British Toy Store Opening Marks First Entry Of Foreign Retailers In Beijing Toy Market

British Toy Store Opening Marks First Entry Of Foreign Retailers In Beijing Toy Market

September 11, 2007

    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.



    For more information, please contact:

     Johnson Zhang
     Commercial Director
     Learn 'n Play China
     Unit 5C, Building 1,
     Huateng International
     No. 2 Yard, Dajiaoting St.
     Beijing, China 100022
     Tel:    [phone]
     Fax:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]