More than 200 toy companies exhibited at the Toy Fair at Olympia, with cutting-edge app toys leading the way.
 
New products included InspirationWorks’ Kurio, a tablet computer for children, and Vivid’s Moshi App Monsters, which produces animated displays when a smartphone is inserted into the product.
 
Celebrities including ex-footballer John Barnes and ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly showcased several products.
 
“Toy Fair 2012 has been a fantastic three days for our exhibitors who have had back-to-back meetings with quality retailers and loads of attention from trade, national and broadcast media,” said Simon Pilling, head of Toy Fair operations and sales.
 
“Even though it’s only a matter of hours since Toy Fair 2012 ended, we are already looking forward to 2013, which will mark the 60th anniversary of the fair.”
 
Show organiser The British Toy and Hobby Association said the fair sold out in record time.
 
The association also claimed the toy industry remains a shining light in an otherwise tough retail climate. According to figures released at the show by retail tracking group NPD, the UK toy market is nowvalued at £2.96 billion and remains the largest in Europe. More than 384 million toys were sold during 2011.
 
Of the 10 categories tracked by NPD, the three fastest growing in 2011 were building sets (+20 per cent), outdoor (+12 percent) and dolls (+8 per cent).
 
The next Toy Fair will be held at Olympia on 22-24 January 2013.
 
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