Bachelor Thesis from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 1,0, University of Hull, language: English, abstract: Being a relatively dynamic and one of the biggest of its sort within the European Union, the Toys and Games Industry in the United Kingdom is attractive for many foreign toy manufacturers. Especially the market sector of the traditional toys, which will be defined later, seems to be very auspicious from a general point of view. To what extent this general view corresponds with the reality will be examined on the basis of German toy manufactures and needs to be analysed critically. Hence, the research objective of this work is to figure out what opportunities but also what sorts of threats toy manufacturers from Germany could be faced with when entering the British market. This, however, needs several questions to be answered. Terms like market value, market growth rates but also other factors like the influence of the toy firms’ environment and consumers’ attitude towards the industry must be explained which will be done through a secondary data-based overview of the industry in chapter two. Having introduced to several considered research approaches, the choice of the used methodology, its application and special research highlights in chapter three, the analysis’s findings will be illustrated in the fourth part of this study. These results will be consumer-based in order to get a better overview about the market itself and to being able to give more efficient recommendations to German toy companies considering breaking into the UK market. The final answer of the research objective mentioned above and further recommendations will be content of chapter five. The last chapter of the essay then tries to draw a conclusion and will clarify whether the targeted research objective has been achieved and outline weaknesses within the used methodology and their potential avoidance in future research projects.

Publisher description

At its height British toymaking was a significant industry, with famous names such as Britains and Meccano known throughout the world. While in essence a specialised form of small-scale engineering, its products and market have always been unique, reflecting the current priorities of both parents and children. Yet, while individual toys and marques have been catalogued extensively, no previous history of toymaking as a whole exists. The British Toy Business provides a fascinating example of the development of a specific industry. Many early early toys were home-made. From the eighteenth century, with its growing recognition of children as something other than small adults, date the beginnings of specialised toys, usually produced by small workshops and sold by street-sellers. The nineteenth century, with its industrial growth and middle-class prosperity, saw an expansion of toymaking. The 1960s and 1970s were the most successful years of British toymaking, with companies like Lesney making record profits. Yet British toy makers failed to solve a number of fundamental problems. Following an unexpected sudden downturn in sales at a time of high interest rates, the major names in British toy making, Lesney, Airfix, Mettoy and Dunbee Combex Marx, all collapsed between 1979 and 1985, leaving the business to be dominated largely by importers.

This document presents information on the toys and games market in the United Kingdom. It describes market tendencies, distribution channels, import regulations and local standards. It also includes a directory of trade shows, publications, industry associations, government contacts, retailers, buying groups, importers and distributors.

This book offers rich critical perspectives on the marketing of a variety of toys, brands, and product categories. Topics include marketing undertaken by specific children’s toy brands such as American Girl, Barbie, Disney, GoldieBlox, Fisher-Price, and LEGO, and marketing trends characterizing broader toy categories such as on-trend grotesque toys; toy firearms; minimalist toys; toyetics; toys meant to offer diverse representation; STEM toys; and unboxing videos. Toy marketing warrants a sustained scholarly critique because of toys’ cultural significance and their roles in children’s lives, as well as the industry’s economic importance. Discourses surrounding toys—including who certain toys are meant for and what various toys and brands can signify about their owners’ identities—have implications for our understandings of adults’ expectations of children and of broader societal norms into which children are being socialized.

An account of the world of toys, examining the successes and failures of the products of many toy companies.

The Business of Toys and Games is an authoritative, insider's perspective on the ins and outs of the children's toy industry and the strategic thinking behind running a toy company. Featuring senior management from the nation's leading toy and game manufacturers, this book provides a broad, yet comprehensive overview of the current shape and future state of this fast-paced industry. As they raise critical points around the unique aspects of creating merchandise for a young audience, these authorities offer practical and adaptable strategies for succeeding on the shelves and with their customers. From conducting market research and developing new products to creating a company vision and building a winning team, these leaders articulate the finer points of an industry where work and play intersect. The different niches represented enable readers to get inside some of the great strategic minds of today, as experts explore in detail what it takes to stay ahead of trends and compete on a global scale.