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According to weekly retail sales from leading market research provider, The NPD Group, leading up to the theatrical release of Toy Story 3 in the United Kingdom on Monday, July 19, Toy Story has become the UK’s fifth largest toy license, and best selling movie-based toy license year to date, already contributing more to retail sales in the first six months of this year than some of last year’s biggest movie-licensed toys were able to sell in 12 months. Research from The NPD Group shows licensed Toy Story 3 toys have sold an estimated £11m at retail in the UK during the first six months of 2010 (Jan. 3, 2010 – July 3, 2010), overshadowing its predecessor’s sales by £7m over the comparable 25-week time period (Toy Story 2 released in the UK on Feb. 14, 2000). Looking at the super-category level, Toy Story action figures represent nearly one-third of all Toy Story toys sold in the UK, with Building Sets, Outdoors and Sports Toys, Youth Electronics and Games/Puzzles also representing a sizeable amount of total sales. The top selling item at the start of July is the Woody & Jesse Figure Assortment from Mattel with Lego’s Woody & Buzz Rescue in second place. Since 2007, annual licensed toy sales in the UK have averaged 28 percent, which closely mirrors the 27 percent average experienced in the United States. “Thanks to the stellar sales performance of this license in the UK, we can expect to see licensed toys easily top the 28 percent average in 2010,” said Jez Fraser-Hook, UK Toys Director. “With so many different types of product on offer for Toy Story 3, there’s something for everyone aiding high expectation for strong sales of toy products for this license”. |
