This puzzle enters the Christmas countdown. Along with Advent calendars for beauty, groceries, chocolate, beer and even games that have been so appealing to little ones – and especially older kids over the last five years – you now have to rely on 24 boxes containing… little puzzle pieces! Some manufacturers do offer this winter to wait until December 24 to carry out this calm, educational and even cooperative activity.
It is true that the success of this game is not weakening. “This category has done well since the health crisis, especially among adults,” analyzes Frédérique Tutt, toy market expert at Circana. Turning it into an Advent calendar seems like a promising idea. »
The market multiplied by 2.5 in five years
Assembling things in silence for an hour is no longer reserved for grandmothers or long rainy Sundays in the fall. Once ancient and dusty, these puzzles were very popular. The proof: between 2019 and 2024, the market increased 2.5 times among adults, from a turnover of 13 million euros to 25 million euros.
If the health crisis boosted the sector early on, its impact has not abated. “Where we see a decline in sales of children’s models, this is not the case for adults where they are still experiencing double-digit growth,” said Stéphanie Grillon, marketing director for Ravensburger in France. We recorded sales of +15% at the end of 2024 compared to the previous year and already +5% since the beginning of the year. »
Faced with this success, the German giant launched for the first time an Advent calendar with 54 pieces to assemble every day (sold at 26.90 euros). “Each box offers its own puzzle dedicated to Christmas customs around the world,” he continued. This set can form 24 small puzzles or one puzzle consisting of more than 1,000 pieces. We think this works well because the calendar responds to two trends: the gaming trend and also the fun-loving adult trend. It is a moment of relaxation, manipulation and creation that is especially attractive to women. »
And with 24 squares, fear – or laziness! – from puzzles The launch week to the XL format evaporated. “Those who don’t have the time or desire to collect one in 1,000 pieces at once should be tempted by the calendar,” analyzes Stéphanie Thibaux, marketing manager for Wilson Jeux. There, with about 50 pieces per day, they gradually started a huge puzzle discovering a little each day. »
“The trend is becoming more and more interesting”
The French brand has been selling it for four years. But in the face of success, it went from just one calendar in 2022 to four this year, sold under brands like Fnac, Cultura, Nature and Découvertes… A must-have? Christmas Village, offered at 33.90 euros (mainly at Nature et Découvertes) where each box contains 50 large paintings. “They’re numbered on the back, so we can do it again the following year,” he explained. On the Internet, electronics retailers, such as Germany’s puzzleYOU, also offer calendars to assemble throughout the day. Even better: You can personalize it with your own photos.
“We feel this trend is attracting more and more manufacturers,” analyzes Bruno Panuel, president of Trevell Puzzle, a website specializing in models created by famous illustrators. The craze increases from year to year and automatically the offers expand. » On the site you can find several calendars from well-known brands, sold for around 30 euros. Approaching the holidays, there are also those that sell like hotcakes.
But here, fans of this activity come for the nuggets sold for 95 euros, formed every year for four years by a special designer.
“We sell 500 copies per year, not including reissues of old calendars,” continued Bruno Panuel. We gain momentum every year even though our in-house offering, which is more expensive than a typical public calendar, is aimed at a niche market. »
This is not the case for Ravensburger, who hopes to cast a wider net. The German brand plans to sell between 15,000 and 20,000 pieces of its first calendar. And confident of its success, the manufacturer is working on a second version that is waiting until Christmas 2026.
