Industry Forum

INDUSTRY FORUM TOY ASSOCIATION The Toy Association Highlights Trends to Watch for This Holiday Season

By Jennifer Lynch

Staying on top of the leading toy & play trends is a year-round e ort for e Toy Association. It helps raise the pro le of its member companies in the media, and provides consumers with a better understanding of the various developmental bene ts of play at any age. But beyond the promotional advantages to this trend work, these insights serve as a lifeline to members looking for new areas of growth and opportunity amid an everevolving retail landscape.

“ e trends we are seeing unfold in 2022 provide a glimpse into how play is evolving and also what we’ve known all along: you are never too old to play,” said Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing communications at e Toy Association. “Most notably, some play habits that emerged and grew during the pandemic are now here to stay.”

From content creation and hands-on dget play, to play patterns fueled by social media, to more sustainably designed and inclusive toys, each of these trends highlights a shi in how consumers now choose to spend their time and their money. Another trend e Toy Association has continued to call attention to is the buying power of the “kidult” consumer. First identi ed in e Toy Association’s Not Just for Kids trend at the start of 2021, this trend was rea rmed by a recent Association survey of the more than 2,000 U.S. parents, revealing 58 percent reported buying toys and games for themselves and not just their kids.

Upcoming Q4 events like e Toy Foundation’s Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards on September 20th, night one of the e Toy Association’s Preview & Holiday Market in Dallas, TX (September 20 to 22), create additional opportunities to keep the trend conversation going in the media, and expand on the trends team’s promotional work. To date, 119 unique products from 81 member companies have been featured in TV segments in top U.S. markets, and in international toy trade publications.

As the industry now looks ahead to 2023, meetings with toymakers to put their playthings on the trends team’s radar are already underway. rough these fall meetings in Dallas, Los Angeles, and virtually, the team will use the information gathered (under embargo) to map out next year’s top trends in toys, play, and kids’ entertainment. e trends will be unveiled during the team’s rst in-person Trends Brie ng since 2020, which will take place during its exciting new March 2023 Play Date media event.

“Having these forward-looking discussions throughout the year helps to ensure what we are seeing aligns with how families are playing, where they are spending their time, and what is ultimately driving them to the toy aisles,” added Appell. “We welcome the chance to speak to companies this fall and, as we prepare our trend report for 2023, we look forward to providing our members with yet another tool to best position their products and businesses for success!”

To read about the current trends and for more information about e Toy Association’s trend activities, visit www. ToyAssociation.org/trends