christmas 2015: uk hottest toys - fung business … · · 2016-09-06christmas 2015: uk hottest...

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DEBORAH WEINSWIG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR–HEAD OF GLOBAL RETAIL & TECHNOLOGY [email protected] US: 917.655.6790 HK: 852.6119.1779 CN: 86.186.1420.3016 Copyright © 2015 The Fung Group. All rights reserved.

HOLIDAY 2015

Christmas 2015: UK Hottest Toys

D E B O R A H W EI N S W I G E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r – H e a d o f G l o b a l R e t a i l & T e c h n o l o g y F u n g B u s i n e s s I n t e l l i g e n c e C e n t r e d e b o r a h w e i n s w i g @ f u n g 1 9 3 7 . c o m U S : 6 4 6 . 8 3 9 . 7 0 1 7 H K : 8 5 2 . 6 1 1 9 . 1 7 7 9 C N : 8 6 . 1 8 6 . 1 4 2 0 . 3 0 1 6

TOP TOYS:

• My Friend Freddy

• Once Upon a Time Princess Rose Peppa

• Real FX Slotless Racing with Artificial Intelligence

• Skate & Sing Elsa

• Minions Tumblin’ Stuart

• 3D Maker

• i-‐Que Intelligent Robot

• Star Wars Ultimate FX Kylo Ren Lightsaber

• Thunderbirds Interactive Tracy Island

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Giant Leonardo Playset

• LEGO City Deep Sea Exploration Vessel

• Nerf Modulus

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HOLIDAY 2015

Christmas 2015: UK Hottest Toys The countdown to the most exciting holiday of the year has begun, with the “number of sleeps” left to Christmas shrinking quickly. Shopping lists have been made, store visits planned out and days off from work scheduled. Many commentators and industry experts—including us—have already released their projections for holiday spending this year. FBIC Global Retail & Technology estimates that UK Christmas retail sales will rise by 2.9% year over year, as we outline in our separate, recent report, UK Christmas 2015 Forecast.

Figure 1. Estimated UK Average Spending on Christmas per Household

Source: YouGov/FBIC Global Retail & Technology

Based on data from market research firm YouGov, average spending per household on Christmas was £604 (US$981) in 2014. We estimate it will go up to £622 (US$1,010) this year.

Exchanging gifts is a big part of the season, and the animated run-‐up to Christmas Day, the sight of gifts under the tree, and the thrill of unwrapping the newest toy or latest gadget excite adults just as much as they do children.

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HOLIDAY 2015 T IS FOR THE TOYS BENEATH THE TREE SO TALL Toys are big business, and never more so than at Christmas. The UK toy market was worth £3 billion (US$4.9 billion) in 2014, according to the British Toy and Hobby Association.

Toy retailers Hamleys and Toys “R” Us released lists of their top picks earlier this year, and general retailers Argos and Tesco also announced their predictions of which toys will be hot sellers for the holidays. We have included their lists, and others’, in the appendix at the end of the report.

To provide some insight into what lies ahead in the season, here is FBIC Global Retail & Technology’s list of the top toys for this year. We profile some of these later in this report:

The most sought-‐after toys all seem to share three attributes: they are interactive, electronic and tactile. Two of the most popular technologies this year—3D printing and artificial intelligence—have also made their way into the world of toys.

YOUNGER KIDS’ FAVORITES: AND PRINCESS ROSE PEPPA Two of the most popular toys for toddlers come with interactive features that create a more engaging experience for the child. My Friend Freddy is a cuddly teddy bear that can be connected to a free app on a smart device. Parents can customize the app so that Freddy can know all about their child’s likes and dislikes and behave like a real friend.

Princess Rose Peppa is from the Peppa Pig animated TV series for preschool children. When the toy’s hands are held, it plays the rhyme “Ring-‐a Ring-‐a Roses” as children would sing it if they held hands to play the game.

Source: Myfriendfreddybear.co.uk/Smythstoys.com

• My Friend Freddy • Once Upon a Time Princess Rose Peppa • Real FX Slotless Racing with Artificial Intelligence • Skate & Sing Elsa • Minions Tumblin’ Stuart • 3D Maker • i-‐Que Intelligent Robot • Star Wars Ultimate FX Kylo Ren Lightsaber • Thunderbirds Interactive Tracy Island • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Giant Leonardo

Playset • LEGO City Deep Sea Exploration Vessel • Nerf Modulus

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HOLIDAY 2015 MOVIE/TV-‐THEMED Princess Elsa’s character from Frozen is still a hot favorite, and this year, she not only sings, but also skates! The Skate & Sing Elsa is operated via remote control, and can skate and spin while singing the popular number “Let It Go” from the movie.

