Independent toy retailers don’t wait around for trends to become obvious.
Faire’s inaugural Independent Retail Report found Kids & Baby was the fastest-growing category on its wholesale platform in the second quarter, surging 166% year over year. Plush, stuffed animals, and toys helped drive the jump, but one trend stood out: squishies.
Searches for squishy toys like NeeDoh and Dumplings spiked more than 400% on Faire, with activity spiking roughly six weeks before the trend broke into broader mainstream media coverage. The head start gave specialty retailers room to move, spot demand, and get product onto shelves while consumer interest was climbing.
Games followed a similar playbook. As mahjong found a new audience through social media, bridal showers, and game nights, Faire recorded a 39% increase in retailers carrying mahjong products.
That agility matters in a retail landscape still sorting itself out. Brick-and-mortar and multichannel retailers on Faire grew wholesale purchasing 2.2 times faster than online-only sellers, even as more than 8,300 mostly big-box locations closed across the U.S.
Books, also carried by many specialty toy stores, ranked second among Faire’s fastest-growing categories at 41%, followed by Apparel at 36%.
For toy stores, the data supports what specialty retailers have long understood: independence means moving faster, and a viral product can go from TikTok to toy stores before larger retailers finish adjusting the planogram.
Another notable finding in Faire’s report is that tariffs pushed U.S. retailers further toward domestic brands, but didn’t stifle demand for the best imports. Meanwhile, Canadian retailers pulled back sharply from U.S. brands when the Trump administration’s tariffs went into effect last year. The good news is that Faire says business in Canada has shown signs of a rebound this year. However, with contentious trade relations between the U.S. and Canada back in the news this week, the future remains a wildcard.
Read Faire’s entire Independent Retail Report for further insights.
