We are among the top three most popular children's goods retailers in the country – Olena Solovyova, Director of Children's Goods at Epicentr network

Olena Solovyova, Director of the Children’s Goods department at the Epicentr network, spoke about key trends in the children’s goods market, demand in the kidult and Ukrainian-made segments, as well as the growth rates of online sales and the further development strategy of the Epik network.

— How has the consumer profile and demand for children’s goods changed during the full-scale war?

— During the full-scale war, the consumer focus shifted toward basic child needs and rationality. Buyers have become more price-sensitive, seeking a balance between quality and cost. Consequently, we are recording an increase in demand for more affordable goods, while the premium segment and high-value receipts are shrinking.

Against the backdrop of rising patriotic sentiment, the share of Ukrainian-made goods is growing. In the children’s goods department, it reaches 35-50% depending on the category. This trend is particularly noticeable in sales of children’s national clothing. Thanks to a wide assortment, the sales volume of this category in the Epik network has doubled over the past two years.

Another prominent trend is the need for emotional compensation. Toys increasingly perform not just an entertainment function but also help children and families cope with stress, creating a sense of joy in everyday life. Parents seek "more useful" toys that help a child develop or overcome the effects of stress, which is especially important during the full-scale war.

It can also be noted that in recent years, kidults (from the words "kid" and "adult") have been the most active consumer segment in the toy market. These are adults (usually aged 20-40+) who maintain childhood hobbies, taking an interest in toys, animation, comics, video games, or pop culture.

— Tell us more about this consumer segment. How is it growing and what are they buying?

— For the most part, kidults actively purchase collectible figures, construction sets (such as LEGO), board games, and interactive toys. Among trendy collectible figures, one can highlight Funko Pop, Fuggler, Pop Mart, blind boxes (surprise boxes), as well as toys based on adult TV series and movies (Star Wars, Marvel, etc.).

The growing popularity of toys among an adult audience is a global trend that opens new opportunities for children’s goods retailers. According to international research, adult buyers already account for over 25% of all global toy sales and generate up to 60% of the industry’s revenue growth. Our network, like the Ukrainian toy market, is actively shaping the kidult consumer segment, recognizing it as one of the key growth drivers.

— How has the network’s offering in Epik expanded during this time?

— The key product groups in the Epik network include toys, children’s transport, active recreation, goods for babies (nutrition, furniture, high chairs, strollers, etc.), as well as clothing and footwear for children from birth to age 10. At the same time, our current strategy is not about expanding the assortment but about optimizing it—in 2025, the total number of SKUs across the network decreased by approximately 10%.

We aim to provide for all client needs while making their choice easier by offering the best product. The great advantage of the network’s assortment is that the buyer can use our services at virtually all stages of parenthood: coming to us during pregnancy, packing a hospital bag, being a client throughout the infant care period, and staying with us through all stages of the child’s growth.

— Which product groups are currently top sellers?

— The leaders among all categories by sales volume are toys for boys and girls, construction sets, plush toys, children’s transport, and active summer games, as parents want children to spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. There is also a trend toward growth in the own-import and private-label categories, which allows us to provide consumers with exclusive offers and prices. Over the past two years, own-import sales in the Epik network have more than doubled.

— How is the turnover of the children’s goods department growing in the Epicentr network? What factors allow for increased trade volumes?

— In recent years, we have been growing within 10-15% annually, which is a fairly good result considering that a significant number of Ukrainian children have moved abroad. I believe we manage to grow thanks to the breadth and quality of our assortment in key product categories, good promotional offers, and the presence of exclusive own-import and private-label offerings such as Bambinelli, Maxxprokids, Hello World, and Pixie.

— How is the share of private labels in the network changing, and what do you focus on when forming the PL assortment?

— The share of private labels in the Epik network is growing steadily and today stands at about 10% of turnover. At the same time, the Bambinelli brand holds one of the strongest positions, accounting for about 30% of our entire PL assortment.

The children’s category is always about special responsibility, so when working with private labels, we work carefully on product quality control: we form requirements taking into account state and international standards, select manufacturers, check the compliance of goods with stated parameters, and conduct laboratory tests. This work is already bearing fruit, as consumer trust in the Bambinelli brand and other private labels is growing, which is positively reflected in their sales volume.

