The race is almost run. The bell has rung, and we are on the final lap. With the likelihood of many companies breaking up and people getting paid today (that reminds me… add that to my long list of things to do by the end of the day), let’s hope for a strong end to the festive trading season.
Yet again, it’s been another rollercoaster ride – one week up, one week down. There doesn’t seem to be one standout toy in short supply – although I appreciate that can sometimes attract the ‘wrong’ kind of headlines for the toy industry as a whole, I am sure most retailers would love it if there was an old-school Cabbage Patch Doll or Teletubbies consumer frenzy happening right now. Indeed, it will be very interesting to see what the judges vote as Toy of the Year – I feel like there are strong favourites for brand and company of the year, but which product ends up with the coveted Toy of the Year prize is anyone’s guess.
The BTHA Retailer of the Year finalists were also announced this week – you can see which retailers have made this year’s shortlists here. Best of luck to all the nominees and I look forward to hearing who has emerged victorious at the ceremony at Toy Fair. I am usually part of the judging panel for several categories, but unfortunately I had to miss it this year for my final test at the hospital, where I was injected with a radioactive isotope – yes, for one day, I was like a real life Peter Parker (although no radioactive spiders were involved in the process).
On that note, I wanted to say a huge personal thank you to everyone who took the time to get in touch after last week’s health announcement. I have been genuinely touched by the sheer volume of lovely messages, which has been truly heartwarming. If a positive mindset is important to help navigate these situations, then the amount of support I have from the industry is helping enormously to contribute to that. It was also reassuring to hear from several people from the toy community who have been through a similar experience and come out the other side, as it shows just how far medical science has come in recent years.
Read the rest here.
