NPD Group ranked "Thomas & Friends" the number one pre-school property in the U.K., U.S., Germany, Australia, Korea and Japan. This is the 11th year the brand has held the top spot in the U.K., which is based on EPOS data for toy sales gathered from U.K. major retailers.
"2010 was an exceptional year for Thomas at retail and today's results cement the brand's position as the continued number one choice for pre-schoolers," says Rick Glankler, senior vice president of global brand management for the Thomas & Thomas Division, EMEA, at HIT Entertainment.
In addition, "Thomas & Friends" switched to CG-animation in 2010, which resulted in increased TV ratings on FIVE's "Milkshake!" and a 20 percent rise in Home Entertainment sales.
