Follow us on @toynewsonline 5 SECOND FACTS A round up of the latest big numbers, stats and tidbits from the toy business
Percentage of boys aged six to 11 years old that will see the Meccano Gears of WarTV ad seven times in the pre-Christmas period
60%
Loss made by Toys R Us UK during financial year to January 28th, 2012
£2.6m
The number of companies signed up to exhibit in The Greenhouse area of Toy Fair 2013
40
Mothercare’s international sales rose by this amount during the 28 weeks ending October 13th; UK sales dipped 8.6 per cent
10.8%
LEGO: Chima will be the must-have 2013 boys toy
Sales of new property are set to grow 30 per cent more than Ninjago did in 2012
by Dominic Sacco LEGO SAYS its new entertainment franchise Legends of Chima will be a hit with boys – just like the Ninjago brand is. The fresh toy range
arrives in the UK from January 1st, 2013, and products will be priced from £5 to £70. “We believe Chima will be the must-have toy for boys next year,” LEGO senior brand manager Sally-Ann Weekes (pictured, below) told ToyNews. “Legends of Chima is more than just a new play theme; it’s a complete LEGO entertainment franchise. Following in the footsteps of Ninjago, Chima is the big bang for us in 2013. “Continuing to
develop our own IPs is a key part of our evolution. Each year LEGO boys want something new and Legends of Chima will provide this, whilst at the same time introducing new boys to our portfolio.” And despite the toy giant
expecting Chima sales to grow 30 per cent more in 2013 than Ninjago did in 2012, LEGO says there’s still plenty of life in its top-selling Ninjago property, which launched in early 2011. “Each year the big bang
drives a lot of growth within the LEGO portfolio and Chima is no exception.
The forecast for growth is 30 per cent versus Ninjago this year,” added Weekes. “The Ninjago brand still
remains one of the most successful and popular IPs to date for us. With a new story line and products for next year, we fully expect its success to continue next year.”
The Chima line will include construction play- sets, social game
Speedorz, six Hero Factory- style Buildable Figures, and board games, with the latter two arriving in August. There will also be further Speedorz launches throughout 2013. To support the Chima launch, LEGO will be hosting a nine-month UK road show known as the Chima Challenge. These events will include Chima Speedorz contests with
national league tables, pop up cinemas screening live episodes of Legends of Chima, as well as the chance for kids to meet Chima characters Laval and Cragger in person. Chima’s play theme
follows a conflict between six tribes – three good (Lions, Eagles and Gorillas) and three bad (Crocodiles, Ravens and Wolves). LEGO: 01753 495000
THE GOOD Toy Guide will be showcasing the products from its website at next year’s Toy Fair. The event will mark the official launch of the play advice site, which has been live since mid September. Companies which have their products displayed on the toy evaluation site will be invited to celebrate the launch at a champagne reception. This will take place at noon on the first day of Toy Fair 2013 (Tuesday, January 22nd). They’ll also have the chance to meet the bear that will become the face of the Good Toy Guide for 2013. “The launch is a real opportunity to celebrate the best of what the toy industry has to offer,” explained Dr Amanda Gummer, founder of Good Toy Guide. “With a busy PR schedule surrounding the launch, it makes sense for firms wanting to be involved to get in as soon as possible, so they can benefit from all the media activity we have planned.” For details of the toy submission process, visit www.goodtoyguide.com/ submit-a-toy. The Good Toy Guide: 01438 831204
December/January 09 Billions of LEGO 4
Minifigures that have been produced in the past 30 years