Tag Archives: toys

Mattel and Sanrio fashion partnership for Barbie and Hello Kitty

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Mattel has partnered with Sanrio to fashion a new partnership between the iconic dolls brand Barbie and the globally revered Hello Kitty, marking the first time the two have come together in the consumer products space.

The collaboration will see the development of a colourful and contemporary product line aimed at kids and adults that will span accessories, apparel, health and beauty, and footwear. The range will roll out across EMEA from early next year with a focus on softlines initially, but will expand with more products added at intervals throughout 2021.

A vibrant new Barbie x Hello Kitty creative has been designed for the partnership, uniting the logos and creative of both brands to create a distinctive and standout look. This will be brought to life across the product range in a new co-branded style guide developed in El Segundo by Mattel’s creative group in collaboration with Sanrio.

The announcement of the partnership comes on the back of projected growth next year within EMEA for Mattel’s consumer products, with Barbie, in particular, expected to grow double digits in consumer sales across its core consumer products range. This growth would have been helped along by the high-profile 60th Anniversary brand campaign for the market-leading doll brand and ongoing success of its role models campaign across EMEA.

Lisa Weger, Mattel’s regional head of consumer products for EMEA, said: “We’re excited to bring the world of Hello Kitty to life through this consumer products partnership with Barbie. The collection will enable fans of all ages to experience Hello Kitty and Barbie through a range of products that positively capture both these iconic brands’ essence.

“This partnership is another great example of our commitment to collaborate with globally-recognized franchises and developing exciting products.”

In recent months, Sanrio has successfully continued on its corporate mission, based on the philosophy of fostering social communication and focusing on friendship as a key asset for every human being to succeed. Dedicated marketing and digital campaigns are being developed globally and will see the interaction of Hello Kitty with the other Sanrio characters, in a newly launched program named Hello Kitty and Friends.

Silvia Figini, chief operating officer, Sanrio – EMEA, India and Oceania, Mr Men – Worldwide, commented: “We are extremely happy to collaborate with a global icon like Barbie. Brand partnerships are part of our DNA and they are consistent with Hello Kitty’s motto: ‘You can never have too many friends’.

“We share some key values such as friendship, kindness and inclusivity, and we have a common fanbase of girls and young women who grew up loving both characters and are willing to pass this love to their own daughters. The range of products will be an amazing combination of both brands and we are sure consumers will be excited.”

Sainsbury’s to close 420 Argos stores amid plans to save £600 million by 2024 and meet changing consumer habits

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A total of 420 standalone Argos stores are to be closed by March 2024, the super market giant and owner of the Argos store brand, Sainsbury’s has confirmed, amid news that it is to cut 3,500 jobs across its portfolio.

The retail giant’s boss Simon Roberts said that the move was Sainsbury’s response to changing consumer habits and the growth of online shopping. Amid the closures will be all of Sainsbury’s meat, fish and deli counters owing to lower customer demand and a desire to cut food waste.

Of its Argos portfolio, the grocer has stated that 150 outlets will be opened within its supermarkets, but that by the end of its restructuring, which will see the permanent closure of 420 standalone outlets, its total number of Argos stores will be around 100. The restructuring will save about £600 million by 2024, the firm said.

Sainsbury’s suffered a £137 million loss in its half-year results, a dive it has blamed on closures and market changes.

The company, which bough Argos in 2016, said in its statement that the 120 standalone Argos stores that had not reopened since they were closed in March would now be shut permanently.

In addition to the 150 Argos stores it plans to open in its supermarkets by 2024, it also plans a further 150-200 collection points.

“We are talking to colleagues today about where the changes we are announcing in Argos standalone stores and food counters impact their roles,” said Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s chief executive.

“We will work really hard to find alternative roles for as many of these colleagues as possible and expect to be able to offer alternative roles for the majority of impacted colleagues.”

