Toy retailers are having a nightmare before Christmas with more than 5m fewer games and dolls sold than at the same point a year ago as struggling households cut the number of presents under the tree.
The final three months of the year make up the “golden quarter” when retailers bank the bulk of annual profits. But after a difficult year a hoped-for pickup has not materialised, for toy retailers anyway, with sales down by 8% in value terms on 2022 in the 10 weeks to 10 December.
