Peppa Pig has been crowned as the number one toy character for the second year running; according to data published by the NPD Group.
The animated character also shifted over 5 million DVDs, making Peppa Pig the top pre-school license in children’s DVD. Muddy puddles were also the central theme to the most popular pre-school books, bringing home the bacon to publisher Ladybird.
Peppa Pig continues to be a television show with one of the highest ratings on Channel Five’s Milkshake programme and Nick Jr. More episodes – of the multiple BAFTA Children’s Awards winner – are in production.
Informer: Toys 'n' Playthings]]>
Shareholders will enjoy an increased dividend; the world’s largest toy maker’s share price rose on the news.
It has also been announced that the acquisition of HIT Entertainment (from a consortium of funds led by Apax Partners) in a $680 million cash deal has been completed. Details of Mattel’s proposal were first released in late-October 2011.
HIT Entertainment owns of a number of famous children’s intellectual property brands: including Thomas (the Tank Engine) & Friends, Barney, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Angelina Ballerina.
Q4 Highlights
- Total worldwide net sales up 1% on prior year
- Domestic gross sales down 2%
- International gross sales up 5%
- Barbie up 6%
- Hot Wheels up 11%
- Fisher‐Price toys down 3%
- American Girl up 4%
- Operating income was $497.5 million (up from $428.6 million in Q4 2010)
- Earnings per share of $1.07 vs. prior year of $0.89
Full‐Year Highlights
- Total worldwide net sales up 7% on prior year
- Domestic gross sales up 3%
- International gross sales up 12%
- Barbie up 12%
- Hot Wheels up 6%
- Core Fisher‐Price up 2%
- American Girl up 5%
- Operating income was $1.04 billion (up from $901.9 million in 2010)
- Earnings per share of $2.18 vs. prior year of $1.86 (includes tax benefit of $0.05 per share)
Dividend
Q1 2012 cash dividend declared at $0.31 per share, based on an annual dividend of $1.24 per share (a 35% increase on last year’s total dividends).
]]>
This year sees the return of Subbuteo – the table football game. A firm favourite with generations of boys, that has lately become a game mainly for enthusiasts. Among some, this hobby has elevated to a sport; with grown-ups playing organised tournaments, that even require the presence of referees. In 1998 Hasbro stopped production of the game.
Subbuteo as a brand never disappeared completely, final batches were sold for few years at Toys R Us stores, Marks & Spencer released an edition in retro packaging and the name appeared on a football card game; which many would say was a complete travesty to the name of the most popular game of its type.
When Subbuteo (as we know it) was no longer dstributed to Italy, toy firm Edilio Parodi released a brand called Zeguo and have been making new table footballers, pitches and accessories ever-since.
The new official version promises more detailed figures that are flexible and players which are made of stronger stuff (broken players were often a common problem with the game). An improved pitch makes the action faster and should help greater flicking accuracy.
A range of fully licensed Premier League teams will be available and accessories at launch include: packs of three footballs, pitches, fencing, match referees (including, for the first time, a forth official) and goal posts.
Subbuteo Team Edition and more will be available from Amazon.co.uk from 5th March 2012.
At £39.99, Subbuteo Team Edition contains
- 20 players and 2 Goalkeepers
- 2 Goals
- 1 pitch
- 1 Subbuteo Ball
- Rules
The new official range of Subbuteo merchandise is distributed by Paul Lamond Games.
The 59th International Toy Fair has begun today in London at the Olympia exhibition centre. Toy manufacturers big and small set-up stall for three days at this annual trade event; to show-off their wares for the coming year.
2011 has been a good year for the UK toy industry with sales increasing by 3%, despite many families the tightening purse-strings because of worries about the current economic situation. The UK toy market is now valued at £2.96 billion.
The show features awards for the Best New Toys for 2012; where 32 winners were picked by a panel of independent retailers.
Among the many familiar categories of toys which the judges had to consider, there was a new one: App Toys. Afterall, there’s no getting away from the fact that advanced, touch-screen, commutative and computational devices have been seen for what they really are by children : shiny toys.
Majen Immink, Communications Manager, British Toy & Hobby Association, said: “This year’s Toy Fair Best New Toy Award winners show just how innovative and ‘on the pulse’ the UK toy industry is with exciting new product launches across traditional and cutting edge categories.”
The BTHA International Toy Fair continues until Thursday 26th January 2012; this event is open to members of the trade only.
