UK toy gross sales rose for the primary time in 5 years final yr, providing uncommon optimism for a sector that has struggled for the reason that pandemic, however business leaders at the moment are watching carefully for any fallout from potential social media bans geared toward under-16s.
The worth of UK toy gross sales elevated by 6 per cent in 2025, in line with information from Circana, marking the primary yr of worth progress since 2020. The whole market was valued at £3.9 billion, because the variety of toys offered additionally edged up by 1 per cent in contrast with the earlier yr.
Talking on the annual Toy Honest on Tuesday, analysts mentioned the rebound has been pushed largely by the so-called “kidult” market, older kids and adults whose buying selections are sometimes influenced by well-liked tradition and on-line developments.
Melissa Symonds, govt director of UK toys at Circana, described 2025 as a “clear turning level” for the business after a number of years of decline.
“Excluding the bizarre pandemic years, this was the primary interval of natural progress since 2016,” she mentioned. “Spending by older customers has been vital to that restoration.”
Kidults, outlined as consumers over the age of 12, accounted for 30 per cent of the UK toy market final yr, up from 17 per cent in 2016. Constructing units, significantly these produced by LEGO, have remained well-liked with adults, whereas collectibles noticed 12 per cent progress throughout generations.
Circana recognized franchises similar to Pokémon, Okay-Pop Demon Hunters and Hi there Kitty as “market-moving developments”, a lot of which have been amplified via social media platforms.
Tie-ins with cinema, streaming and video video games additionally carried out strongly, with manufacturers linked to Minecraft and Formulation 1 cited as explicit successes.
Nonetheless, the business is more and more alert to the potential penalties of restrictions on social media use by youthful audiences. Symonds mentioned toy makers have been carefully monitoring developments following the introduction of a social media ban for under-16s in Australia, amid hypothesis that comparable measures could possibly be thought-about within the UK.
“If bans have been launched extra broadly, producers and retailers would wish to rethink how some merchandise are marketed,” she mentioned, noting the rising position that on-line platforms play in shaping developments and demand.
Kerri Atherton, spokesperson for the British Toy and Pastime Affiliation, which hosts the Toy Honest at Olympia London, mentioned it was nonetheless too early to guage the long-term affect of any potential restrictions.
She described 2025 as a pivotal yr for the sector however warned that monetary pressures remained acute for each companies and customers heading into 2026.
“Price-of-living pressures haven’t disappeared, although spending on kids, significantly round Christmas, has remained a precedence for a lot of households,” she mentioned.
After a pandemic-era surge, toy gross sales fell again as households lower discretionary spending. The return to progress final yr has given the sector renewed confidence, however business leaders cautioned that sustaining momentum will depend upon how efficiently producers adapt to altering client behaviour, each on-line and off.
