China Toy Fair


Nenuco Introduces New Soft-Body Baby Dolls

July 4, 2014 By
Nenuco & Her Little Sister

Nenuco & Her Little Sister

Nenuco, a European doll manufacturer, has crafted a line of soft-body baby dolls for little girls to feed, bathe, dress, and more. The line is available in three different personalities: My Little Nenuco, My First Nenuco Kisses, and a two-doll set, Nenuco & Her Little Sister.

  • My Little Nenuco, suitable for ages 2 and up, measures 14 inches long, smells sweet, and has a soft body. It arrives dressed in an animal design onesie, hat, shoes, and attached pacifier.
  • My First Nenuco Kisses, suitable for ages 2 and up, measures 16.5 inches long, and comes dressed in a pink and white striped top with pink-dotted pajama bottoms complete with matching striped footsies. [Read more...]
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MGA Introduces New Fashion Doll Line, Lalaloopsy Girls

June 16, 2014 By

LalaloopsyGirls.art1.lowresThe Lalaloopsy doll brand, from MGA Entertainment, will make its first foray into fashion dolls with Lalaloopsy Girls. The brand’s storyline centers on 10 characters who attend a special magic academy for girls, Lalaloopsy Academy for Learning Arts, aka L.A.L.A. Prep. There they take magic classes on topics such as cloud-sculpting, and share dorm rooms, secrets, and humorous life moments.

Lalaloopsy Girls will feature vibrantly-colored, 11-inch dolls with different fashions, and each doll will have lanyard hair that magically colors when streaked with cold water. In addition, each doll will come packaged with an extra outfit consisting of a personal, two-piece pajama fashion set, as well as two hair clips and a pet.

The original Lalaloopsy brand debuted four years ago with a suggested age range of 4 and up. According to Rachel Moshe, brand manager at MGA Entertainment, the new line is intended for the oldest girls in that age group.

“If you fell in love with the brand in 2010 and were four years old, that would now make you 8, so you’d probably be going into fashion dolls,” says Moshe. “So we thought it would be appropriate to launch a fashion doll line-up that keeps girls into the brand a little bit longer. This is really to add a doll line-up for the older girl–still not much older than the current Lalaloopsy consumer, but a little bit older than what we’d been targeting before.” [Read more...]

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Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association Launches New Consumer Website

May 28, 2014 By

BabySafetyZoneThe Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) has launched its online consumer safety resource, Baby Safety Zone (BSZ), an innovative community format that provides both the public and consumers with education and information that assist in the safe selection and use of juvenile products.

Through the website and its social media outlets, BSZ provides followers with safety videos, tips, information and resources from its partners and JPMA manufacturers. Visitors can create their own safe nursery by registering for JPMA-certified products, share pictures of their children and nurseries, communicate with other parents and caregivers, and obtain immediate recall information and updates.

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Toy Industry Association to Conduct 2014 Toy Industry Marketing and Promotions Study

May 4, 2014 By

The Toy Industry Association will conduct the 2014 Toy Industry Marketing and Promotions Study, its first-ever analysis of the industry’s advertising, marketing, and social media practices. The study will examine the promotional tools and techniques used by companies of all sizes, categories, and distribution channels.

Industry Insights Inc., the same firm that conducted the TIA’s Financial and Operating Benchmark Study and Compensation and Benefits Survey, will also conduct this study. TIA members can participate for free in an online survey or series of phone interviews until May 30.

The study will collect data on in-house vs. outsourced functions, trends and expectations for digital and traditional media, and the effectiveness of social media, among other topics. [Read more...]

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COMMENTARY: These New Japanese Toys and Games Aren’t Just for Kids, Part 1

April 18, 2014 By

Phil.April18.2014.1I may not be the biggest aficionado of Japanese pop culture, but I do consider myself a fan, having devoured lots of manga and anime over the years. What I also appreciate are the toys: Japan has some of the most exquisitely-made action figures and giant robots ever made, and in their native land, these items are generally aimed at adults.

Now when it comes to toys and games, Japan has long enjoyed a healthy foothold in North America—think of all the Pokémon, Hello Kitty, and Power Rangers products that have made their way over. So far in 2014, that trend has continued, with several new properties either just launching or expected to launch soon. But these are Japanese imports, meaning they’re sophisticated enough for grown-ups, even if they look like they’re for kids. [Read more...]

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Nintendo’s Tomodachi Life Looks to Breathe New Life into Social Media Gaming

April 10, 2014 By

82977A 3DS package_NOA_mOn June 6, Nintendo will release Tomodachi Life on its 3DS system. The game, which is set in an apartment building on an island, lets players create Mii avatars that represent themselves, as well as their closest friends and relatives, and to watch those characters behave and interact with each other.

Players check in on the Tomodachi Life characters on a regular basis, solving problems as they arise, which range from being hungry to sadness, to issues stemming from their love life. While players cannot control the decisions of the Miis, they can influence them.

