TOY FAIR NEW YORK 2019
KATHLEEN CAMPISANO
Vice President, Toys & Games, Barnes & Noble What trends will have the biggest impact on the toy industry in 2019 and beyond? The toy industry can certainly expect to see more innovative and creative ways of interpreting and delivering products that offer a “surprise inside.” With the success of franchises, such as Spin Master’s Hatchimals, MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L. Surprise!, and Funko’s Mystery Minis, it’s evident that combining the element of surprise with a unique reveal will continue to captivate kids. Another important and profoundly relevant trend is in STEAM products, or science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. This educational initiative needs the toy industry’s support to help make critical thinking, coding, programing, and problemsolving more fun. Manufacturers such as Thames & Kosmos, Wonder Workshop, and ThinkFun are leading the way in providing an opportunity for our industry to encourage kids with a lifelong love for the arts and sciences. What are your predictions for the state of toy retail this year? First, I think toy retail in 2019 will see a positive disruption driven by consumer demand for a reimagined shopping experience. Customers want more from their time in retail stores, and giving them a sense of journey and enjoyment while they shop is critical. Time in store will need to be time well spent! So, creating meaningful and relevant reasons to come into stores matters. Second, with access to information and the influence of social media, customers require complete transparency. They want to know who they are buying from, the policies around how things are made or manufactured, what causes they support, if they’re environmentally conscious, and more. Retailers need to openly share their policies, practices, and corporate values. The retailer that shares and communicates clearly who they are and what they stand for will be able to establish a mutual, longstanding relationship based on loyalty and value sharing.
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THE TOY BOOK | FEBRUARY 2019 | toybook.com
PAUL SOLOMON Co-CEO, Moose Toys
Several Moose Toys brands, such as Shopkins and Treasure X, are or will become licensed brands. How does this affect the way consumers interact with your brands? Licensing helps build brand affinity and longevity. You know that your product is resonating with kids when they want to incorporate it into their bedding, apparel, and other accessories. It’s exciting for both us and our consumers to have successful licensing programs across multiple categories, and for us to be able to collaborate with some of the world’s biggest brands on innovative product lines. These kinds of partnerships also ensure that fans of our brands have multiple ways of engaging with their favorite products—from apps and books to food and shoes, there is something for everyone. Surprise reveals were a big trend for collectibles last year. Where do you see the trend going this year? Moose Toys kickstarted the surprise reveal trend five years ago with the launch of Shopkins and the phenomenon that followed. It’s exciting to see how this category evolved, and it is certainly one of the most crowded aisles in the industry at the moment. We continue to see incredible innovation because toy companies are all trying to push the envelope to break out in what is now an incredibly competitive category. Moving into 2019, we will continue to push the boundaries with unique unboxing experiences and engaging reveals. Moose will continue to set the trends in this space, not follow them, and we are excited to reveal in a few months’ time what we believe will be the hottest toy this year as we get closer to the fall season. Moose Toys donated proceeds from Scruff-A-Luvs to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). How did the partnership come about, and what are your plans this year? It was a global initiative for us, and we partnered with animal rescue organizations around the world. We were able to take the play pattern of rescuing a plush pet and support amazing organizations that are doing this in real life. It’s such a genuine connection, and we love that we are in a position to give back to such an important cause.
