Take the wheel W
ith the surge in popularity of flying toys, and continuing interest in core RC products, the value of the Radio Control sector has held firm, and 2014 has had
an encouraging start with NPD statistics showing the category up 11% in value year-to-date. It’s fair to say that the sector has experienced its ups and downs with the last three years;, which have seen major developments in the technology used in the category’s products, a flood of generic products available, and the collapse of the retailer ModelZone which was felt by many suppliers. But this year’s results already indicate that it could experience a resurgence in 2014. Bladez Toyz’ Iain Morgan explained: “With the
surge of generic products hitting the market last year, retailers reacted to the glut of products available by cherry picking and focusing on items they knew would be successful. This had the knock-on effect of making suppliers isolate what was working and what was not. For us, 2013 was a year of refining our ranges, and I suspect this is true for many other companies. We spent the year in product development, making sure that we have something new to offer our customers in 2014. Bladez is working to clearly distinguish its offering from that of the competition with two distinct product categories: Super Jumbo and Super Nano.” Jonathan Palmer of Flying Gadgets added: “Like other companies, 2013 was a year in which we took stock and looked seriously at our offering. But we haven’t cut back on our lines, in fact we’re expanding them. We’re aiming at a 30% increase in our product offering across 2014, and the only area we’ve actually cut back on is stocking specific coloured versions of our items. We previously provided five colours, now we offer a choice of three.” Tobar’s Chris Dixon is also positive, and he said:
“The R/C market is expanding rapidly this year with technology advancing at a fast rate and remote control toys becoming far more realistic in terms of looks and behaviour. Customers are always looking for the most up-to-date version of licensed and aspirational cars, a niche that Tobar understands and fulfils. We currently
offer a huge variety of RC products, with a mix of cars and helicopters at attractive price points. For example, the detailed RC 1:24 scale Red Bull RB9 has a £25 RRP, whilst the high-speed Extreme Beast retails at £50.” Chris added that Tobar has extended its Syma range to include an array of RC helicopters. One of the new entry-level helicopters is the Syma S5 which is simple to fly and retails at £20. He added: “For those looking for something a little different, the transforming Twist and Shoot robot car adds a novel twist to our RC range and is proving to be extremely popular.” Looking at his company’s upcoming launches, Iain
Morgan explained that Bladez’ Super Nano series includes “probably the world’s smallest helicopter, boat and quadcopter, which fit inside their handsets. Also available will be a nano version of a 1962 VW Camper Van that fits into its handset which resembles the front of a Camper Van. Giant Inflatable RC, the sub-category we created with the inflatable R2-D2, has plenty more licences on board from Disney, Universal, Google, and further upcoming extensions to the Star Wars range.” Jonathan Palmer observed that he felt the category is becoming more popular with larger retailers and that he’s noticed two major trends developing: consumers seem to be making more impulse purchases, and the products themselves are becoming more interactive. Jonathan said: “Our Battle Tanks set, containing 1:30 scale tanks in a twin pack, is a prime example of us responding to the increased interactivity trend. The tanks feature multiple realistic visual and sound effects including a flashing gun, 360-degree turning turret, authentic sound effects, LED headlights and caterpillar tank tracks for any terrain. There are two tanks supplied in the box so two children can play together. Playing with RC products is no longer a solitary pursuit, and manufacturers answered the demand for interactivity. We’ve also invested in refining our products, such as the Scorpion quadcopter that has been fitted with a plastic cage around it to increase its resilience. Our demonstrators have played football with it, crashed it into walls, and is still able to do all of its flips and stunts.”
On to Die Cast Like Remote Control, Die Cast has also experienced a good start to the year, up 6% year-to-date at the
actionvehicles
Die Cast and Radio Control have both started 2014 in good form registering growth in the first two months of the year. Tom Roberts reports.
end of February according to NPD. It’s continuing popularity is down to the fact that vehicle play is a core play pattern for kids while also offering collectability. It can be a key driver for retailers getting boys in the store to check out the latest ranges and build on their collections.
Looking at the category, Mattel UK’s Wendy Hill
said: “The market is buoyant at the moment with Hot Wheels, Disney Planes and Cars all performing very strongly for Mattel, as all three brands currently sit in the top three Vehicles Super and Mini Vehicles categories. The category remains competitive and is very pocket money driven ,which complements our range of lower price point items including die-cast cars, planes and blind bags. We are making it simpler for consumers to identify the vehicle that they want to collect by grouping our vehicles into clear categories. Hot Wheels vehicles are now grouped into four worlds: City, Race, Off-Road and Workshop. Matchbox is now grouped into five worlds: Adventure City, Construction, Explorers and Heroic Rescue vehicles along with SkyBusters planes and helicopters. This makes it much easier for mums and kids when shopping for die-cast vehicles.” Tobar has enjoyed success with die cast versions of
the Red Bull RB9 which excelled in the F1 season last year. Chris Dixon added: “These sales are forecast to increase significantly due to great products which will be launching this year, including scale models of the Bentley Continental Racer, McLaren P1 and Red Bull Polo. Also, with the Need For Speed film hitting cinema screens, die cast sports car sales have rocketed. At this time of year everyone is getting excited about the new Formula 1 season. This boosts the sales of die cast models which replicate famous race teams such as Red Bull. Another interesting trend crops up as motoring shows like Top Gear showcase new and sporty cars, causing sales of the die cast equivalents to shoot up.” Wendy Hill unveiled details of the marketing
support Hot Wheels is to receive in the year ahead: “There are two major marketing initiatives planned, one of which is the Catch the Gold Car promotion, where boys can purchase ten Hot Wheels die-cast cars to claim their free limited edition gold car. The second is the adrenaline- fuelled Race to Connect campaign, allowing kids to design, create and customise their very own track challenges. Disney Planes has a great new line of play sets and assortments, enabling kids to recreate popular scenes from the film and supporting the launch of the Planes 2 movie on the 8th August. Disney Pixar’s Cars will see the launch of the Neon range in addition to a range of playsets and assortments released throughout the year.” Over the following pages you’ll be able to see and read about some of the products available in these two categories.
Flying Gadgets Toyworld 103
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