Sales of skateboards and scooters propelled U.S. toy sales to $11 billion during the first half of 2021, a 19% increase from 2020, the NPD Group said Thursday.
For more than a year, the toy industry has been bolstered by purchases from families stuck at home in lockdown during the ongoing coronavirus health crisis. Disposable incomes shifted from movie theaters, amusement parks and restaurants to toys, as parents looked for ways to keep their kids entertained.Outdoor and sports toys have seen the largest boost over the last six months, reaching $2.9 billion in sales, up 11% from last year.
"With the vaccine still not available for kids under 12, 'safely social toys', like playground equipment and skates, skateboards and scooters also continued to grow," she said. Lennett expects toy sales will continue to climb and get a boost from the child tax credit, which will be distributed in the second half of the year. She said the two stimulus checks that were given out earlier this year had a "profound effect" on first-quarter toy sales.From January through July, Pokemon was the top-selling toy property, followed by Barbie, Star Wars, L.O.L. Surprise!, Fisher-Price and Marvel.
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