Fines of more than $100 million and alert for informal purchases amid declining sales

They marketed unsafe toys that put the health of boys and girls at risk, in a context of fall in consumption in the sector. With our eyes set on next January 6, Three Kings Day, from the industry reinforce the call to carry out responsible purchases and exclusively through formal channels.

The sanctions are part of the Market Surveillance policy, which seeks to combat unfair trade and remove from circulation articles that fail to comply with current regulations. In one of the cases detected, the sale of a teaching telephone for babies with lights and sounds that exceeded permitted decibel levelswhich represents a risk to the hearing health of children between 6 months and 3 years old.

The seriousness of the incident deepened when it was found that the product exhibited security seals in its packaging despite not meeting the required technical requirementsin addition to having apocryphal certificates. As a consequence, The immediate withdrawal of the toys from the market was ordered, lof publications on electronic commerce platforms and it was warned that, if these practices persist, the CUITs of the companies involved could be suspended or blocked. The sanctioned firm must also publish the resolution in a mass digital medium.

In the same operation, the authorities ordered the elimination of publications that offered toys previously withdrawn from the US market under the international purchase modality, a practice that intensified during the end-of-year season.

This scenario of greater control and warnings to the consumer occurs in a context of market retraction. As reported by the CAIJtoy sales during thes Christmas Parties fell 6.9% in units compared to the same period last year, reflecting more cautious consumption, budget constraints in households and more rational purchasing decisions.

The president of the entity, Dr. Matías Furió, explained that “although the final result was negative, December performance was better than expected, especially in relation to November, which had shown a strong and unexpected drop.” In the days leading up to Christmas Eve, an improvement in the pace of sales was observed, driven by promotions, discounts and financing options, although it was not enough to compensate for the accumulated decline for the year.

In a context of lower rates, businesses were able to offer interest-free installments, which consolidated a change in payment methods: About 95% of the operations were carried out with credit cards, virtual wallets and other electronic meanswith practically zero use of cash.

Online sales, which represent around 25% of the market, They remained stable and without year-on-year growth, affected by the advance of international platforms such as Temu and Amazon. In parallel, traditional physical commerce registered a drop of close to 10%, which explains the overall negative result of the sector.

The CAIJ highlighted that no price increases were recorded throughout the year and that the market showed two clearly differentiated realities. On the one hand, The national toy had a very good performancedriven by stable prices, predictability and a price-quality relationship in line with the purchasing power of families. On the other hand, imported supply showed a very negative performancewith distorted prices, oversupply and, in many cases, low quality.

“Situations were detected in which the same imported toy was offered by different companies at very different prices, generating confusion and distrust among consumers,” the Chamber indicated. In this context, the low and medium priced toys concentrated the highest sales volume, while high-value products and international licenses had very low turnover in the formal market.

The CAIJ also warned about the detection of adulterations in false affidavits and safety certificates, and stressed that safety should be the first criterion when choosing a toy. For this reason, they recommended buying exclusively in formal channels and authorized businesses, such as neighborhood toy stores, specialized chains and supermarkets, where the products have mandatory certification, traceability and commercial support.

The entity warned that part of the imported supply is channeled through non-traditional circuits – such as bazaars, kiosks, pharmacies, newsstands and polirrubro – where smuggled toys and products dangerous for children’s health and safety were detected. In this sense, they insisted on verifying that the toys have the Conformity Marking (QR + AR code and two accents), a key tool to guarantee safe and certified products.

With its sights set on Three Wise Men, the sector renews its expectations and reinforces the message: choose safe, certified and reliable toys It not only protects the children, but also strengthens the national industry and formal commerce.