The September 2026 issue of Toys n Playthings is out now, with features on Q4 lines and campaigns, an interview with BLE show director Ella Haynes, an early look at LA Previews, anime toys and more.
This month we took a look at what’s coming through for Q4. The golden quarter remains the most competitive, pivotal period for the toy trade, and 2026 is gearing up to be interesting, with families facing protracted financial pressures. Broadly suppliers expect a late flurry of activity, continuing the trend from recent years.
Elsewhere, we heard what’s hot in Benelux. In an exclusive interview, Koen Nolmans, CEO of DreamLand and ToyChamp, the region’s most prominent toy chains, says bricks and mortar retail is thriving.
“With tens of thousands of customers visiting our stores daily, we provide something no online retailer or discounter can replicate: the opportunity to see, touch, feel, and physically explore products using all the senses,” he said.
And in the UK, Gary Wakeman, MD of Menkind parent company Gift Universe, tells us what’s selling for the kidult market.
All that plus we caught up with BLE show director Ella Haynes; The Kidult founder Peter Jenkinson asks if we’ve gone overboard with kidults; the Toy Testers trial Golden Bear’s Hankman; Storytime Media boss Tristan Brooks on making media count in Q4, and much more.
