Adults are flocking to the toy aisle even more than preschoolers
By Parija Kavilanz, CNN
Adults bought more toys for themselves than for any other age group last quarter for the first time ever, surpassing toys for even the historically-dominant preschooler market.
Consumers 18 years of age and up spent $1.5 billion in toy-related purchases in the period from January through April, overtaking the three-to five-year-old demographic as the most important age group for the toy industry, according to a new report from market research firm Circana.
Looking back over a longer period, the report said as many as 43% of adults purchased a toy for themselves in the past year, with the top reasons being for personal fun, socialization and for collecting.
Trading cards, Squishmallows (which are a rage across age groups), Lego sets and sports toys were among the most sought-after toy products in the period, the report said.
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