Children's Toys: An Irreplaceable Core Growth Category for Large Retail Supermarkets

Children's Toys: An Irreplaceable Core Growth Category for Large Retail Supermarkets

On weekends, parents pushing shopping carts loaded with fresh produce and Daily Necessities find their children clinging to the toy aisle by their clothes—a scene that recurs daily. While seemingly a minor incident of parent-child consumption, it actually reveals a key business logic: children's toys are no longer just "add-ons" in supermarkets; they have become a "must-have core category" that drives customer traffic, increases average order value, and strengthens family user loyalty. Whether driven by the rigid growth of the market or the supermarket's inherent market advantages, children's toys occupy an irreplaceable strategic position. This article will analyze how large supermarkets can successfully develop the children's toy category from three perspectives: demand logic, business strategy, and risk management, to achieve a win-win situation for both commercial value and user experience.

First, Why are children's toys a "must-have" for large supermarkets?

(I) A trillion-yuan market underpinning this: "Urgent expenditure" for household consumption

Driven by China's growing child population and consumption upgrades, the children's toy market has demonstrated strong anti-cyclical properties. According to the "2024 China Children's Toy Market White Paper," the domestic children's toy market is projected to exceed 130 billion yuan in 2023, with offline retail channels accounting for 58%. Large supermarkets, thanks to their "one-stop shopping" experience, contribute 35% of offline sales.

Parents' demand for toys has shifted from "entertainment tools" to "essential growth needs": Parents of children aged 0-6 spend an average of over 2,000 yuan annually on toys, with 83% of these purchases tied to daily shopping. When parents visit supermarkets to stock up on rice, flour, cereals, oil, and maternity supplies, 67% of these purchases involve "instant purchases" of toys for their children. This "on-the-spot" shopping behavior gives supermarkets' toy categories a natural advantage in traffic conversion, far exceeding the customer acquisition costs of specialized toy stores, which often require dedicated visits.

(II) The Natural Fit of Supermarkets: The Dual Power of Trust and Convenience

Compared to online platforms and specialty toy stores, large supermarkets possess three unique advantages in toy sales:

Trust Barrier: Parents' demand for toy safety far outweighs their sensitivity to price. Supermarkets' supply chain audit systems (such as 3C certification and brand entry standards) reassure parents, especially for toys for infants and toddlers aged 0-3. Trust in supermarket purchases is 42% higher than online platforms (Source: "2024 Maternal and Infant Consumer Trust Report").

Linked Scenario: The integrated "maternal and infant area + snack area + toy area" in supermarkets can create a "closed loop" of family consumption. For example, parents buying milk powder may also buy educational Building Blocks, while children buying snacks may cry for cartoon toys. This "linked consumption" can increase average order value by 30%-50%. Instant Experience: The visual and tactile nature of toys determines their offline advantage. Supermarkets' "toy trial areas" allow children to directly experience products. After parents see their children's reactions to the products, the purchase conversion rate is over 2 times higher than with online "picture and text" descriptions.

Second, Children's Toys in Large Supermarkets: Golden Rules for Product Selection and Display

(I) Product Selection: Accurately Match "Family Needs" with "Supermarket Context"
Product selection is the core of the toy category. It should be centered around the four principles of "safety, educational, contextually appropriate, and high turnover," and layered based on the supermarket's customer profile:

