It seems I confused a few of you with my oblique musical reference in last week’s blog – clearly none of you will be applying for PopMaster anytime soon. Maybe I should have used a different reference point for the company that had gone through a recent pre-pack administration process (such as the Pixar movie which features sadness and anger…which in hindsight would have been a better metaphor). Interestingly, when I told people who it was, the vast majority responded by saying they had never heard of them. Although it became quite a talking point across the toy community: the Toymaster selection committee were discussing it at breakfast while out and about at a series of 2024 previews this week (one of their number guessed correctly who it was), while Gary Grant phoned me from his annual fishing trip to check who I was referring to. He also wanted to make a point about last week’s overall ‘half-time team talk’ theme, namely that nobody wins anything in the first half – and of course he is absolutely right. As ever, we won’t know how 2024 will finish up until the final whistle blows on New Year’s Eve, and frankly anything can happen between now and then (and probably will).

Another interesting talking point on LinkedIn this week has been the new Toys R Us concessions that have opened in a selection of WHSmith stores recently. A few people have started to visit the stores and have shared their experience – and being completely honest, the majority seem distinctly underwhelmed. Some observed that the departments were tucked away in a corner upstairs and didn’t feel particularly consumer-friendly (let alone kid-friendly). There was apparently even a demo table at one store, without a demo toy to be seen. Midco’s Dave Middleton was fascinated by another facet of the in-store merchandising approach, posting: “I know shoplifting is an issue guys, but every single item wrapped in security tags… and 15 CCTV signs on 29m of shelving! Felt like poor Geoffrey was either in a maximum security prison or had become so paranoid that he had an obsessive compulsive disorder.”

Some suggested the ‘maximum security’ approach indicated a combination of a lack of investment in staff and societal issues – and to be fair, there is no doubt that shoplifting has become an even greater problem in the current economic climate; grocery stores now security tag everything from steaks to baby food. Although I tend to agree with Mark Hillier, who suggested that the heavy security presence is likely to mean that all the stock is on consignment.

Looking for some positives, there is a general feeling that it is a better toy offering than WHSmith has had for a long while (albeit that’s arguably fairly faint praise…) but I will leave the last word to Kim Carter: “There’s nothing that sets it apart from the rest of the market. If you are going to offer something new, make it different, not more of the same.” The overall consensus seems to be a feeling of missed opportunity – although the proof of the pudding will be whether the departments manage to shift a respectable volume of toys. On that score, I guess time will tell…

One retailer that has been shifting a decent volume of products – including toys – is B&M, which saw its revenue increase by 13.5% to exceed £1b during the last quarter. I don’t think it will come as a great surprise to anyone that retailers which have a strong value proposition are thriving – but B&M’s toy offering certainly has a lot more than just good pricing going for it. And the news this week that Argos will be closing 100 more stores over the next year won’t exactly hurt either – and I am sure that other toy retailers will feel the same way.

Elsewhere this week, the BTHA welcomed John Adams’ Simon Pilkington as its new chairman, while HTI’s Colin Houlihan was appointed vice chairman. Congratulations to them both, I am sure they will do a fine job. We also reported on a host of changes being made to this year’s DreamToys event. While the date remains the same (7th November), it’s all change in terms of both the venue and the format, which I think is a good move. It was time for a fresh approach, especially in the way the list is presented – and the Top 20 format feels a good way to go.

I just returned from holiday in time to attend industry stalwart Simon Hedge’s funeral yesterday: there was a tremendous turnout, with many former Flair colleagues and industry friends joining his friends and family to pay their respects and swap stories about an undoubted larger-than-life character. The service captured the essence of Simon perfectly – while it is always sad to lose someone so young, it was certainly not a sombre occasion, more a celebration of someone who was clearly well-loved and respected by so many in the toy community.

Finally, my thanks to everyone for their lovely comments on my LinkedIn post about our company turning 12 on 1st July. On that date in 2011, Alakat Publishing was officially launched – two months later, the very first issue of Toy World landed on desks and the rest, as they say, is history. We’re very much looking forward to our 12th birthday edition this September, which is already shaping up to be an absolute belter. However, the date the company physically came into being is still an important one: it was the day everything changed – a fresh start and the beginning of something very special for me and Anita. Thanks to everyone who has helped us along the way – our staff, readers, advertisers, contributors and anyone who has shared information that we should know about. You have all helped us to get to where we are today. There’s much more to come from us too…. we have never been in better shape, and we have the best team we’ve ever had.

And we are lucky enough to be covering a market we are all passionate about – it may not always be easy, although what industry is at the moment? But when I read all the amazing comments from people who appreciate the contribution we make to the toy community, it really does make it all worthwhile. Just as Kim Carter said about Toys R Us, we knew we had to offer something different, not just more of the same. I think it’s fair to say that we have managed to do that.