Market researcher The NPD Group has revealed that traditional toy sales in the UK were up 11% in the first quarter of 2010 to US$353.8 million, compared with US$319.9million generated during the same time period last year. Unit sales saw a 2% increase to 42.8 million units.

While the growth can be attributed in large part to an increase in price points, UK consumers were also purchasing more traditional toys in 2010 than they did in 2009, following a difficult year with the closure of Woolworths and an overall gloomy global economic landscape.

Based on NPD’s toy market research, top properties for the quarter based on total revenue sales (in alphabetical order) included Ben 10, Lego City, Star Wars, Thomas and Friends and Transformers. Licensed toys represented 25% of total industry sales in Q1 2010, compared to 2009’s 31%.

In terms of monthly sales of traditional toys in the UK, January, February and March all experienced positive revenue growth, with respective increases of 3%, 14% and 13%. Unit sales were down 5% in January, but saw increases in February and March of 3% and 7%, respectively.

Price points for traditional toys priced less than US$7 saw an average increase of 4%, followed by toys in the US$15-US$30 range, which experienced an average increase of 8%. Toys in the US$7 to US$15 and US$30+ ranges saw respective price point increases of 16% and 15%.

The most significant category increases were within Building Sets and Plush, which saw respective increases of 65% and 77%.