Toys are finding a new market in Belgium, as adults are increasingly purchasing Lego, Pokémon cards, and dolls for their own use.
Toy sellers in Belgium are noticing an increase in demand for their products among adults, many of whom long to relive their childhood, or for whom pop culture still holds its allure. The third largest trend in the toy industry is products aimed at adults, Het Laatste Nieuws reports.
"In America, adults are the growth market in the toy industry," said Marcel de Looper, toy expert at Dutch online retailer Bol. Almost a quarter of the toy products sold by the company are now targeted at adults. De Looper says that in the Belgian market, more and more producers are tailoring their products to older audiences.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, with physical retail locations largely closed, there was a surge in online sales to adults, particularly for drawing and crafts toys, as well as board and card games. Other popular items among adults include Pokémon cards, Funko Pop dolls, and other figurines. Wooden or cardboard model kits are also popular, the Bol expert reports.
The most notable trend is an increase in sales of Lego, which has long targeted a demographic of adults. The company markets complicated construction sets which often take weeks to build.
Related News
- Toys & Games of The Year's 24th edition comes at tough time for industry
- EU intends to increase regulations on dangerous toys
Compared to last year, the sale of adult Lego sets has increased by 60% on the Bol platform. Internationally, 2023 has been a strong year for the Danish toy company. Lego increased its sales for the first half of the year by 1% this summer, raking in €3.7 billion. The Lego group partly attributes this success to sales to adults. At Lego, around 40% of its products are now aimed at adults.
In recent years there has been an uptick in interest towards pop culture and toys in Belgium, as evidenced by the success and popularity of Brussels' numerous annual anime, video game, board game, trading card, and manga festivals. These are attended equally by both children and adults.
