An Adult Appeal
Who said toys were just for kids?
By Richard Gottlieb -- Playthings, 9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
All of us in the toy industry are aware that there are adults, teens and seniors who purchase toys for their own use. We know they buy games, puzzles, dolls action figures and collectable cars for their own enjoyment. We are also aware that they love licenses like Transformers, Star Wars, GI Joe and Star Trek.
Yet, we as an industry for the most part act as if we were in the children's business. Walk into virtually any toy department or toy store and you will get the overwhelming sense that you are in a place exclusively for children. The product mixes, the signs, the fixtures, the ads and the licenses all make it very clear that we think toys are strictly for kids.
In fact, the very outlook of some in the toy industry is that if adults buy toys for themselves there is something wrong with them. Let me give you an example: A few years ago I was speaking with a clerk in a major toy chain who told me that he and the other staff members used to hide the new action figures when they arrived so that the adult collectors would not buy them all. They wanted to save them for the kids. As the clerk told me this, he acted as if there was something wrong with adults who purchased toys. I wondered at the time how many sales that store lost because some of the staff wanted to prevent adults from buying toys.
The numbers
Well, adults love to play and they love to play with toys. Yet, how big is the current adult/teen market? Those numbers are hard to come by. Perhaps it's because we never ask for them. Well, I did.
My first stop was to speak with someone in the action figure industry. I wanted to know what percentage of action figures were purchased by adults for their own use. He asked to remain anonymous but did tell me that, according to their figures, 33 percent of all action figures sold are purchased by adults for their own use. Does that surprise you? I have to admit, it surprised me.
My next stop was to ask NPD what kind of information they had on the adult/teen market. They graciously provided me with the following US sales data showing toy sales to end user adults and teens. The information is expressed in the percentage of total toy dollars spent. [See table above]
It looks like adult purchasers took a hit due to the recession in 2008 but 13 percent is a surprisingly large amount for an industry that doesn't do much to market its products specifically to adults.
Think what would happen if we actually tried. If we are going to actively pursue adult end users and expand the pie, it is going to be the retail community leading the charge. They will need to make adjustments in their department layouts, their messaging and their product mixes to tap into what can only be seen as a huge potential.
A working example
Imagine a toy store or department that is not designed for kids but for everyone. In addition to a large kid's section but there would sections for teens, adults and maybe even seniors. In teen and adult departments you would find strong presentations of licenses like Family Guy, The Simpsons, Star Wars, Star Trek and South Park. You would find action figures, miniature cars, games, puzzles and sophisticated construction sets. In short, you would find an adult's paradise.
Can't you just see a family hitting the toy department together with kids going to their sections while Mom and Dad go to theirs? Well, I actually did see it. It exists at the new Barnes & Noble flagship store on Lexington Avenue and 86th Street in Manhattan.
They have created a beautiful game and puzzle department on the main floor that is clearly meant for adults. This is telegraphed through content, through positioning and through signage.
It is purposely situated on a different floor than the children's toy department. The product mix consists of puzzles and games for the discerning adult shopper. The signage is appropriately sophisticated and suggests that this is clearly a place for adults.
The space allocated to the department is ample, running by my calculations to 140 running feet, with most shelving coming in at 8 feet in height. The game mix consists of European and American games that are categorized by anything from "Abstract Strategy" to "Adventure." The puzzle section is a strong mix of European and American manufacturers that run the full range of price points. In fact, a number of retails were over $50, and from what I understand from talking to Barnes & Noble, they are selling. Clearly, the consumer is seeing products he or she would not see in most child-oriented toy stores and is buying them.
Barnes & Noble is positioned to be a breakout player in toys. It could be the first major chain to truly focus in on the allusive adult toy end user.
| Age group | Annual $ 2007 | Annual $ 2008 |
|
Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service
|
||
| 12–17 | 5% | 5% |
| 18–34 | 5% | 4% |
| 35+ | 5% | 4% |
| Total | 15% | 13% |
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