Spin Master is tapping into some of this year’s biggest toy trends with a fresh lineup of new toys, games, and activities for 2021. The new products run the gamut from top licenses to new intellectual property (IP) to updates to classic brands.

The Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards are often considered to be the Oscars of the toy industry, and this year’s winners have been named! Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 TOTY Awards were presented virtually during a special online presentation.

Asmodee has officially detailed the opening of a new branch to serve the South Korean market, with the launch of Asmodee Korea Limited. The new branch will be led by industry veteran Kevin Kichan Kim. The move is the latest in Amsodee’s ongoing international growth plans and has been opened with the aim of reinforcing the board game giant’s leading position in the Korean market.

The LEGO Group has become one of the first companies to sign up to the European Commission’s new Green Consumption Pledge pilot initiative as what the firm has said is a reinforcement of its own commitment to lowering its carbon footprint. The Green Consumption Pledge was detailed at a virtual event hosted in Brussels, Belgium on January 25th, with LEGO joining L’Oreal, Colruyt Groupm and Decathlon as the first to join.

The National Bureau of Statistics published on January 18 that preliminary calculations show that China's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded 100 trillion yuan for the first time in 2020, reaching 101,5986 billion yuan, an increase of 2.3% over the previous year at comparable prices.

The company revealed a new lineup of products that continues its push toward replacing fossil-based plastics with sustainable alternatives by 2030. New for 2021 are three new eco-friendly vehicles in the Go! Go! Smart Wheels line made from plant-based plastic, and the Sort & Recycle Ride-on Truck made from reclaimed plastic. LeapFrog is also getting into the sustainable mix with the Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot with vegetables and accessories made from plant-based plastic.

In the European Union (EU), toys are regulated under Directive 2009/48/EC (Toy Safety Directive, TSD, consolidated version to November 2019). Point 11 under Part III of Annex II to this piece of legislation regulates 66 allergenic fragrances in toys:

The LEGO Group has kicked off the New Year by ramping up its adult fans of LEGO selection with a new range of mindful models aimed at the green-fingered. Looking to bring a sense of calm to 2021, the LEGO Botanical Collection includes the LEGO Flower Bouquet and the LEGO Bonsai Tree.

The social media platform TikTok has pioneered a new method of online shopping, having partnered with the US retail giant Walmart to launch a new shoppable livestream capability for its users to engage with. The new in-app shopping tool was piloted around 2 weeks ago when Walmart hosted a one-hour livestream session that enabled customers to shop for Walmart fashion items featured by ten TikTok creators, without having to leave the app.

On October 21-23, 2020, China Kids Expo was successfully held in Shanghai as scheduled although many trade fairs were cancelled or postponed worldwide at this uncertain moment. With all safety measures conducted, the fair this year gathered over 80,000 visitors in an exhibiting area of 220,000 m² to explore business opportunities and check out the latest trends in baby products industry.