1. MOSHI MONSTERS 2. STAR WARS 3. LITTLE TIKES 4. NERF 5. DISNEY PRINCESS
THE TRADITIONAL toy market grew again in June, with value sales up one per cent and volume up three per cent. The average toy price fell back to £6.35. The lower average price and high volume sales for the month were heavily driven by top-selling pocket money items. As well as the continued success of the blind bags for Lego Minifigures and Vivid’s Moshi Monsters Moshlings Figures, June also had growth from the Euro 2012 Panini stickers. While the football tournament was running, the stickers were extremely popular, but sales dropped heavily once England had been knocked out. There was also growth from the Olympics Panini stickers, a month before the Games opened.
The Olympics licence made an impact in the toy market in June, as the torch relay moved around Britain firing up excitement ahead of the Games. With over £1.2 million of toy sales in June, the
Sales
UK toy sales (value, year-to-date)
YTD 2011
Source: NPD SEPTEMBER 2012
YTD 2012
+1%
Olympics was the tenth largest licence and the number one licence in the plush category. The release of the Lego Team GB Minifigures also added to overall sales in the final week of the month.
With the success of
sports licences and digital licences, the toy licensing world is more competitive than ever.
Licensed toys account for more than £1 in every £4 spent on toys and are growing fastest than the total market. While action figures remains the most heavily licensed category within the toy market, the sectors that are experiencing the strongest growth are being driven by the success of licences: building sets and dolls especially. The comic
licences Marvel Legends and DC Comics Superheroes in construction, as well as Deadly 60, are adding to the continued popularity of Star Wars and Halo. Meanwhile, in dolls, Moshi Monsters goes from strength-to-strength and Hello Kitty remains popular. “There are now many more varieties of toy licences available; previously it has just been TV shows and major film releases that have dominated top licence positions,” said Jez Fraser-Hook, director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. “However, with the success of digital licences like Moshi Monsters and Angry Birds, and sporting licences driving toy sales around events, the toy licensing world is more competitive than ever. “This is a dynamic and exciting area of the market and it will be interesting to see which licences hold the consumers’ imaginations for the all-important peak season this year.”
Average toy price June ‘11: £6.44
Best property progression June 2012
Mike the Knight The new pre-school brand from Hit Entertainment moves up over 80 places to number 68…
Best item progression June 2012
Disney Princess Rapunzel Barbie (Mattel)
It was a storming month for this toy, moving up from number 223 in May to number 49 in June…