Why Squishy Toys Are Canada's Fastest-Growing Wholesale Category

Retailers across Canada are constantly searching for products that offer strong profit margins, broad customer appeal, and consistent repeat purchases. In recent years, squishy toys have emerged as one of the fastest-growing categories in convenience stores, gift shops, toy stores, dollar stores, and mall kiosks.

Their affordable price point, eye-catching designs, and sensory appeal make them an easy impulse purchase for customers of all ages.

Why Retailers Love Squishy Toys

Unlike many seasonal products, squishy toys sell throughout the year. Customers are often attracted to their satisfying texture, collectible designs, and stress-relieving qualities.

Retailers benefit because squishy products:

• Require minimal shelf space

• Generate strong impulse purchases

• Appeal to both children and adults

• Encourage repeat purchases and collecting

• Offer attractive retail margins

Many stores place squishy toys near checkout counters where they can easily capture last-minute purchases.

Popular Customer Groups

One of the biggest advantages of squishy toys is their wide demographic appeal.

Popular buyers include:

• Children

• Teenagers

• Students

• Office workers

• Collectors

• Gift shoppers

Food-themed squishies, animal squishies, mini collectibles, and novelty sensory toys continue to be among the strongest-selling product categories.

Ideal for Convenience Stores and Gift Shops

Convenience stores and gift shops often have limited display space. Squishy toys provide an excellent solution because they are lightweight, compact, and visually attractive.

Many retailers use countertop displays, dump bins, or small feature sections to create additional sales opportunities without sacrificing valuable floor space.

Strong Impulse Purchase Behavior

Impulse purchases are one of the primary reasons squishy toys perform so well.

Customers often purchase multiple items at once because:

• The products are affordable

• Designs are collectible

• New styles arrive regularly

• They make inexpensive gifts

This repeat-purchase behavior can help retailers increase average transaction values.

How to Price and Display Squishy Toys

Squishy toys deliver some of the strongest margins in the impulse category. Because the wholesale cost per unit is low, most retailers comfortably apply a healthy markup while keeping the retail price in easy impulse-buy territory. The key is placement: a countertop display or a small dump bin near the checkout turns browsers into buyers, since these are products customers decide to grab in the last few seconds of a visit.

Rotating in new shapes and characters every few weeks keeps the display fresh and gives regular customers a reason to check back. Many stores find that grouping squishies by theme — food, animals, or fidget styles — makes the section easier to shop and encourages multi-item purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a good retail markup on squishy toys?

Because wholesale unit costs are low, squishy toys support strong margins while staying in the impulse price range customers expect. For most stores the section pays for its shelf space many times over, especially when placed near the checkout.

Do squishy toys sell year-round?

Yes. Unlike seasonal goods, squishy toys sell steadily through every month, with extra lift around back-to-school, holidays, and other gift-giving occasions. That consistency makes them reliable filler inventory between seasonal peaks.

What types of squishy toys sell best?

Food-themed squishies, animal designs, mini collectibles, and novelty fidget styles are the strongest performers. Stocking a mix of shapes and price points captures both children and adult buyers — for the current standouts, see butter, cheese & cube squishies.

How many should a small store start with?

With no minimum order, smaller retailers can begin with a few mixed cases to test what their customers reach for, then reorder bestsellers by item code once the sales data is in.

Wholesale Squishy Toys Available in Canada

At Mask12 Wholesale, we supply a growing selection of squishy toys and sensory products suitable for:

• Convenience Stores

• Gift Shops

• Dollar Stores

• Toy Stores

• Online Sellers

• Seasonal Retailers

Our wholesale inventory includes a variety of food-themed, novelty, and collectible squishy products designed to help retailers capitalize on one of Canada's fastest-growing impulse-buy categories.

Browse our wholesale squishy collection today, or register for a wholesale account to see live pricing — and discover why more retailers are adding squishy toys to their lineup. For the bestselling shapes, see butter, cheese & cube squishies.