Top 12 must-have toys for Christmas according to retailers

The Toy Retailers Association has revealed a list of 12 toys they predict will be Christmas hits.

The eagerly anticipated Star Wars and Frozen films are expected to help drive the UK's £1 billion Christmas toy market this year, experts predicted.

DVD releases of Toy Story 4 and Avengers Endgame are also predicted to influence sales, alongside perennial favourites Barbie, Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, the Toy Retailers Association said.

The annual top 12 Dream Toys list, unveiled at St Mary's Church in Marylebone in London, includes the Frozen 2 Into the Unknown Elsa Doll (£39.99) and the Toy Story 4 True Talkers (£17.99) figures.

The list, compiled by leading retailers and toy experts, is notable for the number of licensed products, from the Fortnite Battle Royale Collection Battle Bus and the Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak to the Star Wars Yoda from Lego and the Frozen 2 Magic Ice Walker.

The trend for "surprise" and "reveal" toys remains strong, with LOL Surprise! still the most popular collectable for a second year in a row.

The most expensive toy in the top 12 is the £99.99 LOL Surprise! 2-in-1 Glamper.

Frederique Tutt, global analyst for The NPD Group's toy division, said: "Christmas is worth £1 billion to the UK toy industry, that's 30 per cent of annual revenue being generated in the last few weeks of the year.

"With Star Wars Episode 9 and Frozen 2 at the cinema and the DVD release of Toy Story 4 and Avengers Endgame, we expect more than £1 out of £10 to be spent on film-related toys. These mega-movies will give a real boost to toy sales before the end of 2019."

He added: "In 2019 so far, we've seen licences drive toy sales, particularly Fortnite and movies, and to date they account for 23% of the market overall.

"We're expecting more of this to the end of the year, with some massive franchises due for release, including Star Wars and Frozen."

The top 12 list, in alphabetical order, is:

- Barbie Dreamplane Playset £79.99

Bury Times: