Licensed Toys and Building Sets led the way in 2024

While the UK economy may have continued to present a challenging picture during 2024, figures released by Circana show that the UK toy market remained resilient, generating £3.4billion in overall sales, which was bolstered by a surge of Christmas sales (up 51 percent) in the week leading up to Christmas.

While sales in 2024 may have been down by 3.7 percent, several toy categories achieved growth in 2024, adding to the positive trajectory. The Building Sets Super Category was up by 6 percent, which resulted in it achieving the highest category share of the toy market last year, driven by The LEGO® Group performance, while Vehicles and Soft Toys also outperformed the market.

Vehicles have been on the rise in the last 12 months, including the popular Monster Jam from Spin Master Toys, which has outperformed total Vehicle growth. Boosted by top toy blockbuster movies, sports, and video games, Licensed toys continued to play a key role in shaping market dynamics during 2024. Licensed toys occupy 35 percent of overall total market share, up by 3 percent, thanks to the likes of Lilo & Stitch, UEFA, Despicable Me/Minions, Bluey and Sonic.

As for the Top Properties spots, Star Wars topped the list followed by Pokemon and Marvel. Meanwhile, Lilo & Stitch led the Top Gaining Properties list followed by LEGO Botanicals and LEGO Icons. Retailing at £8.57, the Squishmallows Plush 8" Assortment retained its position as the top-selling item in 2024 for the second-year-running.

This highlights the enduring appeal of soft toys for UK consumers and emphasises the importance of accessible pricing within the toy market. The latest figures also show that MrBeast Lab, the Wicked Movie, Unicorn Academy and Squish-a-longs to name a few, were among the top new launches within the total market. The Wicked Movie was also highlighted as gaining new property traction, thanks to the widespread appeal and success of the recent hit movie.

www.toyfair.co.uk