Best New Toys of 2012: that list in full
Action Figures/Accessories
Ben 10 Omniverse Rooks Truck (Bandai, £29.99)
Pirate Ship (Playmobil,£59.99)
Gladiators and Battle Rhinoceros (Schleich, £41.49)
App Toys
AppGear (Character Options, £9.99+)
Moshi App Monster (Vivid Toy Group, £22.99)
Tardis Smart Safe (Zeon, £19.99)
Construction/Building Sets
Friends Olivia’s House (Lego, £69.99)
Ninjago Dragon (Lego, £89.99)
Construction Advanced Tool Box (Meccano, £19.99)
Creative
Crayola Colour Wonder Metallic Paper (Vivid Toy Group, £8.99)
myStyle Japanese Best Friend Dolls (Interplay, £9.99)
Aquarelle (Ravensburger, £4.99+)
Games and Puzzles
Logo “What Am I?” (Drumond Park, £20.00)
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Puzzle (H P Gibsons, £11.99)
Poppin Hoppies (University Games, £19.99)
Girls
Sylvanian Families Ice Cream Van (Flair, £22.99)
Dizzy Dancer Dix Studio (Hasbro, £19.99)
Hello Kitty Vellutata Mushroom House (HTI, £19.99)
Hobby and Models
Scalextric Micro – Star Wars Death Star Attack (Hornby Hobbies, £69.99)
Outspeeder (Revell, £19.99)
Infant/Preschool
Mike the Knight Action Playsets (Character Options, £14.99)
Letter Factory Phonics (Leapfrog, £14.99)
Winnie the Pooh Spin n Play Acorn Train (Tomy Europe, £19.99)
Olympics
Team GB Mini (Golden Bear, £14.99)
London 2012 Pictagram Figurine Collection (Hornby Hobbies, £19.99)
Team GB Trunki (Trunki, £40.00)
Outdoor
Fireman Sam Rescue Tri-Scooter (MV Sports, £29.99)
Plush Toys
Lalaloopsy Talking Plush (Underground Toys, £5.99+)
Roaring Raa Raa (Tomy Europe, £29.99)
Pocket Money
The Trash Pack (Flair, £2.49+)
Corgi Toy Die-cast (Hornby Hobbies, £2.00+)
Redakai (Spinmaster, £12.99)
A planned action figure based upon the late Apple computer company founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, has been cancelled by the firm In Icons.
Steve Jobs passed away on 5th October 2011; and his passing, life and times was widely covered and celebrated by the press, television and new media (various internet sources). Recently an announcement was made about the production of a surprisingly well-sculpted, articulated toy representing the likeness of the man that oversaw the production of the Apple II, iPod, iPad and many other such technological creations.
The figurine itself, was supposedly based upon an original one-off made around four years ago by an Apple enthusiast; photographs of it, show it to be almost chillingly realistic.
Naturally, Jobs family members and lawyers working on behalf of Apple took exception to a small company or entrepreneur about to gain financial advantage from the death of Steve Jobs. Therefore, In Icons has cited “immense pressure” from concerned parties as the reason that they have decided to cancel production of the and refund any pre-orders made by would-be collectors.
Informer: In Icons
]]>
The VTech InnoTab was among the most wanted toys of Christmas 2011 and just a few days into 2012 an updated version is being marketed to retailers in the toy industry’s trade press.
A full page advert for the new InnoTab has appeared in the February edition of Toy News. As well as sporting a more refined appearance, the new iPad-like tablet computer for children will feature a microphone and a camera with a lens can be twisted to face towards or away from the user that’s viewing the screen.
This twistable camera lens is similar in principle to the kind found on the current VTech Kidizoom Twist digital camera (also known as Spin & Smile in some countries). The new InnoTab’s camera is expected to be capable of taking pictures at 1.3 mega pixel resolution and will also be able to film movie video clips.
Not only will the new built in microphone be used for recording audio to go with moving images, it will also be used in gameplay where specially designed apps allow it.
New picture and sound editing software, with fun features including, will also come built-in on the the new InnoTab.
Informer: The Toy Spy Source: Toy News]]>
Not a Christmas morning goes by without legions of parents exclaiming expletives of frustration when it comes to unpacking toys for their impatient children.
Toys are often secured into boxes by all sorts of devious methods: string, cable ties, twisted plastic wire, extra lumps of cardboard, sticky tape, moulded plastic thingamajigs and (most perversely of all) some manufacturers even think it’s a good idea to clamp things down with screws.
The reasons for this include: allowing the toy to be displayed effectively while still in the box, to prevent parts of the product getting lost or so it be can examined and tried without being removed from the packaging. Alternative reasons may well be simply spite or an anti-theft measure imposed by someone with a very pessimistic view of humanity.
Well, Tesco wanted to change all that with the launch of Carousel, its new pre-school brand. The supermarket chain hired Less Packaging to develop “a new concept of toy packaging”.