Targeted Coverage by Age Group
0-3 Years (Young Infants and Toddlers): Focus on "safety-focused" toys, such as chewable teething rattles, non-slip crawling mats, and sound and light soothing dolls. These must strictly comply with the GB6675-2014 "Toy Safety" standard. Prioritize well-known maternity and baby brands such as Pigeon and Fisher-Price, creating a collaborative environment with the supermarket's maternity and baby section. Ages 3-6 (preschoolers): Focus on educational and enlightenment toys, such as puzzles, building blocks, role-play sets (doctor, chef toys), and picture book storytelling machines. These toys have a moderate average price per order (50-200 RMB) and a high repurchase rate, making them suitable as lead-in products.
Ages 6 and up (schoolers): Target interactive and experiential toys, such as remote-controlled cars, science experiment sets, board games, and sports toys (skateboards, jump ropes). Introducing well-known brands like LEGO and Audi Double Diamond can elevate the category and attract quality-conscious parents.
Follow Trends: Target High-Growth Categories
STEAM Educational Toys: With parents' increasing emphasis on educational toys, STEAM toys like programming robots and mechanical gear building blocks have seen growth exceeding 50%. Supermarkets can create dedicated display areas and provide parent-child play instructions. Eco-Friendly Toys: Biodegradable toys made from cornstarch and solid wood building blocks are favored by middle- and high-end families, serving as differentiated products from standard plastic toys.
IP Co-branded Toys: Popular IPs like Disney, Peppa Pig, and Ultraman generate inherent traffic. While commanding a premium, they can attract children to actively request them, driving shelf attention.
Control SKUs: Avoid "broad and comprehensive" and pursue "fine and high-quality" products.
Large supermarkets recommend limiting toy SKUs to 200-300 to avoid over-provisioning and inventory backlogs. Prioritize items with high turnover and minimal after-sales service, such as puzzles (low loss and strong repeat purchases), balls (high demand and high frequency), and small educational toys (low average order value and high impulse purchases). For overly large toys (such as large slides and remote-controlled airplanes), a "sample display + online ordering and delivery" model can be adopted to conserve shelf space.

(II) Display: Make toys "talk" to increase proactive purchase rates.
The core of display is to "reduce parents' selection costs and stimulate children's purchasing desire." It should adhere to the principles of "scenario-based, layered, and interconnected":

Prime Location: Capture "traffic entry points"

Main aisle shelves: Display popular seasonal toys (such as Chinese zodiac dolls for Spring Festival and water toys for summer vacation) with eye-catching posters (such as "Preferred for Parent-Child Interaction" and "Safety Certified") to attract immediate attention from incoming customers.

Near the checkout counter: Display small toys (such as bubble machines, stickers, and mini building blocks) to capitalize on parents' fragmented time while waiting in line and encourage "snap-up" purchases (the average order value for these toys is 10-50 yuan, with a conversion rate exceeding 20%).

Adjacent to the maternity and baby areas: Display toys for infants and toddlers aged 0-3 years alongside formula and diapers to meet the need for "one-stop shopping." For example, place crawling mats next to stroller shelves and soothing dolls near the bottle section. Scenario-Based Displays: Create an "Immersive Experience"
Build a "Children's Play Corner": Reserve a 10-20 square meter space in the toy area, lay out mats, and place building blocks tables, board games, and demo remote control cars. This allows children to freely explore the toys, while parents will focus on more toys while waiting.
Divide by "Scenario Theme": Create a "Parent-Child Interaction Area" (puzzles, board games), an "Enlightenment Learning Area" (storytelling machines, alphabet toys), and an "Outdoor Play Area" (balls, skateboards). Hang signs explaining the scenarios (such as "Recommended for Logical Thinking Training for Ages 3-6") to guide parents in making quick choices.
Visual Guidance: Impress consumers with details.
Clear Price Labels: Label "Age Applicable" and "Core Features" (such as "Eco-Friendly Solid Wood Building Blocks | Hands-On Skill Development | Ages 3+") to prevent parents from giving up on purchases due to confusion.
Optimize Color Coordination: Use soft pinks and blues in the younger toy area to create a warm and inviting atmosphere; use bright reds and yellows in the school-age toy area to enhance visual impact and attract children's attention. Dynamic Display Bonus: Installing small battery boxes on shelves makes remote-controlled cars and light-and-sound toys "move" and "sound," increasing purchase rates threefold compared to static displays.

