 |  News13.05.2019 // Boosting book retail sales through fun and playA Conni game next to a plush Gruffalo beside a Raven The Little Rascal mini-puzzle, and the matching book for each: just what you’d expect to find in a child’s room. That’s why many booksellers automatically include games and toys in their offering – in confident anticipation of additional revenue. Mayersche and its “Teddy & Co.” brand
The German bookstore chain Mayersche Buchhandlung has made especially good progress in this regard: no other book retailer or bookstore chain puts as much effort into its game and toy business. The share of sales generated by the company in these segments was still below the ten-percent mark as of recently, but who knows: “Teddy & Co.”, the brand under which Mayersche consolidates all of its toy activities, is rapidly increasing its reach. The company converted further shop space last year to ensure a suitable offering for customers in every one of its 55 stores. Indeed, to a grand scale in eight of these – in Aachen, Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen, Cologne and Trier, the bookstore chain devotes 200 to 1,000 square metres to games and toys. Monika Kloss, who manages the segments centrally, states: “In many cities, Mayersche is often not only the largest bookstore, but also the largest toy seller in the area – many toy retailers have already moved away from top city centre locations.” If the bookstore chain soon completes its merger with Thalia, another big German bookstore chain, it might provide fresh impetus for the whole business segment: subject to the competition authorities approving the merger deal announced in January, a new book retailing giant will emerge – collectively, the two companies are currently in almost 290 locations across Germany. More expertise, more sales
However, Mayersche and Thalia are not alone in their search for useful additions to their ranges – this is something that concerns everyone, including the countless smaller booksellers: just as it is a given for toy retailers to sell books nowadays, many bookshops offer toys and games. They know there are things they need to be aware of when it comes to these. Some are already investing in further training or attending seminars offered by manufacturers as well as the Spielwarenmesse toy fair in Nuremberg. Consequently, the organisers of the fair have been rolling out the red carpet for them for the last two years with its “Toys meet Books” offering: some 15 suppliers showcased a selection of their products in 2019 at the special show aimed at booksellers, located right behind the highly frequented Entrance Mitte, and a flyer listing the 150 potentially most important (international) exhibitors for them was produced. Booksellers were also offered practical presentations from expert speakers with whom they could subsequently book one-to-one speed coaching sessions. Christian Ulrich, Marketing Director for the Spielwarenmesse, is unequivocal: “This year we were especially pleased with the considerable increase in trade visitors from the German and European book trade in particular”, he emphasised. “More and more book retailers are recognising the appeal of including toys in their range as a means of generating lucrative additional sales.”
Among the booksellers who picked up ideas at the special show and from the presentations was Barbara Jansen, South-West Regional Representative at Buchwert. The association currently represents some 190 book retailers (at around 300 locations). It hopes to expand its day-to-day support to its members to include games and toys as well in the future. The tour of the trade fair and the presentations have again really encouraged Jansen to re-evaluate these topics for the association group. “Booksellers can benefit from offering toys, which have the potential to appeal to additional target groups”. The association intends to work more intensively on this in the near term. According to Jansen, Buchwert is currently in the process of producing a brochure for its members combining expertise on selling games and toys and hopes to also appeal to some of its partner publishers for the project, from Coppenrath through to Ravensburger. Facts on the German book market- Sales in the book market as a whole in 2017: €9.13 billion
of which in the retail book trade: €4.3 billion (approx. 47 percent) - Sales trend in the book trade in 2018: + 0.1 percent
- Supply channels: Booksellers do purchase games and toys directly from manufacturers, but also frequently turn to wholesalers. These segments are now an integral part of the ranges offered by all book wholesalers in the industry.
- Sales from games in the retail book trade: Media Control provided figures for this for the first time in early 2019 – a new departure. The market researchers put the sales volume for games at some €68.5 million annually. They did not include toys in their survey.
