Squishy Toys Set to Dominate Christmas Wishlists as Viral Craze Boosts High Street Sales

A cartoonish banana so addictively squidgy that it is “really difficult to put down” is tipped to be among the must-have toys this Christmas, according to expert buyers at the iconic London toy store Hamleys.

The £10 “slow-rise, squeezable, sensory” fruit is at the vanguard of the broader “squishies” craze that is currently fuelling a significant high street boom in toy sales across the United Kingdom. In the coming weeks, Hamleys expects to sell thousands of the Big Squij toys, which are manufactured in a variety of vibrant food and animal shapes and filled with a tactile, flour-based compound designed to provide a satisfying sensory experience.

The remarkable popularity of these items has been supercharged by social media platforms and a rapidly growing army of dedicated child and adult collectors. There are currently more than 260,000 TikTok posts and over 600,000 Instagram posts tagged with the hashtag #squishies. Meanwhile, the most popular official brand in the category, NeeDoh, boasts a massive following of 1.1 million users on TikTok alone, reflecting the deep cultural footprint the trend has carved out online.

Victoria Kay, the head of buying and merchandising at Hamleys, noted that the broader squishies craze appears to be only just getting going despite its already staggering momentum.

“The demand is huge,” Kay said. “There is a wonderful simplicity to their power whether you are a young child or an adult. Literally once you squeeze one, it’s really difficult to put it down.”

This sentiment is echoed across the retail sector. According to Andrew Murphy, who runs The Entertainer, the UK’s largest chain of dedicated toy shops, squishies have comfortably established themselves as the biggest toy trend of the year. While various observers and industry analysts have suggested that the viral success of these toys could be attributed to their stress-relieving properties or their deceptive simplicity, Murphy offers a more bemused perspective on their psychological pull. He suggests that the sheer degree of fanaticism displayed by children under the age of 10 for these products is ultimately not explainable in any rational way, pointing instead to a real, deep, and instinctive consumer desire.

Crucially, this retail phenomenon is proving to be exceptionally beneficial for independent toy retailers across the country. Murphy highlighted that the craze is providing a vital financial boost to smaller businesses, noting that it is on track to increase their total sales by a minimum of 30%. Because the vast majority of operating costs for independent shops are fixed, Murphy estimates that this surge in demand will likely double their profit margins for the year.

The wider toy market is reflecting this robust health. According to data from the market research company Circana, UK toy sales by the end of August were up 13% by value and 19% by volume compared to previous periods. Within this growth, sales of toys costing under £10 are expanding at the fastest rate. An extra £100 million worth of these so-called “pocket money” items were sold during the measured period alone, driven largely by a joint clamour for World Cup stickers and the ever-popular squishies.

With Christmas still 72 days away, Hamleys reports that consumer polling indicates this specific week marks the official start of the festive shopping season. In response, the historic retailer has released its annual curated shortlist of toys designed to appeal to everyone from toddlers to teenagers and older enthusiasts. At £10, the Big Squij toys take the crown as the cheapest items on the festive list, while a remote-controlled flying Thunder Unicorn sits at the other end of the pricing spectrum as the most expensive entry at £75.

The carefully compiled list of 15 items features a balance of contemporary viral hits and evergreen favorites, including enduring brands such as Lego, Barbie, Peppa Pig, and Play-Doh. Capitalizing on the upcoming Marvel superhero cinematic release, Avengers: Doomsday, the festive selection includes two distinct Doctor Doom items: a £45 Lego bust and a £30 action figure.

The list also accommodates niche and contemporary cultural interests, featuring a collectible figurine for J-Pop fans depicting the computer-generated pop star Hatsune Miku. The 16-year-old vocaloid, whose distinctive singing voice is generated entirely through specialized music software, is scheduled to perform a high-profile concert at London’s O2 arena next month.

Hamleys Festive 15

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
Hamleys Magic 3D Track set £60