President of Disney Consumer Products to Speak at PlayCon

April 16, 2013 By

bobchapekBob Chapek, president of Disney Consumer Products, has just been added to the lineup of industry professionals slated to speak at this year’s annual PlayCon, which will be held in Scottsdale, Ariz. from May 6 through 8.

Chapek will share his vision for driving future growth at Disney Consumer Products. He will also discuss the recent acquisition of Lucasfilm and the integration of Star Wars into the portfolio of franchises, which includes Disney Princess, Toy Story, and The Avengers.

For more info on PlayCon and its speakers, click here.

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New Video: Toy Story Characters in Toymation

October 6, 2011 By

Let your imagination soar with Disney•Pixar’s new space-themed “Toymation” video. The video features the Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Command Center and other action figures from Mattel.

In the video, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and sidekick Rex venture into outer space to battle the evil Emperor Zurg. Using stop-motion animation, this video combines old techniques with new concepts to create a modern animated short for Toy Story fans everywhere.

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Disney to Continue Expanding Retail Presence and Products

June 13, 2011 By

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is set to release new product developments in each of its properties within the next year.

Disney Baby: Disney is investing in this property by creating a two-way dialogue with new moms on a digital platform, social media, product seeding and a loyalty program. The first Disney Baby concept store will open in fall 2012 at The Americana at Brand in Glendale, Calf.

Disney-Pixar Cars and Toy Story: The Cars franchise has generated global retail sales of more than $10 billion. Cars 2 retail merchandise began to roll out globally in mid-May and DCP will continue to support the franchise with a wide assortment of products next year. Cars Toons will be previewed before Cars 2 in movie theaters and will also be in heavy circulation on Disney Channel. Summer 2012 will mark the opening of “Cars Land,” a 12-acre stretch of new interactive entertainment development at Disney’s California Adventure. Toy Story will also be developed as Toy Story Toon along with Cars.

Mickey Mouse and Winnie The Pooh: One of Disney’s most popular characters, Mickey Mouse remains a top-selling franchise with projections set at $9 billion global retail sales for fiscal year 2011. Winnie The Pooh returns to the big screen in the U.S. next month with anticipated success due to positive sales from the European release earlier this year. The Winnie The Pooh: What’s A Bear To Do? Puzzle Book app has topped the sales charts for the iPhone and iPad in 12 countries.

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Report: European Toy Sales Increase 5 Percent, U.S. Remains Unchanged

August 9, 2010 By

According to The NPD Group, although traditional toy sales in the United States remained unchanged during the first half of this year, revenue growth in Europe’s five largest toy markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK) experienced a 5 percent increase for the first half of 2010.

In the U.S., revenue totaled $7.771 billion from January 2010 to June 2010 compared to $7.748 billion generated during the same time period in 2009. In Europe, the UK experienced 8 percent growth, followed by Spain with 6 percent growth, Germany with 4 percent, France with 3 percent, and Italy with 2 percent, during the first half of 2010.

For the first half of this year, NPD EuroToys noticed that market growth was driven in part by sales of outdoor and sports toys. NPD EuroToys analysts also anticipate continued growth for Toy Story-licensed toys.  As of June, Star Wars is the No. 1 license for traditional toys in Europe, and Toy Story is the year’s fastest-growing license.

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Toy Story Becomes UK’s Fifth-Largest Toy License

July 19, 2010 By

The NPD Group has reported that Toy Story has become the UK’s fifth-largest toy license, and the best selling movie-based license this year to date. Research from the group shows that licensed Toy Story 3 toys have sold an estimated £11m at retail in the UK during the first six months of 2010. Toy Story 2 toy sales in the UK totaled £7m over the comparable 25-week time period in 2000.

By category, Toy Story action figures topped the list of sales, representing almost one-third of all Toy Story toys sold in the UK. Other top categories included building sets, outdoors and sports toys, youth electronics, and games/puzzles.

Toy Story 3 released in the UK on Monday, July 19 (today).

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Video: John Lasseter Talks Mr. Potato Head

June 21, 2010 By

Timed with the release of Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3, Disney Consumer Products has released John Lasseter Talks Toys Vol. 7: Mr. Potato Head on its YouTube channel, Disney Living. The video is the latest in a series of profiles on the Toy Story characters. The series was launched last fall, prior to the release of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3-D.

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Toys “R” Us Premieres Dedicated Toy Story Boutiques

June 3, 2010 By

In celebration of the anticipated theatrical release of Toy Story 3, Toys “R” Us is debuting dedicated Toy Story 3 boutiques, in all of its nearly 1,300 toy stores in 34 countries around the world.

The boutiques, which are open across the U.S., are filled with an assortment of Toy Story-inspired toys, including action figures, construction sets, role play accessories, musical instruments, and electronic devices. Similar sections will open in Toys “R” Us stores around the world, coinciding with the movie’s release in each respective country.

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There’s Still Time to Win Ten Years of TOTY Prizes

February 25, 2010 By

Last week, the Toy Industry Foundation celebrated Ten Years of the Toy of the Year Awards, and the organization is giving Toy Story and Pixar fans an opportunity to win the event’s drawing prizes.

Contestants can enter to win a complete Toy Story collection donated by LEGO, or a signed, limited-edition print of concept art from John Lasseter’s short, Luxo, Jr. (1986). Luxo, Jr. was the first film produced by Pixar animation studios after its establishment as an independent film studio. Only 86 framed, hand-numbered editions prints were produced, and the prize comes with a certificated of authenticity and is signed by Lasseter.

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