When a market concentrates 70% of its sales from October to December in the middle of the pre-Christmas campaign, as has historically happened with toys in Spain, it is not a good sign for this industry in times where impulsive and continuous purchasing shines with its own light. thanks to omnichannel.
Something is changing in this market, when, like an invasive species, a new growing concept emerges as the “convenience” toy. What until recently was intended for a pre-adolescent audience, primarily female and based on a temporary fashion concept, has moved to a more children's market where the phenomenon of rotation is basic.
A new linear paradigm in kiosks and convenience stores that is gaining more ground and space every day, what was previously residual becomes an inexhaustible and exhausting source of business for fathers and mothers who do not know how to contain the childhood desire to have what last of the doll, pet, puppy, unicorn, dinosaur, wild animal, modifiable robot, princess in a bag and at the reasonable price of 3-5 euros per unit and also a surprise.
The strategy is from a basic marketing manual:
- Constant rotation of new items to awaken children's curiosity.
- Affordable price if we compare it with toys of 30-50 euros.
- Collectible phenomenon to encourage the “I'm missing this one, please”.
- “Cute” design to attract the malleable child's brain with dizzying colors.
- In a comfortable little bag, serve yourself as a child so that mom and dad cannot repress the impulse of shame of “it's not time today.”
- A pricing strategy based on “if the total is 3 euros” and you keep the boy/girl happy for…3 hours (if necessary).
- Impulsive buying as a driving force.
- Personalization of the toy with its name, date of birth, favorite friend, favorite color, etc., to generate a degree of empathy between the boy/girl and the toy in question. It's not a toy, it's a friend
With all this, the toy industry expands the moment of purchase, expands the consumer target to a more children's audience and expands the non-traditional shelf with an important proximity factor through convenience stores, neighborhood stores and kiosks, in addition to encourage an online impulse buying phenomenon.
Issac Larian of MGA Entertainment was clear at the time as a pioneer with his LOL products that he has now extended to brands such as Poopsie, Num Noms or Moj Moj https://www.mgae.com/
If you go to a kiosk or a convenience store, look at the change in the shelves and you will see the unstoppable invasion, week after week, of this type of products.
Will it manage to change the temporary trend of the toy industry? We will see in time if it does not stop being a passing fad or a phenomenon that will remain indefinitely.
Jordi Crespo
