Easter treats … it’s the Easter Blog!

Easter is one of the more unusual annual holidays. It moves around the calendar, to the extent that no-one is ever sure when it falls from one year to the next. I also recently found out that different countries have different approaches to Easter when it comes to how much time and which days off work people have. Here in the UK, those of us who don’t work at retail have a day off on both Friday and Monday to look forward to, so the Blog is coming to you a day early this week.

This year’s Easter is an early one, which is not generally the preferred option for most toy retailers. While Easter is seen as a good opportunity to boost toy sales, that arguably tends to work better when it falls later in April, especially here in the UK, by which time the weather may be markedly different (I have a memory of visiting the seaside one Easter in my early twenties and getting badly sunburned – I doubt many will suffer that fate this year).

An early Easter also plays havoc with like-for-like sales comparisons over March and April. But it is what it is, and right now, anything that can help to provide some impetus and stimulate retail sales will be welcome. Like me, I am sure you have seen LinkedIn posts from prominent indie retailers like Dave Middleton here in the UK and Rick Derr over in the US, suggesting that footfall has been disappointing in March (I tend to hum Ghost Town in my head when I see pictures of deserted shopping centres.…). Hopefully the Easter holidays will see consumers getting back out into stores, especially if the weather is patchy (sorry seaside-based retailers, I fear you may have to wait a few more weeks for traffic to pick up).

For those of you who were quick off the mark and read last week’s Blog as soon as it was posted online, you might want to go back and re-read it, as I did something I rarely do – I made some significant tweaks to it after a conversation with Pablo Merino, Country director at Poly Juguetes, who called me after reading the initial Blog. Pablo was keen to point out that contrary to media reports and quotes which suggested that Poly was ‘inviable’, he firmly believes that is not the case. Indeed, the stores all remain open at present, and Poly is in conversation with potential new shareholders to replace The Entertainer and take the business forward. In the light of our conversation, I thought it was important to clarify the situation. With the economy improving in Spain (it has apparently been a decent start to the year), Pablo believes that “subject to the incorporation of commercial levers hitherto not allowed by the current ownership”, Poly has a future. For the sake of the 180 or so employees, I very much hope that is the case – I have never made any secret of the fact that I believe a strong specialist, independent channel is vital for the health of the toy community right across the globe.

I was reminded of the extent to which indies can punch above their weight on a visit to Toymaster head office this week, where we caught up with Yogi, Paul and the team to hear how preparations are going for the May Show. You’ll be able to read more in our May issue, which will land on desks at the start of May, three weeks before the show opens. But the good news is that having outperformed the market in 2023, the first two months of the year have seen a good portion of Toymaster members trading up on last year.

The Northampton office has been completely transformed since our last visit – the team now works upstairs, while the ground floor has been turned into a multi-functional space where committee and selection meetings can be hosted, vlogs can be shot by suppliers (under the watchful eye of the toy industry’s latest mega-influencer, Paul Reader), window banners and promotional material can be displayed, and in-store shelf layouts can be tinkered with.

The space is not only a fantastic resource for Toymaster and its members, but it is also now going to be offered to suppliers who are looking for a centrally-located facility to host sales meetings or other company get-togethers – and it certainly beats the local Premier Inn any day!

Keep a look out for Toy World’s dedicated Toymaster supplement in May, where there will be a lot more news on what’s been happening at Toymaster (including a potential change to next year’s regional meetings) – and if you are one of the few exhibitors at the May event which hasn’t booked an ad in our inaugural standalone Toymaster supplement, there is still time (just…).

The same goes for the extended Licensing World section in the main May issue – we’ll be previewing Vegas, looking at the latest Hot Properties which licensees and retailers in the kids & family space should be considering, and rounding up all the latest character merchandise launches that will be hitting shelves in the coming months. Whether you’re a licensor / licensing agent or a licensee, there’s a section for you to showcase your latest properties / ranges. And it will be on desks three weeks before Vegas, which is important because – your regular reminder – nobody has time to actually read anything at a show (not if they’re doing it right).

Tonight, I am off to London for a media Q&A session with Alan Shearer, being hosted by Topps to promote its new Euro 2024 sticker collection. I have suggested a couple of questions for Alan to answer – I just hope Gareth Southgate isn’t there.

