German toy market sales continue to rise, but 77% of sellers are worried about out-of-stock issues

During the peak shopping season, many parents take advantage of discounts to buy toys for their children, and also prepare Christmas and New Year gifts in advance. In the German toy market, sales this year have shown a positive trend, except for the holidays.

Due to the impact of the epidemic, people have actively responded to epidemic prevention measures and reduced going out. In order to prevent children from being bored at home, parents have also increased their spending on toys, keeping the sales volume of the toy market on a steady upward trend.

According to data released by market research firm NPD Group , the German toy market grew by 141 million euros from January to October this year , an increase of 8% year-on-year.

Affected by the epidemic, people have also shifted their way of buying toys online. Online sales of toys in Germany have accounted for 58% of total toy sales .

Among them, educational toys for infants and preschoolers are the "main force" of toy sales . For example, building kits, board games, puzzles and other categories are relatively popular.

The German Federal Toy Retailers Association ( BVS) predicts that by the end of this year, German consumers will have spent at least 3.8 billion euros on toys, an increase of 4% from 2020, which will once again set a record.

The demand for toys has increased, but due to the impact of supply chain crisis, rising container prices, rising transportation costs, and labor shortages, the toy market has also experienced a supply shortage.

According to a survey data released by the Ifo Institute , an economic research institute , 77.8% of German merchants complained about insufficient inventory due to transportation delays, reflecting the serious supply problems in the German toy market.

Although many parents bought gifts in advance for fear of shortages, the upcoming Christmas is still a peak time for toy demand.

BVS Executive Chairman said that many businesses have tried their best to replenish their inventory, but it is difficult to avoid the problem of out-of-stock. Therefore, we should remain optimistic and rigorous about Christmas sales.

Toy

Germany