"Turning point' for toy sector as themed goods boost sales

Lego brick flowers, Toniebox audio players and Squishmallows are among the top sellers that have helped UK toy industry sales rise for the first time since the pandemic.

- Zoe Wood

Last year UK toy sales increased by 6% to £3.9bn, according to the annual industry report by the market research company Circana. The recovery was hailed as a "turning point" by analysts after five years of no growth when the cost of living crisis weighed heavily on demand.

With toys linked to everything from sports such as Formula One to hit films and TV shows including KPop Demon Hunters and Stranger Things, the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) said the sales picture pointed to an "evolving era of play, where toys are increasingly embedded in wider cultural moments, enjoyed by all the family".