Every toy-industry item we collected, newest first.
Summaries are AI-generated
Kayou filed for IPO, with revenue rising from 4.13 billion yuan to 10.057 billion yuan and net profit reaching 4.466 billion yuan from 2022 to 2024. Trading card business accounts for over 80% of revenue with a gross margin of about 67%.
In 2025, the Blokees Global Partner Conference themed 'New Starting Point, New Journey' was held, with many industry partners gathering to witness Blokees' innovative results and future layout under the 'Three-All Strategy'.
Blokees' stock is up over 108% this year, with a gross margin of 52.9% in the first half of 2024. Relying on over 50 IP licenses, full-channel layout, and tech innovation, the company is transforming from a toy manufacturer to an IP ecosystem operator, though it faces IP dependency and overseas challenges.
Kayou's 2024 revenue exceeded 10 billion yuan, with the Nezha series selling out 4.5 million packs within a week. The company focuses on the TCG sector, operates its own factory, holds dozens of licensed IPs, and plans to expand its TCG gameplay overseas.
RealFX Disney Stitch Puppetronic won Toy of the Year, and Story Time Backgammon won People's Choice. Hasbro's Transformers One Power Flip Optimus Prime (Orion Pax) won Action Figure of the Year.
On February 27 2025 Kotobukiya’s ARTIST SUPPORT ITEM brand launched the early‑access version of the “ZIZAITEN – Free‑viewpoint Manga Asset Collection”, offering 281 video and pose assets (48‑hour rentals at ¥110–¥220, ¥3,300/month subscription). A creator‑support giveaway runs from Feb 27 to Apr 30, with 24 winners selected via X posts using #ZIZAITEN.
Market Decipher reports the trading cards market was valued at $13 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $21 billion by 2034, growing at an 8.5% CAGR, driven by nostalgia and digital platforms.
Kotobukiya, together with the ENRAI platform and partners, opened entries for the 1st Digital Apparel Design Contest (Jan 15–Mar 31, 2025). The student‑focused competition requires CLO software and offers a top prize of ¥100,000 plus virtual productization, with winners’ works displayed on Kotobukiya’s Akihabara venue screen and Hobby Japan’s VR sphere.
Kotobukiya, Booklista and Yuka & Alpha are holding a free, pre‑registration webinar for school teachers on Jan 8 2025 (Wed) 10:00‑11:30 JST to explain the 1st Digital Apparel Design Contest. The archive, minus the Q&A, will later be posted on Booklista’s YouTube channel.
Kotobukiya says the ARTIST SUPPORT ITEM web platform “ZIZAITEN” will enter early‑access in early 2025. It offers freely rotatable 3D video assets, priced at ¥110–¥220 per 24 h rental and a ¥3,300 monthly subscription for all content. Top creators Naoki Saito, Shimoida Sketch and KawaiiSensei will post review videos on Dec 12, 19 and 26.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments released the 'Work Plan for Stabilizing the Light Industry (2023-2024)', proposing to stimulate toy consumption and stabilize imports and exports. Provincial plans also emphasize promoting the integration of animation games and toys, and implementing industry standards. POP MART and other listed companies are listed as industry representatives.
The toy industry in Guangdong Province led the country in the number of enterprises and export scale in 2024. The article lists major listed companies including Aofei Entertainment, Starry Sky Entertainment, POP MART, and MINISO.
Kayou Limited filed a prospectus for listing on the Main Board of the HKSE on January 26, 2024, with Morgan Stanley, CICC, and JPMorgan as joint underwriters.
Blokees Group has filed a prospectus with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for a main board listing. The company reported 877 million yuan in revenue in 2023 and accumulated losses exceeding 1.1 billion yuan from 2021 to 2023. The prospectus highlights the company's heavy reliance on licensed IPs like Ultraman and Transformers, with some licensing periods expiring soon.
Kayou Limited filed a prospectus with the HKEX on January 26, 2024, for listing on the Main Board. While its 2019 revenue exceeded 4 billion yuan, card business revenue fell 46.55% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2023, and stationery business revenue dropped 51.87%.
Kayou filed a prospectus on Jan 26 to list on the Main Board. Q3 2023 trading card sales dropped 49.44% YoY to 1.04 billion packs, with revenue of 1.952 billion yuan, heavily reliant on the Ultraman series.
Shares of Mattel and Hasbro plummeted in early trading on Thursday as the two toymakers warned of soft sales during the key holiday shopping season.
The SAMR released a draft guideline on Aug 16, proposing rules on food sales, age restrictions, pricing, and secret reveal probabilities.
Domestic brands like Blokees, Senbo, and Pinqi have received multiple rounds of funding, with Senbo securing over 100 million yuan in January. The article compares sales on JD and Taobao, noting LEGO dominates the high-end market while domestic brands still lag in price and brand recognition.
52TOYS upgraded its brand day to the 52TOYS Collectible Toy Day to promote the culture. CEO He Hao believes collecting culture helps improve China's toy market consumption structure.
ToyCity recently closed a nearly 100 million yuan A+ round led by Meic Capital, with Unison Capital following. The brand focuses on wearable devices and operates its own factory, planning to use funds for IP incubation and brand promotion.
The Legal Daily reports regulatory gaps in the blind box market, citing illegal pet blind boxes, youth overspending, and opaque hidden item probabilities, and calls for legislation.
POP MART established its Japanese subsidiary POP MART JAPAN and opened an official e‑commerce site and a pop‑up shop at Shibuya Loft on August 7, 2020. On the same day it launched its first Japan‑exclusive item, the LABUBU Maneki‑Neko, priced at ¥2,990, limited to 200 pieces with a purchase cap of two per customer. The limited stock is split equally between the online store and the pop‑up shop, with further updates to be announced on social media.
Ohio Art Chairman Bill Killgallon reviews the history of Etch A Sketch and analyzes the innovation challenges the toy industry faces in the digital age.
Bandai Namco reported consolidated net sales of ¥1.35 trillion for FY2026, up 8.6% year-on-year. Operating profit reached ¥189.5 billion, and the company maintained a 17% return on equity and a 14.1% operating margin.
Motivated by a shrinking consumer base, higher development costs, Bandai and Namco have announced a merger.
