A Profile of the United States Toy Industry

CHAPTER 2

The Toy Industry by Size and Category

The categories of the toy industry are identified by the type of product, purchaser, and very often the end user. There are many variations within each category, and not every product fits neatly into a category. Thus, one may well ask is something a preschool toy or a learning toy? Is it both? Very often those determinations are made by the manufacturers, but the retailers may also define the categories individually. As we see so often in this business, standardization is almost impossible. Today’s learning toy may have more in common with an iPad than a traditional shape alphabet block, though both may be sold in the same aisle. This chapter looks at some of the categories—as well as the exceptions—and ...