The US toy market reached $11 billion in the first half of the year

According to NPD Group, U.S. toy industry sales grew $1.7 billion to $11 billion in the first half of 2021, a 19% increase.

Of the 11 toy supercategories NPD surveyed, 10 saw growth in the first half of 2021. Outdoor and sports toys remained the largest supercategory, with sales of $2.9 billion, more than double the sales of the second-largest supercategory, games/puzzles. This category also saw the largest sales growth, at $280 million.

“Continued outsize growth in outdoor and sports toys is driven in part by water-related toys as consumers seek protection from the heat,” said Juli Lennett, vice president and industry advisor for the NPD Group’s U.S. Toy Division. As a result, sales growth in this category is likely to slow in the second half of the year.

Plush toys saw the highest growth, up 39% compared to the same period in 2020. Exploratory toys and action figures also saw significant sales growth, up 38% and 35%, respectively.

The only category to see a decline in sales compared to 2020 was arts and crafts, which fell 1%. This was due to a significant drop in sales of craft kits, which account for 42% of the category. The remaining arts and craft categories all grew in the first half of the year.

In the first half of 2021, Pokémon was the best-selling toy brand, followed by Barbie, Star Wars, LOL Surprise!, Fisher-Price and Marvel. These toys are not only loved by children, but also popular among adults.

"Nostalgia has been a key driver of growth over the past 18 months as consumers look to fill the isolation of the pandemic with happy memories of their past experiences," Lennett said. "Adult males have driven a significant amount of toy sales through nostalgic brands such as Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and National Football League trading cards."

Lennett expects toy sales to continue to rise and get a boost from the child tax credit, which will be issued in the second half of this year. At the same time, due to the impact of logistics and supply chain, the US toy market will usher in a wave of price increases in the second half of the year. Previously, US toy giants Hasbro and Mattel have announced that they will increase product prices in the second half of the year.

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