The Lego business grew sales 2% in 2015, even as the international toy market saw sales slip 7%, according to information from Circana.
The pandemic-era gains that sustained rapid toy market sales development subsided in 2023 as customers cut discretionary costs in the middle of increasing inflationary expenses and increased charge card financial obligation. Meanwhile Denmark- based Lego published resistant sales, with income reaching 65.9 billion Danish krone, or about $9.65 billion, it stated Tuesday.
“Being able to again outgrow the market by almost 10 percentage points, like we’ve done the last couple of years, I think it’s really nice to see that we could do that in good years, and we can also do it in bad years,” Lego CEO Niels Christiansen informed CNBC.
Lego was amongst the toy business that saw enormous gains throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to outshine the market and purchase market share. The business saw sales dive 27% in 2021 and 17% in 2022.
The toymaker’s top-performing brand names in 2015 consisted of Lego Icons, Lego Technic, Lego City, Lego Harry Potter and Lego StarWars These packages vary in size and trouble, with the business stating the styles make it enjoyable for kids to find out structure abilities while offering an innovative outlet for grownups.
In 2023, the business had 780 items, around 50% of which were brand-new products. That’s on par with previous years and becomes part of the business’s technique for having fresh and appropriate sets for all customers.
Of course, the business has actually not been unsusceptible to macroeconomic pressures, especially as consumers tighten their bag strings. Christiansen stated Lego is offering the very same volume of items, however the business has actually observed that clients “traded down” in 2023 and chose lower-priced sets.
Net revenue in 2023 reached 13.1 billion Danish krone, or about $1.92 billion, down practically 5% from 2022.
In specific, the secret Chinese market saw income decreases.
“Chinese consumers are really holding back on spending,” Christiansen stated.
Lego has actually been growing its footprint in China over the previous couple of years, opening numerous retail areas. While Lego initially got in the nation in 1993, it was just in the last years that the brick maker started an enormous growth in the area.
Of the 147 brand-new Lego shops opened in 2015, 81 of them remained inChina While Christiansen states that number will be up to around 40 brand-new openings in 2024, brick-and-mortar stays a crucial focus for the brand name as it moves into smaller sized cities in China.
Lego has actually likewise been broadening its digital existence, partnering with Epic Games to introduce Lego Fortnite, an open world survival computer game.
“We’re basically competing for children’s time and their attention and being relevant with them,” Christiansen stated.
Lego’s group of digital specialists grew by 27% in 2023, the business stated, as it pressed to enhance online experiences throughout the board from going shopping to tv and movie material. The objective is constantly to connect these digital touchpoints back to physical play.
“At the end of the day, they may spend a little bit on Lego Fortnite or wherever, but I hope when it gets to Christmas that we are on their wish list,” Christiansen stated.
