It will be the first toy distribution chain to sell second-hand products in its stores all year round. By the end of 2022, the King Toy brand will sell second-hand toys on its shelves alongside new items, in seven of its 328 French stores, which will take the name of King Okaz.
“It’s not a fad. There is an awareness of consumers on the issues of the planet that is also found in the sector. The share of second-hand purchases is increasing among younger generations », estimates Philippe Gueydon, the general manager of this brand which has become, with a 12.5% market share, the number one in store sales of toys and second, behind Amazon, all circuits combined. She preceded E.Leclerc, since the takeover of the 92 Maxi Toys stores, at the helm of the court, in September 2020.
Ecological or economic response? Second-hand toys will not be sold there in a specific department, but alongside new products, “to give consumers a choice”explains Mr. Gueydon.
This is the last budget parents sacrifice in times of crisis, but this year the price of toys at Christmas is likely to increase by 10% on average compared to 2021, according to the leader, as inflation hits today all the goods.
3.7 billion euros in France in 2021
A test carried out since May in a pilot store near Valencia showed a 20% increase in store traffic and a drop in the average basket. “Which is quite logical, because the average sale price of a second-hand toy is less than 50% of the price of new”, points out Mr. Gueydon. But the customers consume again, since the toys they brought back are paid for in vouchers.
King Toy does not stop there. This year, he will gradually sell spare parts on his e-commerce site: lost pawns from a board game or damaged bumpers from a go-kart. Some manufacturers already offer it on their own site. “It’s not a reflex for our customers. It’s like in the car, we go to the dealer rather than the brand », Estimates Mr. Gueydon.
In 2021, 3.7 billion euros of games and toys were sold in France, an increase of 2.9% in value and 5.1% in volume. Because they have ultimately served little or they harbor a strong emotional potential, they are rarely thrown away. When they are no longer used by the child, 68% of households give them to family members or friends, and 58% resell them, according to a study by IDM Families (formerly L’Institut des Mamans ) and the French Federation of Toy and Childcare Industries (FJP), published in April 2020.
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