He said the aim was to make Argos “a simpler, more efficient and more profitable business”. Products from the Habitat brand will also be more widely available in the stores and via Argos.

“Our other brands – Argos, Habitat, Tu, Nectar and Sainsbury’s Bank – must deliver for their customers and for our shareholders in their own right,” he said.

Despite the cutting of the 3,500 roles, the supermarket expects that it will have created about 6,000 net new jobs by the end of the year.

The Entertainer partners with Mattel to bring a virtual Christmas grotto experience to children this year

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The family-owned high street toy retailer, The Entertainer, has teamed up with Mattel to create a virtual grotto experience for children missing out this Christmas due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With government restrictions, lockdowns, and social distancing measures taking experiences and events off the table this year, the pair are looking to recreate the experience of the Christmas grotto visit in a unique way with a giveaway offering 50 places to families who will get the chance to ‘dial through’ to the North Pole and chat with Santa and his elves.

Supporting some of those families most at need, 25 of the 50 spaces will be split between families from The Salvation Army nurseries and families supported by the support group Enabled run by The Salvation Army who provide spiritual and social fellowship for people with a disability and their carers.

The remaining 25 spots are open to the public to win. Families have from November 5th to 21st to enter. Full T&Cs can be seen on the website alongside the entry form by following this link: https://emails.thetoyshop.com/public/m/santa_competition

As well as a chance to meet Santa, there will also be toys from Mattel to be won including the latest Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars, Mega Bloks construction toys as well as games including UNO and Scrabble. All entrants will also receive a 10 per cent off voucher for Mattel toys at The Entertainer.

Gary Grant, founder and chief executive of The Entertainer, said: “Covid-19 has had a huge impact on our children, from missing play dates with friends to time away from learning and this Christmas is already looking very different. Visiting Father Christmas is a time-honoured Christmas tradition for thousands of children across the country, and whilst social distancing means this isn’t possible this year, we wanted to bring Santa to children in the virtual world so families can share the joy of Christmas together.”

Air walking: From YouTube to the toy aisles, Braille Skateboarding teaches the skate scene new tricks

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Who is Aaron Kyro, and why should you care?

Well, to answer the former we’ll have to take you on a journey to San Francisco via a childhood in Montana, chasing the trail of a professional skateboarder in the making and the pursuit of his dreams of hitting the big time. To answer the latter, you need only to travel to your local Smyths Toys Superstore.

Because Aaron Kyro is the talent behind the Braille Skateboarding brand; one that has emerged from the sea of YouTube content creators to rise through the ranks of global popularity and land on the toy shelves of one of the UK and Europe’s most preeminent toy retailers, with its popular line of Braille Fingerboards and accessories.

New to the UK this year, Braille Skateboarding has been met with a warm reception from fans not only country-wide, but across the globe. Projections made by the skate brand deduce that – should things continue at the pace of growth it’s been enjoying over the past year or two – Braille Skateboarding will have shipped around one million fingerboards to retailers by the end of 2020.

That’s not too shabby for a brand that only launched onto the toy scene in July this year. According to the firm, fans have already been ‘going wild for the toys,’ a range that not only comprises fingerboards and skate ramps, but mystery surprise sets and accessories, too, propelling the franchise to international fame.

With 5.24 million subscribers to the Braille Skateboarding YouTube channel and its Skate Everything series of videos – a series that sees Kyro and pals not only create skateboards out of the most bizarre materials they can lay their hands on (seriously, we’ve watched him craft a board’s grip tape out of Gummy Bears), but skate them on camera, too – Kyro is injecting something new into the skateboarding scene, and bringing it into the modern era of social media, virtual engagement and of course, merchandising.

Now, to answer the next question, Licensing.biz takes the (virtual) journey to San Francisco to catch up with Kyro and learn more about the plans for the Braille Skateboarding brand.

Hello Aaron, thanks for talking all things skateboarding with us today. Could you kick things off by talking to us about the Braille Skateboarding story? Where did this all start for you and what’s the journey been like to where you guys are now?