With the release of the Minions movie this year, Despicable Me’s franchise is still quite strong in the market. One of the main characters, Stuart, has been made into his own toy, Tumblin’ Stuart. Other popular movie-‐themed toys are the Star Wars Ultimate FX Kylo Ren Lightsaber, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Giant Leonardo Playset and various dinosaur toys, which have regained popularity with the release of Jurassic World this year.

The Thunderbirds Interactive Tracy Island playset is a high-‐tech version of its more basic predecessor that was popular in the 90s.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS AND MATHEMATICS (STEAM) Toys in this category have emerged from parents’ demand that their children’s minds be stimulated during playtime. In response, toymakers have introduced toys that incorporate STEAM into kids’ fun. Some of the popular toys in this category this year are:

Source: Christmastoysite.com

Source: Hamleys.com

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HOLIDAY 2015 • Kinetic Sand—This new-‐age Play-‐Doh can be shaped and

molded easily. • 3D Maker—This toy introduces the concept of 3D printing

to children by letting them place colored gel into a mold. The mold is then placed into the 3D station for setting and the shape can be held and built on once it has completely set.

• i-‐Que Intelligent Robot—This robot can play games, make jokes and sound effects, and understand a few questions when paired with a smart device.

• Real FX Slotless Racing with Artificial Intelligence—This system’s remote-‐controlled toy race cars have the added feature of being able to detect a dynamic racetrack. Players can change the tracks into any shape and terrain they want.

CHEEKY PETS Toy pets that can speak and make noises are perennial favorites with kids. CleverKeet, a talking toy bird that can sing, dance, talk and swing, comes with its own playground. The Ugglys Pet Shop Dirty Dog Wash Van is described by its manufacturer, Moose Toys, as being “full of nastiness for [kids] to discover!” The van can make over 30 unpleasant noises when the dogs are dipped in the tub or placed on the toilet seat, which kids big and little will find hilarious.

Source: Ique-‐robot.co.uk/Thetoyshop.com

Source: Thetoyshop.com

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HOLIDAY 2015 ALL-‐TIME CLASSICS Some toys will always be popular just because they are from Disney, such as Disney’s Descendants toys. Others will be perennial hits because they are reminiscent of a popular fairytale, such as Hair Glow Rapunzel, or just because they have become a household favorite, like the Barbie Saddle ’n’ Ride Horse & Doll. LEGO playsets will always be best sellers because they are known to harness creativity, and their increased popularity since the release of The LEGO Movie in 2014 has carried over to this year.

POSH TOYS There are some high-‐end, expensive toys on Hamleys’ list of top picks this year that will make impressive presents for some lucky kids. Playskool’s Kota the Triceratops puts a new spin on the rocking horses that young children used to play with. First, it can move its horn, tail, head and mouth, performing various actions according to how a child plays with it. It can also wiggle and make noises if its belly is rubbed and “chew” the leaves that come with it when the child places them in its mouth. Priced at a whopping £750 (US$1,218), this one dinosaur could break many parents’ budgets.

A drivable Batmobile toy car may be a suitable alternative for the affluent who do not want to go overboard with the pricey Triceratops. Priced at a much lower £250 (US$406), this toy can potentially self itself because of the popularity of the Batman franchise.

Source: Thetoyshop.com/Smythstoys.com

Source: Home.bt.com/Yorkshirepost.com

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HOLIDAY 2015 Deborah Weinswig, CPA Executive Director—Head of Global Retail & Technology Fung Business Intelligence Centre New York: 917.655.6790 Hong Kong: +852 6119 1779 [email protected] Filippo Battaini [email protected]

Amanda Byrne [email protected] Marie Driscoll, CFA [email protected]

John Harmon, CFA [email protected]

Aragorn Ho [email protected]

John Mercer [email protected]

Shoshana Pollack [email protected]

Kiril Popov [email protected]

Jing Wang [email protected]

Steven Winnick [email protected]

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christmas 2015: uk hottest toys - fung business … · · 2016-09-06christmas 2015: uk hottest...

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