What’s Trending in Toys

Best-Sellers at Baby, Hardware, and Toy Stores

Puzzles were the runaway hit of last spring’s pandemic lockdown, flying off shelves from coast to coast as families sought indoor diversion. But as the 2020 holiday season got into swing, children’s and hardware stores reported that shoppers toy preferences varied widely by retailer and demographic.

Board games and puzzles have remained the topselling category at Center Hardware and Supply in San Francisco, Calif. John Paulson , manager at the 16,000-square-foot store, observed that games have continued to sell far better than they did before the spring lockdown. “We have a lot of families who shop here, and they’re all looking for things for the kids to do while they’re at home that don’t involve screens,” he noted.

At Ace Hardware in Las Vegas, Nev., kids gravitate toward pint size versions of the items their parents bought — from miniature tool kits and toy barbecues to scaled down lawn mowers and the like. “We notice the kids like miniature versions of the things that the grown-ups are doing,” observed Store Manager Jeffrey Kajiwara . Like many hardware stores, Ace in Las Vegas sets aside a relatively small area for children-specific merchandise — a display roughly four feet wide.

Pahrump Rentals and Hardware, in the Nevada town of the same name, is located in a retirement community, with a mostly adult clientele. “For those children who do come in we keep a supply of whirligig toys that they like,” said Manager Meghan Thomas . Professional quality art supplies, geared to all ages, also sell well for children, Thomas noted — especially when families are home during the pandemic.

It’s a largely adult scene at Mapamundi Kids in San Francisco, Calif., as well. Store Manager