Sports activities and animé drive toy licensing gross sales progress in EuropeToy World Journal

Licences now symbolize 28.8% of complete toy gross sales in EU5 with licensing gaining share in each nation. High gaining licences in Europe this 12 months are UEFA Nationwide – European Cup, Lilo & Sew and Mercedes Benz displaying the breadth of licences embraced by the toy market.

With franchises equivalent to Star Wars, Marvel and Pokémon distributing extra content material on streaming platforms along with the cinema, leisure is of course fuelling toy licensing. The toy trade has additionally seen latest incremental progress due to older shoppers, with the massive studios focusing significantly on older followers. Based on Circana’s State of the Toys Client: Teenagers & Adults report, Star Wars is exclusive within the trade, with over half of complete gross sales amongst shoppers aged 12+ years, whereas Pokémon can also be rising its share amongst older followers.

Nonetheless, sport licences, with 2.2% of total toy gross sales in Europe, are the principle progress driver (+34%) this 12 months. Toys derived from animé symbolize an excellent bigger share, with 5.8% of complete toy gross sales, and in addition contributing to progress, up 8% year-on-year. The rising recognition of animé within the European market – the place it’s now not a distinct segment class – has been facilitated by the likes of streaming giants, Netflix and Amazon, and devoted animé platforms equivalent to Crunchyroll.

“The UK actually embraces each characters and licences,” commented Melissa Symonds, UK Toys director for Circana. “Soccer, in fact, is especially sturdy right here, and with England’s males making it by to the ultimate of the Euros, gross sales of associated merchandise carried out very well. In a 12 months with fewer blockbusters, the toy trade was in a position to efficiently pivot from large display screen names to small display screen legends and sports activities heroes.”

Main movie releases will resume within the last quarter of this 12 months with Depraved, Sonic and Moana. The return of Jurassic World, Superman, James Cameron’s Avatar, Implausible 4, Captain America and Gabby’s Dollhouse, and reside motion films, Minecraft and Sew, may even present loads to look ahead to in 2025.

Ben Roberts, Content material director, Model Licensing Europe, added: “Licensing has been integral to the success of the toy trade for a few years and now accounts for multiple quarter of complete toy gross sales. Licensed toys promote nicely by the 12 months and at all times function closely on retailers’ Christmas lists.

“Model licensing at this time is all about making connections, tapping into the facility of storytelling to have interaction audiences, servicing fandom and creating merchandise that improve lives.”

Frédérique Tutt, International Business advisor for Toys at Circana, concluded: “Licensing is extra than simply what’s on the massive display screen for the toy trade; it’s about collaborations with shopper manufacturers, sports activities groups and motor automobiles, video video games and music content material, in addition to reveals from streaming platforms. It’s about constructing new franchises for brand new generations, but in addition nurturing fandom and nostalgia, significantly amongst older toy consumers. A lot of the main franchises are fuelling this fandom amongst youngsters and adults who take pleasure in shopping for merchandise of their favorite characters. It’s a profitable market with a wholesome pipeline.”

Greatest-selling character-driven or licensed toys for chosen classes, YTD July 2024, Sterling, UK:

Information is derived from Circana’s Toy Retail Monitoring Service in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, Euro gross sales, January-July 2024.