Mattel goes full steam ahead

Toy maker Mattel Inc, which owns global brands Barbie and Fisher-Price, is to build Thomas & Friends Towns in major Chinese cities after introducing its first Chinese character to the 70-year-old Thomas the Tank Engine franchise.

Hailey Wu Sullivan, senior director and head of marketing for Mattel Asia-Pacific, says the first Thomas & Friends Town will open in the western city of Chongqing next month.

Covering an area of 1,200 square meters, the attraction will include an amusement park, restaurants, multifunction classrooms and an adventure castle.

"It's an immersive experience for kids to walk into the town and bring Thomas to life," she says.

Toy makers like Mattel and Lego are building theme parks and play zones across China to better connect with young consumers.

Sullivan discussed the Chongqing park at a ceremony to introduce Yongbao, the newest member of the Thomas & Friends' family.

"Yongbao and his story will further promote the Thomas & Friends brand from a more Chinese angle and will help the world to learn about China," Sullivan says.

She adds that as well as appearing on toy shelves, Yongbao will feature in the Thomas cartoons and a movie set for release early next year.

In addition, Mattel has been trying to diversify its distribution channels in China by collaborating with e-commerce company JD.com since 2013.

By the end of last year, its five biggest brands - Barbie, Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends, Hot Wheels and Mega - had launched stores on JD.com, seeing a combined growth in sales of more than 150 percent.

Mattel says the Thomas series is the No 1 preschool toy brand for children age 2 to 4.

Du Jiaqi at Euromonitor International says Thomas & Friends has grown rapidly in China as parents have grown increasingly aware of branded products due to their safety.

The brand has visible displays at brick-and-mortar retailers, while its diversified product designs have encouraged consumers, he says.

However, Mattel's other brands, such as Barbie, have under performed in China due to a wide range of choice in the market, with Japanese dolls proving more popular.

The company has a 2 percent market share in China, according Euromonitor International data. Traditional Chinese toys and games had a market value of 64.2 billion yuan ($9.6 billion; 8.5 billion euros; 7.3 billion) last year.

wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn

( China Daily Africa Weekly 09/16/2016 page29)