| The Toy Retailers Association | |
| Type: | Trade association |
| Location City: | Bodmin, Cornwall |
| Location Country: | United Kingdom |
| Key People: | Alan Simpson, Chairman |
| Industry: | Toy industry |
| Homepage: | toyretailersassociation.co.uk |
The Toy Retailers Association (formerly British Association of Toy Retailers) is a trade association that represents its members in the UK & Ireland. It promotes the role of the toy retailer and the value of toys to the consumer. It represents about 75% of the toy trade. The directorate is based remotely in Bodmin, Cornwall.
The Toy Retailers Association (TRA) was first established as the National Association of Toy Retailers in 1950 and changed its name first to the British Association of Toy Retailers (BATR) and then the Toy Retailers Association in 2005.[1] It acts as both a watchdog and persuader to ensure fair play for toy retailers and represents the toy retail sector on government panels and safety organisations in the UK.
The association organises DreamToys, where the top 12 and top 72 toys for Christmas are chosen every November. The press-only event used to be held at St Mary's Church in Marylebone, London.[2] The TRA also organises the Toy of the Year Awards, an event where the Toy of the Year award and other prizes are presented, including Toy Shop of the Year, Supplier of the Year and Multiple Retailer of the Year. The event is held on the first night of the UK Toy Fair at Olympia, London, each year in January.
The Toy of the Year awards began in 1965 and are presented annually at an awarding dinner held during the British International Toy Fair at Olympia in January. The criteria are that the toy must have been very popular in the past year and excited interest among customers and retailers in the toy market.