REPORT REVEALS LEGO AS THE MOST PROMINENT TOY STORE IN 2023 According to the latest annual report on the toy sector, Lego is the UK’s most prominent toy store in 2023. The report, conducted by Salience Search Marketing, analysed 11 crucial performance indicators, including year-on-year visibility, search volume trends, and brand awareness, for toy stores to reveal the names dominating the industry. Top 5 prominent UK toy stores Through analysing the number of monthly searches for each brand and calculating an owned social score which combines the number of followers and engagement rate across major social platforms for each brand, the report unveils the most prominent brands in the sector. The findings reveal Lego is the most prominent brand in the industry. With over 24 million social media followers and a sizeable 550,000 brand searches per month, Lego is the market leader when it comes to brand awareness. Build-A-Bear is the second most prominent brand in the sector with 246,000 brand searches per month and over 3 million social media followers. When it comes to organic visibility, there has been a 6 percent increase in overall organic growth within the industry, demonstrating an ongoing demand for toys. Despite crowned the most prominent brand of 2023, toy company giant Lego has seen the biggest drop in visibility with a 17 percent decrease since June 2022. This suggests while the toy brand is still prominent within the industry, its visibility is in need of improvements. In contrast, Smyths Toys sees the biggest growth in organic visibility with an increase of 6 percent year on year. As the second most prominent toy store in the UK, Smyths Toys is in a comfortable position. A brand on the rise is Tonies, as it sees a sizeable 213 percent increase in searches following its recent partnership with Hamleys in 2022. The collaboration saw Tonies products sold in Hamleys stores. The latest report on toy stores also assesses the current product trends, analysing which products are losing searches and which products are in demand. According to the findings, squirkies has seen the biggest increase in searches within the industry, with an astonishing 22400 percent jump. As for receding products, fidget toys and gadgets have seen a decrease in searches, with fidget toys seeing a 33 percent drop. The gadget became a trending toy within the sector in 2017, however, the findings suggest that the once-popular toy is no longer in demand. Brett Janes, Managing Director at Salience Search Marketing, said: “The toy stores sector has seen a positive year, as the industry records a 6 percent increase in overall organic growth. This report also saw some impressive social media figures and sizeable brand searches, highlighting a successful strategy across the sector. “Fidget toys, a highly popular gadget in 2017, has seen a drop in searches, highlighting that product trends are ever-changing. “A brand on the rise is Tonies, as it sees a sizeable 213 percent increase in searches following its recent partnership with Hamleys in 2022. The collaboration saw Tonies products sold in Hamleys stores. “Overall, building a strong online presence across multiple channels becomes crucial in driving sales and capitalizing on the expanding market demand.” RETAIL STATS HINT OPTIMISM AS SMALL FIRMS URGED TO HAVE THEIR SAY IN FSB HIGH STREET SURVEY On the heels of latest ONS statistics showing a 0.5 percent rise in retail sales volumes in April, after a fall of 1.2 percent in March, FSB Policy & Advocacy Chair Tina McKenzie urged SMEs to have their say on FSB’s Future of the High Street survey. She said: “These statistics prove the enduring potential of our high streets. A rise of 0.8% in sales in the three months to April 2023 tells us that our traditional high street still holds its own in the business arena. It’s a feather in the cap of the nimble high street retailers that stay one step ahead of market shifts and trends. “However, it’s not all rosy, with rising interest rates and concerns about consumer demand. There are still huge roads ahead for our high street stores who are wrestling with business rates, VAT, late payments and poor transport links. Only with certainty and support can the full potential of these small firms can be realised. “That’s why swift action is crucial. We need as many SMEs as possible to take part in our Future of the High Street survey. When our high streets thrive, so does the rest of the business sector and the more participants we get, the louder voice for us all. Share your stories about dealing with business rates, transport, parking, access to cash – and let us know what changes you think could spark a revolution for our high streets. Now is the time to bring new life to our high streets with fresh, bold ideas backed by sound public policies.” The findings will be analysed, and recommendations then submitted to the UK and national and local governments and devolved administrations to help the UK’s high streets to flourish into the future. The survey ran from 13 July to the 27 July and can be found at www.fsbbigvoice.co.uk/ FSBHighStreetsSurvey INDUSTRY NEWS 13
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