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NRF Predicts U.S. Holiday Retail Sales Boom
Following months of back and forth peppered with unexpected wildcards and unusual uncertainty, the National Retail Federation (NRF) has unwrapped its annual holiday forecast. The NRF believes that all signs point to an overall U.S. retail sales increase of between 3.6-5.2% over November and December of last year. Should the predictions ring true, cash registers in the U.S. will ring between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion during the important holiday season. Read more…
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Netflix May Be Driving Barbie Sales as Pandemic Viewing Booms
Toy industry insiders may still be looking for the first massive hit toy line to spawn from a Netflix original series, but content from the streaming giant appears to be driving sales for one of the most famous existing brands in toys: Barbie. According to The NPD Group, the second season of Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures and the feature-length Barbie Princess Adventure managed to cause a spike in overall Barbie viewership for Netflix and influenced a spike in the doll aisle. Read more…
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Hasbro Issues Corporate Social Responsibility Update
Amid a year of change, Hasbro has delivered an update to its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. The report outlines progress in the company’s advancements toward a variety of issues spanning sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and more. Additionally, the company detailed its reaction to changing environmental factors and how it’s been able to align its priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the incidents of social unrest that have taken place across the U.S. this year. Read more…
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FAO Schwarz Debuts New Holiday Experiences
FAO Schwarz is debuting new experiences for the holidays both online and at its flagship store at New York City’s famed Rockefeller Plaza. The addition of new collaborations with Funko, Sesame Workshop, and Iron Studios follows the recent addition of a holiday partnership with Jimmy Fallon’s celebration of his new book — 5 More Sleeps ‘til Christmas — in which FAO is donating a toy to St. Jude Children Research Hospital for every book sold at FAO and by featuring “Fallon’s Favorites” top toy picks in-store and online. Read more…
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Melissa & Doug, ViacomCBS Ink Licensing Deal for PAW Patrol, Blue’s Clues & You! Toys
A group of colorful TV canines will soon adorn toys from a company that’s not known for licensed fare. Melissa & Doug inked a deal for an exclusive licensing partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to produce co-branded toy lines based on a pair of Nickelodeon hits: PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You! The new collection is currently in development and being planned for a fall 2021 release in time for the next holiday season. Read more…
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Ryan’s World Expands with Super Spy Ryan on Amazon Kids+
Ryan’s World continues to expand well beyond the realm of YouTube. Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch teamed up with Amazon Kids+ for a new original special, Super Spy Ryan. The live-action/animated hybrid will debut Nov. 27 on Amazon Kids+ in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. Families in Germany and Japan can enjoy the special beginning next month. Read more…
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People of Play Crowns 13th Annual TAGIE Awards, Young Inventor Challenge Winners
People of Play (formerly known as the Chicago Toy & Game Group) went virtual last week to reveal the winners of its 13th annual Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (TAGIES) and the annual Young Inventor Challenge (YIC). Read more…
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PlayMonster, Quinn & Sherry Launch Things App for Thanksgiving
Families can play the Things game with others remotely by picking a topic, coming up with a response, reading them out loud, and guessing who said what, all through their phone, tablet, or computer. The app features a Thanksgiving edition with an autumn backdrop, silly avatars, and 24 Thanksgiving-themed topics, such as “Things you shouldn’t announce at Thanksgiving dinner,” “Things the turkey said to the reindeer,” and “Things they are talking about at the kids table.” Read more…
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Have a Blue Christmas with the Bluey Holiday Special
The seasonal compilation episode will introduce two new characters — Frisky and Uncle Rad — in a new story, called “Christmas Swim.” The BBC series is a hit on Disney Junior and Moose Toys’ new product line is in demand this holiday season. Read more…
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It’s Toys, Turkey, and Terror in A Boglins Thanksgiving
The Boglins emerged from their slumber just ahead of Halloween and now the legendary crew of creeps from the 1980s are ready to make a mess out of Thanksgiving. In the third episode of Boglins Are Back, it’s “A Boglins Thanksgiving” as Tim Clarke continues to be taunted by the toys he co-created in the 1980s as they continue working toward their ultimate goal: World Domination. TriAction Toys‘ Kickstarter campaign to bring the Boglins was exclusively revealed by the Toy Book last month. Read more…
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Ahmet Zappa Plots the Return of Weird-Ohs Hot Rods
A high-octane product of 1960s-era monster madness, hot rodding, and kustom car culture is fueling up for a return to the mainstream. Ahmet Zappa‘s Monsterfoot Productions inked a deal with J. Lloyd International to acquire the rights to the Weird-Ohs monster hot rod model kits that were originally offered by the Hawk Model Co. beginning in 1963. MLGPC brokered the deal. Read more…
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Mighty Mojo Toys’ Joe Exotic-Inspired Puzzles Are Wild
Four new jigsaw puzzles from Mighty Mojo Toys will make you relive the memories of watching that Joe Exotic/Carole Baskin drama unfold — or give you something to do as you rewatch the show over the holiday season. The collection comes as part of the “Chunky Custard Puzzles” Super Stars Series. Read more…
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Mookie Toys Brings Scuttlebug, Scramblebug Ride-ons to the U.S.
Following their U.S. debut at Toy Fair New York last February, a pair of UK hits have officially arrived in the States. Scuttlebug and Scramblebug preschool ride-on toys — known affectionately as “the Bugs” — have been an evergreen part of the Mookie Toys lineup in the UK since 2014. With the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic fueling sales of outdoor toys, the Bugs experienced a sales boom overseas that is expected to propel their U.S. holiday launch. Read more…
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PAW Patrol Swings into Backyards with Swurfer
As the saying goes, “PAW Patrol is on a roll.” With production ramping up on next year’s PAW Patrol: The Movie, ViacomCBS and Spin Master have been extending the licensing program for the popular Nickelodeon series into new categories. The team of heroic pups is swinging into backyards this fall with a new line of swing sets from Flybar‘s Swurfer brand. Read more…
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Super7, Jada Toys, Gilson Join the Battle with G.I. Joe
In a 40-minute livestream, Hasbro’s G.I. Joe team served up updates on the iconic brand, including new licensing collaborations spanning designer toys, die-cast, and even winter gear. Read more…
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Kidfluencers Vlad and Niki Ink Deals with Entertainment Retail Enterprises, Evode Group
Vlad and Niki Vashketov — who already have deals with ZURU and Playmates Toys — are gearing up for brand expansion. The duo behind their namesake Vlad & Niki YouTube channel inked deals with Entertainment Retail Enterprises (ERE) and Evode Group Ltd. for branded fashions and other products around the world. Read more…
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Exploring The Negotiation Game on the ‘Power Kid Podcast’
In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Vance Withers and Wendy Munt, developers of The Negotiation Game, a method of training salespeople to communicate better value and demystify the buying process, specifically for those in the toy and game industries. Listen here...
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Catherine Frymark Joins Mattel as Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications
Mattel Inc. continues to make moves within its executive ranks with another new hire joining the El Segundo, California-based company behind Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, and the Masters of the Universe. Next month, Catherine Frymark will step into the role of executive vice president, corporate communications, for which she will oversee internal and external communications on a global level. Additionally, she will oversee Mattel’s philanthropic efforts, including the Mattel Children’s Foundation. Read more…
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