In its mission to keep retailers’ business buoyant, the main trends will be revealed from mid-October this year before being showcased in the TrendGallery at the Spielwarenmesse from January 30 to February 3.

The Spielwaremesse’s TrendCommittee is composed of 11 interdisciplinary toy experts: market researchers, trend scouts and journalists who track market trends around the world, from the US and Europe, across to China.

Axel Dammler, market researcher inconkids and youth international research, said: “trends are really important especially for toys. Toys can be incredibly inclusive and help children and teenagers bond, particularly when several members of a group own the same toy.

“In addition, toys will often merge that are based on a similar theme, giving rise to an overriding trend.”

The focus this year is on medium-term industry trends that are starting to make their mark and look set to influence the toy industry in the near future. Their international appeal is an important factor.

Christian Ulrich, director of marketing at Speilwarenmesse, explained: “Our trends have international viability and are not limited to any one country.”