Several JLG clients had a presence at Toy Fair New York earlier this week. The annual tradeshow is the largest toy, game, and youth entertainment product marketplace in the Western Hemisphere. The event featured 440,000 net square feet of exhibit space and hundreds of thousands of toys, games, and youth entertainment products.
Miffy
U.S. master plush partner Douglas debuted a beautiful and robust assortment of Miffy plush and baby products at the show. The plush range included a variety of sizes, colorways and fabrication with beautiful patterns and finishes that were well received by visitors to the Douglas booth. The new Miffy plush collection is set to launch Fall 2020. Miffy also made an exciting appearance at the Douglas booth over the weekend, generating buzz and engagement with fans at the show.
The World of Eric Carle
North American toy partner, Kids Preferred, exhibited a grand assortment of developmental toys, plush, baby/infant soft books and accessories, ride-ons and musical instruments, among other products.
Insect Lore showcased their product lines that create an interactive learning experience of the metamorphosis process of butterflies. The wonderful integration of Eric Carle’s own Very Hungry Caterpillar has been a sales driver for the company.
At the University Games booth, their Eric Carle portfolio delivered on both educational content and fun. The different offerings allow for broad distribution of puzzles and games inspired by multiple Eric Carle titles. Top performing accounts include Walmart, Fred Meyer, Barnes & Noble and Kohl’s.
The Magna-Tiles Eric Carle program made its debut at Toy Fair. The stackable tiles are decorated with some of Eric Carle’s most famous characters and illustrations. The new line was designed and vetted by early childhood educators and also includes an activity sheet. The collection received a great response at the show and seven skus will launch at Target in March.
Additional World of Eric Carle licensees with a presence at the show included KidKraft, Mudpuppy, Basic Fun and Leap Year Publishing, who all debuted new products.
44 Cats
Hedstrom previewed initial concepts from their strongest selling items, including their hopper and bop combo, featuring the 44 Cats characters.
Primary Colors delivered delicious shortbread cookies featuring “The Buffycats.” Additional sweet goodies featuring 44 Cats will include cotton candy and a ‘healthier for you’ granola snack offering.
Bandai, US toy licensee for 44 Cats, displayed figures, playset and plush.