Building kits, led by Lego, have been one of the bright spots in the toy industry over the past several years. In the U.S., construction toy sales were up 16% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to Circana figures, representing a significantly higher rate of growth than any other supercategory tracked. The same was true […]
Archive | Toys/Games
Games of Skill and Chance
At Toy Fair New York this week, there are many reminders of how licensed properties have long proven to be a good fit with board and other tabletop games for all ages. While not every licensed game will be a success, licensing is assuming an expanded role in several current trends in the board and […]
YouTube Drives Toy Sales for All Ages
New licenses signed by major toy companies over the past year illustrate how far the entertainment/character licensing space has transitioned away from its historical reliance on properties with television as a key component of their distribution platform. This is one of the most mainstream of mainstream categories, historically targeting a global market with mass-priced products […]
Toy Trend Takeaways from Q2
By Karen Raugust on August 12, 2024 in Business models, Character/Entertainment, Licensing, Toys/Games
Second quarter financial results, released in July and August, of five of the major publicly traded toy and collectibles companies—Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, Jakks Pacific, and Funko—all showed declines (of varying degrees) in topline revenues and net sales during the period, compared to the same timeframe in 2023. The lone exception was Funko, which saw […]
Fright Night in the Toy and Collectibles Aisle
Scary plush and plush-like characters from the worlds of video games and collectibles are currently having a moment in the licensing business. These properties do not represent a new phenomenon, but their number is currently ramping up, likely due in part to the popularity of the horror genre in general. Most are meant to appeal […]
Joining the Fight Club
Two toy-industry deals announced this month, for the fighting franchises WWE and UFC, respectively, are the latest of a number of agreements in this space to launch over the last couple of years. In addition to the loyal family audience attracted to the leading properties, fighting-related IPs offer a clear play pattern that makes them […]
Strange Bedfellows No More
Toy companies are increasingly working with their direct competitors to refresh, extend, or strengthen their own brands. This would have been almost inconceivable in the past and shows how much the toy industry has changed over the past decade or more as players in this sector face numerous challenges: competition from video games, social media, […]
Big-Name Content Creators Eye Toy Industry
The phenomenon of influencers expanding their brands into the toy industry in a big way goes back to the mid-2010s. There has been a burst of activity lately, with a range of personalities, including some very big names, jumping into the space: In January 2024, Moose Toys announced a new relationship with MrBeast (a.k.a. Jimmy […]
Toys Look Good in Designer Togs
Fashion and toys have come together for decades, from Mattel’s extensive collection of fashion dolls with designers like Bob Mackie (who has created 47 different versions of Barbie) to specialists such as Integrity Toys, whose offerings include the Jason Wu Collection. The past year has seen a flurry of activity in the fashion-meets-toy space, as […]
Developing Future Generations of Foodies
Licensing is playing an ever-greater role in the children’s cooking activity kit segment, with a number of new licensed products coming on the market recently. They range from toy playsets to science kits to cooking kits for use in making real food. Some are available at retail and others through a subscription model. Here is […]