BEIJING, Sept. 11 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Learn 'n Play, a British toy retailer, announces that it will open a store in downtown Xuanwumen district, which will mark the first entry by a large foreign toy retailer into the capital's toy retail market.
The Chinese toy retail market is going through a period of strong growth. According to the HK trade development council, the average Beijing household spends approximately 100RMB per month per child on toys, and rising. This figure is well below that of developed countries, the equivalent figure in Japan is 275RMB, but according to the research, as Chinese families enjoy a period of unprecedented wealth, that gap is closing fast.
The China toy market was estimated at US$3.2bn in 2004, up from US$1.4bn in 2001, clocking up an average annual growth rate of 40%. For the segment of educational and electronic toys, the growth rate has been even higher, up to 100%/year.
This rapid growth has drawn the attention of international toy retailers, such as Toys R Us from the USA, who opened in Shanghai in November of last year.
For Learn 'n Play, whose store and products focus on educationally-beneficial toys, the October 1st store opening marks the Company's first expansion on Chinese soil. China General Manager, Andy Clayton remarked, "Toys are important for children in learning life skills. Our aim is to bring toys to the children of Beijing that can help them grow into happy, confident and capable people."
Traditionally, Chinese families have viewed toys principally as a form of entertainment, and thereby less important than education and other more 'serious' uses of time and resources. However, with the introduction of international research on child development, such as that of Montessori and Piaget, the importance of play and toys on the mental and physical development of children is starting to be appreciated.
"Becoming a well-balanced, confident and happy adult depends greatly on influences absorbed in childhood. Skills such as confidence, social skills and creativity developed in childhood are the ones that often make for the real advantages in adult life" adds Clayton. "Families in Beijing currently lack choice and options in buying toys," continued Clayton. "Most quality toys are limited to the top floors of expensive department stores, out of the eye and budget of must consumers." Learn 'n Play, who dedicate over 30% of the space of their ground floor store to free play areas, are confident that they will be able to offer the most complete range of toys of any store in the city
About Learn 'n Play
Learn 'n Play is a British educational concept toy store, founded by a developmental child psychologist. Frustrated at being unable to find a store where he could find educationally-beneficial toys for his children, he resolved to set up this kind of store himself. Based on the science of child development, with the backing of like-minded manufacturers, and with the help of his family, he put together Learn 'n Play.
Learn 'n Play concept
As children grow, they develop skills, such as imagination, physical coordination and social communication. Toys play an important part of this development, helping children grow into capable, confident people. It is LNP's mission to introduce to parents and children toys which can help them to learn life skills and have fun at the same time.
Based on over 50 year of European child development research, LNP have identified 11 skills key to healthy child development. LNP China have spent more than 2 years, with the help of Chinese child development specialists, tailoring this concept to Chinese culture.
