Santa Claus will have to tighten his belt. To fill the hood for him, he will have to spend more or even much more. According to the NPD panelist, toy inflation reached 6% this Christmas compared to last year at the same time. An increase substantially similar to headline inflation in France calculated by INSEE.
But the inflation felt could be even higher, many products present in the end-of-year catalogs did not exist last year.
Thus, more than 6 out of 10 comparable toys have seen their prices rise in a year. Unprecedented in the sector. Rising raw materials, exploding logistics costs, shortages of electronic components… Toy manufacturers are suffering from these increases as are other manufacturers of non-food products.
But they seem quicker to transfer them to the final price. According to 60 million consumers, many categories are experiencing double-digit increases.
+44% in video games, +15% in Lego, +14% in early learning games as well as Barbie products, +11% in construction products… The bill at the end can hurt a lot.
+35% the Barbie motorhome
This is what we found when comparing the prices of some star toys with the price that was shown a year ago in the end-of-year catalogs. Price increases are sometimes spectacular.
Like this Barbie “dream motorhome” sold on the Leclerc site for more than 94 euros in promotion. Without this small temporary discount, it is shown at 104.24 euros. In 2021, this same vehicle for Barbie was exhibited at 77 euros in the Leclerc catalog. In one year he took 22% with the current discount and almost 35% without promotion.
Barbie’s motorhome, one of the best sellers of the year, sold for 77.40 euros in 2021.
The same toy is sold this year for 94.20 euros, an increase of almost 22%.
Same bud for Ravensburger’s Gravitrax game. The starter set of this marble run, which has been a bestseller for several years, easily surpassed the €40 mark this year. Auchan, which offered it at 39.99 euros, is selling it this year at 52.99 euros, or 13 euros more in a year. Even with the current promotion, the game is 5 euros more expensive than last year.
The Gravitax game starter-set sold for less than 40 euros in 2021 in the King Toy catalogue.
The same offered at 45 euros this year for the same brand with promotion and at 53 euros without promotion, an increase of more than 32%.
Lego has raised its prices twice
An inflation that does not skimp on licensed products. On the contrary. German track manufacturer Carrera has inflated the prices of its Mario Kart products. Carrefour offered the 4m90 model at 59.90 euros in 2021. This year, at the dealership, the lowest price is 82.38 euros, 38% more in one year.
The 4m90 Mario Kart circuit of the Carrera brand was sold for less than 60 euros in the Carrefour Christmas 2021 catalog.
The same one year later was sold for 82.38 euros, 38% more.
Some manufacturers have not waited this year to pass on their cost increases. Like the Spanish Faber, which had already increased its prices in 2021, making this year’s rise less violent. His electric quad sold for 119.99 euros by JouéClub in 2020 took 10 euros last year and another 20 euros this year. Result: the small quad took 25% but in two years.
The electric quad was previously offered by JouéClub at 119.99 euros.
The same quad in 2022 took 30 euros, an increase of 25%.
If there is a brand that has not skimped on increases, it is Lego. The Danish brand has revised its prices upward twice this year in the first and second quarters. It is the manufacturer that has increased its prices the most with an average increase of 15%.
For certain products, des seuils psychologiques ont été franchis allègrement comme avec ce bateau pirate qui était à 79.50 euros sur le catalog de Noël d’Auchan l’année desnière alors qu’il faudra débourser près de 105 euros cette année pour se l ‘to offer.
The Lego Creator pirate ship was sold for 79.50 euros by Auchan in 2021.
A year later, the same boat is at 104.90 euros, 32% more.
Aren’t these increases likely to discourage consumers whose purchasing power is already severely limited? It is still a bit early to know if this inflation will influence behaviour.
The next few days could be decisive. Around December 5, the prices shown in toy catalogs will no longer be guaranteed by the brands. The price increase could be even higher.
Source: BFM TV
