By CGTN’s Cheng Lei

Toys are big business whatever the economic climate. With Chinese toymakers' increasingly savvy, the business is seeing ever more creative plays.

Special Lego “pool” at the China’s Kids Fun Expo in Beijing on July 13, 2017. /VCG Photo

China is the world’s largest toy manufacturer, producing around 70 percent of the global supply. Total export value of toys reached nearly 18.39 billion US dollars in 2016, according to the General Administration of Customs. 

And insiders expect the industry to see stronger growth this year. 

May Liang, chairwoman of China Toy & Juvenile Products Association, attributed that confident forecast to Chinese toymakers efforts. “Brands are spending more on marketing and promoting more smart products, combined with intellectual property, to entice consumers,” she explained.

“From our conversations with producers in China, this year will see stronger growth in toy sales. We educate customers about the benefits of toys. That's why more consumers see toy-buying as a necessity for kids growing up, not a luxury,” Liang added.

CGTN Photo

From dolls to digital, international brands like Mattel, Lego, Schleich were out in force at the Beijing Kids Fun expo over the weekend, hoping to become bigger players in the China's nine billion US dollar toy market. 

China has a vast toy market and is a huge toy exporter, but most of its exported toys are produced by original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) who manufacture for foreign brands. And none of the world's top toy brands are Chinese.

Alpha Group is one of the few Chinese toymakers with sights on overseas expansion. Its 2016 sales in the US hit 50 million US dollars. And it set up a design hub in Los Angeles and hired senior executives from the likes of Mattel and DreamWorks.

Toys at the China’s Kids Fun Expo in Beijing on July 13, 2017. /VCG Photo

“The US toy market is the world's largest and most competitive with savvy consumers and very creative competitors,” Alpha Group Senior Vice President Kenny Cao told CGTN.

As China's tech filters through to the toy industry, toymakers that add value through intellectual property will be dancing their way to better bottom lines. 

“China's toy processing capabilities and innovations are improving all the time. Many companies are no longer just manufacturers, they build brands and design products, that's why we've retained our competitiveness,” Liang stressed.