Christmas is the enchanting time of the year, but at the end of 2021, the race for gifts could make more than one parent disillusioned. Rumor has it about a shortage of toys. Situation in Eure-et-Loir.
Is there really a shortage of toys?
“The term shortage seems exaggerated to me, I will rather speak of out-of-stock”, tempers Christophe Drevet, general manager of the French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries.
Pascal Dupas, director of the E.Leclerc hypermarket in Barjouville evokes “a slight delay” while assuring: “The toys will be there for the holidays. “
“The start was difficult but things are going much better,” says Philippe Boï, manager of seasonal departments, and therefore toys at the end of the year at Carrefour Chartres.
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Everyone repeats that, despite the difficulties, the children will have what they want at Christmas.
The French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries writes in a press release
“Manufacturers are working around the clock to get their products to stores and keep kids happy on Christmas. “
Christophe Devret (DG of the French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries)
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But, despite these reassuring words, the concern is palpable.
“A third of my last order has not arrived, it’s extremely critical,” sighs Bruno Martinez, a specialist in Lego and Playmobil at the Brick Cave, in downtown Chartres. At La Petite Boutique, still in Chartres, Yves Graffin only received half of his order. Likewise, at Carrefour Chartres, when the catalog was received, 30% of the toys had not reached the shelves. “Deliveries are four to five weeks late,” according to Nadège Pétin, director of the King toy specialty store in Barjouville.
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However, the managers took their precautions to avoid a possible shortage. Without being able to quantify it precisely, Philippe Boï, manager of seasonal departments at Carrefour Chartres, assures us that the volume of toys stored in the warehouses is greater than in other years. Yves Graffin, of La Petite Boutique, estimates that 10 to 20% more boxes are stored in his store. Jennifer Bader, manager of Joué club in Barjouville, affirms that “suppliers have taken the lead to ensure their orders and a normal Christmas”.
What are the reasons for out of stock?
The vast majority of toys are made in Asia, the main continent affected by the Covid. The factories there have long stopped their production of toys and raw materials that are used to manufacture them.
Christophe Drevet, from the French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries ensures:
“The restart is there, but it takes time to get it back on track. In the same period, consumer demand exploded. Toy sales increased 13% globally in September 2021 compared to the same month in 2020. There is a huge mismatch between demand and production and delivery capacities. “
Christophe Devret (DG of the French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries)
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At the same time, the managers of specialized stores as well as large surfaces point the finger at the increase in the cost of transporting goods.
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David Allanic, Eurelian founder of Twin Games, a board game publisher, reports: “The price of transport by container, that is to say by boat, from China to Europe for example, has been multiplied by six or eight since the start of the crisis. Each international port has a month and a half of goods on hold, which explains these long waiting times. “
Will the price of toys increase?
According to David Allanic, “prices should remain stable for Christmas 2021 but if the rise in commodity prices continues, it will have to be passed on, probably in 2022.”
Some toy professionals are less optimistic. Jennifer Bader, from Jouéclub in Barjouville, noted “higher prices this year, in the order of 1 to 20%, it depends on the products, the brands which have anticipated or not”.
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“In September 2021, we see a 3% price increase on the top 100 existing products compared to their September 2020 prices,” says Frédérique Tutt, global toy market expert at NPD Group (the company delivers predictive analyzes to its customers to help them develop their activities) as part of a study for the French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries.
How can parents cope with the crisis?
“The advice is not specific to this year, it is necessary to separate the particular toys that the child asks for. If he wants a color, a specific model, it is better to anticipate and actually do it in advance to avoid going to the shelf and not finding the desired product. If the child wants a kitchen, a doll, a remote-controlled car, a painting, there will always be some in store, ”explains Jennifer Bader, at Jouéclub in Barjouville.
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“No child is disappointed with his Christmas gifts,” smiles Christophe Drevet, director general of the French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries. “If he doesn’t have what he put on his letter to Santa Claus, just find an alternative. It is our role as a toy professional to advise customers, ”explains Nadège Pétin, from King Jouet in Barjouville.
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