NPD Insight
Figuring it out This month, Melissa takes an in depth look at the wide-ranging Action Figures & Accessories supercategory, which is performing strongly so far this year.
O
ne of the most dynamic sectors of the UK toy market is the Action Figures & Accessories supercategory, which this year combines a mix of old favourite properties and exciting new launches. According to NPD’s Consumer Panel for Full Year 2021, 80% of spend in the Action Figures supercategory is on boys, while 20% is on girls. However, 40% of spend is on kidults, or recipients ages 12+, with 60% of Action Figures supercategory purchased for under 12 years. This demonstrates the appeal the category has across all age ranges and genders. For the 12 months to April 2022, Actions Figures & Accessories has accounted for 6.2% of all toy sales, worth £128m, an increase of +2% on the previous 12 months. It is one of only four supercategories that has grown in that period, along with Plush, Vehicles and Explorative & Other Toys. The category is made up of five subclasses: Action Figures, Playsets & Accessories, Collectibles, Role Play & Accessories and Battling Toys, all of which show slightly different trends. The Action Figures subclass is the largest area in the last 12 months, just ahead of Collectibles, accounting for 40% of all spend. Marvel Universe is the number one property and Heroes of Goo Jit Zu the number two property. Hot on their heels is Jurassic Park/World at
number three, also the top single licence with sales growing thanks in part to the Camp Cretaceous Netflix series. The Camp Cretaceous Roar Attack 7” Assortment is the top new item in the subclass in the last year. DC Universe is the fourth ranked property and the fastest growing, adding over £1.7m to the category in the last year and more than doubling share in the last two years. DC Universe growth has been helped by The Batman film release in February 2022. Film releases are still proving important to this subclass, accounting for 60% of all Action Figures sales, but still below the 64% film share that the category enjoyed pre-Covid, not surprising as cinema performances are still recovering. However, newer film properties Godzilla vs Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog and Space Jam have all added to toys growth in the Action Figure subclass over the last year. Action Figures Collectibles growth has recovered the value lost during the period of store closures related to Covid. Despite being the lowest priced of the subclasses, at £7.52 average selling price, Action Figures Collectibles is just behind Action Figures in size for the twelve months to April 2022, accounting for 40% of the supercategory. However, Movies only accounts for 39% of sales, with Video Games properties
Action Figure & Accessories Subclass Share %
Action Figure & Accessories Subclass Share % Action Figure Battling Toys & Playsets & Acc, Playsets, 5% 7% Action Role Play & Dressup, 7% Action Figures, 40%
Source: The NPD Group | POS Retail Tracking Service | 12M April 2022
Document classification: Client/Third Party Confidential
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The NPD Group, L.P. | Proprietary and confidential
Toy World 34
Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD
a strong second place with 28% share of sales. The strength of Video Game properties is clear when looking at best-sellers; the Roblox Mystery Figures Assortment 3” is the top selling item and Pokémon Clip N Go Poke Ball is No.2. However overall, Funko Pop! accounted for just under half of all collectibles in the last year, with Marvel and Star Wars the No.2 & No.3 properties. Both Funko Pop! and Marvel are the fastest growing properties in Action Figure Collectibles in the last 12 months, but there is also strong growth from Minecraft, Among Us and DC Universe. Among Us is the top new property across total Action Figures & Accessories this year, demonstrating the strength of Video Game properties in this part of the toy market. Role Play and Dress Up is only 7.5% of the category, with the top item Harry Potter Junior Invisibility Cloak from Wow Stuff, followed by Batman Gauntlet from Spin Master. However, Star Wars remains the top property overall, thanks to the range of Light Sabers on offer, followed by Marvel Universe and Harry Potter at two and three respectively. Battling Toys & Accessories is the smallest part of the market with just 5% share. It has grown +10% in the last 12 months with Bakugan the top property, but new property Akedo is now gaining ground as the number two property, as well as being number two new property in Action Figures supercategory, behind Among Us. The strong appeal of the category across all age ranges, with a high share coming from Kidults, is one of the reasons there is a vast range of property types and items available. With Jurassic World Dominion and Minions 3 coming soon to cinemas, as well as DC and Marvel movies, the remainder of 2022 could see even further growth in the Action Figures & Accessories supercategory, especially if the Video Games collectability trend remains strong.
Action Figure Collectibles, 40%
Value %
Melissa Symonds