It’s really every skater’s dream.  I grew up in Montana where I learned how to skateboard.  Graduated high school and moved to San Francisco to pursue professional skateboarding. After getting kicked off my main sponsor due to budget cuts my career dreams were all but crushed. I dumped all of my footage onto YouTube where skateboard footage would go to die in 2006 and the video went viral. I realized the power of social media and the ability to reach lots of people, so I started making tutorial videos and teaching people how to skateboard and we grew from there.

When did you guys realise you wanted to break into the toy space with the Braille Skateboarding brand name? What has that process been like for you? What’s it now like to see Braille Skateboarding toys lining shelves not just in the US but internationally?

With our background in teaching people how to skateboard our goal is to make Skateboarding the largest sport in the world.  This is a big goal and of course requires us to reach out to a lot of people in any way we can. So when the idea of creating toys came up it seemed like a perfect fit. The process has been amazing really, it’s so fun to create the different boards. Seeing our boards on shelves in this capacity is literally unreal. I could have never imagined things getting to this level. It’s really amazing.

What do you think is the strength of the Braille Skateboarding brand? Why does it translate so well to toys like it has so far? Why does the brand resonate with its audience in the way it does?

Braille is not just entertainment, but we teach skills that can translate into many different parts of life. If you go through all of the physical and mental barriers to learning a skateboard trick it gives you a great deal of confidence. I love helping people learn and grow through skateboarding, and I think when you do learn a new skill that sticks with you more than just a funny video. So that connection to the audience, I think, makes the brand resonate well.

We have seen the national and international interest in skateboarding surge as a result of the world’s covid-19 response and lockdown measures. Is this something that resonates with you guys? Have you seen increased fan engagement, increased brand engagement? 

With the goal of teaching the world how to skateboard when the world all but shut down a lot of people took me up on that goal and started their journey learning. So yes, I think skateboarding helped a lot of people get through the pandemic.

I hope it’s going to continue to get a lot of people into skating. In order to grow a sport you need new people starting. I think that skateboarding is a healthy activity people can do that helps them during times like this and it’s perfect.

Braille Skateboarding has its own virtual element, in which we offer tutorials across the online platform. Virtual is so perfect because it allows us to safely reach a lot of people and help them learn. I think virtual will play a huge roll in the future of skating not only from people learning but also sharing experiences and making friends from literally all over the world.

That’s what amazing about our virtual skateboarding community – you can learn to kick flip at the same time as your new friend from Australia and share your experiences online.

Home shot videos, community, growing from the grass roots level – skateboarding has arguably always been very close to the ‘social media’ concept, so the idea that Braille has found such success through it seems only right. How do you decide where next to go with the brand?

My decisions are all based around how I can best achieve the overall goal. Reaching new people and getting them into skateboarding is the main piece to that goal. I think this helps the whole skateboard industry as well as individual people’s lives who have gained so many things from skateboarding.

What are the wider plans for the Braille Skateboarding brand? What product areas would you like to see it move into, and how will you ensure it keeps the Braille ethos at its heart?

Creating a global grass roots movement to grow skateboarding at a much faster pace. This includes online as well as in person lessons, but at the heart of it is creating a community that helps each other learn and supports each other in that learning process despite any and all differences.

I would like to see Braille move into any area that could help us grow and build that community. Any product that could help people learn in any way would be great, or any product that puts people’s attention on skateboarding as something they might do in the future, like toys for example, are great.

Keeping the Braille ethos at the heart requires constant work and constant reminders all the time. I can get so busy making fun videos that even I can forget the larger purpose of it all, so the constant reminders of what we are doing and communicating that to my team and beyond is so important.

I love to dream of the larger picture and all the cool impacts we could create with skateboarding all over the world, so just keeping those dreams alive and making sure we keep them at the heart of all the projects keeps it there.

Thank you Aaron, anything you’d like to shout about right now?

