The British Toys and Hobbies Association says 2020 has proven to be an unexpectedly good year for sales of large toys and games. The demand for entertainment from households during the lockdown has driven the market.

That momentum waned last year, but sales were still 2% above pre-pandemic levels.

The average price of toys in 2021 has fallen by 2% to £10.22 compared to the previous year.

Despite the industry's encouragement of early Christmas buying, sales jumped by a massive 35% in the last week before Christmas.

Part of the reason for the rise is that Christmas falls on a Saturday, which allows for a full week of trading in the first few days.

BTHA's Kerri Atherton said the challenges for the coming year and Christmas 2022 were largely focused on supply chain issues.

Competition for containers among industries and congestion at ports meant toy makers faced issues with supplying materials and shipping toys to the retail market, she said.

This drives up their costs, which may ultimately be reflected in consumer prices. Product availability and shipping reliability are also an issue, she said.

"A toy store is never empty, but it has an impact," she said.

BTHA's annual trade show will take place in London's Olympia over the next three days, showcasing some of the products that could be in stores over the Christmas period.

Sales in the UK dropped by 3% last year compared with the previous 12 months, said market research group NPD.

The supply of materials and transportation of finished toys, particularly on shipping containers are creating a headache for manufacturers.

But a toy industry trade body said the sector was remarkably resilient.

Bucking the trend were scientific and educational toys, with some suggestion that their popularity among girls in particular could have been inspired by the Gilbert effect.

Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert became a household name as one of the creators of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.



BBC, 2022. UK toy sales fell last year amid supply disruption. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60123718> [Accessed 8 February 2022].