US Toy Industry: growing sales

The U.S. toy industry posted a solid performance through the third quarter of 2025, signaling a return to growth after two years of stagnation. January through September sales posted a +7% dollar increase over the same period last year, according to Circana, LLC, as average selling price (ASP) climbed +4% and units sold grew by +3%.

Growing factors

Industry growth is largely being driven by collectible toys (+33%) and licensed toys (+14%). Strategic trading card games, sports trading cards, and action figure collectibles led the charge for collectibles; sports, witches and wizards, animals, movies, and video games were the big licensing themes. 

11 supercategories

Seven of the 11 supercategories posted dollar growth, with six of them also showing unit growth. Games/Puzzles grew the fastest, with Pokémon as the main driver of growth. This was followed by Explorative & Other Toys, where sports trading cards continue increasing sales, and Building Sets, where Formula 1 was the biggest contributor to growth. The industry’s steepest declines came from Outdoor & Sports Toys, Plush, and Dolls.

Holiday spending

Overall holiday spending is expected to be similar to last year’s results, falling between a 1% decline and 2% growth in dollars. However, unit sales may fall by as much as 2.5% during the traditional November and December holiday shopping period.

Juli Lennett, vice president and toy industry advisor at Circana: “The toy industry has a unique advantage and tends to be resilient in turbulent times as toys serve as emotional anchors for families, offering joy and a welcome distraction in our lives. The industry also benefits from trends like adult self-gifting, nostalgia, and digital wellness – factors that are expected to influence holiday purchases.”

Take a look at the detailed overview by clicking onto the link in the source description. 

Source: https://www.circana.com/post/us-toy-industry-grows-sales-through-the-third-quarter-circana-reports