Third, Marketing and Operations: From "Selling Products" to "Providing Services"

(I) Marketing Activities: Integrating "Family Contexts" to Increase User Engagement

Holiday Marketing: Leveraging Events to Create Sales Peaks

Children's Day: Launching "100 RMB off purchases over 300 RMB" and "Buy a toy, get a free children's snack gift pack" promotions. Simultaneously, holding a "Parent-Child Toy Building Competition," winners receive free toys and gifts, attracting families to the store.

During Winter and Summer Vacations: Launching a "toy rental service" for school-age children (e.g., science experiment sets and large building blocks, rented weekly for 20-50 RMB). This service addresses the pain point of parents who often leave toys unused after a few uses, while also boosting toy sales (renters have a 40% higher purchase rate than regular users). Store Anniversary/Weekend Events: Hold "Toy Trial Days" and invite brand staff to demonstrate how to play with toys, such as "LEGO Building Tutorials" and "Coding Robot Interactions," to enhance the user experience.
Membership System: Targetedly Reach Core Customers
Create "Growth Profiles" for child members and deliver age-specific toy discounts (e.g., "Baby Turns 3! 20% Offline Puzzles").
Member points can be redeemed for toys: 1,000 points for small toys (e.g., bubble machines), 3,000 points for medium-to-large toys (e.g., remote-controlled cars), boosting member engagement.
Online-Offline Integration: Expanding Reach
Supermarket Official Accounts: Publish "Toy Buying Guides" (e.g., "How to Choose Toys for Children 0-6? Recommended by Supermarket Parenting Professionals") and insert shelf locator links to guide users to in-store purchases.
Community Operations: Establish a "Mom Chat Group" to regularly share toy play tips and parenting knowledge, and distribute "Group-Exclusive Offers" (e.g., limited-time 10% off coupons) to encourage repeat purchases.

(II) Risk Control: Ensure Healthy Category Operations
Safety First: Eliminate "Problem Toys"
Strictly review supplier qualifications, requiring 3C certification and quality inspection reports, and regularly conduct spot checks on toys on shelves (e.g., the strength of small parts and material safety).
Establish a "Green Channel for Toy Returns and Exchanges." If parents have safety concerns about a toy, they can return or exchange it without question by presenting their receipt, thus avoiding negative word-of-mouth.
Inventory Management: Avoid Overstocking and Stockouts
Utilize the supermarket ERP system to analyze sales data. Maintain 1.5 times the inventory level for "hot-selling toys" (such as IP collaborations and educational puzzles). Reduce inventory for "slow-moving items" (such as large toys) and adopt a "pre-sale + replenishment" model.
End-of-quarter "slow-moving item clearance events" (such as buy-one-get-one-free promotions and 50% off sales) are held to clear inventory and recover funds. Staff Training: Improving Service Professionalism
Toy sales assistants should be trained to master topics such as "age applicability, core functions, and safety precautions for toys" and be able to provide professional recommendations to parents (e.g., "Children tend to have difficulty concentrating; I recommend this puzzle to help them improve their concentration.").
Sales assistants should possess a strong sense of parent-child communication and be able to interact with children (e.g., "Little ones, would you like to try this singing bear?"), fostering a close relationship with family customers.

Fourth, Conclusion: The Toy Category - The Supermarket's "Family Traffic Anchor"

For large retail supermarkets, the value of children's toys goes far beyond mere sales profit: they are a magnet for attracting family customers, a link between maternity and baby products, snacks, and other categories, and crucial to cultivating a "family-friendly" image. From precise product selection to immersive display experiences and emotional resonance in marketing, only by truly understanding "parents' safety needs" and "children's play needs" can the toy category become a supermarket's core competitive advantage. In the future, with the rise of smart and customized toys, large supermarkets can explore new models of "toys + education" and "toys + experience" (such as introducing children's toy DIY workshops) to further deepen their connections with family customers. After all, when a child loves a supermarket's toys and brings their parents back repeatedly, the supermarket reaps not only the benefits of toy sales but also the long-term consumer value of the entire family.