| 07.05.2019 // May 2019 – interesting toy events at a glanceThese dates for the toy industry you should remember in May 2019! Date Event Location 05.05.2019 Children's Day Japan 05.05.2019 Children's Day South Korea 07.05.2019 - 08.05.2019 ICTI Ethical Toy Program Essentials - 2 Day Course Dongguan, China 09.05.2019 ICTI Ethical Toy Program - Introduction - 1 Day Course Dongguan, China 10.05.2019 Children's Day Maldives 12.05.2019 Children's Day Spain 12.05.2019 Children's Day United Kingdom 14.05.2019 LIMA MindMix™: Leading Through Change Paris, France 14.05.2019 - 16.05.2019 World Retail Congress Amsterdam, Netherlands 15.05.2019 - 16.05.2019 ICTI Ethical Toy Program Essentials - 2 Day Course Shenzhen, China 17.05.2019 Children's Day Norway 17.05.2019 LIMA Sports Licensing Roundtable Berlin, Germany 17.05.2019 ICTI Ethical Toy Program - Introduction - 1 Day Course Shenzhen, China 18.05.2019 - 19.05.2019 Game designers' meeting at the Swiss Museum of Games La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland 23.05.2019 LIMA UK: Building a Licensing Programme at Retail London, United Kingdom 26.05.2019 Children's Day Hungary 27.05.2019 Children's Day Nigeria 28.05.2019 - 29.05.2019 ICTI Ethical Toy Program Essentials - 2 Day Course Shantou, China 30.05.2019 Children's Day American Samoa 30.05.2019 Children's Day Falkland Islands 30.05.2019 Children's Day Solomon Islands 30.05.2019 ICTI Introduction To The Program - 1 Day Course Shantou, China | 26.04.2019 // Amazon to pull Chinese ecommerce arm due to pressure from rivalsAs reported by Reuters, the move underscores how home-grown e-commerce rivals have made it difficult for Amazon’s marketplace to gain traction in China. Consumer research firm iResearch Global said Alibaba Group Holding’s Tmall marketplace and JD.com controlled 82% of the Chinese e-commerce market last year. Amazon shoppers in China will no longer be able to buy goods from third-party merchants in the country, but they still will be able to order from the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan via the firm’s global store. Amazon will wind down support for domestic-selling merchants in China in the next 90 days and review the impact on itsfulfilment centres in the country, some of which it may close. An Amazon spokeswoman said that the company would continue to invest and grow in Chinathrough its Amazon Global Store, Global Selling, Kindle e-readers and online content. Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud computing unit that sells data storage and computing power to enterprises, will also remain. | 22.04.2019 // I'm building myself the worldGetting to grips with applications from real-world industry and technology in a playful way – this was made possible by metal construction kits 100 years ago. These days, however, it's robotics and virtual design that are taking classic values into the future. Children and adolescents can have a whole lot of fun – and acquire the core competencies of STEM professions in the process. Digitally designing your own toys on a tablet computer and making them a reality with 3D printing? This is precisely what applications such as the TinkerToys app, available since May 2018 (for Android and iOS), make possible. Children can print their designs themselves or let TinkerToys take over production using recyclable bioplastics. Being able to digitally produce your own toy is cutting edge technology. With its concept of the "Thingmaker", Mattel already showed in 2016 that 3D printing that is currently still being used in the maker scene in particular has great potential for children and teenagers Children and young people can use this technology to express their creativity and playfully acquire skills for the STEM professions of the future – because 3D printing is becoming increasingly important in industry. Time Machine Building Kit
But what do such solutions have to do with the time around 1900? An awful lot! Because it was then that Frank Hornby invented the modern metal construction kit in England. He turned real-world industrial technology into a game: the principle of machine and bridge construction with prefabricated iron parts connected by rivets was transformed into a brilliantly flexible game system of punched tapes and screws. Sold under the name of Meccano, the invention started to conquer the world in 1903. Large metal construction brands later also included Construction (now Eitech), Erector, Märklin, Merkur, Stabil and Trix. Generations of children built their own world with the aid of metal construction kits and the principles of genuine technology. Toy Research
The Deutsches Museum in Munich, the largest science and technology museum in the world, displays numerous construction kits and models. And they are even carrying out research into the topic there. The research revolves around the interaction between the educational value of construction kits (which adults want) and the joy of playing (as experienced by the children).
