After the Canton Fair: AI Plush, Bag Charms and the Comfort Trend Wholesale Buyers Should Watch for Spring

Overview

The 140th Canton Fair closed on November 4, and the toy halls of Phase 3 (October 31 to November 4) previewed what will compete for shelf space next spring: AI plush and companion figures, bag charms, and small “comfort” products built around emotional value. The fair drew 352,000 overseas buyers from 219 countries and regions, up 12.2%, and 32,000 exhibitors showed 4.88 million products — more than 230,000 of them AI-related. The key point is timing: one exhibitor reported orders booked through the end of December, so what the fair showcased is a spring assortment, not a holiday rescue.

AI plush was the most talked-about category

AI plush and companion figures came up most in the fair coverage. Shenzhen Xinditai Electronics showed an AI panda and an AI cat that talk, show emotion through LED eyes and support more than 60 languages; the company said buyers ordered at the fair, its orders run to the end of December, and US and European clients have ordered tens of thousands of units. Dongguan Junou showed third-generation AI plush, and Dongguan Chaobang showed an AI figure that doubles as a desk ornament or backpack charm, reporting talks on a large order with a New Zealand toy company. The technology is no longer a demo — it is taking real orders from overseas buyers.

Comfort and small joys filled the rest of the halls

The organizer's summary of Phase 3 pointed to a second, quieter trend: products that sell comfort rather than function. Bag charms in many designs were everywhere in the toy section. Animal-shaped sofa cushions, filled with weighted glass beads for a hug-like feel, were singled out. In office supplies, pens chosen for looks, cute staplers and glue-free 3D stickers that double as puzzles drew attention. A duck toy for ages 6 to 36 months — head-turning, waddling, with lights, sound and voice guidance — drew overseas buyer interest. Pet products followed the same logic, with cat climbing structures and automatic toys.

The demand numbers behind the talk

The fair buzz lines up with retail data. The Japan Toy Association's preliminary figures put Japan's domestic toy market at ¥1,166.4 billion in fiscal 2025, up 6.3%. Plush rose from ¥45.1 billion to ¥62.4 billion, up 38.2%, and high-tech toys grew from ¥18.3 billion to ¥21.2 billion, up 15.5%. One caution: the fair does not show everything that sells. Squishy toys were among the most-watched products on TikTok Japan from October 25 to November 1, yet the fair reports never mention them. Treat the fair as one signal, not the whole market.

What this means for your buying decisions

First, do not count on the fair for the holidays. With exhibitors booked through December, use goods already in your country for the holiday season and plan fair finds for spring and later. Second, start small where the evidence is strongest: bag charms and plush charms are low-cost and easy to test from ready-made stock, and the fair coverage and retail numbers point the same way. Third, treat AI plush as a compliance project before it becomes an order. In the US, an importer must meet ASTM F963, test toys for children 12 and under at a CPSC-accepted lab, issue a Children's Product Certificate and apply tracking labels. A US consumer group that tested four AI toys found one plush bear discussing inappropriate topics with children, and packaging for another product said data might be shared with third-party developers and advertising partners. Before ordering, get in writing where the toy connects, what it records and what parental controls exist.

HundredPower, a Hong Kong-based exporter founded in 1992 with its own factory in Shenzhen, takes the same approach in party favors, glow toys and bubble toys: track what is actually selling, test small, and confirm compliance before scaling an order.

Common buyer questions

Frequently asked questions