According to a new product development (NPD) study, the value of sales in the UK toy market in the first nine months of the year fell by 5% from the same period in 2016. Forecasts show that toy sales are not likely to rise this year. Parents were changing their buying habits by removing some inexpensive impulse purchases, according to Melissa Symonds, UK director of toy studies at NPD. She stated that the “sweet spot” for retailers was items priced between £20 and £50 that would last past the holiday season. Despite predictions of flat or declining sales, retailers will be hoping that the timing of Christmas Day increases sales. They have a whole shopping week to get ready due to the Sunday timing, which was a record-breaking week in 2016.

The market for toys in the UK is still the second-largest in Europe and the fifth-largest worldwide. While acknowledging the financial strain on families, the Toy Retailers Association provided its list of the top 12 “dream toys” for Christmas. Toys are typically less than £10 per year and £13 during the holidays. Official inflation numbers, according to Aimee Hill, a toy picker for the organization, demonstrate that the toy sector is not passing on increased expenses in the same manner that the grocery industry is.