Simple Pleasures: Trends in Toys from Toy Stores

By Sara Karnish

Whether young or young at heart, the enduring appeal of toy stores brings out the child in everyone. After a year unlike any other, retailers say customers are looking for playthings with less emphasis on screens, bells, and whistles and more emphasis on problem solving, using one’s imagination, and having fun together as a family.

Most toy retailers strive to carry a few trendy items along with their classics. As a reflection of our current times, toys that help to alleviate stress like fidgets and Pop-Its, and comforting, snuggly plush have been the standouts over the past 18 months. Along with the fidgets and Pop-Its, Scott Friedland , shopkeeper at Timeless Toys in Chicago, Ill., names Glo-Pails, described as “little light-up bath pails,” among their top sellers.

Jeff Masterson , co-owner of Young Heart Books and Toys in Johnstown, Pa., with wife Ann Kelly, said, “Green Toys have gotten a huge uptick this past year. Learning things are very good. And Melissa and Doug are good sellers no matter what.”

Clare Brooks , owner of Little Vil lage Toy & Book Shop in Littleton, N.H., said, “This year we have seen a huge interest in plush, games, puzzles and educational toys with the additional time families are spending together at home.”

Leah Pickering , owner of Kazoodles Toys in Vancouver, Wash., lists “books, plush, and fidgets as our top three categories. Plush is a really strong category. Fidgets have leveled off, but they are still selling.”

Plush is among the timeless toy categories. Children of all ages always need a friend to snuggle with. “It’s comfort. It’s a hug. It’s the friend who’s always there for you. Sometimes kids will hug a few before they choose The One, but they definitely test the huggability [of each plush],” Pickering pointed out. “Kids always need that, and especially after the last two years. It fills such an emotional need for so many. We’ll even have college-age kids come in and test them out. I think it’s a way for some of the older kids to hold onto their childhoods a little, with the cuddly warmth and love. The more unique the plush is, the more kids want to hug them.” Pickering continued, “We carry several different lines of plush. The best-sellers are definitely Douglas, followed by Jellycat. We sell a lot of cats and dogs from Douglas—we can’t get enough cats and dogs in. Jellycat has more of the unique plush shapes, including food and fruit! Unicorns are still hot in plush. Llamas have cooled. I think the next trend in plush will be manatees and axolotls [a type of salamander]. Manatees are on an upswing—that’s what the kids are telling me. [One thing we did to sell more plush] was expand our plush section. Some stores just have a tower or rack of plush. Be willing to be adventurous, especially with brands that have a following, like Jellycat. Be willing to really take a chance and bite the bullet. We’re pretty bold in our buying choices, and it seems to pay off. It’s not something we see going directly to clearance.”

Masterson said the Mary Meyer brand of plush does well—“They’re designed for the younger set. The

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