A lot of metal construction kits were so close to the genuine engineering of their time that the industry also used them for training and development purposes. The automotive designer Sir Alec Issigonis, for example, experimented with Meccano when he was developing the first Mini. From metal to plastic In the second half of the 20th century, plastic became more and more important as a material in industrial production as well as in toys. And new kits such as Fischertechnik (1965) and Lego Technic (1977) were also made from plastic. These products successfully carried the idea of the metal construction kit into the future. The different ways that the current issues from industry can be used in a playful way are manifold, says Professor Gernot Bauer from the Münster University of Applied Sciences. He has worked on the new Fischertechnik kit called Robotics TXT Smart Home, which depicts the fascinating world of building automation and its control – and is a whole lot of fun. | 17.04.2019 // Over 30 million toys received at Christmas ‘are neglected by March’, says new studyAround 23 per cent of the toys children receive for Christmas are neglected less than one month later, contributing to the 32 million toys across the UK that sit unused. These are the latest stats to emerge from a study into the extent of unused toys in Britain, following the season of gift-giving, in which it has been revealed that parents are now looking for alternative ways to keep their children engaged. The study was commissioned by the UK toy subscription box service, Whirli and carried out by Sapio Research who surveyed 2053 UK adults with children aged between 0 and seven. The study details that on average, children received 21 toys this Christmas, with five per cent receiving more than 50. Whirli suggest that 80 per cent of parents think their children are given too many toys at Christmas, and other special occasions, while 88 per cent are consciously trying to reduce waste. Commenting on the research, Nigel Phan, founder and CEO of Whirli, said: “The scale of gifts already neglected in the UK following the Christmas period indicates a huge disparity between Christmas gifting and what households with kids can actually handle or make use of. “With a third of parents spending more than £150 per child, and almost nine in ten parents trying to consciously reduce waste, it’s no surprise that our research reveals many frustrations parents have with the current toy shopping experience.” The same survey also revealed that over half of parents will buy pre-loved toys, and that 31 per cent of the mar actively rotating toys within their homes. “However, with almost four in five still feeling that toys are cluttering their homes, there is a clear demand for something more sustainable for the world and manageable for parents, which explains in part the success we have seen at Whirli with our pilot customers.” Whirli fully launched to the UK in March with its first fully flexible subscription box. It has been set up to with the aim of reducing the number of toys that head to landfill every year. | 11.04.2019 // April 2019 – interesting toy events at a glanceThese dates for the toy industry you should remember in April 2019! Date Event Location
03.04.2019 LIMA and NPD group present Emerging Trends in Gaming - IP Power Play Los Angeles, Culver City, United States
04.04.2019 Children's Day Taiwan
04.04.2019 Children's Day Hong Kong
05.04.2019 Children's Day Palestina
11.04.2019 LIMA Germany – Day of Licensing Cologne, Germany
12.04.2019 Children's Day Bolivia
12.04.2019 Children's Day Haiti
23.04.2019 Children's Day Turkey
24.04.2019 - 25.04.2019 ICTI Ethical Toy Program Essentials Ningbo, China
26.04.2019 ICTI Introduction to the Program Ningbo, China
27.04.2019 Children's Day Colombia
30.04.2019 Children's Day Mexico
30.04.2019 Toy Industry of Europe - Playmaker conference Brussels, Belgium | 01.04.2019 // APRIL FOOLS’ DAY – April 1 . . . | 29.03.2019 // Why we play – part 2: our fascination with gamesWhat makes a player lose all track of time? How come players can immerse themselves in a world of illusions or a role – whether they're children or adults? What captivates us about games
People who play do so because it satisfies some basic needs. That's what motivates them to play. The article " Why we play – Part 1: our motivation to play" describes intrinsic motivation as defined by Andrew K. Przybylski, C. Scott Rigby, and Richard M. Ryan. People who play make self-determined and game-influencing decisions (autonomy). They demonstrate their skills (competence). And they enjoy the sense of community with their fellow players (relatedness). What incites people to play games is, therefore, their innate motivation. But why are we so fascinated by games? The three researchers discovered that the sense of immersion is strongly linked to intrinsic motivation: the more the game offers players autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the more immersed in the game they feel and the deeper they dive into a fictional or virtual world of illusion. Immersion as a state of happiness
In order to create the feeling of immersion, the game has to relax and challenge players in equal proportion, but not overwhelm them. They then achieve a state whereby they feel "part of the game". Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi speaks of a state of consciousness called "flow", a state of happiness. Only when a game challenges people's individual skills does it engender the feeling of flow. As part of his studies, Csíkszentmihályi interviewed chess players, who said they lose all sense of time playing and are glued to the chessboard, in an almost disembodied state. This also applies to avid players: the more immersive the game and the more it casts a spell on the players, the more detached from their surroundings they feel. Stages of immersion when playing
The term 'immersion' is a 20th century neologism and describes the effect that virtual or fictional worlds have on the viewer. Immersive play, however, is not just a phenomenon of digital games. Every game can immerse players in fantasy worlds and bring about very different levels of intense gaming experiences, just like digital games. Richard Bartle explored the phenomenon of immersion in the gaming world and divided it into four levels: player: the character is a means of influencing the virtual world.
avatar: this is the player's representative in the virtual world. Players talk about the character in the third person.
character: players of computer games identify with the character and talk about them in the first person.
persona: the character is part of the identity of the computer games player. The player does not play a character in a virtual world; he is in a virtual world himself.
