Squeezable Banana Toy Named Among UK's Top Christmas Gifts for 2024
Hamleys forecasts strong demand for a £10 slow-rise sensory banana as 'squishies' drive a broader toy sales boom on the high street.
A £10 squeezable banana toy is poised to become one of the United Kingdom's hottest Christmas gifts this season, according to expert buyers at iconic London toy retailer Hamleys. The slow-rise, sensory fruit — part of the "Big Squij" product line — has been described as so satisfying to handle that it is "really difficult to put down," placing it alongside perennial holiday staples such as Lego and Barbie on the store's most-anticipated list.
The product taps into a broader "squishies" trend that is delivering a measurable lift to toy sales on the British high street. The toys, filled with a flour-based compound and available in a range of food and animal shapes, have found a devoted following driven largely by social media exposure — a pattern that increasingly shapes which novelty items cross over into mainstream retail demand.
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Hamleys expects to move thousands of Big Squij units in the weeks ahead as holiday shopping accelerates. The craze illustrates how viral content platforms can transform a niche sensory toy into a mass-market phenomenon, compressing the traditional product-discovery cycle and forcing retailers to move quickly on inventory decisions.
Analysts tracking the toy sector have noted that tactile, low-cost impulse purchases tend to perform well during economically uncertain periods, as shoppers seek affordable gifting options. At £10 a unit, the Big Squij sits at a price point accessible enough to drive high-volume sales without requiring significant consumer commitment.
Continue reading at Business | The Guardian.
