The Lessons Of Fidget Spinners

YOU can spin it on your nose, chin, finger or tongue. Some include LED lights, others resemble a ship’s wheel, or even a skull and crossbones. The fidget spinner has three paddle-shaped blades attached to a central, weighted disc containing ball bearings. Flick a blade and it spins, for anything up to 12 minutes in an advanced version from Japan. It was originally designed to help calm children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism, but swept the world earlier this year as a toy that everyone can play with.

Retail sales have undoubtedly slowed recently, says Mark Austin of ToyWorld, a trade publication—good news for the schools that have banned it as too distracting for pupils. But the spinner has created a new “fidget” category of toys. And the global toy industry, which was surprised by its success, has learned lessons.

The fad started in America in February. By May, all 20 of the top-selling toys on Amazon, an online retailer, were either fidget spinners or fidget cubes, a close relation. There have been many such crazes—who can forget the great loom-band mania of 2014?—but none that spread as fast. Frédérique Tutt, an analyst of the global toy market for NPD, a data company, says that it took just three weeks to cross the Atlantic and go global. No one knows exactly how many have been sold but NPD estimates that at least 19m were sold in the 12 rich-world countries that they track (including America and the biggest European markets) during the first six months of this year. Others put the figure at over 50m.

Big toy retailers, the usual arbiters of what sells, were initially caught flat-footed. Fidget spinners were a plaything that children themselves discovered and shared on social media, particularly on YouTube and Instagram. No person or firm had a patent on spinners, so with no patenting or licensing fees to pay, anyone was able to make one. They are produced in huge quantities in China, often by businesses that previously manufactured smartphone accessories. Others were made using 3D-printing. That has been a boon for small shops, which have been able to stock these unbranded goods from wherever they can find them.

Andrew Moulsher, managing director of Peterkin, a firm that imports toys into Britain, calls it a “watershed moment” for the business. Big retailers usually plan their inventory as much as 18 months ahead of peak seasons such as summer or Christmas; schedules are often tied to toy-filled films such as the Star Wars and Cars franchises. This is where most of their attention, as well as their marketing and advertising budgets, go. So it was easy for big retailers to miss the eruption of fidget spinners on the internet. (Subsequently they reacted as well as they could, says Mr Austin, ordering spinners in by air freight.)

Developing and manufacturing a toy can take even longer than inventory planning—up to three years. But now there is pressure to spot new fads and bring products to market far more quickly. After the fidget spinner, both manufacturers and retailers know they must respond faster to signals from social media. A Californian company, MGA, which was founded in 1979, spotted that children were watching YouTube videos of other youngsters opening presents; to take advantage of this “unboxing” trend, it managed to produce the L.O.L Surprise! doll, which contains several layers of gifts, in just nine months. It has been another best-seller.

The successor to the spinner may be the roller, an oblong-shaped object weighted at either end. Mr Moulsher started importing Japan’s Mokuru brand of rollers into Britain in July. He has sold about 40,000. Learning from the fidget fad, he is hoping that the return of schools this month and a smart social-media strategy will see sales rocket. Teachers, be warned.

Justice League Talking Toys & Action Gear Revealed

Justice League toys are finally stocking the shelves of most major retailers, and some of the newest reveals from Mattel include the new Talking Heroes and Action Gear series. When it comes to toys, most of the recent focus has been on Star Wars thanks to the recent Force Friday II, seeing the official launch of hordes of new collectibles for a galaxy far, far away, and while DC’s merchandising power is nowhere near the behemoth that is Star Wars toys and collectibles, there will no doubt be a variety of tie-in merchandise to purchase before the movie is released.

We’ve already seen a number of items from Mattel, including the full Justice League roster that comes with pieces of a larger Steppenwolf figure, and those figures all appear to sport high-quality movie accurate paint work and versatile articulation, but the Talking Heroes figures diverge from that a bit, offering more restricted motion in the joints, a far more simple paint job, and a giant battery bulge, instead highlighting the built-in speaker that plays iconic catch phrases from each character.

Unfortunately, anyone expecting Superman to utter something spoilery like “I hope you like my black suit,”  “sorry I was evil when you resurrected me,” or “let’s team up with Green Lantern to fight Darkseid!” is in for a letdown. The phrases are unfortunately far more simplistic with Superman saying things like “I’ll use my heat vision,” and Batman resorting to familiar lines like “I’m Batman.”

While those lines are fairly boring, the figures also have some “interactive” dialogue options where they refer to other figures near them (utilizing an IR sensor). Unfortunately, these lines are just as generic, and Superman even says “Batman, join the Justice League,” which we know (with a fair amount of certainty) is now how the plot of the movie plays out.

