Moose Toys' Shopkins™ Scoops Ice Cream Truck Wins 2016 Girl Toy of the Year Award

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Moose Toys, one of the top toy companies in the U.S., was recognized at the 16th annual Toy Industry Association's Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards ceremony, winning the prestigious Girl Toy of the Year award for its Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck, based on votes from toy retailers, media, TIA members and consumers. Echoing the most-coveted industry award, Shopkins was also recently named the 2015 top-selling toy in the US, for the Shopkins 12-pack, according to The NPD Group.

Sponsored by the Toy Industry Association (TIA), the annual award ceremony, also known as the "Oscars" of the toy industry, was held on February 12, 2016 as part of the American International Toy Fair in New York and recognizes top toys and brands from the previous year. This year's field consisted of more than 700 nominees from over 200 companies.

"Winning a TOTY Award for the second year in a row is just incredible," said Paul Solomon, Co-CEO of Moose Toys. "And it's extra special for it to be a repeat win for Girl Toy of the Year. We are honored by the award and thrilled that Shopkins continues to bring smiles to so many kids' faces – girls and boys!"

Since its launch in the summer of 2014, Shopkins has made a huge impact on the toy industry, winning the Girl Toy of the Year award at last year's TOTY Awards for the Shopkins Small Mart playset and selling more than 240 million Shopkins characters worldwide. The brand recently made national headlines with the charity auction of its one-of-a-kind Gemma Stone Shopkin, which sold for over $21,500, to benefit the Toy Industry Foundation.

"In its 16th year, the TOTY awards continue to celebrate the toy industry and toys that inspire children to be creative and imaginative," said Ken Seiter, TIA vice president of marketing communications. "Our judging panel of experts, including members of TIA, are very excited to award the Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck as the Girl Toy of the Year. The brand's impact on the industry and its encouragement of imaginative play makes it an ideal recipient."

With over 560 available characters' total, the Shopkins world continues to grow with the recent release of Season Four items including all new characters and playsets.                 

About Moose ToysMoose Toys is a global toy company with offices in the US, UK, Hong Kong, China and the head office based in Melbourne, Australia.  This award-winning company is known for designing, developing and distributing toy and lifestyle products across the globe for children of all ages and the young at heart. Moose has products in all toy categories including collectibles, arts and crafts, activity toys, dolls, novelty items and outdoor products, and has brought joy to kids worldwide with successful products such as Mighty Beanz, Beados, Aqua Sand and The Trash Pack™. In 2015, Moose expanded several major product lines for boys and girls, including Shopkins™, the hottest girl's collectible line of grocery-themed characters; Little Live Pets, electronic pets that come to life in the palm of your hand; as well as line extensions for Beados craft activity sets. The company also introduced all new brands, such as The Ugglys Pet Shop, the collectibles that are small in size but big in gross; and Qixels, the first "craftstruction" activity that allows kids to create pixelated worlds of monsters, warriors and more. Moose Toys has scored numerous coveted toy awards from industry experts and major retailers. Wal-Mart selected Moose Toys as the recipient of its Toy Supplier of the Year award. The Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck was named the 2016 Girl Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association, and the Shopkins Small Mart playset was awarded the 2015 Girl Toy of the Year. Visit www.moosetoys.com for more information.

Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service/U.S. Toys/Dollars Annual 2015

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SOURCE Moose Toys