Well, I like to sk8…

Toy maker TOMY bolsters licensed portfolio with Sing 2 and Plants vs Zombies ranges

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Last month witnessed the international toy maker, TOMY bolster its licensing portfolio with new toy, plush, and play-sets plans for both Illumination’s upcoming animated motion picture, Sing 2, and the popular Electronic Arts mobile game, Plants vs Zombies.

Scheduled for launch on December 22, 2021, TOMY’s Sing 2 toy line will comprise innovative products including collectable figurines, feature plush, and a role play game.

The range will be launched in partnership with Illumination and Universal Brand Development, the studios behind the popular animated feature film Sing and its upcoming sequel, Sing 2.

“Audiences everywhere have already fallen in love with the relatable characters of Sing, and we’re looking forward to bringing them to life and into playrooms,” said TOMY’s director of global toys, Morgan Weyl.

“The Sing films are about overcoming obstacles and pursuing dreams, so we created a musically-infused toy line that will help inspire the next generation to shoot for the stars – no matter what challenges they may face along the way.”

Joe Lawandus, senior vice president and general manager, global toys and hardlines, Universal Brand Development, added:  “Our filmmaking partners at Illumination continue to deliver dynamic characters and storylines that bring joy and smiles to audiences across the globe, and we’re excited for the worldwide debut of Sing 2.

“We look forward to collaborating with TOMY on an all-new toy line that will bring the franchise’s signature comedy and hit music into the hearts and homes of fans worldwide.”

In addition, the toy maker has also secured a new partnership with Electronic Arts to bring the Plants vs Zombies video game characters to life in plush form.

In a deal brokered by the licensing agent Retail Monster, TOMY’s Club Mocchi-Mocchi brand will deliver a variety of soft, squeezable plush.

Plants vs. Zombies is a tower defense classic in which players pit their loyal plant squad against the zombie peril, fending off boss invasions and banding together with friends to help save their small town. With over 1.2 billion installs to date, the popular franchise is looking at granting its fans new adventures with future content releases.

“Plants vs. Zombies is a wildly popular video game franchise and we’re thrilled to be the licensed partner that gets to bring its characters to life in plush,” said TOMY’s Weyl. “Many of Club Mocchi- Mocchi-‘s most popular plush toys are characters and accessories from beloved video games, so we’re excited to bring a little piece of Plants vs. Zombies into gamers’ homes around the world.”

Retail Monster’s founder and CEO, Michael Connolly, added: “TOMY’s Club Mocchi- Mocchi- brand is renowned for its bespoke plush format, and we’re thrilled to delight Plants vs. Zombies fans with what will surely be an in-demand range of iconic plush characters.”

Pre-school hit Sunny Bunnies celebrates UK retailer and broadcast commitment for 2021

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The popular pre-school IP Sunny Bunnies has secured further commitment to its feature plush range with major UK supermarket chains, department stores, and online retailers through 2021, including the likes of Argos, Tesco, Amazon, and other independent toy retailers.

The range, developed by the plush toy specialist, Posh Paws, launched only last year to a warm reception from retailers across the UK. Media IM Incorporated, the London content distribution company behind the pre-school series, is confident in the repeat success of the toy range for 2020 and 2021.

The commitment from the UK retail space follows news that Media IM has also signed three new UK broadcast deals for the hit series. Ketchup TV, the UK’s leading AVOD children’s channel has licensed seasons one and two for the UK and Eire, Channel 5’s Milkshake has secured a pre-sale agreement for season five, while Sky has signed for season three across its Sky Kids and Now TV channels, as well as the Sky Kids App.

Irina Nazarenko, co-founder of Media I.M. Incorporated, said: “Even in happier times, the UK kids’ market is one of the toughest in the world, which makes closing any UK deal cause for celebration.

