This month Dubit takes its research off the playground and to the school gates, to examine how parents purchase toys and why they choose to shop where they do
TOY RETAIL has changed considerably over the past decade, with supermarkets and websites providing convenience and affordability.
New research from youth research agency Dubit, which questioned 1,000 parents of six to 12 year olds, shows that the internet is now used by more parents for toy shopping than any other destination. It found that 97 per cent of parents have bought toys online. But it’s not all bad news for traditional stores. Offline, supermarkets and toy shop chains are popular toy buying destinations, both being used by 91 per cent of parents. In comparison, independent toy shops are visited by 67 per cent of parents, and most commonly wealthier families (those in the AB socio economic grouping). As we will see later, although bricks and mortar toy stores are used by fewer parents than online destinations, their frequency of use and shoppers’ preference give reasons for optimism.
Of the websites included in Dubit’s research, Amazon is shown to be the industry leader, with 78 per cent of parents having used it. Argos could be considered a surprise runner up with 73 per cent of parents having bought from the catalogue giant’s website. eBay, which is placed third, is used by 54 per cent of parents, with 57 per cent of parents in the DE social grade having used the online auction site, compared to only 50 per cent of the AB grouping. In comparison, Amazon is far more popular with those in the AB grouping (83 per cent), than those in DE (64 per cent).
Only 33 per cent of parents said they have used a brand’s own website to buy toys, although 52 per cent say they have used such sites to find out about toys. For some reason they’re not converting the curious into purchasers.
NOVEMBER 2012
The only destination to see an increase as the child grows older are toy brand’s own websites, suggesting that the consumer is more focused on a specific toy or brand. Of course, frequency doesn’t always indicate where parents want to be spending their money, just where they choose to. This was why Dubit asked parents to rank their favourite destinations, from one to six. Dubit then examined the number of times those destinations appeared in shoppers’ top three.
Unsurprisingly, the two biggest reasons for online toy shopping are price and convenience. However, 53 per cent of parents say they shop online for the range of toys and 40 per cent because they can’t find what they want on the High Street. Supermarkets are most frequently purchased from, as 22 per cent of parents who buy from them do so once a month. On average, parents buy toys from department stores 4.1
times a year, with a significant 24 per cent only using them once a year (one would presume this is for Christmas or birthdays). Nearly all destinations exhibited a decline in parental toy purchasing, as the child grows up. Supermarkets saw the most significant decline, from 5.8 times a year for parents with children aged six to eight, to 4.3 times for parents of 11 to 12 year olds.
The biggest losers overall are the brands’ own websites, which appear in just 15 per cent of the top threes lists. These are followed by department stores (38 per cent). Independent toy shops are preferred by 52 per cent of parents, supermarkets 55 per cent and non- branded websites 58 per cent. Toy shop chains are the clear
winner, which are ranked in the top three 82 per cent of the time, and are ranked first for 41 per cent of the time. Parents clearly value being able to visit a physical toy store.
WHERE DO YOU MOST ENJOY BUYING TOYS FROM?
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Toy Shop Independent
Toy Shop Chain
Department Store
Supermarket
Non-Branded Website
Toy Brand Own Website
Dubit is a specialist youth research agency and digital development studio. By utilising a deep understanding of young people’s motivations and behaviours, Dubit works with brand owners worldwide to create digital experiences that children love. Phone: 0113 394 7920 Email: research@dubitlimited.com