Whether you’re in-store selling toys, waiting at home to analyse the results or just sitting around scoffing your bodyweight in chocolate, have a fantastic Easter – the Blog will be back in its traditional Friday timeslot next week.

INDX Toy & Gift announces heritage theme for 2024 event

Plans are well underway for the show taking place this September, promising a nostalgic journey through the INDX Toy & Gift exhibition space.

The 2024 edition of INDX Toy & Gift will be held at Cranmore Park from Tuesday 3rd September to Wednesday 4th September 2024.

This year’s event theme will be heritage, and will highlight key suppliers and beloved branded ranges cherished over generations, offering attendees a nostalgic journey through the exhibition space.

The highly sought-after Best Dressed Stand Award will make its return, as exhibitors are judged on their display techniques, prop utilisation and visual merchandising. The winner will be announced on 3rd September 2024.

“We’re really looking forward to getting the industry together for an exciting product showcase and what will be the UK’s only autumn toy show of 2024,” said Rosie Marshall, head of Toys & Children’s Gifts at AIS, who also leads the team responsible for curating the show. “It’s important that the INDX Toy & Gift show supports all year-round trading, and the new September dates will allow suppliers and buyers to strategise beyond the Christmas period and maximise annual sales – not just seasonal.”

The move to September was agreed last year by the INDX strategy group: suppliers and buyers agreed that a move of the date would give them the opportunity to view new ranges later in the year and ease the congested period of shows in the springtime.

“The exhibitor list is building, and we have suppliers such as Spin Master, VTech, James Galt, Ravensburger, Playmobil and Gibsons already confirmed, with lots more in the process of booking stands,” added Rosie.

Registration opened in March for the trade show, which will bring together industry insights, emerging trends, innovative products and top suppliers in the realms of toys, games, licensed merchandise, children’s gifts and kidult gifting,

Providing visitors with an exclusive chance to stock up for the Christmas period and preview upcoming products for 2025, this two-day event is open to retailers of all sizes and the organisers guarantee an unforgettable experience.

INDX Toy & Gift welcomes all retailers, who not need to be a Member of AIS to attend. Admission is free, there is also free onsite parking, complimentary barista coffee and refreshments, and free breakfast pastries.

Visitor registration can be completed online here, and suppliers wishing to learn more about exhibiting at the show should contact Cheyenne.Spears@cranmorepark.co.uk.

 

International Day of Play to champion children’s right to play

Global partners, including Mattel, The Lego Group and Hasbro, have successfully called on the United Nations to adopt an International Day of Play.

Play is a fundamental right for every child, as is the importance of play in helping children develop life-long skills. With only 30% of adults aware that play is a fundamental birth right adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 1989, there is an urgent need to put play back on the agenda.

To drive this ambition forward, a dedicated network of global organisations, play experts and, most importantly, children and youth themselves, called on UN member states to support the resolution for an International Day of Play. The UN General Assembly has now adopted 11th June as an international awareness day, and an inaugural celebration is set to take place in 2024.

“The Mattel Children’s Foundation proudly joins our global partners in championing the UN’s adoption of the International Day of Play,” commented Nancy Molenda, executive director of the Mattel Children’s Foundation. “This initiative reaffirms our belief that play is a transformative force for positive change in children’s lives, and Mattel is committed to our philanthropic initiatives to empower generations to reach their full potential and ensure all children have opportunities to play and thrive.”

The International Day of Play network of organizations is committed to driving a global play movement for children everywhere for generations to come. The work was initiated by the Lego Group and the Lego Foundation in partnership with Mattel, ADEA, Arup, BRAC, Change X, Concerned for Working Children, Eurochild, Hasbro, INGKA, International Play Association, IRC, KidZania, Nike, Inc., PEDAL, Plan International, Right To Play International, Save the Children and Sesame Workshop.

The UN International Day of Playwill create a unifying moment at local, national, and global levels to elevate the importance of play as central to children’s learning and wellbeing – ensuring time to play, space to play and support for quality play is prioritized.

Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the Lego Group said: “For more than 90 years we have championed children’s right to play, as we know that it can change lives. It strengthens family bonds and helps children develop essential skills and reach their full potential. We have hosted our own World Play Day the past two years to celebrate the importance of play. The adoption of an International Day of Play by the UN is a true testament to the power of play and the need to collectively champion and protect all children’s right to play.”

