are also some great Lego Batman and Lego Ninjago bags to watch out for, as well as an exciting range of Blaze and the Monster Machines products. Our popular Play Doh arts and crafts collection will also be extended, as well as our My Little Pony range.
TW: Sambro produces licensed product across a wide range of categories: what advantage does this offer the licensor and also your retail partners? NS: As we continue to expand we are adding more and more categories to our licensed roster, which benefits both the licensors and our retail partners. We work with some brilliant licensors and have cultivated these relationships over a number of years. Licensors trust us to create high quality innovative products and this has allowed us to work across more and more categories, as we are able to deliver against their targets while staying true to each property. The fact that we work across so many categories is beneficial to our retailers, who are able to stock full licensed ranges at multiple price points. All of our categories complement each other, so customers are able treat us like a one-stop shop for all of their licensed products. The breadth of our licensed collections also means that retailers can add lines they may not usually select. Our operations department is second to none and therefore we can ensure that customers receive products quickly to capitalise on licences when they are at their peak. We are also heavily investing in expanding the pan-European arm of our business and have a raft of licensing deals which will enable us to extend the number of markets we sell to. TW: What do you perceive as your strongest licensed categories, and are there any product areas you’re looking to build on next year? NS: Arts & Crafts has always been a huge category for us and our bespoke tooling has allowed us to replicate products across different licences. Bags has also become one of our largest categories: we have created a selection of totally original lines including our EVA, lenticular and plush bags. We have also created a brand new Soft Lines division headed up by Lara Singer. Next year will see the launch of brand new licensed products never seen before from Sambro, including hair accessories, caps, apparel - the product development in this division has been relentless and the quality of the products about to launch will not only appeal to our existing retailers,
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but will open up new sales channels for us. Our hard lines division is headed by Collette O’Kane and her dedication to improving and expanding this area of our business has been outstanding. We have many exciting new lines in both areas that we cannot wait to share at the beginning of 2017. TW: How important is it for you to deliver good value price-points and margins within your own licensed ranges? NS: Supplying high-quality licensed product at competitive prices is the most important aspect of our business. We have invested heavily in our own tooling and this enables us to create licensed products cost-effectively without compromising on quality. We also pride ourselves on the sheer breadth of our product ranges, which allow any retailer, whatever their budget, to capitalise on a hot licence. TW: What are the biggest challenges facing licensees at the moment? NS: One of our biggest challenges is growing our team. We have some amazing people working not just here in the UK, but also in Amsterdam and Hong Kong, and we are always looking for high calibre staff to work in our buying, design and marketing departments to enable us to keep the company growing in line with our ambitious plans.