— How do you assess your share in the Ukrainian children’s goods retail market?

— According to research by the Ukrainian Toy Industry Association and the analytical company Gradus Research, we are among the top three most popular children’s goods retailers in Ukraine. During this study, consumers from 15 cities in Ukraine who have children under the age of nine were surveyed. Nearly a third of respondents said they buy children’s goods at Epicentr.

— How has the average receipt changed over the past year across the network and in individual product categories?

— Last year, the average receipt in the Epik network increased by 18%. The smallest increase in the average receipt was in baby products (about 10%), while the largest was in clothing and footwear (over 20%). Naturally, the gradual devaluation of the national currency and inflationary processes play a significant role in this growth. However, as one of the largest retailers in the country, we realize our social role and always strive for our buyers to continue receiving quality goods at an affordable price and to maintain their usual level of comfort in daily purchases.

— Which consumer segments are currently the most active?

— Consumer activity depends on many factors, including the product category. For example, in active recreation goods, scooters and bicycles for children aged 3 to 10 have the highest sales. Impulse goods like badminton, balls, and other outdoor games are also gaining momentum. In children’s clothing and footwear, the most popular assortment is for ages 3 to 8, with accessories, hosiery, and children’s vyshyvankas selling actively. In the baby products category, the most dynamic category is baby food (it grew by 30% in 2025).

Another product category where Epik is actively increasing sales is children’s furniture, which grows by at least 20% annually. Fortunately, Epik stores have enough space to present the assortment of this group (strollers, high chairs, playpens, beds, etc.). In toys, as mentioned earlier, sales are actively growing in the kidult segment (they buy collectible and licensed products, anti-stress items). The turnover of STEM toys, educational and interactive toys, construction sets, and creativity kits is also increasing.

— How is the share of online children’s goods sales growing in recent years?

— Over the past few years, the share of online sales in the children’s assortment has increased 2.5 times. This is another market-wide trend, as buyers increasingly seek to save both their money and their time. In this context, it is important for us to give consumers the opportunity not only to conveniently purchase goods in the online store but also to receive them in a convenient location. That is why Epicentr is actively developing a network of order pickup centers and parcel lockers, which provide the company with another important competitive advantage—proximity to the consumer.

— How do social networks, movie franchises, and similar factors affect children’s goods sales?

— Due to synergy with social networks and the rapid spread of content, the influence of movies and cartoons on sales has increased. Children become emotionally attached to characters they see on screen and, after watching, want to "continue contact" with the character in real life through play. The same applies to social networks. While purchase decisions used to be made directly in the store, today they increasingly arise at the stage of viewing a feed on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. The children’s goods category is traditionally emotional, and social networks maximize this effect. Among the formats that work best are unboxings and reviews of real-world use. Mother-bloggers and child influencers also play a significant role, as their content is perceived not as advertising but as a personal recommendation. Among such cases, one can highlight a promotional post for clothing and footwear by a well-known mother-blogger, which increased the sales volume of this category in the Epik network by 20% within two weeks of publication. Following another post about our assortment of vyshyvankas, we saw nearly a twofold increase in national clothing sales within three weeks of publication.

— Tell us more about the network’s development plans. Where do you plan to place the main focus?

— An important component of the Epik network’s development strategy is taking global and local children’s market trends into account, developing our own private labels, the kidult segment, and interactive and STEM products (robotics, experiment kits, creativity). The latter meets the parent demand for "useful" toys that combine entertainment and learning. We will also continue developing the online channel, logistics, and fast delivery, as modern consumers expect a minimal amount of time between purchase and receiving the goods.

A separate component of our development strategy is maximum collaboration with the Epiland family entertainment park network. This project is already boosting children’s goods sales across all categories. Last year’s opening of the Epiland park at the Epicentr shopping mall in Chabany increased traffic and turnover at the Epik store by nearly 50%. Cross-selling, joint marketing SMM, and event activities also have a positive effect. For example, when booking a birthday party service at Epiland, guests receive a coupon for a discount of up to 20% on all products in the Epik store. This allows them to save time and buy necessary gifts immediately before the celebration.