The coalition of partners of International Day of Play is celebrating that this important movement has now been ratified, recognising the true power of play at the highest political level, and invites everyone to join in celebrating the power of play on 11th June this year, and every year thereafter.

 

Some might say … it’s the Friday Blog!

As UK retail continues to gently tick over as we head towards Easter (and I appreciate it might be said that I am being quite generous there), the biggest toy retail story of the week comes from Spain, where the specialist toy retail chain Poly Juguetes has sadly started the liquidation process. All stores currently remain open, in the hope of finding a new buyer to take the business forward. The Poly Group was, of course, acquired by The Teal Group – parent company of The Entertainer – in 2018, as part of its ambitious global expansion plans. Sadly, things didn’t work out according to plan.

I certainly don’t profess to be an expert on the Spanish toy market. I have a working knowledge of some of its foibles – but I am not immersed in it in the same way I am in the UK toy community. So full disclosure, what follows is heavily based on comments that have been made to me, which may or may not represent the full picture (there are always two sides to every story) – so please accept them in the spirit of ‘some might say’…

I do know from previous conversations with key people at The Entertainer that there have been some challenges with the Poly operation and the Spanish market in general, beyond what they had envisaged when they bought into the business. The Spanish toy community is perceived to be very close-knit and quite traditional. In some cases, people and companies have worked a certain way for decades.

The language barrier was another issue – I was once told that there were only a handful of employees in the Spanish head office who spoke English well enough to accompany the Entertainer team on store visits and to contribute effectively to internal meetings (although equally, how many Spanish speakers are employed in Amersham?). There were rumours of employees unhappy with being asked to change the way they worked overnight, and even darker rumours of a small number who may have been using their positions for personal financial gain for years before the takeover. There were also rumblings of discontent amongst the Spanish vendor community about the change in trading terms and buying strategies.

The Entertainer certainly isn’t the first – and won’t be the last – organisation to encounter local cultural barriers, and to experience challenges introducing its own work culture to a business that is run differently. Indeed, there were whispers suggesting that Smyths had a few hiccups when it first attempted to integrate Toys R Us GAS into its operation, but I understand those issues were resolved and the two businesses are now working well together.

The Entertainer appears to have faced a level of challenges that ultimately proved insurmountable. However, the retailer has faced challenges in the UK market in recent years and overcome them. So, what was different about Spain? Here I am relaying some of the comments I received after we broke the story earlier this week. One person wrote: “The first thing a multinational should do when buying a company from Spain is to look for a management team that knows the business or Spanish retail in general, and to define a joint strategy together, listening to people who know the territory. Instead, they wanted to “impose” all commercial policies – especially purchases, conditions, assortment, margins – without taking into account how Spanish retail worked, or the opinions of suppliers and local employees. That made it very difficult for local operations to work. We live in a global world, but there are basic issues that need to be put into practice.”

One supplier was more specific: “The Entertainer management stuck to their margin requirements. Spanish toy companies closed ranks and wouldn’t play ball, so they ended up getting most of their stock from UK suppliers.”

Another wrote: “The Entertainer introduced its company policy of not opening on Sundays to Poly, a chain of toy stores whose most successful stores were located in commercial centres. The lease terms of these stores were seven day/week opening. Poly was forced to pay fines for every Sunday the stores were closed and then was eventually forced to close its most profitable stores when the leases were up for renewal. as the landlords understandably would not renew.”

Feelings are clearly running high in the Spanish toy community. I cannot say whether these comments are accurate representations of what happened – and indeed we may never know the full story (people love to talk about their successes, but are often understandably reluctant to openly dissect when something doesn’t go to plan). But clearly there is a perception within the Spanish market that these factors contributed to The Entertainer deciding to cut its ties with Poly.

Arguably, these observations have even greater prescience following The Entertainer’s deal to introduce outlets into Tesco stores here in the UK. The debate about assortment and (particularly) margin for the new arrangement has been the most talked-about topic across the UK toy community since the news broke. As a direct consequence of margin requirements, the barring of certain product lines from being stocked by the Spanish stores and the lack of vendor co-operation, did the product mix in Poly stores ultimately appeal to Spanish consumers? Similarly, will the mix in The Entertainer’s Tesco outlets – likely to be markedly different to the previous toy aisles – appeal to Tesco shoppers? In the case of the latter question, we don’t have long to wait now to find out.

