Group toys with digital to triple China business

Mattel Inc expects to grow three to four times in the more than $31 billion toys and games market in China by 2020 through digitally connected toys, as it intensifies its efforts to take on Lego Group and Hasbro Inc in the country.

Mattel — which more than halved its dividend to fund the new efforts — said its emphasis on e-commerce and repackaging its core brands as educational toys and connecting them to the internet would boost its standing in the fragmented market.

The toymaker has a market share of around 2 percent in China, lagging behind construction toy maker Lego which has 2.8 percent control over the market. Hasbro is catching up with 1 percent, according to Euromonitor International.

Mattel has been revamping its toys, developing AI Barbie Holograms, smart sensors-enabled Hot Wheels cars and virtual reality powered View-Masters to make them relevant to millennial parents.

The new, digitally connected toys will be launched globally in late 2018, the company said on Wednesday.

“In China, there is a lot of recognition on linear learning and development. There is a real need for development of EQ, primary motor skills and social-emotional skills,” Mattel Chief Executive Margo Georgiadis said.

Georgiadis, a former Google executive, took over the reins of the toy company in February and was hired for her tech expertise and e-commerce knowhow.

The company said it aims to enmesh more educational content with other brands such as FisherPrice and Thomas & Friends, which are popular in China.

“As we think about the opportunity in China ... it is driven by the basic fact that there are 210 million kids in China, while there are 55 million in the US,” Georgiadis said.

“Just the sheer size of the market ... it’s an enormous market opportunity.”