What a beautiful revenge! A bit outdated, puzzles are making a comeback. Only problem, manufacturers are overwhelmed by demand.
Who does not remember a long endless Sunday with his grandparents where the only goal of the day was to finish the puzzle which reveals three kittens playing with a ball of wool … Today, puzzles see their popularity rating suddenly increased, even surpassing their Christmas sales. Confinement is a game-changer. It has thus become normal to see on social networks, people proudly showing off their latest exploits in spare parts. In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison even declared the activity puzzle “Essential”, and allowed residents to go out to buy them.
"There have always been celebrities who have been passionate about this activity, Hugh Jackman for example, but most people only spoke about it in a low voice", do not hesitate to launch the New york times.
Leader in the puzzle market, Ravensburger, has seen its order books explode. There are thus five times more orders on the online site compared to the same period last year. Even delivery times have gone from two to three days to a minimum of one week. And the 1,000-piece puzzles are almost sold out.
According to the magazine Forbes, the adult puzzle was seventh on the list of products searched on Amazon. Sales of Ravensburger in North America have literally increased by 370% compared to the same time last year.
"With containment, this trend has further increased. The puzzle is the perfect escape. To console yourself for being locked up, you can, for example, choose a motif representing the place where you should have gone on vacation. People are rediscovering the meditative qualities of the classic puzzle, which calms and makes memory work. Another advantage: you can play alone or with others. For parents who are teleworking, this is an ideal solution: children are busy for hours or even whole days"says Katrin Seemann, spokesperson for the puzzle section, at Point.
A specific manufacturing
The New york times discovered how these nesting games are designed at the factory. "Each piece must have a unique shape so as not to end up in the wrong place. This means that 1,000 different shapes are required for a puzzle of 1,000 pieces. Each of them is drawn by hand. We then make metal cookie cutters specific to the puzzle in question. It takes about four weeks to make a puzzle. "
"Choosing a simple pretty picture and putting it on a puzzle box rarely works"admits North American director Ravensburger Filip Francke. Rather, it is the richly detailed images that are most popular, making it easier for the player to find their bearings.
Trend monitoring, on Reddit, Etsy and Instagram, as well as the setting up of discussion groups are also set up to identify mood tables by type of consumer. Subsequently, a designer in collaboration with an artist works on the creation of these images.
Our selection of puzzles just for you
XXL Toy Story 4 Disney 100 pieces jigsaw puzzle, Ravensburger, 14.99 euros on Amazon
The puzzle 3000 Pieces Rice Terraces in Asia, Ravensburger, 28.20 euros on Amazon
The puzzle 1000 Pieces L'atelier de Papy, Ravensburger, 16,65 euros on Amazon
Here we go !