Toy giants Hasbro and Mattel each earned a trio of US Toy Industry Awards, which were determined by The NPD Group’s retail tracking service of the top-selling toys of 2017 in the US.
Hasbro took home the top-selling Property of the Year for its iconic Nerf brand. The property was instrumental in driving the toyco’s Franchise Brands sales growth by 10% to US$2.6 billion in 2017. The manufacturer also grabbed the top-selling toy award in the Action Figures & Accessories supercategory for its Beyblade Starter Pack Assortment, and won the Arts & Crafts supercategory with its Easy Bake Ultimate Oven Baking Star Play Set. Hasbro also won another action figure award at the Toy Industry Association’s 18th annual TOTY Awards over the weekend, but for a different product, Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Dancing Groot.
As for Mattel, the company landed atop three US Toy Industry Awards supercategories—Building Sets for Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag, Games & Puzzles for UNO Card Game Assortment, and Vehicles for Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment. Mattel also won a TOTY Playset of the Year award for its Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage.
MGA Entertainment, meanwhile, continues its hot streak winning top-selling Toy of the Year and top-selling toy in the Dolls supercategory for its L.O.L. Surprise! Doll Assortment. The hit brand also shared the coveted TOTY Award this past weekend with WowWee’s Fingerlings.
As for other winners, Zuru continues to lead in outdoor toys, winning the Outdoor & Sports Toys supercategory for Bunch O Balloons 3 Pack. Its Bunch O Balloons Filler Soaker recently grabbed the TOTY Award for Outdoor Toy of the Year.
Looking at preschool toys, Spin Master follows up its TOTY Award for PAW Patrol My Size Lookout Tower by winning the Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys supercategory for its Paw Patrol Basic Vehicle & Pup Assortment. Its Hatchimals Pengualas Pink Egg Assortment was also the top-selling plush toy.
The winners announcement comes after NPD reported that global toy sales were up 1% in 2017 to US$20.7 billion (The US, the world’s largest toy market, grew by 1% on its own).
Here’s the full US Toy Industry Awards winners list:
Top-selling Property of the Year – Nerf (Hasbro)
Top-selling Toy of the Year – L.O.L. Surprise! Doll Assortment (MGA Entertainment)
Top-selling toy by super category:
Action Figures & Accessories – Beyblade Starter Pack Assortment (Hasbro)
All Other Toys – Antsy Labs Fidget Cube Assortment (Zuru)
Arts & Crafts – Easy Bake Ultimate Oven Baking Star Play Set (Hasbro)
Building Sets – Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag, 80 Pieces (Mattel)
Dolls – L.O.L. Surprise! Doll Assortment (MGA Entertainment)
Games & Puzzles – UNO Card Game Assortment (Mattel)
Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys – Paw Patrol Basic Vehicle & Pup Assortment (Spin Master)
Outdoor & Sports Toys – Bunch O Balloons 3 Pack (Zuru)
Plush – Hatchimals Pengualas Pink Egg Assortment (Spin Master)
Vehicles – Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment (Mattel)
Youth Electronics – Cozmo (Anki)