The 2025 Ultimate Guide to Toys & Games Commerce Marketing 

The U.S. toy industry experienced growth in the first half of 2025, with dollar sales increasing by 6 percent, units sold rising by 3 percent, and the average selling price rising by 3 percent after several years of flat pricing. At the same time, Games and Puzzles were the fastest-growing category, increasing by 39 percent, driven largely by Pokémon trading cards and other licensed products. Meanwhile, collectors are also fueling industry growth with adults are purchasing more toys than ever before. Globally, collectibles sales increased by 35 percent, with blind-box figures, trading cards, and nostalgia-driven products attracting both kids and adults.

In a year marked by shifting consumer behavior and rising costs, many brands have had to be nimble and adaptable. When it comes to commerce, it is no longer enough to rely on what worked last year. To succeed in this evolving landscape, brands must focus on the latest commerce trends, stay closely aligned with data, and adapt in real-time.

MikMak analyzed insights from more than 2,500 global brands and 8,000 retailers to provide you with the tools your brand needs to drive profitable growth in this fast-changing market. Here’s what brands should focus on now:

Accelerating sales and growing market share by:

• Making every consumer touchpoint shoppable

• Accessing and actioning the right consumer, channel, and retailer insights

Driving profitability and reducing costs by:

• Owning and having a consolidated view of consumer data and audiences to improve performance and lower costs

• Understanding and investing in the online and offline channels, campaigns, creative, and audiences that actually convert

Persistent Economic Pressure and Pricing Shifts

Average selling price in the U.S. toy market increased 3 percent in the first half of 2025, the first significant rise after years of flat pricing. Rising costs from tariffs and supply chain disruption are influencing both production and consumer behavior. Some companies, such as MGA Entertainment, are already diversifying their manufacturing footprint outside of China to manage volatility, according to Reuters.

Licensing and Entertainment Franchises

According to The Toy Association, licensed toys now represent 37 percent of U.S. toy sales and continue to gain share. Entertainment properties are among the top sales drivers, with games and puzzles linked to trading card franchises leading category growth.

Consumers Expect Seamless Purchase Options

Toy shoppers are discovering products through influencers, gaming communities, and short-form content, but conversion depends on making the path from discovery to purchase immediate. If toys are not shoppable at the moment of inspiration, brands risk losing share to competitors that are.

In-Market Toys & Games Shopper Traffic Peaked on April 14th this year

According to the MikMak Shopping Index, the share of in-market traffic for Toys & Games has thus far peaked in the spring, with the most traffic occurring on April 14th, just before Easter Sunday on April 20th. As the year continues, we can expect similar lifts for Toys & Games ahead of the winter holiday season.

Paid Social is the Top Channel to Engage Toys & Games Shoppers

Paid Social drives the most in-market traffic to Toys and Games brands (50.9%), with Organic Search following, still driving over a third of traffic. Brands that invest in a mix of media across paid and organic channels will see success. 

With Organic Search driving such a large portion of traffic, it’s important that brands invest in their SEO and GEO strategy, especially as more shoppers rely on AI shopping agents to help complete purchases. Products that show up in AI results will continue to show up in shopping carts as more shoppers begin to use AI as a method of product discovery and research. This underscores the importance that all brands should include a where to buy solution, so that if and when their brand shows up in AI search results, they can drive conversion at the same time. 

Over 60 percent of Toys & Game Shoppers in the MikMak Shopping Index come from Meta

When looking at specific platforms, MikMak found that Meta drives the most in-market traffic, accounting for 59.8 percent. Following Meta is Google, with 33.5 percent. In third is TikTok with 4.7 percent. 

Thursday Sees the Highest Traffic from Toys & Games Shoppers, but Monday Sees the Highest Conversions

Data in the MikMak Shopping Index showed that the highest volume of consumers is seen by Toys & Games brands on Thursdays. However, consumers are most likely to convert (specifically from brand websites) on Mondays, with a 27.48 percent likelihood of conversion. Across media outside of brand websites, Toys & Games brands convert pretty consistently across the week, with the highest conversion being on Thursday at 9.3 percent, and the lowest being Sunday at 8.1 percent. 

It may be wise for brands to focus special attention on the media they run on Thursdays, as it seems that day sees the most traffic and conversions from branded media, but making sure your brand website is shoppable and available to consumers can help conversions across the board.

Walmart Has Emerged as the Top Retailer for Toys & Games in 2025

The MikMak Shopping Index has revealed that while in 2024, more shoppers preferred to buy Toys and Games products from Amazon (44.3%), in 2025 Walmart has emerged as the preferred checkout option (37.9%). 

In 2025, checkout options are more evenly split among shoppers, with Target being the second most popular option at 33.7 percent, and Amazon coming in third at 25 percent. Using first-party data to ensure your products are available at the retailers your consumers prefer to check out at helps drive sales and ensures a frictionless shopping experience.

How Toys & Games Brands Drive More Sales

To keep your brand driving profitable sales, you need to plan for long-term growth, build for agility, intelligence, and scale. That means not only responding to today’s commerce trends but actively preparing for what’s next.

In today’s market AI disruption, evolving consumer behavior, and media fragmentation drive the narrative – and they are not short-term challenges. They are structural shifts that will define the next era of brand marketing.

So, what does it take to future-proof your brand?

1. Build an Always-On, Full-Funnel Marketing Strategy

Relying on bottom-funnel performance media is no longer enough. Your brand must invest in upper-funnel efforts that bring new consumers into the pipeline while ensuring every moment of inspiration is instantly shoppable. This approach unlocks growth, even when lower-funnel conversions plateau.

2. Enable Social Commerce With a Clear Path to Purchase

Ensuring your consumers can not only find your products, but also know where and how to buy them is crucial when developing a strong social commerce strategy. Align shopper intent with product availability to ensure a seamless shopping experience and increase your chance of converting your shopper.

3. Prioritize First-Party Data and Real-Time Optimization

Brands that win will act on real-time signals, not quarterly reports. Whether it's shifting shopper demand, a sudden platform change, or a geopolitical event like new tariffs, you need infrastructure that can detect and adapt in the moment. That’s why future-proof brands drive profitability and reduce costs by leveraging first-party data and analytics to improve marketing effectiveness throughout the holiday season.

4. Prepare for Agentic Shopping and AI-Led Media Planning

The rise of AI shopping agents means consumers may never even see your brand if your data isn’t structured, accessible, and relevant. Generative search will prioritize brands with strong product availability, rich metadata, and trusted presence. Ensure your product feeds, retailer integrations, and brand content are optimized now, because agentic commerce is here to stay.

5. Be Platform-Agnostic and Commerce-First

The media landscape will continue to fragment. From Meta and Google to Reddit, ChatGPT, and future platforms not yet on the radar, your brand must show up wherever consumers discover, consider, or convert. MikMak helps brands accelerate sales and grow market share by making every consumer touchpoint shoppable and equipping teams with the right consumer, channel, and retailer insights.

The path to success in 2025 and beyond will not be linear. But brands that embed flexibility, data-driven decision-making, and channel-agnostic commerce into their core strategies will be the ones that thrive far into the future.

Go Deeper on the Data: Join MikMak and our friends at Collage Group for a webinar on October 22nd for more industry information and a deeper dive on this data. Register Here

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