Follow us on @toynewsonline CONTENTS
Regulars 06 News 16 Campaign of the Month 16 Playtime 19 NPD Analysis 22 Industry Movers 24 Industry Opinion 27 Exclusive Dubit Research 28 Toy Shop UK 96 Toy Talk 98 Jon Salisbury
Issue: 144 October 2013
MEET THE TEAM
Samantha Loveday Editor
Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk
Billy Langsworthy Deputy Editor
Billy.Langsworthy@
intentmedia.co.uk
Robert Hutchins Staff Writer
Robert.Hutchins@
intentmedia.co.uk
Jodie Holdway Sales Manager
Jodie.Holdway@intentmedia.co.uk
Abigail Fanger Senior Production Manager
Abigail.Fanger@intentmedia.co.uk
Lisa Carter Publisher
Lisa.Carter@
intentmedia.co.uk
Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647
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Features 14 Analysis: Halloween 31 Kids Media Special 39 Supplier Profile: Intelex 40 Anatomy of a Blockbuster Toy: Aquadoodle 43 Good Toy Guide
Licensing.biz 45 News 50 The Big Interview: Rubie’s & Warner 53 The Licensing Twitter List
Pre-School (sponsored by VTech Baby) 59 News 60 A Parent Blogger’s View 62 ToyNews Parent Network
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Retail 65 News 66 Counter Insurgent 68 Retail Advisory Board 70 The Big Interview: Toy Town 72 Recommended 74 Indie Profile: The Cambridge Toy Shop 76 Mystery Shopper: Bristol 79 Sector Guide: Wooden Toys 89 Sector Guide: Tech Toys
WELCOME
Let’s talk about sex COMMENT
I HAVE to admit that when I first heard about the Let Toys Be Toys gender labelling campaign, I thought it was a bit of a mountain being made out of a molehill. I don’t remember being unduly influenced by signage when I was a child - yes, I had dolls and My Little Pony, but I also had Transformers and a rather impressive collection of die-cast vehicles. Toys are toys, right? However, I was blown away by the
Let Toys Be Toys has managed to convince people like me that this is an issue and it does deserve to be taken seriously and opened up to debate.
reaction that the story we ran on ToyNews Online last month about TRU dropping its ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ labelling in-store had among our readers. At time of writing, the piece had 6,894 shares across Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Google+. Those kind of numbers can’t be ignored. Further underlining the fact it is no longer just a small campaign group on the fringes, and is now a mainstream issue, the news was picked up by a raft of national media, too.
It’s been the big break that Let
Toys Be Toys has been waiting for and will undoubtedly act as a catalyst for change. And good on them, I say. Through their tireless campaigning, LTBT has managed to convince people like me that, while it might be easy to shrug your shoulders and say ‘what’s the big deal?’, it does deserve to be taken seriously and should be opened up to debate. Not everyone will agree, of course. And that’s fine, too. The important thing is that it’s now on the agenda – it will make other retailers, and maybe some suppliers, think again. Which was always Let Toys Be Toys’ ultimate aim.
Samantha Loveday ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are: RETAIL AD ADVISORY BOAR ARD
Stuart Grant, The Entertainer
Fiona Murray-Young, Toys R Us
www.toynews-online.biz
Andrea Abbis, Argos
Brian Simpson, Toytown
Tom Folliot, Sainsbury’s
Marc Dean, Morrisons
Annalise Quest, Harrods
Steph Strike, Asda
Ian Edmunds, Toymaster
Ben Redhead, Firebox
Steven Bradley, Boots
Helen Gourley, Toy Hub
Miles Penhallow, Play-Room
October 05
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