The special area made its debut at the Spielwarenmesse this year with the idea of opening the world of toys to booksellers and visa versa in order to help retailers boost sales figures through diversification.

The concept has been labelled a ‘resounding success’ by the show’s organisers and as a result will be expanded upon with partnerships being extended for its next even in Nuremberg in January next year. The space set aside for the Special Area will be increased.

The area encourages manufacturers to showcase non-book articles that lend themselves to the book trade. There will be ideas implemented in order to target these booksellers more effectively.

Christian Ulrich, director of marketing at Spielwarenmesse eG, said: “We are paving the way for relevant ranges while providing valuable knowledge to assist this retailer group in the daily running of their stores.”

The Special Area is now being extended to more than 200 square meters and will widen its scope to the international market.

The Spielwarenmesse has also now secured a new media partner for the Toys meet Books area in Borsenblatt, a reputable specialist magazine for the book trade. It will also be stepping up its cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair.

A closing statement from Spielwarenmesse read: ‘The Spielwarenmesse’s latest measures and partnerships at the Special Area Toys meet Books provide booksellers with even easier access to the toy sector.

'This gives them the chance to experience the products first hand, to find inspiration from the expert talks and to forge new and lasting contacts – all with a view to generating lucrative additional sales.’