MenKind taps into Kidult power

MenKind, the UK-based gift and gadget retailer, provides customers with a wide range of unique gifts for every occasion, from tech and novelty items to licensed merchandise and collectibles. Kidults make up the core of its customer base, and Olivia Mayne, head of UK Buying, shares with Toy World how the category continues to shape MenKind into the retail hub it is today.

The Kidult market has really taken off the last couple of years. How have you seen the category develop and impact MenKind?

We’ve been able to tap into the Kidult market through collectibles and figurines where there’s a higher average selling price – items designed more for display than having play value. We’ve also been growing our range of anime collectibles, with products from the likes of McFarlane and Hasbro; this is a section that has really developed over the last four years, since I’ve been at MenKind.

The heart of MenKind’s DNA is very trend driven. We try to react very quickly to new trends; we’re able to bring them into the business promptly.

Do you notice seasonal trends in Kidult purchases or is demand steady year round?

It’s an important part of the business all year round, although a large percentage of our sales are taken in Q4, as with most gifting retailers. In Q1, Q2 and Q3, sales are driven more by trends and customer demand. Funko Pop!, Bandai, Hasbro, Pokémon trading cards and the like all sell well throughout the year, and Formula 1 was massive this summer, especially the 1:5 scale F1 helmets and the Bburago range from One For Fun, which has been a huge hit.

As we move into Q4, we transition into more traditional gifting. We expand our food and drink ranges, as well as our selection of gadgets – all the products that most people associate with MenKind. Within traditional gifting, we’re stocking products like South Park and Mr. Bean mugs with socks; so even our traditional gifting products have Kidult appeal. One of our best-selling plush lines at the minute is the Mr. Bean from Posh Paws; that has been an absolute stormer. We’ve seen huge demand for Bully from Bullseye as well.

Kidult has become a massive sales driver outside of Q4 in terms of collectibles and figurines, but within Q4, it’s got that retro Kidult appeal in traditional gifting as well.

Kidult has become a massive sales driver outside of Q4 in terms of collectibles and figurines, but within Q4, it’s got that retro Kidult appeal in traditional gifting as well.

Do you see Kidult consumers purchasing more in-store or online?

Kidults are a massive part of our customer base both in-store and online. On the MenKind website, we have creatied a Multiverse landing page for officially licensed movie, TV and gaming gifts. The product mix we offer online is slightly different, as certain product types work better online and others in-store - on the web, we’re selling a lot of T-shirts and dressing gowns, while in-store it’s figurines that catch the customers’ eye - on both channels, as well as our wholesale channel, Kidults make up a portion of our sales. This year, we’ve got an exclusive Minecraft range from Merchant Ambassador for Minecraft arcade machines. Although this is a licence aimed at children, it has a retro feel and we’re seeing sales across all channels.

What do you see as the biggest growth drivers in the Kidult space right now?

At the moment, it’s probably collectability. The demand for Pokémon trading cards is crazy, and we have queues outside the door in the morning. We all know there’s an issue with supply meeting demand, but customers know that too and it generates a mad rush for product whenever it arrives. The limited-editions and the hard-to-get-hold-ofs also help create huge demand.

We haven’t fully embraced the Asian blind box craze yet but hope to do so in 2026 - it’s become such a big craze across all ages that it’s something we’ll be introducing in the early part of next year. There’s lots to get excited about in the anime space too; I’ve been meeting with suppliers recently and they’ve showed me some really interesting lines, so this is another area we’re planning on doing even more with next year, building on the success of the ranges we already stock.

What are the key anime properties at the moment?

This year, we’ve seen really strong sales for Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, while One Piece is expected to pick up next year with the new series coming on Netflix and Hatsune Miku is always a top performer.

Anime remains very popular, and we’ve already expanded our offering by introducing Dandadan, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Madoka Magica and K-Pop Demon Hunters (if we can get the stock). We’ve secured a light up canvas from Pyramid International for K-Pop Demon Hunters, which we expect to be big this Christmas. Solo Leveling is another new property that’s emerged for us this year. I’m constantly looking for new trends; when I see suppliers really buying into a product range, you know things are beginning to take off.

What’s been the most surprising trend or consumer behaviour you have noticed in Kidult purchases recently?

Under the current economic circumstances, we’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that there appears to be no resistance to price. If it’s something this demographic wants or that the customer is a fan of, price doesn’t seem to be an issue. In October, our horror feature in stores included some very high price point dolls, as part of the Trick-or-Treat range. We sold more than one a week of these on some occasions - horror is a massive part of the licensed Kidult market.

British classics have had a big influence this year, and there are a lot of nostalgia lovers out there. We stocked a Shaun of the Dead Funko Pop! in the summer which immediately became a best-seller, even though the film has been out for years. Bully from Bullseye and Mr. Bean have also both been sought after, fitting into the British retro theme.

Do you try to appeal to kids as well as Kidults?

Our primary focus is our core customer base, which is teenage boys and up. However, some of our ranges do appeal to kids, particularly trending products like fidget toys – and our wider pocket money range soars during school holidays.

As a buyer, I’m not really looking for toys, but there’s an inevitable cross-over. We try to keep our offering unique and different, and we ranged the Toothless Puppetronic from Wow! Stuff this summer, when the movie came out, and also brought in the Doctor Collector How To Train Your Dragon range for the website.

How do you anticipate the Kidult category evolving at MenKind over the next 12-18 months?

I think it’s going to get even bigger and become an even greater focus for us. In a recent 2026 strategy meeting, the bulk of the conversation was looking at the Kidult and collectibles space, as well as how we will develop our range of blind boxes. We haven’t previously considered holding Collector Events as other retailers do, although we would love to start developing that side of things more.

We’re following the data and what the customers are telling us through that data. One thing’s for certain, the Kidult customer is not going away anytime soon.