The U.S. toy industry grew its dollar sales by 3 percent in the first half of 2017, according to The NPD Group. With about one-third of total annual sales typically occurring in the first half, NPD estimates that the industry will grow approximately 4.5 percent for the full year.
Six of the 11 supercategories posted gains, led by Games & Puzzles, Plush, and All Other Toys—which includes fidget toys. Games & Puzzles grew the fastest at 24 percent, had the largest absolute dollar growth at $143 million, and represented over 40 percent of total toy industry gains. Within Games, adult games grew the fastest at 267 percent. Strategic trading card games made up about half the dollar growth, led by Pokémon – which was the number-one property as well as growth property for the total toy industry, up 60 percent compared to last year. Plush sales grew by 13 percent, driven undoubtedly by Hatchimals. Thanks to fidget toys, All Other Toys grew its sales by 9 percent.
Illustrating the box office effect, declines in Building Sets and Action Figures can be linked to last year’s movie tie-ins, including Star Wars, Batman v Superman, and Ninja Turtles, among others. The Vehicles supercategory is starting to kick into higher gear with the recent, June release of Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3. The two strongest growth categories, Radio/Remote Control and Mini Vehicles, are both getting a lift from the new movie.
In terms of other first half highlights, the $819 million collectibles market continued on its growth trajectory, with dollar sales up 21 percent mid-year. The growth has softened in the past two months, as the trend exploded in 2016. Sales of blind packs, a subset of collectibles, grew by 48 percent year-to-date.
The top 10 U.S. toy properties based on dollars from January to June 2017 were Pokémon, Nerf, Star Wars, Barbie, Batman, Hot Wheels, Little Tiles, Shopkins Paw Patrol, and Lego Star Wars.