Indeed, it may well be the Tesco deal that brought the whole Poly situation to a head: in terms of time and capital, The Entertainer has an immense project on its hands, and maybe has decided it needs to focus all its resources on this new arrangement to make sure it delivers.

I received a lot of feedback to last week’s Blog, which looked at some of the ways the toy market has changed in recent years. It is perhaps no great surprise that many toy suppliers don’t want things to change – they were doing fine as they were. One said to me last week: “Oh for the days of actual volume commitments, selections from experienced toy hands, bulk deliveries into customer’s DC’s etc. Now everything is a ‘drop ship’ and/or a stick it online approach, rather than getting behind good innovative product. And don’t get me started on own brand development…”

There are clearly concerns amongst toy suppliers over the whole The Entertainer / Tesco arrangement, especially amongst companies which have historically traded well with the grocer. However, Gary Grant is one of the most astute businessmen I have ever met, and he has built a formidable team around him. All business owners, no matter how successful, face setbacks from time to time. It is how they respond to missteps which counts, and personally I would never underestimate The Entertainer’s ability to bounce back from a blip like this. And let’s hope the Poly Group is successful in finding a new owner, so that stores can stay open and the staff keep their jobs.

Get involved in the Toy World Dolls & Collectibles feature

The May edition of Toy World will include a specialist feature on the Dolls and Doll Collectibles category.

An enduring category, the Dolls category spans everything from traditional nurturing play patterns to fashion dolls and dolls of all shapes and sizes – with a host of accessories and outfits to extend their play value.

Recent years have also seen a rise in the popularity of collectible doll ranges, as well as content to provide storytelling behind many doll brands. In this competitive category, Toy World will shine a spotlight on the latest developments, and highlight why retailers should be giving them shelf space this year.

Advertisers in this issue are guaranteed generous editorial coverage and the chance to get involved in additional content opportunities. As the UK’s leading toy trade magazine, this means your company will be able to place its brands in front of the many indie retailers attending the event that turn to Toy World at the start of each and every month for the latest industry news and product information.

This is just one of the features in the upcoming May issue, which will also include a dedicated Licensing section, containing a Vegas Licensing Expo Preview, plus features on Character Licensed Merchandise and Hot Properties, and for the first time ever, a stand-alone supplement previewing the Toymaster May Show in Harrogate.

All this is alongside Talking Shop, Viewpoint and Allegedly, as well as all the latest toy and licensing industry news and insight, plus selected company profiles and special interviews.

The deadline for editorial will be 2nd April, while the deadline for adverts will be 15th April, so don’t delay getting in touch with the team if you haven’t already secured your spot.

For further information regarding editorial opportunities in the May issue, or to take part in our popular Talking Shop feature, please contact:

To find out more about advertising opportunities, in the May issue or any other edition, contact Mark Austin, mark@toyworldmag.co.uk.

The Entertainer owned Poly Toys begins liquidation procedure

With around 30 stores across Spain, Poly Toys has said the business is no longer viable and announced the dismissal of all staff.

The Entertainer acquired Poly Toys (Poly Juguetes) in 2018 from an administrator, adding to its growing international footprint and aiming, at the time, to regain the 5% Spanish market share that Poly previously had.

This week, the Poly Toys toy chain announced that it has taken the decision to put forward a “request of liquidation” in the face of the “inviability of the business” before the commercial courts of Madrid. The company has informed its workers that it will begin a collective dismissal procedure for all employment contracts.

The company operates stores under both the Poly brand and The Entertainer in Spain. Staff at both types of store are expected to be affected by this announcement. At the national level, the chain has about thirty operational retail outlets.

The company has reported accumulated losses of 15m euros since 2018, when it was acquired by Teal Group, the parent company of The Entertainer, Early Learning Center and Addo. With disappointing sales forecast for 2024, Teal Group has stated that it will no longer continue to finance the activity of Poly Toys beyond 31st March. Without this financial support, the company cannot remain viable.

Since 2018, Poly Toys has made efforts to improve its financial situation and boost its business, but has faced a number of challenges affecting the toy sector. The business cites factors such as technological development, the highly competitive nature of the market, certain economic and geopolitical factors, high inflation and the global economic situation, all of which have combined to prevent sales in the sector returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Get involved in the Toy World Toymaster supplement

As the UK toy trade looks forward to another sold out Toymaster show in Harrogate this May, Toy World is putting together a dedicated standalone supplement to support the event.