The other toy line, Action Gear, is targeted at a much younger audience. Meant for ages 4 and up, the Action Gear is inspired (fairly loosely) by the armor and gadget of the league. Each character has a basic Action Gear set that includes a character mask and themed disk thrower. In the case of Aquaman, the thrower is a small trident, while others are less canonically concerned, usually taking the form of some sort of baton, or even separating into two separate batons in the case of Batman and The Flash.

In addition to the basic disk throwers, each character has a separate gear pack that includes a themed utility belt, Justice League communicator, and other character themed gadgets. It’s not exactly the makings of the next big thing for cosplayers, but when it comes to fighting parademons in the backyard, it’s probably exactly what most little DC fans want.

Winnie-the-Pooh Heads To V&A For Big Winter Exhibition

Pattering in the footsteps of David Bowie and Pink Floyd, the Bear of Very Little Brain is heading for the Victoria and Albert museum (V&A) to star in its first exhibition celebrating the most famous bear in literary history, Winnie-the-Pooh.

The museum has been on a roll, with record visitor numbers for the giant rock music exhibitions, but Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic will be the first in the main museum targeted at families with young children. It will have playful settings by Tom Piper, the designer whose torrent of red ceramic poppies brought crowds to the Tower of London in the centenary year of the first world war.

The exhibition will be the largest to date on the bear and his friends from the 100 Aker Wood, and will bring together loans from other collections including a Winnie-the-Pooh tea service presented to the young Princess Elizabeth, coming from the Royal Collection, original illustrations, letters, photographs, manuscripts, and the museum’s own delicate pencil sketches by EH Shepard for the beloved characters, which are so fragile they have not been exhibited for 40 years.

There will of course also be hunny from very distinguished bees – from the hives on the roof of the museum.

The museum’s director, Tristram Hunt, said the V&A, which houses the world’s largest collection of Shepard drawings, was the perfect home for the exhibition. “This is our first exhibition specifically for younger families and we look forward to welcoming another generation into AA Milne’s magical, intimate, joyous world,” he said.

The museum will look at the links between Milne’s characters and the real world, most famously his own son, Christopher Robin, whose life was haunted by his alter ego. In adult life he recalled that he hated the girlish clothes and long hair his mother kept him in, that he learned to box to cope with bullying at school, and that his father – apart from the stories – was “not good with children”. He died in 1996.

Winnie-the-Pooh was inspired by bedtime stories about Christopher Robin’s bear Edward, and Shepard studied the toys and the trees in Ashdown Forest near their home to create his enduring images. When We Were Very Young, a collection of poems, came out in 1924 soon after Christopher Robin’s fourth birthday: the initial edition was 5,000 copies, but it had to be rapidly reprinted as 44,000 copies sold in the first eight weeks. Winnie-the-Pooh followed in 1926. Together with the second book of poems and The House at Pooh Corner, the books have since sold millions of copies in every language including Latin and Esperanto.

The exhibition will also feature many objects drawn from 90 years of merchandising, including toys and games, ceramics and textiles, and from the Walt Disney animations that almost overshadowed the originals. Many self-help books have appeared inspired by the bear’s apparently simple approach to life: one aphorism, captured in a Shepard illustration in the museum collection, is “When you go after honey with a balloon, the great thing is not to let the bees know you’re coming”. In one poll the public voted Winnie-the-Pooh the greatest philosopher of all time, and the 19th anniversary of his creation was marked with a talking “Thotful Spot” bench installed at sites including the real wood and near the statue of Confucius at King’s College London.

Milne, already a successful playwright, first met Shepard when they were both working on Punch magazine. The origins of their most successful joint creation lay in the teddy bear bought from Harrods by his parents for Christopher Robin’s first birthday, but the final version of Shepard’s drawings looked more like his own son’s bear, a Steiff teddy called Growler. The name Winnie-the-Pooh (always hyphenated) was inspired by Winnie, a bear at London zoo that fascinated the child, and the setting for the stories came when in 1925 the Milnes bought a large house, Cotchford Farm, on the edge of the 500 acres of Ashford Forest.

The house has a bleaker fascination for a very different group of fans: it was later the home of Brian Jones, a founder member of the Rolling Stones, who drowned in the swimming pool there in 1969.

Popular Toys Linked with Safety Hazards

A U.S. government agency is warning of the safety hazards linked with the widely popular toys called fidget spinners.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has released new safety guidelines for fidget spinners on Aug. 10, after receiving several reports of children choking on fidget spinner pieces, as well as reports of battery-operated spinners catching fire.

