Toy Market Q4: Squishy Surge and Building‑Set Boom

Toy sales are booming on the back of squishies and building sets, prompting a serious debate in the financial world about whether screens are eating children’s attention spans.

The latest quarterly data shows a bumper year for the sector, largely because parents have embraced the soft, resilient feel of squishies as an alternative to tablets. Building sets have also posted strong growth, with plastic interlocking pieces becoming a favourite impulse buy for kids who quickly assemble, photograph, and then move on to the next toy.

This surge in "haptic" toys is feeding a growing unease about screen time. Analysts are now framing the debate over tech connectivity as a macro‑economic concern, trying to gauge the cost of "unplugged time" in household budgets.

The irony isn’t lost on anyone: as children favor tactile toys over screens, the industry watches to see whether this shift will translate into lasting changes in consumer confidence and future spending patterns.