Toy Purchasers Have ‘Stronger Tariff Anxieties Than the General Population’ 

While more than 40 percent of Americans are concerned about tariffs, the majority of frequent purchasers or major toy brands like Melissa & Doug and vTech harbor much stronger tariff anxieties than the general population. 

That’s according to the latest data from CivicScience, a consumer analytics and advertising platform with access to a database of declared consumer attitudes, interests, demographics and intent.

“As consumer behavior shifts in response to rising costs and tariff concerns, brands need to prepare by leaning into discounts and deals for shoppers who are waiting to make toy purchases, as well as lean into price-match guarantees to remain competitive,” said John Dick, CEO of CivicScience.

“For independent retailers, the opportunity lies in agility and touting their differentiators (whether it’s strong customer service or unique toy items) to maintain shopper loyalty and also win over consumers that are open to trying new retailers. Retailers who utilize real-time insights into shifting consumer behaviors and preferences will be best positioned to thrive in the months ahead.”

According to the data, 61 percent of Melissa & Doug and vTech customers are very concerned about the impacts of tariffs, while 58 percent of Mattel and 56 percent of Hasbro and Fisher-Price customers are concerned about tariffs.

Additional findings include:

• 33 percent of toy buyers are planning to wait until the Black Friday–Cyber Monday window for holiday shopping, mirroring the 36 percent seen among the overall population.
• A quarter of toy shoppers are doing comparison shopping due to tariffs. As a result, 26 percent of toy buyers are choosing less expensive options, while 19 percent are switching to cheaper brands.
• 78 percent of toy buyers say they’ve researched a product on one online retail site, then purchased it on another site at least once or twice, with 21 percent doing this “a lot.”

CivicScience conducted the polls for these insights Aug. 18-25, 2025, among those who buy toys and toy buyers who research. CivicScience conducts large, Census-representative surveys of U.S. teens and adults through polling applications embedded in the content of a vast, demographically and geographically diverse network of partner websites.