Shopkins

Shopkins

Shopkins figurines of Teenie TV, Mary Wishes, and Dippy Avocado
Type Figures
Inventor Jacqui Tobias
Company Moose Toys
Country Australia
Availability 2014–present
Materials Plastic
Slogan "Once you shop... you can't stop!"
Official website

Shopkins is a range of small, collectable toys, manufactured by Moose Toys. Based on grocery store items, each plastic figurine has a face and unique name. The collectable toys (which are designated as common, rare, ultra rare, special edition, and limited editions) have also spawned a line of books and trading cards, as well as a YouTube channel.

The toy line began in 2013,[1] currently consisting of seasons 1 through 6.

History

Shopkins was designed and developed by Moose Toys in Melbourne. Co-chief Paul Solomon credits his mother Jacqui Tobias, director of girls’ products, for the idea of Shopkins.[2] Moose Toys had success with their line of Trash Pack collectible figurines which were geared towards boys, but overall lacked a market for girls. Shopkins was produced initially as a similar product for girls—however, it appeals to both genders.[3][4]

The first series of Shopkins was revealed in 2013.

Shopkins universe

Characters

Shopkins products

Shopkins figurines are roughly 1 inch in height and 1 inch in width, roughly the size of a United States Quarter. Each figurine has a face and its own name. They are distributed in bright colored packaging with bubble letters.[5] Shopkins are based on grocery items such as a candy bar named Cheeky Chocolate, a sweet apple named Apple Blossom, and a chocolate chip cookie named Kooky Cookie.[6][7]

Books

Moose Toys launched a series of children's books about Shopkins including Scholastic's Shopkins: Welcome to Shopville.[8]

Collector cards

Moose Toys released their first trading card set in 2015.

Shopkins video

Moose Toys has also announced a new movie (based on Shopkins toys) called Shopkins Chef Club coming October 25, 2016.

Web series

In July 2014, Moose Toys built brand awareness with their Shopkins short cartoon videos on their YouTube channel ShopkinsWorld,[3] but it was the YouTube videos of consumers unwrapping and playing with the toy that helped catapult its success.[9][10]

TV series

Moose Toys Co-CEO Paul Solomon revealed a major entertainment company is working on a regular Shopkins cartoon series set to release in 2016.[11]

Counterfeit Shopkins

Counterfeit Shopkins began to surface around mid-2015, including those with “Funny Sweet” on the packaging, which can refer to Shopkins in colours which Moose Toys never officially produced, such as Boo Hoo Onion being in light purple and Chee-Zee in pink.[12] A number of sellers on websites offer counterfeit Shopkins, which can include item pictures which have the “Shopkins” brand obscured, most likely as a way to avoid the listing being removed under intellectual property policies of the website and/or store.

Counterfeit Shopkins in packaging with "Funny Sweet" categories.

Cases

Two factories in Yiwu producing counterfeit Shopkins toys were raided by local police in China in mid-2015,[13] and Moose Toys stated they will take legal action against anyone selling counterfeit Shopkins,[14] which included a chain of Thriftway businesses selling counterfeit Shopkins.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "2015 to be a strong year for Shopkins".
  2. ↑ "Shopkins Inventor Among Toy Nominees".
  3. 1 2 http://www.racked.com/2015/9/22/9365361/shopkins-tiny-toy-for-girls-consumerism-pink
  4. ↑ http://www.thestar.com/life/2015/08/27/shopkins-the-latest-toy-craze-to-captivate-canadian-kids.html
  5. ↑ http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/363151141.html
  6. ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/christmas-2014-best-toys-and-gifts-for-boys-and-girls/news-story/812fe3ce4dd60067d997ae6055d04252
  7. ↑ "Moose Toys™ New Little Live Pets™ Birds Look and Sound Like a Real Pet Bird - Business Wire". 31 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Barnes & Noble. "Shopkins: Welcome to Shopville". Barnes & Noble.
  9. ↑ Moose Toys (24 November 2014). "Shopkins™ Is The Biggest Tiny Toy Crossing Retail Registers, With Season Two... -- LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --".
  10. ↑ http://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article50009520.html
  11. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2955018/Aussie-company-beats-Barbie-Lego-Disney-Princess-awarded-girls-toy-year-US.html
  12. ↑ "The Official guide to spotting counterfeit Shopkins," ShopkinsWorld YouTube channel, Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  13. ↑ “Police Raid Chinese Toy Factory: Moose Enterprise and Local Police Seize Over 150,000 Counterfeit Shopkins Toys in China,” PR Newswire, July 31, 2015.
  14. ↑ “Moose Continues to Defend Against Counterfeit Shopkins," aNB Media News, August 25, 2015, Retrieved 16 January 2016
  15. ↑ "Moose Toys Pty Ltd v. Thriftway BLVD. Drug Corp," Legale Inc, Retrieved 16 January 2016.
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