Completely wheel appeal T
Wheeledtoys
he Outdoor Toys category is one of the largest in the toy market and Wheeled Toys is a key part of the sector. While the average size of a bike or scooter can sometimes limit a retailer’s inclination to stock large and varied ranges of wheeled
toys, the ability to merchandise the right items effectively will allow retailers to enjoy a share of the market, and be seen to promote some important values in the physical development of children. The Wheeled Toy category itself attracts great demand across all demographics from pre-school to teens, and across a broad adult range too. With consumer focus heavily infl uenced by the need for an active lifestyle and more awareness of environmental issues, coupled with traditional play patterns, the category has to deliver on leisure and playtime. Toys for the outdoors are extremely popular, not just because of the fun and fast-paced nature of the play these toys allow, but for a slew of developmental reasons. Children who play outdoors are often more physically fi t, active, and focused than their indoor TV- and video game-attached counterparts. This feature specifi cally focuses on Wheeled Toys for older children, and next month’s feature will focus on those for younger children. MV Sport’s Phil Ratcliffe shared his insights on what children demand in Wheeled Toys, saying he has observed that nowadays “older girls and boys are looking for more excitement from their wheeled toys. Boys demand performance, edgyness and street cred, whereas girls look for high levels of decoration.” But it’s been a tough time for Wheeled Toys
lately, and Outdoor Toys as a whole. The cold, wet weather has certainly not helped matters. Last year’s glorious March has not been repeated in 2013, and so far we have only seen slight inklings of anything resembling Summer. Skates, Skateboards and Scooters fi nished 2012 at a value of around £8.5m year-to-date, but so far in 2013 that value is looking closer to £6.9m year-to-date. Simon Booth of Kiddimoto confi rmed that the wheeled toy industry has indeed been hit by the cold and a wet Spring, “but now the weather is looking like it might turn for the better we are seeing a massive upsurge in our bikes and BoxKart”. He added: “We also develop and manufacture helmets and gloves, products for all seasons, which have remained consistently high
88 Toyworld
sellers throughout the year.” Phil Ratcliffe agreed, but commented that despite struggling in Q1 due to the cold weather, the category is much less weather dependent than other outdoor segments, and is less seasonal, citing that many wheeled toys are bought in the run up to Christmas. He said: “The selling season ramps up in May due to increased consumer demand, and Autumn/Winter will see the fi rst drops into the major retailers. Our listings are looking very good going forward, and if the sun continues to shine it will enhance what should already be shaping up to be a good year.” Phil went on to explain that Wheeled Toys are a necessary and vital part of the toy industry. The vast majority of kids have a bike, trike or scooter at some stage during their childhood, and many have several wheeled items at home, and their options evolve as they get older and more co- ordinated. Saber International, distributor of Berg Toys, is optimistic, and said that it thinks the Wheeled Toys category has performed consistently in line with the weather and the state of the industry over the past few years. A company spokesperson said: “Berg Toys is looking to continue its successes in the go-kart market by launching two new products inspired by classic American themes. Berg’s latest addition to its growing range includes the Route 66 and Hot Rod go-karts. Reaction to the karts has been extremely positive and both go-karts are available in the dropship range with our strategic retail partners. These will do well with their lower price points, but keeping the quality Berg is known for. We have seen growth in the market for quality go-karts, possibly because Berg is quite niche with their higher price points based on design and build quality. Think
From scooters to bikes, the Wheeled Toys category’s offering for older children provides a wide range of choice to the discerning retailer. Hit by cold and wet weather, the category has had a slow start to 2013, but our key players seem sure there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. Tom Roberts reports...
‘German Car’ and that’s where Berg is for the go-kart market.” So what sort of products are available in this
category right now? Phil Ratcliffe said that for older girls MV has the biggest draw of them all in One Direction branded products, while for boys the company has added to its classic licences, such as Ben 10, Star Wars, Transformers, and Power Rangers with the new boys’ phenomenon that is Skylanders. Phil commented that MV’s own brands are also performing well, and said: “Our best selling range of Stunted stunt scooters is going from strength to strength as a result of a four-month TV campaign in which Stunted will be featured every weekday 10 times a day. Our new battery-operated segment is also seeing rapid growth.” Hy-Pro’s Simon Pickavance observed that this sector had grown dramatically for Zinc over the past three years, and continues to represent a developing sector of the company’s business, both domestically and internationally. He said: “I have heard that the market is slowing for some, but for us the market
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96