Spanish toy industry recovers in 2014 | Key4Communications |

After several years of declines in domestic sales and a year of stabilization, the toy industry closed 2014 with sales increasing by 3.2% to 984.67 million euros in the domestic market. The year 2014 has been also good for toy exports, which increased by 6.7% to 454 million euros, according to the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ).

Building and Action Figures categories, the most sold in Spain

The toy industry, after two years of declines and light stability in 2013, closed 2014 with positive results, thanks to, among others, the pull of categories such as Toys Construction and Action Figures. In both cases, sales increased by 32%. It should also be highlighted the good performance of the category of teddies and the positive effect on sales of the rubber bracelets in the category of Artistic. Also the category of Radio Control brought a positive outcome to 2014. For its part, the category of dolls, one with the largest shares in the domestic market, experienced a decline.

The Spanish toy in international markets

Exports have become the oxygen tank in the toy sector during the years when the domestic market experienced a greater contraction. Exports have grown annually, and if analyzed the accumulating since 2007, they get a 17% growth despite the decline experienced in 2012.

As for the destination of exports of Spanish toys, the European market leads the ranking with Portugal, France and Italy at the top, even though these countries closed 2014 with slight declines in demand of Spanish toys. There were also increases in Greece (688%) reaching 25 million euros, and the Netherlands (39.37%).

Outside the EU, the US market continues to grow as a destination for Spanish exports and increased by 37.39% compared to 2013. Russia accuses the crisis that is going through, with a decline of 35.79%. The category of scooters and tricycles is the one that experienced the greatest growth with 27.19% above the previous year, exceeding 37 million euros. Inflatables balls and cars electric circuits grew as well. For its part, the category of dolls experienced a slight decrease of 5% but still leads the ranking with 64 million euros.

As for the origin of exports, Valencia remains the main export zone in Spain with an increase of 9.29%, followed by Catalonia that increased by 4.7%, and Madrid with 9.38% increase, approaching 80 million euros.

Strong seasonality of the sector in 2014

The toy industry in Spain, unlike other European markets, is a highly seasonal industry, with high concentration of sales in the last months of the year (70% of the total year). In 2014 the seasonality during December rose significantly focusing on this period 53.7% of total annual sales. Also 14.9% of domestic sales have been made during the first two weeks of 2015.