Skyjo, Lego, Furby… Which games and toys were the best sold at Christmas?

The best-selling games at Christmas illustrate a strong disparity in the prices paid by the French, ranging from 15 euros for the Skyjo, at the top of sales, to 185 euros for the Lego construction set. Proof that adults are increasingly entering the gaming market.

You too may have sat around a table this winter with friends or family to play Skyjo. Not surprising, since this board game, sold at 15.50 euros, is at the top of the best-selling games (in volume) over the period October to December 2024. Just after it, comes the Notre Dame de Paris architecture game , manufactured by Lego (sold at 184.96 euros) then the Furby, an interactive animated plush in the shape of a little monster (50.27 euros).

This year, as in previous years, the 2024 Christmas sales got off to a late start. It was in December that sales of games and toys took off, with sales increasing by 4.5% over the last month of the year.

The decline in the birth rate has strong implications for the toy market, overtaken by “kidults”

For Florent Leroux, President of the French Federation of Childcare and Toy Industries (FJP), the “constant decline in the birth rate has consequences on our sector but also on the entire French economy in the medium and long term”.

To offset this trend, Christmas sales were dominated by games aimed at people aged 12 and over, such as construction sets and card games. “Kidults” thus contribute to the growth of the games market, according to the FJP, Circana and the Federation of Trade Specialists in Toys and Children's Products (FCJPE).

As a result, sales for this age group represent 29% of turnover over the last 12 months.

Interactive companions are popular

Another lesson from this TOP 10, we find many interactive companions in the best-selling toys for Christmas 2024.

The little electronic plush monster Furby, sold for 50.27 euros and created by Hasbro, is in third place in the ranking. As for Bitzee Disney, a 3D animal manufactured by Spin Master and sold at 28.32 euros, it is placed in 9th position. S

The interactive companions “illustrate the strong trend around mothering that we find across several age groups and several categories” according to the FJP, Circana and the FCJPE

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Compared to Christmas 2023, construction games are experiencing strong growth (+20%), notably thanks to the sale of the Architecture ND de Paris game from Lego. Card games also recorded a significant increase of 27%, mainly driven by Skyjo.

Strategic cards, for their part, increased by 14% compared to last year, with a special mention for Pokemon Charizard cards (at 95.71 euros), which ranked in 4th position among best sellers. Traditional soft toys also saw an increase of 9%.

Finally, characters from films and series, supported by cultural trends, represent a record 27% of total toy sales. Still in the lead, Pokemon remains unbeatable, while Lilo & Stitch is also among the most popular characters with the French.

With 16% market share, “French toys remain a safe haven for young and old” explains Florent Leroux.