Adults buying themselves retro toys for Christmas that they missed out on as children
Adults have turned to buying themselves the Christmas presents they missed out on as children during pandemic, a retailer said.
Searches for the term “retro” on the Argos website increased by 110 per cent in November and two in five adults have been buying themselves nostalgic items according to polling carried out by the company.
Shoppers have been seeking a sense of comfort, the retailer said, in what has been a stressful year.
Around 2,000 people were surveyed on the toys they always wished they had as children, with Game Boys, Mr Frost and the Sega Mega Drive topping the list, alongside Rubik’s Cubes, Walkman and Furby.
Rob Quartermain, senior campaign manager for Argos said: “After a long and difficult year, people need some Christmas magic more than ever.
“We want to bring some joy to the last weeks of 2020 by surprising people with the gift they always wanted as a child but never received.
“The memories of not receiving that Barbie, board game or console lingers on decades later, so we hope the nostalgic gifts will sprinkle some magic to their festive season.”
Also making the nation’s top 10 list of retro toys were lava lamps, Barbie’s dream house and the contortive game Twister.
Seven in 10 respondents to the Argos survey also said they miss how magical Christmas was when they were children, with two thirds saying it becomes less exciting as you get older.
Meanwhile, 44 per cent wish they still believed in Father Christmas.
