ToyNews Toy industry news: business, marketing, retail, wholesale and distribution
Wicked Vision is so much more than a toy company. The words spoken to ToyNews from across a Zoom chat blighted by lawnmowers passing by an open window one end of the conversation, and a WiFi that had all but given up on the other. It wasn’t just for emphasis …
Read More »Zuru’s global marketing director Renee Lee: “We are investing more in the UK market and globally than ever before”
While the lockdown forced the temporary closure of toy shops the world over, it was far from being a quiet time for an industry that, boosted by families spending more time together and in need of home entertainment, and a spell of freakishly good weather here in the UK, found …
Read More »The Railway Children: How Hornby is keeping it fresh at one hundred
It is to be expected of a man who has spent much of his coming up 50- year career within the toy industry surrounded by the hobby, that Simon Kohler, marketing and development director at Hornby Hobbies is more than a little into toy trains. What you might not expect …
Read More »The magical mystery toys: Marvin Berglas on the global renaissance of magic
That Marvin’s Magic has detailed a return to its roots some 30 years into serving the magic tricks market with some of the scene’s most enduring products, makes for an interesting narrative for the industry treasure. When it comes to magic, it’s often the best measure to assume there’s very …
Read More »Panda Mony Toys: “It seems to me that kids aren’t respected by the entertainment industry”
The independent US outfit, Panda Mony Toys has made it its mission in recent years to shake up the action figure market, a space it believes has “become stagnant with toy companies chasing the big comic book and movie franchises” with the launch of its original IP, Alter Nation. Earlier …
Read More »Hipster vibes: Hippychick’s Julia Minchin on 20 years of success and building a sustainable future
The kitchen table story is one wellknown within the toy industry, perhaps more so than any other, for the simple reason that for those of a particular mindedness – the likes of which are intrinsically drawn to this line of business – play comes naturally. Beyond the literal act of …
Read More »Core Strength: How Orchard Toys maintains its grasp on the traditional
While Orchard Toys may currently be watching the dust settle around the successful launch of its first app-enabled pre-school game, Sound Detectives, this UK educational game specialist insists “it’s never felt any pressure to align itself with that digital space” the game sits within. It’s despite the surge in growth of …
Read More »It’s easy being green: Bigjigs talks sustainability
In the toy space its a rare find for a company to eschew plastics in favour of higher quality, sustainable materials but wooden toy firm Big Jigs believe it is the only way forward. We sat down with operations director, Sam Ireland to find out more.
Read More »Japanorama: Yo-Kai Watch studio Level-5 abby talks Asmodee partnership and video game licensing
With new partnerships in the toy space flooding in, Level-5 abby is looking to bring japanese game properties to the mainstream with an impressive slate of new IP. Here, we sit down with Sandrine de Raspide, senior vice president of licensing and marketing to find out more.
Read More »Lords of Light: Play Fusion CEO talks the Lightseekers launch
We sat down with Mark Gerhard to discuss Play Fusion's ambitious new mixed reality platform that could revolutionise the toy industry.
Read More »