Immersion is a matter of age
As players get older, their ability to enter into fantasy worlds generally changes. Infants dive completely into the world of the game, even with the smallest of means. They turn simple objects into complex worlds and are themselves part of these worlds. A child feels like Mario when playing Mario Kart, that is to say he's taken on a 'persona'. On the other hand, an adult player sees himself merely as a "player", guiding Mario through the world as a 'character'. When developing games, the age and the ability of players to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds are important factors to ensure a successful game. Whereas younger children are still able to easily lose themselves in the worlds of play they come up with themselves, older players often require greater effort to create immersive worlds. Immersion in physical games
Everyone knows how books, games, movies or radio plays can fascinate people. But how intense the game experience becomes with the use of game tools depends on the extent to which the game can be immersive. In this context, digital aids aren't necessary but possible – as are the level of development of the player and players' willingness to get involved in the game. The further a player plunges into the virtual world of the game, the more the intrinsic motivation to continue playing it increases and the real world around the player fades into the background. Board games, which, besides a clever game principle also involve a coherent and fascinating storyline, have greater potential to give the player a feeling of flow when playing, which, at the same time, increases the replay factor.
Role-playing and murder mystery games of an immersive nature are very popular. They specify a scene and the actors involved and whisk the players off to a virtual world for a foreseeable period of time, making it easier for players to immerse themselves in the world of the game.
Digital tools bridge the gap between physical and digital game worlds in the various toy genres. Either as an extension of board games with virtual content, such as the games of the Japanese label "Gift 10" or as an instrument for new game experiences or sports, such as the FPV Drone Races. With first-person view camera technology, the operator controls the remote-controlled model from the perspective of a pilot, driver or train driver.
Immersion stands and falls with the storyline
Contrary to what game developers long assumed, there is usually a big discrepancy between technical possibilities and game content. Technically enhanced games rapidly seem to be needlessly overloaded and digital additions are superfluous for the course of the game, as digital tools are only required if they're an integral part of the game scenario and shouldn't be merely superfluous bells and whistles. As long as the content of a game is of an immersive nature and satisfies players' intrinsic motivation, the technical perfection of the game world is of secondary importance. So what does this mean for game developers?
The character of the game should be tailored to the intended level of immersion. Is the game intended to be something to pass time with, is it a projection screen or does it transport the player to an imaginary world?
The style of the game has to be age-appropriate in order for it to be able to cast its spell on players. For this to happen, developers have to consider the age of the players and their ability to let themselves be immersed in a game along with their respective intrinsic motivation. Does the game excite players because it allows them to deeply immerse themselves in other worlds? Or, as a "plug and play" game, does it captivate players with its competitive elements or levels that they need to acquire skills for?
Does the time needed to play the game correspond to the average attention span of the player group in question?
Is the game intended to be a single game or is it part of a series or gaming world? Accordingly, the history of the game and its environment should be tailored to the recipients: player communities act differently than single players and it's easier to get to grips with more complex worlds when playing en masse. On the other hand, they also long for more input and extensions of the world much faster. | 25.03.2019 // Why we play – our motivation to playWhat motivates us to play? What drives us, again and again, to playfully interact with objects and situations? Do we play just for fun, or are there deeper reasons and motivations urging us to play? And what significance does the motivation of customers have when it comes to the toy retailers' sales pitch? What motivates us to engage in play
Numerous scientific studies and behavioural analyses attempt to find answers to these questions. Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci explore the factors of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in their article" Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation." The authors point out that the intrinsic motivation of the person in question is greater than extrinsic motivation. Play satisfies basic needs
According to Ryan and Deci, intrinsic motivation can be achieved by satisfying three basic innate psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Autonomy
Autonomy means the feeling of independence and control, i.e. of being able to influence your own destiny and always having a choice. Play already satisfies this need because we choose whether to interact with the toy or game or not. However, if the game always offers players options, the need for autonomy is satisfied on a deeper level, too. Canadian game designer Sid Meier describes games as a "series of interesting decisions". Competence
Naturally, there are also games that are very linear. Decisions have no influence on how the game goes; the only thing that matters is whether you pass or fail the challenge. These games satisfy the second need of competence even more: players are motivated to be good at something, and to improve this ability and knowledge. This ambition satisfies the innate need for competence. This motivation becomes apparent, among other things, when people strive for sporting successes. Whether it's a matter of successfully completing various skateboarding tricks or learning game tactics and strategies, everything helps the players to achieve victory better, faster or more safely. Relatedness
The third need that makes us "homo ludens" is relatedness. It is only being together that makes us social beings. When playing, this is increasingly expressed through cooperative games that seek to solve problems together in a group – either in specifically assigned roles or as a collective. Even single-player games can satisfy this need by sharing scores and skills with each other in forums, on YouTube channels or in public rankings. Direct connection between motivation and gaming experience
Researchers Andrew K. Przybylski, C. Scott Rigby and (again) Richard M. Ryan discuss the relationship between motivation and the game engagement in a meta-study. They establish a direct correlation between the three needs described, as well as fun, engagement with the game and well-being when playing the game. The more the needs of intrinsic motivation are satisfied with players, the more pleasure they experience when playing. What does that mean for the retail trade?
