A cartoonish banana, known for its addictively squidgy texture, is expected to be a top toy this Christmas, according to Hamleys' expert buyers. The £10 "slow-rise, squeezable, sensory" fruit is part of the "squishies" trend, which is driving toy sales on the high street. Hamleys anticipates selling thousands of Big Squij toys, which come in various food and animal shapes, filled with a flour-based compound.
The popularity of these toys has been amplified by social media, with over 260,000 TikTok posts and more than 600,000 on Instagram tagged #squishies. The most popular brand, NeeDoh, boasts 1.1 million TikTok followers. Victoria Kay, head of buying and merchandising at Hamleys, noted that the "squishy craze is only just getting started." She highlighted the toys' simplicity and universal appeal, making them difficult to put down once squeezed.
Andrew Murphy, who runs The Entertainer, the UK's largest chain of toy shops, described squishies as the year's biggest toy trend. While some attribute their viral success to stress-relieving qualities or simplicity, Murphy suggests that the fascination among children under 10 is irrational, driven by a deep desire for these products.
The trend is beneficial for independent toy shops, potentially increasing sales by at least 30% and doubling profits due to fixed costs. UK toy sales have seen a significant boost this year, with an 13% increase in value and 19% in volume by August, according to Circana. Toys priced under £10, including squishies, have seen the fastest growth, with an additional £100 million in sales.
As Christmas approaches, Hamleys marks this week as the start of festive shopping season, based on a consumer poll. It has released a shortlist of 15 toys, ranging from £10 Big Squij toys to a £75 remote-controlled Thunder Unicorn. The list includes popular items like Lego, Barbie, Peppa Pig, and PlayDoh, along with Doctor Doom toys in anticipation of the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday. Fans of J-Pop will find a collectible Hatsune Miku figurine, whose voice is generated by music software.
Hamleys' Festive 15 includes:
- Hamleys Movers & Shakers interactive pet £35
- Hamleys Thunder Unicorn £75
- Barbie Nutcracker doll £30
- PlayDoh Stamp & Spin Pizza playset £20
- Articulate Under Pressure £25
- Primal Hatch Megalodon £55
- Doctor Doom action figure £30
- Hamleys ScorpiX RC transforming car £50
- Hatsune Miku figure £28
- Big Squij £10
- Numberblocks sing and record music player £27
- Lego Doctor Doom bust £45
- Ready, Pedal, Go interactive Peppa Pig £30
- Hamleys Wooden London taxi £25
Read next
Bank of England and IMF Leaders Caution Against Cyber Risks Undermining Financial System Trust
The leaders of the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund have issued a warning about the potential impact of increasing cyber-attacks on the trust in the global financial system. During a discussion on online fraud at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok, Andrew Bailey, governor
"Refineries Poised for Record Profits Amid Diesel Shortage"
In the aftermath of a deal by Donald Trump to import Russian diesel into the US to address rising fuel prices, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that the global fuel shortage could extend into 2027. The temporary easing of sanctions on Russian diesel, criticized as insufficient, comes as
IMF: Global Economy at Risk of Straining Resilience Limits Soon
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a warning that the global economy may soon approach its resilience limits due to dwindling emergency oil reserves and strained government budgets. In its biannual World Economic Outlook, the IMF noted that global growth has endured the Middle East conflict better than anticipated