“To have closed three broadcast deals and to have had our merchandise relationship renewed by two of the country’s leading retailers is a serious result. We’d love to take all the credit – but the real heroes are those unstoppable, irrepressible Bunnies…”

This latest round of UK sales follows on the heels of two landmark deals in late July, which launched Sunny Bunnies into several new Asian territories, as well as on to one of China’s biggest VOD platform.

A deal with Kidzone saw the first four seasons of Sunny Bunnies debut this summer on Pakistan’s leading children’s entertainment channel. The show is set to be extended to Kidzone’s pay-TV channels in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

In addition, Media I.M. Incorporated signed a non-exclusive two-year agreement with Chinese VOD giant Tencent for seasons one to three of Sunny Bunnies. The show is also on air on Youku, Mango TV and Huawei via a string of previous deals with major Chinese platforms.

Sunny Bunnies brand diversification also continues apace branching into gifs and stickers through giphy.com with 130 million views in one year with 20 million views in two days on the launch of the ‘bye!’ gif.

Produced by Digital Light Studio, the Sunny Bunnies are five beaming balls that can appear anywhere there is a source of light, from sunshine to moonlight.

In each episode, the cheeky creatures bring their fun and games to a different location – a circus, a sports stadium, a park – embarking on mischievous adventures and spreading laughter and happiness. And at the end of every episode, the fun continues with a collection of bloopers.

Jazwares promotes Jonny Taylor to SVP Europe and names Holly Oldham its new MD for UK and Nordics

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Jazwares its advances its plans for European expansion with the promotion of Jonny Taylor to the role of senior vice president, Europe, and the appointment of Holly Oldham to the position of managing director for the UK and Nordics.

The latest development is part of Jazwares’ ongoing plans for European expansion, a strategy that has been in place for the past eight years with the establishment of offices in the UK and Germany.

Having established the UK office in 2012 and managed the German office since February 2020, Taylor will continue to support development in these markets, while also focusing on growth in other key territories.

Stepping into Taylor’s previous role of managing director, UK and Nordics is Holly Oldham. Oldham has worked in the UK toy industry for over 15 years, most recently as the managing director at Rubie’s Masquerade Ltd and previously leading Hasbro’s UK consumer products business.

Oldham is looking forward to bringing her extensive experience within the licensed consumer goods industry, working with world-class brands and market-leading partnerships to Jazwares.

Laura Zebersky, chief commercial officer, Jazwares, said: “Over the last eight years we’ve built a solid foundation in Europe with successful offices in both the UK & Germany. We are excited to have Jonny lead our expansion plans in Europe and we are thrilled with the arrival of Holly to the team. We have a talented European team coupled with a strong product portfolio, now is the time to take things to the next level.”

Bandai UK teams with Sanrio to launch Hello Kitty Tamagotchi

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Bandai UK’s Tamagotchi is joining forces with the ever-popular Hello Kitty to allow users to enlist the help of the iconic Sanrio character to raise and nurture their digital pets. ‘It’s everything that is familiar to people who have played with Bandai’s virtual pet gadgets,’ says the firm, ‘but with added cuteness of Hello Kitty.’

The Hello Kitty Tamagotchi comes in two different shell styles – Hello Kitty and Favourite Things. The white shell is with Hello Kitty’s red bow and whiskers, and the red shell features Hello Kitty’s Favourite Things.

Owners can raise their Tamagotchi from egg to baby to adult, feeding them treats like apple pie and milk, and getting Hello Kitty to clean up the mess that Joey – her best friend – makes in the Tamagotchi character’s space.

There are seven adult characters and how each user rears their pet will determine which adult they end up with. For particularly good parenting skills, users could even be rewarded with one of the surprise characters.

Hello Kitty Tamagotchi features two fun mini games – Piano Game and Balloon Game – as an added bonus and is suitable for kids aged eight and upwards.

Brand manager, Priya Jadeja, said “Tamagotchi has been an incredible brand for Bandai for over two decades and we’ve had many collaborations within that time period. Like Tamagotchi, Hello Kitty is a universally loved brand and we can’t wait to see the fan’s reactions.”

