Feature - Pocket Money Toys & Collectibles

Pocket money surprises

Despite ongoing challenges for toy retailers, suppliers and consumers due to the cost-of-living crisis, the Pocket Money Toys and Collectibles category remains resilient, producing a multitude of ranges at budgetfriendly price points. Toy World’s Caroline Tonks looks at what is in-store for the category in 2024.

It is an age-old tale, when a family visits the shops, the children each want a toy. A wide range of pocket money toys and collectibles ensures that toys are readily available to both children and kidults alike, regardless of their background or financial stability. As average selling prices rise across the toy market, this category remains vitally important to retailers, especially across the first three quarters of the year.

According to Circana’s latest report, collectability has helped to drive sales of lower priced items across the total toy market, with collectibles accounting for 14.5% of value sales and 20.9% of volume sales in 2023. Last year was a strong year for collectibles, adding £10m to reach £288m overall, with numerous retailers increasing the range of collectible items available in store.

On TikTok, blind bags and unboxing videos continue to be all the rage, with blind bags garnering over 748m views, and rising. Suppliers have taken full advantage of the trend, producing products for fans to rip into and collect. Epoch’s Sylvanian Families started 2024 with the launch of Volume 14 of Baby Collectibles. Coming in blind bags, the Baby Forest Costume Series has eight characters to collect, all in unique woodland-themed outfits. MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L. Surprise! has kept a focus on unboxing, recently releasing its Mix & Make Birthday Cake line and L.O.L. Surprise! Baby Bundle. From Just Play, the Disney Doorables range has fully engaged the power of social media, creating a community of fans through unboxing. The new Star Wars Disney Doorables line-up aligns with the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: A Phantom Menace, introducing 25 iconic figures from the saga, as well as Galactic Cruisers.

“We have our biggest expansion ever in the collectibles category this year, with some surprises ahead in Doorables and the launch of an entirely new way to collect Disney characters,” says Tess Parsons-Broome, marketing manager at Just Play. “We truly believe that the newness we’re introducing this autumn is the best line-up yet, and we hope that fans will feel the same.”

Just Play is not the only supplier to be releasing Disneythemed pocket money toys and collectibles. Throughout the category, brands are highlighting Disney and Marvel, two powerhouse studios behind some of the world’s most popular licences. Eolo Toys’ latest introduction is the Disney Fidget Dolls range. This line brings fan-favourite Disney princesses to life, including Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine, Tiana, Rapunzel and Snow White. Meanwhile, the Marvel Mission Arena Trading Card Game from KAP Toys has 219 Marvel characters to collect, combining gaming, the character universe and collection, while Sambro’s collectible ranges, Puzzle Palz and Bops N Tops, feature characters from Disney and Marvel, including Disney Villains.

Will Collinson, general manager UK & Ireland at Zuru, is excited about the company’s new Mini Brands and Disney ranges. Mini Brands has released multiple capsule collections with Disney, including the 5 Surprise Disney Mini Brands, and will be continuing to produce mini versions of top properties, including the newly licensed Mini Brands MasterChef. “We are capitalising on the widespread nostalgia trend seen across social media,” explains Will. “This sees us collaborating closely with our long-standing licensed partners, such as Kellogg's, Haribo and Kraft Heinz.”

Nostalgia has become an important spearhead within the industry, targeting multiple audiences and especially engaging the kidult market. Legacy toys are on trend, with old favourites coming back into the limelight. One For Fun’s Loom Bands, originally a craze in the 2010s, has returned for a new generation. It will be available in affordable 600-piece pick up and go packs, a 350-piece craft pack and a 3000-band gift set. Littlest Pet Shop, a wellestablished legacy brand, is now available in the UK and Ireland via its local distribution partner Bandai. The launch will include 65 different pets across four breed types and four rarity levels.

“At its peak, an average child was estimated to have at least 25 pets, and our aim is to extend this to 30 pets with the new range,” Kirsty Mackenzie, head of marketing at Bandai UK, tells us. Each pet comes with the classic bobblehead motion, plus personalised accessories and a collector card. “Redeem codes are available with every item, meaning that children get to enjoy an immersive digital play experience within the new Littlest Pet Shop Roblox game, adding a further dimension to the brand.”

