Behind the scenes

Playing away the pandemic

9.6.2021

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

Covid has triggered a toy boom: from May 2020 through April 2021, Galaxus sold more than twice as many toys in Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein as in the previous twelve months. Sales of collectors, arts and craft supplies, movie merchandise and doll hairdressing sets have particularly peaked.

The pandemic has quite literally turned us into home dwellers. As this can be mind-numbing in the long run, we’ve stocked up on all sorts of things to help pass the time. Some of us ordered the latest game console, others put up a pool in their garden or hauled a rowing machine up to the fifth floor. And many of us bought toys for ourselves and the kids.

Just how strongly the virus has driven sales of remote-controlled cars, science kits or action figures is reflected in the Galaxus figures: from May 2020 through April 2021, the online department store sold 140 per cent more toys in Switzerland and Liechtenstein than it did in the previous twelve months. In Germany, growth was even up 150 per cent. «Demand soared so fast last spring that some manufacturers were unable to keep up with production,» says Yuki Gasienica, who’s responsible for the toy range at Galaxus. For example, many jigsaw puzzles have been sold out since last summer. Particularly the large boxes with 500+ pieces.

Shush, I’m in a video call!

Coronavirus has also fuelled sales of collectors – binders with plastic sleeves for card games such as Pokémon or Magic. The last twelve months saw these type of items fly off the shelves at Galaxus up to six times as often as they did in pre-pandemic times. «Collecting as a hobby has received a real boost,» says Yuki. «And with the upcoming European football championship, Panini stickers are now coming into play.» Sales figures also show another trend emerging: movie merchandise. Think wands from the Harry Potter universe and the like.

Since last spring, Galaxus has also sold significantly more toys that are compatible with working from home. In other words, toys that children can play with without making too much noise. These include craft kits and toy hairdressing sets, science kits and building bricks. At Galaxus, all Lego-like toys are grouped under the last category. The Lego brand itself dominates the market so much that its sets have their very own category.

Speaking of Lego, before the outbreak of Covid, their sets were by far the most popular toys at Galaxus in terms of units sold. However, since May 2020, board games have snatched the crown in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In Germany, Playmobil has taken the lead. But don’t be fooled. Sales of Lego sets have roughly doubled at Galaxus since the beginning of the pandemic. «It’s just that our customers have bought even more board games,» says Yuki.

For customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Galaxus now offers a range of over 120,000 toys. In Germany, there are 40,000 toys to choose from. And numbers are rising.

Return of the dinosaurs

What does the future hold for games and fantasy? According to Yuki, licensed products in demand this year include Pokémon, Paw Patrol, Frozen and Harry Potter, as well superheroes from the DC and Marvel universes. Dinosaurs in all shapes and sizes are also making a comeback. «From Lego sets to puzzles and educational games to children’s non-fiction books: anything involving dinosaurs is selling like hot cakes.» Other trending items this year include toys that change colour in the water, such as Barbie’s Color Reveal series or its L.O.L. dolls equivalent.

But not everything is fun and games. Dark clouds are brewing on the gaming horizon. Many manufacturers are struggling to find the raw materials they need for production. Vtech and Tonies, for example, are lacking computer chips for their interactive toys and jukeboxes. The plastic for making dolls and figurines as well as the wood for marble runs or toy cars are now also in short supply. And then there’s the ongoing container bottleneck, which is causing delivery delays and higher prices. «It looks like these dark clouds won’t clear up until the holiday shopping season – possibly even later,» says Yuki.

Graphics: made with Flourish.

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Alex Hämmerli

Senior Public Relations Manager

Alex.Haemmerli@digitecgalaxus.ch

At Digitec and Galaxus, I’m in charge of communication with journalists and bloggers. Good stories are my passion – I am always up to date.

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