State of Play: Toy Trends on Display at London Toy Fair 2025State of Play: Toy Trends on Display at London Toy Fair 2025
Licensed toys help to bolster the £3.4 billion U.K. toy market performance, making up 35% of the market. License Global looks at a few trends from the show floor, including micro collectibles and trading cards, stickers, puzzles, games and plush.

The strength of the licensed toys sector, as highlighted in License Global’s recent 2025 Toy Forecast was evident, as The British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) and Circana presented their annual industry insights at the 71st annual London Toy Fair, taking place this week at London’s Olympia.
While the U.K. economy may have continued to present a challenging picture during 2024, figures released by Circana shows that the U.K. toy market remained resilient, generating £3.4 billion in overall sales.
Boosted by blockbuster movies, sports and video games, licensed toys continued to play a key role in shaping market dynamics during 2024. Licensed toys occupy 35% of the overall total market share, up by 3%, thanks to the likes of “Lilo & Stitch,” UEFA, “Despicable Me”/”Minions,” “Bluey” and Sonic the Hedgehog. As for the top properties' spots, according to Circana, “Star Wars” led the list followed by Pokémon and Marvel. Meanwhile, “Lilo & Stitch” led the top gaming properties list, followed by LEGO Botanicals and LEGO Icons. The Squishmallows Plush 8-inch assortment retained its position as the top-selling item in 2024 for the second year running, highlighting the enduring appeal of soft toys for U.K. consumers and emphasizing the importance of accessible pricing within the toy market.
The latest figures also show that MrBeast Lab, the “Wicked” Movie, Unicorn Academy and Squish-a-longs to name a few, were among the top new launches within the total market. The “Wicked” movie was also highlighted as gaining new property traction, thanks to the widespread appeal and success of the recent hit movie, with a sequel due later this year.
The toy market was bolstered by a surge of Christmas sales (up 51%) in the week leading up to Christmas, helped by the additional pre-Christmas shopping day with Dec. 25 falling on a Wednesday in 2024. While sales over the last 12 months may have been down by 3.7%, several toy categories achieved growth in 2024, adding to the positive trajectory.
Building sets was a category that saw the highest category share of the toy market last year, up by 6%, driven by The LEGO Group performance, while vehicles and soft toys also outperformed the market. Vehicles have been on the rise in the last 12 months, including the Monster Jam from Spin Master, which has outperformed total vehicle growth.
“These latest figures have undoubtedly been shaped by the current unsettled economic landscape which is impacting people’s spending across a wide range of consumer goods, including toys,” says Kerri Atherton, head, public affairs, BTHA. “However, it is promising to see there are pockets of increased spend across the U.K. toy sector, which has been fueled by building Sets and people’s continued interest in and love for The LEGO Group, Squishmallows and, of course, the boom in the licensed toys category."
“The toy market continues to thrive on innovation, with 30% of its value last year coming from new products,” says Melissa Symonds, executive director, U.K. Toys, Circana. “This dynamic growth is fueled by the excitement of emerging brands, the nostalgic appeal of relaunches and the ongoing reinvention of beloved, established lines.”
When putting together License Global’s Top Global Licensing Agents and Top Global Licensors reports, we discovered that toys continued to be a core part of the forward strategy for brand owners looking to engage audiences via the toy aisle in 2025. In both surveys, 39.4% of brand owners and agents emphasized the continued importance of toys in the future of the brand licensing business.

