Business · Companies · 51 mins ago
UK toy sales rise 17% ahead of Christmas
UK toy sales were up 17% in the year to October compared with the same period last year, according to Circana, a research company.
The increase is the strongest growth in a decade and comes before the crucial Christmas shopping period, when sales peak at 23 toys a second in the UK.
Some of the biggest gains are for toys priced between £5 and £10, despite pressure on household budgets.
Adults buying toys for themselves are also boosting sales: the value of toys and games bought for people over 12 rose 22% in the first half of the year.
For children, traditional, hands-on products such as squishy toys, stickers and building sets are popular amid debate about screen time; connected toys make up less than 1% of the market.
Retailers are heading into the Christmas rush after a strong year so far, though the sources give no forecast for the rest of the season.
UK toy sales rose 17% compared with the previous year, according to figures from Circana.
Circana reported the increase for sales up to October, while another report measured sales in the year to September.
The UK toy market grew 13% in value to £2.64 billion in the year to September, the fastest rate in more than 10 years, according to Circana data cited by the Independent.
Traditional toys, including stickers, squishy toys and building sets, are popular amid debate about children’s screen time.
Research cited by the Independent found that fun has overtaken educational value as the main factor in parents’ toy-buying decisions.
- Who
- UK toy retailers and toy buyers; Circana reported the sales figures.
- What
- Toy sales rose 17% compared with the previous year.
- When
- In the year to September, according to the Independent; Circana’s figures cited by the BBC cover sales up to October.
- Where
- The UK.
- Why
- The sources point to interest in traditional, hands-on play and parents prioritising fun; they do not give a single explanation for the sales rise.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The value of sales in the kidult market increased by 22%, according to Circana.
UK toy sales reached 257 million, up 17% on the previous year, and the market grew 13% in value to £2.64 billion, according to data cited by the Independent.
Toy sales were 17% higher than over the same period the previous year, according to Circana data cited by the BBC.
- Sales increase
- 17% year on year
- Toys sold
- 257 million in the year to September, according to the Independent
- Market value
- £2.64 billion in the year to September
- Value growth
- 13% in the year to September
- Kidult market
- Sales value rose 22% in the first half of the year
2 sources
What people are saying
Connected toys account for less than 1% of market sales, showing that traditional, hands-on play remains overwhelmingly popular
Fun is now the leading factor in parents’ toy-buying decisions, overtaking educational value, while value for money and the potential for toys to be played with repeatedly are also increasingly important.
2026 has been incredible for the UK toy market, with growth reaching levels we haven’t seen in more than a decade.