Western Europe

Technological advances in 2024 will continue to reshape consumer behaviour. This annual report explores the top five digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this report’s edition…

The Swiss video game industry is expanding and evolving, boosted by technological advancements, a growing gaming audience, and the introduction of next-generation consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. These consoles provide gamers…

The Swiss traditional toys and games industry registered a retail value decline in 2022, following a surge in sales noted during the outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 provided a boost to traditional toys and games in both 2020 and 2021, with the…

In 2022, retail value growth of the overall toys and games industry slowed considerably in Switzerland, chiefly due to a decline in sales of traditional toys and games. However, this decline was the consequence of significant growth noted during 2020…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in Q4 2023 and 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence remains among the key economies. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of…

The success of the Super Mario and Barbie movies will further accelerate the digitalisation of young adults’ childhood favourite toy characters. More toys and games companies are making film adaptations of classic toys to generate additional revenues…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with income inequality, mass migration and rising uncertainty about another crisis being among the major ones. Nevertheless, within this lie untapped opportunities. This…

In 2022, the German video games industry was being driven by advancements in technology, a growing number of gamers, and increased societal interest in gaming and e-sports. The industry is centred around the development of next-generation consoles,…

Traditional toys and games in Germany saw a decline in 2022, in part driven by broad uncertainty in the region. While pandemic restrictions were lifted in early 2022, inflation crept in by the third quarter, and many consumers were more cautious with…

In Germany, while traditional toys and games continued to decline in 2022, video games enjoyed positive growth as more technology is integrated in toys to keep up with digital trends. Furthermore, Germany took longer to remove pandemic restrictions…

Video games hardware recorded a steep decline in its current value sales in 2022, driven by bad performances by both handheld and static consoles. In terms of handheld consoles, the main problem was that the Nintendo Switch Lite continued to be…

The traditional toys and games industry had a remarkable year in 2020, with some categories experiencing the equivalent growth to five years in a single year as a result of the restrictions due to the pandemic, which saw people spending a lot more…

Even though the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, and it appeared that things would return to normal in the country, the UK faced a variety of difficulties throughout 2022. For example, the war in Ukraine, which started in late February, had…

In 2022, video games experienced a double-digit increase in value sales, primarily due to the strong performance of video games software (digital). The widespread ownership of mobile phones and internet access in Turkey has contributed to the growth…

Video games in the Netherlands recorded strong double-digit value growth in 2022 despite a slowdown in the economy. This was driven by strong price growth in some categories such as AR/VR headsets, which doubled in price due to the introduction of…

There was slowed demand for video games in the post-pandemic environment of 2022 as household expenditure on video games normalised following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions. Sales spiked in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the pandemic as…

Due to stock disruption, inflation and reduced purchasing power, static consoles experienced a decrease in retail volume in 2022. The elimination of COVID-19 restrictions was another factor that marked the slowed down of the video games market, as…

In the main years of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 and 2021, consumers increased their use of video games to kill time and spend time with family and friends, if often remotely. However, retail current value sales of video games started…

In 2022, the value sales of video games in France declined again, having recorded strong positive growth in 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdowns and home seclusion. During this time, consumers searched for entertainment and ways to pass the time within the…

In 2022, traditional toys and games witnessed a double-digit increase in value sales, even though the country faced a high inflation rate and a significant rise in toy and game prices due to increased costs of importing raw materials and products, as…

Traditional toys and games increased slightly in value sales terms in 2022, driven by consumers’ reluctance to spend on non-essential items. Given that the general inflation is pushing up prices for basic commodities, finances were being squeezed,…

The demand for traditional toys and games slowed in 2022 with the lifting of pandemic restrictions and the return to school and work. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and remote or hybrid working, parents spent more time at home with their children…

In 2022, sustainability became a major priority for brands and manufacturers. This is encouraged not only by consumers' demands but reinforced by regulations and taxes on the use of non-recyclable plastic. As such, manufacturers are putting all…

Retail value (constant 2022 prices) sales of traditional toys and games were in decline even before the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, amid a falling birth rate (per ‘000 population) and steady decline in the 0-14-year-old…

In 2022, the traditional toys and games industry in France recorded declining sales in current value terms, offsetting some of the growth seen during the pandemic. Despite the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, stores and brands were…

In 2022, toys and games experienced a double-digit value growth primarily driven by substantial increases in average unit prices, attributed to the devaluation of the Turkish Lira. This led to higher costs of imports and production. The remarkable…

Toys and games recorded further strong value growth in 2022, defying the difficult economic conditions faced in the Netherlands. This was driven by video games, with traditional toys and games seeing slow growth over the year. Consumers, particularly…

2022 was a bumpy year for toys and games in Sweden, with the first two quarters seeing growth followed by declining sales in September and October and then a return to growth over the Christmas period. The strong pandemic-induced growth, as consumers…

Impacted by a strained economic situation and inflation, while the toys and games industry continued growing in 2022, it recorded a slower pace compared to the accelerated growth of 2021. The consistent decline in birth rates continued to…

Characterised by high demand and higher unit prices, toys and games proved to be a robust industry in 2022. Many consumers maintained some of the playing and gaming habits they acquired, consolidated or developed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19)…

Toys and games recorded a decline in its current value sales in 2022, which was largely due to the significant pressure on consumers’ purchasing power. With rising inflation rates, consumers were forced into making trade-offs in their purchases. The…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

Value sales of traditional toys and games in Western Europe grew in 2021, driven by the need for entertainment due to the prolonged COVID-19-induced social distancing measures and home seclusion. The expansion of the consumer audience, with adults…

The report examines inflation level and drivers globally and in the key countries. Global inflation is forecast to accelerate due to higher energy and commodity prices, disruptions in supply chains and weaker business confidence. Impact varies…

Slower growth, surging inflation, rising geopolitical risks and an accelerating deglobalisation trend are factors shaping the global economic, financial and trade landscape in 2022 and beyond. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for…

The growing popularity of subscription boxes has led to a rise in M&A activity and funding for subscription box start-ups. Available across industries, they target specific consumer needs through different subscription models: pure convenience,…

Video games was a major beneficiary of Coronavirus (COVID-19), with sales rebounding from 2019’s decline to see dynamic growth in 2020. Home seclusion, due to lockdowns and working/learning from home, drove video games demand in 2020, with…

The global outlook has improved as of Q1 2021, thanks to vaccination progress in many developed countries. Nevertheless, the recovery prospects remain distant for most economies in the face of the spread of new, more infectious variants of the virus.…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession since World War II. In Q4 2020, the end of the pandemic started as countries began administering effective vaccines among the population; however, vaccine distribution…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession in nearly a century. Businesses are operating in a world of anxieties and uncertainties, not knowing what will be the new normal or when output and consumer spending…

The toys and games industry sees positive growth, although with setbacks due to Coronavirus. In traditional toys, long-term opportunities lie in licensing and categories combining play, education and skill-building experience. Broader exposure to…