International Toy Industry Juguetes B2B, the International Toy Magazine Association (ITMA) member from Spain, reached out to editors of toy magazines around the world to get a global perspective on the state of the toy industry. We take a look at two of these profiles here, with more to come in our July/August issue.
Industry Snapshot: Holland
Jan Sinke, editor, Speelgoed en Hobby
What are the main characteristics of the toy sector in your country? The toy business in Holland is different from other countries because we have a lot of smaller sized toy shops (150-400 square meters). Toys are not sold through supermarkets or hypermarkets. Toys “R” Us left Holland a few years ago, and most of the toy shops belong to the Blokker Group, which has several toy chains. So we don’t have very large shops, but there is always a toy shop within reach. Most toys are sold in November or December, and in Holland more toys are sold because of the birthday of Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) on December 5 than for Christmas. A big threat for toy shops is the Internet. Web shops are very popular, and some welcome them as a new way of selling toys. We also have a lot of specialty shops for board games and party goods. Who are the top three to five key players in the industry (manufacturers and distributors)? In The Netherlands, the key players are Lego, Playmobil, Mattel, Hasbro, and Simba Dickie. We have only two larger Dutch manufacturers: Jumbo and SES (and some smaller ones). What are the best-selling products or category of products? Are any of them more widely accepted compared to other markets? The best-selling category is construction toys, by far. Just like in Germany, we love to play board games. This is
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not in the top-five ranking, but it is higher than in other countries (besides Germany). Do licensed toys comprise an important share of the market? Which are the most important properties in licensed toys? The top licenses are Disney•Pixar Cars, Disney Princess, Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Hello Kitty. Minnie Mouse is an up-and-coming property. More local, but popular here, are characters from Studio 100, such as K3, Mega Mindy, and Maja de Bij. Licensed toys are important in Holland, much more than in Germany, for instance. About 30 percent of toys are licensed. What are the major trends in product development? Trends include products with an app, such as those from Mattel and Spin Master, but also from Dutch manufacturers such as Jumbo and Identity Games. Also new, Lego Friends will be very hot. What are the main changes in consumer habits caused by the economic situation? Do you think that these habits will remain as the economy improves? In Holland, we are known for shoppers who look only at prices. So, normally, prices are important and, in this bad economic situation, even more so. Therefore, our retailers sell many more cheap toys. Even the bigger sets from Lego and Playmobil don’t sell well. It will stay this way for a long time. ■
MAY/JUNE 2012