viewpoint
Editor’s
It’s Show Time Jackie Breyer editor in chief
C
Predicting Success in 2014
ome on, admit it. This is your favorite time of year. The hectic holidays are behind us and we get to start fresh with a new slate of toys and playthings. As trade journalists, we, too, see the same products for months on end, so by the time we actually get to Christmas and the commercials are running non-stop, nothing seems new anymore and we are craving new toys to play with (we’re all just big kids, honestly). People were complaining about the lack of a “hot” toy in 2013. Perhaps one of the booths at this year’s trade shows holds something that will spark the demand the industry is craving. The youth electronics category was up more than 30 percent last year, and my prediction is that 2014 holds for us even more tablets and appcessories. I’m waiting for this category to hit its saturation point, but it appears we have a bit more time before we get there. Rainbow Loom was certainly hot earlier in the year and provided traffic to specialty retailers. As you’ll read on page 52, it was Rainbow Loom-specific traffic—people were not settling for other types of crafts when Rainbow Loom was sold out—but it created awareness for these local toy retailers, who will hopefully continue to see these new customers throughout 2014. And while the demand was indeed for Rainbow Loom only, some consumers who never thought their kids would be interested in something as traditional as bracelet making were surprised to see their tablet-toting, video game-playing kids concentrating on how to make new designs on their Rainbow Loom. Hopefully, this will result in more activities sales down the road. While retailers are traveling the world this month to source new products, manufacturers are looking to expand their distribution. The bulk of this issue is dedicated to Spielwarenmesse, featuring columns and stats from global
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
toy experts, as well as new products from manufacturers near and far. Our coverage begins on page 14. If you haven’t visited www.toybook.com lately, or our consumer site www.toyinsider.com, be sure to take a few minutes to check them out. Heading into the holidays (and all year long when we’re not quite so buried in Toy Fair issues), we spend a lot of time playing with and reviewing new toys. Our main goal is to spread awareness for great new products. If there’s a new toy or plaything you’d like to see reviewed, send an email to jbreyer@adventurepub.com. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 5