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LeapFrog charts 40% growth, with net sales up 15% in Q1 2013
LeapFrog Enterprises has announced financial results for Q1 ending March 31, 2013. Highlights of Q1 2013 results compared to 2012 include: • Consolidated net sales up 15% • •
US segment net sales up 11%; international segment net sales up 26% Loss from operations improved 47%
• Net loss per basic and diluted share was $0.04, an improvement of $0.10; normalised net loss per basic and diluted share, which includes an effective 37.5% tax rate, was $0.05, an improvement of $0.04
• Operating cash flow was up 17%, and free cash flow was up 12% Adjusted EBITDA was positive for the first time in Q1 since 2003 Meanwhile, 40% growth in March YTD has reinforced LeapFrog’s eighth position in the top ten toy manufacturers (UK NPD, March 2013). Sales of LeapPad2 established the children’s tablet as the number four best-selling product on the market with 86% growth in March YTD. LeapFrog software sales helped performance in March, with LeapFrog
Explorer software at number seven in the market, resulting in LeapFrog having 56% market share of the Pre-school Electronic Learning category.
Spielwarenmesse appoints PattExpo as Irish agent
from the editor Tom Roberts @tomtoyworld
Hello, and welcome to the June issue of Toy World magazine.
The last few weeks have been rather busy with Toymaster’s Harrogate show and four long feature intros to write for this issue. Ah, who am I kidding? I love it really. This year’s Toymaster show was a success, and a great opportunity to catch up with
the trade. Exhibitor reaction was positive, with many taking orders and mentioning how the show seem more busy every year. (You’ll find a collection of exhibitor comments later on in the magazine.) Visitor reaction was also uplifting, with those I spoke to saying that the deals were good and the atmosphere was buzzing. The Majestic Hotel proves once more to be an excellent staging area for the show, and always feels lively and busy from the start. This year was especially gratifying for me. Having been part of the toy industry for a year now conversations are easier to start than at my first Toymaster ,when I’d barely been in the job two weeks; having my pic in the magazine also helps to be recognised. I still get those sideways glances like I’m being
recognised...perhaps my grey hair is making people think I’m George Clooney. Toymaster’s 21st Birthday celebrations, marking their 21st year at the Majestic,
PattExpo has been given the additional responsibility of boosting the Irish participation at next year’s Nuremberg Toy Fair. Roger Sherman, director of PattExpo (the UK agents for the Nurnberg
Spielwarenmesse), would be delighted to meet any Irish retailers who plan to come to Nuremberg in 2014, and to offer any advice or help they may need. Roger can be reached by email to
info@pattexpo.com or by phone on 07786 268 407.
Playmobil becomes fastest-growing toymaker in the top 25
were...well, deserving of a paragraph all of their own. What can be said? It was excellent fun. The veterans of the Great Nerf Shootout of 2012 were wondering how 2013 would shape up next to it, but they needn’t have worried. Good food, good company, an impromptu all male strip tease (I’m not kidding) and the slightly nostalgic feeling of being back in the school canteen (apart from the booze) all went very well together. Special mention must go to the Blues Brothers tribute band; it was absolutely brilliant, and there were a fair few songs I had to get up and dance to. When in Rome... A few days after the dust settled I caught up with Toymaster’s Ian Edmunds to find
According to NPD figures, Playmobil has risen to 16th in the UK toy market chart, up eight positions since the end of Q1 2012. The global brand has also risen eight places in the global toy property rankings to 20th since this time last year. Sales were up by 54% in value and 61% in volume in an otherwise flat market. Top selling toys for Playmobil are the newly launched Police Range, popular Leisure Range and key Pirates-themed toys. Within the Police Range, top sellers are the Helicopter, Police Car, Bank with Safe and Police Special Forces Unit.
out how he thought it all went. Ian said that attendance was pretty much in line with 2012’s show with 140 members and 100 independent retailers treading the carpets of the exhibition floor. He said: “All the feedback we received was positive. Suppliers have been on to us already asking if they can re-book for 2014. Everything about the show just seems to work, so we won’t be tinkering with the format too much in the future. If the retailers are happy, the Toymaster team is happy.” This month’s issue is packed with all the info you’ll need on the UK toy trade this month. However, I’d like to highlight a few of the major articles to look out for. ‘Touching Base’, our new supplier-based opinion feature continues this month on page 86 with a look at feedback from exhibitors at the recent Toymaster Show. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive with new accounts being opened, good reactions to star products, high footfall, and the positive vibe that the Toymaster Show has become known for. This month’s retailer interview is with Hobbycraft’s trading director James Heese.
James spoke to me about his role, the company’s plans for 2013, and the highly- anticipated expansion to its Kids offering. Turn to page 42 to read the interview in full. You’ll also see that this month’s issue is packing four category features including Art
and Craft (page 38), Electronic Learning (page 67), Wheeled Toys (for older children on page 88), and Science and Nature (page 77). As ever, all four features include our in- depth introductions and a generous helping of product information to follow.
On a personal note... The first day of the Toymaster Show, May 14th, was my one-year anniversary as editor of Toy World. I am really looking forward to the next year, and the ones that follow. Thank you to everyone in the trade who has made my transition to reporting on and serving this industry so easy and enjoyable. I really hope you enjoy reading this issue, and I’ll see you all next month.
@toyworldmag
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