SECTOR GUIDE SPECIAL: State of play
Games and puzzles are back in fashion. As board game clubs, ‘badult games’ and revamped versions of classics hit retail, Billy Langsworthy asks toy fi rms why they believe the space is in rude health
GAMES AND puzzles, more so than any other sector in the toy space, is truly multi-generational. Pre-schoolers can get
gaming or puzzling with a wide range of simple educational off erings while grandparents, parents and children can take each other on in one of hundreds of popular family games. Likewise, many have
rediscovered a love for gaming through the recent ‘badults’ craze spearheaded by Cards Against Humanity. A raft of party games have suddenly embraced the
www.toynews-online.biz
true experience of ‘party’: they’re raucous, awkward, embarrassing, controversial, and someone at some stage is going to get off ended. But consumers love it. The games market was
worth £194 million in 2013, according to NPD data. As of July 2014, the games sector is up one per cent on last year, driven by the strategic card games category which is up 29 per cent year to date. NPD data also reveals that
while other games collectively were fl at, family games is currently up nine per cent on last year.
The stats are echoed by the manufacturers, who have told T
oyNews the
world of games and puzzles is in great shape. “I feel the games sector continues to go from strength to strength,” says Bananagrams CEO Rena Nathanson. “Quality family time is becoming more and more of a priority and games are a great way to integrate all generations, whether it’s a traditional family, or the “framily” of current times. The action of sitting around a table and actually communicating
with others in the ‘real’ sense is becoming more valuable and is a refreshing change from insular online activities.” Maps Toys MD Dirk Kiefer
agrees, adding: “Games consistently perform well and I think their ability to cross over lots of mediums helps to maintain their popularity,” while Paul Lamond’s sales director Richard Wells, states: “We are very happy with our listings and are expecting a strong sell through.” Others have also enjoyed
a good year in the sector, in spite of a wave of
newcomers adding further competition to the space. “The current state of
the games sector is very buoyant at the moment and gearing up nicely for a good last quarter,” Tactic Games sales manager Greg Burns tells T
oyNews.
“New players seem to be entering the market all the time and it must make buying decisions in the games area very diffi cult, along with the continual fi ght for space in-store. To me the importance of the games market is summed up by some of the positive
September 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72