The May Show is the key trade show for Toymaster members each year, as this is when plans for Christmas are finalised. A host of suppliers will be in attendance, many with deals available to incentivise visiting retailers to place Q3 and Q4 orders.

Brian McLaughlin, Toymaster’s Business Development manager, told Toy World that the team began taking exhibitor bookings earlier than ever for the 2024 show. “We normally do this in January,” he explained, “however last year it was November. As always, our suppliers responded quickly – and the show was sold out by early December.”

There will be 16 ‘first time’ suppliers exhibiting this year at the show, and Toymaster is once again inviting all bricks & mortar independents to attend, members or not.

For the first time ever, a stand-alone supplement previewing the Toymaster May Show will be produced alongside the main May issue of Toy World, allowing retailers to preview what will be on show in Harrogate this year in the form of a handy guide which they can also take along to the event.

Advertisers in this issue are guaranteed generous editorial coverage and the chance to get involved in additional content opportunities. As the UK’s leading toy trade magazine, this means your company will be able to place its brands in front of the many indie retailers attending the event that turn to Toy World at the start of each and every month for the latest industry news and product information.

The deadline for editorial will be 2nd April, while the deadline for adverts will be 15th April, so don’t delay getting in touch with the team if you haven’t already secured your spot.

For further information regarding editorial opportunities in the May issue, or to take part in our popular Talking Shop feature, please contact:

To find out more about advertising opportunities, in the May issue or any other edition, contact Mark Austin, mark@toyworldmag.co.uk.

There’s more information on the Toymaster May Show here.

Get involved in our Licensing World May feature

Here’s everything you need to know about Toy World’s May Licensing World feature, and how you can get involved. 

We will once again be publishing a dedicated licensing feature in the bumper May edition of Toy World.

In Licensing World, we’ll be speaking to licensees, licensors and  retailers about the market for licensed toys and goods and providing a comprehensive preview of the Las Vegas Licensing Expo.

In addition, the feature will include category features on Character Licensed Merchandise and Hot Properties, along with bonus editorial content that makes Licensing World unmissable for anyone with a vested interest in the kids’ licensed marketplace. With almost one-third of UK toy sales coming from licensed ranges, it’s important for licensees and retailers to choose wisely when it comes to which properties to work with. Toy World looks at the latest key licensed properties that will be driving the toy market in 2024 to help readers make the right decisions.

The May issue will also include a focus on Dolls and a first-ever Toymaster supplement. The deadline for editorial will be 2nd April, while the deadline for adverts will be 15th April.

Advertisers in this issue are guaranteed generous editorial coverage and the chance to get involved in additional content opportunities. As the UK’s leading toy trade magazine, this means your company will be able to place its brands in front of all the major buyers and decision makers that turn to Toy World at the start of each and every month for the latest industry news and product information.

For further information regarding editorial opportunities in the May issue, (in any of the features), please contact:

To find out more about advertising opportunities, in the May issue or any other edition, contact Mark Austin, mark@toyworldmag.co.uk.

 

Under Pressure… it’s the Friday Blog!

Anyone with a passing interest in horse racing will be aware that this was Cheltenham week – although not a massive fan myself, I have very fond memories of the festival from the days of being a guest of GMTV. I also remember walking around Cheltenham in just short sleeves on several occasions, so the weather is a little late in turning this year.

Those were great days to be working with GMTV. In addition to lovely long lunches (where beer and wine may have been taken), we played football matches at Premier League grounds (ironic that I played on far more top-class pitches after I had given up playing than I ever managed when I was in my prime) and they threw the best parties in New York and Hong Kong. The New York events in particular were legendary – US toy executives looked on with envy as 100 or so Brits were picked up by stretch limos from the toy building and whisked off to mystery destinations like Carnegie Hall to be entertained and plied with copious quantities of food and drink.

