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Summary of our market study
French outdoor playground market exceeds 370 million euros
The global outdoor play market, part of the wider $130 billion toy industry
France is the second-largest consumer of toys in Europe, a market worth 3.7 billion euros. Over 23% of toys are imported from China.
In France, the outdoor play segment represents a volume of 29 million toys sold each year, or 12% of all games and toys sold in the country. The outdoor play market is booming.
Outdoor play is not just for children, but also for adults.
In France, the toy market generates more than half its sales at the end of the year, with outdoor toys selling out mainly with the arrival of spring.
Consumers, especially young adults, increasingly prefer environmentally-friendly toys.
Environmental concerns are influencing consumer behavior, with an increasing interest in eco-friendly and second-hand toys, despite higher costs.
On the regulatory front, strict safety requirements governed by European directives and national decrees, such as Décret n° 2010-166, ensure that toys meet high safety standards, with CE marking as a guarantee of conformity.
The French market boasts a stable number of manufacturers.
Players in the outdoor playground equipment market
- Smoby: Renowned for its lively, durable plastic toys, Smoby ensures that outdoor play remains an essential part of childhood enjoyment.
- Nerf: A giant of the American toy industry, Nerf is synonymous with action-packed outdoor play.
- Goliath: Crossing continents, Goliath has its roots in Israel and has since grown into a global powerhouse.
- Vilac is a regional brand that combines the charm of wood with the spirit of French toy-making tradition.
- Vulli: a specialist in outdoor play
- Ludi: a must for childcare products and other outdoor equipment.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Outdoor games are also known as jeux de plein air: they describe any type of game that takes place outdoors. They are quite often aimed at young or very young users, but some are intended for a wider spectrum, such as pétanque. Sometimes they require no special equipment or purchase (hopscotch, 1.2.3 sun, etc.). In addition, outdoor games play an active role in a child's development, stimulating balance, coordination and spatial awareness.
This study will therefore focus on outdoor games requiring equipment, such as swings and trampolines, or games like Mölky, pétanque, spikeball, Frisbee or jokari... Physical activity is important for children, and the proportion of French children who take part in at least one hour of physical activity a day is 6% for girls and 14% for boys, compared with EU averages of 10 and 20% respectively.
Outdoor play represents 29 million toys sold per year, or 12% of annual sales of games and toys in France. This segment is not very seasonal, compared with others whose activity is concentrated at key periods (Christmas, for example), and therefore enables sales to be spread more evenly over the year.
1.2 The global market
The outdoor playground equipment market is included in the toy market as a whole. The toy market is in good health, with steady revenue growth since **** after a period of decline in the early ****s. Fortune Business Insights estimates the size of the global toy market at $*** billion by ****.
Global toy ...
1.3 The domestic market
The outdoor playground equipment market includes a wide variety of different references aimed at different target customers, both children and adults. In ****, the outdoor play market was worth *** million euros, and in the first quarter of ****, it grew by **%.
In ****, *** million toys were sold in France, down *% on the previous year. ...
1.4 Imports and exports of outdoor toys and games
A large proportion of games and toys purchased in France are imported. French imports of toys and games will total *.* billion euros in ****. China is predictably France's leading toy exporter, accounting for **.**% of French imports.
Main countries supplying toys and games France, ****, as % of total Source: ****
France also exports the toys ...
1.5 The impact of the health crisis
The Covid **** health crisis affected first negatively and then positively the toy and outdoor play market more specifically.
Spring **** was a difficult time for the outdoor play market. The closure of toy stores, schools and parks severely penalized this market. However, the deconfinement in May enabled a spectacular recovery : by May, ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 The French outdoor play market: not just for young children
The following diagram shows the age distribution of toy sales. Although children under ** account for over **% of toy and game sales, it's important not to overlook the over-**s market. The neologism"kidulte" has been coined to describe people over ** who buy toys for their own consumption. By ****, this clientele will ...
2.2 A market marked by seasonality
The toy market is buoyed by the end-of-year festivities, as the graph below shows. **.*% of sales in this market are generated in the last three months of the year.
Breakdown of toy purchases over the year France, ****, in Source: ****
Conversely, consumer interest in outdoor toys seems to follow a cycle, with ...
2.3 "Made in France" toys have the wind in their sails
The definition of Made in France (***) in the French Customs Code is clear: "Made in France is any product for which the last substantial stage has been carried out in France, and for which at least **% of the added value originates in the area". The health crisis of **** had a very ...
2.4 Environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important
The ecological awareness of the French has been growing in recent years, encouraging the emergence of new consumer behaviors: buying eco-responsible toys or from second-hand platforms.
