Ahead of London Toy Fair, Toy World caught up with Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun!, and Paul Fogarty, VP UK, to find out what plans are in the pipeline moving forward.

Jay explains how 2019 was for the company: “It’s fortunate that we’ve been able to tap into some of the key innovative products in the collectibles market, which Basic Fun! excels in.” Adds Paul. “In addition, we’ve seen a very strong uplift in classic toy brands such as Fisher-Price Classics and My Little Pony Retro.”

“Cutetitos was also phenomenal for us in 2019, not only in the UK but also on the worldwide stage.” Says Paul. “The Basic Fun! development team has a great ability to spot online and social media trends, and, through the development process, translate them into fantastic product designs supported by truly innovative marketing. Core K’Nex building sets and Kid K’Nex have continued to be strong for us and will remain a major focus moving forward.”

We’re also over the moon about our plans to relaunch Tonka globally, and in the US, UK and Australia/New Zealand in particular; these markets were always at the heart of the brand.” Explains Jay. “Our relaunch plans will focus on reminding consumers how great this brand is, from the quality and durability of the toys to the importance of getting kids outside to play.”

“In addition to Tonka, we have two lines that we will be bring to the UK in 2020; Care Bears and So Boss.” continues Jay. “We’re delighted to be reintroducing Care Bears in a new way with a new focus, and direct to retail as opposed to through a third-party distributor.”

Paul adds: “All our lines will be on show in Hong Kong in early January, but our biggest focus is still the London Toy Fair. This is where we’ll really highlight the Basic Fun! Portfolio, communicating and bringing to life the company’s focal points with all our retailers, large and small.”

Read the full interview in the Toy World January issue here.