Best Toys for 2019 New Year party: what are they?
What presents should we put under the Christmas tree for a child? All the parents have their own approach to this task. At the same time, there are common trends followed by little consumers even more carefully than their parents do. At Mir Detstva 2018, Irina Sedova, Business Development Director of NPD Group Russia, told us about the top products of 2018 and about the trends for 2019.
The year 2018, which is now close to its end, has been rather complicated, although it has demonstrated some revival. For example, the real disposable household income has increased 2% compared to the last year after it had been decreasing from 2014 to 2017. The latest elections and the FIFA World Cup in Russia have added the buyers some optimism and confidence in spending. However, the small recovery of the income has coincided with the decrease in the rates of growth in the number of children, which will be over in 2019, and will be showing negative dynamics in the future.
Let us note that according to the Federal State Statistics Service, the birth rate in 2017 was the lowest in the latest 10 years period, and it was 10.9% down in year to year terms: 1.689 million babies were born in 2017, 203.4 thousand less than in 2016.
The Russian consumers have purchased more toys, and this has smoothed the decrease in demography. At the same time they preferred cheaper goods, and that made the market grow more in quantity than in money.
For example, the average purchase price decreased 6% and became 600 rubles. Also, the analysts have noted the growth in the lower and middle segments (less than 500 rubles and 1,000-2,000 rubles) where the return from sales increased 20%. The sales of expensive toys (over 2 thousand rubles) decreased 10%.
Regarding the dynamics of the product categories, dolls were the largest segment of the toys market having replaced construction sets. The third place is occupied by the toys for preschool children followed by the sports goods and means of transport for children. The figurines of characters became the second in the rate of growth after dolls.
Leading categories of goods for children change every year, according to NPD analysts. For example, construction sets were the growth rate leader in 2016; blasters and means of transport – in 2017; and, as it was said above, dolls and figurines were the leaders in 2018.
According to the analysts, the main market growth driver today is sets of collector’s dolls and accessories. Meanwhile, the fashion dolls and construction sets are losing sales.
The toys made after Manga cartoons became one more category which had attracted attention of consumers in 2018: the sales of these products have grown 150% compared to the previous year.