Romania, Russia and Poland all posted double-digit growth in construction toys – mostly Lego toys in 2012, with an average gain of 16 percent in value terms, but Romania is still the smallest of these countries in terms of volume, according to a recent analysis by Euromonitor.

In Romania, Lego toys make over 60 percent of the construction toys market, a similar ratio to Poland's, whose construction toys market however is bigger than Romania's: around USD 40 million, compared to some USD 10 million, according to Euromonitor's charts. In Russia, which is also the biggest market for such toys, the market share held by Lego is above 80 percent. Russians bought around USD 300 million worth of construction toys in 2012, the analysis reveals.

The Romanian market is highly dependent on international producers, with more than 90 percent of the toys and games sold in Romania being imported, a trend which Lego capitalized on by opening its first office in Romania in 2011. “This investment has paid off, translating into an increase in share of more than five percentage points in 2012,” according to Robert Porter, Research Analyst at Euromonitor International.

The Lego Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The company has passed from father to son and is currently owned by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, a grandchild of the founder. The group posted a turnover of some USD 4 billion 2012, nearly triple the sales in 2007. In 2012, it had 10,200 employees worldwide, and a net profit of some USD 969 million, against USD 776 million in 2011.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Lego's website)