Everything is awesome in toyland, as the upbeat song from The Lego Movie chimes. Things are pretty good in the supermarkets as well. After a disappointing start to the year, sales of toys soared by 6.2% on volumes up 13% for the full calendar year [NPD Group 2014].

This was significantly ahead of specialist and other retailers at 3.9%, and total UK sales at 4.4%.

The success of Lego and its movie - the number one grossing film in the UK in 2014 - has certainly helped. In 2014, value sales for the category hit their highest level since 2010, with unit sales up 12%. As a result, the British toy market is now worth £3bn at retail - an increase of £130m [NPD].

So what drove this strong showing, and what are toy manufacturers and retailers doing to ensure the category builds on this growth in 2015?

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