Mightymast Leisure is a recognised industry leader in the world of games and sports equipment.

Established for over 30 years, Mightymast has a global reach, supplying its catalogue of innovative, high quality products across a variety of retail channels including high street, online and specialist outlets worldwide. Its portfolio covers a comprehensive range of gaming tables, including table football, air hockey and table tennis. The company has also established a successful branding and personalisation service.

The agreement will see Mightymast join Re:creation’s brand line-up, which already includes Razor, Wham-O and Lego Lights.

Re:creation general manager, Adrian Mayes, explains: “We are delighted to welcome Mightymast to the Re:creation family of brands. This impressive and well established company has more than proved itself to be a highly profitable business. The team’s knowledge and expertise in the world of games equipment is simply second to none, and that experience is clearly demonstrated in a world class, innovative product range. For us, Mightymast is a perfect complement to our existing offering. We aim to unlock further potential, with a focus on opening up new retail channels and product developments that will create incremental opportunities among new audiences.”

Mightymast co-director, Chris Dolan, added: “We have seen our business grow and develop over the past three decades. It’s an exciting and dynamic industry to be involved in and we are so pleased that the Re:creation team will continue to drive the business forwards with inspiring insight and vision.”

Mightymast Leisure will continue to operate from its base in Rendlesham, Suffolk. Further enquiries to Re:creation at sales@recreationltd.co.uk, 0118 973 6222.

The acquisition of SMV further strengthens Quantum’s portfolio, after it bought Revell GmbH in 2018.

Munich-based Quantum Capital Partners (QCP) has acquired Stadlbauer Marketing & Vertrieb GmbH (SMV), based in Salzburg, Austria, in a strategic move that will see Quantum strengthen its market position in the toy industry. In 2018, the Quantum Group acquired Revell GmbH, a leading manufacturer of plastic model kits as well as radio-controlled toys.

With its renowned Carrera brand, SMV is a market leader in slot racing cars. The Carrera brand is known for producing true-to-life and high-quality products, with cutting-edge technology standards. Furthermore, SMV develops and distributes various radio-controlled vehicles such as cars, aircrafts, drones and boats under the Carrera RC brand. The SMV brand portfolio also includes renowned German toy brands Pustefix, which is famous for soap bubbles, as well as the doll manufacturer Schildkröt.

The newly established Quantum Group, comprising the Carrera, Revell, Pustefix and Schildkröt brands, generates revenues above EUR 130m. CEO of the group will be Stefan Krings, currently managing director of Revell. Together with the existing management team he will manage daily operations at SMV. Dr. Norbert Frömmer will support the group as managing director at SMV. The Stadlbauer family will continue to support the Company in an advisory capacity. Stefan has sound experience in the toy and leisure industry.

“I am happy to build up and further develop a leading toys group,” Stefan commented. “With this acquisition, we will be able to react faster to industry trends and will be able to develop even more innovative products for our customers. Furthermore, a joint sales forces will allow us to grow in new and existing markets.”

Dr. Norbert Frömmer added: “By joining forces, SMV and Revell are about to create a player in the market with a compelling product portfolio and truly international sales activities. Backed by the strong partner Quantum Capital Partners, SMV is well prepared for the future.”

Steffen Görig, CEO and founder of Quantum Capital Partners further: “The Stadlbauer family built up an amazing company and we are conscious of our responsibility to support the development of this exciting new toy group. We look forward to continuing the fruitful collaboration with the Stadlbauer family. The Carrera, Revell, Pustefix and Schildkröt brands are leading in their respective segments. This is a strong basis to further develop the brands and their unique selling proposition. We are happy to support Stefan and his team on the road to success, and to realise the full growth potential of the group.”

Reports in the Spanish media suggest that Giochi Preziosi is in negotiations to acquire Famosa, while the company is also said to be planning to go public.

Italian toy manufacturer Giochi Preziosi has been working on an offer to acquire Alicante based toy maker Famosa. Sources close to the negotiation suggest that talks a few months ago did not come to fruition. However, now it looks likely that both parties will reach an agreement, with the deal set to be finalised soon. The management of Famosa is said to have held a meeting with the staff in order to update them on the progress of the negotiations, reporting that they are nearing completion

Giochi Preziosi owns brands such as Dinofroz, Gormiti, Cicciobello, Huntik and Puppy in My Pocket, while Famosa brands include Nancy, Nenuco, Pinypon, Barriguitas and Feber.

Having insisted that the Famosa business was back on track and not for sale only a few months ago, management has recently had a change of heart, despite the fact that CEO Marie-Eve Rougeot has overseen a turnaround plan which is thought to have resulted in an uplift in sales.

Potential new owner Giochi Preziosi is also planning to place between 40 and 45% of its capital on the Milan Stock Exchange. The purchase of Famosa could raise its valuation considerably, initially estimated at around 800m euros.

Ahead of the release of Disney’s The Lion King in July, Hasbro has revealed its latest Furreal addition. 

Disney’s The Lion King Mighty Roar Simba by FurReal embodies all the fun, charm and humour of animation’s most famous lion cub.

Hasbro’s latest FurReal product responds to touch and sound with 100+ sound and motion combinations, and comes to life by moving his head, eyes, ears, mouth, legs and tail. Kids can listen as he makes fun movie sounds and says phrases from the film. Simba and his owner can also interact by roaring at each other to see who is the loudest and playing together, before the lion cub enjoys his favourite treat, grub on a stick.

Launching in June, Mighty Roar Simba by FurReal has an RRP of £119.99 and is suitable for ages 4+.

More than 100,000 children joined the intu family club initiative within a year of its launch.

