Are kids finally getting sick of screens? New data from market research firm The NPD Group shows that dolls and action figures boosted e-commerce sales for China’s toy industry in the first half of 2021, while growth in electronics slowed down.
Overall, online sales for the period were up 6.5% to US$2.6 billion, compared to the same period last year. This growth was led by dolls (up 43%) and action figures (up 26%), with the playset dolls and accessories segment registering the highest growth rate (99%), thanks to blind-box items.
Other categories that experienced an uptick were explorative toys (up 28%), vehicles (up 17%), games and puzzles (up 13%), plush (up 11%) and building sets (up 5%). Online sales of youth electronics, by comparison, increased justĀ 4% between January and June 2021.
Outdoor and sports toys (down 8%) and arts and crafts products (down 3%) both posted e-commerce declines during the first half of the year in China. That’s in contrast with the US, where sales of outdoor and sports toys grew by 11% in the same period.
The infant, toddler and preschool toys category in China stayed relatively steady, with less than 1% growth during the first half of the year.
Top licenses in China through June 2021 included Ultraman, Disney Frozen, Harry Potter and Mini Force.