Hawkin’s Bazaar becomes the first retail casualty of the year, with parent company Tobar Group blaming exceptionally challenging trading conditions for the collapse.
Mookie Toys acquires TP Activity Toys for an undisclosed sum. TP Toys had fallen into administration in December 2011 due to increasing overheads and an inability to carry out refinancing.
FEBRUARY
Mattel completes the acquisition of Hit Entertainment from a consortium of funds led by Apax Partners for $680 million in cash. The new brands fall under the direction of Fisher-Price executive VP David Allmark.
Mothercare appoints Simon Calver as its new chief executive officer, who joins from Lovefilm International.
The Superbrands 2012 list names LEGO as the 31st most powerful consumer brand operating in the UK. Hornby is the highest-flying British company, with three of its brands – Hornby, Scalextric and Airfix – present in the top 500. Fisher-Price, Disney, Monopoly,
Crayola, Barbie, Play-Doh and MB Games are also listed.
Mothercare confirms it is to close 111 stores – 36 Mothercare and 75 Early Learning Centres – over the next three years to March 2015. The news follows a total UK sales drop of 6.3 per cent for the full year 2011. The group will be left with a ‘profitable core’ of 200 stores, with 105 on the High Street and 95 in out-of-town retail parks and shopping centres.
Chairman of Golden Bear, John Hales (pictured, above), celebrates
victory for his horse Neptune Collonges at the Grand National.
Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo becomes the longest ever number one in Nintendo DS chart history. The Mind Candy title – distributed by Activision in the UK – topped the listing for a record breaking 15 consecutive weeks, since November 2011.
Julian Boyers reveals he is to step down as MD at Bandai UK, having been at the company for over 24 years. Following Boyers’ departure, Tatsuya Moromugi joins the UK arm of the company as president.
Flair’s Andrew Brown (pictured, above) breaks the world record for the fastest ever solo crossing of the Atlantic, raising money for the Toy Trust and Help a Capital Child.
Surprise acquisitions, top level exec changes, retail casualties and the London 2012 effect, the continued dominance of LEGO and Moshi Monsters in-store – not to mention some eye-watering charity challenges… the toy business has certainly packed a lot into 2012. Samantha Loveday takes a look back at the year
MARCH
Wow Stuff secures investment of £4.8 million from the Business Growth Fund, with the firm planning to use the money to triple its in- house product development over the next 36 months. The aim is to take
its sales past the £100 million mark.
Mega Brands reveals a multi-year global licensing deal to produce Mega Bloks construction sets based on Mattel’s Barbie and Hot Wheels brands.