The toy recall crisis and a sliding economy made for a trying 2007 for the toy industry. In spite of the challenges heading into 2008, the industry’s biggest event, Toy Fair in New York, was deemed a success on many levels. Take a look at the numbers.
• Buyer attendance on opening day, Sunday, February 17, was 9,200, up 30 percent from last year. Registered were buyers from 3,900 retail outlets from 69 countries and six continents. They included QVC, Foot Locker, Hewlett-Packard, Harrods, Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond, Radio Shack and Spencer Gifts.
• 900 members of the press were there, too, compared to 300 on opening day 2007.
• A total of 51 global retail outlets (among the top 250 defined by accounting firm Deloitte & Touche) were registered – 10 percent more than last year. There were 1,200 exhibiting companies.
• TIA predicted that a total of 35,000 members of the toy industry and media would attend the four-day event.
Still a good source for product ideas
Specialty toy retailers reported spotting a number of creative and open-ended toys that would sell well in an independent store. Always a good resource is the “Share the Fair” list, compiled by members of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA). About 120 retailers met after the second day of exhibits to discuss and share “must see” products based on what they had observed on the show floor. Allen Brafman of Little Things Toy Store in Brooklyn moderated and championed the session from start to finish. The list is thorough and exciting. To download a copy, visit astratoy.org.
If you didn’t get a chance to attend the show yourself, we heard from TIA that trend spotters liked the abundance of green toys made from sustainable materials; active toys that that provide online instructions and incentive for offline play, and tech toys and science kits that allow kids to learn while performing simple science experiments.
The list of the Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award winners, an event sponsored by TIA, is another resource. Winners are chosen in a dozen categories. The top toys of 2007 are:
Toy of the Year: Air Hogs Havoc Heli Laser Battle from Spin Master
Most Innovative Toy of the Year: Smart Cycle Physical Learning from Fisher-Price
Infant/Preschool Toy of the Year: Moon Sand Adventure Island from Spin Master
Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year: Power Tour Electric Guitar from Tiger Electronics
Educational Toy of the Year: Smart Cycle Physical Learning from Fisher-Price
Activity Toy of the Year: LEGO City from LEGO Systems
Game of the Year: Rubik’s Revolution from Techno Source
Specialty Toy of the Year: Snap Circuits from Elenco
Outdoor Toy of the Year: RipStik Caster Board from RipStik USA
Girl Toy(s) of the Year: Littlest Pet Shop: Display & Play Round & Round Pet Town Playset from Hasbro and Troop Groovy Girls from Manhattan Toy
Boy Toy of the Year: Transformers Movie Deluxe Figures from Hasbro
Property of the Year: Hannah Montana
Safety
In New York, TIA’s board of directors unanimously endorsed the general direction of a proposal for a new toy testing and safety verification system for all toys sold in the U.S. market. Among its key elements are procedures for design hazard analysis, auditing manufacturing process controls, and product safety testing. The proposal was posted for public review and comment on ANSI.org/publicreview, the website of the American National Standards Institute. ANSI, coordinator of the U.S. standards and conformity assessment system, chaired the initiative and facilitated proposal development with the goal of strengthening the safety assurance systems for toys sold in the U.S. market. The deadline for public comment is March 24. After that, a final program proposal will be presented to the TIA board for final adoption and implementation. A timetable for putting the program in action will also be provided.
TIA President Carter Keithley noted that the program is aggressive, and that many companies in the toy industry are already implementing its safety assurance measures. He hopes that the industry-wide proposal will help to restore the confidence of American consumers in the safety of toys.
Not surprisingly, over 200 people – nearly double last year’s audience – attended TIA’s annual Safety Update Seminar at Toy Fair, featuring Nancy Nord, chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). |
More Protection for Retailers
In April, the CPSC Reform Act of 2007 is expected to be signed into law. It is designed to provide greater protection for children’s products, to improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products and to improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs. According to ASTRA Executive Director Kathleen McHugh, “It’s the bill that is most friendly to the toy industry, and one that attempts to establish federal standards that will supersede any state standards that are legislated around the country.”
McHugh met with Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) one of the bill’s co-sponsors, on March 18 after a press conference he held at The Toy Connection store in Crystal Lake, Illinois. They discussed specific language in the law and how it would affect retailers. McHugh reports that Senator Durbin promised to make sure that the language in the final federal law makes it clear that retailers cannot be held liable for safety violations committed by manufacturers. “He agreed that this is an important distinction and he appears sincere in his support of our position on it,” said McHugh.
She continued: “Senator Durbin committed to making a strong case for strong language that will establish the federal law as pre-emptive of all state laws on standards. Surprisingly, he was unaware that there is legislation on toy safety standards pending in 30 states. It seemed clear that the information I gave him about the various state efforts was of considerable concern to him, and he underscored the urgency in making the pre-emptive language clear and effective.” |
