By 2030, and that estimate is at the conservative end of the scale. But falling birth rates and some of the highest inflation rates we ve seen in decades have created challenging conditions for manufacturers and retailers, and signal more tough times to come. While the covid pandemic boosted sales of toys and games temporarily, big name companies report that sales have started to slip back once again. Let s have a look at some of those numbers. Global toy sales reached $108] billion in 2023, a 2% drop compared to 2022, with toy companies calling it a normalisation process after that exceptional growth linked to the pandemic. But across the 612 countries, including the uk, france, germany, and spain, sales declined by 7% in 2023 compared with the previous year, but they were still 17% higher when compared to 2019, before the pandemic. I caught up with the boss of build a bear, a much loved company which allows shoppers to customise their own teddies. She s also the head of the global or
Brands barbie, fisher price and moi, that is mattel to find out how his company s fortunes are being revived. Wherever you are joining around the world, once again hello and welcome to the programme. It is a billion dollar industry driven by creativity and innovation with a global reach and a diverse market. The toy industry is forecast to reach $302 billion in sales by 2030 and that estimate is at the conservative end of the scale. But falling birth rates and some of the highest inflation rates we have seen in decades have created challenging conditions for manufacturers and retailers and signal more tough times to come. While the covid pandemic boosted sales of toys and games temporarily, big name companies reported sales have started to slip back once again. Let s look at some of those numbers. Local toy sales reached $108. 7 billion in 2023, a 2% drop compared to 2022 with toy companies calling it a normalisation process after that exceptional growth linked to the pandemic. But acr
Give the toy industry a much needed boost? this time, it s not about spending on toys for children, but adults so called kidults. An emerging generation of over 18s is snapping up collectables and nostalgia brands, and they say it s good for their mental health. I m going to be discussing that and more with my guests the boss of build a bear, the stores where you can create a bespoke teddy bear, and the chief executive of the world s biggest toy company and arguably one of its most iconic brands, lego. I ll also be catching up with the president of the company behind leading toy brands barbie, hot wheels, fisher price and more that s mattel to find out how tv and movie tie ups are reviving his compa ny s fortunes. Wherever you rejoining me from around the world, once again, a big hello and a warm welcome to the programme. It s a billion dollar industry driven by creativity and innovation, with a global reach and a diverse market. The toy industry is forecast to reach $302 billi
turn our attention to other news. president biden has led international condemnation of new laws in uganda which mean that anyone having gay sex can be jailed for life. in some circumstances, people could face the death penalty. mr biden called the laws shameful, and said the us was considering sanctions. the united states has led the growing chorus of condemnation over these new laws. president biden, in a five paragraph statement, called uganda s new laws shameful and a tragic violation of universal human rights . he s called for those laws to be immediately repealed and is threatening sanctions if that doesn t happen, saying that the united states will, in his words, evaluate the implications of the law on all aspects of us engagement with uganda . now, one aspect of engagement with uganda is a programme known as pepfar that stands for the president s emergency plan for aids relief, which was established back in 2003 under the administration of george w bush to limit a
for many of us today it is going to be dry, sunny and warm, except across the very far north of scotland and parts of eastern england, where we hang onto more cloud. that will suppress the temperatures. details later in the programme. good morning. it s tuesday, the 30th of may. new measures to crackdown on the use of vapes by children in england, are set to be unveiled by the government. ministers have pledged to close a loophole allowing retailers to give free samples to children, and a ban on nicotine free vapes for under 18 s is also being considered. our health editor hugh pym has the details. a recent laboratory test for bbc news on illegal vapes confiscated at a school showed some had more than twice the safe amount of lead, and nine times the safe amount of nickel. the prime minister said he was shocked by this report, and said he was taking further action to clamp down on rogue firms who unlawfully target children with these products. the measures include closing a l