Ahead of Toy Fair 2024, the Toy World team asked retailers to tell us what they’re most looking forward to seeing at this year’s event.
The anticipation is palpable as this year’s Toy Fair approaches, with retailers eager to maximise their experience. For many, the prospect of reconnecting face-to-face with industry professionals post-pandemic is as important as the hunt for innovative products to enhance their shelves.
Julie Logan, owner of the Olive Branch toy shop in Castle Donington, told us: “London Toy Fair is a great opportunity to get away from the day to day and think about what we want to offer in the future. We will be looking for new and innovative wooden and sustainable toys in particular, as well as sensory toys for little ones and interactive toys for older children.”
Similarly, Carol Glennon, manager of toys at Fagan Toymaster in Westmeath, Ireland, is also looking forward to finding new products. She explained: “Our best-seller last year was Soccer Bot, which we put up on TikTok and reached about 4.5m views. It was the first innovative toy for that category and age group we had seen in a long time. Older boys are difficult to cater for unless they’re into collectibles or craft, so we will have our eyes out for sporty and innovative toys along the lines of Soccer Bot.”
Meanwhile, some retailers eagerly anticipate restocking products from companies that significantly benefit their business. Karen Haynes, who works at the Framlingham toy shop in Suffolk told us: “I’m looking forward to placing a pre-order with Lego which is one of our best-sellers.”
Sarah Borastero from Kids Stuff Toymaster in Wells, also shared with us her enthusiasm for the latest Big Potato board games. “We recently introduced Big Potato Games and Kluster has been our most popular title, along with Herd Mentality, True Crime Stories and Colour Brain. It will be brilliant to meet the team and see what other games they have.”
To find out what many other retailers are looking forward to experiencing at this year’s Toy Fair, click here for the Retail Touching Base feature, which appeared in our bumper January issue.
