Page 8 - Toy & Hobby Retailer Magazine June-July 2020

Marching on in Melbourne
Over 4000 attendees thronged the halls of the Melbourne Toy Fair. Imogen Bailey reports on the products and the trends.
THE cherry on top of the toy fair season cake is the Australian Toy, Hobby & Licensing Fair. Taking place from 01-04 March this year, the local fair is the best way to end a whirlwind of shows around the world.
Over the four days of the fair, over 180 exhibitors showcased thousands of new products to 4,159 buyers and visitors. Despite COVID-19 being well and truly in everyone’s feeds by March – the toilet paper panic buying began while we were all at the fair – the show was upbeat as usual.
Looking to get a sneak peek into the products set to hit shelves this year, the Toy & Hobby Retailer team made our way around the fair to gather insights into what’s trending, what’s hot and what’s next in the Australian toy industry.
At the Goliath | Crown & Andrews stand – which sported a shiny, big, bright sign – Kate Thompson walked us through the Wahu brand refresh. The iconic outdoor brand now has new packaging and a refreshed logo to keep the products popping off the shelves.
The Rubik’s Cube is also celebrating its 40th year this year, so expect to see some exciting things happening for this heritage brand.
Hasbro was also celebrating an anniversary at the show. The iconic real-estate game, Monopoly, turns 85 in 2020 and the business is set to celebrate with a range of unique partnerships and product launches. Hasbro also has a lot in store for Nerf this year, with the Nerf Ultra line launching this year. The six-blaster line boasts the furthest flying Nerf dart to date, so bring
on the blaster battles. The business has also witnessed strong reception to its Nerf apparel and lifestyle products, which allows consumers to experience the brand in a new way.
Meanwhile, over at the Headstart stand, sustainability was a big focus, with the business launching its Resoftables line to the mass market. Each medium plush is made from 11 plastic bottles, with the first production run using one million bottles. The toys will be priced for the mass consumer, with the medium plush expected to retail for $20.
Wild Republic also introduced its sustainable plush line, Ecokins. 16 plastic water bottles
are used to create a 12” Ecokin, which also sports a recycled paper hang tag and comes in biodegradable packaging.
Sustainable plush was also a focus for Keycraft which was showcasing the Living Nature plush line, which uses recycled plastic as the stuffing. The business also had its popular impulse products on display, with the new collectible Lolli Putti wacky putty pops catching our attention.
Big Balloon was also showcasing plush, but for a different reason. The TY Katy Koala Beanie Boo made its debut at the fair. The plush, of which 100% of profits will be donated to WIRES to help bushfire victims recover, was announced in January at the height of the bushfire crisis.
“Hopefully, this special Beanie Boo will
8 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER MAY / JUNE / JULY 2020
AUSTRALIAN TOY HOBBY & LICENSING FAIR 2020