The toy market is normalizing. After a record year in 2021 with value growth of 3.3%, toy sales fell by 2.6% in 2022, remaining above their 2019 level (+2.1%), according to data from the NPD Group panelist for the French federation of childcare toy industries (FJP). ) and the Federation of Merchants Specialized in Toys and Children’s Products (FCJPE).
With a turnover of 4.4 billion euros last year, “sales of games and toys have returned to a ‘normal’ level,” underlines Frédérique Tutt, world expert in the toy market at NPD Group. More than ever, the month of December led the market with 29% of the sales of the year registered this month (+2 points) while the sales of the previous months ended lower:
“Unlike in 2021, when the French had started their purchases well in advance fearing stock shortages, in 2022, sales were slow to take off. The last four weeks of December finally saw a turnaround to hit a positive trend thanks to a run during the last week before Christmas, which saw its sales increase by 18%”, notes Frédérique Tutt.
return to the store
After repeated lockdowns, the French returned to stores in 2022 with a 2% increase in sales in specialized and multi-specialist toy stores. Sales of hypermarkets, on the other hand, fell by 5%. At the same time, online sales fell by 7% compared to 2021, remaining well above the 2019 level (+24%).
contained inflation
In a context of inflation, volume sales fell by 11% last year. But the sector is proud, despite everything, of having contained the price rise to +6.8% in December in one year, that is, almost half the increase observed by the NPD Group for consumer products (+12, 6%). In the end, the average price of a toy was 18.20 euros.
Paradoxically, it was the sales of toys above 30 euros that did well (+3% compared to 2021). The latter already account for 40% of sales, compared to 36% of toys under 20 euros (-9%), undoubtedly the victim of consumer arbitration throughout the year, and 24% of those whose price It is between 20 and 29.99 euros. (+0%).
The success of the licenses is confirmed
At the top of the best sellers is My Story Factory (59.27 euros) from the French Lunii. Then come the Rainbow tall doll (34.93 euros), the Skyjo card game (15.13 euros), the Kidizoom Duo camera (66.41 euros) and the Kidicom Advance children’s phone (120.86 euros).
More broadly, teen electronics (+13.6%) is the most dynamic category, ahead of action figures (+8.6%) carrying licenses from Marvel, Star Wars, etc. Construction (+3.1%) with the unbeatable Lego and vehicles (+0.5%) also registered a good evolution, unlike dolls (-4.7%) and board games and puzzles (- 2.7%) that drop after taking advantage of the Covid years.
Finally, it should be noted that the market share of licensed products (24.3%) reached a new record in 2022 with an increase in sales of 1.8%. For the second year in a row, Pokémon emerged as the most popular property, ahead of Vtech Baby, Paw Patrol, Barbie, and Harry Potter.
Source: BFM TV
