Kidults are driving growth in Europe’s toy market
A new report from Circana shows that Europe’s kidult consumers were responsible for US$4.8 billion in toy purchases last year, and 28.5% of the region’s annual toy market revenue.
According to the retail data analyst, this teen and adult toy-buying demographic has grown by 2.5% since 2022 and is now a key market driver in the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. By comparison, the number of toy buyers under age 12 in the region has declined by 3% over the last decade, due to an aging population and declining birth rate, says Circana’s global industry advisor, Frédérique Tutt.
Despite this contraction, kids still have the most annual toy purchasing power at nearly US$316 a head on average, compared to teens at US$100 and adults at just US$10.
Adults have become the fastest-growing age group of consumers
But adults have become the fastest-growing age group of consumers in Europe’s toy market over the last two years, driving a 5.5% increase in sales with their love of board games and nostalgia for brands they played with as kids. And the teen market has also grown by 3.3% in the same timeframe, exhibiting very strong fandom engagement with superhero franchises from Marvel and DC.
But it’s Star Wars that is really cornering the kidult market in Europe. Circana’s report notes that more than half of the brand’s total sales are linked to purchases made by teens and adults each year. Pokémon is right behind, refreshing its trading card game products with nostalgia-driven booster packs and Elite trainer boxes to coincide with its 25th anniversary.
Earlier this month, Circana also highlighted the importance of the US kidult market. In Q1 2024 alone, teens and adults purchased more than US$1.5 billion in toys and overtook preschoolers as the industry’s most important demographic for the first time ever.