In order to generate a good turnover with visitors to the shop, it is vital to find out what motivates the potential customer as quickly as possible. Observe customer behaviour
On the one hand, this can be done by closely observing the customers' behaviour: what attracts them? What guides them on their way through the shop? Do they go to one specific place – or are they just browsing for something? Find out what your customers want
In addition, it is, of course, crucial that you talk to them to find out why they want to make a purchase. Are they looking for something for themselves or for a third person. And what is the key motivation for playing in this case? Assess their gaming experience
By asking the following questions, retailers can find out what the motivation behind the urge to play is. How much experience of playing do the recipients of the toy or game already have? Are they already familiar with a certain game category, and are additions, expansion kits and higher levels a good choice? Or are they meant to be introduced to a specific game category? Then the gift-giver should buy a basic set or some simpler variant. Discover what motivates them to play
The motivational model discussed above can help you figure out what drives the player. Is he a persevering player, who wants to improve step by step? Is he interested in playing together with other people? Or does he want to develop himself and lose himself in his own game world? These questions can help you find the right games as well as construction toys or collectible toys, because depending on the ability of the player, a good retailer will recommend other items. And the better the advice a customer gets, the more likely it is that the satisfied customer will return to the shop for more. | 15.03.2019 // Sustainably trending: "consumers expect brands to respond sooner rather than later"Ruth Kelly, senior trend strategist at the trend forecasting firm, Trend Bible, discusses the trends she and her team first spotted back in 2017, how they have since been interpreted, and what brands should be thinking about for product development for 2021 and beyond. There has been a rapid shift in attitudes amongst consumers, moving away from passive consumerism to becoming more active and making conscious choices. This is reflected in our Baby & Kid’s Spring Summer 2019 trend, Natural Historians. First published in 2017, this trend is driven by a desire to discover, appreciate and protect the natural world. Following the success of BAFTA-winning series, Planet Earth to environmental concerns that continue to dominate headlines; this trend tackles ongoing, broader environmental themes and looks to encourage a proactive attitude amongst the younger generation. Endangered animals are a key character in this story, used as inspiration for illustration, surface pattern as well as direction for educational toys and decorative accessories. One character in particular that we’ve already spotted at numerous trade fairs in 2019, and high street stores In the UK and US is the sloth. These mammals have become a firm favourite in the toy industry alongside the ever popular, unicorn and the llama. Spotted at the London Toy Fair and Spielwarenmesse, these characters are still yet to reach saturation point and show no sign of disappearing. What’s more, during our time walking the floors at different shows, we’ve witnessed an increasing number of brands beginning to respond to sustainability concerns with new alternative materials for children’s products. Brands are offering more eco-friendly propositions, from reusing waste to plastic alternatives. Moving away from plastic, we’ve witnessed a rise in sophisticated and educational wooden toys, particularly for younger children. We’ve been tracking this rise in sophisticated children’s design for a number of years. With a heightened awareness of sustainability paired with a consumer demand for children’s products to blend seamlessly into the wider home, natural materials such as wood and bamboo are growing in popularity. Natural earthy shades featured in Natural Historian’s also responds to this modern sophistication of children’s design and a desire to connect with nature. Earthy tones and faded browns are paired with crisp sky blue and grassy green for a utility inspired look. The sun-bleached pastel tones of peach pink and mint green breathes a freshness into the palette, a great combination for baby and children’s product. In the coming years, we expect to see more of these ‘grown up’ colour combinations used across toys and games. Creating beautiful, sophisticated children’s product that is kind to the environment and representative of consumer’s values is no doubt the challenge that the toy industry faces. So, what can we expect to see at trades fair in the coming years? With greater education on the subject of environmental concern, alongside new regulations and increasing NGO pressures, consumers will expect brands to step up and respond sooner rather than later. Brands that represent the conscious choice; good for the environment, good for me and good for my child will resonate with modern day parents. |
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