Behind the scenes

Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh celebrate record sales at Galaxus

24.4.2024

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

Galaxus customers bought over 50 per cent more trading cards such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh in the first quarter of this year than in the same period in 2023. Demand for dice has almost doubled as a result of the role-playing revival. Meanwhile, board games remain the top sellers in the games category.

Nerd. In the past, this word was associated with pimply-faced boys painting plastic figures in the basement. Over time, the meaning has become more positive: today, people like Matthew Mercer are proud to call themselves nerds. With his passion for role-playing and video games, the voice actor inspires an audience of millions.

The change in perception is reflected in Galaxus’s sales figures. In the first quarter of 2024, customers bought 82 per cent more dice and 55 per cent more trading cards from the online department store, as well as 54 per cent more magic dice and 18 per cent more board games.

The dice boom is likely linked to the recent popularity of role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. For it, players don’t just need six-sided dice, but also four-, eight-, ten-, twelve- and twenty-sided ones. By rolling a d20 among a group of friends, you can pick the most complex lock, notice a contract killer sneaking up on you or deal the orc boss a death blow in battle. The hype surrounding Dungeons & Dragons is kept alive by shows such as Stranger Things or video games such as Baldur’s Gate 3. And on Twitch or YouTube, Matthew Mercer and like-minded people show just how much fun role-playing games can be.

In Dungeons & Dragons, a roll of the dice decides the fate of heroes and villains.
Source: Shutterstock

When it comes to trading cards, the Pokémon series is particularly popular with Galaxus customers, followed by competition from the Yu-Gi-Oh brand. «We also sell a lot of card sleeves,» says Category Business Manager Lara Diener, who’s responsible for this range. Collectors and players use sleeves to protect their most valuable cards.

The boom continues

The role-playing game and trading card trend has been apparent at Galaxus for several years. Even after the gaming boom during the pandemic, there was only one direction for Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh and the like – upwards. In 2023, Galaxus customers bought 46 times as many collectible playing cards as in 2019.

In the case of dice, successful sales are particularly noticeable from 2023 onwards; in the case of board games, puzzles and darts, on the other hand, business has stagnated since 2020. And following the hype surrounding Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, demand for chessboards has fallen again. «You only buy a chessboard once, but with every pack of trading cards you have a new chance to get a particularly powerful card,» explains Lara.

Game manufacturers and brand owners such as Nintendo (Pokémon), Konami (Yu-Gi-Oh) and Hasbro (Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering) are also riding the wave of success. Market research company Straits Research assumes that global sales of playing cards will grow by more than 13 per cent annually until 2031 – from around USD 8.6 billion in 2023 to almost USD 24 billion in 2031. «The popularity of older games and the release of new titles drive the global collectible card games market share,» the experts write.

Board games still popular

In absolute figures, Galaxus customers’ favourite segment in the games category is still board games, followed by puzzles. Since 2019, however, collectible playing cards have climbed from 6th to 3rd place. And dice have rolled up the field from the bottom to 7th place.

Which games do you love the most right now? What valuable trading cards do you have in your deck? Which role-playing podcast would you recommend to the Community? Let us know in the comments!