UK market ‘ripe’ for new pre-school brand NPD data shows sales of licensed toys for younger kids have fallen to a four-year low
by Dominic Sacco
THE UK toy industry is ripe for a fresh pre-school licence, says retail sales tracker NPD.
Data shows that strong licences are beginning to slow, while newer brands like Mike the Knight “haven’t had time to take off yet”, and fewer licensed toys for younger kids have launched recently.
NPD data shows that sales of licensed toys for children up to three years old have fallen to a four-year low. Sales of those toys reached £45 million in the first half of 2012, compared to £69 million in H1 2008, £51 million in both H1 2009 and H1 2010, and £58 million in H1 2011. NPD European analyst Frederique
Tutt said: “Given the cyclic nature of the UK pre-school business, I think the market is ripe for something else
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0 69m
Sales of licensed toys for kids 0-3 UK First Half 2008 to 2012
58m 51m 51m 45m 1973
The year the Argos catalogue was first launched
6,875 2008 2009
to take over. I’d say we have the same phenomenon in the rest of Europe, since licences tend to be more and more global. “The UK has the particularity however to be the birth country for many pre-school licences.”
2010 source: NPD EuroToys Consumer Panel Service
The UK toy market is flat YOY (January-September 12th, 2012). The European market is down one per cent. “Toys are proving their resilience,” added Tutt. “The industry is not crumbling or falling to pessimism.” NPD: 01932 355 580
Golden Bear eyes further growth in 2013 by Samantha Loveday
GOLDEN BEAR is ending 2012 on a high, with the year having seen it move into new areas, growing in both turnover and the breadth of its portfolio. The firm’s TV budget has been the biggest in its history.
The launch of Go Mini was the catalyst for the creation of GB Toys, which has also just welcomed Dennis the Menace. However, the firm also remains committed to the pre-school category, as its recent appointment as master toy for In The Night Garden underlines. The limited release of its
Something Special range in Tesco has also been strong, boding well for the full roll out in Q3 2013. “The year has definitely been a success, but probably for different reasons than we would have anticipated at the beginning of the
year,” Christine Nicholls, marketing and product development director, told ToyNews. “Whether it’s the most successful ever is hard to say, but Barry Hughes [commercial director] and licensing specialist Alison Pilgrim have been
instrumental in taking the company to new pastures and this promises success for the future. “ITNG and Dennis represent the two very different sides of the business. Our designers are keen to impress with the diversification the company has shown and this will definitely mean the addition of older lines.” Golden Bear: 01952 608308
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Different LEGO toys being given away with The Sun’s latest promotion
7
Percentage the licensed toy market in the UK is up year on year overall
1
Percentage the licensed toy market in the UK would have dropped year on year without Moshi Monsters
97
Percentage of parents who have bought toys online, according to Dubit research (see page 16)
£269
Starting price for Apple’s new iPad Mini
2011 2012
Number of visitors to this year’s Brand Licensing Europe
5
SECOND FACTS
A round up of the latest big numbers, stats and tidbits from the toy business