Toys and Consumer Products revenue lifts as WWE negotiates Coronavirus fall-out

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The chairman and CEO of the sport and entertainment franchise, WWE, has championed the business’ creativity throughout a challenging environment, highlighted a strong performance for the brand in its third quarter financials.

WWE has been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic that has rendered live events – the model upon which WWE generates a majority of its income – impossible to maintain to the same volume and capacity of live audiences as pre-Covid times. Despite the impact that has driven a 97 per cent decrease in revenue generated by live events, the organisation remains optimistic.

Consolidated results see the franchise hit third quarter revenue of $221.6 million, an increase of 19 per cent – or $35.3 million – on the same period last year, that has been primarily driven by the growth of core content rights fees in the media segment. This revenue was partially off-set by the loss of ticket and merchandise sales that resulted from the cancellation, postponement and relocation of its live events.

Revenue generated from live events plunged to $0.7 million.

However, the brand’s consumer products sales witnessed a revenue increase of 17 per cent on Q3 2019, taking it to $19.9 million in reflection of increased merchandise sales at the Company’s e-commerce site, WWE Shop, and higher video game and toy royalties. Increased sales via its e-commerce platform substantially off-set the absence of venue merchandise sales resulting from the absence of ticketed audience events in the quarter.

“Our third quarter financial performance was strong and reflected our ongoing creativity in a challenging environment,” said Vince McMahon, WWE chairman and CEO. “We continue to adapt our business, as demonstrated by the creation of WWE ThunderDome, focusing on increasing audience interaction and engagement to support the value of our content globally.”

Kristina Salen, WWE chief financial officer, added: “In the quarter, we delivered revenue of $221.6 million and Adjusted OIBDA of $84.3 million based on increased rights fees for the Company’s flagship programming. With $638 million in cash and short-term investments at quarter-end, we believe WWE has substantial capital resources to manage challenges that may lie ahead and to deliver on key strategic initiatives.”

Net Income for the WWE business was $48.2 million, an increase from $5.8 million in the third quarter 2019, primarily reflecting stronger operating performance.

Super Mario, Cocomelon, Back to the Future: Here’s the long list of all DreamToys 2020 picks for this Christmas

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This year’s long list of DreamToys – the predicted best-selling toys and games for Christmas 2020 – is a mix of ‘those that have kept families entertained over lockdown’ and boundary pushing innovation destined ‘to impress under the Christmas tree.’

Alongside the DreamToys Top 12 Toys for Christmas, the committee has released a fuller, longer list of toys and games that it believes will be topping wish lists across the country this festive season, featuring familiar names like Barbie an Peppa Pig alongside new lines such as Fifi the Flossing Sloth and Squishmallows.

Family favourites Scrabble, UNO, and Cluedo also make an appearance in time for the season.

Gary Grant, chair of the DreamToys selection committee, said: “2020 has been a challenging year for all, but toys have entertained and educated many during lockdown.

“This year’s list represents a mixture of those toys which have kept families company during these difficult times, and innovation which will impress under the tree. We hope toys will continue to bring joy to all families over the festive period – as they have always done.”

There are seven categories this year, each designed to highlight the wildly different and varied types of play that children can take part in.

Dolled Up:

Barbie Colour Reveal Mermaid Doll Asst – Mattel – £19.99

Cocomelon Bedtime JJ Doll – Bandai – £24.99

FailFix Epic Colour ‘N’ Style Makeover Pack – Moose Toys – £29.99

Hatchimals Pixies Crystal Flyers Assortment – Spin Master – £34.99

Kindi Kids Shiver ‘n’ Shake Rainbow Kate – Moose Toys – £39.99

L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Remix 4-in-1 Plane Playset – MGA Entertainment – £89.99

L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Remix Fashion Doll Asst – MGA Entertainment – £39.99

