| ||
|
According to recent research from leading market research company The NPD Group, a cross-section view of year-to-date (Jan.-Oct.) toy sales across 11 global toy markets revealed promising signs of growth leading up to the last two months of the calendar year. Aside from the United States and United Kingdom, which saw moderate revenue declines, and Spain, which saw flat sales, all countries that were analyzed experienced growth when compared to the same time period last year. Poland, Australia, Italy, Austria, Belgium, and Portugal saw respective revenue growth from 5 percent to 10 percent, while Germany and France both experienced growth of close to 5 percent. Looking at the sales performance across specific super-categories, Action Figures, Accessories & Role Play, Arts & Crafts, and Building Sets showed growth in almost every country measured, with Youth Electronics and Plush realizing the highest declines. Of the latter, Youth Electronics saw declines in 10 countries, and Plush experienced only modest increases in Italy, Poland, and Australia. “From the NPD perspective, we are seeing increases in sales, and are optimistic that the year will end on a positive note for global sales,” said Jane Zimmy, Global Senior Vice President Toys, The NPD Group. “In the small number of cases where there aren't increases, the declines are not severe.” Overall annual results, however, will depend heavily on what happens in November and December, as so much of the spend is concentrated in the last two months of the year. The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,700 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. |
