30 November 2018

More than 67% of adults consider that toy advertising on these dates is excessive

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EROSKI launches today the infoJuego campaign to advise adults when buying toys, necessary information that follows from the conclusions of a sociological study prepared by EROSKI CONSUMER on the buying habits of Spanish toys.

The results of this study have been presented today in Madrid by Alejandro Martínez Berriochoa, Director of EROSKI CONSUMER, who has stated that “although the role of children is crucial in the choice of gifts, it is necessary that adults follow some basic criteria to get the most out of the purchase “. Also, it showed that “the choice of toys, even well-intentioned and thoughtful, can be finally mistaken for lack of information”.

According to this study, the role of children in the choice of toys is very important, since 74% of adults buy toys that children choose, and men are the ones who are influenced by the decisions of the little ones .

Christmas is the time of the year of greatest purchase of toys, followed by special occasions such as birthdays, communions, etc. Spaniards are increasingly anticipated at the time of these purchases, as more than 50% of adults surveyed say they make these purchases a month or more in advance. Women and people over 44 are the ones who anticipate the most, compared to young men, who buy less than a week in advance.

In addition, most adults prefer to buy useful toys (69%), which are not expensive (13%) or discounted (11%). 60% of adults consider that it is also important that the toy contains the CE mark, which guarantees that the toy conforms to safety standards and complies with current EU regulations.

The most purchased toys are, by far, the educational ones (72%), followed by crafts (37%), videogames (25%), sports toys (21%), dolls and stuffed animals (20%), electric toys (13%) ) and others. In this sense, consoles and videogames continue to be one of the star gifts of Christmas, despite the crisis.

Regarding external influences when choosing toys, more than 67% of adults consider that the amount of advertising on these dates is excessive and 56% believe that it is misleading. Also, 97% of respondents believe that children have too many toys but do not believe that this is positive.

Finally, the study shows that 1 in 4 respondents feel often disoriented when assessing the adequacy and suitability of a toy, and this, together with stereotypes, preconceived ideas and the great dependence on the decision of the children, reveals that there is an information gap in adults, which hinders or hinders the appropriate choice of the toy.