Page 8 - Toy & Hobby Retailer Magazine Mar-Apr 2019
P. 8

NEWS
FROM THE NEWS DESK
IN BRIEF
◗ CHEERS! SPIELWARENMESSE TOYCOCKTAIL NAMED
‘Pill-toy-rika’ from Gasthaus Pillhofer was crowned as the annual ToyCocktail for the 2019 Spielwarenmesse.
The 15-year tradition which is part of the ToyCity initiative, invites bars in Nuremburg to participate in the competition to create a cocktail for the international visitors of the fair.
Shirley Bleisteiner from Gasthaus Pillhofer took out the win by impressing four judges with the flavour, appearance and aroma of the ‘Pill-toy-rika’.
Bleisteiner said that she was surprised she won.
“I’m really surprised I came
first. It’s fantastic that my creation won
the 15th ToyCocktail competition and
has been chosen for the anniversary edition of the
Spielwarenmesse,” she said. The cocktail was served
at nine bars around Nuremberg from 30
January to 03 February.
Sesame Workshop to extend reach after Lego grant
THE Lego Foundation extended its generosity to the Sesame Workshop in December, giving it a $100 million grant.
The money will go towards helping children affected by the Rohingya and Syrian refugee crises.
Director of Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia Sesame Workshop, Will DePippo, said that the trust the Lego Foundation placed in Sesame Workshop would help them to support children displaced now and in the future.
“We are humbled by the trust and confidence the Lego Foundation has placed in us.
“Together we can forge a legacy for children worldwide affected by displacement, today and for generations to come.
“Just as the Lego Foundation’s grant makes this vital work possible, we could not continue to help children around the world without your support. For your ongoing generosity and partnership, our sincere thanks,” he said.
With the funding from the Lego Foundation, through partnerships
with media businesses in Bangladesh and Syria, Sesame Workshop will use Sesame Street content to educate children through play, providing them with the skills and care they need to overcome adversity. Sesame Workshop will also develop and test a ‘Learning through Play’ model which will be designed to transform early childhood education in the humanitarian sector.
In 2018, Sesame Workshop was also granted $100 million from the MacArthur Foundation, which enables it to reach children in the Middle East. ❉
◗ ZURU ACQUIRES SPARKLE GIRLZ
New Zealand toy business, Zuru, announced its acquisition of the Sparkle Girlz doll brand from Funville in January.
Developed 10 years ago by Danuta Saville, Sparkle Girlz brought magic, imagination and sparkle into the doll category.
COO of Zuru, Anna Mowbray, said that the brand slots in seamlessly with the existing Zuru portfolio.
“The brand is a perfect fit to the Zuru model. Exceptional quality and design at affordable prices.
“I see so much synergy between what Danuta and John Saville have developed alongside the passion, creativity and business success of Zuru.
“We have exciting product development plans and marketing initiatives that we know will rapidly grow and elevate the brand and look forward to adding this range to our girls’ portfolio.”
Fortnite Monopoly best-seller on Amazon
THE Fortnite Edition of Monopoly proved to be the best selling toy on Amazon Australia during the holiday shopping season (23 November to 21 December), according to data from the platform.
Following Fortnite Monopoly, Crayola’s Skinnies Markers were the second best-selling item, while the best-selling brand overall in the toy category was Lego, with consumers particularly liking the Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall set and the Star Wars Advent Calendar set.
Baby toys were also popular during the sales, with Fisher Price and Tomy being named as the top-selling brands overall in the baby toys category.
Country manager of Amazon Australia, Rocco Braeuniger, said that the Amazon selection increased significantly during 2018 and this helped bolster strong Christmas sales.
“We were delighted to see so many Australian
customers shopping across all categories on Amazon.com.au in the run up to Christmas and indeed the number of customers that took advantage of the great savings available during our Boxing Day Sale Event.
“Our first year in Australia saw us increase selection fivefold to over 100 million products and introduce many new products and services for customers to enjoy great value, convenience and selection on Amazon.com.au.”
During the Boxing Day sales, Lego remained the top-selling brand, however the most popular sets were the Lego Minifigures Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts collectible toy series.
These best-selling items and brands were foreshadowed by Amazon’s Black Friday sales, in which Fortnite Monopoly was also the best-selling toy and Lego was the best selling brand. ❉
8 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER MARCH / APRIL 2019


































































































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