Record turnover in 2020 for Essen-based board game distributor Asmodee Germany
Asmodee - Februar 2021Essen-based distribution increases turnover by 30 percent in 2020. Actions for stationary trade to support even beyond the Corona crisis.
Asmodee Germany also looks back on a successful 2020. Despite the difficult Corona situation, the Essen-based distributor was able to increase its turnover by over 30 per cent compared to the previous year, thus achieving the best business year since its foundation. In particular, the modern classics such as Move by Move, Carcassonne, Dixit or Codenames as well as Asmodee's perennial favourite, the small card game Dobble, which sold around 500,000 copies, ensured strong growth in all markets. Asmodee also sees the development of Just One as a particular success. Just One, the Game of the Year 2019 The game increased in sales by 15 percent compared to 2019 in the NPD Group's market figures - where other Games of the Year often drop significantly in the year following the award, Just One shows the potential to be a long-term hit title. The other extensive and diverse assortment of the board game expert Asmodee also showed a positive development across the board.
"2020 was a very successful year for Asmodee overall", says Sales Director Udo Fischer. "We were not only able to significantly increase our turnover, but also expand existing sales channels and win new customers and sales channels."
Numerous actions for trade
Even though online retail grew more strongly in 2020, as expected, Asmodee was able to maintain stable sales in the stationary trade, which is very important for sales, and even increase them in some cases. In addition to the overall increase in demand for games, this development was made possible because Asmodee supported the stationary trade through targeted campaigns.
Back in the game after the first lockdown
For example, the campaign "Back in the game" was already launched at the beginning of April, in which Asmodee's customers were first asked about relief options and then supported with various measures. As an outstanding conclusion to the campaign, Asmodee gave away more than 33,000 games to the participating shops, which could use them for campaigns to retain and win customers.
Local solutions for the digital trade fair
The campaign launched by Asmodee Germany for the digital games fair also proved to be a successful trade support. "Back in the game in your city". The Essen-based games distributor supported its customers with exclusive new products, that were released for the games fair and supplied them with the games on time, in order to be able to offer them locally during the fair. At the same time, Asmodee promoted each participating shop locally via social media and PR, thus ensuring additional inflow into the shops.
The hobby in focus
The "Hobby Next" campaign launched at the end of last year is also fully targeted at local retailers. "Hobby Next" involves interlocked and coordinated promotions in shops and on the social media channels of both Asmodee and the participating shops. Asmodee provides special content and promo items, that the shops can promote and distribute to their customers. Asmodee promotes the promotions and the shops as well, which collectively brings more players into the shops or, in times of lockdown, brings the games and goodies to them via other means - such as pick-up or delivery.
"2020 was a year of challenges for all of us", says Yvette Vaessen, Commercial Director of Asmodee Germany. "The first thing we did at the beginning of the crisis was to send our employees to the protective home office, we immediately addressed the question: How can we help our customers in this situation? With intensive exchange and the successful relief measures, we were able to make a lot of difference and also received a lot of encouragement from the trade. In 2021, we will continue to stand by our dealers."
Broadly positioned into 2021
With the experience of the past year, Asmodee is looking positively to 2021. Yvette Vaessen: "We have learned a lot during the crisis and have broken new ground, which we will continue to pursue and expand. Promotions such as "Back in the game in your city", "Hobby Next" and generally the close coordination and support of our customers will also accompany us this year."
In addition, the assortment and distribution partnerships of the Essen-based company could be further expanded for 2021. This year, Asmodee will be able to include the very successful games from Bananagrams in its portfolio and also significantly expand its range of handy games for quick takeaway with seven new products from Cocktail Games.
At the same time, Asmodee Germany 2021 is expanding its range with new, exciting products and licences. With Fanzone and Harry Potter Wizarding Quiz, two quiz games with voice output will be released. Fanzone provides questions about football recorded by well-known presenter Frank Buschmann and Harry Potter Wizarding Quiz deals with the popular films. The Loopy Loopers, a kind of fidget spinner with a game character will also be added this summer, as well as various other games featuring Marvel, Harry Potter or Disney licences.
"This year we will be able to offer our customers an even more extensive range, with the right product for every sales channel and every customer group", explains Sales Director Udo Fischer.