Building up to Christmas – UK toy market grows to £3.9bn as creativity and collectibles lead festive surge
With the retail sector’s Golden Quarter well underway, Circana’s latest data reveals that the UK toy market has regained its magic, growing to £3.9bn, up +3% in the latest 12 months (to August 2025) and +6% between January and August 2025, setting the stage for a strong finish to the year.
From Toy Story to the FIFA World Cup, major releases are primed to keep Britain’s toy boom rolling into 2026.
For the second consecutive year, building sets have been the fastest-growing category, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 (18%) toy purchases and a market now worth £336m (Jan-to Aug 2025). Led by LEGO, the category continues to thrive through top-performing properties such as Formula 1 (the UK’s second fastest-growing property), LEGO Botanicals (third fastest) and Minecraft, appealing to both children and adults.
“With an average purchase price of £8.54 per toy (year to date September), collectibles tap into the joy economy, giving shoppers affordable ways to celebrate fandom and community”
Collectibles (which sit across all toy lines and are categorised as those parts of a series or blind-bag collection e.g. trading cards, mini figures, playset dolls) are also driving growth in the toy market. They now represent 17% of spend (£262m) and 22% of all toys sold (to September).
Melissa Symonds, UK Toys Director at Circana, said: “With an average purchase price of £8.54 per toy (year to date September), collectibles tap into the joy economy, giving shoppers affordable ways to celebrate fandom and community. The collectibles category is a social-media favourite thanks to unboxing and reveal culture that fuels engagement and repeat purchases. We’re expecting this trend to continue into 2026 and beyond.”
The kidult (12+ years) market has expanded (up +5% in the last 12 months to June 2025), accounting for £1 in every £3 spent and worth £1.2bn, or 31% of total toy spend. Growth is expected to continue as the next generation of teenagers become adults, bringing their online sharing habits with them and further fuelling the kidult purchasing trend.
Data to July 2025 shows that almost half of 18+ adults (43%) have bought a toy for themselves or another adult this year – a figure that rises to 76% among Gen Z (18-34 year-olds) shoppers.
Encouragingly, data from January to the end of June showed that toys for children grew +6%, the strongest performance in years.
“It’s a double success story,” added Symonds. “We’re seeing children rediscover the joy of play while adults are embracing it as a form of self-care, nostalgia and fandom. That combination is keeping the market vibrant and relevant.”
Christmas remains the cornerstone of the toy calendar, accounting for £0.9 billion or 23% of annual sales (the last 12 months to June 2025). With Christmas Day falling on a Thursday this year, retailers will be anticipating an extended window for shoppers to snap up toys in the final stretch of December.
