Figure is up 4% over last year says NPD Group.
Toy industry sales reached $18.4 billion in the first half of 2018, a 4% increase over last year, according to data from NPD Group.
NPD tracks 13 international markets, with its latest data showing that Mexico grew the fastest (+15%), followed by Brazil (+11%) and the US (+7%).
Europe posted a 1% decline as growth in Germany, Russia, Italy and Spain was offset by slight declines in other countries.
“Traditional play patterns, collectables, social media and innovation are the major themes we saw trending globally in the first six months of the year, and I expect they will continue to accelerate,” said Frédérique Tutt, global toys industry analyst at The NPD Group.
“More than entertainment, brands have been an important trend to move the needle for the industry so far this year. Some key themes have also emerged or have been increasing in popularity, such as dinosaurs and unicorns on the one hand, and slime or toilet humour on the other.”
PAW Patrol was the highest ranked preschool property for the period, coming in at number eight in the Top 10 Global Toy Properties for January to June 2018 (based on dollars).