Williams Racing Formula 1 car, LEGO Icons Williams Racing Formula 1 car, LEGO Icons.
Accessible Toy Pricing
According to Circana, 47% of the U.K. toy market in 2024 was dominated by sales under £15, which equated to 80% of units overall. Meanwhile, pocket money toys costing less than £10, predominantly made up of lines such as “PAW Patrol” vehicles and pups, “Dobble” and Sea Monkeys, took up 28% of market share.
“With consumers still being budget-conscious, the latest statistics show there is high demand for a wide range of smaller, more affordable options on the market,” says Atherton. “We look forward to seeing how collectibles perform this year, particularly the rise of micro collectibles, as we have seen a lot of excitement for these tiny toys that offer a significant cute factor minus the hefty price tag.”
“Collectibles continue to evolve into different categories, areas and sizes such as micro collectibles,” says Symonds. Over the past year, these segments have outperformed the market, and we anticipate this trend of innovation to accelerate even further.”
“Today’s new data points show, once again, just how important licensing is to the success of the U.K. toy industry," says Amanda Cioletti, vice president, content and strategy, License Global. “The stats clearly show that, even when money is tight, parents continue to buy toys and put their children first. It’s at times like these that we hanker after certainty, comfort and familiarity and that’s why toys and games featuring brands like 'Lilo and Stitch,' 'Despicable Me,' Sonic the Hedgehog and 'Bluey' have been so popular over the last 12 months.”
Micro Collectibles
Tipped to be a standout trend this year, the intricate miniatures and card sets provide the perfect blend of collectible value and interactive fun, captivating fans and collectors of all ages. The increasing popularity of collectibles was important for driving sales of pocket money toys throughout the year, with the overall collectibles sector generating one in five toy sales last year.
While they may be small, the performance of micro collectibles (toys under two inches, such as Funko Bitty Pops and LEGO Mini figures) was up 7% in value and 18% in units overall.
Some of the key collectible manufacturers seen at Toy Fair include items from Spin Master, LEGO, Jazwares, Character Options and Ravensburger.

Micro Collectibles at London Toy Fair 2025.
Trading Cards and Stickers
Other areas of growth in the collectibles category included strategic trading cards and interactive collectibles, such as Disney Lorcana trading cards and Topps football cards.
License Global’s 2025 Toy Forecast found that explorative and other toys saw 9% growth owing to sports trading cards with the NBA and NFL. In 2024, we saw a continuation of kidult culture, with 43% of adults in the U.S. purchasing a toy for themselves, driving new activity around brands like Pokémon Trading Cards and NFL/NBA sports cards.
Stickers also seem to be making a big comeback this week, featuring vibrant, collectible designs, from interactive sticker packs to customizable collections. Licenses that continue to perform well and were prominent across the show floor include the Premier League and UEFA.

Top Trumps card games at London Toy Fair 2025.
Cuddly Toys and Plush
Toy companies continue to keep the plush category fresh, with innovative designs that enhance the overall play experience.
Stitch was, according to Circana, the largest growing property last year in the U.K. and is a trend that is expected to continue into 2025, with a new live-action “Lilo & Stitch” movie from Disney due for release in the summer.

Cuddly Toys and Plush at London Toy Fair 2025.
Puzzles and Games
Riding their post-COVID resurgence, Puzzles and games continue to play an invaluable role in bringing families and friends together. As adults seek playful escapes and creative downtime in an increasingly busy world, demand for puzzles and games is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Hasbro’s Monopoly, and its vast array of licensed versions, was very visible throughout the show, along with an increased visibility of jigsaw puzzles featuring various licensed properties, such as The Beatles.

Games & Puzzles at London Toy Fair 2025.
Creative Play
Arts & crafts provide children with a wealth of opportunities to roll up their sleeves and explore their creativity. Thanks to increasingly innovative kits and exciting new materials, creative play continues to be a much-loved educational activity fostering self-expression and the development of skills in equal measure.
Toys of Innovation
Pre-school and STEM toys were, once again, center stage across the show floor, blending fun with early learning and igniting curiosity and critical thinking in the process. These toys engage young minds by providing hands-on, interactive experiences that encourage problem-solving and creativity, as well as a love for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths from an early age.
Movie Licensed Consumer Products
Moving into 2025, many of the categories above are expected to continue to thrive, especially in connection with movies, such as the aforementioned “Lilo & Stitch,” as well as “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Superman” and “Wicked: For Good.”
Brad Pitt’s “F1” movie is expected to fuel the growth of Formula 1 in licensed consumables, with a new full range of Formula 1 LEGO sets already announced.
London Toy Fair is running at Olympia, London, through Jan. 23.
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License Global OriginalU.K.Toy FairDespicable MeMinionsBlueySonic the HedgehogPokémonStar WarsMarvelWickedUnicorn AcademyLEGOMonster JamSpin MasterPaw PatrolRavensburgerToppsThe Topps CompanyMonopolySupermanFormula 1JazwaresAbout the Author
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