What you need to know

Toys and games have seen declining sales over the last couple of years, but the COVID-19 pandemic will change that for 2020 as shelter-in-place orders boost category purchases in Q1. Kids are the top recipient for toy and game purchases, and parents are treating them to an abundance of new items to keep them entertained and learning while out of school. During the pandemic period and the recessionary period to follow, toys and games will be an affordable and convenient alternative to out-of-home leisure, keeping this category stable.

Key issues covered in this Report

  • The impact of COVID-19 on consumer preferences in the toys and games market.

  • How COVID-19 will impact consumer spending on toys and games now and in the future.

  • What types of toys and games consumers are purchasing, where they are purchasing them and the occasions outside of the holiday season that prompt purchase.

  • How the toys and games industry continues to innovate and stay relevant in a time with increasing digital interests.

The Report was written April-May 2020. Consumer research was fielded in March 2020 and reflects consumer purchases, behavior and attitudes toward toys and games prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in the US.

Definition

For the purposes of this Report, toys and games include the following product segments:

  • Action figures

  • Arts and crafts

  • Board games

  • Building sets (eg Legos, Magna-Tiles)

  • Dolls

  • Educational toys

  • Electronic toys (not video games)

  • Miniatures

  • Outdoor toys (not sports related (eg sandbox, sprinkler))

  • Puzzles

  • Sports-related toys (eg basketball hoop, soccer ball)

  • Stuffed animals

  • Tactile toys (ie sensory toys such as slime or kinetic sand that simulates one of the five senses)

  • Toy vehicles (eg Hot Wheels, Rollplay)

This Report does not include coverage of video games, online games or mobile games. For more information on those topics, please see Mintel’s library of Gaming Reports.

This Report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Traditional Toys and Games – US, October 2018, November 2016 and April 2014.

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