Whenever the player makes a Mii character happy—for example, through purchasing them a gift from the in-game store—the player’s on-screen happiness level increases. They also receive in-game money that can be used to purchase more items for the Miis, and these items rotate on a daily basis. [Read more...]

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TOMY Launches Megabuild Junction For Kids to Show Off Cool Combos

March 18, 2014 By

MegabuildJunctionWith Megabuild Junction, TOMY provides a new resource for showcasing layouts, providing building instructions, and inspiring fans to explore ways to combine their Chuggington StackTrack playsets and track pieces.

At Megabuild Junction, users can find helpful suggestions and tricks courtesy of Chuggington’s toy team experts. Through photos and videos, they can also see what TOMY’s designers and other families have created, as well as share photos of their own builds, which will be posted on TOMY’s Facebook page. Users are also invited to join conversations taking place in social media.

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EDITOR’S VIEWPOINT: Reaching Consumers at Home

February 18, 2014 By

photoConsumers want to shop local. They want to support their communities and their neighbors’ businesses. Moms and dads truly want to keep their hard-earned dollars in their hometowns whenever possible. Small Business Saturday has 3.3 million likes on Facebook. At the very least, people like the concept of supporting their local retailers.

“Sure, Jackie, easy for you to say. Show me the business.” Of course there are obstacles. If you’re not seeing the sales levels you’d like, ask yourself why. I believe one of the main reasons has to do with awareness and remaining top of mind with your community. Even if you are doing the mailings, coupon booklets, and Penny Saver ads, that may not be enough. You need to reach moms where they are spending their precious free moments of the day and, for many, that place is online, on social media.

My community has a group for local moms on Facebook (dads are welcome, but remain in the minority). It has more than 5,000 members who live in my town and actively seek advice from the group on everything from parenting to what to do with kids locally to where to eat and shop for various things. I’ve noticed that when the topic turns to toys, the first place group members recommend is Fun Stuff Toys, a local toy retailer in Seaford, N.Y. that caters to the community. If your community has a group like this, I urge you to join—not to constantly promote your shop (no one will appreciate that), but to be an active member of your community and a trusted source of information when the conversation naturally (and no doubt frequently) turns to “What toy should I buy for a child’s birthday party?” and “What should I do with my kids this Saturday?” You will remain top of mind for busy parents who may just need that frequent reminder that you are the best source for toys in your community. Once you have their support and awareness, loyalty to your store and all that you offer should come easy.

This column was published in the February issue of The Toy Book. Check back regularly for more toy industry commentary from Jackie. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Toy Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!

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Moshi Monsters Village Launches on Mobile and Tablet

February 9, 2014 By

MoshiMonstersVillageThe world of Moshi Monsters is now available globally on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Moshi Monsters Village, developed by Mind Candy in collaboration with Tag Games, lets players embark on fun-filled 3-D quests to rescue captured Moshlings and defeat naughty Glumps in mini-games. The game also features Facebook social connectivity and friend code shares, so players can interact with their friends Moshi Monsters villages and see how they compare.

Moshi Monsters Village can be downloaded for free at the App Store, although some game items can be purchased for real money. Parents or players who do not want to use this feature are able to disable in-app purchases in their device’s settings. Google Play, Android, and Kindle versions of the game will be available this month.

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Toys “R” Us Introduces Lemon Smiles Challenge to Kick Off ALSF Campaign

June 3, 2013 By

Toys-R-Us-Logo copyToys “R” Us Inc. launched its third consecutive fundraising campaign to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer. From June 1 to July 31, monetary donations will be collected at all Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/AlexsLemonade. To kick off this year’s program, the company has introduced its Lemon Smiles Challenge, a social media campaign designed to encourage Facebook and Twitter users to spread awareness for ALSF by sharing photos of themselves, family, and friends smiling while biting into a lemon slice. Fans who would like to encourage others to do the same and grow the Lemon Smiles movement can share their smiles on the Toys“R”Us Facebook page at Facebook.com/Toysrus or tag @ToysRUs on Twitter using the #LemonSmiles hashtag.

Drawing inspiration from Alexandra “Alex” Scott, the founder of ALSF whose motto was “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” participants can show support for kids fighting cancer, ALSF, and all who continue to search for a cure. Diagnosed before her first birthday, Alexandra “Alex” Scott hosted lemonade stands to raise money to help kids like her until she lost her life to cancer at the age of 8. In 2005, her parents, Liz and Jay Scott, established ALSF to continue her dream of finding a cure for the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, about 11,630 children in the U.S. under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer this year alone. Through pediatric cancer research projects, supporting families affected by cancer, and encouraging kids to help other kids in need by hosting lemonade stands, the organization hopes to aid these children and their families, and–ultimately–find a cure. To date, Alex’s legacy has helped raise more than $60 million. [Read more...]

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