The award-winning legacy toy range, Zhu Zhu Pets, is returning spring 2024, with the all-new Zhu Zhu Aquarium. The battery-powered Zhu Zhu Aquarium Mini Plush Fish include six vibrantly coloured tropical fish, swimming and interacting on land with no water required. Upon their initial release in 2009, Zhu Zhu Pets took the toy market by storm, and new UK distributor John Adams is hoping for similar success this time round.

Given the ongoing pressures on consumers’ expendable income and discretionary spending, it has not only affected the pocket money and collectibles category, but the toy industry itself.

“The whole industry will see impact from the pressures on consumer spending,” says Pamela Justice, head of Marketing UK & Ireland, MGA Entertainment. “We need to ensure we are offering lower/entry priced products with those consumers in mind.” Across all brands, MGA is seeing entry priced items growing in popularity and, in many cases, over performing. MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Editions are representative of the company’s ongoing mission to provide smaller and more affordable toys amidst inflation, enabling fans to expand their collections. “We believe this has been a huge contributing factor when looking at the popularity of the brand and the endless crafting experiences fans can enjoy by remixing their collectibles,” Pamela adds.

“Although the economic outlook shows some glimmers of improvement, the ongoing pressures on consumers’ expendable income remain and the category faces challenges again this year,” says Will Collinson. In 2023, Zuru saw more considered purchasing patterns, with fewer transactions and higher average spend. “There were less basket add-ons, which is what drives this category. Continuing to engage with customers via a combination of value, creativity and affordability will be key to winning in the pocket money category.”

Tess from Just Play agrees: “To win in this environment, delivering against key price points and providing value for money is essential.” At Just Play, supplying products that deliver on price and value, and align with consumer demand, has always been a priority. “Over the past few years, we have expanded our offering in collectibles specifically, which has helped to drive growth despite economic pressures.” Just Play has prioritised the development of high-value items at £5, £10 and £15 across all consumer segments and categories, setting up the company for this coming autumn and beyond.

Wow! Stuff has also taken the prevailing economic situation into consideration with its new line-up of Nano Pods. Originally priced at £4.99, the hexagonal, connectible collectibles have now dropped to a new RRP of just £2.99. Wow! Stuff’s general sales manager, Tony White, tells us: “At just £2.99, they’re nearly half what the 2023 typical retail prices were and will grow our share of the licensed character figure collectibles category. As volume goes up, our pricing has come down.”

In addition to keen pricing, continued innovation is what keeps pocket money toys and collectibles fresh and exciting, fostering repeat purchases and increasing the amount of time that customers stick with brands.

At Bandai UK, Kirsty has not only seen innovation in product concepts, but also within the mechanics to secure and keep consumers buying into the brand. “Innovation is key to driving the pester power that the pocket money toys and collectibles category is built on,” she explains. “That and the value for money.”

“Innovation remains crucial in keeping the category fresh and exciting – especially given the fickle nature of repeat purchasers and the overall churn of product in the pocket money arena,” echoes Will. In his opinion, staying close to what’s driving the market on social media and responding to what customers are looking for is key for continued development. “Take Mini Brands as an example. We have a fanatical fan-base, and they aren’t quiet about what they want to see coming through. We do listen and take action – this underscores the power of listening and adapting.”

The team at Just Play is constantly challenging themselves to bring new ideas to the market that expands the way its fans can collect and engage with the brands. “Our commitment to innovation shines through in the expansion of the Disney Doorables range, offering enthusiasts a fresh and exciting collection to eagerly anticipate,” says Tess. “The arrival of Star Wars Doorables in 2024 exemplifies our dedication to investing in new segments and formats, ensuring that our offerings remain engaging and novel.”

“Innovation driven by trends is at the forefront of what MGA Entertainment does and we are constantly widening our portfolio with new launches and releases in the collectibles market,” adds Pamela. Product development and newness driven by cultural trends is at the core of MGA’s Miniverse and is a leading factor as to why the launch of the brand into the market has been a great success. “Our growth runs parallel with the rapid increase in popularity in mini everyday items and DIY crafting trends on social media. As we expand our range this year, we anticipate only more success for the brand as we engage with more fans, and a growing number of consumers look to participate in screen-free activities to improve their wellbeing.”

Across the upcoming feature, readers will be able to further explore the products and ranges that the pocket money toys and collectibles category has to offer in 2024.