The popularity of trendy toys and AI empowerment showcase the resilience and potential of China's toy industry

According to a report from China News Service in Guangzhou on March 16 (Reporter Guo Jun), the Chinese trendy toy market is currently vibrant and booming. Chen Huangman, president of the Guangdong Toy Association, stated in an interview with China News Service that the Chinese toy market has now formed a new pattern of coexistence between traditional toys and trendy toys, and China has also gained a new label as a major brand country for trendy toys in addition to being a major traditional toy manufacturing country. It is reported that China produces about 70% of the world's toys, characterized by a diverse production area, a complete industrial chain, and a wide variety of products. However, due to factors such as the younger audience for video games and the prominent issue of product homogeneity, the growth rate of the traditional toy market is gradually slowing down. Meanwhile, China has nurtured numerous trendy toy brands, leading global trends in trendy toys, characterized by high attention, many hot-selling products, and enthusiastic consumption. "Trendy toys are an important part of the toy industry, and the market size is already comparable to that of traditional toys," Chen Huangman said. According to estimates from the Guangdong Toy Association, by 2025, the market size of traditional toys in China is expected to be about 80.13 billion yuan (RMB, the same below), with a year-on-year growth rate of about 3.5%; the market size of trendy toys in China is expected to be about 87.97 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate of 21%. Research data from the trendy toy branch of the Guangdong Toy Association indicates that the total value of China's trendy toy industry is expected to reach 110.1 billion yuan by 2026. The sustained high popularity of trendy toys proves that they have long-term development prospects and significant growth potential. While continuously attracting numerous startups, internet companies, and technology enterprises to enter the market, trendy toys have also become the main direction for an increasing number of traditional toy companies to transform and break through. "In recent years, the development of traditional toy companies in China has shown a trend of shifting from low-age, low-value-added, low-price products to products with high added value and cost-effectiveness for all age groups, especially in categories such as building blocks, car models, plush toys, and card games that span across age groups," Chen Huangman stated. It is understood that the 38th International Toy and Trendy Toy (Shenzhen) Exhibition will be held from April 9 to 11, with the exhibition area for trendy toys doubling compared to last year. At the same time, AI has also brought new momentum to the development of China's toy industry. "The toy industry is a creative industry and is very sensitive to market trends. The industry is actively exploring the application of generative artificial intelligence in various links of the industrial chain," Chen Huangman said. Data shows that by 2025, the market size of AI toys in China is expected to be about 29 billion yuan, and it is projected to reach 100 billion yuan by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of over 20%. Chen Huangman noted that in 2025, China's toy exports will face significant pressure due to various factors such as the global economic recovery being less than expected, ongoing geopolitical conflicts, and changes in tariff policies. According to customs data, China's toy exports achieved an annual total of 34.809 billion USD, a year-on-year decline of 12.68%. Although the data is somewhat "bleak," the global presence and attention of Chinese toy brands last year were not low. For example, the third-generation rubber plush pendant LABUBU from Pop Mart sparked a buying frenzy worldwide, and the brand's app once topped the shopping chart in the App Store in the United States; the first overseas flagship store of Card Game opened in Bangkok, Thailand, attracting a large number of card game enthusiasts to visit Chen Huangman told reporters that China's traditional toy exports have always been dominated by mature markets in Europe and America. However, due to various subjective and objective factors, the order fluctuations in these markets have been significant in recent years. As a result, more and more companies are trying to expand into emerging markets represented by the co-construction of the "Belt and Road" countries and regions. According to reports, as of now, buyers from 52 countries and regions have pre-registered for the 38th International Toy and Trendy Toy (Shenzhen) Exhibition, with the number of overseas buyer pre-registrations increasing by 137.5% year-on-year. (End)