"Fidget spinners can be fun to use, but consumers and companies should be aware of some of the safety concerns associated with this product," Ann Marie Buerkle, acting chairwoman of the CPSC, said in a statement.

Plastic and metal fidget spinners may break and release small pieces that can be a choking hazard, according to the guidelines. For this reason, children younger than 3 years old should not use fidget spinners, and children of any age should not put fidget spinners in their mouths. (Some reports of choking have involved children as old as 14, the CPSC said.) [Beyond Fidget Spinners: 10 Ways to Help Kids Concentrate]

In addition, there have been some reports of fires involving battery-operated fidget spinners, the CPSC said. For example, a woman in Michigan told NBC News that her Bluetooth-enabled fidget spinner caught fire after charging on her counter for less than 30 minutes.

The CPSC recommends that consumers be present in the room when their fidget spinner is charging and that they always use the cable that came with the toy. If the spinner didn't come with a cable, consumers should make sure to use a cable that has the correct connections for charging the device. Once the device is charged, consumers should unplug it immediately, the CPSC said.

If the fidget spinner is made for children 12 years and younger, it must meet certain testing, labeling and other requirements, according to the CPSC.

'Lego emergency': Italian cancer hospital flooded with toys

A pediatric cancer association made a plea to the world to help children "pass the time and allow the spirit to travel." Days later, hundreds of boxes of Legos arrived at the hospital, making kids' dreams come true.

Earlier this week, an association working with a pediatric cancer hospital in northern Italy made an earnest request on Facebook to help children undergoing treatment.

"We have a Lego emergency," said the Ageop Ricerca association in Bologna on Sunday. "At any age, building a car, robot or space shuttle is always a wonderful way to pass the time and allow the spirit to travel. Can you help us?"

Ageop Ricerca Director Francesca Tesoni, who made the plea for Legos, said due to health reasons, the children could only play with new toys.

Within days, the Sant'Orsola hospital, where Ageop Ricerca operates, received 500 new boxes of the toy building bricks.

'So beautiful'

On Friday, Tesoni took to Facebook to express her thanks to the people who donated the new Legos to the children at the hospital.

"How fulfilling it is to be able to choose a child and give him what he wants. Thank you world," she said in a post.

But not only were the children delighted with the new gifts. A mother of a child receiving treatment at the hospital told Tesoni that the amount of Legos donated filled her heart with joy.

"It's so beautiful knowing that so many people think of our children. These toy bricks make it clear to everyone that we exist," the mother said, according to Tesoni's post.

Target Is Betting On Dog Toys To Help It Stave Off Amazon's Charge

Target has announced that it will start carrying products from Bark, the pet company behind the pet subscription service Barkbox, starting Sunday. This is the first time that Bark’s products will be sold at retail stores.

While the partnership allows Bark to expand beyond its subscription roots and have a brick-and-mortar retail presence, the bigger story is Target’s ongoing attempt to lock arms with a growing list of e-commerce natives as they grapple with Amazon's growing dominance.

Indeed, the Bark deal comes on the heels of similar partnerships for Target, including the men's shaving brand Harry’s and the disruptive mattress startup Casper respectively.

"Recently, we’ve recognized our unique ability to provide a home for some great digital and subscription-based brands who understand they need a physical space to reach more customers. These partnerships are a win for the brands, for Target and for our guests," a Target spokesperson told Business Insider. "Brands see incremental growth and access to new customers, Target gets the benefit of adding newness to our product assortment and learning from highly entrepreneurial partners, and most importantly, our guests get convenient access to these exciting new brands as part of their regular Target run."

Target isn't alone. Retail incumbents have been coping with the ongoing shopping disruption by making internal investments in digital and e-commerce, going the acquisition route like Walmart with Jet.com, or investing in exclusive retail partnerships with digital natives, like the Bark pact.

"In today’s age, you have to keep innovating," Jason Goldberg, senior vice president of commerce and content at ad agency SapientRazorfish, told Business Insider. "This is Target’s way of making sure that it is on the cutting edge of innovation and digital, and is far more economical than making a direct acquisition or building it organically from scratch."

"Retailers must show consumers continuity through an ‘omnichannel’ strategy, unifying online, mobile and in-store," said Curt Thornton, CEO of Provision Interactive Technologies. "This unification between brick-and-mortar and e-commerce is one of the key strategic aims behind Target’s announcement."