GMTV had a sizeable marketing budget and by golly they were determined to spend it. What a contrast with today: many of the big TV channels, streaming platforms and entertainment giants appear to be in the grip of over-zealous bean counters, and have developed ‘short arms, long pockets’ syndrome (in some cases, the arms are so short they resemble a particularly challenged Tyrannosaurus Rex). This reluctance to spend especially manifests itself at a trade level. Securing trade marketing spend can be like pulling teeth (whereas GMTV used to claim their annual trade ad spend back on their expenses, as they considered it too trivial to bother putting it through the system). Many don’t exhibit properly at trade shows. Launch events, parties and other opportunities to entertain clients are a rarity. Even lunches (proper lunches I mean) are few and far between. Just like Amazon at a supplier level, the new media and licensing giants don’t seem quite as interested in forging close personal bonds with their trade clients and media partners as their historical counterparts. Everyone knew Clive, Mike and Simon at GMTV: like Kylie, Madonna or Elvis, even if you said just their first names, most people in the toy community would know who you were referring to. That personal touch seems like another era.

I attended a SuperAwesome breakfast presentation this week (at least some media operators are still pushing the boat out), and some of the facts and trends outlined during the event perhaps explain why media companies are behaving in the way they do. There was much talk about the concept of ‘hyper fragmentation’ – the idea of everyone, everywhere, all at once. Kids are apparently watching split screens and even screen stacking (using multiple devices at once). Once king, linear TV is now just one of a myriad of options for advertisers, who have to split their budgets across multiple platforms to reach the same number of kids that GMTV used to attract on a Saturday morning. Indeed, it seems that many kids would rather watch influencers play a computer game than traditional content, while here has been a huge drift to places like YouTube and TikTok (which is not only being used as a search engine by young children, but it is where the majority of crazes are now originating before they hit the school playground).

However, there are clouds on the horizon: there is serious talk of TikTok being banned in the US, after the House of Representatives passed a bill insisting its Chinese owner sells its controlling stake or face being outlawed. Whether that would be an isolated situation, or it would spill over to the UK and Europe is highly debatable – but taken in conjunction with the very real threat of 60% tariffs being introduced on Chinese made goods if Trump wins the election, a ban on TikTok would be another huge blow to the toy market.

Here in Europe, we have our own legislative hurdles to overcome. The European Parliament voted this week on the new Toy Safety Directive, which according to the Toy Industries of Europe organisation contains some worrying requirements. Among the most eye-catching clauses are restrictions on using naturally occurring ingredients in toys, which could mean that safe toys like crayons, paints and chalks would be banned. In addition, it will also make it extremely difficult to maintain the current exemption for the safe use of stainless steel, which is needed for outdoor toys such as trampolines, go-carts and the like. To add further complication, the proposed transition period is only 30 months, while online sellers from outside the EU can seemingly continue to flout the regulations without fear of prosecution.

Frankly, it is all a bit of a mess – but wait, could the UK choose to ignore these new regulations, as it is with the new battery rules? Is it like London buses – you wait eight long years for a Brexit dividend, and two come along in a matter of weeks? It’s all happened so fast that further digging on the whole subject is required – which rest assure we will be doing, so we can keep everyone up to date with what’s happening. And I am sure all the individual toy associations and organisations like the TIE will be pressing hard for changes and compromise at the next stages of the directive.

With talk of a ban on TikTok, tariffs on toys coming from China, misguided EU regulations and everything else, external pressures on the toy market continue to make everyone’s lives just that little more complicated than they need to be – and that is before we consider trading conversations and economic factors. So yes, it’s challenging – as everyone knows. But I asked someone this week whether they could remember a year when it was easy. When getting selections and orders was a stroll in the park? When everyone on both sides of the fence was happy with margins and terms, and consumers thought toys were a bargain and purchased them in droves? When getting deliveries into retailers’ warehouses was a breeze? When marketing to the consumer was straightforward and cost effective? When everyone started the year thinking “this year is going to be huge”? I’ve been at this game for over four decades, and honestly, I am struggling to place that golden year when the stars aligned. If you can remember when it was, feel free to enlighten me.

Alternatively, I guess we will have to do what we always do – face the challenges head on and hopefully overcome them. Sleeves rolled up, let’s get stuck in. Don’t let the bean counters and bureaucrats win.

Turning the clock back … it’s the Friday Blog!

Anyone hoping for fireworks in this week’s budget statement is likely to be feeling pretty disappointed right now: not so much a rocket, more like a Catherine Wheel that you lit which never started spinning and just fizzled out. I am not sure if the Chancellor will get the chance to have another go at lighting a fire under the economy before the election (although a November election surely looks nailed on after yesterday), but this attempt is unlikely to draw too many ‘oohs and aahs’ from the public.

