Press Release - Ravensburger

Press Release
www.ravensburger.de
Postfach 18 60
D-88188 Ravensburg
Robert-Bosch-Strasse 1
D-88214 Ravensburg
International Toy Fair 2012
Ravensburger shows slight gains in all divisions
Ravensburg – In the past financial year the Ravensburger Group grew
slightly by 2.5 % to 319.5 million euros* in what was a tough market
environment for Ravensburger. All the Group’s business divisions
contributed to this increase. The audiodigital learning system “tiptoi®”
especially proved to be a success story – Ravensburger sold over two
million of these products.

Photos and text for
downloading:
www.ravensburger.de/presse
Games – growth in a tough market envirnment

Sales of the Ravensburger Business Division Games, Puzzles, Crafts grew by
1.5 % to 248.8 million euros. This growth was driven above all by the learning
system tiptoi® that convinced both the trade and consumers as a genuine
innovation in the games and toys market. However other products also
contributed to the rise in sales figures of this Division, in particular the experiment
series “ScienceX®”.
This growth was achieved in a tough environment. The market for traditional
games and 2D-puzzles had been stable for many years in the European G5countries**, but in 2011 it shrank by 5 %. As happens occasionally, trend articles
peeled consumer purchasing power away from standard categories. Moreover
unusually warm weather in the spring and autumn hampered sales of games and
puzzles, as families spent more time outdoors. “We assume that this is a shortterm trend”, stressed Executive Board Chairman Karsten Schmidt at a press
conference on the eve of the International Toy Fair. “For many years now
consumer interest in traditional games and puzzles has remained stable.”
The demand for Ravensburger games and 2D-puzzles, more than two thirds of
which are sold in the G5-countries, developed along the same lines as the market
and declined by 6 %. However, these results followed on from a bestseller year.
In 2010 the products “Schlag den Raab – Das Spiel” and “Wer war´s?” allowed
Ravensburger games and puzzles sales to shoot up by 6 %. In 2011 sales figures
dropped back to the level of 2009 again.
Revenues from 3D-puzzles contracted by 18 %. The introduction of a new puzzle
series for children had led to the programme in the shops no longer being clearcut, which had a negative impact on the trade. Despite this, Ravensburger is
optimistic. On the one hand the segment has been completely revised for 2012.

* Please note that all figures in the text are provisional. We shall be publishing the final figures for
sales and earnings for the balance sheet press conference in May 2012.
** Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain
Ravensburger AG
Press and Public Relations
Heinrich Hüntelmann
Phone +49(0)751.86 19 42
Telefax +49(0)751.86 16 57
[email protected]
We would be glad to receive a
voucher copy!
1/2
Press Release
On the other hand a new 3D-form, namely buildings, has been selling so well
since the market launch in Germany five months ago that it has driven up sales of
3D-puzzles in the German trade by 5 %.
Distinct rise in domestic sales, foreign revenues shrink
The overall positive development of the Business Division Games, Puzzles,
Crafts displayed different results at home and abroad. Thanks to the successful
learning system tiptoi®, Ravensburger Spielwaren was able to boost sales on the
home market by a clear 7.9 % to 114.1 million euros. Outside Germany, however,
following a roughly 10 % growth the year before, Spielwaren revenues dropped
by 3.3 % to 134.7 million euros - tiptoi® was only offered for sale in the German
language area.
Ravensburger Books – growth in a stable market environment
While the children’s and youth book market declined by 1.5 % in the past year,
Ravensburger’s Books for Children and Adolescents Division improved its
revenues by 6.2 % to 70.1 million euros*. This positive development is accounted
for on the one hand by the new book series “Friendz”, which picks up on themes
from successful children’s magazines. On the other hand the learning system
tiptoi® made a major contribution to revenues as well. It is sold both in the book
trade and in the games and toys trade.
Over 2 million tiptoi® products sold
The audiodigital learning system tiptoi® proved to be a Ravensburger bestseller:
Over 1.6 million of these innovative products were sold in 2011. Including figures
since the market launch in the fourth quarter of 2010, altogether more than 2.1
million units have gone across the counter. The appeal of the learning system lies
in the combination of books, games or puzzles with interactively operating
electronics.
Ravensburger Spieleland – 20,000 more visitors than the year before
By contrast with games and puzzles, Spieleland profited from the unusually warm
weather in the spring and autumn. Visitor numbers were up 20,000 over the
preceding year, taking the total number of tickets sold for the leisure park in the
past season up to 318,000. Revenues increased by 13.4 % to 7.6 million euros*.
(4.020 Zeichen)
***

Ravensburger is Europe’s leading supplier of puzzles, games and craft products and one of the
leading publishers of books for children and adolescents in the German-speaking area. The blue
triangle is one of the most renowned trademarks in Germany. The programme comprises almost
8,000 different products (including all country-specific editions) that are sold worldwide and 85%
of which are produced internally. The workforce of 1,640 achieved consolidated revenues 319.5
million euros* in 2011.

* Please note that all figures in the text are provisional. We shall be publishing the final figures for
sales and earnings for the balance sheet press conference in May 2012.
Ravensburger AG
Press and Public Relations
Heinrich Hüntelmann
Phone +49(0)751.86 19 42
Telefax +49(0)751.86 16 57
[email protected]
We would be glad to receive a
voucher copy!
2/2