Up 13%! US toy industry retail sales reached $28.6 billion in 2021

Recently, the research organization NPD pointed out that the retail sales of the U.S. toy industry in 2021 was US$28.6 billion, an increase of 13%, or US$3.2 billion, from US$25.4 billion in 2020; compared with 2020, sales increased by 8%; the average selling price was US$12.37, an increase of 4% from 2020;

Specifically in terms of categories, 10 of the 11 categories tracked by NPD achieved growth. Outdoor and sports toys continue to be the largest category, with sales of $5.9 billion in 2021; while exploration and other toys had the largest sales growth, at $557 million. Compared with 2019, exploration and other toys had the largest compound annual growth rate of 24%, followed by games/puzzles at 23%.

The most popular toys are: Pokémon , Barbie, Star Wars, LOL Surprise!, Fisher-Price, Marvel Universe, Hot Wheels, Nerf, LEGO Star Wars and Little Tikes.

NPD noted that the pandemic continues to have a strong impact on consumer behavior, with the toy industry supported as travel and leisure spending are at historically low levels.

“There’s no doubt that the pandemic continues to impact consumer behavior in 2021,” said Juli Lennett, toy industry advisor for NPD. “As consumers continue to look for ways to entertain their children and themselves, disposable income shifting away from other forms of entertainment is driving growth in the toy industry. In addition to this, we’re seeing fewer promotions, less price sensitivity, and consumers purchasing higher-priced products, all of which are helping to drive growth in the industry.”

In addition, the US child tax credit policy has also promoted the growth of the industry. It is reported that the child tax credit policy is part of the "American Rescue Plan" proposed by the US President, which stipulates that the US Treasury Department will provide a total of approximately US$15 billion in grants to nearly 60 million children in 35 million families across the United States, which will be implemented on a monthly basis. It should be noted that the last time this benefit was implemented was in December last year. In other words, starting this year, this benefit no longer exists.

USA

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