The NPD Group Unveils 2022 Toy Industry Performance Awards for the Americas

Pokémon was the top U.S. Toy Property for 2022, per The NPD Group. | Source: The Pokémon Co.

It’s official: last year’s bestselling toys have been revealed by The NPD Group.

The organization pulled back the curtain on the 2022 Toy Industry Performance Awards for the Americas. This year’s awards were presented to manufacturers throughout the U.S., Canada, and Brazil based on the bestselling toys by property and supercategory, and in Mexico based on the top-gaining property and supercategory. All data comes from The NPD Group‘s Retail Tracking Service.

“All of these winners should be tremendously proud of how they performed in 2022. In what was a challenging period for many other areas of retail, these winners represent how resilient the toy industry continues to be,” says Kelly Thacker, Vice President, U.S. Toys and Media Entertainment at The NPD Group. “I would like to personally congratulate all the winners and wish them continued success in 2023.”

In the U.S. and Canada, Pokémon and Jazwares’ Squishmallows dominated as top property and top-selling toy of the year, respectively.

U.S. Top Toy Property of the Year

Property	Manufacturer
Pokémon	The Pokémon Company

U.S. Top-Selling Toy of the Year

Item Description	Manufacturer
Squishmallows Plush 16-inch Assortment	Jazwares

U.S. Top-Selling Toy by Supercategory

Supercategory	Item Description	Manufacturer
Action Figures & Acc.	Jurassic World Dominion Roar Strikers Figures 9″ Assortment	Mattel
Arts & Crafts	Lite Brite Magic Screen Retro Style	Basic Fun!
Building Sets	Creator Expert Botanical Collection Flower Bouquet	The LEGO Group
Dolls	Barbie Dreamhouse	Mattel
Explorative & Other Toys	5 Surprise Mini Brands Mystery Pack Assortment	ZURU
Games/Puzzles	Pokémon Charizard Ultra Premium Collection	The Pokémon Company
Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys	Gabby’s Dollhouse Purrfect Playset	Spin Master
Outdoor & Sports Toys	Bunch O Balloons Recycle Balloons	ZURU
Plush	Squishmallows Plush 16-inch Assortment	Jazwares
Vehicles	Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment	Mattel
Youth Electronics	KidiZoom Smartwatch Assortment	VTech

To see further details on the top products for Canada, Mexico, and Brazil, visit The NPD Group website.

And for insight from The NPD Group, check out the next issue of The Toy Book — available Feb. 28. Don’t miss an issue, subscribe today!

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.