ToyNews Toy industry news: business, marketing, retail, wholesale and distribution
Fortnite has been named Europe’s Top Gaining Toy Property of the Year by the NPD Group, who announced the video game IP among the winners of its Europe Toy Industry Performance Awards at Spielwarenmesse last night.
The winners were revealed at an event held at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg this week, where awards were given to the manufacturers or license owners of Europe’s top gaining toy properties by category.
The companies were picked in accordance to NPD’s Retail Tracking Service.
Epic Games’ Fortnite franchise was named Europe’s Top Gaining Toy Property of the Year for its sales in the action figures and accessories market. LOL Surprise from MGA Entertainment took the win in the Arts & Crafts category.
LEGO Harry Potter, Pokémon, and Owleez were named top gaining properties across Building Sets, Games and Puzzles, and Youth Electronics respectively.
| Total Toys | Property | Manufacturer / Licensor |
| Action Figures & Accessories | Fortnite | EPIC Games |
| Arts & Crafts | L.O.L. Surprise! | MGA |
| Building Sets | LEGO Harry Potter | The LEGO Group |
| Dolls | L.O.L. Surprise! Disney Frozen | MGA Disney |
| Games & Puzzles | Pokémon | The Pokémon Company |
| Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys | Toniebox | Boxine |
| Youth Electronics | Owleez | Spin Master |
| Outdoor & Sports Toys | Nerf Fortnite | Hasbro |
| Plush | Frozen | Disney |
| Vehicles | Hot Wheels | Mattel |
| Explorative & Other Toys | How to Train Your Dragon | Playmobil |
“Winners of these awards should be commended for their great accomplishments and dedication to excellence in 2019, including their continued commitment to their brands and retail partners,” said Francois Klipfel, president, toys, The NPD Group.
“Congratulations to all award winners. We wish you continued success in 2020.”
While these awards acknowledge the key driving brands and licenses in the European toy market, NPD has also released the Top Five best-selling properties at retail for the year in Europe. Playmobil, LOL Surprise, LEGO City, Barbie and Vtech Baby all featured.
Europe’s Top Overall Toy Properties of the Year
| Rank | Property |
| 1 | Playmobil |
| 2 | L.O.L. Surprise! |
| 3 | LEGO City |
| 4 | Barbie |
| 5 | Vtech Baby |
“The top five overall properties in Europe speaks to the staying power of decades-old properties, as well as the openness of consumers to engage with newer ones,” said Frederique Tutt, global toys industry analyst, The NPD Group.
