NPD: Toy Sales Across Key Global Markets Grew 4 Percent in the First Half of 2018

The following article contains excerpts from a press release issued on August 14, 2018 by The NPD Group.

August 14, 2018 | Global toy industry sales reached $18.4 billion in the first half of 2018, up 4 percent over last year, across the 13 international markets tracked by The NPD Group.

NPD’s covers toy retail sales in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Mexico grew the fastest (+15 percent), while Brazil followed with 11 percent growth, and the U.S. rose 7 percent. Europe posted a 1 percent decline as growth in Germany, Russia, Italy, and Spain was offset by slight declines in other countries.

“Traditional play patterns, collectibles, social media, and innovation are the major themes we saw trending globally in the first six months of the year, and I expect they will continue to accelerate. More than entertainment, brands have been an important trend to move the needle for the industry so far this year,” said Frédérique Tutt, NPD’s global toys industry analyst. “Some key themes have also emerged or have been increasing in popularity, such as dinosaurs and unicorns on the one hand, and slime or toilet humor on the other.”       

The collectibles market continued to blaze its trail in the first half of 2018, led by the international popularity of L.O.L. Surprise!, ranked as the No. 1 toy property in all 13 countries combined. Global sales of collectibles increased 26 percent, and now account for 11 percent of dollar sales in the total toy industry. Led by Fingerlings, the youth electronics segment grew 29 percent. Sales of miscellaneous toys grew 12 percent, with the major drivers being Soft’n Slow Squishes, Major League Baseball cards, and Panini Russia 2018 World Cup stickers. Tying into the “kidult” trend, the games segment (excluding strategic card games) grew sales by 12 percent with Monopoly, UNO, and Exploding Kittens among the contributors to its success.

In a separate statement, Toy Association President & CEO Steve Pasierb said: “Our focus is helping U.S. companies perform well both here at home and on the world stage. We continue to see points of strength in North, Central, and South America, while growth remains more elusive in Europe. Toys have truly become a global business with significant international opportunity for our members, particularly in emerging economies and countries.”

Source: The NPD Group/ Retail Tracking Service, dollar sales adjusted, January to June 2018