U.S. sales of squishy toys reached about $297 million through June 2026, quadrupling from a year earlier. Unit sales jumped nearly 200% to 58.6 million over the same period.
The numbers come from Kristen McLean, vice president of client insights and leader of market research firm Circana's Entertainment Knowledge Group, who shared the figures with CNBC. McLean pointed to Massachusetts-based Schylling and its NeeDoh line as the central force behind the surge.
"While the price and the stores they are selling in make them widely available and accessible from a price perspective, the NeeDoh run in particular started on social media," McLean said. The combination of "fun colors, interesting packaging, stress relief and play" helped lay the viral foundation for broader adoption, she said. "They really managed to capture a moment in the zeitgeist."
Products include squishable dumplings, ice cubes and gummy bears. Their low prices make them easy impulse purchases for consumers who see them trending online. TikTok Shop has grown to represent 1% of total retail sales and 3% of e-commerce sales in just two years, with toys, hobbies and collectibles ranking as the third-largest category on the platform, according to Circana's Social Commerce Tracking data.
Loo Wee Teck, global insight manager for toys and games at Euromonitor International, connected the trend to broader consumer psychology. "Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, rising stress and digital fatigue, consumers are increasingly drawn to products that offer simple moments of comfort and relaxation," Loo said. "What makes the current boom different is that squishy toys are increasingly valued for their sensory and emotional benefits, not just as novelty items," he added.
Kevin Kwok, director of Kids Village Asia, the sole distributor of Schylling's NeeDoh in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, told CNBC that inbound trade and retailer inquiries have risen nearly 20-fold from the same period last year. "The shift in demand has been dramatic," Kwok said. He said the surge took off around January, driven largely by social media, including celebrities showcasing the product on their platforms.
Circana's checkout data for the three months ended June showed that 60% of NeeDoh purchasers were parents buying for their children, while 18.2% reported buying the toys for themselves. Children aged 7 to 12 were the largest group of recipients for both genders, and 72% of all recipients were female.
The category's staying power remains an open question. Industry observers have drawn comparisons to fidget spinners, which saw a similar rapid rise before fading. How long the current boom lasts will depend partly on whether squishy toys hold their social media momentum and whether new products can sustain consumer interest beyond the initial novelty.