Dedicated to celebrating the ever-growing and significant kidult sector, these new awards include categories to highlight some of the best products on offer to those able to reach higher shelves. They also shine a light on companies created with the kidults market at their core.
The growing collective is grown-ups who have their own spending power, are more impulsive in their purchases and are more likely to start collections or add to them. Better still they don’t have to save up or ask permission to buy. They are engaging like never before. The kidult trend has been simmering for some time, now it is really on the boil.
Toyology’s Peter Jenkinson, organiser of the awards, said “Grown-ups have never been so spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing from an array of toys that give a nod to yesteryear and satisfy those childlike cravings and the kidults will uncover the best for our self-indulgent delight.
“Kidults are not only celebrating the reinvigoration of classic titles, retro-gaming is big news, characters from decades past are finding a new lease of life and, whilst franchise reboots are reigniting adult interest in brands from yesteryear, they are recruiting younger fans too.”
Kidult sales have overtaken the preschool sector for the first time in the US while, closer to home, Circana reported that the kidult market now represents 28.5% of total toy sales and also predicts confidently that this trend will continue.
The Kidults categories are:
High-Tech
Action Stations
Collectibles
Film and TV merchandise
Plush
Figures and Dolls
Vehicles
Retro
Activities (create, colour and puzzle)
Board Game
Construction kit
Entries are open until mid-September with judging taking place throughout and there will be an online awards ceremony in early October. Invitations will arrive along with celebratory sustenance (plus an online link) to enjoy proceedings for those in attendance.
