Preschool licensed ranges including In the Night Garden, Bing and Hey Duggee contribute to success.
Golden Bear is celebrating after reporting a significant increase in sales year on year, achieving its 2019 growth objectives.
The company has seen its UK sales soar by 34%, with the popularity of its preschool licensed ranges among the contributing factors.
“We have seen our core licences such as Bing, In the Night Garden, Hey Duggee, Mr Tumble and Waffle gain considerable traction in 2019 and we are delighted to see them gain momentum and flourish,” said Barry Hughes managing director at Golden Bear.
The company launched its first range for Bing back in July, with retailers reporting demand outstripping supply even before the new brand TVC aired in September.
Barry continued: “Bing is already firmly established as a top ten preschool license and we anticipate further significant growth for the brand in 2020.”
Now in its seventh year as master toy partner for In the Night Garden, Golden Bear has seen continued growth for its range of toys for the CBeebies flagship bedtime show, with the number of Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka toys sold being equivalent to all the newborns in the UK each year.
Hey Duggee became the fastest growing preschool plush licence – year on year, the brand has grown by 140%.
The company has also enjoyed a big winner with its first ever product in the outdoor category, Smart Ball. The innovative counting football with lights and sounds was featured on This Morning and the Late Late Toy Show in December.
Barry added: “We are very proud of our 2019 performance given prevailing market conditions. Initial signs are that 2020 is going to be even better as Toy Fair season will see the trade launch of great new products for Bing, ITNG and Hey Duggee and an awesome new product in the Smart Ball arena.
“We are also very excited about the UK trade launch of My Glitter Pop within the girls’ sphere, the delightful Love Monster within preschool and the thrilling introduction of our new own IP Sassimals. Coupled with that, we are expecting further international roll out of Smart Ball, Sassimals and Bing, which has already been a massive success in Italy and Poland.”
