As Toy Fair New York rests on the horizon, The NPD Group released its annual sales figures for the overall category.
U.S. retail sales of toys declined for the first time in four years, according to the market research firm, generating $21.6 billion in 2018. This is down 2 percent from $22 billion in 2017.
“After the liquidation announcement of Toys‟R”Us last year, there was a great deal of speculation about what would happen to the industry, with some predicting double-digit declines,” said Juli Lennett, VP and industry advisor, toys, NPD. “Overall, a 2 percent decline is a solid performance after such a significant shift in the retail landscape. It’s also worth noting that annual 2018 sales are slightly higher than 2016, which experienced mid-single digit growth.”
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Results were mixed across all of the categories, with the youth electronics category spurred by sales of Fingerlings, Kidi and L.O.L. Surprise.
Annual 2018 U.S. Toy Industry Performance
Source: The NPD Group
