The value of sales in the UK toy market in the first nine months of the year decreased by 5% from the same time in 2016, according to a new product development (NPD) study. Toy sales are not expected to increase this year based on forecasts. Parents were altering their shopping behaviors, said Melissa Symonds, UK director of toy researchers at NPD, by excluding certain inexpensive impulse purchases. She claimed that toys priced between £20 and £50 that would endure past the holiday season were the “sweet spot” for merchants. Ms. Symonds continued, “Parents are being stronger with pester power and saying “no” at low price points, but they are not overindulging at the highest prices either.” Retailers will be hoping that the scheduling of Christmas Day helps sales despite forecasts of flat or declining sales. Due to the Sunday timing, they have a full shopping week to prepare, which was a record-breaking week in 2016.

The UK continues to have the second-largest toy market in Europe and the fifth-largest market overall. The Toy Retailers Association offered its top 12 “dream toys” for Christmas while acknowledging the financial hardship on families. Toys of various prices were chosen since individuals still tended to prioritize spending on kids for holidays and birthdays. Toys are usually less than £10 per year and £13 during the holiday season. Aimee Hill, a toy picker for the organization, claims that official inflation data show that the toy industry is not passing on rising costs in the same way that the grocery industry is.