While retailers are gearing up for this year’s busy Christmas sales season, trend experts are already looking ahead for the latest toy trends to hit the market in 2023.
These three trends will help guide retailers as they select their next best-sellers.
Discover!—explore new worlds
With ‘Discover!’, the name says it all. Here, everything ultimately revolves around the opening up of new worlds and themes. Other countries, cultures and languages, the wonder of nature or unknown galaxies—once the spirit of discovery is awakened, the answers to all the hows, whys and wherefores are there to be found.
The products in this trend bring about a curiosity for the unknown and encourage children to research new worlds.
Brands for Fans—excitement for young and old
The basis for the second trend is licenses and retro products: ‘Brands for Fans’. The Rubik’s Cube and the game Ludo are classics in the world of games. Comic figures and well-known characters from film and TV are more popular now than they have ever been.
Often the fascination goes well beyond childhood to be passed on to the next generation. New and recurring licensing themes reflect this trend; just like retro toys, they are capable of triggering fan-hypes among young and old.
MetaToys—toys in new dimensions
Innovative approaches and technologies for play are the focus of the ‘MetaToys’ trend. The digital world marches ever onward, holding out the prospect not only of advances in daily life but also of scope for new creativity in the toy industry.
These opportunities are being picked up by the sector with products that are played out in Web3 or make use of technologies such as augmented reality. The trend also includes products that offer an understanding of the emerging metaverse and associated concepts.
Source: Spielwarenmesse
