Over 100m of Epoch’s Sylvanian Families dolls have been sold since launching in 1985. It is now hoping it can broaden the Sylvanian appeal to adults as well, according to an article in the Telegraph.
The company’s British subsidiary has said it wants to sell more dolls to adults after a drop in profits, blaming the UK’s declining birth rate and cost of living crisis for a drop in its traditional market. This comes amid a broader rise in toys marketed to grown-ups. Examples include the legions of adult Harry Potter fans who are happy to spend their hard-earned cash on replica wands, Hogwarts uniforms and have even been known to host wizard-themed weddings.
“Despite continuing to be frugal with everyday purchases, adult consumers are turning to the childhood delights of building sets, games, puzzles, collectables and squishy soft toys for comfort”
There is also an increasing number of adults who build expensive Lego sets in their spare time. The company has consciously pivoted towards marketing its models to adults in recent years, launching sets that allow people to recreate monuments such as the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum in Rome.
Julia Goldin, Lego’s chief product officer, told the Wall Street Journal last year that adults represented “a much bigger opportunity than we were tapping into” for the company.
Frédérique Tutt, global toy industry expert at data firm Circana, said: “Despite continuing to be frugal with everyday purchases, adult consumers are turning to the childhood delights of building sets, games, puzzles, collectables and squishy soft toys for comfort amid a backdrop of war, climate anxiety and economic pressures that now shape daily life.”