Luvabella Mealtime Magic – Spin Master – £64.99

 

Crafty Kids:

Aquabeads Star Bead Studio – EPOCH Making Toys

Cool Maker Go Glam Nail Salon Stamper – Spin Master

DOTS Rainbow Jewellery Stand Set – LEGO

Friends Jungle Rescue Base – LEGO

Gemex Deluxe Creation Station – John Adams

Kidizoom Studio – VTech Electronics

Stuff A Loons Maker Station – Character Options

The Original Spirograph Design Set Boxed – Flair Leisure Products

 

Licensed to Thrill:

Fortnite Battle Bus – Jazwares

Harry Potter Hedwig – LEGO

Jurassic World Epic Roarin’ T-Rex – Mattel

Marvel Bend and Flex (Asst) – Hasbro

Peppa Pig Peppa’s Shopping Centre – Character Options

Pokémon Carry Case Playset – Character Options

Star Wars 501st Legion Clone Troopers Set – LEGO

Star Wars The Mandalorian – The Child “Baby Yoda” – Mattel

Super Mario Adventures With Mario Starter Course – LEGO

 

Animal Farm:

Fifi the Flossing Sloth – Zuru

Hey Duggee Voice Activated Smart Duggee – Golden Bear

Little Live Pets Gotta Go Flamingo – Character Options

Present Pets (Asst) – Spin Master

Rainbocorns Wild Heart Surprise – Zuru

Smashers Dino Ice Age Surprise Egg – Zuru

Squeakee The Interactive Balloon Dog – Character Options

Sylvanian Families Adventure Tree House – Epoch Making Toys

 

Lockdown Showdown:

Cluedo Liars Edition Board Game – Hasbro

Dobble – Asmodee

Monopoly For Sore Losers – Hasbro

NERF Ultra One Motorised Blaster – Hasbro

Pensilly – Character Options

Pop Up Pirate – TOMY UK

Scrabble – Mattel

Super Mario Blow Up Shaky Tower – Epoch Making Toys

UNO Showdown – Mattel

Windy Knickers Board Game – John Adams

 

Tiny Treats:

5 Surprise Mini Brands Mystery Capsule – Zuru

Bright Fairy Friends – Funrise Toys

Heroes of Goo Jit Zu – Character Options

L.O.L. Surprise! Remix Hair Flip Doll – MGA Entertainment

Rubik’s 3 x 3 Metallic Anniversary Cube – John Adams

Squishmallows 7.5” – Squad 4 Asst – Jazwares

 

Awesome Automobiles:

Back To The Future DeLorean – Playmobil

Barbie 3-in-1 DreamCamper – Mattel

Hot Wheels Sky Crash Tower Playset – Mattel

Laser Battle Hunters Vehicle – Character Options

Micro Machines World Super Van City – Jazwares

PAW Patrol Dino Rescue Deluxe Vehicle – Spin Master

PAW Patrol Dino Rescue Dino Patroller – Spin Master

Technic Fast & Furious Dom’s Dodge Charger Car – LEGO

Toot-Toot Drivers Twist & Race Tower – VTech Electronics

 

In a year which has also seen fewer holidays and more time at home, the importance of toys has come to the fore. A survey of 2,000 UK parents with young children (aged 10 or under), conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the Toy Retailers Association, has shown that this year has led to not only increased time playing with toys but also to parents growing closer with their children.

When asked if their children had played more with toys this year, 46 per cent of parents said that this had been the case and that it was a result of lockdown. 56 per cent of parents stated that they have spent more time playing with their children this year, and a striking 88 per cent of those said that the increased playtime had resulted in them growing closer to their children.

As Christmas approaches, toys seemingly remain at the forefront of children’s minds with 86 per cent of parents saying that their children either already have requested or are expected to ask for toys this Christmas. 82 per cent of parents said that they planned on buying toys this Christmas for their children, demonstrating that they remain the go-to gift for children across the country.