In the 'Homeconomy' Era, Block Toys Rise While Character Toys Decline

Emart Launches 13 Types of 'Lego Start Pack' Exclusively in Korea
'Lego Super Mario' Also on Sale from August 1
Block Toy Sales Up 15.8% as Time Spent at Home Increases

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] As the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has made 'homeconomy' consumption a part of daily life, block toys and board games are emerging as the dominant trends in the toy market. Homeconomy is a compound word of home and economy, referring to an economy targeting consumers who mainly spend their leisure time at home.

In the past, character toys overwhelmingly accounted for 60% of total toy sales, but as parents and children spend more time together at home, sales of block toys and board games are increasing.

In response to this changing toy trend, Emart announced on the 23rd that it has launched about 30 new LEGO products.

First, Emart exclusively released 13 types of 'LEGO Start Packs' among domestic distributors. LEGO Start Packs are ultra-small LEGO products ideal for beginners to purchase lightly, specially made by adding accessory bricks to the officially released minifigure packs by LEGO.

Emart sells 13 types of LEGO Start Packs from various lineups such as City, Friends, and Creator at 5,900 KRW each in 68 Emart stores nationwide.

Since the test sales began on the 18th, about 2,000 LEGO Start Packs have been sold over three days. In some stores, the products have been sold out, showing strong consumer response.

From the 1st of next month, Emart will also sell 16 types of the 'LEGO Super Mario' series. The LEGO Super Mario series is a new concept LEGO series that combines LEGO assembly with gameplay through digital elements. The LEGO Mario figure is equipped with sensors and a display, allowing users to enjoy games on LEGO-built stages.

The representative product, the 'LEGO Super Mario Starter Pack,' consists of one LEGO Mario figure and LEGO bricks to build a basic stage. The price is 79,900 KRW.

The reason Emart is launching so many new products is due to the recent surge in demand for block toys. An analysis of Emart's toy sales in the second quarter showed that block toy sales increased by 15.8% compared to the previous year.

Due to the spread of remote work and delayed school openings caused by COVID-19, parents and children spend more time together at home. It is analyzed that the demand for block toys, which have excellent educational value and can be enjoyed by both parents and children, has greatly increased. During the same period, board game sales also increased by 14.5% compared to the previous year, indicating that sales of toys that the whole family can enjoy together are rising. Accordingly, the ranking of toy sales in the second quarter also changed. The proportion of block toys in Emart's second-quarter toy sales increased from 15.9% last year to 20.7% this year, surpassing girls' toys to become the second highest in toy sales. The sales proportion of play toys (such as board games) also increased from 9.7% last year to 11.2%.

On the other hand, the sales proportion of character toys (boys', girls', and infant toys), which accounted for 58.2% of toy sales in the second quarter last year, decreased to 53.1% this year. It is analyzed that the sales proportion of character toys, which are sensitive to trends, declined as the frequency of children going to school decreased.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.