Spielwarenmesse is rolling in full force, and at the show in Nuremberg, Germany, Circana released its 2023 retail sales numbers for the 12 global markets (the G12) that it tracks. The G12 includes Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the U.S.
Toy industry retail sales across the G12 fell 7% year-over-year in 2023 but remain 17% higher than the pre-pandemic era of 2019, according to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service. The average selling price (ASP) last year was 1% above 2022 and a whopping 18% higher than 2019.
“With inflation at the highest level we have seen in decades and birth rates at their lowest in many countries, the global toy industry faced new challenges in 2023,” says Frédérique Tutt, Global Toys Industry Advisor at Circana. “Consumers across many regions had to make difficult trade-offs and reduced their spending on toys and games. We saw different regions reacting differently to these economic challenges, with Europe contracting back to 2019 levels while U.S. sales remained 26% higher compared to 2019. As economies continue to improve, the industry should experience some respite in 2024, particularly as the flow of new products and innovations re-introduce the wow factor and encourage engagement. This should help to stabilize sales.”
Just two of the 11 Supercategories tracked experienced year-over-year sales increases, with Building Sets up 4% followed by a 3% spike in Plush sales. In the subcategories, Strategic Trading Card Games (TCG) and Vehicles experienced growth.
Circana tells The Toy Book that the kidult market continues to be a bright spot in a tough global toy market while sales across the G12 faced significant challenges in the fourth quarter due to inflation.
Pokémon held onto its crown as the top toy property around the world as licensed toys secured a 31.1% stake in the global market. Elsewhere in the toy aisles, old favorites including Hot Wheels, Star Wars, Barbie, Marvel, and LEGO continued to drive sales.
