For Rob Willner, when work finishes, playtime begins. He likes nothing more when he gets home of an evening, than to kick off his shoes and take out a box of Lego. Willner is 25 years old, and combines studying for a PhD at the University of Kent with youth work in north London, where he lives with his wife, which is a teacher. And he is not alone in his childish after-work habits. According to new research conducted by NPD Group, a retail analyst, sales of toys to adults have increased by almost two thirds over the past five years, and by more than 20 percent in just the last year. As a result, the ‘toys for adults’ market is now worth £300m – and said to be growing three times faster than the children’s toy market itself.
对于罗布•维尔纳来说，工作结束以后，游戏时间就开始了。傍晚下班回到家，踢掉鞋子，搬出一箱乐高积木，这就是他最幸福的时刻。维尔纳今年25岁，他在肯特大学攻读博士学位，同时还在北伦敦从事青少年工作，他的妻子是一名老师，两人一起住在北伦敦。说到他下班后孩子气的兴趣爱好，其实很多人都和他一样。市场调研机构NPD的一项新研究表明，过去五年中，卖给成人的玩具数量几乎增长了三分之二，光是去年就超过20%。所以“成人玩具”的市场如今已价值3亿英镑，并且据说比儿童玩具市场的增长还快三倍。
