‘Kidults’—Adults Buying Toys for Themselves—Are Biggest Source of Growth for Toy Industry: Market Research

Kidults, a consumer group aged 12 and older, are the biggest drivers of growth in the toy industry, contributing around $9 billion in toy sales annually, according to data from the NPD Group, a market research company that provides insights and market information for various industries, including the toy industry.

“Over the last two years, most of the sales gains in the global toy industry came from the so-called kidults, teenage and adult consumers who enjoy things like playing board games, building sets, puzzles or collecting action figures,” according to NPD. “These consumers make up a good percentage of those who wait until the last minute to make their purchases.”

This toy-loving adult demographic, known for their fondness for cartoons, superheroes, and collectibles from their childhood, has been steadily contributing to the industry for years, but spending has accelerated in the wake of the pandemic, leading to year-over-year gains despite tough comparisons.

Toy makers have also realized the demand for this generation of adults who still want to have fun and have created product lines just for them, including action figures, Lego sets, and dolls that are typically considered “for kids.”

Jeremy Padawer, Chief Brand Officer at toy company Jazwares, comments on this shift in the definition of adulthood, saying, “The definition of adulthood has definitely evolved.

What it used to mean, to be an adult, was to be a very upstanding, serious member of society.

And to do that, you had to demonstrate it intellectually, emotionally, in every other single way. Now we feel a lot more free to express our fandom as a part of our adulthood.”

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