For about $10, shoppers can pick up several of some of the most popular makeup, hair and skincare items at Ulta — as miniature toys. Beauty retailer Ulta and toy company Zuru recently collaborated on a Mini Brands line of capsules containing five mystery mini replicas of brand-name beauty products. Do you prefer toy food to foundation? MGA's Miniverse released a Target Food Favorites themed Make It Mini where buyers can create tiny replicas of snacks, such as Bullseye cookies or lava cakes — for collecting and displaying, not eating.
MGA is also the company behind the LOL Surprise line of collectible mini dolls, accessories and playsets, first released in 2016. It's not just toys. Luxury brands like Hermes and Fendi have also released micro versions of their handbags in the past few years, with other brands, such as Coach, Longchamp, Lululemon and Dagne Dover, selling pocket-sized bags, charms and backpacks.
Many box stores, beauty stores and pharmacies have sections dedicated to trial, travel and tiny-sized versions of many products. Miniatures — whether tiny toys or practical items — are appealing to consumers. According to an industry report by market research firm Circana, the category of exploratory and other toys, which includes mini toys, had the second highest growth rate — 16% — for toy categories in 2022 and had seen positive growth since 2019.
Tiny crafts and micro-sized toys also were among the Toy Association's 2023 top toy trends . But what draws sho.