Gross sales of “pocket money” toys underneath £10 boomed final 12 months, as cost-conscious dad and mom and grownup collectors turned to cheaper playsets and mini-figurines to climate powerful financial circumstances.
In keeping with new knowledge from market analysis agency Circana, UK toy gross sales slipped 3.7 per cent to £3.4 billion in 2024, but lower-priced objects carried out robustly, with 80 per cent of all toys offered costing underneath £15 and nearly 30 per cent underneath £10.
The bestselling toy for a second 12 months in a row was the Squishmallows plush vary, usually priced under £9, illustrating how affordability has helped propel sure manufacturers. Melissa Symonds, government director for UK toys at Circana, says households have scaled again impulse purchases after years of rising residing prices, boosting demand for “cuddly toys and collectibles” over costlier choices.
Crucially, an increasing group of older toy fanatics—often called ‘kidults’, aged 12 and over—now accounts for practically 30 per cent of UK toy gross sales. Their willingness to spend on pricier constructing units, particularly Lego’s superior or licensed ranges, has helped offset some income declines. Gross sales of constructing units rose by 6 per cent, aided by Lego’s Botanics vary of floral-themed units, which enchantment to a rising grownup demographic.
Throughout the board, demand for collectible toys continues unabated. One in 5 toys offered in 2024 was a collectible, with common costs at £7.59. Manufacturers like Funko Pop! and Sylvanian Households have capitalised on Britons’ love of assembling complete units, whereas licensed strains from hit movies and TV sequence—corresponding to Despicable Me and Bluey—are additionally on the rise.
Kerri Atherton, the top of public affairs on the British Toy & Pastime Affiliation, highlights the surge in “micro collectibles”—toys underneath 5cm tall—pushed by the recognition of Lego minifigures and Funko’s Bitty Pop! vary. “We’ve seen plenty of excitement around these tiny toys that deliver both a high ‘cute factor’ and a low price tag,” she stated, noting an 18 per cent rise in micro-collectible gross sales.
Regardless of a flurry of late-December gross sales, the UK toy market posted its fourth consecutive annual decline, reflecting a wider stoop in retail gross sales volumes. Official knowledge from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics confirmed a 0.3 per cent month-on-month fall in December, a key buying interval.
“These figures have undoubtedly been shaped by the unsettled economic climate,” Atherton stated, emphasising that inflationary pressures and cost-of-living challenges have rippled via discretionary classes corresponding to toys. However, strong efficiency in funds and collectible segments means that on the subject of playtime, British consumers are merely cutting down fairly than opting out.
