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www.toyworldmag.co.uk Tobar launches UK trade website
Tobar’s new website,
www.tobar.co.uk, launched at the end of February to its UK trade customers with a simple, efficient and sleek layout. The new website features a quick shop feature and generates a list of recommended products to suit customers’ target markets. Tobar now offers the choice to pay in Euros online to encourage its export customers to make the most of the company’s web offerings. Tobar is also rolling out a Tobar France site to benefit its growing French market. Most notably, the new website offers a platform which allows Tobar’s dedicated customer service team to assist its customers more efficiently. Chris Dixon, sales and marketing executive, commented: “The website fits
with the Tobar brand going forward, providing consistency and confidence in a high quality toy and gift wholesaler. It’s a tool that allows us to keep up with our customers’ needs to shop via digital channels. Technology is evolving quickly and we must adapt to the new methods our customers are using to best serve their bulk buying needs.”
Interplay appointed as exclusive GoldieBlox UK distributor
Interplay will launch the GoldieBlox toy collection in July, with the first three kits in the series. Each kit combines a construction set with a storybook adventure, encouraging children to help Goldie build machines to resolve the problems she encounters. GoldieBlox has enjoyed
success in the US since its launch, with sales of over 280,000 units in 2013 and wide media acclaim. Debbie Sterling, a female engineer from Stanford University, founded the company to inspire the next generation of female engineers with toys such as GoldieBlox kits directed at children aged four years plus. Gemma Porter, marketing manager, Interplay UK, said: “We’re delighted to be appointed as the exclusive UK distributor for this new collection. The entire Interplay team loved the GoldieBlox concept as soon as we saw it and felt it fitted perfectly with our portfolio. We are looking to emulate the success that the US has achieved and bring GoldieBlox to a brand new generation of female engineers in the UK.”
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PMS succeeds in getting Kiddee Case ruling overturned
PMS International has succeeded in its recent appeal against a High Court judgement that banned sales of its range of Kiddee Cases, which the company admits was specifically designed to compete against Trunki products. PMS won the unanimous support of three Court of Appeal Judges. Lord
Justice Moses, Lady Justice Black and Lord Justice Kitchin said “various errors” had been made by High Court judge, Mr Justice Arnold, who wrongly found in July of last year that PMS’s Kiddee Case infringed the European Community Registered Design (CRD) of the Trunki. Mr Paul Beverley, managing director of PMS International, said the decision
was “a victory for common sense that underscores the consumer’s right to have a choice. During these tough economic times, consumers need to have access to competitively priced product.” The Court of Appeal judgment confirmed that the Kiddee Cases do not
infringe Magmatic managing director, Robert Law’s Europe-wide Design Registration for Trunki, because in legal terms they create a very different overall impression on consumers. PMS has instructed its lawyers to pursue a damages claim against Magmatic
over its injunction, and claims made by Magmatic against PMS and its customers. Magmatic has said it will appeal the High Court judgement to the Supreme
Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union on the belief it makes small businesses vulnerable and could expose their ideas to manufacturers seeking to copy products.
Midco Toys to stock exclusive Turtles figures
Midco Toys has partnered with Flair to exclusively release a special series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4” scale Classic Collection action figures in the UK. The range will include Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo along with Splinter and Shredder. Each figure is based on the original 1988 release, using the original Playmates moulds. Launch activity will include a Twitter campaign and a Pizza Party, with more details to follow. In anticipation of the release in June, Midco Toys will take pre-orders for the figures. David Middleton, managing director, said: “Turtles have been our bestselling action figure line over the past two years, and we are expecting fans to get very excited about these exclusive figures.” Anne-Marie Noon, marketing manager at Flair, added: “Midco Toys is the
perfect partner for us to bring these classic action figures to the legions of Turtles fans in the UK. As a specialist retailer, the team at Midco knows what its customers want and aims to deliver both on the sales and retailer experience sides. It has been 26 years since the original release of this classic series and we expect them to be in huge demand.” The Classic Collection will form the centrepiece in a range of TMNT
products, including action figures, playsets, role-play, creative and electronic toys.
12 Toyworld
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