So, basically, we are on our own. The government hasn’t (yet) put more money into people’s pockets – even allowing for national insurance reductions, with the increases in council taxes and tax threshold freezes, consumers are effectively no better off (and in many cases, considerably worse off). If suppliers and retailers are going to encourage consumers to part with their cash, they’re going to have to do it of their own accord. However, after the last few years, I guess we’re all used to that.

And from what I know of toy companies and retailers, they’ll be up for the challenge. There was ‘newness’ aplenty on show during Toy Fair season. Some of those new ranges have started to arrive at retail, others will be landing imminently. We spoke to a small selection of specialist independent retailers after the London Toy Fair, to ask them which new launches caught their eye – and we received a wonderfully broad and varied response. If there was little consensus among such a modest-sized focus group, it’s fair to assume that the thousands of retailers who attended the show found a wide variety of lines they are excited to bring into stock. There may not be one standout craze right now, but that is arguably better for a broader group of suppliers than if one hot new line was dominant.

One topic that did enter the conversation frequently at Toy Fair was pricing. It was noticeable that many toy companies had responded to the economic challenges of last year with sharper pricing, which can only be a good thing. Of course, it is not always easy, especially when inflation and price increases are bearing down just as heavily on suppliers as on consumers. But gone are the days of knowingly pricing a range on the warm side and hoping to get away with it – for now at least.

More than anyone, retailers will be aware of needing to offer value and competitive deals – although what actually constitutes ‘competitive’ is a very subjective subject. I spoke to one prominent retail owner last year, who told me he had gone round a competitor’s store with a long-time industry friend and colleague, playing a game of ‘name that price.’ He admitted that they both consistently guessed far lower than the actual retail price (and the store they were in is well-known for offering good value). Now, this may simply be a case of two individuals who see ‘value’ differently to other people. Or maybe they had a point, and toy pricing has been driven a little too high by cost increases simply being added on to arrive at a new price, rather than starting with the product’s optimal retail price and working out how to hit that.

I am going back quite a few years here, but I remember when industry legend Tom Cassidy told me very early on in my career that he felt many toy companies worked the pricing equation from the wrong end: they worked out what a product would cost to make and ship, added on the profit they wanted to make plus the retailer’s margin to arrive at the item’s price. Tom preferred to work the other way round: he looked at a line, assessed what he thought the consumer would pay for it, then worked backwards to check that it could be manufactured to hit that price, while ensuring everyone could make enough money from it. If that couldn’t be achieved, he told me he never produced the line (even if he thought it was a great product). Some may say that times have changed, but what doesn’t change is that all businesses need to make a decent profit, or they won’t survive long term – and everyone in the chain has a part to play in making sure that equation balances out.

Retailers also seem to be turning the clock back in terms of how they grab shoppers’ attention in-store. I popped into Asda yesterday lunchtime, where the usual background music was interrupted by a minute-long announcement detailing a list of aggressive special offers that were available on food. That sort of tactic used to happen quite a lot in supermarkets, but I am not sure I have heard anything quite so blatantly ‘salesy’ since Dave Cave used to get on the microphone at a Makro store to tell everyone they should buy a Rockin’ Flower while stocks lasted!

Given the economic pressure on consumers, I suspect that retailers will also be disappointed that yesterday’s budget offered no respite from the ongoing (over) burden of business rates, curtailing their ability to offer keener prices. Retail owner John Timpson spoke eloquently about this at a recent House of Lords select committee hearing: the thrust of his argument was that when he started out in business, the rule of thumb was that rates were a third of the cost of rent. Now, in some instances, rates are considerably more than the rent, putting brick and mortar retailers at a massive competitive disadvantage against online retailers. If we really do want to regenerate our High Streets, that needs to be addressed urgently by whichever government is in power.

Before I go, there is just time to congratulate Simon Tomlinson on being appointed MD at Learning Resources, which he will take over when Dennis Blackmore steps into an advisory role in May, and also to welcome Thomas Randrup back to the toy fold, after he was appointed country manager for the UK and Ireland at Tactic Games.

I was also sad to hear that toy stalwart John Birchwood passed away a few weeks ago – another big toy personality has left us. I always think it’s important to remember people like John, Barry Harding, Mark Sharp and others who have left us recently, who all made an important contribution to the toy market over the years and left their mark. Toys is a tight-knit community, and they will always be remembered.