Merry squishmas: £10 squeezy banana on list of top festive season toys
A social media-driven craze for 'squishies,' including a £10 squeezy banana, is fueling a significant boom in UK toy sales, according to Hamleys and The Entertainer. This trend is boosting profits for retailers ahead of the Christmas season.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
The UK toy market is experiencing a substantial uplift, largely due to the viral popularity of 'squishies' – simple, squeezable toys that have captivated both children and adults through social media. This phenomenon, alongside other popular items, is driving increased consumer spending and sales volumes, particularly benefiting independent toy shops as the festive shopping season off…
Imagine a super popular, squishy banana toy that everyone wants, especially because they saw it on TikTok! This toy, and others like it, are making toy shops really busy and happy, selling lots more toys than last year. It's like when everyone wants the same cool new thing, and all the shops get to sell tons of them, especially as Christmas gets closer.
Analysis
Big Squij
The "Big Squij" range, featuring a £10 squeezy banana, exemplifies the current "squishies" craze dominating the toy market. These slow-rise, squeezable, sensory toys, filled with a flour-based compound, have become a must-have item for Christmas, according to expert buyers at Hamleys. Their addictive quality, described as "really difficult to put down," appeals to both children and adults, driving significant demand across the high street.
The phenomenon's rapid ascent is largely attributed to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where #squishies boasts hundreds of thousands of posts. Brands like NeeDoh have cultivated massive online followings, demonstrating the power of digital trends in shaping consumer preferences and creating widespread collector bases. This digital amplification has translated directly into a high street boom for toy sales, with Hamleys expecting to sell thousands of these items.
Hamleys festive 15
Hamleys, a prominent toy retailer, has released its annual list of top festive season toys, signaling the official start of Christmas shopping. The list, comprising 15 items, caters to a wide age range, from toddlers to teenagers and older. Notably, the Big Squij toys are the most affordable at £10, making them accessible "pocket money" items and contributing to their widespread appeal.
The selection balances new trends with perennial favorites, including Lego, Barbie, Peppa Pig, and PlayDoh, ensuring broad consumer interest. It also incorporates timely pop culture references, such as Doctor Doom toys tied to the upcoming Marvel film "Avengers: Doomsday," and a collectible figurine of the computer-generated J-Pop star Hatsune Miku. This diverse offering, ranging up to the £75 Thunder Unicorn, aims to capture broad consumer interest across various demographics and price points.
Circana
Market research from Circana highlights the significant positive impact of the "squishies" craze on the UK toy market. By the end of August, overall UK toy sales had increased by 13% in value and 19% in volume year-on-year. This growth underscores a robust performance for the sector, driven by specific trends and strong consumer engagement.
A key driver of this expansion is the rapid growth in sales of toys priced under £10, often referred to as "pocket money" items. This segment saw an additional £100m in sales during the period, fueled by the popularity of both World Cup stickers and squishies. This indicates a strong consumer appetite for affordable, trend-driven purchases, contributing substantially to the overall health and profitability of the toy retail industry, with independent shops potentially doubling their profits.
Key points
- The 'squishies' craze, driven by social media, is a major factor in the current boom in UK toy sales.
- Hamleys expects the £10 'Big Squij' squeezy banana to be a top-selling Christmas toy.
- UK toy sales were up 13% by value and 19% by volume by the end of August, according to Circana.
- Sales of 'pocket money' items (under £10) are growing fastest, adding £100m to the market.
- Independent toy shops are seeing increased sales and potential profit doubling due to the craze.
The surge in demand for 'squishies' and other toys is expected to significantly boost sales for UK toy retailers, particularly independent shops, potentially doubling their profits for the year. This trend indicates robust consumer spending in the lead-up to the festive season, offering a positive signal for the broader retail sector.
