UK toy sales have bounced back as adults increasingly muscle in on the market, snapping up everything from Pokémon trading cards and Lego sets to collectibles and action figures based on movie and TV franchises.
After falling almost 4% in 2024, UK toy sales have risen 8% so far this year, in line with the “strong rebound” enjoyed by the global market, data shows.
While the fortunes of the UK toy industry have for some time been linked to a growing army of “kidults” (buyers aged 12 and over), it is over-18s who appear to have driven the increase in sales in the first half of 2025, data from the market research company Circana suggests.
The firm said that in the UK the fastest growth was in games and puzzles, including Pokémon cards. These are enjoying a fresh wave of popularity among nostalgic adults, helped by social media influencers brandishing their rare finds. Building sets from companies such as of Lego were also flying off the shelves, as were action figures and collectibles.
Some of this is being fuelled by strong demand for figures and other merchandise based on anime and manga series, while the recent blockbuster films The Fantastic Four: First Steps and F1 the Movie, starring Brad Pitt, are likely to have boosted the appetite for items based on the Marvel and Formula One franchises.
Looking at the 12 months to March this year, and at five European countries – the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy – adults aged 18 and over accounted for almost a fifth (18%) of toy sales, totalling $2.7bn (£2bn), which was up 10% on the previous 12 months.
Commenting on the global data, Frédérique Tutt, a toys industry adviser at Circana, said: “The surge in sales can largely be attributed to consumers aged over 12 years old, who have shown unprecedented growth and are consistently outperforming traditional kids’ trends.
“Products such as building sets, trading cards, games, plush toys and collectibles are seeing increased demand from both teens and adults.”
Entertainment licences typically linked to movies and TV shows are playing a key role in the market’s growth. Tutt said Pokémon – which began as a pair of video games in the mid-1990s – “remains the top property for the fourth consecutive year”, with sales doubling compared with last year.
“Other leading properties include the NFL [the US’s National Football League], Marvel, Hot Wheels and Star Wars, showcasing the wide variety of licensed toys that are popular in the market.”