It is also an opportunity for Target to attract a younger and higher-income group of shoppers, which traditional retailers like itself have been struggling to do for years, said Goldberg. Since launching in 2012, Bark has carved a niche for itself in the $69 billion pet industry, becoming one of the fastest-growing brands with 500,000 subscribers and reaching over $100 million in sales last year.

Moreover, it has done that on the back of data. The company has built its toys and treats based on consumer data it has gathered from shipping 50 million products. This is an attractive bet for Target as it gets access to this goldmine of data.

"Almost 70% of our guests have pets at home," Christina Hennington, senior vice president of essentials and beauty at Target, said in a blog post. "So we saw an opportunity to become their ultimate pets destination by offering new and exclusive pet brands they can only find at Target, alongside everyday must-haves they need, saving guests time and money with every Target run."

There is also much more to be learned from these partnerships. Harry’s, Casper and Bark have all upended their industries, by offering a subscription services that sell blades, mattresses and pet products for a fraction of a price compared to their competitors and by successfully building direct-to-consumer brands. They have aced social media, using it to not only market but also sell their products.

On the other end of the spectrum, it is an equally important bet for the upstarts to land in traditional retail stores. While they can initially afford to bypass stores, they ultimately have to look to Target and its competitors to help expand their reach and scale.

"These digitally native brands struggle to get past a certain size if they're only selling via digital," said Goldberg. "But you’re not going to get to a billion dollars that way, there just aren’t enough cheap eyeballs to buy through digital."

Matt Meeker, co-founder at CEO at Bark, agrees.

"While BarkBox continues to thrive, the subscription model isn’t a fit for every dog parent. This launch gives us another accessible channel for reaching pups and introducing Bark to new audience," he told Business Insider. "Target’s nationwide network of stores helps us to reach more pups and their parents with Bark's original toys and treats."

The Target partnership also helped Casper expand its footprint, allowing it to reach new customers including those who prefer to try products out first. The company has frequently set up pop-up stores to appeal to the same audience.

"Since our launch in 2014, we have seen a strong demand from consumers to experience Casper products in the physical world," Taryn Laeban, Casper's chief commercial officer, told Business Insider. "Our strategic retail partnership with Target has allowed us bring Casper to over a thousand locations across the country."

The Bark partnership was one of the several pet-related announcements that Target made Wednesday. The retailer has revamped its own Boots & Barkley pet line with over 200 new items for cats and dogs and will also partner with St. Paul-based style blogger Kate Arends of Wit & Delight for a pet clothing and accessories line.

Roblox Toys Wave 2 Hits Store Shelves This August

Wave 2 of toys based off the hit MMO and game development platform Roblox will be hitting store shelves in mid-August, a PR contact for the game told Heavy.com via email.

The toyline is coming to Toys “R” Us, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy and will feature toys based on some of the most popular games, characters, and developers in Roblox, according to a PR contact. Each toy will come with a code that can be redeemed in Roblox for in-game items.

To bring the toys to life, Roblox partnered with Toy Developer Jazwares who also worked on toys for Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog according to their website.

Wave 2 includes six new Core Figures: Phantom Forces: Ghost, Hunted Vampire, Blue LAZER Parkour Runner, MeepCity Fisherman, Queen of the TreeLands, and Skybound Admiral. Each toy comes with the figure, some accessories, and a code.

Also coming is a Prison Life Game Pack, which comes with two figures, accessories, and a code. According to the website for the toyline, the pack is based off of the Prison Life game on Roblox which has over 519 million visits since its release on May 1, 2014.

A new playset is also coming called Zombie Attack, which includes four figures with platforms and accessories to play with. It should pair nicely with the Apocalypse Rising 4X4, a vehicle that includes a figure. The vehicle was based off of Apocalypse Rising on Roblox, which has over 139 million visits since its release on April 1, 2008.

You can also nab one of the Series 2 Mystery Figures. Each blind box comes with a random figure and a code.

Finally, there’s a 6-pack assortment of Legends of Roblox figures. Each figure is based off a popular game developer on roblox: Litozinnamon, Gusmanak, Merely, TheGamer101, Seranok, and Loleris. Many of the creators in this set has attracted millions or even hundreds of millions of players to their games. Seranok is the winner of the Player of the Year Award in 2012.

Wave 1 of Roblox toys were officially launched on February 1, 2017. The PR contact told Heavy.com that while she couldn’t get any specific numbers for sales of Wave 1 toys, she does know that it launched as top selling toys at Toys “R” Us and were sold out the majority of the time during the initial launch. They were even placed in the “Hot and New” section at the front of the store. They were also a top seller in Target and a top selling toy in the boys aisle.