The Rise Of “Kidults”

A new consumer group known as “kidults” are driving one-fourth of annual toy sales, about $9 billion, and is the biggest driver of growth throughout the industry. Spending from kidults boomed during the pandemic, but sales declined for the toy industry by 3 percent in the first nine months of 2022. Kidults grew up during the 70s and 80s, a generation that came of age with licensed toys. Kidults purchase action figures, Lego sets, and dolls that remind them of their childhood, and in recent years toy makers have created product lines aimed toward their new consumers.