Children's Video Sector Sees Healthy Growth

New data shows that Dads are becoming more influential in choosing and buying DVD and Blu-ray titles for their children than ever before.
'Pester power' when out shopping, or at the checkout, may be the reason behind the trend. Research from the British Video Association's (BVA) consumer tracking study, carried out by Kantar Worldpanel, reveals a 34% rise in the amount of money generated from sales of Children's videos being bought on impulse by Dads over the past year.
Dads report that they are spending 30% more money this year compared to last year on Children's titles – approximately £43.26 - whilst impulse purchasing by Dads now accounts for 29% of the entire Children’s market.
Lavinia Carey, Director General of the British Video Association said: "Demand for children's and family videos account for a significant proportion of all titles sold in the UK. Our research shows that these days Fathers are more involved with their children's entertainment as part of the shift towards more hands-on parenting, so they can take advantage of the wide selection of great value children’s titles available on the high street and in supermarkets. Although they may be giving into 'pester power' from their own children, another reason for this could be the ever-increasing availability of cherished classics from their own childhood which appeal to their sense of nostalgia."
The growth of Fathers in making purchasing decisions for their children in the first half of the year has come as Children's video unit sales rose 9% year on year, accounting for 12% of the total home entertainment market by volume. More importantly, the value of the Children's video market has risen 7% this year to hold an 11% value share of the total market.
While Children's animated feature film has seen success this year with titles such as Up (The Walt Disney Company), Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), Fantastic Mr Fox (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) and Monsters Vs Aliens (Paramount Home Entertainment), other areas of the Children's market have also performed well. Sales volumes in the Pre-school sector have risen 17.3% in the first six months of the year and well-liked brands such as Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam and Thomas The Tank Engine have all boosted sales. The School Age market is up 10.2% year to date, helped by the success of The Gruffalo (E1 Entertainment), and the sector includes popular characters such as Horrid Henry (Abbey Home Media), Ben 10 (Warner Home Video), and Barbie (Universal Pictures).
(BMcN)