So the French Toy Market is that Big !

France is a European powerhouse with a GDP of US$2.9 trillion in 2021, ranking seventh in the world and third in Europe.

In the toy world, France can be called the 'Big Three' of Europe, along with the UK and Germany, and although it has been ranked as the 'Big Three' for many years, the difference between the three is actually very small. According to the toy market figures for 2021, Germany ranks first at €3.8 billion; the UK narrowly beats France at £3.2 billion (approximately €3.77 billion); and France is just over €3.7 billion, ranking third in Europe and in the top six globally.

So, what are the strengths and characteristics of the French toy market? Has the epidemic changed anything at the moment? And what trends are present this Christmas?

When it comes to a country's toy market prospects, in addition to its economic strength, the most important things to look for are the following.

Demographic potential: France currently has a population of around 65 million and a fertility rate of 1.97 in 2021 (i.e. an average of 1.97 children per woman of childbearing age during 2021), making it the country with the highest fertility rate and the fastest growth rate among developed European countries.

Market dynamics: At the same time, from 2021, the UK will no longer enjoy the trade facilities of an EU member state and some multinational brands will withdraw their European operations from the UK, with Paris, France, and Frankfurt, Germany, being the two main destinations. 2021 alone saw a 3% increase in sales for the French toy market, with total sales exceeding €3.7 billion and a 5% increase in total sales year-on-year. It is predicted that the French toy market is expected to exceed the €4 billion mark by 2026.

The toy market also got off to a good start this year. market sales were up 9% in April. By the summer, market sales began to weaken due to the uncertainty of the economy, and between June and August, they fell 11% year-on-year, but were on par with last year, while still showing a 5% increase compared to pre-epidemic levels in 2019. According to the NPD Group, five broad categories saw good growth, driven by the release of films: dolls (+18%), electronic toys for children (+10%), transportable toys (+8%), blocks (+3%) and plush (+2%). It should be noted, however, that sales have fallen back so far this year (-12%) and the average price has risen to around €15.

Locally made: a very striking feature of the French toy market is the rather high proportion of locally made toys. Sales of locally made toys account for around 15% of total toy sales in France. This proportion has even started to rise slowly since the international shipping disruptions occurred in 2020, with the share of locally made toys increasing by 2.4% year-on-year in 2021.

France also has its own toy capital, Moirans-en-Montagne. The town was a centre of woodworking in France, famous for its wooden whistles in its early years, and became the toy capital of France in the early 20th century. There are still many wooden toy manufacturing facilities left.

Channels: Traditionally, the main channel for selling toys in France has been supermarket chains, dominated by local French chains such as Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc, which account for more than half of the French toy retail market. However, after three years of the epidemic, the share of toy sales in supermarkets has fallen to one third.

This was followed by the rapid rise of e-commerce, dominated by local e-commerce platforms Cdiscount and FNAC, in addition to the international e-commerce giant Amazon. While the e-commerce channel once accounted for a third of the toy sales market in France during the epidemic, the share of e-commerce fell back to around 27% after the liberalisation of anti-epidemic measures and people gradually returned to the physical.

The remaining third is made up of specialist toy shops. The large toy specialty chains have also seen some realignment of forces in recent years, of which the Joué Club is the best known. It was founded in 1952 and currently operates around 300 shops in France.

King Jouet's acquisition of 92 Maxi Toys shops and the completion of their rebranding this summer has brought the number of shops in France to over 320, surpassing the size of Joué Club. The company's 40 stores were acquired by the Irish toy chain Smyths Toys, helping it to expand in France.

In addition, the Ludendo Group plans to open 105 shop-in-shops in the Casino supermarket chain to unite the toy franchise and mass market channels.

Categories: Specifically in terms of toy product characteristics, sales of Products for older children have been extremely strong in recent years, currently accounting for 20% of overall sales. 2021 saw a 54% year-on-year increase in sales of toys for children aged 12 and above, while sales of toys for children under 11 remained stable.

Companies: The top toy companies in terms of market share are multinational giants such as Lego, Hasbro and Mattel. Asmodee, a board game company, is the local French toy company with a high market share. This is also related to the French public's love of board games. According to the French toy association FJP, the broad category of board games contributed about 1/5 of toy sales in 2020. Other well-known French local companies in the category are Vulli, a leading player in the baby segment, Moulin Roty Toys and Doudou et Compagnie in the plush category, Janod toys and Djeco Toys in the wooden category, and PAPO Toys and Petitcollin Dolls in the plastic/resin category.

Licensing: Licensed toys are also highly popular in the French market, accounting for 23% of total toy sales in France in 2021 (up 8% year-on-year), with perennial favourites such as 'Pokémon', 'Harry Potter', 'Woofers', 'Barbie' and 'Marvel'.

So far this year, high inflation (5.9%) and a big increase in spending on essential goods such as energy, petrol and food, as well as the dispute over Ukraine, have worried French consumers. A recession could be on the horizon in a few months' time. As a result, spending on toys will be reduced accordingly.

But according to Yann Fresnel, a 28-year toy veteran and founder of toy consultancy Toy Influence, the following trends are likely to emerge in the French toy market towards the end of the year.

Dinosaur toy fever: the magic of blockbuster films and TV shows driving toy sales is back this year with the reopening of European cinemas. Among the big influences are the Jurassic series and animated films about dinosaurs, which are expected to boost sales of licensed toys, especially dinosaur toys.

The big kids' toy boom: as mentioned above, sales of toys for 'big kids' aged 12+ have increased significantly in recent years. The Products for older children consumer is very much on the rise in France, and this will lead to sales of collectible cards, board games and retro products in the fourth quarter of the year.

Kitchen toys: Just as the Chinese love Chinese food, the French are very proud of French food and the epidemic has boosted the popularity of cooking shows, which in turn has led to a boom in sales of kitchen toys.

Finally, if you want to get involved in the French market, it is advisable to hire a local salesperson or sales agent. However, French employment-related laws are more complex than many other countries and involve many details. Therefore, it is advisable to seek professional advice when entering into a contract involving a French party to avoid future disputes or unexpected problems.