Oct 13, 2015

Thousands of new toys debut at Dallas Fall Toy Preview

Tens of thousands of new toys for 2016 debuted at the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) Fall Toy Preview held last week in Dallas. Industry analysts called the fall marketplace “more optimistic” than any show in the past several years, thanks to an abundance of creative and innovative toys that are sure to drive industry sales through next year’s holiday shopping season.

“The toy product we saw for 2016 looked more creative and compelling than anything we have seen in years,” wrote Gerrick Johnson, analyst at BMO Capital Markets, in his “Dallas Fall Toy Preview” report. “Toymakers seem more encouraged to take more risks with technology and creativity. We visited 15 showrooms and were encouraged by a good crop of creative new toys.

Johnson said that better innovation, toyetic movies, new technology, low gas prices and pushback by parents against digital are all having a positive impact on the U.S. toy industry, which is projected to grow 6.2 percent by year-end 2015, according to the NPD Group.

Held Oct. 6-8, Fall Toy Preview 2015 grew in size and scope, welcoming a 12-percent spike in buyers, including representatives from big-name retail outlets like Walmart, Target, Amazon, Toys“R”Us, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, CVS, Hobby Lobby, Meijer, Michaels, Kohl’s and AAFES. Among the 770 buyers from nearly three dozen countries in attendance, a wide range of outlet types were represented, from drug stores and supermarkets to discount chains and specialty shops. Total attendance (excluding exhibiting companies) was 1,426 (up 8 percent year-to-date).

New and developing products lines were showcased by 370 companies (up 7 percent) in closed, open or combination booths, including Spin Master, Melissa & Doug, the Bridge Direct, WowWee USA, KIDdesigns, Madame Alexander, Ohio Art, Faber-Castell, Razor USA, USAOPOLY, ALEX Brands, Funrise and Patch Products. The show also featured innovative and developmental playthings from 59 international companies (up 20 percent) hailing from 13 countries.

The six most represented countries were Canada, Australia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and China. This year marked the first time that Fall Toy Preview welcomed buyers from Lithuania and Lebanon.

The exhibition once again included business-building educational sessions, allowing buyers, exhibitors and licensors to discover new trends to expand their customer base. On Oct. 5, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, delivered a special presentation at the Women in Toys Empowerment Day, a mentoring and networking event for female business owners. On Oct. 7, Martyn Tipping, CEO of Storyscore, presented Fall Toy Preview’s keynote address: “How to tell if your toy/game brand’s social media strategy is really working.”

The Opening Night Party, which featured a “Genius of Play” theme, allowed attendees to connect with one another in a fun and lively setting that included a caricaturist and various games. Proceeds from the party will help support the philanthropic work of the Toy Industry Foundation. The TIA Young Professionals Network cocktail party, held on the second night of the show, fostered continued networking and relationship building among toy professionals, aged 35 and under.

For more information, visit www.FallToyPreview.com.