Skyjo, Lego, Furby… These ten best-selling flagship toys at Christmas

Since December, you may have already played wild games of Skyjo, or finished building your Lego proudly displayed in your home. At the foot of the tree, last Christmas, these references intended for ages 12 and over were particularly popular with consumers. THE “kidults” thus continue to drive growth in the toy market, with 29% of turnover over the last twelve months ended at the end of September, according to the results of the toy sector associated with Circana.

“The French have confirmed their attachment to games and toys this year with an almost stable level of spending compared to 2023. The market suffered a decline of 0.7% in value and 1.2% in volume while the average price remained stable at +0.5%”explains Frédérique Tutt, world expert on the toy market for Circana.

In detail, the categories having experienced the greatest gains in 2024 are card games (+27%), storytellers (+27%), construction games (+20%), strategic cards (+ 14%) and traditional soft toys (+9%). Licenses also boosted sales of toys last year, that is to say references which use the codes of characters from cartoons or video games. “Even if Pokémon remains at the top of sales, Lilo & Stitch asserts itself as the biggest progression among the favorite characters of the French”highlights the toy industry.

“An almost stable level of spending”

At the top of sales this year is the card game Skyjo, from Magilano, where players must achieve as few points as possible to win. Its attractive price of 15.50 euros and its reputation on social networks have made it the star of the year 2024. Second place is occupied by the Lego construction of Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral, reopened to visitors in end of year 2024. A true collector's item, to be displayed once completed. Its high price – 185 euros – does not seem to have put off consumers, ready to put their hands in their wallets to build an emblematic monument of the capital and on everyone's minds since its devastating fire in 2019.

Launched in 1998, the Furby, this little interactive creature, spans eras and generations and gleans third place in the ranking of the best-selling toys at Christmas. This plush “alive” delights children, who have the opportunity to sing, dance and chat with their Furby, developed by Hasbro and sold for 50 euros. Pokémon cards, launched in 1996, also defy time. Two boxes of premium cards from Asmodée Editions are placed in fourth and tenth place in the ranking. Parents seem to have put their hands in their wallets to satisfy their children, with one box set at 95 euros and the other at more than 150 euros each.

In addition to Skyjo, another card game has delighted young and old, namely «Speed Bac Jaune»in fifth position among the best-selling toys at Christmas. Published by Pop Games, it is a “fun, rhythmic and original adaptation of the famous Petit Bac”sold for more than 18 euros.

In sixth and ninth positions in the ranking, consumers turned to Bitzee, developed by Spin Master. By opening a small blue box, children have the opportunity to interact with a Disney creature or animal that appears in hologram form. A tamagotchi 2.0 that (almost) brings interactive companions to life. Lego also returns to seventh place with one of its 2024 successes: the orchid in small bricks. Life size, this product is mainly aimed at adults, in order to decorate their interior, without an ounce of maintenance. Finally, in eighth place, the tops still have die-hard fans. A Hasbro arena, sold for around thirty euros, allowed them to pit two tops against each other. The first player to obtain four points then becomes a “Leaves”.

Pour 2025, “the sector will have to compromise between smart purchases and pleasure purchases with a fragile economic situation and the continued decline in the birth rate”predicts Frédérique Tutt. Circana thus estimates that the decline in births (-2.2% in 2024 according to INSEE) has had an impact of around 1.5%, or 63 million euros, on the French market in 2024 To make up for this loss, the sector “intends to rely on the return of big blockbusters and popular series aimed at children and adults alike to punctuate its sales throughout the year, while focusing on pleasure purchases and innovation”concludes the panelist’s expert.