Award winning Japanese Construction toy LaQ to launch in UK
Brighton-based toy and game distributor Zappies has been awarded exclusive UK and Irish rights to distribute the multi-award winning Japanese construction toy LaQ
The ‘Q’ in the product name (kyuu) means ‘sphere’ in Japanese, giving a clue to the huge success that LaQ has enjoyed worldwide. This unique construction toy is built from small panels and clever connectors, allowing children from five years old to build far more organic shapes and forms than is possible using its more ‘blocky’ competitors. With LaQ, you can build flowers and trees, insects and animals alongside dinosaurs, Samurai warriors, trains and aeroplanes.
The basic LaQ system features seven different types of block in ten colours, two basic shape parts plus five different connectors, allowing children to combine the shapes to create an enormous array of models. Add to this basic set the ‘Hamacron’ moving parts and moving vehicles, robots and other mobile objects become possible. Children will love the positive ‘snap’ and ‘click’ as the parts are assembled.
For the retailer, LaQ comes in packs to suit all tastes. Hobby kits provide everything needed for a variety of projects – the Flower kit includes pieces and instructions to make baskets and bouquets, borders and individual blooms, then there are beetle kits, dinosaur kits, ‘siren cars’ and construction vehicles. The Free Style kits are a great way to build a LaQ collection, with packs from 100 to 1000 pieces, based on colour choices, while for the true LaQ addict the Expert kits offer major league quantities of LaQ, from 2,400 to 5000 pieces. LaQ RRP’s start from as little as £2.49 for the ‘Petite’ range of hobby kits through to £229 for the largest Expert set.
LaQ’s educational value has been underlined with a string of awards, including the NAPPA Honors Award 2008 (National Parenting Publications Awards, USA), 2009 Parent’s Choice Silver Award (also USA), and in Japan, the Good Invention award, Japan Good Toy award, The Invention Contest and Good Design Selection. LaQ was also chosen for Japanese academic neurological research, which showed significant increase in brain activity and stimulation of both the right and left hemispheres of the brain when a child built models using LaQ.
Zappies is a dynamic British distributor, dedicated to bringing the world’s best and most innovative products to UK traders at a competitive price. The strategy is paying off too, Zappies being named as the fastest growing ‘small’ company in the South of England (Decision Business Magazine awards 2009). Further details and ordering information is on the Zappies website www.zappies.com
As Andrew Hardwidge, Zappies Sales Director, put it, “This is one of our most exciting product launches this year. What I love about this product is the fact that it appeals to such a broad cross section of people from young children who can make simple 2 dimensional mosaics through to accomplished adult modellers who can create some really intricate pieces. LaQ is completely unique and fully patented for the whole world and offers retailers an opportunity to buy into a great product with real brand loyalty and appeal while still being able to make healthy profits.”
The LaQ range will be on display on Zappies stand at the NEC Spring Fair 7th-11th February in Hall 5 on Stand D51.
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For more information please contact:
Martin Hardwidge, MHA Marketing Communications
8 Raglan Drive, Nottingham NG4 2RF
Tel: 0115 940 2751, Fax: 0115 940 4130, email martinh@mhamarketing.co.uk
Andrew Hardwidge, Sales Director, Zappies Ltd
Tel: 07920 481909 email: andrew.hardwidge@zappies.com
