LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Moose Toys, the fastest-growing toy company among the top five in the U.S., is showcasing its 2017 portfolio at the North American International Toy Fair. From February 18-21, Moose will reveal exciting new additions to its wildly popular Shopkins brand, including new Shoppies dolls, and a series of collectibles based on Universal's eagerly anticipated movie, "Despicable Me 3." In addition to these exciting developments, the global toy company is also announcing new additions to its Little Live Pets line, and a debut into new categories, including baby dolls, games, plush and other licensed items.
Also being unveiled this weekend will be the brand-new Shopkins Cutie Cars, which is expected to be a highlight of the showcase. In an industry first, Moose will take die cast vehicle play to a broader consumer, even creating a life-sized, working Cutie Car on display to ensure fans can truly experience the cutest Shopkins segment to date!
Moose will also take the big screen to tiny toys with its new line of Mineez micro-collectibles. The range is based on the entire universe of "Despicable Me" characters, and fans of the mischievous Minions will love to collect and trade their favorites from the new product line, which includes blind boxes, character packs, playsets and hangers.
"We are incredibly proud to be the go-to partner for collectible 'Despicable Me' toys globally!" said Paul Solomon, Co-CEO of Moose Toys. "This partnership with Illumination and Universal Brand Development is a fantastic way for us to showcase the magic Moose brings to developing a sought after collectible toy line. The global phenomenon 'Despicable Me' franchise is filled with iconic characters as well as hundreds of characters that have never been on shelf. A perfect combination for a great collectible program."
According to NPD, the collectibles category was a key driver for the 5% increase in toy industry sales in 2016, with a 33% increase in collectibles sales and a 60% growth in blind bags alone. Shopkins led this growth in the Playset Dolls & Collectibles subclass in 2016, and overall Doll category, and is among the top four properties in the toy industry.
Continuing the trend of year on year growth, and finishing its fourth year as the leading collectible in the U.S., Shopkins shows no signs of slowing down with opening week's sales of Season 7 exceeded Fall 2016's Season 6 Chef Club, further showing what a loved brand Shopkins. To launch Season 7, fans joined the Shopkins party in February unveiling the first-ever Swap-kins Month, uniting fans all over the world. The newest Party-themed Shoppies were also revealed in the wildly-popular Shopkins webisodes, which have garnered almost 700,000 views to date.
And Moose is more than the leader in collectibles! According to NPD, Moose's Little Live Pets had the top spot for Youth Electronics, with the 2016 hit, Snuggles My Dream Puppy, selling over 800,000 units globally in Fall 2016. This year, Moose will introduce an adorable new animal into the Little Live Pets family – the chirping Lil' Chick. Lil Chick will chirp and tap before hatching out of its egg, ready to play. The more the chick is pet, the more it will sing and hop around, just like a baby chicken!
"To stand out in the crowd at Toy Fair, you must incorporate fresh, innovative twists on today's trends," said Adrienne Appell of the Toy Industry Association. "Moose Toys excels at adding that creative 'Moose' spin to each of their products, which is why their 2017 portfolio looks so exciting!"
To see more products coming from Moose Toys this year, book an appointment to visit the booth at Toy Fair by contacting moose@mww.com. Located at booth #2445 at the Javitz Convention Center, Moose Toys will be showcasing products launching in 2017.
*Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, Annual 2016, dollars
ABOUT MOOSE TOYS
Moose Toys is a global toy company with offices in the US, UK, Hong Kong, China and the head office based in Melbourne, Australia. This award-winning company is known for designing, developing and distributing toy and lifestyle products across the globe for children of all ages and the young at heart. Moose has products in all toy categories including collectibles, arts and crafts, activity toys, dolls, novelty items and outdoor products, and has brought joy to kids worldwide with successful products such as Mighty Beanz, Beados, Aqua Sand and The Trash Pack™. In 2015, Moose expanded several major product lines for boys and girls, including Shopkins™, the hottest girl's collectible line of grocery and fashion themed characters; Little Live Pets, electronic pets that come to life in the palm of your hand; as well as line extensions for Qixels craft activity sets. Moose Toys has scored numerous coveted toy awards from industry experts and major retailers. In 2016, Walmart selected Little Live Pets Snuggles My Dream Puppy for its Top 25 Holiday Toy List, and Toys"R"Us chose Little Live Pets Snuggles My Dream Puppy, The Grossery Gang Vile Vending Machine, SelfieMic, the Shopkins Tall Mall and the Twozies Twogether Pack for its Hot Holiday List. The Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck was awarded 2016 Girl Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association, and the Shopkins Small Mart playset was awarded the 2015 Girls' Toy of the Year. Shopkins was awarded the 2016 Licensed Character/Toy of the Year by LIMA. Visit www.moosetoys.com for more information.
SOURCE Moose Toys