INDUSTRY FORUM
stock are reporting good performance on this app- based toy.
Thomas Randrup:We have had several. Our range of British Icons model kits have done very well, including London Bus, London Taxi and the original Mini Cooper for obvious reasons, as have our various Titanic kits plus our key licensed products such as Star Wars EasyKits, Formula 1 model kits and our X-ray model range. We are also seeing significant growth in our Revell Control range of RC product.
Nick Austin: Moshi Monsters, Crayola, The Hobbit, One Direction and Animagic.
Which current trend is having the most impact on your business? Gary Hunter: Despite the recession, Christmas gifting is still so important for families, but there is definitely a trend towards parents buying differently. It seems there is the
propensity to buy a higher ticket item along with sub £10 stocking fillers which reduces their need for £20- £30 secondary items. So this is something we
have had to react to by making sure we have products at the right price points.
Sue Barratt: There is no doubt that the shift from traditional High Street retailers to online retailing and consumer purchasing is the single biggest influence on our sales and distribution. Online growth is huge for us and we are investing in improved digital content to embed Meccano in the minds of our target consumers. We’ve recently launched our first iPhone App, as well as a YouTube movie and our Facebook page now has over 10,000 ‘likes’. Watch this space as more digital content is revealed in 2013.
Gray Richmond: The growth of online without a doubt. We’ve seen Amazon continue to dominate this
60 February
(Left to right): Thomas Randrup, Country Manager, Revell UK & Ireland; Sue Barratt, Country Manager, Meccano UK; Nick Austin, Chairmen, Vivid; Dominic Geddes, VP and Country Manager, Mattel UK, Ireland & Nordics
space but have also witnessed other websites achieve great results, particularly for our adult puzzle business.
Darrell Jones: I think the recession has had a big impact on toy sales. If you go back a few years, toys were an everyday purchase. Toys are now a luxury item and if it's a choice between feeding your family or buying a toy I know what I'd do.
Thomas Randrup: We have certainly seen a significant increase in online business over the last 18 months, but traditional retail sales have also been buoyant. Perhaps there is a correlation between the ‘recession’ and the return, by consumers, to more traditional toys, which makes up the core of our range.
Nick Austin: The growth of online entertainment brands such as Moshi Monsters.
What was your highlight of 2012?
Dominic Geddes: Thomas. With the great acquisition of HIT at the beginning of the year, this represented a great platform for growth for us and we are very excited about the opportunities for 2013.
Sue Barratt: In October we held a new product launch event for press and our licensing and retail
partners to launch Gears of War, Sonic the Hedgehog
and Rabbids at Namco Funscape. It was a fantastic evening, despite the heavens opening. This was good old PR at its best, with the opportunity to meet face- to-face with our target consumer and trade media in a venue that pressed all the right buttons with our target audience. The buzz we got – particularly the gaming and online media –
industry at present? Gary Hunter: One of our biggest challenges is kids getting older younger; keeping kids in the toy market for longer is becoming increasingly difficult. We need to respond with
toys that tap into what kids are engaging with e.g. video games, apps, movies, etc. Our Battroborg battling robots coming in 2013
One of our biggest challenges is kids getting older younger; keeping them in the toy market is becoming increasingly difficult. Gary Hunter, Tomy
was fantastic and we have made really strong relationships (and achieved great coverage) with what for us was a totally new media segment.
Darrell Jones: The return of Power Rangers. Having worked on the Power Rangers brand for 20 years (now I'm feeling old) I'm so pleased that a new generation of fans are discovering this great property.
Nick Austin: Moshi
Monsters being the number one toy brand since Easter. We also delivered a £100,000 cheque to Great Ormond Street Hospital from our Goshi Moshi Collector Tin promotion.
What are the biggest challenges facing the toy
certainly does that so we think we are onto a winner with this toy.
Sue Barratt: Two words - the economy. The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement pointed to an even more protracted period of austerity, which is really bad news for everyone. Given the battering the High Street has received over the last four years, this really wasn’t what anyone wanted to hear. Rightly, consumers are expecting even more for their hard earned money, in terms of value and quality, and discounting is here to stay. As manufacturers we have to develop ranges with this in mind, whilst being acutely aware of rising costs of materials and labour. Quite simply, it’s
probably going to get worse before it gets better.
Dominic Geddes: One of the key challenges is keeping pace with the changing demands of how the consumer wants to shop.
Gray Richmond: There has been a shift in consumer purchasing trends in recent times, which has seen people leaving it later and later before buying products for Christmas. Obviously this affects our ability to gauge demand and production management. Trying to find the balance between finishing the year with too much stock and ensuring we have enough to make the most of every opportunity can certainly be a challenge.
Darrell Jones: The ever increasing price rises, toys (like everything else) are becoming more and more expensive – there's no such thing as cheap toys now.
Thomas Randrup: Rising manufacturing and raw material costs particularly out of the Far East.
Nick Austin: Ongoing decline in the size on the toy market. This will be the third year in a row in the UK and US of either flat or negative growth. We need to keep re-inventing ourselves and bringing fresh creativity to the consumer as we are losing business to other industries such as mobile phones, tablets, apps, etc.
www.toynews-online.biz
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