UK toy sales rise 17% ahead of Christmas, led by stickers and building sets

Toy sales in the UK were 17% higher in the first ten months of the year than in the same period last year, with squishy toys, stickers and building sets among the fastest-growing categories, according to market research firm Circana.

The figures come as retailers prepare for the Christmas rush, when sales can reach 23 toys a second. Nearly half of annual toy sales are made in the run-up to Christmas, Circana’s UK toys director Melissa Symonds said, while families continue to watch what they spend.

Sales growth was strongest for squishy toys and stickers, up 45% year to date, followed by building sets, up 32%, according to Circana. Symonds said growing debate about children’s screen time and technology was helping to boost interest in hands-on play. Connected toys account for less than 1% of market sales, she said.

The rise includes a 22% increase in the value of sales to “kidults” — people aged over 12 — in the first half of the year. But Symonds said toys for children still made up most of the market, and had also had a good year.

A survey by The Insights Family found that one in five parents of children aged three to nine said the chance to play together as a family influenced their purchases. Paul Reader, chair of the Dream Toys selection panel, said parents wanted to take part in their children’s play, adding: “Nothing beats a board game with that. Nothing beats a bit of interaction.”

Reader advised bargain hunters to compare prices but buy from reputable sellers to ensure toys are genuine and safe. The panel’s list of predicted popular toys includes slime, a soft tiger that roars and grows, and a shark that breaks out of an egg.