The toy race starts earlier because of the Covid-19

Many readers fear the crowds in toy stores as Christmas approaches -

• According to a survey carried out by the JouéClub brand among its customers, the French have already started their Christmas shopping this year.

  Toy sales rose 20% in the group's stores in September compared to 2019.

• Attached to Christmas, the French should not sacrifice their shopping for this holiday.

• The readers of "20 Minutes" confirm that they have anticipated their purchases for fear of a new confinement, of stockouts, but also to spread out expenses and relieve their budget, affected by the crisis.

"The Christmas catalogs are already out", "every year, they send them a little earlier", "soon we are going to have Christmas in July" ... These are the comments that we can hear every year from the month of October.

But this year, the uncertain health situation is pushing some to start shopping earlier.

A growing phenomenon in recent years, early races should be the rule in 2020.

No changes in the store schedule

First point to clarify: Christmas toys are not arriving earlier this year.

Franck Mathais, JouéClub spokesperson is categorical: “Every year, orders are placed between March and July for deliveries around the beginning of September.

This year is no exception.

»Contacted by

, the supermarket chains gave the same answer: No change in schedule this year.

For a representative of La Grande Récré, it is almost impossible: “The shows start around November.

The presentations are then spread over the first semester.

We cannot anticipate what will be proposed.

The toy market is a "renewal" market, nearly 40% of the products offered are new each year and fashions cannot be predicted well in advance, which makes anticipation very complex.

What toy professionals are seeing, however, is that the Christmas toy rush started very early this year.

Christmas to catch up with the year 2020

Faced with the extraordinary situation linked to the Coronavirus, the JouéClub group carried out a survey of 1,385 customers.

And the figures speak for themselves: The French have already started their Christmas shopping.

“Toy sales increased 20% in September compared to 2019. We also had double-digit growth in October (12%).

It's unheard of ”, comments Franck Mathais.

For this sector expert, this anticipation comes as no surprise: “Christmas is the favorite holiday of the French.

Catholic or not, the vast majority celebrate it and it must be successful.

"

This year even more.

Easter passed by the trap by confinement, a mixed summer vacation because of sanitary conditions and Halloween which should undergo the curfew effect ... There is only Christmas left to cheer up.

And the one to come could be exceptional in terms of gifts according to a spokesperson for La Grande Récré: "The French will take revenge" for this year 2020 by putting the package on Christmas.

As meetings of more than 6 will be complicated, there should be some compensation on gifts, especially for children.

If the French start their Christmas races strong, that does not mean that the pace will collapse in December.

According to the JouéClub survey, sales in November are expected to be 16% higher than in 2019, and 32% of customers plan to return to the store several times.

The fear of a new confinement

So why go shopping so early this year?

For the readers of

, the answers are multiple and most are related to Covid-19.

Most often cited argument: a potential new confinement.

“I already bought the big gifts.

I want to be sure that the children's Christmas will not be ruined if we are still confined.

Like Chrystelle, many of them speak of the fear of being prevented from offering the toys they want to children if sanitary measures tighten.

For Claude, this uncertainty also weighs on him and pushes him to buy more than usual: “Already, no doubt, we will not be able to meet with family.

Kids love Christmas too much, so we made sure they will be happy with the toys we ordered for them.

Sabrina also took the lead.

Halloween fans, her kids won't be able to go on a candy hunt this year.

So nothing will make them miss Christmas: “In addition we will probably not be able to see the family given the circumstances, so priority is given to gifts this year.

"

And to be sure that children find the toys they have written on their list under the tree, parents need to be active early.

Year after year, there are more and more examples of particularly popular toys that go out of stock in mid-December.

A risk that Martine imagines greater with the coronavirus: “As during confinement, everyone will throw themselves on the products, so we should not delay.

I have already bought what is needed.

"A fear that Franck Mathais, spokesperson for JouéClub justifies by the model of the toy market:" The orders being placed months in advance, some are poorly estimated.

With the increase in purchases this year, it should not be missed in some stores.

"

And if the Internet continues to take ever larger shares in commerce, experts assure that toys remain a sector for which going to stores is still important.

The readers of

confirm this.

Especially at the time of Covid-19, as Pascale explains: “I want to avoid the crowds in the stores.

There are too many risks.

"Fabien has already made almost all of his toy purchases for this reason:" I already avoid public transport.

It is not to take a bath of postilions in the stores.

With the added risk of bringing it home for the holidays.

"

Plan ahead to spread out expenses

The economic crisis resulting from the health situation does not spare Christmas.

And going ahead can allow those with tight finances to deal with it in some way.

Marie started her Christmas shopping in September in order to be able to spread out her expenses: “So as not to have to reduce my gift budget, I started to buy a little bit each month until December.

"For Julie too, early shopping is a way to please her 8-year-old daughter:" I bought her gift on the Internet with payment in 4 installments free of charge.

"

To avoid overspending their budgets, many customers do their Christmas shopping during promotions that arrive some time before.

If Laura and Roland will wait for

 in late November, Hélène has already finished his Christmas gifts during the

that were held in December, "I am quiet for this year.

Anyway, Covid or not, I'm on the lookout for these deals every year, so for me, Christmas starts months before.

"

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