The Good Toy Guide teams up with ToyNewsfor the launch of its new website. ToyNewsbecomes the official trade media partner for the site, which aims to highlight different types of play and products, providing in-depth insight into the links between play and healthy child development. Other partners include The Entertainer and Toy Shop UK.
VTech reveals it is to return to the showfloor at Toy Fair 2013.
Groupe Ludendo’s acquisition of Hamleys is officially confirmed, with the London toy retailer being snapped up for what is thought to be around £60 million.
Autumn Fair reports a 28 per cent increase in attendance from big budget retailers. Over 30,000
visitors from 78 countries headed to the show in 2012.
OCTOBER
NPD data shows that Mind Candy’s Moshi Monsters is the number one property overall in the toy market for the fifth month running.
Hasbro teams with Rovio Entertainment and Lucas Licensing to launch a new range of Angry Birds Star Wars toys.
Busy Golden Bear signs master toy deals for pre- school shows In The Night Gardenand Woolly and Tig, while it will also create a range of older boys’ toys based on Dennis the Menace from The Beanocomic book.
Re:creation looks to take on Nerf’s market dominance with the launch of Air Storm, a new line of crossbows, slingshots and bow and arrow toys from US toy firm Zing Toys. These will arrive in spring 2013.
Character Options is named the master toy partner for Looney Tunes in a new three-year
deal with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.
Little Tikes’ European manager Gerry Tekerian is to retire having worked with the brand for over 15 years.
Argos reveals it will close or relocate at least 75 stores as part of a plan to reinvent itself as a ‘digitally-led business’. The move will also see the catalogue refocused “to support a digital offer”.
Brand Licensing Europe smashes all records, as 6,875 execs visit the three- day show at London’s Olympia – 1,265 more than in 2011. Combined visitor and exhibitor attendance reached 9,108.
The winners of the Slow Toy Movement are revealed at a special event at London’s Selfridges…
…while the following day,
the Toy Retailers Association names the 2012 Dream Toys listing.
NOVEMBER
Disney’s chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger (left) agrees to acquire Star Wars creator Lucasfilm from George Lucas (right)
Disney makes a surprise announcement to acquire Lucasfilm for $4 billion. The surprise didn’t end there, however, with Disney confirming the launch of new movie sequel Star Wars VII in 2015 “with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future”. Disney will acquire the Star Wars IP, Lucasfilm’s operating live film businesses, consumer products divisions, animation and FX studios and audio post production facilities.
Toys R Us’ 79 UK stores report a pre-tax loss of £2.6 million in its latest set of accounts. The loss – in the year to January 28th 2012 – was reported on a turnover of £476 million, down from a profit of £9.9 million the previous year.
LEGO teases its hotly tipped 2013 toy property, Legends of Chima,
with a website going live and the first posters revealed.
LeapFrog raises its net sales expectations for 2012 by between $80 million and $95 million, following strong results from Q3. The LeapPad2 manufacturer now expects full year net sales to be between $535 million and $550 million in 2012, a rise of around 20 per cent compared to 2011.