Better weather in 2013 please...
O
utdoor Toys is a stalwart category that seems to be guaranteed to hold itself steady because parents always want their kids to play outside. But of course, forcing kids outside into torrential rain would
be a hard task to ask of any parent. 2012 was a very wet year, and there’s no denying that it made its impact on the Outdoor Toys category; the general feeling from the trade is that the weather was almost wholly responsible for the 6% decrease in the category’s value (NPD statistics show that the category was worth about £325m in 2012, down from around £345m in 2011). The fact is that the UK experienced months of
rain from April right through to August which lead to decreases in purchases. NPD figures indicate that March, when there were a couple of sunny weeks, was the strongest month for the Outdoor Toys category. Mike Barratt, UK sales manager of Street Surfing, put it succinctly, saying that “outdoor toys need outdoor weather, and 2013 hasn’t been the best of starts on that front”. Inside the main category there were a few sub-
categories where notable increases were seen. Non- pedal ride-ons and pools saw slight increases on 2011’s figures, but Skates, Skateboards and Scooters experienced an impressive 15% increase. Phil Ratcliffe, sales and marketing manager of MV Sports, agreed that the Skates, Skateboards and Scooter category is one “which has seen rapid growth through 2012, with stunt scooters in particular performing very strongly; that’s where the action is”. Unfortunately, other sub-categories within the
overall Outdoor and Sports Toys category did not fare so well, with Winter Sports Toys experiencing a big slump down 27% on last year, Bubble Toys also saw a large drop of 21%. Ride-ons in general witnessed a drop too with Tricycles and Pedal ride- ons dipping by 14%, and Battery-operated ride-ons and accessories dipping by 12%; Non-pedal Ride- ons saw the only rise in this sub-category of 3% up on 2011. Sports Activities and Games experienced a 10% decrease, again most likely affected by the weather. Water and Sand Toys dropped by 15%, with Water Guns suffering a drop of 17% on 2011’s figures. However, in terms of value shifts within the Outdoor and Sports Toys category, the areas that experienced drops, for the most part, are weather dependent, and
2013 will hopefully see these areas undergo a welcome lift.
Tempered optimism Speaking to key players in the Outdoor Toys market, it’s obvious that they did suffer from a lack of Summer weather and other challenges in 2012, but are all very optimistic about the category’s potential. However, Phil Ratcliffe reinforced his view that optimism must always be tempered with one eye on the challenges at hand. He said: “MV showed positive growth last year, but there are many challenges facing the category at the moment, such as retail price competition, grey imports and, of course, our Summer weather.” Phil did point out that despite the above, he felt MV was “performing ahead of the sector” due to the company’s roster of classic licences, such as Thomas, Fireman Sam and Peppa Pig, continuing to provide “dependability in a market where new licences are finding it increasingly difficult to break through.”
Looking at the new licences which could buck that trend in 2013, Phil said that it had to be “Skylanders for boys, One Direction for girls, and Tree Fu Tom for pre-schoolers. We also had a phenomenal response to Stunted Scooters topped off with our announcement of TV support for the brand.” Richard Smyth, sales director of Traditional
Garden Games, remains optimistic about the part of the Outdoor Toys category his company operates within. He said: “We are very upbeat about the opportunities that exist in the Outdoor market. We feel that continued interest in outdoor play will encourage retailers to expand their ranges further, and we firmly believe that the new-found buoyancy of our sector will continue for many years to come.”
MG Entertainment’s Little Tikes provides a wide
range of outdoor toys, and Andrew Laughton, managing director of MGA Entertainment, is also staying positive. He said: “We all know that we have come out of the wettest year in memory and that Outdoor Toys were down. I’m unable to predict the weather, but I hope that we see some sunshine so that kids can enjoy playing outside.” Andrew added: “Little Tikes is perfectly placed to support the trade, and not only has a wide range of outdoor toys, but with manufacturing in Europe is able to react to the changes in weather and resulting demand.” Martin Grossman, managing director of H.
Grossman, commented that he thought the Outdoor category was “performing really well at the moment.
Toyworld 35
Outdoortoys
The Outdoor Toys category is one of the few where the weather can make a big impact, and 2012 was chock full of bad weather. Toy World takes a look at the category, and speaks to some key players in the sector to find out what 2013 holds and what options the category presents (weather permitting). Tom Roberts reports...
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