artandcraft
“The category’s core principles and traditional play patterns are fundamental to its success, but real growth tends to come from innovative twists on the traditional.”
really make this a very interesting and exciting proposition for retailers to consider this year. Reaction to the TrenDiy Art range, where girls can create their own jewellery, has also been very encouraging. We have previewed the range to the girls press and they have received it extremely well, commenting that their readers love to be their own fashion designers.” Retailers are equally enthusiastic about
prospects for the sector: Ian Moore, director and toy buyer at Howleys Toymaster, commented that Art and Craft is one of his “favourites”. He said: “We have some fantastic ranges from Galt, KSG, Flair, and others, and they always sell well. We always have some great promotion lines on offer which keep customers coming back to the shop.” The Art and Craft category tends to follow a set
of core principles and traditional play patterns, which are fundamental to its success, with real growth tending to come from innovative twists on the traditional. Products for older girls carry much more of a fashion and trend bias, where everything from product styling to material choices becomes critical, but this still needs to be tempered with offering a timeless play pattern. Totally fashion- led items can lose their currency in the market very quickly, as Leon Jarmolowicz explains: “Licensing does play a part in the category, but it’s important to be selective when looking for the right property that will provide strong, incremental growth. Vivid is seeing a very positive reaction to our Moshi Monsters publishing line this year and continuing to see strong sales on the classic Disney portfolio, for instance.” Ross Ainsworth also thinks that licensing will be one of the key trends for the category “alongside increased focus on the tween age group, and fashion”, something Interplay’s new myStyle kits, launching this year, deal with by allowing kids to make the latest fashionable items, such as Shamballa jewellery. David Allan added that the main trends he sees
developing in the sector are increasing demand for value-for-money and bigger boxes. He said: “Consumers want a big box of goods at a small price, and we’re looking at protecting our brand and resisting cutting our prices, because once one company does it it’s hard to stop everyone from doing it. We’re also seeing a lot of competition from the online retailers, but that’s not unique to this sector.” He added that consumers will continue to look for trusted brands, quality, fair pricing and play value when it comes to this sector: “Parents enjoy doing kits like Hama with
40 Toyworld
their children, it’s quality shared time, and there’s a fantastic end result to keep and display when it’s all done.” Daniel Estrin concurred, saying that predictable trends come down to a combination of a number of key factors: or, “recognisable brands, fun play for all ages and sexes, and value for money”.
The category at retail Leon Jarmolowicz observed that the category itself is so broad in scope, that it allows every type of retailer to play to their own strengths, whether it be a basic range of stationery, or careful selection of the hottest toys for Christmas. To truly take advantage of the category, it is about covering all ages, stages and play patterns, and pulling a range together, which ensures the consumer has a focal point for all of their art and craft solutions. For a sector where the final creative outcome is so critical for success, any opportunities for demonstrating and handling the product in-store are key. Leon said: “This is where the high street toy shop can be extremely effective. The Back To School season still represents the critical point in the Art and Craft retail calendar. It has represented strong growth year after year, and 2013 offers even greater potential through competitive pricing and strong merchandising solutions.” Lindsay Hardy said that Flair supports all of
its Art and Craft with TV and PR all year round, not just for Christmas, and consumers clearly remain interested in attractive creative play items at good price points for lots of different purchasing occasions. She said: “We see our Art and Craft brands as an opportunity for generating year-round business, and work with our retail partners on that basis. We invest a lot in TV to drive awareness and a range of POS solutions for in-store. We have a great feature pens stand with a
Vivid Imaginations
digital screen which we know works really well.” Daniel Estrin suggested that retailers might look to mix in Art and Craft toys with other traditional toy categories, “and not try to isolate Art and Craft as a ‘specialist’ category, as it is often perceived”, adding that this was a key factor in Goldfish and Bison’s development of its new Spirograph range. Ross Ainsworth added that the myStyle kits themselves attempt to address the perceived lack of toys aimed at girls over eight years of age. “They are fun fashionable and great quality, have won numerous awards and receive great reviews. Also, we own an independent retail outlet so can clearly see our kits outperform the competition,” he said. Lindsay Hardy said that she thought creative play items had always been popular as gifts to buy for birthday party presents, seen as “buying the right thing, if you know what I mean”. She added that affordable kits at the right price points will become an ever-increasing factor for both the retailer and the consumer, whilst never compromising on what’s actually in the box. “They also have to appeal directly to the child,” commented Lindsay. “For instance, the inclusion of a fashion element for tween girls, or utilising a favourite character for younger children.”
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