Page 13 - Toy & Hobby Magazine Feb-Apr 2021

2020 remembered in 1000-piece puzzle
Retail turnover rises 9.4% year-on-year
NEW Australian puzzle brand, People Who Puzzle, reflected on the craziness and absurdity of 2020 with a 1000-piece puzzle called Lockdown.
The hand-illustrated puzzle took 100 hours to draw and features a collection of 60 characters scattered throughout the urban scene, as well as an additional 20 ‘in the cloud.’
IN BRIEF
◗ HYBRID TOY & EDU CHINA SHOWS SET FOR MARCH
The Toy & Edu China, Baby & Stroller China and Licensing China shows are set to be complemented by a digital platform, as COVID-19 restricts global attendance. The 'E-connect 360' platform will support toy, baby product and licensing businesses across
the globe in exploring business opportunities in China, going hand-in-hand with the in-person events which will take place from 30 March to 1 April 2021
in Shenzhen. ‘E-connect 360’
will feature a series of digital solutions to boost business interaction and information exchange, as well as helping brands achieve greater exposure.
People are depicted engaging in activities that became synonymous with staying at home during lockdown: working and studying from home, baking, binge-watching TV, gardening, receiving home deliveries, walking the dog, hand sanitising, dancing on TikTok and doing jigsaw puzzles.
“I wanted the artwork
to reflect the absurdities
that we’ve all been through together, in a humorous way,” People Who Puzzle founder Dan Wakehurst said. ❉
◗ INVESTMENT
PROVES PIVOTAL
FOR BOOKTOPIA Booktopia’s investment in its distribution centre and automation paid off over Christmas, with the business recording the strongest December in its 16-year history. In a trading update, Booktopia reported that it shipped 728,000 units in December alone, while 4.2 million units were shipped in the first half to December 31 2020. The business reported a 52% increase in revenue to $113 million compared to $74.5 million in H1 FY20.
RETAIL sales across the board declined
in December, following large rises in November, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicated.
According to the figures, Australian retail turnover declined 4.1% in December, following a 7.1% increase in November.
However, when compared to December 2019, turnover rose 9.4%.
Speaking on the results, Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra said that the yearly comparison is a more accurate reflection of the state of retail.
“We knew Christmas this year would be a challenge, given the threat of the virus,
so it’s fantastic to see a year-on-year increase of 9.4%.
“The month-to- month data can be volatile, so we shouldn’t be disheartened
by the fact retail turnover fell 4.1% in December compared to November.
“The year-on-year figure is a more accurate reflection of what retailers experienced over Christmas compared to the previous year,” he said. ❉
FEBRUARY / MARCH / APRIL 2021 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER 13