Adults spend £8.6bn on childhood favourites in Britain's nostalgia boom

Britain's love affair with childhood favourites is now worth an estimated £8.6 billion a year, with millions of adults continuing to spend money on the toys, games and collectables they enjoyed growing up.

Research from Novuna Personal Finance found that 54 per cent of UK adults still spend money on nostalgic interests, with enthusiasts spending an average of £290 a year on childhood-inspired hobbies and purchases. The trend is particularly popular among younger adults, with 77 per cent of those aged 18 to 44 continuing to buy products linked to their childhood, compared with 27 per cent of over-55s.

With Christmas approaching, the research suggests many adults will be treating themselves as well as others. Half of those who celebrate Christmas plan to spend money on games, collectables and nostalgic gifts for themselves, with average spending expected to reach £158.

Grand Theft Auto VI tops many festive wish lists, with 20 per cent of respondents saying it would be their most desired gift. LEGO followed closely on 19 per cent, while 15 per cent said they would like a new games console. The study also found that adults are buying childhood favourites for friends and family, with half planning to purchase video games as gifts and 40% expecting to buy LEGO products.

Among 25 to 34-year-olds, nearly a quarter continue to buy Pokémon cards and games, spending an average of £259 over the past year. The same age group spent an average of £297 on retro gaming purchases. LEGO also remains popular among younger consumers, with buyers aged 18 to 24 spending an average of £273 over the past 12 months. The largest individual nostalgia-related purchase made by respondents averaged £601, rising to £864 among 25 to 34-year-olds.

Many said their spending was driven by emotional connections rather than collecting alone. Almost a quarter said such purchases helped bring back happy childhood memories, while 22% said they provided a way to relax and escape everyday pressures.

Theresa Lindsay, Chief Marketing Officer at Novuna Finance, said: "From the return of 90s fashion and music to LEGO, Pokémon and retro gaming, nostalgia seems to be everywhere right now.

"And perhaps that's no surprise. With so much uncertainty around there's something comforting about returning to the things that have always made us happy.

"We might be older, but we haven't lost our love for the things we grew up with. And with Christmas approaching, it seems plenty of us are hoping to find a little piece of our childhood under the tree."