With its character parades featuring Paddington Bear, Paw Patrol and Pikachu, the annual UK toy industry beano has a carnival atmosphere but is actually a serious business as retail buyers select the sets, dolls and games we will play with in 2023.
Toy sales slumped by more than £100m last year, according to figures released to coincide with this week’s British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) fair in London, meaning the buyers there were desperate to identify the next big toy or trend for kids and, increasingly, the kidults who buy £1bn worth of toys for themselves.
