The first quarter of the year is always a busy time for the toy industry, with major events in London, Nuremberg, and New York setting the stage for the year ahead. The Insights Family team was on the ground, engaging with licensors, manufacturers, retailers, and marketers to share how our real-time data helps customers navigate the changing landscape of kids and families around play, content, products, and experiences.
At Spielwarenmesse, Global Strategic Account Director Jack Day explored anime’s rising influence in licensing during his presentation, Creating Licensing Success Through Fandom: Lessons from Anime. Meanwhile, CEO Tom Williams spoke at the New York Toy Fair on the importance of localisation strategies in his talk, Going Global, Staying Local: Capturing Hearts and Market Share in the Toy Industry. Tom’s slides are available to download here.
Beyond the networking and product showcases, clear trends emerged across the show floors — trends that organisations accessing The Insights Family’s data can see gaining momentum throughout last year. Here’s what stood out to our team, and how last quarter’s data (Q4 2024) across 21 countries, highlights these themes as key drivers shaping the toy industry in the year ahead.
1. Affordable Toys & Micro Collectibles
Budget-friendly toys and smaller-scale collectibles had a strong presence across this year’s toy fairs. With one in four parents with kids aged 3-9 say “value for money” is their top purchase driver, it’s clear families are still navigating economic conditions.
Anime-themed collectibles appeared across multiple stands, with brands tapping into the popularity of Naruto, One Piece, and Hello Kitty. Sticker albums and trading card games were also on display, particularly sports and entertainment themed. This trend is reflected in our data, which shows that stickers are the top choice for kids aged 3-9 to spend their pocket money on, while card games rank second for those aged 10-15.
2. The Kidult Market Continues to Expand
The presence of products aimed at older audiences was evident at this year’s toy fairs, with brands like LEGO, Hot Wheels, and Pokémon maintaining a strong presence. The dedicated ‘Toys for Kidults’ showcase at Spielwarenmesse highlighted the demand for collectible and fantasy-themed products, with brands incorporating anime, sci-fi, and gaming influences.
Through NextGen Insights, we track consumer attitudes from ages 3 to 30, providing a deeper understanding of how preferences evolve over time. Here are some key insights into this growing segment (US data):
- LEGO leads as the favourite toy to collect, purchase, and play with, followed by Pokemon and UNO.
- While gaming icon Super Mario is the most popular character, the rest of the top five come from TV shows (SpongeBob) or superheroes from comics and films.
- Character-inspired clothing is the most sought-after licensed product, though demand for related toys and games grows with age.
- Kidults' favourite hobbies include playing games and video games, with 21% owning video game-related toys.
3. Licensing & Entertainment Tie-Ins
Licensed products were widely displayed on the show floor, with clear momentum behind gaming and film-related toys. Many stands featured products linked to major upcoming releases, such as Despicable Me, Sonic, How to Train Your Dragon, and Superman.
Formula 1 branding was also visible across multiple categories, from LEGO sets to Hot Wheels collaborations. This reflects a broader trend in our data, where gaming-related toy ownership has grown by 13% since 2022, while TV show-related toys remain the most popular among kids aged 3-12 (38%).
4. Soft toys & Creative Play
Soft toys had a prominent presence at toy fairs this year, with Stitch featured across product lines and plush displays. Our data reinforces this momentum, with soft toys reported as the favourite toy type among 22% of kids aged 3-15 across 21 countries, showing notable growth in Italy (+26%, 16%), Australia (+17%, 30%), and Argentina (+11%, 30%) compared to Q4 2023.
Brands also showcased a range of hands-on creative products on the show floor, including Play-Doh Blooming Flowers and Style 4 Ever Mini Stationery Maker. This aligns with a growing interest in physical interactive play, reflected in our data, which shows creative toy popularity has nearly doubled among kids aged 3-12 since 2022.
5. Games & Hobby Collectibles
Tabletop gaming, puzzles, and strategy-based games were featured prominently at toy fairs, reinforcing their role in both family and individual play. Several brands leaned into anime and manga influences, with kawaii-style collectibles and detailed action figures.
This ties into our data, which shows nearly one in five parents with kids aged 3-9 say playing with toys is their favourite hobby. The influence of anime on collectibles looks also to be expanding, as its vibrant character designs continue to attract audiences worldwide.
Looking ahead
Reflecting on this year’s toy fairs, CEO Tom Williams shared his perspective: “Kidults, creative play, and pop culture tie-ins are key drivers for 2025. Our real-time data supports these trends, helping manufacturers and retailers anticipate demand, refine their commercial strategies, and create and sell products that resonate.”
To help industry professionals stay ahead, The Insights Family has introduced the Toys and Games Tracker, a bi-monthly resource offering:
- Insights into kids’ play behaviours and preferences
- Trends in toy brand and category discovery
- Analysis of purchase motivation and media engagement
These insights can stand alone or complement a Kids Insights or Parents Insights subscription, offering a deeper understanding of young audiences. Register your interest here.
Source:
Kids Insights | Ages 3-18 | Based on 21 countries | n= c59,000 | n= c2800 per country
Parents Insights | Parents with kids aged 3-9 | Based on 21 countries | n= c25,000 | n= c1200 per country