Younger adults aged between ** and ** generally have a good opinion of eco-responsible toys, which they feel have a good impact on ecological awareness: over **% of ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The French outdoor playground market is driven by several major companies
The outdoor play market follows the same organization and has a structure relatively close to that of the toy market in which it is included. In ****, outdoor and sports games will represent the fourth largest category in total toy and game sales.
Games and toys sales by category France, ****, in millions ...
3.2 French production
However, France does have a number of toy manufacturers on its territory, some with very long histories. In the face of stiff competition from China, the number of French toy manufacturing companies is relatively stable after a spectacular peak in ****.
Number of companies producing toys France, ****-**** Source: ****
Growth in production ...
3.3 French toy retailing: a sector in the throes of change
In France, toys and games are sold by a number of different players and through a variety of different channels.
Games and toys are sold through a distribution channel organized around three main players:
specialized trade: this is the main toy distribution channel, with a market share of **%, and is dominated ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Analysis of raw materials and consumer prices
The Consumer Price Index (***) is the instrument used to measure inflation. It is used to estimate the average change in prices of products consumed by households between two given periods. The graph below shows the evolution of this index between April **** and February **** for games, toys and hobbies.
Consumer price index ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Current regulations
Because toys are products intended for children, sometimes very young, they are subject to very strict regulations designed to protect the safety of their users. These regulations are designed to protect children against risks and injuries arising from "normal and foreseeable" toy use. The European legislator therefore imposes precise regulations that ...
5.2 Extension of regulations on advertising to children
Since January *, ****, advertising in programs aimed at children under ** on public service channels has been banned. It also applies ** minutes before the start of the program and ** minutes after its end. The ban on advertising in children's programs applies only to public service channels.
Among other European countries, Sweden is a ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Market segmentation
- Hasbro
- Mattel
- Namco Bandai Entertainment France
- King Jouet
- Ludendo La Grande Récré
- Smoby
- Joué Club
- Vilac
- Simba Dickie Group
- Maped
- Mollky
- Jeujura
- Janod
- Écoiffier
- Ludi
- Djeco
- Quali Cité
List of charts presented in this market study
- Revenue trends in the global toy market
- Ranking of the most valued toy brands
- Comparison of toy market values in four countries
- Share of outdoor play equipment in toy and game sales
- Share of outdoor play equipment in toy and game sales
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Latest news
Simba Dickie (Smoby, Corolle, Majorette...) limits breakage in 2023 - 31/01/2024
- - Simba Dickie sales fell by 7% in 2022.
- - Simba Dickie sales fell again in 2023, this time by 4%.
- - Annual sales for Simba Dickie in 2023 are €675.2 million.
- - The global toy market shrank by 7% in 2023.
- - Simba Dickie employs 2,700 people worldwide.
- - 75% of Simba Dickie sales are generated internationally, particularly in the United States, France and Belgium.
Hasbro: the demise of the parent company of Monopoly, Nerf and Play-Doh - 12/12/2023
- Last January, the company had already decided to lay off 1,000 people, i.e. 15% of its workforce at the time, out of a total of 6,500 employees.
- a further 900 positions will be eliminated over the next two years.
- In August, the group sold part of its entertainment business, its eOne Film & TV division, which produces Peppa Pig cartoons and My Little Pony films. Lionsgate Studios bought the business for $500 million.
King Jouet opens its third Paris store | King Jouet sets up in Paris - 09/09/2023
- Third King Jouet store in Paris, located at 13 avenue des Ternes, 17th arrondissement.
- the company's 15th downtown store since 2019.
- Three new stores to open soon on former La Grande Récré sites.
Three months after its takeover by Joué Club, La Grande Récré details its recovery plan - 09/09/2023
- La Grande Récré has a total of 137 stores.
- Sales for La Grande Récré are 150 million euros including VAT.
- when Récréaclub took over La Grande Récré, sales were down 25%.
- The integrated Grande Récré network comprises 89 stores.
- The Grande Récré franchise network comprises 48 stores, 18 of which are international.
- La Grande Récré currently has 130 corners.
Hasbro sells its film and entertainment business to Lionsgate - 04/08/2023
- Hasbro's eOne Film & TV division has been sold to Lionsgate for $500 million (458 million euros).
- Hasbro had acquired eOne in 2019 for $4 billion.
- In 2021, Hasbro sold the music business to Blackstone for $385 million.
- In 2021, eOne generated sales of $829 million, representing around 14% of Hasbro's sales.
Barbie: The Billion Dollar Movie - 01/08/2023
- The "Barbie" film generated $775 million in worldwide box-office receipts, including $351 million in the USA and Canada alone.
- It will be the third highest-grossing film at the global box office in 2023.
- The Mattel Group has announced fourteen other film projects.
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