The licensed toy market - France

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

Many toy manufacturers use well-known names, usually from movie studios and animation films, to boost their sales licensed toys these products are all those for which a contract for the transfer of rights of use of the trademark has been signed between one company and another

In concrete terms, the main licensed toys take on the appearance of disney, Marvel or Pixar heroes, but also Harry Potter or Pokémon to name but a few. They can be found in all categories of toys, constructions, dolls, stuffed animals, figurines.. This study will focus on so-called "traditional" toys and games, i.e. we will include board games, for example, in this study, but we exclude licensed video games the main competitors of toys

In a shrinking French toy market, licensed products are resisting this trend and are becoming more and more important each year among all products for children. The major toy manufacturers are therefore making massive use of licences to support the sales of their products, the Lego case is an example Nevertheless, the weak outlook for the toy market in general over the next five years may hinder the progress of licensed toys This is partly due to the development of video games and other gaming applications on smartphones and tablets. L' advent of Pokémon Go represents the risk of substitution effect that video games represent in relation to licensed toys

In 2019, the toy market in general accounted for €3.5 billion and remained on several years of low growth. One of the key demand drivers in this market is the licensed toy segment. Licensed toys have seen their sales rise by 4% and now represent more than 22% of sales of games and toys in France. The Disney studio, whose film launches are often accompanied by the launch of derivative products, has released several animated films: Star Wars, Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel and Toy Story 4

The COVID-19 crisis has had an ambivalent effect on the sector. Indeed, while a large number of physical outlets have lowered their curtains following the restrictive measures, the explosion of online sales has helped to sustain demand: according to figures published by Les Echos, online sales of toys have increased by more than 6% over the period.