NEWS 5 SECOND FACTS A round up of the latest big numbers, stats and tidbits from the toy business
The year that the first six Monopoly board game tokens were introduced
1935
The number of finalists in the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards 2012
10
The year new LEGO UK and Ireland general manager, Fiona Wright, joined the company
2000
Respondents to our 2012 Retail Survey who would like to work for ToyNews
5%
Increase in total kids TVRs from MGA in 2012, according to Generation Media
69.7%
‘Great brands will continue to make comebacks’ say execs
“If there’s a gap in the market that can be filled by updated existing IP, it will happen,” says Nickelodeon by Dominic Sacco
LICENSING EXPERTS believe Turtles, Furby and Cabbage Patch Kids are just the start of what could be a huge resurgence in retro toys. Long-running brands like the above enjoyed a comeback last year with new products hitting shelves, and other established properties could follow suit in the coming years.
“Nostalgia and tradition might be a part of [why older brands are returning nowadays] but I think these things can be rather cyclical,” Nickelodeon’s VP of consumer products for the UK and Australia Mark Kingston told ToyNews. “I think that great brands will continue to make a comeback. If there is a gap
Nic Aldridge, Mark Kingston and Rob Corney (from left to right) agree retro brands like Turtles will continue to be successful
Kids are wowed by the same principles that enthused them 50 years ago. Rob Corney, Billdog
in the market that can be filled by updated existing IP then it is going to happen. Classic brands are successful due to new creative interpretations that make them relevant to today's generation.
“The popularity of Turtles is testament relatable, dynamic characters and
exciting storylines for kids today making it a truly timeless property.” Rob Corney, MD of Bulldog Licensing, which handles properties such as Sindy, added: “Retro brand resurgence has been a core facet of licensing for as long as I can remember. Although technology has
moved on and the method of consumption of entertainment has changed, kids are still wowed by the same principals that enthused them 50 years ago.” Flair, which is responsible for the Turtles figure range in the UK, has the rights to several classic brands
including Plasticine, Slinky and Tom & Jerry.
Marketing director Nic Aldridge said: “This is much more than a passing trend and we will continue to see retro as a recurring theme in years to come, as products are innovated and redeveloped to meet the demands of today’s market.”
Top R/C toy seeks more stockists
Micro Drone expected to sell 150,000 units over the next 12 months by Dominic Sacco
EXTREME FLIERS, the company behind the Micro Drone remote control copter, is looking for more firms to help distribute it. It has reported a massive response from the trade and expects to sell more than 150,000 units over the next year, reaching revenues of £5 million.
12 February
Extreme Fliers MD Vernon Kerswell told ToyNews: “We are looking for more stockists and distributors; the response from customers and sales in the last three months has been phenomenal. “We have an incredibly busy month ahead and will be in Hong Kong,
Nuremberg and New York to meet partners.
“We will also be holding viewings of prototypes of Micro Drone 2.0.”
Micro Drone launched at Autumn Fair last year. “In the four years since Extreme Fliers launched, we have become a global R/C toy brand with distribution in 13