Feb 11, 2021

NPD Group reports juvenile products sales reached $7.35 billion

Dollar sales for the U.S. juvenile products industry reached $7.35 billion in 2020, an increase of 6.5% over 2019, according to The NPD Group. Units grew by 1.8% and the average retail price of $18.21 increased by 4.6% over the prior year. Six out of the seven categories within juvenile products experienced dollar volume growth.

Categories of Growth

Safety

Safety saw the most dollar growth, driven by sales of $587.5 million, an increase of 35% over 2019. All subcategories within Safety experienced sales increases, driven by Health & Grooming and Baby Gates. Combined sales of these two subcategories represented 92% of total category growth.

Furniture

The second largest dollar growth category, Furniture, saw sales top $952.1 million in 2020, an increase of 17%. Cribs / Toddler Beds, Children’s Furniture, and Baby Furniture captured the bulk of dollar growth.

Entertainment

At $963.6 million, Entertainment was the third largest dollar growth category, with Activity Seats / Jumpers, and Swings generating the most growth. Mobiles and Infant Plush, were the two subcategories to experience dollar sales declines, down 7% and 2%, respectively.

Travel

Travel, the largest category representing nearly one-third of industry sales, declined by 6%. All five subcategories within Travel experienced losses, with the fastest declines coming from Diaper/Travel Bags and Travel Accessories, declining 20% and 15%, respectively.

Other Categories

The remaining categories, Feeding, Bed Bath, and Mobility Furniture, saw sales increase 5%, 8%, and 10%, respectively.

The only declines within Feeding came from the Rattles & Toy Teethers/Toy Pacifiers subcategory, which declined 2%. Changing Pads was the only subcategory in Bed Bath to experience sales losses, down 7%. All subcategories in Mobility Furniture saw sales increases.

“COVID-19 had a significant impact on 2020 as parents spent more on products where they had the strongest immediate needs as they navigated through this period,” said Juli Lennett, juvenile products industry advisor for NPD. “We expect that as families with babies and toddlers feel safer out in public, potentially driven by the vaccine, sales will be more evenly distributed across categories like what they were prior to the pandemic.”