Playmobil has renewed its sponsorship of shopping centre owner intu’s family club. intu launched the scheme last May to create an all-year-round programme of interactive activities and exclusive offers for families, following research it carried out showing the importance parents and children place on spending quality time together.

A number of activities designed to encourage family playtime have been rolled out at every intu centre, including giant ball pits, laser mazes and sticker rooms. Members also receive free gifts and discounts throughout the year, including a free Playmobil toy for every new joiner.

50,000 families have enrolled during the intu family club’s first year, comprising double the amount of children members, and more than 150 retailers including Disney Store, Build-A-Bear and Cath Kidston now provide exclusive offers as part of the initiative. Virgin Holidays and Penguin Books are among other family-focused brands to have partnered with intu over the last year by running exclusive competitions and events for family club members.

Hundreds of Playmobil toys will be donated by intu and Playmobil to local autism charities close to each intu centre next month to mark the intu family club’s first birthday. Playmobil is also running a competition for intu family club members to win £1000 worth of toys.

Jamie Dickinson, marketing manager at Playmobil, said: “The intu family club is a fantastic initiative and one that we’ve been thrilled to partner with intu on since its launch last year. Together we’ve been able to reach 100,000 children and Playmobil fans, and share with them the benefits family play can bring.”

Roger Binks, customer experience director at intu, commented: “We launched intu’s family club after our research showed that many parents and children felt they didn’t get to spend enough quality time with each other. We already ran a successful kids club which offered school holiday activities for young children but our focus with the intu family club has been on working with fantastic brands like Playmobil to create more things for parents and children to enjoy together whenever they visit us.”

China’s largest toy retailer and distributor, Kidsland, has introduced FAO Schwarz with its first Asian flagship store.

The FAO Schwarz Beijing flagship is located inside the Kidsland flagship store at China World Mall in a prime shopping and lifestyle district.

Staff wearing soldiers’ uniforms from Grimm’s Fairy Tales are positioned at the entrance to greet and escort customers into the 30,000 square feet store, interacting with customers throughout the shopping experience. The store also features demonstrators who invite customers to play with the toys. The Toy Soldiers and demonstrators have been trained overseas and will make up 20% of the staff.

Founded in 1862, FAO Schwarz is one of the oldest toy stores in the world. The brand returned to New York last November with a new 20,000 square feet flagship at Rockefeller Centre in Manhattan.

Kidsland has a comprehensive online and offline integrated sales network within China. In December it counted 257 independent stores in 44 cities within the region, along with 519 self-operated consignment counters and 931 distributors covering more than 3000 additional points of sale. Kidsland also represents multiple brands in operating 18 online stores in China.

“The introduction of FAO into China reflects our confidence in the potential of the Chinese economy and market development,” said chairman and CEO of Kidsland Lee Ching Yiu. “We believe there is strong demand for quality toys among families and young people, so this is an important advantage for Kidsland to provide quality experiential retailing. In this way, we hope to serve as a bridge, enabling Chinese consumers to experience the latest and best toys in the world.”

He continued: “FAO Schwarz plans to open a large flagship and several medium-sized stores in China in the next two years. We will also establish a Kidsland experiential retail flagship store, and will open a mid-sized Kidsland retail store within the next two years to bring an enriched retail experience to a wider spectrum of the public.”

A backlash followed the release of the first trailer as fans were unhappy about the design of the iconic blue hedgehog.

Paramount Pictures is pushing its Sonic the Hedgehog movie back three months, from 8th November to Valentine’s Day. The delay follows fan criticism over the appearance and design of the blue hedgehog, particularly his teeth and lean legs.

Director Jeff Fowler tweeted that it was “taking a little more time to make Sonic just right.”

Earlier this month, Jeff took to Twitter to address the backlash following the trailer release. “The message is loud and clear… you aren’t happy with the design & you want changes,” he tweeted. “It’s going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega is fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be… #sonicmovie #gottafixfast.”

Ben Schwartz voices Sonic the Hedgehog and Jim Carrey plays Sonic’s nemesis Doctor Robotnik, alongside James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Neal McDonough and Adam Pally. In the film, a small-town sheriff assists Sonic as he attempts to escape the government.

The project, based on the Sega video game franchise, had been in the works at Sony, but Paramount picked up the project last year when the studio let its film rights lapse. Sega launched the Sonic game in 1991 and has sold more than 360m copies to date, including both packaged and digital games on consoles, tablets and mobile

Over 60 industry members from media owners such as Disney and Super Awesome competed to win the title of Pub Quiz Champion.

Generation Media has raised funds for the Toy Trust by hosting a ‘G’ themed fancy dress Quiz Night in London. ‘Agatha Quiztee’ – a team made up of Generation Media, Sky and Super Awesome – took home the winning prize while over £1000 (YTD) was raised for the toy industry’s charity through tickets and a raffle.

“Our annual fundraising event to support The Toy Trust was a great success, and we would like to thank the media partners for their continued support,” said Lauren Coombs, director of client services at Generation Media. “The night provided an opportunity to catch up with colleagues while raising money for worthy causes, a winning combination.”

Generation Media will continue fundraising in the run up to The Big Challenge Toy Trust event, in which team members will be participating in the 5km and 10km runs.

Graham Canning, Toy Trust committee chairman commented: “We are hugely grateful to Generation Media for its continued support of the Toy Trust, which it has done for many years. Its creative and proactive approach to fundraising is the lifeblood of the Toy Trust – where the toy industry comes together to carry out fundraising throughout the year. We are hugely grateful for this support and the difference the fundraising will ultimately make to deserving children’s lives through the work of the Toy Trust. Our thanks go to Generation Media for its fantastic support.”