Toy makers still seem to be doing well despite – or perhaps precisely because of – the economic crisis. Many of the exhibitors at the recent International Toy Fair in Nuremberg / Germany reported sales growth, often accompanied by higher profits and improved market shares. Lego (Billund / Denmark; www.lego.com) was no exception. The group’s German subsidiary, Lego GmbH, which also is responsible for marketing in Austria and Switzerland, grew sales by 1% to EUR 231.6m in 2008.

No details of earnings have been disclosed, but Dirk Engehausen, managing director of Lego GmbH, reported that the brand’s share of the German market widened from 12.4% to 13.4% last year. This makes Lego by far the biggest toy brand in the country. According to “Eurotoys Panels”, no other manufacturer has a German market share of more than 10%.

Engehausen intends to strengthen the brand’s market leadership this year. He said the German offshoot saw a good start to the year, with empty retail shelves after Christmas, resulting in double-digit growth rates. A new departure for the company this year will be its entry into the board games market. From August, it will introduce ten modular board games with Lego figures, construction blocks and adaptable configurations. Engehausen expects sales growth of 7-11% in 2009.