US toy and hobby retail sales will grow steadily through 2030, but the real momentum is online. Ecommerce growth will outpace the retail market as its role in the category continues to expand.

Gap Inc. is betting big on entertainment as a path to cultural relevance, creating a new chief entertainment officer role dedicated to what it calls "fashiontainment,” a strategy that blurs the lines between content creation and commerce through partnerships across music, film, sports, and gaming.

AI enters 2026 facing energy bottlenecks, regulatory battles, and a gap between promise and performance. From market corrections to voice assistant limits and physical AI’s unreadiness, hype is meeting reality.

Hasbro and Mattel enter the 2025 holiday season on divergent paths after contrasting Q3 results. Hasbro outperformed expectations and raised its outlook, fueled by strong growth in its Wizards of the Coast and digital gaming divisions, while Mattel missed estimates and kept guidance steady amid cautious retailer orders and tariff pressures. Despite broader industry growth, slowing consumer demand and higher costs pose headwinds. With Hasbro’s diversified mix offering resilience if toy sales weaken, Mattel’s reliance on traditional toys could make it more vulnerable to price-sensitive shoppers this holiday season.

Lego continues to outperform the toy industry by delivering products that appeal to both children and adults while expanding brand awareness in Asia. While we expect US toy and hobby sales to grow just 2.0% this year, Lego is increasingly in a league of its own. The company’s all-ages appeal, IP partnerships, and brick-and-mortar strategy are working in tandem to drive sales and encourage lasting loyalty.

Shifting policies erode consumer spending bit by bit: Looser bank fee rules, weakening appliance and insurance standards, and rising tariffs all combine to strain household budgets.

The cost of everything from Pandora jewelry to Adidas sneakers is rising: The trend is poised to accelerate as tariff-hit goods arrive at US ports—and shoppers have taken note.

Toys are among the first cuts when consumers feel squeezed: Coupled with shifting tariff policies, that puts Mattel in a tough spot.

Hasbro and Mattel are diversifying their supply chains: While that should help mitigate the effects of US tariffs, the US economic policy could still dampen demand for toys.

Hasbro and Mattel’s cost cuts pay off: Despite sluggish demand, both companies beat analysts’ bottom-line expectations.

Toys and hobby sales have normalized after a pandemic-era spike, though some brands are still flying high. Here’s what to expect from the industry this year.

Mattel is banking on in-store retail to uplift holiday sales, while Kimberly-Clark is building its profile through storytelling-driven ads. McDonald’s drawing customers to its loyalty program thanks to gamified features in its mobile app. Here are three insights from each company’s most recent earnings and what marketers can learn.

Toy sales growth can be attributed to kids’ shifting interests, the influence of online platforms, and expanding into older audiences. In our recent “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast episode, we dive into trends impacting toy retail sales and how marketers can reach new consumers.

“Barbie” is the top-searched term on Amazon. Shopify has seen a 56% increase in doll sales. And despite a fall in Q2 Barbie doll sales, Mattel believes there will be significant growth for the property in the coming months and years. All of this has Greta Gerwig’s movie to thank.

Leverage your own data to guide decisions, meet consumers where they are, and find some partnerships outside of your comfort zone—but never forget your brand identity or what made consumers love it in the first place.

Can a new service help Shopify attract more enterprise retailers? Commerce Components by Shopify allows large retailers to integrate Shopify’s tools and services into their online platforms.

Hasbro and Mattel are optimistic about the future: The resiliency of the toy category coupled with strong IP properties should keep both companies in the green, even in the event of a recession.

Is now really the time for that metaverse campaign? Playboy and the Care Bears seem to think so, economic outlook be darned.

Inflation hasn’t cooled consumers’ desire to spend: Nonstore sales rose 14.5% in January, and overall retail sales increased 3.8%, in the latest sign that the US economy remains strong.