Domestic Building Block Toys Usher In The Era Of Brand Power Construction, Is A Challenge And An Opportunity

First, The building block toy industry overview

Block toys belong to a kind of toys, its target audience with the product gradually high-end development, from children and adolescents mainly with the audience groups change to all-age toys, while high-end products because of the high aesthetic and innovative, with collection value, gender users are mainly male groups. In terms of its functional attributes, block toys are immeasurably creative, such as the birth of the Bugatti Chiron, which is basically composed entirely of 1 million block toys, and its speed can reach 20km/h. Meanwhile, for adult users, the complete immersion experience brought by block toys can achieve the purpose of relaxation, and when the puzzle is completed, the beauty and sense of accomplishment of its works also make users get quality experience.

Second, The development of block toys background

1.The toy industry as a whole: continued expansion

With the domestic per capita consumption level continues to rise, China's toy industry as a whole is growing rapidly, according to data, 2021 China's toy retail sales of 85.46 billion yuan, an increase of 9.6% compared to 2020, block toys as one of the largest categories of the toy industry, unlike other toys mainly for children, with the penetration of all-age users, the overall block toy scale is expanding rapidly.

2.Technology

High standard mold is the core guarantee of the quality of block toys, to LEGO, for example, the cost of its individual parts mold ranging from 40,000 to 250,000 euros, its overall equipment to ensure the quality of the blocks and thus enhance the quality of user experience, to ensure its brand advantage. In terms of its patent situation, as the patent of the basic components of the assembly mode has expired, LEGO currently mainly applies for patents for the design of innovative components. As of April 1, 2017, the cumulative number of patents filed by LEGO reached 5836, including 1342 invention patents and 4494 design patents.

Third, The status of the block toy industry

1.Market scale

In terms of the overall block toy market scale changes, 2006-2020 period, the global block market size is largely upward trend, 2011 growth rate is the most obvious, 2014-2019 period growth rate is small, 2020 market size further increase, the overall size of more than 12 billion U.S. dollars, as far as the domestic market size, the current domestic toy retail scale of 85.46 billion yuan, according to the 2020 Toy Association to buy plastic puzzle blocks category accounted for 16.2% of the overall toys, the current domestic block toy market size of more than 13 billion yuan.

2、Market price

With the gradual development of block toys to all ages, copyright awareness continues to enhance the background of Lego in the domestic market share continues to rise, the experience of a better sense of the price of blocks continues to grow, the current can accept more than 300 yuan block price of users accounted for more than 40%, and more than 1,000 yuan to buy users have 14.8%, in fact, the overall cost of raw materials for block toys is low, high-priced products brought about by the industry's overall higher profits The status quo, especially the industry leader, as the price leader, the overall benefit is obvious. Data show that 2021 Lego net profit of more than 10 billion, while the domestic net profit of more than 10 billion enterprises are few, mainly for Maotai and some oil companies, etc..

Fourth, The building block toys competition pattern

1、Market concentration

In 2020, the market share of LEGO in the global block toy market reached 68.6%, compared with 58.2% in 2011, an increase of 10.4 pct, while the market share of Mattel and Spin Master showed a downward trend during the same period. In the early stage, LEGO was slow to develop in China due to higher price and slower product update, etc. In 2007, LEGO started to establish the first brand retail store in China, and the pace of LEGO China market expansion continued to accelerate. As of 2020, LEGO's market share in the Chinese block market has reached 42.3%, which is slightly lower than the global market share mainly because of the serious phenomenon of copyright neglect in the early domestic toy industry and the prevalence of pirated toys, with the continued tightening of the relevant domestic copyright regulation, LEGO's excellent quality and marketing has been recognized by the domestic market, and once there was a "blocks are LEGO, LEGO is Lego" market perception, although there are also domestic independent block toy enterprises such as Bangbao Puzzle, Enlightenment, but the market share is low, market recognition still has more room for development.

2、Analysis of LEGO's domestic operation status

In 2021, the number of LEGO stores in China increased by 90, the total number of physical retail stores worldwide reached 832, and the domestic share continued to grow. In terms of its business status, after the transformation from the end of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century, revenue grew rapidly, reaching 55.3 billion kroner (Danish currency unit) in 2021, and the revenue share of Asia-Pacific region grew from 14.6% in 2017 to 17.91% in 2021, with a small decline in 2021 compared to 2020, mainly because the growth rate in Asia Pacific is not as fast as the overall revenue growth rate.

Fifth, Block toys user side analysis

1、Industrial chain overview

In the block toy industry chain, it can be mainly divided into two main parts: product development and production, upstream to raw material manufacturers and IP providers, and downstream to distributors or consumers. The cost of raw materials is mainly ABS plastic, etc. Enterprises with certain scale effect have cost advantages.

2、User considerations

Domestic toy users to buy toys when the primary consideration is the characteristics of the product and play, more than 40% of users believe that its fun is the most critical factor, building block toys have distinctive characteristics of fun compared to ordinary other, its special patchwork properties in the educational properties at the same time also bring infinite fun for adult users, patchwork works of relaxation and a sense of accomplishment brought about by the completion of the work is the adult users continue to buy The key factor for adult users to continue to buy, coupled with its multi-products can be stacked with each other to create the attributes, but also to make users feel that value for money, is the key to user stickiness.

Sixth, the development trend of block toys

The core barrier of the block toy industry lies in the brand power constructed based on the first-mover advantage of multiple links in the industry chain. LEGO has a stable high market share and high gross margin in the block toy field, and also has a loyal fan base and strong community effect, becoming the spokesman of the block toy industry, with strong brand barriers. Specifically in the "IP - product development - production - channel distribution" aspects, LEGO has a strong industry chain integrated operation capabilities and strong brand power, its design and production capacity to build a barrier.

Domestic enterprises currently have certain advantages in terms of cost and price, but the overall copyright issues have been criticized, and there is still a more serious "borrowing" phenomenon, the current market share of Lego in the domestic market continues to go up, and the layout of the scale continues to improve, domestic enterprises face greater challenges, how to improve product quality and innovation or build brand power In terms of short-term trends, domestic building block toys usher in the era of brand building, the development of domestic enterprises is both a challenge and an opportunity.