While toycos have had to pivot strategies and rejig their supply chains to navigate President Donald Trump’s ongoing global trade war, the US toy industry is proving to be more than just resilient. Yesterday, research firm Circana reported that the market saw growth in the first six months of the year, following flat results in 2024 and two consecutive years of declines during the same sales period.
Second-quarter results across the industry highlighted that US retailers put a pause on toy orders in May to reevaluate the uncertain tariff situation. But despite this major hurdle, toycos offset those losses by pushing retailers to prepare for the tariffs threats by ordering more products in advance, before the tariffs could go into effect. What that means for sales the rest of the year, however, remains to be seen.
Here are the key findings from Circana’s report:
US toy industry performance: Up 6% (or up US$700 million) in the first six months of 2025 compared with the same time period last year
Average toy price: Up 3% to US$11.11
Units sold: Up 3%
Supercategory growth: Seven of the 11 core toy categories achieved growth during this period, including games and puzzles (up 39%), explorative toys (up 19%), youth electronics (up 9%), action figures (up 8%), building sets (up 7%), arts & crafts (up 4%) and vehicles (up 2%).
Underperformers: Infant, toddler and preschool toys (flat), plush (down 4%), dolls (down 6%) and outdoor/sports toys (down 6%)
State of licensed toys: Now accounts for 37% of all US toy sales and has achieved 18% growth from last year
The top 10 licensed properties in 2025:
- Pokémon
- NFL
- Marvel
- Squishmallows
- Star Wars
- Hot Wheels
- LEGO Botanical Collection
- Barbie
- MLB
- LEGO Star Wars
Kidults: Adults continue to be the new driving force of the toy industry, with sales for this demographic increasing 18% from last year’s results. This growth was split evenly between men and women.
Other demos: Toy sales for kids aged nine to 11 jumped 9%, while toy sales for teens increased by 6%.
Toy industry advisor outlook: “The toy industry is showing strength during this period as consumers are holding their breath and waiting for higher prices to kick in,” says Juli Lennett, VP and toy industry advisor at Circana. “This resilience is especially important as we set our sights on the holiday season and what categories are critical for the consumer to bring joy to their loved ones.”
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