NEWS

Updating and innovating at Hunter Price

Published on: 9th March 2020

2020 to be “a huge step change year” with expansion in the toy category, a raft of senior hires and a partnership with Warner Bros.

Hunter Price entered 2020 with ambitious plans for the toy category, bolstered by a raft of high-profile hires and a new partnership with Warner Bros. Toy World spoke to commercial director Jeremy Winburn to find out what lies in store for the company.

Jeremy told Toy World: “It’s ‘showtime’ in more ways than one for Hunter Price right now, not only in terms of the international trade shows we’ve been exhibiting at. 2020 is a huge step change year for us; one in which we can really start to show the world what we’re capable of when it comes to attractively priced, innovative and on-trend consumer products, as well as the added value service we offer. What’s happening right now is the culmination of 18 solid months of brand planning and strategising.”

The company has teamed up with Orb Toys, a company which it considers a true innovator when it comes to creative play, enabling Hunter Price to offer something tangibly different for the UK toy market, in the form of exclusive collections and product formats.

The company has recently signed a partnership with Warner Bros. and Jeremy told Toy World: “We have great depth and scope within our agreement to explore many product categories, from toys, craft, stationery and pet, to bags, home accessories, outdoor play and inflatables. From the classic portfolio, there’s the likes of Looney Tunes – 2020 marks Bugs Bunny’s 80th birthday – as well as new films for Scooby Doo and Tom & Jerry. In DC, there’s Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Super Hero Girls and Justice League, plus many more. In addition, Friends continues to grow in popularity and we’re having lots of fun developing some great ranges.“

Jeremy added: “Our licensed offering and partnerships with the likes of Warner Bros. enable us to create bespoke collections for individual retail partners, which are topical, relevant and in-demand. We want to be known for innovative, design-led products, at a great price. It’s important to note that Hunter Price will never brand-slap. You can’t get a water blaster or frisbee and slap a sticker on it these days, it simply won’t work. Our in-house design team means we can develop tailored ranges to meet the needs of the retailer and consumer, whether that’s at a particular price point, design style or product category.”

The company has been busy renovating its Manchester HQ and the showrooms at the HQ will also be relaunched; cleverly built in such a way that individual, portable bays can be constructed to show retailers what a range will look like in-store, once product is on the shelf. A team of six full-time designers is ready to develop and bring ranges to life for each retailer. “The ability to visualise how something will look in shops before it’s even finished is something a lot of other companies are lacking; for us, it’s one of the biggest Hunter Price USPs,” explained Jeremy.

To read the full interview from the March edition of Toy World, click here.

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