Greg Lawson, Managing partner at Less Packaging, said: “Tesco wanted to answer a real customer need by offering quick and easy access to their Carousel toys…” With toys typically taking over 4 minutes to remove from all their packaging, Lawson explained: “We were very careful to take time at the development stage, perfecting the balance between customer appeal and performance as well as reducing unpacking times to around 45 seconds across the range.”
Twisty metal ties were abolished from the range, with corrugated (cardboard) fittings used instead. Whilst this led to an overall increase in raw materials used and extra time spent on the assembly line, overall there were net benefits provided by manufacturing, supply chain and other cost savings.
So, no doubt we can all look forward to an extra 3 minutes and 15 seconds (per toy) of frustration-free festivities each time Christmas or a child’s birthday is celebrated.
Carousel is an own brand range available exclusively from Tesco.
Informer: Packaging Europe
Mothercare has announced yet another decline in the performance of its UK stores, in its third quarter trading update. Like-for-like sales in UK stores fell by 3.0%, during the 13 week period ending on 7th January 2012. Overall sales on home soil dropped by 6.9%; in part due to the company’s plan to close-down 110 shops within a three year period.
These disappointing UK trading figures follow a poor 2011, which the firm blamed on snow during December.
The fifty-year-old nursery goods and clothing retailer (which also owns toddler toy shop chain Early Learning Centre) continues to fare better aboard. Having opened its 1,000th store overseas, the company reported a 15.0% rise in international sales.
Alan Parker, Executive Chairman of Mothercare, said: “Worldwide network sales increased by 3.0%, as a result of continuing strong growth in our profitable and cash-generative International business. We have opened our 1,000th store outside the UK and also launched in four new countries – Chile, Colombia, Iraq and Morocco.
“In the UK, the better like-for-like sales performance was achieved in an increasingly competitive consumer environment. Additional promotional activity was successful in driving a 5% like-for-like sales increase in December…”
Mothercare may also face a new threat from rival firm Kiddicare (owned by supermarket chain Morrisons), as it eyes-up eleven out-of-town retail “sheds” that have been occupied by electrical goods brand Best Buy.
Group Performance : Third Quarter
- Worldwide network sales up 3.0%
- Total group sales down 1.2%
- International retail sales up 15.0% (up 18.5% at constant exchange rates)
- UK like-for-like sales down 3.0%
- Total UK sales down 6.9% mainly due to planned store closures
- UK Direct in Home sales down 2.2%
Group Performance : Year-to-Date
- Worldwide network sales up 4.5%
- Total group sales up 2.0%
- International retail sales up 15.5%
- UK like-for-like sales down 5.4%
- Total UK sales down 5.3%
- UK Direct in Home sales down 3.4%
Some toy retailers are facing hard times as they struggle to trade in the current fragile British economy. Hawkin’s Bazaar owners (Tobar) are in administration and scores of Early Learning Centre shop closures leave many shoppers without a source for those little tubs of glitter.
However, The Entertainer (a privately owned chain of toy stores) has just announced a 28.8% increase in December sales versus last year.
In the five week period ending on December 31st 2011, like-for-like sales from its website – TheToyShop.com – rose by a mighty 36.7%. In its network of 65 shops, sales were 4.7% up.
Gary Grant, founder of The Entertainer, said: “Many commentators have predicted the decline and eventual death of the high street, but our results show there’s still customer demand for what we do. We don’t have a magic formula for this success, but we are passionate about creating an exciting shopping experience for customers and at every level of the business our team is dedicated to making that happen.”
Grant then went on to state that new store openings over the next five years will create as many as 750 new jobs.
While these turnover figures are impressive, profit is true measure of business success, and The Entertainer has avoided the deep discounting that rival retailers have resorted to, which will result in a year-on-year growth in profits for the company as it celebrates the passing of its 30th year in the toy industry.
Informer: Toy News]]>
Kiddicare, the nursery goods retailer owned by the supermarket chain Morrisons, could soon be the occupiers of the 11 Best Buy stores (an unsuccessful electrical goods chain, part-owned by Carphone Warehouse).
In a report in The Daily Telegraph, all of the large outlets in out-of-town retail parks are under offer to Morrisons, however, the company may only choose the best sites.
Kiddicare (which started in 1974 as a supplier named Rainbow) all ready trades from a store in Peterborough, however, the firm is better known as an online retailer; offering a large selection discounted pushchairs, car seats, baby furniture and other childcare products. Its advanced online operation can even offer same-day delivery on many items.
Morrisons bought Kiddicare last year for £70 million. The supermarket chain currently has internet kiosks placed in stores for customers to order nursery equipment for home delivery or collection from a local store.
]]>