

According to the NPD Group, 2014 was boosted by a comeback of collectible brands where unit sales rose by more than 12 percent to 416 million toys, as sales under £5 increased by 9 percent. The increase comes after a flat performance in 2013.
For the first time ever, toy sales during Black Friday week increased by 10 percent and exceeding those of the week prior to Christmas, traditionally the largest selling week in the toy market. Overall, the Christmas season was strong with an overall increase of 3 percent year-over-year in December.
Additionally, sales of newly launched products in 2014 increased by 16 percent
“This is a tremendous result for the British toy industry during a year of challenging trading conditions," says Roland Earl, director general, BTHA. "The industry continually evolves to remain relevant to the demands from children and their families, and this innovation, combined with many consumers’ desire to prioritize their children’s playtime, has undoubtedly had a positive effect on the year.”
2014 was a particularly strong year for licensed toys with eight of the top 10 new products linked to a movie or a cartoon.

- FIFA World Cup Brazil official album stickers (Panini)
- Star Wars Great Vehicles 2014 (LEGO Group)
- Frozen Snow Globe Elsa (Jakks Pacific)
- Mini-Figures The Simpsons series (LEGO Group)
- Star Wars Mini-Figures set (LEGO Group)
- Disney Frozen Ice Skating Assortment (Mattel)
- Transformers Age of Extinction Flip 'n Change assortment (Hasbro)
- Cra-Z-Loom bracelet maker (Character Options)
- Kidizoom smartwatch (Vtech)
- Star Wars Great Vehicles 2014 PP1 (LEGO Group)
Read more about:
Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes, it’s completely free.