On April 9^th, the 38^th Shenzhen International Toy & Hobby Fair is about to kick off. On the eve of this major event for the industry, reporters spoke with Chen Huangman, President of the Guangdong Toy Association, who outlined the tremendous changes in the industry with a set of striking comparative data: In 2025, China's traditional toy market reached 80.13 billion yuan with a growth rate of only 3.5%, while the art toy market hit 87.97 billion yuan with a remarkable growth rate of 21%, successfully overtaking traditional toys. More notably, the boom in AI technology is installing a "second engine" for this traditional industry, opening up a 100-billion-yuan market for smart toys.

"Art toys are a vital part of the toy industry, and their market scale is now comparable to that of traditional toys," Chen noted. Data from the Hobby Branch of Guangdong Toy Association is even more optimistic, predicting that the total value of China's art toy industry will reach 110.1 billion yuan in 2026, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 20%. This years-long sustained popularity has not only attracted numerous startups, internet giants and tech companies to enter the field, but also become a key direction for traditional toy manufacturers seeking transformation and breakthroughs.

Since the beginning of this year, the surge of AI has spread from the virtual world into real life, directly igniting the toy industry, which is widely regarded as one of the most promising application scenarios for AI technology.

"The toy industry is a creative industry that is highly sensitive to market trends and willing to experiment with new ideas. Since the rise of generative AI, the industry has been actively exploring its application across the entire industrial chain. For example, in the design phase, AI is used to generate preliminary product designs and packaging elements." Chen noted that as a product that enables AI technology to quickly integrate into consumers' lives, toys are embracing a historic opportunity. Data shows that China's AI toy market was nearly 29 billion yuan in 2025, and is expected to break the 100-billion-yuan mark by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of over 20%.

Despite China's significant position in the global toy industry, exports in 2025 faced considerable pressure. Nevertheless, the "sluggish" data cannot obscure the surging visibility and influence of Chinese brands in the global market, especially in the art toy sector. POP MART's third-generation LABUBU vinyl plush pendant sparked a global buying frenzy; Kayou opened its first overseas store in Bangkok, Thailand; Blokees partnered with Universal Pictures to introduce its products to the UK; and MINISO launched a store covering more than 1,000 square meters in Canada. These developments signal that Chinese toy brands are accelerating their global expansion.

潮玩反超传统玩具，AI催生千亿新赛道

4月9日，第38届国际玩具及潮玩（深圳）展览会即将启幕。在这场行业年度“大考”前夕，记者对话广东省玩具协会会长陈黄漫，他用一组对比鲜明的数据勾勒出产业的巨变：2025年，中国传统玩具市场规模801.3亿元，增速仅3.5%；而潮玩市场规模已达879.7亿元，增速高达21%，成功实现“反超”。更值得关注的是，AI技术的爆发正为这个传统行业装上“第二引擎”，一个千亿级的智能玩具新赛道已然开启。

“潮玩是玩具业的重要组成部分，市场规模已经能够与传统玩具相媲美。”陈黄漫介绍说。广东省玩具协会潮玩分会的研究数据更为乐观，预计2026年中国潮玩产业总价值将达1101亿元，年均增速超20%。这一持续多年的高热度，不仅吸引了无数初创企业、互联网巨头和科技公司争相布局，更成为传统玩具制造企业转型突围的主要方向。

今年开年，AI的热度从虚拟世界烧到了现实生活，而这股热潮，也直接点燃了被视为AI技术最佳落地载体之一的玩具产业。

“玩具行业是创意产业，对市场热点非常敏感，且敢于尝试各种新鲜事物。自生成式人工智能爆火以来，行业便积极探索将该技术应用于产业链的各环节，比如在设计环节，借助AI初步生成产品设计图、生成产品包装图片元素等。”陈黄漫介绍说，玩具作为能够让AI技术快速融入C端消费者生活的产品，正迎来历史性机遇。数据显示，2025年我国AI玩具市场规模已接近290亿元，预计到2030年将迈入千亿大关，年复合增长率超过20%。

尽管中国玩具业在全球占据举足轻重的地位，但2025年的出口数据却承受了不小压力。然而，数据的“低迷”难掩中国品牌在全球市场，特别是潮玩领域的声量与影响力飙升。泡泡玛特LABUBU第三代搪胶毛绒挂件在全球引发抢购，卡游在泰国曼谷开设海外首店，布鲁可携手环球影业将产品引入英国，名创优品在加拿大开出超千平方米大店……一系列动作表明，中国玩具品牌的全球化步伐正加速迈进。

文 ｜记者 孙绮曼
图｜受访者提供
翻译 | 郑书悦
审校 | 曾敏