Global toy sales reached 22.45 billion in the first half of the year, and the most popular ones are...

According to data from the international research agency NPD , the toy sales of the 12 global toy markets included in the statistics reached US$22.45 billion from January to June this year , an increase of 15% over 2020 ; compared with 2019 before the epidemic , the increase was as high as 28% . ( The countries included in the statistics are: the United States, the United Kingdom , Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia and Spain )

From a country perspective , sales in 12 countries increased compared to the same period in 2020. Compared to 2019 , all other countries except Brazil and Spain increased. Among them, the United States had the highest sales growth of 40% , followed by Germany ( 23% ), Canada ( 20% ), Belgium ( 19% ), the Netherlands ( 19% ) and Russia ( 19% ).

From the category perspective , sales of the 11 major categories of toys tracked by NPD in 12 countries have increased year-on-year in 2020. Compared with 2019, the following five categories have seen more significant increases: games/puzzles (59%), outdoor/sports toys (38%), building blocks (38%), baby/preschool toys (14%), and dolls ( 10%).

From the 29 subcategories counted , sales increased compared to 2019, except for game set dolls and battle toys. The highest growth was in strategy cards, which, driven by Pokemon, increased from $342 million in sales in the first half of 2019 to $806 million in the first half of 2021, a surge of 136%.

As a result , Pokemon has entered the top five most popular toy brands , along with Barbie, Star Wars, LOL Surprise Dolls and Marvel Universe.

Looking at the world's largest toy market , the United States , among the 11 major categories tracked by NPD, except for a slight decline of 1% in the arts and crafts category, all other categories have achieved good growth. Among them, outdoor /sports toys have the largest sales volume, with sales of US$2.9 billion in the first half of the year, more than twice that of the second-ranked games /puzzles. In addition, plush toys had the highest sales growth, up 39% compared to 2020.

Juli Lennett, vice president of NPD Group and toy industry consultant, pointed out that since vaccines are not yet available for children under the age of 12, outdoor sports toys such as skateboards and roller skates that can maintain a relatively safe social distance are still popular among parents.

Judging from brand performance, classic brands including Pokemon, Barbie, Star Wars, LOL Surprise Dolls, Fisher-Price, Marvel Universe, Hot Wheels, Tiny Tikes, Heat and Lego are still hot-selling.

Lennett added: "Consumers are seeking to find happy childhood memories in classic toys to offset the current unhappiness as a result of the pandemic lockdown. This is particularly evident among grandparents."

As for the situation of the US toy market in the second half of the year, Lennett gave her own guess. She said that the industry is still facing many unfavorable factors:

1. The relief programs provided due to the epidemic are gradually being reduced. This will reduce the money Americans spend on buying toys;

Second, with the arrival of the back-to-school season, children’s demand for toys may decrease;

3. Inflation and supply chain issues may continue to impact the toy industry.

However, Lennett remains optimistic that the U.S. toy industry will continue to outperform pre- pandemic times in September and beyond . This is because while most school districts plan to return to the classroom in the fall , many are preparing for remote learning. If children continue to stay at home, toy sales are likely to rise.

In addition, many adults also like to collect toys. If more and more people take collecting toys as a hobby, it will be good for the toy industry.

Toy

USA