Toys
Information
Around 80 per cent of the toys produced worldwide come from China today, primarily from the province of Guangdong, covering an area the size of Baden-Württemberg and with the population of Western Europe. A total of more than four million people work in toy manufacturing in China, which mainly takes place in countless, mostly smaller, supply companies. Its clientele now includes almost all major German and American brands such as Zapf, Steiff, Simba, Ravensburger, Hasbro, Mattel und Disney.
The strong seasonality of the business is very much a factor in this industry. The associated fluctuations in orders result in a large number of limited-term employment relationships in the supplier industry. Since almost 60 percent of toy sales are made in the run-up to Christmas during November and December.
The focus of the ethical risk assessment lies on the traditional toy industry, especially on American and European brands as well as Chinese suppliers. Those risks considered relate to social-ethical and ecological factors and include the topics of toy safety, an educational view of toys and the field of video and computer games.