Planet Money · Friday, July 31, 2026
The viral success of squishy dumpling toys is attributed to their surprise unboxing element and widespread presence on platforms like TikTok. Consumerologist Kristen McLean notes that squishy and fidget toys are a rapidly growing category, with sales up 279% since January.
“The part of like unboxing it and not knowing what you get is like pretty fun.”
“Kristen says just since January of this year, squishy toy sales have grown 279%.”
“I think that what most toy companies would think is the smart thing to do is get ahead of it.”