Analytics firm Edge by Ascential reports that Amazon’s Q3 toy sales totaled US$510 million, a 30% increase over the same period last year. The Games category was the biggest seller for the retail giant, increasing 65% to US$100 million driven by the popularity of board game titles like What Do You Meme.
The Infant & Preschool category, meanwhile, grew 15% to US$80 million in Q3 and the Outdoor Sports & Toys category boasted US$75 million in sales during the same period (up 40% compared to 2017). The bestsellers for those categories were the Little Tikes Inflatable Jump ‘n Slide Bounce House (pictured) and the Peg Perego John Deere Ground Force Tractor, respectively. Capitalizing on this popularity, Amazon partnered with Little Tikes to offer several Amazon-exclusive items, three of which appeared on the retailer’s Top 50 Toys list for Q3 2018.
L.O.L. Surprise! was the top seller in Amazon’s Dolls category, which grew 30% to US$70 million. Edge by Ascential reported that L.O.L. Surprise! claimed 11% of the category’s market share in Q3, making it second to only Barbie (18% share). The Action Figures, Role Play & Collectibles category saw a sales increase of 40% to US$45 million due to the strength of products like the Marvel Legends Series Infinity Gauntlet.
The Edge by Ascential report follows Amazon’s recent announcement that this year’s Cyber Monday was the biggest shopping day in its history, with the most products ordered globally in a single day. Customers around the world ordered more than 18 million toys over the full holiday weekend.
All of this data comes as retailers prepare for the first holiday season after the shuttering of Toys “R” Us. Amazon launched a toy catalogue in November that includes QR codes linking directly to its website, while Target recently announced it would expand its toy offerings to more than 2,500 new items, and Walmart expanded its inventory of kids playthings by 30% in store and 40% online under the new America’s Best Toy Shop branding.