Trendy toy chain store operator TOP TOY, based in the Haizhu district of Guangzhou city - capital of South China's Guangdong province - has bucked the industry trend since 2020, using bricks and mortar stores to explore its innovative development path. 

In China, trendy toys represent a new development concept, with products not exclusively targeting infants or children and going beyond traditional categories like puzzles and dolls. The market for trendy toys is expanding rapidly, especially among young Chinese consumers aged 15-25, the so-called generation Z or "Kidults".

TOP TOY is a trendy toy collection chain of stores which particularly showcases Chinese-style toy building blocks.

When its first flagship store landing in the Grandview Mall in Guangzhou's Tianhe district in December 2020, TOP TOY earned millions of yuan sales in three days. It then opened more than 100 bricks and mortar stores across the country in around two years.

Sun Yuanwen, founder of TOP TOY, said he believes the trendy toy market is full of opportunities and as a result, the TOP TOY projects team was established.

To attract young customers and test out future categories, TOP TOY not only sells action figures but also extends its products to blind boxes, building blocks and statues. The product price ranges from 9.9 yuan ($1.36) to 30,000 yuan.

After axing categories that are not proficient and in demand, building blocks became TOP TOY's first strategic product category - with stores, supply chains and intellectual property revolving around the toy building blocks.

Sun added that brand competition lies in the minds of consumers, not the number of stores or market size.

Moreover, TOP TOY has plans to invest more in children's online activities, establish building block classrooms to popularize the concept of Chinese building blocks and promote traditional Chinese culture and the stories behind the Chinese building blocks.

An action figure goes on show in a TOP TOY store. [Photo/ WeChat account: gzhzfb]